Sixth little lie ♰ 'Cause the devil works quick, you know it don't take long

[beingdifferent]

(CW: gore)

Who did this?

[Today you don't get charm, Barge, you're in for something completely different. Esther's standing on the deck, eyebrows knit, mouth a thin line, looking troubled. The reason why becomes apparent when she swings her communicator around and captures an image of something becoming increasingly common on the Barge: a bloodied corpse, this one of one Hannibal Lecter. That in and of itself isn't so strange, and even a young murderess is clever enough to pick up on that. The strange part is that this death was obviously not due to a human attack; the claw and bite marks attest to that.]

This is the man everyone is angry with. Someone set a dog upon him, right? [She doesn't sound disturbed so much as disapproving, and the feed swings back to capture her face still wearing that frown.]

…A warden will need to bring him to the hospital. [By which she means infirmary.] I'm not going to stay here alone.

Comments

[lastrat]

[....Hmm.]

Stay there. I'll come get you.

[beingdifferent]

I don't think I want to.

[lastrat]

[He's already on his way. Too many suspicions not to take advantage of a situation.] Wait by the door. A girl your age doesn't need to see that.

[Assuming she's a girl her age, of course. It won't take him long to get there.]

[beingdifferent]

[She's lined up her lies well, she thought, by adding just enough truth to each to make them believable. But Bond glimpsed a truth she didn't mean to reveal and Esther doesn't doubt at all that he's angling to see more.

She nods, pursing her lips.] I'll wait.

[halftheman]

You have to teach a dog to kill a man. It doesn't come to them naturally. I don't think anyone's dogs did that.

[ He also can't give a damn about Hannibal or not. THey all knew this would happen eventually, and likely repeatedly. It's the nature of the barge. ]

Do you need someone to come get you, Esther?

[ Hannibal is someone else's problem. ]

[beingdifferent]

Then what did?

I think Mr. Bond is coming. But you can go with, if you like. [The more the merrier; she's not sure she wants to be alone with Bond. It's been an interesting ballet of tiptoeing around each other since her first flood.]

[halftheman]

Not sure.

I'll be up in a moment. Don't go anywhere with Bond.

[ Private ]

Riddick has that dog-thing. Arthas has an undead bear lumbering around. They'd be my first two suspects. Of the dog owners -- Iris has two new German Shepards, but she'd never do it. The Marquis, Ned, Bruce Banner, and Megamind all have dogs, but none of them are in the condition to do this sort of thing. Banner's dog is trained for medical service. This sort of thing would be impossible for it, and Digby's a golden retriever - they're known for their soft mouths and gentle.

No. Riddick or Arthas. Might've been an accident in Riddick's case, but I doubt it.

[deshabille]

[Mal doesn't bother responding; she just heads up on deck, preparing a message for the Admiral on the way. Once she sees them both, she sends the resurrection request and heads over to crouch by the body.]

Sloppy, isn't it.

[beingdifferent]

[When Mal approaches she steps back, still staring at the body but more than ready to transfer responsibility to somebody else.] It's gross.

[deshabille]

Well, yes, but it's also par for the course at this point. And it'll have to happen a number of times before he learns anything. You can't say he didn't deserve it.

[She blinks up at Esther, then, and holds out a hand.]

Mal. I'm a warden. He'll be back in a little while, I've already made the request. You're free to go if you like.

[deadly_ned]

[The Piemaker was afraid of this happening. Too many people out for blood. He recognizes the body instantly and his expression freezes into a stoic mask.

The one saving grace from all of this is that Esther is not so badly affected]

Esther, stay away from it. Someone else will come to get it soon. You don't have to be near it.

[beingdifferent]

[The body seems to have a mesmerizing effect on Esther and the communicator catches just part of her face as she studies the body. But she snaps back to attention when Ned orders her back, and her frown deepens as she nods.]

Digby would never do this. What if the dog comes back?

[deadly_ned]

No, he wouldn't. Digby is a good dog.

If the dog comes back, we'll know. I don't think it was coincidence that whatever it was attacked Dr. Lecter. It's not going to hurt you.

Filtered away from Ned.

[darknessb4me]

I did. Take it down. I'll get my warden to bring him back.

Filtered away from Ned.

[beingdifferent]

Take it down? I can't move it very far.

Filtered away from Ned.

[darknessb4me]

No, the journal entry. Some people have had a bad enough week already.

[routemistress]

[Iris is in the CTS, flinging a frisbee with one hand between comments.]

Oops. Esther love, can you give us a closer look at the bites? I don't think that were a dog.

[beingdifferent]

[Esther is nothing if not helpful. She brings the camera in close to one of the bite-marks, which was clearly made by large and sharp teeth.]

Someone said it was a bear.

[routemistress]

Ahhhhh.

[Iris nods, enlightened and unsurprised.]

Arthas, then. Couldn't've 'appened to a nicer bloke. Dead man, if you're watching - and I know you are - that were inconsiderate and messy of you.

[Not that Iris can find it in herself to be particularly disapproving.]

[fire_punk]

Why the fuck did someone have to get to him first? [He's not too mad. Someone killed Hannibal. He's definitely happy about that. He's just disappointed he didn't do it. And oddly relieved, if you can get him to be honest.]

[beingdifferent]

You were going to kill him? [Esther's tone is not condemning at all, it's curious. Maybe not surprising from a nine-year-old who doesn't freak out next to a fresh corpse.]

[fire_punk]

After what he did to Slevin and the others? Someone had to. At least he can't hurt anyone else while he's death tolling.

[his_drededfate]

[Well, that's certainly enough to leave someone with nightmares and a child to come across it of all things. He's more concerned for her than the corpse, though she certainly seems to be handling it very well...]

Are you all right?

[beingdifferent]

[Esther has nightmares each time she closes her eyes and one more corpse won't make them much worse. This time she's more taken aback than scared, and she nods in answer.]

I think so, yes.

Oopdoop late

[his_drededfate]

Has someone come to help?