Ever since Adrian Cross walked into the courtroom, he noticed the not-so-subtle ways people whispered while studying him like a rare specimen. And in a way, he was.

After all, not many doctors who worked in his field were decked head to toe in tattoos that couldn't even be hidden by long a dress shirt and dress pants. His piercings, which he never tried to hide unless in the courtroom, glinted in the light, reflecting (both literally and metaphorically) his style in their eyes. And despite it not being the people's job, they had already judged way before Adrian uttered a single word.

As he sat down on the witness stand and stated his oath, he sat down on the creaking wooden chair. His tongue absentmindedly pressed against the side labret piercing on his lips which was now replaced with a transparent silicone stud.

As the opposing counsel carried on with his questions, asking the usual "do you believe the defendant is dangerous?", Adrian looked at him with a plain expression before explaining like it was something obvious and simple.

"Risk isn't a binary characteristic. I can identify factors associate with increased or decreased risk; I cannot guarantee what someone will do."

Unsurprisingly, a few people from the crowd let out collective gasps as if scandalised by something Adrian said. And oh could he read the looks on their faces like an open book. One person even muttered a bit too loud "they're basically asking one delinquent to identify one of their own! Of course he'd side with that man" before shooting a pointed look to the defendant.