Take...Responsibility?

[kingmakereffect]

Unlike previous weeks in the Vault, there was no specifically allotted time for investigation; for the first time, this weekend the elevator doors remain closed at the end of the first floor corridor. There's no getting down into the courtroom from here – but then, you don't need to. After all, no one is dead. Just the same, however, a crime has been committed; perhaps not one that warrants any sort of death penalty, but one of your number was attacked by someone else still walking among you. The dining hall has been chosen as the allotted meeting place for the day; it's not the same as the trial circle by a long shot, but even so, the portraits of the deceased watch the proceedings from the far wall. Ten Survivors still remain. Let's see who wanted to lower that number by one – or nine.

Comments

[captainobnoxious]

[Of all people, yes, she might listen to Black.

She would listen to Cherryblod if she wasn't aware he would toss someone to the wolves for the truth. There might not be anything for her to gain from hiding evidence, but... there's still things to lose.

... Though at this point, looking at the people she called companions, hasn't she lost enough?]

... I'll give them to you if you come here and everyone else stays back.

[Don't think she hasn't got the coldest look at the rest of you. Nothing personal, but... she's wary of them.]

[cherryblooded]

[Cherryblod silently returns to his seat.]

[isafraid]

[There's several things that flash across Speedwagon's face in that quick moment. Some small bit of anger, confusion, shock, surprise... sadness.

... At this point, what could they do? What could they say?

He sorely wanted to trust her, but trust seemed to be in short supply now.

... He moves back to his seat without a word. You've got it, captain.]

[penduli]

...all right.

[ He'll get up slowly—he's taking his sketchnotebook and phone with him, slipping the latter back into his pocket—and goes over. For a moment, he can't really look her in the eye, but he takes a deep breath and looks up at her.

Okay. ]

Miss Sigrun?

[captainobnoxious]

[Sigrun'll... reluctantly take the papers from her sleeve, in all their folded glory, not able to look at anyone but Black right now.

... It's hard enough to look at him anyway. But she'll do it, even if she's not giving him the papers right off.]

Aren't you scared?

[penduli]

[ Well, that gets a surprised look. ]

Why would I be? I mean, there's a reasonable explanation for this.

[ ...to his credit, he does seem to be honestly confused.

On the other hand, like everyone saw last night, Black's a pretty convincing actor. ]

[captainobnoxious]

[And to her own credit, Sigrun has been good at seeing past acts if she knows the truth, and she knows the truth right now. So she'll give a glare to everyone else for a moment and pull out a chair to sit in, just so she and Black have some more eye-level.

... And so she can talk as quietly to him as she had Mettaton, because apparently she's cursed and everyone she loves is a potential killer.]

William, [if there was ever a time to use it,] please. Out of everyone here, you couldn't go through with killing someone, even if you wanted to. I don't want your friendships to fall through, but I... I don't know what to do.

[How to help him, because as evidenced in the past she would.]

I've just made things worse for you instead, probably.

[penduli]

[ He doesn't seem to think so. ]