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

[penduli]

[ He stares at Sigrun for just a moment, then

laughs, shaking his head. His sketchnotebook gets tucked beneath one arm as he slides his hands into his pockets, whole body shuddering with the force of his laughter. It's very loud, very there, and when it finally quiets down he hops to sit on the table they're by and set his sketchnotebook on his lap.

She might be keeping her voice down, but he's not. ]

Miss Sigrun, please. You're right that I couldn't go through with killing someone. I've told you as much. [ Besides, he's too softhearted. He started making stuffed animals for dead people. ...and living people. ] But you're making such a big thing out of nothing.

[ ...he should explain. He looks back at their compatriots, fear flickering in his eyes before it's hidden by the shine of his glasses. ]

The papers she's hiding and the fabric and stuffing she found are mine. I was working on Shirazu's dragon and reviewing my notes earlier this morning. I thought I heard someone in the hall and got scared, so I grabbed what I could and went back to my room. I didn't even notice anything had ripped out of my notebook until I got back, and by the time I went out to look for it...

Well. There were more important things to check out.

[ A smile that might be a bit too bright, a bit too much like the ones he gives when incentives about saving someone come up. ]

That's reasonable enough, isn't it?

[FIVE-SIX-SEVEN TO YOUR HEART ]

[amygdalae]

[...WELL IT LOOKS LIKE LUNCH WILL HAVE TO WAIT.]

You know there's no penalty here for admitting anything now, right? This isn't a trial. We're not downstairs. We're not going to send you to your death.

[Why even go through this?]

[penduli]

There's nothing to admit to, though.[ A shrug that's far too casual. ]

That's all that happened. I've never lied about anything before, right? There's no way I'd start now.

[amygdalae]

If you haven't then why did Captain Eide go through so much trouble to try and hide evidence about you? Clearly there's something about it that's incriminating you.

[captainobnoxious]

Just that it's his, and it's... the only evidence that hadn't been shown, yet.

[At least she can't really look at Bruce in particular. She knows, she knows and still...]

I thought it'd put him in a bad spot. I didn't want him to lose what he had here, since there's nothing for him back home, and... if he tried to killed Gabriel like I know in my gut he did, then I wouldn't want anyone to think he'd do it again, or to be careful around him.

[She's more willing to talk this time, anyway. Being honest is hard though.]

[penduli]

[ A SHRUG. ]

There's nothing incriminating in those [ ...he has others that are worse. ]

Going by what I'm missing... it's just a list of stuffed animals for everyone and notes on everyone and their titles. That's all. I guess she thought that if everyone saw them, they'd immediately think I was the one who did it since my stuff was left here?

Miss Sigrun's always jumping the gun when to comes to people she loves. You know that.

[isafraid]

Before.

[He just... c'mon, man.]

Honestly, nothing's gonna happen to ya if you confess. Nothing like what the Kingmaker might have done.

[goodforsomething]

Everyone's lied about something.

[notjustawriter]

There's no such thing as a person who never lies.

[garudynamic]

[He knows that look- but all it causes is confusion]

But... if you heard something why didn't you say something before now?

[penduli]

[ ...yeah, he can't look at Yosuke directly, he's just going to look at the profiles instead. ]

It didn't seem that important, really, or I could've just been hearing things. [ A shake of the head. ] Either way, I was alone when I got out to the hallway, so I'm guessing that's when our would-be killer struck? I'm not really sure, to be quite honest.

[garudynamic]

[He can't refute him- he has no evidence to do so. But he's SEEN Black at the breaking point before. He KNOWS what this looks like. So softly, confusion just growing:]

Why are you lying?

[goodforsomething]

......yeah. Makes sense.

[Stan trusts his gut; he wouldn't have gotten this far in his life if he didn't. And he doesn't like what it's telling him right now.]

You know nothing would happen even if it was you, right? Hypothetically speakin'.

[penduli]

[ ...nothing would happen... ]

Actually, if Glory and Ambitious are right, we're all slated to die anyway, aren't we? Nothing might happen here, but that's not the case. [ Another shrug. ] ...nothing aside from losing the respect of my peers and people I'm fond of, anyway.

[cherryblooded]

...Glory told us the Kingmaker wanted a winner. You were in the room at the time, writing it down, so I'm sure you remember.

One person escaping is better than zero.

[notjustawriter]

[Gabriel has been staying mostly silent throughout this entire process, because he doesn't have much to add.]

I'm not gonna hate you if it was you, Black.

[He doesn't really have it in him to hate people.]

[penduli]

[ ... ]

That's very kind, Mr. Knight. If I ever try to kill you, I'll keep it in mind.

[captainobnoxious]

[Sigrun's close enough to grab him, but -- she doesn't, just... hesitantly leans around him to see everyone else's faces and offer them something of a pained smile.]

I know we're not gonna kill him or anything -- in fact, you've got more reason to put me on trial, two for two, but... just know that I've got my reasons for wanting to just drop this.

[To protect Black's happiness. She knows it's him, there's not a doubt in her mind it's him, but-- it's different than how it was with Mettaton, even if she dragged it out too.]

[amygdalae]

[WE WILL TALK ABOUT THIS LATER SIGRUN.]

[cherryblooded]

Don't blame you in the slightest, my dear.

[It's as he said - there are some people who she wants to see happy, and it's better for them if this all gets swept away and forgotten.]

[captainobnoxious]

[He gets a weak smile, but it fades away when she rests her chin in her hand.]

I wish you'd dropped it most of all. Sorry about hitting you.

[isafraid]

... It's not your fault. It's only natural, is all. Not like anything's really going to happen.

[If someone here pulls out a knife then they'll be sorry.]

...I think I get it though.

[goodforsomething]

Look, I like him too, but I ain't throwin' Gabriel under the bus. You can't just pick which of us are worthwhile.

[amygdalae]

[PIPING IN HERE.]

You call yourself a leader all this time, then act like one.

[Its probably something he'll regret later but

jesus christ you have no idea how pissed he is right now]

[captainobnoxious]

I'm not throwing anyone under a bus! There's no deaths, no reason to not just drop it, and-- Why couldn't you all have just done that like I said?

[Instead of this.]

I'm only human, Stan. I have my favorites. I love all of you, you're all people I'm proud to stand with, but he's one of the people I'd go lengths for.