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

[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]

[isafraid]

Oi!

[...]

Just leave it be for later, right now there's other things to figure out.

[boy the stress of a trial never really leave, no matter where it is, does it?]

[amygdalae]

[Sorry, Speedwagon.

Bruce still looks pretty damn pissed but he'll--take a couple of breaths to get back his composure and turn his gaze away from Sigrun.

Later. He'll deal with it later.]

[isafraid]

[Yeah.

We'll all work out our frustrations later, Bruce. Like adults.]

[captainobnoxious]

[Ooooh it's worse hearing it a second time.

And she'll fall silent there, crossing her arms.]

[penduli]

[ .......... ]

Leave Miss Sigrun's leading ability out of this, Banner. Wasn't it you who told me that it's good that she still thinks with her heart sometimes, after what she did with Mettaton? That it reminds us we're still human, and that includes her?

[amygdalae]

I can understand why she did it then. I can understand why she's doing it now. I can't understand why she wants to do this again willingly, when we've all already gone through this song and dance before.

[...admittedly a lot of personal trust issues are thrown into the mix here. Of which Bruce obviously won't voice out at all.]

[penduli]

People do anything they can for the people they love. That's all. It's not that hard to understand.

Even if it might be a little misplaced.

[amygdalae]

[...there are so many things Bruce can say in response to that, all of them pretty much spiteful and petty. But of course, he knows better than to say them.]

There's still a limit to that.

[Is what he says instead, eventually.]

[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.

[isafraid]

...You love him. Not like Mettaton, of course, but you'd be willing to protect him with your life if it depended on it.

[...]

Bit like family.

[captainobnoxious]

Exactly like family. And... instead I just made things worse for everyone, I know. You all can decide punishment on that.

[Permission granted -- whether it's finding a better leader or what, it's something she'll accept.]

[isafraid]

Don't go expecting anything as drastic as an execution.

[He laughs. It's light, quick, and humorless.]

I can't personally say what we'll do, but I will say I won't let anything too terrible happen.

[We all have family somewhere. Just like Jonathan said.]

[captainobnoxious]

[... Oh, fluffhead, you're too kind, and that gets her to smile a little. Black humor's good.]

Honestly, execution would be welcome, thinking about the kind of things I might be losing already. But that's just me.

[isafraid]

[when you've been through almost literal hell, you look on the bright side. No one's actually dead, and Sigrun did what she did out of love. It's... betrayal.

But an understandable one.]

Well that's got to be a given. [sorry, he can't stop her from losing trust. He wouldn't argue about it, Gabriel was his friend too.] In moments like this, it's simple for trust to fall through.

[captainobnoxious]

[She knows, she knows.]

One time's forgivable. Twice is just stupid. Least I know the people I've asked to lead in my place have... better heads than I do.

[isafraid]

Heh. Well, unless we lose our heads, we'll try our best.

[...Like right now, for instance.]

[captainobnoxious]

Your heads are alright. Just don't make the decisions I have and you'll be fine.

[Even if she doesn't regret what she chose to do, she does know they were bad choices.]

[goodforsomething]

Great. Good to know where we all stand.

[It's helpful to know, after all, who's more disposable than the rest.]

It's not like I'm out for his blood either, y'know. There's no one who gets why he'd want outta here better than me. [Because in the end, isn't it always about your twin?] But if we don't have this out now, it ain't gonna go anywhere. We'd just be ignorin' his problems, and then it'd all come back to bite us in the ass. Things never just magically get better.

[captainobnoxious]

[Sigrun grips the hem of her shirt again, shaking her head.]

I'd take a bullet for any of you. Really, I would. I'd stand between any of you and whatever oncoming foe, give my life without a second thought. But we all have people we want to protect a little more than others.

[The rest is right, though. That's the only point she has issue with.]