trusthell | Take Responsibility.

The ride up to the courtroom occurs, as before, after an allotted period of time for investigation; the elevator waits patiently for you at each floor - third, second, first - before sending you upwards and on your way to the courtroom high above.

As always, the trip is a smooth one; granted, after everything that the morning had been, any small comfort that fact may bring is likely not helping much.

There are three less of you this time around, a fact reflected in the podium circle standing in the middle of the room; Alani, Milla and Chiyuki have all joined the ranks of the deceased, their podiums draped in black and their portraits in greyscale keeping a watchful eye over the rest of the trial circle.

There's still no one present in the lectern above; however, once everyone has found their place in the circle, the Wordsmith's voice can be heard throughout the room.

"I can see that matters are beginning to seem dire for you, Apprentices. I am sure that you all cared for Sympathetic in some measure—all except the guilty party.

And now it falls to you once again to determine who that is. For your own sake as well as Sympathetic's, hold her killer accountable and have them take responsibility for their actions."

Twenty-four Apprentices remain. We'll see how many remain at the end of the day.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's noticeably less insistent when he speaks now, because holy hell he wasn't expecting that much of a reaction, but.]

Kimbley, half the people here have the same kind of powers! There's a giant shadow that's been swallowing people and bodies up whole! There's talking animals!

Why would he keep hiding that when the people here are probably one of the few chances he would get to have someone that can relate to that kind of life?

Because he doesn't want those powers, have you not been paying attention?

You think I don't too? Of course I'd love to not have my powers! But the chance to talk to someone who actually understands what it's like, someone who you don't have to explain things to because they've already gone through it, that...

[He's just. Going to lose steam bury his head in his arms and rest against his podium for a bit.]

It might be nice for you to have someone relate to, but you don't see me running to be besties with Carrots over there because she's the only other talking animal in the room.

[AKA Kira probably doesn't hold the same feelings as you, Watanuki....]

[Yeah, he's. Still working through that right now.]

If he had just said something, I could have helped him. Then Chiyuki wouldn't have...

We still don't know that he did it, yet. As nice and easy as it'd be, you can't just pin it someone because they fit the motive alone... you need more evidence than that.

I might be a terrible cop but even I know that.

Edited 2017-02-11 19:42 (UTC)

[Yeah uh about that...]

[LOOK....]

[Getting proven wrong twice in one trial. How's it feel, Nick?]

[you little shit]

Because I don't want anyone to 'relate' to.

[Kira suddenly sounded very cold, eyes fixed on Watanuki.]

My 'ability' is something I need in order to preserve my peaceful life. But I can only do so as long as others do not know of it. I have no desire to relate to gods, spirits, aliens, or Pokemon trainers.

I want to be Yoshikage Kira, ordinary human. That is my greatest desire in life.

...

[He goes quiet for a moment, just regarding Kira sadly.]

That's why, then. That's why someone had to die. Because if we all found out, you couldn't be ordinary anymore.

Yours is a secret that has to be kept a secret.