Take Responsibility.

[wordsmithery]

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.

Comments

[avoidcomplications]

Of course, I would be glad to. You'll find that I'm not injured at all--

[Which, as it turns out, is true...]

[....but as he starts to take his suit jacket off, some paint flakes fall off of the inside to the floor.]

[introspects]

[ Orihime gasps loudly. ]

...Yoshikage-san...!

[feistytrader]

[...Well damn.]

And those are from the secret room behind the library with all the cans of paint, right?

[avoidcomplications]

...

[Fuck.]

Ah. Well. That's quite unfortunate, isn't it?

[neverheardofhim]

[Well... that's enough to sober him up. And distract him from other business.]

Why Chiyuki?

[avoidcomplications]

...

There wasn't a reason.

[neverheardofhim]

[Man he really hates that kind of answer, too. Time to get daggers glared at you, Kira.]

[oyashiromama]

What...?

[She was the first on the list, I didn't know him- no reason at all?]

[avoidcomplications]

I was out at night and Chiyuki was the first person I encountered. Truthfully, I would have preferred Lusamine, but I couldn't risk waiting any longer this week.

[introspects]

Why? Why Lusamine-san?!

[avoidcomplications]

Because she has a quality that I favor in women.

[officerhops]

That is truly awful, you know that?

[Just...admitting that sort of thing...]

[uncouthhatcher]

Fuck you!

[Gold's too far away at the moment, but he's got no qualms about gripping his cue stick with the absolutely intention of going over sticking that up his ass--]

Chiyuki was nice! Chiyuki was a good person! If you're gonna kill someone, have a goddamn reason for it!

[feistytrader]

[Good thing Silver's around to grab him and hold him back.]

Don't. He's not worth it.

[Silver... Is calm? ...He's too calm.]

[uncouthhatcher]

[He's too calm and Gold's about to snap at him

but it dies off in his throat, growling instead as he points his cue stick across the podiums.]

Chiyuki deserved a lot more than no reason for her death, you asshole! I hope that thing chokes you!

[Gold's so, so livid.]

[foundfate]

You-

[Watanuki may have been emotionally drained a moment ago, but now the anger that flows through him makes him feel as though he's on fire.]

She had a life waiting for her! She had to go home and apologize to her mother! And now her mother will never hear that apology, because of you!

[avoidcomplications]

...And?

[uncouthhatcher]

Hey, Varric! Gimme some of that alcohol you've got with you, I think our salaryman here could use a drink!

[officerhops]

[Well damn]

[iaspis]

.....I see.

Tell me, Kira. You were looking for scientific volumes in the library a while back.

I don't think that's a coincidence.

[introspects]

He told me the same thing, too, when I ran into him in the library.

[avoidcomplications]

...Sodium azide is a very tricky substance, Jasper. If it touches metal or water, it reacts violently.

[iaspis]

You were already planning something. You just needed to make sure you knew what you were doing.

[quadruples]

[ ...!! Viktor stares, his eyes widening. ]

[elepe]

...My, what a shame...

[Dammit, you were just getting interesting Kira. Why'd it have to be now...]