Take Responsibility.

[wordsmithery]

Again, the elevator is waiting for you after the allotted time for investigation is over; it idles almost patiently at each floor, waiting for everyone to be on board before sending all of you up to the courtroom high above. Over a third of your original number is dead. The losses are made all the more apparent by the addition of several greyed-out portraits around the podium circle at the center of the room; Kira, Mercy, Judy, Nick, and Kimbley have all joined the ranks of the deceased, their podiums draped in black. Meanwhile, the lectern above stands empty. The Wordsmith waits for everyone to find their place in the circle before he speaks; once that much has been done, his voice can be heard easily throughout the room. "Welcome back, Apprentices. The past several days have been troublesome indeed, and I need not point out that your number has dropped significantly. But a matter even more pressing requires your attention at the moment. In accordance with Rule Seven, the guilty seeks to leave the university and rewrite history. If you wish to prevent that, hold them accountable and have them take responsibility for the fate of Incendiary." Nineteen Apprentices remain. However many leave here at the end of the day is up to you.

Comments

[foundfate]

[Well that is a horrifying thought.]

It kind of makes sense, in a sick way. You can't have a trial if everyone else except you is dead.

[elepe]

...Ms. Marker has a point, but Mr. Watanuki, how well would you say you sleep? On a nightly basis.

[neverheardofhim]

[Varric shook his head, trying to scrape up some amount of benefit of the doubt.]

We talked last week. He said it would take something big to shift his thinking. Before that he said he had people he cared about...

[Now he shifted.]

Kira died. Chiyuki was gone. Elda was crossed off. If Jasper was all he had...

[foundfate]

...um.

[The fact that he looks away is a pretty good indication that he sleeps like the dead.]

I-I was right by the door, so I would have heard it open.

cw LET'S TALK ABOUT SUICIDE

[oyashiromama]

[...]

Kimbley told me he didn't care if he lived or died, though. In fact...he was waiting to die. He might have just had enough.

[Kill everyone, one fell swoop, himself included..]

[uncouthhatcher]

So it'd just be you and him if that's what happened?

[...]

Wonder what would get happen then, if it got down to just two people.

[neverheardofhim]

You were still on his list. He still cared about you. Maybe he wanted to keep you alive. Let you walk free?

[foundfate]

[NOT AT ALL]

[feistytrader]

...If he and someone else did this, they'd only need one person alive to vote for to get out of here, right? Two would be a majority.

[quadruples]

And there's no rule against going on a murder spree.

[uncouthhatcher]

You're as heavy a sleeper as I am, ain'tcha buddy.

[elepe]

That doesn't answer the question.

[She caught that glance away, and stares pretty intently at him.]

[firstaid]

[There's a moment before she speaks up again.]

With that line of thought, you believe that perhaps someone who cared may have killed him?

[She looks down...]

Given what we know, what if someone... killed him out of pity?

[foundfate]

[WELL THEN]

That...that could be it too then, yes.

[byday]

He certainly came off as the type.

[matchbreaker]

No one's that dumb and sympathetic. That'd be killing either themselves or all of us too. And unless someone's going to step forward now to get killed, that didn't happen.

[oyashiromama]

Watanuki...

[She speaks gently.]

This isn't an accusation of Varric. We just need all the facts. I promise, I won't let anyone go on an unjustified witch hunt.

[foundfate]

I...it depends on the night, okay? Sometimes I wake up from the slightest sound, and sometimes I sleep through everything until the morning.

[firstaid]

I am actually wondering that myself.

[uncouthhatcher]

Had no problem makin' that clear as day last week.

[iaspis]

....Yes, he said the same thing to me.

[elepe]

So, how well did you slept last night?

[That'll put some weight to the testimony, at least.]

[foundfate]

Just...just trust me, okay? He wouldn't kill anyone here on purpose.

[iaspis]

I don't know.

[because she absolutely wouldn't have voted for kimbley, um]

[plentyfriendly]

It's possible, but I'm hesitant to rule out a murder this soon.