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

[firstaid]

Gold, this isn't the time for this.

[Her voice is shaking and pleading.]

Please... what are you hiding?

[elepe]

He's not hiding anything.

[...god, this is turning to such a shitshow--]

It couldn't have possibly been either of them. They don't need to do anything if they don't want to.

[neverheardofhim]

Lucy... [He knows this reaction. He would be doing the same damn thing if it were Orihime and Vanille.]

Why don't you come over and talk with me awhile. Let them finish stuff up over there?

[elepe]

I'm fine. There's nothing to finish up.

[God, she's gripping her podium so hard at this point.]

[matchbreaker]

[ elda doesn't call out Lusamine just yet - but she's on Hanyuu's podium and this is like two away from her, and makes Significant Eye Contact with her. ]

[elepe]

[Yeah, she's seeing that.]

Don't you dare look at me like that, Elda. You don't get it at all.

[matchbreaker]

[ Doesn't she?

... No, she probably doesn't. But she keeps the hard gaze, despite her own body language being rigid. ]

[firstaid]

I don't want to believe it was either of them. Gold is my friend. I don't want to believe it's him!

[elepe]

It's not them! They wouldn't have done something like this! They're good children, they aren't going to do something like this to someone!

[introspects]

If--if it really was them, and we're going with the theory Munechika-san made, this was an accident, Lusamine-san... They... They wouldn't do something like this intentionally...

[firstaid]

I know, I know they are! I really know that they are! So please, we need to prove them innocent. Words are... nothing here.

[oyashiromama]

[...]

E-even good children make m-mistakes sometimes.

[iaspis]

....but if it was an accident!

Intent matters! If they tried to help him...!

[sportadork]

It can't be murder if it was just an accident! Actus reus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea!

[matchbreaker]

Assuming Wordsmith allows us to rule that.

[sportadork]

He won't, because it's fair and the right thing to do.

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda's eyes remain catlike, like they have been since the CPR discussion and this hand thing. But she now smirks.

It's not at all a kind smirk.

But she also doesn't seem very pleased. ]

[sportadork]

They are good.

... But, if something is for the greater good... Even if it's against the rules...

[tsugomori]

[ .... ]

...Hopefully it isn't.

[ Because if it is, he didn't see this coming. ]