Take Responsibility.

[wordsmithery]

The time allotted for investigation this week is a bit longer than normal - not due to anything done wrong on the part of the Apprentices, but perhaps due to a basic understanding that two corpses are going to be decidedly more difficult to handle than one. However, at the end of the time period you've been given, the elevator is waiting for you, as cold and sterile as always in its journey up to the courtroom; you're down to almost half of your original number, and if anything is going to indicate that this shows no signs of stopping, it's probably this week. The deceased have had three more join their numbers since you were here last - Gold, Varric, and Viktor's portraits have been greyed-out and set atop their spots in the podium circle, the podiums themselves draped in black fabric. As always, the lectern above stands empty. Whether he's with you or not, however, once everyone has found their place in the circle, the Wordsmith's voice can be heard throughout the room. "Welcome back. Two more Apprentices are missing from your number today, and I have little doubt that weighs heavily on your minds. Balanced and Capricious have been lost to you, so that the guilty may have a chance to leave the academy and possibly even gain something otherwise impossible to attain. If you wish for your fallen Apprentices to receive justice in death, then you know what to do: yet again, hold the guilty accountable." Sixteen Apprentices remain. However many leave here at the end of the day has yet to be seen.

Comments

[plegia]

Absolutely not! I don't care how suspicious it looks, this is better than you all assuming wrong when you do compare it!

Figure out what happened first, then you can compare it!

[firstaid]

[You picked a fight with the wrong girl, Gangrel.]

And I absolutely will not back down until you let me compare the fur!

[She's stubborn as fuck.]

[plegia]

You get any closer and you'll have to deal with Jasper! And if Jasper doesn't want to throw you across the room - like you deserve at this point! - then I'll handle you myself!

[i mean a tales character vs a fire emblem character would be hilarious but is this really productive]

[firstaid]

[To Estelle? It's hella productive.

She doesn't look scared at all, dude.]

Such threats won't work against me. I don't know why you're so against it when we have established this won't accuse you of anything?

[introspects]

Estelle-san is right!

If someone really was trying to frame you, Gangrel, then letting us compare the fur only proves that. If the fur isn't even yours, then that would only remove suspicion from you even more!

[sportadork]

It's best for us to be completely sure it is or it isn't his, before we start considering other options. Checking will only help.

[plegia]

You're doing exactly that right now! You're refusing to give up because you think I did kill them!

[firstaid]

I refuse to give up because I believe knowing the source of fur will help determine a few things. It's your attitude that's making me suspect you.

[tsugomori]

Please Miss Estelle...I don't want you to get hurt.

Let's just discuss matters some more...

[firstaid]

No, we must compare this fur! The fact that he is backing down... we agreed we aren't suspecting him at this point, rather just finding a source!

[SHE'S STUBBORN AS FUCK THIS IS NOT SOMETHING SHE WILL BACK DOWN ON.]

[tsugomori]

[ Mikazuki is not good at being stubborn, but he will try. ]

But, ah... isn't it also good to have the full picture? We don't want to end up not having the full story of what happened.

It could be critical.

[firstaid]

However without identifying the fur, we won't have a full story!

[elepe]

Estellise, that's enough!

[Yeeeep, this is. Not a good tone but she doesn't care.]

[firstaid]

Why? All we are doing is identifying the source! Why won't you let me do this?

[foundfate]

Because there's people stronger than you who want to wait! Would Varric be happy if you got hurt trying to prove this one thing?

[elepe]

Because we don't know what actually happened and if we all stay on this, we will all die!!

[...it's at least slightly truthful.]

Besides that, he would have had all of that on him if he attacked Viktor, and those were on Varric's clothes, were they not?

[introspects]

Then I will reiterate what I said earlier--we should do a clothing check.

Sure, the culprit may have changed clothes; but if they didn't, there would be bloodstains on them. Even on their shoes, perhaps.

A....CHECK?

[foundfate]

[ACTUALLY while all of the attention is on Gangrel and Estelle like this, Watanuki is going to look around the circle at everyone.

Where is everyone standing, and what are they doing? He's specifically looking for anyone that might be reacting weird to this shouting match (like smiling or something).]

[deofoled]

Stop.

[firstaid]

[Well... she hunches a bit and pouts at Killia...]

But... we just need to find...

[At least that fire in her finally died.]

[deofoled]

...please don't.

[ He's not shouting, but he sounds like he really does mean it.]

[foundfate]

Can you answer this question, then? Who has access to your coat normally, in such a way that they might be able to take a piece from it without you noticing?

[plegia]

[Hmmm.]

No one, technically. I wash this every night late at night, so it's possible someone took the fur from there. It's also possible that some of it came loose at any point. It sheds everywhere! Any sort of rigorous activity will get it to come loose, and as most of you know, I spend a lot of time in the dojo training.

[foundfate]

This place gets cleaned every night though, doesn't it? If it sheds, then the fur would have had to come from yesterday for someone to pick it up. Unless they had been planning this for a while.

[Or unless Gangrel is the killer, but. Yeah.]

Where all did you go yesterday?

[plegia]

The dojo, mostly. That and my room, but I don't let anyone in there.

[Well, not recently, anyway.]