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

[tsugomori]

[ Mikazuki's eyes are upon Killia now, and he's just... what the fuck just happened. He's convinced that he's in some kind of nightmare that's just continuing to do nothing but spiral. ]

...Killia? Is that-- who are you?

What is going on?

[deofoled]

[......]


Should have let him tell you.

[tsugomori]

[ Mikazuki has a feeling this is the last time he'll be seeing... Killia, so without thinking twice, he crosses over to take up residence beside one of the empty podiums beside the other man. ]

... I suppose... but now it is a little late for that. It seems that I will have to...ah, make due with whatever time left we have.

So, you're a part of Killia too, aren't you? But what pushed Killia for you to take action like this? Was it the stress of everything? That night... ... when Killia and I spoke, it wasn't enough, was it?

[deofoled]

Right.

Time, that's your thing isn't it? Between Void on the verge of destroying everything, and him getting weaker and weaker everyday here, he couldn't me back anymore.

[ That closeness gets a glare, but he's not budging any.]

[tsugomori]

I...Killia--

[ Mikazuki doesn't want to lose Killia, right now. It's selfish, and maybe one of the most selfish things he's ever thought, but...they spent so much time together. He was a fool, he should have known his words wouldn't ameliorate everything.

He's trembling. ]

...Can I ... Can I speak to Killia one last time?

1/2

[deofoled]

Why would I? You always ruined everything, you-

[deofoled]

[ But the power pull goes both ways, and Killia's heard everything that's been said. So it's not pretty and it's very forceful, but the black energy disperses and...he's back to the Killia that's been here for five weeks.

He is not going to even look at anyone right now, let alone Mikazuki.]

...please just vote for me. I never meant....

[introspects]

[ he's...he's back. killia is back.

orihime never really knew him very well, but the pain in her heart still stands; killia really cared about everyone here. she's still furious, shaking with anger, but she's able to look at killia with a mix of remorse and determination. ]

This is not a vote for you, Killia-kun. It's for whoever that was, taking over you.

[deofoled]

...thank you.

[...]

There's something in my room that might be useful to you, ask Gangrel to give it to you if you want.

[introspects]

...Really...? Then...

[ she nods. she runs over to killia's podium, quickly, to give wrap him in a tight embrace. ]

Thank you. I'll treasure it for as long as I can.

[firstaid]

I can't.... I can't do that, Killia.

[deofoled]

Estelle, I don't want to argue with you.

[ He is just, so done.]

[tsugomori]

[ Mikazuki swallows thickly for a moment when it seemed like the other man... the other self wouldn't change. But, Killia is back, and already he feels like he's about to lose it right then upon seeing him again. ]

... If I am going to be putting in a vote for someone, it won't be you who I am really voting for.

[ ...He thinks of asking Killia something. But he can't, instead he steps a little closer. ]

But...let's not talk about that anymore. There's something I've been wanting to tell you.

[deofoled]

... [ He really doesn't want to look at Mikazuki right now, but he's not moving away.]

What is it?

[iaspis]

I can't... I can't....

It wasn't you.

[deofoled]

It's who I used to be...

[ There's a reason he hates his past so much.]

[matchbreaker]

I'm already pressing it.

[ And, indeed, she is. Or at least has her finger over where she will need to. She's so done with this. Not even in the painful way as last week, but in a way where she's too infuriated to care about this whole alternate self moral stuff. ]

[deofoled]

Thanks.

[ He means it too.]

[oyashiromama]

No... Killia... [It's not fair.] I can't...do something like that.

[introspects]

...If you don't, Hanyuu, the rest of us may die.

That's not what Viktor-san, Varric-san, or Killia-kun would want.

[deofoled]

Please Hanyuu.

We-I [ What even are pronouns right now.] killed so many, aside from Viktor and Varric. I tried to change, I thought I did but...I'm sorry.

[ He didn't think he could possibly fail this hard a second time, and yet here he is.]

[plegia]

[...]

Well, you've heard everything everyone had to say.

[About how he's not like that anymore and how he's a good person, all of that garbage that makes Gangrel want to roll his eyes (but he doesn't).]

...Take care, wherever you end up. I really will miss sparring with you.

[And it looks like that's it, but Killia probably knows him well enough to realize that the sudden lack of eye contact is a little weird.]

[deofoled]

...will you please spar with Mikazuki? There's weapons in my room, a trident and other things. You can have them if you want.

[foundfate]

Killia-

[He looks surprised, but then guilty. Maybe if he had tried a bit harder...]

...I meant what I said before, about worlds with reincarnation.

When we get out of here, I'll...I'll take your soul to one of them, okay? So that you can have the chance at a better life, next time around.

[deofoled]

[...]

If you can do that, I guess... [ He doesn't believe it, but he's way too exhausted to fight anything right now.]