Take Responsibility.

[wordsmithery]

Once again, the time allotted for investigating seems to run slightly long this week - understandably so, most likely, given the state of the bodies and the fact that there were a pair of them this time. But eventually that time does draw to a close, leaving nothing but the elevator waiting for you at your floor of choice and perhaps a sense of irony in the notion that there's quite literally nowhere to go but up from here. Once again, the deceased have had three more join their numbers since you were here last - greyed-out portraits of Killia, Vanille, and Phi have been set up on their places in the podium circle, watching the proceedings with unseeing eyes from atop the black fabric that's been draped over their spots. The lectern above remains unoccupied; the Wordsmith's voice can be heard either way, however, echoing throughout the room once everyone has found their place in the circle. "Two more Apprentices' lives have been lost, and this time the guilty seeks to terminate their course of study with company in tow. Whatever their reasoning, should they wish to circumvent death or perhaps simply have the living accompany them, will you truly allow Encouraging and Rational to have died for that purpose? If your answer should be 'no', then have the guilty held accountable for their actions." Thirteen Apprentices remain. It's your job to decide how many are still standing by the end of the day.

Comments

[firstaid]

Could we attempt to compare the handwriting? Or is there no match, whatsoever, other than he appears to be a forgery of Vanille's?

MODS

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Well, she can do her best! She has a sample of everyone alive's handwriting (other than Bruce, Jasper, and Gangrel) and she's going to pour over both the notebook and the suspicious page and see if he can learn anything by comparing all three documents for a while ]

[trustwellness]

[Unfortunately, there's not much you can get from it. The handwriting looks very close to Vanille's aside from the obvious shakiness and light/dark spots, but otherwise it doesn't look close to anyone else's.]

[matchbreaker]

... Nope, nothing.

[ SHE THOUGHT SO BUT-

damn you Watanuki. ]

[foundfate]

[SEE TOLD YOU]

[firstaid]

Um, do you think that the culprit ate an unpoisoned bowl of curry? If so, do you believe their breath would still smell of garlic?

[matchbreaker]

... What, like they tried it before they put the poison in?

[ That said, someone's fingers might smell like it too if they didn't wash enough ]

[firstaid]

Yes, it's natural to taste your cooking before you eat it. So if the culprit made it, I imagine they had to have taste tested it before adding the poison.

[matchbreaker]

... So what, we smell everyone's breath?

[firstaid]

Wh-what else do we do?

[She's at a loss here, too.]

[matchbreaker]

[ FINE THEN SHE WILL ]

[feistytrader]

You've got the best nose, Elda.

[matchbreaker]

[ FINE THEN SHE WILL ]