Take Responsibility.

[wordsmithery]

The time allotted for this week's investigation passes fairly briefly, but not easily - what with the state of the body and the things that have been found, the mood is perhaps oddly sobering. Either way, eventually the elevator will be waiting for you at the exit of your floor of choice, bringing you up to the courtroom swiftly and easily. There are so few of you now. Two more portraits have joined the ranks of the dead, watching over the proceedings. Gangrel and Orihime's images watch over you with with eyes that see nothing, all colored in greyscale and set up on their places in the podium circle, black fabric draped over each setting. As always, the lectern remains empty and unaffected by what's happened here. After a while, however, once everyone has found their place in the circle, the Wordsmith can be heard addressing the group, voice audible throughout the room. "Sacrificing one to save many—that is ostensibly why Harmonious is no longer among you. Truly, that is the most pragmatic of options in a situation with no chance of victory. I may even come close to commending such a decision. But I must also wonder if the dead can be said to have been 'saved', when they have passed beyond your reach in all but mere messages. Unless you should wish to follow Harmonious and join them, hold the guilty accountable for their practicality." Eleven Apprentices remain. However many leave this place is up to you.

Comments

[oyashiromama]

[She'll take it. Her heart doesn't seem in it, but she does seem to appreciate the contact.]

[firstaid]

[No one has ever been there before, considering that was Adelina's podium. It's a little strange to have someone to her left...]

So that's five of us so far.

[matchbreaker]

[ Yellow roses...

... Huh. That could be interesting or irrelevant, but she'll file it away for later ]

Of course she was at peace.

[ Unless it was staged, but still, that does seem like the girl. ]

A sword as jagged as this wouldn't leave that sword of bruising, right?

[feistytrader]

Then let's avoid making it a play. Let's just find out what happened and do what we need to do, without pushing anyone until they have a breakdown.

[...He knows he's guilty of this himself, of course, but... They can do that, right?]

[foundfate]

[He had been doing alright, thanks to the extra time spent preparing himself mentally for this trial, but even so his breath catches when he hears that last part.]

Why didn't she ask me to go with her? I would have, she must have known that.

[But then there would probably be two bodies, not one.]

[acherontiastyx]

...

She didn't approach me about this beforehand. I would've told her the spray paint was confiscated because we're not allowed to have nice things.

[foundfate]

[...well then.]

What do yellow roses mean?

[oyashiromama]

[A small start. She looks at Lusamine, but then glances away, with a murmur:] It all could've been so much...

[...]

I know. I know we will.

[tsugomori]

[ Been a long time coming. ]

Anyone else, I wonder?

[matchbreaker]

[ Honestly, Elda doesn't expect it to be, nor does she expect the contact to last long.

... But Elda wants to thank Hanyuu. And apologize all at once, even if she never will out loud. So that's what the little squeeze implies. ]

[feistytrader]

If she couldn't keep herself alive, you definitely couldn't.

[matchbreaker]

I make no promises, Silver.

[ But from her tone, she's going to try to do just that. Very few people here deserve to be dragged the way some others have been, even if it was Orihime. ]

[oyashiromama]

I don't think so. It was hard for me to tell what it could've been that hit her there, though. Maybe, if it was the hilt...

[elepe]

...What? She didn't come to you about that? That is certainly odd.

[Lusamine wasn't around for that, so that's...curious. Very curious.]

Estellise, Mr. Munechika, Elda--did she happen to come to any of you?

[matchbreaker]

That depends on the flower language you're using.

[ But for Orihime: ]

If she picked them, I suspect they mean friendship.

[firstaid]

Friendship, joy, and... good health.

[iaspis]

It's possible the killer wouldn't confess to owning a weapon.

[matchbreaker]

So you'd be unable to tell if it was a punch or something?

[foundfate]

You don't know that!

[Sorry Silver, he didn't mean to snap. He takes a moment to breathe before speaking again.]

One person alone might look like a target, but I don't think anyone here would try to attack two people at once.

[elepe]

...Do you put it past her, that she would not have wanted you to be put at risk?

[oyashiromama]

Aah. ...Her pockets, they were turned out. Yes, that's definitely what had happened.

[tsugomori]

Come to me about what? This?

[ He'll shake his head. ]

No.

[foundfate]

So...a friend did this, then?

Not that it narrows things down that much, Orihime was friends with practically everyone.

[oyashiromama]

Forgive...?

[Her heart in her throat.]

Forgive...who? Herself, or whoever... Can you tell, Lusamine?

[matchbreaker]

No, I wasn't.

[ A beat, and she feels bad to suggest this to Lusamine, but- ]

Can we be sure this isn't another forgery?