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

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

How do you mean?

[acherontiastyx]

...

[he... kind of looks over like he wants to say something, but doesn't.]

[foundfate]

There had to have been another way. Hanyuu, we could have saved them some other way, not with someone's death.

[matchbreaker]

Don't you give me that, Sportacus.

[foundfate]

...

Whoever took advantage of her like that, they're going to regret it.

[matchbreaker]

[ Tch. ]

We even had another two days.

[oyashiromama]

I know. I still- [She looks around, at nothing at- at everything.] I still believe we can. I believe this is not the end, for any of them. That we can find a way, but-- But we were running out of time. If Thursday night hit, and she feared for the others... She could have thought that. Or at least...she may not have took as many precautions as usual.

[feistytrader]

One way or another, we were all going to be upset tomorrow. So she decided to set up something nice for us to keep up everyone's spirits. And she put her trust in whoever was working with her, but... There's a possibility that she could die because of the motive, too.

That was a risk she was willing to take.

The real question is whether she was going to write "Forgive me" or "forgive them," isn't it?

[tsugomori]

It would have been nice, if everyone had thought the same.

[matchbreaker]

You don't know that. Nor do I and now nor will anyone. I will not allow you to shame that girl any more than Lusamine would have allowed anyone to accuse Gangrel two weeks past! Let us find proof before we imply she had given herself freely!

cw: suicide discussion

[elepe]

...You knew her fairly well, didn't you?

[Lusamine pauses for a moment. Something about the way Watanuki said that...doesn't sit well with her, at the very least. But...]

Their souls...they would have been lost, if no one had acted. Did she say anything to you, anything at all after the motive?

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Hah. ]

Or a name, I suppose.

[ Forgive me... ]

[tsugomori]

Why would she have written "forgive me"? It would be more likely the latter, wouldn't it?

[ ... He doesn't get where this is going. ]

[firstaid]

[Estelle notices this. She'll simply look back at Guzma as if silently asking him what he wishes to say to her.]

[foundfate]

...

We're...we're looking at this backwards, I think. I mean, we know that Orihime would have worried about something like that, yes. But who else here would have been worried enough about the dead to go along with whatever all of this is? Because either they planned a murder, or they were complacent in something Orihime planned.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

Let's solve this. Unless Kimihiro's the best actor of us all this is a murder, not some lover's suicide.

cw: suicide discussion

[iaspis]

Maybe she thought we could bring her back, if that's really the case.

[sportadork]

I don't agree with it! It was a stupid idea, and they should not have done it!

... I just understand why, I think. And I can't blame them for it.

[feistytrader]

I think the latter is more likely, but didn't she seem like the type that would be apologetic about her own death?

[Orihime was an extremely caring person. She would have known that her death would hurt people. ...He briefly touches his forehead with a finger.]

[oyashiromama]

[Hanyuu will give Elda a glance, and a small frown, but say nothing to this.]

[foundfate]

...no. She didn't.

We usually sleep in the same room. Last night I even asked if she wanted to turn in early, because of what night it was. She told me no, that she would be back soon, and for me to just go to sleep.

Whatever she was doing, she didn't tell me about it.

[acherontiastyx]

...it's not shaming. I...

...

I'm sure it required some stones.

[oyashiromama]

...Yes, she does. ...Did.

[matchbreaker]

[ Who wouldn't, Elda cant help but think.

... But on the other hand, Elda clears her thought and places a hand down on the podium. She then boldly declares ]

I, Elda Marker, have things I refuse to let go of. Even if all of those dead souls were lost, I would not take action! You know of my selfishness, and I promise that.

[ A beat ]

... Sorry, dead people.

[firstaid]

I believe at this point all of us have someone we've come to greatly care for who has passed on. We've already lost them and the fear of losing them yet again was likely too much for someone.