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

[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.]

[feistytrader]

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

[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.

[feistytrader]

No one thought Gold and I would set someone on fire, either.

[He's not pulling any punches today, apparently.]

[foundfate]

That's different, and you know it.

[feistytrader]

Fine. Let's say it's different. Let's say you were with Orihime, and you saved her by killing her assailant. Even if it was an accident. Now she has to vote you to death. Is that better because it spares you from feeling her loss? Or maybe I could have been with her, and I died instead.

It doesn't matter what could have happened. What matters right now is figuring out what did for Orihime's sake. I know you're upset, but there's time for that later.

[His face is entirely too calm, but his fists are balled up at his side, and Watanuki should easily be able to make that out.]

[matchbreaker]

Don't be stupid.

[ Elda's tone is... not quite harsh, but it is biting ]

You two would be no match for some of us here, even two on one.

[ ... Okay, maybe not, but she figures that would be backhanded helpful to Watanuki ]

[foundfate]

That's not what I'm talking about, Elda! Sure, there's plenty of people here who COULD kill us both. But I'm not sure they WOULD, especially if there's the risk of one of us getting away and warning the others.

And...And if it was a friend, then...

[He clearly has another thought on his mind, but he's having trouble saying it.]

[firstaid]

She would have kept her guard down around a friend, is what you are saying. Both of you would have.

[foundfate]

[He nods.]

She...she trusts too much. If it was someone she knew well, someone who had convinced her that she would be okay, then they could have easily killed her without her realizing what was going on.

[firstaid]

That's likely what would have happened. Then again, she wanted to trust everyone here. She hoped for the best and wanted for the best.

[foundfate]

...

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

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda would consider letting him get through his chain of thought but with it so ill-formed as that? Her response: ]

Everyone is a friend here, Kimihiro. And if you took off, then if I were to have been so desperate, I'd've slain you too.

[foundfate]

I'm saying you wouldn't have done it in the first place, because the risk would be too much.

...but I suppose it's pointless to talk about now. I wasn't there, so that didn't happen anyway.

[matchbreaker]

[ The risk was too much... ]

No one was there, other than who killed her.

[acherontiastyx]

...

I mean. I've been running it over in my head since Tuesday how this might play out.

Are we sure she basically wasn't trying to take one for the team?

[foundfate]

[Oh look Guzma got it.]

That's what I mean! If I had been there, I could have prevented someone from talking her into that.

[oyashiromama]

...We don't know if someone talked her into it, Kimihiro.

[Hanyuu's not looking at him.]

[foundfate]

Of course someone did. You think she would just lay down and die like that, without a fight?

Orihime is strong. She would have fought. There should have been a huge mess, not...

[He sweeps a hand around the podiums, indicating generally to the evidence everyone found.]

All of this.

[oyashiromama]

I'm saying...maybe it's not as simple as that.

[acherontiastyx]

I mean. If that was the plan, that's probably why she didn't tell you.

[he sounds sympathetic, at least, because god, this sucks.]

[foundfate]

[Yeah no kidding, this is absolutely the worst.]

[elepe]

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

[foundfate]

Well, no, but...

[He has thoughts, but he can't bring himself to say them right away. Because Lusamine is probably right.]

...she should have trusted me. I thought she did trust me.

[matchbreaker]

Don't you dare, brat!

[ Elda's eyes go wide, bloodshot, and they suddenly have all the malice of a lion cornering a gazelle from across the room ]

Orihime, if your ghost can already hear this puke, you best scold him in your first letter!