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]

Forgive...?

[Her heart in her throat.]

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

[elepe]

...I think it was herself. Unless...

[...Lusamine grips the podium tighter at the thought.]

It was herself. It has to be.

[oyashiromama]

[...]

What are you thinking?

cw: suicide discussion

[elepe]

[...]

You don't think she may have...known what was going to happen to her if she did this, do you?

[tsugomori]

[ He'll look over just now, and ... ]

Are you implying that you believe she may have been a willing victim?

[firstaid]

If she was willing, would there have been a struggle? Or do you suppose she decided... to change her mind as fear hit her?

[elepe]

It would explain why she looks so peaceful...

[As much as she doesn't like to think about that.]

[elepe]

It doesn't add up, to why she would willingly set up such things on a Thursday night. She would know as well as any of us that being out that late begs for trouble.

[tsugomori]

Yes, she must have.

cw: suicide discussion

[oyashiromama]

...I think it's a possibility we can't discount. ...It's something that crossed my mind, as soon as the announcement came.

There are signs of a struggle, yes, but it could be because...maybe she had second thoughts, at the end.

cw: suicide discussion

[elepe]

[Lusamine nods her head.]

I don't know Orihime as well as many of you, but...she did not seem like the type to succumb so easily. Or if she did, she could bounce back. She may have changed her mind.

cw: suicide discussion

[iaspis]

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

[matchbreaker]

... Don't you go assuming things about the dead like that! Her fire was far stronger!

[feistytrader]

I agree.

[Orihime was fine. She wouldn't do something like that. She had things to get back to at home. At the same time...]

But it could be possible that she took a gamble, isn't it?

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

How do you mean?

[oyashiromama]

[...Well Hanyuu kind of glances at Elda.]

I'm sure Lusamine means no disrespect to her, if that's the case. I know I don't. We had two choices, remember? Someone enacts Rule Seven, or...we lose the chance to help the others.

[They're here...watching... How must they feel?]

[foundfate]

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

[acherontiastyx]

Yeah, but she also seemed like the type who'd put others before herself.

I mean. I got some confirmation that the other side knows what's up, but it's not like we could find any other fixes for this mess.

[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!

[elepe]

We have to find out what happened, Elda. I don't know her as well as I would have liked, so perhaps I am wrong. And if I am, then...I apologize.

[Lusamine crosses her arms over her chest and looks away.]

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

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

[sportadork]

It would've been to save our friends, wouldn't it? I think that would be very strong.

[matchbreaker]

Don't you give me that, Sportacus.

cw: suicide discussion

[foundfate]

[Yeah that's hitting him like a ton of bricks. His fingers are now digging into the edges of his podium.]

I...I told her about what Hanyuu and I were going to do, when we got out of here. About returning people's souls to their worlds.

But she shouldn't have taken that to mean to- to just take advantage of the motive like that!

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?