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]

[...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.

[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.

[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]

[ 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.

[tsugomori]

My duty is more important than the lives that have passed on, even if I do care about them.

[matchbreaker]

What duty?

[feistytrader]

I'm not putting any hope into you and Hanyuu and your plans. I told Hanyuu the same. I won't bet on a miracle.

[It's a nice thought, but if he gets his hopes up and lets them down at this point, he'll break.]

Gold's already dead, while you guys are very much alive.

[elepe]

...I made a solemn swear that I would not let what Gangrel died for be in vain.

[There's a small look at Elda when she says that, before she looks back and grips her podium.]

Even...at the risk if this, I swore to live. I would not simply break it.

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda mouths, in a whisper probably only Lusamine and maybe Hanyuu can hear ]

I believe in you.

[ For her. ]

[acherontiastyx]

...

Not... gonna say I haven't thought about it. I'm just...

[shit. He probably shouldn't have started it, because he doesn't want to finish.]

[foundfate]

You're just what?

[elepe]

...Guzma, you're stronger than that.

[It's...a slight interjection, not with the usual bite that she may have had weeks prior when he said something she didn't agree with.]

Far stronger.

[matchbreaker]

Guzma!

[ She shouts this from across the room: ]

You know I do not say such thing lightly, and know that my words carry weight because of this!

... You are the finest among us.

cw: suicide discussion

[oyashiromama]

[She...

Hanyuu doesn't look at any of them.]

...It's only right I say... I spoke with the Wordsmith, after the motive. [Another dark look, at the lectern.] I inquired...about suicide. I asked if that would count as acting on Rule Seven, bringing an end to the exercise. After some prying, he told me it would.

I was planning on enacting it. At least, I...was strongly considering it, for awhile. [...And she sure sounds full of regret, right now.]

[foundfate]

Hanyuu...

[It's funny that the thing bringing him out of all of this hurt is someone else hurting.]

I. I'm glad you didn't.

[matchbreaker]

[ Okay, so this isn't the time (the time will be once this is over) but Elda notices that and she sort of clenches and unclenches a fist. Touching her doesn't seem right after the admission, but she will in a moment. ]

[firstaid]

Thank you for not doing so. In these trials, if you had... well... we would have likely gotten the wrong person as a result.

[elepe]

...Hanyuu...

[...weeks prior, she didn't care about anyone. Fewer weeks prior, she only cared about her people, but...]

[tsugomori]

[ ... ]

... I'm glad you didn't do that, Miss Hanyuu. It would've been something we'd been unable to have coped with, I think, if that had been the case.

[byday]

I'm not exactly about to kill anyone. Even under circumstances like this.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

Aren't you a paragon for us?

[tsugomori]

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