trusthell | Take Responsibility.

And after a given amount of time, those elevator doors at the end of the first-floor corridor open up; as it was last week, the ride down is smooth and quick-moving, even if there are less of you this week.

(Technically, you're only down by one in the elevator; Bruce has ensured that Pearl is with you in some way, albeit unconventionally and by the grace of Ziploc.)

However, when the doors open up to the podium circle standing in the middle of that black void of a courtroom, there's no mistaking the fact that there are fewer people present than there were last week – Kamui and Pearl have joined those with podiums draped in black, their framed profile portraits watching the proceedings in shades of grey.

It's still impossible to tell exactly where the Kingmaker is watching the proceedings from, though it's obvious that he is; he'll wait until everyone is settled before he speaks, his voice coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

"Devoted has been taken from you. All of you know what the stakes are now, but this happened anyway – looks like someone's determined. Whether they succeed or not is up to you."

Twenty-four Survivors remain. We'll see how many are still standing by the end of the day.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...She told me that it contains her consciousness, thoughts and memories and stuff. Her body was just a projection or something to interact with the world.

So you can destroy the body, but unless you broke the pretty stone on her head she'd just come back?

[... Immortals are so weird.]

I guess? [ Aliens sure are weird. But it'd make sense if it was just a projection... ]

Oh! Misa-Misa gets it! So the pearl is her real body, and the actual body we see is, like, just so she can walk and talk and stuff!

So it really was her...

[Speedwagon grit his teeth.]

A thing like that on the front of her head would make for an easy weak spot....

[...]

So how many of us actually knew that, before today? Outside of you, Shirazu-darling.

She told me she made her own body but I assumed she was a robot just like you.

[a safer assumption than magical gem bodies, let's be real.]

[...Lynne, how.]

...We tend to need a creator, sweetheart.

...Well, a smaller robot could make a new body for itself right? You guys seem pretty smart.

[look. she doesn't know how robots work.]

Essentially, we can assume that the gem is like a brain - or in Mettaton's case - the motherboard, or his 'soul'.

[Whatever makes the most sense. Although...]

Though considering just how badly the damage was... does that mean that the culprit too was aware of the importance of the gem?

If they weren't, they could've just got a lucky shot in on her head. Though... depending on the person, this thing's not exactly easy to control the swing of.

I agree. It took both me and Miss Caren to carry back the sledgehammer she got from the vending machine just a few days prior.

[So its certainly not something not anybody would be able to do.]

Do we know anyone else who received sledgehammers other than Caren? I'm trying to keep track of the weapons from the vending machine but I can't stand by it every day...

[she is but one woman.]

Not on my end, no. I admit that the week hasn't been the best for me.

[Between that dream, the incentive the Kingmaker so kindly offered and his apparent phone... yeah he hasn't been in the best shape.]

No need to worry over something like that!

[Stay strong, friend.]

[He will do his best.]

Thank you, Detective.

I'll freely admit that I did, and I have no problems lifting it, either.

[His gloves are white as well, so there's that.]

You don't bleed even a little.

[So as far as Cherryblod's concerned, Mettaton's a non-suspect.

Phew.]

Why else would I admit anything? It'd be boring if I'd actually done it and then went and gave myself up that quickly! There's no dramatic tension that way.

[WELL. That's good to know.]

Thank you for sharing. Do you know where it is now? Was there any chance it could have been taken?

[She won't jump to accusations right off the bat but he has been leaving his door open. But he and Pearl are also the two people around here that don't need to sleep. Not like she knows that right now.]

It's where I left it, in my room. I think I would have noticed someone walking out with something that large, don't you?

That's good then! I'll be sure to add that one down to my list for the future. A sledgehammer safely in Mettaton's room.

[Unless this is all an elaborate ruse, Mettaton.]

(no subject)

amygdalae - 2016-03-12 17:40 (UTC) - Expand

My soul and the motherboard are two separate things, darling!

[...Robots, man.]

And since everyone seems so confused by all of this, it's safe to say that very few of us knew any of that, isn't it?

With how many people were running around looking for a body, I'd assume such.

[Yes, well. You're kind of a special snowflake, Mettaton.]

It's pretty clear. I talked to her myself previously, but she never mentioned this before.

[For obvious reasons, of course, but still.]