Take Responsibility.

[kingmakereffect]

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.

Comments

[amygdalae]

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.]

[wokeupdead]

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.]

[amygdalae]

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.]

[wokeupdead]

No need to worry over something like that!

[Stay strong, friend.]

[amygdalae]

[He will do his best.]

Thank you, Detective.

[ratingspoint]

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.]

[cherryblooded]

You don't bleed even a little.

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

Phew.]

[ratingspoint]

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.

[wokeupdead]

[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.]

[ratingspoint]

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?

[wokeupdead]

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.]

[amygdalae]

It is pretty hard to ignore it.

[Anybody walking around with that would have immediately drawn attention.]