Take Responsibility.

[kingmakereffect]

For the third time, those elevator doors at the end of the first-floor corridor open up at the end of the allotted investigation period; the ride down is, as ever, smooth and quick-moving. You're down by five. When the doors slide open, the podium circle still stands in stark contrast to that now-familiar black void of a courtroom, and once again, it's changed to reflect your losses – Caren and Mion have joined those with podiums draped in black, their framed greyscale profile portraits staring out at the rest of you. (The portrait of Pearl hasn't been removed from her room, but it seems the Kingmaker has replaced it with another; either way, her photograph is in the courtroom along with the rest.) As before, the Kingmaker waits until everyone is settled at their podiums before he speaks; he still isn't visible, but he can clearly be heard, his voice coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. "Capable has been taken from you. I'll confirm one thing for you so no one will waste time asking – the killer wasn't me. Looks like the guilty decided to take a shot at Rule Seven after all – and whether they succeed or not is up to you." Twenty-two Survivors remain. We'll see how many the group has lost at the end of the day.

Comments

[garudynamic]

Oh hey, Gabriel, has anyone looked at the bit of metal yet?

[capyper]

I was encouraging you! Don't worry, not everybody loves a trim and fit body! Others find a guy that they'd want to make a big lunch and feed much more attractive.

[notjustawriter]

I gave it to Speedwagon earlier.

[cherryblooded]

No, not really. Even knowing that, we haven't managed to get much of a lead, so so far the risk is working out for them.

[Doesn't he hate it.]

[wokeupdead]

I lot of things were knocked over in the art room. It's not too hard to assume she got knocked into something during a struggle.

[You know, expect for the fact that she has no bruises except for the ones on her head.]

[capyper]

Oh, detective! So you have one of those pens too, huh?

[ignorantly]

Are we going to end up stripping to our underwear... [ I mean, if somebody has an injury on their legs... ]

[happysweets]

There must be something else we're missing, then. ...We'll keep looking.

[penduli]

You'd think she would've had more bruises if that was the case. [ Hmm. ] Mettaton's probably right that it could've been the sword's pommel that did the job.

[devastation]

[... You know, Megumi's not going to say anything but Yato's right, someone should do something about getting Norman to eat healthier...]

[goodforsomething]

He's right! Ladies love the skinny sensitive type!

[Encouragement...?]

[devastation]

... Is that the friendship bracelet someone mentioned finding at the crime scene, or is that one you got from the vending machine?

[Just so we're clear here]

[notjustawriter]

It's the one from the crime scene.

[It's bagged up and everything.]

[penduli]

[ SORRY, SHIRAZU... ]

We could probably just get everyone to roll up their pants or something. [ People with skirts are excused, we can see your legs just fine. Unless you have stockings, roll those things down. ] ...the whole strip-search thing might be a total waste of time in general though. It's certainly seemed that way so far.

[psychoh]

[god he almost wishes he'd been murdered this week...]

[capyper]

Well... the killer definitely cleaned up at some point, because none of us here are standing obviously bloody, right?

[devastation]

I'm glad you agree that this is a better course of action to take.

[Don't get us wrong though, you're all lovely people and if this wasn't a murder trial, she might not have said anything.

...But this is a murder trial and a teenager is dead so let's move on.]

[ratingspoint]

I don't suppose we can get a recap for those of us still trying to play along at home? I checked out about four strip searches ago.

[...Mettaton, you seriously can't be complaining about being bored right now, can you- ]

Don't get me wrong, stay undressed if you'd like! You're all fantastic examples of why sex sells. But gratuitous nudity is, for once, apparently not the solution, and while this has been a marvelous intermission we might as well go back to giving this our all. What have we worked out so far?

[notjustawriter]

It looks like Mion and the killer were playing cards together. Someone got injured-- there was blood on the floor of the game room, though who was injured isn't very clear, because of the lack of injuries on Mion and people here.

The was a fight, but not in that room-- it carried into the art room, where Mion was knocked out and stabbed in the thigh. The killer wiped up the blood, and then made it look like she was hanged.

After that, they hid the sword in the incinerator.

I'm not sure how her room fits into this, but I think that's the order of events we're lookin' at.

[garudynamic]

Okay, okay! Here's what all I think we know? Mion was attacked probably while playing cards and hit on the head. Then stabbed Do we know what she was hit on the head with?

Once she was knocked out she was bled out, and the scene was cleaned up with the blanket and possibly in the sink. Once she was bled out she was taken to the closet and hung so we'd assume she hung herself to avoid the incentive.

Also: all of this was done in a very short period of time since the blood was still wet.

Am I missing anything?

[garudynamic]

...yeah, I think we should put the art room aside for now- I think we got that mostly figured out. Something happened in her room So I think we should figure that out next.

[sleepingkogoro]

...the sword could be Sonozaki-san's, which may have been in her room. The culprit may have knocked her out and used her key to access her room, to look for a weapon they could use.

Either that or the sword was stashed in the Art Room from the beginning.

My point is that Sonozaki-san would have suspected something if the culprit had brought a sword with them. It must have come later.

[bloodisthicker]

[...it's nice to know you care, Yato.]

[capyper]

I think you're wrong about something. I don't think she was attacked while playing cards.

[ratingspoint]

...Wait. If she was hit and stabbed while playing cards, why was all the blood in the art room? Wouldn't it have been in the game room?

Unless she was knocked out and then carried into the art room, in which case. Well. Why. I mean, who does that.