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

[penduli]

[ Personal effects... ]

No, I don't think so. [ Not off the top of his head. ]

[cherryblooded]

I'm not. ...And I suppose that injury didn't draw blood, so it's not as though it'd leave evidence. That'd be too easy...

[uro_cyon]

Specifically applied force too.

[cherryblooded]

So I don't think the three, minimum, swords out of the vending machine are all hers.

[capyper]

Heh, well, those are just the cards dealt!

... Anyway, I think considering that you can't figure out how this chain of events unfolded, maybe that chain of events is wrong.

[ratingspoint]

Exactly.

[...dear god something mettaton said actually made sense

horsemen, end of days, etc]

[cherryblooded]

...is that really the right expression to be using right now.

[capyper]

Yep, exactly! There's no need for a second weapon. And seeing as there hasn't been one found, there probably wasn't one.

[cherryblooded]

[He'll be proud of robot son right as soon as he's done being sad.]

[capyper]

[ ...?? HE'S ON THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CIRCLE... ]

Come again?

[cherryblooded]

Nothing. Didn't say anything important.

[ratingspoint]

...Staging, then. Is that what you're saying? The scene in the game room was set up after the fact.

[capyper]

[ He's still kind of ??? over here, but if it's really whatever... ]

[wokeupdead]

Do you know who she liked to hang out with? Who would play cards with her?

[ratingspoint]

[he's here all day and he doesn't have functioning empathy, take your time]

[capyper]

I wouldn't go that far, necessarily, but I guess it's a possibility? I'm just saying it sounds like the way people seem to think things happened doesn't seem like it's in the right order.

[bloodisthicker]

...we're really doing this, huh.

[...does he have to... well, he'll clear out his pockets first, revealing that he has his room key, the Kingmaker-provided cell phone, and some of the chocolate chip jerky.

...the last one has not been eaten yet at all. He also... goes ahead and takes his coat off revealing that the shirt underneath is actually sleeveless, because Water Tribe. There are no suspicious wounds or anything, but I mean, he has nice arms, especially for a politician, so...]

Is that enough, then?

[uro_cyon]

Easier and cleaner to do just do it with your hands if you know what you're doing.

[ratingspoint]

[why are all of you so pretty]

[capyper]

[ ... ... ... ]

You haven't disappointed in the least.

[capyper]

Yeah, and if you think about it, introducing another weapon into things just ends up being more stuff the killer's gotta get rid of. Using your hands is the best option, if it's possible.

[goodforsomething]

Hell if I know. But we didn't talk all that much, and she still played with me. Probably could've been anyone.

[garudynamic]

So it'd have to be someone that could do so. Not that knocking someone out is hard if you catch them by surprise.

[captainobnoxious]

Alright, I'm really hungry and those snacks did nothing for me, so I won't bother try taking a crack at this order of events or whatever, but have we figured out what that weird metal thing is? Bring it up front and center so we can see if it's something interesting.

[Do that.]

Meanwhile, there's still the bit about the knot. It's a kind of slipknot, which is pretty similar to what you use to hang things with, but it's nothing professional. The kind of thing you'd secure boats and stuff with for a short time. Least, that's all I've known it used for, but I'm sure there's other uses for it too, like... hanging people. I guess.

[amygdalae]

[Gabriel.
Gabriel why.

...although this time Bruce really wants to get the killer so...

Bruce is wearing his usual horrible green neon jumpsuit that he quickly shrugs off at the top area, showing off some very lean body figure and a lot of body hair, but otherwise he's clean as a whistle.

Also he'll turn out his pockets to show he has his notebooks, the device from the kingmaker, his own mobile and a roll of bandages.]