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

[bloodisthicker]

...

The fact that you were created to be something...

[...CAN HE GO ONE TRIAL]

...there's no reason you had to go along with that whatsoever, unless you don't have free will.

[garudynamic]

I dunno if it's that far. But I AM saying you were feeling something, that it made you sloppy.

[He gives a soft bark of not-laughter]

And now if you make us hate you, we won't feel bad later after you die. You really are good at keeping moral up, huh?

[captainobnoxious]

[Well, trickster god he's not, his life sucks majorly.

Sigrun will return the blade to her side, but she won't be moving.]

Are you satisfied? I mean, I understand being born into it -- I was born into the military, I live for the military -- but you've always seemed to want to help others in that fortune way. Not to hurt them.

[wokeupdead]

I know that. [another slam on her podium, some other memories mixing in with the anger.] That's why he has to have a reason. Even if it's something as bad as the kingmaker made him I want to hear it. If he truly doesn't care he would have killed us all the first week we were here.

I want to hear the truth.

[capyper]

... I... I don't want to answer that question. This isn't how this conversation was supposed to go...

[capyper]

[ ... ]

It's... that obvious, huh.

[capyper]

You should. It'll be easier on us both that way...

[garudynamic]

Can't bullshit a bullshitter, man.

[capyper]

[ ... ]

I... started making patterns for stuffed animals in the middle of last week. A different kind of animal for each of us... you can use them, if you like.

[cherryblooded]

...

When we get out of here, someone needs to tell the families of those of us we've lost what happened.

What should we say to Yukine for you?

[He can't forgive this, no.

But he's a father, too.]

[capyper]

That just make it worse, really. I struggled for so long against my own nature for so long, just to give into it at the end... heh.

[prismbloom]

That you refuse is enough to answer it.

[ ... ]

Yato, you made a lot of assumptions earlier. I'm not relieved. I wanted everyone to leave this place--all of us. That's the only thing I truly want.

[wokeupdead]

I don't care why you were born or what you were supposed to do. [Real honesty in her voice.] If you didn't care you would have said that from the start instead of saying you were a delivery god. If all you're saying is true why would you do everything else you did here? Anything else? The party, the comics-

[She shakes her head angrily]

Why did you kill her? You say she offered but what really happened?

[capyper]

Satisfied? ... No, I... I guess not. I mean, I've never led a good or a decent life, but...

[ ... ]

It's not important.

[amygdalae]

No, I'm not relieved.

[and this is Bruce now. Bruce, who doesn't sound calm and placid but so, so angry.]

You and her - the both of you - there was no need to even do this in the first place! She died for nothing and now you will too! You two would be safe if you two didn't do anything!

[capyper]

Heh. Guess not... thanks, Yosuke.

[garudynamic]

...

What do you mean, Bruce-san?

[garudynamic]

Nah, thank you.

Don't worry, we won't give in.

[capyper]

I know... I know that's what would've been for the best. But then we talked about it, and agreed that we would rather at least die on our own terms than leave this kind of thing up to chance...

... Well, it's already too late to regret it.

[captainobnoxious]

I think now of all times, it can be. I mean, you're on death row anyway, we won't be voting off anyone else out of pity, why not just say what you want?

[Her voice is oddly kind this time. The first case she'd hardly known Kamui, in the second she wasn't a big fan of Caren anyway, but this time she's a little kinder, yes.

Yato's a god first and foremost in her mind. Gods have the right to kill who they want. Those who don't believe are fated to be worse off than those that do; it's just how her current society works.]

[capyper]

... That I'm sorry for disappointing him. After I did it, I... I could see his face and...

[ It was the worst feeling. ]

I knew he would forgive me.

... And that was the worst part of it.

[penduli]

[ ...different animals for everyone would be nice.

Really nice. ]

I will. Thank you. [ ... ] Which one do you want to be?

[amygdalae]

[...]

The Kingmaker would have had somebody to kill when the time limit was up.

[ignorantly]

I can't, Yassan. [ This is probably the worst time to give somebody a nickname, but he doesn't care. ]

You were nice to me and paired me up with Miodori and... [ He trails off, trying to find the right words. ]

[cherryblooded]

...I'll make sure he knows.

[Nothing else to say, really.]