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

[wokeupdead]

[NODS. Look she is supporting the other detective's words. Give him the benefit of the doubt here, guys.]

There was no way Mion could have gotten into that position herself. There was nothing for her to climb, even. Also the rope used doesn't add up. The knots are perfect but it's too loose to have been the murder weapon.

[And she has it with her right now! Just as she said, the noose looks like the perfect prop but there's no indication that it tightened around a neck.]

It's a pretty sick cover up.

[captainobnoxious]

So how many of us can actually do a knot this nice anyway? I'll tear up my sweater so we don't have to touch the evidence and we can see who's actually got the know-how.

[Bloodletting. Sledgehammer swinging. Knot tying. A weird idea every round.]

If you all are willing to go at it, I mean. We'll just do it one at a time.

[cherryblooded]

Mine aren't that good. Never was a boy scout. But it's easy to fake not being able to tie a knot.

You do learn how to tie good knots as a sailor, though.

[ignorantly]

...Are you sayin' Pines could have done it?

[cherryblooded]

Right now I have no idea who did it and I'm only throwing out random facts. That's a fact.

[goodforsomething]

[.....excuse him?]

I told ya I'm not actually a sailor.

[cherryblooded]

Have you, really? I don't mean to cast suspicion on you, but I don't remember this conversation.

[goodforsomething]

Ah, maybe I didn't tell you. [Stan glances around the circle, nodding at Misa.] Talked to a few people about it after that crossword, though.

[cherryblooded]

I see. Forgive me, it was just a thought.

[goodforsomething]

Don't sweat it.

[happysweets]

I can confirm that he told that to me! It's weird that the profiles said that to begin with, though...

[psychoh]

[delicately] You, um... You might've just forgotten you're one.

[goodforsomething]

[That...actually seems to take Stan aback for a moment. He stares at Norman.

But then he drops his gaze and shakes his head.]

Heh...that'd be nice. But nah.

[captainobnoxious]

... Well, I'll say this, if anyone knows what a sea-faring knot looks like it'll be me for sure. I know everything from your basic fishing knots to the ones used on boats, seeing as Dalsnes is right on the water and I've practically grown up on ships.

[She's gonna need the rope though. Pass it along, everyone.]

There's a couple that look similar to that right there, but I'll need a close look to see if it's anything I'd recognize.

[cherryblooded]

I leave it in your capable hands.

[Lynne has the rope at the moment probably, but there's probably no objections to passing it over. So over it goes.]

YO MODS

[captainobnoxious]

It won't take but a minute!

[Alrighty then! What kind of specific knot is this? If not a hangman's noose itself.]

[trustharder]

[It looks like it's close to a slipknot, similar to a hangman's noose, but it looks like the knot tier wasn't formally taught.]

[captainobnoxious]

[Perfect, just the kind of thing she's used to seeing. A little less professional, since perfectionism is a key thing for the military, but used to it.]

Well, it's not a pro's work -- I could do it much better myself, since I've used knots like this since I was younger -- but it's definitely something like a slipknot. They're usually used for quick tying.

[Though... she guesses you could technically use it for hanging. How multipurposeful. She turns it around a few times before shrugging.]

In other words, I'd guess that anyone who likes fishing or taking small trips out on a lake would use this knot to secure their boat. I can't imagine something like this holding up too well on the seas near my home.

I mean, that's just my professional guess. [She could be wrong in the theory portion. But the knot she knows.]

[ratingspoint]

I'll spare you the time - and your sweater! - and say that I can, but there are a lot of reasons this couldn't have been me already.

[capyper]

You can fake not being able to tie a knot, so...

[captainobnoxious]

It'd be a pretty obvious flub, in my experience. I've gotta really try to mess up a knot since my hands automatically just work the way they do.

[... So maybe it'll be the same way.]

[capyper]

Well, when you put it that way, I may as well save you your sweater and just admit it! I can tie some pretty nice knots, it's one of those things that used to be a lot more useful, like, a bunch of centuries back. Just one of my many talents!

[penduli]

I learned how to tie my shoes and how to loop a rope to choke an animal, but... Dad usually took care of that.

[ Like, literally take care.

...also there's enough out already to say he's not the guy we're looking for, so o7 ]