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]

... wait. Do we know it was only one person?

[happysweets]

Why would there be an accomplice?

[amygdalae]

Would the accomplice benefit in the first place?

[garudynamic]

Yeah, the issue is the accomplice would end up killed with the rest of us

[amygdalae]

I doubt that most people would be willing to give up their life like this.

PAGING KINGMAKER

[cherryblooded]

We may as well be certain.

Kingmaker, what are the provisions for two people involved in murdering a third?

[kingmakereffect]

That depends on how they're both involved.

[cherryblooded]

Thank you for your directness, as always.

If they both cooperate with the express intent of killing a third person, are they both able to escape, assuming we don't discover their guilt?

[kingmakereffect]

It really does depend.

[Don't give him your sass.]

If it's just one of them doing the killing, then it doesn't matter what the accomplice does. Whoever gets the killstrike is the culprit. They'll be crowned while the rest of you die, accomplice included.

[cherryblooded]

I see. Thank you.

[He'll sass you all he wants.]

[happysweets]

Probably not, since letting the culprit get away with it means they die too, right?

[amygdalae]

I believe so.

[Just glancing in the general direction of... whatever. It's hard to look at the Kingmaker when you don't even know where the fuck he is.]

[garudynamic]

To avoid one us getting killed randomly. Like usually it'd make no sense since only the killer can escape. But this incentive changes things up. I doubt it's the case, but it's not impossible either.

[happysweets]

I guess we should make sure we cover all our bases, if nothing else!

[sleepingkogoro]

Are you suggesting there may have been an accomplice?

[Adult stare again, condescension onwards!]

Idiot! If there had been more than one person involved we would have found some clue pointing that already! The more people in the crime the less likely it is to get away with it without leaving evidence!

[garudynamic]

Yeah, no, it's pretty unlikely. It would make it easier to move her... but I doubt any of us would risk getting killed in the trial.