trusthell | Take Responsibility.

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...]

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

Edited 2016-03-19 22:19 (UTC)

What?! What are you talking about! He said it was going to be random!

It was, but I gave him an option to choose.

[guess who.]

(no subject)

garudynamic - 2016-03-19 22:23 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:18 (UTC) - Expand

capyper - 2016-03-19 22:31 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-19 22:33 (UTC) - Expand

capyper - 2016-03-19 22:36 (UTC) - Expand

goodforsomething - 2016-03-19 23:45 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:19 (UTC) - Expand

goodforsomething - 2016-03-20 18:06 (UTC) - Expand

You were going to volunteer, weren't you.

...

Since Tuesday night.

[looking down here. He can't exactly... look anybody in the eye right now.]

cherryblooded - 2016-03-19 22:24 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:22 (UTC) - Expand

Bruce...

[ ... She'd had an idea, based on how he'd been after the incentive, but having it confirmed... ]

...it would have been better that way.

[and then none of this would have happened.]

prismbloom - 2016-03-19 22:30 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:24 (UTC) - Expand

Bruce-san? Are you meaning to say...

[God damn it, he asked you if you were fine precisely because he was keeping his eyes open for people like you, Bruce. Mouri actually feels bothered you weren't honest with him back then]

Yes.

[just straight to the point.]

You haven't outlived your usefulness just yet, doctor. I wouldn't be so quick to throw yourself on the chopping block with that in mind.

[Is it a little cold? Yes. Someone like Bruce, who's basically their medic as far as she's concerned, has no right to offer himself up.]

[somehow that just gets out a small, bitter laugh from Bruce]

That's probably the kindest thing anyone has said to me.

captainobnoxious - 2016-03-19 22:37 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:27 (UTC) - Expand

[That just gets a wry smile out of him, really; when he laughs a bit, it's dry, humorless.]

You still would have had a fifty-fifty chance, then.

Still better than 1 out of the rest of us.

ratingspoint - 2016-03-19 22:37 (UTC) - Expand

cherryblooded - 2016-03-19 22:38 (UTC) - Expand

ratingspoint - 2016-03-19 22:40 (UTC) - Expand

cherryblooded - 2016-03-19 22:41 (UTC) - Expand

ratingspoint - 2016-03-19 22:42 (UTC) - Expand

sleepingkogoro - 2016-03-19 22:39 (UTC) - Expand

ratingspoint - 2016-03-19 22:41 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-19 22:42 (UTC) - Expand

ratingspoint - 2016-03-19 22:45 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:29 (UTC) - Expand

ratingspoint - 2016-03-20 16:55 (UTC) - Expand

captainobnoxious - 2016-03-19 22:45 (UTC) - Expand

ratingspoint - 2016-03-19 22:48 (UTC) - Expand

1/2

captainobnoxious - 2016-03-19 22:55 (UTC) - Expand

captainobnoxious - 2016-03-19 22:56 (UTC) - Expand

bloodisthicker - 2016-03-19 22:45 (UTC) - Expand

bloodisthicker - 2016-03-19 22:53 (UTC) - Expand

ratingspoint - 2016-03-19 22:56 (UTC) - Expand

bloodisthicker - 2016-03-19 23:01 (UTC) - Expand

[She's so tired. And sad. You guys...]

Don't even joke about something like that, Bruce...

I know better than to joke about my own life, detective.

wokeupdead - 2016-03-19 22:41 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:30 (UTC) - Expand

wokeupdead - 2016-03-20 16:58 (UTC) - Expand

[...he kind of bristles.

Well, not kind of.]

Don't consider that again.

[just a small wry smile here]

It kind of loses its impact after the first time.

bloodisthicker - 2016-03-19 22:44 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:32 (UTC) - Expand

[Colress doesn't say anything, but stares uneasily at Bruce. Not in a disappointed way, but in a sort of baffled way?

To offer oneself up like that...it's completely ridiculous to him.]

[To the baffled look Bruce returns that with a small smile. It's alright that you don't understand, Colress. Bruce doesn't expect anybody to.]

Don't.... don't be ridiculous.

I'm not, I assure you.

[and by now Bruce just sounds... really tired.]

notjustawriter - 2016-03-19 22:42 (UTC) - Expand

amygdalae - 2016-03-20 14:35 (UTC) - Expand

...Misa-Misa appreciates you thinking about all of us like that, but...

It was my decision alone. None of you had any part in influencing that.

[Well this is just too much]

The both of you.... how can you just be like that...?

...we both have our own reasons.

[And Bruce will be the first to admit to himself that his own reasons aren't as noble as Mettaton's.]