Take Responsibility.

[kingmakereffect]

And once the allotted time for investigating comes to a close, those elevator doors at the end of the first-floor corridor open up; the ride down is fast, smooth, and understandably tense as far as atmosphere goes. You're down to less than half of your original number. The doors slide open and the podium circle comes into view, standing stark against the black-walled courtroom and encircling that pit in the center; Misa and Aqua have joined the ranks of the deceased, photographs in greyscale watching the proceedings from their podiums draped in black. Of course and as always, the deceased aren't the only ones watching; the Kingmaker will make his presence known once everyone has settled at their podium, his voice sounding out through the room for all to hear. "Resilient has been taken from you. Maybe this time the guilty party will actually succeed at fulfilling Rule Seven, seeing as this is the sixth try and all. Whether they manage it is up to the rest of you." Thirteen Survivors remain. However many will be down by the end of the day is up to you.

Comments

[captainobnoxious]

[Sigrun isn't leaving Mettaton's side anytime soon, and she really doesn't want to say anything, really really, especially not in front of so many people who're looking to pin the blame on someone.]

I'm not telling you anything because he didn't do it.

[Something she wants to believe so much.]

[garudynamic]

Then if it IS because of his biology that he couldn't have done it... then this will prove that. Sigrun, please...

[captainobnoxious]

[She's mum. Talk to Mettaton, honey.]

[isafraid]

Sigrun...

[Look over here at your podiummates. Hey.]

We only need to know for sure. If he's really not innocent, then lend us a hand in figuring it out.

[What else can they do?]

[amygdalae]

You call yourself a leader, Captain Eide, and we've trusted you to get us this far. I know this hurts, but all of us will die if he is indeed the one and gets to go away with this scott-free. As a leader, can you bear that kind of responsibility? The weight of all our lives on the line?

[She's said so many times how she's a great leader, how she can never be biased, and all that jazz.

Now is the time to walk the walk.]

We don't need anything else, just the basics. We'll figure out the rest ourselves.

[ratingspoint]

She wants to be left out of this. Leave her out of it.

If this is truly about your own survival, your fight is with me. Don't try to lay some sort of stupid guilt trip on her.

[amygdalae]

And you're the one who's using their feelings for you against them! How is that any better, Mettaton?

[ratingspoint]

I haven't told them to do anything, remember. What they're doing is their own choice.

[amygdalae]

You don't have to in the first place. They love you enough to choose it themselves.

[And that by itself is enough.]

[ratingspoint]

And that? Is hardly my fault. I've openly discouraged Cherryblod from doing it, even.

[amygdalae]

You know how much it'd hurt them - you know very well. But yet...

[Just trails off with a pained expression. Just why, Mettaton, why are you putting them through all this.]