Take Responsibility.

[trustbound]

And once everyone has done what they need to do and gathered at that bottom of that stairwell in the dormitory, the door before them once again seems to unlatch and swing outward, lightly and of its own volition. It's the fourth time in the span of about a month; perhaps there's some strange, dark sense of familiarity in it. Perhaps, too, that stairwell leading further down is beginning to feel familiar, dark and unwelcoming though it is; the courtroom is still illuminated at the bottom of it, sending a slight amount of light up the stairs and guiding everyone down to that stark room made of concrete and steel. The podium circle stands still and silent in the center, waiting for everyone to take their place around the darkened pit below; once again, there's been a change in the circle itself in the form of three more podiums joining the ranks of the deceased. Fern, Tabby, and Sigrun all have their places in the circle marked with black cloth and a photograph in greyscale, keeping watch over all of you in a manner both unseeing and vaguely judgmental. As always, the thirty-sixth podium stands blank and unoccupied among you. Once everyone has found their place in the circle, Jericho can be heard over the public-address system; he seems to have collected himself at some point during the investigation, it shows in his voice, as little as anyone really wants it to. "For better or worse, Boundless is no longer among you. I'm sure you guys all know what that means by now, what you're here to do. And before you ask, because I know it's going to come up eventually and now's as good a time as any - yeah, we'd have you down here if someone tries to be a big damn hero for the group, because someone's still dead because somebody fucked up. It just means the dead person and the guilty person are the same person. So you know what, the game's the same, no matter what happened here - innocent against the guilty, fourth time, let's go! And as always, do your best!" Twenty-six Participants remain. However many leave this place is up to you.

Comments

[sadisticwarfare]

I don't drink. And I didn't do anything out of the ordinary last night...

[...]

[matchbreaker]

Well, except sleep, apparently.

[ Given what Kimblee said earlier and all ]

Jeez though, rough for Jericho to bust you awake.

[sadisticwarfare]

It really wasn't appreciated.

[brandnewday]

But at least you got some sleep, right? That's pretty lucky. I always have the hardest time sleepin' on Thursday nights.

[sadisticwarfare]

I usually don't manage to sleep quite that much.

[matchbreaker]

So if you got woken up there, does that mean you joined us there with Tabitha? Iunno if I saw you.

[ She's not ... suspicious, per se? But more trying to work out the timeline ]

[sadisticwarfare]

I woke up for the announcement, but I went back to sleep while you all were investigating. Kimblee woke me up just before we all came down here.

[matchbreaker]

Eeesh, that's some grogginess to bit hitting you this bad. Sorry to hear that.

[explosivecombat]

It was a little alarming, honestly. But I suppose it's to be expected, circumstances being what they are.

[sadisticwarfare]

[...]

I'll be fine. I appreciate the concern, though.

[He doesn't sound like he appreciates it.]

[explosivecombat]

[...]

[matchbreaker]

I don't know a lot about human biology, but the way he's been leaning honestly seems more drunk than tired to me. [ SHRUG ]

I can see where it'd be a big deal.

[explosivecombat]

...That would be why I'm telling him to get it looked into, yes. Because I can confirm for you that he didn't have any alcohol last night.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . Huh. ]

I really don't mean to hammer this, Kimblee, but how long of window is there between when you left to see Tabitha and Sigrun and when you woke the man up?

[explosivecombat]

[Wh...]

Not long enough for either of us to commit murder, if that's what you're insinuating.

[heritrix]

In total, about how much sleep would you estimate you did get Fr— [Mrrr.] Lieutenant Colonel?

[sadisticwarfare]

Entirely too much. I was asleep the whole night, for once.

[THANK YOU FOR NOT CALLING HIM FRANK]

[heritrix]

[Compromises must be made and whatnot. 8|

But hm, okay then.]

It could be sleep debt, but Kimblee's correct; it's strange for you to be that out of it after a full night's sleep. As an officer of the military, you've probably put up with worse, right?

[sadisticwarfare]

[...]

I have, yes. I'm used to getting very little sleep and still functioning perfectly fine.

[heritrix]

Could you have been drugged without knowing it?

[ninehundredlives]

You haven't been taking anything for it, either?

[sadisticwarfare]

No. I considered earlier this week, but I decided against it.

[That would be why he was in the infirmary, looking at the pills.]

[ninehundredlives]

[She does remember that.]

That's probably for the best. I only asked because some sedatives can make you feel nasty, after you wake up. Kind of like how we all woke up here to begin with... [She wasn't trying to find another angle to somehow accuse you of murder.]

[brandnewday]

I remember that. I was so out of it, I didn't even realize I'd been kidnapped until Caren told me.

[Hibiki, calling herself out.]

[sadisticwarfare]

[He figures as much!]

I haven't taken any of them here, so I wouldn't know. I appreciate the information, however.