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

[matchbreaker]

Good. Fortunately, Estellise doesn't have a good rapport with Jericho to force the vote.

[firstaid]

Why would I force the vote? It's rather obvious to me who did it. Or are you just blind to the truth?

[perpend]

Like it was obvious Mr. Archer did it earlier?

[He's not even touching everything with Kimblee, but Elda does have a point.]

[firstaid]

If he had only given us a sample it wouldn't have turn into this. And when I pointed a finger at Kimblee being involved, none of you would believe me. Even if I said he was only an accomplice at the time. Now you're all turning against him and suddenly now I'm the enemy again? I have evidence he was at the crime. What have you all done!?

[bloodisthicker]

Princess, this isn't about you. None of this is about you! You're not the enemy, you're just jumping to conclusions in a situation where we have to make absolute certain of everything or we die!

[paralogical]

[ Tch. ]

She's the only one here trying to find evidence. Instead of pointing out how she could be wrong, why don't you try pressing him more or finding more evidence?

Quit with this shit already. Help or get out of her way.

[bloodisthicker]

We've been trying to work things out, she's just jumping in and acting like a martyr because we're not jumping to the same conclusion she is!

I am glad the handwriting analysis worked out and placed him at the scene! I am actually invested in her being right, but we just need to figure out whether Sigrun managed to carry this out with Kimblee's help or if Kimblee killed her and made it look like she sacrificed herself!

[firstaid]

What if we can't? What happens then?

[bloodisthicker]

...

Well, there will be exactly two options, so we've got a fifty/fifty chance of being right if we vote for Kimblee. I just don't like those odds that much and would rather see them more like ninety-nine/one.

That is literally all Elda and I are doing here, Princess. We're not trying to prove that Kimblee didn't do it. We're evening the odds of our collective survival.

[heritrix]

Stop trying to reason with her. She's not going to come off it, so it's better to proceed while ignoring her for now.

[bloodisthicker]

I want it to be the truth, I just don't want to die! That's it!

[firstaid]

Then who else do we vote for? Do we vote for Sigrun and hope we all live?

[matchbreaker]

I've lived to ten times your age by knowing the right time to be cautious, girl. Like I said, if you're right, I'll apologize later!

[firstaid]

What more do we need?

[matchbreaker]

Put the knife in his hand. We need to do that.

[ Or confirm she died from the drugs or... something more insane. ]

[firstaid]

Then do that. What have you done, Elda? I at least did something.

[explosivecombat]

She gave you the idea to check my left hand in the first place.

[firstaid]

And she still wants to defend you. I suppose that's why you're supporting her.

[matchbreaker]

Don't be uppity, brat. I gave you the idea. I forced Kimblee's hand to this outburst. I helped drag out his confess to drugging Archer. I've been thinking outside the box this whole time.

If you want to claim you're special then you can go to hell for all I care. But I'm not dying and I'm still fighting.

[heritrix]

Just because we didn't say anything at the time doesn't mean we didn't believe you.

[Also what's this shit about "what have you all done", like they've just been twiddling their thumbs this whole time? Rin would say they had nothing before certain questions were asked, so she's looking pretty annoyed right now.]

Our questions, including Elda's, have gotten us to this point, not just you. Stop being so self-righteous; you're not the victim here.

[notaccurate]

I can do that much at least.

I think we can all agree that the cut was probably made by someone else. If the cut is on her left arm, then someone sitting opposite of her would use their right hand to support hers and make sure she didn't move. Meaning they would use their left hand to make the cut.

And who here happens to be left-handed and present during the murder, hmm?

[firstaid]

[God bless you Luca.]

It would be Kimblee!

[I'm sorry Estelle is being a bipolar mess today, oh my fucking god.]

[explosivecombat]

[...]

[bloodisthicker]

...yes, that definitely makes a lot of sense!

[GOD BLESS, FASHIONABLE YOUNG TENZIN, YOU'RE MAKING A GOOD ARGUMENT IN TARRLOK'S EYES

FOR ONCE, IN TARRLOK'S EYES]

[matchbreaker]

That would match with Ashworth and I's theorycrafting.