Take Responsibility.

[trustbound]

This particular investigation was likely a difficult one, for various reasons; whether through frustration or sheer disgust at the level of depravity involved, it's been a long day already. It doesn't seem like it will get any easier by the time the door to the courtroom unlocks, gently swinging open to allow everyone downstairs. As always, the stairwell is dark, but the courtroom is already lit up down below, a thin amount of light bouncing up the corridor to guide everyone downstairs; the podium circle stands stark and silent in the center, marking spots for both the living and the dead; by now, the latter far outnumber the former. Kirei, Milla, Angel, and Susan have all had their spots altered, their podiums draped in black cloth and their portraits set atop them; they'll be joining those watching all of you in greyscale as you work today. Do you think you'll do them justice? Either way and as always, the thirty-sixth podium remains empty and unadorned. Once everyone has found their place in the circle, Jericho can be heard over the public-address system; he doesn't seem to have settled any from the investigation. "Peerless, Edifying, and Adroit have all been taken from you - and hey, it looks like you found all of them, we appreciate that. But even if you hadn't, you'd still be down here, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you what you have to do as a result of everything that's happened. This is another one of those things that's either gonna be great or it's going to be terrible, though maybe I'll add in a third option of 'interesting' this time, just due to the setup. As always, you know what's going on here - the innocent versus the guilty. Seventh time lucky, maybe. As always, do your best!" Thirteen Participants remain. We'll see how many leave here at the end of the day.

Comments

[innocentloveholic]

[ ...She lifts her head and stares right back at Elda, her one eye opening just a bit before it closes sharply, and she turns her face away. ]

It'd totally be Alex, right?

[matchbreaker]

No. The person it would be is already dead.

[ If her and Sayaka worked together, then Alex was accounted for anyway... but even if that's not the case? No. Not really. ]

[innocentloveholic]

Observant!

[ ..... ]

You'd pick Observant over me? [ |T ] He's not even that hot.

[heritrix]

[Rin sighs.] She'd pick Susan.

[matchbreaker]

[ You didn't need to spell it out that much.

... Kicks Fern's podium again ]

[innocentloveholic]

[ ...... ]

Someone closer to her age, huh... Well, I guess I can sorta see that.

[matchbreaker]

Susan is - was, I suppose - [ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] my friend.

[ God that feels gross to say, even after the fact. She was human, after all. But what point is there dancing around the reality of it? ]

[matchbreaker]

Nope! He did his time and lived his life. I'm sure if Sayaka got some bonus picks he'd be selected for her and maybe even the same for me. But no, no. Not that man.

[destage]

[...Thanks, Mom.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Look, if it's Aligula she's going to be honest with her. ]

[innocentloveholic]

He'd be a waste to choose anyway... Think he'd be mad?

[matchbreaker]

Mmm. Honestly, not really? He strikes me as the sort of cockroach who wouldn't mind living against no matter the circumstances.

[innocentloveholic]

...Now that you mention it, he does kinda have antennas, doesn't he?

MODS

[matchbreaker]

[ In spite of herself, she laughs at that, she laughs, and with her mood lightened a little, she remembers the Silph Scope. Well, she'll just be taking it in hand to put it on and look around the room. Might as well do a quick sweep for ghosts.

If Kimblee is in the room somehow she'd like to see either him hearing that or just looking on stupidly. ]

[trustfellows]

[You know, there's actually a fair group of them clustered off in one general area of the courtroom - we've got Sigrun and Terumi and Mikoto, and Caren and Fern and Estelle, and...yes, Kimblee is here too, looking like he's judging everybody's choices in life.

Everyone's kind of seeming varying shades of "why" at everything that's been going on, except for...well, the ones you'd expect to be approving of this. (Terumi, looking at you.)]

[matchbreaker]

[ they're there...

And from that gaggle of expressions, they can see her this time? Right? Otherwise why would Terumi look so pleased? Elda's eyes widen behind the scopes, and then she corrects herself. She pulls up one of the notes that were cut up to make the ransom note things and then using a red pen writes in big letters on the back of it:

"I CAN SEE YOU"

And then holds it up for the ghosts. ]

[trustfellows]

[Well, that does seem to get their attention, albeit in a scattered, awkward sort of way; you know how sometimes you'll wave at someone across a busy area and they'll just kind of deer-in-headlights at you before awkwardly waving back, like they aren't sure you're intending the gesture for them but they're going to return it?

...There's a bit of that from a few of them for a moment before there's a thumbs-up from Sigrun and more enthusiastic waving from Estelle, and Fern...well, Fern is going to try to kick your podium right back, Elda, god knows you kick hers enough. It won't do anything, but still, the thought is there.]

[matchbreaker]

[ Elda...

Bursts out laughing at this. She tries to take a swing at Fern as if to slap her shoulder, but she doesn't expect that to connect. It didn't connect all those times that she threw stuff at Kirei. Rather, her real point is to write down another note on the back of another letter,

"LISTEN TO SUSAN'S MEETING PLAN

SEE YOU THEN"

If only because while this is fascinating that she can be seen now, the fact is she's got a case to complete now. She keeps the goggles on though, in case anyone wants to get her attention for the rest of the case. ]

[destage]

...He might. He made his decision, after all.

[To her credit, Sayaka keeps her gaze averted when she says that much, just...kind of fiddling with what she's got in her sleeve.

She never said she wasn't selfish, though.]

[innocentloveholic]

[ ...Oh, Sayaka. ]

It's better to let sleeping dogs lie, Attentive. They're happier like that.

[destage]

[Yeah, she'll just...nod at that.]