Taking Responsibility.

[trustbound]

A while after that space behind and above the game room has been accessed, after things have been looked over, Jericho can be heard over the intercom; apparently, it works over in that area as well. "Wow, you guys really are having a great time going through our stuff, aren't you? Good for you! Seriously, look at all of you go, utilizing Rule Four and everything. It's cute as hell. I'm guessing you want something out of all of this, though – I mean, we absolutely could leave you there to just sort of mull things over until somebody else dies, but that seems like a waste of everybody's time, and believe it or not, I'm not too crazy about wasting tme. So if you're all happy with what you found, go ahead and head down to the courtroom – as always, we'll be waiting for you." And as he's said, the door the courtroom below is unlocked and open when you arrive; as always, feel free to follow that darkened stairwell down to that familiar room made of concrete and steel. There are so few of you now. Kyrie's photograph has joined the others in the circle that have their pictures in monochrome, their podiums draped in black – but notably, the podiums have all been rearranged. There are definite patterns to it, if you look; either way, feel free to find and take your place. The pit in the center of the circle remains darkened, but it isn't as though it matters much for the time being, given that there would be no one in it; after all, the thirty-sixth podium, across from all of you, is occupied. Hilda is standing there, dressed in black as always, a notebook folded tightly against her chest – not the notebook that killed Aligula, but a nice leatherbound one. She looks at everyone expectantly as they walk in; the implication is incredibly clear. It's you against the guilty. Take control of your fate, and hold them responsible. When she does speak, it's simple and straightforward, especially as compared to Jericho's rambling. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Comments

[evilfrenzy]

If memory serves, that name was brought up a couple times in the files from the art storage room's hidden room. The one with the filing cabinets.

[Rideaux offers that since what he searched today was, um...yeah.]

[bloodbiter]

I see. Would you happen to recall what they said about her?

[But, ah, this is probably the more important part of all this.]

The room I entered - Alena was there, somehow. I believe it was the same woman who was here previously, because she said that her sister killed her, but... When I asked who I was speaking to, she said her name was Rachel.

[heritrix]

[Whoa! Rin visibly startles, but also looks like she expected a revelation as big as that.]

No wonder that room was locked. That's something they definitely would want to hide. How was she still alive?

[The Rachel thing, we can get to that later. Get one little thing addressed at a time.]

[bloodbiter]

[A frown.]

She told me that she is always here, in one way or another, and that she cannot be killed in normal circumstances.

[heritrix]

She's always here...? [Rin thinks about the files they found again, and—] That puts a different spin on things.

[Rin's mostly musing to herself.]

Did she say anything else?

[bloodbiter]

She did, yes. She said that her name was Rachel, as I mentioned, but Alena was the reason she was here. She said that we have been brought here because the majority of us, as Jericho views it, are bad people who deserve to be punished, but... She does not necessarily want us to be killed, even if Jericho thinks we deserve it. She said that what she wants does not matter, though, and she cannot help us save ourselves.

[evilfrenzy]

Well then.

[He's...not quite sure what to make of that discovery. But he'll just answer Adelina's question, holding back his bewilderment.]

She was spoken of in a way that implies she can keep tabs on what Jericho calls us- "subjects", and can be used and taken control of. In what way, I am not quite sure.

[heritrix]

[Rin nods in response to this.] Her name was referenced several times in those.

[But now she produces two notes, shuffling one over the other.]

I remembered it, when her name came up in the notes that I found. The handwriting they're written in matches the files you found, too.

[evilfrenzy]

Oh? And what do they say?

[heritrix]

The first one had nothing to do with her, but the second one...

[Rin will read the second note out loud then.]

"I was afraid that it would be too hard on Rachel to do all this, but she doesn't seem to be having much trouble; she likes a few of them too much, though, and that might be a problem if what happened with some of the others is any indication.

I'll keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't screw it up; if she does, then I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But we're going to need her to deal with everyone here eventually; I can't do it myself and I know it."

[evilfrenzy]

[Hmm.]

So in the context of this writing, she seems to have control over her own actions. [...] As you may recall from the files in the hidden room, she also has the ability to "destroy" subjects. I...imagine that is what the writer is referring to in the second part of that note.

[A very, very happy subject considering what Yuri is going to bring up...]

[heritrix]

[Rin nods.] Jericho seemed surprised too, that she would cooperate with the other masterminds. The new notes Yuri found also seem to support that Rachel is acting independently.

That means she's both critical to everything they do here, but they no longer have complete control over her. [...] I have a vague suspicion she might have even been the person to lead us to the game room in the first place.