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

[notaccurate]

Right. By eliminating those four people entirely.

And how long does it take until 'neutralizing them is the only option, they're breaking the game' becomes 'they don't agree with me, they need to be neutralized', hmm? Because that's how it always goes when someone has power over the lives of others: they start out with noble goals, but those goals become less noble as time goes on.

If I had to guess, Jericho is already starting to head down that path, seeing as how he has a hit list going.

[trustbound]

The people on that list are people that the world is better off without. Jericho knows why, better than I do. But there's tangible basis behind the list itself.

[notaccurate]

Perhaps. Maybe he is right, maybe the world would be better off without them.

But what if he is wrong? Jericho is clearly doing this on his own, if you don't know his methods. What if those methods are flawed, and someone was added to that list that does not belong there?

And let's say you two do go through with it. Let's say all of those people are taken care of. What next? Do the games end? Does everyone else involved go home? Or does Jericho make another list, a list of the new 'most dangerous people' who weren't quite as bad as the current list, but are now the worst because the previous 'worst' are gone?

When will this all stop?

[trustbound]

[...]

I don't know. Maybe when this is over he'll go back to being the way he used to be.

[perpend]

The way he used to be...?

[trustbound]

Yes. He wasn't always like this.

[matchbreaker]

[ She's literally in front of Rachel now so she'll sort of softly give her response. ]

That doesn't seem likely to me. The sum of experiences changes people. He might be more kind eventually, but he's never going to be quite the same as he used to be.

[trustbound]

[...]

You don't know that.

[perpend]

...Rachel, are you familiar with post traumatic stress?

[trustbound]

No.

[perpend]

Post traumatic stress is what happens to people who have been through a traumatic event. It doesn't matter what the event was-- it can be a lot of different things.

It changes people, usually for the worst. They tend not to go back to being the people they were before the event took place. They change, because terrible things have a tendency to do that to people.

[matchbreaker]

I don't, because I don't know him.

[ . . . ]

But you apparently know my past. Would I have ended up anywhere near the way I am if I didn't suffer the way I did when I was young? Could I have ended up the way I would have been if I actually had the power to kill off those humans who hurt me? Or would I be the way I am now if I didn't change because of the likes of Sayaka or Susan?

Trauma changes people, and its clear that the stress of all this has warped him just as mine warped me. I doubt he can ever be just the way he was.

[trustbound]

[....]

[matchbreaker]

... Please, Rachel. Join us. We'll do what we can to put an end to this.

[notaccurate]

I think you already know that this will never be over, not if things continue as they are now. So let us speak to him. Perhaps we can change his mind about continuing this.

[trustbound]

No - it's going to end eventually. Maybe not today, but someday it'll be over. Those four people need to die.

[notaccurate]

And they're already dead, aren't they? None of them are standing here right now. So why hasn't this ended yet?

[trustbound]

Because I haven't cut them off yet.

[notaccurate]

And when you do cut them off- because I am assuming you do plan on doing that at some point- what will you do when he decides not to end these games?

[bloodisthicker]

...

Are they even the same four people who ran the games?

I'm not even talking about their identities. I know Zolf J. Kimblee, Frank Archer, Kirei Kotomine, and... Alex are the ones who ran games.

But are they the same versions of them?

[trustbound]

Why wouldn't they be? Their signature is the same.

[bloodisthicker]

One version of them didn't run a murdergame, maybe.

[perpend]

What do you mean by "signature?"

[bloodbiter]

But if they don't remember it, doesn't that make them different people?

[bloodbiter]

...Was he once kinder than he is now?