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

[bloodisthicker]

[...

he's going to put the mountains of stuff he got from the room o'stuff on his podium. there's like. so much stuff?? he's going to keep the bling on though. like. it's tacky but. whatever.]

Yes, let's.

[notaccurate]

[Okay, this is a serious trial and should absolutely be serious, but. Don't think he missed how the living people's podiums are arranged. Especially in relation to Hilda.]

Which one of you two decided to be this dramatic?

[trustbound]

[She just...arches an eyebrow a little at that. All of that.]

You guys really were having fun.

[evilfrenzy]

[Rideaux, who is like...a shade paler than he was going into the investigation, is giving the setup a stare as well.]

Let's be honest, it was probably Jericho.

[matchbreaker]

[ "If we ever come to this room again, there will be someone at that podium!"

She had shouted that to Kyrie through all of her pain, grief, and desperation, but that feeling had created the determination that she felt at the end of that trial, the sort which could allow her to make an insane promise for victory. Now, that feeling as she hauls the bag which has both the unfinished cat and Ziska(? ... wait, doesn't she have her notebook?) inside of it to her podium, and she's smirking.

She kept her promise. ]

You're on, Hilda.

[trustbound]

[And that's just getting the flattest response in the world.]

It was absolutely Jericho.

[Are you surprised. Are you really.]

[trustbound]

Oh...?

[She shifts a bit. Shrugs a little.]

I'm just here to oversee the results of whatever you guys have been doing for the last while. It's not every day that people decide to go rummaging through our things - usually you guys at least wait until someone's dead to raid their stuff.

[notaccurate]

[Yeah, he should have expected that.]

How rude of him, to rearrange things when he's not even physically here.

[bloodbiter]

Then, the point of this trial is to put everything into some kind of conclusive picture of what we found, and what is going on...?

[heritrix]

[Well, that sure is a redesign. On the one hand, Rin's grateful because that puts her away from the mastermind podium she's had to stand next to for so long. On the other, she brought some heavy books with her and now she has to awkwardly find her new seat—ah, right here? Okay.

...she sees the pattern in the rearrangement, now that she's looking more closely.]

We were invited, after all.

[trustbound]

I guess? No one's dead, so it's not like it's a trial, but there's nothing stopping you guys from talking; it's just more streamlined if I'm here due to the fact that you were going through our stuff.

[trustbound]

Invited down here, yes.

[bloodbiter]

I see.

[Then, to everyone else gathered here:]

Did anyone find any information about a woman named Rachel...?

[matchbreaker]

... My apologies in advance for what I searched. I do feel a little rude.

[ ... Actually on that note she's going to check to make sure that the Ziska she found is still in her bag. Though not take it out. ]

[trustbound]

I've told some of you guys that he's a pain in the ass. I meant it.

[hesperos]

[ When Yuri steps in, he's brought along...some stuff. Best to keep yourself armed, with information, right? He's...well, at least sure that there's going to be a lot to discuss and so.

He looks over at Hilda, but ... then he looks at everyone else. ]

Well, if this is gonna first be about we managed to find, guess I'll start off with some of that.

[ ... ]

I went through a door in the room and into a another one that's basically an identical office to the one Alena used to use and the one Hilda uses now. The only difference is that it looks like a complete mess and that's putting it lightly.

The room's walls were riddled with bullet holes, and the chair was definitely attacked with bladed weapons, given the amount of slash marks made in it. There's also pretty much a good amount of dried blood all around the room; can't tell if this meant for sure that whoever used that room was just sitting down for all of this or what.

There's a lot of blood all over the desk too.

Anything that was on the shelves was also thrown to the ground too. All the books, files, you name it.

[notaccurate]

I believe it.

Is there any chance we could get him to come down here personally? After all, both of you are responsible for holding us here, it seems unfair to have just you here facing us.

[trustbound]

[Ziska is still there! ...And still a book.]

[heritrix]

And up there. A light literally lead us to the game room, and seeing as I've had that box near those doors before without any reaction, someone intentionally chose to bring us in. Someone on your side.

[trustbound]

He's still here, just not in person.

[So that's a no.]

I'm on my own physically, as always, but he's watching. Technically we're both here.

[bloodisthicker]

...look, I'm sure these were important somehow, so I brought them as evidence.

Of whatever.

[perpend]

I can't say I did, no.

[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.]

[notaccurate]

[...that sure is a thing.]

files, you say? Anything interesting in them?

[bloodbiter]

What are they...?