Take Responsibility.

[antitrust]

After a while, the door at the bottom of those stairs unlocks and it swings open gently of its own accord, allowing everyone back down into the courtroom; it's not as bad as it was last week, but again, there are decidedly fewer of them than there were last time. The podium circle has changed once again, with Rick, Tabby and Sukuyo joining the ranks of the deceased, their podiums draped with black cloth and adorned with greyscale photographs. The shadows are quiet down in the darkness of the pit; for the time being, it's hard to say what the pit itself looks like after the explosion last week. One way or another, we'll find out by the end of the day. As usual, the proceedings are being watched from behind that panel of glass behind podium 30; he'll speak as soon as everyone has found their place in the circle. "Familial has been taken from you. Regardless of what her affiliation was – whether she was with me or the lot of you – you know what you have to do by now. There can be no hesitation; you should offer no mercy. It's you against the guilty. Take control of your fate, and hold them responsible." Ten Participants remain. However many more we lose today is up to you.

Comments

[antitrust]

[...That title is catching on, isn't it.]

Well, she isn't lying.

[icysemblance]

[...well, fuck.]

...I see.

[openterrain]

[ There's that tricky wording again. ]

... Observant, was there more than one mole?

[antitrust]

[And that gets a light laugh out of him, actually; it's not a particularly nice sound.]

Did you really think I would be stupid enough to rely on the word of one person?

[announcemyvictory]

[One on his left. One on his right.

Elise turns slowly.]

Mr. Conductor, you've been interfering a lot lately. Is it because you think we're not worth saving, now? That's a little strange, given what you told me before!

[antitrust]

I haven't been interfering more than any of you have been rendering necessary. A little unfortunately so, granted, but sometimes things just work out that way.

[announcemyvictory]

And then you dragged more innocent people into it! Haven't enough people died here for someone else's ambition, people who deserved it the least? People who trusted you! People who trusted me, even when I didn't believe in a single soul in here! I told you I was done with this farce when I realized you were never playing fair!

[withabigsmile]

[...Elise is cooler than her...]

You too, huh?

[announcemyvictory]

We've been at his left and right this entire game, Blue. I should have known.

[withabigsmile]

You were so much cooler about getting it out in the open than I was! I'm almost jealous!

[She was just like yep I'm the mole and here Elise is talking about fairness and goodness and stuff. Jeez.]

[antitrust]

Oh, I haven't dragged any innocent people into it, if you're talking about the incentive this week.

[announcemyvictory]

Sukuyo too, then. ...But she still couldn't have been the culprit. Someone made her do this. The evidence doesn't match up, does it?

[blazeit]

... Hey, princess. Elise.

What do you mean by the fact that he was never playing fair?

[announcemyvictory]

...He always said that the participants were supposed to be able to escape in the end. To have a fair chance. But at the same time, he had me -- had us reporting back.

[withabigsmile]

[...ACTUALLY YES]

[openterrain]

[ ....... ]

Shit.

[ You sneaky son of a bitch. ]

[blazeit]

Asking how many moles you placed in our group probably counts as helping in a trial, huh?

....... [ umu ]

[antitrust]

How many do you think I placed?

[blazeit]

Three.

It's the easiest way to tell who starts lying to you first. If you only have two and they contradict each other, you won't know who lied.

[antitrust]

Exactly.

[blazeit]

[ HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SO MAD BEING RIGHT ]

Well, that sure changes things.

[icysemblance]

How do we know you didn't name all three of the moles you had on Tuesday?

[antitrust]

[Yeah, about that.]

[perpend]

...Dammit.

[blazeit]

[ uwu ]