trusthell | Take Responsibility.

The time allotted for investigation this week is a bit longer than normal - not due to anything done wrong on the part of the Apprentices, but perhaps due to a basic understanding that two corpses are going to be decidedly more difficult to handle than one. However, at the end of the time period you've been given, the elevator is waiting for you, as cold and sterile as always in its journey up to the courtroom; you're down to almost half of your original number, and if anything is going to indicate that this shows no signs of stopping, it's probably this week.

The deceased have had three more join their numbers since you were here last - Gold, Varric, and Viktor's portraits have been greyed-out and set atop their spots in the podium circle, the podiums themselves draped in black fabric.

As always, the lectern above stands empty.

Whether he's with you or not, however, once everyone has found their place in the circle, the Wordsmith's voice can be heard throughout the room.

"Welcome back. Two more Apprentices are missing from your number today, and I have little doubt that weighs heavily on your minds. Balanced and Capricious have been lost to you, so that the guilty may have a chance to leave the academy and possibly even gain something otherwise impossible to attain.

If you wish for your fallen Apprentices to receive justice in death, then you know what to do: yet again, hold the guilty accountable."

Sixteen Apprentices remain. However many leave here at the end of the day has yet to be seen.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Then if you're so sure someone framed you, who did?

[She's definitely glaring daggers at him right now.]

How should I know!? I was in my room all night, I didn't leave!

[Calm down, Estellise... calm down.]

What about your outfit and people you spoke with this week? Was there any time it was out of your sight?

I usually wear this outfit - I wash it at night, and there's usually no one around to see. But with that said... this thing sheds like crazy! Anyone could have gotten their hands on it!

[...wait.]

Which one of you dastards is framing me!?

Estelle!

[He snaps at her at first, but the rest of what he says is not yelling.]

Just look at everything that happened. The bodies were moved. Clues were left in weird places. Varric had injuries that don't make sense.

This absolutely could be a frame-job. We need to consider that.

[And then, to Gangrel:]

Let us compare the fur. If it is yours, and you are being framed, then we can at least work from there to figure out who would try to frame you.

For that matter, after last week, he's in the top three to frame.

[ Which in her head is Silver, Gangrel, and Jasper ]

You're absolutely correct, I apologize.

[She's just uptight at all this and it's hard to compose herself.]

We'll... figure this out rationally.

...We need to find out just what happened before we compare.

[She doesn't know if it's the right direction. She really, really doesn't, but--

This isn't right. It can't be right.]

It would be prudent to create a map of what on earth happened.

Alright.

[ okay, orihime will give it a shot: ]

I'm going to say that first, Viktor-san left a note to Varric-san, asking him to meet at the bar at the designated time. Varric-san went to meet up with him, leaving the note on his desk. They had some drinks, and then Viktor-san went up to the art room. I'm not sure if Varric-san went with him, but I know Viktor-san was working on some drawings so I wouldn't be surprised if the paints were his.

I'm not sure about the rest, but I suspect that the culprit was in the art room and was the one eating the cream puffs. I don't know why Viktor-san's phone would be turned off, but he went into the music room and was ambushed in there. I think Varric-san tried to fight back and got a hold of the fur that way, but he was knocked out and then thrown down the stairs.

Edited 2017-02-25 18:38 (UTC)

... But that's two entirely different crime scenes. And a lot of people moving around - could the same person have even done both with no one noticing?

That wouldn't quite work, the music room and the art room are on the bottom floor. For Varric to have fallen, he would have had to be up on the second floor at some point, either before or after he got hurt.

Maybe he chased the killer up there? Or the killer chased him? Running for help would make sense.

I think he was chased.

If Varric-san didn't have a weapon on him...he might have realized he couldn't overpower the culprit.

Who could he not overpower here?

[ You know, other than maybe her. ... And Jasper ]

Edited 2017-02-25 18:43 (UTC)

It might have been that he wouldn't overpower them too. He cares for a lot of people here. If this was all an attempt to frame Gangrel, then it could have been done by someone Varric cared about.

So you're accusing one of his little wards of killing him? [ She said.

With a probably too cruel laugh. ]

I'm saying anything's possible. I certainly hope none of them did- I definitely wouldn't be able to- but it's not a good idea to overlook something.

[ That...

Actually gets Watanuki an approving smile. And Elda pointing at her own forehead and the words still on there.

Because that's what she's been saying since the beginning ]

...If he didn't have a weapon... what if he did have a weapon on him, though?

....like his crossbow...

So--he could have ran all that way to try and get some distance on the culprit.

Take Responsibility.

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