[ WEEK ONE – TRIAL ]

[sheriffexe]

TRIAL

In the morning, the town comes back to life. Birds crow overhead, a snake nearby hisses, a lingering coyote dips behind a shop before disappearing into the wild. It's a frightening contrast to the stillness of yesterday but it doesn't mean it's over yet. After all, today is the trial. The Sheriff stands on the porch of the Town Hall and brings his hand up to his mouth to let out a whistle. He'll thumb back to the Hall behind him and very clearly state -- "Trial time, folks. Get in here and figure out who did it." And then he'll turn to leave before pausing and adding on, "Bring a snack or somethin' too. The Town Hall is set up more like a court house, a Judge's bench at the front but instead of at center, it's off to the side as if more for observation than participation. There's a table at the front of the room already holding a small box and a pad of papers and pen, for voting apparently. A side room containing only a metal gurney is next and today it's obvious why there's a gurney there at all with the corpse, resting right on top of it. Aside from that, there are rows for everyone to take a seat and it's only after everyone is inside and settled, that the doors close and the Sheriff speaks. "Well, have at it. You've got till nine." And then, he points to a clock on the wall that reads 12:00. Good luck. Welcome to the trial post! Characters are free to discuss everything related to the trial here. They won't be let out of the room until 9PM when voting ends. Every character must vote and the voting post can be found here. If there are any questions, please shoot a message to this journal or to robowest.

QUICK NAV PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS | STATUSES | PROFILES | LOCATIONS | GRAVEYARD | MAIN NAVIGATION

Comments

[expelliarmed]

[ Having overheard the Hannibal's question and the answer he got -- ]

So what happens if we vote for you?

[ Because if they have to vote, he'd much rather vote for the one person who's a clear enemy. ]

[dmails]

Then we'd execute him, leaving us with no leads and no way out of this place. [Remember, we're trying to get home here, too...!] Unless we would keep him for questioning somehow.

[expelliarmed]

I'm beginning to think we don't have any leads or a way out of this place even with him here. [ THERE'S THAT POSITIVE THINKING ] If we accuse him, who would force us to execute him? We could just lock him up instead.

[dmails]

That's fair. [To the locking him up part, not the leads, of course.]

[He still has things to do. He's not prepared to give up. He has to get out.]

He says he has people above him, right? Is there a way to get to them?

[expelliarmed]

That might be one way. We'd send a message, if nothing else.

[insincerely]

If we're going to just lock him up anyway, why bother waiting for the vote?

[expelliarmed]

Because if we stay within their system, it gives them less grounds to "punish" us.

[insincerely]

Fair enough, though this still sounds like it could go horribly wrong. I'll go with it if everyone else is for the idea, but we should think this through first.

[expelliarmed]

It probably will. [ #optimism ] But you're right. We need to keep all our options open until we've had time to learn everything we can.

[ He hates this. ]

[ceded]

[ ! ]

Harry!

[ worried and angry all at once ]

[expelliarmed]

I'm not saying we'd kill him. [ He's just trying to sort this all out. ] We wouldn't have to execute anyone if he's the one we accuse, right?

[ceded]

Unless he plays by the same rules! You could be killing him pointlessly! How does that make us any better?!

[ VERY UPSET ]

I won't vote for the Sheriff! And you shouldn't, either!

[expelliarmed]

[ Pinching the bridge of his nose, because it's upsetting that she's upset and it's his fault, and he has no idea what to do. ]

Then you'll abstain? Didn't you hear what might happen to you if you do?

[ At least if anyone had to die, if they voted for the sheriff it'd be someone who certainly isn't innocent. And also a robot. ]

[ceded]

[ That shuts her up. Xion goes silent, swallowing visibly. ]

... I ... I'll figure that out later.

[ It almost sounds like she intends to vote for an actual person in the room. ]

[expelliarmed]

[ Xion???????? ]

There might not be a later.

[ Any of them could be accused. They need to worry about now. ]

[ceded]

Still! I won't vote for anyone without a good reason! Him being the Sheriff isn't a good reason at all! Unless we can prove he's the one who did it, we should leave him alone!

[ she's really passionate about this. ]

[athenite]

We also don't actually know what happens if we vote for him, which I find worrying.

[insincerely]

Yeah... if it was in our favour, they probably wouldn't let us vote for him at all. Not to mention he's been doing this for a while, hasn't he? We can't be the first to think of voting for him.

[athenite]

That's what I was thinking. It's clearly not his first time, and he's mentioned there being upwards of three hundred "games". There's just no way people haven't voted for the Sheriff before, so I sort of doubt the outcome will be one we'll like. Let's maybe not commit to it without trying to actually work through our options.

[feminitis]

I don't think we could kill him, anyway.

[She glances down at her bruised, bloody knuckles.]

...he's really tough. Anything we could do that might kill one of us, he'd probably survive.

[expelliarmed]

But if we were technically following the rules of the game... [ No, he doesn't like any of this. ] It might not be our best option, but we need to consider it.

[sheriffexe]

Guess you'd have to see what happens, huh.

[expelliarmed]

Yeah. Reckon so.

[ screams internally ]

[hydrokinetics]

[From his place probably sulking at Annabeth's side, Percy's going to watch and silently wish Harry good luck because hahaha. But that's a great question!]

[expelliarmed]

[ pray 4 him percy ]