[ 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.

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Comments

[insincerely]

For anyone who wants it or missed it, here's the rundown of Tiara's explanation of events:

Ao and Tiara were together at first but decided to separate on the basis of it being "unsafe" to stick together. Sure, whatever. I won't judge. Anyway, this was probably during curfew, but it didn't seem all that late either, according to Tiara.

Tiara wandered around for a bit—seriously? With coyotes and everything around?—before Mr. Sheriff told her to stay in the saloon or cells.

Mr. Sheriff directed her there, and according to her, it was already a mess then. She apparently didn't see the trail of blood leaving the saloon, whether because it hadn't happened yet or because she missed it. Or because she's lying, one of the three. She supposedly didn't hear anything suspicious either.

[He shrugs.]

She didn't question it, because she was afraid of Mr. Sheriff. How horrible, bullying small girls, huh?

... Anyway, I might've left out a detail or two, but that should be the gist of it. I'm not saying one thing or the other, so no need to lynch me, please.

[athenite]

That sounds like judging. [ she's kinda judging too ]

The rundown is appreciated, though.

[insincerely]

You said it, not me. But you're welcome.

[feminitis]

...I just want to point out... I examined Miss Tiara's clothing. She said she's wearing the same clothes now as she was the other night, and there's no blood on it or anything.

But Miss Ao's death wasn't exactly... clean, so unless she's lying now and she changed clothes, she's probably not the killer.

...

I'm going to check her shoes in a moment, though. Because if the saloon really was a mess when she arrived, there... should be at least a little blood on them, if she had to walk through the mess.

[cherrypuncher]

Excuse me?

[Yuna raises her hand from where she's sitting, polite as ever.]

I visited Miss Tiara Thursday, because I always brought her and Ao meals when they were locked up, so I remember what she was wearing, and she isn't lying about her clothes.

[feminitis]

[Oh, good! Sei lets out a small sigh of relief at that - at least one of them can confirm what Tiara was saying.]

That's great to know. Thank you for speaking up.

[alcobrawlic]

Is there a guarantee that she had to get blood on her clothes? If she got any on her face or any patches of skin, she could have just washed it off and no one would know.

[feminitis]

With the amount of blood that was in the saloon, it's a little unlikely that whoever killed her would miraculously escape with no traces of blood on them at all.

...that said, there's no traces of blood on Miss Tiara's shoes, either, now that I've checked. So she must have been very lucky to have avoided all of the blood when she was going up to her room.

[alcobrawlic]

...

Or she wasn't so lucky and she cleaned them.

[ Sorry, Sei. Sara's not that lenient. ]

[feminitis]

Miss Yuki and Miss Maxwell were with her that night, though, weren't they? Well... after the Sheriff let her stay with them, anyway.

...he did say we'd only see what we were meant to see, so maybe he would have allowed her to clean them first.

[alcobrawlic]

We don't know how long she was in that room before she was found. She could have had more than enough time to clean herself off.

And with that much blood in the saloon, it's more than a little suspicious that her shoes are clean.

[uraniumnumnum]

It seems obvious to me. She's cowardly, afraid of the Sheriff. And he's already made it quite clear that he intends for us to kill each other. If she wanted to keep her own life, she most likely had to take the other girl's.

[ a dry half-smile appears on his face. it is rather delightfully sadistic, but seeing as he wasn't the one orchestrating it, he can't find it that pleasant. ]

Her lack of experience in taking a human life explains why her story is so full of holes. She's frightened. Pitiful, really.

[insincerely]

As weird as it feels to play nice with a guy who tried to assault me on our first day... yes, that's all a possibility.

[uraniumnumnum]

Hmph. I like to make an impression.

[generously]

[ Hm. ]

One question - can the Sheriff corroborate her story? Is that what he really told her, and if so, why did he take her away when she was found in the place that he told her to stay in?

[insincerely]

I'm just the messenger, so I don't know. You're free to ask Mr. Sheriff, if you're wondering—though now that you've brought it up, I'm curious too.

[generously]

[ gosh, he has to do everything himself!! ]

Should we do it together? Like Sherlock and Watson?

[insincerely]

... I don't see that point of that, but sure, why not?

[generously]

Well, in that case--

[ FOLLOW ME ]

[hydrokinetics]

[And somewhat thoughtfully from his place at Annabeth's side:]

Tiara also mentioned that she thought maybe Ao was seen as an easier target than her because Ao doesn't know how to fight. Tiara's a healer, but even healers know a little bit of combat skill. [PLEASE DON'T BE TIARA!!!] She says she was trying to make sure the Sheriff didn't go after Ao if she could help it, but it doesn't make sense that she didn't hear anything, unless Ao's murder was completely silent.

[insincerely]

Yeah. There are weird holes in her story.

... It's a matter of why those holes exist.

[hydrokinetics]

You think she's lying, or you think maybe she just doesn't remember?

[insincerely]

She could be lying, or she might not remember. Or maybe the murderer pulled off some kind of mechanic to render a silent murder.

I'm trying not to give people more of a reason to punch me, you see.

[hydrokinetics]

[A lift of the eyebrows.] How's that working for you?

[But the more serious part.] If someone came up behind Ao and covered her mouth so she couldn't be heard, it could have been a quiet struggle. Who examined the body? Any cuts or bruises unaccounted for?

[insincerely]

No one's punched me yet, so well enough?

Miss Elizabeth and the little kid looked at it recently. You might want to ask them—or check out the body yourself. It's there for all of us to examine, isn't it?