[ 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

[sidearmofthelaw]

[ After listening to everything for a while, Nisha's only comment is: ]

Y'all can dig into the details as much as you like, but it seems most reasonable the Sheriff pit the girls against each other in their own game or whatever to show us all how it's done. Anyone have some other idea? Any other idea.

[glaring]

I don't know why we'd need an example, but those two have stood out since the first day. The only thing is, it seems too obvious.

[sidearmofthelaw]

Not gonna argue with the obvious part. I'd ask how anyone would get their kicks setting up something that simple, but everyone seems to be making enough out of it I'm sure they're sitting back and laughing. Or whatever they do.

Either way, though, we've gotta vote for a culprit, and if it's not the girl it's got to be someone else. So, unless anyone else has any other suspects...

[glaring]

[ A sigh. ]

Not really. But I don't think it's enough evidence to pin her as the culprit yet. There's probably something we've overlooked.

[sidearmofthelaw]

Hate to say, but I'm not sure this is gonna play out like some procedural crime drama on the ECHOnet. Someone's gonna die here, it's just a matter of who we think's most likely.

[ceded]

[ ... pale, and looking more ill than ever, Xion chimes in: ]

No. I ... think that's what happened, too.

[sidearmofthelaw]

Does seem to look like it, unless there's some huge development.

[ceded]

... I think ... that whatever happened that night, it was ... it wasn't what anyone involved wanted. But ... none of us really have a choice here, do we? [ Grim, and blank. ] So ... even if she didn't want to... maybe that's how it had to happen.

[hydrokinetics]

[Well.]

Sheriff did confirm they weren't a part of our game.

[feminitis]

...if they're not a part of our game, then...

[Sei bites her lip.]

Doesn't that make it even more likely that the killer wouldn't be one of us? If we're supposed to kill for a reward... we wouldn't be rewarded for killing someone who isn't part of our game, right?

[impulsiveness]

... And that points us back to Tiara.

[He doesn't look happy about it.]

[hydrokinetics]

[He shakes his head and stays quiet for a moment.]

I'm starting to understand the same thing. Sheriff kept mentioning our kills are judged on merit. This wouldn't count if it was someone in a different game with different rules.

[sidearmofthelaw]

Yup. But if they were here for a reason, they obviously had something going on.

[hydrokinetics]

They came in on Sunday, two days after us. Woke up in their cells the way we woke up on the train. It's their own game and we're just pawns in it.

[uraniumnumnum]

Precisely. These people simply don't want to admit it.

[sidearmofthelaw]

Seems like it. And it's getting a little tiresome, especially because there's not a lot of other options.

[sunnashi]

[ Higekiri bites his lip, but nods. ]

This is... one way to show how it's done, yes.

[elemancy]

I think a bunch of us have already seen them being treated like the sacrifical lambs to prove a point.

[that's his initial response to nisha, before sucking in a breath and making a really crappy decision. someone has to address the elephant in the room directly—because they're getting nowhere here.]

Tiara.

[ugh. he doesn't want to do this. he doesn't want to do this! but if nobody else will...

maybe it's just what he needs to do. it's about standing up for what's right, being a prince for the people or. whatever? sure, we'll go with that.]

Too much isn't adding up. The blood, your clothes and shoes... the timeline. What you said.

[it's too vague.]

You said you were worried, right? That he would kill you... [this is hard to say, to even accuse.]

...Would you take someone else's life if the Sheriff was threatening yours? [because if that's the case, she'd be as much a victim as the rest of them, even if she pulled it off.] Now's the time to be honest. Don't... let the truth get derailed.

[he hates this a lot, though.]

[uraniumnumnum]

[ he has nothing to add but has gained +1 respect for noct for actually having the guts to be the one to say it... good job roomie. ]

[abasing]

[CALLED OUT.

She starts when he addresses her directly, pressing her left palm over her chest in surprise.]

Oh...

[It doesn't add up. And now... this is what it's coming down to, isn't it? An accusation, and...]

Sir Noctis...

... I would not take someone else's life, even with the Sheriff threatening mine. I would not attack someone for that... not even for that.

It is...too horrible to contemplate.

[elemancy]

[not like this, tiara!!!]

Still no explanation for why there are so many holes, though.

[he drags in a breath, and he's conflicted. he wants to believe her, but—where's anything to prove it?]

Why you walked through a bloody room without a trace of blood on your clothes. Why you'd really split up. One of you was going to die.

[so he asks.]

But you'd defend your life if she attacked you, right? If Ao targeted you instead.

[feminitis]

[She can't help but admire him for being willing to say it, even though saying it out loud is difficult - but she's watching, with a look on her face like she very much hopes that Tiara's response will be "I'd never kill anyone!"

She hopes that Tiara will tell the truth, and that the truth will be something they all want to hear.]

[saurloser]

Isn't that helpful of him.

[sidearmofthelaw]

Sounds like some of these kids have never even seen someone killed before, so I guess someone figured they should get 'em started.

[saurloser]

What simple lives. Even if they aren't killers themselves, death is everywhere.

[ But, he shrugs ]

It makes as much sense as anything else, and I agree that many of the people here seem both unwilling and clueless as to how you'd kill a person even if they wanted to.