robowest | [ WEEK ONE

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She didn't do anything wrong.

[Yuna's shaking, but her voice is steady.]

I'm not voting for her.

[she doesn't know what she's going to do instead, but. points for effort]

Provided she's telling the truth... [Shinnosuke's not taking a stance on that; he's just playing devil's advocate] ... that's fair.

[Look, he's not being a jerk for once.]

We can't kill her for this, Shinnosuke-kun. [aw fuck it's a "we" again, but she isn't just looking at him] She didn't do anything, it's not her fault.

[... He'll ignore it this time.]

Maybe, maybe not. But we have to vote for someone, since we've already been told that abstaining could warrant a punishment.

And I doubt Tiara, if she's your friend, would want us to vote for someone else if we weren't sure of their guilt and execute them in her stead.

[ A shrug. ] She can vote for me, if she wants. It's her choice, and it won't be a vote for her friend.

(no subject)

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 01:52 (UTC) - Expand

alcobrawlic - 2017-01-22 01:55 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:11 (UTC) - Expand

insincerely - 2017-01-22 01:55 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:13 (UTC) - Expand

I don't want to just vote for anyone! But—if we all abstained instead of playing along, we couldn't all get punished, could we?!

[Even as she says it, she knows it won't work. They're running out of time; they've already decided.]

insincerely - 2017-01-22 01:56 (UTC) - Expand

Yuna...!

[ Xion has no idea what to say. That's such a huge risk to take, but it's so, so hard to tell her to vote for the death of someone she cares about so much. ]

It's not her fault! We can't kill her for it!

[SHE'S HAVING A BAD TIME]

Someone has to die...!

[ It makes her feel sick just to say it. ]

What if you get killed for abstaining? Yuna....

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 01:56 (UTC) - Expand

ceded - 2017-01-22 01:59 (UTC) - Expand

[A stern look towards her.]

What are you going to do, then?

[great question]

We—can't all just say we're sorry and just vote for her like that. If we could decide to do something else together...!

[but everyone else has already decided, haven't they?]

Do you have an actual suggestion for something else we could try, then?

[She runs a hand through her hair.]

You're going to get yourself killed.

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:00 (UTC) - Expand

robitussin - 2017-01-22 02:02 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:14 (UTC) - Expand

robitussin - 2017-01-22 02:15 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:39 (UTC) - Expand

robitussin - 2017-01-22 02:41 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:43 (UTC) - Expand

robitussin - 2017-01-22 02:45 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:49 (UTC) - Expand

[ Yuna... ]

Are you gonna vote at all?

[Yuna falters, teary-eyed, speaking softly.]

I don't know.

If you do nothing, then something could happen to you. I wouldn't like that.

[ Yuna is more innocent than anyone he's met so far... ]

Are you giving up?

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 01:54 (UTC) - Expand

generously - 2017-01-22 01:59 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:32 (UTC) - Expand

generously - 2017-01-22 02:48 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 06:22 (UTC) - Expand

Who are you going to vote for, then? There aren't any better choices, are there?

[ pause ]

That's a serious question, are there any better choices?

...I don't know.

[It's too late to pull the rest of them together; they've already made their decision, there's nothing she can do.]

I don't think so. Not now.

No, she didn't do anything wrong.

But you don't have another plan, do you? [He doesn't wanna vote either, he doesn't wanna participate in any of this. But looks like it's happening anyway.] ...Other people are voting for her. That's happening.

...You know that, yeah?

[This sucks but he's trying to be as gentle with her as he can.]

[Yuna takes a slow, shaky breath, trying and not quite succeeding at stabilizing herself.]

I know.

[It's too late. She can't do anything at all. There isn't enough time to make another plan, never mind put it in action.]

It...won't make a difference. I won't abstain. [Everyone else is worried about that, about the punishment; she can't upset the people who care about her.]

Alright. Good. Wouldn't be any sense in you gettin' punished for anything. [It wouldn't change anything anyway.]

You keep yourself in one piece, remember?

[Yeah, he's planning on holding her to that.]

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-22 02:36 (UTC) - Expand

[ The truth hurts, or at least the truth of their situation hurts. It really does. ]

...

[ He puts his hands on Yuna's shoulders. ]

Please vote. Put down my name, if you don't want to pick her.

I won't vote for you, either!

[It won't make any difference if she does. Nothing she writes on that paper is going to change anything.]

I'll vote...I will, I'm going to...

[But she still sounds about ready to start sobbing.]

[ Have a quick hug, Yuna. ]

Good girl.

Yuna...

[He sounds so, so tired.]

You have to vote. Getting yourself killed now isn't going to help anyone.

...I'll vote. [She'd boasted her Hero Club, rallied everyone together to find her friend after finding another friend dead; now, Yuna's voice is so, so small.] I'm sorry I worried you.