[ 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

[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.]

[feminitis]

[dammit]

It's... looking that way. I wanted to be able to say, "She's innocent," but...

[impulsiveness]

If we're right and she did it of her own volition, we can't feel sorry for her.

[okay but he kind of wants to barf??? what would bruce wayne do]

[feminitis]

...I won't cry for her if she's guilty, but... if she's been coerced into doing this, like we all have been, that's just too sad.

[ceded]

[ hi a small girl is here, not really knowing what to say, but she'll step up by Sei's side and reach out to take her hand, gripping it a little too tight.

too sad ... that's how she feels, right now. ]

[feminitis]

[Sei grips Xion's hand firmly and gives it a light squeeze.

Too sad sums this all up rather well, but she brings up her other (bloodied, bandaged) hand up to wipe at her eyes. They have to be strong.]

[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.

[feminitis]

...but then, on the other hand, if...! If it was something just between the two of them, then why are we involved? If it isn't part of our game, then why do we have to vote on who the killer was?

This doesn't add up.

[insincerely]

Think of it as a really bad icebreaker?

[hydrokinetics]

Exactly. Most of us haven't been involved in something like this. It's a good way to prep us. [Good. Fuck the Sheriff, he's so angry.]

[feminitis]

But - to do that at the cost of two lives...? That's so wrong!

[insincerely]

Everything about this game is wrong. [And for once, he sounds tired and bitter.] Why not set the tone right away?

[feminitis]

...I really wish you weren't right about that.

[insincerely]

[...]

Heh. Even I wish I weren't right, sometimes.

Though I guess there's still time for me—for a lot of us—to be proven wrong.

[feminitis]

...prove us wrong. Please, please let us get proven wrong.

[dmails]

[Okabe's voice cutting in is hushed, but resolute, like a quiet rallying cry.]

So what are we going to do about it now? Sit back and watch people die, week after week, until we stop knowing what death even is?

[With a clench of his fist:] Or are we going to break the framework somehow?

[feminitis]

Before we can break the framework, we have to be sure we've been rid of anyone who will play along with it.

[If everyone is willing to not kill, then - maybe. Maybe, they can get out of this. But if even one person will kill, for whatever reason, then...]

Do you feel confident that, a week from now, nobody standing here will have killed someone else?

[hydrokinetics]

Bringing all of us here is wrong. We're all victims right now, that doesn't change the fact that something happened.

[feminitis]

...at this point... all we can do is do our best to find the truth.

[And if the truth is something they don't like, there's nothing they can do about that.]

[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.

[sidearmofthelaw]

I dunno if that's the right metaphor exactly, but I agree in the general sense.

[hydrokinetics]

[He waves a hand to show that yeah, fine, that's unimportant.]

Just means the next time when it's our game this is gonna be worse. [He shakes his head.] Looks like we're finally getting somewhere though.