[ WEEK TWO – 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

[thatsthespirit]

[frowns deeply. the pieces are clicking together in her mind]

And Higekiri's weapon is missing its scabbard, when one was found underneath the body.

[tsk]

It's almost too simple. Too easy.

[moraled]

... Certainly, it is a shame that we do not have the body, to compare the wound to his sword. It is difficult to say what is truly irrefutable evidence when pieces are missing.

[thatsthespirit]

Indeed. And we don't have any explanations for his physical state, either. If he really did kill Manfred, then did the victim fight back?

[moraled]

Was the victim carrying a weapon that could have caused such injuries? I find it hard to believe that Sir von Karma would have been capable of overwhelming our current suspect.

[Just from age and physical capability... even if he wasn't a small man, Higekiri is clearly more youthful and energetic.]

There is, of course, another possibility--that Higekiri was drawn out much like Sir von Karma, and ambushed for his belongings. This also seems quite...staged, however.

[dubiousalignment]

So Manfred wasn't carrying not even the gun we were given when we arrived here?

[Huh. He must have left it in his room, then]

Why would the culprit make things harder for themselves by having to ambush another person? It'd be easier to use any weapon or object obtained from any place, something that couldn't be traced to anyone.

[moraled]

It does not appear so. If he was carrying other weapons on his person, they were also not found, it would seem.

[...]

Perhaps if they were concerned by the possibility of being caught, framing another would seem the logical thing to do. However, I would not disagree; the odds are stacked against us for discovering the truth as it is.

[But also AA has a lot of really weird cases.]

[thatsthespirit]

But only two people were seen leaving the hotel.

[. . . ]

But that doesn't rule out the possibility that someone failed to return before curfew.

[dubiousalignment]

If someone failed to return before curfew then someone would be missing a roommate. It'd may be worth it to ask everyone, I suppose.

[moraled]

Certainly, the more information we are able to contemplate when deciding upon this, the closer we shall get to the truth. If you are willing?

[thatsthespirit]

Yes, just like last time. If everyone's roommates were accounted for, then we know it's unlikely Higekiri was framed.

[ceded]

Milla...?

[ please elaborate on your thinking because Xion is standing here frowning ]

[leadastray]

She's saying it's all too convenient... this could be a set up.

[ceded]

To make Higekiri... look guilty?

[ Frowning. Severely ]

I'm starting to wonder if that's what happened, too. But how can we prove it?

[leadastray]

We have to find evidence to suggest otherwise, and until then not jump to a guilt verdict.
The fact alone that we can't see the body is suspicious of foul play.

[thatsthespirit]

It's possible he was set up, but it's also too soon to rule him out as the culprit entirely.

The evidence against him so far is rather damning.

[flippity]

[ she raises her hand like a good girl. ]

Who knew that he had a sword?

[guiltlevel]

Oh... I did. Mr. Higekiri said his sword was... "Him". He's a sword... With a human body..?

[ Weird youkai stuff... ]

[flippity]

But... then how is his sword there if he's... right here...?

[ papika is too dumb for this level of bullshit anime logic ]

[guiltlevel]

I think... Mr. Higekiri can explain it better... But apparently someone summoned his human body from his sword, that's about all I know...

[ Russell can't explain this kind of stuff, if there's one thing he knows more about the east is their afterlife and some cultural things. Not sword things... ]

[ceded]

Um... I didn't see him holding a sword when he left, though. Whether his sword is him or not [ that makes no sense ] ... where would it have come from?

[guiltlevel]

Did he... Drop it somewhere, or forget about it..? He's kind of forgetful... He can't even remember his brother's name...

[ Sorry Higekiri, but the fact that he still can't remember his brother's name just makes him sad :( Well, this is something they should directly ask Higekiri for. ]

[ceded]

Oh! That's right.

[ She remembers talking to Higekiri very early on and learning he couldn't even remember his brother's name. She frowns. ]

So he could have left the sword outside of the hotel.... but doesn't that also make it sort of unlikely he'd remember where it was?

[dmails]

When he came back for curfew that night, I remember he had it on him. [BUT WHO WAS SWORD]

[flippity]

That's why I was wondering who knew he even had one! If someone took it from him, they would have had to known he had a sword to plan to take it...

[ she trails off at the end, frowning. ]

Although I guess people could just lie and say they didn't know.

[ceded]

[ Xion hums, an uncertain sound. ]

I guess we don't know for sure... at least, not yet.