[ 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

[hydrokinetics]

Dunno about if Higekiri was with von Karma when they were both attacked, but if they were together wouldn't there also be a trail of blood from the tailor to the clinic? Like last week between the saloon and the train tracks and the graveyard.

[sheriffexe]

[ OKAY ACTUALLY.

There probably was but I never got a chance to bring it up. But it would've been messed up by the dirt and hard to see in the first place since the clinic was so messed up. Just a few drips, nothing like Ao's spurt of blood. ]

[hydrokinetics]

[Oh, thank you ominous overlord voice, we will make that work!]

[feminitis]

Pr-.. oh, wait. Mister Higekiri could have taken clothing from the tailor to wrap the wound and keep from tracking blood...

I mean, if he was there and was trying to hide that, anyway.

[hydrokinetics]

Maybe. That's a good point, too. If there wasn't a lot of blood like last week we all could have missed it so that kind of rules that out. But that doesn't explain why he'd waste time burying Manfred in clothes or how he was then attacked with his own sword if the story Higekiri's telling is right. Unless he attacked himself?

[Seems weird but this whole place is weird.]

[feminitis]

...if he was in the tailor's shop, you'd think he'd have looked for the scabbard there. That's where it was found - so either that means he didn't look, or it was placed there after he left.

[...]

With his injuries, it makes sense he would have sought out treatment, but... swords are part of a swordsman's very soul. If it were me, I'd have at least looked!

[then again she's an idiot who would probably have bled out]

[hydrokinetics]

...I'm going to come back to the whole "swords being a swordsman's soul" thing in a minute because that's a little too intense, but I think it's weird he didn't look for the scabbard either. What's weirder is that Noctis told me the scabbard was found under Manfred. How does something like that just accidentally get tucked under a dead man?

[feminitis]

...that depends on how violent the struggle is.

[Sei wipes some of the jam off of her scabbard with her sleeve and brings it back to secure it at her waist to demonstrate.]

If it's being used properly, it shouldn't have even come off the waist of the person who had it. I suppose it's possible it was knocked off in the struggle and that by some coincidence Mister von Karma fell on it, but for the most part, it... shouldn't. We take these into battle, after all. They're made to stay at our waists even when we're moving around and fighting for our lives.

So it's either an amazing series of coincidences, or... it was deliberately placed under him.

[hydrokinetics]

That's sort of what I'm thinking, too. Scabbards shouldn't come off at all, so it sounds more like someone else had it. But why? Why frame Higekiri in that case?

[feminitis]

...everyone who is here today witnessed us condemn Miss Tiara last week, when her story didn't quite add up, even though none of us wanted to believe she was a killer.

With how vague Mister Higekiri has been, about nearly everything, since we arrived... they may have chosen to frame him because they could predict from his behavior that even if he told the truth, the way he told it would make his story not quite add up, too.

[Either that or he was just straight-up the one who did it.]

[hydrokinetics]

True. [He frowns then.] This really isn't a great time to be vague, either, so if we can get more information out of him that'd be the most helpful. How do you think we can do that?

[feminitis]

[i'm mad that i'm not playing someone who'd suggest torture this time]

Bribery, maybe...? Not that there's much in here for us to bribe him with...

[hydrokinetics]

[Hmmm...]

Last time we had to just keep pressing Tiara for information and assuring her that it'd help. She eventually caved. That might work this time, too.

[feminitis]

That might work... it's worth a try!

[failing that percy and annabeth should do the good-cop-bad-cop routine

...i really want to see that]

[impulsiveness]

Worst case scenario, we could always, uh— "persuade" him.

[He's talking about Batman style persuasion. Not that it sounds any less shady???

I, too, regret not playing someone who's down for torture.]

[insincerely]

[... Well, Shinnosuke doesn't torture (?), but here, he'll mention it for you all:]

What, are you saying we should torture him? Wow, Jason, didn't know you had it in you.

[impulsiveness]

Of course I'm not!

[Shut up, Shinnosuke!!!!!]

I'm just saying. We could always... beat him up a little? It's not like I'm suggesting we actually hurt him!

[Jason. Child. That still sounds bad.]

[insincerely]

[yeah uh]

... Still kind of sounds like you're gunning for torture?

[impulsiveness]

Yeah, well. I'm not. So shut up.

[Mature.]

[feminitis]

...he did say that if his sword breaks, he dies.

We could threaten to break his sword if he doesn't talk.

[It's not.... technically torture.......]

[insincerely]

... Heeeeh. I think I suddenly have new respect for you.

[impulsiveness]

[Taps his own chin, thoughtfully.]

Sounds like a bunch of phooey, but if it's enough to make him squeal? Sure. Let's threaten to snap the thing in half.

[It's... non-lethal? Okay.]

[bittybat]

[hydrokinetics]

We'll see what we can do. Looks like he's swamped with questions but if we have to...

[Do it the Greek way. aka /patiently waits for Lucy because yeah, you know, they're good at good-cop bad-cop.]

[feminitis]

We've still got time to figure something out, at least.

[They're not down to the wire just yet.]