robowest | [ WEEK TWO

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

...Either he is guilty, or he does not care about his life, and is protecting someone who may be so instead.

Those are the only two options that I see.

It's not looking good for him, you mean? In that case, I can't feel too bad for the fella. Still, it would be nice to get to the whole truth. I don't like unresolved stories, they keep me up at night!

Indeed. That is the purpose behind any trial--to discover the truth.

However... there has been nothing but roadblocks and misdirection from the beginning in this very trial.

[he's real mad about it.]

[Barnham are you okay.]

Here's what I'm not getting out of all of this. Earlier he told somebody that his sword's really important to him because if it gets broken he'll die. If something were that important to me, I wouldn't let it out of my sight. Our major thing is figuring out how the sword disappeared in the first place.

[NO, THIS IS BULLSHIT]

He stated that it was stolen from him when he was making tea--that seems unlikely. I would not allow my sword to be taken from me while performing such a menial task, and I daresay you would not either.

[...]

That it is that important to him only implicates him further. He is the only one here with any sort of wounds as if from a fight, and we must recall--the tailor, the scene of the crime, was in disarray as if after a struggle.

... It would be a simple matter for him to clear these accusations up himself, but he has been unwilling.

You know I wouldn't. [Mr. Barnham, do you even know him at all???] I don't get it. He keeps saying "someone" and "he" and everything but I'm wondering if there's nobody else at all. Like he can't pick somebody fast enough so he's keeping it vague.

This whole protecting thing isn't getting us anywhere and it's going to end really badly for somebody. Maybe not even the right person. I don't like this.

... It is a possibility, and nothing more.

[But maybe there really isn't someone he's protecting.]

The trouble with hiding the truth is that it may cause harm for more than simply the ones you are trying to protect.

It is a faulty premise to begin with.

(no subject)

hydrokinetics - 2017-01-28 23:51 (UTC) - Expand

[ Just ... a look his way. ]

[WHAT DO YOU WANT MOM]

May I assist you with something, Madam Walken?

tightly - 2017-01-28 23:52 (UTC) - Expand

He's been pretty staunch about keeping any names to himself. I don't care what his reason might be— it just makes it seem like he's covering for someone.

"Protect the guilty and that makes you no better than the guilty."

[ He's not actually quoting anyone. ]

Right. He'd be an accomplice to murder. That's not any better than being a murderer yourself.

If nothing else, it puts the rest of those here at risk--a possible murderer would remain on the loose, even if Sir Tightly Lipped Sword is not the culprit.

[UNACCEPTABLE.]

Well.... if he is, and we figure out who he's covering for, then maybe he'll confess to everything else. Is there any way we could figure out ... who he might be that dedicated to?

Is there anyone who knew him from before we came here? Or anyone that he's been seen hanging around a lot?

Like ... someone from his world.

[ Xion frowns, humming low. ]

I haven't spoken to him too much, so I'm not really sure. He's not from mine, I know that much. Maybe we should ask around?

... Hold a moment. I would like to consider that from another angle--surely, the only who would know of the victim's imminent fate would be someone from his own world as well?

...unless that's something someone with one of the "roles" can do?

[She furrows her brow, not fully convinced of what she's saying.]

If they can... find out things about us from before we arrived here. The information on our wanted posters had to come from somewhere even if most of it is crap...

ceded - 2017-01-28 23:56 (UTC) - Expand

feminitis - 2017-01-29 00:02 (UTC) - Expand

ceded - 2017-01-29 00:06 (UTC) - Expand

moraled - 2017-01-28 23:58 (UTC) - Expand

feminitis - 2017-01-29 00:03 (UTC) - Expand

[ That startles her. ]

Unless he told someone, then .... that would be the only way. But is there anyone like that?

moraled - 2017-01-28 23:59 (UTC) - Expand

ceded - 2017-01-29 00:00 (UTC) - Expand

He isn't from mine either. And I don't think most people would be willing to go this far for someone they don't know very well.

[ she looks sad at that thought. ]

So if they weren't already friends then I can't think of why.

ceded - 2017-01-28 23:59 (UTC) - Expand

flippity - 2017-01-29 00:01 (UTC) - Expand

[ As gently as she can, both in words and expression: ]

If he is unwilling to say, and the one he is concerned for unwilling to reveal themselves, there may not be much else we can do for either of them.

[ Honestly, Xion just looks frustrated. ]

Only because he won't let us! Even if that's the case, maybe we can narrow down the list of people it could be. That might tell us something anyway!

Yeah and no - each one of us could tell him we're voting for someone different and then see how he reacts when that "someone's" name is mentioned. We don't have enough time for that, though.

[ hmm. this is a pickle. ]

[ That's ... wow. That's cold. And Xion doesn't even look off-put by it so much as surprised. ]

It'd take a while... and wouldn't it be obvious what we were up to? [ A frown. ] There has to be another way.

If you're thinking of torture, there ain't no use skirting around the word.

ceded - 2017-01-28 23:57 (UTC) - Expand

generously - 2017-01-29 00:03 (UTC) - Expand