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

[ Time to be helpful! ]

If he got out of this game alive, he wasn't going to have much of a life to live.

[ ... H E L P F U L. ]

That's what it means to have the "death penalty" on you, right?

... Yeah. So he was on death row or had already been executed before this game, then?

[wtf was manfred a zombie]

On that row, he's a wanted criminal.

Do you know for what? [...] Well, given that he was on death row, we can guess at the severity of his crime anyway.

Did he tell you this?

Severe crimes, I believe. I wasn't told specific ones, but more than one.

...Someone did tell me. Does that man look like a person who would?

"Someone"?

And that's a useless question. Appearances don't necessarily have anything to do with what you're capable of.

That is true. Appearances don't say much about people unless you're trying to identify them.

... Seriously, who told you that?

...

[ if he looks away, maybe he can avoid the Teacher Gaze(tm). ]

... Higekiri, look at me.

[ But can he avoid the Teacher Tone(tm). ]

[ That would be a no. ]

I can't say who it was.

... This really isn't the time to protect someone when you're the most likely suspect right now. And I actually don't want this to end in your death.

...I know.

[ He bites his lip. Yeah, he's aware of how this looks. He's a space cadet, but... ]

I'm protecting someone, but not that person. So, it's okay.

No, it's really not... [ ugh. ]

Are you worried this person would be the next victim or something?

...I cannot let them die here. I can't. I can't.

And you're absolutely sure they're not the murderer? Because I get wanting to protect someone, but if it comes to their life over yours--

(no subject)

sunnashi - 2017-01-28 23:09 (UTC) - Expand

alcobrawlic - 2017-01-28 23:12 (UTC) - Expand

sunnashi - 2017-01-28 23:15 (UTC) - Expand

alcobrawlic - 2017-01-28 23:21 (UTC) - Expand

sunnashi - 2017-01-28 23:55 (UTC) - Expand

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

sunnashi - 2017-01-29 00:04 (UTC) - Expand

alcobrawlic - 2017-01-29 00:10 (UTC) - Expand

ceded - 2017-01-29 00:11 (UTC) - Expand

hydrokinetics - 2017-01-29 00:14 (UTC) - Expand

sunnashi - 2017-01-29 00:19 (UTC) - Expand

athenite - 2017-01-29 00:19 (UTC) - Expand

heroinwait - 2017-01-29 00:39 (UTC) - Expand

feminitis - 2017-01-29 00:08 (UTC) - Expand

... Dude, no offense, but what if the person who told you that planned this whole thing out? They could have lied to you about the whole thing. Made it so von Karma would appear to have a motive in all of this.

[Since that's a thing that's been tossed around.]

They could be setting you up as their fall guy. Don't you think it's too big of a coincidence?

sunnashi - 2017-01-28 23:07 (UTC) - Expand

Higekiri-san... Will you tell me? We'll make everyone else back away and you can whisper it so nobody else hears.

[Much as it might sound like a silly schoolyard sort of suggestion, Yuna's clearly taking this very seriously.]

I understand if you won't, because I can tell this is important to you, but...I really don't want anyone to have to die. I hope you can believe me when I say that. That's why if you're being quiet to protect them, I can promise that I won't tell, either, if you really are sure they didn't kill Mister von Karma, because I want them to be safe. If someone knows, you might be a little more accountable to everyone else that way.

...If not me, then someone? I understand that it's a lot to ask, but...I want you to be safe, too, so I want there to be a compromise.

[she's Trying Her Best for flower buddy grandpa]

sunnashi - 2017-01-28 23:29 (UTC) - Expand

cherrypuncher - 2017-01-28 23:49 (UTC) - Expand

Oh...

[ Oh, hey. ]

I wonder how he felt about that... Going to die anyway even if he managed to get out of this place... Doesn't seem like there's really a point.

Well, this place rewards you if you work really hard. Maybe he could escape death.

Oh... That makes sense. Too bad he died then...

[

what ]

He was going to die?

[

Yup. ]

He's not a good person.

So he knew ... he was going to die if he went back home?

[ She's a little pale, and very quiet for a moment. ]

I wonder ... if that's part of what happened.

He probably did. That's something that would be on your mind, more often than not.

[ this place is then a distraction, almost. Maybe that explains his attitude towards others. ]