robowest | [ WEEK THREE

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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[usually she tries to be a calming force in situations like this, but--]

[she slams her hand against the wall, fingers balled into a fist]

Damn it. . .!

[HE CANT]

[yells what??]

Xion--

[SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO REACT TO THAT]

Edited 2017-02-05 02:00 (UTC)

I'm not saying that, goddamn it!

[SHRIEKS INTERNALLY AND ALSO EXTERNALLY.]

You can't just -- be nice to me because you feel like it! Tarvek didn't do anything wrong! You're accusing him based on the exact same reasons you could accuse me, but you won't accuse me!

[ Her voice shreds into tears, cracking horribly. She's not ... it's not like she wants to be accused. It's just bothered her the whole trial that everyone is so ready to accuse Tarvek but excuse her, for ... what? They share the exact same possible culpability.

Tarvek's just not the one who lost a friend. ]

...Yeah.

[Eliot takes a deep breath. There's a second of silence...

...Then you know what he's just gonna punch the wall once to make himself feel better, because fuck it this situation warrants a little wall punching. Everything is awful.]

She does have a point.

[Xion, that is.]

That's really hurtful! I haven't done anything wrooong!

[ Finally, finally, she gives up on her composure, dissolving into hiccuping tears and rubbing at her face and it's pointless, it's all so pointless ]

We're the same. If Tarvek is guilty then so am I. If you vote for him, you have to vote for both of us. It'd be the only thing that makes sense.

[ She's just ... so tired. ]

[that realization hits her like a ton of bricks. her suspicions had fallen on Tavrek because she believed Xion to be sincere, because Xion lost a friend, because she trusted Xion. . . and wasn't she the one who was talking about having to suspect people, even if she trusted them?]

[and wasn't it partially her fault they spent most of the trial talking about a theory that was patently false?]

[there's silence for a few more moments, Milla's eyes wide, and her expression uncharacteristically vulnerable]

[and when she speaks, it's. . . quiet]

. . . I'm sorry.

[He shrugs.]

You don't need to tell me that. I don't plan on voting for him, to begin with.

[honestly? she. feels like punching something, too! and she will at a later point in this trial]

[but right now, she remains quiet in solidarity with his frustration]

. . .

She does.

[quiet. uncharacteristically uncertain. staring at Xion, not looking away]

[ When the Sheriff looks up from his wood carving, he looks a little surprised. He steps down from the Judge's bench and walks over to the box, rifling through it for a long moment and slowly counting out the votes.

Then he recounts them.

He recounts them a third time and finally lets out a huh. ]

... Well, I'll be damned.

[ He looks over to the group and clears his throat, raising an eyebrow at everyone. ]

So, y'all tied. Nisha and Tarvek both got the same amount of votes. They're also both innocent, but now y'all have sent them to their deaths. Congrats, I suppose.

[ He considers for a moment, before setting down the box. ]

... You also have the choice of voting for their executioner or letting the two duel each other for their lives. Not that both of them will live, I think, but it's a respectable kind of death.

[ He points at the two then with a bit of a frown. ]

You know where y'all are supposed to go. I'd rather not fight about this.

We duel.

[Tarvek says that without hesitating.

[ She tugs her hat down and grins at that, at least. ]

That's my vote too.

[ she just

she screams. again. because she can't. she can't. she should have objected sooner. she should have tried harder. the lack of alibi for her and tarvek-- ]

Why won't you kill me too?

[ her voice is so small, so choked by tears, and she just

sinks to the floor and cries. ]

[Motherfucking--

This is bullshit and he hates it.

He hates it 100%]

...

In this instance, we respect their wishes. That...should not be arguable.

[N. . . NOPE]

[NOPE]

[for everyone who thought Milla was calm and composed and together, after the results are announced, she just. kind of. stands there. staring, with a broken expression on her face, like she isn't sure what she should be doing]

[Tavrek is on there because of her it's because of her Xion lost a friend and now she may lose a roommate and--]

[nope]

[she can't]

[she did this]

[she's supposed to protect people]

[some protector she is]

It's not your fault.

[Tarvek isn't afraid. Sure, he's angry and immensely frustrated, but he isn't scared. That's why he approaches and puts his hand on Xion's shoulder]

We did what we could. Don't blame yourself for what happened today.

[nope.

nope nope nope nope.

he is done and out as fuck right now tbh.]

[...there is a horrifically scary blank look. Unlike Xion, he won't say anything, but he does shift in his chair to guard her with his legs.

Fuck this. Fuck this!

...fuck this.]

...I hope our real culprits are ready.

[For...what??? We just don't know.]

[ Nisha hisses just slightly, through her teeth. ]

...Y'all are terrible at this.

[ But she will in fact head for the jail. ]

Agreed.

[ Chane moves eventually because if the trial had been stressful for her, there's no telling how it's affected Xion -- although her limp and devastated posture spells it out somewhat. She ends up kneeling beside the girl, a hand that's visibly hesitant and lingering in the air before settling down on Xion's shoulder.

Ideally, she'd like to coax her up and away from this room, but...

Whatever happens next is up to Xion. ]

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[ WEEK THREE – TRIAL ]

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