[ WEEK THREE – 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

camera & body updates

[ceded]

[ Xion saw that glimpse of her friend's head, thank you. If it fazes her, she doesn't show it, though when she comes to the fore of the room to speak, she's very pale. It's probably pretty clear she never slept last night, especially given that she was sitting outside with Percy ... all night, and was there when people began to arrive in the morning. Her broken foot has no shoe; just a sock tugged over the bandaging and splnting just visible beneath the hem of her pants.

Hobbling to the front of the room is rough on her, but Percy is close by her side, and the two of them will stick close together for most of the day. ]

I have two things I want to go over. The camera, and what I found with Sara.

[ Her voice is remarkably even, if a little ... dead. ]

Tarvek and I locked ourselves in our room around 9 on Thursday night. At some point, we ... we just fell asleep. Both of us. [ A beat, and she frowns, which is like. Wow! She's showing emotion! Amazing. ] Something happened. I don't know what, but there's no way either of us would have let ourselves fall asleep while we were doing something so important. And when we woke up in the morning, the camera was gone. Our door was still locked and our window was closed, but the camera was just ... missing.

[ It's probably visible how angry she is before she reins in her emotions again, returning to baseline. ]

Someone stole the camera from our room. [ After which she just kind of directs a very, very flat glare out into the room. Fuck all y'all.

Anyway.

Xion's jaw will work as she swallows and then moves on. ]

When Sara and I went to investigate the hotel yesterday, we found ... Riku and Nui's room torn apart. There was blood and ... flesh? [ she breathes that word like it's a question before forcing herself to move on ] all over the place. It was a complete mess. Even...

[ pause pause pause.

Xion has to shut her eyes, taking a steading breath, and then stares blindly ahead and again forcing the words out. ]

Even Riku's head was messy. The cut, it ... wasn't clean. It was like whoever did it had no idea what they were doing, or ... had to do it really quickly, maybe.

[ Shaken, but trying very hard to seem like she's anything but, Xion pauses and then gives a very shallow nod. ]

That's everything, I think. I'll try to answer questions if you have any.

[thatsthespirit]

[Milla doesn't have any immediate questions, but she can see how visibly shaken Xion is by all of this. . . so silently, she places a hand on Xion's shoulder and gives her an encouraging nod]

[you're doing good, kid]

[ceded]

[ thanks mom :( Xion ... is .... not really in a good place mentally to acknowledge it, like at all, but she lets it happen instead of shrugging Milla off, so that's something, right? ]

[thatsthespirit]

[it is something, and Milla understands!! she's just proud of Xion for pushing herself forward despite everything. her hand lingers for a few moments, before she drops it back to her side]

[dubiousalignment]

It's true. I'm not sure how exactly we were both knocked out, but the disappearance of the camera shows the culprit or culprits planned their actions rather carefully.

It's likely we're dealing with at least two different murderers today, and I'm not saying Bandits. But it could be possible both Bandits killed, I suppose.

[Judging by the different methods used and the number of culprits. There's just too much stuff for it all to be done by one single murderer]

[ceded]

... I think it was two murderers, too. It has to have been.

[ but thanks for the support, roomie ]

[bittybat]

Your camera is in the Sheriff's jail. It's locked inside.

[dubiousalignment]

In the Sheriff's--

[Tarvek glances at the Sheriff. Did you have anything to do with that, old man?]

Was there something else in the jail?

[bittybat]

No. Just the camera inside one of the cells. I tried to pick the lock, but I couldn't, and we asked the Sheriff for the key, but he wouldn't answer.

But the Sheriff is the only one with access, so he either did it himself, or he assisted someone in doing it.

[ceded]

[ Stares at him in shock.

It's ... locked up?

Actually, Xion also looks at the Sheriff, and for a moment she seems troubled. Like all her emotions this morning, she quickly forces it back down and looks at Damian again. ]

... thanks for letting me know.

[bittybat]

It shouldn't have been kept by any of the civilians. That's why it had been so easily compromised. It may have evidence on it, but we won't be able to see it.

[Sorry you're being scolded by a ten year old piece of shit.]

[guiltlevel]

I wonder... If they had a fight?

[ All he can say, really considering the state of the room. Also Russell just sucks as consoling people, so he won't try that... ]

[ceded]

Nui must have killed Riku.

[ She's got Nui's pink parasol with her, too. It seems, uh, to be rather in disrepair at this point. Like someone has been squeezing it really hard?! haha weird right ]

She would have done something like that. But ... I don't know who killed her, or Annabeth.

[feminitis]

..I'm sorry you had to find that, Miss Xion.

[wtf who allowed Xion to find corpses :( Especially her friend's corpse!! Rude.]

[ceded]

[ glances at sei.

It is probably disturbingly, awfully clear that the person that Xion was yesterday morning isn't here today. Whoever stands here is just a hollowed out husk of that girl, with all the light within her snuffed out. As such, she doesn't really respond to Sei's condolences at all. Just stares for a moment, then looks away. ]

Me too.

[insincerely]

...

[He watches Xion as she speaks, but he says nothing. He won't approach her.]

[ceded]

[ At some point, she'll meet his eyes.

Objective, right? Weave through the misinformation.

But she doesn't look for long, and she won't talk to him at all today, unless circumstances dictate she must. ]

[sating]

[ As soon as she finishes speaking and relaying her information, Hannibal will definitely approach her to place a hand on her shoulder and give it a comforting squeeze. She's having a rough weekend, and the gesture is only meant to convey that he's here for her. ]

I had not heard about the camera.

[ He pauses, considers his words, then adds gently: ]

For what it is worth, I'm glad that you are safe, Xion. And I am sorry about your friend.

[ceded]

[ There's a flicker of something there, when Hannibal places a hand on her shoulder. Something, some brief flash of grief or awful pain. But it's gone quickly, leaving her face just as blank as before. ]

I'll be okay.

[ will she?

she lowers her chin. ]

I'll see Riku again someday.

[robitussin]

You fell asleep? Like... You think someone knocked you out somehow without you noticing?

[that's... concerning, to say the least.]

[ceded]

... knocked us out?

[ Her brow furrows. ]

I mean, no one attacked us. [ you'll have to be clearer, natalie ]

[cherrypuncher]

[guess who fully intends to spend as much time as possible fussing]

Xion? [She doesn't want to throw her off-balance, so she doesn't touch her, but she does come very close.] Can I help you back to your seat?

[The offer is a small, careful gesture; Yuna gauging what she can do to help Xion and where her boundaries are—but also #let Yuna princess carry Xion 2k17]

[ceded]

I'm fine.

[ Quiet and even and not really looking at yuna either sorry yuna ]

[impulsiveness]

[Xion... Jason will at least offer her one of the drinks Milla brought, but he's still looking at her like he's half considering making her sit down.]

... I dunno if it's relevant or not, but when Annabeth [ah] and I were taken to the stocks, neither of us woke up until we were already there. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some mechanism in place to keep us asleep when it's "necessary" for the game.

[ceded]

[ This she takes with no protest, actually. She's thirsty and hungry and tired from very poorly taking care of herself since, like, Thursday, honestly.

Don't you make her sit down Jason Todd she'll fight you ]

... but does something like that really just happen? Or does someone make it happen?