[ 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

EXECUTION

[sheriffexe]

[ 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.

[dubiousalignment]

We duel.

[Tarvek says that without hesitating.

[sidearmofthelaw]

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

That's my vote too.

[ceded]

[ 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. ]

[dubiousalignment]

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.

[tightly]

[ 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. ]

[thatsthespirit]

[I]









[she can't look at her]

[will she ever look at Xion again??? probably not]

[I'M SORRY. . .]

[uraniumnumnum]

Is that what you want? To run from what you've done?

[ he's as cold as ever, but it's weird enough that he's even responding... it's probably because she thanked him earlier. even if he's not aware. ]

[dmails]

Hey. [Here's Okabe, a scowl across his features - not a scary one, but more pained. He kneels next to Xion, letting his knees land on the floor with a louder sound than he'd intended. Ow.]

I'm having a meeting on Tuesday. We can't keep going like this. We're going to find a way out of here, okay? [He settles a hand on Xion's shoulder.] Can you tell people about it for me?

[insincerely]

[Well, Shinnosuke always keeps his rulebook and a pencil on him, and so after scribbling something down on a blank page and ripping it out...

While Xion's crying, he quietly walks up to her, lets the note fall on her head, before he walks away.]

[moraled]

[Motherfucking--

This is bullshit and he hates it.

He hates it 100%]

...

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

[alcobrawlic]

Agreed.

[thatsthespirit]

[quietly, barely audible]

. . . I agree.

[thatsthespirit]

[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]

[elemancy]

[nope.

nope nope nope nope.

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

[hydrokinetics]

[...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.]

[sidearmofthelaw]

[ Nisha hisses just slightly, through her teeth. ]

...Y'all are terrible at this.

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

[a_sin_for_him]

[Well. That was...surprising.]

[And Lust feels guilty, now, as she was the one who named Nisha. But it had only been a last minute offering of purely circumstantial logic...]

[Damn this entire filthy game!]

[insincerely]

... Of course it would end up this way.

[Shinnosuke's smirking, but... honestly, in spite of that, he looks exhausted right now, because screw this.

Expect nothing and you'll never be disappointed—still, it still sucks.]

[court_chesster]

[ f-facepalm. how do we suck so bad ]

[flippity]

[ papika stares at the sheriff before glancing at both xion and percy. and then she just lays down on the ground and curls up into a ball because holy fuck did they mess this up. ]

[hitsitoff]

[You know, he was pretty ready for the result of them getting an innocent person killed, but this is...

What does anyone even say to this level of fucking up? Yeah, he's gonna stand there quietly. Seething, but... quiet.]

[guiltlevel]

[ Well... There's that. Russell doesn't look surprised in any way whatsoever so... He'll just stare as they walk towards the jail cell.

Welp. ]

[impulsiveness]

Goddamn it!

[bye bye, nearest wall. you're getting punched.]

We're not any better than the assholes who murdered this week! We fucked up! This is our fault.

[WHAT WOULD BRUCE WAYNE DO? NOT FUCKING THIS.]

[expelliarmed]

[ Harry drops his face into his hands.

All that, all that, and they hadn't come close to the truth. Two innocent people were going to die now.

And there are, what, four killers among them now?

He can't keep this up. ]