[ 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

[impulsiveness]

... It's possible. One role could have picked her for the stocks, and another for the kill.

[ceded]

... independently of each other?

[ Asked somewhat dubiously. ]

Or ... would they have been working together? I mean, that didn't seem to happen last week, but this week...

[impulsiveness]

Maybe? I don't know. Would the roles plot together, or are their identities as much as a mystery to each other as they are to us? We can only work off assumptions unless we get that cleared up.

[ceded]

[ Shifts.

She's hesitant for a long moment before slowly speaking up. ]

... I learned something about the roles last night, and I can tell you what it was, but ... I can't tell you how I found out.

[thatsthespirit]

[perking up, whoa hey hello, this is the most information she's heard someone had a bout a "role" since the Sheriff revealed that Bandits existed last week]

Please, tell us, Xion. I won't ask you how you found it out.

[impulsiveness]

If it's helpful, shoot. We won't ask.

[Well, he won't ask. Can't talk for anybody else, though.]

[ceded]

[ She starts a little. Hi Milla. There's a pause as she stares at them both, and then ... she nods. ]

There's two bandits every week, right? Well, it's not just them. The bandits have a leader, and that person's job is to kill the bandits if they fail to murder someone. So ... there have to be at least three people working together. Or at least, the leader has to know what the bandits are doing, right?

[dubiousalignment]

...do you know if the bandit leader changes every week too?

[Tarvek is under the impression Bandits changes every week, from what he heard in the last trial]

[ceded]

... I don't. [ She looks vaguely apologetic. ] All I know is that there is a leader.

[expelliarmed]

How do you - [ Right. She can't say how. Swallowing - ] Three people being involved makes things even more complicated, especially if the leader isn't very good at their role. What's the penalty for not fulfilling that role?

[ceded]

[ Sorry, Harry. She looks uncertain for a moment, but once it's clear he's not going to press her on how she came by her knowledge, she relaxes slightly. ]

I'm not sure. I guess there must, be, but I didn't learn anything about that. But ... maybe it's possible that whoever is leading the bandits is like, a mastermind of this whole thing.

[impulsiveness]

Seriously? So it's not just two people we have to worry about each week [presumably], but a whole whopping three.

[ceded]

[ With a deeply apologetic look, she shrugs. ]

I know. I'm sorry. But at least we know now.

[insincerely]

[... Huh.

Yeah, this interests Shinnosuke too.]

It's possible, but not necessarily a guarantee. Depending on how much Mr. Sheriff acts as a go-between, all the bandit leader might be told is, "Hey, these guys failed, kill them."

[ceded]

... that's true. [ Xion folds an arm over her chest, hugging herself as ... best she can using only one arm. ]

Couldn't we ask, though? If the Sheriff helps them communicate. That way, we'd know for sure.

[thatsthespirit]

[. . . suddenly, everything Higekiri said last week-- about his choices being to kill, be killed, or help cover up a murder-- make sense. her brows furrow]

That adds an entirely new level to this trial. We were assuming the killers were Bandits. But. . .

[brings a hand up to her chin]

What if Riku and Annabeth were the Bandits chosen for this week, and both of them rejected their roles?

[dubiousalignment]

Then what happened to Nui could be the Bandit leader murdering someone besides those two?

[It's a possibility, that's for sure, but unfortunately there's nothing that could prove it]

[dmails]

--Furthermore, if there are two people working in conjunction, that throws the alibi thing into question.

[ceded]

... that's true. Any two roommates could fill both those roles.

[dmails]

We could theoretically tear down the walls and make everyone sleep in one room, but there are so many problems with that... For one, the structural integrity of the building.

[hydrokinetics]

...that would imply they specifically wanted her dead more than anyone else. [And that's not a possibility he can deal with so.] So it's possible the roles can interchange whenever it's convenient.

[impulsiveness]

So under that assumption, whoever did it tag-teamed to take out someone they considered a threat. Great.

[hydrokinetics]

Yeah. [Sadly this doesn't surprise him.] Unless the killers don't talk to the stock-picker at all. Then we've got an even bigger problem.

[impulsiveness]

The problem being that they saw an opportunity and took it, right? Or are you thinking of something else?

[hydrokinetics]

Yeah, no, the first. Two individually thinking parties is more dangerous than a unit.