TRIAL I

[lesmodsalouette]

Trial

Today is going to be a loooong day. You knew that pretty shortly after waking up, didn't you? On the plus side, it means you've had some time to process the death of one of your own, or leisure time at the very least. But come midnight, the clocks in the castle all strike out in unison again. This time though, you barely have time to clutch your head before you're transported elsewhere.

Yes, you're coming in your pajamas if you were already in bed.

The place where you find yourself is obviously not the castle, that much is obvious from an immediate look alone. The look is very circus fair meets hell, minus any actual fire (for now). The walls, the lighting, the atmosphere is different, reds and purples and exposed rock face all together with furniture that should belong in a courtroom, and a carnival, not a caldera. It's a stylistic choice, for sure.

Seating consists of various stools on the outer ring, the layout suggesting that the preferred way to conduct trial is to free mingle towards the center, unless you're partaking in food and refreshments. A veritable bounty of a spread is available for you to partake as you like. There's even an entire table's worth of chocolate, cut out in various animal shapes for you to enjoy. And yes, alcohol too, because a banquet without the finest wines isn't a feast at all.

Even with all the food there's plenty of space for all of you, but do be careful around the pit in the center of this room. How deep does it go? Where does it lead? There are other unanswered questions to answer, and you've been tasked with finding out who murdered Tia. The Witch of Ruin demands a show and unfortunately you are his captive actors. He presides over all of this from a balcony above, the best seat in the house.

(( OOC: Welcome to your first trial! You'll have 7 hours (until 8 PM EDT/5 PM PDT) to vote one (1) person guilty of murder. As this is scapegoat style, a correct vote is not necessary. Please remember to vote unless otherwise discussed with the mods, as that is our AC for this game ))

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Comments

[coldseep]

... Were you trying to kill her?

Was she trying to kill you?

[dumbface]

Not really. I think it was just hard to stop after we started fighting.

[ heightened emotions and all. her frustration coupled with his own, so they were okay with that end, maybe, but it wasn't what they had in mind.

he sounds a bit remorseful when he continues but, again, his voice and expression are pretty stiff. he truly is this bad at emoting. ]

She was strong, though. I think that's why it happened.

[coldseep]

( Hwy doesn't say anything for a time. He just studies him, turning over his testimony in his mind.

He doesn't need to be close to Tiamat to be attached to her, in her resemblance to his twin, whose absence gapes like a wound in his chest. And this man is nearly a stranger.

Finally: )

... I won't blame you, but I won't forgive you, either.

I wish you'd lost instead.

[dumbface]

[ there's not much he can say in response to that. in fights, there are always winners and losers. he isn't someone who can idly think of the people he's fought once he's left them behind. they attack him, he attacks back. that, in his mind, is what happened here. only tiamat can say if there was more to this story.

the only insights he can give come from his own insights, or his own reasons. and in the end his are only he was attacked, so he attacked back. it's simple, in his head.

it's less simple when "a life" is weighed.

for a time, he's quiet again. there's no judgment, no blame in his eyes or voice. at most, there's acceptance. ]

She was important to you?

[coldseep]

( This is easier to answer than the way he'd been asked earlier - were you close? did you talk to her often? Hwylryn, who would falter to protect his dearest friend of several hundred years when faced with his friends of but a few hours, some he'd known for barely a conversation, is sentimental beyond compare. )

Yes, she was.

( Without hesitation, and without shame. That he's survived as long as he has despite his nature can only be because dragons are typically too strong to take down - that's all. He's too fragile otherwise.

Maybe if he'd had the chance to sit down with Chu Wenshan, he'd have Arlo'd him as well.

He exhales, half a laugh, a little dismayed. )

But I couldn't ask someone to resign to death to fret over who they might hurt with their victory. ( Hwy half threw a fight for fear of who the deaths of his opponents would hurt - and that went... ) Someone will miss you, too. And yet...

( Even knowing that, he still wishes he hadn't earned victory. )