week 7 - trial; day 2

[vicedirector]

seven vices case 7 trial, day 2 ♫ sunday At 9AM, every television will go off, loud enough to wake anyone sleeping. The calm, apathetic voice will advise everyone to gather in the chapel for the trial. Static will continue to blare in the head of anyone dillydallying. Once all of the guests have gathered in the chapel, the doors will lock. Most of the pews have been moved aside to allow for more space, and a few tables have been set up on the altar. On the first, there is an additional copy of the rulebook, and the information cards of the victim and suspects laid out, with space for the suspects to provide their whereabouts, as well as an autopsy report. There is also a large wheeled chalkboard upon which you may write theories. On the second table is a pitcher of water and some glasses, as well as very simple sandwiches and pastries. The door behind the altar has finally been unlocked. It's a rather plain room with an area set off by a folding screen. Inside, you will find a table on which the victim's body has been laid out. Next to the table, two black and white photographs have been hung on the screen. they are close ups of the victim's body, as it was found when the body discovery announcement chimed. A few sticks of incense burn in the corner to avoid any smells. At 6PM, the trial will adjourn, after which everyone is expected to have cast their votes. >Discuss? victims suspects VOTING cast setting rulebook

Comments

[jackhole]

[ he's here and dumpy is here so let's get to it. ]

Nothing harmful, actually. Dumpy's defective so he wouldn't be anything other than a hindrance if I used him for a murder. Plus, he fell in the snow on Thursday so he was a little more on the fritz than usual.

[herbgrace]

[Is Dumpy still screaming? It's important to establish if this is our trial day two soundtrack.]

[jackhole]

[ dumpy's screams are softer and rarer today. it seems like someone had a conversation (and a volume adjustment) with rhys last night. ]

[hopefragment]

Ah... even futuristic robots don't like water, huh?

[Good... to know. At least the screaming is softer, bless.]

Would you mind letting Faize take a look at it, though? I mean, I'm just... speaking as a suspect myself, I don't have to a choice but to doubt you. I'm sorry.

[Just kind of helplessly shrugs. He wants to find the truth! And can't afford to just take Rhys' word for it.]

[jackhole]

[ rhys just shrugs. ]

Yeah, that's fine. But like I said, Dumpy's defective. He's supposed to be a guard robot but he's smaller and broken, all his defense protocols are either offline or can't be fixed here. Like his voice.

[ but he'll gesture towards dumpy who will come forward to get inspected. ]

He doesn't even have anything that would've been used in this murder. No hands or anything.

[symbologic]

[It's sad that even examining sweet, glorious technology can't cheer Faize up. But he'll examine the little robot all the same! Please don't scream too loudly at him, Dumpy...or anything... he's just trying to confirm that you are, indeed, a harmless and defective POS. He'll even keep his screwdriver in his pocket. No disassemble.]

[He doesn't have any concealed weapons or anything, does he...]

And that's why he...screams, I take it? [Because his voice protocols are broken?]

[jackhole]

Yep, it's broken. Usually he can talk just like the rest of us. He's an AI, after all.

[ but inspecting dumpy will show that he's definitely supposed to be built for defense. there's even a small gun in his middle that rhys will point to when faize takes him. ]

He's supposed to shoot bullets out of there but it's broken like the rest of him and I don't have any.

[ if dumpy wasn't so small and... dumpy, he might be a threat! but now, he's just a really useless robot who is caught up in the moment with everyone else. in fact, as faize checks him out, he gets so overexcited that ...

yeah, dumpy's going to scream now. ]

[symbologic]

I see... [You poor little robot. He kind of wishes he had his tools so that he could try and fix you. That would be a nice distraction. But inspecting you like this is actually kind of turning into a good distraction too.] Just out of curiosity, how did that happen? Was he damaged before your arrival here or did something happen in transit?

[He doubts it's relevant he's just...trying to make small talk or something. Who knows. Wait...wait no what.]

[Faize winces and jumps slightly as the screaming starts, hands flying away from Dumpy to cover his ears. WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS, DUMPY? WHY?]

[hopefragment]

...Wait, hang on.

[Putting a hand to his lips in thought as he watches Faize fuck around with the robot. Why does he scream.]

Does he have anything he can use to grab things? Like... claws or pinchers or something? A head by itself doesn't weigh that much, right?

[Dumpy, do u even lift bro.]

[herbgrace]

Even if Dumpy did, isn't Rhys accounted for all morning?

[hopefragment]

Well... I'd have to ask Break, but isn't it possible that Rhys left with Gilbert in the morning?

Again, I'm just... trying to explore all our options.

[herbgrace]

Break confirmed Rhys's alibi, at least. I suppose he could have been misled regarding the timing...

[dhaosu]

If Rhys is the one informing Break of this, then there is no real confirmation, is there?

[herbgrace]

We can at least confirm that Rhys was in the room for two hours, as Break was awake. I doubt he would have missed hearing Rhys leave.

[crazily]

He didn't. For the sake of being more specific, I was already awake since I don't sleep very much, and when Gilbert rose for the day, he went about his morning routine. He left to go begin breakfast, Rhys vaguely woke up to request pancakes, and then he went back to sleep. It had been longer than usual, so at that point, I woke Rhys up and we left together.

I can't say exact times for some things, since I can't read any clock, but I was awake the entire time. Since I'm not a suspect, I'm clearly not making up an alibi to cover him here.

[hopefragment]

...Okay, that makes sense. Sorry.

[Just nods because yeah, Break would have no reason to lie to cover for a murder where Gilbert is involved.]

Thanks for clearing that up, though.

[unpleasantries]

A human head weighs somewhere between 10 to 11 pounds, usually.

[Of course?? Satori would know this??? Her cat drags in heads all the damn time.]

[earie]

That sounds super heavy. [ How would she carry 10 whole lbs, people. ]

[hopefragment]

...It's not that heavy.

[SADIE]

Any of us on the suspect list could carry that much, I'm sure of it.

[Even people who eat cotton balls for meals.]

[earie]

I just think we should be focusing on who is actually physically capable of all this? Because I've never even used a kitchen knife, I have no idea how to behead someone.

[jackhole]

[ there's a shake of rhys' head here. ]

Nope, nothing like that. He just sort of... floats.

[ sorry, bruh. the robot is an innocent boy caught in the crossfire. ]

[jackhole]

[ rhys actually greatly sympathizes with this!! he would've fixed dumpy himself if he wasn't... like... fleeing for his life back in canon.

which is actually good here because -- ]

It happened back home. When we met, I sort of... rescued him from an old factory. The other guard robots went insane and shot at all of us but he was trying to get out of dodge. So, me and my friends took him with us to protect him. I tried fixing him after we escaped but again, tools. He showed up here just as I last saw him.

[ dumpy will just hover and scream a little sadly. weren't they having fun?? come on faize, be a bro 8( ]

[symbologic]

[Maybe if they can find some tools that don't suck, they can try and fix this poor, screaming robot flunky. What are the chances though.]

A guard robot that needs protection. There's almost a poetic sort of irony in that... [He's...touched?? A point for you, Rhys, you saved a robot. Maybe you're not ACTUALLY such a disgusting coward after all. Maybe it's just a situational thing.] I would offer my assistance, but I'm afraid that hardly solves the problem of tools. I have none with me either, aside from what I have been able to find here.

[But alright fine, if you're going to make sad, screaming robot noises at him, Dumpy, how is Faize supposed to not go back to looking you over? He'll just...suck it up and deal with the screaming. Though, eventually he will glance back at Hinata.]

Hajime, I really think Rhys is telling the truth. I can find no evidence to the contrary. The only dangerous apparatus he appears to possess is the gun. And it does appear to be the sort that requires bullets. Though...admittedly, I do not know much about that type of gun. [Eldarians have laser guns. What the fuck is a bullet.] But even if it were possible to use something other than bullets, I am not certain it would be relevant to the trial at hand.

[Nobody was shot???]

[jackhole]

[ they're slim and much too sad. poor dumpy will just have to stay with his demonic screams of horror. at faize's remarks towards how rhys found dumpy, he just sort of grins sheepishly and the robot hovers around rhys' head before landing on top of it in a sign of affection. thanks, dumpy. ]

Dumpy needs materials that we just don't have here, I think. I can fix him if I can get back to Helios, eventually -- uh, that's the space station I live on. There's a whole section dedicated to robot repair, I can just grab stuff from there and... this has nothing to do with the trial! A-ahahaha... well.

[ uh, right. but rhys does look relieved when dumpy passes inspection. he was a bit worried faize was about to take dumpy apart just to see the inside of the gun and that would make for a distraught rhys and dumpy. ]

Yeah, it's not like Dumpy could behead someone. Or shock someone?! It's totally irrelevant.

[ and if rhys is pushing at it, it's just because he doesn't like the focus on his robot bro. leave dumpy alone!! ]

[symbologic]

[Look, he may like figuring out how things work but Dumpy is a robot? That's different than clunky old non-sentient Earth musical tech. You only take robots apart for maintenance reasons. And though Dumpy clearly needs those, now is not the time.]

Perhaps it is something we could continue discussing at another time, if you would like. [This is the most responsive Faize been since Friday, holy shit. HE ALMOST SEEMS LIKE HIS OLD SELF AGAIN, WANTING TO TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE AND LEARN ABOUT THEIR SITUATIONS. So...good job, Rhys and Dumpy, apparently? Swear to god, if turns out you killed Alisha after this...] It would be better to stay focused on the matter at hand, for now. And it would seem as though Dumpy had little to do with it.

[Unless he's like...screaming because he knows Rhys did it and he's robo-traumatized or something? But somehow that doesn't seem likely, given that display of a affection a moment ago.]