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

[dhaosu]

...I see.

If Gilbert was knocked out, however, that would still require swinging a bladed weapon horizontally to lop his head off, correct?

[herbgrace]

That might actually point away from Undyne and Astrid. Beheading someone cleanly while they're moving is difficult even if you have the strength, but if he was unmoving, there's no doubt in my mind they could manage better than we saw if they wanted, especially Astrid and her axe.

[detanimetion]

[She nods.] Any moron can swing a blade up and down, it's not exactly rocket science. But if they couldn't manage to cut through his neck in one go, then they either aren't very strong or don't have the training for it.

[earie]

Or they were trying to make it look that way? [ She glanced at the head once that's enough experience. ] I thought the mess was intentional. So we can't figure out what did it.

[detanimetion]

If me or Astrid were trying to make it look that way, then why bother using a blade at all? It only makes us look more suspicious.

[earie]

What else would you use to take someone's head off?

[detanimetion]

Why would we take his head off at all?! It doesn't make any sense!

[earie]

I mean, it obviously happened anyway.

You didn't answer my question.

[detanimetion]

Ugh yeah, if you wanted to take someone's head off, you'd use a blade! But my point still stands - if we wanted to hide the fact that the killer was experienced with blades, we wouldn't have chopped his head off in the first place.

[dereban]

.... But what if it was a necessity to chop his head off to begin with?

[ Intervening here just to ask that. ]

[crazily]

This is my thought as well, actually. Clearly, we know a blade was used, which considering it couldn't have possibly been a kitchen knife. This would absolutely point to someone in particular. Assuming he was struck in the next, whether accidentally or otherwise, it may have become necessary to tear the rest to obscure the distinct line of the blade.

[brawlhalla]

I can buy that much, sure, but after the whole head-chopping-off thing, why was it necessary to take it on a date in town? Like. There cannot possibly be a necessary reason for that.

[crazily]

Perhaps it is our motive, in a sense. Our killer was apparently motivated by embarrassment, so if they were truly caught unaware and forced into murdering Gilbert as well, as twisted as it is, I can see how they would want to avoid the idea that they were caught aware. It's embarrassing, or so it would be to someone motivated to this much.

I can't claim to truly understand it, nor do I want to, but it could have been meant to spite that notion.

[brawlhalla]

I...what? That makes no sense.

[crazily]

Moving the head at all and setting it up so doesn't, but that's what occurred. You'll have to forgive me for stretching the explanations here, but it is... Well.

[ He pauses, then makes a difficult noise. ]

Consider this: perhaps our killer was only trying to kill Alisha. Her death is one that's far simpler, and this is why I also believe that it's one culprit. This person wasn't trying to be malicious to start, but when they were interrupted, necessity said that they had to kill someone they hadn't expected to, and they also had to do it very quickly. Brutally, even. I don't think Gilbert was ever an intended target here, but because they were interrupted, he had to become one.

So the head itself could mean that perhaps it was like a distraction, a red herring, if you will? With our suspects, I don't know if we'll truly understand why they did it. It doesn't fit with any of these people as we know them, and yet, it occurred. The only people I would guess would be you and Undyne, but this is because you're both warriors. The idea of beheading someone wouldn't be naturally off-putting to you. But for the rest, it would mean we've misjudged them, and in that, the "why" doesn't matter, since we wouldn't be able to guess, would we?

[detanimetion]

Why exactly couldn't it have been a kitchen knife? We already covered that the blade wouldn't need to be large enough to cut through his head entirely!

[crazily]

Because we do at least know that it didn't cut off the hand. Therein we run into the similar problem as Alisha's spear. If the kitchen knife was used for the head, then what cut off the hand? How could they obtain two weapons in such a short span of time?

[dhaosu]

[ Good. ]

Understandable.

[brawlhalla]

I absolutely could have. The damage I saw [ while standing around during room searches ] is sloppy, to be honest. And if it were me, I wouldn't bother with something dramatic like cutting off their head?

I'd make it a cleaner kill, quicker.