Town Meeting: The Quencies

[singmod]

Town Meeting

Town Meeting

Following the events of June, in which the Interloper saw the Darkwalker’s influence slowly push them to the brink — until Enola put a stop to things — Interlopers must try to wrangle with the consequences left in their wake. For some, these consequences are far more harder than others. Several Interlopers now lie dead, which cannot be ignored.

A town meeting is called to address this, and once more the Interlopers gather in the Community Hall. Even Methuselah joins them, and sits quietly to the side to watch the proceedings.

The accused are asked to stand, to give a short testimony where they either acknowledge or deny their actions. Interlopers may offer witness testimonies had they been there during the incident.

Their fellow Interlopers must cast a vote: are they guilty of their actions? Or not? One might argue that their actions were not their own. Others may argue that the influence over Interlopers should not excuse their actions. Some may even use this as a way of dealing out punishment to those they believe have had it coming for sometime. Maybe sometimes there are crimes just too dark to forgive.

What will you choose, Interlopers? What side of the coin will land?

— — —

Character Name: Kieren Walker.
Crime: The murder and cannibalism of Simone Vitucci.
Character Comments:

[ Kieren's a trembling mess, his hands held into tightly curled fists as his sides. He can't look up, he can't look at anyone — just stares off into the mid-distance. ]

... I did it. I— I'm not going to stand here and say I didn't do something when I did. I killed her, and— I did that to her. And I know I wasn't thinking properly but it's not an excuse, I don't think it should be. I'm... I'm not normal, like most of you are. I'm— I'm different. And that's not an excuse either, I never thought it should be. [ He's not brave enough to full out himself, but he settles with. ] I've hurt people before here. I didn't want it to happen again, but it did.

So.. so I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking I should be— um, to be honest, I wouldn't blame anyone for shooting me for that. For what I did to her. And I know that sounds horrible, but it's true. I wouldn't. Blame any of you.

I wish I could take it back, and I— I know I can't. If it means anything, I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt anyone.

— — —

Character Name: Levi Jořdán
Crime: Murder of Max Ramirez
Character Comments:

"...I'm sorry. I-I didn't want to, but they just came at me and....and I moved on my own. I should have stopped it but I didn't. I don't have a defense. I'll take any punishment you feel fit."

— — —

Character Name: Scratch "Alan Wake"
Crime: Murder of Alan Lawrence, mutilation of a corpse.
Character Comments:

"None of us were in our right mind. It was self-defence, kill or be killed. I never wanted to hurt anyone, let alone kill them, but ... Can any one of you really believe you wouldn't have done the same thing with everything that was happening to us?

And for the ... Well. The other thing. I don't know, it was like a frenzy, I can't remember it. All I could think about was this story I heard once about The Wick Effect, about the flammable nature of the human body. Resources are so low.

I don't know. I think I panicked. It all made so much sense at the time."


— — —

Character Name: Levi Ackerman (I don't think anyone knows his last name though)
Crime: Murder (and a lil bit of corpse destruction) of John Rusnak
Character Comments:

[ He just stands there with his arms folded, frowning, until someone prompts him to speak. ]

What do you want to hear? It's not how I normally handle things. I hate pointless casualties. [ He doesn't seem at all surprised by his capacity to kill, though. Despite his words being somewhat harsh, it seems genuine. ] ...We've lost people. I am sorry for that.

[ Everyone should be aware of the creature in everyone's heads by now, so he sees no point to bring it up. Under the influence or not -- which is terrifying, actually, he'd never had his mind forcibly overtaken like this before -- it was ultimately still him who managed to carry it out. He shifts his weight a little; there's an air of tension around him, like he's a coiled spring ready to fire. He's probably less calm about it on the inside... or maybe it's an intimidation tactic. ]

I don't intend to let you execute me, if that's what you're planning. But if I'm unwelcome here, I will comply.

— — —

Character Name: Wynonna Earp
Crime: Murder of Elias Toufexis
Character Comments:

He was trying to kill Louis.

[ Who was maybe trying to kill him, first. ]

I tried to break it up. He came after Louis again.

[ Her jaw is tight; so are the arms she has folded across her chest. Her expression is flatly blank. ]

End of story.

— — —

Character Name: Cornelius Hickey
Crime: murder and cannibalism of Patrick Carlson
Character Comments:

[ Hickey's choosing his words carefully. There's a carefully controlled neutralness in his tone, keeping it conversational but not too emotional. ]

Some of you all are like me, yeah? We're changed. I can go longer, I can climb up and down ravines that I'd have trouble navigating before, but I get...hungry. And what with the game missing and that thing in my head—that thing in all of our heads, there's no point in pretending like everybody here wasn't in their right mind because of the Darkwalker. Anyway. What mattered most at the time was satiating the hunger and staying alive.

Obviously I'd do things different if we didn't have the Darkwalker raining bloody terror down on us. We'd all have done things differently.

As for the murder? [ Hickey gives a little shrug. ] Man came at me first. I simply decided to defend myself, as so many others here would—as so many others here already have. After all, it's not like these past few weeks are the first time one of us has tried to come for our own.

— — —

Character Name: Edward Little.
Crime: The Murder of Mikel Shane Prather.
Character Comments:

[ When he stands, Edward looks... strange, haunted — eyes wide and tearful and distant. It all feels like it's happening to someone else. He has to be told when to stand and when to sit down again, more than once.

He doesn't say what he maybe should. That the young man was going to kill Kate Marsh, that he had her on the ground — that Mikel's hands were around her neck. That all he could think to do was shoot, and quickly. There's no excuse for it; he could have made other choices, he could have — and he doesn't want to risk any ounce of backlash against Kate, either. So Edward just stands there, hands trembling, thumbs pressing tightly into his palms and rubbing, some futile attempt to self-soothe. ]

Mr. Prather was not.... himself. He was under the influence of darkness and can not be blamed. However, my... my mind was not afflicted. I was acutely aware of everything and in control of my faculties.

[ That's important. He wasn't anyone but himself when he killed a human being for the first time. ]

I will not resist the punishment that I deserve. I accept full culpability.

[ A pause, a shuddering breath. The usual clear, rich tone of his voice is hoarse now, hollowed out. Mikel became violent, like so many others did. It wasn't his fault.

He was very young. ]

I am so deeply sorry for what I've done.

— — —

A poll has been opened, in which you can ICly vote on the accused. Players will have 72 hours to cast their votes. After those 72 hours, results will be posted. For any character who is found guilty, their player will be asked to pick a punishment for their character.

This could be something like hard labour of some sort (rebuilding, town fortifications, digging appropriate graves for the dead into the ground) reduced food rations, or perhaps some kind of temporary exile from the safety of Milton, or guard duty.

Death is off the table. I mean, unless you really wanted to?

Players who have their character found Not Guilty may still choose to have their characters punish themselves if they wish to.


CAST YOUR VOTES HERE

Comments

RESULTS

[singmod]

RESULTS:

Kieren Walker
Guilty | Not Guilty
( 24 Not Guilty | 12 Guilty | 3 Abstained )

Levi Jořdán
Guilty | Not Guilty
( 28 Not Guilty | 6 Guilty | 5 Abstained )

Scratch "Alan Wake"
Guilty | Not Guilty
( 22 Not Guilty | 13 Guilty | 4 Abstained )

Levi Ackerman
Guilty | Not Guilty
( 27 Not Guilty | 7 Guilty | 5 Abstained )

Wynonna Earp
Guilty | Not Guilty
( 32 Not Guilty | 5 Guilty | 2 Abstained )

Cornelius Hickey
Guilty | Not Guilty
( 23 Not Guilty | 13 Guilty | 3 Abstained )

Edward Little
Guilty | Not Guilty
( 28 Not Guilty | 9 Guilty | 2 Abstained )

PUNISHMENT:

For those found guilty, the following punishments are on offer:

EXILE: There is safety in numbers. You actions have compromised the sanctity of that safety. As punishment, the safety and comfort of your community is taken from you. You are banished from your fellow Interlopers for a short time. You will be asked to leave Milton and be left to the mercy of the wilds, and shunned by those around you.

HARD LABOUR: Life is hard in the Northern Territories. For the guilty party, it will be about to get harder. You are sentenced to hard labour: this will come in the form of digging into the hardened earth to bury the dead, followed by a sentence of being sent to the Milton Mine to mine for coal to provide fuel to your community.

REBUILDING: You are expected to work in order to earn your freedom, and this punishment is a way of giving back to a community you destroyed in someway by taking the life of another. Interlopers will be assigned to a building project in Milton: building a barn, or constructing something else in order to help the town.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT: The inflicted pain you have brought down perhaps cannot be fully repaid. Capital Punishment will not be on the table for Interlopers. Death cannot be paid for death. But in the eyes of some: a physical punishment may be a just way of enacting punishment.

results reaction

[load_aim_shoot]

[For a moment after the votes are all tallied, Raju paces in front of the bruised and beaten man wheezing quietly behind him. His hands are curled into fists. His jaw is clenched tight. The walls and floor around him begin to smoke. He sets a light hand against Francis’ back, ushers him carefully to his feet, and leaves, smoke wreathing around him like a cloud and following the two of them away from the room, toward the side door at Francis' request , where he can leave without having to speak to anyone.

Raju's usual trips into town to deliver extra food to the Community Hall kitchen, or to trade for this or that, already on hold while he’d waited to find out whether his friend was going to live or die, all but dry up. In the following days and weeks he won’t deliver anything to the Hall’s shared kitchen, and when he does come to barter sewing skills for food he can’t afford the time just now to hunt, his manner is businesslike and abrupt. He’s never seen without his bow, and always leaves as quickly as he can. Those members of the town who are going to be rebuilding this place are going to be doing it without him.]

IN DEFENCE OF

[singmod]

Characters wanting to defend anyone can speak up here, please note in the subject header which character yours wants to speak up for.

Edward Little

[castitas]

[ Kate has zero intention of getting up and speaking, not with her inability to speak aloud hindered and the fact she has an aversion to being in the spotlight. She will, however, after Edward Little has spoken, quickly write down something in a journal page and rip the page out. She hurries to Methuselah and asks him if he'll speak for her. The old man agrees after a long pause, rising to his feet to read aloud the words on the page. ]

Lieutenant Little shouldn't be blamed for what he did. When he acted, he did it to save me. If he hadn't done what he did, I wouldn't be alive.

Please don't judge him harshly.

Signed,
Kate Beverly Marsh

Adding on...

[lieutenantsteward]

[Thomas listens to Kate's testimony with a little wince, knowing how much that's actually taking out of her.]

There is much that Edward Little is guilty of, but none of it pertains to this moment here. No one holds him in more guilt than he does himself.

This was yet another unfortunate victim of the creature, not of man.

Let him go, for Christ's sake, and let him punish himself as he so desperately wants. There is nothing we could do to him that he wouldn't do to himself, ten times over.

+1

[extramuralise]

I know Lieutenant Little only to be a most noble, righteous man, who never fails to act in a crisis, nor would ever so much as dream of doing anything but right. I trust him in the utmost as both a colleague and the promising leader I've so known him to be, however much one must still grow to fit their true potential.

[ A beat, as he gathers his thoughts; Irving is a bit too timid for public speaking to come easily, but sometimes such things are necessary. ]

Survival will put upon even the best of us the most difficult of hardships and challenges— one has but mere moments in which to act, and I believe there's not a single man or woman among us who could argue cold-blooded murder in the case of Lieutenant Little acting in the defense of an unarmed innocent who could not otherwise have protected herself against certain death. By felling this man he's saved a young girl's life, and has very likely spared our already vulnerable community from future murders at the assailant's hands.

Kieren Walker

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie hadn’t even planned on being here to begin with, but he’s not just going to leave a good friend hanging when he could be of some help, and what else does he really have going on? Ever the performer, he steps right up without a single word prepared. He isn’t great with this kind of stuff, but he’s seen several episodes of Night Court so what’s the worst that could happen? ]

Hey.

[ He grins and waves out at the group of his fellow Interlopers. ]

Man, I always thought I’d be the one on trial at one of these things—sorry. Not about me.

[ This time at least. ]

Uh, anyway—I’m gonna be totally straight with you, I wasn’t there. I’m not a witness, I didn’t see shit, but I know the type of person Kieren is, and the dude doesn’t have a purposefully malicious bone in his body. If he says he did it, then I’m not gonna try to pretend he didn’t, but I am gonna defend the situation.

Just—obviously none of us are having a good time out here. We’re all running on fumes. Shitty food, shitty sleep, shitty weather--Jesus Christ is the weather shitty. We’re all doing and saying and thinking shit we wouldn’t ordinarily do. Seriously—I’d bet money that not one of you sitting there haven’t seriously contemplated murdering me at some point for disturbing the peace. This could have been literally any one of us, because no one’s thinking right. And if you’re gonna look at Kieren who isn't even trying to make excuses and say he deserves a harsher punishment than literally anyone else up here, well--that’s some bullshit that you probably need to reassess.

+1

[guidemyway]

[Look. This is probably not the time for jokes, but Ruby really needs to take a little bit of the tension off everything else that's going on here.]

Can I put forward a motion to make everything about Eddie, and have him stand trial for his multiple counts of disturbing the peace?

[Okay. In all seriousness.]

I think Eddie does bring up a good point though. I think the fact that some of the people here are going to have to live with the memories of what happened is punishment enough. These aren't acts that they can just take back- And I think it would be better for most of us if we tried to find a way to move forward from here.

Wynonna

[flambeaux]

Louis doesn't want to be here, let alone speak. The less he says, the better. The law and him are not friends. But he and Wynonna are. Maybe. Louis took some blood from Elias before the tussle was interrupted, then cut his dead throat to disguise the bite mark. Not everyone here knows Louis's nature. Anyway, his name is mentioned, so he may as well direct the eyes on him to where he wants them to look.

Even in a scavenged sweater and looking peaky from lack of nutrition, he manages to appear ever the Southern gentleman, merely down on his luck. He walks slowly to stand where everyone can hear him even as he speaks without much volume. He doesn't rush, even if he wishes to leave as soon as possible and lie down in his coffin. He lets his crystalline green eyes reflect everyone in the room back at themselves, giving none of himself.

"Didn't know the fella. He laid me out quick as anythin'. If I'd been able to defend myself better, it'd be me on trial and not Miss Wynonna. He had a knife. Left me a partin' gift."

He pulls up his sweater and shirt to reveal bandages at his trim waist.

+1

[lieutenantsteward]

[Thomas doesn't stand. He doesn't actually do anything to draw attention to himself, save talk. And when he does, it's with a clear, bright voice, despite the bandaging around his own middle and the sling around his shoulder, holding his arm tightly against his ribs.]

If we are to place blame on every person who defended themselves or defended another person, all would be in shackles now.

Miss Earp has done nothing here save exert herself in saving a life, and her conduct thus far has been spotless. The life that was lost was an unfortunate victim of the creature that haunts us, not the woman who stands here today.

IN DEFENCE OF: all accused

[meadqueen]

[Randvi is a bit self-conscious about speaking in front of one of these meetings for the first time after her injury, but she's also frightened enough about what this group might become (don't you see, Enola had asked once) to speak up anyway.]

Those of you who know me may be aware that I come from a time before many of the rules and conventions that you cite in these conversations have been written. I'm sure that many of you expect me to advocate for the harshest penalties for that reason, but I will not.

Our common enemy, this creature called the Darkwalker, wishes us all dead. All punishments that drive people to death or desperation, even exile, play directly into our enemy’s hands. We cannot allow this creature’s machinations to further divide us if we wish to survive.

Many of the acts that the people standing before us are accused of are abhorrent to me, but we must remember that we are alive to pass these judgments! The people of Milton did not have this luxury, and we cannot waste it on personal anger or vendettas.

I know that we are all shocked, angry and afraid, but I beg you to show mercy, and see it shown similarly to yourselves if this creature ever drives you to a similar madness.

I understand that punishment is necessary in some cases to restore confidence in the security of this village, but I would remind you that desperation and hunger drove many of these crimes. I would prefer to see people rebuild what they've broken than be forced back into the state that made monsters of them in the first place.

Let us mourn and rebuild together. Let us present a united front against the monster who would weaken and devour us. Thank you.

+1

[salamanca]

[ Lalo waits until Randvi is done speaking, before he rises, slowly, and begins putting of both his hands together - slowly, at first, letting his open palms slap against one another. A few others join him, until Lalo's corner of the Community Hall has become a mini-standing ovation. ]

Hear, hear!

[ When Randvi goes to sit down, he leans over: ] I couldn't have said it better myself, my dear.

+1

[bigbaddy]

[ Considering that Randvi practically spoke up to say what Bigby wanted to say and saved him from a round of public speaking, he just loudly bangs his fist on the table in support of her words. ]

+1

[guidemyway]

[Ruby is in full support of this.]

Kieren Walker

[friendsfordinner]

[ Hickey knows he's already on trial but he can't help but speak in defense of his mate. ]

No need to crucify Kieren for just trying to stay alive. After all, he's not the only one here who's different and needs...unnatural sources of food. He's just the only one who got caught.

[ Hickey moves his gaze over everybody here but, like a complete shithead, his gaze rests a little bit longer on Louis than the others. ]

in defense of alan wake

[readytosee]

[This whole tribunal thing doesn't sit right with Darling. But if he's here, he might as well defend his friend. So he sighs, adjusts his bowtie, and stands to speak.]

Truly, I don't think that most of the accused here can be considered of sound mind, when these actions were committed. Though I can't speak for everyone, I do know Mister Wake to be a kind person. I was the one to find him, after all of this transpired, and I do truly believe that he is sorry for his actions. I don't feel that he can be held accountable for this, and should not be punished for what he's done.

cornelius hickey (with a slight bonus kieren walker and edward little)

[notarat]

[ When Billy steps up, he definitely has a certain atmosphere hanging around him. Most people will likely read it as something shy or demure, especially with the way he doesn't seem to be looking at anyone directly at he speaks, but those who know him better might instead realise it's more the air of someone who truly Does Not Want To Be Here Right Now. ]

I agree with what most of the others have said. Judging others by their actions from a month during which we were all driven mad seems ineffective. I know all of us have felt the pull, and I personally know that some of these people would never have done so under regular circumstances, like Kieren and Mr. Little.

.. and Cornelius Hickey. Since some seem to think that an exception should be made for him, I felt it prudent to step forward, since I am uniquely qualified to speak on the matter as the victim of one of the matters Mr. Crozier described from back home, and as his-- his husband. [ He slowly - nervously - twists a ring on his finger with his other hand. ] I have.. forgiven him for what happened. What Mr. Crozier left out of his description were the dire circumstances we found ourselves in. I believe that we all deserve a second chance here, and that we should be judged on our actions in this place instead.

Which are-- He has shared a house with me here. He has shared his food. I know he has shared with others among you. Yes, I am aware that he can be quite annoying, but I hardly believe that is a matter to judge a man this harshly over. Other than perhaps slightly bothering some people, he has not caused any harm in this place. All we have been trying to do is the same as anyone in this place-- trying to build a life here. Especially when we would not have had one together where we come from.

And yet this has been complicated. I have not publicly spoken about this matter, since I was afraid that his past may be used against him as it is now if I had, but a few months back we were attacked in our own home here by someone who also lives here in town without any provocation to merit it. Multiple people have made attempts on Cornelius' life in this town, including Mr. Crozier himself, yet they are all still alive now. If he truly is the person he is being described as, then why would he only now have killed someone here, when the influence of the Darkwalker was at its strongest? Why would he have left those people alone, even now?

[ He stops fiddling with the ring, exhaling a deep breath. ]

I have spoken to many of you here. I hope you can believe me when I say I can vouch for him, and that we want nothing more than to live out our married life here without the sort of judgement we would have received back home. There are no-- no grand evil plans, or however he is made to seem here. There is just us. [ ... ] Thank you for your consideration.

[ Even when he steps down, he won't look at anyone else on the way back to his seat. ]

IN DEFENCE OF: Levi Ackerman (last name withheld)

[clothed]

[ sansa waits patiently for her turn. when it's time, she steps forward and straightens up to her full height. it adds an air of seriousness to her, highlighting her noble upbringing despite her unsuitable dress. even now there are hints of the queen she will be one day: soft-spoken, but firm in her convictions. she doesn't speak right away, but when she starts, it is a measured speech that calls for both reason and heart. ]

I'm new to most of you. And to most of you, I am either Lyanna, or a strange girl who has no idea about how things work in a place like this. When I first arrived here in Milton, I— there was no reason for any of you to be kind. No reason for any of you to offer help, or lead me to shelter, or even teach me how your letters and speech and machines are meant to be used.

And yet many of you have. More than one of you. Several of you. We are all laid bare to the mercy of the ice and snow that ravages outside, and with the danger it brings— it brings all sorts of horrors and dangers and enemies that we can only hope to survive if we cannot defend against them. But many of you still persist to be kind. That same kindness has kept me alive here. Your kindness and your mercy gives someone like me a reason to be kind in turn.

These people that are put on trial, they may have acted against their nature. They may have acted against the laws of this place, I would not know, I don't know what the rules are here. But I know just as well as many of you do that these actions are born from poisoned minds more than the hands that caused them. It is a cruel trick to have one's own thinking changed by another, and crueller still to be made responsible for such things at the cost of life.

I've tended to Ser Levi awhile in the throes of a feverdream. Seeing things that were not there, people who he could only see. Lashing out when I know he wouldn't, not to me, not to anyone were he in his right mind. Would it not be correct to say that that is sickness? A man who is not in his right mind is not the man who can defend himself rightly or justly of fairly.

Please, if the laws demand it, punish him for his actions. But please consider that he was not himself. Let him make his reparations here, and among us. We've lost much as it is. People. Resources. Trust in one another. We cannot hope to bring back trust by refusing it to those willing to prove themselves worthy a second time.

everyone? no one? who knows.

[reneger]

This ain't a matter of who's guilty and who isn't. This is just who we're planning on punishing.

( he hasn't spoken up at one of these before. hasn't bothered. they're not his people, and aside from wynonna, he doesn't even know anyone up on trial. but jason has been on the other side of this before - deserved, unlike most of them. )

What're you gonna do, make 'em work harder? This place is already shit. People're already starving. Unless you're planning on taking them out executioner style, this is all fucking pointless. And what, is it just murder we're punishing? 'cause I sure as hell have seen plenty of people commit what'd be considered crimes anywhere else and get off scot-free.

Keep a closer eye on the cannibals, zombies, whatever they are - 'cause that's not the kind of shit someone does just once. Otherwise? This whole trial is a sham. This isn't justice. Fuck anyone who goes along with it.

everyone

[sosoruze]

[Senku doesn't speak up to this one immediately; concepts of justice and ethics aren't really his area of expertise or interest. Even so, after a while, he feels a need to point some things out:]

Listen, everyone's pissed off and paranoid, I get it. This situation was a mess. But that's exactly why we can't go reacting to it based on our feelings, especially now that we know how easily that thing can influence them. If we don't figure out how to get past it and move on, we're all dead.

[He lets out a quiet breath, closing his eyes a moment.]

We can't afford to be getting hung up on this, not when we should be finding out what was done to us and how we can avoid it happening again. Being practical is the only way forward, here. Think about it, we've only got what, a few dozen of us around here? We need every hand we can get to work already. Exile? If we thought resources were tight now, competing with just the Forest Talkers as one community, what'll happen once we split off multiple individuals? You think they'll just roll over and die for you? As for reducing food rations, I seem to remember the Talkers were shooting at us on sight, and we still weren't willing to take food from 'em, so you might wanna think about exactly what makes this so different.

[A shake of his head.]

This isn't about forgiving and forgetting, either. If anyone here was really so dangerous they couldn't be left alone for the safety of the town, they wouldn't be submitting to this whole performance of a "trial", come on. This meeting would be about strategizing how to contain them or take them down, instead. We don't have to trust or even like each other to work together. We just have to survive.

Everyone (sort of)

[thefifthchild]

I've largely said all that I mean to say. On the subject of guilt and accountability anyway.

What I will say next however, is that none of these punishments work. Exile might as well be an execution, flogging or whatever it is you want to do serves no point but to sate your sadistic bloodlust and rebuilding... You should all put work into rebuilding after the damage that was done, regardless of whether or not you were put on trial, found guilty, or if you were even caught. We won't make it another season if we make work into a punishment rather than a requirement for survival in the first place.

We need to build another barn, get the greenhouse set up, fortify our defences, fix the buildings that were damaged, get our food supplies up through scavenging and hunting until we're not in as much of a desperate situation. And if you're not helping with any of that, then you need to find something else to do that's just as important. There's time for you all to squabble about with your own self interest when we're not all collectively destitute.

The rest of this? A pointless and indulgent waste of time.

et al

[maintiensledroit]

[ It had taken time and a great deal of effort, but Fraser had managed to get himself into his red serge before arriving at the meeting today; although he isn't here in an official capacity as a policeman, this is still community business, and deserves the respect he can give it.

He listens quietly to those who stand up and confess their actions, listens and observes as others speak in defense or accusation. He wonders what Ray would make of all this. Finally, he stands, his hat off, held in his hands, to address the group. ]

We have all been through a terrible ordeal. Many of us were afflicted, some of us were nearly, if not wholly, out of our minds with fear and rage. Now, whether that's enough to clear us from the choices we made while under the influence is, I think, a question we all must contend with and answer on our own. But is this really about justice?

[ He gestures with his hat to those who had confessed. ]

We have no lawyers, no judge, no jury. We have no laws. We all of us come from different worlds and times, perhaps with different ideas of right and wrong or how to hold someone accountable, or even if we should. We have no jurisdiction to determine who should be punished or how, aside from whatever expectations we hold each other to as part of a community. Whatever we do here, today, will be established as precedent.

Whether these people are guiltier than any of the rest of us because their actions were more final, I don't know. I am not saying 'forgive,' if you find what happened too abhorrent. And I am certainly not saying we allow malicious violence to run rampant and unchecked. I am merely reminding us all that the only laws currently guiding us are our own moral compasses and whatever social pressures we enforce, knowing or unknowing, on each other. I realize this may seem like a strange sentiment coming from a police officer, but I hold no more jurisdiction here than do any of us. My concern is for our surviving people, and for what we do next.

With that in mind, I believe we would be better suited turning our thoughts and energies toward what we can do to benefit us all: work with each other to learn necessary skills, seek out game to feed the community, glean what we can from the woods, rebuild the barn. Until we decide to prioritize the structure and trappings of a society, laws included, our focus must be on helping each other. None of us will survive on our own.

THE PROSECUTION

[singmod]

... Or maybe your character would like to throw in their two cents on how a character should be found guilty. Do so under this comment. Please note in the subject header which character yours wants to speak up for.

Hickey Bad

[goingtobeunwell]

[Crozier stands, or rather, he has to have a guiding hand help him up from the chair. While is face is no longer swollen past the point of recognition, there's varying shades of purple and red and yellow on the left half of his face, and the eye on the same side is somewhat off in placement.

He talks slowly, deliberately so, but also with a slight wheeze in between sentences.

He holds his hand out towards a few of the accused, lingering significantly over Edward Little, Wynonna Earp, and Levi Jořdán.]

I can speak to the character of many of these men and Ms. Earp. I believe a great many of us can, and will find most of these proceedings irrelevant. The actions of that night were exacerbated by the miasma in the air and the influence of insidious outside forces beyond our control. Internal anguishes worsen with this influence. Hunger is a gnawing plague, cold and fatigue difficult on already ill and exhausted bodies.

The loss of these people - our people - is undoubtedly a tragedy. No one will argue against that.

[He waits a beat, mostly trying to quietly catch his breath.]

But as there is also no rule of law here, we must decide what actions are permissible under these extraordinary circumstances, and which merit condemnation. Punishment, perhaps.

[Oh, hey, Hickey. His picks him out of the crowd and locks eyes with him, stare sharp.

This should seem familiar.]

You've heard Hickey defend himself, claim this murder was to save his own life. Perhaps this is so. Perhaps Patrick Carlson attacked him, and Hickey was left with no choice but to act. But I'll pose this to you, to all of you: was cutting his body apart done for self defense?

[A pause. This is painful. He wishes he could spare certain people in this room from hearing this all over again.]

Was meticulously harvesting him for the meat in his legs and thighs done in self defense? I came across the corpse myself - knife cuts, neat knife cuts, a man butchered for food. And if truly innocent, why then attempt to hide the body in the brush? Why half-bury him, secret him away in the hopes that he won't be discovered?

This is not the first time Cornelius Hickey has murdered someone. This is not merely some inner conflict between those of us from our expedition, this is proven fact. Cornelius Hickey has murdered before with the intent of feeding himself and others. He's butchered other men in this exact way. Wasted them. Cornelius Hickey has also murdered for spite, for his own reputation and a ploy for power. [His voice hitches a little, losing his cool just a little.] He's murdered because he didn't want to do the paperwork to get himself aboard a ship!

[He shakes his head.]

Our situation is not dire. There was no need to kill Mr Carlson, and yet Cornelius Hickey did. How many of you received food from him? This implicates Hickey more than most anything else. He killed, and then used the leftover meat after he fed himself to feed the people in his circle. But it was never dire, he never went back for the rest of Mr. Carlson, he never showed one ounce of guilt for his actions.

He isn't innocent. This is where we draw our line. Condemn this, and condemn this rationale. It isn't the end of the world yet, and we're not desperate enough to allow villains to kill with impunity.

[That should about do it. He scowls tiredly, holding his chest as he sinks back into his seat.]

Hickey

[balancedlight]

[Sveta doesn't like being here at all. She doesn't like the trials, doesn't like hearing about the murders. The Darkness is still here, she fears, seeping into the minds and bodies of everyone sitting in this community hall.

But it's Hickey's crimes that truly stand out to her. She had been ready to defend him, to defend anyone who's actions were so damn appalling, but the accusations and Crozier's testimony are enough that she jumps up out of her seat. She speaks, not to the people, but to Hickey himself.]

You told me it was rabbit! Liar!

You told me it was rabbit and you didn't tell me what you were giving me!

[She is eternally grateful now that she never touched it, never got desperate enough to take it from the little package that he had given to her. She thought that she would save it for when it was an emergency. Fortunately, it never was.

She feels her stomach turn and she steps back, away from the crowd, hot tears forming in her eyes.]

How dare you put me in that position? You didn't simply commit the crime you're accused of, but you tried to get others to do so against their will! All for what? Because you thought that I wouldn't help you?

You are sick, Cornelius Hickey, and you deserve whatever happens to you!

[She wants to say more, but holds herself back, choosing instead to turn and simply walk out.]