The Court Hereby Sentences (Nightshade/Faith)

[Noth]

Cylus 16, 717

The courtroom was abuzz with quiet activity as men and women prepared for the court to be in session. Visitors and jurors conversed in gentle tones about the outcome of the case, and a few even took bets with one another as to the conclusion, promising Nels if they were incorrect in their assumptions. It seemed somewhat strange to the twilight hybrid that people would begin to take gambles on a case before they had heard even the slightest hint of evidence, and he questioned whether or not those same people had some manner of personal attachment to the defendant. Squinted eyes examined the crowd, attempting to perceive anything that would hint at such a relationship, though the crimson orbs spotted nothing out of the ordinary about the jurors, and; with a sigh, the twilight hybrid returned his attention towards his desk.

It seemed as though he had been summoned to the court to act as a representative or a plaintiff, though it was very clearly not like any other court which graced the world with its presence. Surely, there were similarities that were hard not to compare with the standard criminal justice system, and those were found in the implementation of a jury and a judge, as well as other specialists, though both of these would more accurately act as plaintiffs than as a single plaintiff against a defendant. Noth had been given the opportunity to represent the manifestation of the idea of “Bad” or “Evil”, whilst the other plaintiff had been given the chance to represent that terribly positive side of “Good.” It did seem somewhat confusing at first to the twilight hybrid, but the rules had been laid out fairly clearly in a small booklet, which had immediately been replaced with a far larger book with complicated and intricately designed rules which seemed to have been created for the sole purpose of making the entire process terribly difficult.

Actually, that seemed to coincide quite well with real court, and he questioned why he had ever felt any manner of bewilderment at all at the inclusion of such a meaningless and poorly contrived article. Thankfully, the remainder of the system seemed to make a fair amount of sense, though admittedly it was still somewhat odd when compared to the norm. The plaintiffs would take turns attempting to convince the defendant to take a side with either “Good” or “Bad”, or rather they would try to make them understand whether or not they were on either side. If they floated pointlessly somewhere in the middle, then they would need to be drawn to one side or another, and then convinced to continue following the principles; or lack thereof, of that side.

Of course, Noth had no legal experience whatsoever, and all of the legalese tended to confuse his thoughts, but he had been chosen to act as a representative for a friend. Which particular friend of his had yet to be revealed, though it seemed likely that the court system had mistaken one of his close associates as a “friend”. In truth, he didn’t care nearly as much for those people or for their personality so much as for their abilities and relative talents. His allies were all inherently skilled in several ways, and they each fulfilled their roles and obligations. Despite that, if he were given the option of sitting at home and reading a splendid fictional tale about the existence of giant underwater beasts, or the opportunity to adventure around town, drinking hard liquors and perusing the selection of local ladies, then he would almost certainly choose the former.

The court drew to a complete silence as the honorable judge entered the room. He seemed to have been some manner of knight, because he was coated in a massive suit of plate armor that only seemed to highlight his bulk. Every step he took seemed to cause the floor to shudder ever so slightly, and Noth wondered whether or not he had ever accidentally stepped through the wooden boards that lie beneath them. Atop the fellow’s helmet was a hat with the word “Judge” poorly drawn upon it, and the word “Seeing” had been engraved into his visor.

With a massive booming voice, the man spoke, calling his own court to attention in a way that a bailiff could never truly challenge.
“All rise!” He commanded, and in an instance, the twilight hybrid had arisen from his seat, casting a quick glance towards his rival plaintiff and wondering what manner of thoughts flooded her mind.
“We are gathered here today to try one Nightshade Eld for the worst crime that is known under the Idalosian skies.” He spoke, and Noth felt his heart palpitate for a fraction of a trill as he recognized who it would be that he was convincing, and how absolutely terrible his methods would be in resolving the issue. “The crime is, of course, not knowing whether she is wicked or fair, good or evil, and in this lack of knowing, how can anyone truly fit into our society?”
Noth glanced backwards towards the great doors of the courtroom, noticing that Nightshade was being urged to enter into the grand room, and that the jury had begun to applaud at her entry into the scene.
“May the Immortals guide you to your destiny, for I fear that if you are still undecided by the time this court ends, then you shall meet them far before you expected.”

[Nightshade Eld]

Nightshade was being (violently) ushered through a pair of doors the trill she "awoke". She couldn't remember for the life of her what she had been doing before all of this began. All she knew or could remember was that she was now being shuffled along through a large pair of doors that made her heart sink right into her stomach. Never before had she thought a door of all things could be intimidating, but now here it was in all its horrifying glory. This door scared her senseless, something she wouldn't admit but something that hovered as the back of mind as it was swung open and she was forced through by guards.

She was met by applause, though part of her felt like it wasn't a good thing. Shame burned the back of her neck as she walked further into the room. It was like entering the den of a wild beast. The audience clapped loudly, boisterously, but the sound was slowly blocked out as she caught sight of the two plaintiffs. Both of them were familiar to her eyes, thought one was a "close" friend and the other was the savior of a dream. Something of a last hope.

She continued to be forced forward, her eyes darted around desperately and helplessly. What kind of crime was this? Panic stuck her heart as she realized why these two people were now on either side of her. They were supposed to sway her one way or the other, weren't they? It was obvious enough through logic what each person was supposed to represent, what half of the scale they were supposed to sway her towards. In a dream she was honestly scared of what Noth might do and say. In her daily life she had confidence that she could protect herself from physical attacks. But Noth had a way of forging mental attacks that stuck her core and struck it hard. He was going to play mind games. Cruel and unusual mind games that were going to hurt her and break her and make her question herself. If it had just been Noth in that room surely she would have broken then and there, her determination and spirit finally cracking under the weight of the world around her.

But it wasn't her and Noth alone in a room of people waiting for her to be swayed one way or the other. There was someone else, a small and precious glint of hope and salvation. On the other half of the room there was Faith, a woman familiar from dreams prior. If only for one foggy night in a dream that would fade by morning Faith had offered something no one else had ever offered her. A choice. She was able to decide if she wanted to be the monster or if she wanted to be the hero, she was able to choose to be free. She wasn't instantly assumed to be one thing or the other for the simple fact of her race. Even if it was only for one foggy dream on a cold and dark night the dream had been precious and had left a lasting memory. The thought of Faith had also become precious, a being she wished truly existed in her daily life. Perhaps they could be friend or allies, perhaps Night could finally find someone that she could smile around freely and didn't have to lie to herself that they cared about her and had no intent to murder her or those around her. But Night had searched all of Etzos and found nothing similar to Faith, so she'd given up and allowed the dream to fade from memory. Tonight it came back to her fresh as she looked at the two representatives that would try their hardest to sway her one way or the other.

Her eyes turned to the rather strange judge as she waited for the proceedings to begin.

[Faith Augustin]

The building was beautiful, but imposing. The courtroom was large and designed to make one feel small. She had been brought here to represent the notion of good and that seemed like quite a strange thing to hold a court session over, but there were people betting, people chatting and generally things were pretty mundane as far as Faith was concerned in this dream. On the desk where she was working sat a small, maybe one foot tall bunny. He was drawn as if from chalk on a teacher's chalkboard and yet he was moving and helping her put things together. "Please put that down, PB." she said and the bunny gave an immediate salute.
"You betcha' me ole trout'n toolbox, yes ma'am, sir."
"Stop it." Faith didn't even look up, quite used to his antics.
"Stop it? Righteo ma'am, sir yes. Ole PB will be doin' fourty laps, yes." He ran on the spot for good measure.
"You've become unbearable since I got free."
It was strange, watching an animate chalk bunny smile, but he did. "I know. It's good, innit?"
"No"

Their conversation was cut short as a very strange looking fellow with a shock of bright red hair checked that Faith was quite sure she understood the rules. She nodded in the affirmative and then he got her to sign to say this fourty seven times. She wondered, sometimes, whether there might be just a touch too much paperwork involved in this job. Still, she understood the rules, understood what was happening here and so yes, she confirmed, she was ready to begin. Turned out, it was a good job too.

The judge entered.

Faith felt the floor shaking beneath her as he lumbered up towards his judge-seat and she wondered if he'd ever stepped forward just a bit too hard and the floor had been a bit too brittle. She stood and turned to look at her opposition. She nodded her head to him, just the once and gave a polite smile. Manners never hurt after all. What was he thinking, she wondered as she looked at him. Was he wondering about her and what she was thinking whilst she wondered about him and what he was thinking? That was the kind of conundrum that kept her head spinning, in truth so she stopped thinking about it and just turned her attention to why they were here.

She was under no illusion, it wouldn't be an easy trial.

In both meanings of the word.

They brought in the accused and Faith recognised her. She smiled encouragingly to the young woman. Ironic as it might be, Faith was wearing a white dress and a pair of white lace fingerless gloves. Her hair was loose except for the small white flowers tied in there and her feet were bare.

The judge looked at them and spoke. "First, a summary argument on definition of terms from you both. Then, the accused responds."

Faith knew, somehow, that she should begin. She stepped forward and she smiled a soft and calm smile. "First, a summary argument. It is at once litiguous and extraneous to the argument to consider that notions of such extreme polarisation can, or do, exist. The notion of true evil is one which we must consider, before Nightshade can conceive of whether she purports, expects, exists or nay, even floats within it. So, my first argument is that true evil does not exist. Therefore, Nightshade Eld you can not be it." Faith raised one finger, an age-old 'wait for it!' gesture. "Should true evil exist, surely we must define it as emotionless. Without remorse or regret, feeling no shame nor yet concerned for any other living soul." There was some murmuring from the jury, a bit of head nodding. Faith really didn't understand why they were here to begin with since it was Nightshade who was making the decision.

They probably fancied a day out, she thought.

"Evil, true evil is not the absence of good. It is an active, proactive force which seeks to do harm. By it's very definition, someone who wonders whether they might be, someone who fears that they will become this evil can not be it. Nightshade here is far from emotionless." She turned to look at Nightshade and she smiled at her, a soft expression but with a slight nod of encouragement. "You are afraid that you are what they tell you. The voice which whispers those fears in the dark of the night will have you believe what this man speaks." She smiled at her even as she gestured to Noth.

"He is just offering you a cage, constructed from doubt and fear. Even stepping into that cage will not make you evil, because it can not. This? All of this? All of it is an attempt to ask you to not choose to act. To sit in the dark. But even if you did that, you would not be emotionless, you would have remorse and you would regret. Since evil does not experience those things, by virtue of your uncertainty, you have chosen." She smiled at the young woman and gestured to Noth that he might begin.

[Noth]

There was something about the opposing plaintiff that tickled at the back of Noth’s mind. Had he seen her somewhere before, or was it simply the casual anxieties that befall someone when facing an opponent? No, he had most definitely taken view of her visage once before, though his memory scrambled to collect and piece together the vague fragments of her that were present. He remembered that she was good at opening things, though he couldn’t quite remember why he knew that. He was also aware that she had been killed, though a minor complication such as bleeding to death apparently hadn’t had much effect upon her. That was strange, dying usually accomplished a fair number of effects upon a person’s body, and yet the slave girl appeared to have been healthier than ever. Did that mean that he could use the dead as witnesses? That would certainly make the trial far easier.

The judge began the session with a call for a summary argument over the definition of terms. That would be vital to ensuring that the trial as a whole was a success for the twilight hybrid, and he listened carefully to the arguments formulated by the woman as she stated her own definitions. He did question why she had already attempted to lean their client’s mind in her direction so early, but he supposed she was simply attempting to gain an early lead, especially since she knew that she was doomed to failure. In the grand struggle of good and evil, it was inconceivably rare for redemption to actually occur, whilst stepping into the habits of the wicked was always an open invitation.

A simple nod was the only sign given that the woman had concluded her speech, and Noth slowly arose, his crimson eyes laying upon the crowd with a piercing menace that seemed to threaten that they choose wisely in the coming events. The hybrid had lived outside of a city for many Arcs, and had dealt with brutish and savage individuals. He had murdered and robbed and stolen, and had certainly been responsible for a fair number of monstrous activities. He was nearly a hermit, and there was little doubting that his station in life was fairly low upon the ladder of society.

Yet, before he had become that person, he had been a scholarly sort. He had read many books, and heard many stories, and all of that information now came flooding through his mind, and became expounded from his mouth.

“It is certainly true that there is no exact polarization, because the nature of such emotional and logical guides are fluid, and constantly changing based upon the perspective of the individual. In short, I concede that there is no such thing as ‘true evil’, and in turn there exists no true representation of ‘true good’. The standardized definitions of good and evil thereby are classified only as an extension of the opinion of the general populace in any given area as to what qualities and qualifications they believe are beneficial to their well-being and cultural biases. If we were to determine the exact definitions of good and evil, therefore, it would be prudent that we survey the entirety of Idalos, and then find which qualities best associate with good, and for evil. That, however, would be an utterly ridiculous gesture, and would be restrictive to our continuation of this court case. Thereby, I move that the only perspectives of good and evil that be used are those of the client. If the client believes that she has chosen good, then let her choose it. If the client believes that she has chosen wicked, then let it be as she has spoken.”

The hybrid took a breath, glaring at the crowd once more and noticing a curious glance from a one-eyed ruffian coated in tattered clothes who seemed entranced by the proceedings.

“I shall agree also with my fellow plaintiff’s statement that evil is not the absence of good. If evil were the absence of something, then it would accomplish nothing, and yet there is little doubting that it does indeed accomplish many activities. Where I differ from my fellow plaintiff is in the definition of evil being an emotionless activity. Surely, all of those domestic disputes wherein a spouse murders their spouse are remarked as acts of violence and wickedness, and yet would it be prudent to classify them all as being ‘utterly heartless?’ No. These are acts of passion, and that is where evil truly shines. Evil is not simply the force of harming others, though that is a portion. Instead, evil is the force of inflicting damage for the sake of accomplishing a personal goal. Evil tears down others so that one might become powerful, and so that they might re-forge the world in a way that suits their vision. Evil is the passionate appeal for change, the gasping breath that furrows its way into our mouths and becomes an utterance of ‘I could do this far better’. A tyrant is considered evil, and yet there are rarely many criminals in the empire of a tyrant other than scheming rebels and terrorists who consider themselves ‘Good’".

His eyes turned to Nightshade’s, staring into them with a strange softness, as if though he were appealing to a young child.

“Sure. Evil is offering you a cage, but the entire world is built of cages. We are all of us born with cages, with limitations and restrictions. A man can walk where a Mer cannot. A Mer can swim where an Avriel cannot. An Avriel can fly where a man cannot. Are those not cages in their own ways? Sure. Evil is offering you a cage, but so then is good. Good tells you that if you are altruistic enough, kind enough, decent enough, that you will continue to be allowed to fester in your cage with all the others. That others will look upon your cage and think ‘Oh what a paragon.’ Good beguiles you and deceives you into believing that there is wonderment to be found in being locked into a cage. Sure, then, evil grants you a cage, but it offers you the key to leave whenever you want. Evil tells you that if you are strong enough, powerful enough, then you can escape some of those terrible limitations. That you can forge the world anew, and make it better.”

“It is not the virtue of uncertainty that makes you good, but rather, that virtue shows that you are questioning the way this world is constructed, and wondering why there are so many pointless rules that inhibit you from carrying out your desires. That is the path to freedom, not good.”

The twilight hybrid returned to his bench, glancing once more at the one-eyed ruffian who gave him a thumbs up and a toothy grin, exposing his several golden teeth. He knew that he had swayed at least one person, then.

[Nightshade Eld]

Night turned to Faith as the woman spoke. Everything she said made perfect sense, and yet there was a sharp sensation of doubt in the back of Night's mind. Could it truly be that simple? Emotion being the key to good vs evil. Then what did you call someone who slaughtered thousands because they believed it was their immortal given right? Thousands of tyrants had risen to power thinking themselves to be doing the right thing. And in their delusions they caused the deaths of so many innocent souls. Even back in Vhalar that had rung true. So many people died because both sides thought they were doing the right thing for their respective immortal. So much death, so much decay. The woman shivered a little as the conversation was turned over to Noth.

Night knew what to expect the moment she had seen Noth would be part of this. She had lost a good amount of trust in the bird, even though she had not lost faith(Almost in a silent pun she glanced at the other woman), yet she knew Noth would not be kind. He was going to attack in every way he knew how. Even expecting that the words struck true and they struck violently. There was no way Night could argue with either plaintiff. Their words were sound, their processes of thought completely logical by the half breed's standard. Yet there was still a buzzing sensation of doubt even as Noth spoke. Was that truly the world that the half breed wanted to live in? Was what he described the world to be like even the one she lived in now? The way he looked at her, though it was soft, was almost like pity as well as deception. She could feel a faint spark of anger at that. She did not want pity and she did not want lies! She damn well had enough of that as a child. She was not his pet either. She was not a pet or child to either one!

She narrowed her eyes glancing between the two of them. Yes, neither one of them spoke lies. But were either of them speaking the truth? The anger that bubbled in her mind wasn't so much directed at either one of them as much as it was gathering against the ideologies they represented. Yet it started to grow into a roaring blaze against both plaintiffs. She clenched and released one of her hands, allowing it to take the shape of a fist and then relax. The small sensation of movement was relaxing and it was all that she seemed to be allowed. "Continue," she spoke in a small and unsure voice that wavered and quavered with indecision and fear. Never had she distanced her outward appearance so far from the reality of the way her mind boiled, never had she looked so fearful as her thoughts spewed flame. Her eyes gazed pitifully at her two "guides", the blue shifting to a look of weakness and a need for something to cling to. She looked so torn. So at the mercy of whichever one was able to sway her pathetic mind first.

Yet the reality of the situation could never be so far. The taste of venom and iron lingered in her mouth, it was a taste faintly reminiscent of fresh blood. Usually such a flavor was reserved for when she was getting the tar beat out of her. The once familiar taste was foreign in her older age as her physical strength seemed to grow. The scent of smoke followed the taste of blood and her entire body started to heat. It was an angry and wrathful combination, the irritated and irrational ideas posed by the anger of a dragon woken from its sleep. Yes, the dragon had gone back to sleep after her last confrontation with Noth and would continued to sleep away most of the season. The dark days were meant for hibernation after all, the cold seasons meant to rest, waiting for the warmth of the spring. With new life came warmth, with warmth came the essence of fire. The spirited flame that once it finally started to burn wouldn't go out. Of course such a flame was little more than a spark as the moment, searing away at whatever scraps of emotion it could grab at, trying to incite a rebellious reverence of wrath and a new way of thinking. Every spark had the potential to bring about an inferno after all.

Perhaps that was exactly what would happen should the dearly beloved pests not gauge their speech properly in the presence of a true beastly power and powerful lord. Not every monster had to be a wretched one after all, were not dragons truly monstrous? Could the Zelroux not be considered a monster and a beast? And yet such noble and powerful creatures were sought far and wide for their companionship and the protective powers the offered their chosen masters. They could be tempted and tricked into following a shadowed path, but raised properly they were truly beings to be praised! Dangerous beings that didn't like being challenged. And could the pressure of forcing one's beliefs on another be considered anything but a challenge?

The half breed would argue. Yes, she would finally speak back. She was usually fearful of such an idea because as a child it would have gotten her taken out back and hit with the ridding crop until her vision blurred. But to be frank she was a legend among swordsmen no matter how humble she acted or not. She could be defeated, but it would take me than the sad excuse for a whip she used to be smacked around with. If someone tried to take a riding crop to her she would cut off both their heads, because obviously whoever tried was a sentient dick. Her irritation only seemed to grow more potent. The dragon chortled seeing that the spark had begun to catch. Did Noth seem more irritating that usual? At times he perhaps seemed kind towards her. But now? Well, he almost seemed condescending. Sort of like a bleeding anus. Or perhaps he was the other hole. He was whiny enough to be a woman during her time of season. Whenever something didn't go his way he threw a tantrum. Oh boo hoo, Night was actually making him feel emotions! Get the hell out of my cave right after I kiss you and make you feel things that you didn't even realize you could because the only time you came close you had to watch that person literally get ran through with knife! Boo hoo, my only loved one is a goose that I take to bed! I'm Noth, I have daddy issues! Tough luck, the midnight mixed breed had daddy issues, mommy issues, mentor issues, Master issues. As a child Night would have had better treatment as a slave in Athart!

Night couldn't produce much mental commentary on the topic of Faith. Which begged the question, why was she even here? Who in the blood hell even was this woman? At the current moment Night was more fond of Faith than she was of Noth, so she'd be kind and try not to be insulting. Key word, try. But in all reality who was she and why was she here? What right did she have to give commentary on the existence and moral judgement of Night. Who in the name of Faldrun's flaming balls were any of these people? The only one who knew a single bloody thing about Night was in fact the demon bird sitting across from the strange woman! Who in the flying fek of Eth's sweet mercy were any of these dung brained morons? Why did they get to judge her? What right did they even posses in forcing her to choose a side? She could feel confused words bite the back of her throat and try to escape. She'd wait a little longer and see what else these two could pull out of their asses to try and make her decide.

OOC: Sorry for the very late reply.

[Faith Augustin]

Faith listened to the Avriel as he spoke, of evil and his fellow plaintiff, which was her. She listened to his argument and his words and a slight frown crossed her face. She was, in many ways, a very changed woman in the time since she had been freed. In many ways, though, and in almost all that mattered (almost) Faith was exactly the same person. So, she listened the avriel talk.

And talk.

And talk some more.

All of the words, like they made a difference. He spoke, and he spoke and it was all about him. Then, there was the client, also an Avriel, or half one, maybe, she wasn't sure. She just stood there, not speaking. So much said to her, so much for her to respond to, but she said nothing except one word. It was that which did it, really. So many words from one, nothing at all from the other? Faith looked down at PB, the chalk bunny and she smiled.

"This is ridiculous." She stood up, putting her papers in her briefcase and looked at the two avriel standing there. One so busy playing the big bad evil that all he did was spew out words, and the other so busy playing the victim that she just stood there. "You're a free person. You have choices. Both of you. Make them and live by them, that is all you can do." PB gave a cheer, throwing his small chalk-bunny paws into the air.

With a smile to them both, Faith nodded. "I wish you all the luck in the world, but this is self indulgent. You are an individual with the right to self determination. Stop asking others to make your choices for you and then fighting them. Be who you are, whoever that is. Make your choices and live by them." That, she said to them both. She didn't really know why she believed it to be true, memories tickling into the deepest parts of her sleeping brain.

"I believe that there are good people. I know there are, in fact." This time, she included the "judge" in this. "But I also believe that good people are measured by their actions and you don't spend time arguing with evil, you oppose it. So that's my choice."

Actions, she considered, were much, much more important than this sort of pontification on one hand, or silent acceptance of being the victim on the other. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and live the best life I can, in service. I suggest you consider doing the same, but that's up to you."

And with that, holding the hand of her small bunny friend, Faith left.

Off Topic

Sorry guys, that's what she'd do. Great fun and I really enjoyed it - please feel free to continue without me, of course, but the way the thread went, that was the only way Faith could behave. Hope to write with you again soon!

[Noth]

She left. The other plaintiff had decided midway through what was looking to be a promising procession to exit the building, holding hands with what appeared to be a small rabbit. The inner predator in Noth nearly snarled at the small furry creature, but he restrained that gnawing instinct, deciding instead to wait until after the session had been adjourned before hunting down his next meal. It was fine, his speech had been delivered with relative decency, and he had stricken all of the points that he had found written down upon the papers laid out before him. It mattered little whether or not his fellow plaintiff found the material offensive, or believed that walking out on the court would change anything, so long as the client had not been swayed. Crimson eyes glared down on her, as if though he were observing his next meal, watching for every unconscious tick upon her face in an attempt at accessing the recesses of her mind and determining her thoughts.

He was certainly not an expert in psychological matters, but he liked to imagine that he could read people fairly well, and what he found in his examination seemed to promote the idea that he had not performed nearly as well as he would have preferred. Naturally, he was unable to actually read her thoughts or even all of the emotions that he imagined sweltered inside of her like the hot desert sun, but he sensed some manner of irritation that seemed apt to threaten all life around her, as if though she would explode in a truly bombastic fashion at the slightest provocation.

Good. It would be easy to make her blow. It was a well-known fact that wroth people were rarely kindred spirits, and though there were the occasional righteous warriors who enacted their crusades with intense prejudice towards the forces of evil, they were rare and far between, and Nightshade simply didn’t feel like one of their ilk.

The judge seemed not at all perturbed by the exit of the other plaintiff, and Noth wondered how often such occurrences actually happened, though apparently it was enough that the courtroom could continue without further interruptions. The twilight hybrid lifted himself upwards from his comfortable seating, and stepped towards the center of the room, speaking directly to the knightly fellow in charge of the entire trial.

“Might I call forth my first witness?”
There was a brief nod, and thus the bird continued. “I call forth the slain poacher.”
There was a brief whisper amidst the jury, but they quickly silenced themselves as an individual strolled through the doors, apparently wrapped in some manner of mummification cloth, and looking; and scenting, like a leper who had gone through a particularly rough bout of disease. Noth couldn’t quite remember his face, but he stepped in front of Nightshade and unwrapped the cloth from about his head, and suddenly it became easily pictured.
“Now then, poacher. What is your true name?”
“Joseph Barley, but my friends just call me Jossy.”
“What is your relation to the accused?”

The mummy chuckled for a moment, a brief humorless noise, “Well, she killed me.”
“Murder seems terribly unheroic, though I’m sure we can unravel the circumstances.”
Predatory eyes glinted over hungrily at the female Avriel, as if warning her of what was to follow.
“So, Joseph, what were the circumstances leading to your death?”
“Well, my friends and I had started working out of a cave near Etzos, catching wild animals in the hopes of selling them to the highest bidder. Shame, but some of the critters got spooked one night, and one of the big nasty beasties got loose and dun took off through the woods. Tried to find ‘em, but all we found were corpses.”
A sorrowful pause. “We weren’t killers, but we couldn’t let a load of bodies sit around or else we’d incriminate ourselves. Drug them all back to the hole.”
“You say you didn’t kill anyone?”
“Not a soul, Mr. Noth. We were criminals, but most of the boys didn’t want that sorta blood on our hands when the time came. We were the all of us Immortal fearing men. The only issue was that you pair showed up at just the wrong time. We found you sniffing through the remains, and we knew what you would think.”
“That you were killers?”
“Ye. Right spooked the lot of us, and one of my friends went and shot at you. He missed by a mile, but instead of scaring you off, you two just got ready for fighting.”
“So you decided then to kill to keep your secret?”
“Not at all, just gonna rough you up a bit and toss you outta there on your rears. At least, that was my plan. I went for the girly there, figured she’d be the easier fight.”
“I imagine that went well.”
“Considering my current circumstances, I’d say probably not.”
“Tell me, is poaching a crime punishable by death?”
“Not that I know of, and especially since we were only trapping the critters.”
“You seem somewhat irritated at having been killed, that’s understandable.”
“I’m not really all too upset at the actual dying part, turned out to be a lot nicer than I woulda figured. Plus, I get it. I was the bad guy there, and a misunderstanding just blew outta proportion.”
“So then, why are you upset?”
The man turned, staring with dead and greyed eyes towards Nightshade.
“Well, we crims and crooks don’t often commit crimes for the giggles.”
Noth observed a stray glance to his direction and frowned slightly as if though to remind the man that he needed to stay on topic.
“The only reason I got involved in the whole mess was that I was trying to help out my kids. There aint any work left for people sometimes, and kiddos gotta eat.”
“I imagine that being dead didn’t do wonders for them.”
“You’re bloody right it didn’t. Two of my girls starved to death. Wasn’t nothin’ to feed ‘em. Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t mad about myself dyin’, but did the kids deserve it too?”
“Well, Nightshade. Have an answer to that?”
The smug smile that spread across his hidden face was almost asking to be punched. He hoped she did, violence was wicked… and everyone knew where he stood on that front.

[Nightshade Eld]

Night could feel her anger flaring, her capacity for punishment being pushed far past its limits. Noth continued to stoke the fire, and now he was finally going to get burnt. But not in the way he so desired. "Of course I have an answer, my dear Noth. Children never deserve to die. Neither do their parents. But this is the world we live in and there's no two ways about it. If I could have the world the way I wanted it then no one would die, there would be no starvation and no war. It's not fair to children. It's also not fair to a child when her entire home town gets burnt to the ground by raiders not more than three days after her mother died in her birth. It isn't fair when she gets beaten her entire childhood. It's not fair when everything around her that's good has to go and die. It's not fair whenever she gets blamed for something she does when she's trying to do good. And that's because life isn't fair. That's why people have to protect themselves. When you get attacked you don't know if you're about to breath your last breath or not, you don't know if your going to be slaughtered like a fat cow in the middle of Cylus! And yes, it's not good when children die because their parents can't feed them. But it also sure as hell isn't fair to blame the knight that's just trying to protect other people! It isn't fair to start listing off all the things I could have done better when I did the best that I could," the half breed crowed. Her entire demeanor had changed and her eyes blazed with passion.

"I'm sorry, truly and whole heartedly sorry that I wasn't able to do better. I'm not perfect, I am a stupid and ugly mortal that is a cross between two races that should of never been crossed. I'm not a perfect god! But I'm also not this story's demon. If there was any way that I could protect all the people in the world that needed my protection I would! And if I had things my way I would have let the first poacher or bandit I ran across kill me like they wanted to. But that's not the way the world works, because if I die then someone after me is going to die. One death doesn't make a killer give up on their ways. And if I don't protect myself, then I can't protect the next person either," she said before turning towards the entire court.

"If you wish to condemn me for being a mortal, for being an imperfect being, then so be it! Just understand that all of you suffer from the exact same crime that you accuse me of now. Joseph Barley, you yourself suffer from my crime! You've spent your entire life hunting, hurting, and abusing animals. Some of which rare and endangered. And yet you extend kindness to your kin and do what you do for the sake of your children. Does that not stick you on the line between good and evil? For goodness sake, even you Noth! After every conversation we've ever held there is no way you can dare to claim yourself as pure evil. And therefore by those standards your alignment is just as well undefined, the court beseeches me to pick a side and yet no one in this room can do as such," the woman argued turning on everyone with the accusation hot on her tongue. Her eyes flared like embers, burning and blistering against everything they touched.

She paused for a moment her eyes turning sympathetic and sorrowful. "That's why I decree this entire case to be completely incompetent and irrational. And if the judge before me disagrees and still wants to punish me for my refusal to pick a side, then I can prove them wrong."

[Noth]

It seemed that his trap had worked to full effect. Nightshade spoke with an apparent frustration that he had never quite noticed before, except perhaps once when he had responded with violence to a misunderstanding between her and a local bounty hunter. Noth couldn’t help but to agree with her statement that children didn’t deserve to die. He was a murderer with few qualms in the world, and stealing from the poor and petty and hunting down the undeserving and innocent didn’t quite frustrate him in the same way that abusing and harming children had done. Clearly, there was a residual hatred that had been indoctrinated into him during his early years of development and molding at the hands of Nicholas. He felt somewhat similarly about the abuse of animals, though that was generally a less extreme trigger, and he was a carnivorous sort and thereby had to excuse the death of most beasts. It was not within the repertoire of an Avriel to become a vegetarian, and he certainly wouldn’t deny himself the succulent flesh that he so heartily craved.

In fact, as Noth listened further, he found himself agreeing with many of Nightshade’s statements. A perfect world with him as its leader would no longer suffer from starvation and warfare, especially since he considered himself a fairly talented administrator, and because despite his violent lifestyle, he was not a proponent of corrupt systems of moderation and control. Her plead that it was not fair to judge someone based on their ability seemed irritatingly whiny to the Avriel, though he could easily understand the concept behind her statement. It may well have been true that she could not do better than she had, and yet that did not excuse the fact that her all was not enough. Motivations were important, especially when dealing with subordinates and even those outside of a command chain, but results were to be commended far more than methodology and motivation.

She apologized profusely for her involvement in the murder of Joseph Barley, and yet the predatory bird could sense an undeniable fervor that had enwrapped itself around her, as if though she were drawing closer to an inevitable conclusion. It was impossible for him to interrupt his client whilst she spoke, though the desire to do such definitely entered his mind. She was going to harm his likelihood of winning the case, and he certainly didn’t wish to lose such an easy legal battle as this to someone who had already abandoned her post. He listened to her speak, wondering whether or not she might involuntarily teach him some of her thought processes and her diplomatic abilities, and thus Noth became more attached to the grammatical and structural foundations of her discussion than with the actual narrative quality of it. Defeat seemed a looming possibility, but that did not mean he would be unprepared when next his fiendish compatriot found herself being questioned.

The moment came when Nightshade turned the court upon Joseph Barley. It was to be expected, especially given the buildup that she had just gone through, and since it meant that her actions would be justified in the eyes of both the court and her own psyche. Despite that, he did not quite believe she would turn on him with the same ferocity, speaking of the private conversations they had held before, and how he wasn’t truly a villain at all, or at least not entirely.

Crimson eyes wrote a thousand vile deaths through the air as they pierced into Nightshade’s own, examining her soul for any sign of weakness. Animals learned quickly not to fight those of equivalent strength, because such struggles were liable to leave them wounded, and it seemed as though that ancient adage had proven once more truthful. He could feel the crushing sensation that accompanied someone who didn’t know what they were, what their purpose was supposed to be in the world. The Hawk felt the Hare’s weakness within his mind, and it quickly snatched the furry animal from the controls, taking over completely.

Its eyes joined his own in their stare across the wound, and though it remained invisible to the naked eye, Noth felt confident that the girl would feel its monstrous hungering for vengeance over the humiliation she had uttered.

“Next time.” He spoke, before closing his briefcase and stepping out of the building.

The Judge arose from his seated position, staring downwards with hidden eyes towards the client. A hammer was raised upwards, and his pronouncement was spoken.

“Let her be free. The test is flawed.”

The hammer fell. The court adjourned.

“For too long, our world has been separated into black and white… perhaps it is time that we added a Shade between.”

[Djinn]

Noth

Story 5/5
Structure 5/5
Collaboration 5/5

• The Judge: Massive and commanding
• Nightshade Eld: Doesn't know her alignment
• Faith: Should be dead
• Rhetoric: Using societal definitions in your argument
• Rhetoric: Defining evil as a passionate state
• Rhetoric: Twisting phrases to suit your needs
• Rhetoric: Using a witness to discredit a claim
• Joseph Barley: Criminal by circumstance

Nightshade Eld

Story 5/5
Structure 5/5
Collaboration 5/5

• Doors: They can be intimidating
• Faith: Calming presence when upset
• Noth: Ruthless in his approach
• Rage at the Machine
• Logic: Defining a "monster"
• Noth: Emotionally confused (and confusing!)
• Faith: Unnecessary in this instance
• Rhetoric: Turning the tables on the plaintiffs
• Rhetoric: Accusing others of your crime

Faith

Story 5/5
Structure 5/5
Collaboration 3/5

• Rhetoric: Uses distracting language
• Rhetoric: Circular logic
• Nightshade Eld: Being coerced into a box
• Noth: Believes in constructing boxes
• Nightshade Eld: Is self-indulgent and weak

Notes: Overall, guys, really nice thread. A lot of legalese, but it didn't break the immersion. Nightshade's "inner thought" is surprisingly compelling, I really enjoyed it. Also, Faith, I dropped the point because you took off after 2 posts. Other than that, way to keep with the character. Enjoy the points, you guys.