ROLEPLAY HQ - faithless-distrust-and-pixie-dust

TW: Bullying, Cussing, Drinking, Sexual Content, Murder, TBD

The courtroom was still, which was eerie considering how many people resided inside. Every inch of the benches were filled with an array of people varying in ages, hair color and genders, all of whom were staring straight ahead at the empty podiums before them. Parents, spinsters, children and government employees all silently twiddled their fingers, combed their hair with their hands or clenched their teeth with anticipation as their shoulders nearly rubbed against the person next to them. The empty stands in the middle of the room held no one yet, but the sense of foreboding they held could be cut with a blade. The air was thick with tension and the one soul who was feeling it the most was the presiding judge who was seated at the front of the room. He was an elderly man who seemed inches from retirement, but the sweat on his brow indicated that even he knew how important this case was to his city and it made his nerves ache in his body. He fiddled with his papers and hesitantly cast glances up at the people who were waiting, waiting to see the case that would surely be the talk of the century. What started as petty thievery escalated to burned buildings, overflowing rivers and even a few natural disasters that were not physically possible for the region they resided in. So much loss and destruction had plagued the city of Sheffield that it almost seemed illogical. To any other state, city or even country, there would not be a court case held for things seemingly out of the hands of the people who resided there,however, Sheffield was different. Sheffield was the home to many a magic-user who possessed unnatural abilities, abilities that could wage war on armies let alone a small town tucked away in the middle of the United Kingdom. It was where those who couldn’t find their place in the natural world came to to hone their magics and/or keep them out of sight. Unfortunately for its inhabitants, there was one among them who wished to be seen.

19:11

‘Bring ‘em in.’ The voice of the judge echoed out into the still room like a gnarled out tree twisting in the wind. He sounded every bit his age as he spoke to the bailiffs and intertwined his fingers together. Old eyes squinted to the mass of people before they slowly turned to the side chamber where the defense was being escorted out. Both bailiffs had a young man by his arms, his wrists cuffed behind his back and a sly grin that seemed to ooze every ounce of malice and wickedness that the world possessed. There were some people on the benches that recoiled at the sight of him even though he was a very handsome man to those who didn’t know what he was capable of. Thick, black hair and piercing blue eyes stood out among olive colored skin. The whites of his eyes and teeth were most prominent when he caught the gaze of an unsuspecting onlooker and grinned like he had found his next target. The men at his side, stocky and tall in build, held his arms a little tighter than an outsider would deem necessary and if examined closely, they could even be seen trembling. They walked him to one of the podiums and stood next to him until the other side chamber door swung open. The plaintiff was on the complete other side of the spectrum from the trouble-maker on the other side of the courtroom. He was a small, lanky boy whose eyes never left the floor as his parents trailed quickly behind him. They were a family that resembled each other to the finest of details; the blonde hair, the long legs and even the doe-like brown eyes. The boys parents seemed much more concerned with the trial than he did, marching straight to the podium and almost acting as a kickstand for the shy boy in front of them. None of them even looked in the direction of the defense. Their gaze was set on the judge and what his next words would be.

19:12

‘The uhhmm, the case of the Gerrards VS Marlow is–uhgm–now in session. I must ask that.. That everyone keep their seats from–errgm– this point on.’ The judges eyes focused on each and every member of the gallery before turning the blonde family to his left. He gave them a kind smile before turning to the bailiffs holding onto the other young man for dear life. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the kid, but not out of fear. He was worried about his town and no one had any doubt of that, but his eyes held a sense of sorrow for the boy that seemed completely unfounded by most. ‘Now, Mr. Gerrard, you claim that this–this boy… snuck onto your property to–to errmm– poison your livestock?’ ‘Yes, your honor.’ The man who was currently restricted rolled his eyes at the statement, letting them rest on the judge with a curve to his lips that showed he thought the entire accusation preposterous. Whenever he moved, the grip from the men next to him tightened and the trembling became worse. The fear they had for him only made his confidence rise as he stood upright and calmly watched the judge’s facial features. ‘We know it was him! He’s been casing the place for months! Tell him, Vincent.’ The small boy in front of them practically winced at hearing his name. Bright red color flushed his cheeks as he shyly looked up at the judge. The elderly man was intimidating, especially to a boy who never wished to have to sit in on a serious talk, let alone a major court case where he was the one suing someone. Gulping down his fear and wringing out his hands, he could only nod to the judge before sheepishly looking back to the floor for comfort. ‘I see… And what say you, Mr. Marlow?’

19:14

The man who stood with a strikingly calm facade simply stared at the judge for a moment. There was a spark in his crystal eyes that could’ve been mistaken for childhood innocence, but there was a fire there that threatened to burn with the rage of a thousand suns. He smiled warmly at the judge before his lips parted to speak. His pearly-white teeth gleamed as he spoke and his care-free voice seeped into the room like a barrel of honey tipped on its side. “I say if I wanted to slaughter Mr Gerrard’s cattle, I could’ve done so from a mile away.” ‘ORDER! ORDER!’ The courtroom burst into gasps, groans and scoffs at the audacity of Darian Marlow. His family was extremely well known and wealthy, an elite family among the common rabble of the town and yet their son, the heir to their family business, was treating these heinous accusations like a joke. He simply shrugged his shoulders at the judge, casting a small glance behind him at the people who seemed way more riled up than he was. When his eyes came back to the front, he couldn’t help but stop on the small girl who was taking notes of the procession. He had recognized her and many of those behind him as classmates, graduation feeling like a distant memory compared to the severity of the crimes before him. He was no longer a wayward child and if a sentencing was to be made, it would be made with that of an adult in mind. That didn’t seem to deter him though as he looked back up at the judge. “I’m simply saying that I was not there the day that Mr. Gerrard claims. If I had been there to commit murder, not only would I not be there in the first place, but he wouldn’t have seen me.” ‘Mr. Marlow! That is more than enough! ErrrgEerm—ORDER!!!!’

19:15

The judge was stuttering and stumbling over his words as he banged his gavel against the small bit of wood in front of him. He felt empathy for the man in front of him, along with annoyance, but he also knew that he was right. There would be no need to be there for the deed to be done, not when one had as much power as he did. He knew if he admitted the fact that he would see himself on trial faster than a farmer could till a plot of land. He grumbled and gruffed at the people who stood behind the boys before looking down at his papers. A deep-rooted fear began nestling itself in his gut as he looked back up at the defense. The Marlows were exceptional and he started to wonder exactly what a snap of the fingers could do coming from them before he turned to look at the Gerrard’s. ‘Now… did you see Mr. Marlow on your property?’ ‘YES!’ ‘Do you have any proof?’ The family looked at one another, seemingly contemplating their decisions before the father looked up first. Small beads of sweat were forming against his forehead as he stepped foreword. He wiped his hands on his jacket as he approached the bench, his wife coming to clutch her boy in her grasp. ‘I do, your honor. See for yourself.’ He held his hand out for the judge to touch, knowing full well he would be able to see into his mind. There wasn’t a filter with telekinetic touch and it was almost as dangerous as wild magic. The judge would be able to see anything and everything he had ever witnessed if he didn’t know exactly what to look for. The man was taking a huge with each step towards the judge and his apprehension showed. He took a deep breath and stretched his hand out farther. ‘Please. Put him away.’ @Fiory

I should have stayed home today… It was a typical day; cloudy and wet and cold. Her steps were light and purpose driven, hitting the ground in quick steps and zig zagged motions to avoid the puddles forming on the concrete. The puffs of breath that came out of her lips hung on her glasses along with the droplets of rain that fell on and around her. Up the steps she went until she was finally under the cover of the large courthouse building. Her little flats were soaked and as she walked into the building they made soft squishing sounds pushing the water out and onto the tile floor. Shrugging her heavy messenger bag over her shoulder to reposition it, the girl continued forward, making her way towards the office where she worked. A simple clerk, filing paperwork and organizing different letters that had to go out to defendants, prosecution teams and the like. The office was stacked with papers and different odds and ends, some files organizing and shifting themselves in the air to more active cases and other necessary ventures. “You’re late…” The older woman said from behind a particularly large pile of folders and paperwork, waving her hand and sending a stack of the differently colored folders and files to the small desk in the corner of the room. Her white and lavender hair in a short tight curled bob around her plump face that normally would have looked grandmotherly if her intern hadn’t arrived late.