PREVIOUS: 021: Trial, Day 1 - Part 1
Jagal drums his hands on the table briefly before trying to remember which way Miga went. He is unsuccessful, so he just does some light stretches to discreetly let the others take the lead on that.
Brajan knows exactly where Miga went, and makes a beeline for her as he frantically reorganizes his notes. Lucya follows behind him, still a little wary of the fearsome woman.
BRAJAN: "Ms. Miga! Are ye sure about this? That he's the one who..."
MIGA: "Well I can't exactly take it back now, can I?"
Bevan gives Miga a look, and she sighs.
MIGA: "Can't say for sure about the contacts before, but last night? That was definitely Veren."
LUCYA: "But ye'd have heard his voice afore now, aye? Have ye nae been t'the general store in all these years?"
MIGA: "I can't go shoppin' on me bum leg, Lucya! Why d'ya think Togan was there 'stead of me?"
Jagal snorts as he gets a coin to roll along his knuckles.
JAGAL: "So, Veren's our blackmailer. But we're still not accusing him of the murder?"
BRAJAN: "We dinnae have a motive, aye? I can buy him setting up a lad who just happened t'be there, or hiding things that allude tae his, ah, criminal activity, but killin' his own pa?"
LUCYA: "Aye, and in such a roundabout way... What's goin' on here?"
MIGA: "Bah, whatever happened to just havin' a duel?"
Jagal chuckles at Miga's sentiment, rubbing one side of his neck, before quieting down again.
JAGAL: "Don't exactly have a motive for anybody else, though, do we? 'Cept her, maybe."
He bobs a shoulder towards Miga with a snort.
JAGAL: "But we won't be running with that for obvious reasons."
MIGA: "You better not! If I have to kill a man, I look 'em in the eye and run 'em through! None of these shenanigans."
BRAJAN: "Er-- ma'am, ye'd do well tae phrase that a wee bit more charitably on the stand..."
Brajan is looking less sure of this course of action by the second.
LUCYA: "I'm sure Ms. Miga was nae the only one troubled by Veren and Mr. Pearce! And there's a motive, aye, should we find someone else under the same pressure..."
Jagal nods in approval before trying to parse Lucya's point.
JAGAL: "Well, we already decided the, uh..." (gestures unhelpfully) "one guy wasn't in shape to kill anybody, right?"
LUCYA: "Ehh, y'mean Baerli? Ms. Freida said he was mighty wasted, and he left afore noon..."
LUCYA: "But, if one person breaches the subject, others may follow, aye?"
BRAJAN: "Auh, I hope so! Ms. Miga, could I speak with ye fer a moment?"
Brajan pulls Miga aside to outline her testimony and update his notes. Bevan remains beside her, but he looks up to try and catch Togan's eye from the defendant's chair.
It's then that a semi-familiar figure comes into view, looking vaguely lost. He bumbles over to the group with a little rolled tobacco loosely in hand.
COLUMB: "You gotta light?"
JAGAL: "Sure thing."
Jagal whips out some flint and puts a dagger to good use.
COLUMB: "Thanks, thanks."
JAGAL: "No problem."
COLUMB: "Say, uh..." (taking a puff) "That was some pretty good work out there!"
JAGAL: (without the slightest reaction to the noxious smoke) "I try."
LUCYA: "...A-are we allowed tae talk t'the jury right now?"
Lucya discreetly sidesteps to get upwind of the strange wee man.
COLUMB: "Oh geez, I didn't even think a' that."
Columb looks away briefly and scratches his head.
COLUMB: "Maybe we shouldn't be talking about the case, yeah... But surely it can't hurt anything just to get to know each other a little? I feel like I'm real behind, what with all the long-time locals knowing everybody already..."
JAGAL: "Oh, I know what you mean. Everybody in the place thinking they know everything about each other..."
JAGAL: "But I'm a total outsider, anyway, so you're not far behind anybody else here, her included."
Assuaged by Columb's disarming manner, Lucya curtsies a little.
LUCYA: "I s'pose we didnae cross paths afore I left, sir. Me name's Lucya. Duncan is me pa, and Togan is..."
LUCYA: "...Well, ye heard them. And ye are...?"
Jagal totally thought they'd already introduced themselves earlier, at... some point? He's not sure when he thought they did that. Oops.
JAGAL: "Oh, right—name's Jagal. The Jackal, if you've heard of me."
Columb half-bows, half-just-kinda-ducks in response to the curtsy.
COLUMB: "Well, it's a pleasure, a real pleasure. My name's Columb, I'm a, uh..."
Columb digs around in a pocket for a moment before withdrawing a handful of slightly dirty tobacco leaves.
COLUMB: "I'm a tobacco farmer."
Satisfied they had a chance to look at his proof, he stuffs the leaves back into his pocket.
COLUMB: "Nothin' so exciting as a jackal, or a, uh..."
COLUMB: (takes another puff and gestures at Lucya) "They sure like tryin' to talk about you funny, don't they? Awful to treat a girl like that, just awful." (shakes his head) "I think you musta had a real good reason for doin' whatever you did."
LUCYA: "Auh... That's mighty kind a ye t'say, sir."
Lucya smiles just a bit.
LUCYA: "I hope ye willnae let all this tarnish yer view a the place! 'Tis a fine wee town. Where are ye from?"
COLUMB: (waving it off) "No, not at all. Plentya real good people. Just could afford to be a little nicer with their gossip, that's all."
COLUMB: "Me? I'm from Ellay. Beautiful place—can't beat the sunsets over the ocean. Not much farmin' there, though."
Jagal hmms.
JAGAL: "On the Coast, then?"
COLUMB: "That's right. It's, uh, just about due east of Highwatch, if you've heard a' that one?"
JAGAL: Jagal squints. Something about that sounds vaguely familiar, but he can't put his finger on it. Eh, he might just be imagining things.
LUCYA: "The ocean, aye... I'd like tae see it! It's sortae on our way, right?"
JAGAL: "What, don't tell me you've never seen it before?"
Jagal squints briefly. Is it on their way? He remembers exactly one area they got from Eleri, and it's sure not their actual destination. But it is still along the Coast.
JAGAL: "But yeah, that it is." (shrugs) "I'm sure Ellay is nice, but I know some real good spots, too."
Columb has started to wander a bit, still going at his tobacco.
COLUMB: "I'd ask where you're headed, but it looks like the recess's just about up now. Real sorry for keeping you folks so long."
LUCYA: "Nay, it was a pleasure to meet ye, Mr. Columb."
Lucya curtsies again.
Almost on cue, the resounding thump of Duncan's makeshift gavel brings recess to an end. Brajan returns to the defense bench a little less wild-eyed than before, though his next witness looks no less surly. Lucya searches the crowd for Togan as she waddles back over to her spot-- he's signing with his father, and she lets them be.
She rests a mighty hand on Brajan's shoulder, and he jumps a bit.
LUCYA: "Are ye ready?"
BRAJAN: "I have... (whispering) no idea how this is ginnae go. It's a lot! But! I'll try!"
Miga squints at them, but doesn't say anything.
Jagal watches the reaction with clear amusement, then slips across to plant a hand on Brajan's other shoulder without warning.
JAGAL: "Good! It's so much less fun when you know what's gonna happen."
BRAJAN: "Auh!! These are nae supposed t'be fun..."
Thump!
DUNCAN: "Ahem! The court has reassembled fer the trial of Mr. Togan o' Stormfall fer the apparent murder of Mr. Pearce o' Mossgrove. The defense has requested fer Ms. Miga tae testify..."
KEELA: "Pointless. Allowing the accused's mother to slander the prosecution."
MIGA: "Ha! Hardly any worse than what you're doing."
BRAJAN: "Ma'am, please..."
Brajan gathers his wits and turns to face the jury.
BRAJAN: "Aye, I know this is unconventional, but the circumstances are extenuating, tae say the least! Afore we begin, I'd like tae ask one question of a Mx. Rhoddri..."
BRAJAN: "During yer time guarding the defendant, did his family e'er come tae visit him?"
Rhoddri seems a bit startled to be called on but weaves her way over.
RHODDRI: "Nay, nyat at all."
BRAJAN: "And the mayor, aye, even ye had trouble finding them?"
DUNCAN: "Er, aye, I am a wee bit surprised tae see them this mornin'..."
BRAJAN: "Now I dinnae know how many of ye good folks know this family, but that dinnae sound like them t'me! Nay, they are as peas in a pod!"
LUCYA: (whispering to Jagal) "Or a den of ash bears..."
JAGAL: (snorting and whispering back) "Or one ash bear and her two beloved peas."
BRAJAN: "So, let us hear her explanation, aye?"
At Brajan's words, Jagal turns to give Miga a vaguely encouraging nod. If she screws this up, at least it won't be his fault.
It takes Miga a few seconds to steady herself at the podium, and a few seconds after that for her to finally open her mouth.
MIGA: "...I know you people don't like me. But I'm gonna say my piece anyway."
MIGA: "The reason I was hiding was because I was blackmailed."
MIGA: "'Stay inside, dinnae say anything, and yer boy willnae get the death penalty,' he said."
MIGA: "He made it sound real bad, like Togie had..."
MIGA: "..."
MIGA: "...But this is all it was?! This trial is a joke! He was set up!"
MIGA: "And that damn voice I heard last night-- I heard it just now! It was Veren!"
ace attorney crowd murmur dot wav
🎲 Jagal rolls to Aid an Ally and gets a miss- but Lucya's Face Danger is still a strong hit! The argument ends up being pretty convincing, but it's a close call.
GRANNY: "Now that I just cannae believe. Not Veren."
DELKAPH: "If ye ask me, I did always think there was something off about that lad."
ISHANA: "I dinnae about that, but... why would she wannae lie about this?"
HALLR: "Hum! His family has been a pillar of our community for years, far longer than the blacksmiths."
OTYLIA: "But if ye ask me, there's always been somethin' funny about 'em... Teehee!~'"
COLUMB: (watching Miga closely) "Now this, ah, this is int'resting..."
Keela narrows her eye at a few jury members, then the witness.
KEELA: "Then even the accused's mother believed he could kill in cold blood."
MIGA: "That's not--"
Miga wouldn't have responded to such a sentence gracefully even under the best of circumstances, but one glimpse of Togan's wide eyes from the defendant's chair sets her off.
MIGA: "--How dare you?! Maybe-- I thought, maybe an accident or-- or self defense, but--"
The makeshift podium visibly warps under her fists.
MIGA: "You don't get to f---in' talk! Not after what you people did to my family! You dragged my son into this! I'll--"
LUCYA: "Ms. Miga!"
Lucya manages to stop her rampage, but she receives the righteous whack of the cane intended for the prosecution.
Keela just stares Miga down steely-gazed the whole time.
Jagal casually keeps his mouth covered so his blatant mirth at the whole debacle isn't obvious at a glance. He's silent, but still laughing hard enough his throat crackles.
DUNCAN: "With all due respect, ma'am, what in the lands are ye talkin' about?"
MIGA: "You really got no clue, huh? Some mayor you are. But I guess a place this small ain't seen a racket like this before..."
Brajan clears his throat and gives Miga his own variation upon The Look™. She scowls, but goes quiet again.
BRAJAN: "We have reason tae believe that some, if nae all, of Mr. Pearce's family have a history of using similar threats tae acquire rare and unsavory goods fer trade."
KEELA: "Ridiculous."
MIGA: "Ha! Should I get into the details, then? You want all that out there?"
KEELA: "This is a waste of time."
FREIDA: "...If ye'll pardon me, I dinnae think so. Let's hear her out, aye?"
Brajan's a bit surprised to hear Freida of all people speak up, but it sounds like the townsfolk are interested. He'll take what he can get.
Miga shifts her weight from her cane to the podium as she returns to the stand.
MIGA: "This didn't start overnight, mind you. They've been threatenin' us for months now."
MIGA: "They were tricky about it, though. Didn't leave tracks. It was all letters and whispers and secret dropoffs, until last night... Ha!"
MIGA: "It was scratch they wanted from me. Dunno how they knew I knew a guy, but-- knowin' too much is how blackmail works, yeah?"
MIGA: "I can show you the dropoff spot if you don't believe me. I ain't a detective, but there oughta be somethin'."
KEELA: "........"
JAGAL: (snorts) "Well, I'm sure it smells, if nothing else."
FREIDA: "Aye, it sure does! And I smelt it in mine own establishment just the other day! So it was comin' from around here..."
FREIDA: "Nothin' against a good time, a'course, but I gottae clean the place, y'know!"
Jagal blinks, as if he either didn't realize he spoke out loud, or didn't realize people can hear you when you speak out loud.
DELKAPH: "Scratch? Like—like scratch? Here?"
GRANNY: "It's awful hard for me tae believe any such dealings could happen in our fine town."
ISHANA: (slowly sinking into her scarf) "Should I... know what scratch is..."
COLUMB: "Oh it's some unpleasant stuff, miss. Really ain't good for ya! And the folks what get hooked on it, well, we all got our vices, but they get desperate, y'know..."
OTYLIA: "That sounds scary!~"
HALLR: "Shouldn't that be illegal?!"
DUNCAN: "'Tis nae illegal, per se, but certainly nae good news fer the town! And tae use such ignoble means tae obtain it..."
DUNCAN: "Deeply concerning. But how does it affect the matter at hand?"
LUCYA: "Wh-- Pa!"
BRAJAN: "Lucya, there's an order tae things--"
LUCYA: "Aye, and I'm tired of it! Is it nae obvious?"
Brajan just throws up his hands as Lucya asserts herself at the defense's bench.
LUCYA: "A'course we couldnae have known in the thick a things, but-- I'm sorry, Ms. Keela, but Veren had every opportunity and every reason tae do what he wanted with the crime scene! We know at least one thing he put there, but who knows what all he hid?"
Jagal is happy to keep the ball rolling in defiance of court procedure, partly just to see how many levels of exasperation they can get Brajan up to.
JAGAL: "Not to mention selling secrets and herbs of the less medical variety gives ample reason for others to have a grudge against the victim and his family."
JAGAL: "You've gotta have a good few customers to make that risky a business worthwhile. Who knows just how many people here had to pretend they weren't relieved when one of the guys responsible got taken out of the picture?"
Keela's expression still only shifts so much, but her face is noticeably red by now.
KEELA: "That business has nothing to do with my family. One witness claiming she heard my son's voice one time is not sufficient."
LUCYA: "Then what if we talk tae one a the customers?"
KEELA: (suspicious) "Who."
BRAJAN: "--okay we're doing this now-- Ms. Adda, ye possess a copy of the store register, aye? Would ye read off the transactions from the morning a the murder?"
ADDA: "...Aye."
Adda very swiftly decides she doesn't want to deal with switching anyone's places around to get back to the witness stand. She just clears her throat where she is.
ADDA: "Isnae much. Travelling provisions fer a Baerli. An' animal feed fer, well, yerself."
BRAJAN: "Aye, but ye will find I traded my usual dozen eggs and bottle a goat milk fer my usual sack a barley. Now what did Mr. Baerli pay?"
ADDA: “He paid in old rubles—five of ‘em.”
Jagal whistles. He’s gonna have to figure out where those got tucked away. For purely investigative purposes, of course.
FREIDA: "Eh?! And here the laddie was tellin' me he couldnae pay off 'is tab!"
JAGAL: “Not after that purchase, he couldn’t.”
DUNCAN: "My goodness..."
Lucya doesn't quite have a bead on how much money 5 old rubles actually is, but judging by the reaction of the townsfolk, it's even more than she thought. She's emboldened to press a little further.
LUCYA: "Veren, ye've been mighty quiet, haven't ye?"
Veren tenses a bit, glancing from one side to the other.
VEREN: "I... usually am?"
LUCYA: "Well, aye, but-- would ye care tae offer any explanations? Afore we go tae the trouble a trackin' this customer down..."
BRAJAN: "Under the circumstances, I think it's reasonable tae request an itemization a the transaction, aye?"
VEREN: "Um..."
KEELA: (stepping in) "Pearce made the transaction. That's all he wrote."
BRAJAN: "And it's nae written anywhere else? Why, what if the man needs a refund?!"
LUCYA: "Sounds a wee bit shady t'me..."
KEELA: "Then the customer would go back to him specifically."
KEELA: "...I suppose our system did not have provisions for one of us being murdered."
BRAJAN: "I understand, ma'am, but when dealing with that much money..."
JAGAL: "Yeah, is that a normal amount for you guys to handle? You even got a place in that shop to store it safely?"
Keela just stares at him.
JAGAL: "What? People have killed for less silver than that. Seems like a relevant line of inquiry to me."
Lucya squints at him, but he does have a point. Her father's frown is a little less charitable.
DUNCAN: "Ahem! This is all mighty strange, but I was told the man left town well afore the incident, aye? Is there a more concrete reason tae seek him out than an improbable grocery purchase?"
BRAJAN: "Well, that was actually--"
FREIDA: "Aha! Is it my turn now, laddie?"
Freida looks far too eager to take the witness stand at a murder trial.
BRAJAN: "Er-- The defense believes Ms. Freida was made privy tae information that may shed new light on the case! Should it please the court, I shall let the madam speak and the jury decide its relevance."
KEELA: "Fine."
🎲 This time we roll before the testimony, and it's the final progress roll for the scene challenge. We get a weak hit-- a success overall, but we must Pay The Price...
JAGAL: "Looks like you're up." (gesturing to the stand with a flourish) "This should be fun."
Freida bats her eyelashes at Jagal as she saunters up to the stand. She's a little too tall to lean her elbows on the table comfortably, so she sits on the edge instead, swirling her ever-present glass of wine.
FREIDA: "Aye, that Baerli fella is a regular a mine. Staff calls him Baerli the Sober..." (stage whispers) "That's what we old folks like tae call a joke."
FREIDA: "He likes tae come through and kick his feet up at the tavern fer a couple hours, afore he sets off wanderin' again. Nae sure what he does fer a livin'. Anyways..."
FREIDA: "Mornin' a the murder, he shows up bright an' early fer him-- maybe 10 or so? 'Bout as sober as he ever is."
FREIDA: "Says he got tae town early tae shop, that he 'thought it was an odd time fer repairs,' but then he 'came back later and it was fine.' Didnae think much of it at the time, but..."
FREIDA: "And afore ye ask, I did smell the yearnin' leaf on 'im."
KEELA: "Yet you believe his account is reliable."
FREIDA: "Well he hadnae smoked it yet! And he's nae got any reason tae lie about somethin' like that tae a bartender."
FREIDA: "Look Keelie, ye know I'm nae the type tae narc if I cannae help it, but... Ye have tae know somethin' is goin' on, aye?"
KEELA: ".........."
KEELA: "Lie? No. But be mistaken?"
KEELA: (crossing arms) "We had no repairs done."
LUCYA: "Nay? Then-- dinnae that sound like a break-in?!"
Keela shakes her head.
KEELA: "No sign of one."
JAGAL: "Ah-ah-ah, I wouldn't be so sure." (leaning on the bench) "How close you look at your lock that morning? Just enough to open it?"
KEELA: "......."
JAGAL: " 'Cause you can tell from the scratches it's been picked, and not too long ago." (knuckle-rolling another coin) "And honestly? That lock's a joke. A baby could pop that thing."
KEELA: "Excuse me?"
Jagal opens his mouth to explain, then frowns and procures something from his pocket instead.
JAGAL: "Right, see here?" (gesturing at the keyhole of the lock in his hand) "Those aren't from a key. Not faded, either."
BRAJAN: "Auh! Ye cannae keep doin' this!!"
LUCYA: "Fingers so sticky ye'd steal the quilt off a granny...!"
Granny blinks briefly before registering that wasn't about her specifically.
VEREN: "Wh—That—Why d'you have that? Is the store nae locked right now...?!"
Jagal is clearly having a good time.
JAGAL: "It's evidence?" (waves Veren off) "And everyone in town's right here, anyway. It's fiiine."
Duncan's eyebrows raise, but Brajan scrambles to keep the conversation on track. He's not getting paid enough for this.
BRAJAN: "G-given the circumstances, sir, the defense requests tae delay this trial, such that we may locate this Baerli individual and learn more a the intruder! We cannae let this go on, nae without more evidence an' testimony..."
KEELA: "........"
Keela doesn't look happy about this, as always, but she's already used up her "waste of time" argument. It's not as if they'd be letting the suspect run wild in the meantime.
She does turn to Jagal, though, and holds her hand out palm-up.
JAGAL: (raising eyebrow) "What, this?"
He gives the lock a little shake.
JAGAL: "Not like it's doing you any good, anyway."
KEELA: ".........."
JAGAL: "Suit yourself."
Jagal finally returns the lock to its rightful owner (for now) and retreats to the defense bench.
DUNCAN: "Complications upon complications..."
Duncan sighs and rubs his freckled forehead.
DUNCAN: "We certainly must find the man, afore he gets too far down the road! Which way did he leave?"
FREIDA: "Think he said he was headed fer Lostmoor..."
LUCYA: "Eh? We shouldae seen 'im then, aye...?"
Lucya's voice dries up in her throat.
LUCYA: "...W-w-what's he look like?"
JAGAL: "Well, we did veer off the path some. The bridge, and then..."
Jagal's expression goes a bit sour, but he doesn't seem overly concerned. He does squint at Lucya—what's it matter what the guy looks like if they missed him?—but he guesses they'll be hunting Baerli down soon enough.
All eyes fall on Freida once again.
FREIDA: "Auh, do I gottae do all the work around here? Has nae one else seen 'im afore?"
DUNCAN: "Er, not tae be rude, but the man is a bit-- hard tae describe, aye? Ada dear, haven't ye met him?"
ADA: "Eh? Only in passing, but aye... Shall I attempt a sketch?"
Ada pulls out a small pad of paper and some charcoal from... somewhere in her dress.
The quiet chatter of the townsfolk grows more tense as she sets to work. Lucya waits anxiously-- is it just her, or is the breeze blowing through the square just a little too cold?
Jagal pauses briefly in his coin-knuckling to glance over his shoulder, but there's nothing new. Just another case of his overactive imagination. Annoying as always. Sigh.
Freida saunters away from the stand to peek over Ada's shoulder.
FREIDA: "Ach, his eyes are nae small enough. Beady wee things!"
ADA: "That's a bit rude, dear."
Ada turns out to be quite a fast sketch artist, and stands up to present her work to the jury. The visage depicted is of a small, haggard man with an odd streak in his hair.
ADA: "Er, this is Mr. Baerli, as best I recollect--"
LUCYA: "AUHH!!!"
ADA: (huffs) "Goodness, Lucya! He's a perfectly ordinary-looking man!"
LUCYA: "Nay, nay, it's-- That man, he is dead! We saw his ghost!!"
GRANNY: (covering her mouth) "Oh, dearie me..."
DELKAPH: "Ghost?! What—Where??"
ISHANA: "It does seem a bit too cold all of a sudden, aye...?"
HALLR: "I-if this Baerli leaves a ghost, doesn't that mean..."
OTYLIA: "Ahaha, but ghosts aren't like, real, are they?~"
COLUMB: "A double homicide, huh? Whadda day, whadda day..."
KEELA: "No testimony, then."
Jagal just keeps at his idle animation, like he's waiting for Lucya to explain further. Except he'd really rather not think about it. How many ghosts could there be in one—
JAGAL: "Wait. That was Baerli?"
As if summoned, a gust of bitter cold wind stirs through the square. There's a phantom flash of grave-smell in the air before an apparition materializes in plain sight—the unmistakable blood-soaked haunt of Baerli the Sober. Maw wide open, he hangs in midair, nearly on top of the closest juror. Granny startles and dodges back from her chair with surprising speed.
DUNCAN: "By Frigg and Odin-- Everyone, get down and stay quiet!"
It's far too late by the time Duncan finds his words, though-- the court has already erupted into chaos. He searches the crowd frantically for anyone who might be sober of mind to help him conduct the banishment ritual. His wife has already run to comfort wee Aleksy, and nobody in the jury seems to have their head on straight. What about Adda, or Miga, or--
LUCYA: "AUHHH!!! Auhh!! Begone!!"
Lucya barrels towards the haint, her axe swinging wildly through its incorporeal form. Aye, that's his daughter alright.
DUNCAN: "Lucya! Remember what yer grampa taught ye?"
LUCYA: "Eh?!"
Adda just takes another sip from her mug, in a very "yeah, this might as well be happening" sort of way.
Keela is more concerned with keeping herself between the ghost and her son than anything else. Veren has mostly just frozen up in bewilderment, but at least the two of them don't really need any instruction to stay quiet.
The haunt stalls briefly at Lucya's assault but doesn't seem to pay it all that much mind before continuing to drag along through the chilled air. If it has a specific destination, it's impossible to estimate from its empty gaze.
PENDRY: "Granny...!"
Among the more active of the crowd is a young woman in ponytails hurrying towards the jury area, or what's left of it. It's hard for her to make much progress through the panicked crowd, but she's doing her best.
LUCYA: "Grampa... Auh! Aye!!"
Lucya shifts her axe to her off hand and... punches the ghost square in the chest.
The haunt flickers out of sight just before the punch can(?) connect, leaving only grave-smell in its wake... for a moment. It rematerializes a little farther from Lucya's immediate range before continuing its floating march. Lucya tries to chase down the ghostie, but before she can reach it...
OTYLIA: "Help! Help!"
One of the fearful jury members takes a swing at the thing in self defense. This one connects, somehow, and sends the spectre flying over the crowd. The girl goes right back to calling for help, not seeming to realize what she's done.
LUCYA: "...A-are ye alright, miss?!"
OTYLIA: "Help! Help! ...Hm? Where's the cute guy?~"
Jagal is busy cowering under the defense bench.
The haunt, whether stunned or injured or subject to some other cosmic force, continues in its arc away from the town square. Twisting, the ghost reaches out one withered-looking hand towards the crowd before it's too far out of sight—and it points.
DELKAPH: (sputtering) "What's it pointing at me fo—Wait."
Delkaph pauses, squints, and does a little bit of pointing himself to gauge line of sight. He finally turns his head towards the gals next to him.
DELKAPH: "Pendry...? What did you do?!"
PENDRY: (squeezing Granny's hand reflexively) "H-Huh?"
But the town doesn't get much time to scrutinize the gesture before the haunt, well away from them now, flickers out into nothing. Only the faintest chill in the air remains.
After a moment of befuddlement, the judge slams the hilt of his axe down one last time, before the chaos can worsen.
DUNCAN: "Aye, if it was nae certain before, it is quite certain now-- we must postpone the verdict. This court shall reconvene on the morrow."
The moment the court seems to be adjourned, Veren hotfoots it out of there without so much as a nod to his mother.
🎲 Jagal rolls Secure an Advantage to tail Veren back to the store, and gets a weak hit. He's outtie.
As the crowd settles, Lucya runs to her father.
LUCYA: "Are ye alright, Pa?"
DUNCAN: "Aye dear, although, er, about yer grampa..."
LUCYA: "Eh? 'Tis what he said! 'Nae blade shall harm a restless haint, but only flesh and blood,' aye?"
DUNCAN: "Er, he did say that, but I meant the-- the banishment rite, dear. That leads tae the poor soul's corpse?"
Lucya says a silent "oh."
LUCYA: "...I-I guess that one was nae as catchy..."
Columb casts a few glances back but walks right on over to the two of them. He waves Lucya down, though his gaze is still mostly off in the haunt's direction.
COLUMB: "Hey, where'd that friend a' yours get to, anyway?"
LUCYA: "...Auh! I thought he was still under the-- where did he go this time?"
LUCYA: "Pa, we shall find the body! I can take ye tae where we last saw 'im--"
DUNCAN: "Lucya, please stay here."
LUCYA: "What?! Pa!"
DUNCAN: "Yer ma and yer brothers need ye, dear. And if there is a murderer at large, why, we cannae leave the town unguarded!"
LUCYA: "But there's plenty a-- Bah!"
Lucya can't exactly argue his point, but she sure is gonna huff about it.
☑ Our longest scene challenge yet is finally complete! Progress gets marked on our current vow-- not much further to go...
NEXT: 023: Man who just got stabbed: what are you gonna do, stab me?