Us and Them

[Myroria]

Outside Travaentrith, Ivorheart County, Myroria

Engelbert Meinrad held his wife, Allison, behind him.

"S'wit thinks he can beat my wife!" was all he said before raising a shotgun to his shoulder. Women on the porches of their houses in the street of the small villiage of Travaentrith Minor covered their children's eyes, pushing them inside. With a bang and a splash of blood, the tan-skinned Delfian dropped to the ground. Allison, crying, ran back to the Meinrad residence as Engelbert waited for the Travaentrith Town Guard to deal with the murder, as the better-equipped Guard could more easily apprehend murderers of all sorts. Hearing the low grumble of diesel trucks roll to a stop in front of him, and being picked up from the sitting position against a tree, Engelbert remained silent.


"I was in the right," insisted Engelbert, talking for the first time since the shooting later that night during interrogation.

"N'wah was a tick, and I had to burn it before he sucked the blood out of my town." The interrogator was about to say something, but the door to the room opened.

"The grand jury decided, in record time. The trial's tomorrow, and the family of the victim's pushing for the death penal-"

"If killing a s'wit for beating my wife gets me the death penalty, I'll die happily."

The interrogator sighed. It was no fun if they confessed like this.

"At any point in your trial, you have the right to remain silent. You have the right to not incriminate yourself. You have the right to have a lawyer appointed to you if you cannot afford one..."

[Delfos]

No background, i can't even imagine a Delfian beating on someone when we have extensive care for civil rights and specially human rights. How did this happen then?

[Myroria]

If you waited, you'd have found out the man is only half-Delfian, and an autopsy would reveal he had bipolar disorder, which caused him to have an outburst after Allison called him a "n'wah" on the street earlier. Because Myrorians - especially in the South, where this takes place - have contempt for anyone not full-blooded or dang near full-blooded Myrorian, the situation got out of control. There, is there anything else you need me to explain to you and reveal more of the RP?

And I said Delfian because you're the closest nation that we're not allied to. We find Ryazanians our brothers and sisters; they don't even get called "outlander", and the Christstanis are in PI.

[Delfos]

oh alright, but that should be in 'background'. So he wasn't even a delfian citizen, right? cuz so, the family wants his body.

[Myroria]

No, he's not a Delfian citizen. His mother's side is, though. I'll just assume his father died or doesn't want the body, so it'll be sent to you.

And in a Myrorian's opinion, if you're part outlander, you're all outlander. I prefer to write my RPs through the eyes of a predjudiced Myrorian than a narrator who knows what's right and what's wrong.

[St Oz]

@ooc: Well as a neutral party I do say Delfos does have a point but you do have to realize you can't make people perfect by race, that's impossible, you'll always have criminals. Asians are thought in America to not do any crimes but look at Virginia tech, so just realize it's a bit god moddish to say you're people are all perfect when you'll always have those outcasts... Besides if they promote civil rights won't people have more freedom to do things?

Anyway just my 2 cents, do whatever you want to do

[Delfos]

ooc: I was OK in a murdering or anything with Delfians in Myroria, but it needs background, either make it simple or with this kind of stuff, it really needs a background. How the hell would a Delfian beat someone else's wife. I can make a theory that since he's considered out-lander he didn't have help for his bipolar psycho-disease. Anyway, wherever this is going, which i believe it's a proof of your nationalism or xenophobism or whatever, just keep going. I don't think i need to intervene anywhere unless you get to mention delfian citizens.

[Myroria]

OOC: You'll see where its going. Trust me, it'll work in your favor eventually. And we don't deny outlanders medical treatment; that's in violation of the equal protection clause in the Myrorian constitution. The reason he wasn't treated is because he was never diagnosed. Many people with psychiatric diseases go their whole lives without ever being officially diagnosed, even in RL.

IC:

"Allison Meinrad!" called a voice in the courtroom. A tall, pale-skinned, frail woman, about 26, took the stand.

"Do you, Allison Meinrad, swear to tell nothing but the truth, the whole - "

"Yes, yes, yes, I do."

"Can you describe what happened the night of October 11, Mrs. Meinrad?" said the defendant's lawyer.

"Yes," said Allison, fighting back tears.

"I was just taking a stroll at around 8'clock PM. I walked past my neighbor's house, and was about to turn around because I remembered I left the stove on - this d'wit pushed me right over and kept on walking. I said 'Hey, watch where you're going, n'wah!', and he froze, just like this, see - " Allison stopped her jimmying and widened her eyes, trying to look angry.

"And, I chucked a bit and moved on. Then, he ran up behind me and jerked me around, like this. He punched me right in the mouth, dragged me to the side of the road, and just kept beating me. I thought he was gonna rape me or somethin', but some other men, across the street, pulled him off ' me."

"Is this true?" said the plaintiff's attorney, to the witnesses, who stood up. "Yes suh"s and "Yes, we did"s moved through the six men. One didn't say anything.

"Sir? Is that what happened?"

"N - no sir. He just punched her in the mouth, she's over-exaggerating."

"I think I know what he did to me!" said Allison.

"Please, Mrs. Meinrad." said the plaintiff's attorney.

"You say she's over-exaggerating? That it was just a punch in the mouth?" broke in the defendant's lawyer.

"Yes, sir."

"I think he was just caught up in the heat of the moment!" interrupted one of the other witnesses. The argument continued for several minutes before the judge brought the court to order.


"Engelbert Meinrad!" Allison's husband - the exact opposite of her - generally unattractive, stocky, and muscular, sat down at the stand.

"Can you describe what happened the night of October 11?"

"Yes, yes. I wasn't with Allison at the time, but I remember her coming into the house - bawling left and right - saying that some n'wah beat her. I saw a bruise around her mouth forming. I asked her who did it, she said it was 'that s'wit across the way, Vasco Ronaldo'. I knew Vasco for some time, he'd always been somewhat crazy. I told him to see a shrink; he'd always had his crazy highs and lows. But I never thought he'd hurt no one, especially a woman. So, I took Allison to the doctor - she's always been modest, never seen a gynecologist or let her doctor look at her naked - so I just trusted her that she had bruises all over."

"You say Allison was never checked body-wide for bruises?" said the defendent's attorney.

"No, sir."

"Your Honor, I suggest that Allison Meinrad be checked for bruises on her body."

"Request denied. I already think this is enough for the jury, but we'll call the defendant to the stand."

"Fabiana Ronaldo!" Vasco's sister, a slightly shorter than average woman took the stand.

"What happened the night of October 11, Miss Ronaldo?"

"Well, I was visiting Vasco because I had come out from Novrith to see him. His mood swings had gotten worse than usual, and I was trying to convince him to see a psychiatrist. Well, I was about to go to bed at around eight-thirty when Vasco rushed in. He said he punched a Myrorian in a fit of rage and that he would probably be lynched if he didn't leave immediately. He said he'd stay one more night and then asked if he could go to Novrith with me. I couldn't refuse - he's my brother! So, the next day, he was packing some things into my minivan, all that could fit, when Engelbert yelled 'Hey, Dago!' Vasco turned around, and yelled 'He's got a shotgun!' before running behind the house. We're on a corner, so he got onto the sidewalk perpendicular to the one in front of the driveway, and Engelbert shot him. Then he just sat there, under a tree, waiting to be picked up by the town guard. It was surreal."

"Did you shoot Vasco Ronaldo, Mr. Meinrad?" asked the defendant's attorney. He just nodded his head, followed by the banging of a javel.

"The jury will now decide the verdict. Recess."

[Myroria]

The judge didn't raise an eyebrow at the verdict, scribbled onto a piece of paper by the jury. Putting the mostly-empty sheet of lined paper on his podium, he picked up his gavel.

"The jury finds that the plaintiff killed in defense of his property and his family. Case dismissed." Bang, bang, bang.

"We're not done with this yet! We'll take it to the High Court if we have to!"

The judge chuckled, the door to his chambers ajar.

"Then take it to the High Court, outlander."

The door slammed shut.

OOC: Sorry for the short post. I don't want to put the High Court case in the same post. Think of it as one of those "short chapters" you inevitably find in every book.

[Myroria]

The ancient alabaster walls of the High Court District, Pelagis, were shining even more than usual on this sunny day. They were never meant for protection; perhaps 6 foot high, but they were a sight to behold. The tall wrought iron gates were opened by Imperial Guardsmen, and the Justices walked through, arranged with the Chief Tribuneur in front and the two others behind him in a triangle shape. Their maroon robes were flowing in the fast breeze of Pelagis. Standing among the countless monuments, Judicial Branch buildings, and County Courthouses (All the Counties had courthouses in Pelagis, never on their own soil), was the Tribunal Tower, one of only two buildings exceeding 500 feet in height in Myroria.

The oak doors emblazoned with the even scales of the High Court swung open. Ordinateurs, the High Court District's personal guards and police, were lined up on each side as the Tribunal passed and sat at their imposing table atop an interior foundation at the opposite end of the courtroom.

"The Tribunal has arrived!" yelled a man in a room behind the courtroom.

"All rise for the Honorable Tribunal!" The two families from the original case rose, along with the Ordinateurs and observers in the room.

"Will all those present repeat after me: 'I solemnly swear to show the utmost respect to the Tribunal presiding, and to aid the case if called upon.'"

"I solemnly swear to show the utmost respect to the Tribunal presiding, and to aid the case if called upon!"

"Will the plaintiff and defendant please repeat after me: 'I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me - Uh, nothing but the truth."

"I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

"The court is now in session."