THE SECOND TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE SECOND TRIAL

[Soon after the finals clues are found, there is a beep on everyone's watch. Then, the Conductor's voice echoes through the jail once more.]

Attention. All passengers of the Eventide, please come to the building in the courtyard. If you are not a passenger, you must have a ticket to enter.

[A ticket? Oh boy. And everyone's suspicions are confirmed when they come to the courtyard and find people-many of them who had been fleeing the prison that very morning-queuing in line to enter the building. Not the Strangers-they are immediately escorted in.

They find themselves in a courtroom, with them sitting at podiums in the center. Above them in the ceiling is a retractable dome; all around on the walls are large screens, so people can watch the proceedings no matter their location. People are filing in, even as a recorded voice drones that the jail isn't responsible for lives lost during the trial-or the sentencing.

Hm.

Lilac is in the judge's seat, the pangolin in her hands. Nearby, the captured animals-sans the rabbit, for some reason, and the sheep-are inside another pen that has been set up. The force field seems to have been quickly erected. After announcing the court proceedings and registering her right to magistrate, as she did the previous week, she clears her throat.]

THE WATCHFUL	THE CAVIAN	THE BRITTLE	THE FORLORN
				THE ENGINEER

You all know what you must do. You have your evidence, and you must decided who is responsible. Remember-every vote counts. And...just pretend you're alone again, if it helps, I suppose.

[There's not much else to do. There is the option to ask for the concessions they are selling to everyone, though its mostly water and popcorn. Otherwise, you are once again on a time limit. This time, the audience is watching. Their eyes stare hungrily at every action.

The trial for the murder of Atsushi Nakajima, the Rushlight, has begun..]

Comments

[charmingheroine]

I think I speak for everyone by asking for a little more information about his head being... detachable. When did you witness this, and why?

[overworker]

It was... the first week, when we met up on the first day. I'd remembered him from the other train so we talked for a while.

There was a mark around his neck, so I'd asked him if he got hurt but-- when he pushed on it, his head suddenly detached.

It scared me, honestly. But he was fine back then... I think it must have been part of his power. He was... sort of like a human candle.

[biddentodance]

Then-- Should we put it back?

[Speaking of the head, it's here. Still cradled gently in Minato's arms.]

[unwittingking]

[…]

…is...is that his head?

[why

why couldn't therapist be brought here

why]

[biddentodance]

Yeah.... Found this halfway across the room from his body.

[unwittingking]

I...don't think you needed to bring it to the trial.

[W H Y]

[zackthekiller]

Should we put wha-

[And now he sees the head.]

Why the fuck did you bring a severed head to a trial?!

[biddentodance]

[Because he didn't ask himself why??? Here he is, he didn't think to put the head down first so that's here too.]

....Couldn't.....just leave him.....

[zackthekiller]

Kid, that guy's dead!

[dragonmouth]

Evidence...?

[charmingheroine]

Minato, he's not -

[But even if it won't fix anything, at least then he'd be whole.]

It's... if they let us have a proper funeral this time, yes.

[biddentodance]

[...Right, cause of death wasn't "decapitation"...]

Right...

[overworker]

Um... well... m-maybe? I don't know if it will do any good now though.

He was still alive the last time it was separated from his body so...

[biddentodance]

[Right...cause of death isn't something that could be undone that easily.]

'Penetrative trauma' is kind of vague.

[dragonmouth]

It begs the question of whether he was actually stabbed, or this was just an assumption the murderer thought we'd make.

[otherworldlyking]

Why not?

[technicolourdifficulties]

[This is a serious situation, and he should be sensitive about it, and-- no, he can't hold the reference back, he'll never get a chance like this again.]

Put. The candle. Back.

[One unhealthy coping mechanism meets another, he guesses.]

[katzenpfote]

[He's just going to go over to Minato and attempt to gently pry the head from Minato's grasp.]

[biddentodance]

[His grip is gentle, yes, but somewhat firm....he's not really trying to hold onto it, but he also isn't just. Letting the head be taken from him. Reluctant to let go.

He's handling this? He's handling this.]

[katzenpfote]

... He shouldn't have to watch this, Minato. Let's put him down somewhere.

[charmingheroine]

So, then, the wax King found might have been... he didn't have blood anymore, did he?

[overworker]

There wasn't any blood when his head came off so I think that's a safe assumption to make. His insides were probably all that way then.

[biddentodance]

If- If all of him is wax, then how could he be...

[eternaldivide]

... Maybe rather than a human's weakness, we need to think about a candle's weakness.

[charmingheroine]

So he didn't bleed melted wax. If that's the case, then... you can't simply wash wax off in a sink, I didn't suffer through Home Economics For The Lowest Common Denominator to go and forget that. You need very hot water, which would explain the showers, but... there wasn't any fragmented or melted wax in the computer room, right?