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

[telecosmetic]

It-the evidence was also on the cuffs-

[But her voice falters, for a moment.]



[STAGE 2 REACHED]

[otherworldlyking]

But, it's sounding like you knew a little more first hand than that. Right?

[biddentodance]

Eliza-chan...?

[....Um. Um?]

And then this happens.

[zackthekiller]

[Well, looks like Zack just realized something that he doesn't want to believe... No, he can believe it. But he doesn't want what happens next.

And he has nothing else to lose, right?]

... FUCK IT! JUST VOTE ME OFF THE ISLAND ALREADY AND GET IT OVER WITH! YOU ASSHOLES WANT TO KILL A MURDERER, RIGHT?!

[He grabs his knife off the table and grips it hard.] THEN WHY THE FUCK NOT ME? I'VE KILLED MORE PEOPLE THAN I CAN COUNT! AND I COULD KILL ANY ONE OF YOU RIGHT NOW IF YA DON'T DO IT FIRST!

[telecosmetic]

ZACK! Don't you dare! The evidence obviously doesn't point at you!

[She glances around at the rest of the group.] If-if you vote Zack off-you'll regret it! I'll make you regret it, each and every one of you who cast their vote for him!

[zackthekiller]

SHUT UP!

[There's a wild gleam in his eye as he glances at Eliza.]

IT'S NOT LIKE THESE ASSHOLES IN THE AUDIENCE CARE WHO GOES DOWN, RIGHT? THEY JUST WANT US ALL DEAD, RIGHT?

[unwittingking]

…

[He knows what's going on. Just an instinct. A dad thing, maybe. He's not fully sure.

He's only sure of one thing, though.]

Eliza. It was for your family, right?

[telecosmetic]

Luce...Luce is too good a child. He's too young, too innocent. I-I can't condemn him to suffer.

[unwittingking]

[He nods.]

I understand.

[He brings up his cuff, and inputs his vote.]

You don't have to tell him about this.

[strangerpeople]

[The audience is starting to cheer at this.]

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

[higanbana]

[Congratulations, audience, you got the tiny cyclops to visibly twitch.]

Would the lot of you shut up and let us concentrate?!

[strangerpeople]

[Unsurprisingly, that gets the audience to boo her.]

BOOOOOoooooOOOOOooooooOOO-

[higanbana]

[She looks severely unimpressed.]

Perhaps we should release the animals again and have them put an end to your miserable vocal cords...

[Ris, no???]

[otherworldlyking]

[ Honestly, the audience is such a nuisance, he's actually thankful when they're shut up this time. ]

[overworker]

Zack...

[Towa frowns.]

I know how you feel, but— I won’t kill you for something you didn’t do. You can kill me if you want but I’m sorry. I can’t.

[otherworldlyking]

[ He doesn't say anything, but he's watching this space here.

If Zack tries anything, he won't mind stepping in...a good fight's a good fight. ]

[overworker]

[Sorry pal. She didn’t mean to cause you trouble.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ He kind of... hears this. ]

Wonder what that Schwarzer brat would think, if he heard you say something like that.

[zackthekiller]

HEY! DON'T GO THROWING YOURSELF UNDER THE BUS FOR THIS CRAP! YOU'RE SMART AND DON'T GET THE URGE TO KILL PEOPLE!

[overworker]

But you didn’t kill Atsushi either. I know you didn’t. So I won’t kill you. I won’t. So... if you have to kill me then... do it. I won’t fight you.

[katzenpfote]

Enough.

[His voice is deadly calm.]

You are not the only one with that sort of past. But we're not addressing that at the moment.

Stand. Down.

CW: threatening suicide

[zackthekiller]

MAKE ME! [He growls, bearing his teeth and holding the knife... to his throat.]

I'M NOT LOSING MY SISTER TO THIS BULLSHIT AGAIN!

Re: CW: threatening suicide

[strangerpeople]

[The crowd gasps!]

[katzenpfote]

[He just calmly walks over towards Zack, Frumpkin hopping down from his shoulders, and reaches out to wrap his fingers around the blade to pull it back.]

[telecosmetic]

Reep! Stop him! [The last of her rats appears at Zack's side, instantly reaching out to grab that hand and yank it away from his throat.]