15strangers | THE SECOND TRIAL

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..]

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E...liza....?

[No. No, no... Minato had wanted to find Atsushi's killer, promised he would, but... He'd tried so hard not to think about what would happen to that person. Now, faced with a confession, another confession, he can't not. And it's Eliza.

He feels like everything inside him has just....dropped away, leaving a void.]

....He....said we'd put a stop to this...

[No, no, no, no, no, no, no....]

[Frumpkin jumps up to Minato's podium and headbutts him gently in the chest.]

[He's still staring at Eliza (not seeing Eliza), breath shallow (not really breathing). He doesn't....respond to Frumpkin's headbutting.]

[Just gonna jump up on your shoulder, buddy. His summoner's doing a stupid, so.]

[He sees Caleb doing a stupid out of the corner of his eye, and he wants to intervene, but there's just so much going on and Zack is trying to die and...he just...

]

[That sure is a lot of Bullshit™ happening over there, but. They have to put in the votes, and Minato needs to return to functioning. No matter how much he hates this.

Ris leaves her podium and goes over to his – hello, Frumpkin – and places her hand on his arm.]

Minato.

I know you hate this. I don't want to do this either. That doesn't mean we just shut down.

[He's trembling.

At least he gasps for breath, at least he says....well, he says something.]

The walls.... Walls aren't bleeding...

[RGB will just... go up to Minato, give a nod to Ris, and gently but firmly take him by the shoulders. His tone when he speaks is equally gentle but firm, for he knows he's dealing with someone terribly fragile.]

...Minato. I know that you're hurting, but I need you to focus on me for a moment. You need to vote, or I will be forced to do it for you, and I do not want to take that choice away from you.

You do not need to watch what comes next, but you need to remember that you must keep moving forward. Do you understand?

[Ris glances up at RGB and just mouths "thank you." Turning back to Minato, she continues.]

Choose of your own free will. Will you break under the mistakes under the past, or fight to change the future?

[His breathing is still uneven, but he focuses on the TV, he listens. He swallows. Ris reminds him of his contract.

Of the future he's certain his world doesn't have.

But he has to vote, he has to, RGB said so.

He made a promise to Atsushi....

At the very last minute, he puts his vote in, then stares at his hands where they rest on the podium. His right hand still has a blue ribbon wrapped around it and tied at the wrist. He's still for a few moments....

But with the speed of a champion boxer, his left hand raises and slams onto the podium as hard as he can. It's enough force to shatter his glass bones. And it hurts like hell, but he's not screaming this time.

He can't stop shaking...]

[Oh, fucking HELL—]

Minato!!

[Powers bless her, she tries to stop him, but even if Ris had the speed to stop him, she assuredly does not have the strength.

She winces at the sickening crunch, knowing damn well what that means.

Unable to do anything else, she just stays where she is, her hand on his arm in some small show of support as she's shaking like a leaf, as well.]

[Had he anticipated this, RGB might have had the speed to stop Minato. Certainly he had the strength, even as much of it had taken from him by this world.

The sound of glass bones shattering breaks something in him; for this reason, perhaps he could be forgiven for shouting, for shaking this idiot for harming himself like this.]

WHY?!

[He starts shaking, his grip on Minato's shoulders the only thing seeming to keep him up as he just sort of... deflates. Cyan splashes the floor at their feet, the image of a small body impaled on a tree burned into his mind the way the last image on an old television screen lingers even after the screen is turned off.]

Why are you all so damnably fragile...?

[Caleb looks at his own fingers and then looks at Minato, before reaching into his pocket and taking out a vial of healing water, placing it on the podium in front of him.]

Drink this.

[And then he walks away, because he's got his own shit to deal with right now.]

[Towa’s voice breaks, she can’t scream and she can’t stop him. Her legs wobble and she falls to her knees; tears streaming down her face silently. This is horrible.

It will be a while before she finds the strength to stand again.]

Minato...

[She’s not leaving you like this even if... she’d been a bit foolish herself earlier. She’s sticking by you.]

Not.... Not again, why always this....

I know... I feel the same way you do. But someone else could get hurt if we don’t.

...if it has to be someone else, I want to say it should be me but... I know there are people that upsets. So... I think the least we can do... for Atsushi’s sake... is chase the truth.

....Promised him I'd....find who.....

[He can't finish the sentence, not knowing who that person is. But.... Atsushi absolutely didn't deserve any of this. He'd been so certain, so determined.]

[Did you ask for a hug because— honestly she needs it too.]

I know. And... we did. We... owe him this much. I don’t agree with the means, but... no one else deserves to die for this either. She... knew what she was risking. The price was just that important. So... we have to make sure that we find her family for her.

Tried to.... Tried to die for me, on the Vespertine, I can't--

[He can't take this. Why is it always like this?]

THE SECOND TRIAL

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not a gagtag this time

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cw: self-harm, fingore

cw: fingore

cw: still fingore, mentioned impalement

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