T̢H̢҉̴E̢͝ ̡S͝E҉̡C̡̢O̵N̡̕͠D̵͡ ̕͠T̀͢R͞IAL

[strangerpeople]

T͝HE͘ S̴̸E҉̶̀C͜Ơ̷̢N͏D̡͟ T҉̧R͘I͟A̧͟͠L̢

Heyyyyyyyyy, Strangers! How's Valentine's Day going? Unfortunately we have to start the trial soon if you want to get any dinner dates in before midnight!

I know some of you have a very special day near today, too! So let’s get a move on, shall we? You know the drill! Though you know… since we saw one of those clues, you can bring your pets in today.

[And so it is. Just like last week, the elevator shoots everyone down to the trial room. Lala's podium, now, is Xed out in red. And like last week, five of the podiums' dot matrix name plates suddenly flash with a red border.]

THE BRITTLE	THE CIRCUIT	THE ENEMY	THE NOODLES
				THE UNKNOWN

[And clashing with the borders whether red or not, on each Stranger’s podium is a little piece of candy: A gray heart, printed with a message in nearly black capitals. These candies are similar to the pills in that they taste like nothing at all rather than sand; while a pill is meant to serve as a full meal, one candy is about as filling as a single apple.

The messages are as follows.]

KING: BEST FRIEND	ARTHUR: LOOKING GOOD	OSOMATSU: ONE OF A KIND	ESTELLE: BRIGHT SPARK	MCBURN: NEVER MEANDER	JONATHAN: DOUBLE THE FUN
AMBROSINE: QUEEN OF MY HEART	CALEB: HOT	KARMA: YOU’RE A DOLL	VITA: TRUE BLUE BEAUTY	KURAMA: FOXY	ERIC: SEW NICE

I'd call what you had to look at "inhumane", but Lala Hagoromo wasn't human, was she?

Now, now, Hiyori. I’m not human, either.

Doesn't change how sad it is that she lost her chance to be happy... Oh, why don't you give them a good look at what you have there, Link?

[Link holds up the heart labeled "OUT OF / THIS WORLD". The hosts are visible behind the glass of their sterile observation room this time by the way.]

We made too many because we hoped all of you would finally join in on the fun by today... So, if you retire, culprit, you can eat this one!

[...Well, maybe the evidence will cause the Hosts to eat their words. BOOM. Burn........or...well, it doesn't matter. The clock is ticking.


The trial for the murder of Lala Hagoromo, The Chance, has begun.]

Comments

[unwittingking]

[HE DOESN'T WANT ANY WHAT THE HELL HE'S STARTING TO HATE DOG EARS FOR HEARING THAT

W H Y]

[carryabigstick]

[...

........

..................

A promise is a promise.

You're gonna look great McBurn, just leave it to Estelle.]

[unwittingking]

[He had to do something wrong at the trial, apparently...]

[byanyother_name]

Karma...

[It's soft and almost pleading.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll wake up as soon as she touched his hair, it's fine... ]

[comesaround]

[ There's a moment where he seems to still, and the air around him seems quieter than normal. ]

Don't you say another fucking word about him.

[byanyother_name]

I am far from innocent.

[carryabigstick]

[R u d e.]

You're a light sleeper for someone so lazy.

[How dare you ruin her fun????]

[incendiarize]

You're the reason we caught Felicity. Me, none of my visions've actually helped us much - if anything, I made things harder. I made stupid choices, like voting at random when I didn't know what to do. I couldn't save Emma.

And I've done bad stuff back home, too. Odds are my world's already wrecked, with or without their threat. I don't plan on going down quietly, but i'm sure as hell not letting anyone else go.

[mermaidkin]

[The sharp curve of his mouth is like a shark's fin. He's an accommodating host who doesn't overstep his boundaries. For now.]

[byanyother_name]

She might have cared, knowing she'd be endangering all of us if she turned here.

[katzenpfote]

I know. Neither am I. But none of them have killed in the context of one of these events.

[poorlovefool]

[you and everyone else who dismissed his concerns about strangling a sentient creature in the middle of trial ☆ ～('▽^人) ]

[relieable]

[by now he's got tears streaming down his face when he looks at Arthur]

Are you joking? I made a complete mess of that trial! At least you should be alive!

[mermaidkin]

For someone who picks so many fights, you're really afraid of one measly little hypothetical witch.

[byanyother_name]

I know, Karma. I'm sorry.

[Kurama is just going to hold him. He's even going to breathe, a carefully calm rhythm to it.]

Make it through to the end. Make them pay.

[otherworldlyking]

[ He's good at ruining Estelle's fun, apparently. ]

And I'm surrounded by too many people who want to give their lives for no reason.

It's a pain listening to all of that.

[ It actually reminded him of a certain someone in a certain trial. Hmm!! ]

[carryabigstick]

Why? You feeling left out?

[It must be lonely being the only one more eager to take a nap than...

...yell stupidly about bad life choices.]

[comesaround]

....What? What... do you want me to say?

[ Is he upset at him for not fighting tooth and nail to save him like Akira would have done if he was here? ]

It's not like I want... I don't want to lose you either. Acting stupid here isn't gonna do shit...

[poorlovefool]

C-Chris... I'm sorry... I...

[The lake is so cold but the kitty is so warm. Eventually, his breathing slows down and he starts to come to his senses.]

...

[and then he sees the Kyuubey eating the Kyuubey, and that's about it for him. He's just going still now.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll yawn...Arthur, please. ]

Good thing that's not what we're deciding to do, either way. Working that out would be a pain.

[illusionarymelody]

Does this matter now? You both are alive and will stay that way. I'm definitely not going to let my sister down by allowing anything bad to happen to her friends.

[incendiarize]

That's only if they're gonna punish someone for us not voting! It's my idea!

I know what Kurama was thinking and feeling, last time! Every bit of it! And he's going to be way more useful against IT! He didn't do anything wrong last night, there's no reason he should die here!

[otherworldlyking]

Nah. This is something I'm glad to be left out of.

I don't see how participating in any of that would help or be something that's worth my time.

[ McBurn was actually pretty proud not to be eager to throw his life away. It was a little surprising to him to see how many were ready to go. ]

[katzenpfote]

[That. Sure is a thing.]

[Frumpkin puts his paws up on Eric's chest, kneading at it. Caleb still kneels near him.]