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

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama is just... quiet for a while. Silent as the grave. Then he takes a breath.]

I'm sorry, Karma. You're not wrong... and neither is King.

[otherworldlyking]

Better to hear a confession late than never.

[ And it looks like he could catch some more Z's then listen to arguing. Awesome ]

[carryabigstick]

[Sweet Aidios go back to bed no one asked for you.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ Nice to see you too, Estelle. ]

[katzenpfote]

[He takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly.]

You were going for that thing and hit her? And tried to heal her but ran out of time?

[byanyother_name]

...the potion wasn't strong enough. It wasn't healing the organ damage.

[katzenpfote]

Right. If it's anything like the potions we had made at that stop, it wouldn't have been. I... the case with two victims, we found one barely alive, and it didn't work then.

[unwittingking]

[…he wanted to be wrong. He wanted so, so badly to be wrong. That he was just being a depressive, pessimistic idiot.

He guesses that was too much to ask for.]

For what it's worth...I'm sorry this had to happen.

[It's not much...but it's the truth.]

[byanyother_name]

As am I.

[unwittingking]

I hope you can rest in peace, despite the circumstances.

[He needs to wipe at his eyes to keep from crying. As if last week wasn't bad enough...]

[incendiarize]

.....no....

[Why? Why does it have to be like this? His heart picks up.]

There's-- this isn't fair, it's not right, you tried to save her. This isn't anywhere close to justice!

[There got to be something--]

What if we try what you all almost did before?! What if none of us vote?!

[katzenpfote]

Accidental murder is still murder, Arthur...

[But he doesn't sound happy about it.]

[incendiarize]

But if there's no vote, there's no majority!

[carryabigstick]

Well... when Lala was accused, there was a special circumstance we could argue but this...

I don't know if it would work...

[incendiarize]

He doesn't think he's worth it, but it's-- it's not right to execute him!

[illusionarymelody]

I think that is a bad idea. What if they decide to just pick someone at random then? Or punish us all for not voting?

[incendiarize]

Then we stand together and fight back even harder next week.

I don't care what they do to me.

[mermaidkin]

If none of you vote? In other words, if all five candidates receive zero votes?

Meaning... "the greatest number of votes" any candidate received was zero?

[byanyother_name]

...and ties go to the correct culprit.

[cuteandinnocentpet]

[katzenpfote]

[relieable]

[comesaround]

[ At that, his fists come down really hard on the podium, and he's a little too quiet. Maybe even shaking, at least until he walked over to where Kurama's podium was and if noone stops him? He's going to hit Kurama with a HARD punch. ]

Why? I know you were hurt after what happened to Akira but you didn't have to do it...

[ His fingers are digging into his palms, gritting his teeth. ]

You... Damn You!

[katzenpfote]

He missed and hit her instead. If he'd had just left it, he still would have delivered the killing blow.

[byanyother_name]

[Kurama doesn't even try to dodge, just lets Karma punch him. He shifts slightly with the force of the hit. He just reaches out and wraps his arms around Karma gently. Holds his friend.]

I was careless. She grabbed my arm with her antenna and... I hit her instead of Kyuubey.

There was no saving either of us after that.