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

[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!

[comesaround]

...Arthur. No. Don't be stupid.

[incendiarize]

I know what happened last time. but- but we won't all die if we get it wrong, this time!

[comesaround]

Just don't do it. If he killed someone then why put it off?

[katzenpfote]

Do you think that would go well, Arthur? I doubt our 'hosts' would be amenable to that?

[incendiarize]

....they want us to be "happy", right?

[katzenpfote]

Arthur. What are you plotting?

[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!

[carryabigstick]

Everyone is worth it... regardless of the circumstances. Killing someone doesn't make you not worth fighting for...

[She feels VERY strongly about this.]

More murder won't make anything better.

[incendiarize]

So we gotta try it, right? I know he won't like it, but....but this isn't right, at all.

[carryabigstick]

But only if we can do it without risking anyone else. I don't want someone else up there to get hurt because they won't listen.

[Like. Herself included.]

[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.

[otherworldlyking]

[ ... ]

If they pick someone at random, then it doesn't guarantee you're the one who'll be picked.

If they chose someone innocent, how're you going to take responsibility for that?

[incendiarize]

....then I'll let all of you decide what the most appropriate punishment is, and take it without complaint.

[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.

[champion_link]

[There's a long moment of silence, before Link speaks.]

I would advise against that.

[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.

[champion_link]

That's correct.

[poorlovefool]

[time for Eric to be naive]

What the hell? So we never had to try in the first place??

[mermaidkin]

You would have to "try" to prevent the culprit from easily casting a single vote to scapegoat someone and get their prize.