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

[otherworldlyking]

[ ...

....

Oh hey, everyone stopped yelling so much.

...Were those...Z's? Yes. Yes, there were. ]

[carryabigstick]

[...

........

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

A promise is a promise.

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

[otherworldlyking]

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

[carryabigstick]

[R u d e.]

You're a light sleeper for someone so lazy.

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

[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.]

[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. ]

[carryabigstick]

[I mean. He's in the right here. Even she has to agree, it got a little... no, way out of hand.

But you know, now that it comes up--]

...you know, you didn't seem like the type but...

Maybe you actually do have someone really special waiting for you when you get out of this place. I can't see you getting really worked up over going to do something so--

[That has to be it, right?]

[otherworldlyking]

...

[ ESTELLE... ]

...Where did you even come up with that?

[ He should've fake napped and let her braid his hair. ]

[carryabigstick]

[...OH MY GOD SHE WAS RIGHT!!!!]

Holy crap really?!?!

[Listen, it may have been her idea but. Wow. She's. Kind of proud of you strange bro.]

You just don't strike me as the kind of person to go out of your way to commit to something, so I figured if there was something important it would be a person.

[I can't believe this is the part where they kind of bond.]

Not bad.

[otherworldlyking]

[ This was definitely the place he didn't feel eager to finish discussing this right now. ]

There's no relationship, if that's what you're thinking.

[ But yes, he did care about a certain someone...a lot, in a certain way. And had visited them. ]

[carryabigstick]

[You know what she doesn't hear? Denial. McBurn has a feeling and she can't believe she found it.

Yet!-- is what I'm hearing.

[She can relate, so you have her total support here, in a shocking turn of events.]

So you have to get back to them, right?!

[otherworldlyking]

...We'll see.

[ As usual he never seemed motivated by anything much.

...Though, there was a little bit of tsun in there somehow, but also this place was dangerous, so. ]

[carryabigstick]

[She heard that tsun. What the heck. This is surprisingly cute and wholesome coming from him.

At least something good came from this trial.]

We sure will.

[+1 supporter.]