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

[carryabigstick]

That's right. Our job is to protect people.

We're trained to know our limits-- if I had to, I'd know how to incapacitate someone without killing them.

[backuphero]

Yeah, that's what I figured. Mostly just asking so it's on the record for everybody....

[carryabigstick]

Thanks, Jonathan... I appreciate it.

[backuphero]

No problem.

So... even though you use a staff, they drill you guys on keeping weapons in order, right?

[He has a direction he's taking this, and it's not one that'll yank her to the scaffold... hopefully.]

[carryabigstick]

I can use a staff and, at least to some extent, a sword. My dad's the one that taught me-- and he's a tough trainer.

And yeah, we maintain our weapons very carefully. They're pretty important.

[backuphero]

[For this, because damn it he wants her and Vita to both smile and it seems an exaggerated drawl and "cowboy talkin'" does that best, his voice and diction shift a bit.]

I find myself having to ask your pardon in advance, miss. This is pretty morbid, but... just indulge me...

Like I was, you got trained young, and trained thorough. If you were shaken up as bad as you would've been after killing somebody, 'specially someone you knew, bad enough you were running on automatic, it would've maybe just been reflex to clean up the blade and put it back, not sit there until it dried and then just throw it in with the others. Well, am I right?