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

[backuphero]

So... what, it's got crushed pills in with the eggs and oil and lemon juice?

[He's going to regret imagining the texture that could have for probably the rest of his life. Gritty mayonnaise is wrong!]

Or is there something else that has you talking about it like it's sponsoring your radio hour?

[mermaidkin]

The mayonnaise is similar to the pills, that's the idea.

We just make food that's nurturing and satisfying! Protein powder and stuff like that! That's it! Why do you keep thinking you need more than that to be happy?

[backuphero]

Oh, it's just how I was raised, I guess.

But... really... is it "not tasting like anything at all" or something else, how it's like the pills?

[mermaidkin]

To us, this type of predictable and satiating taste is really satisfying! I have every reason in the world to believe you just got into the right mindset, you'd enjoy it too!

The pills and such don't directly change your thought patterns at all. You have to decide to enjoy life here, and then you find yourself enjoying the local food. It's very simple.

[backuphero]

[Word games aren't really very much his thing.]

If it's not direct, what is it? Do they just make it easier if we say "sure, flip the switch, count me in?"

[mermaidkin]

[Hiyori throws up a hand.]

I'll take it from the top if you're so confused. Think of it like I'm a vampire now, okay? Of course I'd hate human food and love to drink blood. But feeding you blood would never turn you into a vampire, Jonathan Morris. Still, if you already entered a state where you hated human food, I'd ask you to consider blood, for your own sake. But our real goal would be to turn you all into vampires.

[He smiles thinly.]

We know how you'd feel about that, of course.

[backuphero]

But feeding me the blood of a vampire, especially one fed on mine - you at least know the movies, don't you?

The slow version's - the way Lucy got turned, in your hypothetical situation there, is where we keep eating things that taste like sand and fighting this and then fall to it anyway.

If IT's Dracula, the pills are his blood, I'm Mina, and you're the hand making sure my mouth's open against a cut on his chest, is that it?

[mermaidkin]

. . .

[That's a... vivid... mental... image...]

Hand, singular? Don't leave Link out of the fun, please!

he has no idea how this sounds and I cannot stress enough that it isn't meant that way

[backuphero]

Fine. Hands, plural, whatever, he had a hand in her hair and one occupied with her husband. Just answer me.

Please.

Are the pills a way to let IT in that won't take a year, if we just agree that's fine?

[mermaidkin]

Ahh, ghh, it'd be even worse if we got into thresholds with you, wouldn't it—

[But he lights on something else much better and laughs.]

Take one look at Prince Eric and Queen Ambrosine who have been living on the things! Tell me honestly, do you think they're more tempted than you? That should answer the question~

[backuphero]

[Either he wasn't clear or Hiyori's deliberately talking past him, and Jonathan isn't sure which is worse.]

I'm not asking about temptation, I'm asking about - about a fundamental change, something unconscious or... or I don't know, something that has to be turned on somehow.

[mermaidkin]

How many times do I have to say it? The pills are protein and sugar and dye and things like that! There's literally nothing psychoactive in them or even inhumanely procured!

[backuphero]

So it's - I'm letting my head run away with me. It's just efficient, and you... like that better now.

[mermaidkin]

[WINNING SMILE AND NOD!!!!!!!!!!!]