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

[strangerpeople]

[They are.]

[unwittingking]

Maybe it washed it's paws. If it's playing dumb like I think it is, then it wouldn't surprise me.

And it's a match. So, what do you have to say for yourself?

[Again, he is talking to the Kyuubey. Will it answer?]

[poorlovefool]

But the paws were dry too....

[Well, he'll keep quiet and wait to see if the thing will speak up at last, though he doubts it.]

[cuteandinnocentpet]

[It tilts its head.

King can no doubt see the gleam in its eyes at it stares at him.]

1/2

[unwittingking]

[He'll wait for a second, before deciding to move on to plan B.]

Fine. We can do this the hard way.

[incendiarize]

....Red eyes.

[Today in things Arthur pays attention to due to his powers...]

Even if it doesn't talk, there's a chance.... I'm gonna do my thing.

[Time to Approach the Kyuu-lun.]

[cuteandinnocentpet]

[Oh dear god WHAT IS THIS IT IS A MILLION TRILLION RED EYES ALL STARING AT HIM WITH SWIRLING PSYCHODELIC NON-EUCLIDIAN COLORS DOES IT EVEN HAVE MEMORIES IS THAT A COW]

[incendiarize]

[He yells and stumbles backward.]

Waahh--!!

[cuteandinnocentpet]

[Kyuu looks over at Arthur, even while being grabbed by King, as he experiences whatever the hell he is experiencing, voice echoing through everyone's minds]

That was a silly idea, Arthur.

Very silly.

[poorlovefool]

[relieable]

[unwittingking]

I knew it.

[HE FUCKING CALLED IT YET AGAIN!]

Now TALK!

[King slams Kyuubey against the pedestal, not caring about the damage that could be done. Why? Because fuck this creature.]

[otherworldlyking]

Took long enough.

[comesaround]

[katzenpfote]

[Caleb sighs and cracks his knuckles, walking over towards King's platform. There's nothing of his usual awkwardness, and he gets close to it.]

Even without powers, you know full well what I can do, ja? I can make this take a while. Or you can talk, right now.

2/2

[unwittingking]

[Before anyone can react, King grabs the thing by the neck, spins, and pins it to the pedestal, knocking over some of the food he brought.]

Talk, or this you dies.

[His grip tightens, to show that he's not messing around.]

[poorlovefool]

[oh wow way to rip that right out of his hands, King]

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?

[unwittingking]

[there is no one answer to that question my friend]

[katzenpfote]

[Caleb calls out to Eric in a surprisingly stern and clear voice.]

[One might even call it 'teacher voice'.]

Eric. Stand down.

[poorlovefool]

Don't tell me what to do! [he's too old for teacher voice to work on him, even if he still reacts like a brat.]

[necroyalty]

Eric.

[ She also responds in a stern voice, dripping with the icy judgment of a mother who's about to use her child's full name, and with all the years of experience someone who's addressed people all their life has had to accumulate. ]

A child is dead. And this thing, which has known her frighteningly well, now taunts us with knowledge beyond our reach.

Figuratively or literally speaking, either way, this thing really is a devil.

[poorlovefool]

[Why does everyone think talking to him like he's a child is going to gain his respect.]

And everyone is buying into the taunting and trying to beat it up instead of trying to solve this! I get it! You all drank the psycho juice this morning! But there's no way Lala would be happy about any of this!

[cuteandinnocentpet]

We're hardly devils.

To be a devil would imply that we have the ultimate emotion that influence us to do evil.

[otherworldlyking]

[ Well, this suddenly got a little amusing. If King has some snacks still remaining, he'll at least reach for one or something. ]

[unwittingking]

[Feel free to have something that's in a plastic baggie as King threatens animal-on-space-animal violence, McBurn. He suggests the actual popcorn he brought even if it's stale.]