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]

If someone who wouldn't ordinarily go for the motive found someone already dying from someone else's attack....they'd have an easier time pinning the blame on the original attacker.

[illusionarymelody]

Though there is one other possibility. They wanted the motive and saw her dying and finished her off to be the one who could claim it rather than the first attacker.

[incendiarize]

That too, yeah.

...it's ironic. I was talking to her last week, about justice, and she said protecting people shouldn't mean killing.....and I told her the world isn't always that kind.

[illusionarymelody]

It really isn't. Sometimes in our worlds there are people who are too dangerous to allow to live and the best way to protect is to take one life to save many. My world definitely has a few people like that.

[incendiarize]

....or sometimes there's a big threat to a whole continent, and the surest way to stop it would wipe out a lot of innocent people.

[illusionarymelody]

I'm sorry, Arthur.

[And Vita is sorely tempted to go over and give Arthur a hug. She's just not sure if he'd welcome it. Oh well, she'll go over to his podium and try.]

[incendiarize]

[He does welcome it. Arthur isn't used to standing alone or distancing himself. And after two months away from the only "family" he has......it's hard.]

Thanks.

[illusionarymelody]

[She's glad, because she knows Emma would be want to support him and the least her sister can do is try and help in her place.]

I know Emma would want to comfort you, so as her sister the least I can do is try to take her place even if she's far better at this.