15strangers | T̢H̢҉̴E̢͝ ̡S͝E҉̡C̡̢O̵N̡̕͠D̵͡ ̕͠T̀͢R͞IAL

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T̢H̢҉̴E̢͝ ̡S͝E҉̡C̡̢O̵N̡̕͠D̵͡ ̕͠T̀͢R͞IAL

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Honestly, I'm hoping that's it. That I'm overthinking again and you and everyone else can just tell me to shut up and I'll go back to just talking through notes. That I'm just being stupid again.

But...someone tried to save her. Someone went and made a healing potion and got it to her before she died. Someone got her to try to stop the blood from getting out of her wound. Someone tried to stop this from happening. This entire trial. And maybe...when they couldn't, they went to ending it quickly.

I hope to any actually kind god that I'm wrong. I really do. But...I don't think we'd be that lucky.

Not much time passed, between the injuries... Maybe- maybe they had a formula on them, already, and it wasn't enough, so they ran to make more. And in the time between, someone else found her and used the knife...there was some formula left in the alembic, right?

Eric, you know more about this kind of alchemy. How long does it take to make a healing formula?

It's...not impossible, but it'd be incredibly convenient.

[He'd also ask why Kurama didn't bring up the whole thing sooner, but...with himself on the suspect list, that's a good way to get people thinking you're lying and are just trying to cover your own butt.

He'll wait for the response. Maybe Eric will give him some hope.]

Before I answer that, I want to know what evidence we have that points at another person besides the knife.

Because the way I see it... trying to argue when and how someone did it isn't as important as figuring out who that person is. Otherwise? You're just randomly guessing, and that's bullshit.

I think so, too. We should, essentially, have everything we need, right?

[they just don't know how to connect the dots]

Yeah. So if it turns out we only have evidence that points at one person, whether or not we understand why they did what they did, I don't think we have a choice.

What's your evidence that points to only one person then, 'cause I see evidence for two. Unless you wanna risk executing Kurama when he might've only tried to save her, and someone else finished her off?

[he really doesn't appreciate the insinuation there, so he tenses up a bit more.]

Are you stupid? I'm talking about specific people, I don't see any way of telling who that second person would be!

Are you stupid? You're just gonna go for the first person there's any evidence for?

We look at the knife injury. See if it's someone who knows what they're doing or not. The knife wasn't cleaned and was put back messily, so probably not someone who's used to killing. Then we look at motive - whether they wanted it for themself, or just wanted to make sure the shooter didn't get it, or just wanted to put her out of her misery - we talk about it instead of just going for the first person who comes up!

I don't wanna get it wrong ever again!

Looks to me like he's been thinking about this and working hard to figure out who did it.

Maybe we should let them grill us.

[er, let him rephrase that]

For questioning, and stuff.

[ HE'LL SIGH. ]

Wouldn't care if they did so they can question whatever they want. This trial is also shaping up to be a big pain in the ass.

[ So complicated... ]

Yeah, well, where there's smoke there's fire. Don't push your group's mistakes off on me.

So you want to talk about people who aren't used to killing? That'd just be Estelle and Osomatsu, wouldn't it?

[are you sure you want to blame them]

The knife was also put back after the blood was dried. Jonathan and I found it and no blood got on anything else. Maybe let's try to figure out the answer to another question. If there were two attackers, how did they not see each other? A second attacker would likely have acted to eliminate a possible witness of the first attacker trying to heal her wounds. Can we think of a timeline where it is possible they didn't accidentally meet up?

Yeah... it'd be one thing if person 2 killed her while person 1 was brewing the potion, but it actually got used on her. There's no way person 1 would leave person 2 alone if she wasn't okay, right? No one would just splash a potion at her and run for it.

Edited 2020-02-16 00:22 (UTC)

(no subject)

illusionarymelody - 2020-02-16 00:26 (UTC) - Expand

I do think knowing when and how will help us. Right now we're not for sure if there is one or two attackers. That's what led us to overthinking the last time because we didn't know Nanaki was still alive to be able to get back to his home. I also think it would ease Karma's mind to know the full truth of what happened.

Edited 2020-02-15 23:54 (UTC)

Right. This can't be easy for him, I know, but...

[well. give him a moment to muster his alchemy wisdom]

You've gotta point.

[he crosses his arms. don't get him wrong! he doesn't want to vote for someone who doesn't deserve it]

I just dunno if knowing how long it takes to make a potion will help us.

[ He'll wake up, after his two hour nap.

Damn this trial was still happening ]

It could, depending on when the injuries were made.

Welcome back.

[sucks, doesn't it. Well if even McBurn thinks so fine!!]

...Well...

[he doesn't want to seem uncooperative, so.]

Fuck it, I'll tell you guys anyway. It's not long. You pretty much just throw everything together and cook it a few minutes.

Then we have a timeline of the killer making their strike, making their whatever, and coming back with it, and then realizing it wouldn't do anything, before killing her as a possibility.

Do we have any evidence that shows it wasn't prepared in advance?

It depends how quickly that type of material cools down.

(no subject)

illusionarymelody - 2020-02-16 00:28 (UTC) - Expand

[ There's a thought. ]

Don't really think so.

But, if someone's a quick runner, they could manage to get to her with the potion on the first run in a short time. Especially if they know where things are, and how to put it together.

Edited 2020-02-16 00:24 (UTC)