Okay, massive gay shoutout to my gr8 m8 Rasadad again ( space-cowboi) for all the help on this chapter. As stated previously, I don't know hte first thing about legal stuff and she was so helpful so thanks babe xxoo

That being typed, this chapter is incredibly scattered and strange...

"So, how did that audition go?" Eli asked Alisa as they leaned against the bus stop. The younger Ayase shrugged.

"Eh, I think I did okay. Yoshino-sensei seemed happy with my performance."

"That's good, we can't have a disappointed ballet instructor, now can we?" Eli's mind turned to Alisa's ballet instructor: she was short - very short - but from the videos and performances she had seen, Nanjo Yoshino was a graceful dancer, who stood out from the others onstage.

"What did you think of the company? Would you want to go there?"

Alisa frowned in thought, rocking on the balls of her feet.

"Well, it's close to home, which is always good, but…"

She looked down and withdrew herself into her large grey coat.

"I kept getting stared at by the other dancers."

Eli's heart sank - she knew that feeling all too well. Having foreign elements, despite being born and raised in Japan, was always hard for certain people to overcome.

"Alisa," Eli placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, practically feeling the pain.

"Believe me when I say that it's going to be hard to shake those feelings. They'll always be with you, and there's not much you can do to stop other people from judging you from your looks."

Eli paused, remembering what Nozomi had said to Tsubasa. She smiled and chuckled, "It's something that will be with you for the rest of your life, but you are first and foremost a genuine human being with a passion and talent for dancing. Let people see that instead of your blonde hair."

Alisa's cheeks went red at her sister's kind words. Eli tucked a stray lock of platinum behind Alisa's ear.

"Yoshino-sensei sees passed it, as does everyone else in your ballet school,"

Alisa averted her eyes and stuffed her hands deeper into her coat pockets.

"S-so how's Nozomi? Is she still dealing with everything that happened?"

Eli nodded, the atmosphere changing instantly, "She has the hearing tomorrow."

"I guess she knows what it's like to get those looks," Alisa thought out loud, then instantly squeaked and covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Eli,"

"No, trust me," Eli clapped a hand on Alisa's shoulder again as the bus rolled up to the stop.

"She knows what it's like, and so do I."

Alisa smiled at her sister's words, and giggled when the older blonde turned her gaze to the street and started humming a familiar tune.

"Eli, how long are you going to be humming that?"

"Until the jury realises they made a mistake in letting Ukraine win," Was Eli's instant response while the bus opened the doors.

"Thunder and lightning it's getting exciting," Eli sang under her breath as they boarded. Alisa continued to laugh.

"Maybe Yoshino-san can teach me the dance."

"She better, I'll even buy a giant screen for you to climb."

"Hoshizora Rin, on the thirteenth of February, you performed a tattoo under the supervision of Toujou Nozomi. Is this correct?"

Rin's heart was in her throat. She sat at the plain brown desk in the rather dark courtroom, due to the constantly shades of dark earthy colours. Being on Nozomi's right, she couldn't see Umi's expressions, and Nozomi's normally calm aura seemed to be withering away. Rin's knuckles turned white as she croaked out an answer.

"Yes, your honour."

"Did you perform the tattoo on Koizumi Hanayo?"

Rin turned around, seeing Hanayo in the order of the room. Compared to her, Rin seemed extremely confident: the girl was so hunched in on herself she could blend into the background.

"Yes.

"Did Koizumi-san know of the forms that needed to be signed?"

"Yes. She signed the disclaimer forms."

Rin caught Hanayo's eyes, and bit her lip again. Her chest tightened up, and felt as though the dark walls were closing in around her.

"Hoshizora-san, how long have you known Toujou-San?"

Rin snapped her head to stare at Nozomi next to her. Nozomi's grin didn't waver, but there was some hidden emotion in her eyes that Rin couldn't put her finger on.

"I...I've known Nozomi-senpai for six months, but I started my apprenticeship two or three months ago."

The judge sternly glanced from Rin to Nozomi. All three defendants wore the same attire they had for meeting Nitta. Hanayo had re-tied Rin's tie at least three times before they went into the courtroom.

"Were you aware of Toujou-san not signing the form for you to proceed to tattoo Koizumi-san?"

"Not until Nozomi-senpai got the phone call."

The judge looked down at a sheet of paper in front of them and raised an eyebrow.

"Kotori-chan?"

She was snapped out of her thoughts, and instantly retracted her hands from the sink. Kotori and Honoka always took the day-care's nap time period as the only opportunity they'd have to do the dishes. Since the children were rather messy, it took time to clean the plastic bowls and spoons.

"You spaced out, are you okay?" Honoka asked, hair tied into a ponytail while she wore a white apron. Kotori shrugged and stared down at the pink bowls in the sink.

"I'm worried, Honoka-chan."

"Same," the ginger looked at the colourful wall and pursed her lips. She quickly looked back at Kotori with a grin.

"But hey, there's a bright side if Umi-chan has to go to court again!"

Kotori raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be?"

"If they go to court, they'd take the lawyer and even more evidence to help!"

Kotori blinked. She didn't know if what Honoka said was brilliant or just stupid.

"Sonoda-san,"

"Y-Yes," Umi jumped slightly in her seat as her last name was called.

"The business records say that you closed Lily White Body Art that very evening. Is this true?"

"Yes, your honour"

"Can you please explain to me what happens when you close the studio?"

Umi looked at Nozomi briefly, then cleared her throat.

"First, the doors are shut, then the tills are counted. The deposit goes into a bank bag and locked into the safe. After that, the forms are sorted, then the daily sales r-"

"Did you sort out the forms at the end of the day?" The judge cut Umi off quickly, causing the piercer to choke on her own breath.

"U-uhm, yes?"

"And you didn't see the unsigned form in that pile?"

"No…It was a busy day," Umi shrunk into herself, her voice getting smaller and smaller, to the point when it was just nothingness.

"You reckon they're holding up?"

"Well I wouldn't know, I'm standing out here with you," Maki folded her arms as Nico's brow twitched.

"Smart-arse," Nico mumbled, stuffing the cigarette into her mouth and folding her arms. Maki looked down at the pavement she had just written all over in chalk to advertize Bibi's brand new stock of daffodils.

"I know it's common to not bring a lawyer to a hearing, but you'd think they would, given their circumstances."

"What do you mean?" Nico seemed genuinely confused. Maki furrowed her brow, obviously not keen on what she was about to say.

"While we might know and love Nozomi, Umi and Rin," she started with a gesture to Nico and herself.

"When people look at them, all they see are their tattoos and piercings. People who don't know them think they're scary criminals. Their aesthetics aren't going to help them too much if they're alone."

Nico caught on to what Maki was talking about, and instantly stomped her foot.

"You're right, Maki," Nico admitted, but then her head shot up with a smirk.

"They look terrifying, but they're all intelligent...save for Rin at times."

A woman wearing a strange brown vest over a square printed dress walked up to Bibi. Maki did her best to keep a straight face at the strange fashion choices this woman had made.

"Excuse me, I'm here to pick up an order?"

"Yes!" Nico threw her cigarette to the ground and dug her heel into it. Her super peppy-retail face on was enough to make Maki's eye twitch.

"Please come in, I'll help you with that. What was the name for the order?"

"Nanjo."

"That's right, twenty bouquets."

Nico led the woman inside while Maki stuffed her hands into her pockets, her mind turning to Rin.

"Minami-san, are you sure the document with no signature came from Lily White Body Art? "

"Absolutely," The woman's voice was curt, laced with disgust.

"The level of unprofessionalism in this regard is astounding."

The judge raised an eyebrow at the remark, as did Umi.

"So, Minami-san, you're the one who informed Toujou-san about this, therefore you want to prosecute?"

"Yes."

"And if you win, what will you have the studio do?"

Minami glanced over at Nozomi, and looked her dead in the eye.

"Close the studio and revoke their rights to tattoo and pierce."

All three of them felt their hearts drop. Their income, their lifestyle…

"That seems extreme," Umi spoke up, desperately trying to keep her voice under some sort of control.

A deafening silence encased Eli while she sat at the table in her apartment, staring at her laptop. Excell was open, but blank. She hated doing payroll, but no one else was allowed to do it but her. There was no motivation or incentive, other than receiving money. Eli wished the money would just fall into her purse through the help of some magic.

The ballet instructor would be picking up her bouquet today, and Eli texted Nico a remind to throw in complimentary ribbon-wrapping, but that was about all she had done today. Eli was too worried to do anything but worry. She relaxed upon receiving a text back from Nico instantly, informing her that Nanjo had indeed picked up the flowers and that Maki had already wrapped every single bouquet.

Eli smiled for a split second, then went back to staring at her laptop in despair.

"Toujou-san, your business records from your shop opening until the present day is impeccable, save for this."

Nozomi blinked in response, desperately trying to ignore the craving clawing at the walls of her stomach.

"However, this is quite a serious issue, as Hoshizora-san is an apprentice."

"Indeed it is," Nozomi responded calmly. The judge looked down at the paper again, and sighed.

"We'll be in taking a recess to discuss the matter, Dismissed.

Nozomi opened her mouth to say something, but felt Rin's forehead go against her shoulder, her frame shifting with sobs. Umi stared at her feet, doing her best not to let any sign of weakness show, but Nozomi thought it was too late for that.

They left the courtroom with a cloud hanging over them. Rin held Hanayo's hand, and collapsed into herself once the doors to the outside world swung shut behind them.

Umi, hands in pockets, bit down hard on her lip while they walked slowly down the steps of the courthouse.

Nozomi pulled out the e-cigarette and practically shoved it into her mouth. She knew it would be going deeper - there's no way her father would let this not pass.

Sure enough, Nozomi was right.

"We'll be in touch with your lawyer, Toujou-san, and set a date for the case."

The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.

Umi took Rin and Hanayo home. When she offered the lift to Nozomi, she declined.

"No thanks, Umi-chan. I'm just going to walk."

"Are...you sure?"

"Positive," Nozomi's face was anything but positive, but Umi didn't see the point in fighting. They'd all be back in Nitta's office come monday to sort out their evidence for the case, anyway.