dramatispersonae | Beatrice's Heart

Beatrice's Heart

You find yourselves in the seats of a darkened theatre. The stage's plush red curtains are currently drawn closed, though there are stairs on either side of an orchestra pit, leading up to the stage area and backstage. Other than that, if you squint, you can see a couple of side exits to the left and right. Of course, there are doors behind you leading to the lobby and the main entrance.

There is a foul smell here, old and rotted flesh and blood, and if you look on the ground you might even see some of it.

((#catbox !))

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[ .........no........... ]

[ well. this is a predicament. are there places that I can go in an attempt to find people to read this for me? ]

You can try going up the stairs; I hear there's a lovely portrait of Beatrice there.

[ up the stairs we go, then! ]

Hello? Can someone help me?

As you make your way up the stairs--

Someone spots you! But they hardly look like they're willing to help, seeing as they're leveling a shotgun to point it directly at your head.

"--Who are you?! What are you doing here?! You... murderer!!"

[ She freezes and slowly raises her hands up in the classic gesture of "I mean no harm". ]

My name is Rose. I got lost, I'm sorry, but I didn't murder anyone. I was just looking for help. Please.

"Looking for help?! Like I'll believe that. Just how did you get here in the middle of a storm??"

Please, listen to me. I'm not sure. [ . . . well if I'm going to die anyway. let's have fun. ] My boat, it capsized in the storm and I washed up on this...place, I don't know where I am. I just saw this letter on the floor, please, I just need to go home.

Rosa frowns deeply, considering her for a long moment. "...That might be true, but why should we trust that you're innocent? People have died...!!"

I know you can't. I can't trust you either. But you can check my pockets, or my person...I don't have anything I could use to hurt someone. I don't even know how I arrived at this house in the first place, let alone who it belongs to or what could be going on.

"Fine--" She comes over, going to pat Rose down, starting by grabbing the envelope.

[ you can't really argue with a woman who has a gun 8'|;;; standing there then. ]

Do you have anything else on your person for her to take. Because she's going to take it.

[ nope. :|b Except maybe a crumpled up piece of paper with the english alphabet written over and over. ]

"...What's this?" She seems half confused and half condescending as she unfurls it.

I don't know how to write. I'm learning. It's..the English alphabet.

"How old are you?" She sounds almost accusatory. "...I won't believe that you don't know. You might still be the one who wrote the letter, right?!"

It's an awfully long story, and if you'd care to match my awful handwriting up against the letter, I'd be more than happy to do so. My writing is atrocious at the moment.

[ Be glad I didn't bring my needles to this heart, Rosa..... ]

Please, I just want someone to read it for me. It was on the ground, near the entrance.

Rosa still seems dubious, but finally grabs the letter to start reading the first page out loud, in a hurried and rather annoyed tone--it doesn't seem to be news to her.

"I welcome you to Rokkenjima, members of the Ushiromiya family. I am serving Kinzo-sama as the Alchemy counsellor for this house, and my name is Beatrice. I have been serving him as stipulated by a long-lasting contract; but this very day, that contract has been pronounced terminated by Kinzo-sama. In consequence, from this day on, please acknowledge my resignation as Alchemy counsellor for this house.

And now, there is one part of the contract that I cannot let go on unexplained to you all. I, Beatrice, did lend a vast amount of gold to Kinzo-sama, under certain terms. Those terms are, that by the termination of the contract, all the gold will be returned to me. And also, that I am entitled to receive everything of the Ushiromiya family as interest.

Upon hearing this, you will most likely lament at how ruthless Kinzo-sama could have been. However, Kinzo-sama did nevertheless add a special clause in order to give you a chance to preserve your wealth and fortune. From the second that clause is fulfilled, I shall lose the right to recover the gold, and interest, for all time.

<Special Clause>
When the contract is terminated, Beatrice is within her rights to recover the gold and interest accumulated. However, should someone discover the aforementioned gold, Beatrice shall renounce all rights to its recovery for all time.

From now on, the collecting of interest shall take place; however, if but a single person fulfills the special clause, I will give back even the interest that I already took. Furthermore, as the first step of the collecting, I have taken possession of the symbol of the inheritance, the Ring of the Head of the Ushiromiya Family. I ask you to please confirm this by the wax seal.

As for the cache of the gold, Kinzo-sama has already edicted it in the epitaph beneath my portrait. Those who are able to read the epitaph shall be equal before me. If you manage to find the gold, I will most certainly give everything back to you. With that, please enjoy to the fullest your battle of wits with Kinzo-sama. I pray from the bottom of my heart that tonight turns out to be an intellectual, and yet elegant, night.

--Beatrice the Golden."

"--So? There's really none of that that rings any bells...?"

No, none of it. I'm sorry, I really don't know.

I could try to help you fulfill that special clause, but no, I've never heard it in my life.

Rosa looks frustrated--and then suddenly surprised, as she notices another page. "What's this...?"

She's a little too busy frantically reading it to tell you what it says just yet.

[ I will just wait then :/ ]

Something new?

"...The family head... The study?!"

She looks sharply between the letter and Rose, and finally shifts to point the gun at her again.

"--You're coming with me! All right? I won't let you out of my sight!!"

Gladly. Lead the way.

Rosa huffs, and does just that, veering off into a side room at first--George, Jessica, Battler, and Maria are all there, and look up in surprise.

"Wha--?"

"There's no time to explain!" she barks out, keeping the gun pointed at Rose's head. "We have to go!"

[ She waves a little bit at Battler -- the younger girl looks familiar, but the rest are complete strangers -- before she looks at Rosa. Better to just. Keep going along with it, she supposes.

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