dramatispersonae | KILLUA HEART

KILLUA HEART

It's dark. Everything around you is pure blackness, thick enough that you can't even see your hand in front of you. It's quiet and empty, and nothing but the warmth of your own body and the sensation of your own breathing can even assure you that you're indeed standing here—

Then suddenly, you're jolted by an electric current—brief, but no less searing and painful for it—and light begins to flood your vision, as if you've finally woken up.

[join #bigbrotheriswatching]

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Very well, then!

On the count of three, let's push. One, two, three--!

[and pushing!]

[let's do this. pushing!]

Well! It's still not an easy task and it will still leave you plenty sore and aching after the fact, but teaming up does, indeed, cut the effort in about a half. Finally, finally, the doors open enough for you to slip through.

You emerge onto the grounds of the estate—clearly still a ways away from the mansion itself, on a path winding itself through a forested area that could presumably lead you closer to the main house. As you step inside, the first things that might catch your eye, sprawled out all the way along the path... are dead bodies.

The victims range widely in age, social status, and cause of death. Some are older businessmen, some look like they could be important political figures, and others yet look like completely unassuming, ordinary people. Some are old; a few couldn't be any older than their early teens. Some have had their hearts plucked cleanly from their chests, some lie on the ground beheaded, and others went to their deaths without a mark left on their body. The one thing they all have in common is that they were clearly the victims of murder.

...my goodness.

[dismayed, but not too shocked or shaken as she surveys the scene]

Just because they're assassins doesn't mean they should leave their work lying around! Honestly.

[there are a lot of dead bodies...about how many? Do any stand out in particular? she's investigating]

We should keep our guard up, just to be on the safe side.

[she's good at hiding exactly how shaken up she is; she's used to dead monsters, but dead humans? another thing altogether.

she's also going to keep an eye out, just in case there's some kind of trap.]

Yes, quite.

An estate like this...if this place makes any proper sense, they should surely have servants. Let's keep an eye out for some we can order to come here and clean up and bury these bodies.

Absolutely. It's the least they can do, after all that; if there's a butler around, we can ask him to have someone take care of it.

[is there a butler or a maid around?]

There are hundreds upon hundreds of them, but they're spread out all the ways down the path. None of them particularly stand out; in fact, although you're looking directly at them, it's hard to tell quite what they look like. They do have faces, but it's as if it's somehow hard to focus on their features.

When you mention the word "servant," however, there is a rustling from a nearby brush, and young girl with a butler uniform and a serious expression emerges.

"This is private property, you know."

Yes, I'm quite aware, but we have business here. Now, would you be a dear and fetch some servants more used to physical labor? And a shovel, of course. Someone really ought to bury these bodies.

Her expression doesn't change.

"Why? That would be unnecessary."

Quite untrue! It may be necessary sometimes to kill your enemies in war--

[she falters a little; she doesn't see how some of the younger and older victims here could be enemies in wartime, but she plucks herself back up and continues]

--but there's no reason to leave their bodies scattered around your lawn! It's quite unsafe and troubling.

"The Zoldyck family is not troubled by such things. If necessary, Mike will dispose of them eventually."

I dare say the Zoldyck family needs some harsh lessons, in that case. Dare I even ask what you mean by "dispose of"? Please tell me Mike isn't some dog you feed them to!

She appears unfazed.

"Yes, that is exactly correct."

...!

[clutches her parasol angrily]

Who is in charge of this dreadful place?

"The current head of the family is Master Silva, but this has been tradition for hundreds of years."

Well, my dear, sometimes tradition must be upset! Would you be so kind as to take me to Master Silva?

[muttering to herself]

Hmph! I begin to see where the boy's problems lie! Raised by a no-good family, disgraces to nobility...

"As I've told you, this is private property. I am not authorized to allow you near the family."

[clucks her tongue]

Is there nothing I can do to convince you of the import of my quest?

[she's just kind of been watching, and pipes up now.]

We're friends of Killua's, and we're worried something may have happened to him. Does that change things, at all?

Her lips remain firmly pressed together, but for a split second you may see a glint of emotion in her eyes.

"Master Killua is no longer here. Even if you continue along this path to the main estate, you will not find him."

The statement of "along this path to the main estate" seems pointed.

And a good thing, too!

I suppose if this place is merely some relic of his past, there's no point in bothering with it...

What do you think, Weiss?

...hold on. She said 'along the path to the main house'.

[thinking, thinking, then asking the girl -]

Does that mean we should find another path? The gentleman in the guard station didn't mention one offhand. If there's some kind of guest house, then we could certainly check it.

She shakes her head.

"There is a butler house, but you won't find much of interest there. The family, of course, resides in the main estate."

I suspect he's gone down the path outside the gate.

But this place wouldn't be here if it didn't mean something. I just wonder if it's anything of use.

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