Memory 11

[itsalluseless]

Memory: "Beatrice really exists!" [ep1] (Trivial Negative)
Game: Betting on knights with Peter Pan and Chance (not played)
Day: 183
Form: Memories come in the form of betting tokens identical to the one used in the game. Flip them to receive your memory.

After the first murders of the first game, the surviving servants are gathered in the kitchen. Kanon is upset that Beatrice killed Shannon, but Genji tells him it was just bad luck. However, Kanon recalls that the door to Natsuhi's room had been stained red and covered in scratches, as if someone had tried and failed to get in.

KANON: ...Why, .........was Madam not chosen as a sacrifice...? If only she had been chosen, ......Shannon wouldn't, ......Shannon wouldn't have had to die...

Just then a loud, sharp noise came in from the hall. Both of them turned around, surprised.

BATTLER: ..................It sounds like you're having a pretty interesting discussion. Let me join in too.

Before any of the servants had realized it, Battler was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

KANON: ......Battler-sama. Please, excuse me...

Genji-san and Kanon-kun stood up, surprised, and hastily bowed. ...But I didn't care about stuff like that. I was more concerned with continuing their discussion.

BATTLER: I told them I was going to the bathroom, so they let me go. I thought I'd suffocate if I was locked up in that room any longer. ...When I was about to come ask you for some water, I overheard something pretty interesting. ......You don't need to bow your heads or anything. Please, let me hear the rest.

KANON: ............That just now, ......wasn't really......

BATTLER: I've been listening to you for a while. Don't try to hide it now............So I'll ask directly. ...Who is this Beatrice? She's supposed to be a witch from a kid's story, but it doesn't look that way now.

KANON: ........................

Kanon-kun averted his gaze. ...It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about this, ...which only made me want to ask even more. While making an effort to smile, I grabbed the collar of his shirt.

BATTLER: ......If it were last night, this'd be none of my business. But after this morning, everything's changed. Now that Dad and the rest have been killed, this is totally my business. .........I have the right to listen to this suspicious story, don't I...?

Even so, I glared into Kanon's eyes as he kept trying to look away in apparent pain. Since there was a big difference in our heights, Kanon had to stand on his toes and it looked like it hurt a bit.

KUMASAWA: ............Battler-san......please let go of him... It's not like Kanon-san is really hiding anything...

BATTLER: Then you won't have any problem talking about it, right? It's lonely being out of the loop, get it?

When I tried to further twist up his collar, Genji-san cut between us and spoke. ...There was a slight sense of resignation on his face. ......It looked like he didn't plan on hiding anything.

GENJI: .........I can talk about it. ......Kanon only hesitated because you might have taken it badly, Battler-sama...

BATTLER: Hesitating isn't very manly, is it? Keeping it a secret's even more unpleasant. ......Tell me about it. It's not like we have anything better to do before tomorrow comes. A slightly shady story might be the best way to stave off boredom.

Genji and Kanon agree to talk, starting with the question of Beatrice's identity: she's not only the witch of legend, she is a real person who exists on the island. She has no form unless she wills it, which is why most people can't see her. Despite Battler's growing unease at this nonsense, all three servants do not budge. Without any doubt in their tone, they keep saying that Beatrice truly exists and will bring disaster to those who doubt or mock her.

BATTLER: .........W, ......well... Sure you say she exists...but I don't see anything... Are you trying to say that she's standing right next to me or something? Quit joking around...

MARIA: Kihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihi......

Just then, that unnerving laugh suddenly filled the kitchen...

...When I turned around, Maria was standing there by the entrance. ...But her expression and the feeling about her, her presence...felt exactly the same as the servants.

MARIA: ...Whether your wavelength matches or not is determined at birth. Battler, you were born with a mismatched wavelength. That's why you can't see her, can't meet with her, can't talk to her. ...Kihihihihihihihihihihihihihihi. You're the type Beatrice hates the most.

Maria's laugh almost sounded insane, ...and it was extremely eerie. ......It was almost like she was laughing at me because I alone didn't understand.

Maria keeps talking about Beatrice, how powerful and amazing she is. She insists the letter she read last night at dinner is proof, but Battler remains doubtful. This only makes Maria mock him for his complete lack of sixth sense - people like him are the ones Beatrice hates the most. Just like the servants, she claims that Beatrice exists right here and now. Battler realises the servants and Maria are all staring at a spot right behind him, but when he glances over his shoulder, there's no one there.

MARIA: .........You're lucky, Battler. Good thing that I gave you that charm yesterday, right? Don't you realize what kind of curse Beatrice would have put on you by now if you hadn't been carrying it around? ...You really are lucky, Battler. Kihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihi...!

BATTLER: .........Right, that scorpion keyholder. I'd thought that was just some cheap gift or something, but are you saying that really had some benefit?

MARIA: Kihihihihihihihi. If it weren't for that, you'd be lying in that storehouse as a sacrifice with your face crushed by now. Kihihihihihihihihi, you're so lucky, Battler...! Kihhihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihi!

BATTLER: ......I see. So if it weren't for that, I'd have been killed by now......

MARIA: Battler, why don't you believe in Beatrice...? Even though she 'exists'. Right now, over there, look. Kihihihihihihihihi! Hey, I'll bet you want to believe it now. Believe it. And thank me for giving you that charm...! If it weren't for that, you'd be in the storehouse right now. But then, maybe you would have saved someone else in exchange, right? Kihhihihihihihihihihihihihihi!

*pop*.

......Right then, I burst into laughter. Playing witches had been pretty fun up until a second ago, but unfortunately, that last one seemed to be too much for me to gloss over.

BATTLER: Hahahahahahah. ......Then it's all useless, isn't it, Maria? If that's true, then I'm sorry, but it's all useless.

When Maria saw me suddenly start laughing, she stopped. Even though she didn't understand what I was laughing at, she realized it wouldn't be pleasant for her.

MARIA: ..................

BATTLER: I thought it might hurt you, so I didn't say it earlier, but......Although I thought I'd put that charm you gave me in my pocket, I must have dropped it somewhere, you see? ......That means the charm can't be the only reason I'm alive now, and even though I should have been cursed by the witch, I'm perfectly fine. ......Sorry, but I don't believe in things I don't see with my own eyes. Sixth sense? Wavelengths? Magic sensitivity? Sorry, but I don't believe in fake stuff like that. When I hear the girls in class start talking about how good or bad their ability to sense the supernatural is, it pisses me off! ...I don't know how much Grandfather is paying you, but if you're trying to talk me into joining some cult, believe me, you won't be able to do it that easily.

KANON: ............Battler-sama...

BATTLER: ...You guys are free to believe whatever you want. However, when it comes to the things I believe, I am always the one who decides! Sorry, but I can't believe in something as shady as Beatrice until I've seen her with my own eyes...!!

I spoke forcefully and sharply... When I did, Maria started cackling again.

MARIA: Kihhihihihihihihihihihi...! Well that's just fine, isn't it...? Eventually, even people like you with totally mismatched wavelengths will be able to see Beatrice. .........Very soon, she will revive. Beatrice will revive. ......Once that happens, she's promised to talk with me and play with me a lot. ...There's absolutely no need to doubt or to force you to believe. ......She will appear, very soon. Kihihihihihihihihihi...!

Battler, as well as the servants and Maria, have joined the others in the parlour. He's very confused about what just happened, especially since everyone's acting perfectly normal. Maria has gone back to watching TV and uu-ing as she usually does. SHIT IS WEIRD YO

GEORGE: You're right. When Maria starts talking about witches, she changes. ...Battler-kun, you also saw it down by the beach yesterday, right?

BATTLER: You mean that scorpion keyholder? ...No, I don't mean like when her feelings were hurt, I'm talking about when she looked like she had a dual personality.

JESSICA: Aah, that happens sometimes. ......Just like when Maria started talking about the magic circle, that just happens sometimes. It's freaky though.

According to Jessica, it seems that she's spotted the 'Kihihihihihi' laughing Maria a few times. This was just bad timing, and furthermore, it was the first time I'd seen it so it really shocked me...

BATTLER: So what is that? Does Maria have a dual personality or something? Or are you saying that her spiritual sense really is that strong, and she's being possessed by it?

GEORGE: ...No, I don't think it's that. Haven't you ever experienced it? When you were small, did you have someone other than yourself who you wanted to be?

George explains that for growing kids, it's important to stand out from the others. A part of that is learning things no one else knows. For many girls, that manifests as an interest in the supernatural, such as fortunetelling and the like. It's also not rare for kids to take on a kind of idealised personality in certain situations. Most people act differently depending on the situation: at home you are your true self, and at school you act like the person you want others to see you as.

BATTLER: .........So, in other words, I'm changing my character for different situations. ......Are you trying to say that having multiple personalities is actually really common?

JESSICA: A girl who is a fan of the occult might say that she's being possessed and then reawakened. Honestly, there are some kids who can suddenly change their personalities. ......Even some boys, right? Guys who just blow their top and suddenly become violent. I'll bet they think it's pretty cool, but it's painful to watch.

BATTLER: So let's sum this all up. ...Girls of about Maria's age, even if they show a creepy second personality like she did a minute ago, you're saying that's not such a rare thing...?

What he learned:
+Maria is capable of being incredibly creepy
+She and the servants seem to really believe in Beatrice
+Whereas I really don't
+Maybe there is an actual point to all the skepticism?
+10 MAGIC AIN'T REAL
+on the other hand I was totally lying about that charm
+100 bullshitting to save face
+Huh all that stuff about personalities is pretty interesting