[in this chapter, the Ushiromiya family gets fed up and starts saying what they REALLY think.]

[golden_dream]

[Day 11-12]

[for this post, we'll say they took over some other non-gassed set]

All right... we're all here. We all took the serum, right?

Comments

[meatitfeedson]

...You could say that.

[But she isn't able to say anything that agrees with it.]

By the way, I dont like this any more than the next person, but he couldn't lie after all... Ronove told me he isn't human, and that Beatrice truly is a witch, but not Kinzo's mistress. She's also technically the head of the family right now.

[golden_dream]

... Ronove's a lying sack of shit.

[BLUNTLY]

He didn't take the truth serum I bet... or he's found a way to lie anyway, just to mess with us!

[meatitfeedson]

After the things we've seen and heard of here? I'm willing to believe it. I don't want to, but between that and the truth serum, I don't see any reason not to believe him. If he hasn't taken the serum, then frankly, that's a stupid move on his part, and he's about to die.

[golden_dream]

He's lying... he's just making things up, because witches don't exist!

I told you the story... not one word of it was made up! Beatrice died nineteen years ago... and she was not a witch! She was just... a lonely, pitiful girl who deserved better...

[meatitfeedson]

That's right, I asked him about that too. He said that was Beatrice, not a fake, and he knew what I was talking about, or at least seemed to. I'll say it again, I for one see no reason not to believe him, but I also can't force you to.

[She want to be practical, but then again, her best friend is a demon.]

[golden_dream]

I don't care if Ronove or Maria or anything else saying 'Beatrice' is a witch, I know it's not true...!

[pause]

...

How on Earth did he know about that whole incident?

Before I told you both the other night, I had never told anyone... No, I remember, the very first day, he alluded to knowing about it.

--That's right, the only people who knew back then were Kumasawa-san and Genji himself. That's why it only made sense he'd be related to Genji... or so I thought.

He denied that, too.

[meatitfeedson]

From a non-magic point of view, I suppose Father would have figured out that someone let her out. A servant would be more likely, but if he knew that you ran off into the woods, then it might not be a stretch to suspect you. It would also be difficult to bring up or punish you, when it had to be a secret from everyone else... When you're both caught in a lie, it's easier to feign ignorance.

[golden_dream]

...No.

[she shrinks back]

No, no no no. If Father... if Father ever thought I was involved...

[forget being disinherited, she'd fear for her life in that case]

[meatitfeedson]

.....Then I guess we can rule that out. In which case how could he possibly know?

[Even she is not entirely sure why she's defending magic but, this situation right now is magic, she's so beyond giving a shit.]

[golden_dream]

...

Even when I told them both, they didn't... 'acknowledge' what I was telling them.

They both just pretended not to hear. Kumasawa-san did her little routine she does when you bring up something she doesn't want to talk about, and... Genji eventually, finally, told me that I needed to never speak about it, ever again.

... I'm sure only they knew the truth. But how would Ronove be close to them when he's already said he isn't?

[meatitfeedson]

Frankly it doesn't sound like something they would mention to even their closest confidant. There's no way he could know without being involved.

[Which means either witches or that he's Kumasawa or Genji in disguise?? Crazy am I right??]

[golden_dream]

...Here's another idea.

[she paused, as she collected her thoughts]

Genji isn't as loyal as everyone thought. I don't know. Is it farfetched to say he'd been stealing from the family over the years? I'm sure there were a lot of valuables at the mansion... or even some bank account he had access to that Father trusted him with.

This 'Ronove' is just some lowlife working with Genji. He's been fed the darkest secrets of the Ushiromiya family, and he's using it to take advantage of us! Make us think he's 'on our side' and he's 'loyal' when he's just some guy with a stolen outfit with an emblem stitched on.

[meatitfeedson]

I mean, technically anyone could wear the crest, there's nothing they could do about it. But even if I believe what he said about worrying for our safety and not having ill will toward us, I don't trust him, and I don't think he's making any attempt to have us trust him either. Besides that I really couldn't believe that about Genji unless Father put him up to it.

[golden_dream]

...Logically. I don't know. No matter how you look at it, Ronove just shouldn't exist.

We're not... hallucinating, collectively, are we?

[meatitfeedson]

I guess that's as likely as anything else.

What about that champagne, it would be impossible to get hold of without breaking into the winery storage. Yet it appeared instantly. It was an incredibly specific request, too.

[golden_dream]

[nods] But that's within the context of the 'game' with the clown... do you think Ronove is working with the clown, even as a contestant?

[meatitfeedson]

No, I doubt that. But if it's possible for this game, then why not at home? What makes it any different?

[golden_dream]

Because... the world made sense before we came here!

Listen, there's another man too, claiming to be a space traveler and a time traveler. Are we supposed to believe time travelers exist??

If you're going to say that, maybe someone time traveled and saved Beatrice before she died!

[meatitfeedson]

Fine, think what you want.

[It's becoming pretty clear she can't convince her of anything. And what they should really be doing is playing the game. And Kyrie's got something that should be worth plenty.]

Do you think we don't notice how you treat Maria-chan? What makes you think that's alright?

[golden_dream]

[...]

[suddenly jolts backward, like she was shot, crashing into a shelf of props which immediately fall on her]

[meatitfeedson]

[--Oh, holy shit- Kyrie rushes to try to help her up.]

1/2

[golden_dream]

Just what I need!

[wincing, she'd shove the pointier objects to the side]

...

[golden_dream]

[...then she stares up at Kyrie, pain spurning her shock into anger]

You... You have no right to talk about Maria! I don't tell you how to parent your children, do I?

...Do I??

[meatitfeedson]

[She kind of expects to be rejected, but she kneels down and offers a hand anyway.]

I'm not telling you how to parent your child, I'm asking a question. If you're going to put it like that, should I assume you think it's perfectly acceptable? But by all means, if you have any opinions on my parenting, now is a good time to bring it up.

1/2

[golden_dream]

I... --I... --I...

[all of her usual retorts along these lines were dying in her throat, why did she have to be tongue-tied now!?]

[...]