/dusts off the comm again?
I wanted to post this here instead of my fic journal for some reason :U
title: Gold and Blue
verse; i_s_l_a_n_d_rp/islandbox
Characters: Beato, Shinichi, with cameo by Erika
Supposed to be TYL timeline, somesuch. Spoilers for EP8. Haphazardly inspired by Diamond Crevasse and a Touhou comic.
kind of sad as hell.
-- ☀ --
My dear Shinichi,
Oranges and purples melted into the skyline as the boat pulled away from the harbor; dawn was as beautiful in Tokyo Bay as it always had been. While not as crisp as it was in Hokkaido or fresh as it was in the countryside, the seasalt air was pleasant to the lungs, even with the welcome chill of the October morning. Beato had warned him that a death would occur on board the ship, and that's why they had to board it-- Though he could easily counter that any outing of his usually resulted in a death, Shinichi agreed to go, and went so far as to bring Erika along in case her skills were needed; she had become a formidable detective over the years, blossoming from a bitter girl who used her talents to humiliate others to a proud one who used it to humiliate the wicked. Some things didn't change, but others changed for the better.
I'm sorry for not telling you my time was short here. When I first arrived, and suggested that the magic that bound me to your kakera might come undone, it turns out that idea was not in jest.
Beatrice had been cagey about her whole hunch regarding the idea, and shivered in the early dawn. She hadn't dressed appropriately for the ordeal; a long white, short-sleeved shirt, red scarf, and vaguely military looking jeans and boots. When Shinichi had moved to drape his coat on her, she quickly evaded him and told him it wasn't necessary. That should have been his first cue in retrospect that things weren't right, the fact that she kept her distance from him, Erika, and the rest of the police that had tagged along merely on her hunch. She wished so many hadn't come just for her hunch-- she said to keep quiet, stay on the down low-- that they would know when something was about to happen.
She'd never been wrong on that front before, so they didn't think twice.
I cannot speak for the others who stay here, whether they will or will not stay. But for a displaced piece, I can tell I'm starting to come apart at the seams like a rag doll. My story has been put to rest. This kakera wants me out, and I can feel it guiding me towards the exit. Please don't... hate me. I stayed as long as my magic let me.
The sky became white, then blue as the morning fell into noon. Nighttime always felt more appropriate to a murder, not midday on a boat sailing a small cruise around the bay, but Beatrice reassured him that she knew someone was meant to die, and not to doubt her. While the rest were patrolling the halls within the boat, Beatrice merely stared out across the water, as if searching for something. When Shinichi asked her about it, she just said the view reminded her of home; she wouldn't be temporarily distracted by it again.
I am so happy, that I lasted this long. I am happy I got to see your victory, and all the game boards and mysteries you solved. You were a true opponent to me, and I can only hope you'll continue to take care of Erika and guide her on the path of a detective.
Erika was fast to report any suspicious activity, even acting with her duct tape where she saw suspicious people at work. It almost seemed childish, but the two could attest that Erika's now-put-to-good-use detective skills had caught a number of criminals and had her name in the paper more than once. She'd traveled the world solving things by now, almost always accompanied by the lavender-haired girl as an assistant when she wasn't working with her two, preferred detectives.
It always struck Beatrice as odd that they referred to her as a detective here.
If I can confess, for the longest time, I've nursed a tiny, light-like love for you. I was ashamed of it at first, but then I locked it away in my heart. Your happiness and the lengths you've gone to get it have always meant so much more than a love that would never make itself felt, never be spoken of, never be fulfilled, and would never end. A lovely golden flame that would keep my heart from going cold, so far from what I chased for so long.
"I haven't lied to you." She said quietly.
"Of course not," Shinichi replied. "You're always right when you have these hunches... if you think someone's going to be murdered here, then I'd follow that without question."
"... But I know I have mislead you."
The light still flickers even as I write. The way I am now, there is no one for the Beatrice of this kakera except you, but Beatrice died in 1986, so she can't exist in your world.
"...What?"
"Someone would die here." She repeated, quietly and tensely, staring hard at the ocean and continuing to speak, "I never said there would be a murder."
Since that's the case, then the inevitability of what's to come is thankfully swift.
Faster than his already toned reflexes could react, her boot met the railing and launched her off, into the air, plummeting into the bay.
Without a doubt, the reports will say that it was a suicide, and the body could not be recovered from the bay...
He jumped after her without a moment's hesitation, the bite of the bay as he hit it not phasing him in the least. As he swam through the saltwater stinging his eyes, he caught a glimmer of gold. Instead of the modest outfit she'd been wearing before, the dress of the golden witch covered her once more, a change that had happened as fast as she submerged. Her eyes no longer reflected a haughty witch; but a servant tangled in a life of lies. He was staring, for the first and last time, at the real, true Beatrice.
Will it be what the 'real' me felt? What she went through? Since it's all I can think about, I think it must be so.
He called to her, but nothing but garbled bubbles came out of his mouth as he tried to speak. As if through her magic, the water stopped stinging his eyes enough to get a good look-- to see that she glowed within the water. He grabbed at the fabric that floated towards him of her dress, but his hands went through it as if it was part of the water itself, as if it wasn't really there. He couldn't pull her up if he tried, because his hands couldn't grasp the form in front of him-- that's why she avoided handshakes that day, that's why she nearly jumped when he came near her. She had already started to fade.
"Shinichi," Her voice was muted, but she could speak and he could hear her, even within the bay. "You must swim back up."
But even if you cry, never let this break you or stop you. There is someone at your side who will make you smile and carry you through such a thing, that I have no doubt that the wound in time will heal.
"--I'm not going back up without you!"
"Those words make me happy... but nothing will change the fact that I am an evil witch who can't be redeemed, and I lingered in the world of reality too long. You won't throw your life away for me." He kept feebly trying to grasp her dress, her face, her hair, but he couldn't.
"You can't hold onto an illusion."
He realized he was starting to become short of breath, and the pressure of the bay made the descent even harder. The sinking Beatrice had... a point. He could not bring her up, and he could not throw his life away, and he couldn't stay underwater, torn over the decision. He stared at her almost pathetically, begging her to change her mind with his eyes. She merely continued to descend, a small smile on her face.
That's what makes you so special. The fact that you always will stand up again... makes you shine to me... and warms the glow in my heart.
"Take care... goodbye, my detective."
It was then that he started choking for air and had no choice but to swim up to the surface. Beatrice's smile grew wider at that-- she would never forgive herself if he gave his life for her. The water's pressure started to take hold of her, hurting her head and ears, but she swallowed the water as if to speed along the process. The last thing the blue of her eyes caught was him returning to the world of light... and the last thing she felt was the feeling of splitting pain she familiarly associated with the quiet of hell. She had left for the world of illusions in a way that fit his kakera... the woman who appeared in his life ten years ago committing suicide. Police reports could be filed on that... and disappearing without finality did not fit either world she belonged to. This was her definite end, fated to her since her birth.
Thank you for always making me smile and staying by my side, even though I was nothing but a displaced piece, I was always someone to you.
They had to pull him kicking and screaming from the water so he wouldn't dive back down again. Erika had nearly gone in after him, and had to be similarly restrained. No body could be recovered, even with repeated searches for it. The disappearance of the Golden Witch... her very death was a mystery, which was perhaps how she foretold it, or how she would have wanted it. She thought about all those things while she still possessed the ability to think, then closed her eyes and fell gratefully into the embrace of hell.
But... that wasn't right. It wasn't the embrace of hell she fell into.
You always told me that even without Battler and my game board, I would find a purpose in your world.
A set of arms had locked around her from behind, even though her body had been intangible to Shinichi's grasp. She could no longer turn her head to see who had caught her, who had fallen behind her before she disappeared. Was it Battler, whom she had waited for for so long, finally catching her at the last moment he could? Was it... no, she had seen him break the surface. It couldn't be the detective, but she was no longer thinking straight. Had he followed her down? The voice behind her whispered, "As if I would let you disappear alone."
... and I feel now that purpose was you. So thank you for my purpose until now, and for the love I held that kept me warm.
"To hell with that. If you want to fall into eternity together, I won't stop you, but until that moment we can disappear together, you're mine."
"You fool, you... fool..."
She couldn't tell whose voice it was, and perhaps it was better that way; as her heart would break no matter who. Perhaps it was a fragment of the detective who she had fondly called the Sorcerer who had rescued her from the quiet depths to disappear with her. The person behind Beatrice held tightly onto her until there was nothing but the dark of the bay, and a few, small grains of light touching the floor. A gold rose rested, unaffected by the pressure of the water, atop a small box half-buried in the sand.
The eternally closed mystery of the Golden Witch.
May you always continue shining a brilliant blue.
She had left the letter somewhere easy for him to find; but easy only for him to find. It was closed between the pages of one of his Sherlock Holmes books, bookmarking the page of the appearance of the character Irene Adler.
All of my love,
Yasu
-- ☀ --
title: Gold and Blue
verse; i_s_l_a_n_d_rp/islandbox
Characters: Beato, Shinichi, with cameo by Erika
Supposed to be TYL timeline, somesuch. Spoilers for EP8. Haphazardly inspired by Diamond Crevasse and a Touhou comic.
kind of sad as hell.
-- ☀ --
My dear Shinichi,
Oranges and purples melted into the skyline as the boat pulled away from the harbor; dawn was as beautiful in Tokyo Bay as it always had been. While not as crisp as it was in Hokkaido or fresh as it was in the countryside, the seasalt air was pleasant to the lungs, even with the welcome chill of the October morning. Beato had warned him that a death would occur on board the ship, and that's why they had to board it-- Though he could easily counter that any outing of his usually resulted in a death, Shinichi agreed to go, and went so far as to bring Erika along in case her skills were needed; she had become a formidable detective over the years, blossoming from a bitter girl who used her talents to humiliate others to a proud one who used it to humiliate the wicked. Some things didn't change, but others changed for the better.
I'm sorry for not telling you my time was short here. When I first arrived, and suggested that the magic that bound me to your kakera might come undone, it turns out that idea was not in jest.
Beatrice had been cagey about her whole hunch regarding the idea, and shivered in the early dawn. She hadn't dressed appropriately for the ordeal; a long white, short-sleeved shirt, red scarf, and vaguely military looking jeans and boots. When Shinichi had moved to drape his coat on her, she quickly evaded him and told him it wasn't necessary. That should have been his first cue in retrospect that things weren't right, the fact that she kept her distance from him, Erika, and the rest of the police that had tagged along merely on her hunch. She wished so many hadn't come just for her hunch-- she said to keep quiet, stay on the down low-- that they would know when something was about to happen.
She'd never been wrong on that front before, so they didn't think twice.
I cannot speak for the others who stay here, whether they will or will not stay. But for a displaced piece, I can tell I'm starting to come apart at the seams like a rag doll. My story has been put to rest. This kakera wants me out, and I can feel it guiding me towards the exit. Please don't... hate me. I stayed as long as my magic let me.
The sky became white, then blue as the morning fell into noon. Nighttime always felt more appropriate to a murder, not midday on a boat sailing a small cruise around the bay, but Beatrice reassured him that she knew someone was meant to die, and not to doubt her. While the rest were patrolling the halls within the boat, Beatrice merely stared out across the water, as if searching for something. When Shinichi asked her about it, she just said the view reminded her of home; she wouldn't be temporarily distracted by it again.
I am so happy, that I lasted this long. I am happy I got to see your victory, and all the game boards and mysteries you solved. You were a true opponent to me, and I can only hope you'll continue to take care of Erika and guide her on the path of a detective.
Erika was fast to report any suspicious activity, even acting with her duct tape where she saw suspicious people at work. It almost seemed childish, but the two could attest that Erika's now-put-to-good-use detective skills had caught a number of criminals and had her name in the paper more than once. She'd traveled the world solving things by now, almost always accompanied by the lavender-haired girl as an assistant when she wasn't working with her two, preferred detectives.
It always struck Beatrice as odd that they referred to her as a detective here.
If I can confess, for the longest time, I've nursed a tiny, light-like love for you. I was ashamed of it at first, but then I locked it away in my heart. Your happiness and the lengths you've gone to get it have always meant so much more than a love that would never make itself felt, never be spoken of, never be fulfilled, and would never end. A lovely golden flame that would keep my heart from going cold, so far from what I chased for so long.
"I haven't lied to you." She said quietly.
"Of course not," Shinichi replied. "You're always right when you have these hunches... if you think someone's going to be murdered here, then I'd follow that without question."
"... But I know I have mislead you."
The light still flickers even as I write. The way I am now, there is no one for the Beatrice of this kakera except you, but Beatrice died in 1986, so she can't exist in your world.
"...What?"
"Someone would die here." She repeated, quietly and tensely, staring hard at the ocean and continuing to speak, "I never said there would be a murder."
Since that's the case, then the inevitability of what's to come is thankfully swift.
Faster than his already toned reflexes could react, her boot met the railing and launched her off, into the air, plummeting into the bay.
Without a doubt, the reports will say that it was a suicide, and the body could not be recovered from the bay...
He jumped after her without a moment's hesitation, the bite of the bay as he hit it not phasing him in the least. As he swam through the saltwater stinging his eyes, he caught a glimmer of gold. Instead of the modest outfit she'd been wearing before, the dress of the golden witch covered her once more, a change that had happened as fast as she submerged. Her eyes no longer reflected a haughty witch; but a servant tangled in a life of lies. He was staring, for the first and last time, at the real, true Beatrice.
Will it be what the 'real' me felt? What she went through? Since it's all I can think about, I think it must be so.
He called to her, but nothing but garbled bubbles came out of his mouth as he tried to speak. As if through her magic, the water stopped stinging his eyes enough to get a good look-- to see that she glowed within the water. He grabbed at the fabric that floated towards him of her dress, but his hands went through it as if it was part of the water itself, as if it wasn't really there. He couldn't pull her up if he tried, because his hands couldn't grasp the form in front of him-- that's why she avoided handshakes that day, that's why she nearly jumped when he came near her. She had already started to fade.
"Shinichi," Her voice was muted, but she could speak and he could hear her, even within the bay. "You must swim back up."
But even if you cry, never let this break you or stop you. There is someone at your side who will make you smile and carry you through such a thing, that I have no doubt that the wound in time will heal.
"--I'm not going back up without you!"
"Those words make me happy... but nothing will change the fact that I am an evil witch who can't be redeemed, and I lingered in the world of reality too long. You won't throw your life away for me." He kept feebly trying to grasp her dress, her face, her hair, but he couldn't.
"You can't hold onto an illusion."
He realized he was starting to become short of breath, and the pressure of the bay made the descent even harder. The sinking Beatrice had... a point. He could not bring her up, and he could not throw his life away, and he couldn't stay underwater, torn over the decision. He stared at her almost pathetically, begging her to change her mind with his eyes. She merely continued to descend, a small smile on her face.
That's what makes you so special. The fact that you always will stand up again... makes you shine to me... and warms the glow in my heart.
"Take care... goodbye, my detective."
It was then that he started choking for air and had no choice but to swim up to the surface. Beatrice's smile grew wider at that-- she would never forgive herself if he gave his life for her. The water's pressure started to take hold of her, hurting her head and ears, but she swallowed the water as if to speed along the process. The last thing the blue of her eyes caught was him returning to the world of light... and the last thing she felt was the feeling of splitting pain she familiarly associated with the quiet of hell. She had left for the world of illusions in a way that fit his kakera... the woman who appeared in his life ten years ago committing suicide. Police reports could be filed on that... and disappearing without finality did not fit either world she belonged to. This was her definite end, fated to her since her birth.
Thank you for always making me smile and staying by my side, even though I was nothing but a displaced piece, I was always someone to you.
They had to pull him kicking and screaming from the water so he wouldn't dive back down again. Erika had nearly gone in after him, and had to be similarly restrained. No body could be recovered, even with repeated searches for it. The disappearance of the Golden Witch... her very death was a mystery, which was perhaps how she foretold it, or how she would have wanted it. She thought about all those things while she still possessed the ability to think, then closed her eyes and fell gratefully into the embrace of hell.
But... that wasn't right. It wasn't the embrace of hell she fell into.
You always told me that even without Battler and my game board, I would find a purpose in your world.
A set of arms had locked around her from behind, even though her body had been intangible to Shinichi's grasp. She could no longer turn her head to see who had caught her, who had fallen behind her before she disappeared. Was it Battler, whom she had waited for for so long, finally catching her at the last moment he could? Was it... no, she had seen him break the surface. It couldn't be the detective, but she was no longer thinking straight. Had he followed her down? The voice behind her whispered, "As if I would let you disappear alone."
... and I feel now that purpose was you. So thank you for my purpose until now, and for the love I held that kept me warm.
"To hell with that. If you want to fall into eternity together, I won't stop you, but until that moment we can disappear together, you're mine."
"You fool, you... fool..."
She couldn't tell whose voice it was, and perhaps it was better that way; as her heart would break no matter who. Perhaps it was a fragment of the detective who she had fondly called the Sorcerer who had rescued her from the quiet depths to disappear with her. The person behind Beatrice held tightly onto her until there was nothing but the dark of the bay, and a few, small grains of light touching the floor. A gold rose rested, unaffected by the pressure of the water, atop a small box half-buried in the sand.
The eternally closed mystery of the Golden Witch.
May you always continue shining a brilliant blue.
She had left the letter somewhere easy for him to find; but easy only for him to find. It was closed between the pages of one of his Sherlock Holmes books, bookmarking the page of the appearance of the character Irene Adler.
All of my love,
Yasu
-- ☀ --