1st Engraving [Video]

[eagledheart]

[A well-dressed woman in early middle age appears over the network, taking advantage of the maid's explanation of the workings of the bracelet she was given. The Internet was hardly known in 1986, after all. At least she wasn't rebelling at the very notion that gods might have brought her here - if witches existed, so might gods, and no normal means of transport could have taken her off of Rokkenjima with the typhoon that was raging there. She worried inwardly at what actions her sudden disappearance might cause that man to take, and she knew it would make her look even more suspicious than she already did, but it couldn't be help. Little of her inward concerns showed through her elegant and dignified demeanor, though.]

Hello, I thought I should formally introduce myself to you, the other 'guests' brought here. My name is Natsuhi Ushiromiya. [Skepticism about their actual status as guests leaked into her words - she was not unfamiliar with prisons that had no walls, after all, even if her relationship with Krauss had become a true marriage and she'd accepted the Ushiromiya family as her home in time.]

Since I don't think we'll be allowed to go home until we've done what those who brought us here, does anyone have any idea how to, ah, 'restore life and color' to this city? I was told we need to live and grow, but I don't quite see how that will help restore the city.

Also, if any other members of the Ushiromiya household are here, I'd like for you to respond to this message. In such an unusual situation as this, supporting each other is more important than ever.

[As she finished her message, she wasn't sure if she wanted any of her loved ones to be here or not.]

Comments

[eagledheart]

Given what has already happened, I'm not surprised those days will be remembered in the future as a turning point in the Ushiromiya family's history.

[satisfies]

At the risk of prying... just what has happened? It's a question that's been asked for 12 years now.

[eagledheart]

The police were unable to figure out what happened after the typhoon lifted? How odd.

But as to what happened... Battler-kun solved the epitaph the first night of the family conference, though there is still some question as to whether or not he will indeed succeed the headship. After things were discussed long into the night, once morning came Genji, the grandchildren other than Battler, and Rosa were found dead. At first we stayed together after that, but tempers started flaring and some of us separated from the rest... And the killer took that opportunity to kill Hideyoshi.

Erika Furudo, a self-proclaimed detective who washed ashore on the first day, was going to hold a meeting to reveal who she thought the culprit was, but before I could attend that meeting I was brought to this place.

[satisfies]

Unfortunately not. [ he's not sure how much to say but... ] You guys didn't really leave any clues for them to find!

...Lady's brother did that? [ whistle. ] I'd never heard anything about some mysterious detective either. Guess a lot of stuff went on that nobody knows about. No wonder it's managed to stay a mystery for so long... not even any of those bottles had a story like that, hyahahah!

[eagledheart]

"Didn't leave any clues for them to find?" I don't see how that would be the case, at least from what's happened so far. And what bottles are you talking about?

[satisfies]

It's hard to find clues when there's nothing left at all. [ shrug. ] No mansion, no nothing. [ he makes a gesture with his hands, much like an explosion. ] The only thing people found were scraps of paper in bottles, claiming to be written by Lady Maria. 'cept they were all different, making it hard to tell if any of them were real.

[eagledheart]

The mansion... destroyed entirely?!

[Natsuhi sways on her feet a little at the mere thought. Was the man from 19 years ago so bent on revenge that he'd destroy all of the Ushiromiyas after he'd felt she'd been made to suffer enough for her crime?]

I doubt any of those bottles are authentic descriptions of what happened. Maria's precocious in some aspects, but to write detailed accounts of what was going on, even with people being murdered around her... No, there's no chance she could have actually written them.

[Of course, Natsuhi has no way of knowing her memory of what happened is exactly as true - and as false - as those bottle letters.]

[satisfies]

[ remember the good ol' days when people thought amakusa was the man from 19 years ago... ]

Hehehe, that's true! It's a pretty common argument people make to disprove the validity of the bottles. It might sound morbid to say this, but you guys all become pretty famous after the incident. All sorts of weird groups trying to get to the bottom of what happened...

[ a shrug. ]

Keeps things interesting.

[eagledheart]

[Natsuhi sighs.]

I'm not surprised that such an incident ended up turning into a public spectacle, no matter how much I wish it had been otherwise.

[satisfies]

It's at least good to be remembered, yeah?