#chick Beatrice

[dingostrash]

Not an intentional bit, but I really enjoyed the Ushiromiya Struggler moment from Stream 24.

[anawkwardlady]

Low key how it felt to see Battler aggressively refuse Chick!Beato cookies... And a happy holiday!

(og video)

[peachducy]

Umitober Day 19 - Magic (spoilers)

"D-does this count... as magic...?"

"*cackle* *cackle* *cackle*... Yes, it does. You used magic to create a golden flower petal inside an overturned cup. It was a splendid bit of magic."

[eevee-hime]

Being a game master isn’t easy when it involves being privy to your whole family’s trauma huh

Also I SWEAR I started drawing that ‘sicko’ meme as soon as I saw that scene in the novel and before I started listening to ‘The Golden Truths’ podcast it’s just what the lovers’ duel made me think of

[sol-stays]

weird commonalities in things i like: partnership making you "as one" being a technicality in a rule

[beatrice1010]

🦋

Happy spring.

[batbeato]

The true tragedy of Umineko is that of the 8 episodes, Sayo only got to write two of them. This is a tragedy not just from that fact alone, but also the fact that Sayo's writing style is distinct from Tohya's and, I'd argue, is in many ways superior.

Tohya prefers these very elaborate metaphors that go over the top - Tohya's writing is very over the top in general - like the "good witch" Beatrice of EP3. Does it mean that Beatrice is learning to value her own life, regretting the massacre/plan, learning to value and respect Battler's opinion, or just learning that she should present as a more benevolent figure for Battler so that he will engage with her mystery more? There are a lot of options, and sometimes it doesn't seem clear. There's also other instances of this, like the Chick Beatrice/Elder Beatrice of EP6 that confuses a lot of readers.

Meanwhile, Sayo's writing feels very dense - she puts a lot more focus into the general family/servant 'mundane' interactions. In Episode 1, her use of Rosa's gift to Natsuhi to bring up a fulfilled promise and her use of the exchange between Battler and Maria (George reassuring Maria, saying that Battler can't be trusted, warning Battler to be more careful with his words) come to mind. Their metaphors are more dense, but also easier to unpack once you know what you're looking for - while Tohya's are more elaborate, and difficult to parse.

There's an elegance to Sayo's writing that is somewhat absent in Tohya's - his feels messier, more emotional, more over the top. He discards the horror-mystery for fantasy-romance-mystery bundled up together. It's beautiful - Chiru has my favorite episodes - but I feel as though we missed out on being able to see Sayo tackle more of the sort of over the top overt 'fantasy' that Tohya so often uses, or to see how Sayo would have expanded the red truth, the blue truth, and so on.

I love that the two are so distinct - whether by Ryukishi's design or even just happenstance - but I regret that we didn't get Land. Not just because I wanted to see Virgilius and Black Battler, but also to read more of Sayo's writing. Honestly, it's an even greater tragedy than how the concept of Black Battler was discarded.

[itsyoung8]

My theories in Bully #2

Bonjour ou bonsoir! It all depends on where you are reading this post. Today I wanted to share with you some of my theories that I had during this time of absence.

WARNING: this post is going to be about sex at some point. If you are young and/or uncomfortable with this topic, please do not read. Even if these are soft words, I still prefer to warn since many here are minors

Bryce occupies a fairly important place in the hierarchy of preppies, contrary to what one might think. He is the second right hand man of Derby, after Bif, which puts him quite high compared to the others and especially Tad. What makes me say this is that, during the fight against Russell in the hole and during the fight against Derby during the complete chaos, Bryce is on Derby's side instead of Bif. I think when Bif is not able to be Derby's right-hand man, Bryce replaces him. Bif and Bryce share the same statistics as Bif in boxing as well as his fighting style and health bar (source: Bryce's wiki profile). Thus, for Derby, Bryce is the most suitable to replace Bif when the latter is not available. Derby wouldn't take someone who couldn't provide his physical protection like Tad for example. This is why Bryce is above Tad in the hierarchy although he does not give orders at any point in the game or have any importance in the story.

The choice to put Zoe as Jimmy's last girlfriend is well thought out. In each chapter, Jimmy ends up dating a girl but breaks up with her in the next chapter to date another. This stops from the moment he dates Zoe at the end of Chapter 5. Every girl before Zoe had something that made Jimmy get tired of her: too involved in studies for Beatrice, too concerned about her social status for Pinky, too manipulative for Lola, and too obsessed with her beauty and popularity for Mandy. Zoe is Jimmy's last girlfriend and the one he will stay with until the end of his life. Jimmy sees that it's finally the right one since she's not too much like this or too much like that. This is why he will only confess his love to her (see scene when we start the Complete Mahyem mission) since he judges her as the right person. This explains why, I think, the choice of Zoe as the last girlfriend is thoughtful.

!!WARNING: IN THE THEORY THAT FOLLOWS, THE DESIGNATION OF SEX WILL BE PRESENT!!

Wade is scared of being in a romantic relationship with a girl because he doesn't want to end up like his parents, which is to say divorced. We can rely on this line: "Sure I'll ask her out one day, then we'll wind up being married and divorced, just like ma and pa." This fear pushes him to only want to have sexual relations with girls since this does not necessarily involve a romantic relationship. Moreover, some lines of Wade's dialogues can show us that he is only attracted by this as: "How can I get in her pants? Cologne, dad always wears cologne." and "My dad says he's gonna buy me some condoms so I can like... do it with chicks, you know?". (Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong about the first line of dialogue the English speakers. To me, it shows that Wade wants sex but maybe I'm wrong)

Gurney managed to infiltrate the school, to set fire to the gymnasium, thanks to Gary. When you read the prefects' file, you can see that they are corrupt (except for Max perhaps). It can then be assumed that Gary paid them in exchange for letting Gurney into the school to access the gymnasium. You will tell me "yes, but Gurney may also have gone through the shortcuts near the asylum and which are connected to the school". It can be possible. But I have the impression that only Jimmy knows these shortcuts because, for a long time, they were blocked by stones or barriers. So in my opinion, Gurney went through the entrance of the school thanks to Gary.

Ricky's hatred of jocks isn't just because his ex probably left him for a jock. It is known that Ricky is one of the only students at Bulloworth Academy to openly denounce Mr. Burton's behavior towards the girls at the school. It is also known that most jocks are very fond of Burton since it provides them with steroids and/or has done them no harm. So, when the Zoe vs. Burton affair breaks out, the jocks come to Burton's defense and somehow save him from being fired. Ricky seeing this, has an even stronger hatred for jocks.

In Damon's wiki page, it says that he holds a grudge against the preppies. For me, it would be due to money. Damon holds a grudge against them because, prior to the main story, Damon and the preppies were allegedly involved in something in which the preppies used the money to achieve their end, leaving Damon to be the big loser in that story. This grudge is the same as the one against Ted but for the same reasons. He holds a grudge against Ted because he was chosen to be the quarterback only because he was the most popular in the school, leaving Damon as the big loser. That's why Damon spits on Ted's back in the process. Damon holds a grudge against the preppies and Ted because they got what they want easily, unlike Damon who works hard to get nothing in the end.

This is the end of this second post on my theories. Thanks for reading to the end! Au revoir!

[nyaagolor]

Now that you’ve played through all the episodes, how would you rank them?

Oooo this is tough, in part bc I like all of them a LOT. The designations between a few of them, especially in the middle category, are gonna be kinda arbitrary, but I'll do my best :)

Also this got stupid long so I put it under a readmore! Spoilers abound, as one might expect

8. Dawn of the Golden Witch (Episode 6)

I have some... mixed feelings on this one. I understand what Ryukishi was going for in using chick-Beato and Battler's interactions to parallel Battler with Kinzo and show Kinzo's dynamic with Kuwadorian Beatrice via analogy, but I also think it kinda fumbles a bit. There are points (cookie scene being a big one) where I feel like the characters take a backseat to the themes and the whole narrative feels off. Chapters 5 and 6 are supposed to be a perversion of the original story that Beatrice has lost control over, but there are points during 6 especially where I think it kinda loses itself. The rest of it is great (Erika's VA is a goddamn champion) but the very beginning of this chapter is easily my least favorite part of the series

7. Requiem of the Golden Witch (Episode 7)

I don't really have strong feelings on this episode. It would have been the high point in just about any other VN, but Umineko is so consistently fantastic that Episode 7 didn't really hit me as hard as the others. It did make me wish we got more Kyrie though, even if I know exactly why she wasn't as prominent as many of the others. Kind of insane that my second least-favorite arc is something I would rank like an 8 or 9 out of 10, Umineko is just that goated (get it???)

6. Turn of the Golden Witch (Episode 2)

While I do love watching the worst woman ever conceived have a 48 hour progressive mental breakdown, Alliance hits every point I like about the Rosa / Maria dynamic but does it better. It's still an arc I absolutely adore, so it feels weird to rank it so low, but I think about it a lot less than the other arcs so down here it goes. Shoutout to this arc for making me laugh to the point I could no longer speak not once, but twice. Kanon chuuni jacket and leashed Battler you will always be famous

5. Twilight of the Golden Witch (Episode 8)

I know that ranking episode 8 in the bottom half sounds like sacrilege but this arc had so much Kinzo and while I understand his narrative importance I Do Not Like Him. The fact that Kinzo is in the Golden Land but Kuwadorian Beatrice isn't makes me want to throw bricks at things. Other than that though, absolutely stellar. I bawled at the ending. The next day I thought about it more, misinterpreted it, and cried more, then I thought about it more deeply and talked with friends, really started to understand the core messages, and sobbed even harder. As these things tend to go. This episode ruined my life. Would recommend.

4. Legend of the Golden Witch (Episode 1)

note: 4 and 3 are interchangeable I like them both a lot for different reasons

The first time I read this episode, I thought it was great. The further I got into Umineko, the better it got. Now, with a full understanding of the plot and knowing how this chapter serves as self-reflection through the other (Sayo via Natsuhi) it serves as probably the most raw glimpse into Sayo's mindset we get. This episode ruins me and I'm pretty sure when I inevitably reread it I am going to dissolve into a puddle of goo. Also Natsuhi is there and she's my favorite of the matriarchs so I'm a little bit biased :)

3. Banquet of the Golden Witch (Episode 3)

This is one of the funniest pieces of literature I have ever read in my life. EVA-Beatrice, the entire sob story (that I, like Battler, fell for completely), the two towers fight scene... 10/10 no notes. I don't even have the words for how much I adored this one. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

2. Alliance of the Golden Witch (Episode 4)

Ok so fun fact I thought this arc was kinda boring at first, and was a little miffed I had to constantly go through Ange's little side quests when I just wanted to see Beatrice and Battler again. Fortunately, Ryukishi has a beautiful way of changing my mind very very quickly and the more I think about this Episode the more I love it. It has some of the most powerful emotional moments, a really good rehashing of the themes, and is a lot tighter and more condensed than I gave it credit for. There's a LOT that happens in this chapter, and it's been growing on me a lot-- while it doesn't take the number one spot in terms of my favorites, I do think it's the best written of the 8 episodes. As a bonus it focuses a lot on Maria who is one of the best characters ever and my darling baby angel.

End of the Golden Witch (Episode 5)

This is the platonic ideal of Umineko to me. The layers of metanarrative, the perversion of a formula to reiterate its structure, the use of genre conventions as a dual-use in-universe and metanarrative element, Erika. End of the Golden Witch is when I changed from someone who loved Umineko to someone who was obsessed with Umineko. The ending is one of the most visceral parts of the VN and I will fully admit I cried. There is so much happening in this episode I could talk about it all day. Also Natsuhi is there. Hey girlie <3

[revindicatedbyhistory]

if in an election the two candidates are beatrice the elder and chick beatrice you are morally obligated to vote for chick beatrice or you are voting for On the ninth twilight, the witch shall revive, and none shall be left alive.

[anawkwardlady]

Lord BATTLER decided to celebrate his recent ascension as territory lord by getting his own Beato. However, he was warned to not adopt one alone, or she would become lonely and really fussy! He looked for another so they can play together... But now they're giving him a lot of trouble on the gameboard!

(idk if someone already made it, if yes sorry kljl)

[minus1-kinhelp]

Names, Pronouns, and Titles for Withered & Glamrock Chica!

Names: Chica, Chick, Chi, Chirp, Glamrock/Glam, Thistle, Mal, Riven, Haki, Persephone, Beatrice, Retro, Atticus, Sunny, Goldie, Loretta, Gloria

Pronouns: Withered/Witherds, Glam/Glams, Glam/Rocks, Chicken/Chickens, Broken/Brokens, Fun/Funs, Robot/Robots,🍕/🍕s , 🩷/🩷s, 🎸/🎸s

Titles: the withered chicken, the withered one, (prn) who is withered, (prn) who is broken, the glamrock chicken, (prn) who is a glamrock, (prn) who plays a guitar, (prn) who loves pizza

(divider creds)

[whoslaurapalmer]

i must ask about the spinach fic! (also aaahh sunny fic! i’m so excited about that one but i already got to read a draft so i’m going to ask about something else)

SPINACH FIC!!!!! 🌿 so spinach fic is lovingly titled spinch fic bc i think it's fun to drop a letter, or more, in food words. spinch. samch. chick. every time my mom had noodles for dinner she wrote 'noods' on the calendar. it's a genuine delight.

SO SPINCH FIC so this is my enduring attempt to write lemonberry ice as a functioning parental unit. i told myself i was really gonna make it work this time. there's just very specific road blocks. if they exist as parents, it removes large pieces from the narrative and thematic spine of the actual work!! the tragedy is that lemony could not stay with beatrice and could not be a parent!! and if he did, he would have to have been exonerated, never went on the run, would have had to fix the piece of him that sees himself as the ultimate problem, beatrice would have had to fix her own problems, let's not pretend bertrand doesn't have any as well, it's not just about them being able to trust lemony but lemony being able to trust himself, olaf would have to be taken out of the equation entirely, how much would the kids know about vfd, what is vfd's status after all that, do kit and jacques interact with the kids, it's just a whole knot of questions in the name of I JUST WANT THEM TO BE CUTE but the fic also pivots on not just the theme of family but the idea of What Secrets You Keep From Your Children (mrs. palmer, there are things dark and heinous in this world.....things too terrible to tell our children.....) which like, works here, but again, it goes back to, if lemony gets all that other stuff sorted out, would he not tell his children about vfd?? do the kids have an IDEA of what vfd is, but not the whole picture? what does the will look like in this? why didn't i have any of these problems when i wrote love, keep your arms around me????? because that was just five seconds of parental panic that worked out!! i did not actually dig in that far!!

i could really be sold actually on 'they have an idea of what vfd is but not the whole picture at all' like if the kids think it was a book club (a la college au, oh god college au. i gotta get back on that, too. college au is so juicy.), i default to book club a lot but i do think it's an good way to interpret the idea of vfd. i have a very specific scene for the fic that i am holding on to bc the dissonance between how the kids experience it and how the reader experiences it is something i am looking forward to and will not reveal!! but i think that scene might still hold even if they have 'an idea.'

but again, it's, would lemonberry ice willingly give them just an idea of vfd alone? lemony is HONEST with children. but that's children in general. as a parent, maybe some part of that sentiment changes. when you love someone, you're going to go out of your way to protect them!! sometimes that's telling them the truth, sometimes it's a piece of the truth. again, things too terrible to tell our children......

i also just want them to have fun. i want them to have a sweet parenting time. haunted by the specter of past mistakes, but still!!!!! I WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME............

and i'm so interested in. the three of them parenting..........the ways that vfd has influenced how they interact with their kids. bc in canon, even, the kids are given a great deal of freedom? before the fire they were left alone A LOT. b+b trust their kids and i wonder often where in them that comes from. but there's also the vfd trauma in them that isn't just fanon, although of course we see it addressed more in fanon, but there's a piece of it in canon, too -- "if you lose us, stay put. don't go wandering around looking for us." the kids have a bunch of strangers helping them look for their parents, technically a good move?, and b+b go 'okay well definitely don't do that next time.' their trust isn't extending to other adults. and it's not only trusting their kids, it's, b+b trust themselves to be there to take care of their children, that's part of why i think in canon the kids end up with olaf, b+b but beatrice especially never imagined a situation in which they would not be there to protect their kids. and that is its own manifestation of vfd trauma. (so that too goes back to, they'd have to trust lemony to take care of their kids. lemony would have to trust himself to responsibly take care of their kids. to put The Kids over his deep-seated fear.)

so i think they've worked it into like, routines and things the kids don't even think of as anything else but just, routine, their lives, you know? like a really thin line between of course b+b can do this, of course let's say lemonberry ice can do this, and, there's a couple things, they've taught the kids, that other parents might not teach their kids. lockpicking. maybe every night they check the windows. i've always imagined they have neat window grates that are not necessarily just decorative. bea reads anna karenina with klaus and makes sure he knows the theme, but maybe they don't read beverly cleary together. they don't have babysitters. maybe they have sleepovers with their friends, but only at the baudelaire mansion. bea teaches violet how to disguise herself when she teaches her how to draw scars with makeup. maybe it's not vfd training, maybe it's a precaution. it's a parent's responsibility to look after their kids -- it's an eldest sibling's responsibility to look after the other siblings, in the same way. and violet remembers the little snicket lad song!!!!!

ULTIMATELY this is from klaus' pov, bc i haven't done him before and i thought that'd be cool, to try and get into klaus' head, a little younger than he is in canon. it's also a thin line in writing the kids like they are in canon, and with a little more distinct personality based on canon, and that they were a little different before the fire. i think klaus is a little more serious than violet, before the fire, even with violet being the eldest, and putting that like. small serious child still in the specific realm of childhood (not just before the fire but also a little younger than 12) where things are Big, Magical, Scary, where you're more capable of thinking of the world as full of big mysteries, and big adult mysteries. (i mean that's in asoue point-blank as well but it's in a specific way in the fic bc of the inciting incident for the fic. and it's different with b+b being alive for more of that. with lemony!!!!!)

AND WHY IS IT CALLED SPINCH? bc the idea for the fic in the first place came from birds giving themselves dust baths in little patches of dirt (which is just absolutely charming). and i was hit with the sentence 'father and papa had cleared a spot in the backyard for the spinach, but the birds had gotten to it first.' father and papa being bertrand and lemony. i thought it would be nice if it took place in autumn and you plant spinach in the fall. i hope at some point i come up with a title that is not 'spinch' but it will always be spinch fic in my soul.

also raises the question, what would the kids call lemony as a father? i've always went with papa. dad doesn't fit him but he still needs like a father-related name, because in the lemonberry ice family unit he'd be their father! papa is a good option.

and like, lemony doesn't NEED to be in this fic. this could work fine with just b+b BUT. ...........................i want him there. and it's also a matter of, how the lemonberry ice household is different from the b+b household! mostly i think they have a lot more freshly baked bread. but that's...............also a thing to navigate.....

i don't have much of it written bc i've spent so long struggling with the vfd of it all, but i do have some unrelated but relevant scene sketches, just some fun little moments --

[father walked past the kitchen. klaus watched him pause, double back, enter the kitchen, and sweep his glasses off of papa’s face. “oh, no,” papa said, “some mysterious force has pilfered my glasses.” “your glasses,” father said, putting them on. “when are you and beatrice going to get your own?” “yours are very comfortable,” mother called from somewhere down the hall. “they call that a sign of true love,” papa said. “sharing a optometric prescription.”]

i was listening to the audiobook for charlotte's web and had this thought --

“Papa,” klaus said, “could we have a pig?” Papa looked up from his book, blinking over father’s glasses. (klaus was not sure if papa had his own glasses – he was almost always wearing father’s. Sometimes mother wore them, too. Klaus, and violet, had long since given up trying to figure out which of their parents actually needed glasses.) “A pig?” 

the way i initially imagined the fic starting just shows too much description writing machinery (uggg, which i hate.) and might be a little too slow, but i do have like, the overall beats of it worked out, it really was just a matter of always going '?????' about vfd. so i will start chewing on the opening again..........

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 247. brb x oc

a/n: it's too hot, too hot my god. it's kinda short so sorry guys(comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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/225/226/227/228/229/230/231/232/233/234/235/236/237/238

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-

He doesn’t hear her footsteps once she enters the bathroom,his eyes were closed anyway and he was busy rubbing his eyes free of any soap. He didn’t jump when he heard her voice, but he did stop moving when she spoke, “Roos?”

“Yeah?”

“So…I talked to Shells.” he hears her seat on the sink, her sandals flopping on the floor and a sigh escaping her lips, “She uh…she said she’ll take Nikki for us.” Rooster stops wiping his face when he says that, even peeking his head out from the shower to watch his wife, “Believe me, she was the one who suggested it.”

Rooster paused in the midst of his shower routine, the sound of rushing water and his own thoughts temporarily silenced by Beatrice's unexpected revelation. He watched as his wife, perched on the bathroom sink, met his gaze with a small grin.

"Shells is willing to take care of Nikki for us?" Rooster repeated, his voice tinged with both surprise and gratitude. "That's...unexpected. I mean, I know she's always been a bit unconventional, but this is...a big step."

Beatrice nodded, her expression earnest. "I know, Roos," she replied. "I was surprised too. But she insisted, and I think she genuinely wants to help us out with this situation. She understands that it might be better for Nikki not to be exposed to whatever might happen at that dinner."

Rooster considered his wife's words, the water from the shower still cascading down his body as he leaned against the tiled wall. He trusted Beatrice's judgment, and if Shells was offering to look after Nikki, it was likely with good intentions.

"Alright," Rooster said, a small smile forming on his lips. "If Shells is on board and you think it's best for Nikki, then let's go with that plan. It'll give us one less thing to worry about."

Beatrice's shoulders visibly relaxed at Rooster's agreement. She had been concerned about how their daughter might react to the unusual dinner with Miranda and Mark, and knowing that Nikki would be in Shells' capable hands eased some of her anxiety.

Even though…Shells was…very unhinged.

"Thank you, Roos," Beatrice said sincerely, her voice filled with gratitude. "I know this whole situation is...well, it's a lot."

Rooster sighs, letting the water fall on his face and clenching his eyes for a second "Well,we’ve been through worse." he said softly. "Remember that.”

“Yeah…”

“Like your ex.” he mutters, ‘Several deployments.”

“That weird chick that had a one night stand with you.” 

He snorts in the shower, closing the faucet and watching as the droplets ceased to fall down his body,grabbing the towel hanging close by, “Yep, that too.” he dries himself the best that he can before he peeks back out at her, ‘But how are you feeling about this whole thing? Really.”

Beatrice couldn't help but let out a sigh as she considered Rooster's question. Her feelings about the upcoming dinner were complex and conflicted. She knew that her husband was probably going through similar emotions, and it was important for them to be open and honest with each other.

As they often were.

She slid off the bathroom sink and approached the shower, the steam enveloping her as she leaned against the glass door, her eyes locking with Rooster's. "Honestly, Roos," she began, her voice soft and vulnerable, "I'm a bit scared. This whole situation with Miranda and Mark, it feels...unsettling. And I worry about how it might affect Nikki and the twins I–." she rubs her forehead, “I know we’ve been through worse,I know but…shouldn’t we have a break from weird people?”

Her voice, her questioning, was so quiet and tired it hurt his heart, ‘Baby…” he whispers, wrapping his towel around his waist as he walks out of the shower, hugging Beatrice from behind and kissing her cheek, “Gorgeous, come on…”

Rooster's embrace provided Beatrice with a sense of comfort and she leaned into him, letting the warmth of his presence chase away some of the unease that had settled in her chest. His kiss on her cheek elicited a small, grateful smile from her.

"I know, Roos," Beatrice whispered, her voice tinged with vulnerability. "I guess...I just wish we could have a break from all the weirdness, you know? Just…for once.”

“I mean, we both know the people that surround us are weird.” he smirks, relieved when that did break a smile out of her. Rooster pressed a tender kiss to the side of Beatrice's neck, his lips lingering there for a moment before he softly spoke. "It’s just another bump in the road, baby.”

Beatrice closed her eyes, savoring the intimacy of the moment. “I know…I’m just getting kinda tired of the bumps.”

With a sigh, Rooster pulled back slightly, his hands moving to rest on Beatrice's shoulders as he looked into her eyes once he turned her around. "We'll go to this dinner, get to the bottom of things, and make sure it’s over," he vowed, his voice filled with determination. "And if anything feels off or uncomfortable, we'll leave. That simple."

“I mean,I can ignore Miranda…but you work with Mark and–”

“Gorgeous,” his smirk only made her breath leave her lungs immediately, “You’d be surprised by the amount of people I’ve ignored over the years.”

Beatrice,while still hesitant, agreed with his words but couldn’t help the question: “Won’t that…I dunno, lead you into trouble?”

Rooster couldn't help but chuckle at Beatrice's question. Her concern for him always touched his heart, and he appreciated her looking out for him. He cupped her face gently, his thumbs brushing her cheeks as he met her eyes.

"Gorgeous," he began, his voice filled with warmth and affection, "ignoring people who don't matter is one of the skills I've perfected over the years. And believe me, I won't let Mark or anyone else lead me into trouble. I've got too much to lose."

Beatrice nodded,chewing her lower lip. She placed her hands on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her palms. "I trust you, Roos," she said softly. "I know you'll handle it, it’s just…everyone else I’m suspicious of.” he was still a bit damp because of the shower and the steam.

Rooster smiled, leaning down to press a sweet kiss to Beatrice's lips. He kept his lips there for a few seconds, only breaking when her nose exhaled in a relieved breath, eyelids fluttering and mouth shiny, “You are very protective of me…and I love it.” he smirks, “It’s one of my favorite things about you.”

Beatrice couldn't help but blush at Rooster's words. His affectionate compliment never failed to make her heart flutter. She smiled warmly, her fingers lightly tracing the contours of his chest. "Well, someone has to look out for you," she replied playfully. "And I happen to be really good at it."

Rooster chuckled, his eyes locking with hers. "You're the best," he said sincerely, his voice filled with love. He leaned in for another lingering kiss, savoring the taste of her lips as their mouths met with a gentle, affectionate urgency.

As their lips parted, Rooster rested his forehead against Beatrice's, their breaths mingling. "I love you,gorgeous," he whispered, his voice low and their foreheads touching

Beatrice gazed into his eyes, her own filled with love and tenderness. "I love you too, Roos," she replied softly. “...and…we’ll be okay.”

He smirks, winking at her, “Always, gorgeous. Now,” he leans back, cupping her cheeks to kiss her forehead one final time, “I’m gonna change and we’re going to have some dinner and then get ready for your return to the Hard Deck. I know it’ll be next week but I think it’d be fun to have things set up.”

Her heart grew three sizes, because that conversation reminded her of the one she had with Shells. Her cheeks hurting from smiling so much…”...yeah,I’d like that,Roos.” she kisses his chin, those tiny three scars gently - enjoying how he hummed like a big cat who just discovered how wonderful chin scratches were - before she backs away, “I’ll just check on Nikki first, okay?”

Rooster smiled warmly at Beatrice's response. "Sounds like a plan,gorgeous," he replied, giving her a tender kiss on the lips. "I'll go change, and you check on Nikki. We'll meet in the kitchen for a bit, and then we can enjoy a nice dinner together."

With a final affectionate glance, Rooster left the bathroom to change into more casual attire for their dinner. Beatrice watched him go, then followed him out - earning a gentle slap on the butt and squeaking once she was in the hallway.

She made her way to Nikki's room,rubbing her sore bum with a hand and pausing by the door when she found Nikki playing with her toys inside her crib, her bright eyes and infectious laughter filling the space.

"Hey there, birdie," Beatrice greeted, her voice filled with affection. Nikki looked up with a wide smile upon seeing her mother. Beatrice approached the toddler, scooping her up into her arms and showering her chubby cheeks with kisses. “How did you get your toys in there,hm? I’m pretty sure I didn’t put it in there.”

Nicole giggled, then looked down to where Jack was lying. The large brown dog just opened one eye open then closed, huffing sleepily and rolling to the side instead of lifting his head, “...oh my God, are you teaching Jack to fetch? Really? Well,that’s really funny,hm?” Beatrice kisses her daughter’s hand, looking at the tiny little knuckles and sighing softly, “Nikki,you are going to spend some of Friday with auntie Shells…you remember her right?”

“Bells!”

“Yep, auntie Shells.”Bea smiles, kissing her forehead. “...for…safety reasons, You are too young to understand right now.”

Nicole blinked up at her with those big, curious eyes, her little hand reaching up to touch Beatrice's face. "Bells?" she repeated, seeking reassurance.

Beatrice smiled down at her, brushing a strand of hair away from Nicole's forehead. "That's right, sweetheart," she replied. "Auntie Shells will take good care of you, just like Mommy and Daddy do."

Nicole seemed to accept this explanation, her attention turning back to her toys. She began to babble and play with her toys, the concerns of the grown-up world momentarily forgotten. Beatrice watched her daughter with a little smile, inhaling the cotton flower shampoo in Nicole’s hair and furrowing her brows, “...I just wish the stress was less by now. I wish your siblings were home already.”

They had one more month until they could come home, and she didn’t know if it was because the time frame was getting shorter but she was getting anxious hoping the twins came home quickly.

Hard to believe they’ve been there for eight months already…and well, they’d still have to do a few more exams and make sure they are healthy enough to be back home. Beatrice sighs, rubbing her forehead with the tip of her fingers, sitting on the rocking chair with Nikki on her lap, huffing out a sigh with her head tilted to the ceiling.

She wondered if that just added to the whole anxiety with the Haltons too.

She had been through a rollercoaster of emotions during the past eight months, from the joy of becoming a mother again to the worry and longing for her twins to come home. Beatrice couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety as she thought about the additional exams and tests the twins needed to pass before they could be discharged.

Rooster had been her rock throughout this journey, providing unwavering support and strength when she needed it most. But she knew that he, too, carried the same worries in his heart.

Neither of them had to be strong for so long, they both knew that.

Nicole, sensing her mother's emotions, reached up to touch Beatrice's face once more, her tiny fingers grazing her cheek. "Mama?" she said softly, her eyes filled with innocence and concern.

Beatrice smiled down at her daughter, her heart swelling with love. "It's okay, sweetheart," she reassured Nicole, her voice gentle and soothing. "Mama's just thinking about your little brother and sister. We miss them a lot, but they'll be home with us soon."

Nicole's eyes seemed to understand the sentiment behind her mother's words, even if she couldn't fully grasp the situation. She snuggled closer to Beatrice, seeking comfort and warmth. Beatrice kissed the top of her daughter's head, holding her close.

“Mama is just…having a lot of thoughts, is all.” she whispers, “...nothing else.”

Rooster entered the room, having finished his shower and dressed in his pajamas. His eyes met Beatrice's, and he smiles softly, seeing how her eyebrows were furrowed.He walked over to them, leaning down to press a soft kiss on Beatrice's forehead. "How's our little birdie doing?" he asked, his voice tender.

Beatrice looked up at him, a small smile gracing her lips despite the underlying worries. "She's doing well," she replied softly. "We were just having a little chat about her siblings and everything…."

Rooster's gaze softened as he glanced at Nicole, his hand reaching out to gently stroke her hair. "We'll have them home soon,gorgeous," he said, “It’s okay.”

“I know,Roos…it’s just,maybe I’m tired?”

“Could be,baby,” he smiles, picking Nicole from her mother’s hold and bringing her close to his face, kissing those soft cheeks, “Why don’t we go downstairs now,hm? Have dinner, relax a bit?” he offers Beatrice his free hand, interlacing their fingers when she touches him, “Atta girl.”

Beatrice welcomed the idea of going downstairs to have dinner and unwind. She knew that Rooster was right; sometimes, a change of scenery and a good meal could work wonders for easing the tension and fatigue that had built up over the past few months.

She took Rooster's offered hand, their fingers interlacing naturally as they shared a comforting, silent connection. Nicole, now cradled in her father's arms, seemed content and ready for some family time. Beatrice couldn't help but marvel at how Rooster's presence could instantly lift her spirits.

“You alright?” he asks softly as they go down the stairs.

She smiles tiredly but nods, “Yeah.” she nuzzles his shoulder, “I’m okay,Roos…just a lot happened,huh?”

Rooster continued to hold Nicole in his arms as they descended the stairs, Beatrice following closely beside him. He glanced over at his wife, concern etched in his features. "Yeah, a lot has happened," he agreed softly. "But we’ve been managing,gorgeous.”

Beatrice leaned into him, finding comfort in the warmth of his embrace. She looked at Nicole, who was now resting her head on Rooster's shoulder, her tiny fingers playing with the collar of his pajamas. "We are, aren't we?" she replied with a small smile. “We really are.”

[batbeato]

Umineko has so many women who haunt the narrative but the fact that Beatrice at all levels haunts the narrative is truly incredible.

We have, in order of appearance:

Beatrice, the witch, haunting Legend of the Golden Witch with an almost-tangible intangible presence despite no physical appearances until the Tea Party (and, in a sense, haunting most of the gameboards throughout Umineko). Also haunts the story prior to this in the legends, pranks, tricks, Battler's fear of the witch as a child, etcetera.

Beatrice, the human (Kuwadorian Beatrice) haunting and hanging over everything

Beatrice, the witch, haunting Ange intangibly in 1998 segments as well as literally in the 1986 segments where Ange is directly confronted with her

Beatrice, the witch in the meta, haunting Battler in End as well as Dawn, ranging from him staring at her comatose self to him conjuring up the ghost of her in his study in EP6, as well as haunting Chick Beatrice who wishes to become her

Beatrice the human, Bice, hanging over the entire story, haunting the subsequent Beatrices, Kinzo, and pretty much everyone

What I'm getting out of this is that Beatrice is a hauntology master and we all need to bow down to her (she has so much trauma that exists in so many temporal and atemporal states).

[lizardrosen]

the really awful thing about the Episode 6 parallels between chick beato and battler vs kuwadorian beato and kinzo is that battler is actively trying to avoid that controlling behavior and it makes him uncomfortable to be called Father, but the only way he can think to combat that dynamic is to... order beato to stop.

he wants her to become the beatrice he remembers and loves, but the thing he loved was her (apparent) independence and superiority over everyone else, and he has an entire conversation with her piece on the board that this is an interaction he's scripting and voicing himself. and what he only partially understands is that to become what he wants, she has to go through the same thousand years that made her in the first place. would he want her to suffer just so he can recreate the past, if he knew that was the choice?