A Murder Is Announced

[awitchdidit]

[Private to the below names and Maria]

Naoto Shirogane.
Souji Seta.
Ryotaro Dojima.
Near.

The four of you are known to me as detectives, solvers of mysteries, investigators of the strange and mysterious. In honor of the end of the Christmas season, or at least being within a couple of days of it, I invite you to join me in a mystery game.

Somewhere within this Liminal Space is a new room with the appearance of something old and fleeting, a piece of homeyness carved out of this corporate-health labyrinth. Before it you will find me, the conductor of this mystery, and within it you will find the one thing that Ms. Shirogane knows a mystery tale cannot exist without:

A corpse!

I suggest making finding said dead body a priority. While the person it belongs to is quite safe from permanent harm as she is now, I'm not...entirely certain of what the effect would be if you left her as she is while we're suddenly whisked away to a game board. That might be an interesting experiment, though...

If you need any clues as to the location of the mystery, please, don't hesitate to reply. If you have any objections, well, you'll find me when you find her!

[A long pause.]

Ahaha, and of course, anyone with the skill and wherewithal to eavesdrop on this message is invited as well! I haven't met all the nosy detectives in this world between worlds yet, have I?

Consider this an introductory letter from Beatrice, the Golden and Endless Witch! Let's have fun, shall we?

((To be resolved in a Synodiporia post...soon. This one is for yelling.))

Comments

[happyhalloween]

And afterward, we'll all have tea together!

[Maria sounds very excited by this prospect.]

[shiroganeheir]

[Well, she had always had a few fleeting thoughts of having a nemesis, but seriously, what the hell?]

It is rather unsporting to give us a mystery with no clues at all, you realize. Even with all of my heritage and professional pride at stake, I cannot start on a search with nothing.

Also, I must ask, did you create a body, or have you truly killed someone?

[There's a sharp tone to her mental voice at that.]

[private]

[ofinspiration]

[ Lucifer sounds more amused than anything else. This is all terribly dramatic... but somehow Beatrice makes it work, so she can't even bring herself to mock her for it. ]

Dare I ask what kind of game you're playing?

[permastubble]

[Naoto has asked Ryoutarou's first question, but if this is a game, and not real-- He has one more important one.]

Did "she" agree to be a part of this game before you made her the "corpse?"

[solvethepuzzle]

How festive of you.

[The important question -- as to where to find the scene -- has already been asked, so he will not bother. And Beatrice would do a disservice to herself and her rapport with the Travelers if all parties had not consented to this. Having spoken to her more than once, Near is confident that she is smart enough to realize this and ensured that the game is just that. (Though Near would have no objection to calling it a game regardless.)]

[fridgeninja]

I'm on my way.

You're starting to remind me of someone.

[It's a bland statement of fact, with no hint of positivity or negativity coloring it.]