Disclaimer: Umineko is not mine, and will never be.
She had heard the stories; who hadn't? The ally of the Golden Witch Beatrice and the Witch of Resurrection Ange; the upcoming Lady Maria. Founder of Mariage Sorciere, the Witch of Origins who could give birth to one from zero; truly she was something to be admired.
Or so, everyone said.
But not Bernkastel, who thought these things idly as she flew through the Sea. To her, Maria was soft, all too soft for a Witch. Wanting candy to fall from the sky? Wishing for good weather on a rainy day? What sort of ridiculous magic was that? Still, she had received a proper invitation, and she was not one to refuse an invite to a tea party, as unexpected as it was.
Rose-scented air; she shouldn't have expected any less. With every step sprung flowers, while the Witch of Miracles chose to quietly float above the ground. Stuffed animals walked on their own, unhindered by strings, and chirped aloud from cordless throats.
In a perfumed world that reeked of overripe fruits and grotesque flowers, Bernkastel couldn't help but feel her stomach churn. Everything was too perfect, too cheery, too bright. How she longed for shadows, to meld into and watch from afar, not to be shoved into this overgrown playroom. The corners of her lips twitched once, her own self control throttling down the twinge of emotion for mannerisms.
Disgusting.
There in the middle, underneath a gazebo, sat the fledgeling Witch. "Uuu, it's Bernkastel!"
Childish, as always. Smiling, as always. What would Bernkastel have to do to tear away the frills of joy to see the blackness deep down?