White Flowers
By Hana Dawn
Alert: Great deal of spoilers if you can interpret a few things. Be warned!
Disclaimer: Umineko no Naku koro ni © & Umineko no Naku koro ni Chiru © (When They Cry 3 & 4) belong to 07th Expansion. I do not intend to take profit from it, nor own it, nor sell it.
But that does NOT mean that the fanfiction is public property. This, and only this, belongs to me – and by that, I mean I wrote it, me and no one else, so do not take credit for it. Kthx now read.
The boat gave a big shudder and started docking in the harbor. The Ushiromiyas started to disembark, one by one. Gohda and Shannon had arrived to assist them, so, of course, he had stepped in with haste to greet all of them. She humbly acknowledged his initiative, leading her to stay put until needed.
The very first pause in that especially busy day incited her mind to wonder... Another game. Another chance. Another test to her love for George... And she was going to make sure to win this time around.
This would absolutely be the last game.
Snapping her back to reality, Rudolf started yelling at the boat, hurrying his son. Everyone else had already got down, including George, who knew better than to rush over to her in front of all of them. Instead, he stood beside Jessica and Maria and occasionally sent her a smile. Which was perfectly fine, because she knew what would come up a few hours later from one of his pockets.
"What's taking you so goddamn long? Couldn't you wait to use the toilet in the mansion?"
"Calm down, he'll get out soon." Kyrie whispered, holding his shoulder.
"It's bad enough he's been absent for six years and panicked through the whole trip with his annoying "I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna faaaaall!" fuss, but even now he's just stretching it! Come dooown!"
Rudolf went on and on, ranting, so Maria couldn't help to get carried along as well. George tried to calm her down, while Eva enjoyed the scene from a distance, elegantly camouflaging her crackles with her fan. Even the boat crew was getting on their nerves.
Amidst all the voices, something could be heard coming from the boat.
"I'm almost ready! Geez, old man! Have a little patience here!"
Then, the white silhouette revealed itself. But hesitated and took a step back. After a pause, a step forward. And again, another step back.
"Come oooon!"
"Alright, alright! Here goes..."
Battler finally stepped out of the cabin, and walked off of the boat quite fast. He couldn't bring himself to raise his eyes from the ground, though. That was quite strange at first, considering how he had behaved through the trip. But, then... they noticed. And even Maria lowered her voice, surprised by the sudden silence that took over all of the grown-ups.
Shannon wasn't paying attention, due to her once again being in her own world, thinking about her pending chores and newly assigned duties. Thus, when she saw Battler approaching her from quite a close distance by now, she jumped a little in surprise. Why was everyone quiet? Why were all of their gazes locked in Battler's back? Why was he walking towards her, laughing like a fool, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand-
...And then, she noticed, too. He was carrying a bouquet of white daisies.
Her heart skipped a beat. Which heart was it-
He finally faced her, and seemed quite relieved after seeing her reaction. His laugh became an honest, yet still foolish smile.
But she snapped right back on track. No, they couldn't be for her. They weren't for her. The foolish one was her heart, becoming weak like this, getting carried away by... whatever this scheme was.
But he kept walking and stopped in front of her. Of her, and no one else.
"Heh... I had this whole speech prepared, and now I'm too nervous to even remember the first word..."
He started to talk, though he seemed to be rambling to himself instead of sharing it with her. She decided to remain silent, waiting for the end of the joke and preparing a suiting laughter in her throat.
"I'm really wishing the letter did the trick..."
He kept mumbling. Yet he was starting to cross the line.
"Th-this is inappropriate, Battler-sama. I-I must ask you to refrain your jokes- at least, until we are no longer in company of..."
"These are for you, Shannon."
He extended the bouquet to her, both gently and casually, stopping her in her tracks.
"I'm sorry if I'm not on a horse, or whatever, but I did come dressed in white! I hope that accounts for something, ihihi!"
His voice was really high-pitched, clearly evidencing his flustered state. Though the one shaking was her, instead. She couldn't bring herself to rise her hands and receive those flowers. She couldn't even bring herself to talk.
No one could, actually.
The silence was becoming, if possible, more and more awkward by the second. The relatives started to look for any kind of explanation on each other faces, especially by the lack of response from Shannon. What were they supposed to do? Was this a set-up of some kind? Was this indeed a joke? Was this supposed to be funny, or...?
Jessica caught up with all of this just in time before anyone had the chance of snapping at the pair, and raised her voice to call everyone's attention - including the boat crew, who had stayed just to see the little play while retrieving the ropes.
"O-oh-ah-ahahahahahahah! Right, right, the promise, right! I remember it, too! Shannon told me about it a few years ago; you as a knight coming to save her with a white horse! Suuuch an embarassement, Battler! But don't rub it in her face, now! You haven't even arrived to the mansion yet! Come on, let's leave the show for dinner, okay?"
Jessica swiftly brought everyone's attention to her, subtly remembering Gohda of his duty and making him grab their belongings to arrive to their true final destination. She also made her way to Battler and grabbed him by the shoulders with just enough push to remove him from his frozen pose, also making him realize how long he had been standing there, holding the bouquet high.
She repeated the last word in a whisper to make him fully snap out of the shock. Whatever he tried to pull, it had failed miserably.
Battler did come to his senses, but... as he processed it more and more, all he could think of was her lack of response.
Why? Had he said it wrong? Was he too agressive? Weren't the flowers enough just to get her to talk? Or, maybe...
"D-don't tell me... you forgot."
Shannon finally adverted her eyes. Battler wasn't even allowed to react to that, because Jessica, who hadn't let go of his shoulders, started pushing him to move forward and start walking, all with a very serious look on her face.
"Way to make a scene. You had to make a special entrance, didn't you. Nothing new, but, couldn't it have waited 'til after dinner? Besides, now, George... Well, whatever, just walk."
She pushed him once more and finally made him move. Battler couldn't stop looking at her, but she wouldn't look him back. Even when they all started moving, whispering, sneering.
Shannon moved on her own as soon as Battler stepped aside, and went to help Gohda with the luggage, but he forcibly removed it from her hands with a very disdainful look on his eyes. Shannon took a step back, and wasn't allowed to do anything else.
She watched Gohda leave and guide the Ushiromiyas to the mansion through the stairs until they all got swallowed up by the island, and the boat separated from it as well.
They had left...
They all had left...
She fell to her knees, unable to resist holding herself up anymore. She covered her face and tried really, really hard not to scream.
They had left... everyone...
Not even her hands stopped them from leaving.
THEY ALL HAD LEFT... the moment he... acknowledged that there was someone here...
And now... did I... did I finally... exist... and denied myself at the same time, by refusing his acknowledgment?
Why couldn't I bring myself to receive his flowers...?
She wouldn't scream. But whatever was left, cleansed with a white fire, couldn't help to tear up.
There were no seagulls to cover her cries. And October 4th 1986 was just starting...
Author's note:
This was supposed to be a drabble. ANYWAY LOL.
Second fanfiction of Umineko, inspired by a fanart circling Tumblr. Don't have much to say, really - Just a "what if" situation (as all Umineko, lol). I'll let the fic talk on its own c:
As always, every review, fav, and whatever you decide to show interest/likeness/not-so-much/hate ( D: ) is truly appreciated and loved. I'd really like to know what you think about it, if you liked it, what did you like, and what did you not like or found a tad off (and why!) as well.
Thank you for reading, have a nice day!