Re:Zero FF Beatrice Heart Crossing

Chapter 1: Imagine Castle

Blinding white light cascaded into the forbidden library and obstructed Subaru's vision. He would have been startled if not for the soft feeling of a small hand grasping his. This had to be Beatrice's magic.

Beatrice: "I accept your proposition, I suppose. I would like to discuss the details of our contract, but it seems that our safety should be paramount."

Subaru: "Thank you Beako, I appreciate it."

Beatrice: "I-I am not doing this as a benefit to you. I just cannot allow my reputation to be besmirched by dying with you, in fact. What stories would develop if I allowed such a thing?"

With that statement, Beatrice pushed off from the ground with Subaru in tow. Subaru couldn't help but feel relieved that he was able to break through to Beatrice's heart. He gripped her hand a little tighter in return.

And so fate brings us to a fork in the road…

Subaru awoke to a beautiful blue sky. For a moment he was tempted to relax and enjoy the view, but the urgency of the situation started to seep in. As he started to jolt upwards, he realized that there was a slightly soft, if small, sensation under his head.

Subaru: "Beako?"

Beatrice: "Yes Su-subaru-u?"

Subaru: "I'll set aside the use of my name for later, the more pertinent question is where are we?"

Beatrice: "Ca-an we retire that question for a moment? I need time to formulate a proper answer. However, do not worry as I can assure you that the others are in no danger, I suppose."

Subaru: "Alright, as your contractor I trust you. Just one more question then?"

Beatrice: "At the least I can hear you out, I suppose."

Subaru: "Why are you giving me a lap pillow?"

Beatrice's legs went rigid and her lap started to warm up. Subaru could almost imagine the red that her face must be right now.

Beatrice: "W-why does that matter? You let the other residents of the mansion do this at their leisure. Are you to say that I am not fit to perform such a task? If anything you should be grateful that Betty would perform such a task for your pathetic self, in fact."

Subaru: "Calm down Beako, I didn't mean to sound like I was ungrateful. It is very comfortable."

Beatrice: "Erk!"

Subaru: "Beako?"

Beatrice: "Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!"

And so they stayed in that position for a time in silence. After what felt like an appropriate amount of time, Subaru slowly sat up. He viewed his surroundings for the first time. There was an expansive field of long green grasses blowing in a gentle wind. The sky was a calm blue and was filled with billowy white clouds. A small worn trail cut through the scene and upon following it with his eyes, Subaru noticed a small stone castle placed on an overlook.

Subaru: "Beako, are you ready to tell me where we are?"

Beatrice: "..."

Subaru: "Beako?"

Beatrice: "Can we have this conversation in the castle, I suppose?"

Subaru: "I guess that's fine, but you are acting a little strange."

The two made their way toward the castle. Subaru was briefly surprised when Beatrice ran up and grabbed his hand without making eye contact. As they walked Subaru noticed that below the overlook was a vast ocean connecting to a beachfront beneath the castle. A stone staircase made it possible to travel down there from the castle. Once they approached the large wooden door at the front of the old stone building, Beatrice gently touched the door and it slowly opened. She pulled Subaru along as they moved through the foyer and into a small seating area with a tea table and a large hearth for burning wood for heat. The window curtains were drawn to allow natural light to illuminate the room. The stone floors were covered in unknown furs and the whole scene could only be described as quaint. Beatrice took a seat in a chair that had what Subaru could only call a "Booster Seat" and she motioned for him to sit across for her.

Beatrice: "I will explain the situation, but I ask that you hold any questions or judgements until after I finish, I suppose."

Subaru: "Not a problem Beako, fire at will"

Beatrice looked puzzled at the metaphor but nonetheless continued.

Beatrice: "To put it simply, I have created a space with my yin magic. Similar to my Door Crossing, this space is isolated from the world. However, unlike Door Crossing this space is also isolated from space time, in fact. Therefore, the others are safely suspended in time awaiting your return. That should settle your heart, I suppose."

Subaru took a minute to consider what Beatrice had just told him. His friends were safe, or at least the situation was frozen in their favor for the time being. Subaru wasn't pleased, but knowing that time was essentially paused gave him some relief. It wasn't beyond her power to create such a place, but one thing still didn't sit right in Subaru's mind.

Subaru: "Beako, why did you create this space?"

Beatrice had looked away from Subaru at this question and sat completely still as she mulled over her answer. After a few minutes Subaru noticed that she appeared to be heaving. As the silence was broken, Subaru's fears were confirmed when Beatrice turned to face him with tears in her eyes.

Beatrice: "W-why does it matter!? Your precious Emilia and your blue haired maid will still be there waiting, I suppose. Why is it so wrong that Betty should want to have time with her Subaru? Everything has always been out of my reach and now that I can grab ahold of something, I want to fill the void of lost time with a small amount of happiness. Why is it hard to understand? Why can't you stay here with me? Why-"

Subaru: "Hold on Beako."

Unbeknownst to the small spirit, she had started standing in her seat and screaming while her tears overflowed. It pained Subaru to witness the pure soft heart of her pain, she had opened her wounded heart and created a space just for her and Subaru. He needed to acknowledge her honesty and give her a clear answer.

Subaru: "Beako, I want to make one thing clear. You hold a place in my heart too. I want to understand your feelings and I did promise you that I would fill your time with fun memories. If this is what you need to heal your heart, then I consider it my duty as your contractor."

Beatrice was stunned at Subaru's honest expression. He was essentially agreeing to put things on hold and dedicate his time to only her. Subaru had considered the arrangement before him and maybe it was because he had returned so many times, maybe it was because he had resonated with Beatrice's isolation, or maybe it was something that neither one completely understood. Subaru had affirmed her and while she stood there trying you find her words, Subaru stood and pulled her into a hug. Drying her tears on his track suit in the process.

Subaru: "Beako, can you promise me something?"

Beatrice: "H-huh? Umm, I can certainly try, I suppose."

Subaru: "If I am Betty's Subaru, then I need to be the only person that gets to see your crying face. So if you ever feel sad, or you need to talk about what happened in the last 400 years, I want you to come to me."

Beatrice's eyes welled up upon hearing the conditions of the promise.

Beatrice: "You truly have no shame, I suppose. To make fun of a maiden as she bears her heart. I will agree to your selfish promise. With the added condition that you also seek out Betty with the same regard, in fact."

Subaru: "Then it is agreed, we shall remain here for a time. In our Imagine Castle."

Beatrice: "Yes, Imagine Castle… very well put… For now I need to go and refresh myself, I suppose. Feel free to look around the castle at your leisure, I suppose."

Beatrice descended to the floor and began to make her way down the torch lit hallway. Subaru followed her part way and turned down a different corridor as Beatrice went up stairs. The corridors were of the same old stone that comprised the building with velvety cloth running the floors that crunched beneath his feet. The floor plan of the castle was very simple, on the first floor it contained the foyer and the tea room along with a large dining room and a kitchen. Subaru assumed that the bedrooms and bath must be upstairs. It appeared that the castle was only two stories tall. It was while he was lost in this thought that he heard an unfamiliar voice call out to him.

?: "Hello Master Subaru, I am glad to make your acquaintance."

Subaru: "Huh!? Umm, I mean, hello! And who might you be?"

Subaru was standing in the kitchen area. It contained a small prep area for meals and what appeared to be an apparatus for clothes washing in the back of the room behind a half drawn curtain. In reality it was less a kitchen and more a maid area to meet the needs of the castle. A small pantry was connected to the meal prep area. The girl before him appeared to be close to his age. She had short dark green hair and bright pink eyes. She wore a maid outfit that was just as ornate as the ones at the Roswaal Mansion, but in place of the armlets she wore long white gloves. She stepped forward and curtsied before introducing herself.

?: "Of course, I am the caretaker and head maid of this castle. You may call me Adella."

Subaru: "Nice to meet you Adie! How many other maids are there?"

Adella: "Hrk! Ad-ie… Of course, I will henceforth answer to Adie. To answer your question, I am the only staff member here."

Subaru: "Then how are you the head maid?"

Adella's face turned extremely grim. The sheer force of the instant change felt as if to take Subaru's soul at any moment.

Subaru: "Ah! Nevermind, I can definitely see that you are the HEAD maid. Please excuse my ignorance."

Adella: "But of course Master, I am glad you were able to come to your senses. Please let me know if I can be of service at any time. I am capable of cleaning, cooking, maintenance, and any estate related duties. Oh, It appears that it is almost time to prepare dinner. Please have a seat in the dining room and I will prepare some light appetizers for you and Lady Beatrice immediately."

Subaru: "Oh, could you use some help? I really have nothing to do right now."

Adella's face once again returned to the grim fear inspiring look from before. Subaru pushed his hands together and bowed as he backed out of the room. Sensing that this was the right move he made his way to the dining room. The dining room was large and open with a long table covered in a white tablecloth with silver candlesticks and tapestries. Subaru couldn't help but notice that the table could easily seat eight people but he only counted three people living in the castle. While he was chuckling at the thought Beatrice walked in and seated herself next to Subaru.

Subaru: "Umm, Beako?"

Beatrice: "I-if you must ask, I simply wanted to sit next to you, I suppose"

Subaru: "That a fact? That wasn't what I wanted to ask about. I'm more interested in your attire."

Beatrice had changed from her usual frilly pink dress into a slimmer white dress with ornate black bows and pearls. She had coordinated her hair bows to match along with white stockings and shiny black shoes. Compared to her normal royal debutante look, she currently appeared more like a common girl. Upon catching Subaru's gaze, she nervously kicked her legs back and forth.

Beatrice: "Umm, is that so… I didn't do this for you, I suppose. I rather wanted to try changing my appearance to commemorate my life starting again, in fact. B-but, that is to say, you mentioned you w-were int-interested… Would you care to clarify that statement, in fact?"

Subaru: "Maybe if you honestly ask me to"

Beatrice puffed out her cheeks in annoyance from Subaru's teasing.

Beatrice: "No shame, I suppose."

Subaru: "Guilty"

Beatrice: "Fine… Is my new outfit to your liking, I suppose?"

Subaru: "Damn straight!"

Beatrice: "Hrk! Why do I even bother, I suppose."

Subaru: "Just kidding Beako. It's just sweet to see your softer side. I think you look absolutely adorable."

Beatrice turned her gaze down in the exact opposite reaction that Subaru expected.

Subaru: "Did I say something wrong?"

Beatrice: "N-no! I suppose. I perhaps had wondered… If there was a more appropriate word than adorable? I may look young in appearance but I am still a woman, in fact."

Subaru wanted to slam his head onto the table for his mistake. Beatrice had put effort into picking out new clothes and coordinating her outfit only to have Subaru to downplay it as the dress up playtime of a child. His next words surprised him but not as much as they surprised Beatrice.

Subaru: "You look very, no, you are very beautiful Beako. The clothes suit you. Thank you for sharing them with me."

Beatrice: "..."

They both sat there while Beatrice explored changing into deeper hues of red.

?: "Sorry to interrupt, but it appears we were both performing cooking of sorts."

Subaru: "Adie! How long have you been there?"

Adella: "Would you be accusing the head maid of eavesdropping? How absurd, I have completed the appetizers and wanted to present them to the Masters."

Subaru: "O-oh, is that so? Well then, thank you for the food."

Adella: "No need for appreciation, this is my duty. I shall return with dinner shortly. Should I bring a cool towel for you Lady Beatrice?"

Beatrice: "H-huh? No, that is not necessary, I suppose."

So, with a little awkward silence, the two started to dine on the appetizers. There were several varieties of bread sliced thin with different colored toppings. Beatrice and Subaru took turns trying individual appetizers and sharing their opinions. For the most part there were two of each topping, however, when it came down to the last of the appetizers they faced a problem. Perhaps a certain head maid had thought of a practical joke after overhearing her masters?

Subaru: "There are an odd number of appetizers, which means this is the last one. Go ahead Beako."

Beatrice: "Are you sure, I suppose?"

Subaru: "I insist."

Beatrice reached her small hand out and brought the snack to her mouth. Once she took a small bite she froze. It was… really delicious.

Beatrice: "Subaru… You must try this, in fact! Perhaps you can rub the topping on your fork, or we can-"

Subaru reached out and took the remaining morsel from her hand and instantly plopped in in his mouth. Beatrice was aghast. The words flashed through her head "Ind- Ki-" she stopped herself from finishing the thought lest she return to her crimson hue. She wouldn't give that to this idiot, not this time.

Subaru: "Oh, Beako hold still."

Beatrice froze, had he read her mind? Her eyes went blank as Subaru leaned in. Just as she closed her eyes and relaxed her lips, Subaru brushed his napkin on her cheek to remove some crumbs that were left from the snack. Subaru sensed that something had gone seriously wrong.

Subaru: "Beako, are you okay?"

Beatrice: "IDIOT!"

The situation was definitely tense. Luckily the steam seemed to settle just as a certain head maid returned with dinner.

Adella: "Dinner is serrrved!"

Beatrice: "Very good, I suppose."

Adella: "If everything is to your liking, I will take my leave."

Subaru: "Nonsense."

Adella: "Is something incorrect?"

Subaru: "No, I meant that you should eat with us."

Beatrice: "Subaru, that is hardly appropriate, in fact!"

Subaru: "No, Beako. I've been truly lucky to be taken care of at many estates. Now it would appear that I am the master of my own. I refuse to let Adie eat alone. I will not back down on this."

Beatrice became flustered at Subaru's tone. She desperately wanted to appease him to return to the giddy nothingness that they were living in before. There was one issue that was tugging at her dignity.

Beatrice: "O-oh, umm, perhaps it wouldn't be such a hassle, I suppose. I can allow it, in fact. I would have suggested it anyway. Mind you, in a more elegant manner. However, I must know when she earned a nickname!"

Subaru: "Oh, I guess it's just a bad habit of mine."

Beatrice: "NO SHAME, I suppose!"

Adella: "Thank you Masters, I will not be bothersome. I express utmost gratitude for the kind offering and humbly except."

So the tenants of the Imagine Castle had dinner for the first time together. Afterwards, Adella began to clean up and do dishes. Subaru dare not ask to help. Beatrice had motioned for him to follow her and grabbed his hand. She led him up the stairs that she had ascended earlier.

Beatrice: "This is the second floor, I suppose. It consists of the maid quarters, the grand bath, and the master bedroom. I already bathed so I will settle in the room. You should head to the grand bath, in fact."

Subaru: "Okay, but where is my room?"

Beatrice: "My room is your room, I suppose. As my contractor I need you close by in case of an emergency, in fact."

Subaru: "Hrk! Umm, ok, I guess I can see it from your point of view. I'll head to the bath now."

Subaru sat in the steam filled bath and wracked his brains. He was going to share a room with a girl. She was definitely a 400 year old spirit, but still a girl. He was still a man and this was unexplored territory for him. As he sat replaying possible outcomes in his head, he started to feel light headed. He jumped up and realized that he had been gone too long. Beatrice was probably not pleased. He needed to get out before her or Adella wandered in out of concern. He quickly finished his bath and changed into a T-Shirt and sleep pants before returning to the door of their room. He lightly knocked on the door.

Beatrice: "C-come in!"

Subaru entered the room and Beatrice was sitting on the bed. The room was sizable and had concealed areas for changing, what appeared to be an expansive wardrobe next to a vanity mirror table, and many furs and pillows scattered about. He immediately noticed that Beatrice had changed into a light pink nightie and had removed her trademark stockings as she kicked her feet nervously in the air. What was out of place was her hair. The springy drills were gone and it was the first time Subaru had seen her with flat hair.

Subaru: "Gorgeous."

Beatrice: "Hrk! Mind your manners, I suppose! My heart is not prepared for such outbursts, in fact!"

Subaru: "Sorry, I had just never seen your hair down. It took me by surprise."

Beatrice: "That is understandable, I suppose. Try to contain comments like that when it is so close to bedtime."

Subaru: "About that… Beako, you designed this place right?"

Beatrice: "Why yes, only Betty could, in fact."

Subaru: "Then did you intend to only have one bed?"

Beatrice: "Eep!"

Beatrice once again returned to her crimson hue. However, what started as embarrassment was slowly turning to anger. She glared at Subaru and snapped her fingers. A futon appeared out of nowhere and placed itself next to the bed.

Beatrice: "I can not be bothered to consider where my pets sleep, I suppose. Even if they are my contractor. It was a mere oversight, in fact. Now let us adjourn to bed quickly!"

Subaru: "Yeah, yeah. I'm going. Goodnight Beako."

Beatrice: "G-goodnight… Subaru."

The lights seemed to magically dim as Subaru tucked into the futon. He didn't appreciate Beatrice's tone but luckily it helped ease his thoughts while he listed off to sleep.

Beatrice: "..."

Beatrice: "...hrm"

Beatrice: "No shame."

Beatrice: "We never lit the fireplace. It's slightly chilly, I suppose."

Beatrice: "It can't be helped, in fact"

Beatrice swiftly moved down to Subaru's futon and moved underneath. As her cold feet brushed against Subaru's lower back he jolted awake. He instinctively remained silent as he assessed the situation. Beatrice had entered his futon. She must have been freezing from how cold she felt when she brushed up against him. He listened on as her breathing grew shallow and she drifted off. Suddenly she reached out and hugged him from behind and started to mumble.

Beatrice: "Betty's Subaru...zzz…"

It was so cute that Subaru couldn't even try to be mad about it. Even though she was a spirit she felt warm and soft next to him. A sweet scent wafted over him, probably from when she washed her hair earlier. Subaru's mind fluttered as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Subaru: "Thank you, Beako."

As his consciousness faded into sleep he could have sworn he felt her heartbeat speed up slightly.

Chapter 1 End