Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
whomthebelltolls) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
middaeg2019-09-09 10:09 pm
whomthebelltolls) wrote in middaeg2019-09-09 10:09 pm
Entry tags:
Don't look down into the eyes of the world beneath you
Who: Lady Maria whomthebelltolls and YOU (all prompts on log open - closed prompts will have starters)
When: Septeurilmber
Where: Mostly Dorchacht, but bookended by Stuff in Aefenglom
What: September shenanigans!
Warnings: Potential violence, Maria's PTSD, and the general Dorchacht warnings
[1: - Boat]
[Maria hates boats. She absolutely cannot stand the ocean, being near or on it, or anything of the sort. Still, after all her affairs are in order, and it's too late to back out now, she boards the ship, pulling her hat down closer over her eyes. Once they disembark and start sailing away, she immediately makes for below-decks. No, she doesn't want to know how to work the rigging, nor does she want to climb to the crow's nest. She doesn't care how the ship works, she wants no part of any of it. She sits there, in the creaking below-deck area, ignoring the slight sway back and forth of the ship as it cuts across the ocean; occasionally reading a book, occasionally talking some of the crew into sharing the strong grog with her - it won't cure seasickness, they try to say, but she shakes her head because that's not what it is.
Clearly, of course, this means she should be bothered, right? Especially once the Merrow outside start singing, and she bares her teeth (her fangs) and slaps her hands over her ears, dropping whatever she's doing to sit there, tense and irritated. It must be irritation. After all, nothing scares Maria, right?]
[2: - Dorchacht, General]
[Maria takes a slightly different stance to anyone else. Any time she is expecting to have to make an impression - whether it be because she's going to sit in on the negotiations, or because she's going to talk to some of the locals in a very friendly manner, almost like she's one of them, she's come equipped with some... new duds. That's right, rather than her very #aesthetic but also very well-worn Hunter attire, she's come equipped with something a bit more befitting her position as a noble. She dresses in something like the typical Cainhurst fare - black and blood red, with lots of intricate designs in the fabric, and trimmed in fancy patterns, made of high-quality fabrics and lined in blood-red silk. Without the neck ruffles, though, as it's been a bit more "modernized" to something more fully Victorian. However, there's a symbol of heraldry embroidered into the waistcoat she wears over all the rest of her clothing, and into a handkerchief she carries with her when the coat is off and she's just in her vest. No hat, for now, but she does cut a striking figure - one that really does seem to evoke a sense old, practiced nobility.
She mingles among the aristocrats and coven members, those days, and is perfectly open to be approached by other Mirrorbound - though, almost immediately, she suggests-] Let us speak somewhere more private.
[3: Dorchacht - Coven]
[As in the dream, when Maria is not trying to learn about the culture of the Dorchacht people and how they work on a day to day basis, what their priorities are, and all that, she is in the Coven, rubbing elbows with the student witches. For these, she's dressed down a bit - just a fancy off-white shirt and a vest in the Cainhurst style (black, with more shiny silver decor around the edges; this time without her family's symbol on it). Must command respect at all times, after all. She brought her sword and her Hunter gear with her, but she prefers not making herself a total threat just yet.
The library, though...
... There's nothing here. And she's growing more frustrated the longer she's here, and the more people tell her there's nothing of the past here. That Dorchacht is a city of the future. The Witches of the Coven and the people in the town both. Like... like it's not just the Monsters here that are under some kind of thrall, though they are obviously getting the worst of it.
She's so disappointed in finding yet another row of useless books, she almost misses a dodging side-step to the person that just walked past some of the shelves, as she strides her long-legged stride out of the aisle of shiny new books, and in fact, might either bump them, knock the books out of their hands, or just otherwise make them draw up short to avoid her.] Mn. [That was not an apology, they can live with it, or they can try to demand one.]
[4: Aefenglom - Maria's home/residential district]
[And, of course, the boat ride home was just as bad or worse than the one out to Dorchacht. Maria is not in a great mood, and she just wants to get back to the bed she's claimed as her own, in the house that she has claimed as her own with her other quiet, antisocial roommates, and get back to her garden...
... Except her garden, as she finds when she returns, is ruined. Many of the sunflower stalks have been broken, and the flowers are wilting and sagging. The smaller plants have been trodden upon, or stomped purposefully down. There's a message, painted on the wall as well - "Bonding is unwelcome here".
Well.
That's just great.
Maria turns, and she walks off her property - frigid rage emanating from the stiffness of her shoulders, the set of her jaw, the way her lip keeps twitching as she fights the urge to snarl like a Beast. She ignores whatever startled questioning backlash she gets across her Bond, because it doesn't matter right now.
They like painting on the walls, hm? She wonders - how much will they like painting when the message is written in their own blood, behind their own head on a pike? She will find those responsible, but her irate mood also means that she's suffering two things: "threat assessment", and "not being threatening to even innocent people", so uh. Sorry about the fact that noise behind her made her whirl around and thrust her sword right into whoever was there's face.] ... What do you want? [And, if she doesn't recognize you:] ... Did you vandalize that property beyond the wall?
[5: Aefenglom - Goblin Market]
[On today's edition of "weird Bloodborne character doing weird Bloodborne things" there is Maria, looking over a sampling of what appears to be various types of Witch and Monster blood. Honestly, she's curious about the Black Market people keep hinting about, the shady figures at the corners of the Goblin market and some of the darker looking deals that go down, but for today, she's mostly in the market for blood. She's somewhat more calm after the vandalization of her house, but mostly, she's just trying to keep her mind off of it.
Which, she's getting a few strange looks from the bundled-up Vampire behind the counter - she looks like a vampire, alright, and she's been talking shop of blood with him like an expert, but when she admits she's a Witch, it just seems to confuse him even more. As for anyone looking...]
It's always better fresh. Or specifically cultivated... [Back to the vampire] ah, what do you treat your blood saints - ah... those who you harvest the blood from - with? [When he doesn't have a really good, ready answer...]
... Mm. Perhaps we should find somewhere else.
[6 - Wildcard]
[For all your Wildcard needs! Hit me up for other prompts here, or we can hash things out![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
reslari or Reslari#9561 on Discord!]
whomthebelltolls and YOU (all prompts on log open - closed prompts will have starters)When: Septeurilmber
Where: Mostly Dorchacht, but bookended by Stuff in Aefenglom
What: September shenanigans!
Warnings: Potential violence, Maria's PTSD, and the general Dorchacht warnings
[1: - Boat]
[Maria hates boats. She absolutely cannot stand the ocean, being near or on it, or anything of the sort. Still, after all her affairs are in order, and it's too late to back out now, she boards the ship, pulling her hat down closer over her eyes. Once they disembark and start sailing away, she immediately makes for below-decks. No, she doesn't want to know how to work the rigging, nor does she want to climb to the crow's nest. She doesn't care how the ship works, she wants no part of any of it. She sits there, in the creaking below-deck area, ignoring the slight sway back and forth of the ship as it cuts across the ocean; occasionally reading a book, occasionally talking some of the crew into sharing the strong grog with her - it won't cure seasickness, they try to say, but she shakes her head because that's not what it is.
Clearly, of course, this means she should be bothered, right? Especially once the Merrow outside start singing, and she bares her teeth (her fangs) and slaps her hands over her ears, dropping whatever she's doing to sit there, tense and irritated. It must be irritation. After all, nothing scares Maria, right?]
[2: - Dorchacht, General]
[Maria takes a slightly different stance to anyone else. Any time she is expecting to have to make an impression - whether it be because she's going to sit in on the negotiations, or because she's going to talk to some of the locals in a very friendly manner, almost like she's one of them, she's come equipped with some... new duds. That's right, rather than her very #aesthetic but also very well-worn Hunter attire, she's come equipped with something a bit more befitting her position as a noble. She dresses in something like the typical Cainhurst fare - black and blood red, with lots of intricate designs in the fabric, and trimmed in fancy patterns, made of high-quality fabrics and lined in blood-red silk. Without the neck ruffles, though, as it's been a bit more "modernized" to something more fully Victorian. However, there's a symbol of heraldry embroidered into the waistcoat she wears over all the rest of her clothing, and into a handkerchief she carries with her when the coat is off and she's just in her vest. No hat, for now, but she does cut a striking figure - one that really does seem to evoke a sense old, practiced nobility.
She mingles among the aristocrats and coven members, those days, and is perfectly open to be approached by other Mirrorbound - though, almost immediately, she suggests-] Let us speak somewhere more private.
[3: Dorchacht - Coven]
[As in the dream, when Maria is not trying to learn about the culture of the Dorchacht people and how they work on a day to day basis, what their priorities are, and all that, she is in the Coven, rubbing elbows with the student witches. For these, she's dressed down a bit - just a fancy off-white shirt and a vest in the Cainhurst style (black, with more shiny silver decor around the edges; this time without her family's symbol on it). Must command respect at all times, after all. She brought her sword and her Hunter gear with her, but she prefers not making herself a total threat just yet.
The library, though...
... There's nothing here. And she's growing more frustrated the longer she's here, and the more people tell her there's nothing of the past here. That Dorchacht is a city of the future. The Witches of the Coven and the people in the town both. Like... like it's not just the Monsters here that are under some kind of thrall, though they are obviously getting the worst of it.
She's so disappointed in finding yet another row of useless books, she almost misses a dodging side-step to the person that just walked past some of the shelves, as she strides her long-legged stride out of the aisle of shiny new books, and in fact, might either bump them, knock the books out of their hands, or just otherwise make them draw up short to avoid her.] Mn. [That was not an apology, they can live with it, or they can try to demand one.]
[4: Aefenglom - Maria's home/residential district]
[And, of course, the boat ride home was just as bad or worse than the one out to Dorchacht. Maria is not in a great mood, and she just wants to get back to the bed she's claimed as her own, in the house that she has claimed as her own with her other quiet, antisocial roommates, and get back to her garden...
... Except her garden, as she finds when she returns, is ruined. Many of the sunflower stalks have been broken, and the flowers are wilting and sagging. The smaller plants have been trodden upon, or stomped purposefully down. There's a message, painted on the wall as well - "Bonding is unwelcome here".
Well.
That's just great.
Maria turns, and she walks off her property - frigid rage emanating from the stiffness of her shoulders, the set of her jaw, the way her lip keeps twitching as she fights the urge to snarl like a Beast. She ignores whatever startled questioning backlash she gets across her Bond, because it doesn't matter right now.
They like painting on the walls, hm? She wonders - how much will they like painting when the message is written in their own blood, behind their own head on a pike? She will find those responsible, but her irate mood also means that she's suffering two things: "threat assessment", and "not being threatening to even innocent people", so uh. Sorry about the fact that noise behind her made her whirl around and thrust her sword right into whoever was there's face.] ... What do you want? [And, if she doesn't recognize you:] ... Did you vandalize that property beyond the wall?
[5: Aefenglom - Goblin Market]
[On today's edition of "weird Bloodborne character doing weird Bloodborne things" there is Maria, looking over a sampling of what appears to be various types of Witch and Monster blood. Honestly, she's curious about the Black Market people keep hinting about, the shady figures at the corners of the Goblin market and some of the darker looking deals that go down, but for today, she's mostly in the market for blood. She's somewhat more calm after the vandalization of her house, but mostly, she's just trying to keep her mind off of it.
Which, she's getting a few strange looks from the bundled-up Vampire behind the counter - she looks like a vampire, alright, and she's been talking shop of blood with him like an expert, but when she admits she's a Witch, it just seems to confuse him even more. As for anyone looking...]
It's always better fresh. Or specifically cultivated... [Back to the vampire] ah, what do you treat your blood saints - ah... those who you harvest the blood from - with? [When he doesn't have a really good, ready answer...]
... Mm. Perhaps we should find somewhere else.
[6 - Wildcard]
[For all your Wildcard needs! Hit me up for other prompts here, or we can hash things out
no subject
Instead, she watches Kaede go, making sure the path is clear before spying out her own. She could skip a few handholds if need be just due to her own reach, but the path itself seems sound. So, once Kaede is far enough out of the way that Maria doesn't think she'll interfere with either of their climbing, she starts making her way up. Luckily, she doesn't fear heights.]
no subject
Every so often, though, the Chimera paused a bit longer than usual once she had a secure perch, glancing back down at the Witch. Did Maria need something? No? Then up Kaede went onto the next ledge, and the cycle repeated.]
no subject
Soon enough, they're at a level she can pull herself onto the roof, and she tries to do so without thumping down onto it and possibly alerting whoever is in the home. And for a moment, she catches her breath.]
whoops this one didn't send
...though she did steal the occasional glance down at Maria. The Witch was still easily keeping pace, though she had no claws. Kaede didn't doubt she was strong, but seeing so directly like this without snatches of violence getting in the way was impressive.
The Chimera made it up to the roof first, though just. Her sandaled feet were quiet on the roof tiles, but her tail twitched freely behind her.
They could see into the barracks from here.
The yard was empty, mostly. No loitering soldiers, a few posted guards--of the Monstrous variety. They didn't seem to notice they were being watched, their gazes mostly focused in on the yard. There were several buildings that could have passed for covered stables or kennels, had they been in any other city. The guards seemed to be keeping more of a watch on them, though a Harpy perched on the barracks occasionally swept a compulsion-dulled gaze over the walls.
Their Orders didn't seem to concern people peering in, and if they noticed two new shadows on the overlooking roof they said nothing about it, not even squawking an alarm.
The Monsters' human tenders were nowhere to be seen outside, though light glowed through the barracks' windows.]
no subject
It's... about what Maria suspected, though, as she looks in. Perhaps Kaede's eyes can see further than her own, but she can at least see enough to verify her fears.] ... A slave army. As I suspected. It would only take a few strong witches to keep the compulsion going for hundreds of Monsters, I bet, if their collars are properly maintained. And Aefenglom has a mostly-empty barracks that Mirrorbound have been staying in.
[One of these things is going to be significantly better off than the others.]