cursedbluebird

[cursedbluebird]

Being sent out on errands was not Marianne's favorite task. She didn't like the pushy sales people in the market, and she could hardly barter a better price with them. Making things worse was being assigned to do the task with Linhardt, whose interest in crests made Marianne nervous.

Linhardt was just in the middle of asking her something, something she would probably shoot down, when a familiar voice sent a chill down her spine.

Her voice caught her in throat and she felt herself incapable of moving, completely frozen in fear.

The dreaded man moved closer, beginning to babble about her crest. Marianne found her voice in time to cut him off.

"I've found concrete evidence this time-"

"Um... Sorry... I um... I don't know who you're talking about?" Her lie didn't sound very convincing to herself. "Um... My name's not Marianne..."

There was a moment of silence, silence that felt incredibly loud to Marianne.

"Um... Sorry!" Marianne looped her arm in Linhardt's and pulled them away as quickly as she could manage.

But of course, all she had done was leave one nosy crest scholar for another...

what's the only thing worse than a scholar? a crest!

pearlescent || v. a clingy lover

[cursedbluebird]

cw: body horror, gore

The cellar was grotesque. To call it a simple cellar would be to understate the size, an entire operating theater was down here it seemed. Bloodied bodies were stacked carelessly in a corner, and upon closer examination each of the bodies was missing something. Limbs, eyes, organs, almost as if someone was picking and choosing their favorite parts to take. Glasses of organs in foul smelling liquid filled nearby shelves, each of them neatly labeled as if it were merely a shop selling goods. Not everything in the glasses was human. Bloodied and rusted medical knives and scalpels and needles lay on a bench on top of a dirtied cloth. Blood stained the cracks between the stones in the ground, in some places there were scrapes as if someone had just kicked away whatever had been on the floor instead of actually cleaning it up.

In the center of the room was a table with a cloth over it, something very clearly under that cloth. Marianne moved automatically, wanting to retch and run away and do anything but draw closer. Her body felt as tense as a drawn bow string, her eyes wide with fear and her heart pounding like a war drum as she reached for the cloth with a shaking hand. It was heavier than she expected, almost leather like, but she pulled it back quickly, as if doing so too slowly would break her nerve. Her hand flew to her mouth in horror at the sight. A horrible mix of canine and human… The torso was far too wide and long for a dog, but covered in too much and too coarse of hair to be a human’s. The hair continued along the arms and legs, bending at terrible angles more suited for a dogs limb’s than a human’s. But the hands were distinctly human, palm and five fingers with long inhuman claws were clearly visible under the hair. The creature’s eyes are glazed over, it’s chest isn’t moving, but Marianne has sense enough not to stick her hand close to it’s nose… it’s snout… to feel for breath being drawn. She doesn’t trust the thick leather straps keeping the creature to the table. It doesn’t look alive, bringing some small relief. The longer she looks at it the more pitiful it looks. But then she looks at the face again and the horror returns. A dog’s nose and teeth in a human’s mouth. Human eyes in a dog’s eye sockets. 

Who could do something so horrific? Was this what Madam Duval was hiding? How could this go on without her knowledge?

Who would believe them without proof?

“Professor…” Her voice is quieter than usual, as if just thinking too loud could awaken the monstrosities hiding here. “We… We need something to bring back… Notes… There has to be notes… Who ever did this…” She swallowed a lump in her throat and shuddered. “They’ve been at it for a while… They had to have taken notes somewhere…” She glanced around, there was a desk… and a bookshelf… but nothing seemed to stick out as strange, at least not in comparison to the horrors surrounding them. Who ever was working down here had to believe it was secure enough that no one would just accidentally stumble upon it… So where would they have left their notes? “A journal… Or… Maybe in the margins of the books?” 

@regnumaves

The Cellar of Dr. Moreau

[Grants Riding +1]

[cursedbluebird]

Now that Caspar isn’t trying to rip himself in half to get to the unconscious boy it’s much easier to ignore his protests. She finishes quickly, speaking quietly to another soldier before turning her attention to Caspar.

She helps the soldier get Caspar into a bed before getting to work. “Caspar he’s unconscious, he wasn’t able to do anything to me.” She said gently. “His injuries were too much for him to do anything I couldn’t handle, it looked like someone had half torn his arm off at the shoulder.” The soldier pulled the rag away and Marianne grimaced, she would need to use another healing spell. Warm, white light danced on her fingertips as she pressed them gently against the side wound. She wanted to be angry at him. If he hadn’t been so forceful, hadn’t torn his side open to get to a boy would could barely lift his hand, if, if, if… She shook the thought from her head. “If” wasn’t going to do anything. Anger wasn’t going to help her or Caspar or the boy or any of the other injured she needed to tend to. She felt the muscle stitching back together, the blood flow slowing, the wound healing. Her body felt heavy, but still others needed help. 

Marianne looked him over for any other injuries. He’s also got a wound on his head. Marianne does her best to mop up the blood, taking the remaining bandages from the previous wound she wrapped to wrap this next one. Her movement was getting sluggish. She was tired…

She turned her attention to Caspar’s eyes, brows furrowing as she looked for any sign of further injury. “Do you recall how you received your head wound?” 

Do No Harm

[cursedbluebird]

Marianne allowed Professor Azama to pull her to her feet and take her to another room, grabbing her sword along the way. Sand filled the room, perfect! They were covered in slug guts, and now they would be covered with sand! Taking a moment to observe the room, there were spots where the floors seemed to sink in, sucking the sand down somewhere Marianne would rather not think of. She stepped carefully around the room, shuffling her feet slowly in case the ground suddenly gave way.

Sand poured down from the ceiling along the walls, was the room above them also covered in sand? There was a locked door at one end of the room, did they need to turn back?

The sand shifted under her, suddenly from under her feet a strange green mound with four sharp looking horns at the top shot up and knocked Marianne off her feet. She landed with a wince, she was starting to feel like she had spent more time on the ground than on her feet.

Forgetting her sword for a moment, Marianne reached out with a frown. "Keep away from me!" A blinding light blasted the creature away. Was this was worms looked like at this size???

to the Deepwood Shrine~! [300 word max]

[cursedbluebird]

Marianne jolts, almost losing her place on the cliff. The wind stopped suddenly, as if silenced by the intrusion.

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't...." His words catch up to her. "No I haven't been inviting people here! I-" she cut herself off. Could he be trusted? He had been seen around the monastery, but now he was here at this little abbey... And no one she had met in the abbey had been trustworthy so far. Was this another pair of eyes the monks wanted on her?

She pushed herself to her feet. "I-I'll return to the abbey." She stammered. Her investigation would have to continue another time... If this incident didn't have the monks sending her straight back to Garreg Mach.

She paused before passing him. "I didn't know others could hear it too..." One last glance over her shoulder at the cliffs, the mystery they held, before accepting she wasn't going to learn anything new that night.

She didn't hear the stranger follow her back, but considering she hadn't heard him follow her to the cliffs it wasn't that unusual. She'd have to be much more careful, knowing now that there could be such silent eyes watching her.

Far below the cliff were rocks that the waves crashed over. Though they carried the bones to the sea, not everything sank to the depths. Buried in the sand was a medallion, no bigger than a coin, with an eye in the center surrounded by a strange wheel with two strange laurel leaves enclosing the wheel. In time, that too would be claimed by the sea.

Come to the bluffs...

end

In All My Dreams I Drown

[cursedbluebird]

There was a flash of light that made her look away. When it faded, one of the professors was standing in front of her. Marianne didn't know her name, only that she was a professor for the Black Eagles.

She removed her mask as well. "I... I'm not sure what to say..." She stammered.

A second chance... an opportunity to truly live... Marianne thought of her ancestor and the curse blade he had left behind.

"I... I think you think too much of me." She admitted. "Um... I..." She searched for the right words.

She hadn't even introduced herself yet.

"Um... I'm Marianne von Edmund." She knotted her fingers together. "I'm... um I'm in the Golden Deer." For some reason, putting a face to the stranger was intimidating.

Oh how silly she was being. She had just spent the whole night talking with her. "If... If you don't mind... I'd like to hear more about the creature your mask was based on... Um... In return... I..." She swallowed the lump in her throat. She got the sense that the long gone creatures were important to the professor, and it was only fair to tell about a creature important to her in return. "I can tell you about a creature that lived in the woods near my adopted father's home. But um... Please... Don't tell others about him... Especially Linhardt von Hevring..."

Marianne got the sense that she had just made a very important friend. Perhaps it was worth it to meet new people sometimes...

Somehow, she finds it easier to speak in a voice that she fully acknowledges as her own-- it takes no effort to place a hand over the bony façade and peel it from her features, a quick flash of light undoing whatever manner of spell had been cast over her for the sake of anonymity. A sigh of relief follows as Nel carefully places the skull onto the ground beside both of them, shaking her head slightly in order to brush off any remnants of discomfort. "An acceptable answer," Nel chuckles, ruby eyes glancing to the side to settle on her companion. It doesn't matter who they are, truthfully- a soul has been bared to her in some capacity, and perception always has been a strong suit of hers. "Very well. My attention is all yours; this world is full of things I have yet to experience, even after thousands of years." "I have been afforded a second chance... an opportunity to truly live. There are many things I have not learned, and many things I must relearn-- yet I am content with this." "Regardless of your own identity, I thank you for your support. And know that should you require my own, I will grant you it without condition. Were everyone in this world as thoughtful as you, perhaps wars would not be fought over petty squabbles."

[cursedbluebird]

She nods and follows him not quite hearing his offer, just knowing that she wouldn't get into terrible trouble around him and that he was leading her somewhere she'd feel safer.

The stables are much quieter, only the mounts and a few people milling about.

Professor Python leads her to a nervous looking pegasus and she finally begins to relax.

"Hello there." She says softly, offering a hand for him to sniff. The mount regards her cautiously, taking a careful sniff before snorting and backing away. "That's alright." She says, withdrawing her hand with a soft smile.

It was comforting to see that she wasn't the only one so anxious in the new setting with so many people.

Every Face A Different Shade

[ CROWDED ] - It looks like with the outdoor venue, some stowaways and uninvited guests have entered the ball, and the already crowded event has become even more bustling. With crowds like this, you find it all too easy to bump into other people, and before you know it, you completely knock another person over!

[cursedbluebird]

Marianne takes his arm with a polite smile. It was nice to have a friend who understood, a friend who didn't dismiss her concerns or immediately tried to make her feel better.

Perhaps the rest of the ball would be alright. Maybe it wasn't a mistake to come.

end

Seething Shadows Breathing Lies

[ CROWDED ] - It looks like with the outdoor venue, some stowaways and uninvited guests have entered the ball, and the already crowded event has become even more bustling. With crowds like this, you find it all too easy to bump into other people, and before you know it, you completely knock another person over!

[cursedbluebird]

The soft squeeze on her hand was enough to help her calm down, even despite the crowd.

"It is very pretty." Marianne agreed with a soft smile. She's grateful when Hilda suggests leaving the crowded venue for the little cabanas. "A closer view of the ocean would be nice. Shall we search for tide pools as well?"

Maybe when the weather warmed and summer came, a class trip to the beach could be arranged.

Curl of Lip Swirl of Gown

[ FASHION POLICE ] - What in the world is that person wearing, and are you fit to be judging them for it? Or are you instead the culprit in question?

[cursedbluebird]

[ GARDEN ]

"i thought i might find you in here," linhardt says as they approach her, smiling warmly.

"i wanted to see what sort of enchantments the viscount has been putting on these plants, but they're all rather pretty. it makes me wonder how much work he's delegating to his staff, eh?"

he did not come in here to compliment the flowers though. he wanted to see marianne herself! unfortunately, that was as far as he thought. he doesn't actually have much to say to her...

"you look lovely tonight, by the way," they attempt. "are you... playing the charm game? i have turtles to trade. they're adorable."

he holds out his bracelet, flush with turtles, for her to see personally just how cute the charms are.

Marianne is hesitant anytime Linhardt finds her. His eagerness to learn about crests and her cursed crest make for a stressful time for her anytime they have to interact.

The garden is quite lovely, though she'd prefer to admire from afar, just in case.

Linhardt holds out his bracelet, filled with turtles... And they were quite cute.

She holds out a pearl in exchange, and once the exchange is complete, "Um... Enjoy your evening." She leaves quickly.

[cursedbluebird]

[ TEA ] - Just what it says on the tin! The only teas offered are Mint, Bergamot, Sweet-Apple Blend, Albinean Berry Blend, and Southern Fruit Blend, wrapped in small tea bags. Some students, having anticipated a small selection, bought their own tea. “Hello Marianne! It is a pleasure to see you again. You’re looking quite lovely today, this dress truly suits you!” L’Arachel greets her blue haired classmate with a smile as she approaches, a cup of tea in hand. “Truly nasty weather we ended up finding ourselves with. I have been trying my best to make sure everyone’s spirits are as high as can be! And one ingenious idea I’ve had was to make people some lovely hot tea. I had actually brought one of my own personal favourites with me, if you would care to try. It is a nice and hearty mix of rose and lemon, it warms you up and rejuvenates your energy! I would be delighted to share in this flavour I cherish with someone, and especially a dear classmate of mine.” She gives her a soft smile as she offers up the cup. “Oh, and whilst I remember, I do have a turtle charm if you would be interested in a trade for this ever so charming game! I have been compiling a list of name suggestions from fellow partygoers in hopes of eventually giving the turtle a name by the end! A charming idea, wouldn’t you agree? If you have any ideas yourself, I would love to hear them! Oh, but if you don’t, that is perfectly fine too.” She gives her classmate a soft smile. Oh how wonderful it is to be able to partake in such silly frivolities!

The downpour of rain was heavy. Within seconds the light gown Marianne wore suddenly felt like heavy armor. It pulled her hair from her scalp, forcing her to let it down. She was a sodden mess, stuck in a corner because it was now exhausting to move in her gown.

L'Arachel approaches her with a warm glass of tea, speaking with all the flourish Marianne had come to expect of L'Arachel. (Honestly, she came to expect it out of half of her class by this point.)

Marianne takes the tea with a grateful smile and a very soft "thank you."

And of course L'Arachel has a grand idea, naming her charms isn't something that Marianne would have thought of. She thinks for a moment.

"I feel terrible, for I don't know his name... But if you were to name your turtle after the gatekeeper, I think he would be delighted by that. They both wear armor after all."

She takes a moment to set her tea down, freeing her hands to give L'Arachel her own pearl charm.

[cursedbluebird]

[ TEA ] "hello marianne! i'm not interrupting anything, am i?" a placid smile spreads as dorothea takes a seat beside her, gently setting a steaming porcelain cup in front of the other girl while blowing on her own. "you looked so radiant in this corner that i couldn't help but feel drawn in."

then, both innocently and playfully, in a bid to coax a smile,

"i was thinking," she lowers her voice mischievously, as if sharing a secret unfit for stray ears, "we could sneak dorte a snack after this. that is, if he's here with you."

just as quickly, dorothea leans back in her seat, takes a small sip of tea, and adds,

"though i'll be honest, there's little i know about him, so you'll have to tell me all about this friend of yours. what he likes, what he dislikes, what he thinks of your dress… which is beautiful, by the way. you look like something out of a fairytale. a princess of the highest order."

Marianne tenses up as someone approaches. Dorothea takes a seat next to her and eases into conversation. Her face flushes at the compliment, Marianne is certain she looks like a wet cat after the sudden down pour. She had to let her hair down because the rain was so heavy it started to pull it down.

And then Dorothea starts talking about Dorte and while Marianne has already snuck him snacks a few times before the rain...... Why would he care about her dress?

Did Dorothea think Dorte was a person?

She chooses to continue to smile politely and buy herself some time to think by sipping on her own tea.

After a moment she decides how to respond.

"Um... Alright... Maybe once the rain lets up... Um... In the meantime would you like my charm?" Marianne holds out a soft bluish pearl for Dorothea.

[cursedbluebird]

A flock of seagulls happily tend to the discarded crumbs a group of other students left behind in an isolated part of the beach. Leif attempts to watch them from afar, though he has a small amount of crackers in his hand pilfered from the offered treats for the guests. As he's clearly debating what to do and how to approach the birds, he senses someone else approach nearby and turns.

“ Oh. Wait, Marianne? ”  His classmate shows up in a surprise moment, but once he recognizes her, he realizes this might be just the thing he needs actually. Quietly, he begins to beseech of her,  “ ...! You're good with birds, right? Can you help me here? ”

Once, long ago, a promise like this was made. What a coincidence that they might make good on it at yet another Ethereal Ball.

“ Can I approach them? I'd been thinking of feeding them but wasn't sure... But I've always wanted to ever since I was younger, ”  he confesses, somewhat forlorn as he looks back out to the birds. That mournful quality mixes in with his eagerness at the very idea however. When he glances back, he offers,  “ I'll give you my bracelet charm if you give me some advice. I promise! ”

She was just watching the birds, a common hobby of hers, frowning as the seagulls gobbled up all the crumbs carelessly left behind when Leif approaches her. She hears his questions, and at seeing the crackers in his hand her frown deepens. "If you wait long enough they may approach you and take the crackers right out of your hand, but it's not good for them."

She looks back at the birds and sighs. "Gulls are more than capable of scavenging for themselves, and leaving food for them can make them aggressive. They usually eat fish, so feeding them bread crumbs and crackers is bad for them in the long term."

Maybe she's being too negative though... "If you'd like, I'm sure we can find some tide pools and maybe you could give your crackers to the creatures living there? The gulls may eat some of them too, but at the very least they're still scavenging, and they may choose to eat the creatures that come out of the tide pools instead of the crackers..."

[cursedbluebird]

"Ah um..." Marianne lets out a nervous chuckle and her face flushes a light pink at the compliment. She let's Hilda attach the charm to her bracelet and gives a soft smile. "If we're fairy tale princesses, well I can't help but feel like I'll turn back into a pumpkin at midnight." She admits.

"But um... I've had fun so far... Despite the crowd." She fiddles with her fingers as she speaks with her friend, a nervous habit. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Curl of Lip Swirl of Gown

[ FASHION POLICE ] - What in the world is that person wearing, and are you fit to be judging them for it? Or are you instead the culprit in question?

[cursedbluebird]

Marianne relaxes once she realizes who she's knocked over. It's a friend, not someone who will be angry. She take's Pelleas's hand, accepting his help in getting to her feet. She chooses to ignore his compliment for the moment, she's certain he's just being polite anyways. "Yes, I am. I was on my way there, but its just so crowded here."

In the distance she can see what looks like the start of a brawl breaking out on the beach and she can't help but wince. She quickly turns back to Pelleas. "Um are you going too? We could walk together if you'd like?" Suddenly she remembers her charm. "Oh um here!" She holds out a pearl, so white it almost looks blue. "Um as an apology for knocking you over."

Seething Shadows Breathing Lies

[ CROWDED ] - It looks like with the outdoor venue, some stowaways and uninvited guests have entered the ball, and the already crowded event has become even more bustling. With crowds like this, you find it all too easy to bump into other people, and before you know it, you completely knock another person over!

[cursedbluebird]

Marianne holds out her own pearl to exchange, clipping Maria's onto her own bracelet. Maria's pearl is almost pink, as if it was enchanted to match her gown, contrasting against the pale white-blue of Marianne's pearl.

She smiles softly as Maria gushes about the ball, her laughter sounding like waves gently lapping at the shore. And then Maria turns her attention to Marianne, overwhelming her with compliments.

"Ah, uh..." Her face flushes pink from embarrassment. "I... No um... Thank you." She manages to squeak out. "I don't... Um... My gown is um... doing a lot of the work I think um..."

"Um... I have to go... Um... The masquerade... I'm uh... Goodbye!" Marianne turns to leave quickly, her face feeling hot. She never was good at dealing with compliments.

"Oh Maria, you look so pretty tonight." Marianne smiled at the princess. She looked warm, like a sunset. "I hope you're enjoying yourself."

"Marianne! I'm so happy to see you!" The little princess beams as she holds out her hands, though oddly enough, she has sandwiched them together. Chomping down on her bright beaming, Maria bares her teeth now in a pearly grin -- and pearly it is! Another sits in her palms when she unfolds them, not a smile but a charm, held out in offering.

"Hee hee... I am! The beach is so pretty, and I made a lantern with my sister! And then the ballroom under the water? Oh, Marianne, it's like it's right out of a storybook!" Her head tips back in a peal of laughter, floating over the seafoam. And then, like the tide, she rushes back in, tipping toward her friend with playfulness writ large on her face.

"What about you? Are you having fun?" Mischief holds a beat -- then melts into something softer, affection touching the corners of her eyes and turning them gentle, warm. "You're pretty, too, Marianne. You've always been so pretty," she grins, "And I love your dress, too! You look like a real jewel of the sea!"

[cursedbluebird]

He hands her a starfish and walks by without much fanfare. Marianne cannot help but stare at his odd outfit...

After some observation she sees a few others wearing something similar. Perhaps it was a Hoshidan thing?

Then she realizes... She never gave him her pearl charm...

She was not going to go seek him out, that was for certain. She'd leave it on his desk at the monastery of give it to him another time. Maybe have Mitama give it to him for her.

One thing was certain, this was the weirdest interaction she's had with Azama.

Grinning Yellows, Spinning Reds

[ FASHION POLICE ] - What in the world is that person wearing, and are you fit to be judging them for it? Or are you instead the culprit in question?