if i told you what i was, would you turn your back on me? ( CLOSED )

[dragoness]

Who: lancer (elizabeth bathory) & eva, the bloody master
Where: the coven housing in aimintas
When: the night before the coven goes back to the hub (day 76?)
Warnings: mentions of blood and torture, neglect and several other things i'll update with as the log goes. it's a memory log of elizabeth bathory, it won't be fun.



[ servants don't dream — they're magical contructs that don't hold any memories past what their past lives were and what's laid out before them in a war. servants don't dream — they don't even sleep.

masters, however, do. there's a certain intimacy that comes with forming a contract, and with the blending of two magicks, two energies, a contract with a powerful familiar and a mage; things happen. there's a backdraft of information, a leaking from the magical construct into the master's mind that becomes more apparent when they sleep.

it's a sunny day when the memory begins, and there's several children playing in front of the person of who's memory this is. she watches them, hands folded in her skirts as she traverses the town — the people there treat her with respect, turning their eyes down or nodding as she passes. there's a certain pressure on this person, a tightness around her stomach. a corset. she's unable to bend too far forward without moving at the hips and it's immediately clear that this memory is taking place in a the far past. dirty townspeople scurry about doing their business, and one of the children gets too close to them, her eyes wide in curiosity. "kata," is the only word spoken from this woman, and it's all that needs saying. it's sharp like a blade and the girl jumps back, trying to swallow down her protests. the woman's hand reaches forward and she pats the young girl on top of the head, keeping her at her hip like a dog. in the distance, a castle looms.

dreams have a surreal effect, moving effortlessly through time like it means nothing, but memories play like a movie reel. the film skips and it's suddenly years later and the pressure around her wrists matches the pressure of the corset at her waist. there's a man speaking in the room a few yards away — no, three; no, four. there's more of them, popping up as though the woman is only now becoming aware of them, tearing her eyes away from the chains at her wrists, bloody and bruised, sore from neglect. long nails like talons curl around the woman's closed palms, and the words hissed in anger make no sense to her. she was only doing what her family had taught her, why was she being punished?

"absolutely horrific..." "... one of the maids said she was sent into the village to find girls...." ".... barbaric, have you checked downstairs yet?..." "sir györgy—"

the name causes a hateful, angry note to well up in her throat.

there's a mirror in the hallway as the woman is being lead by the rusting chains at her hands and feet, and out of the corner of her eye she catches the white hair, the curl at her shoulder. she's old now. old, but still beautiful, she tells herself. she has to be. that's all her worth is, it's all they ever cared about. two large wooden doors open in front of her and she's surprised to see that it's her room they've lead her to, ornate and rich, with silks and hand-stitched embroidery and tall bed posts and everything that says that this woman lived like a queen in this room.

"....thory you are hereby charged with the murder and torture of innocent women. children!"

the woman looks over her shoulder at the man who's speaking but she can't remember his face. the only face she can see clearly is that of her late husband's best friend, the one who stabbed her in the back and sold her out. the man continues to speak but she's focused on the person who was supposed to look out for her, be her friend, support her. he was supposed to understand — after all, wasn't he nobility, too?

"as you have nothing to say for yourself, and nothing we'd be willing to hear, this will be your prison. close the doors, lock her in here, if she begs for mercy, don't give her any."

adrenaline rushes through her and she leaps forward, but the chains prevent her from getting too far. the doors close and the lock clicks, and the woman realizes she's here on her own from now until her last breath and panic starts to seep in. her hands pound at the wood and as she stays there calling out, the days pass. months pass. she screams and cries and calls out for even a little bit of attention but the only response she gets are two people outside her windows filling them in with cement. the doors are sealed but there is a small compartment from which she receives food. the plates pile up as the months stretch into years, and the woman's strength leaves her.

her screaming as turned to morose singing, and the last thing the memory shows is a small, sleek white mouse climbing up her skirts to sit on her knee.

elizabeth bathory doesn't sleep anymore, but she'll stay awake to watch the moon rise — or in this case, watch the way the oceansky twinkles in the darkness. at her feet is her tiny palai child, and she whispers softly as she picks her up. ]

Quiet, Kata. People are sleeping.

Comments

[dragoness]

[ there's a heavy, silent moment where it looks like lancer is going to refuse. her shoulders are tense; her jaw tightened.

but then she grins, and flicks her tail. ]

That's a scary door you wanna open, Master. Wouldn't you rather just keep it closed, keep us professionals?

[akumas]

You could tell me or I could figure it out on my own from the dream I had.

[Eva sighs as he rolls up on his back, staring at the ceiling.]

Are you scared of letting me know your true name?

[dragoness]

Of course not!

[ yes she is. sorta. it's complicated. ]

But if you have guesses I'd rather make this a ga~me! So take your best shot, Master. If you get it in three I'll tell you aaaaall about the beautiful me-☆!

[akumas]

I accept your challenge.

[Eva sits up with a smirk before letting out a yawn.]

And what if I guessed your identity on the first guess?

[dragoness]

You won't.

[ she's sure of this, looking different now as a servant than she did when she was alive. ]

[akumas]

Do not underestimate my knowledge and confidence, dearest Lancer. I'm quite fond on reading the darker side of history books and tales of the old back in my realm.

[He hums as he taps his nailed hand on his thigh.]

While I cannot prove you were the woman in my dreams, let's assume it was you as I repeat the events of what I have saw. The dream began of a woman walking in a village with a child by her side. The woman had a higher level of class among the rest of the villagers, as they showed her a sign of respect as she passed by them. It was an early time period... I assume Europe after the fifteenth century.

[He's rambling a bit, but maybe saying something more... detailed would get Lancer's attention.]

Ah yes... The woman called the child "Kata".

[dragoness]

[ her tail swishes back and forth, the only sign that she's indeed had her attention caught by that detail. ]

Europe in the fifteenth century huh? Kata would have been a popular name for nobility, depending on the region.

[ but lancer, how would you know that?? ]

[akumas]

It would have been, but there are a good amount of other clues narrowing down to who had a child with the nickname "Kata".

[Eva brushes his hair back. A moment of silence before he speaks again.]

The woman was guilty. A murderer of innocent women and children. Locked away into her room as her prison cell until she died. She was only doing what was normal to her growing up in a troubling family, she did not believe she deserved to be punished.

One soul mentioned the name "Sir György". High likely it was a mention to György Thurzó, who was the Palatine of Hungary in the sixteen-hundreds. Famous for sentencing one of the most famous serial killers in history.

[He looks at Lancer with a look of pity.]

Reborn into a young lady with the features and heart of a dragon. Perhaps a connection to your coat of arms in the past... Even now, I can see sorrow and struggles in your heart.

You are, once again, a little girl with tragedy. Elizabeth Bathory.

[dragoness]

[ the feeling inside of her mana-constructed body was one of ice, a chilling sensation that seeped deeper inside of her magical bones the more eva spoke. eliza sees now that she was too rash in calling her master's bluff, because of course her mind would leak so many clues to let anyone figure out who she is. in any other situation she would have loudly crowed about who she is, but she knew in a world like this coven — it was swarming with the hero types.

the goodie-goodies.

the ones who'd like to see her strung up on a pike like her uncle vlad.

how was she ever going to have a shot at doing better if people always immediately assumed the worst? well, they'd be right to, but still.

a small laugh bubbles up in her chest when her name finally falls from eva's lips, and she pitches forward on the windowsill. she has to clap, her clawed fingers creating a rasping sound in the night air; it entwines with her laughter, but none of it could be described as happy. ]

Haaaa, bravo, bravo! [ she waves her hand now, hopping to her feet and starting to pace around the far side of eva's bed. ] I guess I got a little too careless just now, but it's fine. Mm, I've always been a little crazy when it comes to stuff like this. [ the tip of her tail flicks, and she keeps her back to eva as she turns her eyes toward the door. disappearing would be easy, but... ] Well, Master.

[ she turns on the ball of her foot, blue eyes seeming to glow now in the low light. ]

What will you do now that you know the truth about who I am?

[akumas]

I told you I would get it right on the first try.

[Eva lowers his eyes as he presses his fingertips together in thought.]

I can add meeting an reincarnation of Elizabeth Bathory to the records of my life. [A small hint of humor, but he's staying serious.] You are blessed with a new form. A new life. I am honestly surprised... In awe how reincarnations can turn out to be...

[Is that even the right word with how she is? He isn't sure.]

What will you do now that I know your name?

[dragoness]

[ her tail continues to flick, and she looks at eva with an eyebrow raised. ]

That all depends on you, Master.

[akumas]

Talk to me, Elizabeth.

[Patpat, motioning her to sit on the bed.]

I believe your past does not define what you are now. Do you wish to start a new kind of life in this form?