[Closed] The Old Portrait

[sakuya_izayoi]

Who: Sakuya and Dracula
What: Asking about Lisa's portrait
Where: Castlevania
Warnings: None

Another day in Castlevania. Another day of cleaning. Another day of gently removing the portrait of a woman from Dracula's wall and polishing the frame followed by a light and gentle dusting of the surface with the softest feathers she could find. Always with a new one to avoid contamination.

She didn't always dust the surface. Perhaps once a month. But she always took the utmost care when doing so. She could feel eyes on her back the moment her fingers touched the frame.

"Lord Tepes." Sakuya set the duster to one side, carefully lifting the now cleaned painting and placing it back on the wall. "I have cleaned this painting many times since coming here and never once have you missed watching me with such aprihension. You do not fear I would deface it, and yet you watch anyway." She finished straighening the piece, not taking her hands off of the frame until she is absolutely certain it is secured on the wall. "Would it be out of line for me to ask who the woman in the painting is?"

Comments

[what_is_a_man]

The cleaning of Lisa's portrait, while routine, was practically a sacred ritual for Vlad. To have someone else take up that duty was... odd. As Sakuya said, he did not fear she'd deface it. She knew better. However, even with her skill, she was only human. Humans made mistakes, and he would not tolerate even an accident in this regard.

"I suppose not." He glided from across the floor silently, approaching where the maid stood, reaching out to touch the frame with a single finger. "She was nobody really. A woman from a village near my castle. A peasant girl seemingly untouched by the shackles of the times. Humans were a very dull lot even then. They rejected the sciences as witchcraft, believing only through their God would their ailments be healed. ...She knew better.

"She came alone so many years ago, undaunted by the warnings others had given her, and the surroundings I had put out to keep humans away. For four hundred years, I had been in self-imposed solitary confinement, yet she strode up to the gates and did what no other human before her dared do. She sought an audience with me. Treat that painting with the utmost respect for you gaze upon the lady of the castle. Lisa Tepes. My wife."

[sakuya_izayoi]

Sakuya took her gaze from the painting for only a moment, acknowledging Dracula's presence before turning back to the painting. She listened in silence, keeping her expression carefully guarded. Some of this she already knew but... a wife? She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows slightly, glancing in Dracula's direction.

"I was not aware you were married Lord Tepes. I could not even begin to imagine a woman with the strength of character and conviction enough to tame your heart."

Something about Dacula's voice though... "I fear to ask what happened to her. You need not say more if it is too difficult for you."

[what_is_a_man]

"Neither could I." He turned away, gliding silently back to his throne, slouching a bit more and appearing a century older already.

"I had of course ventured out briefly to feed from time to time, but I was always a monster, a creature of the night, an unholy legend haunting the land and preying on those too poor to leave. Not a wholly inaccurate sentiment really. But she was different. She actively shunned the ignorance and superstition of her peers. The Church forbade study into the chemical sciences as the study of witchcraft and devil worship, saying that the medicines and poultices created by the alchemists at the time and given to the sick were supernatural gifts from Hell. Shen knew better though and sought me out. Even then my laboratory and library were something of a legend.

"When she came to Castlevania, I treated her as I would any wench unfortunate enough to catch my eye across a bar when I was hungry. But she would have none of it." There was the briefest hint of a smile, something none in Genessia had likely seen before, and just as quickly as it came it left, accompanied by a short chuckle. "She scolded me. She treated me as if I were some petulant child making lewd comments toward her. There was naught an ounce of fear in her. Her voice, her body, everything. She did not fear me. She was unlike any human I had met until then. Out of curiosity, I allowed her access to the castle, and... over time, I took her as my wife."

His tone darkened however, claw-like nails digging into the stone arm of the chair. "We lived near a village some distance from where Castlevania stood. She did not want to live as the wife of the monster in the castle, but as a healer among her people. For twenty years, we were happy. She even convinced me to travel the land as a man, not monster. However, when I returned from my travels I found our house reduced to a smoldering shell. The Church had caught wind of her studies, tried her as a witch, and burned her at the stake. One human woman held the gates of Hell shut, and in their arrogance, they killed her in the most agonizing way available to them at the time."

[sakuya_izayoi]

Sakuya followed as he moved to his throne, pausing and flickering as he sank down into it, the thrall placing a goblet of blood down on the arm of the throne. From the smell it was certainly Sakuya's own.

She only spoke once Dracula's story had concluded, however, some venom leaking into her words. "Humanity's wickedness seems to truly be not the exception, but the rule across a great many worlds it seems. They will do much when they believe they are cutting down the evils in this world. Blind fools."

"I understand this to a degree, at least. I saw it back in France and nearly ended up the same way myself. My only fortune was those of the church were occupied by... more immediate threats than one, 'demon girl' stealing bread. It says much about the nature of these people when they turn a blind eye to a starving child."

Sakuya was keeping steady, but her emotions had bled into her eyes, spacetime around her rippling. "Whatever you did to them in return was more mercy than they deserved."

[what_is_a_man]

The gesture is appreciated, and Vlad pauses to take a sip from the goblet. At first when she recounts her own experience, he arches an eyebrow in anger as if she were comparing herself to Lisa. He calmed as he saw that wasn't the case, however. Her response to his rage did surprise him though. It was obvious now as to why Remilia had chosen her.

"I gave them a year. I told them they had a year to leave Wallachia and remove any marks on my land. Instead, they celebrated. They marked Lisa's death with gloating about my 'empty' threats. Just before it began raining blood."

[sakuya_izayoi]

"A theatrical start to what was undoubtedly a blood bath." Sakuya gave a nod. "A fitting end to the humans who would give themselves over to the mentality reserved for cattle. Easy to lead and manipulate. Even in this more enlightened age. Why more of them don't at least try to exemplify themselves is beyond my understanding."

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm somewhat. "I am truly sorry though. About Lisa." She looked like she wanted to say something else, hesitating, and closing her mouth. She did glance back at the painting though, her brow furrowing slightly.

"... If you would allow me to, Lord Tepes." She took a knee, bowing deeply. "The painting is oil, correct? The varnish is quite old and discolored. With your permission and supervision, I would remove and replace it so the colors can be fully appreciated."

[what_is_a_man]

Vlad is quiet for a very long time. Minutes pass as he contemplates. The portrait is over three centuries old by this point, and time had begun to take its toll. It would be nice to have it restored...

"Very well. On one condition. Before you touch that portrait, I want you to prove your ability in this regard."

A few second later, footsteps on the stairway leading to the chamber can be heard, frantically running to heed its master's call. A demon, green skinned with heavy brown fur from the waist down and small bat-like wings scurried into the throne room carrying another oil painting. It was similarly discolored and worn, and obviously poorly maintained. It was a simple picture depicting an artist's rendering of the castle.

"Prove your ability on that, and I will consider your offer further."

[sakuya_izayoi]

"Of course." Sakuya approached this new painting, picking it up and examining it more closely. "It looks like there is loose paint on the edges of this one. A wider frame will cover it but I will do my best to ensure no paint is lost. Additionally if the painting has ever been touched up, we will lose those corrections. I, unfortunately, have no control over this as they were placed on top of the varnished layer."

She flickered several times, vanishing for several moments before reappearing with a large bag. Apparently she had bought some tools. "Where would you have me? I believe a larger room with a table and chair would work the best."

[what_is_a_man]

Vlad for his part watched without so much as moving. Though as unfocused as his eyes appeared, he might not have even been paying that much attention to Sakuya.

"Anywhere in the castle will do. The painting is not to leave the castle however."

He had eyes and ears throughout the building so keeping tabs on her progress wouldn't be an issue.

[sakuya_izayoi]

"Then I shall begin now. I would ask you keep your servants from heckling me as they often do. This will require a very steady hand." She bowed deeply, turned heel, and left the room, gesturing for the minions carrying the painting to follow.

The castle provided the room she needed and she sat down to her work, putting on a fume mask and setting a variety of solutions out on the table. Before it had been Lady Patchouli providing the chemicals with which to clean the paintings. Human science wouldn't be any different.

No, the problem was the condition of the painting. And so, with quite a bit of care, she began using a small brush and some adhesive to reattach the lifting paint.

It was slow work. Even with her time abilities accelerating the drying process. She was not familiar enough with the products, however, to streamline the entire process with her abilities. Once she had glued down all she could she began removing the varnish. One tiny square at a time, careful not to agitate the weak spots in the paint too much. More than once she had to pause, allow the cleaner to dry, and glue down several chips she almost lost.

When she had finished it was clear the painting would need to be restored again. Someone had touched up a great number of spots missing paint. But the maid's efforts had only resulted in several lost chips around the previous damage and where the painting had been mounted to the frame. Undoubtedly a painting without the extensive damage this one had already endured would be unharmed should the maid use the same gentle touch.

Applying the new varnish in several layers and used time to dry it. She removed the mask, cringing at the foul smell. Lifting the painting carefully, she looked it over once and nodded, bringing the piece into the throne room for Dracula to inspect more closely. Overall it had taken just over two hours for her to complete.

"Lord Tepes? I've completed this one. As you saw while I was working, someone had previously restored the painting and covered the damage on top of the varnish layer. If you invest in its restoration once more I'm sure it would make a fine addition to the castle. I'm afraid this I cannot do however. I am not an artist."

[what_is_a_man]

Vlad arches an eyebrow, standing and gliding over to inspect the painting. He takes the frame, looking it over with a very scrutinizing eye. After a long moment, he pulls away, nodding slightly.

"It almost looks better than when I painted it." It was a very casual comment, as he set aside the painting. Part of the reason that the painting was in such poor shape was because it had just been thrown in the back of the Long Library.

He moves to the portrait of Lisa - something that he most certainly had not painted personally - and took the frame down off the wall. He sighs, using a long nail to seemingly carve out something in the frame, and with a flicker the enchantments keeping the painting protected vanish.

He turned and handed it to her with a word of warning: "Treat it with care. Your life depends on it."

[sakuya_izayoi]

Sakuya took the frame in her hands, treating it with a great deal more caution than she had before now that the enchantments were gone.

"I will, Lord Tepes." She bowed her head, not willing to risk anything deeper before turning and carefully walking off with it.

Setting it down on the table, Sakuya simply stared at the work for a long moment before beginning the process of removing the frame. Which was not as difficult as she imagined it would be, the protective spells having prevented the paint from sticking to it.

Thus revealed, the maid drew entirely new brushes and another bottle of cleaner before checking for any sort of damage. Of course there was none, but assuming would have been negligent on her part.

Brushing the surface with a clean and soft brush one more time, she put the mask on and began applying the solvant that would dissolve the dirty varnish. She worked even slower this time, risking less with her time abilities and working in smaller patches. She worked in angles, coaxing the layers of varnish out of every pit and bump.

It took a lot longer. Even without paint to repair. Lisa's portrait had a great deal more surface area. And not employing time's aid as much as she usually did, the entire process took over four hours. By the end the normally elegant maid was quite disheveled, her dress wrinkled, her hair frizzy, and the mask having left a red ring on her face.

She didn't stop yet though. she stepped back for only a moment to stretch and let her back pop before grabbing her watch. She allowed the cleaner to dry over the course of several minutes before varnishing the entire thing once more with a wide brush. Again, several layers.

Aiding the speed of drying once more she trimmed down the varnish's setting time to around twenty minutes before carefully replacing the frame. She had to take several moments to steady her hands before removing the mask and carrying the painting back into the throne room.

The painting looked almost new. Several areas near the frame still showed faint traces of the old varnish, still edged the painting where the frame met canvas, though it had obviously just been more stubborn than the rest due to how long the picture had sat in frame.

While not quite perfect, Sakuya had done no harm. And she had succeeded where it mattered most. Lisa herself was no longer dirtied by dirt and time and the painting's original color and vibrancy was again visible.

The human was trembling a little bit as she approached Dracula's throne, offering his treasure to him.

[what_is_a_man]

He took the frame from Sakuya, inspecting it with a very critical eye. After a long five minutes, he nodded, digging a claw into the wood and muttering in some ancient tongue that no mortal was supposed to know as the enchantments take their place once again.

"That is satisfactory. You may replace it on the wall now."

That would be as close to praise as the human was likely ever going to get from Vlad. Especially as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.

[sakuya_izayoi]

Sakuya was growing more and more tense as Dracula inspected the painting, finally daring to relax a hair as he proclaimed it satisfactory.

It had to be. Else she would not be standing here.

Letting out her held breath, she allowed Dracula to re-apply the enchantment, taking a long moment to steady herself before carrying it back over to where the painting had hung. She replaced it carefully, taking an extra moment to make sure it was not tilted.

She turned on heel, bowing deeply, still visibly shaking, though it was more from fatigue than fear now.

"I'm glad you find my work satisfactory, Lord Tepes. Is there anything else I can get for you before I retire for the evening?"