Vivamus, Moriendum est (Rorschach x oc)

35. Don't Bring Me Down

Mary's P.O.V.

"Absolutely, not!" 

The words followed my bedroom door being flung open and an angry redhead delivering the shriek. 

The sun had not quite taken its place in the sky yet. Faint light filtered into the room from somewhere off down the hallway. 

"What?" I called out, sitting straight up in bed. 

Daphne stood in the doorway, dressed in her usual attire of denim and flannel, her long red hair braided down her back. "Absolutely, not." She repeats.

I sigh, almost rubbing eyes but thinking better of it as my nose was still rather tender.

"Did I do something?" I ask.

Daphne snorts, "I don't know how things work for you city folk but around here we pull our weight. If you're feeling better, you're getting to work."

The comment seemed exceptionally harsh to me. She knew next to nothing of my past. I personally liked to think of myself as a hard worker. However, somehow my arguing this did not appear beneficial to me. 

I began to push the covers off of me, "can I at least get ready first?"

"Make it quick." Daphne snapped before storming off, I'm assuming downstairs as I heard her boots hitting the stairs a moment later. 

Shuffling about the room, I got a simple outfit of a plaid skirt and blouse. Approaching the small mirror hung above a desk in the room, I tied my hair back with a pastel ribbon. The familiar action brought me some comfort. I stopped to examine my face in the mirror. I almost didn't recognize myself anymore. Breaking my nose had taken quite the effect on my feature. My nose now sitting at an angle on my face. The swelling had remarkably improved, though my face remained a deeper shade of pink than usual.

Gently I reached my fingers up to my face tracing over my swollen nose. I wondered what Walter would make of this change. 

The door swung open to reveal Daphne once more standing in my doorway.

"Are you done yet-Oh my bless your heart what are you wearing?" Daphne barked. 

Startled, I backed away from the mirror. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I ask looking down at myself.

"Well, if that's what you wanna wear to shuck hay bales be my guest." She sneered.

"Oh, that's the kind of work were doing?"

Daphne rolled her eyes, "no were sewing pretty dresses. Get a grip. This is a ranch. We're going to be working with hay and horses."

"Can I change?" I ask.

She scoffed, "I'll be downstairs."

"A skirt? To bale hay?" She was muttering to herself as she walked off.

I forced myself to move a bit faster as I picked a different outfit not unlike what Daphne herself was wearing. Now, Dior's insistence at buying many different kinds of clothing seemed to have more purpose. 

Lacing up a pair of boots that I hoped were of the riding variety, I rushed outside to meet Daphne. She gave no acknowledgement of my having joined her presence and was marching off across the property.

I jogged to catch up to her. 

"Did I do something to you?" I asked as I entered the stable after her.

Daphne was already in the middle of saddling up a cute chestnut mare.

"What makes you think a thing like that now?" She asked, her tone implying that I was on to something.