Claudia (クローディア, Kurōdia), also commonly known as The Rose Witch (
In an unexpected twist, Claudia finds herself betrayed by the one she cares for the most - though she's unwilling to accept it for what it is. Upon further investigation, Claudia uncovers the plot of Black Roses - and while she's able to thwart his plans, the risks Claudia had to take lead her into a comatose state, from which she has yet to awaken from.
Appearance[]
Claudia has knee length glossy black hair, and deep red eyes. She has the appearance of a teenager or pre-teen, and often has an arrogant expression on her face to go along with her abrasive personality. She is mainly seen wearing a red and white uniform consisting of a long white shirt with a neck-high collar and long sleeves with red lining, gold buttons, and lace. She also wears a black pleated skirt, black leggings that reach to her mid thighs, and black buckle boots. The red ruffle on her shirt is held on by a bronze diamond button with circular bronze buttons going down her shirt. On her right arm is the silver bracelet Xeno gave to her, and she has white kid gloves on her hands. When Claudia was in her greenhouse, she wore her hair in pigtails, and donned considerably more feminine clothes, such as lacy dresses and stockings. She also wore a very simple white summer dress with a ribbon necklace when she was first brought to the Crimson-Shell Division.
Personality[]
Claudia used to be a very sensitive, timid, and gentle girl who was afraid to go outside of her greenhouse due to traumatic incidents in which her powers caused destruction and death for those around her. She was obsessed with not injuring anyone around her which resulted in her desire for isolation for precautionary measures. Eventually, due to Xeno's lectures and homilies, Claudia opened up and buried her self doubt deep inside, balancing her fear of her powers with the love for her friends, and the acceptance she felt from her surrogate "family". Currently, Claudia is an outgoing, tomboyish, and rather arrogant girl who makes her decisions based on her deep emotions. Her actions are impulsive and rather reckless, suggesting possible naivete and innocence in the matters of the real world. Although she puts an abrasive and arrogant front when battling her enemies, she shows unmasked signs of unmistakable remorse and even sadness when she hears about Shion's circumstances, hinting at the empathy and sensitivity she possesses towards others' emotions, whether they be friends or enemies. She also deals with situations with her feelings, not with logical thoughts.
History[]
After being taken in by the Red Rose Headquarters Claudia spent most of her time within a greenhouse like structure filled with plants and furniture for everday needs. Unsure and weary of her abilities using the rose Claudia condemended herself to the room which she resided in keeping her distance from everyone as she often ended up killing all those she came into contact with. One day Xeno found her there by accident, suprised that someone was living within that room he inquired her residency. Claudia merely replied that she didn't want to leave the room, despite this answer Xeno lectured her everyday about how no one could see tomorrow from that room and that she was a rose, and that a rose should blossom in full glory whenever it wanted to. During his one of his visits he grabbed her arm catching her off guard and scaring her. Claudia's roses raced to attack him only they stopped short leaving Claudia stunned. Xeno explained she was capable of controling her abilities, she just hadn't tried hard enough and with that he gave her a bracelet along with a promise to always protect her.
Plot[]
A siren goes off within Red Rose Headquarters signaling that an attack by the Jet Roses is in effect. While Claudia effortlessly takes out the Black Roses' poisoned victims, she calls the new member, Shion Liddell, a crybaby. When all threats have been disposed of, Claudia asks who Shion is as this was her first time meeting him. While Ruskin introduces the two, he adds in that she's been 'off' lately because her "darling" is coming home. Embarrassed, Claudia angrily tells Ruskin to shut up. She is saved by Xeno as he takes out the last Black Rose victim that had been hiding. Claudia tells Xeno off for helping her when she didn't ask for it, though the latter pats the top of her head in response. When Shion asks about the promise mentioned earlier, Claudia promptly tells him that it's nothing, returning to thoughts about Xeno; how he touched her hair.
Sometime afterwards, Baines calls Claudia aside urgently, expression his concern that there was a traitor within the organization. To this, Claudia responds with surprise. After hearing Shion scream, Claudia runs to the site to find Shion hurt and Xeno covered in blood, presumably Shion's. She also becomes injured and Xeno tells her that the only reason he wanted her to leave that room was to keep her under his watch; that she was an ugly existence and it was time to say goodbye to the filthy rose witch. Claudia then, who had fallen unconscious due to her wounds, feeds on the life force of her friends who were also trapped within the room.
When Claudia awakens, she inquires about the fate of the others. Wilhelm attempts to sooth her by telling her that they're all alive and well. Claudia knows this for a lie and begs him to tell her the truth. When her fears are confirmed that she killed them with her roses, she screams in agony over their loss. Claudia is then reassured by her friends, Robin, Les, and Melissa, that Xeno would never truly betray the Red Rose and that everything she did with him was not a lie. With her faith reaffirmed, Claudia thanks her fellow members before going to bed.
Claudia decides to investigate the second library with Robin as her partner to find out Xeno's true motive over what occurred yesterday. On their way down, she finds members of Red Rose unconscious but not dead. After finding a secret passage underground, they find the Secret Labratory which had been believed to be a mere rumor. The two find Xeno who has been infected by a Black Rose. A fight commences, however, Claudia is unable to shoot him and yells at him to get his act together before Xeno slices her shoulder with his blade. Moments later, Xeno is stabbed through the chest by Shion who reveals himself as the traitor to the Red Rose Division; that he is, in fact, a Jet Rose himself sent to kill Claudia and steal her 'Premier Rose Seed'. Angered by this revelation Claudia then challenges Shion to fight, only to be easily knocked down and held back by vines. When Claudia is at gun point, she verbally attacks Shion, saying that he's just being whiny and letting everything the researchers had said get to his head. She continues on explaining that as long as the others call her Claudia she'll keep being Claudia and not an abomination; that Shion should think the same. This upsets Shion immensely and when she is released, she stabs herself in the shoulder with a shard of glass, causing blood to spurt into Shion's eyes. Claudia grabs the dropped Death Scythe and shoots Shion in the chest with it, causing him to fall onto the ground and writhe in pain.
Afterwards, Claudia, tired and in pain, loses her balance and falls into Xeno's awaiting arms and is horrified to see one of his arms already fully mutated due to the Shion's poison. She attemps to touch it though Xeno only pulls him arm away and apologizes for having not protected her well enough and even hurting her himself. Regardless Claudia claims he had always protected her and she could never do anything for him. Xeno smiles and explains that despite all of the events Claudia had repaid him by saving his soul and she begins to cry.
Shion's roses are have gone beserk now and Wilhelm arrives just in time as always to save Claudia. The last thing she sees before blacking out is Shion's pained expression as the Death Scythe slowly kills him. When Claudia wakes up she makes promises to Xeno and mentions that she'd like to hear more about himself. When she fully opens her eyes she realizes Xeno isn't there and Wilhelm explains that he stayed behind since he would soon turn into monster and lose his sanity. Claudia begins to scream a multitude of 'no's before blacking out once again thinking that there's no point in anything if Xeno isn't there with her. She's last seen in a comatose state within her bed while Wilhelm and the others look after her.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Immortality - As a Rose, Claudia cannot be killed by regular means. Instead, Claudia must separate her Seed from her body with her own will to end her life.
- Vines - Claudia has a seemingly unlimited supply of thorn-covered vines at her disposal - which she often uses in battle to bind and pin down her enemies.
- Life Leeching - An instinctive healing technique that Claudia uses without consciously being aware of her actions. Should Claudia's body ever become severely damaged, her vines will seek out the nearest life sources to ensnare so that they can feed off of their life force to heal Claudia, leaving behind only withered husks where humans had once been.
- Considerable Marksmanship - Claudia appears to have had some training with a gun in the past, as she wields a Death Scythe with relative ease and considerable talent.
- Healing - With the life force the roses leech she is able to heal her wounds.
Relationships[]
Wilhelm[]
Wilhelm is Claudia's 'Thorn', who is supposed to stay by her side and protect her. They are on good terms and seem to respect each other because of this, although Wilhelm will occasionally lie to Claudia in his attempts to protect her. When Claudia asks where Xeno is, Wilhelm seems pained to tell her that he stayed behind to die.
Xeno[]
Claudia gets along well with Xeno, sometimes it is implied that she has feelings for him though she vehemently denies it. Xeno visit Claudia everyday and give her lectures daily in order to pry her from the greenhouse she'd isolated herself in. Eventually Xeno made a promise to her, that he would drive away anyone who tried to deny her existence and cause her future to be swallowed by darkness and gave her a silver bracelet as a token. When Claudia learns that Xeno stayed behind with the dying Shion she falls into a comatose state unable to accept his fate.
Shion Liddell[]
(Coming Soon!)
Robin Wingfield[]
(Coming Soon!)
Ruskin[]
Claudia seems to get along with Ruskin though he often likes to tease her about her feelings for Xeno by calling him her "darling" and the such.
Quotes[]
(Coming Soon!)
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Sprout I: Prologue of Prologue (First Appearance)
- Sprout II: Whisper of Thorn
- Sprout III: Invitation to a Nightmare
- Sprout IV: His Eaten Mind
- Sprout V: A Jet Rose's Ridicule
- Sprout VI: Epilogue of Prologue
(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.
Trivia[]
- Claudia made a cameo appearance in Reveil alongside Xeno in the crowd of the St. Bridget's Day festival in Retrace XXXIII: Echo of Noise.
- She was named after the lead female character of Interview with the Vampire, the protagonist's adoptive daughter who he turned into a vampire as a young girl.[1]
References[]
[]
v - e - t | Crimson-Shell |
---|---|
Characters | Main: Claudia • Shion Liddell • Xeno Crimson-Shell Division: Baines • Gerhardt Bathler • Les • Melissa • Robin Wingfield • Ruskin • Victoria • Wilhelm |
Terminology | Objects: Crimson-Shell • Death Scythe Species & Factions: Black Roses • Crimson Rose • Crimson-Shell Division • Premier Rose • Roses • Thorns |
Manga | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • Volume • Author's Note |
Author | Jun Mochizuki |