Maria de Bruin

*"She operates a corner store in the foreign quarter of Shippersburgs Sweetwater District. Her nocturnal business hours have endeared her to the city's late-night clubgoers, and she is a longtime friend of Alex."* - Mrs. de Bruin's character profile

**Maria de Bruin** (usually referred to simply as **Mrs. de Bruin**) is a character in Glory Hounds. She operates a corner store in the foreign quarter of Schippersburg's Sweetwater District. Her nocturnal business hours have endeared her to the city's late-night clubgoers, and she is a longtime friend of Alex.

## Appearance

Mrs. de Bruin is a short, elderly bat. She has very large ears, one of which is pierced near the base with a golden earring, and wings connecting her arms to her torso. She wears a yellow and purple polka-dot headscarf, and a shawl with a floral pattern over a purple dress. She has long painted nails and wears a gold wedding band on her ring finger. Mrs. de Bruin's eyes, which are frequently shut, are small black dots. She has a flat, almost pig-like nose and two prominent fangs that stick out from her mouth.

## Personality

Alex thinks of Mrs. de Bruin as "grandmotherly," an apt description for her personality. Mrs. de Bruin is generous and hospitable towards all who visit her shop, and seems to be very optimistic. She has a good memory and takes the time to try and get to know all of her customers on a personal level. Mrs. de Bruin is prone to sentimental ramblings and is very affectionate toward those she cares about, including her regular customers.

When faced with an extortion attempt early in the story, she demonstrates an ability to remain resolute under pressure. She is a determined and hard-working individual who seems to overcome her hardships through hard work and enduring positivity, a trait that has won her the admiration of many.

## Story

### Prior to Glory Hounds

Mrs. de Bruin was born in Lakhia and moved to Schippersburg with her father at a young age. Though Mrs. de Bruin loved Batavia and flourished there, her father grew homesick and departed back to Lakhia without a word to her on the night of her twentieth birthday.

Using her college savings, Mrs. de Bruin opened a small corner store in the foreign quarter of the Sweetwater District. As a result of her nocturnal lifestyle, Mrs. de Bruin's store opens only night. The store found success with people enjoying the city's nightlife, and college students in particular, leading to Mrs. de Bruin running her shop for over fifty years and gaining a loyal clientele.

At some point in the 1990s, she met her wife Andrea via online dating. Mrs. de Bruin and Andrea have known Alex for almost his entire life, and he still visits the store near-weekly.

### Issue #1

Mrs. de Bruin welcomes Alex to her store one evening, and happily provides him with extra pastries to ensure he is eating enough. She recounts meeting her wife, and tries to encourage Alex not to count himself out of the dating scene.

Suddenly, a fearsome barracuda bursts into the shop and accuses Mrs. de Bruin of not paying her so-called 'protection fees' to the gang he represents. Mrs. de Bruin is confused and offended, and rebuffs his threats until he brandishes a pistol at her.

Alex springs to her defense, smashing a condiment bottle over the bubble helmet that the barracuda uses to breathe and urging Mrs. de Bruin to flee while her attacker is disoriented. She hurries for the door and safely escapes.

After the robbery is thwarted, a frazzled Mrs. de Bruin explains to the police that Alex helped protect her, and prevents them from arresting him after he is caught in the wreckage of her shop.

### Issue #2

Mrs. de Bruin is mentioned briefly by Willem when Alex comes to his bar, De Halve Haen, to pick up Lou. Willem explains that the Sweetwater District has been in a state of uproar following the attempted robbery of Mrs. de Bruin's store. He then reveals that he plans to make her the guest of honor at the Haen's anniversary party the following night.

## Relationships

> "It's like seeing my grandma again, except with big ears and... suspiciously sharp teeth."
>
> ― Alex

### Alex

Alex has known Mrs. de Bruin for much of his life. He was a frequent customer of Mrs. de Bruin's throughout his college years, and still comes by fairly often. She seems delighted by his visits, and tries to make sure he is eating enough and does not feel too discouraged by his breakups.

### Andrea

Andrea is Mrs. de Bruin's wife. Little else is known about her, though the pair have been together for somewhere around forty years.

### Willem

Mrs. de Bruin and Willem are apparently acquainted, and according to Alex she asks after him frequently. From Willem's response, it seems as though Mrs. de Bruin has a habit of flirting with him, though this is likely playful in nature given her marriage.

## Trivia

* Mrs. de Bruin and her wife are the first Echo Project characters to be depicted in a same-sex marriage.
* Mrs. de Bruin's store is covered in graffiti that the city has offered to remove for her, but she insists on preserving it because it "adds character."

## Gallery

Promo art featuring Mrs. de Bruin illustrated by Shtar.