Remilia Quest Dh?

[Oldmansour]

>Has anything Sakuya has said or done during this conversation been out-of-character for her?

>On the surface, she seems pretty much like Sakuya. But she's been a bit too formal, too polite. Sakuya always addresses you properly, but never quite THIS properly. She's almost TOO formal, as though she takes measured pride in every statement, every syllable chosen to convey herself as the ultimate maid of Remilia Scarlet. She was never so exacting.

> "Ah, but, Sakuya..." Look her in the eyes. "You were always so very adamant about keeping your mortality. I'm hurt that you'd rather achieve agelessness this way instead of letting me turn you!" Wait for her reaction, and laugh a bit if she takes it seriously.
> Remember Yakumo's role in the story. "Oh, I do wonder what Yukari will say about this. She was the one that sealed these folk in the first place."
> Let's play along for now. Words are not working on her, and trying to violently remove Pride from her could do real damage to Sakuya, seeing how close the spirit is to fusing with her. As hateful as it is to depend on that hag, maybe Yukari will be able to separate them with no drawbacks. Let's just try and distract her to slow the absortion process down...

>She does in fact take it seriously. Her sense of humor never WAS all that good, though Meiling tries. Usually gets knifed for her efforts, but she tries. Pride may have improved her in some ways, but her sense of humor doesn't seem to have been one of them.
>"Defying the passage of time upon my body in this way will not inhibit my ability to serve while the sun shines."
>"Taking into consideration the previous examples Yukari Yakumo has set, I would not expect her to say a great deal."

>Give Tsumiko time to consider the idea, and wait to hear what she says.

>The cowled youth paces back and forth as she ponders the issue. Dread, hope, excitement... Many emotions play across the young girl's face as she considers the possibility of being rid of Pride.
>Sakuya, however, interrupts her reverie. "You speak, ojou-sama, as though they had a choice in the matter. It is a testament to your generosity that you would consider the possibility, but neither they, nor you, have any control over the matter. Pride is fading, as we speak. I will not relinquish it, and none of you have the power to force it out of me. It is my recommendation, my lady, that you return to the mansion before sunrise. I shall return quite soon, and my service to you can resume, in ways better than I have ever achieved before."


Updates are going to be a bit more sporadic over the next couple of weeks, folks. Christmas hours start at work tonight, that'll take a lot of good out of Sour.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"I fear that what you are doing may have some detrimental effect on you, either now or at a later date. Of course, there is a way to know if this will happen. Allow me to read your fate, Sakuya. We will see what effects there might be."
>"And I do still want to hear your opinion on the matter, Tsumiko."

[SirChaotick]

"Even if I may be powerless to change those effects, it can not hurt to know."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Don't say that part. We'll address that issue if it comes up.

[SirChaotick]

Ah, but has it not already? She already said that we have no choice or power in the matter.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

She was talking about getting her to release Pride (and I think she was thinking of this in a combat sense). I'm talking about effects retaining Pride may have on her, and whether or not we can avoid any that may arise through manipulating her fate.

[Hanzo K.]

We are not letting Sakuya absorb Pride. Bottom line.

>Stride over to her and deliver a sharp slap. "You as you have been is perfect enough. You do not need to do this."


Trust me, I know what I'm doing.

[SirChaotick]

GYMO: fair enough, go on ahead.

Hanzo: I don't doubt your skill at being in character, but at the end of the day your opinion is just that, an opinion. And so far you haven't (to me anyway) satisfactorily proven it to be superior to the opinion of two (three?) other people combined. Besides, it's information! We aren't locking ourselves into anything quite yet. I see no reason to go on the aggressive without knowing anything.

[Hanzo K.]

It's not aggression entirely, I'm trying to slap some sense into her.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

You're outvoted for the time being, Hanzo. Thus:

>Stride over to her and deliver a sharp slap. "You as you have been is perfect enough. You do not need to do this."

>Don't do this yet.

[SirChaotick]

It's not aggression entirely, I'm trying to slap some sense into her.

Okay, maybe not entirely motivated out of aggression, but it makes it quite clear that we think the idea is nonsensical - which is only your opinion. And I am still not saying it's wrong - we just can't know yet. For that we need to ask questions first and shoot (or not) later.

[Sagus]

While I'm against her absorbing Pride, I agree with the others that it's best not to provoke her with violence yet. I don't see Sakuya responding well to a slap, specially not with the way she's now.

[Oldmansour]

>Did Sakuya say anything about that vial of prepared blood when she gave it to us? Like say, specifying the individual source?

>Every once in a while, Sakuya used to outsource her blood bank, to borrow the expression. But she's almost never done that since you arrived in Genoskyo. You are 99% certain the blood in the vial is hers.

>"I fear that what you are doing may have some detrimental effect on you, either now or at a later date. Of course, there is a way to know if this will happen. Allow me to read your fate, Sakuya. We will see what effects there might be."
>"And I do still want to hear your opinion on the matter, Tsumiko."

>Sakuya bows in obedience. "As you command, ojou-sama." She straightens and continues, "But permit me to give you a cautionary word. You will have to adjust your powers to compensate for the fact that I am changing. I suggest you examine the fate of 'your head maid' rather than 'Sakuya Izayoi'.

>The Keeper of the Sins lets out a long contemplative sigh, then raises her hand to her chest, the stripe on her eye changing color to pink. A coil of pink light emerges from her body, resolving itself into the figure of Lust to stand before Tsumiko.
>"Is this really what I want?" Tsumiko asks the Sin standing before her. "I mean, would we all really be better off if Pride faded like-"
>Lust quiets her Keeper by placing her finger gently over Tsumiko's lips, smiling a kind smile. "You know the question you really need to ask yourself. I can say it, if you desire, but you know what I would say."
>Tsumiko exhales once, shortly, a small smile slowly appearing on her face. "Yeah. I know. I know." she repeats for emphasis, before raising her head, taking a breath, and addressing you, "Not like this. Even if I wanted to be free of Pride- of ANY of the Sins- I wouldn't do it at the expense of someone else. If we don't separate Pride from Sakuya, they'll BOTH be gone. The woman you know will cease to exist. I don't know who or what would be left in her place, but the woman you know as Sakuya Izayoi would be gone. I can't let that happen, I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen."
>Lust looks upon her Keeper with a proud face as Celes lays her hand comfortingly on Tsumiko's shoulder. "Perhaps we should return to the Countess." Celes suggests. "We had hoped that hearing your command would change Sakuya's mind. Obviously, that's not gone well. We need a new plan. We've had ideas of our own for how to seperate the two, but most of them carry risk. And we didn't want to take those risks without speaking to you about them first."

[Hanzo K.]

Well, there you have it. GM proof that it's not a good thing. (Tsumiko's spoken against letting Sakuya absorb Pride. And I have info from Sour himself that also says it's a bad thing.)

>Well, let's pull out the vial and see if she reacts to it. If it's an alarmed or surprised one, then we know it's hers.
>And if that works, we'll use the whole thing in an effort to find the fate of our treasured Head Maid, and then alter it so she expels Pride within the minute!

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Go, then. I will stay here."
>Once they leave: "Now that they're gone, let's proceed with examining your fate."

[Oldmansour]

>"Go, then. I will stay here."
>Once they leave: "Now that they're gone, let's proceed with examining your fate."

>Tsumiko and Celes exchange a quick look. After a quick nod from the Steward, Tsumiko heads back the way you came. Lust takes a long look at Sakuya before following her Keeper.
Celes, however, remains, though she does back a few steps away from you. Taking into account her title, she probably considers the safety of the Keep guests hers, and will stick around just in case Sakuya gets aggressive. So be it. You've had an audience before, and this one seems willing to give you your space to work.
>Sakuya inclines her head just the right way. "I await your examination, ojou-sama."

>Well, let's pull out the vial and see if she reacts to it. If it's an alarmed or surprised one, then we know it's hers.
>And if that works, we'll use the whole thing in an effort to find the fate of our treasured Head Maid, and then alter it so she expels Pride within the minute!

>Sakuya does not react at all to the sight of your emergency blood supply. You are now certain it is hers.
>And with little further ado, you clutch the thing tightly in your hands and focus your powers over fate like they've never been focused before. Sakuya may be possessed, but she was right in that her fate isn't where it should be. It, like her, is changing, but you aren't about to let that stop you.
>After what seems like a very long time, you finally discover the line of fate belonging to the person in front of you. And just as well, too, you were starting to get a headache, which is odd. But then again, you've never tried to read the fate of someone who is, for all intents and purposes, two people at once. And this lifeline is very strange to behold, as well. It is hazy, a dull jumble of subdued colors overlapping and intertwining each other, camouflaged against a background of swirling mists.
>As you touch this line of fate, you flinch and wince, as the touch produces a queer kind of shock that runs up your arm. You ignore it, and start pushing on the lifeline. It feels as though you've got a grip around a live electrical wire that has barbs wrapped around it. And only only that, it resists your efforts to change its course. The blood in the vial begins to boil as you focus your pained efforts through it.
>"Ojou-sama, I must insist you stop trying to change my fate." Sakuya says suddenly, her concern for you obvious. "You will only injure yourself if you persist."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Sorry, but I can't afford to stop, otherwise I'll lose the you that is important."
>Keep pressing onward! It isn't in our nature to let something like pain stop us when those important to us are on the line!
>Re-split the two fates! We might like subtlety now, but there's a time and a place for that!

[Oldmansour]

>"Sorry, but I can't afford to stop, otherwise I'll lose the you that is important."
>Keep pressing onward! It isn't in our nature to let something like pain stop us when those important to us are on the line!
>Re-split the two fates! We might like subtlety now, but there's a time and a place for that!

>This may be a unique kind of pain, but it's nothing compared to the thought of losing the Sakuya you hold dear. So you endure and bear down upon the lifeline before you.
>The strand of fate stubbornly resists your efforts. Not only can you sense the strange distortion caused by the mixture of the two beings fates, but you can feel Sakuya's will fighting you. The same pride that caused her to overwhelm an incarnation of pride itself is now fighting your efforts to separate her from that Sin.
>"I beg, you, ojou-sama, stop what you're doing." Sakuya says urgently, falling to her knees in supplication. "You will permanently damage yourself if you do not stop."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Only if you keep resisting me. Any harm that comes to me from this will be your doing, not mine."
>Don't stop.

[Hanzo K.]

>Keep pushing! Separate the two fates, it's not in our nature to give up like this!
>"The only way to make me stop, is to give up on absorbing Pride."

[Oldmansour]

>"Only if you keep resisting me. Any harm that comes to me from this will be your doing, not mine."
>Don't stop.

>Keep pushing! Separate the two fates, it's not in our nature to give up like this!
>"The only way to make me stop, is to give up on absorbing Pride."

>Sakuya returns to her feet, regret on her face. "You are mistaken, ojou-sama." she says quietly, and raises her hand. The blood in the vial, which had been bubbling and boiling, suddenly stills. The blood turns darker and coagulates fully into a solid form. But it doesn't stop, and starts to vanish. In the span of no more than three seconds, the blood vanishes completely. Your link to Sakuya's fate severs, your material focus now gone.
>"What just happened?" Celes demands.
>"I accelerated the aging of the blood in that vial, until it was indistinguishable from the dust of the air." Sakuya inclines her head to you again. "I apologize, ojou-sama, for taking so long to complete the process. Next time will take only one second."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Sakuya. I order you to cease this at once. I cannot consider you my most loyal and trusted servant anymore if you continue."
>What sort of hold do we have on her?

[Oldmansour]

>"Sakuya. I order you to cease this at once. I cannot consider you my most loyal and trusted servant anymore if you continue."
>What sort of hold do we have on her?

>"Ojou-sama, I humbly suggest you sit down for a while. I know that exerting that kind of effort with your powers is quite harmful to you. I can see the ache in your body."
>Define 'hold'.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"It's your own doing, Sakuya. Before absorbing Pride, you never would have resisted me in such a manner. You would never have dreamed of disobeying me. Now, you are disobeying me. This alone prooves that you are changing, that you are no longer my Sakuya. If you truly wish to serve me, return yourself to your previous state, because as you are now, I have no desire to have you as a servant. I want my Sakuya, not the person who stands before me now."

[Oldmansour]

>"It's your own doing, Sakuya. Before absorbing Pride, you never would have resisted me in such a manner. You would never have dreamed of disobeying me. Now, you are disobeying me. This alone prooves that you are changing, that you are no longer my Sakuya. If you truly wish to serve me, return yourself to your previous state, because as you are now, I have no desire to have you as a servant. I want my Sakuya, not the person who stands before me now."

>Sakuya smiles at you, a knowing, tolerant smile. "Ojou-sama, I truly understand how you feel. I understand the anguish you are feeling now, and for that, I am sorry. But you are not presently thinking rationally. Your emotions are clouding your judgements. In all the years I have served you, has my judgement ever failed you? Have I ever made a decision that I felt was in your best interests, and been wrong? Each time I have gone against your will, I have done so reluctantly, but I have always done so with your best interests at heart. I realize fully that the idea of this situation is hard for you to take, truly, I do. But you will see that I am correct. And I shall fill your days with service beyond even what I dreamed was possible. There shall be nothing I cannot do for you."
>"And," she adds, "nothing I cannot do for your sister."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Right, then. Talking to her isn't working. Time to change the game.
>Approach her.
>"I'm afraid you've given me cause to doubt your loyalty. In addition to your disobediance, you came perilously close to threatening me earlier. I will have to ask for proof that you will continue to serve me loyally."
>"What you need to do is quite simple. You must merely make no attempt to resist what I am about to do."
>Once we've reached her, bite her and drink. Don't take enough to harm her, though.
>As we drink, use the blood of hers that is now within us as a catalyst for our fate manipulation (if we can't do that, then let some stain our clothing like what gave us our title of 'Scarlet Devil', and use that instead. But try to use the blood we drink first). Having her blood within us may act as an aid in such an endevour. And even if it doesn't, using blood that's within us prevents Sakuya from destroying it like she did the blood in the vial. It's also blood taken since Pride's posession attempt, and thus likely has a stronger connection to Sakuya as she is now than the old blood did.
>Manipulate fate to seperate Pride from Sakuya.
>Another possibility is that Pride will be able to use the connection of our drinking from Sakuya to escape from her into us. If this happens, let Pride into us. We take enough pride in what we are to defeat it ourselves and force it out of us if it refuses to leave us willingly.

[Hanzo K.]

Only problem is, we've been told by a Sin Spirit that they can't seem to get into a Vampire.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

Well, then I guess that possibility isn't what'll happen.

[Hanzo K.]

I just hope this works.

[Oldmansour]

>Right, then. Talking to her isn't working. Time to change the game.
>Approach her.
>"I'm afraid you've given me cause to doubt your loyalty. In addition to your disobediance, you came perilously close to threatening me earlier. I will have to ask for proof that you will continue to serve me loyally."
>"What you need to do is quite simple. You must merely make no attempt to resist what I am about to do."
>Once we've reached her, bite her and drink. Don't take enough to harm her, though.
>As we drink, use the blood of hers that is now within us as a catalyst for our fate manipulation (if we can't do that, then let some stain our clothing like what gave us our title of 'Scarlet Devil', and use that instead. But try to use the blood we drink first). Having her blood within us may act as an aid in such an endevour. And even if it doesn't, using blood that's within us prevents Sakuya from destroying it like she did the blood in the vial. It's also blood taken since Pride's posession attempt, and thus likely has a stronger connection to Sakuya as she is now than the old blood did.
>Manipulate fate to seperate Pride from Sakuya.
>Another possibility is that Pride will be able to use the connection of our drinking from Sakuya to escape from her into us. If this happens, let Pride into us. We take enough pride in what we are to defeat it ourselves and force it out of us if it refuses to leave us willingly.

>Sakuya looks wounded, for a moment. "I did not deserve that, ojou-sama. But I forgive you. I understand, you are upset. Emotional. But you will understand."
>Although she speaks, she makes no movement as you approach her. Not even as you bring your fangs to bear upon her. The sensation seems almost nostalgic, it's been many years since last you drank straight from the vein. But this is for a good cause- No, the best of causes. So you sink your fangs into Sakuya's jugular vein.
>Or... at least try to. But her skin resists your teeth. In fact, her skin feels as hard as a rock. And you can't hear her breathing anymore. You pull your head back and look at her. She is standing as still as though she were cast in stone. Her eyes are unblinking, her hair unmoving, you can't even detect a twitch in her muscles. Even her smell has vanished. As though she were frozen in time.