Asking for Help - Sakuya
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[X] You need someone better-suited to this sort of thing to help you manage everything.
- [X] Explain everything to Sakuya and ask her for help.
You stare at the wall for several seconds, long enough for Sakuya turn toward you worriedly, then sigh and let your head hang. "Sakuya, will you help me?" You get a long silence in response, but before you can start to seriously think she's going to refuse she steps forward.
"Of course, Young Mistress. What do you want to do?" You sigh in relief and your wings cross comfortingly across your chest.
"It's … about this. About living arrangements, and things to do and see and … and … I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to just have someone else plan everything, but if I try to do it myself I'll mess everything up or …." You clench your hands, squeeze your eyes shut - and Sakuya wraps her arms around you. It's … not particularly comforting, like she hasn't had much practice, but it makes you feel better anyway.
"Come, let's go somewhere comfortable and I'll make you something." You nod and she releases you. You take a steadying breath and follow her to a nearby study. You sit in a chair underneath an open window; you can't see the moon from this angle, but it doesn't really matter. You have just enough time to start feeling embarrassed by your outburst - and to worry that Sakuya is going to inform your sister of it - when Sakuya walks back into the study with a small tray. Not just the treats she normally makes for you, but also a bowl of a thick, almost frozen bloody cream. Like ice cream, but for vampires! You smile at Sakuya and she bows before sitting at the desk. "… Would you not prefer to involve Lady Remilia? Surely she would be able to assist you in developing your plans, and I know she would be glad to help you." You shake your head and finish swallowing the spoonful of frozen cream, shivering as it slides down your throat.
"I mean … I would, but she had a meeting earlier, and even if it's done she seemed angry about something involved with it, so I want to give her a chance to relax instead of running to her when she's working off stress. I know she would put aside her own feelings to help me if I asked, but I don't want to make her do that." Sakuya nods; she's Remilia's personal maid, so that's probably the sort of thing she wanted to hear.
"I understand. Then, about the living arrangements - is there anything specific you wanted?" You take a deep breath.
"For Ilya and her servants - well, I don't know if they're going to be coming to Mid-Childa with me, but if they don't, they'll be staying here until I get back, and I'll be gone for a few months. Obviously there will be things they can do in the meantime - Ilya will probably be getting her arm and leg fixed, if nothing else - but since I won't be available, I want them to have a place where they can feel … safe, and secure." Sakuya frowns at you.
"Defensible?" You nod quickly and finish off the delicious bloody cream.
"Yes. Even if it's just the illusion of it, because I don't think Remilia would have any problems with Berserker if she really wanted to deal with him. And I want them to be able to feel like they don't need to rely on you and Remilia, like Patchouli." Sakuya gives you a curious look at your mention of Berserker, but there isn't any need to explain him to her - not yet, anyway. "So their living area needs to have the basic human needs covered, and be something that's easily protected -"
"But without making it obvious that such a consideration is being made." You nod and Sakuya stares at the wall thoughtfully. "That can be arranged without much difficulty. What sort of furnishings would they prefer?"
"Close to what we have, generally - they are German nobility, after all. I can make some sketches and notes on the colors they used at the castle." Sakuya nods.
"That would be useful; the craftsmen in the Human Village enjoy a challenge, but they appreciate having a clear goal more." You sigh and Sakuya frowns at you.
"And after I come back, I'll be bringing at least Lulu and her mother with me, and probably Agito and - Zest, I think? And maybe some more people if I make some more friends or they decide to send an escort. And so they're going to need places to stay, and I want them to be close to me, too, but I don't know how well everyone's going to get along - not even how well Lulu and Ilya are going to get along! - and then there's Deis, and while I sort of know what she likes, it's very different from what we have and mostly focused around gorgeously-muscled men so I don't know if it's worth even trying to fit her somewhere besides the library before getting her a body, and I don't even know if she's going to be staying here for much longer after she gets one!" You shut your eyes and take a deep breath. When you open your eyes, Sakuya is giving you a concerned look. You nod and she relaxes.
"I can understand your frustration; work can't begin if we don't know anything about what needs to be done. And it would be helpful if you did move upstairs, at least temporarily - if it turns out that they don't get along, we could reposition your suite to be between them, so they wouldn't have to go out of their way to see you."
"And Lulu seemed to like insects, so another balcony area so she can go outside would suit her." Sakuya frowns a little, then shrugs and smiles at you.
"Well, I suppose there's no point in worrying about something we can't do anything about. When it's getting close to the time you're supposed to return, you can simply inform us of the number of guests and what sort of accommodations they will need and we can begin working then." You blink at her, completely confused, then remember that Patchouli can keep an eye on you - and since you won't be sneaking out or having an adventure, maybe you'll be able to talk to anyone on this side without coming back! You slump back, relieved, and smile gratefully at Sakuya. She bows and waits for you to collect yourself. "As for Deis - perhaps, since her situation is so different, it would be better to speak with her directly concerning her accommodations? If she is going to want to leave as soon as she can it would make more sense to maintain her in the library than going through the effort to create rooms she won't even want to use." You sigh and nod. At least she doesn't have the same physical requirements everyone else does, so it won't make things too uncomfortable for you if she chooses to stay where she is. "Well, since that's going to be on hold, did you have any plans for entertaining them while they are here?"
"I'm sure there'll be at least one party while they're all here, so maybe we could get some people to have good Spell Card duels? Not those duels that some people come here to use to settle issues, but ones to show off and demonstrate. And I'd like to take them to see interesting places, but … well, the only one I know of is the Hakurei Shrine." Your smile fades a little, but Sakuya nods.
"Perhaps the Sanzu River and the Road of Liminality?" You tilt your head. "The Sanzu River separates Gensokyo from Higan, and the Road of Liminality leads to it. The Road, at least, frequently has merchants' stalls and a festival air, so it can be a place of interest. I would have suggested the Netherworld, as it is much more open to the living, but … well, Lady Yuyuko is rather a handful. She would not attempt any maliciousness, but she can be difficult to deal with sometimes … and Lady Yukari is more likely to be there as well." Your mouth twists grumpily. You're going to have to deal with her at some point - unless Remilia takes over that particular chore - but you'd rather have as little to do with her as possible. And if you go there, there's a chance it'll turn political, and if anyone tries that with your friends it'll probably turn physical very quickly.
"I … I think I'll have to look at the Road and River before I make a decision on that. Or we could do both, but I don't know how long they'll be here, and I don't want things to be rushed." Sakuya nods - a little slowly, probably because of the idea of you going on a sightseeing trip within Gensokyo.
"… You had mentioned the Hakurei Shrine. The Moriya Shrine - and Youkai Mountain in general - as well as Myouren Temple are other notable locations, although Lady Remilia's relations with both are rather strained. If you wish to visit either, it would be best done with her approval. Aya would probably be willing to show you around Youkai Mountain, however, and would be able to keep you separated from the Shrine. And there are the hot springs that formed recently." You nod - Aya's a bit silly, sometimes, but she and your sister are pretty good friends, and she's pretty respectful to you, too. You might ask Remilia about the new shrine and the temple, at least to figure out why she doesn't like them, but the springs would probably be nice.
"Hmm … at least one party here, then the Shrine, either the Road and River or the Netherworld, the hot springs, and Youkai Mountain?" Sakuya nods.
"I will also make inquiries as to whether there are any other festivals that will be occurring during the time you have for sightseeing and the likelihood of being able to fit them into the schedule. And transportation as well?" You'd almost forgotten that.
"Yes … even if Ilya is whole when we're ready, she can't fly on her own. Lulu can't either, come to think of it, although she knows some kind of teleportation magic."
"Then I will begin working on an itinerary, and when it is complete you can review it." You smile at her, relieved and happy. "Now, there is still the matter of your new servant's instruction. What does she currently know and what do you wish her to know?" Your head flops forward and you laugh - you did forget that. You lean back and look up at the ceiling.
"She'll be coming with me to Mid-Childa - at least, I'm planning on that; if you think it would be better to keep her here so you can teach her more thoroughly I'll understand. And I introduced her to Meiling and she asked to teach her how to fight, so there's that, too. As for what she knows … she knows how to clean, a little, about like the fairy maids. And she can't really cook, can't do mending." You pause and wait when you see Sakuya's expressionless face.
"And you want to take her with you to be your servant for several months?" She uses a voice flatter than her expression, and you sigh.
"Sakuya, she's not going to be a permanent servant - at least, that's not the goal. She's as old as she looks and basically a complete incompetent. When I release her, I want her to be able to be capable of carving out a place for herself, whether that's by finding the local ruler and either making herself useful to him or killing him, or by deciding that she wants to exist at a given level of society and fitting in. If she leaves us and settles for a subsistence-level existence at the bottom of the social ladder, I failed. She has to be confident in herself, and capable of making herself useful and gauging the use of others." You sit up and stare intently at the head maid. "This isn't something that's going to be over and done with in a month. I don't expect it to be finished in less than five years at least, especially if she can't stop being obligatorily nocturnal. A few months of relative freedom before her training starts in earnest isn't going to change anything." Sakuya matches your gaze for several long moments, then stands up and gives you a sweeping bow.
"I beg your forgiveness, Lady Flandre. I misunderstood your intentions." A warm glow spreads through you, and you smile and shake your head.
"It's fine, Sakuya. This is … the first time I've done anything like this, after all." She straightens.
"Thank you, Lady Flandre. Is there anything else you wish to speak of tonight?"
What do you do?
[ ] Thank her and dismiss her.
- [ ] Head downstairs and talk to Deis - no sense putting it off.
- [ ] It's a nice night out and you want to relax a little before talking with Deis - take a short walk.
- - [ ] Stay within the mansion grounds.
- - [ ] Head to the lake and back.
[ ] Other?
- [X] Explain everything to Sakuya and ask her for help.
You stare at the wall for several seconds, long enough for Sakuya turn toward you worriedly, then sigh and let your head hang. "Sakuya, will you help me?" You get a long silence in response, but before you can start to seriously think she's going to refuse she steps forward.
"Of course, Young Mistress. What do you want to do?" You sigh in relief and your wings cross comfortingly across your chest.
"It's … about this. About living arrangements, and things to do and see and … and … I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to just have someone else plan everything, but if I try to do it myself I'll mess everything up or …." You clench your hands, squeeze your eyes shut - and Sakuya wraps her arms around you. It's … not particularly comforting, like she hasn't had much practice, but it makes you feel better anyway.
"Come, let's go somewhere comfortable and I'll make you something." You nod and she releases you. You take a steadying breath and follow her to a nearby study. You sit in a chair underneath an open window; you can't see the moon from this angle, but it doesn't really matter. You have just enough time to start feeling embarrassed by your outburst - and to worry that Sakuya is going to inform your sister of it - when Sakuya walks back into the study with a small tray. Not just the treats she normally makes for you, but also a bowl of a thick, almost frozen bloody cream. Like ice cream, but for vampires! You smile at Sakuya and she bows before sitting at the desk. "… Would you not prefer to involve Lady Remilia? Surely she would be able to assist you in developing your plans, and I know she would be glad to help you." You shake your head and finish swallowing the spoonful of frozen cream, shivering as it slides down your throat.
"I mean … I would, but she had a meeting earlier, and even if it's done she seemed angry about something involved with it, so I want to give her a chance to relax instead of running to her when she's working off stress. I know she would put aside her own feelings to help me if I asked, but I don't want to make her do that." Sakuya nods; she's Remilia's personal maid, so that's probably the sort of thing she wanted to hear.
"I understand. Then, about the living arrangements - is there anything specific you wanted?" You take a deep breath.
"For Ilya and her servants - well, I don't know if they're going to be coming to Mid-Childa with me, but if they don't, they'll be staying here until I get back, and I'll be gone for a few months. Obviously there will be things they can do in the meantime - Ilya will probably be getting her arm and leg fixed, if nothing else - but since I won't be available, I want them to have a place where they can feel … safe, and secure." Sakuya frowns at you.
"Defensible?" You nod quickly and finish off the delicious bloody cream.
"Yes. Even if it's just the illusion of it, because I don't think Remilia would have any problems with Berserker if she really wanted to deal with him. And I want them to be able to feel like they don't need to rely on you and Remilia, like Patchouli." Sakuya gives you a curious look at your mention of Berserker, but there isn't any need to explain him to her - not yet, anyway. "So their living area needs to have the basic human needs covered, and be something that's easily protected -"
"But without making it obvious that such a consideration is being made." You nod and Sakuya stares at the wall thoughtfully. "That can be arranged without much difficulty. What sort of furnishings would they prefer?"
"Close to what we have, generally - they are German nobility, after all. I can make some sketches and notes on the colors they used at the castle." Sakuya nods.
"That would be useful; the craftsmen in the Human Village enjoy a challenge, but they appreciate having a clear goal more." You sigh and Sakuya frowns at you.
"And after I come back, I'll be bringing at least Lulu and her mother with me, and probably Agito and - Zest, I think? And maybe some more people if I make some more friends or they decide to send an escort. And so they're going to need places to stay, and I want them to be close to me, too, but I don't know how well everyone's going to get along - not even how well Lulu and Ilya are going to get along! - and then there's Deis, and while I sort of know what she likes, it's very different from what we have and mostly focused around gorgeously-muscled men so I don't know if it's worth even trying to fit her somewhere besides the library before getting her a body, and I don't even know if she's going to be staying here for much longer after she gets one!" You shut your eyes and take a deep breath. When you open your eyes, Sakuya is giving you a concerned look. You nod and she relaxes.
"I can understand your frustration; work can't begin if we don't know anything about what needs to be done. And it would be helpful if you did move upstairs, at least temporarily - if it turns out that they don't get along, we could reposition your suite to be between them, so they wouldn't have to go out of their way to see you."
"And Lulu seemed to like insects, so another balcony area so she can go outside would suit her." Sakuya frowns a little, then shrugs and smiles at you.
"Well, I suppose there's no point in worrying about something we can't do anything about. When it's getting close to the time you're supposed to return, you can simply inform us of the number of guests and what sort of accommodations they will need and we can begin working then." You blink at her, completely confused, then remember that Patchouli can keep an eye on you - and since you won't be sneaking out or having an adventure, maybe you'll be able to talk to anyone on this side without coming back! You slump back, relieved, and smile gratefully at Sakuya. She bows and waits for you to collect yourself. "As for Deis - perhaps, since her situation is so different, it would be better to speak with her directly concerning her accommodations? If she is going to want to leave as soon as she can it would make more sense to maintain her in the library than going through the effort to create rooms she won't even want to use." You sigh and nod. At least she doesn't have the same physical requirements everyone else does, so it won't make things too uncomfortable for you if she chooses to stay where she is. "Well, since that's going to be on hold, did you have any plans for entertaining them while they are here?"
"I'm sure there'll be at least one party while they're all here, so maybe we could get some people to have good Spell Card duels? Not those duels that some people come here to use to settle issues, but ones to show off and demonstrate. And I'd like to take them to see interesting places, but … well, the only one I know of is the Hakurei Shrine." Your smile fades a little, but Sakuya nods.
"Perhaps the Sanzu River and the Road of Liminality?" You tilt your head. "The Sanzu River separates Gensokyo from Higan, and the Road of Liminality leads to it. The Road, at least, frequently has merchants' stalls and a festival air, so it can be a place of interest. I would have suggested the Netherworld, as it is much more open to the living, but … well, Lady Yuyuko is rather a handful. She would not attempt any maliciousness, but she can be difficult to deal with sometimes … and Lady Yukari is more likely to be there as well." Your mouth twists grumpily. You're going to have to deal with her at some point - unless Remilia takes over that particular chore - but you'd rather have as little to do with her as possible. And if you go there, there's a chance it'll turn political, and if anyone tries that with your friends it'll probably turn physical very quickly.
"I … I think I'll have to look at the Road and River before I make a decision on that. Or we could do both, but I don't know how long they'll be here, and I don't want things to be rushed." Sakuya nods - a little slowly, probably because of the idea of you going on a sightseeing trip within Gensokyo.
"… You had mentioned the Hakurei Shrine. The Moriya Shrine - and Youkai Mountain in general - as well as Myouren Temple are other notable locations, although Lady Remilia's relations with both are rather strained. If you wish to visit either, it would be best done with her approval. Aya would probably be willing to show you around Youkai Mountain, however, and would be able to keep you separated from the Shrine. And there are the hot springs that formed recently." You nod - Aya's a bit silly, sometimes, but she and your sister are pretty good friends, and she's pretty respectful to you, too. You might ask Remilia about the new shrine and the temple, at least to figure out why she doesn't like them, but the springs would probably be nice.
"Hmm … at least one party here, then the Shrine, either the Road and River or the Netherworld, the hot springs, and Youkai Mountain?" Sakuya nods.
"I will also make inquiries as to whether there are any other festivals that will be occurring during the time you have for sightseeing and the likelihood of being able to fit them into the schedule. And transportation as well?" You'd almost forgotten that.
"Yes … even if Ilya is whole when we're ready, she can't fly on her own. Lulu can't either, come to think of it, although she knows some kind of teleportation magic."
"Then I will begin working on an itinerary, and when it is complete you can review it." You smile at her, relieved and happy. "Now, there is still the matter of your new servant's instruction. What does she currently know and what do you wish her to know?" Your head flops forward and you laugh - you did forget that. You lean back and look up at the ceiling.
"She'll be coming with me to Mid-Childa - at least, I'm planning on that; if you think it would be better to keep her here so you can teach her more thoroughly I'll understand. And I introduced her to Meiling and she asked to teach her how to fight, so there's that, too. As for what she knows … she knows how to clean, a little, about like the fairy maids. And she can't really cook, can't do mending." You pause and wait when you see Sakuya's expressionless face.
"And you want to take her with you to be your servant for several months?" She uses a voice flatter than her expression, and you sigh.
"Sakuya, she's not going to be a permanent servant - at least, that's not the goal. She's as old as she looks and basically a complete incompetent. When I release her, I want her to be able to be capable of carving out a place for herself, whether that's by finding the local ruler and either making herself useful to him or killing him, or by deciding that she wants to exist at a given level of society and fitting in. If she leaves us and settles for a subsistence-level existence at the bottom of the social ladder, I failed. She has to be confident in herself, and capable of making herself useful and gauging the use of others." You sit up and stare intently at the head maid. "This isn't something that's going to be over and done with in a month. I don't expect it to be finished in less than five years at least, especially if she can't stop being obligatorily nocturnal. A few months of relative freedom before her training starts in earnest isn't going to change anything." Sakuya matches your gaze for several long moments, then stands up and gives you a sweeping bow.
"I beg your forgiveness, Lady Flandre. I misunderstood your intentions." A warm glow spreads through you, and you smile and shake your head.
"It's fine, Sakuya. This is … the first time I've done anything like this, after all." She straightens.
"Thank you, Lady Flandre. Is there anything else you wish to speak of tonight?"
What do you do?
[ ] Thank her and dismiss her.
- [ ] Head downstairs and talk to Deis - no sense putting it off.
- [ ] It's a nice night out and you want to relax a little before talking with Deis - take a short walk.
- - [ ] Stay within the mansion grounds.
- - [ ] Head to the lake and back.
[ ] Other?
