View source for 5666/A little more conversation a little less action(Please)

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/01/28
|Location=The Great Ocean
|Synopsis=Sakuya Isayoi, a Completely Ordinary Maid, goes to talk to the Abyssal Princess at Quicksilver Island.
|Cast of Characters=685, 929
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quicksilver Island, the site of so many battles in the last few months, seems eerily quiet now. The wreckage of the last battle remains strewn across the shoreline, shattered metal, fractured concrete and black stains of Abyssal ichor... but no movement.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Save for a trio of figures in alabaster hue seem to be picking through the pieces. That appear small, like children, one looking older, the other two looking about the same age as Destroyer Escort Water Demon.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quicksilver Island is a place Sakuya has visited before. Twice, she has set foot on the island fortress of the river abyssals, and this shall mark the third.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Time freezes, color draining from the Maid's surroundings.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gently, she lifts from the undergrowth along the lakeside, floating across the still surface of the water until she reaches the island's own coastline. Here, she sets down, then stoops to collect some of the scrap metal being gathered by the underlings currently statues locked in time mere meters away. As she straightens, the maid concludes her hold on Time.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From the outsider's perspective, the black-clad maid seems to materialize out of thin air with the faint sound of air displacing itself around her. She turns slightly, comparing herself to the pale-skinned children, looking quite similar to them just by her hair and eyes as she looks sidelong towards the trio.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Turning fully, the maid offers the scrap in her hands, "Allow me to assist you in tidying up."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sound has all three on edge immediately, the whine of jet engines striking up breaking the silence.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The elder of the trio makes a gesture, and the other two stand down, though the launched aircraft continue to hover nearby, their autocannons trained on the maid. "Have you not caused enough damage to us already? Have you not taken enough from us yet?" the three speak in unison, the combination making a VERY familiar voice, but each a different aspect of it. Could these three be Taffy, somehow split?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sakuya remains stationary, the scrap still held out. Eyes flick to the attack aircraft, then back to the taller of the trio. Their pattern of speech is noted, immediately filed away. The previous Demon also mentioned 'the carriers'. Implying more than one. And identified herself with multiple names. Therefore, it stands to reason...<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am not here to fight, Lady Taffy." The maid crosses her ankles and bends her knees, dipping into a formal courtsey. She can't do the dress tug because her hands are full, "I am Izayoi Sakuya. An ordinary maid. It is my desire to help you bring order and cleanliness to your home, today. And if you are so inclined, to talk."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The youngest looking of the trio snarls, and seems more than willing to send her aircraft to attack right then and there. It's only the hand of the oldest on her shoulder that stays her aggression.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The elder alone speaks, her voice the deep aspect with a little reverb. "You came to our home, with others, destroyed our children and ruined everything we held dear, and stole our companion away from us. Why should we not simply attack you and have rid right here and now?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sakuya's eyes wander to that aggressive younger sister, her own expression impassive. The Perfect and Elegant Maid withstands that glower until the elder speaks, and her eyes shift to the 'leader' of the three carrier girls.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Why haven't you already, then?"<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Without waiting for an answer, Sakuya turns and crouches. The scrap in her hands is shifted to one arm and she collects another piece, tucking it all into the crook of her other arm, "I do intend to reunite you with your escort. Not today. Not in the way you think you would prefer right now. But soon. Alive. And unharmed." Straightening, she steps away, her outline flickering as she does so. Multiple chunks of metal disappear around her, appearing tucked under her arm as she moves.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"At the very least, the great queen of the river delta should live in a tidy castle."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The trio watch, as a few more faces poke out of the water. PT Imps, carrying slag from the river bed back to shore. The 'Princess' slowly returns to her task, gathering the salvage and handing it off to the imps as they pass, taking it back towards the center of the island, the force and smelter.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We're tired... tired of fighting for every single scrap... but we have a mission to complete." says the middle 'sister', earning glares from the other two.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The maid pauses, glancing back to observe how this operation is carried out. However, she holds no expectation that the imps she'd knifed in the past would approach her. So...her outline flickers again.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An unoccupied imp suddenly finds a large amount of scrap immediately in front of it, and Sakuya's arms are empty.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I can understand the fatigue. Protracted fighting is inevitably exhausting," She speaks with some sense of authority on the subject, though the exact nature of her expertise is unclear. The maid isn't about to exposit on it, though. Instead, she presses the subject, "Roberts avoided the subject when I asked her. This mission must be very important to you."<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Straightening with a new collection of mangled steel, Sakuya glances over her shoulder, "She misses you. Her wish was to see you again."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The youngest huffs. "If she misses us that much, she should break out of your prison and come back." the petulant whine of a child. The Imp squeaks as the pile appears... then starts gathering up as much as it can carry before scurrying off.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Elder cuts in. "Our mission is none of your concern... or maybe it is, that's why your friends keep attacking us." a dismissive sound. "I suspect we'll be attacked again soon. No matter."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That is her decision to make," Sakuya states, "As for you..."<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You are a very specific sort of youkai," the maid states, "And you are the natural enemy of another specific breed of youkai. Cats and dogs. Cobras and mongoose. You fight one another because that is your instinct. However," She pauses, glancing over her shoulder again, "You are not animals. You both have the benefit of thinking minds. The ability to choose other than your instinct. With nothing else to influence that decision, however, you will still follow that instinct. That urge. That 'gut feeling'."<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, a natural predator is familiar with this.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If this mission of yours is something that can foster collaboration rather than opposition, a less violent, dangerous, and painful outcome may result. You have little reason to trust me, a simple human. I know you have even less reason to trust the kanmusu who have been opposing you. But..."<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Those blue eyes close.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Much like you, they have no knowledge with which to make a decision that opposes their instinct. The assumption is that this mission, being unknown to them, likely will bring harm to them or those they care about." An eye opens, "In much the same way you fear I would bring harm to you or those you care about. And yet." Her hands hold out to either side, a 'here we are' gesture.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:685|Shigure (685)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The trio continue in silence, Imps ferrying debris back into the island interior. They listen, but say nothing further... apart from the Elder finally speaking up. "Abyssals and Kanmusu must fight, it is the way of things. We sink each other, over and over, as many times as it takes." she says. "No amount of reconsiliation will change this." Silver eyes, trioed, stare at the maid. "Tell your friends that if they attack us again, they will sink, we will sink them, then we will sink their friends, and their loved ones, until the threat is ended." the three speaking as one again, the whine of jets returning as they take off. "Leave us, or be destroyed."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sakuya dips her head slightly, casting her eyes in the shadow of her bangs as the aircraft spin their engines up.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Of the two routes offered, you have chosen the painful one. But." Her ankles cross again, and the maid dips in a courtsey. With her hands free, she sweeps them out to either side in the customary gesture, "I will not kill you, or sink you. That girl's wish was to be reunited with you, and that wish is the one I will fulfill."<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Even if I have to hack your weapons off and drag you away, screaming, into the night."<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With that, the maid's figure completely disappears.<br> <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the monochrome world of frozen time, Izayoi Sakuya lifts off and floats back across the lake, cradling her chin thoughtfully in one hand, supported by the other.<br> <br>
}}