【十六夜咲夜 ～ sakuya izayoi】 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
andnowtimeresumes) wrote2015-05-08 01:00 am
andnowtimeresumes) wrote2015-05-08 01:00 am
app
▸CHARACTER
Name: Sakuya Izayoi, western order
Journal: andnowtimeresumes
Canon: Touhou Project
Age: She appears to be around 20 years old, but the ageless nature of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and her ability to stop time means that she may have lived longer than that.
Canon Point: Double Dealing Character, Sakuya's Good Ending A
World Description:
N/A
Background Information:
Sakuya's background before her arrival in Gensokyo has been intentionally obscured by the creator, ZUN. He has however, revealed bits of pieces in various emails, events and writings. In canon, Sakuya's backstory is theorised by a number of people, including the official embodiment of Gensokyo's memory Hieda no Akyuu. Because Sakuya herself (nor Remilia, for that matter) does not offer this information (or as ZUN stated, she may have intentionally forgotten), she remains a curiosity to many people about her life pre-Gensokyo.
The most prevalent theory that is put forward by Akyuu is that Sakuya was some sort of vampire hunter. She had fought many demons, but found all of them boring. As a result, she thought she would challenge Remilia Scarlet. Remilia bested her in a fight, and spared her life. As a result, she bestowed her the name Sakuya Izayoi and made her work in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. When the Scarlet Devil Mansion moved to Gensokyo, it is assumed that Sakuya was with Remilia when the Vampire Incident took place and the devil’s pact drawn up. Remilia would not feed on the humans of Gensokyo and in return, the youkai would supply her with humans from somewhere else. This happens not long before the events of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil.
Because Sakuya has been in a large number of games as a main character or a key supporting character, I have detailed her involvement in each game up to the canon point I am taking her from.
- (Embodiment of Scarlet Devil) An unnatural mist falls over Gensokyo during what seems to be a peaceful summer in the Year of Moon, Autumn, and Wood. It covers most of the land and obscures the sun, causing Gensokyo to become dark and cold. Depending on whom the player chooses for the game Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, it is either Reimu Hakurei or Marisa Kirisame who goes to investigate the source of the mist. This leads them to Scarlet Devil Mansion and this is where Sakuya meets the respective heroine. She attempts to bar them entry to her mistress, who is the source of the mist simply because she wants to go outside without having to deal with the sunlight. Sakuya is bested by the heroine of the player’s choice and is forced to allow them access to her mistress.
- (Perfect Cherry Blossom) The winter of the Year of Moon, Autumn, and Wood Spring has no sign of ending even though it is already well into what would be spring in the new calendar year. (Year of Star, Winter, and Metal) Sakuya is concerned that the supplies that the Scarlet Devil Mansion has stocked for the winter is dwindling low. Remilia tells Sakuya to go find out what’s going on and do something about it. Very vague. But Sakuya takes this task to heart and goes journeying through the snowy cherry blossom filled landscape of Gensokyo in pursuit of who is in charge. She battles the ice fairy Cirno and the winter spirit Letty Whiterock in the forest in attempt to shake them down, then finds herself in the village of Mayohiga with no further leads. Getting frustrated in her search, Sakuya beats the magician Alice Margatroid when she finally notices that the cherry blossom petals are ascending into the sky. She follows this trail and finds the magical boundary of Gensokyo to the next realm. After beating Lily White and the Prismriver Sisters who initially bar her access, she then enters the Netherrealm to battle Youmu Konpaku and Yuyuko Saigyouji, who had been stealing spring from Gensokyo to feed the Saigyou Ayakashi - a yokai cherry blossom tree that seals Yuyuko’s soul. Once Sakuya beats them both, Sakuya reseals Yuyuko’s soul in the tree and spring is brought to Gensokyo.
- (Immaterial and Missing Power) The incidents of Perfect Cherry Blossom have largely settled. There are festivals happening every three days at the Hakurei Shrine, administered by shrine maiden Reimu Hakurei and attended by the residents of Gensokyo. However, the festival schedule seems to continue in an unnatural manner and Sakuya decides to investigate after a strange mist appears. During the first day, Sakuya follows the strange energy that permeates through the shrine and ends up at the Forest of Magic to try and find Marisa Kirisame. The Forest is a maze that one cannot fly out, so eventually after lots of wandering she meets Alice Margatroid, who escorts her out. The second day arrives and Sakuya makes it to Marisa’s house, but she’s largely unhelpful. Sakura then goes to the Netherworld and meets Youmu and Yuyuko again - since they at fault the last time, it must be their fault again! They both deny it and the Festival Day dawns as scheduled. It is at this point that Sakuya confronts Yukari Yakumo, a youkai who has a history of being plotty and manipulative. After beating Yukari, she reveals the perpetrator as Suika Ibuki, an no who just wanted more friends - so they created the mist to try and draw more oni to Gensokyo. After beating Suika, everything returns to normal and Suika begins to live at the Hakurei Shrine. Because the art of oni extermination has been lost to Gensokyo, Sakuya nor anyone else could not eliminate her, but the mist disappeared afterwards and feasts started to happen less frequently.
- (Imperishable Night) The yoke of Gensokyo notice that part of the full moon is missing and disturbed by it. Though humans cannot notice it, it is an issue that cannot be solved by yoke alone. Remailer and Sakuya team up to try and investigate with the other pairs (Yukari and Reimu, Marisa and Alice and Youmu and Yuyuko.) what happens. To buy time, Sakuya and Reimilia cause a never-ending night. Remilia and Sakuya encounter a number of youkai who give them information, including Wriggle Nightbug, Mystia Lorelei and Keine Kamishirasawa. Keine is the only one who gives them information - the person who caused the incident is in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. At the Bamboo Forest, they encounter Reimu who demands why they are freezing time. Once they defeat her and explain what is going on, she indicates that they go to the mansion Eientei where they meet the perpetrator Eirin Yagokoro. Eirin reveals that she sealed the Earth from the real moon and created a fake moon in order to prevent people from taking her mistress, the moon princess Kaguya Houraisan. Remilia and Sakuya then proceed to the real moon to meet Kaguya, who challenges them to face the “Five Impossible Requests” (it’s just a huge ass boss fight with Kaguya.). In the end, Sakuya and Remilia return back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion to contemplate what has happened, and how life has returned to normal. As normal as it can be in that mansion anyway.
- (Phantasmagoria of Flower View) Spring has arrived in Gensokyo once again, but something has gone once again as the flowers are blooming and the fairies are active in excess. Even the non-seasonal flowers are blooming in spring. Sakuya begins searching for answers by interrogating and questioning anyone, but this is more to satisfy her curiosity rather than anything else. Her journey takes her to an unusual mountain range called Muenzaka where poisonous lily-of-the-valley flowers bloomed. She first meets Medicine Melancholy there, who tells her that the flowers will poison her as she stays there as she is only human. Defeating Medicine gets her an antidote for the lily-of-the-valley’s poison, but she returns the next day as she remembers there was something strange about the field. When she returns, she comes face to face with that tasked of transporting the souls of the dead - Komachi Onozuka. She asked whether Sakuya wanted to die, as she came back to the deadly field. It turns out that Komachi was slacking in her duties and the flowers were blooming as they were possessed by ghosts from the outer realms who needed to be ferried to the afterlife. This calls the attention of Komachi’s boss, Eiki Shiki. Eiki Shiki scolds Komachi, then takes the opportunity to lecture Sakuya on the various misdeeds she had committed in her life. Sakuya then proceeds to challenge Eiki to battle, and wins. After Eiki is sufficiently satisfied by Sakuya’s skills, she immediately puts Komachi back to work and the flowers bloom in their seasonal ways once again.
- (Scarlet Weather Rhapsody) There’s another state of strange occurrences happening in Gensokyo - untimely rain and hail in the middle of summer in the Forest of Magic, snow blankets the Nethererealm, the Scarlet Devil Mansion and the Hakurei Shrine is levelled by a sudden earthquake. Sakuya notices a weird red mist coming from her body, when she runs into Marisa who is taking books from the mansion. They fight after Marisa believes that there’s something wrong with Sakuya, but Sakuya wins - judging that something is wrong with Marisa. She then goes to the boundary of Gensokyo to interrogate Youmu and Yuyuko to see whether they know what is going on. Yuyuko’s Youkai are rebelling, and tsukumogami are turning up; no one knows what's happening, clouds are gathering, and a strong wind carries the sounds of a huge building. Gensokyo is full of the sounds of dissonance. The individual weapons of the three protagonists are starting to act oddly. It's their job to either take their weapons in hand and fight the youkai, or to cast their weapons aside.unconcern about the strange weather causes Sakuya to initially blame her, but Yuyuko merely directs her to where the mist was converging at Youkai Mountain. Sakuya ascends the mountain, eventually realising that she is ascending to Heaven. Her path is temporarily barred by Iku Nagase, who prevents her from going as she is just an ordinary human. Sakuya beats her and then meets Tenshi Hinanawi, a celestial who had been causing the red mist. Incensed by the fact that Sakuya had only noticed the mist and nothing of her grand plan, Tenshi attempts to strike her down. Sakuya bests her with her magic and Tenshi relents to stop the incidents after a long ass lecture. Sakuya then descends back to earth to find that the Hakurei Shrine was reconstructed during her time in Heaven and implicates Tenshi in the incidents, giving Reimu instructions on how to get to Heaven should anything else happen.
- (Double Dealing Character) Youkai are rebelling throughout Gensokyo, and tool inhabiting youkai known as Tsukumogami are appearing in Gensokyo. Sakuya is spurred into action when she finds that her knives are not behaving as they should. She notices that the wind is filled with the sounds of dissonance and she resolves to find out what is happening. Her investigations start at the Misty Lake, where she interrogates Wakagasakihime, one of the youkai who is rebelling. As she defeats Wakagasakihime, Sakuya notices that her knives seem more keen and she continues to test them by eliminating rebelling youkai after youkai. Sakuya then finds herself in the heart of the storm, meeting Yatsuhashi and Benben Tsukumo. It is then that Sakuya finds that her knives had been been possessed, and are now doubly powerful. Benben directs her to the Inverted Castle, which is the source of the uprising and the possessed weapons. Awaiting her is Sekibanki. Sekibanki is the head of the resistance movement that is causing the youkai to revolt. Sakuya gets invited to join her, but turns him down. She defeats him handily, but he is not the cause of the weapons getting possessed. She continues in the castle to find Shinmyoumaru Sukuna, who is the real source of the possessed weapons. Shinmyomaru states that the weapon led Sakuya to them, as Shinmyomaru turned Sakuya’s knives into a manifestation of her dreams. Sakuya then proceeds beats Shinmyomaru, which leads to most of the weapons returning to normal. She then returns back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion with her super keen knives, which had not lost their power.
Personality:
“However, you've made one unfortunate mistake! I'm not just some mountain climber, I am also a part-time resolver of incidents, the number one maid in Gensokyo!”
There aren’t many people like Sakuya, even in a place as strange as Gensokyo. She is a normal human, yet she has powers that are more like those found in the supernatural youkai. Her abilities to stop time is unique, as it means that the entire world stops for everyone but her. This can be a highly isolating experience, as Sakuya could potentially live eternally while other humans perish around her. A number of characters remark that Sakuya is quite far from being “human” and she simply smiles or brushes it off with a witty quip. It doesn’t bother her because she knows it’s true. Couple this to her knife skills and ruthless killer instincts and it meant that Sakuya may has well have been a youkai with her disregard for the lives that she considered underneath her. (I hasten to add that this is a deliberate reoccurent character trait with a lot of Touhou characters who are youkai, as it occurs in varying degrees with those who are the least concerned about other lives often being the antagonists of games). Sakuya has no hesitations in causing bloodshed, killing/incapacitating those that stand in her way with relative ease and without so much as a bat of an eye.
Sakuya comes off as cold and reserved and focused on her goals, all the while being able to make it back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion in time to prepare her mistress’ tea. She expresses frustration at having to deal with the underlings, preferring to go straight to the source of the matter and fix it - this is most apparent in Immaterial and Missing Power where she could not fully exterminate the source of the endless partying. She is practical minded in that sense - there’s no waffling, no indecisiveness. Even though she could theoretically take all the needed to make any decision she needed to, she has a deep instinctual feel for the flow of time. Not a moment can be wasted. Wasting time is one thing that Sakuya does not like, for she knows how to maximise every moment that she gets. Thus being able to reason out anything, no matter how cruel or unusual, is something that comes naturally to her.
Her relationship with Remilia is one of the most significant in her life. She had abandoned everything to be by Remilia’s side. While Sakuya’s origins in being employed by Remilia are remarkably hazy, it is clear that she felt like she had nothing to lose in associating with a vampire and has done so ever since. There is some part of her that longs for someone to understand her predicament, and Remilia may have been the first one to recognise Sakuya’s power and not be scared or cowed by it. Remilia is often very reckless and childish despite being one of the more dangerous forces in the entirety of Gensokyo. And due to her inability to step outside in the day light, it is often Remilia who goes out on her mistress’ behalf as her right hand man (woman?). Sakuya makes no secret about the fact that she is Remilia’s right hand and seems to enjoy reporting successful results to Remilia. While she would like to think she is but a tool in Remilia’s arsenal and their relationship is technically that of a mistress and maid, it is apparent that Remilia has a deep trust in Sakuya and Sakuya knows her boundaries enough to chastise her mistress when she behaves in a manner that is unbecoming of someone of her stature (which is, very often.) This trust is also evidenced in that Sakuya is given a large amount of independence and Remilia often doesn’t care what her maid gets up to in her spare time. Sakuya can disappear for long periods of time and Remilia would think nothing of it, merely because she knows that Sakuya will always come back to her and the mansion.
Sakuya is someone who would never admit something openly, preferring to be subtle and indirect if she were ever to express her feelings. We see that Sakuya takes care in her outward appearances, placing a lot of effort in being perfect, elegant and committed to her duties as the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Sakuya takes care in keeping her distance between herself and the other characters, very wary of their intentions when she encounters them in her various travails around Gensokyo. She often refuses to work with others, mainly because other people are a hindrance rather than any help. In Perfect Cherry Blossom, she refuses Alice Margatroid’s help until Alice remarks that it is foolish for her to keep doing so due to the nature of the Forest of Magic. She then accepts Alice’s help getting out of the forest, albeit reluctantly. She improves in her relations with other people in Gensokyo slowly, becoming more welcoming and friendly towards them. During her ending in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, she gave Reimu advice about keeping Tenshi in line though she had no real reason to do so since Tenshi said that she would behave.
When not ordered by Remilia to investigate something or it is not something something related to the Scarlet Mansion, she has a natural curiosity and investigative flair. She is a perfectionist and thorough, which means that she will pursue any mystery to its very end. If something needs to be done, it needs to be done. Her behaviour comes off as suicidal as a result - such as during Phantasmagoria of Flowering Night when she comes back to the lily-of-the-valley fields despite facing her mortality for what seems the first time in a long time. She hates loose ends, which is why the entire encounters with Eiki Shiki in Phantasmagoria of Flower View shakes her up compared to most of the antagonists she had chased down previously. Eiki Shiki, as one of the beings that can judge souls to be good or evil. Eiki remarks that Sakuya is not a good person and that she lives in the current moment (a reference to her time powers) rather than committing to improving herself or doing good deeds. Because Eiki is the one who will judge her soul when she dies, the lecture that she gives Sakuya also a functions as a warning, effectively. The entire sequence with Komachi and Eiki had been nothing but Sakuya facing her own mortality, yet she continues in order to solve the mystery for what’s going on. Though she would not admit it, when a mystery affects of all of Gensokyo, it inevitably effects the Scarlet Devil Mansion and Remilia. If something were to throw the balance between those two out of line, then the peaceful times that they experience would amount to nothing. As much as she does not want to admit it, there is a prudent side to Sakuya which means that doing something which benefits the entirety of Gensokyo, usually lines up with keeping the mansion in line. Double Dealing Character showed a more cunning side to her, as she tactically quells the rebellion in response to this balance.
At the end of the day, Sakuya is someone who is very determined. Being an environment with people who understand the same struggles of having unusual powers beyond the Scarlet Devil Mansion has done a lot to boost her skills and made her open up, as slow as this may be. And as much as she would like to think that she’s perfect, she has her moments of messing up. For example, she mistook Aya Shameimaru’s crow for a tengu and can be quite clumsy - spilling her mistress’ tea is a reoccurring joke for the creator, ZUN. She is a human, but she is an extraordinary one and this bothers her less than it did before.
Appearance:
http://i.imgur.com/gavJVoX.png - Sakuya as she appears in Double Dealing Character
Abilities:
Knife Proficiency: Sakuya has excellent range and accuracy with throwing knives. Her knives of choice are made of silver and she can throw accurately at anything within a range of 20 ken (which is about 36 meters). Her knife proficiency also means that she's an excellent cook. She has the ability to conjure knives out of nowhere, which is speculated to be related to the fact that she carries an immense amount of silver and can stop time. (Whether she makes them in the period she stops time or simply recollects the one she uses is a matter of debate.)
Manipulation of Time & Space: Sakuya has a near limitless ability to manipulate time and space. She is deeply attuned to the flow of time and space and is hyperaware of the passing of time as result. She can speed up time, slow it down and stop it all together. In the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she is the only maid who does any housework. She stops time in order to do all the cooking, cleaning and maintenance herself because otherwise she wouldn't be able to get it done as a solitary person. It is also said that she expanded the size of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, which was already an expansive place, to at least double its size. She is unable to reverse events that have already occurred nor is she able to collapse space very easily. She cannot reverse states - i.e. she cannot for example, make a broken pot return back to the state it was originally.
I understand that this makes her a pretty game breaking character, so her limitations will be modelled around the card system and how her character works mechanically in the games. The Card System is a "stock" of moves and abilities that each character has access to at any given time. In the story, it serves as a leveller between characters so that it becomes a mental battle rather than one of sheer power or strength and to prevent bloodshed. Realistically, a character has access to all the moves in their pool in any given time, but are bound by the Spell Card contract when fighting other characters.
( http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Spell_card for an explanation of the card system and http://hisouten.koumakan.jp/wiki/Izayoi_Sakuya#Special_Moves for the pool of cards cards in question. )
The difference between Skill Cards and Spell Cards is that skill cards can be used by the character in question without too many penalties. Anything that counts as an attack is a skill card, even if it has no magical powers whatsoever. Spell Cards are more powerful moves that require the use of magic or any other supernatural ability.
Skill Cards
Magic Star Sword: She will be able to put at maximum, two knives under the influence of time acceleration. These knives will fly straight in any direction until they run out of momentum or hit an object.
Parallel Brain: Sakuya throws a knife and their after images cause repeated damage. Only two knives will be affected at most, by her ability to copy the space they appear in for a maximum of two knives and four after images.
Propelling Silver: Three knives will orbit around Sakuya, forming a defensive shield around her.
Time Paradox: Sakuya creates an after image of herself, which appears in front of her and acts as a sort of decoy. This will last for around 11 seconds.
Spell Cards
Killing Doll: Sakuya creates the illusion of many knives rushing towards the enemy. Realistically she's only throwing about
Private Square: Sakuya delays time around her in a 10 meter radius, slowing time around her enemies and making them more vulnerable to her attacks.
Sakuya's Special Stopwatch: She will only be able to create one time suspension field at most that traps enemies and renders them immobile, with a range of 2 meters for 11 seconds.
Sakuya's World: This stops time completely will only happen for a maximum of 11 seconds and in a 10 meter range around her.
I'm very happy to work with any other suggested limitations and the necessary permissions post will be put up!
Extraordinarily Good Maid: As previously mentioned, she is very good at her job. She is able to prepare tea, cook, clean, set tables and is very well aware at keeping a house in order.
Flight: All Touhou characters can fly. It's never quite explained entirely why, but all battles happen in mid air. Sakuya can levitate in midair and fly without having to use her time powers.
Vampire/Supernatural Hunter: Before she became the maid at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she was a skilled vampire hunter. It is assumed that she has knowledge of the various supernatural entities of Gensokyo and how to eliminate them. She is able to detect vampires and track them. In Double Dealing Character, she can identify the supernatural species of various characters she interacts with and eliminate them with ease.
BONUS OPTIONAL SECTION:
Opt-in?: No
What the character is going to lose: N/A
Why you picked it: N/A
▸SAMPLES:
First Person:
Good afternoon.
[ Sakuya clears her throat gently and bows to the camera. ]
I understand that this a most unfortunate situation that we have found ourselves in.
[ It is the understatement of the century, of course. But it felt rude to address the fact that the land was barren and inhospitable in a lot of places. Sakuya had scoped out the settlement that she found herself and found herself disappointed. There was nothing more than some rudimentary supplies and primitive buildings. She missed the Scarlet Devil Mansion already. ]
My name is Sakuya Izayoi and I am relatively new to this place. As such, I wish to enquire from those who are more familiar with these foreign surroundings.
[ There's a pause as Sakuya contemplates the order which to ask these things. As much as she missed the mansion, she is glad that she is the one here - rather than Remilia. ]
It seems as if there is a distinct lack of floral life in the landscape. This fact is highly disappointing, as I am skilled in the art of making teas from such leaves and flowers. While it may seem luxurious to make such a request, the medicinal properties of such beverages are not to be sniffed at.
[ And she means it. She enjoys making teas rather than drinking them, but she has never turned down a cup of tea that she has been offered. ]
I have acquired a small amount of water and for those of you who are able to assist me in my pursuit of such floral material, I would be very happy to share the resulting tea.
I eagerly await your response.
[ With one more bow, lower this time - Sakuya ends the feed. ]
Third Person:
Sakuya is the only person in the Scarlet Devil Mansion that does any work towards its upkeep. The Fairy Maids were useless in doing anything more than the simplest and most mundane of tasks. Not as if she minds though. Remilia knows that it is her who does it.
She wakes up from her bed every morning, brushes her hair and dons her maid uniform. She makes sure that her skirt is straight and her apron is starched before proceeding to the kitchen.
Swinging the door open, Sakuya frowns when she notices that the kitchen is a mess and was not in the pristine condition that she had left it the night before when she retired. Bowls and plates were everywhere, along with copious amounts of chocolate and flour. That narrowed the list of people considerably to one Patchouli Knowledge, as she was the only one who ate human food.
She does not grumble or complain, but instead looks at the clock. The steady ticking stops and she can feel time grinding to a halt. If she doesn't clean this up, then Remilia would not get her breakfast and tea in time.
Sakuya quickly gathers the strewn cutlery and crockery and cleans them. She puts them away in their correct places, before wiping down all the surfaces until they were gleaming. She glances back to the clock again and finds it still stopped. This was good. She would say she was getting faster at this, but she could never time herself. Or rather, she was a little scared to.
She quickly dismisses these thoughts as she relaxes and she can hear the ticking of the clock once again. Now she can prepare Remilia's breakfast and tea in a clean kitchen.
Name: Sakuya Izayoi, western order
Journal: andnowtimeresumes
Canon: Touhou Project
Age: She appears to be around 20 years old, but the ageless nature of the Scarlet Devil Mansion and her ability to stop time means that she may have lived longer than that.
Canon Point: Double Dealing Character, Sakuya's Good Ending A
World Description:
N/A
Background Information:
Sakuya's background before her arrival in Gensokyo has been intentionally obscured by the creator, ZUN. He has however, revealed bits of pieces in various emails, events and writings. In canon, Sakuya's backstory is theorised by a number of people, including the official embodiment of Gensokyo's memory Hieda no Akyuu. Because Sakuya herself (nor Remilia, for that matter) does not offer this information (or as ZUN stated, she may have intentionally forgotten), she remains a curiosity to many people about her life pre-Gensokyo.
The most prevalent theory that is put forward by Akyuu is that Sakuya was some sort of vampire hunter. She had fought many demons, but found all of them boring. As a result, she thought she would challenge Remilia Scarlet. Remilia bested her in a fight, and spared her life. As a result, she bestowed her the name Sakuya Izayoi and made her work in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. When the Scarlet Devil Mansion moved to Gensokyo, it is assumed that Sakuya was with Remilia when the Vampire Incident took place and the devil’s pact drawn up. Remilia would not feed on the humans of Gensokyo and in return, the youkai would supply her with humans from somewhere else. This happens not long before the events of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil.
Because Sakuya has been in a large number of games as a main character or a key supporting character, I have detailed her involvement in each game up to the canon point I am taking her from.
- (Embodiment of Scarlet Devil) An unnatural mist falls over Gensokyo during what seems to be a peaceful summer in the Year of Moon, Autumn, and Wood. It covers most of the land and obscures the sun, causing Gensokyo to become dark and cold. Depending on whom the player chooses for the game Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, it is either Reimu Hakurei or Marisa Kirisame who goes to investigate the source of the mist. This leads them to Scarlet Devil Mansion and this is where Sakuya meets the respective heroine. She attempts to bar them entry to her mistress, who is the source of the mist simply because she wants to go outside without having to deal with the sunlight. Sakuya is bested by the heroine of the player’s choice and is forced to allow them access to her mistress.
- (Perfect Cherry Blossom) The winter of the Year of Moon, Autumn, and Wood Spring has no sign of ending even though it is already well into what would be spring in the new calendar year. (Year of Star, Winter, and Metal) Sakuya is concerned that the supplies that the Scarlet Devil Mansion has stocked for the winter is dwindling low. Remilia tells Sakuya to go find out what’s going on and do something about it. Very vague. But Sakuya takes this task to heart and goes journeying through the snowy cherry blossom filled landscape of Gensokyo in pursuit of who is in charge. She battles the ice fairy Cirno and the winter spirit Letty Whiterock in the forest in attempt to shake them down, then finds herself in the village of Mayohiga with no further leads. Getting frustrated in her search, Sakuya beats the magician Alice Margatroid when she finally notices that the cherry blossom petals are ascending into the sky. She follows this trail and finds the magical boundary of Gensokyo to the next realm. After beating Lily White and the Prismriver Sisters who initially bar her access, she then enters the Netherrealm to battle Youmu Konpaku and Yuyuko Saigyouji, who had been stealing spring from Gensokyo to feed the Saigyou Ayakashi - a yokai cherry blossom tree that seals Yuyuko’s soul. Once Sakuya beats them both, Sakuya reseals Yuyuko’s soul in the tree and spring is brought to Gensokyo.
- (Immaterial and Missing Power) The incidents of Perfect Cherry Blossom have largely settled. There are festivals happening every three days at the Hakurei Shrine, administered by shrine maiden Reimu Hakurei and attended by the residents of Gensokyo. However, the festival schedule seems to continue in an unnatural manner and Sakuya decides to investigate after a strange mist appears. During the first day, Sakuya follows the strange energy that permeates through the shrine and ends up at the Forest of Magic to try and find Marisa Kirisame. The Forest is a maze that one cannot fly out, so eventually after lots of wandering she meets Alice Margatroid, who escorts her out. The second day arrives and Sakuya makes it to Marisa’s house, but she’s largely unhelpful. Sakura then goes to the Netherworld and meets Youmu and Yuyuko again - since they at fault the last time, it must be their fault again! They both deny it and the Festival Day dawns as scheduled. It is at this point that Sakuya confronts Yukari Yakumo, a youkai who has a history of being plotty and manipulative. After beating Yukari, she reveals the perpetrator as Suika Ibuki, an no who just wanted more friends - so they created the mist to try and draw more oni to Gensokyo. After beating Suika, everything returns to normal and Suika begins to live at the Hakurei Shrine. Because the art of oni extermination has been lost to Gensokyo, Sakuya nor anyone else could not eliminate her, but the mist disappeared afterwards and feasts started to happen less frequently.
- (Imperishable Night) The yoke of Gensokyo notice that part of the full moon is missing and disturbed by it. Though humans cannot notice it, it is an issue that cannot be solved by yoke alone. Remailer and Sakuya team up to try and investigate with the other pairs (Yukari and Reimu, Marisa and Alice and Youmu and Yuyuko.) what happens. To buy time, Sakuya and Reimilia cause a never-ending night. Remilia and Sakuya encounter a number of youkai who give them information, including Wriggle Nightbug, Mystia Lorelei and Keine Kamishirasawa. Keine is the only one who gives them information - the person who caused the incident is in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. At the Bamboo Forest, they encounter Reimu who demands why they are freezing time. Once they defeat her and explain what is going on, she indicates that they go to the mansion Eientei where they meet the perpetrator Eirin Yagokoro. Eirin reveals that she sealed the Earth from the real moon and created a fake moon in order to prevent people from taking her mistress, the moon princess Kaguya Houraisan. Remilia and Sakuya then proceed to the real moon to meet Kaguya, who challenges them to face the “Five Impossible Requests” (it’s just a huge ass boss fight with Kaguya.). In the end, Sakuya and Remilia return back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion to contemplate what has happened, and how life has returned to normal. As normal as it can be in that mansion anyway.
- (Phantasmagoria of Flower View) Spring has arrived in Gensokyo once again, but something has gone once again as the flowers are blooming and the fairies are active in excess. Even the non-seasonal flowers are blooming in spring. Sakuya begins searching for answers by interrogating and questioning anyone, but this is more to satisfy her curiosity rather than anything else. Her journey takes her to an unusual mountain range called Muenzaka where poisonous lily-of-the-valley flowers bloomed. She first meets Medicine Melancholy there, who tells her that the flowers will poison her as she stays there as she is only human. Defeating Medicine gets her an antidote for the lily-of-the-valley’s poison, but she returns the next day as she remembers there was something strange about the field. When she returns, she comes face to face with that tasked of transporting the souls of the dead - Komachi Onozuka. She asked whether Sakuya wanted to die, as she came back to the deadly field. It turns out that Komachi was slacking in her duties and the flowers were blooming as they were possessed by ghosts from the outer realms who needed to be ferried to the afterlife. This calls the attention of Komachi’s boss, Eiki Shiki. Eiki Shiki scolds Komachi, then takes the opportunity to lecture Sakuya on the various misdeeds she had committed in her life. Sakuya then proceeds to challenge Eiki to battle, and wins. After Eiki is sufficiently satisfied by Sakuya’s skills, she immediately puts Komachi back to work and the flowers bloom in their seasonal ways once again.
- (Scarlet Weather Rhapsody) There’s another state of strange occurrences happening in Gensokyo - untimely rain and hail in the middle of summer in the Forest of Magic, snow blankets the Nethererealm, the Scarlet Devil Mansion and the Hakurei Shrine is levelled by a sudden earthquake. Sakuya notices a weird red mist coming from her body, when she runs into Marisa who is taking books from the mansion. They fight after Marisa believes that there’s something wrong with Sakuya, but Sakuya wins - judging that something is wrong with Marisa. She then goes to the boundary of Gensokyo to interrogate Youmu and Yuyuko to see whether they know what is going on. Yuyuko’s Youkai are rebelling, and tsukumogami are turning up; no one knows what's happening, clouds are gathering, and a strong wind carries the sounds of a huge building. Gensokyo is full of the sounds of dissonance. The individual weapons of the three protagonists are starting to act oddly. It's their job to either take their weapons in hand and fight the youkai, or to cast their weapons aside.unconcern about the strange weather causes Sakuya to initially blame her, but Yuyuko merely directs her to where the mist was converging at Youkai Mountain. Sakuya ascends the mountain, eventually realising that she is ascending to Heaven. Her path is temporarily barred by Iku Nagase, who prevents her from going as she is just an ordinary human. Sakuya beats her and then meets Tenshi Hinanawi, a celestial who had been causing the red mist. Incensed by the fact that Sakuya had only noticed the mist and nothing of her grand plan, Tenshi attempts to strike her down. Sakuya bests her with her magic and Tenshi relents to stop the incidents after a long ass lecture. Sakuya then descends back to earth to find that the Hakurei Shrine was reconstructed during her time in Heaven and implicates Tenshi in the incidents, giving Reimu instructions on how to get to Heaven should anything else happen.
- (Double Dealing Character) Youkai are rebelling throughout Gensokyo, and tool inhabiting youkai known as Tsukumogami are appearing in Gensokyo. Sakuya is spurred into action when she finds that her knives are not behaving as they should. She notices that the wind is filled with the sounds of dissonance and she resolves to find out what is happening. Her investigations start at the Misty Lake, where she interrogates Wakagasakihime, one of the youkai who is rebelling. As she defeats Wakagasakihime, Sakuya notices that her knives seem more keen and she continues to test them by eliminating rebelling youkai after youkai. Sakuya then finds herself in the heart of the storm, meeting Yatsuhashi and Benben Tsukumo. It is then that Sakuya finds that her knives had been been possessed, and are now doubly powerful. Benben directs her to the Inverted Castle, which is the source of the uprising and the possessed weapons. Awaiting her is Sekibanki. Sekibanki is the head of the resistance movement that is causing the youkai to revolt. Sakuya gets invited to join her, but turns him down. She defeats him handily, but he is not the cause of the weapons getting possessed. She continues in the castle to find Shinmyoumaru Sukuna, who is the real source of the possessed weapons. Shinmyomaru states that the weapon led Sakuya to them, as Shinmyomaru turned Sakuya’s knives into a manifestation of her dreams. Sakuya then proceeds beats Shinmyomaru, which leads to most of the weapons returning to normal. She then returns back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion with her super keen knives, which had not lost their power.
Personality:
“However, you've made one unfortunate mistake! I'm not just some mountain climber, I am also a part-time resolver of incidents, the number one maid in Gensokyo!”
There aren’t many people like Sakuya, even in a place as strange as Gensokyo. She is a normal human, yet she has powers that are more like those found in the supernatural youkai. Her abilities to stop time is unique, as it means that the entire world stops for everyone but her. This can be a highly isolating experience, as Sakuya could potentially live eternally while other humans perish around her. A number of characters remark that Sakuya is quite far from being “human” and she simply smiles or brushes it off with a witty quip. It doesn’t bother her because she knows it’s true. Couple this to her knife skills and ruthless killer instincts and it meant that Sakuya may has well have been a youkai with her disregard for the lives that she considered underneath her. (I hasten to add that this is a deliberate reoccurent character trait with a lot of Touhou characters who are youkai, as it occurs in varying degrees with those who are the least concerned about other lives often being the antagonists of games). Sakuya has no hesitations in causing bloodshed, killing/incapacitating those that stand in her way with relative ease and without so much as a bat of an eye.
Sakuya comes off as cold and reserved and focused on her goals, all the while being able to make it back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion in time to prepare her mistress’ tea. She expresses frustration at having to deal with the underlings, preferring to go straight to the source of the matter and fix it - this is most apparent in Immaterial and Missing Power where she could not fully exterminate the source of the endless partying. She is practical minded in that sense - there’s no waffling, no indecisiveness. Even though she could theoretically take all the needed to make any decision she needed to, she has a deep instinctual feel for the flow of time. Not a moment can be wasted. Wasting time is one thing that Sakuya does not like, for she knows how to maximise every moment that she gets. Thus being able to reason out anything, no matter how cruel or unusual, is something that comes naturally to her.
Her relationship with Remilia is one of the most significant in her life. She had abandoned everything to be by Remilia’s side. While Sakuya’s origins in being employed by Remilia are remarkably hazy, it is clear that she felt like she had nothing to lose in associating with a vampire and has done so ever since. There is some part of her that longs for someone to understand her predicament, and Remilia may have been the first one to recognise Sakuya’s power and not be scared or cowed by it. Remilia is often very reckless and childish despite being one of the more dangerous forces in the entirety of Gensokyo. And due to her inability to step outside in the day light, it is often Remilia who goes out on her mistress’ behalf as her right hand man (woman?). Sakuya makes no secret about the fact that she is Remilia’s right hand and seems to enjoy reporting successful results to Remilia. While she would like to think she is but a tool in Remilia’s arsenal and their relationship is technically that of a mistress and maid, it is apparent that Remilia has a deep trust in Sakuya and Sakuya knows her boundaries enough to chastise her mistress when she behaves in a manner that is unbecoming of someone of her stature (which is, very often.) This trust is also evidenced in that Sakuya is given a large amount of independence and Remilia often doesn’t care what her maid gets up to in her spare time. Sakuya can disappear for long periods of time and Remilia would think nothing of it, merely because she knows that Sakuya will always come back to her and the mansion.
Sakuya is someone who would never admit something openly, preferring to be subtle and indirect if she were ever to express her feelings. We see that Sakuya takes care in her outward appearances, placing a lot of effort in being perfect, elegant and committed to her duties as the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Sakuya takes care in keeping her distance between herself and the other characters, very wary of their intentions when she encounters them in her various travails around Gensokyo. She often refuses to work with others, mainly because other people are a hindrance rather than any help. In Perfect Cherry Blossom, she refuses Alice Margatroid’s help until Alice remarks that it is foolish for her to keep doing so due to the nature of the Forest of Magic. She then accepts Alice’s help getting out of the forest, albeit reluctantly. She improves in her relations with other people in Gensokyo slowly, becoming more welcoming and friendly towards them. During her ending in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, she gave Reimu advice about keeping Tenshi in line though she had no real reason to do so since Tenshi said that she would behave.
When not ordered by Remilia to investigate something or it is not something something related to the Scarlet Mansion, she has a natural curiosity and investigative flair. She is a perfectionist and thorough, which means that she will pursue any mystery to its very end. If something needs to be done, it needs to be done. Her behaviour comes off as suicidal as a result - such as during Phantasmagoria of Flowering Night when she comes back to the lily-of-the-valley fields despite facing her mortality for what seems the first time in a long time. She hates loose ends, which is why the entire encounters with Eiki Shiki in Phantasmagoria of Flower View shakes her up compared to most of the antagonists she had chased down previously. Eiki Shiki, as one of the beings that can judge souls to be good or evil. Eiki remarks that Sakuya is not a good person and that she lives in the current moment (a reference to her time powers) rather than committing to improving herself or doing good deeds. Because Eiki is the one who will judge her soul when she dies, the lecture that she gives Sakuya also a functions as a warning, effectively. The entire sequence with Komachi and Eiki had been nothing but Sakuya facing her own mortality, yet she continues in order to solve the mystery for what’s going on. Though she would not admit it, when a mystery affects of all of Gensokyo, it inevitably effects the Scarlet Devil Mansion and Remilia. If something were to throw the balance between those two out of line, then the peaceful times that they experience would amount to nothing. As much as she does not want to admit it, there is a prudent side to Sakuya which means that doing something which benefits the entirety of Gensokyo, usually lines up with keeping the mansion in line. Double Dealing Character showed a more cunning side to her, as she tactically quells the rebellion in response to this balance.
At the end of the day, Sakuya is someone who is very determined. Being an environment with people who understand the same struggles of having unusual powers beyond the Scarlet Devil Mansion has done a lot to boost her skills and made her open up, as slow as this may be. And as much as she would like to think that she’s perfect, she has her moments of messing up. For example, she mistook Aya Shameimaru’s crow for a tengu and can be quite clumsy - spilling her mistress’ tea is a reoccurring joke for the creator, ZUN. She is a human, but she is an extraordinary one and this bothers her less than it did before.
Appearance:
http://i.imgur.com/gavJVoX.png - Sakuya as she appears in Double Dealing Character
Abilities:
Knife Proficiency: Sakuya has excellent range and accuracy with throwing knives. Her knives of choice are made of silver and she can throw accurately at anything within a range of 20 ken (which is about 36 meters). Her knife proficiency also means that she's an excellent cook. She has the ability to conjure knives out of nowhere, which is speculated to be related to the fact that she carries an immense amount of silver and can stop time. (Whether she makes them in the period she stops time or simply recollects the one she uses is a matter of debate.)
Manipulation of Time & Space: Sakuya has a near limitless ability to manipulate time and space. She is deeply attuned to the flow of time and space and is hyperaware of the passing of time as result. She can speed up time, slow it down and stop it all together. In the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she is the only maid who does any housework. She stops time in order to do all the cooking, cleaning and maintenance herself because otherwise she wouldn't be able to get it done as a solitary person. It is also said that she expanded the size of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, which was already an expansive place, to at least double its size. She is unable to reverse events that have already occurred nor is she able to collapse space very easily. She cannot reverse states - i.e. she cannot for example, make a broken pot return back to the state it was originally.
I understand that this makes her a pretty game breaking character, so her limitations will be modelled around the card system and how her character works mechanically in the games. The Card System is a "stock" of moves and abilities that each character has access to at any given time. In the story, it serves as a leveller between characters so that it becomes a mental battle rather than one of sheer power or strength and to prevent bloodshed. Realistically, a character has access to all the moves in their pool in any given time, but are bound by the Spell Card contract when fighting other characters.
( http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Spell_card for an explanation of the card system and http://hisouten.koumakan.jp/wiki/Izayoi_Sakuya#Special_Moves for the pool of cards cards in question. )
The difference between Skill Cards and Spell Cards is that skill cards can be used by the character in question without too many penalties. Anything that counts as an attack is a skill card, even if it has no magical powers whatsoever. Spell Cards are more powerful moves that require the use of magic or any other supernatural ability.
Skill Cards
Magic Star Sword: She will be able to put at maximum, two knives under the influence of time acceleration. These knives will fly straight in any direction until they run out of momentum or hit an object.
Parallel Brain: Sakuya throws a knife and their after images cause repeated damage. Only two knives will be affected at most, by her ability to copy the space they appear in for a maximum of two knives and four after images.
Propelling Silver: Three knives will orbit around Sakuya, forming a defensive shield around her.
Time Paradox: Sakuya creates an after image of herself, which appears in front of her and acts as a sort of decoy. This will last for around 11 seconds.
Spell Cards
Killing Doll: Sakuya creates the illusion of many knives rushing towards the enemy. Realistically she's only throwing about
Private Square: Sakuya delays time around her in a 10 meter radius, slowing time around her enemies and making them more vulnerable to her attacks.
Sakuya's Special Stopwatch: She will only be able to create one time suspension field at most that traps enemies and renders them immobile, with a range of 2 meters for 11 seconds.
Sakuya's World: This stops time completely will only happen for a maximum of 11 seconds and in a 10 meter range around her.
I'm very happy to work with any other suggested limitations and the necessary permissions post will be put up!
Extraordinarily Good Maid: As previously mentioned, she is very good at her job. She is able to prepare tea, cook, clean, set tables and is very well aware at keeping a house in order.
Flight: All Touhou characters can fly. It's never quite explained entirely why, but all battles happen in mid air. Sakuya can levitate in midair and fly without having to use her time powers.
Vampire/Supernatural Hunter: Before she became the maid at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she was a skilled vampire hunter. It is assumed that she has knowledge of the various supernatural entities of Gensokyo and how to eliminate them. She is able to detect vampires and track them. In Double Dealing Character, she can identify the supernatural species of various characters she interacts with and eliminate them with ease.
BONUS OPTIONAL SECTION:
Opt-in?: No
What the character is going to lose: N/A
Why you picked it: N/A
▸SAMPLES:
First Person:
Good afternoon.
[ Sakuya clears her throat gently and bows to the camera. ]
I understand that this a most unfortunate situation that we have found ourselves in.
[ It is the understatement of the century, of course. But it felt rude to address the fact that the land was barren and inhospitable in a lot of places. Sakuya had scoped out the settlement that she found herself and found herself disappointed. There was nothing more than some rudimentary supplies and primitive buildings. She missed the Scarlet Devil Mansion already. ]
My name is Sakuya Izayoi and I am relatively new to this place. As such, I wish to enquire from those who are more familiar with these foreign surroundings.
[ There's a pause as Sakuya contemplates the order which to ask these things. As much as she missed the mansion, she is glad that she is the one here - rather than Remilia. ]
It seems as if there is a distinct lack of floral life in the landscape. This fact is highly disappointing, as I am skilled in the art of making teas from such leaves and flowers. While it may seem luxurious to make such a request, the medicinal properties of such beverages are not to be sniffed at.
[ And she means it. She enjoys making teas rather than drinking them, but she has never turned down a cup of tea that she has been offered. ]
I have acquired a small amount of water and for those of you who are able to assist me in my pursuit of such floral material, I would be very happy to share the resulting tea.
I eagerly await your response.
[ With one more bow, lower this time - Sakuya ends the feed. ]
Third Person:
Sakuya is the only person in the Scarlet Devil Mansion that does any work towards its upkeep. The Fairy Maids were useless in doing anything more than the simplest and most mundane of tasks. Not as if she minds though. Remilia knows that it is her who does it.
She wakes up from her bed every morning, brushes her hair and dons her maid uniform. She makes sure that her skirt is straight and her apron is starched before proceeding to the kitchen.
Swinging the door open, Sakuya frowns when she notices that the kitchen is a mess and was not in the pristine condition that she had left it the night before when she retired. Bowls and plates were everywhere, along with copious amounts of chocolate and flour. That narrowed the list of people considerably to one Patchouli Knowledge, as she was the only one who ate human food.
She does not grumble or complain, but instead looks at the clock. The steady ticking stops and she can feel time grinding to a halt. If she doesn't clean this up, then Remilia would not get her breakfast and tea in time.
Sakuya quickly gathers the strewn cutlery and crockery and cleans them. She puts them away in their correct places, before wiping down all the surfaces until they were gleaming. She glances back to the clock again and finds it still stopped. This was good. She would say she was getting faster at this, but she could never time herself. Or rather, she was a little scared to.
She quickly dismisses these thoughts as she relaxes and she can hear the ticking of the clock once again. Now she can prepare Remilia's breakfast and tea in a clean kitchen.