| “ | You're as dull as ever, child. | ” |
Veronica de Sade (ベロニカ・ド・サド, Beronika do Sado) is a character from Jun Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas. She is the second child of the House de Sade, thus granddaughter to "The Shapeless One," younger sister to Antoine, and elder sister to Dominique and Louis. As a prominent member of the House de Sade, Veronica boasts a high status, serving the Vampire Queen directly as a Beastia. She also has a close physical, supposedly "casual" relationship with Marquis Machina.
This article contains plot and/or ending details for The Case Study of Vanitas.
Read at your own risk.
Appearance[]
Veronica takes the appearance of a pale, silver haired young woman, though the story's timeline suggests she is older than she appears. She has a very feminine figure, with a large bust and hips and small waist. Her face is long, beautiful, and mature, with a small pointed chin, a small nose, large lips, thin eyebrows and angular eyes with especially long lashes. Unique to her design, her pupils are shaped like crosses. Though Veronica is of European descent, her design draws from Japanese aesthetics. Her hair is cut in a hime style, with check-length side bangs and a straight cut frontal fringe. It is also exceptionally long, cut straight and going down to her thighs.
In her first appearance during the Bal Masqué, she wears a costume inspired by Japanese dress and mythology, though historically and culturally inaccurate. Her outfit is styled after a lightly colored furisode, patterned with clouds and plants. She has a multi-textile obi tied just beneath her bust. Unlike legitimate kimono, Veronica's clothing rests pasts her shoulders and exposes cleavage, as well as having an obi that is tied in the front. In addition, the lower half of her dress takes a mermaid style and has frills at its split and ends. Her outfit seems to be inspired by myths of kitsune, suggested by her mask, which was black and painted to resemble fox masks traditionally worn in Japan, and by the presence of several fluffy "tails" at the back of her dress. Other accessories to this outfit were a flower hairpin, a rope-like necklace with a tassel, and a black fan.
Later, while speaking to Dominique in their home, she wears only a pale bath robe with loose sleeves. This robe was secured with a belt at the waist, but Veronica showed no concern for properly covering herself. As such, the robe's shoulders sat on her forearms, exposing her cleavage. When sitting down and crossing her legs, the split along Veronica's robe would expose her thigh. She smoked from a long pipe resembling a kiseru.
Personality[]
Veronica appears to have an extreme misandry, hating men in a general sense and often speaking of them in disgust. Even more, Veronica also appears to hate humans, having found the fact that Vanitas was a male and a human utterly detestable. In terms of personality, Veronica seems to have a particular liking toward torture, which is evident by the collar Dominique had obtained from her and the iron maiden and wheel of death present among numerous other torture devices in the De Sade booth at the Machina estate. This, alongside her intent to kill without a second thought, suggests that Veronica is a rather cold and malicious individual.
Plot[]
Bal Masqué Arc[]
Having attended Marquis Machina's Bal Masqué, Veronica de Sade suddenly hears the party turn into an uproar as the Vampires in attendance demand the head of Vanitas. The crowd then falls silent as Veronica pushes her way through the crowd, explaining that she was wondering what all the fuss was about, questioning what a human was doing in Altus - and not only a human, but a man - with Veronica claiming that the stench of a human is so strong that her nose may just drop off.
Veronica then calls upon Marquis Machina - the host of the Bal Masqué - demanding that he dispose of Vanitas. When Machina objects, being fascinated by Vanitas and wanting to study him further, Veronica takes it upon herself to dispose of him and readies herself for the attack. Unexpectedly, a sword flies through the air and cuts through the cord holding up the chandelier, sending it and Vanitas plummeting to the ground. However, upon impact the Vampires find that Vanitas has disappeared. Veronica asks Machina about what she'd just seen, with Machina confirming that someone had snatched Vanitas away in the blink of an eye. Intrigued, Veronica rallies the Vampires together, noting that Vanitas is still lurking somewhere and initializing a human hunt in order to make like their predecessors and destroy the human that would otherwise do them harm; much to Marquis Machina's chagrin.
As Veronica organizes the hunting party, a vile and eerie arrangement of music begins to resound throughout the ballroom, making many of the Vampires in attendance fall ill within moments of hearing the melody. Just then, all the unwell Vampires become violent and begin attacking the other Vampires in attendance, revealing themselves to be Curse-Bearers, much to Veronica's surprise. In the meantime, Veronica and Marquis Machina leave the scene - with Veronica asking if the Curse-Bearers' voices had something to do with this, while Machina reviews how troublesome the situation has become.
Veronica later comes across Dominique fighting alongside Vanitas and Noé Archiviste. Upon noticing Veronica, Dominique hurries the two along to save the final Curse-Bearer before Veronica can intervene. Veronica then confronts her younger sister, asking what she was doing with "the human male", earning a casual greeting from Dominique.
Some time after, Veronica sparring with Dominique and incapacitated her, binding and hanged Dominique on the ceiling. Then, Veronica searching found Noe and Vanitas. Pleased to have them in her sights, Veronica attacks Noé and Vanitas with her power to conjure and control ice.
Powers and Abilities[]
See also: Vampires
- Cryokinesis - Veronica possesses the ability to alter formulae slightly, allowing her to conjure and control ice, which she is shown shaping into spiked pillars, as well as levitating blocks of ice, and freezing individuals.
- Eyes - Veronica is described as having "exceptional eyes," which allow her to "see" and edit the World Formula with extreme proficiency even while having limited vision.
Relationships[]
Dominique de Sade[]
Veronica sees Dominique as the family failure, and is always entertained by Dominique’s lack of knowledge about the family and squeamishness when it comes to romance. She is often verbally abusive towards Domi and was a contributor to Dominique’s decision to try to become Louis, yet was shown to be surprised when she witnesses Domi's despaired act of cutting off her hair.
Vanitas[]
Being a human, and a man no less, Veronica detests Vanitas and attacks him for intruding in the Bal Masqué. To eliminate him, she orders a human hunt. Vanitas holds a similar scorn for Veronica and taunts her.
August Ruthven[]
Veronica dislikes Ruthven, glaring at him when he interrupts her human hunt and calling him an “eyesore” when speaking with Domi. Despite this, she seems to respect his power— she immediately stops attacking Vanitas and calms down when he splits her mask.
Marquis Machina[]
Veronica and Marquis Machina have a casual relationship involving sex and drinking each other’s blood. Veronica, when asked by Domi, describes their time together as a fling.
Antoine de Sade[]
Antoine and Veronica seem to get along well, despite not spending much time together.
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
- “What a stench. The stink of humans is so strong I think my nose may drop off.”[1]
- “Aaaah… The stench, the stench, the stench!!! It stinks of men. Stinks of humans. This could not possibly be worse!!”[2]
- “‘The Congress does not move but dances’!”[3]
- “Don’t be a little fool. Beg for the life of a Bourreau? Would you drag the name of the House de Sade through the mud!?”[3]
- “If the choice had gone the other way, do you suppose he would have lived up to our expectations better than you do??”[4]
Appearances[]
- Mémoire 6: Altus — Other World (Mentioned only)
- Mémoire 7: Bal Masqué — Night of Sneering Masks (Mentioned only)
- Mémoire 8: Louis — Sinking in a Pool Of Blood (First Appearance)
- Mémoire 10: Salvatio — Uncertainty
- Mémoire 11: Deux Ombres — Point of Departure
- Mémoire 12: Pause 𝄻*
- Mémoire 13: Glissando — Glissando (Mentioned only)
- Mémoire 15: Chasseur — Those Who Hunt Crimson*
- Entracte: Chambre d'enfants — A Dream of the Sound of Rain (Mentioned only)
- Mémoire 20: Serment — Promise (Part One) (Mentioned only)
- Mémoire 38: Naenia — She Who Harbors Death (Part One)
- Mémoire 43: Encens Restant — Lingering Scent of the Dream
- Mémoire 45: Mal d'Amour — The Incurable Illness (Part Two)*
- Mémoire 46: Un Autre — Scar*
- Mémoire 54.5: La nuit sans lune — Dark Night (Part Two) (Mentioned only)
- Entracte: Couche — On Clothing (Mentioned only)
- Mémoire 61.5: Jeu de paume — Court Tennis (Part Two)*
- Mémoire 4: Bal masqué -Night of Mocking Masks- (First Appearance)
- Mémoire 6: Salvatio -Questions-
- Mémoire 17: Vengeance -Hands Upon a Nightmare-
- Mémoire 21: Un Autre -Scars-*
(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.
Trivia[]
- "Veronica" is the Latin form of the Greek name "Berenice," which means "she who brings victory." It may also derive from the Latin "vera" (true) and the Greek "eikon" (image).[5]
- The de Sades are inspired by the real life Marquis de Sade,[6] He was a French historical figure infamous for his philosophical influence on sexuality and eroticism, to the point where the term "sadism" has been directly derived from his name and his writings.
- Veronica is the first character in Jun Mochizuki's works to be confirmed as a lesbian.
- In Mémoire 12: Pause, Dominique says to Jeanne "'Acts of pleasure are the passion to which all others are subordinate.' I'm quoting my father." This is one possible translation of a quote attributed to the real life Marquis de Sade, usually translated as, "Sexual pleasure is, I agree, a passion to which all others are subordinate but in which they all unite." This confirms the fictional head of the de Sade family to be directly based on the Marquis de Sade.
- In her first appearance, Veronica dons an outfit inspired by Japanese culture through her kimono and hand-fan, her outfit inspired by the kitsune - a Japanese trickster spirit often appearing as a nine-tailed fox.