Saint-Germain (
alchepistol) wrote in
rosavelle2026-01-03 06:04 pm
Saint-Germain January Catch-all ⚜️ OTA
WHO ⚜️ Saint-Germain and YOU
WHEN ⚜️ Throughout January
WHERE ⚜️ All over Rosavelle! One prompt to meet fellow Hydrangeas.
WHAT ⚜️ Bloomcraft practice, quests, and a break gone pear-shaped.
WARNINGS ⚜️ She visits the hot springs, so nudity. Fanservice in general, actually! SYMPHOGEAH.
WHEN ⚜️ Throughout January
WHERE ⚜️ All over Rosavelle! One prompt to meet fellow Hydrangeas.
WHAT ⚜️ Bloomcraft practice, quests, and a break gone pear-shaped.
WARNINGS ⚜️ She visits the hot springs, so nudity. Fanservice in general, actually! SYMPHOGEAH.

Stitch-Germain ⚜️ Hydrangea Dorms ⚜️ Imprintwork
[ Word of Budwake has reached Saint-Germain. While she doesn't disdain manual labor, secret laboratories and glittering courts have historically been more her milieu. Yet if she doesn't give back to Rosavelle as its denizens do, she can't consider herself worthy of drawing on the Everbloom's power. Thus, she has begun to prepare.
It's a good opportunity, she figures, to experiment with Imprintwork. If she begins practicing now, perhaps by Budwake she can chill-proof practical objects like gloves, hats, and scarves. For now, she's obtained a few pairs of simple cotton gloves on which to practice, and has settled in one of the common areas - better lighting - with a mug of tea and a sewing kit.
She takes a deep breath. Remembers all she's read and learned from others. This world, her ideal, remains humbling - but she won't let down that ideal, or those who have served as the foundations of her progress, now. ]
Here I go, Tachibana Hibiki.
[ Her needle pierces the cloth, and her brows furrow as she channels the concept of Warmth. Gloves that maintain an optimal human body temperature. That protect the wearer from frostbite, from oppressive stiffness and pain. And to aid in her visualization, she'll embroider a pattern that incorporates the alchemical symbol for fire.....
She feels the magic catch, a thrill down the thread and a tug, and heartened, she presses on. The work absorbs her full concentration.
So much so that she doesn't realize her bathrobe has begun to slip. Or that certain other aspects of her anatomy are resting loosely on the table. ]
Re: Stitch-Germain ⚜️ Hydrangea Dorms ⚜️ Imprintwork
Her eyes take in everything happening in front of her. The careful, precise movements of the needle. Saint-Germain's focus, evident not only in the intensity of her stare but in how completely unaware she seems of what she's started displaying. The symbol she's embroidering, which Tsukasa doesn't quite know the meaning of but which she's reasonably sure she's seen Tenne use at some point. Her mind goes over it all... and does nothing in particular with most of it.]
Oh, Saint-Germain! Were you interested in embroidery?
no subject
She leans back slightly in her chair to better face her new companion. ]
In Imprintwork. To prepare for Budwake.
[ With the shift of her position, her robe slides further. An entire shoulder is exposed. Gasp. ]
no subject
I see! I understand exactly what you're planning.
saint-germain gets stupider around stupid people. it's a proven phenomenon
[ Can it be -
she knows alchemic imagery?! ]
this game is going to make her brain evaporate entirely
per the hot springs, she's already there
.......... ]
What?
no subject
A prospective employer, then.
Study-Germain ⚜️ Hearthsong Salon ⚜️ Bibliomancy
So she surveys the salon, locates a "visiting noble" who doesn't look preoccupied, and approaches. Book and fancy pen in hand, she asks them: ]
I'm doing a Bloomcraft experiment. Will you participate?
[ She holds out the book, which turns out to be an embossed leather-bound journal. ] It shouldn't be difficult or dangerous.
no subject
I have time.
[ They all seem to have much of that, really. ]
How am I to lend assistance?
no subject
Here is a page of text.
[ She flips to the pages in question, passing him the book. ] Approximately half the sentences were written using memory-enhancement Bibliomancy. In the interests of an unbiased experiment, I won't say which.
[ Now, here is the pen. ]
Read the page, then write down as much of it as you recall on a fresh sheet.
All right?
no subject
[ Dainsleif's brows raise in mild surprise. A memory-enhancement Bibliomancy...he didn't expect that.
A part of him feels reluctant it is something like that for a myriad reasons, while another part of him does have a desire for giving this a try for just as many of them, if not more. His expression seems also to read like he is considering the matter closely.
...But, ultimately, Dainsleif wants to give it a try, allowing a sigh to escape him as he takes the pen after having taken the book. ]
Very well...we shall see the results.
[ Dainsleif then begins to read the page, and then prepares to write down everything he can manage afterwards. ]
don't mind me while i link academia.edu in a frickin tag. also up to you if her bibliomancy works!
She'll wait patiently while her volunteer performs her experiment. The text itself is nothing if not arcane - she'd written out an alchemic recipe, except she'd used Decknamen and other common obfuscating shorthand. Now that he's following her instructions, though, she can think of several ways she could have improved this process....she doesn't know, for example, whether his memory is typically sharp or poor......an uncontrolled variable.....
Well. One experiment does not a theory prove or disprove. She can modify her procedure later. First it remains to see how things go, whether certain passages stick in his brain more than others, and whether those are the ones into which she'd poured her will. ]
that is fine!
It is something he has accepted long ago. Yet, it does not mean it was an easy one - it does not mean his feelings towards it were static and he did not wish for things to be different. Although, the degree of the curse is something to be reckoned with...but, left up to fate (or perhaps a high roll of the dice), the magic does take.
So, he flips to a fresh sheet if there is one in the book she has written, or he will simply take out a paper of his own, and begin to write from memory alone.
Although his memory retention on normal matters is perhaps fine enough when it does not come to past events, it does help wherever is peppered in with the memory enhancement that the words written after are done with initial clarity than before. And, of course, generally the effects linger, so even if there were words written towards the end without the magic, they will make their appearance regardless. So, all in all, it is a stark 90% accuracy rate.
He looks at her afterwards. ]
I have finished. You may evaluate the results.
Although, what made you decide to choose memory first? Was it merely what instinctually first came to mind for the experiment?
no subject
It was simple, unlikely to have ill side-effects, and potentially of benefit. Additionally, the philosophical concept of "remembrance" is tied deeply to the written word, which exists so knowledge may be preserved and transferred, so it seemed likely to take well.
[ The more you know!
She finishes her review. ]
Promising results. Thank you. The effects should last about an hour, so please take care.
[ Don't go doing anything likely to give you nightmares while you have an enhanced memory, etc. Though she can't imagine what such an activity would look like in Rosavelle. ]
no subject
...I see. It seems you are well-learned.
[ But, he also figures that there isn't much he is going to get up to that would wind up with him doing the opposite, so... ]
As for myself, there is no need to be concerned. It isn't as if I'm bound for anywhere else within the hour.
no subject
If ever I can assist you, ask any time. The more we help each other, the stronger the magic.
[ Plus, she has to admit....Saint-Germain finds she likes this element of Rosavelle, this seeking small ways to be of service to her fellow guests (or natives). After a thousand years dirtying her hands to build towards a Great Work, of causing pain in the moment for a brighter tomorrow, there's something rather reassuring about finally being able to help someone.
At its core, perhaps her desire to free mankind of control is nothing but that. ]
no subject
...Admittedly, I was working towards making my own efforts on improving some Bibliomancy Bloomcraft of my own.
[ As such, Dainsleif supposes if Saint-Germain is making such a clear offer, he feels that there is merit in bringing up a relative subject, while keeping in mind to perhaps circle back around to something related to what he had copied down, in a bit. Either way, it is a simple matter all the way through - at least, that is how he sees it. ]
I assume you may be ready to lend aid in this regard, then.
Sprite-Germain ⚜️ Menthward ⚜️ Infusery/Cinnamon Challenge Quest
[ There are sprites in Saint-Germain's hair.
There are also sprites atop Saint-Germain's head, hovering around Saint-Germain's body, and threatening to trip up Saint-Germain's feet. She knew about those. They'd made their presence known shortly after she'd sampled a certain cinnamon while gathering ingredients to try Infusery. And the locals' reaction of "oh no, not you too!" has alerted her this is a pattern.
So be it. As she'd already been afflicted, Saint-Germain has offered to lure the sprites out of town, then see whether she can dismantle the side-effect. But she was not- not expecting - ]
Where do you think you're going---?!
[ THEY'RE CLIMBING UP THE INSIDE OF HER CURLS WHAT ON EARTH ]
Shell-Germain ⚜️ Marelys Beach ⚜️ Frost Crabs
[ Thus spake Saint-Germain, standing on the beach at night. She focuses, looking and listening for crabs - the glint of their ill-gotten gains gives them away. Three, four - Seven. More than manageable. And rather than everyone stay up late, or risk their health in the cold with their nets and lanterns.....
She proceeds to draw, uh. A gun.
THIS IS PROBABLY FINE. ]
Soak-Germain ⚜️ Marelys Hot Springs ⚜️ F/F for shippy stuff
It's fascinating. This mist, in its swirl of shifting hues, is a natural phenomenon....? A symptom of the Everbloom's magic, perhaps?
And this warmth, as well....it's comforting. Relaxing. She feels so light....Is this, too, liberation? ]
Ehehe. Ehe.
[ Wait. Did she just.
Did she just giggle?
Saint-Germain presses a hand to her mouth, glancing about to see whether anyone else heard. Come to think of it, there is someone here.....How unbecoming.....
And yet, how diverting. Her shoulders shake with suppressed laughter, sending the water sloshing against her nude body. She can't remember the last time she laughed, let alone - she's not someone who giggles. What is this, bubbling up from within her? ]
I beg your....Ehehehe. Ehehe. Ehe - your pardon.......hehehehee.
[ Oh, this is too funny. She's an ageless alchemist but she sounds like a schoolgirl! In front of someone for whom she is struck with an instant wave of deep, sentimental fondness, no less! What an absurd situation!
How can she help but laugh? ]
throws a horse into the water
Well. Almost peaceful. Saint-Germain's case of the giggles breaks her out of whatever train of thought she was on. Gold Ship cracks open an eye to watch as the usually Very Serious Very Distant folkloric alchemist starts to resemble a college gal. ]
Don't sweat it Germa. [ Casually throwing a nickname at the wall as she flips some of her hair over her shoulder. Without her headgear Gold Ship's gray-white mane is kind of All Over the place. ] S'good ta see ya loosen up.
but can you make it drink
[ That sets off another giggle fit, as does the discovery that yes, Gold Ship does only have the one pair of ears, and it's the horse ones. For some reason Saint-Germain finds that incredibly charming. New knowledge is fascinating! ]
No one's called me a different name in -
[ She does the math, or rather, she has this number in easy recall. Saint-Germain is good at keeping track of quantities, and 1431 was a Bad Time. ]
- six hundred thirteen years.
possibly but only after being through the desert on one with no name
[ Don't mind her as she does some math in her head, her ears twitching rapidly as she does so. ]
S'like, the early fourteen hundreds where I'm from...
[ Which even for someone who's more Trivia Buff than straight up History Buff is uh... not... a great time. At all. Gold Ship bites her lip as she glances at Saint-Germain. ]
You've been through a lot, huh?
just be careful not to look it in the mouth
[ In Rosavelle, in this bath......In a world where at last, humanity isn't trying to oppress each other or monopolize power, a world where no one is treated like a thing.... ]
It feels so far away. Hehe.
[ She closes her eyes. In front of Gold Ship.
Yeah, she is lost in the sauce. ]
cant think of another horse saying so; you'll be fine as long as you're not a boeing engineer
[ Well hey if Saint-Germain is gonna get lost in it, it being the sauce, Gold Ship sees no reason not to follow the example! Her own eyes close as she folds her hands behind her head. ]
S'more like a storybook than an isekai manga. A gal could get used ta this place if she wanted to, ya know?
she's just happy she didn't get stabbed-germain;
That brought her to Saint-Germain, who... yeah, there's everything else, but. She trusts her implicitly, after their earlier conversation, and she can more than hold her own, if she's willing to go back and fight her boss after all this. She'd been planning to ask for advice, but she'd gone further and actually trained her. Which was great! Ena feels... well, still like she's a novice with a sword, but at least like she can hold her own for ten seconds, and that's a hell of a lot more than she could say before.
But she's sore as hell after all that, which led to the current situation: they'd trained at the hot springs in Marelys, and now they're following their strenuous workout with a dip. Which she'd been meaning to do anyway, but... what is time? So now that she's got an excuse and an aching body, she follows Saint-Germain into the springs, pleasantly empty at the moment other than them. There's a moment where she's a little self-conscious about going in with the older woman, but she recognizes that she's also training to fight in a "sport" in which you cut your opponents' clothes off? So that might. Be a little hypocritical of her? But more importantly, she's going into a bathhouse, it's fine, right? She hears Saint-Germain as she sets her towel down, raising an eyebrow, and wondering if she missed some kind of charm point.]
At least it's comfortable, yeah? Ahaha... I'm glad for that. I need it, right now.
[...odd. But she slips her way into the glimmering water anyway, and sighs in bliss as her muscles - and still-healing hand - hit the heat and protest a little less.]
Hee... yep. Definitely needed this.
no subject
[ How gracious. But then, Ena is a kind girl. Saint-Germain hopes she's been able to repay that kindness in some small way, today. ]
There are stretches for stiffness in the exercises I wrote for you. I tried Bibliomancy - ehehee! [ what an enjoyable word, somehow, to pronounce. strange phenomenon ] - to make them easy to read.....
[ Her grin for Ena is so soft. ]
If they help, nothing could make me happier.
Spar-Germain ⚜️ Practice Room ⚜️ Proper Instruction Quest
And deeply unaware of the implications about what might get cut instead.
She's found herself an opponent and a room for sparring ("it's soundproof, don't worry!" the servant who'd shown her the way had told her......why? Why is that important?). She's dressed in a ruffled blouse, high-waisted pants with a corset-like belt, and trousers - all clothes that should lend themselves to ease of movement. Her hair is bundled back into a ponytail, to keep it out of her eyes.
As for her weapon, the closest Earth approximation would be a sabre. Saint-Germain's weapons training has been more practical than artistic. She is someone used to slashing with a weapon of some heft. ]
To ensure a proper test, I'm giving this my all.
[ She salutes her opponent with her blade. ]
Don't hold back.
no subject
[Which is how he's found himself in the chamber of one Saint-Germain.]
[He's clad in his usual attire: Shin-high boots, khaki slacks, a sleeveless black undershirt, and a sleeveless sky blue coat trimmed to his physique. At 6'4" Darin's rather big looking, and the ease at which he handles one of the swords denotes someone who has spent as much time practicing the blade as he has forging them.]
[Still, his stance is...lazy. Like he's not taking this seriously.]
Whoa, hey...are you sure? I mean, we just met. You don't really even know what I can do.
[He gives Saint-Germain a smug, almost arrogant grin.]
Maybe start with introductions first?
no subject
[ This is Rosavelle. Saint-Germain may consider sparring at 100% to be a form of respect, but some level of socializing is expected in this culture. She mustn't be lax.
Still, though, that relaxed stance....This man has experience, clearly, but he isn't concerned about this bout. Supreme confidence in himself? In the fact the weapons can't cause harm? Perhaps both. ]
I am Saint-Germain.
[ Saint-Germain is perhaps not very good at "some level of socializing." ]
no subject
[Darin shifts his weight casually, giving the sword a few swipes to check the balance.]
Well, either way, the name's Darin. Darin Altway, Master Blacksmith and Second Hammer of Belsaid's Blacksmith. I didn't make these blades but I'll be damned if I wasn't impressed by them. Though, I still don't think I should go all out.
no subject
[ What? ]
How much force you use is at your discretion, but if it assuages your concerns, my body has been alchemically perfected. Its resilience is high.
[ She isn't about to goad him to "do his worst" or anything if he doesn't wish to - not when she doesn't know what that looks like, as he's pointed out. If he were from her world, she would guess he might be overestimating himself; very few people there can overpower her. Yet he's from another world, so she can't assume anything. ]
no subject
[Hoo boy. Okay. So she's one of those 'hyper-literal' types. Wait what was that about her body?]
Wait, 'alchemically perfected?' You were constructed?
[Darin's far more interested in what she means by that than the duel itself. He steps in lazily and swats at her blade whether it's at the ready or not. He's clearly not taking this seriously.]
cw geah is Weird about gender. fortunately, this ends up absolutely shattering some eggs
[ Rapid healing. High defenses. Eternal youth.
.....Female form, but she had that to begin with and never remembers to include that bit even when offering the process to her comrades. They don't, ah, seem to have minded, at least. ]
For the sake of immortality to pursue my great ideal.
no subject
Wait, you're immortal?!?!
Holy crap, doesn't that suck?!
no subject
This is the exact opposite of how every alchemist she's ever met has reacted. ]
I needed the time. Any downsides are an acceptable sacrifice.
[ What she's not saying: it DOES suck. ]no subject
[Darin has only known Saint-Germain for five minutes etc etc. At least this has sparked a bit of a fire in him and he lunges forward with his saber with a piercing strike aimed at her sword arm.]
What could possibly be worth that?!
no subject
Saint-Germain brings up her own sword to parry, hoping to slide down his blade and disengage. He has the advantage of surprise, though, so even if she blocks he's going to pierce her sleeve.
As her verbal riposte, she retorts: ]
The liberation of mankind from all control!
[ Aaaand shoving off to try and get in a strike of her own. ]
no subject
[Germain's blade catches across his coat and slices it open cleanly. It shears off a fair amount of fabric, leaving him in what amounts to a half-vest, exposing his black undershirt that's practically painted onto his muscled body. Darin pursues, slicing diagonally from Saint-Germain's right shoulder to left hip.]
And you're telling me you were the only one who could have solved that? And control from who?!
no subject
It seems Corrin's opponent understands the assignment, so she returns the blade salute and grins. "Good. These tests are more fun when we go all the way. My name is Corrin; it'll be my pleasure to duel you today."
She's also dressed in clothes to facilitate movement (at least as long as possible) with a billowy button up shirt and trousers, tied at the waist with a sash. Her underarmour, a black, strapless one-piece serves as her final defence once the outer layers have been cut away. No shoes, though, or socks. She's toes out for this fight.
Once out of the salute, she drops into her ready position. "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Prepare yourself!"
She darts forward with great speed, looking for a few choice thrusts. She's had enough of these duels now to know how she likes to fight, and that's in a word, "methodically". A few well-placed cuts to relieve her opponent of one of her sleeves. To start.
no subject
Saint-Germain doesn't have time to finish the thought; her opponent is of like mind when it comes to bout intensity. The girl is fast, and while Saint-Germain jumps to the side, the blade still snags and rips her loose sleeve. Yet she uses that split second to swing in with a cut of her own, hoping to open a shallow slice across her opponent's side while Corrin's blade arm is preoccupied with the fabric.
The test is "do these weapons draw blood". So, let's choose a large target.
no subject
This is proven when Corrin immediately twists around and goes on the attack again. She didn't quite make out what Saint-Germain said, but she did hear "choose a large target". Okay, well, she can do that. If her opponent wants to see results, Corrin can give her results.
It's a diagonal downward slash, aimed directly at cutting that belt of hers in twain, and taking a good chunk out of the trousers with it if she can. That should be a "large enough area" to satisfy Saint-Germain's curiosity.
She puts all her power into the strike with no thought of holding anything back for defense; that's not the point, after all. The point is to test the blades' capability to cut clothing. You won't get satisfactory results by playing it safe!
no subject
Her belt falls to the ground and a good swath of her pants now dangles uselessly, exposing one ample hip (and a pair of rather plain black panties.) Yet Saint-Germain's not bleeding. There isn't even a mark on her skin. The blades work!
"I was remiss," she admits, understanding Corrin's no-defense tactics now, and setting up a series of rapid-fire strikes aimed at the woman's core - her goal is to dislodge enough fabric to hopefully trip the opponent. "We neglected to decide how to determine a victor."
no subject
"Oh, when you said not to hold back, I assumed we were taking this all the way." She replies conversationally. "But if it's more comfortable for you, shall we say the first down to their smallclothes is the loser?"
That's probably a normal sentence that will make total sense to Saint-Germain.