rosavelle | Bulat January Catch-All

[ Bulat's never been much for duels - he doesn't like to get in the habit of holding back against an opponent on his level. If he's fighting with live steel, it's a fight to the finish. However, this isn't something he'll need to hold back for - if all goes well, that is! Going all out against a skilled opponent without dicing them to pieces in the process sounds, well, fun! He likes to think that he's good enough to redirect if the enchantments fail, and the whole thing sounds like a benefit to society.

This is all without touching on the fact that he likes showing off in many respects, and would in fact be glad to carry out this experiment with an audience. He would absolutely invite others to watch; he's got nothing to hide in this respect!

Pacing over to the center of the training room, he casually tests the edge of the blade against his thumb, to absolutely no result, and then against the cuff of his jacket. A sliver of leather flutters to the floor. He turns on his heel, a fierce grin spreading over his face. ]

Well? Think you're good enough to find out if the carpet matches the drapes?

[ The ratio of seductive heat to friendly teasing in his tone varies wildly depending on who he's talking to, but the excitement is consistent. ]

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I don't think you're that good.

[ This isn't a formal dueling stance he's in. This is the stance of a guy waiting for someone to come within lunging range so he can hit them with a sword. The difference is subtle yet distinct. ]

[ Bulat's a big fan of hot springs, especially if he can convince someone else to join him for social bonding. He could have done so in this case, or could have crossed paths with another advisor by coincidence. Going the extra mile for a private bath is a rare occurrence; he likes the communal aspect of the larger open springs.

The color in the steam is new, and something that would have sent him vaulting over the walls as-is at home. Here, he has some Meramancy under his belt, and writes it off as a fun effect Roselight's trying out. The pale blue mist swirls around his upper body as he settles in. ]

Ahhh... I liked the one we had up in the mountains better, but this has some advantages. The girls outnumbered the guys in my group, so they'd always get first dibs getting to clean up after missions.

[ He's normally not inclined to be chatty about Night Raid and their operations, but he's feeling relaxed and nostalgic. He might even let something about his actual profession slip. ]

[Even separated as they are by the rocky outcropping meant to cordon off the men and women's sections of the bath, there's still a kind of nostalgic vibe for her. It reminds her of going to the bath houses in Tokyo with the Agents of Atlas, and it also makes her feel a bit more inclined to share. Bulat's a nice dude, and they do share a house, after all.]

Yeah, I can relate. The group I used to work with was kinda similar. We'd do big group onsen trips after work pretty regularly.

What'd you do for work? I don't think I've ever asked.

[ Cindy might be a reporter, but where's she going to write about anything he says? Public knowledge has him as a visiting noble from the Vanishing Isles. Bulat lounges peacefully with his back against the rocks. ]

Hm. You could call it problem solving outside the bounds of usual authority. Yours?

[Within the pages of Threads and Menaces, of course! Whenever she gets that going. But the stories of people here aren't really hers to tell the world.]

Oh, that's mysterious.

[She laughs and stares up at the sky, enjoying the soak.]

I think I told you I work as a reporter. Just writing about the news. But I've done freelance work that let me travel a lot. Exposing political corruption and underhanded business dealings in Japan, Korea, and China. Our boss, Jimmy, would make sure when we broke a big story we'd a long spa vacation after.

[And by break a big story, she does mean fighting evil ninjas working for corporations or dragons trying to install shadow governments.]

I usually tell people we're hunters, but I've been trying to open up a little more here.

[ Fluffy clouds drift by overhead. ]

Just like yours; we also handle government corruption. We're subtle in some respects, but half of us still have wanted posters plastered all over the capital. Traveling from country to country sounds like a safer bet.

[Though the first time he'd barely felt a thing entering those springs, Archer had arrived with every intent to guard himself and keep up walls all for the sake of relaxing his nerves in the heat. Stark contrasts in temperature were a good shock for the body, after all, and given the rumors he kept hearing of those springs after his first time visiting? He needed to verify if he'd simply passed through with barely any reaction.

The possibility that he'd simply been exceptionally muted at the time hadn't crossed his mind once. Still, he hadn't thought too much on it as he'd come through the changing room, taking a seat so he could rinse himself off. Slung over his shoulder was a tight series of bandages, wrapped in a pattern appropriate for someone who'd suffered a fairly serious injury, though he'd not paid it any mind once he had a water bucket in hand.]

We'll have to see if this yields any better results than the first time. Otherwise, it'll just be a normal soak.

[ Damn, Archer! Not what Bulat expected to draw his eye under that shirt. ]

Even a normal soak is a fine way to spend an afternoon.

[ His pompadour has come down during the preliminary scrub and rinse, so of course he's putting it back up. ]

[ this won't be the last time they cross paths in the hot springs, for sure. Ororon perks up from where he's pillowed his head against his folded arms at the cooler ledge of the spring. his hair is messily tied up, baring all the tattoos that loop and twist in sharp, opposing angles down either side of his spine, forming the impression of wings.

(predictably.)

he's already steaming from the shoulders, and he looks happy about it. or pleased to see Bulat joining in. both! ]

You didn't all go in together?

[ Bulat's taken a seat leaning back opposite, so he can check out the tattoos. Maybe not just the tattoos. ]

Sure didn't. People aren't shy about that kind of thing where you're from, huh?

Hehe.

[ Ororon doesn't appear body shy in the least, which probably does lend to that impression... he even starts to stand up in the water, taking note of Bulat's lingering looks with a quiet little... um. giggle? ]

Do you want to see all of them?

[ for better or not, the repeating patterns of ink do end at the small of the back, and on his chest - just above the navel. underneath the dark ink is pale, unscarred skin - though faintly rosy from the heat. ]

Honestly, Natlanese usually wear swim clothes when we go in big groups... the People of the Springs always have extra on hand. I was never able to visit the hot springs for long, though, so this is nice.

Oh, you know I do!

[ Shamelessly enthusiastic, he drags his eyes over Ororon's form with the appreciation of an artist and also the appreciation of a man (he's checking out his ass). He'd seen them light up clean through his clothing before; but it's impressive seeing how they are on the bare canvas of his body. ]

You had a lot to do back home, huh? It takes time for the heat to spread all through your muscles, [ likely less time for the general you and for Ororon in specific than it does for Bulat ]; a long soak is good for the body and soul!

[ Just because he's not doing much Bloomcraft with it isn't a reason to let his art fall by the wayside. Shading in pencil he can do easy, but shading in paint, thinking about light sources and what that does to color in stages, that's a step up! He's been painting a lot of flowers on rest days. Mostly in the greenhouse, or in the winter gardens. The Tulip barracks acquires a painting of a camellia bush flowering in snow that he's deemed fit for display. But eventually, he's going back to his roots and painting some people.

And how convenient that some people claim to owe him favors! Namely, his partner in the freedom of knowledge, Saint-Germain! In theory, there's some sort of atelier they could be working in, but the greenhouse the Everbloom lives in has good lighting and a lot of background opportunities. It's snowy outside, his subject has white hair, and he does not trust his color blocking ability to that extent. ]

How's your garden plot look these days? If it's flourishing, could be a good background.

There are sprouts. But I've been here less time than most....

[ Still, she can lead him over to show the plot and he can make his own decisions. Her plant has a few withered leaves at the bottom, but new growth has started to form atop it, and there's a handful of sprouts in the nearby earth twirling hopeful tendrils around and towards it.

Most strikingly, her flower has put forth a single, large, healthy blue blossom. Saint-Germain discovers she's slightly self-conscious showing it to someone else, but its presence in her plot is oddly encouraging, too. ]

I'm unsure it suits.

So that's you? Not half bad!

[ It's too early to tell specifics of the other flowers, but sometimes speculation is also a ~bonding activity~ ]

Which one do you think represents our bond of friendship? This one here looks a little more handsome than the others.

Can relationships usually be distinguished....?

[ And yet, if you crouch and peer, there's a tulip poking up very close to the stem of the main hydrangea. Almost like it's trying to give the flower a piggy-back ride.

......Saint-Germain is trying not to look at, or think about, that. ]

[ It's being supportive. Shoring up from below, for the sake of a brighter, more colorful future. ]

Depends on how close they are.

[ He nods at whatever the hell is going on in Akane Tendo's flowerbed. ]

[ Saint-Germain looks at Akane Tendo's Bloom Bonds.

Saint-Germain keeps looking. ]

.......

...........

So it seems.

[ AHEM ]

In any case, this is mine. Will it work?

[ We're here to do a job! She takes that sort of thing quite seriously!

....She takes all sorts of things quite seriously, but that's not the point. ]

Edited 2026-01-09 14:35 (UTC)

You've got one flourishing and more on the way, but that's not a backdrop on its own. Let's go with mine.

[ In contrast, Bulat's is a riot of color and growth. His hydrangeas are all on the same bush - the (heh) garden variety can have different colored flowers on the same plant due to variations in soil pH, and this one is a magic relationship flower so all bets are off. A cluster in a familiar blue shade is supported atop a particularly sturdy branch.

For posterity, the other notable flowers on the bush are a dark red variety with a broody sagging quality to the petals and surrounding leaves, and a pearlescent fluffy white kind. The buds are still unfurling, but there's enough progress to give an impression at what the full-grown flower could be. ]

[ So many, already....And so robust. Yet Saint-Germain can't truly say she's surprised. Bulat has an openness to his demeanor that could easily attract and embrace many kinds of people. His is not a difficult hand to take. He's well-suited for Rosavelle.

So she smiles, in spite of herself, when she looks over his blossoms. ]

A good background.

Right?

[ Saint-Germain at the front, the whole of his heart supporting his friend from behind! Bulat does like taking center stage, but this too, is suitable! ]

It'll look the best with a vibrant action pose!

[ "Vibrant".....? That's not a word Saint-Germain associates with herself, so she hopes she can live up to his expectations. ]

Should I stand some specific way?

[ Arm out? Clenched fist? She's felt her most dynamic when standing atop things giving a speech, but it's unlikely they'll find, say, a mikan box in the Everbloom greenhouse.... ]

[ Everyone is here to discover our best selves, and also to engage in indiscreet romantic entanglements! Not being each other's type, this interaction is focused exclusively on the former. ]

Rosavelle's not big on battle; something fierce but ultimately peaceful... That's it!

Saint-Germain! Do you know what baseball is?

[ Yoojin is one of Bulat's favorite people here, and so of course he's happy to help him out! He's already doing so in the form of a range of acceptably strenuous to outright grueling morning training, so it's no trouble at all to step in and take initiative! Multitask, even!

Of course he has not asked his hapless workout buddy the details of what he actually wants him to do, that would spoil the ~surprise~!

So instead he waits until they're doing laps and Yoojin starts flagging, at which point he manifests an illusory Danger Beast leaping out of the bushes with a snarl. The powerful body of a lion, the curving horns of a goat, three bloodthirsty eyes gleaming red from edge to edge. He put a lot of effort into thinking about the way the fur would hang and the saliva would glisten on the fangs, and his sketchbook has several pages of notes and sketches to that effect. ]

Whoa!

[Yoojin doesn't even stop to see what the hell that snarling blur is before he dives away, rolling when he hits the ground. All he needs to register is big and horns and teeth. When he comes up, it's with a plain, but decent spear materializing in his hands, the kind designed for nothing more complicated than sticking the pointy end forward. Yoojin holds it like he's used to it, though his hands lack the calluses one would expect from a spear user, let alone the muscle to back it up.]

Bulat, on your five!

[Armed, he doesn't keep running. He widens his stance, apparently sizing up the Jackaleo. But at that point his game face wavers, something more like confusion flickering across his features.

As the Twig Is Bent isn't showing him anything.

His gaze flicks to Bulat, then back to the apparent monster. He looks down at where its forepaws should touch the ground.]

[ It's standing perfectly in line with the ground! It isn't even sinking into the snow. More incriminating, Bulat hasn't leapt into action. He's standing there, hand on his hip, watching Yoojin with what started out as calculation and swiftly turned into a stunned intrigue.

He makes himself out to be a weak, fragile guy so often, in this gentle city, it's easy to listen to him on that front, forget that he's used to fighting and surviving. The swing into professionalism isn't a complete shock, but it's surprising enough to be kind of... insanely hot?

Bulat inclines his head, a brief nod. ]

Pretty good. What gave it away?

Something this threatening, this close? You would've sensed it first.

[Seamlessly plausible, and also true. It's just not the actual answer. Still, wow, Bulat's getting really good at this, isn't he? That's a big illusion with a lot of detail packed in, and it moves like the real thing. Yoojin moves the point of his spear to see if the Jackaleo follows it.]

Also, it doesn't register on my magic senses the way a real monster would. [Sorta true, if he considers the Twig skill a sense?] Now that I'm looking, I can see a couple things that aren't quite right, like the way its weight should interact with the ground. That's not something I would've noticed without the magic tip-off, though. I'd've been too busy scrambling to survive. You've done a hell of a job here, dude.

[Admiration and respect.]

What's this guy called?

[ Heh. He would've! Bulat's chest puffs up a bit, although given that this is his usual state, it's hard to notice any increase.

He's checking out Yoojin's spear stance and isn't modifying the creature on the fly to made adjustments. The menacing eyes are fixed on nothing in particular. The sides move and up and down in time with the flaring nostrils. ]

It's a Jackaleo. The extra eye makes them deadly precise at anything they can see in front of the horns, but as a tradeoff, everything else is a huge blind spot. I'm not making it do anything but persist at this point; but it'll react to a few, ah... Let's call them voice commands.

[ He means it's set to react to things he expected might come up organically, such as shouts to run, or watch out. ]

Edited 2026-01-05 18:29 (UTC)

[To a trained elite soldier's eye, Yoojin's stance and grip on his spear all but scream nobody ever bothered to teach me anything! There are no deep principles at play, no understanding of the relation of his body to physics. He doesn't know how to make the most of his footing, reach, or the natural strengths and elasticity of the human form. He learned by watching others, most of whom were like him, civilians before Dungeon Shock and low-rankers after. (Most of them, Yoojin watched die.) Anything else is instinct that simply hasn't killed him yet.

Of course, after five years skulking around dungeons, that isn't nothing. It's just also not, uh, great, considering the amount of trouble Yoojin seems to attract.

Speaking of, Yoojin is too busy studying the Jackaleo to mind Bulat studying him. He drops one hand from the spear and rests it against his shoulder as he walks to one side of the beast, watching the convincing breathing act from different angles.]

Ohhh, so it's like it's pre-programmed? Wow. I didn't know you could do that with Meramancy, I figured it was all live.

[He considers this, then cups his free hand to the side of his mouth.]

Eeeek, no, a monster! Aaaaah! Save meee!

[ Spears are a classic for a reason, in that anyone can figure out the principle of pick it up and jab it forwards. Bulat's palms itch to step in and make some corrections. Setting aside advanced techniques for deflection or rapid-fire offense tactics, at least hold it right!! ]

Pre-programmed, that's a new word for me! [ As far as he's concerned, a program is something written down to tell you what acts in a show happen in what order. Checks out. ] Sounds about right, it's not instinct or training, since there's no brain in this.

[ The Jackaleo is set to respond to screams, of course! It tosses its mane and roars, lionlike. Fortunately, monsters are unreal enough in these parts that the first thing most locals would think is that somebody is practicing Meramancy. ]

Edited 2026-01-06 02:12 (UTC)

Hehehe.

[That's probably not most people's reaction to a roaring Danger Beast, or even a facsimile of one. It's just so cool, he can't help it. Yoojin looks back at Bulat, grinning.]

What do I say to make it come at me? I assume that's one of the things you've set it to do.

[ It's cute, the way he lights up around horrifying monsters. ]

Take that!

[ It shies backwards and swats the air in front of itself, razor claws unsheathing. The way it sways its head back and forth would catch a weapon aimed at its face on the horns. ]

If it lunges forward when you do, it'll give itself away.

[ So naturally, the keyword for aggression is "Run!" ]

Ahh. So, conversely, if I ran away, you'd have it chase me.

[It responds to both their voices, so Bulat can make sure it gets the right cue at the right time even if Yoojin doesn't trigger a command. Clever, clever.

Yoojin looks up to continue admiring Bulat's work, then reaches up to brush his knuckles beneath the beast's intangible chin.]

I have a lot of questions about the magical mechanics of it all, but you created Jackie here to train me with, right?

[He looks back, grinning even wider, eager in spite of the way he'd been losing steam just minutes ago.]

So let's do it! I can ask as we go along.

[ The illusion is magnificently crafted in terms of two major senses. It can't be felt, although Bulat also has some Ideas on that front, and it fortunately can't be smelt, either. ]

Exactly!

[ A hearty thumbs up. He is prepared to be unleashed, to demolish and rebuild everything Yoojin knows about spears from the ground up. ]

Let me see that spear stance again, the guard pose!

Huh? Uh, like this?

[At least he puts it in two hands again. At least he turns sideways to the Jackaleo to present less of a target, and drops his center of gravity so he's harder to knock over.

But yeah, like. This is the guard pose of someone who was right now years old when he learned there's such a thing as "guard pose."]

[ Without the spice of a man ready to fight for his life, this is simply... a mediocre guard pose. Someone who understands the enemy but not the weapon. ]

More like...

[ Bulat grabs Yoojin's hands and arms here and there and makes a few adjustments from behind. Personal space is even less of a consideration than normal. ]

You get more control over the thrust if you grip it here and here - shoulders back about this much. Show me a quick jab.

Oh.

[He's. He's flustered because no one's ever done this for him. Not for combat. Surely that's it. It's like when Sung Hyunje adjusted his posture before they met with the Japanese diplomats, except that Hyunje did that for himself as much as anything. Everything Hyunje does is at least partially for himself; he didn't want his choice of partner to be questioned on sight. Not that they ultimately went with a show of equality then. Haha, they sure had some fun scamming those guys.

This is more widely practical, and there's nothing in it for Bulat. All it does is help Yoojin--or, well, help him eventually help his loved ones--and that's. Really, really. That's really something, isn't it?

Yoojin's heart picks up speed pounding against his ribs, even though they've stopped running. He looks back and up, over his shoulder at Bulat, more aware than usual of the size of his hands compared to his own. Of how much bigger Bulat is than him all around, and how much effortless care he takes not to hurt him.]

Uh, yeah! Okay!

[Conscious enough of Bulat behind him to keep from poking him with the back end of the spear, he jabs at the Jackaleo as instructed. Oh, huh. Yoojin blinks, then does it again a little slower, feeling the difference made in the motion by his repositioned hands.]

I see. I was holding it too far back to try to get more range...

[ It helps Bulat in the sense that it gives him personal satisfaction to help out people he's fond of. Having met someone is not a prerequisite for being fond of them, which is his relationship to the majority of people from his country, and arguably his planet. Feels good to be reliable, too. ]

You catch on quick! Two thirds of the way back is ideal - you can break that rule once you've got an innate sense of how it's going to move when you break it. The strength of having a long range isn't simply having it; it's what you can do once your opponent steps into it. A faster response is a stronger defense.

Pay attention to where the power of the strike's coming from. Back, shoulders, arms. Let's go over it a few more times; I'll pare down all your wasted movement, so you can pour it all into a stronger strike.

[ Yoojin really isn't strong, which means he can't afford to waste what he's got. Bulat walks him through a simple move that can split boulders in two when he does it, hands on his arms here and there to check how much force is moving under his palm. At one point, he nudges Yoojin's legs into a better line with his knee. While he's definitely enjoying himself, the flirty demeanor has been replaced by an intent focus. With martial skill at stake, he's not fooling around. ]

Bulat January Catch-All

Proper Instruction (OTA)

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Roselight Bathhouse aka Why Do All These Prompts Involve Nudity (OTA)

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sorry for the delay, fighting a cold and getting ready for a con!

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Let's set this for another day

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skinship!!

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Sports-Germain (Saint-Germain)

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1/3

2/3

done

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Mermancers Wanted (Yoojin)

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