rosavelle | Lucy/Nyuu Catchall

[ Throughout the whole of January, folks in the Hyacinth barracks would wake up to the smell of thick, sweet batter, eggs, and finely cooked ham. Ham roasted further into bacon, no less!

Nyuu's busy in the kitchens at 6:00am sharp every day, unable to help herself. Her restlessness needs an outlet, and what better outlet is there than to cook and make people happy? A proper meal to start the day makes all the difference! ]

Oh! Please don't touch those! Everything isn't ready yet.

[ Oops, did you wander too close to the muffins she's left cooling on the countertop? That's alright, she's only slightly scolding you for it. ]

But, you could help finish the breakfast tea, if you'd like!

[From the morning after the welcoming banquet to the present, Ranma's always handled fixing his own grub. Two out of three Tendo sisters got isekaied with him, and neither were the head chefs of the Tendo household. Kasumi's homecooked meals are scrumptious but Ranma can go without relying on her. She's been cooking for herself for the longest time - stealing his food doesn't count as sharing ~~coughcoughgenmacough~~ -, being independent's a benefit in the long run.

That changes this morning. Ranma slept in later than typical, catching some Zs in dreamland, and making forecasters second guess their prediction with her thunderous snoring up a storm. Hoooooonk... shoooooo.... hoooooonk...

Sniff!

Her nose catches a whiff of that ambrosian aroma permeating the Hyacinth barracks. Ranma would've literally start floating out of bed by the scent trail like a cartoon character smelling fresh pie cooling on a windowsill. You know, if this were a cartoon. But this is boring ordinary real rom-com life, so Ranma's instead roused from her snoozing and pays the cordon bleu chef a visit.

Guess what Nyuu. Pink cuties in the kitchen have been squared. Another pink haired girl has appeared, perching on a vacant countertop eagerly eyeing her curse like buzzards circling carrion. Ranma gets torn away from (hyperbolically) consuming the eye candy by the cook's mild chiding...]

Uh? Sure, I can do that, no prob.

[More accurately, the identity of the cook. That cold, wears sandals in the wintertime pink chick again! But something's off here. She seems so... what's the word he's looking for? Peppy? Lively? 180 of being a stick in the mud?

Whatever the reason is for the personality shift, Ranma brushes it off for the time being and shuffles over to the sink. She rummages around the cabinets until she snatches a cast iron tetsubin, setting it under the running sink faucet. While she waits for the water to fill, Ranma sits on the edge of the sink looking back at breakfast and its maker.]

Didja make all this? It smells really good.

[If she didn't have self control the floor would be drenched from her salivating]

Edited (Tfw you catch a typo days later) 2026-01-09 14:34 (UTC)

[ Nyuu's in the midst of stirring up another huge tamagoyaki in her pan when she hears Ranma milling about behind her. She pauses in her skilletry to give her a big smile. ],/small>

I did! I thought it'd be nice to make breakfast for everyone since I'm up so early.

[ That's just how it goes in her home, and thus it's how it must be here. The earliest to rise must be the one to tend to the earliest chores and/or breakfast. She's only too happy to take care of breakfast. ]

Don't tell anyone, but I'll give you a second helping if you set the tables!

[Starting to doubt this is the same chick she ran into back in the kitchen? Although... Devil's advocacy here, she did catch the crabastard running off with her hair tie, and provided her with a cute ribbon as a replacement. Maybe she was having an off day, or Ranma's gotten her identity jumbled, or... Could she also be like March & Evernight, like...?

Ranma lets that idea simmer on the backburner. Ask later. For now, FOOD! Nyuu'll see her eyes light up at the proffer, and even that braided pigtail looks like it's wagging. She pinches the corner of her mouth, running her hand across in a zipping motion.]

My lips are sealed. Won't tell a soul.

[It isn't greedy or being gluttonous! He's helping with portion control, duh. Giving her a salute, he dutifully begins arranging the table. Setting out plates, utensils, the works.]

You moved in here, or do you regularly go around breakin' in every lodging to fix grub for people?

[She kids, she kids! There's a distinct lack of broken windows or freshly made entranceways for this to be a serious B&E.]

[Evernight should really cut back.

She already made breakfast for herself and Akane before the crack of dawn each day before they settled into domestic bliss, and her efforts have only intensified since they made it... official... Don't let the dreaminess show on your face, Evernight, you've got a reputation to maintain.

Not that Nyuu makes it any easier. Evernight was just about to skulk off (to re-enter the barracks through March's window, as is her usual routine at this point) after making the entire kitchen so spotless that it looks like she was never there in the first place... leaving it entirely open to Nyuu.

She should disappear. Help with what little plausible deniability she and March still have. But... look at that adorable face. It'd be a crime to not help.]

Of course, starchaser ♭ [And Evernight is on it with all the efficiency and grace of a maid.] Did you like the scrapbook my dear March made for you?

[ Nyuu pauses in the midst of her cooking to throw a big smile at the approaching Evernight. ]

Ever-nee!!

[ What else could she call March's "sister" but that? ]

I did! Macchan is so wonderful...I'd never think to put together pages like that! With all the little designs and ribbons and all. She's a genius!

Edited 2026-01-10 03:17 (UTC)

[ The evenings are cold, and the nights are even colder. Still, it doesn't stop Lucy from taking to the roofs and gazing up at the sky above. She just dons a comfortable shawl before heading up there.

Dutiful listeners near the sunset hour will hear a version of a song sung softly, almost mournfully, with pauses in between to invite another voice to chime in. ]

[The moment she hit that last note, she was greeted by the empty silence of a captivated audience, only interrupted by rather gentle applause from a young man who'd taken perch and listened in silence--quite unlike himself.]

You've got a hell of a set of pipes, haven't you?

[He couldn't just be appreciative. It had to be something.]

[ Lucy's face burns red before she glares over at Dante. She chews on her lip as she turns away, grumbling under her breath. ]

If that's a compliment, you suck at it. Try again.

[Blinking rapidly, Dante glanced away and tried to think of something better.

So much for the quick quipping.]

Seriously? I thought it sounded nice and... [Ahem.] I mean... I'd buy tickets if I had the cash.

[ She scoffs, but the sound is short. A cough, at best. She hums thoughtfully before adding: ]

Someone like you....would be better being my security, wouldn't you?

[The grin that cut into his cheeks was wider than a wolf's.]

Someone like me don't come cheap, y'know... but, it wouldn't be the first time I ran detail for a star. [He bent at the waist to hover over her, just close enough.]

So... think you could afford a gun like me, silk notes?

[ This dude and his tall ass and stupid grin. Still one of the few nice conversations she's had with a guy, honestly. ]

I can afford a bucket of fried chicken. That's the same price, right?

[There was a thin margin between what made that man's smile vicious opposed to genuine delight.]

Hey, what d'ya know? Sounds like you've got the right currency.

Yo!

[ The greeting comes from above. A rooftop from slightly higher than Lucy, dangles Gold Ship. Not sits, dangles. She is upside down, supported entirely by her legs, and just kinda, hanging off the roof there, watching Lucy. And waving. ]

Ya didn't mention you were a singer, Nyuu! An' multi-lingual ta boot! Talented gal, aintcha?

[ Lucy pauses as she regains her breath. She looks over at Gold Ship with a puzzled but passive gaze. Does she look familiar? She does. And she said "Nyuu." So she knows the other her. That alone has Lucy's patience grow, and she glances away with a small smile on her lips. ]

Don't praise me too quickly. I only know the song.

[ Gold Ship tilts her head to the side and flicks her ears. That subdued response is uh... interesting? Hmm. ]

Still more than a lot of other people! S'heck of a voice ya got too! Ya ever consider doin' opera?

[ Her ears...those are real, aren't they? She stares at them from behind the safety of her curtain of hair, then turns her gaze back toward her lap. It really might as well be her navel for all her swirling thoughts. ]

It seems like it'd be a lot of vocal training. I haven't done anything like that before.

[ They sure are real! With her hanging upside down, even with her headgear on, it's pretty clear there's nothing on the side of her head like human ears. ]

If you're interested, I could coach ya! S'fun, especially when ya get to the best part of training. Slackin' off!

[ She gives the horse girl an incredulous look. ]

...you don't exactly strike me as the type to be classically trained.

Weeeeeellllllll~

[ She folds her hands behind her head and... kicks one of her legs lazily, meaning she's only hanging on by a single leg. That's probably unwise. ]

Not specifically classically. You'd want T.M Opera O for that, gal lives up to her name. But I ain't no slouch in the idol department, I can manage a little!

[ Saint-Germain is also prone to brooding in high places. The song attracts her attention, and she waits until the singer has concluded their piece before coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, watching the sunset.

She nods in acknowledgement of the other person, and makes an educated guess about the correct language to use. Perhaps Rosavelle's magic will translate regardless - this is, after all, a world without the Curse of Balal. But it still feels respectful to try. ]

Guten Abend.

[ Her first thought: how did this woman get SO CLOSE without her noticing?!

Her second thought: what did she just say? ]

Hello?

[ Lucy is perplexed, but she gives herself a smidgeon of credit. She didn't respond to the sudden presence of another with violence. A bar set in hell, but she's trying! ]

[ She didn't understand....? Had she memorized the lyrics by sound alone....? ]

Your song. It was in German, was it not?

I think so. [ Why does she get the feeling this girl is disappointed? Awkward...she can't help feeling she did something wrong. ]

That girl said...it was called Elfenlied, by Wolf.

"The Elves' Song."

[ There's a translation. Saint-Germain is the one who has erred here: she mistakenly presumed fluency. That can't be taken for granted, even in a world not afflicted with the Curse of Balal. ]

You sang it well.

[Life in Shibuya - let alone her modern Shibuya, blessed by the presence of Virtual Singers - has exposed Ena to a lot of music. From Honami's guitar-driven rock, to her brother's rhythmic rap, to Airi's peppy idol pop, and her own synth-filled electronic, she can tolerate quite a bit, and she'll listen to almost anything.

Which is probably why hearing honest-to-goodness opera drifting from a Rosavellan rooftop takes her so by surprise, and she stops where she's walking back to her dorm room, doing a double take and glancing around to find the source. It sounds so sad, but... damn. She's good. Ena can't help but listen with rapt attention as she searches, but eventually, she finds her way up to where a girl seems to be the origin, just after she finishes. Oh, but, what to say-?]

Um. That was- really good. [-as she kicks herself internally-] Your range is really impressive.

[ The pinkette nearly jumps out of her skin at Ena's voice suddenly hitting her ear. She stares at her for a moment before looking away. Her face is almost the same shade as her hair: bright pink until it's hard to tell where hair ends and face begins. ]

Is it? [ She clears her throat. ] Hadn't really thought about it being good.

[Oh, oops. Maybe she should have announced herself a little better. She'd certainly have been startled if she'd been up here by herself- well, not so much anymore, but she cheats.]

Ah, sorry if I surprised you. But... I think so, at least. You have confidence, even without music behind you. I'm- I don't know if I could do that.

[...hadn't thought about it being good? Something about that strikes Ena as odd, but...]

Are you okay?

[ Her brows cinch together over her nose. What kind of question is that? And to give it to someone who was just singing all on their own... ]

Why do you think something's wrong with me?

Because when I sing something that sounds like that by myself, I'm doing it because I need to get something heavy off my mind and I don't know how else to do it. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. But I've... been there pretty recently, so it was on my mind.

[Ena shrinks in on herself a little, clearly feeling the mistake; it's a miss she shouldn't have made, but... she did also just do that herself, so she's cognizant of it.]

[ Rose spends a lot of her nights out on the roof. It's quiet, and you can see the stars up there. She's not quite on the same roof as whoever's singing; she sits and listens, then hops over and floats down nearby once it's done. ]

You have a really pretty voice.

[ Traditionally, hot springs are supposed to be relaxing. A place to sooth the mind, the spirit, the emotions! After a long day or even a long lifetime, isn't it a right to let all one's cares soak away in the hot water of a natural pool of the earth?

Kaede can't remember the last time she could actually relax. It seemed like every moment of her life, from sleeping to waking and sleeping again, was a constant repetition of wakefulness and fear. Or, fear and wakefulness. When she wasn't dreaming of days gone by, ruined by her own hands, she was terrorized by the nightmares of her sins until the morning light seemed a hollow reprieve from her torment.

The springs of Rosevalle were different. Normally, the hot baths she took were late at night and bereft of other patrons. But even with others around, she didn't feel exposed. It was a paradox, really. Being naked and open to any attack, yet others were just as vulnerable. She felt drunk on the euphoria of safety courtesy of the Princess. So long as they had a use for her here, she would be safe.

So long as...

She was useful...

So long as...a human saw worth in her.

Kaede tried to even out her breathing as she held her hands against the edge of the bath. She was overthinking, at best, and hallucinating at worst!! All she had to do was file it away. If she neatly tucked aside the brutality of a life beset on all sides by hatred and fear...surely...she could continue to exist. Humans would let you live with them if you denied their sins against you...

...right?

Kaede holds her hands against the decorative boulder that serves as one of the "natural" edges of the hot spring's pool. She dunks her head in, not minding the lack of oxygen, and screams as hard and loud as she can with the water as her buffer.

It's only after she's screamed out as many bubbles as possible that she finally emerges again. Face flushed, eyes wide, and her chest heaves in desperate gulps of air to make up for the moments without.

Oh...she had an audience for that whole spectacle...embarrassing... ]

...what?

Lucy/Nyuu Catchall

Makin' pancakes makin' bacon pancakes

Whats shaking bacon? .w.

the bacon shakin is mine.....or something

SHAKES THE BACON HARDER

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What are the notes to the song you sing?

E he

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Hot Spring Blues