Welcome to Rosavelle!

[royaldecreemods]

INVITATION

You're going about your day when you notice an envelope that most certainly wasn't there before. It's beautiful, if a little old-fashioned: pale pink paper, sealed with a pressed flower instead of wax and your name written in looping cursive that shimmers faintly in the light.
Inside, the letter begins;

Dearest friend—
Goodness, I hope that isn't too forward. We've not met, after all. But I have been told that when one writes an invitation, it's important to sound sincere.

My name is Calanthe Rosabella Petalia de Amoré. I am the Crown Princess of Rosavelle. It's a little island kingdom far, far away - so far that it may not exist quite in the same world as yours.

I know this must sound terribly strange, but I'm writing because I need your help. You see, my coronation is approaching soon, and Rosavelle's magic - the Everbloom - responds to the strength of one's heart. It's said that a ruler must understand love to truly awaken it. Not just romance, mind you, but all kinds of love: friendship, kindness, care.

The trouble is… I'm not very good at it. I've read so many books about love, but real people don't seem to follow the same rules the novels do.

That is why I'm writing to you. The Everbloom - our most ancient and wondrous magic - has granted me the means to reach across worlds. I'm inviting a handful of remarkable individuals, like you, to Rosavelle to help me learn. Not only to teach me what love means to you, but to help me see how it can bloom between friends, companions, and strangers alike.

I promise you'll be treated as an honored guest.

... It goes on like that for a while, whole paragraphs assuring you that you can leave whenever you want, no time will pass back in your world, the Everbloom's magic will keep you safe, etc etc… honestly it gets to the point that it starts to sound less like an invitation and more like a contract. But then, mercifully, the writer finds their footing again:

If you'll come, I'd be so very grateful. I know this is a strange request, and you owe me nothing - but still, I hope you'll consider it. Rosavelle is beautiful this time of year, and it is my hope that seeing it alongside fresh eyes will allow me to see it more clearly as well.

With all my thanks (and my hopes!)—
Princess Calanthe Rosabella Petalia de Amoré

Maybe you accept right away or maybe you dismiss it as a prank or something equally unimportant. No matter what you think when you first read it, your mind eventually turns back to that invite and your find yourself thinking that it might not be a bad idea…

And once you do, you feel the world going soft and sweet around you, the scent of blooming flowers filling your nose - and before you can quite process what's happening, you realize you've accepted.

ARRIVAL

You arrive in a haze of soft, rosy light. For a moment, everything is weightless - the air around you hums faintly, thick with warmth and the heady scent of flowers. When the haze fades, you find yourself standing beneath a vast glass dome that stretches impossibly high overhead. The light filtering through its pink-tinted panes paints everything in gentle rose and gold and petals drift through the air like drifting snow.

You are standing in the Everbloom's Greenhouse. The walls curve upward in graceful arches, every pane glimmering faintly and the air is warm, fragrant, and shimmering with faint motes of magic. Flowering vines climb the supports, colorful blossoms of all kinds spill from hanging baskets, and everywhere you look there's flowers, flowers, flowers.

At its heart stands the Everbloom, a colossal tree the likes of which you've never seen before. Its smooth trunk is faintly luminous and the canopy stretches so high that you can't see where it ends, vanishing into a haze of golden light and drifting petals. The air around it hums softly with power and for a moment, all you can do is stare up at it in awe.

A moment later, movement stirs: castle attendants glide forward in elegant uniforms, carrying towels, refreshments, and generally doing their best to make sure everyone's arrived safely. After all, you're not alone. Around you, other figures begin to appear - some blinking in wonder, some already steady on their feet. Each seems as out of place as you, drawn from distant worlds and disparate lives but under the rosy light they all seem to come together like flowers gathered into the same bouquet.

Those who stumble are gently guided toward a bench cushioned with flowering moss. Cool towels and drinks infused with rose and mint are offered freely. Eventually, once it seems like everyone's arrived and mostly gotten their bearings, one of the attendants - a lady-in-waiting as you'll eventually find out - speaks up.

"You are most welcome to Rosavelle," she says, dipping into a polite bow. "Their Princess will be hosting a banquet this evening to greet you all properly. Until then, please take your time to get settled and familiar with your surroundings. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to ask."

For now, you're free to mingle. This is your chance to get your bearings, meet your fellow arrivals, and explore your surroundings. Beyond the main atrium, you can glimpse winding paths lined with blooming hedges and fat, colorful blossoms. Somewhere in the distance, you can faintly hear birdsong. You feel a little tug somewhere in your chest and if you follow it, you might just come across a flowerbed somewhere in the Greenhouse that you somehow know as your own.

After some time to mingle and acclimate, the attendants return, clapping their hands gently to draw attention.

"It's nearly time to prepare for the evening banquet! If you'll come with us, we'll see to your attire."

DRESS UP

You're led from the warmth of the greenhouse through a series of winding marble corridors until you're ushered through a set of grand double doors into a suite of guest rooms bustling with motion. Tailors, stylists, and attendants hurry between privacy screens, racks of lavish garments and trays piled high with glittering jewelry. Silks and satins gleam and lace and velvet catch the light in soft waves of color.

Tailors and stylists bustle about, armed with measuring tapes, pins, and brushes. The staff are cheerfully firm about making sure everyone looks their best for the banquet but nobody's forced into anything they don't want; the attendants listen to everyone's preferences and somehow find something flattering for even the most reluctant participant. Whether you comply with good humor or grumble through the process, it's impossible not to get swept up in the flurry of preparation. … of course, if you're determined to be a grump about the whole thing, you're welcome to wait outside until everyone's dressed up nicely.

The attendants encourage everyone to chatter as they work or even to lend a hand to another guest struggling with their ensemble. Maybe it's out of curiosity - the staff are polite, professional, but it's clear that dressing guests from other worlds is a novelty they want to enjoy.

As final adjustments are made and mirrors fill with transformed reflections, the bustle slowly quiets. Attendants exchange satisfied looks, then guide the group once more through the corridors. The faint strains of music drift down the corridors until at last, you find yourself before the towering double doors of the Azurite Banquet Hall, carved from the stone it takes its name from. The lady in waiting pauses just long enough to smooth a wrinkle here, adjust a collar there, and make sure everyone is present before pushing the doors open.

BANQUET

The Azurite Banquet Hall glows with warm candlelight reflected in polished marble floors and the air inside smells of wine and roses. Long tables stretch the length of the hall, each one dressed in embroidered runners and heaped with platters of food that look almost too beautiful to eat and in the corner, a string quartet plays a soft, lilting melody.

At the head of the room stands your host, Princess Calanthe Rosabella Petalia de Amoré. Draped in pale gold, they look every bit the part of a royal... though the slightly nervous way they adjust their posture speaks of someone not entirely at ease in the spotlight. When they catch sight of the assembled guests, though, they brighten a bit. Their hands are clasped too tightly around their wine glass, but their voice is bright and earnest.

"Ah - good evening, everyone! I - well, goodness, where does one even begin?

First of all, thank you. Truly, thank you all for coming here - to Rosavelle, and to me. I know this must all seem terribly strange - one moment you were in your own world, and the next you're here. It's strange to me too, you know. I've been imagining this for weeks, and yet somehow it still doesn't feel quite real.
Ah - oh! I suppose I should introduce myself properly. My name is Calanthe Rosabella Petalia de Amoré. I am the Crown Princess of Rosavelle, soon to be its sovereign, though I admit that still feels a little surreal to say aloud.

I invited you here because - well, I imagine all of you read your invitations. The Everbloom, our kingdom's oldest and most sacred magic, is bound to the heart and mine is… embarrassingly, quite uneducated in such matters. I couldn't imagine anyone in this world I could burden with such a problem and so I thought - perhaps - those who come from other worlds might help me."

... suddenly, they look sheepish.

"That said, ah - there is a small complication. It is. Um. Frowned upon by most scholars to interfere with the affairs of other worlds, even with the best of intentions and I fear it would cause quite a stir if word got out. So for the time being, we'll need to keep your origins a secret. Please don't worry, though - we've arranged everything you'll need. Over the next month, we'll be teaching you about Rosavelle and all its customs so that when you venture out for the Wilting festival, you'll feel quite at home.

I realize that's rather a lot to ask, and I'm - well, I'm deeply grateful for your patience. I promise to do my best to make this worth your while.

So, once again, thank you. For answering my invitation. For being here, together, tonight.

Now then-"

They raise their glass, cheeks pink but eyes bright.

"To new beginnings, and to the bonds we have yet to form. May they bloom as beautifully as the flowers of Rosavelle... oh, that sounded quite good, didn't it? A toast - to all of you!"

As the toast echoes through the hall, the music swells again - a graceful waltz this time - and attendants sweep forward to usher guests toward the buffet tables.

There's something for every palate: platters of lemon-butter shrimp and rosemary-crusted fish, seared scallops on saffron rice and fillets of calendula-cured salmon alongside oysters resting in crushed ice and lobsters cracked open beside dishes of herb butter. It's not all seafood, either - whole roasted ducks glazed in something fruity dot the table, alongside lamb, chicken and a mouthwatering roast beef.

Between the platters, bowls of vegetables offer roasted root vegetables glistening with sweet glaze, delicate salads strewn with edible petals, caramelized carrots, blistered cherry tomatoes and crisp greens grown. And, of course, baskets of warm, golden bread wait beside whipped butter and creamy sauces.

If you're in the mood for sweets, there's desserts in dizzying abundance: sugared fruit tarts, meringues shaped like blossoms, chocolate soufflés dusted with candied violet, and pastries of all kinds filled with custard, chocolate and all manner of fruity, flowery fillings.

A side table gleams with crystal decanters and goblets: bottles of wine, deeply colored mead and delicate floral liqueurs seem to be the alcoholic offerings but there's carafes of chilled fruit water steeped with mint for anyone who's not inclined towards spirits.

If you're feeling bold, the cleared space near the musicians makes a perfect dance floor. Perhaps you find yourself drawn into a dance, or perhaps you linger at the buffet, trading stories with a stranger over a shared plate of sugared pastries. Or maybe you'll take the opportunity to introduce yourself to your host now they've made an appearance.

Eventually, as the night wears thin, the quartet's melody softens to a gentle hum. Candlelight flickers low. The attendants appear once more, smiling as they begin to guide everyone toward the final stop of the evening.

HOUSEWARMING

The banquet winds to a gentle close and ne by one, the guests are gathered once more by the castle attendants who lead the way through dimly glowing corridors. The halls are quieter now, the rosy light of evening filtering through stained glass in sleepy shades of pink and gold. Everyone is lead through the castles and out into the grounds, their splendor only a little dulled by the darkness starting to settle over the castle.

"Your lodgings are just ahead," the lady in waiting says, her voice hushed out of respect for the hour. "You've each been assigned to a house - named for the flowers that chose you."

Slowly but surely, everyone's names are called and each person is supplied a heavy brass key to a house named for a flower you may have seen blooming somewhere today. When they speak the name of your house, something in you stirs with faint, inexplicable recognition, like you know it already - or maybe it knows you.

In any case, the barracks themselves are nothing like the name implies: warm, inviting, and softly lit by enchanted lanterns. Each house has its own cozy common area where low couches and plush chairs are gathered around softly glowing hearths. A long table in the center has been set with some late-night comforts, in case you somehow have any room left in your belly - plates of fruit and pastries, steaming pots of tea, and rich cocoa dusted with rose sugar.

The attendants leave you to settle in for the night, with a promise that the barracks staff will prepare meals from tomorrow onwards but mostly, you'll be left to your own devices. You could just track down your room and crash for the night but now seems as good a time as any to get to know your new housemates.

(CODE)

Comments

March 7th (& Evernight) | Honkai Star Rail | Hyacinth(...?)

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

a. happy un-goth-ening (arrival, march)
[Accepting the letter is terrifying. Not due to the contents, or the possibility of a strange new world—heck, that's part of the appeal—but... something else. Something darker, stranger.

Slowly, hesitantly, March opens her eyes- and immediately breathes a sigh of relief.]

Ohhh, I am so glad to be back in my own clothes- waitaminit. Dan Heng... Stelle...? [Beat.] Their loss, I guess! I am SO GLAD to be vacation... It's so pretty here, too!

b. all you can eat dessert (banquet, march)
[When March is finally done twirling around in her fancy dress (made according to her exacting specifications) and giggling herself even sillier than usual, she's right there with the rest of the crowd, cheering... Callie on... after their speech?]

WHOOP WHOOP! Let's gooo! That was a great speech, Callie! [Maybe it's just her. what a decorum, can march eat it,

Speaking of eating; in the space of half a minute, March's platter is piled high with sweets. Precariously high. High enough that she trips and stumbles, and it nearly goes tumbling... but, even as she lands flat on her face in front of another guest, March has just barely enough grace to keep it upright without spilling so much as a single cookie.]

SAFE! I really gotta thank Master Yanqing for teaching me the Fourth Snowflake Balancing Technique next time I see him.

c. eat your goddamn veggies, march (banquet, evernight)
[Before March can make more than the tiniest dent in her mountain of sweets, it disappears. Along with March. It's not like she suddenly vanishes before the eyes of the everyone else, she just... quietly fades away into the crowd when no one is looking.

There's another girl in her place, though. Same face, but with hollow red eyes. Same hair, but with a few long locks trailing down from the shaggy bob and past her waist, making her hairdo look almost like a jellyfish. Same- well, no, Evernight dresses like a massive tryhard goth, her fashion sense is nothing like March's.

And here Evernight stands on the edge of the ballroom, delicately eating a very healthy salad.] I never imagined I'd join her on a proper Trailblaze, [she muses to the floating red jellyfish hovering next to her (after elegantly scarfing down some shrimp).] Let alone that I'd need to protect my dear March from a tummyache, of all things.

d. my foresight readies me for shenanigans (housing, evernight)
[As the roll is called for the "royal advisors" to retire to their quarters, there's a brief moment of confusion when it's time for... Evernight? March? To get her key.]

Hyacinth will do nicely ♭ [But before anyone can ask too many questions, Evernight is already sauntering to the barracks, jellyfish in tow.]

...I do wonder what that teacher's pet would think of this place. [Despite the mocking nickname, there's fondness in Evernight's voice as she speaks.]

D

[mahjongheart]

A teacher's pet, huh...?

[Akane considers an image of a fellow who is almost certainly NOT the person Evernight is thinking of.]

-- Oh! uh. Sorry, that was probably meant to be private.

So you're in Hyacinth, too?

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

Quite, although she's nothing like her professor. Hyacine would've already gotten the princess onto a couch to work through all their woes by now if she were here. [The mental image evokes the slightest smile from Evernight, as fleeting as a ghost.]

Not exactly. There was a mix-up. They got my dear March and I confused; there's only one room for both of us in the paperwork, but I'm a forget-me-not while March is a hyacinth. I thought she'd like living in hyacinth better, so I took the initiative while she's... away.

I can't blame those poor handmaids for making the mistake, though. After all, the two of us look quite alike ♭

[mahjongheart]

[To a girl whose fiance lives a double life, this is an incredibly suspicious explanation, but...]

[She's sure she'll find out at some point. It's not like they're not going to be here for months, after all.]

Ah, is that right?

Well, I hope you won't mind having us around too much.

a

[hintplease]

It really is. You can tell we're in a whole different world.

[If it sounds like Tsukasa has said something logically questionable, that's probably because she has, in fact, done that.]

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

Yeah! You just KNOW you're on a new planet when you see something like this. No matter what the world shows you, all the excitement from a new expedition makes it seem amazing.

[Unless you wake up in a tomb but March Does Not Want To Think About That Right Now]

[hintplease]

Ah, I see you know a few things about this, too. It's nice to find someone else with good taste in literature.

[?????]

B

[soaringspear]

[ Kanade had to double-take when she saw such a precarious tower of sweets… but honestly, the way she keeps it from toppling even after falling is even more impressive. ]

Whoa…! [ She whistles, offering a hand to help March up. ] Damn, what kind of technique is that…? You alright, there?

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

Honestly? I begged him to teach it to me so I could run on water like he can... I can't pull that trick off nearly as consistently as I want, though. Handy for keeping my balance, though!

[March grins sheepishly as she takes Kanade's hand.]

I would've tried to do a cool kickflip to get to my feet, but I don't want to spill the sweets on the floor.

[soaringspear]

Hey, bein' able to walk on water at all is more than what most people can do. Unless you're some kind of ninja...

[ Like her old manager... she wonders how he's doing nowadays. ]

Heh, yeah, best not to push it. Lookin' cool would mean nothin' if all this stuff went to waste.

[ Man... can she really put all of those snacks away, though? ]

B.

[catsgothistongue]

[In his seventeen years of non-stop training, fighting and avoiding being beaten to a bloody pulp, Ranma's never felt more tense watching the pratfalling playing out before him than those moments. More over those sugary treats haphazardly towered on the plate's toppling over, less the girl in the ice princess dress's well-being 'cause yowza. Ranma nearly sets down his own plate with its own stack of foods to catch the falling treats.

Evidently, seeing as she managed to keep it standing and not wasted, that wouldn't be necessary. A bated breath coolly leaves, Ranma gives her due respect and gives a few golf claps.]

Nice save.

[Really, truly. It would've been a travesty... not. That he would think that aloud, as a dude. Assuming March's still faceplanting on the ground Ranma offers a hand to help her up.]

Though, what makes the Fourth Snowflake Whatchacalledit Technique different than regular balancin'?

[Asking the real questions here.]

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

It lets you run on water if you do it right, [she explains as she lets Ranma help her up.]

...which is really hard, but I can at least execute the simple version good enough to pass Master Yanqing's inspection! And I've managed the advanced technique a few times! [Sweatdrop. The more March thinks about it, the less impressive her stint as Yanqing and Yunli's apprentice was.]

[catsgothistongue]

[March can see Ranma's eyes start to glimmer with interest at her bringing up running on water. Years and years, he's attempted to perform the fabled skill... with predictable results. So hearing someone actually pulling it off... is... really...

The longer March continued on with her explanation, the more Ranma's veneration starts to waver and simmer down to a let down look at this damp squib. Sweatdrop 2!]

... So askin' you to teach me it's out of the question, is what'cha sayin'.

[Man, and he got so hyped there for a second. Biting back a moue, Ranma looks off to the side. Or. Tries to make it seem like he's staring anywhere but at her sweet stockpile ardently with wanton desire.]

Reminds me of a trick grandmasters back home utilize, where they balance on a small twig to appear like they're standing on water. [Beat, before Ranma scratches his cheek.] Although... The old mummy used a shark instead of a stick.

[... Equally, less or more impressive than a twig?]

b

[shadowfrost]

[ Fatima looks up from her probably 30th glass of wine that night to see...

A whole platter of sweets. Sugar on sugar on sugar. Wow.

But, more striking than that is the pink-haired princess looking girl with the dress clearly designed to look like a snow fairy. ]

The snowflake design is very nice.

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

Awww, thanks! This is actually what I wore to the festival in Belobog... I can't believe they recreated it perfectly. I guess the photo did help, but dang, Callie's handmaids are really cool.

Your dress is super pretty too! The silver highlights are so pretty...

b

[nightwild]

[Yayoi is trying to dash to save March from the fall. Unfortunately... with her own dress, it's hard to move fast. So she's too late, and March eats shit. At least her plate seems fine?]

Are you okay? Crap, she's saying nonsense now...

[clearly that's nonsense. what kind of technique would that be.]

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

Excuse you! [March kips up and gives Yayoi the stinkeye. HOW DARE???] The Fourth Snowflake Balancing Technique is the final step to learning how to walk on water! And I can do it! Most of the time.

B

[lovelikeyou]

Wooooo! Good job, Callie!

[ Rose impulsively stands up to clap and cheer as well! Though she quickly notices that only two of them are doing that, she blanches and quickly sits back down. ]

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

[March doesn't take a cue from Rose. Or anyone else. She just keeps clapping and cheering. SOMEONE needs to be Callie's hype woman, after all.]

That seriously touched me heart...! You go, Callie!

c. eat your goddamn veggies, march (banquet, evernight);

[hjadningavig]

[ Be it as it may, Dainsleif is definitely prepared for the cheer and festivities even if he is more or less tended to wallflowering than not. It helps that everyone brought here has had assistance in some manner.

He knows not of March, and so it is hardly any surprise he knows not of this this lady as well. Being someone also standing off to the side, he casts his gaze over at her as Evernight speaks, curious about her remarks she's making (to the jellyfish?), more than anything. ]

...I assume the term has something to do with a journey. And this is a friend of yours?

[ He, in the meanwhile, has a plate of food. The beef, the vegetables. Though, in a minimal amount. By 'friend' in this case Dainsleif is referring to both this 'March' and the red jellyfish. ]

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

Ah, yes... "To explore, understand, establish, and connect," as my dear March would put it. Following the silver rails across the stars, and occasionally putting down new ones. Quite a romantic dream ♭

March 7th and I... are about as close as it's possible to be. [She smiles as if laughing at a private joke.] As far as that little one... well, I have to keep an eye on Evey to keep it from causing trouble for everyone else, that's all.

B

[liedol]

[ Banquets and buffets might be Ai's favourite kind of formal party, if lucky because she's learned they're the easiest to wallflower at, if you're so inclined. She's a little less inconspicuous than she'd like in the fancy get up the castle staff put her in but there's so many other people in fancy outfits and none of them seem to know who she is - so as long as she just minds her own business, she should be just fine.

Right. Sure. ]

Whoa...! [ The two of them come just barely shy of colliding and, despite herself, Ai reaches out to steady the girl with a hand on her shoulder. ] Jeez, I thought for sure you were gonna take a real spill!

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

Aw, don't worry about me! I'm too adorable for the universe to let these treats ruin my dress.

[That's some logic, right there.]

OhMyGoshYouLookSoCuteInThatDress [SPARKLE SPARKLE]

b

[plangona]

[octavia has a similar thought process for stacking up her plate, not just sweets but various other foods too. she is a bit more focused on trying not to drop her own food but it's hard not to notice the other woman fall while at the same time not spilling anything from her plate] Wow, that was pretty impressive.

Are you okay, though?

Re: b

[thirdmonthoftheyear]

Hunky-dory! I've trained for this very moment, after all!

...well, not technically saving a platter of sweets, but hey, if it works, it works. [March kips up to her feet, looking VERY smug.]