02 - week two

[afflictionmods]

WEEK TWO

When the glitter settles and everyone returns to their dorms - or wherever they intend to sleep for the night, if you’re planning on sleeping at all - your first week of school officially ends. Perhaps it was better than you expected, perhaps it was worse.

Hopefully you learned a bit more about teamwork and school spirit.

Still, this course is going to run for longer than a full week, and come Sunday morning you’re still exactly as you were when you settled down for the night. Still in Estelline, still with that mark on your wrist, still connected to your partner. There are some changes, though. The bookstore has received quite a few books, and those of you who added to the bulletin board and pep rally tasks in the first week will find an envelope taped to their dorm door (or themselves, if they spent the night elsewhere). Inside of the envelope is some kind of voucher! Furthermore, the common area is covered in a bunch of glitter.

Also, there are a ton of eggs in the kitchen – at least 10 dozens.

Florence or Lorelei are still available, should you wish to speak to them.

Finally, you've got some new locations to explore.


SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

TASK LIST

CLUMSINESS AFFECT DETAILS (BEGINS TUESDAY ICLY)

W2 CYOA SIGNUPS
CYOA Signups for Week 2 close Sunday, May 29th at 6pm EST.

THREAD SURVEY
Google form for partner threads, due by Friday, June 3rd at 6pm EST. Optional.

W3 CYOA SIGNUPS
CYOA Signups for Week 3 close Friday, June 3rd at 6pm EST.

OOC NOTE

OOC: Anyone who performed in the Pep Rally (Sabo, Madara, Riku, Shizuku, Herlock, Idia, Flat, Miach) task will be able to redeem a voucher for a prize with one of the NPCs. This can be handwaved, and the prize selection is below.

-Single-serve coffee machine wither a selection of creamer. Comes with packs of coffee beans.
-Popcorn maker and kernels.
-High-quality tea kettle with a selection of just as high-quality tea.
-Carbonation machine (think Sodastream, etc) with flavored syrup.

Any coffee, tea, popcorn, etc. will last characters up to two weeks.

Anyone who participated in the Bulletin Board task will receive a voucher for your choice of two pairs colorful socks with cute animal designs. (Worry frog design available.)

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[fabulation]

Courtyard

[ At some point, Xingqiu can be found out here, enjoying the fresh air, as well as a book. It seems he is also dead to the world, focusing on every single word listed in the pages before him...!

Even if someone says something to him, he will not respond at first. Try again? ]

Gym

[ Though Xingqiu is, at heart, a book lover, that does not mean he is no fighter! He must work on keeping himself in shape even in an unknown land, though he'll do this at various times, not exactly committing to any sort of schedule per say.

So he strolls leisurely into the gym, spending time briefly on the yoga mats, so feel free to catch him there.

But some point later he will then be checking out the machines. ]

What strange things...how exactly is this thing supposed to help?

[ He's poking, maybe prodding at the treadmills, starting in surprise when it turns on. He hasn't, like, destroyed it or anything so there is that! ]

Bookstore

[ It's later, and you're alone in a bookstore, until suddenly Xingqiu is there, coming out from one side of the store without announcing his presence. ]

Oh, sorry. I hope I didn't surprise you.

[ Actually it'd be funny if he did...but he's not going to say that. ]

Were you looking for something?

Courtyard

[selfconcept]

[ Hello, beautiful boy. He is here to mess up his beautiful hair again. After Hien confirms that Xingqiu seems to be nose-deep into his book, he places a hard boiled egg on his head in an attempt to balance it. ]

1/

[fabulation]

[ Xingqiu continues to be serene and still as a sturdy feather. He is like the calm leaf being blown along in the wind, focused unbroken, mind tethered to the tale...indeed he can't hope to be disturbed- ]

2/

[fabulation]

[ Except. There is a disturbance in the force. ]

3/3

[fabulation]

[ . . . ]

Hello to you too. Were you waiting to see how long it'd take for me to notice?

bookstore

[catarou]

[ He glances over, and gives an overexaggerated gasp. ]

You absolutely startled me. I fear my heart will never stop racing.

[ He hums, though. ]

Hmm. I suppose so... or perhaps I am waiting for something to find me.

[fabulation]

Oh dear, what will I do?

[ Xingqiu, of course, can't help but mess around a little himself. ]

Something like what, exactly?

Bookstore

[totaltrashfire]

[Mae can't help but jump when Xingqiu suddenly appears - she may look like a cat, but she's not that perceptive.]

Jeez. You're quiet.

[She pauses where her hand was on a book of myths, or what she thinks is a book of myths. She's been having to use her translator app to even read the titles, which is a real hassle!]

I was trying to find books about demons.

[fabulation]

[ Poor Maekitty. ]

Haha, well I hope to not repeat my transgression too often.

[ He says, like it's such a terrible thing, but there is a lighthearted tone to it. ]

What made you want to look for information about demons?

bookstore

[goodfaiths]

[ Fortunately(?), Xingqiu does manage to startle Riku. He jumps a little before he turns and looks at him with a slightly sheepish expression. ]

Ah-! Haha, maybe a little. It's probably because I was looking at the new books; did you notice they added these?

[ He holds up one of them. His tablet's next to it, laying on a stack of books and running the translation app. ]

[fabulation]

Actually, no, not yet. I still haven't finished off some of the old ones, though I've gotten through a decent amount of them by now.

It looks like they have started accounting for us completing the rest, though. How sneaky of them to slide them in there like that.

[ Xingqiu picks up one of the books out of curiosity and just...opens it right up. Yep. ]

bookstore

[tosa]

(He's rummaging around, going through the different books, checking out the spines to see what they're about and flipping through the pages to see if there are any pictures.)

Hm?

(He's kind of made a chaotic pile around him. Some of the books are opened face down to save his page and others are just sort of knocked over on the shelf,)

Anything, really. There're a bunch of books on things I don't know about, y'know?

[fabulation]

[ ...What a mess.

Not that Xingqiu can talk, considering how messy he can be. ]

That's certainly true. Even in a world of fiction you can learn about things you've never even dreamed of.

[ Not that it makes them things that actually exist, mind you. ]

But out of the books lying here, what are the ones that have caught your eye the most?

courtyard

[teidaisei]

[ Kawase says nothing, and is actually not looking to get Xinqui's attention. But he's in the area smoking, since apparently the Courtyard is just his designated space to do so often than not, and he just so happens to flick his expended cigarette right onto the pages of Xinqui's book.

Oops? ]

[fabulation]

[ UM, RUDE?????

Xingqiu will immediately pull his book away out of range for any further pieces of...expended cigarettes, hurriedly brushing off any remains of such ash. ]

Please be more careful where you're flicking that.

Courtyard

[imitationsoul]

[ Attempt to get his attention? Why would she?

Miach's just sitting a little bit across from him with her own book, also deeply focused on reading. There's no problem even if hours pass like this, right? ]

[fabulation]

[ No problem whatsoever!

Xingqiu decides not to say much of anything. Why? Well, it's just because he has no reason to. Until, of course, a few hours pass and he does make a great amount of progress in his story.

Enough to chance a look over to see who else may be around. ]

Hmm...well, it looks like I spot someone else who also has an appreciation for good literature! But, might I pry away your attention to ask you some questions?

First, what do you believe makes a good tale in the first place?

gym

[totalcatastrophe]

You run on it! In Hell, you get to do it for all eternity, even when your legs feel like falling off.

[ Well, the ones he's used to aren't exactly like these, but close enough! Also, Luci's made no attempt to announce his presence before speaking, suddenly at Xingqiu's side to answer the question. ]

Come on, try it out!

[fabulation]

[ Okay, it looks like it's Xingqiu's turn to be surprised! You know, he hasn't really gotten a chance to speak with every single person here, but...

...'in hell'. Really?

Xingqiu supposes that they have quite a selection of folks here. ]

You sound as if you're speaking from personal experience.

[ But! He does get on the machine and gives it a try. ]

courtyard more like courting disaster

[unsinksyourship]

[Wow, didn't think he'd find a book zombie here, but let's be real -- he should have expected it sooner or later, they really are everywhere... and moreover, due to someone's questionable diligence (and someone else's entirely legitimate diligence), the bookstore is now fair to bursting at the seams.

Might as well make the best of it.

That said, that doesn't mean Tamamori is above playing pranks on people who are bookworming so hard they're about to come out in Estelline Australia with ink on their nose. There's a hum under his breath as he rummages in his kimono, extracts a sheet of note paper and a pin of some sort -- and after a second of scribbling work, TRIP ME is neatly and totally stealthily pinned to the back of the unfortunate reader's top. Nice. Did he notice.

Once that's done does Tamamori run away? Hide out and see the fruits of his labor? Nah. He's literally just going to stand right here and attempt to read over his shoulder, because a man of letters doesn't run. What literary adventures does Victim #1 have for him today?]

[fabulation]

[ Careful that this book zombie does not bite your head off to start the zombie apocalypse, Tamago.

All jokes aside it's seemingly relatively easy to pin a note against Xingqiu's back without a sudden reprisal. No, he stands still and seems completely and irrevocably absorbed in the words contained inside of the book spilling out before him, detailing the heroic exploits of the main character. Indeed, it's gripped him firmly, and the focus does not seem to be leaving anytime soon.

Tamamori can see the details about the story, particularly about the main character being trapped in a jail, and needing to find a way to escape due to being falsely accused...!

...Xingqiu also reaches over to suddenly poke at his face! ]

courtyard

[cloudalike]

[ Xingqiu may or may not notice and that's fine - but Chongyun silently sits down next to him, with an umbrella to shield them both from the evil rays of the sun. It's kind of gaudy? He got from the gift shop/bookstore, so the choices were limited. ]

[fabulation]

[ Oh hello, Chongyun.

Welcome to Xingqiu's little reading corner. Not to mention, this young master certainly appreciates the shielding! But, he doesn't seem to notice for a bit, lost in the contents of his book. Though after some time he does speak up. ]

Look who joined me, and so prepared as well! You were thinking of poor me who was baking in the sunlight, weren't you?

the gym

[cheerfuldays]

Oh! That's a treadmill. It allows people to run for exercise without leaving the building.

( good morning xingqiu, it's one of the local idols! he may have seen her stretching earlier, herself. but now she's here! )

I'm sure it sounds silly, but it's good if people live in a busy area and running would be inconvenient or even dangerous.

[fabulation]

[ Oh hey, it's Shizuku! ]

It does sound silly, but I think I can understand that.

Though, it's not exactly something you'd find anywhere in Liyue, or anywhere else that I'd know of, for that matter.

[ As far as he knows, anyway. ]