[With each tap, there is a little ding! as the option vanishes. It's only once Shen Qingqiu has selected ACTIVTIES that Maria and the men begin to move again. They don't seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary.
Zhongli will see some very anime-looking sparkles around the head of the silver-haired man.
Shen Qingqiu will see some very anime-looking sparkles around the head of the golden-haired man.
Ryan will see some very anime-looking sparkles around the head of the dirty blond-haired man.]
Oh, we should make introductions! Prince Jeord is in charge of the party's activities, Prince Alan is in charge of the decorations, and Sir Keith is in charge of the food.
[The men look at the "volunteers," clearly waiting for them to introduce themselves first.]
[is now the time for that question?? anyway, he straightens once Maria and the young men pop back to life, his attention immediately focused on Prince Alan, since that's his decorations buddy. he bows his head slightly in a traditional and polite greeting]
Prince Alan. My name is Zhongli, consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I've met with your classmate, Katerina. She's quite the handful.
[ and sends zhongli off with a pat on the shoulder. no need to give him heart failure before a quest!
either way, he turns to his princely npc and boy is his eye twitching again. the whiplash from a stallion novel to a girls otome really is too much..!!
but before his blood pressure spikes off the chart, he cups his hand and inclines his head slightly. ]
Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu. l look forward to your guidance.
[ somewhere about now it dawns on him if anything were to occur they have no way to communicate. hm. the menu’s still floating yeah? time to see if this stupid thing has anything useful settings hiding in it ]
[he whispers that to zhongli, giving him a nod-- and then blinking as they're introduced to the guys. oh no. why does he have to be paired with one, he's going to be nervous the whole time--]
I'm, um, Ryan. Ryan Farrow. Nice to meet you, I-- look forward to working with you?
[Alan raises a brow at Zhongli, then makes a noise that almost sounds like a scoff - but if you look closely, his lips are twitching up at the corners like he's trying not to smile. A very anime-esque heart appears next to his face, along with an arrow pointing upwards, before they vanish. He does not appear to notice.]
A handful is right. That idiot's probably caused you guys a bunch of trouble, right?
[Shen Qingqiu, meanwhile, gets a slightly bemused look from Jeord.]
"Peak Lord," is it? That's something I've never heard of before...
[He sounds intrigued! Checking the little floating menu, SQQ will see what looks like a heart with a question mark inside of it. When he taps on it, he (and he alone) will see a waist-up portrait of Jeord, a little icon of his own face next to a mostly-empty fill bar, and a little icon of Maria's face next to a fill bar that is about 1/10th of the way full.
As for Ryan - Keith glances at him, then nods.]
Sure. Do you have any ideas for the food?
[Maria, meanwhile, is watching them all with a little smile.]
[unlike SQQ, Zhongli is not genre-savvy, and he doesn't know to touch the floating menu. he looks a little perplexed for a moment (not at what Alan said, but rather the whole. . . situation) before he shakes his head and responds]
Perhaps a small bit of trouble, but nothing at all too serious. [he likes Katerina!! she seems legit!!!] But she's told me quite a bit about your academy and how it works.
Tell me, does this party for which we're decorating have a theme?
[i can't believe our two moderns are at completely opposite ends of the "fine with this" spectrum.
ryan perks up a little at that question, though, clearly already in Let's Do Things mode. objective number one: do not embarrass self in front of Hot Sir Keith.]
Ah, well, you know-- if there'll be activities and everything it's probably best to go with things that are easy to eat, right? Single servings, maybe, um, those fancy little sandwiches or something... nothing messy, for sure. Oh, desserts too, obviously-- I'm pretty sure everyone likes those. If you have any favorite flavors I bet we can work with that!
[he's so excited at the prospect of all this... let him be helpful!!]
[I was going to use a pretty code to make them all have their own icons but there is a cat on my lap so I'm mobile now. RIP aesthetics.
Anyway, Alan nods, like some trouble is to be expected, and crosses his arms.]
The theme is -̵͉͐̀-̵̦̱̥̿-̸̣̀-̶̗̏-̸̲̎̽̔-̷̛͜͝-̸̬̱̱̀-̸̨̨̾͋-̵̼͈̰̑͛̿. What else?
[In the instant where that garbled noise comes out of Alan's mouth, Zhongli will see a sudden shift in his surroundings - almost as if something is glitching out into darkness around him. He'll also feel a stabbing pain in his back, not unlike what he might feel if he was pierced with an arrow - but then Alan speaks again, and his surroundings appear perfectly normal.
Shen Qingqiu and Ryan will not see this, though they will see Zhongli disappear for an instant before flickering back into view.
Jeord makes a little tsk sound, his eyes narrowing somewhat.]
Something entertaining. We wouldn't want anyone getting bored... Now, would we?
[His expression darkens somewhat as he speaks. Hm.
Meanwhile, Keith's expression softens as Ryan rambles on about food. A little heart appears next to his face, with an arrow pointing upwards.]
Good idea. My sister will like that. I don't have any favorites, but a variety would be better.
[A small menu pops up for Ryan, and Ryan alone:
1. Suggest THREE FLAVORS. 2. Suggest FIVE FLAVORS. 3. Suggest SEVEN FLAVORS.]
[the moment his surroundings shift, the moment Zhongli feels that pain in his back, he lets out a pained--]
-- gck!
[and jerks forward, almost on instinct. by the time Alan speaks again, Zhongli is standing there with one hand clutched into the fabric of his sweater, his expression hardened and the other hand resting against the shaft of his spear]
[. . .]
[he releases his spear and immediately reaches behind himself to check for blood while addressing Alan]
Yes. . . of course. [THIS DOES NOT HELP] Then perhaps some thematic paper lanterns would be appropriate, in order to set the mood.
but the intense fanning pauses if only to look sharply at zhongli, eyes staring intensely at the blip and narrowing. something is not right in the neighborhood. if sqq manages to catch his eye there will be a subtle shake to indicate nothing there.
AND THEN THERE’S THIS GUY. he gets his own squinty eyed stare because he can think of plenty of activities under such a threat and he doesn’t want any of that-! No thank you!! ]
Of course, of course. A mixture of both casual and and active events for everyone then. Such as board games, perhaps?
[ZHONGLI? you good over there?? ryan gives him a concerned look, eyes wide, but... he looks okay, and he's still here, so... it's probably fine? hopefully?
the heart distracts him, though. oh no, that's cute... there's a thoughtful hum at the menu, and he picks FIVE. three seems like too few for a place like this, and seven is way too much work. five, they can handle.]
We can go with, uh, five then? Then there should be something everyone likes, but we can still put enough attention into each of them... oh, and if you know what your sister likes, we can make sure one is her favorite if you don't have a preference!
[Alan's eyes narrow and he watches Zhongli's hand on his spear and the way he reaches for his back.]
Paper lanterns... that's not a bad idea.
[Zhongli will feel a bit of blood on his back. Yikes! It doesn't feel like anything actually in there though... Where'd the arrow go?]
Is something wrong?
[A little menu pops up for Zhongli's eyes only!
1. Tell the TRUTH. 2. Tell a LIE.
And... oh, no. Poor Shen Qingqiu. Jeord's eyes narrow, and he makes a noise that almost sounds like a scoff. Next to his face, a heart appears, but this time... there's a downward-pointing arrow.]
Board games? That's not too interesting...
[He reaches over to put a hand on Shen Qingqiu's shoulder.
To Zhongli and Ryan, he'll appear to vanish for a few moments - and for Shen Qingqiu, the room around him glitches out. It's not darkness he sees, though - it's the hallway of this same academy. There's a stabbing pain in his gut, and when he looks down, he's been stabbed through with a sword. Or - is it him? It looks like Katarina's dress - but then he blinks, and it's his own clothing.
He blinks again, and he's back in the student council room. There's a dull ache in his gut, but he won't feel like he's bleeding. Maria is standing closer to him, her hand around Jeord's wrist to pull it away from his shoulder.]
What board games did you have in mind? [From the look on Maria's face, it looks like she's trying to warn him.] You're from the far east, so it's probably something we've never seen before, right...?
[Meanwhile, Ryan is still having a good time. Keith chuckles.]
That amount seems just right. My sister isn't too picky - she'll eat anything if it's in front of her. But she does like chocolate.
[ y’all his knees are too knobby to rock katarina’s dress :(
BUT WHAT. WHAT IS THIS HORROR OTOME?! HE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THIS SHIT ONCE WHAT THE FUCK- so much for his lowkey suggestion?? it might be an acknowledgment to Maria, it might just be a simple gesture but he tilts his head in her direction ]
Mahjong is one- a game of chance and strategy. Though, I have a feeling you might be more amendable to my other suggestions. Perhaps a small tournament of some sort. With prizes for those who participate.
[ PLEASE DON’T LET HIM REGRET THIS. BINGHE’S NOT HERE TO BE HIS MEAT SHIELD ]
[zhongli your blood? SQQ YOU'RE VANISHING TEMPORARILY TOO?? what is going On here, is the vr glitching out, oh god what if this is one of those concepts where like, the power dies and they somehow get stuck.
he steals a glance or three their way, but if hot sir keith isn't concerned about zhongli or about sqq's temporary disappearance, then ryan decides it's best not to derail.]
You really can't go wrong with chocolate-! I do like a lot of different things, I cook and bake all the time, but if I have to pick a favorite, um... oh, probably tea flavors? They work really well with desserts.
[When his finger makes contact, there's that glitching again - he vanishes from Shen Qingqiu's and Ryan's view for several seconds. He finds himself in complete darkness, unable to see a thing - the stabbing pain on his back returns, and he'll feel more blood seeping through his clothing. There's silence, and then the sound of gravelly laughter and a flash of red, glowing eyes -
And then he's back in the student council room. Maria is standing next to him, having left Shen Qingqiu and Alan; she's brushed Alan's hand aside and is checking his temperature on his forehead with her hand. Her expression is concerned, but she shoots him a look like she's trying to give him a warning.]
I'm sure it's nothing you need to worry about, Prince Alan. We're here to plan the party, right? ...you mentioned lanterns, but are there any other decorations you want? Once we've all made a decision, we can move on.
[Meanwhile, Jeord, who does not seem to have noticed anything strange about Maria suddenly disappearing from his side and appearing near Zhongli, looks intrigued.]
I've never played mahjong before. I guess that would be fine.
[He starts to write that down.]
And what type of tournament did you have in mind?
[A menu pops up for Shen Qingqiu:
1. Suggest a DANCING CONTEST. 2. Suggest a COMBAT CONTEST. 3. Suggest an EATING CONTEST.
As for Ryan - he and Sir Hot Keith are getting along swimmingly. In fact, Keith seems impressed by the suggestion.]
Right. So, chocolate and tea flavors for the desserts, and... pick some kind of sandwiches, and we'll commit to that. Will you be making them yourself?
[He's writing down what they've decided on so far...]
[everything goes black again, a flash of red crossing his vision, and Zhongli lets out another pained cry as he pitches forward. but. . . when everything returns, it's Maria standing in front of him, hand against her forehead. and while he immediately opens his mouth to ask what the fuck is happening, it's the warning on Maria's features that shuts him up]
[. . .]
[there is some. . . unspoken rule he is missing, here. that hardly makes the contract fair, but-- he can think about that later]
. . . I apologize, Prince Alan. I must be feeling a bit under the weather.
[he straightens, backside still aching, the feel of blood still coating his jacket. it is, however, nothing foreign]
Paper lanterns and thematic kites, perhaps. [a very Liyue-esque suggestion!!] And of course, greenery is a must. I have quite the eye for festive floral arrangements myself.
I'll be certain to take it easy on you and the others then.
[ he says, while smacking at B without even questioning it, Maria teleporting, and how he got into this situation in the first place. it's all autopilot until he's done screaming internally. ]
But I would think combat would suit you the best, hmmm? I'm certainly interested in seeing the difference between our cultures.
[look he'd help but he really just thinks this is vr. zhongli will be fine with his blood, sqq will also do fine now that they both appear to not be dead or anything. he has sandwiches to worry about!]
I don't mind making them myself! I like doing it, you know? As for flavors, um-- definitely something that keeps well without needing to worry over storage too much, and something as many people as possible can eat... I'm thinking we do some that are cucumber mint and some that are egg salad? I'm used to them being called tea sandwiches, actually, they'll tie in with the desserts thematically and the touch of mint in the cucumber will match up well with the flavor...
[Alan's nose wrinkles, but he accepts Zhongli's answer, then grabs a piece of paper to scribble something down.]
Lanterns... kites... greenery. Got it. Okay, we'll go with that.
[Meanwhile, Jeord raises a brow.]
A combat tournament at a party... I guess that's not the most boring thing in the world.
[He writes that down on his paper.
As for Keith...
He's having a good time with Ryan, honestly. There's an almost nostalgic expression on his face as he listens to him wax poetic about types of sandwiches, and he writes down the varieties and adds a note - prepared by Ryan.
As each of them writes, Zhongli, Shen Qingqiu, and Ryan will see sparkles over the paper - and then their surroundings fade to black.
In front of them, a dialogue box pops up.]
With a plan in place, preparations began for the Magic Academy's -̵͉͐̀-̵̦̱̥̿-̸̣̀-̶̗̏-̸̲̎̽̔-̷̛͜͝-̸̬̱̱̀-̸̨̨̾͋-̵̼͈̰̑͛̿ party.
Through hard work and determination, the student council and their volunteers put everything together. However, there was one last matter to be decided... escorts. After all, nobles don't attend parties alone, usually.
Who will our volunteers invite?
[A menu appears in front of them:
1. Invite PRINCE JEORD STUART 2. Invite PRINCE ALAN STUART 3. Invite SIR KEITH CLAES 4. Invite LADY KATARINA CLAES 5. Invite MARIA CAMPBELL 6. Invite NO ONE
For options 1-5, they will vanish once one person taps them; however, option 6 can be selected more than once.]
They’re quite entertaining after all. Not to mention a chance to show off strength and skill with food and prizes at the end. Most students would covet for it.
[ meanwhile he’s slamming the INVITE MARIA option because ABSOLUTELY IN NO WAY IS HE INVITING THIS PRINCE AS HIS PLUS ONE HE’LL REALLY GET SHANKED THIS TIME- ]
What suggestions do you have, however? Certainly there are fun activities you all would enjoy that I am unaware of...?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[he watches as they both pick, a little relieved now that he just yoloed.]
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Zhongli will see some very anime-looking sparkles around the head of the silver-haired man.
Shen Qingqiu will see some very anime-looking sparkles around the head of the golden-haired man.
Ryan will see some very anime-looking sparkles around the head of the dirty blond-haired man.]
Oh, we should make introductions! Prince Jeord is in charge of the party's activities, Prince Alan is in charge of the decorations, and Sir Keith is in charge of the food.
[The men look at the "volunteers," clearly waiting for them to introduce themselves first.]
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[IN A LOW VOICE, TO RYAN AND SQQ--]
What's "VR?"
[is now the time for that question?? anyway, he straightens once Maria and the young men pop back to life, his attention immediately focused on Prince Alan, since that's his decorations buddy. he bows his head slightly in a traditional and polite greeting]
Prince Alan. My name is Zhongli, consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I've met with your classmate, Katerina. She's quite the handful.
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[ and sends zhongli off with a pat on the shoulder. no need to give him heart failure before a quest!
either way, he turns to his princely npc and boy is his eye twitching again. the whiplash from a stallion novel to a girls otome really is too much..!!
but before his blood pressure spikes off the chart, he cups his hand and inclines his head slightly. ]
Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu. l look forward to your guidance.
[ somewhere about now it dawns on him if anything were to occur they have no way to communicate. hm. the menu’s still floating yeah? time to see if this stupid thing has anything useful settings hiding in it ]
We should have a place to meet when we finish.
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[he whispers that to zhongli, giving him a nod-- and then blinking as they're introduced to the guys. oh no. why does he have to be paired with one, he's going to be nervous the whole time--]
I'm, um, Ryan. Ryan Farrow. Nice to meet you, I-- look forward to working with you?
[is that right. he hopes so.]
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A handful is right. That idiot's probably caused you guys a bunch of trouble, right?
[Shen Qingqiu, meanwhile, gets a slightly bemused look from Jeord.]
"Peak Lord," is it? That's something I've never heard of before...
[He sounds intrigued! Checking the little floating menu, SQQ will see what looks like a heart with a question mark inside of it. When he taps on it, he (and he alone) will see a waist-up portrait of Jeord, a little icon of his own face next to a mostly-empty fill bar, and a little icon of Maria's face next to a fill bar that is about 1/10th of the way full.
As for Ryan - Keith glances at him, then nods.]
Sure. Do you have any ideas for the food?
[Maria, meanwhile, is watching them all with a little smile.]
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[unlike SQQ, Zhongli is not genre-savvy, and he doesn't know to touch the floating menu. he looks a little perplexed for a moment (not at what Alan said, but rather the whole. . . situation) before he shakes his head and responds]
Perhaps a small bit of trouble, but nothing at all too serious. [he likes Katerina!! she seems legit!!!] But she's told me quite a bit about your academy and how it works.
Tell me, does this party for which we're decorating have a theme?
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no. oh no. oh no no no no.
HE’S REALLY GONNA QI DEVIATE NOW. DON’T TELL HIM THIS IS-]
Unsurprising. Cang Qiong Mountain is very far to the East after all. Tell me then, what sort of activities are to be expected?
[ if he’s smiling and fanning himself like he’s ready to spew blood like the worlds worst fountain, here’s hoping our lovely npcs pay no mind ]
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ryan perks up a little at that question, though, clearly already in Let's Do Things mode. objective number one: do not embarrass self in front of Hot Sir Keith.]
Ah, well, you know-- if there'll be activities and everything it's probably best to go with things that are easy to eat, right? Single servings, maybe, um, those fancy little sandwiches or something... nothing messy, for sure. Oh, desserts too, obviously-- I'm pretty sure everyone likes those. If you have any favorite flavors I bet we can work with that!
[he's so excited at the prospect of all this... let him be helpful!!]
no subject
Anyway, Alan nods, like some trouble is to be expected, and crosses his arms.]
The theme is -̵͉͐̀-̵̦̱̥̿-̸̣̀-̶̗̏-̸̲̎̽̔-̷̛͜͝-̸̬̱̱̀-̸̨̨̾͋-̵̼͈̰̑͛̿. What else?
[In the instant where that garbled noise comes out of Alan's mouth, Zhongli will see a sudden shift in his surroundings - almost as if something is glitching out into darkness around him. He'll also feel a stabbing pain in his back, not unlike what he might feel if he was pierced with an arrow - but then Alan speaks again, and his surroundings appear perfectly normal.
Shen Qingqiu and Ryan will not see this, though they will see Zhongli disappear for an instant before flickering back into view.
Jeord makes a little tsk sound, his eyes narrowing somewhat.]
Something entertaining. We wouldn't want anyone getting bored... Now, would we?
[His expression darkens somewhat as he speaks. Hm.
Meanwhile, Keith's expression softens as Ryan rambles on about food. A little heart appears next to his face, with an arrow pointing upwards.]
Good idea. My sister will like that. I don't have any favorites, but a variety would be better.
[A small menu pops up for Ryan, and Ryan alone:
1. Suggest THREE FLAVORS.
2. Suggest FIVE FLAVORS.
3. Suggest SEVEN FLAVORS.]
no subject
[the moment his surroundings shift, the moment Zhongli feels that pain in his back, he lets out a pained--]
-- gck!
[and jerks forward, almost on instinct. by the time Alan speaks again, Zhongli is standing there with one hand clutched into the fabric of his sweater, his expression hardened and the other hand resting against the shaft of his spear]
[. . .]
[he releases his spear and immediately reaches behind himself to check for blood while addressing Alan]
Yes. . . of course. [THIS DOES NOT HELP] Then perhaps some thematic paper lanterns would be appropriate, in order to set the mood.
no subject
but the intense fanning pauses if only to look sharply at zhongli, eyes staring intensely at the blip and narrowing. something is not right in the neighborhood. if sqq manages to catch his eye there will be a subtle shake to indicate nothing there.
AND THEN THERE’S THIS GUY. he gets his own squinty eyed stare because he can think of plenty of activities under such a threat and he doesn’t want any of that-! No thank you!! ]
Of course, of course. A mixture of both casual and and active events for everyone then. Such as board games, perhaps?
no subject
the heart distracts him, though. oh no, that's cute... there's a thoughtful hum at the menu, and he picks FIVE. three seems like too few for a place like this, and seven is way too much work. five, they can handle.]
We can go with, uh, five then? Then there should be something everyone likes, but we can still put enough attention into each of them... oh, and if you know what your sister likes, we can make sure one is her favorite if you don't have a preference!
no subject
Paper lanterns... that's not a bad idea.
[Zhongli will feel a bit of blood on his back. Yikes! It doesn't feel like anything actually in there though... Where'd the arrow go?]
Is something wrong?
[A little menu pops up for Zhongli's eyes only!
1. Tell the TRUTH.
2. Tell a LIE.
And... oh, no. Poor Shen Qingqiu. Jeord's eyes narrow, and he makes a noise that almost sounds like a scoff. Next to his face, a heart appears, but this time... there's a downward-pointing arrow.]
Board games? That's not too interesting...
[He reaches over to put a hand on Shen Qingqiu's shoulder.
To Zhongli and Ryan, he'll appear to vanish for a few moments - and for Shen Qingqiu, the room around him glitches out. It's not darkness he sees, though - it's the hallway of this same academy. There's a stabbing pain in his gut, and when he looks down, he's been stabbed through with a sword. Or - is it him? It looks like Katarina's dress - but then he blinks, and it's his own clothing.
He blinks again, and he's back in the student council room. There's a dull ache in his gut, but he won't feel like he's bleeding. Maria is standing closer to him, her hand around Jeord's wrist to pull it away from his shoulder.]
What board games did you have in mind? [From the look on Maria's face, it looks like she's trying to warn him.] You're from the far east, so it's probably something we've never seen before, right...?
[Meanwhile, Ryan is still having a good time. Keith chuckles.]
That amount seems just right. My sister isn't too picky - she'll eat anything if it's in front of her. But she does like chocolate.
[He crosses his arms.]
What do you like?
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. . . yes. It felt as though something was stabbing me from behind. Do you see or experience anything painful, too?
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BUT WHAT. WHAT IS THIS HORROR OTOME?! HE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THIS SHIT ONCE WHAT THE FUCK- so much for his lowkey suggestion?? it might be an acknowledgment to Maria, it might just be a simple gesture but he tilts his head in her direction ]
Mahjong is one- a game of chance and strategy. Though, I have a feeling you might be more amendable to my other suggestions. Perhaps a small tournament of some sort. With prizes for those who participate.
[ PLEASE DON’T LET HIM REGRET THIS. BINGHE’S NOT HERE TO BE HIS MEAT SHIELD ]
no subject
he steals a glance or three their way, but if hot sir keith isn't concerned about zhongli or about sqq's temporary disappearance, then ryan decides it's best not to derail.]
You really can't go wrong with chocolate-! I do like a lot of different things, I cook and bake all the time, but if I have to pick a favorite, um... oh, probably tea flavors? They work really well with desserts.
no subject
What are you talking about? Is something wrong with you?
[He reaches over to flick Zhongli in the forehead.]
S̵̩̖͍̹̰̺̻̦̝̾̒̿̈́̈̇͊̈́͆̅̽͂ͅͅt̷̨̢͎̣̤̹̱̩̣̹́̈́̚͝o̵̱̠̪̪͇̳͈͚͓̝̩͇͗̈́̀̀̃́̐͝p̴̺͇̻͕̱̭͖̜͍̰̊̅́ ̷̡̬̖̙̈̒͐͋͆́̃̓͋̃̈̈͋͊m̴͇̙̯̹̪̪̋͝ȅ̵̛̜͈̙̝̯̮̰̱̿̋͗̋̾̐͝s̶̪̳̽̒̀̿̈́͆̍̄͝s̵̪̟͕̗͍̱̙̐͊̽̒́̈́̾̈́̂͘̕͝i̵̠̖̤͍̔̇̑̃̀̃͘n̷̞̙̏͋̎̕͠ͅg̵̡̡̧͔͇̫͍̠̣̒̾͂̾̓̃̈́̉̽͋̋̚͘͝ ̶̫̮̠̻̹̦̳̱̮̞̞̟͈͚͈͗̔̂͌͊̀̾̈́̇̀̀͝͝͠ͅͅà̶̢̨̡͎̦̰̳̍r̴͈̜̪̗̮͙̼̹̂̌͛̒̒̑̔̋͘͝ȍ̵̺͙͚͙̼͙̇u̷̞̽̅́̎̀̒̔̓͂́̑̅́̚̕͝n̶̰̭̈́͝͝ḑ̶̨̢͓̮̮͈͉̭͇̀̄̂̐͝.̵̨̢̠̻̾́͂
[When his finger makes contact, there's that glitching again - he vanishes from Shen Qingqiu's and Ryan's view for several seconds. He finds himself in complete darkness, unable to see a thing - the stabbing pain on his back returns, and he'll feel more blood seeping through his clothing. There's silence, and then the sound of gravelly laughter and a flash of red, glowing eyes -
And then he's back in the student council room. Maria is standing next to him, having left Shen Qingqiu and Alan; she's brushed Alan's hand aside and is checking his temperature on his forehead with her hand. Her expression is concerned, but she shoots him a look like she's trying to give him a warning.]
I'm sure it's nothing you need to worry about, Prince Alan. We're here to plan the party, right? ...you mentioned lanterns, but are there any other decorations you want? Once we've all made a decision, we can move on.
[Meanwhile, Jeord, who does not seem to have noticed anything strange about Maria suddenly disappearing from his side and appearing near Zhongli, looks intrigued.]
I've never played mahjong before. I guess that would be fine.
[He starts to write that down.]
And what type of tournament did you have in mind?
[A menu pops up for Shen Qingqiu:
1. Suggest a DANCING CONTEST.
2. Suggest a COMBAT CONTEST.
3. Suggest an EATING CONTEST.
As for Ryan - he and Sir Hot Keith are getting along swimmingly. In fact, Keith seems impressed by the suggestion.]
Right. So, chocolate and tea flavors for the desserts, and... pick some kind of sandwiches, and we'll commit to that. Will you be making them yourself?
[He's writing down what they've decided on so far...]
no subject
[everything goes black again, a flash of red crossing his vision, and Zhongli lets out another pained cry as he pitches forward. but. . . when everything returns, it's Maria standing in front of him, hand against her forehead. and while he immediately opens his mouth to ask what the fuck is happening, it's the warning on Maria's features that shuts him up]
[. . .]
[there is some. . . unspoken rule he is missing, here. that hardly makes the contract fair, but-- he can think about that later]
. . . I apologize, Prince Alan. I must be feeling a bit under the weather.
[he straightens, backside still aching, the feel of blood still coating his jacket. it is, however, nothing foreign]
Paper lanterns and thematic kites, perhaps. [a very Liyue-esque suggestion!!] And of course, greenery is a must. I have quite the eye for festive floral arrangements myself.
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[ he says, while smacking at B without even questioning it, Maria teleporting, and how he got into this situation in the first place. it's all autopilot until he's done screaming internally. ]
But I would think combat would suit you the best, hmmm? I'm certainly interested in seeing the difference between our cultures.
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I don't mind making them myself! I like doing it, you know? As for flavors, um-- definitely something that keeps well without needing to worry over storage too much, and something as many people as possible can eat... I'm thinking we do some that are cucumber mint and some that are egg salad? I'm used to them being called tea sandwiches, actually, they'll tie in with the desserts thematically and the touch of mint in the cucumber will match up well with the flavor...
[he's so invested in this fucking food planning]
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Lanterns... kites... greenery. Got it. Okay, we'll go with that.
[Meanwhile, Jeord raises a brow.]
A combat tournament at a party... I guess that's not the most boring thing in the world.
[He writes that down on his paper.
As for Keith...
He's having a good time with Ryan, honestly. There's an almost nostalgic expression on his face as he listens to him wax poetic about types of sandwiches, and he writes down the varieties and adds a note - prepared by Ryan.
As each of them writes, Zhongli, Shen Qingqiu, and Ryan will see sparkles over the paper - and then their surroundings fade to black.
In front of them, a dialogue box pops up.]
Through hard work and determination, the student council and their volunteers put everything together. However, there was one last matter to be decided... escorts. After all, nobles don't attend parties alone, usually.
Who will our volunteers invite?
[A menu appears in front of them:
1. Invite PRINCE JEORD STUART
2. Invite PRINCE ALAN STUART
3. Invite SIR KEITH CLAES
4. Invite LADY KATARINA CLAES
5. Invite MARIA CAMPBELL
6. Invite NO ONE
For options 1-5, they will vanish once one person taps them; however, option 6 can be selected more than once.]
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They’re quite entertaining after all. Not to mention a chance to show off strength and skill with food and prizes at the end. Most students would covet for it.
[ meanwhile he’s slamming the INVITE MARIA option because ABSOLUTELY IN NO WAY IS HE INVITING THIS PRINCE AS HIS PLUS ONE HE’LL REALLY GET SHANKED THIS TIME- ]
What suggestions do you have, however? Certainly there are fun activities you all would enjoy that I am unaware of...?
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[he stares at the menu for a moment, but. listen. as if he wouldn't pick Hot Sir Keith, he is hitting the button right afterwards.]
1/5
with their choices made, the darkness solidifies into - something else.
a cutscene, perhaps...? each one of them will see a different scene.]
2/5 - INVITE: KATARINA
3/5 - INVITE: MARIA
4/5 - INVITE: KEITH
5/5 - THE PARTY BEGINS
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