on saturday evening, lu bixing is stopping off into the bar - lacking his coat from earlier, with popcorn the banana python bundled in his arms. he's looking for something, though... when he spots filbo, he gives him a little smile. ]
[Filbo sighs a little. He's wiping off some of the grime off the bar counter, just to have something to do]
...I thought I'd come out of that trial feeling pretty bad, but instead I'm just tired. And annoyed with everything. Weird, huh?
[He's pretty softhearted, but the ridiculousness of the proceedings and Bucky being the killer has him more upset than saddened. Which is...is it good? He can't tell]
[ every filbo icon is such a mood it kills me personally
lu bixing watches him for a moment, and then... after, comes to join him, getting a paper towel and going to wet it with some water from the bar so he might do the same. this place could use some elbow grease, and it makes a nice distraction. ]
I don't think it's weird. [ any reaction to any of this is valid, probably, except for like. cheering and whooping and yelling. ] The end of it was chaotic, and the conditions were chaotic from the start. Not to mention, the things Bucky said at the end were... well, he wasn't exactly helping his cause.
[Haha, it's funny, I have to admit I absolutely no idea how this face could be expressive enough to get more than fifty icons, truthfully.
Come on, let's get distracted by futilely cleaning this place up! It's going to be grimy as hell for the new week, but alas, getting the paws busy is what Filbo needs right now, so he's giving it his best]
He could have kept quiet instead of just dropping that there. Things are gonna get messy from here on...
[Part of Filbo wonders if it was spite, trying to get more people to kill. Bucky didn't seem to him the extremely spiteful type, but, well, emotions sure can get hold of you in the moment and make you do things you wouldn't otherwise. Who knows]
Hey, Bixing! Spend the day with me. [And when he says that, he adds immediately:] I wanna check out that new place that opened and, uh, you know how it is, in hell things just can't be nice and simple. Thought safety in numbers would be good! So, uh...wanna go?
[ oh cute... filbo gets a big grin in greeting - the excitement of spending the day is a little forward but you know what? he appreciates the enthusiasm, so he flashes him a thumbs up. ] I'd love to. Besides, I've already been, so, maybe I can give you a tour.
Have you ever been to a place like an onsen before?
Well, um--I know what a hot spring is, I mean, the place I was at where I died had a beach...full of natural hot springs, but I had never really been in a place like this one before.
[Onsens are a little too Japanese for whatever culture the place Filbo comes from is like, haha!]
But...hey, it's not lava, it's not a nightmare octopus, and also there's nothing trying to shoot arrows at you, so this is a better place than most, so...!
[So may as well figure out if there's really no catch and enjoy it to the fullest! Because he really needs a break from everything, he thinks]
[ sweet filbo. he offers him a little encouraging smile. ]
This kind of thing's not very common where I'm from, either. There aren't really any naturally occurring hot springs on any planets I've been to, but I read about ancient Earth ones, here and there.
[ so, at least this is new for them both, maybe? and he grins at the end, putting his hands on his hips. ] But I like your enthusiasm! Let's go explore, shall we?
[As soon as they arrive, Filbo sure begins checking everything with...a lot of caution, actually! Observing the amenities like he expects they'll turn into nightmares. It's not impossible such thing can happen, given the precedent of the existence of a certain creature that fortunately will cease existing once Lavi smashes it into mush with a hammer]
...you know...I think I never asked...what kinda place you come from? I mean, I know it's a place that apparently calls ancient Earth to the planet and also has...arms that can be people? Just what kinda place is it?
[ dont you love getting dumped into weird memory holes filbo? so does lu bixing! not.
today's unceremonious memory hole dump has led to the screen appearing in front of filbo and lu bixing, and as it flickers to life, the memory that comes across the screen is that of the eighth galaxy. ]
[ it's only been two years since the eighth galaxy officially separated from the union - since you lost lin jingheng and monoeye hawk. you spent the first hundred days in isolation, working, working, working, but the world never stopped turning, and prime minister edward has finally stepped down. you've taken his position - the new prime minister of the entire eighth galaxy.
truthfully, it wasn't a position you ever really wanted. especially not now, but you know why it needs to be yours. the prime minister is nearly ancient, even for your kind - edging on 250, he's close to the end, and the hospice report given to you on your way to visit him at his home makes that even more brutally clear. he's on an intense amount of painkillers, he can't eat on his own, can barely sleep on his own. most people, at that age, in that much pain, would take a lethal injection to end their lives peacefully, but the former prime minister is refusing. he's stubborn; you like that about him, though.
right now, it feels far away, disassociative like everything does, after lin and your father died. as you approach the hospice center, you see a few doctors wheeling out the former prime minister's massive wheelchair - it's the size of a small car, and you see the wheels get stuck. the doctors start to fus sover it, as four or five more come over to attempt to move the thing with teamwork, but for you, now? now, it's easy. you wave them off, and come over - and with both hands on the wheelchair, you yank the small car sized thing right out of the mud, bare handed.
the doctors look at you, surprised. "...Prime Minister Lu, you've been working out, lately."
you give them a little smile. prime minister edward opens his eyes, and he looks at you. this is routine, now - you two take these walks together, because this old man does love this galaxy, and you want to try and help him enjoy it in his final days, even in your miserable state. (after all, you know what it's like, to be confined like that. to be unable to use your body. how demoralizing it is. how cruel.)
so. you escort him every day from the hospital and take him around the military command post, and you two catch up and talk. you trudge through the mud, peaceful and quiet, the very picture of dependability, holding the eighth's moral heart in your hands. today, your four former students run up to see you and the prime minister on your walk - they're lively and squabble, the bright young stars of the winked out starry sea academy.
you talk about the future. the prime minister asks you about the military training program.
"Bixing... Military supplies, production, and large-scale industries are getting too much funding and planning. What do you plan on turning the Eighth Galaxy into...a super fortress where all citizens are soldiers?"
your four students look at you. you're careful, when you respond - that you want to protect the future of the eighth galaxy. that you want to make sure no one intends to impress a fake utopia on you the way they impressed it on the other seven. that you're going to make sure your galaxy is safe. that no one ever tries to take advantage of you again. for a peaceful future. a safe one.
edward falls silent. the kids ask you a question about rebuilding starry sea academy, and it makes something tiny and bitter in your heart twist into pieces - you ask them where they're going to come up with six million credits to pay for it, and they laugh, and they run off. bright and happy as they talk, share old memories - you shoo them off, reminding them not to bother the tired old prime minister, and you hear them arguing about the old school motto. how you told them once, not to be discouraged if they sink into the dark waters of their lives. in times of strife and trouble, don't bury yourself in the mud or the sand; remember the foundation the starry sea academy built for you.
in the darkest mud of your own life, pulled under the riptide of despair, you can't help but take it with a touch of something bitter. how shameless. how foolish that had been. how far away it seemed, now.
prime minister edward snaps you out of it. you're about to turn his wheelchair around when his ancient, frail hand comes out and presses lightly against your wrist. you look down at him, and there's something in his eyes that reminds of the first time you met him, a fire that was impossible to extinguish in sickness and old age.
he says, in this soft, creaking voice, "My wheelchair weighs almost a whole ton, yet you can still lift it up with your bare hands. I’ve also heard that you even sleep for less than three hours a day, but you don’t look a bit tired at all."
you have an excuse ready immediately. ] I'm still young -
[ but the prime minister doesn't fall for it. he looks you cold in the eyes and asks - "What did you do to yourself?"
... you close your mouth. in your heart, you can almost feel the biochip. you decide, clinically, that the old prime minister is close to death, anyway, and too sick to stop your experiments. why hide it? you keep your voice calm. in the darkness of your lab, you've been practicing. injecting. practicing. testing. injecting. making breakthroughs. day by day. ] ...Just a small experiment. There are still a lot of unknown factors. I can't exactly share details right now, but if it succeeds, I could potentially build a fleet of extremely high mental strength soldiers.
[ the track marks on your arm hurts, a little.
prime minister edward's voice sharpens. "Like those half human, half monsters fleets of the Freedom Corps?"
no. ] Of course not. If AIs could completely replace humans, modern warfare would’ve already been a war of robots by now. The AI fleet of the Silver Fortress wouldn’t fall so easily either, we have a failed example before us already. [ and that's the truth. what you're creating is better - you, as the first experiment, could lead the way. the prime minister's voice carries so much strength, for someone so frail, when he responds to you.
"You know I'm not asking you what type of soldiers are better. Do you know the dangers of this? If - "
but you cut him off, as calm as can be. you remember, in the back of your mind, the soldiers who eliminated such a large chunk of the eighth's fleet. who killed lin. who killed monoeye hawk. you have sharpened, from soft to steel. from idealist to leader. to the prime minister lu bixing.
you are perfectly calm. ] If this kills me, then my job ends here. But for as long as I’m alive, I will no longer return back to the state where others can take advantage of me.
[ never again. you will make the IUS pay. you will make the Freedom Corps pay. you will annihilate them, if you have to. you will make them understand that the eighth is not their plaything and their toy.
the prime minister tries to plead with you. "“Listen to what you’re saying, isn’t this contradicting what you said before? You really plan on opening a new Era with this mentality? A whole new era of exploration?” and you retort - ] What new era? Those are just pretty words.
[ he looks like he wants to say something else - a gust of wind, blows, though, and the prime minister convulses, letting out a horrible, wracking cough. it's moments like these when you remember that he's so frail, a stark reminder to the fierce words he gave you a moment before, and you shift the wheelchair to block the wind until he's able to catch his breath. and when he does - you expect nothing, but he looks you dead in the eye.
“Bixing, there will be nobody who can pull you back from the wrong path when I leave one day.”
the wheelchair's handle cracks under your palm.
(because you know. you know, you know you know you shouldn't - you know this is a bad idea, you know you shouldn't experiment on yourself, you know you shouldn't stoop to the level of the union, but you're grieving and you're so fucking angry and you have a chance and you have to take it - ) ]
Why won't you sign the papers to be put to sleep? [ you ask, changing the question, because you have to, voice soft to keep yourself from shattering to pieces. not like this. he looks at you again, trembling with the strength it must take him to stay like this.
"“Being put to sleep can end pain and give the patient honor and peace in the final moment of their life. I voluntarily give up my honor and peace until the very last second, so that I can struggle and fight with this galaxy until the last moment. I…"
you try to stop him, because you don't want to hear it, because you can't, ] - Let me give you a shot of anesthetics. Can I send you back so you can get some sleep?
[ but he grabs your sleeve even tighter, rasping, shaking "I...I... resigned seven times...in the Eighth Galaxy’s government...and came back an eighth time....so that I could take the position of Prime Minister...during the toughest times…" ]
Okay - okay, I know, Edward - [ you can't stand to see him like this, really, even beyond your own guilt, because he is in so much pain, because you saw the rainbow virus nearly consume this man alive and you're using the exact same virus to experiment on yourself, and your face crumples as you cover his hand with yours, and he continues.
“I...I couldn’t do anything on my own...until...until I met you guys...I finally saw a bit of hope...Bixing, can you also give yourself a chance to stand up again...after perishing into ashes seven times? The words you’ve spoon-fed the kids...are...are…”
finally, he trails off, there, into a coughing fit. you're so shaken that you take the chance to bring him back inside to the hospital, and when you return him to your doctors, the words repeat over and over in your mind.
Could you give yourself a chance to stand up again after perishing into ashes seven times?
could you?
forty five days later, the prime minister finally passes away in his sleep. for you, it was the beginning of a nightmarish ten years of suffering and pain. for you, it was the beginning of your falls - of the seven tiny hatch marks carved into your desk with a knife, in the present day. ]
[When the memory is over, Filbo looks at Lu Bixing, seemingly at a loss of what to say. It takes about half a minute of trying to put his thoughts in order for him to say:]
...you...you really have quite the willpower, no? For better or for worse...
[Enough willpower to use himself for uncertain experiments, to not want to return to a more vulnerable state, to take the role of prime minister, for just being able to face others during such a clearly tense conversation...it's pretty mindboggling.
To think someone like him died and went to hell is a little bit tough to believe...because someone with such willpower feels like they would stay alive forever, really. Yet here he is]
this one's a little - it's not embarassing, but it's hard to see himself like that again. lu bixing's stiffer than usual, more tense, his often smiling face serious and dark. when filbo speaks, he glances to the side, and lets out a soft, humorless laugh, reaching up to rub a hand against his face. ]
[So sorry for the delay in replying, with everything going on since a few days ago it sure took a while, yup.
Filbo exhales when he hears Lu Bixing laugh. He feels...kind of tense, truthfully. Like he saw something he never was supposed to see. Some part of Lu Bixing that was meant to not be shown so...straightforward]
Um, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, it's just a question, but...
...was all that...something you always expected to do with your life?
[Prime Minister Lu Bixing, who apparently is willing to do quite a few hard things, and most likely did a lot more ever since that day. Him leading an academy sure feels a bit more natural. That part of him, what he heard in the memory, sure seems to fit the guy he has known during the stay in hell so far]
and oh, what a question. he glances over at filbo for a moment, folding his hands together in front of himself, and then... huffs a little bit of a laugh, shaking his head. ]
No. It was never something I wanted at all. Especially... [ ... especially after lin died, but, he doesn't say that, just shaking his head and cutting himself off. ] Sometimes, it's not about what you want to do, but what you have to do to help.
[ and then finally, with a small, rueful smile: ] ...It's okay. You can ask questions, if you want, Filbo. It's not rude.
It's still a lot, you know. Just...saddling yourself with responsibilities over others. i mean, you're Prime Minister Lu Bixing, and that's...pretty daunting.
Sometimes it goes great and you truly can do something to help, other times...well, it doesn't go well at all. [And unfortunately, Filbo sees his own efforts as the latter. Circumstances made it impossible] If you managed to make it work and you did help others even though it's all so heavy, then...I think it's admirable you took this onto yourself.
[The home biome has Filbo a bit conflicted...mostly because it's showing him the island where he died, instead of any place he truly called home. So he hangs out outside of the biome, waiting for someone else to come and probably turn it into something else.
lu Bixing! Oh, excellent!]
Hey there! Wanna show me your home?
[...truthfully, if Lu Bixing expresses interest in what the home biome shows Filbo, he'll fold because he's not one to be able to stand his ground, alas]
[ well - filbo picked the right person because lu bixing beams at the request. ]
I'd love to.
[ because he is immensely proud of his home, so.
it takes a moment for the biome to swap, but when it does... filbo will find himself standing just outside of the front stoop of a cute little house. it has a white picket fence just visible at the edge of the biome, and a well manicured lawn with a nicely maintained garden of flowers, bushes of lucida and recently planted posies. most notable, though is that there are two robots on either side of the door. they look a little cobbled together, not perfectly made, and upon approach, the one on the left does a twirl and plucks a flower petal from the closet bench, then offers it to the one on the right, who takes it. a voice comes from the left robot's chest - lu bixing's - that says welcome home.
just above the door is an arched sign with artificial flowers neatly bordering it; the sign says The Home of Engineer 001 and Commander Lin.
bixing is smiling when he sees it - sappy, a little silly, but he practically skips down the front steps and goes for the door, offering it to hold it open, to show the inside of a very cozy looking house. ]
[He's so immensely relieved Lu Bixing agreed. Letting out a sigh of relief he didn't even know he had been holding in, Filbo steps behind Lu Bixing and into the wonders of what he's sure will be a world beyond anything he knows!
Somehow, he didn't see coming there would be a nice house. He wasn't sure what he expected, but something charming and relatively normal as a house wasn't it. The robots, though! Now that's more or less what he expected, after having heard how a certain someone in the game has an arm that's also a person to some extent!
Filbo sure seems pretty excited about going in, nodding and not hesitating to do so]
Don't tell me, you made those machines outside? I mean, one has your voice and all!
[filbo why are you asking that to the man who also made yoru be in the hellpollo and fashioned that thing to win the boat race from that event. what do you think. read the sign it calls him an engineer]
[Dating forward to a point I think won't affect anything because there's something I want to try for the first time this game and knowing myself I probably would be slow as molasses at getting it done before the week ends, haha. Can't do it in endgame week because there probably will stuff happening at those days.
You have a message, Lu Bixing!]
hey so youre into messing around with drinks right? im trying to catch up on those because i feel i have missed onto stuff so i was wondering if you would be willing to help just for fun and also discovery
no worries im not touching that love ne
[He's willing to experiment but perhaps not with the love potion one in someone else's presence, hah]
Sure thing, Filbo! And don't worry, I've tested the love potion to its full extent. [ gross ] You can order any of the drinks at any of the bars. Have you been to the one at the resort, yet? I'm in the area right now if you'd like to join me.
[We're so getting cursed and it will be thanks to our own hubris. Or...Filbo's recklessless with drinks, hah]
im on my way!
[It's a nice and chilly area, and given he's all fur he sure minds none of this place. To the bar in the resort!
Filbo probably arrives first, having been in the industrial kitchen when Lu Bixing responded, so going to the bar is very quick for him. Given Lu Bixing said at any bar one can order any of the drinks, by the time Lu Bixing arrives there's two of every drink -- except the love one, he's not falling for Lu Bixing today, hah.
There are already a few liquor glasses empty -- and the reason why is clear: looks like Filbo really is trying to catch up, because he has already poured a few of the liquor glasses together. Only mixing two at a time, thankfully! The colors of the already mixed ones are curious, tones that the components didn't have. The only way to know for sure what some of the components are is by the little additions the drinks had. One of the mixtures has the weird eyes from the Santa drink, another the hibiscus of the 180° turn in mood, another the umbrella of the clumsiness drink, another the cherry of the clown music one. There's nothing that indicates what the other drink in each of these mixtures are, though...probably surprises!
Still, judging by those four mixtures, the many, many empty glasses, and the assortment of individual drinks that feature everything, even samples of the terrible beer from the first weeks, Filbo doesn't hold back when he wants to do something, hah! Go hard or go home!]
Lu Bixing, there you are! I know I'm kinda overdoing it, but other than last week I have kinda stayed away from these and...for the most part it seems things are harmless when it's about the liquor? So here is all this!
lu bixing just kind of looks at this, for a long, long moment. he's all bundled up when he arrives, in a puffy coat and a warm scarf and a hat and earmuffs, and even behind all that fluffy winter clothes the mental restart of oh that is so much is like, blatant on his face. ]
...Ooooh, you sure are enthusiastic, Filbo. [ he says this pretty brightly, though, so this is fine, as he trots over and like immediately starts pulling up his personal device so he can take some notes. ]
They are pretty neutral to positive in terms of their effects, at least as I've noticed so far. I see you got started already! What'd you drink, if you don't mind me asking? Do you remember?
[ every time i open this pc log i think about how i got shot at execution
ANYWAY thankfully that doesn't even matter now. what're you up to filbo? you might see a familiar figure dressed in his usual dark academia best, squatting down on the side of the road somewhere in the city. there's a little demon kid in front of him, scraggly and dirty, and they seem to be having a conversation.
at the end of it, bixing puts his hand on the kids head and ruffles his hair. he bats it away but beams, and filbo may catch the tail end of a conversation as lu bixing says,
"Listen. Tricks like that work sometimes, but you need to be careful who you're trying to take from, okay? There's some weird people here, and more than that, there's some poor academics who won't get you anything, too."
the kid giggles. "Yeah, you're weird and poor."
"Eeexactly."
something happened here. either way bixing looks like, right in his element. come approach? ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
week 0, sat
on saturday evening, lu bixing is stopping off into the bar - lacking his coat from earlier, with popcorn the banana python bundled in his arms. he's looking for something, though... when he spots filbo, he gives him a little smile. ]
Hi, Filbo. Are you alright, after all of that...?
no subject
[Filbo sighs a little. He's wiping off some of the grime off the bar counter, just to have something to do]
...I thought I'd come out of that trial feeling pretty bad, but instead I'm just tired. And annoyed with everything. Weird, huh?
[He's pretty softhearted, but the ridiculousness of the proceedings and Bucky being the killer has him more upset than saddened. Which is...is it good? He can't tell]
no subject
lu bixing watches him for a moment, and then... after, comes to join him, getting a paper towel and going to wet it with some water from the bar so he might do the same. this place could use some elbow grease, and it makes a nice distraction. ]
I don't think it's weird. [ any reaction to any of this is valid, probably, except for like. cheering and whooping and yelling. ] The end of it was chaotic, and the conditions were chaotic from the start. Not to mention, the things Bucky said at the end were... well, he wasn't exactly helping his cause.
I'm tired too.
no subject
Come on, let's get distracted by futilely cleaning this place up! It's going to be grimy as hell for the new week, but alas, getting the paws busy is what Filbo needs right now, so he's giving it his best]
He could have kept quiet instead of just dropping that there. Things are gonna get messy from here on...
[Part of Filbo wonders if it was spite, trying to get more people to kill. Bucky didn't seem to him the extremely spiteful type, but, well, emotions sure can get hold of you in the moment and make you do things you wouldn't otherwise. Who knows]
Week 2 -- Wednesday
............
What is an onsen]
Hey, Bixing! Spend the day with me. [And when he says that, he adds immediately:] I wanna check out that new place that opened and, uh, you know how it is, in hell things just can't be nice and simple. Thought safety in numbers would be good! So, uh...wanna go?
no subject
[ oh cute... filbo gets a big grin in greeting - the excitement of spending the day is a little forward but you know what? he appreciates the enthusiasm, so he flashes him a thumbs up. ] I'd love to. Besides, I've already been, so, maybe I can give you a tour.
Have you ever been to a place like an onsen before?
no subject
[Onsens are a little too Japanese for whatever culture the place Filbo comes from is like, haha!]
But...hey, it's not lava, it's not a nightmare octopus, and also there's nothing trying to shoot arrows at you, so this is a better place than most, so...!
[So may as well figure out if there's really no catch and enjoy it to the fullest! Because he really needs a break from everything, he thinks]
no subject
This kind of thing's not very common where I'm from, either. There aren't really any naturally occurring hot springs on any planets I've been to, but I read about ancient Earth ones, here and there.
[ so, at least this is new for them both, maybe? and he grins at the end, putting his hands on his hips. ] But I like your enthusiasm! Let's go explore, shall we?
no subject
...you know...I think I never asked...what kinda place you come from? I mean, I know it's a place that apparently calls ancient Earth to the planet and also has...arms that can be people? Just what kinda place is it?
week 3 wednesdayish
today's unceremonious memory hole dump has led to the screen appearing in front of filbo and lu bixing, and as it flickers to life, the memory that comes across the screen is that of the eighth galaxy. ]
no subject
[When the memory is over, Filbo looks at Lu Bixing, seemingly at a loss of what to say. It takes about half a minute of trying to put his thoughts in order for him to say:]
...you...you really have quite the willpower, no? For better or for worse...
[Enough willpower to use himself for uncertain experiments, to not want to return to a more vulnerable state, to take the role of prime minister, for just being able to face others during such a clearly tense conversation...it's pretty mindboggling.
To think someone like him died and went to hell is a little bit tough to believe...because someone with such willpower feels like they would stay alive forever, really. Yet here he is]
no subject
this one's a little - it's not embarassing, but it's hard to see himself like that again. lu bixing's stiffer than usual, more tense, his often smiling face serious and dark. when filbo speaks, he glances to the side, and lets out a soft, humorless laugh, reaching up to rub a hand against his face. ]
...Something like that.
no subject
Filbo exhales when he hears Lu Bixing laugh. He feels...kind of tense, truthfully. Like he saw something he never was supposed to see. Some part of Lu Bixing that was meant to not be shown so...straightforward]
Um, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, it's just a question, but...
...was all that...something you always expected to do with your life?
[Prime Minister Lu Bixing, who apparently is willing to do quite a few hard things, and most likely did a lot more ever since that day. Him leading an academy sure feels a bit more natural. That part of him, what he heard in the memory, sure seems to fit the guy he has known during the stay in hell so far]
no subject
and oh, what a question. he glances over at filbo for a moment, folding his hands together in front of himself, and then... huffs a little bit of a laugh, shaking his head. ]
No. It was never something I wanted at all. Especially... [ ... especially after lin died, but, he doesn't say that, just shaking his head and cutting himself off. ] Sometimes, it's not about what you want to do, but what you have to do to help.
[ and then finally, with a small, rueful smile: ] ...It's okay. You can ask questions, if you want, Filbo. It's not rude.
no subject
Sometimes it goes great and you truly can do something to help, other times...well, it doesn't go well at all. [And unfortunately, Filbo sees his own efforts as the latter. Circumstances made it impossible] If you managed to make it work and you did help others even though it's all so heavy, then...I think it's admirable you took this onto yourself.
Week 5 / Tuesday
lu Bixing! Oh, excellent!]
Hey there! Wanna show me your home?
[...truthfully, if Lu Bixing expresses interest in what the home biome shows Filbo, he'll fold because he's not one to be able to stand his ground, alas]
no subject
I'd love to.
[ because he is immensely proud of his home, so.
it takes a moment for the biome to swap, but when it does... filbo will find himself standing just outside of the front stoop of a cute little house. it has a white picket fence just visible at the edge of the biome, and a well manicured lawn with a nicely maintained garden of flowers, bushes of lucida and recently planted posies. most notable, though is that there are two robots on either side of the door. they look a little cobbled together, not perfectly made, and upon approach, the one on the left does a twirl and plucks a flower petal from the closet bench, then offers it to the one on the right, who takes it. a voice comes from the left robot's chest - lu bixing's - that says welcome home.
just above the door is an arched sign with artificial flowers neatly bordering it; the sign says The Home of Engineer 001 and Commander Lin.
bixing is smiling when he sees it - sappy, a little silly, but he practically skips down the front steps and goes for the door, offering it to hold it open, to show the inside of a very cozy looking house. ]
Come on in.
no subject
Somehow, he didn't see coming there would be a nice house. He wasn't sure what he expected, but something charming and relatively normal as a house wasn't it. The robots, though! Now that's more or less what he expected, after having heard how a certain someone in the game has an arm that's also a person to some extent!
Filbo sure seems pretty excited about going in, nodding and not hesitating to do so]
Don't tell me, you made those machines outside? I mean, one has your voice and all!
[filbo why are you asking that to the man who also made yoru be in the hellpollo and fashioned that thing to win the boat race from that event. what do you think. read the sign it calls him an engineer]
Week 6 / Wednesday / After Event
You have a message, Lu Bixing!]
hey so youre into messing around with drinks right? im trying to catch up on those because i feel i have missed onto stuff so i was wondering if you would be willing to help just for fun and also discovery
no worries im not touching that love ne
[He's willing to experiment but perhaps not with the love potion one in someone else's presence, hah]
help
anyway!!! oh! ]
Sure thing, Filbo!
And don't worry, I've tested the love potion to its full extent. [ gross ]
You can order any of the drinks at any of the bars. Have you been to the one at the resort, yet? I'm in the area right now if you'd like to join me.
no subject
im on my way!
[It's a nice and chilly area, and given he's all fur he sure minds none of this place. To the bar in the resort!
Filbo probably arrives first, having been in the industrial kitchen when Lu Bixing responded, so going to the bar is very quick for him. Given Lu Bixing said at any bar one can order any of the drinks, by the time Lu Bixing arrives there's two of every drink -- except the love one, he's not falling for Lu Bixing today, hah.
There are already a few liquor glasses empty -- and the reason why is clear: looks like Filbo really is trying to catch up, because he has already poured a few of the liquor glasses together. Only mixing two at a time, thankfully! The colors of the already mixed ones are curious, tones that the components didn't have. The only way to know for sure what some of the components are is by the little additions the drinks had. One of the mixtures has the weird eyes from the Santa drink, another the hibiscus of the 180° turn in mood, another the umbrella of the clumsiness drink, another the cherry of the clown music one. There's nothing that indicates what the other drink in each of these mixtures are, though...probably surprises!
Still, judging by those four mixtures, the many, many empty glasses, and the assortment of individual drinks that feature everything, even samples of the terrible beer from the first weeks, Filbo doesn't hold back when he wants to do something, hah! Go hard or go home!]
Lu Bixing, there you are! I know I'm kinda overdoing it, but other than last week I have kinda stayed away from these and...for the most part it seems things are harmless when it's about the liquor? So here is all this!
no subject
lu bixing just kind of looks at this, for a long, long moment. he's all bundled up when he arrives, in a puffy coat and a warm scarf and a hat and earmuffs, and even behind all that fluffy winter clothes the mental restart of oh that is so much is like, blatant on his face. ]
...Ooooh, you sure are enthusiastic, Filbo. [ he says this pretty brightly, though, so this is fine, as he trots over and like immediately starts pulling up his personal device so he can take some notes. ]
They are pretty neutral to positive in terms of their effects, at least as I've noticed so far. I see you got started already! What'd you drink, if you don't mind me asking? Do you remember?
no subject
[Probably for the best he stacked several of 'does nothing', really, even though that was absolutely unintentional]
w7, monday
ANYWAY thankfully that doesn't even matter now. what're you up to filbo? you might see a familiar figure dressed in his usual dark academia best, squatting down on the side of the road somewhere in the city. there's a little demon kid in front of him, scraggly and dirty, and they seem to be having a conversation.
at the end of it, bixing puts his hand on the kids head and ruffles his hair. he bats it away but beams, and filbo may catch the tail end of a conversation as lu bixing says,
"Listen. Tricks like that work sometimes, but you need to be careful who you're trying to take from, okay? There's some weird people here, and more than that, there's some poor academics who won't get you anything, too."
the kid giggles. "Yeah, you're weird and poor."
"Eeexactly."
something happened here. either way bixing looks like, right in his element. come approach? ]