IC INBOX (austice)

[fortunepreserved]

Qiqi can be found just about anywhere. She walks around town and the nearby environs at all hours of the day and night, quietly picking her way through whatever plants she can find. In the winter, she spends a lot of time brushing snow aside to see what lays beneath.

Sometimes you can find her doing her daily exercises.

Qiqi does not have a permanent residence, but will spend time in the communal areas of the residence halls. She tends to forget where she's left her belongings.

Qiqi has a phone, so you can also call her or text her or facetime her anytime.

Comments

December 25

[ribticklers]

[Qiqi will find a brown paper bag nearby where it wasn't before, labeled "QIQI". Inside the bag is a knitted ribbon of fabric, striped in purple and blue, which could be worn as a ribbon or a bow or a belt or maybe a necklace, there's options. The stripes are a bit uneven. Someone needs to label these kids, and apparently it's going to be Sans.]

[fortunepreserved]

_{[ qiqi has decided... qiqi has a new belt. ]}

12/19

[moraxlapis]

(Zhongli will find Qiqi while she's wandering around town, picking at plants.

He remembers the little zombie girl and her.. mentor? handler? The doctor, Baizhu.)

Ah, hello. Little Qiqi, isn't it? You're far from home tonight, hm?

(There's a few different ways Qiqi's fuzzy little brain could remember Zhongli. He's the man who looked for cocogoat milk with the Traveler before telling her that there are no such thing as cocogoats. He's also the man who wanders the markets spending money he doesn't have. And he's also the man who works at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor-- the place that awful Hu Tao runs.)

[fortunepreserved]

_{[ The Cocogoat Incident has been lost to a hole in Qiqi's gem, but there's so many other places she's run into Zhongli! She's sitting on her knees with a small gardening fork, stubbornly attacking the frozen-hard soil to get at... some kind of tuber, when she hears him. She looks up... and up. ]}

Wangsheng... uniform...

_{[ she's frowning at him. ]}

No thank you. Qiqi still does not want to be buried.

[moraxlapis]

(Oh dear. Hu Tao must have given the poor thing quite a fright, if that's the first thing Qiqi remembers.)

It's alright, Director Hu Tao isn't here to try and bury you.

I know you're alive now, Qiqi. So don't worry.

[fortunepreserved]

_{[ no Hu Tao... maybe being in Helltown is fine actually <3 ]}

Good. I already told the exorcist no thank you, too. Qiqi is fine.

You are... um... <sub>[ time for the notebook again. rather than starting near the end for her recent entries, qiqi starts at the first pages. to do lists.... medicine recipe... drawing of dr. baizhu and changsheng without faces... a page with three dossiers!

'traveler, blonde. quiet. small flying thing.' 'zhongli, dark hair with ombre, golden eyes, rambles.' the word 'wangsheng' is crammed in as a later addition. finally there's 'childe, fatui, orange hair, red mask. lots of money. coconut milk.'

huh. dunno what coconut milk is. ]</sub>

Zhongli. You were friends with the Traveler, too.

[moraxlapis]

That's right. The Traveler is a good friend of mine-- they were an invaluable ally in saving Liyue.

You're all alone here, aren't you? No Dr. Baizhu?

(Baizhu is a very intelligent man, and Zhongli respects him. However, something about the man's treatment of Qiqi puzzled him. Not quite a daughter figure or student... he wonders what a little zombie girl is doing working there in the first place.)

[fortunepreserved]

No Dr. Baizhu on the island. No Dr. Baizhu in Mr. Lark's registry. No Dr. Baizhu.

<sub>[ which is a bit of a pain, considering she still has a delivery to make. right now she's in the process of gathering the list again after none of it crossed over with her from the island.

...well, as much as she can get anything on the list. she's been having to use her 'acceptable substitutes' list a lot, too, and even that's been... ]</sub>

Qiqi wishes he was here.

[moraxlapis]

(So she misses Baizhu.. That makes sense, considering he's the only person she sees most of the time.)

It's alright, Qiqi. I understand it must be difficult without him.

Well.. while you're here, you could consider it a kind of vacation from your usual work at the pharmacy.

[fortunepreserved]

No. Still have to make my last delivery. Can't go on vacation until my last orders are done.

_{[ diggy, diggy, dig. ]}

[moraxlapis]

Eh? You have deliveries to make even here?

Well, let me help you. What are you looking for?

(What's even growing in the dead of winter right now, anyway?)

[fortunepreserved]

_{[ After finally prizing free a Mysterious Lumpy Tuber, she tucks it in her basket. Qiqi stands up, brushes her hands off, and digs out the ol' notebook. ]}

Qiqi still needs...

Pine needles.
Tree ear.
Basil.
Chamomile.

Qiqi might not be able to finish until spring.

[moraxlapis]

That's... an interesting mix. But there's plenty of pine needles around in the winter; those should be easy to find.

Chamomile.. well, you could go back in town for that, perhaps. I could go for a nice chamomile tea myself... and basil is a common ingredient for cooking. Little Vivi is a cook, perhaps he has some to spare.

[fortunepreserved]

Vivi... Um...um... Could you talk to him? I haven't met him.

Saw lots of pine. Can't reach.

[moraxlapis]

(Qiqi must be a shy girl. That's ok.)

"Ah, I'll be sure to ask when I next see the boy, then. And.. oh, I see. Here, let me help you then."

(He gestures for Qiqi to follow him to the nearest pine tree. He summons a pillar just tall enough to reach.)

"Would you prefer I get them, or do you want to climb?"

[fortunepreserved]

Wow~...

_{[ the Geo energy in the pillar is comfortingly familiar... Qiqi rests her little hand on it a moment before she tries to climb. ]}

It's nice. The rock is cold. It feels like Liyue.

Qiqi is glad Mr. Zhongli is here, even if you work for that awful person. It was lonely not being in Liyue anymore. Qiqi doesn't like to leave for too long.

<sub>[ she might forget the way back. Qiqi said all that stuff, emotional though the word choice was, in her usual airy monotone.

Without waiting for a response, she starts clambering up the pillar. ]</sub>

[moraxlapis]

"I miss home too, Qiqi. I'm glad you are here too."

(he chuckles a little at her comment on Hu Tao.)

"Careful up there. Try not to fall."

A day after the meeting

[spychic]

[When Qiqi shows up at Anya's house this time, she looks a bit...distraught. Her brow is furrowed. She's the one who answers the door.]

Qiqi. Haruka did not come home at all. Have you seen Haruka...? Anya is worried.

OH NOES

[fortunepreserved]

_{[ Qiqi was looking far up above where Anya showed up, when the door opened -- visiting every day as she did... Qiqi, too, had come to expect Haruka's presence. She slowly looks down (or rather, to her own eye level) at Anya. ]}

Qiqi hasn't seen Haruka. Qiqi only sees Haruka at Anya's house. Maybe... he forgot the way home?

[spychic]

...Should we go look for him? He wasn't at the meeting yesterday, neither. Anya thought he just did not want to go to the meeting, but...Anya is hoping he did not disappear.

Like Tenn. And Sonic. And a bunch of other people.

[fortunepreserved]

Oh...

_{[ It's good that they always meet so early. They have lots of daylight for looking around. Sometimes, Qiqi would make her Vision light up and use that for light because she couldn't carry a torch... but that wouldn't be very good for looking around when it gets late. ]}

We should look. And.. um.. Hold on. Qiqi has a list for when she gets lost.

_{[ Out comes the familiar sight of the notebook... it's really gotten a workout since she got here. She flips until she finds the list. ]}

One. Use a compass and find north. But Qiqi hasn't found a compass here yet.
Two. Retrace steps. That was easier before the snow got all gross.
Three. Find landmarks. Check landmark list on page 50.
Four. Call for help...

Oh.
Qiqi has a phone. Qiqi uses it to call for help when she gets stuck. Does Haruka have a phone?

[spychic]

[Anya looks at the notebook. She hits her fist against her palm.]

Anya knows how to make a compass. We will need to find a magnet...later. But the sun sets in the south! Anya remembers that!

[Anya's survival skills!!! What every aspiring spy needs, really!]

...Haruka had a phone! Anya has a phone! [Anya takes out the phone from her pocket. It doesn't ring.

There's just nothing.]

...

Mmmm....

[fortunepreserved]

Not ringing?

_{[ Qiqi doesn't hear the 'phone is trying to call another phone' noise coming out of Anya's phone. ]}

Step five is... Find shelter. Haruka needs to sleep and be warm.

[spychic]

Nuh-uh. Didn't work.

[Anya bites her lip.]

He could have just come home for that though, right? Anya would have let him in. This is his house. Anya is...was...a guest. 'Cause of Tenn.

'Cause Tenn helped Anya. Or maybe we should check other houses?

[fortunepreserved]

_{[ Qiqi checks the last steps on the list, but... 'wait for help' and 'repeat from step one' don't really provide many other ideas.. ]}

Oh. Qiqi just thought it was Anya's house. So.. Qiqi should call this Tenn's house instead.

Anya is right~. We should check other houses.

Sometimes, people get stuck and they can't get back on their own. So Haruka might be resting somewhere other than Tenn's house.

[spychic]

Yeah. It was Tenn's house. Tenn is gone now, though...but okay. We will check other houses.

[Anya nods, self-assured. And then she tries to open the house next door. Doesn't work. She knocks on the door.]

This is going to be a lot of work. But. Anya should keep trying to find Haruka....

[fortunepreserved]

Should Qiqi freeze the door and break it open?

_{[ Qiqi's got her scary sword with her, as always. ]}

[spychic]

...

Well....Anya should not break things, but....this is an emergency, so...

[Do as you see fit, Qiqi.]

[fortunepreserved]

Orders given.
Orders received.

_{[ The pretty blue orb on Qiqi's hat glows... ]}

Please stand back.

<sub>[ ...

One hunk of ice door, and one swing of Qiqi's scary black sword later...

They can go inside the house! ]</sub>

[spychic]

[Anya stands back, her eyes wide.]

Huaaaaa. That's so cool. Anya's gonna learn too. From Professor Eisner.

Anya will learn knives...

[Anya steps inside now that the door is no longer.]

HELLO? HARUKA? ANYA AND QIQI ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!

[fortunepreserved]

<sub>[ Oh, so Anya's gonna be a mercenary? Qiqi wonders if there's going to be any new things they should add to their routine...

She follows Anya in, a quiet shadow, and when there's no initial signs of movement in the house she starts going to doors and opening them. Anya can be the lungs. Qiqi will be the battering ram.

...

The day is young... who knows how long until they get tired and need to go get Anya lunch... ]</sub>

[spychic]

[Anya is up to get all the training from anyone she needs.

She acts as the lungs.]

HELLOOOOOO? ANYA AND QIQI ARE BEING POLITE BY KNOCKING FIRST BUT WE ARE ASS....ASSERTING OUR AUTHORITY BY COMING IN ANYWAYS!!! HARUKAAAAAAA.....

[This may go on for a while. These poor doors.]

[fortunepreserved]

<sub>[ Many... Doors.... Later....

As they're walking to the next house, Qiqi looks up at the sky, and stops short. ]</sub>


It is noon now. Time for lunch.

[spychic]

Oh! What will Anya eat today....

Mmm. Anya may have to make Anya's own food. Haruka helped before. Now Anya is for Anya's self. Except for you, Qiqi.

[fortunepreserved]

Oh.. is Anya not too tired?

Doctor Baizhu needs help with meals sometimes when he's too tired. He has to sit down and he tells Qiqi where to find the ingredients, and Qiqi washes them off and cuts them up. It is just like preparing medicine. But Qiqi can't cook the ingredients.

[spychic]

Anya....doesn't like making Qiqi work for her. Anya worries about depending on people too much. That's why Anya is doing so much. So Anya will take care of people instead...like a hero. Like Bunnaby.

[She smiles, though.]

We can work together! Let's make sandwiches!!!

[fortunepreserved]

I see...

_{[ A friend.. who cares for her but will tell her not to do things, sometimes, for the sake of not wanting her to do too much... Qiqi puts a little hand on her still heart. She can't... remember... having a close friend like that before. ]}

Qiqi... will be happy to work together.

[spychic]

Yaaaaaaaay!!!

[Anya beams, beginning to skip back to her home.]

Anya will get you something too, since Anya is getting food. You like milk, right?

[fortunepreserved]

Qiqi's favorite is coconut milk. _{[ she still remembers the name... it's only been a day since the meeting... she'll revert to Cocogat in a day or two inevitably ]} But Qiqi likes regular milk too. Qiqi only likes cold food~.

Qiqi would like to do the spreading for the sandwiches. That part... was the most fun, last time. _{[ she misses parts of working in the pharmacy, and she's worried she'll forget how to do them if she doesn't keep in practice. sandwich spreading is sort of familiar!! ]}

[spychic]

Only cold food for Qiqi. Anya understands!!! Qiqi should try coconut ice cream sometime...it is good.

[She's skipping to her home, and she nods.]

Qiqi can spread! Anya will get ingredients and Qiqi will spread. Then Anya will eat!

[fortunepreserved]

_{[ The day Qiqi tries ice cream is the day Qiqi will have a new favorite food. Sorry, coconut milk, but ice cream is colder. ]}

Ice cream.. that sounds pleasant. Wanna try~.

<sub>[ Anya's-- Tenn's house feels lonelier than usual when they go inside, knowing now that there's a few people who have vanished from it... If they don't find Haruka... Qiqi hopes Anya moves to another house. Maybe this house has a curse on it. Qiqi doesn't know how to break curses...

It will be hard, remembering the route to a new house, but that's okay. ]</sub>