softheartedshizun | Noctium IC Inbox

[Today was a day to celebrate, and Shang Qinghua had really tried his best to pull out all the stops! As much as he could, anyway - he wasn't rich here, but he had squirreled away enough manna to afford to spoil his roommate, their cat, and himself for at least one night!

He had ordered take-out from three different restaurants, mostly appetizers, because he knew how much he liked to eat when he was drunk. He very, very much planned to get drunk, so he had also picked up several bottles of assorted local liquors to go with the beer already stocked in their otherwise sparse bachelor fridge.

And because Ling-er deserved to party as much as they did, he had stopped by the pet store for a packet of treats, some little rodent-shaped toys, and this world's version of catnip to sprinkle on the brand new tower they had bought for her when they moved into the bigger space.

His device and its projector still served as a pretty decent gaming system, the cupboards were full of snacks, their minimal furniture had been moved in and arranged earlier this week, and he didn't have to report to work tomorrow! Everything was perfect.

Almost.

In his eagerness, he had laden himself with so many shopping bags that he couldn't begin to tell which straps matched which cargo - he had just slipped them over his wrists or fingers at each location, without a thought towards how they would need to be rearranged for him to reach his key. Or his phone. Or the doorknob.]

Bro??

[he called pathetically through the door, thumping his head on it for good measure. He may not have a free hand, but there were other ways to knock!]

A little help?? Cucumber bro?? Shen Qingqiu??

[thump. thump. thump]

[ At first, he wasn't sure what the racket was, who was banging on the door? And then, with further listening it became obvious. Why couldn't he just get in? Despite his judgment, he wasn't mad and went to get the door easily enough. ]

Why didn't you put it in your sleeve?

[ But even with those words, he reached out to relieve some of the burden. ]

Uh.

[It was a good question. A very good question.]

I...didn't want anything to spill!

[He clumsily passed over a few of the bags as he gave what he hoped was a convincing answer - it was valid enough, and definitely sounded better than "I got really excited and forgot I could do that."

Once inside, he unpacked the take-out and arranged the containers on the kitchen counter, set out the assortment of booze, and then covered the rest of the surface with snacks and treats from their pantry storage. He turned to his friend with an exaggerated flourish, gesturing grandly at the spread.]

Happy Housewarming, bro!!

[You just forgot, didn't you? Admit it!

But, it wasn't really a big deal, he placed the bags down and went through them finding a place for each item, throwing cat toys out to check for immediate reactions. Did he get distracted for a moment playing with little Ling-er? Yes. But not so badly as to completely ignore Shang Qinghua.]

An improved space for everyone!

Could they be so bold as to save up for property? He doubted it, at least not with mere hand holding.... best not to dwell on it. Really this was more than hebhad expected sooner than he could have even wished.]

[Shang Qinghua quickly joins him in watching their most perfect, precious Ling-er interact with her new toys. While cucumber bro tosses and flicks them, he whips out his phone, collecting a perfectly reasonable amount of pictures to immortalize the moment.

He is stomach down on the floor - for the perfect angle! - when he finally manages to say something that isn't an adoring squeal or some iteration of the kitten's name.]

We're moving up in the world! What's next? A nice TV? Real furniture?

[He rolls over onto his back, daydreaming - maybe an actual bedframe for his mattress, now that there was room?]

Real furniture would be nice.

[Not that he hated the beanbags, but, well, they were still cultivators! It just clashed aesthetically! Also, they weren't good to sit in too long... and what would guests do? Not that they got any....]

But do we really need a tv? The displays on the computers can be made any size.

Yeah, but what if we both want to be on our computers and watch something at the same time. Think of the luxury.

[He sighed dreamily from his spot on the floor, waggling his stocking feet lazily until the kitten started batting at his toes. Though the memory was buried deep beneath the years of his second lifetime, he could easily conjure up an image of his small apartment and ancient desktop. The thing had been his connection to the outside world, the keystone to his livelihood...and his only streaming device.]

Plus, what if we have company? We have to preserve your image as an elegant, composed cultivator. Nothing says successful adult like unnecessary furniture.

[ What sort of adult are you thinking of exactly???? ]

Since they're AR screens you just make a new one and set its location.

[ Though he had a completely different device to serve as an over-the-top impressive computer, he used his fan in the example. He brought up the screens, opened a new window, and set it to the wall as large as the wall was. ]

There's no need to hinder yourself with the idea of separate devices or multiple monitors. Do you know nothing of future settings? Cyberpunk and scifi?

[Shang Qinghua narrowly avoids hitting the counter with his head as he sits up to watch the demonstration, gaping at the impressive display before blinking down at his own phone. He starts furiously tapping through the settings, giving the device an accusing (but not very intimidating) glare and muttering in that tone that means he doesn't realize he is thinking outloud.]

How long have you been able to do that, huh? Holding out on me, after all I've done for you, rescuing you from the clearance rack, I didn't have to, you know..."

[After a few moments, he looks back up at his friend with a defensive whine.]

Bro, you know better than anyone else that sci-fi wasn't my scene! Writing fantasy just goes faster, you don't have to worry about any rules except for the ones you set!

Fantasy is barely your scene! It was so low! You had crystal screens but no running water and everything still had to be boiled!

[ But enough of that. ]

Scifi isn't my specific interest, but don't you watch enough tv and movies? Didn't you use the system enough to get an idea? There's even an owner's manual that comes with this.

Unless you're cheap so many generations behind display model is missing that.

[ It did not matter if Shang Qinghua's device was really a display model or not. ]

Its not like I knew we'd be living it when I wrote it, I was just trying to be unique! Gotta set yourself apart from all the other novels out there, you know, appeal to any discerning tastes...

[He continues to grumble at his friend and his phone for a few futile minutes, jabbing at icons, causing strange sound effects and flashes of light. So what if it looked and acted like an early 90's interpretation of what an advanced communication device might look like? Retro was chique now, wasn't it? Wasn't it???]

And I'm an old man, remember? Decades in a xianxia fantasy world, my tired brain needs time to adjust to all the new possibilities...Do you know how long its been since I've seen Star Trek?

[He tosses the phone to the side with a glower. It chimes as it hits the floor and a separate display appears. Its still a projection, but he can move it around a bit! His expression becomes a grin as he points to the results.]

Hey!! There we go - better than nothin', right?

You seem to remember things when it's convenient.

[ How long do you think it's been for him? Maybe not an entire lifetime, but still a while! He still remembered certain things perfectly well. Like details from that stupid book! ]

It's a start. Perhaps we should go shopping for accessories soon.

[Shang Qinghua crawls away to retrieve his device and ignores that first comment, mentally sticking his tongue out at his friend as he goes scooting across the floor. If you want to be like that, maybe he only hears when its convenient, too!

He is grinning when he reaches the phone, flashing the miraculously uncracked screen at Cucumber-bro, then starts swiping at the counter from his kneeling position in hopes of snagging one of the take-out boxes.]

Hey, yeah! No need to replace it, when it can just be improved with some add-ons.

[He makes a victorious little noise when he manages to nab one of the containers, and another couple of searching slaps yield two pairs of chopsticks. He dutifully passes some over.]

Add-ons can only improve so much.

[ But it was fine, it wasn't like they really needed that much after all.

He gladly took the chopsticks and went to get plates, he did have some standards. ]

Perhaps at this point instead of worrying about such things, considering our goals in this world would be important.

[He blinks at the plate before taking it with an impressed little nod, then asks politely (translation: whines wordlessly) for a drink to be passed to him while his roommate is up.]

Goals, huh? Hmm. Goals...

[He piles some food on his plate, and then almost immediately into his mouth, cheeks puffing out a bit as he ponders the question. He is dignified enough to swallow before he starts talking.]

...I guess "don't starve" and "don't die" are a lot easier to accomplish here, and those have been my main goals for as long as I can remember...

[ He made a face but did bring over a drink. Be grateful he is so kind! ]

Was "don't starve" really a needed goal recently?

Well, now those are hardly concerns, both are easy to avoid, both almost need to be saught out to meet.

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