active time event: exploration

[alreadyhuman]

Who: Vivi and you!
What: Vivi's first two weeks on campus.
When: The first half of June!
Where: Various places
Warnings: Shouldn't be any, but I'll change it if it comes up.



[ I'll match you for format!]

A. Studying...?

[ It's safe to say that Vivi has never seen this many books in one place in his entire life so far. If he has at any point before he began to wander the Outlands, he's almost certainly forgotten it.

He's taking advantage of the resources at hand by taking any books that catch his eye. It's not an uncommon sight to find Vivi struggling to grab a book just out of reach, wandering by with a stack that's probably a little too tall for him to see over, surrounded by books and reading busily, or...

Well, fast asleep in one of the library's cosy chairs, often with a book lying open on his lap or clutched to his chest. He's trying his best. ]

B. Hard at work

[ Cooking is one of the few skills he's shown a talent for; during his time in the Outlands, various strangers had shown him bits and pieces, and he'd become fascinated. With a proper kitchen and as many recipe books as he could want at his fingertips, he's taking the opportunity to both cook and offer the fruits of his labour to other people.

If you're walking through campus and looking sufficiently unoccupied (or hungry?), you might be randomly accosted by a young boy offering cookies and various pastries and asking for feedback on his first attempts.

(Though they look rather strange and the texture isn't always the best, the food itself actually tastes fairly good.) ]

C. Trying hard

[ To say Vivi isn't great at athletics might be somewhat of an understatement. But what he lacks in strength he makes up with sheer stubbornness, and so he tackles PE classes with a surprising amount of energy.

He falls over, he trips mid-run, and overall he's not very good at even basic exercises. But he always bounces back regardless, and he seems to be enjoying it. ]

D. Wildcard

[ Anything else, I'll roll with it! ]

Comments

A

[opheliaafterdeath]

[Vivi is not the only one who fell in love with the library the second he saw it. Nekane was often found there themself, usually hiding to avoid questions and absorbing information - and they just simply loved books. In fact, Vivi may have walked passed the piles Nekane had yet again pulled out and stacked up like a wall between themself and anyone else in the library.

It's not to say they are not observing everyone who walks into the library, however. An a kid attempting to reach something out of his reach is pretty easy to spot. They could go over and give the kid a hand...but they're not that kind of person.

That being said...the book Vivi is trying to get down shakes once, twice, before falling out of place to the ground. Resting where it once was is a clawed hand made of shadows and eyes, hanging limply like a discarded sock.

You're welcome...?]

[alreadyhuman]

[ He looks up, easily spotting the shadowy limb that had been so helpful to him. ]

Oh!

[ He bows, because it never hurts to be polite and a handshake feels a little too forward. (Besides, it might not like being touched.) ]

Um, thank you very much!

[ He clutches the book to his chest, and then seems to think of something. ]

Is there anything you want...?

[ He's lived basically all his life in the Outlands, after all. He's used to there being exchanges, of sorts. ]

[opheliaafterdeath]

[A few of the eyes blink, mirroring the slight surprise Nekane feels. They had not really expected Vivi to offer something in return for just getting a book down.

The claw taps its fingers in thought before flashing a thumbs up. It skitters down the bookshelf (notably sticking to the shadows cast) and lands on one of the piles of books Vivi has. It taps on the title of one of them before pointing at the direction of the table Nekane was seated at.

A book for a book. It's fair, they think, and it is one they have not read yet.]

B.

[marmoron]

[Speaking of someone who looks unoccupied, Keith's alone and heading towards the gym looking kinda distracted. And then he's stopped.]

Huh?

[He blinks, then glances down at this unfamiliar kid holding out a platter of cookies.]

....What's this for?

[alreadyhuman]

Testing!

[ At least he's honest about it. ]

I made a lot of cookies so I'm giving them to people!

[marmoron]

[Honesty is definitely a great policy, but sometimes... it just doesn't yield a very good result.]

Testing?

[SQUINTING AT COOKIE PLATTER.]

...Did you do something weird to these...?

C

[moonlitdancer]

[Another new student is in the gym, and she's already passed Vivi three times. After the fourth or so trip, she stops next to him and help him up.]

You're new at this, aren't you? Your form's all over the place, and you're not pacing yourself at all. A surprising amount of energy will only get you so far. If you'd like, I could show you proper running form.

[alreadyhuman]

There's a proper way to run? [ He lets himself be helped up easily. ] I didn't know that! But, um, if you could teach me how that'd be great!

I just got here, so I don't know anything about anything! But that means I can learn lots, so that's okay. I think?

[ At...at least he's cheerful about it. ]

[moonlitdancer]

Good, a willingness to learn is a boon for any teacher, professional or not.

[Serena stands straight up and points at Vivi.]

First, make sure you're looking ahead when you're running. It may be tempting to check out your surroundings, but that will put you off balance. Second-

[Serena continues with her lecture on proper running form for some time, even giving examples.]

A

[improbablenotimpossible]

[The man is also a frequent visitor to the library in the afternoons, usually checking out a mystery story and returning it the next day, along with more difficult, technical books he takes a longer time to go over.

He spotted the small figure, and slips into a chair next to him, quietly clearing his throat to wake him up]

Good book?

[alreadyhuman]

[ It's a nonfiction book about clothing in the 1800s. Vivi has some interesting tastes, apparently.

He blinks awake with a squeak, almost bouncing out of his seat like a startled cat. ]

Oh--um.

Yeah! It's really interesting. People wear all sorts of things here. Or used to wear, I think?

B

[descolation]

[Desco was, for the most part, just wandering around, still trying to get a feel for the layout of the school. She's only been here for a couple of days and there's still a lot more that she needs to learn. Like that people apparently offer you free cookies. Desco gets a small whiff of the freshly baked batch and both her eyes and mouth go wide with awe.]

You made these yourself? They smell really good!

[And she's confident they taste even better. Which is why she reaches out to grab one from the tray Vivi's carrying.]

[alreadyhuman]

Yeah! It's my first try, but I think they came out okay!

[ For a first try in a proper kitchen, following a recipe he's never used before, they are in fact pretty decent. ]

You can't really make small amounts of cookies, though, so I made a lot. I don't want them to go to waste, so I'm giving them away!

B

[heromedal]

[ Rex's stomach, no matter how full, will always feel empty. The only reason he looks away from the book he's reading as he walks (yeah it's dangerous but he's practised avoiding bashing into things and has it down) is the approaching smell of food. He stands still when he spots the source and his internal monologue, usually consisting of ten or so chattering voices working on different things is replaced with a harmonised chorus.

"Cool hat cool hat cool hat cool hat cool hat cool hat cool hat"

He stares dumbly the whole approach, the song in his ears focusing on another piece of clothing. ]

[alreadyhuman]

[ Vivi is blissfully oblivious to Rex's inner monologue and instead peers up from under his Cool Hat™ inquisitively.

"Wow, this person is so tall," he thinks. ]

Is your book good?

B.

[prisoneroffate]

These are pretty good. They'd go great with a vanilla latte.

[alreadyhuman]

Oh! Um, thanks!

That's coffee, right...? [ He thinks about it. ] Oh, but coffee's pretty bitter...do you think they'd need to be sweeter to balance it out?

A

[buddinghopes]

[Well, Lia's not about to leave someone who needs help... When she notices Vivi trying to grab a book that's out of reach, she wanders over.]

Which book are you trying to get?

[alreadyhuman]

Uuhhhmmmm [ he draws out the sound until he pinpoints what he was looking for ] mmmm that one!

[ He does another short hop as he points to it. It's a thick volume about ornithology. ]

B.

[nevernoaction]

[Lie Ren is also a fair hand at cooking although he hasn't had a moment to really try it now.

He is surprised at someone running up to ask for a taste test, however.]

Are these for me?

[alreadyhuman]

Oh, um--

[ You can almost see the gears in Vivi's head grind to a halt as he tries to process that question. (Too literal for his own good, sometimes). But he recovers quickly. ]

They're for anyone? But if you want some, you can have some! I made too many since I got excited about being able to cook in a real kitchen.

A

[unpocoloco]

[He's ever and always grateful the library stays open at night. A quiet retreat might not be the first thing people attribute to a musician, but it had its moments. Sometimes the quiet could be just what was needed.

And sometimes he could risk being kicked out by breaking the Library's one cardinal rule.]

Vivi? Vivi!

[He drops what he's doing immediately, starting over with his tapping cane and a wide grin.]

Kid! You made it out! Bienvenido!

[alreadyhuman]

[ Oh! He jerks awake at someone calling his name directly, and it takes him a moment, because he's never seen this person as anything other than a skeleton.

But the voice, and the familiarity - he can't forget it. Wouldn't forget it. ]

Oh! Héctor! [ He blinks, wide-eyed. He hasn't grown at all since the last time they saw each other, it seems; just as small as ever. ]

You came here too? [ His eyes scrunch up into happy little slits. ] That's great!

C

[missleading]

[ Minako is on hand helping in PE class today. Something about having high schoolers mentoring the younger kids, she didn't really pay attention to the details. Standing at the sidelines, she's been shouting words of encouragement as they go through some tough drills—

Then stops as Vivi does what he does best. Oh my god this poor child just ate gymnasium floor. Minako jogs over as he tries to pull himself up, offering a hand down to him. ]

Here. Are you okay?

[ She can't actually see if he hit his face or not. Weird. ]

Re: C

[alreadyhuman]

[ He ate gymnasium floor with ENTHUSIASM okay maybe not enthusiasm, but he's trying his best at everything.

He looks up, blinking bright, round yellow eyes. They're the only part of his face that can be seen, underneath that hat. ]

Oh, um. Yeah, I'm okay! [ He rubs at his face a bit. ] Nothing's broken or anything.

Maybe I should get better clothes for running... [ He'd insisted on wearing his usual outfit, since he's like nine. Nobody has had the heart to really correct him yet. ]