#oh i just noticed its mid autumn festival today

[steamedeggs]

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[4seasonswithiu]

[TRANS] 190711 OnlyU-IU China share fun moments they had with IU and her team on the set of Hotel Del Luna

Our staff members double checked the items before the departure with an anxious heart. Fortunately, we were able to reach the set on time despite the heavy traffic. The food truck, tent, tables and banners were all set up when we arrived at the set. Then, it took us another 40 minutes to prepare all the gifts by putting them carefully in each paper bag and stacking them up on the table beside the buffet tent.

Not too long after we were done with the gift preparations, manager Hanteo approached us, gave us his warm greetings before checking out the buffet tent. As the weather was pretty hot, Hanteo jokingly told us that he would ‘drink’ all the (Ghana) chocolates within the gift bag right away. When going through the other gifts, we especially pointed out that the Voluspa aromatherapy candles were for IU Team, so Hanteo thanked us in Mandarin, saying “xie xie!” as well.

He reminded us that since we would have to wait a little longer, so stay away from the sun in some shade. He also passed on the gifts to director Oh, actor Yeo Jin Goo and IU Team. Later, PD told us we could pass the gift to IU in person in a while.

We gave the staff of Hotel Del Luna the gifts we prepared as they passed by from time to time. During dinner time, some staff came to collect their gifts and we got the HDL team PD to pass on the remaining gifts to other busy staff on the set. 

Around 8PM, IU finally appeared in her pony tail, white loose t-shirt and pants. Since the coffee truck was right beside the entrance, so she took lots of proof photos with the help of Hyesun and the new manager (Moon Ji Hwan) first. After greeting us, she expressed her gratitude for the gifts and meal that we prepared, telling us that she would enjoy the meal and asking whether we were hungry as well or not. We still managed to answer her that we were ‘hungry’ though our mind went completely blank at that moment as we were softened by her sweet tender eyes. IU then invited us to join her for dinner.

The HDL team PD also encouraged us to sit beside IU for dinner. Together, we also had Hanteo, Hyeseon and the new manager (Ji Hwan) with us in one table, and thankfully all of them ate a lot. IU seemed to have noticed how nervous we were, so she kept initiating conversation with us. She said, “we (IU Team) are usually quiet whenever we eat, and given the hot weather and packed filming schedules today, so everyone’s still in a daze. Did all of you travel all the way from China? It must have been hard for you guys to be here given the scorching hot weather.” When she was told that some of us would have to catch the early morning flight in a bit, she frowned as pain and sadness clouded her features.

When eating, director Oh came by so IU introduced him to us and we quickly bowed to him. Director Oh was pretty adorable and not all that serious or solemn as he greeted us enthusiastically and expressed his gratitude for our support. He kept the Hotel Del Luna customised towel around his neck all the time, even when he was having his meal.

Seeing how most of them were almost done with eating, we brought out the gifts and explained to them about the Diptyque’s limited edition ‘The Legend of the North’ series’ candles first. IU was touched upon knowing that we chose the candles because it suited Man Wol’s mysterious aura, saying “ah~ because it suits Man Wol!”. She also let out a tiny ‘wow’ when we told her we bought GUCCI’s A Kiss from Violet perfumed oil for her because its violet scented (IU’s favourite). We also let IU have a look at our charity/ donation certificate, telling her that hundreds of Uaenas participated in this donation and some of us visited the institute with some necessities and played with the kids there to which IU replied ‘aigoo’ tsunderely/ proudly and dearly. She also asked about the details and complimented us ‘Hen BBang!’ (so amazing) in Mandarin since one of us personally went to the welfare institute. IU gave us a big thumbs up, saying ‘Zzen Bbang! Xie xie!’ (really amazing! thank you!) when we mentioned about the necessities that we have donated. One of us caught on the right timing of the atmosphere and started applauding, to which IU joined her right away, followed by Hyeseon, Hanteo and all HDL staff from other tables who had no idea of what’s going on. It suddenly turned into an ocean of harmony 😂.

Click here for more details of IU’s birthday gifts (candles and perfumes), fan donation and fansupport by OnlyIUcn.

We also told IU about her super topic ‘#IU’ that has accumulated over 10 billion reads on Weibo recently and she was ultimately shocked. Since she’s not familiar with how weibo functions, so we explained to her that the hashtag is sort of a community on weibo where people could leave their posts, comments, votes and screenshots there to support her. She seemed to have grasped on the super topic concept after going through some of our posts in the hashtag section and showed off the milestone achievement to people around her. 

IU: Hey, I achieved 10 billion reads! Hanteo and Hyeseon: As expected from the scale of mainland China, they don’t just simply go with (small numbers like) ten thousands when it comes to calculations.

We passed the <10 Years of Flower Road> book to IU, sharing with her that C-Uaenas designed, edited and compiled everything about her within this book in celebration of her 10th anniversary. We also tried to find the best printing manufacturer that we could to bring out the best quality of it. As soon as she got the book on hands, she kept gasping in admiration, saying “wow this is truly amazing. This is impressive, OnlyIU’s scale is no joke” as she flipped through the pages slowly. She especially stopped at one of the pages which contained IU Team’s photo, too bad the whole book was written in Chinese so the staff unnie tried to cheer her up by telling her that they could translate right away using mobile apps. All of them joked a few times about looking for someone who knows Mandarin and asked everyone to hurry up and learn the language too.

Click here for some details of the book

IU really likes the calligraphy gift that we gave her so she took a special proof shot with it. Since it’s written in Chinese, she asked us about the meaning of the poem. We were still in a daze at that time so we only explained briefly that it’s a poem about the moon. IU said she would try to look for a professional to interpret it.

Poem: The Moon Festival by Su Shi

When will the moon be clear and bright? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky. I don’t know what season it would be in the heavens on this night. I’d like to ride the wind to fly home. Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are much too high and cold for me. Dancing with my moon-lit shadow, It does not seem like the human world. The moon rounds the red mansion stoops to silk-pad doors, Shines upon the sleepless Bearing no grudge, Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart? People may have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart, The moon may be dim or bright, wax or wane, This has been going on since the beginning of time. May we all be blessed with longevity though far apart, We are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.

Even though we are thousands of miles and oceans (Yellow Sea) apart, nothing can stop us from surrendering our hearts to the full moon (Man Wol) C-Uaenas present president Jang Man Wol this poem And may the opening of Hotel Del Luna blossom 

*Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. *Full Moon is pronounced the same way as Man Wol in both Chinese and Korean.

밝은 달은 어느 때나 떠오를지 술잔을 잡고 하늘에 물어본다. 달 속에 있는 궁궐은 오늘밤은 어느 해인지 모르겠구나. 나는 바람을 타고 돌아가고자 하니 달 속의 궁궐이 높은 곳이라 추위를 견디지 못할까 두려워라. 일어나 춤추니 그림자도 따라 도는데 어찌 인간 세계와 비길 수가 있으랴 달그림자가 붉은 누각 빙 돌며 곱게 조각한 창문에 드리우니 달빛에 비추어져 잠을 이룰 수 없네. 더 이상 번뇌가 있을 수 없는데 무슨 일로 오래도록 이별할 때에 이렇게 둥근가? 인간에겐 슬픔과 기쁨, 이별과 만남이 있고 달은 흐리고 맑고, 둥글고 이지러짐이 있으니 이런 일은 예전부터 완전하기가 어려워라. 다만 바라기는 멀리 떨어져 있는 이가 오래 살아서 천 리 밖에서도 이 밝은 달을 함께 구경했으면.

Note: This is a famous Mid-Autumn lyric written by Sushi(a poet in Song Dynasty) for his brother Zi-you(1039-1112) when the poet was away from the imperial court. According to some commentators, “the palace on high” might allude to the imperial palace and therefore, after reading this lyric, Emperor Song Shen Zong said that Su Shi was loyal.

When IU was giving us her signature as acknowledgement (of the fan support), we noticed that IU’s mandarin pinyin skills were remarkably impressive, she came up with most of the pinyin (as shown in the picture) and kept seeking confirmation from us (just incase she made a mistake). She wanted to write 시원한 여름 (a cool and refreshing summer) so badly because it kind of means “watching horror movies” in Korea too (납량). She wanted to write “we will see each other very soon” so she added “see you soon” in English too. It was obvious that IU urged to write using lots of pinyin but she didn’t have much time since the drama team was rushing to another filming venue already. Nevertheless, she drew a big thumbs up and yummy bowl of rice for us and was eventually made fun by IU Team. They jokingly asked her “what are those?”, making IU shooting daggers at them keke.

“Dear. OnlyU-IU China ♥   Thank you all!! Well done!! 👍 Yummy 🍚💕 Miss you guys…♥ I love you guys! Stay healthy! - from IU” 

“Dear C-uaenas ♥ I miss you all very much See U soon! Don’t fall sick...☆ Thank you! 😊 - from IU”

Lastly, we told IU that we would enjoy watching the drama to which she replied “please do enjoy (watch) the show (properly), it’s very interesting.” She kept thanking us a few times in Mandarin after bidding farewell to us too.

The PD came by after that and took the huge IU (with her head facing down) photo away, explaining that he would hang it in the waiting room. We weren’t sure whose waiting room he was referring to since we didn’t dare to question more, so we could only pray and hope earnestly that he’s taking it to IU’s room TT.

Then we sent off the coffee truck & buffet tent owners and bid farewell to the entire crew on the set before leaving. We lost count of how many times we went around the set to bow (give greetings) to make sure we didn’t miss any corner of it.

Despite being short of hands due to some of our members who couldn’t make it last minute, but we are very happy to have completed the fan support, passed IU her gift in person and relayed her greetings and thanks to C-Uaenas safely. We are fully aware that IU made lots of adorable facial expressions and kept a smile on her face all the time because she wanted to express her gratitude towards Uaenas who worked hard together to bring up the fan support to her on the set. Once again, we thank Uaenas who contributed in this fan support. We will continue to give IU the best fan support!

Source: OnlyU-IU 中国首站 @ Weibo  Translated by IUteamstarcandy

[lessonsfrommadamexmas]

The Moon Festival

This story was written for a fic challenge on the theme of celebrations, and I was sorted the Chinese Moon Festival, so I adapted it to Xing. This is also the first time I write about Almay and Xing. :) 

Summary: Alphonse, Jerso and Zampano travel to Xing and their first stop is the Chang clan. 2.4k words. Link to AO3.

- - - - - 

i. Moon shaped

 The scent of baking cake and nuts decorated the little house where May lived, nestling in every corner and chasing noses curious for the delights they would have a chance to experience in a few hours. Jerso, Alphonse and Zampano followed the princess of the Chang clan to the kitchen while she told exciting stories about the dish she had chosen to make for Mid-Autumn Festival.

 Al had to admit that upon arriving in Xing, he was surprised by the life she was carrying, for little had changed from what he knew about the princess. May lived alone in a comfortable but not luxurious home and worked side by side with her people. Everyone treated her like a princess and a hero who had conquered a voice for her clan before the new emperor and brought better days for them, yet May wanted nothing more for herself than what the others had.  

 – The festival takes place on a full moon, so we also call it the Moon Festival. Pay close attention and you’ll see goddess Chang’e on the surface of the moon.

– Goddess Chang? Like your clan? – asked Jerso sitting by the table.

 – Chang'e. – she repeated, emphasizing the "e" with a sound similar to an "a". – Legend goes that we once had ten suns in the sky. They were brothers and every day one of them traveled the planet, bringing heat and energy. However, they preferred each other's company and one day decided to travel together. With that, the soil was ruined, the waters began to disappear and the animals to die. But the brothers no longer wanted to stay apart, so emperor Yao sent his most powerful archer to defeat them.

 – Yao? Like Ling? – it was Al's turn to interrupt.

 – Exactly! – May replied, heading for the oven to check the small lunar cakes, round and stuffed with a paste rich in spices.

 – I wonder how the emperor of Xing is celebrating the Moon Festival. – Zampano asked, peering anxiously at May’s exquisite dish.

 – Certainly with a party even larger than this one. – Jerso commented.

 – Undoubtedly, it's an important celebration to all of us.

 – But, please, continue the story of the goddess Chang'e, May.

 – Hou Yi, the archer, was married to Chang'e. He killed nine of the suns, forcing the last one to follow its routine alone. This left their father, Emperor Di Jun, furious, so Hou Yi asked the Queen Mother immortality for himself and his wife. She granted him two doses of elixir for helping Earth and restoring life and fertility, but there was one problem: his apprentice saw when Hou Yi gave the elixir for Chang'e to hide, and decided to approach her alone to steal immortality for himself.

 – They should have taken it at once. – Zampano pointed it out what he considered plot hole.

 – Yes, but Hou Yi liked his life as it was and only wanted it for an emergency. Without being able to defend herself, Chang'e drank all the elixir, which was a big mistake. It was for two, and whoever consumed all of it would become a god. Hou Yi arrived in time to see her beloved rising to the skies to inhabit the moon. Desolate, Hou Yi had to live the rest of his days alone, staring at the image of Chang'e on the surface of the moon. He turned her into a symbol of his struggle to bring prosperity to his people, and offered her a feast with her favorite food.

 ii. Common sense

The sky embraced them in its dark blue cloak and Alphonse waited with the lanterns as May, Jerso and Zampano collected the cookies they would bring to the party. Leaning over the window of the living room, Al struggled to see the outline of a woman in a long dress on the round satellite. He did not want to disappoint May, but he'd decided it was best to let her show him than to lie about what he could see.

 The girl's light and hurried footsteps vibrated the floor toward him, and the Amestrian turned his head toward the hallway.

 – I’ll carry the lanterns with you, they're on their way. – she announced entering the room.

 May wore purple and blue, and had Xiao-mei lodged on her shoulder. It was the first time the boy had seen her wear her hair in a single bun, with only two braids running down her back.

 When Al wrote to May to inform his itinerary and the time they would spend with her clan, she made him promise to stay until the Moon Festival. As she didn’t give much explanation, he understood that the princess wanted it to be a surprise. Now, the more he saw and heard, the more Alphonse realized the importance of the party to the Changs. The clan was once among the poorest of Xing, withering away, but with Ling’s promised assistance – who gave them the peripheral land for cultivation – this was their first year of great prosperity in a long time. The first year they had much more to thank than to ask for on the festival.

 – I was here observing the sky. – he said as May approached. – I'm not sure if I can see the goddess Chang'e, although I think I can see the skirt of her dress in that ... – Al tried to raise his arm to point at the window, but was prevented by May.

 – Mr. Alphonse, do not point to the moon! – the girl shouted in astonishment, holding his hand in the air, and Xiao-mei shook her head in disappointment.

 – Oh, sorry, is anything bad gonna happen? – Al asked nervously.

 – Who knows! But I think I stopped you in time, why would you do that? – May's expression of disbelief was replaced by heroically arched eyebrows. – Luckily, I was here.

 – Yes, thank you very much for letting me know.

 If his brother was there, he would say that that was a huge nonsense and would point to the moon only for the pleasure of defying superstitions. But for Al that was the best part of immersing himself in a different culture: the surprises of little gestures, as well as the replacement of an instant of worry by the relief of having escaped a wave of bad luck.

 iii. Reflections the night brings.

 The party took place everywhere, and all the doors were open turning the village into one single home, with large outdoor tables, lanterns scattered on the floor and music splashed in the air.

 The group of tourists was finally delighting themselves with the lunar cakes. The delicacy had a thin crust and a perfect note of sweetness, but also a heavy filling that challenged them to eat anything else offered on the banquet. Jerso and Zampano looked ready for any food they could place their eyes on while Al drank his tea and began to calculate the space available in his stomach when May invited them to join a conversation.

 Sitting on the floor with colorful lanterns around, the group admired the moon and shared their detailed impressions of it. The cold breeze of fall dissipated in the warmth of that gathering. One by one, Alphonse was attentive to everything they said in search of recognizable words, while May added precise translation at the end of each comment. Then, the ancient lady extended her palm invitingly towards the blond boy.

 – Mr. Alphonse, it's your turn. – the princess informed, seeing that he was caught off guard.

 – May, but I'm not good enough with descriptions yet, I won’t know what to say.

 – Don’t worry, just talk and I’ll translate. – she encouraged him. – The important thing is to participate. So how does the moon make you feel?

 Alphonse rested his hands on the grass and looked up. He allowed himself to be enveloped in the night, mesmerized by the golden glow emanating from the full moon, and soon found a place that was familiar to him, although the opposite of the present moment.

 – For a few years, the night was a constant reminder of how dark life was. I was empty and sleep didn’t come, so I watched the moon either from the window or on outdoor walks, so often that I would get tired of the skies. I didn’t know that goddess Chang'e was there with me, so I couldn’t feel less lonely while everyone slept. – the boy spoke slowly without taking his eyes off his object of study, and heard as May repeated his words in Xingese. – I knew I was surrounded by life, but I could’t feel it as my footsteps touched the grass and the cats felt my touch. As unreachable as the moon. But today, here with you, the night has never been so alive, and the moon has never been so close. It’s gained flavor and texture reflected in our meal, and thanks to you, I can now associate the moon with hospitality, tenderness and festivity. Thank you.

 Still distracted, the boy waited for the last words of the princess, but was surprised by a sob in her voice.

 – May, you're crying!

 – Mr. Alphonse, that was so beautiful. – She covered her face with her hands and Xiao May buried her nose in her shoulder.

 She was not the only one. Around him, the other Xinguese seemed touched by his story, and Al saw Jerso and Zampano discreetly wiping their eyes.

 – Thank you for sharing the wisdom of your experience, my dear. – Al was able to comprehend the old woman's words, who smiled at him. – You made our night more special.

 iv. What the tongue has yet to learn

 A couple of miles away from May's house, the strange quartet formed by a tiny girl with her little panda and three tall guys watched the street theater perform the story of Chang’e. Alphonse noticed that the dialogue was scarce but too flourished for their comprehension, so he was glad to have learned the story earlier and dismiss translation now. May’s Xingese lessons had focused on communication and efficiency instead of poetry, and the four of them built together a small dictionary of technical terms that could be important in their research. For their journey, that would be enough.

 The play was visually rich like everything else in that night, but the tourists were yet to be surprised by a parade. Dancing dragons invaded the streets along with more lanterns in various formats. Colored birds flew around them as they advanced and the lake multiplied the lights of swimming fishes. Looking down the mountainous terrain, Al could see the pastures and plantations that brightened the days of the Chang clan.

 Jerso and Zampano abandoned the parade to visit yet another table, while May and Alphonse promised to join them later. Not long after they left, May was spotted by a girl in red dress who Al believed to be her cousin. She took the princess by the arm and talked in her ear, then shot a giggling look at the Amestrian boy. May shouted her an annoyed "take care of your life!" in their mother language and she left grinning.

 Al was invaded by self-awareness. He always felt comfortable and happy in Xingese attire, but wearing it wasn’t enough to make him belong. Did he look ridiculous trying to fit in with his blond hair and blue eyes and taller stature?

 – So what did she say?

 – Err, it wasn’t anything important. – the princess waved her hands in an attempt to shove off the question, a gesture mimicked by Xiao-mei.

 – May! How will I learn Xingese if you don’t teach me? She looked at me, I know she was talking about me. Was it anything bad?

 – It was nothing like that! I'm sure she was not looking at you. She just said that the Moon Festival is also a time to try your luck in love ... You know, it’s a time of prosperity, so for some people it’s a time to plan life and find a pair.

 – Oh, really? – it was all he could say as he acknowledged the real meaning of the girl’s comment.

 – See? I said it was no big deal! Look, if you stayed longer, I could teach you more Xingese, so do not complain to me.

 – I'm sorry, May. But I'm not on this journey alone. Jerso and Zampano, we have so much to do. Besides, I need to be there when my brother returns, to discuss what we learned on our first trip.

 – Yes. I know you have to go. – she smiled, but it did not look as lively as her other smiles. – Tomorrow morning ... And that this is not the best route on your way back to Amestris.

 – I don’t want to be unfair to you. I cannot ask you to wait for me without knowing when I'll be back ...

 – What are you talking about?

 The parade had come to an end and people around them were getting disperse. The two of them had to walk to the nearest tree to escape from the chaotic crowd.

 – I’m saying that I like you, May. I like you so much, but I see how you belong in this place. How you fought for Xing, to enjoy with your people the life you have today. And I, I have to go back to my home, so I can’t just kiss you and ask you to compromise ...

– Kiss? – her eyes glittered at that word, stealing from him a line of thought.

 – Did I say kiss?

 Al felt his cheeks burn, but he could not quite understand why shame invaded his confession. What he felt for May made him happy, and he was under the impression she shared the same feeling.

 – Alphonse. – she used only his name for the first time, abandoning formal treatments like he’d asked of her many times in the past. – I waited two years to see you again. And I can wait two more to kiss you again if so needed. Two, not four. – She put her hands on his shoulders and locked her lips on his, tenderly and discreetly, not letting herself be noticed in the crowd.

 Al grinned, and Xiao-mei jumped to his neck giving the boy her version of a kiss on the chin.

 – So you do wanna date me?

 – Of course, yes. I heard you're an excellent fighter, not very temperamental, and a gentleman.

 – I'll be back. – Al promised, holding her hands. – As soon as I can.

 – Or I'll go visit you. Who said I don’t feel like traveling as well?

- - - -

[meganwontgotoheaven]

Ch 10: When The Monday Gossip Is Glorious

Fandom: Critical Role

Genre: High School AU

Rating: General 

Word Count: 1781

The second day of the festival set up was uneventful and soon enough the entire field went from an empty mid-autumn field to a winter wonderland. Eskil was released from the city jail after an “anonymous” tip came in about a white haired woman but the police were still keeping an eye on him for the rest of the investigation. The worst thing to happen that day was Vex finding out they were being paid in free fair vouchers and not actual cash. Her mood carried over to Monday morning.

“Next time I find an online advertisement for work, I’m checking the payment method first,” said Vex as her and Vax waited for the morning bell.

“Cool it stumpy,” said Vax working on his neglected weekend homework. “There will be other jobs.”

“Fine but when we help with the school Halloween fair in a few weeks things will be different,” she replied.

“Sure they will...wait since when are we helping with the fair,” asked Vax.

“Since I ran into Allura from the student council like ten minutes ago,” answered Vex.

Vax groaned. “That’s who you were talking to. Why do you need to get us involved with school stuff.”

“Well she was putting up fliers and she looked kind of upset,” said Vex. “So i started talking to her.”

“Is she okay,” asked Vax.

Vex leaned in close to her brother. “She’s worried about Uriel, the council president.”

“Didn’t someone try to throw a baseball at his head at the last assembly,” asked Vax.

Vex nodded. “That’s around when it started. Apparently he’s been acting weird. He’s been withdrawn, missing meetings, nobody’s been able to get in touch with him because he refuses to talk with them.”

“Sounds like the ol’ prez has got himself into some shady things if you get my drift,” said Vax tapping the side of his nose.

“No,” said Vex scandalized. “You don’t really think…”

Vax just shrugged as Pike and Grog walked into the room with a Percy in tow. The conversation was dropped for the moment.

~ ~ ~  

In another homeroom Keyleth was busily talking with Tiberius and Scanlan about her own future plans.

“So I already texted Vex and Percy about it but next week over by Crystalfen in the old part of town there's going to be an antiques and oddities market,” said Keyleth. “Want to come?”

“Thats sounds wonderful,” said Tiberius. “I’ll go with you.”

“That part of town smells like sewer refuse and antiques are for old people,” said Scanlan. “Why would we go there?”

“Because it’ll be fun! And it’s not just for old people,” said Keyleth. “I’m looking for fun things to upcycle.”

“And I have a list of rare vintage items I’ve been looking for to add to my collection,” add Tiberius.

“We were thinking of going after school next Friday,” said Keyleth.

“Me and Vax have plans that day,” said Scanlan.

“What type of plans,” asked Keyleth.

“Oh you know, just guy stuff,” said Scanlan evasively.

“That’s a really vague answer,” said Keyleth.

“It’s not,” said Scanlan.

“Is this something we should be concerned about,” asked Keyleth.

“Probably not,” he replied.

“Workes for me,” said Tiberius. “Now did you study for the history quiz? Because I have some last minute review questions.”

“Of course,” said Keyleth.

~ ~ ~  

History was boring, so Vax decided to go for a walk instead, making his usual rounds. First he looked in on his sister and the girls in gym class just in time to see Keyleth catch the football two seconds before being tackled by the entire opposing team. Next on his route was the vending machine with the good candy bars. And finally he was off to the front office where he knew he could look through the lost and found without being caught by a teacher.

Ignoring the things that had already been sitting there for weeks he found three new retainers, a Justin Timberlake folder, an ugly orange sweater, and a journal with the name “Gregory” written inside the cover. He decided the journal could keep him entertained in class until he could find its owner and return it.

After that it was back to history class.

~ ~ ~

Seventh period brought more news to the ears of Vox Machina. While Percy and Tiberius listened and took notes about symbolism in Wuthering Heights Scanlan was scrolling through local gossip blogs. One post caught his attention immediately and he elbowed Tiberius from across the aisle.

“Tiberius look at this,” he whispered.

Tiberius side glanced at the phone in Scanlan’s hand. On it was a headline reading “Dread Emperor: Little Emperor Day Camp Caught In Child Slavery Ring.” Tiberius’ eyes widened in realization.

“Oh my god we worked there,” Tiberius exclaimed under his breath.

“I know,” Scanlan whispered back with as much surprise.

“Whats going on,” asked Percy noticing his friends agitation. Scanlan turned the phone towards him.

“Over the summer we worked there for like a week,” Scanlan explained. “We quite because the owner was super sketchy. And because Keyleth dropped a kid but that’s a different story.”

“You know, Pike was talking about possibly looking into the owner’s background and maybe talking to someone about him,” said Tiberius.

“I think she did eventually tell the police about her suspicions,” said Scanlan. “Apparently she wasn’t the only concerned civilian.”

“Good god what is the world coming too,” mumbled Percy.

“I for one am glad we quite and the place is shut down,” said Tiberius.

The three boys nodded their heads in agreement and returned there attention to the lecture.

~ ~ ~                

    The twins had last period together just as they did first period. And much like first period Vex listened attentively and took notes while Vax only half paid attention. He was idly flipping through the journal he found in between listening about chemical bonds. He nudged his sister.

“Hey remember our conversation this morning,” he whispered.

“Sure. About Allura and Uriel,” she replied.    

“Well check this out,” he said sliding the journal in front of his sister. It was open to the last two entries which read:

“Sep. 9 First assembly of the year. Class representatives were announced and I am once again representing my class. Someone attempted to hit president Uriel while he was on stage. I have my suspicions on the culprit.

Sep. 8 Today I spoke with Krieg about the assembly incident. He said some interesting things but I think he knows more than he is letting on.”

“Where did you get this? Is this someone’s diary,” asked Vex.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Vax.

“Creep,” was Vex’s only reply.

“Takes one to know one,” he said. “But isn’t it weird we were just talking about this? We should find this Krieg kid.”

“Did you even look at your ballot for council elections,” asked Vex.

“Um, maybe,” he replied. Vex rolled her eyes.

“He’s our student council secretary,” said Vex. “He’s the really cute one.”

“Oh yeah, him,” said Vax putting the pieces together. “We should investigate him.”

“So, stop by the school store after class,” Vex suggested.

“Perfect,” Vax said.

~ ~ ~

“Oh, Percy,” called Vex as she slid up to his locker.

“Hello,” he said. “Are we ready to leave already?”

“Not quite,” Vex said. “Have you been to the school store yet?”

“I’ve passed it,” he replied.

“Well today you get to see it up close,” Vex said as she began to lead Percy down the hall.

The school store was originally nothing especially fancy. It was a small recess in the wall with a counter running across the front with items displayed under the counter glass and along the wall behind it. However it was clear that whoever was running the store had put a lot of time and care into the stores presentation. The display cases were lined with purple fabric and the wall hung with fabric and beads all done in a way meant to display the merchandise in the best possible way.

Outside the store Scanlan could be seen talking to a horrified looking Keyleth and Pike while Vax leaned on the counter and talked with the dark haired boy behind it.

“Percy, this is Gilmore. He runs the school store,” introduced Vex. “Gilmore, this is Percy.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” said Gilmore, extending his hand. “Vax has told me much about you.”  

“All good things I hope,” said Percy taking the offered hand.

“Don’t worry he hasn’t told me anything too scandalous,” said Gilmore. “Now, pleasantries aside I believe  you have business with me.”

“We do. Let’s start with what I ordered a few days ago,” said Vax. Gilmore crouched down behind the counter to retrieve something.

“Gilmore’s quite the businessman,” said Vex. “He sells much more than school supplies and merchandise.”

“That’s right. I can get you just about anything you need for a good price,” said Gilmore coming back up. “I’m even willing to procure some less than legal items just for VM.”

Gilmore gave Percy a sly smile and to Percy’s relief placed two bootleg video games on the counter in front of Vax. Vax slid them into his bag and replaced them with cash and a journal. By this time the rest of the group had gathered around them.  

“Gilmore, what can you tell us about this Gregory kid” asked Vax.

Gilmore picked up the journal and began scanning through the pages.

“Oh yes, I know who this is,” he said. “But if you were looking to talk with him you’re out of luck.”

“Why’s that,” asked Keyleth.

“Well because he’s mysteriously disappeared,” answered Gilmore. “He just stopped coming to school one day. According to the more credible rumors  some say he very suddenly transferred out but others say he was unfairly expelled.”

“Expelled for what,” asked Pike.

“That’s the mystery of it. According to everyone he was a good student--got straight A’s was involved in student government, never been in trouble,” answered Gilmore.

“Do you think he could have been framed for something by someone, like i don’t know, Krieg maybe,” said Vex.

“That’s a weird person to suggest,” said Gilmore. “But i agree that if he was expelled there was probably foul play involved.”

“But not by Krieg,” continued Vex. “Have you ever talked with Krieg?”

“I haven’t. He seems very charming from what I’ve seen but I haven’t heard much about him,” said Gilmore. “Is there anything else I can help with.

“Thanks Gilmore, but I think that’s it,” said Vax. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Naturally,” Gilmore said with a small wave as the friends began the walk to the parking lot. They had some things to talk about and plans to make.