[ the one where misaki regrets ever having read that blog post ]

[idontcarebear]

The last thing Misaki remembers is that it was hot. Hot outside, especially hot inside the Michelle suit, and she's used to it, really, but they'd gone straight from a three-hour show to...some other place on Kokoro's whim. She can't really remember. She just remembers finding it difficult to breathe, opening her mouth to say something, and then everything dropping away. She remembers hitting the ground once, twice, three times -- ohh, that's too many times.

Floating weightlessly in murky consciousness, Misaki hears a voice oddly similar to Google Translate.

【 The System has been triggered by an activation code. Please stand by. 】

Uhh? What System? What activation code? Misaki blinks in the dark, trying to see, but dark is all there is.

【 Welcome to the System 2.0. This upgraded system operates in line with the concept "keep the clicks coming". We hope that during your experience in the ultimate wish fulfillment fantasy, you will help continue Proud Immortal Demon's Way's legacy as a first-rate romantic drama. Please enjoy. ヽ(´▽｀)ノ 】

"Uhh??" Misaki says, looking around for the source of the disembodied voice, and she starts to feel like she's spinning, distinctly dizzy. "Uh, hey??"

But the computer-generated voice is gone, and instead she hears real voices, a small chorus of them, anxious and excited. Only an indistinct buzz in her ears at first, as she registers the fact that she's lying down, laid out carefully on a bed. Something about her body feels kind of...off. The voices nearby resolve into intelligible words as the room spinning around her starts to slow down. Misaki feels carsick.

"Shizun! Shizun, she's waking up!"

"Shizun, Ning Yingying is finally awake!"

Comments

[idontcarebear]

Fortunately Misaki does not yet know how much of a loser he was (is), because she actually finds this more or less reassuring.
"Oh, huh. Okay, then." Misaki nods decisively, goes to cross her arms, realizes she doesn't really know how to with the sword in the way, and settles for securing it to her belt instead. "If you can do it, then I definitely can. No sense in putting it off, either. Alright. I'm ready."

A little chime sounds in her head.

【 System Alert: Now leaving the OOC Safe Zone. Warning! From this point on, the OOC function will be frozen. Deviations from the parameters set for Ning Yingying's account will result in a deduction of B-points. Please act with consideration. We hope you enjoy your new user experience! 】

Misaki touches two fingers to her temple. This is...already getting very annoying.

"Uh, so," she says, suppressing a grimace, "can you tell me a little bit about me -- I mean, Ning Yingying on the way? I got a decent impression from the canon review, but still. You know her pretty well, right? Is there anything I really need to watch out for?"

[youcanyouup]

Shen Qingqiu raises his eyebrows.

"OOC warnings?" He sounds vaguely concerned. He hasn't had to deal with those in such a long time, he almost forgot they might be a factor? Especially if Ning Yingying is expected to hang out with him... That cat is already out of the bag, System! Can't he just make some excuse for her? Apparently not. He sighs, tapping his fan against his chin. "Hmm, well... she's very energetic and positive... She used to be a bit of a disaster but not romancing the protagonist really let her come into her own instead of just getting kidnapped all the time..."

[idontcarebear]

Misaki listens with a smile of resignation on her face. Ah, yeah, there it is...this is starting to feel a little familiar now...

It's not that she doesn't have experience pretending to be more cheerful and upbeat than she really is. In fact her, resume's getting pretty long by now. It's just...she usually gets to do it from the sweaty comfort of a mascot costume. She's never had to worry about doing it with a straight face before. Just aggressively channeling Maruyama-senpai seems like the best plan for now...at least if it turns out this is the kind of character who likes to do cute poses at inappropriate times, I'll have plenty of inspiration.

She is pretty sure this is going to get exhausting.

"Hah, yeah, pretty much. I think I get the idea, though." Misaki rubs her face with both hands for a moment, drawing in a breath and trying to compose herself. She could kind of put herself in the same headspace as preparing to go onstage. She was really used to that by now, but this was kind of nerve-wracking. She very quietly mutters a couple of words to herself that sound a little bit like happiness happy magical in English, does her very best to copy Aya's idol sensation smile, and looks at Shen Qingqiu. "Like this?"

[youcanyouup]

"Oh, wow," says Shen Qingqiu, staring down at her. "You really pulled it off. You think you can keep that up?" He sounds a little doubtful.

[idontcarebear]

Whew, good to know she had the right vibe. Although it seems like Shen Qingqiu's expectations were kind of low...well, she guesses she can't totally blame him.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she says, still smiling. "Besides, it's not like I don't have practice at this kind of thing. I have some, uh, stage experience."

When she says it like that, it does kind of make it sound like she means a stage in the theatre sense. She does...technically...have some acting experience. Maybe it's better if Shen Qingqiu gets that impression, if only to reassure him and get him to stop giving her that dubious look.

[youcanyouup]

"Oh, well, I suppose that makes this easier," he muses. A theatre kid AND a jock... she's definitely more powerful than he is. God, he hopes the System really hasn't brought her here to try and make Binghe straight again, he won't stand a chance.

He pushes that thought to one side so he can engage with the matter at hand, and also so he doesn't have to think about how sad it would make him if Binghe was straight. "Mmm, but you should probably pretend to still be a bit sick, so people will cut you more slack while you adjust to the role. If it's anything like mine was the System will tell you if you're about to make a mistake, but if you don't know the character very well you still might not be able to convince people..."

[idontcarebear]

"Ah...good point." Misaki turns down the brightness on her smile and, well, she doesn't really have to pretend that hard to seem a little tired and out of it. She can definitely get out of having to remember anyone's name that way, at least for now...hm, yeah, okay. She really is glad Shen Qingqiu is here; he definitely knows the ropes. He's survived this far, anyway, right?

She lowers her voice as a thought occurs to her. "Hey, uh...is there any chance we can go practice somewhere other people aren't going to see?"

That is probably already the idea, but she just wants to make sure...if she's supposed to be an experienced disciple, it'd probably be super embarrassing if any of the other disciples saw her fumbling to hold a sword for the first time.