"CP 1765, October 28. 107 days have passed since landing. Local time: AD 2016, December 2."
"Ye Min has came up with a new idea for how I could disguise myself as a human: replacing the original cloak with an oversized cosplay suit. This way, no more need to worry about the wind blowing it up, and it should also reduce the risk of accidental exposure. I'm just pretty sceptical about how hot it'll get — even if with a small mechanical fan inside probably won't help much either."
"Besides, it would look utterly ridiculous. Knowing Ye Min's style, it's likely he'd an oversized fox-shaped cosplay suit..."
"Though I haven't had the best writing conditions in November, the blog post is mostly finished now. Composing this text was a far more arduous task than the previous time, despite it not being a thorough academic document. After all, this place lacks sufficiently unique ecological environments, forcing me to describe multiple isolated features collectively instead. I really shouldn't expect to stumble upon such ecological and geological miracles everywhere."
"At least this time it's a relatively thorough completion, with all the necessary citations; personally, though, I feel I completely failed to reach my usual standard. I lacked the original author's specific thought process, yet still wanted to preserve enough of the original content..."
"Ye Min remains optimistic. He's quite hopeful about the future of this blog account. I suppose he knows this place better than I do, so I should be optimistic too."
"It seems utterly pointless to resist that fox now — it's such a shame and a waste. Ye Min doesn't seem inclined to give it away, and I have no idea why nobody online wants it. Wearing a gas mask all day is also a real hassle. The question now is: should I tell him I've been faking it all along, or find a more plausible excuse first? Self-deception is never good in the long run..."
"As for the weather, it's still snowing outside. This snow is truly peculiar — so light, yet it's persisted for so long with no sign of stopping. That's something for the meteorologists to explain..."
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***
"The suit arrived." After dismissing the delivery guy, Min calls back.
Xi P pokes his head out from the hallway, and the silver fox's head shows up from a lower position at the same time. Suppressing an inexplicable urge to laugh, Min continues: "He's gone. These are the suits for you."
Hearing the word "suit", Xi P recalls the speculation he'd jotted down in his diary not long ago. First, a shiver runs from his ears to his toes; then, he scoffs at his own overthinking. But when he sees Min unwrap the package and pull out a hooded costume, he realises that his gloomy guess wasn't so far off — in fact, it was downright optimistic!
It is, indeed, a fox-shaped fur suit, complete with a tail! Seeing Min approach him holding the outfit, Xi P's face contorts as he protests loudly: "Another one!"
"He probably means swap it for a different kind of suit." Min thinks.
***
In the end, Xi P at least tried it on. Contrary to his expectations, it operates as a semi-inflatable suit. Although the fan is noisy, the internal air circulation is excellent, so there is no risk of overheating. The inflation also renders the movement of his double-jointed legs nearly imperceptible. A zipper at the hood-to-suit interface prevents the hood from blowing off or detaching accidentally — perfect for Xi P's current situation.
Except for the fox design.
"This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever weared in my life!"
Min deliberately put on an astonished expression before replying: "Ridiculous? It suits you perfectly. Aside from the tail, it's practically identical! Even if someone unzipped the hood, they might mistake it for a Russian nesting doll."
No sooner has the words left his mouth than he drops the playful grin, and his tone turns more serious: "But I genuinely don't get it — what's so ridiculous about it? Do you find every fox-headed creature ridiculous except yourself?"
This leaves Xi P momentarily speechless. All he can manage is: "I don't know. But I wouldn't wear this thing outside."
"Fair enough. I wouldn't want to walk beside someone wearing this in public either." Min replies, silently adding: "Then I'd officially be labelled as a furry fetishist."
Xi P takes two tentative steps. Though he considers himself fairly fit, the combination of inflated bulk, motor weight, and ill-fitting joints makes movement agonizing: "This thing makes walking impossible. I'm worried I'll fall."
"Well, that works. I was just wondering when I could take a syringe to draw some of your blood for research. If you fall and get a nosebleed, it'll be convenient — Hey, hey, don't hit me..."
