21 Dec 2023, 21:16
Birds of A Feather Flock Together
| Date | : | December 3rd, 2023 |
| Color code | : | Written|Thought|Said |
Sere laughed at the tons of question that came out of Esme's mouth, "Whoa, slowly! One by one, girl." Sere explained afterwards, "I was born from a muggle couple, therefore I am a muggle-born. I said it before, right?" She continued, "My father had a furniture business..." Sere raised her right hand, "...and my mother had a restaurant business..." then raised her left hand, "They met..." Sere put her palms together, "...and agreeing a business combination." Sere folded her arms and sighed, "Since they decided to grow their business together, the business has been focused in the hospitality sector. They go on business trips for expansion meetings and check on the construction of the new hotels. I always have to follow their business trips during the school breaks. It's sucks considering that I would be just left behind and stay in the hotel with a pile of new books." Sere closed her family's story with a shake of her head, "About magic? They are not fully believing it. Luckily my desire to move from my old school was convincing enough for them." Sere shrugged her shoulders, "I intend to show them a little of magic I learned when I come back. I hope they will believe in magic. Or else, I will force them to meet your parents. Please! Have your parents lecture mine. Are your parents good at lecturing slash nagging someone?"
Sere still has no thought about what job she would take in the future. The word 'Auror' sounds so new for her, but maybe it could be one of the consideration. One more homework to do: thinking about my career. Sere froze when she felt a quick hug from Esme. She was not ready. She blinked a few times then cleared her throat, "I'm... fine with that. Just... need to get used to it... maybe?" Sere rarely has physical contact with people other than her family, again not because she doesn't like it, it's just that she never had the opportunity to do it.
"We have a very different culture, I guess. And that is interesting." After telling about her family and Esme also giving some sneak peaks of her family, Sere felt a quiet huge differences between them, even though they both has the similar Asian bloodline. It makes Sere wants to know more about Esme's background. "Yours sounds exciting. My family doesn't have any special tradition for winter and Christmas. We're just as simple as having dinner together."
Sere smiled broadly -showing her gum- when looking at the love-wave that is clearly strucking her friend, "You are really in love, Esme Xiao." In a sudden, Sere sat up straight, looked left and right, squinted her eyes with a look full of caution, then whispering "Will Aliana be jealous when she saw you hugged me earlier?" No one knows where it comes from, but Sere's desire to tease Esme becomes even greater. "I'm kidding!" Sere laughed out loud afterwards.
Interacting with : @Esme Xiao
22 Dec 2023, 06:10
Birds of A Feather Flock Together
Esme smirked and said in a hushed, discreet tone of voice. "Don't tell Māmā I said this, but she is very good at nagging people into submission, at this point, my father is as passive as a tree branch, and my mother is the wind that blows him in the right direction, if that makes sense." She looks a bit somber, as if she watched the sun explode directly in front of her. "I'm really sorry you never got to have any real fun, I mean...I think you're entitled to it at this point, no?"
"Yeah, that's what it's like for me, I've been a bit more "touchy" maybe than other Chinese, but even I have to get used to it sometimes, it's understood, I think I'll warn you, yeah?" She laughs it off, completely understanding the feeling., she remembers when she went to Diagon Alley, some people were so impressed with her hair that they touched it, not wanting to be rude, Esme allowed it completely.
"I just love the mixing of cultures, it allows for so much knowledge of foreign traditions, and sayings. Just dinner? Well surely there is a lot of love being passed, do you make sure they know you enjoyed the food? I feel it's one of the best ways to guarantee you will make your parents happy. Surely you've seen them smile once?" She thought about how different the food Sere eats might be, after all, while she's sure they shared some meals, there also had to be different and very interesting things on Sere's average plate at home.
"Hah! Surely not, she's really nice, doesn't strike me as the envious type." She asks almost seriously, but when she catches on she was happy that her tone still seemed friendly and casual. "Question, do you ever feel the need to say "Thank you" to friends, like do you always thank people after doing things?"
@Sere Nade
"Yeah, that's what it's like for me, I've been a bit more "touchy" maybe than other Chinese, but even I have to get used to it sometimes, it's understood, I think I'll warn you, yeah?" She laughs it off, completely understanding the feeling., she remembers when she went to Diagon Alley, some people were so impressed with her hair that they touched it, not wanting to be rude, Esme allowed it completely.
"I just love the mixing of cultures, it allows for so much knowledge of foreign traditions, and sayings. Just dinner? Well surely there is a lot of love being passed, do you make sure they know you enjoyed the food? I feel it's one of the best ways to guarantee you will make your parents happy. Surely you've seen them smile once?" She thought about how different the food Sere eats might be, after all, while she's sure they shared some meals, there also had to be different and very interesting things on Sere's average plate at home.
"Hah! Surely not, she's really nice, doesn't strike me as the envious type." She asks almost seriously, but when she catches on she was happy that her tone still seemed friendly and casual. "Question, do you ever feel the need to say "Thank you" to friends, like do you always thank people after doing things?"
@Sere Nade
27 Dec 2023, 15:11
Birds of A Feather Flock Together
| Date | : | December 3rd, 2023 |
| Color code | : | Written|Thought|Said |
Sere laughed at Esme's behavior for the countless time. It's clear the girl imagining about her Māmā nagging. Now, Sere's gum smile even showed widely without her realizing it. "I think I've entitled the fun right now," Sere shook her head in amazement before explaining the meaning of her previous words, "I don't remember if I ever said this, but you are a really nice and fun girl, Esme." How could her fatigue disappear and her feeling's getting better in an instant 'puff!' while talking to Esme Xiao? She is obviously has a special happiness magic within her.
"You don't have to remind me of that sudden physical touch. I mean, it happened spontaneously because of your habit, so... That's completely fine." Sere gave a thumbs up.
Sere scratched back of her head when she heard Esme's question. It wasn't the one related to her parents' smiles -well, of course Sere had seen her super-serious parents smiling several times- but this girl was confused about the question about whether her parents enjoyed the food. "Err... How do you know when someone likes something? In general... I mean. Shouldn't you ask the person directly? In my case, I've never asked my parents about 'enjoying food', so I don't know whether they were enjoyed it." Look at how Sere's brain programmed. It seems to only have the realistic and logical left side, with no right side of creativity. Maybe Esme would shake her head when she heard -instead of being answered- her question is returned with this kind of question by the unhearted Sere.
"My parents always taught me about the magic words: please, sorry, and thank you. They -especially my mother- are very strict about speaking etiquette on every situation. I'm sure your family is doing the same, right?" Sere added, "Just like this situation... Thank you for making me feel sooo much better, Esme. This means a lot to me." Sere stretched her body and breathed a sigh of relief. She seemed to have regained a certain amount of her energy to complete her tasks.
Interacting with : @Esme Xiao
29 Dec 2023, 00:22
Birds of A Feather Flock Together
Esme looked away, bashfully. "Surely not, I can't be that funny, I just want you to be able to enjoy Hogwarts to the fullest, at the rate you're working I don't know how you stay sane." She shakes her head, making a bigger deal of small things was probably the crutch of majority of her jokes with Sere, but it works, and as long as Sere was happy, then Esme was happy too.
Esme looks at Sere with an odd expression, it was like the face a mother makes when she sees her child fall off a bike for the 3rd time in a row, suppressed disappointment? Confusion? Discomfort? She shakes her head and sighs "Er-....no, I mean did they see you enjoy the food, but on the topic of what you just said, you have to read people, your parents probably wouldn't openly tell you their enjoyment, you gotta figure it out, and I think it's not too hard to read people. " Esme strokes her little chin, then gets distracted with it before looking back at Sere. "Tell me, Sere, do you cook, this is important, don't worry, just answer, do you cook?"
Esme nodded at Sere's response to the other question, and she understood what Sere was saying, it was something she was taught, but there were levels to it. "You see, My parents did tell me to say please, thank you and the like, but when you have a close friend that isn't an elder, you tend to drop those, not out of disrespect, but rather because if you two are really friends, why do you need to be so formal? However this is something I kind of have to be careful with, Britain is weird."
@Sere Nade
3 Jan 2024, 15:19
Birds of A Feather Flock Together
| Date | : | December 3rd, 2023 |
| Color code | : | Written|Thought|Said |
Sere looked once again at the papers in front of her when she heard Esme talking about it. Sere nodded with no response, because at this time she no longer feels the tiredness. Maybe because she had received her refreshment, the papers in front of her are no longer a big problem... at least until some times from now.
"Oh my!" Sere tapped her forehead, "I'm lost!" Sere shook her head, something she thought Esme would do but turned out to be her who did it, to regain the focus, "I am... Umm.. Thinking about that, I am somehow the same as my parents. I rarely show the enjoyment I feel in my family. But... I enjoy it. I am... quiet happy? I guess?" Sere doesn't feel sure about this. Enjoy and unenjoy something -in the family- is something that pretty difficult to distinguished for her. "I think you have to help me on how to read people, I... don't know how to do it. Umm, maybe it's more like... I never try to do it? I'm not sure about this either. But if I know how, I'll definitely try to read my parents."
Sere blinked several times when she heard Esme's question, "I don't cook. I can count on my fingers how many times I've held the cooking utensils." Sere responded with a question, "Why?"
Sere nodded, "You're right. It seems like friends don't need to be that formal. I've seen many friendships that drop their respectful words because they feel comfortable to each other. Although I'm not sure I can do it. I always imagine my mother lecturing me for two hours about politeness and manners." Sere shrugged her shoulders, "Plus, I guess I'm just not used to dropping it off. I also don't have that many friends that I talk to often. It takes time, isn't it? Maybe I will used to drop it as the time goes by."
Interacting with : @Esme Xiao
21 Jan 2024, 05:28
Birds of A Feather Flock Together
"Well, to really sell you on the idea, it's actually good to do because it can really make or break an engagement, if you don't understand anyone you are likely to not understand where the conversation's going," Esme says matter-of-factly, as if she wasn't also someone who is largely not social, but she had to be the anchor to Sere's social obliviousness. Esme could faintly notice Sere's hesitation and looks down. "but uh... you know what, I've got your back."
"Never? Like actually never? But surely you know how? I mean it's a valuable skill, and it can really take you a long way in case you need to fall back onto it, but the best reason is because you can serve your family in the most valuable way, you know." She said with deep passion, her eyes glittering like stars. And as she declared the "best reason" her voice gives way to unfiltered joy, to give to those she cares about, it was about as much of a gift to her as it was to others.
Taking in what Sere said she found it to be expected and yet it was still interesting to see how other circumstances will change how cultures shape their customs. "No need to drop it, even though it isn't needed on my part, I think that it shows passive respect, kindness without trying, I'm flattered you'd change for me though."
"How are you feeling? You seem a lot more open right now, happier perhaps?[\color]
3 Feb 2024, 13:44
Birds of A Feather Flock Together
| Date | : | December 3rd, 2023 |
| Color code | : | Written|Thought|Said |
For the first time in her life, Sere heard something like 'I've got your back' like the one that had just come out of Esme's mouth, and it was addressed to her. It felt... really nice and relaxing at the same time. So, this is how it feels to be 'not really alone'? Sere showed a little smile, "I'll make sure that I'm counting on you, Esme."
Sere scratched back of her neck, "I didn't know that cooking could be that philosophical." Sere straightened up, "Umm... from the way you talk, I'm somehow sure that you can cook, am I right?" Sere noticed a glint of enthusiasm in Esme's eyes. "How about you teach me to cook in our next meeting?" The girl sounded enthusiastic at first, but slowly she leaned back in her place with hesitation, "But... Cooking while talking about horror? Is that could even be a thing?" Sere remembered that the two of them were planning to talk about something scary in their next meeting, "It would feel like camping if we're actually gonna do it."
Sere stretched her back, then smiled excitedly, "You know, I feel like I can do all of this," Sere pointed at the parchments and books in front of her, "Really... all of my things... after having a pleasant conversation with you." The magic of Esme Xiao, Sere's one and only happy virus, is -again- able to bring her mood up.
Sere punched Esme's arm lightly, "Thanks, friend. I'll go back to my tasks and homeworks." Sere took her quill, "You can stay here, reading your book beside me, if you want to. But I warn you, I will be very quiet after this. Very, very quiet." Sere started writing as she continued, "Do you believe when I say I would keep my mouth shout when I'm with you?" She showed her mischievous glance to Esme and then giggling softly. "I'm just kidding." Owh, what a dry mischievous joke. She's -again, as always- losing herself around the happy virus Esme Xiao.
Interacting with : @Esme Xiao
Sere left the thread.