Technology? Lounge

[AlwaysSnapesGirl]

The technology lounge looks about the same as it did last term. There are still two old school computers set up along the far wall, along with a Pac-Man arcade machine in one of the corners. There are several different Muggle board games and card games available, stacked on a small set of shelves along another wall. Bean bag chairs are placed all around the room. There are also a couple of couches and a set of four regular chairs with an empty table for the tabletop games.

Overall, it still leans more into the lounge part than the technology part of its name, but at least it is pretty cozy.

[kayquilz]

V wasn't SUPER into muggly things, but she also wasn't AGAINST them either. Just, like, neutral and stuff. But the technology lounge was usually quiet, and V wanted just that - quiet.

With her backpack slung over her shoulder, V slipped into the lounge and FLOPPED onto a bean bag chair. And she leaned back, her head kind of hanging off the backside, and let out the LOUDEST and MOST DRAMATIC sigh of all time. She had unpacked some emotions of late, but she had so much to just...THINK about. Serena liking LISA was probably the biggest thing on her mind as well as Jasper and Lisa...and Daniel????? She thought about writing a letter home to her dad, but how much help had he been lately?

And on top of all that, she had...she was....she was not as GROWN as a lot of her other friends, and she was feeling really lame about. Like, really lame.

[littledhampir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

V wasn't SUPER into muggly things, but she also wasn't AGAINST them either. Just, like, neutral and stuff. But the technology lounge was usually quiet, and V wanted just that - quiet.

With her backpack slung over her shoulder, V slipped into the lounge and FLOPPED onto a bean bag chair. And she leaned back, her head kind of hanging off the backside, and let out the LOUDEST and MOST DRAMATIC sigh of all time. She had unpacked some emotions of late, but she had so much to just...THINK about. Serena liking LISA was probably the biggest thing on her mind as well as Jasper and Lisa...and Daniel????? She thought about writing a letter home to her dad, but how much help had he been lately?

And on top of all that, she had...she was....she was not as GROWN as a lot of her other friends, and she was feeling really lame about. Like, really lame.

Alfie liked the technology lounge. It was probably because he was muggleborn so it kind of reminded him of home. When he felt overwhelmed by all the magic and stuff around him, that everybody seemed to understand but he still struggled with sometimes, he would come here to help him decompress a bit. And this time when he entered the room he saw a friend! Even better!

"Hi V!" He greeted happily. He set his stuff by a bean bag chair near hers and settled himself into it.

[kayquilz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by littledhampir

Alfie liked the technology lounge. It was probably because he was muggleborn so it kind of reminded him of home. When he felt overwhelmed by all the magic and stuff around him, that everybody seemed to understand but he still struggled with sometimes, he would come here to help him decompress a bit. And this time when he entered the room he saw a friend! Even better!

"Hi V!" He greeted happily. He set his stuff by a bean bag chair near hers and settled himself into it.

Uuuuummmmm WHO dared to interrupt her ALONE time!!!???

Oh.

It was only Alfie. The good one. The one she called a FRIEND. “Hi, Alfie,” she said with a wave. “What brings you in here?” She asked as she twisted to be closer to him in her bean bag chair. The noise bean bag chairs made any movement you did sooooo not graceful, but V did her best. It also came to her mind that DANIEL was in Alfie’s house. Hufflepuff. How was Daniel a Hufflepuff though? Weird.

Since it was Alfie, she was not mad at him for interrupting her alone time.

[littledhampir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

Uuuuummmmm WHO dared to interrupt her ALONE time!!!???

Oh.

It was only Alfie. The good one. The one she called a FRIEND. “Hi, Alfie,” she said with a wave. “What brings you in here?” She asked as she twisted to be closer to him in her bean bag chair. The noise bean bag chairs made any movement you did sooooo not graceful, but V did her best. It also came to her mind that DANIEL was in Alfie’s house. Hufflepuff. How was Daniel a Hufflepuff though? Weird.

Since it was Alfie, she was not mad at him for interrupting her alone time.

Alfie had never even considered that she might not want to be disturbed. He for one was usually always excited when friends joined him anywhere. So he simply grinned at her as he settled into his beanbag chair.

"I didn't have a plan, really. Just hanging out. It's less confusing in here." Maybe those words wouldn't make as much sense to her as they did in his head, but oh well. "What are you up to?"

[kayquilz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by littledhampir

Alfie had never even considered that she might not want to be disturbed. He for one was usually always excited when friends joined him anywhere. So he simply grinned at her as he settled into his beanbag chair.

"I didn't have a plan, really. Just hanging out. It's less confusing in here." Maybe those words wouldn't make as much sense to her as they did in his head, but oh well. "What are you up to?"

LESS confusing? V fixed him with raised eyebrow. “How is it less confusing in here of all places?” Her tone was…well, a little judgey, but not necessarily in the harsh kind of way. More like, she didn’t know where Alfie was coming from. “Is it because it’s quiet? The technology stuff is very old. I wouldn’t say it’s less or more confusing…it just…is,” she said with a bit of a shrug.

But as for what she was up to, she sighed. “Just came here to…think. And normally I don’t even like to do that,” she snorted at herself. “I guess I just have a whole lot on my mind lately. And a whole lot happened this summer, too. Especially with my brother - OH OH!” She suddenly sat up. “I have GOT to fill you in on my brother!’ Her older one. Noah. The one who formerly HATED her guts.

[littledhampir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

LESS confusing? V fixed him with raised eyebrow. “How is it less confusing in here of all places?” Her tone was…well, a little judgey, but not necessarily in the harsh kind of way. More like, she didn’t know where Alfie was coming from. “Is it because it’s quiet? The technology stuff is very old. I wouldn’t say it’s less or more confusing…it just…is,” she said with a bit of a shrug.

But as for what she was up to, she sighed. “Just came here to…think. And normally I don’t even like to do that,” she snorted at herself. “I guess I just have a whole lot on my mind lately. And a whole lot happened this summer, too. Especially with my brother - OH OH!” She suddenly sat up. “I have GOT to fill you in on my brother!’ Her older one. Noah. The one who formerly HATED her guts.

"Because in here I'm not constantly surrounded by magic things that I only found out about two years ago," he explained. He hadn't really interpreted her tone as being too judgey. Alfie tended to give people the benefit of the doubt. She had maybe forgotten that he was muggleborn, and he didn't mind explaining it. He was quite proud of that fact. "It feels more like home in here sometimes." Not that he didn't think magic was super cool and he didn't love being at Hogwarts, but it could get a bit overwhelming at times.

Alfie was about to ask what had happened over the summer when she was already starting to answer the question. And he was very interested. He sat up straighter, giving her all his attention. "What happened with your brother? Tell me everything!" Older brothers who didn't talk to them was one thing they had bonded over.

[kayquilz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by littledhampir

"Because in here I'm not constantly surrounded by magic things that I only found out about two years ago," he explained. He hadn't really interpreted her tone as being too judgey. Alfie tended to give people the benefit of the doubt. She had maybe forgotten that he was muggleborn, and he didn't mind explaining it. He was quite proud of that fact. "It feels more like home in here sometimes." Not that he didn't think magic was super cool and he didn't love being at Hogwarts, but it could get a bit overwhelming at times.

Alfie was about to ask what had happened over the summer when she was already starting to answer the question. And he was very interested. He sat up straighter, giving her all his attention. "What happened with your brother? Tell me everything!" Older brothers who didn't talk to them was one thing they had bonded over.

Victoria hadn’t forgotten he was a muggleborn, no, but she hadn’t considered his perspective. Home, he had said. She supposed that that made sense. Alfie’s life had probably changed so much when he found out about magic, especially since he hadn’t known about magic beforehand. And before now, V hadn’t taken into account how overwhelming that must have been for him. She made a mental note to ask him about that after she told him about her brother.

Because she really couldn’t wait to tell him! “Oh, Alfie! He likes me! He invited me over this summer to stay a weekend with him. We have been exchanging letters ever since last fall, as you know, and…after I went to see him at his dads’ snidget sanctuary, we kind of…we kind of clicked. A little. He’s so kind, an has the best red hair. And he speaks all soft, and he’s so graceful. We look alike, sort of. We’re both super skinny…bony,” she shifted uncomfortably as she said it aloud. It made her feel better to know that her body type wasn’t alone, that her older brother was just as lanky as she was. She could tell Roman and Regina would be built the same way, too, so she blamed their shared parent - their mother - on that. “And he is just…a lot different than me. He’s patient. I wish I were more like him,” she said with a yearning siiiiiiiigh.

“Have you heard from yours?” She asked gently, a little afraid to ask, but too nosy to NOT do so.

[littledhampir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

Victoria hadn’t forgotten he was a muggleborn, no, but she hadn’t considered his perspective. Home, he had said. She supposed that that made sense. Alfie’s life had probably changed so much when he found out about magic, especially since he hadn’t known about magic beforehand. And before now, V hadn’t taken into account how overwhelming that must have been for him. She made a mental note to ask him about that after she told him about her brother.

Because she really couldn’t wait to tell him! “Oh, Alfie! He likes me! He invited me over this summer to stay a weekend with him. We have been exchanging letters ever since last fall, as you know, and…after I went to see him at his dads’ snidget sanctuary, we kind of…we kind of clicked. A little. He’s so kind, an has the best red hair. And he speaks all soft, and he’s so graceful. We look alike, sort of. We’re both super skinny…bony,” she shifted uncomfortably as she said it aloud. It made her feel better to know that her body type wasn’t alone, that her older brother was just as lanky as she was. She could tell Roman and Regina would be built the same way, too, so she blamed their shared parent - their mother - on that. “And he is just…a lot different than me. He’s patient. I wish I were more like him,” she said with a yearning siiiiiiiigh.

“Have you heard from yours?” She asked gently, a little afraid to ask, but too nosy to NOT do so.

Alfie listened with rapt attention as V told him about her brother. Was he jealous? No, of course not. Except okay maybe he was a little. But really he was excited for her that she got to hang out with her brother. "That sounds so fun! I'm glad you got to hang out with him! And that he was nice and that he likes you!" He tried to imagine what he looked like based on her description. Skinny, lanky, bony, and red hair. His mental image produced some sort of readheaded slenderman, which probably wasn't exactly it but he was rolling with it.

He nodded in response to the question she posed to him. "I have. We've written a few times. But I haven't visited him or anything. I don't know. I get the feeling that he doesn't necessarily want to see me but doesn't want to outright say so...so I haven't really pushed."

[kayquilz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by littledhampir

Alfie listened with rapt attention as V told him about her brother. Was he jealous? No, of course not. Except okay maybe he was a little. But really he was excited for her that she got to hang out with her brother. "That sounds so fun! I'm glad you got to hang out with him! And that he was nice and that he likes you!" He tried to imagine what he looked like based on her description. Skinny, lanky, bony, and red hair. His mental image produced some sort of readheaded slenderman, which probably wasn't exactly it but he was rolling with it.

He nodded in response to the question she posed to him. "I have. We've written a few times. But I haven't visited him or anything. I don't know. I get the feeling that he doesn't necessarily want to see me but doesn't want to outright say so...so I haven't really pushed."

V hadn’t meant to gloat, but she was just so excited to tell him! Maybe she would realize it later, but for now, she just bounced a little on her beanbag as she nodded enthusiastically. “I KNOW right?! I am so happy about it, honestly. And I wish you had met yours, though.” She paused for a minute to think. “What if we invite him to Hogsmeade? Would he come to meet you?” She asked. Because if so, she could be with Alfie for support when they met. MAYBE even her brother would come…but not Alfie’s first time meeting him.

And then..V got the best idea. SHE would write to Alfie’s brother. She was already writing it in her mind, drifting off to whatever Alfie’s response would be because she thought it was the best idea she had EVER GOTTEN.

[littledhampir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

V hadn’t meant to gloat, but she was just so excited to tell him! Maybe she would realize it later, but for now, she just bounced a little on her beanbag as she nodded enthusiastically. “I KNOW right?! I am so happy about it, honestly. And I wish you had met yours, though.” She paused for a minute to think. “What if we invite him to Hogsmeade? Would he come to meet you?” She asked. Because if so, she could be with Alfie for support when they met. MAYBE even her brother would come…but not Alfie’s first time meeting him.

And then..V got the best idea. SHE would write to Alfie’s brother. She was already writing it in her mind, drifting off to whatever Alfie’s response would be because she thought it was the best idea she had EVER GOTTEN.

Alfie was excited to hear about V's time with her brother. He really, really was. He pondered her question for a minute. "I don't know. I sort of brought it up before and he said he was busy with a new job... but maybe it's been long enough that he could come now." Or maybe the job thing was just an excuse because he hadn't really wanted to see him so he would just think of a different one. But he would never know if he never tried, right?

[kayquilz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by littledhampir

Alfie was excited to hear about V's time with her brother. He really, really was. He pondered her question for a minute. "I don't know. I sort of brought it up before and he said he was busy with a new job... but maybe it's been long enough that he could come now." Or maybe the job thing was just an excuse because he hadn't really wanted to see him so he would just think of a different one. But he would never know if he never tried, right?

“Where does he work?” Asked V curiously. She rolled off the bean bag to grab one of the muggle board games. It wasn’t that she wanted to play any, but she wanted to take out the little pieces to have something to do with her hands. “I’m gonna write to him,” she said simply with a nod. “I’ll ask him FOR you!”

It was honestly such a good idea, how could he NOT like it?!

“I kinda have another question though. I was just thinking about it a minute ago, but like…what was it like? To hear about magic for the first time. Was it very overwhelming? Did you cry? Were you in disbelief? Did you need proof?” She had more questions, but she had already fired so many at him, she thought she would give him a chance to answer those first.

[littledhampir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

“Where does he work?” Asked V curiously. She rolled off the bean bag to grab one of the muggle board games. It wasn’t that she wanted to play any, but she wanted to take out the little pieces to have something to do with her hands. “I’m gonna write to him,” she said simply with a nod. “I’ll ask him FOR you!”

It was honestly such a good idea, how could he NOT like it?!

“I kinda have another question though. I was just thinking about it a minute ago, but like…what was it like? To hear about magic for the first time. Was it very overwhelming? Did you cry? Were you in disbelief? Did you need proof?” She had more questions, but she had already fired so many at him, she thought she would give him a chance to answer those first.

"The ministry," Alfie answered. "I don't know exactly what. He said it was secret." Someone else could probably piece together what department his brother worked in, but Alfie wasn't very familiar with the Ministry of Magic so he just sort of assumed that everything was secretive. And he hadn't asked further. He watched as V went to get a game, and frowned slightly as he pondered her idea. "I don't know.... I don't know if he'd like that. Maybe I should just ask him again." If someone was going to, he was sure his brother would prefer to just hear from him again.

"Well...it was sort of weird for me. Because of my siblings. So I sort of found out about magic when they moved in with us. But it was very... removed? Like I sort of knew they could do magic but that my parents couldn't and I couldn't. And they weren't allowed to do it outside of school so I just sort of knew about it in theory." He paused, remembering when he first got his Hogwarts letter and experienced things for himself the first time. "And then I found out I was magic too, and it was suddenly very real. And all these things existed that I had never known about, and it was definitely very overwhelming. Still is sometimes."

[kayquilz]

Well, Victoria definitely thought he should try again and be persistent. That was how she eventually got her own brother to answer her. “I think you should ask again. And keep asking until he says to stop it…or he agrees. Just be annoying until he has to make a choice,” she chuckled a little in a mischievous manner.

She listened intently, though, and she thought about how it would feel in his shoes. V knew she had an issue with empathizing with people, and so she had been trying to do a little more of it lately. It was something her brother said he did, and so…you know, she wanted to be nice like him some day. It was totally a work in progress! “Wow. Did it feel weird knowing that they could do magic, but you couldn’t? Did you feel like…left out at all? And how do your parents feel about magic now? Do they…..feel left out?” and what a coincidence that all of Alfie’s father’s kids could do magic…and the previous wife had been magic but Alfie’s mum wasn’t. It was just weird!

[littledhampir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayquilz

Well, Victoria definitely thought he should try again and be persistent. That was how she eventually got her own brother to answer her. “I think you should ask again. And keep asking until he says to stop it…or he agrees. Just be annoying until he has to make a choice,” she chuckled a little in a mischievous manner.

She listened intently, though, and she thought about how it would feel in his shoes. V knew she had an issue with empathizing with people, and so she had been trying to do a little more of it lately. It was something her brother said he did, and so…you know, she wanted to be nice like him some day. It was totally a work in progress! “Wow. Did it feel weird knowing that they could do magic, but you couldn’t? Did you feel like…left out at all? And how do your parents feel about magic now? Do they…..feel left out?” and what a coincidence that all of Alfie’s father’s kids could do magic…and the previous wife had been magic but Alfie’s mum wasn’t. It was just weird!

"Okay, okay, I'll ask again," he promised. "Maybe you could help me figure out exactly what I should write." He should also probably figure out when the next Hogsmeade weekend actually was so he could include the specifics.

Alfie considered her question about the magic. "I guess it was a little weird, but also...not completely? I think because I was young when they came to live with us. And also because I didn't know them before that. I think it might have been different if I'd grown up with siblings and then they got magic and I didn't. I probably would have been more jealous. But with them it was like... they just showed up and it was just a thing about them, I guess?" He wasn't sure how helpful of an explanation that was for V. He was sort of trying to figure it out himself as he was explaining it. "I'm not sure how my parents feel, I haven't really asked them. They don't seem jealous or anything."

[kayquilz]

Victoria nodded. “I’ll help. We can draft a letter. It’ll be perfect, okay? And we’ll get him to hang out with you! We will! I believe in us!” She was excited to get started. Like, she wished they could start right NOW.

And that was a lot to unpack. V tried to think about how it would feel from his point of view, but it was just so SO different than her experience. “Both of my siblings already have magic, so…we all have magic. And my two older half siblings do, too. And they’re half muggle, too. I think. My mum doesn’t talk about them much,” she shrugged. “Let’s meet up later this week to talk about what to write in that letter, okay?”