pupp3t: (Leave behind that old me)
潘 小虎 Pan Xiaohu/李 雅静 Li Ya-Jing ([personal profile] pupp3t) wrote in [community profile] annexedmeme 2022-12-18 03:09 am (UTC)

I usually just have tea and some soup broth in the morning before I work out. Then when I'm done I have some rice and egg.

Oh, uh, sorry. I'm used to speaking with people whose first language is Mandarin, and I'm from Heilongjiang, where we tend to talk in a way that's a little old-fashioned. It's what you put on a girl's name to show you respect her, especially if she's older than you. Usually it goes after the last name, for schoolmates and strangers. So you would be Tsukino-niángniang, and then I would be Li-xiǎoshēng to you, since I'm younger than you. [She pauses, then cringes at herself.] I know Mandarin is tricky for people who don't speak tonal languages, though. We can use -san if that's easier for you.

[She raises both eyebrows, surprised.]

But why would you look after me? You just met me. And I'm training to be a bodyguard, so shouldn't I be the one protecting you? It feels unfair that you have to do things just because you're a little older.

[Responsibility shouldn't fall on her shoulders automatically. That's a bit harsh, especially when it's someone as cheerful and kind as Usagi is. Li doesn't have a lot of friends, but she's pretty sure one person isn't supposed to be doing all the work. That sounds less like friendship and more like exploitation.

Li takes a bite of the yummy bun, blinking in surprise.]
This tastes a lot like caramelized sweet potato, but there's no caramel. I wonder what it's made out of? I kind of want the recipe, now. [Usagi mentioned her mother cooking. Li wonders...] Do you cook, Usagi-san? Or does your mother do most of the cooking?

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