First Session: Oluremi

Being suggested ideas on where to go helped relax Oluremi. She began to play with some of her braided hair. "Yeah, that sounds nice. I wonder if I'm allowed to study in the woods, but I may just stick to what you suggested: the library and park sound good enough."

"And, uh... to be honest, I didn't really think that far. I mean, I have, just not really carefully. I want to follow in my mommy's footsteps and maybe join musicals. That way I could both sing and dance at the same time. But I think I'll just end up working at the family shop we have here for the rest of my life unless Arjean wants to take control of it. They seem to have more of a passion for designing things than I do."

Knowing that Arjean already had ideas for what they wanted to be when they got older when she had no only vague ideas of what she would do made Remi clench her fists tightly, even if it was just a silly thought. Arjean was two; they would change their decision hundreds of times before landing on something serious. There was that one week where they were convinced they were a dragon, and Oluremi had a feeling they still believed it. It was mostly Béatrice egging Arjean on to learn all that fashion stuff anyways, with Archard being the other helper.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she focused back onto her therapist. "Ah, yeah... Wait." She answered without actually thinking first. "I think I'm fine, to be honest. I mean, I would like to have a tight friend group I could always rely on, but I think a lot of people think I'm scary. I try to wear cute clothing, but my face isn't very approachable... Not that I mind. I'm also pretty muscular too, and some people mistake me for a guy when I wear heavy clothing. People say to not judge a book by its cover, but everyone does it whether they want to or not. I'm trying to get myself out there more though."

Oluremi sighed. "Even within oricenta culture I still face stigma. The most introverted oricenta are at least ambiverts, it's required to function within society. The only people who actually seem to know how I feel regardless of my face is my family. And, well, duh, it's because they're my family. Even my two-year-old sibling can know whether I'm looking at them proudly or angrily when outside people think I'm just giving them a blank stare."

In a way, that made Remi feel proud. It was satisfying to know she was so close with her family they could read her mind and know how she felt, but at the same time, it was unnerving too. She was never too fond of mind readers—or anyone with mental powers—so when her family pointed out her thoughts and feelings she didn't want to make noticeable, it taught her to stay away from her family during vulnerable moments. It was easy to piss off Béatrice if Oluremi wasn't giving the appropriate reaction.

"Maybe I should just give in and be more expressive. I can do it; I just don't feel like it's that important. Again, my family and close friends can understand me just fine enough, but it just takes time. I bet even you can tell how I feel because you're trained to do it."

Oluremi almost wanted to say that if other oricenta could understand her most of the time, why couldn't humans? It was as if humans weren't close enough with one another for them to understand each other well. She held her tongue, realizing her therapist was probably a human, or someone close to being one. The thoughts of Archard's was finally rubbing off on her, but she tried not to let them get in the way of her own feelings. It wasn't like oricenta couldn't also be ignorant to her expressions.

"Something I never understood was how some people get annoyed when I actually tell my feeling though. Like, back at home in Ilada if you were asked how your day was you were expected to say how your day actually was, and everything was fine if it was bad or good. But some people here seem to expect me to only respond with 'fine,' and 'okay," and when I don't and instead talk about a bad day they say I'm being too personal and making them uncomfortable? I don't even go into much detail, just something like having an argument with a friend or finding something that annoyed me online."

Without realizing it, Remi was furrowing her thick eyebrows as her cheeks blushed a light gold. The whole backward culture of people wanting you to wear your expression on your face, but then getting angry when you say how you truly feel because it made them "uncomfortable," angered Remi in a way she wasn't sure how to appropriate express. Soon after she caught on with how she must have looked and returned to masking her feelings with a bored look.

This was the second time Oluremi was suggested to join a cultural class. She was holding off on it for whatever reason (she wasn't actually sure why), but it was clear to her now that it would be in her best interest to educate herself more. Even if she felt somewhat confident in human behavior, she often forgot there were sub-categories to them like oricenta and also had to remind herself of other species too.

"Thank you for the explanation. I'm not that familiar with the cultures of each group of humans, but my mommy was eager to teach me all sorts of stuff about the Yoruba people in Nigeria, even forcing me to learn their language and giving me a Yoruba name.

"But about that cultural class thing," she addressed, "I've heard about it before. I really should have done it earlier, but I didn't really think I needed it." It was embarrassing for her to admit that as for a while she was feeling pretty good in her knowledge, but lately, it felt like she was getting hit with a new thing all the time. "Is it human-only cultures, or other species too? Or is it, like, a different class for different species?"