{01 Video}

[freshtilapia]

[ After playing around with the device for a bit, now that they finally have time to settle in after the vine madness, Fish has the thing mounted nicely at an angle high enough to give the network a nice view of their head to the top of their shoulders—much like a beauty blogger really. They’ve got an eye for beauty and they put it to use here. They have a bare face at the moment, but it’s still a pretty face with smooth purple skin that fades to lilac on their face, their throat, and the front of their chest. ]

I suppose if everyone is using this thing to ask questions, I might as well ask one of my own.

[ They take a small brush loaded with sea green pigment and draw it over each of their eyelids as a thick eyeliner with practiced, precise movements. ]

Cosmetics and clothing. Has anyone gone shopping recently? I’ve noticed this place is just far too different from the one I know. So I think I could use some guidance. Or some company. Company preferable.

[ They chuckle to the camera and shimmy their shoulders, like a practiced coquettish performer. They pop open a small glass jar of deep purple pigment and another brush. And they quickly fill in their lips with the same neatness as their eyes. ]

There is a lot I want to acquire if I’ll be staying here for a while. So, let me know if you’d like to go shopping.

Oh, by the way. In case we haven’t met... you can call me “Fish”.

[ They wink. ]

Comments

video

[asaqueenshould]

I'm not much of one for makeup, on the whole, but I do need something to wear other than my school uniform.

[Hifumi's not completely clueless about makeup, but she takes no pleasure from it. What she knows is entirely because her mother didn't want her to look washed out on-camera.]

video;

[freshtilapia]

That is fair. It's just not right to have just one set of clothing. So, why don't we meet up for a shopping trip? What's your name, darling?

[asaqueenshould]

Togo Hifumi. Pleased to meet you, er, Fish-san.

[Now there's a name she never expected to encounter.]

[freshtilapia]

A pleasure to meet you as well... mm... Togo?

[Fish hasn't had much experience traveling, so they aren't always completely sure of how names are.

Also, this is the... third? time they've heard someone append "san" to the end of their name. They're getting curious about it now.]

... if you don't mind me asking, because I've been hearing it from a lot of different people now, what does adding "san" at the end of my name mean?

[asaqueenshould]

That's my family name. Hifumi is my given name. [She should probably just... stop using her family name in introductions, because this is at least the second time it's confused someone, but old habits die hard.]

Well, that at least means there's more than two of us from Japan here. It's a marker of both respect and relative emotional distance - we rarely just use someone's given name to refer to them. There are a few other honorifics that mark closeness of relationship or the relative ages of the people involved, but 'san' is the most common one.

[freshtilapia]

All right... Hifumi it is, then.

[This is an interesting cultural lesson, Fish finds. They've never heard of a place called Japan.]

What an interesting culture you have! I've never heard markers in any of the places I've traveled to. But, it really isn't much... I've only been adventuring for a little over a year.

[asaqueenshould]

There are several cultures in my own world that don't bother with them. It's possible yours lacks the concept entirely, or that you just haven't encountered those people yet.

[freshtilapia]

I think it's most likely that I just haven't encountered those people yet. Like I said, I've only been adventuring for a year. There's only so much I can see on foot and by boat within that span of time.

[asaqueenshould]

That's very true. Even with faster travel options available, you can only go so far at once.

[freshtilapia]

Well anyway! About that shopping trip! Would you happen to know where to shop or would you like to meet up so we can explore together?

[asaqueenshould]

A little exploration would be best, I think. What with the festival and then the vines, I haven't had much chance to look around yet.

[Other than scouting good spots to set up her shogi board, anyway. Priorities.]

[freshtilapia]

All right, then. Let's meet up. There seems to be a park close to the apartment block where most of the Moonblessed seem to be. Shall we meet there?

[asaqueenshould]

That sounds good. I'll meet you there.

[freshtilapia]

(( continued here ))