{Video; UN: elvenking}

[tauraran]

{The Iris moon has blessed him indeed! Instead of his crown, Thranduil is sporting antlers - pristine and white. Much the same shade as his...fur. Tufts of wintry white fur outline the sharp edges of his face, trailing down the sides of his neck to disappear under his collar.}

My Fëanorian has left me and I am in need of assistance. If you are willing to help me ride out this storm {no irony intended}, I will give you my address.

{Otherwise he is quite stuck. His hand or some apparatus must do and that will just leave him displeased.}

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video | un: konoha

[lumberlady]

[Konoha doesn't check the network on the daily, so she arrives late to this post, but... Oh, dear, his moonlacing partner? is gone... ?]

King Thranduil? Are you alright... ?

[She might have some intimate experience with Iris. ... ANd just. Having breeding seasons naturally.]

video

[tauraran]

I...have been better. {At this point, he is somewhat sated and sore. He also looks tired. Will every moon cycle be this aggravating?}

This is my first heat, you could say.

[lumberlady]

[oh... dear]

Were you not Iris before... ? Or, was it just not this bad... ?

[tauraran]

I was, but it was not like this. {And he had company. Company that was more than willing to see his needs met promptly.}

[lumberlady]

Oh... I'm sorry.

It doesn't usually feel as bad to me... Jinba mares have heats already, so it has to be worse than that for me to notice.... but it must be bad for people who aren't used to that...

[tauraran]

Accustomed to it or not, if the magic wishes to play havoc with us, it will do so.

{He isn't angry at her - far from it! But his voice is tense.}

How do you withstand it?

[lumberlady]

Ah... in my world? I guess it was... kind of easier for me, because I grew up with humans, there weren’t many stallions around...

But when it got really bad I usually went to the mountains, or sat in the river. Is that helpful... ?

[tauraran]

Why were you separated from your people? It must have been difficult for you.

{Focusing on her is easier. He grabs onto a blanket tightly in his fist, forcing himself to breathe.}

A cold river sounds nice.

[lumberlady]

Mmm... the stream we have at the farmstead is nice and cold, if you ever need it...

[Catching on to the fact that she might be able to provide a distraction, Konoha answers... even though it's. Not a pleasant answer.]

It wasn't so difficult... My parents were really kind. My human parents, I mean. My mother was a broodmare in the lord's stable, but she managed to escape... she was an Armless, though, so surviving by herself...

That's when my father found me. My human father, I mean.

[tauraran]

To put it to this use does not feel...right. {Does she drink from that stream? No, he mustn't. He really mustn't. A cold bath will do.}

An...Armless? {His voice chokes. Please say that...isn't what he thinks.} Was she armless because of humans? And used as a broodmare?

{The Men in her world are monsters.}

Did he care for you?

[lumberlady]

Well, there are other streams through the Groves, too, but... Mm.

[Thinking he might just mean not wanting to be seen in such a condition...

But she can’t say Armless doesn’t mean what it sounds like. Maybe that helps... is it hard to stay aroused when thinking about amputations???]

Ah... yes. During the wars, they usually removed the arms from jinba they couldn’t break to ride so that it would be harder for them to escape or survive without humans. Some jinba kept their arms, though... mostly ones bred in the stables. I guess I would have been like that... but it’s hard to imagine.

My adopted parents weren’t like that, though. ... most humans aren’t like that.

[Just people in power. Lords and vassals hungry for living weapons that would win battles and wars and territories.]

[tauraran]

{Yes, the idea of poor Centaurs being amputated does put a damper on things. He lets out a small sigh of relief and allows himself a rest, sitting in a large chair.}

I would have shown the men responsible the same courtesy. They might as well cut the wings off of a bird or tear the nose from a fox! They could spend time in the Greenwood without their arms and see how long they could survive.

I'm fairly sure I would just let them perish.

[lumberlady]

... they wouldn’t survive. I think that was the point.

[Without arms a jinba couldn’t hunt or forage for food, couldn’t bathe, clothe, or defend themselves... just like a horse but unable to survive off grass. Only able to run, or slink back to masters that would care for them.]

But the wars have been over almost two decades now, so. I like to think that kind of human is over, too.

[Even if she knows it’s a bit naive.]

[tauraran]

Why not just kill them and be done with it?

{Torture is unforgivable. The worst he would do to his enemy is kill them swiftly or lock them away for years in his dungeon.}

I hate to tell you that you are wrong, lady. That sort of human will always exist.

[lumberlady]

[She tries to think of what the older and wiser jinba Sha Gozen, who had been through the wars herself, said about the Armless, those unlucky wild jinba who had been deemed too powerful or proud to remain whole. Why—]

Mmm... Because an Armless jinba was still valuable. They couldn’t be skilled fighters for battle anymore, but they could be mounts, or broodmares, or... you know. “Companions”.

[But at the idea that humans that cruel would always exist... her voice lowers. Maybe she’d been too positive. But-]

Maybe that sort of human will... be less?

[She still grasps for that hope, even if it was just a little one.]

[tauraran]

I can promise you this: that sort of human will not harm you or your husband under my watch.

{Thranduil wishes dearly she and the Jinba could come live in his realm. They would be safe and respected. She could have as many foals as she liked and he would have happily come to visit her and them with presents.}

[lumberlady]

... Thank you. Really.

[Even knowing this sort of offer is temporary, hoping that one day she will be able to leave Lunatia... She does hate the idea of leaving behind such kind people.

But she’ll stay positive.]

Don’t worry about me, though- That’s all in the past! And even if it happens again... my husband’s clan lives in the deep mountains, so- We’ll be fine!

[Surely.]

[tauraran]

I pray that Lady Yavanna and Eru himself looks over you and your family. {He dislikes that she will be outside of his aid, but she has a life of her own and she should be free.} While you are here, however, forgive me, I will worry.

{He is a father. It's part of his occupation.}

[lumberlady]

[Awww...]

Well, I certainly can’t tell anyone not to worry... But don’t worry too much! Except for when those random scary god things happen, Lunatia is really safe! You don’t have to worry about bandits or landslides or gathering food or anything like that! Those parts are pretty nice.

[tauraran]

Yes, we are well-provided. However if the gods do run amok again, I will go to you first. The home you have built is worth protecting.

{She and her husband are pure innocents. They have done nothing to earn the horrors of Lunatia. If he is going to protect anyone, it should be them.}

[lumberlady]

I’d be grateful, but- Please promise me you’ll also think about yourself. I know you must be stronger than me... but even strong people can get hurt when those gods do things.

[tauraran]

Even kings fall. I know that well. {Since he witnessed his father's death.} If I believe myself overwhelmed, we will flee together to higher ground.

[lumberlady]

In that case... I accept.

[because he said he had a son, didn’t he? he’d understood her feelings that time. so he has someone he has to get home to see too.]

[tauraran]

We will survive one way or another. {He smiles at her agreement, pleased that he can treat her and her husband as two of his own.}