prismatica | video | un: konoha

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video | un: konoha

[Lunatia's resident centaur lady is back on screen, excitedly trying to... set her network device up somewhere where it can actually get all of a rather large frame into the shot. Not that she waits to start talking.]

Greetings, everyone! I didn't realize it's been months since I last used this for "posting"... There's probably so many new people, so, um, very quickly- If you don't know me, my name is Konoha! I'm a jinba... Or a "centaur" if you want! And oh, that's my husband, Gonta... and our friend, Mikuni! Say hello, you two!

[Catching sight of the other jinba behind her pausing in their field work, she moves the camera to show a large palomino fellow (Gonta) who gives a gruff nod and semi-wave, and an elegant ebony-coated gentleman? (Mikuni) who dips into a more proper bow with a little smile.]

We run the Tsurugi Farmstead in the Greatmoon Groves! There was a lot of damage when it flooded before, but thanks to everyone's efforts we're back up and running properly... and we've had our first fall harvest!

So... as a bit of a thank you, and also maybe to celebrate not dealing with those awful nightmares anymore, I thought we could have a hotpot party here by the river? In my village we usually make imoni in the autumn, it's so delicious! It's full of beef and taro root and leeks and konnyaku... Mmm!

[She finally gets the device set up properly and trots back into frame properly, obviously excited by the invitation she's making.]

Cordis is almost over, right? So now seems like a good time before Iris shows up... But if you have a Cordis appetite, don't worry! We'll supply all the imoni... or, the ingredients, anyway, it's more fun if you cook it outside with everyone. We also have fresh sweet potatoes, pumpkin, new rice... oh, and persimmons!

But if you want to share anything, feel free to bring your own dish, too! Let's say... tomorrow? I'll send directions for anyone who hasn't visited before, alright?

I hope we see you there! Er, here, I mean! If you have any questions, just let me know!

[And with a last smile, she gives a big, respectful bow from the "waist" before moving to grab her device, a muffled "Gonta, Mikuni, wait up- !" before the feed cuts, and a moment later a pin on the Lunatian map app becomes available.]

SENT:
📍 TSURUGI FARMSTEAD, GREATMOON GROVES

[ooc: there won't be separate log posted for this, but I'll gladly action tag within this post with anyone interested!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ he rarely uses this function but then he... decides to switch to video because it feels a little rude. }

Er, yes, it's good to meet your acquaintance. We've never spoken before, I believe. Your posts on the network did show up from time to time but I never struck up conversation.

{ rubbing his neck, looking almost a bit sheepish. }

Excellent. Is non-alcoholic preferred?

Oh, hello!

[Again! But it seems appropriate since she can see him now!]

You’ve seen my posts before? You must have been in Lunatia a long time!

[No need for sheepish! She’s just smiling away.]

Whatever you like to drink is fine. Human alcohol doesn’t do anything for us, but other people might enjoy it? We drink when we make imoni in my village, so it’s done.

Edited 2020-10-09 05:40 (UTC)

It's a strange story, but yes. I do recall them from my first visit to Prismatica.

{ It's hard to forget a centaur on the network, after all. }

I see. An assortment may be more enjoyable for all, then. I know the invite was for the general public, but thank you. I hope you meet you properly soon.

{ He offers a small nod. }

You’re one of those people who left but came back?

[He says it’s strange, and the word “first” so...]

You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me. I’m trying to pay everyone else back, after all... We’ve benefited a lot from other Moonblessed helping at the farm.

[Something she punctuates with a little bow.]

That I am. { He smiles, but that's all he offers for now. }

Well, as someone that hasn't helped around the farm, I hope it'll at least suffice.

{ Then with a final nod of his head, held a little longer this time, he switches off the video feed. }

{ the farm is a welcoming sight after being cooped up in a city for a while. a nice change of scenery. he's dragging a small cooler with wheels like a suitcase luggage, making his way to a small gathering of people.

he's...out of his element, to be perfectly honest. what had started with just wanting to meet the centaur lady after all this time, purely out of curiosity, is now him attending some sort of...potluck. he's not worried about being alone, but he still can't help but feel out of place. there are faces he vaguely recognizes (only doumeki stands out to him right now) but that's about it.

the cooler is set down next to wherever the set-up seems most centralized, opening the lid to reveal a medley of sodas, carbonated water, and beers. just a little bit of whatever he thinks will work at a hotpot gathering. what does he know, he's never really been to one.

so he'll just take a drink and sit and just. watch. he's content to just sit and watch. }

[Coolers are quite amazing things. They kept things cold for so much longer than... well, Konoha's idea of "chilling" food and drinks was putting things in the well, a riverbed, or a dark cave, so. Coolers are winning.

Konoha seems busy with a variety of tasks, trotting here and there to help people tend their imoni cooking on the stream bank, carting ingredients and dishes from the farmhouse to the gathering... and oh, drinks!

Catching sight of the man who brought them and connecting the dots, she pauses to wipe her hands on the apron hanging in front of her equine chest before sidling over with a wave.]

Hello, there! Are you-

[Suddenly, the near seven foot tall bay mare (woman? mare?) stops, and the smile on her face turns to... a gasp of alarm, legs stiffing up in embarassment.]

Oh my goodness, I didn't ask your name before!

[On the network, before... ! This was that "foiled" username person! How could she have been so rude on a day that was supposed to be about showing appreciation for her Moonblessed neighbors?]

{ She's not exactly hard to miss, and he's already getting to his feet to greet her properly (and the fact that she towers over him by an entire foot while standing anyway) before he startles very lightly at her reaction.

He immediately chuckles, waving it off. }

No worries, my name's Henry. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.

Henry!

[She parrots the name immediately to make sure she gets the pronunciation right, (so many people in Lunatia had strange names she's never heard of before), clattering into a bow with her hands stiff at her sides.]

It's nice to meet you in person!

[But when she straightens up from her bow, she's smiling much more casually.]

Did you find the farmstead alright? I know not everyone spends much time in the Greatmoon Groves...

{ Her enthusiasm is very cute, he thinks. Awkwardly, he holds a stiff bow in return. He knows this custom well enough, though it's not something he practiced often. }

Likewise.

{ He lets out a deep sigh. It's more a sound of contentment as fresh air rushes through his lungs as he takes in the sights. }

I did, yes. I'm pretty good at getting around, even places I've never really been to... it's well, beautiful here. Haven't been to a farm in ages.

Edited (goD WORDS) 2020-10-10 16:20 (UTC)

[Look, she appreciates a nice bow! Even a not nice bow, because hey, they still understand the manners... and she's been gone from her world and met so many people that she's learned to be grateful for even the smallest of familiarity.]

Ehe, most Moonblessed haven't, it seems... But welcome!

[She gestures around the farmstead from the tidy fields of half-cleared rice fields, taro, pumpkin, radish, and cabbage, and the wooden home and storehouse that looks like they belong in Japan's Edo period, not Lunatia.]

Can I get you anything? Oh- Have you tried the imoni yet?

{ He doesn't find her observation all that unusual. Whether that's a good thing or not is hard to say. It's true that sometimes one should get away from the bustle of city life to enjoy something as simple as a farm or farmhouse. This place, however, feels like a whole new time and place altogether. Truly a getaway.

He's about to decline the offer, having his drink in hand but then stops. While he knows the description of an imoni, it takes him a minute to register the word. }

Ah, no. Not yet. Is that the hot-pot that was mentioned in your invite?

That's right!

[Just in case it had gotten lost in the network talk shuffle (she knew better than anyone that she had a rambling problem), Konoha starts listing off the ingredients on her fingers.]

It's beef, taro, konnyaku, leek... and in my house, we put rice mash in too, but you don't have to... then there's the miso base, or a more sugary base... and apparently that sounds weird to some people but it's delicious, I promise.

[Sounds good? Of course it did! And seeing the drink in his hand... Yes! He'd brought drinks... looking into the cooler, apparently quite a wide variety, many of which she was unfamiliar with. So...]

Is there a drink that would go good with that?

{ While 'konnyaku' goes right over his head, the rest of it sounds manageable enough for him. He's certainly not one to knock any foods without trying them first, after all. He nods along with her as she lists them off. }

Well, I imagine a porter or stout would do the trick... but if not that, hmmm...

{ He roots around in the cooler and pulls out a 'La Signe'... some bizarre interdimensional offshoot brand of La Croix (he'd imagined with some humor upon purchase). Lime flavor. There's lemon in here somewhere too, he's sure of it. }

Any of these carbonated waters should pair well with the richness of the beef.

Oh, wow... I don't know any of those!

[She may have been in Lunatia for over a year, but she's largely spent her time living in the Greatmoon Groves, and though she considered herself quite open to new experiences... that was. By 1620 Echizen province standards.]

"Stout" sounds really strong...

[And strong was good, right?]

But I also like the sound of carbonated water...

[... Because it had water in it, and water made sense to her.]

Are they liquor or juices? Stouts?

{ He's going into this experience with talking to a real-live centaur (that is not a product of any of the moons) with an open mind. She seems to be very old-fashioned on top of that, so, he makes no assumptions about her experiences with drinks. At least, he'll try. }

Stouts are beers. It's a rather dark one, so it's very rich in body and taste. I think everyone should try one at least once.

{ But she did say alcohol didn't do much for her, so, he holds the can of fizzing lime water to her instead. }

But I think you may like this better. There's no sugar, but there's a hint of lime to it. Care to try?

Edited 2020-10-11 20:45 (UTC)

[Okay, she knows what beer is now thanks to Lunatia, so context... get! Which is good, because Henry is definitely right in assuming she's old-fashioned. And isolated in a single island country.]

Oh, thank you!

[But he hands her a drink, and she doesn't hesitate to take what she's offered, curiously eyeing the label on the side. She's been learning her letters, so she! can! do this!]

Ra... Sign...

[Close enough! She manages to open the can even if her movements are a bit clunky, unused to that style of drink (though she's gotten better at glass bottles!) Once it's open she curiously sticks her nose rather close, sniffing obviously-

And eyebrows rising as she inhales a bit of bubbles.]

Oh- ! It moves!

{ He tries his best not to chuckle good-naturedly at the attempt to pronounce the name. It's odd watching someone drink from a can like they've never seen such a thing before. }

I suppose you could put it that way. It may tickle a bit.

{ Though he finds that to be the main draw of carbonated water. }

[It may be odd in her nose, but the smell is kind of nice and she's always (well, most always) down to try something new without the sense of shame to worry too much over whether she seems like an idiot.]

It feels like those "soda" things but it smells much lighter...

[Discovering carbonation... !

By taking a sip and reacting with a near comical look of surprise, prancing in place and eyes growing wide. She almost says something, but-

The drink is still fizzing in her cheeks.]

They're very simi...lar...

{ He watches her reaction to the soda with an endearment usually saved for cute children or pets, eyes widening along with her. It gets a soft laugh from him.

She's an absolute doll. }

Take your time.

[Well, he's right about the similarity... this drink reminds her off that "pepji" drink she'd tried at the fox's festival what seemed so long ago. And despite the fact that she's a married woman, that she's apparently running this little farmstead perfectly well...

For a little while Konoha actually seems her age. Her world might be one in which people had to grow up rather quickly, with childhood very different from those she's heard about from future worlds, but- She's barely over twenty, and carbonated drinks are surprising and fun without the risk of danger that a lot of new things she'd encountered in Lunatia came with. ... Like floods and gods and winged lions and all that.]

That's really good!

[A little shake of her head seems to be what she thinks will clear the bubbles from her mouth... But she holds out the can triumphantly, new drink conquered.]

Let's go try it with imoni to make sure they go together!

{ He smiles warmly now, finding that she's very easy to get along with, what with her welcoming personality and curiosity for things. While still feeling out of place, the atmosphere is easier to relax into now that he's struck up conversation. }

Glad you like it. I think their appeal is that they're easy to pair with most foods.

{ Putting his free hand in a pocket, he takes a sip from his drink and is ready to follow her lead. He's assuming the imoni crowd is where the biggest crowd has loosely gathered around. This carefree style of sharing meals is...nice. Very casual. He can dig it. }

Like water!

[... Very observant, Konoha.

But he's correct in identifying where the imoni is, and Konoha is more than happy to lead him over and make them a space around one of the many pots there currently boiling by the stream. Taking the long chopsticks from the person tending it and offering to let them take a break for refreshments themselves, she lumbers down to her belly beside the cookware and eagerly pats one of the cushions around the pot in offer.]

Here! You said you don't cook, right? But this is easy... even future world people who eat those plastic box foods can do it.

{ Heh, yes. Like water. He doesn't make any sort of comment to that as he follows her to the seating area around the pot. He eyes the spot, not because he doesn't want to sit on the ground or anything, but he certainly wasn't dressed for this. He's not formal like always, but it's certainly more business casual than he'd like for an event like this.

Nevertheless, he carefully hikes up his pants a little and seats himself carefully on the cushion. It's...certainly new. Sitting like this on the floor next to a genuine centaur lady. He watches her stir at the ingredients. }

What, throw ingredients into a pot of boiling water and wait until it finishes cooking? It can't be that simple, can it?

{ He's half kidding, but he also can't help but wonder if there's still some steps you gotta take to bring out the full potential of a dish. }

[Look, she's just impressed he looks so fancy (by her standards). He's either a very fancy person, or he respected this gathering a lot, and either are okay by her.]

Well, the cooking part is basically that, yes...

[She's not afraid to admit that, it's the appeal of hot pot! But he's right, it's not that easy, and she imparts the next tip as if it was some sort of secret wisdom.]

The really important thing is how you make the broth! It seeps into all the ingredients, so you have to make sure the balance is right.

[But she also doesn't want to discourage him, so...]

It took me a few years before my mother acknowledged my imoni, ehe...

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