video

[lumberlady]

[Good morning, Lunatia. The video starts with a view of hooves, a too close view of a face... and then finally... a centaur? Who keeps looking off screen while she talks and never seems to actually focus on the lens correctly.]

Hello? Can everyone see me? Connor, am I doing this right? Okay? ... Okay.

[She clears her throat and dips into a bow, the camera bobbing along with her.]

Hello! This is Konoha... some of you maybe think my name is Shizu, but- It's Konoha! I'm from Echigo province, in Japan, if you know it... and I'll be in your care.

If you don't know me, which, I figure is most of you, this city must be even bigger than the capital I'm the... well in my world we say jinba but I'm the "centaur". I haven't seen anyone else like me so I think I can say "the"...

Anyway... what I wanted to ask was... if anyone had an recommendations for... shops? I've never really shopped before, and I haven't seen any locals quite like me, so if you know somewhere that does... I don't know, tailoring? Or a restaurant with really big seats or tall tables? Anything like that!

I'd appreciate it, so... thank you very much!

[Another bow, another bob of the camera... and a blurry flash of android helping her turn the dang thing off. Thanks, Connor.]

Comments

video

[evanescent]

Oh! Konoha, it's so good to see you again!

[Aerith tries to follow her gaze and cannot, and makes herself a little dizzy in an attempt to make eye contact.] Have you been doing okay since we met?

[...] I've done a little shopping. There are a lot of clothing stores...I haven't seen any custom tailoring, but I'm sure it can't be all that hard to find someone...with all the magical tails and ears people seem to grow here. I can look around for you.

[lumberlady]

Oh- Hello, Aerith!

[Konoha gives a small wave. She's doing her best to find her own place here- See?]

Yeah, I thought maybe there would be, but... I don't even know what I'm looking for, haha. I've never shopped for clothes in my world, and I had help for that party... You don't have to look specially or anything, but could you let me know if you do see something?

video;

[pidgeypidge]

Most of the shops I've seen just carry things specifically for humans, but I actually know of someone who's working on doing custom clothing.

[Or at least Kanji'd mentioned as much the last time she'd bumped into him. Hmm.]

He does good work, though.

[lumberlady]

Really? You know someone?

I'd really appreciate the recommendation if he can work with jinba.

video;

[gluhen]

I suppose there is a- [ His brow twitches at the fact that he has to repeat this. Vane better be grateful he's recommending this. ] -McDenny's that someone I know happens to work at. I can't attest to the cuisine as it's not my taste, but the mongrel would likely see you well-fed and well-served.

[lumberlady]

Hello! "McDenny's", I see...

[What a weird sounding name... But she won't say that out loud!

Also, mongrel???]

What kind of food is it?

video;

[wildsorcery]

There has to be some places that have areas for larger people? I-I mean, not that you're large large, just... um...

[lumberlady]

Oh, I'm sure there are! Right?

I just don't really know where they are yet, so I thought, you know, with all the people on this metal thing... Some of them might know!

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Oh! It's the nice centaur lady I met a while ago! What a similar name though!

Prismaplace has a lot of clothes. And I mean a lot of them! There's even custom stuff including kimonos!

[lumberlady]

That's me! Hello.

[Is it weird to ask if someone feels less like stripping? Probably-]

You know where I can find kimono? That would be so great, I'm much more used to that.

( video )

[nihonkoku]

[ his eyes are definitely pretty wide and startled as he offers a polite bow, then straightens. ]

I have to admit, even being what I am, I don't think I've ever met one of your people before. [ and he's known a lot of gods and spirits and general non-humans in his time, before they'd all.. disappeared. an alternate-universe thing, he supposes. ] Still, it's a pleasure to meet you, Konoha-san. Please call me Japan. [ a beat, and he carefully holds up a hand to forestall any comments about patriotic parents. (he's had this a lot.) ] The nation. The.. spirit of the nation, you might say. [ that's the easiest way to explain it.

he lowers his hand again, touching fingers to the fabric of the kimono he's wearing. ] I'm familiar with a few shops in Caihong that sell fabric and do alterations. I could send you their locations if you like?

[lumberlady]

[See, this man looks like the people she's familiar with! Dark hair and eyes... there might be some colorful jinba out there, but she's used to all her humans being the same type.

She returns the bow again... But then... blinks.]

The... spirit of the nation?

[What did that mean? The store locations will have to wait.]

Like... the emperor?

not here, 'cause he has nothing to add :T

[fashionicon]

[ Time to attempt to find some cloth for Konoha to make a kimono, it seems.

He is a simple demon dad who tries to help. ]

WAIT. HOLD ON.

[fashionicon]

[ ................. ]

Who is Connor?

[ Long pause before the audio ends. He's slowly getting how audio works. ]

voice

[peerlesscucumber]

[ since he's particularly bad at remembering how to be properly bad at video, he opts to go for voice here. ]

Hello, Miss Konoha! Then the proper term for your people is jinba. I'm glad to know this, and remiss for not asking earlier.

[ He sounds genuine when he states this, and he is; he likes knowing proper terms. ]

[lumberlady]

Hello, Master Shen!

[She gives a little bow of greeting, then a wave.]

Yes, we call each other jinba. You write it with "horse" and "person"!

[He was from a world like hers enough that she thiiiinks that will make sense to him? It's one of the only words she knows, but it's a useful one!]

( video )

[amities]

[ What a well-mannered centaur lady. ]

I wouldn't consider myself a tailor by any means, however I've a bit of experience in mending clothing. If there is anything you currently have at hand that you would wish to have altered to your liking, I can give it a look and see what I can do. It may take me some time of course, as you may understand, due to your stature.

[ She seems like she's kinda big... the most he ever does is sew up rips and tears and replace buttons. ]

[lumberlady]

Hello, there!

[her parents didn’t raise no ride!]

You really do stuff like that? I can manage rips and all that, but I’ve never been really that great at sewing...

If I gave you my skirt do you think you could alter something to be like it? I’ll find a way to pay you back!

Video; Lancer of Black

[erasemymyth]

It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Konoha. I've met your kind before but I must admit I have not seen any around here.

[Which is unfortunate.]

I have just opened up a cocktail bar and though the seating may not be specialized enough for one of your kind, we have some space and could accommodate you.

[Maybe he should look into outdoor seating sometime. Maybe if the place gets busier in the future.]

[lumberlady]

You have?

[There’s a spark in her eyes immediately at word that he isn’t unfamiliar with her kind, emotion playing out clearly on her face.]

Were they jinba? Or “centaurs”?

[And he has a recommendation too?]

What’s a cocktail? Is it tasty?

video;

[jiyuujin]

[Well if she's going to refer to herself in Japanese, he figures it's safe to switch to it now. Hee may be laying into the classical accent of an old Kyoto a little heavier than usual. Which should match up quite well to his elaborate court dress.]

You said where you're from but not when. They spoke of your kind often in the capital when I was first born but I can't say I've heard of them for a very long time now.

[Excuse him he's going to satisfy his own curiosity before he offers any help.]

[lumberlady]

[Oh? Oh?

At a face that looks like the sorts of humans she's used to, the clothing remniscient of the fancy scroll paintings in town, Konoha perks up immediately. (He sounded so refined compared to her country speech? He really must be from the capital!)]

Hello!

[She dips down into a bow- She can't forget her manners, what would her mother say?]

It's the sixth year of Genna- At least, in my world. Does that make sense to you?

[... Because it really hasn't made sense to a lot of people so far. Please say "yes".]

video.

[byanyother]

[ Did someone say.....shopping. ]

You've really never been shopping before? We really must fix that at once.

[lumberlady]

Me, no, not really... My mother made all my clothing.

[She did it really well, though! Just... it's getting kind of worn...]

But here you just... go buy things so easily, apparently, it's amazing...

[goban]

Your world certainly took the concept of jinba much more...literally, than mine.

[ hello, it is I, Oda Nobunaga, the guy who brought guns to knife fights and made mounted archers basically useless ]

[lumberlady]

[The "concept" of jinba... ?

Konoha cocks her head curiously, blinking unknowingly... at the guy who sort of officialized all the wars that kind of led to her species' slavery...]

You have jinba in yours too? Different ones?

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[witchwithoutacause]

Oh rad, I've never met a centaur.

[ With the power of magic having waned for so long in her world, and centaurs already a reclusive sort, there was serious concern that they'd never be seen my human eyes again.

Well, here she is, ha. ]

I uh, can't actually help you with... any of that? Maybe with the clothes if you don't mind a lot of mistakes and sharing a lotta Chroma cuz permanent clothes takes a lot of magic.

[ And Amanda knows literally nothing about traditional Japanese clothing. ]

Anyways, yooo, I'm Amanda.

[lumberlady]

[There's a lot going on here that Konoha doesn't quite get. "Rad", "permanent clothing", making clothes with magic... so she focuses on what she does understand.]

Nice to meet you, Amanda. I'll be in your care!

video

[ateaist]

I've heard of taking your archery seriously, but this is something else! Working so hard on that one archer one horse mentality, you fuse! Amazing!

[...no, she doesn't really think that, but it was funny to her.]

Well, it's surprising to hear. I guess those fellas down at Echigo were hiding something pretty interesting from me after all, eh?

[lumberlady]

Hello, there...

[Wait a minute...]

A "jinba" is a mounted archer in your world, too? You're also from Japan?

video

[udonsong]

[ Better late than never, it's Oda Nobunaga's "favorite" sword. Of course it's not like there's anything sword like about his appearance, so instead he's just an ikemen. ]

Ah, you must be Fiore-chan's friend. It's nice to meet you, Konoha. I am Heshikiri Hasebe.

[ He bows. He's not great at this network thing, but that sure sounds like a sword name though. ]

I imagine shopping may be difficult since some stores can get quite crowded, but perhaps if you go early enough, you can avoid the rush? And surely some restaurants have outdoor seating... though admittedly I mostly cook, so I can't name any place in particular. I hope this still helps?

[lumberlady]

[That... is a very fancy name indeed! So she dips into one of her good bows!]

It’s nice to meet you, sir! You know Fiore?

[She’d spoken about her? That feels... oddly nice! It’s been so long since she’s had a female friend near her own age...]

I’ve found a lot with outside seating, but the tables are usually at the wrong height... I don’t really mind standing, but it tends to make other people awkward... I’ll definitely try going earlier, though!

video, shortly after sqq gets back to her...

[thedarkbond]

[It would appear Ren's services have been called in, so it's very soon after Qingqiu finishes his call to Ren that another video response pops up on the post. This one opens to a man with delicate features and long red hair that's splayed over the arm of a couch, and he waves a hand at the screen as soon as it connects.]

Hello, hi~ [His tone is bright and a touch absent-minded sounding.] I'm Suzugamori Ren, Qingqiu-san asked me to call you about learning to cook some stuff...?

[He's staggeringly less formal about referring to the poor guy than most other people here are, it's fine.]

:)!

[lumberlady]

[Oh- This is the person that Master Shen talked to for her?

Konoha greets him with a bow- Momma didn't raise a bad-mannered filly.]

Hello, there! Thank you for contacting me! Master Shen said that you knew how to cook the dim sum food?