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

[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!]

switches to video

[peerlesscucumber]

[ Mostly so he can tip his head toward her in greeting, too, because he feels kind of like an ass having her bow and wave and not having her get any visual response in return. ]

Ah, yes, I see. I believe where I'm from it would be closer to... three characters? Written with half, person, and horse.

[ He uses two fingers to sketch out the characters that'd be used, spelling out the equivalent of centaur as he remembers it. The random words nerds learn because of their own hobbies and interests...

... Bless that probably none of the handful of people from Modern China are paying attention enough to notice. (Cold sweat!) ]

[lumberlady]

[She definitely prefers video, so she can read tone and body language- it’s appreciated.]

“Half”... I don’t know that one.

[Well, she doesn’t know a lot, but! She tries to watch his finger at least, nodding as if she gets it.]

I do know some though! Like “money” and “wood” and “tea” and “food”!

[You know, the ones common enough to see in signs a lot. He’s a scholar and probably knows tons, but. She still sounds a bit like she’s proud of it, okay?]

[peerlesscucumber]

All good, useful words to recognise. I'm particularly fond of the last two myself.

[ Her attitude in general tends to prompt him toward smiling as he does now; it's no bad thing to be proud of what literacy one has, however small it is in comparison to another. There's a value and worth in each achievement she's made. This isn't a smile of indulgence. it's a smile of appreciation, that fades into a look of careful curiosity. ]

Is that anything which would interest you while you're here? I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to assist with the language of Japan... but the modern language of the Prismals, yes.

[ Whatever small knowledge he has of Japanese is definitely, one hundred percent related to anime. That's so useless he's going to have to pretend forever that anything slightly related is utterly mysterious to him. Entirely unknown! ]

[lumberlady]

Hehe, me too!

[She’s definitely been back to that dim sum place... and eaten her full fill, which... cost way more chroma than she expected wow.]

You mean... “interest me” as in... learning letters?

[peerlesscucumber]

Only if it's something you're not already well satisfied with. In which case I'd offer to share some of the strangers words I've encountered in my readings here, if you liked.

[ WHY DID HE MAKE AN ASSUMPTION he's so bad about those (this self awareness is going to last at least a week, good work, universe) ]

[lumberlady]

Oh, I mean... It would be nice to learn, I guess... I have a lot more spare time here, after all...

[How to say that learning Prismal seems super intimidating to her compared to her own language...]

What kind of strange words? I think I'd need to start with the basics...

[peerlesscucumber]

[ Time to pull out the dictionary—okay, no, no, he's only going to have strange creature names to share, really. ]

It's a thought, Miss Konoha, but not one that needs pursuing if it doesn't happen to be in your lines of interest.

[lumberlady]

I guess I've just... never really thought about it. What I'd do if I wasn't working.

[... is that weird? what are her interests?]

[peerlesscucumber]

[ ... yeah, not an issue he's had, but he's also some strange sort of chameleon who adapted to switching worlds and bodies after death and is the literal worst for this kind of conversation. He spent years contented playing music, painting, doing calligraphy, and playing chess. So.

What he can do is empathise with not knowing what one would do in a sudden sort of shifted interests. ]

When things change so quickly, with so many ripples cast out around us in the aftermath... it's much to take in.

[ He offers her a small smile. ]

It feels strange without active employment, doesn't it? A job, a duty, something you're needed to do.

[lumberlady]

Mmmhm... I've been looking for a job... Maybe I could just look a little harder?

[... Konoha, maybe this is your chance to find an interest?]

[peerlesscucumber]

[ Konoha... maybe time is here now for figuring out what your interests are? ]

I think you're likely looking hard enough. Perhaps... explore what other things you may enjoy doing, in addition to work?

[lumberlady]

Like... getting better at sewing?

[peerlesscucumber]

[ A pause, and a tilt of his head to the side. ]

It could be. Is that something you believe you'd enjoy?

[lumberlady]

I mean, I don’t really enjoy it but it needs to get done, right?

[peerlesscucumber]

[ Right. But also: wrong! Konoha, that's wrong to what he was asking! Or suggestion! ]

Then that's a chore, not something you enjoy for your own sake. Can you think of anything you appreciate simply because you enjoy it? Maybe day hikes? Watching birds? Eating by a river? Fishing?

[ His examples all suck. Why can he think of nothing suitable?! He's not sure what would have fit into her prior world experience! ]

Or any interest you've had, but been unable to pursue. Like with painting, for example, or... pottery... or even shopping. Some people simply enjoy the act of shopping enough that it becomes part of their idea of enjoyable activities.

[lumberlady]

Hikes to where? To go fishing for dinner?

[send more help]

I’ve never tried anything fancy like art or anything like that though- I don’t know I just figured I probably wouldn’t be good at it?

[peerlesscucumber]

Hikes to... anywhere. Meadows? Mountains? Lakes? Fishing for... dinner, yes, but also to relax. I believe for those who enjoy fishing, it's also something like meditation for their souls.

[ crying ]

In trying anything new, does one expect perfection? It's fine to not be good at things you try when you start out. That only comes with time. [ or natural talent that maybe is a cheat skill, but hush. ] It seems that may be where to start: trying new things, regardless of if you think you'll be good at them or not.

[lumberlady]

[This is starting to sound really complicated...]

What do you do, Master Shen?

[peerlesscucumber]

... I paint. I practice calligraphy, play music, read poetry, and read on many subjects. If I'm feeling like being in nature, I find somewhere to walk and appreciate the world around me.

[ all this is because: there are no video games or internet in ancient cultivator lands. so he had to come up with something! ]

I also happen to enjoy tea and snacks, but tea is more what I'll investigate myself, and snacks... are more what I'm willing to experience in new or different ways.

[ he's a frustrated foodie who ate best when luo binghe was still his disciple living on peak, because goodness, could the protagonist cook! so good! so ridiculously, unbelievably good! ]

[lumberlady]

[Wow, that's a lot...]

So you can just... have interest in eating?

[Isn't that cheating...]

[peerlesscucumber]

[ it's literally his most peaceful period of his life he just listed, only in interest form... and most those are required as the scholarly peak lord... ]

...

[ DON'T OUT HIM AS A FOODIE, CRIES ]

Yes. Just like some people have an interest in cooking.

[lumberlady]

Do you know how to cook?

[WHAT IS A FOODIE?]

[peerlesscucumber]

... Enough to get by.

[ look cooking takes effort and practice and he likes things that taste really good which he's not easily able to imitate!

FOODIES ARE GREAT, THEY APPRECIATE AND ENJOY EATING GOOD FOOD easiest thing right ]

[lumberlady]

Does that mean you know how to make the dim sum things?