video

[lumberlady]

[it seems the centaur on the screen has figured out how to use the video function better than last time, fully visible on screen in front of the propped up bracelet... until she bows low, respectful]

Hello! I'm terribly sorry to bother all of you again, but- For those who don't know me, my name is Konoha... I'm a jinba, which some of you call a "centaur"... but I'm not from, um, Greece, or anywhere like that. I'm from Echigo, in Japan.

[straightening back up, her fingers start to twist together a bit anxiously, a bit of a blush barely visible beneath dark skin]

I just wanted to ask... and I know I can only ask, but. My, ah... my husband arrived here just recently, and this place is... I don't think I can really explain in words how overwhelming it is compared to where we come from.

And that's- My parents are human, I've always been around them, but he's mostly been in the deep mountains since he was young, so all these people...

I just want to ask that, if you see him lost, or... upset, somewhere... Could you please contact me? I don't really look at the "posts" on this thing much but I promise I'll always answer calls!

His name is Gonta, and... well, he's the only other jinba here, I'm pretty sure. He's about three or four hands taller than me, with palomino coat and white socks, and he has a patch over one eye... You really, really can't miss him.

I just... I want to keep showing him that humans can be good. Not humans, too! So. I'll be in your debt if you could just... be understanding, if you meet him. And maybe... Not tell him I made this post? Haha... Thank you so much for listening!

[and with another bow... the recording ends.]

Comments

[lumberlady]

[And as usual, she bows in turn to greet him, leaning down a bit to see his screen clearer and start looking for the same image in her app screen. This would probably be better if she could read, but.]

... I’ll tell him once he gets back, I guess.

[She’s not trying to stalk him...]

[gluhen]

He may not take well to this over-protectiveness. What are you so worried about anyway? There is a limit to how far anyone can travel beyond the city.

[ Eventually, the air would become to unbearable for her husband to breath in safely, so there are only so many places he can venture to. ]

[lumberlady]

I’m not worried he’ll leave the city- I told you, I just... he might get upset.

[And she realizes how vague that sounds but... is it really her place to say too much about why? That worry furrows her brow as she finds the right image and starts the download.]

[gluhen]

Upset? Everyone gets upset. That's no reason to abandon one's place, especially if there is something still left worth protecting. Do you intend to allow this behavior to continue?

[ It's not his place to involve himself in their marriage, but hopefully, she's thought this all through by now. ]

[lumberlady]

You don’t-

[Konoha’s knee jerk reaction to accuse him of not understanding is cut off with a click of teeth as she shuts her mouth. The last thing she wanted to do was accuse someone of something like that, but-]

... you’re not from our world, and you’re human. It would be hard for you to understand what I mean when I say “upset”... it’s not like what you’re making it out to be.

[gluhen]

Then try and make me understand. Others will not respond to your plight and your concerns if you can't deliver them properly.

[ And he can only fill in so many blanks himself, though he understands she has a lot of worries over prejudice and specie-ism. ]

[lumberlady]

[It’s obvious on her face that she’s torn about telling him, afraid it trampled on her husband’s privacy, a past that shouldn’t be made public, but... it wasn’t as if Percival didn’t have a point. Not like she didn’t understand how it could be confusing.

And the app is still downloading.]

He’s older than I am... when he was younger, the jinba hunts were in full force, and humans... did horrible things. To him, to his family. He lived so many years in hiding from them, so even just the members of my village... it was sometimes too much for him. Let alone as crowded and strange as this place is.

[Her gaze averts, fingers twist anxiously. She didn’t consider it a weakness, but.]

He gets upset sometimes. ... like it’s hard to breathe, and there’s nowhere to run. I just need to be able to find him if that happens.

[Didn’t he understand?]

[gluhen]

[ He nods solemnly as he listens to her story, not quite surprised. Tales of atrocities such as those exist all over the Skydom to varying extents. Whether a matter of instinct or fear, people will lash out against whatever appears different to them. ]

What changed between this period of hunting and the one you live in now? Or does it still persist?

[ He wonders if there were any sanctions put in place to stop the hunting of Jinba or if people had simply grown more conscientious of their actions over time. ]

[lumberlady]

[She doesn't have the language or knowledge to call it what it was. Panic attacks. Post traumatic stress. All she has is her fumbling attempts to describe it in a way that preserved his privacy as best she could when balanced with her desire to keep him safe.]

My boss said that the hunts were worst when the wars were almost over, because all the human lords were desperate for anything that would make their forces stronger... but now the wars are over. About fifteen years now.