[video]

[husbun]

[The video feed opens to Yarne’s face entirely too close to the camera. He holds his phone in both hands, clearly unused to using such a device, and slowly pushes it away from him.]

Hmm... [His hum is a little louder than it should be.] How do you know if this thing is...Hey! H-how’s it going?

[His long, furry ears droop. This already feels lame, but he’s determined.]

So...there’s been a lot of stuff going on, hasn’t there? And it all seems pretty dangerous, too! I’m used to dangerous things, really, but I thought it would be better if I kept to my apartment for a while and, um...conserved my strength. For later.

[Yarne can already hear his mother yelling at him in his head. There's a pause here as he tries to convince himself he sounds believable, but then he continues.]

So, I’ve been thinking! I need to get out more, and it’s not just because I don’t have any Chroma or food left. Or because I’m worried my muscles will atrophy, leaving me in all sorts of dangerous situations where I could die. [The drama!] But there are some extenuating circumstances, you see, and...I was wondering if there’s anyone strong out there who’d be willing to protect me? In return, I’ll let you pet my ears! That’ll earn both of us lots of Chroma, right? So, it’d be beneficial to both of us, and you’d be my own personal knight! Kind of.

[He’s ending on a smile because, truly, this sounds like an absolutely wonderful idea.]

That’s it, I think! If there’s anyone strong out there who wants to protect me and earn some Chroma, you should let me know! The stronger, the better, as far as I’m concerned. And there’s no one softer than a Taguel, I can promise that.

Comments

[husbun]

If you're sure! I don't like either of them to be honest. I wish the buildings were a lot shorter. If I tripped on some of these staircases, I might never recover.

[You know, he's always thinking about death.]

[lumberlady]

Do you have delicate legs... ?

[She’s never thought about it, but... jinba certainly couldn’t survive a broken leg- what about rabbit people?]

[husbun]

Nope! My legs are amazing. Aside from horses, rabbits have got to have the best legs around, don't you think?

It's more about all the places my head could hit as I fall.

[Again, he's so upbeat about this! It's normal. He's normal. Shh.]

[lumberlady]

Is your... head really soft?

[what is happening??? why is he so worried??]

[husbun]

Mm...not any softer than yours, I'd think. It's more that stairs are really hard.

[This all makes sense from his point of view, alas.]

[lumberlady]

Are all rabbit people- I mean... Taguel... this worried?

[Now that she thinks about it, rabbits do seem nervous...]

[husbun]

Er...technically? I'm the last one, remember? So by default, all Taguel are like me. Or are me, I guess.

[lumberlady]

Er, no, I mean.

[What's the fancy word...]

Biologic... ality?

[husbun]

Biologicality speaking...?

[curse this new word]

Well, my mom isn't like me at all. So probably not. But then again, humans killed everyone in her warren when she was little, so she wouldn't know either?

[lumberlady]

[Oh.......................

She can't ask if he's just a chicken now.]

... so I'll be there in an hour. How about that?

[husbun]

[Is it just him, or...did he maybe say too much? He can't really go back on it now, but...maybe it's just his imagination? Hm.

Well, either way, he's excited for company. He gives Konoha his address.]

Alright! You're going to be the first person I ever had over. I'll try to clean up a little.

--> action

[lumberlady]

[Oh, she really hopes he cleans up. Bachelors.............

But just like she'd said, in about an hour... there's the sound of hooves on staircase, a small bang from rump hitting handrail...

And then a knock at his door that will open to reveal a centaur with a large picnic basket in her arms.]

[husbun]

Konoha! Hey!

[Oh, wow, he loves the size of that picnic basket. After opening the door into the moderately sized free apartment he'd been assigned, he steps out of the way to make room for her. Look! He even moved the couch so there's room for horse-people.

Aside from that, his apartment is pretty bare. There's signs that he's been eating and drinking, but Yarne has never had an easy life, and he has no idea what to fill an apartment with. His armor rests on one cushion of the couch where he can reach it easily, and he's started wearing t-shirts and shorts on occasion, like today.

He does not look cool, no.]

I'm glad you made it safely.

[lumberlady]

Hi...

[She gives a little wave from where her hand is supporting the picnic basket, letting herself in when he invites her inside, knocking her hooves against the floor a few times to shake off as much dirt as possible before heading in. Oh- he'd made spac,e that was nice of him...

Thankfully for him, Konoha has no idea what fashion is cool. ... The shirt is very vibrant?]

I found it alright, it wasn't hard.

[Because SURELY he didn't mean "safely" as in "didn't encounter deathly peril on the way"... right... ?

Setting down her basket, she opens it with a smile, beginning to take out a variety of homemade dishes. Rice balls, pickles, steamed vegetables, dried fruit, salt grilled fish...]

[husbun]

[He absolutely meant 'didn't encounter deathly peril on her way.']

That's a relief. You can never be too sure.

[He leads her further into the room, because...wow, he's not sure how a horse-person is going to make herself comfortable in his apartment? Out of all his friends from back home, he has the least experience with horses. They're dangerous, after all, whether they're kicking or you're falling off. It's even worse with pegasi.

But since Konoha is setting the basket down, he decides to sit cross-legged on the floor, watching with interest (and obvious hunger).]

Oh, wow! Did you make all of these yourself? There's a lot!

[lumberlady]

[She's pretty sure that you can be... reasonably sure, but. Okay, she's going to save the preaching as long as she can, finding herself next to his sofa so that she could use it as a sort of back support, lumbering down to her knees and then easing onto her side, tucking her legs up under her belly and leaning against the side of the sofa, beginning to distribute the food between them.

Picnic on the floor!]

Yeah, I do a lot of cooking... I know there's those instant foods here, and they taste good and all, but my husband prefers my cooking.

[Which she takes as a point of pride, thanks, beaming about it.]

Plus, it's healthier! ... I think.

[husbun]

[Ah, he's not even sure where to start! This is so much more exciting than going out to one of the restaurants. That's partially because it's free, but he at least has enough tact to not say that out loud. He looks over the food before eventually picking up one of the rice balls.]

Oh—you're married?

[Om nom. A piece of rice gets stuck in his neck fur when it falls. He's never had a married friend before, and he's about to prove it.]

Are you going to have a lot of kids?

[lumberlady]

[Okay... He'd going to need a napkin. Subtly, Konoha slips one over to his side of the makeshift floor picnic, using one of her own to lay over her knees and start picking out things for herself, humming a bit happily.]

Mmhhm.

[So maybe she didn't actually remember confessing to or marrying him, but! This question is easy. Children are one of her favorite topics.]

Definitely. I want at least four!

[And they're going to be so cute......]

[husbun]

Four! That's incredible! I bet your house is going to be so lively!

[Yarne is a little jealous. Having more siblings and happy parents is something he's wanted more than anything, but Grima took that chance away from him. He's sure her husband and her won't be that unlucky, though, no one is as badly off as he and his friends are.]

I've always wanted siblings. Can you imagine what it'd be like if there were more than one of me? I wouldn't have to tell anyone I'm the last one left anymore.

[lumberlady]

Right? I want at least two boys and two girls, but I guess if they're all healthy it doesn't really matter in the end...

[Her hands fly momentarily to her cheeks, blushing a bit happily at the idea of that sort of home, lively and full of love... She could sympathize with his situation, too- not with the... last of his kind part, but. She'd always wanted siblings herself. She might even have some out there somewhere for all she knew... but her adopted parents children had all been killed or died in the war time...]

Can you not make your own family? Then you can say you aren't the last one that way instead. There are lots of, um, rabbit ladies around here...

[Was that close enough???]

[husbun]

That sounds great! Two of each is the perfect way to go. I've always wanted...hmm, maybe fourteen siblings would do it? If I had that many, I could probably rest easier.

[But moving onto the more serious topic...starting his own family? He shakes his head at that. It sounds nice. It really does! But...]

The rabbit ladies here aren't really Taguel. And...back home, we're still at war, so even if I had someone to make a family with, I wouldn't have a place to do it. I wouldn't want to do it here. And...and it'd have to be someone I'm close with, too.

[And he doesn't have anyone like that.]

[lumberlady]

[She'd be shocked by fourteen if he weren't... a rabbit person. Taguel. They had lots of babies, so... it's not so many if you think of "fourteen" as "four to five per litter".

But... if they had to be Taguel to make more Taguel... Then didn't that mean he couldn't ever not be the last of his kind if he... was the last of his kind? Chewing on a piece of fish, Konoha tries to do the math on that, not wanting to ask in a hurtful way.]

But... back home there's no Taguel either, didn't you say? So... isn't trying with the rabbit ladies here a better chance? Maybe it would work!

[husbun]

Um...hmm...it...might work?

[But at the same time, Yarne is all repopulation talk, zero repopulation action. He flushes red and scritches with one claw at the fur on his neck.]

But I'd rather have kids back home, you know? There's still a war going on, but...but I don't want to be here forever.

[lumberlady]

Well, yeah, me, too, but...

[She casts a look back at her belly, frowning a bit in thought. It was far too early to know if anything had happened yet, to feel a change or see the swell of a child, but... she can't help but be hopeful.]

We might be. And... you don't want your kids all marrying each other do you?

[So... didn't that mean he had to have lots of kids with lots of women so they'd... at least be slightly not as related??? She feels like that's the best of a not great option set...]

[husbun]

We won't be! I promise.

[Just where did this determination come from? Yarne isn't sure, especially since he has half of a mouthful of food to finish before he finishes speaking properly. He should be more careful! Choking is a horrible way to die.]

I've been to other worlds before, and...and I think help will come. If not, there's always a way to go back home, it just has to be found. So I'm not worried!