[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]

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!

[lumberlady]

[For someone who seemed so negative about the most mundane of activities, that confidence does seem to come from nowhere. Konoha blinks, for a moment forgetting to chew her food, but at least she finishes before she replies.]

I’ve been to five other worlds before this... I thought I’d end up back home, but I just ended up here instead.

[And as much as she tried to be positive, to have hope... it was getting harder.]

What can people like us do to get us back home from a place all magic and metal?

[husbun]

You've been to...five?! Whoo, boy. That's a lot. I mean, I jumped into an adjacent timeline, so it's...not really a different world. But then there's the other worlds I did visit...

[He's mentally counting them off. Suffice to say, if DLC is canon he's been to a lot.]

But still! Konoha, if there's a way here, there's a way home! I can't see it, so I don't mind waiting a bit, but...it's there!

[lumberlady]

[Being positive has never really come as hard to Konoha as it has here, thinking about trying to get home after her hopes had been crushed to find herself here after all she'd done before. But she's still trying... even through the confusion.]

What's an "adjacent timeline"?