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[lumberlady]

[Lunatia's resident centaur lady is back on screen, and this time she's sharing the spotlight with... a table full of fresh vegetables? Still a bit dirty, fresh from the soil, good ol' vegetables... That Konoha bows over to start out.]

Hello, everyone! My name is Konoha... I'm a jinba, or a "centaur" if you want... I'm from Echigo in Japan, but lots of people say I'm from the past...

[She's just going to do the same introduction every time, counting off details on her fingers to make sure she gets all the good points... there's too many people on this thing and she doesn't check it enough to keep track... oops. Anyway-]

I wanted to ask people some questions about food! My husband and I have set up a little farmstead, but the crops are growing, um, way faster than they really ought to be... [we're just going to speed past the blush] and it's not like we actually have to work for money here, so I was thinking of not just taking the crops to market but... serving meals at the house? Or sending them to people elsewhere in the city? I don't know, but I've met a lot of people here who said they just eat food from the stores, and I know those are really convenient, but it can't be better than a home cooked meal, can it?


[Look at this big turnip! Isn't it healthy looking?! Don't you just want to eat it?? Konoha smiles, making the root vegetable dance around the screen.]

So... can I ask you some questions about what sort of food you like? Or what kind of things you miss from your home? Maybe what they make in your country with vegetables? If you give me some of your time, I'll send you some fresh ones as a "thank you"-

Promise!

[One last bow... and she and the turnip sign off.]

Comments

[foxtouched]

That tells me a lot already, Konoha-san. So you were raised by humans... that was very kind of them. And you must be very strong, too!

My home is in the mountains too.. though I didn't get to leave very often. Are there others from your world here as well with you? You mentioned... your father and husband?

[lumberlady]

Mm, after what happened- I mean, I don't remember it, I was too young, but. My parents- the ones I have right now, they're the best.

[flex flex... she is strong, though]

Oh, but my father isn't here... my husband is! And his friend, Mikuni. Both of them are from the deep mountains, where there's no humans... and they worked under me at the yard before I got married.

[foxtouched]

It must be nice...

Was your husband chosen for you?

I'm sorry if it's too personal to answer... I've been hearing that many here fall in love. It just sounds so romantic.

[lumberlady]

No, it's fine... It wasn't an arranged marriage, no... I'm no one fancy like that. That stuff is for noble ladies and stuff in my world...

And I guess... maybe your world, too?

[foxtouched]

Mm! Even around our kind— we have certain ranks. It's not very strict, but it is enforced where it can be...

[ Her fathers did mate for love though. ]

I keep getting proposals from the other lords... it's a little awkward. My fathers aren't forcing me to accept, but they're concerned for my safety. But... I've done fine on my own here without anyone! Not even my retainers!

[ She sounds a little proud about that! ]

What's it like to be married?

[lumberlady]

But princess has to be a really high rank, right?

[She is honestly very happy to answer that question, but. Wait a sec, though-]

You have two fathers? Like... there's two emperors?

[foxtouched]

It is. But we are foxes... I've heard humans are much stricter. It's a little intimidating.

[ Their spiritkind and youkai are always so amused by their restrictions. ]

I do have two fathers. They birthed me, and my brothers. I suppose our birthing is a bit different, however... but foxes can change shape as needed, so it isn't necessary for a woman to be involved... or even a man at times.

[ She was born from a flower though but she knows how weird that will sound. ]

You were saying... about your marriage?

[lumberlady]

Oooooh.... I see.

[She obviously doesn't quite get it... But she's gonna roll with it. She's heard lots of crazy things here.]

My marriage? Well... it was kind of not normal, I guess? Because I actually thought I wasn't going to confess to him at all. My husband is from deep in the mountains, and he was only in my village because his nephew had come to see how humans lived and he wanted to protect him, so I thought... You know... maybe it would be wrong of me to try and make him stay where he'd be miserable...

... Because he didn't like humans, before. I didn't want him to feel like he had to stay just because of me.

[foxtouched]

[ Maybe she'll be able to demonstrate with illusions one day. But she's more interested in this! It sounds so romantic ! ]

I see... a jinba raised by humans, and another from the forest. What happened then? Did you both not get along at first?

[lumberlady]

No, we got along alright... but he was a real pain on the yard. I'm the only jinba there, the rest of the men there are human... but. Over time he started to trust them a bit more, and... it isn't really my place to say some of it, because that's my husband's family, and their life, but...

He realized a way for himself to stop hating humans so much for what they did in the past.

But he still decided that... even though he didn't hate them anymore, he didn't belong with them. He said he was going to go back to the mountains.