acatalepsy_logs | 001 ☪ open } { it's robot flu season

[All the humans are getting sick... and Konoha is starting to think even she might be being affected, even though she's never gotten sick from a human before. Still, she isn't down just yet, and so she keeps making her rounds, cooking porridge, and trying to help out.

And here's someone who needs help!]

Hello, there... !

[The centaur approaches with the soft clip-clop of hooves, leaning close without yet realizing that Zari is blind, just thinking she's unsteady on her feet from sickness.]

Do you need a hand? I can take you to the courtyard if it's hard to walk.

Yeah, that would be great. Thank you.

[She's heard hoofbeats like that before, but it takes her a minute to actually pin it down.]

I don't mean to be rude, but my vision isn't so great right now. Are you a centaur or a talking horse?

[Honestly it could go either way.]

Wha-

[She said her vision wasn't so good, but that was... sounding pretty bad? And not realizing how ironic it might be to be saying things while being what she was...]

There's no such things as talking horses! I'm a jinba- or, sure, a centaur-

[Konoha has at least learned that most people used the "centaur" word, so it works, but!!]

Jinba. Sorry. There aren't many of you where I come from, so I don't always know the right words.

[There's a pause as she follows Konoha's lead, taking it one step at a time.]

I met one once though. In the last organization I worked for.

But... there's some?

[It's the first time, (even if she's mistaken), that she's heard someone say there were centaurs in their world, even if it wasn't that many.]

What kind of jinba was it? Er, he? Her?

[As excited as she is to potentially hear that she wasn't alone, she does take care to actually mind leading the other woman carefully, one hand on her shoulder and one cupped beneath her elbow.]

Well, I've never met one, but with as weird as my life has become, I've learned not to rule things out. We call then centaurs though.

[And she keeps moving forward, trusting Konoha to lead her well.]

When I was working for an organization called Hathaway, I met a woman named Hayame? I don't know what kind she was though.

So many people seem to...

[Something she thinks she'll probably just never understand beyond "it's what other people call jinba". Oh, well.

That name, though...]

Someone else called me that before. "Hayame". Are there more people like you from this "Hathaway", then? In your world?

Hathaway wasn't in my world. It was an organization, kind of like the Circle, but they asked before they took you away to another world.

[A beat.]

They also weren't reckless with sending their people to worlds where they could catch the robot flu. They were nice that way.

So you've... been to other worlds like this before?

[The idea of jinba in situations like she'd found herself in was oddly strange, even as she herself lived it.]

Ah, we're going to turn a corner now-

[But she can't be distracted while leading a blind lady, so!]

One, yeah.

[Her hand comes out to try and find the curve of the turn, and then continues.]

And then back home, I work with a team that fixes problems like this too, so ... this is all mostly familiar.

Even at your home you had to deal with things like this?

[Going to other worlds and dealing with insane problems... ? Or, if she was used to it then maybe they wouldn't be crazy anymore, they'd be normal???]

Yeah.

[There's a beat.]

But the people I was working with broke things in the first place, so it's more like I was helping them fix it.

They broke... a world?

[Or... their own worlds??]

Technically they broke time, which is kind of the same thing.

[The Legends are ... Special.]

But they were doing it to save the world so they probably had a good reason?

[Zari doubts it, 2042 still sucks.]

Hmm...

[Konoha does try to imagine how someone could break time. She really does. But she's a medieval farmer's daughter with no education, and before her head starts hurting... she gives up.]

I think that's too complicated for me, haha...

[Laugh it off... ! But hey, Zari will probably feel the warmth of the sun on her face soon, now that they've reached the outside.]

To be honest, I don't even fully understand how they did it. I joined the team after the fact.

[But that's neither here nor there as the sun hits her skin and she tilts her face back a bit. It's good to feel, after having been cooped up for so long.]

But all that matters now is that it's been mostly resolved. Kind of.

I hope it works out for you...

[Well, it's nice to know that she wasn't the only one who didn't get it!]

The fresh air will help you for now! ... maybe not with the time thing, but.

[Konoha looks about for a bench or something, not wanting to leave the woman standing while she couldn't see properly.]

[She nods with a small smile.]

I've spent the last week cooped up inside. I'm definitely ready to spend a little time outside. Thank you, for the help.

No problem at all!

[A bench finally located, she guides Zari over and tries to help her sit down.]

Do you want me to leave you be, or keep you company? I can always come back and get you when you want to go back inside, too.

That is entirely up to you.

[She wasn't expecting a lot of help in the first place, but she doesn't want to hold Konoha up if there's other things she was intending to do today.]

I don't want to tie you up if you were busy.

Well, I do have some cooking to get done, so-

[Hmm!]

How about I swing back by when I finish and I'll bring you lunch.

That sounds perfect.

[An acceptable compromise if there ever was one. Plus food! Zari's favorite thing.]

I'll be here.

Great! I'll be back in about an hour, so just enjoy the sun for a while!

[The sound of hooves will signal Konoha's exit... but at least Zari now has lunch and an escort back to her room later. Score.]

001 ☪ open } { it's robot flu season

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