Welcome to Gaia! ::

You ever gonna reply? I sent you reminders on our Discord PM as well.

((I hope this post is okay, I've been suffering horrible writers block!! D: ))

Mazeru's feelings would be accurate. He really didn't belong here. But neither would someone from Marzipan belong in his world. He was so different to every kind of humanoid race in this world that he instantly would stand out wherever he went. No doubt that would cause trouble in due time.

This world was a medieval fantasy kind with heavy reliance on magics. It had Disney-style castles, princes and princesses, knights, quests and magic, airships and wooden ships that traveled the seas. The knights kept the people safe from monsters that roamed the wild lands surrounding villages, towns and cities and also from evil cults and persons. They also carried out orders from their rulers. Humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, orcs, halflings and the usual races you hear about, inhabited different areas of the map.

There were all the usual haunts in most places: Inns, hotels, restaurants, shops for food, clothes, home wares, weapons, magical supplies and many other things, libraries, theatres for live plays and shows, zoos, a jail, temples, blacksmiths, medical clinics, wealthy noble areas and middle class homes, poorer village folk, farms, town hall. Not to mention schools and academies and guilds.

Maple was a member of the Wizards and Witches Guild and had earned her tokens to allow her entry to the guild's locations around the map. She started out going to elementary school that was run by some local nuns of a church (who also ran the local orphanages), and continued her education up to high school before passing her exams to gain entrance to a Wizards Academy. From there, she started her career of traveling potion shop. It let her travel the world, meet new people, help people....and make money. And now it had led her to Mazeru.

Maple was happy that Mazeru hadn't outright rejected her wish to be friends. She was glad that he considered it, at least. She knew that probably wasn't the first thing on his mind but the truth was, he was going to need to make friends to get by here. People who could vouch for him. And he had to be feeling incredibly alone right now.

Maple was thinking over what she could possibly do to help the poor creature back to his own world. She knew his stay here would likely be extended, or permanent. She ran several ideas through her head as she finished collecting potion ingredients and headed back into town. Maybe she could pretend Mazeru was something she had summoned? Could use a leash and collar and pretend he was her slave or pet? Hmm...that seemed fishy, but people might be more accepting and less scared if they thought Mazeru was under her control. The illusion of control would put them at ease. She'd have to run it by Mazeru though. He probably wouldn't like it.

As Maple pulled her broomstick out of her pocket and enlarged it with a potion, climbed aboard and flew back to Shipton town, she remembered his confusion at her questions about parents and giggled to herself. Maple didn't think it was strange to ask that. Since she herself had never had parents, it interested her to learn about others who did have them and what that was like. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Mazeru's parents looked like or acted like though!

She felt kind of bad for him having not seen them in years. Perhaps he understood what it felt like to feel alone, and like you never really fitted in anywhere. Maple wished she had a normal family. Of course, she had made friends whom she considered some to be like family. Especially other orphans she grew up with. But it wasn't quite the same. Maple dreamed of having a family. She knew that when she found the right person, she would make her own and it would be just like she dreamed.

The witch hurried back to her house and got to work mixing up and cooking more fertility potions. It took her a few hours. After she had strained them carefully into bottles and labelled and sealed each one, placing them on their correct shelf, she felt the gnaw of hunger in her stomach and decided that she better get some lunch. Maple swung her shop sign to 'closed', grabbed her coin purse and headed out, walking to the fish and chip shop that had the best reputation in town. She purchased a large amount of battered fish and seafood, plus for herself some potato scallops, chips, pineapple rings and such. Maple soon got back home where she got her broom and rode it back into the Wendwood forest, searching for the 9 foot tall creature called Mazeru. She called his name, not too loudly, the food tied into a pouch on her back. "Mazeru...Mazeru...I brought you something to try. It's fish!" she called softly. "Come out, I want to share an idea I had with you" she called, lokoing around. The food was still plenty hot against her back, making her sweat a little. She had some bottled fizzwater too. Like modern day's soda only carbonated with magic and sweetened with something similar to sugar but nowhere near as bad for you.

Maple would no doubt be curious to hear about Mazeru's world. Any world other than her own fascinated her. As did the chimera himself. She'd talk his ear off in due time, no doubt. Once she learned she could trust him. IF that were the case.

Maple floated through the trees, skillfully weaving around them on her broom. It had a ribbon bow tied on the end farthest from the bristles, and a collection of long, thick bristles on the head of the broom. The handle was sanded and polished and carved into a gently curving shape. Broomsticks weren't comfortable for long periods of travel, but for everyday commutes and getting around, they did the trick. Maple had to barter transport with horse and carriage, train, air ship or water ship or whatever other transport there was. She was a little afraid of riding horseback since she'd lost control of spooked or headstrong horses once or twice. Teleportation scrolls usually cost far too much.

Maple spotted the chimera soon enough and, gathering her courage, flew closer to him as he in turn made his way towards her. She smiled, a little nervous but trying not to show it "Hello again. It's me, Maple. I brought you something to eat" she said. "Remember the fish and chips I mentioned earlier? This town's specialty. Well, I got you some battered fish and sea food" she said, pulling the bundle on her back around to the front and undoing one of the knots to show the food inside brown paper. "Ta-da! But, since you're so...ahem, large...it's probably more of a snack than a proper meal. Still, I hope you like it. I brought sweet fizzwater too" she said, picking up a sealed bottle from another sack tied to her waist that contained neon blue liquid. It had condensation on it and looked cold and refreshing. "These are blueberry blast flavour" she said. She then got hit with a light bulb moment:

"Wait one second, I have an idea!" Maple reached into one of her pockets, which was enchanted to be a small hammerspace for storage, and withdrew a potion. She uncapped it with a pop. "Enlargement potion!" she beamed. "I'm so smart!" Maple boasted, half joking and half pleased with her brilliant idea.

Maple hopped off her broomstick in the clearing where Mazeru resided and opened the food satchels, tearing the brown paper open and spreading everything out on the mossy floor. She moved all the battered fish and seafood to one side, apart from her own potato based lunch bits, then poured the potion onto the seafood and fish and the second bottle of Blueberry Blast fizz. Maple held her breath "Waiiit a minute...wait a minute...ah, there it goes!" The food and drink, slowly at first, began to grow in size, and then the growth became noticeable until it sped up quite fast, making the food swell and enlarge until it was big enough to be a serving for a creature as large as Mazeru "There you go! It's the right size now. I hope you like it. I was hoping I could discuss something with you while we share lunch" she said, carefully sitting down with her dress spread under her and taking a potato scallop, biting into it with a little 'crunch'.

"The fish are coral trout and rainbow cod and the other food is shrimp, crab and shellfish" she said. "They de-bone...ah, remove all the bones from the fillets before deep frying but just be careful because sometimes there are little bones they miss that can get stuck in your teeth or throat" Maple figured she was pretty safe right now. She had provided Mazeru with an alternate food source besides herself, so she hoped he wouldn't eat her.

Maple stifled a giggle at Mazeru's dubious question. She didn't want him to become angry if she laughed so she forced herself to keep her laughter in. "Ah, yes, of course. Look, I'll prove it to you. That was a dry powder potion so it didn't make the food soggy at all, and it has no taste. All it did was enlarge the objects before dissipating" she said, reaching out and breaking a piece off each of the types of fish and seafood. She ate first a bit of battered trout, then some cod, then some crab, a bit of shrimp and some of the shellfish, making little noises of appreciation and enjoyment. Maple paused a moment after each bite to show that she was perfectly fine and healthy. "See? No harm done. I promise it's safe to eat. Isn't it fun to try the different foods when you visit new places?" she asked, trying to prompt him gently to eat...or at least try the food before wasting it.

"And the blue fizzwater is really nice, too. I know it's an odd colour - ah, I mean, it's not odd at all, it's a very pretty colour! B-but it's just an unusual hue for most foods here, that's all" she said, realising that Mazeru's flesh was a similar neon blue and hastily amending her words to avoid angering him. "But despite that it's really very good. It's sweet and it tingles on your tongue! It's fun to drink. A lot of kids and teenagers like it. At least try a sip so I can see your reaction to it" she prompted, again carefully, cracking her bottle open and taking a few gulps to wash the bites of seafood down.

Her mouth turned up on one side in a half smirk at the thought of how he might react to the sweet fizzy stuff. "It's probably safer to drink than the stream water around here. There are natural bacteria that live in the water and you can get sick if you don't purify it first" Oddly surprising that in her world, technology was to the point where they understood microorganisms exist and can cause illness but wasn't developed in other areas. But curses and evil spirits were just as likely to sicken a person here too. Maple ate her food at a moderate pace, hungry enough to gobble it but not wanting to be impolite.

She took a fortifying drink of her blueberry flavoured soda and then said "Actually, I was thinking of ways to make it easier for you to get around in this world and fit in here. And I came up with an idea. Howwww.....would you feel, if for instance, let's say, I tell people that you're a creature I summoned from another dimension, but not to worry because you're completely under my control? I think if we go that route, it will put people at ease and make them less afraid or aggressive. Props such as a collar and leash could help, too" she said, "You'd be either my servant or my pet, or both. But it'd all just be acting and playing pretend. Hee hee, no bandits or wild monsters are gonna attack me when I have you around, that's for sure"

Mazeru would probably take a while to trust Maple, but he at least had been made aware that the witch hadn't poisoned his food. The way she was acting towards him, cautious but curious, should hopefully also put him more at ease. She wasn't screaming and throwing magic potions at him at least. (Mind you, they might have no effect seeing as he was highly magic resistant, but Maple didn't know that).

Maple looked relieved when Mazeru began eating, glad he didn't suddenly develop a taste for fresh human. Maple may have been a bit naiive in some areas, but she had a kind heart. She was just trying to lift Mazeru's spirits by being encouraging and optimistic. Still, being reefed from his own world and tossed into another was definitely not like visiting a new place voluntarily, with a way to go back home once you were satisfied.

Maple held her breath, heart beat increasing, as she nervously awaited Mazeru's reaction to her proposal. She hoped it wouldn't anger or offend the giant fellow. The witch let out a shaky breath and a soft, nervous laugh when Mazeru agreed to go along with it. Thank the gods.

"Well, I dunno if it'll help you get back to your world but at least you won't be attacked by the people of Shipton, and hopefully not by anyone else in this world while we quest to find answers. I can't say for sure. We have monsters here too. And bad guys; you know, bandits, theives guilds, pirates, cults and the like" she explained. "I don't know what's the best thing to do, but I know staying put here won't help us find you a way back. So, I'm thinking, maybe we travel to the academy where I studied potion making and look through the libraries there for clues to otherworld travel. For now though, I guess you could come back to my place for a bit. I have more enlargement potions there, and I can enlarge my house big enough for you to fit in it, even though I'll be tiny then" she laughed a little. "I thought I might find a leash and collar I can enlarge with said potions and put on you. And then, well, since I have to travel to ply my trade anyway, I guess we'll have to buy food and supplies for the journey and set off towards Terelts Academy. Unless you have a better idea"