Welcome to Gaia! ::

There were a few weeks left before the house would be ready for Maia to move into. Or, rather, move her small amount of possessions into. Her clothing and blankets, cooking supplies, and tools. She didn't own much else. The house itself had no furniture in it, so she'd have to set up on the floor for a bit until she purchased some. Considering she'd been living in the forest in a tent for the last few years, that was already sounding like luxury. It would be weird to sleep in the city from now on. She'd certainly have to get used to all the noises the residents were going to make. Hopefully the neighbors were fine. She hadn't met them while looking at the house, but she'd noticed what looked like children's toys in one yard. And children were noisy. So long as they were also polite, she thought she could get used to it. At least she hoped. Going from falling asleep to animals calling to each other and the wind in the branches above, this was a giant step. Even though it was only a move, it made her nervous.

But she wasn't moving yet. There was still plenty of time to explore the jungle one last time before the change. And she'd keep her tent, for long journeys like this. To find unexplored areas of Jauhar that might hold history and secrets hidden just out of view.

Or a village.

Maia stopped, watching it from a distance. She'd encountered a few villages during her travels, most of them fairly friendly to newcomers. At least to other Shifters. No reason this one wouldn't, also.

She approached at an easy pace, noticing someone out front. "Hello," she greeted once in ear-shot, offering a warm smile. She'd never seen this village before.

Ah, wonderful! This appeared to be a friendly village. Which went without saying when one was a Shifter in Jauhar, she supposed. Home territory. Maybe that was why Chiro had hired her to help him out. He never seemed to go out in the field anymore, relying totally on what she found to keep his business. Maia would be feeling the pressure if she wasn't already completely confident in her ability to do just that.

The girl's enthusiasm affected Maia, making her smile a bit brighter. It was always a pleasure meeting new people. Especially the smaller villages. So much more peaceful to the brain after all the noise of the city. She'd grown up in a small village herself, before spending most of her late child and teenage years out in the jungle, away from everyone else. It brought on nostalgia.

"Such a cute village!" she commented, her eyes sweeping over it before returning to rest on the other Shifter, her tone of voice sincere on the compliment. Small places were so much more cozy and homey, she instantly felt comfortable standing there, as if this were her own home. "My name is Maia. I just happened by and thought I'd stop to say hello."

"I'd love a tour, thank you," Maia responded, already trying to think of what might be inside this village by remembering what was inside her own. Or, what had been inside her own when she was there. For all she knew, it could have expanded beyond what she knew or had the opposite happen. She'd hadn't been there in about three years. Hadn't lived there since she'd been a youngling. There had been enough businesses that no one needed to forage out in the jungle too much. Other than the herbalist. It was all so simple and, until she'd started work for someone inside the city, hadn't realized how much she'd miss it.

Than again, maybe it would also be fun to decorate her own house. To know she had a safe place to keep all her stuff. She wouldn't miss wild animals messing with her campsite.

"An inn sounds lovely." It'd be nice to sleep in a bed for a change. And restock on her supplies. "I wouldn't mind seeing everything, though. It's still a bit early."

As expected of a village. Maia didn't think it'd be too long. In her own experience, there were only the few key locations to help the survival of the village over providing for tourists. This girl probably thought she lived in one of the bigger towns. She herself had assumed most people who visited her own village had come from somewhere bigger. It was only logical. Villages were so small, towns and cities were so big.

"Small places are cozy," Maia commented, looking up and around her at all the buildings that she could see. Or suffocating, depending on your view. Where everyone knew each other and their business, it could be hard to get some privacy. In Neued, she certainly her more anonymity than she would have back home, but it was also noisier. Always seemed to be someone out and about doing something.

"Most of the time," she continued, looking back at Esmeray. "I grew up in a small village, too."

Maia couldn't help a small giggle at the other Shifter's reaction. Yeah, she knew how it felt to live in a small village. Cozy and familiar, Which in itself was kind of nice. But it was also a bit boring after a while, especially now that she knew what was beyond the boundaries of her porch. Maybe one day she would even go further, beyond the boundaries of Jauhar itself. She'd heard the other race homes were much different than here. For now, she was content with exploring the familiar forests. There was lots of time to decide if she wanted to see more. She was still young.

"I am," she responded proudly, adjusting her bag on her shoulders. It hadn't been a well-thought out decision, she would admit. One day she'd realized she'd wanted to see more than the same walls of the cabin she lived in with her father and had just left, leaving behind a note. Still, she'd done it. Left to make her own way in the world all on her own. She'd done good so far, she thought. That was something to be proud of. "At least as far as Jauhar goes. I don't have the courage to go beyond that. At least not yet. Still lots to see here."

5/10

Looking up at the direction indicated, Maia gave a small "Oooh", mostly out of politeness. Having grown on in Jauhar, and especially now that she was traveling around it, she'd seen her fair share of large trees and the structures sometimes built in or around them. Still, it looked welcoming and cozy to her. She didn't have similar memories of the older generation in her own village. Maybe because she was always digging in places she shouldn't have been on her endless youth's quest for treasure. Destroying others yards wasn't a good way to get on their good side.

"Good to know it's friendly around here if I need anything." At most, she might stay a few days before moving on. Which made her feel a little bit guilty for thinking almost right away. She, too, left as soon as she could. Maia shrugged. "It's not for everyone. I guess I don't like being tied down to one place for too long. I always liked exploring the forest, seeing what I could find out there."

Maia had hoped she could have gotten away with it. Sometimes her hair made others mistake her for a hybrid and people would politely nod back at her, thinking it was just her outlander way of speaking. Judging by that smirk when she turned back to her guide, not so. She smiled sheepishly back, also shrugging her shoulders in an apology. She hadn't meant to be rude in any way.

Thankfully, Esmeray changed the subject to something closer to her heart.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, giving the matter serious thought. The forest was familiar. Somewhere else would have a completely different land structure and animals, that she would have to learn how to adapt to. Maybe if she had someone else to go with, it wouldn't be as terrifying. "If you were to leave Jauhar, where do you think you'd go?"