It's all relative (Hikaru!)

[Anonymous]

Sometimes, you just didn't know.

Sometimes you just didn't know the certain ingredients for a recipe, sometimes you just didn't know the neighbour down the street, sometimes you didn't know the quantum fluctuation of a p-brain, and sometimes you just didn't know that everything could be relative. For example, time was relative. That was always the best example, and people had been using it for thousands of years. In this particular case of relative time, it had to do with two people observing the cooking of a delicious pastry. One person, the baker, was not hungry, and therefore the baking of the large pastry was moving at normal speed. The other person in the bakery however, was very hungry, and so each minute would be an agonizing hour.

However, when that pastry was done, it would be frosted with a delicious chocolate, and then would be ready for consumption. The patron would then be back to living in a time frame that was more concurrent with the rest of the little town. For the time being though, the hungry fellow was leaning on the counter, watching the pastry bake in the special stove. This was a different style of oven than most were used to, but when you were a purveyor of fine foods, you needed something a little extra. This stove definitely helped out. It was large enough to cook a LOT of things at one time, and thanks to a helpful free thinking Mage who designed a series of special inserts, there could be different zones of heat for different foods. Currently, there was one pastry, three trays of breakfast muffins, and six different loaves of bread rising.

In La'marri, you came to this bakery for almost anything you wanted. It was attached to an Inn, to save on money, and people could be seen behind the large ovens on stoves and other things, cooking up a breakfast meal for the patrons of the Inn. The baker was a master of cooking, if not a little bit strange. The different breads alone were to die for, and all the unusual and wonderfully different pastries that were concocted were usually a blast of flavour. Granted, you were warned not to eat too many, or else you'd find yourself getting bigger and bigger everyday. The main thing that brought people back was the coatings. The baker had a unique coating, which was called frosting, derived from sugar cane, creme, and usually either vanilla plant or cocoa beans that made an excellent spread over most things. Perhaps more disturbingly was that the Baker had a habit of spreading this delicious treat on itself.

The baker in question, whose sanity could be questioned, was a very odd looking creature. With a strange skin of blue-green hue, two large hazel coloured eyes, no eyes or mouth, a soft and gentle looking face with a decidedly sharp chin, and long hair that was a mite darker than the skin. The odd thing, well, one of the odd things at least, was that the hair seemed to move and float all on its own, it wasn't weighed down by things like the law of gravity, though it seemed to at least obey some rudimentary law of motion. When the baker walked forward, it streamed behind like it was swimming underwater, and when the baker stopped, the hair continued going forward until it reached the end of its leash so to speak. This didn't seemed to bother the strange alien creature, as it would just sweep the hair back and everything would be fine.

Right now it was mixing up a large bowl of chocolate covering for the pastry. People enjoyed the sugary treat, children more so, but even the adults liked the decadent treat. It was almost a tourist attraction, and it did help drum up business for the Inn, which was good. People would be more willing to stop in La'marri as well for supplies or to spend the night, lured by their noses and the siren call of the baker's ovens.

The strange baker was quick to finish stirring up the coating before taking the pastry from the oven with a long flat wooden utensil. It was quickly coated with some chocolate and wrapped in a thin piece of cotton, to help the patron eat it. Then it was relinquished to the man who slowly slipped back into normal time, his eyes glittering with delight as he put down some money and hurriedly began to leave and eat at the same time. If the baker could smile, it probably would, but there was no nose, there was no mouth, there was...nothing. More confusing was the gender. Long ago, people learned that the baker could be any gender it pleased, it could even be no gender. Today it was one of those days when no gender really fit. Still, it wore a simple grey tunic and simple grey trousers. It had to wear something, despite having no defining gender features, people still were disturbed by a naked baker.

"Neze, can you please taste this gruel to see if it's alright?" A voice from behind the ovens called? With a nod, the creature navigated around the ovens. They were actually well insulated, and that tricky smart mage had found a way with simple hollow tubes to pipe the heat and direct it around, in this case, to out the top of the roof. This helped to keep the kitchen a comfortable temperature, and meant the back wouldn't be giving off huge gobs of heat. Once in the actual kitchen part of the Inn, the one known as Neze inspected the large pot of gruel. A small dab was taken and spread carefully onto the back of Neze's hand. Slowly, most of it began to disappear, at least, the liquid seemed to be absorbed until there was just a bit of dried pieces of left. Brushing it off, Neze turned to look at the cook in question.

Once more, if Neze could smile, it would.

"Very delicious, Sallin. People will really enjoy this. I like the cinnamon taste." The voice was strange, it seemed to have a strange distorted sound to it, and a bit of a vibration. The voice, like the body, was gender neutral however. The cook gave a small smile at the alien creature. Most were quite used to the strange being with the pointed ears. For whatever reason, they felt safe, and almost like Neze was familiar. It was probably the ears, which were quite Elven in appearance. "Thank you Neze." The creature nodded once more before heading back to the ovens to check on the bread in the bakery. Most of it was done, so Neze was pulling it from the oven and placing them by the window sill to cool down. Fresh baked bread was always a good lure when you wanted to bring people in. Neze enjoyed this job to no end, the people that came into the place, if just because of the smell luring them, the baking was also quite fun, and though some thought it mundane, it was never really dull. Sometimes on slow days, Neze would go to the Inn portion and just listen to the customers.

Truly a blessed existence for a creature so strange.

[hikaru.dream]

Shou of Athlin could not convince the Sparshin tribe to open the portal to the training dimension. She had been at it for days, but no matter how hard she tried, they all shook their heads. It seemed she could do nothing more but take the human ship across the sea to the mainland.

After the Sparshin tribe chief's daughter had left the Isles in search of a cure for her father, the two tribes finally stopped fighting. The peace contract was not enough to combine the two tribes into one they once were, but no one minded. Each tribe had their own respective beliefs and habits. Living together would only give birth to unneeded frustration. With the long battle over, both tribes turned their attention to more important matters that they should have discussed long before. The main problem was the matter of the beasts of the forest becoming more violent because of some strange force, and the matter that the former Sparshin Chief had been also affected by the same force.

So, Shou had thought, since the two tribes were getting along so fabulously, the Sparshin chief might let Shou follow her daughter's footsteps. Shou was greatly disappointed. She displayed her skills with the bow, and her strong forest magic. But no matter what she tried, the Sparshin Chief firmly shook her head.
Shou, she said. We may not be able to find a better warrior than you in either tribe. However, I will not open it for you.
Why not, Shou insisted. It's a portal for warriors to hone their skills.
Still, the chief refused. It is a dimension where one learns to kill. Do you have courage to erase another life off the face of the earth?
Shou was silent. The chief smiled and gently patted the small sprite on the head.
Shou, killing is not for you. You have the power to protect and save lives. Do not use it to take them away.


Shou knew the chief was right, but it did not make her feel any better. She wanted to go after her best friend, no matter the danger. She wanted to fight by the black haired girl's side, share her pain and cry, share her joy and laugh. Some insisted she stay on the Isles. After all, it was most likely that the tribe chief's daughter had left without saying a word just in case anyone was to follow her. If you are really her friend, they would say, stay on the Isles and protect the forest. That is what she wanted you to do. But Shou didn't care.

She didn't care if Kei had hurt herself and said cruel things to keep Shou safe. She didn't care if following Kei would cause the warrior more trouble. She didn't care if people thought she was wasting her friend's consideration.
She knew that despite what Kei said, her friend was lonely. And Shou absolutely refused to leave her like that.


Shou was all about ready to find a ship to board on when her father saved her.
If you do it just the right way, he explained, you can ask the wind to carry you. Of course, he added. It's very difficult and even I can only go as far as the bottom of the Isles, but maybe you could do better and reach the mainland. It would be faster than a human ship, with more risk, of course.
Shou jumped up, her eyes lighting up. He taught her how to speak with the wind, and how to get it to fulfill her request. The Silva Tutela were generally on good terms with nature, and it was quite normal to find someone talking to the wind. Getting the great wind to obey you was completely different, and was not a common method of traveling. Shou learned and mastered it so quick she left both tribes to shake their heads in amazement. Perhaps it was her determination, or perhaps it was the friendly young lady's ability to make others happy that gave her speed. In a week, she gathered a few belongings, waved farewell to her tribe and left the islands she was born and raised to travel to an unknown world: the Mainland.


The wind took her to a small village surrounded by a beautiful forest. It was a nice place, but Shou paid little attention to the village itself. It was the people that fascinated her. Not only were there humans, but also elves, nymphs, half beast creatures, and many other beings which she could not name. Their auras were so strange, some were like humans, some were more like her own race, and others were completely different altogether. She also realized she was very small compared to most of the creatures around her. This did not please her at all, but there was not much she could do about it.

The wind softly caressed her long brown hair. The people call this place La'marri, it told her. There are people from all around the world.
Shou smiled and kissed the wind. To others, it looked more like she was kissing the plain air.
"Thank you! The ride was great, and you really really helped me out!"

The wind chuckled and gently hugged her and disappeared into the sky to be replaced by another wind. It whispered softly, leaving a sweet fragrance behind. It was the smell of freshly baked pastry, but Shou had no way of knowing this. Following her nose, and greeting everyone that came along her way, she came across a building which appeared to be the source of the mouth watering smell. It was a strange house indeed, but Shou knew nothing of buildings. If it was normal for the people here, there would be no point in worrying about it. Carefully she peeked inside as one customer went in, and caught a glance of the weird boxes. They looked hot and it seemed, the wondrous smell was coming from them. She peeked in again when another person came out, and was disappointed to see someone giving coins in exchange for a loaf of bread. Shou did not have any money she could use. She did have one coin that a human child had given her but that was a gift, not money. Maybe she shouldn't go in because she couldn't by anything.
 Shou pursed her lips and dodged out of the way as the first person came out. Then she caught sight of the baker and gasped in delight. The baker wasn't frightening, although it hardly had any face. It didn't seem to be male or female either. The door shut closed again. Shou waited patiently. The door reopened and the smell of bread wafted over her once again. It had the strangest hair, that floated this way and that, like her own did when she was swimming. The door shut.

Shou cocked her head, and after staring at it for a moment then opened the door. Perhaps they wouldn't mind if she just looked.
As she stepped inside, her emerald green eyes shone with awe at everything around her. To be truthful she had actually seen some of the stuff before, but it didn't hurt to be amazed all over again.

To others, the little sprite may have seemed like a mess. Although the wind had blown away most of the debris she had attracted on her trip, her face was smudged with dirt and she wore shoes of dust. Most of her clothing was covered by the dark green cloak that rested on her shoulders, but what showed was obviously weather worn. Her hands, clasped in front of her, were considerably cleaner than the rest, but still not clean enough to please the average cook.

Unaware of this, Shou smiled and cheerily looked up with her dirt streaked face at the strange baker.
"Hello, how are you? Do you mind if I watch and ask a lot of questions?"

[Anonymous]

Most shops felt the need to place a bell upon the door so it would chime when someone entered.

Not this one however. Neze, or Nezephinnilock as was her...his full name, felt no need to do this particular thing. He...she...it...was usually good about keeping an eye on the door, and even if she (today she felt a little womanly, it was best to go with that particular pronoun) didn't, people were easily able to get her attention. When fiddling with things like food and cooking, Neze did feel more of a connection as a woman than a man. It was a terrible thing to stereotype, but it was work that was a lot more satisfying to do as a female than a male. In this particular mindset, it also helped with the customers a bit more. That was when a short little creature opened the door and it made her three hearts jump a little.

She couldn't deny it, in any of her three forms, that the creature wasn't adorable. And the ears! Oh the ears! Neze was a sucker for anything with ears like her own, pointed like an Elf. The creature was a little dirty looking, like she could use a nice bath and perhaps some clean clothes. Neze usually liked to keep her skin clean, since that was how she ate, and if her pores got dirty, it was a very tedious procedure to clean them. However, a good pure mud bath wasn't anything to complain about.

The creature stared at her, and she stared back, her large eyes calculative and passive. And when she spoke, Neze could have smiled...if she had the proper functioning aesthetic quality for that. Neze found the young, short looking creature quite appealing.

"You are welcome to do so under one condition." Neze disappeared for a moment into the kitchen before returning with a large bowl and a clean cloth, placing it on the counter. "You must clean your face up a little bit. I am sure there is a cute little thing under all that dirt." She reached down and patted the girl on the head. Her own eyes were expressive towards her, showing that she was quite happy and in a good mood. "I am Nezephinnilock, though most prefer to just call me Neze...I find it is much shorter and saves on time." Saying her name was basically like trying to learn a new language. It was actually a new language technically, but that was a complication wasn't really necessary. "Would you like something to eat little one? I have some freshly baked bread that you may have." Neze wouldn't deny it, the cute little creature could probably get anything she wanted from her.

She had a soft spot for adorable little things sometimes.

[hikaru.dream]

Shou cocked her head and she pouted a little bit, without even realizing it. Up close, the fact that the creature wasn't strange didn't change. This delighted her, but it also threw her a little off track. She could normally sense some of the emotions of others. It was not telepathy, but mix of a gift of sharp observation, the ability of her race to see hazy auras of the living, and a good guess. With this baker, it was hard to tell everything because everything was so different from what she normally saw. It was even more difficult than the wind! She couldn't even tell what sex it was, but that wasn't too important.

Her face lighted up as if the sun had just rose when the baker spoke. It wasn't what the baker said that filled her with happiness, but it was the sense of a smile. She hadn't seen anything, but she was sure the baker had smiled. Or rather, it was impossible to see it smiling, because it had no mouth. In any case, Shou was greatly pleased to learn that even a baker with no mouth could smile. Everyone knew laughing was the best medicine, and it would be so sad if one had no access to it. Shou opened her mouth to reply when the baker disappeared. She blinked and left her mouth open for a second before calling after the baker.
"You have a very nice smile, ne!" She said, smiling happily herself. Nothing delighted her more than seeing a happy person.

Shou opened her large green eyes wide.
But it was clean dirt! She would have washed herself right away if had been the nasty, poisoned type. Strange, town people were, she thought. However, she had nothing against cleaning her face and nodded earnestly. Besides, she knew that some creatures got sick from bacteria and perhaps what she considered clean had sicknesses for other races. The baker would know better. Shou was in the baker's ground so she should abide to what the baker said.

The baker didn't seem to be a bad person at all, it had just patted Shou gently and it eyes showed nothing but pure kindness. Many feared Shou would kill herself from being too trusting, but she meant to know how to tell the difference between a good person and a bad one. Baker was good, definitely.

"Nezefinny... finnyluck... Nezinilock...Nezefinnylock?" After a couple tries, Shou was satisfied that she had managed to pronounce it somewhat like the baker had and laughed. "That is a long name!"She declared. "I think I'll take Neze, too, ne! Nice to meet you! My name is Shou! Shou Athlin, to be exact, but that's a long name and I like just plain Shou better so please call me that!"

Shou's eyes lightened up, if possible to look happier than she already was, at the word 'bread'. The Silva Tutela never used fire, so Shou only knew of these town luxuries. She had always wanted to try it out, it looked and smelled very good. However, she then remembered those coins that the earlier customer had paid, and her face fell.
"Thank you, but I don't have any coins," she said, smiling again as if nothing disappointing had happened. Although she would have liked to try one, watching was probably interesting enough, so there was no point in feeling down about it.
"Oh," she added hastily. "It's not like I wouldn't like to have some, I  really would! Only, you see, I don't have anything to give to you in return. I do have this," she said, rummaging in the small pouch she carried. After a few moments, she proudly displayed a small coin. It was the cheapest value in the currency of the area, but to one who had had no use for money, even that was a shining artifact of interest.
"But a human friend gave it to me so I'm not using it." She stowed it away again. "So, ne! Thanks though!"

[Anonymous]

Shou was not the first person to be completely confused and bewildered by Neze. Oh yes, many had a problem with the strange baker, all things considered. Some men, and women, found Neze to be...exotic and strange, but they usually had no idea what she was at any given day. People also were very uncomfortable with the idea of a creature that could change sexes at will. However, Neze didn't actually mind, because it was quite unimportant to her. Sometimes, she even found that it was really quite amusing. A lot of the time when Neze decided to be a male, or a gender neutral, people couldn't quite tell the difference. Neze did learn to wear clothes of course, knowing that people were very uncomfortable with nudity. It was a funny little genetic disposition she found with them.

This little creature seemed to be all the more happy for some reason as Neze spoke. The bright expression on her face was absolutely adorable, and it made Neze feel a whole lot better. Not that she was having a bad day, but she definitely was perking up around this creature for some reason. Her comment wasn't dismissed or unheard however, and Neze didn't quite understand it at first. She had no smile...at least...not a visible one. She did have a sort of empathic release from her telepathy that she could convey certain emotions as. Maybe the small creature could tell, she could feel the particular energy field around her. It wasn't uncommon, but however the small person knew, she was really quite happy about it.

"It is a very long name, but it's admirable that you tried." Again, that feeling of a smile surrounded Neze. It was something very common with her really, she was always very happy, her spirits were very high usually. It took a lot to bring her down, she was just a naturally happy creature with a very calm attitude. "I shall call you Shou then, as long as you call me Neze." Shou Athlin wasn't a very long name, at least not to Neze who came from a place and time when names like hers were actually short. Her people liked to have long complicated names, it was one of those strange quirks. Neze was actually quite sure though that Shou would not  be able to pronounce her name properly anyway, and Neze would be the name that Shou would use.

Neze noticed how expressive Shou was, how her eyes would light up, how her face showed such emotion. She didn't usually meet people that were so expressive, though their faces showed emotion, their eyes however usually didn't. Shou on the other hand, the very emotions were staggering, they showed every emotion, and it was quite pleasant to see. It was also a little heartbreaking, because when her face fell, Neze felt rather sad. Her own eyes even showed it, wondering why the sudden emotional change had happened. It all came clear however when she spoke. She even showed Neze a small copper coin. However, once all was said and done, Neze was fetching a loaf of bread and was cutting it up. She also fetched a little bit of jam as well, in a small bowl and set it all in front of Shou on the counter. "But you look like you want some Shou, and well...I can't eat this kind of food, so I need someone to test it for me. " Sure, Neze was completely sure that her cooking was fine, and that it was perfectly alright, but Shou didn't really know that now did she?

"You can be my taste tester." Neze also figured that Shou wouldn't have to feel like her pride was being injured as well. She seemed to understand that the world used currency, and that she had to buy things, but there were ways around that. Neze would never think about taking the coin from her, but she didn't want Shou to feel like she was being pitied. Some people didn't like that, some people were too proud for that, and despite being a cheerful little thing, Shou seemed to have put importance on certain things. Like treasuring memories, and accepting cultural changes. These were great qualities, and Neze had to reward it. "You would be doing a great favour for me if you would try it. Bread is usually good with jam or butter, I thought you wouldn't mind tasting the jam as well."

[hikaru.dream]

"Alright," Shou agreed, nodding. To tell the truth, she felt a little dismayed that she didn't seem able to pronounce the Neze's name. She had always taken pride in the ability to mimic and understand the language of the wild animals in the forest. The baker's full name sounded so strange that she would have thought it had come from a different world. Shou blinked. Thinking of more worlds than the already large Earth gave her a headache. She supposed she didn't need to know about foreign worlds to live on Earth, so it would be a waste of time thinking of them. If Neze was from a different world, she was on Earth and right in front of Shou. Shou paused a moment in her line of thought. She had just placed Neze as a female without much consideration. Now that she thought of it, Neze did seem more feminine than masculine. Maybe Neze could change sex by day. That would be interesting. Shou couldn't think of what it could be useful for, but it was still interesting all the same.

Shou stared at Neze for a moment as the baker cut the bread.
Many passed over the fact that she may have a brain under all the cheerful innocence. She had one, and it worked quite well.

First, she was surprised that one who lived in town would give her something without requesting something in return. She was accustomed to giving without taking in her village, but from what the wind remembered from other cities and towns, she understood that most of the rest of the world would not give without return. Although she could not say she liked it, she had to admit, it was an efficient way. She could understand receiving a gift from someone she had befriended, like the coin she kept. But Shou had just walked through the door and Neze offered her something and was in fact already cutting it. This was because Neze was nice, or she doing fairly well in business, or she really did want a taste tester, or she wanted Shou to do something. Shou, who could rarely doubt anyone, of course crossed out the last one. The third one was also unlikely, because she had seen the customers come in, and the baker would not be baking so many of the same bread if she was unsure of the taste. It was strange how Neze would know though, because she had no mouth. Maybe she shoved them through her ears or maybe even her eyes. The second one was most likely true, but the first appealed to Shou much more.

Second, Shou tried to think of what she could give in return. It obviously wasn't needed, but the offer Neze had made had made her really happy. If Neze had made her happy, she would also like to make Neze happy. Money, as she had stated, she did not have, and stealing was out of question. If she were on the Isles, she could bring loads of berries, fruit, herbs, and even flowers. The problem there was obvious. She didn't even know what types of plants grew here. That would take sometime, and anyway, since Neze kept shop here, she probably had what she needed from the forest.

Third, she worried that she was not fit for a taste tester. Shou had never had bread before. How would she know the difference between good bread and bad bread? Bread might be the stuff that you only knew if it was good if you had tasted it before, and the one before you tasted better.

On the other hand, she probably wouldn't get a chance to try bread anywhere else. Money wouldn't fall into her hands anytime soon. Besides, a gift in return could wait until she got to know Neze better, like what the baker enjoyed and what not.

"Thank you,"she said, smiling happily, automatically putting her palms together in the Silva Tutela symbol of thanks. "I don't know if I'll be a very good taste taster-see, I've never had bread before- but I would like to try!"
She paused, realizing she had heard some words she didn't understand.
"Jam? Butter?" she said, peering at the jam. It seemed to be berries soaked in sugar, and did look quite delicious. Butter, however, she could not imagine. Since 'jam' seemed to be berries soaked in sugar, maybe with 'butter' it was fruit instead.

[Anonymous]

Neze wasn't particularly offended by Shou's inability to pronounce her name. It was just a name, and it was a difficult one for people who didn't spend a lot of time around her, or heard it all too much. While it was a flowing name in her language, and in this particular dialect, people still had trouble with it's pronunciation. That wasn't a bother however, it meant people would remember her, and her name a lot better. It also helped that she looked completely bizarre to some of the residents of the world. She had met a few, a time or two ago, that didn't even blink an eye at her.

They had been interesting.

She wasn't trying to be particularly offensive toward Shou by offering her free bread and some fruit spread with butter. Shou would need food, and Neze could afford to let her sample some. However, pride was always in the way, and while Neze could be sure that Shou wasn't a young child, Neze still saw her that way. It might have been stature, or her happy go lucky nature, but all Neze knew was that she wanted to just mother the little girl. Even though the world ran on trading gold and precious metals for food or shelter, Neze believed that charity was always welcome. It may not have been because of karmic balance, that she wanted to even out the evils with acts of kindness, it was simply that the world needed to be more free and didn't need to get bogged down with things like coin and greed. Her people had eliminated the need for money, there was no reason to trade with outsiders, so whatever they desired was simply given away.

Unless it was really important, then the outsiders were just out of luck.

Neze nodded her head at the girl as she thanked her for the bread, and did a very strange little gesture with her palms. Neze would assume it was something that her people did, or that she just did as way of thanks. "Well, that's what taste testers do, they try. I'm sure you would be able to taste bad bread from good bread anyway." It wasn't hard to really know what was a bad bread, bad bread usually meant it was undercooked. Neze couldn't mess up on the recipe, she always got the amount of ingredients correct, but sometimes bread could surprise a person, sometimes it could rise wrong, or a splash of something got into the mix. That was usually never the case, but there had been a time when her oven had cooked the outside of the bread and left it with a dough-like centre. That had been...problematic.

"Jam is crushed berries, with a little bit of sugar, it's a popular spread, some say quite filling and sweet. Butter comes from cows...humans learned that constantly churning milk, it would become butter." There was a lot more to it, but Neze didn't think the production details would be all that important to Shou. Most people just cared about what a thing was made of, not how it was made. That was alright by Neze, she had the same outlook most of the time. "That jam has six different kinds of berries in it, a man down the street showed me how to create my own jam, and I have found that particular mixture is usually quite pleasing to people." Six had been the perfect amount, at least from what Neze found. It was hard to ruin jam, but seven different berries spoiled the mixture, it had made it sweet with a bitter aftertaste. That could have just been the last berries, but Neze had found that six made it just right.

This particular jam was a lot more crushed than most, for good reason as well. Neze often found herself spreading it onto the back of her hand, as with the butter and the different chocolate coatings. While her hand was usually left with a bit of rinds and seeds from jam, the bulk at least ended up giving her the nutrients and energy that she needed.

[hikaru.dream]

Shou decided on tryingcarefully broke the bread she had received into pieces with her small hands and watched the fluffy white stretch then break apart. She popped the smaller piece into her mouth, and stood there chewing for a while. The crust was was crunchy and the insides melted in her mouth. Shou was amazed. She had heard before that bread was made out of flour, which was made out of wheat. Wheat was not common in the forest of the Isles, but she had had it raw before. It hadn't been bad, but this evolution was much more delightful to the mouth. Shou vaguely wondered who had thought of this. Whoever that person was, she would have liked to thank him (or her) very much for bringing such a delicious creation into the world.

She would have liked to give some to the children of the tribe, but fire did not belong in the forest. Perhaps she could earn some money while she was on the mainland and bring some back from the village. Maybe it was only Neze's bread that was so good, so buying some at the human village wouldn't be such a good idea. Unfortunately, La'marri was a great distance away from the Isles so the bread would probably go bad by the time she reached home, and she couldn't possibly take Neze with her.

Brushing those thoughts out of her mind, next she tried the bread with jam. The sweet mixture spread in her mouth, tickling her taste buds. She could taste each berry, four she could recognize but the last two were completely new to her. Neze was right, jam did go very well with bread. It also might go nicely with other foods, she thought, or even just by itself. She wondered whether it also used heat. Maybe this was something she could bring back to the children.

Shou looked up and smiled at Neze. "It's really good! I've never tasted anything like it before, ne!" she said happily, and licked a finger. "Thank you very much!!"

"Butter," she repeated thoughtfully. "I wonder how humans discovered that milk turns to butter? Were they so bored that they stirred milk all day? How do you make the jam? Do you need heat? How long does it last? Why do you think it's so good?

[Anonymous]

The baker decided that all of work could wait, mostly because all of her work was in an oven or on a stove and was just about waiting. After the preparation, after the ingredients were all mashed together, that was the end of it. You stuck it in the oven, and just waited for it to be ready. It gave Neze a lot of time to do other things, which in this case was to watch a little creature eat some bread with some spreads. She was going to enjoy the company of this strange little person, it was rather adorable to see the girl trying the new foods. It was strange to think that she had never tried butter, bread, or jam before, but...there were just places out there that had no idea.

It almost made Neze want to bring a little foreign food to the places that didn't have. To her, butter, jam, and bread were pretty much staples, and a world without them was a world lost.

There was no doubt that some places probably couldn't sustain it, the island nations for that matter would no doubt have a little trouble. Places that couldn't grow wheat, or the right berries, or allow cattle to survive and thrive. Neze decided to just...forgo those particular hopes until a more appropriate time. It may not ever happen really, and Neze was okay with that. Things sometimes didn't happen, and that was just how fate was.

"I'm really glad that you enjoyed it." Again, that aura of happiness, of pleased accomplishment. Neze simply nodded her head. "So many questions little one. I am unsure how the humans figured out milk, but I am sure that it was some very bored farmer. As for jam, you indeed do need heat, but jam can last for months under the right conditions. It just needs to be kept cool and out of sunlight." Maybe she could send the little Shou along with a jar or two of jam when she left. It all depended on how things played out, didn't it?

"So tell me Shou, what are you doing here? You seem to be on an adventure of some sort, or are you just seeing the world?" It did seem a little odd to Neze, that such a young creature would just be out here all alone. Neze did read, when she could afford to, and sometimes her imagination just got the better of her and she thought of grandiose adventures. Perhaps this was just one of those times when Neze let her mind run away with her.

[hikaru.dream]

Shou thought of all kinds of things and ways she could bring the delicious food to the Isles.  However, she reached the conclusion that it was best not to. It was completely a different culture, especially for her race, and was something that could affect things more than she wanted it to.  It was fine for change to happen, change was important and unavoidable. Maybe in this case it was a good change. She wouldn't know, she had only lived for a little more than nineteen years. Besides, the bread would not last across the seas and even though jam might last longer, she wondered how long she could keep it. The real problem was actually whether she would pass by La'marri on the way back to pick up stuff to bring home. Well, she could think of it when the time came.

"Of course," she replied brightly. "I'd never learn anything, don't you think, if I didn't have questions?" Hmm, cool and out of sunlight. Maybe she COULD manage that.
Shou shook her head lightly. She had just abandoned the topic, she shouldn't be thinking about it again! But that was how much she liked Neze's bread and jam. She could almost see the happy faces of the children as they stuck their hands in the sticky spread.

"Oh, life always seems to be an adventure!!" Shou said, her eyes narrowing a bit as she laughed yet again. "I'm on an adventure to see the world! Oh," she frowned a bit. "That didn't turn out right. I'm on an adventure and seeing the world while I'm at it!!" Shou beamed at Neze.

It seemed as if she really were a child exploring the world, not yet knowing any of the sad or darker parts of the world. Or perhaps she was just good at hiding it, so good that in fact it seemed fake. It was hard to tell the difference.

[Anonymous]

Already she was thinking about teaching Shou how to make jam. It was a rather simple process, and if she learned how to make different jams, not just with berries, she'd be able to make jam almost anywhere! If this little one came from a place where there was no jam, then Neze felt like it was up to her to help bring jam to the people. After all, everyone should get to try out jam. It was a healthy little snack, and really, you didn't need bread or toast to enjoy it. Jam went with so many things really, and you could even eat it without anything. She knew of a mage here who did just that, and enjoyed it very much. It was something to think about, maybe the young one would enjoy learning and making jam.

It was a thought she'd be able to bring up later.

"This is very true Shou, very true indeed." Again, that feeling of a smile, of happiness radiated from Neze. She quite enjoyed this strange little munchkin that was Shou. She was an interesting person who seemed so naive, but...at the same time, it wasn't just a youthful innocence. It wasn't some closed ignorance that some xenophobes may have had. Shou was just curious, she didn't know something and as such she wanted to know. It was quite refreshing, and quite adorable for that matter.

Neze listened carefully to Shou as she spoke, even noting as she frowned and corrected herself. At first Neze was quizzical, but everything became clear when Shou properly explained what she was doing. On an adventure, and seeing the world. That was the life. Neze had seen the world once before...long...long ago. Granted, it had drastically changed since then. She almost wondered if it was time for herself to go find an adventure and see the world again. She didn't much like the idea of leaving the shop, though it was in very capable hands of course.

Something to think about.

"An adventure and seeing the world, that must be something indeed! Is this the only part of the world you've seen so far, or have you been elsewhere?" Neze found her focus more interested in this person before her now than her work. Not like there would be anything wrong, she was keeping a close eye on her work so to speak. However, she found herself very interested in this young creature. She was so full of life, so bubbly and appeared to just be living in the moment. She'd thought it before, and she could think it again...Shou was refreshing to have around.

[hikaru.dream]

Shou had quite enjoyed traveling with the wind. It would in one mood, then before you realized it in another. Other winds would come and  become one with it, and it also left to become other winds. She could hear the voices of people living far away, the sounds of a storm nearby. But the wind was, in certain perspectives, just the wind. It wasn't a person. It didn't keep conversation. Neze was the first person she had talked to properly for a long time, and Shou couldn't have been enjoying her time with the strange being more. Neze felt old, and obviously knew so much more than Shou did. Just thinking of the new stuff she could learn from Neze made Shou's feet want to dance in excitement. They actually did a few taps before stopping as Neze spoke.

Shou thought for a moment and smiled, this time looking a little puzzled.
"I don't know where parts of world would start and end," she said, cocking her head. "I lived on the islands we call Antiquitus. I think the humans nearby call it 'Yoreiq'?" She cocked her head the other way.

She had only heard people mention a couple of times. It wasn't a word that was used in her tribe and not something she heard everyday. She knew of 'Le'raana', 'Serendipity', 'Adela', and a couple of other place names because she had heard the villagers, sailors and the occasional traveler mention them. Strange enough, they came up more than 'Yoreiq', despite the fact that the land they were on was called 'Yoreiq'. Perhaps people didn't use it as much because Yoreiq could be replaced with words such as 'our land' or 'here'. Her tribe never had need of them, for their job was to protect the forest. Rarely did they take contact with other tribes in other forests. Even if they did, there was no need to learn of the Common names of the places. They had their own names.

"Oh, and now I've been here, ne! 'La'marri'!!" She smiled, clasping her hands together in delight. It was certainly a nice place. Everyone seemed to get along well enough, without fighting too much. The people here were strange, she recalled. They were all different kinds of races, shapes, sizes, fashion, what ever you could think of. She liked the place at first sight, and it was a shame she couldn't stay for a long time to learn about other cultures.

"There was also a lot of sea!" She added. "The sea really is amazing, ne?? There were all kinds of things down there much more than I could see!"

There tends to be more than what one can see with the eye with everything

A dry voice spoke in her mind.
 It was a memory, from long ago. She had said the same thing to her best friend and that was what her friend had replied. Many might have looked sad or have began to remember other precious memories, but Shou didn't. She just smiled a bit and carefully stored the memory at the back of her mind. Hello, Kei, she thought. I've made a new friend today. I think you'd like her very much, ne!

"Are there any places you like? That would be nice to visit?"?Shou asked. Neze seemed ancient (not in looks, of course, she didn't mean to insult anyone) making Shou think again and again that there must be a lot she could learn from her.

[Anonymous]

If only she could read the young one's mind, she might figure more out about Shou. Granted, she could just ask Shou, and that was usually a better approach. Most people weren't fond of having their minds invaded, not by a strange immortal being that could change genders at will. However, there were some things that were probably rude to ask a person, like asking Shou why she suddenly danced. Sure, it was only a few hops on her feet, but Neze could feel emotion around Shou, pure joy and happiness for that matter. Why she had become that happy was beyond her. Maybe she was just...naturally that happy that her body decided to dance.

"Yoreiq...ah yes, in the west." It had took a few moments to really remember the names of the different countries in Le'raana. She had lived so long, seen the names change so many times, the different languages, what the different people called them that it did take a bit for her to remember each of the more modern names.

Of course, Neze couldn't let on all of this. She did admit she was an old creature, but the extent of how hold she really was never got revealed. Not to mention, most people would never believe that she was from the stars above, from millions and millions of leagues away. It was really just better not to upset the populace with talks like that. They weren't ones that could handle.

"Yes, that's right. La'marri. So you are slowly going to go east...I envy you, little one. Being able to see the world." She would be seeing it from such a refreshing view point. Shou would see things with such wonder and almost...child-like curiosity. She didn't much like the idea of such a being having to see the darker side of the world that could be out there...and suddenly Neze found herself in a dilemma. What if she went to Connlaoth? What if she went to Thanatos? While it wasn't that dangerous, what if she got into trouble with those places? Not to mention Adela could be a harrowing place at times, and the desert was always a worrisome place. Neze maternal and paternal instincts were suddenly kicking in at just the thought of it. Sometimes it was bad being able to freely change genders.

"Oh yes, there are some very nice places. I would like to be like you Shou, and see all the world again. I will admit I was much younger when I saw the world in it's entirety. I'm sure it would be quite an adventure to see it all again." Neze sighed, a forlorn sort of noise that sounded odd coming from a creature without a mouth. Her telepathic sigh at least worked to some degree. She was torn between travelling with this little one, protecting her, and staying right here as she made a pact to herself all those years ago.

It seemed like an eternity ago.

[hikaru.dream]

Shou nodded. She supposed she was going to the east.

...Wait, was she?
Now that she thought of it, she had no idea where to start looking for her friend. It was a big world. A very big one. She knew that much. She needed a direction to head to, but Shou had no idea where to go most of the time. It could only be a general direction because Kei would not stay so long in one place, but still, it would help a great deal. Much better than traveling in a blind direction. On the other hand, it seemed the only thing she could do now is travel on a random path. It would be a hard choice of choosing which way to go. East winds told her of more people, and west winds brought the smell of salt. Oh, and Neze had just said she was heading east. She also liked the sound of east better than west. Those were probably enough reasons to try east first.

So, yes, she was heading east. Shou nodded inwardly in satisfaction.

Shou, of course, had no idea whatsoever that Neze was even thinking of coming with her. The possibility never even crossed her mind. She cocked her head, question marks almost seeming to flying around her head. What was it that Neze seemed upset, or distressed about? Shou wondered if she could help, but was not sure whether it was something she should ask about. Maybe she was remembering something that hadn't been so pleasant in her travels. And she had let out a sigh (it was a sigh, wasn't it?) which could mean all kinds of things, but from Neze's current aura it probably meant she was troubled.

Maybe she shouldn't stare at Neze so much.
Shou turned her eyes, opened wide in concern, away from the strange creature and began her fifth scan of the oven. Funny that there were more things to discover each time she looked, like that there was a small dent in the side of it. Someone had probably bumped into it with something hard, but possibly some crazy man had come in with a sword and lunged for the baker, missed, and hit the sword on the oven. She certainly felt sorry for the poor crazy man. He was only crazy, and picked the wrong person to lunge for. Or maybe that's why they were crazy.

[Anonymous]

It was a simple matter to Neze. If the little one wanted to see the world, the logical choice was to head east. They were already in the west, and if she lived in Yoreiq, then going west would just take her back there. Of course, Neze wished she had a map of some kind to give to Shou, so that Shou could find her way and not deal with Connlaoth. While the little one didn't look too much like a strange magical creature, there was surely some magic about her. One wrong move could end up with Shou in a dungeon, or even worse...tortured.

That settled it. Neze would not be able to stay here knowing that Shou could end up in some serious trouble.

"Shou...this trek your making...it is really dangerous you know." Neze began. She didn't want to just add herself to Shou's ranks. She had to approach it delicately. "I almost wish you hadn't told me about your plan." It was true, while she still might have wanted to accompany the child, because of boredom and wanderlust, but now it was out of some instinct, some desire to protect the young being. Well, in her own eyes, Shou was a child still. She may have been old enough in her society, but it was hard to find a being older than Neze. "I want to come with you Shou. There are...a great many of dangers on the main land, and I could not live with myself knowing that I sent you perhaps to death or ruin." Neze wished that she had perhaps...worded that a little better. She would have to try.

"Not that the entire world is dangerous Shou, but there are places out there that would not welcome you. There are some place that would take advantage of your seeming naivety. I would like to join you on your adventure Shou. I would be letting myself down if I didn't at least ask you and warn you of the dangers." If Shou said no, that would probably be the end of it for Neze. She had offered help, and she would continue to get the little one help. Like procure a map for her to see and plot a safe route.

Then she will have at least tried.

[hikaru.dream]

Shou stayed silent while she listened to Neze talk. Any laughter that had been present on her face had left to be replaced by a solemn expression.

Of course she had known that her journey was going to be a dangerous one. Everyone back at home had warned her multiple times, and she had been sure that she was ready for it. Now that Neze said it, the perils that she must face really hit her. She had ran out into the world without knowing much about it. She had figured she could ask along the way; animals and trees rarely lied. But just because they didn't lie didn't mean they would tell the truth that she needed to be safe. This thought didn't frighten Shou, but made her more desperate to find her childhood friend. She couldn't let her to wander around alone in such a large lonely world.

Maybe Neze had said she wanted to come too because she felt much the way as Shou felt herself now. This warmed Shou with joy, but one of the few things she knew about Neze stopped her from replying right away.
It was the bakery.
Shou could feel Neze's love for the bakery and for the life she had now. She would love to travel with someone like Neze, but she couldn't bear to see the baker part with the place she could live comfortably and call her own.

Realizing she had looked down while she had been thinking, she raised her head and looked at Neze firmly in the eye.

"I would really really like it if you could come with me," she began, trying to choose her words carefully. After a couple moments, she gave up and just spoke the words as they came to her mind.  "I really would! But I think you like this bakery a lot and, and... I don't want to see you part with it. I'm not sure if I'm making sense, but you see, I've not met many people who've been as satisfied with their life like you seem. I don't want to break that because of me..."
Shou looked down again, but when she looked up again she was smiling. It seemed she couldn't stay solemn for more than a few minutes.
"I'm not weak at all, ne! I'll probably be okay, even if I'm not I'll find some way to get out of it!!" She smiled and tapped the bow slung on her back.

She smiled again, this time looking a little rueful. Oh, how much she would have liked to travel with the strange creature! The road was always more fun with a companion, and if that companion was Neze, even more so. But she didn't want to make more people go out of their way for her selfish reasons.

[Anonymous]

That motherly instinct took over. Perhaps it was also her scientific mind taking over, it would make for a great observational report. Granted, she had no real way of jotting down reports anymore...but she could remember them. Her species did have a good memory.

While Neze did love her bakery, while she did love the simple joy of baking and the ease of being able to eat so easily...she could get by. At long as she was able to bring some things along, she would be completely fine! Despite having no gender right now, she felt this adventure would be worth it to become a woman for. It meant she would take the time to trigger the metabolic change, creating her body into a feminine one. It also meant she'd have to have a full stomach for. She would take care of that in a little while. She could hurry the process along and take only a day and a half to do, but she didn't want to keep Shou waiting that long.

The little one began to talk, and Neze could have smiled largely as she spoke. The bakery did mean a lot to Neze, but it would still be here when she got back. It might take them months or even years to explore...but it would all still be here. Unless the entire village got completely destroyed, and the chances of that were incredibly slim. "I didn't mean to imply you were weak Shou...but it is dangerous out there, and you are such an innocent thing." Despite what powers the girl may have, and what abilities she may possess, there was always someone out there who had more power and better abilities. "And I would not be satisfied with my life if I just let you go. This bakery will stand and run as it always did, the people of the kitchen were trained well." She explained carefully to Shou, her eyes staring directly into Shou's own.

"I would very much like to come with you Shou, but I will only go if you allow me to." even then, she might wait a few days, and tail the young one. The world was full of dangers that she probably had no idea even about, her island life was no doubt pretty sheltered compared to what could happen in a city.

It wouldn't be right, and Neze was feeling rather determined about the whole thing.

[hikaru.dream]

Shou solemnly stared right back into Neze's eyes for a while. Then she took a big breath and smiled happily. If this smile were the sun, then all other ones would be the moon or even stars. It was very easy to tell she was delighted.

"Thank you!" she said, still smiling, and clapped her hands in delight. She still felt bad about making Neze leave the bakery and her familiar surroundings but she had very much wanted to travel with this strange being. The very thought made her so excited she nearly jumped up and down but she thought that might appear childish to Neze and therefore be unworthy of her companionship so she glued her feet to the ground. It did not, however, occur to her that it was possible to jump, or more, bounce, without taking her feet off the ground, so the little sprite ended up bouncing a little bit despite her efforts.

She was all but ready to leave right now, until it occurred to her that Neze would need to time to prepare. How much time? A week, a month? A year? No, Shou couldn't stay that long. But a few weeks maybe would be okay, but she didn't want to hurry Neze too much. After all, it was a long trip. Not that she really believed Neze would company her all the way to the end of her journey, but even if Neze returned to La'marri before Shou reached her destination, it still was a very long one.

It wasn't long before she cocked her head and just asked Neze when they would leave.

"You don't have to hurry, either!" Shou added brightly. It was true that she was in a hurry to find Kei but she was willing to sacrifice a few weeks in exchange for a companion.

[Anonymous]

Neze hearts swelled when she saw that smile on Shou's face. It was always nice to see a pleased person in her shop! Whether it was because they got their favourite treat, or because they were getting a baker's escort both were quite acceptable for her.

"You are quite welcome Shou." Her large brown eyes shined slightly in the light as she bowed her head. It was cute to see the little one try and contain her obvious excitement. It almost was like she wanted to jump for joy. Ah, to be so young, Neze could definitely understand that. She remembered when she was young and excitable, though that seemed like...way too many ages ago.

Eons went by quickly.

"I promise that I will not take too long Shou. I will need three days at least...I think I will need to be something more defined in the world's eyes." Neze was pretty sure that being a woman for this trip would probably be the best solution. In the very least, having a gender was going to be the best solution. She couldn't go around walking around without a gender, people were uncomfortable with that sort of thing. "You can stay at my house while I go through a metamorphosis." She would have to create a few things for Shou to eat while she was changing but it wouldn't be too bad. At least she had learned how to still function while changing forms.

Neze walked along the counter and out into the main area of the shop where Shou was. "I'll show you where I live Shou, and then you'll be able to come and go as you please." Neze told the woman with a pleased aura about her as if she were smiling. It was really nice to have someone new around!

[hikaru.dream]

Shou nodded eagerly. Few moments later the actual meaning of Neze's words hit her.
"Only three days?!" she exclaimed. No wait, Neze had said at least three days, that was a little different. But still that was a lot faster than she had expected. Unless of course Neze would postpone departure many times but she really didn't feel like the type to do such a thing.

"...Metamorphosis?" This perked Shou's interest, creating a stream of questions. What would that mean? Would Neze turn into something more interesting than she was now? Was that even possible? Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

As Neze walked out from behind the counter, her whole body appeared enabling Shou to see all of her. Although she was extremely tempted to just stare yet again, she caught herself in time and decided her studying could come later, maybe when they knew each other more so that it wouldn't be as rude. Hopefully. And she would definitely try to pronounce Neze's real name right! As long as she never gave up, she was sure to be able to!

Something about what Neze had just said made her stop, and drag herself from back to reality.

"I can wait outside while you prepare, ne!" She said brightly, quickly waving her hands in front of her. "I mean, I don't need a place to stay! I like it much better outside than inside to sleep and stuff and I met some nice trees in the forest! It's more natural for me, you see!" This was all in one breath, but surprisingly, she didn't seem to winded although she did take the time to inhale deeply.

"But, but!" She added excitedly. "I would like to see what your house is like! I haven't seen the insides of any houses since I came to this town, and a lot of them look very interesting! "

Having a comrade for traveling called for a change of plans, Shou finally realized. Not that she had had much of a plan to begin with, but traveling by the winds and sleeping in trees would likely not be the most preferable conditions for her new companion. That meant she would have to go about a more inefficient way of walking (unless Neze had something more amazing up her sleeve), although she found a companion was worth the loss. Besides, hurrying didn't really help her on her search. It would be better to collect data slowly at least at first so she had some idea of what she was doing. She was well aware of the how impossible her task was.

Of course, it didn't matter whether it was impossible or not.
It mattered that she would do what she believed, and never gave up.