Chapter Text
The summer sun glistened in the cloudless sky, its cruel rays battering down upon a single galleon in the ocean. Sailors ran around the boat, not allowing the weather, grime or monsters of the deep to bring the vessel down. Shouts could be heard all over the deck, a new task being assigned to someone every few seconds. Ropes were pulled to angle the wind catching sails, cannons were fired to repel a slimy appendage from grasping the ship into its watery grave and all the while Mia, talented chef she was, laid in the glooming muggy berth, head deep in a bucket, puking up the contents of her stomach.
It had been two weeks since the boat sailed out from the docks of the port town Merilis, the seas were not kind in this part of the world as Mia had quickly learned. Monsters roamed the deep, seeing any human made ship as an easy snack to drown into the depths. The weather was also cruel. Mother nature itself denying an easy journey to their goal with storms and powerful waves. Days were spent fending off monsters as the guests they were ferrying were made to hole up in the berth, entrusting their lives to the sailors of this large ship.
Mia had quickly found out that her and sailing were not on good terms as she spent the first few days battling the rising sickness in the calmer parts of the sea. When the storms and harsh waves that shook the ship had become commonplace. Mia had become more familiar with the bottom of each bucket, than the people’s faces on the ship. Days bled into each other, making it hard to understand how far along the ship truly was on its voyage.
Mia had just finished filling another bucket as she dragged herself into her designated hammock. Exhaustion ran through her as she closed her tired eyes but there was something to look forward to that wasn’t waking up to another day of seasickness. She had heard talk spill from the berth that the ship was to be arriving at its destination soon.
With that thought in her mind, she allowed her battered body to pull her into sleep.
As her eyes slowly fluttered open, she pulled her weakened body up in the dark berth. Her stomach felt like it was replaced by a void as hunger struck her. Something she was delighted to experience after the agony she’d been through. Tearing through her linen sack sitting below her, she pulled out a handful of ship biscuits. Devouring them before her body could send them back up. Mia glanced around as she chased the stale food down with water, now noticing the emptiness of the usually cramped berth. The dogged shaking of the ship also having stopped now that she was aware enough to realize. Mia brushed her mouth of the crumbs as she heard sounds from outside, sounds different from the lapping cruel waves that had kept her company for the travels so far. Lowering herself to the ground, with wary steps as and her sack slung over her shoulder, she climbed up the stairs exiting onto the main deck.
Blocking the insistent sun with a free hand as she stepped out, Mia gawked at the sight before her.
Massive strange buildings loomed over her, surrounding the front half of the ship, each structure was made in a way she had never seen before, curtains replacing the top half of walls were pulled up, allowing peeks into the places. Her eyes followed the buildings down to the huge gravely paths that seemed to stretch out for miles. Boxes and barrels the size of small houses dotted the pathways all around and the strong stench of fish blanketed the whole air, making Mia feel like she was locked inside a fishmonger’s house.
Movement caught her eye as she saw the inhabitants of this foreign land, causing a shiver to go up her spine despite knowing where she was. People the size of the tallest trees stomped around, shaking the ground with each footstep as they went about their day. Inspecting their own uniquely made boats, checking their haul, and chatting with one another.
This was the continent of the giants; Rugules, where she would be spending her next five years.
Mia felt like a small rodent glancing out of its mousehole overwhelmed by the simplicity of its existence in a world that had been built around her for beings way beyond her. The huge buildings and giants walking around was completely disorienting to her senses. With each glance at more of the passing titans she could feel her body stiffen and her blood running cold. One human; the captain was talking to a giant casually as they were held high up in the sky in a hand as large as a shack. She winced at it.
Suddenly the ship shook back and forth as to her left, a massive boat unlike any sea faring vessel she had ever seen pulled into the docks, shaking the waters with its massive girth. Its familiar shape and build brought back memories to her as she was reminded of the small boat her family had back at her home village that she had used frequently to coast through the nearby rivers and end up at a scenic lake she loved so much. That boat however, was not meant to handle anything beyond a slight shaking of the waters.
It felt like a mockery to her species that simply upsizing something she was so familiar with was enough to conquer the seas she had just suffered through.
Giants stepped off the boat, rising to their towering heights as they unloaded what felt like an endless amount of resources taken from the sea. Sea plants, rocks and fish were all in the pile. One fish in particular stood out to Mia as she looked at it in shock. One of the sea monsters she was warned about so frequently back at Merilis. One that could sink a human ship with disturbing ease was now just one of the many carcasses part of a small haul done by two lone giants, not even a weapon to their name.
She shut her eyes like a child on a stormy night, not wanting to allow her brain to overrun with fear in the first few moments of being here before a tap on her shoulder jolted her body causing her to whip around.The face of a heavily scarred female sailor greeted her as Mia stood still awkwardly for the first few seconds.
“Everyone has finished disembarking besides you, You should hurry along now,” the muscled woman said as she pointed to a line of people past the docks, thankfully not calling attention to Mia’s jumpiness.
The sailors were probably just as exhausted as she was, Mia thought as she looked at the woman’s eyes that held a deep tiredness to them that looked like they wouldn’t go away even after a full night’s rest.
“O-Oh, thank you for the directions,” Mia stuttered out.
“No problem, don’t go vomiting on any sad sop ok?” she said with a tired chuckle as she waved to Mia before returning to whatever task she had to do.
She nodded with a blush on her face before rushing after the line, trying to put her surroundings out of thought as she lightly jogged down the gangway.
As she caught up to the file of people, she pulled her head down to the ground which held some semblance of normalcy and with her luggage in hand, shuffled along in line with the rest of the people. Mia didn’t mind that she was missing the ‘wondrous’ sights of a foreign land like other people as she heard gawking and excited voices. She had five years to sightsee if she ever felt inclined to.
Mia shambled along. The rumbling of nearby giants constantly making her want to escape to anywhere else that wasn’t here. How was everyone else in this line so calm? Did they not feel the constant shaking that vibrated their very bones with such a mundane action as taking a step? Did the sounds that echoed through the air like a landslide not affect them at all?
Mia continued forward, trying to put the thought of the giants as far out of mind as she could, covering her free hand with her ear until she bumped into the person in front of her. Causing her to pull her head up and see where people were heading. A house awaited them as people filled into it. It was surprisingly human sized. A stark difference from everything else around her. A sign to the right of the door read in big bolded letters
, at least she assumed from the little Heltish she was able to learn before coming here. She remembered being taught that the word for human in the giant’s tongue was petitwin which meant small doppelganger. She didn’t know if she felt flattered by that or even more scared.
The house comically stood connected to another one that was obviously for giants. Its immense size taunting the smaller abode.
Dragging herself in, the interior was nothing special, surprisingly so for a place that was one of the first buildings a human would experience in giant territory. Instead basic wooden chairs filled the space in neat rows all pointing in one direction. People found their spot on these rickety chairs as they relieved themselves of their luggages. Mia stared warily at the windows and a door that linked up to the giant house on the south side. Sounds of loud powerful voices talking could be heard just on the other side.
Mia pulled herself into a rickety wooden chair near the center of the room. Glancing around, she looked at the people who were waiting alongside her. Most were forming little groups as they happily chatted about the future prospects of working with giants and gratefulness at surviving the journey thus far. Mia felt like the odd one out sitting in awkward silence trying not to be a nervous wreck while most people in the house had a weary but happy smile painted on their faces.
She could fit in too. She would just have to get used to everything.
She pulled out a worn piece of folded parchment out of her tunic pocket to try to re-orientate herself.
HUMANS WANTED
Restaurant Esterla’s owner, Celia Hudrick in the outstanding capital of Graltus
is looking to give humans a new opportunity the likes they would never experience!
New and exciting cooking challenges will await you as you work with
the fine people of Esterla serving hungry giants your own cooking!
Must have adequate skill with a variety of human cooking
Five year apprenticeship Dalters Path, Building 16
ᛥᚦ
With backing from the royal family of Graltus.
She had read the advertisement many times by now, she had even sent off an application and received a reply back letting her know she had been accepted. But it always had a feeling of something distant to Mia. As if it was something she would experience in her next life. But sitting here now, rereading the letter while feeling the occasional rumble of a giant walking, she felt the weight of her actions.
Suddenly a loud rumbling different from the heavy steps of the giants could be felt pulsing through the ground as Mia looked around in worry.
A few seconds later, the door connecting the house to the giant house swung open and a human man walked in. The way he was dressed was quite different from everyone else. Tailored pants the colour of soft vanilla cream framed his legs and he had slicked back black hair with a contained smile. Fine brown leather shoes adorned his feet. The most noticeable to Mia was the crest knitted to his high quality tunic. The symbol of the Graltus royal family was there, in all its glory to see.
People in the room turned and watched as he walked with measured steps to the wall where the chairs were turned to point towards.
He cleared his throat audibly.
“Hello fine gentlemen and ladies. My name is Eric. I work for the Graltus royal family. Thank you for making your way here. I’m sure the journey thus far was rough but it will be over soon enough.” His eyes swept over the crowd as he started his speech in full.
“Now I know this is new to a good many of you. And I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to you all for making such a monumental decision. Choosing to become the first official bridges between human and giant relations is not an easy one to make but you all chose to anyway. As you are all coming up on the end of your journey, I would like to give you a reminder of what will happen from hereon. You will all be graciously brought to the fine capital of Graltus where the giants who have applied for human diplomat workers will welcome you with open arms. They will give you bed and food and will be largely responsible for your well being as you work under them in a variety of jobs, just as we humans will be doing for them in our fine continent.”
“I know a large amount of humans did not have time to learn Heltish but do not worry, all of the giants that have hired you have been confirmed to speak Standard.”
He gestured to two people standing to the side that Mia hadn’t noticed until now, they walked up next to Eric. The woman and the man were both finely dressed, not as well as Eric, but like him, had the Graltus crest embroidered onto their tunics.
“Of course to ensure your safety, we will be performing surprise checks by the season to make sure you are all adjusting well and getting along with your caretaker. If we allowed any of you to come under such poor care, that would stain the name of the Graltus royal family.”
He adjusted his tunic slightly before motioning to the door everyone had entered from.
“There is a carriage waiting outside for you all. It will take three days to reach Graltus. Your larger luggage from the ship has already been loaded in. Now I must warn you the carriage is one of giant use so it will be quite intimidating to some of you. However it has been modified so humans can ride in it so you can continue on your journey with ease.”
With a bow to the crowd he said “I wish you all a good journey.” Before exiting out the door he came in from.
The remaining envoys called the travellers out of the house. Mia stepped warily out back into the hot seaside town to be greeted to sight of the most massive coach carriage she had ever seen. Animals that resembled cows the size of the most prestigious churches stood there waiting. Human sized stairs were in front of the house leading into the carriage itself as one envoy stood to the side of them checking people as they made their way in.
The stairway stretched so far that Mia was worried that they would collapse. However as she climbed the stairs, periodically wiping the sweat from her brow, her worries stood unfounded as she arrived at the top.
When Eric said modification, Mia had assumed the carriage had its internals remade from the ground up for human use. What it actually meant however was not much. The chairs in the coach body were still there and utterly massive. Where the humans actually stayed was more awkward and precarious. The stairs stopped at the floor of the carriage and split off into two more. One on the right and one on the left. Mia continued forwards, ending up on the right side. Where the wood was flat and wide all around until they touched the walls of the box. Handrails were on each side to stop any clumsy person from falling to their death. Partitions made with cheap wood separated people into spaces, each holding a crudely made bed and to Mia’s disappointment, human food rations.
Mia chose a spot at random and settled down on the bed with a sigh. It was at least nicer than the hammock in that awful dark berth.
She watched as the rest of the travellers slowly filled the carriage until everyone was inside. Envoys settled down on the floor as a giant closed the huge door with an echoing click. She shuddered as she turned away. For some reason her brain forgetting that a giant would have to be the one to control the carriage.
With a loud crack that ran through the air. The animals that pulled the carriage started to trot along pulling her and the rest of the diplomat workers to their eventual destination of Graltus.
The sounds of the waves lapping against the huge stone structures, fishy smells and the cawing of birds had faded and given way to new ones. Sounds of flora shaking in the wind and the earthy smell told some ideas. However the lack of windows or rather, windows that were reachable by humans made it so a true understanding of the path they were on was simply not possible. The sun’s rays shone down from the massive windows high above, letting Mia know that it was at least midday.
Despite the poor bedding, the comfort and warm sun shining down settled Mia into a constant state of nodding off. With a quick shake to her head to chase the drowsiness away, she dug into her linen pack, pulling out a fine carved box with her name carved on them that housed her prized cooking knives. A quick rubdown was done to the fine steel that was more to calm herself down than clean the tools of her trade, she idly stared down at them when someone from the other side of a partition next to hers poked their head into hers. A lady around the same age as Mia with long cherry red hair in two long looped braids and a bright yellow one piece dress waved at her smiling.
“Hello, I just wanted someone to talk to. Is that alright?” the cheery girl asked.
The trip thus far had been one where Mia was too sick to chat with someone. The most she’d talked to people were to ask if they had more buckets for her to spill her stomach content in.
A conversation wouldn’t be too bad right about now.
“Sure, that’s fine.” Mia said, tucking the box of knives back into her pack, and patting the bed.
“Great, thanks!” The woman bounded over and sat right next to her. Her fluttery one piece spreading out on the bed like a blooming flower.
At this distance Mia could make out the finer details of the girl’s face. Her face was covered in a light dusting of freckles with full cheeks. Her braids that looked pristine from a distance had strands popping up here and there, too unruly to be completely tamed into the styled hair.
“I’m Robin!” she said in an infectionally bright tone before jutting her hand out.
“Mia.”
She took the offered hand in front of her. An energy filled handshake pulling her arm up and down wildly before releasing it.
“So…. what job did you sign up for?” Robin said as she stretched out on the bed. Her hair spreading out onto the poor bedding, already seemingly comfortable in Mia’s presence.
“I’m going to be an assistant chef at a restaurant.” A hint of pride coming through her voice as she said the comment.
Sitting up, Robin looked over to her, blinking her eyes in surprise. “Oh goodness. That’s really different from most people here.”
Mia tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“The others I’ve talked to have signed up for jobs that work for their scale. One person is going to help with figure carving, another is assisting in scribing down human stories. I’m going to be working in a bochord. You know, jobs that work easily for us. Technical jobs that have humans working alongside giants is something I don’t think most people would apply for until we’ve integrated with each other more.”
She looked at Robin for a bit, surprised at the comment. Mia had assumed that the jobs would be a variety of labor ranging from ones humans could easily do to others that allowed them more inclusion, a greater feeling into giant society while still being feasible on some levels for humans. From what she had heard in passing in Okadel, the jobs being made to be offered up to the giant diplomat workers ranged from assisting in construction to ones that required a more dexterous hand, but ones possible all the same.
She had felt this job working in a kitchen was similar, but maybe her soon to be boss was either eccentric or prided herself on the safety she could offer. She hoped it would be the latter.
“Being one of the first humans to really bridge the gap between two cultures and their cooking is something that I want to try to accomplish. Besides Eric did say checks would be made to ensure our safety right?” Mia said, trying to put some confidence in her voice.
Robin smiled lightly “I’m sure you’ll be fine! I don’t think any giant that cared enough to apply for this would willingly allow a human to get hurt!”
“And besides it’s not like I talked to everyone about the work they’re going to be doing in Graltus. Just some small talk here and there on the ship, so it’s possible that you’re not the only ambitious person here,” she said before quickly adding. “But I did talk to everyone on the right side about their jobs.” she finished with causing Mia to chuckle a bit.
Mia glanced to the left side of the carriage where the other set of partitions were set up. She counted at least thirty sets of partitions. Robin must work fast.
“Does that mean you’re going to abandon me soon to sate more of your curiosity?” Mia said teasingly.
“Mmmm probably not! I’m fine with just relaxing now. The travel here was really long and all. Plus I want to talk to the girl that I couldn’t get to because she was busy throwing up her guts. You know people actually started calling you vomit girl. We thought you were going to throw up your organs at some point.”
Mia frowned a bit at the comment. “Well, it makes sense. I’m just glad I managed to survive that awful boat ride.” A light chuckle leaked from Robin at the remark.
Mia studied Robin, seeing just how relaxed her whole body is. A cheery smile that seemed to have not faded for a long time, if ever in her life. A far cry from how she felt at the moment. Despite the overall pleasantries in the conversation, worry was still running about itself in some corner of her mind.
Maybe Robin was the best person to ask this. It certainly would be better than asking an envoy.
Mia said her question with some hesitation, the words having a hard time leaving her tongue. “...Are you not worried about interacting with giants?” Mia said, worry danced in the corner of her mind wondering if she was oversharing.
Robin paused for a bit as she touched a finger to her lips, seemingly mulling over what to say.
“Not really? I know a few people who are moving to Graltus are a bit afraid, which I think is natural. But I grew up interacting with giants here and there. My family lives on the border of the continent so our village traded with the rare passing giant. Honestly I was so interested in knowing more about their culture that I went and ran away from home as a kid to try to live in the bochord in the next town over. My parents were furious but I was able to work there later as my first job at the age of thirteen haha…”
“Afterwards I spent a good amount of time just pouring over books and studying Heltish until I eventually met Audrey when I was fifteen. After that the rest is history, we became pen pals and when the new law was put in place, I begged her to let me work at her family’s bochord in Graltus!”
“...You were pen pals? With a giant? How does that work?”
“Letter wise she’d have to write reallllllly small and I’d have to write realllllly big. Early on we had a lot of problems where she’d misread what I wrote from the lettering being too teensy, meanwhile on her end, the letters she’d send would be as big as my bed back home.”
The idea of Robin hauling in a big piece of parchment and hunching over as she read it bit by bit was a funny scene to imagine. Mia was lucky that when she sent her letter to the restaurant’s owner and received one back, there was a person to re-scribe the message to an appropriate size for the receiver. But that wasn’t what she was wondering.
“I mean how did you get the letters over and receive them? It’s only recently that the Okedal royal family had even cleared passage to the continent of Rugules. And that’s after the immense development of our naval weapons.” she clarified, curiosity entering her voice.
“Oh! That! Well there is another giant who really loves trading with humans, his name is Henry. Really sweet man, He takes my letters to her and brings her replies back when he visits again. He should be back around the capital at this time…”
Robin paused her spiel a bit. “Why the question? Are you afraid?” she said with a look of interest on her face.
“....Just a bit worried like everyone else is.”
“Ah, well I don’t think you’ll have much to worry about. They’re people just like us. … Hmmm That might not be too comforting now that I think about it” Robin said, rubbing the back of her head with a chuckle.
“No, I get what you mean. Thanks for the reassurance Robin.” A smile tugged at her lips as they quickly shifted into more casual conversation.
The rest of the first and second day Robin and Mia talked about a motley of things. Their childhood. What they did before going to Graltus and what they would want to do there. From their exchange Mia found out the bochord Robin would work at was one of the two capital’s big ones, around the southeastern part of the capital.
Mia was amazed how quickly you could bond with someone when stuck with them for two days only. Or maybe it was just Robin’s charm.
The third day in the carriage started the same as the day before. A full restful sleep not possible due to her mind in the night and the bumps and shakes the carriage was subjected to as it continued down the path in the early dawn. Mia had untangled herself from the bedding with slow lethargic movements as her tired mind began to lead her through the routine of the morning. With a yawn, she pulled out a wool washcloth, wetting it with her waterskin as she began wiping down her body. She frowned as the level of grime she managed to pull off of her without soap was never quite good enough to leave her feeling actually clean.
She had been finishing wiping off her legs when the carriage pulled to a halt jolting her from such idle thoughts. Conversation could be heard outside as three distinctly giant sounding voices exchanged greetings. One voice in its loudness laughed as they discussed pleasantries before telling what Mia assumed was the coachman that he could pass.
The padding of hooves started up again as the carriage began its movement. Constant jolts rattled through her as hooves on stone sounded out. They were in the capital proper now.
Sounds and smells of the capital seeped into the carriage as it continued down the path. Giants could be heard from all directions as Mia shrinked, pulling herself inwards. She wished Robin was here, but the snoring from the partition over told her what the girl was doing. The weight in her stomach crawled back to her as realization flashed in her mind what would be happening soon.
After a bit of time, the carriage slowed, eventually coming to a standstill as a name was called from one of the envoys on ground level, their voice echoing throughout the large structure. Mia peeked out at the scene with a mix of curiosity and fear as the door to the carriage was pulled open and the stairs Mia had climbed up just a few days ago were placed by the elderly coachman. Revealing for the first time the outside world.
Structures just as large as the ones in the port town were in view, albeit with less of a dizzying feeling thanks to where she was currently sitting. They had the same design where walls only reached to what she had to assume would be a giant’s waist. Different curtains framed the buildings, more finely crafted then the ones she had spotted before in Delconat.
She glanced back down to the first departee, a well dressed but tired looking woman talked to the envoy before descending down the long steps, luggage in hand, disappearing from view.
Was that going to be her experience? Or would she handle it with the same shaky panic that had ran through her when she arrived on the ship.
She honestly didn’t know, she just hoped that if any panic did creep into her mind, that it wouldn’t show outwardly.
Robin eventually joined Mia, allowing her to set her thoughts in the back of her mind as the assortment of stops blended into one another through the conversation with the cheery girl.
“Robin Lorz!”
The voice called out like a church bell as it shook Mia out of the calm conversation the two were currently having. Suddenly and very rapidly Robin was standing up with a huge smile as she ducked behind her partition.
Mia followed along a second later to see Robin quickly organizing her messy spread of items back into her pack. The level of disorganization brought a slight smile to Mia as she wondered how it was possible for someone to create such a mess in just a few days.
“Do you need help?” she asked questioningly, pushing away the voice that told her to stall Robin in the name of her own comfort.
“Oh, if you’re offering! Thanks Mia.”
Mia walked over to the center of the mess, lifting her foot and taking one step at a time, careful not to trip over the amassed chaos. She knelt down and slowly folded clothes, passing them and other items to Robin.
After a bit, they had quickly cleared the space, bringing the partition back to its natural bland shoddy look.
The two made their way to the stairs as Robin turned to face Mia.
“Thanks Mia, it was really fun chatting with you! You should come by sometime to see Audrey and I! I’ll definitely be swinging by your place!”
A soft smile settled on her face. It was nice to have something to look forward to in an environment that felt so far away from anything she had experienced.
“I’ll try. I hope you have a fun time with Audrey.”
“Thanks! I hope you have a fun time with your new friend too! See you Mia!” Robin said, giving Mia a hug. Mia stood momentarily stunned before hesitantly returning the gesture. They separated and with a smile and her high energy, Robin rushed down the stairs.
“See you Robin!” Mia called out as she waved the girl off.
The calm that Robin had built up slowly bled from Mia as the carriage winded through the capital, dropping off more and more people. Every time the carriage ground to a halt, Mia wondered if she would be finally forced to face the reality of the situation she had built for herself. The tenth person got off, then the ninth person, then the eighth until it was only Mia and the envoys below sitting in the massive carriage. As if fate was calming her down or showing her just the finality of her situation.
The sound of giants faded into the distance as the carriage made turn after turn after turn until it pulled up to its final destination with one last grinding halt.
“Mia Tuli!” an envoy from below shouted.
She felt her heart in her throat as she forced out a response. Giving a silent thanks to herself for already packing, she headed down the stairs.
With a hopefully confident smile, she stood in front of the envoy, luggage resting on one shoulder as she walked up to her. Her smile beamed at Mia as she extended out her hand and gave her a handshake.
“We’ve pulled the carriage to where it's a straight shot to the restaurant by foot. The coachman has already done the job of unloading your kitchen supplies. Everything should be set for you Miss Tuli.”
“Thanks for your help.”
“No problem!” The cheery woman said “If you need anything else, we have a building inside the royal castle on the first floor’s east hall to assist any humans who find themselves encountering issues with giant society. It’s quite a charming building actually. The giant craftsmen who made it were quite pleased to make something human sized in the style of the Graltus royal family.”
With one final exchange of thanks, Mia started descending down the stairs, looking towards her final destination of today. A vast expanse of a wood house stacked on top of a stone one made up the second and first floor respectively of the restaurant’s exterior. The building also had a pavilion attached to it that seemed to stretch on for miles that Mia stared at before continuing her descent, trying not to fall down the stairs from the weight of her luggage.
The summer heat beat down on her as she waddled over with her pouch to where she could rest. Sweat soaked her back as she finally dragged herself and her items to the facade of the restaurant. Luckily just as the envoy said, her cooking stations were also there. They stood out humorously next to the structure, utterly being dwarfed by it despite being quite sizable in a human scaled building when she went to pick them up at the blacksmith before departing Okedal.
Once the coachman had confirmed the small human woman had made her way to her destination. He whipped the animals into action. The sound ran through the air like thunder as the carriage started pulling away. The earthquake-like trotting had Mia squirming under the sound, shutting her eyes, only reopening them when she was sure they had departed.
Glancing back to the restaurant after the painful assault on her ears, Mia remembered that she was told when she applied for this that not many giant facilities had been accommodated for human use and this was one of them. The only door she could see was the one that drew into the sky. The browning gray wood of it pulled her view up as she followed along past the rickety knob.
She could just barely make out the second floor that was built out of wood from this position, as she had to practically bend fully back to capture the view of it alone.
Her attention snapped back to the door, as she reminded herself that a giant would be coming through it at any time now. Being caught off guard and losing herself in fear surely would not make the best of first impressions. She sat with her back against the hard stone of the building
As time ticked by, and signs of her caretaker still had no showing, she allowed herself with great hesitation to glance around, making sure to draw her vision back to the door now and then. It was quite hard to grasp at her scale fully, but she had a general idea. The restaurant seemed to be nestled in a two way corner with an entrance from an alley dotted with side paths you could turn to.
She saw at the end of the alleyway barely mirages of people moving about on what she assumed was one of the main footpaths in the capital. Like a theatre where they would appear from one side and exit the other way. Sometimes they would walk down the alleyway which caused Mia’s heart to start its rapid beating but they would quickly make a turn to somewhere else.
In a way it was conflicting having the restaurant be where no foot traffic went.
As Mia watched the far away sight with a mixture of worry and boredom, rain slowly came. First droplets then a full on shower.
Time slowly passed as the rain drowned out any noise, isolating Mia in it. She couldn’t even see the giants down the street anymore that she was so on guard for. You’d assume that hearing a carriage outside your abode would alert you but Mia guessed that was too good for her luck. She dug into her belongings searching for her coat.
Throwing it on, the cold was still digging into her from her sweat stained dress and the rain was continuing its pace. The soft sound of the rain and the cold clung to her like an unsheddable set of clothing as her head swung to and fro.
She felt herself slowly be pulled into sleep. Unable to fully fight the incessant exhaustion that had piled up from the journey thus far.
Suddenly, Mia woke with a start.
She pushed herself up quickly, feeling a tug of resistance through the panicked movement as she glanced down. White fabric that was her temporary bedding wrapped around her sweaty wet form making it hard to pull off. Glancing up she was met with a sight that filled her entire body with chills.
In front of her was a massive person, a giant. Sitting directly in front of her while doing some handicrafts. Her hands, the size of a room, skillfully pulled her along. Every now and then she would pause and take a bite out of a massive snack that Mia was completely unfamiliar with.
She was stunned as she studied the woman. She was wearing a brownish white short sleeved tunic to cover her chest with little embroidery designs of sea animals and other symbols of the sea all over them. Her light brown hair was wavy and had a good amount of long strands that hid parts of her freckled face. She was a good bit chubby too. Her features softened by the fat. Mia watched in a trance at her routine until the giant looked over at her. All hundred plus feet of her. Emerald green eyes staring down at her like fleshy watchtowers.
“Good afternoon?” the massive woman said, waving her hand slightly as her voice boomed down at Mia.
Mia froze at this. Her brain began pulling in a thousand directions. She opened and closed her quivering mouth, trying to get any words out but utterly failing with each passing second. Time seemed frozen until finally she managed to push out a small squeak of words.
“...Where am I?”
The woman blinked a few times, before suddenly leaning her huge head forward.
Every detail became even more obvious as her gargantuan head hung only a few feet away from Mia. Freckles that were each the size of Mia’s head, big bushy eyebrows that looked like wildgrass that Mia could get lost in, a huge nose pulled in and out air felt like the start to a tornado and the lips that softly opened and closed allowed peeks at the giant’s huge white teeth.
Her face was so close that Mia was sure she could touch the giant’s humongous lips if she leaned closer. Crumbs of food from her snack were still attached to them. Mia stood there paralyzed as the giant’s mouth started moving, the voice drowning out her thunderous heartbeat as warm fishy smelling air washed over Mia.
“You’re in my restaurant; Esterla. I saw you passed out in the back and took you in. I’m sorry for taking so long. I uhm thought they’d arrive at the front entrance so when I heard the carriage, that’s the only place I checked for a good bit… …You are the new hire right?” she loudly asked, with a blush that turned her pale skin into a scarlet red as an impossibly wide smile stretched across her face.
The giant’s voice alone was painful to Mia as it shook her whole body. Her ears rang with pain at each word the giantess spoke. She only cracked her eyes open and responded when the agony subsided.
“...Why are you so close?” Mia breathed out, her body beginning to tremble.
“I uhm, couldn’t hear you well and I wasn’t sure if I should tell you or if that was considered rude.” She said in a slightly quieter tone as she looked at Mia with a sheepish smile before continuing. “Do you want me to back up?”
Mia nodded slowly at the giant. The colossal woman’s head moved away until she was the same distance she had started the conversation at.
Mia was used to projecting her voice. It was a skill she had to learn as any normal talking would be immediately drowned out by the chaos of an active kitchen. Mia didn’t think such a skill would ever come to use outside that workplace. But now in front of a 40+ meter person, she was thankful for it. She was still terrified as she had to tell a part of herself multiple times that she wouldn’t get killed for speaking up.
“Can you speak a bit quieter?” she shouted as she made big movements pointing to her ears.
Celia cupped her hand over her mouth seemingly surprised and now aware of how loud she was being.
“I-Is this better…?”
It was still loud. It still felt like she was being covered by the voice’s waves but it wasn’t ear shattering.
Mia felt like all she was doing this whole interaction was nodding, but saying anything more filled her with a level of dread so once again she nodded. The woman’s face softened into a smile with red painting her face. She shut her eyes while trying to gain control of her breathing. Her mind was like a crumbling mountain. The woman stared at her with some level of expectation.
She repeated a sentence that Robin had said. Trying to carve it into her for the duration of the interaction.
They’re people just like us, They’re people just like us, They’re people just like us.
She looked back up at the woman, still scared, still worried. But she would just have to manage it.
She untangled herself out of the fabric, warily glancing over at the woman as she took steps over to a human sized chair that was pointed directly in front of the giant. She sat down. Somehow reminding her of her first interview with her boss back at her old restaurant. She took a deep breath and started talking with the loudest voice she could muster.
“Hello, I’m Mia Tuli, twenty one years old. I’m a chef who has worked in the human capital of Okedal since I was fourteen years old. You probably already saw this from reading over my application but my skills are in a variety of Eltos dishes, mainly the ones sold at high end restaurants in the capital.”
“I did, I’m really grateful you applied. Honestly yours was the only application I got… But uhm.. Oh yes, introductions sorry!”
Celia adjusted herself in her seat, her huge body shifting from a more hunched over posture that Mia didn’t realize she was doing to straightening her back to look more professional. She was even bigger than Mia had realized, staring in bewilderment. Was she taller than even the average giant?
“I’m Celia Hudrick! I’m twenty seven years old and the owner of this restaurant which I inherited from my parents. They taught me everything from managing the place to cooking since I was four. The main cuisine we serve here is mainly Helton dishes. Uhm that’s the region we’re in if you didn’t know. Business is not doing too well but with you along I think it’ll be better! Especially with your human cooking.”
Mia looked up at the woman now known as Celia a bit confused. The letter she received for the offer from her boss made no mention of human cooking. It was quite a dingy advertisement all things considered when compared to the invitations she and her fellow chefs would receive semi frequently. Fine lettering adorned those letters describing everything and anything that could be used to rope one of them into a new opportunity.
Did… She just travel all this way to continue making the food she’s always made..?
“I thought I was going to be learning giant cooking?” Mia asked with a shaky voice, the thought that she had just tossed away everything, just to serve giants meals she’s made a thousand times scorching her mind.
She pressed a bit more as something started flaring up inside her.
“Would you let me even handle giant cooking at all?” she said, suddenly standing up in her chair as her heightened emotions stirred panic within her.
“Did you not come here to make your human cooking known among us… giants..? Sorry that word is always weird for me to say…”
“...No,” Mia said with a sigh, shaking her head. “I came here because I wanted to learn giant cooking and find ways to create new dishes.”
“I’m so sorry, uhm I’m of course fine with you practicing Helton cooking! I could even teach you the recipes I know but during restaurant time I was thinking you serving human food would definitely be the most interesting…” Celia said looking at the small girl as she fiddled with a strand of hair. “And maybe if you’re fine with it, you could also teach me some human cooking..” she continued in a quieter tone.
Mia wondered how this colossus of a woman would be able to handle any of the required ingredients. Everything was so small to her that she was sure to squish anything in her grasp. But if that was what was required to learn from this woman, then she would gladly teach her.
“So a trade between us? I teach you ‘human’ food and you teach me.. Helton cuisine? That’s fine but won’t that get in the way of the other workers here?”
The giantess averted her head slightly. “Oh uhm… The only person currently working here is me…”
“...You alone?”
“Y-yes..” Celia mumbled out, hanging her head down as strands of hair fell, blocking her face. Not enough for Mia not to see the embarrassed blush stained on her however.
“Right now our place doesn’t get too many customers to begin with. O-once finances aren’t too much of a burden, I’ll make sure to hire some more!”
Even Mia could tell Celia was forcing out that positivity as she awkwardly stumbled over herself. Would this restaurant truly be fine?
Mia and Celia fell into silence. Mia with her uncertainty and fear of the situation at hand mixing in the pit of her stomach. Every movement of Celia. Every twitch of her finger on the table that was far away enough to not immediately scare her but one to keep her aware was tracked. And whatever Celia was going through. She was talking to a human. Why was she so shy and clumsy with her words? Her eyes kept drawing over Mia before quickly looking away.
“Uhm can I ask you some questions about your culture’s food if that’s fine?” Celia suddenly said as she glanced down at Mia with expectation in her eyes.
“...Sure?”
“So is it true that your people have something called cake, that it’s incredibly sweet, soft and has many varieties?”
“Yes, that’s true..?”
Celia’s eyes beamed as she raised herself out of her chair. Towering over Mia as she closed the distance in uncontrolled excitement.
“Then-then is it also true that humans have a drink that affects their senses? Making them… What’s the word… Drunk! That’s it.”
“...Y-yes? It's called alcohol?”
Celia’s hands landed on the table heavily, shaking the rickety thing as she now completely hung over Mia looking down at her in wonder.
Mia got out of her chair as she backed away from the overstimulated titan, worried what else she would do.
“You know I once had some human food here in the local market. There’s such a wild variety and I’m sure I had such a small amount compared to what you experienced. They were mostly just raw ingredients but some were prepared foods. Something called jerky I think! Those were really good and I’ve just been so excited to try something that has been freshly made.” She continued to go on and on as Mia tried to hold back from backing up even more out of fear.
The giantess, seemingly aware of what she was doing, blushed again. Looking down at Mia as she realized she was ranting and once again beginning to broach her bubble. “S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to speak that much… I’m just really excited to talk to a human…”
“It’s,” she said with a fearful pause as she stared wide-eyed up at Celia. “Fine. I read that I would be a live-in worker? Could I see my room? I’m feeling a bit tired after the long journey.”
“Oh! Yes, I’m sorry! I’ll take you there now!”
She stood up and reached down to pick up Mia, Celia’s massive hand became a shadow blocking out everything as it came for her like a falling boulder.
Mia very quickly scurried back causing the giantess to pause her terrifying action.
“What’s wrong?” Celia said with confusion seeping through her voice as she moved her massive digits to peek at Mia through the openings of them.
“Y-you can’t just grab me like that.” she squeaked to the giantess.
Celia tilted her head confused. That crimson embarrassment painting her face once again. “How should I carry you then?”
Her brain screamed, pleading with her to deny the giant her consent of being picked up as the memory of the captain in the giant’s hand flashed in her mind.
But… What would be the point of coming here if she didn’t have to constantly challenge herself?
“....Could you lay your hand flat over there?” Mia pointed to the edge of the wooden table, far enough away where Mia could approach at her own discretion.
She already felt the regret of speaking surging through her.
“I-I’m sorry. Like this?” Celia’s shaky hand went down again, this time to the spot Mia pointed out.
Mia gulped as the hand awaited her arrival. She slowly walked over at a pace that was usually too slow for her. But all too fast at this moment.
The scent of food ingredients that were all indescribable to Mia radiated from the appendage with each step she took closer intensifying the smell.
As she got close enough, she noticed the tell tale signs of a chef’s hand. Celia’s skin was bone dry, with some cracks here and there from how much she had to wash her hands in hot water. Mia spotted some burns on her fingers, the red skin standing out to the rest of her naturally pale skin. The forearms were also quite muscled, her veins probably easily visible to even someone Celia’s size. She looked down at her own hands, they reflected the same look.
Mia looked up and saw Celia smiling down at her with sweat dripping down her face.
Mia touched the giant hand and felt a shake run through it as she did, sticky sweat coating her hand where she made contact. She instinctively backed away as she heard Celia croak out a heavy sorry. Mia gulped in air before approaching once again, this time managing to stay next to the woman, her body heat like a campfire against her whole body. If she concentrated, she swore she could feel the blood running through the woman’s veins.
The fingers she pulled herself up to were rough from the burns and scars but they were preferable even if the palm’s skin was more soft. She would take any minute distance she could to be as far away as possible from the giant even if that distance was a foot or two.
Mia shook away the possibility of Celia closing her hands and squishing her right then and there.
She sat there totally paralyzed, preparing herself for being lifted up. But nothing came, she turned to Celia and saw her blankly staring at her, her mouth slightly agape.
“Miss Celia?” she called out to the distracted giant.
Snapping out of her stupor, she quickly nodded. Her long messy brown hair swung all around her face at the speed of the movement.
“Y-yes! Sorry, we're going now!”
She could do this. She made it through the conversation fine mostly unscathed. There were some hitches and some problems poking out. But she had made it to the most vital part. She would be brought to her place of stay and be able to recuperate herself. Everything afterwards would be fine.
The world suddenly shifted, the ground which gave her some feeling of connection with the world around her quickly changed as she was brought up high into the air, wind rushed past her before suddenly stopping. All she could feel was Celia, the giant. Who had her in her hand. While Mia was disconnected from everything around her.
She was not fine.
Everything that had been building up from the weeks of travelling seemed to crush on her as her eyes went wide and reality pulled away leaving only the absolute existence of Celia as her one anchor.
The woman started to move. Every step a rumble that shook Mia to her very core. The small twitches of a hand that would normally be imperceivable could be felt pulsing through the flesh under her. The warmth and sticky sweat that seeped through the pores stuck to Mia’s clothes like the drool of a large monster.
She felt her body having a harder time pulling in air, her heart beating faster and faster.
Was this it? Disconnected from everything besides this woman who had her life in her very hands? Any movement of her fingers and Mia’s small existence would become a simple stain in her palm.
She felt the hand move once again, this time shifting to where it was pressed against the woman’s abdomen as Mia tumbled backwards on the expanse of fingers, sinking slightly into her pudgy stomach.
She shuddered as she remembered how huge the meal the giant was pecking at was compared to herself. She could be sitting in that stomach right now, dissolving in a pool of sickly smelling stomach acid as no one else would know what happened to her.
Mia felt her own stomach twist in pain at the thought. Her whole body felt stiff as if she had turned to stone. More and more awful thoughts raced through her mind as she was forced to experience every single one playing out.
Her breathing felt more and more disconnected with herself. Pulling in air felt like a monumental task that her body simply could not keep up with, when would this end? When would she be put do-
“Miss Mia? We’re here. You can get down yourself right?” Celia’s booming voice shook her from her spiraling existence as she was suddenly pulled back to reality. She glanced around in a daze as her brain reminded her where she was. Celia’s hand laid flat on a wooden surface, Mia’s new place of residence a few yards away.
She blinked a few times, in surprise as her brain had to pull itself together again.
“Are you ok..?” Celia asked, worry tingeing her voice.
Mia turned to Celia as she quickly stumbled out her words. “Yes. I’m. I’m fine.”
She stiffly walked off the hand as she bunglingly marched to the front of the house. With a slow turn around, Celia looked down at her with her awkward smile before lowering Mia’s sack and beginning to speak.
“W-well I’ll let you check out your new home and rest a bit. I’m going to be whipping something up for dinner for myself. Do you need food...?”
“No, I'm fine. I have food packed in my sack. I’ll just. Check out the house. Now. Thanks.” Mia said mechanically as she picked up her sack and backed away inch by inch.
“I uhm hope you like it!” Celia said, before turning around and waving to the small girl before closing the door to the room.
As soon as Celia was out of sight, Mia rushed up the stairs to the house, tripping on them as she scampered up. She threw open the door before slamming it behind her.
Quiet sobs ran through her shaking body as she fell to the floor. She felt so useless. Terrified of simply her boss to be. If she had slipped up at all there, let her weakness show, she was sure she would have been kicked out and sent back home. A pitying stare would be painted on Celia’s face, she was sure of that.
She had to do this, she had to prove to herself that she could. But why was it so hard? Celia was the opposite of threatening but every single one of her actions were terrifying on a level that not even the sea monsters were.
She had to be stronger.
Pulling herself up and wiping her tears and snot with the back of her palm, she slapped her cheeks to get herself out of this stupor. It would be a lot of crying, a lot of weakness, but as long as she didn’t break in front of Celia, or any other giant for that matter and they found her not fit to be in giant society, she would make it. Mia wouldn’t be fine for a while, she knew that. She had to accept that disturbingly simple fact that tugged at invisible seams within her that were on the verge of constantly unravelling.
But she promised herself she would adapt to this environment. She didn’t want to be sent back. She wanted to prove that she could get past this and make something of herself
The final gasps of sadness escaped her as she turned from herself to her current situation. She had to prove she could adapt, and the best way was by getting a handle on her new housing first.
As she looked around with snot still occasionally dribbling down her nose and having to wipe it, she shouldn’t have been too surprised that she was given an entire house, with the size of everything here and how simple it would be for a giant to put together human structures like a human would a dollhouse, it would be a disturbingly easy task for them. But despite that, the level of luxury that she could see just from the entrance was staggering.
She could see where she had laid pitifully up until now was the entrance hall, easily half the size of her old dormitory room above her former restaurant, with a shoe cabinet as well. She had only seen such luxurious unnecessary furniture at noble’s houses.
With some hesitation and a part of her mind yelling at her that what she was about to do was above her status, she tugged off her boots and after some difficulty, shoved them in the fancy cabinet.
Entering past that, there were two rooms that were united in the middle by a staircase that went up to the second floor.
The left room immediately greeted her with a misshapen couch facing a massive window, showing her where the house was situated. She was on a raised surface, a drawer of some kind with the window facing out to a massive bed that could hold an entire village and still have space left over. She hadn’t had time to really look around Celia’s abode due to her panic stringing her along so this was truly her first time seeing such massive furniture. She was awe struck as she stared at it before she started to notice something.
Messy clothes were scattered about on the bed and the space as a whole. The wooden room itself looked very lived in, the floor having a multitude of noticeable scratches and dents from either furniture, decay or accidents. Was she to be a roommate of sorts to Celia..?
She shivered at the thought before immediately reprimanding herself that this would be one of the fastest ways to get used to the clumsy giant. Besides, she should be thankful to the woman. She was living in this pristine fancy wooden house while her boss lived in such a poor unkempt environment.
Forcing herself to continue, she glanced over to the right room seeing what appeared to be a dining room. Once again misshapen furniture stood out to her as she stared at the chairs and table.
She started climbing the plush carpeted stairs but immediately tripped on herself. She glared down at the offending structure with annoyance as she noticed something. Each stair was a different height from one another. First the couch, then the chairs, the dining room table and now this?
She grumbled as she carefully continued her ascent, reaching the top. Mia stood in a square hallway as she was greeted by two final wooden doors that had carvings ranging from whales to other sea life. Some of the carvings on them reminded Mia of the ones she had seen on Celia’s clothing.
However once again, like a continuous practical joke that wouldn’t end, they were mismatched. One door stretching to the top of the wall and the other forcing Mia to duck under.
Mia ducked her head as she entered the room on her left, discovering a study inside it. A desk of the most beautiful grain of wood greeted her along with a huge chair for her to sit at. Empty bookshelves covered every wall as she looked around.
How… Was she to use this? She wasn’t opposed to studying, not at all, but when she was in the middle of a capital for giants, the question of procuring human sized books was a strange one.
With one last room remaining, she exited the study and walked into the last room with the freakishly tall door, and sighed with relief as she entered. A real bed that sat in the top right of the room greeted her. One with actual bedding instead of the poor excuses for linen she had experienced for the past three weeks. Mia lowered her sack down next to the bed as she surveyed the whole room.
She was quite pleased with it as she looked around. It immediately was of better quality than any place she had stayed in her life. She had furniture she could never dream of owning back at the dorm or her family’s farm. A drawer, closet and mirror. The only downside was the window that pointed directly out to Celia’s bed but she was thankful she at least had curtains.
But despite that, stray thoughts hung in her mind.
Like how the space felt overall fake to Mia. Every piece of furniture she had seen was either just slightly too small or slightly too big for her. Nothing fully matched her scale, which made her brain constantly have to adjust. She had also checked every corner of the house but a plethora of things were missing. There was no wooden tub to wash her body with, there wasn’t even a bucket. Even if there had been, she had no idea where to toss the water. Alongside that, there was no place for her to store or cook her food. And going to the bathroom seemed impossible.
Stripping off her coat and sitting down on the bed, Mia let out a tired sigh. She was here and it was real. But it was also extremely taxing for her so far. The full length mirror in the room reflected her haggard appearance. Brown straight hair that went down to her back was frizzled and fraying everywhere. Her round chestnut eyes were puffy from the crying she had just done, and her face looked heavily sunken in from the ship affair. Her clothes also looked like a mess despite her best effort. With her skirt fraying at the ends and her tunic stained everywhere she could think. All in all, she felt terrible and looked terrible.
Mia thought about the restaurant back in Okedal. She hoped that things would turn out well just like back there.
Back in Okedal, after she had graduated from the culinary academy, she had been picked up immediately by the owner of “The 3 Stars”, she was catapulted into the role of the assistant head chief.
Her boss appreciated her, knew her worth and made her want to strive for more. She was missing her place there a lot now.
As if on cue to awake her from her reminiscing she heard that slow loud booming sound that signalled the giant’s return. The door was swung open and in the frame was Celia’s derpy smiling face as she held a copious amount of food in one hand.
The colossal woman walked over to her bed with the plate in hand. The smell of the food stirred Mia’s hunger with its intense but delightful odors, reminding her stomach that she hadn’t had a decent meal since in the carriage this morning.
“How do you like the house?” The woman suddenly blurted out as she moved her massive head to peer into the window.
Her heart leapt in her throat as she quickly wrestled down the panic, letting the safety of having a whole wall between her and Celia calm her down.
“It’s uhm quite luxurious and I’m very thankful. But I can’t help but notice that some things are missing…”
“Oh?”
“Like a toilet.. Or a bathroom, or a place to store my food.”
“Ah! That’s because you can use mine! I’m sure it’d be much nicer with all that space for you.”
“...How will I get there?”
“I’ll carry you!”
“....What if you’re not around?”
At that line of questioning, a frown covered her face and a second later that trademark blush was back again.
“I-I’m so sorry…” She said quietly but with her voice, it was still as loud as the church bells had been in the capital.
“I uhm will make sure to get more human implements. Just, money is a bit tight now and… No, that's not an excuse. I’ll make sure to be around until I can get them, I promise.”
“Thank you Miss Celia. Uhm, I appreciate it.” she awkwardly said, not expecting such a heavy topic to pop up. “I’m going to eat now if that’s okay.”
Celia nodded before starting to dig into her own meal as Mia dug around her luggage for the small bags of food she brought with her. She finally found one of them and was slowly munching on the variety of dried meats and fruits she had packed when Celia started side eyeing her from the bed as the giant popped another piece of her food in her mouth.
She shuffled her body a bit closer to the drawer where Mia’s house was situated as she eyed the food Mia was slowly pecking at. Her blush showed her embarrassment over possibly asking after the conversation.
“...Do you want some?” she said, glancing out at the woman.
“Is it ok?” she shyly said.
“I have more in my sack. It’s fine.”
“I’ll uhm give you some of my food. Just to make it fair” she said. With a soft tug, a crumb was pulled off and Mia’s curiosity peaked.
Celia moved her fingers over into the window where Mia was waiting with open hands to accept the food. Curiosity over the mystery food outweighed her terror as the giant’s fingers came closer and closer until Celia gingerly dropped the crumb in Mia’s hands. The weight of it caused her arms to be pulled down as she did not expect it to be so heavy. The smell was also so much more intense this up close.
“T-thanks.” she grunted out, embarrassed at the amount of effort she had to put in to simply haul the meat over to the bedside table.
With a sigh, she placed the boulder-sized meat down before returning to the window with her sack of food. Mia felt like she was cheating the giant with the amount she was giving in return.
Celia’s hand lowered down on level with the lip of the window as Mia tossed the food onto it before backing away, worried of the huge movement.
Celia brought her hand back and looked down at the food in her palm with the curiosity of a child getting a treat from their mother. She carefully picked up each piece with her nails, inspecting them like a collector would with small gold carvings.
“Oh! Some of these are the jerky I told you about! And what are these?” she inquired excitedly as she brought the pieces of her curiosity to Mia’s window.
“Those are just dried fruits and some bread. They last a long time so they work exceptionally well as rations.”
“Human food truly is varied…” she breathed out as she looked at each piece with wonder in her eyes.
Mia watched with slight amusement as she grabbed the meat from the bedside table and sat on the bed, trying to not get her already disastrously dirty clothes completely stained by the meat but failing.
Celia’s face beamed with ecstasy as she tossed the morsels into her mouth bit by bit, surprising Mia. She didn’t expect her to have such a strong reaction to the food. Mia turned to her own meal and began to eat.
Her teeth wrestled with the food as she rotated the ball of meat in her hand, trying to find the best attack to actually eat this piece of food that Celia had been eating with such simplicity. Finally after much effort, she ripped a piece off. The meat was similar in taste to cow was the best way she could put it but it tasted much more savory. Probably due to the sauce which had a fishy aftertaste. The meat was hard for her to chew though. It felt like she was chewing through tendons as it took her a considerable effort just to finish off one bite.
It wasn’t bad. It was honestly really good. But it was too chewy for humans. And the smell was intense, especially from this distance. She wanted to jot down some notes right this instant on how she could possibly change it for easier consumption or combining it with human food but her notepad was stowed away in her sack.
Of course right now, most of what she was thinking was just guesswork until she saw the meat and preparation method. She hoped she could see Celia make it sometime. Maybe that’d be the first thing she’d ask.
….Once she would be able to keep a full conversation without her brain pausing and telling her to run.
“This tastes so different from what I’m used to! Amazing… Each little piece has such a different flavour profile. The bread is so flakey and falls apart, the dried fruits are incredibly sweet and chewy and the jerky is so quaint with its meat flavor! ”
Mia watched the giantess chew with her eyes sparkling. “I’m surprised you can taste all that.” Mia regarded curiously.
“Oh, I’ve been told that my taste buds are quite developed. Probably why I like food so much haha…” She laughed awkwardly, seemingly a bit embarrassed to say.
The two continued to eat their meals. Celia cleaned her plate with ease but Mia could barely even get through hers. She had to ask awkwardly if Celia could finish her piece which she was happy to oblige. She took the meat from Mia before popping it in her mouth and swallowing something that was near the size of Mia’s ribcage like it was nothing.
Once the giant gathered her plate and gave a small cloth for Mia to wipe her bedside table, she stood up.
“I’m going to go clean and wash up for the night. Uhm I’ll let you rest for now! Good night!”
Mia barely got out a goodnight of her own as Celia rushed off, her heavy footsteps slowly fading as she headed downstairs.
At the mention of that, Mia was surprised to find that it was night already. She was so preoccupied with keeping her eye on Celia and her immediate surroundings that she didn’t even realize it could be so late.
But looking out at the strange open air walls, she could see that night was beginning to arrive.
Mia was just relieved she could finally catch her breath. With Celia gone. Every bit of her journey up to this point weighed on her heavily. She felt utterly exhausted.
She closed the window that she had used to talk to Celia and pulled the curtains, hoping that it would show that she was resting.
With a tug, she peeled off her clothes until she was down to her undergarments, already feeling cleaner with them off. She only wished she could wash her face before sleeping.
Outside of the house, she could feel the rumblings of Celia making her way back. She gulped as it slowly made her way to her. The rumbling stopped before the noise of a large amount of fabric moving like a thousand sails in the wind sounded out as the giant got into her bed.
Slipping into her new bed herself, she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come.
And after a good deal of time. On the top of a drawer in a tiny house in a place that was not for her. She slumbered.