What do we do?

“So... any idea what you’re going to do now?” Aqua finally asked. The three had been sitting at his dining room table staring at each other for hours, unable to come up with anything to say. Madoka was currently focused on swinging her legs back and forth, trying to self-sooth. Selena knew her daughter needed her to take the lead, but she felt numb and hopeless. She just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep for a couple days, but that wasn’t a option.

"I don’t even know where to start.” She sighed. “We need somewhere to stay, which means we need money. I guess we need to find someone willing to wait a bit for us to pay them and then...get jobs? I don’t even have the slightest idea where to start, though. How do things work here? This is so confusing!” Selena banged her giant, furry head on the table, causing it to jump off the floor. Madoka and Aqua yelped. “Sorry! Geeze, I don’t know my own strength anymore!” Selena apologized.

While she’d instinctively acted without issue to get Madoka out of the chaos in the town square, her body felt clumsy now. She no longer had accurate spatial awareness or depth perception because her body was just that massive now. Not to mention the fact that she was now a four-legged, fuzzy canine. She had no clue how to walk with four feet! She retained her ability to speak, at least.

“N-no! I-it's fine!” Aqua stuttered, sticking his hands up. “S-sorry...I’m kinda a nervous person. Uh...I don’t have much to offer, but you can stay here...for a little bit.. sorry, I don’t have much room but...I can’t just let you fend for yourselves.”

“Are we in trouble?” Madoka asked suddenly, giving Selena a burst of relief. Madoka had been unusually quiet, but she didn’t seem to be exhibiting any typical signs of an oncoming panic attack or meltdown. For the situation, her daughter seemed to be coping well.

Aqua shook his head. “I don’t think anyone in town will object to all you otherworlders staying here. I mean, we are the town of beginnings. There’s lots of guilds and stores here and it’s a hotspot for adventures. All sorts of creatures and people pass through. Space might be a slight issue, and it'll be an adjustment but there’s no chance that you’ll end up chased out with pitchforks or anything.” He said with an awkward attempt at a playful smile.

“Mama?” Madoka turned to Selena. “I wanna go look around town tomorrow. To check out the guilds and see if there’s any job requests we. Simple ones, obviously. It’s like the game, so we at least have a basic idea of how things should work, right? We could make some money that way.”

“Sweetie, I don’t know...” Selena worried. “I mean, we should be able to figure things out, but this isn’t the game, remember? We can get hurt or die if we don’t know what we’re doing!”

“I wouldn’t worry. If you just look for the ‘no-risk materials request’ stamp on the postings, you’ll be fine. I can help you get acquainted with the area, and there’s a library.” Aqua chimed in. “If nothing else, you could help me with deliveries for my business.”

“What kind of business?” Selena asked, mildly suspicious. “Ah, I’m...not exactly a farmer...a gardener, maybe?” Aqua scratched his head. “I have a greenhouse out back and I grow and sell produce to business around town. You’d be good at carrying stuff, Ms Selena. You said your daughter was a mage, right?”

“Yep!” Madoka bounced up. “I specialized in healing and combat in the game. Do you think there’s any way for me to learn similar skills here? Our world doesn’t have magic, but I should be able to use it now, right? Right?” Aqua smiled at her enthusiasm. “Of course! That’s basic stuff. Most people here can use a bit of magic, if they choose to learn it, anyway. The keeper of the Great Library is an incredibly skilled dwarven mage. She should be able to help you onto the right path.”

Madoka giggled and clapped her hands together happily. “Did you hear that, mama? I can learn magic for real here!”

Unlike her daughter, Selena was less enthused. ‘Is that really a good idea?’ She wondered. ‘I mean, in this world, magic seems to be both a marketable life skill and a survival tool...but it’s dangerous! I remember how Madoka was with learning to handle kitchen knives or ride a bike. She doesn’t always have the greatest self-awareness. What if she hurts herself?’ She looked into her daughter’s shinning eyes and was surprised.

Madoka was giddy, but she didn’t have the look of hyperactivity that she would have when she was ready to run headfirst into something based on emotions that would quickly ear off. She’d get that way about many different ideas or activities that she abandon but, sometimes, they did become a long-term hobby. That was gotten into gaming. It had started as a hyper fixation but had become Madoka’s specialty area of knowledge. ‘Well, she has always loved fantasy.’ Selena thought to herself. ‘Her understanding of the tropes and stuff should be translatable to our situation. Oh, what the hell!’ She sighed

“That’s great, sweetie, but we’re not going to be running right into clearing dungeons, you understand? You need to start at the beginning, like learning a sport or instrument.” She cautioned. Madoka nodded. “Acknowledged. Besides, we’re stuck here forever, right? Cause that jerk opened a portal that no one can reopen. I have a long time to study magic.” A smirk crossed her face. “He-he...I don’t have to study math no more here!” Selena rolled her eyes. “We’re stuck in another world, your hair is purple, and I no longer have hands, but of course your mind goes to getting out of having to go to school.”

Aqua laughed. “You really are mother and daughter! Still though...” He rested his head on his hand. “I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen the portal open. This is so bizarre.” Madoka’s stomach suddenly gurgled so loud it echoed. “...excuse me?” She shrugged nonchalantly as her mother cringed. Aqua stifled a laugh. “Well, it is late. I’ll fix us something to eat and then we should go to bed. It’s been...a day...for sure. We’ll worry about everything else tomorrow.” As he got up and walked to the kitchen, he cast a last backward glance at the two, like he was making sure they wouldn’t disappear.

Madoka threw her arms around her mother and rubbed her face in her fur. “Your fur is so soft!” She cooed. “Hey, Ma-Chan. Are you okay? Like, really, okay? Do you feel one of your stress headaches or anxiety tummy aches coming on?” Selena fussed, pressing her snout to her daughter’s head. Madoka flailed around and laughed. “He-he, stop! That tickles mama!”

‘ I can’t tell if it’s her that’s warm or if this is how a moist nose feels.’ Selena felt frustrated. She just wanted to hold her daughter the way she had when Madoka was little, but she couldn't even do that! And she had no idea how she was supposed to eat. Eating from a plate on the floor like a dog seemed repulsive to her and made her want to gag. Instinctively, she let out a low growl. ‘Ack, I sound like a heathen!’

Madoka stopped laughing and looked at her. “Are you okay, mama? You seemed stressed out.” She reached out and scratched between Selena’s ears, causing the wolf to butt her hand. “Ooh that feels really good!” Selena exclaimed. Like the animal equivalent of a massage, it took the stress out of her neck and shoulders.

Selena slumped to the ground and rested her head on her paws. “I’m scared about how we’ll survive. I can’t stop thinking about all the hundreds of weird ways you could die. And I don’t want to be in this body!” She let out another canine cry. “Mama doesn’t like this all and just wants to go back home! I want two legs and my own bed!” Madoka sat down next to her. “Oh. I’m not scared. A little nervous but not scared at all.” Selena looked at her with doubt. “Really?”

“Yep.” Madoka nodded. “A little nervous, and my feelings could always change later but...mostly I’m excited. Not overly excited to the point I’m going throw up because I’m so hyped, but...I guess I’d call it more anticipation?” She shrugged. “It is different, but between this world being like a fantasy novel and sharing similarities with Night World, it doesn’t seem intimidating. It’s like the difference between how scared I was on the first day of school when I started middle school, and the first day of school the next year when I moved up a grade, if that makes sense to you?”

Selena nodded. “I understand the analogy you’re going for. It’s different for you, though.” She buried her head in her paws. “It’s not just that I'm your mom and it’s my job to worry about you. I’m domesticated. I like my creature comforts and I’m not a fan of unplanned change, either. You might have always thought it would be cool to live in a fantasy world...but I never did. Sure, I like playing games and I did occasionally have those fantasies as a child, but the concept never appealed to me. Maybe it's the body I’m trapped in? I’m going to have to relearn how to do basic things and I don’t even have hands.” Selena didn’t want to be worrying her daughter, but Madoka was the only one able to understand what she was feeling right now. She felt so emotionally and mentally exhausted...

Madoka leaned into her mother’s giant frame and wrapped her arms around her. “I love you, mama.” She said simply. “It'll be okay.” Despite the enormity of the situation, her daughter’s reasurance was enough set Selena at ease for the moment.