Chapter Text
“I don’t get it.”
“What don’t you get, Hilda? You need to work to get money,” Her mother sighed and shifted back on the couch. Hilda’s gaze traced down into her reflection in her tea and met it with a disappointed scowl.
“Why do we have to do this exactly? Humans are supposed to be free and happy! Not miserable. Everyday is going to be the same,” She grumbled while flailing her arms.
“I personally think that saving up early is a good start for you! Getting a stable income to save before college can come with its benefits,” Alfur chimed in, enjoying some surprisingly small elf-sized biscuits. Hilda let out a big, exasperated sigh. She chugged the rest of her drink and crammed the empty cup in the sink, tea bag still inside. She stomped away into her room and was about to slam the door, but gently closed it in the last quarter. Mum gazed at Hilda with a solemn expression. Her once little girl was now as big as 16, and almost about to graduate next year. It was exciting yet terrifying to even think about it.
~ ~
Hilda laid back and let her hair spread out on the grass. She let her breath move with the trees, a deep breath in, and then a deep breath out. The musky, foresty smell was as comforting as ever. Her deerfox Twig, now as big as a medium-sized dog, was curled up by her side, snoring blissfully. It must be nice just eating, sleeping and running around. Hilda let her eyelids rest. Breathe in, Breathe out. The wind tickled at her face and the leaves rustled gently above. Below, grass almost as soft as Twig’s fur left enough cushioning to be just comfortable enough to fall asleep.
Outside, it was so nice. It was so freeing. It felt just right. Walking around that hardware store was so suffocating, as if the pungent chemical smell wasn’t stifling enough. She opened her eyes, watching the branches sway in the breeze. There’s so much to do now. Hilda is close to finishing her senior years, and everyone is expecting the class to know what to do for the future. Trolberg is beginning to expand, and now the walls are being broken down to further industrialise the city. She didn’t like how walking to school now includes the construction noises and smoke, and she definitely did not like the excessive cutting down of trees to add more housing.
“Hilda, I’ve set up the blanket, want to help with the rest of it?” Her mum sat legs crossed, holding a sandwich. Hilda leapt up from the tree base, trying not to wake Twig from his blissful slumber. Failing, he let out a grumpy grunt and moved over to her mother instead. “Mum, you’ve already done most of it,” she playfully rolled her eyes and moved over, sitting parallel, “yum, cucumber sandwiches, my favourite.”
“Do you ever get tired of them?,” Mum teased. She took a small bite out of hers and pretended to do a yuck expression, met with Hilda letting out a small laugh. “How was work this week?”
“...interesting,” Hilda cautiously mustered out while nibbling a bit, “I *munch* don’t really *munch* do *munch* much, but *munch* I guess it’s not that bad!” She held out her sandwich in a jazzhands pose and quickly returned to holding it in front of her. “This lady kept on coming up to me and complaining about the batteries to a flashlight not being included, but I told her that the packaging said they weren’t,” Hilda paused, “Why *munch* do people *munch* ignore stuff like that? I *munch* don’t get it. *munch*”. Alfur, sitting on top of the picnic basket, shot a skeptical look at her. She glanced at him and quickly looked away, whistling a bouncy tune. Hilda’s mum let out a jaunty laugh then coughed into her hand right after.
“Well, people are like that sometimes,” Mum took a bite again.
“Really? Adults are weird,” Hilda looked down speculatively, “Ah, teenagers are weird.”
She sighed and stared into the trees, pondering for a bit. It feels weird to be 16. Like nothing changed, not even a bit. She expected by now that she would magically become an adult and know what to do, but that clearly didn’t happen. So much for being a fairy. Do fairies even grow fast like that?
“That reminds me of someone,” Hilda’s mum taunted. She looked at her, seeing her blank expression, and softened her face. Holding out her hand, she gently and lovingly brushed it against her cheek, which Hilda leaned in to, just a bit.
“What’s happening sweetie, you’ve been wandering off lately,” Mum took her hand off and rested it on top of her crossed legs. “No, I’m fine it’s just,” Hilda stuttered, “I- it’s so, UGH it’s just, not what I expected,”
“Work? Well give it another week, maybe-”
“No, work is… something else. It’s just, this!” Hilda flailed her arms up to the sky, as if reaching out to the clouds in desperation. She leaned back, nearly falling, causing her to jaggedly return to a different seating position. Twig stood up and whined, then walked over to lay in Hilda’s lap. She looked down and softly petted him.
“...This?” Alfur inquisitively asked.
“I just, I never expected it be like this, being 16,” Hilda hugged her legs. “I thought maybe it would feel different and I’d feel more ‘grown up’, but, I still just feel like me,” She looked up, realising what she said, “not that there’s anything wrong with being me!”
Hilda let her body relax again and laid down. She didn’t know if they understood exactly what she was trying to say. It’s not like she hates herself or anything, or that she hates getting older. It just feels, so, weird. She’s not a kid anymore. Hilda thought it would be some magical transition into adulthood, where she could get the hang of everything. She guesses she does, its just-
“*sigh* I can’t exactly put my finger on it,”
Mum shifted a bit closer and patted Hilda’s head.
“Yeah, it’s hard. It can be like that sometimes. Adulthood is kind of like an adventure in its own, silly way,” She sighed, deeply and thoughtfully.
“Remember when you saved me from fairy country? I wanted to be a kid again, to be with your grandparents,” Mum closed her eyes. “but you know, each stage of your life has wonderful gifts to be given, and that part was already complete,” her gaze, filled with wells of love and tenderness, looked to her daughter.”Hilda, it’s going to be hard, but there’s going to be so much wonderful things that come with that,” Hilda faintly smiled.
“Such is the life of an adventurer, I guess.”