The Swan, the Mage and the Librarian

“Oh wow, your wings are so pretty...!” Mahannana gushed, stroking the downy feathers. The pale, white-haired woman beamed. “Aren’t they? I’m proud of them and brush them every day!" Mahannana couldn’t stop touching Lirhilde’s wings but, fortunately, the woman didn’t mind. She didn’t even blink an eye at Mahannana asking to feel them. “So, you’re a swan woman?” Mahannana asked curiously. “What’s that mean, exactly?”

Lirhilde pursed her lips in a perfect smile, her face as flawless as an alabaster statue. “Do you know what a Selki is?” Mahannana nodded. “It’s the same thing, only the woman can turn into a swan by putting on a coat of feathers. They’re popular in Greco-Roman and Celtic mythology. I’m different from the typical version though. I can’t turn into a full swan and just have these wings. They’re small like this when I’m not using them, but they extend and get bigger when I’m going to fly. I can use water magic, though! So that balances it out!"

‘That explains why everything about her is so pale and pretty,’ Mahannana thought. ‘She looks like a live Greek statue.’ Mahannana was sitting in the backyard with Omthor’s wife while the other adults prepared dinner. She hadn’t known what to expect, but she’d liked Lirhilde the second she’d laid eyes on her. She gave off the aura of a big sister, but there was also a warm, grandmotherly feeling to her. The woman had immediately hugged Mahannana and began gushing over her, and Mahannana hadn’t minded in the slightest.

“So, Ma-Chan, how old are you?” Lirhilde asked as they watched the fruit trees sway in the breeze. “Fifteen.” “Oh, wow, I would have guessed you were a high school 3rd year!” Lirhilde gasped. “I'm taller in this body. I looked average back in our world. Normal height and weight, black hair. Well, I had blue eyes, so that was different, but not by too much.” The girl shrugged. “Mama’s an American who moved to Japan. I got her eyes, but that’s it.” She smiled awkwardly. “I’m...not like mama. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't keep up in school. I liked video games and fantasy novels but didn’t have any real hobbies. No friends, either.” Lirhilde shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with that.” She reassured the girl. “You’re still just a baby. You have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do with your life and, anyway, there’s nothing wrong with liking the things you like. Life would suck if we never did things that were fun just because they weren’t considered “productive”. I mean, my husband and I only ended up here because we were playing videogames in our age.”

“Your age?” “Mhm-hmm,” Lirhilde looked embarrassed. “Yeah...I’m 65. Or was, anyway.”

Mahannana’s brain flat-lined. “S-six-sixty-five?!” She screamed. “Ma-Chan! Too loud! We can hear you all the way in here!” Selena called from the house. “H-how? You don’t seem old at all! You don’t act or talk like someone who’s elderly! I thought you were the same age as mama!” Lirhilde laughed. “I know it’s odd, but I’ve always been young at heart! And my husband and I basically got a second chance to relive our youth together when we were transported here. We were retired and never had any kids, so we’re not losing anything by getting to start over.”

Mahannana was stunned into silence. While the conversation had flowed naturally, everything felt weird now that she knew that she was talking to an old adult. She felt like she had to police her tone and expressions to please the other woman. It wasn’t the same as casually talking to a young woman who could be her older sister.

“Hey, don’t make it all awkward!” The pale woman begged. “I didn’t tell you my age just so you could treat me like a boring old person! I’m still myself, regardless of my age and I don’t want you to act all formal and cold with me!” Mahannana gave Lirhilde the side-eye, trying to evaluate if she was being serious or not. “Aww, you’re adorable when you’re pouty!” The swan woman squealed as she squeezed Mahannana in a tight hug. “I could just eat you up! I always wanted a little sister when I was a kid, but I was an only child, and I never got to have the kids I wanted to have. Don’t stop acting like your normal cute self!” Normally, Mari would have hated someone getting in her personal space and rubbing all over her, but she didn’t mind it coming from Lirhilde. She couldn’t explain it, but the blacksmith’s wife gave her a good feeling and she trusted her instantly.

“O-okay!” Mahannana promised, all the air having been squeezed from her lungs. ‘If she wants to be treated like a big sister...I think that would be fine. I think she’d make a good friend. Just gotta forget how old she really is.'

“Well, you look like you’re having fun, Ma-Chan!” A high-pitched voice exclaimed. “Oh, Elfrida-Chan! Hi!” Mahannana waved limply from under Lirhilde’s embrace. The tiny librarian stood with her hands on her hips in the doorway. “Oh, is this the library keeper that you’re studying with?” Lirhilde asked. Elfrida gave a low curtsy. “Elfrida Drweyn, at your service!” Lirhilde smiled. “Nice to meet you! My name's Lirhilde, but you can call me Madam Lir! Me and my husband are otherworlders and about to open a blacksmiths shop.” Elfrida came and sat down next to them. “So I heard. Thanks for inviting me for dinner, Ma-Chan.” Mahannana shrugged. “Not a big deal. Mama’s the one who always says we need to do nice things to thank people who help us. And I wanted to have someone I already know here.”

“Say, Ma-Chan? Have you been practicing?” Mahannana nodded. “Oh, yes! You’re a mage!” Lirhilde clapped her hands together in delight. “Can I see?” Mahannana smiled shyly. “Sure.”

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“The girls look like they’re having fun.” Aqua commented as he stirred the meat around in a pan. Selena watched out the kitchen window as Madoka summoned a patch of wildflowers in the backyard and Lirhilde fawned over her some more. “I think you’re right. Ma-Chan looks happy and it normally isn’t this easy for her to adjust to new people.”

“See? I told you my wife liked kids!” Omthor gave a deep laugh. “She likes people in general, really. There’re very few people she can’t get along with.” Selena sulked as the two men prepared dinner. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do, Aqua?” She whined. “Sorry, Ms Selena, but cooking isn’t exactly something I want you to help me with and can’t hold anything.” Aqua said apologetically. Selena felt uncomfortable and hyper; she wasn’t used to not doing something all the time, especially when it came to things like meal prep. The lack of autonomy she had in her wolf body was annoying.

“I have to admit, it’s great to have other people to talk to.” Omthor said as he sliced vegetables. “Everyone’s been nice, and no one's held us being aliens against us, but we don’t have any actual friends yet. And there’s not really anyone who can understand us. We’re lucky that our neighbor mentioned that there were otherworlders staying here when they recommended Aqua’s produce to us.” Selena nodded as she reluctantly sat back on her haunches. “It’s the same here. And I’ve felt pretty isolated because, well...I’m not exactly human anymore. And I have my daughter to take care of. It’s a lonely thing, having to survive in another world. And I can’t even use my hands or sit the way I used to.”

“S-Sorrry! I didn’t mean to make you feel unsupported...!” Aqua apologized as he turned red. “Not what I meant! Calm down, kid!” Selena scolded. “Believe me, I’m hyperaware of how much you’re doing for us and very grateful. I wouldn’t know what to do if we didn’t have food and a place to stay. But we’re from different worlds and, as you put it, our situation is like something out of a legend. As kind and helpful as you are, there’s only so much you can do and understand. Omthor and Lirhilde are not only from the same world, but the same country that I’m from. It’s different.”

‘Though, I think it’s mostly just different for me.’ Selena thought solemnly as she watched her daughter put on an impromptu magic show for their guests. ‘Madoka is strangely blending into this world seamlessly and can instantly connect with the natives. Maybe this is how she’s always felt; like there’s some invisible, indescribable mental barrier between her and other people.”