Chapter 37: Hilda: At The Mall 2 by kirbymanx/huskynator & warelander

Primp City - Central Mall

It was a Saturday~ No school~ What would you do first? Some students choose to spend some time or money at the mall near the busy center of Primp City. Whether alone or with somebody.

Hilda spent her time at the mall out of boredom, regretting she didn't plan to spend some time with friends during her job hunt break. But oh well, there's always next week.

She roamed the mall's halls with her teeth firmly putting pressure on her tongue to suppress her giggles as much as she can while this curse prods her.

Hilda didn't like reminders that she looked like a psycho in public spaces when on her own. And those judgy faces, well, they sure made her wanna strangle the life out of the clown possessing her if she could. But alas.

Her eyes scanned what shops she may need anything from.

Drug stores? Not unless laughter suppressant was a thing all of the sudden. Clothing stores? Not anything she'd need, nor in the mood. Supermarkets? She is hungry, but she's in a mall, she might as well treat herself to something a little more quality than what a supermarket has to offer.

Her eyes were on whatever store would hold whatever treat she's in the mood for. But she had no clue on what that would be.

"Yo, Hilda~" She faintly heard her name being called. The laughing girl looked around her, she spotted a familiar face at a cake shop.

"Silv-vahaha-ana~" Hilda walked towards the table where the girl was sitting. Silvana and Rafisol were sitting across from each other with their beanie and headphones off respectively. Both had slices of pie with a fork beside it.

Silvana quickly stood up to give the senior a quick hug, and Hilda gave that quick hug back. Hilda noticed that Rafisol looked jealous.

"Hahaha~" Some real laughter from Hilda. It did Silv good. "Hahaha, how are you two pffft doing?"

"We're doing well." The Nadja twin playfully sat back down. "Raf and I are hanging out outside of school, we don't do that nearly enough, I bought some new sports clothes because I'll be 17 sooner or later."

"But you bought all of that stuff because of a rip in your shor-"

"Shush! Raf, please." Silv was all flustered.

"Oh, sorry."

"Snrk."

"A-and-uh Raf bought a big, cute plush doggy, c'mon show'm off, Raf."

"No."

"Well, okay then… I'm enjoying my cheat day now with Raf." She pointed at her sweet looking treat.

"Looks heheh delish ha!"

"Wanna sit with us for a while?" Silvana asked.

"I don't wanna inter-pffffwhahahaha-inter-hahyaya-inter-" Hilda wheezed, couldn't get it out that she didn't wanna intrude.

"You okay, Hilda?" Silvana reached out but Hilda stopped her.

"Ahahaha-'ll be fufufu-fine." She waited a second to rest her jaw. "Still enjoying whate-hehehehe-ver your job is?"

"Sure am~" Silv had the most sincere smile on her face. "I've been working with… someone for looooong while now, we're practically business partners~"

Rafisol let out an unheard moan.

"I love it so much~" Silvana said like a little girl getting exactly what she wanted for her birthday without exactly saying what she wanted.

"Ever planning to tell ahahaha me what that job is?"

"Eh, I don't think you'd like it. And I'm never telling anyway." The athlete said cheekily with a smirk, it was hard not to hold her own laughter in. Hilda's expression was a little hard to read. "Though thanks again for inspiring me, Hil~ Sorry you have to live like this…" Her cheery mood deflates.

"As long as ehahaha as I've made someone's life a little be-hehehe-tter, I can live it snrk." Hilda lied. Hard to tell. "Let's hang pffffft out sometime again~"

"Yeah, it's been too long. I'll text you."

"You can come too if you wa-hahaha-ant." The senior hyena addressed her friend's sophomore partner with the intense aura.

"I barely know who you are." Rafisol instantly replied.

"Pfffffthhahahaha, so blunt~ Wanna change that?" Hilda proposed with a genuine smile.

"No." Rafisol rejected with a genuine cold tone.

"Okay then. Bye, you snrk two~" Hilda and Silv waved each other goodbye. Silvana went back to eating her cake, and Hilda remembered she's hungry.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the mall, a group consisting of Lagnus, Sig, Jaan, Marvett, and Dalida entered the building. The youngest of the bunch let out a quiet yawn.

''Marv, I'm tiiiiired. Can't I go home?'' Dalida pleaded towards her sister, the bags under her eyes confirming that she wasn't lying about the first part.

''Sorry, but you need to get out a bit. You can't stay up all night and never leave the house!'' Marvett responded, trying to not sound too scolding, that wouldn't get her anywhere.

Dalida didn't try to fight it, not like she could argue against it. Jaan made a silent agreement with the boys that it would be better to ease this situation very quickly.

''We can still make it fun, all of us together.'' She said, pointing at the boys who both nodded at Dalida.

The younger Schulz sibling perked up a bit, quietly moving herself between Sig and Lagnus, who invited her to stand beside them.

''I only go here with friends too.'' Sig said to make Dalida feel better.

''And it's nice to get out of the house during soccer season.'' Lagnus brought up, a slight look of annoyance on his face as he looked at the relevant mall decorations. ''Mom and dad are crazy about it.'' He continued, somewhat resigned that this wouldn't end for a while.

''Uncle keeps trying to get me into it. I don't like it.'' Sig agreed.

''I'm cool with not obsessed with it though.'' Jaan added.

''No real opinion to be honest.'' Marvett shrugged.

With this little discussion settled the group marched on. At Lagnus' request they made the local electronics shop.

''Why do we have to be here first?'' Dalida asked out of sheer curiosity.

''Because they finally released the Phantasy Star movie on DVD and I'm not risking all copies being sold out!'' Lagnus giddily proclaimed before rushing to the fantasy section of the DVD shelves.

''There he goes. Want to look for some cartoons?'' Marvett asked her sister who was visibly on board with the suggestion.

''Maybe they got some new Blaffie stuff~'' Dalida mused with a giggle.

Dalida was first to head off, with Marvett following soon, leaving Sig and Jaan on their own.

''I'll check out the comedy section, what about you?'' Jaan inquired of her spacey friend.

''Maybe they got a good anime.'' Sig figured.

The two went their separate ways and Sig was soon met with a large selection of movies and shows to choose from that would make any weeb indecisive about what to choose.

He wasn't even sure what he was in the mood for.

Something comedic? Maybe.

Something romantic? He was trying to get away from those thoughts for a while.

Something dramatic? Marvett might watch that with him for inspiration.

He kept quietly looking to find just the right thing, so quiet in fact, he could make out a familiar laugh not that far away from him.

Indeed, around the corner was Hilda, on her own way to the very section Sig was in. He gave her a silent wave, which she noticed and returned.

''Haha~ Sig, so good to see you!'' She joyfully embraced her friend.

''Hey, Hilda.'' Sig hugged her right back.

The two kept the embrace for a bit but eventually parted, still grinning at each other, glad to be in each other's company.

''Didn't know you pfft~ were into anime.'' She said, trying to not make herself sound like she was laughing at him.

''Trying to get into it. Lagnus always talks so much about it.'' He explained, directing his eyes back on the shelf.

''I got some old stuff at home. We could wa-hahahah!-tch it together sometime! Show you some classics.'' Hilda offered.

''Sounds more fun that way.'' Sig admitted, above all glad about the prospect of spending more time with her again.

Not long later, the rest of the group came around, each having found what they were looking for already. Lagnus was the first to notice her with all the girls following suit.

''Yo Hilda! You're looking for something too?'' Lagnus asked her with a wave.

''Nah. Just enjoying some time off from the heheheh~ job hunting.''.

''I'd imagine, you have been at it for a while.'' Marvett could easily understand her mindset.

''A long while, until we needed to cheer Sig up.'' Dalida said, not really thinking about it.

Indeed, Lagnus seemed confused and even Jaan was visibly questioning what she was talking about, having not been clued in about it herself.

Dalida silently kicked herself, realizing that she should be more careful when talking in a sleep-deprived state.

''Did something happen?'' Lagnus asked, sounding genuinely concerned and Jaan was right there with him.

Both looked at Sig, who did not know how to most ideally not explain the situation.

''He was a bit down, but it didn't take much.'' Hilda tried to defuse the situation, trying to look casual while putting an arm around Sig's shoulder.

''Of course I-hihihi-I'd always take time for one of my dearest pals!'' She said in all earnesty. Both her and Sig nuzzled their heads together, forgetting about the awkwardness of the moment. The sheer sight of that was enough to ease Lagnus and Jaan.

Dalida and Marvett let out mental sighs of relief themselves. Crisis averted.

With her mind eased, Jaan couldn't help but grin looking around the group, especially the pink-haired senior student among them.

''Feels good to have the whole group together again. I was afraid you might drift away from us Hilda.'' Jaan admitted and Hilda seemed to understand.

''Trust me, I pfft~ missed all of you a lot.'' She declared and with that final statement, the group hug commenced.

It was a quick one, they were in the middle of a store after all, but all of them had the same thought. They wanted to all be together more often again, from now on.

They all let go and before anyone could even say a thing, an audible growl escaped Hilda's stomach.

''I'm hahahaha~ famished. About time I get something to eat.'' Hilda said, deciding she didn't want to hold it off any longer.

''Wanna go wanna go get some subs below?'' Sig suggested to the surprise of nobody around.

''I knew you'd say that.'' Marvett said in a playfully snarky tone.

''I'm down for it. Let's pay up and go.'' Everyone nodded to Lagnus' words and followed his lead.

The whole way there.

Their whole stay there.

The whole rest of her mall visit.

Hilda felt like she was reliving old times, all that was missing was Nasos joining in.

For now, the jobs could wait. All she cared about now was being with her friends...