Work Text:
Ginger had never been one for femininity. While her younger sisters were focused on long dresses or braiding hair, Ginger had been more interested in collecting rocks or trying to climb the tallest tree she could find. Scarlet used to always nag her for not wearing shoes or bringing in her words ‘disgusting, dirt-encrusted minerals’. Though after saying that salt was a mineral too, she quietly gave up. Ginger had no issues with who she was, at least she thought. Being a kid, and being able to do the things she enjoys made Ginger… Ginger. However, when Ginger turned 13, she started noticing a lot of stuff she didn’t enjoy. Her older sisters calling her a ‘young woman’, talking about that gross event called a ‘period’, suggesting she start dressing cuter so she can find the right guy. All of these things just sounded wrong!
She heralded her mother’s simple instructions “Go to grandmother’s house, and stay on the path!” Pfft, yeah right! There’s way too many trees to climb, and things to find to just walk on a boring old dirt path! Besides, she could use the time to calm down from all those swirling thoughts… not that she’d ever admit that part. As quickly as the car pulled away, she quickly headed into what once was a familiar forest. Though, even the trees feel different. Not a bad kind of different, maybe. More like a friend who turned out to be an undercover spy, but is holding your family hostage! Okay, so it is the bad kind of different. However, there might be cool stuff to find! As she wandered further and further in, she reflected on what each of her sisters said to her problem.
“I can’t wait to grow up!” Robin bounced excitedly, “I’m gonna become a vet! Maybe I’ll even treat a wolf one day!” Maybe Robin’s a little too young to understand, if only Ginger could be like that again, and go back to collecting rocks and toy soldiers.
“I’m always told that I’m already grown up,” Rose reflected while petting her rabbit. “However that just isn’t true, I’m 11 and far from reaching up to Scarlet.” Rose is definitely an old soul in Ginger’s eyes, but maybe she should consult her other sisters too.
“The world is a mess Tomboy Red,” Ruby said using Ginger’s nickname, not looking away from her book. “Don’t let go of your childhood just yet.” At least Ruby has the right idea, but how would Ginger handle these changes?
“I don’t get why you’re so worried,” Carmen smiled, trying on hats and scarves. “Growing up can be fun! I can give you all the tips for dating after all.” Even the mention of that word made Ginger grimace.
“Growing up is a normal fact of life,” Scarlet told her. “It’s not pretty, but we have to deal with it. Besides, maybe in that you’ll find a new dream like motherhood or actually cleaning your room.” She was getting nowhere fast here, and just the idea of being a mother made her wanna gag. What about being a hunter? A lumberjack? She’s nervous about voicing those ideas anyways.
As she looked around she realized quickly, that not only was she lost in thought, but in the forest she used to remember too. While her reaction should be fear, it was instead anger. Why couldn’t things stay the same? Why couldn’t she play with her army toys? Why couldn’t she stay the one known as ‘Tomboy Red’? Why were her sisters so fine with this when she so clearly wasn’t? Even referring to herself with ‘she’ felt wrong. What was wrong with Ginger? Maybe, just as an ‘exercise in mind’ like Rose calls them, she could do something completely weird to regain her composure. Perhaps she could try using ‘he’? He reflected on the idea in his mind, and even more worrying, it didn’t sound weird. He thought it sounded just right. Is this wrong to be doing and thinking? Surely Scarlet would tell him he’s being out of line, right? However, the simple word… ‘he’ gave him more joy than he’s had in the past few months. There’s another joy point, thanks to ‘him’! Ginger figured if it was giving him that much joy, it was worth a try anyways, it’s just him in the forest right now after all. Though he might see his forest friend all his sisters refer to as “The girl in white” who travels around and leads them back to the path, Ginger being the one who verges off most often sees her the most.
Speak of the devil, she’s right in front of Ginger right now, offering a hug. Ginger accepts the hug, but wants to communicate something
“I may be lost,” he tells her. “But I want to keep looking around.” The girl in white gives a simple nod and smile to this sentence and skips away. The more he used the word ‘he’, the more it felt right, like he was finally himself. Did that make sense? Or was he going mad? A rattling sound knocked him out of his confusion, did he kick a can? No, a spraycan! Artistic freedom and freedom itself galore! When he grows up, he wants to try making art masterpieces with these onto the biggest trees in the world! Huh, he didn’t get scared of the thought of growing up that time. With that he sprays his nickname, to leave a mark on this forest, even a temporary one. Though immediately after seeing ‘Tomboy Red’ he felt himself grimace. He gets an idea after that gives him a huge grin, he strikes a line of paint through ‘Tom’ only leaving two simple words that make his heart burst, ‘Boy Red’.
“That word… Boy … It feels so right on me.” Ginger spoke softly fearing he might be heard, “but what do I do?” He stumbled upon something just as unique as the spray can. Sun filtered brightly through a clearing in the forest, where wild and untamed flowers seemed to grow around huge telephone poles. What Ginger wouldn’t give for a chance to climb those one day, when he’s more experienced of course. He wanders into said clearing, feeling the sun shine and reflect off his skin. It might be good to bring some flowers for grandmother, she always liked those kinds of things. With the flowers in his basket, he got ready to head back. Except someone else’s presence was around and said presence had covered his eyes.
When Ginger removes those hands he sees a girl around his age, who looks strikingly similar to the girl in… well no, she’s wearing red. She runs around the flowers, and Ginger gives chase, like it’s a game of tag. He notices the girl fall into the flowers, she extends a hand, and he tries helping her up, but it was a trick! Ginger less than triumphantly falls down next to the girl in a bed of flowers. They begin to have small talk, and the conversation seems to change topics fast.
“Running and playing tag, I wanna stay like this forever!” she remarks. “Who would wanna grow up?”
Ginger thinks for a moment, “When I entered this forest, I had the same track of mind. Yet now, I want to grow up. I want to grow past ‘Tomboy Red’ into ‘Boy Red’... Gah! I didn’t expect that part to come out!”
The girl in red turns to her, “so you want to grow up, but not how you are now huh?”
“I really... Really do.” Ginger breathes, “but my sisters, would they even go for that? Would they even be okay with that?”
The girl’s face suddenly changes to an entirely different and complicated expression, “well… your sister’s do love you right?”
He nods.
“Then they should support what feels right for you, especially if it means growing up and turning into a person that all of you could be proud of.”
Ginger let out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in, “that actually makes a lot of sense. Thank you.”
“No problem,” the girl’s eyes shone brightly with an emotion Ginger couldn’t quite place. “Say, where are you going with that basket?”
Ginger’s eyes widened as he realized he lost track of time, “oh shoot! Grandmother! Sorry I gotta go!” He got up with a hop and found the girl in white. He walked over to her. “I think I’m ready to go to grandmother’s house, and to tell her what I learned off the path.” The girl in white smiled at him and led him back toward the path. He was so excited to talk with grandmother, and to tell her all about his adventure. Maybe after making grandmother the first person to know, he could tell the others too! Even if they don’t approve, that won’t stop good ol’ Boy Red!
