Anneza was lead into a 'lounge' like area.
She looked around... at first glance this wasn't as bad as she imagined. Perhaps she was not with the worst people? She noticed that those here were even going in and out of an outdoor area... curiously she stepped outside, and was surprised to see a few small chess games set up and a small allotment. There were different people playing the game. A few were elderly, but it was hard to tell given their transformed status.
She was vaguely aware people tended to get younger. not older if they changed age at all. Those who gained a few years tended not to go past what would be considered their prime. So it was quite likely, that these people were already quite old when they changed- but perhaps not so fortunate as to gain their youth back. Maybe some of them were relieved... others could feel cheated.
A few of them were perhaps placed in here by their loved ones, if they reacted badly to a transformation... still with the way they were being treated, you would think this was more a retirement house then a nut house. There was no signs of anyone being confined... actually it even looked like a few people came here voluntarily to seek help on issues they had adjusting to their new situation.
Counciling wouldn't help Anneza though... she couldn't talk.
She saw a vending machine, and decided maybe she could at least have a drink- but sadly, she couldn't find anything she wanted. She didn't crave Tea, or Coffee... not even hot chocolate. Well, the chocolate would do for now... she pressed the button, glad that it seemed to be free.
She took a sip of the hot chocolate, and sighed... it was missing something. If only it could have some ginger root- wait a minute... ginger roots? In Hot chocolate? ... what a strange craving! Still... it would be nice. Stepping outside, she was fortunate to see some ginger root actually being grown. She signalled permission if she could take one... and the strange transformed wolf man nodded.
She dunked the ginger root into the hot chocolate, allowing the flavour to go into the hot water, as she stepped back inside the lounge.
She sat down on a sofa- well sat in as far as she was still hovering over it. She noticed someone had left some kind of doll on the table. She picked it up.
The doll waved at her.
Anneza screamed and practically threw it on the ground dropping it. "Katri Zar hir!"
One of the orderlies came by to them. "It's okay Anneza," she said softly. "Her name is Ellen. She's here voluntarily."
Anneza looked blankly, not understanding.
The orderly pointed to Anneza. "Anneza..." She pointed to the Doll. "Ellen..."
Ah.. the space woman understood. This was a transformed person?
The doll sat up in a huff, dusting herself. She signalled in sign language:
Just saying hello.
Anneza looked at her curiously. This doll was also forced to communicate in sign language too?
Sorry she signed back, a little awkwardly.
The doll looked stunned.
You understand sign language? It asked.
Anneza gave a shrug. Little. I'm Learning
The doll smiled looking happier. She started to sign quite a few things rapidly, but Anneza could not understand all of it. She was using some of the phonetic spellings of certain words, which were not of any use to her. Signs that represented objects or acts were the only things she could understand for now, until she re-learned English.
Slowly. Please. I do not understand words Anneza tried to sign. I do not understand spellings
The Doll was trying to say something... something about behind? something behind her? Anneza looked on the dolls back and saw a chord.. attached to the doll. She seemed to be asking her to pull the chord. Anneza complied.
"Thank you. I only get a few sentences though" she said smiling as her chord ran out and she was back to silence.
Anneza did not understand what she said, but it was clear she could still speak... but only when someone was pulling the chord. It didn't look possible for her to pull her own chord... what a terrible mess to be in! In some ways that had to be worse then the situation Anneza was in...
Friends? Anneza asked biting her lip
Friends Ellen signed back.
Jenny thought back as she held the heavy weapon in her hand...
Is this really what she was being asked to do? The more she understood what being a magic girl meant, the stranger it all seemed to be. On the one hand, only children could wield the power... on the other hand, they were warriors. To defend society from a threat the rest could not perceive or understand... But they were essentially being asked to do the job an adult was required to do in the first place.
It was... just weird to her. Yet she was Four... Magic Girl Four
She wished there were others like her. Where were they? Was she really alone, being asked to defend an entire area- a planet even, all by herself? Her first job went badly... she nearly got herself, and everyone killed. It was only because Hawkings helped her, she managed to survive. And that was on an easy job!
But how can she do this alone? She... she didn't want to be alone.
She wished her mother was here... but Muriel was here. That made her feel safe. She was a policewoman... she was similar to her in some ways right? Even if she didn't have magic, she made sure people were safe.
She looked at the safe... the one containing the gun. She turned the dial a few times, hearing its clicking... she pressed her ear to it, listening to each click
Tick tick tick tick.... tick...
the pause of a tumbler... a half turn at this point...
Tick tick.... tick...
turn again
Tick tick tick....
Jenny gasped as she suddenly realised what she was doing. No! Muriel would be upset if she- she quickly spun the dial, looking all the more terrified of what she nearly did. It... it wasn't that she really could open it... right? she was just playing a game...
Muriel came into the room at that point, and Jenny tried her best not to look incredibly guilty.
"Are you okay sweetie?" she asked
"Um- uh huh," She squeaked a little red faced.
"I prepared some food for you. Tuck in. You had a really busy day," She smiled.
"Hey I helped prepare something too!" said Tetra. "Special salad. It will improve your reflexes I'm sure."
"R-Really?" asked Jenny
"Yep" grinned the catgirl. "You're my pupil so I'm going to watch your diet. You'll be a lean mean magic girl in no time" She giggled.
"But today I..."
The catgirl shook her head. "Ah it was my fault for not teaching you right. The real thing is always harder then practice... you'll see. I'll fix you up."
Caitlin, the statue girl wondered what to do this Saturday..
Her parents were sleeping inside the house, having worked the whole night. So she decided to do a little experiment. She stood outside her house, and placed a small clock on the wall. She had done this once already... but she wanted to see how long she could do it for. She had already stripped naked looking for all the world, an ordinary statue.
The last time was only about a minute... could she do this longer?
She held a pose, as the sound of smooth granite on smooth granite was heard in the air, and then... she stopped.
Being like this was not really uncomfortable to her. She didn't feel 'locked' in exactly. Her mind felt free to perceive if she wanted to or... to simply...
she watched the clock, as its dial sped faster. Every second another minute went by... she glanced her eyes upwards, and could see the clouds starting to move faster, as sun and shade shimmered quickly.
She looked at the clock again as it spun even faster. Now the hour hand was going quickly. A brief rain hit her, but the sun came out again, holding its position at noon.
This was amazing! She was essentially time travelling!
... how far could she go?
Steve wasn't sure why, but... she was dancing.
The flower girl and her mother danced in the sunlight, in their garden.
It was an instinctive motion, as her petals glittered in the sunlight, soaking moisture from the air. She was a bit worried as the motion seemed to make her scent (and that of her mothers) intensify a bit. Still... this all felt too good to be wrong.
She could even hear the flowers around them singing a song to them... the rustle of the wind, empowering their voice. So many of them were happy to have them dance, although a few were unhappy not to have enough water lately. Perhaps they recognised her mother who used to tend the garden before the sun changed?
The moss in particular was really enjoying itself, having cornered so much of the sun by living on that wall. It was almost bullish in its tone, but the tree was proud in its own song. It knew it couldn't be touched by the moss for now. Perhaps in a hundred years, but so much can happen until then.
Steve whispered to the moss, "Be nice... We're the ones who put you there."
Her mother giggled. "Oh, Sorry yes... my daisies, I have missed watering you... I'll do that soon."
Steve blinked as if the haziness of what they were doing was starting to break. "M-Mom? What are we doing?"
"Talking to the flowers dear... does that worry you?"
The flower girl stared at her mother. She was so... quick to just... urgh! How can she adjust so quickly to this! "B-But.. they don't talk..." She said quickly.
"Of course not dear. They are singing to us... you were enjoying it not a moment ago."
Was that it? The.. music of flowers. "I- I need to go inside," She said in the end. This was just.. too strange now for her.
"Sure dear, come back soon... and bring my watering can."
