"Hello, don't be afraid, i'm not going to hurt you" She cooed Do you know where you are?"
No response
"Your in my apartment, my name is Glynda, what's yours?"
A tiny whisper could be heard, so small that Glynda had to lean in to hear it "S-Sen.." The voice was broken and cracked, like it hadn't been used in a long time
"Sen?" Glynda cocked her head before breaking into a grin "That's a pretty name, well it's nice to meet you, Sen" She reached out her hand for Sen to shake, but the girl flinched away as it neared her face
Glynda rose an eyebrow, but didn't think to much of it, probably just an instictual reaction "Do you know where your from?" She asked
Again, no response
"Do you know who your parents are?"
Nothing
"Do you remember what happened last night?"
Silent as the wind
Glynda sighed "Your not much of a talker are you" She didn't blame her, she was still trembling "Well, long story short, your going to be staying with me for a while until we find someone to take care of you" She smile softened "So you don't have to spend another night on the streets, is that okay?"
Sen pulled her knees closer and trembled harder, from confusion or fear Glynda couldn't tell. The witch stood up, one hand on her hip "For now, why don't we get you some breakfast"
At the dining table, Sen sat staring at her plate, her feet swinging off the edge of the chair. Glynda had whipped up some eggs and bacon and sat accros from her as she eyed down her breakfast. Glynda swallowed and raised an eyebrow 'Well, aren't you going to eat?" She tried to keep her eyes off of the various scars not hidden by the baggy t-shirt
Sen awkwardly picked up her fork, staring at it strangely, she held it at an angle stabbing it into her plate.
Glynda stopped mid forkfull "Wait, you mean you know know how to use kitchen utensials?" She asked flabbergasted, how long had this girl been on her own to forget something so simple?
The professor left her breakfast and walked to her side "Here, let me show you" she reached out to place her hand over Sens's, but once again she flinched away. She sighed "I get it, you don't want to be touched, don't worry I won't try anymore" She sat back down picking up her fork "Just watch me" She slowly picked up a forkfull of eggs, shoveling it into her mouth, then smiled back
Sen watched her, copying her every move until finally she managed to get the food into her mouth, after a few attempts "There you go, you just need practice"
The rest of the breakfast continued in silence. Afterwards, Glynda cleaned off thew plates while Sen watched her. "I'll try to buy you some better fitting clothes when I get off work" She said. She turned to her as she was rinsing the dishes. Sen was wobbling on her feet , she was holding her stomach and her face looked green "Sen, are you okay?"
Sen threw her hand over her mouth 'Oh god, she's going to puke' Glynda turned the tap and rushed her towards the bathroom "Follow me"
The witch stood outside the bathroom door as Sen wretched into the toilet 'I dont understand, what made her to sick' She glanced at her watch 'Damn, I need to get to work soon' A minute later Sen exited, her hand still on her stomach, Glynda handed her a cloth to wipe her mouth then sighed, kneeling down to be on her level "I need to go to work now, but i'll be back later tonight, so be a good girl and i'll leave the t.v on for you"
Glynda walked over and switched on the television, changing it to a children's show. Sen's eyes hooked to it and she slowly walked over it, sitting in front of the couch as if mesmerized. Glynda watched her as she grabbed her glasses 'I wonder if she'll be here when I get back' She sighed, pulling her hair into it's normal bun, she slipped on her glasses and rabbed her cape and boots. After she was presentable she grabbed her bag containing the papaers she just remembered she forgot to grade, and with one more look at Sen, headed out.
At school, Glynda had to rush to grade the essays before her first class started. The morning dragged on and on until lunch finally rolled around. Glynda knew who she wanted to talk to, Professor Port was always reliable, she could trust him with this. She found him in the courtyard "Peter, could I speak to you for a minute, it's important"
Port smiled at her "Why of course Professor, confess to me your woes" After Glynda explained the situation, Port rubbed his chin thoughtfully "Hmm, that is a dilenma, and you say the child was alone?"
Glynda nodded
He thought for a moment "I think it be best if we examine her more thorouly, i'll grab Professor Oobleck and we'll drop by after school, then we can decide together what to do together" He decided
Glynda smiled in relief "Thank you, Peter"
Port guffawed "Of course dear girl, we wouldn't let you go through this alone"
The rest of the day flew. Glynda stopped by a children's clothing store before heading home, she grabbed some basic clothes, not knowing Sen's size and some underwear. Afterwards, she was unlocking the door to her apartment with her two coworkers behind her and a bag under her arm. When she got in, Sen was still in the same spot in front of the television that Glynda had left her, her eyes glued to the screen. The three adults circled her, port was the first to speak "Quite the tiny thing isn't she?"
Oobleck nodded "Yes, and those injuries are quite extensive, have you tried getting a closer look at them?"
"I can't she won't let me touch her, she flinches away every time" Glynda replied
Oobleck adjusted his glasses "That is concerning, this seems to be a more serious manner then we thought" Oobleck said "We should put some serious consideration to her condition. But first, a quick trip to the loo"
"Um, actually Morty, you may not want to go in there" Glynda said quickly
"Whatever for?" Port asked
"Sen had a bit of an... accident this morning, I made some eggs and bacon this morning but shew threw it up almost as soon as she ate it" Glynda bit her nhail, a nervous tick of hers
"Not surprising" Oobleck said "Someone as malnourished as her, her stomach wouldn't be able to handle such rich food" He squatted down in front of Sen, examining her. She didn't seem to notice, but after a minute her eyes moved to his, as if just noticing the adults were there. "Quite troubling" Oobleck mumbled
"Oh my!" Port cried
"What is it?" Glynda asked
"You never mentioned she was a... mouse faunus" Port said, his body rigid
Glynda smiled, Port's fear in rodents was quite well known among the Beacon staff "Actually, i'm quite sure she's a rat faunus" She corrected him
"Yes yes, given by the length of the tail, she is most certainly a rat faunus" Oobleck concurred
Port had somehow back up to the wall in their talking "That makes it better!?" He cried "So unnatural.."
Glynda rolled her eyes "Peter she's a little girl, not a literal rat" She said, trying to hold in her laughter
Oobleck stood up, his hand on his chin "Hmm..."
Glynda snapped back to reality "So, what do you think Marty?" She asked
"Her injuries are extensive, many look like they've been opened and healed multiple times, though I can't determine what would cause injuries like this" Oobleck muttered
"What would reccomend then?" She asked
Oobleck adjusted his glasses, putting a hand on his hip "I'd say keep her indoors for the time being, she's far to thin for her body to withstand the cold, and feed her a bit at a time until her stomach becomes adjusted to recieving food"
Glynda sighed, biting her nail again "I hope so.." she murmered
Oobleck placed a hand on her shoulder "Your a good person Glynda, i'm sure over time she'll come to trust you" He said supportingly
She returned his smile "Thank you Morty, let's hope so"
Oobleck nodded "Come on Peter, let's not crowd the poor girl any longer" He had to go behind the petrified man and push him towards the door while Port muttered 'simply unnatural' under his breath. Oobleck looked back over his shoulder "Have a good night, Glynda"
After they left, Glynda kneeled down in front of Sen, who still hadn't moved from her spot for her entire visit. "Hey Sen, I got you some clothes while I was out" She held up the bag from the children's store "Want to try something on?"
Sen looked at her then stood up and grabbed the bag, peering inside. Glynda stood up and was about to direct her to the bedroom to change when Sen started to pull the t-shirt Glynda gave her over her head, right in the middle of the living room
"No, no in the bedroom, you can change in the bedroom" She said quickly, her apartment was on a low level and her curtains were drawn. Sen paused then pulled the shirt back down, grabbed the bag and diappeared into the bedroom.
Glynda collapsed on the couch with a sigh, removing her glasses and rubbing her eyes. How could one girl be so completely clueless when it comes to such basic things? Sen emerged wearing a shirt with a jumper dress that covered most of her scars, she was still barefoot even though Glynda had bought her socks. Dispite the fact that Glynda had bought the smallest sizes she could find, the clothes still hung off her loosely. Sen stood in front of her, as if expecting her to say something. Glynda sighed again "You look good"
At dinner, Glynda gave Sen a glass of water and some bread to see if she kept it down. She terrible for it, but Professor Oobleck would know better about this kind of stuff. When she didn't appear to becone sick, she gave her some vegetables. Sen ate them all cautiously
That night, Gkynda was changinto her pajamas when Sen climbed into her bed. The witch took off her glasses, placing them in their usual spot at the bedside table and let down her hair. She closed hwer dresser and lifted up the sheets to climb in. Sen pulled to blankets closer to herself as she did
Glynda paused "Guess you don't really trust me yet" She sighed "Okay, the bed is yours" she flicked off the bedside lamp and wandered into the living room for another long night on the sofa. She yawned as she switched off the light and curled up.
Ooblecks words floated through her mind "I'm sure she'll trust you in time" She hoped that was true.