Penny put down her wallet. She loved to read, but she had so much going through her head. Reading wasn't working as a distraction. She didn't really feel sleepy either. Penny sighed and looked around the room. She smiled as she found a plant on Quillion's bedside table. She picked up the plant and looked at it. It was a cylindar shaped cactus with a pink flower on top.
"Echinocereus rigidissimus," she said, quietly. "More commonly known as the rainbow hedgehog cactus."
She hadn't expected Quillion to be one to have plants, but the cute, prickly plant seemed to fit him. Penny frowned a bit at it. The flower was looking a little peckish. She felt the soil, still moist, but not overly wet. Cacti would good for people who were bad with plants because they didn't require a lot of attention. It wouldn't need to be watered for awhile. What then had caused the slight wilting. It came to her quickly. A desert plant in the middle of a Moscow winter. The little one needed sunlight. She would have to suggest a sun lamp to Quillion. For now though, she sang softly to the plant. It was a simple melody and the flower seemed to perk a bit at her voice. The color even seemed a little more vibrant. She didn't know how it worked, but it wasn't that unusual. She felt something within her - a pleased feeling almost as if the small plant was thanking her.
"You're very welcome," she said, setting it back down in its place.
Penny then stood. She was impatient. Sleep wasn't going to happen. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself before leaving the room. She went in the other two see how Anita was doing. She hadn't even gotten under a blanket. She was just lying on top of it in a deep sleep. Penny grabbed the blanket from the side and covered Anita as best as she could before heading down stairs.
She found the main hall quickly and looked at the people there. There were quite a bit there. The thing that caught her attention the most were families. Moms and dads held their kids close. Penny felt the pain of loss and walked away for a bit. She sat down next to the wall. "I wish I had a family," she said, voicing her deepest desire out loud.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear," a voice said. Penny stood, the unexpected sound scaring her. A man stood there - not ugly, but neither was he attractive. He had the face of one easily lost in a crowd. He raised his hands to show he wasn't a threat. "Apologies. I didn't mean to frighten you. You don't have a family?"
It had been a long time since Penny had heard the words, but every kid learned about "Stranger Danger." She was on edge, but found herself unable to move. Her dad - she had her dad, but no way to find him. "My dad - don't know where he is though. I never met him." Penny took a step back.
"I also lost my family when I was younger. I know how hard that can be, but if you have a dad - you still have a family. And maybe he has more kids. Maybe you have brothers and sisters too. Wouldn't that be nice? he smiled a disarming smile. "I could help you find them if you wish."
He was saying the right things. He didn't seem to be threatening, but he was offering her what she wanted. She had gone to the internet to ask for help. It seemed perfect. It seemed...wrong.
Penny's hackles rose. She didn't answer the man's question. She just backed away, not turning her back on the man. He didn't move to follow her. She headed into the main room, turned around and began to walk faster. She looked over her shoulder. The man was now leaning on the door frame. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes searched the crowd and when they passed over Penny, she shivered. She wasn't cold. She was afraid. Her speed picked up and she turned around again, not wanting to turn her back on the man. He was gone. Her eyes searched the crowd, but the man was unremarkable. She couldn't find him.
Penny stopped when she felt herself back into a body. She jumped and let out a short scream, taking a few steps away from whoever she had run into. Whereas the man had been unremarkable and almost boring looking, the woman in front of Penny was the opposite. She was beautiful. Penny took a couple of steps back. She was still shivering in fear.
"I'm...I'm sorry," she said, apologizing to the woman, unable to keep the tremor out of her voice. The people around the woman were looking at her concerned. Penny pulled the blanket around her tighter. She was terrified.
[[OoC: The woman she runs into is Nora]]
"Echinocereus rigidissimus," she said, quietly. "More commonly known as the rainbow hedgehog cactus."
She hadn't expected Quillion to be one to have plants, but the cute, prickly plant seemed to fit him. Penny frowned a bit at it. The flower was looking a little peckish. She felt the soil, still moist, but not overly wet. Cacti would good for people who were bad with plants because they didn't require a lot of attention. It wouldn't need to be watered for awhile. What then had caused the slight wilting. It came to her quickly. A desert plant in the middle of a Moscow winter. The little one needed sunlight. She would have to suggest a sun lamp to Quillion. For now though, she sang softly to the plant. It was a simple melody and the flower seemed to perk a bit at her voice. The color even seemed a little more vibrant. She didn't know how it worked, but it wasn't that unusual. She felt something within her - a pleased feeling almost as if the small plant was thanking her.
"You're very welcome," she said, setting it back down in its place.
Penny then stood. She was impatient. Sleep wasn't going to happen. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself before leaving the room. She went in the other two see how Anita was doing. She hadn't even gotten under a blanket. She was just lying on top of it in a deep sleep. Penny grabbed the blanket from the side and covered Anita as best as she could before heading down stairs.
She found the main hall quickly and looked at the people there. There were quite a bit there. The thing that caught her attention the most were families. Moms and dads held their kids close. Penny felt the pain of loss and walked away for a bit. She sat down next to the wall. "I wish I had a family," she said, voicing her deepest desire out loud.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear," a voice said. Penny stood, the unexpected sound scaring her. A man stood there - not ugly, but neither was he attractive. He had the face of one easily lost in a crowd. He raised his hands to show he wasn't a threat. "Apologies. I didn't mean to frighten you. You don't have a family?"
It had been a long time since Penny had heard the words, but every kid learned about "Stranger Danger." She was on edge, but found herself unable to move. Her dad - she had her dad, but no way to find him. "My dad - don't know where he is though. I never met him." Penny took a step back.
"I also lost my family when I was younger. I know how hard that can be, but if you have a dad - you still have a family. And maybe he has more kids. Maybe you have brothers and sisters too. Wouldn't that be nice? he smiled a disarming smile. "I could help you find them if you wish."
He was saying the right things. He didn't seem to be threatening, but he was offering her what she wanted. She had gone to the internet to ask for help. It seemed perfect. It seemed...wrong.
Penny's hackles rose. She didn't answer the man's question. She just backed away, not turning her back on the man. He didn't move to follow her. She headed into the main room, turned around and began to walk faster. She looked over her shoulder. The man was now leaning on the door frame. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes searched the crowd and when they passed over Penny, she shivered. She wasn't cold. She was afraid. Her speed picked up and she turned around again, not wanting to turn her back on the man. He was gone. Her eyes searched the crowd, but the man was unremarkable. She couldn't find him.
Penny stopped when she felt herself back into a body. She jumped and let out a short scream, taking a few steps away from whoever she had run into. Whereas the man had been unremarkable and almost boring looking, the woman in front of Penny was the opposite. She was beautiful. Penny took a couple of steps back. She was still shivering in fear.
"I'm...I'm sorry," she said, apologizing to the woman, unable to keep the tremor out of her voice. The people around the woman were looking at her concerned. Penny pulled the blanket around her tighter. She was terrified.
[[OoC: The woman she runs into is Nora]]