Josh got to magic class a few minutes early. Unlike his first two classes, taking place in massive lecture halls, this class took place in the school's botanical gardens. In the center was a child with hair alternating pink and blue, meditating. Josh tried to greet the apparent teacher, but they paid no attention to him.
20 or so people filtered in, and at the strike of 12:30, the child opened their eyes. Speaking in a soft tone, they said "Welcome to the meeting on the holistic nature of magic. I'm tasked with reintroducing you to magical thinking.
"I'd like to start with introductions. I'm Olibia, I'm a retired forest guardian from timeline 358-yon, I'm about... a few centuries old, and I kept the local forces of nature from harming eachother. I want to hear your name - your new name, I mean, where you're from, and what power you wish to gain from training."
"I'm gonna be Cerulean, I'm from Ohio, and I want to talk to aquatic animals"
"I'm Snapdragon, I'm from Maine, and I'll become an idol singer"
"I'm, uhh, Anacostia, I'm from Maryland, and I want to... stop... violence with uh, peace?" So many of the people here were already so meek and kind, it made him self conscious about that "deathkeeper" concept.
Right to his left was the klutz from lunch, Chris, or as he was calling himself, "Grace." Chris was a senior, 6 foot 2, a member of the school's football team, and had a habit of making a drunken fool of himself. Magical girl trainees weren't allowed to consume alcohol, which was probably why he was on edge.
After the whole circle had introduced himself, Olibia spoke at lengths about 'holistic magic'. To put it shortly, everything's connected, and everything is magical, and "witches" (Olibia always called them them, for some reason) are able to control their innate magic energy midichlorian garbages. Josh came out having only learned that he should take better notes.
---
Chris sat outside the Dean's office, expecting to be torn apart for what he did during lunch. It all made him feel like a child, and the threat of becoming a child made it even worse.
Sat next to him was a guy that he recognized from a math class last year. Michael was a trans man that had transitioned during college, and was only this year living in the male dorms. He was planning on protesting his re-girlification, or at the very least request permission to still present as male.
Chris heard his name called, and stepped into the room. Inside were Professor Erlkin, the dean, and a Rosa looking bored out of her mind. Chris was at least a foot taller than anyone else in the room.
The dean started, "Chris, we feel like you aren't adjusting well to the changes. Not only that, you are preventing others from doing so, specifically poor Rosa over here
"I thought that this deserved a quick zap," she gestured with a pastel, sticker-covered pistol, "but Erlkin advocated for a smaller punishment."
Erlkin spoke up. "Rosa will be assigned a new room-mate, to keep you from inhibiting her adjustment. Additionally, every weekday at 2 PM you will have a private 'adjustment lessons' with me. You'll learn etiquette, kindness, empathy, and how to be a perfect little girl."
"That's... that can't be real."
"Would you rather be zapped?"
"Alright I get it. I'll be there tomorrow."
"By Cwis-ama!" Rosa waved.
The dean put down her gun. "Alright, come on in Mikie!"
Chris, Rosa, and Erlkin had filtered out before Michael had entered. "Yes, ma'am?"
"So I've talked about it with management, and it seems there is precedent for transgender magical girls." The dean tapped a crystal ball on her desk, displaying a girl with her hair shortly cropped, wearing a knight's armor. "Did you know the angst of gender dysphoria can actually make you more powerful?"
"Good to know..."
"So, management will let you go around in pants and all that, but you can't get around the Androjuv. You need to be a girl to be a magical girl."
"Thank you, that's actually really thoughtful -"
"Eh, I had to draw the line somewhere. This is still my school, after all. Anyways, get out of my office."