The Animalia virus is known to be able to cure virtually every physical ailment. However, it's not particularly documented on how it can treat mental ailments. Yes, it can repair damaged parts of the brain, but that doesn't always extend to the mind it contains. Which is why it is very fortunate that Animalia has a world-class psychologist like Dr. Jones working for them. Even after conversion, people may still have a few mental problems that they needed therapy for.
A good example would be two women has recently been converted. One was Gloria von Guter Trauermann. She had been a very noteworthy thespian, though she had a very rough childhood with a very domineering and demanding mother, who wanted Gloria to be a actress like herself. And yet she was so busy with her own career she left most of Gloria's raising to a boarding school run by very strict teachers who harshly trained the girls in the art of theatre. And yet, Gloria was able to have a meteoric rise to stardom in the world of theatre. In fact, she even eclipsed her own mother in talent and skill. And it seemed that her mother's envy had grown so much that she committed suicide after Gloria had won a coveted acting award she was never able to obtain by herself. Despite her harsh raising, Gloria did love her mother and her death devastated her. So much that she had a nervous breakdown which primarily manifested in the form of rather extreme mood swings. She could go from friendly and happy to paranoid and angry at the drop of a hat. Needless to say, her acting career soon ended and she would have been forgotten by the world if Animalia wasn't giving her a second chance.
The other woman was a bit harder to describe. Milla V. was a pretty well-known influencer online and had a very large following. But she admitted that she had a problem: social media addiction. It was not a well-defined form of addiction like nicotine addiction. Though people would claim it's certain a growing problem in today's modern era. And Milla did seem to have a problem, the way she was neglecting important things in order to fuel her online presence. She did need help, but some would argue that becoming an Animalian isn't the right way to go. If anything, it could fuel her addiction even more. Perhaps it was for this reason that Milla was assigned to more old-fashioned Animalians like Ella and Simone.
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"So, I hear you're working at the Community Theater now," said Dr. Jones. Gloria was looking better than he had last seen her. Her conversion into a crested chameleon Animalian had done a lot to stabilize her. She had chosen this lizard because she wanted to look stunning on stage and be able to match all her clothes. However, it also made it painfully obvious when she was in a particular mood.
"It's a humble little theater for now, but I'm sure it'll soon shine," said Gloria, her complexion becoming yellower as she felt happy.
"And it doesn't feel like it's a step down from what you used to do?" asked Dr. Jones.
"There are no small parts, only small actors," said Gloria before her face started darkening, literally, "Though I'm sure my old teachers would disagree."
"I see you still hold resentment for that boarding school," said Dr. Jones.
Gloria's complexion was now turning red, "I shouldn't have had to go to that school in the first place. If Mother would only let me learn by her side..." Her skin took a shift towards blue, "Oh, Mother, why did you have to keep me so distant?"
This was quite common for Gloria now. However, it was a much bigger improvement over her earlier manic swings. There was still a lot of recovery, but Gloria was showing signs of healing. One thing that made her better was shortening her last name to 'von Guten', which is less taxing on the tongue. Of course, she was now annoyed that people were calling her 'von Moody'.
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While the necessity of Milla's conversion is debatable, it was apparent enough that her new relationship with Ella and Simone was a mutually beneficial one. While they were helping her stay grounded in real life. Milla was helping them improve business at the Kat Klub. The disco didn't get a lot of business while the pandemic was going around, but the lack of activity also meant there was time to make improvements.
"You really think we need a second floor?" asked Ella.
"More room to party," said Milla, now a curvaceous jaguar Animalian, "Also, it would be easier if the guests had someplace to go to where they can hear themselves talk. It can be hard to hold a conversation when the music's too loud."
"Well, that's true," agreed Simone.
"Speaking of music, I've been looking at your selections. They're good for dancing, but a bit on the dated side. New guests want new music, closer to their generation. And lucky for you, you've got DJ Jag-Wire handling the hits," said Milla.
Simone raised an eyebrow, "When did you become our DJ?"
"Well, I gotta actively contribute. Not to mention you guys need a social media expert in order to encapsulate on the current trends and be able to connect to more people," said Milla.
"Now, Milla, what have we said about social mediaing?" asked Ella sternly.
"That it isn't a verb," said Milla dryly. Ella gave her the stern, commanding stare of a lioness. "Ok, I need to dial it back. But it isn't about me. It's about promoting your business. When the pandemic's over, you will need to pull in business to make up for what you've lost while everyone's been social-distancing themselves. And people these days are more influenced by what they hear about online."
"You speak the truth," said Ella, "But you still should limit yourself to what you post in one day. That kind of addiction doesn't go away easily. A hobby can turn into a problem without management."
"Right," said Milla, "I don't want to get caught in that trap again. At least you two are around to keep me grounded."
"Right on," said Simone.
"And I need to teach you what is current slang," said Milla before walking off.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Ella asked, "So what do you think of her?"
Simone shrugged and said, "I wonder if she'd be interested in havin' a threesome."
"Excuse me?" asked Ella.
"Well, in her old influencin' history, she had made claims of being bi," said Simone.
"Are you sure she wasn't just saying that for more attention?" asked Ella.
"I'm pretty sure I caught her checkin' you out," said Simone.
Ella wasn't insulted or threatened. She and Simone have a pretty open marriage. They still have Frank and Tom come around for some frisky evenings. Ella sometimes wondered if they should take the chance and let one of them knock one of them up. "Let's not try to push her into it. We need to be certain first," said Ella.
"Oh, I can be convincin'," said Simone with a predatory grin.