Persona BLEACHED 5: Chapter 3

Persona BLEACHED 5
Chapter 3: Anchors Aweigh
July 27, 2036
Downtown Naruki. Early morning.
Kat had gotten up early so she would be able to catch the first train out of Kyoto. Now in Tokyo, she made her way up to the fifth floor of an apartment building.
She knocked on a door. When it opened, Ibuki was on the other side. "Sorry, we're all out of catnip."
"Darn. Guess I've gotta find somewhere else to get my high."
Ibuki patted her on the head. "Glad you could make it, Kitty Kat."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"C'mon in. Look what I found, ladies."
Lying on her stomach in front of the TV was Kanae, her hair down and wearing pajamas. Sipping tea in a chair was Sakuya, in her zoo uniform. "Good morning, Kat-chan."
"Howdy, Saku. This a pajama party?" Kat asked.
"Kanae-chan stayed over last night. She wanted to be here first thing to watch her uncle Maxie. Even with her mama making it, too." Ibuki replied.
Sitting on the couch was a dark-haired woman wearing glasses, a red jacket and collared shirt. She was Kaede Hinotama, Ibuki's older sister (four years her senior) and Kanae's mother. She waved to Kat, who waved back.
"Hope you don't mind having subtitles." Ibuki said.
"Fine by me. Long as it's accessible to everyone." Kat replied.
This was for one specific reason: Kaede was deaf.
"Feel free to help yourself to the fridge. Mi casa es su casa." Ibuki advised.
"Gracias. Think I'll help myself to some of this beef you've got over here." Kat replied.
"Ha ha ha. Hilarious." Sitting at the kitchen counter was a young, well-built young man with mid-length brown hair and chin beard. A single strand stuck out from the top of his head. He wore a gray sweatshirt and jeans.
"I'm counting that as a genuine laugh, Keebie."
"Only you would." He was Kibō Ishimaru, law student.
Kat gave him a hug. "Hey. Congrats, you big lug. Took you long enough to pop the question. Where's your beautiful bride-to-be?"
"In that room over there, talking with Max. I'm guessing either about the weddings, Ms. Annette, or how he's seriously going to work in blue spandex."
"I'd like to see you pull off blue spandex, Kid Thunderbolt." Ibuki retorted.
Inside his room, Max was in the middle of a conversation. "So we're in agreement, then."
"Yep. Mama can stay with me and Keeb until we find the right place for her." The young woman he was speaking to had the same Southern accent as he did. She had radiant, blonde hair that curled near her shoulders. Her eyes were a light blue, as were her nails. She wore a sleeveless white top, along with a small white scarf and pants. Her name was Barbara Jadefang, theater specialist and Max's twin sister.
"Good. That's one less thing to worry about. Out of about five-hundred things."
"Most of those things are gonna be resolved soon. When you look that beautiful woman in the eyes and say 'I do'. It's all gonna be worth it."
"Spoken like a true Disney princess. My months of craziness are almost over, yours are just getting started."
"Don't remind me. I've got so many calls to make. I'm already asking Natty if she'll make my dress like she did with Ibuki. I don't want to seem like I'm copying you two, but..."
"Please, Natty's a genius at this kind of thing. I'm sure she'll make you look like a queen. More of one, anyway."
"Awww. So, since we're talking about this, I needed to ask you something. I'm 95% sure I know the answer to this, but...would you do me the honor of walking me down the aisle?"
"I'm shocked that it's not 100%. Of course I'll do it. It goes without saying."
"Thank you, little bro~. There's no one I'd trust more to do it." Barbara looked at her watch. "Probably shouldn't dally in here for too long, we'll miss the premier."
"Right. Plus, I'm already hearing a certain feline teasing your fiance. Need me to grab the spray bottle?"
"I'll get her off."
Barbara stepped out of the room first. "Did I hear a 'meow' just now~?"
"GIRLFRIEEEEEEEEEEND!" Kat almost bounced over, hugging Barbara and picking her up off the ground. "Oh, I missed that beautiful face. C'mon, c'mon, let me see that rock you got."
"Here it is~." Barbara held out her right hand. On her ring finger was a clear gemstone.
"Oh, that is so pretty...matches the wearer perfectly. You've got a good eye, Keebie."
"Of course I do. I'm marrying an angel." Kibō replied.
"And I'm marrying the knight in shining armor~." Barbara hugged his arm.
"And I'm officially in a fairy tale." Max appeared.
"There's my stud. Almost time for your debut." Ibuki chimed.
"That it is. This everybody?"
"Everyone reasonably close with an open schedule, yeah. Well...minus one."
"Yeah...I can see that." Max looked ponderous. "Sorry, everyone, I'm gonna step out for a sec." He exited the apartment.
"Sparky...?" Kat uttered.
"Is something wrong?" Kaede signed to her sister.
"Someone's missing." Ibuki signed back.
Outside, Max was in front of the apartment next door. He knocked on it. "...Cindy, I know you're in there. The show's getting ready to start. You know you're welcome to come and watch with us. We've got family and friends over. My sister, Keeb...Kat and Saku, too."
Max sighed. "Can you at least make a sound and let me know you're alright in there?"
The door unlocked, and slowly opened. What stood before Max was not a person, but a canine--and not one typical of this world. It resembled a gray wolf, with clear blue eyes, and was entirely metallic in its construction. "Good day, Master Max. May I assist you with anything?" It spoke with a robotic echo, and a deep, British accent.
"Gerry. I'm looking for Cindy. Is she okay in there?"
"Mistress Cynthia is in perfect physical condition. She merely wishes to rest."
Max looked into the apartment. "Cindy, I would've thought that if anything could get you out of your room, it'd be me being in a toku show. Cind, you're scaring us. You barely come out of your apartment anymore. This isn't like you at all. Just...come out and have some fun with us for a bit."
No response.
"...you've been dreaming about Hugo again, haven't you?"
He thought he heard some rustling inside. He pushed his way in.
"Master Max, I would suggest you--" the canine protested.
"Nope."
The apartment was dark, with signs of clutter apparent. Much of the decoration was centered around Vocaloid merchandise. 
Seated on the couch in the fetal position, facing away from Max, was a female figure.
"...there's still plenty of time before the show opens. I know you'll get a kick out of it. And Ibuki would be really happy to know that you're okay. Same with me. Can you please just tell me why you've shut yourself in here?"
"....." The young woman was wearing a black jacket with fur around the collar, along with black pants. Her hair was long and silver, with black highlights, and her eyes were a light purple. Her nails were painted silver.
Her name was Cindy O'Donnell. She hailed from the other world, and was the daughter of Max's older counterpart. An illness at birth led to her being given a cybernetic implant in her brain that heightened her intellect, with the drawback that she could not use magic.
She had moved to this world following the battle with the Wolfpack, having formed a close bond with Max. During the battle, a hard fall had critically damaged her implant, and she would have died, were it not for the sacrifice of her previous robotic companion, a raven named Hugo.
And it was painfully clear to Max, even four years later, that this loss was a scar that Cindy had not healed from.
He sat down next to her. "We could watch it in here, if that'd make you more comfortable. Or you could just tell me to screw off, and I'll leave. Either way is fine. This is a really big moment for me, and I want every best friend I have to be there for it. But if this really isn't the day for it, all you have to do is tell me."
In her mind, she pictured a black void. Staring straight at her was a metallic black bird with glowing red eyes.
She lifted her head up. "They're getting so bad, Maxie. I thought I was finally getting better, but lately the dreams...they've been horrible. Hugo's telling me to do things he never would've told me to do."
"Things like what?"
"....." She began to tear up. She buried her head in his chest. He patted her shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I won't say 'they're just dreams' cuz that doesn't make them any less awful. You want me to set you up with Dr. Wolfe?"
"...I wanna talk to my sister first..."
"Okay, I can arrange that. We're gonna make this okay. You'll be spunky Cindy-O again in no time."
Cindy composed herself, and smiled. "Thanks, Maxie. I'm...I'm sorry for turning into a hermit."
"You're okay. I'm just glad you're here. So what do you wanna do?"
"I wanna watch my best friend kick butt in a toku show."
"Music to my ears. Let's get to moving."
"Okay. Keep an eye on things for me, Gerry."
"Yes, madame." the robo-canine replied.
Her smile restored, Cindy followed Max to his apartment. "Look who I found." he said.
"Hi, everybody." Cindy waved.
"Oh, cinnamon roll, there you are!" Ibuki tenderly hugged her. "You had me so worried. Why all the radio silence? What's gotten into that little head of yours?"
"I'm sorry I've been so quiet. I've...I've been having dreams about Hugo again. Bad ones."
"Oh, honey, I'm sorry. How come you didn't come talk to us about it? You know you can tell us anything."
"....." Cindy looked down.
"I think she wants to save it for another time." Max said.
"Sure you don't wanna talk about it?" Ibuki asked.
"I...wanna be happy today. The less I have to think about the dreams, the better." Cindy replied.
"If that's what you want. Nothing helps settle the mind down like Sunday Morning Superheroing."
Kat observed next to Sakuya. "You see it too, right, Saku?"
"Yes. Her eyes have the same look Natty-chan's did all those years ago." Sakuya responded.
"Exact same as Shizuka's, too. It's a look that screams, 'I need a good day with friends'."
"Hey Maxie, did the studio hook you up with any goodies?" Barbara asked, perhaps sensing that the gathering was in need of a change of subject.
"Matter of fact, they did. Gave me a package last night and told me to wait until today to open it." Max replied.
"No time like the present. Let's see what you're getting in the merch department." Kat said.
"Oh my God I'm getting merch." Max uttered as he went to fetch the box.
"And I'm buying every last piece I can find, babe!" Ibuki chimed.
Max came back with the package. It was the same shade of blue as the anchor shirt he was wearing. "Yes, they color-coded the gift boxes. So I didn't get Anchor Yellow's stuff by mistake. She's super chill though, so I wouldn't have minded. Let's see what we've got here..."
He pulled out a navy blue hoodie, with the anchor emblem on the upper left-hand side. "Oh, that is beautiful."
"First one you'll have in years without the Natty logo on it." Ibuki looked in the box. "Oh, honey, look at this." She took out a packaged action figure of Max's character wearing his armor.
"Dude, what..."
"Maxie, that is so cool! You're living the nerd dream!" Cindy said.
"Maxiiiie!" Kat put her hand in the box, taking out a chibi plush toy of Max's character. "They turned ya into a marketable plushie, Maxie!"
"Oh lord. I'm huggable now." Max took it.
"First time for everything." Kibō joked.
"You know I could always take back your permission to marry my sister, right?"
Barbara playfully tapped his shoulder.
"Uncle Maxie!" Kanae ran up to him. "Can I have the plushie, pretty please?"
"Course you can, cupcake." Max handed it over.
"Yaaaay!" She hugged it. 
"As if she needed another plushie." Kaede signed.
"I can't help if they made me adorable." Max signed back.
"Seeing all these products must be jarring, knowing that it's you under the mask." Sakuya said.
"I've seen enough production pics for it to not be so shocking. I think it's only really gonna hit me when the show starts. I just hope it's a hit with the audience. Everyone put their heart and soul into making this something fun."
"'And now, for the two-part premiere of the new 'Super Sentai' phenomenon, 'Umi Sentai Ankager'!'" the TV announcer addressed.
"Guess we're about to find out." Kat said.
"Everyone to your seats! The moment's finally here!" Ibuki instructed.
"Got butterflies, hero man?" Kibō asked.
"More like a twister." Max uttered, as he sat down next to an ecstatic Ibuki. "(Here we go.)" he thought.
---
The show begins in the distant past, during the earliest days of the Edo period, in the seas off of the Japanese coast.
On a stormy night, an elderly man wearing strange, dark robes is left tied up to the bow of a ship. The vessel's captain, the dread pirate Gunder, threatens the old man to hand 'them' over, lest his torment continue. The old man staunchly refuses, stating that his 'king' gave 'them' to him as the last hope of their people.
"Something tells me Mr. Pirate isn't a nice guy." Kat commented.
"Most people who threaten old men aren't." Barbara replied.
"Or they're my mom in line at the grocery store." Kibō added.
Gunder orders his men to cut the old man down so he can punish him personally. As a menacing aura surrounds the buccaneer, he tells his captive that he's going to do to him what he did to his king and his entire home, 'all because you wouldn't hand over your baubles.' As he prepares to use his grim powers, the old man's eyes begin to glow. Five orbs of light--colored red, blue, yellow, green ane pink--rise up out of him.
"Oh no, anime old man alert." Kat quipped.
"Shhh!" Kanae shushed her without turning around.
"Whaaaaat."
Kaede signed to Ibuki.
"What's she saying?" Kat asked.
"Never interrupt Her Highness when she's focused on something." Ibuki replied.
On-screen, a towering figure suddenly emerges from the ocean, its glowing eyes the only visible part of its frame. The sounds of mechanical parts creaking are heard, as it raises its fist up high. Swinging it down, the giant being drags the ship beneath the waves.
With the pirates consigned to the depths, the old man, now floating above the water with the colorful orbs hovering around him, is consumed by light. He, too, disappears under the water.
With that, the title logo appears. A young man narrates, 'Have you ever felt like...you were just sinking?' As this continues, the one speaking is shown floating beneath the water.
"From magical pirates and mecha to existential reflections. Such a tonal shift." Sakuya commented.
"Welcome to toku." Cindy replied.
The narrator's ruminations are interrupted by a female voice telling him to wake up. It is here that four of the main cast, all of them university students on summer break, are introduced. The narrator was a red track suit-wearing young man named Ryōhei, a student of marine science.
"What are his feelings on seals?" Sakuya asked.
"I can guarantee, nothing close to yours." Max replied.
The one jarring Ryōhei from his daydream was law student Aki, who wore a yellow shirt. Also present were bespectacled history major Kensei, who wore green, and fashion-forward 'TruTube' video starlet Yoko, who wore pink. The latter three had agreed to accompany Ryōhei in investigating unusual activity off the coast, with reports of dolphin pods and flocks of gulls circling a specific location.
The group, however, is having trouble finding someone with a boat that is willing to take them, though none of the people turning them down has provided a concrete reason as to why. Hitting a dead end with local boat captains, Aki manages to find one from abroad. The group goes to meet him. He slowly rises out of his unassuming boat. "Hnggh...morning already?" He speaks in English, with an Australian accent.
Appearing on-screen was Max, shirtless and looking much more rugged than real life. "G'day."
"THERE HE IS!" Ibuki exclaimed.
"Dude, what kind of effects did they put on your abs?" Kibō asked.
"Who said they were effects?" Max retorted.
"I didn't know they made you Aussie." Barbara said.
"Putting on your best Kerbie-chan impression, I see." Kat added.
"I hope you realize he just became the ladies' favorite." Kaede signed.
"Let them try whatever. Those are *my* abs." Ibuki replied.
In the show, Max's character, identified as 'McCready', is a gruff, enigmatic ship captain who initially speaks only in English. Yoko tries to talk to him in English, to which he immediately pivots to perfect Japanese--all while maintaining the Australian accent. Aki and Kensei are wary of him and his reason for being there, but with no other options, the group pays McCready and he agrees to take them to the location of the oddities.
Any attempts by the group to pry more information out of him are met with deaf ears, and they decide it's best to give him a wide berth until the job is finished. Soon, they arrive at the site of the irregularities. Just as had been reported, flocks of seagulls were circling the area.
Unbeknownst to the group, at the bottom of the ocean, a submarine earthquake is occurring. The shifting of the underwater terrain causes something that had been buried for centuries to be freed, and begin floating to the surface. The effects become plainly visible to the crew on the boat, as dark shapes began to appear from beneath.
To their disbelief, an island forms before them. The students question if it was caused by a volcanic eruption, while McCready begins trying to turn the boat around and leave. "I was paid to bring you to some spinning fish, not whatever just bloody happened there."
"I love how you just instantly went 'Nope'." Kat said.
"This kind of thing happens a lot throughout the season." Max replied.
As the group argues about whether they should see what's on the island, five multicolored gems--the same colors as the orbs from the beginning--are seen to be embedded into a rock. The episode ends with another shot of beneath the water, where something else has been freed up from its imprisonment--and the flag of Gunder's ship is seen sticking out from the sand, before shifting.
"The SUSPENSE!" Kat chimed in.
"Why are you the first one to comment on everything?" Kibō questioned.
"You really need to ask that?" Ibuki replied.
"Alright, so with a couple minutes til the next episode...thoughts so far?" Max asked.
"I wanna see you beat people up!" Kanae answered.
"Bubblegum, you can't just jump to the violent stuff! You've gotta let them set everything up first." Ibuki said. "I think you make a very good Aussie stud, babe."
Barbara suddenly put her hand over Kat's mouth as she was about to say something. Everyone else stared in confusion.
"...I just love my bestie soooo much~." Barbara spoke as she feigned hugging Kat.
"...anyway. Episode two time." Max said.
As attention returned to the TV, Barbara released her grip. "GOD!" Kat griped. "I wasn't gonna say anything inappropriate!"
"I've known you long enough to know that's a lie." Barbara retorted.
"Y'all always think the worst of me. Now I'm tasting..not lavender? It's more like...strawberry."
"I'm trying a new fragrance."
"Girl gets rid of her highlights and now she's changing up everything. Do you even still like theater?"
"It is kind of my job, yeah."
"Shhhh!" Kanae quieted them.
"Sheesh. Guess she inherited the Fireball manners." Kat uttered.
"You know it." Ibuki responded with some pride.
Episode two begins with the group making landfall on the island. As the university students carefully got off the boat, McCready waited on board. "Patience, McCready. If these blokes wanna get themselves killed, that's their right. And if some giant squid monster comes out of a rock, you're the one holding the keys to leave."
"Such profound morals you have, Mr. McCready." Kaede signed.
"Hey, I get better!" Max responded.
"Remember you're not your character, little bro." Barbara said.
The boat captain's musings are soon interrupted by another disturbance in the water, and he can only watch as a pitch-black, rotting galleon rises out of the water nearby. Shock apparent on his face, he discreetly gets off of the boat.
As the rest of the group combs through the rocks for anything unusual, McCready comes up on them. "Folks, we might, uh...have a problem on our hands."
"Aside from your odor?" Kensei responds.
"What's the problem?" Aki asks.
McCready points. "That."
The group looks on at the very out-of-place pirate's vessel looming off-shore. Emerging into view was its captain: the navy-hued, tattered-clothed and grimly menacing Gunder.
"Right...maybe he doesn't see us. If we can just sneak back onto the boat..." Ryōhei pondered.
That thought was quickly extinguished by the sound of cannon fire, as McCready's boat was turned to splinters.
"Hey! I wasn't done payin' the bloody thing off!" McCready griped.
The cannon turned to the group, who ducked away as the shot came in.
"Guys, I think that might be the villain, I'm not sure." Kat said.
"You already made that joke, Kat-chan." Sakuya mentioned.
As the group tries to escape from the oncoming cannon fire, they come across a rock standing apart from all the others. This rock has five odd, multicolored gems embedded into it. Ignoring the pleas of the others to keep moving, Ryōhei reaches out and touches the red one. Suddenly, a light shines over the group, and it seems as though time stops around them.
Appearing atop the rock is the old man. After some initial shock from the group, he tells them of what is transpiring: he was the last of a great, seafaring civilization, tasked with keeping his kingdom's great treasures safe from the man who laid waste to it all: the dread captain who is now attacking them.
"So like...Lemuria." Cindy says.
"Yeah, basically." Max affirms.
"Only with an old man instead of our blind princess." Barbara adds.
The old man tells the group that their only means of escape from their predicament lies with the gems he has safeguarded for centuries, but that the choice to take on this power ultimately lies with them. With trepidation, the group ultimately agrees. They take hold of the stones, triggering a signature 'henshin' transformation sequence, as they all don their armor, their colors matching their clothing.
Max clearly had goosebumps watching it. "You're acting like you haven't done that kinda transformation a million times before." Ibuki said.
"I know, I know...doesn't make it any less crazy." Max replied.
"I remember you waking up every Saturday to watch 'Power Rangers' and acting out the fights. Bet you never thought it would actually be you in the armor one day, huh?" Barbara asked.
"Never in a million years. Definitely not the OG, at that."
Appearing from behind the rocks, the group's gems (now located on their wrists) began to glow. From the depths, the giant mecha rose up. The spectral form of the old man informs the group that they are able to puppeteer the titan using their gems, with each one controlling either a limb or the head. Ryōhei, in control of the latter, directs it to fire crimson laser beams from its eyes, striking a hole through the galleon. An enraged Gunder directs his own crewmates to turn and leave, swearing to take the gems another time.
Returning to normal, with the mecha vanishing once more beneath the ocean, the group asks the old man how any of this was possible. He tells them that he will explain in due time, as he needs to rest and conserve his power, but that Gunder would return, likely with horrors greater still.
He vanishes, and a question is posed by McCready: "So, uh...how are we getting back home?"
With that, the episode ends.
"Phew...there it is." Max uttered.
"That was awesome, dude! You were a natural!" Kat exclaimed.
"You do make for a convincing bum." Kibō said.
"Be nice." Barbara chided. "You did great, Maxie. I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to see more of it."
"Aw, you all don't have to keep watching for me, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea." Max replied.
"Anything with you in it is my cup of tea~." Ibuki hugged him from behind.
"I wanna punch that pirate in the face!" Kanae exclaimed.
"You know the guy playing him is actually super chill, so...I wouldn't recommend it." Max advised.
Sakuya checked the time. "I do hate to cut this short, but I need to get to work. Congratulations on your debut, Max-kun. Here's hoping your boat is repaired posthaste."
"Either that or I'll have to swim home. Thanks for coming, Saku. Have fun with your seal friends."
"I should he heading out, too. You good looking after Kanae-chan for a bit longer?" Kaede asked.
"Of course! I always have time for my bubblegum. Just let me know when you're coming by to pick her up." Ibuki replied.
"You guys sticking around, too?" Max asked.
"We've actually gotta go grab Keeb's suit from the tailor's, plus I've got a hair appointment." Barbara replied.
"Try not to miss me too much." Kibō added.
"I'm good to hang for a bit. Turns out you're my favorite people to bug." Kat said.
"I never would've guessed." Max uttered.
Everyone began to clear out. "I, uh...think I'll head out, too--" Cindy turned for the door.
Ibuki got in front of her. "Why the rush?"
"Uh...there was a stream I wanted to catch..."
"A stream at this time of the morning?" Max questioned, before sighing. "Cupcake, you wanna go to your room for a bit? The adults need to talk."
"Okey-dokey!" Kanae got up and left the room.
"Want me to take five, too?" Kat asked.
"No, you're good. I could use the input." Max replied.
"....." Cindy sat back down. This was not going to be an easy conversation, it would appear.
"So, what'd you think?" Max asked.
"Um...I thought it was really good. I liked the setup, and you did a really nice job, so...yeah. Ahehe." Cindy nervously replied.
"Not the bubbly response I was expecting. Did you...not like it?" Ibuki questioned.
"N-no! That's not it at all! I really did like it! I'm just...it's really early, y'know? I'm tired, I've got a lot of work to take care of--"
"Cind. Since I've known you, you've been the definition of a morning person. And you've been unemployed for the last month." Max responded. 
"Honey, please don't hide what's bothering you. It's only gonna make us ask more questions." Ibuki added.
"Nothing's bothering me! I'm as happy as can be! Just some weird dreams, that's it! Ahehehe..." Cindy nervously laughed.
Max and Ibuki looked at each other, unconvinced. He looked to Kat. She nodded, then gestured for the two of them to step out.
"Right. Babe, you want to see what cupcake wants to do today?" Max asked.
"Yeah, good idea. It's probably gonna be ice cream-related, but it doesn't hurt to ask. BRB." Ibuki agreed, the two of them walking away.
Cindy looked down, clearly uncomfortable. She moved to get up.
"Going somewhere?" Kat got in front of her.
"I wasn't leaving, I was just...gonna use the toilet." Cindy denied.
"Uh-huh."
Having gone into their room, Max and Ibuki conversed. "What are we gonna do with her, Maxie?" she asked.
"I'm afraid if we keep poking like this, it's only gonna make her more withdrawn." he replied.
"Well we can't just do nothing! She's in that apartment all day, every day. She gets the delivery dudes to do all her groceries. That smile and laugh she's putting on are so transparently fake. She's hurting, and badly."
"I know she is. I tried asking her about these nightmares she's been having. All she'd tell me is that Hugo's telling her to do something bad, but she wouldn't say what."
"Four years later, and that's still haunting her like it was yesterday."
"She made him to be her friend because no one else would be. Now he's gone, because he saved her. I don't know if we *can* help her move on from it."
"We have to. I'm so scared that she's gonna..." She struggled to get the words out. "That she's gonna get hurt in that apartment, and we won't know until it's too late. There has to be something we can do."
"That's why I left her with Kat. If there's anyone that doesn't like people hiding things..."
On the couch, Cindy's face dimmed. "...you can see right through me, can't you?"
"Honey, you don't need x-ray vision to do that. Anyone can see that you're a mess. I would've thought you'd be bouncing off the walls excited about Sparky doing toku. Instead you look like you'd rather be anywhere else right now. What's going on in that big brain of yours?"
"....."
"Is it your birdie again?"
"....." Cindy nodded.
"Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"
"....."
"...would it help if I looked like this?"
Kat's eyes began to glow, and suddenly, she shrank down. Cindy looked, and where Kat had been, there was now a black cat, with the same pink eyes. "...really?"
"C'mon, tell ya girl Kitty Kat all your troubles, while giving her some nice pets. It's freeeeee."
"I'm not giving you pets, Kat."
"Aww, why not?"
"Because it's really weird!"
"You don't gotta pet my tummy or my butt or anything. My back's in need of some good scratches, though. You know you want toooo."
Cindy sighed, then patted her lap. "Go on."
"Meeeooooow." Kat hopped over. "So...what's this about you having bad dreams?"
"I've...been seeing Hugo again. And he's telling me to do something really bad."
"What's he been telling you to do?"
"....."
"C'mon, sweets, you're doing good. Don't close the door on me now."
"...I'll tell you anything else. Just...not that." Cindy looked over her shoulder.
"...alright." "(That glance just now...that tells me everything. Whatever he's telling her to do...it's gotta be about Maxie or Bookie.)" "So when did these dreams start?"
"About a month ago. I'd actually been doing really good before then. I had a really nice job, too. I was working at the airport, doing maintenance for the planes."
"That sounds right up your wheelhouse. So what happened?"
"...they didn't like me."
"Why the hell wouldn't they like you? No way were you bad at your job."
"No, I thought I was doing great! But...for some guys there, it was too great. They didn't like that a 24-year old girl was doing their job way better than them. They kept badgering me and badgering me until one day I told them off. They were looking for an excuse to get rid of me, and they got it. I was heartbroken."
"Ugh, what bullshit. All cuz their little egos were bruised. I'm so sorry, Cind. You were too good for them."
"It was the first time since I've been here that I really felt like some kind of unwanted, alien creature. Y'know...like how I felt back home."
"Stupidity is a multiversal disease, girlfriend. I'm sure there's somewhere else that'll be more welcoming. Have you tried looking?"
".....I'm too afraid to." A tear fell down Cindy's cheek. "My whole life's just been me being rejected for being a weirdo. If I...if I go through that again, I...I won't be able to handle it..."
Sensing her despair, Kat hopped onto the floor, before turning back to normal. She tightly embraced Cindy. "Oh, sweets, I'm so sorry. I know how awful that feels. People didn't like me growing up, either. It's nothing that you're doing wrong. We just need to find the right people for you to be around. We'll get your head right again in no time."
"*sniff*...how are you gonna do that?"
"Give me a minute to chat with your neighbors. We'll think of something. And don't think of retreating to your apartment. I'll hear you. Feline hearing abilities."
"I won't leave, but...you're not a cat right now."
"Feline hearing abilities!" Kat walked away.
Moments later, she was talking with Max and Ibuki. "...should've guessed it was from losing her job." Max said.
"I don't think it's the whole reason, but it definitely sounds like what triggered it." Kat replied.
"You think if we can help her find another place, those dreams would stop?" Ibuki asked.
"I think it'd be a major help. She needs to get out of that apartment and start experiencing life again. But it has to be the right environment. One that'll be more understanding of what she's gone through. Something...comfy."
That word seemed to trigger something in Kat's head. 
"I know that look. What's your idea?" Max asked.
"You guys feel like taking a little trip?"
---
Shibuya. Inside Natalia and Kenneth's apartment.
"You want me to do what?" Natalia asked while washing the dishes.
"I know you said you didn't want me to get involved, but I'm not forcing you to do anything. I'm just asking you to talk to her and see if there's anything you can do." Kat replied. Max and Ibuki were also in the apartment. Kanae was in the corner, playing with the cat.
"You know how smart she is. She'll pick up on anything real quick." Ibuki said.
"I know what a big brain she's got. But retail's a lot different from something like engineering or mechanics. Is she gonna be alright if something really stressful pops up?" Natalia asked.
"Natty--" Max spoke.
"It's a fair question to ask." Kenneth, seated nearby, interjected. "It's not for a lack of sympathy. I don't think anyone in this room understands how torturous intrusive thoughts can be better than her. But she also has a business to think about."
"I want to help you guys. I really do. But I've already committed to a full-time team. I don't know if I can afford to bring her on, or if she'd be the right fit. I can't risk it not working out." Natalia said
"Make it a trial run, then. Two weeks. If she doesn't take to it, we can keep looking. We just want her to get used to working again." Ibuki replied.
"I find it very curious that despite this being so important to Ms. Cynthia, she isn't in the room herself." Kenneth brought up.
"She's still really nervous. She just wanted to wait outside." Kat replied.
"I'm going to ask something that's going to sound mean, but it needs addressing. Are you doing this because you genuinely believe this will help, or because you've run short of ideas and want Natty to fix it for you?"
"Now wait just a--" Ibuki began to object.
"Kenny, come on, that's not it at all. Yeah, we're desperate, cuz we know if we don't find a fix for her soon, things could get a lot worse. Natty wants everything with her store to be her call, and I'm gonna respect that. I just think it could be really good for Cindy. Please?" Kat asked.
"....." Natalia thought it over. "Let me talk to her."
"Thank you, Natty." Ibuki said.
"I want to know what her mindset is. If I can help her, I'll help her. I'm only gonna do what's best for everyone. I believe you guys really do want to make things better for her. But I need to hear it from her. You can't help someone that doesn't want to be helped. Could you bring her in, please?"
Max opened the front door. "Hey. Natty wants to talk to you."
Cindy, still looking nervous, walked in. "Hi, Natty."
"Hey, Cindy. Glad to see you outside. Could you give us a minute, guys?" Natalia asked.
"Thy will be done." Kat replied.
"Kenny, if you ever accuse me of trying to foist my problems on someone else again, I swear I'll--" Ibuki uttered as she began walking.
"You're looking out for Cynthia's interests, I'm looking out for Natty's. Nothing more than that." Kenneth responded.
"Could've worded it a bit better. C'mon, cupcake." Max urged.
"She's so fluffy, I want twenty!" Kanae picked up CiCi and followed.
"Mrraaawr?" the cat meowed.
Natalia was left with Cindy. She patted the spot on the couch next to her. "Come sit."
Cindy slowly did so.
"How are you?" 
"...not okay." Cindy uttered.
Natalia took her hand. "The first step is saying so. How come you're not okay?"
"...everyone thinks I'm a freak, and the one bit of comfort I had is gone."
"I don't think you're a freak. There's nothing weird or freaky about you. I think you're lonely. I think you've done a lot to try to make people like you, and you feel like it's not working. And I think you've got some very loud voices in your head telling you all of these awful things you believe about yourself. Does that sound right?"
"Why do you...?"
"Why do I know this? Maybe it's because...I'm you. I've had to dig myself out of some very dark places. It wasn't easy, and I needed a lot of help to do it."
"But...you're so warm and confident. I can't imagine--"
"You don't have to imagine it. Ask anyone in that room. When I first came to Japan, I was a stuttering wreck. Afraid of my own shadow. And thinking I was less than worthless. The whole reason I came here in the first place was to get a reset away from where I felt the worst. Sound familiar? And because, well...I'd contemplated doing something...really bad to myself. I'd been bullied so bad that I went up to the roof of my parents' store, and...almost jumped."
"Oh...no."
"It got better when I came here...for a bit. Then things started going south again, and so I went to the forest to...try again. And the only thing that stopped me from making the worst mistake ever...was love. From my family, from my friends...they picked me back up and helped me to realize that I matter."
Natalia pointed to Cindy. "*You* matter, Cindy. Everyone here believes it. Your parents and Lady Emily believe it. So...what do you believe?"
More and more, Cindy began to crumble. She pointed to her head. "I believe...that everything in my life...everything good...and everything bad...centers around *this*. I was born with a brain that almost killed me. People thought I was a freak because of it. I was able to create a friend with it. And then it BROKE. And the friend I made DIED to fix it. And the ONE thing keeping me from doing what you almost did, is knowing that if I voluntarily took myself out of it all, it would mean that he died for NOTHING. NOTHING!"
She buried her head in her hands. More still, she fell apart. "The bubbly, happy, colorful girl that I was when I met you all...Cindy-O, the super genius VTuber without a care in the world...was a lie. A mask I wore that made people like me because otherwise I was just a POWERLESS FREAK OF NATURE. That is the one thing that can never change. The one thing that sets me apart from everybody else. And every time someone looks at me and judges me and pushes me away because I'm different, it eats at me and the thoughts JUST. DON'T. STOP."
"...unh...uhuhuhuhu..." All that was left was the tears.
Then...warmth.
"Here...my Mama taught me this was the best medicine for sadness." Natalia was hugging her.
"*sniff*...Natty...how do I make it stop? How...how do I start being happy again?"
"It starts with admitting that you have a problem, and you've done that. Now it's about getting out there and keeping things positive. So, here's what I'm gonna do. If you want, I can bring you into the shop. We can do a two week trial period and see how you take to it. If it's not your thing, then it's okay. And I'll put in 120% to find you something. I've been in your shoes. I want to help. But remember too, this is super important to me. If you want to do this, I'm gonna expect the best from you. Is that fine with you?"
Cindy nodded. "I'll do it. I'll be the best I can be for you. I wanna know how you've stayed happy all this time. Thank you...thank you, Natty..."
She continued to cry, as Natalia comforted her. As she did so, she looked to the hallway to see the others watching. Ibuki was drying her eyes.
"Give her a minute." Natalia whispered.
So Cindy was allowed to let her emotions flow out.
And outside the others' notice, for the briefest of moments, something flashed in her eyes. A shadow, to the sound of a crow's caw.
The path to healing had begun...but none could have known just where that path would lead them through.