Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Crikey! It's the Artisans
August 11, 2029
"Do you have everything you'll need?" Carrie asked.
"Yeah. Nope. Maybe-kinda-sorta. What else do I need to look after a little girl? Alone? In a giant mansion?" Natalia replied, carrying a large bag.
"You'll be fine. You'll be spending most of that time doing what you do best."
"Yeah, but the Professor told me this girl's been really picky with hoodies. What if I can't make one she'll be into?"
"I've yet to find someone who was dissatisfied with something you made. Much less a four-year old girl. You're worrying too much."
"But there's a million things that could go wrong! What if she sneaks out when I'm not looking? What if the scary JoJo guy's criminal friends show up to rob the place? What if I'm abducted by aliens?!"
"Deep breaths, darling, deep breaths. In and out." Natalia did so. "Now hold for ten seconds." Again, Natalia did as instructed. "And out." Natalia breathed out. "Better?"
"I'm good...are you sure you can't come with? I'd feel a million times better if you were there."
"I'd love to, but I still have errands to run before Family Weekend next week. My aunt wants a detailed summary of every high-end fashion store in town. She can be very...particular with her fashion. This can be a good learning experience for you. I don't need to be looking over your shoulder for your entire life."
"I know...but I'd take that in a heartbeat. Especially if the aliens showed up."
"Well thankfully I don't think we'll be dealing with many more extraterrestrials for the time being. But that's enough of a delay. You have a job to get to. I'm a phone call away if you need anything."
"Okay...wish me luck. Have fun on your fashion excursion. See you later."
Natalia departed. A minute later, a knock at the door. "Did Natalia forget something? She has a key, though..." Carrie opened the door. "Hello?"
"Hi. I have a delivery for a Miss...Carrie?" A young delivery man stood holding a glass vase with several purple flowers in it.
"For me? Oh, my...who is it from?"
"Dunno. Buyer said to keep their name secret. Have a good day."
"Ah, thank you, to you as well..." Carrie closed the door. "These are...lilacs. Don't tell me that Sahir is trying to...no, not when he's on a date with Sakuya. Even his wandering eye doesn't stray that far. And surely Barbara wouldn't. That would leave..."
"I'll keep that in a safe spot in my noggin."
"Oh...well." Carrie giggled. "Suppose I should extend my gratitude."
---
Karakura Town. The next town over from Naruki. Boasting a large park and a museum, it possessed more of a 'touristy' feel than its neighbor to the east. One of its main attractions, Zoo Karakura, housed a large collection of both continental and foreign wildlife.
On this busy Saturday, Sahir stood at the main gate, his hands in his pockets, looking nervous. "I hear it's rather easy to get lost in this place. Should we get a map?" Sakuya asked.
"Ah, no problems there. I downloaded one on my phone last night."
"Oh, of course. Forgot for a moment what century this was. No biodegradable maps today. Shall we go in?"
"Yeah, yeah. Those seals aren't gonna be here all day...I mean, they are, technically, but...what was I saying?"
The two entered. Hidden from sight, observing them, was a pink-eyed black cat. It stealthily made its way inside.
"Okay, where to first?" Sakuya asked.
"Didn't you want to see the seals first?"
"If I see what I came to see right at the beginning, then the rest of the visit would be less enjoyable for it. I can be patient. From the look of it, we're fairly close to the Africa section. Sure it must be surreal for you."
"Yeah, thousands of miles from home and I'll still be looking at lions and giraffes and...hippos." Sahir shuddered at the last word. "Ah, they'll all be secure. Got nothing to...nothing to worry about."
The two of them stood in front of an enclosure a short time later. "Where's the cheetah hiding...oh, up in the tree." Sakuya pointed out.
"Guess it's still an early day for him. Sitting around napping the time away. Guess a big cat's still a cat, after all." Sahir replied.
"Cheetahs aren't big cats, my dude." A girl's voice piped up behind them.
"GAAH!" Sahir jumped.
"A natural reaction to my pretty voice."
"Kat-san, what are you doing here? You're not spying on us, are you?" Sakuya asked.
"Nope. I heard y'all were doing a zoo visit and I got curious. But I didn't want to crash your party, so I was staying out of the way. Either way, like I said, cheetahs aren't big cats."
"They look kinda big to me." Sahir replied.
"Bigger than a housecat, sure. But it doesn't roar. Big cats roar. Cheetahs hiss and purr, like any pretty kitty." Kat replied.
"That so? Then the question of the hour is...do you hiss and purr~?" Sahir chimed.
Kat motioned as if she was about to kick Sahir, causing him to reel away. "Guess you'll never know, huh, Kicks? I'll quit crowding the room. I'm off to the Primate Paradise. There're monkeys in dire need of me filming them. Later, lovebirds." She walked away.
"Just popping in out of nowhere...I don't think I'll ever fully understand that girl." Sahir said.
"I've learned by now that it's by design. Let's keep going. We'll probably be running into her again." Sakuya replied.
"I'll try to keep my cat facts in order just in case."
The pair moved to another enclosure, one that was surrounded by a large moat. In the water were four large hippos. Sahir was noticeably nervous at the sight of them. "It's alright. There's no way for them to reach here." Sakuya assured.
"I know, I know, but...seeing these porkers again brings up some bad memories." Sahir replied.
"Did you have a bad encounter with a hippo?"
"Oh. Guess I never told you about that, did I? Yeah, a couple years back. Me and my brother did a stupid guy thing and threw a rock at one. It was very, very not happy about that. It gave chase, and even though they spend most of the time in the water and they're, y'know, huge, they can run. I tripped. Messed up my leg pretty good, but my bro pulled me out of there. The porker was this close."
"Oh no. I can't fathom one of those titanic things being right in front of you. Not with those jaws. You could've easily died."
"I probably would've if my bro wasn't there. All the lions and crocodiles and hyenas we have, and the thing we're most afraid of back home are those big boys. And they're vegetarians! The crazy thing is, in the long run the porker might've done me a favor."
"How's that?"
"Well, I said my leg got messed up bad. It's really not-very-good when you play a sport involving a lot of running and kicking. So, I got sidelined for a while. Oooh, was my old man peeved. But my uncle told me that I should take the time to focus on my education. 'In case the game isn't your destiny', as he put it. That's how I ended up here. In the den of insanity. With magic powers. Fate is weird, yo."
"Of that, there can be no doubt. So, you mentioned your family. Are they going to be coming next weekend?"
"Ooooh, are they ever. My old man, my ma, and three of my siblings. All coming halfway across the world. Gods help everyone."
"Three of...how many siblings do you have?"
"Five. I'm the youngest boy. Got three older brothers, and two younger sisters. Twins. Identical twins. Every bit the annoying younger sisters. And they'll be coming with the bro that saved my butt. It's gonna be chaos."
"Now, tell me something. How...open-minded is your family? I mean, when it comes to someone like me."
Sahir sighed. "That's the million dollar question, isn't it? If I'm being real, my bro's a lot like me. First thing he's gonna do is try to put the moves on you and the rest of the girls. But he's harmless. Ditto for my sisters. Ma is pretty laid-back. But the old man is...um. Very um. He's the big red flag of the whole thing. Super old-fashioned in how he thinks. I'm still trying to figure out how to explain it."
"I see. I know that it's definitely something that could take some getting used to, especially when the mentality where you're from is very much on the conservative side. Maybe it...doesn't have to be right away. I'd honestly prefer keeping the drama to a minimum when my mother comes around."
"Oh, shoot, so she's actually gonna make the trip too?"
"It took a lot of convincing. Needless to say, her time in Japan was not very pleasant, to put it lightly. But she wants to be around me and the people I care about. I just want her to have a nice time without any complications. I don't want to give her any reason to relapse. She and her coworkers have assured me that she's kept herself sober since I left. I want to keep it that way."
"Hey, I hear ya loud and clear. Unless my fam asks me, I won't bring it up. It'll give me more time to think about things."
"Thank you. So then...does that mean you want to keep going out like this?"
"Well, I...yeah. I wouldn't be putting my mind in overdrive if I didn't..."
Sakuya giggled. "I'm only teasing. We're barely past the first date. I don't want to add any pressure. Even though I'm certain of what my answer is."
"Aaaand you're back to teasing. You've been hanging around Kitty Kat too much..."
The pair moved on to the Primate Paradise, a greenhouse-type area where monkeys trained to be comfortable around people freely swung and jumped around. "I wonder if Kat-san got the footage she wanted." Sakuya pondered.
"Uh...maybe we can ask her." Sahir pointed. Kat stood in one corner, looking annoyed. Her glasses were missing.
"Kat-san?"
"Oh, lovely. As of this wasn't a fun time already." Kat grumbled.
"What happened? Where are your glasses?"
"A philosophical question, I see. One with an equally stupid answer. So. I saw a chimp hanging around, eating some fruit. Like a good internet person, I broke out my phone and started filming. While I was distracted by its outrageous chimpness, another chimp swung by, took my glasses and swung off. The zookeepers are still looking for the little creep." Kat explained.
"Why haven't you gone after it yourself?" Sahir asked.
"Why haven't I--Kicks. I'm gonna explain this slowly and plainly, OK? It took my glasses. I'm blind as a bat. I would've hunted down the banana-eating poop flinger myself if it took anything else, but I'd be walking into trees if I went like this." Kat shook her head. "Thank God it's just you two here. I might get unelected as leader if anyone else found out. Slayer of the devil herself. Undone by a chimp."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. Happenstance and all that. Why don't I stay here while they find your glasses?" Sakuya asked.
"I'll go grab that dumb monkey." Sahir said.
"Kicks. It's a chimp, it's an ape. Apes don't have tails, monkeys have tails." Kat corrected.
"Are we gonna be doing this all day? Ugh, whatever, just hang tight." Sahir sprinted off.
"...sorry I'm spoiling things, Maggie. All cuz I was careless."
"It's not your fault, really. We couldn't just leave you here in trouble, could we? Now how about you tell me what actually happened?" Sakuya asked.
"You think I'm lying? A monkey took my glasses, really. I wouldn't be standing around like a moron by choice."
"You were speaking with a woman and her child before we walked up. Were you talking with them when the chimp took your glasses?"
Kat gave an annoyed sigh. "Okay, fine. I overheard this kid calling the chimp a monkey, like Kicks did. So I stopped and dropped some facts, cuz the kid was really curious. I was gonna take their picture with the chimp when its buddy showed up and swiped my glasses. I didn't want to sound like I was blaming the kid when I was the careless one. You want kids that age to keep learning, y'know? I didn't want to blame the chimp for acting like a chimp. I'm okay with being the fool, here."
"You really do have a soft spot for young children, don't you? Well if it's any consolation, I don't think you're foolish. It's just an animal being an animal. You don't have anything to be ashamed of."
"Aaalright, Kitty Kat, your eyesight has been retrieved." Sahir walked back, glasses in hand. "The keepers grabbed it and gave it a wash. So no ticks or diseases or the sort."
"Oh, my savior." Kat put the glasses back on. "Sorry to keep playing spoiler for your day out, guys. I'll really try staying out of your hair this time. Just promise me you won't tell anyone about this. I would die."
"Your secret's safe with us. Just, try to stay away from any more monkeys--um, apes."
"Kinda impossible when people are apes, but sound advice, anyways. See ya." Kat departed.
"Well, that certainly wasn't what I was expecting from today." Sakuya said. "I hope her day gets better from here."
"Ditto. I'll keep screwing up my animal facts if it means she'll keep appearing to correct me."
"As nice a thought as that is, it would probably bother her if she felt she was interrupting. Let's just go about our day."
"Aye-aye."
The pair continued about the park without much incident, save for a ten-minute sequence wherein a brown eagle sat atop Sahir's head, needing to be lured off with food. After ensuring that the large raptor hadn't scratched his head with its talons, they moved along to the marine life area. "Finally at your destination, milady. You ready for your sea puppies?" Sahir asked.
"I've been waiting all day for this. I've only ever seen a seal in person once. The only thing is, behind that glass I'll just be sad that I can't give them a hug..."
"See, about that..."
"Sahir-san...what are you getting at?"
"Well, when I was getting the tickets I saw there were a few add-ons for the experience...one of them was getting to go to the seal pool and feed them. Sooo..."
"Are you...being serious?"
"Uh-huh. Starts in like fifteen minutes."
"I get to feed and hug the seals?!"
"(Oh, hello again. You don't come out very often, do you?)" Sahir thought.
Sakuya suddenly lunged at the surprised Sahir, tightly embracing him. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you! I finally get to touch a sea puppy! I wonder if they're as squishy as they look?! Take me!" 
"Take it easy, we've still got a bit of--YOW!" Sakuya hauled him away.
Minutes later, the pair were taken to an area behind the seal enclosure, which held a large pool where the animals could be brought in and out of the main display section. Swimming in the pool were four brown seals. "Oh...oh my. They really are really there, aren't they..." Sakuya mused, stars in her eyes.
"Did you think they were mythical? Like some sort of mystifying sirens?"
"So, all I do is hold the fish over the pool like this, right? And it'll come up with its boop-worthy nose and take it out of my hand? Ooh..." Sakuya shuddered with anticipation. "Oh, this must have cost so much, Sahir-san. I feel bad about--"
"Ah ah ah, no bad feelings here. Any amount's worth it to get you to loosen up a bit. Outside your job, you're always so serious and cool. Sometimes you just gotta lighten up and act like a teenager. You have fun, and I'll worry about the payout." Sahir winked.
"Ah...okay." Sakuya blushed. "Here goes nothing."
She held her hand over the pool, holding a tiny fish. One of the seals poked its head out of the water, leapt up and grabbed it. "Ahhhhh..." Sakuya cooed. She gave the furry creature a pat on the head. She gave it a light poke on the nose, and the seal let out a bark, and dove back under the water. Sakuya let out a giggle. The same seal rose back up, clearly expecting more food. 
"Oh, I think someone has a crush. Or thinks he's king of the castle." Sahir said.
"Fancy yourself an emperor, do you? Well, if you insist..." Sakuya fed it another fish, and it let out another satisfied bark. "Oh, I can barely contain myself! I can't recall the last time I let myself have fun like this...thank you so much for this, Sahir-san."
"Don't sweat it. If I'm being totally honest, the idea just popped in my head after seeing that little seal plushie in your room the other day. Glad I guessed right on that."
"I've been in love with them ever since my mother gave me that when I turned five. It was my one attachment to her for the eight years we were apart. A small, furry representation of her love for me..."
The seal barked again. "Okay, Your Majesty, I haven't forgotten about you. Even on my day off, I'm still being a maid..." Sahir snickered at this. Sakuya patted the seal again. "Such lovely fur you have...at the risk of Kat-san showing up again, Sahir-san, do you know what the difference is between a seal and a sea lion?"
"Ummm..." Sahir looked around, ensuring that their group's sarcastic leader was nowhere in sight. "I honestly don't have a clue."
"Seals have more fur than sea lions. On the other hand, sea lions tend to grow bigger than seals. Some of them end up weighing over a ton."
"Wow. Something tells me it's not all from tiny fish like what you're holding."
"Not at all. A lot of it is blubber. But that blubber makes them the preferred meal of bigger predators. White sharks and orcas in particular. It's part of why seals are such social creatures. Strength in numbers. A pack of seals darting around can make things difficult for a shark to keep track of them. You have to be clever to survive in the ocean."
"So it's not just that they're cute. You really did your homework on them, huh?"
"I have. They're such curious and friendly creatures. In the water, at least. On land they can be very shy and skittish. They'll flee back to the water at the smallest sign of danger."
"So either way they're like Nat, is what you're saying."
Sakuya laughed. "Yes, I suppose they are. Though, if you tried hugging one of them, they'd probably slip right through. As much as I would love to..."
"Now you're starting to sound like Nat."
"Do you want to give it a try? I'd feel bad if I did this by myself."
"Eh, why not. Knowing my luck, he's probably gonna jump out and smack me with that tail..." Sahir grabbed a fish. "Wassup, buddy? You hungry? Or are you only taking them from my lady friend here?" The seal paused for a second, then gleefully leapt up and took the fish. "Heh, guess nothing beats a free meal, huh?"
Sakuya giggled. 
"Heh. Really was worth every penny."
---
"So how's it feel? Squishy or no?" Sahir asked.
Sakuya was holding onto a plush toy of a brown seal, much like the ones in the pool. "As Natalia-san would say, it's extremely huggable. Thank you so much. I would have gladly paid for it myself..."
"Not today, you would've. I said it was all gonna be my treat, and I meant it. And I know between school and your meds, money's a bit tight right now, so I'm more than happy to give you whatever you want. It's no problem for me. Alright?"
"Okay..." Sakuya's cheeks turned red. "I love it so much. I loved today so much. Now every time I look at this, I can remember how wonderful it was to come here..." She wrapped an arm around his. "...with you."
Sahir's eyes glossed over. "(This girl's gonna give me a heart attack!)" he thought.
Sakuya caught sight of something. "Over there...it's Kat-san."
Kat was looking out over a bridge, underneath which was a marsh.
"Yo, Kitty Kat! Still have your glasses?" Sahir called out.
"Oh, hey guys. Yeah, I've still got 'em. Haven't stepped near the primates since, as much as it burns my heart. What's that you got there, Maggie?" Kat asked.
"Sahir-san bought it for me. We just came from the marine area. I got to pet and feed the seals. My heart is...full to bursting at the moment."
"No kidding. Kicks, my dude, you did good. There might be hope for ya yet." Kat patted Sahir on the shoulder.
"Thanks...I think. Anyway, what were you looking at?" Sahir asked.
Kat gestured out into the marsh area. Wading through the water was a flock of six cranes, black-and-white in color, with large red spots atop their heads.
"Oh, it's the tanchōzuru. Red-crowned cranes. Such beautiful birds." Sakuya said.
"Back home we call them durumi. You don't see them very often. I just had to stop and look when I saw 'em." Kat said.
"They're pretty close together...like they're in pairs." Sahir added.
"They're probably mating pairs. Cranes aren't like a lot of animals where you have one male mating with a bunch of females. One pair stays together for a long time. They play equal parts in raising their chicks. And their mating dances..." Kat mused. "I got to see a pair of these cranes perform a dance a few years ago. Out in the middle of a lake, making the most graceful movements you could ever see out of a bird. Finding the one you want to spend your life with, then sealing it with a dance...I can't think of anything more romantic..."
"Woah...Kitty Kat, that's a bit..." Sahir muttered.
Kat shook her head. "Oooh, see what happens when you live with Barbie for as long as I have? I bet that's the kind of gooey stuff that goes through her head all the time."
"(You didn't seem that bothered by it...)" Sakuya thought.
"Anywho, you guys just heading out? You've got that end-of-day look on your faces." Kat asked.
"Yeah, we are. I don't think anything's gonna top 'petting a sea puppy' for this one." Sahir replied.
"We could all ride back together if you want." Sakuya suggested.
"Eh, I wouldn't want to keep butting in. But honestly, I don't want to risk accidentally walking into Chimp City again. So, guess you're stuck with me after all. Feel free to make out on the train anyway, though." Kat answered.
"How about no." the pair bluntly responded.
"What? I missed out on filming cuz of those monkeys. I have to leave with something."
"Don't you mean apes?" Sahir cheekily asked.
"...touché, Kicks. Touché."
---
"Your abode, milady." Sahir said, now back in the girls' dorm.
"My thanks, my good sir." Sakuya replied. "Thank you so much, again. Today was the most fun I've had in...quite a long time."
"That means I did my job. Seeing you happy like that was worth every bit of yen I spent. I'm glad you had fun today."
"Being with you, it would be impossible not to. I feel so at-ease whenever I'm around you. I never have to think about work or side-effects of my medicine or any of the time I spent with Death's Hand. With you I feel...normal."
"Well, when you're saying things like that..." Sahir nervously scratched his head as he began blushing. "It's hard for me to feel normal. I'm probably not as huggable as a seal..."
Sakuya gently clasped his hand. 
She kissed him on the cheek.
"I certainly think otherwise. Have a good night, Sahir-san." She entered her room and closed the door.
Sahir held his cheek. He heard a whistling noise. "You silver-tongued devil, you." Kat joked from down the hall.
Sahir adjusted his collar. "What? It's how we roll in Lagos...I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"
"Not at all. You did good. You're a great guy, Kicks. No matter what Kenny says about you." Kat turned and walked down the stairs.
"Well I appreciate it." Suddenly the second part dawned on him. "Wait, what?"
Ignoring his query, Kat made her way to her dormroom. She walked in to find Barbara curled up on the couch, watching TV. "There she is. So is it Mission Accomplished?" Barbara asked.
"She got to pet a seal. Kicks spoiled her today. All is good."
"Awesome! Those two played around with it all year last year. I'm happy it went well. How was your day?"
"Enlightening. Let's just leave it at that."
Kat turned on the light in her room, and was met with a surprising sight. "Huh?"
Sitting on her nightstand was a vase filled with round, pink flowers. 
"Pretty, aren't they?" Barbara asked. "They came in for you a little while ago. I looked them up. They're a kind of morning glory called 'moonflower', since they bloom at night. The Professor's mom really has a big collection."
"Did...did they say who it was from?"
"Nope. But they did leave a card with it. I didn't look. Pinkie swear. Guess you have a secret admirer~." Barbara returned to the couch.
Kat picked up the card, placed next to the vase. As she read it, she turned beat-red.
"A token of my gratitude. Will you let me thank you in person? Tomorrow at 11, at Sakuya's café. I will be waiting with baited breath. - 💜