Persona BLEACHED 5: Chapter 5

Persona BLEACHED 5
Chapter 5: Summer Closing
August 4, 2036
Kyoto. The Kita residential district. Early morning.
Two houses down from Rin Kubo's residence was an outwardly identical abode. The mailbox listed off the names 'Blackthorne', 'Kit' and 'Patel', written in purple, black and pink, respectively.
Inside, Parvati, still in her pajamas, walked into the kitchen. "*Yawn*...wonder if they got back yet..."
"Good morning, Parvati." Carrie greeted as she was stirring her tea.
"Oh, hey, Carrie. I didn't hear you two come in."
"We got in close to midnight. Our group is all together so infrequently that we sat around Max and Ibuki's apartment until sundown."
"Oh, okay. How was the wedding?"
"The wedding was lovely. The two of them look so happy together. It's hard not to get swept up in the emotions of it all. It was a beautiful ceremony."
"I'd love to see some pics if you have any. But, I guess you'd have to wait a bit for them to get mailed in, huh?"
"Max and Ibuki should have them by the time they return from their honeymoon. We took some wonderful group shots together, and they ordered enough for all of us to have a copy." Carrie started to blush. "Personally I'd love having your cousin's outfit immortalized. She looked so beautiful..."
"You want me to pose in it?" Kat appeared suddenly behind her.
"Oh, that would be--" Carrie realized. "Ah--! K-Kitten, how long were you standing there? I didn't hear you walk in..."
"Cats have silent steps, remember? So what were you saying? Don't let me stop you."
"Ah...hehe..." Carrie averted her eyes.
Parvati giggled.
"Oh, morning, Parvie. How was yesterday? You get into any hijinks?" Kat asked as she started preparing her breakfast.
"Wasn't as exciting as yours. I stayed in, played AC and watched some TV." Parvati replied.
"The whole day? Parvie. You can't spend your days boxed up in your room like that. There's tons of things to see and do around here."
"It's not that big a deal. I just don't want to go out by myself. It's better when it's with you."
"You've gotta learn to be more independent, little cuz. School's starting in a week. I'm gonna be busy and you're gonna be busy."
"You're already busy. Ever since we got here, you've been bouncing around doing one thing or another. I haven't gotten to be around you at all."
"I'm sorry, Parvie. But with the wedding and now the school year being around the corner, I don't have a lot of free time. I'm gonna be doing prep work with Prof for most of this week. You have to learn how to have fun by yourself."
"....." Parvati clutched her arm. "I can't be by myself out there. I just can't. You know why."
Kat and Carrie looked at each other with concern. "Yeah. I know why. But you can't let that hang over you forever." Kat comforted her cousin. "We're family. I'm gonna be there for you as much as I possibly can. But you're not gonna have me around all the time. You've gotta relearn how to be around people by yourself. More than anything, we need to get you out of the house."
"Were there any errands you needed to run today?" Carrie asked.
"I actually need to swing by the university to pick up my textbooks. After that, I've got nothing, really." Parvati replied.
"Why don't I go with you, and once we're finished with the books, we can find something fun to do? My schedule is free today."
"I vouch for a day spent with this lovely gemstone. I'd pay for the chance right now." Kat said.
"Okay. That sounds great. Let me go get dressed." Parvati went back to her room.
"Thanks for that, Care." 
"Anytime, my love. Family care is always paramount." Carrie replied.
"Hopefully she starts to loosen up after a while. I know it took me a good minute before I felt comfortable in London."
"I'm honestly more concerned about her not wanting to venture out alone. She's going to need to when school begins. I understand why she's hesitant to do so, but it's a fear she'll need to come to terms with."
"We'll help her get there. She's always been shy, but I don't want her becoming a shut-in. Fingers crossed today's the start of getting her to relax."
Inside of her room, filled with plush toys and other assorted gaming memorabilia, Parvati finished getting dressed in front of a mirror. Her green eyes stared back at her.
"(You're beautiful, Parvati. No matter what anyone says, every part of you is beautiful.)" her mother's voice echoed.
"(Hey, halfie.)" Another girl's voice chimed in.
She jarred out of her thoughts. Her legs briefly shook. She composed herself, and sat down on her bed, grabbing a plush of 'Animal Crossing' mainstay Isabelle and sitting it on her lap. She grabbed her phone off the mantle. "No...Mom and Dad are probably still asleep." She pressed a button. "Video call Vijay."
"'Calling Vijay'." the phone sounded back.
After a couple of rings, it switched to a video feed. The face on the other end was of a young man with tan skin just like Parvati's, with a black beard, and wearing what appeared to be safari gear. "Hey, little sis! How's it going?"
"Hey, Jay. I'm doing alright. You're...moving kind of weird."
"Oh, I'm taking a ride right now! Here's my car!" Vijay turned his camera to show the back of the head of a camel. "Say hello to Grady!"
"Is he the new Hyundai model?"
"It is! With full spitting functionality!" The camel moved awkwardly, causing Vijay to readjust. "So, what's got you calling me up so early in your morning?"
"Just checking in. You getting good pics?"
"Oh yeah, tons! Just got done at the pyramids and--Grady, will you calm yourself!--I'm heading back to town for lunch, then it's off to the Sphinx! NatGeo and every other magazine are gonna be clamoring, I can feel it!"
"No one can say no to you, Jay. And even if they don't bite, it doesn't hurt the portfolio. Where are you off to after this?"
"I've got another day here before I fly over to Alexandria, then it's two days of speedrunning the hotspots before I head on home. Oh, do I have a looooot of emails to send out when I get back..."
"You ever stop to think about what an awesome job you've got, dude? Getting to travel everywhere, take pics and maybe even get featured on a big magazine or two. Sounds like a ton of fun."
"95% of it is. But I'm so crazy tired when I get home, and then there's the big email push I've gotta do...there's a lot that goes into it. It's like a vacation with a ton more work, and vacations already take a ton of work!"
"Hehe, yeah, I bet. Well after that's all done, maybe you can plan a Japan trip. Kyoto's got a ton of great spots to take pics."
"You can always just say, 'I miss you, big bro'."
"I was getting to that, doofus!" Parvati sighed. "I do miss you, Jay. I miss Mom and Dad. I can't help feeling like an alien here."
"Join the club, sis. At least you've got Kitty Kat there with you. There's never a bad day with that one around."
"No, no there isn't."
Vijay poked at his phone. "Battery's getting close to empty. I'll talk to you soon. Call Mom and Dad whenever you get a chance, last time I spoke to them they were all, 'Why isn't your sister calling us, Vijay? She's taking longer than you're taking to bring us grandchildren!'"
Parvati tried to hold back a laugh. "They did NOT say that."
"It got you to laugh, and that's what matters. Bye-bye!"
"Bye, Jay. Have fun taking camel selfies."
The call ended. "....." 
In her mind, she pictured herself in a school uniform, turning to look at something. Outside her memory, she looked at her hand.
"(I'm sorry for lying, Jay. But...I always feel like an alien.)"
She stepped back out to the kitchen. By now, Kat and Carrie had both gotten changed. "You all good, Parvie?" asked the former.
"Yeah. All good." Parvati replied.
"Gucci. I'm off to Prof's. You ladies enjoy yourselves." Kat departed.
"Enjoy your educational endeavors, my kitten." Carrie bid. "And on that note, we should go get those textbooks. Shall we?"
"Yeah. Lead the way." Parvati replied.
---
Sakyō ward, in the northeast part of the city. Here was the location of Kyoto University's primary Yoshida Campus. It possessed a varied architecture, ranging from classical, brick buildings to state-of-the-art research facilities.
"You look like you're struggling there, Parvati. Are you sure you don't need help?" Carrie asked as she walked.
Parvati was holding a large blue bag, filled with textbooks, and was clearly straining to keep it off the ground. "No, I'm good...I don't want you to...pop your shoulder out..."
"Any stress I would feel would be minor compared to what you're enduring. Please allow me."
"No, really, I'm good...Kitty Kat would be...upset if you got hurt..."
"And you hurting yourself wouldn't upset her? Don't overexert yourself." Carrie took the bag, lifting it with much more ease.
"Ugh...wow, you are making it look easy."
"My chauffeurs have all been ex-military men, trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat. They passed their training regimens to me. I'm much stronger than I look."
"You've gotta be kidding...on top of being smart and pretty, you can fight like a soldier? What I'd give to be a tenth of what you are, Carrie..."
"Don't be so harsh on yourself, love. You're a beautiful young lady, and you're smart enough to have gotten into one of Japan's premier universities. And honestly, I'm not nearly as flawless as you and your cousin think I am."
"You're pretty dang close, in my eyes."
"I can assure you, I'm not. My kitchen skills, for instance, leave much to be desired. There was the one time me and Barbara nearly blew up Professor Kubo's kitchen..."
"You almost blew up a whole kitchen?!"
"It confounds me, truly. Especially because my mother was a wonderful cook. Barbara can say much the same. It's even more perplexing in her case because Max is also very skilled in the kitchen."
"Guess he swiped up all the talent in the womb."
"At the very least, when it comes to cooking. I also have a fear of anything with tentacles. Once, at a fish market, I was ambushed by a still-living octopus who latched onto my back. The panic nearly killed me."
Parvati tried not to laugh. "I'm sorry...it's not funny, but I'm just picturing you fighting with an octopus and I can't help it..."
"It's been long enough that I can see the humor in it, but in the moment it was horrifying. But you see what I'm trying to say, yes? Nobody is infallible. We all have our flaws, no matter how outwardly efficient we might seem. You don't have to compare yourself to me or anyone else. Just focus on being the best 'you' you can be."
"You and Kitty Kat both love to talk me up..."
"I say nothing that's not true. Neither does she. And we both want you to be comfortable with who you are, whether it's around other people or by yourself. There's nothing to fear around here. And there's just the place around here for me to show you how wonderful it truly is."
"I don't doubt that it's amazing, but--"
"Non non, mon ami. No buts. Today is about regaining your confidence. Follow me, please." Carrie walked ahead.
"Hey, wait! How are you carrying those books and still walking faster than me?" Parvati followed after.
---
Kyoto Botanical Gardens. A plant haven containing over twelve-thousand different species from every conceivable biome. In addition to the outside gardens, there was a conservatory built to resemble a Buddhist temple and the nearby mountains.
"...I don't really mind as much anymore. Both of my parents were French, and I was born in Lille. But we moved to Monaco when I was a baby. I used to get annoyed when people said I was French instead of Monagasque, but it's really no problem now." Carrie spoke as the women neared the entrance.
"'French' is a lot less of a mouthful. One thing I've always wondered about, though...'Blackthorne' doesn't sound like a French name. It sounds more English." Parvati questioned.
"That's because it is. I dug through my family's history not too long ago, and it turns out that I have English ancestry on my father's side. My great-grandfather was originally from Oxford, and he worked as a civil engineer. He volunteered to move to France after the Second World War to help with rebuilding efforts. He wound up staying permanently after meeting my great-grandmother. Hence the origin of my non-French surname."
"Hunh. Guess you going to college in England was kind of a homecoming for you."
"Hehe. I suppose you're right. It's fun to think of all the different places that made us, so to speak. It's a nice reminder that all of us can be considered little miracles."
"A...little miracle, huh."
The two got to the entrance, and the payment counter. "Hello. One adult, please. For my friend here." Carrie said.
"W-wait, you're not coming with?" Parvati questioned.
"I'll be joining you shortly. I need to drop these books off at home. In the meantime, you can have a relaxing time among the flowers."
"I-I can come with you, it's not a--"
"Parvati, dear, it's going to be alright. You have nothing to fear here. It's a giant flower garden. Nothing, and no one, is going to hurt you here."
"But...but..."
Carrie put a hand on Parvati's shoulder. "It's okay. You need to learn to be comfortable by yourself. Your cousin and I are going to be busy at the Academy. We won't be able to accompany you to college. This is the time when everyone learns who they are and how they're going to react to the world going forward. Go and enjoy the flowers. I'll be back soon, I promise."
"....." With intense hesitation, Parvati turned around and headed for the door leading to the gardens. She turned and looked at Carrie, who gave her a wave. She gulped, then walked out.
Beyond the entrance were numerous biomes, filled with different trees and flowers of all sorts, and an atmosphere of pure tranquility.
This kind of peace and quiet was something Parvati just was not used to. Whether it was back home in Seoul or during family trips to Mumbai, she was always surrounded by waves of people. At times that could be overwhelming. But it also brought with it a certain comfort.
"(The more people there are...the less likely someone's gonna do something bad.)" she thought.
She walked under a group of weeping cherry trees, their pink flower-filled branches drooping down. "(It's so peaceful and beautiful...maybe it is gonna be okay. There's nothing bad here. I'm thinking crazy. I--)"
"(Hey, halfie.)"
The voice again. And again, she froze. Her chest began to tighten up. The image of herself in school uniform flashed through her mind once more. Panic took over, and she began to gasp. 
Someone grabbed her back.
"AHHHH!" she yelped.
"Calm down! I'm not trying to hurt you!"
Parvati looked at who it was. She saw the red hair. "Huh...Professor Kubo...?"
"Close, but not quite."
She realized that this woman was slightly younger, hair slightly shorter and a darker shade of red, with a black bow on either side of her head. "You good? I thought you were choking for a second there."
"Ah..." Parvati looked around. Onlookers were staring at her with some concern. "I...I'm okay. I'm sorry, I..."
"Hang on, let's find a place for you to decompress."
They found a bench nearby for Parvati to sit down. "I'm really sorry for freaking out..."
"Long as you're good now. I'm sure you've got your reasons. You mentioned 'Professor Kubo'. You one of her students?"
"No, I live a couple houses down. My cousin's a former student. She's gonna be her assistant. Her name's Kat."
"The cat girl with the pink in her hair? Thought you looked a little familiar. I'm Professor Kubo's cousin. Rin...Hanazaki."
"You're her cousin? And...your name's Rin, too?"
"It's not that weird. But if you don't want to get confused, call me GoGo. Everyone else does."
"You call yourself GoGo? That's...a little funny."
GoGo looked annoyed. "It *really* isn't."
"Ah, I-I mean, you're right, it isn't, I'm sorry..."
"Quit apologizing. You look like you're gonna fall apart."
Parvati recalled something Rin had mentioned her first day in Kyoto. "So, uh...are you the cousin that runs the market here?"
"Nope. I'm the cousin that runs the flower shop in Tokyo."
"Right, right...her mom's family are the flower people. Makes sense why you'd be here."
"I come around here for inspiration on new arrangements. I'm still new to the flower business. I wanted to visit Rin, too, but she's busy with work stuff."
"Yeah, Kat's working with her today. That's why I'm here trying to, uh...relax, I guess."
"Sure didn't look that way, Cat Girl's Cousin...sorry, what was your name, again?"
"Oh, um...I'm Parvati. I know I don't really look like I'm Kat's cousin, but..."
"No, I can tell. The hair's a big giveaway. You've got her fashion sense, too." GoGo could see her getting more nervous. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"No, no, it's not you! It's me...I've been scared ever since I came here. Even longer than that, honestly..."
GoGo looked ponderous. "(I probably shouldn't leave her alone. 'Talking always helps', I can hear Max saying it now. 'You were a scared kid too, once'.)"
"Hey, you good to move now?" she asked.
"Yeah..."
"Come with me for a bit. And don't try to say that you're gonna be a burden. It's just looking at plants. I'm not as good at talking to people as Rin or the Doctor, but even I can see you need to get something off your chest."
"It's not that I don't want to, but...I've got someone coming soon..."
"So walk with me until then. I don't want you having another panic attack. I can even teach you a thing or three about flowers."
"Well...okay. I guess that's alright."
Parvati followed after GoGo. "So...how long have you been in the flower business?" 
"A little over a month. Rin's mom was the one running the store before me. She took me in and taught me everything she knows."
"Took you in? So, where were you before that?"
"With my parents and brother. They ran a clinic."
Memories flowed through GoGo's mind. The ruins of her Naruki. Finding her best friend and family among the rubble, and the vengeful rage that filled her at that moment.
"They...died. All of them." She fiddled with her bracelet. "My best friend, too."
"Oh...I'm sorry. That...must've been horrible."
"It was." GoGo sighed. "Let's talk about something else."
"Right, sorry..."
"That has to be the tenth time you've apologized in the last five minutes. You'd think you'd just knocked over a priceless heirloom or something."
"Ah, so--uh, I mean--"
"Ugh...are you sure you and the cat girl are related? You definitely don't have her social skills."
"I'm sure that's not the only reason you'd question it..."
"If you're talking about the tan you're sporting, it's got nothing to do with that. But you're very clearly focused on that part, so let's talk on it. What makes you, you?"
"Well, I'm from Seoul. My mom's Korean. Her older sister is Kat's mom. But my dad's from India."
"There's a bit of distance there. How'd they meet?"
"My dad was a foreign exchange student. They shared classes together. He says it was love at first sight, she says she played hardball for a bit before going out with him. He exaggerates a lot, so...I'm more inclined to believe my mom."
"He sounds a lot like Rin's brother. He doesn't fancy himself a musician, does he?"
"No, not really. He leaves the singing to Uncle Wei. He's probably closer to Professor Kubo's brother in that department, from what Kat tells me."
"I wondered why Ms. Hana insulated the shop walls. Then I heard Tan strike a cord and it all made sense. I wouldn't survive a day listening to it on repeat."
"Yeah, Uncle Wei's not that great at it anymore. At least he's honest about it."
"But back on-topic. I guess there aren't a lot of people who look like you back home, huh? Did you get picked on growing up?"
Parvati nodded. "A lot. I got called 'halfie' all throughout junior high. Some of it followed me to high school. And some girls..." She trailed off. "...were worse than others."
"Do you hate how you look?"
"No..."
"I'm not sensing a lot of confidence. It really isn't that big of a deal." GoGo looked to her side. "Like look over here."
She directed Parvati to a group of orange flowers. "These are tulips. They can come in a bunch of different colors. Hundreds of years ago, people would go crazy collecting them and breeding them to get all kinds of different looks. These right here are mostly orange, but look."
She pointed out a few scattered pink flowers. "And then over here." Then she pointed to a couple red ones. "Anyone would say these are all beautiful flowers, right?"
"Well, yeah."
"Are the pink or red ones any less beautiful because there's a lot more orange around them?"
"I know what you're trying to say, but...it's not the same."
"Why not?"
"Because...there's more than one red and pink flower. I was one pink flower in the middle of a bunch of orange ones. And no matter how much my mom or Kat tried to tell me that it didn't matter, they couldn't be there all the time to help me. And they didn't know what it was like, being the one pink flower. It wasn't everyone, but there was always a group that wouldn't leave me alone. And then a couple years ago, they..."
"(Hey, halfie.)"
She froze up again. "....."
"Hey, Parvati!" GoGo snapped her out of it.
"Huh? Uh..."
"You spaced out again. Sheesh, it messed you up bad, didn't it? What did those girls do to get you like this?"
"Ah..."
"Parvati!" At that moment, Carrie ran over. "There you are, dear. I was calling you and you weren't picking up."
"Oh, Carrie...sorry." Parvati uttered.
"And...oh, hello, GoGo. I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Oh, hey. Ditto on that." GoGo replied. "Listen, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Certainly. Can you wait a moment, Parvati?"
"Yeah, okay..." Parvati returned her gaze to the tulips, as Carrie went to the side with GoGo. 
She stared at one particular flower. Pink, in a sea of orange. A tear dropped.
"Listen, Carrie." GoGo began. "I've been talking with her a bit, and...she's worse than a scared puppy. Freaking out about being in a flower garden by herself. I know she got bullied, but just how bad was it to make her like this?"
"Oh, I was afraid of this resurfacing. As you've probably already heard from her, she was made fun of in school for the color of her skin. There was one group of girls in the class above hers that made it their entire, sad purpose to make her life miserable. Constant provocations about where she came from, what she would eat, anything to get a reaction. And then, two years ago, there was...an incident." Carrie replied.
"So what happened?"
"This group that was harassing her was on the verge of graduation. So they decided to leave off with their absolute worst. While she was walking home--alone--they ambushed her. Dragged her into an alley, and...stripped her of her uniform."
"Holy shit."
"They took photos and posted them online for the world to see. It was horrifying. I remember when Kat found out. It took everything for me to keep her from buying a ticket back home. I'd never seen her so enraged. I knew if she found those girls, she would have done something she'd wind up regretting."
"I wouldn't have blamed her. Please tell me those bimbos got what was coming to them."
"Thankfully, common sense prevailed. Expulsion, convictions for kidnapping and assault. They didn't get off scott-free. But Parvati hasn't been the same since then. She's terrified of going out by herself. She was already shy, but this utterly destroyed her sense of security. We've been protective of her the last couple of years, but she needs to feel comfortable with herself again."
"Yeah, no, absolutely. I've been around her for about half an hour, and I can tell you she can't go on like that."
Parvati, meanwhile, wiped her eyes.
"Hey." GoGo turned attention to her.
"Huh...?"
"Listen, I've gotta get back to work-related things. But, here." She handed Parvati a card. "If you're ever in Tokyo, come by my shop. I'd love to talk again."
"O-Okay..."
"You take care of yourself, alright? Be seeing you." GoGo departed.
"You ready to keep going?" Carrie approached.
"Yeah..." Parvati responded.
Carrie took her arm. "Let's enjoy some tranquility, ma jolie fille. No more tears or nerves. Okay?"
"I'll...try my best."
---
August 5, 2036
Mt. Shirayuki. Located adjacent to Naruki's eastern border, this mountain was a popular spot for locals year-round. In the winter, it is blanketed in pristine white sheets, while in the summertime, it blossoms into a vivid pink. It was home to a hot spring, a nightclub with adjacent shops, and numerous rental cabins.
Its most popular destination was a radiant lake, located near the peak of the hiking trail. Surrounded by a sea of blossom trees, it was known as a lovers' lake for its romantic atmosphere.
Rin's group knew this place well. She was born beneath one of the trees. She'd married Rose here. And it was where Kat and Carrie had professed their love for one another, and where they shared a wondrous, moonlit dance.
Adjacent to the lake was a single cabin, in front of which was a well-taken care of flower garden. This was the residence of the Kubo clan's free-spirited matriarch, Miu Hanazaki, or Hana for short.
On this morning, GoGo woke up with a stretch. Her room was lightly decorated, with very few mementos from her world. The one thing that stood out was sitting on the wall across from her bed: a sheathed, black katana. A family artifact of unknown origin, that even the Defense Force has no record of.
She swore she'd never unsheath it again. She had no reason to.
She got dressed, and walked out to the living room. 
"Good morning, GoGo. You get a good night's sleep?" Hana was an older woman with red hair like her daughter, though it was a more faded shade. She wore a pink bandana on her head, with a pink jacket worn over a green, flower-print shirt. She was sitting, and holding onto a sleeping Marin.
"Morning, Ms. Hana. Yeah, real good. I'm gonna guess from those bags in your eyes that you can't say the same." GoGo replied.
"Bless this little thing, she was up for most of the night. I think she has a tooth coming in."
"Woof, poor little biter. I'll see if her dad's got anything to sooth it."
"If he does, I'm sure he'll give it to you for free. Or sprint over and bring it himself."
"Yep. What an enchanting family you've got, Ms. Hana."
Marin stirred awake, looking like she was about to cry.
"Oh, dear, just when I thought we were getting somewhere..." Hana uttered. "Time for Grandma Hana's specialty. GoGo, bring me the wand."
"Aye-aye." GoGo walked away, and came back with a pink, well-used shamisen. "I'd love to stay for your concert, but I've gotta run. Have fun with Nana duty."
"Thank you, dear. Have a wonderful day." Hana took the instrument. "Hopefully this works. This was your aunt's favorite lullaby when she was little..."
GoGo walked out of the cabin. She looked out towards the lake, reflecting the morning sun and littered with cherry blossom petals. Though not the cheerful optimist her counterpart was, she couldn't help but smile at the sight. Her old home once lay in ruins. The fact that she could wake up to this view every morning was something she didn't take for granted.
She took the hike down to the base of the mountain, continuing her walk until she made it to the market district.
"...hm?"
In front of the flower shop, someone was crouched down, twiddling their thumbs and looking around nervously. She looked up and saw GoGo. "Hey...good morning."
"Uh...hey. What are you doing here?"
"You said that if I ever wanted to talk, that I could come see you. So...here I am." Parvati replied.
"This early? And...all by yourself. You came all the way from Kyoto without anyone else. And you didn't freak out?"
"Oh, I started panicking like five times. But I thought that if I was around a bunch of people, then nothing bad would happen. So...is it alright for me to come in?"
GoGo smirked. "Yeah, sure. Let me just get the door open."
She unlocked the front door, and entered. The shop was filled with flowers of all colors, along with many gardening necessities, from bags of soil to pots to watering cans.
"Wow...so pretty." Parvati uttered.
"The Hanazaki clan pretty much wrote the book on growing and maintaining flowers. It takes a lot of work to keep them looking this good, but it's worth it seeing how happy it makes people to get them." GoGo replied.
"I guess it runs in the family. Professor Kubo's got a really nice garden."
"Between her and Dr. Rose, you'd expect as much. Ms. Hana taught her the family gardening techniques, too. She helped out here at the shop before she went the therapy route."
"Gardening and psychology. Dr. Rose really is a crazy smart lady. And so...mysterious, too. I've never seen anyone with eyes like hers. And the way she talks..."
"Like someone way older than her would talk? Yeah, we all said that. But she's really wonderful. Ask your cousin or any of her friends and they'll tell you. They've all had therapy sessions in their living room. All of us have, really. She's the best listener. And all that wisdom goes a long way to helping us come to terms with our problems."
"Maybe I should talk to her at some point..."
"I'm happy to lend an ear, but she's literally got a doctorate in hearing people out. And she's two doors down instead of a train ride away."
"Yeah, guess you're right. But it has to be hard, right? Hearing everyone's problems day in and day out. All that trauma and negativity has to be a lot to take in for her."
"I've never heard her complain. But I guess that's why she married an optimist."
"Yeah." 
"Oh, you don't have to stand all day. Here." GoGo patted a chair perched behind the counter.
"Thanks." Parvati sat down.
"You can keep talking, I've got some watering to take care of." GoGo grabbed a hose.
"So...that bracelet you've got on. I've noticed you fidgeting with it. Is it itchy?"
"No, that's not it. It's a gift from a friend. My best friend. She gave it to me...the day she died."
"O-oh...sorry, if you don't want to--"
"No, no. Dr. Rose says I shouldn't keep it bottled in. It only makes it worse. It was...the night before Halloween, almost ten years ago. We were walking back to my parents' clinic after finishing up our costumes. We chatted, got some ice cream, you know, normal thirteen-year old stuff. She puts this around my wrist. It's made of leftover material from our costumes. And she tells me that it's thanks for being her only friend."
"Oh...gosh. That's really sweet."
"She was. We weren't exactly what you'd call the popular crowd in school. All we really had was each other. It'd been that way since we were in the 'little pink uniforms and bucket hats' phase."
GoGo tenderly held the bracelet. "And then, less than an hour after that...she and my family were gone."
".....what happened to them?"
"They..."
The visions poured through GoGo's mind once more. Chaos and horror, as people ran screaming. At the center of it all, the perpetrators: men who'd transformed into wolves. This was the Wolfpack. And standing atop a building, looking down at the carnage, was a jackal-headed man, shrouded in shadow. The inhuman form taken on by Ezekiel Southgate, the group's second-in-command, a man just as depraved and twisted as his superior, Johnny.
"...monsters. They were taken by monsters. They destroyed our clinic, and took everyone inside but me. That was the day I learned what evil was. And I spent the five years after that in an angry haze, blaming a lot of people for what happened. But somebody helped me realize that letting the past control me wasn't helping me in the now. So with that in mind..." GoGo turned to Parvati. "Why don't you tell me why going out is so rough for you?"
"Um...well...see, the thing is..."
The door opened. "Good morning, GoGo!" a girl's voice chimed.
"Hold that thought." GoGo turned her attention to the door. There were Kanae and Aura.
"Good morning, GoGo-san." the latter greeted.
"Good morning, girls. What's on the agenda for today?"
"Mama placed an order for some yellow tulips."
"Ah, right. Got those sitting over here." GoGo went to grab them.
Parvati, meanwhile, sat in silence.
"Hiya!" Kanae approached her.
"Oh, um...hi." Parvati uttered.
"You look kinda familiar...have we met before?"
"Um...I don't think so."
"Hey, Aura, doesn't she look familiar?"
"Now that you mention it, she does. Who's your friend, GoGo-san?" Aura asked.
"Oh, this is Parvati. She's Kat's cousin." GoGo replied.
"Ohhhhhh! Now I see it! You look just like Kitty Kat!" Kanae exclaimed.
"Being pretty must run in the family." Aura added.
"Y-you're way too sweet..." Parvati blushed.
"And she gets red from compliments just like Kitty Kat!" Kanae stated.
"These two sweet things are Kanae and Aura. Twintails is Max and Ibuki's niece. Snowcaps' parents are old friends of Rin. They basically run half this town." GoGo explained.
"Your looks...are you albino?" Parvati asked Aura.
"Mmhmm. I am. That's why I carry this around." the girl affirmed, pointing out her umbrella.
"It's not a fashion thing, even if she totally pulls it off." Kanae teased.
"It must've been really tough growing up, huh? Were other kids ever mean to you?" Parvati asked.
"Hmm...well, some would stay away from me when I was little. But it's gotten better since then. I treat everyone with the proper respect, and they give it to me in return. My parents have ensured that I have as comfortable a life as I possibly can. The one problem I still have to deal with is, well...not being able to go anywhere by myself." Aura replied.
"How come?"
"My eyesight is rather limited compared to everyone else. So I need someone near me in case things go fuzzy."
"Bad eyesight on top of needing to stay out of the sun? As if one wasn't bad enough..."
"It's actually a common part of albinism nobody really talks about. Melanin is what gives us our color, and also helps with eye development, so without it, most albinos end up with really bad depth perception. Their eyes look red because there's no pigment to hide the blood cells and vessels that are actually there." Kanae explained.
"....." Parvati was caught off-guard.
"Kanae-chan is the smartest one in our class. It's only when she's around cupcakes that it becomes easy to forget." Aura said.
"I mean...I'm starting college soon, and I didn't know that."
"I could've skipped a grade level or two, but my mom didn't want me to miss out on being a kid. Oh, speaking of!" Kanae took an envelope out of her pocket. "Here you are, GoGo!"
"Hm? What's this?" GoGo questioned, opening it to find several yen bills. "Hold up, what's this for? Your aunt and uncle already paid me for the wedding."
"It's a gift from my mom, she says thank you for making the wedding so pretty! You totally understood the assignment!"
"Oh geez, you're too sweet. Tell your Mama I said thanks. This is for you, Snowcaps." GoGo handed Aura a pot of yellow flowers.
"Thank you so much, GoGo-san. Have a lovely day." Aura bowed.
Kanae took her umbrella. "See ya, GoGo! See ya, Kitty Kat's Cuz! Or...is it Kuz with a 'K'? I dunno, byeeeeee!" The girls walked out.
"Um...bye." Parvati uttered.
"That girl is too funny. She'll be sitting down eating some ice cream, and then out of nowhere start talking about all the different names for sugar and what they mean." GoGo replied.
"How does a girl her age even get that smart...?"
"One of the great mysteries we've yet to figure out."
"And that poor Aura...it was hard enough for me to look different from everyone else, but then you add all those health problems. But she looked so unbothered by it."
"She hit the parent lottery, for starters. Everything she could possibly need to be happy, Mr. JoJo and Ms. Hiyoko get for her. I hear they even keep the lights dimmed at their mansion."
"*Mansion*?! So they're *that* kind of rich? Where does Professor Kubo meet these people..."
"You don't even know the half of it."
"All those issues that girl has to deal with, and she still finds a way to be happy. What excuse do I even have..."
GoGo sighed. "Okay. I'm gonna be real with you. Carrie told me what happened to you."
"...how much did she tell you?"
"I'd imagine she left out some of the worst parts, but...enough to understand why you'd be scared to go out by yourself."
"I...I really don't want to relive it."
"I'm not gonna force you to. It took me a long time to be able to talk about what happened to my family. Without tearing up, at least. If you want to keep things positive, that's fine by me."
"Yes, please..."
"Alright, what's home life like?"
"Well, Mom and Dad run a specialty store selling Indian products. A lot of imported teas and medicinal stuff. My mom also makes children's books in her spare time."
"Ooh, that sounds like fun. Does she do the drawings or does she just write?"
"She does both. She'd read us to bed when we were little. Those are some of my favorite memories. Mom telling us a fable after Dad made us laugh over dinner...there was never a bad time when I was home."
"Sure sounds like it. So is it just you?"
"No, I've got an older brother. His name's Vijay. He's got the coolest job you could think of. He's a photographer, and he goes around the world taking pictures of...well, everything. He's in Egypt right now. He sends his pics to a whole bunch of different magazines."
"Boy, if that isn't the dream job. It's like getting paid to go on vacation."
"It's not all sunshine and fun. Last I talked to him, he was getting directions from a camel named Grady."
GoGo snickered. "Okay, this I've gotta hear about. I'm already sensing that he gets into a lot of weird antics."
"You've got no idea. Next time you see your pal Maxie, ask him about the time he fished Jay from a river..."
---
"You gonna be okay heading back?" GoGo asked. It was late afternoon, and she and Parvati were in Shibuya Station.
"Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Kat's gonna be waiting for me in Kyoto, so I won't be walking home by myself." the latter replied. "Thanks for letting me hang out today. And for these." She held a pot of orange tulips, with a single pink one in the center.
"Don't mention it. Just remember what I said. Even if the pink one's different from the others, it doesn't make it any less beautiful. Now promise me you'll talk to Dr. Rose sooner than later."
"I'm gonna. I've...got a lot of things to work through. Thanks for helping me a little." Parvati hugged her.
"...no problem." GoGo wasn't sure how to react at first. "Get home safe, OK? Good luck with school if I don't see you before then."
"Thank you, I will. I promise I won't be a stranger. Take care, GoGo." Parvati gave her a wave, and walked off towards the train platform.
"...Heh. Look at you being supportive, Ringo. Couldn't have imagined this nine years--"
GoGo suddenly shuddered. "Huh?"
She looked around, though with as many people as there were, she couldn't make out anything suspicious. "(Weird. What was that feeling just now? Felt like I was being watched, with an extra bit of dread to it. Probably just sleep deprivation or crowd anxiety. Let's go see what Ms. Hana has prepped for dinner. That usually fixes things.)" she thought, and turned to leave.
Undetected by anyone, a figure hid behind a pillar, watching as the girl with the flower pot walked towards the train.
Obscured by the mass of people, their mind was now encircled by dreadful intent.