Pink City

Chapter 8

And so they didn't. Half an hour later, the girls finally left the store, all the while Seench sported a fabulous yellow suit. They looked professional and quite respectable, even for their role as a SEENCH, however the sunflower color of the suit dressed down the suit so as to not look so snooty for a mall setting like this.

The girls were aghast. The first person to comment on the suit, of course, was Daphne.

"Look at the little daffodil in the field of cherry blossoms! " Daphne cooed. Though she meant this primarily as a compliment, Seench found it condescending.

Aiko's jaw dropped slightly, but not too much as to offset her naturally composed look.

"Is this... Because we're Asian?" Frankie snarled. Based on everyone's expressions, she had said exactly what everyone else wanted to say.

"You guys should chill. It was just a joke," Daphne said, eye rolling.

Lily stepped in. "You guys, I'm sure Daphne meant no harm. Her sense of humor is a little...old-fashioned, but I'm certain she meant it as a compliment."

Daphne flashed Lily a quick smile, one that read "thanks for helping out." When she turned back, she had noticed the group had looked a lot less on edge, and even Seench grinned playfully.

They leaned in towards Lily again. "Why am I 'little'? I'm five foot six, and Daff doesn't look a centimeter over five-foot two." She laughed a little.

"I suppose she's a... buttercup in a field of flowers and a daffodil." Lily replied thoughtfully.

"Nah, she can stay a daffodil, I would much rather be a rose."

"I can see you being a rose." Lily nodded subtly. "But me? I would personally be a forget-me-not."

"Those grow everywhere around here!" Seench trilled. They jumped slightly in excitement.

"They do?" Said Lily. "Huh. I didn't expect such wildflowers like forget-me-nots to grow in a city like Pink City."

"It's not the city." Seench said. I live 9 miles away from the start of Pink City; my home is about 20 minutes away from here. I live in a more... suburban area, you could call it. My house isn't the biggest or the most beautiful, but if only you could see the foliage that surrounds me; yellow dandelions by day and chamomile bushes at night... Oh, you would never want to leave!"

"You garden?" Lily asked.

"Tee hee!" Seench simpered; "Don't be daft. These hands have seen fourteen years of scrubbing and corner-dusting, but have never touched the earth; T'was all the work of my mom."

Lily smiled, reassured. "I'm assuming you're close with her..."

"The closest!" Seench chirped. "Why, she's stayed with me all of my 28 years, and after Signix abandoned me, gave me only love and support. She and my sister, I suppose, are the only people I trust wholeheartedly."

"You have a sister?"

"Nathalie Anderson! She's nearly as famous as I was, if not more so. She plays with the Red Ocelots in Boston."

Lily's eyes glimmered with recognition. "I know her! If I'm not wrong, I believe she happened to be... The first female player competing in an all-male team?"

"Boo-yah! I always knew my baby sister would go far in life; I even remember referring to her as "La Nat picante" when she was still in middle school!"

"A... spicy Nat?" Lily questioned.

"Mhm! She's small, but packs a lot of spice, kinda like a chiltepin pepper."