[Blake Belladonna]
Yang and I didn't get to the retirement home anymore as we left the market, we got to a store and I saw Weiss and Nora supposedly cleaning inside. There are a bunch of flowers everywhere and even Yang was surprised at how the world is small to the likes of us. We went inside the shop and got Weiss and Nora's attention.
They are both happy to see me though Nora is the most joyful among us when she hugged me and Yang. The blonde started to scratched her head and wandered her eyes at the shop. Weiss is busy wiping the windows and after that I even regarded her tending the flowers. At the back of this shop is a botanical garden full of various flowers having their scent and colors. Nora leads us to the botanical garden and even Weiss is so stunned to see it. I never would have thought that they can be interested in flowers.
"How did you get this shop in just a day?" Yang asked unbelievably, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.
"I was looking for a job and a man just offered me this. I couldn't believe it at first, but he said I can have it since he was leaving," Nora replied.
"Now I am helping her to renovate the shop to start a new," Weiss smiled at us and looked at Nora who is grinning full of merriment.
I started to wonder about the mission and what happened to Ruby when she just got there first. Yang said that a private company will take it away from the old people and the wardens will lose their jobs. But no one is panicking, not even just some news from the television. People are just so calm but when they got to know what is happening in a matter of time they will not know what to do but to feel fear. This one is not even that big of a deal, but it is essential to people too especially to the ones who have stable jobs and the ones who are being taken care of since they don't have any relatives.
When we are at the botanical garden, Nora is asking for recommendations to add some new flowers to the shop. And I said that she has Weiss to help her settle that out while I and Yang just stayed confounded.
"What kinds of flowers do you like most, Weiss?" Nora inquired.
Weiss hummed softly for a while with a hand under her chin. She looked at the flowers everywhere in the garden and narrowed her eyes for better pondering on her visions.
"I love the white roses. Let's plant it someday," Weiss smiled.
"Well, Ruby loves roses too," Yang added.
Who doesn't? I keep on thinking about it and since Yang had said it, no doubt that the two are fond of roses. Weiss and Ruby have gone through a lot together too until they got along so much. Just like me and Yang.
Nora started to announce to us that she will have the grand opening this afternoon. The shop is not in a big mess after all and I believe that she and Weiss are almost done cleaning it. The garden is breathtaking, people are going to love seeing it. Not just the flowers which will make it more lively, but the other plants that might bring good luck to some people's homes. My mother used to love plants too and we had many of them back home.
"Uh I didn't mean to ruin the fun but how about the mission?" Yang said in an ill-timed manner.
Weiss and Nora looked at each other then at me and Yang. Weiss almost forgot about the mission too. Ruby didn't seem to call us from our phones to inform us about it. I am starting to get worried or worse, get paranoid.
"Don't worry about the mission! Pyrrha and those guys already took care of it," Nora retorted.
I raised my eyebrow in disarray. Yang's mouth gaped and her brows met together as she scratchedher head. When she glanced at me I shrugged and my visions are tainted with curiosity and questions that badly need some answers. Weiss grimaced in puzzlement at Nora wondering what she is talking about and Pyrrha being here in the city too. We never even met her not even the other day or the first day we came here.
"Pyrrha and those guys?" Yang asked. Her mind must be wired out about unexpected things.
"She told me after we parted ways so that I can take care of the shop. She was with the Armed Detective Agency or whatever you can call it."
"Uh what?" Weiss murmured.
"Oh come on! I can't explain it to you any further! Maybe ask Pyrrha when she comes back," Nora snorted.
"Do you know that the retirement home is going to be demolished and the workers will lose their jobs and old people won't have places to stay?" - Yang
"Whatever gave you that idea?" - Nora
"It's not true?" - Yang
"Nope!" Nora actively responded.
Yang just saw a paper with the information about the retirement home. It just said that it needed money so that it couldn't be taken away by some private company. So we thought about having fundraising which just didn't work out. Weiss ended up in the shop where Nora is all along, then followed by me and Yang while Ruby is missing in action. I wondered if ever Ruby might just have confronted Pyrrha and the agency that Nora is talking about.
"Nora?" A calm and smooth voice chimed in.
The bell jingled from the door as it opened then footsteps were coming to the garden. I gazed at the entrance and exit door of the garden then guess who just revealed themselves. My mouth formed in a circle while staring right at the two people who entered the garden. The red-haired lady is just smiling as she paced towards us and the lady in the red hood following her. Yang worryingly called her sister's name and hugged her. It is unprecedented as if something just bad happened towards her little sister, yet she is happy to see her again. Well, a mission just got carried through without us, I guess I can go back to the apartment and have an alone time with myself.
"Pyrrha! You came back just in time though there are still many things to be fixed. What happened at the retirement home?" Nora happily asked.
"I saw Ruby with Soukoku and the serial killer has been caught. It is not so tough after all. It is like hunting for a wild animal," Pyrrha kindly stated.
"So the paper that Yang just saw is not true? What will happen to the retirement home?" I asked.
I seldom talk about certain things but I didn't help myself especially if this is a serious case. I told Pyrrha that we were about to have fundraising to raise money for the retirement home. She just told us it didn't need any money and that the retirement home will be reconstituted into a different service after what just happened to some old people who died because of the wrong medications.
Ruby had a weird day again just as she had shared to us. She met the guys who she had also met on our first day, which is also what Pyrrha was talking about. I got confused about the part where Pyrrha knew some people here already just like Nora has said too.
"I can't believe it! I just came close with delinquents!" Ruby said.
"What do you mean by delinquents?" Weiss asked, raising her eyebrow disturbingly.
"Those two men had killed a lot of people!"
"Okay?" Yang commented.
"Tell them, Pyrrha! Tell them all you know!"
Ruby looked like she wass going to cry her heart out. She is not looking as if she is happy that the mission is cleared and besides it is not the focus of her discussion. She just kept mentioning the Double Black. They might not look familiar to me but I think I can picture them in my mind myself. I think I saw them somewhere but I am not so sure or I don't remember anymore. No, I don't think I know much about them.
"Stop stressing yourselves! Just be in my grand opening of the shop this afternoon! Weiss and I are almost done restoring everything," Nora encouraged.
"Just keep yourself cool, Ruby. Some people will never do anything to you if you just remain nice," Weiss said.
"Yes, you will know more about them. They are not what they used to be like before so you don't have to worry," Pyrrha added.
Ruby just grumbled and crossed her arms on her chest. She walked with us outside the flower shop then Weiss and Nora can still be able to apply finishing touches at the shop. The four of us outside the shop are chattering and Pyrrha is the only one who has shared everything with us, everything that happened, and the day she came here in this odd city.
Pyrrha had known so many people that is what she is. She is the kind of person everyone can always talk to and share everything even secrets because she can keep them and never tell not a single soul. She is the kindest person I had ever met and one could never just let her go because of who she is. She just makes everyone feel comfortable and well-deserving. She is lucky enough to meet some people already and it never bothered her whereas she also trusted too much.
Ruby said something to Pyrrha that could have change the redhead's mind. She doesn't have to keep on trusting people even if it means her life depends on it. But she can't blame Pyrrha, it is all in her personality and how she deals with other people and that is why sometimes I admire and envy her at the same time. I don't depend on other people that much.
We didn't stay long enough in front of the flower shop when Weiss got outside telling us it is ready to be re-opened. Yang felt excited about the re-opening while my sight is diverted to somewhere and observing some people walking down the streets.
"That's great! We can still wait until 3 o'clock. I have to invite someone to see the re-opening," Pyrrha happily said.
"You're inviting someone from the agency?" Weiss inquired.
"Of course. It only happens once."
"Don't leave yet!" Nora shouted from the inside.
"We won't!" Ruby shouted back.
I didn't hear any more of their conversations while I kept wandering my sight everywhere then out of nowhere it is just like I am feeling something strange, my cat ears that have been covered by the black bow kept on rousing trying to figure out what seemed to be going on. It is getting closer as if it is just running from somewhere.
I looked up from the roof and my eyes gazed right at a person leaped from above so he wouldn't fall off the alleyway. He continued running away getting farther and farther until he is out of my sight. My eyebrows met together, I got in a daze then looked down and that is when Yang noticed me. She looked at me a bit surprised when I just let out a soft grunt.
"Blake, you okay?" Yang worryingly asked.
"Something's not right."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll be back in a minute I just have to see the other side of the street."
"But Blake, you can't miss the opening," Yang tries to stop me as she holds me by my arm. I just glance sadly at her then gaze away. She lets go of my arm with just a glower on her face.
"Please be back," Yang sadly conjured.
The others never saw me sneaking away except for Yang. I can still feel her eyes on me following me as I am sprinting passing by a lot of people walking in the middle of the afternoon. The one that I saw is someone so mysterious when he is in his black hood all along. I keep on running not considering some of the people's eyes on me and are puzzled why someone like me is running at a time like this.
I heard someone scampered from the roofs and I saw him. I glared widely at the figure then followed him to an empty alleyway. I take a grip on the weapon from my back then unsheathed the katana. It transforms into a gun and a long, black bow is tied in it.
I got closer to where he is and on purpose, he just stopped running. I got stunned and without thinking I whirled the bow with the gun and threw it against him. But he leaped again so I never caught him. When he turned his back on me I saw a symbol, a red ravaging feline with incisions that portrayed like wounds. I stood frozen to where I am, letting him out of my sight once again.
My body went numb though it kept on quivering. I placed a hand on my other arm and looked down on the ground then out of nowhere, I can feel something gliding down my face. I have to get back to the shop or else Nora will be sulking around when she finds out I missed the opening. I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand and ran from the premises I just encountered which nothing but a mere clutch of oppressive memory.
I keep scouring down the streets and because I am so hastily ignoring everything around me, I bumped into someone, a little girl in a red, floral kimono with dark purple hair. She is with someone, a girl with long black hair who is supposedly wearing a school uniform or whatever that is. I got stunned by the little girl. I met her on the first day with Weiss. Her eyes glimmered at me and couldn't take them to gaze another way and I was just there staring at them from running.
"It is you again, miss," She softly said.
"Hey, you're Blake Belladonna, the shadow huntress," The other girl said.
I got taken aback in a puzzling manner. I looked at the lady in a school uniform my eyes couldn't help but to just be still and not close one bit. I might be dreaming but I kept reassuring that this is real. Why the hell do they know me? If not just me, then why us?
"How did you-"
"I'm Naomi Tanizaki! And here's Kyouka Izumi, she's with me. We are about to visit a flower shop downtown. You know Pyrrha Nikos, right?"
I am out of words. My mouth wanted to open but I couldn't say anything. It might be rude, but I didn't want them to just be disregarded so I have to just get along with them even though they are just strangers to me. I have no other choice and I am getting back to the shop anyway so I just went with them.
The three of us remained walking going to Nora's new flower shop and this lady named Naomi just can't stop talking especially she just kept mentioning my name, then 'shadow' and 'katana'. She is telling me how awesome I am as if I am some kind of an assassin. I perceived a little embarrassment after I got to meet her and the little girl. I started rubbing my arm while gazing away just keeping my mouth shut.
"Our president will be pleased if he gets to meet you and your whole team. Perhaps I will tell Pyrrha to bring you with her!" Naomi stated.
I finally breathed heavily though in relief when I returned to Nora's flower shop. My eyes and Yang's ones met so she placed a smile on her lips. I walked up to her and she looked at me worried as if something really bad happened. I wasn't ready to tell what I just saw but if I never tell them they can't know what they will do and Weiss will probably hate me.
Naomi and Kyouka went to Pyrrha and started chatting with her. I stayed close with Yang while we waited for the shop to be ready for the people to witness its restoration. I kept hearing Naomi's merry voice when she also got to meet Ruby. I saw her shaking Ruby's hand while the little red riding hood has a tight smile on her face mixed with awkwardness and rubbing the back of her head.
"Blake! You were gone for several minutes. Where did you go?"
I knew it. I heaved a deep sigh as I heard Weiss's authoritative voice. Her hands are on her hips, her pale blue eyes are on me while her lips glowering. She is just like a mother who is desperate to know what happened and will get harsh when you will not tell the truth.
My eyes locked on the ground clasping my hands together. Yang held my arm and she is the only one I have the guts to look at. She has always been with me and never fails me. If Weiss just didn't notice me I can talk to Yang about it and keep it a secret from others.
"Blake? Did something happen?" Weiss casually asked.
"I-uh."
"It's okay, Blake," Yang murmured from my side.
"I saw a member from White Fang," I concluded out of nowhere.
Both of them gasped but softly. They didn't want others to hear it especially Ruby. She will probably overreact about it. I looked sadly at Weiss and she did the same too. It is just the three of us while the others are busy with the shop. I don't want to ruin Nora's special day and I avoid Pyrrha from worrying too much then if we get to talk about it right now they will still find out about it.
"What are we going to do? The one you saw might be a threat, Blake. They are here and for what?" Weiss softened her voice.
"I don't know either. Please give me time to think about it. Let's just get this day to pass." I said.
"We are not letting you face the White Fang all by yourself, Blake. We are here to help you," Yang convinced.
I looked at Yang with a mere pang on my face and she looked frustrated like she has been from searching for her mother and the questions of why she had been left by her. I never said anything anymore and I am not even sure of what to do with the White Fang and that I can't face them as well. I just keep on running away just letting an organization disrupt everything and be ravenous. They will never change and they have so many things to avenge.
Yang, Weiss, and I slightly jumped in surprise when Nora's voice boomed cheerfully in front of the shop. The re-opening is starting and some people are stopping by when Nora makes her speech. I just smile the worry away even though fear is still lingering by my side. Yang laughed when Nora made jokes then her hand landed on my back. I put a tight smile on my face while watching the flower shop light up inside. People murmured in awe then I observed Nora and the others convincing them to take a look inside the shop just for a minute.
Yang pulled me by my wrist and I never expected that to happen when I am cogitating about things that suddenly just creep into my mind. I went along with blondie and Weiss being in front of us and behind of some people who are amazed to see the new flower shop.