"Fairy tales don't exist..."

The mocking voice of her younger self echoed throughout the darkness of her mind. With it, a fiery vortex started to swirl, scorching the young purple-haired figure and combing invisible claws of heated embers through her amethyst hair.

"Nor princesses or princes... Neither happy endings."

Oh, do you have a story?
Do you have a story for me?
Do you know the one where
We'll all live happily?

The fiery warmth was suffocating the image of the small girl now. A caramel hand reached out but before it could contact the mirage, the young mirrored figure was engulfed in a swirl of flames.

"They are just figments of a child's imagination."

A dark curtain of lashes fluttered open to reveal contracted pools of emerald. A startled body lurched forward, sending the pale lavender silk of a nightgown and waterfall of purple curls waving through the floral scented air. A thousand colorful petaled individuals swayed their floral heads to gaze upon the startled state of their caramel guardian, displaced by the intruder in the form of sound in the virtually silent place. Lumi gasped softly for breath as she tried to compose herself from the nightmare that had corrupted her dreams. She couldn't remember where she was at first until her trembling emerald gaze focused on the colorful mute audience. She had fallen asleep again among the flowers of the greenhouse. Among the flowers where she felt most secure...Yet even their floral shroud had failed to shield the thornless rose from her nightmares.

Another nightmare... Lumi tried to blink away the fragments still clinging to her emerald gaze. Purple curls spilled among the leaves and petals of the canopy around her like small rivers, some slipping off her clothes shoulders while others contrasted ethereally with the lavender hue of her nightgown. At the bell-like opening at the end of the long gown, a pair of caramel feet swung, the tensed toes arching down to brush the cold ground just so the girl could feel something and ensure she was not ensnared in the dream world.

Fairytales...

"Do stories like that...exist?" She asked herself, tilting her head up to look at the high glass ceiling. The action sent a shudder of long, curled hair rippling gently on either side of her.

Do you have a dollar?
Do you have a dollar for me?
Maybe just an hour or two
And a pot of tea?

(Lyrics from Coin Laundry by Lisa Mitchell. )

"Face your fears. Don't let them hold you back, look them straight in the eye and move forward. No one can rid you of your fears other than yourself. Go fight them."

It was far later than many of the dorm's occupants would care to stay awake, but the silence comforted her and allowed her to reminisce on her mentor's teachings. The lack of people around her gave a sense of peace. A peace that she was about to destroy by going to the place she hated the most on this campus. Yet, she knew now would be the best time. When no one would see her. Zephyra stood at her door, listening for any footfalls as she tied her eyepatch on. A quick check in the mirror hung on her door to make sure the still pink scars were covered and she was off. It was becoming too easy to sneak out of the dorms these days. What if someone were to sleepwalk? That could spell for a walk with disaster if the dorm mother didn't happen to hear and stop them. The redhead allowed these thoughts to cover her growing anxiety as she made her way out of the dorm and down a path she avoided at all costs.

Upon reaching the green house, she paused, looking over its exterior. They had fixed all the glass panels Asami had smashed. Just thinking the girl's name made a shudder race down her spine and her heart to clench. No matter the pain she had gone through, she still loved her sempai. Probably would all her life. She shook off these thoughts as she reached for the door, letting it swing open with barely a sound. Everything inside seemed like it had been cleaned and replace. Of course it had, if the outside was fixed the inside would have been too. There were too many that frequently visited this place to leave it in ruin.

Zeph paused inside the door, letting her singular gaze sweep across the flowers that wrapped her in a luring scent. It was meant to be peaceful, but all it was causing the Gael was a sudden upset stomach. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She took a few halting steps inside then stopped completely when her red hue landed on a small droplet of blood hidden away in a crevice of the pathway. Who's was it? Her own or Asami's? A tear finally managed to struggle its way to the surface then trailed silently down her cheek.

What had happened to the fairy tale's of her childhood? What happened to the happy endings? Were there any of those left for her in this world or would there always be strife? How could you find the fairy tale moments if you didn't have strife in your life?

The potted plant she had carried all the way from her room was gently set off to the side of the path, covering the dead roots of what was once a fern. On the black painted pot were the words "I mo chroí go deo."

A pale hand gently pet over the leaves of the dark colored fern before she drew back and stood, she needed to see the rest of the house and shake these unnerving feeling as if someone was watching her. A slight brush to her pants and she turned, biting back a scream as the visage of another came into view. No one else was supposed to be here.. What was she doing?

The tensed caramel hand that held to her chest tightened a little and the purple veil of luscious silken curls shuddered as she gradually tilted her head back down to look at the ground. Perhaps there wasn't anything like princes or princesses or happy endings or fairy tales. It seemed plausible, once, but of course, that was when she was very little. The dreams of fairy tales and happy endings had been sucked away from her at a young age, and that was when she realized the reality of the world. Yet here she was like she always was, sheltered among the flowery crowd of the floral kind. A so-called witch of the roses and greenhouses where flowers thrived. That part of her never died. Maybe she was still holding on to the fractured pieces of her shattered childhood imaginations. But...what good was that in the end if fairy tales...didn't even exist? 

Letting out a shaky breath, the girl calmed herself the best she could from her nightmare. Her emerald gaze fluttered to a nearby occupied pot; its glossy surface blurring the purple and caramel hues into a disoriented blend. It curved and elongated strangely when she moved a little to shift her position. Just as she was about to look away, she noticed something - or rather, someone - further back. It startled her, but and she turned her head quickly to look at the reality of the blurred reflection. Purple coils of hair swirled through the air, a soft gasp escaping her tan lips. 

A crown of cherry red hair. An eyepatch and a look of almost mirrored surprise at the sight of another in the greenhouse. The girl almost looked a little out of a storybook herself. Perhaps not one that had been robbed of a happy ending.. Lumi remained frozen for a moment; green orbs widened not in shock of the girl's appearance, but rather, just her presence. When had she entered? What was she doing here? Neither question was projected verbally yet the half-Japanese's expression conveyed them perfectly. The presence of another sparked a sense of insecurity in the girl. Never was she comfortable in letting another see her with her hair down from its usual pinned-up state. But she figured neither was this girl with her eyepatch. So she didn't move; really, she had been so startled, she couldn't, for a moment. She just looked at her, making it obvious, however, that she was not focused on the patch. What kind of story did this girl have? The thought made her wonder.


"Please, don't be afraid..." Her caramel lips were the only thing that managed to free itself from her startled state. The albeit quiet, almost whispered out words - due to the heavy stab of shock - were of reassurance and perhaps an edge of comfort.               

Her first instinct had been to scream, the second was to run. She fought both of these and stood her ground. She had had about enough of running and hiding. A quick glance down at herself and she straightened the velvet, black frock coat that hugged her middle quite nicely and kept the chill off on her walk over. Autumn nights could get rather brisk, after all.

"I am not afraid. Just startled. It seems I did the same to you. I apologize." The second year bowed at the waist and when she returned to Amazonian full height, she continued. "Do you mind if I stay a little longer? I don't want to intrude.. but I have a bit of business that I need to take care of."

Her speech was far too formal and stiff for this kind of setting, but Miator was teaching her very well. That was all she had to fall back on. She hadn't spoken to many acquaintances or even friends since her absence in summer. Even her posture had become more stately, her back straight and shoulders pulled back a bit. The style of her hair, the eye patch, her choice of clothing, it all pointed toward a more princely side of the teen. Something straight out of the fairy tales both had begun to think nonexistent or at least extinct. Perhaps both were still stuck in their younger ways. Hoping to believe in anything to make these lives seem a little less drastic and cold.

"Of course, miss, it is alright. Please... go ahead." Lumi reassured softly, the tension from being startled slowly melting. Her tense pose gradually became a more relaxed one though the fragments that remained in her tensed fingers were a result from the nightmare. She wondered what kind of business this girl had at the greenhouse so late at night. Of course, it was not her direct place to ask though. What intrigued her still was the girl's appearance. Almost prince-like it was, certainly almost like one from a fairy tale. Those child's tales that were slowly becoming non-existent to not just the purple thornless rose. Princes didn't exist though, neither princesses or happy endings...right?

Having calmed down, she smoothed out the ruffles in her lavender nightgown. Beside her, a potted Hydrangea was leaning against another, displaced by her having moved. The caramel girl frowned slightly at the sight and reached out to gently readjust its position. Sun-kissed fingers glided across the leaves, straightening them, while the other hand brushed over the distressed clumps of pale pink flowery heads. When all had been properly adjusted and corrected, she withdrew her hands and let one rest on her lap. The other coiled around a thick, dark violet curl insecurely. She hadn't expected anyone to enter the greenhouse, especially this late, and, not being able to find the corresponding pins among the flowers, had no way to secure her hair up at the moment.

"Ah, if you would prefer I left, miss, I will humbly do so." She hurriedly scurried to say, bowing her head in a submissive sort of way. The action sent a veil of violet slipping around her shoulders to rest in front. Even without even knowing the girl, Lumi pedestaled her to be far superior than herself. She did that with everyone she encountered for she was nothing more than a budding rose without thorns; an ugly duckling waddling in the shadows of the numerous glistening swans of Astrea. And this prince - no, no, fairy-tales princes didn't exist - this girl , of course, was one of those swans, eye patch and all. If she desired for Lumi to leave, she would without any protest.

A weak smile that never reached her eye tilted up the corner of her lips. She gave her head a tiny shake then looked to the far glass wall. Zeph remained silent for many moments, not verbalizing her acceptance of the girl's presence. Actually, she was quite happy someone was here. Now she wouldn't be alone in this haunting place. And this girl seemed to have a love of the green house, so perhaps it wasn't full of evil as she had once thought. Of course, had that been the case in the first place, the flowers probably wouldn't bloom in such a lovely way.

"No need, ghrà. You were here first. I was mostly coming to see how the flowers were doing."

Not an outright lie, just a bit of twisted truth. After all the damage that had been done she hadn't figured it would be cleaned up so quickly. The Gael had wanted to assist in the process since she was part of the cause. But, Chancellor Arceia had forbidden her to return to the green house for a while, still did, in fact. But who would know? It was late and no one would tell. Not like the woman was the leader of her home school anyway.

".. Just don't mention I was here, okay?"

Better safe than sorry. This girl didn't seem like she was the type to spread gossip, but still. She'd rather have the situation laid out and well known rather than to worry about an unknown variable. Zeph ran a hand through her hair and let out a small shakey breath. Maybe this place was getting to her more than she thought. Memories were clouding her perspective of the now, muddling what she saw with that of the past. The prep table was easy to see from this spot and the longer she stared at it, the more she felt like crying. So much so that she didn't even notice when the tears started to fall. She simply turned and made for the table at a sluggish pace. Her hand rested on the corner as she first stared at the surface then down to the ground in front of it. Through her minds eye, she could still see the destruction that had left havoc to the once beautiful place and it pained her to the point that she sunk to the ground, resting her back against the table. It was then that she began to talk softly to the girl.

"You seem to take good care of these flowers.. Thank you. They've witnessed a living nightmare and I'm glad someone shares love with them so they continue to grow healthy."

Perhaps she was being mellow dramatic, but who wouldn't be when you're literally staring down the spot where you almost lost your life?

The prince-like girl smiled, yet it appeared to be weak. Maybe a little trouble, even, if Lumi was reading it right. Something about it discontented the half-Japanese girl. Perhaps this place didn't hold the best of memories to this new face. Lumi lifted her head a little from its bowed state, but instantly bobbed it down again to initiate a nod, the purple coils bouncing with the descent. Her presence had been granted acceptance, though it appeared as if the other girl wished to keep her own a secret. To that, the Tamil-Japanese repeated the previous nod, this one being of confirmation. It brewed a slight curiosity in her about why the girl would not like her presence here known, but everyone had their reasons, and that was something she would inevitably respect. It was not like she would tell anyone either. She was far to submissive and respectful of others to do so.

Emerald eyes trailed the girl curiously, observing her stance, her movements, her expression. Yes, this place obviously did not hold positive memories. A table was approached and contacted, only to be rested upon as the red-haired girl crumbled to the ground. A concerned film fluttered over the green light of Lumi's orbs. What happened here that caused this girl so much well... it appeared to be pain, almost. Lumi couldn't be certain, but it most likely seemed so. She remained immobile in her more or less relaxed position, listening to the words that floated through the floral air. A living nightmare. Was this place; one of beauty and color and tranquility; perhaps one to the girl? She could only wonder what sort of event happened here to be classified as one, if that be the case. It took a moment before the caramel lips parted to respond:

"A-Ah, of course, miss. The flowers did seem a bit...gloomy lately." The long, dark curls quivered as she spoke, her tone mirroring the softness of the other's. "Even they are affected by what goes on before them... Ah, I apologize if that sounds a little strange."

But it was true. When she had journeyed to the floral haven a little while ago, the flowers had seemed gloomier than usual. Perhaps even in mourning, one could say. It made Lumi curious as to what happened here, and she was almost certain this girl was involved in whatever tragedy that might have been. So she resolved to keep her silence about it for now, unless brought up by the other. Those memories; that mental movie of whatever had happened; was probably still fresh in the other's mind. Especially while in the place where it might have occurred. This would be a wonderful time for fairy-tales to be real. Not just for her, but for the both of them. Just a glimpse of a happy ending, or the beauty in everything of the world that used to exist when they were children and full of color and life and innocent curiosity. Ah, where was that fairy godmother?

The redhead passed a hand over the black eyepatch as the still healing wound beneath began to itch. It had been driving her crazy for days. She couldn't very well scratch at it, it would undo all the healing that had already taken place. On top of that, she would rather forfeit her other eye than remove the guard in the presence of another.

"It's not strange, at all. Flowers are living just as much as we are. They might not have voices, but they listen far better than any human."

Her fingers deftly ran a leaf of a nearby flower between them, caressing the smooth surface for a moment before she sighed softly and tipped her head back.

"I'm actually surprised that some of them are still alive. Flowers don't tend to do well when blood gets into their soil. The pH levels get all screwed up. My mother got so angry when I accidently killed her rose bush when my sister and I were wrestling and she busted my nose."

The smile that pulled up her lips once more was actually a genuine one this time. Even though she had gotten in quite a bit of trouble, it was a good memory for the Gael. When she looked over to the girl, she blinked once then clamored to her feet. Her long legs had her at the girl's side within a couple of steps and she was already sliding the jacket off her shoulders.

"You must be chilled being out here at this time of night with only a gown on. Here."

Before the purple haired girl could protest, Zephyra had put her old style jacket around her shoulders and took a few steps back. If the girl would take time to notice, any movement she would make a waft of the redhead's favored perfume would surround her in the scent of fresh linen and sweet sage with an undercurrent of hibiscus. It wasn't exactly a feminine scent, but it wasn't unpleasant either.

Thinking that if they were going to sit here and talk, they might as well do it side by side, so she shifted a pot over and settled down about a foot away from the green eyed student. She was silent for a moment, then throwing caution to the wind, she ended her cryptic session.

"Did you hear about what happened over summer? If so, you'll know why I have hesitation about anyone knowing I'm here. It just seems rude to ask you to keep my presence a secret when you have no idea about why I ask. I'm Zephyra, by the way."

She leaned forward as her booted feet crossed at the ankle and clasped the edge of their shared seat before turning her head to meet the gaze of the other.

A lukewarm smile flickered across Lumi's lips at the other's words. It was nice to know someone shared in the same view on flowers as she did. "I agree, miss. Events or situations they witness or experience stay with them eternally, even if they do not seem affected by it much in appearance." She cast her green gaze out toe the surrounding floral audience warmly. "Even if they cannot verbally respond, they are remarkable listeners."

And listen they did for the supposed 'greenhouse witch'. She often spent a moment of each day conversing with the flowery crowd as she tended to them. The roses especially. Even though an answer would of course never be supplied, it was just soothing being able to talk and have something listen.

Blood? That was an interesting change of topic. It did ruin their growth tremendously. Wondering why the girl might have brought it up lead Lumi once more to wonder what might have transpired here. She was convinced now that it obviously had something to do with the girl before her. Out of social modesty, however, she simply let a ghost of a small smile flutter across her lips. "Flowers don't do well when the pH changes, no. That is how hydrangeas bloom in a variety of colors, however, through varying soil pH."

There she went mentioning a fact about flowers. Normally, she would have apologized straight away for possibly boring the other, but this girl seemed to know a bit about flowers herself as well as care about them. Before Lumi could say anything else, however, the princely girl was up on her feet - exhibiting her tall stature yet again. Lumi blinked curiously and watched the other as she approached. A jacket was removed and a phrase projected.

"Ah, oh, no, miss, I-I--" Yet before she could finish, the jacket was draped around her shoulders. An almost floral scent seemed to swirl with every move the girl executed. It dazed her for a moment. Finally, a caramel hand reached up gradually to adjust the jacket more comfortably around her shoulders, the purple curls slipping across it like water. A faint blush had blossomed across her tan cheeks, creating a strange contrast of color that was slight but noticeable. "Thank you, miss." She bowed her head gratefully, not raising it until she noticed the girl move a potted flower and sit beside her.

She shook her head in regards to the first question. "I don't know what happened... but the flowers were in much distress." That was all she knew about the incident. Something must have happened because of the flowers' dismal states she had returned to see them in. The sight had frightened and concerned her. Then a name was given. Zephyra. An interesting name. Lumi bowed her head once more, brushing a wayward curled fringe of her bangs from her face. "Ah, a pleasure to meet you, miss Zephyra. I am Lumisade. But if that is a bit too long, you may refer to me as "Lumi" if you wish."

An exchange of names only seemed proper. Especially if this girl was about to tell her something personal. Straightening back up, she looked to Zephyra again.

"You're welcome." Even though she had rid herself of her coat, the redhead still seemed uneffected by the slight chill around them. Of course she was wearing a pair of black riding pants, tucked into knee high seafaring boots and a white dress shirt that was buttoned modestly. She ran a hand through the mass of untamed curls and smiled lightly at the girl.

"It is nice to meet you, Lumisade. There is no need to call me miss. Zephyra or Zeph will work just fine."

She stretched her legs out as she looked up toward the glass ceiling. Losing herself in her thoughts for a moment while trying to figure out how to tell this story exactly. Finally a soft hum came from low in her chest and she started speaking, softer than before.

"Early in the summer, something went wrong with my sempai. I found her here throwing a fit and breaking things. I tried to calm her down, but she was already too far gone.. I tried to subdue her to get her to the nurse so someone could help her." Her Zeph paused and closed her good eye. ".. She fought back and because I didn't want to hurt her, I let my guard down for one moment and fell. I know she it wasn't herself, but I can't get that look out of my mind. She was on top of me before I knew it, holding a broken piece of pot."

Zeph stopped once more and motioned to her right eye, where the eyepatch covered the tender area.

"This is what I recieved. Then she took off and I went after her. The Chancellor of Lilum found me and forced me to go to the hospital.. I still don't know why any of it happened or what happened of my sempai. But it might be for the best that I don't know."

Zeph let out a sigh and her shoulders sagged, but it felt so great to get what she had left locked up for months out. To tell someone who had no attachment to the situation.

"That's why Arceia forbid me from coming here. I just needed to see it all for myself."

The Gael drew her feet up onto the seat with then and wrapped her arms around her knees as the pressed to her chest. Maybe with Lumi's help she could make this a place of good memories instead of the bad ones that lingered with her. But she knew that was pushing it. She had just met this girl, poured out her problems and bothered her. Like she would ever want to befriend her. The grip on her knees tightened ever so slightly as she murmured, "I'm sorry. You don't even know me and I'm telling you horror stories."

A humorless chuckle then left her lips and she stared up at the bright stars.

"Ah, alright."

Referring to the girls she met her as "miss" was a custom of hers. Well, it was for any girl, really. It was to express formality and, in some cases, even nobility unto the other. Even so, Lumi was respectful to the dismissal of it, too. She listened to the girl was she began speaking, processing each bit of information. So the flowers had been depressed...because of this girl. Of what happened to her here. Girls could be vicious; even in refined settings such as Astrea. She wondered what made the other girl react in such a way. It certainly sounded frightening.

Lumi frowned a little when the girl gestured to the eye patch. An eternal reminder of the nightmare that happened to her here. Unlike the burns the half-Japanese still had riddling her scars from her own past struggle, Zephyra's was far worse. She could cover it up, yes, but it would never fully be out of sight out of mind because it was a physical injury. And not one to her body, rather, but to her face. The first thing people saw when they looked at her.

It made sense why she wanted to return her though, even after something traumatic occurred. Sometimes one needed to revisit the area of the event to truly find some closure, even if it was painful. Now knowing the story, Lumi wanted to reach out and place a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder, but didn't out of concern that it was not appropriate at this time. Instead, she sat in silence for a moment, her emerald gaze still on Zephyra.

"Oh, no, it's quite alright, mi-- ah, Zephyra." She shifted her position and tucked a dangling caramel foot into the bell-shaped end of her nightgown. She looked away momentarily to sweep her gaze around the flowers, analyzing each for a moment. "It's relieving to discuss things we have held inside for a long time with someone, especially if those things are traumatic. Even if it is with a stranger."

Pausing, the emerald orbs came to rest on the table Zephyra had contacted earlier. "It must have been truly frightening, though, what happened... And while this place may hold many painful memories now... Perhaps, with a little guidance and care, those negative memories could be gradually nurtured and blossom into something new. Like the flowers."

Her voice trailed off quietly. People were like flowers. Blossoming one moment then closed up the next in the once budding radiance of their petals. With nurturing, a flower could be guided to open again. It would be gradual, yes, but all flowers could learn to bloom again with the guidance of a nurturing hand. Even if all the needed was just a slight little aiding push to start them off again. Maybe Lumi could help this girl. That was, if she wouldn't push her away. If a flower didn't take root, it would wither away.

Zeph kept her gaze upward, using the position to hold back the tears that wanted to spill. She was so tired of crying. So tired of hiding. The girl finally lowered her head and rest her chin on her knees.

"I thought I had trained enough that I was ready for anything.. I let my sensei down and now I'm afraid to face her." She couldn't very well say that she was dating said sensei. That could cause even more trouble for the two if it became known. So, she couldn't exactly express how badly this was pressing on her shoulders.

A hand lifted from its spot, to shove back into her hair then curl to grip the vibrant strands. She clenched her teeth, then forced a passive expression on to her features. It had become so easy for her to do over the past months that it barely registered.

"I hope that's true.." As she murmured the words, Zeph moved the pot she had shuffled off to the side onto her lap and gently tucked her fingers under a closed blossom. "I suppose if flowers can do it, then so can I. We're so similar.. So there must be a way. Thank you, Lumisade."

Perhaps that was a hint of the steely resolve she use to possess. It was possible that just talking about it had lifted a bit of the fog she had been shrouding herself in. A glimpse of sunlight through the thick mist. The security of her depression was fading and it was leaving her with a cold pit in her stomach. She had pushed all her friends away.. Would they understand or turn from her? The sudden urge to vomit had Zeph covering her mouth and closing her eyes.

It seemed that fairy tales had ended for this princely figure. That made two of them, but Lumi wasn't focused on her own story right now. Caramel lips tightened into a deeper frown as she listened to Zephyra's words, her emerald gaze not straying from the shattered girl. "I am sure she won't blame you for this... Any of this. There is no way to be ready for any possible thing, even with all the training in the world..."

She was careful with the words she chose to spoke, but administered them with care and sincerity. This girl's struggle wasn't over; she could conclude that from the expression that was made. It caused an ache in her compassionate heart. Just like how the greenhouse wander hated seeing the flowers in distress, she more so disliked seeing others the same way. Zephyra's petals were wilted; the stem perhaps even torn forcefully from its once innocent roots. A flower violently uprooted would suffer, but if replanted, there was always a chance of it flowering once more. Not to its fullest vibrancy, but something close. All that was needed was time, willingness, and nurturing. A small glint of a smile held to Lumi's lips at the next hopeful words. Maybe this shattered prince hadn't fully given up yet. Or perhaps she had, but was willing to attempt to flower once more. Either way, the purple-haired girl offered a responding nod. When she saw Zephyra struggle with her inner demons once more, however, the smile once more dissolved into a worried crease. This poor girl... Lumi thought for a moment before offering what she could of an attempt of verbal comfort:


"There might not be any true happy endings like in fairy tales... But that doesn't mean you can't try to make the current one bear happiness, even if just little. After all.." The Tamil-Japanese paused for a moment. She wasn't sure if it would provide any comfort or not nor did she know if the girl would look, but she gradually unbuttoned a white button high at the top of her nightgown and slipped a portion off of both caramel shoulders , catching the rumpled lavender fabric with an open hand before it could fall accidentally lower and sacrifice modesty. With the other hand, she tossed a long purple curl behind a now bared shoulder. A wreath of chiseled scars blossomed up from further underneath the thin fabric, discoloring the affected caramel skin and making it look rough and unsightly. They were severe remainders of burns from the fire that ended her fairy tale; the life she knew; her family. She'd never worked up the nerve to show anyone them, nor found a reason too for she loathed looking at them herself, but thought just maybe it would help a little.


She shifted her gaze off the other to look at the potted flower in the girl's lap as she spoke, "Scars might not ever go away... But they can fade with time and nurturing."