Chapter 18: Botany

Ino’s first shift at Yamanaka Flowers was everything she dreamed it would be. Every customer commented on how mature and helpful she was, even though she didn’t know very many of the flower names yet. She wore her butterfly hairclip and got lots of compliments on it. When business was slow her mom took her around the store, naming flowers and soil types and random tidbits she thought of. Ino really wanted to start ikebana but her mom said she had to learn all the flowers first. Ino felt like there were way too many flowers for that to be a reasonable request but resolved to try anyways. 

When Inoyama came to take over for the afternoon shift Fuyumi led her over to the incubation area. Incubation meant grow in a controlled environment, she was informed. She was delighted to see all of the honeybees flying around all the baby plants. The space was huuuuuuge and Ino realized that despite only having three families, the Yamanaka compound must be massive to have space to grow everything. When she asked her mom why the Yamanaka had become flower-people (“botanist, sweetheart”) her mom had gotten a strange look in her eyes for a fraction of a second before saying, “That’s just how it’s always been!” 

Hmph. Some kind of answer that was. Now that she was at the academy, Ino was getting frequent Yamanaka therapy and psychology lessons, and as a result Ino was getting better at reading people, something her mom said she had a knack for anyways. Her parents were usually the exception, but not this time. She had definitely seen that flash of something in her mom’s eyes. Ino had tried looking through the scrolls left in the bookshelf in the living room and found one titled, “The Yamanaka Family History” but she got stuck on every other word so she would have to wait to read it till she was older. 

There was a special area in the incubation chamber, sectioned off with heavy black canvas. The ambient humidity rose sharply as her mom took her inside the pitch-black chamber and made her hand glow somehow, wowing Ino until Fuyumi gestured to the object in the middle of the area. It was a shallow bowl suspended from the ceiling with some rope. Within the bowl sat small vine-like branches and a single bulb. As Ino reached out to touch it, she heard, “Careful sweetie, it’s got spines.” Spines were pokey thingies, so Ino decided not to touch it. 

“What is it?” Ino asked, after appreciating the strange plant for what she hoped was a respectful amount of time. Her mom moved to a small table in the corner of the canvas area with her light. A card there said in big letters: “Selenicereus pteranthus” which Ino immediately gave up hope of ever pronouncing correctly. Beneath that was a line her mom read for her: “Princess of the Night”. 

“The flower that Shino’s family gave me! That’s why it’s so dark in here!” Ino whispered as understanding dawned on her. 

“That’s correct, although actually a lot of the time this area is exceptionally bright.” She increased the blue light radiating away from her hand and Ino saw rows of lightbulbs at the top of the canvas roof. “The Princess of the Night needs a lot of light and heat and most importantly it must remain humid in here, all of which the canvas helps with.” Ino nodded eagerly. “Two notes came with it. The first with some care instructions, although we have our own opinions on that,” Fuyumi stated without any hint of sarcasm, “the other is for you from Shino, which we did not read. Do you want help reading it?” 

Ino took the envelope from her mom. “Thank you very much Kaa-san, I’ll try to read it on my own first, can I please be done now?” Fuyumi snorted, while shooing her away. “Oh! Also can you teach me how to make my hand turn blue too?” Ino asked, starry eyed. 

“No sweetie, you won’t be able to do that until you after you graduate from the academy. Run along now.” She smiled. 

Ino ran to her room to read the note in privacy. She had to pull out her writing guide and dictionary to help with a lot of words but after an hour she was pretty sure she had it.  

Ino-san. 

My dad is helping me write this. I am not as good at writing as you. Why? Because I have not practiced nearly as much as you have. I am impressed with your study habits and work ethic.

Ino felt herself glow at the compliment. 

We Aburame place a lot of faith in our kikaichu. Why? I don’t know. My dad says they do not lie and are wise. Unfortunately, they do not talk, and we rarely get the chance to interpret their behavior. 

The way my kikaichu responded to you is very unusual. My dad says I should specify it is unusual in a good way. It is for this reason that we decided to give you the Princess of the Night plant. I hope I did not embarrass you with multiple gifts at your birthday party. My dad told me later that I might have explained all of this to you as you opened it. Sometimes I am unaware of social things like that, so please accept my apology. 

Some kikaichu naturally enjoy certain kinds of plants. There are a few that live on your cactus and will help it grow. They will not disturb your plant environment; they bond with one type of plant and don’t change their minds later, although that was supposed to be true for my kikaichu too and one of them changed his mind when he saw you. Maybe the one that you have would like to spend time there with the residents. Have you named him yet? The others will not leave their plant willingly. 

My dad says you are welcome anytime at our house. He is curious to see if his family likes you as much as my family did. 

You are reading story Princess of the Night at novel35.com

See you at school, 

Shino

p.s. My dad said sometimes girls don’t like bugs very much. Why? He says because they are associated with dirtiness and disease. He suggested I inform you that if anything your kikaichu will make you cleaner, as they feed off of bad bacteria. He will never be the cause of anything gross, I promise. 

Ino tried to mimic the noise Shino had made when he had called his kikaichu back to him. After a moment she saw the little bug scuttling madly down her arm as he made his way to the back of her hand. Holding him up she asked, “Have you been eating and drinking enough? Should I buy you food? Or should I go roll around in the mud?”

The bug just stared at her. 

“Uhmm how about a name, do you want a name?” 

It ran around in a circle twice. 

“Hmm… You’ve been very quiet so far, so I will call you Hush!” She chirped. Hush spun in a circle again. She wasn’t really sure if he understood her or if he was just responding to her tone of voice so she tried a test. 

“If your name is Hush do a spin for me!” She said in an excited tone. Hush spun in a circle. 

“If your name is Ino do a spin for me!” She used the exact same tone, or as close as she could get to it. Hush stared at her, unmoving. 

“Wow! Hush you are so smart!” Ino couldn’t help but smile at him. Hush put his forelegs over his face. “And cute!” Hush turned around and laid down. 

“Do you want to go visit some friends on the night cactus?” 

Hush stared at her. 

“Ok! Maybe tomorrow?” 

Hush spun in a circle. 

“Great! And then sometime we’ll go see Shino again!” 

Hush twirled.

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