“Suyin,” Emi fixed her with a look she judged to be sufficiently meaningful and deep.

“Y-Yes?” Suyin stammered, slightly taken aback.

“Do you, Suyin, want to fight back?” Emi paused for dramatic effect, drawing out each word.

“F-Fight back against what? Bullies?”

“Not just bullies, Suyin. The entire system. Everything that keeps us shackled like pets, subservient to the whims of a group of people who can’t control themselves, let alone having any business overseeing someone else,” Emi grasped Suyin’s hand tightly in hers, staring deep into her eyes, letting the full weight of her words fall on the girl’s shoulders, still speaking in Korean. “With the stroke of a pen we are declaring war against a patriarchal society that marginalizes and victimizes us. A system where we are second class citizens. A system which exists solely to keep us in our lane, to keep us under control. A system of such injustice we aren’t even allowed a voice in the halls of power!” Emi grasped Suyin’s hands tightly, staring off dramatically into the distance.

“With the stroke of a pen you can take a stand. You can say to those on their ivory thrones ‘No more! I will be free and unfettered! I will go where I want when I want! I will wear what I want! Especially if it’s cute! I will be Suyin!’” Suyin glanced toward where Emi was looking in some confusion, seeing nothing but a rather bland chandelier.

“What are they talking about?” Asami asked nervously, following Emi’s dramatic gaze. Momo shrugged after a long moment. “And why is she looking at the ceiling light?”

“Maybe she is looking at the exit sign…” Momo muttered, peering at it to see if it was remarkable in some way. While she was not an expert in exit signs she couldn’t discern anything particularly remarkable about it.

“Maybe. What a weird thing to look at,” Asami admitted.

“Yes,” Momo nodded. “Momo has little frame of reference, but it seems to her Flatty Imouto Onee chan does many strange things.”

“Yes,” Asami nodded after a moment’s thought. “She does.”

“Join us, Suyin,” Emi continued, feeling like that Darth guy from the space movie she saw when she was younger for some reason. “Join us and stand against tyranny and repression. Stand against bullying, racism, cruelty against animals and unnecessary societal pressure leading to excessive stress in young people. Join us and make right the wrongs of society.” Emi pressed the pen into Suyin’s hand gently and closed her own hands over the top of Suyin’s as if to lend her strength. “Be the change, Suyin.”

“O-Ok!” Suyin finally nodded. “I’ll do it!” She took the pen and wrote her name in halting Japanese on the line Emi indicated with firm yet delicate strokes. Emi grinned and took the pen from her when she was done, signing her own name with a wild flourish before Asami and Momo did the same.

“Welcome to the change society needs to move forward with justice, equality and mercy!” Emi declared proudly. “Your harbor in the tempest! Your launching pad for wonderful things! Your home away from home!” Emi held the signed paper up with one hand as if lifting Excalibur from the water. “Welcome to the Flower Appreciation Society!” Asami gave out a halting cheer.

“The Flower Appreciation Society?” Suyin blinked at Emi.

“Yes. From the humblest of beginnings spring the most noble of pursuits. Where would the world be without the women of the Amazon tribe standing up for the right to cut off their right breast to better shoot an arrow? Where would society be without the Onna-Bugeisha or the Wonhwa or the Night Witches or Kali or Athena or Ameratsu? We are sisters of the lily! We are lionesses on the hunt! We are the Flower Appreciation Society!” Emi finished with a flourish, holding the pen up toward the chandelier for good measure. Several nearby tables applauded politely as Emi finished and she felt obliged to stand and bow several times.

“Momo isn’t certain mythological things should be treated as real people,” Momo murmured with a cautious shake of her head.

“Amazing!” Asami clapped enthusiastically. “A wonderful speech!”

“Ah, thank you,” Emi giggled as she sat back down. “By the way, I heard that stuff about me doing strange things.”

“It’s true,” Momo nodded. “You do.”

“I know! It’s kind of cool, right?” Emi grinned broadly. Asami clapped again with a giggle while Momo nodded in what passed for enthusiastic agreement. Emi quickly turned back to Suyin who was looking a bit shell-shocked. “I know this must be a bit of a surprise for you, Suyin. I mean, to go from a lone, adorable mermaid-esque catgirl to being part of the hive mind that is the Flower Appreciation Society.”

“Catgirl?” Suyin blinked at her.

“We’re going to make them. Advanced gene splicing and cloning techniques and all. The specifics are top secret. Mainly because we don’t know how, yet. Yet is the key. But you have to admit catgirls are amazing and adorable and will loom huge in our legend. But don’t worry! You have a clan of your own, now, even if we haven’t figured out the catgirl creation. Friends who will stand beside you no matter what. Nay! Not just friends! Sisters! You have us! …and catgirls eventually,” Emi declared, placing one hand on each of Suyin’s thin shoulders and staring deep into her eyes. “We will never let harm befall you.”

“I…thank you, Emi,” Suyin nodded fiercely after a moment, still not entirely sold on whatever it is she’d agreed to join, or whatever Emi was on about with catgirls, but believing the smoldering look in Emi’s eyes.

“Being friends means we never have to apologize or give thanks. We are one mind and soul, and we face every trial and tribulation together!” Emi growled fiercely. She turned quickly and dramatically toward Momo and Asami. “Are you girls thinking what I’m thinking?”

“That we aren’t an official club until we hand in the paperwork?” Asami cocked her head to the side.

“That Momo needs to remake Garr?” Momo said at the same time.

“That we need to celebrate Suyin joining us with a candy party of epic proportions,” Emi eyed each of the other girls in turn. The Flower Appreciation Society Official Hive Mind still had some work to do, but it had at least begun, Emi noted proudly as all three of the others agreed enthusiastically. Change and a delicious-smelling burger being carried through the restaurant were in the air at last. It was nothing but onward and upward from here!