JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Neon Soul

Chapter 5: Glitter

The packed sidewalks and streets of downtown Vetter were nothing new, and the moderate weather had caused the streets to be filled with pedestrians. Whether it was kids going to a dentist appointment with their parents or old men walking to their law firm, everyone had an agenda. The tall skyscrapers towered in the air, the sunlight peeking out between them. A nearby electronics store with televisions synched to the same channel flashed in the store's window.

"In local news, Vetter City High School entered its winter break early as police are still investigating the museum robbery that led to suspected gang activity at the high school. No students were hurt in the incident, but forensic scientists are still baffled as to why all of the children mysteriously fell asleep after entering the school. More news at 9," said the anchor as the channel entered a commercial break. About two blocks away stood Jorgia as she awaited Vanessa's arrival. She was still new to the city, so the crowds resembled a concert more than anything else to her. She checked her phone in boredom while standing on a street corner, passively scrolling on the internet before, minutes later, a hand tapped her shoulder. It was Vanessa.

"Oh hey, you're here!" said Jorgia with enthusiasm.

"Lucas won't be joining us today. He's spending time with his brother, but he said to keep him updated if anything happens, and he might be able to meet up with us later."

"Okay. Apparently, our train has a delay, so it won't come for a bit so we have some time to kill. There are some nice stores around here if you wanna check them out," asked Vanessa.

"Sure! I didn't bring much money with me though so-"

"Yeah, don't worry about it, I'll cover you. So Jorgia... how do you like Vetter so far? I know you're new here," she asked as the two walked down the busy street.

"Well, it definitely seems a bit chaotic. Or maybe my timing was just wrong, and I got here when all this crazy stuff started to happen," laughed Jorgia.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it. The n-new setting, I mean, not the chaos. Before you showed up, there were crime and disasters, but that's always been a facet of the city. I've lived here my entire life so it's all I know."

"Oh, here is a good one. They have really nice clothes here. But... I don't know if these... are your style."

"Don't worry about it, V. To be honest, I'm just glad to do something normal again. No weird abilities or gangsters. Just. Shopping," she said with a smile. The store was moderately sized, with mannequins in the windows showing off expensive clothing. The interior had racks and racks filled with clothes and a spinning display showing off rather regal outfits.

"Wow... these must cost a fortune! They're all so sparkly!"

"Yeah, this is one of my favorites. I... spend a lot of time here. Jorgia, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah?"

"How's... your relationship with your parents? I-I mean like, do you spend time with them?"

"Well, I never knew my mom, but my dad and I are really close. This is the first time I've been away from him for so long. He's left before on work-related stuff, but it was always for a couple of days, never almost a month," she answered. Vanessa stared at the floor, clearly showing signs of discomfort.

"But he always like... pays attention to you, right? You know what? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked-"

Jorgia walked closer to Vanessa and put her hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. If something's up and you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."

Vanessa showed her a face of shock before it morphed into one of comfort.