A Smile for You
Chapter 1
(Warning: Spoilers for Strive's story mode's ending chapters)
She considered herself a sensible woman. Years of training and life-or-death situations had molded her into her current position. A rational woman able to distinguish what information was valuable or inapt at the drop of a hat. At the same time, she was also cordial enough to interact with others without being completely disingenuous. This new lifestyle of hers was also able to tell when something was wrong.
Millia gazed at her reflection in her townhome's pale, sky-blue bathroom. The mirror above the sink was affixed with two oak wood cabinets on both sides that matched the mirror's vertical length. The three rows housed an assortment of different cosmetics for her face and hair. Millia's recent selection was her routine, matte lip stick that she applied every day before her commute to the Post-War Administration Bureau. Upon putting it back, she noticed her reflection and paused.
She rarely stopped to look at herself in the mirror. Millia normally stuck with quick glances to assure her appearance was tidy but never lingered. She only stopped on rare occasions when her disturbed past unearthed from her psyche. It was reminiscent of the autumn season of the current year 2187 when she kept staring at the same mirror because of the revival of Zato-ONE. Millia's long, convoluted past resurfaced not-so distant memories of her work as a former assassin and the many nights spent with Zato. Her rampant, anxious state of meeting her former lover and enemy after taking his life left her pondering in the same place weary of the future.
And yet, the fear she held disappeared with their reunion. Zato was not the same man Millia had known. His one desire was to be with Millia and to protect her even at the cost of his own life. Zato was not the same, yet his presence next to her was familiar. After their reunion, they had remained at each other's side with minor awkwardness. Through the defeat of the Conclave and surviving I-no's recent ascension to Godhood, the two Forbidden Beast users weathered the obstacles.
So why was Millia staring holes into her bathroom mirror once more?
She had originally thought that being the director of the P.W.A.B. (Post-War Administration Bureau) would scare her, but that was untrue. Millia had succeed expectations of the former controlled Conclave department with valuable information and ethical practices. Her current relationship with Zato was less estrangement and more of a blank state with a welcoming air of mystery. They were starting over as partners, but Millia sensed their connection had deepen in the aftermath of I-no.
None of those two factors were products of this present internal dilemma. Millia shifted her focus to the literal surface and examined her face. Her fair-skinned complexion was without flaw of any invading wrinkles or blemishes. Her sharp blue eyes maintained Millia's calculated gaze as well as enhancing her cold beauty. The Forbidden Beast in her hair showed zero signs of aging and remained its golden hue. She ignored her dainty nose and finally concluded that her mouth was the problem.
Millia's slender lips were in their typical frowning position. The same thin line was etched on her features that rarely curved upwards. Millia of all people knew she had little to smile about but felt that it was unusual presently. She vowed that her position as Director would establish a place for others to return to at the P.W.A.B., however, her distant expression spoke otherwise. How was she to welcome others with this dull, chilly expression?
It dawned on her that she never truly gave a genuine smile in recent memory. An approving smirk with a gentle look in her eye was her best attempt at a smile. Even that rarity was witnessed by a few colleagues and even Zato on a few occasions. Millia also realized that she never tried to practice. During her assassin career, a grin or smirk was a flirtatious tact to charm her targets to their end. Millia never saw the purpose of doing things without compensation being monetary or otherwise. Everything she did was a product of her conditioning and conditioning failed to list smiling as a priority.
Still, Millia fully shifted her focus back at the mirror and braced herself. She worked her upper jaw upwards with uncoordinated movement. Instead of a natural beaming expression she had seen on countless advertisements, her attempt was stiff and unsightly. Millia immediately dropped the failed smiled and sighed at her silliness. She took another look at the reflection and contemplated an opened mouth smile yet felt the same results would occur. Instead, Millia returned to her default frown and was slightly bothered by her own sadness in her features. Her perfect skin, nose and eyes only served to decorate a pristine doll capable of movement. Granting a future to others is her mission but providing the warmth behind her endeavor is proving quite challenging.
Millia glanced down at her wristwatch and decided that this wordless introspection was over. Finally turning away from the mirror, she exited the bathroom and retrieved her bright golden scarf and camel colored hat to make her way towards the exit. The early December morning was chilly with a potential warm glow to embrace the Illyrian government in the afternoon.
It was the beginning of the week and already felt like a long one. Not for just her real start as the Director of the P.W.A.B., but her future in general. Millia was no mystic yet could feel a sudden shift approaching her life. She could only hope to take the best possible outcome. Millia was a sensible woman. There was no doubt that she would make a reasonable choice.