Minako leaned back in her desk chair, allowing her pet enough space to hop into her lap. His rhythmic, soothing purr replaced the stifling silence of her office in the templar headquarters. She eagerly unfolded the ivory parchment he delivered, anxious to read its contents.
The latest question to her pen pal was scrawled across the top. Below it, in Rei's angular handwriting, was the one-word answer.
"Red," Minako read aloud and rolled her eyes. Of course her favorite color was red. The singer would have guessed purple, if she didn't know Rei detested her beautiful eyes for reminding her of her paternal heritage.
To Minako's surprise, the assassin had written a follow-up question below her answer. They had been playing this game for weeks, writing back and forth as humans did before texting. It was inconvenient, but Minako could not risk using conventional, and easily hackable, means.
This was the first time Rei had returned an inquiry of her own.
Mina assumed Rei never went above and beyond to be conversational as part of a ruse to feign indifference. Her responses were always curt.
But, Minako smugly noted, she always responded. When she didn't have to; especially if she had no interest in engaging with a templar.
Their exchanges were mostly frivolous, discussing nothing of importance. Minako asked about her favorite food (Thai), hobbies (a sore lack thereof, unless archery counted), and any other topic far removed from their secret organizations that she could think of.
Perhaps Rei was biding her time before finding ways to covertly obtain information. Minako highly doubted it; Rei didn't seem the type to spend months gaining her trust in exchange for the potential to gain a smidgen of knowledge. Hino was a woman of action.
"What brand of perfume do you wear?"
Minako tilted her head while staring at the small parchment. Of all the questions Rei could have asked, this wasn't what she anticipated.
After her initial surprise wore off, a satisfied grin crossed her lips.
So… Rei was thinking about her. More specifically, she was thinking about her scent. It wasn't as sexy as maybe her eyes or smile, but it was something. Something that an assassin, specifically trained to push the limitations of her senses to absolute exhaustion, noticed and apparently thought about during her down time.
While petting Artemis with one hand, Minako grabbed a pen and scribbled her answer with the other. Before folding it by the existing creases, an idea came to her.
Reaching into her Gucci clutch, she retrieved a small vial of her perfume, Venus. She squirted a small spray of mist into the air, letting it settle onto the paper. Immature euphoria, like she was a middle schooler learning the star of the football team had a crush on her, brought a vibrant smile to her face.
Sailor V literally had millions of fans across the world. Most of whom would give up anything to so much as shake her hand.
While she greatly appreciated, even loved, her fans, only the thought of Rei fantasizing about her affected her in this giddy, weightless fashion.
"Okay, you know what to do with this," Minako whispered as she trapped the folded sheet of paper between Artemis' collar and neck. Like the crows, Artemis was also delivering their messages. He twitched his nose and began kneading her lap, making it clear he was in no hurry to carry out her bidding.
Minako's desk phone rang. She startled, in turn causing Artemis to jump from her lap. He walked across the length of her desk and stared at the annoying interruption.
The idol glanced at the display. Her intestines knotted once she read where the call originated from.
Minako took a deep, steadying breath, and picked up the receiver. "Kaiou-sama."
"Come to my office. Please."
The augur's voice was seductive and lethal. Casual, but firm. The word 'please' was a hollow formality; Michiru knew anyone in this building would jump off of a bridge at her demand.
"Y-yes," Minako found herself stuttering into a dead line.
Michiru already hung up.
Minako glanced at the wall clock. Assuming Michiru wanted more than ten minutes of her time, this impromptu meeting was going to throw off her schedule for the entire day. She was supposed to be in the tanning bed in half an hour. Then dance practice, then vocals, then a meeting with the record label executives…
But there was no declining The Augur.
Minako put the phone receiver down and turned to her companion.
"How about you just meet me at home?" Minako proposed while scratching behind her cat's ears.
Artemis meowed before hopping from her desk to deliver the latest message.
Minako stood and sighed. Imagining Rei's reaction upon receiving the scented token wasn't enough to lift her mood. The only time the popstar had been called to Michiru's office was when she first began working for the templars over a year ago. This led Mina to believe that she wasn't being invited just to chat.
Whatever Kaiou wanted to say, it wasn't something she felt comfortable calling or texting about. It must be serious, and Minako didn't like serious.
Distracted as she was, Minako made sure to smile and nod at everyone she passed while making her way to the elevator. Because she wasn't around very often, she didn't recognize many faces or names. But, thanks to her celebrity status, the luxury of anonymity was not awarded to her.
The elevator ride was quiet, at least. It allowed her to clear her mind, if only she could stop worrying that Michiru had caught her in a lie and was about to tear her apart. The only reason she was terrified was precisely because she had been lying about her mask's abilities and her encounters with Rei. And she couldn't justify why she was lying, unless a gut feeling not to trust half of these people counted.
Minako approached the closed wooden doors to Kaiou Michiru's office. She raised her fist to knock on the door, but a sweet voice beckoned her instead.
"Come in."
Minako let herself into the spacious office. Soft violin music and dim lighting created a deceptively relaxing atmosphere. She also heard water trickling inside of the massive fish tank on the wall behind the desk. It was filled with tropical fish of variegated colors and sizes.
Michiru wasn't by the fish tank. She was standing, admiring a large painting on the left wall. Mina was not in a position to see the painting very well, but she could see aquamarine and azure strokes swirling along some sort of urban landscape.
She shut the door behind her, but did not presume to come any closer. In the awkward silence that followed, the idol studied the Templar Augur's outfit. Michiru's curly teal hair was pulled back, high atop her head. Waves came crashing down on her petite shoulders, hiding beneath a white blouse. Her top and matching skirt were form-fitting and flawless. Minako noted her strapped heels, which were the same color as her hair. Even with the heels, she was of short stature.
What she lacked in height, Michiru made up for in presence.
Minako cleared her throat. "You called?"
"Do you know where your mask originated from?"
The augur's voice sent shivers up Minako's spine. She hadn't expected a history lesson. "No, Kaiou-sama."
"Please. Call me Michiru." The augur looked over her shoulder at Minako with a suggestive look that made Minako's cheeks burn. A pair of rectangular glasses, with thick brims hued with colors reflecting the fish tank, rest on the bridge of her nose. Minako didn't recall ever seeing them before. She thought they complimented the shape of Michiru's face well, and made her even more intimidating.
Minako held back a sigh of relief when Michiru's sultry glance returned to studying the painting before she continued. "You bear a Venetian carnival mask. In the twentieth century, assassins wore them in celebration. The assassins overthrew Patriarch of Aquileia, a templar. They complained his rule was too strict. Too rigid. And so, the assassins began the tradition of carnival; allowing them to wear the Piece of Eden you currently carry during the festivities, covertly swaying the minds of the masses against The Order."
Minako slid her fingers inside of her purse, just enough to feel the magical thrum of the ancient mask.
"It was many years before the templars gained possession of the mask once more." Michiru sauntered across her office, arms crossed beneath her bosom. She stood in front of her desk and leaned her bottom against it. "Please, sit."
Michiru's carefully practiced decorum was convincing. Minako felt herself falling for her sweet, melodic voice as she floated into one of the plush velvet seats facing the desk.
"The mask's powers, in combination with the new lyrics our team wrote, will exponentially reverse the odds in our favor. Your upcoming world tour will be the preface for a new, aggressive approach on the entertainment, political, and economic spectrum."
The popstar quickly bowed. "I understand."
"Do you?" Michiru asked in a tone that was more teasing than patronizing.
Minako had a hard time finding her spine when she was under Michiru's scrutiny. It felt as though the augur was undressing her with her eyes. "I, well… My job is to perform. So don't worry. I'll fulfill my half of the bargain."
"And who is your target audience?"
"Uh… everyone?" Minako squeaked.
"Those who most need to hear the message are often the most resistant to it."
Michiru's cryptic hint gave Minako pause. She pondered the correct answer in her mind before guessing. "You mean the assassins?"
Michiru remained silent, but the slight tug at the corner of her lips told Mina she'd guessed right. The augur used her hips to push herself away from the desk.
Minako tried not to fidget as Kaiou circled her chair. She felt a gentle tug as Michiru straightened the red bow on the back of her head.
The close proximity of this woman's presence eroded Minako's senses. "About the mask…"
"Hmm?" Michiru purred.
Sailor V closed her eyes and concentrated. She couldn't tell Kaiou the mask didn't work on Rei. Or her. She couldn't let slip that she'd tried using its persuasive powers against Michiru, either.
Even without her mask, she could see it; an aquamarine silhouette replacing Michiru's body.
The color of the sea.
And Rei, a thermal heat reading.
Her own aura; a glittering orange form.
"Um, nothing." Minako opened her eyes to see Michiru staring straight into hers. Minako couldn't tell if the augur wanted to fuck her or kill her.
"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Michiru asked while grabbing the arm rests of Minako's chair. She leaned forward. Sea breeze tickled Mina's nose. The blonde was enraptured; frozen by Michiru's deadly eroticism.
"Don't think I've forgotten that you have failed to bring me the assassin," Michiru whispered.
"Apologies." Minako bit her tongue to keep from saying anything that might incriminate herself.
"Hino Rei is a remarkable young woman. Wouldn't you agree?"
Minako wanted nothing more than for Michiru to release her. "I wouldn't know."
A subtle smile crossed Michiru's rosy lips before she relinquished her hold on Minako's chair. She sashayed around her desk, this time turning her attention to the fish tank. It took every ounce of willpower Minako had to avert her gaze from the immaculate curves of Michiru's hips and ass.
"You'll be sure to tell me what you see. Yes, kitten?"
Michiru was using pet names now?
"Yes?"
Minako had no idea what Michiru was getting at. Until she elaborated.
"Your Piece of Eden reveals people's true colors, does it not?"
Colors blurred as two assassins sparred in the Hikawa Shrine dojo. A red hakama became arced streaks as its wearer delivered a double roundhouse kick at her opponent. Faster than the wind, the Whispering Torrent ducked beneath the assault. With agility and flexibility to match her speed, she sank to the ground and pulled on Rei's ankle with enough force to knock her down to the matt.
Sweating and heaving, Rei blinked as she realized she lost the sparring match. She stared up at the grinning assassin. Tenoh wore a navy blue karategi. Her hands were on her narrow hips as she assessed Rei's skills.
"Not bad." Haruka brushed the sandy bangs from her eyes. "I even broke a sweat."
Rei grunted. Perhaps she had lasted longer than their previous duel, but it wasn't good enough. Defeat was never an option.
Haruka extended a hand to help her up, but Rei ignored it, as was customary. Instead of finding offense, Haruka chuckled. "One of these days you'll—"
Crows squawking from the rooftops interrupted their conversation. Knowing what their signal meant, Rei tried intercepting the intruder before Haruka could see. She wasn't faster than a cat, however, and ended up meeting Artemis near the dojo's entrance with Tenoh following shortly behind.
"What, are we feeding strays now?" Haruka quipped as Rei bent down and scooped the famous cat into her arms.
"Of course not." Rei rolled her eyes. Her fingers sought out the concealed note beneath his collar. She didn't dare open it in front of Haruka; but she was comforted by its presence. As Artemis began to purr, Mina's sweet, floral scent enveloped her senses.
"Your crows aren't jealous of your new pet?"
Rei bit back a sarcastic reply. She could feel Haruka's stormy eyes bearing into her back. The sooner she got Sailor V's infamous cat away from prying eyes, the better.
Rei carried Artemis to her meditation room, taking extra caution to cover most of his body with her billowing sleeves in case any of the shrine visitors looked her way. Once she slid the door behind her and was allowed a modicum of privacy, she sat cross-legged on the floor and procured her latest message.
Artemis sat on the floor and watched. Rei wasn't sure what to make of the feline. Their relationship was nothing but hostile in the beginning. But since Minako had the awful idea of sending her secret messages via cat or crow delivery, he was on his best behavior.
In fact, if Rei hadn't known any better, she could have sworn the feline had taken a liking to her.
Rei held the parchment to her face, succumbing to the euphoric scent. It took many long minutes for her to remove herself from the memory of Minako sitting on her lap, leaning into her face, tempting her with the promise of a kiss.
With a loathsome shudder, Rei pulled the paper far enough away from her face to read it.
"Venus," Rei read the short answer. She side-eyed the cat, who blankly stared at her.
Rei set the note in her lap. Despite the burning incense and roaring fire, all she could smell was Minako's perfume. After a meditative minute when she closed her eyes and envisioned the templar's warm smile and inviting eyes, Rei dug out her phone.
A quick Google search uncovered the popular, and wildly expensive, Parisian perfume. Rei clicked on the first link she found, reading the summary to find the floral scent that haunted her for months.
After finding her answer, Rei grabbed a pen and wrote the first thing that came to her mind.
"When are you performing in Tokyo again?"