Sakura waved her pass in front of the apartment door and it dutifully opened for her. Not much of a trick, except for the fact that this apartment wasn't her own. It belonged to someone else, someone who didn't often come home to it, but had the not-inconsiderable resources to keep it maintained in such a high-class area of the city. Unfortunately, said maintenance didn't come with automatic dusting, and Sakura frowned as she drew a finger along a countertop and examined a thin layer of dust.
Home just doesn't feel like home until it's lived in, now does it? I should know...
Sakura took off her shoes and laid them next to the entryway. Taking an abbreviated tour for herself, she located the critical amenities, then sat down on a plush seat and considered. This was hardly her normal means of operation, but then again, this was hardly her normal interaction. Or at least it wouldn't be when it actually appeared. Perhaps the owner was running late. It was rush hour, after all. Or perhaps one of a million other reasons. It didn't matter, Sakura could be patient. She would be here eventually, and that was good enough.
Spying a lonely looking kettle in the kitchen, Sakura got up and filled it with water, and set it to boil. Opening cabinets until she found what she was looking for, she dug two packets of tea out from a large box and prepared them, along with two cups and saucers. Within a few minutes, the warmth of boiling water filled the room, and Sakura prepared a pot of hot tea, ready for the meeting. Taking everything over to the dining table, she set out two places, one for herself and one for the apartment's owner. Sitting down with the tea, she poured herself an experimental glass and gently tested it.
Hmm, not bad, but this still doesn't quite feel right.
Sakura looked around, then decided to open the blinds obscuring the windows. Outside showed a dreary day, with grey clouds filling the sky and hard rain coming down. With a touch of a dial, she turned the interior lights off. Now it was just her and the tea, and the rain outside. Finally Sakura was satisfied, this place no longer felt unlived in. It had some character now, a spirit of its own.
A buzz on her radio broke this train of thought. Her man in the lobby had signaled, meaning that the meeting was going to take place very shortly. Sakura poured the other cup of tea and nodded, satisfied. She could be patient, but that did not mean she always wanted to be.
Zoey ascended the stairs to the apartment complex main building, casually leaning on the door as she read a few bills addressed to her. The lobby was relatively quiet, the receptionist at his desk as always, all was as it should be, save Kusari State Police Officer who seemed to watch Zoey with suspitious eyes.
"Anything new?" Zoey spoke to the receptionist,
"There is a visitor waiting for you Miss Sakura" he replied, looking up from his console, "Kusari State Police, it seemed important so I sent her right up"
"Police... okay, thanks"
The Officer in the lobby buzzed up with his radio, watching Zoey again as she approached the elevator. She chose her floor and stepped inside, fumbling in her pockets for her keys.
Zoey swiped her key, waiting for the green light and a click to indicate that the door was unlocked. She slipped off her shoes and tucked them away neatly by the door, next to an extra pair, most likely belonging to her visitor.
The air of the apartment was warm, and the faint smell of Tea lingered. Her visitor has dimmed the lights slightly, as to create a more homely atmosphere.
Zoey slipped off her coat and hung it up neatly, wandering through towards the sitting area. There, waiting for her was Sakura, with an extra cup of tea for Zoey.
"Hey... I'm not under arrest am I?" Zoey spoke first, trying to work out the nature of this visit.
Sakura gestured to the free seat and the cup of tea, and waited for Zoey to take her place. She sipped her tea thoughtfully, then set it down and said "My name is Sakura Kai. I am here on behalf of the Kusari State Police. Certain elements within our organization have taken and interest in you and your activities, and I am here to discuss that with you and make sure things turn out in a way that is most beneficial for everyone."
With this intentionally vague opening finished, Sakura picked up her cup of tea again and waited to see how Zoey would react.
Zoey took her seat opposite Sakura, reaching forwardly awkwardly for her teacup. She felt like a guest in her own home, probably a good indication that she didn't spend enough time here.
"Interest in my activities eh?" Zoey sipped, "I can't say I'm surprised, subtlety was never really my thing"
She wasn't used to this procedure, actually meeting the lawfuls face to face. And it was odd that the KSP had come straight to her, without so much as a phonecall. It was alright though, She liked it this way, no time was wasted, just straight to business.
Sakura started right in. "You've attracted a lot of attention, both positive and negative. There's a... faction, we'll call it, that wants to see you arrested and thrown in prison to rot. Part of a shake-up of the local criminal populace, they call it. However, some of us have taken a special interest in several cases, one of which being yours. I'm here to make you an offer: work for us. You'll be required to go through the same training as everyone else of course, but you're obviously not a dimwit and the combat training will be a walk in the park for you."
Sakura paused a moment before continuing "I hope you realize that this is a one-time offer. I can give you some time to think about it of course, but that other faction I mentioned? They won't wait forever. I'm sure you saw the nice officer down in the lobby? He reports not only to me, but also to them, and I'm sure you can figure out what that means..."
Drawing a card out of her jacket pocket, Sakura slid it over to Zoey and took a sip of tea as the other woman read it. On it was Sakura's contact information, as well as instructions for reaching her if she wasn't responding.
"It's grown on Planet Tomioka in Nagano, I think you can buy it here in any of Fukuoka's markets" Zoey spoke as she read the card, and slipped it in her pocket,
"Well I suppose that's what I get for being little more than a glorified Vigilante" she smiled, "And I thank you for presenting me with this opportunity, I think I'll sleep on it for now"
Zoey finished her tea and set the cup down on the table infront of her,
"Yes, that was it. If I may, a bit of advice? Watch your back. I can't guarantee that someone won't jump you the moment you set foot outside this apartment building."
Sakura stood up to leave, taking another critical look around the apartment as she did. It sorely reminded her that she needed to go make hers a bit more homely, not to mention stay there a bit more often. She couldn't entirely be sure that there wasn't a similar layer of dust on all her things.
As she headed for the door, she mused "Oh, and I'd say that a nice lamp would cozy up this place quite a bit. A warm yellowish one, you know? Probably in that corner."
"A lamp? Okay.. I guess it wouldn't hurt" Zoey bowed politely, "Sayonara, travel safely"
As she saw her guest out, Zoey thought of the possibility of giving up her sly life of crime, for a more honest job. Sure, the pay was alot worse, but she already had enough from independant piracy to live comfortably till she died.
Perhaps Kusari could do with her help, directly that is.
The thought lingered as Sakura left her, closing the door behind her.
