The Fire Shadow

CHINATSU

Chinatsu kept her makeup light and put on a simple deep purple silk gown. Her hair she tied in a loose low fishtail braid. No jewels but for a simple eye of the tiger stone, which she always wore hanging around her neck from a plain black cord. In a city where most people dyed their hair in neon colors and dressed like walking color wheels, simplicity and naturality were often seen as signs of sophistication and elegance. At her work, these were important qualities.

Tonight, her client was an important senior from the Ministry of Education & Employment, who had been requesting her services for a couple of months and which Chinatsu had repeatedly rejected. Chinatsu knew important people didn't like to be rejected. She also knew it is a generalized human characteristic to want what one can't have, and to want it harder the more impossible it is to obtain it. When last time, Monique told her he had offered to pay up to four ceros, Chinatsu smiled and told her to accept.

"You look disgustingly smug."

Chinatsu startled and turned around. Resting on the doorframe of her room, Veronica appraised her with a frown on her mouth. She was wearing soft pink pajamas, and her long curly auburn hair was tied behind her head in a messy bun. She was not working tonight.

"I know you're jealous," said Chinatsu, giving herself one last lookover on her mirror. "Try not to cry too much."

Veronica snorted and entered the room. Her bare feet made no noise on the plush carpet.

"Why would I be jealous?" she said, approaching Chinatsu's wardrobe. "Michael Rogers is positively nauseating."

Chinatsu fished a handbag from under her bed, folded her graphene phone and threw it inside. Veronica browsed the holograms of Chinatsu's night dresses. She chose one, a long strapless green velvet mermaid dress, and it was projected onto her body. Chinatsu had to admit she looked good in it, even without makeup and with her messy hair, the rich color contrasted nicely with her auburn hair and her hazel eyes. Veronica didn't seem to like it, though, because she frowned and pressed 'Cancel'.

"How would you know?" asked Chinatsu. "You're just stingy it's me he wants and not you."

"I've seen him on TV," answered Veronica.

Chinatsu rolled her eyes, and Veronica turned to throw herself on the double bed, leaving the wardrobe open. Her lithe body almost disappeared among all the pillows and duvets Chinatsu kept.

"Whatever," said Chinatsu, turning off the wardrobe's robot and closing the doors. "He's paying ten grand."

"Paying more means he also has the right to ask for more."

Veronica's voice was quiet, all the edge and heat from before gone. Chinatsu met her eyes. She had beautiful eyes, with the almond shape of her Japanese mother's and the light color of her American father's.

"It's okay," said Chinatsu. "Monique told me she will give me a rest after this one. With what he's paying I meet two months of my ransom."

"You're delusional," spit Veronica.

"I'm whatever I want to be," answered Chinatsu, turning around towards the door. "I didn't ask for your big omnipotent opinions, so shove it up wherever it will fit."

Veronica's face turned a deep shape of red.

"I'm telling you because I've been where you are now before," she said. "The sooner you realize you are indeed not what you want to be, the less it will hurt."

Chinatsu didn't answer. She closed the door to her room and left Veronica behind, sinking in her soft plush mattress.

As the elevator flew downwards, Chinatsu observed the epileptic flashing lights of New Tokyo. Even though the sun had fallen more than three hours ago, the endless city lights illuminated everything in an impossible range of colors. Blues, yellows, reds, greens, purples, oranges and pinks blinked in and out of life, combined each other in swirling patterns. Circle One of New Tokyo was always an active place —businessmen and workers of the Ministries were always milling about— but when night fell it became an almost overwhelming hubbub.