"What kind of statement should we release? Maybe a press conference?" Rei said nothing for a moment, watching as her secretary finished serving the tea and coffee before turning to Barbara. "No, a short statement will do. We don't want this to take center stage. A press conference is like admitting that Aino-san did something wrong. Which isn't true." "We won't be able to avoid media attention either way." "True," Rei murmured softly, shooting a brief look at Jen and then to her ex, who was listening intently... but something was off. She shook off her unease. "But we want to keep it to a minimum. Just to keep the media speculating and buzzing until we need them." "Until we need them?" Mei asked, blinking in confusion. "There's no way to control the media. But, we can use them." "What are you planning?" Rei pulled her notepad off her desk. "I suggest Aino-san lay low for a while. Use the time to relax or record her next album. Then we start off slow. First thing to do is to counter the arguments that she's lost her connection with the fans. I was thinking a few private concerts or session with some of her older fans, particular those that are webmasters and longtime members of Aino-san's fan club. I find that they often have a lot of sway in fan communities." Barbara nodded, looking over at Minako and was pleased to see the blonde seemed to like the idea. "Then we move onto some bigger venues. Appearances on a few of the more underground talk shows before booking the more mainstream ones. We will be avoiding Luna, if that's all right." "I have no problems with that," Minako murmured softly, her blue eyes hooded and focused on Rei. "What should we do now?" Rei looked over at Utena, who nodded slightly. "As I understand it, Siren had booked a recording studio for Aino-san's use. We have done the same. It's actually quite close to the hotel." Minako smiled appreciatively, the sparkle in her eyes returning at the mention of her music. Rei couldn't help but smile back, causing the blonde's smile to brighten. "Also... we thought that you might feel more comfortable in a house, rather than a hotel. If you would like, our realty department will be more than happy to assist you in finding the perfect residence." 'How about your house?' Minako thought, but had enough self-control not to verbalize it. She very rarely stayed in one place for more than a few days. It might actually be nice to have somewhere to call her own while she was here. The blonde looked over at Barbara, who simply nodded. "That would be lovely, thank you Hino-san," the star replied softly with a smile. Rei felt the corners of her lips twitch again. The blonde's smiles have always been so contagious. Why fight it? Especially when there are other people around? She smiled back, nodding. "Someone from the realty department will be in touch." Minako was quiet as she listened to Rei explain her plan in detail. The future of her career in Japan rested in the hands of a woman she had hurt. And, she realized, though it was no longer a shock, there was no one else she'd rather it be handled by. "Superstar Minako Aino has severed ties with Siren in Japan, and seems to have signed with Athena. According to lawyers from both firms, the singer did not break her contrac-" "Hey! We were watching that!" Hotaru gave her suitemates a look that quieted them. Without a word, she stood and walked into her room, closing the door. She tossed her books down on her desk and turned on her stereo to drown out the sounds of the TV coming back on. The situation was becoming more and more interesting. Part of her wanted to rush back to Japan to have front row seats for this. But she knew that would alert her parents, and the last thing she needed was for them to start wondering where she fit into this. No, that simply wouldn't do. At least, not before she's had any real hand in things. She turned, looking at the photographs on her wall. She focused on one in particular and the blue eyes that stared back at her. No, she wouldn't rush back to Japan. She didn't need to. Soon enough, she will come to her. "This particular house has five bedrooms, a study, a living room as well as-" Minako tuned the realtor out as she walked around the house. Babs can take care of the details. She just wanted a look around. It was a gorgeous house with high ceilings and marble fixtures. The scenes of leisure and spring time on the walls gave the house a very light atmosphere. The large French windows let in plenty of light, brightening the large house. Minako walked through, admiring the beautiful wooden floors and modern, but earthy furniture. She wasn't a stranger to beautiful homes, that was for sure. And this particular residence wasn't the most extravagant she's seen. But something about it... Barbara was hopeful as she watched the singer explore. This was the fifth place that day, and it was becoming a little tiresome. She was fairly certain the others felt the same, since Mei was currently napping in the car. Patrick and Jen had excused themselves after the last house, the stylist claiming she needed to check on the singer Rei had assigned her to. She didn't quite remember what the make artist's excuse was. "Shall we take a look at the garden?" Minako perked up at the suggestion, nodding with a smile. The realtor grinned back, practically feeling the edge she would get once others in the department got wind that she had set Aino Minako up with a residence. The singer was sold once she took a look at the garden the house boasted. A large grassy plain with a beautiful rose garden close to the house and dense trees acting as natural a fence. She walked around, enjoying the fragrance of the roses. She noticed a swing on a nearby tree, approaching it and tugging a little on the rope to make sure it was safe. Babs watched with a smile as Minako sat down on the swing, pushing herself with her feet, her blonde hair swaying in the wind. The soft smile on her face dispelled the agent's fear for a moment that this was starting to be too much for the singer to handle. "I think we have a keeper," she whispered softly to the woman beside her, the realtor beaming at the news. "Things are becoming painfully predictable." "Are they now?" Michiru suppressed a smile at the annoyance in Setsuna's voice. Haruka looked up from the paper, tossing it onto the table. Rei escorting Minako had been printed on the page in black and white, the photo of the two quite nice, despite the poor quality. "Tell me you didn't see that coming." Setsuna merely responded to Haruka's command with an arched brow. The blonde chuckled softly, shaking her head. She turned her blue eyes to her lover, who studied the roses she was painting. "All right, you tell me you hadn't seen that coming." Michiru shook her head. She understood Haruka's frustration, but really, she was acting just too much like a petulant child. Even Setsuna's endless patience was starting to be tested. "We really shouldn't expect anything." "I know that," the blonde said in exasperation, pouring herself another cup of tea. "But this whole business is starting to seem like a bad story written by a bored teenager." Setsuna smiled, sharing a look with Michiru. "Things are being affected in ways-" "Like what?" Haruka sighed when she received another look from the garnet-eyed woman. She ran a hand through her hair. "I know, I know." From across the room, Michiru giggled in amusement and exasperation. "Is the recording studio to your liking?" Rei nodded when she received a wide smile from Minako. She took a sip of her coffee, slowly feeling the affects. But that may have something to do with the three cups she'd had already. They'd kept the meeting sparse today, meaning it was just her, the singer and Babs. "Yes, thank you. It was surprising." Rei chuckled a bit at the blonde's shy admission. It was refreshing how... shy the singer could be, even now. It was also kind of... cute. "How goes the search for the fans for the first private concert?" The publicist shook herself from her thoughts. "We have a preliminary list of fans from the Tokyo area. We drew from the official fan site along with a few older web communities. We have a list of a thousand fans right now." Rei slid the thick packet across the coffee table to the pair sitting on the couch. Barbara flipped through it quickly, not really reading the names. She handed it over to Minako, who skimmed the list. "Have they all passed the background check?" "We did a quick check. There will be a more detailed one in a few days." "Aren't you guys taking this a little too seriously? It's just a concert, no different from any of the ones I've had before. We certain didn't do background checks on every single person who bought a ticket." Rei felt her annoyance rise. They were just trying to make sure Minako would be safe, why was the blonde herself acting so flippantly about her own safety? "It's a much smaller venue." "Wouldn't you think it'd be easier for someone to do something at a huge concert?" "Minako, we're just trying to cover the bases..." The blonde shrugged, turning her attention back on the list she held. "I doubt any of them would try anything." "Better safe than sorry." The singer looked up when she heard Rei's cold voice. Her shoulders sagged a little. She was acting childish, and she knew it. But it was just hard to believe that anyone would want to... "We're just trying to make sure that nothing happens to you." Minako closed her eyes. The miko's voice taking on a soft, genuinely concerned quality she never thought she'd hear again. It pulled at her, reminding her once again of what she gave up. "I know... I'm sorry." Rei nodded simply as she went back to discussing the arrangements, feeling uncomfortable at how much she'd meant those words. Ami smiled at Usagi as the blonde sat on her couch, fidgeting. Makoto walked in from the kitchen, carrying a large tray of tea and cookies. Smelling the chef's fresh baked concoctions, Usagi perked up, mouth watering as the brunette placed the tray on the coffee table. "Go on, Usa, dig in. I made them just for you." Ami smiled as she watched the blonde attack the cookies with fervor. She noticed the pink frosting and baby blue bows decorating the top of each cookie, looking at her girlfriend. Makoto just smiled, pouring the tea and giving the young doctor a wink. "Mako! Your cooking may be getting better and better!" The brunette smiled warmly, snagging a cookie for herself and waving it a little. "These are nothing. I'm coming up with something new, just for you Usa." "Really? Oh wow!" The blue-haired doctor smiled, shaking her head. "How are you enjoying London?" Usagi grinned, nibbling on the cookie in her hand. "It's really different from California, that's for sure! Not in a bad way, just different, I guess." Makoto laughed. "That's an understatement. Have you and Mamoru had time to do a little exploring?" "No, not yet. Mamo's conference doesn't end until next week... but after that, he said we can do some of the more touristy things." "Sounds nice," Ami offered, noticing the annoyance in Usa's eyes. What was supposed to be a two day conference and a two week vacation suddenly became a week long conference. To say Usagi was less than pleased with the change was an understatement. "Well, you're welcome to come visit us any time you want. And feel free to drop by the restaurant." "I know, thanks guys! You're awesome." "This is news...?" Usagi giggled, tossing a pillow at Makoto. She squirmed a little, looking at Ami. "Umm... did the tests come back yet?" The doctor nodded, leaning against her lover. Usagi had come to her two days ago, saying she didn't feel well. She'd done some tests, which all came back negative. But the last one... "So... what's wrong with me?" Ami cleared her throat. "Nothing." Usagi blinked, looking at her long time friend. Being nauseated and feeling weak weren't "nothing" in her book. But then what did she know? "Then... is it just stress or something?" Ami smiled as Makoto nudged her, silently telling her to stop teasing their princess so. "No, Usagi. Actually, there's good news." There was silence as the blonde waited expectantly. "You're pregnant." Makoto resisted the urge to giggle when the blonde's eyes widen. Her mouth parted, the cookie she was about to eat never made it to its destination as their princess promptly fainted. She blinked and quickly rushed over with Ami. "It's ok. She was just surprised." The chef chuckled, easing Usagi into a more comfortable position on the couch. Ami walked into their bedroom and returned with a blanket. "I wonder how Mamoru will react." Ami couldn't hold back her giggle as she looked over at Makoto, finding a suddenly very dark expression on the brunette's face. "Mako-" "This means there isn't much time before..." The young doctor sighed, nodding silently. "No, no, stop." The recording crew looked up and quickly stopped the tape, looking into the booth to the find Minako with a look of annoyance on her face. "Is something wrong, Aino-san?" The blonde singer looked at the nervous men, giving them a tire smile. "No, you guys are doing great. I just can't seem to get it the way I want right now." "Is there anything we can do?" Minako smiled appreciatively, making not a few of the men get a little dreamy. Jen snorted as Mei giggled softly. "No. Let's take a break." Mei and Jen stayed out of Minako's way once their employer made her way from the recording booth. She gave them a tire smile before walking out into the hallway, taking a deep breath. She didn't know what was wrong, but nothing she did today was right. It didn't... feel right. The blonde stretched, taking time to look at all the albums on the wall. Singers she admired and loved, their platinum discs lined the otherwise bare walls. People that influenced her music, giants of the industry. How can she possibly compare? An incredibly simple CD cover made her pause. A purple butterfly on a red background. It was so familiar... Her eyes widened when she saw the name of the artist. Her head began to swim with all the possibilities and ideas that seemed to hit her all at once. Maybe if she could just... No, she'd never go for that. But... maybe she can use it as a writing exercise. Add something different to her music. Try something new... With a grin, Minako hurried back to the recording studio, one name burned into her mind: Mars Reiko. Okay, that was a filler if I've ever written one, short and kind of pointless. I'd feel bad uploading this any other time, but especially so during Christmas. So, I hope you'll forgive me. For this chapter and how long it's taken me to update. The next one should be more prompt and a lot more exciting. And oh, Mars Reiko is obviously from the Live Action Series. Couldn't help but mix it up a little bit.
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