Here's to First Impressions [Free/Semi-Private/PM to Enter]

[Akechi]

The Pearl Tenements…

”Well… she did say she wanted to be close to the hospital,” Akechi said to himself, almost embarrassed that this was the first sight she’d see of his village. Honestly, if she were a true medic then she was probably used to the sight of the masses that swam in the underbelly of the village. After all, most hospitals needed to be “right near” the action, right? They needed to be in an area where they could service the vast majority of the village, and the “ghettos” of the village always seemed to be the “ideal” location for the medical center. I mean, there was a “shaman-y” clinic that he could’ve shown her but she didn’t ask to see the clinic. ”Well… if I have to take her some place then I might as well take her to the place I stay when I’m required to be close. She may have her shit stolen anywhere else… not that she couldn’t handle herself. She looks like she could handle herself,” he would say to himself, guiding her through the “safest” path through the ghetto… the more upscale wards that housed the Hope Hospital itself.

”Welcome to Inner Maruishi. More specifically, the Pearl Tenements,” the man spoke, waving his hand as if he were showing her the greatest show on Earth. Maybe it was… The city was as lively as ever under the night sky. People were scrambling about, the air smelled of fine cuisine and baked goods, and corner merchants were yelling at the top of their lungs in their attempts to draw attention to their stands. Clearly this was the commercial district for the commoners that inhabited this land. Not a bad place to be, but it did feel a bit different from the illustrious “Aventurine Street.” ”The hospital is right up the street there,” Akechi mentioned, his finger pointed toward the largest building in the whole district. Clearly an abundance of capital had been dumped into building this new modern marvel of a building, but in this world was there any other way to ensure the survival of your people? Probably not…

”I’ll get you a room there,” Akechi would say as he turned back toward the girl, pointing toward the second largest building in the district. It wasn’t like he was trying to impress her or anything like that. This was simply the more convenient option for a multitude of reasons.

Pushing open the glass doors revealed a lobby that looked like it was crafted by gods. It looked like a different world than the one outside, a taste of Aventurine in the middle of the tenements. ”After you,” the man would comment, allowing the woman to enter before leading her over to a nearby elevator. ”No need to check in or anything. Already taken care of.”

The top level of the hotel housed only a single Penthouse Suite. Akechi led her into the enormous room that looked more like a luxury apartment than anything. The pair entered in to the living room with the sapphire countertops and the incredible view of the city below. ”Here we are. Incredible, right? This is yours by the way. At least until you decide leave,” the man would say as he handed over the keycard used to get into suite. It was hers for the time being… Right next to the hospital like she asked. ”Well… mind sitting and talking for a bit?”

[Topic Created/Welcome!]

 

[Wakatsuchi Momoka]

Re: Here's to First Impressions [Free/Semi-Private/PM to Ent

Passing by the slums of the village hardly fazed Youko, if it even did anymore. If anything, the sight only served as a pointed reminder that while she was here on a vacation of sorts, there was plenty of work to be done. Regardless of whether or not she was working for a village anymore, helping other people was a priority for her. More so, she was always happy to provide her skills as a medical shinobi to those who were in need of it. As Akechi led her further into the village and towards the hospital, the more she allowed herself to enjoy the thought of doing volunteer work during her stay. Perhaps there would be room for an extra hand.

She carefully took note of the ways they went. As this would lead to her place of lodging, it was probably best she memorized this route the most. Thankfully, there weren’t many twists and turns about, and Akechi had kept the same pace that gave her the freedom to look around at her leisure. Presenting the Pearl Tenements to her had been a grand gesture, and she chuckled as he waved his hand. It wasn’t hard to be enthused by the city, as alive as it seemed to be even when the sun was out. She turned her head to look at where he pointed at, the great height of the hospital making it easy to spot. Definitely easy enough to remember for the following days, "Now that's a hospital," she remarked quietly, her voice full of undertones of amazement. The last one she'd seen that could probably hold up to this village's standard was frozen back home.

Looking towards where he pointed next, a building shorter a few storeys of the hospital, though it looked definitely as refined. Her awe had been traded in for a small frown, wondering if it was a place she could afford to be staying at. Though by no means short of the cash, being on the move made her a lot more conscious of her spending. She followed him into the building and couldn't help the sound of surprise she'd let out the moment her eyes had taken in the lavish lobby, "This is... this is too much, Uchiha-san," she whispered sharply as he gestured to the elevator, in disbelief over how luxurious of a hotel it looked, "Really, a small apartment would've been fine," she continued to voice out, though stepping into the elevator as she did so.

"Kami..." she breathed out as he opened the door to her room, apparently the one at the very top of the hotel, "Incredible?" she choked out with a slight laugh, "Incredible even doesn't seem to justify it. This is honestly, way, way too much," Shaking her head as she received the keycard, she gravitated towards the large window, barely repressing the squeal at the sight of the city before her. A pretty room with a pretty view. This trip was already turning into an experience she would remember for a long time, and she hadn't even been here for a full day yet.

"I can't possibly take this. It's great, beyond incredible, truly, but this... this isn't really necessary," she stammered slightly, half-heartedly gesturing to the whole room. He did go through the trouble of taking care of everything for her, and the room was as beautiful as rooms came. She wasn't exactly in a position to complain, eventually letting out a defeated sigh and letting her arms drop as she came to that conclusion. With another helpless shake of her head, she nodded at his offer and gestured that he take a seat himself while cautiously sitting down one of the fat armchairs, almost as if afraid of marring the pristine condition of the room. She relaxed as soon as she felt the smooth fabric of the chair, the soft cushion feeling like the exact place she wanted to be after a taxing day, although the sigh of relief had been something she kept to herself, "This was... overwhelming," she said, offering a small laugh, "But thank you very much. Was there something in particular you wanted to talk about?"

[MFT]

 

[Akechi]

Re: Here's to First Impressions [Free/Semi-Private/PM to Ent

”Funny how much information is gathered by mere body language. She didn’t look upon the slums of our village with pity or judgment. Instead, there was a look of determination… of purpose. She figures that there is simply work for her to accomplish while she is here. Interesting…” The man thought to himself as he found himself in the kitchen of the suite, gathering wine glasses and other utensils used when making drinks. His observation of the woman gave him a bit of insight into the woman’s soul. She was a person whose benevolence seemed to be at the forefront of her personality. Her compassion was one of her greater strengths, and that drive seemed to be her rationale behind the decisions that she made. If Akechi decided to work with her, and that wasn’t something that he had decided yet, then he would make sure that he adhered to this strength of hers. After all, knowing how to talk to someone was the key toward working with someone… or manipulating someone to do what you asked. It was all in the way situations were explained, the way information was given, and also how arguments were framed. Someone always plays the “bad guy,” who that person is a matter of perspective.

”Whoa. Whoa. Uchiha-san makes me sound like an old man. When you have three kids, feeling young is quite important!” Akechi giggled, his voice crackling as he joked around about his age. He wasn’t that old by normal standards, though 25 was a bit old for active non-bureaucratic shinobi. Most that he knew were either dead by this age, or they were pushing papers in their high profile positions. However, his generation happened to be extremely lucky and quite skilled at staying alive these days. ”Seriously though. Akechi works just fine, and you are a guest of the Uchiha. The Uchiha clan’s name means something in some parts. You just happen to be in one of them, ” Akechi commented, leaving out the fact that he was married to the Daimyo of all people. The fact that she had taken his clan’s name meant something gave him access to all sorts of goodies… not that he really gave a crap about them. Resources were tools though, and he’d use them instead of letting them go to waste.

”You look like a wine girl,” Akechi spoke, completely guessing at her drink of choice. Honestly, he had no idea what she liked. He just put his hands on the first thing he saw. The wine he chose happened to be a black cherry infused Merlot, one that was as elegant as it was powerful. He poured both of them a glass and slipped a glass into one of her free hands (if she wanted it) before sitting down on the couch opposite of her. ”I didn’t mean to overwhelm, but no worries. I don’t feel as if you are asking too much.”

Of course, he did want something in return. Just some of his curiosity entertained. A small price, right?

”You, mostly.” The Uchiha would start, a slight smile appearing across his face before taking a sip of the wine. ”Kirigakure. How was it before you left? Did you leave before it froze over? Where have you traveled since leaving?” Akechi questioned, making it rather clear that he was a guy with a serious thirst for information. I mean, he wouldn’t have been a scientist otherwise, right? ”Sorry. It’s a bad occupational hazard of mine! I tend to ask too many questions.”

 

[Wakatsuchi Momoka]

Re: Here's to First Impressions [Free/Semi-Private/PM to Ent

"Three kids?" she repeated, her eyes wide in surprise. Although it really shouldn’t have come as much of one, considering the profession they were in. With the unpredictability of missions, it was probably a well accepted fact that shinobi died young. Youko knew that firsthand. It was only reasonable to find that many opted to settle down young, too, "I hate to break it to you, but I think you're going to have to get used to being called an old man then," she joked, giggling along with him. Truthfully, she didn't find him that old at all, gauging that he had to be at least around her age, or perhaps just a year or two older. "Well that's one way to make a village stranger feel quite... special," she said, her cheeks pinking slightly as he told her about his clan's name. After having been given the freedom to pursue her own interests, Youko had done nothing but train and hone her skills as a shinobi. She didn't realize she would ever need the lessons her elders had always been trying to engrain into her. Current affairs and clan politics... much of it was something she never wanted to be a part of, though she was slowly coming to terms with the fact that they hadn't been pushing her to learn all that just so they could hinder her from doing what she wanted. Knowing clan names would have certainly saved her this small embarrassment.

"I'm not an anything girl," she said, although taking the wine glass with a grateful smile, "I mean, I don't particularly like one drink over another. I'm what you could call a social drinker, so it's pretty much just whatever's offered," she let out a small laugh, remembering both clan functions and the small "celebrations" she often had with her cousins.

She smiled sheepishly at him, "I was worried about having trouble finding my way around at first, so I thank you very much for all your help,"

"Oh no, no, it's okay. I can understand the curiosity," she said, although there was her eyebrows pulled together, a troubled look surfacing on her features, "It's just, um... When "it" happened, whatever it was, I was in a coma at the hospital. By the time I got released, people already left, or at least were doing so. I wasn't really myself then too. It felt like too much of a dream, that I wondered if I had ever woken up at all," she explained, starting from the start of what she could remember hopefully being the best way he could understand what she knew herself.

"I left before it completely froze over. Most of us had gathered around before leaving, deciding a course of action, who wanted to go where, that sort of thing. The administration split up, and I went with the Mizukage as most of the refugees had. I was looking for a sense of reality, and helping out people seemed to like the best way to get me grounded. The ship we boarded took us to Wind Country first," She remembered it quite clearly, finding it one of the more poignant circumstances she ever found herself in. Looking down at her wine glass, she briefly lost herself in her own thoughts. After that small pause and a small sip of wine, she continued, "After the kage got most of the civilians settled, I pretty much went on my own. I was hoping to look for family, though I've yet to run into such luck there. Mostly I visited small villages which were in areas that severely lacked medical resources. I stayed as long as I was needed, then moved forward,"

"I guess I was kind of looking for myself, too," she chuckled, the words leaving a funny feeling on her lips, "Kirigakure was all I'd ever known, so it took some time finding what I am when there was no village, or family, to define my role,"

[MFT]

[OOC: Apologies for the lateness! I didn't expect my schedule to get so hectic so quickly.]

 

[Akechi]

Re: Here's to First Impressions [Free/Semi-Private/PM to Ent

The man almost died in laughter –and embarrassment– as the woman seemed surprised that he already had three kids. I mean, he did have a clan to repopulate. Might as well get started early, right? Well… not that it was a mistake or anything, but he was blessed with twins on the first go around. That and somewhat of an adoption made for a rather interesting story for how he had been blessed with the children. ”I actually have twins, two beautiful little girls. I also have an older son. The old man thing will take a bit of getting used to though,” Akechi would respond, drowning some of his own laughter with a bit of the wine that he had poured for them. You’d think that having so many children would’ve caused him to temper his ambition a bit, but he couldn’t afford to have his goals diminished. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t love his children more than life itself, but he had to push on toward his ambition. He owed it to himself, he owed it to Haruka, and most importantly, he owed it to the children that they had. They deserved to live in a world that was filled with their people, and he hoped to take steps toward fulfilling that dream.

Even if the means were viewed as slightly immoral…

”No problem. I enjoy helping other people out. I have to say though… I don’t think I’ve met girl without a preference. I remember Kirigakure’s women being a bit more… demanding,” Akechi laughed, poking fun at the woman’s nationality as vengeance for her “old man jeers.” Playful banter always brought with it the illusion of trust. That was how friendships were bred, how women were coaxed from their panties, and how political bonds were formed. Something as trivial as banter played a part in all of that. It was stupid to Akechi but it was human nature… and he enjoyed it, truth be told. ”Ah, so let me guess. While all of the other girls were out partying, you at home studying to be the best doctor that you could be. The medic of all medics. Always finding a question or a problem that needed solving,” the man ascertained, clearly loosening up a bit as he downed the rest of the cherry liquid before pouring himself another. ”Don’t worry. I was the same. Well… I was that guy, I mean.” A lot had changed since then though.

Then the stories of her homeland caused him to perk up at attention, sitting forward as the woman had been awarded his undivided attention. The story that she told was one of happenstance, but it was rather believable. Youko didn’t choose the life of a vagabond for herself, a series of unfortunate events had brought her to this point. Her coma… her village… the loss of what she knew. It was kind of disheartening to hear… an emotion that Akechi didn’t believe he could experience anymore. ”I’m sorry for all that you had to go through. If you want, I can put out some feelers… see if I can track down some of the Kawazoe. Though I wouldn’t really know where to start,” the man responded, a genuinely concerned look appearing across his face. The loss of family was a feeling that he knew all to well. That feeling of being alone had shaped a man that sought to destroy rather than create. Honestly, he wished no one else would have to feel the curse of loneliness…

”Just looking for yourself then. I think we all are in some way,” Akechi spoke, attempting to reassure the woman that she wasn’t alone in this thing… this feeling. ”I am quite curious though. What type of person do you want to be? What are you looking for? What’s your dream?”

(OOC: No problem. I have finals and what not so I understand.)

 

[Wakatsuchi Momoka]

Re: Here's to First Impressions [Free/Semi-Private/PM to Ent

Youko tried to picture the family Akechi had described, using a bank of faces to fill in the blank details. The twins after an imagined mother, the son after their father. Though instead, the image of fat, chubby-cheeked girls waddling around like lost ducks came to mind. As maternal as she got when she was on-duty as a medic, she'd always found it amusing to watch them chase one something that caught their attention after another. She tried not to chortle as the thought sprung to mind. Although she had taken her liberties, she imagined their household to be rather lively. Twins, in her experience, were rather troublesome, after all, and she'd voiced out just as much, "Wow, that sounds like quite the lot. They're aren't being too much of a handful, I hope," She laughed good-naturedly.

She made a face at his words, wrinkling her nose before taking sip off her wine, ”I guess it’s part of the whole, ‘I-don’t-really-know-what-I-want’… thing,” As someone who’d grown up having her whole life planned ahead for her, she found it hard to pick things out for herself. Although she had certainly come a long way from being that child who was too dependent on the orders of those who’d mapped out her life, she still found herself saying that anything would be fine, because there wasn’t something specific she wanted in mind.

At the assumption he’d made, she shook her head and giggled, ”Not entirely true. I spent a fair amount partying it up too, or whatever. Admittedly I was a self-proclaimed bookworm back then, and it wasn’t like anyone with argue with you otherwise, but now I’d like to think that I wasn’t actually that reclusive,” A half-hearted attempt at shaking off being associated with a particular type. Though to be fair, her being out had more to do with her cousins and her best friend dragging her out of her room than her actually wanting to, ”Just to come back a sec, do you mean that you’ve been to Kirigakure before?” she asked, wondering if that had been part of the reason why he was so curious.

She quickly shook her head at the offer, shaking her hand out as well as she felt that she’d already taken a lot more than what was necessary, ”There’s no need to trouble yourself, really!” She hadn’t prioritized the search for her family in a while, having resigned herself with the fact that they would see each other when the time came for them to. As far as she knew, most of her relatives were in Fire Country, a country as foreign as any other. Others, though, were settled in smaller, more distant villages. Places she probably couldn’t pinpoint unless she could access the family tree records from the main house.

”I…,” she was taken aback with the loaded question, blinking noticeably as she tried to gather her thoughts, ”Well, I want to be the kind of person who makes a difference in people’s lives,” she answered, a little tentative about how she was wording it. She wanted to help people out, and recently she found herself wanting to contribute more to that than simply being someone who healed them, but it all came down to being someone who wasn’t a helpless little girl, ”I mean, I just really want to be able to help people. It doesn’t have to be some big breakthrough or something like that, although it probably wouldn’t be too bad to be able to make that kind of contribution in the medical field, you know?” she chuckled.

Then she remembered her grandmother, because questions like this always brings her back to her. After all, she had been the entire reason Youko had gone into the medical field in the first place, ”Anyway, I guess I just don’t want to end up being a bystander, when I know there’s so much I could do for others,” A part of her felt like the selflessness of her words seemed too eager, that to some perhaps coming off as fake, but she genuinely did want to reach out. If there was anything that was giving her life direction at the moment, it was that all her medical training was being used the way she always wanted it to be—for the benefit of others.

 

[Akechi]

Re: Here's to First Impressions [Free/Semi-Private/PM to Ent

”Ah! Nah. They aren’t that bad. No really. They aren’t,” Akechi responded with an embarrassed look pasted across his face. He loved those girls to death but those little devils would end up being the death of him… strictly in an allegorical context, of course. As the man that sat as head of his family, he was ready to die for them but he didn’t plan on dying anytime soon. Akechi simply had too many things to accomplish before passing, and that included watching his girls fully grown with little Uchiha of their own. ”Alright, maybe sometimes. But there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for those handfuls. Honestly, I think they get that from their mother. She’s quite the handful herself,” he laughed, knowing full well that Ms. Uchiha wouldn’t have taken his little jibe lightly. Then again, perhaps she’d appreciate the understatement, considering that others in the village likened her to something far worse. Perhaps he should’ve taken out the photo of his family and showed her, but that thought honestly slipped his mind as they dug a little deeper into Youko’s psyche.

”I see,” the Uchiha responded, taking another sip of the wine he had poured, quietly listening to the woman reflect upon herself. Youko didn’t seem like she had a selfish bone in her body, a contradiction to normal human nature. She was truly out of the ordinary, choosing a life where she could best help others instead of her own ambitions. How fulfilling was that though? Akechi didn’t see how a life without ambition could be considered gratifying, but a man such as him couldn’t. He understood that and he accepted it. In fact, his knowledge of his own philosophical bias allowed him to accept Youko’s train of thought –and others– despite his own strong beliefs against it. ”A person like you can find that breakthrough. You aren’t lacking for determination, that’s for sure. Maybe lacking a bit of confidence but definitely not determination,” the Uchiha complimented, reassuring her that her search to help people wouldn’t be in vain… whatever she decided to do. After all, Akechi had a certain eye for talent and he could tell that Youko had plenty of it. What she’d do with her talents was unknown though…

Even to her…

”I almost forgot to answer your question from before!” Akechi exclaimed, grinning as he raised his glass in the air in hilarious fashion. ”Yes. Not since I was little but I’ve been to Kirigakure before. Sunagakure and Konohagakure are both more common to me. It’s a shame what happened to Konohagakure as well. Different circumstances but almost the same result. I hope your family wasn’t caught up in all that.”

Then to his point…

”How do we choose who to help? In this world, one person’s savior is another’s enemy so how do we choose? Are we always fated to choose a side? To eradicate a clan? To eradicate a village? It makes the goal of saving people rather difficult when you think of it that way.”

[OOC: Final stretch of school! I'll be more active!]