Starring:
Date: August 30, 2012
Summary:
Goh catches up with Itami in Kirigakure, and the pair discuss recent events.
"Heart to heart"
Kirigakure marketplace
After her fishing venture in a channel near the docks, Itami had a good amount of pocket change to use for some food. Of course, she needed to get cleaned up and her clothes washed off as she didn't want to smell like fish all day. Didn't need to be followed by cats and all that. With all her activity said and done, she went to the market to find a good restaurant to chow down at. So far, she's out of luck if only because she doesn't know exactly what she wants to eat.
A quick look at the sky revealed it to be partly cloudy. Sun is out, still hot, still humid, but there's some relief every now and then. This must be the remnants from that storm she was warned about. She didn't hear a thing…guess she was too tired from her trip here. Well, hopefully some relief will come later.
Drifting along the pathways of the market is a blonde male. Moving from stall to stall, the figure appears to inspect some objects or wares, before moving on. He doesn't appear to have any real purpose in his direction, opting to just sort of wander back and forth. Of course, that's when his eyes come across Itami! A smile peeling across his face when he spots the Suna high ranker, he lifts a hand to wave. Perhaps pleased to see a familiar face.
"Hey, Itami." He breathes out in greeting. "What are you doing here? I can hardly believe it! You're a long way from home, huh?" He too looks up and into the sky, noting the humidity. "Must be a bit different than what you're used to."
"Greetings, Goh," Itami offered to him without needing to turn around. His voice was very familiar to her and besides, she was still trying to figure out what she wanted to eat. "I came here on some business and yes, it is a long way from home," she nodded. "As for this place…yes, it is quite different. It's lush and…verdant. Moisture is everywhere. It's everything I ever hoped for in the desert and now I realize it's…a bit unbearable sometimes." She chuckles. "So, you know of anything good to eat around here? I'm trying to figure out what I want, but can't…"
Approaching from behind, Goh grasps both of Itami's shoulders in a first grasp, giving them just a little shake. A playful greeting, really. Walking then to her side, leaving one arm wrapped around for the moment so he can stay reasonably close, he uses his free arm to point to a few places. Just so she can better see where she is pointing!
"Surprise surprise, most of them are actually seafood places! But don't let that throw you off. They're damn good with what they catch." Releasing her, he points to a little stand that has maybe three stools to it. "Over there is what I would recommend. But that's just my personal taste. Don't really know if you're into anything super fancy. But I could always eat if you want company."
Itami looked at her shoulders as they were grasped by Goh, smiling in response to the greeting. She'd soon look out at the marketplace as he pointed to some places around here, all of which were seafood places. Understandable. "Hmm. I suppose I could try that place since you've suggested it. I wouldn't mind some company, either. Let's go." She chuckled while leading the way to the stand. Once there, she took up a stool and proceeded to look over a menu for something good to eat.
Sliding onto a stool next to the Sunagakure Council member, Goh heaves a sigh and orders his usual meal. It looks to be some sort of warm soup, made up of various sea creatures and such. Definitely a salt-based meal, it seems! "So, what brings you here anyways? Last I saw you we were on the rooftop of some place in your Village. Now I get back from adventures, and you're here? Fancy." He pauses, as if in thought. "…I guess I don't really need to ask. Here to suss out the new Mizukage too? Yuge is a bit of a popular character!"
With his soup delivered not long after, he scoops a spoonful up to his mouth.
"I'm always on the move!" Itami chimed. "More now than ever, though. I've been around trying to get a feel for the land all over again. I haven't moved much since the war. I want to change that and allow myself to know who and what I'm dealing with. I wouldn't be a good leader if I couldn't familiarize myself with the villages." She shrugged. "But yes, that was also a part of my plan. Needed to see the new Mizukage for myself. He is different from the others. I'm not sure of what to think and I don't want to feel suspicious about him. Kirigakure's reputation is…well, it doesn't support his personality from what I was able to gather from him."
"Yeah I remember you touching on that." Goh replies, slurping some more of his salty seafood soup. "Something about being envious of me travelling everywhere… heh. How's Kazeo doing?" Goh does have a bit of an interest in the kid. "Y'know, I wouldn't mind stealing him and taking him around the world myself. But I'd feel like I would be robbing the future of your Village! Heh." He slurps again, before leaning back.
"Yeah… it's hard to really get that he's telling the truth, but he appears somewhat genuine." He shrugs a bit. "I guess all we can do is just wait and see, as it were." He shifts a bit in his seat.
"Hey, Itami… we're pretty good friends, right? Do you mind if I ask you something personal?"
"I still am," Itami chuckles. "But as far as I know, he is. I haven't spoken with him in a bit, but I'll be having to check in with him and many others once I return to Suna." She still hadn't decided on what she wanted to eat, so she took a stab in the dark and ordered a fish. She hopes it won't be something she'd be disappointed in. "You think he might be genuine? Even the slightest inclination inspires some hope in me." She set her menu down on the counter. "…" She paused, having heard his question. She needed a few moments to consider if she wanted to answer, but once she determined she wanted to, she nodded saying, "You can ask me something personal."
"You're probably in a great position not to envy anyway, Tam." Goh replies with a smirk. "You're one of the main leaders of a successful, big village! I don't know what more you expect." He grins, rocking on his stool a little bit. "Dunno. If he is, that's a bonus not only for this place, but the world at large. But I don't want to come across as a super naive kid to believe it straight off the bat." Having a bit more of his soup, he swallows.
"What, uh… Hm. This is hard to phrase. I dunno if you're in a relationship with anyone, so I don't want to be stepping on toes. But what do you think about the whole love thing? Do you think you can love more than one person at a time?"
Itami smiles, "I suppose so. Being a leader is probably the greatest thing to some people. I don't mind my job, I just hate that it keeps me constrained. I traveled for much of my life before settling down in Sunagakure. I also have less time to do the things I enjoy. I can't remember when I've made glass foor art instead of for battle," she sighed. "But…" She started and looked toward Goh as she tried to find the words to say herself. "I'm not in a relationship with anyone. Love? I don't know what to think of it. I haven't thought about it much. I think it is possible to love more than one person at a time, but it all depends on who you're dedicated to. Then again, I don't think I've had much experience in that field to really have much to say…only what I feel," she hummed.
"Hmmm. I guess it changes depending on the person." Goh's nose wrinkles at the thought, before he has a bit more of his soup. "I'm surprised to hear you haven't really had much experience in that. A striking desert chick from realms far away! You've got that whole exotic thing going on, Tam." He grins widely, showing his teeth there, before he exhales slowly. "I just figured I would ask. You seem super wise and knowing about everything." He rubs the back of his head a bit.
"I dunno. My whole life has recently turned upside down. Flipped on its head. Just a bit lost, and I guess being a wanderer, there is no real place for retreat. One of the many 'perks', huh?" He forces a grin, consuming the last of his meal.
"The only time I truly experienced love was…a long time ago and I haven't recovered from it yet. I must be the thing of dreams, I have noticed individuals who have had an attraction to me and I to them, but nothing deep enough to really be considered love. I don't know if I'm very wise. Learned, maybe? I don't really know. It must be a clan thing. I lived under my mother's household for a time. Her branch is all about collecting knowledge among other things that are related to learning or wisdom. My father's branch was more like these villages. Militaristic. That isn't to say they ignored knowledge, but it wasn't their focus." She didn't think she'd be talking about this, but perhaps it was needed. "I sometimes have to question love. It's something I both despise and want for at the same time."
Goh leans forward on the bench, listening intently. "It can make you feel fantastic and… what's the opposite of fantastic? Whatever that is, within minutes of each other. I guess you would be right to question it." He grins a bit. "Kazeodori has a bit of a thing for ya, for instance?" He laughs a bit at that. "He's a good kid, that's for sure."
He squirms a bit as his bowl of soup is cleared away. "Sounds like you had a lovely upbringing. Super rigid on both sides of the family, huh?" He muses with a grin.
"My… partner I guess you could call her. I love her as much as anyone can love anything. But when she thought I died in the Salamander Caves, she moved on to someone else. Obviously now that I'm back, it's a bit problematic. I don't blame her for moving on, nor do I hate the guy that's with her now. But I just get the feeling I wouldn't be able to move on. Does that make sense?" He frowns a little.
"Miserable," Itami responded in terms of the opposite. She siled weakly and propped her arm upon the counter to support her head. She hadn't even realized that her food arrived while she was talking. It took her arm bumping against the plate lightly for her to see that her fish was sitting there ready to be eaten. Well…it looked good. "Kazeodori makes me feel…bashful?" She questioned followed by an amused laugh. "I don't know how to respond to him sometimes and don't want to hurt his feelings by seeing him as only a boy. I mean…that's what he is," she shrugged a bit helplessly. Before her food went cold, she began to cut into her fish and continued with, "I feel like I am in a very awkward position." The thought of him brought a smile to her face, but it'd soon fade and hide pain behind it at the mention of her household.
"On the contrary…my mother was very cold to me…and only me. The way she treated my sisters was very different. What they received was warmth and acceptance. I didn't feel like I was part of the family much. It was only until I left with my father that I did feel that same thing. All that I'd been missing…" She slipped a piece of fish in her mouth and chewed on it to prevent her from saying more.
Once that piece was finished, she set her untencils down and stared at her plate while listening to Goh's issue. She wishes she really had an idea of what to say for it, but she didn't. "I'm sorry to hear that. I understand how this could be problematic and I wish I had something to say that'd help, but I'm a bit lost for words in that subject. I do share the feeling. I still haven't moved on from my issues and he's been dead—" She paused and shook her head, "Anyway, it does make sense. I think it may be best to pursue someone else. If you feel an issue can be resolved between the two of you to help you move on, then I think that may be a decent option to go for as well."
Still leaning forward, the blonde is looking at the space behind the bench where the stall owner is working quietly. He seems oblivious to all that is going on. Not that Goh minds either way.
"Maybe. I dunno, just the thought of trying to move on is… weird to me. It feels odd. I never thought I would be someone to love only once. Heck, I never gave it much thought at all. But I suppose there are people like that in the world?" He shrugs. "I guess we'll just see what happens from here on out." With a sigh, he leans back on the stool, arms folding across his chest.
"I'm sorry to hear about your own situation too. Yeah, there's not much I can see really. Other than I know what it's like to not be with the person you want to be with. I don't know what it's like to lose someone, mind you. And I'm sure that's very different. I guess I can at least know a little bit of the situation you're in." He wiggles his nose a little bit again.
"Growing up was a different time for us, Tam. I mean, you look around even Kirigakure these days. Parents of this generation seem to have learned a few things. When we grew up, War was the focus. Still sucks that it was like that though." He looks up at the ceiling.
"I wouldn't be too worried about Kazeo. Like you said, he's just a kid. That thing will pass. But being a mentor of some sort is a good way to keep an eye on him. I guess if stuff does… er, get worse, you'll have to put your foot down at some point."
He sucks in a breath. "Anyway. How long you stick around here for? How's your fish?"
Itami picked her utencils back up to resume eating. She was going to try and enjoy this fish while it was still hot. So far, it was pretty good. "I think there are. I don't understand the world. Too much to try to understand. I guess it boils down to what's right for some isn't right for all. Maybe having someone is not for me, but maybe it is." She smiled once more, "I suppose we will have to see what happens from here on out."
It's at this point that she manages to slip in more bites of her fish and really start to focus on it as a good dish. She'd have to order this again. "I don't think it's much different than what happened to you," she started. "The only difference is that the person you loved is alive. Mine has passed, but the seperation and feeling between both of us is shared and evident. Growing up was different though," she followed along with the conversation, looking behind her at the marketplace for a few moments. "I did see war, now it should be about growth. I only wish to see the best for not just my village, but for all villages. These places are not just havens for shinobi, but for innocent lives as well." She chuckled. "Kazeo. Yes. I'll try to be the best mentor I can be, but I suppose I will have to put my foot down. I don't know if I intend to stay around for much longer. I want to gather up some black sand to work with and use to create works of art. The fish is excellent, by the way."
"You what?" Goh replies in surprise, looking at her as she consumes her meal. "You're not planning on staying around much longer?" He seems quizical at that, almost confused. "If you quit, then who am I going to get all the desert goss from?! You're the only one left that I know." He sticks out his toungue. "How dare you think about yourself and what makes you happy!" He laughs out loud, ordering some water and taking a sip of it.
"For real though, if you do end up quitting the Village, then hit me up. I know some cool places to go once you have no affiliation. We can get absoultely smashed, and then drunkenly make our way through the land. Sound cool, huh?"
"Oh, I meant here, I'm sorry," Itami laughed. "I didn't plan on staying around Kirigakure for long. I was going to leave back home," she reached out and patted Goh on the shoulder. "But I don't think I'll be quitting the village. Not anytime soon. I'm too deep into the village to leave it behind now," she grins. "Tell you what, though. You do all the enjoying for me. I know you say you don't have any place to settle down in, but you have a place in Sunagakure."
Goh almost breathes a sigh of relief when Itami confirms. He slumps in his stool as he finishes off the glass of water, then standing up from his place. "Well, at least I can say I'm happy about that. You had me worried there. You're like… I dunno. The glue that holds that plce together or something!" He grins, before nodding a bit. "Yeah, I know… I do have a place I like to call home, but… it's hard sometimes to go there. When you're looking for human company, it can be a bit lonely when you're down." Clearing his throat, he looks around at the market, stretching side to side.
"I'm certainly not going to go have a party by myself. Maybe next time you have shore leave, huh?"
Itami blushed at the compliment paid toward her. She didn't really think…okay, maybe a little. She was a major figure in the village, after all. "Just know you've got human company elsewhere," she continued on the subject trying not to ride on the compliment for too long. "Next time I have shore leave, I'll do my best to be available. I'm always up for a good time."
