By the riverside [Kenny]

Akira had been feeling more adventurous lately, going out more and doing things she honestly wouldn't have done a year ago. She seemed to have more time to herself, and was even going to school more often than not. Although she still preferred to submit work online rather than making the trip there, but she was still getting stuff done. And she was proud of the work she had been doing, this just meant that she was doing well enough that she just had free time coming out of the woodwork. At this point she just came from the festival down the street, and was just passing the river that ran through the district. She stopped and admired it for a bit; how the water somehow kept everything connected and yet at the same time, kept everything separated. Nevertheless, she decided to sit down on a hill, staring out into the distance at the water as it flowed down. Everything felt peaceful, and everything was just that. Her two twin-drills moved with the wind as she sat and thought about life.

Kenneth had decided today to walk around, for whatever reason he really did not know. Maybe he would meet someone new or do something new, perhaps he would learn something that he did not know before? For whatever Reason, Kenneth had decided to check out Little Tokyo, a place that attracted many a weeb. One person had attempted to challenge him earlier to some sort of "duel of honor" because he bumped into him the wrong way. People surely were strange in some parts of town.

As Kenneth was walking around, he would begin to make his way across the river that was notable within Little Tokyo, there were certainly a few people that had a habit of fishing over there as well, which made him wonder if he should try fishing there himself. As the young man was walking however, he would notice a young girl looking down at the water, sitting at what appeared to be a hill which was a bit of some distance away from the river. Opting to try to start up a conversation, the boy would look at the river as he walked over to her, then look directly at her to speak. Sure is a nice river isn't it? It's just the right amount of quiet here, makes you really appreciate nature. The boy would say, before looking over at the river with a sort of wistful gaze in his eyes.

The river was calm, the air was soft when it blew past her, barely there but still noticeable. Sometimes things like this can just make you think life is always going to be this good. She was completely lost in the water for a bit, but something pulled her out of it. It was a strange feeling in her stomach, something that prompted her to turn around. She noticed a boy approaching her current location; he didn't look like anyone she knew. He might have went to the same school she did, but she didn't go enough to really know. Nevertheless, she took that feeling as natural instincts to being approached, much like how sometimes a person can feel like they're being watched and went back to staring at the water. He stood near her and began to speak, she let him and then responded. "Yeah. I really don't appreciate nature quite as much as I should." When you're surrounded by technology twenty-four seven, you forget that the world around you is actually a place. "I haven't been here since I was young, but it's still beautiful." She took one of her hands and used it to fix one of her drills, placing it behind her rather than letting it fall to the front. 

Strength:

The air was soft, and fragile, much like the dignity of some people when they were insulted. As the grass billowed around them gently in the autmn or spring breeze, Kenneth would simply let the girl speak before responding back onto her. Surrounded by technology? You live in the city or somethin? I come from around VIsta Square. The boy would say wondering for a minute, sure the city had quite a few sights and wonders that would regale many people to begin with, however they would not captivate him nor others who had his type of mentality. He couldn't comprehend sitting around all day on the new iphone 29 that came out which had a battery which was ONE INCH thinner than the previous one. Making it "totally pocket convenient".

You know. They say you don't appreciate alot of things....Untill their gone and you don't even know it.Sadly that was rather true you see. People had many things they took for granted in their lives nowadays, the fact that they were living in a regular city instead of dieing in some post apocalyptic wasteland OUTSIDE of the city really said something to begin with. Living was now a "privilege" due to the Eternal Divide.

She sighed, letting her body relax as she spoke again. "I run a company that is the city's lead provider in high-end technology. I'm sure you've heard of it; our logo is on almost every electronic device you see." She leaned her head back, looking at the sky as it sat on the horizon. "But I live in here Little Tokyo. I just never get out of the house because I'm working constantly." Which reminded her, she had to speak a representative from the government about the new security cameras she had modeled and if they'll be exactly what the queen wants. She heard the boy talk and looked down at the ground in front of her, her smile fading slightly. "I understand exactly how that feels. Sometimes people are gone and you don't even get a say in what happens. You just have to accept that they're gone." She didn't get to say anything about her parents leaving, she didn't get to say anything about her sister's sacrifice. All she got was a shotty explanation from a scientist and police officer. She even had to cover her sister's death up by saying that she died in the crash with her parents. It was just an entire mess she didn't want to deal with.

Huh. So this girl was running a country n everything. Well wait a minute... What's the name of the company. I'm sure there's a few of them here.That was true yes, there were likely to be a few electronic companies here in the city that all competed to be at the top of the market. Your working constantly? That sounds annoying, you don't ever get a chance to just... Step out for a bit besides like right now for example?Kenneth couldn't help but feel sorry sort of for the girl, and the fact that she was genuinley too busy to actually enjoy herself. The fact that the young girl also seemed rather young made him wonder, just how many people were this "young" and doing such big things to begin with? When the part about when you dont get a say came in.. Kenneth couldnt help but clench his fist in slight anger, just thinking about the past for a minute. He never...Got the chance to really say goodbye to anybody he even knew when the Eternal Divide happened, in fact it was very likely that they were all dead to begin with.Yeah...I think i get what you mean by that, I know that feeling too well..

"Uneo Tech." It was true there were smaller companies, most of them formed after the divide, but none compared to hers. She never really worried about her group falling off the map since she's the only one who also provides supernatural research to the government along with new tech. She likes to think that her company is one of the reasons anyone can survive in that city in peace but that probably who would know. "Well when you do what I do, you don't get many breaks. I don't mind though, I've been doing this since I was fourteen. I just recently got time to myself because I've been working hard for the past five years." She said that only because she didn't have a choice, so it couldn't bother her as much as it really did. She had to suck it up and pretend everything was okay. "After the divide I had to take over. But I made sure that we stayed on top in my parent's honor. I'm proud of my work, even if sometimes I will admit it ruins my social life." Like she actually had a social life before she took over, she's basically always been a work machine since she came out of the womb. "Most people here know loss, it's what this city is built on. Sad to admit but everyone knows it. We all just try to move on with our lives and hope everything is better in the future." She looked back out to the water; everything was going to be okay and she knew that.

Uneo Tech huh...Rather big name. It's not every day you meet a psuedo celebrity out in the open too...You ever get press surrounding you or something?Company with a big name gives you an even bigger name after all.Who didn't know of a company that was funding several things within endymion to begin with? Kennith really didn't expect to actually encounter someone who remotley owned or contributed to such a large company to begin with, let alone the actual boss of the company. Your used to working all the time? When I was that age, christ. I was in a hospital personally. That was pretty true, when Kenneth was in middle school around the age of 14 he was hospitalized and really unable to participate in much, to begin with he never really had much of a career either. So you took over after the divide? On my end I just ended up coming over here. You seem pretty dedicated to what your doing, I admire that.It was true, Kenneth admired what the girl was doing with such a big company. But wow! All that money you must have, what do you even do with it? It was a question Kenneth just had to ask her after all, when you had that much money, just...What would you do with it? When the topic of the Endymion blues came out, the Forgotten couldn't help but sigh. That truly was the downside of this place, everyone nearly came due to the eternal divide to begin with. Yeah thats...The real downside to things, but hey atleast we're not dead right?

She chuckled at his first question, mostly because she wondered the same thing. "Being honest? Most people don't know what I look like. I mean you'd think a 18 year old prodigy like me would get attention but nope, I only get interviews when something happens and I have to comment. Other than that, I just go to school occasionally but I mostly do my work and email it in instead of going." She smiled, looking up towards the boy. "It's actually quite nice that no body cares what I'm up to. I mean you didn't even recognize me when you walked up." She listened to him speak, taking a pause as she looked away from him again. "What were you in the hospital for?" He didn't look like he had a chronic illness, but of course neither did she at this point. He mentioned the divide and what he had been doing, to which she responded. "You must have left so much out there. My family fortunately lived here before the divide. I didn't move anywhere. But thank you, I try my hardest to help my company thrive." She thought for a second about the money question; it was a reasonable question, but the answer was she spent all of her extra profits into her plume of dusk program. She couldn't very well just blurt that out to anyone; normal civilians didn't need to know about her supernatural research on the side. "I spend it on newer projects that will cause more revenue. I don't like to spend on myself too much. And I pay my workers a lot like my parents did. I usually only have as much as I need." That was a lie, she usually had more than she could handle, but what are you going to do? "I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if life is a blessing or a curse."

Really now? To think I'd meet the mysterious face behind such a big company. Wait you go to school and manage the company at the same time? That's sounds like quite a lot of work. I don't think I'd be able to manage a company and all of that!Kenny would simply smile at Akira as she continued to detail this, wow. Just how did she do it? When the girl brought up what she valued in her privacy, it made him think for a minute. Being the secret face to a company...There had to this girl than she was really willing to let on to begin with. ShiShiShiShi! Now just what are you up too with all that privacy! One person can only wonder. I bet you just have people wanting to look into your personal life cause of how nosy they are.When you had alot of privacy, sometimes it drew alot of questions, leading to unwanted people investigating into your private life. When the question about what Kenneth was in the hospital for, he only replied straightly. Oh...I had a pretty bad burn, as you can see.He would refer to his hands and arms, which strangely had a large burn on them still. So you spend more money to make more money? Your really having it all just work for you, doing all this at your current age.. I bet you'll be a billionare by the time your 20 or something!He wasn't kidding, and was rather taken aback by someone being so...Successful at such a young age. Kenneth had never paid attention to his career really due to everything he had gone through.

You sound real generous with that money of yours, that's a rare trait. I left alot when I left my hometown to not die...But I like to think the people that died are in a better place.. Life I would say is a blessing no? It could be worse, right? He was posing a simple question after all, they were in more optimal circumstances than most people were in to begin with.

"School work doesn't take me long, I'm just hoping to graduate. I only enrolled so I could have something else under my belt but what I learned from my parents. But it honestly doesn't matter what I want to do, I don't really have a choice." She laughed a bit when he did, leaning back as she continued to sit. "I mean I haven't hired anyone new since my parents passed, and I don't plan on doing it for awhile. But if anyone wants to look they very well could; they won't find anything but a stressed out, barely adult woman trying to make a living." If she was giving a straight forward answer, she was sure this happened because the Queen didn't want anyone finding out about her ties to the Uneo group's research. She probably manipulated the media to ignore her company, which she was completely okay with. Akira looked to the boy when he mentioned his burns, examining them more than she had previously. "I'm sorry that happened to you. It looks like it was painful." She laughed at his next comment again, taking her eyes off his wounds as to not offend him. "Money is power in this city, and I plan on keeping myself high up there on the food chain. But yeah, I like to think I'm a very nice boss; everyone who works for me deserves to know that I appreciate it." His comment about them being in a better place made her think more than she wanted to. Her parents died in a car crash, instantly gone, so at least neither of them passed in pain. Her sister on the other hand, that depended on your opinion. Her sister's body was the lab, still being put through experiments so she can one day wake up again; but she also existed inside Akira. The heart she has now was her sister's, and it was basically the person she used to be. She opted not to answer.

ShiShi! Quite the productive young lady you are if I do say so myself!Kenneth would remark with another smile, this girl really was capable of her stuff. You don't have a choice...? Why? You seem quite loyal also to all of your employees as well.This girl seemed to manage her company rather well. It's alright. I'm pretty much over this burn situation anyway. Money really is power in alot of places anyway. They say green is the only language the entire world speaks!That was quite the saying, because it indeed was one of the realest to begin with. There was no denying those in endymion with more green carried alot more sway inside of things to begin with.

I think I should be heading off right now, but before I go...I don't think I caught your name no? What is it? Mine's is Kenneth.

"I don't have a choice as in, it's very hard for me to think about doing anything else. Everyone at the company relies on me to be there and take care of it and to make sure they can all survive. Someone has to pay them." She sighed, standing up and looking out into the distance, her skirt and hair moving with the wind. "That's good, but it's still hard to forget about those things. And yeah, money is the one of the major things in this world that stayed constant after the divide." He asked her name, causing her to turn to him and smile. "Akira. Akira Uneo." She held out her hand to shake his, if he did take it she would grip his hand as firmly as she could before letting go. "I should be going soon as well but I have to say Kenneth, this is the most enjoyable conversation I've had in a long time. And believe me, I absolutely avoid talking to people. as much as I can." She pushed her hair out of her face, brushing the dirt off her skirt finally. She waited for him to respond, but planned on leaving to head home soon, she still had to finish up work for the night before she went to bed.

Well. It's good that you have a sense of responsibility, not alot of people have that. People never really did take much responsibility for their actions to begin with now a days.This was definently an enjoyable conversation. We should meet again some time. You don't seem like the type to avoid talking to people however. Why would someone who owns a business avoid talking to people to begin with? You had to be social and have a special charisma to own one, let alone manage all of those employees to begin with at times. However, Kenneth would move on, and begin to walk away now that he had said his own goodbyes.

[exit].

Akira nodded a thank you to the complement, not giving a verbal response to it since that wasn't necessary, but the second thing she would. "Business is business. I never talk about anything else, so normal conversations with real people are strange to me." She smiled a bit, saying her goodbyes before watching the boy make his way out of the area. She waited a bit, looking at the water as she sighed. She didn't want to leave just yet, the sun had begun to set and she was happy that she was going to watch that happen. As everything else was, it had also been a long time since she had seen that as well, and all she remembered, was that it was beautiful. She'd make her way home after that, but until then she could just sit there and think about how that day was a really good day.

[Exit - End]