medicalpunch | 1st Punch

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1st Punch

[Action: Where the rivers meet in the village]

[Sakura's arrival in Luceti comes with a short, bitten-off yell of surprise and a splash as she drops into the icy water. The white-clad figure vanishes underwater, then reappears, struggling, fighting to surface long enough to catch her breath. It's shockingly cold, iced over in places -- although thankfully not where she fell -- and even if she knows nothing else yet, she knows she must get out of the water.]

[Flailing, gasping, reeling in shock from the sudden cold, it's extremely difficult for her to get atop the water as a ninja would normally go -- but she's too cold to swim properly, she knows that all too well, and with the ice besides, she has no other choice.]

[She's proud of her own strength and control, and she makes herself display it now, pushing up out of the water and working her way until she is balanced by chakra on the surface.]

[Now, though, she's exposed to the bitter air, soaking wet, with nothing but a thin, backless white dress to cover her. And she's freezing.]

[She makes her way toward the shore, where there's a journal waiting for her. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a warm blanket or anything like one. Just the journal, with her name on it, and a biting chill to the air.]

[Video]

[Sakura's hair is is still damp when her face appears on the journals. She's managed to get dry and warmed up -- and much more warmly dressed than when she arrived -- but she looks disoriented, worried, and worn.]

I don't know what this place is, where it is, why it is. I'm not sure I even want to speculate. But if there's anyone... familiar out there, anyone who knows me -- I'm here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not right now.

[Strange or not, Temari would be a little flattered.]

But later, perhaps?

[That implication has her attention.]

Perhaps. There are... variables. [Variables which do not need to be talked about over the journals.]

Variables?

... I see. [She's a smart cookie.]

I'll see you around, right? [Where they can talk privately.]

Building one.

Got it. See you soon, then.

[So Temari's there too, hm? Sakura smiles at that, and just closes the journal, looking forward to running into her in person.]

[And Temari closes her journal too - and goes to hanging around in the fourth floor kitchen. Walking the hallways. Generally being visible.]

[It isn't too terribly much longer before Sakura shows up; the building isn't much to explore, and she makes her way up through the floors until she catches sight of Temari.]

Temari? There you are!

[Temari's lucky - or observant, she'll go with observant - enough to catch movement (and a flash of pink) before Sakura speaks. She turns in time to see the greeting and raises a hand to return it, then jerks her thumb toward the kitchen.]

[It's something of a brusque response, but Sakura doesn't know Temari well enough to know whether it's unusual or not, so she nods and heads to the kitchen as indicated.]

I'm not sure if it's right to say I'm glad to see you or not. Familiar faces, but...

[Temari leans against the counter, watching Sakura carefully.]

But it means you're here. Don't worry about it. It's not that bad.

Isn't it?

[Sakura looks toward Temari, then shakes her head.]

Being kidnapped from home, having my body altered without my knowledge, being trapped here...

[Temari nods. Yeah, she knows. Her hand drifts to her neck, where she taps the back of it.] There's a barcode too. Right there.

[It's the cherry on the sundae, and Sakura fights the urge to slam a fist into whatever surface is closest. She doesn't need to be doing property damage just yet, as much as it would let out some of her feelings.]

Barcodes. Wings. Dumping me in a frozen river! What the hell is this place?

[Temari's hand drops and she shrugs.] Not everyone gets dumped in a river. [Though she did get dumped in a lake once.]

I'm just glad I'm a medic, I'll say that much.

[Otherwise? That could have been a major, major problem.]

That bad?

It's very cold out.

[And the dress she showed up in doesn't do much for warmth.]

And I'm not exactly at my most resilient and rested right now. [Not coming straight off the battlefield!]

It is that. [A pause, then a nod.] Grab some food or something, then.

[She waves a hand dismissively.]

Not yet -- I'll eat in a bit. First...

[She faces Temari squarely.]

What do I need to know about this place? What's the situation here?

[Temari considers this for a moment, then shakes her head once.] There's a lot to take in. I'll tell you while you eat.

[Look. She's trying to make sure a comrade isn't faring too badly. Take the kindness before she gets impatient, yeah?]

[Fine, fine, point taken. And considering the dunking she had, she could probably use the calories right now. Sakura moves to the fridge, poking around for components to at least a moderate snack.]

Well? I'm being a good girl. Talk to me?

[Temari had looked away for a moment when Sakura started poking through the fridge; she turns back just in time to catch the last word, barely.

And then it's deer in headlights time. Temari blinks at her for a moment before speaking.] What?

[Well. Damn it.]

[Frooooown. Did Temari just stop listening to her? It isn't like her to be suddenly inattentive or so distracted.]

Did you not hear me? [Sakura's looking up and facing her, at least, frowning as she tries to sort through the cues.]

I said, I'm being a good girl, so tell me?

[Ignoring that first question because the answer is probably evident.]

This is Luceti. It's an enclosure that we do not often leave. [Yeah, she'll come back to that.] There's a good bit of... [She hesitates just for a second, looking for the right word to describe the actions in the Malnosso organization of late.] ...political maneuvering in the higher-ups around here. They're fighting a war. [Which could explain a good bit of that political maneuvering, in all likelihood.

Temari shrugs one shoulder, lips pressed together, then speaks again.] We're their soldiers and their test subjects.

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