Financial Adviser? An Interesting Proposal [Open]

"Doctor Fennec. Please have a seat. You've been on your feet all day.", Sephora heard a voice speaking softly to her left. The voice was feminine, and one she recognized rather well even before she turned around to face the other female: it was nurse Aya. Nurse Aya had been just about as busy as Sephora herself, if not more so, so the thought of Aya trying to get her to take a few minutes rest caused her to smile given the whole 'practice what you preach' that was going through her mind at that moment.

"Perhaps both of us should take a moments rest?" Sephora suggested as her hand rested on her slightly extended stomach - she was finally beginning to show beneath the white kimono she wore with the pink colored obi and matching butterfly design around the bottom of the kimono itself. Aya smiled in response before nodding - she knew arguing would do no good - and the pair made their way over to the nearby cushioned chairs. Aya purposely sat in the more uncomfortable of the two, leaving the plushest for Sephora to sit in which she did with a soft and content sigh. It definitely did feel good to sit down.

Ever since they had moved to Sabakugakure Sephora had been helping out in the hospital, making quite a name for herself given her gentle voice and wonderful bedside manner; though she was also known for being seen with Kin and working with him. Even after finding out that she was pregnant she had continued to work - though light duty only. Eventually she wouldn't be able to help out as much as she wanted to, so for now she was pushing herself a bit hard - something the other nurses didn't allow her to do when they could help it.

"Have you eaten, yet? I can get you something for lunch if you'd like?" Aya asked just as Sephora's stomach grumbled with hunger. Sephora laughed softly, thinking that Aya might be some kind of physic considering her timing, and shook her head no gently.

"Actually, I'm waiting for Kin to show up now.. He always seems to know when I'm hungry - I think he can hear my stomach growl even across the village." Aya chuckled softly and nodded before getting up and going over to the fridge of the doctors lounge they were in. She removed for herself a bottle of juice and then a bottle of water for Sephora which she brought over. Sephora took it with a thanks, opened the cap, and then sipped at the water a bit before putting the bottle down beside her on the little table to her right. Just as Sephora was opening her mouth to say something else she paused as a voice came over the speaker calling Nurse Aya away.

"Our job never ends, does it?", the other female asked as she stood up and walked out of the room hurriedly while leaving her juice behind.

Sephora watched her go before shaking her head no and answering to the empty room, "It certainly doesn't...". As the door shut behind Nurse Aya the otherwise empty room became fairly quiet, and Sephora found herself sinking more comfortably into her chair than before. It really did feel good to rest, and she knew Kin would be able to find her easily enough - what was better is no one would stop him from entering into the staff areas because they knew he was her husband.

The wonderful juxtaposition of the desert; a wasteland of sand and nothing, at least according to the untrained eye and mind; an endless expanse of 'nothing', but markets filled to the brim with a massive expanse of exotic and rare items of all types and grades. He could find literally anything here, and whatever didn't exist at that moment could be created in a few hours; or imported; or whatever. There was nothing that was beyond the reach of the desert merchant, doubly so the rich desert merchant. Even outside of his clan's main trade holdings, he was still excessively rich compared to most successful local merchants, so he didn't have to worry about things like coin. He could get everything he wanted, whenever he wanted. How did he use that power?

He funded the hospital. He built orphanages. He built soup kitchens and temples and schools. He funded well digs, new public gardens and farms and plantations. He made sure that the village people's benefitted from his wealth; same as he had when he was in his homeland. Mostly though, he made sure that Sephora was well taken care of, comfortable, and healthy. She was carrying their unborn child, so there was that; but mostly he just loved her with all the fierceness of the desert sun, so he was going to do everything within his power and then some to make sure she was happy and healthy. He'd all but dedicated his life since the moment he met to doing so, and he planned on going to the deserts beyond this world doing the same. She was his world, and that was all that mattered to him.

So with that in mind, he was going to be appearing to take care of her before she even realized that she needed to be taken care of. With his ears, he could hear everything around him for miles upon miles; so he could hear her body reacting across the minutes and hours of the day even while she was 'working'. He was making his way through the various food stalls and vendors with a purpose born of decades of experience; he owned a fair number of them by now, so there was no worrying about the quality and such if he purchased from them. However, he was going for a specific stall, one that made a very simple, very high quality, savory grilled stuffed rice ball that was full of the highest quality of vegetables as well as a sweet grilled fruit stuffed rice ball that would keep her comfortably full and properly nourished for the entire day. Beyond that, he already had a set of containers filled with a highly fragrant spiced tea that would help with any pregnancy symptoms she was feeling at the time, as well as making sure that her energy levels where properly elevated, without risking a crash later in the day. It was the kind of gentle, lightly flavored tea that soothed the mind and body; as it's spicy scent was pleasing even to one carrying a child, while the flavor was calm and smooth enough to not aggravate her stomach. He'd sent a messenger ahead of himself, so that he could just pick up the food and be on his way; and his timing was perfect in that manner. The stall owner was just finishing the packaging of the order, so he was able to walk up, pay for the food (owned by him or not, his people had to eat, and to do that they had to be paid), and be moving down the alleyways toward the hospital just outside the far edge of the market.

He actually stopped for a moment at the front desk, allowing the secretary to check his ID even if she knew who he was; he was one for rules and customs, and this wasn't his homeland, so he wasn't going to be that rich dick that bypassed just because no one could call him out on it. Once passed that point, he made his way toward the office that Sephora had been given, passing a few nurses and assistants and giving each a polite nod of the head or a word of hello, if he knew them personally. He reached the closed door of her office rather quickly, using the knuckle of the hand that carried the wrapped rice balls to rap on the door as an announcement of him entering, before pushing the door open and slipping inside. The knock was more for appearance than any need to do so, there was nothing hidden or kept from each other, so doors meant little to nothing between them. "I bring lunch, Dearest."

Left alone in her office Sephora yawned softly and shifted a bit in her chair so that she could get more comfortable. Once situated properly and more comfortably she propped her feet up on the small table in front of her after slipping them out of her lacquered zori. Normally she didn't do such a thing, but considering how long she had been standing, and how tired her feet felt she was willing to bend her own rules a bit; at least she still had on her all white tabi style socks. She was quite aware with her own sensitive hearing of Kin being greated at the receptionists desk and couldn't help but smile a little bit - even if he could just waltz on back on his own he always made it a point of checking in the same as everyone else did. It made her smile.

Even without the knock she knew he was there, and sure enough the door was unlocked - she didn't believe in locking it after all. She had no secrets from Kin, nothing at all that she felt the urge to hide from him. A smile automatically spread across her face as she watched him come in. She was always glad to see Kin, no matter how much or how little time had passed between them last seeing each other.

As the smell of the food he had brought, as well as the tea, hit her nose her stomach roared to life once more and she chuckled softly while rubbing at her extended belly. "Just in time, too, as always.", she added with a gentle smile.

"You just missed Nurse Aya. She's trying to convince me to go home early today. We've been busy... some children were playing too close to a horse and cart when they spooked the horse. One of them was run over. The cart was loaded with goods but thankfully from what I was told the majority of it was light which accounted for the lack of more serious injury or death. Had to spend the afternoon repairing broken bones.. no internal damage though. Sephora shifted again with a light sigh. "I think I should take the rest of the off... "

She looked over to Kin curiously and thoughtfully. "Did you have anything planned for the day, love?"

"You just missed Nurse Aya. She's trying to convince me to go home early today. We've been busy... some children were playing too close to a horse and cart when they spooked the horse. One of them was run over. The cart was loaded with goods but thankfully from what I was told the majority of it was light which accounted for the lack of more serious injury or death. Had to spend the afternoon repairing broken bones.. no internal damage though. ... I think I should take the rest of the off..."

"I agree with that idea. You've done enough, today; by the sound of it." He'd been a caravan driver as a child, so he'd seen plenty of accidents over the years. He knew just how bad it could be to be caught by the horses, let alone a fully loaded cart. He was pleased that the children would recover, but he couldn't help but be a bit concerned that they where even allowed that close to the beasts while playing. It seemed rather... stupid; if the children weren't smart enough to know how to act around the beasts, then why be allowed around them at all unsupervised?

"If nothing else, take a long break. They are well staffed here, so barring some major incident, they can handle a few hours without you." He was setting their lunch down now, having moved across the room as he was speaking; starting with the tea for them both. He had a feeling she would be more thirsty than hungry, given how her body tended to work she was often thirsty more so than hungry; so it was an educated enough guess. Either way, that particular tea gave a sense of filling the belly that many of the higher quality teas did; it was so densely packed with nutrients and such that it was as good as drinking a rich soup, without being rich or overwhelming. He set the small box containing their rice balls down before reaching into his sleeve and producing a wooden tray mat, setting it down in the center of the desk between them and unpacking everything onto it. It was a way to keep the desk and it's contents clean, as well as a way to keep things from vanishing as they ate. Easy clean up meant more time for them to talk and enjoy each other, versus having to clean up and all that.

"Planned? I had thought to wander by the new orchards that should be fruiting by now; maybe take a stroll by the orphanage that's breaking ground tomorrow. See if everything is ready for the ceremony and such. I won't be attending that, I'd rather keep it as we have it now, funding the projects but not monopolizing the credit for them. Better for the locals to feel as though they are making the difference."

Kin agreed with the idea Nurse Aya had of her taking a break, and so did Sephora. She knew better than to push herself on a good day, and now that she was pregnant she had to be doubly careful. She wasn't the delicate flower she used to be who at a harsh breath would wither away, but her beginning had stunted her in some ways that would never repair themselves. So, she knew her limits, and she had to remain within them.

Sephora took the tea meant for her and sipped it slowly and with a very satisfied sigh as she watched Kin go about laying down the mat and pulling out the food. Her stomach growled again just at the sight and smell of everything, but for the moment she focused more on the tea in her hand rather than the food being placed in front of her. As per usual she needed liquid more than anything - though, she knew she was going to have some of those rice balls too because they were just too delicious looking to even think trying to pass by.

Sephora kept quiet for a moment, not only to give Kin a chance to speak and answer her question which he did, but simply because she didn't need to be talking to enjoy Kin's company. She was just as comfortable sitting in a room silently with him as she was sitting in a room and conversing. She took the time to think over what he said, knowing that the rest of her day's schedule was empty if she decided to go home early from the hospital - which she had. "Hm... Perhaps I'll come keep you company. I have nothing else planned for the day, and I don't really feel like going home and taking a nap. Actually, I'm feeling a bit restless. I suppose it's because I've been purposely trying to take it easy compared to my normal hectic schedule." Sephora smiled a bit, taking another sip of her tea while contemplating that idea. It was true, compared to how things had been in their home village, she had a lot more free time now and she still wasn't quite sure what to do with it all.

"Hm... Perhaps I'll come keep you company. I have nothing else planned for the day, and I don't really feel like going home and taking a nap. Actually, I'm feeling a bit restless. I suppose it's because I've been purposely trying to take it easy compared to my normal hectic schedule."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, really. A pleasant walk, some time to talk, nothing to worry about for a bit... It would do us both some good. The path we need take meander some through plenty of park and market we could visit. I do believe a gaggle of local artists have set up a live show in the western fountain square; maybe we could find something for the nursery. There is a spot on the bookshelf that's a bit empty. I want to see if I can find something by another artist, give a sense of difference between individual styles and such. " Oh, he could easily furnish the room with his own designs and creations,  but that would be self-defeating in a way. He wasn't going to limit his child in that manner, the kit would have exposure to everything and anyone; within reason; so that they would be well rounded and able to create a proper identity for themselves. Forcing only his own ideals of art and education would stunt the child, and he refused to allow that. That being said, he knew that checking that notion was needed, lest he force to much of his baby and cause issues in that respect as well.

He reached for his tea, moving to take a pensive sip of the refreshing liquid. His movements spoke of a focusing tactic, he was gathering his scattered thoughts and centering himself before he wandered too far away from the present. "Can you tell that I am having a rare lazy day,  dear?" He was flashing that little smirk that only she ever saw; his statement was true enough, given he was expected to be available for consults all day, but was playing hooky to spend his day with her instead.

Emiko pinched at the bridge of her nose in an attempt to stop the usual headache from rearing its ugly head as she stared down at the paperwork in front of her. Numbers. Numbers and what they were for. The village accounts. Numbers had never been her strong suit unless they went hand in hand with her medical career. These though? These did not, and they were giving her a headache. She had known for a short while she had to find someone to help her out - if they were willing - but so far hadn't bothered to actually go talk to anyone about it. That needed to change. The work needed done; the numbers crunched, things figured out.

Throb.

Emiko winced as her headache came to full tilt despite her attempt at keeping it away. If she kept pushing herself like she was she would end up with one hell of a migraine - which she had done to herself yesterday - and had no intentions of having that happen. With a grumble Emiko gathered up the paperwork, keeping it in as good an order as she could, and stowed it all into the folder which then disappeared into a scroll so she could carry it easier: it was a lot of paperwork.

With the scroll resting on her desk Emiko leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes with a sigh, giving herself a few minutes to just sit there and relax in hopes of forcing her headache into retirement. As she allowed her mind to relax she contemplated who exactly she could ask for help: her village had no shortage of shinobi, but were any of them used to the kind of work she needed done? Then a thought hit her, or rather she remembered someone who she had worked with recently: Sephora. Sephora knew numbers, and her husband knew them too - she had been told the pair had been merchants in their previous village and that hadn't seemed to change here. Plus, given they were ranked among the shinobi of the village she could trust them with whatever sensitive information the paperwork happened to have.

It seemed like the perfect solution to her problem but Emiko couldn't just assume they would - no, she would have to ask, and maybe even beg, for their help. With a plan in mind, and figure she knew exactly where to find her fellow medic at that time of the day, she stood up, slipped the scroll inside of one of the pouches on her hip, and headed toward the wall panel that was a sort of secret tunnel that connected the admin complex with the hospital. She slipped through, the makeshift door closing behind her, and hurried her way through the dimly lit corrider and toward the hospital which wasn't all that far away to begin with. She exited out into a empty storage room that was always locked from the outside and whose 'key' seemed to have disappeared over the years - but which really was only activated by a specific seal that needed touched to actually cause the door to open.

She stepped out and then hurried her way up one hallway and to the next, straight to Sephoras office; bringing her usual scent of sand mixed with a bit of blood as she went. She would pause outside of the office and knock lightly, remembering as she did so that the female who resided there had very sensitive hearing. If told to come in she would do so, closing the door behind herself. If Sephora or Kin happened to begin to rise as she shut the door behind herself she would simply give a wave of her hand and mutter a "No need for all that, we're all equals here... I came by to beg a favor from you is all, and then I'll leave you to your meal."

Sephora, after taking another sip of her tea and swallowing it, was in the process of lowering her cup and opening her mouth to speak when her ears twitched and her nose wrinkled slightly: footsteps where heading purposfully toward her office door and with them they brought the ever-nearing scent of blood and sand. Emiko Sabure. The Kage was coming. Sephora put down her tea, figuring they were about to get a visit, and sure enough she heard the footsteps come to a stop outside of the door and a soft knock follow.

"Come in, please.", she called out in a soft voice which she ensured was loud enough to be heard on the other side of the rather thick door. Sure enough when it was opened there stood Emiko, dressed as she normally was - which was to say not as a Kage and rather like any other shinobi throughout the village. Sephora went to rise, clearly to show her respect, only to see Emiko wave her hand with her usual 'I hate being bowed to, please gods don't do it' manner. Sephora couldn't help but grin a little and just shift back comfortably in her chair.

Emiko mentioned she wouldn't keep them for long, and was in fact there to beg a favor out of them. Eyebrows raised in curiosity as to what the Kage could possibly want from the two of them. Still, she was willing to help even without knowing what the favor was simply because of the type of good and kind person she had heard Emiko to be - even if she did smell like she bathed in the blood of her enemies and carried a bijuu inside of herself with a serious blood lust issue.

"I cannot think of what kind of favor I could possibly help with, but please ask away...", Sephora responded, ears twitching as they so often did when she was extremely curious about something; even her multitude of tails swayed and twitched slightly. She glanced at Kin, wondering if he too was as curious as she was over what this favor could possibly be.