[Suzune - Akemi] Wander World

Chula - Suzune

Well, despite the fact that there were multiple areas she could access, the lack of outdoors still made this whole place feel… cramped. She wanted to run, to jump, to see the birds, and all that. Didn't normal prisons still have a courtyard to play in sometimes? She assumed, anyway. It wasn't like she had experience with them prior to this point. Still, having confirmed the existence of showers that there was a lack of in her own cell, she felt comfortable enough to at least get a bit of a jog going. A little sweat never hurt if you could wash yourself off a bit afterwards, even if it was a simple rinse, yeah?

Having not found anything outside of the clothes on her back, that meant she was left with nothing but heels to run in. Ahh…. her best friend, high heels, how could you betray her like this? She giggled softly as she removed them from her feet and carried them both in one hand. Giving her legs a good stretch before taking off, Suzune sprinted down the empty halls, staying mindful of the doors should any of them open. Once she reached the end of the hall, she pivoted and ran back the other way, like a cat with 2 AM zoomies in a small house.

She skidded to a stop, of course, as soon as a door in her pathway opened. The last thing she wanted to do was bump into anyone and make a bad first impression. Once stopped, she placed her hands onto her knees and worked to catch her breath.

"Hooo…. Hi! S-Sorry if I, like… startled you there, I just… want to stretch out and get some exercise in, you know?" Inhale, exhale… And she popped back standing upright like nothing happened, slipping her shoes back on. "I like to feel my heart pounding when I can! Hehe~ Nice to meet you! I'm Suzune Gikou." Before the other party could even speak up, she held out her hand for a shake, with a bright smile on her face.

Emmy | Akemi

Akemi hadn't ceased her search of this space since first exiting her cell. However she had ended up here, surely there had to be some sort of evidence or answers to be found.

At least, that was her thinking as she stepped into the oddly rustic hallway space. Those thoughts were sidetracked by the view of someone jogging along the hall, heels in hand. Why anyone would choose to go for a run, or at least seem to enjoy running, remained a mystery to Akemi. She supposed there was little else to do, but she could hardly think of a less-enticing activity at the moment.

As Suzume introduced herself, the normally sour expression on her face turned to one of mild surprise. She blinked once or twice to ensure she was seeing correctly.

"…Akemi Kuro."

She stated professionally, holding out her own hand for a firm shake.

"I am familiar with your work. Your more recent promotions for HaruGi were certainly memorable."

Chula - Suzune

As Suzune's returned the shake, her expression lit up with excitement. "Akemi Kuro, Akemi Kuro… Oh, wait! Your name sounds familiar too, you're umm… Um! The art critic, right? I've seen your stuff I think, hi, Kuro-san! Wow, what an honor!" She giggled, returning her hand to her hip.

Of course, of course, she'd easily jump at the chance to talk up her husband and their company, too, but she had to stay humble, as well! Especially in front of someone so notable within the field of fine art. Runway, too, was just wearable art, wasn't it? "I'm so glad you've seen it! We've been working to launch the next line of ready-to-wear stuff for the past month or so. Fashion moves so fast, it's suuuper important to keep up and work quick, you know? I just wish some of my husband's work got the chance to age like fine wine in the way a painting or a sculpture does, hehe. People forget looks and think they're dated so fast!"

To be fair, a lot of that rapidly-pushing-out-trends stuff was done on the part of the fashion industry itself to make more money, but that didn't necessarily mean HaruGi was the originator of that problem. You gotta keep up to not drown, and that was something Suzune happened to be pretty good at doing.

"Oh, um. if I have your attention for a little bit, is it alright if I ask you a question? You must have seen sooooo many beautiful works through your career, what works do you think left the strongest impression on you? I like to keep an eye out for things that might make for good inspiration pieces." So much of art built off of each other, and fine art to fashion was no exception.

Emmy | Akemi

This was perhaps the warmest reception Akemi had ever recieved upon being recognized. A glimpse of surprise flashed across her face.

"The very same." She affirms. "Despite my focus on fine arts, I do on occasion follow fashion trends, though they do often move much faster than the works I tend to work with. The commodification of fashion and fine arts has made it much more challenging to make more than a ripple in mainstream consciousness for most, before becoming buried in the avalanche of mediocrity and repetition. It is rare for those in my field to achieve true stardom during their lifetimes."

"I am rather fond of Lee Krasner and Joan Mitchell. I find that abstract expressionism can lend itself to Fashion Design rather nicely, and it stands on its own as a movement rooted in both history and personality."

Chula - Suzune

Oooh! How exciting! Suzune laced her fingers together. While she, herself, may not be the true artist of her company, it would be a lie to say she had no hand in the creative process. After all, she was his muse, to say in the least. But a conversation comparing the two industries? That she could do. And hearing the perspective from the other side tickled her brain in a way she didn't often get to do!

"Oh, I guess that's true now, too, isn't it? So much art in general is like, corporate nowadays. It's kind of a shame you get less people just spilling their hearts out for their own, like, satisfaction and emotion than you used to. I kinda understand, though, like… people gotta pay the bills. But there's always something so much more gripping about something raw like Keith Haring's "Unfinished Painting," you know?"

Art that… meant something!

"HaruGi gets a lot of commissions from the idol industry so we're a little guilty of it too, but a lot of our runway shows are just wearable art of passion! I don't know how, like, closely you follow, but the Sumi-e-inspired high fashion runway show we did a couple seasons back was just me and Haruki doing something for the beauty of it!" High fashion was less of something that people wore out on the town, and more about a wearable canvas, after all. Of course, though, with her stature, she didn't walk that catwalk. But she was there to greet and announce, at least.

Lee Krasner and Joan Mitchell… "Hmmm, I don't think I've seen Krasner's works, but I think I've seen one or two things from Mitchell! The pretty color splash experimentation stuff, right? It's soooo eye-catching! Maybe I could just…." Suzune reached into her jeans pocket and frowned to discover it empty. No phone. "Well, darn! I was gonna look up Krasner, but I guess I can't, huh? I found some books in the warehouse, I wonder if there's like… any photo books or something there." That might be a little too convenient. "When you hear a recommendation from somebody so well-versed, you kinda want to take it as soon as you can, you know?"

Emmy | Akemi

"Correct. There is a rather stark divide between the art driven by consumerism, the art made by wealthy talentless somebodies with a hand in the pocket of the art world, and those who make art for genuine passion. I happen to make it my business to root out the latter from the former."

She gives a nod. This one, it seemed, had some knowledge and good taste. "Haring was a very interesting case, given how commodified his work became following his death. Those who would profit off of his work now have tried to make it utterly toothless, in the pursuit of a 'feel good' aesthetic. You will rarely see his more message-heavy pieces on a t-shirt…only those comfortable dancing figures."

"Industry can indeed be the death of passion and creativity." She remarks, "I find the idol industry to be a tiring, trend-driven monument to consumerism, but it is hardly the first of its kind, and it will hardly be the last. That it drives so much business makes it a clear choice to financially support a brand, but their restrictions on idols, I'm sure, equally restrict what you are 'allowed' to express. I did note the difference between your usual work and your Sumi-e line, which is among the collections that alerted me to your work."

"Lee Krasner was married to Jackson Pollock, and often that was the thing that overshadowed any of her own artistic work, leading her to recieve far less recognition than many of her male counterparts in the Abstract Expressionism movement. If I were to compare her and Mitchell, I would say that Krasner's work utilized more shape and pattern, while Mitchell was more fluid with color and brushstrokes. Photos of the paintings are an injustice compared to standing before the real canvas, but their work is well worth seeing."

Chula - Suzune

While that job might upset some, it was still a worthwhile effort to point out the flaws in corporatization in the realm of creativity. Even her own medium was being threatened, if it weren't for her own commitment to ethics. "You know, like… The whole AI art stuff has been expanding beyond just digital artwork now, and it's kinda scary. It's expanded to music, and even modeling! But I've looked into it because it made me disappointed, and it's not even like… easier or less work or anything? You still have to get models for samples, and take photos of the clothes at multiple angles and whatever so you aren't cutting out any middlemen. I don't know why companies are doing all of that? Things are getting kinda dire." This is real btw! AI modeling!

The love for the craft was becoming undervalued.

"Oh, you know, I hadn't even thought about that! You're kinda right, huh? Watering down someone's life and work to be more uhhh… what's the word. Palattable?" She tilted her head. "… It kind of makes you think about what kind of legacy you'll leave behind someday." The least she could hope for was for people to remember her as being kind.

The idol industry was a whooole can of worms she had many things to say and think about. "I worry about them a lot. You know since they have to dance in heels a lot they usually tape their shoes to their ankles? Which can leave all kinds of like… rashes and stuff. Not to mention the unhealthy stuff about figures, you should SEE some of the measurements we get, poor things. I wish I could do more for them beyond just making sure their costumes are comfortable and easy to move in." Suzune was perhaps smart to have not gone to that side of the entertainment industry. She most certainly could have if she had wanted to, but… Well. Dodged bullet.

"Oh… did people think she was like… nepo famous or something? That's a shame!" That might have been harder for her to comment on, being the less talented but more recognizable of a power couple marriage. "Maybe someday I'll get to? I travel sometimes for work meetings, I could look into where things are!

Emmy | Akemi

"AI…it is utterly heinous." She affirms in an almost venomous voice. She catches herself and continues, less venomously but still clearly passionate in her hatred, "To see so many industries embracing it sickens me. It is a ham-fisted attempt to force creatives out of the creative industry in favor of the shareholders and CEOs. And it has falsely led far too many imbeciles to believe they have talents they do not have."

Of course, the sorts of shortcuts her uncle would have suggested to her and used himself. Pure laziness. Arrogance.

"Agreed. An alarming number of artists and even specific art pieces have posthumously been de-fanged. I have made it a point to ensure my words cannot be twisted to be more palatable, but even I cannot say what legacy I will leave. I have doubts I will be as known as some of the artists I have lifted up…or even some I have torn down. I have little interest in more of a spotlight than I have already had. It sounds as though you have made it a point to look out for the idols you clothe, which is as admirable a mission as most could claim in such an industry."

She pauses, "Something like that. His fame overshadowed anything she did. Few would give her attention as an individual artist, any writing or discussion about her often had to mention her husband as well. Coupled with the sexism present in the art world, particularly back then, it was much more challenging for a woman to make a name for herself anyway. He took a portion of what little spotlight she earned. Then she was left to contend with an unfaithful drunkard of a husband." She sighs, "Provided we are able to leave this place, I would enjoy to see her work again. I would not deign to entertain such fantasies yet, not knowing why we have been sent here."

Chula - Suzune

"So we're basically on the same page!! GOSH it is SO nice to talk to somebody on my side, oh my god. HaruGi isn't publicly traded yet but there's still some of my high-ranking, like, coworkers who keep asking and I keep denying! It's soooo annoying." In truth, the reason it wasn't being publicly traded was because she wanted her and Haruki to have more creative control. It was a purely selfish reason to keep it a private company, even if it limited corporate growth. They just… didn't need to go public. Not yet, anyway. "I mean!! I'm trying to be patient and understanding with everybody but I just… only have so much time in the day and I can't keep explaining the same decision over and over."

Mmmm…. Wasn't HaruGi's work already what people would call 'palatable'? She had to think on that, to figure if there was anything they put out that would need censorship of sorts. … Not… really? But some people had more potent words to say than she did. "… People who bear their fangs when it's no popular to are pretty admirable. It takes a lot of courage!! Both to say and for others to listen. Ahaha…. Actually I'm kinda relieved I've met you! It mean there's someone reliable and like-minded around, hehe."

Ooooh… So this was like. More historic times stuff, rather than a modern artist. Right, right. That added a lot of context. She nodded along. "Right, it used to be a LOOOT harder in the past for women." Unfaithful drunkard of a husband, huh?She'd heard plenty about those types. Perhaps to an exhausting degree. Suzune adjusted her bangs slightly. "I hope she at least, had good friends there who could listen… and appreciate her for what she deserved. There are people out there who really need to work on themselves more before getting into a relationship. And some people who aren't well-suited to commitment at all. Oh, can I ask, if this was old news… Has her work at least gotten more popular with time? People like… Didn't appreciate Van Gogh's work when he was alive, right?" Just because she hadn't heard of her didn't mean she couldn't learn! Learning new things was nice.

Emmy | Akemi

Akemi nods, "The moment you become a publicly traded company, you cease to have full creative control. It becomes a venture of profit above all else. To some lesser-minded people, that comes as a relief…no longer needing to make decisions based on anything beyond profit. While it can benefit many, for a time, the soul of the venture will always ultimately wither." She says this with an almost chilling amount of certainty.

At the next statement, Akemi smiles just a little.

"It would have been preferable to meet you under better circumstances, but it is relieving to know that I am not entirely surrounded by feral maniacs in here. This was far from the conversation, and far from the company, I expected in a place like this."

A slight sigh, "That you have to ask of her reputation says a lot. You are correct that Van Gogh, and even Vermeer were not known in their lifetimes. Krasner has a place among the renowned 'Female Abstract Expressionists,' but she remains much lesser-known than many of her male counterparts. She is often known to those who study that era of art history, whereas names like Pollock, Mondrian, Rothko, and their work are known by even the layman."

Chula - Suzune

Yeaaahhhh, all of that was just… not ideal. She scratched the side of her cheek and giggled sheepishly. "I just don't want Haruki or I to have to bend the knee to somebody who's profit-motivated only! Like… We're doing good already by ourselves! The brand's popular enough to have, like, the luxury tax applied, so we're floating just fine! I don't have that business degree for nothing, haha." She'd like to keep as much heart in the business as possible. That, too, was one of her babies!

"Yeaahhh… Too bad this isn't like… a martini hangout, right? Casual light drinks in a park kind of stuff! That's the best. Feral beasts, though? Oh dear! Everybody I've met so far has been suuuper nice, so I'm surprised! Um… Is there anybody I should take note of? I'm actually pretty good at deescalating and stuff!" If nothing else, Suzune was friendly, kind, and patient. Large personalities didn't scare her off, so there was a decent chance that she'd be the right person to reign others in when necessary.

Hmmmm…. "That's unfortunate, really." She tugged on a strand of her hair. "I wonder if there's anything I could do? I don't have a whoooole lot of clout in the art circles, but like, I have decent pull for general audiences. Oh! Maybe I could post a timeline on the socials if I get to see her works in person! Wouldn't that be nice?" A little boost, for what must have been a storied career. New and old people get discovered every day.

Emmy | Akemi

"You would be wise to maintain that attitude." She comments, "Though, I will not tell you how to run your business."

"I have not introduced myself to some of them yet, but having seen and overheard some exchanges, I am less than eager to. Ms. Carter has claimed to have made an enemy of the United States Government, however."

She smiles a little again at that. The thought of more people appreciating certain artists was…nice. "Perhaps. First, we must get out of here, but I could direct you to several worthwhile galleries should we find freedom."

There was an odd tinge to her voice in the way she spoke that word. Freedom. She hardly seemed to believe it was possible.

Chula - Suzune

"Hehe~ No need to tell me twice! I guess I'll see how it goes when we're older and about ready to like, retire, maybe." Though… The company was bound to be in dire straits while she was gone. There were others who were competent in the C-suite that could pick up slack, but Haruki would… struggle, to say in the least. Hoooo. Were there announcements of her arrest? Or was she pretty much spirited away? … Where was her phone call to family?

Ms. Carter…? "I don't think we've met yet! But gosh… That's a bold claim to make, isn't it? I'll keep that in mind, thank you!" She'd spent long swathes of time with specific people rather than branching out for short introductions with everyone.

"Right… You're right. I'm… still pretty sure this is all a mistake on my end, at least, so… hopefully I'll be out soon enough." She let out a small sigh. They had better people to be looking at than her, didn't they? There were better ways the police could be using their time.

"Either way… It was super nice meeting you Kuro-san! I think I'm going to grab a shower while I can and wash off this sweat, so I'll see you around?" Suzune waves.

Emmy | Akemi

Akemi simply nods to Suzune. "Yes, I suppose I will see you around."