Portraits of our dreams (Hashirama x Madara)

4. Application process (Hashirama)

The interest to become my subject went beyond my wildest dreams.

Just a week after I set up the posters, I had received seventy-two e-mails. The problem was, how would I choose?

I knew I would only like one, seeing I got socially exhausted very easily. Also, it would be good to focus on one subject only, because then, I would get to know them and their angles properly.

I decided I would read through all of the applications and choose ten that I would ask for a phone interview and a photo. Based on that, I would choose the one.

I started working. Most of them seemed to be incredibly interesting and eccentric, and those who weren't were interesting in their normality. It was incredibly difficult to choose, but in the end, I had my ten.

I started phoning them. After I was finished, I was as exhausted as expected, but also happy. I had asked them for photos, and combined with the conversations I'd had, I was down to three choices.

One was a mother of two, and her entire aura was very down-to-earth, a bit hippie-like almost. She was incredibly kind and grandmotherly and had a soft, grounded beauty to her.

The next was a blonde surfer man that I saw had the potential to both look incredibly hot and incredibly sweet. He was very social and outgoing, and had travelled the world.

The last one was an elderly lady that was incredibly sweet, her elegance having survived the ages. She was looking for something to do after her husband had died.

But just as I believed I had made my choice (the lady), my business phone buzzed with a text.

I checked it to see if it was the international magazine contacting me about the full moon shot I had offered them, but it was an unknown number having sent an incredibly formal text.

Dear Mr. Senju,

I hope you do not find it rude that I text to you instead of e-mailing. I am, at this point, unable to e-mail. I found your phone number online.

I am interested to partake in your pursuit of portrait photography. My name is Madara, I am twenty-seven, I love to take walks and to run, and I have a master's degree in landscape architecture. I saw your poster during one of my walks. I know I'm not very pretty, but perhaps that makes me an interesting subject?

I hope I'm not too late! It has been a week or so since I saw your poster but I haven't been able to contact you until now.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kind regards,

Madara Uchiha

I frowned. Even if his text was less than half of the shortest e-mail of all I had received, there was something indescribably endearing about the way he wrote. But I had already chosen who I wanted. I began typing.

Dear Mr. Uchiha,

Thank you for your shown interest. Unfortunately, I have already found what I was searching for.

I wish you the best of luck in the future!

Best wishes,

Hashirama Senju

I let my finger hover over the send-button, but I didn't press it. Something was stopping me. There was something about his message that had made me think twice. What was it? I read it again.

I'm not very pretty, but perhaps that makes me an interesting subject.

I deleted my message and wrote a new one.