Post by Haruto Kahoshi on Jul 22, 2018 22:17:21 GMT -5
On the planet of Atrisia, deep in the oldest residential district of its capital of Jar'kai, was a sprawling Atrisian style mansion. It sat on an island on a small lake, only a duracrete bridge styled to look like stones connecting it to the mainland. In Atrisian tradition it differed from Galactic norms in that it was never more than two stories tall, instead taking up every inch of space the island had to over. Its yard was also traditional in that it laid in the center of the home, surrounded by buildings.
At the end of the bride sat a single entryway, not large enough for an aircar to go through. The house was clearly designed as a sign of wealth, but it was also designed to protect the occupants. Men in modern suits patrolled the grounds, and it was clear from their stance they likely held hidden blasters.
These guards were also clearly more on alert than normal. That was because the mansion's owner had invited a VIP to visit, a VIP that could well be an enemy. That left them with the twin task of making sure no one killed her, while also making sure she did not kill their boss. To say they were stressed would be an understatement, but as members of the Reki, they knew well what would happen if they failed.
By the single entry stood one suited man who did not have the same alertness. Instead, he watched the bridge, making clear he was there to receive the guest. Once she arrived at least.
Last Edit: Jul 22, 2018 23:44:35 GMT -5 by Haruto Kahoshi
The lady of the hour arrived in neither haste nor dally, quite aware that she was right on time and in no hurry to commence anything until the very second she was expected. The flowing yellow ripples of her loose and modest garments fluttered in the early evening breeze along with the red ribbons in her hair, much like the placid ripples of the water about the Atrisian estate. The cheerful colors she wore were carefully chosen for this occasion. Black would have been too brash for a first meeting. Green: too naive. And white would have been no less than offensive.
Most notably, she was completely alone, a brave yet--in a way--prudent dare. Honor was of the highest esteem in the Atrisian values system, even if honesty was not always so. The lies were not in what was spoken, but in that which wasn't spoken. The woman had complete faith that Kahoshi would not harm her, but she was not so ignorant to believe that humiliation was absent from his motives. And so as her heels finally clopped atop the duracrete, she made first eye contact with her host, only briefly lighting her gaze upon his body guards with a hint of amusement before joining her hands parallel and offering a slight bow.
"Greetings."
Last Edit: Jul 23, 2018 23:45:12 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by Haruto Kahoshi on Jul 28, 2018 22:53:06 GMT -5
The suited man bowed to the woman, just barely far enough to not disrespect her. Rising to he full height he gestured down the long path that led to the house proper. "The Master is waiting inside. Please follow me."
Turning, he made his way down the walkway lined with native plants and statues. He had not introduced himself because for this meeting he was not important enough. When they reached the house proper it appeared to be a mix of traditional and modern construction. The main entrance opened into a receiving room, but the man did not stop here and simply crossed it to a set of old style sliding doors. Lined up against the wall was a row of shoes, making it apparent that the room inside was probably old style straw mat flooring.
The man in the suit waited patiently for the guest to remove her shows, then slid the doors open.
Inside was two columns of men and women sitting on their feet, each wearing a single jar'kai dueling sword on their waist indicating that they were clan heads within the Daikazoku. At the head of the column on a floor set, one tier higher was a single middle-aged man wearing both blades of the jar'kai set. Of the people in the room he was the only one of Yovshin heritage, and so the only one allowed to wear two by tradition. That same tradition was also what allowed the woman entering the room to know she was safe.
Personally, Haruto found the traditions troublesome. It would be so much easier to simply kill the potential rival right here, but his honor among the clans would be tarnished and his strength weakened. He already struggled to keep reign over the organization due to his rebellious nephew. Though that same nephew's destruction of the powerful Ishida clan had allowed Haruto to tighten his grip.
Breaking tradition would undo all that work, however, so he was forced to treat this woman as an honored guest even if she was little more than a flea trying to take the food of the dog it lived off of.
"Welcome to my home," Haruto said with a strong Atrisian accent as opposed to the Imperial accent that was more common to hear these days. Raising his hand, he indicated the sitting mat placed directly before him, on the lower tier. "Please, sit. We have much to discuss."
Last Edit: Aug 15, 2018 22:56:55 GMT -5 by Haruto Kahoshi
Kahoshi's estate was much like others on Atrisia, quite traditional with drab, concave pyramidal roofs and rectangular walls of clean and lighter tones. The bridges and entryways had an aesthetic to them of melding the ancient with the modern, something she could certainly appreciate as the sounds of tepid waters gurgled nearby. Atrisian construction tended to emphasize a harmony with the landscape rather than the grandeur of magnificent architecture. very little of that landscape aspect had transferred itself into the Atrisian-Corellian culture. Calypso had grown up in a city district of colors and monuments to technology, where the landscapes were formed to complement the structure rather than the reverse.
Having been led to her place of appointment, the Nova daughter strode confidently forward between the columns of lesser nobility lining her path. The slightest curve of her lips hinted so boldly at her amusement of the situation, knowing she was in reality hardly welcome as a guest here. She neither possessed rank nor heritage of this subset of the planet, a cultural clash subtle but noticeable in her attire to any who followed their Atrisian rite. With a gleam in her brown eyes, she accepted her seat and gently lowered herself upon the mat, legs crossed and hands folded complacently in her lap.
"Thank you, Kahoshi Haruto," Calypso spoke, crisply but with a dose of honey. "On Corellia I am known by my legal name, Calypso Nova. But my parents passed on a traditional name by which you may call me: Tengci Qi." And so the initial lather had been applied, only for more layers to be added further in this diplomatic game as each party attempted to disguise their true intentions.
Last Edit: Aug 19, 2018 15:10:15 GMT -5 by Deleted
Post by Haruto Kahoshi on Aug 15, 2018 22:53:07 GMT -5
The traditionalists among the Daikazoku believed that outsiders had no place among their ranks. While there were many benefits to filling their ranks with Atrisians raised with the same cultural expectations was useful, Haruto saw their use. Where many native Atrisians might balk at some of what he expected of them, there were many species that saw nothing wrong with those very same actions.
How useful this mutt would prove he had yet to determine. She did not have the noble connections that kept the Daikazoku safe from the Empire, but he expected her to have many off-world connections that could prove fruitful. For now, he chose to show her the same courtesy as he would the leader of one of the Daikazoku clan heads.
"Tengci Qi," he started, "a good Atrisian name. You will find many on this world that will respond better to that name. The Empire might rule Atrisia, but its people are stubborn to abandon their traditions even as they embrace the tyranny of the Emperor. It is a useful trait if you learn how to exploit it."
A motion from the side caught his eye. "Now that introductions have been completed, I have had a tea room prepared for more private discussion. Please, come with me."
The crime lord stood, which was immediately followed by the two columns of people also rising. They turned and bowed to Haruto, staying in place until he had left. Through a short hallway, they arrived at an old-fashioned paper door flanked by two servants. Stepping to the door, Haruto removed his jar'kai swords and handed them to one of the servants. The servant bowed and stepped back after which Haruto walked inside.
Calypso, if she looked, would see the faint signs of sensors built into the doorway. Despite tradition dictating that weapons not be allowed in a tea room, it was clear that the mansion's owner was prudent. Inside, he gestured to a cushion sitting on one side of the room's single low table. "Sit."
Last Edit: Aug 15, 2018 22:54:28 GMT -5 by Haruto Kahoshi
Calypso (or Qi, as she was to be known today) had expected the formal ceremonies to be brief, but this transition from the Daikazoku's court to his more intimate dining table was rather abrupt even to the woman who had grown in a more brisk, Imperialized environment. But there were two things certain about this Kahoshi: He was intentional, and he appreciated tea. He was also not fool, considering the weapons sensors appended to the doorway of this sanctuary. For Atrisians, it was an honor to be invited into this room, therefore it would be shameful to allow dishonorable people inside.
Calypso followed his insistence and took her seat across from him on the floor in the most ladylike manner. There was a charm to her ancestors' traditions that she adored, even if it could be stifling at times. She had never abandoned their culture. The cards had simply been dealt in a way that dictated she be born on Corellia. "Your house, your rules, Kahoshi Haruto," she remarked matter-of-factly. Just like tea, a cold persona would be disrespectful and earn her the ire of her peer. But on the other hand, a dose of insincerity would keep him from seeing her as a toy with strings.
"You will find we offworld Atrisians aren't all contemporary and submissive to Imperial socialization. I look forward to enjoying your local tea." There was not much she could say beyond pleasantries, and too much honey could make one sick. It was his responsibility to introduce the more serious topic at hand, considering her host was both male and senior to her. And so she said no more.
Post by Haruto Kahoshi on Aug 25, 2018 23:50:41 GMT -5
"I am sure you will find it enjoyable, this particular blend is said to have been first grown by the twenty-third Atrisian Emperor," Haruto said. A young woman of barely twenty wearing the traditional clothing of the yovshin class entered the room, first opening the door while sitting, then bringing a tray inside before again sitting to close the door. Picking up the tray she placed a cup before each of them then poured tea in said cups.
"This is my second wife, Zhi Ruo," Haruto announced with pride. He then nodded to her, which caused her to leave the room in the same way she had entered bowing as she did. Waiting for his guest to pick up her cup, the crime lord brought his to his lips and took a sip before placing the cup back down. Much of this was ceremony, but it was ceremony the Family expected from its leaders. Haruto might bemoan the waste of time, but he had been doing them for over fifty years now and were as much a part of his nature now as they were expected of him.
"Now, to business. You mention off-world Atrisians Tengci Qi, it is for that reason my organization is willing to consider doing business with you. The leaders of the Daikazoku clans do not trust those not of Atrisian blood, which makes them unwilling to look at new opportunities on occasion. Our holdings within the Atrisian sector are quite profitable, but I am always looking to expand. Weapons are much harder, and more expensive, to get on this side of the core. I believe that opening a direct trade between our two organizations for some of your weapons would be a worthwhile venture. In return, we have product that would be profitable for you such as spice and girls."
Calypso watched the ritual tacitly, smiling softly and nodding at the young woman--though carefully avoiding more than a moment of eye contact--as she poured their beverage. The Corellian ringleader was slightly taken aback when her host specified that she was his second wife, wondering if his first wife was still among them. She knew Atrisian families of a higher order had been commonly polygamous in the past, but that was a tradition she assumed might have died under the more modernized legal system of the Empire. And perhaps it had and she was simply jumping to conclusions. Still, the thought lingered as the wife disappeared and they continued their meeting. "She's lovely," she mumbled, not wanting to dwell on it but deeming it appropriate to provide a compliment.
The Atrisian descendant nodded politely in acknowledgement of her host's explanation, picking up the cup of tea daintily to breathe in its wafting fumes before setting it back down, allowing it time to cool just a bit more before consuming. Kahoshi certainly understood the opportunities associated with the location of Calypso's gang, whether he liked the emigrants or not. Corellia had more trading outlets, more transients, and a more independent, rough rider spirit attributed to the general population in spite of the Empire's hold. Weapons were not exactly difficult for the Tengci/Nova clan to access.
"Atrisian women certainly bring value in the Core," she chuckled with a twinkle in her eye. "But what makes your spice better than what we already have? We get this sort of proposition from numerous providers, all claiming the highest highs and the down-est downers. There's little spice I can't get my dealers peddling within hours.
"But..." Calypso let the thought hang in the air to evoke a feeling of tension. It wasn't particularly effective for escalating emotions, but it tended to boost her image as a rather busy woman. "I could use something a little more... exotic." She dipped her index finger into the waiting tea purposefully. "Perhaps a solute."