[Day 8, Mid-Morning] Fashionably Early (Expecting)

[Bayushi Kazushi]

Kazushi shakes his head.

"Live fast, die young..."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka had no interest in fighting a fortune cookie duel with this man. He certainly was playing the enigmatic Scorpion to the hilt though. She'd met with him a few times over the past week, and she still knew quite little about him. Or sure, she knew he was a talented designer, he had a wife and a kid...and that was about it.

"Do you think your free time shall be coming to an end soon, Bayushi-san? Are there any remaining events hosted by the governor that you are looking forward to?" she asked.

[Bayushi Kazushi]

Kazushi shakes his head.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. The only remaining events listed are 'Security Testing' and 'Wargames', both of which sound like they're more geared toward Hinata-san's skill set. Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if the Department might have sent the wrong executive to oversee this gathering..."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka shrugged.

"See, given your numbers, Bayushi-san, I would assume that your clan sent specialists to tackle every challenge, and when you're not working on your specialty, you're gathering information about your future business partners, and otherwise paving the way for future opportunities, such as giving the latest style advice to locals." she said with a small smile. "Our lords sent us where we are needed most, I would have trouble believing yours was not utilizing you to the fullest, given your talents." she countered.

[Bayushi Kazushi]

Kazushi laughs at that.

"I'm not entirely sure they know what to do with me," he says. "My father's the ambassador to the Imperial Court, and for a brief moment was almost lord of the Scorpion. What do you do with the son of someone like that, who decided to eschew politics for business?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka grinned.

"Send him to the planet where business is more the local pastime than even catching the Shrimps play ball is." she answers easily enough. "I mean, have you seen the offerings at Koi? No shame at what they do, but for somewhere looking to put themselves on the map, we're going to need something a bit more advanced than clothing known more for great value and bland neutrality, don't you think?"

[Bayushi Kazushi]

"The Department can certainly help with that," Kazushi agrees, "and I suppose my designs can contribute a touch, as well. I suppose, then, I may have been sent here to prepare me to manage our presence on Green Carp. That would be an...agreeable duty, I think."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nodded thoughtfully.

"I believe so, Bayushi-san, and I'd be happy to offer whatever help I can as a local. Do you have any thoughts on what that might look like? I'm not sure whether your planning on doing something like partnering with Koi to establish your presence here, or if you might open an exclusive shop? Partnering with Koi would mean you'd have retail space ready to go, but it'd also mean not having full control of the space. On the other hand, if you wanted full control of the space, you could open an exclusive shop on the harborfront or on Golden Shotengai, but it'd mean you'd need more initial set up time." she asked, curious about the future envisioned by the visionary.

[Bayushi Kazushi]

"A partnership with Koi might be beneficial, at least at the beginning," Kazushi muses, "although I'm not entirely sure how they would take to our very different approach. I suppose I'll need to arrange a meeting with the store's patron. I've also been giving some thought to the abandoned resort up on Mount Nakahama... I'm not sure the Department would want to take it over to continue the original project, but it does seem a waste to have the facility remain up there, ruined and unused..."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Now that DID surprise Taraka.

"Hotel Nakahama? That is....to put it mildly...incredibly ambitious." she settled on, rather than 'Stupid.'

"That building was built decades ago, Bayushi-san, and it wasn't even finished. The surrounding wilderness isn't tamed, nor is the volcano dormant. Lots of people tried to make a go of it, even the Mantis at one point, but it was always the same story: ambitious vision meeting cost overruns meets bankruptcy and abandonment. While it's true that the structure is still standing due to good solid Crab engineering, it's surely only a matter of time before the wilderness finishes reclaiming it."

[Bayushi Kazushi]

"While that's true...ah, it's just an idle thought, anyway," Kazushi says, shaking his head. "Old Rokugani discomfort with unused space, given how little of it there is back there."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nods.

"That makes sense. But there are buildings that could be reclaimed much closer to the city than Hotel Nakahama. There's plenty of shuttered businesses on Azuma Beach. But, while it is not Shiro Hiruma, retaking and actually opening Hotel Nakahama would be an accomplishment, I must admit. With enough resources, anything can be accomplished, it's just all of the previous owners miscalculated the depth of pocket needed to bring the dream to fruition."

She grinned.

"And you would be the right person to know how deep a pocket should be, in a sense, Bayushi-san." she added.

[Bayushi Kazushi]

"That's certainly true," Kazushi says, nodding. "That won't stop me from trying to puzzle out ways to make use of the site, though - it'll just be more of a mental exercise than an actual business endeavor. It's just the kind of challenge that I like to test myself with."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Now that was an interesting side of the Scorpion.

"Interesting, Bayushi-san. What are your thoughts on Azuma Beach? I'll grant you it's a convenient area for flying battle carp battles, but you've seen the closed shops, and the sands that leave the locals wanting to give it a wide berth. What do you think could be done with that space?" she asked.

[Bayushi Kazushi]

"From what I've gathered, it's the appearance that seems to drive away the locals," says Kazushi. "I know of some Crane black sand beaches back on Rokugan that they painstakingly cover with imported white sand, but that is a time-consuming activity that must be repeated every few days, at least. That would be no easier than reclaiming the old hotel, in the end.

He pauses for a moment for some tea and contemplation.

"Absent some sort of attraction that overcomes the local disdain for the place, I think the most likely approach would be to attract investors who are willing and able to put forward money and effort knowing that it may take time before they start seeing a return. It isn't a place where small businesses will thrive, where each month's income may make or break the enterprise. You mentioned deep pockets earlier, and that's what it would take to revitalize Azuma Beach."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka shook her head wonderingly.

"That is such a Crane thing to do." she remarked. "While our Crane guests have been perfectly lovely, I should offer my thanks to the Heavens for seeing fit to make me a Yasuki rather than a Kakita."

[Bayushi Kazushi]

Kazushi nods in agreement.

"Perhaps, then, assuming we are correct and I am being set up to take on the Department's operations here," he muses, "my first step will be to arrange - to the extent allowed by any agreements with the governor, of course, and with the consent of Scorpion leadership - to have our new holdings focus on invest in revitalizing Azuma Beach. A show of our dedication to supporting the province."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka shrugged.

"Well, to be fair, the black sands work well with your clan colors, and if you're looking for land that the locals don't clog up like Nishi Beach, you could probably work out a pretty favorable deal for that." she offered.

[Bayushi Kazushi]

"Some of the ground in which the Second Pit once was is still black sand to this day," Kazushi says with a grimace, "but the relatively cheap real estate will be a positive for our investors regardless."