(D1, ME) Open Late

[Yasuki Taraka]

Flying Battle Carps didn't see a whole lot of business this late in the evening. Generally the fun samurai were out at the bars or the clubs, and the less fun ones were home. However, Taraka had assumed with the governor's party would make the night time traffic even worse. She wanted to spend some time out, but didn't fancy going out dressed in the same outfit, nor spending the evening in traffic. So she'd taken the precaution of stashing an extra outfit in the back of the store.

She'd already sent the staff home for the evening, but no one had thought to flip the sign to closed. So the store sat vacant in front, lights still one, while Taraka shuffled out of the formal wear in the back.

[Yasuki Umiko]

While it was late, there was still a good amount of foot traffic passing by the shopping street at night. It was a combination of tourists who were still getting adjusted to the time zone, people making their way to various nightlife activities, and nocturnal fish.

Speaking of nocturnal fish, through the store windows, people could see an assortment of samurai wearing colourful fishscale happi coats with the Tango Public Works logo combing through the streets with flyers. The one leading them seemed to be Yasuki Umiko, still dressed in her party attire.

Entirely by chance, and seeing the store still open, Umiko entered Taraka's store with a soft smile and an apologetic bow. "Good evening! Ah, Yasuki Taraka-san! Sorry for the intrusion! Could I have the attention of your store for a moment?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

While the arrival of the Karo was certainly unexpected, Taraka wasn't one to let an opportunity slip through her fingers.

She bowed deeply.

"Of course, Yasuki-sama. How might I and my store help you this fine evening?" she asked.

If she had to guess, it was going to concern the brigade of public works workers trailing her like a school of fish. Former actress she may be, but Taraka sort of doubted they were handing out Umiko headshots.

[Yasuki Umiko]

Umiko looked like she was about to say something before bowing once more to follow through with another formality. "Also, thank you again for being present at the party. We very much appreciate your wonderful gift, as well as representing one of the many established business owners in Nakahama City. You've done your part in boosting confidence in our island and province in many ways."

When she rose again from her bow, she looked around the store once more. She looked a little surprised to see it was just Taraka and whatever few customers she managed to pick up at this hour. Nevertheless, one Yasuki local was enough to fulfill her mission.

"The party tonight was pretty busy, wasn't it? I found myself surprised by the turnout. Thankfully, our supporters at Uomoto Co and Kinsenka were able to attend to the increased headcount. However, it was still a bit overwhelming and I found myself unable to get the word out on the First Market, despite my earnest intentions," she said with a bit of disappointment seemingly directed to herself.

She took out a poster from the satchel she was wearing, the same sort her Public Works 'squad' were carrying at the moment. Unrolling it, it was a colourful poster for the First Market event, depicting happy children surrounding a fish mascot in the centre. The First Market was a local Yasuki custom where pre-gempukku schooling children ran a market with the aid of adults (often their parents, but not always) to coach, supervise, and pass on knowledge to them (and sometimes do the selling for them).

She looked at Taraka hopefully. "Will you be joining this event? We're still a bit short on volunteers to help the children. With the bidding here, all the business conferences around the Green Carp, and other reasons, we've found ourselves in a perfect storm, so to speak. We're going to be opening this up to our honoured guests, too, of course. The Public Works office and I have been doing some last-minute recruiting tonight. You might know a few people too."

[Yasuki Taraka]

"It definitely seemed like a successful party from my viewpoint, Yasuki-sama. A good sign surely for the weeks to come." she said keeping things formal.

But the poster sliced right through that veneer.

"Oh, first market! That was always my favorite event before my gempukku! Do you remember your first first market, Yasuki-sama?" she said.

You didn't need to be a former idol and actress to know Taraka was hyped up about this.

[Yasuki Umiko]

"Oh, good, I'm glad that you thought so. It was the intention to have a good base for both our locals and guests to be acquainted with each other. In a way, integrate them into the ebb and flow of the island. It's bound to get a little busier in the next few days," she said with a tinge of concern. Especially, with the Silver Fin involved, it's bound to get a smidge kookier to a degree.

"I do!" She bobbed her head with a fond smile. "I would say it's responsible for a good portion of my heartfelt memories before I left the island for my schooling in Aoihama. A bit bittersweet in my ways, selling some of my old toys and things I didn't need."

There was a pause where she let out a wistful sigh at that memory. "My baseball glove, my scooter, holo kendama, even my Kami-wheels mini-jeep...I mean, I've long outgrown them by then and it was gathering dust in the garage but still, kind of missed them. Pretty sure they've found a good home with another child and I learned the value of a good sale..."

She gave a shrug of reluctant acceptance on the matter before something dawned to her. "Oh! Maybe I'll potentially find them at this market! We're allowed to make purchases too, and it's for the children!"

Before the prospect of a potential shopping hunt got the better of her, she looked to Taraka. "...uhm, and how about you, Yasuki-san?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka looked a little uncertain at that last remark.

"Ah, well...maybe Yasuki-sama but there's likely to be a pretty steep increase in price. Back then it was 'owned by the governor's daughter' and these days it'd be 'Owned as a child by former Aoi48 member and famed actress, Yasuki Umiko. You have added a lot of value to your name, after all." she mused.

She nodded thoughtfully.

"It's interesting to think about. When I watched my older sister sell her favorite doll, I couldn't understand why she would do that. When it was my first time, I mostly remember being very very proud of how much I'd made and my mother's smile when I tallied up the profits on her abacus. And then there was my younger sister who did NOT want to part with her kendo stick and priced it at, and I quote 'A Million Billion koku'

She chuckled.

"And now here we are, taking up the roles of the adults at the market, watching the next generation find their way into the waters of the market."

[Yasuki Umiko]

Umiko giggled at the idea that her things could be a collector's item. It was perhaps a bit of an opportunistic notion but she shouldn't expect less from fellow Yasuki. "...Ah, I haven't thought about that actually. I don't think I was a celebrity back then, but you do make a point that I was still the governor's child at the time. That might make things complicated, unless the toys traded hands a few times for people to forget the original owner..."

While it was a hopeful thought, probably a far shot. She shook her head from the glimmer of light. If something of hers was fetching that high a price, she'll just have to barter it down in the traditional Yasuki fashion.

"Rather clever of you. Well, until someone actually offers a million koku. Kind of hard to argue against a million koku, regardless of what I'm selling." She smiled fondly at the thought of being the ones to guide the youngling to their sale. "It's an important tradition and rite of passage, I'm glad it's held a place in your heart, Yasuki-san. Did you know, they don't practice it so much in the bigger cities like Aoihama? So unfortunate, really!"

She bobbed her head with much optimism, "I'm really hoping that every child has the best time possible tomorrow. And of course, some of our guests are able to honour the spirit of the custom."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka titled her head at that.

"Huh, I hadn't heard that no. I suppose the larger a city gets, the more complications would arise. Gathering all the children of Aoihama together at one time and location would pose significant challenges in terms of space and scheduling. And doubtless you'd have some parents get very...territorial, you might say, demanding the prime locations for their children." she said considering the challenges. "Truly sad that those children will not get to know that experience first hand, but one more thing our city has in drawing new residents."

She took a moment to slide a box on a shelf that was just slightly off-center back to where it belonged.

"Hm, while no other family might have the Yasuki's same feelings about First Market, I'm not surprised that those lobbying for business favor would leap at the chance to help out." she said.

She smiled a bit.

"Or for a clever government to be ready to take advantage of freely given labor. I'll admit I'm curious to how you plan to utilize such. Ah, and of course if there is anything specific I can help out with."

[Yasuki Umiko]

"Probably the case," she nodded in agreement to those reasons, withholding a sigh. "I think selling in the mega-cities, even for a traditional event like the First Market, would probably get a bit bogged down by city bylaws, too. All the petitioning and licensing likely make those profits moot by the end of the event, too."

"I could see some of those possibilities, and perhaps you should consider joining the city courts, Yasuki-san," she said with a small smile.

Her expression turned serious. "The ruling bodies are probably too busy to consider such possibilities, which is surprising that they would let such a Crab tradition fall to the wayside. At the very least, while I have power in this office, I will aim to keep this tradition alive here, even if it goes out of fashion for whatever reason. That I can control, at least."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka could help but smile at the karo's words. She had no plans to become a civil servant, but indirect praise for her intelligence from an important person was welcome.

"Hmm, well it IS good to hear you're planning on upholds traditions, Yasuki-sama. With a new captain taking the helm in stormy waters, the passengers do tend to wonder what will happen. I think I've heard everything from, 'They've invited the Crane here to oversee the removal of all technology turning us into a miniature Golden Mirror' to 'They've invited the Spider here to turn the entire island into an EVIL factory.'"

She tapped her purse thoughtfully.

"But maybe we can turn our thinking around a bit. First Market, if done really well, could boost tourism. 'Come see the city known for First Market, Nakahama.' But what about tourism boosting First Market? If we impress upon our current visitors just how essential the tradition of First Market is, might they not ask when they go to other Crab cities, 'Hey, when's First Market?'"

She nodded.

"Grandiose, I know, but as someone with a background in entertainment, I'm sure Yasuki-sama knows how things can take on a life of their own if they catch just right."

[Yasuki Umiko]

Umiko couldn't help but quietly furrow her brows at some of those supposed rumours regarding the fate of the island. "So, I see. That sounds a little outlandish. I know things obviously look outlandish already, especially considering how we've opened our borders and cast a large net for potential candidates. Whatever the case, I can say with certainty that it is unlikely the case," she said with a few nods, with some percentage of potentially trying to convince herself.

She smiled at the idea of the markets but gave a tilt of her head that seemed to say that she was uncertain about it all. "Boost tourism over that? Well, I guess smaller things have been sold for far more before."

If considering the number of tourist traps and less-than-solid goods that a Yasuki has sold over the course of their Family's history, marketing a humble tradition was very wholesome in comparison, Umiko would realize after a thought. "If the whole thing goes without a hitch tomorrow, and no incidents happen, I could see a potential for selling the yearly tradition as a draw for visitors. It's quite close to the Bon festival too, in over a week, so we can make the whole stay like a sort of package deal too. At the very least, we might even pull a few visitors from the mainland as well, not just from without."

"Speaking of visitors," she said gingerly at first, "How has Yasuki-san's experience with the visitors been so far?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka considered the request equally gingerly. While it was the Scorpion who equated knowledge with wealth, it was a poor Yasuki who didn't do their market research. She wasn't the karo's spymaster, but some concise insights given freely now might well pay dividends later.

"I certainly met quite a few today and yesterday. Overall it was positive outside the normal bumps and miscues you get when you bring....all the clans together." she said, rather than calling the Spider out specifically.

"Right now, I can think of two individuals that might well be worth extra attention: Kakita Haruhi and Asako Hikari. Kakita-san is from a prestigious line and makes drones in the shapes of birds that play music and has a keen interest in conservation projects. Asako Hikari represents Renewal Financial, an interplanetary investment firm. Given his choice of gift at the party and the conversation I had with him, I believe he is especially interested in investing in the local economy."

A small shrug.

"But that's just my impressions of today and yesterday. Still, you know how it is in business, you have to balance caution with boldness. Too bold and you'll lose it all, too cautious and you'll never have it in the first place."

Taraka was quite willing to share more with the karo, but also knew her time was precious, so she'd let the karo lead.

[Yasuki Umiko]

"Of course, considering that we have suffered no great incidents so far, I think it is at least a sign of optimism," she said with a small tilt of her head, accepting that it is great all things considered. "The magistrates are already overburdened as it is, not something that our honoured guests would accidentally test."

"Oh, so you've been speaking to our guests about their businesses? That's great! I have to admit that nature and nature-inspired projects are often outside of my grasp, most of my time is spent in the settlements rather than the wilderness. But I understand that conversation is an important part of the island, as has been made aware to me in a conversation I had with Agasha Sorato-san. I'm sure the mainlands have more space to work with when it comes to extracting from the wilds and making space for factory projects, but we have no such luxury here. A factory or manufacturing plant being so far away from everything is not very practical." She laughed at that fact, speaking that being more environmentally friendly was just a logical business choice.

"The benefit of being the ruling office is that we get more power over the proceedings, which is very obvious, but bureaucracy means we have to move slowly and often with limited information. I know it's been an issue with some locals, but events allow us to get a good taste of people's intentions in a short amount of time. However, when it comes to individual Crab business owners such as yourself, I would implore you to exercise your freedom of movement and find who would be best for the island and the province." She nodded encouragingly at that fact.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka listened attentively to the karo's words.

"The island may have a reputation for being laid back, Yasuki-sama, but the local owners aren't the type to sit around and hope the tango tuna just hops into their boats. And while frustrations with government might bring up unfavorable comparisons to Jimen Tori at the bar, we understand that you've got a lot to attend to and a lot more needs to consider than just any one store." she offered.

She smiled a bit.

"Then again, what was that saying, 'Think global, shop local'? It's not just through your policies and rulings government officials can make a positive change in the community, their individual actions also carry a lot of weight. For example, I gifted a flying battle carp to the governor this evening. I think it'd be a good thing indeed were her karo also to own one." she pitched.

[Yasuki Umiko]

Umiko chuckled at the pitch from the Yasuki. From one Yasuki to another, she couldn't blame one for trying to make a sale pitch. It was expected in this case. "Well, I think I've tried something like this before when I was in Aoi48. I was in a variety show with a few of my groupmates, and we were tackling different challenges to see who was the best a certain things. If I remember, I think one of the flying drones veered off course and flew towards us. Obviously, no incidents came of it other than some screams and us pushing each other. It makes me wonder if the studio planned for that to happen..."

She blinked and gave a quick bow of apology, "Ahhh! Sorry, Yasuki-san! Didn't mean to bore you with that story. I'm pretty sure that wasn't one of your drones. And you wouldn't have a contract with the Silver Fin Productions to create controversy. That might be a fine idea, tell me more about them?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Hey if the karo was open to a private pitch, Taraka was certainly going to give it her all.

"My father, Yasuki Hiroto, was a design researcher for Kaiu Heavy Industries, his specialty was designing prototypes for military testing. When he met my mother, Yasuki Anraku, daughter of a concern that breeds fighting fish, she had the idea of securing rights for a civilian version. She took inspiration from the old tradition of kite fighting on the homeworld. Rather than cutting kite strings, you'd hang a banner from your drone and attempt to cut your opponent's with the rotor. It was meant to evoke imagery of the samurai of old's back banners falling on the battlefield." she gave as the company history.

She gestured towards the leaderboard.

"Just as the leaderboard league is meant to evoke imagery of the wandering duelists of old. You can challenge a fellow enthusiastic where ever and whenever is appropriate." she explained.

She moved on to the drones.

"The drones themselves are lightweight, sturdy and easy to operate. It generally only takes the most basic of instructions to get them airborne. Getting the hang of cutting your opponent's banner while keeping your own takes more practice. They're a great excuse to meet fellow enthusiasts and spend time with them. Some even enjoy the challenge of trying to modify them to perform even better, so there are a lot of good aspects for them. They're fun, provide social opportunities, and give one a chance to hone both their reflexes and their intellect." she concludes.

[Yasuki Umiko]

Her gaze goes curiously to the leaderboard, which held her interest longer than the machine later. She would look at the leaderboard and try to determine some of the names on it.

"Hm, it does seem that you've managed to get a good number of our honoured guests involved. Our guests have given an injection of commerce when you've travelled with their koku, and it's good to see that they are even involved in a communal hobby, Yasuki-san. And there's no strict schedule for this one?"

She took a moment to consider this, at least it would give her some further incentive to entangle herself with the temporary community here. "Events don't seem quite enough to meet everyone here, and it could give me a chance to meet others. I don't know if I can do much to stay on such a board, but I will give it a try. Hm, is there one that's pre-built by chance? Or do you have a building service? I'm sure I could get one of my staffers to attend to it, but perhaps it's best that all services to get one in order be put in your hands, Yasuki-san."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Leaderboard:

Rank 0 Pilots:

Susumu Sumiko
Yoritomo Yakura
Utaku Itsuka
Shinjo Suh-Hyun

Rank 1 Pilots:

Yasuki Taraka
Bayushi Senshuken


Taraka nods at the request.

"Of course, Yasuki-sama, it will be ready to go for you out of the box, just hit the switch and take off. We can even deliver it to your residence or office, since well, I doubt you want to carry it around while you're on your recruitment drive." she offered, nodding at the public works officers with the First Market flyers.

"Same model as the governor's I assume, would you like your name or a slogan lettered on the banner, or left blank for your own decoration?"

[Yasuki Umiko]

"That would be most helpful, actually," she chuckled softly in relief, with her eye on the same public works officers. In her head, she was going to have one of them take it back, but delivery service was standard with many services around here. "While I'm sure we're not going to linger too late. I don't know if we could remind everyone on the shopping street, but hopefully, word of mouth will do the rest. Delivery would be very much appreciated, Yasuki-san."

"Yes, same model as my sister's," she nodded as she found herself glancing at the various drones in the store. While they fell into the three possible models, the number of designs made it seem more complex. "Let's go with just my name for now, please and thank you. Perhaps in the coming days, I can see various designs from my fellow competitors that might inspire me. Do any of them have names?"

There was the idea of having the Public Works logo on it so that she could use it for work purposes and bill the city for it. However, blurring the two together (even if the social purpose was just that) didn't seem quite right.

Umiko was more than ready to offer her credentials so that Taraka could receive just payment for the drone.