+1 Ice Queen

[redheired]

“Quite the locale.” Says a young lady perfectly poised on a couch. (Naturally she’s picked out the fanciest couch available, complete with velvet seats and gold trim.) She’s been settled there for the past hour or so, not saying much of anything and just watching.

She still keeps her eyes wandering as she speaks, taking in everything she can and mentally cataloguing it away.

”Very well then, since it is apparently good form to ask a question here… how would any of you handle a situation where you’re outnumbered? Or more specifically, when your resources are diminished compared to before, and there are still obstacles ahead of you.”

((OOC: Testing the waters on an AU concept! The fine details/info probably won’t come up, but they are a driving background force and are written up on the character journal!))

Comments

[hellburger]

"There'll always be call for combat expertise, and not being tied to a particular country we're able to go wherever that demand takes us. A nice, sound business model if you ask me."

He rests an elbow on his knee and cants his head to one side.

"Mitsuru Kirijo," he says with practiced pronunciation. "A Japanese name and red hair ... Is there a story behind that?"

Bless you Megaten and your very artistic genetics.

[redheired]

Any further questions she has about military business practices gets quite handily blown out of her mind when her hair color gets brought up.

"Not particularly?" Mitsuru allows herself one confused blink at that. "My understanding is that red hair ran on my mother's side, which is likely where I gained it. Though she was also quite Japanese and from another major business company centered in Japan."

She keeps her hands perfectly poised at her lap. While there's a slight impulse to run them through her hair, she fights it down.

"It's not a particularly rare where I'm from, at the very least."

JRPG hair makes for so much confusion.

[hellburger]

That gets a thoughtful 'huh' and raised eyebrows. Not that it's outside of the realm of possibility for an alternate Japan to boast damn near prismatic hair colors. In any case, there goes his chance at making inroads with another hāfu.

"May I ask what the family business is?"

[redheired]

"You may, and I can provide you with the main sources of revenue. Electronics, various branches of research and development, some of them military, automotive industry and manufacturing, trade shipping, a smattering of estate business," for a certain value of 'smattering.' "And a small amount of education and entertainment."

In short, one zaibatsu heir at your service.

[hellburger]

Miller nods and sits up straighter with his increasing interest.

"God bless that post-war economy," he finally says with grim chuckle. At least that particularly dark cloud had a silver lining. "Sounds like your family's built quite the empire. Lots of flourishing industries in that list."

He scratches thoughtfully at a blond sideburn. "Leaves me wondering, though ... what inspired your question? Sounds like you have access to plenty of resources."

[redheired]

"Thank you," Mitsuru answers with a polite dip of the head, sliding her eyes shut. "I try to live up to the standards they've set in place."

The next question catches her off guard, evidenced by the pinched expression that flickers across her face. Her eyebrows scrunch together for a brief moment, before Mitsuru picks out her next words.

"I... woud rather not go into the specifics, but at the same time I can see how it would be useful to clarify. This particular conflict requires... a certain amount of specialization and focus for the people involved." And no small amount of sacrifice, but she doesn't want to dwell on that at the moment. "It's not a situation anyone can step into and solve, in short. It requires training, even for people who already have a predisposition for it. I hope that helps to explain it by a small margin, at least?"

[hellburger]

Miller recognizes the body language and tone of voice all too well -- that proper reverence for one's family that's so very Japanese.

The explanation gets an arched eyebrow. "I think I understand. It's not the type of situation that you can just throw money at until it goes away. You need very a specialized force ... And a certain amount of discretion?"

He looks out over the Nexus and snorts. "You know, I'd offer my organization's services if I was in a position to contact them."

[redheired]

"A high amount of discretion, yes."

Mitsuru gives him a grateful nod. Thank providence for people who get the situation, and speak the business lingo.

"The thought is appreciated, though I wouldn't ask you to place yourself at risk without understanding the entire situation." For all her secrecy and vagueness, she DOES still have principles.