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Stirring Up Trouble (crosslink)

(This is in reference to this post: http://cityofnewbabbage.online/reader/node/2798 )

Cross posted from the Steelhead Ning here: http://steelheadsl.ning.com/profiles/blogs/stirring-up-trouble

 

In Steelhead’s Shanghai district there sat a collection of buildings enclosed by a beautiful white wall. These structures, though located on the temperate West Coast of North America showed clear kinship with buildings an ocean away. They were simultaneously beautiful, exotic symbols of another way of life and dens of squalor, iniquity, and dark disorder.

Within one of the buildings of this compound was a distinctive woman. Her kimono was made of the finest silks in the dark colors of a married woman, but the cut and wear was more akin to the furisode of an unmarried girl. It was not this contradiction that would most attract the attention of onlookers, however. What was most shocking was the large blue-black feathered wings tucked neatly behind the woman, swaying as she walked.

A girl, just as well dressed, though more consistent in her adherence to the rules of dress stepped into the room, head bowed. She waited to be acknowledged and then entered the room to kneel before the winged woman.

“<Oyabun,>” she said, her voice using the curious sounds of the Japanese language. “<The ships have arrived.>”

“New Babbage?”

“Hai.”

The winged woman smiled. “<Thank you, Suki-san. You may go.>”

The girl bowed her head again and backed out of the room, sliding the door shut. The room seemed empty but for the winged woman. A moment later, however, this proved untrue as a dark figure stepped out of a shadow like an apparition.

“Do you think this is wise, Aoi-dono?”

Aoi, the blue winged head of Steelhead’s Ninkyou Daitou Yakuza arched an eyebrow at the English words. Though her English was quite good, the woman preferred to speak her native Japanese most times, and her visitor knew this. The arched eyebrows represented considerable surprise, but that was all the acknowledgement she gave to the unusual language choice.

“New Babbage?” she responded. “Do you doubt my judgement?”

“No. Oyuban. I simply wish to understand your motive so that I may best serve you.”

Aoi gave a small smile. “You fear New Babbage?”

“No. But they have no love for you there.” The black figure settled into seiza before Aoi. “You have not yet reduced their fees in the harbor here.”

“I have no love for them.” Aoi shrugged. “But that Unagi convinced me to support him there.”

“Do you think Ashiko-san will succeed selling your goods in New Babbage?”

Aoi laughed, a clear, light sound that somehow seemed to speak of dark mischief. “It is… what is the word? Win-win for me? If Ashiko-san succeeds, I profit. But if Ashiko-san does not succeed, New Babbage suffers from fighting his gang and from streets filled with catnip, opium, alcohol, and bad money.”

The black clothed figure tensed a bit. “Why do you hate them so much?”

Aoi said nothing. Dark wings stretched behind her and shook a moment as though dislodging mildly annoying flies and then tucked back in neatly.

“I will increase security around you, Aoi-dono.”

“In Shanghai? We are far from New Babbage.” Aoi snorted.

“That same Unagi was taken from Steelhead by the Babbagers once. Just a year ago.”

Aoi smiled coldly. “Then let them come.”

The dark figure rose and bowed, backing out, leaving Aoi alone in the room. After a moment, she rung a little bell. A young boy ran into the room.

“<Please bring little Zaida to me please. I have something for her to take to Keito-hime.>”

The boy scampered from the room.

 

(OOC: Note, Aoi may have a beef against New Babbage, but her typist doesn’t remotely. Typist simply wishes to promote RP between the New Babbage and Steelhead when the opportunity arises.)

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