Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Aria Jenneth]

"Sure!"

[Utari Onzo]

Utari leads the group back to their vehicle and takes a short drive from the park. Nearby, the Qaiian Tower is visible as they head into the business heart of the city, and the monorail network zigzags over the top of the road, protected by a heated snow canopy.

Pulling up at one of the mass public carparks once more, Utari leads the group on foot into a busy high street. Various shops, stores, offices and the like line a long stretch of walkway, various suited proffessionals moving along. It has the usual hustle and bustle feel of any city's financial complex, with businessmen and women walking past engrossed in their personal communications trying to close their next sale.

Many of the business are Caldari of origin, with both Ishukone and Nugoeihuvi subsidaries present, particularly futures stockbrokerages and Hedgefunds host themselves in this district. Sitting shoulder to shoudler with these State enterprises are corporations of Federal origin, including a branch office of the Garon Investment Bank. Finally, smaller, independant businesses jostle for space in small offices, in some cases just a sign and a small door leading down a staircase advertising for the odd accountant or solicitor's private firm. One such small company proudly advertises itself as a Father and Sons business of Caldari origin, but no sign of the usual affiliation to a State Megacorp.

[Aria Jenneth]

Aria murmurs, as she watches out the window, "The world is certainly full of things.... Hm.

"Is that an actual small business? I guess this city is under Gallentean administration, after all."

[Utari Onzo]

"I can well imagine it's been passed down from father to son since the Caldari-Gallente war."

Utari considers for a moment. "I wonder how they might react to being incorporated into a megacorp's profile? Right now they're enjoying the priviledge of being able to operate independantly, for better or worse, but if and when the State gets full control of this planet, would they be able to adapt to being part of a bigger machine?"

[Aria Jenneth]

"Didn't the State already have full control of the planet? For ... um. A few years?"

[Utari Onzo]

"To an extent I would describe it more of an occupation then a reintergration. For most of the time this planet was in State hands, it was under Military rule. Let's not forget that Heth in his later years seemed intent on dismantling the Megacorp system, and the Provists had a large presence."

"I can well believe small businesses like this slipped under the radar, and avoided being subsumed by a Megacorp. I could also believe the Provists might have cared little if your business was independant or not, so long as you were seen to be Caldari. The emphasis was more on removing Gallente influences, and pro nationalistic Caldari sentiment, rather then incorporation."

[Aria Jenneth]

"... I suppose that's true. Well ... I guess if it came to that, it would probably be a little like having a small holding on an outlying world absorbed into the Amarrian feudal hierarchy. It wouldn't probably be all bad, but I'd guess it might be kind of hard to swallow, especially at the time."

[Utari Onzo]

Utari nods. "It certainly would need some getting used to. But I suppose as with all things on this planet, everyday life continues regardless of the circumstances."

He leads the group further along the street. Among the various native business people are the odd Ni-Kunni trader and a handful of Minmatar. A holoadvert projects various services before announcing the upcoming elections of local officials for the district.

Next to the holoadvert, a small stand sits stubbornly against the snow. It is manned by a Civire, advertising for evergreen tea to go, which he appears to be making a steady business from. "Thirsty?" Utari asks.

[Aria Jenneth]

"Even if I weren't especially...."

[Ché Biko]

Ché had been quietly following a few steps behind Utari and Aria and seemed to just enjoy the sightseeing as he listened to the conversation, although to what extend he was actually listening remains somewhat of a mystery. His responses to the conversation had been subtle and non-verbal; a (sometimes cheeky) smile here, a frown there. Occasionally he seemed about to say something, but never actually did. Only when directly adressed and invited to provide a counter-argument to Utari's bias did he speak, with a cheeky smile.

"We Gallente prefer to let our culture speak for itself, as it does that quite well."

He looks towards the tea stand. "I'd like something warm."

The holoadvert switches to a short clip of the 3 capsuleers walking through the park, the captions mentioning the individuals and the nature of their presence pretty accurately.

"I guess we've been Scoped." he says nodding towards the holoadvert.

He pulls a knit cap from his coat as he looks around at the people nearby, then puts it on his head and pulls it over his ears as he smiles.

"Say, Utari...Onzo-haan..." he started, not really sure how he wished to be adressed by him. "You spoke of seasons...what exactly...is a season...what are seasons on Caldari Prime? I know the rotational axis isn't very tilted...I actually thought the planet was going through a warm phase at the moment due to solar activity and proximity to the sun."

[Utari Onzo]

Passing over some local currency to the stand owner, he watches as three small cups of tea are made. "Utari will be fine as we all know each other, but if you preffer formalities Mr Onzo will suffice. I haven't been Onzo-Haan in some time. Among my fellow Amarr, it's Brother or Sir Onzo."

He passes them each a cup once the brew is done, before blowing his and taking a sip. It's musky, with a sharpness of pine and a warm undercurrent to the flavour. "This planet has seasons of a fashion. They're longer lasting then on most other temperate planets, and the changes are a little more subtle, but they do exist. During the warm periods, Caldari Prime's 'summers', the temperate zone at the equater grows a little and the snows in the tundra areas ease off. It's a calming of the usual ever lasting winter, to the point some hardy plants can even flower in sheltered areas. It's why there's the opportunities for the park's roof to retract.

Winter, on the otherhand, is when the weather turns vicious, especially towards the polar regions. There's a reason why the Caldari emphasise the need to survive the winter, not that it's as dangerous as it once might have been."

[Aria Jenneth]

"Cultural origins ... echo for a long time, at least in the State."

[Ché Biko]

Che takes his cup and clasps it in both hands, smelling the tea for a moment, then blows over it and peers up towards the sky, a misty white, but very bright in contrast with the dark high-rise buildings lining the streets in this area, their upper parts veiled by the mist. An occasional hovercar manuevers above the capsuleer's heads, between the buildings, careful not to collide with the few cables and wires dangling in the wind.
A monorail rushes past a nearby intersection. It's rather quiet, but the sound of it, as with any sound that manages to rise above the base noise, echos through the chasm-like streets, almost like it's being amplified.
A small group of birds, with white-grey bodies and black tails, feet, wings and heads, is startled by the passing monorail and flies over the group's heads. Ché points at them.

"Look! That's a subspecies of the hooded crow, only found in Arcurio. Hence, they are called Arcuriows."

Ché watches them fly up in the mist with a slight smile while clasping his cup in both hands again, seemingly wishing he could do the same to escape these cold dark busy streets.

[Aria Jenneth]

Aria watches where Ché points, taking a cautious sip of her tea.

"Is the geography so isolating?"

[Ché Biko]

Ché cocks his head side to side a little, pursing his lips.

"Hm, a little. I mean, like you've likely seen during our approach to the city, we are on a plateau between two bodies of water, with the Kaalakiota range in the north-east. I thinks it's mostly the abundance of food in the city that compels them to stay here."