[Remy]

She'd spent the morning shadowing Kazuma, and was in good faith that he knew business very well. At the very least, two people (Kazuma's client from the morning and the fat sailor) thought so. So as Kazuma spoke his words of advice, Remy nodded with interest and tucked his quick analysis into her mind. She had no authority to decide things for the bakery, but at the very least, she could forward the thoughts to Penny and Tristan.

Briefly, she looked down at her soup to think of the shop as Kazuma spoke. True, the cheesecake bites sold quickly each time Tristan made them, and Remy knew at least five customers who recently to drop by the bakery just to see if the cheesecake was there. “Well if we have to consider the costs, quality, and Mr. Tristan's sanity, then answer's not that simple, is it?” She smiled impishly. “But yeah, it's good for our revenue, and it doesn't cost much more. We use the same ingredients to make the other cakes anyway.”

She should really finish her soup, so she put her spoon into the bowl and poked at the clams. The clams squished like soggy raisins. She didn't eat any of it, and continued, “It has been a novelty and the customers have liked it since we introduced it late in Menenas...But!” She put down the spoon and looked up again. “That means we've only sold it four times since. Isn't that too short of a time to see if it's really that good, or just a novelty? Like the gingerbread cupcakes. It's good to sell in the winter, but we rotate them out afterwards.” Vaguely, she wondered if she was being naive or business-ly unconscious. And whatever the answer, the decision wasn't hers to make either. But she was still curious to know.

[Kazuma]

“Ahhh, so that is our scenario,” said Kazuma, as though enlightened by this new bit of information. Parting his hands, he added, “Well, I must agree,” he lifted his cup from the side, “that two months -- if I counted correctly -- is too short a time to make a decision so quickly like this.” He took a sip from his coffee. Setting it aside, he continued, looking at Remy as he did so, “But seeing as you seem to have the cost and the ingredients relatively covered and you would only have to worry about good Mr. Tristan's sanity, well, I think there is a good chance making it staple in your menu would provide a favorable effect to your...bakery.” Nearly said 'company' there.

“But it is never a bad thing to hit the stone bridge before you cross,” he said as he traced the rim of his coffee cup with his middle finger. “If I may be allowed to advice, perhaps you might want to try to release your product...thrice a month for a change. And if that proves to be advantageous, well then,” he smiled at Remy, “Perhaps it is time they teach you to do more than decorating.”

[Remy]

Eyes brightening, she nodded to agree. “That's a good idea! Kinda like easing the item into our menu...And Tristan could use the time to see what works and what doesn't...” Remy then chuckled to herself and leaned backward. “Okay, so the answer was pretty simple. We're selling more cheesecake.”

She reached for her orange juice and lifted it toward Kazuma. “Here's to your--wise words of wisdom.” With a wide grin and a tilt of her head, she downed some more of her orange juice. As she set the glass on the table, she reached for the sugar again. “Cake-decorating is tons of fun and I love doing it. But I'd love to learn and do other things too. Make my time and theirs more worthwhile, y'know?” She wasn't very ambitious and wouldn't care much about promotions, but she did like to put her time to good use.

Emptying a spoonful of sugar into the orange juice, Remy set the pot of sugar to the side of the table. She then took her soup-spoon and dunked it into the juice to swirl the sugar, with no thought that the soup might taint the juice. “If they want me to stick with cake-decorating though, I wouldn't mind doing it as long as there's variety. I think Penny knows this too, since she's been giving me a little more freedom with the designing part. Within customer's preferences too, of course. Believe it or not, but decorations are a big part of cake-making! 'Cause the cake might taste great, but it's the look that lures new people into the store.” She nodded as if she'd just said something wise. “And the smell too. Gosh, I love the smell of freshly made cake.”

Setting the spoon to the edge of her soupbowl, she settled her fingertips on the edge of her side of the table. “I've told you so much about my business..so tell me about yours. What do you trade in? How far have you traveled for it? Do you serve a variety of clients or just a specialized few?” Remy was truly curious about Kazuma's work, as she's met very few Elysian businessmen during her vampire-y life.

[Kazuma]

Kazuma tipped the side of his lips up a little, as if looking impressed even with the movement of his eyes, as he lifted his coffee cup up and joined Remy in her toast before he set it back down beside him. The winter was cruel to the defenseless thing and its warmth had been lost. Too bad.

He did feel like flinching when Remy dipped her soup spoon into her glass of drink but showed nothing of it as he simply relaxed his back on the chair's support and crossed his legs over beneath the table, listening to his guest tell him about her experience and her opinions in the bakery. For all her stalking, cabal, perhaps even her age if he just knew how old she really was, Remy turned out to be like any child. She loved to play, she was enthusiastic, and she had that smile that made her the prettiest girl in the entire neighborhood. He appreciated watching her as she moved and talked...as though she hadn't been turned and she hadn't lost her beautiful white wings.

Alas, that was the sad part, wasn't it? She wouldn't grow old, anymore. She would stay her animated self until, perhaps, he finally died...and while that may be good for an old heart, it was a depressing reminded that a child could not be saved from the horrors of reality. Kazuma would smile sadly at the thought if he could.

Prompted by the question, Kazuma made to shrug by gesturing to the side a little with his right hand. “I trade in just about everything. This late, given the wintry season, I had been mostly involved in clothes and fabrics however, food is always a necessity and I constantly dabble in it.” Smiling a little to Remy, he added, “I'm quite sure you would understand why it is wise to do so.” He paused to think of a little more... “I have also often found myself dealing with various other things such as...porcelain, paint, dyes...but never objects of luxury, always helish to deal with especially with inspectors.” He chuckled and shook his head as he said this.

“I do find myself traveling quite often to attend to my responsibilities,” Kazuma went on. “More often, I am here if not in Alexshire but I also find myself in Dardanos but not as frequently. It's a place I hardly visit, unfortunately, but perhaps that is because I have fewer clients there. Most of them come from the first aforementioned places, although,” he thought again, “...well, I cannot say which place has more clients. Espur definitely has more of my suppliers.”

[Remy]

Clothing, food, and artstuffs...that's quite a list to keep track of, and so diverse too. The more Kazuma spoke of his business ventures, the more Remy wondered about the places he's been. She envied his freedom, at how easily he spoke of travel. It wasn't as if she were shackled to Espur, but she felt obligated to stay there. The Ruby Claw was there, and she worked in a place that appreciated her help. And the last time she'd left Espur for a lengthy time, she'd nearly starved, and she met a crazy 'Vari. Not that she couldn't handle him, of course.

Her mind vaguely registered something important in Kazuma's words, but the thought lingered at the edge. “Aha, and here I thought you'd be the type to go for luxury,” Remy grinned impishly, “I mean, you stayed so long in every fancy shop this morning, staring at that clock, at that furry coat,” she waved a hand toward the general direction of Kazuma's coat pocket, “And you have that fancy COM by de Lepper!”

Nevertheless, she shrugged and tapped her fingers against the edge of the glass. “But fair enough. It is hellish to deal in luxuries. Practically everybody in my family lived and breathed on metals and gems, y'know. It was a pain whenever we had to go into the city and haggle with people trying to underpay, and deal with fake inspectors.” Glancing toward the table, she mumbled, “ Thieves were a pain in the ass too...”

To banish her thoughts orihalcyon and bandits, Remy sighed and slumped slightly over the table. “You're lucky you get to travel so much though. I feel so grounded being here. I wanna go to Dardanos, see the Ceracens before they're gone...” Another stray thought surfaced, and she furrowed her eyebrows. Slowly and with her hands still on the table, Remy leaned away from the table and put her back against the chair.

“Holy taroch crap,” she said, smiling and shaking her head in a wary but (still-trying-to-be) friendly manner, “You're from The Black Rose? No wonder you didn't want to tell.” Despite her desire to make light of this, she wondered on behalf of Espur if there was another motive for Kazuma being here. New Alexandria was a rival city with much precedence, so Espur couldn't help but be cautious. Was New Alexandria trying to find allies after the hunt in their city? Or were they trying to broaden their reach? But she wanted to be nice. Kazuma was a nice person, and she'd enjoyed talking to him. He was eloquent, super-smart, and he didn't treat her like a kid. She and Kazuma could be very good friends, and she'd hate to put on her guard just because he's from the largest cabal in Elysia.

[Kazuma]

The moment she mentioned his Cabal, Kazuma's breathing muscles stalled minutely while his left hand, which had been on his thigh, tensed its muscles as though to press itself invisibly on its surface. His face maintained the face of a man who knew everything -- nothing moved of his features and he still looked outwardly serene and not bothered by her sudden declaration. But in his mind, he cussed, and thought, She found out. She wasn't supposed to, not when she was of the other cabal! Now that she knew, though, what would she use the information for? The Black Rose was still reeling from the incident of the marshal's dead wife and now with the Scourge out and about, he wasn't sure she could take any more attacks. He'd done his best to keep his affiliation a secret from his vacation to this extended breakfast and he swore he had been careful. How could he have given it away? By mentioning Alexshire? Don't people always go to Alexshire?

Vera was going to have one hell of a field day with him...

He maintained the smile he wore while he listened to Remy and agreed with most of her points by way of nodding and even laughing or verbal affirmations before she gave him out. But to add to this, he wrinkled his brows, looking amused. Just because she found him out didn't mean he could do something about it. Kazuma felt like he was on his toes now, though -- she'd found out. And minutes ago...she mentioned "mind games". Could she be what he thought she might be?

“And what gave you that conclusion?” he asked instead, chuckling.

[Remy]

Years ago when Remy briefly visited Alexshire on a whim, she encountered many people who were like Sven. She looked everything like a defenseless child, and they still made it plain that she wasn't welcome unless she joined their cabal. She'd barely escaped them. To offer them some slack, there had been a blood shortage back then and everybody had been high-strung. However, that experience had been enough to drive the idea into her mind: New Alexandria was worse than Espur in terms of hating on outsider vampires, and she should be very wary and biased against Alexshire.

So when Kazuma said that he frequently went to that city, what else could she think? “You're still in one piece, aren't you?” She pouted stubbornly, wondering if she had assumed wrong. His casualness gave her pause. An Alexandrian vampire would surely worry about being found in Espur, but he didn't seem worried at all. Earlier he'd said about talking his way through trouble...perhaps he could be from outside of Alexshire, and get away with it.

It would be so easy to just look him in the eye and pry at the mind beyond his amused laughter. She wasn't the type to hold back and speculate when there was something to discover, anyway. Even so, Remy had a personal rule against picking through the minds of people she considered her friends...who'd ever want to know what their friend was thinking all the time, and what kind of friend would you be if you didn't respect each other's want for privacy?

Even as her telepathic hand itched toward Kazuma, Remy held the impulse in check. She knew well enough that Kazuma didn't want to share where he was from...she wouldn't (couldn't) pry. Worse, if he was somebody like her, then their afternoon snack would quickly fall downhill.

So she released a chuckle of her own and reached for her orange juice. “Supposing I'm wrong then, and if so, I apologize. But the in terms of being territorial, the Black Rose--”just barely, she remembered to pick her words wisely“--You may insist that they they aren't very violent, but so many people to think otherwise. I can't imagine you going there so frequently and freely. There are some people that even the most silver of tongues cannot avoid. Many of them in New Alexandria.” She smiled wryly and drank from the glass in large gulps. As she savored the cold liquid, she peered at Kazuma over the rim of her cup.

[Kazuma]

“But it is exactly them that we traders must befriend,” Kazuma said. He was tempted to take a sip from his cup for effect but the cold, bland drink had become unappetizing to him so he kept his hand to himself. Relief did relax his muscles a little when she hadn't insisted that he was from the Black Rose because if she had, he wasn't sure he would still be able to keep his membership a secret. Now it was a matter of keeping his vagueness intact for...well, for as long as he can. Or had to. He'll have to watch his tongue even more now...

“You see,” he continued, idly moving his fork away from its position with his right trigger finger so that it was perpendicular to him, “For all that we vampires have become, in the end the transformation exists only in our physiology. When it came down to...relations and how our minds work...we're just like anyone, don't you think?” He smiled wider at the child as he said this. “A trader must do what he must to earn a living. I won't lie to you when I say that not everyone is agreeable with my coexistence in that city,” all the vampires were civil with him for obvious reasons and so was he to them but the non-vampires were...not so much. He was relying on this technical fact to support his truth. “But what can they do? Prejudice cannot stop our economy, most especially when Alexshire is an important part of it. So long as I obey the rules, I should be safe. And I suppose, so long as I have my friends with me, as well.” He chuckled as he gave the air a weak punch with his left and gazed at the wrist watch on his pulse.

“Ahh, dreadful. I seem to have overstayed my welcome,” he said to both of them before he leaned a little towards Remy and asked her, “Would you mind terribly if I leave ahead of you, Ms. Remy? There is a business that I absolutely must settle before the morning ended and before I leave this beautiful city of yours.”

[Remy]

Remy held back the urge to shake her head, knowing full well that Kazuma was just being difficult. His picture of New Alexandria was too rosy, and surely there must be people that cannot be persuaded by the likes of xanthos and business. He neither confirmed nor denied her suspicions, and that was his goal, wasn't it? “Yes, I suppose we all still think and talk like anyone else, and even the prickliest of people might smile for the chance of business and coin,” the corner of her mouth quirked upward even as she said this, for she didn't believe it. “But indeed, you would be safe in New Alexandria if you hang out with the right crowd.” She would never be sure of his words unless she pulled the truth from him. So here was the difficulty, because she didn't want to.

Her gaze followed Kazuma's arm as he revealed the watch on his wrist and spoke of the time. Whether it was because of the turn of their conversation, or truly because of business, Kazuma clearly had to leave. Pouting slightly, she crossed her arms in protest. “That is dreadful! Did the time pass by that quickly, Mr. Kazuma?”

Here, she was just being silly. Of course he had better things to do than talking to somebody like her, especially when Remy was being pesky about knowledge that Kazuma wouldn't share. She reached into her inner coat pocket for a small coinpurse, and the fabric ladybug clicked as Remy unattached its metallic buttons. “But I would never dream of delaying you from your business. You can go ahead, and I'll stay a little longer.”

Remy was disappointed at how they were parting on these terms, but it couldn't be helped. If Kazuma stayed any longer, she would be tempted to poke at his mind. And she should. Landon will be disappointed if you don't find out, her mind whispered. Their director always wanted to know things about outsiders, and especially ones who moved so freely in Espur (like Kazuma, her thoughts murmured).

[Kazuma]

“Time always flies when we are enjoying ourselves. Why else do vampires have tragic lives?” Because in spite of the time they had been blessed with, it was filled with misery and longing and wonder of the end. Kazuma didn't explain his broken logic, though, simply smiled as he kept his card case and stood up, taking his scarf along.

Wounding the white thing round his neck, letting it loop loosely after, he said to his former guest, “Excuse me for going ahead, then, Ms. Remy,” and gave her a bow. “I do look forward to seeing you again. Next time, let's have a chat somewhere more appropriate, shall we?” his smile widened -- like the smile he would be giving a child who he invited for ice cream and with that, he turned and walked away, fancy shoes tapping their way to the counter found at the left end of the shop.

He settled his business there with their kind waitress, paying for their bill and leaving a gracious tip for the lady before he made for the door, all the while looking towards Remy's direction and if she turned to look at him, he would give her a smile and a wave of his hand.

Outside, back to the cold air of Espur's winter, he breathed out a sigh as he looked around him. Queen Elysia's office should be to his left if his map worked well.

But he took his time to become comfortable of his new surroundings, feel around him in spite of his hands in his pockets, stretching his instincts to alarm him if anyone was poised to follow again...a paranoid man's exercise. He was tempted to look back and watch Remy but to do so was to betray his thoughts as well as the friendship they had began, a terrible thing to do.

He recalled the conversation they previously had, looking at his wristwatch again. She'd hinted that he was from the Black Rose Cabal and yet he had managed to protect the truth, in some way. That was a really close one. Never again should he allow any outsider a chance to guess his affiliation, because of the marshal's wife or otherwise. Being a member of the Black Rose had been one of the best decisions he'd made during his lifetime, he knew, however it was a double-edged sword. Although he was protected within Alexshire, there was no saying what impression the Cabal commanded outside her territory and therefore, no clue as to the actions of the people -- or the cabals -- beyond her control, as well. He had to remind himself of this if he meant to survive this arduous life.

Slipping his hand back in his pocket, Kazuma started to the direction of Queen Elysia.

Kazuma Uemori has left the thread.