Blood in the Snow [Sanguine]

Under normal circumstances Xiaomin would never visit the settlements at the base of Mt. Hakobe. They were dreadfully small little villages that had little going for them. Not exactly prime locations for criminal or even legal enterprises. If not for a promising lead that had come from The Family’s intelligence in Fiore, she certainly would not be here today. That lead had been promising enough that the young crime boss had decided it was worth coming here herself. If she was to follow her directives from back home to form a mage guild in this country, then she needed mages.

Weak mages were a dime a dozen in the magic rich Fiore, but while they could be useful as throwaway pawns they held little potential beyond that. So when a report that a dark mage formerly of the dark guild Errings Rising had been discovered working in an orphanage, well… honestly Xiaomin had been skeptical at best. It was only after a scouting mission had been carried out at her request that she decided there might be merit to the report. The scout had said their appearance was a dead ringer for the image they had managed to find, so unless this dark mage had a twin it was probably her.

Beyond that, Xiaomin knew almost nothing. Just a sketch, some names, a small note from the Rune Knight’s files about a potentially dangerous mage, and that was it. Even with the amount of money at the Family’s disposal, their intelligence in a foreign country was far from omniscient. She did not even know if this woman would be amenable to joining her operation. Or that she was not a psychopath for that matter, as dark mages so often were (like those miscreants living in Lavanitir). While the fact that this woman was apparently running an orphanage implied she was not, in fact, a psychopath, Xiaomin had brought along some of her guards anyway. Just in case.

The drive from Hosenka had taken some time, so by the time the Pergrande imported car approached the small village, the sun was already high in the sky. The car pulled up to the small orphanage slowly, careful not to hit anyone. It would probably upset their target if they were to run over one of the children on their first visit. Snow had begun to fall slowly, covering the ground with the lightest coating of white fluff. From the driver seat stepped a large, well built man wearing a suit. He stepped to the back seat, easy enough given his long stride, and then opened the door.

Stepping from the car was the young Family Head of Fiore. Without having to say a word, the driver opened up an umbrella to keep even the light dusting of snow from falling onto her suit jacket. Another pair of suited henchmen, one male and one female, emerged from the car and fell inline with their boss. The group of gangsters approached the orphanage, and then Xiaomin called out. “I am looking for Madison Richter. Or would it be better if I asked for Sanguine?”

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In some ways, the passing months were much more peaceful and at ease. Not plagued by the guise of hiding or worrying about the stigma of her old home, the sense of freedom should feel more personally freeing for someone of "maid status" for so long. Bogged down for over a decade as being seen as nothing but a subservient tag along at first was ignored until she'd been realized for her prowess and herself as a person. Perhaps that was the beginning of a part of her that truly enjoyed her time within Errings Rising. Even under a bratty, tyrannical sort of ruling under Seraphine was a little bit of a headache, but she saw something redeeming and worthwhile within the self proclaimed queen. There was something she knew could have turned into something, however her vanishing as well as Medeia did spell the end for the guild. Never one for being a leader, there was no other real option.

Instead, there had been a new project she had taken on in the end of one era to try and redeem herself. A mental struggle or in some cases could be seen as a reach to break a cycle of her own, the former head maid had taken her own free time and money to a worn down, abandoned church some time ago. Keeping idle hands from much, she had restored it much like a collector to an old automobile and happily redesigned it in her perfect image, barring no expense for this. It was her retirement, her penance, her chance at redemption. A child of faith from birth, praying to a god for help, but perhaps she'd just been through trials and tribulations in order to achieve this. Maybe she'd just gone bat shit crazy after all this time.

What laid before the people within the settlement had been a new orphanage. Seeking to home lost, forgotten, and troubled children and mages alike to give them a warm and safe environment. the idea of it brought her back to her own childhood, smiling upon the good few memories she had while dejecting the nuns avid fears of her lineage. Despite having been a sweet and kind child, she hadn't learned anything of her family until she'd been albeit thrusted into the world of magic wanting nothing more than peace and happiness to everyone. It didn't need to be under a faith, but just to share kindness brought her the utmost joy --until Harrigan. That first act was a deafening blow to her, showing her the reality of life and its capabilities within humanity.

Today had just been another day. Kids taking care of schoolwork, a couple assisting some former Errings Rising maids with some chores. Of course, very few of them were mentally capable of transitioning from being "maids" from how long they'd been of the guilds service, scrutiny, and actions before her arrival and guidance. Never forced to do whatever they didn't want to do, some wanted to assist purely to help her cause, while others were being helped to adjust to normality and leaving, even some adopting as they left for the world.

Truly, she was being blessed with a happy life now.

The blood slayers ears could hear the somewhat unusual sound of a vehicle close to the orphanage. It was a little odd that some people often drove motor vehicles given the snow, however this was seeming to be a bit different. Still, it wouldn't be so farfetched to have someone looking for directions or just pulling over momentarily so she let it pass. That was until the doors to the car could be heard. Both the head maid and a couple of curious kids peered to the door wondering of what was happening when a voice spoke up. Calling her by name was an incredible rarity for her. Very few people knew of it these days, if at all. In the last decade and a half, she'd barely ever acknowledged it herself as anything but that wretched experiment name and somewhat of a pet name to.. her.

Now that both names were being called, a rush of thoughts piqued in her mind. Were these the Rune Knights now deciding they wanted to pursue her? I guess it's not every day someone crucifies your knight to your HQ wall, but if she were to have to accept the punishment, then so be it. "Can you go request some tea to be made and brought out for me, please?" She spoke softly towards one of the kids, showing a tender smile on her face. With an elated smile and a nod, the child she'd been accompanying sprinted off towards another area of the building to fulfill her request.

With an exhale of breath, the demi-dragon approached the door and with a perfectly calm demeanor, opened the door to be greeted by several well dressed men and women, all practically hovered around who seemed to be a child of decent wealth status given the silk dress and the vehicle she drove in with. "I might have asked what I may do for you, had you not have already had much more private information than publicly available." The door opened a bit further, showing fully the owner of this orphanage donned in her own usual maid outfit. Not that she couldn't dress more casually now that she'd not have been a maid of a guild, but she felt more comfortable in it. "So, I take it you're here for me. If you may, please do come in and we can discuss things. I will however ask you bring only a single of your staff. I will not allow you to frighten the children in my care, understood?" She spoke with absolution, yet kindness and consideration. The safety of them mattered the most, so why should she have to make exceptions when she didn't have to?

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The woman that opened the door of the renovated church did indeed match the sketch she had been given perfectly, and her response confirmed that the report had been accurate. It had never been guaranteed that she would find the person she wanted here, so Xiaomin was relieved she had not made the long trip for nothing. She was fairly certain Madison was thinking something rude of her, but she ignored that for the moment.

Of course she still had to convince the woman to work for her. Given how little she knew of this woman and her motives, all the crime boss could do was play it by ear. It would be a test of how well she could read people, something her lack of trust had forced her to become quite skilled at. That same lack of trust was why she frowned when told she could only bring one guard with her. By far an ideal situation, she recognized she would have to compromise if she did not want to make Madison reject the offer of employment out of hand.

“Very well,” she said cutely before gesturing to the female guard to follow her. The women turned and flanked the door, to make sure no one else entered who could pose a threat to their boss. All three had small lacrima tuned to allow them to speak with each other sitting in their ears, so they could quickly be called inside should their involvement be required.

Once inside, Xiaomin took the proffered seat, though she did not immediately pick up the tea that was offered. Instead the guard picked it up and removed a silver spoon from inside her jacket. She swirled the spoon inside the tea, inspected the spoon for any sign of tarnish, and then took a small sip of the tea from the spoon. Having confirmed the tea was not obviously poisoned, she set the cup back down before her mistress who took a slow sip.

“Thank you for seeing me in,” Xiaomin said once she had swallowed the tea. “I am known as Lady Liu. As you have figured out, I am somewhat aware of your past. So I will not beat around the proverbial bush. I represent an organization that wishes to establish a guild here in Fiore, and I am looking for mages for it. Someone of your prowess would prove a valuable asset to the organization. In return, I am offering lucrative employment terms. I am sure you would find the income… beneficial.”

As if to underscore her point, she looked around at the church turned orphanage. Not that the place was in bad shape per say, but there were obvious limits a person could do with a limited income. The Family, on the other hand, had significant financial resources and were more than willing to poor it into an investment they thought would benefit them in the end. Xiaomin was still not sure how this woman would fit into the organization, but even just having a strong mage on hand would be a powerful deterrent to rival gangs. That kind of security was worth quite a lot of jewels.

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Much like the proper maid she was, Sanguine made sure to greet her newfound guests through the door with a light curtsy upon opening the door and stepping aside for them. As soon as the pair entered, she shut the door, keeping them unlocked as they always were during the day and shifted her arms in the direction of a small seating area tucked away from the general riff raff. "Please, feel free to take a seat of your choosing in that seating area for the time being while the tea is being prepared and served, madam." There was a slighter, less enthusiastic way she addressed the shorter woman and her guard, one that a couple of onlooking maids picked up on. Making sure to gently sweep the kids into another room, they left the room relatively quiet, save for the occasional chore being completed such as dusting or fixing up the furniture.

One thing that Sanguine had taken a bit of a keen notice to had been that the guard accompanying the guest had decided to stir their drink with a spoon meant to detect possibly poisons, drugs, and other various things that could easily dissolve in water. Taking her own cup, she would take a sip just after her guest had, letting the fresh taste of chamomile sooth her nerves and remail fully level headed for what may come. "If I had wanted to poison you, I would have made sure you hadn't stepped into my orphanage before I did so." Her words spoke in a foreign language, almost like a native speaker of Dongxia would have. "I may be a little rusty towards my Dongxian, frankly. I used to have a mentee whom spoke it. Sweet little girl, albeit troubled. It's another of many reasons I wanted to open and facilitate my own orphanage." Her flip back to a native Ishgaran tongue like the blink of an eye.

When Liu began to speak she had a proposal of sorts, wanting to sound as though she were making quite the enticing offer while not trying to pay a bit of insult as to it's "lesser" standards. "Madam Liu, while my children do not wear fine silk dresses handmade from seamstresses in Dongxia, I assure you with that I managed to split with my remaining guild members upon the disbanding of Errings Rising, I am assured to give them their essentials and then some. I do appreciate your offer, however the world of organizations and guilds were never my initial interest --at least after my first guild and it's disbanding."

Setting her cup down, the white haired maid let off a light sigh and leaned back a bit in her chair, looking dead into the shorter woman's eyes. "If you are here under the guise of what the council and world deems a dark guild, then I will humbly ask you to exit once you finish your cup of tea. I don't look after myself anymore, so I will do what's in the best interest of the inhabitants of my home." Even a flash of seriousness flashed in her eyes despite her inflection never shifting. She did not seek fame or really fortune, so if she truly wished for her expertise and power, she definitely had to work for it.

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It was unexpected when Madison began to speak in Xiaomin’s native tongue, though she kept it from her face. While it was rare to hear someone speak the language here in Fiore, there were enough immigrants in Hosenka for it to not be as shocking as it might have been when the crime lord first arrived in the country. The woman commented on the testing of poison, but Xiaomin was not about to leave herself open to attack. Anyone could try and kill you at anytime, she only even trusted the guards she had brought with her because they had already risked their lives to save her.

“One does not live long in my line of work without taking the necessary precautions,” she returned in Dongxian before switching back Ishgar. It being pointed out that she was being overly cautious did not bother her, it was the words that came after that brought a slight frown to her face. This woman not being a psychopath was good, but being completely unwilling to listen was another matter entirely. Money had been the simple answer, if that would not work then a change in tactics would be required.

“Regardless of what the magical council might say, I assure you we are nothing more than business men and women,” she replied keeping her tone calm. “We are not interested in things such things such as killing for no reason or bringing down the government. Rather, we would wish to prevent such an occurrence. It would be bad for business.”

She then took another sip of tea, before continuing. “I had not expected you to be fine leaving this children living in squalor rather than comfort, but I respect your intentions. However, you seem to be missing an important factor. The safety of these children.”

Here she held up a hand to forestall any reaction from Madison. “Not from me or the organization I represent. We have no desire to bring harm to you or anyone else within this building, there is no profit in it. Consider though that we know who you are and were able to track you down. How long then until the Rune Knights do the same? What do you think will happen to these children without you here to protect them? At best they would become homeless, at worst they would get caught in the crossfire. I wish to prevent that. With our resources keeping your identity hidden from the Rune Knights will easy enough, and by protecting yourself you would be protecting your orphans.”

Once she had given this explanation she paused for a moment to let the information sink it. She really did hope that the woman would understand that Xiaomin did not intend to harm the children for no reason, and that it was in their best interest that Madison joined underneath of the Family. “I am willing to negotiate terms that are most beneficial to you, such as the terms of your employment. I would even be willing to fund a new orphanage near our headquarters so you can keep an eye on your wards. You will find I am much more willing to negotiate than the Rune Knights are. If you do not trust me, we can sign it in a magical contract. ”

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A slight smirk appeared on the maids face as the younger woman replied in the assumed native tongue. Honestly, she'd guessed she could speak the language, which in some cases could be perceived as a slight bit of stereotyping or a far stretch of light racism i such cases. Then again, that could be nothing compared to the way Joyan's became perceived during the start of the war... "Well should you have more private information to share that you don't want spoken in Ishgaran, I am versed in nine languages, aforementioned current pairing languages included." She quickly noted, assuring her capabilities were much more than a light sprinkle of well trained manners, a pretty face, and a resume that would not much match the innocence she carried currently.

It was hard in that moment to compel herself from slapping this short sprout for the comment made about her orphanage in its state. While it may not have been the five star establishments she was spoiled by her entire life, this was much more than some places she had the misfortune of visiting in her travels --and her personal experience. "While logically, i cannot dispute your.. tasteless opinion of my and these children's home, you might want to try and pick your words carefully moving forward, madam. You of all people should know poking a bear is not the wisest move when trying to feed it honey." Pausing, the maid would casually take a sip of her tea before setting the cup down and then refilling both cups whether they had been empty or not.

"Believe it or not, I have a number of contingency plans in place should anything happen to me. Firstly, the Rune Knights? I am not going to fight them if they decide to come looking for me. I am not actively looking to put my name out there if at all. A young mage volunteers here somewhat often when she can. A bright young lady whom I am trying to assist with a bewildering situation outside of normal teenage girl problems. She too was an orphan and though knows a bit about me, is not opposed or worried if she were to take over in my stead. I would never leave these children in a situation if I were not more than a thousand percent sure they would be after as people and not as a quick jewel to be made. I also receive a charitable donations or two from time to time from anonymous donors. Sometimes one is often mispelled in a letter, other times appears to be dictated, if I had to guess. And on older Rune Knight letter heading papers too."

In a moment of silence after given the added attempt of whether or not she could agree under multiple conditions, her silence remained. Only the quiet sipping on her tea while she tried to figure the best course of action. While she certainly wanted to give these kids everything, the idea of putting more targets on their backs or burdening this family of Lui's was not something she felt very comfortable doing. "Magical contracts do not interest me at all, nor would I ask you for any silly blood contracts either. I do believe a higher power will be a proper witness in my eyes to guide my judgement. I also will not need to move this place. It had existed in peace long before the demise of Errings Rising. Your offer is very appreciated and generous, however it is not necessary." Leaving her hands rested in her lap, Sanguine smiled as she looked to her guest and continued. "I would be happy to negotiate things with you. but know my trust is not purchasable under any circumstance. And should you attempt to cross that trust, be sure I WILL not be so merciful."

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It seemed the greatest hurtle, even getting Madison to the negotiating table, had been passed. She said she did not need any kind of magic contract, but Xiaomin could not help but to think of her second in command and her more… let us call them dominant personality traits. That was a conversation the diminutive mage had no desire to deal with at the moment, she would let her subordinate handle that. Instead of a contract, it was faith that Madison seemed to most care about. Faith personally meant nothing to Xiaomin, as with the exception of a few like this woman here, most people would easily abandon their faith for a few jewels. Jewels, then, were the true religion of the world.

“I understand that I have no way of proving it at this time,” she replied, keeping her thoughts from her face, “but I have no desire to betray your trust. My only goal is to make our organization successful, and to earn lots and lots of jewels. Anything that would potentially prevent that from happening is something I cannot allow to happen. Breaking your trust I consider to be one of those things that cannot be allowed. I stand to benefit far more from keeping your trust than by losing it.”

All that she said was the unvarnished truth. She had been sent to Fiore to make the Family lots of money, and failure would mean her death. That was what it meant to be an executive to the Family directly, when operating at such a high level there was simply no space for failure. An executive that did something that brought harm to the organization could threaten everyone. Xiaomin had long accepted that her life was always in the balance when making decisions. Instead of worrying about it, she could only continue to move forward and hope her decisions were the correct ones. In the end, it was still entirely possible she could make all the best decisions and still end up dead. That was the life of a crime boss.

“If you are amenable to it,” Xiaomin continued, “I think all parties would benefit from you serving as the Estate Manager for our guild headquarters. You would answer directly to me, but otherwise have free reign to carry out your duties as see fit. Since you already seem to have plenty of experience in the field, you would be in charge of the servants that keep the guildhall in order. This would mostly be a cover though, as your real job would be to keep the compound and other guild assets in town safe. There is no end to the small time gangs and other fools who wish to muscle into our operation. Having someone I can trust to keep them at bay would allow me to focus on other work. Should these terms sound reasonable, I can have my Head of Finances come in to hash out the details. She handles all the employee contracts like these, and would also make sure you get your payment.”

Behind Xiaomin, her single female guard stood ready to use the lacrima in her ear to call for the financial executive. That would depend on whether Madison felt that what Xiaomin was saying was acceptable to her. Something she admittedly was not sure of, as the older woman clearly thought in very different ways from her. All she could do was hope her words were enough.

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She kept silent, mentally praying to god that she could believe the word of this guest over her word of never wishing to cross the maid in any future collaboration to work for her. She wished that she could say for it to be like her run in Errings Rising, but she had to recall that she did not have a say in joining that guild as well as how bogged down she and the many people they'd taken in as essential servants ended up improving overtime as she began taking over the hall maintenance as well as other interactions that sort of turned some tables. Of course, it never stopped some hot shot cocky "definitely stole some candy from a baby" level "villain" who just ended up trying to make a name for themselves while also spending their spare time harassing people in any number of ways. A couple of which ended up with some minor broken wrists or arms, but that was a necessary evil.

Without saying anything, the white haired maid allowed the guest to continue on, explaining now as to the proposed position within her guild and in said case the responsibilities with it. She sat absolutely silent, nearly still as though she'd replaced herself with a doll. Simply staring and remaining quiet and smiled the entire time while she began to mull over the way it went. Managerial roles was her grown into role, both as an ace of Errings Rising as well as just being the head maid of the deceased guild. "If I may interject, Madam Liu. I do not tend to just oversee when I am in charge of others. No disrespect, I promise. However, I do enjoy a hands-on teaching to help improve said servants, helping to bridge a relation between the people within and the servants while improving morale of the servants. I know it's a bit strange to hear such things, however you would be amazed at the level of quality that comes from a happier, more enthused staff. Imprisoned or indebted servants would soon turn into happily volunteered or even normally paid employees. That is, assuming their terms of employment are not the traditional Dongxian manner of debt repayment." She remained calm and neutral sounding. This was far from her first rodeo in the means of serving others both of voluntary and involuntary manners, so this topic was rather numb to her.

All she did following her explanation, Sanguine looked up to her other guest and gave a nod of approval, allowing her to call in the person she'd wanted to bring in for their paperwork. "I may be reluctant to trust, but I won't allow the inactions of faith to help my staff and children to prosper, so I will not try and beat around the proverbial bush. In fact, should this lead to something more prosperous for us both, I would welcome under discussion and meetings, should there be a situation where a child is left by themselves, they are welcome to be sent here to have shelter, food, and a chance at life. This is my only other condition as of this moment, but should concerns arise, I will happily pay you a visit." In that moment, she smiled gleefully, eyes closed in a very excited smile. In that same moment, Xiaomin would feel something soft wrap around the middle of her shin. Waiting for her to see and connect the dots, she would see some of her white hair wrapped around, firmly gripping her leg purely by example, but quickly retreating away after, leaving no marks or bruising.

"Now, aside from your paperwork, I welcome your curious questions or personal inquires. Take the time you desire and if you would like a cup of tea as well, I will get some more prepping." Her eyes gazed to the guard, not wishing to be rude and allowing her to relax a bit more as well this time.

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“A leader who is willing to get their hands dirty, literally in this case I suppose, is not a weakness, I think,” Xiaomin said in response to the maid’s comment about not being a passive manager. She too was more than willing to handle business on her own when it was the best option, such as her being here rather than sending someone else. “As long as the work gets done properly, I leave the details of running your employees entirely to you.”

Yes, she was willing to take action when it was the best option, but Xiaomin simply could not be everywhere at once. That was why she required competent people underneath her to keep all the plates spinning. Between their activities in Hosenka and in the capital, not to mention their smuggling operations that crossed country boundaries, it was more than any one person could manage. Well, unless they had the ability to clone themselves. That would actually be quite handy, now that she thought about it. Perhaps she would look into if such magic existed.

“You need not worry about any debtors being in your service,” she said when that was brought up. “We do not use their services within the main house, they are not trustworthy enough. Their talents are best used elsewhere.”

Debt was, after all, the best way to tie someone to a guild owned brothel. Most of the prostitutes came either from trafficking them from other countries with the promise of a new life in a new country, or they were sold to the guild by family members who owed substantial sums to them. Strictly speaking it was not legal, but it was not like there was anyone for them to turn to when the guild ran the entire town. On the other hand, as long as they did their job they were treated well and could theoretically pay off their debt and earn their freedom. That few ever did was entirely besides the point. None of this was relevant to Madison though, who would have limited interaction with Hospitality.

It was then that she felt the hair wrapped around her leg, and Xiaomin was glad she had not prepared any defensive spells before entering. It was clear this was just a warning, but her magic would have only seen it as a threat and attacked. If that had happened, the results would have certainly been catastrophic. Instead she was able to simply nod her head in understanding, her face showing no concern for the threat. A leader that showed fear of their subordinates did not survive long in the criminal  underworld. Instead she simply held a hand up to her guard, forestalling any action. Understanding what her boss wanted, the guard instead called for the last woman who had been left behind in the car. Once that woman arrived, Xiaomin gave a brief overview of the decision.

“Miss Richter here will be joining Management underneath me,” she started. “Draw up an employee contract, standard manager rate along with a bonus that is to be paid to this institution. Terms are standard loyalty from both sides, with the addition of me doing my best to prevent the Rune Knights from going after Miss Richter or this institution. Job duties are the management of household personnel for the guild house and upkeep of the estate, and the protection of guild owned assets in Hosenka.”

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The limo was a luxuriously comfortable place, the seats were large and overstuffed, a large sunroof allowed privacy and airflow and Kaede was soaking it in.  She wasn’t alone though, her personal second, a local hire, was appreciating the collection of fuzzy things Suzume continued to send.  The mint haired woman squeezed a plush toy to her chest, she never, ever wanted her sister to stop sending them either.  It was just too embarrassing to buy the stuff herself, people would say things about her, unflattering things.  Not her people though, they couldn’t if they wanted.

”Time to put the toys away, Greene, Lady Liu sent for me.  Remember to get out of the car and scowl every now and then, You wouldn’t want to give the locals the wrong idea about us.”  Her voice would have been considered warm by those who knew her, a bit flat by those that didn’t.  She gave the plush one final hug and placed it back in the travel bag, then popped open her briefcase.  She made sure the contents were still in order, everything was right where she put it, she could only hope the interview went well so far.  

The last thing she did before exiting the vehicle was to leave her spare magazines in the car, if two loaded handguns weren’t enough for a task, they weren’t needed at all.  The door clicked shut behind her, Kaede paid no mind.  All things considered the converted structure looked nicer than it had any reason too.  She pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes, straightened her jacket and snake patterned scarf, and walked through the door.  To her surprise the inside was the same, well kept, if a bit worn around the edges, Kaede approved.  The accountant turned executive made no attempt to quiet the loud clicking of her high heeled boots on the floor as she made her way to her diminutive superior.

The mint haired woman leaned in to listen to Lady Liu, not because she had to, but because it looked better.  At least she felt it did, and not for any other reason.  The instructions should be specific enough.  There was tea set out for two, some snacks, but this wasn’t right. Her expression cracked for a few seconds, mild panic.  Kaede turned away from the pair and stood up.  Lady Liu didn’t introduce me.  There would be a third cup.  She forgot to bring the snack!  Is it still in the car!?  How do we salvage this?  This is a disaster!”  She took a couple deep breaths and popped open her briefcase. Calm down, I have my emergency tin of shortbread cookies, they’ll pair with tea.  She removed the tin from her briefcase as well as a stack of blank paper, closed the briefcase and passed it to Lady Liu’s ‘assistant’.  She slid the stack of paper under her arm then opened and placed the tin of cookies near their host and as almost an afterthought pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head.  A faint floral citrus scent wafted from the tin. Kaede spoke without sitting, her tone was very formal, as she was picking her words.

”Please excuse my rudeness Miss Richter, I am Mizu… The mint haired accountant stopped herself, cleared her throat, bowed her head.  She gestured to the tin of cookies.  ”We hope these are to your liking, bergamot and earl grey shortbread.  I am Kaede Mizuno, primarily an accountant, with expanded duties under Lady Liu.  Before we get down to the details, I feel it best if I explain how the contract works.  It should alleviate any doubts as to why I need to be here.”  Kaede’s voice was an octave higher than she intended, regardless, she felt like she recovered pretty well there.  The mint haired woman separated out a couple pieces of blank paper and handed one each to Lady Liu and Miss Richter. She adjusted her jacket and scarf before continuing.

”My magic allows me to create contracts, the contents of which are self enforcing.  Once all parties involved sign it, and I activate it that is.  By self enforcing I mean, I don’t need to know and likely won't know if or when you break the contract, the penalties will be applied regardless. The contract has no effect if you don’t sign it.  It doesn’t care what your name is, put in a pseudonym, fake name, my name, the results are the same.  The contract ties itself to those that sign it, not the name on the contract.  So, don’t think you can sign somebody else’s name and do what you want, you wont like the results..  The document itself doesn’t matter, it’s just a piece of paper like the blank one you are holding.  That document will fill itself out as we negotiate, and it will contain an absolutely accurate account of what is discussed.  The contract cannot be edited once it is signed, without additional signatures.”  The executive accountant, and acting notary, had been speaking at a clear deliberate pace, took a deep breath and finally sat down before continuing the same.  ”I do want you to know Miss Richter, I prefer my contracts to be balanced and fair for all parties.  I do not like making unbalanced contracts that favor one side over another.  You don’t have to believe me, I feel my actions during negotiations will prove well enough.  Do you have any questions before we get started?”  The mint haired woman kept her superior in her peripheral vision, but was very obviously focused on her host’s response.

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Something about the way that Xiaomin's expression and bodily position betrayed the bit of elevated blood pressure put a light smile on the maid's face. She didn't do much else after, gauging her reaction, that of her guard's, then simply uncoiling her hair from around the business woman's leg and back to it's more "natural" length. "Very well then. Quite the formidable front." She tried to be vague, not wanting to give away her given reaction and picked up her cup to take a gentle sip of her tea as she had wanted to let Xiaomin pick up where she left off, or rather right now just begin to explain something else to her.

After the guard beside Xiaomin had spoken into her earbud, another woman had entered the building. A nearby maid helped open the door for her once she entered, shutting the door behind her carefully before giving her a warm welcoming curtsy. She looked to be a bit of a sweet girl. Long mint colored hair, bangs shielding one eye. Piercing, yet deviously innocent appearing red eyes looking around. The head maid gestured to the maid by the door and she left the room towards what would be the kitchen, though she expected neither girl to potentially know. When she approached the table, she had seemed a bit nervous and definitely touched on that immediate vibe of innocence she thought there had been. Even as much to offer a tin of shortbread cookies. It brought a big smile to her face to see that, gently accepting it from Mizu's hands and nodding softly. "That's very sweet of you, thank you Miss Mizu. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, take a seat and a cup will be here for you momentarily along with a fresh pot." She gestured to the open chair with which she soon sat down in herself.

Remaining quiet, it seemed her brain quickly shifted into work mode and it didn't go unnoticed by the maid at all. Maid work had made her supremely aware of all sorts of things as a more observational sort of role it gave her. While Mizu began to speak, her mere manner of speaking shifted. That came along clearer, more professional, and calmer for that manner. That alone had impressed her a bit and while that didn't alone make her concretely ready to sign away whatever plans they had, it did make things more interesting for sure. Before her lied blank papers as the mint haired woman had been explaining, taking one in hand and looking it over with little scrutiny but more so curiosity. "Please, there's no need for either of you to be so formal. You're both certainly welcome to address me normally if that is easier. Despite my prior position, I didn't really care for the formalities it came with."

She gave a light shrug at the end of her comment, setting the paper down and looking over to the pair of women across from her while the newer of the two guests finished her statement, allowing her any questions before they would continue on. Before she could, a maid with short, light blue hair had approached with a tray in hand. On it, carried a freshly brewed pot of tea, a fresh placement for Mizuno, as well as a freshly cut veggie tray with a bowl of dip surrounding it. "Oh, I didn't expect that, thank you. Please, help yourselves ladies." She offered, allowing this maid to fill Mizu's cup with piping hot tea, then topping off both other cups and setting it down. Sanguine then picked up the tin and handed that to her before she spoke in fluent Minstrellan. "Please take this to the kids and everyone can have some if they like. Yourselves included of course. The tray was very sweet of you." A bright smile lit up her face, nodding and taking the tin from her before leaving with the empty serving tray next.

"I don't have any real questions at the moment. If any do accrue as we continue on, I will be sure to bring them up, madam. But please, you both may continue and don't hesitate to try any. Her homemade dip is phenomenal." On this tray would be freshly cut and washed celery sticks, baby carrots, broccoli and cauliflower fleurette's, even some chips for safe measure.

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Kaede shifted herself further back in her chair, using a moment she was not the focus of attention to get more comfortable. She winced at hearing her name being cut off at ‘Mizu’, there was little she could do about it now, as she knew it was her own fault. The names here in Fiore just seem backwards and she has to remember that.  She watched in mild disappointment as her offering was removed from the table. While they were not expressly for herself, Kaede had purchased them just in case they were needed, but also because she rather liked that kind of cookie.  The mint haired woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath, when they opened a cup of tea had manifested itself, complete with accouterments, in front of her.  Some kind of hospitality magic possibly, or just efficient service, either way Kaede approved.  She leaned in and grabbed a carrot and her cup. The tea smelled wonderful, but she decided to eat the carrot now.

”Very well, if that is your preference. I generally prefer Ms. Mizuno, but in this room, I will accept Kaede without reservation. With that, Madison, let’s get down to details.”  She snapped her fingers, the blank paper filled itself out line by line. As she spoke.  ”It should go without saying, but I am the Commissioner, Notary and a third party of this contract.  The primary signatory of this document will be Liu Xiaomin, known further as the first party, and employer. You, Madison Richter are the second party, employee, and also signatory.  The place of employment is Golden Dragon Holdings, further referred to as GDH, or the Company.”  Kaede took a long sip at her tea and paused to make sure everyone was following so far.

”Lady Liu’s responsibilities will be as follows: she shall provide pay in accordance with the standard management branch payscale, upper level, shall set a recurring quarterly stipend to the employee’s orphanage, shall provide housing and uniforms, shall use her power to protect the second party’s orphanage regardless of its future location or name, shall assign areas of responsibility to the employee and shall support the purpose of the employee.  Lady Liu should consider recommendations, should accept constructive criticism and should expect prudence.  She shall not risk her life for her employee’s, except when such inaction would bring harm to the Company. Lady Liu should not allow employees to be wasteful.”  She cleared her throat and enjoyed another large sip of her tea.

”Your responsibilities, Madison, will be as follows: You shall support GDH, shall take control of and manage personnel and resources designated by the employer, shall complete the tasks assigned by the employer and shall defend GDH assets in Hosenka within your power.  You should recommend improvements, should provide constructive criticism and should perform all tasks in a timely manner.  You shall not sabotage GDH or the employer, shall not bring harm to the employer, and shall not mislead to cause damage to GDH or first party.  You should not waste resources and you should not allow those in your charge to be wasteful.”  The mint haired commissioner finished off her tea and placed the cup down.  She looked between her employer and host before continuing.

”Further, You, Madison, shall maintain a professional state of dress and personal grooming while performing your duties and you shall not disclose or discuss, or cause to be disclosed to any third party, the personal affects or tastes you discover of one, Kaede Mizuno.”  Kaede left no time before continuing on.

”This contract, once signed, will be followed, strictly, under penalties provided.  Lady Liu has decided to surrender her life to you, if she breaks this contract willingly. A reminder, she chose this penalty and this contract will enforce it.  I generally prefer those under contract to offer up their own penalty, and something that keeps balance.  At a minimum, your knowledge of the inner workings of the company should be sealed, for your and our protection.  If you would like an idea, you can offer up your access to magic, or maybe something as simple as paying back your wages and benefits in full.  Whatever you offer, we will provide transport back to your orphanage as well as a final prorated stipend for the orphanage.  No further, unagreed upon harm will come to you or the orphanage."  She crossed her legs and sat back. The sheets of paper Ms. Richter and Lady Liu held now contained a draft copy of the contract at the top stated as much above the words ‘Employee Contract’.  The document looked complete  sans a penalty in part III section B.

Madison Richter Draft Contract:

”Questions, comments?  Is there anything, Lady Liu, Madison, you need clarified or changed? added or removed?”  Kaede had maintained a genial look and tone, she preferred not to make faces or shift emotion while explaining contracts or during negotiations. It will likely be a quick back and forth between those two from here.

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Her brow raised a little as Kaede corrected in some fashion that her last name was longer than how it was introduced. Her eyes peered over to Xiaomin for a moment and then back to the mint haired woman with a look of dissatisfaction. "I do apologize, Madam Mizuno. I was indirectly introduced to you as Mizu, so I simply assumed instead of asking for any preferred ways to be addressed. I'll make sure to do better moving forward." She couldn't necessarily blame Lady Liu if she was much more comfortable and had a longer, prior relationship of some fashion with Kaede, so she most likely only spoke in a familiar setting and didn't think much on it, so she couldn't think it was on purpose or malicious. At worst, this was intentional to test the maid's reaction and ability to hold to her professionalism. Perhaps she spent too much time around Seraphine and other highly arrogant types of people.

Gently picking up the piece of paper crafting words as Kaede spoke, Sanguine looked at the woman's work as it had appeared on the page. An interesting formatting manner also showed she had a very well done education and she took this sort of magic and job seriously. It did certainly help her to think that if someone of her and Xiaomin's capabilities seemed like it would be a capable and worthwhile venture. At this stage in her life, Sang's focus was not on herself. In fact, until her situation with Grim and that fallout, she had never taken herself forward and in the time between then and the end of Erring's Rising, she had a lovely realization she had to do what it took to make sure her own life chances would not be repeated in the way she had grown up with.

In some silence, the white haired maid peered over the contract and then to the pair of guests before her across the table. Her hand reached to a celery stalk and took a scoop of the dip and then a decently audible crunch. With a well mannered moment to chew her food and then set the paper down on the table, she reached into her apron pocket to retrieve a pen and set it onto the paper. "While at this moment I do not see anything wrong with the contract itself, I do find it interesting to see if this would solely seal one magic I possess or all of them. General curiosity, however I am well aware that this and any bits moving forward will be addressed and up to resigning as well, ma'am?" She remained calm, simply asking while she looked on with no discernable dislike or eager fascination either. Maybe a slight delight from the dip, but that seemed to be about it.

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Watching Kaede come in and interact with Madison, Xiaomin was glad she had brought the woman here instead of asking Madison to come to Hosenka. Without the need to act strong constantly, Kaede could be much more personable with others. The crime lord could do the same, just her station here in Fiore expected her to never show weakness around others. Even kindness could be considered a weakness in certain situations, which left her often acting colder to others than necessary. Someone who tended to wear their heart on their sleeves yet was also capable of acting calm and professional when required was the perfect bridge in situations like this. That her presence was required because of her magic just made things easier.

This was no more apparent than how well Madison took to Kaede’s presence and gift. Such a gift was something that Midi culture often expected visitors to bring when acting as a guest, but Xiaomin’s position made it so she could only do so with someone of equal or greater status. There was no such person outside of Midi, and acting like someone was could undermine her authority with the rougher elements of their organization. She already had the stigmas of her inexperience and size, there was always the possibility that someone with more ambition than brains would see it as a weakness and try and take the Family Head seat from her. Of course the risk of that was pretty small, especially at this stage. That did not change the fact that Xiaomin’s lack of trust in others prevented her from acting in any way other than as the perfect crime boss.

After Kaede went over the terms that the two had come up with ahead of time, Madison asked about the sealing of magic. It was Xiaomin who responded to the question. “The magic is surprisingly flexible, so in theory yes the magic being sealed can be specified. Ultimately the price is intended to be harsh, because ideally neither side should ever break the contract. I am willing to offer up my life as my side of the contract because I have no intention of breaking it. As for resignation, betrayal is obviously not something we tolerate. Leaving the Family with permission is another matter, and a new contract can be negotiated if such a thing is required.”

Generally when one joined the Family, they were expected to be part of the Family for the rest of their life. There were always exceptions to such rules though, especially if it was more profitable to let someone go than to force them to remain. Profit would always trump other considerations, even if it meant throwing aside traditions. That was the reason that she was organizing a mage guild to run this branch of the Family rather than the traditional organizations, and why members were not required to get the elaborate tattoos most Family members back in Midi sported. She lacked the tattoos herself, as she was too young until recently to receive her sujibori, or tattoo outline.

“Do you have any additional questions?” she asked, her thoughts getting back on topic.

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The mint haired woman closed her eyes and bowed her head, but not far.  She raised her right hand the back of which towards her host and waved it in a brush off gesture.  ”Oh, It’s nothing to worry about, Madison. This was my error, I should have spoken clearer.”  The accountant, who was definitely an accountant crammed into the square hole, refilled her tea, and picked up a couple more carrots.  Kaede would never show it, but she didn’t much care for carrots, but her little sister loved them, the little girl would mock her endlessly if word got back that she didn’t eat her carrots.  She tried to keep her face straight while eating each of the carrots, and used a couple sips of tea to mask the flavor.  The tea really was brewed well, nice and mellow with everything she liked in a black tea, Kaede approved.

Kaede sipped her tea while listening to her host’s comments on the contract.  She mentally prepared rebuttals and counter offers for a couple of the more controversial statements, but none had come.  What she got instead nearly made her spit her tea.  The silver haired host’s one comment seemed more an absent thought on a possibility of a penalty’s interaction and less an actual response.  The woman’s question did have an answer, and she had prepared to speak it, but the diminutive founder of Golden Dragon Holdings spoke up first.  Lady Jiu’s mannerisms always reminded her of Suzume, even if they were quite different in nearly every other way.  The short executive’s explanation was quite accurate about the contract’s flexibility; if their host offered it up, the contract would probably take it.  Not that Kaede had ever tried to explore the limits of what these contracts could do, there was no point.  Any contract that could be so powerful as to challenge her view of the world’s functioning would likely also be so unbalanced that it wasn’t worth sparing the time of day.  She shifted her snakeskin shall and quietly cleared her throat. Clarification was in order.

”I’m not certain I fully understand.  If you are asking me if the contract would seal off one or all of your magics, the answer is along what Lady Liu proffered.  It can seal any one magic or all of them, but as I said earlier, the proposed penalty is on you.  I was only offering possible examples, to help you choose.”  The mint haired woman took another sip of her tea and leaned forward.  She was trying to keep her tone helpful, possibly warm, but it didn’t quite make it there.  ”I prefer my contracts to be balanced, penalties included.  If you really prefer to have your magic sealed, I’d be glad to discuss the details on that or any other penalty.  Further, please do make sure you understand this contact's details before agreeing to them; myself or Lady Liu can answer any questions.  I would feel terrible if the contract broke over a simple misunderstanding.”   Kaede sounded genuinely concerned over these details.

A broken contract, no matter the reason or intent, was still a broken contract.  She was powerless to make an exception, even if she felt the guilty party deserved a second chance. It was always a waste of good talent when it happened.  Kaede did not approve of waste.

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The maid remained quiet and listened as both of the women began to clear up the misunderstanding in which she had in terms of the contracts terms and her question over the specifics of sealing her magic abilities. Especially ones tied to her lineage as well, which seemed to be a silly but confusing thing to her. Instead, she simply shrugged and set the partially filled out paper down onto the table and brushed out the front of her dress on her lap. It was a light habit when she was trying to gather her thoughts and she wouldn't have really thought to be a kind of tell. "I see. I suppose wording it as a question then an amused joke would have been a much clearer thing to do. However, I can assure you that the idea of death is not really... foreign to me. In fact, in my time in Errings Rising, I spent probably close to half of it with complete or majority of amnesia. Despite having photographic memory, I had no recollection of anything for some time. I only mention that because the way it was obtained was letting some person who still does not recall in my mind to this day took a flintlock pistol and-" She paused, making a finger gun motion at her temple and her thumb playing the hammer reaching to her hand like it was being fired. "Bang. I suppose it was her magic that blocks her from my memories, but her voice still irritates me to this day."

She cleared her throat, letting out a sigh and shaking the thought from her head. "So, the idea of death is not beyond something I have contemplated before. It's not anything I fear or worry about happening. Ideally, I wish if I were to go before the lord would take me away would be that I could protect someone in danger, however if I were to fail my tasks, removing my memories of any interaction we have ever had would not be opposed." Now, she paused, a look of seriousness falling to both of the women while placing her hands on the table now. "I would like to include a condition or clause, that should I ever betray either of you or the family through voluntary means, I will accept the term of death to occur."

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It seemed that all three of them were on the same page now, which pleased Xiaomin. Fundamentally she believed in making business deals that benefitted her more than the other party, but in this case a fundamental failure in the negotiations would only lead to more problems in the future. While the contract would limit her ability to cause harm to the guild, Madison was still a powerful mage. She was not a naive gambling addict they could easily force into crippling debt. As long as she was satisfied with the terms after signing them though, both sides should stand to benefit and so the crime boss was satisfied.

The comments on losing her memory were curious, though not of particular importance for the moment. Xiaomin was already quite aware that Fiore was full of dark mages of questionable sanity, she actually expected them to be as much a potential roadblock in the future as the Magic Council and their Rune Knights. That was why she needed powerful forces like Madison on her side, should such outside interference become a problem.

“I am glad we could come to an agreement today,” Xiaomin said as she waited for Kaede to update the contract. Once it was ready, she leaned forward, having to stretch to reach, and added her signature to the document. Madison made it out that death did not particularly bother her as a punishment for breaking the contract, but it was more than satisfactory for Xiaomin. Unless the woman could somehow come back from the dead, there was no more fitting punishment than death. It would very neatly prevent any future issues should Madison in fact attempt to betray the guild.

After all parties had sign the contract and it was in effect, the small crime boss stood up from her seat and readjusted her suit coat. “Now that you have joined our organization, I would like to bring you back to our headquarters where you will be based. We will, of course, drive you back here to tie up any business and pack any belongings you need. Consider this as just an introduction to the guild. But let us hurry, it is a bit of a drive back to Hosenka and I would like to arrive before the sun begins to dip.”

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The report Lady Liu had received on this white haired maid had very little in the way of specific details on her past, except for the impression she was strong and involved in some unsavory things.  More research would be needed for this Errings Rising organization.  Any rival organized crime group might cause friction in the Dragon’s territory, measures will need to be taken.  Kaede listened to the maid’s tale of memory loss, she kept her attention closely focused on the maid.  The mint haired accountant was actually not all that great at reading people’s intentions through their tone of facial movements, she liked to give the impression she did.  She lost her focus at the mention of a gunshot to the head, sloppy.  If one is going to go out of their way to execute somebody like that, they really should fire a second shot, It’s rule number two in any disposal via firearm.  Unless it was a method of memory erasure, in which case, that was even sloppier.  

”I can assure you, if my contract took your memory, it’d be painless, and you wouldn’t even recall the process that led to it.  It would work more like a mental block put in place due to stress, every time you try to think about it, the thought just harmlessly slides away.  Whatever this person’s method, I find methods like that… distasteful.”  The accountant tried to sound sympathetic, reassuring even, but her disgust Madison’s attacker’s methods seeped their way into her speech.  The mint haired woman sipped at her tea again while her host spoke.  Death is simple, generally not preferable as a punishment.  People are worth more to the company while heavily in debt to it.  Easy to force them into another contract and exploit them for labor.  In this case debt would likely just create a monster, and worse, putting an orphanage into debt is pretty bad public relations.

”Death is fairly final, Madison, but if you prefer it, we can work with that.  As for death if you voluntarily betray the company, or other executives, voluntarily is too weak a term really. As the contract can’t understand intent.  For instance, if you have a momentary lapse of sanity, losing control of yourself, say, by going berserk, the contract would treat all actions taken the same as any normal, willful actions.”  Kaede put her left hand to her chin in thought for a few moments before her eyes brightened and she extended her index finger.

”With death as the penalty, I see no reason to include a memory stint, you wouldn’t be alive to remember things anyway.  That being said, I’d prefer to word the penalty as such: If you, Madison, do not fulfill the terms and conditions of the contract, break the contract, or through your actions or inaction cause this contract to break, your body and mind will cease functioning.  As an addendum to this, we’ll give the orphanage a final prorated stipend.  We also will not go beyond this contract to cause harm to you or your orphanage if the contract is broken.” Kaede spoke through these words with a practiced cadence, almost bored.  The accountant gestured to the paper Madison and Lady Liu both possessed.

Madison Richter Contract:

”If there are no further changes, you can both sign the contract at the bottom, above your names.  Once you do I can finalize it.”  Kaede placed her teacup down and looked back and forth between her superior and host.

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Her eyes couldn’t help but trail from her guests to the paper as it seemed to fill to the words and terms in which Kaede had begun to explain to her as it were. Clarifying the way the contract would not be able to hold to the stipulation she had been worried about, it was almost added that she’d simply cease to be alive at that point and allow her to find the end she didn’t want to hope the children would ever see. Not that they didn’t know she was under “rule” of an evil and dark guild, but given that gave her the ease of putting a stop to any and all issues that would put them in danger. She was as much their protector as she was their guardian and as much as she didn’t want to leave them, she needed to make sure that they could be clothed and fed as well.

”I understand, Madam Kaede. I do hope you know that I am what as most would call “loyal to a fault”, and as such I wouldn’t willingly commit any harm to an employer or umm.. should that ever happen again, an owner. Though those tales can be told in the trip to Hosenka.” With that noted, Sanguine would pick up the pen she set on the table before and peered over the contract and read it over again just for her own assurance. As the tip of the pen touched the line to sign, her mind stuttered as to sign the paper under her formerly known name. She gave a soft sigh and rolled her eyes then signed the paper using her legal name and then slid the paper across the table. ”I have spent the better part of a decade of my life under that name, so honestly I still struggle sometimes to use my given name. So know I do apologize if old habits occur without thinking about it, but I will do my utmost to be mindful under this employment.” She would stand, pushing in her chair as a maid entered the room to collect the tray their snacks were on. ”I have some business to attend to in Hosenka, so I will have to take my leave for a couple of days. I trust you to the children and when I return, we can get together and plan some celebration for us all.” She smiled to the maid, who seemed to go from a little concerned at the beginning to more excited and overjoyed. She nodded and collected the rest before she made her way back to the kitchen, allowing the three to exit on Xiaomin’s words. ”Shall we take our leave then, Mistress Xaiomin?” Giving a curtsy, she would approach the pair and await to leave in tow when they were ready.

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It was only after the contract was signed and the magic in place that Xiaomin allowed herself to relax ever so slightly. It was much easier for her to trust others when they were bound by magic not to betray her. That was not to say they still could not betray her, and she always kept that possibility in the back of her mind, it was just that most people had a natural desire to avoid punishment. Madison could say she was loyal to a fault all she wanted, it was the contract that Xiaomin truly believed in.

With their business here done, the crime boss led the group back toward the car where one of her guards opened the door for her. With so many guards and people the limousine was on the full side, but it was more than luxurious enough that such a thing was not a problem for the occupants. Organizations like theirs thrived as much on perceived wealth as actual wealth, so they had spared no expenses when kitting out the modified Pergrande import. Even having a non-magic vehicle during times of war was a sign of money in and of itself.

Once the car began to make its way across the snowy ground, sake cups were offered to the three senior occupants of the car. It was a high class rice wine, with a higher alcohol content than normal. As such the sake cup was on the smaller side, to provide balance when drinking.

“If you will Madison,” Xiaomin said holding up the cup. “It is tradition in Midi to drink sake when swearing loyalty to each other. Usually there is much more ceremony involved, but as we are in Fiore a simple Fiorean toast seems more appropriate. Cheers”

Holding up the sake cup to the others, she then down the liquid and let the slight burn pass down her throat. Personally she preferred fruit wines over rice wine, so the single cup was enough for her before a glass of sparkling water was handed to her to replace the alcohol. There was still a significant amount of work awaiting her back in Hosenka so getting drunk was not in the cards even as a way to pass the time. Instead she decided it would be a good opportunity to learn more about their newest guild member. “From the sounds of it, you have certainly had an eventful past."

Besides their conversation the rest of the trip was completely uneventful. Eventually the snow of the mountains faded into the more temperate climate of the rest of the country, something Xiaomin appreciated. She was still not entirely used to how much colder the northern winters were compared to Dongxia and Midi. Not to mention that she much preferred the greens and browns of a mild day to the white of the snow that covered the mountain region.

The distance between Mt. Hakobe and Hosenka was great enough that even with the advantage of a motor vehicle the sun had begun to set when the arrived in the spa town. This was perhaps for the best as it would give Madison a view of the city when it was most active. Sure there were still plenty of places open to tourists during daylight, but it was the nightlife that had become the biggest draw to bring in people. Naturally most of the nighttime attractions were of questionable legality, the only place in the country where such vices could be enjoyed with such openness.

As they entered the town they passed the restaurants, shops, and hot spring inns that had created the town, they saw very few people out on the street. That is until they turned down a street that was so brightly lit it appeared to be day outside. This was the Lantern District, and was in the middle of significant reconstruction as Xiaomin and her people took more and more control over the area. The first building they passed did not have a sign to advertise what it was, but the beautiful and scantily clad women sitting behind windows and waving to passersby left little question as to their vocation.

“Under the name Golden Dragon Real Estate we are in the process of buying up as many of the businesses in this district as possible, and then renting them out to tenants to use how they see fit, these tenants usually being out own people of course. Acting as the landlord rather than the business owner gives us plausible deniability should law enforcement become involved; we cannot be held responsible for what tenants do without our knowledge after all. These are the guild assets besides the Dragons Den that will be part of your duties to protect should it come to that. Enforcement will handle the day to day stuff, we only expect you to become involved when they cannot handle it.”

As if to underscore her point they passed by a pair of men in suits that screamed mafia. They were well built and oozed competence, but most importantly discipline. One was actually helping up a woman who had tripped and fallen, lending to the narrative the guild propagated that they were really friends to the people. Xiaomin had no love for the people personally, still if it kept people happy and spending money, and prevented them from trying to get the rune knights involved, she was more than happy to keep playing the part of a benevolent benefactor.

On their path they passed many more brothels, some illegal gambling dens, and countless other establishments that did not take more than a glance to determine were probably not entirely legal within Fiore. Yet the people on the street all seemed bright and happy, well aside from those drowning their gambling sorrows in drink at the many pubs. Near the end of the main street was a massive building still under construction, far fancier looking than anything they had passed on the way. A sign in front stated “Grand Hosenka Casino Coming Soon!”

The district went on for several more streets, with the shadiest businesses being relegated to the furthest and darkest streets. These they passed by completely, and soon enough pulled in front of a large single story building in the tradition of Midi. A small creek fed pond to the side contained a water wheel, making the whole area quite lovely. Once the car stopped, the guards filed out of the car.

“This is the Dragon’s Den,” Xiaomin said as she stepped from the car. “It is where you will live and work while under contract. I think you will find it quite comfortable, if you do not mind tatami mat floors. We have our own hot spring in the back that is open to all guild members.”

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Kaede watched intently as the two signed their documents.  She was waiting for Madison’s pen to leave paper.  It seemed the mint haired woman had brought entirely too much paper, generally she brings enough to make several edits before generating a final document, sans the handwritten edits.  In this case, the draft was the final document.  The moment Ms. Richter finished signing her own copy of the document, the signature appeared on Xiaomin and Kaede’s version.  The accountant stood as soon as her copy included both signatures and held it out in front of her.

”As of now, the contract’s complete, it wont let you make additional edits.  Typically I would take a moment to incorporate edits fully into the document and remove anything struck out, but this document appears to need no cleaning up.  As I always say, an organized contract is easier to reference.”  Kaede spoke with a casual, almost playful, tone she’d not used until this point.  She closed her eyes and placed a hand above and below the contract; Kaede focused her will into paper, and then into the words upon it.  The air around her darkened, it snapped back to normal when she softy spoke a single word ”Apply.”  With that word the all three documents turned glossy, a line of light, almost like reflected glare, passed down the page.  It highlighted the text as it passed, as if to confirm their place in space and time.  In reality this was just a spell checker.  When it finally reached the bottom, the gloss vanished.

The accountant nodded to her two companions and gently placed her copy of the contract into her briefcase.  ”I’ll file this copy with my others, you two are free to do as you like with yours, store them, burn them, use them to clean up a mess, it won't affect the contract.  If you ever need a new copy, I can make one.”  The mint haired woman spoke with confidence, continuing her casual tone.  She paused and put a finger to her mouth before speaking again.  ”I may have mentioned this before, but it won't hurt to repeat myself here.  You can write what you want on the contract from here on, but no edits will take effect without myself and the other signatory approving it.  Also, remember this is just a piece of paper, it doesn’t need to exist to be in effect."

Kaede picked up her briefcase and pointed her finger to the ceiling at shoulder height and drew a circle, signaling the guard it was time to pack up.  She followed her superior and near-peer to the vehicle. Her face was suddenly stricken with worry. Oh no… My stuff is in the back, Greene shouldn’t have it out, I know Ms. Richter’s under contract now, but.  I’m thinking too much into this. It doesn’t matter now.  She’s going to see it at the manor anyway.  The mint haired woman climbed into the back of the limo after Lady Liu and Ms. Richter, as her window seat also held her stuff. Once sat, she removed both of har oversized pistols, dropped their magazines and removed the round from the chamber.  Then she popped that round back into the magazine, slid it back into the pistol and seated both of them back into their holsters.

A tray of sake was prepared and placed out for the group, traditionally this would be done at a table with food and a lot more, but this should due, here in fiore.  Kaede approved.  She picked up a glass to toast with the others  ”Here’s to a fulfilling, and profitable relationship for all of us. Cheers."  The accountant, used to this stuff, downed the whole tiny cup and exhaled happily. This was some decent sake.  She poured herself another cup and offered more to the others, knowing full well that her superior Lady Liu turn it down.  She didn’t wait long for their replies before downing her second cup and refilling any who offered theirs.

”Hey Ms. Ri- Madison, Lady Liu will probably tell you more about her at some point, but I’ll go now." She spoke a little louder than she had up to this point, her hand motions a little exaggerated.  ”You know my name, it’s not uncommon in Midi, it won’t tell you much about me.  You see, before I was sent to Fiore to support Lady Liu here, I was an accountant for the Family in Midi, THE Family.” Kaede sighed and downed another cup of sake offering refills again. The warm feeling it gave really helped shed the cold from outside.  

”Aside from my dad’s passing when I was a kid, and Mother remarrying a Kahoshi, I’ve had a pretty simple life as an accountant.  My step father’s alright, he’s always been too busy running the family business to pay much attention to me, except my contracts, he used those from time to time.”  The alcohol now fully kicking in, she decided to pull her jacket off and lean back in her seat. Exposing her very much over sized pistols, one flat black, one brushed nickel, both engraved with snakes.

”If you ask me, the best thing he ever did was give me a sister, Suzume is so precious!  Y-You wanna see a picture?  I shwear, if anyone touches her…” The woman blushed at the thought of her sister. Though it could have been the sake.  ”He decided it was in the family's best interest to strand me in this place, and get this… no no, no, I can’t talk about that because, you know.  Shhh, it’s between us.  HE sent me here to help Lady Liu, and it’s in ALL of our best interests, to make sure she succeeds.”  She gestured erratically while trying to get a point across no one likely knew, finally, she tapped at the air during the final statement to emphasize the point, what point was she making though? It didn’t matter.

The mint haired woman reached for her second briefcase, but was stopped by Greene.  He wordlessly took it from her and shook his head no. The jerk also took her cup of sake and downed it himself. That’s not his!  Just who does he think he is taking my stuff and my drink from me!?  Her face turned incredulous, Greene just pointed to the briefcase and shook his head again.  Kaede decided to relax and let her guard do his job.

”What about you?”

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Quietly watching the whole magical ordeal of the contract seemingly becoming bound before her eyes, there hadn't been a second of regret or second guessing in her choice. Of course, it had been a sudden and somewhat abrupt choice to be making and it did come with it's risks, but in the end, this was not for her. When all things were said and done, her duty was to help as best she could and assure she wouldn't have others repeat the same issues she went through growing up. As such, Sanguine --or rather Madison had to make sure she was more assured this would not come back to harm anyone but herself. Not as though she didn't have her own meticulous plans in case something were to happen. Contingencies should she be sought out to be imprisoned or worse.

As she loaded herself into the vehicle that brought Xiaomin and Kaede up, the maid kept her thoughts reserved to her mind while allowing them to lead. It wasn't much of her expertise, however she wasn't above taking charge when needed. "A toast of celebration is never out of the question, Mistress Xaiomin." Participating in the celebratory shot of Sake, even she had to admit this was a very good tasting drink. Though she was never one for alcohol at all, the maid quickly opted out of any additional drinks that were alcohol based at least. It only became a bit more reinforced as Kaede loosened up quite a bit after another drink or two and let a few more tight lipped bit of details slip. Sure, casual conversation was never anything wrong, but the information about being sent by someone specific in the family? Perhaps that should have been better held to.

She kept a bit quiet and then began to fill a cup with some water and sip on that instead. "Family is.. complicated. I grew up in a church orphanage my whole childhood. It wasn't until I reached my teen years that I learned of my own magic and subsequently in trying to seek the truth, learned as to why I have had many of the people in it seem apprehensive towards me. I won't bore you with many details, but let's say how a succubus and a dragon of annihilation came to bare a child, I never bothered. That however, did cause many parties to become interested in me. I briefly was able to meet them both in separate times in my life for very little time, my mother more as she used to run the Savage Skull guild until she and it vanished without a trace, but ever since I've just grown to accept loneliness when it came to that subject." Pausing to take a drink of her water, she didn't even seem upset by this retelling. In fact, she was quiet calm and relaxed.

As they'd arrived in Hosenka, Xaiomin took her on a bit of a tour of the facility, allowing them to become acquainted with the locations of things. Photographic memory would always be her biggest tool of assistance in recalling where any little thing was, plus actually going through some walkthroughs would help her map out things in her own time for any and all future need to locate or remember where some things may be in the compound. "It seems you've thought things out quite a bit, ma'am. it's quite ornate and very lovely if I do say so myself. I will be sure to keep up with it's day-to-day maintenance as well as those employed to do so. As well as their safety and well being. After all, if any are in debt and working off payments, they can't exactly do so if they are not in good health or in safer environments." She seemed to be resolute on that front. From a practically enslaved maid to a head of a guild herself, she knew there was a big correlation between work ethic and their surroundings.

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