[Date Oshiro]

Date was rarely the type that would be slated for meetings like this but she was also not one to deny the opportunity. Hojo was very protective of its markets and any company that would be poking into those markets would have to deal with the scrutiny that Hojo delivers. UVS was one such company. The company wasn't from Japan and that automatically made the higher ups of Hojo distrust them. They know the reputation of foreign companies and they know what that means for the business. Naturally, Hojo could squeeze UVS out of the market but that would be a costly endeavor that Hojo "rarely" employed against other businesses, at least against businesses that Hojo doesn't see a use in. Hojo, however, has pin pointed a very specific use for UVS. Market domination. Two companies that see eye to eye could easily dominate the market while pretending to compete, especially in this new corporate environment.

The choice of having Aiden meet with Date rather than any normal executive office was mostly to signal that the company was serious. Date's extra roles in the business were not public knowledge so she is officially listed as Security Analyst for Hojo Manufacturing. To most, this would just be a "security interview". Regardless, Date was curious how a meeting like this would go with a gaijin.

Dressed in a simple white kimono, Date took a leisurely stroll to one of the famous teahouses Hojo owns in Toyko. It was a simple teahouse. Old fashion design, made of maple. Something beautiful, at least in her opinion. Sliding the door open, she bowed to the front attendant. 'You're room is ready, Date-san.' Date nodded before walking to private rooms of the teahouse. She nodded to the two security personnel that usually is present at the private rooms.

After sliding the door open, she politely bowed at the attendant present before taking a seat on the tatami chair. The attendant smiled and placed a small bowl of green tea in front of her and disappeared into the staff area of the room.

[facade]

---

| Aiden Markusson | @aidm_cto
Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. | Current Status: A honeybee, parleying with giants.
Now Playing: Cast of The Lion King - Be Prepared

---

One of the co-owners of Unique Variant Solutions, and its CTO, Aiden had been placed in charge of the company's operations in Japan for the forseeable future. Mostly because he was the most senior executive that spoke Japanese to any degree of fluency. It had been less than 4 months since he touched down in Tokyo to oversee UVS' Akihabara HQ, less than 3 since he'd first met with Sonya Chernovna of the ASTA conglomerate (and shortly after developed the ENKI network). Aiden was frankly shocked at how quickly the tech startup (founded by himself, his dad, and a family friend) had burst onto the world scene. Meeting after meeting with local support & medical equipment companies, bringing them into the fold. Normally, he was the type to micro-manage operations from the top. There were native negotiators and salesmen on his payroll, so it was rare that Aiden himself was ever called on for corporate diplomacy on the scale they worked at.
No, when Aiden had business meetings, it was on their terms. He was swimming with sharks, now.

Hojo, of all companies, had requested a meeting with him (much to the alarm of his secretary). Annoying his stylist, too, he'd rejected the idea of attending the meeting in Japanese traditional dress. "You want me to be a wolf in sheep's clothing? There's already a 99% chance they don't trust me, cultural appropriation ain't a good look." So, instead, he was attending in his best black suit jacket and navy-blue tie. The finest quality, and tailored well to make him look good, but a boring business pick. In the meantime, he'd been researching with all channels available to him. Date Oshiro was not one to take lightly. Her presence here meant one of two things: he was about to receive a very serious threat, or a very serious offer. He hoped to god it was the latter, and prepared for the former. Hojo's cybersecurity was good, and it'd take him longer than he had to crack their highest-tier access, but he didn't need full access. Only enough to know who he was dealing with.

Ever the fan of public transport, Aiden had taken the metro from Akihabara to the meeting point in Shinjuku. His small entourage had arrived by company car, being dropped off outside the teahouse as Aiden walked up. He hated how much his height, barely above-average at home, stood out here. He bowed to the frontman as well, simply stating "I have a meeting with Date Oshiro-san, would you mind leading me to the room?" Whoever showed him to the private room, he'd walk up to the doorway and stand there for a couple seconds to let the two followers catch up. Then, he stepped in and bowed to Date. "Good morning, Date-san. Thank you for inviting me to meet with you, on behalf of Hojo." He stepped to the side, allowing a much shorter woman behind him (also dressed in a kimono) to bow, and then spoke up. "This is Arihara-san, my secretary and translator. I can speak Japanese well-enough, but reading kanji is still somewhat difficult, so I have her look over all my contracts. I hope it's alright if she sits in on the meeting? Of course, if we're not signing anything today, then I can have her leave." Both took their seats as well, Aiden gesturing back towards the open door. "My bodyguard, Sato-san, will wait outside. I am Quirkless, so I like to have some protection in case of any villain attacks or the like." Sato, a good 6'4" and with some kind of mammalian mutant Quirk, stood with the other two security personnel at the door and closed it. They were dressed more casually.
"So, what's the business of this meeting, Date-san?" Icy-blue eyes met the enhanced eyes of the other.

Note: Aiden is essentially saying that if anything beyond an actual legal contract (including broader business strategy) is being discussed, then that's the signal to have his companion leave the room.

[Date Oshiro]

A little ping went off in her brain as Date noticed Aiden on the security camera feed. Wasn't exactly hard to identify though. People tend to not walk in with a bodyguard into a tea house. Yes, it was a Hojo Tea House but regardless, still a tea house. Hojo rarely held these sort of meetings in a tea house. Usually, they would intimidate a competitor in their office buildings. Do the threatening there, something Date was exceptionally good at. No. This wasn't to scare them, at least, not yet. Hojo had determined that UVS could serve a very useful purpose. A purpose that would greatly enrich both companies. Naturally, the Hojo were a old company though. They held certain values. Values that some foreigners might not understand fully. Regardless, it was Date's job to convey these values. A job that Date is exceptional at.

Barely glancing at Aiden when he entered the room, she simply gestured for him to sit down. Pouring both of them a cup of tea, she gave Aiden a simple smile. "Well, I first must apologise. Usually these meetings are held with the Executive office." Her eyes were focused on Aiden face. She was rather skilled at detecting minor facial movements that could indicate how certain statements make someone feel.

"This is Hitomi. She's one of our attendants. If you need anything she'll get something for you." Date paused a bit, pondering Aiden's original question that she had ignored at first. "As you know, Hojo is one of the largest companies in the world and the largest corporation from Japan. We pride ourselves in the success we have not only had in the past but the success we are currently having." Gesturing to Hitomi, she requested two maccha cakes.

"Hojo is impressed with UVS's success and we are proposing a simple proposition." Date gestured to the room attendant that had returned with the cake to simply place the cake slices in front of them and leave the room. The attendant bowed and left the room. These were words meant for select few. Tapping the table slightly, Aiden might notice his ears pop as the pressure changes. "Sorry, necessary precaution. No one will ease drop on us now."

Date smiled, a smile that would put most people off. "We propose a partnership of sorts that will benefit both of us. It will make things less complicated for both of us."