If I Was a Rich Girl [Claudia, Saisei]

Claudia loved it here in America.

Oh, not for any reason related to their culture, of course. She did admire the capitalistic spirit they possessed, admittedly, but anyone who held such an outlook was just an enemy for her own interests. No, it was simply the current state of affairs in America which made even such a bitter old woman feel like a young girl again.

The collapse of infrastructure, the veritable anarchy loosely held together by foreign powers, all ofit reminded Claudia so very much of the worlds she had always longed to see. The worlds after the fall of the Soviet Union, after the end of the third World War, those times when all had been in complete disarray. By contrast, so much of the present was hardly worth living in. Stability, security, prosperity for all-- where was there a place to find profit there? What good was it for her to see others happy?

Yes, this place where all was on the verge of collapsing was a beautiful place, in Claudia's eyes. A place where she might dig her talons in and simply never let go, where her business might become absolutely crucial and create wealth beyond compare.

But, one thing at a time. For now, she would simply enjoy a cup of coffee by the Chesapeake Bay, pen in one hand as she idly ran numbers on a napkin. What a pleasant way to spend one's day.

It wasn't hugely uncommon for Claudia to interact with others in public, despite her lofty positions in the world. She would not particularly wish to change her life simply because people might hunt her down. She had bodyguards for such a thing, after all, but she doubted that the men she kept around the neighborhood would be necessary. She was, generally speaking, a remarkable judge of character, and the pink-haired young man before her seemed quite genuine in his intentions, pure and kind.

How sickening.

"I am here on business. Normalcy is simply good practice for the purposes of success, wouldn't you say?"

Shaking the young man's hand, it only occurred to her where she had seen him after his name had been given. He was with the Vandenreich, their recent prodigy of sorts. How fortuitous.

"Claudia Duvalier."

Her voice carried only the faintest hint of an accent to indicate her French heritage as she spoke, in no small part because she had worked quite hard to remove it. Gesturing to the seat across from hers, Claudia took another sip of her coffee before folding the napkin she'd been writing on and tucking it into her coat pocket. She would return to that later, if she felt they were pertinent.

"Normalcy is whatever you choose it to be. Those who do not adapt to the state of things will find they are quickly overwhelmed."

Despite how harsh her words were, Claudia's tone did not shift. Her stance on these things was quite plain, and though she might have wished for many things, she had a job to do, businesses she needed to maintain. Keeping up the illusion of caring was, perhaps unfortunately, simply par for the course.

"I have a handful of business ventures I believe will be tremendously valuable to the people of America in their reconstruction efforts. Grocery, medical technologies, construction, and of course shipping. This country has lost a good deal of infrastructure with Shadow Fall's departure, and I intend to fill that void."

Self-admission of being a "lackey" only further cemented Claudia's view of the young man before her, though really, it didn't surprise her. These do-gooder sorts were always so malleable if you gave them something they could think of as a good case. It was almost comedic.

"I have no particular illusions that every venture I pursue here in America will be successful, given there are likely a great many others who will seek to be the lowest bidder. I, however, would be willing to take a bit of a loss to my bottom line for a short while if it meant assuring economic stability here."

Oh, and there it was. How tremendously convenient that the matter had been brought up by the Vandenreich's own poster boy. Why, Claudia would never have envisioned that speaking with him in this sort of way would push him in this direction.

Like leading a dog with a toy.

"I have yet to speak with the Vandenreich regarding my ventures here, nor have I had the opportunity to reach out regarding any investiture in the City of Lights and its people. It is my understanding that the Vandenreich prefers to operate in a quite solitary manner when possible, and I am not one to focus my attentions toward what would presumably be a lost cause. If you believe it to be worth the effort, however, I may reconsider."

Of course, that was mostly a lie. She simply hadn't ever particularly considered the Vandenreich or the City of Lights to be significant enough economic players that they would merit her efforts beyond the occasional request for updates from her secretaries. However, if the opportunity to seem necessary was present, then that could certainly shift the profit to be gained.

"I am certainly not against helping those in need, no. After all, I would not place such a vast amount of my fortune into such fields as medical research were I not willing to assist those in need. As it stands, my primary clientele are the cities which were most immediately impacted by the departure of Shadow Fall. Larger population centers, as well as those former hubs of commerce which have now lost a great deal of their infrastructure. Those are, after all, the places which require aid most, and which will in turn be able to assist others."

More pressingly, of course, they were simply the places which would see the highest degree of growth, and the most potential to spread her influence that much further. Channels for business, both legitimate and otherwise, that would last for years to come.