Bianca was always the black sheep of her generation among the Diamond flock, but she did manage to find a place for herself that doesn't bring shame upon her parents. At least she's the boss of something, even if it's only a nightclub owned and operated by the urban branch of the family since the advent of colonial vaudeville.
The surprise for her was that she turned out to be good at it. After working her way up from the bottom as a dancer, she knows the business very well.
Too bad the business is changing, rapidly and in unpredictable ways. There's lots of new development. There's more tourism and more immigration—and therefore more customers—but there's also new competition, new regulation, new tastes and preferences.
Wherever in life you get to that's worth fighting for, you should expect to have to fight for it at some point. ♥
When Rico first arrived in Coronisport as a child, he hated it. They spoke a different language, ate different foods, and watched different shows on television. But over time, he came to know the large community of emigrés from Chakumuy, and he came to know and love the local people, and especially the local showbiz scene.
Rico always knew he wanted to be a star. Here in Coronisport, he realized, there existed an entertainment industry with interstellar reach, unrivalled educational opportunities, and union representation for talent.
Unlike the chaotic, dog-eat-dog musical arena of his home colony, here was a sensible, mature culture. There's always a market for raw star power in such an environment! ♥
In the nightclub business, it's really all about the VIPs. Your regulars help keep the lights on, but in order to make money, you need a man with an entourage, with expensive tastes, and with that hereditary nihilism that spills wealth to spite mortality. A man who can recognize it, sympathize with it, and exploit it ruthlessly will always have a place in any adult entertainment enterprise. ♥
Archie has built his political identity up to this point on the idea that a man with a true moral compass stands above other men in some material way, and entitles him to be their leader. On the other hand, a leader is not afraid to endanger his own immortal soul for the good of his subjects, which implies a certain disregard for moral restraints. If you think Archie is clear in his own mind on this point, then you don't know much about politicians. ♥
To be a self-made man in the pressure cooker of Coronisport's dome complex, you have to have skills that are really worth money. Beating people at cards, legitimately and otherwise, is one of those skills, in the hands of a man who can use them without getting himself shot. And when you're ready to settle down and go legit, that larcenous personability is exactly the kind of qualification you will need to run a casino. ♥
Copyright © 2018 by Agir
