[D10 MA] Divine Herbs

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Shinnosuke chuckles. "Oh, they're not simple creatures. At least my Haku isn't. But he's an honest fellow at heart, I believe. I should like to think we have that in common." He considers this for a moment and then adds, "Though I wouldn't quite put it past the little tyrant to have been playing me all this time... No, probably not."

He leans forward a bit to refresh the teacups. After setting the pot aside, he stays in that attitude, a forearm resting on the table. "I hope it isn't forward of me, but if my cousin and your Kondo-san should make an acceptable match, I suppose we'd want to make some provisions for bridal gifts and dowry and all that. The Crane have satisfied the greater part of our needs for the winter, I believe, but perhaps there's some exchange of gifts we could make so that it all looks proper?"

[Kitsune Aiko]

"Might could be," Aiko says. "What all'd y' have in mind?"

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"That depends on what your people need and have to offer, of course." Shinnosuke shrugs a little with the air of someone who doesn't concern himself too much with material things, but isn't completely detached either. "For example, whether you have need of little luxuries like tea and sake, or fish from our ocean fisheries. Or art, of course," he adds with a smile. "Art is always appropriate for a wedding. Then, again, my cousin and uncle are always chattering about the exotic flowers and plants of the Kitsune Mori, so I'm sure the other gardeners of the Crane would be just as interested in lovely botanical curiosities and knowledge from your forest lands."

[Kitsune Aiko]

"Well," Aiko says, "might be nice t' have some art 'round the place. Just as I 'magine some dye might do well f'r actors an' such."

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Shinnosuke rubs his chin. "I believe we've supplied our deficit of dyes for the year, though given the difficulty Ikehara-san and Yamada-san went through finding it, perhaps extra wouldn't go amiss..."

---
OOC: The Crane have all the goods we need at this point, so basically just looking for something that sounds nice enough to seal a marriage deal with.

[Kitsune Aiko]

"I'm told they keep," Aiko says. "An' it might could be that th' Crane have a run on silk-makin' next year, such as'd need more colorin'.

"O' course," she adds, "could also be we send along some o' th' fruits of our Woods. Got pow'rful good mushrooms."

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Oh, I do love a well-prepared mushroom dish," Shinnosuke says with a smile. "Er... assuming they are that sort of mushrooms?" Kinuyo's stories made it sound like there were all sorts of magical fungi in those woods, too, that could do strange things like turn a person huge or tiny.

"Hmm. If a wedding of important persons is celebrated in Fox lands, then perhaps Lady Doji could be persuaded to send a famous poet or painter to immortalize the unusual occasion--that would of course look very well for the Fox, if we could manage it. If your material needs for the winter are met, that is?" He smiles. "I do think Kinyuo's father--my lord uncle, who grew that peony--would quite look forward to talking to your gardeners and foresters about plants if he's able to visit for the wedding."

[Kitsune Aiko]

"That art sounds nice, but if we're still palaverin' 'bout m'terial needs," Aiko says, "we might could use some stone, ifn you've got any.

"An' we might could send y'all's way one o' our cultivators w' a samplin' o' specimens, help y'all get some variety in y'all's gardenin' an' such. Take a year t' get really goin' though."

~~~~~
Aiko offers to assign a Fox herbalist to Crane service for a year in exchange for either 2 stone or the art service.
Alternatively, the mushrooms (vegetables) and dye remain an option.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Shinnosuke tents his fingers together and looks thoughtful for a few moments as he consults his memory of the updated 'script' he'd read this morning. "Most of the stone from the central-coast quarries is already spoken for, but there should be [1 unit] or so available. Would you consider accepting that for your Dye, and our artists' services in exchange for your herbalists'? I'm sorry we haven't more stone to offer you. But I think that would make a respectable exchange of wedding gifts for Kondo-sama and Kinuyo-neesan."

[Kitsune Aiko]

Aiko scratches the back of her head idly, thinking for a bit.

"Y' know," she says, "that'd do right nicely. I think we c'n agree there. [One unit of] stone f'r a like 'mount o' dye, an' art f'r herbs. Sounds good."

She lifts her cup.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Shin lifts his cup as well, smiling beatifically. "That sounds just perfect! I have no doubt Lady Doji will approve. Kakita Hajime-sama is presiding at court in three days' time, so if you have no objections, Kitsune-sama, that would be a most convenient date to raise the proposal."

[Kitsune Aiko]

"I'll speak to it when it comes up," Aiko says, bowing from her seat. "Don't wanna have folks thinkin' I'm gettin' uppity."

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Is that a concern?" Shinnosuke asks, cocking his head. "Kitsune-sama is the appointed representative of the first of the Minor Clans, after all."

[Kitsune Aiko]

"There's always some as'll get snippy 'bout someone steppin' in front of 'em," Aiko says.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"Hm, I suppose. I've always relied on being so charmingly harmless that nobody minds," Shinnosuke says with a grin. "But I can see how that may be slightly easier in my position than yours, Kitsune-sama."

[Kitsune Aiko]

"Now, I don't believe that f'r a minute," Aiko says. "Charmin', y'are. Harmless? Seen too many pretty boys go through an' leave broke hearts behind 'em t' think you're harmless."

She does, at least, smile as she says it.

[Doji Shinnosuke]

"I'd never want to break anybody's heart," Shinnosuke protests, gray-blue eyes widening in horror. "I can't stand that sort of thing, really. If love stories end--sometimes they must--well, I think at least they ought to end happily, you know? Life is too short to be cruel." Spoken with great sincerity, though also, perhaps, like someone who has never had his own heart crushed and may not fully realize how easily the fragile things can break on accident.

[Kitsune Aiko]

Aiko smirks.

"I notice y' didn't argue 'bout th' pretty boy part," she says. "Is there some special someone f'r ya?"

[Doji Shinnosuke]

Shinnosuke laughs. "I assure you I'm considered nearly average at home," he says lightly. "Crane always benefit somehow in foreign courts. I suppose it's the white hair. No, no one so special--well, that is, there have been in the past, and those are still special people to me, but a connection can be quite real even as one knows it's fleeting, right?" He busies himself refilling the teapot from the waiting kettle.

[Kitsune Aiko]

"Wouldn't know," Aiko says. "Ain't never been w' nobody but m' husband."