It had been a busy time coordinating the treaty with the Crane. It was good the Phoenix had agreed to trade them extra paper because it felt like a sea of it had passed between the houses. But while Kakita would have taught that you shoud focus all your energy on one perfect motion, Eiji's delegation seemed to delight in keeping him busy with many different things.

And so he was looking for Doji Noriko. The Crane house before court seemed like a likely place to seek her out. And if nothing else, he could save the servants a trip.

Eiji is conducted through the dividers to a sitting room. There are, in fact, three people in the room: Doji Noriko, of course, and both of her young sons. Noriko looks up from where she is cutting up Jiro's vegetables to see Eiji enter.

"Soshi-san, please, be welcome. I hope you will forgive me this uncharitable sight, but it is mealtime, and Jiro has not entirely committed himself to chewing. How can I help you?"

Doji Noriko wrote: ↑

Fri Jan 24, 2025 2:07 am

Eiji is conducted through the dividers to a sitting room. There are, in fact, three people in the room: Doji Noriko, of course, and both of her young sons. Noriko looks up from where she is cutting up Jiro's vegetables to see Eiji enter.

"Soshi-san, please, be welcome. I hope you will forgive me this uncharitable sight, but it is mealtime, and Jiro has not entirely committed himself to chewing. How can I help you?"

Eiji shook his head.

"Think nothing of it, Doji-sama. I am infringing on your time, time slated for one of your most important duties. That you're willing to give me part of your attention, is greatly appreciated. I will try not to take more than I need, if Doji-sama will not be offended by speaking as such." he said with a bow.


He considered the road forward.

"It's been...requested of me, that I ask someone to ask Lady Seppun for a favor. Well, secure a favor from Lady Seppun. She is not someone I could reasonably secure an audience with, let alone obtain a favor from. But given Doji-sama's connections and her honorable defense of Seppun-sama in court, if there was someone that might be willing to consider such a request by someone such as myself and could reasonably secure such, Doji-sama's name was the first to come to mind." he requested.

"You wish to speak with Seppun Sadako? I could perhaps arrange a meeting." She hesitated. "Or are you asking me to ask your favor for you?"

Eiji titled his head.

"Her exact words were 'I would like you to persuade someone else to ask Lady Seppun for it.'" he recalled.


"The favor, not the meeting" he clarified.

Noriko hesitated. "Why?" Then her eyes opened wide. "Oh." There was a long silence. "I will speak with Seppun Sadako," she says at last, "because your lord asked you to ask me for this. What is the favor she requires?"

Eiji swiftly raised his hand at the Crane's words in a halting motion.

"Thank you Doji-sama, but I fear I must clarify two things. I did not say my lord was the person asking. It might have been any number people I've talked to." he explained.

She was the most likely candidate, of course, but if this ever got to the point of testimony, he did not name her.

"And they did not ask for you specifically. Their exact words were 'someone else'. I could've sought out anyone."

Again, Noriko was the most likely candidate, but sometimes words mattered almost as much as the truth.

"That said, they simply want to borrow some reading material. A set of logs controlled by the Seppun Family which records who visited the Empress on the fourth and fifth days of court.

He shrugged.

"Not my taste, but everyone spends the Winter differently."

Noriko nodded slowly. "And Lady Seppun will surely accept your prevarications with the same equanimity that I have." She smiled. "Well, I will ask, because I have said that I would, and Lady Seppun will refuse as your...anybody...surely knows. I hope that this...anybody...and Lady Seppun will both profit from what follows."

She leaned back. "How much easier the world would be if everyone were to show their intentions and share with the like-minded, neh? But I suppose it can't be helped."

Eiji frowned at that.

"Doji-sama leads by example it would seem. She is most certainly correct that the exact words the requestor used was 'ask for', not 'secure'. But if we're speaking of people's tolerance for the word games that courtiers play to amuse themselves over these long winter nights, is Doji-sama quite certain that the requestor's tolerance for it rivals Lady Seppun's? "

He shook his head.

"But as we are courtiers, amusing ourselves with words games on these long winter days, perhaps Doji-sama might consider what it means to ask. It occurs to me that there are indeed different ways one might ask a thing."

He looks over to Jiro who was grateful for an excuse to not eat vegetables.

"One can ask as a child might. Demanding the thing they want without understanding what is truly best for them. Throwing fits when it is denied them."

He turned back to Noriko.

"Or one can ask as a Crane might. Using their perfect mixture of charm, influence, and connections to make favors happen for those who request them securing themselves even more goodwill and favors, and leaving all involved happy with their outcomes.

He tilts his head a bit.

"If it amuses Doji-sama to see tea tables flipped over in court, it is certainly within her power to ask for this favor in such a way that Lady Seppun and the requestor make an even bigger mess. But I approached Doji-sama, rather than her son, because from what I've seen she represents what it means to be a Crane and it is my hope that she is chosen to lead our Empire. A leader who is willing to make favors happen to keep her empire harmonious."

Doji Noriko raised an eyebrow. "I seem to have caused offense where none is intended. If you think me interested in engineering a conflict, you misunderstand me entirely. I sincerely believe that whomever it is you represent and Lady Seppun would find their lives materially improved if this were presented more forthrightly between them. That is all I meant to say. Would such a thing be impossible?"

Well now I feel dumb.

Eiji had not considered HOW Noriko was going to actually acquire this favor. The Crane couldn't just yell that they were calling upon a favor and have things materialize in their hands. This solution had caught him off guard...although to be fair, when you don't have a solution, any solution would.

He wasn't sure what Kaguya would think, but he hadn't named her, so if he could find some sort of acceptable proxy if she refused this solution then maybe....

Eiji considered the ground.

"I think that....such a thing would be impossible for me to accomplish." her admitted, humbled. "But I fully believe that for someone like Doji-sama, nothing is impossible."

"Then it shall be done. I am happy to be of help."

Eiji nods.

"Give me a little time to arrange things with the requestor." he asked. "I can let you know via message what works. It is, after all a busy season for us all."

"That it is, Soshi-san. That it is."

Eiji bowed.

"I'll see to it Doji-sama. Thank you for your time today." he offered.

"It has been my sincere pleasure, Soshi-san. Please, carry the Fortunes."

/exit!