[D8 LE] Moshi Moshi

[Mirumoto Jinkan]

Jinkan, now looking very recovered from the morning, made himself available at the front of the Minor Clan house. His hair was tidy, his clothes in brown and green neat, his hairpin in place. The smoothing of his outer layers was done almost without thought as he waited. Silk was always so nice to touch he thought to himself.

"Mirumoto Jinkan, for a meeting with the Moshi on matters of mutual interest."

[Moshi Akane]

Jinkan is escorted into a room where he finds a servant pouring two cups of sake.

Soon, Moshi Akane joins him, giving a shallow nod.

"I understand you wished to see me, Mirumoto-san," she says without preamble. "What are the mutual interests you mention?"

[Mirumoto Jinkan]

Jinkan bowed properly to the madam Akane. He did look her over with some curiosity but not enough to be too rude.

"The Dragon would like to finish the court with all of our resources in place. We have some things we don't need, and some things we need. I am hoping the Centipede would be able to provide a donation of [1] sake, in exchange for a donation of rice, gold, mountain tuna, or an intercession of our spiritual leaders for a person or problem the Moshi face."

He paused to breathe after that long run on of a thought. How did people do this all day.

"In addition, I personally, would like to know if there is anything the Moshi might share about their overarching purpose in the court this winter. Clans often do not merely come to speak about donations, but to mutually address problems at home and abroad."

(Deal 1: 1 sake for 1 of the listed, or Dragon spiritual gift.)

[Moshi Akane]

"The sake needs of the Centipede have been met already," Akane replies, "although if the Dragon have use for such spiritual services as we offer, we would be happy to accept a donation of gold for it. And if not, it may be that the Tortoise have sake to spare; I would imagine your closer cousins would be kindly disposed towards you.

"As to what the Centipede hope to accomplish here," she continues, "it is our elevation. We will never be a Great Clan, we acknowledge, but we would be the foremost of the Younger."

[Mirumoto Jinkan]

"The sake needs of the Centipede have been met already," Akane replies, "although if the Dragon have use for such spiritual services as we offer, we would be happy to accept a donation of gold for it. And if not, it may be that the Tortoise have sake to spare; I would imagine your closer cousins would be kindly disposed towards you.

"As to what the Centipede hope to accomplish here," she continues, "it is our elevation. We will never be a Great Clan, we acknowledge, but we would be the foremost of the Younger."

"Spiritual services, Moshi-sama? Tell me more about that, and what you imagine elevation to the top of the Minor Clans to look like on our end." Jinkan replied settling in to get comfortable.

[Moshi Akane]

"You know of the connection between the Centipede and Lady Sun, Mirumoto-san?" Akane asks, arching an eyebrow. "We can, if matters are directed such, focus the prayers of some of our number such that the one for whom we pray is Touched by the Realm of Tengoku for a year.

"We do not do it lightly; those so tasked can do little else, even eat and sleep, and it is usually some time before they can perform their regular duties again after their year in prayer."

She smiles.

"I, myself, took three weeks to recover from the first time I acted thus. The second, it was only two."

[Mirumoto Jinkan]

"Hmm." Jinkan said patting his hair with thought. Well, something like thought.

"I can see that being extremely useful for very generous donors. I am curious what kind of recognition the court could give the Moshi? An official declaration that they are the coolest of the cool? Making a position of Minor Clan representative with a Moshi being given the position? What would you ask for, that isn't war against the other Minor clans, we won't agree to that just yet."

[Moshi Akane]

"I am mindful of the late Empress's will," Akane says, "may she dwell in unending renown in Her Foremother's halls. I seek no war with the other Younger Clans. But eminence among them, recognition of primacy among them, that would be good, indeed.

"Mirumoto-san is a wise man, in his way."

[Mirumoto Jinkan]

"Weird, most people call me foolish." Jinkan said.

"If you don't mind me asking, do you know anything about why the Mantis and the Tortoise aren't seeing eye to eye? I figure the leader of the Centipede would know more about Minor Clan politics than a Dragon who has spent most of his life above the clouds, so I ask. If it is impolite, then you can just tell me." The Mirumoto finished, thinking that he might not understand whatever answer she was about to give.

[Moshi Akane]

"That the Dragon's mountains are tall is well known, Mirumoto-san," Akane says. "And the matter between them is this: they both want the same thing, and they both think they have a right to have it. The Mantis have an older claim; the Tortoise, given their particular situation, have what might be called a higher one.

"I would imagine it has to do with the seas," she adds, "but the details are not mine."

She shrugs.

"But for donations," she resumes, "the Centipede are in need of [4 units of] gold for our temples, altogether. But securing recognition of Centipede primacy would allow us to act in other ways to attain much of that need, perhaps three-quarters of it."