[D9, ME] Good Night, Sun

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"Ah, no, the pottery development has not been a strain on our resources. Mostly it has been because of the summer campaign." At least that's how she understood it. "It is still a very new technique, and... to be honest, we hope it's newness will be a boon to us, to have more to offer for trade this winter."

"When all you have is a handful of beans, you make do - as they'd say in House Tatsukawa lands."

[Moshi Akane]

"I imagine Suzume-san might say something similar," Akane replies, "although she might want to plant the beans instead."

She smiles slightly.

"Actually, I wonder if such a boon might not be offered to them. They do so need the help."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"I believe one of my kin are seeking out Suzume-sama to offer them this technique as well." She hoped the Sparrow could offer something in return. "As we know the Sparrow could benefit greatly from such knowledge."

[Moshi Akane]

"That would be well," Akane says. "Compassion is becoming."

She smiles slightly.

"And what of your own plans, Kitsu-san? Any notions as to what your next adventures will be?"

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"Compassion is as important as Duty and Courtesy," the Lion said with sincerity and a slight bow of her head.

"As for my next adventures? Who can say for certain... so far I hope we just all make it through the winter and the difficult times ahead. It is sad to see an empty throne."

[Moshi Akane]

"That is true," Akane agrees, nodding. "But have no marriages been proposed for you? No romances spun up to ward off the winter chills, as several seem to have found this year?"

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"Ah well," she chuckled a little. "It's been... uh, mentioned. But I wish for the marriage that would best serve my clan. Maybe I'm not much of a romantic, I guess. I've been too busy to think about romance much this season."

[Moshi Akane]

"Then you've got a better head on you than many," Akane says. "Even some who very much ought to know better seem to feel pulled towards dalliance."

She shakes her head.

"It should be more shameful than it seems to be."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

Sayomi's eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh? I can't say I've noticed any poor behaviour, but... I have been busy so it has probably escaped my notice."

[Moshi Akane]

"Oh, yes," Akane says, nodding. "There's always some kind of carrying on or another, and while the young may perhaps be forgiven for some of it, there are enough people of otherwise greater maturity going about it that it almost boggles the mind."

She shakes her head.

"Scandalous, truly. I am glad that such things do not touch you."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

If Sayomi was the kind to gossip, she would have pushed Akane for more tea and Tea on the matter. But it was a bit unbecoming for a samurai, she felt, to engage in it.

"Thank you. And I hope such things do not darken your door either, Moshi-sama. From all I know of you, you are a virtuous lady of the Centipede." Of course she was. She was a clan champion!

"But, I shouldn't keep you for too long," she tried to steer the conversation a bit back to other matters, "would the Centipede be interested in any service from our Ikoma Bards, or the pottery knowledge? I'm afraid we would not be able to accept the generous blessing you mentioned in return for it, but perhaps there is anything else? Gold, stone, lumber, iron..." all suggestions as she wasn't sure what the Centipede might be able to offer.

----

ooc: offering 1 Art Service and/or Pottery tech, depending on what the Centipede might have to offer.

[Moshi Akane]

"Unfortunately," Akane says, "we are not blessed in those ways. We do have a bit of surplus stone, [1 unit] worth, however."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

It was more than nothing, and Sayomi had been taught to never look a gift-horse in the mouth!

"Stone would be very helpful to us. And how would Moshi-sama feel about sending a few students not blessed in the ways of the shugenja to the Lion's dojo, perhaps?"

[Moshi Akane]

"The Lion are blessed to have many dojo," Akane says. "Remind me which one we had discussed, please? There has been much demanding attention."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"We would like to extend invitations to the dojo of the Akodo to learn the way of the sword, or the dojo of the Ikoma to learn the way of the fan." As the Centipede did not have proper dojo for either bushi or courtier, it felt fitting to offer a choice between those.

[Moshi Akane]

"But not the Matsu?" Akane asks. "But perhaps that is for the best, allowing the men of the Clan to contribute more fully."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"If you like, we could open up for the Matsu Dojo as well." Though with the way the Matsu were sometimes, she wondered if many outsiders would survive that kind of training. And she suspected she'd have to bring that topic up with Tsuruyo directly...

[Moshi Akane]

"It is not necessary," Akane replies. "The women of the Clan have purpose enough; it is just that the Matsu have an appropriate attitude about things. Comes of being founded by so strong a woman, I suppose."

[Kitsu Sayomi]

"Very true," Sayomi agreed. There were benefits in putting women in leadership. Their egos were less fragile than men's.

"May I suggest that we open up to two students to the Akodo, and two students to the Ikoma, to start with. And from there, we can see how it goes, and if we want to make a more permanent arrangement for more students?"

[Moshi Akane]

"If I understand you correctly," Akane says, "you propose that the Centipede furnish the Lion with [1 unit of] stone, and that the Lion will host two Centipede students in the Akodo bushi's school and two others in the Ikoma's courtier school, with the possibility of expanding upon that agreement in future years. Is that correct?"