D9 EA: This One Flies all the Way to Yomi

[Suzume Hitomi]

Hitomi was dressed for the Imperial autumn in an extra-long, turtle-necked, tunic sweater of chocolate brown belted over warm golden hakama with sharp pleats. There's an umbrella tucked into the wide, cream-colored belt, indicating that she's seen the forecasts for rain later in the day. She carries a box made of heavy paper showing the inclusions of the plant material it was made from. There are symbols stamped across it in red and gold, conveying blessings and good wishes upon the contents and to the recipient.

She pauses after coming through the door, letting her eyes adjust to the indoor light and taking in the scene to avoid interrupting time with a customer. When Taraka (or the clerk if Taraka isn't in the shop) is available, she'll approach and offer an appropriate bow of greeting, with a "I hope the Fortunes find you well."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka was, in fact, in stock. Literally, she was in the stockroom. But she'd be notified as soon as the Sparrow came by.

She came out and looked at the Sparrow appraisingly and gave her a bow. She was dressed in her business best for the upcoming event.

She couldn't help but smile a bit.

"They do, Suzume-san. I pray they're watching over your temperator. That outfit is as every bit as lovely as it is impractical. I admire your devotion to Imperial seasonal fashion, but I cannot ever imagine it ever being cold enough on Green Carp to wear something like that without a temperator." she offered.

She was amused, but she was equally impressed, it really was a lovely outfit.

[Suzume Hitomi]

The Sparrow shrugs. "The things we do for fashion, neh? And thank goodness for the temperator or I would be absolutely cooked. But, it'll be practical once the rain kicks up!" She sets the box on the counter and lifts off the top to reveal an articulated paper Battle Carp, blank banner attached and coiled around along the side of the box. The paper is solid, multiple pieces folded into modules that fit together so the piece can move and wiggle like the real thing, though there are no mechanical bits inside to allow it to actually fly. The little rotors can be spun a bit in one direction, and then must turn back, not being on actual gears. The scales are skillfully painted with a deliberately Crab-flavored color palette.

"I left the banner blank, and there's obviously as much room for personalization as on the regular ones."

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D9 fluff Origami roll | 5k4 ⇒ 26

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka smiled.

"Awww, I love it, Suzume-san. We can definitely letter the banner, much as we may leave Crane ancestors agape at daring to ink origami." she said, handing the origami off to a staff member to take care of that.

"How many drones did you want flying in front of your shop? Just the one?" she asked.

[Suzume Hitomi]

"It's only partially origami construction, there's the connecting bits, and so on. So no worries. Even traditional offering goods tended to use multiple crafts to get the most realistic-looking item made of something that will burn. There's little straw rings helping hold the rotors in there." Hitomi grins. "Crane ancestor approved. I hope your mother's spirit will likewise approve," she says earnestly, with a small dip of her head.

"Only one at the shop. Don't want to be too ostentatious about goods for bon, you know? Advertising the best to send the ancestors should look a bit like what we think those ancestors thought was luxurious." She huffs a small laugh, "which might be gilded everything for a Mantis, but not for most of the clans." Even the Yasuki with their reputation for commercial excess, were originally Crane and their ancestors followed those trends.

"Hopefully the rain clears before tomorrow so they can fly."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka considered that.,

"Hmmm, I haven't really checked how high your ceiling is. As business owner, you are within your rights to authorize them for indoor use." she offered. "But nicer weather would be better, good advertising brings people in to the store, if they're already inside, it's not nearly so effective."

She tapped out a message on her communicator.

"I can call upon my friend Hida Genta to fly the drone at your shop during the festival. You'll like him, after all, he is built in the tradition of the Hida. But overall he's relatively careful about what's around him, so you needed hide the porcelain. Though I suppose one more crack to mend with gold would just be one more story it would hold, ne?"

[Suzume Hitomi]

"The tale of the time Hida Genta knocked over the pottery shelf would live a thousand years." Hitomi laughs, though it's a short laugh as the idea of a whole shelf full of pottery tipping over plays before her eyes and stabs her heart. "Many thanks though, and we'll make sure he has tea and breaks." One could work one's own samurai and peasants nonstop, but it was rude to do that to borrowed ones.

"I think having the banner read 'Bon lanterns, offerings' on one side and 'traditionally made' on the other could work." She unfolds some sheets of paper with nicely done calligraphy and images painted around the borders in the style of ancient embroidery designs. "Think it will fit?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka studied the calligraphy.

"Hmmm, I believe so. Of course, we can have staff practice on some of our surplus banners to make sure." she said.

She shook her head.

"When I said we needed to have all the clan and family colors in stock, I didn't mean to imply 'equally available.' she said, pulling out a dark blue and green banner.

"I'm sure you can tell just how quickly these have been selling."

[Suzume Hitomi]

She laughs, "oh no. Some are definitely going to fly more often than others. I didn't even realize you were handpainting them all. I guess I assumed it was all printers these days."

"How have you been doing? Outside of the shop...and the whole investment conference...thing. You know, they really could have marketed it better if it had a proper name?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nods.

"We've got those too. Some are satisfied with just the name of their clan, but others want a personalized message, and some want them left blank for their own lettering." she explained.

She thought about the second point.

"Hmmm. Given the other clan's thoughts on money it's hard to come up with something they clearly conveys the purpose while sounding enticing and proper. "Invest in Nakahama? Catch the Green Carp! Who wants to partner with a Carp?" she tossed out some ideas that clearly did not meet her standards.

"Ah, overall, pretty well I think, Suzume-san. I've gotten to make some good connections with people, flirt with some cute samurai, and overall enjoy myself." she decides.

"And yourself, Suzume-san?"

[Suzume Hitomi]

"I can always take it home to paint tonight if it'll take your staff longer than you expected, Yasuki-sama."After all, she was already lending someone for a day, and she didn't want to be too far off on the value for this barter. "Makes sense to be flexible. The traditional lanterns have plenty of blank space if people want to add messages, but they're too fragile to do that easily with a modern pen, so we do offer calligraphy service." She pauses, "I wonder if adding a do it yourself station would be too much fuss."

She shrugs an acknowledgement that it would be rough. "Make the marketers earn their stipend, then. Investment conference or fair?"

A small laugh, "Oh? Sounds like there's plenty of flirting going on these past weeks then. Maybe some more personal investments will come out of it all. I know Yoritomo Yakura-sama could use a spouse to take some of her workload, and at some point the Governor needs to settle down and get her family started too." Leaving the painted samples on the counter she asks, with eyebrows raised, "any good prospects for yourself there?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Leaving the painted samples on the counter she asks, with eyebrows raised, "any good prospects for yourself there?"

"Eh, well....." Taraka said looking about the store, before dropping her voice a bit.

"Why don't we go to the break room, Suzume-san? If we're going to talk about such things, wouldn't it be nice to sit down for a bit and have a cup of tea?" she offered.

Taraka was totally willing to trade some gossip about who was making moves on who....just not out in the open store space.

[Suzume Hitomi]

"I could definitely do with some tea, morning was a long while ago, it seems, with Temple devotions, three deliveries, and an invitation to fish on the beach with Yoritomo Ochiba-sama. I guess she was part of the group involved in catching that serial killer the other day. I feel like the newscasts were kind of subdued about it, probably didn't want to give all the visitors the idea that it's not safe here or something."

She readily follows to the break room. "Sorry I don't still have any of the snacks to share!"

[Yasuki Taraka]

It was a pretty simple breakroom. Table, chairs, an electric tea kettle which Taraka would make herself busy with while the Sparrow found her seat.

"Hm, that seems sensible to me. Overall, Nakahama IS safe, so it'd be unfortunate to spoil it's reputation due to one fluke." she said.

She poured the tea.

"So, romantic gossip. I actually have gossip about both myself and the governor. Kaiu Tetsu has been making some pretty serious moves with me. He's been talking family off-handedly, so we'll see how that plays out."

"As for the governor, if you were wondering who that poem recited for at the conclusion of the rally by Bayushi Senshuken was for, it was for the governor. She has her sights set on marrying the governor which is...bold." she revealed.

[Suzume Hitomi]

Hitomi takes a seat, making sure one of the remaining chairs allows Taraka a view of the door to the front. A shopkeeper likes to keep an eye on that, even if there are staff handling things just fine.

She takes the tea with a grateful nod. "Really? The new engineer guy? I guess that fits in well with your family." At least she assumes Taraka is more interested in bringing assets into the family than leaving it. "Good match? I don't know much about him, I admit."

Her eyes widen over the tea at talk of the governor's hopeful paramour. "ohhh, isn't she kind of young for that sort of position? I guess it would really tie the Scorpion into the province as they seem to have really put some resources into winning the initiative here. But that's soooo blatant. It's not an actual court, so I guess she'll get away with it without too much shame." Oddly, discreetly sleeping with folks tended to generate less judgment than openly declaring your feelings for them.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka shrugs.

"Well he is certainly full of ambition. And I appreciate those with a keen business acumen. Not to mention it's nice when people are open about what they want." she listed off.

If this match was going to hold, it was certainly more blessed by Daikoku than Benten.

"Bayushi-san believes that as well. That is will tie the Scorpion interests more solidly to the island. Though I think that is merely a cover for the fact that she's fallen for the governor. With her connections and finances, it's not an impossible match, but one that will need to be hard fought for." she reasons.

She looks over at the Suzume.

"But what of your own interests, Suzume-san? Has anyone caught your eye during this event?"

[Suzume Hitomi]

Hitomi nods. "Openness and honestly are pretty vital heading into marriage. You're going to be sharing all your business with them, after all." She doesn't seem intent on pushing Benten into the mix. When a business was part of the arrangement, Daikoku was more likely to be invoked, honestly. "If they don't have much head for business, at least they need enough to run a household, so you can take those duties off your plate. I imagine there are folks useless in both spheres...I guess they have to make up for it in decorative value?"

The teacup is set on the table, cupped within her palms where she can feel the heat. "Me? Nothing obvious. I think most of those coming to work on the investment scheme here are probably a bit too ambitious to be interested in partnering with a Sparrow. Few would want to marry in and help run a weird antique shop, and they can find more prestigious partners to marry in." She shrugs amiably. "I'll be hearing from my family eventually, as they work their way down. My eldest three siblings are comfortably matched, so once Kazu-kun is engaged, I expect I'll hear more from them. Mei was hinting that I might want to arrange things so I could travel home sometime next year...which sounds like a hint that there might be a wedding to attend."

"Might be worth an offering to Musubi for a proper and prosperous match before the festival. Calm any ancestors who worry about us getting too old without partners set up for us, neh? The dramas would have you believe they were all paired off by 16 or something." Lifting the cup with a grin, she adds, "It's not true, but it really sticks in the popular imagination."

[Yasuki Taraka]

That was a hard truth, no matter how gracious and elegant Hitomi was...she was still a Sparrow selling old stuff.

"Hmm, well, I'll hope that whatever the matchmaker plans, it involves you returning here, Suzume-san. Feather Your Nest is part of Golden Shotengai, and we'd miss having it around if you fled back to the home world." she offered sincerely.

The mention of teenager drama made her smile though.

"Ah yes, married off or being a dominating force at the Imperial Winter Court, if you caught 'Blossoms on Fresh Snow'" she mused. "I know that these shows are pandering to a certain demographic with all the teenage drama and romance, but I feel a twinge of pity for all the senseis that have to teach their students that 'No, you have to start in the most junior of assistant roles, and by working hard and making a lot of connections you work your way up the ranks. No one is so good at anything that they are given a position so important so young."

[Suzume Hitomi]

snip

Hitomi smiles. "That's my hope, as well. And likely, unless there's some odd interest in trying to marry me out. Another Sparrow to come shoulder some of the work. Though if something does happen that sees me marry out, my younger sister would probably step in. I think you'd like her too."

"Blossoms was so popular during my time in training. Enough that, yes, Sensei would get this long-suffering look and intone, 'you're no Doji Arashahime, and if you don't improve your calligraphy, you're not even going to be an Asahina Rei." Laughing with a small shake of her head, she adds, "I imagine there were similar fantasies where you trained as well? Folks thinking they'd be Space Merchant Yasuki Taro? Captain of a hauler fresh out of gempukku?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Snap!

Taraka laughs at that.

"Oh yes, brave Captain Taro whose most notable skills were ability to pose dramatically while wearing an outfit so tightly tailored it'd make a Scorpion go, "That's a bit much, isn't it?' One of our senseis was most unfortunate in looking exactly like Admiral Hajime. Every time he got a new class and would say, 'Let us begin....' someone in the back would always yell out "....a grand new adventure!". So much so that the spot outside the classroom where they would hold water buckets for punishment would become known as the Taro spot."

She sips her tea.

"You know, I met a Yasuki Taro in my time in the military. I don't know what possessed him to take that name at gempukku. Maybe he really did have a famous ancestor by that name. He never made higher than lieutenant but whenever someone wanted him riled up, out came the "Aye, Aye, Captain, For adventure!'" she relayed.