D6 ME: What Sake Goes with Maple Yams?

[Suzume Hitomi]

Hitomi nods, "she mentioned Golden Mirror, hadn't been sure that was her home, though. It's a stunning place to visit, all the artistry of the home world magnified and paired with modern convenience and technology behind the scenes." She sips her drink, shaking her head. "Just...after growing up on Rokugan in and around the historical zones where people try to re-create how people actually went about things at different time periods, Golden Mirror feels odd. The historical zones are definitely not," she holds up her hands, fingers making air quotes, "just like it was back then."

"People know there's modern medicine available if they're injured, and the world has more than enough food if crops are bad in one farming zone or another. But it still just feels more earnest, in a way. It's not meant to be as perfect or beautiful." She laughs a little with a shake of her head. "Maybe I'm sentimental 'cause I grew up there, but it feels more connected when folks are working the lands their ancestors actually knew. There's more soul. But Golden Mirror is definitely worth visiting if you can afford it. That Crane focus on perfecting each thing makes it pretty unforgettable."

She listens to Taraka's goals and dreams as well, "well if more successful, your father might have more funds to dream up new drones? Seems like eventually everyone as wants a battle carp would have one and you'd need some other applications in the future."

"For myself? Well...a few more shops like Feather would be about the limit that could be supplied. Maybe enough prestige and fame to make Feather a destination people make a trip out here just to visit? Kakita-sama is proud of her traditional kimono from the Mirror, but I'd like those spending on such things to consider one made on the home world first, perhaps." She sighs, drinking a bit more, then pouring again for them both. "But marketing is a skill I'm only middling good at, and the budget for that kind of thing is a stretch."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka considered the problem of advertising over drinks.

"Hmm, true, it's not really in the budget to call up the Kisada Crunchy guy to film a commercial for you."

She struck a bold pose.

"Feather Your Nest! Now with EXTREME haoris!" she vamped, perhaps a little louder than she should have given the drinks.

"But maybe, like your wares, we should tackle this the old fashioned way, Suzume-san." she brainstormed. "From what I've seen, the governor and the karo's tastes in everyday wear leans towards the modern. But bon festival is coming up. If you could personally convince them that such an occasion warranted your wares, others might be inspired to follow suit. In fact, the karo was out personally looking for volunteers for First Market. If she could be further convinced to wear your wares while going about talking up bon festival, you might see a pretty decent boost in sales at least for awhile."

[Suzume Hitomi]

"Hmm, no. Though if you have any contacts that know him and think he'd like a look at the shop so I can gain a fan..." it's said with a smile that says she's clearly joking, then laughing harder at extreme haoris while nearby tables glanced over.

Though it's not too far off from Taraka's sensible suggestion. "Huh? You're right, and Umiko's tastes at least often nod at the older styles." She carefully digs out her densai to make a note on it while saying, "granted, if I could come up with something the governor would wear, it would likely get even more attention, but possibly not the sort I want. I'd end up with wealthy samurai looking for historic lingerie and disappointed at the options and cost."

She spears another yam and speaks before popping it into her mouth. "Should see about cross-promotion. I could do fancier, traditional banners and dress a drone up to swoop around the front of the shop."

"Hmm, and right, need to get the ancestral offering goods out in the shop this week. Just got a new shipment of traditional incense too."

[Yasuki Taraka]

"But what do you meeeeean you don't have historically accurate edible underwear? They had wagashi, they had underwear....put the two together!" she whined, holding out a hand for each item and then putting them together while looking greatly puzzled.

Taraka giggled.

"A cross promotion might be nice." she allowed more seriously. I'd be willing to loan you an employee and a drone for you to dress up if you want to lend us some decorations for the festival. Or dress the employee up. Or both. " she offered.

[Suzume Hitomi]

Hitomi doubles over with laughter. "Oh Fortunes, that's not far off some requests!" *wheeze* "Can you imagine mochiko treated that way?!" *wiping eyes* "The folks wondering about historical sex toys...as if modern ones weren't 100% safer and more hygienic." She pauses..."well the modern ones that are actually safe and hygienic, that is. Besides, that isn't the sort of thing the censors are going to let me export. Some of the pillow-books are pushing it there already."

"The folks coming in wanting weird weapons are more common though. Like...no I don't have so-called ninja weapons, I barely have weapons. The clans tended to hang onto those as heirlooms or recycle them into new weapons. The few really oddball, experimental things that survive are safely tucked into museums."

"Hmm, could definitely do that. I forgot those do need constant monitoring, not an automated flight to like circle a door. I can definitely supply some festival outfits and decor. Whip up some nice banners." She nods, wheels turning. "Have you been selling battle carp long enough that someone might want one to send as an offering for someone departed? I can probably prepare some of paper or cloth to trade for your employee's time as well."

[Yasuki Taraka]

There was much merriment being had at the bar, though the Sparrow's question put the breaks on Taraka's laughtrer.

She took a couple beats to compose herself.

"Ah. Well. It might be fitting to present to my mother. It was her drive that brought FBC into the world before leaving it herself. It might be nice to show her it's doing well." she finally decided upon.

[Suzume Hitomi]

A sober sip, almost a toast, then a nod. "I can work on that as a gift. If you think others would want such, I'll make more than that as a trade. I should come by the shop and look at your best models to work from." After all, the difference in cost to produce different models in paper was so small it meant you may as well sent models of the best goods to your departed spirits.

"Definitely a season to ask our ancestors to look kindly upon our work and lives and help us carry their legacy." "Things are so, so different. I can't imagine what my Suzume ancestors of old would think of things now. They lived lives of poverty...honorable but awfully hard. The luxuries here would be unfathomable." She lifts her cup, "Hmm..ok, they'd have recognized the pleasure of good sake."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nods.

"Sounds like a good deal, Suzume-san." she offered, returning the toast.

"And yams according to what I've heard." she said on what the ancestors would enjoy. "I do wonder about our ancestors as Crab. The Enemy is still out there, but we certainly no longer are having breakfast on the mouth of Hell....well lots of us at least."

[Suzume Hitomi]

She picks up their second bottle to drain into both cups, feeling pleasantly mellow. "Perhaps I'll make another batch of yams to set out upon the altar." She didn't really understand enough of theology to know how their ancestors found them so far from where they had lived and died, but also didn't care all that much. The tradition carried value for the living, even if those spirits were too far away to notice the altars and ceremony. And the more recently departed were surely able to find their way.

"True, you no longer need to be so vigilant. At least, many of you don't" She had a vague notion of the horrors the Crab faced on some of the other worlds out there. Imperial stations occasionally carried stirred tributes to their dedication. "How does that fit? I mean...hmm...our duties have changed, but the Sparrow's is still about preservation, just with a broader scope. How do most Crab feel about not having that kind of clear duty laid before them?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nods.

"True, the closing of the Pit was....disorienting....at least that's what the histories tell us. Fighting it's horrors had been about as Crab as being pretty is Crane. Little enough changed for the Yasuki, then again, they weren't originally Crab. The Kaiu were the first to really find their way, without having to devote every moment to fighting against horrors, they were able to really expand their scholarly nature in matters of science and technology. As for the rest, they put their energies into two fronts: pacifying planets....and fighting the Empire's other planet pacifiers, the Spider."

She took a long pull from her drink.

"Full scale war between the two is definitely incipient. Which makes their presence here at the governor's invitation a bit of a hot topic. It's up for debate who is spying on whom or who is distracting who, but if they do actually open a mercantile interest here, it's going to be the most closely watched store on the planet." she mused.

[Suzume Hitomi]

Hitomi sighs, taking her own long sip. Thankfully it's a smooth sake. "I wish you well in that one. There's no questioning the wisdom of using them to pacify the worst planets as we first took to the stars." Because you can't really question the decisions of a few generations of emperors there. "But they're going to be a danger with fewer and fewer of those to focus on, and allied with the Mantis just adds strength to the ongoing war they've been part of." Better if they'd succumbed to the dangers they were pushed at, honestly.

"Trade is so much smoother and more profitable without wars disrupting shipments." War, and pirates. "Though I suppose those making weaponry might profit. And there, we wrap back to your Kaiu, who really were able to make their craft move forward and help create the world we get to live in now."

Her nose wrinkles over the rim of her cup as she drinks again. "What would they even do here? As a shop or industry? Their technological industries mostly make other people's flesh crawl. They surely can't drop weapons industries here." It was remarkably blunt for the normally soft-spoken Sparrow. But there was some drink involved, and a solid dislike of seeing more war come to the Empire.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka took a considering sip of her drink, though she certainly agreed with the Sparrow's sentiments.

"Peace is best for business. War certainly does provide it's own boost in innovation, after all, Flying Battle Carps wouldn't exist without Kaiu Heavy Industries, and without pacification of the planets, we'd still be be back on the home world. But fighting each other when we have the grand sweep of the Empire before us does not seem like a particularly good use of our resources. But two champions kill each other, and now alot will follow them to Emma-O." she mused.

She set the drink back down.

"Hmmm, as for their business venture. I think I would expect a motive other than profit which opens things up a bit. If the point of it is to convince us they are harmless, I could see them opening some kind of Susumu Yakumo merchandise store. Could be a handy way to get propaganda out to kids looking for ways to annoy their parents. Or if they're trying to gather more information, I could see a bar. Offer some crazy strong drinks, daring Crab to come in a try it and pry secrets from people with sake clouded minds. Or maybe target the heimin with a goods sold well below market value and try and use them to stir up trouble." she theorized.

"Actually the bar's not a bad idea from the sense if you needed to draw the magistrate's attention there instead of elsewhere, it'd be child's play to start a fight there."