The New Winds

Ginkarasu is back, finding a new spot to put up his stool and blanket. He still wears his straw hat, though he doesn't have it covering his face quite as much today. He has a small variety of mochi on display as he looks around, watching for anyone who might be interested.

"MOCHI! MOCHI AVAILABLE! DELICIOUS MOCHI FOR COIN!" He calls out, after waiting awhile.

"It is entirely dishonorable for a samurai to call so loudly for something as base a heimin need as money," Nobuko 'tsked', clicking her tongue disapprovingly at the brazen show of disrespect for such basic values. This admonishment did not stop her from looking over the mochi on display, however.

The food the dojo had been giving them the last two days left much to be desired and even a woman trying to be as grown-up as possible felt the bite of hunger and want when presented with something so tasty.

"I'm honoring my ancestors, Otomo-sama, and going to send what coins I can get to help defend the Empire at the Wall. I'm not that good at courtly things though. Is there a better way?" He tips his head and the hat obscures more of his face as he feels judged. Still his hands point out the different mochi.

Mochi that are left:
Daifuku style mochi: 2 Matcha, 3 Red Bean, 2 White Bean
2 Kusamochi

"Your family is renown for their mastery of the art of the deal, Yasuki-san," she answered, as she considered the selection carefully. "You can provide more for them through the currying of favors than you can with these concerns of the heimin."

Nobuko looked to the side at the servant who had followed her obediently in - and who had been browbeaten into revealing the location of the mochi seller she had heard rumor of - and gave a wave of her hand to indicate the girl should wait a moment before offering money.

She returned her attention to the Yasuki, "Every student of this academy has been selected to be part of something great, including yourself. We are, each of us, very close to our gempukku, and the potential influence we may have once we have passed. Surely there is something there you can work with that will bring more honor to your ancestors and more aid to your family at the Wall than shouting about coin."

Nobuko indicated with another wave of her hand that she would like both of the remaining Kusamochi. The servant hovered off to the side to complete the transaction once the Otomo had gained her food and left.

"Otomo-sama, there are lots of ways to be a part of things. My school might lead me to guarding merchants across the Empire. It might lead me to guarding courtiers or artisans. I should know what its like from their sandals, if I'm going to know how to guard them. What's more I'm proud of my parents and grandparents, who've done this same thing, if better then me. They were meeting with some of your family in Otosan Uchi, to insure the Emperor had some of the nicest mochi in the Empire."

He picked up the two kusamochi carefully in their ricepaper wrappings. "This isn't the same as what the Emperor will get, but it'd be rude to give anyone else our best after agreeing to give it to the Emperor. I hope you enjoy it."

She accepted the Kasumochi, "Knowing what it is like from their sandals does not mean you lack the resources to do more than call for coin."

Nobuko inspected the wrappings before carefully tucking the treats into her sleeve to carry back and hide in her belonging for a tasty treat later.

"I'm certain your family has provided the finest of mochi to the Emperor's table," she continued, "just as I am sure they never asked my family for coin to do so." Nobuko expected they probably asked for favors in moving paperwork along faster or lower taxes and tariffs, or support in a dispute between the Crab and Crane. The Yasuki were known as 'wily' for a reason. She had much respect for their ability to drive a bargin.

"But it is your choice in what you choose to ask for," Nobuko sighed, shrugging. She then gave a polite bow, "Have a good day, Yasuki-san. May Daikoku bless you in your endeavors."

He thinks about that for a little bit, "True. I could ask for lots of things. Thanks Otomo-sama, I'll have to think about that. I always worry about asking for too much, hopefully I'll learn by getting to train with everyone here!"

He pauses a moment, then decides to explain what he meant. "Getting into their sandals though means I get to see what their sight lines are. Know how you lose track of what you're seeing and hearing when you yell. What movements are limited by sitting behind a stand, how your hands are occupied when you give a patron what they ask for. And this is a really good opportunity to see how people from across the Empire interact! You and Miya-sama act differently then Kakita-sama did. That helps me think of ways a yojimbo has to act differently around different people." He smiles.

That gave her pause and a small smile graced her lips after a moment, "Ah. I had not considered that."

She thought about it for a several seconds, then offered, "You are correct: that is a lot of information a yojimbo will need to know that I had not considered before. Perhaps instead of selling them yourself, you could ask one of the dojo servants to do so and act as an overseer? You could still do most of the talking as is the right of any samurai, but you would have a better idea of what it's like to have to move around a person you are protecting and what they may block you from accomplishing. I know that the yojimbo I have seen with my Sensei in the Kakita school are often on edge when their charge is not standing where they feel is the safest position. But they still must be able to act and be ready even when the situation is not ideal."

A brief nod. "I hadn't thought of that. If my mochi lasts long enough, I'll give it a try. One of the sensei here said I should only work with the other students though, so I wasn't sure it was okay to distract the servants from their other tasks for this."

He looks around a second, "They also said all the sensei like mochi and would likely appreciate some as a gift, if you decide to do so!"

"Oh, I see," she lifted a hand to her lips, frowning. It would not be good to encourage him to push a servant into standing with him for an hour or two if the Sensei had already asked him to only 'work' with other students.

"Have you asked any other students to work with you?"

He shakes his head, "This is the rare time we have for leisure, it'd be asking a lot to ask for their time over and over again."

"Would it have to be every day? Or could it be every other day?" she asked, thoughts tumbling behind her eyes. She did not particularly like the idea of engaging in commerce, but as the future keeper of a household, she would need to understand the workings that the heimin undertook on her home's behalf.

"If it could be every other day to give a break - until the supply is gone, of course - then perhaps..." she hesitated, looking off to the side with some uncertainty, "perhaps... I... I could work with you? It is not a desirable position to be in, conducting negotiations for money, but if you were open to trading for other things, or having the coin exchanged later when a servant is available to do so in a more appropriate manner..."

His eyes open up wide at that offer, "Oh!"

A look up to the Otomo. "I mean, I'm going to be here each day, but I mean..." He looks down at the stand and then back up to Nobuko, "If you wanted? It'd need to be for things small enough to easily carry if it's not coin. Oh!" He has an idea, "What if I handled the mochi and coin and and and, you could handle trading lessons? I bet we have things we could teach from our skills and people could trade what they could teach if we're interested? Or we could find people who wanted something we didn't have and connect them with our kohei who know it?"

"It would serve me well to expand my knowledge in learning the more basic arts of negotiation and..." commerce "...and the values others hold when trading," she said, still not enjoying the idea that one of the 'customers' might insist on using coin. But if Ginkarasu handled the coin it would keep her from being seen to publicly engage in the exchange of money. And it would actually do her some good to learn this before she reached her Gempukku and her family was more seriously considering marriage offers.

"Perhaps we could consider this our first exchange of favors? I will help you and serve as your negotiator and charge tomorrow during this hour, and you..." she lifted her sleeve, "will allow me the Kasumochi?"

He paused at that.

"Uhm. But. The Wall." He looks down a moment and then up to Nobuko. "How about it's for one and your servant can leave whatever they think is fair for the other one? I...I don't want to think that my learning is more important then what they do there."

He cared about the servants that much? Admirable, of course, but also a little... well, she didn't want to think too ill of the Yasuki so she pressed her lips together and inclined her head, "That is an acceptable bargain, Yasuki-san. After I leave, she will do what is necessary."

Ginkarasu nods, bowing. "Okay! No way of knowing how many people will be here tomorrow, but we'll have to find a way to make sure people know about what we're doing!"

"Spreading the word should be easy enough. We simply inform a few of our fellow students over breakfast and let them spread the word among themselves," she suggested, finding this aspect of the whole affair much closer to what she was used to. "I'm certain we can let others know without having to call loudly to catch their attention. It might even entice them more if we imply that we are only telling certain students and they then have a secret they can choose to share or not at their pleasure."

He nods following along, "That could work. Would that exclude some of the students though?"

"The goal would be to tell the most chatty of our fellows, the ones that are the friendliest and most likely to share," she clarified. "Such as Doji Sakura-san, perhaps. Or that Mantis clansman who... well, the very talkative one."