[D9 ME] Tea Scions of Iweko

[Hotaru Sakura]

"I'm settling a debt." he said, "Not that I don't like Eriko, but I rarely put myself in open danger for anyone." he said, trying to sound as cold as possible, though not particularly convincing. He cleared his throat, "Besides, it's less tax collecting than auditing. In these days of automatic remittances, it's harder to not pay taxes than to simply underpay."

"Ah, I see! In my previous position, I just did my taxes manually as needed." Did that horrify Nishida, perhaps?!

"Though Hotaru-sama did mention that after court I should familiarize myself with the contractual and taxation paperwork, as my upcoming duties might involve them." She took another sip of delicious tea. "Hopefully I won't need to encounter Miya-sama in a formal setting too much then."

[Miya Nishida]

"Ah, I see! In my previous position, I just did my taxes manually as needed." Did that horrify Nishida, perhaps?!

"Though Hotaru-sama did mention that after court I should familiarize myself with the contractual and taxation paperwork, as my upcoming duties might involve them." She took another sip of delicious tea. "Hopefully I won't need to encounter Miya-sama in a formal setting too much then."

"I don't envy the Heimin who got to do the paperwork" he looked to her, "Well, let's just hope it stays routine visits. And if I do have to make an extra routine visit,.... let's just say I like tea, so if you ever need to smooth my waters..." he had a wolfish grin on his face.

[Hotaru Sakura]

"I don't envy the Heimin who got to do the paperwork" he looked to her, "Well, let's just hope it stays routine visits. And if I do have to make an extra routine visit,.... let's just say I like tea, so if you ever need to smooth my waters..." he had a wolfish grin on his face.

Sakura smiles. "I'll make sure we're stocked up with the best Crab brew for Miya-sama." She replied with a knowing smile. "I must congratulate Miya-sama on his good showing at the Fantasy Fight tournament."

[Miya Nishida]

Sakura smiles. "I'll make sure we're stocked up with the best Crab brew for Miya-sama." She replied with a knowing smile. "I must congratulate Miya-sama on his good showing at the Fantasy Fight tournament."

"ohh, i,.. thank you" he said suprised, suprised that anyone remembered him being there, "It's something i picked up from Chi,.... a dear acquintance of mine" he said begining happy, but wiht a sudden sadness as he stumbled nearly over a name.

"It's an intersting game, even if i should invest some time to study the actual rules, i just played along as i go" he admitted

[Hotaru Sakura]

"ohh, i,.. thank you" he said suprised, suprised that anyone remembered him being there, "It's something i picked up from Chi,.... a dear acquintance of mine" he said begining happy, but wiht a sudden sadness as he stumbled nearly over a name.

"It's an intersting game, even if i should invest some time to study the actual rules, i just played along as i go" he admitted

Sakura nodded. "Well, perhaps Miya-sama will have some free time in the future to practice some? It certainly looks like an intriguing game, for sure."

[Miya Nishida]

Sakura nodded. "Well, perhaps Miya-sama will have some free time in the future to practice some? It certainly looks like an intriguing game, for sure."

"Perhaps," he said nodding, then shifted his seat and looked at Sakura with a curious look.

"Hypothetical question: if you had still been ronin, and someone had ever offered you to become a part of the Miya, what would you have said?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Perhaps," he said nodding, then shifted his seat and looked at Sakura with a curious look.

"Hypothetical question: if you had still been ronin, and someone had ever offered you to become a part of the Miya, what would you have said?"

Sakura tilted her head. "I would have been honored." She smiled. "But to be truthful, I did accept an offer of fealty to the Firefly. I love my current clan, but I was not exactly picky at my choice." It was maybe a bit too blunt, but she hoped the former Yasuki would not take it the wrong way.

[Miya Nishida]

Sakura tilted her head. "I would have been honored." She smiled. "But to be truthful, I did accept an offer of fealty to the Firefly. I love my current clan, but I was not exactly picky at my choice." It was maybe a bit too blunt, but she hoped the former Yasuki would not take it the wrong way.

"Hmmm,. That's interesting." he said, nodding, "Did you wait long after you were given the offer?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Hmmm,. That's interesting." he said, nodding, "Did you wait long after you were given the offer?"

Sakura shrugged. "Probably not long, but truthfully, my situation near the end of my previous life was precarious. I didn't have a lot of options."

[Miya Nishida]

Sakura shrugged. "Probably not long, but truthfully, my situation near the end of my previous life was precarious. I didn't have a lot of options."

"Hmm i see, i see" he stroked his chin " I offered Yurei a post as my Retainer, but she said she needs some day to think about that" he dropped on Sakura

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Hmm i see, i see" he stroked his chin " I offered Yurei a post as my Retainer, but she said she needs some day to think about that" he dropped on Sakura

Sakura nodded. "Yurei-chan...is a very independant spirit, I feel. She likes people, and I believe she really admires Miya-sama, but she..." She paused, pondering how to think. "She's not quite as willing to jump into any offer as I was in the past." She smiled a self-depreciating smile. "Which is not a slight against you, but me...I was looking forward to having a family again. She sees an obligation, a service, and support, but it's probably all wrapped up differently."

[Miya Nishida]

Sakura nodded. "Yurei-chan...is a very independant spirit, I feel. She likes people, and I believe she really admires Miya-sama, but she..." She paused, pondering how to think. "She's not quite as willing to jump into any offer as I was in the past." She smiled a self-depreciating smile. "Which is not a slight against you, but me...I was looking forward to having a family again. She sees an obligation, a service, and support, but it's probably all wrapped up differently."

He nodded, "I understand,....."

He shook his head, "Not really. The concept of no support, no power behind you, no family to support you seems far too foreign to me," he admitted, "The Miya took me in very quickly after my wedding, and without their help I wouldn't be here today."

[Hotaru Sakura]

He nodded, "I understand,....."

He shook his head, "Not really. The concept of no support, no power behind you, no family to support you seems far too foreign to me," he admitted, "The Miya took me in very quickly after my wedding, and without their help I wouldn't be here today."

Sakura smiled. "It is a foreign concept, though..." She pondered how much to say. "She might have some trust issues, I guess. Comes with being a ronin. I'm weird like that, I guess." She took another sip of tea. "Miya-sama certainly seems to have taken to being a Miya like a carp takes to water."

[Miya Nishida]

Sakura smiled. "It is a foreign concept, though..." She pondered how much to say. "She might have some trust issues, I guess. Comes with being a ronin. I'm weird like that, I guess." She took another sip of tea. "Miya-sama certainly seems to have taken to being a Miya like a carp takes to water."

He smiled," The third maxim of the carp: In case of emergency: Improvise, adapt and overcome the obstacle" He briefly took off his glasses to clean them a bit, "Evil tongues would say that my part of the line has always been more polite and,,.... finer than the rest of the family. But that is the education of a merchant, isn't it? I guess Hotaru-san also had her crash course in manners and court etiquette?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

He smiled," The third maxim of the carp: In case of emergency: Improvise, adapt and overcome the obstacle" He briefly took off his glasses to clean them a bit, "Evil tongues would say that my part of the line has always been more polite and,,.... finer than the rest of the family. But that is the education of a merchant, isn't it? I guess Hotaru-san also had her crash course in manners and court etiquette?"

Sakura smiled. "Crash course is correct. Though luckily I did have some basic education from my mother. She was an oiran, neh?" She shrugged, honesty seemed like the theme of the meeting. "So I was lucky that way."

[Miya Nishida]

Sakura smiled. "Crash course is correct. Though luckily I did have some basic education from my mother. She was an oiran, neh?" She shrugged, honesty seemed like the theme of the meeting. "So I was lucky that way."

"Oh really? Now you have to start telling me the story of how you made it into the ranks of the Firefly?" he said with interest.

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Oh really? Now you have to start telling me the story of how you made it into the ranks of the Firefly?" he said with interest.

Sakura smirked. "Oh, really? And does Miya-sama thinks the tea is worth the price of admission for such an amazing tale of....good circumstances." She couldn't keep up the charade for long.

"It's a simple story. I made my living doing various odd jobs, and sometimes, that took me into the Desolation. One day, I was there looking for...well, discretion is still a strong instinct for me, so I'll leave that part alone. Hotaru-sama wsa there with an entourage, and a ronin guide...a cheap one, I might add. Not known for his dedication to any given job in the community. So when the gaki showed up, he ran, leaving the Firefly alone. I couldn't leave them to their fate in good conscience, so of course, I ran and guided them out in due haste. Hotaru-sama was impressed enough to offer me an option to fealty."

[Miya Nishida]

"Ahhh, a heroic deed has brought you into the fold of the Firefly" he said nodding, "I guess it's a lot clearer to me now why Eriko chose you" he said with a smile.

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Ahhh, a heroic deed has brought you into the fold of the Firefly" he said nodding, "I guess it's a lot clearer to me now why Eriko chose you" he said with a smile.

Sakura shrugged. "Actually, Usagi-sama recommended me I believe. I haven't met Matsu-sama before. And you, if I may ask? How do you know Matsu-sama exactly? There must be a story about a Lion asking an Imperial taxman to help her track down a group of ronin punks."

[Miya Nishida]

Sakura shrugged. "Actually, Usagi-sama recommended me I believe. I haven't met Matsu-sama before. And you, if I may ask? How do you know Matsu-sama exactly? There must be a story about a Lion asking an Imperial taxman to help her track down a group of ronin punks."

He laughed out loud, "Well, if you put it that way" he shook his head, "I first met Eriko-san a few months ago at the Miai on Asakaze. Back then, we were both still part of the crab clan and didn't really have much to do with each other there, except for the political issues of our time, of course."

He looked out the window as he continued, "But one day a woman named Hida Akemi, also part of our colorful troop, approached me. She, Eriko and a few others had sneaked into a forbidden part of the planet to look for one of Eriko's relics, but came across a Maho-Tsuki. They couldn't kill him there, but they couldn't officially go to the magistrate either. So they asked me," he looked a bit crestfallen, "I thought I could prevent the most damage on the court, but unfortunately Akemi, Eriko and the others were punished, a failure I was responsible for."