<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/kCO6g7j.jpg)</div><br/>There was a great deal of difficulty that came with traveling with an almost man-sized ceramic vase. Yasuki Mitsuki and his attendant eta Tsubame made the best of their situation on the long trip up from Kyuden Yasuki, Ryoko Owari, and then finally onward to Shiro Matsu. Having made arrangements for Tsubame to stay in the nearest eta village outside the city took a little time and even more effort with only one person to carry the 'gift' he'd brought. This was mostly due to his other traveling companion, Bayushi Mayu, was not much help in the strength department seeing as how she was even smaller than he was.<br/><br/>He was fond of her, certainly, but far from surprised at her disappearance as soon as he'd made it into the city gates. Mitsuki secretly envisioned her being lifted from the ground by a wisp of steam and being carried, geta a few inches off the earth, toward a food stall to be quickly stripped of all her money one yakitori at a time with as often as she complained about being hungry on the journey. All the rumors he had heard of scorpion women being cool, sultry, and methodical were completely dashed in the course of a few days travel. She was sweet at least, but not in any way accustomed to a hard life on the road.<br/><br/>Mitsuki sighed to himself when he noticed she was gone, feeling as though he'd only turned his back for a second now to be by himself in the main street. Opening and closing his fan quickly with a sharp wrap of frustration he'd adjust the ropes he'd tied on either side of the vase so that he could carry it like a backpack and continue on. Being a little late was unavoidable at this rate but why not make the best of it? He'd mingle among the crowd, both ears open to pick up what he could. His lips and nails though in need of a touch-up, were still painted to exude that touch of Mitsue and the Yasuki pushiness that came with it had him taking up conversations with several local shop owners on the best silk merchant in town. There he would seek to purchase a fine Kimono, or at least the best he could haggle for, and with a little nudging and banter perhaps they'd throw in a make-up kit while they were at it.<br/><br/>He was no slouch. He did not know much about this local lion noble but if they were the type to engage in stereotype or any of his retainers were, it would be to their own detriment to complain about how raggedy the crab courtier looked especially if they were actually wearing a kimono of Lion craftsmanship. When they'd collected all that they could in material goods and information, none the least of which was directions to the estate, they would heft their way down the road.<br/><br/>The gift was two fold. If confronted by the same groom he would remove the rope from the vase and 'offer' it with both hands on it rather than holding it up directly. It was of Utilitarian design with very little embellishment, or suffice to say it was not painted. The details of the vase however grew in depth the longer one looked at it. Sometime before being put in a kiln, the artist had carefully embossed upon the surface a vista of Seikitsu sano Yama no Oi, The spine of the world mountains, with a great forest at its feet which very well might have been Shinomen Mori itself with tiny little details becoming clearer the longer one looked at it. Surely, it was an ikebana vase meant for quiet moments of contemplation to see new things in the surface each time it was viewed.<br/><br/>"Please! Accept this gift from the halls of my Lord at Kyuden Yasuki. With this I carry three young koi as a symbol of prosperity. A Kohaku,  A koi of white body with red spots to foster success. A Kumonryu with a body as black as night to absorb all bad luck for its new master, and a Kuchibeni, A white and red patterned koi for love and long lasting relationships on this monumentous occasion!"<br/><br/>A heady feminine voice rolled out of snarky smiling lips, deeper than some of the more delicate women at court certainly but this<em>was</em>a crab we were talking about. Refusal would bring, "I must insist, your lordship is worth every footstep taken from far south and every effort to tend these creatures of prosperity to his doorstep and the many years they will live in kind to please him during he and his new wife's quiet moments of contemplation."<br/><br/>And once again, "It would honor me greatly for this gift to be accepted into your household, for you are most worthy and respected and deserving of all it represents."<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Commerce:(Haggle-Haggle-Haggle, one free raise +1 normal raise)20 <br/>At 2017-02-04 22:13:34, Yasuki Courtier (uid: 26980) rolls: 6d10k4o10 Result: 20 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=99786)<br/>Etiquette(Gift Giving): 31<br/>At 2017-02-04 22:10:49, Yasuki Courtier (uid: 26980) rolls: 5d10k3o10 Result: 31 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=99785)<br/>Courtier:(Rumors) 13<br/>At 2017-02-04 22:09:53, Yasuki Courtier (uid: 26980) rolls: 5d10k3o10 Result: 13 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=99784)<br/>History:10 (Fail)<br/>At 2017-02-04 22:08:39, Yasuki Courtier (uid: 26980) rolls: 3d10k3 Result: 10 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=99783)<br/>Theology: 12 (Pass!)<br/>At 2017-02-04 22:07:27, Yasuki Courtier (uid: 26980) rolls: 3d10k3 Result: 12 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=99782)</div></div>