Waiting for Godot (D4, EM, Fukawa's Yurt)

[Moto Baatar]

"Four million people?" Baatar boggled, eyes wide. "My tribe only has a few hundred people, and we had trouble getting enough food two winters ago while we were crossing the barren wastelands. I've seen a clear stream become foul after just five thousand riders crossed it. How can you possibly feed and water a city of four million?"

[Doji Fukawa]

Fukawa shrugged.

"But your people did not farm, Moto-san." Fukawa offered. "Miles and miles of rice paddies, plus an ocean full of fish makes feeding much easier. Water is carefully managed, one cannot simply dump their garbage in the water, it needs to stay pure."

"But I can't really get into the details, it's not really an interesting topic in the courts."

[Moto Baatar]

"Ahh, farmers and fishers," Baatar said, nodding. "We have some of those now, but we didn't, really, when we were traveling. Now I understand why people here are willing to eat those sea bugs, too. Shrimp, I think they're called? Do you have those in Crane lands too? I was kind of surprised that they actually tasted good."

[Doji Fukawa]

Fukawa nods.

"Hai, the Crane lands are blessed with a great deal of coast with plenty of room for fishing." she says. "We would be the great clan that has the most access to it in fact. Shrimp, lobster, tuna, even fugu, though that one certainly takes courage to eat."

[Moto Baatar]

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Baatar boasted. "All that sounds delicious, I'm sure even the most seafoody of seafood would be fine to eat, given enough curry. Although ... uh, what is fugu?"

[Doji Fukawa]

Fukawa nods.

"I would not dare imply that Moto-san is afraid of anything." Fukawa said reasonably. "Fugu is a deadly poisonous fish. The chef must carefully remove all the skin and organs from it. Just a little left on skin is enough to kill a full-grown samurai, painfully, over several hours."

[Moto Baatar]

"The cooks serve you poisonous fish?" Baatar asked, incredulous. "Is this ... some kind of punishment? Served to disloyal samurai or something?"

[Doji Fukawa]

Fukawa shakes her head.

"It's not poisonous, if they removed every bit of skin and organ." she corrects. "But some samurai like having a chance to prove their courage at the dinner table, rather than the battlefield."

[Moto Baatar]

Baatar nodded, remembering the shrimp and lobster they had been forced to eat at the opening banquet. "A curious custom," he said. "I guess I'll have to get used to eating weird foods like that if I'm going to live here."

"I guess you will be returning to Kyuden Doji after the miai?" Baatar wondered. "Your family seems important, so I bet you will be taking a husband back to your clan, and not the other way around."

[Doji Fukawa]

Fukawa nods.

"That is the Doji family tradition, typically samurai marry in." she says. "Though there are notable exceptions. It may not literally be true, but it is said that every Emperor has a Doji mother and a Doji bride."


Stupid Lion screwing up a perfectly good saying. she mentally added.


"As for where I'm going, it will depend upon which Winter Court I am assigned to this season." she says.

[Moto Baatar]

"I've never been to a Winter Court. Which Winter Court is the best?" Baatar asked, somewhat naively.

[Doji Fukawa]

"Well, the Emperor's Winter Court, of course. Of course, the Emperor traditionally does not hold it at the capital, but grants that honor to one of the clans. Kyuden Doji is often selected to host. When it is not, but some other court is, Kyuden Doji would remain the next best." she says.

[Moto Baatar]

"Kyuden Doji must be very fine, for the Emperor to visit there so often," Baatar said, nodding. "Maybe you will get to go home, then, and enjoy the winter there. Don't eat too much fugu, though; I don't want you to get poisoned."

[Doji Fukawa]

Fukawa nods.

"I've no interest in taking up sumai, certainly." she offers. "Although, has Moto-san figured out where he might be spending the winter yet?"

[Moto Baatar]

"I don't know, really," Baatar admitted. "I guess it depends on how the miai goes. I'm not from an important family like you, so I'm not sure whether I'll get to stay in the new Unicorn lands, or get married out into who-knows-which clan."