When presented with the point of the meeting with Pei-Pei, the Suzume thought long and hard on which of his honoured ancestors to talk about... And what to say about them.
He had heard some things about how the Sparrow were seen in the Empire at large. It puzzled him, of course. That they were known for their stories made sense h they were fond of stories, and many, perhaps even all of his family and known ancestors were avid and (at least in his mind) skilled yarn spinners. But somehow what came across to others was that they were long-winded?... How come?
He shook his head. There was his great-grandma, of course. She was even somewhat well known outside Sparrow lands. But then...he felt he might not be the best to speak of her skill as a rock gardener. And if she was well known, what would be the point?
Another shake of his head. Maybe he could speak of something different. Something his humble clan was not particularly well known for. His mind went first to his dear, skilled sensei... And he remembered her words about his father's mother and her grandmother, whose skill with a sword and as duelists she said surpassed even her own. That would an interesting take, maybe surprising even... But then maybe it might come across as disrespectful, he thought? Their mutual cousins in the Crane were known for their sword skills... So maybe if he went that way it would come across as if he were trying to make their accomplishments less important?
Head shakes again, and then a smile. They were what they were. Humble, honourable, simple, and proud in that. Why try to refrain from that, né?
So when the time came for him to talk to Pei-Pei, he told her of his maternal grandfather, who knew the seasons and how it affected the fields by the taste of the wind, and never shied away from helping whoever needed helping to make sure his family, his friends and his village never wanted. Then his great aunt on his father's side, who was famed to know the best time of each day on each month to get the best carp and sweetfish in each stream of the northern parts of the Sparrow provinces.
Then he got to yam, turnips and burdock root. He did his best to explain how, over a century ago, ancestors on his mother's and his father's side had helped ensure fields of these and other simple vegetables kept viable through the worse of a drought that scoured the Suzume Hills, carefully tended and watered with painstaking trips to increasingly distant creeks that hadn't dried down. He explained how honourable and important their simple, but hard work was, how many lives they saved, and how their knowledge made simple dishes of simple ingredients not only filling, but enjoyable.
He did his best, and Pei-Pei probably even believed him.
But at the end of the day... it was still yam, turnip and burdock. When he was done, she was probably thankful for her next meal - with fish and rice, of course.
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OOC:
TN1
D2 MM Love throughout history. Proud (?) lineage of focus. Earth/Labour, TN 1 | TN: 1 | Success:
3 / Opportunity:
1 / Strife:
1
TN 2
D2 MM Love throughout history. Earth/Labour TN 2 | TN: 2 | Success:
2 / Opportunity:
2 / Strife:
0
TN 3
D2 MM Love throughout history TN 3. Earth/Labour | TN: 3 | Success:
0 / Opportunity:
3 / Strife:
0
TN 4
D2 MM Love throughout history TN 4 Earth/Labour | TN: 4 | Success:
3 / Opportunity:
1 / Strife:
2
2 rolls passed
7 opportunity
2 excess successes
2 maximum extra successes
Total strife: 3