Hokay. Just got back. Let's see....
- We don't want to play to lose. We're presenting ourselves as intelligent and sharp of mind, and we intend to win the Hachiman tournament, if we can manage it. We're presenting ourselves as that in enough places that the Crane is almost sure to hear of it. There's no percentage in selling ourselves as less intelligent than we are.
Indeed, the way that Doji Mariko is saying that Chen is teaching her suggests that Daidoji Chen is being presented as, in effect, their champion in this thing. If we can defeat him, that's helpful in establishing our intellectual bona fides - which in turn is advertisement for the things that we can provide personally.
That's important, as we're playing the Scorpion game of suggesting a divide (between us and Bayushi Kimiko) where there is not one. It's a useful illusion, and one we don't want to strain any more than we have to - and having us give out things that we'd have to get Bayushi-sama's permission for strains it. On the other hand, we can justify offering all *sorts* of things out of our own personal abilities.
That's... not the only thing that's going on here, though. First, we need to know what we want, and what they want. At the moment, we want to be on good terms with them, and to learn more. There may be opportunities for clan advantage, or personal advantage, that we could seize, but we don't really know what they are. (Of course, the obvious one of "make yourself shiny enough, and they may want to marry you to someone" is always on the table. Everyone has *some* unmarried female relative. It's even possible that Mariko herself is unmarried.) So, at the moment we want information, and to get along well with them, and to present ourselves well.
As for what they want... well, they're feeling us out. Their current information on us is complicated. We're their natural enemies, but right now they're in "we need desperately to rebuild" status. They've picked the Matsu as targets. There, they have two vague objective sets. The first is to demonstrate that they still/again have power in the courts - that they can kick the Lion's nose and get away with it, for one. The second is in an attempt to damage the Matsu politically (and, if possible, personally). With how they've positioned themselves, the more successful they are at that, the better they'll do at the first objective as well. In this, Bayushi Kimiko gives them a degree of cover (as a place for the Matsu to focus their gaze, and as a reinforcement for the idea that everyone is against them) but is also working against them (as he variety of opposition does absolutely nothing to actually damage the Matsu position in the courts).
With respect to those goals... damaging the Matsu position in the courts is probably good for us, all things considered. The weaker their position is, the less leverage they're going to have to do obnoxious things with regards to Beiden Pass, and the worse off they'll be if they decide to attack us for some crazy Lion reason. To best take advantage of that, we'd need to have courtiers who were good at hitting the vulnerabilities of a foe. Right. Scorpion. On the flip side, we really don't want to let the Lion know that we've done this - as it's exactly the stuff that they hate and feelings of betrayal and petty revenge against our merchants and failure of our primary objectives. So, in the end, we have no objection helping with the broad objectives of the Crane Clan... as long as we can keep it relatively quiet that that's what we're doing. Yep. Still Scorpion.
Various faces we could put on:
* "The old Crane/Scorpion rivalry is alive and well - but we can work together": basically, do the same thing with them that Bayushi-sama is doing with the Matsu. The clans have been at odds almost from the beginning, and have often worked together in spite of this. It has benefits in that they'll feel like they know where they stand, it'll be comfortable, there are protocols and so forth... but we really don't have the social skills to pull it off. We especially dont' have the social skills to both survive it intact and keep them happy abotu it.
* "Why yes, ma'am. I am *quite* subornable": we play up a bit (though subtly) how we'd really rather be at some other court rather than around all of these Matsu, and how Bayushi Kimiko is not the sanest of bosses, and so forth. Crane seek advantage instinctively, and for them, advantage comes in making people into your friends. Allowing ourselves to be made into an official friend/pawn of the Cane Clan (or at least appearing as such) might not be a bad idea. The problem here is what they'll offer, and what they'll give. The things they'll be interested in offering will be those personally beneficial to us - and most of those won't actually apply until after Winter Court. The things they'll be interested in getting will be those based around more widespread influence in the court and in the Scorpion delegation. This is basically exactly the opposite of what we want, if we're going the "Scorpion Loyalist" route (which I personally intend to). It's the sort of thing that we *could* game to the advantage of our clan (and there are a number of Scorpion in the past who have done just that) but... I'm not convinced that we're good enough to bend it to our purposes right. The fact that our goals here are so nebulous actually makes that harder.
* "Yes, yes. I'm the sane Scorpion. I am constrained by my Lord (the crazy Scorpion) but within those constraints, I generally agree with you, and I'm happy to do business with you.": This is the default stance. It's also the one that's closest to true, and I think it plays to our strengths a bit better. The problem is that it immediately turns back around into "lack of objective", as "Well, what do you want, Scorpion-san?" is the obvious next topic.
So - what *do* we want from the Crane?
- Back when Courts were a thing, they were a powerhouse there, and they're already flexing their muscle again, even in their current state of weakness. Having the Crane as a clan owe us a few political favors would be... useful. How that would be measured, though? Mostly, I think, it'd be in personal promises by high-ranking Crane, and perhaps in scorpion placed in particular positions in otherwise Crane-dominated organizations. That's the sort of thing that gets decided in grander Winter Courts than this one, however. What do *these* Crane have to offer?
Well, I suppose, then, that that's one thing we want, right up front. We want to know what these Crane have to offer. We also want to know what they individually desire, and what they as a clan are hoping to achieve here.
/***********/
So, let's look at starting with the following rough starting positions...
- "Why yes, I am the sane Scorpion."
- "I'm potentially willing to help you damage the Matsu - I'm just not willing to admit that I'm helping you damage the Matsu."
- "I can talk with the Boss - but that doesn't mean she'll listen. I'd much rather speak to what I personally can offer."
- "I'm curious, Doji-sama. What *do* you have to offer as bargaining chits in this Court?"
Given all that, we don't want to be offensive or insulting. We *might* be able to make some points in an attempt to woo Doji Mariko by beating him badly, but we'd also piss off Daidoji-san, and there's really no good reason to do that. We want to claim a position of strength on the Go board, if we can, to demonstrate our skill, and we have some things we'd like from the conversation, but we'll be taking a position of weakness in the conversation. The Scorpion Clan is, right now, in a stronger position than the Crane, but we are the younger and weaker member of a divided mission, while the Crane are united in purpose, and their leader is here. Given how quickly they're ratcheting this up, it is clear that she's pushing this one, and that she has something to say. If they were just feeling us out, we'd still be on the underling. Given that, the passive position is actually the stronger - we allow them to commit, while we remain uncommitted.
Huh. In the end, I come up with the same answer as basically everyone else.
[x] Play to win
-[x] If winning is assured, play to learn. This *is* the first opportunity you've had to play someone outside of your clan, after all. Still, make sure that you do win.
-[x] If you cannot win, make as good a showing of it as you can.
[X] Allow the Crane to set the tone.
