Sapphire Ambassadors

(open, possibly expecting)

She'd picked an hour likely to be less popular at the teahouse, with no sunlight to adorn the central attraction. This made it easier to find a seat near the tree, and to impose upon the staff to bring her not just a pot of tea, but also the hot water to brew it herself. It was a modified tea ceremony here without matcha, but that was fine for the purpose.

There's a quiet tuneless humming as she sets a scroll on the table, off to the side, jewelry clattering gently as she moves to measure tea into the pot.

Although he has been quite busy attending to his duties, it is quite difficult to not notice the jingle jangle around town that all comes from one unicorn. Thankfully now seems to be the time when both of them are not too busy. "Hello, is this seat taken?"

She glances up from her preparations with a small jingle of the charms on her headband. "Oh? No, it's not taken." Another jingle as she shakes her head before tapping the last of the measured tea into its pot. "Just making tea, if you ask for another cup, you're welcome to some." There are already two drinking cups beside the rest of the teaware.

He efficiently bows his head in thanks for her offer, politely asks and subsequently receive said tea cup from the proprietor, then takes a seat at the same table as her. He notices that she is about to conduct a tea ceremony and holds off on introducing himself until she signals one way or another.

As tea ceremonies go, it's not traditional, but there is obviously some thought going into laying things out. As he settles, she pauses to offer that introduction. "Horiuchi Sriyani of Small Creek Village, here for the competition. I believe I saw you at tonight's presentation as well."

"Indeed you did, figured I might as well show off my talent while performing my duties. I am Kaiu Kunio of the Second Imperial Legion. All those lovely things I had on display, minus the centerpiece were things I created to be shipped out by the end of the month." He then waits for her to finish the rest of the ceremony, using this time to make observations (and see if the 4th wall will let him know about this village or how non-traditional this ceremony is)

If ceremony it is, it is quite untraditional, as she knocks the water ladle twice against the table before scooping hot water onto the leaves with motions that are steady rather than graceful. She doesn't even set the ladle down as she lifts the pot left-handed, gives it a swirl, and leans far forward to tip it out with a swirling motion over the earth the tree is growing in. Leaves rinsed and awakened, she pours another steaming scoop over them, lids the pot, and leaves it a moment to steep.

Also, she converses as the tea steeps. "Was the centerpiece also created by you? Obvious why it's not for shipment. I confess, I wasn't certain of the reading of compassion within the piece, being less familiar with martial symbolism. A cautionary sort of thing, perhaps?"

"Oh no, that centerpiece actually was (pauses to figure out the right words) requisitioned for the betterment of all those involved. I figured the piece would have spoken too loudly if I went for the more obvious piece. The message was indeed a cautionary tale, you see the thing that ultimately led to (another pause for wording) the story's conclusion is he clearly wasn't who he was pretending to be, and that is because to do the exact opposite of compassion gave away his game to any who paid attention."

Sriyani thinks of the tales she's had of the Lion's treatment of some peasants, and occasionally her own clan and wonders how cruel one would need to be before anyone claimed they were not a samurai. But...that was the point of stories, casting harsher light than sometimes existed in reality, so she nods as she picks up the pot to pour the Jade Song Oolong into three cups, steam carrying the green and floral scent of it into the small space around them.

There is no great ceremony to it as she pushes one cup toward the Kaiu. Then one is taken up in two hands, and lifted toward the tree with a murmured prayer, before being poured out as a slightly nicer way to water the roots. The cup is set down before she takes up her own and inhales the steam, eyes half-lidded.

"The Scorpion seemed inclined toward unconventional takes too. One needs to stand out to be noticed here. I may need to rethink some of my presentations to that end." She sips her tea. "Is there a day of presentations you particularly look forward to seeing?"

"You flatter me, the only reason my take seems unconventional is because everyone was expecting for contestants to work diligently on a single piece which would exemplify their hard work and craft. I had to subvert those expectations to honor all of my duties: build enough tools to satisfy an order for the Emperor's Blessing, represent the Crab in the prestigious new tournament, and truly honor the meaning of the challenge." He takes a gulp of the tea while thinking about the virtues, "However, I believe that makes the most interesting virtue for me to depict shall be honor. No spoilers though." He takes a moment to look over her day to day outfit, attempting to gauge which work she is most proud of.

She sips her own tea, with a small clatter of bracelets. Most are simple bands or chains with a collection of dangling charms made of cast metal, carved stone, or glass. One is wider, or polished wood, inlaid with an elaborate scene of riders and landscape wrought in inlaid metal, stone and glass.The sort of piece one makes to show off multiple techniques and overall artistry when attempting to prove their grasp of them.

"It's good the Crab have representation here. Be interesting to see how it all plays out." She nods at his answer to her question. "Ah no...not intending to learn specifics ahead of time! Honor does seem like it will be difficult, the most abstract of the concepts."

"It is nice to see such a variety of works all in one place. There is only so much one man can do alone, and a change in point of view can really help come up with answers to the really tough questions." He takes a pause to add a bit of tension to the next statement, "of course it's such a shame then that some works are looked down upon simply because they would make someone look bad."

There's a small frown at that, smoothed away with a sip of tea. "Why? It isn't as if art springs out of nowhere. It requires the artist's intent. If a piece paints an insulting picture of someone, it will be treated much as a spoken insult would be...reason for a challenge if prominent enough and treated with scorn and forgotten otherwise."

"Though I agree that it'sinspiring to see so many forms and styles in one place."

(OOC totally didn't mean for it to come out that way, sorry for taking so long to respond, RL no Oni)

"I did not mean for what I said to come out this way, just merely that most people don't want to hear what happens to our south or our far north. However, I am well aware that sometimes these things are important to hear." He takes a big gulp to reconstitute. "I cannot help but to wonder if there were times when one has an idea that would save lives, but was never shared for fear of breaking tradition. However, such talk is not appropriate for a place such as this."

She nods, tapping her cup, charms jingling a faint echo. "Hmm, there's something to that. Spectacles are so useful, but can't gain wide acceptance because they're seen as gaijin. Need a few fashionable courtiers to make them popular, maybe. Though I think we avoid speaking of some things to the south to avoid the spiritual contagion or the notice of certain spirits." She reaches for her scroll. "Such things are not proof against them, of course. But people take what precautions and luck they can."

Unrolling the heavy paper, she adds. "Speaking of spiritual matters, I beg a moment's indulgence If you don't mind. I've a question to ask of whatever spirit might reside in the tree."

"I do not fault those who avoid speaking about the specifics from the South, just as I assume you would find none in my not asking you about the same in the north. However, I am not one of those who fear learning new information, and for that I'll give you all the time you need to ask these spirits." With that he politely leaves the table and quietly finds a corner to casually speak to the proprietor about details of the place.

D2, LE Patronize a tea room, Commerce/Intelligence, Void Point, 2 raises, TN 25 | 6k5 ⇒ 32 (TN: 25)
Spent 1 koku, Passed Commerce roll with 2 raises, +6 points for Opening Blossom in total.

After taking care of the boring stuff, he comes back to the table and eagerly, let politely asks about what the Shugenja finds.

Water is ladled out to steep another pot as she readies her scroll, then poured again as an offering (before topping up the other cups). The words for entreating the attention of the earth spirits come easily by now as she asks the well-loved tree to reveal a spirit she's sure must reside there by now.

D2 Commune with ye olde cherry tree. Earth affinity. VP for +1k1. 2 raises for clarity | 7k4 ⇒ 46 (TN: 20) Roll made prior to day flip.

And, notes in PF.

Horiuchi Sriyani wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 15, 2022 4:45 am

Water is ladled out to steep another pot as she readies her scroll, then poured again as an offering (before topping up the other cups). The words for entreating the attention of the earth spirits come easily by now as she asks the well-loved tree to reveal a spirit she's sure must reside there by now.

D2 Commune with ye olde cherry tree. Earth affinity. VP for +1k1. 2 raises for clarity | 7k4 ⇒ 46 (TN: 20) Roll made prior to day flip.

And, notes in PF.

The tea disappears quicker than it should as the shugenja entreats the spirit of the tree. Before long the Unicorn could see the spirit of the tree. She looked like a young woman, with long pink hair, pink eyes, and smelling of tea and cherries.

She spoke with a voice that sounded like the wind rustling the leaves as she yawned.

"Ahhh. Good Morning." she offered as she rubbed the sleepy slowly from her eyes.

"Good evening for, us as Lady Sun slumbers, my apologies if I woke you up too early. I am Horiuchi Sriyani," she offers a bow hands pressed together before her foreheadin a somewhat odd gesture of respect. "Do you...have a name I might call you as we speak?" She carefully offers no forms of address to lean on. Proper names were important.

Horiuchi Sriyani wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 15, 2022 5:18 am

"Good evening for, us as Lady Sun slumbers, my apologies if I woke you up too early. I am Horiuchi Sriyani," she offers a bow hands pressed together before her foreheadin a somewhat odd gesture of respect. "Do you...have a name I might call you as we speak?" She carefully offers no forms of address to lean on. Proper names were important.

The spirit nodded.

"I am known as Mikkaminumanosakurako. Thank you for your offering." the spirit replied.