Sapphire Ambassadors

Choudai could be said to be checking up on his investment.

He had entered, ordered a few snacks, gotten an order of that excellent cinnamon tea, and waited.

The Crazy Hare had a been a wholly-owned hellhole, an absolute crapheap of an eatery he had personally turned around and made a going concern before his cover had been blown and he'd been forced to unload it.

The Sunset Leaves Tea Room was a different matter. He could be an open patron, under his real name, which had considerable advantages.

Such as being able to canvas for partners.

Speaking of whom...

One such potential partner arrived at the teahouse, removing her shoes and approaching to bow. "Bayushi-san," she said, addressing him with perfect public politeness. "May I join you this morning?"

He rose and bowed formally.

"Shosuro-san, it would be my pleasure. Have you had rice today? If not, I believe this fine establishment can take care of that..."

He wanted to hand her the letter right out, but...

But they had to play the damn game, such as it was.

"I have not yet. I've been looking forward to sampling the cuisine of this establishment, anyway," she replied with a small smile before settling herself down once the bows were finished. "Have you had rice today, Bayushi-san?" She asked. The words were polite, but she did meet his eyes quite directly - the question of his well being from her was always sincere.

Being the sort of person who was very aware of fashion, she was highly attuned to the seasons... which meant seasonal food. She ordered a small meal of rice, miso soup, and a bit of grilled fish. Specifically, bamboo shoot rice, miso soup with asari clams, and seabream.

She is so painfully perfect.

"Inari-no-kami has been most forthcoming, even if I spent much of my morning dealing with correspondence- you know how it is, letters from home, letters from my brother's gardener, letters from my various pen-pals... and then I had to write some, after my little transaction last night."

"Oh? Was there anything of interest?" She asked as she waited for the food to arrive, tea coming for both of them first.

"Oh, mostly business as usual. My brother Ogoe sent me an interesting poem, though... and I don't think he'd mind if I shared it."

He pulled a small folded piece of paper from his obi and offered it casually.

"Reading it aloud would probably be a bit coarse, but I think Shosuro-san will find it a bit interesting."

She accepted the paper with only the very slightest bit of contact, opening it at taking a look.

"I see. Bayushi-san's brother excels in the art of instilling great meaning despite his poetry's brevity," she replied after a moment, setting it down on the table to pass it back. The shift in level of contact was not accidental.

"Yes, Ogoe-kun has always had a way with words."

He tucked the paper back into his obi.

"Not like poor Ozaki-kun... but then, Ozaki has always been the most physical of my siblings. Not the most graceful in social situations."

I honestly worry for her husband if something happens to me and Baby Brother finds out about it. That could be spectacularly messy.

"Anyway, you didn't come here to be bored senseless by my family's idiosyncracies. What do you think of this tea room? Last night we had other business as a distraction, but I honestly think it's worth paying attention to well beyond the end of the competition..."

"I see. I don't mind hearing about your family, Bayushi-san." I love hearing anything about your life. I want to get to know more of you.

As if on cue, the food arrived. Hatsuki took a moment to sample a little bit of each dish before answering. It would hardly be fair to the teahouse to judge it on less than all of its qualities.

"The food is skillfully made, and the tea is quite good. They know how to choose a blend to complement a meal if someone is eating, or one more robust that can stand on its own if you ask. The decor is subtle, but comfortable," she assessed thoughtfully. "It may well do to pay attention to this establishment. I take it Bayushi-san has plans to continue his interest in it?"

"Oh, very much so. It has what I most value in a tea house. I think the only critiques it can honestly suffer are on aesthetic grounds, since it's more businesslike than some of the others."

Sip.

"If only I knew anyone with a flair for aesthetic design."

"Someone who could, perhaps, collaborate on that aspect," she suggested politely. "I might know someone. I recall another establishment that was quite improved by such efforts, so surely that would be a worthwhile endeavor."

"Indeed it would."

He chuckled.

"Not that I would presume to stampede all over the proprietor in an area where they clearly excel, but I was also thinking of suggesting a few recipes. Just little things."

"Of course, clearly not," she agreed. "I will have to do a bit of studying, I think, before I can fully appreciate the intricacies that come with tea houses as establishments. I hope I can find someone with the proper background to help."

Not with anything as icky as commerce, of course. Just... understanding tea houses to properly patronize them. Obviously.

It was a blatant excuse, but a proper one. Nothing any shinobi sensei could get upset with without causing problems.

"I may know a fellow. Knows a thing or two about sourcing quality ingredients and sparing the burdens or worrying about their availability."

Because damned if he wasn't going to make USE of all of the financial training he'd gotten for his role in the war.

"That sounds absolutely perfect for my needs if he is willing to offer his aid," she agreed with a small smile under her mask and over her chopsticks right before she took a bite.

"But enough business talk... let us simply enjoy the meal."

Switching to Fully Proper. For now.

"Does Shosuro-san have any presentations she is particularly looking forward to during the competition? I'll admit, I met a young Lion who undersells her ability as a painter. I'm very curious to see if her concerns are well-founded."

She took a small bite, finishing it before she answered. "I am curious about the unusual approaches that might be on display," she said after a moment of thought. That covered the two whose art she actually cared about. The rest were just rivals as far as she was concerned.

"Based upon those I've met, I suspect there will be ample material for such observations."

He poured more tea, inhaled the aroma, and looked around.

Just two friends at a tea house.

"If nothing else, plenty of shirtless monks seem quite likely to be on display."

She hid a snort at the comment about monks behind her fan. "So it seems. I feel like you haven't been too much for interacting with monks."