Sapphire Ambassadors

(Expecting, but public location)

The Unicorn settles to a seat, shedding her haori to a hook by the door. After the other day, she had no intention of offering up another example of the Unicorn's oddities by asking if they had kumiss and instead asks for whatever house sake they serve warm on a cool evening. Her hair hangs in several braided loops strung with metal charms.

Having spent a great deal of time figuring out what happened last evening, confirming fine details of public safety, and general tournament business, Kaiu Kunio finds himself in a bar taking off all shirts except for an plain undershirt. A tired look in his eye, hair slightly singed from what one would assume to be forge work, and heavy steps await the Unicorn as he walks to the seat beside her and asks for a sake glass.

The sake brought over is warm and rather decent, as she's come to expect from things in this very well-designed Crane town. She offers Kunio something that's more nod than bow from the seat. "Busy day Kaiu-san?"

"Quite busy, something came up that delayed my work by hours. However, I've managed to catch right back up." He then downs the contents of the cup swiftly before gently slamming it back on the table and filling it back up, "good burn".

Sipping her own sake, she says, "good to catch up so readily. Even with most of the work done, I find these last minute ideas and details take more time than expected. I hope the interruption was nothing too serious."

"Thankfully not, but it was strange. For some reason I was a mile out of town with a bunch of coffee. Good thing my presentation today required no forge work. "

She blinks. "Coffee?" Unusually for most Rokugani, she doesn't mispronounce it...not that most Rokugani would notice that. "That vile drink from the other side of the Burning Sands? Why would you have a bunch of that?"

"I have no idea, I don't even remember anything from last night, but I woke up in a tent covered in the stuff." He takes another drink, more to justify talking about the stuff than anything.

She considers. "Haven't seen that Phoenix who was hawking it early on...I'd hate to throw suspicion on someone undeserving, but that's really the only one I've seen around with coffee. Had any contact with him lately?"

Now with enough alcohol to socially justify his actions, he takes a risk with his response. "I do not see reason to throw suspicions onto Asako-San, he simply wanted to speak about the qualities of a drink that is only controversial because it comes from outside Rokugan. If anyone would be at fault for the incident, it would be me for the lack of sense to not drink what might have been half a barrel of the stuff. Anyone would embarrass themselves if they drank that much of any substance, even one as uncontroversial as water. I may not remember that conversation, but I am certain he didn't anticipate these shenanigans. "

"hmm. So someone else I guess. But unlike sake, people don't go out and lose track of an evening from too much coffee. They just stink for days as it comes out of their pores." She sips her sake before topping up the cups. "There's traders who develop a taste for it. You can smell it at their fire though a whole camp." Shaking her head, she gestures to the server to bring some gyoza for snacking.

"Glad you managed your presentation, despite the interruption. Planning to talk to the magistrate and see if it's connected to anything else weird? Been hearing about ghosts or something at the Jinbaori."

"If I had a ghost following me, they would likely be more malicious than this. I have no idea what caused this, but it is of lesser priority than what I hear about a gaki attacking others." He takes some of the gyoza before moving on to the point about the coffee. "I doubt whatever merchants were in the area brought more than one barrel of coffee, best to not bring things you doubt would sell. I assume that makes it better to sell raw metals, artwork, and more useful trinkets like those 'specucles?'"

Sriyani nods. "There's a few as develop a taste for it, or hold their nose and take it like medicine for the energy it offers. So there's not a lot of trade in it, though it sells dear, rare and distant as it is."

"But a bit of unfashionable drink is definitely less worry than a hungry ghost. You've heard of attacks now?" Now that sounds rather serious. Should she importune a ward, or see if she has any bit of true jade in her collection.

"Spiritual attacks happen more often than one thinks, I gave my advice to the parties involved when prompted and they haven't raised any alarms yet. It's not from the south, the magistrates already know, and it would be incredibly rude to stick my nose in other people's business when it is not necessary." He takes a pause to ensure the information sinks in.

"However, there are ways to help without sticking your nose in other's people's business. For example, I am certain that there could be a bunch of jade that would be of much better use to the south than in the sands. We could also, oh I don't know build a road connecting our lands together if we convinced our lords there is enough value in it."

"Hmmm...doesn't mean I'm not going to bless my own room. Neighbors' business doesn't always stay just theirs, does it?" She plucks a gyoza up, delicately trying a small bit to see if it's still scalding hot. Her eyebrows lift. "Trust the Crane to season everything just so, even at the sake house." The dumpling doesn't last much longer than that.

At the mention of a road, she thinks a long moment. "That's a lot of road, and a lot of convincing when I think there's a lot of traffic down the River of Gold, no?" She shakes her head slightly. "In any case...well, I could offer introductions to a brother who's been riding guard on caravans the past few years. He's likely to have a better idea which lords'd be interested. I'm only a Unicorn till the autumn, and of the least powerful family. Even with this," she gestures broadly to indicate the competition, "I'm a very small voice in a rather large Clan."

"You're probably right about how it is far more cost efficient to have traffic move through the River of Gold, but it sure would be nice to find a way to conduct business without having to deal with a Scorpion middleman. Any word to your lords would be great, and I would be willing to do the same. I am sure we could find some way to personalize things from the Burning Sands enough to make them Rokugani while still keeping their functionality. But I am curious how much your new family would be interested in such talks."

She nods. "I can certainly pass that word along. Certainly some things already make their way into the Empire." A wry smile quirks her lips as she adds, "in fact, I think my new clan is one of those making the most use of spectacles, as librarians needn't worry quite as much about social disapproval when they're busy at their work." The sake cup is turned a bit, held up slightly in a manner that calls toasts to mind without quite being one. "I marry into the Phoenix, and thus will be about as far from both the Crab and the Unicorn as it possible to be while remaining in the Empire."

"Spectacles are just one thing though, and I happen to know one who is close to Phoenix lands whose family is interested in learning about the Burning Sands. A Tamori Nagi, although I doubt you've heard of her, but she is in a unique position to act as a half way house if you ever needed a place to keep a piece of gear if your new family does not approve for whatever reason. I don't wish to impose, but perhaps I could send her a bit of your work and send in a good word to her family for you. After all talent is the great equalizer, no?" He then holds up his cup as if to toast, but not quite, same as his drinking partner.

Sriyani pulls up a bit straighter, blinking. Well, there were stranger approaches to get a free bit of jewelry, and as free as others have been with their art, she supposes it's not entirely out of the question. "I've certainly got more pieces right now than usual, thanks to this competition, most without a recipient in mind right now. I doubt I'll need to hide things someplace so out of the way," *or at all* "but connections to more people is not a bad thing. What sort of syles does Tamori-sama currently wear?"

"Pardon me for thinking in terms of worst case scenario first, part of growing up in the south to make sure you are prepared just in case." He takes another drink to casually signal the end of that point before moving into the more pleasant part. "When she looks to acquire pieces of art, she looks for pieces that either call to mind places that she hasn't visited before, or that speak to the hard work the artist put into the piece, both if she could find one. Something like that wood bracelet I saw you wear when last we met?"