Leslie
Shinjo Sumire was making some final preparations setting up a potential meeting office for an outstanding discussion among allies. One with a presence in divination.

At sandy waters.. Burned to ice.. As a crescent moon, light is.. Moved.

That divination had been the start of a completely new alliance project between the Mantis and Unicorn, at the involvement of both ambassadors. From the letters of consideration discussing the matter, several courtiers were chosen to partake in a meeting to further the project between both clans.

It was going to be interesting, because she actually knew neither of the courtiers involved specifically. Shinjo Kiyoko [

The meeting would be right away, so she'd made arrangements for tea, a simple traditional green tea. It, like the other courtiers for this meeting, should then arrive around the same time. That way, the tea would be at its freshest. She herself waited in her seat patiently for when such arrivals would occur.
Shena
The day was in full swing. The weather was comfortable. Birds were singing. 

No Clans were more experienced with the nuances of the wider world than the Unicorn and Mantis. It would not behoove Yoritomo Sadao to be late, so... He was politely early.

Dressed in clothes more for comfort than a peacocking display, Sadao trusted in the more casual attitudes of the Unicorn hosts as to recognize he respected their ways, and wasn't just dressed to be comfy. 

However, his kimono was of *Excellent* Quality silk. A simple teal and green, with gold hems. Just lighter, therefore more relaxed. 

He stopped just inside of the office to remove his sandals, bowing before announcing himself. Then without a peep he found a spot to sit.
Melinda
This was to be her first meeting involving more than just her fellow clan members, so Kiyoko was intent on setting a good first impression. She knew what it meant for future negotiations when those involved were on established terms. 

The soft clack of her cane announced her arrival. She was dressed in a simple kimono of white and lavender, her clan Mon on display. Her long black hair was bound up with a tasteful kanzashi of cherry blossom. Kiyoko learned long ago tasteful did not have to mean uncomfortable. 

Looking around the room, the Unicorn was surprised to see she was not the first to arrive. She bowed in greeting. 

"Forgive my lateness. It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I am Shinjo Kiyoko. Please regard me kindly."

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Leslie
Considering the Myna which fluttered around the embassy grounds here, birdsong was more than just common, it was quite the familiar. Being of a musical talent herself, she felt this was still better than the silence without. The only factor was that such birds did more than sing, so she took a moment to make sure that none of them were actually paying attention. That was something she'd discovered was also important, an implied duty. Fortunately, any such myna were singing at a reasonable distance, there was nothing to be concerned about.

She bowed as each of the meeting's other contributors arrived, especially in regards to the Mantis guest. "It is a pleasure to finally get to collaborate with each of you for this alliance project. My name is Shinjo Sumire, whom you may have heard is otherwise involved in the.. Shall we call it the origins of this given project. Please take the opportunity to settle in, we're expecting the tea to arrive shortly." She then went back to her own seat, catching a signal outside behind the arriving unicorn that the tea was indeed on its way now, and would arrive shortly. Clearly, efforts to ensure tea was not too early.

As with any other Shinjo, she saw Kiyoko as if a sister. It was then something of coincidence that the matter of discussion today was something of a family offering left to her care. Something the Mantis Ambassador had learned about, and why this other Mantis was present. Said Mantis however seemed either shy or quiet, not even introducing themself to the table. Possibly reflecting upon displays more common to Mantis tables, a perspective she recalled being taught about earlier. She thus considered the silence to be a modest form of respectful reservation, to simply watch so as to avoid incorrect assumptions. She could respect someone who planned like that.

In her own planned preparation, she pulled out the sealed wooden case that had started everything, and set it on the table as the others settled in.
Wallace
"*Kuso*! The things I do for bu..."

It might have been unbecoming for such words to leave the mouth of a prim and proper young lady, such as Atsuko found herself dressed, but it was befitting speech for the irate woman beneath the silks. The task she found herself assigned to was not one particularly new to her, of course. Her time with the Unicorn had often seen her serving more as an adjunct to Ide Kenza and his commercial enterprises than a simple *Head of security*. Whether it was delivering important missives, or meeting with merchants to ensure deals were struck on time and within budget, she took most all of them in stride. She had even met with proper samurai on her benefactor's behalf—a sure sign of the faith he had in her abilities.

A meeting with samurai on a sensitive matter such as commerce was already enough of a trial. A meeting with samurai on a sensitive matter such as commerce that she was *Late* To? It was beyond nerve-wracking. But news of her expected arrival had come late, and her steed could only carry her so quickly to the Ide residence from the bazaar. Without messing up her carefully groomed hair and lovely lilac kimono, at least.

By the time she had ascertained just where in the mansion's labyrinthine complex the meeting was to be held, all the more precious time had elapsed. And in her hurry to reach the meeting before it began in earnest, she nearly ran down a serving boy, a tray of tea in hand.

"A-Apologies, samurai-sama, I was..."

"Don't worry about it, just get out... Actually, hold on a minute."

An idea played through the diminutive ronin's mind as she looked down the hall the two shared. It wasn't a stretch to imagine the refreshments that nearly ended up on the floor of the manse were intended for the very meeting she had so swiftly made way for. If that were the case...

"This is the tea for the Mantis representative, is it not? Give it here."

The boy paled somewhat, holding the tray as steady as he could.

"A-Ah, well, that is truly not necessary, samurai-sama. You need not serve yourself—"

"It wasn't a request."

The challenging quirk of a brow from such a small woman was not something most would cower from. But there were certain advantages afforded to those who wore a proud daishō at their hip over those who did not. The servant was quick enough to acquiesce to her demand without much more in the way of protest. And with the tea held in hand, Atsuko made haste toward her destination while the heimin lad made his escape.

Her steps brought her to the still-open door of the meeting room. And without missing a beat, she bowed her head in greeting, the tray of refreshments still before her.

"Apologies for my lateness, samurai-sama. There was a delay with the refreshments. I am Atsuko, retainer to Ide Kenza. My benefactor offers his sincerest apologies that he is unable to attend in person. In his stead, he sends me," Straightening from her bow, her eye danced across the faces present; two familiar to her, and one a mystery, "Shall we share tea?"

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Leslie
This was not what she'd expected in the arrival of the tea, but it wasn't as if she had reason to question the individual who had showed up. They were indeed a familiar face. Their arrival served to finish the assembly of the group, too, as the tea was the last thing still missing.

She made sure to acknowledge the retainer's arrival briefly as she otherwise continued with getting the meeting started. "Yes, everyone should feel free to partake in tea. While you do so, we should ensure this meeting progresses as scheduled. It was not long ago when I had been invited to tea in much the same way at the Mantis Embassy to conversation with their Ambassador. There, a topic of significance arose among wills of the fortune, in the form of Divination. 'At sandy waters.. Burned to ice.. As a crescent moon, light is.. Moved.' With deliberation to circumstances at the time, we discovered that it was in relation to this."

She finally, but with a measure of reluctance, unsealed the wooden case before her and pulled out its contents, a pair of glasses. "This tool is capable of being rendered in improving one's vision when used, something which my family has left in my care.. For my own usage as the need might be sufficient. The unfortunate part about it is that, while that is a useful tool, its designs are not Rokugani. That serves sufficiently for hesitation in its usage, but the Mantis Ambassador is of the belief that anything useful can simply be.. Taken. To render the same usefulness by taking the design and making it Rokugani, for all our use. That however would be a process with its own challenges."

She put the glasses back into the case. "The first part of the divination mentioned seems to relate to the first steps of its design. To take sand and burn it to ice. This is something the burning sands is apparently already known to do, though it may not be the reasons for its name. This yields glass, somehow. The rest is where it becomes a bit more obscure."
Shena
The Mantis had taken the arrivals, on time or late, in pleasant stride. The only thing he had to wait for was tea and business, so in the meantime he got to *Observe.* Of particular note was this ronin, perhaps clearly having recently arrived and potentially smelling of horse, even while it was her that served the tea.

Ever patient, Sadao dared show a tiny hint of a smile, a toe-in-the-water breach to show he was forgiving of such lateness... *Amongst his hosts.* Under other circumstances it would be enough to make a Doji hide behind their fan. Sadao just gave his little smile. 

When the wooden case was shown, and the glasses revealed, Sadao's adaptable demeanor had shifted. It was almost paternally reassuring.

"Forgive this one," He said politely. "For isn't glass and it's uses a Rokugani invention? The Burning Sands may have provided the material, but even the Agasha make use of glass. These are *Clearly* Rokugani," He emphasized. 

Don't tell people these are foreign. Most peasants can't even read. Admitting that these were foreign was an admission to a crime that nobody was investigating. 

"This one admires the mystery of divination. The suggestion is a wise one. This... Prototype, can be improved for greater use. But..." Here's where his expertise fell short.

"What are they for?"
Melinda
Taking a sip of the tea, Kiyoko listened with attention at what her fellow Shinjo revealed. She'd heard rumors of glass, but had not had the chance as of yet to study it in any capacity. 

*Fascinating. Something to aid eyesight?* The Unicorn was intrigued.

She stood and moved to the desk. She peered closer, though did not touch. "Shinjo-san, may I take a closer look?"

She waited for the affirmative and accepted the case. Kiyoko was not about to reach across one's desk and simply snatch an item to examine.

Pulling the glasses from the case with delicate care, Kiyoko turned so both Shinjo and Yoritomo could observe. Without placing them on her face, she brought the glasses up to eye height and peered through them. She gazed around the room before returning the item to its case and placed back in Sumire's hands.

"It seems they are to be worn to help with those who have *Diminished* Eyesight. They did not help mine. Though I am curious how they were made. They seem rather delicate." She stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts. "I hesitate to say, but since we do not necessarily know the origin of where these came from, can we be certain that they are not of Rokugani make? Could they have been conceived and created by someone in the Empire with knowledge on glass-making?"

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Wallace
While the meeting commenced in earnest, Atsuko went about the task of carefully pouring tea for each in attendance. She was no highborn lady, but the etiquette lessons she had been made to suffer at the hands of the Suio had ensured even a lowly wanderer like herself could dispatch the duty of a proper tea ceremony. And if she could follow all the inanities of a tea ceremony, politely providing refreshments to samurai was a trifling matter. Even if she wasn't *Thrilled* By the idea of being a glorified servant. Such was the cost of tardiness. 

Her ego was soothed somewhat by the topic at hand, which she listened to carefully while seeing that everyone had a cup to drink from. By the time she had poured herself a refreshment and settled down at the table, they were well into discussing a subject she knew well enough from her time at the bazaar—glassware. There was a certain artisanal beauty to the pieces that came through the Unicorn's markets, and for the particularly enterprising, a great deal of utility. But it was not their beauty that interested Atsuko. It was the margin of profit to be had.

Glass, by its relative scarcity in the Empire, was a sought-after commodity. The risks inherent to bringing it into the Empire from external production sites like al-Zawira drove the prices high, and it was the way of a savvy merchant to pass those costs along to the customer. She had made more than her fair share of coin off glass, and if she was hearing things properly, well, maybe there'd be all the more to make if the Ide could produce it domestically and cut out the middle man in the Burning Sands.

But there were obstacles. Always obstacles. She had scarcely seen the man before, but the Mantis' delegate seemed canny enough. A careful rope to walk with the importing of exotic goods was the inherent stain that came with their origin. Samurai did not associate with *Gaijin* Paraphernalia. At least, not openly. In truth, the wealthy and powerful were always in search of new novelties to spend their resources on. That the Ide found themselves to be one of the, if not *The*, most powerful commercial force in the Empire proved that much. But it would not do to admit that such profits were driven by objects made by foreigners. Plausible deniability, as in so many things in Rokugan, was key to maintaining.

"I cannot say I have ever personally dealt with these, samurai-sama," Atsuko interjected as boldly as she could, "But the principle is not dissimilar from a commodity I have seen brought to the bazaar."

The little ronin reached for the *Inro* Which hung from her sash and produced from within a small brass tube. A twist of her wrist and a gentle tug saw the tube expand slightly, and she laid it on the table between the four of them such that it could be appraised.

"They are popular among the bushi of the Unicorn clan, I am told. Mantis captains and Crab veterans also express a keen interest. I am no artisan, so the interworkings are somewhat nebulous to me, but I am told that by layering sheets of glass together within the tube, objects at a distance can be made to look much closer."

Whether the principles behind both curios were similar enough to replicate, she could not say. But that was not the point of her contribution. Rather, it was important to establish at once that there was a market for such things among not just the notoriously open-minded Unicorn clan, but other clans as well.

"One could make certain... Impolite suggestions that the Unicorn might rely on external sources to create such devices. Perhaps even the Mantis. But the Crab? They are pragmatists first and foremost, yes, but also among the most cost-conscious clans in the Empire. Anybody who has negotiated with a member of the Yasuki can attest to that. I do not believe the Crab would be willing to part with precious resources to import such things en masse. It stands to reason that Rokugani artisans must be responsible for the creation of many of these."

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Leslie
The Mantis reminded her of his ambassador, already of the belief that this was something which could be credited to Rokugan, taken because a need existed. Maybe that was itself the motivator, it was certainly a very different way of looking at it. Distinctively opposite of her teacher, in fact. However, there was still his closing question. He might know something about the substance, the frozen sand, but not its exact design. It was almost nostalgic for her to have a sister-figure who could look at it and quickly broach the significance of the design. Even so, there were apparently plenty of confusions that remained.

She made sure to put the glasses away carefully, they were indeed delicate. "Yes, I was provided access to these as a gift from my mother who attained them through special request. My teacher had since made it very clear that the details of such a request did involve beyond just Rokugan. From recent exploration, it seems this might be due to the quality of sand required, as well as securing how it is more than just frosty sand.. But actually capable of offering clarity to sight. The particular fabrication of glass makes it more than an exotic gem.. More of a distinct craft with its own secrets."

She could certainly appreciate the contribution the ronin brought, an item which did seem quite similar to her own. "Such a tool is already of great use, of questionable design, and.. It was said that it does have many layers, while these glasses seem to have but one." Not getting to use the tool, she didn't have the comparison that the spyglass was also capable of far more distance than her own glasses, but the compact factor of her glasses was still a keen point. "Exploring the method of its design is still an obstacle, as might be the material sources, but it is worth considering the Crab's perspective in all of this. Maybe it could form a relation to grasp at what yet remains missing to Rokugan."