It was a usual sort of night at the Golden Frog. Music was playing, a cover band of a definitely older song. To tell the truth, Rei wasn't paying much attention to it. The band was good, but not great, as so many of the bands that played there were. You had to be lucky to catch one of the really exceptional artists that played there.

How's that worked out for you?

Rei pushed the thought away with a sip from his drink. Barley shochu, two ice cubes, condensation running down the glass. He was sitting at a table next to the window, one of several, his chair angled so that he could see the room and the city below at the same time. He was still dressed in his modern office clothes for the day, expensive enough to not show any wrinkling.

Idly, he swirled the ice in his drink, light reflecting off of the cubes onto his features, handsome but just a bit tired.

From his advantageous seating, the Hare would spot the Spider first as she walked in, cutting a tall, dark, and striking figure. Those heels did make her even taller than she already was.

Yesterday's traditional yukata had been exchanged for a sleek black attire with gold embellishments that almost were in the style of an old Spider parade-uniform and a pair of thigh-high high-heeled boots. Instead of a proper mask like she had worn yesterday, today she wore a sheer veil covering the lower half of her face.

Yakumo paused as she came in, taking in the sounds of the music being played, and then... shook her head. Focusing away from the band, she scanned the area until she spotted the familiar face. Along the way to his table, she ordered her drink, and let the poor server have the job of tracking her down (which wouldn't be that hard) as she kept on walking towards Rei.

"I see you got here first, with good time too," she remarked with a smirk as she came up closer, reaching out with a gloved hand to turn the free chair slightly before sitting down in it.

Indeed, even with his mind wandering, Rei spotted Yakumo when she was still some distance away. She was, after all, quite hard to miss. He smiled, raising his glass to her as he rose to his feet, only to be seated once again as she was. "I had my clan's reputation to maintain." He said, matching her smirk. "Hare are fast."

He set the drink down on the table between them, brushing his fingers off on a provided napkin, before turning his seat inward a little bit. A better view of the city, a little more private of a conversation. Outside, the sun was well down, but the lights of the city were still bright. From their high vantage point, traffic below could be seen moving steadily along, while even taller skyscrapers loomed in the distance. "Besides, I wanted to make sure to get this table."

Turning back to look at Yakumo, Rei smiled. "That's a lovely outfit. The veil's a nice touch. Still doing as the Scorpion do, eh?" His pale brown eyes flickered down and then back up, taking in the view without lingering.

"Oh? A favorite of yours?" she asked with a smirk, gloved hand resting on her covered thigh as she sat with one leg crossed over the other.

Her expression could still be seen behind the veil, even if it was somewhat obscured, but Rei could see her smile. "And thank you. Yes, I think it's kind of fashionable, no? Surely you have worn some masks too while here on the planet, right?"

A server approached the table and offered Yakumo the drink she had ordered, a Swooping Dragon as it was known here at Golden Frog, before silently leaving after a bow.

Rei's gaze followed Yakumo's motion, first her hand, then the crossing of her legs. His own legs were crossed in the more masculine fashion, ankle of one leg resting on the knee of the other. "Yeah." He said, eyes coming back up with a smile. "When I'm here by myself, if the band is just okay..." lips twisting, he nodded over towards the stage, "-looking out the window gives me something to do besides drink. It's an atmosphere thing, I guess."

Slowly, he nodded. "Fashionable, yes. I've seen Scorpion women wear similar, and they study to stay on top of fashion trends. If for slightly different reason than the Crane do." He frowned a moment, toying with the stirrer in his drink. "I've worn a mask on occasion. Not often. I've got one." He chuckled softly. "I'll show you sometime, although it's not much to see. One of the simple black ones, a bit see-through."

When her drink arrived, Rei picked up his own. "So how are you finding things? The planet, the people..." He waved his free hand vaguely.

"Hey, I study fashion trends too," she pretended to be offended for a second or so before taking a sip of her drink, skillfully moving the veil aside to accomodate for the glass, as if she had worn veils and masks even before coming to the World of Dreams.

Taking in a breath as she swallowed, Yakumo looked around to see the appealing qualities to this particular table that Rei spoke of. "You could show me sometime yes. The mask, I mean. As for the planet... there is a lot to take in. I've seen a few different worlds during my tour, but this one is quite unique in how metropolitan it is. It feels almost a bit overwhelming, yet exciting?"

Rei looked at her over the rim of his glass. "I'd have been shocked to hear otherwise." He said, raising one hand as though warding of her wrath. He took a sip of his own, holding onto the glass, rattling the ice in it a little.

From where they sat, this table had the best view of the city below, being positioned right in the middle of the largest pane of glass. The two other tables, on either side of theirs, overlapped the wall a bit; there was a good amount of space between tables, a sign of the establishment's opulence. The acoustics were good too, Yakumo could tell, a fact that Rei was largely unaware of.

That made Rei flash her a quick grin. "Yeah. That's World of Dreams, alright. The Scorpion like it that way, gives them an edge, I think." Ruefully, he shook his head. "I've been here a few years now, and I'm still off-balance most of the time." He looked out over the city. "I feel like if I keep on watching, I'll get used to it, but I don't even know if you can."

Instead of wrath, Yakumo rewarded him with a dangerously alluring grin behind her veil, and then raised glass as she took another sip of her glass.

Despite the less than impressive music, the accoustics in the place were pleasing. A possible candidate perhaps, for an intimate concert. Though this time she didn't have faithful Yu to run her errands and make it all happen. Damnit.

"But is it something you want to get used to, is the question, no? This world have you roped in for a while, I assume, if you're working with the embassy here?"

Well. Rei tilted his head, smirking back at her, regarding the gorgeous popstar with interest. He took a deep breath, broad chest rising and falling noticeably, before taking another stiff drink.

"Hmmm." A good question, actually. Frowning thoughtfully now, Rei set down his glass. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at Yakumo with new interest. "Very astute, Susumu-san." Rei said, nodding acknowledgement of her point. "You're quite right. I think I do like it here."

He shifted, uncrossing his legs, to lean a little closer, and pitch his voice a little lower. "There's a rush, living here. It's hard to describe it... like the first sip of a drink, or a kiss..." Another frown flickered across his handsome features. "Like you described, it's overwhelming. But I like it. And so I stay, even..." he hesitated a moment. Even if it's a bad place. "-even if I could get stationed elsewhere." He adjusted, fairly smoothly.

Yakumo's gloved index finger tapped idly against the glass in her hand as she listened to Rei. Listened to his story, so to speak, and observing him. If she was going to look for inspiration on this world of supposed dreams, she needed to connect with those who were here, find their voices...

"I think I understand somewhat. Seeking the rush, that is. Mine is not nescessarily the same as yours, of course, but like stepping out on the stage? That's a rush for me. When the lights hit you - you can barely see a thing, but your senses are just overwhelmed with the presence of the audience... the music... the air." She leaned her head slighty to the side, stretching the delicate muscles there as she inhaled a wistful sigh.

Rei smiled, just a little, watching her. He was silent for a few moments, his pale brown eyes holding... something.

"You make it sound quite... intoxicating." He said, punctuating the comment with a sip of his drink. Setting it down, he shook his head. "You're right that my rush is different. I'm not really a performer." He glanced away a moment, then looked back.

One finger tapped on the rim of his glass. "It could happen, you know. If you wanted to perform here. I don't think Susumu Yakumo would have any trouble securing a spot on stage." Pale eyes narrowed, studying her reaction.

"Oh, probably not," she agreed, her grin somewhat smug. "But you're right... it can be intoxicating. Like living on this world seems to be for you."

Violet eyes studied him now with curiosity. "Is it the dangers? The nightlife? Political intrigue, with cloaks and daggers...?"

"Well then. Maybe we should see if we can make that happen." Rei smirked, amused by the smugness in her grin.

"Yes." He said, his smirk turning wry, as he gave all her answers an affirmative. "All of the above. Sure, there are other places where you can, say, verbally spar with a hostile agent by day, and then..." he tilted his head, giving her a look, "-have a drink with a gorgeous pop star by night. But there's something about this particular mix that I find I quite enjoy. Even if it's bad for me."

He took another sip of his drink. "You look like someone who sacrifices for her art." It was sort of a question, sort of not. "I don't mean to presume, but maybe it's a bit like that."

"Hmmm," Yakumo mused, her smile pulling up a bit more to the right as she was thinking of how that sounded like something out of a spy-drama. Or those detective shows. Maybe Rei was a spy of sorts too... "as humans, we can't hep but to be drawn to that which is bad for us. Desire, Fear, Regret; the great sins, yet I think they are alive and well on this world. With a name like World of Dreams, it almost seems like Desire is neatly packaged behind a veneer of respectability here."

Not that other worlds weren't without their vices, but this one seemed to really be steeped into desire. You could almost feel it in the atmosphere.

His sort-of-question did pique her interest. "Don't all real artists sacrifice for their art?" she retorted with a wryness to her tone, swirling around the contents of her glass before bringing it to her lips behind the veil. "But... do tell me, what do you have in mind to make something like that happen? Do you moonlight as a music manager?"

Rei chuckled. "All too true. The World of Dreams deals in all of those, but Desire most of all. Although it seems to me that they're all too often a package deal." He took a slow drink. "Nevertheless, if there was something you Desired... well, this is a fine place to try and find it." His glass hid his expression, the condensation obscuring the glass where the alcohol did not.

He lowered the glass again, his charming smile visible once again. "It's not something I've done before." Rei gave an almost lazy shrug, broad shoulders rising and falling slowly. "But if it were something you were interested in, it might be something I would be interested in, too. And could help with."

His eyes closed a moment, then opened. "But again, only if you're interested."

Eyes narrowed with mirth as she fixed him with her smile. "I might be interested."

They were still talking about a gig, right? It almost sounded like it could be something else she was interested in.

"It could be useful to have someone who knows the city better, after all. But I'll have to check out any potential venue personally, to see if they meet my standards. And who knows, it could be the start of a good partnership?" Yakumo tipped her glass slightly in his direction, as if making a toast.

Rei tilted his head forward, the dim light casting flickering shadows over his handsome features. He raised his glass as well. "In that case, to partnership, and exploring the possibilities therein." He might very well have been talking about something else, too.

A new singer took the stage. A Scorpion samurai, by the looks of her, in her low twenties. She began to sing, an entirely different sort of style from the heimin band who'd just played. Rei gave the stage a sudden sharp look.

After a moment, he took a breath, his casual manner returning, and refocused on Yakumo, smiling again. "I'll look into it. See if I can arrange something with the owner. Arrange a meeting. Talk to a magistrate I know." He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "May I ask where you're staying? At the Embassy? I imagine my friend Susumu Yuji has arranged something for you."

The new singer caught Yakumo's attention much more than the previous group, who she had mostly tuned out after her arrival. Placing down her glass, she gave the singer her full attention, arms crossing lazily over her chest with one hand up against her chin.

She closed her eyes for a moment as Rei spoke, then looked back to him. "Magistrate? Goodness that sounds a bit much." Her chuckle was soft and breathy. "I'll be staying in one of the suites at the Blooming Nightshades hotel while I'm on planet. The embassy is... fine, for those living a minimalistic lifestyle. I just wouldn't be able to find much inspiration there." There also wouldn't be room for half her luggage. And no privacy.

"Didn't know you were a friend of Yuji-sama though... interesting."

For a few moments, Rei studied Yakumo as she studied the singer. "She's much better, isn't she?" Rei murmured. There was something just a little strange in his manner, a slight tension around his fine jawline...

But only for a moment. Rei shrugged, his manner easy once more. "Extra security seems like it might be a good idea. Just in case." He leaned forward just a little, smiling at her chuckle. "The Blooming Nightshade. I hear it's the best. Very impressive." He raised his glass to her again before taking a sip.

Tilting his head, Rei looked at her. "Yes. I met him not long after I was assigned here. Ummm..." Rei frowned a moment. He attended my wedding... "We've been friends since not long after that." His eyebrows went up. "Is that interesting?"

"Yes," she agreed easily, still looking at the singer, "yes she is," and her focus turned back to Rei.

"Hmm..." Yakumo rolled her shoulder slightly, "yes, you're right. And I'll be looking into other performers, to open up, and provide intermission. Make it a proper show. Not that I think the Scorpion will let anything untoward happen, but I believe you're right in that security must be considered."

Rei's questioned elicited a giggle. "Just didn't expect a Minor Clan samurai to have friends with the Spider, or multiple ones." She smirked and placed her glass down on the table, still some left in it. "Spider don't tend to make many friends in general."