[Day 8 - Early Night] Bad Habits (Closed)

[Bayushi Mariko]

This close to Mariko as well, there was certainly a faint few flora notes from her scent. She didn't go too easy, considering the 'casual' but flirty nature of her outfit choice. She smiled at the arm that was placed around her and she had her head favouring his shoulder, yet not quite resting on it. This was comfortable and cozy, more so than a blanket on a cold day, she wasn't going to deny this. "Mistakes rarely do, especially in this city. Maybe catching me isn't so difficult...considering we just seem to run into each other thereafter but I suppose making the connection was something that just happened."

She took another gulp of her drink, especially seeing that would only encourage him to fill her with more of that exquisite liquor. Why did she need to be conservative here? "Paying attention, you mean? I think you've made that long ago. I'd almost recommend that you get a mask for your eyes at this point." She giggled before a small sigh.

[Usagi Rei]

"It's Winter Court." Rei said, shrugging just a little, the motion of his chest transfering to Mariko. "The same people at the same parties over and over again. But that random meeting in the liquor store was what started you and me off. Finally having that bottle I got..." He chuckled softly, taking his own drink. And then, seeing that she took a gulp of hers, he reached out, topping them both off again.

The comment made him laugh. "Yeah... but I wanted you to know you had my attention." His arm around her gave her a little playful squeeze. "I mean, I just wanted to make it clear I wasn't about to hop away."

"So..." Rei bit his lip, then went on. "What does come for you after Winter Court, anyway? I gather you had some sort of project you've been working on. After that...?" He wave his hand a little waggle, the ice in the glass shaking.

[Bayushi Mariko]

"Well..." she murmured at first before taking a sip from her glass to gather the thought, perhaps the courage. There was the recollection that Rei was married and this wasn't exactly a relationship that was happening because he was dishonest in the relationship. It was complicated, to say the least. "...I don't think you would, no. But life can be complicated, right?"

Her hand went down to her side where Rei's own was found and gave him a small pat. "...Well, to call it a project is a bit much. Far more of a daily job at this point that's not going away anytime soon. Again, I'm not exactly attached to the proceedings of Winter Court, more like pretty window dressing. Not that I want to be hanging out in meetings with other Scorpions going through their secret machinations. So...After Winter Court, it's life as usual."

She glanced up at him, her expression more genuinely curious. "Why do you ask?"

[Usagi Rei]

That got a chuckle out of him, both audible and tangible. "That's certainly true. Mine has been more than complicated enough. Both good and bad." His lips quirked as she described her duties. Pretty window dressing. That hardly seemed like a match for her talents, which he'd seen ample evidence of.

Courage suddenly failed Rei. He glanced away, taking a sip of his own drink. "Oh, well. I thought you might have something interesting coming up." No, no. That wasn't right; Rei's grimace showed his annoyance at himself.

Taking a deep breath, he looked back, meeting her gaze as she looked up at him. "In a bit less than three months, my marriage, such as it is, will be officially dissolved. I feel like I should be thinking about the future, a bit. Maybe have a bit more normal in my life."

[Bayushi Mariko]

Mariko chortled at herself on that note and shook her head. "I suppose I too might have thought that I had something interesting coming up but that's likely more my fault than that of my lord. Not to say I'm not doing anything interesting but I suppose nothing that would exactly be thrilling to mention, let's just leave it at that. Trust, it's much less thrilling than it sounds. I know you might think otherwise because I'm so naturally seductive and smouldering..."

She took a smaller sip from her shochu this time around and prevented an immediate pour avenue as she circled her finger around the rim of her glass in thought. "Aren't you living something of a normal life now, if you're sitting here and drinking with me? Don't tell me that you'll have to leave sometime soon or else you'll turn into a furry animal...or some household appliance."

[Usagi Rei]

Rei chuckled. "I admit, our second date set expectations for the sort of excitement you get up to. Perhaps for the next MCA office party I'll fake my death... although without quite such an intriguing ending." Reminded, Rei briefly nuzzled at her ear.

"I do. A blender." Rei said, deadpan. "Think of our time together when you use me to make mixed drinks." Smirking, he took another sip of his shochu, long and slow.

Lowering his glass, he looked back at her. "But you know what I mean. Straight talk, remember?" It was as much a reminder for himself as her. "I guess I'm saying..." his lips twisted as he struggled with finding the words, "-I want to see where this goes, or something? I don't know." He took another drink to cover his frustration with himself, his brow lightly creased.

[Bayushi Mariko]

"A blender?" She snorted a laugh at that as she nudged her elbow on his side slightly. "You know what? Not exactly the sort of appliance I thought you would be. I've considered you perhaps more of a minifridge, maybe. Or toaster."

"This?" She posed curiously as her expression turned serious. Her head turned slightly from her position to give him a glance. "Do you mean us? Together? What we're doing right now? I'll admit, I'm a bit curious to see where this goes too."

She would take another sip of her drink after that statement.

[Usagi Rei]

"Oh, a minifridge!" Rei groaned, laughing, briefly burying his face in her hair. "That would have been perfect. I brought you a chilled bottle of alcohol." He lifted his glass, taking a sip. "Okay, I'm changing my answer. Minifridge it is." He nodded seriously.

"I do mean us. Together. As a couple." Rei took another drink. "I guess if we're both curious, that's good. I wanted you to know where I stood. And I, where you stood."

He looked at her. "And not just tonight, right? Because I actually have some very clear thoughts about where tonight goes." His playful smile was clearly slightly buzzed, but no less charming for that.

[Bayushi Mariko]

Mariko let out a soft sigh at the question as she gave a small rattle of her glass, indicating that she was ready for another pour of drink if they were going to go on this topic of conversation. "Well...that depends on what you want, Rei. I didn't know if you wanted to just have some fun and have it by that, a distraction in the middle of winter court, or actually be a thing. Without you saying much on it, it's kind of hard for me to take it personally either way. I don't really mind if...just so you know." She said on a cautious note, looking for his answer to her implied question.

[Usagi Rei]

Rei's expression turned serious as he picked up the bottle, the thoughtful frown remaining as he poured more of the shochu into her glass. That done, he set his glass down, meeting her gaze with his own. "Well then, let me say a little more." He took a deep breath.

"I would like this to actually be a thing." Rei said, smiling gently. "I wasn't sure when we first met. But, well, I've had a little taste of losing you already, remember?" His smile flickered briefly to teasing, remembering the night of her wonderful trick. "I'm happy when I'm with you, and when I'm not, well..." he chuckled, "I really was staring at my communicator a lot, these last few days. So, yeah. That's what I want, Mariko. I want to be with you."

Rei had gone through at least preliminary drop training. There was a feeling when you jumped out of the transport where you suddenly realized you were falling, and even if you knew you great was in order, and the ground was down there somewhere, your stomach certainly didn't know it. He felt a little of that now as he expressed himself to the beautiful actress. Would he find solid ground this time?

[Bayushi Mariko]

Mariko took a small sip from her glass and there was that visible blush that was forming on her face from the last few gulps of shochu that she already had earlier. She wasn't fully drunk, per se, but it had hit her a bit more than she would have liked. Now favouring Rei's side more, she leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder and looked up at him.

"I didn't know that I had you that smitten. It's honestly flattering to hear." She flashed a brief smile before she reached up to put a hand on his cheek, turning him to look at her if he wasn't already. Her gaze would fixate on him as she considered something internally before she would speak once more once she broke out of that hesitation. "So what I said before, I wanted to say that I don't really mind if you wanted to give this a good chance. If we gave this a try to be a thing...Honestly, it does sounds kind of nice."

[Usagi Rei]

It was a pleasant feeling, having Mariko lean against him the way she was. A heady mixture of attraction and comfort that hit Rei in unguarded spots, as intoxicating as the alcohol. He leaned into her touch on his cheek, his own features slightly flushed and warm. His lips curled up into a smile, his pale eyes bright on hers as she spoke. "Okay. Great." Rei said, smiling. "Let's. I'd really like that."

There was nothing for it but to seal it with a kiss. Tilting his head, Rei brought his lips to hers, his own hand coming up to her cheek to help guide them together. The kiss tasted of shochu, and was almost teasingly tender.

He parted slowly, briefly tugging her lip with his, and smiled. "Phew. Well. I promised straight talk with our drinks, didn't I?" His hand left her cheek to brush back through his hair, although his other arm remained draped pleasantly around her. "I guess that meant telling you just how smitten you have me." His brow creased. "And being straight with myself about it, too."

[Bayushi Mariko]

"Mmm," Mariko murmured at the agreement that they found together. She gave him a small genuine smile, albeit with a bit of buzz from all of the shochu sips she had. The kiss was taken happily, her hand would move from his cheek and found its way to the back of his head. Her fingers brushed over his hair without much of a care in potentially ruffling it. Like before, she wouldn't just have one kiss but indulge herself in a few before she could ultimately release him entirely.

She let out a small giggle afterwards before letting out a content sigh "...You did. Sorry, if it took us a while to get there. Straight talk is something I find myself going towards, not unless I have a few drinks or some exhausting fun. I suppose being flirty and cool about everything is kind of my mask. I honestly thought that was a bit scary but good that we got it out..."

[Usagi Rei]

Rei was all too happy to let one kiss turn into two, and then three, his passion for Mariko only growing with the confirmation of their feelings.

"No, hey, it's fine." Rei grinned. "I dig the flirty and cool thing, actually. Although my prefered flavor might be flirty and hot." His other arm slid around her waist as well, holding her close, his glass temporarily forgotten. "I'm not going to say I wouldn't have noticed you if it hadn't been for our verbal play, but it definitely helped."

He gave a gentle shrug, trying not to disturb her too much. "But sooner or later the mask comes off. And I like you like this, too." He smiled. "And if it helps, it was scary and good for me, too."

[Bayushi Mariko]

Mariko closed her eyes as she felt that arm around her, easily finding a place to rest her hand by placing it on his forearm. She snuggled into him with a happy murmur. She found someplace to rest her drink as was starting to get a little heavy in her hand. "It was good for the both of us, that's good to hear. Just plain on me without the spectacle or the show? You know, I would have thought you'd think of me a little plain. Getting to truly know people is sometimes where some of the magic disappears and you just get the actress without a role. But, I'm sure that's the ride that you're in for, even if it's a ride that's lacking in kidnappings and other thrills."

[Usagi Rei]

"Well, not no thrills." Rei's voice was a playful purr by her ear. "I mean, we still know how to have a good time, that's not going to change. And knowing you more doesn't make me want you any less. Far from it."

But then, shifting a little, he kissed the top of her head, letting her snuggle against him, his arms solid around her. "But without the spectacle... you're still you, Mariko. I'd take you without magic any day of the week."

[Bayushi Mariko]

Mariko kept her eyes closed as Rei made himself increasingly comfortable to rest against now. Her hand would casually stroke his forearm in an affection gesture as she rested against his side. She smirked and tittered her breath. "Kami...if you're going to keep saying things like that, I'm going to get really sappy soon. So, you're really serious about this relationship? Shh, no, don't answer that. I know, I know. You know you're doing it wrong, you're supposed to say that stuff before we've had fun, not after." She half-joked.

[Usagi Rei]

Rei's lips parted to answer, but it seemed like it wasn't necessary. Instead, he just smiled. "Feels right to me." He said, his voice low and soft.

Tilting his head, Rei studied Mariko's face, noting the closed eyes, how comfortable she looked. His lips curled up into a smile. "You wanna just stay like this for a while?" He asked, voice still soft. "It's been a busy Winter Court. Maybe we do just need a little rest. And this is nice..."

[Bayushi Mariko]

Mariko chuckled as she wrapped her other arm around his. "You know, I was kind of expecting that we could potentially just dive into something where we could make a lot of noise together. Suddenly, if I was dressed in lingerie, this would make this kind of awkward for the both of us..."

"Whatever you got seems to be hitting me hard. I should have read the label before I started drinking this fast. Stupid Crab genes are supposed to help me with this." She groaned as she playfully tapped him on his forearm with a closed fist in a 'beating' motion. "Of course, I'm going to absolutely blame you instead of myself for what just happened. And, Kami, did you have to be so comfortable to rest against? This is all your fault and I hope you feel bad."

She would give him a pout first before breaking out in tired laughter.

[Usagi Rei]

"Terrible. The worst." Rei said, grinning impudently at her. "But hey, I promised I'd bring the good stuff. That's the good stuff."

Tilting his head, Rei looked at her. "Tell you what. The next time you invite me over, you can be wearing that lingerie. And I'll... well, I've got a surprise for you too, you know." He smirked at her. "And we can absolutely wreck that bed together until we're both satisfied."

With his free arm, he reached up, gently stroking her shoulder. "But tonight... maybe we just have that drink and that straight talk. And I kinda like you using me as a pillow. And... we agreed that we're both going to give a relationship a try. That sounds like a pretty good night to me."