Once more, and for what it turned out would be one of two times that day, Rei found himself at the House of Blooming Nightshades. During their fun little outing the other day, Yakumo had promised to show him her skills at tea ceremony, and had invited him over for that.

As he walked, Rei frowned thoughtfully. They actually had more than that to talk about. He wanted to follow up with her on what she and Koyuki had discussed regarding the Lord Magistrate... possibly also what they had discussed regarding each other. And what had happened with the Lord Magistrate the night before. And... well, Yakumo had shared the identity of her lovers with him. As his relationship with Mariko grew, it felt right to tell her at least something.

All in all, it was a lot.

Finding himself in front of her suite once more, Rei reached up, pressing the buzzer. His usual smile was on his lips, his jacket casually slung over one shoulder, leaving him in his daily modern dress clothing.

The door opened, and Yakumo was there, looking proper and well-dressed as always, gloves and all. "Ah, Rei-san. Come on in," she gestured for him to step inside, and once he did, she closed the door behind him.

"How's everything going? Oh have you spoken to Koyuki-san? It seems like the next plan of action is to head to the dojo tonight, do some magical investigation there. You're in, right?" The spider diva seemed abuzz with questions and almost excitement about it all, barely giving Rei room to breathe once they were talking privately.

"Hey, Yakumo-san." Rei flashed the diva a quick smile as he walked in. From there, he might have done his usual you look lovely today, and possibly gone in any number of directions from there, like how have you been or care for a drink, but it was apparently not to be.

"Whoa, hey, whoa." Rei said, holding up his hands with a smile. "Slow down a moment. No, I haven't talked to, ah, Kuni-san." He didn't feel like she'd appreciate him being more familiar than that. "Although we talked about it yesterday."

He frowned as his mind caught up. "... tonight? Umm..." He brushed his hand through his hair. "I really can't tonight, actually. I'm sorry." He said. "But it's important."

She did slow down, by catching her breath as she let Rei get some room to speak too.

"Awww... but we're the mystery-trio." Yakumo seemed more upset that he wouldn't be part of it than the fact that they might be heading into something dangerous with only two of them (and Yakumo was practically deadweight in anything resembling a physical confrontation).

"Fiiiiine. It better be something much better than solving this big mystery, you know!"

"Is that what we are?" Rei shot her an amused look. "Alright. Well, it's good to have a label."

"It's pretty important to me, anyway." Rei frowned, pausing to hang up his jacket before turning back to Yakumo. "I gather you spoke to Kuni-san last night. She said she was going to go see you." It still felt just the tiniest bit weird... Rei shrugged.

Then he smiled at her. "Tell you what. Let's have a seat. You can fill me in. Do you have any tea?" Rei's smile was gentle, confident.

"I did," she confirmed with a nod, not feeling any touch of awkwardness about committing that she was with Koyuki last night. "Sure, we can have some tea. I already got everything ready."

With a gesture, she lead him over to the staircase again that led up to the closed-in miniature garden. "Figured tea in pleasant surroundings would be nice." Yakumo shot him a playful smile before she turned around and walked up the stairs first.

Welllllllllllll... as entangled as he was finding himself with someone else, Rei was still who he was. "You look good today, Yakumo-san." Rei's voice would come from behind her as he followed her up the stairs, a definite playful note in it.

He flashed her a grin when they reached the top. "But tea in pleasant surroundings sounds great. It's been quite the week. Winter Court is always a bit of a ride, but I never could have predicted half of what's happened."

"Why thank you," she chuckled, glancing at him over her shoulder. "I know you like the view up here."

Of course, she could've meant the view up at the garden balcony. Maybe?

Teapot, tray, cups, and a small assortment of traditional sweets were already placed out at the low table by the bench. "Yeah... this is my first time being part of a winter court as a formal guest, and I did not predict all this craziness. The parties, that much I expected but all the stuff we've been working on." With a shake of her head, Yakumo gestured for Rei to take the seat opposite of hers as she sat down, smoothing out the skirts of her attire. "How have you been though? Staying afloat?"

"I certainly do." Rei murmured, giving her a playful smile.

With murmured thanks and raised brows, Rei took the assigned seat. "Afloat, yes. More or less, anyway. If it's not the parties, it's the other things. At least I guess that Sole Survivor thing didn't have alcohol included." He grinned at that, shaking his head.

He subsided. "But yes. Very eventful, for better or for worse."

"Oh yeah, I did watch that. A shame you didn't win, but the competition seemed pretty stiff, all things considered. Sakura-san tried explaining the rules of the game to me and Hinata-san, but I don't think I caught all of it," she chuckled with some embarrassement, and tried to focus away from it by pouring the tea for Rei first. It seemed to be a green tea, with hints of citrus and jasmine.

Yakumo did manage to twist her embarassement away from herself by teasing Rei some. "But you looked pretty good out there, getting all sweaty and a bit bumped."

"Well, I had a good time anyway." Smiling, Rei gave a casual shrug. "And if you thought I looked good, well, that's a win in my book." He flashed her a quick grin.

Rei put his hands around the cup, but didn't drink just yet, waiting for her. "So, you talked to Kuni-san last night. That's good." He tilted his head, regarding Yakumo. "Did she tell you about the talk she and I had?"

"Uhh..." Yakumo thought back to last night. Going through the moments. "She told me you said 'hi'?"

Rei stared at her a moment, then started laughing. "Oh Fortunes. I can't believe she did that. Really?" Wiping his hand across his face, he managed to get his laughter under control. "Well, I guess I did ask her to do that. I wasn't entirely serious, and I didn't think she would."

TIlting his head, he smiled at Yakumo. "No, we had a talk about why I left, and what that meant to each of us. And sort of about what you mean to her." Rei's smile grew gentle. "I hope she's made it clear to you how into you she is. It was clear to me. But Kuni-san is..." he grinned, "-the most infuriating mix of open and closed that I've ever met. I think she and I will be great friends if neither of us shoots the other."

Yakumo joined in the laugh, a sincere but soft laughter with her nose slighty scrunched up as she realised it probably had been a bit silly.

"Mmm, she is... a very complex person," that much she could agree on. Though their dynamic seemed to be a rather fun one, in an interesting sort of way. "I think she likes you, as someone that can be trusted. So I don't think she'll shoot you." Unless you give her a reason to I suppose? "But... yes, we have kind of gotten to that. Feelings and such."

She looked over at Rei, holding her own teacup in her hands, as she tried to understand what he might be feeling on the matter. "... Please don't think it has to be some competition or something though, I am... really not into that kind of drama, to be honest."

"Probably not." Rei chuckled. "But it's not entirely out of the question. Or that I might shoot her. But I'd also trust her with my life." He shrugged. "Complicated is right."

Looking at her, Rei shook his head. "It's not. I promise. I brought it up because I care about you. And I care about her, actually." He smiled. "If you've talked about it, well, so much the better." He didn't sound entirely sincere... but Rei never did, his affected insouciance making even his honest statements sound at least a bit wry.

"Please," she rolled her eyes a little, but kept the tone light with a gentle smirk on her features, "I saw the biggest shit-show of a love-drama back on New Kalani, all spiraling around four people who couldn't make up their minds on who they wanted to sleep with and whose feelings were getting hurt and blahblahblah. I swear, you couldn't get better drama on a serial. You can ask Ide Yamako-san about it sometime."

Yakumo sipped her tea as she had spilled that bit of hot tea to Rei. "Anyway, my point is, I don't do drama. And you don't strike me as the type to want drama either, as you seem like too much of a player to want that, Rei."

Rei chuckled. "Believe me, I've seen... wait, what?" Rei looked at her. "Ide-san? Really?" He blinked, then shook his head. "I suppose that explains some of the things that she said to me." He shook his head. "But I don't think I need to know." Yamako operated a similar place in Rei's mind as Yurei did in Yakumo's.

He looked at her, lips pressing together. "But I'm serious, Yakumo-san. I'm not nursing any hurt feelings or wounded pride. And I have no desire to cause any drama, either. Trust me." Grimacing, he took a sip of tea.

After a few moments, he looked back. "I did get married once though. I'd intended to be faithful..." Rei smiled without humor. "Well. As I see it, she broke faith first."

Taking a deep breath, Yakumo met his gaze, and nodded. "Alright, I believe you, Rei. I do. Just teasing you a bit."

Seeing his humorless smile however, she reached out and placed her hand near his knee, not quite touching it yet but rather letting the option be there for him. "I agree. From all you've said, you seemed like you loved her, and committed to her... and she did not do the same."

Rei's lips quirked. "Who knew you were such a tease?" He teased right back.

A moment of hesitation, and then Rei reached out, taking her hand, giving it a squeeze. A brief moment of contact, and then he leaned back, his usual casual air partially returning. "Something like that." He shrugged. "I've often thought about what I would say if I saw her again, but I have no idea. It seems unlikely that it'll ever happen, though."

He smiled. "Still. I expect I'll marry again someday. Only a few more months. My days as a player may be numbered." Rei flashed Yakumo a grin.

Her hand squeezed his in return as they shared that moment of contact.

"Hmmm, so are you trying to enjoy your last moments of freedom, as it were? I believe I've heard bachelors frequently do this with wild partying, and scandalous behaviour," she chuckled and took a sip of her tea again. "Or are you troubled by no longer being tied to a missing mystery?"