Heading back to her suite after the oshidama, Yakumo felt exhausted even after a long shower. Maybe she'd manage to go out later, but now the thought of going back out again - going through the trouble of dressing and perfecting her makeup - sounded absolutely too draining.

Picking up her communicator, she tapped away a message to her muse.

I have a good place at the Blooming Nightshades where we can watch the fireworks and talk. I'll let the front desk know to let you in.
-

With the message sent, she went about preparing herself and the room for company.

It wasn't too long. Koyuki only needed to travel from the House of Stone, and traffic between the two locations was minimal. It was far from not busy but everyone was always getting to where they had to be as fast and effectively as possible. That was what you signed up for when you worked adjacently to the diplomatic center. Inevitably, when Koyuki arrived in her casual attire she caught a few eyes but paid them no mind in the lobby. Everyone managed to catch a snag on her when she walked. Kuni just attracted that brief bit of attention wherever they went, no matter how common they were.

Koyuki found the door. Sending off a quick message to Yakumo as she stood outside it,

My Muse wrote:Here.

, and then promptly found herself with her arms crossed over her midsection, communicator away, and a brief bit of pacing as she scanned around outside of the room. It was a far fancier place than she tended to find herself within, certainly. Almost made her feel like an ant in someone else's very very big world.

Koyuki would have to wait a bit from her message until the door was opened. Inside the suite, the light was dimmed down to a pleasant level - kind of like a evening-vibe outdoors. There seemed to light filtering in from outside, judging by the gentle bursts of colors washing over the room. Yakumo herself was standing by the door, to the side to allow Koyuki entrance.

Compared to the other times they had seen eachother, Yakumo was not dressed in high fashion or extravagant opulence, but rather in comfortable clothes; a black short-sleeved sweater, with black shorts - and her trademark black gloves and thigh-high. "Please come in, Kuni-san." Her tone was professional sounding, as if she was welcoming in someone for a business meeting. What was most noteworthy though was that she was barely wearing any makeup, as could be seen by her vey pale skin.

The suite was quite impressive. Families lived in smaller space on the planet, without even coming close to amenities and luxuries that was on hand here. Everything was kept neat and tidy, and separate doors led to what was likely the bedroom, bathroom, and a closet. A short staircase led up to a loft with a balcony, where there even was something like a miniature garden for the guest to enjoy, with a couple of plants and a little pool complete with a shishi-odoshi.

Overall, this was a spot of luxury in a cramped city, for those who had the money to afford it. And Yakumo had said she was staying here for the time being.

At her hip, it was clear enough that Koyuki could pass for having been here on some kind of business as there rest her gun-belt and sidearm of Crab make. On her flanking hip, a satchel holding some object of roughly a large rock shape in size but it didn't seem to have much weight as it sat comfortably against her upper thigh. Yakumo gained the full glance, head to toe as Koyuki took in the woman's visage. Pausing briefly upon that paleness of her skin, noticing it far more than she ever had prior. A hand, her hand, tugged a little at the strap from which the satchel hugged to her shoulder.

"Oh course, Susumu-sama," she said with military clip. Something that was an easy fallback on from a time that felt like forever ago. Given the time to think about it later she'd probably chide herself for it. It was awkward only in her mind. Meeting that professional first step that Yakumo had made with intention. Right down to the squaring of her shoulders as if she was to look respectable. Stepping in with a long stride she went straight past Yakumo into the foyer space.

From there, she took a true and proper gander at the room. That majesty in every little piece of it. She'd known that there was a class of person who lived like this, she'd seen it from time to time. However, to be so personally connected to one of those few it was almost causing her to defy her own senses. She'd known, she'd expected, and yet she still couldn't quite believe it. Folk like her just stayed at the bottom, fought and bled and were happy to do it. What would she ever do with herself in a place like this? Even the thought was more than she could have ever thought she would want to experience.

"I can have some tea sent up if you'd like," Yakumo said as she closed the door, the automatic lock clicking into place as was common security in hotels. "If not, the bar is well-stocked. No Crab-brands, but Scorpion alcohol might be something you're used to, no?"

Turning from the door, she faced Koyuki, and was silent as she let the Kuni take in her new surroundings. It wasn't unusual to see people's first reaction to opulence, but she noted that the Kuni's reaction was... a little different. "Everything alright?" she asked, stepping closer. A bit of weariness was in her movement, as she had strained herself at the games earlier.

On a closer look, she seemed to be wearing some foundation powder for makeup, with a blush swept across the bridge of her nose and onto the cheeks. But... no. It didn't quite look like blush? It seemed more natural. Like perhaps a rash underneath the foundation.

"Yea," came the quick reply, her hands still tight around her things. Like she was keeping herself grounded to the space where she stood. Eyes settling, turning to Yakumo. There was no smile, but her gaze lingered and wondered. Noticing what appeared to be a blush but.. no, the color was wrong. It was under, not over. Narrowed eyes focusing in on that point she stepped once closer to her, if as some instinctual means of showing she was fine.

"You-" she hesitates, glances down. "Scorpion alcohol is fine, I am used to it. Though, I find it's a little too.." she knit her brow. Shaking her head after a seconds thought. There was a lot of different ways to describe flavor. Perhaps in another life she might have the words to accurately describe what it was she didn't like about it, but not this one. Much too much to do to settle for something that felt so insignificant.

Koyuki looks back to her, thinking of what next to say but falters.

"Mhm," she nodded, sizing up Koyuki for a moment then raised a hand to gesture to the sitting area. "There certainly wasn't a lack of alcohol last night at that party... I think I know what you mean about Scorpion spirits though," Yakumo spoke as she moved over to the bar, a few steps behind the sitting area.

"It's... kind of sweet? In that way you wonder if there's something added to mask the flavour of a poison?" just the thought made her chuckle though, as of course the Scorpion wouldn't want to poison guests and customers. But they would like that you thought it, even for a moment. "Spider spirits tend to be... strong, often lacking much in flavour or aroma - its strength is valued much more than its taste." And it was more important to get hammered quickly than to appriciate some complexities of spices and aromas.

Yakumo was sure that Koyuki wanted to talk about something else, but she herself was fine with controlling the talking for now, until the Crab relaxed enough to find her words.

Walking over to the sitting area, Koyuki stopped somewhere in the middle of the space. Hand a little tight on the satchel's band she ran her thumb down along the side of it contemplatively, "Yea.. I find myself getting carried away with them more than I'd like. Maybe that's the poison in them all along," she says, her voice drifting off as her focus shifts to a thought, a memory. The visage of the man from the previous night, Yogo Sadae. How she kicked herself when she'd finally settled down enough to let herself thing. She bit her lip, and came back.

Stealing a glance toward Yakumo behind the bar, her brow furrowed. Unslinging the satchel from her side she set it down on the nearest table surface, resting it there. Next, she removed the full of her gunbelt and put it right beside the thing with little uncertainty that it was a decent spot but she had to admit keeping it close made her feel more comfortable. Not that there was a threat here, as far as she knew. Still, one never knew what could happen and she loathed to be unprepared ever.

"You were-" she swallowed hard. Guilt? Fear? Stop being so pa- "You were amazing today, at the beach. I didn't think you had it in you."

Pathetic.

Settling on something strong herself, Yakumo removed the cap on a bottle of whiskey and poured two fingers for herself, and the same for Koyuki. "It was nice though, to get that buzz. Usually I have assistants and handlers following me, making sure I don't drink too much - in fear of something happening and the press making a fuss about it; drunk people make mistakes all the time." She placed the cap back on the bottle and picked up the two drinks, carrying them over to join her guest among the cushions.

"Thanks," she smiled, extending the glass to Koyuki. "I... didn't think I had it in me either, but I can honestly say I'm exhausted. So... I'm glad you came over. As I didn't feel like going out again now."

Koyuki accepted with an underhanded grip on the glass. Looking her over a bit, brow knitting itself at the thought but passing it over again. Stealing herself with a glance down to the glass in her hand, it wasn't a bad choice for as much as she knew about alcohol. Which was, by glance, a fair amount. One's that look like this will waste you, one's that look like this are safe enough, and it was all very pieced together like survival skills learned on the fly.

"I like this," she says, looking up from the glass. Using that liquid filled basin to indicate the room around them. "Quiet moments. Places."

Settling in on that thought, the breath that it gave to the room between them. Koyuki sipped at her glass as her eyes settled on that satchel again. Warmth rushed to her cheeks, and she was happy for the face-paint. "Mmm," she vocalized before she'd finished swallowing fully. Setting her glass down nearby she reaches for the satchel and pulls it into her lap. Hands laying atop it.

This is stupid. "This is stupid," she hesitated a moment. Then, like it was the answer to a question. "I went to the conservatory today."

"Quiet is good, and this place has plenty of it. For someone who professional creates sound, I find silence invaluable."

The tall Spider singer sank down onto the cushions after Koyuki took her offered drink, and she took a deep sip from her own glass. Whiskey was about the closest choice she could pick to satisfy the palates of Crab and Spider both.

Funny how the two clans actually had a lot in common. Once you scratched away the obsessive fixation the Crab had on the Spider since forever.

"Hm? What's stupid?" Yakumo narrowed more in on that statement than the comment about some conservatory. I didn't know there's a conservatory here... "... Is the conservatory stupid?" she asked, violet eyes watcing the Kuni over the rim of her glass as she brought it up for another sip.

Koyuki froze. Eyes coming up to look out over the room, a huff. "You don't make this easy," she said. Looking to Yamako with a slightly pensive look, but it faded on contact. Stupid. Always so stupid. Back to what you were doing, stupid. Koyuki opened the satchel, looking inside to be sure she was grabbing a hold of the thing right. Held and at the ready, "No, so- what I- ah fuck it."

Coming out of the satchel was a small green fluffy thing. At least, it seemed fluffy in that way that seemed like it wasn't too fluffy. An anatomically correct spine drake, but in plushie form. Beautiful green-gold faux scale designs lined the creature from head to toe with a fluffy stringy texture being used to emulate the spikes of one of the drakes. It was quite the marvelous little thing, well crafted. Wings made thin as to mimic the spine drakes appearance more than other options which might have been more structurally sound. Two black orbs for eyes dotted its head and looked back at a viewer with soulless devotion. It was honestly kinda cool.

Holding it out to Yakumo she wasn't sure how far away to hold it, so that it could be viewed or taken. She had her eyes locked on the back of the things head. "I thought you might think it was cute," she said, and her lip twitched.

If it hadn't been for the fact that Yakumo had seen a spine drake up close earlier that day, she would've wondered what the cute little creature was. But thanks to Rei's visit with Airi, she did in fact recognize the appearance, even if it had been cutified for commercial-success. So, Yakumo's eyes did in fact widen with some surprise at this sudden gift.

... Hardly the first plushie she had been given by a fan, but it wasn't every day she had gotten one from a Kuni of all people... who seemed wholly uncomfortable around anything reminiscent of pastels and cute.

Yakumo placed her glass down at the table, and both hands extended to accept the plush-drake. Her gloved hands touched against Koyuki's, as they both held onto the gift. "It is cute," she assured her. "Thank you. You didn't have to give me any gifts, but... I really like it."

A small giggle bubble up from her. "You really are sweet, you know."

Koyuki shifted, slightly, at the touch but willfully settled herself. Holding that plushie drake between them together she ventures not to stare at the back of the things head. Instead, tracing her eyes along onto those gloved hands and following along the fingers, the hand, up the arm and then to Yakumo herself. A subtle smile accentuated by the red lips of her face paint fails to hide itself away.

"That is not a word I would have thought would ever be used to describe me," she says, tone softer than usual but there's a distance in the way it's soft. Each word almost having an uncertainty to it as it's spoken. "I had saw it, and thought of you. That is all. It is good that you like it."

It is good that you like it? Really. Holy shit that really just came out of your mouth.

"Is it?" Yakumo responded with a playful smile as their eyes met, as she could tell that Koyuki was feeling rather awkward about the whole thing. "Were you worried I wouldn't like it, either because it wasn't my type of thing or... something else?"

Fingers gently eased away from Koyuki's as she lifted the plushie out of her hands in a gentle motion, bringing it to sit in her lap as she crossed her legs in a relaxed posture. "... After all, I didn't think I'd be your type, hm?"

You lean forward, those hands don't get far as you toss the plushie aside to the ground. Pull her in as much as you advance and then together you fall back amongst the cushions. Silence holds, you look into her eyes and she yours. You just feel the connection between one another, holding that violet gaze. Finally you seal that kiss with a burning, needy, passion.

So, when does she stab you in the back?

Koyuki lays her hands back down onto her own lap. Eyes glancing down to the position of the plushie. Lingering there in the presentation of it all for no more than ten seconds. What did she say again?

"It's a ridiculous thing to give a person. So soft, and meaningless," she says. Yakumo is exactly your type, isn't she? Just say it. Give in. Then, get hurt, again. Bleed for it.

"I hoped to hear you sing."

Wow. That was bold. For a dead woman. You surprised me.

Idle hands held onto the plush, and idle fingers tugged gently at the drake's little spines as her attention remained on Koyuki. The silence stretched out between herself and a Crab woman.

Maybe she had pushed too far? Or misunderstood her?

Then she was surprised to hear the words. And Yakumo opened her mouth to speak, then reconsidered her words before proceeding. "Gifts with the right intention are not meaningless, my dear," she assured her guest first. Koyuki seemed very hard on the surface, but underneath, there was something that seemed like vulnerability and uncertainity to her. And a wall too, but weren't there always walls of some sort when Crabs were involved?

"I don't normally do private performances as such, but..." her teasing smile eased into something more friendly and relaxed, "I could make an exception for you. Would it be something with, hm, passion, as I believe you mentioned that before?"

She hates you, she's just wai- Koyuki clears her throat. Closing her eyes she gives herself a quick second to breathe, a small smile picking up on her expression. There was something not-present about it like she wasn't wholly committed, but it was still real. It wore on her considerably. Not that she would ever deign to admit such a thing, why would something as simple as a smile be so hard?

"Yes," she says, that smile quirking up into a smirk. Shaking her head a little, she breathes out again. "Something with passion, Yakumo-sama. I.. suspect this is a challenge you will happily rise to?" she returns, a slight tease in the tone. There was a warmth in her cheeks as much as there was at the back of her neck. Competing feelings in her mind. Why was it so damn hard?

"Mhmmm," Yakumo nodded thoughtfully. She had in fact been working on something ever since her first encounter with Eriko - something she had hoped would capture raw passion and seduction. And having a muse in her thoughts, well, it did help.

"Well, I do have something I've been working on. You can be the first to hear it... maybe the only one too?" her words were soft, almost teasing, but mostly inviting in Koyuki to be a part of somethig for only them.

The plush-dragon was moved to the seat beside her for the time being, and Yakumo uncrossed her legs to get up. Her long legs, covered in their thigh-highs, moved with elegant strides over to a desk. There were a few things there, like holoslates, a densai, some recording equipment - but Yakumo settled on picking up a controller. "Since you said my music wasn't passionate enough when we first met, I've been rising up to that challenge, my muse. Never let it be said that I don't like a challenge." Knowing that Koyuki was a woman of few words, Yakumo went ahead and clicked on the remote, which started up the sound system, and a couple more clicks shuffled through to the music she was looking for.

The tune was carried by what sounded like piano and strings, with soft percussions along side vocalizations. Turning to face the white-painted muse completely, Yakumo began to sing, and as her voice moved through the sensual emotion of the song, sometimes alongside pre-recorded lyrics that accompanied Yakumo's singing, she slowly walked towards Koyuki but instead of joining her in the seating area, she encircled the Kuni. Much like how a predator might circle a prey.

"Desire in your eyes as they fall on mine
What divine confinement will we find?

Though you turn away the pieces are in place
No escape from this hypnotic game

Passion aflame, but lying in wait.
Pity the prey who seals her own fate

Feel the sinful warmth in your skin
And feed the hunger within

Lure you deeper with this staged facade of love,
I lie in wait for the trap to spring
Your defenses wane, till nothing they become
My prize, so blindly wandering

Futile your attempts to my heart comprehend
you grew lax, discarded your defense (down and down a fall that never ends)

Your blinding conceit, enchanted by deceit,
Downs the drink of poison ever-sweet

Imprisoned and marred by gossamer bonds
Relinquish your guard to what lies beyond

With every tick the passing time sings,
Your restraint vanishes

Rendezvous in darkness no one else can reach
To hold, to taste what belongs to me
Turn away from light, desires intertwined
We lie, your heartbeat against mine

Lured in deeper by the promises of love
You’ve come entangled in fantasy
No defenses, just a yearning to be one
Surrender to me

Rendezvous in darkness no one else can reach
To hold, to taste what belongs to me
Turn away from light, desires intertwined
We lie, your heartbeat against mine"

Maybe the only one, suppose she's never going to sing it again after you finally get what you want then. If that's what you still want. You never did have the strength to commit to something, did you? Always lying your way through- and then the music started. Koyuki's focus on Yakumo as she'd crossed along the room came into focus, like she'd been watching a blurry video only moments prior. A haze over the moment. Now it was allowing itself to be far more clear, just for right now, as Yakumo spoke again, and the music began. Wait, did she actually say that? A warmth rose in her chest, a subtle beat of the heart which brought her much more into focus. That's a new moniker.

Watching Yakumo step toward her, Koyuki's eyes followed the performance. While Yakumo stalked around there was the slight tickle at the back of her neck like hairs that were trying to stand up with the contained worry she managed to keep down. It wasn't like Koyuki didn't have a good ready on where Yakumo was, following her positioning by the location of her voice, and yet she still got a little more alert knowing someone was behind her. A different kind of focus.

Watching her with a smile, a real smile, Koyuki simply relaxed in her seated position as much as she could manage. Enjoying the rise and fall of the performance, seeking out Yakumo's steps in the performance. That voice of hers, managing to do what she hadn't allowed another to do in quite some time. For a rare moment in time, Koyuki's shoulders relaxed. A perpetual state of defensive posturing seemed to melt away like it was a warm block of ice subjected to the heat, and a smile rose onto her features. A calm settled over her, unlike anything else could really manage. Koyuki wouldn't break that calm for everything, and even following the performance she would sit there in awe of it. Holding onto that peace for as long as she could manage silently, but intentionally.