Back at the office, Rei brushed a hand through his short, styled hair. The morning had been productive. The early afternoon had been... interesting. Quite interesting. Now, he was back at the office...

With the most urgent work taken care of, though, and waiting on a number of messages from a number of different people, Rei found himself in the comfortable lobby instead of his cramped office. No receptionist was present at the moment, probably gone off to work on another project. This left Rei alone on one of the comfortable sofas...

Well, not entirely alone. Airi the spine drake was on the cushion next to him, doing fierce battle with a colorful ball. With a little hiss, she backed up, then charged it, tackling it, and rolling over and over until she bumped against the couch arm. Ball and drake separated, with Airi sprawling onto her back.

The ball rolled over to Rei. His lips pressing together to suppress a smile, he nudged the ball back towards Airi, where it was seized with another gleeful battle hiss. Rolling onto her back, she held it above her in her front claws, savaging it with her rear claws.

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 02, 2022 5:38 pm

snip

Yūrei's game of 'go through security' probably wasn't quite as fun as Airi's, although it was a more bit more interactive as she idly filled in forms and let the guards wave all sorts of scanners over her before she was grudgingly allowed into the building proper. It wasn't her first time inside and hopefully it wouldn't be her last, but she always enjoy the homely atmosphere.

Nodding at a some courtiers she recognised who were engaged in conversation in one corner and diverting around a heated argument between two under-ambassadors she makes her way over to Rei and Airi.

"Blessings upon you Usagi-sama."
Her bow is form and respectful, although she uses the opportunity to peer down at the spine dragon's violent battle with an amused expression.

Rei looked up, his eyebrows raising. "Oh, Yūrei-san! Good afternoon." After a moment's hesitation, he rose to give a bow himself. "I hope you didn't have too much trouble getting here."

He cleared his throat, smiling down at the conflict where he'd just been sitting. "I feel introductions are in order. This is Airi." The battle continued uninterrupted. A moment passed, and Rei chuckled. "Maybe I'll do introductions later."

After one last downward glance, Rei turned his smile on the Ronin. "Welcome to the House of Many Colors. Can I get you anything? Tea? Sn-" Rei paused, then smiled again, "-snacks?"

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 02, 2022 10:33 pm

Snip

"No trouble at all, I think some of the guards are beginning to recognise me, that can be either a good thing or a bad thing depending what you're visiting for. Airi, it's nice to meet you too."

The battle continues unabated, what use was a ronin when the dreaded coloured ball launched another bouncing attack?

Yūrei's face brightens at his offer.
"I see you no longer have any trouble finding tea Usagi-sama. But snacks...I would love to share some with you, they're the way to a girls heart after all."
Her own smile seems quite genuine, although it's hard to imagine her not smiling at the prospect of snacks.

Settling on a well used couch and pulling her legs up under her.
"Of course, I'm happy to eat and talk business, I often do."

Rei smiled. "I'll keep that in mind, Yūrei-san." He said with just a hint of playfulness in his measured tone.

"Hmmm..." He frowned thoughtfully at Yūrei. "Usagi-sama is in a meeting, which means all the heimin are going to be busy..." He held a hand out. "Wait right there. I won't be gone long." Rising, he dashed out of the room, moving at Hare speeds.

There was a brief pause.

Airi gave one more kick, and threw the ball to the ground before rolling over. Turning nimbly, she stared at Yūrei, drake eyes unblinking.

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 02, 2022 11:03 pm

Rei smiled. "I'll keep that in mind, Yūrei-san." He said with just a hint of playfulness in his measured tone.

"Hmmm..." He frowned thoughtfully at Yūrei. "Usagi-sama is in a meeting, which means all the heimin are going to be busy..." He held a hand out. "Wait right there. I won't be gone long." Rising, he dashed out of the room, moving at Hare speeds.

There was a brief pause.

Airi gave one more kick, and threw the ball to the ground before rolling over. Turning nimbly, she stared at Yūrei, drake eyes unblinking.

"Oh there's no need to-...and he's gone."

She turns her attention to the drake, meeting its look.
"So...Airi, can you fill me in? What's Usagi-sama really like?"
Looking around and lowering her voice as she leans in
"There's a lot of scritches in it for you if you can tell me."

Airi tilted her head, regarding this human who was speaking to her. One talon lifted, reaching slowly up. She rose up slightly, shifting forward...

Hissssssssssssssssss... It was a noncommittal sort of hiss, really. Whether that was a statement on Rei, Yūrei, or something else entirely was hard to say.

It was about then that Rei emerged, carrying a tray. His long stride carried him quickly over, to be set down on the table by the couches. Two mugs of steaming tea, one black, one white with a cute cartoon scorpion on it. Along with a number of snacks, mostly rice puffs and sweet rolls, still in their wrappers. Based on the labels, it looked like the MCA got them in bulk from the supermarket.

"Knock yourself out." Rei said, waving a hand casually as he returned to his seat.

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:13 am

Snip

"Hmmm, yes, hisss indeed."
She nudges the coloured ball so it bounces between a few of the couch legs
"Still, you're extremely cute...ohh and deadly, so deadly, yes you are."

Turning back to Rei, her eyes following the the tray of food.
"Oh you didn't need all of this for me Usagi-sama."
A rice puff disappears with impressive speed as she regards the two tea mugs.

"Which one do you prefer? The little scorpion is very cute."

Airi hopped down, pursuing the ball beneath the sofa.

"Oh no?" Rei chuckled softly. "We'll see. Better to be overprepared than underprepared. Besides, isn't that the way to a girl's heart?" He flashed her a quick grin.

Ah, yes. Black mug or cute scorpion. "If you like the scorpion, take the scorpion." Rei said, lightly amused. "It is cute, I'll agree with that."

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 03, 2022 2:30 am

Airi hopped down, pursuing the ball beneath the sofa.

"Oh no?" Rei chuckled softly. "We'll see. Better to be overprepared than underprepared. Besides, isn't that the way to a girl's heart?" He flashed her a quick grin.

Ah, yes. Black mug or cute scorpion. "If you like the scorpion, take the scorpion." Rei said, lightly amused. "It is cute, I'll agree with that."

"I'm sure you say that to all the girls, or maybe just the cute ones."

Looking down at the two mugs her hand hovers for a moment before selecting the black mug.
"I think it looks better on you."
She shoots him an amused gaze over the rim of her mug as she takes a deep sip and sighs contentedly

Below her, slightly muffled sounds of battle continued.

"Just the cute ones." Rei confirmed with a grin. He chuckled as she selected the black one, leaving him with the cute scorpion. Well, it wouldn't be the first time he used it. He met her amused gaze with one of his own.

"So." He said, picking up the mug, seating himself casually on the sofa. "What else can you tell me about yourself, Yūrei-san? You made quite an impression, yesterday. And not just because of how many sweets you can put away."

Taking a sip of his own tea, Rei leaned on the arm of the couch, pale brown eyes watching Yūrei.

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 03, 2022 11:30 am

Snip

"It was an awful lot of sweets, you don't want to know how far I had to run this morning to work them all off."
Sipping contentedly.

"I'm an open book. Well, if you ignore my past, and most of my work. But I find that my client's prefer discretion."
As if reciting from a list.

"I'm a Dreamer, born and bred. I know the planet, know the people, know my neighborhood. I've been doing this for six years now."
A fractional pause. 6 years? Damn, had it been so long?

"And I get results. You can ask around, check with the Kestrels, but they'll all tell you the same thing."
Leaning forward
"I'm solid and I get things done. Now speaking hypothetically, if someone wanted me to retrieve an object, I can do that. Or if hypothetically there was some information that was in the wrong place I could bring that back to where it belonged."

Leaning back, the sofa protesting slightly
"But I'm not a cleaner. If you understand me. You want that you need to find someone else."

She takes this opportunity to snatch a few more snacks, as quiet conversation hums around them.
"Can I ask you about yourself? Or are you an interplanetary man of mystery?"

The occasional flickering of Rei's eyes was the only change in expression as Yūrei spoke, the affable smile remaining in place throughout. But his eyes, yes, those showed that he was picking up on the significance of what she was saying. "The Hare may have something for you." He said finally, still smiling. "I'll have to check and see. We're pretty busy, but I'm sure that there's something that needs doing. I'll need your comm info, of course."

Rei paused a moment, taking a sip of his tea. "The Hare might not have the resources of a major clan, but we do pretty well. Everyone wants Hare drop troops. And we always do our best to take care of those in our employ." Despite the difference in status, it was hard not to feel kinship with Ronin; after all, the Hare also fought for money.

The question made Rei blink. "Me? Hardly mysterious. I'm just a senior attaché for the Hare staff here at the embassy." Still, his smile was a touch playful. "What did you want to know?"

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 03, 2022 11:59 am

Snip

Yūrei reaches into her pocket and hands Rei a card of her own


-----

Yūrei's neighborhood services
No problem too big, or too small!
Reach me at XXXX-XXXX-XX

-----

"I would be honoured for the chance to assist your clan. Do let me know how I can help."

Placing her empty mug back on the tray with a quite 'clink!'

"Senior attaché can mean a lot of different things on the world of dreams. You know I once met an Asako cultural attaché who I never once saw at a museum or library, but he always seemed to show up at the most interesting places. He was good fun, I borrowed most of my cookbooks from him."

Running a finger across the fabric of the couch.
"I wouldn't mind the usual, we're you from, what you like, any interesting trivia. I just like knowing who I might be working for, it's all about building relationships, after all."

"Hmmm..." Rei tapped the rim of his mug with one finger. "Those sorts of questions are the sort that I prefer to answer over drinks, Yūrei-san." He said, giving her a smile and a look. A beat. "But, well, we are here now."

Some thumps under the sofa made him shift his legs a little. "I was actually born on the cruiser Usagi's Courage." Rei said. "Spaceborn. Both my parents were involved in the military, neither as Drop Troops. Navigation, small n, and logistics."

He went on. "I grew up on ships and Hare bases, split between both. I showed a talent for the diplomatic side, so I was trained in some of those duties, too."

There was a pause. Rei glanced away, eyes narrowing. "About two years ago, I was assigned here. I... decided to stay. There was a promotion." Some hesitation in the words. Then he looked back, smiling. "That brings us about up to the present. That the sort of thing you were looking for?"

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 03, 2022 9:19 pm

Snip

"It is, including the hint of mystery, thank you for sharing it with me, spaceborn Usagi-sama."
Yūrei cocks her head as the drake began ineffectually trying to burrow up into Rei's couch

"I usually ask more interesting questions over drinks. The more drinks, the more interesting. I'll have to show you sometime."
A little smile.

"Oh, one more thing. Do you dance?"

"Hmmm. You have me intrigued, Yūrei-san." Rei said, lips quirking playfully. "Perhaps we'll have to have another meeting, then."

But then, that question...

"Ahhh..." Rei waved his free hand, grimace warring with smile over his handsome features, neither winning out. "Not often, no. It's never been my thing." Nothing to puncture an air of mystery like flailing like a moron.

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 03, 2022 10:16 pm

Snip

"Oh I see."
Yūrei covers her mouth to hide a wide smile.

"That's quite alright, I can dance enough for the both of us. I know this local DJ who's excellent, maybe if you're really moved you can tap a foot to the beat?"
She politely smothers a laugh at the image.
It would be nice to have some fun during the court season, if Usagi-sama has the time."

"Maybe." He said, chuckling softly. "But if you can dance enough for the both of us, well, maybe I'd like to see that. As for tapping a foot... no promises."

He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Which DJ? Does he play at the Wicked Wasp? I go there sometimes, just to have a drink and enjoy the atmosphere."

"They do, it's Soshi Kazumi-sama. The one with the mask."
This time she lefts a little at her joke.

"They're usually in late on account of having a respectable day job, but all of their shows are killer. And not even in the veiled threat sense, they're just really good. I don't think you can call yourself a dream around these parts without having gone to one, or at least, not an interesting dreamer."