Hikaru's Home

"Good." She answered, gesturing to the low table. "I will be back shortly."

Kazuki stood around awkwardly for a while, then sighed and sat down, hunched over the wood like a giant at a halfling table.

Mairi returned just as he was trying to readjust himself and laughed, setting the tray down. "I apologize. Hikaru still hasn't brought in a higher table for the main room. I'll scold him about it again."

"Don't worry. I'm the only one who has issues with it anyways." he muttered, looking to the teapot, "What kind of tea is it?" he asked.

"Hawthorne and chamomile tea," she said simply, pouring his cup, a larger one, "You know how Hikaru feels about you bringing that pipe inside, and I know how stressed you tend to be."

He chuckled, "He can't exactly take it from me, can he?" he teased, "And it's just the blood. You can't run from your parentage."

Mairi's eyes rolled. "If it helps you and does not hurt you then I am not concerned. I think he worries more about the smell."

"Then I'll smoke outside." he shrugged, "He never offered a reason, just a rule."

"He does that on occasion." She said, sipping at her own tea while passing him his cup. "You learn to figure it out or simply accept."

"I'd rather he just say what's on his damned mind instead of tip-toeing around like I'm going to squash him." he muttered, drinking slowly. The delicate image clashed with his vulgar language sharply.

Mairi's eyes rolled. "He does the same thing with me, if I must remind you."

"You could cast some spell on him that would easily do just as well." he shrugged, "He looks like he could break easily."

She sighed, drinking more of her tea, eyes staring, unfocused, at the jade flecks at the bottom of her cup. "While I surely could, it is still no reason for him to be so frightened."

Kazuki swirled the tea around, "I'm sure he's not. He's only frightened of me, I promise."

Mairi's eyes rolled. "You should see how fast he darts away when he thinks I'm angry."

"That's because you have the power to break up with him." he chuckled, "He'd rather not risk making you mad enough to realize you could be with more attractive dragon-kin than him."

She shook her head, dropping a bit more honey into her tea and stirring it absently. "I'm not with him for how attractive he is, though I won't say that it hurts. It has been nearly a century. You would think that he'd have learned by now."

Kazuki chuckled, a slow smirk on his lips as he looked up at her from under his thick brows, "You fluster easily, you know."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "Do tell, Kazuki-kun."

"You remember when we first met?" he smirked.

Her eyes narrowed. "I was untrained, and as you know you are made to draw people in."

"But you got so flustered," he teased, laughing heartily.

She glared at him, allowing the spark to fly into her eyes. "One of these days, Kazuki, you will find someone that has that same effect on you and I will laugh."

He shrugged, setting his empty cup of tea down, "I truly doubt it, Mairi. Many have tried, many have died." he chuckled at his rhyme.

She snorted, an un-ladylike gesture she'd come to reserve for the drow's presence. "That they have, but not all will fail, I assure you." Mairi laughed to herself as she stood, walking over to the pantry and taking a few jars from it before heading back towards the kitchen. "I bet it will be some sweet little thing that just looks at you and makes your heart melt, and you will be utterly and completely powerless to resist anything that she says. It will be a most comical sight. The big, tough dark elf with the cold demeanor and rough edges completely undone by some squishy little girl with big eyes and a heart of gold."