That's nice! I honestly wasn't sure you'd even remember me after you left, to be honest.
[It wasn't like a lot of people could come and say they had Fox dropping by to say 'hi', so after some times passed with no news she figured he'd just said that to be polite and moved on. So it's a really nice surprise.
After a while, though, she's going to pull on his hand and drag him away from the dance floor towards the bar, where she orders some shots, and then muscle her way to a table where one side look from her is apparently enough to make the guys sitting there scram to places unknown.
And once the shots are brought she's going to just knock one back straight on.]
Broken into any other interesting places lately? Except here?
[Did he even pay to get in? Probably not. with cloaking that good, none of the people here probably noticed him slip in. She only noticed something strange when he was practically right next to her.]
Oh, I wouldn’t call this breaking in, [ He said with a laugh. He had not paid. Cover fees were highway robbery, anyway, as far as he was concerned. He reaches for a shot and knocks it back - someone inexpertly, though he tries to look cool. ]
But I did spend some time in the Rosedale vault. If you could really call it a vault. You think with that much money they’d be able to afford better protection spells. Can’t say it was that interesting, though, turns out a lot of their magic is based around illusions, and not even super unique ones. So I suspect any of their really complex stuff is probably held by indivuals rather than the sect as a whole.
[ He reached for a second shot, but just sort of tapped his fingers around the glass before looking at her. ]
Nah. Once I told them it was you and showed them your sleeve, they pretty much forgot about me and got into emergency planning more to reinforce the wards and maze arrays around the place. My brother did freak out a bit, but only because he wanted to be sure I was okay. Like he expected you to have attacked me, or something.
[Her brother can be a little irrational sometimes when it comes to her and her safety.]
So you really had nothing better to do tonight than come say hello to the girl who found you with your hand in the spirit jar a month ago?
[ He chuckled. ] Seems my rep is still intact, then. I have literally never once hurt anyone, but that seems to be a pretty pervasive part of the myth. Maybe it’s so that people save face, I don’t know.
[ He flashed her a grin. ] You say that like it’s a waste of time to pay my debts, [ He teased. ] Pretty sure I owe you at least one decent night out. And I said I would, didn’t I?
[ He leaned back, smiling amusedly as he looked around the club. ]
Besides, crowded places like this are always a good way to show off. Should I show you something fun? Pick an animal.
[She knocks back another shot, and then looks him up and down for a few seconds.]
I'm not gonna say you look like you wouldn't hurt a fly... more like you would hurt the fly, but then you'd feel really bad for the fly afterwards. and it's true that from the rumors I'd have expected you to be more.... I don't know. They always make you out to be this spooky, really dangerous guy.
['Really dangerous' she can believe. he'd have to be to get into the sword shrine and stay in undetected as long a she did. But mostly, he just looked like a kid her age who had too much power and time on his hands.]
Heh? Show off? Why do I need to choose an animal? A boar, I guess?
[.... Well, she is a Nie, after all, so hope you were not expecting her to choose something cute like a bunny or a bird, Fox.]
Well, better for them to think that than to think I’m a horrible nerd, [ He said with a laugh. ] People are always afraid of what they don’t understand, and are happy to other you as quickly as possible. You think my rep would protect me if they knew who I actually was? At least this way most people leave me alone.
[ He was smiling as he said it, though, warm and amused, as he pulled his shot closer toward him. Instead of drinking it, though, he dipped two fingers into the alcohol and then started tracing symbols on the table. ]
A boar, huh. Not quite as flashy as a tiger or a dragon, but it’ll do. Don’t turn to look behind you until you hear other people make noise - don’t want to project that you know what’s coming.
[ He grinned, and then started to murmur to himself as he drew, wetting his fingers a couple more times. Finally he completed it, leaned in to blow across the liquid, offering a first breath, and—
A second later there were shocked gasps from the dance floor, everyone quickly moving out of the way of the large, pale spectral boar that had appeared there. It raised its head, snorted soundlessly and waved its tusks before it started to charge around the room. People scrambled to get out of the way, but even when they couldn’t, the boar just passed through them like it wasn’t there, continuing on it’s stampede. ]
I don't even know what you need to protect yourself from. The way the Elders talk about you, you'd think you're the boogeyman or something.
[There is a lot of 'information' floating around about Fox. Huaisang knows better than to believe most of it, and meeting him, she can see she wasn't wrong.
She watches the drawing with curiosity and follows his instructions not to turn around right away, and then when she does she laughs at the panic around, emptying another shot.
And then smiling at him.]
That's cute. But I hope that's not how you show off normally. Even I know how to do something like that and everyone knows I suck at almost everything.
Your cloaking spells are a lot more impressive. I wish I could make mine half as good as yours.
... Does it make a difference, drawing those with alcohol?
[She works mostly with traditional ink, even if she's dabbled in other things, and she knows that in an emergency, a sharpie works just fine. But it's interesting to see, and his rune work is unlike anything she's ever seen.]
You create your own stuff almost from scratch, don't you? I wish I could do that too.
Well, maybe I am, in a sort of way. I’m definitely a threat to their worldview, if nothing else.
[ He chuckled, then ran his fingers through the array. The boar instantly turned into a fox, who did one jump and then disappeared - his signature. Everyone burst into chatter and Fox looked amused and pleased with himself.
Small pleasures. ]
Yes, well, cloaking spells unfortunately don’t make for a good public show. I just like reminding people I exist, sometime. Though I’d be up for seeing yours - most people aren’t very good at illusion magic, you know. It requires a good imagination. But I’m really not surprised that you fit that description.
[ He took the rest of the shot and tipped it back. ]
The alcohol? Not really. It’s about the same material component value, but it leaves less of a trace. No paper to burn.
[ He grinned, and nodded. ] I think I’d get bored following everything by rote. Something tells me that you might understand that.
Yeah, but you know the difference between flashy and impressive, don't you?
[She certainly does. None of what she can do well is flashy by any means, not in the way the Nie sect is used to being flashy. Blade magic is something that requires flashiness almost as a rule. But she sucks at it and she knows it, so she's focused on other areas and just hasn't told anyone who doesn't absolutely need to know.
And as it turns our, illusion magic is one of her strengths. She smiles at him.]
You're already seeing one of mine. I'm wearing one right now.
[After all, why bother buying super expensive make up - although eyeliner can also be great for tracing runes quickly on skin - when you can just glamour your face the way you want it to look?]
[ He grinned and raised his arm, pulling down his sleeve a little to reveal one of his tattoos. When he touched it, it glowed softly, and a second later there was a similar glow in his eyes. ]
Ohh, nice. Glamour make up. Very subtle, I like it.
[ He released his tattoo and his eyes faded back to their normal green. ]
Alright, here, I’ll show you some textile magic. Watch this.
[ He hummed, tracing a couple lines on his sleeve, before slowly the fabric started shimmering and shifting. A moment later, it looked like a completely different shirt, texture, cut and everything. ]
Is that... a way to see through illusion charms? You tattooed it on yourself?
[Most people she knew would use straight qi or a paper talisman... a tattoo seemed a little excessive, unless he expected to have to use that kind of spell a lot.
She watches his next offering with wide eyes, and even wider when she touches the fabric and tests it between her fingers.]
... You actually can go down to the molecular level? That's... super precise.
[She definitely can't do transfiguration on that level.
Of course, whatever spells he's wearing means no one is really paying attention to them, but by now the noise of the club and the throng of people are just a bother, plus she's starting to get hungry.]
Hey, Let's go somewhere else. Grab some food somewhere quieter.
Not just illusion magic, [ He said smugly. This, after all, was a spell of his own design - and one he would probably be chased down for if many people knew. Which was why he was immediately bragging about it to a girl he’d met twice. ] I can see almost all sources of magic, this way. Wards, protection spells, trap spells. It has to be super advanced to be able to go unseen with this.
[ And explained how he managed to get by so many of them. ]
Not quite molecular. It’s still the same material - it won’t change cotton to silk. But weave, colour, that sort of thing is easy enough.
[ He stood up at her suggestion, stretching like a cat. ]
Sure, sounds good to me. Someplace you got in mind?
[Her eyes widen again as he explain what the design actually does, and dart down to the tattoo himself and then back up.]
.... Should you really be showing me this? Do you know how many people would kill to get this hands on a spell like that? You're crazy!
[They've literally met twice and the first time was when he was breaking into her family's ancestral shrine and now he's showing her something that would put a target on his head three times over if anyone knew he had it?
Boys really are stupid. In some sort of way, because to tell the truth, if he put on his cloaking spell and left she wouldn't be able to catch him but still!
And she knows no one will be listening in, but it still doesn't feel comfortable talking about this here.]
Let's just find a place with good burgers. I'm hungry.
[And unlike most girls her age, dieting is not in her vocabulary. Maybe she's lucky in terms of metabolism - her brother does lament that she can't seem to bulk up or gain the muscle mass needed for the saber. So when she eats, she eats.
She goes to garb her coat at the entrance and slip out after waving good bye to a few people. Once outside, she sighs and looks up at the night sky, then quickly checks her phone before putting it back in her pocket.]
.... You're lucky I'm not as blade-happy as most of my family, I hope you know that. And that I know I don't even have enough qi to work something so complicated. If i were someone else, they might have already tried to cut off your arm.
[ He activates his cloaking spells and seems to disappear from her side, but when she’s back outside again he is suddenly right beside her, grinning. ]
I wouldn’t talk to anyone else in your family. And even if they took my arm, it wouldn’t do them any good. The enchantment would be broken and there’s a lot more to it than the design, so they wouldn’t be able to replicate it.
If you were ever going to cut off my arm, it would have been when you could just feed my corpse to your shrine and have me disappear off the face of the earth. I think I’m safe.
[Well he's not wrong, except that she could be hiding something or have been playing a long game.]
... I wouldn't have fed your corpse to the shrine, by the way. Then we would have one corpse too many and that would have tipped the balance.
And it's still incredibly intricate magic and you don't even really know me. I still think you're crazy. But whatever.
[She can understand the theory of what he showed her just fine. She wouldn't be able to perfectly replicate it, or even make it work with what she's working with, though. He must have a tremendous amount of power. Between that and the fact that he can maintain some level of cloaking almost at all times... yep, definitely way out of her league power wise.
And also....]
... I don't know how I should take the fact that even random strangers find me nonthreatening. Actually, probably as a compliment. I'd hate for anyone to think i can actually do stuff.
[She'll lead the way down a few streets, watching with interest how people barely seem to register he's here beyond a presence and smiling a bit to herself, because what he does with spell, she occasionally manages to do by just being herself. People frequently forget she is around, but someone like him has too much charisma and power to go unnoticed if he were to reveal himself. He's almost radiating, even with the cloaking.
She choose a smallish place, a mom and pop store that gives big portions and orders for the two of them - and pays too, handing the woman at the til her jade token. And once they're seated, she rests her chin on her hands.]
Did you really come to see me just to say hello and show me a few tricks that I really shouldn't have seen?
There’s a big deference between not being able to do anything and not being a threat to me in particular, [ He pointed out, sliding his hands into his pockets as they walked. ]
I don’t know. You just seemed like someone who it was worth showing it to. If that makes me crazy, then fine. What am I supposed to do when my illusion magic doesn’t impress!
[ He waited while she ordered their food, and slides into the chair opposite her, lounging ias he leaned over the table to grab a fry. ]
I thought we could be friends. [ He says it in the way a six year old might - cheerfully and without guile. ] Why, do you think I have some nefarious scheme afoot? [ He pops the fry in his mouth and then grins. ]
Honestly, I just didn’t have a place to crash tonight, so why not hang out for a few hours?
You can come to my place if you want to. I don't live at the family compound. I finally managed to convince my brother I needed my own place and some privacy. It's all guys over thee and it's frankly stifling at times. And it helps if I can show i can make it on my own a little.
[She's still expected to go back for her lessons and assemblies and anything related to the Clan, but at least she has her own space.]
You can stay for a few days if you really need a place to rest. I don't mind.
Yeah, I can tell I’m starting to annoy Jade again and she probably needs to get laid, but having a random guy on your couch tends to keep the ladies away. [ He said it easily and without any trace of shame, grabbing another fry. This was, perhaps, part of the reason he was so hard to find: he had no permanent address.
At the offer, he lit up. ]
Yeah? You sure? I can pay you back with a couple enchantments, if that’s okay. I can do just about anything you need, if you’ve got the components.
Yeah, it's fine. I live on my own anyway, and it's not like I have people randomly dropping by a lot.
[Not that the location is secret, her friends know where she lives, but she keeps it private.]
I don't need you to pay me back. Just meeting you and talking with you, that's... probably the most interesting thing that's happened to me lately. Too bad I won't be able to tell anyone.
[Because no one would even believe her.]
Finish your food first. We can buy some drinks on the way back.
... Okay. Well I have more food at home if you're still hungry later.
[She knows a few people like that. She's pretty sure Wei-xiong would forget to eat if his sister didn't remind him to.]
And it's fine, I don't need you to pay for me. I'm a big girl. Come on now, finish it and let's go.
[True to her word, she stops at small store for a pack of beer on the way back before leading the way to her home.
It's in a good part of town of course, in a nice but non-descript high rise. Her name is on the mailbox but also, for people who can see it, a hidden Nie Sect sigil. And once they get to her floor, the presence of protection wards will be more than apparent. And they're not just the kind you put up to trip when someone goes through. They block sound and appear designed to actually repel some lower level offensive spells like a shield.
She unlocks her door, throws the keys on the console in the entrance and calls out.]
Lights on!
[The lights in the living room come on as well as several small ambient lights in the corridors and one in the kitchen.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[It wasn't like a lot of people could come and say they had Fox dropping by to say 'hi', so after some times passed with no news she figured he'd just said that to be polite and moved on. So it's a really nice surprise.
After a while, though, she's going to pull on his hand and drag him away from the dance floor towards the bar, where she orders some shots, and then muscle her way to a table where one side look from her is apparently enough to make the guys sitting there scram to places unknown.
And once the shots are brought she's going to just knock one back straight on.]
Broken into any other interesting places lately? Except here?
[Did he even pay to get in? Probably not. with cloaking that good, none of the people here probably noticed him slip in. She only noticed something strange when he was practically right next to her.]
no subject
But I did spend some time in the Rosedale vault. If you could really call it a vault. You think with that much money they’d be able to afford better protection spells. Can’t say it was that interesting, though, turns out a lot of their magic is based around illusions, and not even super unique ones. So I suspect any of their really complex stuff is probably held by indivuals rather than the sect as a whole.
[ He reached for a second shot, but just sort of tapped his fingers around the glass before looking at her. ]
Did I get you in a lot of trouble?
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[Her brother can be a little irrational sometimes when it comes to her and her safety.]
So you really had nothing better to do tonight than come say hello to the girl who found you with your hand in the spirit jar a month ago?
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[ He flashed her a grin. ] You say that like it’s a waste of time to pay my debts, [ He teased. ] Pretty sure I owe you at least one decent night out. And I said I would, didn’t I?
[ He leaned back, smiling amusedly as he looked around the club. ]
Besides, crowded places like this are always a good way to show off. Should I show you something fun? Pick an animal.
no subject
I'm not gonna say you look like you wouldn't hurt a fly... more like you would hurt the fly, but then you'd feel really bad for the fly afterwards. and it's true that from the rumors I'd have expected you to be more.... I don't know. They always make you out to be this spooky, really dangerous guy.
['Really dangerous' she can believe. he'd have to be to get into the sword shrine and stay in undetected as long a she did. But mostly, he just looked like a kid her age who had too much power and time on his hands.]
Heh? Show off? Why do I need to choose an animal? A boar, I guess?
[.... Well, she is a Nie, after all, so hope you were not expecting her to choose something cute like a bunny or a bird, Fox.]
no subject
[ He was smiling as he said it, though, warm and amused, as he pulled his shot closer toward him. Instead of drinking it, though, he dipped two fingers into the alcohol and then started tracing symbols on the table. ]
A boar, huh. Not quite as flashy as a tiger or a dragon, but it’ll do. Don’t turn to look behind you until you hear other people make noise - don’t want to project that you know what’s coming.
[ He grinned, and then started to murmur to himself as he drew, wetting his fingers a couple more times. Finally he completed it, leaned in to blow across the liquid, offering a first breath, and—
A second later there were shocked gasps from the dance floor, everyone quickly moving out of the way of the large, pale spectral boar that had appeared there. It raised its head, snorted soundlessly and waved its tusks before it started to charge around the room. People scrambled to get out of the way, but even when they couldn’t, the boar just passed through them like it wasn’t there, continuing on it’s stampede. ]
no subject
[There is a lot of 'information' floating around about Fox. Huaisang knows better than to believe most of it, and meeting him, she can see she wasn't wrong.
She watches the drawing with curiosity and follows his instructions not to turn around right away, and then when she does she laughs at the panic around, emptying another shot.
And then smiling at him.]
That's cute. But I hope that's not how you show off normally. Even I know how to do something like that and everyone knows I suck at almost everything.
Your cloaking spells are a lot more impressive. I wish I could make mine half as good as yours.
... Does it make a difference, drawing those with alcohol?
[She works mostly with traditional ink, even if she's dabbled in other things, and she knows that in an emergency, a sharpie works just fine. But it's interesting to see, and his rune work is unlike anything she's ever seen.]
You create your own stuff almost from scratch, don't you? I wish I could do that too.
no subject
[ He chuckled, then ran his fingers through the array. The boar instantly turned into a fox, who did one jump and then disappeared - his signature. Everyone burst into chatter and Fox looked amused and pleased with himself.
Small pleasures. ]
Yes, well, cloaking spells unfortunately don’t make for a good public show. I just like reminding people I exist, sometime. Though I’d be up for seeing yours - most people aren’t very good at illusion magic, you know. It requires a good imagination. But I’m really not surprised that you fit that description.
[ He took the rest of the shot and tipped it back. ]
The alcohol? Not really. It’s about the same material component value, but it leaves less of a trace. No paper to burn.
[ He grinned, and nodded. ] I think I’d get bored following everything by rote. Something tells me that you might understand that.
no subject
[She certainly does. None of what she can do well is flashy by any means, not in the way the Nie sect is used to being flashy. Blade magic is something that requires flashiness almost as a rule. But she sucks at it and she knows it, so she's focused on other areas and just hasn't told anyone who doesn't absolutely need to know.
And as it turns our, illusion magic is one of her strengths. She smiles at him.]
You're already seeing one of mine. I'm wearing one right now.
[After all, why bother buying super expensive make up - although eyeliner can also be great for tracing runes quickly on skin - when you can just glamour your face the way you want it to look?]
no subject
[ He grinned and raised his arm, pulling down his sleeve a little to reveal one of his tattoos. When he touched it, it glowed softly, and a second later there was a similar glow in his eyes. ]
Ohh, nice. Glamour make up. Very subtle, I like it.
[ He released his tattoo and his eyes faded back to their normal green. ]
Alright, here, I’ll show you some textile magic. Watch this.
[ He hummed, tracing a couple lines on his sleeve, before slowly the fabric started shimmering and shifting. A moment later, it looked like a completely different shirt, texture, cut and everything. ]
no subject
[Most people she knew would use straight qi or a paper talisman... a tattoo seemed a little excessive, unless he expected to have to use that kind of spell a lot.
She watches his next offering with wide eyes, and even wider when she touches the fabric and tests it between her fingers.]
... You actually can go down to the molecular level? That's... super precise.
[She definitely can't do transfiguration on that level.
Of course, whatever spells he's wearing means no one is really paying attention to them, but by now the noise of the club and the throng of people are just a bother, plus she's starting to get hungry.]
Hey, Let's go somewhere else. Grab some food somewhere quieter.
no subject
[ And explained how he managed to get by so many of them. ]
Not quite molecular. It’s still the same material - it won’t change cotton to silk. But weave, colour, that sort of thing is easy enough.
[ He stood up at her suggestion, stretching like a cat. ]
Sure, sounds good to me. Someplace you got in mind?
no subject
.... Should you really be showing me this? Do you know how many people would kill to get this hands on a spell like that? You're crazy!
[They've literally met twice and the first time was when he was breaking into her family's ancestral shrine and now he's showing her something that would put a target on his head three times over if anyone knew he had it?
Boys really are stupid. In some sort of way, because to tell the truth, if he put on his cloaking spell and left she wouldn't be able to catch him but still!
And she knows no one will be listening in, but it still doesn't feel comfortable talking about this here.]
Let's just find a place with good burgers. I'm hungry.
[And unlike most girls her age, dieting is not in her vocabulary. Maybe she's lucky in terms of metabolism - her brother does lament that she can't seem to bulk up or gain the muscle mass needed for the saber. So when she eats, she eats.
She goes to garb her coat at the entrance and slip out after waving good bye to a few people. Once outside, she sighs and looks up at the night sky, then quickly checks her phone before putting it back in her pocket.]
.... You're lucky I'm not as blade-happy as most of my family, I hope you know that. And that I know I don't even have enough qi to work something so complicated. If i were someone else, they might have already tried to cut off your arm.
no subject
I wouldn’t talk to anyone else in your family. And even if they took my arm, it wouldn’t do them any good. The enchantment would be broken and there’s a lot more to it than the design, so they wouldn’t be able to replicate it.
If you were ever going to cut off my arm, it would have been when you could just feed my corpse to your shrine and have me disappear off the face of the earth. I think I’m safe.
no subject
... I wouldn't have fed your corpse to the shrine, by the way. Then we would have one corpse too many and that would have tipped the balance.
And it's still incredibly intricate magic and you don't even really know me. I still think you're crazy. But whatever.
[She can understand the theory of what he showed her just fine. She wouldn't be able to perfectly replicate it, or even make it work with what she's working with, though. He must have a tremendous amount of power. Between that and the fact that he can maintain some level of cloaking almost at all times... yep, definitely way out of her league power wise.
And also....]
... I don't know how I should take the fact that even random strangers find me nonthreatening. Actually, probably as a compliment. I'd hate for anyone to think i can actually do stuff.
[She'll lead the way down a few streets, watching with interest how people barely seem to register he's here beyond a presence and smiling a bit to herself, because what he does with spell, she occasionally manages to do by just being herself. People frequently forget she is around, but someone like him has too much charisma and power to go unnoticed if he were to reveal himself. He's almost radiating, even with the cloaking.
She choose a smallish place, a mom and pop store that gives big portions and orders for the two of them - and pays too, handing the woman at the til her jade token. And once they're seated, she rests her chin on her hands.]
Did you really come to see me just to say hello and show me a few tricks that I really shouldn't have seen?
no subject
I don’t know. You just seemed like someone who it was worth showing it to. If that makes me crazy, then fine. What am I supposed to do when my illusion magic doesn’t impress!
[ He waited while she ordered their food, and slides into the chair opposite her, lounging ias he leaned over the table to grab a fry. ]
I thought we could be friends. [ He says it in the way a six year old might - cheerfully and without guile. ] Why, do you think I have some nefarious scheme afoot? [ He pops the fry in his mouth and then grins. ]
Honestly, I just didn’t have a place to crash tonight, so why not hang out for a few hours?
no subject
... You don't have anywhere to sleep?
[She ponders a moment.]
You can come to my place if you want to. I don't live at the family compound. I finally managed to convince my brother I needed my own place and some privacy. It's all guys over thee and it's frankly stifling at times. And it helps if I can show i can make it on my own a little.
[She's still expected to go back for her lessons and assemblies and anything related to the Clan, but at least she has her own space.]
You can stay for a few days if you really need a place to rest. I don't mind.
no subject
At the offer, he lit up. ]
Yeah? You sure? I can pay you back with a couple enchantments, if that’s okay. I can do just about anything you need, if you’ve got the components.
no subject
[Not that the location is secret, her friends know where she lives, but she keeps it private.]
I don't need you to pay me back. Just meeting you and talking with you, that's... probably the most interesting thing that's happened to me lately. Too bad I won't be able to tell anyone.
[Because no one would even believe her.]
Finish your food first. We can buy some drinks on the way back.
no subject
And that just sounds like we need to liven up your life a little, Huaisang.
[ He did as he was told, devouring his food quickly enough that it wasn’t clear when the last time he actually ate was.
He was pretty sure he’d eaten at least once today.
... Probably? ]
So we’re gonna have a bit of an afterparty, then? Sounds good to me. I can show you my flaming shots.
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[She's not going to say no to free stuff, after all.
And she watches hi devour his burger with a slightly amused look.]
You don't have your own place... but you do have money to feed yourself, right?
no subject
[ He looks up at the question and then flushed a little, embarrassed. ]
Ah— yeah, of course. I can make money doing enchantments whenever I need to, really. I just, Ah, don’t have the best eating habits. I tend to forget.
[ He laughed. ]
Don’t worry, I’ll treat you next time.
no subject
[She knows a few people like that. She's pretty sure Wei-xiong would forget to eat if his sister didn't remind him to.]
And it's fine, I don't need you to pay for me. I'm a big girl. Come on now, finish it and let's go.
[True to her word, she stops at small store for a pack of beer on the way back before leading the way to her home.
It's in a good part of town of course, in a nice but non-descript high rise. Her name is on the mailbox but also, for people who can see it, a hidden Nie Sect sigil. And once they get to her floor, the presence of protection wards will be more than apparent. And they're not just the kind you put up to trip when someone goes through. They block sound and appear designed to actually repel some lower level offensive spells like a shield.
She unlocks her door, throws the keys on the console in the entrance and calls out.]
Lights on!
[The lights in the living room come on as well as several small ambient lights in the corridors and one in the kitchen.]
Leave your shoes here.