[ He arrives a couple minutes before he said he was going to, spotting her by the turnstiles and grinning before he lowered his hood and deactivated the cloaking spell. ]
Hey, gorgeous. [ a wide grin ]
Good to see you. You all set? I hope you brought running shoes.
There shouldn’t be any patrols up there today, but I’m not exactly a welcome sight, so it’s alwayd best to be prepared.
[ He flashed a grin and then pulled out his metropass - one that he had enchanted years ago to always work without buying a new one, despite the anti-magic enchantments the turnstiles has. ]
And I thought we could have some fun after dinner.
You got me in trouble he very first time we met, but who's counting, right?
[Not her, absolutely not.]
My Clan doesn't do Necromancy and none of our family is buried there, so no, I haven't been. Is that your idea of a fun date night? Taking a girl to a cemetery? Because if it is, your game plan needs work.
[ The train rolled in just as they hit the platform, and though it was fairly busy they were able to snag a couple seats. ]
Not just any cemetery. A cemetery that just happens to have some of the best illusion magic in the city. So good that only a few people even know there’s magic at all. You like illusion magic, right?
[She sighs and looks away, actually looking a little mad.]
You told me you were taking me out to dinner because you knew if you'd told me everything, I would have said no. How am I supposed to feel about that, huh?
I knew it was suspicious of you to offer to pay and everything.
Look, I'm not going to force you to go or anything. We can still have dinner. I just wanted to take a look at a few things and I knew it was something you had an interest in, too.
... Don't make that face and make me look like the bad guy now. You don't spring a cemetery date on someone at unawares. It's kind of not the done thing, you know?
[Ah, but this time, it looks like she's the one who said too much. But really, they haven't know each other that long and...]
... I don't know, Fox. I don't really know that much about you.
[And she gets it. He needs the anonymity to stay safe, and she likes to stay out of trouble so she's never pressed him too much for information. Also, she figures everyone he meets must be trying to get to know more, so since he revealed himself to her, albeit accidentally, she's gone the opposite route, letting him say what he's comfortable with and not asking too much.]
I know what the people around me say about you. I know a lot of it is bullshit you probably planted yourself and the rest is gossip. But I also know that you're a lot better at what you do than most of them can even imagine. So why would you be interested in someone like me, huh? I'm not good at magic. There's nothing I know how to do that you couldn't do in your sleep, and none of the things you can do I can learn because I just don't have the raw power to make it work.
The only thing I do well is cook.
[It's not very often that her insecurities and feelings of inadequacy rear their ugly heads, but when they do, they do it hard.]
[ He was quiet for a long moment, a frown slowly pinching at his brow. ]
You were kind. And you were cute. Before you even had any idea of who I was.
[ He looked back at her. ]
Don’t think like that. I’m not here to get something out of you. I don’t care what magic you can or can’t do. I mean I love talking magic don’t get me wrong, but...
[ He let out a breath and dropped his eyes to his feet. ]
Most people don’t like me much. Not for long, anyway. They like what I do and they’re happy to use it, and it’s fine by me because it means I can get a night’s rest or whatever but.. mm. They like the mask, not the man. I guess. So they get disillusioned fast.
[ The corner of his mouth twitched up. ]
You knew I can be a fucking idiot from the first moment you met me, and you’re still kind to me. And you never ask me for anything and sigh when I try to do anything for you anyway.
[She's looking down at her hands in her lap, holding her phone, as she listens to him talk.
It's weird, it's like they're strangely similar all of a sudden, used to people approaching them not for themselves, but what they represent. Liushu has lost count of how many people cozied up to her to try and get an in with the Zhang Clan. She's become more closed off with the years as a result, always bright and cheery and happy on the outside, but difficult to really approach.
Except, it seems, by this gremlin here who decided he liked the fire runes her aunties use for cooking, apparently.
She grimaces half a smile and then moves to bump shoulders with him.]
... I guess it's good that I was barely paying attention when people used to talk about everything you supposedly did, then.
[ He smiled - not his usual cheeky grin but something small and soft and warm. He bumped her shoulder back. ]
Well that’s definitely true. And you don’t even need glamour magic to do it.
[ He paused, feeling a little awkward suddenly, not used to being quite so honest about how he was feeling and not really sure what to do with himself now. But after a couple seconds he looked back at her, the smile turning mischievous again. ]
Now go on and tell me that you don’t want to see a mausoleum that has been illusioned to look like a tree that somehow manages to avoid every magic detection spell yet developed, huh? Tell me that you’re not at least a little curious.
The glamour enhances it only. The source material has to be great for it to work.
[But then he gives her the smile again. She knows the smile.]
Fox. I'm...
[He looks very curious himself, and she knows he'll be disappointed that she isn't, really.]
... I'd lie if I said that was my idea of a fun evening outing. And I have to guess the reason why you want to go at night is because it's in a restricted area, too.
A-aw, come on. All the fun places are restricted areas!
[ He sigh and sank into his seat a little. ]
Alright, alright, cemetery clearly isn’t a winner. I’ll think of something better while we stuff our faces with sushi. I’d suggest a movie if I thought I could sit still the whole time. Maybe just go dancing?
[ A slight beat. ]
... a lot of the forest hill houses supposedly have some really complex warding magic—
[She rolls her eyes at the pout, but she won't actually make him sit through a movie, because that would be torture for her too to have to sit through a movie with him in the next seat.
She's about to agree with the dancing when he starts again with the warding spells and she elbows him.]
Going from cemetery to breaking into private properties is not the upgrade you think it is, Fox!
Let's have food first, and if you feel like you need to move, there are some nice clubs int he area that I'd offer to help you get in, but I'm pretty sure you can go in even without my help.
It’s a great upgrade!! You should see those yards!!
[ But he laughs, so he must not be too put out. ]
Well, might be nice to go to one without sneaking in for once. [ He hummed and then grinned. ] Though wouldn’t you be worried about your uncle catching wind of you hanging out with a guy like me?
He knows I hang out with guys. He just pretends he doesn't know for his own sanity. Besides, who would even recognize you? They don't even know what your face looks like.
[Which is a damn shame, because Fox is very pretty, but anyway....]
Besides, no one would question anyone I go in with. I might not be Instagram famous, but these people still know who I am.
[Liushu rarely uses her social status to get ahead anywhere most of the time, bit getting into a club is a legitimate use of it.]
I more meant my face in general, [ he teased her, gesturing, but didn’t elaborate. ]
And trust me. It’s amazing. All you can eat and super cheap compared.
[ They were suddenly bathed in bright sunlight as the train left Bloor station, rocketing towards Rosdale, above ground for the first time on their trip. Three stops to go.
When they arrived, the walk up to the sushi place was only a couple blocks north on Yonge. It didn’t look like much from the outside, the sign a cheerful but gaudy blue and yellow, and the restaurant a tiny one room place. But he grinned as he led her in. ]
[She actually does trust Fox to find good food for cheap. She's fed him enough to know he keeps the bare minimum around for eating, so he knows the good spots. And the fish definitely keeps its promises.
But she's definitely not breaking into either a cemetery or someone's garden with him afterwards just to look at the enchantments so she'll drag him towards the clubs instead.]
Do you have a place to sleep tonight?
[Probably not, if he asked her to come eat with him, but you never know.]
Mmm, I can probably crash at Jade’s, but I haven’t asked yet.
[ He lets himself be dragged to the clubs, but he makes her stop on the way so he can edit his clothes. Apparently it’s not just the decals - he can change the shape and colour and cut, too, though it takes a few minutes. What results is a slightly more upscale looking version of his original outfit, with some sparkle to it, and a shirt that has a shimmering pattern on it rather than a rude slogan.
If Jade wants you, she can have you. But on the off chance that she's not around, you can crash on my couch.
[Or in her bed, she's not picky, really.
She looks him up and down after he changes his clothes and gives him a little nod of approval, and as promised, it's easy enough for her to get admitted and jump the queue and bring him in with no one giving him a second glance even with no cloaking spells. But she'll get the drinks once inside because they're probably out of his price range.
And hopefully, dancing for a few hours will help him settle down a little. And if not, he can go on his little spell-finding adventure and come back when he's done.]
Jade never wants me. Jade just sometimes has the patience to put up with me, there’s a difference.
[ And she was pretty tsun, even with her friends.
It’s a novelty to get into a club so easy, especially without getting a side glance or being clocked for whether or not he’s carrying a weapon. Seems notoriety has a few perks, and he gives her a grin when she orders the drinks. ]
So, you wanna dance? I bet we could show up a lot of the people here.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Hey, gorgeous. [ a wide grin ]
Good to see you. You all set? I hope you brought running shoes.
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[She looks down at her feet. She's wearing some slightly altered, fashionable combat boots that lace up to mid-calf over her jeans.]
I thought this was a dinner date. Why would I need running shoes?
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[ He flashed a grin and then pulled out his metropass - one that he had enchanted years ago to always work without buying a new one, despite the anti-magic enchantments the turnstiles has. ]
And I thought we could have some fun after dinner.
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[She follows him through with her own, legitimate pass, but frowns as he mentions 'fun'.]
What kind of 'fun'? Normal fun, or Fox fun? Did you seriously just drag me out because you needed a partner in crime?
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[ Though the way he was grinning might cast doubt on that assertion as he headed down the escalator to the trains. ]
I just thought we could see a few of the sights while it’s quiet! You been to the mount pleasant cemetery lately?
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[Not her, absolutely not.]
My Clan doesn't do Necromancy and none of our family is buried there, so no, I haven't been. Is that your idea of a fun date night? Taking a girl to a cemetery? Because if it is, your game plan needs work.
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[ The train rolled in just as they hit the platform, and though it was fairly busy they were able to snag a couple seats. ]
Not just any cemetery. A cemetery that just happens to have some of the best illusion magic in the city. So good that only a few people even know there’s magic at all. You like illusion magic, right?
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[She sighs and looks away, actually looking a little mad.]
You told me you were taking me out to dinner because you knew if you'd told me everything, I would have said no. How am I supposed to feel about that, huh?
I knew it was suspicious of you to offer to pay and everything.
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Look, I'm not going to force you to go or anything. We can still have dinner. I just wanted to take a look at a few things and I knew it was something you had an interest in, too.
I'm telling you now, aren't I?
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[Seriously, though... she's still looking slightly exasperated. And she pushes his foot with hers.]
If you lie to me again i'll fail my next attempt at fire magic under your ass. Is that clear? Just...
If we are actually friends and you're not just stringing me along until you find someone more interesting, don't fucking lie to me.
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I wasn’t trying to lie to you, I just figured it would be like a... surprise.
[ he leaned back in the red chair, expression wounded like a kicked puppy. ]
And what’s that supposed to mean? Stringing you along? What, you think I pick up friends like trinkets?
[ he turned his head, looking down the subway car. ]
How many friends do you think I have, that I would just ditch one?
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[Ah, but this time, it looks like she's the one who said too much. But really, they haven't know each other that long and...]
... I don't know, Fox. I don't really know that much about you.
[And she gets it. He needs the anonymity to stay safe, and she likes to stay out of trouble so she's never pressed him too much for information. Also, she figures everyone he meets must be trying to get to know more, so since he revealed himself to her, albeit accidentally, she's gone the opposite route, letting him say what he's comfortable with and not asking too much.]
I know what the people around me say about you. I know a lot of it is bullshit you probably planted yourself and the rest is gossip. But I also know that you're a lot better at what you do than most of them can even imagine. So why would you be interested in someone like me, huh? I'm not good at magic. There's nothing I know how to do that you couldn't do in your sleep, and none of the things you can do I can learn because I just don't have the raw power to make it work.
The only thing I do well is cook.
[It's not very often that her insecurities and feelings of inadequacy rear their ugly heads, but when they do, they do it hard.]
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You were kind. And you were cute. Before you even had any idea of who I was.
[ He looked back at her. ]
Don’t think like that. I’m not here to get something out of you. I don’t care what magic you can or can’t do. I mean I love talking magic don’t get me wrong, but...
[ He let out a breath and dropped his eyes to his feet. ]
Most people don’t like me much. Not for long, anyway. They like what I do and they’re happy to use it, and it’s fine by me because it means I can get a night’s rest or whatever but.. mm. They like the mask, not the man. I guess. So they get disillusioned fast.
[ The corner of his mouth twitched up. ]
You knew I can be a fucking idiot from the first moment you met me, and you’re still kind to me. And you never ask me for anything and sigh when I try to do anything for you anyway.
Why wouldn’t I want to be friends?
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It's weird, it's like they're strangely similar all of a sudden, used to people approaching them not for themselves, but what they represent. Liushu has lost count of how many people cozied up to her to try and get an in with the Zhang Clan. She's become more closed off with the years as a result, always bright and cheery and happy on the outside, but difficult to really approach.
Except, it seems, by this gremlin here who decided he liked the fire runes her aunties use for cooking, apparently.
She grimaces half a smile and then moves to bump shoulders with him.]
... I guess it's good that I was barely paying attention when people used to talk about everything you supposedly did, then.
And I'm always cute. Always.
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Well that’s definitely true. And you don’t even need glamour magic to do it.
[ He paused, feeling a little awkward suddenly, not used to being quite so honest about how he was feeling and not really sure what to do with himself now. But after a couple seconds he looked back at her, the smile turning mischievous again. ]
Now go on and tell me that you don’t want to see a mausoleum that has been illusioned to look like a tree that somehow manages to avoid every magic detection spell yet developed, huh? Tell me that you’re not at least a little curious.
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[But then he gives her the smile again. She knows the smile.]
Fox. I'm...
[He looks very curious himself, and she knows he'll be disappointed that she isn't, really.]
... I'd lie if I said that was my idea of a fun evening outing. And I have to guess the reason why you want to go at night is because it's in a restricted area, too.
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A-aw, come on. All the fun places are restricted areas!
[ He sigh and sank into his seat a little. ]
Alright, alright, cemetery clearly isn’t a winner. I’ll think of something better while we stuff our faces with sushi. I’d suggest a movie if I thought I could sit still the whole time. Maybe just go dancing?
[ A slight beat. ]
... a lot of the forest hill houses supposedly have some really complex warding magic—
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She's about to agree with the dancing when he starts again with the warding spells and she elbows him.]
Going from cemetery to breaking into private properties is not the upgrade you think it is, Fox!
Let's have food first, and if you feel like you need to move, there are some nice clubs int he area that I'd offer to help you get in, but I'm pretty sure you can go in even without my help.
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[ But he laughs, so he must not be too put out. ]
Well, might be nice to go to one without sneaking in for once. [ He hummed and then grinned. ] Though wouldn’t you be worried about your uncle catching wind of you hanging out with a guy like me?
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[Which is a damn shame, because Fox is very pretty, but anyway....]
Besides, no one would question anyone I go in with. I might not be Instagram famous, but these people still know who I am.
[Liushu rarely uses her social status to get ahead anywhere most of the time, bit getting into a club is a legitimate use of it.]
I hope the sushi is good at least.
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And trust me. It’s amazing. All you can eat and super cheap compared.
[ They were suddenly bathed in bright sunlight as the train left Bloor station, rocketing towards Rosdale, above ground for the first time on their trip. Three stops to go.
When they arrived, the walk up to the sushi place was only a couple blocks north on Yonge. It didn’t look like much from the outside, the sign a cheerful but gaudy blue and yellow, and the restaurant a tiny one room place. But he grinned as he led her in. ]
Appearances can be deceiving. Trust me.
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But she's definitely not breaking into either a cemetery or someone's garden with him afterwards just to look at the enchantments so she'll drag him towards the clubs instead.]
Do you have a place to sleep tonight?
[Probably not, if he asked her to come eat with him, but you never know.]
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[ He lets himself be dragged to the clubs, but he makes her stop on the way so he can edit his clothes. Apparently it’s not just the decals - he can change the shape and colour and cut, too, though it takes a few minutes. What results is a slightly more upscale looking version of his original outfit, with some sparkle to it, and a shirt that has a shimmering pattern on it rather than a rude slogan.
But he offers her a grin. ]
Why? You inviting me back to yours?
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[Or in her bed, she's not picky, really.
She looks him up and down after he changes his clothes and gives him a little nod of approval, and as promised, it's easy enough for her to get admitted and jump the queue and bring him in with no one giving him a second glance even with no cloaking spells. But she'll get the drinks once inside because they're probably out of his price range.
And hopefully, dancing for a few hours will help him settle down a little. And if not, he can go on his little spell-finding adventure and come back when he's done.]
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Jade never wants me. Jade just sometimes has the patience to put up with me, there’s a difference.
[ And she was pretty tsun, even with her friends.
It’s a novelty to get into a club so easy, especially without getting a side glance or being clocked for whether or not he’s carrying a weapon. Seems notoriety has a few perks, and he gives her a grin when she orders the drinks. ]
So, you wanna dance? I bet we could show up a lot of the people here.
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