"Good, 'cause my ancestors would so murder and disown me- in that order, yes- if I let this kind of stuff get out." He had a good reason, though. He remembered his mother telling him how she'd snuck girls in the hidden passageways when she was younger, both to impress them, and to have someplace more exciting to feel them up. He scrubbed at his face a bit to get the red away after a quick glance at Lei.
Clarence laughed, the nerves making it just a little breathless. "Yeah? Really? Sorry, that was-- that was a weird fucking thing to say, huh? Uh. I'm glad to hear that, though, happy…" A cough. "We're both here now. That's what matters." Lei looked a bit unsteady on her feet, hanging off of him more than before. He licked his lips. He was the same. What did that mean?
He was relieved at the suggestion, being given something to do other than overthink little details, read into anything too much. He ducked into an alcove (which Lei would have no trouble getting into), thick with old magic. It had a hazy, semi transparent sort of window, shimmering at the edges and looking into a darker room with an ominous fireplace. He presented it in a dramatic motion. "I give you… a 'sneaky painting'. A bit fancier than the kind you'd find in a cartoon, tons of interwoven enchantments, it's pretty much impossible to see through on the other side, specific measures to ward off people with powers for that included. This is the professional shit."
"I couldn't give you a true academic explanation for it all." He winced a bit at his next words, then huffed. "Can't even feel what leanings the magic has past 'it's definitely there, and from my family', but hell, damn if I can't talk it up."
They were just in time. The door into the room opened, a few of the drunk teenagers seeming to have gotten way lost, definitely not supposed to be in there. Clarence sneered. Then, he turned to Lei conspiratorially, leaning in. "They can't hear us either, you know, unless we get close enough to the illusion window. Old trick, very old, still fun. And useful. There's protections on stuff in the mansion, but it isn't like they know that, and lurkin' around like a huge disrespectful shitlord isn't cool either way."
He grinned. "...Wanna scare 'em off? If you do, be my guest. Don't be intimidated or anythin' either, never takes too much with these idiots, so you can have fun with it."
Clarence laughed, the nerves making it just a little breathless. "Yeah? Really? Sorry, that was-- that was a weird fucking thing to say, huh? Uh. I'm glad to hear that, though, happy…" A cough. "We're both here now. That's what matters." Lei looked a bit unsteady on her feet, hanging off of him more than before. He licked his lips. He was the same. What did that mean?
He was relieved at the suggestion, being given something to do other than overthink little details, read into anything too much. He ducked into an alcove (which Lei would have no trouble getting into), thick with old magic. It had a hazy, semi transparent sort of window, shimmering at the edges and looking into a darker room with an ominous fireplace. He presented it in a dramatic motion. "I give you… a 'sneaky painting'. A bit fancier than the kind you'd find in a cartoon, tons of interwoven enchantments, it's pretty much impossible to see through on the other side, specific measures to ward off people with powers for that included. This is the professional shit."
"I couldn't give you a true academic explanation for it all." He winced a bit at his next words, then huffed. "Can't even feel what leanings the magic has past 'it's definitely there, and from my family', but hell, damn if I can't talk it up."
They were just in time. The door into the room opened, a few of the drunk teenagers seeming to have gotten way lost, definitely not supposed to be in there. Clarence sneered. Then, he turned to Lei conspiratorially, leaning in. "They can't hear us either, you know, unless we get close enough to the illusion window. Old trick, very old, still fun. And useful. There's protections on stuff in the mansion, but it isn't like they know that, and lurkin' around like a huge disrespectful shitlord isn't cool either way."
He grinned. "...Wanna scare 'em off? If you do, be my guest. Don't be intimidated or anythin' either, never takes too much with these idiots, so you can have fun with it."
