Magic shows are meant to have surprises, right?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Los Angeles was everything Kurt Wagner could have hoped for and then some. True, most of the touristy stuff he had seen and celebrity sightings so far were spotted in the course of work (which in this case involved checking out a potential new student for the institute) so he couldn't exactly spend a lot of time drinking them in. But that didn't make it any less awesome. And now that the work was done, it was going to get even cooler!]

[The others didn't know what they were missing. How could anyone choose to spend the night at some famous restaurant or a traveling production of a play that was better on Broadway (practically in their own backyard!) when they could be here with him instead, watching a teenage magician who was already being billed as one of the best in the business?]

[That was fine. Kurt was having plenty of fun on his own. The magician more than lived up to the hype. And after a show that incredible, you can bet Kurt was going to jump at the chance to volunteer for her final trick of the evening. He probably didn't have much of a chance, given how...height challenged he was compared to the rest of the people clambering for attention around him. But what he lacked in height he made up for with enthusiasm! (And the judicious use of his seat as a step stool.)] Hier! Hier!

Comments

[fuzzybluegecko]

[To which Kurt responded by yelping comically, stumbling backwards, tripping over his own tail, and falling on his bum.] Ow! My tail, man! [he whined as he plucked the strip of paper off his own forehead. A few dark hairs came away with the tape, causing him to wince and glare at it.]

[Then his own words registered on his brain, and he eyed her warily as he hurriedly amended himself.] Tail-bone. My tail-bone's gonna be super sore later.

[sleightadvantage]

[The warding charm wasn't meant to do anything other than be a distraction while she got a better look at him, so his falling came as a surprise. She initially rushed forward to help him up but stopped short when he complained about the tail, and then she took a step back. Her eyes went wide, his attempt to cover ignored.]

I knew it! There's no way that's puppetry or animatronics or... or...

[It was then that she looked at him, really looked. Not only was he blue with a tail, but his hands were... well, short by at least four fingers, and his feet short even more toes, and there was just no way even the most skilled magician would be able to pull off a change like that in the short amount of time he was in that box, without any time to prep ahead, which only really left one, crazy possibility.]

...Are you a yokai!?

[fuzzybluegecko]

['Verdammt!' The panic he had felt so recently in the 'teleportation chamber' rushed through him again, filling his chest with a cold pressure that made breathing more difficult. His bright eyes and white fangs flashed against the darkness of his fur as he grimaced. Scooting away from her, he held up his patently inhuman hands defensively in front of his chest.]

I'm not, I swear! [he pleaded, his voice pitched high and quick.] I know I don't look it, but I'm just a normal teen.

[sleightadvantage]

[She stared at his hands, and yep, two fingers short on each one. This was definitely not normal. In a rare turn of events, she found herself entirely speechless.]

[Then a knock at the door made her jump.]

...Miss Wright? Everything okay in there?

[It was one of the security guards. Dragging her gaze away from Kurt, she glanced briefly at the door and realized she hadn't locked it. Maybe that was a good thing, in this case? But...]

[She turned back to Kurt. He looked terrified.]

[Worrying her lip, she answered:] ...Yep! [It sounded strained, even to her own ears, but as she continued to force words out, they resembled something closer to her usual tone.] Just talking shop with a fellow magician!

...Alright. [There was hesitance there. Trucy couldn't blame him. Her exit that night wasn't typical, and she rarely took anyone besides close friends and family to her dressing room. She only hoped he took her word.] Well, I'll still be here for a while, so if you need anything...

Okay! [It was a relief to know that, though thinking it made her feel guilty. It wasn't as if Kurt had done anything to make her feel unsafe, but... well...]

[Never taking her eyes off him, she continued responding to the guard.] Thank you! I'll let you know when I'm leaving.

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Just when he thought things couldn't possibly get worse, there was a knock on the door.]

[With a sharp intake of breath, he snapped his gaze to the door and froze there, unable to look away from the thin wood which was the only thing that stood between a very precarious position and outright disaster. One word from the formerly sweet and friendly magician would be all it took to put his privacy, and possibly his safety, at risk. He tried to tell himself things were different now, that he had the skills and training to get out of there if worse came to worst, but experience had taught him some extremely harsh lessons in his short years. No outcome was guaranteed.]

[The pounding of his heart and his harsh, rapid breathing seemed to fill the heavy silence that followed the stranger's question. He finally tore his gaze away from the door to fix Trucy Wright with a stare which was undoubtedly dripping with desperation.]

[It felt like an hour before the magician finally answered the man. When she did, Kurt released a ragged breath and slumped on the floor for a moment, his head in his hands, back bowed, and unusual legs curled awkwardly into an cross-legged position. He wasn't out of the woods yet. Kurt knew he was facing some sort of backlash once the magician got rid of the immediate threat. But at least he could take advantage of the temporary reprieve to get his breathing under control.]

[sleightadvantage]

[Her response was met with initial silence, until the guard muttered something a moment later, and the sound of retreating footsteps could be heard beyond the door. Trucy slowly released a breath she hadn't been aware of holding. Without waiting for a chance to second guess herself, she turned and swiftly locked the door.]

[When she looked back, the sight of Kurt curled in on himself made her heart ache. Shoving bewilderment and caution aside, she took a few, small steps towards him and knelt.]

...You're not really a magician, are you?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Not for the first time that night, the magician surprised him. After an excruciating pause, he heard the click of the door being locked and then soft footsteps... Footsteps which were approaching him. Cautiously he lifted his head and found himself staring into dark blue eyes. He sucked in a breath and held it for a long beat then averted his gaze, rounding his shoulders and clasping his strange hands together in his lap. His tail tucked itself around his body, mostly hidden under his crossed legs.]

...Nein. Es tut mir Leid. I kind of panicked. [He glanced up and gave her a small, sheepish smile.] It was the best I could come up with on the fly. ...Pretty smooth, ja? [The last bit was said with a hefty dose of self-deprecation.]

[sleightadvantage]

[She couldn't help but examine his face as looked up, noting the unusual, slight glow to his eyes, and his pointy, elf-like ears. Jinxie would be having a fit, she thought. That is, of course, assuming her friend wouldn't have completely passed out by now.]

[He ha a friendly smile, though, which went a long way towards easing whatever misgivings Trucy had. She smiled at him in return.] Well, you had me fooled! For a little while, anyway. And believe me, that's not an easy feat!

[She shifted onto both knees then, putting them on an equal level as she considered her next words.]

But... I'm not crazy, right? The, um... your tail... [She glanced down, seeing it was largely hidden away now, and looked back up.] It's real?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[His tail reappeared and curved up to eye level. Perhaps it looked a little too much like a posturing cobra for the average person's comfort, but then the spade tip pointed towards her nose and waggled playfully, and his teasing grin further dispelled any threat that may have been inherent in the gesture.] As real as the rest of me. It's all part of the package.

[Then his smile wavered a little.] I really wasn't lying about the demon thing though. [There was a plea lurking in his pale golden eyes. Nothing like the sheer dread from before, but it was clear his fears weren't completely allayed yet.] Besides the, uh...super obvious and ultimately insignificant details, I really am just an average exchange student. I'm from Germany, not Hell, and I'd rather hunt for greasy American food than souls.

[sleightadvantage]

[She eyed his tail as if hypnotized, just completely awed by it. The memory of pretending to be a cat when she was little suddenly surfaced and, with it, the memory of wondering what it would be like to have a tail. But she knew even a cat didn't have this kind of control!]

[Honestly, it was really kinda cool.]

[The spell broke when his tone shifted, and she looked back to find a plea in his eyes. As his words sank in, she cringed at herself, chagrined.]

Oh... Sorry about the demon thing. I have a friend who's obsessed with yokai and is sure they're real. [She offered an apologetic smile.] I thought for a second maybe she was right!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Honestly, he was just relieved (and a little awed) that she wasn't afraid of him. He readily waved away her apology, though the smile he gave her in return was tinged with melancholy.]

It's all right. It's not the first time. ['And it probably won't be the last.' He allowed himself the briefest moment to wallow in self-pity, but left the bitter truth unspoken. Instead, he held up his hand to show off the inducer on his wrist.] I got this when I came to America. The handsome devil you saw earlier was just a disguise, a hologram. But this thing is, ah...finicky. [He stuck his tongue out, irritably.] It went on the fritz during the teleportation trick.

[sleightadvantage]

[That tinge of melancholy wasn't missed. Trucy felt sorry for him, imagining the kinds of hardships he might face. But then again, he definitely didn't look like this when she called him on stage, so how...?]

--Oh! [It seemed she need only wait a moment longer for the answer to that question. She blinked at what looked like normal, if not a little extra techy, wristwatch, eyes wide.] I was just about to ask! A hologram... [She leaned in close, as if she could divine the technology needed to create such a device just by looking at it. Already the wheels were turning for magical applications...] I didn't think anything like this existed...

[fuzzybluegecko]

I didn't either, until it was given to me. Without it, I wouldn't be able to do a fraction of the stuff I get to do. [He cradled his wrist in his other hand. Seeing the device through a stranger's eyes brought back the awe he had felt when he first received it. Flawed or not, the inducer had literally changed his life. He would always be grateful for it...even if he sometimes needed to be reminded of that fact.]

[Frowning, he took the inducer off and, in the grand tradition adhered to by all good tech support agents, he started poking it.] Like go to cool magic shows and walk down Hollywood Boulevard. Man, if I can't get this thing working again, my chaperone's gonna ground me for the rest of the trip.

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy frowned at it.] Did you try turning it off and on?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Kurt slowly looked up, stared at her, then sheepishly pushed the button on the side of the device. Once, twice. Suddenly, the furry, blue teen was replaced by the pale, normal looking teen once again. Kurt pumped his arms in triumph.] Yes! I can't believe that--

[Then the inducer shorted again, the barely audible bzzt preceding the return of the fuzzy dude. Kurt gawped at his own hands.] Aw man!

[sleightadvantage]

[She smiled brightly when it seemed to work... then jumped with a start when the watch shorted, and ultimately deflated when it obviously failed.] Aww... That usually works for my dad's stuff.

[fuzzybluegecko]

Yeah. [He sighed, dejected.] It was a good idea, anyway. Guess I'll have to call Logan and have him pick me up somewhere safe. And forfeit the rest of my chances to play the stupid tourist in the process.

[sleightadvantage]

[The idea of him having to hide away during the rest of his trip didn't sit well with her, but... well, she wasn't dumb, but this sort of thing was way out of her wheelhouse.]

Maybe we could find someone to fix it. You shouldn't have to give up on your touristy dreams of greasy American goodness!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Kurt was surprised into laughter by the response.] Love the enthusiasm, but I'm not sure we could. Usually my, uh...host is the one who fixes it, and he's not on this trip. [He held the inducer up to examine it.] It's pretty high tech. I don't even know if an average techy type could fix it. You don't happen to know any computer repair super geniuses, do you?

[sleightadvantage]

[She thought about it for a second.] Well... I do, actually, but she's in prison right now. [It was a shame, because Aura Blackquill probably could fix it, and she kind of owed Trucy one for the whole hostage situation... She struggled to think of anyone else who might come close to that level of genius.] Maybe Athena would know something about it...

Need a more O_O icon

[fuzzybluegecko]

[The rest of what she said went right over his head.] Prison?

need more icons in general!

[sleightadvantage]

Huh? [Oh, right. Most normal people didn't know that many criminals.] Oh, well, my daddy's a lawyer, so we actually know a few people in prison. She didn't kill anyone, though!

The sad truth

[fuzzybluegecko]

O-oh... That's good. [It came out as more of a question than a statement. He was having trouble sifting through all of that.] Would it be rude of me to ask what she did do?

[sleightadvantage]

She took some people hostage. [She glanced aside, neglecting to mention that she was one of said people. When she looked back, she wore a small, rueful smile.] I'm not gonna pretend it wasn't serious. But, well, that's why she's in prison. It's just unfortunate because she is a tech genius.

[fuzzybluegecko]

['Yikes. Among other reasons.'] Ach, yeah. Really...unfortunate.

[He wasn't quite sure what else to say to that. That moment of hesitation he thought he caught could have indicated some closeness to this convict. Further questions might not have been welcome, and no matter what answers he got, they certainly wouldn't help his current situation. Deciding to err on the side of caution, he paused for what he hoped was a respectful length of time then said] So, you said someone else you know may be able to help?