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

[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?

[sleightadvantage]

[If she was fazed by the conversation or where it might lead, she displayed no signs other than that brief hesitation. When he switched topics, all that changed was the look of determination in her eyes.] My dad's coworker! She has a necklace that projects a sort of holographic computer! It goes on the fritz sometimes, so she must know some way to fix it.

[fuzzybluegecko]

Whoa! Sounds like she could be just what the doctor ordered! Do you know if she's busy tonight? [In his excitement, he sat up on his knees and leaned in close, forgetting for a moment the usual boundaries he kept up for other people's comfort. (It took a special disposition to be cool sharing your personal space with someone whose appearance was so unsettling.)]

[sleightadvantage]

[Fortunately for Kurt, Trucy (who was not overly concerned with personal space to begin with) had already come to the conclusion he was a good person when she saw his friendly, toothy grin. As far as she was concerned, his appearance was more interesting, a little shocking, and more than a little cool than it was unsettling.

Besides, if her instincts somehow proved wrong, impromptu magic shows weren't the only reason she kept throwing knives on her.]

Let's find out! [She hopped to her feet and made her way to the vanity, where she started rummaging through her bag. Moments later, she produced a cell phone and began typing.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Kurt eagerly followed, by now self-aware enough to keep a respectful distance, and more than self-aware enough to realize how remarkable it was that she let him get so close in the first place.]

[Along the way, some of his enthusiasm dwindled. By the time he came up beside her, his smile had faded.] Hey... You wouldn't happen to know her thoughts on fuzzy blue guys, huh?

[sleightadvantage]

[After sending the text, she looked up at him and hesitated. She'd love to say Athena was super open-minded (and she was!), but... Looking at him again, at the blue fur and the ears and the coincidentally demon-like tail, she was self-aware enough to know her own reaction was a bit... unorthodox. Her smile fell slightly.]

Um... well... no, but... [She gave it a moment of thought and seemingly came to a conclusion with renewed determination.] But I could say it's mine. For a new trick!

[fuzzybluegecko]

['Looks like I won't be making any more new friends tonight.' He gave her a rueful smile.] That could work. I can find a place to hide out while she's here.

[They were in a mostly empty theater. There had to be lots of shadowy spaces he could disappear into, Phantom of the Opera-syle.]

[sleightadvantage]

[She smiled sadly, hating that he had to hide. She almost suggested going with the magician act he tried to pull before, but if she could tell something was off, there was no question that Athena would be able to hear his nervousness. Though she hated to admit it, hiding was probably his best option.]

[She glanced down at her phone.]

That's if she even texts me back. Come on, Athena!

[fuzzybluegecko]

Yeah, Athena! You can't possibly have something better to do on a weekend! [He grinned as if that moment of melancholy had never happened.]

[sleightadvantage]

[She chuckled at that, even though it was possible Athena might be on a case right now. As far as she knew, there weren't any active investigations at the Wright Anything Agency, but that could always change at a moment's notice. All she could do was wait and see and hope that Athena answered sooner rather than later. At some point, Daddy would start to wonder why she wasn't home, yet...]

[She thumbed through a few of the notifications she'd gotten during the show but, seeing nothing important, soon set the phone aside to wait for a text from Athena. She smiled at Kurt then, tight-lipped, as if trying to hold something back, and bounced on the balls of her feet.]