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 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.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

[As they fell into an anticipatory silence, Kurt's gaze started to wander. It wasn't every day one got invited into a celebrity's dressing room. The identity of this particular celebrity made the whole situation a thousand times cooler. Her dressing room was everything he could ever want out of a magician's space. Every inch was covered in the tools of her trade, from props to costumes to flowers. There was even an adorable white rabbit caged up in a corner of the room.]

[She would have to excuse him while he nerded out a bit. By the time she caught his eye again, he was wearing a decidedly goofy grin, which only widened as he smiled back at her.]

[sleightadvantage]

[As he looked around, she was afforded the opportunity to study his features again, this time in a little more detail. There seemed to be a slight curve to his back that she hadn't noticed before, or... maybe he just had bad posture? But would the hologram have hidden something like that?]

[Her gaze then traveled down his torso, over his legs, and finally settled at his feet, which were more unusual than she initially realized. There certainly looked to be only two toes on each foot, and it seemed like he was standing on them, but maybe not quite on his tip-toes. While she hated to keep comparing him to an animal, she couldn't help but think of Bullets' back legs. And then that tail, just idly swishing there, back and forth...]

[He really did look like something Jinxie would call a yokai.]

[She noticed him looking at her just in time to snap her gaze back up and reinforce her smile.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Fortunately for Trucy, Kurt managed to miss her staring. Blissfully unaware that his unusual anatomy had captured her attention, he held her gaze for a moment before letting his eyes travel to her phone. If this co-worker didn't come through, he was going to have to face Logan sooner rather than later.]

[sleightadvantage]

[The silence lingered a few moments longer, until it (and her curiosity) started to get the best of her. A few more bounces on her feet, and the dam finally burst.]

...Okay, so! I don't want to be rude, but I have a lot of questions. Is it okay to ask!?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[The sudden explosion of curiosity surprised him more than it should have, given the circumstances. Kurt averted his gaze at first, hiding a wave of self-consciousness behind a more sheepish grin. Of course she was going to ask. He probably would too, if he was in her shoes.]

[He forced himself to meet her eyes and strengthen his smile.] Yeah, sure. I'll answer them the best I can. Um, there may be some questions I'm not allowed to answer though. My whole, uh...exchange program situation is kind of top secret.

[sleightadvantage]

[Well, that just made her curiosity burn more. It was a difficult thing to tamp down on, even when she could see it made him self-conscious. She nodded on instinct, though whether she'd be able to keep herself from getting carried away remained to be seen.]

Alright, well... First of all, how did this happen?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[She had no way of knowing how complicated (not to mention uncomfortable) that answer was. No way of knowing that the only clues he'd been able to glean about his origins pointed to shadowy possibilities straight out of a horror novel. He couldn't stop the complicated tangle of anger and regret that flashed across his features, but he could cover it up quickly with a smile that looked almost normal.]

Genetics. I've been this way...as long as I can remember. You know how every once in a while two regular tigers will produce a cub with white stripes?

[sleightadvantage]

[The answer was surprisingly mundane. Trucy had expected some sort of origin story along the lines of being bitten by a radioactive kitten or a two-toed or something. Still, it was obviously difficult for Kurt to talk about, so she made an effort to dial back on the intensity a little.]

[At least white tigers were something she was familiar with. You couldn't be raised in the magic world without knowing about the famous white tigers!]

You mean... like a mutation.

[fuzzybluegecko]

Exactly! People have the potential for mutations, too. Every animal does. Usually it shows up as a disease or some unusual feature, but in some really rare cases, you get someone like me. [Grinning more easily now, he spread his hands and swept them down his body in a theatrical gesture.]

Except with us, it can be more varied. I know a lot of people like me, and only two of them are blue. Most of them look completely normal.

fml;; that should have said two-toed sloth up there

[sleightadvantage]

Huh. We learned about gene mutation in biology, but not anything like this! Mostly it was unusual eye colors...

[She considered him thoughtfully.] So, if most people look completely normal, how do they know they have a mutation? --Oh! [Suddenly recalling what he'd said about diseases, she gasped, wilting slightly at the thought.] It's not because they're sick, is it?

I didn't even notice it didn't lol

[fuzzybluegecko]

[She looked so upset by the prospect that he immediately felt guilty for inadvertently leading her to that conclusion.] No no, nothing like that! Not with this kind of mutation. They know because...

[He hesitated, worried over the course of action he was considering. The knowledge he was thinking of passing on could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Logan would probably have his hide if he knew what he had already let slip. Could he really trust her?]

[A bit of fang poked out as he worried his lip, watching her intently. She could have exposed him a dozen times that night, but she didn't. She had given him no reasons to doubt her and done plenty to reassure him. More than that, something about her just...felt right. All traces of fear over his bizarre appearance seemed to have quickly left her, like she had come to accept him almost immediately. He didn't want to believe she could or would harm him.]

[He glanced furtively around the dressing room as if verifying that no one was going to suddenly jump out from behind one of the props then fixed her with an intense look.] Trucy... Can I trust you to keep a secret? I mean, a really big secret. Like, monumental big.

[sleightadvantage]

[Well, that was a relief. She listened intently for the explanation, watching the conflict play out on his face when he hesitated. Unable to imagine what he might be struggling with, she waited with sympathy and a level of patience she didn't always possess.]

[When asked if she could be trusted to keep a secret, the response was immediate: a brief moment of awe, followed by fierce determination.]

Of course! You have my word as a magician! [She leaned in conspiratorially, expression a testament to her fervor.] I'll take whatever secrets you tell me to the grave!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Wow. That was...an intense reaction. He scratched his neck, gave her an awkward grin, and chuckled nervously.] I guess no one's better at keeping a secret than a professional magician, ja? All right. The mutations that don't have anything to do with appearance are usually, uh...

[He hesitated again then leaned in as well, his voice dropping to a near whisper.] What I said before about being a normal teen aside from all of this [he gestured to himself again] wasn't entirely true. There's something else that comes with it.

[And with a cheeky grin...he vanished, leaving only a puff of foul-smelling smoke in his wake.]

[sleightadvantage]

[She leaned in further, waiting with bated breath to hear whatever it is this monumental secret was, and then--]

[poof!]

[She gasped--and then immediately launched into a coughing fit. The scent and taste were unmistakably of sulfur, something she recognized after years of working with pyrotechnics and a smell she might admit to enjoying, on a occasion, if only because it was so familiar.]

[But not right in her face like this!]

[Waving at the smoke, she did her best not to breathe in any further while trying to get some words out.] What the... [When the air finally cleared, Kurt was no longer in front of her. Startled, Trucy blinked.] --Kurt!?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Choking the poor girl had not been his intention. His cheeks burned under his fur and he slapped his palm over his face. 'Smooth move, dude,' he chastised himself.]

Sorry! I'm so used to it, I always forget to warn people about that part.

[Strangely enough, his sheepish response came from somewhere above her head.]

[sleightadvantage]

[Her gaze snapped up to where the voice was coming from, and she nearly fell back into he vanity at what she saw.]

...Kurt!? Are you...?

[fuzzybluegecko]

Yep! [With a wave and a slightly mischievous grin, he crawled along the ceiling a few feet until he reached a spot where he had enough space to let himself fall back to the ground. On the way down he managed to fit in an acrobatic back flip, and he landed with his hands in the air like a triumphant gymnast.]

Being a mutant can come with some serious perks.

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy gawked as he crawled along the ceiling, gawked some more when he executed a backflip from said ceiling, and continued gawking after he stuck the landing.]

[Finally, after several, stunned moments, she found her voice again.]

...And you're sure you're not just a really good magician?

[fuzzybluegecko]

No magic tricks here. Just natural talent. [Her blatantly obvious admiration was intoxicating for a guy who's been made to feel for most of his life that there was something innately wrong with him. He couldn't stop beaming. If only they could safely leave the confines of the dressing room and get out into those rafters and catwalks, he could really wow her.]

Most of our mutations come with some kind of special ability. Climbing walls and teleporting are my shtick, but I have friends who can do all kinds of amazing things, like flying and phasing through walls!

[sleightadvantage]

Teleporting... [For some reason, even though that's precisely what he'd done, it hadn't occurred to her until he'd said it.] So when I brought you on stage... [Thinking back on it, he did seem awkward when she announced the trick, but a lot of people got nervous when they were on stage--especially when she shoved them in boxes--so she hadn't though anything of it at the time. Now it took on new meaning.] Aw, man... That must have been so boring for you!

[fuzzybluegecko]

No no, not at all! I was having a blast until my inducer went on the fritz. I was, ah, panicking a bit after that. It was hard to focus on the trick. [He gave her a sheepish grin.] To be honest, I think what you do is way more impressive. For me, real teleporting isn't much different from walking. I can hone the skill with training, but it doesn't require a whole lot of thought or effort. You, on the other hand, get to make the impossible seem possible through sheer cleverness and skill! That's so cool, man!

[sleightadvantage]

What are you talking about!? You just blinked out of existence and crawled on the ceiling. For real. That's "cool"!