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]

[There was only a moment of hesitation to give away the fact that he was bracing himself for that one.] Which is?

[sleightadvantage]

[She put on the most serious face she could muster, leaned in, and asked very intently:]

What's it like to have a tail?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Kurt couldn't help it. He burst out laughing.] Oh man, I thought you were gonna hit me with a hard one! It's like... [He paused, casting his gaze to the ceiling.] Well, maybe that one's a little harder to answer than I thought. That's kind of like asking what it's like to have fingers or ears. It's hard to describe something that's such a big part of you.

[sleightadvantage]

[She smiled along with him, glad that the question had the desired effect.]

I guess I can see what you mean, but... It just seems like it'd be, I dunno... fun!

[fuzzybluegecko]

I never really thought about it that way...but yeah, I guess it kinda is. I can do lots of stuff with it. Mostly just mundane stuff like picking up objects, but...

[He grinned sheepishly and ran the fingers of one hand through his hair.] There is this one thing I like to do. I've always lived around lots of trees, ja? My home in Germany is in the middle of a forest, and the place I live now, in New York, has a lot of trees on the land. Some nights I go out and just...race through the treetops. My tail's pretty strong so I can swing from it and get a really good Tarzan act going on.

It's...freeing, you know? To just let loose like that. Almost like flying. [His voice took on a wistful tone as he closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the sensation of night breezes through his fur and bark scraping beneath his palms, the dizzying sensation of falling and the exhilarating jerk when his tail catches him.]

[Man, he really wished he could go play on those catwalks right about now.]

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy sank to the vanity stool as she listened, picturing the scene he'd set up: a forest at night, a light, chilly breeze rustling the tree tops, and Kurt grinning as he swung from branch to branch. If the backflip he'd pulled off earlier was anything to go by, he'd be an acrobat in the trees! The closest she'd come to anything like that was playing in the Kurain woods with Pearls when they were little. It was fun, and even freeing, to run and jump and climb through the trees, but it didn't sound like it compared to Kurt's experience.]

[When he was done, her expression reflected his wistful tone, and she sat with her chin in hand, gaze cast upward in thought.]

That sounds amazing. I'd love to be able to do something like that. [It wouldn't be the same, but maybe she could add acrobatics to her show, so she'd have an excuse to learn...]

[fuzzybluegecko]

[When he finally opened his eyes again, the sight of her lost in a daydream of his own creation filled him with a vague sense of...longing that he'd never experienced before. It made him wish he could somehow share that experience with her, even if it could only ever be a fraction of what it would feel like to do it herself. The question remained in the back of his mind as he offered] Maybe you could someday. Your talent is making the impossible possible, right? I bet you could figure out some way to capture that feeling in your show.

[sleightadvantage]

Maybe. [She sat up, smiling.] I was just wondering what it'd be like to be an acrobat. I bet that's sort of how it feels, huh?

[fuzzybluegecko]

Yeah, it's a lot like that. Just higher off the ground and a little more free form. [He sighed wistfully.] Man, if only this place was empty, I could give you a demonstration. I've never had the chance to play around in a theater before. I bet the catwalks are a blast.

[sleightadvantage]

Aw, I'd love to see that! [She crossed her arms then, humming thoughtfully.] I wonder what kind of security they have overnight...

[fuzzybluegecko]

[He leaned closer, pale eyes flashing with mischief, and his tail began to whip eagerly back and forth.] Oh ho ho. I like the way you think.

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy grinned, brightening even more so at the sight of his tail. (For some reason, the fact that it was so emotive absolutely delighted her.)]

[Then she remembered the time and deflated a little.]

There's only one problem...

[fuzzybluegecko]

[The sudden dampening of her mood sucked at his enthusiasm. His grin fell and his tail drooped.] What's that?

[sleightadvantage]

My dad. [She sighed, glancing down at the time on her phone.] He'll worry if I'm out too late. ...Oh, hey! [Noticing a new notification, she grabbed her phone and unlocked it.] I forgot I had it on silent. I missed a text from Athena! ...Wow, I missed a lot of texts from Athena.

[fuzzybluegecko]

Oh! [in surprise and then again] ...Oh. Oh man, I almost forgot. [How could he forget? He was not even close to being out of the woods yet. He clasped his hands together in front of his chest and leaned in close.] What did she say?

[sleightadvantage]

She wants to know about the watch and also if I died. [Her practiced fingers quickly began typing as she glanced up at Kurt.] You said it projects a hologram, right?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[He gave a sharp nod, growing more serious at the sudden reminder of the precariousness of his situation.] Right.

[sleightadvantage]

Okay. [With a decisive nod, she hits send and then turns back to Kurt.] While we wait, I should probably let that guard know he can go home. I'd hate for him to be waiting on me after his shift ends!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Yet another detail he had forgotten about in the rush of excitement. He sure had interrupted a lot of people's lives for the sake of the five minutes he got to spend hamming it up on stage.] Yeah... Sorry this has turned into such a big deal. I'm sure you had other stuff to do after your show.

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy tsked at him on her way to the door.] What? Don't be silly! This is way better than just packing up and going home!

[fuzzybluegecko]

['Well then...' Kurt fought valiantly (but entirely ineffectually) to hide his enormous grin.] If you say so! All right, I'll wait here.

[sleightadvantage]

I do say so! And what I say goes, because I'm always 'Wright'! [She grinned back and unlocked the door, ready to head out. Just as she was turning the knob, though, she seemed to think of something and looked back.]

Oh, you can sit, by the way! [She gestured at the counter littered with props and books and other magical things, with a set of stools hiding beneath the counter's protruding edge.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

Roger! [He laughed as he gave her a mock salute. Man, if he had a name like that he would make that joke within five minutes of meeting every new person, tops.]

[sleightadvantage]

Just don't go snooping around too much! Especially in my panties! [And with that, she was gone, the door slamming shut behind her.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

V-vas? [By the time he said it, she was already gone. Confused and more than a little weirded out, he settled on one of the small stools she had pointed out. He hadn't even noticed them, overshadowed as they were by the glorious mess of magic paraphernalia covering most of the counter. Ordinarily the props might have provided an excellent distraction while he waited for her to return. But after that exit, he found himself wary of examining the pile too closely. There was no telling what he might stumble across.]