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]

Whoa! [He rushed to put a gentle, stabilizing hand on her forearm. Teleporting took more out of some people than others. He was worried about her, but only mildly so. The effects of the ride clearly weren't bad enough to dampen her spirits.]

[He laughed and gave her a soft, fond smile.] We sure did. And we can do it again if you want to, just as soon as you feel up to it.

[sleightadvantage]

Of course I want to! It wasn't any worse than a spinny ride at the fair, and I love those. Even if they make me throw up!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[He laughed again.] As long as you don't throw up on me. Getting that mess out of the upholstery would be murder.

[She seemed a little steadier now. The effects of teleporting usually didn't last long, unless they were compounded by other circumstances. He felt safe enough to let her go so he could turn his attention to the ceiling, taking in the spiderweb of catwalks and poles and rafters that seemed to cover every inch. It was like a jungle gym several stories above the ground. An eager grin spread across his face, and he turned back to Trucy, his wide, pale eyes flashing.] Ready for another go?

[sleightadvantage]

[She followed his gaze up to the rafters and felt an anticipatory thrill of excitement, not unlike seeing the big drop in a log flume right before the fall (because teleporting was seemingly a virtual amusement park). She nodded determinedly.] Absolutely.

[fuzzybluegecko]

Then let's do this! [He clasped both of her hands in his and they were off again in another dizzying drop to the ceiling. They reappeared a few inches from the floor of a catwalk. Kurt landed with all the grace of a cat and kept hold of Trucy's hands in case the surprise drop caused her to stumble and she needed support.]

Here we are! Best seat in the house! [With one hand still grasping the magician's hand, he threw his other arm out in a wide arc to direct her attention to the network of metal surrounding them.]

[sleightadvantage]

[A tiny 'oh!' escaped her, and her grip on his hands tightened in the millisecond of freefall, before they landed on the solid ground of the catwalk. She pried her eyes open, unaware that she'd closed them, and waited for her vision to swim into focus before she chanced a look around. Fortunately, it didn't take long, and she was quickly taking in her surroundings with glee.]

[She'd been in the catwalk before. In fact, she'd seen--and utilized--all parts of the stage at this point in her career, but she'd never been up there like this, alone in an empty theatre with a person who could accomplish all sorts of feats Trucy could only dream of. She turned an expectant grin on him.]

Alright! Show me what you can do!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Kurt needed no more encouragement. Releasing her hand, he pumped his fist in the air.] All right! Check this out!

[Then he vanished, leaving a puff of the foul-smelling, purple smoke behind.]

[He reappeared in mid air high above the level of the catwalk and allowed himself to free fall several feet until he grabbed hold of one of the heavy poles holding up a lighting rig. Momentum carried him forward until he looped clean over the pole like a gymnast, spinning all the way around to the bottom again where he released his grip and flew in an arc to another massive rig. Leaping off that took him to another span of catwalk.]

[Leap after leap, spin after spin, he danced through the rafters and catwalks. He barely allowed himself to touch down on anything solid for more than an instant before he was off again, reveling in the exhilarating burn of his muscles and the air whistling through his hair and fur. At times he clung effortlessly to the vertical sides of the massive lights themselves or hung from his tail like a trapeze artist performing at the very peak of the big top. His loud whoops of excitement filled the theater.]

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy waved at the smoke but was otherwise unbothered. It was pleasant in a way motor oil was pleasant to a mechanic, when she wasn't accidentally swallowing it (but that went for the smoke produced by her show's pyrotechnics, too).]

[She followed him with her gaze at first, then moved on to running after him, laughing along with his whoops and hollers. Occasionally she would gasp when he did something that looked particularly death-defying.]

You make acrobatics look even cooler than they already are!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[At some point, the fact that she was following him broke through his euphoric focus. Without breaking stride he altered his path to coincide with hers, coming tantalizingly close at times and other times leading her on with delighted laughter, just out of reach.]

[It was an excellent game. Then he disappeared into the deep shadows near the ceiling, only to swoop down on her suddenly like a hawk and scoop her up. It was quite a bit more work to swing around like that with one arm full of petite magician, but he had exerted himself a lot more in battles. Besides, he was already easing up on the pace for her own comfort. This was nothing he couldn't handle.]

[Grinning, he leaned in to be heard over the rush of wind.] I bet you say that to all the blue, fuzzy dudes!

[sleightadvantage]

Eek...! [She immediately threw her arms around his chest and clung tight, her legs fruitlessly kicking the air for some kind of purchase.] K-Kurt...!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[The pressure around his chest made his stomach flip way more than the flips had. He squeezed her tighter in return, hoping to give her more of a sense of security, and kept swinging, though now he stuck to the area directly above the catwalk as best he could.] It's all right, I've got you. Just hang on.

[sleightadvantage]

[She had no intentions of not hanging on and continued to do so with a vice-like grip. When it became evident she wasn't in danger of being dropped to her death, she stopped kicking, and her legs slowly relaxed altogether until they were dangling freely.]

[She concentrated on the experience, then: the feeling of the wind through her hair, blowing her cape behind them; the peaceful silence of the empty theatre; how effortless Kurt's movements seemed to be, even though he was holding her. In fact, the shift from bar to bar barely registered.]

[It didn't quite feel like flying, but it was close.]

[She looked up at him.] W-wow... You're stronger than you look. [Her gaze shifted higher, watching him switch between hand and tail.] It doesn't hurt?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Not for the first time, he thanked God that his dark fur protected him from the added embarrassment of having his blush light up his cheeks for the world (or Trucy) to see. He focused on the way she was relaxing into the experience, grateful he didn't spook her out of enjoying it with that unexpected start. (You would think he would have learned his lesson after the last time.)]

Nein. It's a workout, but I've had a lot of training. [To prove the point, his breathing was getting heavier the longer they moved. Much as he was enjoying himself and, more importantly, enjoying sharing this with such an eager audience, he probably wouldn't be able to keep it up for very long.]

[sleightadvantage]

[The longer they went on, the more relaxed she became, and she was able to look down over the catwalk at the theatre below. The stage looked so much smaller from up here!]

Training? I thought you just did this for fun!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Oops. Open mouth, insert foot.]

Uhh... Not exactly. [He cringed when he heard the unusually high pitched, faltering tone in his own voice. 'That's not suspicious at all...']

[sleightadvantage]

[She didn't need Athena's super sensitive ears to hear that. Curious, she looked up at him again, waiting to see if he'd elaborate.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

[He could feel her eyes on him. They burrowed through his focus, pernicious. Or maybe that was his own brain projecting. Either way, the guilt of lying by omission was too heavy to ignore.]

[He targeted one of the heavier rigs hanging not far above the catwalks and grabbed hold of it with his tail. This time he didn't let the momentum carry him forward. Instead, he grabbed both of Trucy's wrists tight and let the momentum swing her down the few feet to the catwalk, leaving him hanging upside down in front of her, face to face. His tone was sheepish when he finally spoke again.]

It's a bit...complicated.

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy couldn't help the sound of disappointment that slipped out as she was lowered to the catwalk; once she'd gotten over the fear, the sensation was exhilarating and entirely easy to get lost in. Maybe she could convince him to do it again, after he caught his breath.]

[Oh, and after they dealt with whatever this was.]

[She cocked her head, frowning at him sideways.]

What is it? Are you actually an acrobat? [Though, she couldn't see how that was complicated or why it would cause him to look so uncomfortable.] ...Or is it something to do with your exchange program? [He did say some things about it were 'top secret'. (Maybe it was actually a circus.)]

[fuzzybluegecko]

The latter. [He shrugged and scratched the back of his neck, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he was still hanging upside down from his tail.] I'm not just here in the states to go to school, and I don't just do stuff like this [He gestured at their surroundings] for fun. You know that chaperone I mentioned?

[sleightadvantage]

Yeah...? [With how cagey he was being, she started to wonder if he was about to confess to something shady.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

He's not from my actual school. I mean, he's not from the public school I go to. I'm also enrolled in a sort of...private boarding school situation, too. One specifically for mutants! Logan's one of the teachers there. [He paused, cocking his head to the side and resting a finger against his chin in thought.] I mean, he's basically our teacher. I don't think he's an actual teacher though.

[sleightadvantage]

Okay... [Well, so far nothing sounded super out of the ordinary. A private boarding school for mutants made a lot of sense!] So what does that have to do with training? [Before he had a chance to respond, though, a thought suddenly came to her.] --Oh! Are they teaching you to use your powers better!? I bet Logan's a mutant, too, right!?

[fuzzybluegecko]

Hey, you guessed it! [He grinned, somewhat relieved that she got there without him having to spill all the beans himself. Not that he intended to let all of those beans out of the can...] Ja, all of our teachers at the boarding school are mutants, too. Learning to use our powers in a safe environment is the big reason we're there.

[His tail let go of the rig and he fell into a flip that landed him perfectly on his hands and feet, like a large cat. From there he slid up into a standing position in one fluid movement.] I already had a lot of practice with my powers when I first got there, but I'm able to 'port even farther and more accurately now. And a lot of the other kids don't have all the experience I did. For some of them the whole mutant thing is brand new.

[sleightadvantage]

[She took a step back to give him room, still awed by how cat-like he was in some ways.]

Geez, from the way you were talking, I thought you were gonna say you were in a secret mutant mafia or something! But this is cool, too.

[fuzzybluegecko]

Mutant mafia? [Peals of laughter reverberate around the empty theater.] Oh man, no. We're the good guys, which automatically makes us way cooler.

[She wasn't entirely off about the whole 'mutant mafia' thing, though. The thought of the Brotherhood and their shadowy leaders dampened his amusement a bit.]