boxolawyers | Magic shows are meant to have surprises, right?

Current Location: Los Angeles

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Magic shows are meant to have surprises, right?

[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!

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[Trucy quickly and quietly made her exit to the lobby using the hallways only accessible by staff. She was gone for about ten minutes before her voice loudly preceded her reentry into the auditorium.]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT HERE, ATHENA!

Pas de problème, Trucy, BUT WHY ARE WE YELLING?

[Relieved to find the stage empty when she entered, she whirled on her toes to face the young lady following her.] Sorry. I'm just excited to use this new prop!

[The young woman, not much older the Trucy, took a seat in the back, inducer already in hand. She turned it over, examining it curiously.] Not that I mind, but... Tell me again why this couldn't wait until next week?

[Trucy stood beside her.] Because! If I'm gonna use it in a show, I have to have a chance to practice. What if the murder of the century happens next week, and you suddenly have a huge case on your hands!?

[Athena looked up, brow raised curiously. Trucy wasn't sure what--if anything--she might have heard in her voice, but she played innocent to the best of her ability, which was a skill she was highly adept at. Finally, Athena shrugged.]

...Fair.

[Trucy smiled, feeling a slight tension leave her shoulders. It's something Polly or her dad might have picked up on, but she didn't think Athena would notice. When Athena withdrew a small toolkit from her bag and turned her attention back to the watch, Trucy was pretty sure she hadn't.]

Well, to work then, I guess! Let's see...

[While she worked, Trucy glanced at the stage. She couldn't see the catwalk from here, but she wondered if that was where Kurt had disappeared to...]

[Kurt had indeed retreated to the safety of the catwalks as soon as the magician left him. Despite Trucy's assurances, the possibility of the security guard stumbling across him while he was separated from the one person who could try to help him explain his presence (and appearance) made it seem like the most prudent move. Besides, Trucy had never specified where she was going to take Athena to work on the inducer. So he took to the rafters and resumed his enthusiastic acrobatic exercise high above the stage. This time he swung swiftly and silently, so he had no trouble hearing the voices that preceded the girls' appearance in the theater.]

[He perched effortlessly on the catwalk railing like a gargoyle, his tail swaying lazily back and forth as he watched the pair settle in the back of the auditorium.]

[Athena's long, striking red hair immediately invited comparison to Jean Grey, but the similarity seemed to end there. She wasn't much taller than the extremely petite magician, and as far as he could see from that distance, her face was more round where Jean's was long and quite angular.]

[The most striking thing about Athena was her apparent youth. Didn't Trucy say she was one of her father's co-workers? And her father's a lawyer? Athena sounded way younger than he was expecting! He settled in to listen to their conversation.]

Edited 2020-12-15 03:59 (UTC)

Hmm... This is a lot different than Widget...

[Trucy looked back to see Athena already had the inducer open and was poring over it intently, hand to her mouth in thought.]

Do you think you can fix it?

[Without immediately responding, Athena withdrew a small, pointy stick from her toolkit and began poking around, carefully moving wires aside and examining the inner workings beneath, while Trucy looked on in fascination.]

[Truth be told, she had the utmost faith in Athena, but a small part of her couldn't help worrying that the inducer might end up more broken than before. She concentrated hard on relaying positive vibes!]

...Ah-ha!

[...Which seemed to work!? She waited impatiently for Athena to regale her with knowledge.]

This might be the problem. [She showed Trucy a wire that looked a little frayed, the green insulation black on either side where the wire was visible.] It looks like it got fried, somehow.

[The conversation went on for a few minutes longer, Trucy giving a shorthand version of what the inducer was supposed to do, Athena expressing surprise that Trucy was able to get her hands on something like this, Trucy agreeing without volunteering any further detail...]

[In the end, Athena had pulled out the tiniest roll of electrical tape Trucy had ever seen (prompting some cooing over how cute it was), mended the wire, and announced that that might fix the problem, at least in the short term. All that was left to do was test it.]

[Taking a deep breath, she pressed the button on the side, delighted as it seemed to hum to life, and waited; pressed it and waited again; and then pressed it one more time before utterly deflating.] Aw, man... I thought that'd do it.

[From Trucy's perspective, however, Athena had morphed into human-looking Kurt, back to her own body, and then back to Kurt again. After a few seconds of bug-eyed staring, she snatched the watch away, making sure to turn it off in the process.]

A-actually, that's fine!

[Kurt's attention was glued on the pair as he waited for the final verdict on the inducer's salvageability. It was a bit difficult to make out their conversation--though the acoustics in the theater were fantastic and the sound of their voices easily reached him, there was some echoing distorting it all. Without them intentionally projecting the words were somewhat muddled and he could only make out some of the things they said. It was nerve-wracking to be relegated to the role of a silent observer receiving only partial details when so much was on the line.]

[He recognized the tone, though, when Athena announced that this might solve the problem. He waited with bated breath, leaning forward as far as he safely could, his fingers and toes wrapped tightly around the top rail. This was the moment of truth...]

[Athena's hair and clothes and skin tone suddenly flickered and changed, leaving behind a very familiar figure. He kept holding his breath, afraid that it would short out again like the last time, barely daring to hope it was truly fixed. Then Athena was back, then "Kurt" again, and finally Athena, after Trucy snatched the inducer away from her.]

[Kurt released the breath he was holding and whispered] Yes!

Hey...! [Athena reached forward, as if to take the watch back, but froze midway. She frowned and looked towards the stage.] Did you hear that?

[With the inducer safely pocketed, Trucy followed Athena's gaze--once again relieved to find the stage empty--and then turned back with an innocent shrug. (After all, she hadn't heard anything.)] What?

I thought I heard a voice...

['Scheisse!']

[A breathy gasp escaped him, barely even audible to his own ears, before he could cover his mouth with his hand. Then he held his breath and froze in place like a true gargoyle, not daring to move.]

[She couldn't possibly pinpoint his location from such a miniscule clue, could she? Would the shadows up there be deep enough to hide him if he was wrong?]

[Athena's eyes were still glued to the stage. Desperate to turn her attention elsewhere, Trucy said the first things that popped into her head:] Maybe it's a ghost! These old theatres are supposed to be haunted, you know.

[It was another second before Athena finally looked away (at which point Trucy breathed a quiet sigh of relief). She shook her head, seemingly dismissing what the younger girl had said, and frowned.]

Macht nichts... It's probably nothing. [She then turned her frown at Trucy.] Didn't you want me to fix the watch?

Hm? Oh! [Thinking fast, the magician quickly responded:] You did!

Eh? Come again?

[She waggled a finger at the older girl.] I can't tell you exactly what it does, or else it'll ruin the illusion! Just trust me, you fixed it.

[There were a few seconds it seemed like Athena might not believe her. Trucy didn't know what her voice revealed, but she continued to smile through her uncertainty, determined not to give anything away in her face.]

[Finally, Athena seemed to give in.] Well... Alright. Glad I could help?

So am I! [Trucy launched herself at the other girl.] Thank you, Athena!

[...who caught her with an oof and returned the hug.] No problemo. Um, it's getting kinda late... Did you need a ride home or anything?

Nope! [Trucy stepped back.] I'll get a cab when I'm done here.

[Athena looked doubtful.] I'm sure Mr. Wright would much rather I give you a ride than you take a cab.

It's fine! Besides, I have a few more things to take care of. I don't want to keep you waiting.

I don't mind waiting.

[Trucy's smile tightened.] Um... well... it's a lot of a few more things. I'm sure you probably want to get home.

Nonsense! I'll be right here when you're ready. I have some emails I can respond to while I wait. [To demonstrate, she activated Widget, and a virtual desktop appeared before her.]

[Trucy felt herself wilt a little but kept her smile in place.]

...O-okay. Um. Thanks! [Out of reasonable excuses, all she could do was agree. As she turned on her heel and began making her way towards the stage, she said louder:] Okay! I'll be in my dressing room!

I can still hear you just fine, you know. [Athena didn't even look up as she said it.]

[A small groan escaped Trucy, hopefully too quiet for Athena to hear. She had the sinking feeling that her voice gave away a lot more than it ever should have.]

[After making her way backstage, she made a beeline for her dressing room, hoping Kurt would meet her there.]

Edited (fixed html) 2020-12-19 02:08 (UTC)

[The wait was torturous. He was so certain for a moment that he would be discovered, but Trucy put her skills at misdirection to the test and passed, if only by a narrow margin. The next few minutes were tense. He wasn't entirely sure the danger had truly passed, so he stayed stock-still and watched the pair with such intense concentration that his eyes got dry and itchy from the infrequent blinking.]

[Unfortunately, their luck seemed to run out right there at the end. Kurt made out enough of the conversation to realize Trucy's friend wasn't going to be leaving without her. It looked like their evening may be drawing to a close long before he was ready to leave. He frowned, his shoulders slumped dejectedly, and his tail stopped twitching and hung limply on the catwalk behind him. It was probably for the best, he knew. Logan would come looking for him if he didn't get back to the hotel soon. That didn't make him any more eager to go though.]

[Doing his best to shake off his sudden melancholy, he watched Trucy finish up with Athena. In the process he noted the really cool hologram tech the woman had; no wonder Trucy had thought of her. He gave Trucy a minute of leeway before he followed her to her dressing room. The timing was perfect, and he 'ported in just as she was walking in the door.]

Oh man, I was so sure she was gonna see me! How did she hear me from all the way back there? Are you sure your friend's not a mutant? [He said it jokingly, not really considering the possibility that it could be true. Statistically it was much more likely that the theater's acoustics were to blame, rather than his new friend being connected to one of the few mutants in a vast city.] And was she speaking German? Is that who you learned it from?

[Not expecting quite that level of perfect timing, Trucy jumped when she arrived to a puff smoke and an onslaught of questions but recovered almost immediately. As she closed the door, she found herself smiling in spite of her worries and began tackling Kurt's questions... or was about to, when she suddenly paused, open-mouthed.]

[She looked over her shoulder then, as if she could see Athena through the closed door. When she turned back, a look of startled realization had replaced her smile.]

Oh my gosh. [She whispered harshly.] I bet she is!

[Kurt stared at her, struggling to even remember all of the questions he had asked. In an equally soft whisper, he replied:] Is what? German?

Yes! I mean no! I mean... [She frowned, thinking about it for a moment.] Actually, I'm not really sure...

[She shook the thought away. Back to the point!] But what I mean is I bet she's a mutant!

A mutant? [He cringed at the volume of his own voice, and returned to a level just above a whisper.] I'm not so sure about that. We're kind of rare. Isn't it more likely that she heard me because the acoustics in there are just that good? The whole place is designed to project the sounds from the stage all the way to the back, ja?

[Trucy shook her head, adamant.] No! She has super sensitive hearing besides that! She hears emotions, Kurt. That's why I'm sure she knows I'm up to something!

Seriously? [It seemed...unlikely for him to have stumbled across possibly one of the only people in Los Angeles who could be cool with mutants within five minutes of meeting one and for that person to also have a friend who could unknowingly be one of the few mutants in the city. He was sure Logan would have said as much if he was there (after punishing Kurt for getting into that situation in the first place).]

[His pulse quickened as the potential consequences started to sink in. In the middle of royally screwing up and putting their trip at risk, he may have inadvertently stumbled across an unknown mutant. And said unknown mutant was not convinced by Trucy's attempts to cover for Kurt. He needed more info.]

[He began to pace, the tip of his tail flicking sharply from side to side.] Okay. Walk me through this. How do you know she hears emotions? Can you be you sure she's not just really perceptive?

I'm really perceptive. Athena's...

[She trailed off. Thinking about it now, she wasn't sure how much she should say. Details of Athena's history were readily available to anyone who knew where to look, but they were still very sensitive details. And even though she trusted Kurt despite just meeting him, it wasn't her story to tell.]

[She eventually sighed.]

...Just trust me. But Kurt... [His anxiety was palpable. She took a step forward and attempted to catch his gaze.] I promise, even if she knows something's up, I won't tell her about you. Okay?

[In response to her first statement, Kurt found himself thinking, 'No kidding.' Trucy seemingly had him pegged from the start. He still wasn't sure what he had done to give himself away, but it was hard to trick a trickster, right? And magicians were really up there when it came to those particular skills.]

[He waited for her to elaborate on her friend's gifts. Unfortunately, further details never came. Was she second-guessing her trust in him? Trying to protect Athena? It stung a little, but he couldn't blame her. She had already given him much more trust than he warranted after knowing him only a single night. She should be protective of her friend and wary of what something of this magnitude could do to her life.]

[Instead of treating him with completely valid suspicion, though, she interrupted his self-doubts with more concern on his behalf. He froze in his tracks, his eyes locked on hers.]

[She really was special.]

[Kurt found himself smiling softly back at her as some of the tension left his body.] Thanks, Trucy. Really. [He paused, hoping the full weight of his sincerity had carried.] Anyway, you don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with. I know you have to look out for your friend first. If she is a mutant and she's had her powers this long she may not even need any help from us.

[Trucy smiled, relieved to see some of that tension melt away. Before he could finish his next words, though, she was quickly shaking her head.]

No, that's not it at all! It's just... I don't really know if I can explain it. But she's really open about it! [A thoughtful frown crossed her features then, and soon the lightbulb went off.] Hey, now that your inducer's working, maybe you could meet her!

[Once again she surprised him, putting all of his self-doubts neatly to rest. He felt the weight of uncertainty lift from him, the corners of his mouth lifting with it.] Hey, yeah! That's a great idea!

[Then his smile fell into a frown, and he rubbed the back of his neck fretfully.] On second thought, maybe we shouldn't go racing into this just yet. I'm, uh...already in it deeper than I should be. [He gave Trucy an apologetic grin that showed a hint of fang.] I'm gonna be in trouble as it is if I have to explain tonight to anyone. I should probably talk to my host about your friend's situation before I tell her something I shouldn't. He's the one who always organizes these kinds of 'mutant outreach' deals.

Oh. [The disappointment was obvious in her deflated shoulders, but she promptly bounced back with a hopeful smile.] Well... You're in town for a while, right? Maybe we can set something up after you talk to him!

[He smiled at her, though this time it was a bit wan and still apologetic.] Yeah, we're here for a few more days. I just have to figure out the uh...safest way to explain everything to the Professor first. But I'm 100% committed to this! I won't let you down!

[His grin broadened, and he winked at her.] Besides, there's no way I can leave without seeing you again. You're supposed to make all my greasy Los Angeles fast food dreams come true, remember?

[Aw. A few more days wasn't long at all. There were so many things she still wanted to know, but she mostly just wanted to see more of Kurt himself. He was funny and weird in all the right ways! And he could swing her from the rafters!]

[Ignoring disappointment in favor of making the most of it, she laughed and winked back, head tilted teasingly.]

I hope you're ready for some real gut bombs, then! Oh, and some spice. I love a good spicy noodle! [Never mind that she often orders them too spicy...]

I am already there, man! [He laughed, delighted at the prospect of a food tour curated by a local, but more importantly, at the prospect of seeing said local again. Trucy Wright was definitely someone he wanted to get to know better.]

[He pulled out his phone and brought up the 'add contact' screen before he handed it over to her.] Here. Add yourself. I'll let you know when I can meet up again.

[She smiled innocently, though a hint of amusement seemed to lurk behind it.] Silly. I already gave you my number. [But she took the phone, anyway, and proceeded to switch to the camera app.]

You did? Where was I? [His pitch rose with excitement. Did she perform a magic trick on his phone?]

Yup! [Not quite that impressive, though. She smiled sweetly, chin balanced on the back of her hand, and took a selfie.] You were here the whole time. [She handed his phone back.] Check your pocket!

[In it, he'd find the business card of one Trucy◇Wright, Professional Magician and Accountant of the Wright Anything Agency. (She'd had to step down from CEO when her dad insisted she put more effort into school...) It had a business number and email address on the front, but written in pen on the back was another number with the word 'cell' and a doodle of Trucy's smiling face scribbled beside it.]

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