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]

Her heart went out to those kids experiencing their powers for the first time. Knowing what little she knew, she thought Athena probably would have benefitted from their help when she was younger... But that was not the case now.

She nodded. "Right. So... Maybe we can just talk to her about it casually? Like I said, she's really open about her abilities."

[fuzzybluegecko]

"Ja, I think that may be the best way to handle it. It's not like she needs help controlling her powers at this point, and she obviously wouldn't want to move to New York and attend the boarding school." He planted his elbow on the table and rested his cheek in his palm, smiling softly. "The only goals will be to help her understand why things are the way they are and let her know there's help out there if she needs it, even if all she ever needs is someone to talk to."

[sleightadvantage]

"That's a great idea!" Better than running up to her and announcing 'you're a mutant, Athena!', which is what may have happened had Trucy been left to her own devices. She tapped her chin in thought again. "Hmm... Would it be better to tell her before or after work?"

[fuzzybluegecko]

"Probably after. We wouldn't want to rush things, ja?" He mimicked her gesture as he considered the situation. "Would she think it was weird if you invited her to hang out for a while? It may be easier for her to take the news if she's eased into it. Plus, she may not want to hear something like this from a stranger. If we've been introduced first, maybe she'll be more receptive?" His tone curled up at the end, obviously questioning. All he knew about Athena was what Trucy had told him so far. To some degree, all of this speculation was just a shot in the dark.

[sleightadvantage]

She was about to insist it wouldn't be weird at all, but she paused to think about it for a second. She considered Athena friend, and she was sure the feeling was mutual, but they didn't really hang out on their own...

"I don't think it'd be super weird," she finally said. "She'd probably know something was up after last night, though." The sides of her mouth slowly curled upward. "I could tell her I want to introduce her to my secret boyfriend."

[fuzzybluegecko]

Groaning melodramatically, Kurt pressed the back of his hand to his forehead as if he was swooning. "Do we really want to encourage her?"

[sleightadvantage]

She meant it as a joke, but now an idea was starting to take form. "But it'd be the perfect bait! Then we could straighten up the whole misunderstanding and ease her into the mutant thing. Two birds, one stone! Besides," she pointed out, "she'd probably recognize your voice."

[fuzzybluegecko]

"Oogh. You're right." He twisted in his seat to flop back onto the bench. The brightness of the sky stung his eyes, so he shielded them with one arm. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. There's no way she'd forget a voice this suave."

After some hesitation, he whined, "Can you at least open with me not being your secret boyfriend? I'm afraid she'd run off and tell your dad, and I'd like the chance to meet him before he decides to hate me."

[sleightadvantage]

She shifted so she was kneeling on the bench, leaning over the table to look down at him. "Aw, I didn't know you wanted to meet my dad!" Her smile turned playful again, as she rested her chin on her hands and batted her eyes at him. "That's very not secret boyfriend of you."

[fuzzybluegecko]

He threw his arm away from his face, so she was met with wide, panicked eyes as he gawped up at her. His jaw moved as if he was trying to speak, but no sound came out.

[sleightadvantage]

She held onto the look for as long as she could manage, before his reaction got the best of her, and she drew back with a giggle. "Hee hee... Anyway!" She sat herself back down and retrieved her chopsticks. "I GUESS we can start with that." Even if it was funny to see him get all flustered. "I'll catch her before she leaves the office tomorrow."

[fuzzybluegecko]

As soon as she was out of sight, he covered his face with both hands and quietly groaned into his palms. He was never, ever going to live this 'secret boyfriend' thing down. Clearly she could not be allowed to meet his friends; he had absolutely zero doubts that she would spread the contagion to them, and it would follow him all the way home.

With considerably less enthusiasm, he slowly sat up again, revealing his mussed hair and furious blush. "G-great. I'll let the Prof know later." He retrieved his modified chopsticks as well, and started to gather a (much smaller) clump of the spicy curry noodles. "Anything else I should know about Athena before I meet her?"

[sleightadvantage]

She chewed thoughtfully on a mushroom and swallowed. "Mmm, I don't think so. I mean, I guess it depends on what you think is relevant, but... oh!" Her expression brightened suddenly, as if the proverbial light bulb had gone off, and she aimed a grin at him. "She speaks German! I bet you guys could bond over that!"

[fuzzybluegecko]

He brightened immediately, beaming at her across the table as if the embarrassment of the last few minutes never happened. "Oh, right! You never told me how she learned it!"

[sleightadvantage]

She beamed back at him excitedly. "I have no idea! She's a super genius when it comes to languages. She knows German, French, Spanish, Italian..." She ticked them off on her fingers as she listed them, pausing at the end to think, before splaying her hands with a shrug. "...and those are just the ones I know of! I'd say maybe it's a lawyer thing, but my dad and Polly can only kind of speak one language, so."

[fuzzybluegecko]

Kurt laughed at that, all traces of nervousness apparently gone. "To be fair to them, English is a little ridiculous."

He abandoned his noodle catch again, not ready to take anymore bites when he was in the middle of talking and coughing uncontrollably would put a damper on the conversation. Tapping the tops of his chopsticks on his chin, he mused, "I wonder if she's ever visited my country." Trucy had mentioned she fast-tracked her career in Europe, hadn't she? Given that and the number of languages she had under her belt, it wouldn't surprise him if she had traveled a lot. "Hey, that reminds me. I've been meaning to ask you where you learned German! I haven't encountered that many people here that know it. Did Athena teach you?"

[sleightadvantage]

"I'm sure she's been there, but she isn't the one who taught me. My dad's friend is! He grew up in Germany, but he knows a lot of other languages, too." She paused, frowning in thought. "...Now that I think about it, I do know an unusual amount of people who speak German."

[fuzzybluegecko]

"Ja, especially now that you've met me!" He jabbed his thumb at his chest, grinning. "I gotta say man, I'm a little jealous I'm not the only German speaker you know. At least tell me I'm the only authentic German person you know."

[sleightadvantage]

"Weeell..." The way she drew the word out was probably answer enough. She gave him a small smile. "Sorry to disappoint you. Daddy's friend I mentioned? His sister's from Germany. Oh! And there's also Klavier Gavin." Her expression suddenly intensified, and she balled her fists tightly as she added, "Even if his dumb critics say he's a phony!"

[fuzzybluegecko]

As soon as the word 'well' began to stretch on far too long, he was readying his arsenal of teasing, mock lamentations. However, she interrupted them before he could even deploy them.

"Klavier Gavin? You know the Klavier Gavin, international superstar?!"

[sleightadvantage]

Her annoyance at his detractors vanished, and she instantly brightened. "Are you a fan, too!?"

[fuzzybluegecko]

"Isn't everyone with decent taste in music?" He sat up in his seat, palms splaying out flat on the table as he leaned over his bowl. The next words were whispered as his eyes darted around at the people milling about the area. "Tell me for real...do you really know Klavier Gavin? As in, can-call-him-up-to-hang-out know him?"

[sleightadvantage]

She grinned slyly. "Well, he is in my contacts..." Not that she'd ever gotten to hang out with him one on one, though she kind of had the feeling he'd agree if she ever asked! (To abuse that power or not to abuse...) "You know he's a lawyer, too, right!? That's how I got to meet him! He went up against Polly, one of my dad's other employees!" Well, former employees... but Kurt didn't need to know that part or any part that wasn't immediately relevant.

[fuzzybluegecko]

"That is so cool," he hissed, settling back on the bench. Was there any part of Trucy Wright's life that wasn't cool? He was really starting to wonder. "I knew he was a lawyer and lived in Los Angeles, but it never occurred to me that you might have met him. Got to admit I'm totally jealous here. And ready to admit you really do know a lot of Germans and German speakers." Though judging by her initial reaction, he was going to have to keep his thoughts on Gavin's German-ness to himself. He had heard enough interviews to be pretty certain that the accent was put on. Still, he would have been happy to be proved wrong.

"For that matter, you know a lot more lawyers than the average person. Do you often hang out at your dad's office or do all lawyers just like to party together?"

[sleightadvantage]

She giggled. "Prosecutor Gavin's the only lawyer I know who likes to party. Well, and maybe Athena." Though, if the Gavinners performed at a lawyer party, they might actually let loose a little... "But no, I just spend a lot of time there. In fact, I pretty much grew up in that office!"