2012-07-24 Ruby Slippers

Hell's Kitchen is not the safest of places even in the middle of the day, which would be one reason that the Teen Hero known as Wiccan has taken to the sky over it near midnight. Already he has stopped two muggings and a carjacking, and has been confused for someone called Daredevil once and the night is still young. One of the reasons he picked Hell's Kitchen for his patrol tonight is mostly that zotting down simple criminals helps him think, and he has had a lot to brood over for the past few days since he turned down a chance to be a Titan of Tomorrow. For the moment he floats in midair at the tip of a random building's water tower looking out over the city and giving a little sigh. "Why can’t big decisions ever be easy?"

Most people don't believe in magic. If they did, they might be more frightened of it and the things it can do. Like scrying people to find out where they are and what they're doing. So when Wiccan asks his rhetorical question, he gets an answer! There's a flash of light as a disk of light opens, depositing Magik on the top of the water tower and then winks out. She doesn't do the cool floating trick though. "Because if it were easy, it wouldn't be a big decision." She's dressed in the same white hooded and cloaked outfit that she wore to the Titans of Tomorrow meeting. The folds of the cloak falls over her shoulders, hiding her arms that are down at her sides. A friendly smirk, if there is such a thing, is tilted his way. "Hey."

Wiccan is not expecting an answer, or to be joined on the water tower. Which would be why when he gets both of those he responds in the most natural way possible, he jumps back, trips over nothing at all, and ends up falling on his back side all while giving a manly battle cry, and not what could best be described as a cross between a yell and a squeak. "EEP!" He is quickly back on his feet, or at least in the air, in a slightly defensive position till he recognizes the girl that surprised him as one from the Titan's meeting. "I...um...sorry you surprised me..."

Magik bites her lower lip to try to keep from snickering as she surprises Wiccan. "New at this, huh?" She guesses. One of her hands emerge from her cloak, also gloved in white. "Magik. And you're Wiccan, right?"

Wiccan blushes a little. "I totally meant to do that, really. Lulls possible attackers into a false sense of security..." Yeah, no one is going to buy that. He nods as Magik introduces herself and takes her hand in a decent but not overly firm shake. "Yeah, and before you ask it has nothing to do with the religion it’s the old English word for a male witch."

Magik's blue eyes glint in amusement behind her mask. "You know I'm a sorceress, right? I'm familiar. But I get it." She arranges her cloak so that she can sit down on the water tower, her other arm emerging with a pair of glittery red sneakers that she sets down near him. "For you."

Wiccan blushes again. "Yeah, sorry, had a few too many people make the assumption on the name recently. Almost enough to make me think of switching back to the first name I picked, despite the inevitable ... inappropriate jokes." With a small grin he joins Magik on the tower because it would be rude to make her keep looking up at him while he floats after she sits down. The appearance of the red sneakers gets a quirked eyebrow out of Wiccan. "Thank you? Is this an invitation to come with you to see an all-powerful Wizard, or a reference to something else? Because cool as those are, they would clash with every single bit of clothing I own."

"'There's no place like New York, there's no place like New York, there's no place like New York...'" Magik supplies helpfully. "And that just means it's an excuse to go shopping. If you need a fashion consultant, I can find you one. I've been told my sense of style is somewhat lacking. I *was* tempted to give you pumps, to stay true to the material, but I figure we just met. I shouldn't be that cruel."

Wiccan just laughs and shakes his head. The fact that he has actually used the first part of Magik's response as a spell to get home after a teleportation misfire to get home makes it all the more amusing to him. "Good call, pumps are just not me, and a fashion consultant would last a few hours at most before throwing up their arms in disgust. I tend to go for the geek sheik look. Or in other words, whatever I can find on Teefury or Think Geek."

Magik does an over-the-top grimace. "Save me from geeks!" She says clutching at her chest dramatically. "I bet you even know who Zelda is, don't you?" She gives an idle wave with her hand of it all. "Raven and I were bummed you bailed." She says it as a statement, not like any kind of accusation or attempt to make him feel guilty.

Wiccan grins and laughs a little at Magik's antics. "Know her, saved her, got the T-shirt." At the mention of him bailing on the Titans thing he bites his lower lip. "I...sorry. Trust me when I say it was probably the coolest thing ever to get invited for a chance to join a group like that but...No matter what Superman says and how open to interpretation the oath was it did not quite feel right to me. The soldiers, guns, people giving a special place for the special and different to live. Probably just me listing to way to many of Bubba...of my grandmother's stories." He stops himself before giving away his grandmother's name, and just shakes his head.

"Do I really look like a video game character?" Magik asks Wiccan, her perplexed expression making it clear she's not sure how to feel about that. She gives a slight shake of her head. "Anyhow, no. It's fine. I just wanted you to know that we'd have liked you there too. And I totally understand the bit about a special place for special people to live." There's a pause before she goes on. "I grew up around other mutants. All the people I lived with were mutants. Then I turned eighteen and I had to decide if I was gonna keep living there, in this place apart from everyone else where it's just mutants. I don't live there now. And I don't plan to live at the Tower, either. I admit, I'm way more the 'glass is half empty' sort, so I'm doing this on trust. In two people, specifically. Not the guys with the guns."

Wiccan cants his head to the side a second and looks at Magik. "You know, you do kina look like Zelda, although you need longer hair and pointier ears." At the mention of being around other mutants his eyebrows go up, part of him has wondered if there were little communities like that out there but was never sure one could exist without people trying to burn it down. "Heh, it’s all really new to me, from being a mutant with powers that are apparently based in magic to the hero thing. Normally I am a glass is half full person..." Or a lucky to still have the glass after being tripped in the cafeteria. "I just don’t really trust governments, not specifically or even distrust the people in them, just them in general. Truth be told, since I walked out I have been almost wishing for a group like the Titans that just did not have the ties to the Government."

"You're a mutant too?" Magik asks with some surprise. "My mutation ties in with my magical stuff too. I think others see it as very..." She gives a huff of amusement. "Messy. I could put you in contact with a mutant group but, like I said, they're a little apart from the rest of society and focused on mutant problems. In this though, I'm trusting in one," She holds up a finger, "Superman and two," She holds up another finger, "Colossus. To make sure we're not being used or decieved. It's a tricky time right now and having people with powers being someone that the people are willing to trust and even cheer for... Well, I think that's important and hopefully make more independent groups more easily accepted."

Wiccan nods and shrugs a little. "Yeah, only I warp reality with magic the way Magneto controls magnetic fields...only with way less control." He can at least openly admit his control is far from perfect, or at times even standard, to other heroes. "I trust Superman on what he says, but it’s like the whole problem with kings. You have a good king, and that’s great, but you have to make sure that his second in command is a good person too because any order he gives is from the King. Same with the people under him, and the ones under them, and so on. It’s great, no make that absolutely amazing that people with powers can be cheered for as heroes just...I don't know. I am more of a ground up kind of person, instead of top down, if that makes any sense at all."

"I think that's why we get to give the orders." Magik points out with a small grin. Then she shakes her head. "But I'm not here to try to convince you or anything. I was really on the fence about it but I felt I owed it to my brother to give it a try. I just don't know a lot of other magical types. So I wanted to drop in and say hi. Sounds like we won't be swapping spellbooks though." Since his works through his mutant reality manipulation.

Wiccan nods and grins thankful Magik is not going to try and convince him, especially since he is still not entirely sure of his decision. "You make the second I have met, unless the waitress at the Oblivion place the other one took me too counts. I don't know about the spell book thing, if I could find someone that could teach me I understand I could use magic normally, just power it with my mutant powers or something. Well, find someone to teach me that is not called an ass by everyone I mention him too, or openly admits to being related to the devil himself at least."

Magik gives a bit of a grimace at that. "Not related to the devil. I... might be considered something of a witch spelled-with-a-b by some though. And sadly I deal in a lot of black magic." She holds up a forestalling hand. "It's not something I picked, it picked me. It seems like most magical sorts end up tied to demons in one way or another. Something to watch yourself with. I do know some white magic, though. And I definitely know magic theory."

Wiccan blinks at the grimace and wonders the story behind that. "Satana is...an interesting woman. Black magic is kind of a loaded phrase you know. Could mean anything from just pain evil stuff, to the whole Final Fantasy meaning for destructive magic to people not in the know." Like for instance Wiccan. "All I know about magic is Satana said about the same thing as you, to be careful with it, and that the first time I used mine at all I kind of gave myself extra super powers."

Illyana gives Wiccan a sharp, surprised look as he brings up Satana. "I've run into that Succubus. I managed to cage her for a while but she managed to escape. Consuming souls is its own level of Evil." The blonde is scowling now, remembering her encounter with the other woman. "When I say Black Magic, I'm talking about the stuff that taints your soul. The blacker your soul, the less likely you are to feel... kindness or compassion. The more it's about you, your amusements and your own power." The bit about giving himself super powers gets a short laugh. "Sounds like you got a pretty good deal there."

Wiccan grins and nods. "She has been...nice both times I have met her. Although once was just saving her from a bunch of two headed snake demon things. It’s a good deal, except I wake up midair every now and then and when I am really emotional I spark. I have to keep my cell phone in an extra thick rubber armor to keep from blowing it up...again." He defiantly decides trading spell books with Magik, if he ever gets any, is not a great idea. Sure he will share, but is very much not interested in the whole black magic thing.

"It sounds like the first thing that you're going to need to learn is how to focus and get some control. You're pretty much bleeding power which is what made it so easy for me to find you. I of course only have good intentions but someone else?" Magik gives him a meaningful look. "I could have waited until you were asleep to pop in on you." When he would be at home, around any family he might have. "Control, I think I can help you with. Protective circles, Wards, the basics. Nothing flashy but..."

Wiccan nods and grins at Magik. "That, is something I have been trying for." Not doing the best job, but what teenaged boy has self-control down? Other than the ones Batman trains that is. "I would really appreciate help with that stuff, especially ways to protect my home." The idea of someone tracking him by his magic into his home and possibly harming his family sends a chill up Wiccan's spine.

Magik nods her head in agreement. "If you're willing to trust me, I can put down some quick and dirty Wards. All they'll be able to do is mask your power-bleed but hopefully that'll be enough until we can teach you to put your own down. And before you ask, strictly white magic. I promise."

Wiccan nods and hesitates for just a second. "Is this going to be like something ou put on me, or something you would need to do where I live?" He's hoping it’s the first, less for reasons of trust but more because he would have no idea how to explain it or hide it form his Mom if its the second. "Cause I am willing to trust, Superhero to superhero and all, but explaining everything to my parents, or hiding what’s going on form them won't be easy if it’s the second option."

"It'd be the second." Magik admits. "Putting Wards on *people* is a lot harder, what with the moving and all that. I can do it while they're asleep, and it shouldn't take long." Now her blue eyes glint with amusement. "I'm pretty good at what I do. Teaching you how will be harder and take longer, but I can put these up pretty quick."

Wiccan nods at Magik. "I thought it might be like that. I guess its a good thing the only really light sleeper in the family is one of my little brothers, and if he wakes up we can always tell him he's dreaming and go back to bed..." Its actually worked for Wiccan before, of course convinced it was a dream his little brother talked about it and that lead to a conversation with his parents about staying up late working on a cosplay costume. "If I am going to put this much trust in you, I might as well give you my real name huh?" Wiccan offers his hand to Magik, "I'm Billy Kaplan."

"Magic's all about seeing the unseen and learning hidden truths." She pushes her hood back and leans over to shake his hand in return. "Illyana Rasputin. And I'm gonna be the one shielding your house with my life-force so believe me, the trust is going both ways here. Like I said, seems like the magic always ends up dragging you into the darkness. I'd like to try to help keep anyone from my fate." A chuckle. "And I respect you doing what you think is right. Especially with it's the big blue boy scout doing the asking. Hard to tell the guy 'no'."

Wiccan grins and nods. "Thank you, and saying no was only difficult. The really hard part was not babbling at him and summoning my limited edition foil trading card and asking for an autograph." It's probably a joke, but with Wiccan you can't quite be sure about that. "And as soon as I can put up ones on my own you will be free to drop the ones you put up."

Illyana ducks her head, snickering a bit at that and then goes fishing in the hidden pockets of her costume to find her cellphone so she can put Billy in it. "More subtle than sending an imp with a note tied to its leg." She deadpans, and will get Billy's number and give her his if he gives it to her. She gets up to her feet, brushing herself off a bit. "I can do this now or it'll wait until tomorrow. If you haven't attracted any attention yet we shouldn't be in a dire rush." Just not something to put off.

Wiccan nods at Illyana and pulls out his own cell phone, complet with the mentioned extra thick rubber armor. The number exchange is easy, especially since Billy only has maybe 6 numbers in his phone at most. "Either works, but if its tonight got to make sure its all up and your out by four. For some sadistic reason Dad like to schedule his triple bypasses for 6am so he is going to be up getting up about then."

"Ugh. That's just cruel and unusual punishment. Is the house empty during the day? If not I'll do it tonight. Should take me fifteen minutes tops." Illyana assures the younger magician.

Wiccan laughs and nods at Illyana. "Unfortunately no. Mom sees most of her patients at her home office and the little brothers are always underfoot."

"Tonight it is then. Lucky for me I don't sleep much anyhow." Illyana says. Nightmares. She's found the solution though. Just stop sleeping. "So can you teleport us there? I could but I don't know where we're going."

Wiccan nods and floats up to his feet from the sitting position before offering his hand to Illyana. "Sure, unless I am in a real hurry I can teleport home without missing at least nine times out of ten. Going to drop us just outside my window, less chance of disturbing anyone with the noise."

Illyana puts her hand in Wiccan's and nods. "Don't freak out and think you missed, got it. It took me years to get my teleports down. You don't even want to *know* some of the places that I ended up." She says with dry humor.

Wiccan grins, "If it can be worse than the bottom of the Hackensack river, then you’re right. New Jersey or not, water should not glow in the dark." Wiccan closes his eyes for a second, and just for Illyana's sake chants to himself, "Theresnoplacelikehome,Theresnoplacelikehome,Theresnoplacelikehome." With a flash of light, and a lurch to the left, Wiccan teleports the two of them away to make his home a safer place.