A performance worth falling for (TAG ICEMAN)

[Zatanna]

Tonight's show is a smaller, more intimate setting.
Instead of major props and a giant stage show, this show is more Cabaret in style.
A nice theater, smaller, with better access to the audience.
The way the lighting is set, I can see my audience, and include them easily into the tricks.
Illusion is the magic of misdirecting everyone's attention to change the circumstances in unseen ways, and a more intimate crowd, sitting close around me, is much easier to sway than an entire auditorium of faces blurred in the stage lights.
I make my entrance with a smile, bowing as the introductions are made for me.
I show the crowd that I have nothing up my sleeve, or in my hat, winking at them as I snap my fingers, a cane just appearing out of thin air, as I grab it in my hand, tipping my hat off again to tap the cane to the rim.
A small white rabbit peers out of the hat, slowly climbing up until the crowd can see the upper half of it's body.
I nod and tap the rabbit on the head with the cane, and it turns into a white dove, flying off into the club before circling back, landing on my finger.
I grab the bird's body with my other hand, appearing to squish it in between my palms, and it turns into an Origami bird.
Blowing on it, I manage to land it on the nearest table to the makeshift stage.
I step back onto the stage, snapping my fingers for an assistant to bring in a rack of metal rings.
A very basic illusionary trick, I juggle the rings in many humorous ways, before passing them physically through eachother, or at least it seems, for the crowd.
I pretend to mix them all up, letting them fall completely linked to the floor.
Using the stage humor I pick them back up, pretend to work on a tangled mess before dropping them right in line, pulling once, and separating each one back into juggling, the whole thing ending as I drop one at a time back onto it's spot on the rack, my assistant taking it away once again.
I move to a small table nearby, Holding the next prop, a silver ball about the size of a softball, and a black silk cloth.
Picking up the cloth I place it over the ball, and the cloth seems to instantly rise, a ball shape leading the audience to believe the ball itself is floating.
After doing some fancy up and down motions with the cloth, to show the illusion is not bound to the table itself, I step back, pushing the ball into vision just at the tip of the cloth, before concealing it again, moving the cloth from one side to the other before showing the ball resting on my elbow, covered again, to move to the opposite hip, seemly floating on the very air itself.
I conceal it once again, to move it to it's first position on the table, shaking the cloth to show it's just a simple silk cloth and nothing more, before tucking it into my jacket pocket.
Another assistant brings out a giant machete, and I smile more sinisterly as I take it, flashing it a bit for the crowd to see the shiny metal in all it's glory, before shoving it into my arm, screaming loud enough to see several people jump in their seats.
I tug and pull at the blade, fake blood making it all look much worse than it is before I pull the blade free, dripping red goo.
I take the black silk linen out of my pocket, wiping the blood from my arm, showing my flesh perfect and unharmed underneath.
It's a good crowd, the warm up has them eating out of the palm of my hand, so I start to involve participants.
The first is a lady with Brown hair, wearing a very simple dress.
I pull her up to the stage, showing a stool, with a giant playing card turned down on it.
I instruct the girl to sit on the card to prove I haven't manipulated it at any time within this trick, as I pull out a small deck of cards.
I hand the specially set up deck in her hands, letting her check to see it's not filled with duplicates or anything tricky, just a simple playing deck, and I tell her to cut the deck, and throw half of it over her shoulder.
She does, and I tell her to do it again, cut the deck in half, and throw one half over her shoulder.
Once she does I point out to the crowd that now there is only one quarter of the deck left for her to choose from, taking it from her, fanning it out, and having her pick just one from the fan.
I tell her to stand up, and take the card she's sitting on, to see how she's done, and her face lights up in shock as she sees the card she's picked matches the giant card she's been sitting on this whole time.
I encourage everyone to give her a good round of applause as she goes back to her seat, and I look through the crowd for another to have some fun in the spot light with me.
Seeing a nice looking guy by himself, enjoying the show, I head over and try to pull him to the stage.
I ask his name, and he says his friends call him Bobby, and I grin.
The perfect opening. Even better than I'd hoped for.

[glow=yellow,2,300]"Well Bobby, I hope we're friends. Because this trick can end up very personal..."[/glow]

I hand him two separate silk scarves, letting him see they are in fact two regular scarves, before making a show of tyeing the ends together. I move Bobby's chin up with a light touch of my finger, pushing the tied ends of the scarves into the collar of his shirt.

[glow=Yellow,2,300]"Now Bobby, if you're hiding any secrets... we'll see with just a tug..."[/glow]

I grin at him playfully as I lightly tug on the scarves, pulling them back out to reveal a black Lacey bra now tied into the knots themselves.
There's a few good natured chuckles from the crowd as I give Bobby fake questioning looks on the bra before breaking into a grin.
I pull him into a bow as the crowd claps, but hold him on stage a moment,

[glow=yellow,2,300]"And for being such a good sport,"[/glow]

I tip my hat to him, levitating a yellow rose from inside, putting the hat back on my head before placing my fingertips over the rose bud, dancing them around a moment, revealing the Yellow rose being changed to red.
I hand the red rose to Bobby as he leaves the stage, bowing to the crowd for an intermission before the next performer.

[Iceman]

Bobby was on his own taking a little trip. He needed it some time to think this was a major move for him. The school had been destroyed and rebuilt a lot over the years packing up and moving was something he never thought would come to pass.

His relationship with his dad wasn’t how he would like it to be but he felt strange about leaving him it almost felt like abandoning him. He had done almost all of his first there meeting Scott, Warren, Jean, and Hank was something he would not trade for nothing.

They laughed and fought and did many things that a normal family did and many things they didn’t like fighting giant robots and evil blood thirty tyrants. Professor X had become like a father to him in some ways and Scott a older brother.

Now the Professor was gone and they had a lot of new faces from that time. The new class of kids were fun but some were easier to get along with than others. He liked Conduit and Girlzilla and felt they were a good couple they both are able to make him smile, Kami was a party girl if he was going to go to one she had to be on the list, Duncan was distant but he knew the kid could be counted on, Sidney seems shy around women but then again the one usual around him are very cute.

Hastur is very cute and still innocent he hopes she has the chance to remain so as long as she can, X-23 he always felt sorry for her and wished he could do something for her but has never found a way to do it in a way that he wouldn’t be transparent. Last but not least Firekat she in a way reminded him of himself but she annoyed people on purpose he was more mischievous.

The kids would be fine with who was there and most likely wouldn’t miss him at all. Getting into mid-town he parks his car and gets out to walk. Being forced to dress for the weather was a bit annoying but he couldn’t afford to draw the wrong kind of attention.

The winters here weren’t as bad as New York but they were still a bit chilly for those without a resistance to cold. A jacket, hat and gloves were all he wore for the cold. A light brown shirt with a pair of dark brown khakis along with boots was his choice of clothes for the day.

Walking down the street he sees a cabaret theater that had a bunch of people buzzing. Curiosity got a hold of him so he walk over and begun asking people what was going on.

Zatanna was in town is what a couple told him but he had never heard of her before. He ask a man with a picture of a bunny on his coat who she was he stared at him blankly for a couple of seconds before answering. Apparently she was the daughter of Giovanni Zatara the guy says his father was able to see him live and now it was his turn to see the daughter live.

After talking to a few more people he finds out that she is a very good magician and escape artist. The thought hits him he had never been to something like this before and decides to try to get a ticket. He makes it to the ticket box and finds out they were sold out as he begins to go back to his car he feels a tap on his shoulder, it was the guy in the bunny on his coat he gave Bobby his extra ticket saying his was unable to make it and he didn’t want to waste the ticket.

Bobby thanks him and waits for them to start the seating. The wait was not long as he walks in along with everyone and is seated by himself. Taking of his jacket he puts his gloves in his hat and his hat in his jacket pocket.

Zatanna is introduced and Bobby couldn’t take his eyes off her she was beyond beautiful. He watched every move she made and every thing she did. Her tricks were amazing she was someone he could find himself seeing over and over again.

She then steps of stage and looks in the audience for someone to join her on stage. She picks a lady fist and she does the card trick but in a way he had never heard of before. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes at the end of it after clapping he sees she is looking for another to help her.

Bobby would raise his hand but he knows he has no chance of being picked. But as soon as the thought enters his mind she walk right over to him. She picked him his heart almost skips a beat she asks him his name as they hit the center of the stage.

“My friends call me Bobby!”

My friends call me Bobby real smooth there you have no chance of leaving without her phone number now he thinks to himself. She hands him the ends to two scarves. He sees that there is nothing funny about them.

She then ties them together titling his chin upward with her finger he feel as she stuffs the tied end scarves down his shirt. Then she says she if he is hiding anything it will be known with a tug.

The tug reveals a black lacey bra she gives him a look like she would have never guessed before smiling. They clap for Bobby the same as they did for the lady and she thanks him for being a good sport. He was happy to be a part of the show and the trick was nothing short of fun.

She then takes her hat off and a yellow rose rises out of it and turns to a red rose. She hands it to him and he returns to his seat. And she leaves the stage so the next act can perform.

Once at his seat he makes up his mind that he was going to meet her face to face but how after placing his rose in the pocket on the inside of his jacket he starts scheming. Looking toward the stage he sees on both sides there are doors that must lead backstage the one both had guards. The one on the left side was wearing glasses so Bobby decides to go with him.

He approaches the guard quickly making what looked like champagne. Using his powers on the mans glasses he walks up to him just after he take them off to wipe them.

“I have a bottle of champagne for Zatanna!”

The man squints nods and lets him in after stepping through the door he waits to hear the click to let out his sigh. He walks down a hallway which leads backstage once there he sees three dressing rooms all with names on them.

Not really caring for the other two he heads straight for Zatanna’s. After settling his nerves and knocks on the door. He sees he is still holding the fake champagne before he could get rid of it the door opens and he walks in.

“Ms. Zatanna I have never anything like this before and I am not dangerous I just had to say you are amazing, I would also be honored if you would join me for a coffee or something?”

After letting a few seconds pass He adds in.

“I was going to wear my white silky bra but heard black really brings out my eyes!”

[Zatanna]

After leaving the stage, I retire to my dressing room.
It's not bad really, a big mirror with lights to put makeup on with, a few cushy chairs for visitors.
There's a small folding closet thing that keeps several of my stage uniforms, just in case I change my mind on wardrobe.
There's a few presents, the traditional banquet of goodies in a basket from the proprietor of the establishment, some roses.
I notice a card in the flowers, and glance at it, seeing the inscription, "Break a leg" in Bruce's own handwriting.
I don't usually even need a dressing room, my magick giving me the ability to change with just a word anywhere I feel the need.
But it is nice, like a haven away from all the people, and that's what I use it for.
My last show was interrupted when Amazo took control of my mind and pitted me against my best friends in battle.
Since then I've put a bit of real magick into my shows, but only in means of security and defense.
Keeping that up in the background of the actual show itself, takes a bit of a toll, and a dressing room is the perfect place to relax a moment, letting myself relax mentally, away from stranger's eyes.
After a few deep breaths I relax my spells, drawing my energy back into myself, feeling a bit of second wind from it, I run my fingertips over the roses, and there's a knock on my door.
As if on instinct at the sound my magick shields go up.
It's not paranoia, it's safety...
I shake off the startle of it, opening up the door to see Bobby, the guy from the show.
He goes off explaining he's not dangerous, and he came back to tell me how he enjoyed the show.
He ends his little speech by asking me out to coffee or something, his crack about bringing a different bra making me smile instantly.
It's been a long time since some nice guy came all the way to my dressing room to ask me out.
I notice the bottle of champagne in his hands, it's opaque appearance like crystal in his hands.
I take it from him, noticing on touch that it's not glass, or crystal, the bottle's made of ice. And it's empty.
I give him a bit of a questioning look, before balancing the bottle on my fingertips,

[glow=yellow,2,300]"You know, it took Jesus, to turn water in to wine.
But only a good magician can make champagne out of air."[/glow]

I wink at him, still holding the bottle at eye level for visual effect,

[glow=yellow,2,300]"Engapmahc!"[/glow]

On my words, the bottle fills, it's contents visible against the ice container. Once it's full, I grab two glasses from that handy dandy gift basket on my desk, filling them, before handing him one.

[glow=yellow,2,300]"Forget the coffee, have a drink with me.
And Bobby, my friends call me Zee."[/glow]

I smile to him, tipping my glass to his and taking a drink.

[glow=yellow,2,300]"So, Bobby.
Other than watching B-rate magick shows, what else do you like to do for fun around here?"[/glow]

I know he's not dangerous, as he put it. If he meant to harm me, my spell would be ringing bells in my ears by now.
So, this is just as it seems: A nice guy has come to my dressing room to ask me out for a drink.
It almost feels too good to be true.
I keep my defense spells up, but not against Bobby.
Every time things actually seem to be going my way, something always comes along to turn it into yet another disaster of magick and super powerd mayhem.
I'm not paranoid. I'm just being careful.

[Iceman]

It has been a while since Bobby has made a beautiful woman laugh that wasn’t like a sister to him. Her smile was something he was not prepared for it took his breath away he was feeling really unsure of the joke till she smiled. Her eyes go to the champagne bottle she give him a questioning look before she amazes him once again.

He began to worry what she might have been thinking from the look she gave him then she turns things on him and fills the bottle with real champagne. She tells him to forget the coffee and to have a drink with her and that he can call her Zee.

He takes a drink as he listens to her and he couldn’t believe that called her show b-rate. He would never say that about her show he thought it was amazing he was into it from the beginning. Then it dawns on him that she is being humble and that thought made her even more cuter in his eyes.

“Well like to ice skate, play pool, I am absolutely addicted to horror movies. This was my first magic show and I wouldn’t call it b-rate!”

This was fun to him having someone he finds interesting finding him interesting. Hopefully he can remain interesting to her Bobby thinks to himself he is surprised by the taste of the champagne it was the best he has ever had.

‘So tell me Zee what do you do for fun?”

He was hoping she is a gamer he wanted to tell her he was but not to many women as hot as her play video games much less understand why guys do. Why not play video games he thinks to himself I train in one.

He finishes his glass only person who came close to be able to doing what Zee was doing that he has been around is Wanda. But he has never been sure what she really did if it was really magic or something else.

[Zatanna]

Bobby seems to enjoy my show with the champagne, taking his own drink as he starts to relax past the tense entrance of 'I'm not a dangerous Stalker-fan'.
He's cute when he's relaxed too.
I let my eyes travel over his body, as he answers my question, again complimenting my show, and then turning my own question back on me.
What do I do for fun?
It seems every time I really start to have fun, it's interrupted and turned inside out.
I compare my own words with his own answer, to keep things simple and light.

[shadow=yellow,left,300]"A night spent drinking and dancing is always fun. I can shoot some pool, but I'm not the most serious of players.
I can sit through horror movies, But the comedy genre is so much more fun."[/shadow]

My life is a horror movie. So I can't say the genre sparks a bunch of interest. But I don't feel I know Bobby well enough to explain things that deeply.

[shadow=yellow,left,300]"I don't get to spend allot of time on the funner side of things. I haven't been ice skating in years.
I'm an easy enough girl to try and just have a good time.
Heck we could go to an arcade for all I care, I'm sure something could turn up as fun there, as easily as anywhere."[/shadow]

I lean forward, tipping my glass into his, downing it in one smooth pull.

[shadow=yellow,left,300]"What do you say Bobby? Want to blow this pop sickle stand and go on a quest for some fun together?"[/shadow]

[Iceman]

Bobby Listens to Zatanna as she answers his questions. Drinking and dancing well the drinking part is very easy he was already doing that but dancing his two left feet would show just how good he was at that. She say she can sit through horror movies but prefers comedies, After the monster he has fought in his time as an X-Man all horror movies seem like comedies to him Freddy Kruger has nothing on the Shadow King.

She says she hardly gets the chance to have fun some where Cyndi Lauper is crying for this woman. He nearly drooled when she says she wouldn’t mind going to a arcade but is able to keep his cool. He couldn’t help but let out a laugh when she ask about leaving the pop sickle stand he thought he was the only that still used that line she sounded a lot better than him saying it though.

“I am totally game for it pretty lady!”

Even though he would love to head to the arcade he felt deep down it would be more fun for her to go ice skating. But how was a sticking point for him maybe if there is a pond near by he could freeze it over and he could maintain the composer with little effort.

“Lets see where the night takes us!”

Opening the he steps out first going back with champagne is one thing but leaving with a headliner is a totally different story. Then he begins to think about his story and worries if anyone went to go check if they did he would be in trouble he takes a deep breath and walks through the door that lead him backstage.

The guy who was there is gone in fact no one was paying him any attention which is fine with him, The less he has to deal with the better no need to do anything that will draw attention he is really trying to avoid. They are out the door and on the side walk within a matter of moments.

He turns and gives her a smile and starts walking down the street letting his power look for any mass bodies of water. It shouldn’t be to hard to feel a mass amount of moisture in the air and follow it to it’s source he may have to explain how he found it to Zatanna but h will worry about that when the time comes.

“ So Zee what got you into the world of magic? It seems like second nature to you!”

His listen to Zee as his powers alerts him to what he is looking for a very nice sized pond by the feel of it in fact it kind of feel like a small lake. As he listen to her he begins to feel as if he were being a bit to nosey with the questions he is asking and doesn’t wont to alienate her and ruin what has been a very fun experience for him.

“Zee I am sorry if I seem a bit… Nosey I don’t mean to pry in fact if I say or do anything else that you feel uncomfortable about you can kick as hard as you can!”

Winking as he says the last part. He takes a left and notices they are walking into a park they are not to for away from the prize now which he hopes he can pull this trick off at least for a short will. The park is a nice one it has a path each side line with ever green trees and bushes that are in between each tree. There are benches for people to sit he could hear the wild life running around looking for food Bobby knows they will most likely go into the trash bins like most animals that live in parks.

Looking up he sees the park has one of those thing women love to get married in when they set up the wedding in parks for the life of him cant recall what they are called. He walks up to the thing he thought was a going to be a pond but now believes to be a small lake and knows it is going to take an effort to get it frozen over.

The gods must be being kind to him this night as he sees a shake in the not to for distance one that rents ice skates even though he knows that the ice on the lake was very thin, But this will give him his chance to do his thing with her noticing. Reaching into his pocket he pulls his wallet out and grab a twenty dollar bill.

“Say Zee I’ll pay for the skate rental if you will get the skates!”

He was happy she agreed waiting he waits for her to get a good distance away and then he closes his eyes and concentrates. It helps that he only has to do so much because he could feel it gets pretty deep towards the middle. He starts the process in front of him and goes out forward slowly on thin parts making sure he makes every inch as sturdy as possible.

He can feel part of himself turn to ice when he reached the half way mark but it was his feet so he wasn’t worried. The second half of the lake as a bit harder than the first half but he is able to finish it out. It was a little more exhausting than he first thought but he was none the less able to do it. Opening his eyes he sees he almost cut it to close as Zee was almost on him.

“You ready for some fun!”