Birthday Magic

[x-welshpixie.livejournal.com]

Megan skipped down the mall atrium, ecstatic to be out of school with Nico and shopping at a real New York mall. Earlier they had hit some thrift stores, where she'd picked up some awesome bargains on vintage second-hand stuff, like the punk T-shirts that she had plans to modify into wing-friendly wear. But there was something amazing about staring up at three floors of boutiques and department stores from the middle of a mall atrium. She wondered what people would think if she just flew up to the top floor instead of winding her way up the escalators. She was wearing her wings uncovered for once, and she'd gotten some looks but nothing too bad.

Nico was more or less nostalgic in the mall, as she always got when she went shopping, remembering the good days where she could just flash the credit card she used to posses thanks to her parents and buy whatever she wanted. Which was a rather shallow gesture, she knew now, but it had been pretty good times anyway. Besides that, her attention was divided into shopping and keeping an eye on the people that might look a little too long at her friend; she wasn't going to allow anyone to ruin their fun in the mall. "No, you might want to take the stairs, " commented with a smile as she noted the expression on Megan's face.

Megan blushed. "Ah, was it that obvious what I was thinking? You're right, though, I better not push it. I'm just glad no one's said anything." She glanced over to the food court and saw a New York Cupcake shop. "Ooo... want to get cupcakes?"

Nico shrugged. "In my opinion, mutants shouldn't hide as long as they know how to behave, but not every regular human share my point of view. And you don't even ask about cupcakes; you simply make a bet with me regarding who can eat more of them."

As the girls made a beeline for New York Cupcake, Megan tried to decide what kind of flavors she wanted. "I can't promise I'll behave when I'm gorging on cupcakes. I'm going to need a chocolate one. Actually, white too. I don't normally like white cake, but I haven't been there before so I need to compare, right?" she debated excitedly. She was a bit unprepared when it turned out that they offered red velvet cupcakes as well, with all different flavors of buttercream frosting and toppings.

Nico chuckled a little. "Don't worry; I wasn't planning on behaving myself. And compare all you want." She wasn't going to compare, because that's not how you called to eat one of every kind, and maybe two. "Oh, I'm having a vision right now; we'll expend a nice amount of money here." There was a big smile on her face though.

"Yeah. But I don't think Mum and Dad would mind me spending some of their money this way." It wasn't much of an inheritance, as there had been a lot of medical bills for both her parents in the end. "They'd probably just be glad that I stayed in school," she said brightly. And they'd be piiiiiiissed at Molly for leaving.

Megan studied the menu board, and when it was her turn to order she came away with her top three picks, planning to save one for later but knowing that it probably wasn't going to survive the next hour.

"Of course they wouldn't." Nico was right after her, and she took her time to pick a variety of flavors, considering she would end up treating Megan with some. "Want to find somewhere to sit and relax for a while?"

"Sure," Megan replied happily, glancing around the area for a likely spot. It wasn't crowded, with just a few other groups of people about. She headed for a clean-looking table at the edge of the food court. It provided a nice view of the mall fountain and a good spot for watching the shoppers walk by.

"People in New York are so... interesting," she remarked as she sat down with her small pile of cupcakes.

Nico sat next to her, placing her army of cupcakes on line in front of her. "How's so? I know that in a way everyone is interesting, but truth to be told, New yorkers aren't really that different in my mind." Not that she had really gone out that much to watch them, though.

"I think it's a good place for our school," she said in her airy tone. "I mean, you have all the businesspeople and stuff, but everyone else is just doing their own thing. Dressing the way they want to. Acting the way they feel like. There's just a little more variety than in Abergylid." She held a chocolate cupcake in one hand and a red velvet cupcake in the other, each with a contrasting color of frosting, and took a bite of each.

A shrug was in order. "I guess so, but people are always like that; focused on themselves unless it's to bother someone, in the most cases at least." She was attacking her cupcakes individually, first getting rid of the chocolate one, just to move to a vanilla one that was giving her fun looks. "But I see your point; at least mutants don't get that much of a bother here, it seems."

Feeling a bit like Alice taking one bite from one side of the mushroom and one bite from the other, Megan took a couple more bites this way. "I don't feel like I really stand out here that much. But I wonder if some people pretend to be mutants who are really not, just for a little extra attention?"

Nico left the cupcake she was attacking for a moment, taking some time to consider Megan's question. "Well, you could say that by association, people would think I'm a mutant, even when I say otherwise. And truth to be told, I would prefer to be one, sometimes. I wouldn't do it to get more attention though." She was fine with the limited attention she had. "But I guess some people do that? I haven't really heard of one...have you?"

"I haven't met one but there's loads of posers for everything else you can think of," she answered between mouthfuls. "Well, I guess it's good if it hasn't come up." She liked to think of the weirdest scenarios that she could, just to wonder 'what if'. It could sometimes be infuriating to people, so she quickly changed the subject.

"If I couldn't fly... and I got to choose... I'd really want the ability to slow time. But my science teacher said that you'd have to be going near the speed of light before that would be possible, and time would only slow for yourself due to relativity or something. So I guess that wouldn't be very helpful. If you got to choose, and you couldn't have your magic, what kind of mutant would you want to be?"

"...I think there are mutants that control time, as in no needing to go faster or slower, since they are messing with the whole universe or something." She remembered the Ms. Chang, who could freeze limited spaces in time, and she wasn't going near the speed of light. "Mutant powers do things science can't explain, sometimes." And that was why her accepting magic allowed her brain to cope with people with wings, little girls with diamond strong, razor sharp skin, and telekinesis. Or fairy wings.

Nico shrugged, unsure of how to answer. "I might sound a little spoiled, but I would like to keep my magic and get to be a mutant; I don't think that works though." It kind of worked for Amanda, but she was like one single case? There was also that ridiculously evil witch she had mentioned a few times. "As for what kind of mutant...I don't really care, which means I don't have the faintest idea. Would you like to be another kind of mutant? Besides being able to move near the speed of light, that is."

"Your magic is so cool. I can see why you would want to keep it and get to be a mutant. If I could be another kind of mutant, and besides being able to move near the speed of light, I'd probably pick the same thing. As you, I mean."

A movie must have let out, then, because suddenly the walkway was flooded with groups of people coming from the other end of the mall.

Nico blushed a little. "Not really; it's pretty lame actually." She was about to comment she hadn't mentioned any mutant ability but then a lot of people started to fill the place. "Oh, company."

As Megan polished off the last of her cupcakes, she suddenly became aware of a group of three children detaching themselves from the flow of traffic and attaching themselves to the low, decorative iron fence that gated in the food court. They were whispering to each other and casting furtive glances towards Megan and Nico.

"But she can't be! They don't..."
"Why don't you go ask if they're real?"
"Why me?"

The kids were aged around 9-10 if Megan had to guess, and Harry Potter fans judging by their fan T-shirts (one was sporting "Gryffindor" and another was a big graphic of Hermione with the Harry Potter logo in the background). They argued quietly among themselves.

"Yeah, and I think we're about to have a visit," Megan said to Nico as the three young faces came closer, almost pressing against the decorative fence that separated the food court from the main walkway.

Nico looked up at the kids, slightly surprised someone had actually approached. They didn't look like a troublesome bunch at least.


"Ask her, ask her!" said the one on the back as he nudged one of the kids on the front.
"Alright alright!" The kid cleared his throat before giving a serious-looking look at Megan's wings. He stared for a couple of seconds before asking with enough anxiety in his voice to put an old woman into cardiac arrest. "Are those reeeeeeeeea!?!?!"

The children were now keeling in anticipation; Nico allowed herself an eye roll.

"Ah, you mean my wings, then?" asked Megan, blushing a little.
The kids nodded vigorously.
"Of course they're real. Uh, hi. I'm Pixie."

"She's a pixie!" gasped one of the kids.
"I told you they were real!" said another.
"Nice to meet you fairy lady! I'm Thomas!" said the first starstruck kid, the one who'd mustered the courage to ask if her wings were real. He looked like he was about to faint.

About to faint wasn't even close; Nico didn't remember seeing such pale kids in a long time, and those had been hardcore goths...and were certainly older than them. The remark about her being a pixie made her chuckle, but the little brats barely paid her attention.

Thomas then gave a meaningful nudge in the ribs to his pal next to him. "I-I-I'm Marcus!", managed to say finally. "How come you aren't small like pixies are--ouch!" Another nudge made him stop talking, Thomas glaring at him. "That's rude Marcus!"

"It's magic," said Megan by way of explanation, giving Nico a sidelong glance and a smile. "See, she's a..." she was going to say "witch" but suddenly she wasn't sure if Nico wanted her announcing things like that in public, even if it was just to mess with some little kids.

Nico offered them a wide, evil grin. "I'm a witch." Then she smiled at Megan. "Go on."

"Whaaa--a w-witch?" stammered Marcus. Tommy looked like he was about to faint for real this time. Megan saw him grab his pal for balance.

"That's sooo cool!" squealed Hermione girl. "Now do you believe me that magic is real?" she demanded of the boys.

"Yes, it's definitely real," said Megan, remembering the crazy energy potion she'd sneaked a while ago. And not to mention the Staff of One.

Well, sometimes bragging was fine, Nico decided. Looking around, she waited until nobody else was watching to raise her index finger, eyes darkening a little. "Ekam Thgil", muttered as Mina the Dark Werelight came to life; it was a tennis ball sized...black cloud of something that could have been electrons, hovering over her finger; it eyed the children, but Nico was skilled enough to restrain her werelight. "And yet", said with a smile. "Pixies are so much cooler, once you know them well."

Megan was just about as entranced as the grade-schoolers by the Dark Werelight. Collectively, their eyes followed the hovering black cloud, tracking its subtle movements.
"Wowwww... what school do you go to?" whispered one the kids.

And just with a movement of her fingers, Mina, ceased to exist in a little explosion of electricity. If Amanda were to find out she was using her magic to get the attention of little children, she would get into so much trouble... "That my friend, it's a secret." She wasn't going to say much, and actually didn't have the chance, because a distressed-looking mom materialized next to the trio, hand firmly placed on their shoulders; she wasn't glaring at Nico and Megan, but rather at the little ones.

"And just where did you think you were going? I looked all over for you kids," said the harassed-looking woman in her late thirties. "Come on, let's go."
"But Mommmm..." started Marcus.
"But Mommmm I mean Nannnnncy..." chimed in Thomas.
"We met new friends! They are a pixie and a witch and they know magic," The girl made her case plainly.
"Of course they are," said the mother without even glancing at the two teens. "Go! Get in the van."

Megan looked at Nico and smiled as the kids were dragged away with a force stronger than magic.
"It feels good, doesn't it? To give someone that belief in magic again. This has been the best birthday shopping trip ever. EVAR, even," she said, beaming.

Smiling back, Nico shrugged. "All I know is that I'm happy that's not my soccer mom." Not that her mother had ever been of that kind, but whatever. "Tell you what, let's make it even better and buy more of these, so we can take them back."

"Heck yes," Megan agreed.

Comments

[xp_daytripper]

*grins* Amanda would be horribly hypocritical if she growled at Nico for showing off to small children - she used to do the same for Artie and Miles back in school.

Nice log, guys. Very cute. :)