428/Do you believe in magic

Do you believe in magic
Date of Scene:	11 March 2020
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	After a series of texts, Jean and Zatanna have a first date and share secrets.
Cast of Characters:	Zatanna Zatara, Jean Grey

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Zatanna Zatara has posed:
After exchanging some messages back and forth, Zatanna finally worked up enough of her flagging confidence to meet with the redhead she had been chatting with. And while Zatanna could offer... really a world of possibilities, in the end, the young woman realized she'd tried too hard in the past.

So she asked to meet her in the afternoon at the carousel. Which is where Zatanna waits. She's got her hair pulled back in a ponytail, midnight tresses trailing down to her mid-back. She wears an open collar sweater that teases her curves while keeping them hidden, along with a pair of skinny jeans and a pair of comfortable shoes.

One hand holds a picnic basket, and in the other? She holds a pair of colorful, exotic... Chinese kites. Shaped like dragons, she has the strings and the whole set up.

She did offer to take Jean on a 'flight of fancy' after all.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean shows up after a few moments, as... well, she started texting Zatanna because the arrival of Rachel, then Hope, and then //Nate//... well, there's only so many future relatives showing up before one just tries to snap out of the pattern one is in.

So, well, that's when she started getting messages from Zatanna, and sending them back. And she was, well, intrigued. So she's walking along the path to where they were going to meet, wearing a forest green mock-turtleneck that clings rather nicely to her figure, along with skinny black jeans and white sneakers. Around her neck is a golden pendant shaped like a bird of prey in flight.

When she sees Zee, her smile grows a little bit and she makes her way over, "Hey, Zatanna... I guess you were being a bit more literal than I thought." Not that she sounds like she minds, at least.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Chuckling softly, Zatanna smiles brightly. "Jean?" she asks, and her eyes widen slightly. "Okay, way better than your picture." she says with a grin as she steps up, taking a moment to offer her hand to the redhead, though the thought of hugging her is clearly there. Glancing at the kites, her cheeks darken in a bit of embarassment.

"It's only our first date." she responds, "I figured literal flights of fancy would be a second date thing?" Her tone is warm, a slight undercurrent of nervousness. "I have a tendency to try to overdo things and totally impress someone, and it's blown up in my face. I thought I'd try a different approach?"

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles, "Zatanna, I think it's delightful. Really." She takes Zee's hand, giving her fingers a warm squeeze, "And you look... well, you always look amazing, but I'm really glad I agreed to this." And Zee might get the impression that hugging Jean is totally okay.

Jean grins, "Well, consider me impressed... I've been on a few first dates, and a picnic and kite-flying is probably the most original that I've had." She doesn't really release Zee's fingers, tilting her head towards the magician. "But I'm definitely up for flights of fancy."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Then let's start with these, and we'll see where it goes?" Zatanna asks, her fingers curling with Jean's in a light grip. Nothing forced, she can easily pull away. "Want to grab the kites? For optimal dispersement of labor." And hand-holding. Her own fingers are warm and soft, skin smooth. "Your profile said you're a teacher?" she asks curiously. "What grade?" No questions on who or what she may teach. Just what age.

"I sometimes do free magic shows at the Children's hospital, they love it when I make balloon animals." Grrining, she starts to lead the other woman to a warm spot on the grass that gives them some privacy to set things up and talk. And if Jean does poke, she may realize Zatanna's mind feels different. She's a mix of things... she can sense latent abilities. Nothing mutant though. There's some light telepathic shielding that just seems to be always on. Staticky, but not terrible to telepaths. Just more like a warning buzz.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles and takes the kites with her free hand, her own fingers warm to the touch. "That's right... oh, it's a private school, and a pretty wide range. It helps pay the bills, and since I'm pre-psychiatry... there's a //lot// of those." She chuckles, settling in next to Zatanna on the grass.

Jean then smiles over at Zatanna, "Balloon animals? That'd be wonderful to see, I'm sure the children get a kick out of those." She arches a brow, as if sensing the buzz but... well, she's not going to pry, since that's rude, but she does make a note that there's more to Zee than meets the eye.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"I hope it pays enough for the schooling." Zatanna offers with a soft chuff of amusement. "If I'd known you want to see my talents with balloons, I'd brought some, but I figured we'd find out what other talents we have." There's a slight tease to her voice, playful in the rejoinder as she sets down the blanket and basket. "I didn't ask what you would want to eat, which may have been a mistake. I'm a vegetarian." she admits. "I won't hold it against you if you like steaks and burgers, it's just not for me."

"I'd still kiss you after you had a steak though." she points out with a laugh as she gets to her feet. "You ever flown one of these before? There's two different yokes attached to six independent strings. I'd be happy to teach you?"

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean grins, "Well, I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm fine with it... though I wouldn't eat a steak just to test your declaration." She winks at Zee, then hmms, "And I haven't flown anything like these before, but I'm definitely eager to learn."

She pauses, then mmms, "As far as the school goes, it does pay pretty well, which is good for me. Plus, well, it's almost like home to me. I mean, I went there when I was in school, and graduated from there too."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"That, I can relate to." Zatanna admits. "I didn't have a formal education, per say. My father took me touring with him since I could walk, and we had private tutors and the like." Not only in traditional things, but teaching her skills in magic and sleight of hand and everything else she'd need. Except how to really use her powers. Standing up, she offers the yokes to Jean.

And if she takes them, Zatanna slips behind Jean, a gentle press against her as she reaches to slide her hands over the redhead's to guide her fingers to the controls. "Left hand controls the right side of the kite, right controls the left. Everything is in reverse." she explains. And in a way, she's sharing a piece of her story with the teacher.

This close, Jean may pick up on the light jasmine and spice that adorns Zatanna's neck, a gentle scent of an exotic spring as she whispers.

"Dniw."

She probably should have run with Jean to get the kite into the air, but the light breeze that comes between them lifts their hair, breezing through it as it wraps around the kite and lifts it high into the air. "Release some of the line, don't fight it, let it guide you."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean nods, being a very quick study as she leans back a bit against Zatanna, "Wow, I..." She notices the word whispered, and then the wind picking up, and smiles a little bit, "Letting it guide me? I think I can do this."

She then gives the kite a bit of slack, but not too much, letting it spin and dance higher into the sky as she mmms, "This is amazing, it's beautiful Zatanna!" She glances over her shoulder, looking at Zee with a warm smile, "Brilliant idea, I have to say."

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"It was just a way to get close to you." Zatanna offers coyly to Jean before her sapphire eyes turn up to the kite to try not to stare at the woman leaning into her as they share the comfort of each other as she turns her gaze back to Jean.

"Easy on the lines... you pull too hard, it all comes crashing down." And she's repeating that mantra to herself. They had teased each other in their texts to each other. But she's a little worried. Again. Too far. She's gaining confidence from her date, though.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean grins, "Oh, I'm all too aware of how real control can't be held too tight. A loose grip tends to work better, otherwise things can get away from you." She chuckles a bit, taking a deep breath of that jasmine and spice scent of Zatanna.

Jean mmms and takes a large degree of comfort in Zee's presence, away from future daughters and sons and granddaughters and who knows what else. Sometimes it's just goot to be with a person that's unconnected with all that. And kites are definitely a nice touch for the picnic dinner, "So... you can really do magic? Magic magic? I mean, the wind is a bit much of a coincidence, right?" She grins over at Zee, not judging at all but curious more than anything.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Shop talk. Zatanna had hoped to avoid that, but she opened the door when she asked her about being a teacher. "You don't want to hold on tightly until you know it's right and you feel secure in the lines." Zatanna responds. And in that moment, her own grip tightens for a few seconds on Jean, holding the redhead to her before she pulls back slightly.

"Do you remember what I asked you when we first matched?" she asks curiously. And she sing-songs quietly. "Do you believe in magic, in a young girl's heart?" There's a smile in her tone, her sapphire gaze meeting Jean's emerald eyes.

"I'm not fae, dijin, spirit or demon. My father was human, as was my mother. But between them, I was given the spark of the magi. Always there. Always on. It's as much a part of me as my breath." she admits quietly.

"Comes with the package, I fear. All these looks, and magic too... but if you disebelief, I may just disappear." There's a certain hope in her tone as she leans slightly closer to Jean.

"I hope you believe."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean grins at Zatanna, "Hey, I've seen so much, you'd be amazed to know what I've seen. But I know a few magicians myself." Well, not that Illyana is exactly a magician so much as a demon sorceress queen, but still... they aren't //that// different, right?

Jean smiles, and murmurs softly, "Of course, I believe in you, Zatanna." And then she decides to take a bit of a risk, just a small one, as Zee can hear a soft murmur in her thoughts. It's Jean's voice, echoing in Zee's head as her eyes fix on Zatanna's.

<< What else do you believe, Zatanna Zatara? >>

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The touch to her mind causes Zatanna to flinch. But she doesn't pull away. Instead, the raven-haired magician laughs softly, melodically.

<<I believe in the magic of a young girl's heart.>> she sing-songs playfully, <<And I believe that I want to kiss you, Jean Grey.>>

Though she doesn't give that voice, instead, her attenton torn between the redhead that's making her heart and thoughts race and the kite, her cheeks blossom in new color.

<<Are you a magi as well?>>

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean grins and turns her head, and actually does kiss Zatanna, cupping her cheeks with her fingers. But wait, if she's doing that, won't the kite just escape???

Well, maybe not, as the guidelines stay hovering in the air, held in place lightly by... what appears to be nothing, oddly enough. And then Jean's voice echoes in Zee's head.

<< No magi, Zatanna... I'm a mutant. A telepath, and telekinetic. I do tend to keep things under wraps, though. >> And Zee can sense some thoughts from Jean, mostly involving a fiery bird avatar that she did have in her. Fire and Life Incarnate...

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
When Jean takes charge, Zatanna melts into the kiss, her hands to her waist as the kite is momentarily forgotten about. And in that kiss, more information is shared. There's something extra to Zatanna, not just human, that jewel that formed in her brain at birth is unique. And that may be what draws the firebird's attentions.

<<You're a human.>> comes Zatanna's response. <<A beautiful, extraordinary woman that I will hold her secrets for. People hear me say magician, they think stage tricks and 'what's my card'.>>

The warmth and heat from the firebird is encompassing, and Zee's eyes widen, sapphire orbs flashing with brighter hues as she senses the presence in the mind and she finally breaks the kiss between the pair.

And her cheeks are dark, and her thoughts.

...she's thinking that the picnic can be moved to someplace more discrete. She has so many questions, held in check. Their own pace. That's was the promise they made to each other.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean shares some information, but not all of it, just because some secrets aren't hers to share. But she does show some of her background, how her powers manifested, learning from the Professor, becoming the Phoenix, and then letting the cosmic power go to save her daughter from another timeline... so many timelines.

The remembered warmth is comforting, as she keeps the low key mental contact with Zee, breaking the kiss eventually as she murmurs, "So are you, and your secrets are safe with me, Zee." Her fingers lightly stroke Zee's cheek, as she shivers a little bit, lips curling in a smile. "So, something more discrete?" She clearly picked up on //that// thought.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Would you like to see my house?" Zatanna asks curiously, though she's sharing in those thoughts, the training she went through as a child. Learning to speak in that mnemonic way she did earlier. The loss of her father, just disappeared. The lonliness. The fear. The mistakes she made.

Taking the kite with one hand, the other on Jean, the young woman swallows.

"Ekat su ot Tserecwodahs."

And with that, pair, picnic and kite disappear.