Deceptive Appearences (MATURE/ADULT) *Kyle, Tess OPEN*

[isabelle]

*Max*

I'm very nervous about Michael and Isabel believing all of this although I know it's equally important to convince Maria and Alex. I guess 'cause I'm more used to making up stories to fool people like them, although they are friends now. I haven't always told Michael and Isabel everything, either, but I've usually not actually lied. Like when the diary did go missing, I didn't tell them for a full day, and then, I only told them part of the story. But this is a little different.

Liz's kiss helped a bit in putting aside those worries but I have to make an effort to get rid of the other ideas the slide into my mind at that action.

“Do you think…will they believe us…?” Liz asks.

"I hope so," I say, trying to sound confident. I think our odds are good, but nothing's certain.

I take the book and slip into the closet, getting the fake box and quickly finishing the matching so it looks like the other box and then creating a hidden panel that will actually work.

I hear Liz talking to Maria behind me, glad that she's there to cover for me and steer attention away. I don't think I've been gone all that long, at least, I hope not.

"Got it," I say to Liz as soon as Maria slips through the window again. "How's it look?" I ask, softly.

[KatnotKath]

OOC: hope this works, tell me if you want me to change it

~Liz~

I breath a sigh of relief as Maria seems to accept what I'm saying and heads back out onto the balcony. I'm also relieved to find that Michael isn't following Max in, although I guess that could still happen any minute, giving even more reason to get this over and done with and get out of there as fast as possible. I turn back to Max quickly to check on how he's doing.

"Got it...how's it look...?"

I nod and try to give what I hope will come across as a confident smile. "It looks good...really good..." I assure him, mentally going over the spell I used in my head to make sure the glamour will work as it's supposed to.

My mind goes over what Max said earlier, in response to my question about this working, and I know that we're relying more on luck than anything. Michael is always suspicious, and I'm sure now is not going to be any different. In some ways it would be much simpler just to tell them, but as easy as that sounds, it's not... When I tell them, just as with Max, they would be brought into something completely new, and equally as dangerous as all the alien stuff.

Maria I've known practically all my life, but still I haven't told her. That's not because I don't trust them, because even before all the stuff with Max and the others, I would have trusted her with my life, but because she's my friend, and I didn't want to put her in danger. It would have been so nice to be able to have someone other than Serena or Ainsling that I could speak to, but the basic fact is that it would have been selfish to act on that want. I have kept this secret because it's the best for them, and as long as I can, and as long as that is true, I will continue to do so.

I take a deep breath, going over the likely arguments we might have to use, and reach up to push my hair back from my face. Inside the closet, with the door still open, I catch sight of the real box, and realised I should probably do something about that too. I step forward towards Max, stopping at his side and reaching out to rest my hand on it after a moment's thought.

<center>"Tricks of the light, aid me tonight,
a safe hiding place for this box of mine,
from the eyes of those who wish to find,
to leave it here, to leave it be,
yet for those who seek not to see
the words I speak, the safety I seek,
As I will it, so shall it be..."</center>

The box seems to shimmer for a moment, and I know that my spell has been cast successfully. Now, with the exception of Serena and myself, no one should be able to see it. I look over to Max, wondering how he will react to seeing something apparently disappear in front of his eyes. "You okay...?" I ask heistantly.

[isabelle]

*Max*

I'm glad that Liz likes the box. I wish we had even another five minutes to really make sure the details were right, but I'm sure it'll be okay. Then, suddenly, Liz starts reciting a poem, except it's not a poem. I know it's her magic and listening, I realize she's hiding the original box. Looking up, I see that it's gone. It's a bit of a shock to see, although I'm sure that Liz was just as surprised when she saw me using my powers, too.

Remember what the spell said, I have to ask... "It's only hidden from sight, right? If someone reached up to touch it, would they still feel it there?"

I don't even know why I asked that. It's not important at the moment. Gesturing at the box in front of me, I ask, "You should probably do something to the box, too... make the wood unbreakable like the other one was ..."

[KatnotKath]

~Liz~

As Max asks about my spell, indirectly pointing out the flaw, I nod slightly. Unfortunately, there's not much I can do about that... I'm just playing with the perceptions of others...manipulating the actual box would require a lot more power, and countering the other spells which are active would be difficult. Given time, I'm sure I could do it, but time is what I don't have, so pushing this to the back of the closet will have to do... "Yeah...but I just have to hope that this will be enough..."

I think a moment and look at him "Can you give me a hand a moment...?" Putting some of my weight on him, I step up, setting one foot on the base of the closet, as I reach up and push the box right to the back, turning it a quarter turn so that it should be out of the reach of even the guys while standing on the floor - or I'm hoping it will be anyway...

Max indicates the 'new' box, and I nod slightly as he suggests that I use some spells on this too. "Sure...I think I can do something... It can't be like the other, cos that requires Serena too, but I think this should do..." I think a moment, concentrating as I form the words in my head.

<center>"Strap strengthen, wood hard,
Protect my magic, aid my cause,
A white lie told, a secret to hold,

For any other, whether friend or foe,
The locks will resist both power and tool,
Never to break, this precaution I take,

Safe and sound, hard and strong,
This spell I cast and make it fast,
Protect and hide, this secret mine"</center>

I look up at my boyfriend again. "Maybe you should try something...?" I suggest a little nervously, hoping desperately that it will have worked. That sort of spell I usually do in a two, with Serena...I just really hope it will be effective coming from only me... In theory it should work, but I would rather check first...instead of finidng out it hasn't when Michael tries to blow it up or something, and opening a whole new can of worms... After trying to hide it from them, I can just imagine what his first reaction would be...and I don't really want to have to give a display of my powers (even in order to protect myself) out on the balcony for anyone to see...

[isabelle]

*Max*

Liz seems to apologise for the apparent 'loop hole' in her spell to hide the box, but that hadn't been my intent. I was just interested, wondering if I understood it correctly. I'm sure it will be just fine.

Liz uses me to boost herself up and seems to push at nothing, but I can hear the scrape of wood-on-wood and I know she's moving the invisible box. She then adds a strenghthening spell to the box I made. I do hope it's a good idea. It does need to be as much like the box Michael saw as possible, but I hope I can explain how "I" made it so strong...

"Maybe you should try something...?" Liz suggests. I frown, just because we've already been here for so long -- maybe more than five minutes. Will it seem reasonable for us to have taken so long to grab a box? If they thought we were stealing a kiss or two, it would explain it ...

I hold my hand over the box and try to part the 'leather strap' that's actually part of the wood made to look like a strap. Nothing happens. It doesn't split and obviously doesn't slide from the box that it's part of. "Looks great," I whisper, smiling at her.

Grabbing the sides, I lift the box and then lean over to give her a soft kiss. "Show time," I tell her.

[KatnotKath]

OOC: hope this works for everyone, if you want me to change it, say

~Liz~

As Max puts his hand over the box, attempting to break it, I small sigh of relief escapes my lips when I see nothing happen. The box looks just as strong and sturdy as it did before. It seems that my spell, make-shift as it was considering Serena's not involved, worked well enough and that's a huge weight off my mind. I know that Michael's power is rather more destructive, but after seeing how it stands up to Max, I'm rather more confident about it's performance against the challenge ahead.

The thing that still worries me of course is what will happen if the group don't buy our story... The closer we get to doing this, the more of a long-shot this feels like, and the less confident I am it is going to work. I'm sure that the box will stand up to scruitiny, but the question is can we explain it sufficiently... How are we supposed to have made this box so strong...? Why would Max have lied to Michael earlier...? I know these are two questions which we are definitely going to have to answer, and right now I feel as though all I'll have to do is step out there for Michael, Maria, Isabel or Alex to see right through me...

"Looks great..."

I look up, Max's words drawing me away from my worries, and as he leans over and kisses me, I can't help pressing my lips back against his. We've been a while, but I'm sure the others will just think that we've been doing exactly this - taking advantage of some inapropriate alone time... Michael will probably object, but I don't think he will think of it as cause to suspect us of doing something suspect... I'd like to just stay here of course, with Max, safe. I'd like to be able to forget all about this, but unfortunately time travel isn't one of my powers, and I can't undo what's been done. Michael saw the box when Max came here earlier, so we now have to deal with that. I pull away reluctantly and nod as Max indicates it's time to go. "Yeah...I guess..." I lean over, feeling a need to kiss him once more time, albeit briefly, and then move back to the window, climbing out first and standing to one side as I wait for Max to follow.

[isabelle]

*Max*

I follow Liz outside, carrying the box that we made together. It's actually kinda exciting. We've done other projects together for school but those were entirely human-effort projects. Well, maybe just a little alien enhancement. I wonder if there were magical enhancements I didn't know about, too...

But this is something we did together with our special abilities. Witch and alien. Strange combination, strange project, but I hope it will protect both of us.

"Here you go," I say, placing the box in the middle of our small group of friends. "I'm sorry about not telling you Michael. It just seemed like it would be a more honest test if you didn't know."

[KatnotKath]

OOC: this isn't being left to die out, just I've had a lot of stuff going on the last few months and haven't had chance to try and give it a boost. Please don't delete it Jen?

Kat

[isabelle]

I'm still here!!!!

[Bordersinsanity]

bump -- this thread has been pruned you may want to resubscribe to it to get your update notices.

thanks
Jen