[In New York, he can hide in a sea of several million New Yorkers, but not here. With such a small group of Strangers he knew it'd be impossible to hide that the guy in the spider costume was the same guy disappearing every time there was trouble. Since he has a very unremarkable face, he figured the best way to protect his identity was hiding his real name. So it's Ben, for...well, Ben, plus that's his middle name. And Reilly was May's maiden name.]
I'd shake your hand but now mine are sticky, too.
[He leaps off the desk.]
You handle that for a second; I've got an idea. [He turns to the kids, with lots of fake enthusiasm.] Okay, guys, who wants to draw? Do you guys like to draw?
["Yeah!" they cry out.]
Of course you like to draw! You're small, you've got lots of ideas your tiny heads aren't big enough to hold.
I want you guys to all draw the coolest spell you can think of, something you'd like to be able to do someday with your magic. It can be as big or as colorful or as weird as you want. Then you can show us your pictures.
[With a casual flick of his hands he opens the supply closest and levitates paper out of it, swirling it around in a way that actually looks almost graceful, before putting some on every desk. Then he floats boxes of crayons to each desk too.]
[It feels strange, all this casual magic, but his appetite is already naturally voracious and if he doesn't use magic every day, he's found that he's incredibly hungry. It's like it has to be spent or it gets hungry and starts gnawing at him.]
[Drawing time actually sends the kids scrambling to their desks because what kid doesn't love drawing?]
[Peter comes back and sits on the desk next to Tony again, looking out at a classroom that's actually quieting down a little. The kids are still being loud and talking at each other, but there's less hustle and bustle and floating over their desks.]
no subject
[In New York, he can hide in a sea of several million New Yorkers, but not here. With such a small group of Strangers he knew it'd be impossible to hide that the guy in the spider costume was the same guy disappearing every time there was trouble. Since he has a very unremarkable face, he figured the best way to protect his identity was hiding his real name. So it's Ben, for...well, Ben, plus that's his middle name. And Reilly was May's maiden name.]
I'd shake your hand but now mine are sticky, too.
[He leaps off the desk.]
You handle that for a second; I've got an idea. [He turns to the kids, with lots of fake enthusiasm.] Okay, guys, who wants to draw? Do you guys like to draw?
["Yeah!" they cry out.]
Of course you like to draw! You're small, you've got lots of ideas your tiny heads aren't big enough to hold.
I want you guys to all draw the coolest spell you can think of, something you'd like to be able to do someday with your magic. It can be as big or as colorful or as weird as you want. Then you can show us your pictures.
[With a casual flick of his hands he opens the supply closest and levitates paper out of it, swirling it around in a way that actually looks almost graceful, before putting some on every desk. Then he floats boxes of crayons to each desk too.]
[It feels strange, all this casual magic, but his appetite is already naturally voracious and if he doesn't use magic every day, he's found that he's incredibly hungry. It's like it has to be spent or it gets hungry and starts gnawing at him.]
[Drawing time actually sends the kids scrambling to their desks because what kid doesn't love drawing?]
[Peter comes back and sits on the desk next to Tony again, looking out at a classroom that's actually quieting down a little. The kids are still being loud and talking at each other, but there's less hustle and bustle and floating over their desks.]
I can't believe that worked.