A magician and a conman

    The tolbana tavern was near empty at this time of night, or is it morning, it's hard to say really. However there is at this very moment only one customer , the bar tender, and whoever walks through the door next. That one customer happens to be Setsuna, who looks like he got hit by the scale train...several times. Infront of him is a pot of tea and a pot of coffee and he seems to be drinking one then the other and then alternating back and forth. Why? Who can really say why Setsuna does setsuna things.

That 'and whoever walks through the door next' happens to be a tall man with a goatee and a top hat. He looks around, and after some navigation through his menu, he quirks both eyebrows.

He walks over to Setsuna, and after doffing his hat, he starts, "Setsuna Kibo? The man who captured the ground-based Wyvern? What a fortuitous happenstance! Is... this a bad moment to offer my congratulations in person?"

    As the sound of a voice breaks his own concentration as he looks up at a moment trying to recognize the person, "Oh um... Shenmi yes?" Taking a moment he picks up his cup of tea and sips it before he looks at the cup and then the cup of coffee and puts the tea cup down and sips the coffee. Looking back up at Shenmi he is polite in the matter, "Oh, yes thank you very much. It was a hard challenge but well earned and now we have a weapon we can use." Taking a moment he looks at the new scale member and adds , "Have you ever met Daiyu?" It is a simple question but with the history out there who knows what it can cause.

"Shenmi Jingren", he bows. "Conjurer, international man of mystery, artist extraordinaire."

The question is simple, but it does elicit a response.

At first, Shenmi just stands there silent, still. He then sighs, and moves to sit at the same table as Setsuna, He removes his hat, which is placed on the wooden surface, and leans to rest on his crossed forearms. "We met long ago, before the Apocalypse," he reminisces, looking away. "Back when this was nothing but a game. We went on a lot of quests together." He raises his eyebrows slightly as he returns to face Setsuna. "But I am digressing now. Were you interested in something specific about her?"

     "I had a recent run in with her, she was kind enough to gift me with these bruises." Setsuna frowns as he looks back at his tea and contemplates the meaning of all this. Finally he looks at Shenmi, "So you are the international man of mystery, artist, blah blah blah, magician. " He leans back for a second and then calls the mans very lively hood into question. "So in a world of magic, how exactly does a magician work? I can't see card tricks going over so well."

"You'd be surprised," Shenmi smirks, leaning over and whispering conspirationally. "A good card trick will always sell. For one, because most Landers are impressed by Adventurer magic, and they love to see a good show, no matter what." He moves his hand up and down a few times, and presto, a his hands fan open half a deck of cards each. "And Adventurers, well, many of us are savvy to the way the game's limitations work." He begins to shuffle both half decks together. "Illusions are not perfect, and transient. You do something that is not possible within the limits of what we know?" He finishes shuffling the cards, sweeps his hand to push the deck into a line of cards, pulls one up, and, as if shaving it with a razor, pulls the card across, turning the ones on the table face up. They are nicely arranged from the ace of spades to the king of hearts. "....it's magic!" He explains with a smirk.

He pulls back, and returning to be a little bit more serious, he removes his top hat and places it down on the table. "I am sorry my lovely assistant emerita caused you this much trouble. I am convinced that if she had any choice in the matter, she would gladly refrain from causing so much harm." There is some hesitation. "I cannot promise I am one hundred percent right, but I have this feeling that she is already sorry for what she is forced to do."

    Setsuna watches the trick and has to admit to himself it is rather impressive and all but its obvious how it was done. That is until it is mentioned that Daiyu was the guys ex-assistant and he just stares at Shenmi for a moment blinking. "Wait you mean to tell me? Daiyu, annoying stupid ugly fox girl wanna be was your assistant, " Nope the necromancer ain't bitter at all about his lost. Setsuna has to admit, only he would manage to find the one person who may care about Daiyu in all the land and then bitch about her, but at least he didn't mention skinning her alive or turning her undead or any number of other things he considered. He contemplates where to take the conversation for a moment before he decides to focus on the trick. " Soooo, the cards, that is just some illusion magic put onto the cards. Simply enchantment so that they always shuffle out that way?"

"The poster for our act featured her more prominently than me, which means that, apparently, people found her attractive." He looks up from the cards and smirks at Setsuna, "Which makes her either attractive enough, or me so ugly that Daiyu was a far preferable alternative." He chuckles. "I like to think it's the former," He packs his cards together. "Magic is all about misdirection. She was the brains of the whole outfit. Not only that, she is the one who pushed me to follow my dreams in-game and take up a career as a magic performer in the casinos of Kallamore back before the Apocalypse. At the time it was nothing but a hobby to me, but now..."

A bitter smile, and a sigh, as he resumes shuffling the deck again: he splits the deck in two smaller decks of slightly different sizes, places the two smaller deck at an angle at a close distance, lifts the corners, and begins to release pressure with the thumbs, so the cards interwine with each other. "There is not one drop of enchanting in me, or of Dark elemental abilities. It was all her who would take care of the numbers that required enchantments, preparing them before hand. She was a mistress of careful preparation, a steel mind when it came to analysis, capable and thorough. A force to be reckoned with, both in the limelight and even more so in the shadows."

The cards are now nicely interwined together, and he turns and pushes them together, returning to have a single deck; he repeats the splitting and intertwining, "And as to you other question..."

After multiple iterations of the previous operation, her does exactly as before, and the deck is again all in order. "No, this one is just plain sleight of hand. I could easily do this one outside the game."

"I don't blame you if you have negative feelings, though," Shenmi says, serious. "Your animosity is clearly directed at whatever that crown has twisted her into as opposed to who she really is."

    Listening to Shenmi's explination Setsuna nods his head slowly as he stares intently at the deck. Just slight of hand after all and with all his eye magics and future sight and everything he is bound to see exactly what is happening. Yes any moment now all he has to do is keep ...nope somehow that deck of cards is now once again sorted. Taking a moment he reaches down and warms his tea before sipping and then winces burning his tongue. Setting his cup down he glares for a moment before he shakes his head, "Animosity, I wouldn't use that word. "

     A moment hesitation as he gathers his thoughts and figures out all he wants to say before he opens his mouth, " I don't have animosity. I am hurt , I am mad, I am annoyed but not at them." Taking another moment to try and feel if his tea cooled enough to sip. " I am stuck and until we resolve the crowned I can not be unstuck. " Taking another moment he reaches out and taps one of the cards before looking at Shenmi. "Do it again, just once more. Let me see if I can spot it."

Shenmi does not give an explicit reply to Setsuna's comments about how he feels about Daiyu. He merely nods in acknowledgement. Then, as requested, pushes all the cards to re-form a deck, and repeats the movements from before: split, turn at an angle, intertwine corners, quickly realign and push together. Multiple times, over and over.

"See, the problem, here, is that I am way too alert and sober. If I were to, let's say, be rendered more drowsy by an abundant meal, and my reflexes were to, hypothetically, be slowed down by a sufficient amount of beer, it could possibly be easier to catch..." A pause. "And if the beer is particularly good, it's also likely to make me more talkative..."

    Setsuna looks up at Shenmi for a moment and quickly catches on to what Shenmi is selling and nods his head, "OK ok. We will get you some food... and some beer. " He moves his multiple cups and offers Shenmi a seat across from him and then waves to the barkeep to send someone over. Given the lack of patriots in the tavern the bartender had over heard and soon there would be a pint of beer and food would follow it shortly after. In all the mean time though Setsuna keeps the conversation going, " So your magic tricks, those were pre apocalypse skills. Like real world skills hmm? You a magician in the real world? Woah did you go to that place in the states, with all the bright lights?"

The Palace Lander does not wait long to dig into the food or sip the beer. After putting away his deck, he simply nods at the suggestion that his skills are pre-apocalypse, and bursts into laughter at the question on whether he's been to that place in the States. It is loud, but not boisterous. Rhythmic, more like a hammer than a bucket of heavy objects being dumped onto the floor.

"Oh, no, oh no my dear friend. I've never moved away from rural China." He catches himself, and after a second, generous bite of roast (and proper chewing, swallowing, and washing down with beer), he continues, "Out there, it was just a hobby. As said, it was Daiyu who encouraged me to take up a regular performing career within Elder Tale Online." He leans over slightly, "Fun fact, I couldn't just replicate the tricks I did in real life within the game until I found an item that granted me the Legerdemain skill in-game." He smirks. "Isn't it ironic? A class named 'Conjurer' that doesn't even grant 'Legerdemain'?"

He feeds some more, and after a shake of his head, he continues. "I may not have traveled much outside the game, but I doubt anything could compare to Lumina Cloth anyway. The lights, the night life, the food, the free flowing drinks, the dazzling event scene, the gambling venues, the places bustling with life... if you wanted to have fun, everything you needed was there," he says, and one can see the glint in his eyes.

    Setsuna can't help but smile when Shenmi laughs and nods his head as he acknowledges listening to the story, "Maybe that is why no one ever believes my lies. I need to pick up the ledgermain concept. " That raises some serious question about if the system could read his mind or just the intent in his words. He reaches out and sips his tea for a moment before he shakes his head, "I will take Shibuya over anywhere in game any day of the week. You can get aeverything you mentioned there. Tell you what when we get out of here, cross over to Japan. We will go to all the hotspots and prove its better in real life." Setsuna makes the promise before he recognizes the glint, "Unless you are one of those who don't want out, at which point, well more for me."

Shenmi goes as serious as one can at the mention of not getting out. Not -reproaching- serious, more like, serious business serious.

"...I miss the Kallamore of before we were stuck. After that? This accursed contraption we're trapped into has fried and is still slowly frying the brains of so many people I care about and their families. A number of them are probably dead. Many have to hide in fear. And, not to sound like an egoist, but there's also me among the people slated for murder, -so-."

As if there was any doubt about how he feels about this whole story, he chugs down a large swig of beer, and slams his cup glass onto the table. "The sooner we get out and end this massacre, the better."

He tilts his head down, slightly, as he compensates by looking up and hunching over a bit, with a hint of a knit eyebrow. "And about that... My whole job is pretty much spinning lies, if you think about it. Diversion, deception, illusion." Silence. He looks down at what little beer is left in his glass as he sloshes it. "Normally they say that a magician never reveals his tricks, but given that I am currently going through a rough patch, and there's only so much I can pilfer from Landers without raising too much suspicion, I'll make an exception and gladly give people a course in basic techniques and routines commonly known in the community." Look up. "For a fee, of course. Advance payment, another beer. Advance reward, I'll teach you the trick with the deck from earlier."

    Setsuna waves his hand for another beer and nods his head slowly, "Yes but that situation in the Palace Land will end." There is a momentary pause while he considers things before adding, " However I suppose the location is tainted,never to return to what it is was, or you die enough to forget the taint. " Yes the necromancer has some dark humor which he punctuates by casually sipping his tea.

     Setsuna hears the deal and offer ad nods his head, "So we have opened negotiation. In exchange for lessons in deception, illusion, diversion, and the other skills a trained magician may need. In exchange I promise to provide assistance, food, and other needed things." His eyes gesture to the beer. " Who knows maybe we will even figure out how to get you headlining again."

"We have a deal then," the Conjurer states with a smile.

Cut to later in the meal, witha pile of empty dishes, a bunch of empty mugs, and a far more relaxed (not to mention slightly tipsy) Shenmi. "See, this is called the Zarrow Shuffle, from the name of its inventor, Herb Zarrow. It's what is referred to as a 'False Shuffle'. Case in point, it looks like a normal riffle shuffle to the untrained eye," And here he does the thing where he splits the single deck into two smaller decks, places the decks at an angle and interwines the cards by releasing pressure with his thumb, "but you actually leave the deck in exactly the state it was when you started." He rotates the two decks, pushes them together, flips them over, and with a sweep of his hand, arranges the cards in an arc, to show how they still are as sorted as when he's started.

"Here's the key," he says, leaning over and raising one finger. "First, you have to make sure you pull this second deck away from the first deck, you make sure that the first deck still has its top card at the top... and the rest at the bottom. Like a sandwich, where the second deck is the filling." He demonstrated pulling the card in such a way that the top car remaining behind and being pushed down on the original deck isn't really noticeable. "Then you interwine them, but before you -turn- the cards, and this is the important part, you make sure that the top of the sandwich is the top card. And you push both top cards forward, from both decks, to cover what you're actually doing. See?" Shenmi performs the motion, pushing the cards forward and then backward, forward and backwards. "Now we'll do it -without- the top card hiding everything."

When the top cards that cover the trick are not in place, one can see far more clearly what's happening: when he turns the two decks, the pivot is the center of the cards, not the corner -- which means that the two decks are un-intertwined, but this was hidden by the top cards. "The top card you pushed over also helps you slide the second deck between itself and the rest of the deck, thus recomposing the sandwich. Ta-daaa!", he says, flipping the cards over and describing the arc again. "Same order as the beginning."

He leans back, with a satisfied smile, gesturing at the cards. "You can repeat this as many times as you want..." And seeming to remember something, leans over again, and enthusiastically adds, "Oh, fun fact. This is one of the rare cases where a prestidigitation trick found its way to card cheating instead of the other way around!"

    Setsuna was shocked, this man, this single man had devours plates and pitchers...PITCHERS of drink. Setsuna still works on the tea that he started with and a small roll he asked for just for protocol of nicety. All he can think of is that the deal he made will break him and Prophylaxis's entire guilds treasury. However the master at sleight of hand is teaching him as promised. Slowly he reaches out and takes the deck of cards,beginning to thumb through them as if looking for anything hidden. Finallty he begins to try to repeat the deck trick but its bad, very bad, but potential is present (rolled a 4 ).

     Finally after trying but failing to fake the shuffles, dropping some of the cards and finally flipping the cards over, well they are not in the same order. Some are even flipped over, but in the end Setsuna fakes a smile and goes, "Tada? So when do we take this show on the road?"

Shenmi keeps his hands intertwined. He observes, smiles, but says nothing. The smile would be the knowing, patient smile of a teacher observing a pupil practice, were it not that he's had a few drinks and he's got postprandial drowsiness going on, so it's the slightly tipsy and dozing off patient smile of a teacher observing a pupil practice.

"It is perfectly normal for such a thing to happen the first time. The basic mechanics are easy to explain, but it takes a -lot- of practice to pull off a Zarrow shuffle that looks natural." He bursts into laughter, that rhythmic, hammered laughter. "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time."

"And as for taking the show on the road, whenever you are ready!" He stretches and yawns wide throwing all those manner that were there up to one moment ago out of the window, before resuming, "...but not before tomorrow morning. I think I need to crash." He rubs his goatee. "...tomorrow in the -late- morning. It was a tiring day. And an abundant meal."

    Setsuna looks at the deck of cards for a moment before he scoops them back up in his hands and holds them. Taking a moment he considers things for a moment longer before he nods his head. "I will have to make appropriate preperation and..." The necromancer looks at the end results of the meal, "I think I will need to farm some gold to help fund this learning experience." The frown that was on his face is no longer present as the necromancer's smirk has returned before he places a small bag of coin on the table to cover the meal. "I will see you bright and early tomorrow sensei. " Oh yes this would be an experience for both of them.