noitatnacni | 002 | Action + Voice

So does your birthday still count if you technically skipped four months?

[This is an important question being posed over your journals, Luceti. Because if it does count, Zatanna's fifteen today. Not that she's been advertising it a lot. Holidays have been kind of hard on her since Halloween, and today really isn't an exception. It's the first birthday she's spent without her father, and in the superhero business? That's saying something.

She tries not to let it get her down, though--or at least, not to show that it is. Maybe if someone catches her when she's alone, they'll see hints of it. Staring off into space with a frown at some reminder. There's bound to be plenty, since she's raiding the library for books on magic and the item shop for more stage friendly props. The training she does daily at the battle dome (with her birthday being no exception) isn't the only thing she should keep up with.

So at some point during the afternoon, she'll try to find bored people in the plaza, cards in hand. It'll be better than just the "think of your card and I'll name it" bit, promise. Sometimes she sticks to sleight of hand, while others she may employ a backwards chant. Maybe it's not all that impressive in a place where anyone can learn magic, but she doesn't want those skills to deteriorate. It's the one connection she's got to her father, the person who taught her what she knows.

Eventually, she'll head back to Community House 5 when she starts thinking about dinner.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just your usual sleight of hand stuff, disappearing acts. [Literally, sometimes.] He's really good at it, despite being so flashy about it. [Eusine, you special attention-seeking snowflake, you.] What about you?

Hey, being flashy is all part of the show sometimes. [Although she does get what the girl is saying. Some people put on too much flare, and end up taking away the focus from where it should be.]

Some of what you said, and some sorcery. I grew up with both. [Holding the deck in one hand now, Zatanna flicks her wrist, producing a pen seemingly from nowhere and offers it to Crystal.] Hopefully you haven't seen what I've got in mind.

[Once the girl takes the pen, Zatanna fans out the cards.] Pick a card?

Oh, he made that part clear. [Despite said flashiness, she does respect his talents.

But the sorcery bit surprises her.] You mean real magic? Not just smoke and mirrors? [If it involves that, she's bound to be impressed. She takes the pen, then spends a few seconds before pulling out a card. The three of hearts, huh?] Something tells me I'll be surprised.

Maybe a little too clear? [Yeah, that sounds like someone who might have taken it a touch too far.]

Real, genuine magic. But that's not what I'm practicing today. This is a classic card trick. [Stage magic, sleight of hand. But still worth seeing, and Zatanna nods.] Okay. You can show it to me if you want. The important thing, though, is for you to sign it.

On occasion, he did. [That's Eusine, taking it too far.]

I've always had a feeling genuine magic existed. At least in a place like this. [Crys marks her card with a simple "C" before handing it and the pen back to Zatanna.] There you go.

Well, stage magic isn't easy to pull off. You have to practice a lot to get the motions right. [Like being able to make a pen seemingly vanish while a person watches. It's simply back up her sleeve, but the way her hands are angled makes it almost impossible to tell. With that gone, she focuses on the card, holding it face up so she and Crystal can both see the letter.]

C? Short name. [And as someone who often gets called Zee, Zatanna gets that it's probably a nickname.] So, now there's this one card in all of Luceti that's unique, because it's the only three of hearts with your C on it.

[She turns it over, letting Crystal see all sides, then keeps it face up as she slides it into the deck.] And now I'm just putting it in the middle of the deck. With me so far?

So I've seen. It doesn't look like the kind of thing you can do without tons of practice. [She's seen Eusine practice, it looks near on impossible to her.]

Well, it's actually just the first letter of my name, Crystal. [She watches the card go into the pile, giving a nod as Zatanna explain it.] Mhm, got it.

Not if you want to do it well. My father's a magician too, so I've been learning my whole life. Otherwise, I doubt I'd be as good as I am at my age.

Nice to meet you, Crystal. I'm Zatanna. [Who might shake her hand, except she's a little busy with the cards.] Good. And just to confirm, the top card--[Which she flips over to reveal the jack of spades before turning it face down again]--is not your card. But here's the thing. Your card feels pretty special now. Any deck has a jack of spades, but yours is unique. So it thinks it should be...

[Again, Zatanna turns over the top card. This time, however, it's clearly the three of hearts, marked with Crystal's C.] On top.

You've been training for that long? That takes some real dedication.

[Crys watches with anticipation to watch the trick unfold, and is surprised to see the card switch from the jack of spades to her card with a "C" on it.] That's unbelievable. I've never seen a trick like that.

Well, it’s because my dad’s a magician too. He’s the one who taught me everything I know. [And who inspired Zatanna’s love of the art in all its forms, sleight of hand and sorcery alike. Her expression falters for a moment as she thinks about him, but she’s quick to hide it. Thankfully Crystal’s enthusiasm over the trick helps.]

Thanks. I can show it to you again if you’d like. [Zatanna picks up the card in question, showing it to Crystal, then turning it face down so it’s facing the same way as the others before offering it to her.] You can even put it into the deck this time. Anywhere you like, except at the top.

He sounds pretty impressive, if he's the one who taught you to be this good. [Crys never really got along with her dad, so it's nice to hear someone who learned from theirs.]

I'd really appreciate that, thanks. [She takes the card back, giving herself a moment or two before deciding to slide the card back into the pile a little below the middle. She may be a science-y person, but magic still fascinates her.]

He’s amazing. [Yet Zatanna can’t help but look a little sad even as she fans out the cards for Crystal. She and her dad had their arguments, but it was all typical teenage stuff. She loves him, so much that it hurts every time she thinks about how he’s been taken over.

But she doesn’t focus on those thoughts. She can’t, and once Crystal slides the card back in, she straightens the deck.]

Okay. So your card is nowhere near the top, right? Just to be sure. [She turns the top card over, then the one below it, and the one after, making it clear none of them are the three marked with the C.] And yet, with a tap—

[She taps the top of the deck with her index finger, then turns over the top card—which is once again Crystal’s three of hearts.]

002 | Action + Voice

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