Nothin' Up My Sleeve [Pregame]

[Manny Donos]

"-and so then I said to him 'rancor? I hardly know'er!'" Manny looked at the audience with an expectant grin.

Silence. After a few moments, someone coughed.

"Boy, tough crowd. Okay, less jokes, more magic!" Manny held his hands up, waggling his fingers. "Okay, for this next trick, I'm gonna need a volunteer..." His gaze swept the audience, looking for likely candidates.

[Lysa]

Lysa sat toward the back both arms up and resting on the back of the booth she currently occupied. She rolled her eyes but held in a little chuckle at the man's joke.

Her violet colored eyes darted around the bar observing the other patrons seeing who would be chosen. After a pause she waved her hand in the air "I'll do it! Pick me!"

[Manny Donos]

"Whew!" Manny sighed with visible relief as someone volunteered. He shot the young woman a grin. "You, miss, with the colorful hair, come on up! You've clearly got what it takes to do some magic!" In fact, the more striking and distinctive the volunteer, the easier it would make his job.

He waved her towards the stage, a friendly gesture. "What's your name, miss?" From one of the many pockets in the casual vest he wore, Manny pulled out a deck of Sabaac cards.

[Lysa]

Lysa bounded up to the stage with a wide grin of her own a wild energy in her eyes "Hiya they call me Lysa, magic man." She said with a wink as she stood next to him on the stage.

She eyed the cards with a slight pout "aww I thought I was gonna get cut in half or something. Oh well." She said with a shrug looking back up to him.

[Manny Donos]

"Magic man, huh?" Manny made a show of considering that a moment, then nodded. "I like it. Manny the magic man. But if that's too much of a mouthful, you can call me Manny."

He flashed her another grin, even as he shuffled the Sabaac deck with one hand. "You know, I would, but I forgot my saw. Come back next show, and we can see about that."

Gently, he guided her to the center of the stage with the other. "Now, Lysa, first I want you to put your hand on this deck." He said, holding it out to her. "Hold it there for a second. Get some of your special magic in the cards. Then take a card, look at it, and show it to the audience."

[Dross Stargazer]

Dross was there serving drinks. Something about this magic man, he didn't like. Maybe because he brought joy to people or tried to. Yeah that was probably it

[Lysa]

"Magic man, huh?" Manny made a show of considering that a moment, then nodded. "I like it. Manny the magic man. But if that's too much of a mouthful, you can call me Manny."

He flashed her another grin, even as he shuffled the Sabaac deck with one hand. "You know, I would, but I forgot my saw. Come back next show, and we can see about that."

Gently, he guided her to the center of the stage with the other. "Now, Lysa, first I want you to put your hand on this deck." He said, holding it out to her. "Hold it there for a second. Get some of your special magic in the cards. Then take a card, look at it, and show it to the audience."

She smirked at him "Well Manny the Magic Man you sure move fast, most guys at least buy me dinner before showing me their deck." She says with a chuckle before placing her slender pale hand on the cars for a few seconds before pulling one out and revealing to the crowd an 8 of coins.

As she showed it to the audience she turned her head purple lips still turned up in the corners and an eyebrow raised that said what next?

[Manny Donos]

"Oh, eheh, whoa..." Manny laughed softly, turning just a little red. He hadn't been expecting that. "Just wait until you see what I can pull out of my hat." He said, winking.

"Okay, good. Now, put it back in the deck." It was a simple thing then, for him to palm it as she did so, even as he made it look like he was mixing it in, the upper hand shuffling while the lower hand tucked it away.

"Now, come over here..." Once more, with a gentle touch, he guided her over... "... take these cards..." He handed her the deck... "-and show everyone the top card!"

It wasn't hers, of course. But that wasn't the trick.

[Dross Stargazer]

Dross served another drink. No tip. Again. It was probably the magic man's fault distracting people.

What if it wasn't? Should he smile? Be friendly? No. That's not what he's for. It's clearly the magic man's fault. He's distracting.

What? No tip again. Why did Neera let this guy in here?

[Lysa]

"Oh, eheh, whoa..." Manny laughed softly, turning just a little red. He hadn't been expecting that. "Just wait until you see what I can pull out of my hat." He said, winking.

"Okay, good. Now, put it back in the deck." It was a simple thing then, for him to palm it as she did so, even as he made it look like he was mixing it in, the upper hand shuffling while the lower hand tucked it away.

"Now, come over here..." Once more, with a gentle touch, he guided her over... "... take these cards..." He handed her the deck... "-and show everyone the top card!"

It wasn't hers, of course. But that wasn't the trick.

She saw the flush of his cheeks and her grin grew wider, it was a lot of fun throwing people off like that she threw back the wink as he handed her the cards she revealed the top card to the people gathered but then frowned at him "That's not my card Magic Man, maybe not so magical after all." she said with a light and teasing tone.

[Manny Donos]

"Aw, shucks." Manny said, snapping his fingers. "Guess I screwed that up." He shot a quick suspicious glance at the server, the one who never laughed at any of his jokes.

Then he grinned. "But wait. You've got such beautiful hair. I bet that's where the magic is. Would you run your hands through it, please?" When he was guiding her over, he'd attached it there, down by the small of her back.

[Dross Stargazer]

Dross continued to not smile, nor receive any tips.

He half watched the performance in between customers.

[Lysa]

she takes her almost ghostly white hand and runs it through her electric blue locks with streaks of silver, her slender fingers close around the hidden card and she pulls it out to show the audience and then looked at it "WHAT!? That's crazy! I didn't feel you put it in my hair at all! You'll have to show me how you did that one." she says excitedly with a near manic energy.

[Manny Donos]

Grinning, Manny held up his hands. "Magic!" He said, wiggling his fingers. He turned to the audience. "Okay, that's it for the show! Give Lysa a big hand, everyone!" He bowed, his forehead creasing as he realized that she was getting more applause than he was...

He smiled back at Lysa. "Hey." He said, nodding to a pair of seats at the counter. As he walked over to take a seat in one, he raised a hand, signalling the server.

[Lysa]

She bowed deep her blue hair flipping over as she did and then whipping back like some kind of advert for shampoo landing mostly behind her head but some covering her face. Her violet eyes peeked out from behind the blue curtain and white teeth could be sen as well before she brushed her hair back with a hand and followed him to the open seating.

She plopped into the chair and gave him a smile "You're pretty good there Magic Manny. I usually have a good eye but you must have better hands."

[Manny Donos]

"Hey, thanks." Manny grinned, waving his fingers at her again. "They don't call me Manny 'Both Hands' for nothing. But I think I like Magic Manny even better."

He gave another wave to the server before leaning an elbow against the bar, facing Lysa with a smile. "Seems like you know a bit about this stuff. Are you in the magic business, or some kind of performer or something?"

[Lysa]

Lysa let out a loud laugh at Manny's nickname "M-manny both hands!?" Another fit of laughter "I think thats the least nickname nickname I've ever heard, did you have a Joey two eyes and Patrick ten fingers." She giggled a little.

After the laughter stopped she took a breath "ahhh no not in the entertainment business though I do tend to amuse myself a bunch. I just grew up in an orphanage, lots of second rate magicians off the street for entertainment. You're better than most of those guys though."

[Manny Donos]

A sheepish expression slowly gave way to laughter of his own. "Joey two-eyes is actually a pretty good crime name." Manny said, chuckling. "I could hear a crime boss being like 'yo, Joey two-eyes, give 'em the stick!'"

He gave her a curious look. "Orphanage? No kidding. Me too." He raised his hand for an orphanage fist-bump. "Here on Kamda?"

[Dross Stargazer]

Dross made his way to the two giving his best customer service.

"What do you want?"

[Lysa]

She laughed back with no reservation on how loud the noise was "That sounds like a terrible holo that I would love to watch!"

She returned his fist bump but made an explosion sound and mimed an explosion with her fist as she pulled back "Yep! Got left on a doorstep in the slums taken to the orphanage and well you know how the rest goes."