[OPEN]

[carptricks]

Who: Kaito carptricks and various other people!!
When: Viola (February!) 8 - 10. THE BLOOM FESTIVAL
Where: Around Caissa!
What: As though a magician would pass up the chance to try and charm a captive audience, plz. See also: weird fortunes. See also also: accidental hypnotism.
Rating: None!

Viola (February) 8.

[lights, festivities, revelers and just plain old good fun? now this was the kind of celebration Kaito could really get used to]

Ladies and gentleman and all distinguished festival guests! ♥ Your attention up here, if you will!

[the magician's voice, somehow both commanding and playful at the exact same time, manages to rise above the crackling of the fireworks in the night sky. anyone who heeds the call and looks up will find him perched atop one of the many festival stalls, balancing over the very edge of it like a cat (although naturally, the poor stall owner below is shooting him rather dirty looks). with the eyes of a few Blanc and Ma Jiang natives now trained on him, he lifts a hand and tips his dusty top hat in the air]

A night like this is the sort of night in which magic buzzes through the air like electricity, yeah? But if you aren't paying attention. . .

[he runs his fingers across the brim of his hat and leaps off of the stall, landing on the ground in a graceful crouch (much to the stall owner's relief). he then proceeds to lift a hand, forming a circle in the air with his thumb and forefinger, which he peers through for a moment or two. . . before he blows a puff of air through the hole, which somehow makes a small bundle of flowers appear in his hand!1 there are a few impressed gasps in the crows as Kaito takes an exaggerated bow and hands the bundle to the nearest pretty woman, who flushes red at the attention]

You might miss it, yeah?

[way to spend all that hard earned colle from building snowmen and helping set up for the Bloom Festival on magic props, Kaito!1 if you fancy a few minutes of entertainment, Kaito sticks around to perform a few more hand slights-- mostly small ones involving coins and cards-- for any willing audience member. natives and heroes alike!]

Viola (February) 9.

[if you happen to be near one of the fortune telling booths today, you may just hear a loud groan come from nearby. investigating the origin of that noise reveals Kaito, who is currently leaning against the side of a booth with one hand stuffed in his pocket as he stares at a slip of paper in his other. it's one of the fortunes the fortune-telling booths are handing out. although judging from Kaito's sour expression, the fortune is pretty darn lackluster]

What the heck. . .? 'M not sure you could make sense of this one if you turned it upside down and squinted.

[ah, wait, the owner of that voice is now attempting to get your attention by waving the slip of paper at you]

Yo! You got a fortune, too? Wanna trade? This one's pretty good, y'know.

[he raises his eyebrows and flashes you a wide grin. do you dare see what his weird, nonsensical fortune is or. . . what]

Viola (February) 10 - Closed to Astrid.

[today finds Kaito far, faaaar away from the Bloom Festival activities. it wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed the celebration-- on the contrary, it was the most fun he had allowed himself to have since his arrival. but most of his first week and a half in Caissa had been spent either scoping out the city, pouring over book after book at the library in an attempt to learn more about this world, or trying to earn money for food from various short-lived jobs. the one thing he hadn't done, however, is try to figure out how his fancy new weapon worked]

[so today? today would be "learn how to use this yo-yo so you don't bean anyone else in the head with it, Kuroba" day. as such, Kaito can be found in the courtyard of the Hall of Glory, tossing his yo-yo to and fro as though it were nothing but a simple toy]

As far as weapons go, it's a pretty subtle one, yeah? Most people prob'ly wouldn't even think it's a weapon at first glance.

[he muses this out loud to his carrier, a small arctic fox who sits nearby with her chest puffed out proudly. she merely lets out a small huffy "yip" in reply, and Kaito sighs. this time, when he tosses the yo-yo, he lets it hang by its string near the ground as he idly swings it back and forth-- like a pendulum. he continues to muse his thoughts to himself out loud, totally thinking that he's completely alone, here]

I s'pose the first thing to do is learn how to control it.

[he sure seems to be deep in concentration. bother him anyway??]

Comments

magic tricks!!

[babbylon]

[My, what a charismatic young man. Even Gilgamesh finds himself drawn when he goes spouting off about magic and electricity and... alright, so maybe he wasn't paying much attention himself past mentions of magic, but it's too nostalgic to simply overlook. The trick with the flowers wasn't overly impressive yet when Kaito starts pulling out cards, he looks interested, and decides to challenge him on the spot.]

Very well! I am thinking of a card, one in particular. Let us see you employ your skill and pull it out for me now.

[Honestly, in his opinion it wasn't much of a test. The King of Hearts, an authoritative figure that ruled over passion, could be the only possible candidate. But Gilgamesh was a strange sort of fellow and for whatever reason he had concluded that his performance here would determine his fate moving forward.

And it would be a nasty one if he got it wrong. Gilgamesh was also a little sensitive when it came to matters of kingship.]

[carptricks]

[the request, which reaches Kaito's ears while he's still in the midst of shuffling his deck of cards, gives the magician pause. his tricks weren't exactly made to be performed on the spot like this, not without preparation and him making sure all of the odds were stacked in his favor. and in the end. . . as much as he might have pretended to be one, he was no mind-reader]

[he was, however, a very skilled people-reader who was hardly one to balk at a challenge. he would never claim to be a mentalist-- he was a trickster, an entertainer, one who encouraged an audience to suspend their belief in reality and allow their imagination to take over-- but. . . just this once, he could make an exception]

[a grin twists up the corners of his mouth as he pivots on his hell to face Gilgamesh, cards still flittering through his fingers. behind him, the Blanc and Ma Jiang natives huddle together and whisper at each other excitedly. would this charming performer be able to comply with the blond man's requests??]

Aha! Is that a challenge I sense? I don't really find challenges very fun unless there's something at stake, yeah?

[he's stalling, trying to give himself more time to get a proper read on this guy so he can make an educated guess at that card. already a few theories are running through his head- confident enough to step up and demand I prove my skill to him. probably a face card. . . but which one?]

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh considered himself much the same—a people reader, that is, an individual that excelled at all maneuvers psychological. So he can see through this man and his tricks, which raises the question of why he even bothers harassing him at all... other than the fact that Gilgamesh never really needed a reason to harass anyone.

Gilgamesh meets that confident grin point for point, and with their charisma combined they wind up drawing quite the crowd. It seems Gilgamesh may have gained quite a reputation for himself already as many members of said crowd are frowning at him and clearly rooting for Kaito to show him up.]

Mm... you appear a bit on the skinny side, so I shall buy you dinner if by the slim chance you might succeed.

[Looking around, and... Gilgamesh points at a nearby cake stall.]

You will buy me that if you fail.

[Yes, that. As in all of that. Gilgamesh was a very expensive date, apparently.]

[carptricks]

[the "villainous" king versus the charming magician!! quite the showdown. and hey, Kaito isn't going to say no to more people joining his audience. he just, uh. needs to make sure he maintains his good reputation, here. no pressure! none at all. it's a good thing he lost the stage fright years upon years ago]

That? As in all of that?

[he has to repeat the request just to make sure he heard Gilgamesh correctly, and his expression turns a bit skeptical]

That doesn't seem like a very fair exchange. Dinner for an entire cake stall? Shouldn't we be better things of equal value?

[asking for an entire stall, just like that? . . . King. I bet it's a King. but what suit?]

[babbylon]

Aye, but a romantic dinner with a handsome man such as myself would truly be considered priceless, no?

[Well, this took a turn. At least Gilgamesh was all but outing himself here with his authoritative boisterousness and questionable passions towards outright strangers. He seems completely oblivious to this, as well, and keeps right on going in that same obnoxious tone:]

For who would not want to share a meal by candlelight with the great Gilgamesh? Only a fool would pass up such an opportunity, and...

[Blah, blah, blah. His speech soon descends into babbling. Something about sweeping gestures and the burning fires of love and all that. Better just pick the card, Kaito.]

[carptricks]

[. . .]

[GIL PLZ. the ellipses are practically audible as Kaito watches his "opponent" ramble on and on and on and on and--]

-- aha!

[and eventually, he interrupts the rambling with a loud exclamation of his own, one that nearly causes the small crowd gathered around them to jump in surprise. with his eyes closed, he places his hand over his deck of cards, as though the mere contact was fueling his magic powers. or something. the gesture had no real purpose; it was only for effect and to add a bit of mysticism to his act]

I see, I see. . .! I see it loud and clear, actually. I'd keep arguing for something better than dinner, but I need to focus on this vision before it vanishes. . .

[and with a confident hum, he flips the very first card off of he top of the deck: the King of Hearts]

This is the card you're thinking of, isn't it, your majesty?

[don't the slightly dry and mocking way he says those last two words, Gilgamesh]

[babbylon]

[GIL PLZ was literally the understatement of the century. Gilgamesh seems rather caught up in himself until Kaito cuts in, and at that he looks rather offended, because honestly, talking over the likes of a King when he was in the middle of a swoon worthy serenade was just bad manners, and...

Oh, right. He's saying something. Something marginally important. Better pay attention.]

Do you, now? Though I must inform you, the nature of the King by definition is inscrutable and unknowable! This was a fool's errand!

[Gilgamesh prepares to call him further for it, too, as a fraud and a hack, but then Kaito flips the card in question and he pales a little and even if this was really a dead giveaway from the start Gilgamesh doesn't particularly appreciate being made a fool of. He flushes in frustration and huffs and puffs and indeed, Kaito could not have possibly made a better guess, as it's definitively a King all in red that stands before him now.

Gilgamesh steals the card from his grip and makes an admirable comeback. Sort of.]

So it was! A hand for our talented magician, then, and for the benevolent liege who permitted him this victory!

[Even when losing, Gilgamesh can still work the crowd. But his eyes seem to read you'll pay for this later all the same.]

feb 9

[cutiepanther]

[ This place wasn't all that different from different types of festivals Maki's been to, so she manages to feel a little at home, eating something on a stick as she shuffles around in her uniform, trying to keep to herself mostly. She's trying to take some pride in being a Hero, at least being one of the few who isn't goofing off.

She could go without someone waving something in her face however. ]

That's not how fortunes work. If you got a bad one then it's yours, you can't just give it away. Her brow furrows just a little as if she can't think of something.

[ ...Because she doesn't recognize her own roommate. ]

If you want to avoid it then you can pin it to a tree. Haven't you ever heard that?

[carptricks]

[rude Maki!1 Kaito certainly recognizes her, but how could he forget the face that belonged to that impressive set of vocal chords that had greeted him on his first day in Blanc? plus, he's great with faces, especially those he sees very frequently]

What if I don't wanna just avoid this fortune, huh? What if I want to trade for a good one instead?

[he gives the slip of paper another shake]

Please, Maki-saaaaan. Take pity on me?

[. . . one thing Kaito certainly hasn't perfected is the sad puppy dog look. he emanates way too much mischievousness and not enough innocence]

[cutiepanther]

[ Listen, she has way too many fans to try to remember everyone of them! Especially ones she didn't get too much of a look at considering she was in the middle of screaming and scrambling for clothes. Though the fact that he knows her name should give her some more of an inclination on how they know each other... but she's pretty damn famous lately, this isn't that strange. ]

It's your fortune, trading it doesn't change that it was given to you.

[ And no, only one girl can really tear down Maki's defenses with that puppy dog look. And as far as Maki knows Nico isn't around at the moment. So she merely turns her nose up. ]

I-I'm not going to trade mine for a bad fortune!

[carptricks]

Trading it away means it stops being "my" fortune, doesn't it?

[whiiiiine]

S'not bad! It's just-- [well. admitting that it was a super weird fortune certainly wouldn't convince her, so he tries for something else instead]

It would probably suit someone else better than it suits me.

[that wasn't very convincing]

[cutiepanther]

That's definitely not how fortunes work. [ And leave it to Maki to have strong feelings about it.

She is however sliiiightly curious about what his fortune might have to say. Maybe it's something related to something that a boy just wouldn't understand. So she turns her head back down just a little. ]

...What does it say?

[carptricks]

[AHA. maybe he can capitalize on that curiosity]

You really wanna know that badly?

[he pulls the paper back and folds it in half, so she can't just peer at it to read what the fortune says]

You'll hafta trade with me first.

magiiiic

[sunflowerseeds]

[Hamtaro was just riding through town on his carrier, enjoying the sights, dodging revelers, maybe occasionally tasting crumbs dropped from snack stalls (or sneaking some straight from the stall itself, it's not too hard for a hamster to go unnoticed if he's fast enough), when--he's totally distracted by that guy doing magic tricks.

He comes closer! He watches in awe! He's sitting on Shibe's head for a closer look!]

Wooooww how'd he do that!? [he exclaims to the dog, who silently wags his tail.]

[carptricks]

[for such a small creature, Hamtaro sure has a big voice. one big enough to reach Kaito's ears even above the noisy chattering of the crowds, and he immediately scans the crowd in search for the speaker. unfortunately, being. . . well, human, means that Kaito is expecting the speaker to be someone human or human-like]

[so imagine his surprise when his gaze falls on the hamster, seated neatly on the back of an excited looking Shiba Inu]

[for the briefest of moments, he completely loses his composure and just. . . stares]

. . . eeeeeeh?!

[don't fall out of character, Kuroba!1]

[sunflowerseeds]

[why is everyone always so surprised by this......Laura had never been surprised! In that dream he had, anyway.

But no, Hamtaro's actual reaction to the surprise is confusion! He looks at the surprised magician, looks back at the rset of the audience, turns back to the magician...]

.....Heke?

[carptricks]

Hamster. . .

[Kaito mumbles the word incredulously before he realizes that he's staring. with a quick shake of his head, he reconstructs his poker face and pulls up a brilliant smile. hamster or not, this guy was an excited audience member! and Kaito needed to treat him as such]

[he could totally puzzle over the hamster thing later]

. . . nothing! You're just not the first individual to ask that question, that's all.

[he folds an arm in front of himself and takes a small bow]

The only acceptable answer for it is "it's magic."

[sunflowerseeds]

[Huh. He's back to normal? Well okay then, Hamtaro's not gonna question it. He's easy enough to distract, and really, what's more distracting than magic tricks?]

Does that mean you're a wizard!? I wanna know magic too!

[Hamtaro, the magical hamhero! It'd be super cool!!]

[carptricks]

Wizard, huh? I like the way that sounds.

[he crouches down to Hamtaro's level and begins to shuffle his cards again. they move through his hands smoothly and without a single hitch. in fact, he's shuffling them without even looking at them; the movements must be muscle memory at this point]

Unfortunately, wizards like me can't go around revealing the secrets of their trade that easily, yeah? But. . .

[he stops shuffling, and stacks the deck in his palm. his audience gathers behind him, crowding together to peer over his shoulder to watch the trick]

If you can figure out how they're done yourself, then that's completely different than me telling you, isn't it?

fortune (favors the bold)

[convictionary]

[His fortune's an ominous one, one which (if you squinted at it in the right way) could be construed either as making money or eating a bunch of Mystery Monday for some godsforsaken reason. Money's good. Monday's far less so, and that balanced out the karma to vaguely bad.]

Sure. Done. [He's holding out his slip and reaching for the other. (Can you really trust someone who makes a deal so easily?)]

[carptricks]

Done! Thank you, sir! Here you go.

[apparently so!! Kaito's fortune must be pretty darn weird for him to hand it off so easily. he gives Gaius his own slip of paper without any hesitation whatsoever]

[it reads: "Pigeon poop burns the retina for 13 hours. You will learn this the hard way."]

[convictionary]

[...






Well, he has to admit that the guy worked well. Props to you, random fortune dude. In fact, pigeon poop foister gets a nod. It's an approving nod. A well done nod.] Anybody you seen have a pigeon? I haven't been keeping track of...you know. [The wildlife that have been following them around. His is currently in a tree. She's a delicate bird.]

[carptricks]

[huh. Kaito squints at his new fortune, tilting it to the side as he tries to interpret exactly what it's saying. is he supposed to come into a lot of money, or eat a lot of Mystery Monday food. . .?]

[well, whatever!! at least this one held some hope of good things happening. unlike the pigeon poop one he just foisted off onto Gaius]

Can't say I have, nope.

[with a shrug, he stuffs the new fortune into his pocket]

But I'd keep a wary eye on the skies if I were you. Pigeons can come outta nowhere.

[convictionary]

[You know what has to happen next, of course. With a remark like that he looks up in the sky and with a perfectly timed caw from above-]

Gods!

[He...doesn't get crapped on, since that was totally a crow, not a pigeon. But that spooky timing.] Great, I'll be jumping at birds for the next month.

Whaddya say your name was?

[carptricks]

[Kaito's gaze flickers up when the crow caws, and he can't help but double over and snicker when Gaius jumps]

Oi! Just remember, you willingly chose this fate.

[sort. . . of]

'M Kaito. And you are?