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»»————-　nysm one. magic tricks
PROLOGUE━━ card with a hidden meaning

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♯ ❝WHO WANTS TO SEE SOME MAGIC? ❞
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WREN WALSH WAS A NAME A FEW WERE FAMILIAR WITH IN New York City. They mostly knew her as a street kid, a trouble maker, and sometimes the woman they tried to avoid. Why? Street magicians, while most entertaining indeed, often were just as admirable at robbing you blind. Now Wren was not like that...anymore. She has long since passed the need to pickpocket for a meal and a place to sleep. When she was an idle teen, helping bring food to the table at home. Nowadays, she performed for the very reason she had gotten into magic in the first place. The wonders, the illusions, the glee it brought her.

The carefree woman had a knack for tricks and illusions—so much so, that withing the small magical community she had been well-known at this point. Her talent spoke for herself as magic and wonderous stared followed her around the bustling streets after a performance. Maybe it was her passion for creating something that people couldn't explain or from her father who introduced her to the art of magic at a young age, but magic became her life and passion.

Her motives were quite simple at this stage in her life— she wanted to create the same sparkle in people's eyes as her father created in hers while putting a smile on people's faces.

So the young and optimistic brunette practised her tricks, brushed up her charm and ventured to streets filled with curious bystanders, tourists, and business men alike and started to perform magic.

And her favourite place was the one she had seen her first magic show at the age of five; Central Park.

She smiled at the kids that had gathered around her. Softly chattering and exciting staring at her from where they stood. The crowd had started small, but once she had been recognised by a few regulars, the crowd had grown quickly. People from all ages had gathered, bright and curious eyes staring up at her in anticipation, "Do you want to see some magic?" She bellowed over the group, her own eyes filled with joy.

That one word. It was all it took to made the children's jump up in excitement.

She grinned when all the kids frantically nodded, some even shouting enthusiastic words. "Alright! For the first trick I'll need a volunteer." She stated while shuffling the deck cards swiftly, the cards moving rapidly and smoothly between her nimble fingers. It had become a second nature to her, as easy as breathing.

Wren motioned for a small raven haired boy to step forward with a large smile, he had dragged his grandmother towards her when he noticed her beginning to set up. The child looked at his guardian for permission before he skipped towards her

"What is your name sweetheart?" She questioned, crouching down to stare in the kid's eyes.

"Kai." He spoke enthusiastically.

"Well, Kai." She shuffled the deck of cards one last time, "I want you to pick a card, any card you'd like." She explained as she held the deck out. The small boy grabbed card studying it carefully. "You can show it to the others but not me." Wren told him, turning her head away so he could show it to the others.

The boy nodded turning the card so the other children could see it too.

"Now remember you card and put it back for me, please." The boys carefully slipped the card back in the deck.

After shuffling the deck of cards a few times, doing some simple tricks to entertain the crowd, she pulled a card off the top. "Is this your card?" She asked showing the seven of spades already knowing the answer.

The children giggled loudly, whispering among each other.

"No it isn't ma'am." The boy frowned, clearly disappointed by the sight of the card.

Wren pretended to be confused. "Really?" She wondered with a small pout and frowned, twisting the card between her fingers, playing the part of confused performer quite well.

"Is it me our do my cards feel a bit hot?" The brunette suddenly told them as she fanned the cards out for the kids to touch.

Some took turns touching the card but they all shared the same confused look and shook their head, not feeling the heat only for their eyes to widen when smoke sprouted from the cards.

Wren grinned before throwing the cards high in the air and as she did the cards caught on fire and burned away to nothing. All except one as it fluttered back to the ground.

Picking it up from the ground Wren held it between two fingers, she twirled it around for the kids and other people who had gathered around to see. "Is this your card?" She asked holding the king of diamonds.

The children's eyes widened at it, frantic whispers arose as they came closer to look at the last remaining card.

"How did you do that?" A small girl asked at loud, stepping forward slightly, her ponytail bouncing with each step she took.

Wren peered down at here, a fond smile on her face before she replied. "With magic of course." She answered. "Now who wants to see some more magic!" she shouted.

The children shouted hyped for more tricks, making wren smile brightly.

"Miss, can you give me a hand?" She asked pointing to a woman at the back of the crowd with a small child by her side.

A small name sticker peeking out from the child's purple schoolbag that stood beside the young girl caught the brunette's attention. She'd already seen it before she started the show and she was glad the two had come to watch her show. The trick would fall together perfectly

The woman nodded before joining Wren in the middle of the circle.

Wren shuffled the deck a cards doing some more tricks for the little kids. "Now I want you to pick a card." She asked.

The woman picked her card.

"Now you know how this works. Memorize the card and put it back in."

The brown haired woman nodded before placing it back in the deck.

The brunette magician smiled before pulling a sharpy from her pocket, "Now I'm gonna sign one of the cards with my name alright?"

The crowd nodded and watched as Wren wrote down her name on the nine of spades and showed it to the people around her.

"Alright." Wren returned to the deck shuffling it a few times. Her own named card already disappearing from view between the others. Turning a the cards around to see she asked. "Do you see your card?"

The woman frowned shaking her head. "No."

Wren smiled with a flick of her wrist the card appeared in her hand together with her own written card.

"Now let's see." She frowned when she tried to give the card to the woman but it seemed stuck on her own. "Mind giving me a hand?" She asked the woman who nodded.

The brown haired woman nodded pulling at one end and finally it snapped loose.

Only this time the card was a little different. Writing on the jack of spades was Julia while the nine of spades was clear of all ink, no sign her name used to be there. The woman's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"How?"

Wren grinned. "A magician never tells her secrets."

Wren walked up to the small girl handing her the card with her name written on it.

The little girl looked up at her, her eyes sparkling. "Are you magic?" She asked.

Wren winked at her. "Don't tell anyone." She whispered.

Julia nodded before rushing back to crowd with a bright and magical smile

"Well that was it! Thanks for watching." She grinned before grabbing her hat from the ground that was now filled with money. She waved at a couple of remaining children before setting off to get home. 

As she made her way back to her small apartment humming quietly to herself Wren bumped into someone, the impact knocking her back slightly. She hissed from the sharp spurt of pain that went through her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." The person apologised but before she could look at the stranger he was already gone.

Wren frowned. "Okay then... Weird dude." She said before making her way across the street and into her apartment building

Dropping her keys on the coffee table Wren was about to grab her cards from her pockets when she felt something strange and unfamiliar. Frowning she pulled out a card, a tarot card to be precise.

On it was a man printed hanging upside down. 'The hanged man.' Was printed underneath. A small smile crept on her face after she turned the card around. On the back was an eye. As in The eye. And written in black ink on top of it was something beyond anything Wren had ever dreamt about when she started with magic.

A date.

March 29
4:44 pm
45 East Evan St.
NY, NY

Tarot meaning : whenthe hanged man appears, know that greater wisdom and hapiness is at hand, butonly if you are prepared to sacrifice something of that wisdom. Sometimes it'ssomething physical you must be deprived of. But in most it is a perspective orviewpoint that must be left behind. Sacrificing something you value will alwayslead you to something more valuable.

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