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Post by Perch on Sept 28, 2008 17:36:06 GMT -5
It was one of those days.
Of course things had been bad ever since her father had died but today, today was bad. It was his birthday. No wait, would have been his birthday. He'd died, she'd gotten over it. Her heart had toughened, but it didn't mean that from time to time she didn't miss him.
She'd washed up this morning special for the day. She hoped that she was living a life that he would have seen as respectable. She made money and she had a roof over her head, those were the important things right? After she'd finished selling she decided that she needed a distraction so she set off to wander the streets of new york. There was always something interesting going on if you knew where to look.
But not today apparently, things were as boring as they'd ever been and the streets were empty of all possible amusement so after ahile her wandering became less of a mission to find distractions and more of a wandering journey to see how far away from home she would end up and where her journey would take her.
She found herself in the streets of the bronx and to be honest she didn't mind. Brooklyn was her home, but she'd been to the bronx a few times and she kind of liked it here. She tried to think of the last time she'd been around the area and she couldn't think of anything so she stopped to take in the things around her.
As she kept on walking she noticed a group of people huddled int he middle of the sidewalk on the other side of the street. She paused, unsure of wether to keep walking or to cross the street but inevitably get curiousity got the better of her. Making up excuses in her mind she decided that whatever was going on was probably a better distraction than anything else she'd seen today so she might as well check it out. The group of people seemed larger than it had before but being small she had the advantage of sneaking her way through the mesh of people and pushing to the front to see what could possibly be so entranceing that it would become the center of attention that held these people together in the middle of the sidewalk on a hot day like today.
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Post by Magician MacVee on Sept 28, 2008 17:44:12 GMT -5
Magician MacVee stood behind a table in his special glory, his top hat setting on the table beside the bent cards that his hands hovered over like ready to strike bees.
"Now-- where is the Ace?" he lifted a brow and there was a large grin on his face, the sound of the ancient isle of Ireland in his voice. He wasn't new to the shores of opportunity that they called New York City but he did sound it.
When a man pointed to the card on the far right he wiggled his brows at the older looking gentleman and flipped the card only to show the ten of clubs. "Sorry, me boyo try again.." The man looked irritated he'd already bet a quarter and now he was getting irritated.
"Let me see em all!" the man demanded, there was no way that he could be loosing if the boy wasn't cheating.
Magician MacVee did as he asked, "You still lost lad, twas in the center.."
The man looked livid and reached across the table to grab him, moving quickly from the lads grasp he grabbed his arm and tossed him hard into the crowd, smiling all the while and going back to his cards as if nothing happened. "Anyone else?"
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Post by Perch on Sept 28, 2008 18:09:30 GMT -5
Lily crossed her arms as she pushed to the center of the group to find a boy standing behind a table with cards on it. So that was what all the commotion was about, "magic". She pursed her lips and almost rolled her eyes at the naivety of the people of new york. All that magic was was a bunch of cheating and lies.
"Now-- where is the Ace?"
Despite herself she couldnt bring herself to leave as she watched an older looking man try and guess which of the cards was an ace. She wasn't sure but she thought that it was the middle card. When the man picked the card on the far right which turned out to be the ten of clubs she just shook her head.
"Sorry, me boyo try again.."
"Let me see em all!"
"You still lost lad, twas in the center.."
Perch smirked smugly. She'd been right. Of course that was probably fluke what with her luck being the way it was. She watched the boy toss the man into the crowd and unlike the muttering people around her, she didn't feel bad for the guy. It was his own fault for betting money on something he didn't understand and then challangeing the guy.
"Anyone else?"
She hadn't noticed before, but now that she was paying attention to him more than to the tricks she realized how heavy his accent was. She'd missed the sound of an irish lilt in peoples voices other than her own. For some reason she found herself raising one hand slightly into the air while her other hand rached into her pocket and pulled out some change. "ill give it a go," she said and approached the table "if thats alright."
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Post by Magician MacVee on Sept 28, 2008 18:57:26 GMT -5
He lifted a brow and took the girl a once over, she was petite from what he could tell with arms that looked as if he could snap her in half if he tried too. Her voice though, that was what got Magician's attention the most. The sound of his home in the isles. Grinning at her he took the cards into his hands and lifted one brow.
Dignified as he could be he grabbed his top hat and put it back on his head. It looked battered really, like it had been in one to many magic shows, been stepped on and crushed a million times, had one to many rabbits pulled out of it. There was the distinct smell of booze in the air but not from him-- a few of his "patrons" had been drinking a bit to much before they'd walked shakily over.
He showed her the Ace, the other two cards and then began to shuffle them around. He had fast hands though Magician had never been a thief of any kind he had the hands for it. The wind kicked up a little and he watched her before he pulled his hands back. They cards were protected at least.
"There ya go, lass..." he grinned, he was a charmer to be sure and always seemed positive.
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Post by Perch on Sept 28, 2008 19:20:27 GMT -5
When the boys eyebrow lifted up at her, her eyebrow went up too. She wasn't trying to mock him or anything, it just sort of happened. She placed the money down on the table and then quickly crossed her arms again. She wasn't sure why, but in this crowd of people she suddenly felt self conscious.
Her eyes brightened slightly at the hat but she said nothing. It was....interesting looking, but it suited him. It definetly added to his mystique in an amusing sort of way. Well, she'd gotten her distraction. She saw the ace and watched as he shuffled them. His hands moved quickly and they were hard to keep track of. She could see how he'd gotten into this business, he defintely had the talent required. Still, she'd watched his hands and was fairly certain that she knew where the ace was. When his hands stopped moving but they were still holding the cards down she glanced up at him and saw him watching her. She quickly looked back down as he moved his hands.
"There ya go, lass..."
Though she felt like she knew which one was the ace she knew that there was always the possibility that she'd missed something. She studied the cards for a moment as if the answer might lay on the identical patterns on the back. She looked up and looked him right in the eye. "I don't think it moved" she said and pointed towards the middle card. She couldn't be certain, but as she'd watched the cards moving she'd felt like the two cards that had been on the outside had moved much more than the other one and if she remembered correctly the one that hadn't been moved much was the ace. She'd just have to hope that lady luck was on her side.
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Post by Magician MacVee on Sept 28, 2008 20:05:24 GMT -5
His brow lifted as he considered her as she made her decision, looking him right in the eye as if she expected to see his soul. It was something interesting for a man like Magician MacVee, resident magician of the Bronx. He listened to the sound of the wind for a moment and decided this would be his last hand for the day. Taking that into consideration, he flipped the center card and watched as the card winked at her. He gave her her money back, tipping his top hat to the other audience members. He was getting hungry.
"Well done Lass, " he remarked with a wink as he went to packing away his table and his cards, technically this was gambling and very illegal but it was how he made his money. Selling papers could only keep a roof over your head it didn't always put food in your belly and Magician MacVee loved eating. He'd make a sport of it one day.
People started to trickle away, seeing now that the boy in the hat had no entertainment for them anymore. His clothes were a bit raged but not as bad as they could have been. He seemed to take care of himself just fine, even though his face was a bit dirty.
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Post by Perch on Sept 28, 2008 20:48:08 GMT -5
She watched him rather than his hand as he flipped over the card. She looked down once it was fully flipped up and nodded when she saw that it was the ace. She accepted her money back and slipped it back into her pocket to join her other change. When he tipped his hat to the audience she reached up and tipped an imaginary hat to him.
"Well done Lass, "
She nodded in response and as people began to go about their ways back to their daily lives she walked up the steps of the building that was on the corner of the street. She pulled herself up onto the flat stone handrails that over looked the corner and perched there. She watched him pack up his table and cards and wondered why she hadn't seen him before. She knew most of the kids in brooklyn and she didn't usually leave that territory for long amounts of time so it was new to her to not know the people around her.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out two smallish apples. Today she'd bought smaller apples because she'd decided that they fit in her pocket better than one big apple. She took a bite out of one and then threw the other one in the air a few times, playing one-handed catch with herself. She held the apple in her hand, and after swallowing a bite from her own apple she looked back at the boy.
"oi, lad." She called and held the apple up so he could see it while she motioned it towards him in an invitation.
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Post by Magician MacVee on Sept 28, 2008 21:23:55 GMT -5
He watched her for a moment and grinned widely at her with an inceredibly infectious grin that seemed to carry along his face without stopping. It was devistatingly charming as most Irishmen were and he was very charming. It was his charm that kept him in the money more often then he was broke. She was a pretty thing and that had him trailing up towards her, though keeping his distance.
Magician held up his hand for the apple so she would toss it to him, the smell of the day and the sun settling nicely in the noon day sky had him a happy bloke. But he was always happy. Magician was the kind of man that if it was raining and he lacked an umbrella he'd say he needed the shower. He would joke and lark without a care in the world. His troubles were few in a troubled time. Because he didn't allow trouble.
"So yer Irish than, a grand thing ta be dont' you think?" there it was again- that soft sound of the Isles
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Post by Perch on Sept 28, 2008 22:03:03 GMT -5
Perch paused for a moment as he grinned at her. His smile was very... compelling? Whatever the word was, it made her want to smile back but instead she just narrowed her eyes a bit. "think fast" she said as she threw the second apple to him.
He was so bright, it was kind of annoying her yet she decided that since they were already talking she shouldn't just up and leave. Plus, he wasn't doing anything wrong. Being overly cheery wasn't against the law unless it was cause you were underage and drank too much. If anything maybe she should try and learn from him. If she acted happier maybe she would be...
"So yer Irish than, a grand thing ta be dont' you think?"
"that it is" she replied before taking a bite from her apple and nodded.
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Post by Magician MacVee on Sept 28, 2008 22:29:22 GMT -5
Perch paused for a moment as he grinned at her. His smile was very... compelling? Whatever the word was, it made her want to smile back but instead she just narrowed her eyes a bit. "think fast" she said as she threw the second apple to him.
He caught it with ease and took a bit, tipping his hat to her with a grin. He couldn't seem to help himself. Magician was a happy guy and for that he took certain-- precautions. This girl though she looked moody, dowdy and a bit angry at the whole thing. It had never been his pace to try and help anyone get out of their funks. To each his own in a variety of ways--
"that it is" she replied before taking a bite from her apple and nodded.
Magician lifted a brow at her curt answer but kept munching away at the apple she'd given him, "Ye don't be soundin all to pleased about anything lass-- is that really how ye feel. Just a dreary answer like 'that it is'? Come on Lass.. your Irish, make some noise-- have a lark.. dance a jig for chrissake.."
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Post by Perch on Sept 28, 2008 22:58:39 GMT -5
Aa magician tipped his hat to her again lillian almost smiled, it was kind of funny. She wasn't sure why but something about how he kept doing it amused her. He ate the apple and as she munched on hers she realized that she hadn't really talked to him much of at all. She felt like she'd been rude and she wanted to say something but she wasn't sure what to say. Then he spoke, and she didn't have to.
"Ye don't be soundin all to pleased about anything lass-- is that really how ye feel. Just a dreary answer like 'that it is'? Come on Lass.. your Irish, make some noise-- have a lark.. dance a jig for chrissake.."
The corners of her mouth turned up into a small but existant smile when he said the word jig. She looked down at the half eaten apple in her hands and she sighed as she glanced back up at him. "I'm sorry..." she said pushing herself down off of the cement block and holding the apple in her left hand.
She held her right hand out to him, "can we start over?" she looked him in the eye and even smiled a little. "I'm Lillian, Lillian Fitzgerald. Some call me Perch" she said motioning back at the stoop as a sort of explanation for the nickname.
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Post by Magician MacVee on Sept 28, 2008 23:39:37 GMT -5
She held her right hand out to him, "can we start over?" she looked him in the eye and even smiled a little. "I'm Lillian, Lillian Fitzgerald. Some call me Perch" she said motioning back at the stoop as a sort of explanation for the nickname.
Magician looked at her hand a token of a moment before he took it into his and gave it a firm shake. All Irishmen knew the value of a good handshake. And he was a good Irishman, he smiled brightly at her change in tune.
"There ya go lass, a smile can do the world wonders!"
"I'm Lillian, Lillian Fitzgerald. Some call me Perch" she said motioning back at the stoop as a sort of explanation for the nickname.
It took him a moment to process her name as if he were taking it in and commiting it to some large library in his head. Nodding he tipped his hat to her once more, "I am Seamus MacVee-- but known here about as Magician MacVee..." He bowed low over her hand and looked as if he was going to kiss her knuckles before dropped her hand and backed away. He was having a bit of fun no harm ever came from that.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lilian.. but I tend to like Perch-- it suits you well makes me think of a kind of bird.."
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Post by Perch on Sept 29, 2008 14:54:14 GMT -5
"There ya go lass, a smile can do the world wonders!"
Perch tightened her grip to match his and her smile brightened a little. She was gratefull that he accepted her attitude change and was glad that she'd found some company for the afternoon.
"I am Seamus MacVee-- but known here about as Magician MacVee..."
When he bowed over her hand her other arm folded itself across her stomach and she raised an eyebrow until he backed away. When he dropped her hand, her arm went to fold over the other one. "Magician eh? it suits you well" she replied glancing at the folded up table and stack of cards.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lilian.. but I tend to like Perch-- it suits you well makes me think of a kind of bird.."
Perch nodded, "Pleasure to meet you too. and thanks, thats what me da said all the time when i climbed trees and such." She smiled at the memories of her dad playfully telling her to get down and stop perching in trees like a bird. "So, i guess your name is pretty self explanitory then" She said glancing again back at the table and cards, "..do you do any other tricks than that one with the ace?"
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Post by Magician MacVee on Sept 29, 2008 15:18:39 GMT -5
"..do you do any other tricks than that one with the ace?"
"Ah now isn't that a question to be asking," he lifted his finger and reached behind her ear, pulling out a nickle. Quarters were to precious to use to play tricks with and Magician MacVee knew a lot of things about how the world itself worked. He was a fun lad, liked to have a good laugh now and again. If he could make someone smile, the it made it completely worth it.
Lifting his browns and giving them a wiggle he bowed when he showed her the nickle, "Thank ye, thank ye.." He was an interesting man to be sure. He kept a safe distance between them for his own piece of mind. Despite is friendly and generally charming nature he tended to keep out of peoples personal space bubble if he could help it. Never stayed to close to long. He didn't feel like getting robbed by anyone.
"Ye seem ta be in a way lass--" what he meant by that was that she seemed to be out of sorts. Not exactly happy but not depressed enough to toss herself clean off of the Brooklyn Bridge.
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Post by Perch on Oct 1, 2008 21:07:59 GMT -5
"Ah now isn't that a question to be asking,"
She watched him with curious eyes as he seemed to pull a nickel out from behind her ear. She smiled, "so am i only worth a nickle then?" she teased, knowing full well that he probably wouldn't risk using coins with a higher value. There were probably people out there who believed that he'd found it there and claimed it as their own or insisted that he stole it from them. If he had to start giving people quarters he'd be out of money quicker than he could say abracadabra.
"Thank ye, thank ye.."
His eyebrows wiggled.... was that even normal? He seemed to be a strange kinda guy but she didnt mind, she kind of liked his company. She stopped herself for a moment to remind herself not to become attached in any way. She'd learned that lesson....Besides, she could find other entertainment.
"Ye seem ta be in a way lass--"
She shrugged but knew that he was right. "Bad day" she said wondering if that even summed it up. She wasn't sure that she wanted to talk to him about it. So far he was doing well as an amusing distraction from her thoughts so why ruin that.
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