A Show for All [Social - Private]

Eli found himself lounging around the guildhall, a typical thing for him now adays. Without a reason to constantly move from town to town, he'd lost almost all reason to travel outside of jobs. It was another thing that really bothered him about joining a guild. He loved travelling and seeing new places. He could still do it, but it made no feasible sense now. With a sigh, he leaned against the bar, looking down at the drink he was nursing before him. He really needed to find some more interesting things to do here, outside of study. So far, his encounters with the other guildmates had been few, in fact, he'd only actually met two; Zenshin and Hikari. He liked Hikari, but he couldn't stand Zenshin. He took a sip of drink, trying to wipe Zenshin from his mind. He was going to get out of this guild, somehow.

He took his satchel off his shoulders, dropping it onto the counter with a thump. Reaching into it, he pulled out a deck of cards, dealing himself a game of solitaire. At least he always had a deck of cards with him. What he missed most was the shows; when he actually had the chance to do them, he loved them more than anything. It was hard work, trying to impress people with playing cards when there were people in the world who could rewrite reality itself. But when he saw someone's face light up in wonder when they tried to figure out the trick, it was worth it. He loved making people smile, it was the best part of his line of work. Sure, not everyone came out of it happy, but sacrifices had to be made. He needed to survive to give more shows, but without money he couldn't do that. Besides, the audience doesn't want a fake, seeing an actual trick in place was much better. Maybe he'd get the chance to give one here, but he doubted it.

The clicks of heels were all that could be heard against the tiling floor, a certain young member of the guild strolling through the halls. There wasn't a purpose as to why Brielle was observing the interior if one were to ask her - there was none. It was a mere attempt to pass the time and a useful exercise to hone the senses. After all, being around her age was a challenge in itself regarding Magic capabilities and other aspects. There certainly wasn't anything else the girl could do at the moment other than to travel outside. Maybe even walk around the towns for a bit despite the lonely tone to it. It was at that moment the young mage simply shrugged her shoulders with the thought, the conclusion being to go and travel outside for a while.

Heading towards the entrance (as it was closer than the exit), the girl hummed softly to herself before halting in place. There was an unfamiliar face sitting at the bar counter, a deck of cards in his grasp. Having not met many members of the guild, Brielle decided it was best to start socialization rather than miss out on this opportunity. After all, the way he hunched over and focused on the cards in his hand almost made him appear to be rather lonely almost if not distant... It was something that couldn't be ignored by the girl as it was a duty to herself to help others if they needed it. A fair number of the members weren't exactly out and about the halls today, so it was to be hopeful that the meeting would start off well.

Resting her hands behind her back, Brielle felt a small smile align her lips as her soft voice chimed upon speaking. "Hello, mister. W-What are you doing?" Despite the stutter in her voice, her electric blue irises seemed to glow with curiosity as she kept the same smile aligned on her lips up at the man before her. She neared him enough to where she was in a reasonable distance to gaze upon both his appearance and the deck of cards, a youthful tone to her movements that seemed to match with the slight twisting back and forth of her torso.

Eli was almost completely focused on the game. Solitaire was something he played a lot when he was alone, it was fun and mentally stimulating. So when Brielle spoke, it took a minute for him to realize. Stopping the game, he turned and looked at her curiously, wondering who it could be. He was surprised when he saw a young girl, were there a lot of younger people in the guild. He gave her a small smile, turning his entire body away from the counter to face her. He leaned back on it, placing his arm on the counter behind him. "Eli, I'm not old enough to be a mister yet." He spoke with a playful tone, trying to seem cheerful. "I don't know your name either miss, do you mind sharing it with me?" He placed emphasis on the miss part, clearly joking when referring to her with it.

He inspected the child curiously. She seemed rather thin, and pale as well, maybe she was sick? Still, he wasn't one to cast judgement without knowing someone. He patted the seat next to him, signalling her to join him. "Come sit with me and I'll show you. I'm playing solitaire; it's a game of cards you can play by yourself." Looking at his satchel, a small idea came to his head. It had been a long time since he had given a show, and now he might have an audience. He started to clean up the cards, stacking them together in a deck and shuffling it. "Or, I could show you some magic tricks. Though, they aren't really magic, more like a magic without using magic.~" He smiled at her as he shuffled the deck. He was willing to teach her solitaire as well, but he figured he'd let her decide what she wanted to see more.

He took another drink from his glass, making sure to place it away from Brielle. While he was sure she wouldn't do or question anything about it, it made him feel bad drinking publicly in front of a child. He looked around the guild hall; it was really bare today. It would be fairly likely that no one else was gonna show up, so there would be no point in waiting to give a show, if she even wanted it. He wondered why she was even wandering around the guild hall alone. Chances were more than likely that she was a member of the guild, but what reason would someone as young as her have to join one? Even he considered himself on the younger side of most guild wizards. He decided he should look into it, when he got the chance.

Despite it taking a moment for the elder man to notice her presence, Brielle was a bit relieved to observe the smile lining his lips. Even if it was small in expression it was a form of happiness nonetheless. Although, whether it was to be truthful or not would reveal itself in due time. As the young man introduced himself - jokingly returning the gesture the girl offered him - the mage couldn't help but giggle softly at the tone of his voice. Placing her right hand on her chest while her left arm folded behind her back, the young girl bowed slightly in greeting.

"It's very nice to meet you, Eli. I'm Brielle McCloud."

Upon straightening herself, the girl took the opportunity to observe Eli's appearance. His appearance seemed to be one suited for comfort. The way his blonde hair was left uncombed seemed to match with his attire, the irises being a soft green. Patting the seat next to him, Brielle noted that it was permission for her to sit next to him which she took the opportunity to. Humming softly as the girl placed herself in a comfortable position, she gazed up to Eli with a shy smile before switching her attention to the cards - the source of interest returning once more to the deck. A game of solitaire... The name was familiar with the girl, although she had never been one to excel in terms of games such as that. In fact, she had never been one to attempt it considering how she never carried a deck of cards on her person. "Solitaire? I haven't ever really played it before." She rested her arms on the counter, leaning over slightly as she observed Eli's movements.

Eli Validus wrote:"Or, I could show you some magic tricks. Though, they aren't really magic, more like a magic without using magic.~"

Electric blue irises seemed to brighten at the offer, an almost youthful expression blanketing the girl's features. It wasn't everyday that there was an opportunity to be shown magic tricks, and even though this turned her truly giddy at heart, she attempted to keep a calm demeanor upon voicing her choice. "I would enjoy watching some magic tricks! Maybe you could teach me some solitaire as well?" Despite the soft pitched tone to her voice, the girl was truly interested in what Eli had to show. It was certainly beginning to become much better than the original option to walk around town all by herself.

Eli's smile grew slightly when she giggled; she seemed to receptive to his style, that was already a good sign. As he continued to shuffle the deck, he noticed the formality in her movements; notable when she bowed and how she held herself. It seemed somewhat strange to see such behavior in a girl her age. He wondered where she picked it up. Regardless, she seemed to be happy, so he had no real reason to question it. "The pleasure is all mine Brielle. Do you mind if I call you Bri? I'm quite the fan of nicknames."

Eli placed the deck down next to his bag, leaning slightly closer to Brielle and giving her a smile. She seemed shy, but was definitely enjoying herself, he could see it in her eyes. He tried to be gentle with his ways, not wanting to scare or offset her. After all, his act was not one of fear and shock, but wonder and joy. Taking the deck, he fanned it in a straight line across the counter, making a direct line of the card backs. Grabbing the very end of it, he flipped every card in one swift motion as he spoke. "Solitaire is a great game for the mind. It promotes thinking of probability and prediction, as well as how to properly handle yourself. It's like life; it takes skill and a little luck too." Finishing flipping the cards, Brielle would notice they weren't in any particular order. However, he flipped them back against as he continued speaking, keeping his eyes on Brielle. "However, that's also one of the greatest illusions of life. Luck can only get you so far." Once the deck was completely flipped, Eli slid the cards back into a perfect deck, before placing it upside down and fanning it out again, revealing the cards in perfect order, by number and suit. "If you know the tricks behind the scenes, luck is nothing more than an unknown skill."

Leaving the cards fanned out, Eli reached into his bag and pulled out a coin. "I'll teach you solitaire later. For now, let's get to the fun part, shall we? The magic show begins." Standing up, Eli moved over and stood in front of Brielle, holding the coin in front of her face. It was between his index finger and thumb, the rest of his hand closed as he twirled the coin to show both sides; it was completely average. "I'm going to illustrate my point. I can guarantee what the result of this coin flip will be completely." He reached into his other hand and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Brielle. "Now, no peaking. The result of the flip is right there on that paper. Don't check it till the flip is over, ok?" Eli was always a fan of this trick; it was a simple one that taught a lot about his routine and world view. He wondered if Brielle would see through it. He hoped she could; half of the fun of tricks was figuring out how it was done. Everything, even magic, had logical and knowledge behind it, how you properly applied it was the sign of skill.

Upon the mention of nicknames, it was to be admitted that Brielle had never really been called by a nickname before. It was a question that seemed to capture her surprise fully, the strain being brushed off her eyelids a few times before a smile was finally lining her lips once more. "I don't mind at all, Eli." With that reply to him, the young mage continued to observe his movements. Left in curiosity and wonderment, it was to be felt that this would be nothing short of exciting. True that at the current point in time that she wasn't acting quite like a girl of her age, but this was truly something that turned a frown upside down in her perspective.

The black haired youngling of the guild awaited patiently as the young man before her placed his deck near a bag, only being left to follow his fluid movements with the cards when he began. A direct line was made with the cards across the counter, Eli's hand smoothly traveling back and forth. At the very end of the deck, he seemed to easily touch the end before flipping each and every card over - a domino effect on them almost. Eli had then began to speak of the game known as solitaire, the girl's attention completely captivated by both his words and his movements with the cards. His words were nothing but the truth regarding the game, her electric blue irises seeming to carry a youthful cloud over them as she kept on watching.

The deck wasn't in any particular order, the numbers and suits mixed up in the respective row. The girl's hands were politely placed atop of one another on her lap, her eyes managing to keep up with the pacing of Eli's hands. The deck was flipped again - the words that he drew out of his mouth teaching a lesson to the younger mage - and then once more. The deck was then placed in its original form before it was placed upside down, fanned out swiftly as upon appearance... the cards were in their respective orders - suits and all.

Eli wrote:"If you know the tricks behind the scenes, luck is nothing more than an unknown skill."

Brielle couldn't help but provide Eli a round of applause. "Hooray!" Even if it was only consisting of herself, she would provide him one nontheless. It was quite entertaining and not to mention it requiring quite a bit of time to master what the wizard showed to her. Now, the blond seemed to rise up from his seat a coin now between his index finger and thumb. Brielle's eyes seemed to brighten in vibrancy her curiosity at a high level. A piece of paper had been given to her, the result of the coin flip written on it. The McCloud couldn't help but broaden her smile as she nodded in reply. "Alright." Patiently awaiting for the trick to begin, Brielle would have to wonder if she could pinpoint on what it took to make the tricks seem flawless yet simple. The methods behind each trick and each movement carried its own tactics behind the scenes. Maybe - just maybe - Brielle could figure this one out after it was performed.

Eli smiled at Brielle, glad to see that his efforts weren't being rejected. One of the biggest things he had to do was constantly push the limits; try and see how far he could go with someone. It was the first step to getting to know them. Create the boundary, so to speak. Brielle seemed to be pretty relaxed, not very uptight about anything. That's always good, for him at least. Taking the coin between his fingers and spinning it, he made sure that Brielle could see both sides of it. It was completely average in every respect. "Now Bri, I want you to watch carefully. This coin is completely average, so most people would say that you have a 50% chance of guessing the result, correct? There are only two faces, so it's logical that the result will be a 50% chance. However, I can guarantee with 100% accuracy the result will be what is written on that paper."

Dropping the coin into the rest of his fist, Eli scooped it up with his thumb as it fell, flicking it high up into the air after a moment. Eli spoke as the coin flew, watching it fly up himself. "Remember what I said Bri. Luck is a controllable element, it just depends on your knowledge of the situation. What I know and what you know can be completely different, and completely different, and as such, that completely changes how we view luck." When the coin reach it's peak, Eli placed his hands both in his pocket, waiting for the next part of the trick. Suddenly, a glow engulfed the coin, and a small orb of fire appeared around the coin, before exploding out in a fancy display. "That's the key to success; understanding the entirety of a situation. For the most part, it  is impossible to get it all, but all you need is enough to understand the possible outcomes and control them." Taking his hands out of his pocket, Eli caught the coin as it fell before him, placing on hand on top of the other to conceal the coin. He looked at Brielle, a playful expression on his face. "Now, I want you to take a guess what the result was, and let's see if your 50% chance can beat my 100%."

Eli enjoyed giving smaller shows, they were much more personal and interesting. As well, it allowed him to judge the reception to his tricks better. So far, Brielle seemed to be enjoying it all, but he had to make sure he kept it entertaining. Another thing he had to do was make sure to maintain his facade. While he very much appreciated her applause, he could't allow himself to react to it. He had to keep character, and keep the pace of the performance. He had to make sure that he always appeared in control, and that everything was perfectly as intended. Still, seeing her enjoy herself made him feel great. He loved entertaining others. Eli gave her a playful smile. She seemed fairly receptive to his tricks, and she seemed to retain that childlike wonder from watching them. That was one of the main reasons he loved kids; that almost bliss like wonder they viewed the world with. Though Brielle was getting older enough to be barely considered a kid, he was happy to see she still had a childish side to her.

It was with such childish fever that the young mage watched in wonder as to what Eli would perform next. It was true that Magic in the world was more common than not, but performing acts by different means and uses was rare to find. It can be easy to forget that Magic is not always used for violence and harmful intents as there are other forms of it. The show that was being presented at the moment was just one of those forms. Such an opportunity couldn't be missed, and it was all the more worthwhile to observe what the man before her was capable of other than Magic. Feeling the smile on her lips grow slightly, Brielle kept hold of the paper that was faced down on her lap.

It was with sure confidence that Eli would determine the result of the coin flip, the result being on that paper. The circumstances were normal of the percentage of getting the prediction right being 50 out of 50. In this particular circumstance, the percentage was set to be 100. It was in this regard that it made Brielle work the gears inside of her own mind, conserving each detail of the coin before Eli launched it with his thumb. The girl's eyes followed the movement's of the coin as the elder mage began to speak a lesson being taught within the progression of the trick.

Eli wrote:"Remember what I said Bri. Luck is a controllable element, it just depends on your knowledge of the situation. What I know and what you know can be completely different, and completely different, and as such, that completely changes how we view luck. That's the key to success; understanding the entirety of a situation. For the most part, it is impossible to get it all, but all you need is enough to understand the possible outcomes and control them."

The coin had then came to a slow at the highest peak, twirling slowly as a light glinted off the material before it brightened with a warm glow. It was within seconds that a small orb of fire then appeared around the very coin, exploding in a delicately planned array. A soft gasp was released from the girl's lips at the sight, her gaze fluttered towards Eli once more before the coin had suddenly landed on his hand. He performed a quick maneuver to conceal the result, Brielle's curiosity at its peak as to what the result of the coin flip could be.  Taking his hands out of his pocket, Eli caught the coin as it fell before him, placing on hand on top of the other to conceal the coin. He looked at Brielle, a playful expression on his face. It was now the moment of truth.

Her smile never faltering, Brielle fell silent for a moment as she began to mull over her answer to the prediction. It was a 50/50 chance out of 100 and the odds seemed to play in Eli's favor. There was a chance that the answer she went with would be right, but another chance that the answer was wrong. It was all in the matter of not only understanding the situation enough, but to an extent to where one could change the outcome. Luck was a tricky subject - an element that carried many meanings and definition. However, it could only get you so far in regards to the chances one would have. It had to be helped along the way otherwise you wouldn't reach what you were fighting so hard for. It was with Eli's words that Brielle had learned something new within an act of wonderment - words that she wouldn't forget. It was then that she breathed out softly, meeting Eli's gaze with her answer after mulling it over.

"How about... Heads."

Eli smiled; watching them figure it out was always fun. It felt like you could almost see the gears turning in their head. The eye movements as they tried to trace back what happened, looking to see where they missed a clue. The random ideas that poured into their mind to be completely rejected for another equally random one. It was interesting to see how people approached problems. However, the best part was knowing the twists and turns they didn't. Seeing each and every approach and watching their reasoning interested him, and sometimes he even got ideas as for how to improve a trick.

With Brielle's guess, he removed his hand covering the result, revealing a tails. Eli gave her a smile, shaking his head."Incorrect, unfortunately. It looks like luck wasn't with you today. Now, let's see how my guess fared." On the paper in Brielle's lap, the word Tails was written in pencil. Of course, as he said, Eli knew the trick behind the flip to guarantee a 100% chance guess. Now the question lied with could she figure it out. Eli had a feeling she might be able to. It was all about seeing through the smoke and mirrors, and looking for the element she didn't know. Where was the points where she didn't have information?

When Brielle would open the paper, Eli moved over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and leaning around to view it as well. Turning to face her, he gave her a playful smile. "Oh, I got it right, luck me~ Unfortunately, the host doesn't get a prize. No fun." Moving back to his seat, he placed the coin in his pocket and took a drink of his currently unoccupied one. Placing an elbow on the bar, he rested his hand on it, smiling at Brielle. "So Bri, let's see if you can figure it out now. What's the trick?" He didn't want to give her any hints or help, that would ruin the fun. And after all, it was all about the audiences enjoyment. While she spoke, he took the deck and started fanning it out, constantly spreading and re-stacking it. His attention or eyes never wavered from her though; she at least appeared to have his undivided attention.

With an amused smile taking place, the girl's legs crossed as the result was revealed. It was a tails indeed. Without a doubt, the chances of the guess predicted failed. Although, there was a slight hint that it wasn't going to be correct either way. Theories of probabilities and happenings surfaced in the caverns of her mind as the gears inside her mind turned. The clockwork of theories just kept feeding the curiosity within, the wonderment inside never fading. Feeling herself relax as Eli placed a hand on her shoulder, Brielle couldn't help but grow slightly more comfortable with the young man before opening the paper given to her before this all started. "Tails..." The McCloud read aloud the word written on the paper in legible handwriting. With her lips parting slightly, the young mage couldn't help but gaze in awe at the proof of his correct response. There was no denying it...

Viewing the playful smile now forming on the blond's lips, his words were of a playful nature as he reverted back to his seat. Electric blue irises traced Eli's movements as he formed himself into a relaxed position, taking a sip of his drink before leaving the young mage to ponder. What was the trick indeed? There were many possibilities and theories floating around in the girl's mind that begged for the answer. Humming softly in thought, the raven haired girl rested an arm along the counter while the other rested neatly on her lap. Each and every detail was replayed in her own mind, a necessary procedure in order to peek through the smoke and mirrors of the delicately planned show. Brielle unconsciously shifted her gestures and positions in thought, not really present in the world of reality at the moment.

There were many twists and turns the trick he presented carried... From each movement that Eli made to his words, Brielle pondered and reviewed each detail to the best of her ability. This was an amusing way to pass the time - no doubt - and a second chance to guess correctly. Even if there was no prize there was the enjoyment out of it. That in itself was a prize worth keeping. Without a hint to go on or helpful tips from the elder mage, it was only a moment before the girl sighed softly before focusing on Eli. His movements were fluid as he was arranging the deck neatly among the counter top, and he didn't even need to look in order to know what he was doing. I-Impressive... Shaking her head slightly to escape her thoughts, Brielle brushed a few locks of raven colored hair away from her eyes before offering her opinion as to how she believed that trick worked.

"Well, I noticed that you had shoved your hands in your pockets while the coin was in the air... I-I also noticed a few details as well such as the coin's sudden glow in the air. That seemed almost conveniently timed when you had your hands in your pockets. S-So... Maybe you have something in your pockets to make the trick perform beautifully."

Her theory may be shot down but it was worth a shot.

Eli smiled as Brielle explained her ideas on how her preformed the trick. So far, she was along the right lines, just not entirely correct. Picking up the deck, he began shuffling it with both hands, listening carefully to Brielle's explanation. When she finished, he flipped the top card of the deck; an Ace of Hearts towards her. "You're getting there, you reached point number one; The pockets. It's good that you noticed me put my hands in there, it is fairly significant." Flipping the card back down, he returned to shuffling. He wanted to edge her on a bit, but had to be certain not to give her too much. She seemed to be really enjoying trying to figure it out. If he gave her too much, it might completely ruin it for her. No one enjoyed having the ending spoiled for them.

He smiled at her, flipping the next card in the deck up; the Two of Hearts. "Now, the next question becomes, what could I have done in my pockets? What could have allowed me to know the result of the coin in there?" Placing the two in front of her on the counter, he decided he'd give her a little hint. He flipped a card off the top of the deck, sending it flying over her head and onto the chair behind her. Suddenly, Eli vanished from in front of her, a single playing card laying in place of where he was before. If Brielle had the chance to notice, she might see a strange symbol in black ink on the back of the card. From the seat behind her, Eli's voice began, revealing him sitting in it with a playful smile. "A magician lives behind smoke and mirrors. Always trying to hide the truth from their audience and keep the machinations behind the scenes."

Just as suddenly as he had appeared before, he disappeared again, suddenly back in his original seat, a single blank card once more in the place he just was. Shuffling the deck of cards, Brielle would notice that while she was watching Eli was moving around, the card in front of her had changed. It was now the Three of Hearts. "A good magician uses magic to support the trick, not make it. Another question, how did I keep you from noticing anything strange, as well, what did I make sure that you noticed?" Every part of the act had a reasoning, there was nothing he did without point. He tried to show this concept to Brielle; no one acts without reason. If something had happened, it was because they wanted it to. But could she determined what he wanted her to notice specifically? He had overloaded the Motus circle with a double use, but he didn't care really, not like he was going to use it anytime else soon.

Ah, so the young mage was on the right track. The rhythm of the girl's breathing seemed to slow as the conversation progressed onward, the theories that were once cramming the mind dwindling as there was now a solid clue to go on. It was a correct guess that it had something to do with Eli taking that moment in the past to shove his hands in his pocket, and feeling a smile align her lips, an Ace of Hearts was revealed with a flip of the card before disappearing once again in the shuffling of the deck. This was certainly the amusing way to pass the time; the attempt to guess what theories were correct and what weren't were nothing short of it.

The Two of Hearts had then been revealed, causing Brielle's pair of electric blue irises to brighten slightly before focusing on Eli and his words. What could have he done in his pockets to perform the trick? That was going to prove to be a rather tricky guess regarding the action. It was hidden within a place where the girl couldn't view his actions - a smoke and mirror within a handful of others. As the card had been placed in front of her along the counter, another twirled in the air without warning that caused the girl to part her lips in surprise. It didn't take long for her to follow the card's movements before swiftly turning to Eli. The elder mage suddenly wasn't present in his seat; instead it was a playing card from his deck that seemed to carry a strange, unrecognizable symbol etched in the back of it. It was then the man's voice soothed through her eardrums, causing her to jump in surprise and turn her attention to Eli.

W-Wasn't he just...?

The same pattern repeated once again of Eli disappearing and reappearing in the opposite seat, the young mage twisting and turning to gaze upon both the card in the seat... and the man sitting in the original seat. Feeling the gears inside her mind twist and turn even more than before, Brielle glanced in front of her on impulse to notice the change in detail. The Two of Hearts was no longer present as it was now Three of Hearts. Upon Eli's question being asked once more, the young mage couldn't help but part her lips in thought once more. It was the same process again and again whenever a question was asked of her. It was the shifting of the movements that were fluid from having done so often. Although, a thought had occurred...

"You made sure th-that I noticed the coin's own whereabouts instead of your own. I-In a way, you made sure that my attention drifted away for the shortest of moments before you activated your magic... A smoke and mirror, right?"

Eli couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the girl try and figure everything out. It amused him greatly to see someone trying so hard to wrap their minds around everything. It was all more amusing to him though, almost comparable to watching a small pet work their way through a maze. He saw the entire picture and knew the way out. They however, were guessing and following that guess down as far as they could before hitting a dead end and going back. The biggest trap they could put themselves in was sticking to one idea too much. He took a sip of his drink as the girl spoke, smiling as he did. Placing the glass down, he reached over and grabbed the Three of Hearts, holding it before her. "Aha, you have the idea down. However, I believe you are focusing on the wrong elements. Remember what I said; a good magician uses magic to support the trick, not make it. So think about it like this; I would want you to focus on the smoke and mirrors, correct? So now you need to realize what was the smoke and mirrors, and what was the actual trick itself."

Taking the card back into the deck, he began to shuffle it once more, keeping his eyes on Brielle intently. He followed the every movement of his irises, trying to make sure that he knew exactly where she was looking. She seemed to be getting the picture so far, but he had to make sure he egged her on properly. If he went too far or not far enough, she'd either feel patronized or frustrated respectively. Flipping the top card of the deck up, he revealed the Two of Hearts. "Don't forget as well, what could I have done in the pockets? Every action I make is relevant, correct? Which means, there's a reason for every single I do. Make sure you think carefully about my motivation for each."

Placing the deck down, he decided to give Brielle his final hint. Reaching into his pocket, he took out another coin and began flipping it, watching it carefully as it flew out into the air and back onto his hand before repeating it's journey. This was the first time he took his attention off Brielle, and he hoped that would be enough to symbolize to her the relevance of the action. There was a hint hidden in what was occurring before her, she just had to try and piece it together.

Eli wrote:"Aha, you have the idea down. However, I believe you are focusing on the wrong elements. Remember what I said; a good magician uses magic to support the trick, not make it. So think about it like this; I would want you to focus on the smoke and mirrors, correct? So now you need to realize what was the smoke and mirrors, and what was the actual trick itself."

That had let the girl know that the right path was being followed in order to solve the secret behind the trick. The idea was confirmed to be correct in a partial sense, but the wrong details were being focused on too intently. There were other variables and numbers that hadn't been scanned properly yet. As the deck was being shuffled once more, the cards sparked a clue within the girl's head. There was a short demonstration that Eli had performed moments ago, appearing and reappearing in different seats. Each time he had done so a card was left behind with a strange symbol inscribed on it. There was a clue hidden within that action - a smoke and mirror within a smoke and mirror. Tracing Eli's movements with his hands, the Two of Hearts was revealed that caused the young mage's eyes to widen slightly. Maybe - just maybe - her theory was on the right track this time around.

"You used one of the cards from your deck to cast a fire based spell on the coin, and you kept it in your pocket... However, I-I couldn't see what you were doing in time just as I couldn't see you disappear from one chair to the other earlier."

The deck had then been put down from that moment forth, Brielle's eyes following Eli's movements. As he reached into his pocket, the young girl had focused intently on the coin now revealed from within. It was flipped into the air swiftly for the first time, not having anything happen to it as it returned to land on the palm of Eli's hand before it was flipped a second time. Brielle's eyes traced the movements and twirling of the coin before glancing to Eli for a mere moment, feeling that his attention wavered for but a moment. The hint was most likely something so obvious - something that she may have already stated just moments ago. "A distraction..." The words slipped past her lips unconsciously as she turned her attention to the coin once again, watching it slowly make its way back to.

Watching his constantly flipping coin, he listened to her intently as she spoke, though it might not look like he was to her. She was almost there, but she seemed to be missing that final key. It's not like he could tell her that however, he didn't want to steal her fun. She was a bright girl, she just lacked the confidence to make bad guesses. That's how you learned though; trial and error. It seemed as if she was too scared to make a guess she thought could be wrong. "There is no such thing as a bad question, you know. Asking a question just proves you are thinking about the world around you, and are trying to understand it. The unknown is never your ally. Only what you know is, so until you ask and learn and make it your ally it will always work against you." He turned briefly to her, giving her a smile before returning to the coin.

He felt kind of bad for his actions currently, even if it was only pretend he didn't like ignoring her. Still, the subtle hints weren't something he was going to take away from her so easy. "So we've determined it was my magic that made the coin explode. That's one step forward, but here's my question to you; who says that I used a card for it?" He knew that Brielle had seen the symbol on his cards before when he used Motus, so the question now remained if she could place that together with what he just said. "Distractions are something you won't even notice is one until it's too late if done properly. You're right when you say you couldn't see what I was doing, so think about every point you didn't know about anything; whether it was what I was doing or the state of the coin. Think about what I could do behind the smoke."

Grabbing the coin as it landed in his hand, he held it before her in a similar manner to before the started, rotating it backwards and forwards to show her both parts of it. "Every action is deliberate. What I allow you to know is something I want you to know." As he spun the coin, a sly smile took over Eli's face. He felt a kid who had successful found a loophole in his parent's rules. "So think about it; what did I want you to know about the coin, and how could that affect me knowing the results. What would I want you to know to help my trick, as well as what I wouldn't want you to know to make it work. Both halves together are what make the trick work." Flicking the coin into the air once more. He reached into his pocket as it hover in air and suddenly pulled out another coin, granting it flight next to the other. Catching them both as they landed, he showed the both to Brielle with that smile. This was a more cryptic hint, but he hoped the presence of a second coin in junction with what he said would be more than enough to push her over the edge.

Eli wrote:"There is no such thing as a bad question, you know. Asking a question just proves you are thinking about the world around you, and are trying to understand it. The unknown is never your ally. Only what you know is, so until you ask and learn and make it your ally it will always work against you."

Brielle felt her eyes widen a fraction in surprise at Eli's words of truth. All the while as the session passed, that was all that the raven haired mage had been avoiding. 'Twas true that there wasn't such a thing as a bad question despite how it could be debatable. Yet that route may just be the path that needed to be taken to reach the conclusion of the smoke and mirrors; with each passing moment as the blond was providing an encrypted code behind his actions, the young girl was all the more curious. Even if he refused to reveal the trick behind the show - the answer to her question - the McCloud wouldn't give in here. If anything, it only fueled the desire to press forth into the unknown in order to find the answer, and that would lie within asking the questions she dared to stray from. The subtle hints are the small clue's that only Eli had known himself, and it was up to the young mage before him to find out whether she could solve the mystery or not.

Truth be told, Eli's words were growing to a point of confusion in a sense. However, the hints were within his actions and words. Brielle just needed to take a step back and examine each and every detail that was worth of noting along with the ones that weren't. From his teleportation with the chairs to the hand being shoved into the pocket, each action served to provide something important. Even the examination of the coin and the display of the heavenly glow of fire were being looked upon in the young girl's own mind. Whether the code could be deciphered was up to how correctly she aligned the clues to the answer. Electric blue irises began to cloud over in thought for that moment as each detail was to be examined over, yet the Validus returned her to the world of reality by showing her the coin in a similar manner like in the beginning. Both sides of the coin were revealed in the same manner as before - nothing seeming out of place.

Eli had began to speak once more, his words conveying the truth behind the smoke and mirrors. Indeed, what would he want her to know? What could be known yet hidden at the same time? All the questions kept compiling in the mental list as a pair of youthful eyes traced the coins movements as it twirled in the air. A surprise was to be granted that caused the raven haired mage to gasp, another coin twirling next to the first and following its descent down onto Eli's hand. There was a purpose to that second coin and just as before, she was distracted enough to a point where the man must have pulled it out of his pocket in order to demonstrate a more cryptic hint. The gears in Brielle's mind kept twisting and turning as the surprised expression refused to diminish from her features. Blinking with an almost bewildered expression, the girl spoke softly in the trademark high pitched tone.

"Y-You couldn't have used a card for it then. A substitute perhaps?" Tapping her chin as she mulled over her words, Brielle felt a smile soon cross her lips in a joyful excitement as she pressed forth. "You would want me to know that the coin was nothing out of the ordinary, and that it was just like any old regular coin. However, there was another side to it. The other coin may serve as the other half to the trick, but... I'm not sure what, haha!" A giggle passed the McCloud's lips of enjoyment as she awaited for Eli to continue. This was certainly a wonderful mystery that was serving to not only be entertaining, but a wonder of time to spend with a fellow member who was serving to become a friend.