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Post by Gambit on Oct 31, 2008 13:19:17 GMT -5
"Magic, okay!" Connie said in a much more cheerful way, immediately turning to fully face Shade. She put her elbows onto the table and propped her face on both palms, preparing for some show or whatever was to come.
Gambit turned his head to look at them. He thought it was good that Shade was making an effort to communicate with his daughter. One, it told him she wasn't holding the situation against him, which was good; two, he thought that probably it was easier for her than for him. He had no experience with children, nor he really wanted any, but it didn't mean Connie had to suffer from his irritated state; and Shade was not only the one who used to have a younger sibling, but she was also a teacher - maybe that help. Of course, Xavier's students were not the kindergarden age, but still...
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Post by Shade on Oct 31, 2008 13:27:43 GMT -5
As Shade had expected, the girl responded to the offer. Kids were usually curious about anything interesting and unusual, so she focussed her attention on that fact, tossing Gambit a brief glance. "All right, uhm..." Her ability to perform ´magic´ was of course very limited, just as much as giving the girl the idea she was actually teaching her some of it. But she hoped it was better than nothing she guessed. She got to her feet again and, thinking for an appropriate tool, walked over to one of the cabinets to get a spoon. Then she sat back down.
"Remember the trick I just showed you?" she asked, holding the spoon in one hand. She was using simple patterns of what seemed familiar. Fooling around with her powers in front of kids felt somewhat familiar at least. Even though it had been years...
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Post by Gambit on Oct 31, 2008 13:37:45 GMT -5
"Uh-huh," Connie nodded, not taking her eyes off the spoon.
The doorbell rang, for the second time that evening, and Gambit said, "I'll get it," and left the two alone in the kitchen, walking to open the door. He closed the kitchen door behind him, deciding he wanted to have a word with Kate without being interrupted by Connie's appearance.
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Post by Shade on Oct 31, 2008 13:44:20 GMT -5
He closed the door just as Shade had expected and she kept the attention of the kid on her, since she guessed Gambit would want to talk to the kid´s mother for a moment.
"Okay." she said, still holding up the spoon. "I´ll show you how to make it disappear. It just works when we´re working together, so I´ll hold it but you´ve got to say the spell. So all you must do is say..." oh damn it Shade, just make up some nonsense "... ´one-two-three vanish! ´ And when you say vanish you tap your finger against the spoon."
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Post by Gambit on Oct 31, 2008 14:00:37 GMT -5
"One-two-three, vanish!" Connie exclaimed at once, both too intrigued not to rush and too curious to taste the magic words.
Gambit opened the door, and his mouth opened slightly in surprise. The last time he'd seen her, Kate was Kate - a shy, introverted, prone to panicking Bible Belt girl. He had caught bits of change from the phone conversation, but now he could see it for himself. She was dressed like a typical pseudo-goth out there, black latex corset, black dress with a skirt that was knee-long in the front and then gradually became very long in the back, long black gloves and leather boots on spike heels. Her makeup was appropriate, too.
As he stared at all of this, he first thought that she was probably just masquarading for Halloween. It was too bizarre to be taken for a real outfit, on Kate of all people.
"Well hello," she purred, "you don't mind if I come in, do you?" she stepped into the apartment past him.
Gambit turned after her. "What th' hell is this?" he asked, almost indignantly, the first thing that came to mind. There was also this possibility that it wasn't actually Kate at all.
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Post by Shade on Oct 31, 2008 14:09:04 GMT -5
The moment the girl touched the spoon, Shade worked her powers on it and it vanished. Of course it was still there, she was still holding it, but Connie couldn´t know. Which was also the reason why she had told her just to tap the spoon not keep touching it.
"And gone it is." Shade said. "and if you now say ´three-two-one-appear!´ it´ll be back!"
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Post by Gambit on Oct 31, 2008 14:16:30 GMT -5
"Threetwooneappear!" the girl exclaimed again, not taking her eyes off the spoon. She thought that the speed with which she pronounced the spell actually affected its power.
"Hey, it's just me," Kate spun around when she stopped in the middle of the corridor, opening her arms as if to demonstrate it was really her and nothing else. "Who else?"
Gambit closed the door behind him, deciding to keep alert. This wasn't okay. "So who are you an' what did ya do wit' Kate?" he asked, crossing his arms on his chest.
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Post by Shade on Oct 31, 2008 14:27:10 GMT -5
Of course Shade let the spoon reappear as soon as Connie had completed her ´spell´, and she actually managed a grin this time. "hey, you´re good." she said. "Looks like you got a lot of potential." She half listened towards the door but couldn´t make out any words. Looked like she would have to keep the girl busy for a little longer.
"You know what?" she said, leaning a little closer, partly to pretend she was letting the girl in on some secret, partly because like this she could shuffle a little closer with her chair so she was unsuspitiously touching Connie´s shoe with her toes. "Cause it´s Halloween I think you can even do far, far better magic. I mean.... if you´re not scared that is. Because some people who are really chicken would be a little scared. But nothing can happen cause you´re so good at it..."
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Post by Gambit on Oct 31, 2008 14:32:34 GMT -5
Connie was looking at Shade wide-eyed. She couldn't believe the amazing spell she'd just learned. "I want to do better magic!" she saidn with excitement, wiggling on her chair impatiently.
"I'm Kate," Kate replied to Gambit, shaking her head once. "What, have I changed that much? Come on, Remy- a bit of makeup and high heels and you don't recognize a girl?"
"Yeah, well-" Gambit said. "I'd rather believe ya if ya came wearing a space suit. What's up wit' ya livin' in New York AND in this building?"
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Post by Shade on Oct 31, 2008 14:40:15 GMT -5
Basically, it was the same thing over and over again, vanishing different kinds of things or persons, but Connie didn´t seem to mind and it was the only ´magic´ Shade could do. She shrugged inwardly.
"The best magic you can do," she said as if what she was saying was really important. "is to make yourself invisible. It works just as with the spoon but you have to think harder. You have to say the same words but you have to stay where you are, then it´s easy." Of course she would have to stay where she was, if she jumped up, the trick was blown at once. "Do you want to try?"
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Post by Gambit on Oct 31, 2008 14:49:54 GMT -5
"I don't know, well, this is difficult," Connie said, putting her hands down on the table like a proper school student would. "I have to touch and one-two-three myself?"
---
"We have moved here a few days ago," Kate explained, letting her eyes wander around the hallway. "I had no idea you lived here, honestly, it was just a coincidence."
Maybe it was, Gambit thought. "Why did ya move?" he asked. "Jackson was 'oh so big and scary' an' then ya end up in New York?" He studied her - the tone of voice, the gestures, none of it was Kate's. She was a very good copy but a very poor roleplayer, if that was the case. Still, his sixth sense told him she wasn't lying, somehow. She was, indeed, who she said she was.
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Post by Shade on Oct 31, 2008 14:54:35 GMT -5
"No." Shade said, shaking her head lightly, by now focussed enough on this conversation to not find it as weird as she had before that it was Gambit´s daughter she was talking to.
"You say one-two-three and when you say vanish you clap your hands, just once. If you believe you can do it, then it´ll work."
Great idea you´re getting yourself into there, Shade, she told herself. Being invisible could be really strange for people who were not prepared for the experience. There was no tingling sensation or any feeling connected to it, it was just that all of a sudden your body was gone even though you could still feel it. It could be scary. She decided to add something, just in case.
"I´ll help you okay? And I´ll make you appear again, so you don´t have to be scared."
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Post by Gambit on Oct 31, 2008 15:07:47 GMT -5
Connie was really nervous now. The woman said she had to believe in it to be able to do it, and by 'believing' Connie understood she had to close her eyes shut and concentrate. She did exactly that. "One-two-three?" she said, a bit hesitantly, and clapped her hands. She didn't want to vanish forever.
---
"Oh, well," Kate looked back at Gambit. "Circumstances changed," she eyed him attentively. "I met one guy-"
"Did ya, really?" Gambit raised a brow. "A charismatic persuasive type?"
"Yeah," Kate nodded. "Very persuasive."
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Post by Shade on Oct 31, 2008 15:13:27 GMT -5
The kid was insecure now, Shade could clearly tell that. She therefore decided to lie a bit. Connie was pressing her eyes shut so tight that she wouldn´t be able to tell the difference.
"Three-two-one-appear!" she said, clapping her hands at the last word. She didn´t vanish Connie, there was no need to do so as long as she was scared to look.
"Wow, you did it." she then said, her voice sounding perfectly enthusiastic. "I just made you reappear, that was so cool."
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Post by Gambit on Oct 31, 2008 15:26:08 GMT -5
Connie opened her eyes, a bit apprehensive, but it vanished quickly. "I did?" she asked. "Wow, yes, wow, can I do it again?" she almost clapped her hands in excitement but then remembered it was part of the magic spell now and one couldn't go around doing the magic clapping all the time.
---
"So what does he do?" Gambit asked. He was actually interested in finding out what a person that completely changed a shy girl from a religious community into this, could be doing for a living. "Impersonating Anton LaVey for a living?"
"Who?" Kate frowned a bit, putting her hands on her hips. "He's not impersonating anyone. He has a, um, a form of teaching, and many followers," she was trying to be vague about the subject, Gambit noticed. Ironic, considering her outfit wasn't.
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