There was something of a question about how long it would take for Shun to put on another of her performances after being elected to Lulim's student council. It was a position that came with a lot of responsibility. And a lot of things on one's plate. But, Shun always found time to perform. Not to mention an excuse. And arriving at St. Spica's cafe, Shun brought along a couple of girls from the host club. It was a good will gesture to their neighboring campus. A nice hello to the other girls of St. Spica.

It wasn't the first time she had performed on this campus and Shun loved to perform for audiences that weren't familiar. As she set up her table, she thought that journeying over to Miator would also be fun. She was the President, after all, so she certainly shouldn't exclude the venerable old school. Besides, Lulim always had it's share of shows that they put on for everyone and Shun had promised that she would do her best to provide better creative environment. Doing shows like this would draw more attention to what Lulim is doing and she could lead by example.

Her uniform was clean and crisp and accompanied by a short black cape and matching top hat. Flanked by two girls dressed as maids, Shun had her impromptu stage set up. It was little more than just a section cleared away for Shun to walk around. Her two lovely assistants both carried trays with three different decks of cards on top of each one. Each deck had a blue, pink and green color to the back, with the logo to each of the three schools on the back.

"Greetings, lovely ladies!" she announced, once she felt she was ready. "I thank you for indulging me on this fine day! As the newly elected president of St. Le Rim, it is my privilege and honour to perform for you. My lovely assistants accompany me, courtesy of St. Le Rim's Hostess Club and they are certainly such dears for taking time out of their day to help me, today. Please give them a nice round of applause..."

She gestured to a dark haired girl to her right, "Mariko..." and then to her left, "And Kim. Now for, my performance, I would like to exhibit a few card tricks. On their trays, you will find a total of 6 decks of cards. Now...if I could just have a volunteer from the audience, we may begin!"

Yumiko hadn't meant to go in to cafe. Her plan had been to go back to the dorms and get out of her uniform. A skirt really wasn't her style. It was tight and a little on the short side. The worst being the white of it. I picked up every speck of mud, making it easy to tell when Yumiko had secretly been climbing Astrea's trees. Today she had done white a good job at keeping it clean. There was only a couple of scrapes on it, and she looked almost presentable. Her hair was another matter. Short did not make it any more manageable. However you pushed it back it always fell back over her eyes. She was walking with the intention of blowing her hair out the way and as such not particularly looking where she was going. She had veered towards the cafe, but had no intention of entering.

That was when a first year ran past calling to her friend about a magic show.

For a minute Yumiko looked up expecting to see pagans. It was a silly thought, and it was quickly proven incorrect as she found herself walking in to the cafe. No pagans, just three girls on a little stage. The center one looked familiar. She wore a Cape and top hat along with the Le Rim uniform. Stage magic, Yumiko realized. Acting really, and quick hands. Nothing to be amazed at, and yet the small crowd was looking on in amazement and the show had not even started yet.

Perhaps she should have left then, but instead she was mildly curious at what light fingered tricks the brunette would create. She was all prepared to be unimpressed, lingering at the back, with her hair over her eyes, hiding the curiosity she felt. The crowd was jostling as people found her place, and being young Yumiko started getting pushed to the front. She winced at every touch and tried to get in to a gap. As she was dodging the crowd, she diddn't hear a request for a volunteer. A few raised their hands, and one Spican girl mistook Yumiko for a friend and grasped the pagan's wrist, thrusting it up in the air. Yumiko felt a bit of panic, she didn't know why her hand was in the air, or who had put it there. She looked about a little wide-eyed and hoped this was some misunderstanding.

Gently clasping her hands behind her back, Shun surveyed the crowd. There were a number of eager first year students who were willing to join her on what she supposed would pass for a stage. As a performing area, it would suffice. Her two assistants also made a show of looking though the audience, really hamming it up, as they placed a hand over their eyes and searched through the crowd.

Shun saw one arm shoot up and couldn't help but smirk just a little bit to herself. This hand seemed a little less than voluntary. Although she wasn't sure exactly why, there was something in the girl's eye that told her this could be a fun one. Which made the decision making process considerably easier. She gestured towards the girl, who appeared to be a bit on the tall side.

"Ah yes, you there!" Shun called out as she beckoned her to approach, "Do come up! Let's have a nice applause for our first volunteer!"

Shun's smirk shifted into a friendlier looking smile. Not that there was every any menace to any of her expressions. Shun's expressions could be described as mysterious, at worse. After all, she was a magician! She had to portray some sense of mystery. Her two assistants followed Shun's lead and journeyed into the crowd to fetch the girl she had pointed out.

"Come with us!" the one she identified as "Mariko" said with a happy smile.

"Yes," her counterpart said, "Sando-sama would love to have you on the stage!"

Rather suddenly the two assistants were dragging Yumiko, bewildered, up to stage. "I-I diddn't-I'm not- ano..." She stuttered quietly but her words were drowned in applause. Then in a flash she was face to face with Le Rim's Student council president and apparent magician. She dipped her head, letting black hair cover her eyes and stood rather awkwardly, giving a quick bow to Sando-sama. Yumiko pulled her sleeves over her hands, doing her best not to look over to the audience. Sando-sama seemed friendly enough, but with a strange mischievous look to her. "I am Mori, Yumiko," She murmured so only the Council president could hear her. She really didn't want to be here with this fake magic. Maybe it would have been entertaining to watch, but she certainly didn't want to be part of it.

Shun Sando certainly had a flair for the dramatic, the opposite of Yumiko. The President would surely be disappointing to have chose such a mundane volunteer. Although with all the eyes on her, she felt more like prey. Had she been in a bad mood, Yumiko might have flung out a curse, as it was she had been quite content beforehand. Really she shouldn't practice the Art of curse making anyway, but sometimes she couldn't help it if a Nun was being particularly unreasonable.

However this was no nun, This was simply a girl with a love of showmaking. So Yumiko stood dutifully waiting to see what trick was about to be played on her and the unsuspecting audience in the cafe.

"Mori-san, it is certainly a pleasure!" she took a step back and removed her hat as she gave a deep bow of her own. Per usual, it was sweeping bow that seemed exaggerated, even if there was sincerity in her motion. After all, she did enjoy a performance. The girl was nervous and certainly didn't have the appearance of an eager participant. But, Shun was confident that she could turn things around.

"Now, you will find that my two lovely assistants each have three separate decks of cards. You will note that they are all brand new and sealed!" she said, "If you would be so kind, select a deck of cards. Any deck at all. Open that deck and do share with our fine audience that they are in new deck order! Just fan the cards out as best you can and show these lovely girls what they look like."

She smiled as the two girls from the Hostess Club flanked Yumiko and presented their trays of cards before the girl. Each of the school decks were still wrapped in cellophane and had a seal sticker closing the top of the packaging. Shun allowed Yumiko to make her decision and follow her instructions. As Shun waited, she clasped her hands behind her back, standing patiently.

One exaggerated bow later and Yumiko was given instructions by the purple haired magician. Now flanked by two rather enthusiastic le Rim girls, Yumiko felt a bit under threat. It was all rather pointed at her and she didn't do well with attention. She still stood there rather awkwardly looking at the two trays.

Three packs. All looked the same, still in packaging. What exactly was the trick going to be? Yumiko gingerly took a pack and opened it up, slicing the cellophane with her nail. She took out it's contents and did her best to show the radiance the cards. Two dropped out of her unsteady hands and she quickly caught in mid-air, hunters skills always at the ready. Putting then back in the correct place she tried to show them again more successfully. This time they fanned out and all was revealed to the audience.

After she held them more securely in her hands and stepped back to Sando-sama for whatever would come next. something smart involving the order no doubt, or refection or some kind of blatant psychology. Unlike Sando-sama's rather dramatic waiting position, Yumiko just bowed her head down and waited looking rather like she was about to be told off rather than amazed.

"Ah, the Spica deck! Very fine choice." Shun said, once Yumiko had made her decision. Dutifully, her "volunteer" did as she instructed and opened up the package of cards. She made quick work of the wrapping and the sticker that had held it shut. After a slight fumble, she displayed the cards to their audience. And with a rather fine recovery, at that!

'My, she has rather quick hands.' Shun thought to herself. She gave a simple smile and presented her with a pen.

"Wonderful! Now, all I ask is that you select a card. Any of your choosing, and simply sign your name." she said, "Once you have done that, all you have to do is shuffle the deck."

The prep work was just about done. After a bit of showing off, in which her volunteer did most of the displaying, Shun was soon ready to execute the trick. These kinds of tricks were always good, as it could give an audience the sense that a magician was leaving everything up to a volunteer.

Yumiko nodded smartly and took the pen and turned around to take a card. The six of diamonds seemed like a good choice. She inscribed her name on it in tiny elegant hand, that had many loops and joinings. Her old tutor had joked that he needed a magnifying glass to read it. After putting it daintily above the diamonds she put it back and shuffled it. Strangely enough, Yumiko was rather quick of hand at shuffling. Her father had taight her how to shuffle by raising one arm and letting the deck rather splendidly fall from a height of around ten centimeters to the hand below. Yumiko had never really thought of it as fancy, more a efficient. However this was how she shuffled the deck, with speed and in no time at all she turned back to Sando-san and was standing awkwardly again.

While Yumiko was busy selecting her card, Shun made a show of turning her back on the girl as she did so. Illustrating the fact that she was not trying to sneak a peek at whatever it was her volunteer had been up to. She clasped her hands behind her back as she waited and soon Yumiko had a freshly shuffled deck to return to the magician. Holding a slight smirk on her face, she accepted the cards and held them up for the audience to see.

"Thank you, my dear." she said, "As you all can see, this is a freshly shuffled, freshly opened deck. Our lovely Mori-san has been so kind to cooperate with us, so far."

The crowd applauded and Shun beckoned her assistants to return to her side. Once everything was set up, Shun took the deck and placed it back inside it's original carton. Taking her pen back, Shun autographed the front cover of the deck in a large, fancy font.

"And here, you have the deck, in it's package, which I have just signed, myself!" she said and picked up the matching Spica deck from her second assistant, "Now...Mori-san, if you were to guess, would you say that the card you chose was in this package? Or this one?"

She held up both the opened deck and the unopened deck to display both to Yumiko and to the crowd that had gathered. She smiled as she waited for a response and then handed the wrapped deck to the tall girl.

"Well, you can open this deck up and find for yourself! You will still find it in original deck order." she instructed in a pleasant tone.

Well it was rather obvious. The card would obviously be in the other unopened deck. It was rather irritating that she didn't know how that would work. It was mind boggling, how would you get it in to a sealed deck. Or maybe she was wrong and it wasn't in there. Now she was doubting herself and that was why she hated show magic. She didn't do well with not knowing how.

The deck was taken from her and signed in a rather fanciful font, then held it up infrot of her. Shun Sando really was a performer. The girl seemed to be in her element and was having a great time of showing off the skills she had. The girls confidence showed that everything was going to plan. Yumiko had obviously fallen for some trick and it made her rather uncomfortable. Nether the less she continued on being the victim.

"I guess it's in the sealed pack but I'll open it up anyway," She murmerd so only Sando-san could hear.
Yumiko Opened the deck neatly and spread it out in front of her to inspect the cards.

Tricks like these were always the most fun. Not only was it a trick that could boggle the mind, but the showmanship could also get quick the reaction. Even if she was telling the audience what to expect. But, she knew she had a real winner on her hands. Forcing the card into the sealed deck? No one was going to figure that one out, anytime soon.

As Yumiko fanned out the cards, the Six of Diamonds stood out as having something written on it. The card was, indeed the one she had chosen. Just as Shun knew it would be. "And I believe you would be right, my dear Mori-san. This would be your lovely signature on the Six of Diamonds!" she plucked the card free and held it up, above her head. As she did, Shun gave a warm and genuinely friendly smile to the girl.

Her expression was hard to read. It could have easily been stage fright. Whatever the case, she wanted to try and put the girl at ease. After all, magic was supposed to be fun!

She couldn't really say that she was surprised. She had guessed the outcome. She gave a sort of grimace and shrugged her shoulders a bit and managed to squeak out a quiet "Well done," Which was a bit of an absurd statement for the situation. It wasn't that Yumiko wasn't impressed, she just didn't do well with showing emotions on her face, and she had a bit of a dislike for showman magic. After all it seemed like it was showing people that magick didn't exist when it did. She took it as a bit of an insult.

Of course Sando-san was not trying to insult so Yumiko managed another sort of smile and said somewhat under her breath "This is nothing compared to real magick..." As sh shuffled the cards together again and put them on the table. "Arigato," She said with a bow itching to get down. Although perhaps she was now the Volunteer for the whole show? Damn that girl that raised her hand up unwillingly.

With another kind of shrug and small smile she waiting to see what she was going to be made to do next.

All in all, it wasn't a bad execution of her trick. The crowd had certainly seemed to be thoroughly perplexed by how she managed to do it. Even when she described exactly what was about to happen. Even if her "volunteer" seemed to be suffering from a bit of stage fright. Hopefully she had managed to make the girl feel a little more at ease on stage. Her two assistants had set their trays aside and applauded with the rest of the audience, before Shun gave a quick bow of her own.

"Ah, thank you, my dear. You may return to your seat." she turned back to the crowd and spoke, "Now...if I may have another volunteer?"

A sea of hands raised to greet her request. Still, there was one comment that Yumiko had made, in passing, that captured her attention.

"This is nothing compared to real magick..."

Something that one in her "profession" might find offensive. But, for Shun, it only aroused her curiosity. Did this girl have experience with real magic? Had she encounters with the paranormal, or some otherworldly entity? Oh, the possibilities were countless. She had to remember that name. Yumiko Mori.

---

Her show proceeded without incident. The other girls performed admirably. Each following her instructions and displaying just as much amazement as the audience. After her show ended, she bade farewell to the girls of St. Spica, and her two assistants also waved their goodbyes. Outside, however, she sought out the girl she had first brought on to the stage. Hoping to have a conversation in private, she spotted her and made her approach.

"Mori-san." she greeted, with a smile on her face, "I was hoping that I could speak with you. If you have a moment to spare."

The rest of the show thankfully did not include her and she made a dash back to the recesses of the crowd. The performance continued with rather more flow Yumiko was off the stage, and she was even beginning to enjoy it by the end, clapping with the others in a half hearted way. The crowd were certainly impressed, making noises of astonishment and wonder whenever an trick was completed. Eventually the show came to an end and after much bowing and clapping it was finally time to escape. She was all ready to make a quick dash but tarried too long and got caught in the crowd as they dispersed. Once she was finally out of the cafe she threw her fringe over her face and started to move, only to be caught by the ever smiling magician. Yumiko gave a quick bow and nodded, bowing her head.

What could the president want with her? Was she about to be told off for being such a lousy volunteer? she should have played along more. Or perhaps she heard her off-hand comment and took offence. It was probably something a little stupid to have said to someone who thought that illusion was magic. Mentioning magick was a stupid thing to do anyway. Yumiko scolded herself in her head. She should really be keeping her religion more under-wraps whilst in such a school. Now she would have to apologise and be sent of in embarrassment! Although the girl had smiled. Did that mean Yumiko's fears were irrational? Or that Shun Sando was someone who just found life rather enthralling. Her worries subsisded a little, she dared a glance at Sando-san and raised eyebrows in question.

There was a silent agreement to offering up some of her own time to talk. Shun appreciated the fact that she was intruding on her private time. A friendly smile returned that glance back up at the LeRim President. Yumiko was such a curious person, that she couldn't help but want to learn more about what made this girl tick. And now was a perfect opportunity to see.

"Splendid!" she replied to the wordless response, "I promise won't take much more of your time. Unless you would be kind enough to honor me with your continued attention. Ah, but I digress. Mori-san, while we were on stage, I could not help but overhear a very interesting remark you made."

Shun spoke in her typical tone. Formal and with a taste for the dramatic. Yet, there was nothing accusatory about how she was speaking. The only other clue to her motivation was a sincere excitement, behind all of her showmanship.

"You made mention of real magic." the magician continued, "I hope I do not offend you, but as a person who finds this topic to be most fascinating, I simply must learn more. Have you had experience in this field?"

While one of her pink eyes was obscured by her dark hair, the other shone with genuine curiosity. Her attention was focused on Yumiko, in the hopes of getting to know this girl a little better and find out if there was something else that she could learn from this interaction.