Well, hello! And Welcome to My Little World of Weirdness!
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the official characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be! I *DO*, however, own Marcibay Hilligans and Hei-ying Reed!! I also own Mystrasa Kyree, and the dragon isn't mine, it's on loan from my good friend, the Blue Goo! And what the heck . . . I own the mansion as well! [Laughs] Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make! And I don't pretend to be able to write any sort of accents so please don't hate me! And all praise J.K. and Harry Potter. . . THANK YOU FOR THE TERM 'MUGGLES'!!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
In This Tainted Soul. . .
By Dr Megalomania.
Part Three: Tricksters and Illusions
[here's an apology to everyone who noticed the mistake! I gotta say I came down with a bit of the moron-ness, ya know the kind that affects you when you've got English coursework due the next day!! THIS is the right chapter. . . and I apologise again because it kinda takes the edge off the next one!! I'M SOOOOO SORRY!!!!]
The town was busy, as they pulled into the stables. Bartering here and there, children playing, women and men selling their goods here and there. Very interesting thought Clow as he moved in between the stalls. The crowd was thick as he weaved his way through, Hilligans was just in front of him, and the two came to the town's square when Hilligans spotted the trader he wanted. "Laddie, don't get thee int' mischief." Hilligans sent the warning over his shoulder, as he moved away. Clow laughed aloud and stepped out of the way of a rickety wagon, as it moved between them. "Yes, *father*!" he thought/called back. He grinned when the old man turned back and scowled at him. Clow turned and went to explore the town and it's varied and interesting inhabitants. He came across a huddle of people, "Gather around! Gather closer! See the enchantment! That's right, folks! The unexplained!" Called a loud voice from the middle. "Hear ye! Hear ye! See the incredible! Anticipate the unexpected!"
Somehow, Clow managed to get to the second row, at the edge. He was always intrigued by the Muggles' idea of magic. Today, there were two young men, one sat at a table, the other standing on a barrel. The one on the barrel was doing the yelling. "You'll be thrilled, you won't believe yer eyes, I tell yer!"
"Get on with it!" Bellowed some large man in the back. Clow frowned slightly; the build-up made the trick worthwhile! The young man on the barrel was unfazed though and jumped down. "My friend here will show some tricks unseen by mankind. He will make the cards act alive; make them do things they were never meant to do!"
The magic show was fairly good, and Clow enjoyed the way the Cardsman made them look like they were shuffling themselves. "Party tricks!" scoffed the large man again. He looked around the gather audience, and said, "I'd bet a child could pull off more amazing pranks with a cloth and a length of yarn!"
"Very well, very well indeed!" the yelling man cried, "That may be true, but could a child turn a card into a living thing?"
Murmurs spread, as the Cardsman stood, he lifted his hand to reveal a slightly elongated playing card trapped between his index and middle finger. He swivelled his hand to show the face of the card, the ace of spades. He smiled as, in an intensely quick motion of his hand, he held his arm away from his body. A pigeon had suddenly appeared and did one flying loop around the crowd before returning to perch on the Cardsman's index and middle finger. The crowd gasped and began to clap, Clow smiled broadly as he clapped as well, the trick was relatively uncomplicated, the Cardsman had simply thrust the card into his jacket and pulled out the bird in a motion quick than the audience could detect. However the effect was very well done, and Clow had to congratulate the two for their cunning.
"And now . . ." the Cardsman's accomplice yelled above the applause, "See him restore the card to the appearance once it was meant to exist in!"
Clow blinked, then a smile slowly formed on his lips, now this was something he would pay good money to see. It was one thing to hide the card and pull out the bird, but quite another to hide the bird, and pull out the card. The large man scoffed again, and loudly made some derogatory comments. While this distracted the audience, Clow manage to concentrate on the two younger men. He quickly realised that the large man was in on the act as well, as he was diverting the crowd; the two young men exchange the bird for a rather skilfully made stuffed one. Once that was done, the yelling accomplice yelled at the man, "Sir! You will have changed your tune once you see this!" This pulled the collected crowd's attention back to the show. Clow chuckled slightly, he hadn't suspected the large man, the gang were very crafty. The yelling man strutted around the small area between the crowd and the Cardsman, "It takes a lot of power to pull off this stunt, and I can't guarantee the card will want to go back . . . but hopefully our man will close it up properly." He nodded confidently, before quickly crouching by a little girl, "We hope . . ." he confided in the young child loudly.
After the crowd began to disperse away, the cards man had successfully closed the card, he'd draped a large red cloth over the stuffed bird and, with some quick slight of hand, grabbed the toy bird and thrown it away with the cloth revealing nothing in his hand but, surprise, surprise, the ace of spades. Clow approached to two young men, noting the large man slipping away into the crowd. He smiled, "Very well done."
"Thank yer guv'ner. . ." the accomplice bounced on his heels and grinned, "Yer could always show yer patronage through . . ." the man nudged a wooden basin with his foot.
Clow smiled and dipped his hand into his pocket, and dug out a few gold pieces. He dropped them into the wooden bowl; "I must say the bird trick was very good." The young man grinned, before Clow continued, "But you might want to make the large man yell a bit louder, he failed to distract me when you were switching the birds." He smiled gently at their shocked faces. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"Yer a right sharp one, guv'ner." The accomplice nodded, he smiled as he motioned Clow to sit down, "I'll bet you those coins that you won't spot another mistake."
The cards man shuffled the elongated cards quickly and began to deal, as Clow took their challenge.
The cards were old and faded, but were very study. They were larger than average playing card, and had a deep blue latticed back. They shuffled easily, and were still clearly marked. Clow held up the ace of spades, it was slightly dog-eared at the corners, no doubt from being repeated use in the bird act.
"Where'd thee buy those tatty old things?" Hilligans threw his new tools into the coach's back box. Clow looked up from his recently won prize. He smiled and laughed as he showed them to Hilligans.
"I won them, from two very crafty Muggle magicians."
Hilligans eyed the dark haired boy as he started to shuffle the cards again, "Laddie, thy art a very strong real magician . . . did thee cheat these men?"
"Mister Hilligans!" Clow looked at him, "I most certainly did not!" He stepped onto the coach and closed the door, leaning out the window he called, "Now are we going to get going or are you going to stand there all day, accusing me of fraud?"
Marcibay shook his head and rolled his eyes. It was nearing dusk as their coach entered the dark forest surrounding the Reed Mansion. Clow was very quiet and thoughtful as he nearer his home. The pranksters' show still intrigued him. Their card tricks may have been very easy for a real magician, but he didn't think any magician had ever used cards to contain magic. Orbs, books, wands, staffs, and rings maybe. He'd even heard of cloaks, daggers, pendants, bottles, goblets, but never cards. He lifted the ace of spades again, and held it like the Cardsman had. As he stared at it, the card began to change colour, it's image was faded to another. He looked up, the carriage he was in faded away. All his life, his Uncle had told him, taught him everyday that that existence held no accidents, that all was pre-ordained, and that sometimes the future would show it's true self to him through the means of illusions of the mind. Clow turned in the darkness; the cards he held in his hands were suddenly contained in a book. The book exploded and the cards floated around him. A glow illuminated the darkness, and when he looked at his feet, a golden circle drew itself around quickly. A wind swept up around him, blowing his long hair loose of its dark blue tie. Simultaneously he saw a boy in robes similar to his own swing a large gold—a white winged angel draw an pale hand back, a cold blue orb formi—a red haired priestess holding a crescent moon bell, swinging it to give Saku--a green robed boy and a red and white robed girl, side by side, exchange a determined look as they prepared to figh—a large butterfly winged panther, draw breathe before firing his deadly ruby bea—a black haired woman, her robes exactly like his, tap her black and gold staff on the—a violet haired girl turning a strange object upon the moon and glimpsing the sight of Saku--a kind looking man looking up at a grey haired, emerald eyed girl who had just fallen from—a dark haired boy and his smiling friend exchanging barbs about having a sister compl—a crimson pink haired girl with butterfly wings laughing as she chase her brothe--a black hair angel, scrambling frantically, as green magic dragged him back towards a—a large friendly looking lion, bring him leaf after yellow leaf, not understanding that autumn did—a massive cruel looking dragon roaring before the flames rush out of it's--A young girl, with a cute pink hat and clock that was tied by a large yellow bow, holding a card, he couldn't see her eyes, but he knew they were kind, she smiled confidently as she passed the card over her heart, and threw her arm out like the Cardsman had. She spoke words that Clow couldn't hear, but knew by the movement of her lips it was something similar to something that he had heard before. The card spun away from her, around her until it spun in front of her, she pulled back her arms into the air and---
"Laddie? Rouse thyself, we're 'ome." Hilligans rapped his old leather gloved fist against the glass as he passed to the back of the coach. Clow's eyes snapped open; he gasped as he jolted awake. He lifted his hand again, the card still held between his fingers. The vision already fading from his memory but was in someway clear. He couldn't remember what the card looked like exactly, but he knew it wasn't the faded blue playing card he held before him. He slipped the card once more into the pack, and knew he had found the containment for his spirits.
-------------------------------------------
And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
Clow: Just couldn't resist the urge to put some CCS phrases in there, could you?
DrM: Shh!! Maybe they didn't notice! [Grins] just wait until they get to the other chapters, I just downloaded the opening songs for the second and the third series . . . and they are so cute! And I've been listening to them a lot!
Clow: does this mean there are unbearably cute scenes coming up. . .?
DrM: [nods]
Clow: Ye Gods no! Please R&R!!
____________________________
Clow: [trying very hyard not to piss himself] I can't believe you did that!
DrM:[hiding HUGE blush!] neither can I! Stupid coursework!!! It made me so brainless!! I can't believe it!!
Clow: there there. . . I'm sure no one noticed!!
Yue and Keroberos: WE DID!!!
Blue goo: so did I!!
Clow: yes well. . . I wouldn't yell it too loudly considering DrM here is the author and she can write you out of existence!
DrM: yeah! think about it!
Blue goo: then who will point out her silly little mistakes? And agree with her when she calls herself an idiot?
DrM: I'll stop writing!
Blue goo: I'll be good!
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the official characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be! I *DO*, however, own Marcibay Hilligans and Hei-ying Reed!! I also own Mystrasa Kyree, and the dragon isn't mine, it's on loan from my good friend, the Blue Goo! And what the heck . . . I own the mansion as well! [Laughs] Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make! And I don't pretend to be able to write any sort of accents so please don't hate me! And all praise J.K. and Harry Potter. . . THANK YOU FOR THE TERM 'MUGGLES'!!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
In This Tainted Soul. . .
By Dr Megalomania.
Part Three: Tricksters and Illusions
[here's an apology to everyone who noticed the mistake! I gotta say I came down with a bit of the moron-ness, ya know the kind that affects you when you've got English coursework due the next day!! THIS is the right chapter. . . and I apologise again because it kinda takes the edge off the next one!! I'M SOOOOO SORRY!!!!]
The town was busy, as they pulled into the stables. Bartering here and there, children playing, women and men selling their goods here and there. Very interesting thought Clow as he moved in between the stalls. The crowd was thick as he weaved his way through, Hilligans was just in front of him, and the two came to the town's square when Hilligans spotted the trader he wanted. "Laddie, don't get thee int' mischief." Hilligans sent the warning over his shoulder, as he moved away. Clow laughed aloud and stepped out of the way of a rickety wagon, as it moved between them. "Yes, *father*!" he thought/called back. He grinned when the old man turned back and scowled at him. Clow turned and went to explore the town and it's varied and interesting inhabitants. He came across a huddle of people, "Gather around! Gather closer! See the enchantment! That's right, folks! The unexplained!" Called a loud voice from the middle. "Hear ye! Hear ye! See the incredible! Anticipate the unexpected!"
Somehow, Clow managed to get to the second row, at the edge. He was always intrigued by the Muggles' idea of magic. Today, there were two young men, one sat at a table, the other standing on a barrel. The one on the barrel was doing the yelling. "You'll be thrilled, you won't believe yer eyes, I tell yer!"
"Get on with it!" Bellowed some large man in the back. Clow frowned slightly; the build-up made the trick worthwhile! The young man on the barrel was unfazed though and jumped down. "My friend here will show some tricks unseen by mankind. He will make the cards act alive; make them do things they were never meant to do!"
The magic show was fairly good, and Clow enjoyed the way the Cardsman made them look like they were shuffling themselves. "Party tricks!" scoffed the large man again. He looked around the gather audience, and said, "I'd bet a child could pull off more amazing pranks with a cloth and a length of yarn!"
"Very well, very well indeed!" the yelling man cried, "That may be true, but could a child turn a card into a living thing?"
Murmurs spread, as the Cardsman stood, he lifted his hand to reveal a slightly elongated playing card trapped between his index and middle finger. He swivelled his hand to show the face of the card, the ace of spades. He smiled as, in an intensely quick motion of his hand, he held his arm away from his body. A pigeon had suddenly appeared and did one flying loop around the crowd before returning to perch on the Cardsman's index and middle finger. The crowd gasped and began to clap, Clow smiled broadly as he clapped as well, the trick was relatively uncomplicated, the Cardsman had simply thrust the card into his jacket and pulled out the bird in a motion quick than the audience could detect. However the effect was very well done, and Clow had to congratulate the two for their cunning.
"And now . . ." the Cardsman's accomplice yelled above the applause, "See him restore the card to the appearance once it was meant to exist in!"
Clow blinked, then a smile slowly formed on his lips, now this was something he would pay good money to see. It was one thing to hide the card and pull out the bird, but quite another to hide the bird, and pull out the card. The large man scoffed again, and loudly made some derogatory comments. While this distracted the audience, Clow manage to concentrate on the two younger men. He quickly realised that the large man was in on the act as well, as he was diverting the crowd; the two young men exchange the bird for a rather skilfully made stuffed one. Once that was done, the yelling accomplice yelled at the man, "Sir! You will have changed your tune once you see this!" This pulled the collected crowd's attention back to the show. Clow chuckled slightly, he hadn't suspected the large man, the gang were very crafty. The yelling man strutted around the small area between the crowd and the Cardsman, "It takes a lot of power to pull off this stunt, and I can't guarantee the card will want to go back . . . but hopefully our man will close it up properly." He nodded confidently, before quickly crouching by a little girl, "We hope . . ." he confided in the young child loudly.
After the crowd began to disperse away, the cards man had successfully closed the card, he'd draped a large red cloth over the stuffed bird and, with some quick slight of hand, grabbed the toy bird and thrown it away with the cloth revealing nothing in his hand but, surprise, surprise, the ace of spades. Clow approached to two young men, noting the large man slipping away into the crowd. He smiled, "Very well done."
"Thank yer guv'ner. . ." the accomplice bounced on his heels and grinned, "Yer could always show yer patronage through . . ." the man nudged a wooden basin with his foot.
Clow smiled and dipped his hand into his pocket, and dug out a few gold pieces. He dropped them into the wooden bowl; "I must say the bird trick was very good." The young man grinned, before Clow continued, "But you might want to make the large man yell a bit louder, he failed to distract me when you were switching the birds." He smiled gently at their shocked faces. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"Yer a right sharp one, guv'ner." The accomplice nodded, he smiled as he motioned Clow to sit down, "I'll bet you those coins that you won't spot another mistake."
The cards man shuffled the elongated cards quickly and began to deal, as Clow took their challenge.
The cards were old and faded, but were very study. They were larger than average playing card, and had a deep blue latticed back. They shuffled easily, and were still clearly marked. Clow held up the ace of spades, it was slightly dog-eared at the corners, no doubt from being repeated use in the bird act.
"Where'd thee buy those tatty old things?" Hilligans threw his new tools into the coach's back box. Clow looked up from his recently won prize. He smiled and laughed as he showed them to Hilligans.
"I won them, from two very crafty Muggle magicians."
Hilligans eyed the dark haired boy as he started to shuffle the cards again, "Laddie, thy art a very strong real magician . . . did thee cheat these men?"
"Mister Hilligans!" Clow looked at him, "I most certainly did not!" He stepped onto the coach and closed the door, leaning out the window he called, "Now are we going to get going or are you going to stand there all day, accusing me of fraud?"
Marcibay shook his head and rolled his eyes. It was nearing dusk as their coach entered the dark forest surrounding the Reed Mansion. Clow was very quiet and thoughtful as he nearer his home. The pranksters' show still intrigued him. Their card tricks may have been very easy for a real magician, but he didn't think any magician had ever used cards to contain magic. Orbs, books, wands, staffs, and rings maybe. He'd even heard of cloaks, daggers, pendants, bottles, goblets, but never cards. He lifted the ace of spades again, and held it like the Cardsman had. As he stared at it, the card began to change colour, it's image was faded to another. He looked up, the carriage he was in faded away. All his life, his Uncle had told him, taught him everyday that that existence held no accidents, that all was pre-ordained, and that sometimes the future would show it's true self to him through the means of illusions of the mind. Clow turned in the darkness; the cards he held in his hands were suddenly contained in a book. The book exploded and the cards floated around him. A glow illuminated the darkness, and when he looked at his feet, a golden circle drew itself around quickly. A wind swept up around him, blowing his long hair loose of its dark blue tie. Simultaneously he saw a boy in robes similar to his own swing a large gold—a white winged angel draw an pale hand back, a cold blue orb formi—a red haired priestess holding a crescent moon bell, swinging it to give Saku--a green robed boy and a red and white robed girl, side by side, exchange a determined look as they prepared to figh—a large butterfly winged panther, draw breathe before firing his deadly ruby bea—a black haired woman, her robes exactly like his, tap her black and gold staff on the—a violet haired girl turning a strange object upon the moon and glimpsing the sight of Saku--a kind looking man looking up at a grey haired, emerald eyed girl who had just fallen from—a dark haired boy and his smiling friend exchanging barbs about having a sister compl—a crimson pink haired girl with butterfly wings laughing as she chase her brothe--a black hair angel, scrambling frantically, as green magic dragged him back towards a—a large friendly looking lion, bring him leaf after yellow leaf, not understanding that autumn did—a massive cruel looking dragon roaring before the flames rush out of it's--A young girl, with a cute pink hat and clock that was tied by a large yellow bow, holding a card, he couldn't see her eyes, but he knew they were kind, she smiled confidently as she passed the card over her heart, and threw her arm out like the Cardsman had. She spoke words that Clow couldn't hear, but knew by the movement of her lips it was something similar to something that he had heard before. The card spun away from her, around her until it spun in front of her, she pulled back her arms into the air and---
"Laddie? Rouse thyself, we're 'ome." Hilligans rapped his old leather gloved fist against the glass as he passed to the back of the coach. Clow's eyes snapped open; he gasped as he jolted awake. He lifted his hand again, the card still held between his fingers. The vision already fading from his memory but was in someway clear. He couldn't remember what the card looked like exactly, but he knew it wasn't the faded blue playing card he held before him. He slipped the card once more into the pack, and knew he had found the containment for his spirits.
-------------------------------------------
And now it's time for LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
Clow: Just couldn't resist the urge to put some CCS phrases in there, could you?
DrM: Shh!! Maybe they didn't notice! [Grins] just wait until they get to the other chapters, I just downloaded the opening songs for the second and the third series . . . and they are so cute! And I've been listening to them a lot!
Clow: does this mean there are unbearably cute scenes coming up. . .?
DrM: [nods]
Clow: Ye Gods no! Please R&R!!
____________________________
Clow: [trying very hyard not to piss himself] I can't believe you did that!
DrM:[hiding HUGE blush!] neither can I! Stupid coursework!!! It made me so brainless!! I can't believe it!!
Clow: there there. . . I'm sure no one noticed!!
Yue and Keroberos: WE DID!!!
Blue goo: so did I!!
Clow: yes well. . . I wouldn't yell it too loudly considering DrM here is the author and she can write you out of existence!
DrM: yeah! think about it!
Blue goo: then who will point out her silly little mistakes? And agree with her when she calls herself an idiot?
DrM: I'll stop writing!
Blue goo: I'll be good!