June 24th, 2024

When Mion suggested the idea of magic tricks, everyone was on board.

When she specified learning magic tricks and not just watching her do them, because she'd seen this cool program on the hotel TV when Batcha had sent her with a few of the Kimiyoshi family on a business trip and she wanted to try, reactions immediately split.

"Nope," Keiichi said immediately, shaking his head. "Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh. No way are we-"

He pointed to Satoko.

"-giving that gremlin access to prestidigitation. Think of what she could do!"

"Presti-what?" Satoko said, her foxlike smirk momentarily stymied by bafflement.

"Sleight of hand," Shion clarified, and then pretended to stroke a nonexistent beard. "But you know, I'm kinda liking that idea."

"You just like it because she doesn't come after you!"

"Nobody's exempt from club strategies, Kei-chan. You're just the only one klutzy enough to keep tripping headfirst into them."

"Hey!"

"Will there be bunnies?" Rena asked, her eyes aglow, ignoring Shion and Keiichi behind her as they started to tussle.

"I ordered a magic set from the mail catalogue, but I dunno if we should work with live stuff yet," Mion admitted, lifting up her bento just before a flailing arm swiped under it. "There's plenty of critters around if we wanna try –I'm pretty sure one of my aunts has a rabbit hutch, too."

"And none of us have a top hat, mew," Rika said cheerfully.

"Ah, that's easy to get." Mion waved one hand. "You remember my uncle in Okinomiya, the one with the game store? He's got a load of old costumes and things in his basement."

"So how come you didn't buy a magic set from him?" Satoko asked, eyes on the whirling cloud of dust that had overtaken the two desks as the occasional yelp or shout echoed out of it.

"Didn't have the right kind of set," Mion said. "I wanted something comprehensive, y'know? Ropes and rings and a deck and an instruction pamphlet with pictures and all that. The pamphlet part was the trickiest, since most are in English."

"It'll be odd having a set of new cards," Hanyuu mused.

"We'll just use 'em for magic, don't worry," Mion replied, although her grin went a trifle sharp-edged for a moment. "We wouldn't want to mess things up, would we, Kei-chan?"

"What?" he said as the scuffle suddenly paused, Shion's arm wrapped around his neck in a headlock and his hand frozen in the act of pulling on a chunk of her hair.

"We're getting a new deck with the magic set and Mi-chan promised not to mix the two together," Rena repeated happily. He snorted.

"Yeah, because she doesn't want me to trick her again –urk!"

He gurgled as Shion flexed her elbow, cutting off his air supply. Keiichi yanked on her hair, but it was long enough that she could merely dip her head with the movement and go with him to the edge of his range.

"Should we make it a competition to see who masters all the tricks the fastest?" Satoko suggested, an evil gleam back in her eye as she began to grin.

"Mm." Mion hummed noncommittally. "I dunno… that doesn't sound very inspired. Maybe whoever can do the coolest performance with the tricks? Extra points for however many you include?"

"We could do a magic show!" Shion gushed, eyes sparkling at the idea as Keiichi, purple-faced and foaming at the mouth, tapped rapidly at her arm with both hands.

"Shi, I think you need to let go," Rika noted, and with a blink –as if forgetting she had him stashed there– Shion looked down, and then opened her arm.

Keiichi smacked down to the floor and wheezed on all fours, his breath rattling throughout the room as he drew in deep gulping lungfuls of breath.

"I'm… the Magician of the Mouth!" he said weakly after a few moments, setting a hand on his knee and pushing himself to his feet. He swayed a little, but stuck a finger in the air, declaiming proudly. "I came from Tokyo! I know about physics! There's no way you guys'll be able to beat me!"

"Them's sleighting words," Mion replied as her eyes lit with the spark of challenge, rubbing her hands with a grin. "Sleight of hand, that is. Eh?"

"Mion Sonozaki, disqualified for use of lame puns," Shion pretended to note down in an invisible book, even going so far as to mime the act of scribbling with her retrieved chopstick before her sister smacked her hands.

"Bring it on!" Satoko scoffed, tossing her head and folding her arms. "With my trap expertise, I'll master those tricks in a snap."

"While Satoko does traps and tricks, I'll do my best with the treats," Rika said sweetly.

"Learning magic tricks does sound fun…" Hanyuu admitted.

"For the bunny rabbits and fluffy pigeons!" Rena cried, raising her hand as though calling an army forth to battle. Shion snorted and lifted an arm to join her.

"For prestidigitation!" she added, grinning at Keiichi.

"Alright!" Mion laughed, and punched the air as Rika, Satoko, and Hanyuu belatedly –and in Keiichi's case, reluctantly- followed. "For traps, for treats, for fluffy bunnies, and for learning all the amazing tricks that will astonish and delight our eyes! The Hinamizawa Club's Magic Academy is now open for showbusiness!"

11.21 AM, USA Central Time