jonberry

For this particular illusion, all five members of the After School Magic Club walked onto the stage in a line, one after each other. The Head was at the front of the procession, wearing white. Vella in second, wearing blue. Eden, green. Miranda, red and Tracy black. This wasn't unusual. What was, was what they were carrying. A large television screen was being carried by them, and as they reached the front and center of the stage, they held it out in front of them. "Welcome," the Head said from behind her mask. "Our first performance tonight is a fun little thing that was suggested to us, and we decided to give it a go." As one, the five performers lowered the screen down so that everyone could see them properly, then they lifted it back up. This time, however, the screen was on! Reaching from their shoulders to their shins, all five women were hidden behind the blank screen. "Allow me," Tracy said on her end, and she pressed a button on the side of the screen and it flicked to life.

"Two," the Head tossed down two cards and Tony dealt her two more. She looked at the cards and threw two tokes into the pot. "Hold," she said. Tony nodded at Tracy, his fiance smirking slightly. And not because she may or may not have had a good hand, but because he was there with her. "Raise," she said, throwing three tokens into the pot, and leaving her hand face down. "Someone's being confident," Eden coo'd as the turn passed to her. She looked at her hand. "One," she said, removing one card form her hand and then "Hold," tossing down three tokens. "Vella?" The woman looked deep in thought as she looked at her hand. "Fold," she announced, "I'll take my chances." "Damn, what's your hand?" Miranda asked as she tossed four into the pot. "Raise and Call." "Vella," Tony said. "You're out, want to go first?" Vella laid out her hand, "Pair of Sixes," she announced. "Miranda?" "Flush, Ace through Five," Miranda smirked as she laid out her hand to some appreciation at the table.

"Good evening everyone," the single and solitary figure of Miranda stood in center of the stage, her form-fitting tuxedo perfectly presented in the spotlight above her. She held her tophat in one hand, and crossed the other arm in front of her as she bowed. "Now that we have introduced this year's performance group, as well as all the little things that come with the show," she straightened up and grinned at the audience, "it turns out that because the Head took a year off, that makes ME the most senior member of the Club, and thus, I will be your MC for this evening's program." She strutted around in a circle on the stage, letting everyone see her from all angles. "Now, for those of you who don't know, the first show of the year tends to be a bit of a power-play by the master of the night," she indicated herself with a hand to her chest. "I get to choose the performances, as well as any of the followups," she added. "But, I am nothing if not a gracious host and while I am certain