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“Again, again!”
Ford blinked as he heard happy shouting from the living room, loud cheering and echoing applause as he wandered down the stairs. It felt like an age since he’d heard that much glee in Mabel’s voice, and so much wonder in Dipper’s.
“How are you doing that?”
“I told you! I’m magic! Did you never realise that?”
“You’re not magic, Grunkle Stan. We’ve both seen real magic.”
“Oh yeah? You mean Ford’s book of supernatural creatures? That’s not the only magic, you know. There’s also magic that can be… taught!”
“Where did you pull that from? You’re not even wearing sleeves today! Where could you be hiding these things?!” Dipper’s voice hit a pitch Ford hadn’t even been aware it could hit.
“Misdirection and sleight of hand, kid, that’s all.”
“Well, don’t spoil it, keep going. What other tricks do you have?”
Ford shook his head, curiosity getting the better of him as he wandered into the room and leant against the doorway.
“Oh ho ho, looks like my audience has grown! What’s this, another person coming to watch the show?”
Ford grinned. “I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
Stan beamed, sitting up straighter, pushing the two kids who were clambering on and around him to one side. “Well it looks like we have a new participant, doesn’t it ladies and gentlemen? Come on, volunteer, let’s see if you can figure it out then.”
“Oh, I don’t want to spoil it for the kids.”
Stan raised an eyebrow to him, flourishing the set of cards at him and then towards the seat across from where he himself was sat. “As if you’ll figure it out, Sixer. You may be smart, but that doesn’t mean you know everything.”
“I never said I did.” Ford’s grin grew wider as Stan huffed. “Doesn’t mean I can’t see through you easily.”
“Hmm? You telling me my lies aren’t good enough for ya?”
“You’re my twin.” Ford rolled his eyes. “Of course I know when you’re lying.”
“Well it’s going to be fun proving you wrong!” Stan prodded him in the chest, eyes sparkling. “So? Are you going to pick a card or what?”
Ford hummed, taking the one from the bottom instead of the top, trying to be extra difficult for his brother if that’s how he wanted to play it. Stan huffed at him for his antics, so he gave him a victorious open mouthed smile, baring his teeth slightly, sure he had changed up the rules to his trick.
A small twitch went through him at the realisation as Stan got the rest of the cards ready.
Why couldn’t he have just played along properly?
Surely he could have just the once, to keep the little game alive, just for Stan.
No turning back now though.
Stan gave a nod towards him, tsk’ing at his attempts before shaking his head. “Me thinks the man is trying to be difficult, what do you two think?” He turned to their audience who exchanged glances before nodding solemnly.
“Yeah, Grunkle Ford. You’re meant to do a more difficult round later and just see what happens the first time. I thought you knew magic?”
“Actual magic! Not parlour-” Ford coughed, eyes finding Stan’s raised eyebrows, almost like he daring him to continue that sentence. “I mean, not card magic. I was never good at cards.”
“Nah, dungeons and whatever was more your cup of tea.”
Ford sat up straighter as Stan spoke, shuddering at the thought of the game Ford had once tried to make him play with him.
They hadn’t spoken about that game since before Weirdmaggedon.
Perhaps it was childish of him, but the happiness that blossomed at Stan remembering his childhood game was almost tangible, even if the name escaped him or he couldn’t be bothered to complete it.
“Anyway, just because you don’t believe in me, doesn’t mean this trick still won’t work!”
The happy bubble popped, his smile dropping with it.
For some reason that sentence sounded like something Stan would have said before Weirdmaggedon to him with a lot more ire and indignation.
You don’t believe in me.
Let me do this.
Just trust me this once.
“You even listening?”
There was another prod to Ford’s shoulder, snapping him out of the thoughts. “Yes! Sorry, please continue.”
Stan rolled his eyes, throwing his arm out to the side. “Well then, show them your card so they know you’re being truthful when we see it later on.”
Ford proceeded to show the kids before slipping it back in the deck when Stan let him. Stan made a show of shuffling them, mixing them up over and over again before asking Dipper to blow on the cards for him.
“What was that for?”
“Well, it’s all part of it. Dipper’s got the magic too.”
“And me!”
“And Mabel.”
Stan put the cards down on the table between them, closing his eyes and raising his hand above the set. He frowned once, muttering something under his breath before snapping his fingers and opening his eyes. He slipped the top card off the deck, face up for them to see.
They could all see it wasn’t the right card.
Ford wasn’t sure whether he should say anything.
“No…that’s not it.” Stan sighed, shaking his head. He snapped his fingers again above the card.
Ford blinked, mouth opening in shock as the card in Stan’s hand changed to another.
“No, that’s not the right card either.”
Ford froze, heart dropping to his stomach as eyes were suddenly scrutinising him, narrowed and annoyed.
“You cheated.”
“Wait, what? No I haven’t!”
“You have! You didn’t put the card in the deck!”
Ford frowned, arms raising placatingly. “Now Stan-” He bit his lip. How did he go about this gently? Obviously Stan didn’t remember the tricks as well as he thought he did. He decided the best approach was to go about this logically. “I promise Stan, I’ve done nothing of the sort. Why don’t we look through the deck-”
“Why don’t you look in your pocket first?”
Ford’s mouth shut at Stan’s words. There was a hint of victory to them that suddenly threw him for a loop. He tilted his head, realising the anger had all been part of the act and that he really hadn’t been able to detect the lie in Stan’s voice.
Maybe he couldn’t read Stan as well as he thought after all.
“In my…pocket?”
“Yeah. In your pocket, where you hid it.”
“I didn’t-” Ford glared, slipping his hand into his pocket and pausing at the solid card he found inside. He pulled it out, eyes wide at the card he had picked out of the pack staring back at him. The kids cheered, happy the trick had worked again on someone else and still none the wiser as to how it had been done.
“How did you-”
“Heh, you’re so shocked. Maybe you were right and you didn’t put it there. Maybe that card just likes you.”
Ford thumbed the card, checking it over as his mind kicked into overdrive and tried to figure out what exactly had just happened.
But no matter how hard he tried, he just could not come up with a solution.
“How did you do that?”
Stan shrugged, shoulders relaxing and chest puffing up with pride. “I can’t tell you that! Trade secrets.” He tapped his nose with a wink before gathering up the cards again and starting to reshuffle them.
“Well, where did you learn it?”
Stan deflated, hand still raised as his mouth opened and closed. He looked over at Ford, face sheepish and suddenly preoccupied. “I don’t remember?”
“Oh.” Ford shook off the dismal atmosphere that threatened to fall. “Well, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that that was amazing!”
Stan’s face brightened. “You think so?”
“Of course. Do you have any more?”
“Do I!”
“Is this your card?”
“Yes! Wow! How did you do that?”
“I can’t tell you that, now can I, good looking?” Stan winked at the young lady before him, grinning charmingly at the blush his efforts gleaned.
And inwardly cheered the extra money she threw into the bag beside him for his hard work.
“It’s not all that impressive.”
Stan looked up as a shadow crossed over him, a towering figure of a man trying his best to intimidate him.
It wasn’t working.
“Oh? Looks like I’ll have to get the big guns out for you then.” Stan grinning, tying his hair up with a flourish as he set to work. He already knew how this would most probably pan out.
He just had to be ready for it.
He’d been right.
That had been his last trick of the day.
The man had grown angry instead of happy at his playful antics. It wasn’t his fault the guy had made a bet at the beginning and didn’t want to pay up when he couldn’t guess the trick.
Sure he might have egged him on but that was all part of the fun.
Besides, he’d known where that magic show was heading as soon as he showed up.
Some people just didn’t appreciate his magic.
Stan shook his head with a sigh, checking the alley entrance one more time before opening his bag to check everything was still there where it should be.
He gave an added grin at the bonus wallet on top of his usual pile of items. The man really shouldn’t have taken a swing at him. It was just too easy and tempting to snatch something when someone left their guard open like that.
Magic tricks, hustling, pickpocketing.
It was all sleight of hand anyway.
And Stan had to say, the ability was something he had become very good at.
Practise made perfect.