"– Yeah?"

"One, a while back Kero mentioned we could tell the future with the cards, Tarot-style. Two, we haven't... really... seen any other magic? There are supposedly sorcerer clans but they've been conspicuously absent from this whole thing. So... how do you feel about winning the Randi prize?"

"Randi prize?"

"It's a million-dollar prize awarded by James Randi to anyone who proves the existence of the supernatural."

"… I feel overall positive about a million dollars," says Theo. "Also the seeing the future thing."

He grins. "I mean Willow's parents have that but honestly I'd feel better if the money I was using to propel myself into an international magnate and fix the world's problems was mine. And seeing the future can help with figuring out if this will work."

"… I can honestly say I don't think I've ever heard the word 'magnate' said. Or written. Or anything."

"You need to read more."

"I'm guessing it means, like, monarch? Because magna carta?"

"Nope, it means very rich and influential."

"… I mean monarchs are both of those and maybe it has a common root but 'kay." Shrug. "Tarot-ing or whatever?"

"Yeah. Kero how does it work?"

"There are a few spreads, and it depends on how many cards you have."

"I have to admit I know basically nothing about tarot cards. And –" Pause. "I think we have, uh, eighteen combined?"

"So you can do the one-card, three-card, five-card, and six-card spreads."

"What other ones are there? … And do you just need one card to do the one-card one or do you need, like, triple the number?"

"Triple the number, yeah. There are seven-card, nine-card, ten-card, twelve-card, fifteen-card, and eighteen-card spreads other than these."

"Are the different spreads for different information, or…?"

"They tell you different things. One card gives you a general answer, three cards can tell you about the past, present, and future, or about you, the world, and your goals, more cards can give you more details but are harder to interpret."

"So. Might as well try them all and see what I – uh, we – can piece together from them?"

"You can't get different information from different spreads—they all tell you the same thing, from different perspectives."

"… Couldn't I try to piece together the different perspectives?"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't learn a lot new—they can't help you interpret answers you already got."

"I'm guessing I can't just use them on a bunch of different future questions, they only give limited information somehow?"

"You can ask about anything you want."

"… Maybe we should've done this for our exams. Not that I condone cheating, of course."

"It doesn't sound like it does anything... concrete enough for exams."

"Maybe we could have at least prioritised which exams to study for better?" shrugs Theo. "I have no idea how it works – 'provides different perspectives but doesn't stack' sounds weird."

"That's why we test it."

"Sounds good," agrees Theo. "So, do we look for disasters, large-scale badness, in case there are cards yet to show up that will cause havoc?"

"...I was thinking we look for what James Randi will think of us showing him magic but sure that too."

"Both of those are probably a good idea," he responds. "I think catastrophe first though. How does it work?"

"What spread do you want first?"

"Three cards, I think? Look at the state of the world, if it's gonna be horribly apocalypse, that sort of thing?"

"Okay! So the way you have to do it is pile all your cards in a deck and enter a trance, then shuffle the cards with your left hand. You have to divide the deck in two, then turn one of the halves upside down, many times, until you feel like the answer is there. Then you set the deck down, and use your right hand to put three cards in front of you, one beside the other. Then you turn them one by one."

"… Okay," he says.

So he does in fact try to do this! He assumes it's like the meditation trance.

"You have to think of a specific question to ask."

"'Is there likely to be a catastrophe?' Or should I phrase it differently, I could probably just do this a few times with different ones?"

"It gives very general answers, asking general questions might not give you a lot of information."

"Ask about horror and/or large quantities of death caused by magic, then?"

"Could work!"

He tries that, then!

Shuffle, cut, revert, shuffle, repeat until he feels the answer... There it is. Three cards, one after the other. The first one, reflecting himself: the Shadow. "The Shadow represents the unknown," Kero explains, "the reason for and solution to a problem, a mystery or a prophecy, hidden depths and characteristics."

Theo feels... something, when Kero explains this. Unknown, yes, and prophecy. There is another hand at work, here, and this was known before.

"… It seems like it's telling me 'yes there is going to be a catastrophe and you already knew about it'. Which. Well, yeah."

Second card, reflecting the world: the Libra, reversed. "This means lies, imbalance, chaos, a loss of control, or incorrect judgement." Imbalance, chaos, and loss of control are particularly resonant for Theo.

He mentions as such.

Third card, the problem: the Create, reversed. "This represents rules and binds in your mind and actions, an unexpected disaster, destruction."

Yeah all of this.

"Yup. Apparently."

"Wait, though, what does 'rules and binds in your mind and actions' even mean in this case? Will we be—limited in how we can affect it or what?"

Shrug.

"I was expecting it to just mean general hindrance, tough choices, physically being blocked from doing things, that sort of thing?"

"—and I guess that's what he meant by 'vague.'"

"Yeah. And when we already know about the catastrophe being likely and being due to a bunch of cards, this isn't really surprising."

"Maybe you could try a six-card spread?"

"Sure," he says. "Are six-cards specially focused somehow, like the three-card thing, or…?"

"They give more information."

"… Uh-huh."

Okay, so, six-card spread?

The spread has one card in the middle, one on top of it and laid horizontally, and the four other cards are above, below, to the left, and to the right of the central two.

What does he get?

The first one he turns up represents himself. Change: a change of heart, refreshment, evolution, progress.

"… Me."

Next card?

The next card, "the issue," which was on top of the previous one, is the Libra, reserved: loss of control.

"… And the issue is losing control?" he says.

Next card!

"The issue is the disaster, isn't it?"

"Yes. Something about the disaster involves that."

The next card, external influences, is the one above the first two, and it's the Create, reversed: an unexpected disaster, binds, something that cannot be changed or controlled.

"Unexpected disaster, apparently… immutable? And uncontrollable."

"Clow was sure very thoughtful, considerate person."

Internal influences, the card below, is the Shadow: the reason for and solution to the problem.

"… The reason for and the solution to the problem are related to internal influences? But I'm not clear if that's internal to me or, like, things inherent to the problem?"

"No, they're internal to you."

"Meaning I am the reason for and the solution to it? Or?"

Shrug.

(Sigh.)

Next card?

Limitations, the Wood, reversed: unexpected side effects.

"Limitations include unexpected side effects, yep."

"What's 'limitations' exactly?"

"All the things that prevent the problem from being easily solvable, or anything that doesn't let you act as you would want to."

"… So there's something that's going to make the disaster harder to deal with than probably expected? I mean, unless it's just talking about generally being awkward, having a large catastrophe near us."

"Side effects of the catastrophe, perhaps? Or maybe the catastrophe is a side effect of something else?"

"Isn't it already meant to be a side effect of us not capturing the cards? The main catastrophe, I mean."

"Well, then maybe that's what the Card is telling us?"

"But then I'd expect the catastrophe to be… an expected side effect?"

Shrug.

Last card?

The outcome, the Flower: results, rewards, reaching your goal.

"… I think I'm confused by this one."

"...we'll save the world, I guess?"

"I – it – yeah? I was more thinking 'how is the problem due to us reaching our goal', since… it's because we didn't do it properly in time?"

"That card doesn't necessarily say something about what the problem is due to, it just says something relevant to that."

Shrug. "So, it doesn't seem like that told us, uh, much if anything about the catastrophe, but it unfortunately confirmed we probably won't be fast enough to get everything?"

"Yeah," he sighs. "But hey, we'll succeed, so that's cool."

"I was reasonably confident we'd succeed anyway. Since if we didn't, horrible catastrophe probably takes out the world."

"Well yeah but it was a possibility," he shrugs. "Anyway, now how about the Randi Prize?"

"Sure? Is it, like, a form to fill out, or…?"

"No, you gotta publish a YouTube video performing whatever supernatural feat you claim you can perform, and then when it gets famous enough you submit it to the association. Used to be way harder but then no one wanted to apply."

"… Do we have to claim to think it's supernatural on the video?"

"Well, yeah, but I mean, in our case we'll be literally showing magic, so."

"Right."

He doesn't look super happy about this.

"What?"

"… Nothing," he says. "Just. You know, claiming magic on a video we're trying to get famous."

"Yeah?"

"Sounds. Weird."

"...yeah?"

Theo raises an eyebrow.

"I'm waiting for you to make your point."

"… I'm not sure what's not clear about it."

"The part where that's an objection."

He opens his mouth, tilts his head, and seems to be thinking.

Blink. Wait.

"… What if someone saw it?" Blink. "I mean, people are going to see it."

"Yes, that is in fact the point."

"… Yep."

"Ssssooooo why is it an objection," he insists.

"… Because I feel embarrassed, looking at you, and explaining why I'm objecting?"

"Aaaawwwwwwww!" He has to kiss Theo for that.

Theo sort of half-grins half-grimaces. But kisses Sadde.

"I can be the one on the video," he says. "I'm pretty sure I'm biologically incapable of feeling embarrassed."

"… Must be nice."

"It is! You should try it sometime."

"Do you happen to have tips."

"Tip one: be awesome. Tip two: that's all."

Theo sighs. "I'll work on that."

"It works, I promise!"

"I might be missing steps point-one through point-nine."

"What are those?"

"How to get to the 'be awesome' part of the process."

"Be me. Never fails."

"Might be a little difficult to arrange that."

"I'm sure if you work hard and believe in yourself you can do it."

"Is that a quote? From, like, The Wall of Inspirational Quotes, or something?"

"Sure," he laughs. "Anyway, go on, ask a question."

"Question?"

"—yes? Like we were just talking about, how the whole Randi thing's gonna go?"

"– Oh, as in, future-see about it." Nod. "Less vague than 'will it go according to plan', or should that work?"

"Vaguer: 'what will happen?'"

"I should go for vague?"

"Yeah, let the magic fill in the details."

"Sure. Six cards again?"

"Yeah!"

So he goes for that!

Shuffle shuffle shuffle, first card, himself, the Change, reversed: stubbornness.

Nod.

Next card?

The issue, represented by the Through, reversed: a challenger or rival.

"… Something about me and stubbornness, and a rival? I mean, rival could be if someone else is going for the money?"

"Well that'd be weirdly coincidental timing, if so. Not a lot of people go, anymore."

"No, but, it could be to stop us or something? The other sorcerers haven't gone for it yet – presumably they would want the million dollars?"

"It's been there for over forty years, why would they go for the million dollars now?"

"I mean – this is just one reason why, maybe not particularly realistic, but if they're all on a sort of ceasefire thing? Don't do a ton of magic, don't make it public, this all stops if anyone else does it, and then they see that we're planning on the Randi prize – I assume some of them have precognitive stuff like this – and so they'd try to go against us for it?"

"Then they should've done it fi—why are we even discussing this that's the whole reason why we started doing this Tarot thing, go back into your trance and turn the next card."

"– Sure."

So?

External influences, the Fly: a challenge, human relations.

"I mean, this is probably to be expected with us trying to get a prize off someone else…?"

"I'm trying to think of ways this could be vaguer and coming up blank."

Next card?

Internal influences, the Glow: good luck, preparation, a solid plan, hard work.

"… Meaning those things will probably help us succeed, I assume?"

"I'm not sure trying to interpret these vague things like that will actually be useful."

"I don't know that there's actually any way to interpret them usefully."

Next card?

Limitations, the Shadow, reversed: unknown unknowns, lack of knowledge.

And the final card?

The outcome is the Sword: compensation, power.

"… So this is vague details and really obvious details – it really doesn't feel like this is particularly helpful."

"It seems to be generally positive, though? No portents, the challenger thing is—more information than we had."

"Right, it's not actively detracting or anything, it's just – it seems like we did not get much from it." Shrug.

"Indeed no," he agrees. "But I guess that's a 'yes, let's record a video doing magic and send it to the Randi Foundation.'"

"Sounds it! Do you have anything in mind, or just… test out a bunch of cards?"

"I think we could just do some spells first, I'm not sure it's good for people to know we have the Cards in case that's relevant, no one's bothered us so far but..."

"Makes sense," he nods. "Intangibility, levitation, colour change…? I'm trying to think of something that'd be hard to fake but there's basically nothing."

"Well, via video, everything's fakeable. We could perhaps record ourselves doing magic in public?"

"And – hope people don't, like, panic?"

"Well they can feel free to panic but like, what are they gonna actually do?"

"… I mean, not much, because we have magic? But it seems kinda mean to cause panic for the sake of this."

"Why would they panic just because we can make pretty lights or fly?"

"– I dunno? It'd at least cause, uh, confusion and stuff?"

"Oh no. Confusion. The horror."

Blink. "Okay?"

"I think I'm okay with letting people be confused, is what I mean."

Theo shrugs. "Fine? Do we want to get this over with soon or plan to do it in a couple of days, or…?"

"We should probably decide what magic we're gonna do, and do several videos in different places. And perhaps tell your twin and the others about this plan."

"… It's probably weird at this point that it still feels weird that he's my twin."

"Well I suppose most people have more time than this to get used to the idea."

"On the order of years and the whole of their life, so yeah, a little. Anyway – you wanna go tell Tyler and I'll text the others, or?"

"Sure."

Tyler?

Tyler can be found in a nearby room! (The kitchen.)

"Hello."

"Hi! So we're planning on getting rich off the Randi Prize—awarded to anyone who proves the supernatural."

"Huh. What's the process?"

"Make a video, after some people watch it submit it for consideration, then agree on a test with Randi and perform it. We're gonna film it in public."

"Got anything planned?"

"Not yet. Spells, cards, stuff like that."

"Probably more on the spells, just in case."

"Are you planning on – flashy? Bright colours, loud noises?"

"Hmm, no, I wanna go for harder to fake."

"Make yourself look weirdly glassy? Do some super jumps, or flight…?"

"One of those," he agrees.

"Sounds like fun."

"Yeah. We should make a script and then go play it out."

"Not up for improvising?"

"– I'm not much of an actor, if you mean, like, acting out specific parts."

"I mean planning out which magic things we're gonna do."

"Oh. Right, yeah."

"Could screw with the weather, or the temperature. Could extend shadows, probably, could try out a few new things…?"

"Sure," he shrugs. "We'll figure it out."

Nod.

So it's a couple of days later that they decide to go visit a park.

Willow brings very expensive cameras which she and Juniper will use to film the action from various angles.

(Sure, one million dollars is not that much money to their parents, but they agree with Sadde's reasoning that it's much better to have money that's theirs and then use that and magic to make the world better.)

"I still can't believe you volunteered –"

"Why not? Magic in public sounds fun."

"– You're kidding me, right?"

"Well, not for you. But in case you hadn't realized, we're different people."

"The ability to care what other people think has not been copied, it appears."

"No, no, it has," disagrees Tyler. "I just told it where to shove it."

Blink.

"Good on you, maybe you could teach your brother a thing or two."

"He's been struggling for years."

"– Okay, well, you two can go have fun with that." He moves to go. "I'm just gonna go help Willow and Juniper."

Lots of people have gathered to gawk at the fancy apparatuses being set up.

Also at this incredibly life-like toy flitting here and there.

"… Hey Kero," says Theo as he approaches.

"Hi!"

(People gawk more.)

"… Cute, isn't he?"

"...are you talking to me?" a woman asks, bewildered.

"Nah, just myself."

He makes his way through the crowd to get to the others.

Maya is also there! She is squinting at a laptop.

"Watcha up to?" she asks Maya.

"Trying to get this thing to stream – websites are all being butts, though."

She looks up and pauses. "– Oh, look, Theo's here."

"– Hi!"

"Butts how?"

"Well this one is complaining that I don't 'have the right codecs' – which, like, get lost, you're using Flash player already and I hate you for it – and this other one doesn't seem to like my upload – which, okay, I guess that's less being a butt and more being semi-reasonable but still – and they're mostly not working."

Poke poke.

"– We could just record it and put it online later?"

"Yeah, no, that's my backup plan for when these are all found awful." Pause. "Which, like, gimme three minutes and either it'll be working or, yep, all awful."

"Don't people do this kind of thing all the time? Why is it so hard?"

"I think it's because we don't really have a super reliable internet connection here." Pause. "Also I may be running Linux which could contribute to it."

"… I mean that probably is it but I'm used to trying to get around it." Pause. Sigh. "Hold on a sec while I boot Windows."

Willow giggles.

And a minute later, she is on Windows! After another minute, she has everything ready.

"Ugh."

"… What's wrong with Windows?"

"I–" She pauses and looks around. "I should probably not start a rant at you right now. So. Leave it at that I prefer Linux for mysterious reasons of 'I'm a bit of a techie'."

"Lesson learned: don't be a techie when you want to prove magic is real in public."

"Apparently."

They finish setting everything up, and they've attracted quite a crowd, curious about the teenagers with the high-tech toys (including Kero).

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sadde declares once the cameras are ready, grinning. "I am going to prove to all of you that magic is real."

"And I'll just stand here looking pretty," says Tyler, off to the side.

"And as my first trick I'm going to turn Tyler's hair pink! O Moon, that governs the subtle and creative magic of alteration and modification, o Change, the concept made solid by Clow Reed, turn that boy's hair pink!"

It turns pink! "… Personally I would've gone for rainbow, but pink works."

He grins.

And the people applaud. "Next, my boyfriend Theo is going to fly on his pink staff."

Theo what.

"– Huh."

"Go on, the people are waiting," Sadde encourages.

He looks at her blankly.

Maya rolls her eyes and shoves him forwards.

He stumbles a little.

Then slowly moves to pull out his key…

The audience holds its breath.

(Not really, but they're interested.)

He freezes briefly after pulling it out, but then tentatively says the (stupid) phrase to make it into a staff.

Staff!

People oooh and aah.

Theo goes a little pale.

He gets the Fly out of his bag and says its name as he taps it.

It glows. His staff glows. His staff grows wings. The audience ooohs again, and this is in fact quite impressive, especially the way the wings look so real.

He shivers a little, scratches the back of his neck, but moves to stand astride the staff.

"… Please don't kill me," he says softly, to the staff.

And then he kicks off.

The staff fails to kill him. It merely makes him fly. As it usually does.

Cameras follow him!

He realises he probably looks extremely panicked. He tries to stop that.

It doesn't really work too well.

Tyler sighs.

He's high enough people can't really notice.

And then, after he feels he's probably done enough – it wasn't really that long, but there was still some of a flight – he returns and lands.

There is a lot of applause, and the crowd has grown rather a lot.

"Now, does anyone else want to give it a go?" she asks the audience.

A kid ducks past through, past the people at the front of the crowd, and runs towards Theo. He tries to grab the staff.

Theo has no idea what to do except to hold the staff out of reach, for now. "Uh, do we – I think we need to wait for your parents?"

"Yeah let's."

No parents seem to be forthcoming! A couple of teenagers seem like they might want to try out the flight, though.

Okay the teenagers can try but first—" Where are your parents?" she asks the kid.

"Oh, they're in, um, Boots? But can I just go please please please?"

"If you call them here you can, but I'm not sure they'll be very happy with you if you get hurt because you didn't wait for them."

Pout.

He turns to face Theo and says, "You're mean."

… Theo honestly has no idea what to do with this.

The teenagers can probably fly, though.

So Theo lets them on it, keeping away from the kid who seems tempted to try jumping on.

He looks less nervous, waiting for them on the ground. Still some.

The audience is... a bit more uncertain of its awe, seeing people who are not part of this literally fly.

"Try to do something I couldn't have planned for if this was a hoax!" she calls.

The teenagers are a little busy – shouting rather gleefully, in one case, with the other one holding on for not-quite-dear-life.

After a few moments, though, they pass over the crowd uncertainly.

"Maybe go around a building? In a way that wouldn't work if there were cables?" she suggests.

Sure, they can do that!

They lap the building quite low down and quite fast. Seems like the one controlling the not-broomstick is a bit of a speed demon.

And the kid's parents?

… Possibly that couple who have just left Boots, looked up at the not-broomstick, and then promptly ignored it.

They seem to be shouting something. Possibly a name.

Tyler notices. "– Do you think those are the parents?"

"Probably. For the heck of it, have Flower make a path for them?"

Theo hands him the card

And then Tyler makes a path!

The parents look briefly confused, look over, and then follow when they see Tyler waving (and their kid, perhaps it's the kid who made them come over).

"Hi! So we're proving magic is real and to do that we're letting people fly on our pink flying staff. Your kid wanted to fly. It's very magically safe." She gestures at the whooping teenagers.

"… I don't think that would be a very good idea," says the father. "He – he usually doesn't like heights. Tommy?"

The kid starts to look a bit uncertain.

"...if you're afraid of heights you probably shouldn't fly."

"… I guess."

His father picks him up – he's probably a bit large for that, but not by much – and says, "Sorry about him wasting your time."

The mother comments, "I'm curious how you're doing this, though."

"Oh it's actual, real magic, we're recording this to send to the Randi foundation but you can feel free to ask for a demonstration."

She looks around at the crowd and opts not to, right now.

Other members of the crowd would like more of a demonstration, though!

They can demonstrate! What, exactly, would they like to see?

They don't know what else can be done!

… One of them asks if they can cure genetic conditions.

"...probably yes, but we don't know how to yet. Erm, things we can do are like moving things and changing things and conjuring things and going through things and destroying things..."

The one who asks nods and leaves it at that.

Someone else asks to see them going through a thing! … Ooh like what about the crowd wouldn't that be spooky.

So Sadde uses the Through on Theo.

And then Theo walks through the crowd, especially that person who suggested it!

The crowd is appropriately spooked.

"Now go solid again to prove you're a real boy."

He makes sure he is not intersecting anyone or anything and then does so!

… A couple of the people nearest him do in fact poke him to check he's real. Which, he is.

Then, from another part of the crowd: "Can you do ice cream?"

"—possibly! Let's see..." She makes up a sufficiently verbose spell for ice cream and then—

—voilà! She has an ice cream cone.

The girl who asked takes it! "– Uh, do I need to pay you for this?"

"Nah, free of charge, but I can't give everyone ice cream 'cause magic that doesn't involve the magic cards costs mana."

A couple of them would like information about that.

… One other shouts that they're heathens and will burn in hell.

"– I didn't know people actually, like, did that, in real life."

"What'd you expect, that it was all just fiction?"

Juniper explains in general lines how mana works.

The person who shouted grumbles a bit more and then leaves.

The couple of people who asked about the mana would like to know if they have 'magical potential or whatever'.

They can try casting a spell! Just say these words and "mean them."

They do!

… Nothing happens.

"Sorry," she apologises. "It's apparently really rare."

They look sceptical.

The people in the crowd talk among themselves and a few people have their phones out. More people come look at what's happening, a few people leave to – apparently – continue their shopping.

One member of the crowd would like a new phone. Someone else wants their sister disappeared (preferably permanently but they'll take what they can get, apparently). Another wants to know if they can get rid of cancer. Or, like, poverty. Or unclean water.

They're planning on it! They want to use the Randi prize as startup money to fix every problem in the world with magic.

(And no they're not vanishing any sisters but if the sister would like to be temporarily invisible they can do that.)

The sister is not currently in evidence. The kid is sure she'll turn up sometime, and he'll probably be blamed for her missing it. (He rolls his eyes. He is also like fourteen.)

Uh huh. Shouldn't he be looking after her?

… He's sure she's fine.

He does however excuse himself like ten seconds later to go find her.

She casts a flight spell then flies over to him and casts a find-me spell. Then she points in the direction of his sister.

She is sitting by a fountain, quietly, apparently waiting for him to come find her.

He thanks Sadde awkwardly and makes his way over to her.

What a nice little girl.

They have some more demonstrations, like conjurations and stuff, but yeah, they've probably made their point.

Probably, seeing as some of the crowd is sort of disturbed and/or confused.

The rest seem enthusiastic about more magic! (The ice cream was a hit. As are waffles and various other foodstuffs and light-shows and a couple more questions about fixing medical things, but, yep, that's about it.)

"Well, that was fun," says Maya.

"Yeah. Now we need to wait for views and then get this to Randi."

Maya downloads a copy and puts it on YouTube and then shares it on a few websites.

"Hopefully it won't take too long."

"Am I keeping this, then?" asks Tyler, still with pink hair.

"You're a sorcerer, if you wanna fix it feel free."

He rolls his eyes, smirking.

Theo finishes putting his stuff away.

"It is kinda hot, though," she says, and the limo arrives to take them back home.

"You have bizarre taste."

"I kinda second that at least for pink hair."

"– I dunno, pink hair could be… kinda fetching."

She examines Tyler.

He raises an eyebrow. "I would've gone for a slightly darker shade, personally."

"You have that power."

"Fair," he agrees. "But I am confident it will be horrifying."

He pauses for a moment, thinks, and then says, "Change, I call upon thee, make my hair less garish and bright. A darker shade would fit far better – ease my plight!"

It works, and is rather fetching.

Maya laughs.

"… Yeah, I do not look good with pink hair," says Theo, examining Tyler.

"Do too," she insists.

"Are you sure we're looking at the same person."

"Yes, pretty certain."

"Agree to disagree."

"Whatever. How's video upload going?"

"Uh, it's already done? Streamed it earlier, copied it over?"

"—oh, cool, I thought you were still uploading. Okay so I guess now we wait."

"Prrobably not right here though," says Maya, looking around.

"Right."

Into the limo they go.

"So Theo, when are you doing one of those?"

"– One of what?"

"Magic show."

(Jazz hands.)

"… I just did one."

"Yeah okay but like more of one." Pause. "That I can be in."

"Like a pretty assistant or something?"

"Could be! Or I could do a ton of magic because magic on camera sounds cool but yes pretty assistant could work."

"So, pretty assistant – which one of you is that?"

Theo raises an eyebrow.

"I meant, like, when you say magic show did you mean the kind with a pretty assistant where people saw each other in half, but—I guess we could do this again."

"I would I hope be using the Through if you tried to saw me in half."

"– We could do a magic show combined with an actual magic show?"

"Oooh that sounds like fun!"

"But yeah I am totally sawing someone in half that sounds like far too much fun to pass up."

"I don't think the Through helps much with – squishing your body into one of the halves of boxes."

"Invisibility spell?"

"Would be a better solution, yep."

"In combination with the Through, presumably."

"Maybe both of you could be inside the box, each with one half invisible, and with the Through. Maybe you don't even need a box at all."

"Just have her 'cut us in half', then turns out there are two of us?"

"Yes!"