WHO: Presto and Rick Grimes WHAT: A magic show, and a police call leads to a meeting of current and future Dreamers WHEN: Recently WHERE: A small mall strip WARNINGS: N/a STATUS: Closed and Complete
Presto was learning the ways of controlling his magic, and of putting on a show. Attending a few shows, and learning stage magic, he has begun doing minor tricks himself, and with his slowly growing notoriety as a local businessman, he has found some small group of people willing to watch.
Even when he was performing in a parking lot.
He’d made sure to pay off the local businesses, organizing a mini-festival and market, and was at one end, doing some old silly stage magician tricks, enhanced by actual magic..
***
There'd been a small distress call. Something that should have been an average clearance but for some reason Rick was called in to handle it instead of the typical squad patrol.
Apparently, a young man was putting on a show of a sort. While it hadn't been noisy it was not the proper place nor within safe jurisdiction for a crowd. Some people were into it, others were quite perplexed. The complaint had come from some passersby who were none too impressed and a little spooked.
Parking his car against the curb in front of the parking lot. Some people left at the first sign of police, others were still watching the show, some stayed to watch the new show. Thinking nothing of magic, Rick walked quietly over to the head of what had been the crowd, watching the young man carefully, hands rested on his belt. “Excuse me folks, I'm afraid you'll have to clear out. This lot isn't zoned for anything other than parked cars so I'm afraid you'll have to go...and you, son. You have a permit for all of this?”
***
“I do, of course.” Presto knew that normally a place like this didn’t do these, but with the promotions being done by the stores along with his performance, it lent itself to a different kind of situation. He did however step up and announce.
“Please, everyone, go on. There’ll be other shows, other days. The officer is doing his job. Let’s not make it any harder, okay?”
And people went, if a little grumbly.
Presto turned and produced the papers from a nearby trunk, glad, now, he had made sure they were in order, if not necessarily the normal sort of thing for this type of show.
“Sorry if we caused you any problems, Officer.” He had no clue what rank insignia meant of any kind, so was clueless to Rick’s rank.
“My name is Presto.”
***
Things sure were different already. Quite a lot of street performances went on here, and Rick was still questioning why he was dispersing this one, but he wasn't particularly superstitious or believed in things like magic. Maybe the other officers were.
Presto. Of course it was.
Rick reached out to read over the papers given to him carefully, shifting the weight in his stance. Nodding, he gave them back to the young man. “Those are all fine and good, Presto, but we got a few calls about the show. I'm not sure what it was that gave them the distress but I suggest maybe toning it down? Maybe the music's too loud?” Not that the complaints were about music.
But again, Rick didn't believe in magic and thought this a waste of time to begin with, just a kid trying to make a little money like everyone else on the corner. But rules were rules. “And that permit only allows you access to a strip. The shop owners down own the parking lot, that belongs to the city, so you'd be taking up space otherwise used for the public to park. And dangerous for your audience.”
***
Presto nodded, sighing. Perhaps he had been a little too over the top with his performance. Damn. Well, that had been silly of him. He smiled a little and nodded.
“Sorry, officer. I’ll make sure next time to have it somewhere more out of public space, and with less loud, ah, music.” He nodded.
He nodded again, wincing. He had not realized that. He needed different permits, if he ever did this again. He sighed. Wow, he had messed this up. “I’ll remember that next time, I promise.”
He rubbed his face.
“Nothing is ever uncomplicated, is it?”
***
Rick watched the boy carefully, regarding the demeanor and his apologies with a trained eye, and a soft heart. He'd seen plenty of young, sarcastic little jerks being sarcastic and having an attitude. Sometimes mockingly.
“Afraid not.” Presto just seemed to be trying to work his project, he had some papers, and honestly--Rick didn't feel like writing a ticket for what he thought was ridiculous in the first place.
“It's alright son, now you know. I'll let you off with a warning this time but if I get another call about having to break up a magic show, we’ll have some words.” The sheriff looked around the set briefly before adding. “You did have quite the crowd. I don't get the idea of the shows myself but you must’ve been pretty good. At whatever it is. You should try and get an inside venue where you can go about your business any which way you want. I reckon there's plenty of places on the strip that'd hire you.”
***
“Sorry again.” Presto smiled to the man and nodded. “I understand. And it won’t happen again, if I can help it.” And he would do his best, but with the OC, you could never tell.
Presto glanced around, then shrugged. “I’m still getting the hang of it, and of seeing whether or not I like it.”
He didn’t know if this was going to be his life, or only part of it.
***
“This town is as good as any, crowded if anything.” Rick let the boy’s extra apologies go. They weren't needed. And he didn't like the idea that people thought they had to keep their heads down and be afraid of police these days either.
That wasn't who Rick was. And it wasn't why he became a cop.
“Ever think about trying a small town? I come from a real small place and if you were to bring your stuff there, well, those types of folks have seen anything like it.” Or believe it. Here? There was a gimmick for anything.
“Not that I know anything of your craft, just feel bad for stopping your show Presto. I'm officer Grimes, by the way. If you ever have questions or concerns about what you can do without getting into trouble? You can always ask.”
Not that he thought there was anything dangerous about a kid playing with cards. Ripping people from there money was another thing but this looked nothing more than a kid putting on a show in a backyard for anyone who wanted to see. Kid stuff, no harm.
***
“I hadn’t but that’s not a bad idea. Thanks.” He brightened, then nodded, wondering what he could do. A small town might be good, or a normal inside venue. Or both. Hmmm./ He should talk to Vanessa and Zatanna both. They were smart and both helped him not be an idiot.
Presto smiled to the man. “It is nice to meet you, despite the circumstances, Officer Grimes. And I will, I promise. Today was an experiment in just trying to perform, and obviously, I need to do more research next time.” He nodded.
He grinned. “Maybe we’ll see each other around the county. Without the need of a call, next time.”
***
Falling into an easy smile, Rick gave the young man a nod, happy to not be the bad guy while also not destroying the young man’s dreams in the process.
He gave a receptive nod, letting his hands fall back to his sides as he began to walk backwards. “I'm sure you will, son. Good luck with your…magic show.”
Rick gave the young man a small wave before turning on his heel to make the trek back to his patrol car, barely there smirking as he called over his shoulder. “I hope so. You stay outta trouble.”