Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Patrick Premiere: Small Illusions

"Patrick Hunt! Patrick, over here, how do you feel about the verdict?"

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have places to be."

I get in the limo that's waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, and the driver whisks me off back to my house. As I open the front gate, I think about why I had to be at the courthouse in the first place. A few months back, a paparazzi followed me home. I asked him nicely to leave, but he wouldn't take no for an answer, shoved me aside, and tried to force his way into the gate that was in front of my house. I pushed him back, and he fell, breaking his camera in the process. He then promptly sued me for assault. Today was the hearing, and although I had to pay to get him a new camera, I considered it a win since I wasn't thrown in jail, and that asshole would get arrested if he ever came on my property again.


Being the child of an Oscar-winning actor and an international supermodel is not the easiest thing in the world. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about my parents, including the fame that involuntarily attached itself to me, but the paparazzi can get annoying. They follow me everywhere, even when I go do boring stuff like shop for groceries or books. I don't care that I see myself in tabloid magazines, but trying to come into my home is just uncalled for, and I wanted to defend my privacy. I've gotten quite used to the camera flashes, and I wear sunglasses often when I go out so I don't get blinded by them.


They're not just following me because I'm the child of famous parents, however, they're also following me because I have been making a mark on the entertainment world myself, choosing to explore the world of magic. Not the fantasy Harry Potter kind, but the illusion and misdirection kind. The magic set I got on my thirteenth birthday was the best present I've ever received. I've evolved my tricks a lot since then. I still do some basic ones for tips when I'm not doing a show, of course.


When my aunt died, I didn't have a normal reaction to her death. I'd never really been close to her, so although I was saddened that she was no longer among the living, the way she died sparked my curiosity. I was sixteen and that was when I became really curious as to how the mind works. She killed herself and I was shocked, not because I didn't think she was capable of doing something like that, but more because I wondered why she didn't have hope in her life and why she felt like committing suicide was even an option. I think it might have had something to do with me being kidnapped when I was four. I spent a few days in a cold basement being scared of a mean lady who kept telling me she was my new mommy. I was afraid, but I knew in my heart my parents would find me. I'd endured one of the worst things a child could go through and yet I still had hope. I did a lot of research into the subject and found my way down the path of magic during it. The reason why magic is so intriguing is because of what the mind chooses to hope for, see, and believe.


My dream is to play the big shows, in Las Vegas and New York. I want to wow people with my illusions, but I have a long way to go before I get there. I'm sort of hanging in the middle right now, not just starting out, but not quite to the level of where I want to be yet. I work in movies and modeling to make money to pay the bills, since my mom and dad have connections that I'd be stupid not to utilize. About six months after I turned eighteen, I moved into my own house, down by the beach, whereas my mom and dad live closer to the downtown area.


For now, my magic consists of me at the local bar doing small illusions. They pay me weekly to be the entertainment, unless I have a movie or modeling job that conflicts. The good part about this town is that there are always people scouting for talent, so the more I put myself out there, the more chances I have to run into one of those people. At break time, I get myself a drink when a man in a dark coat comes up to me, leaning in close to my ear as he talks.

"If you want to work on more advanced illusions, meet me at the table in the back of the bar when you're finished."


Once I am done with my shift, I make my way over to the mysterious man because his words peaked my interest. I thought I'd at least talk to him and find out if he was one of those get rich quick schemers or if he could actually help me out with my magic career. The chair legs make an unpleasant sound, scraping over the floor as I pull the chair out from its place and sit down on the uncomfortable seat. I can't wait until I don't have to perform at this bar every night anymore.

"So you're interested. That's good."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Emmanuel. I am a stage engineer, well, was, the magician I was working with is no longer employing me. I have been out of work while looking for another magician who will partner with me, and you look promising."


"Thank you. If I may ask, why did you quit working with that other magician?"

"Irreconcilable differences. He and I started in the business together, him being a superb showman, and I working behind the scenes. Over time, he let the fame get to his head, becoming quite arrogant and egotistical. Confidence is good, but arrogance is not. Stage engineers help with illusions and make sure they work well to wow the audience, but he was always trying to put me down and make me feel like he didn't want my knowledge or help."

The more I talked to Emmanuel, the more I was convinced he knew what he was talking about. Emmanuel said he knew how to make equipment as he was a skilled carpenter and mechanic. He clued me into how the magic business works when you get to be one of the more famous ones. Never telling anyone about how your illusions work is crucial because there are some magicians who feed off of others, stealing illusions and taking credit for them, potentially ruining careers. The only ones who should know about the secrets are people in the magician's hire, which means stage engineers and assistants. It didn't surprise me that there was so much mystery surrounding this business.


I was still on guard because one thing I knew about magic was people were hard to trust, but I agreed to work with Emmanuel. Since he had been burned before by his other job, I thought maybe he would be loyal as long as I treated him well.

"So, besides you making and maintaining equipment for me, what else can you offer me?"

"I think that you should figure out a good stage name for yourself. Something that goes along with your style. Also what kind of magic are you interested in? There's tricks that are lighter and more family friendly, but I don't get that vibe from you. You seem more like an escape artist and death defying type of person."

"What about The Hunter?"

"That's really good. It's mysterious and dark."

Emmanuel seemed to have good insight as far as reading me because he was exactly right about my style. We continued talking about  how we would start our collaboration, exchanged phone numbers, and then parted ways. I arrived home hopeful and excited about the new opportunity that Emmanuel had presented to me.


42 comments:

  1. First thing I thought was "She has been stealing my Dan! I recognize his hair!"
    But Dan has different tattoos ^^

    So Pat is going to be a magician. VERY promising... and those eyes are simply mesmerizing =0D

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    1. ROFL. That hair. o_O I love it so much. XD
      Yes, he is going to mesmerize people with his eyes and his magic. LMAO.
      Thanks for reading and commenting, anna. =)

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  2. I love the magician!!! Awesome... I am so excited... Patrick is so complex and has a deep intellect, from what I see.... He definitely understands that the mind sees what it wants and makes truth of untruths when it needs to.... I could go on and on.... Oh my gods I love him!

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    1. Eeeee! Hahaha. I'm excited too. I have so many ideas at the moment, I need to contain them so the next chapter isn't a jumble of insanity. LOL. He got his intelligence from Max, who was also really smart. I love complex characters... never a dull moment with Patrick, that's for sure. =)
      Thanks for reading and commenting, Zhippidy! =)

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  3. oOooOo the big reveal to his face! I remember doing that with Jason, it was so fun! I love that he got his hair from the guys side of the family, he looks a lot like Soleil, too!

    I can't wait to see what kind of magician he's going to be! *screams like a fangirl*

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    1. LOL, it is so fun. You inspired me to do that, actually. <3 It's a wonderful spectacular way to introduce a new heir and I think I'm going to continue it for all the heirs. XD I was very pleased as well that he got Max's hair. I think he got Soleil's skin and eyes, maybe Max's nose... Eeee. LOL.
      I'm excited to try to figure out the next chapter and delve deeper into this magic stuff. *runs away to think*

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  4. Loved it! I also loved how you did the same approach for Patrick's first chapter as a YA as you did for Max.

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    1. Forgot to mention that Patrick is definitely as hot as his father, but that was expected given his parents.

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    2. Thank you! I love the "hide their face till the end" way of introducing an heir. I want to do it for all the generations. LOL. Yeah, he is isn't he? I was hoping he would turn out just as hot. =D

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  5. whoa! he definitely mysterious. his eyes remind me of a tiger as it watches it's prey.

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  6. HOLY MOTHER OF TACOS!

    Why is Patrick so fricking HOT?!

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    1. Also, I've seen the prestige (don't think I don't see the connection between those two movies. Christian Bale...yum)!

      I'm excited for this magician thing and Manny might be more than a stagehand, no?

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    2. LOL! =) I'm happy you think he's hot, as do I. Well... considering I updated the Generations tab with "Generation Two - The Prestige" I wasn't really hiding that fact that the movie inspired me? LOL. Christian is my favorite actor in the whole wide world. XD

      Emmanuel is a stage engineer, which is slightly different than a stagehand. Stage engineers are more behind the scenes technical stuff, and the stagehands are the assistants who run errands. I'm still thinking how I want to develop the rest of this generation, but Emmanuel will be Patrick's right hand man, and best friend.

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  7. Handsome, mysterious, bad boy, intellectual magician... I'm excited to see how his generation will go!

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    1. Eeee! I am excited too. =) Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  8. Fantastic opener! I love the screenshots, the suspense through words and pictures -- looking forward to reading more ...

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    1. Hi Amerika! Welcome to my story, I haven't seen you before. =) I'm always excited to gain a new reader. Thanks so much for the kind words, and for commenting.

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  9. Happy! Happy! Happy! I don't think I've ever been so giddy over a character reveal!

    Love that he's going to be a magician! Definitely going to be interesting!

    His EYES!!! They are so intense!

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    1. Hey! Sorry for the late reply. RL kind of kicked me in the ass. LOL. I'm happy you're excited about it. This generation is for sure going to be interesting because of the magician career. Lots of things for me to play with and explore. I love how his eyes turned out. Thank you for commenting! =)

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  10. 'The Hunter' I like :) This is going to be good a magician.

    Can't wait :)

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    1. Hey! =) Thanks. LOL. It'll be fun for sure. Thanks for commenting and reading.

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  11. Yay for Patrick! He is definitely hot. I love the big reveal to his face. I do admit I cheated a little bit, scrolled down to see what he looked like and then scrolled back up to read. I knew he'd be gorgeous with who his parents are, but those eyes...wow. And I love the magician factor. I have showtime, but I haven't explored any of the new jobs, I think this generation is going to be so awesome. Its off to a fantastic start already. Simply awesome! :)

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    1. Thanks! LOLL, it's ok that you cheated. =) The reveal worked for both those who like it and those who wanted to see his face, cause as you mentioned, a simple scroll down will satisfy the curiosity of those who wanted to see him. I think the guy-liner really accentuates his eyes. Haha. I thought I'd use a job that was more on the rare side, I'm hoping to have lots of fun with it. =)

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  12. OMG. With the eyeliner and carelessly flawless hair, I totally picture him as a rock star. But, I like magician better. It suites his intelligence better I think.

    I'm not saying rock gods are stupid, but that I don't think he would find it challenging enough to stay focused on it. :)

    I really loved the intro. Violent - ever the bad boy, with a secret depth. Definitely top of the line hunk, and totally his daddy's boy. :)

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    1. Hi! LOL, he does look like a rock star bad boy, doesn't he? XD

      I really wanted to have him sort of be like Max, smart bad boy, but without the flirtiness. I also enjoyed the idea of having The Prestige (a magician movie) be the driving force and inspiration for this generation.

      I'm happy you liked it. =) I really liked writing it.

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  13. No offence, but I like Patrick so much more than I did Maximus. He's dark, mysterious, intelligent, dangerous and sexy ... much more my style ;)

    I can't wait to see where his story goes. I love watching illusionists in RL so I'm looking forward to his story arc :)

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    1. LOL, no offense taken. Maximus wasn't as dark or dangerous, but he definitely passed down his intelligence and sexiness to his son. I had an idea in my mind that I wanted Patrick to be more on the introverted side, which I think adds to his mystery.

      Illusionists make me happy haha, I am glad Showtime had magicians, that way I didn't have to download a bunch of CC just to make it happen. :)

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  14. Well, hello, Patrick. Aren't you a handsome lad? I haven't had a chance to play with magicians much yet, so this should be fun. :)

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    1. LOL Patrick is hot. :D
      I've always had a fascination with magicians/illusionists, so I was excited to write about this as a career. XD

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  15. "The Hunter" I like that stage name :) Emanuel seems very sketchy but then again I could be looking too deep into him. Patrick is well on his way in life...He likes his privacy but honestly he probably will never enjoy real privacy with all of the paparazzi and everything. I can't wait to see how things turn out for him and his magic career. He's very sexy so he shouldn't have a problem with getting a crowd riled up lol :)

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    1. Thanks I do too! Haha, Emmanuel is mysterious, but yes, you are looking too much into him. LOL. Patrick has dealt with a certain level of paparazzi his whole life since Max is a famous actor, he'll always be "the son of Maximus, the famous movie star," haha. Like Patrick said, he doesn't care if the paparazzi want to take pictures of him when he's out around town, but he just doesn't want them in his house or on his property. Uh huh, haha, he has the Natural Born Performer trait too, so he'll have no problems pleasing the audience.

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  16. Being a magician makes Patrick very interesting and appealing, and the first chapter is very catchy. Super well done job, LKSimmer.

    Of course, I have also enjoyed his mention to Helena, and how her death deeply affected him -- in a sense, he is her continuation... Ok, I just want to believe that so I can go on reading without completely abdicating of Helena -- but Patrick seems a darker character than the others were, and in this sense closer to Helena, too, though very different.

    Sorry for my obsession with Helena.

    I can't read more today, and tomorrow it's going to be a full day, but I'll be back for more.

    Cheers!

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    1. Hey AndanteZen! :)
      Thanks so much for the compliments. I often have trouble with introduction chapters because I know that sometimes they're more slow going than chapters in the middle, so I am very happy to hear that it was catchy for you. :)

      Haha, it's okay, Helena was mentioned in the chapter, and she did spark Patrick's curiosity in the darker side of the magic industry, so she did influence him quite a bit. :)

      Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  17. Magic! I love it! haha Woooow, would you look at him. Patrick has surely grown up. He definitely looks like both of his parents. So looking forward to reading more. XD

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    1. LOL, magic was really fun to write about. All the mysteriousness and danger, haha, I'm glad you enjoyed it. IKR? Patrick got a great set of genes all mixed into his sexy self. XD

      Thanks so much for reading and leaving me all these wonderful comments! :)

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  18. The start to this is super cool. And holy shit Patrick is HOT!!! Not that I doubted he would be, but that whole mysterious vibe totally adds to the hotness factor. I loved how you didn't show his face until the end of the chapter.

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    1. Thank you! LOL, IKR? Patrick grew up perfectly. I like doing that, it's become a trend for this legacy, haha, to hide the heir's face until the end of the chapter. XD

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  19. HOLY PLUMBOB
    Now that is a attractive sim. I thought that he would be but DAMN.
    That reveal was great. I was so intrigued to see what he looked like.

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    1. LMAO, I've never heard anyone swear with the word plumbob. I love it. :D
      Haha, thank you, I'm glad you think he's handsome. I loved how he turned out, and you can look forward to plenty more reveals as I am going to do that for all ten generations. :) I like the suspense it gives the readers.

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  20. I guess I was wrong on the last update as Patrick is going to be mysterious and I'm guessing that is why you didn't show his face until the end. Patrick is SMOKING HOT! Than again look at his parents he had to turn out that way. I love his stage name.

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    1. Heehee yeah, mystery is Patrick's game. Well, I actually was reading MrsOogieBoogie's story, and she did a face reveal which I liked so much that I wanted to do it in mine, and it will be a tradition now. Every time the new generation starts, the heir's face will be hidden until the last picture, just to build suspense and get people who are caught up a chance to have some anticipation of what the heir looks like all grown up. Thanks! LOL he turned out very nicely, and when I put that guy liner on him, it made him even better. XD Heehee his stage name is pretty awesome, glad you like it.

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Rated: R. Echoes of Eternity is a chronological story best read from Chapter One. It will deal with topics of all kinds, including some that are uncomfortable.

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