Clarence Gupta's Magic Assembly

"Oh, okay, good!" Not getting robbed in front of an audience was nice, but the fact it seemed like Vinzez wouldn't be actually touching the merchandise ever so slightly disappointed Anathema. This caused a twinge in her face, though only the others on stage would be able to catch it. Still, what was he going to d-hey, was that a sword? ...Actually, wait, that wasn't the headline. "Wait, where'd you pull that from? ...Actually, no, where'd you pull the other one from?! ...No, wait, even better question, what are you going to do with them?!" The no physical harm thing was nice, but...that didn't exclude non-physical harm. Granted, most forms of harm swords inflicted were of the physical variety...

And just like that, she was gone, the slashes coming so quick that she didn't really have time to react before she vanished. Doomed to walk between dimensions for the remainder of time...except not quite. A very attentive audience member would note that she had reappeared on the very farthest reaches of the right side of the stage, almost but not quite out of sight. Oddly, she seemed to have something in her hands. She took a step forward, seemingly rapt by the continuation of the trick, and brought the object to her mouth...

SLUUUUURP!

The unmistakable sound made it clear that Anathema was holding some sort of cup, the sort found in fast food restaurants and movie theaters. It would probably attract the attention of the front rows, though it probably wasn't loud enough for the whole audience, or even loud enough to drown out the others. SellSoul's chant worked, on the other hand, as a black tentacle slowly extended from off stage, then suddenly grabbed the lead assistant by the waist, and yanked her back before she could even yelp. A human would probably have gotten whiplash...granted, a human also wouldn't have been able to use their dark magical powers to conjure up a physical manifestation for the sole purpose of a gag.

As soon as she was out of everyone's sight, a purple fog began to descend from the ceiling. It wasn't very thick, as one could see through it, but as it hit the ground, it began to take the form of a certain recently disappeared witch Navi. Strangely, the form seemed to be lacking clothes of any kind, though it had the decency to also lack certain...attributes on her breasts and pelvic area. Soon, the entirety of her body existed in a fog form, and only then did the smoke become opaque...only to immediately be dispelled as Anathema stepped forward and did her 'I'm a lovely assistant' pose once more. "Ask, and you shall receive! My big boobs, and the rest of me, are all back!" Hopefully that was the last time she was getting sworded, though. Hologram or no, that was kinda scary...

Anyway, time for the usual quick BBS check. ...Ha, it would've been something if she came back naked. At least they sorta got their wish when she appeared in smog form, though, kinda? And, holo-magic...hmm. It was nice that she got to be in the show and all, but at the same time, she sorta understood wanting a more 'traditional' approach to it. But at the same time as that, sometimes you needed to shake your routine up with something flashy. And while her magic leaned towards a lack of light, she could certainly spice up a magic show.

-----------------

Claire's response simply made Alda smile harder, and wave a finger at her. "I don't remember anything saying we couldn't have a little fun while we-" Evidentally the other woman agreed, as she returned the favor. Yet, she could feel something as they kissed...something that she didn't normally feel during such activities. Something deep within her...once the other woman ended it, she took a moment to try and pinpoint it. "A rush? I have that feeling, too. I wonder-ahh!"

Before anyone could make any breakthroughs, the witch found herself staring at someone not named Claire, which brought her an extremely annoyed expression. "Seriously?! Something was happening! It wasn't just Claire, I could feel it, too! And it WAS under control! Now it's not, all because you were jealous!" She crossed her arms, not in the least bit happy over potentially ruining the discovery. And almost immediately, she could feel the sensations strengthening in her chest. But, they weren't strong enough for her taste. Frowning, she casually flung off her top, though she quickly refolded them before anyone could really get an eyeful. "Mmm, that feels nice...~"

That said, Alda's wits hadn't totally left her, as she managed to piece together that Clarence being physically restrained might not be the best thing for her. "Hold on a moment. Is that really necessary? We can discuss other avenues as we continue to pursue this one, can't we? Then, everyone wins." Except Mallory, who clearly wanted to take her place. But, too bad, so sad for her. Now she just needed to get closer to Claire, like so..."So, Clarence, where would you like to begin?"

That said, she dropped her arms and leaned into the other woman's ear. "You can begin wherever you want...~"
The mystique of the elder Gupta's sword-based magic trick was first cracked by SellSoul's insistence that Anathema bring back her sexy bod, then smashed to pieces by his lovely assistant reappearing stage-side with a cool beverage. The theater probably appreciated the free product placement for concessions, but Vinzez scowling face showed he probably didn't share that same level of appreciation. He was still standing nearby the spotlight, as though he expected her to disappear and try it again. Disappear she did, but not in the way anyone was expecting: a black tendril emerged from the presumed briny deep of slightly off-set, yanking her away, only so that she could re-emerge a moment later in a plume of purple smoke that really overshadowed whatever hhe was trying to do with the spotlight. Still, Scout and SellSoul were clapping on either side, and the crowd joined in, laughing along. "Woo! Did they get a little bigger while you were away?" the red girl snickered, nudging Anathema with her elbow.

As well as the crowd was liking it, Vinzez looked like he really did want to cut her apart with his swords now, his eyes stormy beneath dark eyebrows and his lip set tight beneath his well-groomed mustache. It wasn't clear what had set him off, but either he didn't appreciate the additions, the comedic tone, or perhaps just that she was stealing the spotlight off of him. "I hope you all enjoyed our first act. From here, a short recess, while I prepare for my next feat of prestidigitation," he informed the crowd, taking a quick half-bow before a crowd he barely felt he recognized, given how different their reactions had been compared to what he was used to. The lights very abruptly cut out, while the front-set curtain drew back over Vinzez and the girls.

"Anathema, I must... thank you for giving it a sporting shot, but this is not what I need out of you. Nor you, SellSoul. I'd like to ask that the two of you accept this partial payment of 2000z for your work so far and leave. Scout, you can stay and help me through the rest of the show," he spoke in a terse bark, keeping his voice quiet and his mic off so that the crowd wouldn't overhear him. If Anathema wished to respond, she'd probably want to turn off her mic first.

"What are you talkin' about? I know, for a fact, that you haven't gotten a response like that in a long time!" SellSoul hissed, after turning off her mic. "The crowd loves us! Well, Anathema mostly."

"This crowd is inconsequential. Listen, I didn't get to the top pandering to children and others for whom a clown would suit just as well. I got this far using high-grade magic that leaves the crowd in awe and admiration. It's a slippery slope; if I seem I am out to court laughter, then soon, I become a laughingstock. I don't want laughter, I want respect, and in the long run, that's what the audience at large wants too" he snarled. "So thank you very much for your time, ladies, but I am done with this experiment. Scout's cooperation will be more than sufficient to get me through the rest of the acts."

So far, about all Scout had had to offer was a bit of information gathering and good intentions, making it pretty clear what Vinzez wanted from his girls: following orders, keeping their mouths shut, and the common function of being generally nice to look at. Scout frowned and adjusted her glasses, turning back to the others. "It was a nice try, but I guess it's just not what he's looking for. I don't mind handling the rest if you guys want to rejoin your operators," she suggested.

"Wait, I can't owe you! That's not the way I work, okay? I make other people owe me!' SellSoul protested. "I can't just give up now!"

"And yet you have no option. Please, leave us so I can move on to the next act. And keep your voice down," Vinzez sighed. "This was a brief diversion, but I'm ready to right the course for the sake of my audience."

The curtain wasn't up yet, so there was more time for Anathema to give Vinzez her two cents, or it could be rejoining Alda and taking the 2000z he'd offered up was the best course after all. She still had access to read the BBS, for now, so she could read up on the audience's thoughts.

Recent Post on Gupta Magic Exhibition BBS
Thread: Anathema
New posts only
>I think Anathema's the one pulling all the strings this show. She's got stage presence! It's like it's her whole show now.
>>Kinda is
>>All Vinzez's done is use those swords
>>>I want to share Anathema's soda!
>>>>She's a navi
>>>>>If she can do an improv magic show, she can go on a date, right?

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Thread: Intermission?
> Going on an intermission already? Gotta be technical difficulties.
>> Nope. I saw Vinzez's face. He's pissed.
>>>lol jealous
>>>>If he's mean to Anathema I'm going to storm the set!
>>>>>lol
>>>>>He's armed, remember? Better not
>>>>>>lol

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Thread: (Hidden) Ongoing Observation
New posts only
>That's it, folks. He saw she was changing the show and he's putting his foot down.
>>There's no hope for him. Anathema's got a future in this if she wants it, but Vinzez is done.
>>>Well, not yet. But once I finish up this article, we'll put an end to him, for the good of everybody.
>>>Almost hate to say goodbye. I've been to so many of these shows, it's like getting a divorce.
>>>>Ha ha. Well, an abusive relationship needs a divorce.
>>>>>Yep. Anyways, it's the only way.


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"Shut up! You don't get to just feel things with Claire! Stop overstepping your boundaries or I'm going to curse you so hard you'll walk funny for a week!" Mallory complained loudly, matching Alda for angst. "Dammit, quit stripping! I'm not letting you do whatever you please!"

"Mallory! Please! This is for the sake of magic," Claire reminded her ally. "Now please, stop Clarence from interfering." Alda had another idea, however, and Claire smiled silently for a bit while she listened. "Oh? Well, I suppose it is only fair that we include him. If I think about it, we wouldn't be this close to a discovery if it weren't for his gathering us together here. I suppose we can let him in on the fun- excuse me, research," she agreed, her small smile opening up into a grin. "You may leave him alone, Mallory."

The other girl beat her fist on the wall and then crossed her arms, seeming angry at having even less purpose here. The rest of the figures in the room watched curiously as Alda, sans top, and Claire, kept intimate distance, with Clarence standing stupidly and staring at the two of them, with nowhere to go but towards them. "Er... Huh? Thanks, Alda, for making sure I didn't get shoved into a locker for like the sixth time in my life, but that doesn't change the fact that what you guys are feeling isn't magic. Look, it's, ahem, not too strange to have a lesbian experience- o-or bisexual, or maybe not indicative of anything at all-! When you're faced with a girl like..." he stammered, trying to take control of the proceedings again.

"Like?" Claire asked, unhooking her own strained, wrap-around bra while crossing one arm over the amazingly large, pleasantly soft swells of her breasts. She allowed it to drop off, then pressed up against Alda with her chest for modesty, such as it were, wrapping her arms around the other girl's back.

"... Like Claire," he managed to finish, gulping hard.

"Hm hm," the red-headed girl chuckled in response, then kissed Alda's ear in another freakishly stimulating gesture. "I quite like the idea. Well, Clarence? Do you have any ideas for what we should do... next?" she asked, now reaching down to boldly slip her hands into the side straps of Alda's lower garment, curling the narrow fabric with her fingers and teasing it down just a little. "What would you do next, in our position?" One in their right mind couldn't fault Clarence too far for being skeptical; it didn't seem like Claire's mind was on magic at the moment. By this point, the two of them had rubbed in way too much of the liquid to avoid certain feelings, between what they'd applied themselves and the areas they were now rubbing together.

"Well, sheesh! I want to know the source of your powers, of course. My magic is, er, a work in progress. If I'm being honest, I don't feel like most of the girls here have real powers. But yours... we've seen yours in action! You're a real clairvoyant who already knows the secret to future-sight, or from everything I've seen, that's the case! Can't you share the secret with the rest of us so we can further our own learning?" he asked, sounding almost as frustrated about that information not being divulged yet as he did having to fight back the urge to just shut up and watch.

Claire smiled at him sideways, then withdrew her hands from Alda's bikini bottom and pressed each over her breasts, turning to face him. "Clarence... What if I were to tell you that navis are the source of magic? Would you believe me?" she cooed, sounding almost sleepy now. "My navi is the source of my magic..."

"Elaborate! What do you mean by that?" Clarence asked, unintentionally leaning forward a bit as she worked the magic conduit into her chest, which was a polite way of saying she was massaging her own breasts.

"Hm hm hm... We didn't come all this way just to retread what I already know about magic, did we?" Claire asked, looking over her shoulder to Alda. "You understand what I mean already, don't you, Alda? If you do, explain it to Clarence, and I'll give you a special reward... If you don't... then grab a hold of these and keep me covered for a moment, because I'm going to need my hands to explain to our dear host how the magic works," she giggled. If Alda gave up and accepted the consolation prize, she'd wait for Alda to get close enough, then allow Alda to put a hand on each breast, at which point she'd lift her own arms, one now holding her PET she'd swiped off the bench nearby. What Alda would then do with those boobs was her own business; since Claire's arms were up, Alda would really have free reign of wherever she wanted to touch, if somehow she thought of somewhere better than the chest. If Alda thought she knew the answer, however, there could be an even greater prize awaiting her for making a guess.

"I don't get it. Alda... what is...?" Clarence asked, leaning forward way too hard now and clearly staring at the bust before him.

"Give up! Nobody knows the secret of Claire's magic, not even me!" Mallory warned, holding out another tiny curse talisman, although she was too far off for Alda to read what it said at the moment.
For a Navi that studied arcane Net magic in her spare time, Anathema was really not much for mystique. Hence, her methods for the trick. She smiled at the applause, and looked over to SellSoul briefly. "Ha, I wish!" Unlike some Navis, she had the ultimate bra: magical power.

After the curtain fell, the witch Navi learned that she was being...let go? "Whaaaaaaaa-oops!" And...mic set to off, to prevent anyone from going deaf to her reaction. "What?!" She took a deep breath, listening to everyone else. If someone was paying close attention, they'd notice that her hands were giving off a fiery black aura, though she managed to make it fade after a few seconds. She folded her arms beneath her breasts (though in a rare move, she wasn't pushing them up at all), and scowled. "Are you even listening to yourself? Since when is a crowd 'inconsequential'? They were enjoying the show. One look at their faces would tell you that. As an entertainer, what more could you ask?" It took her a moment before continuing; she had to take a moment to regain some of her composure. "Actually, since my operator's a scientist, let's do an experiment. I want you to remember how the applause sounded just then. Then, you do a trick with me and SellSoul offstage. See if the applause sounds any different to you. This doesn't mean I'm taking your money and leaving, mind you. But if you agree to my experiment, I'll step aside for a few."

If he refused, she'd have to think of something else...but if he accepted, she'd appear in front of the curtain a puff of smoke. "Being an assistant is hard! I'm going to need a couple of minutes, but don't worry, Mr. Gupta will continue to amaze you with his magic!" Somehow, she managed to make it sound genuine. After what he had just tried to pull, that was the true magic. She took her leave by having a small smog cloud form beneath her, then lifting her up and out of sight. She'd reappear beyond the edge of the stage, to have a good spot to view the incoming trick.

Actually, it'd be a swell time to check the boards either way...hmm, going out with a human? Considering what she could and couldn't do with them, she wasn't sure if that sounded good or not. And, of course, there was still the matter of the reviewers. At this point, she wasn't entirely sure if Vinzez was going to escape their wrath...but considering he was bringing it on himself, she wasn't exactly sympathetic. And yet...eh, nah.

-----------------------------------------

"Oh, I disagree. I think there IS some magic going on here...aah!" Just like that, Alda found her breasts up against Claire's magnificent pair. And them being covered in the liquid just meant it was rubbing off onto her...and the kiss only compounded her pleasure. If Claire took her, right then and there, in front of everyone, she wouldn't do a thing to stop her. As it was, she could feel herself having certain physical reactions...which, given how skimpy her bottom was, would make it even more obvious what she was feeling, at least when that view wasn't being blocked.

She listened to the conversation as she enjoyed the moment, though the question managed to snap her very, very slightly back to reality, as it was something she was ill-prepared to answer. But not much, judging by the fact she got behind the other woman, rubbing her own chest against her back. If anything, the tiny reality check gave her the clarity to make up an excuse that wasn't just 'I don't know' "Oh, I know I could answer...but there's no one better to explain than the source. Besides, it's not like I don't benefit from not answering..." Making sure she had some liquid on her hands, she reached around, and grabbed the clairvoyant's breasts with them, and began to massage them. She did less to hide them as she did so, though at the very least, she was avoiding showing Clarence the nipples...though she was still doing her best to play with that part of her, too. "Well? He's waiting!~"
"My dear, I understand your misguided opinions about entertainment, but you are confusing the audience's applause for your goofballery... their tittering, lackwit laughter... for the sort of awe and respect that a person of my profession is supposed to inspire. I am not a clown. I do not wish to amuse the crowd. They are not children, they are adults who paid good money to see a professional magic show. I created the template for that and I will follow that template to the letter," Vinzez scolded Anathema at length, keeping his own arms crossed and his eyebrows arched in a severe expression. "Ha! Applause proves nothing. To prove me wrong, you would have to continue to sell out seats in arenas on a consistent basis, prove a business model and etc., etc. But if you're that determined, I suppose I'll show you what I mean. Ordinarily I hold this trick until near the end, but I suppose I'll show you the power of a tested formula."

While he was about to turn and walk out, she instead poofed out in front of him. She wasn't able to see his reaction to that, but she probably had a guess as to how he took it. Regardless, the crowd was receptive, clapping as she took the stage and giving another polite peel when she left. SellSoul snuck around the side of the curtain and slithered to the side of the stage, plopping down her obscenely curvy bottom next to Anathema's own. "This is what we call assisted career suicide," she snickered in a low whisper. "'For my next amazing trick: the human burial act!' Keeheehee! But really, how could anyone follow the two of us?" She seemed to feel some sort of camaraderie with Anathema for being asked to sit out the next act.

Scout looked particularly nervous, standing just off-center of the stage as the curtain opened slowly to reveal Vinzez standing with his arms spread. "Hm hm. Well, we can hardly blame her; being sliced up will take a lot out of a person," he chuckled, which solicited another polite series of chuckles from the audience. "My friends, let us resume. We're going to change up the order today. Instead of saving the best for last, we're going to jump straight to the main event. Miss Scout, this next performance requires the full range of my powers. In order to perform it, I will need you to sing," he informed his one remaining attendant.

She blinked a few times, with a frown that showed she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. Before she could speak, he added: "and dance."

The hapless, auburn-haired girl kept the stupefied look on her face a moment longer, than shook her hands in a hasty gesture of refusal. "No, no-no-no, nope!" she responded quickly, backing towards the curtain. "I can't sing or dance!"

"I think you'll find it in you," Vinzez smirked, reaching one hand behind her to guide her to the front. Unfortunately, she was a holographic projection, and simply slid through his arm. "I insist. Just lift your head and think of the stars above" he spoke mysteriously, but with less mirth in his voice this time. He gestured discretely with his eyes to where an electronic screen was hidden on the roof above the stage, behind the curtain where it would be out of sight of the audience. Only from the stage could it be seen. Words of a song were beginning to scroll across said screen and music, vaguely identifiable as something eastern and perhaps Yumlandian. Most of it was actually a chant, so Scout began it as well as she could, probably flubbing the pronunciation of what few words there were. She raised her hands up and did her closest approximation of a bellydance, which wasn't particularly close, though she had the body for it at least. She was mostly gyrating her torso and hips, but failing to do a lot of the arm motions one might expect. "Very good."

While the audience was thus enthralled, the elder Gupta brought out the same hidden swords he used earlier, then stepped out from behind girl's figure, raising the swords above his head in a near pantomime of her own position, raising both arms above his head and crossing the swords. He rubbed the swords together, creating showers of sparks... more sparks than it seemed like ought to be coming from metal scraping metal, truth be told. As he did, the sparks washed over him, catching his cape and garment on fire. "Do not be alarmed. Trust in my power!" he informed the crowd, creating a fascinating spectacle as he appeared to be genuinely immolating himself for the sake of a magic trick. The crowd gasped loudly, watching but not interfering.

"The man's nuts! That's no hologram..." SellSoul stammered, fire reflecting in the whites of her eyes.

On stage, Scout found herself trying to gain some distance as well, unable to tell where the act was going. For a moment, she stopped singing, until she realized that he wasn't ceasing clanging the swords and remembered to do her part. "Please be careful..." she warned him.

"Ha ha ha! There is no need. Witness my strength...!" he grunted, filling the air with the sounds of clanging metal. By this point, he'd basically become a shape of him former self, but completely covered in flames. The crowd had started cheering and applauding, but it was anyone's guess as to how this ended with anything other than Vinzez becoming a pile of ash. Still, the sparks kept coming, to the point one could be forgiven for looking away for a moment to where Scout was still making a novice dance attempt. As she danced, her form began to flicker. Nobody seemed to be the wiser, unless Anathema happened to be watching, but soon enough, the flickering seemed to focus itself onto the girl's one-piece, legless bunnysuit. A moment later, a few segments of it were still flickering, then suddenly, it was gone, leaving her in a flashy, white bikini, literally strapless on the top with some unseen force holding it up, presumably net magic, and with very high legs on the bottom without much coverage all around.

Oddly enough, the first person to call attention to the new outfit was Vinzez. "Good God, woman! I don't know why you've chosen to disrobe, but whatever you do, don't stop dancing! You must not break the dance, or the spell will be undone and we'll all burn alive!" he insisted, still clanging the swords, for whatever reason.

Crying out in a mix of terror, astonishment, and embarrassment, the red-faced girl continued her dance fiercely, unable to cover herself as she kept her arms raised into the air. If Anathema was looking very, very closely, she'd see some sort of liquid or oil, completely transparent, begin pouring from discrete serrations in the sides of each blade. As the liquid came down, she'd notice, less discretely, that Gupta had wrapped himself in his cape at some point during being immolated; the cape had some sort of transparent inner lining, possibly flame-retardant, hidden inside the inside folds, allowing only specific areas of the cape to light form as the liner blanketed the rest of his form. With the dim lighting, combined with the distraction Scout was providing, no one else would notice as he rid himself mostly of the flames, then patted down the few tiny parts that were still left.

"My friends! I've escaped in one piece. I suppose I owe some small degree of thanks to my assistant here who, despite her failings that nearly roasted me alive, she did pull it out at the end. A round of applause for her as well. Loud applause," she insisted, flashing a scummy smirk over in Anathema's direction. The applause was, indeed, raucous, as the crowd had nothing to do but applause, murmur, and watch Scout as she tried in vain to restore her GMO.

"... How's he still alive?" SellSoul asked, baffled. Anathema, being closest to the stage, was probably the only one who could answer that, though whether she cared to was another matter.

"A short intermission, while I prepare for the remainder of the show and my lovely assistant gathers... her bearings," Vinzez chuckled, giving a short bow as trails of smoke rose from his cape and his the lapels of his jacket. He beckoned for Anathema to rejoin him back-stage, then raised his eyebrows and spread his arms. "What do you say? I don't think anything you could do out there could draw more applause than my bread-winning performance out there..."

Recent Posts on Gupta Magic Exhibition BBS
Thread: Coup De Grace
>A little early this time, but good as ever
>>Oppai!
>>Oppai!
>>>I almost never miss a Gupta show. You never know who's going to get naked.
>>>Wish it had been Anathema though.
>>>>Pretty nice ass though!

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Thread: Intermission?
New posts only
>Another intermission? Dammit

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Thread: (Hidden) Ongoing Observation
New posts only
>And there we have it. He still found a way to cap it off the same way as always, even without the secret string on the lovely assistant's clothes.
>>He probably gets off on it too lol
>>>Well, that doesn't matter. The thing is he does the same part everywhere. Half the audience is probably clapping for boobs and the other doesn't know any better.
>>>>Whatever the case, I'm writing my article. Using navis and switching the order of his acts doesn't change the fact that it's the same thing he's done at every show for like a decade.
>>>>Doesn't the guy know his big act is a meme in the magic community by now? For such an egotistic guy, you'd think he'd pay attention to this board.


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Claire gave a few breathy gasps, unable to answer Alda's request for a moment as the other girl had her way with the tremendous gifts she'd been granted. "V-Very enthusiastic... I'll have to return the favor later," the clairvoyant chuckled. "And even if you don't know the answer, I appreciate your pursuit of knowledge." She kept her hands above her head for now, so as not to interfere with allowing Alda to do whatever she wanted. Clarence and Mallory seemed to have dropped their differences for a moment, as both watched from a fairly unprofessional distance with unmasked amazement and jealousy on their faces. Hadya watched with one leg crossed over the other, showing no emotion. Dusana was alternating between watching and thumbing over her PET, smiling more in amusement than anything. Mundwoon appeared to be using her PET's camera function to make a recording.

"While I'm baring it all, I might as well bare it all," she told the others with a deep breath, bringing her shoulders down to allow one hand to grasp Alda's shoulder, while the other stroked at her hair. "The truth is, I'm not clairvoyant, although I, like you, am interested in true magic. Perhaps for different reasons, mind you... My motivations are less a devotion to the craft and more interested in the possibilities of power and fame that go with it. But yes. I'm a sham," she admitted, which cased Mallory's face to fall as much as anything so far. Gupta still seemed focused on the boobs. "My navi, Scout, is an excellent assistant. I generally plan to spend my entire day in one area, and before I do, I have her access as much information as possible on the location, including, to what extent I can, who will be visiting, when, any information on them- especially something which would require clairvoyance to know beforehand- and so on. It's just an extended version of the common fortune-teller's trick... Like knowing a person's lost a loved one because they're alone wearing a wedding ring," she chuckled. "It's all a little trite. I'm ready to set it aside for real magic, which I know must exist... and I know must be tied to your grandfather's exploits, Clarence. He gave you a gift... this magic conduit."

Clarence didn't correct her this time, still enraptured by the view.

"By all accounts, your grandfather was a true magician. His secrets were never revealed and have never been unraveled, even since his passing. If he left you this mysterious substance, which even my research has been unable to uncover the origin of, it simply must be tied to his powers," she insisted.

"It's... sex..." he murmured dumbly, still staring bug-eyed. "Sorry... it's what I said earlier... it's aphrodisiac soap... that's all it is," he finally returned.

"Please... it does feel pleasant, but your grandfather leaving you this many barrels of lubricant for that purpose? That's even less believable!" Claire scoffed. "Perhaps there is a reason it feels pleasant... That must be it! His magic is somehow tied to the fullest effect of the liquid! And now that we're nearly fully coated, we're almost there! The sensation is a guide, of sorts... It makes us crave it so that we can unlock it's fullest powers!" thus convinced, the lady turned so that Alda's arms were again embracing her, then grabbed hold of the other girl's panties and slid them the rest of the way down, hiding the view from the others with her body. If Alda returned the favor, she'd be treated to Claire's naked front, while the audience would see the other side. "That's it, Alda... We must give in, fully!" she exclaimed.

"I draw the line there! That is not happening," Mallory would interject, finally running up to grab Claire. "I don't care if you're a fraud or not, you're still our leader. And this... this is the real sham! That guy's tricked us all into coming here so he can cover us in pink goo, get us naked and making out, and he'll watch and enjoy," she complained, curling her lip in disgust. "It's probably messed with your head, too! That's why you made up that stuff about your power being fake and why you're trying to have relations with this stranger instead of... w-with this stranger, I mean!"

"I don't have to just watch!" Clarence responded, sounding offended. He shook his head and corrected himself. "I mean, I never wanted to use the stuff anyway! Remember? I brought it here to sell it because I don't need it! It has nothing to do with magic!"

Either way, fun time with Claire was over, unless Alda was going to try to stop Mallory from physically dragging her partner away, which would be difficult given her toughness. Alda may also have the presence of mind to remember she needed to cover herself, now that said nudity wasn't useful for pleasuring herself along with Claire. "Come on, Claire. We already gave this guy a show... he's gonna pay us what he owes us or I'll curse him so bad-"

"Fine, fine! I'll pay you! It was a very good sho- I mean, uh... I mean, I used a lot of your time, that is," Clarence gulped in agreement. "You too, Alda. It's clear I made a mess of the whole affair by bringing along this distraction... And I have a feeling that... when your head is clear, you're probably going to be a little miffed about it all. So let me reassure you one more time, this stuff has nothing to do with magic. I'll pay you, we'll put this behind us, and uh... maybe we'll reassemble to discuss magic another time," he sighed. He was already reaching for his pants pockets, while standing awkwardly to avoid showing the tent that had been pitched by the proceedings. "Agreed?'

Mallory was now in the middle of wrapping one of the locker room towels around Claire, who was still protesting without much luck. If Alda could think clearly now, she'd probably realize she was the only person here who seemed to have any real magic talent (in her mind anyways), so there might not be much to learn from this magic assembly after all... Well, unless she was looking to re-evaluate her sexual preferences.
After poofing, Anathema found herself with a partner in rejection. She did giggle a bit at SellSoul's comments, but then shook her head and frowned. "If he doesn't see very, very soon, you're right. ...I wonder why I even care so much? I mean, he's just a stage magician, and not even the one that Alda's being paid by." But she sure was caring. Was she just trying to prove a point? Really, if she just told him what the BBS was saying, it might solve everything...but it'd also prove that their 'secret' wasn't really a secret...argh. Thinking wasn't helping, so she might as well watch the trick.

...

Well, it was flashy, and yet, despite the danger he put himself in, the witch Navi found it hard to be especially impressed. It was almost too flashy, leaving little of substance. SellSoul didn't seem to notice everything she did, though. "Well, it wasn't magic. Though I'll admit, pulling that off without triggering any smoke alarms is pretty impressive." Hmm...smoke. A plan quickly started to form in her mind, as Vinzez walked off-stage. Upon his boast, she smirked, and placed a hand on her hip. "Well, that seems to be an invitation to try. Enjoy your break, 'Boss'! SellSoul, with my promotion, I hereby grant you the official title of Lovely Assistant! And I'll be needing your help with my trick...just do what I say, and everything should go great, okay? We're going to put a spin on the old classic, sawing someone in half!" She closed her eyes for a moment, causing some sort of effect behind the curtain, though no one besides the Navis would really be able to tell. She used the chance to do a quick check of the BBS, though nothing of real note came up. Fine by her, at this point. "We're up. Let's break some legs!"

Anathema walked out and waved, most likely drawing the spotlight to her. "Don't worry folks, Boss just needs to cool off for a few. But don't despair, we've got something special lined up! Curtain people, bring it up!" She'd wait for the curtain to rise, and reveal her trump card. Any magic afficianado would instantly recognize the purple box now on stage, and even if they didn't, the large saw leaned against it would tip off what the basic trick was. It was held up with legs with wheels on the bottom. Oddly, the floor was also now bathed in purple light. "Since Vinzez can't be with us, we can't exactly saw a man in half, so I guess I'll take over that duty!" She opened the box, and showed the audience its contents. Notably, it was empty, and had zero space to hide anything like fake legs. "As you can see, it's totally empty right now. But that's about to change!" After returning it to the upright position, she opened it again, and hopped in, head and feet sticking out from each end. "All right, go ahead and close it!" She'd wait for SellSoul to close it before continuing. Tragically for the boob lovers, the box was plenty big enough, and not even Anathema's chest rose enough to be visible from the top before the box closed.

"Wow, this is super not-comfy...oh well. now, my lovely assistant will grab that big saw, and cut me in two! Lucky for me this is a magic show, right?" From here, the temporary stage magician had little to do until SellSoul started to cut her in two. To prepare was simple enough, though...tuck her arms in a little so that they were out of saw range, and...dematerialize the area where she was going to get cut, turning her waist area into smog. As the saw started to actually go through, she'd fake pain, reassuring her assistant if for some reason she got skittish. A little bit of smoke would come out towards the end, but that wouldn't affect anything. Once the box was completely cut, there were two boards to stick inside where she was split, and show that, indeed, Anathema was two halves of a whole currently. That said, the purple lighting's purpose would become clear to the other Navi, as while it was very subtle, some gas was escaping and exchanging between the boxes; while they were mostly closed by the boards, there was in fact juuust enough room for a little bit to leave at the top. That said, it (probably) wasn't really enough for anyone in the audience to notice, thanks to the overwhelming purple. "Behold! I'm here!...And here!" She moved her feet around, to show that she still had control of them.

"This is fun and all, but I think maybe I should get back in one piece. Kinda hard to walk off the stage when your legs can just leave you behind, you know? Now, lovely assistant, I need you to get those boards off, and shout out 'Abracadabra Alakazam!' as you do so! The magic words will return me to my original state!" She'd tuck her feet inside the box, wait for SellSoul to do as she asked, then...boom! The audience probably wouldn't be able to see it, but after quickly converting her lower body to smog, it rushed out, through the gap between the boxes, and reformed inside the other half. The force was still enough to noticably move the top box a few inches, though. "Oof...those magic words have some oomph! Anyway, guess I can come ou-wait a sec, I dropped something in here. Gimme a sec..." She ducked her head into the box, leaving nothing visible of her for a moment...the process of gas going from one side to the other was quickly repeated. She started to reform herself, then pushed open the end of the box with the foot openings, and crawled out, head first. Once she was all out, she let out a big smile and raised her arms, with a declaration of "Ta-da!" However, the trick wasn't completely done. The top part of her bunny outfit fell from her bosom, dropping down to where she'd been cut. The remainder then managed to somehow fall down, leaving her in a white bikini identical to Scout's, save for the proportions. Anathema looked down, shook her head, and placed her hands on her hips. Unlike with Scout, she wasn't exactly embarrassed. If anything, the idea of hundreds of people lustily staring at her barely clothed body was a big turn on. "Oh, dang. I got the saw that doesn't magically cut through clothing, didn't I?" How utterly unexpected on her part.

--------------------------

Augh. As she was enjoying Claire's breasts, Alda began to be reminded of how she easily could've wound up being able to do this all by herself...only to end up with what she did. And considering how skinny the rest of her was, she was lucky to have what she did. But nooooo, the tit fairy skipped a visit, and only endowed Rhonda with a nice rack. This train of thought made her a bit rougher with the other woman, though unless she absolutely hated any sort of force, it would hardly be unpleasant.

It took a moment after it was said, but it got through to the alchemist that this meeting probably wasn't going to reveal anything particularly magical. And yet, she didn't exactly mind, given the circumstances. Or maybe it was because of the circumstances..."Wait. He has barrels of this stuff?! I agree, why would he have so much of it if that was its only purpose?!" Aside from the fact it felt amazing. "Give in fully...that would make sense. Yes, I will fully give myself to this feeling, and to you!" She reached in for another kiss, using the extra closeness to grab the faux clairovoyant's own remaining clothing and yanking it down. She wouldn't know if Claire's body was reacting the same way as her's until after she did so and looked, but one look at Alda down there would show that she was very much not faking her desires, and 100% ready for anything further the other woman desired of her.

Unfortunately, those desires would not be fulfilled, as Mallory pulled Claire away. The witch tried to resist, but her total lack of physical strength betrayed her, and instead found herself naked in front of strangers. She dropped to her knees and sat down, which had the benefit of hiding her most intimate areas from the others.
Payment? You know, a nice payment would be to let Claire and me finish testing our theory...although..."
As something caught her eye, it was fairly clear that there were other ways to get what she was wanting. "You know, I'm ready for action, you're ready for action, by the looks of it...if you've got a condom, you and I could complete testing that hypothesis...~" She spread her legs a little, to give Clarence a better view of what she had to offer. "We'll never know for sure unless someone tries...~"
"That was an invitation to nothing! Stay put, dammit," Vinzez hissed, but with the current stage of the show, he could not snap as loudly as he'd like. Dragging Anathema away was also impossible, for obvious reasons. Furthermore, being jacked into the stage control console, she was free to open and close the curtains as she pleased, so there was nothing to stop her from opening them back up for the sake of her new magic act.

Anathema wound find a willing assistant in SellSoul, who, like her operator, seemed to delight at being relied upon for anything. "I'm going to break every leg in the house!" she reassured Anathema, though the expression seemed to be more a cause for alarm than a deterrent.

The crowd's initial reaction to seeing the two again was clapping and light-hearted laughter; they were probably expecting another gag. Vinzez's prediction had come true in one respect: one funny act made everyone expect more, though whether that was a bad thing was up for debate. The trick itself went off without a hitch (well, without any unplanned hitches) as SellSoul eagerly sawed as instructed, seeming almost too eager to cut Anathema in half at nothing more than a few words' prompting. The faked pain didn't seem to deter her at all.

The crowd never seemed to have any real concern that Anathema was going to be injured throughout this process; even if she'd been a human, everyone generally knew the gist of this trick enough to know that Anathema wasn't in real danger. The trick wasn't much new to look at, but the audience appreciated it all the same, perhaps just appreciating the change in atmosphere. As they clapped along, they were surprised to see Anathema's clothes fall away, leaving her in the same barely-there bikini that Scout had showed off moments ago and was now hiding abashedly just off stage. Most of the reaction seemed positive, which was undoubtedly a huge surprise for Anathema.

Just offstage, with Scout, Vinzez looked like he was about to bust a gut, his frown wide beneath his neat mustache. His hair looked tousled, though that was probably the result of his manic sword clanging and cloak wrapping in the previous act. SellSoul, on stage with Anathema, was clapping along with the audience, having set down her saw earlier, of course. One might wonder if she was having some misgivings about being the only girl still suited, though, given her love for taking one for the team.

The applause was good, but Anathema had enough time to check how else the audience felt using her BBS:

Recent Posts on Gupta Magic Exhibition BBS
Thread: Coup De Grace
New posts only
>Oppai!
>>Oppai!
>>>I thought we were done! Guess there was more after all.
>>>>I just want to watch Anathema from now on! Best lovely assistant ever!
>>>>>The loveliest

-----------------------------------------
Thread: Strip Magic?
>So all the acts are going to be strip magic for now on? That's dumb.
>>You're dumb
>>>I want the old magic show back! It's just going to get embarrassing if they do it every act!
>>>>It wasn't embarrassing before knowing they'd do it just in the last act?
>>>>>Also a navi doing magic isn't real magic. They can do anything on the net.
>>>>>>I'd do anything on the net that looked like that! :J

---------------------------------------
Thread: (Hidden) Ongoing Observation
New posts only
>So he's going to put in more strip magic? I dunno if that'll pay off.
>>It's different though. That's good enough for me.
>>>You're right. I guess I'll hold off running my article for a while if he's going to change up his act. I'd look pretty stupid if I wrote it right as he's revising his material.
>>>>Even him letting his assistants do an act by themselves is pretty unique.
>>>>>So are they going to do one more act and strip the last girl?
>>>>>>Why? Lol you just want to see everyone naked.
>>>>>>>I like to see things complete, okay? It's obsessive compulsive disorder.



--------------------------------------

It probably came as no shocker to Alda to find that, even with all of the other moisture coating Claire, it was pretty easy to tell Claire was excited in the same way she was once the last shred of clothing was off. The real shocker was, just as Alda and Claire were ready to consummate their relationship as magic-curious, bi-curious magic practitioners, Mallory yanked the two apart. At first, she looked like she might be a bit apologetic, given that she'd just revealed Alda's naked front to the crowd, but her sympathy vanished as she saw that Alda wasn't overly inconvenienced by the attention. "This gunk really is accursed! Maybe I can learn a thing or two about curses from it after all," she grumbled, wrapping Claire up in a towel against the red-head's will.

Clarence was having a hard time resisting Alda's offer, despite not being slathered in pink stuff like many of the others. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who had a lot of experience with this sort of thing, and even under the circumstances, it was hard to turn down. "N-Not in front of an audience, I think," he murmured, fixing his cape over his shoulder and trying to get it to fall so that it would cover up his groin. "Not that there's anything wrong with you! But, er, back to the point, this goo really is nothing more than a sexual stimulant, and I have no idea why my grandfather had so much of it, but that's all it is. Trust me, when this stuff wears off, anyone affected by it is going to really, really regret whatever they got up to. Now let's all calm ourselves and-"

He was interrupted by a loud tonguing noise from over one shoulder, which everyone in the room would quickly realize was from Claire and Mallory now conducting a noisy makeout session. Mallory didn't seem so opposed to the antics as long as she got to be part of them with Claire.

"Aw, for the love of... Mundwoon, Hadya, would you please help break this up?" Clarence half-begged.

Mundwoon eagerly interjected herself between the two girls who were making out, though the grin on her face showed she might not mind taking part herself. Contagious atmosphere, perhaps. Hadya, on the other hand, approached quietly, grabbing a towel as she did and kneeling in front of Alda to offer it. "Alda, I apologize, but please accept this. It is my sworn oath to follow whatever commands I am given," she spoke, a rare bit of dialogue from the ordinarily silent girl. Unfortunately, it might be a little hard for Alda to set aside her newfound bi-curiosity, as from this position, she could see half down Hadya's top, and the lady's large, natural breasts were about as impressive as Claire's. Beyond that, Alda could almost see up her miniskirt, where her thick, brown thighs were on display thanks to her eye-catching costume.

"Once you're wrapped up, I'll hand over your reward," Clarence sighed, not realizing that a three-way makeout session was happening starting to happen behind him.

Amazingly, Dusana was ignoring all of this, continuing to scroll over her PET with one finger.
...

...

...Dammit. The applause was nice, but her trick hadn't quite brought the house down the way she'd hoped. Anathema didn't let it show outwardly, though, and took in the applause, waving at the crowd as she bounced up and down a bit. Just enough so that those looking at her rack would get a nice bonus. Plus, it gave her a chance to see the BBS reactions...they seemed to like it, aside from one person who thought strip magic was 'dumb'. They were dumb. And another person seemed like they didn't quite understand that Navis could do a lot, but they couldn't quite do anything at will. To make that trick work the way it did, she had to utilize her more unique talents. Oh well, she made it look effortless, at least.

Speaking of effort, once she was off the stage, the witch Navi could tell at a glance that her efforts were futile, as Vinzez seemed less than pleased at her. She sighed and crossed her arms, which just made it look like her breasts were going to pop out of the impossible bikini. "Relax, I'm done. I can tell you didn't get it. But let me give you fair warning. Your act, no matter how good it is, never changes. People don't like it when things get stale. They want fresh stuff, things they've never seen. If you can't grasp even that, then your days as a performer are numbered. That's not some magical prediction, that's just data extrapolation." ...Again, why was she even caring so much? If he flamed out, boo hoo, not a big deal. But speaking of deal... "Oh, and I'll take that 'going away' money now." Once she'd gotten it, she'd change back to her base appearance, and hand over the GMO. "Thanks for the GMO. I'd ask to keep it, but...I just don't think I'd really use it much." Well, that was definitely a lie. She just wasn't much for keeping mementos of her failures. At most, she'd burn a Vinzez effigy to ash and keep the dust afterward if she wanted something to remind her of the mission. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

-------------------------

"..." Between Clarence refusing her, and the increasingly large makeout session going on behind him, the situation basically turned into a giant bucket of cold water hitting Alda. She almost seemed a little sad as she closed her legs again, and after a moment, accepted the towel with no attempt to even try to see what other commands she'd follow. "A-All right..." Back to real life. No one wanted Alda if there were other options. She thought she was cute, and smart, and was sometimes unintentionally funny...but she seemed to be alone in that opinion. Eventually, someone curvier would come along, and woo away whoever she was trying to hook up with, and it'd work because they had bigger T+A than her. Granted, this was the first time she'd tried doing it with another girl, but even then, it happened. It just was...argh. But she knew that already. She'd seen society pull this sort of thing on her way too much to not know this was the way the world worked.

Sighing, she stood up, the towel now preventing anything risque from being seen...though it was still arousing her a bit just from all the goo that was on her. Still, she was at least mostly back to business, as she refocused on Clarence. "You know, I still think you're wrong on that count. Just because it has an obvious, and...really, really effective purpose, doesn't mean it can't have a secondary function. You think it was obvious to use mold to fight disease? When I say it like that, it sounds insane, doesn't it? And yet, over a century ago, we were able to do just that."

Alda reached down, grabbing what would best be called her panties, and put them back on, flinching a bit as even with as little fabric as it covered, the goop still had an effect from putting it on. She wasn't quite sure where her other stuff had gone, though. Still, she had another order of business before getting fully dressed, getting her payment, and leaving. "Oh, right. By the way, you three..." She didn't really care if she'd actually gotten their attention, but she turned over to the makeout session behind Clarence, and presented them with her left middle finger. "Screw you all right now. I hope you all get a disease from each other." That she somehow magically avoided. ...Ha, magically. "So, Clarence, can I get my reward now? I'd really like to just go...although! Is there any chance I can get a sample of that goo? Not much, just enough to run a chemical analysis."
"You're no magic critic, Vinzez. I've made it this far on my routine and here, at the pinnacle of the industry, there's no need to work harder. I choose to work smarter and stick with what works," Vinzez protested, not knowing that his days were numbered and that number could be a matter of a single digit. "I'll transfer into the network 2000 zenny in funds, plus an additional 500 for your... attempt at sound advice," he chuckled, undeservedly smug. "Thank you for being my lovely assistant. I think I can wrap the crowd up from here."

*Anathema gets 2500 zenny*

"No momento?" SellSoul asked, looking shocked. She looked like she wanted to try to force the issue, given her propensity for indebting people to her, but she dropped it in the interest of not making the aggravating situation more annoying. "How about you, Scout?"

"I think I'll be happier to never remember it... It's really better for me if I can just stay out of the spotlight," the other girl sighed, though she eagerly restored her clothes so that she could return the costume. The three could head offstage while Vinzez got on with his next canned trick. "Anyway, I'm glad you and Alda came up with an idea so that Clair could join the magic gathering."

"Yeah! She's the whole package already: brains, boobs, and butt!" SellSoul agreed.

"Isn't it usually 'brains, beauty, brawn?'" Scout retorted.

"Yeah, but we didn't see her fight, so I don't wanna make any assumptions. Anyway, I'm gonna head back to the PET and see what Mundwoon is up to. Catch you on the flipside, Annie! Look me up if you need another partner in the future! I'd be happy to offer my services... Ku ku ku!" SellSoul finished, flashing another grin before vanishing.

"... You can look me up too, if you want," Scout offered, with a small smile, before following SellSoul in another jack-out beam.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Clarence gulped, his face registering worry, though it wasn't clear if he was suddenly regretting passing up his opportunity to get laid or if he realized he'd upset Alda. "Trust me... It's not easy for me right now, but I think everybody here is going to regret anything they do here once they come to their senses. I already know I'm going to have to confiscate Mundwoon's PET and delete some photos before she leaves the room," he explained again, straightening the lapels of his jacket in a way that made him look like a poor imitation of his father. "So, you know... m-maybe at another magic assembly, when we all have a clearer head! I'd be happy to..." he mumbled with a lack of confidence, perhaps thinking the words sounded a little presumptuous on his lips. "Er, spend some more time learning your unique form of magic."

He frowned, then knit his brow. "I want to believe in the stuff too, Alda, especially since my grandfather went through the trouble of passing it down to me. Maybe I'll save a barrel... just in case. I guess faith is a big part of being a magician too," he conceded, although Alda probably didn't consider herself a 'faithful' person. Hadya faded back into the shadows of the locker room; Alda had been too over it all to spare her much of a thought, and besides, for her standout appearance, she hadn't been much of a presence so far.

The three girls had very different reactions to Alda's parting gift. Mallory gave her a return middle finger with one free hand, while groping with the other. "You're lucky I'm busy, or else, I'd have a four letter curse for you: it goes F, U, augh!" she cried out, as Mundwoon gave her a big slap on her ass.

"Don't worry, Alda! I get tested regularly," Mundwoon cackled, more a brag about how much sex she had than anything else. Though, with Mundwoon's penchant for just giving people things, it was pretty likely that not all of those tests had been in regards to particularly desirable specimens.

"Alda, despite Mallory's earlier-" Clair managed to get out, before Mallory found her lips again. She managed to wrestle her face free, then continued. "Despite her earlier protest in the form of yanking me away, I'm as ready as ever to take you up on that particular offer. If you'd like, I'll scoot over and make you some room?" she offered, putting a little distance between Mundwoon and herself. Mundwoon was still so horny that she only managed to pull apart the snuggle by virtue of her intense desire to do whatever people asked. Alda did say she had to go, though. "Oh well... Maybe another time. I see another meeting in our future." By the sounds of it, that was the last thing Alda wanted, though the feeling was evidently one-sided.

"Your reward, yes. You can feel free to take that goo with you... whatever is on you and, heck, if you brought a bottle or a jar or something, whatever you can fit in there is fine. I'm not planning to get very much zenny per gallon out of this," Clarence reassured her. "And for your other reward, I believe you wanted battlechips. How about I offer you these three: FlameLine1, DollThunder1, and IceWave1? Any you don't want, I'll swap you 2000z each for," the would-be magician suggested, perhaps in an attempt to stay in the alchemist's good graces.
"Ah hahahaha!" Knowing the truth of the matter, but having absolutely zero desire to tell Vinzez at this point, all Anathema could really do to respond to him was laugh. "All right, but don't say you weren't warned!~" Or that the money she just received wasn't well deserved.

With that, the hologram vanished, and she was able to entirely focus on her own world once again. SellSoul was less than happy at the idea of taking the GMO back, but her mind was made up. "No memento, sorry. But hey, at least my regular appearance shows my figure off nicely too, right?" She performed one final 'lovely assistant pose' for them, to demonstrate. If anything, her default outfit might actually have been even more suited to show off her ample bosom.

"Hmm? Oh, that? You're very welcome! Stage magic's more fun than I thought it'd be! And I bet it'd be even better if the magician didn't have a 10 foot stick permanently lodged in his ass!" Hmm, the whole package, huh. Well, she did consider herself pretty bright, and none of them were blind, so..."Heh, thanks! I dunno about brawn, anyway...I don't think muscle mass would really look good on me. I'll just stick to magic, thanks!" She hovered a few inches off the ground, and snapped her fingers, causing a small orb of shadow energy to form over her hand, before quickly fading. "...Yeah, I guess we should all head back, huh? I doubt any of our operators are worried, but still." She smiled and nodded as the other Navis departed. "It's a date!" For now, though, her only date was with Alda's PET. Stage magic was fun, but tiring. Besides, she wanted to see how things were going over there. And..jack out beam #3.

------------------------------------

Alda's initial response to Clarence was to just stare at him with an annoyed expression and stony silence, which, if nothing else, made it pretty clear that he needed to tread carefully. Fortunately, changing the subject to the goop softened her expression, and she nodded. "That's probably a good idea, even if you never plan to use it for the obvious. Though, I'd love it if I could make magic require a little less faith, and a little more fact."

Mallory's response made the witch scowl, but it faded into a snicker as she was interrupted. "I think you just stole my line. F U, indeed." It did not fade as Mundwoon made it clear that it was possible for her to spread something, but hearing Clair speak made her frown a bit. "Yeah...I'm reeeeeeally not in the mood now." Well, emotionally. Physically, she was still ready to take on all comers. "We'll see about next time. Maybe if we...had a bit more privacy?" She shot a glare at everyone else, though Clarence surprisingly got spared. Perhaps more surprising to her, she didn't straight up refuse the offer. But that was some powerful goop...another application and she might be raring to have at it.

Speaking of having things, she would indeed have a shot to score some of it...if she had anything that could be used as a container. "Seriously?! Do I look like I carry a lot of things with me?! ...I guess it's just not meant to be. What's on me right now is useless from a scientific perspective, though...it's got me in it, and probably a little of Clair as well, to put it overly simply." The entire time, Alda had been going around, gathering what clothing she did wear, and putting it back on. At this point, she was 100% dressed (by her standards, anyway), and grabbed her PET and related equipment. "Yes, I did want chips. Pure elemental forces, preferably." Okay, let's see what they each did. FlameLine...caused flames to rise from the ground. Cool. DollThunder...shot electricity forward. Neat. IceWave...froze enemies with ice energy. Yeah, those would do rather nicely. "No, I think Anathema will like all of those. Thank you." Fire, electricity, and ice...three classic forces. Perfect for a Navi mage. She collected the three chips, and added them to her folder. If nothing else, they'd be better NetBattlers after she went through all that.

"Whoa!" As if on cue, her Navi reappeared in her PET, and immediately took a look around. "Really, Alda? I was out doing work, and you're over here having a sexy party?"

"Trust me, it wasn't a party."

"Uh-huh. So no one made out with anyone?...Hey, are you blushing? Eeee! Who'd you make out with?"

"...We'll talk about what happened later. Right now, I'm outta here."

"Aww...hey, wait! That guy's got a boner! Are you kidding me? A sexy party, and no one's doing anything to fix that? C'mon ladies, you've all got tons of ways to alleviate that!"

"Aaaaand that's my cue. See you around, people." And with that rather indistinct farewell, Alda exited the locker room, ready to alleviate some things of her own.
((Anathema gets:

26 SellSoul FXP
16 Seer FXP
3 Pilfer FXP
31 Scout FXP
2 GrudgeMan FXP
9 GeistMan FXP
9 ReflectMan FXP))