"'If I really wanted to compliment my act, I, Chelly, could put on a pretty pink ballerina dress and dance with Rosewood, of course Spectra would have to make me a puppet so we'd match, but I, Chelly, don't see the problem with being a pretty girly cheetah puppet, well, apart from termites, but it's no worse than the stuff that go wrong with you guys-' Agh!" Celly let go of Rosewood's puppet cross.
Wesley laughed. "Good one Rosewood."
It was a trick of Rosewood's, no matter what someone told her to do, it had to be in the context of who she was. So they couldn't make her rob a bank beyond, say, her asking for a hand out from the tellar. And Rosewood could reach back along the feedback strings to her puppeteer. But Rosewood felt it broke the sacred edict of being a puppet and saved it for pranks.
Chelly picked up the cross again, and the wooden mouth flapped open and close as Chelly threw her voice, the puppet laughing in the voice of a little girl that somehow was not Chelly's. "Sorry Chelly, couldn't resist."
"It's fine Rosewood." Chelly remembered when being read Pinocchio, Rosewood had never understood why he wanted to be a 'real boy' he was already 'real' wasn't he?
As Sorcerer Spectra and O'Hara entertained the obliviously shrinking audience with some simple cantrips to cool off the previous tricks: the performers backstage were either relaxing after their show, or prepping themselves for their next act. Tommy The Tiger however, was taking a moment to chat with his lifetime friend.
"Hey, Wes', you got a minute?"
"Uh, sure bro'."
While the performers all thought of each other as family, (with O'Hara as their big sister), it was no secret that Tommy and Chelly felt something a little different from each other, well, as much as a couple of kids could at any rate. And Wesley loved to tease the two about it every chance he got.
"Don't take this the wrong way Wes' but... don't you think your gray hood and cape is kinda bland?"
"Just because I actually bother with a costume besides some neon make-up, doesn't make it boring."
Tommy frowned a bit. "That's not what I meant Wes'. I just mean, I get it adds to your style and everything. But shouldn't it be a bit more eye catching? O'Hara is saying how part of the show is keeping the audience distracted with glim and glam. And a plain gray hooded cape isn't much."
"Maybe I want my audience to be totally focused on me Tom." The weasel boy grinned. "I want their eyes glued on me, and still not able to figure out how I do it."
Rosewood and the triplets silently eavesdropped on the entire conversation as the two boys forgot they were even there. Chelly and Penny just leaned back and watched the 'exclusive backstage show.'
"Yes, but Rosewood, the triplets, Penny, me, and Chelly, our natural colors are all bright or shiny. You're... uh, kinda just there."
"You're saying I should either put pretty little sequins on my cape or I should dye my fur colors that would burn the eye's audience? I thought that was your thing." Wesley said with a sly grin with a fine mix of sarcasm and faux naivety.
"We are a magic act. Being over the top is what we do."
"Look. O'Hara and Spectra say that we're free to do what we want, how we want it in the show, as long as he thinks its not above what we can do and it works for a magic show. Which means I get to have my costume how I want, same as you guys."
Unlike Chelly, Wesley had no problem being a solo act, all the eyes on him was fine. Rosewood for her part didn't mind the idea of having other puppets in on the act, she just loved to dance. It gave her a sense of purity to who she was.
With O'Hara making jokes about monkeys as she pulled some rabbits out of a hat four at a time, Sorcerer Spectra declared to his audience, "With this next trick, we'll again need a volunteer from the audience!"
Of course the pickings were slowly getting slim. Nate and Katie weren't even considered, they were not meant for the magic trope, and and their destiny lay elsewhere. Plus, it was bad taste to chose an audience member twice, it makes the rest of the audience think you're using plants, which was way too obvious a trick.
Sorcerer Spectra eyes focused on a girl in a wheelchair, but much to his own frustration and regret, he knew that Wesley was right. There wasn't really a 'magic act' in a swimming performance, and this girl, he saw her fate was to become a mermaid, well, if he could sense her fate then at least he knew she'd find happiness as one some day. Sorcerer Spectra knew most would think such a fate as cruel and unfair, just many would for Rosewood... but Rosewood wasn't most people, nor was this girl in the wheelchair.
He didn't know what everyone in the audience would become, but he a had feeling of whose current fates before setting foot in this tent, so young, had been trapped on a path that would be less than 'pleasant'. And then there were those here just to watch a good magic show.
Then he pointed at a teenage girl in the audience, easily one of the older kids, looking to be around 13 or 14, she was hard to miss. Her hair was dyed white, but her shorts and blouse were 'normal' blue and purple with pixelated kitten on the front, and not a stereotypical goth's choice at all. She was also obviously an early bloomer.
"You there young miss! Why don't you come up here?" He asked.
The teenager blinked, saw all the little smiling faces looking at her, and made her way to the stage.
The magician bowed theatrically and said, "Greeting madam, would you care to share your name with myself and our audience?"
"... Beatrix." She said her face even.
"Betty or Becky for short?"
"Neither for you," she said flatly.
"Ah I see." The magician nodded. He knew better than to say out loud that she wanted to be taken seriously. "Well, Miss Beatrix, I have quite an epic, truly incredible trick that I'd like to share with my audience. It might seem dangerous at first, but I can assure you that it's completely safe."
"Is that why you have 'enter of your own free will' at the front of the tent?"
"... You are a very observant and smart young woman."
"A magician's worst nightmare?" Betty's face almost smiled.
"Only the ones who find enjoyment in spoiling the show for everyone else," the magician said with irrepressible a smile. "But still, I feel this trick is best done for an older member of our audience that I can trust."
"What is it?"
"Right to the point. I like that. I am going to let you levitate my dear, then, we shall see you fly!"
"... I am not wearing some long dress to cover up the props."
The smile never left. "My dear, a true magician never does his trick the way the audience thinks he will!"
He led her to the center of the stage, O'Hara walking behind him with something behind her back to the audience. But the kids all saw the long cord hanging from the ceiling. It was pretty hard to miss. It was thick, it was not blended into the background. You'd have been almost blind not to see it.
Beatrix felt the harness being fashioned to her back.
"Anything you want to take out of your pockets?" O'Hara asked.
"My pants have zippers, I'm good."
"Alright little girl," O'Hara said and walked backwards until she reached a control panel just off stage right out of view.
"Ready to be levitated by my magic and fly over our audience Beatrix?" He wiggled his fingers with his eyes wide.
She rolled her eyes. "Let's get started."
"As you wish!" He make a magical gesture, and O'Hara saw her signal. Chelly worked the light controls, and spotlight shined on Beatrix. O'Hara worked the other controls and Beatrix began to rise up. "Behold! The power of my magic! As you rise higher and higher!"
Nate was bored, this trick was obviously meant to be a joke or something, but he didn't get the punch line. Katie was feeling a little sad, the wire was so obvious, this wasn't the level of quality the magic show had shown so far. To make things worse, she and Nate had been taken to see Peter Pan the musical earlier that year, and so she were really disappointed that this 'flying' was so obvious and cheap by comparison.
"Feel my magic flow through you! Feel yourself rising higher and higher with my power!" He waved his arms dramatically, even O'Hara thought it might be a little too over the top.
Beatrix just waited for the ride to be over. While it was a good view, he just hoped the magician wasn't blowing smoke, then again, this was a regular carnival, it wasn't like he could get away with doing something unsafe right?.... Right? Maybe she should have done the smart thing and just said 'No.' Or asked his assistant to do the flying, or better yet, him, and let her do the levitating!
Too late now.
Now the harness had lifted her almost the ceiling, this tent sure seemed bigger on the inside than the outside... hadn't she seen that on TV somewhere? The wire began to drag her through the air over the audience, the kids in spite of seeing through this particular act, were at least amazed at the unique sight of seeing a lady overhead. Beatrix was happy she hadn't worn a skirt today.
Then something went wrong. Suddenly the harness spun on her back, and turned outside down! She felt the blood rushing to her head.
"HEY! Let me down!"
O'Hara worked the controls. "Something is wrong!"
"Now just stay calm miss!" He said. "Everything is going to be okay! M-my magic will is just being a little unruly, there is nothing to worry about!" He said his eyes darting to the children. Beatrix could appreciate him wanting to cause the children to panic, but she wished she'd get his busty bunny girl to call the fire department or something fast! Didn't they have emergency crews for this!
Katie looked up worried for Beatrix, the two of them were right below her. Nate had the sense to move them both out of the way in case... in case something bad happened.
Wesley began to climb the supports of the tent. "Don't worry folks, I can get her unstuck from the wizard's magic!" He said, keeping up the show like he'd been taught.
She spotted a piece of railing just above her feet... could she reach it? Did she dare? It might make her safer, but it might also cause the tent to come crashing down!
Beatrix stretched out her toes. Her pink painted nails wiggling for the possibility of safety or making things worse. At least it might help keep the blood from rushing to her head, she hoped. Her digirated feet waggled in the air. Her thin legs kicked helplessly. Her thin white fur reflecting brightly from the spotlight on her.
Twisting about in the harness was likely the least smartest thing she could do, but the blood rushing to her head and the fear might have been playing tricks on her. Her breasts swayed about in the air, the annoying things. She wasn't ashamed of her chest or some nonsense like that, but in a situation like this they made her look like some kinda stupid pole dancer or something! Thank goodness that she wasn't exactly 'top heavy' or her predicament might look even more awkward right now. She wasn't embarrassed at having an A-Cup, but it was more practical for what she liked to do. And it cut down on the cliches about busty performers. There was a joke O'Hara and beatrix shared about her magically stealing the chest sizes of the acting troupe and random women from the carnival.
Her tiny tail flicked about in the air, adjusting her lower patagium. Beatrix was likely she wasn't that heavy even for her age, or she'd be even more worried than she was. Her thin arms grasped at the harness as Wesley continued to climb closer, still wearing that stupid cape hood of his! Her minut claws dug into the straps. Her hands clutching harder.
Her wrists ached, her 'extra fingers bones' stretched out, going past her elbows, and bending at the joint once more, feeling the blood pumping through the leather between them. She relaxed her hands and folded her wings against her arms.
Her ear twitched, from the sides of her head at first it seemed, then from the 'top' of her head, they were shaped like a triangle, vaguely, but they were longer and larger than any of her teammates. O'Hara's ears might have been 'taller' but Becky definitely had more surface aura. She clenched her fangs, careful not to bite her tongue. Contrary to popular belief, Becky wasn't 'blind' at all, and she was perfectly capable of seeing in the daylight. Her snout sniffed the carnival air. Wesley was almost there, this was it.
With one last shout, Becky squirmed, and undid the trick latch on the on the harness. Some of the children gasped, some screamed, some covered her heads. She and Wesley shared a smirk.
She did a spiral corkscrew as she went down, but spread out her wings and pulled up in time.
"Psyche!" Becky laughed.
She felt the air rush along all of her body's fur, thin, but still enough to hide anything that might make humans insist she hide herself.
She flew around the tent. The kids were now going 'Oooooh!' and 'Ahhhhhh!'
Becky flew up and spread her wings in front of one of the lights, casting her shadow on the audience, what lawyers didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Upbeat Japanese music began to play through some hidden speaker. Thankfully Becky was able to tune it out.
Becky continued to do spins around the audience, sweep up and down, doing moves that were impossible with wires. Chelly thought the bait and switch was a little much, as it scared the kids. But as O'Hara said, kids liked to be scared. And the bait and switch had worked perfectly. And Wesley, and Spectra and O'Hara had all played their parts flawlessly like always. The kids thinking her wings were for show, vestige organs, or that she 'couldn't fly today', and Becky giving them the surprise of their lives!
Of course, the kids had seen plenty of gravity defying tricks with their Acro-Cat already. But Becky's performance wasn't just some recycle of Chelly's!
She spotted a little kid with dark brown hair with pigtails in a pink one piece dress with gold trim and a chinese symbol on it. She swooped down and stopped in front of her causing wind from her sudden stop, flapping in the air for a clumsy hover. "Hey kid! What's your name?!"
"... Suzie." The girl looked up in awe.
"Want a ride Suzie? Or should I give it some body else here?"
"... I'd really like a ride!"
"YOU GOT IT!" Using her articulate hands, made for gasping, she swooped over Suzie, grabbing her by the shoulders, did a spin and toss her up and catching her with her back.
"Now hold on Suzie!" The little girl complied, and Becky used the harness clasps for their real purpose and in a second got the kid secured. Then she swooped to the top of the tent, and zoomed down, creating a wind drag as she did so. Wesley and Spectra and O'Hara all on standby in case something actually went wrong with this part.
Becky did a somersault as Suzie cried out in excitement in Becky's ear, and the bat loved it. Finally, Becky swooped for the stage and did a perfect 3 point landing!
Becky undid the clasp and let Suzie go, even if the kid was somewhat reluctant. "There ya go kiddo, thanks for riding Becky The Bat's Airlines!"
"Thank you!"
The kids cheered and clapped, and Suzie gave a little bow before the human returned to her seat. But the show wasn't over yet.
O'Hara on cue brought out the props for the next part of Becky's act. This was good for a circus performance, but to qualify as a magic show, Becky had to throw in a few more tricks she'd thought up with Spectra's help.
First, she walked over a mirror, and showed the back showing a wood panel and turned it back to the reflective side. She took a pink scarf and wrapped around her neck, and stepped in front of the mirror, only the bright pink scarf visible in the reflection.
The kids had been so set with the earlier obvious cord, and then seeing Becky actually fly, that no one spotted the thin wires from all the way in the audience, or them reflected in the off angle mirror.
They got some some 'aaaaahhhh!' from the audience at the trick. Becky bared her fangs. Next she took a pair of fans, timing it perfectly as she opened them and swept them around her body in a quick dance, matching the fans reflected in the mirror precisely! Putting down the fans, she picked up a sword, and an orange. This took PERFECT timing or it would ruin the illusion. She tossed the orange in the air, and cut it in half, the 'floating' sword and orange in the mirror doing the same, the orange in the mirror was pre-sliced.
The techno japanese music still blaring (and adding another layer of distraction), she folded up the mirror and took off the scarf. She picked an apple up off the table, and took a bite. She sucked, and the audience saw the apple turn white, with a gasp.
Then a sun rose from the background, and shone a particular light on her seemingly randomly outstretched hand, which began to hiss and smoke. She let out a cry and pulled her hand back, 'making sure' it was okay. The sun set and a moon rose in its place behind on the background.
Becky was no vampire bat, but she knew what the audience wanted. But she wasn't done yet.
O'Hara came out, holding a revolver. It had taken a lot of begging, pleading, and shouting to get permission to do this trick and promising she was 100% confident she could do this.
The music went silent, so did the kids. O'Hara stood at one end of the stage, and Becky stood at the other. A piece of glass between them. O'Hara aimed and fired, the glass broke, and Beckey raised a wing, there was a spark and the bullet to the audience went flying off course. O'Hara fired five more 'silver bullets' but Becky blocked each one with her wings, moving in a fan dance almost with her wings as she did so.
"Everyone... please be quiet for this next part, or I may die," Becky said calmly.
O'Hara reloaded, and Becky put on a blindfold. Her ears weren't for show either. She heard the pull of the trigger, the fall of the hammer, the bang of the shoot... and she raised her wing, and felt the slight impact, and repeated the process one, two, three, four, FIVE times...
Becky took off the blindfold. The kids were in an uproar.
"Thank you! Thank you!" She said soaking it. She stepped at the center of the stage, and crossed her arms, and pointed her arms' wings upwards. She fell backwards... and vanished... A swarm of bats projected on a transparents screen flying up. The kids all cheered.
Backstage, Becky climbed out, take a drink from a nearby water bottle. "Hey guys... I think... I'm just gonna take a nap now... " She said clearly tired. "That fine with all of you? Okay." Becky climbed up, and hung herself upside down with a grip prepared for her, clutching with her feet, and immediately fell asleep.
"She takes way too many risks," Penny hissed, no malice or scorn in her voice.
"You work with a snake," Wesley said.
"Copper is defanged. There's just too much that can go wrong with her act."
"There's plenty that can go wrong with my act. Same with Tommy and Chelly."
"You all have it under control."
"And she doesn't?"
"... She has it timed too much. Part of magic is learning to deal with the unexpected, that's what Spectra taught us remember? Her tricks don't allow for ANYTHING going wrong. I'm just worried about her, aren't you?"
"Nope, because she knows what she wants, and she does what she has to. But she knows better than to bite off more than she can chew, she's not stupid."
"I'm not saying she is. I'm just saying... she makes you look cautious sometimes."
Rosewood didn't want to say that she was also worried that she was more worried Becky would break her neck more than Chelly (who at least had protection ready if she fell, Becky was all over the place).
O'Hara for her part was glad to see another show by Becky well done. As long as she cleared the acts she did first and didn't throw anything 'extra' into the mix, it was fine by her. And Becky and Chelly always inspired each other to keep improving.
As for the triplets, they loved every moment of Becky's 'faux' danger.
Tommy thought Becky's act was more daring, like his, but he felt Chelly's had more flow to it.
Wesley didn't want to say it, but he also felt the 'bullet deflect' trick was more circus than magic show. But at least she did it with style, like everything else she did.