"And last, but not least, an old favorite." PG smiled for the camera facing the small stage. She noticed her producer on his phone through her peripheral vision; Rhea Rose, standing beside the camera, gave PG a thumbs-up with the hand not holding a dove. PG turned her focus back to the card table in front of her. She lifted the only item on it, a plain black top hat, and turned it for the camera. She tapped its top, and bent its rim. Solid. PG put it back down. The magician made a production of rolling up her sleeves and shaking out the ends of her gloves: no tricks to this trick! She reached into the hat.
"Presto!" PG said. She tilted her head like a confused puppy at her empty hand. "Hmm," she said. "They must be pretty nervous." PG reached inside again; the monitor facing her flashed a glimpse of over-generous cleavage. Bud gave her his own thumbs-up; she knew he kept lowering the card table, but he'd never admit to it. PG slid the hat on over her head, down to her chin. "Circe? Copper? Harry? Where are you?"
She pulled the hat free with a burst of staticky blonde curls. The magician reached inside up to her shoulder. "Come on!" She pulled back to strike the top; the two birds vanished from Rhea Rose's shoulders. They dropped from the hat to spiral around their owner. Another shake and the third dove disappeared--to pop out from the depths of PG's tailcoat. "Harry!" The first doves stopped on PG's shoulders. Harry fluttered onto PG's head. She sighed in exaggerated annoyance. Her lips broke into another candy-red smile.
"That's all, folks! Thanks for joining me on another episode of PG'S Magic Hour. See you tomorrow!" The red light on the camera went off. PG held the smile, and Rhea Rose held her eyes on the pigeons, until Bud pointed the camera safely at the ceiling.
"Lovely!" Rhea Rose said. She stepped onto the stage to collected the cooing birds from where PG remained stock-still. "They're just birds, Calli." Rhea Rose somehow managed to give the magician a hug without dislodging the doves; a light flashed. PG frowned at Bud, and he shrugged.
"Shippers subscribe, girls. Remember the field day when you let slip you live together?"
"As roommates, I said." PG rubbed her face; makeup smeared on her velvet glove. "That's four. I'm going home. I have to be at that Senate meeting tomorrow."
"Is it about the time manipulators?" Rhea Rose asked. "I didn't like that list of regulations." PG shrugged.
"It's a frightening power, for some people," the magician said. "They don't help their cause when the opposing senators arrive late, or not at all." Bud glanced at his phone.
"Speaking of--come on, Peeg. We do have time for another. Wardrobe!" He grinned at PG; she frowned back, and his smile shrank by a tooth or two. "Crime doesn't take a break, Calli. You can never have a big enough--buffer. That reminds me. Harry there gave me an idea--what if next time you do that kind of act, along with your sleeves and gloves you check your..." His grin only grew at PG's expression. Rhea Rose nudged the other woman.
"It's fine," she said. "I'll do another episode. I have a couple lizards in the back room." She stepped offstage to put the doves back in their cage. "Hit me, wardrobe!" PG sighed, but she twisted her hand. Rhea Rose twirled--unnecessarily--as her tank top and denim shorts melted into a dress of patchworked brown and green. The neat bob of hair rumpled itself, and false vines bloomed into jewelry perfect for a nature queen. "Thanks! See you at home, roomie."
Rhea Rose's smile stayed with PG even after the stage faded into their shared apartment. PG stumbled a little from the teleportation; the smell of animals didn't help. The magician paced the place to ensure they all had water. She wiped her makeup off on her gloves as she went, until she finally prestidigitated it off. Her steps led her to the shower.
No amount of magic could cleanse her of Bud's presence.
"Presto!" PG said. She tilted her head like a confused puppy at her empty hand. "Hmm," she said. "They must be pretty nervous." PG reached inside again; the monitor facing her flashed a glimpse of over-generous cleavage. Bud gave her his own thumbs-up; she knew he kept lowering the card table, but he'd never admit to it. PG slid the hat on over her head, down to her chin. "Circe? Copper? Harry? Where are you?"
She pulled the hat free with a burst of staticky blonde curls. The magician reached inside up to her shoulder. "Come on!" She pulled back to strike the top; the two birds vanished from Rhea Rose's shoulders. They dropped from the hat to spiral around their owner. Another shake and the third dove disappeared--to pop out from the depths of PG's tailcoat. "Harry!" The first doves stopped on PG's shoulders. Harry fluttered onto PG's head. She sighed in exaggerated annoyance. Her lips broke into another candy-red smile.
"That's all, folks! Thanks for joining me on another episode of PG'S Magic Hour. See you tomorrow!" The red light on the camera went off. PG held the smile, and Rhea Rose held her eyes on the pigeons, until Bud pointed the camera safely at the ceiling.
"Lovely!" Rhea Rose said. She stepped onto the stage to collected the cooing birds from where PG remained stock-still. "They're just birds, Calli." Rhea Rose somehow managed to give the magician a hug without dislodging the doves; a light flashed. PG frowned at Bud, and he shrugged.
"Shippers subscribe, girls. Remember the field day when you let slip you live together?"
"As roommates, I said." PG rubbed her face; makeup smeared on her velvet glove. "That's four. I'm going home. I have to be at that Senate meeting tomorrow."
"Is it about the time manipulators?" Rhea Rose asked. "I didn't like that list of regulations." PG shrugged.
"It's a frightening power, for some people," the magician said. "They don't help their cause when the opposing senators arrive late, or not at all." Bud glanced at his phone.
"Speaking of--come on, Peeg. We do have time for another. Wardrobe!" He grinned at PG; she frowned back, and his smile shrank by a tooth or two. "Crime doesn't take a break, Calli. You can never have a big enough--buffer. That reminds me. Harry there gave me an idea--what if next time you do that kind of act, along with your sleeves and gloves you check your..." His grin only grew at PG's expression. Rhea Rose nudged the other woman.
"It's fine," she said. "I'll do another episode. I have a couple lizards in the back room." She stepped offstage to put the doves back in their cage. "Hit me, wardrobe!" PG sighed, but she twisted her hand. Rhea Rose twirled--unnecessarily--as her tank top and denim shorts melted into a dress of patchworked brown and green. The neat bob of hair rumpled itself, and false vines bloomed into jewelry perfect for a nature queen. "Thanks! See you at home, roomie."
Rhea Rose's smile stayed with PG even after the stage faded into their shared apartment. PG stumbled a little from the teleportation; the smell of animals didn't help. The magician paced the place to ensure they all had water. She wiped her makeup off on her gloves as she went, until she finally prestidigitated it off. Her steps led her to the shower.
No amount of magic could cleanse her of Bud's presence.
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