Author's Notes:
This was written for a Halloween challenge on another site. The full title is below, since it couldn't fit into the subject line.
Summary
: A magician's real work is a far cry from her day-job.
Warnings:
Halloween themes [magic, demonic elements] [dickgirl/female]
© 2009 eliseolisbos | All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Don't read if you are underage or are offended by the contents.
*
"And now," Avra Cadaver announced, her dark eyes alight as she took one of the swords from the wooden case held by her assistant, "for my final trick. It's always the custom to put a sword through the assistant, am I right, Elliot?"
"Quite right," Elliot said evenly and the crowd in the large, darkened room murmured in amusement. Avra continued to smile, taking a piece of yellowed paper from the stool to her right and cutting through it easily with the black blade of her sword, demonstrating its sharpness.
She let the two halves of the paper fall to the polished floor of the stage and then plunged the lethal blade right into the exposed skin of her midriff. The audience gasped and one woman in the front actually emitted a muffled shriek, like a frightened mouse.
"I'm awfully glad that wasn't
me
," Elliot said on cue, with the proper level of wryness to his tone. As expected, the crowd laughed, albeit a bit nervously.
"I like you," Avra replied and casually took another sword, sliding this one into her left side. "It would be a pity to slice you to pieces, right?"
"That would be a
travesty
," Elliot agreed as a third sword pierced the magician, "because I must confess that I like me, too."
Their careless banter continued until the magician had five swords running right through her body. Elliot withdrew a massive roll of black cloth from the case and held it out so that it concealed Avra's curvy frame from sight for just a few moments; when he removed it, folding the cloth quickly, all the swords were gone and Avra was tossing her dark curly hair over her shoulders, opening her arms to reveal the unblemished pale skin of her stomach, welcoming the applause of the audience with a bright grin. The cheering grew when Elliot unfolded the cloth again, taking out each of the missing swords one by one.
As she grinned and bowed to the crowd, motioning to her patient assistant ever so often, Avra saw a shadow move in the corner of her eye, lurking in the wings. Stifling a sigh, she twirled her wrist gallantly and bowed again.
*
"How do you feel?" Elliot asked as he followed Avra backstage; a few people were waiting for her autograph and she signed the glossy photos of herself before sailing into her dressing room. "Avra," Elliot continued very seriously, his eyes concerned behind his wire-rimmed glasses as he closed the door. "I asked you a question."
"I'm fine, Elly," she answered, knowing very well that he hated that nickname. "Just fine!"
The silence that followed this declaration spoke disbelieving volumes and Avra wrinkled her nose, shrugging out of the high-collared coat that was part of her on-stage costume. Elliot's capable hands took it from her in a moment, folding it and placing it in the sturdy clothes'-chest. She looked in his deceptively youthful face and smiled a little.
"That last one always takes a bit out of me," she finally admitted. "I'm a little drained now, but I'll be alright in a minute. Happy now?"
"Ecstatic," Elliot muttered and then turned towards the door, smoothing down the collar of his dark suit. "So I can go arrange packing up everything without worrying about you collapsing on the floor in here?"
Avra waved him away, unzipping the front of her black corset-like top and sighing in relief as the large swell of her breasts were free from their confinement. "Begone, annoying person."
"I love you too," Elliot muttered, but Avra had known him for too long; his acerbic tone was just a kind of shield. He exited, successfully thwarting other fans that were idling behind the door. Avra stared at the key fixedly for a few moments; it turned by itself, locking her inside.
"You can come out now, Umbra." Avra settled into the plush armchair and let her gaze flicker from corner to corner, watching the shadows. One of them simply detached itself from the wall, the shimmering darkness coalescing into a slender female form. Large white eyes blinked open in the face-area of the hovering silhouette, regarding Avra with cool humour.
"Avra," the hovering shadow said in a wispy voice as it drifted near her. "I have a job for you."
"It's Halloween," Avra said firmly. "It's my off-night, you know that. Every other day in the year is open, not this night."
"You did indeed inform me of that." Umbra tilted her head; her features became more defined, revealing a pixie-like face and full lips. Above her wide brow, her pitch-black hair waved lazily, as if she was underwater. "Nevertheless, this is a very important job."
"It can wait until tomorrow. You can get Pietro to do it, or Samara. Besides, you know Elly will be pissed off if we work tonight."
There was a raspy sound, like dry leaves over gravel: Umbra was laughing. "
Elliot
. He is one of my favourite guardians, you know."