Everyday Magic (Alpha and sweetest.sin)

The first show with a new assistant was always rough. So much could go wrong so quickly and blow the whole thing. But tonight was different, things had gone damned near perfect, a great feat considering she had only been hired that very morning.

Nick Sharpe stood at center stage, preparing to close out the night. He was dressed in typical attire for a stage magician. His sharp tail coat and matching slacks, hands tugging at his bow tie to loosen it as he addressed the audience of the theater, "You have been a lovely audience tonight folks." He shrugged off his coat and reached out, letting it go. The coat hung there above the stage, as if caught on some invisible coat hook before rolling up the sleeves on his shirt, revealing a strange series of tattoos on his forearms before clasping his hands together.

"You all deserve just as much applause as we do up here!" He cast a glance towards the side of stage, catching sight of his assistant waiting in the wings. He had gotten lucky and the costume seemed to fit her perfectly. And gave a slight nod to her indicating for her to come join him on the stage and carrying on with his speech.

"Magic is more then just slight of hand, more then just an impressive flash of smoke."

He spread his hands and a deck of cards suddenly filled the space between them, flying from one hand to another until the full deck was held in one hand. With a gesture he launched the cards into the air.

"The most important part about magic" he said, reaching up and snagging one of the cards from the air, "is just believing."

The cards overhead exploded, a brilliant display of fireworks filling the air and the crowd erupted in a collective gasps of shock before applause filled the air.

Tugging at her costume anxiously, she watched for her cue to join her new employer on stage, the audience was completely engulfed in Nick's performance. Hopefully they would stay focused on him, and not on her lack of fabrics, which was totally out of her comfort zone. Juliet Walker was never anything less than a modest women, she had always followed a straight path, finishing college with honors even... Yet, in the current economy, an excellent degree apparently meant nothing, so this job was all she could find. Juliet fully intended to do anything to keep it, even wear little to nothing in front of a large audience while assisting a man perform magic tricks.

Watching carefully, her light green eyes set on Nick, she saw him motion for her to come out. Quickly, she walked out in the most graceful stride she could manage. Her smooth curves seemed to move perfectly with each stride, as her long golden locks fell down, around her shoulders and down her spine softly. Flashing a smile at the audience, she took her place beside her new employer, trying her best to hide how nervous and uncomfortable she actually was. It seemed she was doing well, so far.

Most assistant's were to do as they were told, and look pretty... so she intended to do just that, to the best of her abilities. Watching Nick, she tried to hide her amazement from his trick, watching the fireworks, and smiling as if this was something she had seen everyday. Though, in her mind, she couldn't believe what outstanding tricks he had up his sleeves! She couldn't help but wonder how he was pulling it all of, but she would never dare to ask him either. Juliet hoped that one day, if she was a good enough assistant, he would just tell her without her having to ask him.

Nick reached out with one arm, throwing it casually around the waist of the new girl.

What was her name again, June, Julie, Jenna? It started with a J that was all he really could remember at that exact moment.

He pulled her in close and raised a hand to the crowd, waving to the cheers and applause, a wide grin on his face. The crowd was his favorite part of live shows. Leaving them wowed and shocked, asking themselves how he did it. The truth was something they would never accept. Humans had long ago stopped believing in magic and acts such as his where simply chalked up to illusions, smoke and mirrors and nothing more.

There was a satisfaction he took from them choosing to believe it was all an act.

"And with that we bid you all a good night!" he declared as the curtain descended, blocking the pair from the view of the crowd. For a moment his hand lingered on her hip, maybe just a little too long but he detached himself from her rather briskly as he moved away from the stage, snapping his fingers as he moved and his coat collapsing to the ground in a heap, "Good night tonight." He declared, not bothering with his coat, "You want a beer?"

The blinding lights and loud applause soon became muffled as the curtain closed before them, she looked over at her employer as he stood close for a little too long... Once he moved away, she sighed in relief, having been worrying about some sort of odd advances. Watching his coat crumble to the ground, she tilted her head, watching him walk; he was indeed a peculiar man. Juliet had to give him props though, he was indeed a people pleaser.

"I really shouldn't... Plus I'm more of a whiskey kind'a gal..." She replied, wondering if he would simply disappear before her as she stood there. She had never met a man quite like that, but she knew that getting too close would probably be trouble.

Turning to go to her dressing area, she wondered again what had made her take this position... The temp agency was just not calling anymore, and the economy was definitely not doing anything for her degree, this position was a little unorthodox, but it came up at a very convenient time. Any later and Juliet was sure she'd have gotten eviction notices.

"Suit yourself" Nick said with a casual shrug, leaving her to her business as he settled into a comfy chair in a small backstage sitting area, twisting the cap of a bottle and throwing his feet up on a low coffee table. It had been a good show that night, bigger then usual crowd and despite only being given the rundown on her job an hour before the show the new girl hadn't missed a que at all.

Someone else emerged into the backstage area, and settled onto the couch across from Nick's chair. When the new comer spoke his voice was deep, carrying the faintest traces of an British accent with it, "That bit with the cards was a new one. Really pushing the envelope now Nicky boy."

Nick took a long swig from his beer, "Can't always play by the rules. Lets see someone try and figure that one out."

As Juliet changed, she could hear voices, and wondered who had come to talk to Nick. Pulling her jeans up over her black laced panties, she buttoned them. Then as she pulled the light grey T-shirt over her, she leaned to the door to see if she could hear better, though it really didn't make much difference. Her shirt was fairly form fitting, which would usually irritate her, but considering what she had worn earlier, it didn't. Grabbing her hooding, she left the dressing room and walked into the room where the other men had been talking.

"I'm going to head home now... Do you want me the same time tomorrow then?" She asked curiously, pulling her long, golden waves into a ponytail, revealing her slender neck and defined collarbone. She never could understand what it was about why she was so modest usually, she could pull of most looks, she just chose not to. She looked at Nick, and the man he was talking to curiously, trying not to appear too nosey.

The second man turned slowly in his seat. He was large, large enough to take up most of the couch, and wore a simple tweed jacket over a cardigan sweater that must have been custom tailored to fit his size. A pair of gold rimmed specticals rested atop a flat nose and beady black eyes looked out from behind them at the girl. His skin was grey and craggy and two large tusks jutted up from his under jaw. It was clear he was far from human. One beefy hand reached into his jacket and removed an antique looking pipe from the inside pocket, tucking it between fat lips.

"Well....this is certainly unexpected." he said around the nub of his pipe, looking at the new girl.

Juliet took a second look at the man, and blinked a few times, taking a step closer, then a step back again. She tilted her head as if that was going to make some sort of difference, then she crossed her arms lightly underneath her breasts. "Well... Hm." She said, unsure really what to make of the strange looking man, it could be a costume, but it looked so entirely real. Having forgot about her new employer sitting right across from her in the room, she took a seat on the arm of the chair next to the stranger. It was clear she was overcome by her curiosity, though it was odd that she hadn't reacted the way most women would have in such a situation. Actually, she had acted differently almost with everything that night. For being such a modest women, she adapted well to the skimpy costume, the elaborate tricks and now the more than a little, odd looking guest.

"What's you're name sir? I'm Juliet." She said, looking at the large man. "Are you perhaps wearing a costume...? Or is that really how you look? Not to be rude of course! I find it very intriguing!" She said, catching herself and standing up quickly. "I really do apologize.. That is so rude of me!" she said, then looking at Nick and bowing slightly. "I said I would leave and here I am interrupting you and being rude... I will go. I am so sorry!" She finished her rant and quickly headed towards the exit, her hips moving along with her strides gracefully. She was an odd women to say the least.

There was a long pause as the two men watched the girl before the large man burst into laughter, a deep, hearty laugh. "I assure you my dear girl this is no mask. This is indeed my real face."

Nick took a long slug from beer, nodding towards another empty chair around the table, "This is Garth, he's a troll, live in an old cistern under the theater. He also works the lighting booth during the shows." He took another long pull from his beer, "You should probably take a seat Julie, there's alot more going on here that you should probably know about."

(sorry for the shortness, feeling a lil backed up writing wise right now)