World Tree MUSH

    It's a big day! The day that Magilou turns her current run of bad fortune around! The day she brings back her stage show! Without Bienfu starring, this time, because she'd quickly learned that he didn't do well with people in areas that were mostly humans. So, she'd put out word where she could that she'd be holding open tryouts and a free show, after finding a town within her own world where someone of her currently limited resources could use a stage for free!

    ?Well, the town is abandoned, other than those who came from the advertising plus Magilou and Bienfu. And the stage is a decrepit gallows, quite clearly, including a weather-beaten rope still dangling down. She's at least set up a sign in front reading 'Open Tryouts', and is currently shuffling back and forth on stage, seeming to measure the distance between all the parts that are in good enough shape to stand on without risking falling through the rotting wood.

    "Ten minutes to showtime!" She'll call out, regardless of whether ANYONE other than herself and Bienfu is actually present.

    "I was thinking of trying out." Claire calls out when she shows up, "But I dunno if I'm suited for Gallows humour." She smirks as she approaches the stage, waving to Magilou.

Holly's quite excited about this wondering what tryouts entailed. She does have the ghosts of a stage magician and a wrestler following her after all so it's like she already has a small circus. It's been a while since she's had a chance to talk with the other witch. "Hi Magilou and Claire!" She grins widely upon seeing the pair, "Gallows humor? We're not hanging anyone are we?" Her smile quickly turns to a frown.

 "She means dark comedy, Holly." Servis explains to her.

 "Oh like when you fall in an open manhole?"

 "I don't think it's anything that extreme."

    Magilou will stomp a foot down, testing to see if the wood's eaten through but also striking a pose for the arrivals. "Oh, excellent! I was planning to do this in front of an audience at a different town originally, but they ended up having wanted posters up for me, so it seemed like a bad idea. And no, I'm afraid that the termites and the weather have made it so there's no more hanging in these gallows, but it was the best I could find on short notice."

    She brings her hands together in a clap. "I guess it's just the three of us for the moment. But that's okay, this is mostly about finding people whose comedic or other entertaining styles work with mine. I need to put on some shows because I'm kind of out of money, and food, and friends who I can mooch off of."

    "If this doesn't work out, I could always use someone who doesn't mind cleaning up in my farm." Claire climbs up the stage after the offer, snapping off a quick salute. "So what are you wanted for anyway, before I decide whether to work with a known criminal?"

"I don't really have much money, I'm still in college after all!" Holly would be in a lot more trouble if her expenses weren't covered by her tuition. "Good thing I can conjure food! Are you wanted for practicing witchcraft? We're not exactly welcome everywhere after all." She's ran into her share of problems with that. She doesn't really have any reason to distrust Magilou.

 "It's certainly going to take a lot of work if you're going to put on a show. We need a more suitable stage and seating for starters." Servis can't help but to not the sorry state of the village.

 "Well, we need to know what kind of show we're going to put on first right?" Holly's not quite sure what the witch has in mind.

    "Oh, I'm wanted for jailbreak and maybe accessory to a riot during the jailbreak, but I was in jail for being a witch, yes!" Magilou will point at Holly, obviously delighted at that explanation. "Unfortunately, hard work and cleaning is scourge to witchcraft, so I wouldn't be able to do that and keep my magic. Still, a show today and here isn't to make money, it's to make sure we can go somewhere to perform in front of people! All the people from here are too busy rampaging across the countryside or they fled to the capital or they're just dead, so they won't be able to pay. I was thinking of taking the show elsewhere on the Tree, where there are fewer demon problems."

    "Now! I am a gifted magician, comedian, acrobat, and orator! So it's really more about what types of shows you two think you could do." She'll lift a hand up, a pair of doves taking flight away from her hand and into the sky after a flash of light, giving a brief demonstration.

    "Sounds like an excuse to me, you sure you're not just averse to getting your hands dirty?" Claire seems rather skeptical, but doesn't mind too much. "I'm a farmer, adventurer and miner. Now I know none of that sounds that well suited for the stage, but I do have some of these." She pulls what appears to be a bomb out of her backpack. "Hold onto this will you?" She asks, offering it to Holly, then lighting the fuse and stepping back.

    It's just gonna spew a little smoke.

"But I study really hard to be a witch! My magic doesn't seem to improve much though, am I doing something wrong?" Holly figures Magilou has more knowledge about that sort of thing. "I do know a fair bit about magic though! And I can lift heavy objects. And Servis here is a stage magician, though he's kind of lacking a physical body at the moment." She takes the offered bomb as it emits smoke and coughs a bit.

    Magilou will continue in her performer's voice. "If you mean figuratively getting my hands dirty, then questions about my past should be reserved until we have known each other much longer than we have now! If you mean it literally, it doesn't behoove a witch to do physical labor, that's all." She'll watch the bomb trick, and hum loudly to herself.

    "...You're going to be more the straight man, I think. Though if we do shows here, I guess you could work security? How do you feel about fighting off daemons?" That's to Claire; smoke bombs are apparently not quite going to cut it to Magilou. "Oh, is Servis your malak, then? I haven't seen that sort before. I admit I studied hard at one point, but no work in the world compares to the sheer talent you need to be a witch! You may just need more confidence in yourself, that's all."

    "I believe if you look at me more closely, you'll see I'm a woman, and why would you assume I'm straight? You barely know me." Claire deadpan, "But I can see that idea didn't blow you away. I am sorry about that." She listens attentively to the witchery talk.

"If a malak is a term for familar, then yes you could consider me that." Servis nods at that. "And by straight man, she means she would be playing off of you.

 "Hey, I'm here too, you know!" Lavaux can't help but to speak up.

"If Holly needs help throwing someone through a table, then sure you can be part of the show." The ghost dismisses his counterpart.

 "Well, my parents are powerful mages, but I struggle with it. More confidence? Are there demons after you, Magilou? I thought you said we were going to have the show somewhere else." Holly wonders why they would need to worry about demons.

    Magilou will peer at Claire. "Okay, that's not bad. I guess the straight man can get away with a pun or two in the process, as long as she doesn't seem like she's making them on purpose!"

    "Anyway, the show will be somewhere else at another time and place, but if we stay in this world there are daemons everywhere. I was in prison with a whole bunch of them, actually, and a few of them are kind of annoyed at me personally. I think we can make a comedy show with any set of us work, though, so that's good. A familiar is.. close enough to what I mean. Bienfu is mine, the lazy bum. You should make your familiar do as much of the work of casting as you possibly can!" He's currently sleeping on the edge of the stage, which is probably best for everyone concerned.

    Claire tilts her head at Magiloi's peering, "Are you accusing me of a sense of humour?" She asks, almost sounding offended at the notion. "I was simply pointing out a flaw in your description of me." She peers at Bienfu, "If his bum is lazy, you should take him to a doctor, that sounds worse than a lazy eye."

"I'm more of a guide, madame. I'm unable to cast spells myself." Servis hates to admit. Yes, he's even less talented with magic than Holly. "Besides, even if could cast magic that wouldn't help Holly improve if I did all the work." 

"Hi Bienfu!" It's been a while since seen the witch as seen the malak as well. "You couldn't use your spells to escape? Was there an anti-magic field in place?" Holly wonders how they captured Magilou to begin with. "Well, it's good you think we can work as a comedy show. If I could only find a way to help Servis regain a physical body I'm sure he could help as well."

    "I can make that accusation that you have humors, yes. Be careful, you don't want to force me to take you to a witch trial! I get to tie you to a stake and see if you burn." That's not really how that works, but it's best not to worry too much about it.

    Bienfu will stir at being directly addressed, and start to open his mouth, but then Magilou will reply to Holly and he'll start looking shooting guilty looks at the blonde witch's back. "I could not. Alas, this glamourous witch had been temporarily robbed of her magic by a traitor! And was in a coma! T'was a fortunate turn of events that allowed her to regain both. What would you need to do to get him a physical body? Maybe we can work on it before the show."

    "I am fairly confident that medicine has proven that humours are not a thing." Claire responds casually, "But if I you want to put me a witch trial you should contact my good friend mister Rasmodius first, he's a wizard and has forgotten more about magic than I've ever known." She glances to Bienfu and back to MAgilou, "So how do you rob a witch of her magic. Asking for a friend. His ex-wife is a witch."

"Wait, these demons can steal people's magic?" Holly figures that what must have happened right.

"I'm guessing she got seperated from Bienfu somehow, which is another reason why it's a good reason to keep practicing magic yourself." Servis is assuming that what happened, "Or someone attacked him and it hurt her as well. Some mages can be harmed by attacking those they're bound with."

 "Well, I would need to make a physical vessel that can contain him. All my attempts so far quickly have fallen apart. How do you keep Bienfu intact? I mean I can keep ghosts from entering the afterlife but I can't seem to make them tangible." Holly figures her lack of talent is holding her back.

    Magilou snaps her fingers, and says "I've been studying things out in the Tree for a while now, and magic works different in different places! But most of my really impressive stuff, if I want to go beyond a few illusions or other small things, needs a power source. Like Bienfu. Who's a living being, he doesn't need me to do anything to keep him together other than not be corrupted by dark influences."

    "..He ratted me out, though, and tried to get a better deal with some Abbey people for it." She'll finally admit, though she'd also said she was in a coma at the time. "Nothing that I'd let happen again. We can talk over technical details sometime, though, if you really want - I just might not be able to help if your magic isn't like mine." She seems to have a soft spot for Holly, at least.

    Meanwhile, in the sky, the sun is starting to go down, the colors changing to those of dusk.

    I don't really know any magic. I'm just magically infused with nature so I can better communicate with the forest spirits that live in the valley." Claire sits down on the side of the gallows. "And I'm fairly sure my sword is magical." She draws the purple weapon, "I got it by bringing a special gem to an ancient location and holding it up, and magic happened and the gem got swapped out for the sword."

"Oh you can communicate with spirits too Claire, neat!" Holly sounds more excited now. "I have the opposite problem, I can cast spells plenty of times but most of them don't turn how I want them to." The witch would make a good power source herself ironically. "And it sounds like our magic works quite a bit differently if that's the case. You get power from your familar and I provide power to mine so they can stay in this world. Well, I'm glad you were able to get out of jail. I wouldn't be able to stand being imprisoned by myself." She knows what's it likely to be lonely.

    Magilou will glance at the sky, then sigh, doing a cartwheel along the stage and then kicking at the stage under where Bienfu is resting. "Come on, back inside. It's time to go before the daemons come out to play; it'll be even less safe here at night. But it's not just a one way relationship, to be clear. I provide the safe place and all the knowledge and skill. He's an exceptional battery, mostly."

    Her eyes go a little dead, and the playfulness leaves her voice, as Bienfu vanishes into her chest with a burst of light. "Besides. Imprisoned by myself, imprisoned within myself.. it's hard to care too much about which one was worse. Doesn't matter, anyway. I'll call you if I find a paying gig somewhere, alright?"

"I agree that sounds awful regardless, but if I were by myself at least there's a small chance I could break out." Holly doesn't know what she were do if she were in a coma or something. "Sure, I have some time left before summer break is over with. Hopefully, I see you again soon though!" She wouldn't mind meeting with Magilou again even if it wasn't business related.

    "I've never been in prison, worst I've had was the job where my coworker died in the office and by the I quit their now fleshless skeleton was still sitting at the desk." Claire shudders at the memory. "Fortunately, I have my farm now."

    Magilou freezes in the middle of leaving, and manages to put on a smile again, a lively tone back in her voice now. "You're telling that full story on stage, the next time we meet. There's no way that we can't make something like that funny." She'll turn back away and shimmy off, though, with her hands held behind her neck as she goes, whistling to herself.