Star Trek: Starbase 777 - maggie’s-showroom

The Starbase proved to be just as busy as they thought. Bustling people and the like... They insisted on carrying everything to their showroom themself, boxes piled much higher than the magician themself stood, carefully unpacking. Posters, all the essentials.. The lights had already been set up for them, how kind! How the hell to decorate the rest of it was the question. They left the door open while they did, standing with their back to it, taking it all in. This was really it, huh? "Big break," they whispered to themself, picking up one of their posters. "Your big break, Maggie. Let's make some people smile...!"

Kaylee, doing as she does, came across yet another 'business' just starting up. Her curiosity piqued, she walked closer and stood just outside the door, watching Maggie look at their posters. She was still in her starfleet uniform, as she was expecting to be on-shift shortly, but was looking around the entertainment promenade before she did.

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Maggie turned with the poster, ready to put it up, and squeaked in surprise at the sight of someone waiting for them! "Wah! Hi, okay, I wasn't ready for visitors—" they scrambled for their poster, holding it tightly and praying it didn't get wrinkled. "I- I mean, uh— hello." They fixed their mask a little, the eyes ever-smiling despite the monotone of their voice. "I'm afraid I won't have any shows just yet, I'm just now moving in."

Kaylee chuckled lightly at their initial stumble, feeling a little guilty at scaring them. "Hi. Its alright if you don't have any shows yet. But, uh, would you like some help unpacking and decorating? This showroom's quite big for just one person." Kaylee fixed her glasses quickly. Many people had told her to just get her eyes fixed, it was easy enough to correct vision. 'It takes 5 seconds Kaylee' whatever. She'd lived with it this long.

They practically beamed at that. A kind soul stumbling upon their showroom, eh? Maggie was utterly delighted at that! "Ah, that's so kind of you. Thank you, dear." They moved to put up one of the posters. "I can unpack my boxes myself, I just need to move them.." They mumbled incoherently for a moment, pacing, before shaking themself out of it. "Ah— you can call me Maggie, Maggie the Magnificent! And you are..?"

Kaylee smiled softly. She swore she almost cried at being called 'dear'. Such a nice endearment. "Kaylee. I'm Kaylee, nice to meet you, Maggie the Magnificent!" Kaylee stepped closer, ready to help Maggie if she could, and if not, just to keep them company and give them someone to talk to. (edited)

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kaylee." Maggie carefully handed her a box. "I'll take care of the heavy lifting-- if you don't mind putting this one on stage..? I appreciate your help, really, it means the world." And here they thought they'd have to move everything all on their own! What a delightful surprise and a lovely first impression.

Kaylee nodded, and started to walk to the stage with the box. "Oh, anytime Maggie. Its no problem at all. There's an old earth saying...a..'a problem shared is a problem halved'. Not sure if it really applies here but...it makes sense. We both move the boxes it'll be done in half the time." Kaylee was happy to help Maggie move their things. Helping was in Kaylee's nature after all. It was something she will always do if possible. But she won't force someone to take her help, if they don't want it that's fine, but she'll always offer.

Maggie giggled, clasping both hands together. "Isn't that just a darling thing! You officers are always so sweet," they cooed, scooping up a box of their own and getting to work with decorations. Sticking stars to the wall, posters, anything else they could manage. With their unfortunate height, they had to stand on a chair to get to some places, but it was really no big deal.. "I hope I'm not keeping you from duty?" They tilted their head to look over at Kaylee.

"Of course not, my shift doesn't start for a good while yet. I was just having a walk when I stumbled across your showroom." Kaylee returned over to Maggie, standing just beside and below them, in case they fell from the chair. Kaylee would never forgive herself if Maggie fell and hurt themself. "The stars are pretty, though I suppose we agree on that, as we're both way out in space."

"Well, thank you, love. I'd like to think I have a decent eye for pizzazz." Maggie laughed again, climbing down from the chair. What else was there to do? "Let's see.." They took on a few boxes, double checking labels. "Let's get these backstage — it's all props and the like, so don't look inside. It'll ruin the magic." They winked playfully, climbing up the stairs to the stage. (edited)

"I think pizzazz is always nice. The ol' razzle dazzle, if you will." Kaylee picked up a few of the prop boxes, and began carrying them backstage. The temptation to look inside was strong, but she didn't want to ruin the magic. "I would never, magic is fun. I always wonder how the tricks are done, but I don't want to know, if that makes sense?"

"Curiosity is never a bad thing, dear." Maggie climbed up to stick another few posters up, humming absent-mindedly to themself. "Though, sometimes you dig too deep — if you ever make up your mind, I'd be happy to show you?" They hopped down to sit on the chair they'd previously been standing on, swinging their legs. "I've always wanted a magician's assistant... But if it'd ruin the glamor of it all, or if you just don't feel comfortable, no hard feelings, hmm?"

"Hm. Maybe. Part of the fun is not knowing, I think." Kaylee then thought about the offer. Magician's assistant? That actually reminded her of an old Earth song....oh how did it go? Never mind. "I'm not sure I'd have the time, to be honest. As nice as that would be, I spend most of my time working. But I'm sure whoever got to be your assistant would be very lucky."

They tilted their head, nodding along. "I understand. The last thing I'd want is to overwhelm you!.. But still, feel free to stop by anytime, hmm?" Maggie plucked a magic wand out of the box, a flower blooming out of the top— which they plucked and offered to Kaylee. "You're very kind. It was nice to meet you. Hopefully, next time you see this place, it's in a much better shape than it is now..." They giggled sheepishly.

[D] Kaylee and Maggie continued to engage in friendly conversation and Kaylee helped out for as long as she could, before she had to leave. But she did make sure that there wouldn't be too much difficult work left for Maggie to do on their own before she made her leave.

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[ D ] It'd taken quite a while to get the showroom set up and put together. The stage, the small row of seats, lights and posters. Now, all that was left was the last few finishing touches. Maggie had opted to finish those themself, mostly their dressing room(if it could be called that, it was honestly closet sized), sticking up photos and posters on their mirror. Maggie went back out onto the stage, hopping down the stairs in one swift movement. That would do for today, they thought. They flicked off the lights and watched the glow stars on the ceiling light up, the lights along the rows of seats. They grinned to themself at the sight. Everything was finally coming together! The magician took a seat, taking their notebook and continuing to scribble down ideas for their set.

Honestly, she hadn’t quite gotten used to the whole station just yet. In fact she sometimes got a bit lost, but oh well. She did the same on the Concorde and the Nova Scotia. The Trill-Andorian seemingly stumbled into Maggie’s Showroom by accident, peaking through the door to see what was inside. It definitely was a sight to be hold, at least for Yaveru, as she looked in awe of her surroundings for a moment. It was pretty, really pretty!

They tilted their head to the side a little as they heard someone approaching, gaze fixing on Yaveru before their expression split into a grin. "Ah, hi! Welcome in!" they chirped cheerfully, closing up their notebook. "You're welcome to take a seat if you need a second to get off your feet. I don't have any shows scheduled yet, but I'm happy to chat if you'd like!"

"Ahh! Heya." She squeaked, caught off guard by Maggie suddenly speaking. Yaveru entered the showroom fully, taking a moment before walking back at full pace. "Um, sorry to pop in unannounced, I'm rather new here actually. Yaveru Zh'hraas, nice to meet you." The Trill-Andorian held out her hand, a soft smile on her face. She felt a little out of her element for some reason, and was a little anxious, but she tried to disregard it anyways. Besides, they said talking with others would help with the process.

Maggie's smile only widened, bright and charming as they could manage. "Hey, me too! I haven't been here long at all," they reassured, though didn't accept the handshake, tucking a stray lock of pink hair behind their pointed ear as a subtle indication, instead hopping to their feet and sweeping low in a bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yaveru! Maggie the Magnificent, at your service." They drew a wand from the inside pocket of their coat, a rose popping out from it and offered to Yaveru.

“Oh- uh, sorry about that.” She quickly retracted her hands, only to take the rose. “Pleasure to meet you too! I assume this will be your theater? Her antennae was in a question mark sort of shape, fluidly moving in the air. An indication of joy, reflected to in her voice.

They giggled a little and nodded. "I decorated it with some help.. It was a lot of work, I can only imagine if I had to build the stage! I'm hoping to do my first show soon." They sat down, folding their hands in their lap with a huge smile. "Well, first show on the station. I've done something of a tour before. But you know what I mean."

“Ooh a tour? Do go on.” She took a seat and sat down, sort of shifting around trying to get comfy. “Uh- what was it like? I mean, I have an idea but I’d like to hear your stories!” Yaveru did have some experience with it, if briefly whilst in the academy, but a magic show? She’d never really seen before. It was something she’d always wanted to see but never had the chance back home and by the time she got to Earth, she was too busy.

"Well.." Maggie thought it over for a second, twirling their magic wand between their fingers. "The crowds were never too big. I mostly performed on the side of a street, a theatre here and there if I could get it. I'd love to do a stadium sized audience someday, but baby steps..." They sighed dreamily at the thought. "I have a few little momentos of things people would give me while I was on stage, little buttons and drawings. I feel like with smaller shows it's easier to connect to your audience, you know?.." They blinked. "Sorry, love. Rambling, aren't I?"

“Ah, I don’t mind it really. Honestly I used to do that quite a lot.” She smiled, her antennae wiggling a bit in a hook shape. Yaveru turned her head at an angle, as if pondering something out loud. “I sort of get how you feel in that regard. Used to perform myself actually, don't do it much anymore since I became an engineer." She chuckled a bit, trying not to make things awkward as best as she could, but her uneasiness was a slightly noticeable. Maggie just seemed so cool, and Yaveru felt a little starstruck. "I'm sure you'll get there, I think you're deserving of a large crowd."

Maggie raised their brows curiously, leaning in a little. "Is that so?" they chirped, seeming just as interested in Yaveru as she was in them. They sat their hands on their knees, turning in a little closer, bumping their knee against hers. "What did you do? If you don't mind my asking. That's really, really sweet of you, but I can't help but be curious."

“Oh- uh- I used to perform with the Starfleet Academy Symphonic Orchestra. I think they’re still called that.” As soon as they bumped their knee her antennae flaired upwards like a stick, her awkwardness showing itself through the subtle hints of red on her face. “Wait- uh- by “doing that” do you mean rambling or performing? I think I got a bit mixed up there…” She giggled, leaning forwards slightly.

"Oh, a musician!" The magician -- hehe, that rhymed -- beamed, especially at the cute blush that blossomed acros Yaveru's face. "That's so amazing, you must have worked so hard to get there! I have such a huge respect for musicians.. It's a really amazing art, I love seeing all sorts of performances!!"

"Ah! No-no, not really. Just a hobby that's all." She waved her hand, unable to stop herself from smiling in both embarrassment and joy. "Speaking of which, when do you think you'll do your first show here? I guess I'm already interested in coming." She chuckled, leaning forwards a bit more.

The closeness proved to be a bit much for Maggie, who, politely as they possibly could, straightened their posture. "Well, I'm hoping to do it in at least a few months' time. I'm still finalizing everything." Lots of choreography, light work, and subtle advertising to be done in the meantime.

She backed off a bit, leaning back into the chair. Her tone mellowed out as-well, seemingly as a response to Maggie’s own actions though it wasn’t intentional. “Ahh. Do you mind telling me a bit more? I wouldn’t mind listening.”

They gasped in mock offense. "No, I can't tell you! It has to be a total surprise," they pouted, crossing their arms over their chest. "Besides, a magician never reveals their secrets. That's like, a centuries old Terran tradition or something." Not that Maggie was Terran. Or knew anything about it outside of magic stuff.

"Ah- sorry. I didn't mean it like that." She chuckled nervously, sheepishly tapping her foot. "I mean, I guess I've been asking a whole lot of things about you so uh... anything you wanna ask me?" She smiled, a shaky expression on her face, and yet she was slowly growing more relaxed and comfortable. Maybe Maggie just had that presence, who knows?

"Hmm..." The magician sat their chin in the palm of their hand, tapping against their cheek. "Well, I have to get ready to run some errands soon, buuuut... What else do you do? Besides music."

“Er… I fly. Well- not actually, I do so in a sim.” She blurted out, her words seemingly stepping on each other. “But… I guess that’s it. I’m not all the interesting, just a regular gal y’know?” “Ah, errands? I understand. I hope I’m not holding you up or anything.” She smiled, though her expression seemed apologetic.

"Ah, yeah, I'd like to get around to it before everything gets too busy. You're not keeping me at all, though, I'm really liking talking to you." Maggie grinned sheepishly, tilting their head a little. "That's really cool, though! Maybe you should show me sometime?" They hugged their notebook to their chest. Supplies, groceries... They felt themself getting distracted already... And Vaia wouldn't be happy if they missed their call. "It was really nice to meet you, Yaveru! Come around again sometime, okay? We should do coffee or something!!"

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Maggie felt like they were going insane. They didn't even feel like they could walk around safely anymore. They were constantly looking over their shoulder, expecting someone to chase after, someone to pop out of the shadows again. Had the criminal recognized them? Is that why? A million ideas raced through their head every time they stepped out onto the promenade to get back to work. Following innocent people with a panicked gaze, jumping into the air the second someone brushed past them... Even now, they were searching for moving shadows while stood up on their little stage, shuffling cards and pulling them from seemingly midair between two fingers. Maggie dropped the deck and cursed under their breath, squatting down to clean up. ...They'd have to postpone the show again. This was no mental state to perform in.

Thol had recently finished a shift and eaten a quick lunch before he had made his way to the entertainment complex. The young Andorian still wore his blue Starfleet uniform and held a PADD at his side. He was tired after his work but wanted to see some more of the station. Thol knew about the holodecks and the environmental areas but had never really looked at what else was around the deck. Starbase 777 truly was a village and there was a lot that he needed to properly explore. That was part of the fun. He walked into the first shop that seemed to be open, Maggie's showroom. Thol walked in and stopped when he saw the magician picking up cards on the ground. It appeared that he had picked a bad time to see what this place was. By now Thol figured that it was too late to turn around and decided to roll with it. "Hi there."

The magician froze, eyes darting up to Thol under their mask before they forced themself upright, fixing the deck in both hands. "Hi," they managed tentatively, then shook their head and forced a proper composure. They hopped up and down on their heels to maintain that bubbly disposition. "I mean, um, hello! Welcome in!" they chirped, pocketing the deck and hopping down from the stage in one swift motion, landing in a low bow. "You may call me Maggie the Magnificent, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Maggie straightened, ruffling their tailcoat out behind them before moving in closer to properly welcome Thol. "I don't have any shows on the station ready yet, but I'm a stage magician, and this is where they'll all be taking place! Can I have your name, love?" They leant forward a little, hands behind their back. "Pinkie promise I won't steal it!"

Thol smiled slightly when he realized that he had forgotten to introduce himself. It was a simple mistake that anyone could have made but was still somewhat embarrassed. He was meeting someone new for the first time and managed to screw up the first step. By now there was very little that he could do to fix that though. Thol was working on just moving past things like this generally and hoped this would not bother him for long. "Oh, of course. I'm Thol, Ensign Thol Ch'eckivil." The Ensign realized that he was not sure exactly what this was and decided to ask. It looked like a theatre of some kind but showroom could mean a lot of things. There was a chance that Maggie was just a very confident art collector. The only way to find out was to ask so Thol figured that was the best thing he do. He tried to stick with Maggie's flare though, he did not want to stop their unique introduction. "Tell me, what makes you so magnificent?"

Their expression faltered just a little, given that they'd just told Thol what they were, though they figured, hey, maybe he didn't know what magicians were. Not everybody did. Wasn't their place to assume.. Maggie shook it off and hummed in contemplation, tapping against their cheek with a gloved fingertip. "Well," they mused, "as I said, I'm a magician, so everyone has their title. Though I've got quite a few to go by. My favorite is the master of illusions." They giggled, twirling their cane and sitting it in front of them so they could lean on it. "It's nice to meet you, Thol. Do you think yourself a magic man? A pursuer of the arcane and mysterious?" Maggie was definitely playing up the more magical part of their persona much more than usual, but it was a lot of fun! Maybe they needed to incorporate that into their stage persona somehow...

Thol paused for a moment, realizing his mistake. He was normally completely fine socially but today it appeared that he was off of his game. Perhaps it was best that he went the science route and not the diplomatic one. By now the Ensign figured it was best to just move on and continue the conversation instead of standing there and letting an awkward silence set in. "Ah, very cool." The Andorian was very much a scientist and not a magician. He loved to learn and discover things about the past and present but generally preferred to see life for what it was. Thol was more than fascinated enough with the real word and did not feel the need to look into the surreal. Still Maggie seemed interesting and he wanted to see what they were offering. "I would not say that, no. My only titles are Ensign and political scientist and the my only arcane experience is the studying of legends. Oh, and maybe some holoprograms I did."

Maggie puffed their cheeks out in something like a playful pout. "There's always more to discover. That in itself is a little bit magical, isn't it? That you'll always learn something new, because there's always going to be something new. I think science especially has some of that," they chirped, a smile on their face. "Even if it's not...dragons and fairy princesses and witches and curses. Though I don't mean to get philosophical on you." Part of why they loved doing what they did in the first place. Maggie thought there was magic in entertainment, in making people smile, even if all of their performances were illusions. There were different things for everyone, weren't there? "I'm sure you can find something like that, someday."

Thol casually shrugged, clearly not bothered by Maggie's choice to get somewhat abstract. He had truly enjoyed his philosophy courses at the academy and continued to study many economic and political philosophies. There were many ways to think about everything and that was okay. "Hey there's nothing wrong with philosophy." He paused for a moment, clearly thinking. Thol had never thought of magic and illusions as anything more than entertainment for children but that now seemed a bit short sighted and ignorant. Clearly it was more than just a game. "And now that you say it perhaps there is something magical about discovery. Admittedly old documents and current events don't seem so arcane, but every once and a while there is a special moment when you uncover something new."

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Maggie's grin widened as it seemed to click for Thol, momentary lessening the weight of anxiety in their chest. They didn't expect to help someone wandering into their showroom realize just how much "magic" played in their day to day lives, but it was a welcome change of pace. They were a little interested in the sciences, at least the aspects that played into their tricks, and they were always excited to learn something new. "Tell you what," they said, snapping their fingers, "If you wanna, I'll -- platonically -- take you for lunch, and show you a few tricks I've got up my sleeve, yeah?" It was an open offer, one Thol could decline and they'd be okay with. They were just hungry and eager to get out of the showroom for a little while, even at the expense of their paranoia.

Thol had already eaten but he did not want to turn down this offer. Maggie was very interesting and entertaining so there was no reason to let anything like that get in the way. The Andorian tried to be open minded and had been enjoying the conversation so far. Perhaps he had already learned something. He was also curious what was going to happen next. "Oh, uh, sure. Yeah that sounds good." While he had visited a few of the restaurants Thol still mostly stuck to the free mess halls. He normally worked while he ate and did not want to take up public table space with all of his stuff so he never really bothered to explore. He figured that Maggie knew more about the station's options anyways and decided to let them pick the venue. "Any preference for where we eat?"

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The showroom had gone from a messy half-decorated school auditorium to an elegant magic parlor, an array of chairs facing a stage with velvet black curtains sealing it shut. There were plenty of posters of Maggie the Magnificent in shades of purple on the walls, all from different tours. The lights were on while people began to flood in, though would gradually begin to dim as showtime drew closer...!

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Melody was one of the first ones to arrive. She was dressed in a beautiful white dress, white gloves, pearl necklace, and rhinestone-studded heels. But what was most curious about her arrival? She was carrying a small package with her. A package from 'Marshall's Munchies' on it. Perfectly wrapped and tied with a bow. And underneath the bow? A small card. With the name 'Maggie the Magnificent' written on it.

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Astrid wasn't too far behind, dressed in her formal dress uniform. She was actually a lot more cleaned up than usual. She rarely ever wore her dress uniform but decided that this deserved it. She spotted Maggie and sat next to her right away. "Psst!" Astrid whispered to Melody, quiet enough that only Melody could hear. "You look great. Thanks for bringing the cake along. And I see the card's all set with it. Did you sign it? Alyssa and I already did."

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Phoenix looked through the door of Maggie's showroom as he couldn't exactly believe this was the place that the event was held in. He would've thought the base had bigger areas for these types of things, carefully waddling through the arch as he made his way inside. He was still in his star fleet uniform so he didn't have to change on route, looking about the complex for some sort of seat. "Where do I exactly sit?" Phoenix was lost for words as he didn't know where to sit while the show happened.

All of the tickets had been printed with their assigned seat numbers, all the rows labeled accordingly.

And behind both Astrid and Melody was Alyssa herself, in her own dress uniform. She also was more cleaned up than usual, especially given she was freed from her visor, she was especially looking sharp. But she looked happy. And what's what mattered. In her hands, Alyssa held a bouquet wrapped in pink and purple. A bouquet of an array of different flowers, sunflowers, roses, tulips! Alyssa scooted over to Astrid and Melody, sitting next to both of them. "Hey," Alyssa whispered. "I got the flowers. Melody, you all set? Astrid?"

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Melody nodded to both Alyssa and Astrid. "All set!" Melody whispered. "The card is all set! Astrid did the writing on top of the cake with frosting. And Alyssa, the white chocolate miniature of Maggie per your design is all set on top of the cake! Thanks for organizing this, Alyssa. Maggie's going to love this!"

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Phoenix quickly scrambled around his pocket as he tried to find the ticket so he could find the place to sit. Carefully scurrying past each row as he tried to read all the lettering and numbers to find his own seat, it appeared that he was sitting beside Alyssa Hayes. Though he didn't know how to start a conversation with them, giving them a brief nod as he sat down. (edited)

"Good, thank you both," Alyssa said. "Seriously. Maggie deserves this. Okay, now, Melody, you're going to have to set the cake box on the floor and hide it under your chair. We don't want Maggie seeing until afterwards, okay?" (edited)

But it turns out Melody was doing just that! She set the box underneath her seat and her dress concealed the box from the front. "Already ahead of you!"

Alyssa nodded with a smile towards Melody. "Alright, now we wait, and remember, Melody, from now until we leave the show and after we see Maggie, let's turn our energy from an 11 down to a 4, alright?" Alyssa carefully set the flowers underneath her seat before turning to Phoenix. "Afternoon, Ensign, thanks for joining us! What's your name?"

Phoenix slowly turned as he looked like he needed some sort of oil to move faster, he didn't really know how to talk to people in a public setting, he was a workaholic after all. He hadn't really got the grips of talking about random subjects yet. "I am Ensign Phoenix, of the command division." He said, his voice sounding more monotone as ever.

Verelan had closed up shop for the rest of the day, in order to be able to watch her friend perform. She'd dressed up nicely for the occasion, her regular black suit swapped for a dark green one, a white rose in her breast pocket instead of a pocket square, matching the red roses she'd brought for her friend. She made her way to the front, her status as Maggie's friend as well as her help with getting tickets out to the people around allowing her special front row privileges. She waved at the people already there as she went, especially the rowdier folks that Maggie was likely to notice. They seemed excited, which was of course as it should be.

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She sowed up right on time, double checking her ticket to make sure she was in the right place, but when she looked around and saw everyone in their formal uniform. she felt immediately out of place. Had she missed some memo? She was still in her usual uniform, and felt a bit embarrassed and underdressed. Still, she wanted to see the show, so she took her seat, wondering what she was in store for.

Vara'l at this point then entered with his son and, as they both walked in, headed quietly to their seats. Once they'd then arrived at their seats, the two proceeded to settle into them and waited for the show to commence.

Ezran had made his way to the front of the showroom, having earned one of the front row seats due to the 'short child, sit at the front' rule they had in place. Him and Shyrhr had made their way to their seats and were now excitedly waiting for the show to begin. (Ezran being even more excited than his five-year old.)

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Timi was just on time, his visor on and his PADD in hand, a massive yellow sweater almost wearing him instead of the other way around. He'd basically ran all the way here from his quarters as a result of devastating time blindness, and was a little out of breath as he came in, but he was still on time, sitting down in his assigned seat close to the front but not actually in the front row, so as not to block the view of any children while still allowing his assistive devices the best chance at capturing the entire show.

A hush fell over the chattering crowd as the lights dimmed to a nearly complete darkness, spotlights - pink, blue, and a warm white-- focused on the center of the curtain. "Ladies and gentlefolk, children of all ages, it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for! Put your hands, paws, and claws together for....!!" The curtains opened! "MAGGIE THE MAGNIFICENT!" ...but no one was standing there? (edited)

Alyssa was about to start clapping, as she expected Melody and Astrid to, but the sight of no one on the stage unsettled her. Oh no... She hoped Maggie was alright...

...FWOOSH! A rush of blue flame sparked from the center of the stage, climbing higher and higher, until it was gone as soon as it appeared.

Maggie swept low in a bow in its place, the edges of their cape a little singed. "Hello everyone!" they greeted, sweeping up with a dramatic flourish. "Who's ready for Starbase 777's first ever Interstellar Illusions!?"

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Aaaaand there Alyssa went clapping. Of course - how could she expect Maggie not to be there? The grand entrance made it all even better! Alyssa's smile grew as she applauded Maggie on the stage.

Melody did the same, clapping and smiling, even calling out, "YES MAGGIE!!!" From the seats. It seemed from Astrid and Alyssa that they were just as excited as her and the rest of the crowd.

Verelan whistled loudly as Maggie became visible, the sound piercing as it was audible to everyone except Timi.

She wasn't as enthusiastic as the rest of the crowd seemed to be, but she did calp at the magnificent entrance Maggie gave

Maggie was beaming under their mask at the vivid support, at all the different faces in the crowd. Oh, how they missed this! The rush of applause was intoxicating! "Now then, I do believe I've kept you waiting long enough." They took down their hat. "Even then, I never got my wardrobe quite right.... I can't still decide on a color! Maybe..." They collapsed their top hat between two hands, where it sprang back up, the ribbon a vivid shade of.. "Pink? I'm feeling a little more violet, really," they mused thoughtfully, a quick turn and swish of their cape turning their tuxedo a dazzling shade of deep purple, matching their usual gradiented star pattern. "Ah, much better! Let's begin, shall we?"

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Finally an audible reaction from Astrid beside the evident clapping - she was transfixed by the transformation of the top hat and cape. Jeez, Maggie KNEW how to work the crowd! "Les gooooooo!!" She said, being sure not to be too loud, at least not as loud as her clapping.

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They took a step forward from center stage. "Most media of Terran magic shows have been lost to time, or means beyond our control. Though, one common theme," The magician raised their hand, a white feather between their thumb and forefinger. "Doves. Hatch out of eggs, don't they?.. What if I said I could bring one to life with nothing but this?" They held the feather high above their head.

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Melody was awestruck. An entire dove?! From just a feather?! How was it possible? Well, with Maggie's skills, anything was, Melody thought. Melody was on the edge of her seat watching Maggie -- who was extremely well spoken, and not just in general, but even more so on stage! It was as if Maggie were physically dragging Melody's attention to them and the stage. Melody couldn't wait to see the dove come to life!

Absolutely enraptured by the magicians antics, Telim had only twitched ever so slightly when Astrids yelled. Twitched as he'd leaned into his dad and signed. "They're amazing!" Before he'd then returned his full and rapt attention to the magician as he'd then leaned and utilized his father a bit like a cushion. Something he'd reckoned he was allowed to do cause fathers make good cushions. (edited)

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Utterly fine with the fact Telim had tarted to lean into him, Vara'l smiled when hiss kid declared that this was amazing. Something it warmed his heart to have relayed to him, glad that the kid liked the show so far, a signed. "Thats good, look, wonder what they're doing with the feather." How he'd then elected to respond as he nodded toward Maggie.

2

She smiled and clapped at the demonstrations. She didn't know much about magic, but she was interested enough to lean forward, excited about what was to happen.

Both Ezran and Shyrhr were engrossed in the what had only been brief entertainment, but yet the two were both leaning forward in anticipation of whatever was to come next. Unsure of how Maggie could just /summon a dove into their hand.

With another dramatic sort of flourish, Maggie pulled up their mask enough to take the feather between their teeth, striking a sparkler with a match, cupping their hands around the flame. The feather burned in a flash, sparks flying, until a dove sat cupped in their hands where it'd once been. They beamed and lowered their mask, letting the dove soar off into the crowd, diving into the shadows.

5

2

In an instinctive response, Alyssa ducked her head when the dove flew into the crowds and into the shadows, and it took a second for her to process what just happened - but when it did, she returned to her normal sitting position and began applauding Maggie again. How the-- Maggie just made a dove appear from a feather! Incredible! A smile was plastered on Alyssa's face as she watched Maggie.

Watching the magic trick come to fruition was amazing! She gasped when she saw the dove fly around, and ducked her head when it flew over her, slightly worried that it may poop on her or something. She clapped her hands excitedly.

2

"Now!" Maggie brought a table on stage with a wave of their hand. There was a long box on top of it. "For my next trick, I will need a brave volunteer from the audience. One that doesn't flinch in the face of danger, of death! Hands up, please!"

1

At first she is reluctant to raise her hand, she had never been in front of so many people before... but she wanted to be someone different on this starbase... someone better than her previous self. So fighting against her own mind, she raised her hand. What's the worst that can happen? She probably wouldn't be picked anyway. There were a lot of people in the audience more excited than her probably.

Since neither Alyssa nor Melody volunteered - and she was kind of surprised that they didn't - Astrid also raised her hand. She'd never been in this situation before. So, she might as well try it out! If it worked, great! If not, no sweat! She'd let others get a chance to shine!

Verelan, of course, raised her hand. Of course she wanted to help her friend out, and the fact that she didn't mind the spotlight even on the worst of days didn't go amiss either.

Yeah, Alyssa decided not to. Since Coda, Astrid and Verelan all volunteered, she figured it would be better for her to stay put. She owed it to Maggie to watch their show and be present in every moment of it. She also didn't want her being up there on stage with Maggie to spark the memory of the entertainment promenade and possibly distract Maggie in the middle of the show. So, Alyssa kept calm, and stayed put.

Hmm..! Taking a peek at the crowd, Maggie gestured for Verelan to join them. After all this time, the least they could do was repay her. "Not to worry, everyone, there'll be another chance for volunteers before the show ends! Now, Verelan, if you could.." They moved the table up closer, unlatching the box to heave it open. "Climb in here for me, please."

Verelan placed her roses on her seat, before climbing onto the stage with Maggie, her green eyes glinting as she winked at the audience when Maggie told the crowd there'd be more opportunities to be part of the show. As Maggie opened the box, she feigned a shocked look. "Not even a second on the stage, and you're already trying to get rid of me again? You wound me, darling," she said playfully, before climbing into the box precisely as Maggie had said.

Maggie giggled in reply, carefully lowering the top of the box to conceal her inside. "Sorry to cover up your pretty face, but it'll make sense in a moment," they promised, drumming their fingertips against one side. "Now, if you could put your arm through this hole and give our lovely audience a wave for me?"

1

Verelan did as she asked, her hand sticking out of the box before waving excitedly. She debated making a lewd gesture or two, as was her instinct, but quickly remembered there were young children in the audience, and she wasn't prepared to be a bad influence quite yet. She needed to earn her wine aunt status, first! So she refrained, and tried to wave a little extra at the tikes in the front row. She couldn't actually see where they were at, but she tried anyway. (edited)

5

"Very good, you're doing amazing!" Maggie chirped, and began to...compress the box in on itself until it was very, very small. Definitely not small enough for someone even of Verelan's size to fit in. The magician drew a sword from their cape, climbing a step stool and bringing the blade to hover above the box. "Now, Verelan," there was a playful, theatrical hint of madness in their voice, "Do you trust me?"

Verelan's voice still rang clearly from the box. "Of course I do, don't I always?" she asked, giving a thumbs up to illustrate her point.

4

"Sweet talker." Maggie flashed a grin under their mask, shoving the sword into the top of the box without another second's hesitation. ... This wasn't enough for them, however, as they drew another, sending it through the side. They halted, hands on the handle, letting the tension build, letting everyone react....

Telims rapidly signed comment as he watched was going on probably betrayed a mix of awe and apprehension as he'd watched the magician as they worked. A signed "Look dad, its getting small, too small for a person!" Rapidly followed by a "Wow!" When the sword was pulled out as he'd continued to watch with rapt attention.

Despite the fact it was clearly a magic trick, Vialara (who had been watching from a few rows back) couldn't help but wince at the sight of somebody being stabbed through the box, she hoped that she wouldn't have to intervene and provide medical attention, she had come here for a relaxing show!

Vara'l smiled down at Telim as they signed and nodded a bit before he gestured back to the box and signed. "It really is, look, they may be about to do something with it.." As he then briefly ruffled his sons hair.

Alyssa was kind of glad she didn't volunteer given this was the trick that was going on. At the very least, she trusted Maggie and knew Verelan couldn't be in any actual harm. Still, Alyssa wanted to be present and watching, and this was getting good.

Three...two...one. Like King Arthur with the sword in the stone, Maggie drew the blade back out of the box, then the other, opening the top with a slow, careful movement, unfolding the box. They reached down inside to help pull Verelan -- or what was left of her -- out.

After a moment, Verelan emerged from the box unharmed and gorgeous as ever, smiling at Maggie and then at the audience before smoothing out the front of her suit jacket, half for show and half to actually get any potential wrinkles out. She waved again, this time actually able to see the front row.

The spotlights swiveled and focused on her as Maggie gestured grandly, the very beginning of a ROARING round of applause. "Give it up for Verelan, everyone!" they cheered. "I'll say, what a lovely assistant you make, darling!"

2

And of course, Melody mirrored the energy of Alyssa and Astrid's applause and began clapping and cheering. That was incredible - how did Verelan get out unharmed?? Well - it was Maggie's Magic! Unbelievable - and yet, it just happened. Truly outstanding!

"Well, I try. I have to help you put on a good show, don't I?" Verelan said, smiling brightly and bowing slightly as she received a grand applause, far grander than she thought she deserved. Her inner attention whore couldn't complain, though, so she just smiled and waved, waiting for Maggie's cue to move off the stage so the show could go on.

5

The cue was given in a bow of their own and a gesture of their hand to the stairs. "Thank you, you've been wonderful." They straightened, as a projector flickered to life behind them, a white screen boxed on the wall. They waited quietly until the applause had died, wanting to give Verelan her moment, and all attention was back on them.

"Now, then!" Once the applause had died down, Maggie held out their cape. "In the modern age, technology is ever expanding. New discoveries, new code, new projections. I've been doing this for almost as long as I can remember. In order to do what I do, you need to.... Adapt. Grow with everything around you." They flourished their cape, and it fell to the ground, with no magician inside. The projection on the wall flickered, and then -- Maggie appeared inside, waving enthusiastically to the audience. "It's about my favorite thing about this job. Figuring out how I can fit a bunch of tech into my act, while still maintaining the usual charm of old magic shows!"

4

Astrid, not expecting to have the projections themselves be part of the act -- well, she didn't know what the projections would be used for anyway, at least until Maggie showed what it would be -- was taken aback by Maggie's all-of-a-sudden transference into the projections themselves. How did--? But Maggie was just...? And now they're...? And all Astrid was left able to say was the one thing she subconsciously could in this situation. Something that... sigh... she said all too often. "Yooooo..." Before she followed suit with Melody and Alyssa and began applauding. (edited)

What outstanding illusions - Maggie had just shifted dimensions! And using modern magic, no less! "Splendiferous!"

He glanced over at Serin. Wouldn't he have a better idea of how this more tech-y magic worked if he was an engineer? Maybe he was choosing not to think about it. He certainly didn't understand anything. "Fantabulous!"

Evidently, although they had very different interests and personalities, Eshen and Serin has similar overly verbose ways of speaking. Throughout the night they had both been a thesaurus-chorus of words like incredible, amazing, astounding, astonishing, and some words that sounded like they might be made up.

Noid hadn't been quite so enthusiastic, but that was his nature. It said something that he'd bothered to turn up at all. Instead, whenever Maggie did something, he did a light clap and went 'yooo' or sometimes even 'rad'. Now, he hit Maggie with, "Totally tubular." Had he turned into a skater boy all of a sudden?

4

The entire Torre'vnau/Khellian family was here! Well, all Torre'vnaus and one Khellian in a group together (maybe Tavaen was somewhere though). Rai was on the edge of his seat ooh'ing and ahh'ing with the crowd. He looked towards the projection on the wall and minicked N01D's exclamations as he was sure that was a normal response. Rai never had such excitement whilst serving the Navy so he relied on his fellow starbase'ers to help give him clues as to correct responses. As Rai repeated 'totally tubular' both Renakir and Rilek face palmed whilst Tiravurik followed his son with the skaterboy slang.

"Alright, now let me..." Maggie reached out, pressing a hand against the projection before tumbling through head over heels back onto stage. They grimaced and straightened their cape, fixing their hat. "Aha, I really need to work on my landings," they giggled, waving a hand and making the box on the table vanish. "Now, our time together draws short." They took off their white gloves -- with a playful wink of their mask directed to the audience -- spreading a deck of cards on the table and raising their mask a little. "Let's make sure we go out with a bang."

Melody let out a small OOH! As she watched Maggie tumble back onto the stage. She hoped Maggie was alright! They shouldn't have to fall in order to finish their show! But when Maggie straightened themselves back up on stage, Melody let out a sigh of relief. Maggie was alright! Okay... how was this show going to go out with a bang? Melody watched closely to find out.

With all the cards spread, the magician struck a match, setting them ablaze. They didn't flinch, however, waving a hand idly over the flame and reducing it to smoke and ash. They took a breath in, and breathed out smoke in a steady flow, wafting over the cards in a low fog as they raised two fingers to their lips as if to blow a kiss. A flick of their wrist, and a card was between their fingers -- the ace of hearts. "I've got an unfortunate habit of playing with fire," they admitted sheepishly, sort of breaking the playfully flirty illusion, but it was fine. (edited)

3

This time Alyssa's clapping was louder, although not loud enough to overpower the others in the showroom. Alyssa let out an audible "Wooooo!" this time, and her smile was the biggest it had been all night. That certainly was a badass ending - and even that was an understatement!

2

Timi had been watching the entire show with focus, wanting to catch as much as possible. He remembered from magic shows in his youth that a lot of it was visual-based, and the commentary was mostly to distract you for long enough to use sleight of hand right in front of you. On Betazed, the commentary was just beamed into your head, and as a result he fell for the same tricks everyone else did. Now that he couldn't actually experience the commentary in the same way, and instead had to read subtitles as well as following the show, he couldn't figure most tricks out still, and even if he had known beforehand how some tricks worked, the sheer showmanship would have made up for it by far. So he clapped as hard as he could whenever he noticed the people around him doing so, the only real way for him to audibly show his enthusiasm.

4

Verelan, meanwhile, had no shame and a soft spot for the magician, so she whistled loudly once more after the gloves were removed and the last trick was performed, to make sure Maggie knew how much she loved that bit. Sue her, okay, she liked pretty things who knew how pretty they were. Especially if they were good with their hands, which Maggie had certainly proved they were today.

4

The fire reflected in his glasses, obscuring his eyes and making his grin look a bit mad, like he was a pyromaniac looking at a house on fire - but no, he was just admiring a professional perfecting their art. To follow along with Verelan, he also tried to whistle, but unfortunately he was one of those people who couldn't whistle, so he followed it up with a 'woo!'

3

He, however, could whistle, the songbird that he was, - and so he did, with enthusiasm.

3

Noid could whistle, kind of, but a problem with his voicebox meant that when he made some sounds like that, they came out sort of artificial-sounding. Bright or sudden changes in light could also sometimes make his eyes malfunction, but evidently they refrained from doing so today as to not ruin the vibe. "Tubely totaller."

3

"Alright." It was a sharp shift in tone, silencing the claps and cheers with a grand gesture. From playful to serious, melodramatic, almost, a grave tone as they moved to the front of the stage, snapping their gloves back on. "For the finale, I would like to know if anyone in the audience is armed with a phaser. If so, please raise your hand."

2

Astrid had left her phaser behind for this event - Alyssa specifically requested that of both her and Melody, no phasers at the show, out of respect for Maggie. What none of them had accounted for was Maggie specifically asking if anyone was armed with a phaser. Astrid looked beside her at Alyssa as well - she didn't have her phaser either. So, Astrid sat back alongside Melody and Alyssa and waited for any volunteer that did have a phaser on them. (edited)

Telim who had rather enjoyed the show so far, lapsed from clapping and the occasional signed comment to a sort of anxious silence when Maggie asked if anyone happened to have a phaser one them. That happened to not be a kind of question the kid ever liked to hear, something that caused the kid to move closer to his father as he watched Maggie and his surroundings like a hawk.

The change in his sons mood picked up on, Vara'l wrapped a calming arm around the kid as he shifted hiss focus from magic show to Telim. He happened to be distinctly unsure about..this. The magician had asked for a phaser? Terran style magic shows, if that was what this happened to be, seemed...quite something, as far as he reckoned. "We're fine." He'd signed to Telim, the arm wrapped around the kid. "Its fine."

A wizard always carried his wand! Besides, he wanted to make sure nobody tried any nonsense with Maggie again after the hostage situation last time. Security would probably take care of that kind of thing before he did, and it wasn't likely it would happen again, but still. Maybe it was more for his own peace of mind than theirs. He hadn't known Maggie for very long, but he already considered them a dear friend. "Pick me, pick me!" What was he, an excited child?

3

Maggie waved Serin on stage, their tone just as grave. "Draw your weapon, my dear companion."

2

Alyssa was now the one on the edge of her seat. Right away, Alyssa felt that this was out there. Of course Maggie had to have rehearsed it beforehand, but live? And with a real phaser? Alyssa was thinking back to the entertainment promenade, how she could practically feel the fear in Maggie's mind as they were trembling. And now they were asking for a phaser to be drawn? Her eyes popped open, although she tried to remain as calm as possible. Her mouth uttered a few simple words as quietly as it could, and she covered her mouth afterwards. "Oh my god..."

He went up to the stage, drawing his 'wand' with a flourish. "What spells dost thou will me to cast?"

2

3

Maggie bowed to their their fellow mage. "Serin, for my final trick, I plan to evade death itself. A magician is nothing without a death-defying stunt, and at point-blank range...." They leant forward. "Aim your wand, and shoot me."

2

What?! No! No no no no no! Alyssa turned to Astrid immediately, and whispered just the slightest, so only she could hear her. "Hand on your communicator badge to send an emergency message to Medical if this goes sour, on my signal. That's an order." Alyssa did it herself, keeping her hand right over her comm badge... (edited)

He blinked, somehow having not quite expected that even though... What else would you do with a phaser? Remembering the hostage incident, he broke character for a moment and mouthed, 'you sure?', and, upon receiving some kind of confirmation, like a nod, lifted his phaser, took aim, and... Pyew!

3

Okay, the sword were bad enough, but now they were shooting one another? Vialara couldn't take this level of excitement, and put a hand up to cover her eyes, just barely peeking through her fingers.

Maggie nodded in response, and Serin fired. Pyew! As the phaser connected, Maggie burst into silent colors and light. The soundless fireworks burst on stage, all shapes and colors and sizes, confetti raining down where ashes fizzed out. Maggie had vanished, leaving behind a brilliant display of magic in shades of pink, blue, red.... A moment of silence, a shared heartbeat pounding through the room. Violet flame engulfed where they once stood, and Maggie swept in a low bow, fighting just a little to catch their breath. They kept their eyes shut, eagerly awaiting the audience's response.

4

Alyssa didn't even have to tell Astrid that this was a false alarm. It was all right there. As soon as Alyssa saw Maggie burst into silent colors and light, she knew it was part of Maggie's whole act. Of course it was - Maggie was the Magnificent, after all. Alyssa rose to her feet as Astrid and Melody did the same, and their cheers and clapping became the loudest they'd been. "Yesssss Maggie!!!" Alyssa was truly impressed - that was a performance worthy of a standing ovation!

As the explosion went off, Vialara immediately looked up, shocked that Maggie had vanished?? Oh god, did she have to go and- Oh. Wait no they were. They're not dead, it was a part of the act... Obviously.

The phaser made Timi wince, but Maggie was a mature enough person to realise what was and wasn't good for them. He didn't dare take his eyes off the scene though, and when Maggie exploded into colours.... well, there wasn't a sleight of hand trick in the world that he could think of that would explain that one.

In some attempt to put effort into cheering for Maggie, he tried to put volume into his next 'woo!', but he hadn't actually properly talked to someone today (he woke up five minutes before the show started) and so his voice cracked in the middle of it like a pubescent teenager. "Woᵒᵒoo!"

3

Eshen's 'woo' was more sing-song, almost operatic, as he clapped for Maggie's marvellous finale. "What pizazz! I may not know much about magic, but I know about performance, and that was excellent."

And what a show it had been! The colourful fireworks were an excellent touch, and he was transfixed by them for a moment. Then he sighed, the tension from having to shoot Maggie point-black dissolving, and resisted the urge to give Maggie a congratulatory hug. "The Magnificent, Marvellous Maggie, everyone!"

Their heart started to race as the silence stretched on. Had something gone wrong? Did they fuck up after all? They started to tip, teetering on the edge, despair flooding their vision.. Had they-- No, the audience was roaring, applause thundering in their ears. Relief washed over them in a wave, and Maggie rose to their feet, grinning like an idiot under their mask. "Thank you, thank you!!" They raised their voice above the noise, gesturing to the wizard to direct their applause to him, "And thank you, Serin, my noblest of accomplices! Your spellcasting never fails to amaze me! May your aim always strike true!" Oh stars, they were getting a little misty eyed now. "Thank you all for supporting me. It means more to me than you could ever realize..!"

4

From within all the applause and cheering, Astrid called out, "Mag-ni-fi-ceeeent! Les gooooo!"

"Now! Please exit in an orderly fashion, single file lines, feel free to pick up a poster on your way out! Thank you, thank you!" They waved off everyone who wanted to leave, taking a seat on the edge of the stage. Holy...fuck. That was cathartic. And terrifying. Oh god, why did they include a phaser in their act? Their heart was still racing.

He sat down next to Maggie, and their height difference was even more apparent when they were next to one another like this. "Thanks for the shout-out at the end, but you were the real star of the show there. Feeling alright?"

"Dizzy," Maggie admitted, taking off their mask and brushing their hair back behind their ear. "A little.... I don't know if stressed is the right word, but there's.. a r-really heavy weight on my chest, and my heart is racing, but I can't stop smiling. I've never felt like this after a show before."

After stopping the applause, Alyssa quickly whispered over to Astrid and Melody to grab the cake from underneath Melody's seat. "Quick! Get the box get the box get the box!" Alyssa wasted no time in snatching the bouquet of flowers from underneath her seat and holding them in her hand. "Melody! Melody," Alyssa said, trying to get Melody's attention. "Remember. Energy level at a 4, not at an 11, understood?" Then she addressed both Melody and Astrid. "Now, we wait until Maggie is ready to see us, not the other way around. Let's assume they have a lot of people wanting to come and talk to them, so we'll wait our turn, got it?" That was mainly for Melody, but Alyssa was able to understand at least a little bit of what Maggie was feeling, especially since they last spoke.

Verelan climbed up onto the stage again, roses in hand but frankly more concerned about Maggie's wellbeing. "You did great, doll, but you don't look it. Do you have a replicator here somewhere? I'll get you some water."

"Yeah, it's back behind the stage, in my dressing room." Maggie took off their jacket, leaving them in a button up shirt and bowtie. "Thank you, Verelan... Thank you, both of you. You did amazing, thanks for the help."

Water? Good idea. Oh, hey, he hadn't met this person before, but they seemed to be good friends with Maggie - he should introduce himself. "Hello, insert preferred honorific here, I'm Serin; pleasure to meet you."

Having realised Maggie wasn't dead, Vialara had calmed down, but her natural medical instincts had kicked in, and she could sense, even with all the people around that Maggie seemed to be a bit overwhelmed after all of that, so she naturally stood up and slowly made her way over to the group of people huddled around the edge of the stage. "Hey there...Uh, sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to check that you're alright? I can't help but notice you seem a little... Tense."

"Verelan is fine, darling, and the pleasure is all mine," Verelan told Serin with a smile, before nodding at Maggie and making for the backstage area. After a few moments, she came back with a tall glass of cool water, right as Vialara approached.

"Ah, yeah." Maggie offered Vialara a smile, kicking their feet a little bit as they happily took and drank the water offered. "I think I just need a sec. I pushed myself a little too hard with that last one, mentally. Thank you, I really appreciate it."

1

They pushed themselves a little too hard mentally... that broke Alyssa's heart. Obviously, it wasn't a jab at Alyssa, or anyone else. But hearing how they were so rattled by that last trick, especially given that they had a history with phasers - a history which Alyssa was all too familiar with - Alyssa turned to both Astrid and Melody and spoke in the absolute quietest voice to them. "Listen to me, and listen close, I'm only going to say this once. Under absolutely no circumstances do we mention the word 'phaser' to Maggie at all unless they bring it up first. Even then, be very gentle and thoughtful with your words. Am I clear?" (edited)

Overhearing what Alyssa was saying, he responded, "The thought is nice, but they ain't made of tissue paper. Treating them like they're fragile ain't gonna make them feel better." Watching from the front row, he considered approaching and making some pun about Verelan carrying a tall glass of water while being a tall glass of water herself, but that phrase was usually used for people who were tall and attractive, and while she was the latter, she definitely wasn't tall. Besides, he felt like he might intrude in the little group they had going on, so he approached, gave Maggie finger-guns and said, "Good show, yo," then turned to leave.

3

Maggie flashed Noid a polite wave and a smile, taking a breath and finishing the water they were given. They closed their eyes and let out a sigh, feeling a little better now for certain.

If only Noid heard what Maggie had told Alyssa... perhaps it would be different. But for now, he was right. It was the end of Maggie's show, and Maggie certainly wasn't made of tissue paper. Alyssa gave a polite and understanding nod to Noid. With that, Alyssa turned to Melody and Astrid. "Just... use your best judgement," Alyssa said as a blanket statement. She knew it wasn't helpful. But it was the least she could tell Melody and Astrid.

"You can lean on me a bit, if you'd like," Serin offered. "My shoulder might be a bit bony, though."

1

Maggie hummed, leaning their head against Serin's shoulder. "Oh, if you two don't mind sticking around for a bit," they said to him and Verelan, "I have something for you after." They waved Alyssa's trio over. "Hey, you guys gonna keep staring or what?"

2

"An offering? Excellent. It shall increase my power tenfold." Which meant that, whatever it was, he would greatly appreciate it.

2

Alyssa giggled at that. "I wouldn't call it staring, but whatever floats your boat." Alyssa turned to Melody and Astrid. "That's our cue. Come on." With that, Alyssa led Astrid and Melody over towards Maggie. Alyssa held the flowers in her hands, and the types of flowers naturally presented themselves as she held the bouquet. "Hey, Magnificent," Alyssa said, approaching Maggie before coming to a full stop. "As you're probably aware, we didn't want to leave you empty-handed from your first Interstellar Illusions. Not that you would be empty-handed anyway." Alyssa motioned to Astrid and Melody accordingly. "Not sure if you know, this is Lieutenant Commander Astrid... and I think you know who this is." (edited)

Melody calmly approached Maggie with the box from Marshall's Munchies. "H-hey Maggie! Melody Marshall, Marshalls Munchies! You did such a good job today! We're all so, so proud of you."

They (regrettably, it was a little comfy) raised their head from off of Serin's shoulder, pointed brows furrowing a little in confusion as the gifts came forward. Huh? "Oh, thank you guys so much. This is all too kind of you.." Maggie blinked, a confused smile playing at their face even as they accepted the bouquet, and glanced to the box, "Is this all really for me...? You didn't have to!"

1

3

Melody giggled as she pulled the bow off from the box, revealing the card underneath that slid off the lid of the box, landing next to Maggie. "Oop! Well, that worked out nicely!" Melody said, before lifting the lid of the box to reveal... beautifully designed (Vulcan-safe) chocolate cake, with pink strawberry frosting, and (Vulcan-safe) chocolate ganache. Decorating the top and sides of the cake were mounds of Vulcan-safe chocolate and strawberry frosting, and in the very center? A small, Vulcan-safe chocolate miniature of Maggie themselves - colored in with edible ink! "Vulcan-safe chocolate and strawberry, just like you told me! And Alyssa designed your mini-me on top!" In frosting, writing on the cake read CONGRATULATIONS MAGGIE! "Astrid wrote the Congratulations Maggie!" (edited)

3

The card read:

Maggie, Congratulations. Seriously, we mean that from the bottom of our hearts. You never fail to amaze us with everything you do. Every room you walk into lights up like daytime. You have such a unique energy and drive that you bring every day that all of us admire. There's no greater gift knowing that you're here, with us, able to show your talents to the universe, because everyone deserves to see the timeless fun you can bring. It's such a great reward seeing a smile on someone's face from the tricks you can do - and even greater to see that smile on your own face. You're a true inspiration and a role model, Maggie. To say you're magnificent would not be giving you enough credit - you're more than magnificent. We're truly privileged to know you. Signed sincerely. Lt. Cdr. Alyssa Hayes Lt. Cdr. Astrid Melody Marshall

4

3

Their eyes widened as they looked down and into the box. Was this... Was this even real? The prettiest cake they'd ever seen, and the little figure of them on top... The card just about made them tear up. It did, actually, and they blinked those tears back, hands shaking just a little. They were overwhelmed all over again, but in the best possible way. Too sweet, both the cake and the card. Too sleepy for proper thanks in words, Maggie stood up, setting the cake down on the stage to squeeze Melody and Alyssa in a hug. "Thank you so much," they said, a genuine happiness lacing their tone even through their tiredness, "I don't even wanna eat it, it's so pretty... Thank you, seriously. It means a lot."

3

1

Melody tried her best not to freak out as she received a hug from THE Maggie the Magnificent - she was a little starstruck, but at the same time, the hug from Maggie reminded her that, indeed, Maggie was much more real than a celebrity would be. Melody's smile practically stretched off her face. "Of course! You're welcome - we can all thank Alyssa for organizing this whole thing!"

Astrid piped in. "Yeah, bruh, Alyssa hit us both up since she knew we were fans of yours, and she asked if we'd be willing to help on this! The idea was all Alyssa's."

Maggie giggled weakly, reaching up to wipe their eyes and pull away. "Thank you, seriously. Ah... I won't hold you. I'll send proper thank yous when I'm over my post-show blues," they said, cracking a sliver of their usual brilliant smile. "You all are amazing, really. Take care, okay?"

1

2

Alyssa absolutely loved seeing how happy Maggie was! She felt truly so much better having gone out of her way to do something for Maggie. Someone who she connected with on such a personal level, despite not having been around them too much. "How can we be amazing if you're already amazing?" Alyssa said, with a lighthearted tone of voice. "Our quarters are open to you whenever, Maggie. And... thank you as well." Thank you as well? But for what? Well, as Alyssa, Melody and Astrid began to leave, Alyssa pointed to her new cybernetic eye - the one that was formerly covered by the visor. With a (platonic) wink and a smile to Maggie with her new cybernetic eye, it was now at least somewhat evident what Alyssa was thanking Maggie for. Maggie, in part, had been a driving force for Alyssa to change her life for the better. She got the new eye, in part, for Maggie. The talk she had with Maggie truly did something to her, something that made her rethink who she was and what she needed to do. For that, Alyssa was forever grateful to Maggie. With that, Alyssa led Astrid and Melody out, with all of them being sure to take a few posters on the way out.

2

They beamed, gently setting the cake aside (to be devoured by the spoonful at 3am when they were high in their pajamas, probably) tucking the card into the pocket closest to their heart. Maggie sat down between Verelan and Serin again. There were a few people left that they wanted to say hi to, but playfully bumped them both -- Verelan with their shoulder, and Serin with their leg -- as an extra little quiet thank you, and a silent apology for holding them for so long.

"That was very sweet of them," Verelan commented as Maggie sat back down, having watched the whole thing go down with a lopsided smile. "They seem very fond of you." She didn't mind waiting here, her shop was closed and she didn't have anywhere else to be. "I just brought you some flowers to congratulate you on your first show," she continued, handing the bouquet of roses to Maggie. She knew they liked them, as red roses were her calling card; she just hoped giving someone their signature flower wasn't tacky or something.

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Timi, meanwhile, took the chance to approach too as the excitement went down a little. His visor could become confusing when large groups of people gathered, with it not being easy to differentiate between different people talking at once, but as more and more people left, he felt more comfortable walking up to Maggie, who seemed tired, but fine, at least in this moment. He signed a quick "hello" to everyone there, before knocking on Maggie's mind with his as was their usual, wanting to congratulate them on their show, as well as check in on them. He couldn't feel the stress so much now, but he wanted to ask anyway.

It wasn't tacky at all, actually, it felt more attentive than anything. Maggie beamed, taking the roses and dropping their head briefly against her shoulder as thanks. Very touchy today, weren't they? "Thank you so much! You're too sweet. It's a bit cheesy, but roses are my favorite," they gushed, now holding both bouquets, cake a little bit behind them to be safely stashed away from foot traffic and their urge to tear into it like a rabid beast. Maggie perked up at the familiar feeling, opening the door and slipping into the quiet comfort. They were feeling just a little stressed at the moment, and tired as Timi had noticed, but nowhere near as much as they had been on that day on the promenade. "Hi, Timi! Did you like the show?" They queried, a buzz of excitement and eagerness behind it.

"Yes, you were great. Congratulations on a successful first show," Timi told Maggie, a little conscious of the fact that they were communicating telepathically while everyone around them couldn't hear what they were saying, but simultaneously, he was sort of used to it. His words weren't necessarily for everyone, anyway. Now that he was closer to Maggie, too, he could more clearly feel their emotions, as well as what everyone else was feeling, and distinguish between different people. He was glad to see Maggie was doing well, despite the phaser shot directly at them at the end of their show.

Vara'l and Telim departed, a poster grabbed and deposited under a arm as they passed the posters being all that caused a brief pause in a very animated conversation in sign language. A conversation that continued as they departed the showroom and discussed the show, Telim having very much liked it, bar the phaser related ending. A ending that, while it had initially affected him a bit, was quickly forgotten when the question 'shall we go for waffles?' was put to the kid. A question that was answered with a very enthusiastic series of yes's that reached double digits in numbers before he finished signing them.

Maggie grinned. A great first show on the station could only mean amazing things to come! "Yeah, it was... A little bit scary. I shouldn't have done that last one, I wasn't ready for it. But I think I recovered just fine, for the most part," save for the slight tremor of their hands and the waver of their voice, but other than that, they felt pretty good. Still riding the high of all the applause for certain. "It means a lot that you came. I saw you, even through your visor you looked totally bewildered," A quick bubble of playfulness that would've been laughter. "Did I manage to stump an Intelligence officer? You're stroking my ego here."

Timi puffed his chest up a little in mock offense, which was intimately clear in the relieved amusement he projected to Maggie at the news that they were okay for now. "If I was paying attention to the tricks themselves I'm sure I could have figured some out, but I was trying to enjoy the show. Also, I'm by no means an engineer, and even if I could figure out what you did, trying to piece together how you did it is a second thing entirely." Still, he didn't deny that he was stumped on a few of the tricks. The last one especially had left him flabbergasted, but that was for more reasons than just the trick being impressive.

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"Oh yeah, sure. All that sounds like fancy coverup for you totally got me, Maggie the Magnificent, you're the greatest magician that's ever lived and I bow before thee!" Maggie reached out to give Timi's arm a playful swat. "Well, it just goes to show that I'll have to up my game tenfold next time. A magician never reveals their secrets, after all. Even so..." They crossed their ankles, folding their hands in their lap, swinging their legs off the stage just a little. "If you wanna stop by sometime, I can show you some things. Or maybe just an encore of the show, and you can figure it out yourself." It was a tentative sort of offer, maybe even backed by a hint of uncharacteristic shyness -- Maggie wanted to be friends, Timi was funny and strong and overall really kind! They didn't project this desire outwards. Why was it harder for them to admit they wanted to be friends with someone than actual romantic interest?! (edited)

Timi nodded solemnly as Maggie teased him, playing along without question. "You're right, of course. If you'd like to show me sometime, I will demonstrate my stellar investigative skills." His calm assuredness once again met Maggie's nervousness, even if the situation was different now. Still, the feeling of his calm balming Maggie's nerves was familiar. Either way, Timi accepted easily, equally happy to be making new friends.

Having decided after a brief pause to get waffles to briefly come back with his dad and his sitter in tow, Telim initially peaked back inside. He wanted to say something, to thank Maggie for the show. But he also happened to be very...very anxious. A feeling that had firmly situated itself in his gut despite the smell of waffles that regaled his sense of smell with such a divine scent. Partly hidden as he peaked back inside, Telim turned and signed. "No, cant do it." And started to duck back out

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"I won't keep you any longer. I'm sure you've got something better to tend to... But thanks again for stopping by. I'll let you know when I've got time, we'll figure something out soon." Maggie hopped up once more to squeeze Timi in a hug. They heard the shuffle of feet by the door, but paid it no mind -- there was still a lot left to do, they didn't have the focus for shadows out of the corner of their vision now.

Steel grey eyes looked down at Telim from his position slightly to the left of where his son stood now they'd returned to the showroom on the back of his son's comment. Their having indicated they in fact wanted to thank them for a good show. The eyes full of understanding as they watched the kid and considered how they looked, considered their clear anxiety. Considered how they might feel if he allowed them to leave without having done what they wanted, without having thanked Maggie. "Telim.. I'll be walking in with you if you go in.. and if you want me to do a bit of the talking, I can." Vara'l responded softly. "That is if you'd like to go in." The Romulan then lapsed into silence for a moment before he added. "It does look like they're talking with someone right now.. we don't have to go in..or go elsewhere yet, we can perch outside for a moment and enjoy some waffle, see if we can't bribe the anxiety butterflies into transporting elsewhere." He offered as he watched Telim, as he spoke this time while he signed. His words followed by a gentle movement as they had then reached out and placed a gentle, comforting hand on Telims shoulder.

Telim silently thought as Vara'l talked, then silently hugged his father then and clasped their hand as he peaked back inside. Peaked back inside, now visible in the door way, for the moment it took before he spotted the fact that Maggie happened to be busy. "They're busy" He observed then as, he turned in the doorway and ..decided instead to grab something from a small bag his dad had carried for him. A piece of replicated paper taken out as he quietly then proceeded to write something. Once he'd finished writing something, he then entered into the room slightly, placed it next to the remaining posters before he turned and rapidly returned to his father. "Please can we go find a place to eat the waffles now?" He'd then asked. The question followed by a nod from his father before they then departed. (edited)

She didn't want to disturb anyone, so she grabbed a poster and departed. If she can, she will thank Maggie later

Timi hugged Maggie back firmly, like the first few times, squeezing them comfortingly. "Of course. You know how to reach me, so don't be a stranger." Maggie was right in that there was something for him to do; get food. Curse his time blindness, but he had meant to eat something before coming here... that hadn't worked out for him, so he really needed to get something to eat now. He let go of Maggie, and waved at everyone as he turned to leave. "I'll see you soon," he told Maggie with a smile, before starting to make his way through the rows of seats and out the door, waving at Vara'l and Telim as he passed them.

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"Hello!" Vara'l signed before waved back at Timi as he passed them while they walked. The hello followed by more sign as he continued his conversation with his son. "Alright, we can find somewhere to eat waffles.. we can talk..about the anxiety and the like at a later point if you'd like.. I know you wanted to talk to Maggie." He signed then as they departed elsewhere and attempted to find somewhere to sit and eat.

"Alright, grand finale." Maggie got up on the stage, going for one of their swords and drawing a card from their breast pocket. "It's...um. A little stupid, to tell the truth. But this," they squatted down between Verelan and Serin again, setting the sword down beside Verelan and the card by Serin, "Just little mementos, y'know? A thanks for lending a hand." The handle of the sword was carved with intricate spiral patterns, and the card was the ace of hearts, signed in purple pen. "Sword is mostly for show, and I have one just like it. But the ace is important to me," they said, pointing, "It was the first card someone drew during my first show. It's become sort of a.... Calling card, of sorts. It's the card I use in all my promotional stuff."

"Oh doll, you didn't have to," Verelan said, picking up the sword to admire the detailwork. She debated for a second displaying it in her shop, but she didn't want people to assume it was for sale, so instead she'd hang it up on her wall in her quarters. "It's gorgeous," she complimented.

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