Magic? What Is This You Speak Of?

[Spotlight]

Alex would walk the streets of creta. Oh how he had missed the country. He remembered how his last trip went and he hoped he could meet another character like her.  She really changed his view on the world. After meeting her he learned there was more to the world then just getting the job done. So here he was again after a good few months off he was back and this time he had new alchemy to use in his routine. He began with some basic animals from fire. He started with a flock of birds and lizard then as those faded he went into his normal act and as people began to gather he made his creations bigger. He then saw a kid run up to him and say "Hey Mister are you with the magic show?" he looked at the kid "Kid I don't believe in magic. Never truly experienced it who knows you might be luckier then me when you grow up. So how about you lead me there" The kid lead him to a fancy tent where he bought a ticket and entered and waited for the show to begin. 

[Guest]

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for a night of... no, too traditional."

She was still trying out a new greeting, her eyes fixed on the mirror. Her old one was quite sufficient, but it was running dry in her mouth. "Greetings from the Almighty Spark Heart to... no. Going to be saying Spark Heart later, can't do it then." She seethed, looking around the dressing room. A little cleaner, better quality than the seedy mashed-up dressing rooms at the pubs, small theatres and nightclubs she was used to, but at the cost of familiarity. She didn't like the dressing room by the tent, but it was the only show going, and it was the biggest one too. Besides, it might get her name out and she could travel a little more. Maybe go to the parts of Amestris she hadn't toured yet, or Carraig, or even Aerugo. She heard that Aerugo's magic business was looking promising but badly in need of new material. Lili would've liked anywhere. She just wanted to get away from where she was, away from the memory of the rejection that nearly crushed her. She seethed as she heard the crowd gather through the tent flap and saw the lights dim.

"On in thirty, Miss Sly." Said the portly man who organised the acts on the main stage. Lili walked past him, ignoring him, and tightening her leotard slightly and widening the gaps in the fishnets. She rolled her gas pumps under each of her sleeves, calmly waiting for the lights to turn the entire tent black. She counted down from twenty. She teased controls of her left pump as she did, and on three clicked her fingers. Sparks flew out of her fingertips, igniting the gas around her left hand in a harmless flame. She walked forward and the crowd saw only a ball of fire dance its way across the stage. Finally, the lights turned back on, but many of the audience were horrified and amazed to see a beautiful woman holding the flame in her hands like it was a puppet. A blow of her fingers made the flame pass away. Lili waited for a second and bowed, her hat in hand as the crowd applauded louder and harder than she had heard any crowd. She smirked greedily. This was going to be a brilliant show.

"This is for you, Emma." She hissed under her breath, before rising again, clicking both fingers causing them to flow with electric sparks. No human should be able to do that.[color:6416=olive]"Maybe not humans with metallic fibres in their fingers." Lili thought to herself, a knowing grin on her face.[/color] She put her hat back on, quickly scanning the crowd. Her eyes focused for a moment on a man with tattoos coating his scarred features. One of the odder looking people she had seen; possibly been to the face-painting stall, or was one of the performers on the smaller stages at the back. She paid him no heed as she grinned to the audience. Tattoos, there forever... forever... She knew what to say now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for a show that will last only a half hour and will stay with you for the rest of your lives! Please rest assured that everything you see is 100% magic. No smoke and mirrors with the Almighty Spark Heart!

[Spotlight]

Alex would watch the show. He then scoffed at the 'alchemy' it was nothing more smoke and mirrors. He intended to respect it that didn't mean that he couldn't give them a good free show. He jumped down from the top row landing in his feet he exited the tent. Knowing Creta's laws he went a good amount of distance. All that could be heard was the sound of a Bird screeching in pride. All that could be seen was the shadow of a large bird of fire. Suddenly a crowd began to gather as his show countinued to go on. He knew he was stealing a crowd but didn't care. He countinued to do his shows before he took a request and made some snakes. One snake attacked its brethren of a spark and ate the other fire snakes and grew. It countinued to grow as the Phoenix came down again and attacked all that could be seen was an aerial fight the Phoenix holding the snake and the snake biting her back. 

[Guest]

The show started off great. Lili was putting very much her all into it, and in return she was being rewarded with the audience's applause. It wasn't anything she hadn't done before. It was mostly using her fire hands to be flashy and keep people watching, some more subdued tricks with her guessing what electronics people were carrying and where on their person, but soon, her eye became distracted. Some of the crowd were disappearing to outside, and she heard great "fwoosh" sounds that awed people. She looked to the time. Half time, pretty much. She grinned back to the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we shall allow you to take a small break." A bow. "Enjoy the rest of the attractions, and make sure you come back." The applause was wild, but not to the extent of the beginning; the enthusiasm was there, but not the numbers. She waited for the crowd to disperse a small amount before she leapt off the stage. Time to find out what was stealing the crowds.

The answer was, in fact, in the shape of the young man from before, the tattooed man in the crowds. White hair upon pale skin. Slightly shorter than her. Then she looked to the shapes he was forming; a scarlet and yellow flame was being shapeshifted by him, forming a great firebird locked in a duel with a serpent. Lili seethed slightly. "Alchemist. He just had to be an alchemist." She remained back, not letting herself get noticed for a moment or two. She remained calm, a wry smirk forming on her lips. She had been called a fraud before, and people had tried to upstage her too. All of them failed, and this guy didn't look any different.

As the animals of flame came closer, Lili rose her arm. She once again clicked her fingers, the gas pump firing a steady stream of gas around her hand. She drew her fist back and waited. The beasts came closer... now! Lili's punch looked a lot harder than it was, and her motion caused the shapes in the flames to disperse. As far as all the crowd were aware of, Lili had somehow punched flame itself. Stunned into silence, they simply looked to Lili awkstruck. What they had just seen was beyond alchemy. It was magic. Lili smirked calmly, walking close to the alchemist. Her dark blue eyes locked grey. She at first said nothing, simply scanning him from head to toe.

"Looks pretty." She murmured. "But firstly, unlike you, I don't need circles or rules of exchange. Essentially, you're putting on a lightshow. If you think it's better than my actual and very real magic, trust me when I say it's not." She adjusted her hat slightly, noticing that it was slightly off-centre, and brushed a little dust off the heart tattoo on her chest. "Secondly, it's rude to steal a crowd, don't you know that? You should know how to treat a woman with respect." Her eyes looked back to him, still holding a calm smirk to match her lips. "Do you have a name, fireman?"

[Spotlight]

"Looks pretty. But firstly, unlike you, I don't need circles or rules of exchange. Essentially, you're putting on a lightshow. If you think it's better than my actual and very real magic, trust me when I say it's not."
He didnt even bother to look up as she said this. he brushed her off and smiled at her. he then opend his jacket and took out 7 gourds. as he did this he would watch as she destroyed the fire.
Secondly, it's rude to steal a crowd, don't you know that? You should know how to treat a woman with respect. "Do you have a name, fireman?"
Well you see I can do many things Miss. And i gave your show a good amount of space double what i usually give. Nice tattoo by the way. and my name is nothing of importance to someone who decieves their audience but if you really want to know answer me this. It's always above the negatives, Yet it's lower than the first prime. No matter how you multiply, It's the same every time. What is it? As you answer that allow me to Finnish my last trick" Alex would then press his ring down after crushing each sand gourd wih his automail arms. He would thence make it move snaking around him as it formed a series of shapes. He stopped it a minute after as they formed a series of small hawks. He then used flame alchemy and turned them to glass After morphing the flames into seven mini raging fire tornados that were blue in color and as they disappeared the children saw the statues and Alex said Oh come back and get them when they cool it's all free though one per child.

[Guest]

"Well, you see, I can do many things, Miss. And I gave your show a good amount of space; double what i usually give. Nice tattoo by the way." Lili remained calm, her smile not budging an inch, though her heart growled in her chest. "So, you make a habit of stealing crowds from people who have to entertain people for a living, you snotty little bastard? This is my LIFE you're talking about." She refrained from answering, however, letting him speak. "And my name is nothing of importance to someone who deceives their audience, but if you really want to know answer me this." Lili's eyebrow twitched. Where was he going with this? "It's always above the negatives, yet it's lower than the first prime. No matter how you multiply, it's the same every time. What is it? As you answer that, allow me to finish my last trick."

"Zero. Easy peasy." She answered immediately. She had known the answer before he even asked for one; you don't become a performer of magic without learning your fair share of riddles, though that one hardly was a riddle at all. She watched the man put some gourds on the ground, and engulf them in tornados of a blue flame, before they disappated and became glass statues. Lili merely raised an eyebrow.

"Cute, but as I said, it's nothing fancy. Your alchemy proves nothing about my magic, and it isn't special." She pulled a hankerchief from out of her cleavage, and brushed it down, before looking right back at the man. "I could go to Amestris and ask an alchemist to build me seven thousand of your little birds." She desperately kept talking, keeping the crowd distracted, hoping they wouldn't see her rubbing her magnetic fingertips into the fabric of the hankerchief, making static flow through it's every woven vein. She smiled to the tattooed man. Always keep smiling, Emma had said. Stay charming, stay sexy, stay trustworthy even as you lied through your teeth.

"I could get the Amestrian army to move the earth, or calm the sea, and it would be nothing special." She explained, walking close to the nearest glass statue. She threw her hankerchief to the other side of it, still looking to the man. Her elbow brushed against the glass hawk, sending it plummeting to the earth. "But for all of the people on the earth..." She said, before throwing her hand out to the statue as it was just about to hit the ground. The static from the hankerchief did the rest, sticking to her nearing fingertips like glue. It formed almost like a net around the hawk, catching it at it's beak grazed the ground but all either her audience or the man she confronted saw was her knock the statue down, and magically pull the hankerchief back to her fingers, catching it in a simple motion of the hand. The audience gasped, awestruck, before slowing beginning to applaud her as Lili grinned widely. "- they've got nothing on me."

She pulled the hankerchief back, catching the statue in her arms as it was thrown to the air. She offered it to a nearby boy and dumped it into his eager arms, gently rubbing his hair, causing the locks to stand on end. "She touched me!" He squealed as Lili leaned forward to the man, a smug grin plastered onto her face. "Oh, and your tattoos look ridiculous."

[Spotlight]

He would look as she did her little trick. he would then shrug as she insulted his tattoos truthfully he had only borrowed the fake skin due to trying to avoid scratching his new automail. The Xerxian jade was still settling with him and it was truly unsettling him to be honest.he looked over at her. and said "Sorry for stealing your crowd but Truthfully I am a good distance away and you still attracted more people. I only attracted the people that were either leaving or about to leave. Now As for the magic I beleive that everything can be explained even alchemy to some extent. So I do not and refuse to admit Magic is real. So unless you can disprove me in some way then i will. as for answering that simple riddle right I will reveal a name i go by quite often. I am reffered to as Spotlight to most as is also my Show name when i do my performances in this country. Now I would like to propose a challenge. My Alchemy versus your so called Magic all skills we can use will be at our disposal. And to make this interesting If i lose which i intend not to I will admit that your magic is real. Fair enough?" he gave her a smile as he moved to get up. the statues finnally cooled and he gripped his sleve and removed the fake skin. "I guess my Faux Skin Sleeve wasnt that good. Well Now you can see the automail i so wished to hide." his automail was green and looked like it was made from jade.

[Guest]

"Sorry for stealing your crowd but truthfully I am a good distance away, and you still attracted more people. I only attracted the people that were either leaving or about to leave. Now as for the magic, I believe that everything can be explained; even alchemy to some extent. So I do not and refuse to admit magic is real, unless you can disprove me in some way. Then I will."

Lili looked to the audience as he said this. They regarded both of them with an air of untouchable awe, but Lili's smirk was a pleased one as she turned back. "The audience's faces speak for themselves; unless you're calling them stupid, I'd say that I've proven myself." She kept her smug grin on her face, secretly wondering how further she could scam the lot of them.

"As for answering that simple riddle right, I will reveal a name I go by quite often. I am refered to as Spotlight to most, as it is also my show name when i do my performances in this country. Now I would like to propose a challenge." The last words caught Lili's attention, as her expression became something different.

"Go on..."

"My alchemy versus your so called magic; all skills we can use will be at our disposal. And to make this interesting, if I lose, which I intend not to, I will admit that your magic is real. Fair enough?" Lili's eyes sparkled. A fight? A street fight, right now? Her eyes narrowed. She watched him stand up, gripping the skin on his arms and tearing it off, revealing the metal underneath. Fake skin? Then she realised. Automail for arms. She said nothing, her expression unreadable. "I guess my Faux Skin Sleeve wasn't that good. Well, now you can see the automail I so wished to hide."

"Martial arts too? A proper fight?!" She asked, before grinning. The man didn't know what he was getting himself into as she grabbed one of his hands and shook it without him really giving any indication of wanting to shake hands. "You're going regret ever saying that. Deal! Think of your apology as we fight, you'll need it.

[Spotlight]

"The audience's faces speak for themselves; unless you're calling them stupid, I'd say that I've proven myself."
he sighed why did women like twisting his words so. he then looked at her and replied. I do not call the crowd stupid i simply would like to point out the fact that you deceiving them for your own fun is not something i would like them to experience. Yes Martial arts as well. And dont expect me to pull back any punches because your a woman. I treat everyone with as much equality as i can. he watched her shake his hand the cold jade limb jerking a bit as she shook it. He smiled at her and knew what he would say Anything else you want me to do or say while you have the stakes open for debate. And weapons are allowed. he smiled evilly he would get her to unveil her true nature quickly and he would enjoy himself as he did so

[Guest]

She stood back a little, dropping his hand and stepping back a little. "Anything else you want me to do or say while you have the stakes open for debate. And weapons are allowed." She grinned as he said this, matching his own evil smile, though hers was a little more playful in nature. She was actually starting to feel bad for Spotlight; he didn't have a clue what he was in for.

"Seems fair; I lose, I tell you that my magic is fake, even though it isn't. I win, you admit that I'm magic... and seeing as you like my tattoo so much, get a heart tattoo on your face when I win." She teased, then her right leg slid back easily, her eyes scanning Spotlight. Smaller, easier to keep at a distance, but she knew that those jade arms were going to give him a far harder swing. Adding in the alchemy advantage, he definitely had brute strength on his side, and he could probably reach her with those flames.

"Unless he never gets the chance..." She thought, a makeshift ring forming in the crowd. The scene was set for a fight, and Lili happily brought it first, immediately rushing forward, her foot stomping to her opponent's foot. The moment she was close enough, barely an inch away, she drove her left elbow towards Alex's chest, giving herself space and forcing him back. She smirked, already on a roll. All she had to do was move forward and strike until he ran out of space. Also, focus on the kickboxing; she could use her 'magic' as and when she needed it. If strength and reach couldn't win for her, then aggression would.

[Spotlight]

Alex's foot was stepped on as she struck him in the chest. He then said "The hell is wrong with you. Atleast let me agree to the damn terms first. he then took a step back and brought himself into a wing tsun stance. He didn't need a sword not yet. Hell who knows he might take a note from Alicia and dance an attack. Anyway on to his stance which was a standard stance. Wing Chun favours a high, narrow stance with the elbows kept close to the body. Within the stance, arms are positioned across the vitals of the centerline. That was the stance he took. His fists left semi open. He looked at her a moment and waited for the attack. He should have brought knives but he could supplement for that later. His sword was at his waist and he knew she probably saw it. "Alright I accept. Though if If you lose I would also like the pleasure of taking you out to dinner tonight ok?" he gave her a wink as he was sorta joking but she could probably figure that out on her own. 

[Guest]

Lili was tempted to move forward and keep the attack up, but she saw Spotlight get into a defensive posture, causing Lili to relent; to attack a prepared opponent was a surefire way to start to lose, so she held back and merely observed her opponent's stance. It was fairly standard, not too dissimilar from her own, though the elbows and hands were closer to his body; overall, more defensive, but it left his sword revealed and ready to be drawn at anytime. She eyed it with a nervous eye. That would be a huge threat here.

"Alright, I accept. Though, if you lose I would also like the pleasure of taking you out to dinner tonight, ok?" He said, and Lili's eyes widened. He was asking her out?! The blue dots narrowed, determined, as strategies ran through her head.

"Fine, though that isn't going to happen, because I'm not going to lose! She chuckled, then she bolted forward. Her foot swung in an almighty roundhouse to Spotlight's right, seeing as his arms were up. She followed this with a dangerous haymaker from her right fist, before clicking her fingers, sparks flying off them and forcing the open palm to Spotlight's chest, hoping to hit him with a small electric shock, enough to give the impression that a lot more 'magic' was going into her fighting style than was actually the case.

[Spotlight]

Alex took the kick to the arm which had moved to block. He had his iPhone on him and as the kick was brought back he was raising his phones volume. The bare back inscribed with a transmutation circle. As her second hit landed he hit tapped the play button as music began to play low enough so she and he wouldn't hear he activated his alchemy. A pulse of sound vibrations would hit her and him. She would be hit the hardest if it hit her. He didn't know if it would hit but he knew that it would save him as when it hit him it pushed him out of the way of the attack. The sparked attack hit air as he returned to his stance. He would then aim a open palm to her abdomen and then follow up with one to her shoulder neck and twist before aiming an elbow to her back. He wouldn't lose not here not now. Why should he let her magic upstage what he believed even if she was attractive.

[Guest]

Lili was thrown back by a very sudden shockwave. Less the strength and more the fact that it seemed to come out of thin air caused the impact it did, throwing her backwards and winding her. However, she managed to curl herself up, elbows to the stomach and fists in front of the head, protecting herself from the strike to the belly, and then easily blocking the strikes for her shoulder and neck respectively. The elbow to the back was troublesome, but she threw herself forward to avoid it, rolling to the ground and stopping in an aggressive 'monkey' position, her feet touching each other, left facing the opponent, and her hands touching the ground ahead. A very unpredictable stance to attack out of, both for attacker and defender; neither could really guess whether the hits would connect properly, but Lili had to try, very suddenly charging forward and, balancing upon her hands, delivering three hard kicks to Spotlight's ribcage, spun to slam one to his feet, before standing on her hands, facing her feet to him and driving both towards his head at the same time. She rolled backwards immediately after, getting onto her feet and rolling back into a full stand.

"Child's play..." She said, then made a mock yawn, but her eyes fell upon his headphones. She followed the cord with her eyes to his iPhone. Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Was that the source of the shockwave? "Of course! She thought. Alchemy. She threw her open palm out to Alex's face and clicked her fingers and fired the gas pump hidden under her sleeve at once, her fist becoming a dangerous fireball but it was a mere distraction as her free hand made a beeline for the iPhone.

[Spotlight]

Alex would look at her as she went to strike at him. He would turn and grab her foot after the second strike connected with his abdomen a grunt escaping. He then brought his left hand up and moved to make a palm strike to her abdomen. He thought about the next movement. So he let go of her leg and made another palm strike towards her abdomen one to her chest and then took a few steps back to compose himself. He thought about what he was doing. He was holding back while she was not. He had way too much riding on this. He didn’t want to get a tattoo on his face. He put his arms up as if in surrender. He could deal with the tattoo. Maybe he could play it off. He put his hands behind his head and realized He couldn’t do either of those things. He would begin form a plan as he appeared to surrender.

[Guest]

As she charged forward, her hand setting a flurry of flames toward his face, she didn't notice his palm rush for her belly. It slammed in painfully, forcing her back, but she managed to throw the next strike away. She saw him back away, and then put his hands behind his head. He was surrendering? Now? Lili's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She had been lying for far too long to not see a trap when presented to her. However, a small smirk curled onto her face. If he was going to try and trick her into losing this fight then he had another thing coming, she thought. She could play this game too, and better than anyone else.

"Giving up already?" She asked, her voice becoming arrogant and brash. If she could trick Spotlight to spring his trap early, then she could easily overpower him. Now was the time for trickery and brute force to win the day. She walked closer to Spotlight, placing her right hand on his chest and pushing him back, taunting him. Her left hand went behind her back, but it was curled in a hard, hidden fist. "Well, go on. Say it; admit that my magic's very real indeed."

[Spotlight]

Alex would listen to her words and sighed. "I Alex Spotlight Corde of Amestris admit that Magic is..." he then snapped as he almost finnished the sentence. He was a tad early in his plan but this was nothing Alex couldn't recover from. The red flames charged towards her in the form of a tiger. He then snapped again as a blue flame dragon soared towards her. At each step the dragon took moisture was evaporated and and the smell of smoke trickled in as the pavement became scorched. He then smiled as they got within a the halfway mark between them he would snap again causing them to explode in a torrent of flame. This backlashes as it burns Alex severely who just managed to get his arms up in time. The crowd was just out of range but they no doubt felt the heat. He sighed and coughed up some smoke. God how he loved Automail except for when his over heated. It irritated his shoulders and sometimes left him without movement in his arms. 

[Guest]

The pale haired man in front of Lili sighed, but the magician stayed alert. She justknew he was about to attack. "I, Alex Spotlight Corde of Amestris, admit that magic is..." Suddenly, his body tensed. Lili's eyes widened. This was it! She prepared to jab him in the face, until a ball of flame forced her to leap back.

"Woah!" She yelped, a red tiger of fire leaping at her, before it was joined by a blue dragon, both racing forward and drawing steam as they scorched the pavement. Lili's feet shot back, trying to avoid the onslaught, until her eyes drifted to Alex, still smiling. Smiling? Then she realised. This wasn't his main attack. Something else was coming. Lili growled lowly. She had to attack him, and she had to attack now. She stopped still, as if about to face the beasts head on. They reared back, and the audience dispersed in fear. She must have been mad. However, Lili knew what to do; make sure that Alex lost control of the fire. Alex caused the tiger and the dragon to explode, the fire and smoke creating a massive ball of explosive potency, but Lili used the smoke to her advantage, her hand over her face so she didn't choke, running past the oblivious Alex, who was too busy shielding himself with automail...

... automail! Lili grinned as she silently moved towards him from behind. Automail was metal, and metal was great at one thing in particular; conducting heat and electricity. She used her hidden gas pumps to force even more fuel into the flames, heating it up and causing the automail to burn Alex. He was exhausted from taking all the heat, and Lili saw her chance, clicking her fingers as she stopped behind him. Sparks flew off them and she clapped her palms around his hot arms, sending an electrical shock right into him. "You dangerous idiot!" She shouted, her face becoming stern. She didn't keep her hands on long enough to be burnt, but the combination of scorching heat and the shock should make him weak. "I don't like using my magic to cause pain... but after nearly killing me with a stunt like that, I think you deserve a lesson." Her fingers clicked, and she grabbed his hot automail again. She threw him to the floor, her blue gaze with no hint of her usual smirk in it. She felt genuinely angry now, if only for her own sake; that explosion wasn't big but it was lethal in heat and power. Besides, if he was that cocky about his alchemy, he deserves to be taken down a notch; he had started this fight. "Say sorry, admit that magic's real, and I'll stop."

[Spotlight]

Alex would watch as the explosion went up. It went up like a pillar of flame leaving behind a layer of thick black smog. The heat seemed to make his automail go stiff. That was when it happened. He dropped to the ground as an electric shock ran through his arm. He hit the ground roughly on his knees. It looked like he was kneeling for an execution. All he was missing was a blindfold and he was ready top be executed. He then looked up at her and sighed. She seemed top be shouting at him but he wasn’t paying attention. He was trying to find a way out of this situation. The electricity had pretty much temporarily fried his automail. He couldn’t move them and then his regular nerves got hit with the electricity. That could do anything to his body. He then looked up at her and sighed. I Concede. Your magic is real.

[Guest]

"I concede. Your magic is real." Alex finally uttered weakly, and Lili stopped the onslaught. She kept her eye on the alchemist before she began to hear something. Applause. Her eyes diverted to the crowd, and she looked around as the crowd applauded the magician. Suddenly Lili found herself trying to fight back a blush from forming on her cheeks, but she gracefully bowed, her hat tipping into her hand. She looked to the moaning alchemist and hissed slightly. There was a reason she didn't like to cause pain with her magic; it made her opponent's look pitable. She sighed, before gently forcing her arm around the alchemist and lifting him off the floor.

"Come on up, I'm not letting you collapse out in the street. Though fair's fair." She said, pulling him to a bench and sitting him down gently. "And I expect to see Alex Spolight Corde of Amestris to be sporting a beautiful heart tattoo tomorrow morning." She said through a smirk, before turning around, ready to finish her show on the stage. She began to walk away before stopping herself. She had to at least be polite in victory. Her gaze turned back. "Don't look too glum; you did good, but I hope I've thought you not to play with fire." She winked flirtatiously at him, and disappeared into the cheering crowd.

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