"Thank you for agreeing to this interview," Francine said as she looked at the Club Head of the After School Magic Club. Even though they were across from each other, she could tell nothing about the woman, save that she had dark hair, and was wearing a very fetching business suit thanks to the magical mask she wore. "It's an honor."

"Of course," the Club Head said with a smile. "After all, I do advertise on your paper, so there's no reason to turn down a reasonable request such as this. Ask away."

"Well," Francine mentally consulted her notes. "You purged your club membership over the summer, and have made it clear that you're recruiting this year. Care to explain why?"

"Sometimes, change is just good," the Head explained. "Though I suppose more detail is needed. Some of my members are graduating and want to focus on their studies. A couple found that the club wasn't to their taste, and made their withdrawal official at the end of the year, so that their transcripts show that they didn't quit part way through the year. One particular member quit after being a little too forceful with her ... associate over the summer, and needed some time off to get their head straightened out." She shrugged. "In all, it was just a good time to start from scratch."

"That seems reasonable," Francine agreed. "So, next question. Some of your detractors and objectors have called for the club to be shut down, calling you, well, horrible names, exploitive and the like, calling your shows sexually demeaning, and grotesque. Do you have a counter-statement?"

"I do, actually. It is true that we do put on shows that are sexually explicit, sometimes even out of a horror movie," the Club Head agreed, "But you have to remember is that those are only a minority of our shows. Once a week, at most. Even then, attendance is by invite only, with full knowledge of the type of show we will be putting on." The Club Head ticked off the points one by one. "The vast majority of our shows are smaller ones, with more personal performances, like slight of hand and party tricks. We even do birthday parties for kids!" She laughed. "So while I am certain that the material we do cover is disturbing to some, to others, it is ... well, let's say a fetish? They are willing to embrace it. Besides, everyone involved is a legal adult, and at no point do we enter into the legal definition of prostitution. What happens, happens between two consenting adults who know exactly what they have mutually planned when the lights go down."

"Sounds like legalese to avoid getting in trouble with the law." Francine made a note to check up on the relevant documents afterward.

"That's exactly what it is!" The Club Head agreed. "Isn't that the best way of getting out of trouble? The technical kind?"

"Not my place to say," the reporter stated. "So, how do you go about choosing what you perform? Let's be plain here, a lot of your tricks are pretty uniquely done, and not exactly 'standard' in design, even discounting the adult material."

The Head nodded along at this question. "Well, that's both an easy and hard question to answer. The easy way to say it that we take a classic performance and spice it up, make it more revealing, more intense for the benefit of the audience and the performer. That's the easiest way. The harder way is to come up with something more unique, more interesting. And to do that, well, I take in ideas from all over. My team make suggestions, often volunteering to be the first to experience it in the process. I get requests from other professional magicians to conduct experiments on their behalf. Sometimes, I'm just browsing the internet, and come across a delicious idea I have to try out, be it an image, or a story."

"You steal ideas?"

"Only if there's a chance I won't get caught, or if the idea is preemptively made free," she countered. "So no, I'm not an idea thief."

"Interesting. Do you have a favorite trick or performance you prefer? Either on yourself, or doing to others?"

The Club head laughed. "I've done them all so many times, that each time is a new and wonderful experience. I love them all!"

"Can't really argue with that," Francine accepted. "So, how about you introduce me, and by extension, our audience, to your new membership this year?"

"I can do that," the Club Head agreed. "Let's see, first is Rina here." She introduced a young woman with long black hair tied off into twin tails, her piercing blue eyes shifting from where she lay on a couch to nod at Francine. Her red shirt was so tight that it might as well have been painted on, and her black skirt was very short, showing off her thighs until her red stockings covered everything down. "Rina is a second year, and claims to be from a Catholic family. Her presence is a bit of rebellion on her part. She fully intends to give everything she has in her performances."

"What she means," Rina added, "is that Catholic Schoolgirls have a reputation for being sexy and great in bed. I intend to deliver."

"Sounds honest," Francine noted that down.

"Next is Kelly." The indicated woman stood by a shelf of books, flipping through them with brown eyes. She wore casual pants and a shirt, her short brown hair hanging loose to her shoulders. "She's an admitted hypnosis junkie, and finds the idea of being mind controlled and helpless to be quite the turn on. Whether this is true or not is something we'll have to find out over the course of the year."

"Hello," Kelly said.

"And this is Monica," the Club Head introduced the last new member, who sat on her chair, leaning forward with an eager expression. Her hair was dyed pink with streaks of green. "She is..."

"Heya!" Monica interrupted. "So, look, the Club is required to have at least one lesbian or bisexual member, and I fill the quota. So you can tell your readers that I have no problems with anyone who wants to get into my panties after the show."

The Club Head gently slapped Monica on the back of her head. "As you can see, Monica has her own kink, and the Club is a safe outlet for it."

"That makes sense," Francine acknowledged. "So, what plans do you have for your first show?"

"Well, I can't reveal everything," the Club Head replied, "but I can tell you the theme will be that of the Night Nurse."

"Sounds sexy."

"We hope so," the Head agreed. "After all, we are proud of this institutions nursing program, so anything to raise awareness of it is good, right?"

"And this has nothing to do with that department receiving a large windfall over the summer?"

The Club Head laughed. "Not at all! No, it's just coincidence, that's all. Rumors to the effect that I can dictate policy and regulation, as well as controlling the Board of Directors are just that, rumors."

"I'll be sure to put your very specific denial into writing," Francine pointed out. "But I think that's it for the interview. I don't have any more questions."

"Excellent!" The Club Head smiled. "You've been such a good sport, keeping up your end of the bargain, it's time to keep mine." She didn't do anything so dramatic as snapping her fingers, but Francine knew what was coming all the same.

The guillotine blade slammed into her neck, severing her head from her body, tumbling into the waiting basket.

"Wow," she heard Monica say, "she didn't scream or flinch at all! She'll be awesome on the stage!"