One electro swing tune after another played as a clock counted down over a background of a closed eye. In chat, as anyone should expect, people argued. They argued about whether they were looking at a still image, or if it was already live. No one could keep still this long. He’s a magician, of course he can. No, I saw it move! They argued about whether it was Phian’s eyelid they were looking at at all. He’s paler than that. No, it’s just the lighting. He wears makeup to look paler than he is. No, he’s albino, dumbass. No he’s not, he’s got blue eyes. There was also talk about the metallic-red eyelashes. No one argued about that. Chat had come to the consensus that those were real, they were dyed, and yes, dying your eyelashes was very extra.

The moment the countdown hit zero, they eye snapped open, revealing the blue iris underneath. For a few seconds, it stared, wide-eyed, filling the screen. Then a voice softly uttered “Boo!”

With a huge grin, wide-spread arms, and shining red hair, Phian threw himself back in his chair. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to my charity livestream supporting entertainers who are out of work due to COVID-19!” He folded his hands over his chest and leaned in. “It’s a cause near and dear to my heart, as I’ve needed to cancel dozens of shows, myself, and while I’m in no danger of becoming a starving artist, there are many out there who are less fortunate.”

At this point, he leaned in close to the camera and murmured “Not to mention, I tend to travel a lot, and this last winter was no exception, so I may be what’s known as a ‘super spreader’.” He glanced around nervously. “Sorry Bangladesh.”

“But no more!” He threw himself back in his chair once again, causing it to spin as he threw his arms wide to present his surroundings: a wide-open room with light wooden walls. Directly behind him was a black-curtained window. To the right of that was a unit of five steel mesh shelves. To the left was an opening leading into a hallway where sunlight poured in, filtered by having bounced off a few walls. Further left was a closet, where a variety of costumes hung. “I am coming to you live from an undisclosed tropical island where I and several of my beautiful assistants and close friends (whom I am likely to have already exposed) are isolated from just about everything!” He leaned in for another conspiratorial aside. “It’s not kidnapping. It’s being responsible.”

“So!” He flashed a bright grin and clapped his hands. “If you feel like donating, any donations made through YouTube or Twitch will go to Artist Relief Tree, though I recommend you use the link in the description below to donate to them directly, so your entire donation goes to them. I will match all donations.

“If you needed any further incentive, for every thousand dollars donated, I will place one of my assistants…” he fished under the table, producing a one foot cube box. “...in this tiny box.” He smirked impishly. “So let’s make sure it gets nice and cramped, shall we?” He gave it two quick pats, then set it aside, right at the corner of the screen.

Phian checked a monitor somewhere left of the camera. ”Speaking of donations!” His expression twisted to a crooked smile of disbelief. “Ha haaaa! We’ve already received a donation of five hundred dollars from Dizzydenimdork94 who says: ‘What happens if you run out of assistants?’” The magician cast a side-eyed glance and smirk at the camera. “I don’t expect that’ll happen, although thank you so much for getting us halfway to our first compressed companion! If it does…” he chuckled, “I imagine we’re all in for a big surprise.”

Penny appeared from the right side of the screen dressed in her usual casual t-shirt and pants, crossing behind Phian to the closet.

“Introducing our first gorgeous assistant for the night, Penny!” Phian threw an arm back to present her. “Say ‘hello’ to our audience, Penny!”

With a slightly embarrassed smile, Penny waved. “Hello, everyone!” So far from the microphone, she only picked up at half the magician’s volume.

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Phian hit a button, switching cameras. This one was low to the table, angled upwards. He turned the camera to place Penny, who was rummaging through the closet as he read off donations, in the left half of the frame.

One hand entered view from the right, holding a smooth, empty glass, then brought it in close so the audience’s entire view was through it. The hand retreated, then water poured in from above, filling the glass until the water level aligned with the top of the assistant’s pants. The refracted light made her lower body appear to be behind her, facing the other way.

Penny found what she was looking for, retrieving a blue swimsuit. “I’m going out to the beach for a while. Should I send someone in?”

“You should try a bikini,” Phian replied. “A one-piece doesn’t really suit you right now.”

With an amused smirk, and a raised eyebrow that clearly knew the magician was up to something, Penny looked back at him. “Oh? Why’s that?”

The ivory-skinned hand returned, thumb pressed to middle finger, and snapped. Penny shrieked in surprise as her top half dropped out of view. Her lower half swayed slightly, clearly showing it was no longer supporting anything.

“I’m okay!” she called shakily, hand waving just in view. “And I’ve figured out why we have a bean bag chair right in front of the closet! Could you get me a bikini? I can’t reach them anymore.”

Phian pushed the glass aside, then joined Penny’s lower half. He planted a hand on her waist stump to lean over her and reached into the closet to retrieve a hoop with a curtain of iridescent streamers. He passed the curtain around her, gave it a few swishes, then tossed it back into the closet to reveal her pants had been replaced by a purple bikini bottom.

Penny’s voice was quiet, but still comprehensible. “So, not holding back with the real magic for this show, are you?”

“Well, it’s not a normal magic show,” Phian replied, just as quiet for being away from the mic. “It’s an entertaining livestream for charity! Take a bow if you would, please?”

Her lower body turned toward the camera. Phian laid a hand on her thigh to keep her steady, and she bent forward, showing off that the purple fabric also covered the stump. “Ta-daa!” she sang.

She then turned and headed for the sunlit hallway, revealing a matching bikini top as her upper body hand-walked into view.

Phian returned to his seat. “See who wants to volunteer to be next!” he called after her.

“Sure!” Penny gave the camera one last smile and wave before disappearing from view.