Tex shifted about behind the curtains of his small stage impatiently, more than once taking peeks out from behind the veil. It had never crossed his mind to check with the relevant authorities for the regulations and fees associated with suddenly occupying a section of the town for a performance. He hadn't even rented the stage; it was merely one of his conjurations. His ears drooped as he inwardly hoped that the magic wouldn't fail again. The stage had disappeared beneath his feet during his last venture. He was so embarrassed by that travesty that he had relocated to the opposite side of the city, Owlsbrook, for his next whack at it.

From his brief glances, he had noticed the turnout this time around was somewhat larger than his last crowd, which didn't help assuage his anxieties. But what had drawn even more of them this time around? Was it the fancy illusionary sign that hovered above the venue, declaring "Come See: Tex Errant, Magician Extraordinaire"? Were the denizens of this section of the city just more fascinated by magic and other such novelties? He could not know for sure, but if it paid off, a larger audience was, of course, better. More pockets and pouches to empty out was never a bad thing.

Once the swarm of observers had swollen to a size he deemed ideal and he had steeled his nerves, he readied himself. He shifted the curtains aside with a whispered incantation, and with that, his show began. He wandered out to the front of the stage, a broad grin displayed. "Ladies, gentlemen, children, and all, welcome. I am, of course, Tex Errant." He gave an exaggerated bow. When he rose again, he clapped his hands. A colourful puff of smoke enveloped him and the stage was suddenly shrouded in darkness. This drew some concerned but intrigued sounds from his audience. With a creaking sound, a miniature sun rolled along the back wall of the stage, shedding away the darkness, revealing a clear blue sky spread across the backdrop. As the stage was once again illuminated, it was revealed that the top surface of the stage platform had been replaced with a small body of water. Floating in its center was an equally small boat. Standing inside of it was the disproportionately large Tex, who was scanning left and right with a hand extended to shield his eyes from the sun. Amused murmurs escaped the crowd.

"Ahhh yes. The ocean!" Tex enthusiastically began. "Adventure, romance, freedom. These are the words it conjures in my mind." He continued, turning to face the audience. He suddenly extended an index finger in front of him. "But, it also makes me think of the countless tales of the legendary Captain Aldous and his equally legendary vessel, the [i]Parsimonious[/i]."

"But where would he be today, after all, without his crew?" As he listed off the central characters in his story he was about to regale them with, he conjured illusions of each before them. "No-Luck Nathaniel, who, despite his appellation, was quite lucky... to leave the grips of a mighty kraken with at least two of his limbs still in place. Cory the Incorrigible, the irrepressible pest, who is nonetheless possessed of an innate insight when it comes to matters pertaining to all manners of seabird. Luscious Lucy, whose... characteristics it just wouldn't be right to tell you all today, what with kids in the audience." At that last character, he grinned sheepishly, then continued. 

However, midway through his next character introduction, he was abruptly cut off by a sudden commotion. Several guards were parting the crowd as they charged towards the stage and Tex. "There's that damn cat again!" One cried. "You've got a lot of nerve! We told you before that you need a permit!" Tex stumbled about with surprise and terror, rocking his boat about wildly. As the illusory water splashed up at his ankles, he squeaked with fright, his tail curling between his legs. As they were just about to climb onto the stage, he drew the curtains shut. The stage suddenly shrank and vanished in a flash of light. Tex had evaded his irritated pursuers once again. His crowd had lingered, just to see what all the fuss was about, but with no Tex and no show, they lost interest and thereafter dispersed. Tex wasn't having a particularly grand time in Areapolis so far, it appeared.