Illyana's expression remained as guarded as possible as she watched Geralt and Lucien interact. Even when the magician winked at her, she tried to show no response, although it did take her by surprise. Lucien's warning about his silver tongue was definitely needed, she would have to keep a close eye on him when he interacted with the rest of the troupe. Smooth though he was, his arrogance ruled him, it was only a matter of time before he would slip something that betrayed the secret of his magic. Illyana was sure it wouldn't be long before the mystery of his powers was revealed, magician or not, Illyana had her own tricks up her sleeve.

Geralt's smile returned as Lucien continued to speak, glad that he had been granted permission to do his show. He had intended to perform no matter what, but at least the Ringleader could recognize talent when he saw it. "Very well, maître, I humbly accept your conditions. It is never my intention to rock the boat...unless, of course, some rocking is requested." He said, and followed the two eagerly as they began to walk away. He couldn't help but glance at Illyana's backside as she walked in front of him, and smiled to himself. She was young, yes, but there was a fire in her. He would have to be careful around their little Madame Illynova.

Illyana was about to agree with Lucien, nodding to him as she turned to wish Geralt a good show, before the magician interrupted her by stopping and holding up a finger. He had glanced back at the group of patrons waiting outside the gates as he came to stop. What was he doing?

"Speaking of which..." He said, looking over at the group of people crowding the gate. It was absolutely minuscule, a quarter of the crowd he used to pull at the theater. This amount of people would barely fill a single tent, let alone the entirety of the grounds. It was mostly children too, and their parents wouldn't want to pay double to see every single show.

"Would you allow me the smallest of indulgences, Lucien? And Madame Illynova, of course," he said and nodded humbly toward Illyana. "I'd like to do a little pre-show presentation, if that is okay with you?" There was a brief pause, and he decided to fill it with more talk as he turned his body toward the crowd, "I promise, only run-of-the-mill tricks. Just to give them a taste, leave them wanting more...I promise I will make it brief." He continued, a devilsh grin splitting his face.

Illyana glanced up a Lucien, hope and worry plain on her face. She didn't trust Geralt, not by a mile, but if they were going to let him perform tonight, she didn't see the harm in letting him have his little 'presentation'. Besides, this would give her a chance to see something of his firsthand, as she wouldn't be able to watch the show. It would delay their opening, yes, as they were due to be ready in minutes, and this was Lucien's call. Still, she hoped he would allow it, if only for her sake.

Lucien shook his head ever so slightly at the magician's response. "Just Lucien is fine, no need for such titles." He said as they continued their walk. That was until the man spoke again. He glanced at Geralt as he spoke, gaze shifting toward the main entrance for a moment. He didn't have to look down at Illyana to know what kind of expression she held. He had known their fortune teller long enough. He was hesitant, and not all inclined in delaying their start further but he knew that it wasn't a bad idea.

Geralt seemed to be eager to please, so he didn't think he would do something that would impact them negatively. Before the night had even started, Lucien already knew the other shows would most likely be a little lacking in audience, considered this was their second run, and everyone knew that too. Allowing Geralt to do this would most likely bring more audience to his performance. That was fine, after all that's why they had sought the man in the first place.

They hadn't been able to advertise the fact he would be here, since Lucien hadn't been sure whether he'd even show up today, this was a good way to make the man's presence known.

"I'll allow it." He said. "We were unable to advertise that you were performing today, I suppose the best way would be for them to see Geralt the Great for themselves." He motioned over to the small crowd as he spoke. Considering Illyana would have to leave soon, he figured he'd also give her the chance to see him in action. It certainly seemed like she wanted to.

"Lucien, then..." he looked the man from head to foot, I like the way that tastes..."You will not be disappointed." He spun on his heel and made his way towards the crowd with no hesitation whatsoever.

Once he reached them, he set his briefcase on the ground and smoothly pushed past the Carnie at the gate and leapt to the block and pole that held the entrance sign. This elevated him above the crowd, and allowed his voice to carry over the minuscule group that had gathered. The sentinels at the gate both looked to Lucien for guidance, but did not receive a response before Geralt began to speak.

"Good people, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls!" Geralt called, his stage voice booming out over the crowd. He balanced effortlessly on the block as he spoke, fanning an arm out over the crowd so they were sure they were all included. "Welcome, one and all, to Cirque D'étoiles." As soon as he started speaking, the entire audience had turned their attention to him, and already some children's faces in the crowd were beginning to light up as they pointed out the man to their parents.

"Oh, you have so much in store for you this evening. A night of sights, sounds, and wonder! Mystery and...magic!" He shouted, and as he said the word "magic", he reached into his pocket and flung confetti into the crowd. There were already "oohs" and "awes" at this display, but the small slips of paper glowed with an eerie light and transformed into paper birds, which began to flutter about the audience. The patrons gathered about erupted into a frenzy at this, the children's laughter carrying on the breeze, even their parents looking up at the small pieces of paper in wonder and confusion.

Too easy... The smile on Geralt's face twitched ever so slightly, but was entirely missed by the crowd. They were entirely misdirected by his small trick. He continued after a moment:

"Now, I don't know if any of you have heard of Geralt the Great before, but he is a recent installation in this merry band of entertainers. He will be here for the next three nights to fill your minds and hearts with feats of sleight of hand, marvelous machinations and bewitching illusions known world-wide." At this, he leapt from the back and made to stand in front of the crow, he had their full attention now; some of their bottom jaws were already resting in the dirt.

He continued, his arms spread wide as he gesticulated towards the crowd in grandiose fashion, "I have seen these tricks for myself, and, good people, do not let your minds deceive you. Every feat of magic you see this evening will be one-hundred-percent real." At this, a ball of fire appeared in the palms of Geralt's hands, and the crowd gasped in unison before he closed to his fist to snuff out the flames as quickly as they had appeared.

"As a special treat, for you, our curiously captivated crowd..." He said and stepped toward the patrons as they leaned in. "I see many young ones in the crowd tonight!" He exclaimed, and then focused in on a small boy near the front of the crowd. He locked eyes with the child, then approached and crouched down in front of him, but not without looking up to the boy's mother for permission. He winked at her, and she blushed and smiled, which he took as admission to interact with the boy.

"Like this strapping young gentleman!" He said, and crouched down to match the child's height. "Do you like magic, my good lad?"

The boy, obviously stunned at being chosen, paused a moment before nodding vigorously at Geralt. The man smiled in response, and slowly reached up behind the child's head as he spoke, "Well, then, I hope you don't mind if I pay your way into the magic show?" He asked, and from between his long and dexterous fingers, as if he has pulled them from out of the boy's ear, a shiny pair of quarters appeared. He waved them theatrically in front of the boy's face, then gasped as the pair of coins suddenly disappeared from his hand.

"Oh no!" Geralt said, feigning surprise. The boy's wide-eyed, hopeful expression began to slowly melt from his face, but before it could disappear completely, he whispered something into the boy's ear. Excitedly, the boy checked his front vest pocket and pulled the very same pair of quarters out. Surprise was written across the faces of the boy and his mother, and as the crowd around began to whisper about what had happened, a hush fell over everyone, all eyes on the magician.

He attempted to straighten, but the boy grabbed his lapel and he stayed within earshot. The child leaned in and whispered "Are you him?"

At this, Geralt merely winked and whispered back, "You will have to come to the show and see." At this, he straightened and addressed the crowd at large once more, "In fact, let me extend this offer to the entire group! Every lad and lass under the age of fourteen may enter the magic show for free! Two nights only, so make it count!" At this, there was a chorus of clapping, parents and children alike smiling ecstatically. Geralt let the sound of their applause linger for a moment, feeling a surge of vindication, of passion for his craft. It made him feel powerful, even more so than his recent carnal activities had. He felt as though he held the fate of all of these people--

In the palm of your hand. Show them, show them our power and let them tremble with awe...feed me with their fear and their elation.

Geralt's secret smile widened as he took a generous bow amidst the clapping and cries of "More, more!" before he turned once more and approached Lucien and Illyana, briefcase in hand.

"Excuses again, Lucien, that took a little longer than I anticipated, but I think we will reap the rewards over the next few days." He glanced at Illyana, and nodded to her as well, "My apologies to you as well, Madame, I know you have places to be and things to...see."

Illyana had watched the entire show, her eyes wide with anticipation, focused intently on Geralt's movements. Even she, with her trained eyes, could not glean any new information from watching this spectacle unfold. His abilities, however supernatural in nature, appeared to be entirely organic as well. His hands were deft and so practiced, everything was expertly timed, his body moved with such grace and yet was so precise in every single detail...this only made her yearn for knowledge of his abilities more. Clearly, the fire and the birds made of paper were real objects that he had used his magic to create, but she would have to examine the objects and effects more closely to get a better idea of what had created them. It was obvious that this man was and expert in the arts of sleight of hand and illusion, but that his abilities were fueled by some other force. Every move he made was intentional, she would have to look closely if she wanted to learn more, she doubted he would slip up at any time.

When he approached and addressed her, she could see the flash of excitement in the man's eyes, but only for a moment before it disappeared. It was then that she realized just how right Ivory's assessment of his eyes had been; they were completely empty, devoid of life. Except for that tiny flicker, they were entirely lifeless. This made her shudder inwardly, and she made sure to avoid eye contact as she bid her farewells to both men and hurried off toward her trailer.

Lucien's eyes did not leave Geralt as he made his way over to the crowd, letting him do as he pleased. Part of him wasn't surprised how effortlessly the man could handle the crowd. He had expected this much. He knew exactly how to gain their attention and draw them to him.

If there was one thing that Geralt had as an advantage over all the other performers, was that he was a magician. There were things that the others could not do without revealing that they were inhuman, or that they were doing the impossible. Magicians did not have to worry about that sort of thing, and therefore weren't held back by such restrictions. He could not deny that he was impressed, especially with his interaction with the child. Though he was not close enough to hear what they were saying, it was clear that the young boy was excited. With such a display, if this was just a 'taste' then, he didn't think he had much to worry about when it came to the show itself. Clearly he knew how to rile up a crowd. He supposed being able to see him in action like this put his mind a bit at ease.

The comment he maid in regards to payment however, made Lucien's expression slightly flatten. Normally the nephilim would not mind such a thing at all, after all he wanted children to be able to come and see their shows. Considering their financial situation though, it was simply a risky call. He was more so annoyed by the fact it had been done without his consent. Still, he supposed this would allow people another chance to return, and spread the word about what Geralt the Great had to offer.

"I'll be sure to keep in mind that this is your definition of brief." He said, pausing for a moment. Despite the fact it had taken longer than anticipated, he couldn't deny he had indeed gotten the crowd excited. "Nicely done, however, do keep in mind in the future to not make such large scale decisions without my knowledge and permission. There is an order to things around here." It was clear that this would most likely happen again. Geralt didn't really seem like the person who would seek permission to do things. That would certainly be problematic, but he'd have to simply learn how to deal with him. He turned Illy and wished her good luck before she ran off, and then turned back to Geralt.

"Come, we've spent too much time here." He said as he began to lead him to his performance tent. He figured during their walk he would try to gain as much information as he could as to what the man's plans were.

"How long do you expect your performance to run?" He asked. The schedules for the other performances were calculated, giving people enough of a chance to not miss one if they had more than one favorite. He already knew Geralt would probably be the favorite of the night, but it would be good for him to know in general how much time he planned to spend so he could plan accordingly.

Geralt bowed his head in mock humility and pressed his palms together as if in prayer, "I feel like there have been too many apologies between us in too short a time. I will try to make sure not to earn any more bad marks." He followed Lucien as he began to walk, being sure to hang back and check out his backside as well before they got too far. Yes, he was quite a specimen. Geralt couldn't help but lick his lips in anticipation of their future together, in fact, he was already imagining him naked.

Despite Lucien's distaste for his methods, Geralt was sure it would pay off in the long-run. He would take the ringleader's tongue lashings for now, but he was sure to be singing a different tune by the time they packed up and left Graston's outer limits. This method would have been risky, if it were any other man that had implemented it. He decided to keep these thoughts to himself, he had already riled the man enough for starters. Though he liked the way his brow furrowed when he was trying to be stern, Geralt was sure he would have more chances to see this expression.

He trotted lightly to catch up as Lucien began speaking to him again, taking a look about the grounds as he did so. The odd carnie passed here and there as they walked by, either running or walking quickly. It looked like Lucien prided himself on how tight a ship he ran here. Geralt wondered how tight his other...operations were.

The location they had chosen was charming, of course; a little valley tucked into the crevasse of two small hills. This was almost perfect, except that the sign couldn't be seen from the road. The tents and trailers were well-maintained, and the areas that were off-limits to patrons were clear by the lack of lights. He saw some of the attractions as he passed by: Danseur de Feu, Lanceur de Couteaux (that must be Ivory's tent, he would have to stop by there later), and Charmeur de Serpent were the few he manages to catch glimpses of as he walked through the grounds. He was sure there were more, but just seeing these made the back of his neck tingle.

A nest of them, all tasty power and sinew. Make them ours.

"Mm...about forty-five minutes, on the average." He responded as they walked through the grounds, he had been listening intently despite his observations. "I'm guessing your other 'performers' are, say, a quarter a show?" This was average for travelling circuses, Geralt would know, and with this level of operation he assumed that's what they were asking. With the crowd at the gate he calculated less than five dollars at the gate, and that was absolutely abysmal. He hoped the crowd would intensify tonight, but if not, tomorrow would certainly bring a pay off.

Lucien had a feeling despite Geralt's attempts, he would surely be hearing more 'apologies' from him. He was beginning to see that it was just the kind of man he was, one who was used to being in control. Normally he did not have this sort of issue here. There was no one troublesome in his troupe, and Lucien did not really have to go out of his way to be completely stern with people. This would not be the case with Geralt, that much was obvious.

"That would be most appreciated." He said simply as they continued on their way. He took note of Geralt looking at the other tents. It was good to see that he was at least interested in the other acts. The ringleader was actually curious to see how Geralt would react to the others, considering Ivory's skill had at least piqued his interest.

Hearing his response, he nodded slightly. That was fairly normal for a magician's act, after all they had a lot to offer.

"That is correct." He said, pausing for a moment. "I suppose this is a good moment to mention this is the second time we've been to this city in this circuit, hence the low turnout, but the alternative was worse." He said with a small sigh.

"I assume you are used to charging more than that."

That actually did explain why the crowd outside was only a couple patrons deep. He almost began to wonder why in the world a smart and capable Ringleader like Lucien would visit a town twice in such a short amount of time, but then it struck him: of course, they came here for him. His smile widened, secret triumphs were Geralt's favorite kind. Well, in this instance they were.

"Aah, this makes much more sense now. I was wondering how a legitimate and exciting operation like yours could see such low numbers. But, never fear, Geralt is here." He winked at the ringleader, his confidence never wavering.

At Lucien's next question, he bit back a comment about how he thought the Ringleader felt about talking finances, and said instead: "Well, of course. Back in Paris, I was up to two dollars a person, including the young ones, but that would never fly with this crowd. My act is long, and worth the charge, but I'll leave matters of finance up to the financier. I am but a humble servant of your stage, now monsieur." He gestured toward Lucien, one arm behind his back as he did so, and he kept it there as they walked. 'Nothing was more striking than a man with a sharp suit and severe posture', as his father used to say.

Lucien glanced back at Geralt. He knew that the man most likely thought the reason they had come here was for him. He wasn't wrong, but it also wasn't completely the case. It just made the whole thing a lot less risky than going to the other much more desolate town.

"There were a couple things we had to do in the area." He said, but decided to leave it at that. It had also been lucky that there was a lake nearby. Had they taken the other route, it would have been much harder to find somewhere to refill Cora's tank, based on what he had seen on the map. Of course there was no reason for him to go into details on that at the moment. He'd see for himself soon enough. His response wasn't surprising, that was about what he expected to hear, considering their exchange back at his apartment. Those prices would easily fly in Paris, he of all people knew that.

"I expected as much." He said, growing pensive. Honestly if the country wasn't suffering at the cost of the depression, he would have been much more willing to charge more, but right now they couldn't deter their patrons by overcharging. He wanted to take advantage of the fact children would be getting in for free to encourage more people to come with their families.

"I'm afraid we'll have to make due with fifty cents. Deterring people with higher prices is the last thing I wish to do at the moment, considering it's our second time here." When they headed for the next town, he would be able to revisit that. For a moment, his attention shifted to the way the man carried himself, with one arm behind his back. It reminded him of what he and Illyana had talked about. Perhaps he had overthought that vision a little. This particular posture might simply be normal for the man. It sure appeared to be. He turned to look forward again, not wanting the man to think he was staring. It was then they arrived at the man's performance tent. He had prepared it to be larger than some of the others, knowing he would most likely bring in a bigger audience. He had guessed his shows would be on the longer side, therefore wanted to make sure people would be less likely to miss it.

"Here we are." He said, holding the entrance to the tent open.

"Of course, that sounds reasonable." Geralt said, biting his tongue once again. Of course, logically he understood the plight of Cirque D'étoiles, they were hurting financially and needed to do what they could to become profitable again. The old him, the one less interested in the prizes that awaited him here, would have scoffed at charging a mere half dollar for his shows, but he was constantly reminding himself that he had a persona to present to the Ringleader.

Speaking of which, he had most certainly caught him looking at his form as they walked, and raised an eyebrow when the two locked eyes once more. Although Lucien would most certainly deny it, Geralt could tell his interest was piqued. He only had to far to go...

Oh, how the mighty have fallen... A dark chuckle echoed through the chambers of his mind, and his smile faded into a look of disgust. But only briefly, he regained composure as the two approached his performance tent.

The canvas was a dark color, brown it appeared to be on the outside. Geralt would have preferred black, of course, but he bit his tongue again as the two entered.

It was a well-stocked room, benches stretched the length of the floor and a stage stood at the far end. The string lights from outside snaked their way inside and light the space, but dimly. Overall, Geralt was pleasantly surprised by the layout. Aside from the color and the height of the stage, it was nearly perfect for an outdoor venue.

He walked the center aisle to the stage, and glanced around. "Very nice...a good amount of air space for hand-waving, theatrical gestures and all of that. And the lighting is perfect." He looked over his shoulder at the Ringleader and his grin widened. "You're spoiling me already."

Lucien was a little surprised to hear Geralt agree to the pricing so readily, he had expected at least some sort of retort, but he wasn't going to complain, he much preferred for him to be compliant. As they locked eyes, the man realized he had noticed him looking. He had been quick to redirect his gaze, but it clearly hadn't been fast enough. He'd be sure to be more careful in the future, since he didn't want to give the man the wrong idea.

The ringmaster was quiet as Geralt looked around the venue. The carnies had rushed to get this together, knowing that this man was used to performing on a more upscale stage, Lucien was trying to give him the least amount of things to complain about.

"I did my best with the time I had. Of course if there is anything else you need, or changes you want made that are within my ability after today, feel free to let me know before the next set of shows. I do give my performers freedom with this, as I want them to be comfortable." He said, emphasizing that this was something that needed to be done ahead of time. Ironically enough he wasn't a miracle worker, not in this way anyway.

When it came to their performance tents, Lucien tried to give them as much creative freedom as they wanted, because it usually inspired them or helped them make their acts better. No one here ever asked for something ridiculous, but he wasn't sure about Geralt in that aspect. Regardless, he offered because he wanted to make sure he had whatever he needed to perform at his best.

"Oh, Lucien, it is more than suitable. No changes necessary, I assure you." He turned around once more and looked at the space, crossing his arms over his chest as he did so. It was not Paris, by any means, but it wasn't as if his patrons came to look at the inside of a tent, was it? If he was doing his job, they would forget that they were even in a tent at all.

After a moments silence, he turned back to the Ringleader and clapped his hands. "Oh! I almost forgot." He picked up the briefcase he had set down at his feet and laid it on the stage in front of him. He clipped it open, and reached inside, up to his elbow. He fished around for a moment, pushing aside his clothing, baubles, and the other effects he had brought. "Einen moment bitte..." He said, slightly strained, and then "Ah!" He withdrew his arm from the case, which from Lucien's perspective looked to hold only a small amount of clothes, and held up a bottle of wine.

Dark red liquid sloshed within, and Geralt closed the case and approached the Frenchman with it. "You didn't think I would come empty handed and tardy, did you?" He said with a wicked grin. He stopped before Lucien and held the bottle out so he could inspect the label. It read "Grand Vin de Château Latour, Pauillac 1897".

"Well I'm certainly happy to hear it is to your satisfaction then." He said, having expected for him to ask for at least some minor things. Perhaps he had misjudged him, or perhaps he was simply trying to remedy the bad impression he had of him.

Lucien raised his eyebrows a bit as Geralt spoke up again and began to look through his briefcase. He caught the unnatural movement of how deep his arm had gone despite how small the briefcase was. It was probably some form of magic. If he had to guess then it meant most of his belongings were probably in there. It was certainly a handy thing. He was clearly surprised to see the man extend a bottle of wine to him, and one from Bourdoux at that.

"Oh.. Pourquoi vous ne devriez pas avoir." He said. "It's even from Bourdeaux.. Quite the charmer aren't you?" He did appreciate the gesture, no matter what the motives may have been.

"Since you went out of your way to bring this, I would be happy to share a glass with you one of these nights. It is the least I could do." Lucien was too polite to not extend the invitation. After all, it had been a while since he had been able to enjoy a nice glass of wine in the peace of his own trailer, considering he had to cut back on it when their financial problems had started.

"Ah, but I can't really be walking carrying this bottle around, so I hope you do not mind holding onto it for me." He said before returning the bottle to him. He could faintly hear the sound of people getting louder, so he glanced back at the man.

"I assume you have everything that you need? The briefcase seems to hold more than it appears." He commented, hoping that it was the case, considering they were practically out of time.

"Oh, mais j'ai fait. It was the best year they had." He said, and took the bottle back at Lucien's insistence. "Of course, I'll keep it safe for you. I'd be happy to bring it by your trailer later." His eyes narrowed slightly but his grin did not falter. Part of him hoped that it wouldn't be that easy. Despite his desire for triumph, Geralt did quite like the chase as well.

He will fall...

"Indeed, I do." He nodded and began to walk back toward the open case, "That is a good eye you have, monsieur. Be assured I will not reveal my 'tricks' to our patrons as easily as yourself. We all deserve a little peek behind the curtain every once in a while." He looked over his shoulder and winked at the Ringmaster. Once he reached the stage, he deposited the bottle inside of the case and snapped it shut before turning towards Lucien once more, leaving it and its contents on the stage behind him.

"I hope you will stay and watch the show, I always welcome the opinions of experts in the field." He cocked an eyebrow before turning once more and effortlessly leaping onto the stage behind him. The case was gone, and Geralt stood there alone, a cocky smile on his face.

Lucien chuckled a little amusingly. "Indeed it was." For a moment he was unsure if he should clarify that there was no ulterior intention for this, but he decided against it, figuring it was best to just leave it be for now. Mostly Lucien wanted to talk about the plan for the next two days, as to this point, everything had been decided on the spot, and that wasn't typically how he liked to do things. He also knew he needed time to introduce the man to everyone, and considering how not everyone headed to sleep directly after the shows, he figured he'd do it tonight. The sooner it was done the better.

He nodded slightly at his response, figuring as much. "It's part of the job." He needed to have a good eye in this kind of occupation, considering all the supernatural they had around. "I'm sure you won't, you do not seem like the kind of magician who would reveal his tricks so easily." While he was curious of a lot of things, he wasn't going to bother to ask. Regardless, now was not the time.

"Of course, though I'm sure your experience on stage most likely far exceeds mine, according to the rumors at least." He said before shooting a glance toward the main entrance of the tent, where a carnie had peeked his head in. Lucien motioned with his hand, telling him he could allow to let people in once they were out of sight. Simultaneously Lucien motioned Geralt toward the area behind the curtain of the stage, out of the view of the audience. He had already planned to stay and watch Geralt's show, after all he needed to see for himself what the man had to offer.

"I hope you don't mind if I do a little.. introduction? Though you handled that quite well yourself earlier." He said as he also leaped onto the stage, almost as light as a feather, slightly amused by the disappearing act. A bit of a show off this one, but that was fine.

"By all means." The man responded.

Lucien nodded, simultaneously motioning Geralt toward the area behind the curtain of the stage, out of the view of the audience. He had already planned to stay and watch Geralt's show, after all he needed to see for himself what the man had to offer, and it was his first show with them. He had to be here for it.

Peeking through the curtain he could see at least a slightly bigger crowd than they had originally seen at the entrance. It seemed news of Geralt had spread quickly, and considering he saw a good amount of children, it seemed most were quite willing to take advantage of this opportunity.

”Will you be walking out through the curtain or..?” He trailed off, knowing there was no need to finish his sentence.

”I'll walk in, of course, don't want to show my hand too early."

Lucien chuckled. ”Of course.”

At the appropriate time, Lucien stepped out from behind the curtain, flashing a charming smile to the crowd and removed his top hat, giving them a bow. The nephilim's outfit was not the typical one worn of other ringleaders, the well-known velvet red tailcoat was instead a dark blue with a golden trim. It was his way of standing out among other ringleaders, after all, this was not an ordinary circus.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, children of all ages! Welcome to Cirque D'étoiles! Where every one of our performers shine as brightly as stars!" Despite Lucien's typically calm tone, his voice echoed clearly throughout the tent. His French accent was much less hidden when he did his announcements, knowing there were plenty who were more interested in the "foreign and exotic," that which made them stand out from the standard American Circus.

"Now I know some of you may have already heard of our fine establishment, but I guarantee tonight will be something your eyes have never witnessed, as we are joined by a new shining star! A mysterious magician, rumored world-wide as a man who has been practicing magic for over one-hundred years! Today, that man makes his magnificent return to the stage for the first time in years, and you, my lucky patrons, will be the first to bear witness to his grand return!" Cheers echoed through the crowd at his words, causing the man to smile.

"Welcome to our stage the one and only, Geralt the Great!" As he spoke, Lucien sidestepped and motioned in the direction of the curtain.

Geralt made his way to side-stage as Lucien joined him. It was hard to admit to himself, but he was impressed by the Ringleader's confidence and charisma. He had a natural charm which was undeniable, and despite the circus struggling at the moment, Geralt was sure that this was one of the better operations he had come across over the years. Not that anyone could outshine him, per se, but this Frenchman seemed to be a perfect match.

Too perfect...

The frown returned as the voice echoed in his head and a surge of rage thundered in his chest. "Quiet now..." he whispered, showing his canines and turning his head slightly to his shoulder, "I need not be distracted on stage."

Geralt forced his focus back to the stage where Lucien was doing his introduction. That charisma spread through the room like a fine mist, enveloping all in its spell. Yes, he was good. Now he saw why the others called him their leader, in practice and in form, he was nearly flawless. He felt the rage from before fade into desire, into hunger, as he watched the Ringleader. Oh, how it would feel to make Lucien his...

At his introduction, exactly on queue, Geralt stepped onto the stage, the string-lights flickering all around the tent as he did so. He watched Lucien's coat-tails disappear as he entered, graceful and quick.

"Welcome, one and all. And thank you, monsieur, for your elegant and accurate introduction." Geralt stood center stage, and already all eyes were on him. The tent was full, every seat taken except for three or four in the back. He may have pulled the entire crowd from outside. Luckily, there was standing room available for tomorrow night's show.

Geralt proceeded with what he liked to think of as 'the kiddie show'. This consisted of relatively run-of-the-mill illusions and tricks for the first half, then slowly progressed to more and more magical displays.

First, he asked an audience member to choose a card from his deck, inviting them on stage and charming them with winks and smiles. He then placed it back in, shuffled, and made the deck disappear. This gained a few gasps from the younger members of the audience. To everyone's surprise, he then asked his 'assistant' to step down and return to her seat, they payoff would come later.

After this, he rifled through a list of casual illusions and sleight of hand to get the crowd intrigued. From here, he moved on to fire in the hands that could catch a stick on fire but not his clothing or skin, he then opened his jacket to look for the cards he had "misplaced" and three white doves flew out from inside (that got a loud collective gasp from the audience). Once he had "located" the deck of cards, he performed a series of feats with that: cutting and shuffling with one hand, water-falling them, even tossing them through the air to land perfectly back in his hands. He then made a show of "counting" the cards and found there were only 51 in the deck. He then asked his 'assistant' from before to check her pockets, and there it was; her card, the seven of spades. This was especially awe-inspiring because at no time did he get close enough to the girl to plant the card on her.

For his next ruse, the penultimate one, he passed around his "magic case" (which took the place of a hat for these circumstances) and allowed audience members to pull objects from it. Each time, he would show the case was empty, then allow the audience member to reach inside with the lid just cracked enough for their hand, and withdraw some prize which, of course, they were allowed to keep. Mostly, he targeted children and teenagers for this. One boy withdrew a handful of black buttons, another pulled a pair of bottle-caps, someone else got shoelaces, and the final audience member withdrew their hand to find a crisp dollar bill.

His final act, the one he had built everything up to, always left the audience with a sense of amazement and wonder. He asked another 'assistant', this time a young boy, to approach the stage. His mother, a mousy thing with a cloche hat, stood nearby, clearly nervous but also excited. Geralt took a moment to ease her fears, and at the sound of his voice and a wave of his hand, she instantly relaxed and watched the rest of the performance through half-lidded eyes.

Geralt asked the child to lie on the ground, on his back, for buoyancy of course, then proceeded to levitate him. The boy giggled hysterically at first, saying it tickled as Geralt waved his fingers and chanted 'magic words' until he began to rise into the air. For some extra flair, Geralt levitated the child over the heads of the audience members. At this, the boy showed some fear until he saw his mother's smiling face, and put on a brave face. Once he was back on solid ground, the crowd stood and clapped wildly, some mother's clasping their mouths shut with their hands and the boy begged to 'go again'. Geralt waved and smiled, did a short 'closing speech' (nothing to write home about), and with a final bow, the lights all went out for just a second and when they came back on he had vanished.

Overall, though it was short and fluid, it did just the job he was looking for. Nothing like the grand performances he had done back in Paris, of course, but the act of performance gave him the same exhilaration that only one other activity could manage.

As the crowd was ushered out of the tent by carnies, their eyes wide and their mouths flapping, Geralt stepped up behind Lucien as he watched from side stage.

"So, how was that for a passing grade?" He whispered in the ring master's ear, an eyebrow cocked to match his smirk.

As soon as Geralt entered the stage, Lucien used the distraction of the flickering of the lights and the audience's focus on the man to slip off the state unnoticed as he usually did. He didn't stay in the tent however, as there were a couple things he had to take care of before he could dedicate his full attention to the magician's show. He left through the back entrance of the tent, and called out to the carnie that had been in charge of letting people in.

"James, I need you to go inform Ivory, Aurel, and Akane that their first shows will most likely be delayed. Let them know Geralt showed up to perform, and that's where a lot of our patrons are currently. I expect they will disperse after his first show is over in about an hour. Tell them I leave it up to their own judgement whether they should perform beforehand or not. Be sure everyone who shows up is aware that for today and tomorrow, kids have free entry to the magician's shows." He spoke quickly, not wanting to waste much time.

The carnie hastily nodded. "Yessir." He said before he ran off to do as he asked.

Lucien was then quick to go back inside to continue to view the man's performance. Based on his calculations and how full this tent was, he knew the other shows wouldn't be getting much audience until their next wave of patrons came. Cora and Illy were unaffected by this, as Cora's appearances were rather short, and those who came here to get their fortures told would most likely do so regardless of whether Geralt was here or not. Once the man's show was over, considering their patrons did not have to pay for their children, that opened up more opportunity for them to see more of the other acts. He would have to be sure to rearrange the schedule so it would be more fitting for everyone before tomorrow's set of shows.

He paid close attention to Geralt's performance. He seemed to take the usual tricks magicians performed, but took them five steps further, which really did made him stand out from the typical magician. The things he saw most certainly appeared real. Perhaps they were illusions of some sort? He didn't think he could just.. create things out of nothing, or perhaps he could. There were still plenty of things he didn't know about him, but he'd have time to figure it out. When Geralt had disappeared, Lucien opened his pocket-watch to check the time. The show had run within his estimation of time.

He had sensed someone behind him before he heard Geralt at his ear, and therefor was not startled when he heard him speak. Lucien gave him a glance before he took a step to the side.

"I think it's safe to say you pass, but I'm still deducting points for tardiness." He said, a very light smirk tugging at his lips as he snapped his pocket watch shut. Clearly this man loved to have his ego fed, so he wasn't about to do that so easily.

"I would assume it'll be another hour or so before your next show? I switched the schedules around to make the best of the current crowd, so feel free to take this chance to watch some of the other performers in the meantime. It'd be good for you to see what they can do." He told him, figuring that would be the best way to occupy the man's time.

Geralt felt a surge of desire as Lucien turned to him and smirked. He was more satisfied by this display than he had been all night, and he couldn't help bite his lower lip as scenes of corruption flashed before his eyes.

Patience...we will have him, but he must come to us willingly...

"I would expect nothing less from a man with your sense of punctuality." He said, nodding his assent at Lucien's observation. "I only hoped to entertain, nothing more. As humble as I am, each show does give me quite a thrill, I must say." He winked, almost chuckling at his own joke.

At Lucien's next comment, he clasped his hands together in excitement. "Oh, I intended to. I had hoped you might show me around, if you have the time? It has been some time since I walked Carnival grounds, I wouldn't want to get lost in the shuffle." He said, tilted his head, his eyes wide with hope.

Lucien raised an eyebrow. Humble? That would be the last word he would choose to describe the man next to him, but he kept that comment to himself.

"You entertained plenty. The audience looked quite happy and satisfied with your performance, and that's what's most important to me." He said before tucking away his pocket watch.

It seemed Geralt really was interested in seeing the other performances, considering the excitement he could see in him. He considered his request for a moment. Usually he tried to announce at least once for each act, but since it was their second stop here, it wasn't as necessary this time around. They also had their talkers to call the audience to them, so he supposed it would be fine to show Geralt around. It would be rude of him not to at least give him a tour. Plus, he felt better about being able to keep an eye on him before his next show instead of leaving him to his own devices.

"As you wish. As the host it is only right of me to do so." He said before moving over to the entrance of the tent, holding the cover open for the man to step through first before he followed him out. The crowd had already disperesed to go see other acts, and he could see a few other people walking through the entrance. Still not the turnout he hoped for, but it was the turnout he expected. He looked forward to the turnout of the next day a lot more, once news of Geralt people here had spread. He considered where to take him first, and decided to start with Ivory, even though he had seen some of her skill at work, it wasn't all that went into her show.

"Then, we shall start with our lancer de couteau, since you've already met her." He said, before beginning to guide him toward Ivory's tent.

Geralt's smile widened, "As far as I know, I haven't left anyone unsatisfied yet, and I do not plan to start now." He eagerly followed Lucien from the tent and into the open air, taking a moment to look around before the pair made their way across the grounds.

The amount of patrons that were attending tonight was absolutely abysmal. Geralt bit his tongue, but truly he did not see how a carnival of this size, with this many mouths to feed, could possibly continue to operate without some divine, or otherwise, intervention. Good thing they had recruited Geralt after all, he was determined to be their savior...well, as long as it got him what he wanted.

Geralt's eyes flashed at Lucien's decision to take him to Ivory's tent. Quite a nice piece, she was. He would never deny seeing what she had to offer. The thrill of injury was occasionally intoxicating to him, and with those sharp eyes, he doubted he would leave him wanting for anything.

"Oh, please, lead the way. And excellent choice, might I add. Ivory's particular skill-set is very intriguing to me, almost as much as your own." He paused, raising a hand to hide his face as the young mother with the levitating boy walked by, hand in hand. He resumed speaking when they had passed, "Where did you find her, by the way? She is quite...enigmatic."

Although Geralt was sure that he had pinpointed Ivory's particular origins, he had not encountered one of her kind in quite some time. She was strikingly beautiful, as others of her persuasion tended to be, and had an aura of confidence about her. Any normal man would be too scared to approach her for any reason, Geralt was sure, but he had practice with these things. Besides, her glamours would not work on him, which gave him the upper hand. He had no doubt that she would be far easier to turn than her fearless leader, but he did have to be patient after all. They would all fall, but only in due time. He had just gotten here, he had to remind himself, it would be no fun at all if it was too easy.

Lucien let out a small chuckle at his words. "That is good to know." He said as they walked across the grounds.

"I figured it would be best to start with someone you had already interacted with." He glanced at Geralt at his words, raising an eyebrow. "My own? Aside from my announcing, I don't believe you've seen any of my other skills at play." He said a little amusingly. The man was observant, so he wondered how much he had really been able to pick up.

At his following question, Lucien showed hesitation, but he quickly tried to neutralize his expression. He knew Ivory would not take kindly to him sharing her story, of course that would be something he would never, ever do without her consent. He valued the privacy of all of his members, just like they valued his.

"Despite her slight accent, she's a native. If you meant to inquire further, I'm afraid that is not my story to tell. It's probably best to leave those sort of questions for when you are better acquainted with everyone." It wasn't just Ivory he was referring to. Everyone had their own.. reasons and circumstances for being here, and a lot of them most likely would not be willing to share them with someone who had just joined them. "I can tell you she's been here about three years, however." That much was safe to say, considering it was common knowledge.

The ringleader lead Geralt to the side entrance of Ivory's tent, which was a midnight-blue color, similar to that of her trailer. This one was smaller than the one he had let Geralt have, but it had all the space she needed. Considering her act was physically taxing, she had a bit less showings than Akane and Aurel, and therefore required a bigger space. Her's was probably the second largest tent, not including the large tent they used for the last night. He guided Geralt to the side view of the stage, where they wouldn't be within view of the audience. There were varying targets around the vicinity of the tent, some much too far for a regular person to be able to hit while in midair. From the center of the ceiling, two long pieces of blue silk came down all the way to the ground, ending near a circle of knives.

"As you can see, Ivory's show does not only consist of throwing knives. She considered that much too simple." He chuckled slightly, motioning toward the silk. This was something Ivory had actually come up with on her own after doing a bit of research into circus acts. She had thought mixing the two together would be a lot more impactful, and she had been correct.