Of course, Geralt had expected not to get too much information about his performers from Lucien on the first time. Everything he needed to learn, what he could use, would be found in his interactions with each person individually. Over time, he would find out everything he needed to know.

"Of course," he said as they approached the tent, "I don't mean to pry, her accent left me intrigued." Among other things...He left out his thoughts about how her abilities could be used in other activities outside of performances, especially those from her vampiric background. These were thoughts for another time, however, right now he needed to focus on the task at hand.

He followed the ringleader into the side entrance of the tent, careful to stay out of view of the audience and peered over the entirety of the setup. The targets, he had absolutely expected, and with her level of skill the distance made sense. He had not been ready for the long silks that hung from the ceiling, however, and felt his breath catch in his throat as he noticed them. This was certainly interesting, he may have underestimated this girl.

She must have a powerful body hidden under all of those clothes...

"Now this-" he interrupted his own thoughts as he whispered to Lucien, "--is certainly something. I can't wait to see how she handles these." He gestured to the silks, measuring the distance with his eyes.

Lucien let out a small chuckle. "It's a part of her charm. She's supposed to be mysterious." He told him.

It was clear that the addition of the silks had surprised Geralt. He was sure that might have satisfied Ivory a little. Probably think something along the lines of, 'he's not the only one with skill.'

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." He told him, before glancing off to the side as he had seen Ivory approach.

Ivory had been sitting in the back area of her performance tent prior to this, a little irritated by the fact she had to delay her opening because of Geralt. Still, if Lucien had made this decision, then it was probably the correct one. There would be no point in holding a show if there was no one to see it, though if there was at least a few, she would perform as she always did. It had been almost an hour when she had decided to stand and head to the side entrance to see if it would be a good time to begin. That was when she took note of Lucien and of course, Geralt near the side entrance, causing her to immediately grimace. It would have been nice to get started with her performance without having to see that distasteful man.

"Heard he was late on his first day. Are you deducting his pay for that?" Ivory asked Lucien, crossing her arms with a very slightly amused expression. Honestly she could care less about how much the man got paid, it wasn't any of her concern, but it was most certainly not a good impression to leave on Lucien, who quite valued punctuality.

Lucien held back a sigh. These two would most certainly not get along well, at least on Ivory's end. "He made up for it a bit with his performance, but I'm still holding it against him for a few days. He did say it would never happen again, right, Geralt?" He asked, glancing over at the man.

"Oh, there is no denying her particular brand of charm, is there?" He said as he turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. His eyebrow immediately cocked when he laid eyes on her. The twinge of unhappiness on her face was a complete contrast to her outfit, which was festive to say the least. Not to mention low-cut and form fitting. He did not even try to hide his amusement as he looked her up and down. His excitement for her performance grew with each passing moment.

His expression fell slightly at her first words to the two of them, but his smirk remained. "That I did, Lucien, and fortunately I was not too late to turn out fifty-percent of your patrons. I'd say my tardiness will be forgotten come tomorrow when we are counting a fat purse." His wicked grin intensified as he stepped back to get a better look at her costume. "And, I must say it is lovely to see you again, Ms. Ivory. Your dress perfectly compliments your eyes...well, currently anyway."

If this were any other greeting with any other woman, he would reach out to take her hand and kiss it, but he knew better with Ivory. It was clear that their first meeting had left a bad taste in her mouth, and he was not about to make it worse by offering to touch her. He decided he best respect her space until he melted that bit of frost that had settled on her heart, she was certainly not as polite as her Ringleader.

Ivory noticed his amused expression fade at her comment. Good, that was all she was really aiming for. At his retort she simply scoffed, not particularly bothered by it. She knew from the beginning this was most likely to happen, considering it was their second stop. The lack of patrons didn't bother her. This wasn't a popularity contest to her, they were simply making a living, or as Lucien would put it, aiming to put a smile on people's faces, while making a living.

"That was the intent." She said, deciding not to comment on the last bit. She didn't particularly care if he knew what she was, considering he'd find out sooner or later anyway. She didn't really go around keeping it a secret around here. Ivory caught the glance Lucien had sent her way. She was familiar with the look, telling her to not pick a fight with him. It was a little late for that but.. she supposed she'd stop, she knew Lucien didn't like problems, but she really couldn't help herself at the time. So instead of biting back at him in regards to his greed, she simply turned her attention to Lucien as he prepared to go out on stage.

"Well, I'm off, play nice, you two." He said, giving them both a small look before he walked out on stage, as people had finished filing in. He took a swift glance over the audience, depending on the targeted audience, he changed the way he announced. It seems they were all men this time around, which was common for a second viewing.

"Welcome Gentlemen, to the stage of our lancer de couteau, whose elegance and beauty is just as sharp and dangerous as her aim! Be sure to watch her closely, or the knives might hit their targets before you even get to blink!" Lucien exclaimed with a small wink. "Give it up for our fairy of winter!" He motioned over to the side entrance, where Ivory gracefully stepped onto the stage as the ringleader left just as quickly, music beginning to echo through the tent.

Ivory gave the audience a bow as she stepped within the circle of knives. As she straightened, she swiftly unhooked the skirt she wore to reveal one that was of much thinner, but under that were pure white tights that connected to the rest of her outfit. This would get less in the way when climbing. If it wasn't considered a typical safety hazard, she would have kept the skirt.

It landed in a perfect circle over her knives, and with that, she jumped into the air, both of her hands simultaneously grabbing onto both silks and beginning to make her way to the top with ease using a hiplock climb. As she did so, she angled herself so the silk began to move in a circular motion as she continued on her trajectory through the complicated motions, occasionally seizing her climb to do some form of trick, whether it was a midair cartwheel or a swivel in the air. Once she reached the top, she performed a series of splits and maneuvers that made her appear almost as she was dancing in mid-air.

Then, she began her descent. Ivory sharply twisted her body, hoisting her legs upwards as she hooked her leg around one of the silks twice, before she let go of the silk with both of her arms, during the three seconds it took her to take the dive, her right hand reached behind her back and into her pouch, even though there was nothing inside, she manifested a knife and swiftly threw it at one of the targets in the upper half of the tent, before she grabbed on to the silk with her left and straightened herself and readjusted her position. She hadn't bothered to use physical knives for this, because there was always a small chance they might find some way to fall in the midst of a performance. She needed to be swift for this, and found this to be the easiest way.

The following distance she needed to cover involved her intertwining her hips and legs around four times before she gracefully twisted to unwind, and appeared to fall freely for a small distance as she did so, during that time she reached into her pouch with both hands and then threw two knives in opposing direction, and the moment she caught herself at the end, she grabbed the 'final' knife she had and threw it straight upwards into the air, in a target that rested on top of the tent. With that, she twisted once more and had landed precisely in the middle of the circle she had created. Wasting no movement, she grabbed the part of her skirt she had discarded and placed it back on herself while her left hand grabbed hold of the eight knives on the floor, switching half over to her other hand as she wrapped her ankle and wrist around the silk before taking a small running start and kicking off with her feet to begin the spin again. She threw her knives effortlessly into their designated targets sprawled out in different areas of the tent, and by the time her motion had ceased, she was back in the center of the stage again. She extended her right hand, and the knife that had been stuck to the ceiling fell (forced, by her hand), and she caught it without even looking in it's direction, before she threw it straight into a target straight above the audience, and once she took her bow, the music ceased.

There were loud claps among her audience, and once she had given a smile and another bow, the lights flickered, and she left the stage as quickly as she had entered it.

Lucien smiled and mimicked the audience's applause but at a much lower volume as Ivory reached their side.

"That last bit is most certainly new." He commented, causing her to smile. It was an addition among some of the other little things she had added to her performance, including target placement and the kinds of flips she had done.

"I had to get more creative." She responded with a shrug. "Next time you should let me use you as a volunteer." She added a little amusingly, to which Lucien chuckled.

"Well, you know if I am available, I'm always willing. Simply let me know." He said with a small tip of his top-hat. Depending on the target audience, if there was an larger older crowd and minimal amount of kids, he would volunteer himself so she could add a more dangerous aspect to her show. He didn't mind, he trusted Ivory, and the knives she used couldn't hurt him, so it was better for him to do so than a carnie, who would definitely be too afraid or intimidated to try.

Geralt did not say a word to Ivory as Lucien left the two alone. Her distaste for his presence was clear. Exactly why she disliked him was unclear, but now was not the time to ask. Besides, the tougher nuts always had the more delicious fruit.

He clapped as Lucien finished his speech, impressed yet again by the man's way with words. He gave Ivory the side eye while she stood next to him and raised an eyebrow at the "winter fairy" comment. That little nickname had to be her idea, she seemed the type who would appreciate the irony of it all. He wanted desperately to make a comment, but knew it would only drive her further and further away from him. Her crossed arms, stone-like expression, and the slight lean away from him was enough to indicate her desire for silence, at least from his direction.

When Lucien and Ivory exchanged places, Geralt stopped clapping and gave Lucien a nod of approval, then turned his eyes on the routine. Almost everything he had done up to this point had been with a posture of ease, relaxation, and poise, but now he focused intently on the scene unfolding before him. Of course, he had seen aerial silk performers before, and especially liked the ones with no costumes at all, but he needed to study this performance to learn Ivory's...ins and outs if he planned on using her at any point.

And he was not disappointed.

She traversed the silks as if she were light as a feather, her body moving fluidly as she twisted up and through her routine. He was absolutely impressed, to say the very least. She was much stronger and more agile than her body would betray, but he could see her muscles working through her tights and in her arms and stomach. She was indeed an extraordinary specimen. He had seldom been more impressed by a display of physical prowess, and found this show even more entertaining than the erotic silk dances he had seen. That was all flash, no substance, and this was the perfect mixture of both. But he would never let Ivory know that, well, not until the most opportune moment.

He let his eyes slide over to the crowd for two brief moments during the act, and the males of the audience were completely stunned, practically drooling. They were disgusting, and he found himself sneering at their pathetic displays of idiocy. A look of hatred crossed his face, but only briefly. He was in pleasant company, and despite his disgust, he needed to maintain an air of decorum that was only benefiting of his station.

When the performance was over, he clapped again, this time a little more enthusiastically, and leaned over to speak to Lucien, "She is absolutely stunning. What a performer." He kept his voice flat, hard to read, but he knew this compliment was not only deserved, but would be welcomed by the Ringleader as well.

When Ivory approached, he smiled and gestured toward her, "That was certainly exhilarating. Wonderful show, you had the crowd totally mesmerized." He paused and cocked an eyebrow, "I would happily volunteer, if Lucien is unavailable. Although, I fear I might make too tempting a target for you."

Lucien smiled as he glanced over at Geralt. He was proud, to say the least. He knew how hard Ivory worked behind the scenes, considering she did a lot of her physical training within her own trailer, and only went to the silks to practice the actual routines. While her movements were fluid and appeared effortless, but he knew that was not the case. "I'm glad you think so." He replied, having taken note of a bit of his enthusiastic clapping.

Ivory glanced at Geralt at his compliment. A snide remark on her behalf was almost natural, but she didn't do that this time around. His compliment did not sound sarcastic, though it could have easily been a rouse for all she knew. Still, she was proud of the performances she put together, so she decided not to disregard the compliments she was given.

"Thank you." She said, before her expression shifted back to amusement. "My, how much trust you have in someone you just met, although you are not completely in the wrong." She said half-jokingly. It didn't surprise her really, considering how he hadn't even flinched when she had thrown that knife past his cheek. Still, she knew that Lucien wouldn't approve of her actually hitting him with the knife, and it's not like she actually wanted to hurt anyone, even if she did dislike them, or thought they deserved it.

Lucien shook his head lightly. "I appreciate you volunteering, Geralt. I assure you Ivory never misses, so you would have nothing to worry about, but perhaps we can give that a bit of time before we attempt it." He said, in hoped that maybe down the line the two could actually have some chances of getting along. That was still to be seen.

"Oh, I have no doubt of that. I would feel safe as a swaddled babe in your care, madame." He gave a half mock-bow and winked at Ivory. Once he straightened, he took a small silver trinket from the pocket of his vest, and opened it as if checking the time. Once he had glanced down at it, he swiftly tucked it away again and pressed his palms together. "I must thank you, Ms. Ivory for enduring my presence for your act. Lucien, shall we?" He asked the ringleader, then gestured toward the exit. He had other acts to scout.

Ivory simply let out a huff, before nodding in Lucien's direction, she turned to begin to head back to the back of the tent, but then paused. It was likely they'd be seeing Akane's performance next. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the next performance as well." She said with a small unseen smirk, before she continued on her way. Akane's performance would put his little flame trick to shame.

Lucien nodded toward Geralt as he spoke, letting out a chuckle at Ivory's words. "Ah yes, let us go. Our danseur de feu would be our next stop." He told him as he lead him out of the tent and headed for Akane's tent. It was a bright red color, decorated with shining blue swirls that were meant to represent the blue flames of her dance. They entered through the side opening of the tent.

Akane had been headed in that direction when they had come in, so it was very good timing.

"Oh! Lucien." She called out with a smile, even though it was hidden underneath her mask.

"Ah Akane, seems we caught you just in time. I'd like to introduce you to Geralt." He said, motioning over to the magician. "Geralt, this is our danseur de feu, Akane."

Akane shifted her attention to the strange man. So this is the one everyone had talked about. Despite the warnings, she still wanted to be polite to their new member. He seemed nice. She leaned forward a little in a slight bow before she extended her hand to shake his.

"Nice to meet you!"

"If it's even half as thrilling as yours, I don't see how I couldn't." He said to Ivory's back as she left them. He watched her go, eyeing her legs as she moved away. That girl had quite the grip...

He held a hand out to Lucien as he passed, prompting him to lead the way.

They reached one of the more brightly colored tents, and he tilted his head at its design. He supposed it was right for a Fire Dancer's use, but it was a bit too flashy for him. His attention was then drawn immediately to the girl who approached them and her very slight and interesting accent, Asian by his placement. Her costume was the same bright red color as her tent, and her hair for that matter. Interesting to see a redhead from Asia. This definitely piqued his interest, considering his interactions with Asian women in the past. Lucien had collected quite the menagerie of fine female performers.

She was certainly much friendlier and more willing to mingle than Ivory had been. Geralt's smile widened as she offered her hand, and he said "Not as lovely as it is to meet you, I'm sure," as he took it very gently as he leaned forward to kiss it, keeping his eyes on the girl's through the holes in her mask.

Akane's smile widened, even if it was impossible to see from behind the mask, but as the man took her hand, a shudder went up her spine. It had been unexpected. Had her ears and tails been out, she imaged her fur would have stood on end, but she got goosebumps instead, and her shadow disfigured briefly into the shape of a fox, but quickly reformed. Geralt had removed his hand from her's, maybe as a result of what had happened if he had taken note of it. She felt a little bad, considering it wasn't intentional, and was quick to recover. Perhaps it was her instinct trying to warn her that the man wasn't normal? Either way, she wasn't about to be rude because of it.

That was when she realized she still had her mask on, so she then quickly lifted it up to rest on top of her head and smiled brightly hoping to get rid of the awkward situation.

"Sorry! Sometimes I forget I have this on. Seem's like there's a bit of a chill tonight. Are you here to watch?" She asked with a sheepish expression on her face.

Lucien almost held back on rubbing his hand on his forehead as Akane spoke. He had noticed the shudder, but he wasn't sure if it was because the man was magical in some way and this was just Akane's animal instincts reacting to that, or if it was something else. It was most certainly curious, and he'd probably mention it to Illyana later. However the excuse she gave was pretty terrible, considering it wasn't particularly cold, but he didn't comment on it.

"Well that mask is basically almost a part of you at this point." Lucien said a little amusingly. "We are, Geralt wished to see some of the other performers before his next act began." He told her.

Geralt immediately noticed the shudder run up the girl's body at his touch, and was quick to withdraw his hand. His eye twitched ever-so-slightly as he caught sight of her shadow twisting form. It looked to him to be a quadruped of some kind, a dog or cat, but it was too fast for him to make out more detail than that.

This one can sense us...be careful with it.

Perhaps this was the same reason their gypsy had declined to touch him as well? Although, this Akane didn't seem to be prepared for it. He maintained his easy smile throughout their exchange, not wanting her to know that her sudden reaction had bothered him in any way. Still...it was intriguing. Her attempt to excuse the reaction was cute, to say the least, Geralt almost sighed in sympathy for her.

"No need to apologize," he said as she removed her mask, "Although, I don't see why you would want to hide that gorgeous face." And she was quite beautiful, and very exotic. Although it was hard for him to tell her age, she could have been anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five. He made a mental note to find this out later.

"We are indeed here to see your show, and I must say I cannot wait. Watching is sometimes more fun than participating." He said with a quick wink. Then, his eyebrows furrowed as he leaned forward, keeping his hands clasped together behind his back. "And, was that 'Akane' I heard Lucien say? Am I pronouncing that right? It has a lovely sound, do you mind if I ask it's origins?"

Although Geralt had traveled much of Europe, he had never made his way to Asia. He heard they had lovely scenery there, and fascinating cultural practices. He knew he would make his way there eventually.

There's always time... The dark chuckle resounded through his thoughts once more.

Akane simply retained her smile at his words, letting out a small giggle at his compliment, covering her mouth a little as she did so. "Oh you're too kind!" She exclaimed, though did not give a response behind the reasoning for the mask. This had been Lucien's idea to protect her identity and origin. It seems people in this country took a certain kind of liking to Asian women. She appreciated the ringleader's concern, and decided to go along with it. When he had taken her shopping for a mask, she had seen this fox mask and had immediately fallen in love with it. It was.. suiting, and Ivory had taught her how to secure it properly in her hair so it would not risk falling while she was performing.

"Then I'll be sure to leave a good first impression!" She said, a determined expression on her face. Considering she had heard how great of a magician she was, she didn't want to get too left behind. She had to do her best too. "I agree though! Watching everyone else's performances is very fun too." It made her feel like she always had much more she could learn from them all. At his question in regards to her name, her smile widened.

"Ah, yes! That is correct. It's Japanese. Translates into 'Brilliant Red,'" She let out a small chuckle at this. Akane hadn't been the one to give herself this name, but she had liked it all the same, considering the appearance she had decided to go with when she first shifted.. and well, her fox form.

It was a little after this exchange that Lucien spoke up. He felt like his original worries in regards to Akane had been correct. Geralt certainly knew how to flatter people, but it made him even more determined to be sure to keep an eye on him around his other members. He hadn't commented in regards to the mask. He had suggested it for her safety above all else, but it seemed to have worked out just fine, considering it added a mystery aspect to her act, and also allowed her to walk freely and unnoticed out of costume. Lucien glanced over further into the tent, seeing people had finished filing in. It was time for Akane to go on, and therefore it was time for him to do what he did best.

"Well, I'm off." He said, glancing at Akane, and then Geralt, before turning and walking out onto the stage.

Geralt leaned back at Akane's explanation, but his brow remained furrowed in concentration as he listened. When she was finished, he nodded, "Ah! I see, well, it is certainly fitting. You must be quite the rare gem, even back home. I can't wait to see what you can do on stage." Although her outer appearance and actions screamed of this girl's innocence, Geralt sensed that there was much more to her than her naive exterior might betray. Although he could not place her exact type, he knew she had to be special as Lucien and Ivory were. He doubted he would see a regular human among these performers, and was unsure if he would be more or less impressed if he did.

He nodded to Lucien as he headed off, watching him walk away with narrowed eyes and a slight grin. This night was turning out to be far more worth it than he had hoped. Even if everything hadn't fallen into place perfectly, he doubted he would have many issues going forward, especially with Akane. Though, that shudder would have to be addressed sooner or later.

As Lucien took center stage, Geralt leaned over to whisper to Akane, "He is quite the crowd magnet, isn't he? I can see why all of you came together, his charisma is breathtaking." Among other details...

"Oh I don't know about that." Akane said a bit sheepishly. She knew there were plenty of other kitsune's around, at least in the area she had lived in, but she wasn't sure how familiar he would be about that stuff. She supposed she'd find out once the man found out what she was.

She glanced at Geralt as he spoke in regards to Lucien, retaining her smile as she secured her mask back onto her face.

"He is isn't he? Lucien's really great. We all love him, I'm sure you will too!" She responded in a low whisper. He had been a major reason as to why she had decided to stick around once she had found this place. It all had seemed like it would be really fun, and a new experience for her, and she had never regretted that decision. She shifted her attention to Lucien as he began his announcing.

This time around, the Ringleader could see more women and children in the crowd, since this was more fascinating for kids to want to see.

"Curious minds who fathom the dangers of fire, but are willing to admire its beauty, you have come to the right place, as our danseur de feu can fascinate you with the her mystical flames and her beautiful dance. I introduce to you, ladies and gentlemen, the Cerulean Flame!" He exclaimed.

Right on cue, Akane skipped onto the stage, the long frills of her dress flowing behind her as Lucien quickly took his leave as he always did. While the frills looked cool and almost like fire when she moved, it was also a fail safe just in case her tails ever made an appearance. They would be easier to hide that way.

On the stage there were a few tools for her to use during her routine, precisely placed where she wanted them. When she had first started doing these types of performances she hadn't even known these tools existed, but once Lucien had introduced them to her, she had found them to be quite fun. It had taken quite a bit of practice to use them properly. Even if she had natural dexterity from being a fox, learning how to utilize it properly for these tools was something different altogether, but had been a very nice learning experience. Ivory had helped her out in terms of learning how to maneuver her hands properly, in terms of grip and the way she handled her instruments. She was quite proud of how far she had come.

Music spread throughout the tent, and as she walked over the fire hoop, Akane dipped her foot under it and quickly thrust the hoop upwards to catch it with her hand, twirling it on her right arm. With her left, her hand moved in a circular motion, and simultaneously lit the wicks in blue flames. She began her dance, turning and twisting her body along with the hoop at fast pace that created what appeared to be a circle of blue fire. She went shifted it around from her arms, to her hips, and over to her other arm, occasionally tossing it into the air and catching it as she danced. Her movements on stage were precise, and by the time she neared the staff, she was ready to switch tools.

The kitsune tossed the hoop high into the air one last time as she picked up the two fans and elegantly lifted them over her head as the hoop came down, falling right through her and landing on the ground. Her left foot moved back to stop it from bouncing. It was a quick movement and hard to catch, but as soon as she had done it, she hovered a leg over one of the wicks, seemingly touching the flames, and spun in a circle, putting out the fire before she jumped out of it and she began her dance with the fans, the music having changed tune to accommodate her slower more elegant dance.

They were her favorite set of instruments. Cora would always compliment how nice it was to watch her dance with normal fans while she was indoors, so having this option for her act made it all the more fun. These fans in particular were shaped like lotus flowers, with a wick at the end of each petal, totalling five on each fan. She had found them to be the ones with the prettiest designs, and Akane was quite fond of flowers. Despite the fact that this dance was slower than the last, her hand movements were quick, allowing her motions with the fan to look like swirls and lines of bright blue light. On some of the movements she raised a leg or twirled, a small trail of blue fire followed suit and then faded away as she continued.

The music slowly began to change in tune once more, Akane twisted the grip on her fans and then readied herself for a cartwheel. As she whirled through the air she placed the fans flat against the ground, lifting one hand which she used to snuff out the flames as her hand drifted over the wicks. As she did so, flames followed the movement in her legs in a half-mooned shape as she became almost rightside up again. Before straightening out completely, her other hand grabbed hold of the last pair of remaining instruments. The two swinging torches.

Her free hand reached for the wicks and with a flick of her wrist, the ends lit up in flames she began to spin them as she moved her body to the rhythm of the music. Traces of blue flames traced the path her feet would take in her steps which would soon fade as she took another.

Nearing the end of the song, she moved the torches and connected them with their magnetic latches at the end and it formed into a small staff which she twirled and threw into the air, catching it with ease.

With a quick motion of her free hand, she tilted her mask slightly to reveal only her lips as she had went down on one knee, disconnecting the torches again. One hand continued to spin one of the torches behind her back and neared the other to her lips. She took in a breath the closer it got, to the audience it appeared as though she had consumed the flames, and as she set that one down and shifted her attention to the other. Her hand hovered over the remaining flaming end, causing the fire to dim ever so slightly. As she placed it near her lips, she let out a breath, and the flames burst out in the opposite direction, as if she was breathing fire, and much larger than you would expect someone her size to be able to pull off. Despite the large amount of it, the patterning of the flames and the way they moved was well controlled, and still managed to retain a look of elegance. It then slowly faded away, and Akane then shifted her body toward the audience and bowed.

The audience erupted into applause. She could see the small children shouting and pointing in her direction, clearly amazed by the display. Akane smiled, and rose to her feet, setting down the other baton as she did so and bowing once more, waving eagerly at the children, before she did a small side twirl and then headed off to the side exit of the stage.

”What did you think?” She asked Geralt eagerly as she removed her mask, though a little out of breath. While the movements themselves were easy, moving all those instruments around did take more effort but still, it was all worth it in the end.

"Oh, I'm positive of that." Geralt's smile crept across his lips in this moment of sweet irony. Although it was not necessarily love he was interested in, Lucien had certainly caught his attention for several different reasons. Geralt had never found himself particularly attracted to men, he had experienced their company in different scenarios over the years and had never truly shied away from it. This instance was different than anything he had ever felt before. He was familiar with desire, in fact he was almost singularly driven by an insatiable lust, but this was altogether different. Lucien was already so familiar to him, and yet so foreign, so pure and so mysterious...he was a collector of fine things, and Lucien was absolutely a fine, fine thing.

Not to mention the rest of his troupe, he would have to remember their part in all of this.

They will fall...

As Lucien's introduction concluded, he did his best to draw his thoughts away from desire and toward a more practical thought pattern. It would do no good to show his desires this quickly, although he was sure Lucien already knew some of his designs. Besides, he had more class than those drooling buffoons in Ivory's crowd.

As Akane took the stage, he found himself entirely enraptured by not only her dancing but her skill with the flame. Her movements were precise and fluid, very practiced, and although to a seasoned performer like Geralt they looked a little stiff, the crowd would never notice.

Just as Ivory was not afraid of her assets, Akane was fearless when it came to handling the flames. The first thing to notice was that they were blue, which was certainly impossible unless they were created using some supernatural ability. While he knew he would have trouble pinpointing her exact species, he could at least piece together her abilities. This dance was telltale of quite a few things, and frankly, put his little fireballs from earlier to shame. He would have to step up his flame game to compete with this display. The finale was absolutely astonishing too, and she did have some command over the crowd. Though she seemed slight, there was certainly a feral ferocity in this girl that was being suppressed. Perhaps Geralt could find a way to let it out...

As she approached them, a wide smile lit her face and Geralt could not help but return it. Despite the power and fierceness she displayed on stage, she appeared to be exuberant and young at heart. There was something endearing in that.

Young is good...easier to corrupt...to twist and bend to our will.

"That was entirely fascinating, to say the least! What a dancer you are, and those props! I can say I have never seen anything like it. Did you choreograph it yourself?" Ivory's confidence and hard edge had lead him to believe she had chosen her own moves. He assumed all of the performers had this power over their performances, but Akane's bright child-like eyes hid a true master. She may be easy to fool, but there was danger there, he could sense it.

Akane beamed at the compliments she received, her pleasure reflected in her light pink cheeks. While her shadow retained it's form, two tails could briefly be seen swishing from side to side. Hearing Lucien cough made her realize it however, and they quickly merged back into her shadow. Sometimes she just couldn't help herself when she got too excited. It was kind of something she was used to.

"I came up with the moves themselves, but I don't deny receiving inspiration and opinions from the rest of the troupe. Cora and Ivory were quite helpful in that! And I give Lucien the credit for the tools, as I hadn't heard of them before he introduced them to me." She explained. When it came to the usage of tools, Ivory was an expert. Cora helped her in a different way. Her songs always inspired her in different ways, so she could not deny her part in aiding the creation of her routine. The kitsune loved to take inspiration from their everyday lives. It helped her put more feeling and heart into her performance. Sometimes hearing Lucien play his violin helped her too. It was simply a great environment for her.

Lucien let out a small chuckle. "I can't take too much of the credit, I simply gave you options to choose from." He said before looking at Geralt. "She's always been good at feeling the rhythm of music. I have to say she's always been quite the natural dancer." She had certainly outshined herself this performance. It was heartwarming to see them all try so hard. He had to admit that Akane was someone who always made the best of every performance, no matter how small or large the audience was, she still had fun.

Having heard her mention Cora, he pulled out his pocket watch again. Geralt hadn't met her yet, and honestly he was hoping to save her for last, maybe avoid it entirely until the night was over. He wouldn't be able to speak with her directly until then anyway, and he figured she might feel better about it if everyone else was there. He was pretty sure Aurel's performance had already started, if they left now they'd be able to catch the last bit of it before Geralt would most likely had to back to his tent for his next act. Ivory and Akane's performances could run long depending on the audience, but Aurel's usually stayed relatively the same, and was usually shorter than theirs, both for his sake and the snakes. He didn't like to be in front of those prying eyes for extensive periods of time. The fact they couldn't see him up close is what made him feel better about it. Honestly he could have found something else for the man to do, but he was insistent on wanting to help back when they had first talked about creating this place. He had truly come a long way since then. Lucien was quite proud.

"We should probably get going if you wish to catch the last bit of our charmeur de serpent's act." He said to Geralt.

Geralt listened intently to Akane's explanation, his eyes flicking briefly to her shadow and back when he sensed movement. That change, it couldn't have been a trick of the light. Was this something the two of them had in common? Only time and exposure would tell him that.

He couldn't help but admire the light dancing in Akane's eyes as she spoke with him. She had a youthful vigor about her in every aspect of her interactions with others; from her dance, to a conversation, she was animated and engaging. Geralt found himself admiring that, and remembering what it was like when he was young and full of hope...

He pushed those thoughts from his mind and gave Akane a toothy grin, missing some of its characteristic edge. "Aren't you just a charmer...I respect that you give credit where credit is due, but no one could do that dancing for you, remember that." He gave her a wink, then nodded to Lucien, "Oh, she's brimming with natural talent, I can see that from a mile away. I'm excited to meet this...Cora you mentioned, especially if she helped to inspire something so breathtaking." He could tell that Akane was pleased by his compliments, and even though he was laying them on thick, he knew when to quit.

He leaned away from Akane, and gestured to the ringleader. "After you. And until next time, rote schönheit." He added to Akane, and waited for Lucien to lead the way.

Akane retained her smile at Geralt's words. Sure she had received many compliments from the others before, but this man certainly knew how to flatter people. Then again that was something Lucien had warned them about.

Hearing his comment in regards to Cora made her realize he hadn't seen the mermaid yet but, considering how the night was going he probably wouldn't be able to until the night was over, but that way they'd all get to be there for it. He didn't seem like such a bad person just from first impression. She supposed she'd just have to see how he interacted with the others. There was a part of her that couldn't fully shake off that shudder that had ran up her spine when she touched him. It was something that had never happened before.

"I'm sure you'll get along great!" She said. "Good luck on your next show!" She added as the two men took their leave. With that, she retreated to the back of the tent where she would await her next show.

Lucien lead Geralt out of Akane's tent and headed to Aurel's. His tent was a dark green, with a few snakes swirling around it. He was right in thinking it had already started, all of his members had decided to start their shows around the time he would have calculated for them. It was nice to be able to rely on them on occasions like this.

"I'm happy to see that you were not disappointed with what you had to see here." He commented. While he could not be completely sure how genuine he had been in his compliments, he did notice he had held interest in the performances. He also liked to see his performer's hard work go appreciated. Akane practiced quite often, so it was satisfying when her dances came together like this and shined so brightly on stage.

They quietly entered Aurel's tent, hearing the soft music already playing. The pace of Aurel's performance was much slower than Akane's, because it suited his style of movement. From the placement of the song, he knew he was past the halfway point already, so they would only be seeing near the end of it.

With the addition of Ginger, Aurel usually had to tweak his performances a little because she was so large. This limited some of what he could do, so he focused on her during the first half of his act. Now, the man was more focused on his two venomous snakes. Throughout the years he had learned how to move like they could, in slow movements, and he had the flexibility to mimic a lot of it, and that was what he had incorporated into his performance. Normal snake charmers didn't have the advantages that he did. Snakes could not typically be trained to do as they liked. At the very best they could keep them peaceful enough to not bite or constrict them as they moved them around as they pleased. It was different for Aurel though. He had a strong trust and bond with his snakes, and they did what he asked of them. As he moved to the rhythm of the music, Bengal and Amber would slither up and around his arms and interchange places with each other.

There was no concern in his expression, on the contrary, Aurel seemed incredibly relaxed. This was what made his act so impactful to people. These snakes could easily attempt to kill him if they decided to constrict themselves around his neck, and just the sole danger aspect of that was enough to have people at the edge of their seat. The fact he had took his two venomous snakes for this act only strengthened that sense of danger for the audience.

Aurel lifted his arms over his head as he slowly bent his body backwards, flattening against the stage floor as Bengal and Amber moved slithered back up his arms toward his hands, moving their heads in tune with the music as he slowly made his way back up. Then, he shifted forward, moving his left hand toward toward the basket that held Ginger so Bengal could slither inside before Aurel slowly rose to his feet.

It was around this time that Lucien pulled out his pocket watch again, and saw that it was about time they got going. "I'd hate to cut our viewing short, but I believe we've ran out of time." He said in a quiet voice. "I'll trust your next performance will go just as well as the first, so I do hope you'll forgive me for not accompanying you back." He added. After all he couldn't really play chaperone for him all night.

"After all the shows are over for tonight, we can have a little group meeting at the Big Top and you'll be able to meet the remaining members."

"Disappointed?" Geralt said in response to Lucien's next comment, "I don't see how I could be. If your next performers are anything like these last two, I know I'm in for a thrill." Truth be told, everything he had seen so far at Cirque D'étoiles had been far above par for the other circuses and shows he had performed in his life. There was nothing like the touch of the supernatural to spice up anyone's evening. Even if the patrons had no idea this was what they were seeing, the quality was far above what those of "normal birth" could achieve.

Geralt could hear the music before entering the tent, and deigned to speak for fear of interrupting. He slipped in next to Lucien and peered around the drapes at their Charmeur de Serpent.

He was surprised to see a man, but of course would never admit that. Snake dancing was usually extremely sexualized, and therefore reserved for females. His eyebrows raised when he saw the size of the snake the young man was handling. Although he seemed sleight of frame, he moved the creature with grace and did not falter. The snakes themselves had to be extremely well-trained, Geralt could tell only by watching for a few moments. They weaved in between the dancers arms as if he were speaking to them. Given the makeup of the rest of the performers, Geralt wouldn't be surprised if this was true.

He focused his attention more directly on the dancer himself, trying to glean anything he could from watching him. After a few seconds of study, he noticed the light catching on his skin, shimmering almost like scales.

Serpent indeed...

Other than this, his bond with the serpents that curled and twined around his arms and torso as he danced, and his long platinum hair, Geralt could tell very little about him. He was excited to meet this young man later, maybe speaking with him could give him more to go on.

Lucien's words almost startled him, as if that were possible, when he spoke next, he was so enraptured by the dance. He glanced around, then nodded and flicked Lucien a quick grin. "You can count on me, patron."

The two slipped back out of the tent and once they were outside, he turned to Lucien with a slight bow of gratitude, "I must thank you for this lovely evening, Lucien. I cannot wait to meet the other denizens of this fine and eclectic establishment you call yours...and, of course, share a glass of that delicious Bordeaux." With that, Geralt wasted no time. He squared his feet, and with a wave of his hand folded into a cape of darkness and was gone from sight.

No need to walk when one could simply...be.

Lucien simply tilted his hat in Geralts direction. "Of course." He said, just before the man disappeared. Quite flashy, that one, but he expected as much at this point. He only hoped everyone would be able to get along well enough with him, though he knew he still had to keep a close eye on the magician. He still hadn't figured him out just yet.

The rest of the night went quite smoothly, while the quantity of patrons was still a little lacking, it was better than he could have expected for the first day here. Now that the word that Geralt was here would spread, he expected tomorrow would have a higher turnout. He'd be sure to more properly arrange the schedule before then. While he had faith in everyone's decision making, he wasn't too fond of doing things on the fly, especially with the current situation they were in.

Once the Circus was closed and all the people were gone, Lucien headed to the Big Top, the largest performance tent they had, which was the one used for the final night at the circus, where their patrons were able to see the entire troupe perform consecutively. He already had an idea of what order they would probably go in this time around, he just had to talk to everyone about it. He still hadn't decided who he would place before Geralt, who would be probably best suited to go last.

He had arrived a little after Aurel had. The man was leaning against the stage a little off to the side with Illy. Prior to this, he had gone back to his trailer to put the snakes he had used for his show away. From what he could see, he only had the red lined garter snake on him at the moment, which Illyana had named Liquorice, much to his amusement. Akane had already gone to get Cora, and was sitting on the edge of the stage next to her, with Ivory at her other side.

"The performance ended up being really great! Those new moves I practiced with you earlier today worked out really well!" Akane had just been telling Cora as he walked into the tent.

"She's right, it was definitely a sight to behold." Lucien commented as he approached them. "As a matter a fact, all of you did a wonderful job today. I could see how much effort you put into these new routines. I do apologize for the last minute switch in scheduling, but I assure you it won't happen again." He said apologetically, stopping near Aurel and Illy. The fortune teller looked tired, but not completely exhausted, which was good. He'd be sure to tell her to not stay up too long tonight and get a full's night rest.

"It's fine, we talked about it a little before you got here. We simply went with our normal scheduling gaps after an hour had passed." Ivory said, causing Aurel to nod in agreement. It had worked out for him in a way, since it had given him a little more time to practice with his snakes.