[IC] Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana smiled wider as she was bombarded by the troupe; over time they had learned to break her carefully constructed stoic exterior. "Okay, okay, I'll be sure not to fill me schedule that day." A small chuckle escaped her lips as she laid a hand on Akane's arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Cora's beautiful and light laugh twinkled through the room like rain, touching all who heard it with a surge of joy. She squeezed Illyana's arm again before bringing her hands together in a clap. "Thank you, Akane! Maybe you could help me do a little cleaning up? I let it get messy again..." She glanced down at the floor, more than a bit ashamed, and her cheeks flushed a bit.

"We can all help, Cora," Illyana said, with a glance towards Ivory and Aurel. "Let's all do some work before we get on the move." She turned to open the door and motioned for everyone to exit into the bright sun.

[FreckersFrog]

Ivory let out a small chuckle as Cora's laugh echoed throughout the trailer. She couldn't deny even she could be dazzled by the mermaid's natural charm. Her smile twitched ever so slightly at Illyana's following comment. It looked like she wouldn't be able to get away with simply going back to playing cards with Aurel, but if it was just to help tidy up Cora's room, then she supposed that was fine. At least it didn't involve being outside.

"Oh yes of course! I'd be happy to help!" Akane exclaimed, having moved around the chair to make an attempt to pick up the mermaid, Ivory stepped in before she could however.

"How about you let me do it? Could you open that door for me Akane?" She asked. It was likely the kitsune could probably be able to carry her, but she wasn't sure for how long she would be able to before her arms wouldn't be able to keep up with it anymore. She didn't want to risk her dropping her.

"Alright, I have to work up some of these muscles so I can be able to carry you myself one of these days." She told Cora a little lightheartedly before headed for the door to get it open, moving the mermaid's chair a bit closer to the door.

Ivory easily picked up the mermaid from her chair and made her way outside, carefully setting her down. Aurel had followed suit, waiting for Illyana to step outside before he closed the door behind them.

"So we're all going to go help tidy up Cora's room then? Sounds fun. It should help us kill some time until it's time to go." He commented, not really minding providing some assistance with that. He enjoyed hanging out with everyone no matter what they were doing.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana let everyone file out of Lucien's trailer, then shut the door behind her. She squinted in the bright sun, though her hat brim shielded her from the worst of it. She smiled at her troupe as they all gathered outside, but it faded again when she caught sight of Lucien walking out across the field, raising a hand to one of the Carnies who was still taking things down. She remembered suddenly why she had been so adamant about not recruiting "Geralt the Great" in the first place: to protect these people, her troupe, her...new family. She had grown into a woman here, protected by Lucien and others. It was her duty now to protect them in the only way she knew how.

Cora's laugh cascaded over the group once more like music at her friend's enthusiasm to help her. She accepted Ivory's lifting with grace and spoke to Akane over her shoulder, "You could always just stop using your legs, it worked for me!" She couldn't help but chuckle at her own joke.

The four of them began moving off, Cora describing excitedly all of the clothes on the floor and where they should go for travel, along with warnings about the musty mildew smell and the dampness inside, when she realized that they were missing someone. She glanced back over her shoulder to see Illyana standing a few paces behind, staring out across the field with a worried look on her face. No, not worried...sad.

"Wait, everyone," She said, and they came to a halt and turned back. "Illy, are you coming?" She asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

Illy tore her eyes away from Lucien and let them fall on Cora once again. She smiled nervously and nodded before taking a few quick paces to catch up, "I'm sorry, I got distracted. I'm coming!"

As Cora smiled and turned away with the others again, Illyana set her brow and nodded to herself resolutely as they made their way across the grounds toward her friend's quarters. No matter what, she wouldn't let anything happen to them, and no warlock was going to change that.

[xivyxx]

Akane let out a small chuckle at the joke Cora had made. "I'm afraid that might not work so well with me, after all, in my other form, I've got an extra set of legs!" She exclaimed, referring to her animal form.

Ivory shook her head ever so slightly at the poorly made joke, but she didn't actually think Cora was aware of how others might view it. Still, the sense of humor was appreciated. In a literal sense though, the mermaid wasn't wrong. Her lack of use of her legs definitely had given her quite the upper body strength. She was quiet as she described the mess in her room, honestly she couldn't understand why someone could be so excited in it, but she didn't voice it. She was probably just glad everyone would be coming with her.

She had paused, as everyone else had, when it seems Illyana had begun to lag behind. Knowing her, she was perhaps still lost in thought in their most recent situation. She reached out and patted the girl's head.

"Try not to stress to much Illy. I'm sure it will all work out." She told her, though her tone was casual. Not wanting to bring too much attention to what she had said, she continued on her way, and they all made it to Cora's trailer. For one, she was glad to finally be out of the sun, but on the downside, the smell was a lot stronger than she had anticipated. It gave her insensitive to at least open a window.

"Alright, let's get to cleaning! With all of us here we should be done in a jiffy!" Akane exclaimed, beginning to pick up some articles of clothing.

Aurel also moved across the room, beginning to pick up the books that lay scattered throughout the floor while Ivory picked up the random knickknacks scattered about. They were at this for a while, and by the time they were finished, it was finally time for them to get going.

Lucien had walked up to Cora's trailer, and given it a light knock. "We are all ready to go, you can stay here or go back to your trailers, but we depart in a few minutes." He called out to them.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana couldn't help but smile at the small bit of affection Ivory had shown her. She didn't like to admit it, but Illy often got lonely even surrounded by such close friends and confidants. She missed the presence and affection of her twin sister, Izzabella, and usually found any other contact lacking; unable to cheer her the way her sister used to. She had found over the years that there was no substitute for an identical twin. She and her sister had shared the same womb, the same heart, and now shared the same soul, no matter how far away she was or how much time had passed, her sister meant everything to her. However, she was just beginning to realize that these new affections didn't need to match her sisters as replacements, she simply had to look at them as their own kind of love. Once she mastered that, she would be grateful for the relationships and bonds she had forged, but it was slow-going, for now.

Ivory's pat on her head filled her with a bit more vigor as they made their way to Cora's trailer to tidy up. The thing was an absolute mess, she so she was grateful for the extra energy. With the four of them helping the mess would be organized in no time. Illy saw why Cora was so intent on a refill, after all, it had been a while since they had gotten water for her tank. The road with open windows would certainly help with the smell, but she couldn't say she wasn't a little glad when Lucien knocked to let them know it was time to head out.

Illy opened the door, with Cora's trailer all organized, the books stowed and the clothes packed away and secured, it was easy to move around in their now. She echoed Lucien's call to the others inside as she stepped out, "Alright, everyone to their trailers. Make sure everything is secure, we'll be shaking dust in five minutes."

Cora was more than grateful for everyone's help cleaning up, but she wasn't about to let them clean without helping. She directed people on where things should go, handed off clothes and other items, folded in her lap, and helped lift and secure things as the rest cleaned and organized her trailer. It was a long time since she had had this many people over, it was so much fun that the time flew by.

When Lucien came and Illy filed out, she saw everyone else following suit so she thanked them profusely, each one as they passed by her. "Thank you everyone, see you when we get to Graston!"

Once everyone had filed out of her trailer, she undressed, hooked her chair into place (Ivory had carved a notch into the floor so the chair wouldn't roll about while they were on the move), and hoisted herself into her tank.

She couldn't help but sigh with relief as the water touched her delicate skin. As she sank, her human body transformed into her true self; her legs knitted together in an instant, scales shimmering over her pale skin as it turned a shade of aqua-green. Her feet sprouted into a huge translucent tail that floated through the water like lace, her fingers became webbed and grew sharp claws, her eyes glowed with a yellow light, and patches of green scales shimmered all over her fish-like body. This was how she felt most comfortable, most at home. She let herself sink to the bottom of her tank and closed her eyes, smiling in the warmth of the water. Dirty or not, this was where she belonged. She laid her back against the ground, happy that they would soon be moving. The rocking of her trailer in motion reminded her of the tides and the waves and the sea's natural rhythm. When she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine that she was back home, and that filled her heart with joy. Travelling wasn't so bad after all, especially when she was surrounded by friends.

Illy started to make her way across the grounds to her trailer, she broke off from the group and trotted to catch up with Lucien. "Hey, Lucien!" She called, and waved to him to get his attention as she approached.

[xivyxx]

With everyone's help, it hadn't took as long to clean as Ivory had thought it would. She wasn't exactly how much time had passed, but next thing they knew, Lucien was knocking at Cora's door, letting them know it was time to go. Her nose was thankful. Perhaps after Cora got her refill, she wouldn't mind spending a lot more time in here. She figured the mermaid would appreciate the company. Being cooped up in a room all day on your own was a little lonely, she of all people knew that.

She waved her goodbye before leaving the trailer and heading straight for her own, not really wanting to linger outside any longer. She went straight to her bed, but didn't attempt to nap or anything of the sort. There were simply a lot of things on her mind, about how this all would go, and this so called Geralt they were supposed to recruit. The dhampir absentmindedly formed a knife in her hand, and threw it across the room to the target she had there, for practice. It hit the middle of it with ease. She continued with this for a while, until she had eventually gotten bored and fallen asleep.

--

"See you, Cora! Don't miss us too much!" Akane exclaimed as she left the trailer and headed for her own.

Aurel had given her a small wave. He felt a little bad for leaving but he also wanted to get back to his trailer with his other snakes before they departed. He traveled in most comfort with all of them. Once he arrived in his trailer, he greeted all of his snakes. He couldn't say his own room was the absolute cleanest. He did try to keep things as tidy as he could, but the snakes did like to curl up in their own little nooks and crannies, sometimes he didn't want to disturb their sleeping space, so he left things as they were. It was as clean as it could be, with all the snakes he had living in the trailer with him. Aurel made his way to his bed, careful not to lay on the few snakes that had decided to claim his bed as their own. He grabbed the book he had been previously reading from his nightstand, figuring he could kill some time this way.

-

Unlike Aurel, Akane had detoured a bit before heading back to her trailer, it seemed like everything really was all ready to go. They were to embark on another journey, one that would hopefully resolve all of their problems. She didn't like anyone feeling upset, after all. Arriving at her trailer, she took a seat near her window, not wanting to miss the journey. This was one of her favorite things about being on the road, just being able to enjoy all of the sights.

-

Lucien giving all the trailers and trucks a one last glance over, making sure everything was in place before he began to head back to his own. It was then that he heard Illyana's voice, and stopped to allow the girl to catch up to him.

"Everything alright?" He asked, wondering if she had anything else she wanted to add to their earlier discussion. Her eyes held some sort of determination, as if she had gained some sort of resolution. It certainly made him curious.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana's trot came to a stop as she approached the Ringmaster. She nodded, "Yes, everything is fine. I just...wanted to thank you, for being understanding." She had meant to stop and let him respond, but it all came pouring out of her before she knew it:

"I know that these feelings of mine are hard to explain, and that I can be difficult when it comes to decisions like this. Even though I don't like it, I'm fine with the decision to recruit Geralt, if only because everyone agreed to it. As long as we all know what we're getting into...we can protect them, right?"

Her eye contact had wavered a bit as she spoke, as the emotions rose in her, but once she had it all out she calmed a bit. She met Lucien's eyes and kept her resolute expression set as she waited for a response.

[xivyxx]

Lucien gave Illyana a gentle smile. "You know I try to always take everyone's opinion into consideration. I don't blame you for being against it, your gut feelings have never steered us wrong before, so I understand why you feel this way. The circumstances this time around are just.. very unfortunate." He said before reaching out and placing his hand on Illyana's head, ruffling her hair a little.

"Yes of course. I would never allow anything to happen to any of you. Anyone who tries would have to answer to me first. I might not seem strong, but I like to think that looks can be deceiving." He said half-jokingly. Despite his light-hearted tone, he was completely serious. He would protect these people and the place they had come to call home with all his might. It was the reason why he had started this circus in the first place. "You should head back to your trailer, we're about to head out. Try not to worry too much alright?" He asked her, watching her head back to her trailer before he did the same. It wasn't long before they were finally on the move. Lucien laid on his bed, eyes shifting slightly as he soon became able to see the passing trees. Honestly it was in moments like these that he wished Faolan was still here.. for more than one reason. Since he had disappeared four years ago, there were constant times where he worried about what may have happened to him.. what exactly.. had happened with them. He knew him. He was strong. He simply had to believe he was alright but.. the hurt that his departure had caused had not left him to this day. Even so.. he really wished he was here. The nephilim shook his head, trying not to think about it. There were more important things for him to ponder.

The three days of travel had gone fast for Lucien. That was most likely due to his anxiousness for what was to come, both for the shows and the recruitment of the new member. By the time they finally arrived, he managed to ease them. After all he didn't want everyone else to be affected by his lack of composure. Once they were parked, he left his trailer. It didn't take too long for Ivory to approach him. Seeing that her eyes were their unnatural crimson color. It seems she wanted to be at her 'best' today.

"You probably could have made due without it you know?" He said.

Ivory chuckled slightly. "Probably, but we don't know what to expect, so I figure I should be prepared." She said with a small shrug.

Lucien let out a sigh. "I suppose.." He said. They really didn't know what to expect, but he didn't feel like any sort of violence would be necessary.

"You're too nice sometimes, so if I have to punch him in the face for you, so be it." She said, having put her hood over her head. The sun wasn't shining brightly in the sky anymore, but it still hadn't set. Lucien simply let out a small chuckle, shaking his head slightly.

The journey into town was not as long as it could have been, considering they had taken the truck, but once they got near they had to continue on foot, considering the small neighborhood. He followed the directions Illyana had given him. Honestly if her visions had not been kind enough to give her the exact location, he might not have been able to find him, considering how hard the entrance to his home was to spot.

"You'd think a magician of his caliber would live in a much flashier place.." Ivory muttered. By now her eyes had eased back into their blue color, and she had pulled her hood down. The sun wasn't as bothersome anymore.

Lucien couldn't help but agree with her. Then again he knew not all people liked to stand out, but he still found it a little odd. Regardless, he was resolved. He lifted his hand and gave the door a few knocks.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana watched Ivory and Lucien leave, their tires kicking up clouds of dust as they puttered away in the truck. Her fists were clenched at her sides and she sighed heavily, but knew everything that happened after today was inevitable. Once the truck had made its way over the curved of the horizon, she turned back to the remaining workers as they set up, and walked toward the center of the field to take over Lucien's duties while he was away.

-----------------------------------

The city was quiet as Lucien and Ivory moved through it; the men were working and the women were tending the children or the house. They moved through mostly quiet streets, better for them to avoid the gaze of passerby. The two of them were inconspicuous for the most part, but Lucien's golden eyes and Ivory's striking snow-white hair did often draw some attention in main thoroughfares. Illyana had handed over the address they needed before they left, which took them weaving through back streets for a few minutes before approaching the main facade of bowing wood.

Geralt lived on the second-floor of a walk-up tenement building. Ivory's comment on the unlikelihood of a famous magician living there was absolutely correct. It was completely out of the way, dingy, small, and dank. The alleyway that the building stood in was small and cramped, and the building itself was taller than it was wide. In order to approach the door at all, the pair had to climb a fire-escape. Overall, it did not seem the place for someone of such high esteem.

And yet, it was.

The first, second, and third series of knocks were completely ignored by the apartment's inhabitant. But once the visitors at his door made it clear that they were not going to leave on their own, Geralt decided that it was time for him to intervene in their exit. He opened his eyes lazily and half-grunted, half-sighed as he extricated himself from the tangle of blankets and limbs on his bed.

"Mmm..." A female voice moaned from within the pile and a pale hand reached out for him as he moved.

"Shh, meine schönheit, I'll be back soon." He whispered as he dodged her grasp. He sounded more annoyed than affectionate. The hand withdrew itself from whence it came as he stood and grabbed a pair of black pants from the back of a chair.

The apartment was a mess, cluttered, and nearly pitch black inside. Dusty light filtered through a window in the bedroom and cast long shadows across the wooden floor. There were books, papers, clothing, shoes, empty glass bottles, pillows, and even coins strewn about the floor and over the furniture. There was one lamp in the corner, currently switched off, with a red and purple scarf draped over it. It was balanced precariously on the edge of a stack of books on a side table next to a chair and looked capable of toppling at any moment.

A thin partition of wood and glass separated the bedroom from the sitting room at the front of the apartment and Geralt stepped through it as he fastened the button on his pants and pushed his dark hair back from his forehead. He was of average height and build, thin but well-defined, and not entirely graceless despite the mess around him. His long limbs and fingers moved with a fluid dexterity built of confidence boarding on arrogance. His face was incredibly handsome, with sharp features and keen eyes. His hair was long on the top, with a shaved back and sides, as typical of the age, and he clearly hadn't shaved in days. He stood out in the mess of the room, in and out of his element at the same time, as he reached for a white button-down that was draped over the arm of the couch.

Another knock caused his cheek to twitch in irritation, "Coming!" He shouted in an attempt to stop the onslaught. The previous night's debauchery had left him with dark circles under his eyes and a pounding headache in his temples. One more knock, and he would have different words in mind when he opened the door.

He let the shirt fall onto his shoulders and, leaving it unbuttoned, crossed the room to the door, waving his hand along the way to throw the latch back. He grasped the handle and pulled the door open on creaking hinges.

A shaft of light fell directly on his face as he peered outside, and he squinted in the face of the afternoon sun. He raised a hand to shield himself and he stared at the two blobs of person standing at his doorstep. "Yes?" He said, the irritation clear in his voice. He would have had some other words, but he wouldn't be able to tell if it was the law or not until his vision clarified.

[xivyxx]

It seemed the first few knocks had been completely ignored. This much he had expected, so after a few moments of silence, he decided to knock again. Illyana had preemptively warned him that no matter how many times he was ignored, to continue to be persistent. The man was home. Honestly he didn't like doing it. He found it rude, but he didn't really have much choice in the manner. He couldn't necessarily leave here empty handed. His next set of knocks was much more hesitant. It was a little nerve-wracking to be honest.

Ivory seemed to realize this. She was not particularly a fan of wasting time. They knew the man was there, so they simply had to continue to insist. Without much hesitation, she reached out and gave a series of much louder knocks, her impatience clear. It was only after that they finally heard acknowledgement from inside the home. Part of Lucien was thankful, he hadn't been looking forward to continuing to pester.

A little while after, the door opened, though the sight wasn't exactly what he was expecting. The man looked like he had just about woken up. Considering the time, that was a little surprising. He was clearly irritated, though if he really had just been roused from his sleep, he couldn’t really blame him.

“Good afternoon, my name is Lucien, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?” He asked.

"Mmhhmm. Look, I talked to your elder--or whatever--yesterday, come back in a month or so..." His voice trailed off as he attempted to swing the door closed. The response was curt, and the man was quick to want to close the door. Ivory wasn’t having that. Her arm shot out before Lucien could react and halted the door’s movement to prevent it from closing.

“No, you didn't.” She retorted.

[FreckersFrog]

A deep growl escaped Geralt's lips as he tried to force the door closed and found it blocked by his would-be intruders. He had just tried to turn away and save his eyes from the light when the little tart on his doorstep inserted herself into his afternoon. She was a strong one too, and quicker than he would expect. These were more persistent than any of the other missionaries, peddlers, and snake-oil salesmen he had encountered before. Most took silence beyond the portal of his door to mean that no one was home, which was what he intended. Now, he was going to have to be more forceful than he currently had the energy or patience for.

"I said-" He peered around the fingers of the girl, opening the door slightly to loosen her grip, and made eye contact with the man at her said, "I've already covered this...with your..." His voice slowly trailed off as he stared out at the man before him. For a half-second he thought maybe he hadn't been a man at all, and looked so deeply familiar to him, familiar to his very soul.

But that couldn't be. His hair was far too short, his eyes flashed with golden light, and the most obvious difference was that he was male. Or so his voice betrayed.

Geralt's face slackened slightly as his eyes adjusted to the light and he searched the face of his caller. But he did look an awful lot like her...

He does...doesn't he? A voice echoed through his mind, and he couldn't deny the resemblance. He smells pure, like clean air...I bet he tastes like white wine...

His grip on the door slackened and he let it fall open a little more, exposing his half-dressed physique to the setting sun, "Lucien, you said your name was...?" He asked, adopting a much more friendly, although still groggy voice, and open posture. His dark brown hair relaxed to hang partially over his forehead and a slight smirk crept over his lips. His eyes never left the man as he spoke, "My apologies, that was rude. You caught me at a...well--I suppose I have a moment after all, why don't you two come in?" He asked, and opened the door more widely to invite his guest's inside. The switch from gruff to grace came so easily to him, he relaxed into the posture like he had been born to it. Even in his half-awake state, he was putting on a show.

[xivyxx]

The man had clearly grown more irritated by Ivory's actions, but she didn't care. They'd never be able to get anywhere if they weren't even allowed to speak with him. Considering how well-mannered Lucien was, she decided to save him the trouble. Soon after he had spoken to them again he had a complete shift in attitude, which she found incredibly suspicious, specially because his gaze seemed completely settled on the Ringmaster.

Lucien was a little taken aback by Geralt's sudden compliance. It made him raise a brow, but he didn't complain. This was what they needed after all, a chance to talk. As they received permission to enter, Lucien and Ivory stepped inside. It was a lot darker.. and a little messier than he would have thought the man to live.

"That is correct. This is my compatriot, Ivory. I'm sorry for the intrusion." He said, motioning to the dhampir, who simply nodded in response. She appreciated the darkness of the home, but it did make her a little suspicious. It wasn't particularly normal. "It's quite alright, we were a little insistent."

They made their way through the small home, into what appeared to be the livingroom. He.. honestly didn't expect Geralt to live in a place like this. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted what appeared to be the man's room. He could vaguely see the figure of a woman upon his bed.

"I apologize if we caught you at a bad time.." He said, shifting his gaze away from the room. That was none of his business.

[FreckersFrog]

Mmmm and French, too...Geralt's eyes only briefly flashed to the girl as she entered the room after Lucien. Spicy-sweet that one...dangerous...tainted. Not like the other one, not like the pure cool wind...

"Lucien and Ivory, a pleasure..." He said as they entered and he closed the door behind him, plunging them into dusk once more. He was right, there was something about this man, something white and pure and...almost holy about him. Geralt licked his lips.

He was almost staring again when his attention was caught by the young man's voice. "Hm?" He glanced toward the opening int the partition and into his own bedroom, and then let his eyes fall on Lucien once more. He chuckled absently and approached the partition of frosted glass and wood, "Oh, no need for apologies, this is just as good a time as any." He slid the door shut, well, mostly shut, and motioned to two chairs across from the couch before him. "Please, sit, take a moment...Hell, have three." A smirk flashed once more as his eyes darted from the girl and back again, this time showing the pear-white of his canine.

He turned to the side of the room with the lamp, and lit it. His arm, hand and fingers moved with with stride as he approached it, full of grace. He took a matchbook from the side-table, plucked a match and struck it, then removed the scarf with nearly a flourish, before lowering the match and lighting the wick. He turned the dial on the side until the room was dim, rather than dark, then turned back to his guests as his smooth voice dripped from his lips once more, the match-light flickering between his fingers. "Can I get either of you something to drink? Wine, Scotch, Absinthe?" His eyes rolled towards Ivory, "A nice dark red, perhaps?" With one fluid flick, the match was out. He dropped it into a waste-bin as he strode across the room once more to a small cabinet against the wall.

[xivyxx]

Lucien made his way over to one of the two chairs as Geralt motioned for them to sit down, Ivory in tow as she took a seat beside him. From observation alone, the man gave off the vibe that he didn't really seem to belong in a place like this. He certainly had the manners and grace that he felt the famous magician should have. It made him curious as to why he was living like this. Had he grown tired of that life? Or did he simply prefer modesty? For some reason he felt like it was not the case. He definitely held an attraction and charisma that he felt his circus could definitely use.

"Wine is quite alright, if you would be so kind." He said, figuring there was no need to deny the offer. Normally he might have refused but, he wanted to remain on friendly terms. Plus, it had been a while since he had a taste of wine. He had refrained from purchasing alcohol once their financial troubles had begun. There were more important things he had focused on getting for the good of everyone else.

Ivory quirked a brow at the man's offer, a little surprised at the very particular choice of words. Considering the environment he seemed to live in, for a moment it made her wonder if he really might be a vampire, but she shook it off, mostly because it was her hope that he wasn't. It would be irritating to have him around if so. He certainly had a way with words, at the very least. It was for that reason that she was wary.

"No thanks." She said simply. After all, she already had plenty to drink.

[FreckersFrog]

"Suit yourself," He said with a shrug as he looked over his shoulder at Ivory.

When Geralt reached the cabinet, he bent down to grab a bottle and two glasses, then paused, "Red or white?" He asked, then shook his head and chuckled to himself. "Don't answer that, I have just the thing." He reached inside of the cabinet, pulled a bottle and stood as he inspected the label. He nodded, apparently satisfied, uncorked the wine, smelled and poured it. It was a deep red, slightly thick, and the smell of black cherry wafted from the open neck. When a healthy pour was complete, he turned on his heel and approached his guests once more with the devilish smile.

He extended a glass out to Lucien, making eye contact as he handed it over, "It's a Côte Rôtie, not exactly right, but close enough, wouldn't you think?" Although the man's accent was so slight, almost unnoticeable to an untrained ear, to Geralt it was unmistakably French, most likely Southern. He hadn't gotten as far as he had by being wrong about these things, although it was rare that he was wrong, it wasn't impossible. He thought it unlikely in this particular circumstance.

[xivyxx]

Lucien watched Geralt with curious eyes as he began to serve the wine, amusement visible in his expression as he was asked which he wanted. It seemed however that his question required no answer. His eyebrows rose ever so slightly at the wine he had chosen, a small smile tugging at his lips as he received the glass from him. It was a little surprising that he had caught on to the fact he was French. Nowadays he was fairly good at hiding his accent.

"It is indeed." He said, pausing for a moment to swirl the wine in his glass for a moment, allowing him to take in the nostalgic scent. "Danke schön" He responded in fluent German, using a more formal version of thanks. Granted, he already knew the man was German from how well known he was and the bits of information they had on him, but considering German had been Lucien's second language, he was quite familiar with recognizing the faint traces of it.

[FreckersFrog]

It was Geralt's turn to raise his eyebrows. These days it took much to surprise him, but this was more of a knowing nod. These people clearly knew who they were looking for. They were not solicitors or zealots or auditors, they were something else. An entirely different breed.

Soft and juicy insides this one has, like a perfectly ripe white peach. He'd taste divine...

He seated himself lightly on the couch behind him, stretching out on it and crossing one leg over the other. "Hhm, you know your Deutsche, and with a strong strong accent. Je suis impressionné," Geralt said in perfect French, though his accent reflected a more northern lilt. He swirled his own glass, all but forgetting that there were three of them in the room. He had eyes only for Lucien.

"Your name though, that's interesting. Latin...what part of France are you from exactly? I couldn't have been too far off.." His eyes slid over Lucien's body and he recrossed his legs as the tilted the wine glass against his lips and took a sip, doing nothing to hide his interest.

[xivyxx]

Lucien let out a small chuckle at his compliment. "It was my second language, so I'm quite familiar. Though, I must take a moment to say your French is just as good." He said, recognizing the slight difference in their accent. It seemed he had spent some time in Northern France.

He took a small sip of the wine, taking a moment to savor in its taste. It was quite satisfying. It had been far too long. His golden eyes shifted back to Geralt at his question. He could almost sense the man's gaze. It was then that the shift in attitude began to make sense. It wasn't the first time he had been looked at in this manner.

"Bordeaux. You were close. The red wines of Rhone could most certainly compare, though I am most likely biased in saying ours are better." He said a little jokingly, a hint of amusement in his tone.

It was here that Ivory began to grow a little impatient. Sure, she was quite aware of how good of a talker Lucien was. It was easy to get pulled into conversations with him, but seeing this man, she could tell that he was the same, though she was well aware that the intentions behind it weren't the same. It was clear he held an interest in Lucien, considering how focused he was on him. It wasn't like he was trying to hide it either, but she was sure that Lucien was also aware of it. She really just hoped they hurried this along. He was clearly a playboy, considering he had a woman in the other room and held no shame in flirting so openly with Lucien. It was the type of man she disliked the most.

[FreckersFrog]

Geralt nodded and tilted his glass toward Lucien at his compliment, then sipped again as he continued to speak. "Ah, Bordeaux...I must say, I agree. Your Cabernet's are just...divine." He licked his lips and let a small pause fill the room. He didn't have to look at the girl, Ivory, to know that she was staring daggers at him. He didn't mind, he was used to women reacting this way to him when his attention was elsewhere.

"And thank you, by the way. I spent quite a bit of time in Paris perfecting my...technique." It was clear that Geralt knew how to choose his words carefully and all without tipping his hand. He leaned forward, placing an elbow on his knee and setting the glass on the table in front of him before relaxing again, "But, tell me, how did your parents decide on that name? Latin, for 'light'. Catholic, I'd imagine, but they went with a risk, naming you something so similar to, well, the Devil himself." He leaned his chin on his fist and stared deep into Lucien's eyes.

Yes, taint and twist. Turn light to dark, virtue into sin. Make dirty what once was pure. Make him filthy and unclean.

[xivyxx]

It was clear that the man's words had double meaning. It was obvious the man wasn't trying to hide his intent at all. He didn't particularly care, considering he was used to both men and women making advances on him. He had to admit though, this man was clearly confident, to be so forward even though they had just met. He didn't deny the man was attractive, but it took a lot more than sweet words and compliments to win someone like him over.

"Yes.. they are aren't they?" He simply agreed, refraining from commenting on what he said next. Paris made sense, considering it was the home of the arts. It certainly would have attracted someone who was interested in something like magic.

Geralt's next comment caught Lucien a little off guard. He furrowed his brow ever so slightly, although it would have hardly been notable to someone who wasn't paying attention, though he was sure the man was. He hadn't expect such a question, nor did he have an answer for it. However, he wasn't all that inclined in sharing that bit of his personal life with a man he had just met. It was this that caused him to break the eye contact, but luckily he was saved from having to answer the question.

Ivory's irritation had only grown by Geralt's comments. At this point, she knew that this would only continue, and as much as she understood Lucien's intent to form a relatively good relationship with the man before he asked him to join was probably important. Formalities and all that, but the comment he made in regards to Lucien's name was what finally prompted her to interrupt. That was none of his business. She cleared her throat, loudly.

"Lucien. I'm sure you two will have plenty of time to speak after he accepts our offer." She spoke up. Normally she would not have cared to simply cut off the conversation, but she knew some men didn't take well to being interrupted during their so called flirting. At least her choice of words would most likely make the man curious. If it could make the man more likely to accept, and not to mention, could get them out of this damn place as fast as possible, she was all for it.

Lucien straightened up, shifting his gaze back to the man and giving him a smile, fully composed once more."Ah yes, what we came here for. Mr. Wagner, also known as, Geralt the Great, correct? We have heard of your many.. talents. You're quite popular in our line of work. You see, I am the Ringmaster of Cirque D'étoiles. I came here to ask if you would give us the honor of joining our troupe?" He asked, getting straight to the point this time around. He felt there was not as much need for small talk anymore.