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Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Ivory woke up the next morning to the loud voices of the carnies as they went about trying to get things set up again. They had started the night before, but there were still some things to put together. She groaned, not particularly inclined to get up, but she knew there was still that morning meeting Lucien wanted with everyone. She let out a heavy sigh, before she lazily got out of her bed. She didn't even bother to change her clothes, there wasn't really much point if she was probably going to head back here anyway. She simply brushed her hair, put on her cloak to block out that damn sun, and left her trailer, before heading over to Aurel's and knocking on the door.

"Morning meeting at Lucien's!" She called out. After a small moment of silence, she could hear Aurel's groggy voice from inside.

"I'll be right there.." He called out. Aurel had been wrapped in the blankets of his bed, a couple snakes curled up at his side, while one was sprawled out on top of him. "Ginger.. you're heavy.." He complained as he moved the larger, light-colored ball python off of him. He let out a small yawn as he got out of his bed, but made no effort to take the snakes with him. They could rest some more. By then Ivory had moved on to the next trailer, repeating the process with the others until she reached Cora's trailer, saving her for last.

"We're having another morning meeting Cora! I'm here to pick you up." She said to her. Part of her hoped this was the last morning meeting they'd be doing in a while. She quite liked oversleeping.

-

Lucien had already awakened and gotten ready for the day. He was typically an early riser. After all he had a lot of things to put together for tonights show. Even though they had Geralt now, he wanted to do things a little differently than they did when they came here the last time. He didn't want to make people pay to see the same thing twice. Glancing out the window, he could see Ivory going around waking up the others for the meeting. That was good, he had thought she might not actually wake up on time for it. The girl had a higher sense of duty than she usually let on.

His eyes trailed back to the paper he had been scribbling notes on. Prior to this, he had been looking over their financials, doing a test calculation of how much Geralt would have made during their last show, and honestly he still didn't like it.

"What a greedy man." He muttered, glancing over at the card he had been left with, picking it up and twirling it with his thumb and index finger. Well, he should have expected that much, in all honesty. The man was famous, and Lucien was using his name to bring attention to the circus. There was no way he had expected him to just accept five or ten percent, but he could have hoped, at the very least. He'd just have to make due. If the man really did bring such a drastic change to their income, then it would only be fair he'd get compensated for it. He only wished it had been approached in a different manner. He supposed he'd just have to see how much of an effect Geralt would end up having on their show, assuming he'd even partake in the one they'd have tonight. He had say he needed to 'perfect his technique,' and Lucien wasn't sure how much time that would take, though considering how arrogant the man was, he didn't feel it would take very long.

Earlier in the morning, he had told the carnies to clean up the trailer that had belonged to their acrobats. It was the third largest they had, considering it used to belong to two people. He figured Gerald was not the kind of person who would accept one of the ones they used for storage which were not as bit and he most certainly was not giving him the second largest. That one was.. not available. He hoped that would not give him any problems.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien's expression flattened a little as he began to grow more frustrated. Granted he didn't like that Faolan kept trying to find arguments to why what he wanted to do wouldn't work, but it was more frustrating that he was right in terms that saying something like that wouldn't get him anywhere. His eyes drifted upwards at Faolan as he removed his shirt, and honestly the sight of it was not something he had been expecting. He held.. so many scars, some larger than others. He could not begin to imagine how much pain those must have caused him. As someone who had never known the pain of an open wound, he almost thought it unfair that he could get away unscathed while people like Faolan had to suffer to this extent, in more ways than one. He shifted his gaze so he wouldn't get caught staring. It was this thought that gave Lucien back his determination. He was not going to let this stand. If it as within his power to keep Faolan from going through more pain, then he would do something about it.

The nephilim rose to his feet. "I understand that I'm naive.. but please don't treat me like a child. I'm twenty-years old." He muttered, considering the way he was speaking to him, he honestly felt like Faolan probably believed him to be some teenager. It was understandable, considering his appearance didn't help him, but he figured he should at least let him know that much.

"I'll be right back." He said, before leaving the room. He was determined to do something about this, he just had to figure out how to go about it. Clearly, the truth was off the table. His goal here was to make sure Faolan didn't get in trouble.. but to make sure that his story was believable, at the very least. He glanced down at himself. He was sure his face was still dirty, and he could see small blotches of blood on his clothes from when he had helped heal Faolan. Maybe just this once.. he could use his appearance to his advantage. He made his way through the ship, until he finally found an official-looking man. The one who acted as security on this ship. Where was he when he was getting bothered by those drunk men? He shook his head, and took a deep breath, before he took on a more frightened expression as he approached. It wasn't hard, considering he was actually afraid of what would happen if this went wrong.

"E-Excuse me sir? I would like to report a robbery.. and an assault.." He told him. The man looked down at him, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"You alright kid? Here, come into my office." He motioned to him before taking a seat behind a desk. "What happened?" He asked. Lucien noticed the French accent in his tone, so he switched over to his native language for an easier explanation.

"There were some Englishmen.. they hit me over the head and stole my things.. I was really scared.." He said quietly, clutching the relic that lay around his neck. "I asked that big Irishman that works here to help me get them back.. When we found them, they seemed to be fighting among themselves over who got to keep my stuff.. there were seven of them. The Irishman took advantage of that and helped me get my stuff back but.. the men were really angry, I'm afraid they might come after me again. It isn't the first time they've bothered me. If it was just the money I wouldn't have cared but.. this necklace is the only thing I have of my father.. and I couldn't let them get away with the theft.." He had lowered his gaze as he spoke, feeling guilty that he was manipulating the information but.. those Englishmen were going to do the same thing, and he wasn't completely lying. He was scared they'd come after Faolan and him again. He didn't want anymore trouble because of them.

"You say the Irishman helped you? What happened to the Englishmen?" He asked, having began to write things down on a notepad.

"Some of them had already been knocked out when we got there.. so he was able to fight off the rest and get my things back, but I don't want him to get in trouble because he partook in the fight.. I would have gone myself but.. I couldn't really have done anything on my own. I was so panicked at the time I didn't even think to come here. I understand he works for the ship, but I'm afraid those men might retaliate again.."

The officer let out a sigh. "I don't know kid.. I'm sure the cap'n here doesn't take kindly to his crew getting into fights while on the job. He'll probably get fired. If that happens then he can't pay his passage, means he might get locked up even if it ain't cause of the fight." He said, scratching the back of his head. Lucien panicked, that was definitely the last thing he wanted.

"Please sir! I-I'll pay his passage instead, would that be okay? Honestly I would feel better about having him nearby in case those Englishmen come around again. They.. don't seem to be all that fond of the French.. They kept throwing insults at me.. I must just seem like easy picking to them.." He muttered. At this, the officer rose his brow. The man was also a Frenchman, in his opinion that was the best he could have asked for in this situation.

"Do they now? I see.. If you pay his passage, then I think the Cap'n won't have any problems. I'll make sure the Englishmen can't bother you anymore. I'm glad you were able to get your necklace back. Here, take this and get your face cleaned up. Where are the Englishmen now?" He asked, having handed him a few tissues so he could wipe his face. He did so, and didn't waste any time in taking out the appropriate amount to pay Faolan's passage.

"They're further below deck in one of the larger rooms.. Will.. everything be okay officer? Will my friend be alright? They weren't a big fan of him either.." He asked, wanting to make sure.

"It'll be fine. Hurry back to your Irish friend, I'll take it from here." He encouraged. Lucien got up from his chair and bowed his head.

"Merci beaucoup pour votre aide!" He exclaimed. The man smiled. "Vous êtes les bienvenus." He said, motioning for him to leave with his hand. Lucien didn't waste any time in leaving and heading back to his room. Lucien felt a small sense of accomplishment upon having been able to get Faolan out of this. He knew he had done wrong in manipulating the information but.. it couldn't he helped. Hopefully with this, they would have no further trouble for the rest of their voyage.

"Things will be okay." He said upon returning, a small hint of pride in his tone at what he had accomplished. Part of him was glad he had been able to prove Faolan wrong. He was a little too pessimistic for his own good, though having seen those scars.. he couldn't' necessarily blame him. Still, he wanted to show him that sometimes, things could work out in his favor.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Ivory was a little amused by Illy's embarrassment, finding it a little adorable, but she didn't comment on it, nor allowed it to show in her expression. She didn't want to make things worse for her.

It was clear Illyana had become lost in thought. She was trying to make sense of all this, and he didn't blame her. Sometimes this worried him, as he hoped the girl wouldn't end up straining herself and become ill. That was the last thing he wanted, but it seemed she was clearly determined to figure this out.

"Don't stay up all night!" He shouted after her as she made her way back to her trailer, shaking his head slightly. "I should be telling you the same, don't stay up all night pondering about what happened today. What's done is done, now we just have to see how it goes from here." Ivory said, patting Lucien on the back. Lucien chuckled.

"No promises." He said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "If you happen to run into anyone tomorrow morning, tell them we're having another group meeting as soon as everyone's together." He added.

"Sure, sure. I'm heading back too, goodnight~" The dhampir said, beginning her walk back. "Good night." He responded, before he did the same. Upon his return, he changed his clothes. That was when he noticed something in his pocket that wasn't there before. A playing card. The ringleader raised an eyebrow. The King of Hearts. It was most certainly Geralt's doing. He shook his head slightly, before placing it on his desk. It seemed just like his sort of humor. With that, he got into his bed, his eyes trailing to the ceiling.

"Guess we shall see what happens.." He muttered to himself.

-

Simultaneously, over at Ivory's trailer, a similar card had slipped out of her pocket as she changed her clothes. She raised an eyebrow, but then rolled her eyes. The Ace of Spades. Once she was done, she picked it up from the ground and walked over to one of her many targets and pinned it there. She didn't see the point to doing that, aside from proving his magic was real. A magician's trick. After all, the man hadn't actually gotten anywhere near her.

"Well whatever." She said as she walked to her bed, picking up a knife from her table and swiftly throwing it at the target. It landed perfectly in the middle of the spade. With a small 'hmph,' the dhampir got into her bed, and eventually trailed off to sleep.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien shook his head. "No, you had nothing to worry about in that regard. He was very.. accommodating.." He told her, excluding their first and last exchange, at the very least. There was no denying he had become incredibly hospitable after inviting them inside, though he was quite sure that was more so in regards to his ulterior motive. He let out a small sigh at Illy's question, glancing down at Ivory briefly.

"He has manners, and most certainly has a way with words. It would certainly be easy to get strung along by his smooth talk. His expressions are also very hard to read, and he can clearly control it as he pleases but.." He trailed off, and this is when Ivorys poke up.

"There's definitely something wrong with him. Despite his flashy smiles and talk, there's no light in his eyes. I don't know if that means something to you." She said, figuring there was no point in hiding it. Illyana would see for herself when they met. It was best she knew about it now. "He's also most certainly a playboy and wants to get into Lucien's pants. In my opinion, he's scum." She added, causing Lucien to let out a sigh.

"I felt that entire last bit was not a necessary addition and a little harsh but.. she's right. His eyes felt.. empty. It was a little unsettling." He told her.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien entered the room, muttering his thanks. His expression was conflicted. This wasn't right, and it most certainly wasn't fair for either of them. Was that how things worked here? They cared not for the truth and would believe anyone who told the better lie? There had to be some way to get them to listen properly. He sat down on his cot, his expression still contemplative. He lifted his sleeve and wiped away at the blood and soot he knew probably lingered on his face, looking down at the relic he had re-secured around his neck.

"I refuse to accept that.." He muttered. There was no way he would. He understood that he was naive, that wasn't something that he had to be told at this point. Over the years he had been given plenty of different books to read to pass the time, and had learned many different things, but reading about something and being put in that situation were two completely different things, he knew that now, but a part of him saw a way, or at the very least, a possibility. Lucien was not fond of lying, he tried to be as honest as he could without giving himself away, but that was a separate manner. In this situation, the people they were against wouldn't hesitate to say whatever they wanted to make sure they got in trouble for this, and he wasn't about to just sit back and do nothing about it.

"Why don't we beat them to it? Right now they're clearly in no state to go speak to them.. if we go to the authorities first, doesn't that give us at least some sort of advantage?" He asked.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien followed Faolan out of the room, glad all of this was over with. Or at least, that's what he had thought, until Faolan spoke up again.

"T-The law? But we weren't the ones who started this." He said, his eyebrows furrowing. It had been the other men who had attacked them first. If the law had to look at anyone, it should be those men. They had stabbed Faolan after all, and had robbed him. It wouldn't be fair of them to be the ones who took the blame.

"Surely if we explain what happened.. it would be okay? You were only trying to help me. There's seven of them and only one of you. Wouldn't it be a little unbelievable that you did that all on your own? I.. I can vouch for you. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me.." He muttered, guilt reflecting in his tone.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien turned off the ignition of the truck, before he and Ivory stepped out of it. Illyana had not wasted any time in coming out to greet them. It seemed they had taken too long in their visit, it was clear she was worried.

"He accepted our offer." He said a little hesitantly, before shifting his gaze to the other trailers. "He will probably come tomorrow, but before that, I want to talk to everyone again first thing tomorrow." He added. The sooner he got to do that, the better. He didn't really want anyone to be caught by surprise.

"I'm not a huge fan of him.. but he's the real deal. I think this will be of incredible help to us." He muttered, before looking back down at Illyana. "I don't plan to let my guard down. Once he's here I will observe him more closely. I promise everything will be okay." He tried to reassure her.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan almost smiled, "If you knocked him out, you did it right." then glanced once more at the wreckage he had wrought over the room, and nodded to his companion. It was time to go. Now that his brain had settled out of its wave of violence and malice, he realized that he may face some heat from the ship's officers for this fight. Regardless of who had started it, the evidence of Faolan's wound had disappeared, despite the blood on his shirt. They would most likely assume it did not belong to him, especially if they got a look at the state of the Englishmen. The theft was easily denied, now that Lucien had his possession back. All things considered, if they were smart, they would make it look like Faolan came here and attacked them unprovoked.

It wasn't that he regretted what he did, in fact, he had been glad for the opportunity to let out some energy having been trapped here for a week, but he knew this would not be the end of it for him.

He nodded to Lucien and headed for the door, the sounds of groaning following them as they made their way up the hall. Faolan wiped his nose again, a little blood had trickled out and smeared his upper lip, residual damage from the silver.

"Just so you know," he said, "The law'll come for us sooner rather than later. Maybe even tonight." He wanted Lucien to be prepared in the face of the inevitable, Faolan doubted he had been in trouble before.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt had expected the both of them to turn him down, the kind of indulgence he was offering was too risky for their type. He was disappointed all the same, but tried not to dwell on it too much as he closed the door behind them. The room had been plunged back into darkness, just the way he liked it. His eyes flashed and he moved across the room toward the partition, watching the silhouette of the woman on the other side as she arranged herself on the bed. All this had left him in quite the lather.

Perfect...let them come to us, juicy and ripe for the picking. The angel will fall, he will not be able to resist us, and once he is corrupted the rest will follow.

He licked his lips as he reached for the partition, but paused for a moment as if remembering something. "Ah..." he said quietly, then closed his eyes, took a breath, and snapped his fingers. Nothing happened, at least not that could be seen in this room. "There, that ought to do it." He dusted his hands together and flung the door open, looking like a wolf who had just caught his prey.

"Ich komme für sie, liebling..."

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

Illyana had spent the last couple hours of set up in a fit of anxiety. He had busied herself any way she knew how, from handing out tasks to helping the men spot check and pitch tents, to seeing to the needs of her fellow performers. She spent some time in Cora's trailer, helping her air it out a bit, and taking some time for their lessons as well, before night fell. Once the sun had set and Lucien and Ivory had not returned, she found it even harder to take her mind off of them. For the last hour, she had been pacing her trailer, biting her nails, deciding when she should try to see them...or when was late enough to start worrying.

It was right as she sat down at her table and closed her eyes, that she heard the thrum of the truck's engine and the flash of headlights passed over her eyes. She ran to her window and peered out of it, and seeing the truck approaching camp, made her way outside to greet Lucien and Ivory, her eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and worry.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

It seemed his words had been enough to snap Faolan out of his rage. Honestly, it was a little scary. He had never seen anyone so consumed by anger. He was unsure if it was anger on his behalf.. or if this was out of personal vengeance for the fact they had stabbed him, but Faolan had clearly been out to teach them a lesson, however, he hadn't wanted it to go too far. He didn't want Faolan to get into further trouble.

At his question, he glanced to the man. "Er.. yeah.. I tried to do what you did, I don't think I did it right though.." He said, but then glanced toward the door. "I got my stuff back, we should go. We've already attracted a bit of attention.." He said hesitantly, able to hear a bit of commotion from people in the nearby rooms. The scuffle had clearly not been a quiet one, he wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible.

Honestly, he was genuinely surprised how well Faolan managed to fight despite how terrible he had looked earlier. He knew the man was big but.. to take on six other men and win? While he didn't know very much about fighting, he didn't think such a thing to be possible. Then again.. considering someone like himself existed.. he supposed it wouldn't be impossible. He wondered if this meant that there was something special about him too, but he didn't ask, wanting to prioritize leaving the room.