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Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Aurel looked up at Geralt as he addressed him. "Er.. No promises.. but I'll do my best." He said, not really knowing what else to tell him. It wasn't like he didn't want to get better, but all these years he never really had any reason to be good at lying to people or hiding his emotions. Lucien and Faolan had always been straightforward, and Illy was just not as expressive. The troupe was always quite open with each other, but that had clearly changed now that Geralt was among them. His eyes followed Ivory as she pulled her hood over her head and reluctantly walked back out into the sun. He hoped they'd be alright.

Ivory wasted no time in making her way to the Big Top. It made sense to go there considering that was where they would be performing. Geralt would know exactly the amount of space he'd have to work with. Once in the safety of the large tent, she removed her cloak and tossed it onto one of the chairs, before she effortlessly jumped onto the stage. She didn't waste any time before speaking, not really wanting to get dragged into any pointless small talk. She wanted to get to the point.

"Lucien and Cora perform first, as I'm sure you've been told. The piano in the corner of the stage gets rolled out to the middle. Cora sits on the piano as she sings, and once their performance is over, we cut the lights to allow them a swift exit, and Aurel then takes the stage, spotlight on him as the lights come back on." She moved along the stage as she spoke, motioning with her hand so he could see where Aurel would start off.

"We can't do anything too flashy as to not scare the snakes, so for his exit, Aurel tosses one of Akane's fire hoops into the air and she cartwheels onto the stage, igniting the fire wicks as she goes. While eyes are on her, Aurel quietly makes his exit." It was easy to pull off when Akane's act was so flashy. "Then Akane makes an elegant spiral of blue fire, enough to conceal her, and therefore no one can notice her leave. By the time the fire disperses, she's gone, and I'm here." By now Ivory stood in the middle of the stage, where she usually began from. Usually when Akane created that spiral of fire, she shifted into her fox form and ran off the stage faster than anyone would be able to see. With the large distraction available, she was impossible to notice. The kitsune was very fast when running at full speed.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien tried to continue his work like nothing was wrong, a fake smile plastered on his face as he greeted guests, made his recommendations, and made small conversation with those who sought it from him. He was doing everything he possibly could to keep himself busy or distracted, not wanting his thoughts to stray back to his talk with Faolan and how much it hard hurt to hear his rejection.

When it came time to play the piano, his feelings became much harder to keep buried. Lucien had always been the type to pour his feelings into his music. It gave it more depth, and while normally it was a good way to express himself, it wasn't what he wanted for himself right now. Despite that, someone had asked him to play something French.. and he had settled on Chopin, which might have been a mistake in his current mood. With every key his fingers played he felt like he was underwater, sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of the swirling feelings inside of him. It was ironic that he had subconsciously chosen this song of all things.. Valse de l'adieu. A song about a farewell.

The last thing he wanted was to say farewell to Faolan again. In reality part of him feared that the Irishman wouldn't even be there when he returned. That he would leave again but this time determined not to return. The thought of that was almost unbearable. If he had to say goodbye to something, he was willing to make the sacrifice of his feelings, willing to keep this locked away within his heart.. in hopes that he could actually go back and pretend none of this happened for the sake of the friendship he had treasured all these years.

It wasn't until he realized that his eyes were becoming glassy that he tried to snap himself out of it, just as he neared the end of the song. He was working right now, he couldn't keep getting distracted like this. Once the piece came to an end, he heard the applause from some of the patrons in the bar.

"Oh Lucien that was great! It was The Farewell Waltz wasn't it? The way you played it just pulled at my heartstrings!"

Lucien gave the woman a small bow at her praise. "Thank you, mademoiselle. I'll be playing something a little more upbeat for my next piece, I can't have my audience in tears now can I?" He said.

At this, the woman giggled. "It's worth hearing your beautiful music. We'll love anything you decide to play."

The nephilim simply smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, before he turned back to the piano to begin to play again, this time keeping a better hold of himself. The rest of his work night went on like this, until he had finally stopped playing and returned to the bar.

"Your performance today was outstanding, but even I couldn't help but get a little emotional. Est-ce que tu vas bien?" He asked.

"I'm alright.. it's just one of those days. I apologize if I affected the mood in the bar negatively."

Marcel shook his head. "No, not at all, the ladies loved it. I have no complains for you, except you always steal their.. eyes?" He joked, his English breaking for a moment. His pronunciation was still a bit in progress, but Lucien tried to help when he could.

"Their attention? Unintentional, I assure you." He said as he finished polishing the last of the glasses. It was about time they closed up. It had been a long time since he had been concerned about what time he was heading home, but there was a part of him that felt incredibly nervous of what he would find.

"Unless you need me for everything else, I think I'm calling it a night." He said, causing Marcel to raise an eyebrow.

"No late night drink today? Are you ill? If you call out sick, lots of guests will be disappoint." Despite his choice of words, Lucien knew Marcel was worried, so he quickly shook his head.

"I'm quite healthy, there's nothing to worry about." He said before he walked out from behind the bar. He didn't really want to be asked anymore questions, so he decided it was best to leave. "I shall see you tomorrow."

With that, Lucien left the bar, though his pace in getting home was slow. He was dreading what he might find in his return.. considering how things had gone before he left. Worst case scenario Faolan was gone.. best case.. they'd be able to go back to acting like before.. somehow, but he wasn't sure how fast he'd be able to repress how he felt about him. He tried not to think selfishly. It was unfair of him to force his feelings onto Faolan if he did not feel the same way. One way or another, he had to move forward.

Lucien continued on his way, making his way up the stairs until he finally reached the door of his room. His eyes lingered on the handle of the door for a moment, before he finally brought himself to open it. Immediately his eyes scanned the room, and he took note of Faolan now sitting on his bed. He felt himself relax ever so slightly. So he was still here.

"I'm back.." He muttered, not really knowing what else to say before he made his way across the room to his side of the room.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Akane could not help but return Cora's smile with one of her own, appreciating of the fact Cora had taken cards from her even though no one else had. Her tails shook from side to side from under her dress, no longer in a sulky mood.

It was then that Ivory decided to rise to her feet. As much as she didn't want to spend any time with the magician that was necessary, she knew they had to get this over with one way or another, and she didn't want to risk this failing because they hadn't had enough time to figure something out. She was already assuming that he might be difficult to work with.

"We should go. I assume Lucien doesn't want us to waste any time." She said, preferring to speak up first in regards to it. It would not surprise her if Geralt had been surprised that she had accepted to do this despite how clear it was she disliked him, so she was showing.. initiative, deciding to make a small attempt at following Lucien's advice. She'd see how far 'playing the player' would take her.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien felt like something had pierced his heart at Faolan's words. It was the answer he had been dreading, from the bottom of his heart. He really hoped that it hadn't been the case.. that it hadn't been a drunken mistake. His shoulders slumped, and he averted his gaze.

"What I want to hear doesn't really matter anymore does it? I wish.. that you would have just said that from the beginning, then I wouldn't have spent the last two months worrying about it." His voice was quiet, it was clear how much hearing that had hurt him. Hearing that it was a mistake... did that mean.. his feelings were to? He wanted to argue with him, to tell him that despite everything, he had been rational enough to know what he had wanted in that moment, but there was no point. If Faolan thought it was a mistake, then there was no reason he should continue this conversation. He was willing to make that sacrifice if it meant there was a small chance of salvaging their friendship. His golden eyes shifted toward the door, he didn't want to be here anymore. He felt like he might break down if he stayed.

"I have to get to work. Make yourself at home. I'll let the landlord know you're staying here." He said, before walking right past the Irishman and out the door, heading down the stairs and back to the lobby of the home. He stopped by the desk to speak to the landloard.

"That was the friend I was expecting. He was out camping, hence his disheaveled appearance, but don't worry, he won't cause you any problems." He reassured.

"Aye.. if you say so lad." The man said.

With that, the Frenchman took his leave, heading for Marcel's. He tried to push all thoughts of the conversation that had just transpired to the back of his mind. It was fine, he had Faolan's answer now, he just.. had to accept it and move on, but right now he had to focus on work. He didn't want what just happened to get in the way of that.

"Bonsoir, Lucien. Are you alright? You look a little down today." Marcel spoke up as he walked into the bar, they hadn't quite opened yet.

The man smiled, attempting to get rid of all signs of that in his expression. "Yes, no need to worry. I'm just a little tired." He said.

"Hmm, you do work too much for your own good. You can quit that bookstore at any time you know? I'd gladly pay you more." This caused Lucien to chuckle.

"It gives me something to do during the day." He had told Marcel when he first started working here that he wasn't sure how long he would be staying in town, granted this was near the beginning of the month, but it was very unlike Lucien to not mention that preemptively. He didn't want the other Frenchman to waste his time teaching him something if he was just going to end up leaving, but Marcel hadn't mind it. The fact that he had so little knowledge of wine to begin with had astonished him. He had genuinely wanted to teach him more, whether he had stayed or left. At the moment the other man was just happy he had stuck around this long. He was quite popular here.

"Well, I hope you're in the mood for some music later tonight? Alfonse is sick, but I figured you could cover for him. Everyone loves hearing you play." At this, Lucien glanced at the grand piano in the corner of the room.

"Of course, you know I'm always happy to." Usually there was another man who played, but sometimes the customers asked Lucien to play a piece when he was gone, since Alfonse also had a different job, now it had become a habit. Perhaps.. being able to play would help him clear his mind.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien simply nodded at his words. Honestly he was curiously to see what he and Ivory could come up with together if Ivory was willing to put aside her disdain for him. She had a creative mind, and obviously Geralt did too, considering the position he had. He was sure it would work out well.

-

Ivory and Aurel noticed Geralt's approach. Aurel was glad to see that his visit hadn't taken too long, and while Ivory wasn't looking forward to the practice ahead, she knew there was no way around it.

"Of course not." She said. As the game progressed, it was very, very obvious that Akane was the one who held the Joker. It was easy to avoid trying to draw from her once they knew that. Eventually they found it best to stop playing, and Ivory had made sure to point out Akane's mistakes so that she could correct them for next time.

"After you left no one wanted to take my cards anymore, except for Cora." Akane said a little sulkily as she glanced up at the man, considering he had almost taken the Joker. It would have been nice to at least get it off her hands. She would definitely make sure to try harder next time.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien's eyes narrowed. Throughout his entire life, he didn't think there had ever been a moment in which he had truly been angry and lost his cool. It was unlike him, and he usually took things in a calm, and logical approach. It was how he was. Of all things, Lucien was not an escalator when it came to arguments, but he could not help the anger that began to boil inside him at Faolan's accusation. Just like that, all of his self control was gone.

"Is that what you really think? Because it's not true." He asked, clenching his fists. There was no way he could have had that, after all he couldn't just talk to anyone else about what had happened, they would not understand. "If you did not have a shoulder to cry on these past two months, that was because of a choice that you made. I have always been here for you, even at your lowest moment. Don't make it seem like you're the only one who has been suffering. You have no idea what the last two months have been like for me. Constantly thinking if you were okay, if my decision to go out that night had completely destroyed our friendship. I took two jobs to keep myself busy from thinking about you! Because I couldn't get you out of my head!" He stepped toward the Irishman as he spoke, who had quickly took two steps back. That only made his anger grow.

"Stop running away! I don't want to hear you of all people accusing me of doing anything out of drunkenness. Was I just good company to you too? Is that the only reason you kissed me?" The words had left his mouth before he had any chance to stop them. They had both avoided saying this out loud since it happened, but he just couldn't do it anymore. The last thing he wanted to believe was that his words were true, it hurt him to think so, but if that was the case.. then he needed to know. He needed to know so he could stop all these swirling thoughts of confusion. Maybe he still had time.. to shut away those feelings.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"I appreciate the offer, but it will most likely not be needed. No one comes in here when I'm not here." If there was one understanding between everyone at the circus, it was respect for their personal space and privacy. No one ever just burst into his room without permission unless he was expecting them, but even then it was unusual to, and it was rare for him to ask for people to wait for him here. There were things in his trailer he'd prefer people not snoop around to find, though he doubted anyone ever would.

Lucien raised his eyebrows slightly at his comment. "Really? That's good to know, it gives me less reservations about bossing you around." He said amusingly, before going back on tangent.

"Speaking of your new performance partner, it's best you two get to practicing, she's already expecting it. The more time you have before the final day, the better. I look forward to seeing what you two come up with."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien could tell almost immediately that Faolan hadn't liked his response, but he wasn't going to take it back, it was the truth. However he could not help but become annoyed by the response he was given.

"No." He corrected. "I'm off to work." He said, feeling it necessary to not have Faolan get the wrong idea. Marcel and he had become good friends, yes, but he was also his boss, though he had brought up a few times that they should start some sort of partnership in the business. Every time it was brought up, Lucien had always declined, because he wasn't sure whether Faolan was going to return or not.

At his next comment, Lucien turned around, seeing the cold expression Faolan wore, and.. the tone of his voice. It was harsh, and almost accusatory. It made him a bit defensive.

"Not a liking, no. It was a good distraction from the past two months I've spent worried sick about you." He snapped back, but then tried to calm himself. He didn't want to start a fight right now. It was the last thing he wanted to do now that Faolan had returned, but he had spoken before thinking.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien tilted his head curiously at Geralt's words. It seemed like he knew the instrument well enough, as if talking from experience, but he didn't ask, and simply left the man to his thoughts, until he spoke up again.

"I assure you I've never seen such a thing before, quite curious, really, but definitely.. handy." He said, golden eyes following the magician as he made his way to the door. His next comment made the Ringleader smile a bit.

"I find it quite difficult to imagine such a man as yourself quaking in your boots. I assume you haven't done anything that would get you in trouble?" He asked a little jokingly, considering there was no need for the man to think so if he had done nothing 'wrong.' "Regardless, if you were, you'd know, so no need to worry."

Lucien wasn't one to beat around the bush, especially when it came to the circus. If he was unhappy with the way someone was doing something, he would usually tell them. He was an incredibly patient man, and therefore was very difficult to anger, but when he was, it was something everyone could notice. Of all of his emotions, anger had always one of the ones that were the hardest for him to hide.. perhaps because it didn't happen too often.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien was dissatisfied with his answer. If he had said yes, then maybe he would have been satisfied, at least this had ended up helping one of them, but clearly it hadn't. The Irishman was acting just as awkward, if not worse, than before he had left. His words were curt and short just like they used to be, and he was definitely not expressing himself well. It was like they had completely backtracked again, and he didn't like it.

At his question, he glanced down briefly. Right, Faolan had never seen him dressed like this before. Lucien had adapted to wearing suits fairly quickly. In actuality he felt very comfortable in them.

"Two, actually." He said as he turned to fold the clothes he had just taken off, to keep himself busy. "Bookstore during the day, Wine bar at night. I met another Frenchman, and he taught me some things. It's been a long two months." He said. It was really hard for Lucien to completely hide how upset he was about this entire situation. He felt like he was picking a fight, even though that was normally something he would never do, but he couldn't help himself. He was hurt, confused, and a little angry. He wished their reunion could have been better, that he could genuinely look up to Faolan and smile, tell him he was glad he was back, and then go back to their normal routine, but he just couldn't, not right now.