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 Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 6:35 pm
Aiden sat, slightly hidden in the stands of the Big Top. He had a sheet of paper that he was crossing things out on. He sat there, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and concentrating with all of his being.
Slowly, he stopped and put it down. He stretched out a bit on a seat, and stared upwards at the top of the tent, reviewing the day in his head. Completely oblivious to anything going on around him, he missed nearly every sound that was made for at least a couple of minutes.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 6:44 pm
Her better judgement said she shouldn't. Lucrezia, who had never been on particularly good terms with her better judgement, ignored it. She just had to get another look at the inside of the bigtop. Not to climb or to fly or anything - she'd gotten that out of her system on the training rigs earlier. No. She just wanted to look at it.
After loitering around outside the tent for the better part of the last fifteen minutes, she had finally come to the conclusion that no one would see her if she ducked in at that moment. She bolted in between the flaps of bright fabric, only to slow her run when she reached the rings on the other side.
It was that magic all over again. That rush of just being there. (Probably a reflex, she understood. Like a dog getting excited at the mere mention of food.)
It was then she noticed a figure up in the stands.
"merde," she stated flatly under her breath.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 6:50 pm
Aiden jumped a bit. Had he fallen asleep? He wasn't sure. He quickly got up and scrambled about, getting his pencil and paper, and quickly shoved them in his pocket.
He thought that he had heard something now. Or seen something. Or both. He began to get slightly panicked.
"Hello?" he called out, "Anyone there?"
Then, he definately saw someone move. Squinting, he thought that he could just make someone out...was it?
"Hey! Lucrezia? Is that you?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:02 pm
Merde, merde, merde! Being caught in the bigtop by some random carnie was one thing. Being caught by the ringmaster was a whole different one.
Lucrezia panicked. And then she lost all semblence of the ability to make up an excuse.
And then she called a very pitiful and sheepish, "Yes."
Smart move. Prove you're trouble and an idiot in one fell swoop. That was bright. Get yourself fired and left far from home with no way back, why don't you? Or maybe just go do something insanely stupid and-
No. Under no circumstances are you to open your mouth again. Don't even think of it.
For good measure, she bit the inside of her lip to keep anything else unintelligent from slipping out.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:07 pm
"Ahh! Good, good," Aiden quickly began to walk down the steps, in an attempt to see if he could talk to Lucrezia for a moment.
"Did you get your rooming situation worked out?" he asked, slightly abruptly, "It just crossed my mind, and I wanted to see if everything got taken care of."
He raised his eyebrow slightly, and studied the look on her face. Aiden was genuinely puzzled.
"You all right, there? You look a bit sick..."
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:14 pm
Though, of course, since he does not seem like he is going to fire you, I suppose you could relax. said her better judgement. Lucrezia decided to listen and stopped attempting to chew her lip off.
"What? Sick? No, I'm fine. You startled me. That's all," she replied, still yelling since he wasn't exactly in conversation distance. "And I got my rooming all worked out. I'm bunking with Wing Ting and a few empty cots. Much better than the tarps in the equipment cart."
You're rambling again, intoned better judgement.
"Thanks for asking..." she finished, seeming to deflate a little.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:31 pm
"Ahh. That's good. I hope you enjoy your new room and roommate."
Aiden was finally on the ground, and was within regular speaking distance now. He smiled, and then waited for Lucrezia to say something.
After she didn't say anything, and she trailed off a bit in what she was saying, Aiden looked a bit concerned.
"Is there something else you need? You seem a bit troubled. Or lost, or something. Everything all right? I have to make sure that all of my new Cirque members are doing well. Otherwise, just what are we going to do?" He laughed, but then stopped to wait for an answer.
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:24 am
Lucrezia scoured her mind, trying to remember. Finally, something popped up. She took another moment to organize her words, and then screwed them up anyways.
"I did hear something about... um... needing a mentor? I was wondering if you could help me figure that one out."
Way to sound clueless, genius. You're a real Da Vinci.
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:03 pm
"A mentor, huh?" Aiden repeated, his hand on his chin. He thought for a couple seconds.
"Have you talked to Dahli? I know that she's taken a few people in for mentor-ing," He began to sit back down on one of the lower-level seats.
A few seconds after he sat down, he jumped back up, having had a thought occur to him.
"I know! How about I be your mentor? We've talked a lot, and you seem like someone that I could mentor," he paused, to study Lucrezia's reaction, then continued, "What do you say? Is that fine by you?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:24 pm
Thatt sounded like a great idea. Lucrezia nodded, grinning. "I'd like that," she stated. "Much more than going and finding Dahli, who I haven't even met."
Yes. That would work out great. The ringmaster for a mentor! Lucrezia couldn't believe her luck.
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:36 pm
"Good, good!" Aiden said quickly, shaking Lucrezia's hand.
"You haven't met Dahli yet? Hmm. Well, you should," He paused, and then nodded, "Glad to be your mentor, though. It's official. Is that all you needed to see me about?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:53 pm
To be perfectly honest, thought Lucrezia, I didn't need to see you at all. Of course, she couldn't tell him that. So instead, she smiled and nodded an affirmative.
"Yes! That's all!" she assured him. "Unless you had something else, of course."
Note to self: Find out who this Dahli person is and make her aquantance before you make a complete fool out of yourself.
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:10 pm
"I don't believe there was anything else..." Aiden stopped, and thought that over, just to make sure.
"No, I don't believe so. On that note, I guess I'm off. Have a wonderful rest-of-the-evening," Then, adding a bit slower, "You know, you can practise on the trapeze just a bit, if you like. It's all right, I'm the ringmaster, so, it's not like you could really get in trouble. Just as long as you don't brag or anything."
He gave a slight secretive wink, and then began to walk out of the tent.
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 7:27 pm
Lucrezia stared after him open-mouthed. He was letting her practice? On the high trapeze in the tent? Seriously.
She looked up at the wires above her, and then at Aiden's retreating back, and literally jumped for joy. She was going to fly again! And in the big tent at the cirque du coeur torve, no less! She rewrapped her grip wraps on her arms and strode confidently towards the tentpole and the attached ladder.
And then she shouted, "Yippee!" and clicked her heels and started to climb eagerly.
Je vais voler.
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