Being that it's already late afternoon, and he hasn't actually gotten up yet, Xigbar figured it would be a good idea to actually look alive. Though he isn't sure how alive he could be after passing out at his desk last night. These past few days have been pretty hectic. Strange to say the least. The very least. Peeling his face off of the piles of papers on his desk he leans back in the wooden chair, rubbing his face. "What's next... Is the moon gonna fall outta the sky tonight? ...naw that'd be too ordinary..." Flicking an empty bottle of gin to his left he stands up and walks over to the washbasin he filled the night before. Splashing his face with water, he tries his best to wake up.
Larxene stared at the floor of the tent in silence. As much as she wanted to sleep, no sleep would come. She fought to turn over to her back, holding the cracked pendant of her choker loosely in her hand. So much has happened since opening night, it felt surreal. The colors on the ceiling nearly seemed like they were beginning to run together because of how faded they were becoming. She closed her eyes for a moment. If there really were a child somewhere on the circus grounds, wouldn't she have been found by now? No, that couldn't be right, could it? She pressed her index finger and her thumb to the bridge of her nose. There's no way. Xigbar had been here way longer than her. …..so when could he possibly have time to knock someone up, AND still work? Especially around here? Goddamn, she should have slept. The performer kicked herself mentally for not putting it together earlier, in the presence of Asha. But either way, he really did have family out there. Her eyes opened wearily, and she moved to stand, despite her body's protests. She needed to find him. It'd be better for him to find his own kid before someone else, wouldn't it? After taking a few minutes to compose herself, she secured the pendant around her neck and began to make her way across the grounds. She squinted at the sky and made a disgusted noise in protest. Thankfully, there wasn't *too* much movement outside, despite the time of day. Shielding her eyes, she continued on, already planning the things she'd say once she saw him. Larxene cleared her throat, approaching the escape artist's tent. She slipped through the doorway and folded her hands together neatly. She listened for any shred of movement. "Xigbar?" She called, making sure to keep her voice somewhat low. Who knows where Xemnas could be, and with Xigbar stationed so close to the ringmaster, she wasn't about to take chances. She raised her eyebrows, waiting for a response in silence.
Larxene. What the hell'd she want? Normally he wouldn't mind someone to talk to before setting up for the night, but tonight he didn't need to. That... and he really didn't need any more problems. Xemnas wanted to see him tonight... and that... is never a good thing. Shaking his head, he took the tie out of his hair and massaged his head. Calling out to her, a bit reluctantly he began, "Aaaaaand what would my Probation Officer need this afternoon? Come on back... I'm decent."
Larxene blinked a few times to register his comment. She nodded to herself and made her way to the back room where the escape artist obviously was. "Aw," mock sincerity laced her voice as she placed her hand across her chest. "those cute little nicknames of yours really …warms my tiny black heart." She grinned, holding a hand up to admire her nails. "Although," She cleared her throat, speaking a little faster. "I think that might upset a certain painted lady but hey," She narrowed her eyes a little and looked up at him. "What uh, what do you know about dogs, Xigbar?"
Paint? Dogs? Lady? The hell was she on about? Putting the tie in his mouth, he began to smooth back his hair. Through his teeth he replied with a frown, "Sorry to say, kid... but ya lost me. I'm a bit hung over... so if ya could do me a solid... and speak a bit slower, that'd be peachy." That dog comment though...
Larxene bit her tongue to contain the smile that threatened to spread across her face. She put a hand up. "Alright man, I hear ya." She thought for a moment. This could be pretty fun if she chose her words carefully, couldn't it? "Come on Xig, you know what a dog is, don't you? Kinda big, runs on two legs…it…" She arched an eyebrow. "Maybe I'm wrong, have you ever seen a dog run on two legs? Cause it's uh….it's a sight." She looked around the room they both stood in. nothing out of place. She raised her eyebrows, somewhat impressed. "Oh! That reminds me, do you have any information on like a cleaning service? Or like a maid?" She turned her head to the doorway before returning her attention to the taller man. "Asking for a…..friend."
He paused for a moment, in the midst of tying his hair back up. Two legs? Is this some kind of joke? There's only one... "dog" he knew that could do that... but... naahhhh. Let's not bring that up. Finishing the tie, he waves his hand. "Wellll I've seen a few fucked up things in my lifetime. But makin' fun of a two legged dog? I never thought you could be so mean, Larx..." Raising an eyebrow, he snorts. "A maid? With the shit income we get? As if. I jus' keep this place as clean as I can. Gives me somethin' to do besides stealin' souls. You, bein' my Probation Officer, should be happy ta hear that a guy like me can actually perform normal day to day functions.. right?" At this he smirked, wondering where she was going with all this. Such specific questions coming from her... She knew something.
She shrugged. "Hey now, I wouldn't laugh at a dog like that. I mean, they scream…a lot louder than I remember, I guess, but, maybe my memory is just slipping. Do you know of any dogs that scream? I mean, the ones I remember had faces too…" She raised her eyebrows, respecting his quick wit to change the subject. "I….yeah, that is really great to hear, sure." She murmured, sarcasm thick in her voice. "How long are your vacation days?" She asked, eyeing him carefully. Larxene couldn't help the smile playing at her features now. She knew he was dodging, but that was fine. He'd get rattled enough sooner or later.
Shit. She is talkin' about it... Pepper... Popper-no.. Pooka. That thing. She saw it too then. Was that her screamin' that night? Vacation days though? All these questions were making him feel sick. "Screamin'? Like howlin'? Well yeah I've heard a dog do that... Are ya talkin' about that awful racket the other night? Cause we're still tryin' ta figure out what that was. But the whole face thing is where ya lost me. You sure ya didn't eat something... weird? Did Vexen slip something in yer food? Didja take a bite of a mushroom..? I thought you knew better than that, girl." He shook his head and smiled back at her. "As fer vacation. You and I both know that don't exist around here. But I mean... if yer plannin' on sending me to a nice island somewhere, be my guest!" Spinning the wooden chair at his desk around to face her, he sat down, realizing that her questions will likely continue for a while. Part of him wished she would jus' get to the point. Rip it off like a bandaid. But having her know too much...really made his stomach turn.
She listened to him speak, giving a nod in response, waiting quietly for him to say all of what he had to say. "Yeah, yeah it was pretty loud. They get loud, don't they. Do dogs normally have horns too?" She paused, not giving him a chance to respond. "What do I know, man, maybe they were ears. but I *think* they should have faces right, I mean, who doesn't have a face?" She leaned against his desk lazily. "Maybe skulls is just her thing." She murmured, raising her eyebrows at the mention of food. "You know, actually!" She smirked. "I don't think I ate any mushrooms but I do remember seeing some eyes…Man, that smell stays with ya. But no, I'm not gonna send you anywhere, but I have to say, you picked one hell of a vacation spot."
"'Her thing...?' What the hell? Eyeballs? You ok, Sparky? Seriously, dude... have you gotten sleep lately?" Chewing his tongue, he began to fire questions right back at her. Trying his absolute best not to give anything away, he kept a smirk pasted to his face, despite the whirlwind of thoughts rushing through his head. She knows Pooka. That's fer certain. And by her questions... it seems like she knows who Asha is. Clenching his jaw, he tries to think back. 'But how..? I took down all the posters. Unless... Unless she came in here and saw em... But that wouldn't give her that much information... Ahh fuck...' He had no choice but to sit and wait. So much for the ruse he had kept up fer so long. "Vacation spot? Yea I know... Islands are pretty nice aint they? I mean, that's what we're talkin bout right?" Shifting his weight, he tries to make himself comfortable.
Larxene ran her fingers through her hair. No, she hadn't gotten sleep lately, he was right to say that. No point in making up an excuse there. She kept her eyes locked on his, trying to decipher what he could be thinking. If he wasn't rattled before, he was getting rattled now. She flashed a smile. She didn't want to come right out and say anything to him, she preferred to do it this way. After all, he lied, didn't he? "Well, I wouldn't call it an island but…..there was a lot of sand, that counts, right? Of course it does." She glanced down at her nails. Would he get angry? What would he do, give her another bloody nose? Please. "You know, I never woulda pegged you for the 'white picket fence' thing, Xig, with, you know…like those old stories, with a house, a kid, and a dog?" She murmured, tapping her fingers with each word. Though, it was more like 'empty desert and creepy giant cave' than a 'house with a picket fence.' "Crazier things have happened though, haven't they?" She was certain she crossed some kind of line with that. That ought to be interesting.
His smile grew wide, almost too wide. "HA!" Clapping his hands, he shook his head. "Fine. Ya got me. I surrender. Though yer wrong about the house thing. We were more used to runnin' fer our lives every weekend. But I digress..." He hated her for this. Nothings worse than bein' caught in a lie. Though with the way things have been going recently, it was bound to happen. Rubbing his face and sighing, he spoke softly, trying to indicate the secrecy. "How much do you know...? Look. I know yer probably pissed that I lied, but there's a reason fer it." His smile faded completely. "I'll try my best to clear things up now so we don't have to play fuckin 20 questions again..."
She grinned back, giving him a nod. "There we go!" she was thankful that he finally spoke up. Larxene might not have minded much if it weren't such a serious question he lied about. Should she apologize? "Come on now, 20 questions is pretty fun, I think. but…" She cleared her throat. "Speaking uh, of runaways…" She murmured. His smile faded, he sounded serious, which was rare on it's own. It'd be best to not tiptoe around the subject, but she really didn't want to be the one to tell him. "I heard something but, judging by your reaction I don't need to ask if it's…..true." She spoke slowly, unsure of what to say next. She glanced to the side. It's not like she'd be much help looking for the kid, she didn't even what she looked like… though, it'd just be someone out of the ordinary, wouldn't it? She shook the thought, trying to focus a little more on the situation before her.
"Larxene. Yer going to have to tell me how you know all this... And what exactly you know." He took a shaky breath inward and let it out as steadily as he could. "I know you met... " He swallowed hard before continuing, saying her name even softer and looking slightly in the direction of Xemnas' tent before looking back to her. "... Asha. But I really need to know why. And how. And what's this about runaways? Be straight with me Larxene... And I'll do my best to return the favor." He stared at her intently, trying to read her and waiting for her to say something.
Larxene stared at him blankly for a few minutes. Was he serious? What was she supposed to say? "Really…?" She asked, narrowing her eyes a little. "Well, the giant faceless dog kinda didn't give us much choice." She began, reminding herself to keep her voice down. Who knows who could be listening outside. The ringmaster had hears all over the grounds. "But uh," She tapped the pendant of her choker lightly. "honestly, I don't know too much, everything was kinda hard to follow, does everyone have an accent out in the sticks?" She asked, unsure of what to say at his last question. She really didn't want to be the one to tell him. This was already getting weird. Maybe she should have just stayed in bed? "She uh. ….she said something about a kid." Larxene looked away from Xigbar for a few seconds before locking eyes with him again. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged.
His breath caught in his throat. "Mags. ...She was talking about Mags... Did she say anythin' about her..? I mean... She would tell me if something bad happened... Right?" At this point, he was talking out of nerves. Though he caught himself before he rambled further. "But no.. Only the gypsies have that accent. It can be pretty hard to understand.." He fell silent, rubbing his temples. What the hell was goin on? And why hadn't he been told if anythin was wrong? But then... Something else stuck out in larxenes story. "Who's this... 'Us' yer talkin bout..? You mean pooka took you and little blue?" What the hell is Asha planning?!
"Mags?" Larxene asked, raising an eyebrow. Was that the kid's name? "Sort of, yes." She began, shifting her position slightly. "Ol' paint-face said the kid ran off, lookin' for her dad." She stared at the older man blankly. Does he hear himself when he talks? "How could she tell you, though? Like…..honestly?" The performer asked. She fell silent for a moment as his last question sunk in. "L-Little what?" She stuttered, now standing upright. Little blue. She had a *name* and he knew that. She narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Ask your dog. he's the one that dragged us out there."
"Looking for me?!" He raised his voice a little higher than he meant to. Stopping short, he looked around and listened carefully... Hoping Xemnas himself wouldn't walk in. Whispering again, he spoke, "Id love to ask that demon goat.. But if ya haven't noticed... I can't! That and the other night the first thing it tried to do was kill me..!" Maybe that was it then... Did Asha want him dead? Honestly... He didn't blame her. But either way... None of this made any sense. "W-what time is it?"
Larxene flinched when his voice began to raise. "Shhh!" She put a finger to her mouth, keeping her voice low. "Will you relax? Do you know how much trouble we can get landed in now? Reign it in, man." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke. "No, I haven't noticed…" She made a face in disbelief. "Are ya sure about that, Xig? 'Cause it really didn't seem that way to us." She spoke somewhat sternly, referencing Aqua and herself. That thing looked scary but hell, she was still in one piece, and from the looks of it, Xigbar was too. "That wouldn't make sense, anyway, She…" the girl trailed off for a moment, temporarily lost in thought. Asha mentioned why that thing came here. It was looking for the kid, wasn't it? Why would it's first instinct to be to attack him? He must be exaggerating. She swore under her breath, snapping back to reality at his last question. "I-I don't know."
He stood up suddenly, visibly shaken, trying hard to regain his composure. Xemnas is going to have his ass on a platter if he is late. "Look... I gotta meeting with Xemnas tonight.. and I don't think its gonna be good. I... er... thanks fer lettin' me know about Mags..." His last sentence was even more quiet than the previous whispers. Turning to leave his tent he called back to her, "You should probably continue business as usual... things are fishy enough already, Sparky." And with that, he left his tent, checking the sky for the time. And... of course, he was late.
Larxene took a step back, trying to register what he was saying. A meeting? With the ringmaster? Her stomach turned. She wanted to respond but didn't know how to. The performer watched him leave in silence. Well, that was done… but, what could that be about…? She didn't like the sound of it. Business as usual wasn't something she'd see again, she figured. "Yeah, like this wouldn't look fishy," She added emphasis to her last word in a poor imitation of Xigbar, "Me, walkin' outta your tent after you, con-artist…" She murmured, ducking her head down as she stepped outside. The girl turned her head to look over her shoulder as she made her way back to her tent. She didn't have much to do until final admissions anyway, not that she was too concerned with it. She'd rather just go back to Aqua, that didn't seem fair to just leave her like that, having explained literally nothing… Larxene sighed in slight aggravation, finally crossing back into her own sleeping quarters. Thankfully, her other coworkers didn't bother her much, because she really just didn't want to think any more than she had to today. She dropped herself down onto her bed. Hell, what'd stop Aqua from hating her for this? Not much, she guessed.