Cora had not bothered to rise with the sun that morning, and had kept the skylight in the top of her trailer shut. Usually the day after a performance, she preferred to sleep in anyway. She was lying at the bottom of her tank, on her side asleep when she heard the knock at the door and Akane's voice from the other side. She woke up immediately and turned toward the sound as a slow and tired smile crept across her lips. [i][color=00a99d]Come in![/color][/i] She shouted, but only a burst of bubbles escaped her mouth and floated to the top of her tank. She noticed this right away and rolled her eyes at herself before pushing herself to the surface of the tank. [color=00a99d]"Come in!"[/color] she said, this time her voice carrying across the air. ----------------------------------------- Illyana had awoken at dawn with a start, in her bed with a book lying open on her chest. She had tried desperately to go to sleep without doing any more research in an attempt to appease Lucien, but wasn't able to help herself. There was just one more thing she wanted to check out before she was satisfied enough to sleep. Unfortunately, though she had spent some time reading the night before, she couldn't remember any of it now. With a sigh, she pushed the book off of her into the pile that had collected on her bed, and yawned before rising. She dressed quickly, her stomach growling as she did so. She usually helped cook breakfast in the mornings, and at the least always did a check of their supplies before the days meals were prepared. Lucien was the Ringleader, of course, but he couldn't do everything, and it was usually Illy who picked up the slack. She left her trailer, making sure to don her hat first, and squinted in the morning light as she wrapped the light blue shawl she was wearing a little tighter around her shoulders. It was not as early as she had hoped, but she did not yet smell sizzling bacon on the air, so she figured she had enough time. She had taken the clipboard with the mess inventory on it and made her way across the grounds to the windbreak they had set up against the slight incline that made the hills around them. She slowed, however, when she noticed a lone figure sitting at one of the tables, reading a newspaper and clutching a steaming cup in his hand. Her face immediately soured as she noted the black travel boots, trousers, and un-tucked button-down that Geralt was wearing as he lounged in one of the chairs. Although this was not ideal in any way for her, as she spotted no one else around at the moment, she would not let the troupe's new member disrupt her routine. She set her mouth in a hard line, her brows beneath her cloche hat furrowed, and walked to the mess area, making a point not to look in the Magician's direction. ------------------------------- It had taken only a couple of hours for Geralt to set up his trailer and clean some of the debris that the carnies had undoubtedly left behind. Once he had finished, he'd sat and read for a while before drifting off into a fitful sleep. After a couple of hours of this, he had awoken and busied himself with finishing touches in the early hours of the morning. Afterward, he had made his way over to the mess area to eat. Seeing no one else up and about, he had simply had a seat, taking this time to enjoy some coffee and a paper in the crisp fresh air. Thoughts of the night before still lingered on his mind, and he found it harder than usual to distract himself. After a while, he sensed movement and glanced up from his paper to see the young gypsy crossing the grounds toward him. He noted her appearance, no makeup, and she looked particularly tired, but maybe he was just noticing it now without the dark circles that had concealed her exhaustion the night before. He watched her as she made her way towards him, noting that she specifically avoided his gaze as she made her way over. This made him smile. Her rigid reluctance to show him kindness was amusing, as if he cared about her opinion. There was only one person's eye he wanted to catch, although he knew that his interactions with the Troupe would greatly effect the way the Ringleader saw him. He had made good progress in his first night, no need to waste it by being nasty now, even though he so craved it. When she got closer, he lowered the paper and followed her by turning his head in her direction as she walked by. [color=crimson]"Good morning, Miss Brewer."[/color] He said politely. He noticed her glance hurriedly in his direction and mutter a response that he could barely hear. She had a clipboard in her hand, and turned her back to him as she began checking things off of a list of some sort. She really was quite the little worker bee. Geralt folded his paper neatly and set it on the table before him, looking at Illyana's back as she worked. [color=crimson]"I made coffee, would you like some?[/color]" He asked, and stood before she could respond. Illyana glanced over her shoulder, doing her best to conceal her annoyance, and shook her head, [color=598527]"No thank you, I prefer tea."[/color] Geralt, still smiling and staring, made his way around the table and approached Illy, steaming cup in hand. [color=crimson]"Are you sure, I don't like to brag but...well, who am I kidding?"[/color] He chuckled quietly to himself, sipping from his mug as he reached her, and peered over her shoulder at the list she was carrying. Illyana was trying to focus on her list and ignore their newest member. It was too early in the morning for a conversation with him just yet, she may not be as on her guard as she needed to be. She was so absorbed in her task that she didn't hear him come up right behind her. Geralt took a moment to look over the list, an inventory of some type. [color=crimson]"Hm, inventory before the meal? Now [i]that's[/i] dedication."[/color] Illyana started when Geralt spoke and jumped away, clutching the board to her chest. She turned toward him, her hip bumping the table and rattling the metal canisters and cups that sat on it. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes wide. She had not even felt him come up behind her. [color=crimson]"Oh,"[/color] he said, setting his cup down and stepping toward her, [color=crimson]"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."[/color] He reached for her elbow, which was bare now that she had jumped away from him and her shawl had fallen by. Illyana adjusted her shawl a little, looking away from Geralt as she responded. [color=598527]"It's fine, I just...I was focusing."[/color] Geralt couldn't help but let a small smile creep across his lips, but dropped his hand as he noticed movement behind Illyana. [color=crimson]"Hm, now I see why you don't drink coffee..."[/color] Illyana, her brows furrowed, opened her mouth to respond as Lucien arrived.