[color=crimson]"Hm..."[/color] Geralt nodded in response to Aurel comment. It made sense, considering what the Full Moon did to animals and people. He'd seen some lunacy first hand in his long life. Still, something did seem a bit off about the explanation. Geralt would have to stay sharp and eventually this trail of breadcrumbs would lead him to why eventually.

At the young man's next statement, Geralt tilted his head back and laughed aloud. [color=crimson]"Well, I assure you lad, there are worse ways to 'overwork' one's self."[/color] Although he could tell that Aurel was by no means inexperienced in life, he could smell the boy's virginity from a mile away. In fact, it seemed Lucien had surrounded himself with a cadre of them. Though he knew the man himself was no stranger to sex, and he wasn't quite sure about Cora or Ivory yet either, he was certain that Aurel, Illyana, and Akane had never known a sexual touch. They were too...innocent. Normally, he would press this issue. Unfortunately, he did find the sex lives of others to be quite interesting, even when he wasn't directly involved in them. This time, however, he decided to let it lie. There was time yet to broach the subject when there were less pressing matters to attend.

He felt the coffee was ready, so he got up to pour himself a cup as Aurel asked his next question. With his back to the lad, he answered, still in German, [color=crimson]"For a time, they were [i]very[/i] different,"[/color] he paused as he poured, letting nostalgia get the better of him for a moment. He knew the genuineness of his statement was detectable in his voice, but wasn't sure if Aurel was the one to catch it.

He finished pouring, then turned around and took his seat once more, sitting sideways on the bench so he could look directly at Aurel. [color=crimson]"I have seen the road, she and I are old acquaintances. Famous or not, travel always beckons."[/color] he said, taking a sip of his coffee, which was still a little on the cool side, but steaming nonetheless. [color=crimson]"How about you, Aurel? How long have you been with Cirque D'étoiles? You must have been quite young when you joined, to show Lucien such devotion."[/color] He was mostly pontificating about the devotion, but he sensed a bond between the two of them. It was familial, and deep, but Geralt had not quite placed it. It was too early to tell without asking, so, given his current mood, he decided to just go for it.

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

Illyana could not help but let her face fall at Lucien's continued explanation. Though she had sensed this coming, especially given the fact that they already had a small celebration planned, she was still disappointed. It wasn't out of spite that she did not want to make this gathering about the magician...or, not solely anyway. It was more about the act of it, of welcoming him, making him a part of them without really knowing what was going on with him. Though Lucien had been right about their pasts, Ivory's in particular when they'd had that discussion a day or so ago, she could say that she had never felt this uneasy with another one of their members. She didn't want to accept him, and she wouldn't, party or no, as one of them. Not until she could pinpoint his motives.

But again, now was not the time for such a discussion. Besides, the faster they moved on from here, the quicker they would be headed West and to who she was searching for. She simply nodded in response and said, "That sounds fine," her voice and expression flat.

There was a brief pause before she spoke again. [color=598527]"Should I gather everyone for the meeting before we go? Almost everyone has been up and about already."[/color] She glanced quickly over her shoulder to see that Geralt and Aurel were still sitting in the mess area, conversing. She needed to get over there when she could to see what they were talking about, or at least divine what he had said from Aurel when they were finished.