Geralt nearly flinched when he heard Illyana's voice as it cut through their conversation. He noted with displeasure that Lucien became aware of how close they were and stepped away. No matter, there would be time enough for chit-chat later when everyone was distracted by his welcome party. He turned toward the girl and smiled down at her, though he was sure to show her and her only that he'd been annoyed by her interruption.

Illyana nodded, glancing at Geralt for a moment and noting the twinge of tightness in his smile. She didn't mind if he was annoyed, for someone who was so observant, it was nice to see him a bit off balance for a change. Afterward, she followed the Ringleader's gaze out over the water, letting her smile remain and even become genuine for a moment. A light cool breeze wafted over the water and pushed the hem of her dress into her shins. "She must be having an amazing time down there..." she said, slightly wistfully. It must be nice for the mermaid to feel some semblance of home after all this time, and briefly wondered what it would be like when she returned to where she belonged.

Geralt couldn't help but follow Illyana and Lucien's eyes out over the lake, just as the other trucks were pulling up. Neither of them seemed worried, in fact, they seemed pleased for witnessing the drowning of a physical handicapped singer. However...no, it couldn't be. Suddenly, the thought struck him that Cora's title of "La Sirène" was more literal than he first imagined. Come to think of it, he had not actually seen Cora's performance...and he hadn't heard it either. After witnessing her singing, he had just assumed this was her function, but with a voice like that, with the power it held, he would have absolutely heard it if she were singing. Could it be that she was an actual, in the flesh, mermaid...?

"Uh..." he said, interjecting as he sensed movement as the other trucks arrived. "Should we...does Cora need assistance?" he looked between the two of them, feigning confusion. There was no reason to let them know just how confident he was in his discovery. In fact, Lucien seemed to enjoy surprising him, he'd let the man have a little more pleasure before revealing what he'd guessed.

It was then that Akane arrived, tossed her clothing aside and leapt into the water in a swimsuit. Geralt decided then and there that today was the best yet since his joining of Cirque D'étoiles.

"Oh, it seems Miss Akane has beaten us to it," He said, letting a delighted smile spread over his face once more.

Meanwhile, Cora had been enjoying the freedom and elation that always came when she entered a living body of water. She felt one with it, and all the animals in it, as it whooshed through her gills and caressed every curve of her body. She started by slowly drifting through the water, then gradually began to pick up speed. Fish and other creatures of the lake did not seem to be afraid of or even mind her at all. It was nice to be just another part of the ecosystem again, especially after all of the stares and attention she received on the surface.

She was just doing her fifth lap of the lake, gaining speed, when she felt ripples indicating that someone else had entered. She slowed, twirled through the water and made her way toward the disruption in the water, smiling wide as she realized that it was Akane. She greeted her friend by swimming around her in an elegant circle, as she and her sisters used to do after a long time apart. It was comforting to her to reenact these rituals, even if Akane didn't truly know what they meant.

Lucien glanced at Geralt, retaining his smile. "No, she's quite alright." He responded, golden eyes then following Akane before she disappeared from sight, having dove down into the water. He hoped the two women would have fun. It was possible the magician had caught the literal meaning behind Cora's name, but he didn't say anything more to give it away, he'd see it for himself soon enough.

Akane finally spotted a larger movement in the water, and smiled as she saw her friend swim toward her, twirling a bit as she tried to keep Cora in her sight. The mermaid's appearance underwater was completely different than in her human form. It was certainly something unlike anything Akane had ever seen before, but being from Japan, she knew there were so many different creatures out there. Instead of being put off by her appearance, Akane had found it very unique, and cool looking.

The kitsune pointed up toward the surface of the water before she began to swim up toward it to get a breath of air. She was excited that she would be able to play with Cora in the water like this.

Aurel stopped his approach after he reached Illyana, snake like eyes looking out into the water. It was in these situations that the man was hit with a nostalgia on his own.. of the old days when he, Lucien, Faolan and Illy would come out to the lake like this to swim. Well, Illy would usually only dip her feet in, but it was still fun. Now he had Cora and Akane to enjoy that with.. but Lucien didn't do it nearly as much as he used to. There was a part of him that always wanted to ask him, but he never brought himself to, not wanting to risk to bring back any sad memories for him, not when his mood was so bright.

Geralt merely shrugged, as if to respond with 'If you say so...' It was then that a flash of water and light caught his attention and drew his gaze to the water's surface once more.

Cora had seen Akane's gesture, and smiled to her, nodding her agreement. As the young Kitsune began paddling toward the surface, Cora let her take the lead for a moment, but couldn't help but be playful now that they were in the water. With a burst of speed, she caught up to Akane, took her by hand and pulled her behind as she rocketed toward the surface. Though her "human" or "land" form seemed frail, slender, and weak, in the water, Cora realized her true strength. Her legs had been traded for the tail she'd had since birth, and the water flowed through and with her like the blood in her veins. She was one with it and a resident of it at the same time.

She'd gathered enough speed in just a few strokes of her long powerful tail and fin to break the surface of the water with Akane still in tow. A brilliant burst of water came forth as they broke the surface, droplets falling all around them like diamonds as they shot into the air. Because she was still carrying Akane, the two of them didn't go too high, but it was high enough to make a spectacle, and all of Cora's fish-like features were visible to onlookers if they were paying attention.

Geralt caught the trick mid-way through, and it was then that he realized his suspicion was correct. Cora had to be a mermaid. He spotted Akane's red hair and the tips of her tails, the crimson of her swimsuit, before the two women were obscured by water and foam once again. But of Cora, he saw green scales glinting in the sunlight, translucent fins the color of mist. long green hair like seaweed, and her long muscular tail, the opalescent fin at the end of it arcing through the air like the wing of a gigantic butterfly.

He just managed to keep his jaw from dropping as the two became invisible once more beneath the water's surface. He looked back at Lucien, even sparing a glance for Aurel and Illyana who were standing nearby, his eyes glistening with genuine wonder. "I...well..." he paused, chuckling as he pushed the hair out of his face and shook it, "I want to say that now I truly must've seen everything...but, I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of what I may see if I stick around."

Illyana had been watching Aurel's face as he'd joined them, and she didn't even need the melancholy in his aura to tell her what he must have been thinking about. In the old days, the four of them would come to the lake sometimes when they were out or needed a break from the routine of their lives. Lucien and Faolan and Aurel would go swimming, even though the water was so cold. Faolan and Aurel would splash her sometimes as she sat at the water's edge, just letting her feet dip in. She would scream, and pretend to be mad that her book had gotten wet, and instead take up great fistfuls of mud and hurl them at her attackers. Lucien would laugh with them all, and even managed to coax Illy into wading a bit, but never past her hips. Swimming wasn't really her forte, and she had no desire to learn...but she liked watching them. Remembering the smiles on all of their faces, it made her long to see it again...even if only for a moment.

She looked over at Aurel, smiling as Cora and Akane finished their arc through the air, and nudged him with her elbow. "You going in?" she asked, playfully. She could tell that he wanted to, but something was holding him back...probably Geralt. She knew that Aurel was self-conscious, and though he was comfortable with all of them, he wouldn't want to show that man his back. He was still a stranger after all. But still, she thought she should play with him a little bit, make him remember that she and Lucien were still here, even if Faolan couldn't be.

Akane's smile had widened as Cora took hold of her hand and her swimming speed increased. She loved it when the mermaid did this, mostly because it allowed her to hit a speed she was not able to on her own. As the two broke the surface, the kitsune let out a giggle as they arced through the air, but managed to take a breath before they hit water again, but enjoyed every second of it. It was nice to experience the opposite for a change. Instead of the kitsune pulling the mermaid around on land, Cora could be the one to guide her here, and she was okay with that.

Lucien glanced back at Geralt after Akane and Cora had hit the water again. That expression.. it was certainly not a common one from the man, different than the way he usually held himself. It was.. quite curious. "I will not confirm, nor deny anything. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see now won't we?" He said, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

Aurel was snapped out of his thoughts by the feeling of Illy nudging him. "Hmm?" He questioned, giving the lake another glance before looking down at Illy.

"I don't know, are you?" He asked with slightly raised brows. Knowing what her intention was, he decided to go along and tease her a little bit. He did appreciate her attempts. "Or are you only going to dip your feet in? That might be more boring though, I don't see a book."

Cora laughed aloud as well as the two broke the surface, and her giggle continued as they plunged into the lake once more. She continued to swim around with Akane, delighted that she had someone to experience this with.

Geralt's raised an eyebrow at Lucien's response and his half-smile widened slightly. He was pleased to see that The Ringleader was comfortable enough to be playful with him...this was a good sign. "I suppose we will..." he said, somewhat quietly as he studied the Ringleader's face. He re-positioned himself slightly so he was standing next to the Frenchman, close enough for their hands to brush against each other, given the chance.

As he did, Aurel and Illyana's exchange caught his eye and he tuned his ear to their conversation, though he did not make it obvious that he was listening. It appeared that the two were close...maybe more than friends? He would have to slip the question into casual conversation later.

Illyana made sure to keep her smile on, her expression light in her interaction with Aurel. She didn't like to see him down, especially about Faolan. She shook her head, then pulled a small book out of the pocket of her dress and shook it before the young man's eyes. "You underestimate my dedication to knowledge, Aurel..."

Aurel let out a small laugh as Illyana pulled out the small book. "No, not at all. I made a bet with myself that you would find a way. I expected you to pull a book out of somewhere." He said amusingly. This was something that had remained the same about Illy after all this years. She almost always had a book on her person, or relatively nearby, one way or another.

"Not really a fair bet." She responded with a smile, causing him to chuckle.

"I take advantage of the bets I can win." He joked, before turning his gaze back onto the water, now in a brighter mood. There.. was no need to ruin such a good day with sad memories. Lucien was clearly in a good mood, and he wanted things to stay that way. He'd be sure to enjoy himself too.

"Thank you." He said in a slightly quieter tone, giving her a grateful smile. "I guess I will go for a swim. Would you mind keeping a look out for my snakes for me?" He asked. Usually if they were gone too long he went to go look for them to make sure they were okay. Of course the snakes could take care of themselves, but there were other predators out there. He didn't want any of them to come to harm. At that Illyana nodded, and Aurel began to head toward the water.

As they had been speaking, the other carnies who weren't currently busy cleaning Cora's tank were beginning to set up a little. For these occasions they usually set up a smaller version of the mess area for food and drinks and other things. Having taken note of Aurel's intention to swim, Lucien turned to Geralt, mostly in an attempt to keep him distracted from that situation.

"Ah yes, I suppose I owe you an explanation. Part of the reason we came to the lake was to refill Cora's tank with fresh water. It's a bit of a process, but we all help out to make it as quick as possible. Once we've finished that, the rest of the day will be dedicated to celebration." He told him, no longer finding any need to keep the reason why they were here a secret. He was satisfied with having managed to clearly surprise the man at least twice in one day.

Illyana was glad to see that their conversation had caused Aurel's aura to brighten, as this had been her intention. She agreed to help with the snakes, then pressed the book to her chest and watched her friend as he made his way toward the water, removing his clothes as he did so. As she saw that his skin was becoming exposed, the medium re-positioned herself to at least somewhat block Geralt's line of sight on the young man. Once he was fully submerged, she relaxed a bit and the smile slowly returned to her face as a cool breeze brushed past her face. The smell out here was wonderful, and the way the wind moved through the tree branches...it was nice to spend some time outside every now and again.

Geralt watched the two younger denizens' interactions closely as the lull in his and Lucien's conversation deepened. He saw the way they looked at each other, their body language...it was clear that they were comfortable with each other. Curious, he hadn't noticed this before. Illyana's expression when she spoke to the young German was soft and gentle, at ease, but it was different than the way she looked when she spoke to Lucien. He couldn't quite tell what was going on between them, but it had to be something.

Lucien's words drew his eye back to the object of his desires once more. He crossed his arms over his chest as he listened, nodding sagely. "Ah, I see..." he said, and caught sight of the carnies beginning the setup for the mess area tent. He leaned over to get a better look around. "I think I might be of service with at least some of this. Do you mind if I excuse myself?" he said this as he slowly began to take a step toward where the carnies were gathered. He would make short work of their toil, and would barely break a sweat. What better way to demonstrate his value to Lucien than to help his tired, his poor, his huddled masses?

Aurel had been careful in the way he removed his shirt. While he wasn't as subconscious about his scars as he used to be.. he didn't really want Geralt of all people to start asking questions about them. He had already worn appropriate attire for swimming just in case he had decided to go in, so only his shirt was removed as he had just as quickly made his way into the water and submerged. It was cold, but it was a nice sort of cold, as he was quick to swim further into the lake as he searched for Cora and Akane.

Lucien followed Geralt's gaze to the carnies, a little surprised that he had offered to help. Not because he didn't think he would, it just.. didn't seem like him to perform such tasks.

"If you insist, I won't stop you." He said, motioning for Geralt to go if he wanted. He was sure the carnies would appreciate the help. He figured Cora's tank would be finished soon. As Geralt walked off toward their smaller 'mess area,' Lucien approached Illy, though he was still facing slightly in the direction Geralt had gone so he could see what he was doing.

"Cora looked so happy, hmm?" He asked, his tone light as amusement reflected in his eyes. He knew Illyana had attempted to interrupt their previous conversation, but she was never really the best at intentionally doing things like that. That was just how she was.

Geralt nodded to Lucien graciously and quickly made his way over to where the Carnies were working, rolling his sleeves up as he went.

Illyana saw Lucien approach out of the corner of her eye, and watched as the Magician half-ran toward the Carnies, who had finished with Cora's tank and were now setting up for them. She tiled her head slightly, but her eyes were torn away when Lucien began speaking to her. She shrugged, twisting her mouth a bit, "She did look happy." A small smile crept in after she spoke, the silliness of how she sounded making itself aware to her in this moment. It appeared that the fresh air was even doing her some good.

"What's he doing, anyway?" she asked, nodding towards Geralt as he began waving carnies out of the way.

"He's going to help set up," Lucien answered with a whimsical smile as he followed the young woman's gaze.

The Magician came to a stop as he reached the spot where the carnies were setting up. He waved to the man who seemed to be in charge and asked if he would kindly move his men out of the way. Reluctantly, they agreed, with a little more coaxing as Geralt waved them all aside, smiling widely at them to show his intent and hiding his annoyance with them as they slowly meandered out of the way.

Once they were clear, her took a moment to survey the area and see what he had to work with. The men had already laid out the poles and the fabric to attach, which was good. The table, chairs and other accouterments were still being unloaded. It was no matter, he'd have it all finished in a matter of minutes.

He rubbed his hands together, noticing that everyone above the water had their eyes on him, he could feel them. A small smile cracked his face as he stretched out his arms and fingers as wide as they could go, encompassing all of the materials in sight. Slowly, everything just started to rise, the levitate as if attached to invisible puppet-strings that ran from the Magician's fingertips. With a twitch of Geralt's digits, he sent the poles drifting upright as the fabric began to float as well, as if an invisible wind were picking up beneath it. He stretched it out and moved it onto the poles, securing all four corners with a flick of his wrist. Once everything was put together, he turned his palms to the ground and brought them down quickly, the sharpened ends of the poles puncturing the earth to a manageable depth. Once he was comfortable that this setup was firm, he turned his attention to the chairs, tables, and cooking materials. In a matter of minutes, everything had been levitated over to he designated area and set in its proper place. He maintained a slight smile the whole time, but made sure it looked like he was concentrating. He didn't want anyone who watched thinking it was too easy, or they'd be after him too much.

Illyana's eyes went wide as she watched the spectacle unfold. Of course, she had thought him capable of this from the things she had seen in the big top...but the ability to move objects into place with such ease...and something as complex as a tent-like mechanism...it was frankly astounding to behold. After she had gotten over her initial shock, she drew her small notebook out of the other pocket of her dress, and, tucking her reading material under her arm, quickly scribbled everything down as she watched. She had all but forgotten that Lucien was standing right there, watching her do it, but wouldn't have minded much if he said anything. She was just being thorough, after all.

Ivory had stayed under the shade through all these interactions, though most of her attention had been on Geralt and Lucien, when she wasn't looking out into the water toward Akane and Cora. She was glad the two women were enjoying themselves. Knowing that Cora didn't get to do this often, she wanted the mermaid to make the most of it. She knew she wasn't being very sociable at the moment, but she hadn't wanted to interrupt Illyana and Aurel's conversation, and decided to simply stay here until it was time to get to work on Cora's tank. After that she would be more inclined to partake in the... 'festivities,' to an extent anyway. She also wanted to take advantage of being out in a forest to look for some things she could use for her crafts, especially because this appeared to be a lake filled with rocks.

Her attention shifted toward Geralt as he approached the mess area. She raised an eyebrow as she watched the man put everything together. She was sure his intent to help wasn't genuine. Was he showing off then? That was probably more likely. Taking into account what she had seen in his show, she figured that what he did required around the same amount of concentration it took her to create and control a large variety of knives, which required much more focus. Interesting.

Lucien was certainly impressed with how easily Geralt had put things together. He figured his skill was extensive but.. he didn't think it was this.. precise. How taxing was it? He didn't really know. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Illy begin to scribble things down in her notebook.

"Thorough as always." He commented, his previous amusement still present. This was very like her.

The carnies thanked Gerlalt, clearly amazed by the skill he had just displayed. For some it was the first time seeing it in play. Lucien approached the magician when he had finished, not having wanted to break his concentration.

"I must certainly say that's very impressive. I assume this made setting up your trailer much easier." He said amusingly.

It was around then that he heard the sound of an engine, and Cora's trailer could be seen approaching. Enough room had been left for them to be able to pull it up near the edge of the lake, as close as they could pull in without there being any danger of sinking.

"Ah, here we go." Lucien said as the remaining carnies got out of the truck, two of them holding a large amount of buckets. "I'm afraid we have a more effective way to remove the water than replacing it, Ivory's currently working on coming up with an alternative." He explained. After all it was Ivory who had come up with the idea of the drainage system they currently held. She was quite crafty when it came to these things.

Lucien's words barely broke Illyana's concentration as she fiercely recorded what was happening before her. She noted Geralt's posture, the position of his hands, whether there was a change in the atmosphere around him or not, whether he broke into a sweat, how tense his muscles were. Her third eye was not the only sharp observation tool the girl had. She was so focused one getting everything she could that she didn't even respond to what Lucien had said, for fear of missing something crucial. She did notice when the man walked over to the Magician as he finished, but left him to it. If she butt-in too much, it would become too conspicuous.

Geralt felt Lucien's approach, but did not turn to look at him as he set the last chair into place. The carnies were looking at him in awe, transferring their gaze between the Magician and the task he had completed. He graced them with a smile and waved them toward the newly arranged mess area, "You chaps can finish up, I presume." He kept his tone light, though his words may be slightly condescending. The men didn't seem to notice either way, and slowly drifted over as their awe settled.

Geralt turned at the sound of Lucien's lightly accented voice, feigning some surprise and fatigue. He appeared as though he were catching his breath, and straightened his vest as he cocked a smile at the Ringleader, "Oh, it was in some ways. But in others...well, I'm quite meticulous," he answered with a light chuckle. He finished with, "I'm glad to be of service." nodding as Cora's trailer rumbled towards them and came to a stop near the water's edge.

Geralt raised his eyebrows and nodded at Lucien's explanation, though inwardly he cringed at the sight of buckets. The voice in his head chuckled cruelly as it sensed his displeasure, which only made him more irritated. Manual labor was not his forte, exactly. He was glad that he had taken his chance to help with setting up the mess area, that little trick was far preferable to hauling buckets full of lake water to and from a tank which was sure to be quite large, judging by the size of the girl who called it home. Cora was quite slight when she was out of the water, but in it she appeared to be quite large. Geralt would guess her tail was at least five feet long on it's own...This was why her trailer was so large as well, it must have been. He would have to find out more about what the process of her change consisted of. Illusions were his specialty, after all, he would have noticed if she was using one to appear human.

At the mention of Ivory's handiwork, Geralt glanced at the woman as she leaned against a tree in the distance. Although the sun was mostly obscured by clouds and it was not a particularly hot day, even exposed like this, he was sure she had to keep herself at least semi-protected from its rays. He also knew she had been watching his display, and had not yet taken her eyes off of the two of them. She seemed interested, and given her talents, there was a short list of reasons why.

"Aha," he said as he looked back at Lucien, "That's interesting. I didn't guess that miss Ivory was the mechanical type." As he looked the trailer over, he noticed a spout near the bottom on the side and decided that this must be what the man was referring to.

Lucien glanced over at Geralt's state as he had approached him. Was using this ability that taxing? He'd be sure to keep that in mind of so. He didn't want the man overworking himself. He already seemed quite tired this morning as it was.

"Looks can be deceiving." He said with a small chuckle. Ivory was more than just that, she was quite crafty, and very creative when it came to this stuff. The carnies had been surprised by it back when she had first made her suggestion. Some of them almost hadn't taken her seriously, but Lucien had decided to give it a try. It had seemed like a good concept, and with a few added improvements it had become what it was today.

"As a matter of fact, the construct of Cora's tank was her idea." He knew that this was something the dhampir was quite proud of, as it had made Cora very happy when it had first been brought up.

The carnies began to set up, placing a latter against the now open and exposed tank. This was usually done in a bit of a chain for most efficiency, considering they had to fill it from the top. People passed off to each other to get it done fastest, aside from Lucien and Ivory. The two were a bit more efficient in what they could carry. Between the two of them Ivory would fill the buckets and hand them to her, and the Ringleader would fly them over. It allowed him a bit of exercise, as the chances for that were more rare nowadays. He liked to make the most of it.

Lucien tucked in his wings to remove his vest and hung it against a chair before he pulled up the sleeves to his white button up shirt and bringing them out again.

"I suppose I'll get to work as well. You should sit down for a moment if the set up tired you out. You seem like you could use some rest. I'm sure the carnies all appreciated your help." He said with a smile. Part of him wondered how tiring that entire ordeal had actually been, considering the man was able to put on two shows that utilized his abilities without much trouble, but alas, he wasn't going to call him out on it. He had helped set up the mess area, so it wasn't like he hadn't put in any work.

Ivory shifted her gaze away from the two men and toward the tank. So it was time. She finally moved away from the tree she had been leaning against, her hood securely pulled up, before she headed toward the water, picking up two buckets in each hand.

Aurel had found his swim peaceful, and fun once he had found Cora and Akane. Both women were incredibly cheerful, it was hard not to feel the same way when it was so clear that Cora was enjoying herself. He could relate, considering being out here in such a forested area reminded him of the old days. He liked the Circus, and performing with everyone, but this brought him a different sort of peace he missed.

As he resurfaced, he took note that Cora's truck had been pulled up to the shore, and dove down to point Akane and Cora in that direction. He knew that Akane liked to help whenever she could, and while he didn't provide much aid in terms of strength, he still hoped to make a bit of a difference so everyone could finish and enjoy themselves much faster. With that in mind, the man began to swim back to shore.

Geralt nodded with a cocked smile, "Oh, I know that better than most." He took another look at Ivory as she glanced in their direction. It was curious, how well she seemed to hide her...attributes.

He looked back at the trailer as Lucien explained, placing his forefinger and thumb against his chin as he did so. It had to be quite an engineering feat to have come up with a waterproof vessel that large to house something living. Not knowing if he would have another opportunity, he turned his half-smile into a full one and turned back to the Ringleader.

"I'd be happy to help, truly, it's the least I can do." He watched as Lucien folded his wings in to remove his vest and began rolling up his sleeves. After a beat, he added, "I have so many questions..." with a chuckle at the end. This was absolutely true. Though he now knew that Lucien was descended from something truly holy, and was likely a Nephilim as his dark passenger had suspected, he still knew so little about the man himself and how all of his attributes worked. Curiosity was burning in him, like a child staring at a Christmas present, but he kept telling himself to slow down and wait. Now was not the time or place, though a day of relaxation and, hopefully, imbibing alcoholic beverages, would help to loosen everyone's tongues.

Cora was so happy to see Aurel in the water that she couldn't help but play with him as well. She swam circles around both of her friends, twirled, grabbed their hands and swung them about. It was all so freeing...and the happiest she had been in quite a while. She raced laps around the edge of the lake, shortening her time with each one, and launched herself from the water several times.

Before she knew it, Aurel and Akane were both leaving. It took her a moment to remember why, and then she surfaced and saw that the men had backed her trailer up to the water's edge. It was filling time! It was unfortunate that she couldn't help...but she really was better off staying out of the way.

She made her way to the shore anyway, popping her head up out of the shallows as the water lapped against her back. She lay in the mud, belly down, and propped herself up on her arms, making sure that everyone saw she was present so she could thank them for their hard work in making her comfortable. Ivory and the others had done her a great service by building her something so nice...she had to be sure to show her gratitude for everything they had given her.

Illyana had finished scribbling in her notes and stuffed the book back into her pocket just as she saw the carnies exiting the trailer with buckets. She had been so absorbed in what she was doing, that she hadn't noticed them pull up. She strode toward them, rolling up her sleeves. She wasn't physically strong by any means, and tired easily due to her lack of exercise in general, but she always tried her best to help out. It was a large tank, and filling it took quite a long time, so she hoped her small contribution was enough to lighten the load at least somewhat.

Lucien let out a small chuckle. "Most do." He responded simply. Part of him wanted the magician to ask questions, only because it would allow him a chance to ask some of his own.

"If you insist, I shall not stop you." He added, before turning around and beginning to head to the others. Ivory had already begun, and had extended the four water-filled buckets to him as he approached her. He let out a chuckle before he took them from her with ease. As she went back to grab the other four empty ones she had nearby to refill once more, the nephilim took off into the air again, landing gracefully next to Stephen who sat on top of Cora's trailer, being the last one to pour them down into the tank. He gave the carnie a smile, before he emptied the buckets he held and then flew back down, where Ivory already had a new set waiting for him.

Meanwhile, Aurel had arrived at shore. He had picked up Cora's robe and moved it closer to the water so she could put it on if she decided to get out. He squeezed as much of the water as he could from his hair before he picked up his shirt and put it back on. Of course it got wet, but there wasn't much he could do about that. It would dry off fairly quickly with all the moving he would be doing.

It hadn't taken Akane too long to catch up to Aurel. She shook her tails a little, as they were a bit heavy from having been soaked in water. She was quick to join the others, and went to aid the carnies at the beginning of the line to fill newly received buckets and handing them off. She didn't mind helping out with this in the least, considering how happy Cora always was to have received nice and clean water in her tank.

Geralt saw that everyone was moving towards the task at hand, and reluctantly began walking in that direction. Of course, if it were up to him, he would not help at all. If he didn't care about how anyone saw him at the moment, he may have taken a seat and done the work. But, no, this required a bit more of his showmanship to pull off. He approached the trailer itself as Lucien made for the edge of the lake, and grabbed a carnie who was about to mount it.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked, and the man nodded in agreement, slightly slack-jawed. He would have asked Lucien if it was alright with him first, or Cora if she hadn't been so far away. In truth, he did want to see the tank and the inside of the woman's trailer out of plain curiosity, but he would mask this by explaining that he had to see what he was aiming for if he was going to help.

He climbed the ladder and looked down into her abode. It took only a moment for him to absorb everything he was seeing. The trailer was clean, but he could tell it was not normally this way by the way things had been stored. It looked like someone was leaving in a hurry, even though Cora had all day to prepare for travel. He could see her being the lazy type, given her...situation.

The tank itself was impressive; large enough that it took up half of the floor space and was as tall as the inside of the trailer would allow. He wondered how they had gotten it inside...but if Ivory was able to come up with the plans for building it, maybe she had constructed an apparatus to get it inside as well. Overall, even the Magician couldn't fake being impressed by the craftsmanship and ingenuity showed by the Vampiress.

Once he had his fill of snooping, he descended the ladder and took a place in between the lake and the trailer. He clapped his hands together, rubbed them as if to warm them, and directed his attention to some buckets that were left unused at the moment. He stretched out his arms and fingers once more, lifted three of the objects, filled them, and deposited the water to its intended place. With all of the movement, he had to time it carefully so as not to dump the water on someone's head...but he found good openings and used them. Still, even with this amount of people filling the tank, he guessed that it would take two hours to complete, minimum, and that was with no breaks. It would be a long stretch of time...so he picked up the pace as much as he could. This was selfish, but would look good to Lucien, so he didn't mind.

Cora yelled thank yous to everyone working each time someone returned to the water's edge. Illyana carried one bucket at a time, slowly, and had a Carnie hoist it up the ladder for her. After only six trips, her legs began to shake with the exertion, and she had to take a break. She had been surprised to see Geralt helping, but knew it was not for the good of Cora or the others, but for his own. She took every break as an opportunity to jot more notes down about his abilities.

About halfway through filling, Cora pulled herself from the water and wrapped the robe around her. Illyana was taking a break, and saw her getting out and rolled her chair over to her. The mermaid sat herself down and allowed Illyana to place a bucket on her lap. She rolled it over to the tank and back again once the water had been emptied. She figured she was the only person laying around doing nothing...she might as well help, since they were all doing it for her.

Lucien smiled as he saw that Geralt was actually going out of his way to help, putting whatever reasons he'd have for doing it aside, it was certainly helpful in speeding up the pace of things. Akane helped as much as she could, occasionally running to the back of the line and carrying empty buckets back to the front, hanging a couple off her tails. Even though this was all hard work, she did enjoy it. It was fun in it's own way.

Ivory continued her back and forth trip of handing buckets to Lucien, but after about an hour and a half had passed, she could feel her strength dwindling. The sun was no longer obscured by clouds, and she could almost feel it sapping at her energy. She grimaced slightly as she strained to pick up the next set of buckets, and heard Lucien landing behind her, who had seemingly noticed her struggle.

"I can take it from here. I think you're overdue for a break." Lucien said as he picked up the buckets in her stead. Ivory didn't protest, knowing she'd no longer be as helpful. She'd much rather stop now before she couldn't even go around carrying one.

"Even these arms get sore at times." She joked, not wanting to admit that she needed the rest because she no longer had the energy. "You on the other hand don't seem all that tired."

Lucien let out a chuckle at her words. "I've got quite a bit of stamina. Be sure to rest up." He said, before turning around and taking off again to drop off the buckets. Ivory took her leave, and headed for their makeshift mess area that provided a nice amount of shade. She sat down and let out a sigh, watching the progress continue. They had made very good progress, and after about half an hour had passed, they had finally finished.

"Good job everyone, this might just be a new record." Lucien said from atop the trailer, having been the last one to pour water inside. He glided down, and the carnies began to take the latter down to put it away.

"It's done!" Akane cheered, many others shared her relief.

Aurel exhaled, relieved that it was finally over. He was tired out, just like Illy. He had definitely not done any strenuous exercise in a while.. Part of him sometimes considered doing it again but.. it just wasn't the same, but it was always on these days that he almost wished he had. His stamina was quite lacking in comparison to long ago.

"Quite.. strenuous isn't it?" He joked to Illyana, who was in the same, if not worse position than him.

Geralt continued to use his abilities to haul buckets even as the others fell to exhaustion or soreness. Though it was getting quite strenuous on his mind and his fingers, and he even had to take a short break when his hand cramped up, he was determined to see the task through to the end as long as Lucien kept going. He didn't speak to the others, but when he saw them dropping out he took more and more buckets as a way to pick up their slack. By the end, he had almost ten going at any given time, though he did have to take that number down to six once they were nearing the home stretch. Though chores like this were not taxing on his body, his mentally stamina did falter a bit as he continued to strain his abilities. The parasite inside of him had more and more of a hold the weaker his faculties became, the voice was louder, and a headache had developed behind his right eye.

Once they were finished, he dropped all six of his empty buckets into a pile on the ground for the carnies to collect, and immediately took a seat. He placed his thumbs and forefingers against his forehead and began to massage his temples, clenching and opening his fists to alleviate the soreness.

Illyana had taken a seat some time ago, helping every now and again. She merely chuckled at Aurel's comment, too out of breath to really answer him. Once she had caught her breath, she set to preparing fresh water for everyone as they worked. She'd filled a bucket, brought it to the mess area they'd set up and boiled it for several minutes, then placed the bucket back in the water to let it cool, then passed it out among everyone. When she saw Geralt move off to take a chair, and noticed the slightly annoyed expression on his face, she even offered him some. "You look like you could use some water...here," she said, offering him a full glass. Though she would not describe her attitude toward him as sympathetic, per se, she of anyone knew just how bad headaches could be. She suffered from them frequently, especially when she was working, and sometimes when visions came to her unbidden. Still, she had been impressed with how long Geralt had been able to keep it up without showing any signs of tiring until the last half hour. If she had used her abilities straight like that for so long, she'd be nearly catatonic by this point. She was much more frail of body than he, but she knew that he had to be powerful just based on his longevity.

A wave of rage passed over the Magician as the girl's voice split his head open. She was soft-spoken, and obviously trying to be quiet, but it would have been better if she had not bothered him at all.

She sees your weakness, she laughs at your pain. This little girl's powers are far beyond yours. She pities you.

Geralt looked up at her, removing his hand to show his eyes, which were alight with anger. He reached for the glass, eager to get her away from him, but paused when he caught a glimpse of Lucien heading toward them. He forced himself to smile, and blinked hard so he could make it reach his eyes. "Sorry, dear," he said, taking the glass from her gently, "Just a bit of a brain shake...that's all. Thank you," he raised the glass to her, then sipped the water. It helped, somewhat, but hydration was not what he required.

Apologizing to this creature like the worm she believes you are...you should be standing above her, making her suffer...and yet you sit and cower like a crooning child. Pathetic.

Geralt shook his head as if to clear it of a fog, squinting in the light, then took another full gulp of water. He could feel the flask in his pocket pressing against his chest, and longed for the liquid within to burn down his gullet and ease his pain...but he had to wait, if Lucien was approaching, for the right time.

Illyana noticed just the tiniest bit of darkness in the man's expression when he looked at her, it sent a chill running down her spine. Though he replaced it with a smile soon after, she let go of the water glass before he had fully grabbed it, and stepped away from him so she was out of arm's reach. She nodded her response to his thanks, then moved off quickly to help the others, looking at her feet as she scurried away.

Despite her tired state, Ivory was still watchful of the rest of the filling process. She was honestly surprised to see Geralt help as much as he did. Was he just trying to show off? She wasn't really sure, but it seemed to have taken a bit of a toll on him. She didn't feel like this was an act. The man didn't seem to be the type to purposefully show weakness to this extent. She watched the exchange between him and Illy, but hadn't said or moved from where she was, as Lucien was quick to approach him.

The ringleader had noticed the magician's strain, and grew concerned. He didn't think he would end up pushing himself so far to get this done, but it was clear that he had been affected by it. He knew mental abilities could be strenuous on the mind, after all he had helped with Illyana's headaches on numerous occasions. He watched Illyana leave the man be fairly quickly, though he appreciated that despite her distrust and dislike of the man, she had still tried to help him.

"Geralt?" Lucien questioned as he approached, his voice soft. He didn't know how bad it was. He felt a little bad, as he found it unfair for Geralt to end up feeling ill at what was to be his own celebration.

"Are you alright? I know psychic abilities can be quite tiring at times.. I may be able to help with that? If you'd like?" He decided to offer, in case it was really that bad.

Geralt's smile widened when Lucien approached him, and he busied himself with draining the glass of water as the man stopped before him. The concern was plain on the man's face and in his voice, and Geralt felt himself hardening to it almost immediately.

This filthy Angel-spawn takes pity on you, Geralt. You are a disappointment.

The Magician focused hard on the ringleader in front of him, trying his best to drown out the voice that rang through his brain. The barriers he had set up over all of these years were so much harder to contain when he was so mentally weak. He hadn't realized what a number he had done on himself with his moment of pride...it was now coming back to bite him.

Geralt had been fully prepared to turn down the man's offer of help, there was no way his own pride would allow it, much less the darkness that dwelt in his very soul. He winced as he opened his mouth to speak, closing it quickly as a scream pierced his brain.

DON'T LET IT TOUCH YOU. IT WILL BURN YOUR FLESH AND IGNITE YOUR SOUL IN A BLAZE OF DIVINE LIGHT. YOU WILL SUFFER PAIN THAT YOU HAVE NEVER KNOWN.

"No, thank you patron," Geralt said calmly, gesturing to Illyana as she walked away from the two of them. "Illyana's remedy has fixed me right up." He stood from the chair, graceful as ever, and took a slight bow. He made sure that all traces of strain or fatigue were wiped from his features as he did so. "Ah, Cora!" he exclaimed, spying the girl over Lucien's shoulder. He was happy for the interruption this time.

As everyone had finished, Cora had busied herself by going to each individual member of the troupe, carnies included, and thanking them. Even though she was nervous to do this, and operating her chair on the wet and slimy ground was difficult, she was determined to make sure that everyone knew how grateful she was for their help. She had just finished thanking Illyana and had spied Lucien and Geralt and wqas heading toward them when the man noticed her.

"Geralt!" she said, a little too loudly in her excitement, "I just wanted to say thank you to you," she nodded to the Nephilim, "and Lucien for all of your hard work today. I really really appreciate it!" Lucien himself had taught her please and thank you and ways of showing people when you were grateful. Cora liked this way best because she liked to see everyone's smiles back when she thanked them.

Geralt turned his smile towards the girl, leaning down slightly so he was on her level. "It was my absolute pleasure, my sweet. Anything I can do to make you more comfortable, anything at all, you just shout my name," he said, winking to her.

Cora blushed profusely, then nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ivory relaxing in the shade and turned her chair toward her without another word to the two men, excitement plain on her face.

Geralt forced a laugh, though it sounded genuine, as always, as he saw Cora head away. He shook his head slightly, as if lost in thought and muttered, "Extraordinary..." under his breath. After a beat, he looked to Lucien once more and clapped his hands together vigorously, "So, now that all of the hard work is done, do we have your permission for some...recreation?" he said, hopefully, and biting his bottom lip to show his own form of anticipation.

Lucien nodded slightly. There was a part of him that felt like the man would deny it, he was much to prideful, but he didn't see the harm in trying anyway.

"Well I'm glad that it was of help." He told him, before shifting his gaze to Cora, who was very much happy at the moment. He was glad for it, he knew how much she looked forward to these days.

It seemed Geralt had made his recovery very quickly, and was eager to move on in the day's events. He didn't mind, that was the rest of the day was intended for anyway.

"Yes of course, that is what the rest of the day is for." He said with a smile.

Ivory finally glanced away from Lucien and Geralt to look at Cora who had eagerly come her way.

"You're welcome." She told her. "Are you going to swim some more?" She asked. While she wanted nothing to do with it, she knew how much the mermaid enjoyed it. If she wasn't, then she'd certainly be inclined to get the woman some clothes.