The circus' next stop had taken them into California. Being surrounded by desert, it had taken them a bit longer than usual to reach their next destination, a city named Barstow. Throughout the trip, they had to make frequent stops to make sure everyone got a good amount of rest. During this time, Lucien had taken note that Geralt had made no further effort to speak to him, at least no more than the usual. It made him believe that perhaps he had.. taken the hint and had decided to give up on pursuing anything further with him. In a way he was relieved, but at the same time it was a bit of a shame, since he had found their conversations intriguing. 

Ivory had taken note of this, but hadn't really made any comment in regards to it, since it wasn't necessary. Her attitude toward Geralt had eased a little after their last show in Vegas, and she was no longer as curt with him as she used to be, though she still didn't go out of her way to begin conversation. At the same time, she didn't completely shut him out either, and this seemed to have been something Illyana had quickly taken note of. She had decided to explain what happened to the fortune teller, figuring it was only fair she didn't only tell her the bad things about him. While the events hadn't made her [i]like[/i] him, it had at least eased her dislike, because she had seen there were other sides to him that were actually pretty tolerable. As long as he didn't go out of his way to annoy her, she could very well stand having him around without it souring her mood. 

Akane had focused a lot on what Geralt had told her. The kitsune did not want to bother Geralt often with telling her more, but she had found a good chance to ask him on one of their stops, and they had been able to have another miniature lesson in their temporary mess area. Geralt had inquired as to where exactly her fire came from, so Akane had decided to tell him a bit more about herself. She explained to him about how she had grown up as a sentient fox for about one hundred years, before gaining enough spiritual power to take on a human form. She went into detail in how long it took for kitsune's to gain a new tail, and with it new power. 

She explained the spirituality of her flames, which is what made them the color that they were, derived from her own spiritual power. When Akane had asked him where Geralt's flames had originated from, he had responded with a simple 'essentially the same as yours,' which she had found interesting, but hadn't asked more, since she knew he didn't like to share too much. She explained to him how much concentration it took to keep them from burning other people or things, like during her and Ivory's transition where the dhampir had to near the flames. The fact she could do something like that seemed to something that could be of great used to her in learning how to change them in the way she wanted. 

The lesson had left the kitsune eager to learn more, but she was very patient, as she saw Geralt occupied a bit more frequently, and as they neared Barstow, she knew they now had to focus on their upcoming shows, so she decided to wait a little while before asking him to help her out again. That hadn't stopped her from being happy about it, however, and had expressed her eagerness to learn to Cora. If she was able to create shapes with her flames.. then perhaps she'd one day be able to form aquatic creatures as well, something she really wanted to be able to show Cora at one point. 

Aurel had managed to relax a little more around Geralt. Seeing the newfound distance between him and Lucien made him feel like maybe they had worried a little too much. He was still watchful, but his nerves had eased a little, and he had began carrying his snakes with him again. By then they had all gotten used to the magician being around, and while they were still a bit agitated around him, they controlled it a lot better than they did before, much to Aurel's relief. This had allowed Aurel to be a bit more calm, as he no longer had to worry as much about them. 

All of these developments had helped Lucien gain a bit more of a peace of mind. He had never thought he'd see Ivory of all people ease up around Geralt, but it had happened. The stress the Ringleader had been enduring had been greatly reduced, as on top of all of these positive developments, he had officially confirmed to Illyana that they were completely out of any financial danger. It was a good time for it too, considering they had now arrived in California, which was where Illyana had wanted to go. 

It was clear she was excited to be so close to the location of her sister, and Lucien was happy to see her this way, knowing how far and how long she had been looking for her. A part of him.. was a little saddened, because he knew what could happen once Illyana found her place at her side. Still, he tried not to focus on it, because he knew this was what Illy wanted. As long as she was happy, he would be too. For now, all he could focus on was to continue their current success, so they could continue to have the resources to get her where she needed to go without worry.