[IC] Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

[FreckersFrog]

Ivory's comment actually made him laugh aloud. What a suggestion that was...

"I'm afraid that time has ruined me...if only someone had said that to me when I was younger." Geralt flashed a smile to her, but did not maintain a visual on her. He could tell that the male gaze made Ivory uncomfortable, and he'd decided that now was not the time for pushing her buttons. She had done a good thing this evening, and it had been revealing to see her interact with Cecelia. Besides, she seemed a little less prickly now towards him than she usually was, and he did not want to give her an excuse to resume her prior attitude.

Even more revealing was her answer to his rebuttal. He raised an eyebrow and hummed, but did not respond until a bit of silence had stretched between them. He was choosing his words carefully, making sure not to trigger any negativity. When it came to him, it was too easy to make Ivory angry, and there was no need to remind her of his dislike for him now.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how resilient children are. Take yourself, for instance. I can't imagine anyone ever calling you fragile." He glanced at her again out of the corner of his eye. It was true that Ivory appeared more than capable on the outside. But he had no doubt that this hard-shelled exterior was hiding something soft deep down. Everyone had their weakness, and he recognized then that he and Ivory were similar in how deep they had theirs buried. Even if they protected it in different ways, he could tell that she shared at least some of his fear of exposure.

[xivyxx]

Ivory hadn't actually thought she'd get a comment from the first thing she had said. At most she had expected some sort of witty reply, but she didn't really see traces of that in his answer.

"Well it's never too late.." She had mostly muttered to herself. It seemed Geralt was very much aware of the kind of person that he was. He did not really seem like the type of man to give up, so she was a little surprised to hear him so.. resigned? She was unsure of what to think of it.

"I'd simply rather not take any chances. I'm not nearly as approachable as some of our troupe-mates. Though, I will say that Cecelia certainly does not fit that bill. She'll grow up strong." She said with a small smile, before letting out a small huff at his following comment. If only that were true. Plenty of men only saw her 'beauty,' and had no regards for her strength in the least. She had enough experience in knowing this because of men she had encountered in the streets during some of the troupe's outings to town. It was really irritating. While she had been opposed to accepting or acknowledging Geralt's compliments in regards to her looks, this was something she was actually glad to hear.

"That's a compliment I will happily accept." She said.

[FreckersFrog]

Geralt couldn't help but smile over at Ivory as a sense of triumph washed over him. Finally he had found a way to compliment her in a way she accepted. It was good to know that he could crack a bit of her shell, even if it hadn't been what he intended. Even though their time here had been brief, the man saw a glimmer of hope that their relationship could be less...tense in the future. As long as this wasn't a one-off, anyway.

"There's no arguing with that, she is something..." he said in reference to Cecelia. He had truly been impressed with the little girl after spending only a short time with her. At first, he'd been hesitant to think this, given how cliche their initial meeting was, but she had shown that she was more unique than she had appeared at first glance.

Noticing that they were quickly approaching the trailers, he wanted to make sure he got in one last observation before the two of them parted ways. Who knew if they would be able to continue this conversation, or even if they would cross paths again in the coming days. Aside from the Big Top show, the two barely spoke.

"Speaking of which..." he added, furrowing his brow slightly. He felt that the tone was light enough that he could sneak in a bit of teasing..."You've done a good thing this evening, not only helping to locate the girl's mother but to invite them back gratis? And without even asking Lucien first. How rebellious of you..." he said, giving her a sideways glance and flashing his perfectly white teeth in a smirk. This was akin to something that he may have done, but had been a little surprised by the liberty she had taken. Not that Lucien would mind...it just seemed out of character for her.

[xivyxx]

Ivory gave Geralt a glance at his following comment. She wasn't really that bothered by it. He was right in questioning it. Under normal circumstances she might not have done something like that.. but there was something in that moment that prompted her to do it. Maybe it was the girl's cheerful personality.. or how much she admired her. She just couldn't help herself, but it seemed he agreed that she had done a good thing, though she wasn't sure how much that was worth, considering how the man was normally...

"It's not often I have positive experiences with fans. Plus.. she's a good kid, and her mother clearly works hard to take care of her.." She muttered.

"I don't really think it's all that rebellious. I had full intention of paying for their tickets if Lucien had an issue with it. It's not like I have much to do with my money anyway. I'll let him know tomorrow." She said, before stopping as they arrived at her trailer. "But I'm sure you know him well enough at this point to know he won't mind."

[FreckersFrog]

Geralt shrugged at Ivory's response, nodding. "I do, and he wouldn't...I just found it...intriguing. You know me well enough by now to know I had to mention it." And this was true. Though the two never spent any time together, and in fact this was the first time they had been alone for an extended period of time, Ivory could guess well enough at The Magician's intentions. She at least thought she knew him well enough to guess things about him, he could tell by the snap judgement she had made on his character upon their first meeting. It was no matter, just a little joke to remind her of this fact.

They arrived at her trailer and Geralt stopped well before her door. Ivory was a private person, especially when it came to him, and he was not in the mood to tease her any further. He decided to end their conversation where it was so as not to leave a sour taste in either of their mouths for the rest of their stay in Las Vegas.

"I'll leave you here. Thank you for your help, I'm sure that little Cece will remember this evening for a long time to come. Meeting your idol isn't something every youngster gets to do." He gave her a small, curt bow and turned away before she could respond. Part of him wondered whether this was a fluke or if their relationship could be saved, but he decided to push those thoughts away for the time being. Sour taste and all of that.

[xivyxx]

"Of course." Ivory would have expected nothing less. To an extent, she figured he would make some form of comment on it. Despite his words, she wasn't sure how true that was. Even though she had come to learn and observed certain things about his character, she hardly knew anything about the man himself. Neither she or Illy were really any closer to that, unfortunately.

Geralt hadn't given her much of a chance for her to respond to his words, so she just watched him leave. That was possibly one of the most.. positive interactions she had with the man, in which she had managed to go a good amount of time by being annoyed by something he said and did. It was certainly a contrast to the mood he had been in lately. She entered her trailer, and shut the door behind her. It seemed there were still different sides of the magician to explore.

----

The third round of performances had been just as good, if not better, than the first two. Ivory had found time to let Lucien know about Cecelia and her mother, and as she had expected, he hadn't minded it. On the contrary, he had been happy to hear that the dhampir had been able to have a positive interaction with a fan. It had.. inspired Ivory a little, though unbeknownst to her at the moment, to try to make her shows more intricate. Now that she knew her fan base included more than just unruly men. She'd put extra effort into this upcoming last performance in Vegas.

When the fourth, and final night rolled around, the turnout had certainly broken any records they had in the past few months. Everyone had been in a fairly brightened mood, even Geralt, though it seemed he had still been avoiding Lucien a little. The Ringleader had noticed, but had not said anything about it, and did his best to act as if nothing was wrong. He hoped this would not continue too long.

As they readied for the Big Top Show, Ivory had been glad to see that Cecelia and her mother had showed up for it, and they had been offered front row seats to the performance as promised, much to the little girl's clear excitement. Lucien had made a suggestion in regards to autographs to the dhampir, about how people loved to sometimes have something signed by their idols. It wasn't normally something she did but.. had decided to give it a try. She had cut a piece of one of her silks, and had signed it. While a bit reluctant, she had approached Geralt and asked him if it was possible for him to give that to her at one point during his shows, since it seemed within his capability. Thankfully the magician had agreed, and the rest of the night had gone as planned. Their Big Top Show in Las Vegas had been an incredible success.

After their meeting, the members had begun to disperse, but Akane had made haste to catch up to the magician. Honestly, the kitsune had been worried about the Magician for a while, given his soured mood. She had wondered if something had happened.. and had begun to think about what she and Cora could possibly do to make him feel better. In the end it had been unnecessary, as they had taken note of his brightened attitude these past couple days. With that in mind, she had chosen to approach him. There was something she had been waiting for the right time to give him.

"Geralt!" She had called out, falling into step next to him.

[FreckersFrog]

The Big Top show was performed as planned, with just a tiny addition made to Geralt's show. Otherwise, it had gone off without a hitch and the troupe had collectively never seen the tent this full before. Vegas had been just the honey pot that everyone had been hoping for, and Geralt's presence made it that much more lucrative as well. Although, this time The Magician had felt no need to flaunt that fact.

Despite his disappointment with Lucien, most of his interactions with the rest of the performers after meeting Cece had been perfectly cordial. He even showed his face around the grounds for small amounts of time, though he was a bit short and curt with the Ringleader himself. At the rest of the troupe, he smiled and waved, he cooed and complimented, but still there was a pit of angst boiling within him. Luckily, his positive attitude had managed to mask it for the time being, keep it bottled up so that it didn't lash out at anyone. He knew it would hurt later, but for now it seemed to be working just fine, so he let it ride.

He was happy to oblige when Ivory asked the favor of him, and did hand Cece the autograph with a flourish. Both she and her mother were very excited to receive to it and surprised to see that Geralt was such a big part of the show. Neither of them had asked his roll when they'd met him and Ivory, so their eyes lit up when they saw his performance.

This, coupled with the success of the evening, had him in a particularly good mood. So, when he was about to leave for his plans in town, he wasn't annoyed in the slightest when Akane called him back. He turned as she fell in step beside him and smiled down at her with his arms resting behind his back.

"Akane." He nodded his greeting, then followed up with, "Spectacular performance this evening, the crowd absolutely adored you."

[xivyxx]

Akane smiled at the Magician's compliment. "Oh, thank you! Yours was also fantastic! I could tell the audience was in complete awe." She told him. His shows were always so interesting to watch, mostly because he had so many different tricks up his sleeve.

"I've actually been meaning to find the chance to give you something." She said, having been keeping both her hands behind her back, she moved them in front of her, clearly hiding something in her hands.

"I've noticed you've been a little down lately, so I didn't want to bother you, but I hope it's not wrong of me to assume that it seems like you're mood has improved, so I thought this was a good chance." She said, before moving one hand to reveal what she was holding. It was a small piece of origami, in the shape of a black cat.

"I made this for you a little while ago. It's one of my hobbies, but this is kind of.. a little something that I do for all troupe members here. I make something that reminds me of them, or can be.. a bit symbolic I suppose? Everyone has one, well, except Cora, because she liked the one I gave her so much I ended up making more, but I wanted you to have one too." She explained with a warm smile.

[FreckersFrog]

Geralt stopped in time with Akane and turned to face her. This was interesting...he could see her hands were also behind her back, but not in the manner of resting. She was hiding something...a gift? It had been a long time since anyone had offered him anything in the way of a gift...he felt a little vindicated by this already, before the thing was even revealed.

He was so interested to see what it was that he barely heard anything that Akane was saying, but he smiled and leaned in just the same. As she revealed the tiny present nestled in her palms, he raised his eyebrows. It was not what he was expecting...but it was quite charming either way.

After her explanation, his smile widened as his eyes moved from the cat to her face. He held up a hand, but paused before plucking it from her palms, "May I?" he asked, and only took it after she'd given her consent. He held the tiny thing up to his face to get a good look at it. He had heard of this art before, Japanese paper folding, but had never actually seen any in person. At first glance it looked very simple, a small piece of paper folded into the shape of an animal, but this was actually quite intricate. The folds were tight and precise, and the paper itself had weight to it, and the color was very dark. It was good quality work made of good quality materials.

Baubles and trinkets...pathetic, waste of time.

Geralt held back a cringe as the voice mocked in only his mind, but managed to keep his composure as he redirected his attention to Akane. "This is absolutely...stunning. I can't believe how perfect the folds are. And it looks just like a little cat!" he said, wonder sparkling in his eyes as he smiled down at the tiny creature in his palm. He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at it, "This art...it has a name, if I recall? And, if you don't mind me prying, why a cat for me? I assume everyone's animals are different." He could hardly imagine Illyana or Aurel receiving a black cat trinket from Akane, but he had been wrong before.

[xivyxx]

Akane was happy to see his reaction, and more importantly, his smile upon receiving it.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed. "Oh yes, it's called origami. You can make all sorts of things! It's actually really fun." There was a part of her that felt like this was something Geralt would actually be pretty good at doing, considering he was quite skilled with his hands. She had taught Aurel how to do a few different ones, he had seemingly enjoyed the lessons.

"Oh yes, everyone's is different!" She said, before letting out a small hum. "Well.. I actually spent quite a bit of time wondering what I should pick. That was when cats came to mind. They are sometimes used to portray a witch's familiar right? I hear they're very faithful to them. I felt like your skill set with magic tied in a little to that, so I thought.. why not make a familiar of sorts for you? I know it's not real but.. I thought it was a nice idea. I do know that black cats have a bit of a bad rep in America, but when I'm from they actually represent good fortune and prosperity. Black cats in particular serve as a talisman against bad luck or danger as well. So I decided this would be the best thing to give you." She explained.

The kitsune had actually put quite a bit of thought into this. She always did, with every single one she had made. To Lucien she had given a white crane, to Illyana, a mouse. Aurel had gotten a snake, and Ivory had gotten a blue butterfly. Cora on the other hand, at this point had almost every aquatic animal in her possession. Since she had ended up making so many for her, Ivory had actually helped her put them all together and made a wind chime for her to hang in her trailer, where she would be able to see them all without worrying about them getting ruined. It always put a smile on her face to see them whenever she visited her, because it showed how much she cared for them.

[FreckersFrog]

"Aaah...Origami, what a lovely word," he said, turning the little thing around on his palm so he could look at it from all sides. He listened to her speech as he inspected it, and was not surprised that there were no signs of mis-folding, unused creases, or repeats. She had done this all on the first try. He dissected it in his mind, imagining the way it was folded and was even more impressed the more he looked at it. Despite Akane's somewhat airheaded attitude, she really did have talent for more than just dancing.

He listened intently to everything the girl described, satisfied with her explanation. It was clear that she had put a lot of thought into this gift, and probably had for everyone else's as well. Though it had taken her only one try, it was clear that she had made each and every fold with care. She was meticulous and thoughtful in her mission to turn something so ordinary into something beautiful...This served to warm The Magician's usually cold heart.

"Well, Miss Akane, I continue to be impressed by you at each and every turn. Thank you for the explanation, and for the gift. It is perfect, and I am very grateful that you would share your talent with me." Maybe he was becoming a part of the family after all...

I should have known all it would take for you to turn your cowardly hide was a little piece of paper...the tower destroyed by a feather...

Somehow, The Magician manged to keep his smile through this berating, though his patience was growing thinner by the second.

After a moment's pause, Geralt leaned back, opening his eyes wide. "Well, I can't let you walk away without giving you something in return, can I?" he said, and with a flourish he waved his hand and produced a card between his fingers. He stretched out his arm toward Akane, the matte black back of the card facing towards her.

[xivyxx]

Her eyebrows raised slightly at what he said, not really having expected for him to want to give her something in return. He extended a familiar looking card, like the ones from his deck they always played with. Carefully, she took it from him, and turned it around to see which card it was. The Jack of Hearts.

"Oh! A card!" She exclaimed. It was easy to recognize that it was similar to the other cards that Geralt had given their troupe-mates. Cora had been quite excited to tell her when Geralt had given her the Queen of Hearts, now she really was wondering whether there was a sort of meaning to all this. Perhaps he also had a similar way of going about this as she did with her origami.

"Thank you so much! I'll be sure to keep it safe!" She said. "I had actually been a little curious about these. Do you have a meaning behind them too? In the way you decide who to give them to?" She asked, her curiosity clearly reflected in her eyes. Akane knew she was not the only one who wanted the answer to this question, so she figured this was actually the best time to ask him.

[FreckersFrog]

Geralt chuckled as she took the card, matching her smile with his own. "Oh, don't you worry, Mein Flamme, you couldn't loose it if you tried." It was honestly about time that The Magician bestow one of his cards on the girl. Now all he had left were Illyana and Aurel...

At Akane's next question, he smiled a little more mischievously and shook a finger at her, "Now, now, you know that a Magician never reveals his secrets..." he let his voice trail off mysteriously, then glanced around as if there might be someone listening. Satisfied that they were entirely alone, he lowered his voice slightly and added, "I can tell you that the way we choose our gifts is similar. It wouldn't be as fun if they weren't personal, nein?" He said, then winked to show that this statement was playful.

He did choose each and every card carefully. Lucien had been the easiest to place, and Ivory, despite how quickly she had received her card, had been most difficult for him. The others were just a matter of laziness, really.

[xivyxx]

Akane should have expected that sort of response from him, but she didn't mind it. If anything she respected it, but as he confirmed her suspicion that they had something about that in common in the way they went about this. She let out a giggle at this.

"Yes! I agree. It's much more meaningful too. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone!" She said in a whisper, placing her index finger against her lips.

That particular phrase had brought something else that the kitsune had been thinking about to mind.

"Oh, speaking of your tricks.." She said, pausing for a moment. She honestly wasn't sure if Geralt would be alright with this, considering how protective he was of his secrets, but.. she decided to ask anyway.

"I had actually.. been meaning to ask you about the fire you make. I think it's pretty amazing that you can shape it into all sorts of things.. and honestly I've been wanting to learn how to be able to do that. I know you're probably busy right now, and I'm not asking you to tell me how you do it.. but I was wondering if.. you could maybe give me a bit of advice on how to approach something like that? Whenever you have the time, of course. I'm not in a hurry." She asked a little sheepishly, fiddling her thumbs.

Akane knew that Geralt was a busy man, so she wouldn't pressure him to help her if he wasn't able to. She was totally okay with that, but she figured it was worth a shot to ask.

[FreckersFrog]

Geralt smiled and leaned away at Akane's response. Seeing her satisfied with this answer and not upset by it was a better result than he had been expecting. Before he had...come upon his abilities, he had always thought that it was a cheesy trade gimmick to deny information about how tricks were performed. After he gained fame and notoriety, however, he realized just how important secrecy in his profession was. Magician's without his particular skill set would even sell their tricks or send spies to shows to gather information and then sell that to the highest bidder. It was a technique that even he had used in the past to disarm his paltry competition. It hadn't been difficult for him, and luckily no one could or would ever find the source of his magic. If they tried hard enough and looked in the right places, they were sure to find a finger pointing them through to the truth, but in a stroke of fortune for him, his competition had frankly been idiots. The world of magic was more cut-throat than he had ever imagined, but he had found himself very suited to all of it, even the less-than-desirable bits.

He raised his eyebrows at her request, listening to all of it intently. He placed his chin between his thumb and forefinger, thinking momentarily about her request and the logistics of it. It was interesting to know that the girl was this comfortable with him and still willing to learn despite her skill level. He respected that, as others with egos as large as his were not desirable to him in the least. She had even worded her plea in a way that would not infringe on his "gimmick", and she was right that he wouldn't have to reveal anything to her if he showed her some things.

Unfortunately, the fire tricks were not entirely his own as they were owned by the parasite who shared his body. Part of his "hide in plain sight" plan had been not to differentiate between which powers were his own and which were...otherwise. All he would have to do was be sure that the source of this power was never mentioned to pull this off. It would be easy, he had done this many times in the past.

He smiled down at her after he consulted himself on her request, then nodded. "I don't see why not. I would be happy to show you some things, at another time of course." He paused a moment and turned toward the opening of the Big Top, signalling that it was time for him to leave, and Akane followed suit. As they walked together, he added, "A good rule of thumb, to start with, is to treat the fire like an extension of your hand, or foot." He flashed a toothy grin at the joke. "Don't look at where the fire comes from, look at where its going to be."

[xivyxx]

Akane's smile brightened significantly at his response.

"Thank you so much!" She exclaimed.

The kitsune knew that Geralt usually went off to town after their Big Top shows, so she had no intention of interrupting that routine. If anything she had just wanted to take the chance to ask him. She was happy that he agreed. While creating and controlling he fox fire had always come naturally to her, after seeing Geralt at work, she had realized it had so much more potential, and she wanted to make the most of that, not just for the sake of her show, but also for herself.

Akane looked up at him as the man spoke again taking his words into consideration. She looked down at her hands, opening and closing them as he explained.

"Hmm.. I see.." She said thoughtfully. By then, they had arrived at the entrance of the circus. She didn't want to keep Geralt any longer, so she stopped her walk.

'I'll think more on what you just told me, and see where that takes me. Thank you again for the advice! I know you're headed out, so I'll leave you here. I hope you have a good night, Geralt." Akane said with a soft smile. She was honestly excited for this. After she had left Japan she had kind of lost access to being able to ask other kitsunes or shrine maidens more in regards to her abilities. She had learned enough, and she knew her future was filled with more chances to seek more knowledge and power, and she was excited for it, but right now, she wanted to master the things she could do further. There was a small sense of accomplishment that came from doing that.

[FreckersFrog]

"Of course, mein flamme, it is always a pleasure when we cross paths." As they reached the front gate, Geralt slowed his pace to let Akane finish speaking, then stopped to say his goodbyes and take his leave of the grounds for the evening. "Thank you for the gift, it is one of the most thoughtful I have received in some time. I will see you on the morrow." He took a small bow, flashing a wide smile, before he turned and exited through the large inviting sign.

In fact, Geralt did have plans this evening, all revolving around a certain winged Ringleader.

After he'd rejected him, The Magician had decided to take matters into his own hands. There was no need for him to wonder what Lucien did on the nights that he was away from the Circus, it was just a matter of finding out. Of his many talents, one of Geralt's most potent and practiced was the ability to get anywhere and remain unseen. He had even learned to hold his breath for an extended period of time so that the noise would not alert whomever he had decided to watch. Lucien was definitely one of the most observant that he had decided to tale, but he had faith in his abilities. As long as he was careful, the Nephilim would never know the difference.

After Geralt had walked a significant distance away from the grounds, he immediately turned himself invisible and displaced to a previously chosen location that had the most perfect view of Lucien's front door. His conversation with Akane had caused him to miss the man returning home, but he had not missed him leaving for the night, luckily. He watched the Ringleader's shadow move behind the curtains for several moments until the trailer went dark and Lucien exited. He was carrying a large bag, but nothing else. He left in a hurry, but Geralt noticed him glancing around to make sure no one was watching.

Satisfied, The Magician left his spot and tailed Lucien at a distance, keeping himself at flying height so as not to leave tracks or other disturbances. Lucien got into a vehicle, one of the trucks that they used for hauling some of the smaller supplies, and drove himself into town. From there, he proceeded into the center of town and parked behind a small house. Geralt watched from the street as Lucien entered it, met by an elderly couple at the door. This intrigued him, seeing these people up so late at night and so willing to open their doors to a stranger. Although it was possible that Lucien knew them, though he had not mentioned to anyone in the troupe that he had family or friends in town. However, if these folk were going to let any stranger inside of their home, it would be Lucien with his charm and his calming presence.

For a while after this, Geralt simply waited. About half an hour passed before the door opened again. Geralt was surprised to see a woman exit with the elderly couple, no Lucien in sight. The Magician furrowed his brow as the man closed the door and locked it behind him before the trio made their way to a small car parked out front. The woman stood by the back seat, waiting...and that was when it dawned on him. It was Lucien, disguised. Geralt floated a little closer, keeping his eyes on the woman, and though "she" was hooded, wearing a shawl, he caught sight of her eyes when she turned to look over her shoulder...right at him. It was Lucien, alright, there was no mistaking that shade of gold.

Further intrigued, Geralt followed the car at a safe distance in the air, watching as it made some twists and turns through the dark city streets. Eventually, they came to park at the back of a church. But why would Lucien need to be disguised to go there?

The parasite inside Geralt became very agitated here, so he was unable to stay long after Lucien exited the car with the couple and made their way in through a side entrance. Geralt did catch a glimpse of someone entering after them through the front doors, a sickly and pale looking young man who wheezed when he breathed.

So, it was not a midnight meeting with a shady character or a secret rendezvous with a beau...Lucien was healing. He was doing "God's" work when he sneaked away, passing it off to the rest of the troupe as a night at the movies or a late walk. Interesting...if he was doing a service, why the lie?

He displaced himself back to his trailer so he would not be seen, comfortable with the amount of information he had gathered this night. He wondered vaguely if he and Lucien were the only ones who knew about this...and hoped it was the case. It would not be so bad to share a secret with the object of his affections, even if it wasn't as dirty as he had been hoping...

[xivyxx]

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 like 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.

[FreckersFrog]

Geralt had spent the last of his time in Las Vegas relaxing. His intention to visit a gambling house had been pushed to the side in pursuit of other activities, but overall he had enjoyed his time there. Maybe by the time he made his way back, the city would have a little more to offer him in the way of diversion.

He'd kept to himself for the drive to their next destination, steering clear of Ivory and of Lucien. The former because he did not want to remind her of why she disliked him any time soon, and the latter because it just wasn't time yet. He needed the man to feel his absence, to know what it would be like to loose him. Maybe then Lucien would change his tune just a little and be more open to Geralt's advances. That or reject him outright, and honestly either was preferable to The Magician right now.

His positive attitude also remained for the travel and for several days after they had arrived. Even though he had made no headway with Lucien, the progress he had made with the others in the troupe had kept him motivated just enough not to let his mood sour. He even spared some time for Akane, mostly because of how eager she was and how willing she had been to share with him. He had learned quite a bit about her personally and about her abilities, which was more than payment for him. Unfortunately, he hadn't had time to extract anything about Cora during his time with her, but he had those plans in the works for a later time. Even Geralt's parasite had made itself scarce during these days, only appearing to him when it had something particularly witty to say. Overall, he knew it was just a reminder of the thing's presence. It would come back to torment him the second it sniffed his disinterest.

Illyana's spirits were very high as well. Leaving Nevada had her feeling the most hopeful she had in a very long time. She had more energy, smiled more often, and even went out of her way to interact with everyone during her daily duties. The closer they got to California, the more light she felt. So light, in fact, that she had put her research into Geralt entirely on hold for the time being. She knew that they would need all of her energy for the task at hand. She took to spending her evenings and nights meditating, putting her feelers out to see if anything bounced back. Nothing was yet, but she was confident that if they kept heading south, she would find something eventually. She had to, there was no other option.

Cora had remained in her usual mode of operation for the duration of the travel as well. She had been glad to see and hear that Akane was practicing with Geralt's help, mostly because she could see how happy it made the Kitsune to be able to manipulate her powers more successfully. She discovered since the night of their dance that she only wanted Akane to be happy and safe, so she decided that would be her job outside of working hours. Whatever she could do to ensure the Kitsune's happiness, along with the others in the troupe, was what she had directed her energy towards, and that, in turn had made her that much more bright to be around.

It was only a matter of time before everyone's positive attitudes faded. Geralt, through his many years living with the creature who shared his body and his mind, knew that it would not stay silent for long. That, accompanied with Winter's quick approach had The Magician bracing for storm clouds. Nothing stayed this good for this long...something was about to break.

The morning after the troupe arrived in Barstow, everyone was raring to gets things set up and have the "show on the road". They had practiced setting up in every condition, and had gotten quite quick at it. The trouble was, they had arrived too late the previous night to begin, so the carnies and troupe members had been up bright and early building and setting everything up. Due to parking arrangements, Geralt had ended up next to the Big Top, which was one of the louder activities the carnies engaged in.

Tired, The Magician had been forced to leave his trailer at the crack of dawn. Dark circles loomed heavy under the man's eyes and a solid frown had settled on his lips as he exited and made his way across the grounds. At least they had set up the mess area enough for him to entertain himself with a cup of coffee. As he approached, a sweet smell touched and tantalized his nostrils and he raised his eyebrows. As he moved around a truck that had been parked nearby and laid his eyes on the mess area, he discovered its source. Lucien was up, the fuzzy morning light glowing around him like a full-body halo. Geralt couldn't help but be reminded of how beautiful he was and was suddenyl struck with the full force of his desires for the man.

Now, of all times, really? He thought to himself, then mad his way to the coffee pot. Lucien's back was too him, but he knew the man could sense his presence. He turned toward him as he worked, pouring himself a cup as he did so, "Good morning, patron. Hard at work already, hm? You're making the rest of us look bad, you know."

[xivyxx]

That morning was quite busy for a lot of the troupe members. Ivory had wanted to get as much done as she could before the sun had made itself known in the sky, and she had managed to finish things on her end with some time to spare. She had used this time to make her way back to her trailer to try to finish her gift to Aurel. Well.. it was more like her gift to him and the snakes. She knew how much Aurel enjoyed nature, and his trailer quite fit that description. Over the years Ivory had made attempts to help him make his space the most comfortable for the snakes that he could, and what she was making was something that would help with that. She was actually quite looking forward to giving it to him, but it would probably have to wait until morning had passed. It was a bit tedious to carry around.

Lucien had gotten up a bit earlier than everyone else, mostly to get some work done, but because he knew the morning would end up taking up more of his time in a different way. Today was the day Aurel turned twenty-five, and he planned to maintain his tradition of making beingets for him, as he always did every year. He knew Aurel didn't like to make an incredible deal out of his birthday, but he knew this was something he enjoyed. Now that there were more people, he knew he had to make time to make extra batches, especially because he knew Ivory liked to take some back to her trailer to eat later, though she never openly asked for more.

By now he had already made two batches, and was working on the third. That was when he felt someone else join him. Geralt's voice soon followed. He turned slightly toward him.

"Good morning, Geralt." He greeted the man, taking note of his tiredness. By now.. he was a bit used to seeing it, but he couldn't deny that it still worried him even months after the man had joined him. At this point he knew better than to comment on it.

"Ah well, this particular time, I'm not working, so you don't have to worry about that." He said with a chuckle. "This is more of something I'm doing in my free time. Today is Aurel's birthday, you see, and he's quite fond of these." He said, motioning to the beignets. He grabbed a small plate of them, and walked over to the table to set them down.

"Feel free to help yourself, I'm making plenty. It might make a nice accompaniment to your coffee." He told him.