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Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien nodded to Illyana, before turning back to Geralt. He raised an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing as Geralt put away his flask. He wasn't about to condemn the man for drinking, as long as he wasn't doing it on the road.

"Of course, I will gather everyone before we go to show them the direction. Normally following each other is no issue, but one never knows." He said, quickly finishing the last of his coffee before he walked over and took the two remaining croissants. He needed at least some form of nourishment for the morning after his long night.

With that settled, everyone remaining dispersed to get out of the carnies' way as they began to take apart the mess area. Lucien bid his adieu and went back to his trailer to secure some last minute things, before heading back out and doing some final overseeing before everything had eventually been put properly away. He gathered the drivers to give them instruction to their next location, before everyone scattered once more to head to their respective trucks. The Ringleader wasn't nearly as busy as last time, so he actually had time to drive his own trailer. He waited for Illy to join him before he gave the signal, and they finally hit the road.

The travel was not incredibly long, but for Lucien it was silent. Illyana was buried in her book throughout the entire drive, and while Lucien might have been willing to make small talk with her, he knew exactly what it was she was doing, and he figured she wouldn't want to talk about it further. It was.. unfortunate really. He felt the atmosphere between them used to be much more relaxed. He really hoped that Illyana would end up letting this go, or at least easing up a little about it.

The lake was only about fifty minutes out from town. They were lucky this had been a fairly isolated area, as it was much easier to do what they had to do without worry of regular people spotting them. Regardless, Lucien was never too careful. They stopped about five minutes from their destination, as some of the other carnies motioned the line of cars to stop. Lucien called Alex and James forward, who were in charge of their smaller truck.

"Could you two drive ahead and scout the area?" He asked them. They were quick to nod.

"Aye boss, we'll be back in a jiffy." Alex said before they drove off ahead. This was normal for them. He always wanted to make sure the coast was clear before they went, considering Cora always loved to make the most of her time at the lake or rivers they would stop at. Upon their return, he was reassured that there was no one around.

"Alright. Alex, when we get a good distance from the lake, come take over for me will you?" He asked, smiling slightly in the direction of Cora's trailer before getting back into his trailer to continue on their way. At this Alex nodded, before running off back to the truck he was in charge of.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien smiled as he saw how excited some of the members were to be having this party, even the carnies seemed to have brightened in mood. He was glad for it, as this was what he hoped to achieve from this little get together. This would be the first time Cora would be able to enjoy a full blown get together, considering the previous one hadn't been nearly as large, so he hoped that the mermaid would also get to enjoy herself this time around.

"It's a bit of a tradition of ours, I do hope that you'll be able to enjoy yourself." He told Geralt, before looking back at the others.

"Once everything is packed up, I'll show the drivers the map so we all know how to get there, just in case. We've got only a little bit to go, so let's get this packed up." He said, clapping his hands. The carnies were quick to go off to put their pay away, and then they would begin to take things down as usual.

"We're going to make sure everything in Cora's trailer is secured!" She had been drinking the coffee as Lucien spoke. The heat of it didn't really bother her too much, considering. "Thank you for the coffee, Geralt." She told him with a smile, before extending her hand for Cora to take and then pulling her along toward her trailer. Since they didn't want to get in the way of the carnies, they decided to just drink it over there.

"I suppose I'll go get ready as well." Ivory said, holding the dark blue pouch Lucien had given her. There were a lot more things among her trailer that she had to make sure wouldn't be falling off the walls during their drive. Aurel took his leave as well, leaving only him, Illy, and Geralt.

It was then the ringleader turned his attention back to the magician. "Geralt, can you drive? If not, I can have a carnie drive your trailer for you. Some people prefer to drive themselves, others prefer to stay inside their trailers during the drive, so it's really up to you." He told the man. Most of the trailers were driven in pairs. His trailer, along with Ivory and Cora's, had trucks attached to them. Cora's trailer held a lot, so her's was usually pulled on its own. Akane's trailer was attached to Ivory's, even though the kitsune typically road with Cora during their journeys. Illyana's was attached to his, and Aurel's trailer was attached to the old R.V. that was used as Faolan's trailer, which was now completely covered up in a black tarp. Since Geralt now held the trailer that used to belong to their acrobats, his stood with it's own respective truck.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien was quick on his feet as he heard that the boy wasn't feeling well. At Faolan's words, he glanced over to him, his worry reflected clearly in his eyes. He crouched next to Faolan as he responded to his question, attention now on the child who was tightly bundled in blankets.

There was a small surge of anger as Faolan explained what he thought was happening. He was familiar with withdrawals, as it was something he had seen plenty of times in the past. Some people had even come to him to attempt to get it healed. He remembered that Faolan had told him he smelled alcohol when they had first met the child but.. to think he had been given so much that it would have reached this point. No child should have ever had to experience this.

"Can I help you sit up? Faolan told me you're feeling unwell, I wish to help you." He told him in German. The boy nodded slowly, and sat up a little. He could tell he was a bit sweaty, and his face was flushed. Some snakes moved out of the way as the boy fully sat up. He hadn't rushed him, as sudden movements might make his nausea worse. After asking for permission, Lucien checked his temperature, and he confirmed the boy had a fever. Before knowing how to proceed, he'd want to know exactly what they were dealing with here.

"How often do you feel this way?" He asked him.

"Usually.. during our travels.. during our performance stops Johan would give me something to drink to make it go away.. said it was medicine.. it did help.." The boy responded.

Lucien tensed slightly, trying to hold back his anger at the boy's response. Had that ringleader knowingly gave the boy alcohol even though he knew he was becoming addicted to it? He was afraid of the answer, but decided to ask anyway. He needed to know how long this had been happening.

"This.. medicine how long have you been taking it?"

"About... a year I think? It helped.. to stay calm.." The boy shifted uncomfortably as he spoke, it was clear he didn't to talk about this anymore. The response only angered him further, but he tried his best to keep his expression clear.

"I see..." How much had this child actually endured in that terrible place? He.. simply didn't want to imagine it. He pulled back, not wanting to make the boy more uncomfortable with his questions, before turning to Faolan and explaining what he had been told.

"Do you think I should heal it?" He asked him. The last thing he wanted was to make the boy suffer, but he wasn't sure if it would be a permanent solution if alcohol was something his body was used to receiving. One time most likely would not be enough.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien glanced down at the mug of coffee with raised brows. It was exactly how he took it, and it brought a small smile to his lips.

"Thank you." He said, though set it down momentarily to hand Akane her pay, which was held in a red pouch.

"Thanks!" She said, before glancing over to Geralt again. It wasn't incredibly often she had coffee, but it was a certainly new taste that she had experienced while among humans. She found her taste buds weren't too picky when it came to it, but she had come to like just the right amount of cream, not to sweet not to bitter. It certainly left her.. energized, not that she really needed it, but considering what they'd be doing today, perhaps it wouldn't hurt.

It was around then that Ivory arrived, followed by Illy and the carnies. He took a moment to distribute the remaining pay among everyone before he went back to the table and picked up his coffee, taking a sip before speaking.

"Good work everyone, we have made very good time today. In terms of our next destination, we are headed toward the lake that is somewhat close in proximity before we head off toward our next town." He said, before taking a small glance in Geralt's direction.

"Everyone had worked hard, even in these troubled times, and I think you all deserve a small break, and time to relax. After the refills are finished, I think it would be nice to have.. a bit of a celebration, both to welcome our newest member, Geralt--" He said, pausing to lift his mug slightly in Geralt's direction. "And for everyone's good work, so I hope you all look forward to it." He said with a smile.

Akane's eyes brightened at this. She absolutely loved when they had parties. They were so fun, and they hadn't really gotten to hold one in a while. From her experience, this was somewhat normal when welcoming new members, she had received one, as had Cora when she had opened up a little more, in an attempt to make the mermaid feel more at ease around them. She hoped this would also help them get to know Geralt a little better, so she was quite excited. Plus, she loved seeing how happy Cora would get when they made their lake visits.

This was also something Aurel was looking forward to, not only for his snakes but for himself. Nature was something they didn't get to enjoy as much as they used to, before the circus, so the man appreciated these chances. A welcoming for Geralt was quite normal as well, considering the precedents. He hoped this would allow them a chance to get to know a bit more about him.

Ivory was not as pleased as everyone else, but she didn't show it in her expression. She had been looking forward to their stop, but it was unfortunate that now they had to dedicate a bit of that celebration to Geralt. She was quite sure he'd love the attention. Maybe this would make him slip? With the atmosphere of a party.. maybe they'd be able to figure something out. She'd have to see. Regardless she wouldn't let it ruin her day. She'd be sure to enjoy the celebration as much as everyone else. While not super big on parties, she knew everyone could use this chance to unwind.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Snake looked up at the man's hand as he asked. It was.. strange.. to be asked such a thing. No one at the circus ever asked him permission for anything. They just did whatever they wanted, so it was strange to actually be.. asked for once. He nodded slightly, feeling the warm contact of his hand before he had pulled back.

"Head hurts.. cold.. feel um.. krank." He switched to German at the end.. mostly because he couldn't find the right word in English for the feeling of nausea he knew he'd have.

--

The sound of Faolan's voice roused Lucien from his sleep. Almost instinctively his hand had reached out to feel the empty spot where Faolan would have normally been, and him not being there was what caused him to open his eyes. They had found his lover quickly, kneeling next to the boy's cot. Right.. he hadn't at the front of the RV that night.

Lucien sat up. Considering it was odd to see Faolan willingly interacting with the boy, he wondered if something was wrong.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, getting out of the bed.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien was relieved to receive no complaint from Geralt, though part of him hadn't expected one so openly. That was good at least. He found the man's actions a bit hard to predict when it came to this, considering their first meeting. Of course the man had noticed his tiredness, he was quite observant, he didn't really find the need to get defensive about it. Everyone knew he went out on the last night, and while no one knew for how long or what he was doing, they never questioned it. It was just how much they trusted him. It made him feel a little bad.. considering but.. this wasn't something he wanted to share with them. Putting aside the fact that he knew Aurel and Illy would want him to stop, he didn't want everyone else to feel pressured to try harder because of it.

"I would be happy to have some, thank you." He said, pausing for a moment. "Though I must say you look a little weary yourself, today is going to be a bit of a busy day, I do hope you'll feel up for it." He told them, considering the current plans.

It was then he saw Cora and Akane's approach, and he smiled in their direction as he greeted them good morning. They were both in a very bright mood, most likely looking forward to their next destination.

"Good morning!" Akane greeted everyone, she had been busy going around helping the carnies prior to going to see Cora, so she hadn't ran into Geralt yet. He seemed tired, but it seemed at least his mood had improved from yesterday, that was good.

---

Ivory had been at her desk when Illyana knocked, looking through some of the materials she had available for her crafts. Since they would be stopping by the lake, she was looking forward to seeing what else she might find to work with.

"Alright." She called out in response, before rising from her chair and grabbing her cloak before exiting her trailer and heading to the mess area.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Snake was startled slightly by Faolan's voice, but relaxed a little soon after, he hadn't expected it. He shifted the blanket slightly so he could see the man who was speaking to him. He was unsure of what to tell him at first. He knew how he could make it go away but.. he also didn't want to be a bother to them, not after they had saved him.

He nodded to him before speaking up. "Fine... this normal.." He responded.

"You should tell them, child. Or you won't be able to feel better." One of the snakes spoke up. Most of them were bundled within the blankets, but a few others had settled in other parts of the trailer, hanging off some things. At least they had made themselves comfortable. If he didn't tell them maybe they would worry? But then Lucien seemed to have some sort of ability to make his discomfort go away.. maybe he could ask for that?

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Aurel could feel Bengal tense as Geralt reached toward him, and that made him lean slightly away, worried about what could happen. It was Illy's approach that had disrupted their conversation, much to his relief.

"Good morning, Illy." It was obvious from the way she spoke that she was trying to disrupt whatever conversation had been happening. He'd have to make sure to tell her later that it was fine, but probably let her know that Geralt was trying to find out who Faolan was.. that wasn't really something either of them would want him to know. He wasn't given much time to say anything else, as Illyana then went off on her way. Thankfully, Lucien was approaching, meaning their previous conversation would now be over.

"Good morning Aurel, Geralt." He greeted the two of them, eyes following Illyana briefly. She had left quite fast. Looking back at the two men, he took note of Geralt's exhaustion. It was definitely stronger than his own, for a moment it worried him, but he didn't ask about it, considering he knew that the man wanted to go out last night. Stil.. he had noticed that the man never particularly looked well rested.. he'd definitely bring it up if he began to see it happen more often.

"Good morning." Aurel greeted with a small smile.

Lucien did not sit down immediately, but reached into the bag he held and pulled out two pouches of coin, a light green one and a black one.

"Here you are, your pay for this circuit." He told them both, handing them their respective pouches. "I foresee that our next town visit will go much better than this one, considering this was our second visit to this town." He knew that Geralt was probably used to seeing much larger profit, but this time around he hoped he'd made due with what he had received. They had to work their way up, and he really did have higher hopes for their next visit. Lucien was at least satisfied that what they had made had been enough to get them out of the danger zone.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien held back a chuckle at his silence, noting Faolan's light embarrassment. Even through his silent, he knew the Irishman was happy about what he had said.

They had stayed around the campfire for a little while longer before they began to clean up to get ready for bed. He had picked the child up to take him back to the trailer before placing him back on the cot. The snakes had crawled back by then and had settled around him. It was still a sight he’d have to get used to.

In terms of sleeping arrangements, he knew they’d have to change it up a little. He tried to convince Faolan to sleep on the bed, but he had none of it, saying he’d sleep in the passenger seat instead. His lover was a stubborn man, so he let it go. He could not deny that he missed Faolan’s presence beside him.

He hadn’t fallen asleep immediately, keeping an eye on the boy to make sure he was comfortable and able to sleep well. It was only when he was sure the boy had fallen asleep that Lucien had done the same.

—

Snake had woken up the next morning with a strong headache. Throughout the night he had wrapped the blankets he had been given tightly around himself.. but it had not eased the coldness he felt as he still trembled under his blankets. This.. had almost become a normal for the boy.. at least.. for the days he did not have to perform, while on the road, this always happened to him. He didn’t want to sit up because he felt that he’d get nauseous, and so he tightened the blankets around himself.

Part of him had almost forgotten. The way the circus worked had always been the same. They traveled, he drank, he performed, and then they traveled again. That time gap between travels was when he always felt this way.. because he didn’t drink. He knew the feeling would go away if it did but.. would they give him any? Johan had always called it his medicine, because it would help him feel better, but he wouldn’t let him have it while on the road because it would be ‘wasteful,’ and it had to be saved for when he needed it. This made him scared of what might happen now that he now longer had access to it.

”Are you feeling it?” The snake at his side asked, causing him to nod.

”Y-Yeah..” He responded quietly.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Aurel tensed as Geralt mentioned the drawing, embarrassment clouding his features. He sometimes forgot that Lucien still had that hung up in his room... It had really shown the difference in his skill when it came to drawing landscape and people.. He had told Lucien he didn't need to keep it, after all it had been so long, but of course the man kept it, stating he quite liked the drawing. It was just like him.

"Er.. yeah.." He responded awkwardly.

He couldn't help but avert his gaze at his question. It was likely that Lucien had told him it was Illy, since he wasn't sure if the magician could come to that conclusion on his own, considering the appearance she now held. Had he asked Lucien about Faolan? If so, how had he answered? If he was asking him now.. then it meant he hadn't told him. He didn't want to share more than he had to in regards to that.

"He's not here.." He said.

--

Lucien watched Illyana go at a quickened pace, watchful for a moment before he headed back to his trailer. He hoped that Geralt wasn't making Aurel uncomfortable.. but from what he could see it didn't seem like that was the case. He was sure Aurel would say something to him if he was bothering him.

Upon entering his trailer, he gathered the pouches of money and placed them in a larger bag, before heading out toward the mess area. Seeing Oswald nearby, he called out to him, and told him to send word out to the carnies, to shorten Illy's task.