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Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien held back a chuckle at Geralt's response. "Who knows." He responded, amusement clear in his tone.

"Outside of work hours I'm quite willing to share it." The Frenchman did not particularly put too much thought into his responses. He was in a good mood, and sometimes when that happened it was hard to think twice before speaking. Illyana's very much intentional interruption made him aware of that, and caused him to subtly step away from Geralt to face her. It was easy to get carried away sometimes.

"She did, didn't she? This why I enjoy doing this." He said with a bright smile as he looked back out into the water.

It had taken the other trucks a little longer to arrive, considering how fast Geralt had bolted, but Ivory parked the truck in the designated area and got out, Akane quickly following suit.

Akane ran toward the shore of the lake, but could not spot Cora. It seemed she was still underwater.

"Lucien can I join her until the truck gets here?" Akane asked.

The Ringleader nodded. "Of course. It will probably be a little bit before it's been completely cleaned." He said.

The kitsune wasted no time, quickly removing the beach dress she wore and tossing it aside, before running toward the water. The coldness of it didn't bother her in the least, as it was easy for her to adjust to it. Once she was deep enough she dove in, amber eyes beginning to scan for her friend.

As Aurel's truck arrived, the man stepped out of his trucks, and ushered all his snakes out. They were quick to disperse, eager to enjoy the nature of the forest. He smiled slightly before he moved over to the others. His eyes ventured to Lucien's wings for a moment, almost forgetting that this was something Lucien enjoyed doing on these days. How had Geralt reacted? Snake like eyes glanced over at the magician for a moment. He'd have to ask Illyana later.

Unlike the others, Ivory was in no hurry to head anywhere near the water, as she had no plans of going into it. Instead she walked over to a nearby tree and leaned against it, shielded from the sun, but also where she could be watchful of everyone.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien let out a chuckle. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." He responded, before he began to eat his food. He gave the boy an occasional glance. It was clear he preferred the meat on the plate to everything else, considering he started with that first. His pace was still slow, but at least he was eating. He paused for a second as Faolan spoke, and tried to move it out of the way.

"Always long." He responded. The boy had never really had a need to cut his hair, and Johan had never wanted it cut either, saying it would.. help his act.

"I wouldn't force him to cut it, though, doesn't it get in the way?" He asked. The boy only shrugged. He shifted his attention to his lover, and reached up to remove the hair tie that currently held his hair up.

"I hope you don't mind if I borrow this." He said with a slight grin, before getting up and walking over to the boy. "Can I tie it? It will help you eat better." He asked. It would work better for keeping his hair out of his food.

The boy nodded, and Lucien stepped behind him to gather his golden locks. It didn't look very well taken care of before, but after they had cleaned him up the shine of his blond hair really came through. He gently gathered it in his hands and tied it before smiling back at him. "How's that?" He asked the boy, who smiled and nodded.

"Danke." He responded, before pausing for a moment. "Thank you."

Lucien smiled back before returning to his seat. Throughout their day the nephilim had still been trying to think of a name for the boy, but any German names he came up with sounded too rough for him. He felt like the boy deserved a sort of elegant name, to suit his appearance and personality.

"I never thought coming up with a name could be so difficult. I really want to find something suitable for him."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien heard the loud ignition of a truck. That was certainly sooner than he had expected. He turned around as he heard Geralt call out to him, and pulled his wings in slightly against his back, but didn't put them away. He wanted to at least make the most of this chance to have them out freely. Golden eyes trailed across the man's expression, noting his awe, and he couldn't help but smile amusingly. It wasn't a look he was used to seeing on the man. It seemed he realized that, however, and pulled himself together.

"Thank you." He said, before letting out a lighthearted laugh. "Now what would be the fun in that? You seem like the kind of man who does a lot more surprising, forgive me for wanting to.. steal the limelight for a moment?" He said jokingly, eyes trailing back to the lake for a moment. It was likely that Cora was very much enjoying herself right now, and he was glad for it. He retained his smile as his gaze shifted past Geralt to the approaching trucks, aside from Cora's at least. Right now the carnies were in the process of emptying the tank.

"I'm sure today will be filled with few more number of surprises." He added, considering he had not yet seen Cora. It would be interesting to see how Geralt would react to that.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

The boy relaxed, before returning the man's smile. It had been a while since he had genuinely been able to smile like this, but he found it so easy to do around Lucien and Faolan. He let go of the man's shirt and followed his gaze to Lucien.

"Yes." He agreed. It wasn't something he had ever seen anyone do before, something that would just.. make the pain and injuries go away. Was this.. why he felt so at ease around him? He wasn't sure.. but he was okay with that. For the first time in a really long time, Snake actually felt safe.

For a moment he had simply held onto the bread he was given, holding it close and enjoying its warmth. As Faolan spoke again, he looked back down at his bread, before he blew on it, as Lucien had showed him last night, to help make it so he could eat it sooner. He really wanted some of that other food. As he finally took a bite out of his bread, before his eyes trailed to the pot again. He was unsure of how much of the bread he should eat, because he also wanted space for the meat, but still he continued to take small bites.

Lucien placed a hand on Faolan's shoulder for a moment before he took a seat beside him. He had seen how touched Faolan was by the boy's words, and had been moved by the whole exchange. He was truly happy that they had been able to save this child. Even after all of his terrible experiences.. he was still so kind.

"I don't think he's scared of you anymore, Faolan." He told him.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien's smile widened as he gently took hold of Cora's hand and pulled her up slightly, enough to place his other arm under her and quickly lift her out of her trailer.

"I'll see you at the lake Cora!" Akane called out with a wave. Lucien took to the air again, though this time went much higher as he securely held Cora in his arms. He flew over the tree's, letting the mermaid enjoy every minute of it until they finally reached the lake. Golden eyes scanned it, looking for the darker areas of the lake to make sure that Cora wasn't put anywhere shallow. Her chances to have fun with this were rare, so they always tried to make the most of it. He flew over the deepest area he could find, before glancing down at the woman in his arms.

"Are you ready?" He asked. The mermaid eagerly nodded, and then Lucien did as he always did. He tossed Cora into the air, and she elegantly flipped into the water below. He flew down toward the water and let out a small laugh, grabbing the robe she had discarded before he rose to the air once more.

"I hope you enjoy your swim, Cora!" He called out, before flying back toward the shore and gracefully landing on the ground. He folded the robe he held and set it near the shore for when it was time for Cora to return to them.

--

Ivory waited behind the wheel of the truck she drove as they made their stop. She had decided to drive her own trailer this time, since it was a nice change of pace. Lucien had been the one who taught her how to drive, it had.. certainly been an experience, but it had allowed Ivory more options in the future, now that she knew how to do it.

Her eyes trailed up into the sky as she saw Lucien come into view, wings in sight. She couldn't help but lean out a bit from the window, mostly because she wanted to try to see if she could spot Geralt. She knew that this was.. his and Cora's thing, but this time around she really hoped he might have held back. Geralt surely would show more interest in him after seeing such a thing. She'd just.. have to keep a better look out. Spotting the magician get out of the truck, while she could not see his face, she could tell the man was probably surprised. She let out a chuckle, mostly because she wished she could see what he actually looked like at the moment. Seeing him get back into his truck and speed off, Ivory let out an annoyed sigh. It was around then that the truck door opened and Akane came inside.

"I'm sorry about the seat!" She said, considering she was wet. Since Cora's trailer would remain behind for the emptying of the water, Akane didn't have to be back there anymore. Ivory stuck her hand out the window and motioned the other trucks forward, and followed suit, before shaking her head.

"It's fine, it'll dry." She responded.

The kitsune currently wore a dress more suited to the beach over her swimsuit she had already put on before she started helping Cora clean her tank. Ivory on the other hand wore a black, flower print dress that Akane had once convinced her to buy. It would be easier to move around in with the work they had in store, but the dhampir still had her cloak secured on her shoulders. She'd need it.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Snake simply enjoyed the smell of the cooking food for a while, his mouth only beginning to water. He knew that it was sausage, a luxury for him, as it had been something he'd rarely get to eat, and when he did it was always cold, and not even a full piece. He watched Faolan approach him with bread, and gladly took it, glad for it's warmth, before looking up at the man who had attempted to smile. Despite that he could still see.. some of that lingering anger from before.

The boy reached out, and softly grasped the helm of the man's shirt, and weakly tugged. "I.. feel better.. please no upset.." He told him, a small attempt to reassure him. If it was because he had been suffering before that the man was angry, he wanted him to know he wasn't feeling bad anymore. Maybe it would help brighten the man's mood.

Lucien watched this exchange with slight surprise in his expression, eyes shifting from the boy to Faolan, before his expression eased into a smile. He could tell this child's experience with people was limited but.. it was a heartwarming exchange to see, to go out of his way to try to make Faolan feel better. What.. a truly selfless child he was.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for, Illy. Lift your gaze. I know you have my best interest at heart." He told her with a small smile, before reaching out and placing a hand on top of her head.

"I'm sure it will be. Try to enjoy yourself as well. We all need a break, including you." He told her, before placing his hand back on the wheel.

Finally they neared the lake, and Lucien signaled for the train of trucks to stop. They always had to make sure to stop a decent distance from the lake, because when they emptied out the water for Cora's tank, Lucien didn't want the water flowing into it, and instead put it out into the forest where the trees could make use of it. He left the trailer, and Alex was already running over to take his place. He got out of the car, and gave Alex a smile as he replaced him at the wheel.

With that, Lucien turned around and sprouted his wings and flew up into the air as he made his way over to Cora's trailer. The skylight had already been opened, and Lucien gracefully landed at the edge of the opening, wings fluttering behind him. It really did feel good to have them out again. It seemed that Akane and Cora had taken this time to try to clean as much as the tank as they could for the emptying of this. Akane had already handed Cora a robe to wear. Lucien smiled down at them, and extended a hand toward Cora as he bowed slightly in her direction.

"Shall I take you for a flight, my lady?" He said with a small wink.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien nodded in agreement and tried to help Faolan set up. Momentarily he went back to the trailer, to bring out more blankets for the boy and wrap them around him so he'd be sure to stay warm.

Snake watched the two men work, and muttered a thank you to Lucien as he gave him more blankets. His snake like eyes trailed over to Faolan. He took note of how he wasn't really looking in his direction. Was.. he still mad? He thought back to what Lucien had said, he didn't really want Faolan to be upset because of how he was feeling. What Lucien had done made him feel much better. He hadn't even had nausea when Lucien had picked him up. He.. preferred this feeling, to what actually happened when he drank his 'medicine.' It made him feel.. woozy, and while it did calm him, he didn't like the lack of awareness it gave him. At least this way he could perfectly observe his surroundings.

His nose twitched as the food began to be heated. He could catch the scent of meat again, and his eyes sparkled in anticipation.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien glanced down at Illyana as she spoke, knowing exactly what Illyana was referring to. Honestly for a moment he had forgotten about the fact Geralt was now with them.. but he wasn't sure whether he wanted to hold back just because of that. He was about to find out Cora was a mermaid anyway, did it really matter if he found out what he was? Everyone knew already, and honestly this had become a little tradition for him.

Flying Cora over to the lake had come to be something the mermaid really enjoyed. It wasn't everyday that one got to fly, and the opportunity with reason was rare.

"I don't see why not. He'll find out one way or another, and Cora really enjoys this. I see no reason to hide just because he is here. This circus is supposed to be a place where we can all be ourselves, you know that." His tone wasn't reproachful in anyway, he just wanted Illyana to understand.

"Plus.. I hardly get the chance to do it nowadays." He said with a small sigh as they continued on the road, a hint of nostalgia in his tone. Since they had started this circus, the reasons or circumstances for Lucien to be able to fly had become rare. He was always so busy, and the night of break he took he technically spent healing. Unless he decided to go out for a 'walk' into a nearby forest to fly around, there wasn't really a reason to do so. It was unfortunate really. While he regretted nothing of their current situation, he missed the days where they had mostly spent their days in nature and he was able to fly as he pleased. While Illy had never really been a fan of doing it, as a kid Aurel had always enjoyed the experience.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien nodded in silent agreement. He wasn't sure if it would really work long term, since any time he had healed withdrawals, he had never stuck around the town long enough to find out what became of them. He supposed... now he'd find out.

"Is he.. angry?" The boy asked quietly as Faolan left the trailer, causing the nephilim to look back at him.

"He's not angry with you, he's just upset of what that place has done to you. Faolan.. has a very kind heart. He doesn't like to see people suffer." He said in a gentle tone. "Neither do I. I'm going to use my skill to help you feel better, but I'm unsure of how long it will last. If you begin to feel the symptoms return, please let me know, because we might have to find another way to deal with them." He explained to the boy in German.

He nodded quietly, and Lucien placed a hand on his forehead, slowly beginning to heal the boy's symptoms. He could tell that it was helping based on the boy's expression, and eventually pulled away.

"Is that better?" He asked.

"It is.. thank you.."

"Alright, let's go have some breakfast okay? And then after that, when it gets warmer, we can do a bit more swimming. We want to get that strength in your legs back as soon as possible. Can I pick you up?" He asked.

The boy nodded and extended his arms toward him, causing Lucien to smile a bit as he picked the boy up and headed outside, placing him on a log that was near their campfire, where Faolan was already setting up breakfast.

"It worked for now, I told him to let me know whenever he felt off again though.. and that we'd figure things out from there." Lucien explained.