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

The year is 1935, travelling Carnivales are all the rage with the locals of rural villages and large cities alike. The end of the war has left refugees from all around the world without a safe home to go back to, so many have traveled to take up residence in America, where opportunities await. These opportunities are few and far between, it seems, but many discover this far too late. Carnivales have become a refuge for those outcasts with nowhere else to go. Shows turn freaks into wonders, and witchcraft into mystical magic tricks. Most of these Carnivales and Circuses and made up of regular humans, making their way in the world by plying their trade with card tricks, contortionism, high-flying acrobatics, and zaney costumes. However, while not all that glitters is gold, there is the sparkle amongst some troupes of a few diamonds in the rough...

Some Carnivales are more than a safe space for the refugees of war-torn Europe, and have become a haven for those forgotten creatures of myth and legend. Fairies, mermaids, shape-changers, seers, and even creatures with a touch of the divine, have begun troupes of travelling tricksters, earning their keep while hiding in plain sight. Cirque D'étoiles is one such family of misfits, cobbled together with the remnants of children's stories and the creatures that lurk in the dark. It's ringleader, Lucien, started his family after travelling to the US with a new-found friend, with the hopes that his Circus could become a safe place for others like them.

These are their stories...[bum bum]

(You may refer to the OOC thread for scenes of the past before the Circus was founded)

[xivyxx]

The ringleader let out a small sigh as he looked through the financial statements for these past two weeks. His name was Lucien. He was a decently tall man, with fair skin. His jet black hair went a little past his ears, with a few longer strands reaching his shoulder-blades. Some could say he had a been of a feminine look to him, somehow allowing him to pull off being 'pretty' and handsome at the same time. To this day he still didn't know how to feel about it. One of his most striking features were his beautiful golden eyes, not to mention an incredibly charming, charismatic smile. That smile however, was nowhere to be found at the moment.

The amount he had added up was a lot less than he would have liked. He had grown used to having such a small amount of profit.. with the current financial situation, there weren't very many people going out of their way to go see carnival performances. They had families to feed, for that he couldn't blame them. However.. he also had people who relied on this money for survival. He too had mouths to feed, and it wasn't looking good. There just wasn't enough surplus.. and they also needed money for travel. The recent loss of their acrobats did not help the situation. Granted, he was happy that they had decided to start a family, leaving the circus for that was a wise choice, so they could seek a much more stable income, but it was not particularly the best time for them.

They needed something more. They needed a new act, one that could attract people to their shows once more. Something that would make it worthwhile for them to leave their homes in the current financial crisis. With how tense the situation was.. he wanted nothing more than to be able to put a smile on people's faces, give them a reason to smile, even through the harsh times they were going through.

It was not the first time he had contemplated this. A few months prior, Illyana, his fortune teller and right hand when it came to decision making, had a vision, of quite the famous magician. At the time, he had highly considered looking for him, but Illyana had been incredibly against it. She had never steered him wrong before, so he had trusted her word and let it go but now.. they were a little more desperate. Perhaps the addition of someone as famous as he was what they needed.

Another heavy sigh escaped him. The nephilim rose from his chair and headed to the door of his trailer. His eyes scanned the area, seeing one of the humans, the carnies that worked here.

"Alex." He called out. "Would you be so kind as to go fetch Illyana for me? I wish to speak with her."

"Course', be back in a jiffy." He said before running off to find her.

With that over with, Lucien went back inside, and waited. He knew that she would probably not be pleased with his decision but.. at this point, their options were limited. For everyone's sake, he had to do something. He was not about to let his people starve.

[FreckersFrog]

The Carnival grounds were buzzing with activity; men rushing to and fro with tarps, chairs, poles, coils or rope, all of the pieces that built their private world of mystique and intrigue. They were about half-way done taking everything down, they would be ready to move in just a couple of hours time. Alex rushed through them, bobbing and weaving through the activity toward a trailer near the opposite side of the field that the troupe had carved out for their shows, games, and wondrous reveals. This trailer was small, modest, dark blue and painted with tiny silver and gold stars and moons, with a sign posted above the door that read "Diseur de Bonne Aventure".

Inside, Illyana was busy packing her trunks and securing her belongings inside of locked cabinets and drawers, so they did not spill out on the road. Dark brown bangs tumbled across her forehead, a bit of red peaking through at the roots. She was sleight of build, pale, with almond-shaped eyes and a spattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She wore simple clothing, an olive-green dress with long sleeves, stockings and brown travelling boots. A cloche hat of matching color and material sat on the table at her side. Looking at her now, she appeared as a completely ordinary maiden in her late teens, but those who knew her well were well-aware of her particular set of skills and the identifying feature that gave her away.

A knock at her trailer door startled her, and she dropped a reading lamp that she had been about to secure on a hook above her bed. The lamp would have crashed to the floor and shattered, had it not landed upon a pillow that had been placed in the middle of the floor at her feet, just where the lamp had fallen. After checking to be sure it was still in working order, she hung it on the hook and reached for her hat.

"Miss? You in?" Alex yelled through the thin wooden door.

"Just a moment!" Illy called back as she secured the hat on her head, hiding her red roots and her forehead in the process.

Having to get back to work, Alex simply called back, "S'alright, miss. I'm off, but Master Lucien asked to speak with ya'." He waited just a moment to hear confirmation that his message was received, which Illy gave, and turned on his heel to help some men deconstruct the big-top.

Illyana exited her trailer, shutting the door carefully behind her, and made her way across the grounds to Lucien's trailer. While it was the largest of them, it was not so large to be obnoxious or commanding. It was a pale sky blue, dotted with clouds, and a rising sun in the top left corner. Illyana approached the door, confidently, but with a look of trepidation.

She knocked curtly and quietly, but entered before being asked. She was expected. She hung in the doorway, looking in at the Circus' Ringleader and guardian. "You asked for me?" She said, politely but with no hesitance. She knew what this was about.

[xivyxx]

Lucien leaned back on his chair, simply waiting for her to arrive. Even though it had only taken a couple minutes, it felt like much longer to him. There were too many things for him to consider at the moment. Their destination, for one, was a very important one. They couldn't afford to make a mistake this time around. They needed a successful set of shows. If finding this magician could get them this then, he'd be willing to take the risk. Golden eyes shifted toward the door, hearing the familiar knock. He didn't have to say anything, as the door then opened, revealing Illyana.

"Come on in, please, do take a seat." He said, motioning over to one of the chairs across his desk. His trailer didn't hold many unnecessary things. There was the 'office' side to his trailer, holding his desk, a couple chairs for visitors, and a few filing cabinets for organization's sake. He liked to keep things organized. Aside from that, all he had was his bed, and a simple, comfortable couch for him to do his reading in. The ringleader had a modest life growing up, he didn't really see the need to have more than he needed.

"I assume you already know what this is about." He told her, eyes trailing to the financial statements he had previously been reviewing. He pushed them slightly in her direction so she could look through them herself, and let out a small sigh.

"It's not good. We've never had a deficit this large. Even if we hit the next town.. I'm afraid we might not make enough to feed everyone, and cover travelling expenses on top of that. I cannot let things continue like this, not this time. I know that you are not a fan of the idea but.. We need him, Illy." It was clear that this was not incredibly easy for him to ask. It hadn't been the first time he had played with the idea, but he didn't know what else to do. It wasn't even for the fame and fortune, he knew something like this was necessary, and getting someone as well known as him was one of the best ways he could think of to grab the public's attention.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana waited to be asked to enter before letting herself fully inside, and closed the door behind her. She moved to the chair and took a seat, folding her hands in her lap and attempting to keep her expression blank. There was a twinge, one so slight that only those who knew her well could pick up on it, of trepidation. Her mouth remained relaxed, but there was tension in her brow.

She tilted her head in acknowledgement of his assumption, although she had only guessed, not "known" in the way he implied. She touched the edge of the rough pages with the tips of her fingers, leaning forward slightly to read them more closely. With no attempt to hide it further, her brow furrowed even more, but this time with concern. Lucien was absolutely right; the troupe was in even more trouble than she thought. He hid is concerns from the carnies well. They had three, maybe five if they stretched it, more days on the road before they would have to stop again. The price of gas for the trucks and trailers alone would nearly run them dry, not to mention enough food to feed everyone.

Illyana was silent as Lucien spoke, mulling the situation over in her head. He was right again, "not a fan" didn't even really begin to cover her feelings on the matter of which they were now speaking. But, they were stuck.

They lay at a literal crossroads; up the track a bit, maybe a couple of miles, there was a split. East would take them to Allentown, a small and rural farming town with barely two pennies to rub together, but it was closer by about a day's journey. To the west, was Graston, a larger city center with some industry and more coin to go around, but the farther of the two. If they chose Allentown, they may be able to scrounge enough coin to move on toward the coast, but if they didn't get anything there they would be stranded. If they made it to Graston, they would certainly hit a bigger payload...but all their supplies would barely get them there. It would be Graston and bust, and if they made nothing from their haul there...well, Illy didn't want to think about it.

She shook her head and pushed the papers away slowly, biting her bottom lip. There was silence between the two of them for a moment before she spoke, choosing her words. "I know what's at stake, and I still think this is a bad idea." She then raised her eyes to the Ringleader, almost imploring him to go back in time and not ask this of her, "It's never been that way before, the way it was with him...it was just...wrong." She'd told him in detail about what had happened, shared everything, and with that came its cost. The allure of the coin may just be too powerful for any of them to resist, and she knew if they were stranded somewhere, she would never see her sister again, but still something sinister gnawed at her. Just the thought of it gave her the heebies all over again.

[xivyxx]

Lucien could tell, just by expression alone, that Illyana knew exactly how bad their situation was, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. He knew her well enough. He didn't mind the silence that followed, letting Illyana continue to contemplate. He didn't want to rush her on this. Her opinion was important to him. The addition of the fortune teller had allowed him to find plenty more people for their circus. It wasn't just about the show. It was a lot more than that for the ringleader. This was their home, to some, it was all the family they had. That was why this situation was a lot more stressful for him than he outwardly showed. He didn't want to worry everyone.

When Illy finally spoke up, he let out a small sigh. He averted his gaze briefly, aware that accepting this would be difficult. "I understand that. You know it was why I dropped it. I do trust your instinct, but I honestly do not know what else I can do.." Lucien was not particularly sure if his words would be enough to get her to agree to this. After all he needed her help if they would even have a slim chance of finding him. Without her cooperation this would get them nowhere, and he didn't want to force her into it either.

His expression grew pensive as he weighed his options. A reasonable agreement for both of them. He did not want his desperation to lead him into making a decision that could put the rest of the members at risk. These were his people, and he was responsible for them. He was quite determined to protect them. He lightly tapped his index finger against the top of his desk as he contemplated his options. Perhaps if he reassured her of with how he planned to approach this, she might be more inclined to agree.

Finally, the nephilim broke the silence. "I do not wish to be reckless about this. First of all, we do not even know where he is. If he's too far for us to reach him with our current resources, then it's not worth seeking him. Could I at least ask you to pin point his current location? If he happens to be close, then I wish to go find him. I want to judge for myself what kind of man he is. If I feel he is too dangerous, then I will not ask him to join us. If he isn't then.. I'd like to give him a chance. You know I do not do this for greed. It's out of necessity, Illy. Too many people rely on us." He glanced toward one of the windows in his trailer at he spoke, vaguely seeing a couple of the carnies going to aid in finishing taking down one of the larger tents. He wanted to give these people their best chance, and that was not something he could do if he could not even afford to feed them or provide them with a decent wage.

[FreckersFrog]

Illy listened politely to all Lucien had to say. He was right, she knew this of course, but something inside of her was so against this that it made it hard for her to accept. Is this what it had come to? The night of the vision had been a hard one, and thinking about where they were left now brought back those memories full-force.

She had never seen or felt anything like it before. She was trapped in an orb that loomed down over the subject, and it felt like her whole body was on fire and frozen at the same time. It was as if she was buried under mounds of molten rock, immobile and unable to break the vision on her own. This was the first and only time since that she had been a silent, distant observer, but still inhabiting something or someone. The scene before her was not a particularly nasty one: just a man, sipping some acrid drink and chatting up a woman, loose by the sight of her. He smirked devilishly, a smile that would make any other woman swoon as it had his current prospect, but one that made Illyana's skin crawl. The vision flashed into several other scenes in rapid succession at the same time as this: the man on a stage pandering to a captive crowd, counting fist-fulls of green with that same smirk, watching women walk by coffee shops with empty eyes, and something just on the edge of her vision, the man in tears maybe? Either that or cackling maniacally, but it had been too blurry to make out fully.

And as soon as it appeared, the vision was gone. She had come out of it gasping for air in the middle of the night, holding her throat, feeling as though she had been paralyzed for years and had just woken from a coma. Of course, this was never the case, the vision had been thirty seconds at most. But to her it felt like an eternity at the bottom of a ice-cold lake.

She slowly drew her fingers into a tight fist as Lucien finished speaking, her eyes set on the table. She needn't check the man's location, she'd known where he was ever since the vision weeks ago. "He's is Graston." She said this matter-of-factly, all semblance of anger had leaked from her voice.

She stood then, and raised her eyes to Lucien once more, "I know this is something we must do...that you wouldn't ask unless it was serious. And it is." She let a sigh escape her lips, "I suggest we ask everyone. If we are to ask him to join us, they ought to have a say." She turned her body toward the door of the trailer. Clearly, 'no' was not an answer that was on the table.

[xivyxx]

Lucien quirked a brow at her response. He was at Graston? That might have been the best outcome they could have possibly had. At the moment, Graston was their biggest chance at making enough coin to continue on their travels. The other options would have held a lot more risk. In all honesty it was pushing it, they might just barely make it with what they had, but if that's where they were going, they would hopefully be able to make it all up, and if things really worked out in their favor, they might have acquired themselves a new member, and perhaps have found a way to get out of their current struggle. It was, as some people said, killing two birds with one stone, though it wasn't a saying he was all too fond of.

"Thank you, Illy." He told her as she rose to his feet. He followed suit, deciding he would go a few of the others himself. Everyone else was currently busy with packing everything up.

"Would you mind getting Ivory and Aurel for me?" He asked her, figuring he could go get Cora and Akane. Knowing Ivory, she might have dragged Aurel off to do something with her in order to avoid doing work during the day. He didn't particularly blame her, knowing her disdain for doing excessive work during the day. He couldn't say he approved of her dragging Aurel into her slacking however. At the very least he saw no need to scold her, since he knew she had at the very least packed up her own things.

He watched Illy run off to go get the pair, and he walked out of his trailer to go get their mermaid. It didn't take long for him to catch sight of the vibrant, turquoise colored trailer. It was decorated with white swirls, intended to mimic the pattern of waves. He encouraged the performers to get their trailers painted with whatever it was they liked. It would be their living space after all, he wanted them to feel comfortable in it. Stepping up to her trailer, he gave it a knock.

"Cora? It's Lucien. I'm calling a bit of a group meeting." He called out. The nephilim made no move to go inside, wanting to give the mermaid her own privacy in getting ready. While he waited, his eyes scanned the clearing. It seemed they were just past halfway done in packing everything up. He would have to settle on his decision soon, he only hoped the others would be in agreement.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana nodded as Lucien followed her out the door, and nodded again in acceptance of his request. It would be about an hour before everyone was ready to move, by the looks of things outside, she had plenty of time to fetch Aurel and Ivory and have a discussion about their prospects. While she knew it irrational and unlikely, she only hoped that someone would side with her in this. She was sure the group would decide what was in their best interests...maybe this was just her way of stalling the inevitable.

She made off in the direction of Ivory's trailer, a short walk from the Ringmaster's door. It was close quarters here, life on the road required that everyone get comfy very quickly. There had been some friction between members at first, but that was all but gone now. Family was the best word to describe them, even if they didn't always agree.

Ivory's trailer stood out among the rest only because it was a flatter color than many of the other members of the troupe. It was a dark blue, with scrolling designs tracing across the top of it, outlined in bright red. A foreboding sight to some, which Illyana was sure
was a conscious choice by its inhabitant. The mousy girl made her way to the front door, and smelled a whiff of laziness before she even approached it. She walked up, listened for just a moment, and knocked rather stoutly against the frame, waiting for a response.

----------------------------------------

Cora had been spending her days as she did most others, floating lazily in her tank and awaiting some form of interaction. This was her usual mode of operation during the pack-up, she wasn't of much use to anyone outside anyway. Heavy lifting really wasn't her forte. She had just been drifting off into a nap in the over-warm and musty waters, when she heard a rapping at her door.

Immediately, the sounds of splashing could be heard from outside of the trailer, followed by the distinct squeaking of skin against wet, smooth metal, some rummaging, and a cool clear voice calling from inside, "Just a moment!" Politeness and pleasantries did not come naturally to her, this line was something she was parroting from Lucien and Illy's lessons as anyone who listened close enough could decipher from the jilted and stiff way it exited her lips. Still though, her voice always brought a calming sensation over those who heard it, as welcome as a cool ocean breeze on a warm summer day.

There was a bit of a wait, but sounds of quiet thrashing and rummaging could be heard from inside of the trailer. A giggle here, a grunt there, and eventually the door opened to reveal the troupe's resident Mermaid.

Cora was gorgeous, in a word. Long strands of bright brown hair framed her perfectly symmetrical face and porcelain skin. Her eyes were large, the color of warm honey and dancing sunlight. Her lips were full and freshly pink, and her body was slender and long-limbed. Standing, she would have been above the average height of most women of the age, but currently, and usually, she was seated in a wheelchair, looking down at the ring master with raised eyebrows. She wore a loose-fitting white gown and a blanket to cover her legs, and appeared to be entirely damp from head to foot. In fact, the gown was so wet that it was almost completely sheer. If one looked around her, they would see that inside, the trailer was a complete disaster; clothes and books were strewn about the floor, along with other knickknacks and baubles, with a clear path through the debris leading from the wall of water behind her to the doorway for the chair. The scent of mildew wafted from inside, not rot, just old water.

"A meeting!? What took you so long to come and get me? I hope no one was waiting long." Cora said excitedly, her pleasantries seemingly forgotten in the wake of interpersonal interaction. Her slender hands gripped the wheels of her chair and tilted her forward down the ramp that was currently occupied by Lucien. "Close the door behind me, will ya'?" She paused as the wheels touched dirt and looked back over her shoulder at the Nephilim, "Oh, please." she said, and smiled wide to show perfectly straight pearly white teeth.

[xivyxx]

"I'm afraid you've lost this round." A small chuckle escaped the pale woman as she set five cards down on the table. A straight flush. Blue eyes looked on in amusement as her opponent sulked, having lost once more. Luck was not on his side today. All he had to offer was two pairs.

On one side of the table, sat Ivory. The woman had snow-white colored hair that went down just past her shoulders. Normally she had piercing blue eyes, whose color could turn to a deep crimson in a moment of deep irritation, or hunger. Hunger for what you ask? Well blood of course. The woman was half-vampire, a dhampir, as some would say. She was quite beautiful, and while at first glance once wouldn't be able to tell, she was incredibly fit. Her particular set of skills required quite a good amount of strength, some of which she naturally had, being what she was. But on days where she simply partook in human food, it was good to have that defining strength regardless of her current state.

Across the table sat their little snake hybrid, Aurel. He had hazel green eyes that sometimes appeared yellow if it was viewed at a specific angle in the sunlight. His long blond hair was currently tied up, because of how hot it was outside. Small patches of scales adorned certain parts of his otherwise unblemished skin, that sometimes shimmered in an opalescent green in the bright sun. He was clearly displeased with having lost yet another round. His eyes glanced up at her and then back down with a furrowed brow, as if trying to assure his loss.

"Am I just bad at this game? Or does fortune simply favor you?" He asked with a small sigh as the woman began to deal a new set of cards. Aurel enjoyed playing these sorts of games with her. Even if he ended up losing a lot of the time. Perhaps he was just had a terrible pokerface? He felt at least he got better with each try. He had been helping a couple of the carnies take down one of the tents near his trailer when Ivory had asked him if he wanted to play with her. He had hesitated at first, but he was told to go ahead. The couple snakes he had on his person probably preferred being inside than out there in the heat anyway, with all the moving around he was doing. Currently he had a small smooth green wrapped around his wrist, while a much larger black rat snake rested lazily around his shoulders, his chosen companions for the day.

Ivory chuckled. "Perhaps it's both. Worry not, I'm sure you'll get better with time. I would first work on not completely furrowing your brow when you have nothing good to set down." She said, picking up the cards she had dealt to herself and briefly glancing over them. The poor guy really did have a terrible pokerface. She could tell when he was thinking to hard and contemplating his next course of action. It was adorable in a way, but it really did give him completely away. She hoped to teach him how to not wear his emotions on his sleeve, at the very least poker was a good start, but it would be a slow process. For now, she would simply enjoy her victory. It was surely a good way to pass the time while the others finished their work. She had done everything she needed to, but once the sun had began shining brightly in the sky, she had decided it was time to take her leave. It wasn't like she couldn't be out there working in it, but she simply didn't want to. It seemed like the men had the rest quite handled, so she didn't see a need to linger. Instead, she decided to drag Aurel into a card game. An easy feat.

"I wasn't aware I was that obvious. I could swear that I was doing a decent job." Aurel said with a small sigh.

"No.. it wass quite terrible.." Jade hissed from her place at his wrist, causing him to sigh.

"I could use a little bit of support, Jade." He protested, causing the other snake around his shoulders to stir. This one he had named Ebony.

"I'm ssure you'll beat her next time." Ebony tried to encourage, causing him to smile in at least a little bit of satisfaction.

"It's so interesting how you can understand them. It all sounds like hissing to me." Ivory commented, having been observing the so called conversation. She had grown quite used to Aurel having conversations with his snakes. She couldn't call him crazy, because it was quite clear that they could understand each other, that much she had seen from both his performances and other conversations he had overheard. Before Aurel was given a chance to respond, there was a knock at their door. "Come in~" Ivory called out, truly hoping she wasn't needed for anything. It seemed her hopes were in vain, as her visitor seemed to be Illyana of all people. She didn't usually go out of her way to see her unless she or Lucien needed something.

"Ah, Illy. Would you like to join us for a game? I think Aurel could use someone else at the table." She said amusingly.

[xivyxx]

Lucien waited patiently as Cora got ready. He was used to hearing the shuffling throughout her room, and even more so used to the mess she left behind. Through the early days he had offered to help her tidy up on occasion but, now he saw there wasn't much point to it. It always ended up the same. Eyes trailed back to the door as he heard it open. He was quick to step out of the way so she could go down the ramp without worrying about running him over. He let out a small chuckle at her words.

"Worry not, Cora. The meeting hasn't started yet. Illy's currently off getting Ivory and Aurel." He attempted to reassure her. Briefly glancing over her, he held back a sigh at seeing her current state of dress. While he was sure she didn't mind going around like this, it wasn't particularly appropriate. As he moved to close the door to her trailer, he picked up a shawl that was sprawled out across the ground, and closed the door behind him.

"Hope you don't mind if I put this on you. I'm sure in your hurry to get ready you might have forgotten more.. appropriate attire?" He asked as he wrapped it around the upper half of her body. His tone wasn't accusing, more so casual. It wasn't the first, nor the last time, that he would probably have to do this. His hands then gripped the handles of her wheelchair as he began to push her through the clearing.

"I actually have to find Akane as well but I'm not quite sure where she is." He commented. That one was a little harder to find. She wasn't always just simply at her trailer. If anything, the curious little fox could be spotted running around and watching the carnies work, or even helping at times, but considering she didn't always look exactly like herself, it made her a little harder to spot.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana heard a bit of one-sided conversation from Aurel before opening the door, no doubt he was conversing with his serpentine companions. She glanced about the darkened room, squinting to make out details, her eyes had adjusted to the morning sun and were not ready to be greeted by the oppressive darkness inside of Ivory's trailer. The bright sun cut through the room from the break in the door, touching the pale skin of Aurel, which was about all she could make out until her eyes adjusted.

Although, she didn't really need to see to be able to tell what the two of them had been doing. It wasn't the first time that Ivory had convinced Aurel to abandon the day's work for a game of cards out of the sun. The light-haired "Dhampir" had claimed that the sun did not agree with her complexion, which Illyana thought was a bit of an overstatement, but she wasn't about to share this opinion with her knife-throwing cohort.

After a half second for her eyes to adjust, Illy squinted in Ivory's direction and shook her head, "No time, Lucien and I would like to see everyone. At his place." She paused a moment before turning away and added, "Besides, I don't think you'd want to play with me anyway." She couldn't help but relax into a half-smirk at this, but only for a moment before fading back into a neutral expression. A card game with Illy would be pointless for her opponent. Not that she would ever actively use her abilities to win; most of the time, knowledge came to her whether she wanted it or not.

She turned back toward the outside, leaving the door ajar as she stepped away, awaiting her companions in the beating sun outside.

-------------------------------------

Cora had already begun to wheel herself around the corner of the trailer when Lucien stopped her to drape the shawl around her shoulders. She looked down at herself briefly before smiling up at him, "Oh, sorry, I forgot." Although, she wasn't usually paying attention to her clothes regardless. Teaching Cora the value of modesty had been difficult after fifty-plus years of carefree living under the sea, and she wasn't the best at dressing herself now that she was on land. Finding clothes was usually Illy's department, or Akane if she was available. Despite Aurel and Lucien's kindness, she preferred the company of other females. This was a product of her upbringing, those of her race were female-only. She hadn't even known that men existed until she had come to the surface.

She adjusted the shawl as Lucien took the handles of her chair and began to push her towards the center of the field. The bright sun beamed down on them from above, and she immediately felt her skin and hair begin to dry. This wasn't comfortable for her in the slightest, but her land-locked guardians knew this. She trusted they would not keep her outside for too long.

When Lucien mentioned Akane, she smiled brightly at the thought of her friend. She shielded her eyes with her hand and scanned the grounds before her. Men moved about carrying sacks of things, long skinny poles, heavy pieces of wood, and bags slung over shoulders. Through the bustle, she saw the flash of Akane's bright red hair and pointed excitedly in her direction. "There, I found her!" She chirped excitedly over her shoulder at Lucien and leaned forward in her chair unconsciously.

"Oh!" She said, suddenly, and looked over her shoulder again. "I wanted to ask you, is there any chance I can get a refill soon? It's starting to get pretty tart in there..." She thought that was the right word, she had heard some of the Carnies say it before. Her tank was refilled whenever the troupe came across a large enough body of water that could spare some of its moisture for their travelling mermaid. Typically, this happened about once a month, sometimes three weeks if she was lucky, but it had been nearly two months since she had seen fresh water in her tank. Not only was the smell of mildew permeating the inside of her trailer and her clothes, algae was starting to grow in the corners of the tank, and it was getting harder to breathe in there with every passing day. It wouldn't hurt her at all not to have fresh water, but it was a matter of comfort.

[xivyxx]

Ivory was not particularly surprised at the response she had received, figuring they were needed for something. Her comment on the game however did cause her to let out a chuckle.

"On the contrary, I'd find it quite satisfying if I could still achieve victory despite that sight of yours. Though, there are other games that can be played where that wouldn't help you. You should join us sometime, I'm sure that trailer of yours gets lonely at times." She commented, before rising from her seat. Aurel had already moved to attempt to put away the cards, but she held up her hand to stop him. "Don't clean up just yet, we might be able to pick off where we left off." She walked around the table as she spoke, grabbing her black cloak which she threw over her shoulders, pulling the hood over her head. If she was going to go out into that bright sun, this was the least she would have preferred to wear.

"I agree with Ivory, you should definitely play with us next time." Aurel piqued in as he followed the two women out of the door of the trailer, closing the door behind him. While Aurel enjoyed playing these games with Ivory, he also quite liked spending time with his other circus mates. Growing up snakes had really been his only company, and his previous circus was not particularly... as nice as this one. He liked how everyone got a long here. It was like a family, and it was something he truly appreciated, having somewhere to belong.

As Ivory stepped out of her trailer, she squinted her eyes slightly at the burning sun. It wasn't like it hurt her in any way... but she did find it incredibly annoying, especially for her eyes. It was simply too bright. Being out in it for an incredibly extensive periods of time did end up tiring her out a little. A long nap usually followed such an endeavor. Was it out of tiredness, or laziness? One wouldn't be able to get a direct answer to that question.

"So what does Lucien want? It's not often he calls us all together." Ivory asked curiously.

--

Lucien figured that was the case. He couldn't really blame her really, knowing how her people lived. Regardless, he knew he couldn't just let her go out like this in public, he didn't want anything to happen that might end up making her feel uncomfortable. The carnies knew better, but one could never be sure. He made of point of assuring the safety of every one of his members. His eyes darted back down to Cora at her sudden exclamation, however he did not hesitate in his response. "Yes of course, I'll look at the map later and see where the nearest body of water is closest to our next destination." He responded, knowing how important it was to try to get that done as often as they were able. That was the end of that conversation, as Cora seemed to have spotted Akane.

"Good eyes, that saves us time." He told her with a smile, before raising his voice to call out to the other woman. "Akane! He called out.

The kitsune had been out and about. Her bright, crimson colored hair, which faded into a firey orange could be seen among some of the carnies, a discerning feature being the long fox ears that rested at the top of her hair. Considering only the carnies were around, there wasn't any need to hide them. At first glance she appeared to be a woman who held an elegance, most prevalent when she performed. Those that knew her however knew better. Her attitude didn't quite match up with her appearance. Her eyes burned with a spark that held an undeniable curiosity and excitement for everything that was going on around her, almost like a young teenager would, especially when it came to discovering new things. Despite the fact she had lived much longer than a lot of the people in the circus, there were still many things she had to, and was quite willing to, learn about.

At the very moment, Akane was in quite the good mood. She had lifted a bit of the helm of her summer dress, and within it she carried a variety of different tools that the carnies needed to pull apart some of the poles that secured the tents. She had taken the task upon herself to hand them the things they needed so they could finish much faster. She was excited to be on the road again, to see where they might go next. It was as she was running to the next tent to retrieve some of the tools that she heard Lucien call out to her. The kitsune's ears twitched, as she glanced in his direction, smiling upon seeing Cora was with him. She'd usually be in her tank around this time with all the cleaning up going on, so it made her curious as to if something was happening.

"I hope you don't mind if I leave this here, Lucien's calling for me!" She told Steve, who gave her a glance. "Tis' fine, thanks for the help." He replied, taking the tools from her before Akane hurried across to where the ringmaster and Cora were.

"Good morning you two! Do you need me for something?" She asked.

Lucien nodded slightly. "Yes, you and the others. I'm calling a bit of a group meeting in my trailer." Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see that Illy had already grabbed the other two. Normally he would have waited for them so they could all walk there together, but he didn't really want to leave Cora out in the sun for too long. It was much better for her to be inside in this kind of weather, so he decided to go ahead and continue their walk back to his trailer.

"Ah! I see, how exciting." She said, before turning to her other friend. "I'm glad to see you out and about this morning, Cora! I was planning to pay you a visit after I helped around a little more." The kitsune told her with a smile.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana turned a slight smile toward Ivory at her comment, and then at Aurel when he echoed it, a little surprised at the invitation. Trying her best to hide the intrigue on her face, she nodded, "Oh, I usually prefer to read quietly to myself. But...thank you, I might stop by some time." She tried her best to be casual, but it could be hard for her. She grew up expected to be neither seen, nor heard by her parents and existed mostly as a ghost in her own home. Occasionally she forgot that others may enjoy her company. And Ivory was right, she was sure that if anyone could come up with a game that cold trump her abilities, it was the dhampir.

They set off together across the grounds, Ivory in her cloak and Aurel walking lightly beside them as usual. They were a motley crew, but somehow they had all made it work. In answer to her cohort's question, Illy looked over her shoulder, "I asked for it, actually. It has to do with our next stop. There's a crossroads ahead, and we've some decisions to make." She thought it wise to leave the part about their finances out of it until they were all together, no need to rattle anyone just yet.

----------------------------

Cora smiled brightly as they approached her friend. While everyone had intrigued her greatly upon their first meetings, it was Akane that she had been most interested in. She had never heard of small creatures with fur-covered bodies before, aside from humans, so her ears and tails had been of particular interest. Cora had never felt anything as soft in her life. Well, maybe aside from sea moss.

She also admired Akane's willingness to help outside with all of the packing up. She and Illy were always offering to do something for someone, Cora only wished she could offer the same. It really was just easier for everyone if she stayed out of the way.

"A group meeting, we haven't had one of those in lots of moons!" She paused, "Oops, I mean days." She chuckled as they started again toward the ringleader's trailer. "It's good to see you too, Akane, how nice of you to be helping! I would have loved a visit, but coming outside for a little to see everyone is way better. Oh, did you hear, maybe I'll get a refill soon! Then it won't be so uncomfortable in there for everyone." Her smile widened as a rare cool breeze brushed her cheek.

[xivyxx]

It was clear that Illyana was a little surprised at the invitation. It was partially why she had decided to offer. She didn't think it hurt to offer this to her. While Ivory did not appear to be the most considerate at first glance, she actually did quite enjoy spending her time with other people. It wasn't a luxury she used to have, considering her mother had always kept her locked up and had hardly ever let her outside. That however, was not an issue any longer. Now she had freedom. She could do whatever she wanted, speak to whomever she felt like, and befriend whoever she found interesting. Considering the people that this circus held, there were definitely a lot of interesting people around.

"We shall eagerly be waiting for your visit then." She told her, pulling her hood a little more over her head. At the response to her question, she raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I see."

--

Akane let out a small chuckle. "Right?! It's all official-like." She commented a little amusingly, before her smile widened. "They seemed to be struggling a little, I'm not particularly good at taking things apart like they are but, I figured I could at least hand them a couple tools." While the kitsune was not the strongest person around, she was pretty fast and nimble. At least in running around like that, she felt like she could be helpful. She could definitely outrun any of the carnies any day, but she did have an advantage, so she supposed it wasn't all that surprising. They were only human after all.

Her ears perked up upon receiving news of the refill. While it was quite a bit of work, she was happy for Cora because she'd be able to have a much cleaner tank. It definitely made spending time there much easier when they didn't have to worry about that smell. Usually she tried not to let that stop her, but she did have quite a sharp nose, so sometimes it was a little difficult.

"That's great! I'm happy to hear that. After you get it we should all have a little get together and celebrate!" She exclaimed.

--

Lucien was quiet as Cora and Akane spoke, not wanting to interrupt them. Honestly he always found their exchanges a little heartwarming. They were definitely the most lighthearted of the group. It was hard to stay in a sour mood with these two around. He honestly hoped going to Graston would give them the income they needed, so they could have a proper little celebration. It was around that time that they arrived at his trailer. Cora hadn't wasted much time in lifting her arms in expectation for someone to pick her up. He let out a small chuckle and carefully placed an arm around her back, while his other hooked under her legs as he easily picked her up from her chair. Akane was nice enough to open the door for him, and they then headed inside, leaving the door open so the others could just come inside. He didn't particularly mind that his clothes had gotten wet as a result. With this heat, they'd probably dry soon.

The nephilim set Cora down on the chair. On his desk there was already a large jug of water, which he would use when he was feeling particularly parched. However after the addition of Cora, it had also become water he had always kept around in case they needed to dampen her up again. Lucien then walked to the opposing corner of the room, grabbing two more chairs and unfolding them near his desk for the others to have a seat. Akane didn't sit however, leaning her arms on the back of Cora's chair, waiting for the other three to arrive. He then made his way around the desk and took a seat upon his chair. Not much time had passed before Illyana, Ivory, and Aurel had entered his trailer. He waited for them all to take their seats before he decided to speak up.

"I know meetings like this aren't incredibly common, but we have a decision to make, and Illy thought it best to ask what your take on it is. We have two options at the moment, Allentown and Graston. To be perfectly honest, Allentown is probably not the best choice. The town itself does not have very much to offer. Graston on the other hand.. definitely has more potential. Right now we're in a bit of a tight financial situation... This stop did not make us as much as we needed to have a profit.. Of course, this is not any of you guy's fault. This town was just not as not well off as we might have hoped.." He muttered.

"With.. the way things are now, I feel that we need more. We all know how the Depression is affecting people. Not everyone's first instinct is to want to go to a circus that's in town when many are struggling to feed their families. I don't want that to discourage us. I believe some people need some entertainment in their lives to let loose and take their minds off of the current problems they are facing. A few months back, Illy had a vision of a man. He is very well known among people as an incredibly talented magician. I have a small suspicion he's actually the real deal, and that he might be a warlock. His name might be enough to get people to want to come see us.. if we get him to join us." He explained, before motioning to Illyana so she could explain her side of things. He didn't want his own bias to impact the decisions the others made.

[FreckersFrog]

Cora clapped her hands together in excitement at Akane's suggestion, "That would be wonderful! Maybe then we can finally teach Illy how to swim!" Because it was harder for her to get out, she had gotten used to people coming to her when she needed company or for requests like meetings and the like, but there was no reason to make her trailer any more uncomfortable to be in than it already was. Maybe she could try to clean up a little, too.

Cora spotted the rest of the troupe heading toward Lucien's trailer, and greeted them by waving and shouting, "Hi there, everyone! Ready for the meeting?" As soon as they stopped, she held her arms up to Lucien, expecting someone to carry her inside, as was the custom. She could pull herself up and into a chair, but Illy always pointed out that she would get dirty if she did that, so she had accepted the alternative enthusiastically.

Illyana responded to Cora's excitement with a wave, trying her best to smile. The tension of the moment had caught up with her, and she was starting to feel the pressure of it. She knew she would have to explain her side of things, and try to get across the severity of the situation. It was hard for her to articulate her feelings, she had never gotten used to that as a child.

She entered the trailer last, motioning for her two companions to enter before she closed the door behind them. Once Lucien began speaking, she listened intently although she already knew what he had to say. The thought of telling her side loomed ever closer, and when it came, she swallow the lump in her throat and began in a voice more confident than even she was expecting:

"First, I want to say that Lucien is absolutely right about the dire straights we find ourselves in. The haul in Kellville was significantly less than we were hoping...less than we needed. We may be in the most difficult position we've been in in a long time. The way things are going for us, the choice seems obvious...but other factors caused me to want to make sure everyone was involved in this decision before it's made.

Graston is larger, has more people, which means it'll have more coin for us. The problem is, we have already hit Graston this circuit, so we'd be making a big loop. We all know what it can be like visiting a town for the second time through. If we can get this new act...it may be our saving grace. Again, this seems obvious...but, I have a bad feeling about this man, this 'warlock'."

Illy paused and surveyed the room, taking a deep breathe to calm herself before continuing. The memory brought a cold sweat to her forehead, even in the hundred degree weather, she felt a chill. "It's hard to describe the way that I 'see' things...it can come in a lot of different ways. But, when I 'saw' him...it shook me. There was something off, something wrong about the whole thing, about him. I don't know what it was, and I don't know if I'll ever know," as her eyes scanned the room, they fell on Ivory for a brief moment longer than the rest, before she dropped them back to her feet. She shifted her stance, gripping her left elbow with her right hand as she continued on. "All I know for sure is that this man is dangerous. His name is Geralt the Great, some of you may have heard of him around the grounds or in town on the circuit. Most people think he's a myth now, he's supposed to have been practicing magic for almost a hundred years now, which, as you know would be impossible for any regular human. But I know he's real, because I saw him. I have no doubt of his abilities, and if we recruit him, and if he agrees, he has the potential to bring in a haul like we've never seen before. Enough to get us further West," she threw a meaningful glance towards Lucien at this, "if that's where we'd want to go...I just, if we do this, I wanted everyone to know the risks." She ended a little abruptly, leaving her eyes pinned to the wood of the table. She had had the floor for far too long.

[xivyxx]

They finally reached Lucien's trailer. From a distance she had already seen that Cora and Akane had already arrived. At Cora's enthusiastic waving, she simply waved back, while Aurel smiled widely and waved with almost equal enthusiasm. She took a seat on one of the chairs once they went inside. Lucien was good at hiding his worry but, it was a lot easier to see when he started explaining the situation to them. She raised her eyebrows slightly. Honestly it had been clear that the head count this time around had been a lot lower than they were used to. So.. it had finally reached that point. Honestly she had already heard about this vision that Illyana had. It wasn't usual for her to come ask her for advice in regards to her visions, but this time around she had been glad she had decided to share. She had asked her what she thought the man might be, whether he was some sort of vampire or any other creature, but she had shared her doubts.

It wasn't like Ivory was all that knowledgeable on vampires to begin with. All she knew was what she had learned from her mother. Vampires were arrogant bastards who used their charms and good looks to bed whoever they wanted, uncaring of the consequences. From her experience, most men appeared to be like that. She didn't trust any of them, Lucien and Aurel being the exceptions. The deception was what her mother had been a 'victim' of, something she had never hesitated to share in her outbursts of rage for having conceived the child of such a devil. If that man was a vampire, she wanted nothing to do with him, but she wasn't sure whether that was the case. Regardless, she hadn't wanted to disregard the gut feeling Illyana had in regards to him. She wasn't sure if she wanted someone around who could potentially endanger the place she called home. She glanced at Illyana as she had explained her side of things, most of which she had already heard of. It was quite clear she didn't want to seek the help of this man, but it didn't seem like they had very many options.

Lucien shifted his glance back to the others, having caught the look Illyana had given him. He knew how important it was for them to be able to move on for her. It was because she hadn't wanted to do this despite her reasons that he knew he should listen to the gut feeling she was having. "Knowing this, going to Graston is a risk, if we don't end up recruiting this man. However, I don't want to let our dire situation blind my judgement. I do plan to see he is like with my own eyes, and judge him accordingly. If I feel he really is too dangerous, I will not ask him to join us, though that might leave us in a bit of a tighter spot when it comes to performing there again.." He said with a sigh.

Aurel didn't know what to feel. It seemed that Illyana felt strongly about her thoughts on this man. The thought that he could be bad and be brought here of all places was a little scary to think of. He had confidence that Lucien wouldn't let anything happen to them, but he was still unsure. Everyone here had been very friendly to him, and he wasn't sure if this so called Geralt would do the same. Still.. it was clear that the situation was dire. He knew how important money was for their circus to survive. Aurel could feed himself through hunting with the snakes but.. he knew that wasn't the case for everyone. The thought of them running out of money and not being able to function anymore scared him. He didn't want to lose his home, or any of the friends he had made here.

"The situation.. sounds scary. I don't want us to not be able to function as we do anymore. If you feel that this decision is necessary.. then I'm okay with it. I trust your judgement, especially if your plan is to speak to him first." Aurel told them.

Akane shifted her gaze from Lucien to Aurel as they spoke. This whole thing sounded pretty serious. What would happen if they ran out of funds? Would they not be able to travel together anymore? The kitsune didn't want that. She still felt like there was so much for her to see, a lot more people to meet. Was that worth taking the risk of recruiting a potentially bad man? She didn't think so. While she trusted Illyana's vision.. she felt like the man could at least be given a chance. Knowing Lucien planned to talk to him first was a little more reassuring.

"I agree with Aurel. If he's a bad man, there's a bunch of us, we can totally take him!" She exclaimed.

Ivory let out a small sigh at Akane's words and crossed her arms, a pensive expression on her face. She wasn't wrong, they did outnumber this man, but depending on what he really was, that fact might not even matter. The thought of Lucien going alone to talk to this man didn't sit well with her either.

"I'll be honest, I don't like it. I believe in Ilyana's intuition. I don't think it's ever steered you wrong before. If she feels this man is someone we should be wary of, then we should approach this carefully. If you decide to go speak to him, then allow me to go with you. I assume you wouldn't be taking the entire troupe with you to do this, so at least allow me to watch your back and also judge this man for myself. It would definitely make me feel better about it" She said. Compared to the others, she assumed she might be the best choice. Akane and Aurel were both capable of defending themselves in their own way but.. they could be a little naive at times. They were always willing to see the best in people. In this type of situation, she figured it might cloud a bit of their judgement. Illyana well.. didn't have much of a method of defending herself physically, and well.. Cora was Cora. She thought this best.

[FreckersFrog]

Cora looked back and forth between Lucien, Illyana and the rest of the troupe with large inquisitive eyes. She was taking in everything they were saying, but honestly for her it was a bit overwhelming. Since she had joined Cirque D'étoiles, she had never been asked to join or give input in a meeting of this caliber. It made her feel important and welcome, but also it worried her. From what she understood about how things worked on land, money was exchanged for things like food, gas to run the trucks, clothes, and lots of other things. It sounded like they would be out of money, and thus out of all of these things, unless they made this man join their troupe. When Illyana had explained how recruitment to the circus worked, it seemed more about rescuing or helping people, like they had with her. They must be desperate if they were leaving this strategy behind.

She blinked slowly as the others talked, and waited until Ivory was finished before adding, "It sounds like we need him. I mean...I trust Illyana too," she looked to the girl then for reassurance, "But you even sound like you know that we need to do this..."

Illyana's eyes moved over the room. She heard everyone's reasons, and even though she agreed with them, this choice was not an easy one to make. The whole thing just made her uneasy. She looked at Ivory, a little surprised when she offered to go along, but grateful. She had planned on accompanying Lucien to town for the act, but felt a small weight lifted from her shoulders when Ivory volunteered first. If she was to meet this man, she wanted to do it in a place that she felt most comfortable.

Once everyone had finished their say, she nodded resolutely. "It's decided then, we go to Graston, and we ask Geralt to join us." Her eyes fell on Lucien then, no longer pleading, she had accepted the decision of her peers. "He won't say no. Even if it seems like he will, he won't."

[xivyxx]

Lucien was incredibly relieved to receive the majority's agreement. He was glad that Ivory had decided to go with him. Usually it would be Illyana who would come with him, but considering her feelings on this whole situation, he did not want to force her to meet this man so quickly. Ivory had a keen eye. Having her around would surely be beneficial, even if he thought she might be a little biased at times. He knew how wary she could be of men, though he could not really blame her for that.

"I appreciate the faith you all put in me. I swear I will not let you down." He told them, rising to his feet as he removed his top hat, giving his troupe a small bow before he placed it atop his head once more.

"Oh no need to be so formal Lucien!" Akane exclaimed.

"Have you met our ringleader? It would be unusual if he wasn't." Ivory commented, very light amusement in her eyes.

Lucien let out a small chuckle as he took a seat again. They weren't wrong. It was simply part of the upbringing he had. The nephilim opened the top drawer of his desk, pulling out a map that he spread across the table. He figured since that decision was made, he could look and see if there was a body of water nearby where they could also refill Cora's tank. He trailed a finger across the road they would take.

"There's a decently sized lake a little past Graston. Once we do what we have to do, hopefully we can stop by there and get Cora that refill she more than readily deserves." He said. If everything worked out the way he hoped they would, then they would have made a decent amount of coin and would have enough to continue their journey, along with a new member. Knowing that Geralt was not likely to refuse him was at least a little alleviating. It made everything feel.. a little less risky.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana had felt a weight lift from her shoulders. It wasn't relief, just that she felt like a hurtle had been jumped. She couldn't help but smile lightly at Lucien's flourish and Akane's comment. They really were something, this troupe. They were almost a family...almost.

"Let's not forget that Lucien's formalities help pay the bills, just as much as the rest of us." She smiled over the group, crossing her arms across her chest and then letting her eyes drop in modesty.

Cora smiled as well; walkers were silly, especially these ones. The mention of her refill brightened her eyes and widened her smile immediately. She was about to respond, leaning forward in her chair, when she hesitated and looked back at Illy. Her smile faded and eyebrows raised in an expression of concern at her friend's body language and she reached out to lay a cool hand on Illy's elbow. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Illyana? I trust you, if you don't like it, maybe it's not such a good idea."

Illyana nearly started at the contact from Cora, not out of fear, but out of surprise. She looked down at the beautiful woman, her face wrought with worry, and sighed quietly. "Oh Cora," she said, laying a hand on top of her friend's, "It's okay. I trust you all too, this is the right decision. And..." she glanced up around the room one more, "We'll protect each other, just like always." It was a strange and rare sight to see Illyana so optimistic, especially after nearly the entire troupe had openly disagreed with her recommendation, but she truly felt better about it now that they had all spoken. Or, that's what she told herself, though that gnawing feeling remained in the back of her skull.

Cora smiled and squeezed Illy's elbow before turning her gaze to the rest of the room as well, "Of course we'll protect each other. And after we get fresh water, we can all have a celebration about all the money we'll get!" She beamed across the small room at her companions.

[xivyxx]

Ivory glanced over at Illyana and Cora at their small exchange. She couldn't blame her apprehension, considering she knew exactly how much this vision had impacted her back when it had first happened. It made her a little wary too, to be perfectly honest. Putting the carnies aside, she did trust every member of this troupe. The possibility of there being one among them who might not deserve that trust was a little unsettling. She wasn't afraid, not for herself, but there were others here she felt could easily fall victim to a manipulative man. She would have to be on the look out for all of them. She had a strong desire to protect the peace they had.

"We will! I might not be the strongest man around but.. my snakes will be on the look out for anything dangerous, I promise!" Aurel attempted to provide some small amount of reassurance. Since coming here, his reptilian friends had grown more accustomed to humans, and had also learned to put a bit of trust in them. Everyone here had been incredibly nice to him after all, and the snakes appreciated that. Lucien was always nice enough to make sure the snakes were well taken care of and comfortable as well. He knew how important they all were to him. That's why he was so willing to put his faith in him.

Akane smiled widely and wrapped her arms around both Cora and Illyana, pulling them close, uncaring of the dampness the contact with the mermaid created.

"Oh most definitely! I'm looking forward to it! Everyone will have to come! Including you, Illy! We all have to have fun together!" She exclaimed.

Lucien smiled warmly at the displays of trust and affection among his troupe. This was one of his favorite parts of running a place like this, being able to see such connections between people.

"If all goes well, I would be completely alright with a little celebration, in moderation of course." He said. Considering they were currently in a deficit, he didn't want them to go too crazy, but at the same time he didn't want to deny them the rights to celebrate. With everything that was happening, they deserved a chance to just have a little fun.

"Well, with all that out of the way, I must go check on how it's going out there and see if we'll be ready to set out soon. All of you feel free to return to your trailers or do as you will. Cora, would you like me to take you back?" He asked, wanting to make sure of what the mermaid wanted to do before he left the trailer.

"Oh I can take her back if you want! Gives us more time to hang out!" Akane said, glancing down at Cora with a smile.

"We'll be sure she gets back safely, so go do what you do Lucien." Ivory piqued in, figuring there was no need for him to remain if he had other things to do.

Lucien nodded, rising from his chair once more and then headed for the door. As he passed Illyana, he placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, an attempt to reassure her, that everything would be alright. He gave them all a small smile, before he left his trailer. It seemed the carnies were just about done in having taken everything apart. The only thing that was left was loading it all up into the trucks.