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

[xivyxx]

Lucien's gaze was filled with small amusement as he looked at Faolan. This was the most he had ever seen the Irishman smile, and knowing that he was one of the reasons made him feel happy.

"You're quite welcome." He told him as he began to eat his food as well. "By the way, I called off both of my jobs today, so we can spend the rest of the day together." He told him.

"Sounds good." Faolan responded, with that same smile that Lucien was beginning to believe he might never get enough of. There was a bit of silence as they continued to eat their food. Faolan was clearly hungry, so he didn't want to disturb him too much. His thoughts wandered a little, to last night.. to everything that had happened. There were some things he still had questions about.. but he had been to caught up in the.. moment to really ask them of him. It was only when Faolan was almost finished that he finally decided to speak.

"Hey Faolan.. do you mind if I ask you something?" He asked him, pushing the last two pieces of bacon he held in his direction. The Irishman had gone through his food quite quickly. He only nodded, which prompted Lucien to speak again.

"Last night.. you said.. that you were scared.. why?" His tone was soft as he spoke. There weren't many things he could imagine Faolan being afraid of.. aside what he already knew.. so he couldn't help but wonder. If they were going to be together from now on well.. he wanted to know these things, because he wanted to know how he could put the man at ease. He didn't want him to have to worry about things on his own anymore.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan had quite literally wolfed his food down, barely stopping to breathe and sip the milk that Lucien had brought. When his plate was clean, he still felt as though he could eat a bit more, but was not about to tell Lucien that. He nearly blushed when the Frenchman pushed the last two pieces of bacon toward him, but took them anyway and nodded his thanks.

As he finished them off, he nodded in response to Lucien's question. Although he could tell that he would not like the question he was about to be asked by the tone in Lucien's voice, he knew that the Frenchman would not do this without good reason. He downed the last of the milk, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The smile that had been present on his face throughout the night and morning was gone now as Lucien finished his inquiry.

He knew that eventually he would have to explain this,. it was best to get it out of the way now. Although Lucien was more worldly than he had ever been, especially in these last two months, Faolan knew there was much of the world that he had not seen. Lucien was so carefree and optimistic that darkness had seemingly avoided him in his life since his childhood, and Faolan felt sorry that he had to hang a shadow over him now.

He looked into the grain of the table as he spoke, memories flooding through his brain as he thought of the answer to Lucien's question. He knew not how to begin except to just say it, "Do you remember what those women said to us outside their house that night...what they called me?" Although that night had been only two months ago, Faolan felt as though it was a distant memory now that he was sitting here with Lucien, wearing only a towel. The two of them had come a long way in one night, it had just taken Faolan two months to work up the nerve to take the first step.

Lucien grimaced a little at Faolan's words. He remembered that night clear as day, and he still regretted not being able to say anything in the Irishman's defense. "I do.." He muttered. "I'm sorry that I said nothing in your defense that day.. I don't think you were completely in the wrong.. I had just wanted to get us out of that situation as soon as possible.." He said a little dejectedly.

Faolan merely shook his head, "No, Lucien, you did the right thing." he reached across the table and placed a hand on top of the Nephilim's, squeezing his chill fingers. "The world is...a cruel place for people like me." he paused, fully realizing what he was finally admitting, "People like us."

There was a paused as Faolan withdrew his hand, trying to come up with the right words to express what he meant without being too...harsh. "I've known for a long time that I was...different. I tried for years to keep it hidden, buried so deep that even I forgot. But...then I met you." He looked back at Lucien then, and smiled before continuing. "As a lad, I tried it with girls but...I knew that something wasn't right...in me," he laid a hand on his chest. "It wasn't wrong, I see that now, but it felt wrong then. I was told all my life that it was," he said this part very quietly, "for two men to lay together. I've seen men beaten, killed...worse, for just others thinkin' that they were...funny." He paused again, glancing out the window to see the passersby in the street below; men and women walking together, and two women together, or else alone, or with children. Nowhere did he see two men walking together as he and Lucien did. "There was a boy in town, when I was young. His mum caught him, I don't know, with pictures of men, adults. But the rumor started that he was doing things...to kids." he looked back at Lucien. "I knew him, since I were a lad. He never did any of the things he said, else he would have done it to me." he dropped his gaze and looked out the window once more. "They hanged him. He was thirteen."

[xivyxx]

Thinking back to that day, Lucien knew that the women had been completely out of line, and he wished he could go back to stop himself from having accepted to do something so foolish, considering the women's intentions were clear. Faolan's hand brought him a bit of comfort, and he turned it to link his fingers through his, accepting his warmth before the man eventually pulled away.

Lucien listened quietly as Faolan spoke, listening to every word. Growing up he had never put too much thought into these things. He had what he learned growing up in the church, and he knew what people typically viewed as wrong, but he had simply never saw it that way. There had been.. something inside him that kept him from fully believing that to be a fact. He hadn't really put much thought into it after that.. as he had never actively sought any sort of relationship, or had been tempted to either.. until he had realized his feelings for Faolan.

He lowered his gaze as Faolan spoke. He couldn't believe how terribly these people had reacted. He was completely appalled by the mere thought. It was nauseating.

"But.. he was just a boy.." He said quietly. An innocent child who was barely old enough to really understand what he was doing. Lucien had liked to believe that he was no longer the same naive Frenchman he was that had gotten off that boat. He was aware that there were those who viewed this negatively, considering the insults that he had received from those Englishmen, and those women, but he had never seen it in action for himself, but to think people could just.. get away with something like that. It was a terrible thought.

Not once throughout this whole endeavor had the thought occurred to him that their decision could place them in danger. There was nothing of course that the humans could do to hurt him, but Faolan was another story. He was strong yes.. but that didn't mean he couldn't be hurt. He had seen it for himself back at the boat.. it was possible if people had the right tools available to them. Just the thought of that possibility brought a sickening feeling to his stomach. Had Faolan had to grow up afraid that the same thing could happen to him one day?

"What those people did.. it's wrong." He said, his gaze finally shifting from his now empty plate to the man he loved.

"Is this.. what you were worried about? That the same thing might happen to you..? To us?" He asked, reaching out to take his hand again.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan felt his heart being squeezed as he heard the agony in Lucien's tone. He hadn't meant to frighten him or cause him any pain, but he needed Lucien to know that, while they could be free behind closed doors, they would never truly be able to express their feelings in public. The chance of them being seen by the wrong person was too great. He had heard that Americans were more tolerant, less zealous, but he through his time here he had seen how false this rumor was. People were cruel everywhere, no matter the soil they stood on, and evil dwelt in every person's heart.

He met Lucien's eyes again as he reached out to him, and wrapped both of his hands around the Nephilims. He turned in his chair and leaned forward, never breaking eye contact, and said, "I will never let that happen to you, to us. I need you to know that, Lucien. You never have to be afraid when we're together." He paused a moment, making sure that his dedication could not be questioned. "I just wanted you to know...it's not safe for us out there." He nodded toward the window, "We need to be careful, even more now. We've always done a good job of keeping our heads down...seeming "normal", but now..." he looked at their clasped hands but did not let go, "I don't want to lose this."

[xivyxx]

Lucien had no doubt in Faolan's words. He knew that the Irishman would do everything in his power to keep them safe... but it was not himself that he was worried about. Faolan had told him on multiple occasions that he was always too concerned for other people to worry about himself, and he wasn't wrong.. but in these kinds of circumstances Faolan was the same. He was worried that he would be too concerned with protecting him that he might not look out for himself.

"Faolan.. it's not me I'm worried about. I know you would never let that happen.. but I need you to understand that I'm not that same man you met on that boat years ago." He slipped one of his hands out of Faolan's grasp, and reached out to place a hand on his cheek.

"I know that I have never been a fan of violence, but know that I would never let anyone hurt you. I am invulnerable to anything those humans could do to me.. but you are not. Promise me that you will also take care of yourself.. because I don't want to lose you.." He gently moved his hand toward his neck, and pulled Faolan closer to him, gently touching their foreheads together.

"I will also do everything in my power to protect you. I'll be as careful as I have to be, I won't let ourselves be discovered, I promise. I don't want to lose this either." His tone was gentle, but filled with determination. If he had to barrier Faolan to protect him and fly him away from danger, he'd do it. He didn't care if his own secret was discovered in the process, he'd do whatever he had to to make sure that Faolan would be safe.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan should have expected this much from Lucien. He knew that the Nephilim had always been concerned for him, even before he had discovered his curse, Lucien was overprotective of anyone that was not himself. Still, he was comforted by these words, it seemed he was not the only one who wanted the two of them to be on equal footing.

He allowed Lucien to pull him in and touch their foreheads together. He gripped the hand he still held even tighter as he felt Lucien's hand on his cheek and neck. His heart was so full he felt it might burst.

He could think of nothing to say, so he tilted his head up and kissed Lucien on the lips, leaning into him hard for a few seconds before pulling away again. There was a moment of silence, then he smiled and bark-chuckled, "Bacon breath..."

Faolan hadn't realized until last night, but he had spent far too much of his life being scared and isolated. He never wanted to feel that way again, so he decided to embrace this happiness full force. As long as Lucien knew that they were not safe, truly, and would never be as long as they lived, he felt he could relax, at least for now.

[xivyxx]

Lucien didn't need Faolan to speak to understand what he was trying to say, and accepted his kiss willingly, returning it with equal force before the Irishman pulled away. At his words, he only let out a chuckle.

"Way to ruin the moment." He said, amusement sparkling in his eyes. He simply gave Faolan a small peck on the cheek before pulling away. He was glad they had gotten that out of the way, the nephilim would keep everything he had just been told in mind, but he would not let it get in the way of their happiness. That he would make sure of.

They spent the rest of the day in each other's company. It had been a while since Lucien had felt so.. relaxed, not to mention happy to have Faolan back on his side. They talked about many things, including when it might be time to leave. While he knew Faolan would want to leave right away, Lucien knew he couldn't just walk out on Marcel from one day to another. He promised they'd leave once he made sure there was someone to take over his position.

Of course, Marcel was sad to see him go, but he knew from the beginning that there was always a possibility he would leave.

"Thank you for everything you've taught me, I'll be sure not to ever forget it. I wish you the best of luck in your business, perhaps I'll write to you every now and then? If you want me to of course."

"I'd be glad to receive your letters, let me know of your.. adventure on the road. Prenez soin de vous, Lucien." He said, giving him a firm handshake.

"Vous prenez soin aussi, Marcel." He responded.

With that, he and Faolan took to the road again, leaving Green Bay behind.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan had never felt so carefree in all his than during his time in Green Bay with Lucien. The two of them had never been closer, physically and mentally, and it was thrilling to think of their future together. Although, all Faolan wanted to do for the rest of the week was live in the moment and cherish his time with Lucien to make up for the time they had lost due to his foolishness.

He knew that the Frenchman would be a little sad to say goodbye to this town and to Marcel. Another fault in his being away for so long was that it had allowed his companion to grow attached to his temporary home. Still, he was able to leave with dignity and give Marcel enough time to find his replacement. Faolan even went to meet the man on one of the night's Lucien was working, and sat in the back of the room as he played. He paid for two glasses for a couple at a nearby table who had just finished theirs, but did not drink himself. He found Marcel to be a fine man, and even thanked him for taking Lucien under his wing for these past eight weeks.

The rest of the time, Faolan spent gathering supplies and planning their path over the next months. He had not spent enough time here to accept a short-term job, and quickly became restless, but stuck it out so that Lucien could leave on positive terms. Lucien had earned quite a bit on his own, the Rouge du Blanc paid very well, so Faolan was not worried about their financial situation in the slightest. He offered Lucien the next two months off to make up for the time he'd spent working, but he resisted the temptation. Faolan knew he would decline, but wanted to offer anyway.

Eventually, the two moved on. They spent several days on the road travelling South and slightly West. Lucien had vowed that he wanted to visit all 48 states and eventually spend time on the Pacific Coast since they had never seen it. Faolan was happy to oblige, and started charting their course.

Over the next two years, the pair covered most of the Eastern and Middle of the country, spending three weeks in almost every town before moving on to their next destination. Sometimes, if there were storms or other factors, they would stay even longer, but this was kept to a maximum of three months. They earned wages, saw sights and had new experiences, but through all of it they were together. Not one moment of their journey was seen to Faolan in a negative light. Although, not everything was perfectly safe and the two were not always at their happiest, the love between them never faltered. They put each other first, always, and made sure that they would be safe and still allowed to express their feelings behind closed doors. Being on the road helped with this a great deal, for the two were alone most of the time and so far from prying eyes that they did not have to worry about being seen or heard. This was best, for the two loved loudly and often; Faolan could never really get enough.

Most recently, they had been staying and working in the town of Douglas, Wyoming. It was small, but bustling, and the two found they had an abundance of free time and extra cash. They had done quite well for themselves over the last two years, and had even built up a small savings. Lucien had been very proud of this, and Faolan had supported it by relying on the land for almost all of their meals while they traveled.

Currently, they were walking through town at dusk, having finished a late lunch at a small bistro. Faolan had his hair tied back, and was dressed more formally than usual in a button down shirt and slacks. He still had his sleeves rolled up though, and no tie, of course. He had been lost in thought when he stopped as he felt Lucien tugging on his sleeve. "Hm?" he looked down at the Nephilim, who appeared to be holding a sheet of paper.

[xivyxx]

Lucien could not deny that he would miss this past town, but he knew it was also time to move on. He was happy that he was able to take to the road again with Faolan on his side. He realized that he was thankful for the time they spent in between towns, away from the cities because there were no eyes to watch them. They could be themselves and be just as happy in each other's company, and while it was unfortunate to be unable to hold his lover's hand in the public eye, he made sure to appreciate all the time they had behind closed doors.

Despite the offer Faolan had given him for time off, he had refused it without hesitation. He hadn't really been working as hard as he had because they were in need of money.. it had mostly just been a way to distract himself. Taking time off would only leave him with nothing to do, and he didn't just want to sit around while the Irishman was off working. Instead he had offered to simply put the extra money he had earned away as.. emergency money, and they continued their usual work routine instead.

He was glad Faolan had obliged his want to visit the west coast. Considering all the travelling they did, they had covered a lot of the United States already, he figured it didn’t hurt to get to see the rest. They usually traveled with no particular destination, Lucien had always been fond of getting to see new places, why not do some sightseeing while they were at it?

The town of Douglas had provided them with that sort of opportunity. They had just left their lunch date, which Lucien had quite enjoyed. The nephilim enjoyed Faolan's company no matter what he was wearing, but he couldn't help but find the man incredibly attractive when he dressed up a little like this. He found every excuse he could to attempt to get him into that sort of clothing, this was one of those times.

Walking through the streets, the Frenchman was wondering where they should head next. It was then that he took note of a colorful poster he had just stepped on. It seemed the wind had knocked it off the bulletin board it had been hanging on. He stopped his walk and picked it up, tugging on the Irishman's sleeve to get his attention. The advertisement he was looking at was from a circus, and one that had traveled back from Europe at that. He looked up at Faolan, excitement reflecting in his eyes.

"Would you like to pay this place a visit with me?" He asked him.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan rolled his eyes, though he smiled, as he heard Lucien's question. It was clear that Lucien was all too ready to take in a distraction for the evening. Though the Irishman had been content to return back to the room they were renting and spend the rest of their evening off in each other's embrace, he could not say no to Lucien when he looked this way.

"Ya' know I can't say no when you make that face..." he said, then glanced at the advertisement. He could barely read it, this far away, so he took it from Lucien's hand and held it a little closer to his face, squinting a bit to make out the words. "A Circus, eh? Hm..." he thought for a moment, "Have you ever been to one before?"

Faolan himself had never actually attended a diversion of this nature, though he knew that Circus acts, "freakshows", and Magicians were very popular in Europe. He hadn't realized that they had made their way to the States, and found himself a little curious. Although, from what he had seen in adds and heard through rumor did make him a little nervous. It seemed the trade was to display beings of "difference", which Faolan did not particularly like the sound of. Still, it may be something interesting, and he doubted anything that they claimed on this paper, especially the "Turtle-boy: Half Human, Half Crustacean" was real in any sense of the word.

He turned the page around and pointed this out to Lucien, "Turtles are reptiles, I think?" he cocked an eyebrow playfully.

[xivyxx]

Lucien watched Faolan struggle to read the flyer he held and gladly handed it over to him, giving him an innocent smile.

"I have no idea what you mean." He said, though he knew full well this was the case. "We really have to see about getting you those glasses, Faolan." He commented. The Irishman had amazing senses, but it seemed like out of all of them, his sight was the worst, as he had increasingly noticed lately.

"It's the first time there's been one in any of the town's we've visited." The only opportunity he would have had to visit one would be in the times Faolan was gone during the approaching Full Moon's, but that chance had never arised until now. He was glad that Faolan was here for it so they could go together.

As Faolan finished reading through the flyer, Lucien turned to see what he was pointing at, and broke out into a laugh. "Last I checked they were. I'm sure they can't be serious, but I'm willing to bet just the word 'Crustacean' is enough to lure in just about anyone. I doubt it's true, but I'm curious to see what else they have. There's games too, it seems fun." He added. Considering his childhood had been a bit lacking in these sorts of things, Lucien thought this might be a good chance to enjoy himself a bit in this way.

Faolan handed the flier back and shrugged. "Well, it's enough to lure you, apparently," he said, nudging Lucien slightly with his elbow and cocking a half smile. There was a brief pause as Faolan looked to the horizon to judge the time, then back at Lucien, "I don't see the harm in it, as long as we're back at a...reasonable hour." Although he was trying his best to hide his intent, the mischievous smile spreading across his lips gave him away.

"Hey, I'm not lured because I believe the things on their ads, it just looks like it might be a nice time." He retorted amusingly, quirking a brow at the Irishman's following comment.

"I'll be sure to keep an eye on the clock to make sure we do." He said with a small wink, giving the pocket he held his pocket-watch a small pat before the two began to head off toward their trailer.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan, satisfied with this answer, nodded and walked off with Lucien, keeping his hands in his pockets to deter him from wrapping an arm around the Frenchman.

They made their way back to the trailer and drove it a few miles out of town to where the Circus had set up. It was easy to see from the road because they had strung electric lights around the grounds to illuminate the space. Faolan parked the trailer in the lot near the entrance and they walked in together.

Overall, it was what he had expected from the flier, although a little more elaborate. The denizens of the circus had set up tents and trailers to house various attractions, creating a semi-circle within which the held performances and hosted games. Just from walking around for a moment, Faolan and Lucien spotted various shows: a fire-eater, a set of "Siamese twins" that shared an arm, a contortionist, a fortune teller, and the famous Turle-Boy. Faolan was less interested in these than in the games, so the two started there. Lucien had caught sight of a stuffed dog, which he claimed was a wolf, and Faolan had been dragged to the booth despite his protests.

Unluckily for the host of the game, this was a test of strength and accuracy. Faolan stepped up to the window, was handed a ball, and tasked with knocking down some milk jugs on the opposite end of the space. Without even waiting for the man behind the counter to finish his explanation or step out of the way, Faolan hurled the ball and shattered all three of the thick glass jugs. Despite the surprise and worry on the young man's face, the two had won the prize. He reached for a large stuffed bear that was hanging from a hook near the back of the area.

"No," Faolan called out, then pointed to the wolf, "That one." His voice was harsh and words were short. Around strangers, he always defaulted to this tone.

[xivyxx]

Lucien was much more interested in the games than the original attractions the Circus advertised, he figured they could save that stuff for later. Passing through one of the games, he had caught sight of what appeared to be a stuffed wolf. While never having been interested in stuffed animals before, he just couldn't help himself, he wanted that one, and so he asked Faolan for it.

The poor man in charge had not stood a chance, this was the kind of game where Faolan could shine. He had won with ease.

"B-But you won the large one.. The man in charge said. At this, Lucien smiled.

"I know, but my niece is quite a big fan of wolves, so we must simply have that one." He said with a smile. "But I'll take that medium bear as well to make up the difference."

Now met with a more gentle tone, the man did as he was asked, and handed Lucien what he wanted. "Thank you." He told him, before turning to leave, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Go raibh maith agat, acushla." He said in a softer tone to Faolan, knowing that no one around them would be able to understand it.

"Ná habair é." He responded. They had walked only a few more steps before Lucien took note of a woman walking away with her daughter, who was disappointed the game had not been one. The nephilim stopped, and gave the two a charming smile.

"Would you like this? We won an extra." He told her in a gentle tone, which caused the child's expression to brighten immediately. She glanced at her mom, who nodded, and she gratefully accepted it.

"Thank ya Mister!" The little girl responded excitedly. Her mother gave him a grateful smile, before the two went off to finally see the attractions. Both of them had agreed that neither was interested in seeing these.. Siamese twins, as it seemed their intention behind that was to have the audience 'gawk' at their strangeness. It was neither of their cup of tea, so they moved on. Instead they went to watch the fire-eater, which Lucien could not deny being impressed by. For a normal human, it certainly took a certain amount of skill to pull something like that off. The contortionist was equally impressive, but in a different way, being able to bend her body in such a way and make it look entirely painless. He certainly hoped it wasn't bringing her any harm.

The turtle boy however, had been an extreme disappointment, though quite amusing to them both. It had ended up being but a turtle shell with a doll head glued on top of it. How people were willing to pay to see such a thing was well.. beyond him, though he supposed curiosity was enough on it's own, since it had also brought them here. Still, once someone knew that it was all but a rouse, it would most likely not bring them around a second time. They could only profit once, which made him wonder if it really made it such a wise business decision. Perhaps the profit was so large the first time around that it didn't matter? It was a curious thing.

"Well I'll certainly give them props in their advertising." He said, amusement tinging his tone as they continued on their way. By now they had made their way through the majority of the grounds, all except one attraction. The 'Son of the Serpent.' Neither of them had high hopes for this one, considering the rouse that the 'Turtle Boy' had been, but at this point Lucien was more interested in seeing what foolishness they would come up with to cover it up.

"So, what do you think? A man with a snakeskin cape?" He joked as they began to make their way there. This attraction was much more further in than the rest, but was certainly the most advertised once they had entered the circus.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan couldn't help but smile brightly down at Lucien when he spoke Irish to him. There was nothing like hearing your mother tongue on the lips of the person you loved. He answered, and held himself back from pulling Lucien into his arms right then and there. He knew that the two of them would have time tonight, so he held himself back. The Frenchman was in for one hell of a long night if he kept this up.

He smiled down at the little girl when Lucien gifted her their extra winnings, but kept his distance, knowing that parents found his presence a little intimidating. The girl hardly noticed him, and he didn't blame her, he wouldn't have seen himself either with Lucien right in front of him.

The pair continued through the carnival, seeing various attractions. Neither of them were interested in the "twins" so they moved on to other things. The contortionist was most memorable to Faolan; even through all of his training, he had not ever been able to bend his body to such extremes. It was certainly something to see, and more so than the so-called "Turtle Boy". The Irishman had actually laughed out loud when they saw what this place was passing as a "freakshow". Absurd was the only word for it.

As they made their way to the last attraction of the night, Faolan saw many people heading for the exit. It seemed that the show was about to close, but they figured they had time to see this "Son of the Serpent" before they left. As they headed toward the tent, Faolan shrugged, still smiling in amazement at what they had just witnessed. "It might be a literal title, eh? Maybe it's just a male snake." He truly hoped he was wrong, but Faolan couldn't deny that the place had showed a lack of creativity over everything else. It seemed that they were more interested in the shock value of the one-time visitor than anything else. It was disappointing, but Faolan could not be unhappy spending an evening with Lucien.

[xivyxx]

Lucien was glad to see that Faolan had been just as amused by the sight as he. He was glad he had decided to come here, if it meant he could see him smile like this, though he couldn't deny that he got to see a lot more of that smile than he once used to. Regardless, he couldn't get enough.

"But then the 'son' part would make no sense, unless they meant it literally, which I wouldn't put it past them. Maybe it will just be a man with scale makeup on." He said amusingly as they continued on their way. It seemed they had been a little too late however, as there were hardly any people there, and most were leaving.

"Sorry, I'm afraid this attraction is closed now. Best try your luck tomorrow." The carnie standing in front of the entrance said. He had a bit of a German accent, which surprised him a little, but he did remember reading that this circus had been to Europe. The man was on the taller side, and quite built, though no match when placed next to Faolan. He glanced past the man to the entrance itself, but wasn't really able to get a good look inside from where he was standing. Rough voices however, did manage to reach his ears.

-

The boy curled up near the corner of his cage, as far away from the opening as he could. He had a few snakes curled around his feet and neck. His head was throbbing, and he felt incredibly light headed. The effects of the alcohol he had been given had hit him much sooner than usual, and it had impacted his movements, making them incredibly lackluster in compared to usual. Any sudden motion had just made it worse, and the Ringleader was furious because of it.

"What kind of performance was that?! Do you think people pay to see such a pathetic act?" His angry words echoed through the tent in German.

"I-I'm sorry... I'll.. do better.." He responded, quietly, terrified of being at the end of his fury again.

"You know what will happen if you don't." He snapped back, hitting the bars of the cage with the end of his cane before he took his leave.

-

The voice was loud, mostly because it was angry, letting Lucien up every word. The person who was receiving this scolding however, had an incredibly meek voice, and he couldn't really hear the response very well. All he knew is that it sounded like some sort of apology.

He was cut from hearing the rest of the discussion, as the man in front of him cleared his throat loudly.

"Best run along now. He'll be available to see tomorrow." He said, clearly wanting them to leave. Lucien's eyebrows furrowed. He had.. a bad feeling. Something deep down told him he shouldn't leave. It was then that the curtain opened, and another man stepped out. From his outfit, he recognized this man as the ringleader, who had quickly plastered a smile on his face.

"Ah, I see we have two interested in our Son of the Serpent, but I'm afraid he's seen enough people for today, but please, do come back tomorrow, I'm sure you'll be in for a treat."

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan saw that the tent flap for the next attraction was still open, but it looked as though someone was shuffling around in front of it. When the pair drew closer, the Irishman noticed that it was an employee of the circus, seemingly, who was there to close up shop. Faolan, being as tall as he was, could just see past the man's shoulder as he moved to block their view and close the flap. He thought he glimpsed the outline of the bars of a cage, tucked into the back of the tent. So, it was a live snake they were showing off after all? He couldn't believe even this place could be so bold as to name the attraction "Son of the Serpent". He would have scoffed, except he noticed the strong smell of alcohol wafting from inside of the tent, and the direction of the cage specifically, along with faint traces of blood. There was also an earthy, almost moss-like smell, but it was very faint, overpowered by the odor of liquor. He wrinkled his nose in displeasure, squinting now to see a little more of just what was in there. He caught a glimpse of something long and pale, and maybe a few strands of very light hair and...fingers? Was it a person...?

Just as he was attempting to put this together, the flap closed in front of them to cut off his view. Something turned in his stomach and squeezed in his chest as the thought of what he was seeing struck him. Was it a human being in that cage...someone small and slight? No, he must have seen wrong. Lucien was right, maybe it was time for them to start looking into some spectacles for him.

He tried to ignore the heavily accented voice that spoke from the employee's mouth. He glanced down at Lucien, his brow furrowed, and heard voices from inside. He didn't understand German, so he had no idea what they were saying, but he could tell it was angry. The sound of the response was weak and...small and scared. The bad feeling in the pit of Faolan's stomach turned ever more violently as he realized that he may be right. But, before making a scene, he had to be sure.

As the man-in-charge, for this was how he presented himself, stepped out to greet them. Faolan made eye contact for a brief moment before letting his face split into a wide, almost goofy smile. "Ah, c'mon there boss-man!" he said, too loudly and with a heavy Irish accent as he reached for the tent flap, "Can't we get a private peep? Walked all the way here..." he pulled the tent flap back quickly, before either man could react, and got a full view of the spectacle within.

Immediately, the employee's hand went up and violently yanked Faolan's off of the canvas, just as the Irishman's goofy smile fell and turned sour. "Halt! Said ve're clossed!"

He looked down at the man who held him and rage burned in his eyes. He'd let him remove his hand, for the sake of the gag, but he couldn't help this flash of fury as he realized what these two were concealing. After a second passed of the two men staring at each other, Faolan pulled away with no effort and held up both of his hands, palms forward, "Aye, aye, no need to eat me 'ead off! I was just taking the piss." He looked down at Lucien, nodding toward the exit. "These two aren't havin' the craic, let's go." Though his voice and expression remained mostly light-hearted, his eyes were hard and serious, and he knew Lucien would gather his meaning with one look.

[xivyxx]

Lucien glanced up at Faolan as he spoke, eyebrows raised slightly, but then his expression neutralized as he realized what he was trying to do here. He didn't interrupt, glancing from Faolan to the Ringleader as he spoke. To see Faolan acting this way.. had he seen something strange in there? It only made him more worried, considering what he had overheard. Even though Faolan had nodded toward the exit, there was a part of Lucien that didn't want to leave. He felt it wrong.. but he also knew that if Faolan had seen something, they wouldn't be able to talk about it here.

"We'll most certainly return to see it tomorrow." He said, before turning around and catching up with Faolan, though not before he heard the Ringleader mutter something under his breath.

"Typisch Irisch"

At this, Lucien scowled, not an expression he wore often. He threw the Ringleader a sharp glare, though it was missed by the man as he was now walking away from the tent in the opposite direction. He wanted nothing more than to bite back with a remark, but he held back, and tried to focus at the task at hand. When they were far enough away to break the sight of the carnie watching that tent, Lucien slipped off to the side, behind a different tent that was slightly out of sight of the public eye.

"What did you see?" He asked, anger now diminished back into worry. "Whoever was in there was being reprimanded for giving a bad performance.. There were.. threats involved.." He shot a glance in the direction of that tent, even though it was out of sight now. That.. bad feeling in his stomach hadn't gone away, and it unsettled him.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan did his best to ignore the Ringleader's comment as the two walked away, though he caught the word "Irish". It wasn't important right now, and besides, his little "act" had gotten the job done at least. He walked quickly away from the tent, his mouth settling into a deep frown as he did. His fists opened and closed again as fury boiled in his chest. What he had seen...it was despicable.

As the pair slipped behind a tent, Faolan turned to face Lucien, making no attempt to hide his disgust.

"Thought it sounded that way..." he said in response to Lucien's observation. He glanced about, though he knew no one was nearby, and stepped closer so he could lower his voice. "Lucien..." he struggled for a moment, fighting to find the right words, as usual, "There was a kid in there."

Silence hung between them for a moment as he watched Lucien's face fall.

He continued, describing exactly what he had seen: "They...I couldn't tell if it was a girl or boy, looked to be about...I don't know, not a teenager. They were in a cage, near the back corner, kind of huddled up. There were snakes in there with it, I couldn't tell if they were alive or dead. And..." He felt his fists clench again. "I smelled alcohol coming from it, and...blood."

[xivyxx]

Faolan's expression only made Lucien worry further. His shock was clear. A child? Considering the small voice he heard it made sense but.. to yell at a child in such a way, the threats he heard made only alarmed him further, that was, until Faolan told him everything else he had seen.

Lucien's jaw clenched, his eyebrows furrowing. Anger was not an expression the Frenchman wore often, but it was clear that what Faolan told him struck a cord. He immediately turned around, without a second thought, and took a step in the direction they had just came from, only to be stopped by his beloved.

"Who knows what they're doing to that child! I couldn't hear them well but they sounded afraid. Faolan we have to do something!" Just the fact he could smell blood was a sign on it's own. What if they were hurt? What if they needed help? He felt his mind racing through the worst of the possibilities.

While normally a calmed individual, when it came to situation's like these Lucien found it hard to remain that way. He knew that circuses typically worked outside of the law, so it was possible to get away with a lot of they were really abusing him. It only made him more anxious to find out what exactly was going on here.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan's hand whipped out faster than the naked eye could catch as he saw Lucien trying to head back from whence they came. He had anticipated this. Though his chest felt like it was in a vice grip, though his stomach turned, he hesitated to agree with the man he loved. It was not unusual for them to have disagreements, but it was unusual for them to be moving pieces on the board of someone else's life. If they interfered here, now, they could be getting themselves into something they were not properly anticipating. Though it was like Faolan to do first and ask later, this situation paused, because he knew what Lucien planned to do.

Faolan leaned in close, whispering through bared teeth, "Keep your voice down." He glanced around again as he heard footsteps, far off, and moving parallel and not toward them. Luckily, for the moment, they were alone.

"I know what you're thinking, but stop for a second and really think about it. What do you plan to do once you free it?"

The thought of that child being imprisoned, caged, and subjected to whatever horrors were in store for him here made him physically ill. Normally, he wouldn't have walked away and even waited until the coast was clear. When someone's freedom, let alone a child's, was threatened...well, there was almost nothing more that Faolan hated in all the world.

But this was not a decision they could make on the fly. They had to have a plan, for the before, middle, and after, that did not include the death's of anyone involved, preferably. The circus was stocked with employees and there was bound to be some patrons lingering about...it was just too dangerous to risk without a proper plan. And, even then...what were they going to do with a kid if they did manage to free it?