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

[xivyxx]

A smile lingered on Aurel's lips as Illyana began to think intently of a name for her. It was nice to see how serious she was about doing this, and it seemed that it had indeed gotten her mind off of what they had previously been talking about. He did not interrupt her train of thought, and simply let her think.

At her first suggestion, he shook his head, mostly because it seemed she didn't like it either. It was nice but.. a little odd at the same time, in comparison to Bengal.

"This hatchling is amussing." Bengal hissed as he made his way back to his resting place at his shoulder. He didn't disagree with him. She was certainly different than other children he had encountered in the past. This reminded him a little of when Lucien had worked hard to come up with his own name. The thought of that made his smile widen.

Finally, Illyana had made up her mind, causing Aurel to let out a small chuckle. That might have been the loudest he had heard the girl speak.

"Ginger huh.. that sounds really nice.. I think she'd like that. What do you think, Bengal?" He asked the snake, who nodded in agreement.

"It iss adequate." He responded.

"Then, Ginger it is. I'll let her know next time we stop. Thank you for your help." He said.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana couldn't help but smile when Aurel and Bengal gave their consent for the name she had come up with. Having never had a pet of her own to name, she was quite pleased with herself. Although her sister had wanted to name her bunny "Hoppy" when she first got it and Illyana had coaxed her into agreement about changing it to Hopscotch. It was more sophisticated, she said, and reminded her of butterscotch. This had been enough to convince her, so, Illy supposed she had been responsible for that name as well.

"Okay, I hope that she likes it too." She said before nodding and glancing out of the window. They had been driving for some time now and the scenery had not yet changed. There was no clock nearby, so Illyana couldn't tell just how far they had gotten...but she hoped it was farther than she thought. Talking to Aurel had helped to pass the time...maybe she should continue their conversation to ensure that she was not constantly thinking about how much longer they had on the road.

"Did you know that snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica?" She blurted, looking back at Aurel as she did so. The only way she could think of continuing to speak with him was to bring up things that she knew. Since he had an affinity with snakes, she decided this was the best way to keep him engaged.

[xivyxx]

"I'm sure she will." Aurel responded to her, before following her gaze out the window. Now that they had engaged in conversation, things felt a little less awkward between them, and it seemed it had helped Illyana relax a little, which he was glad for.

As she spoke up again, Aurel looked at her again, and shook his head. "I knew they could be found in many places, but not every continent. Lucien bought me a book about them a while ago, but it was a little general." He told her.

"You seem to know a lot about snakes, is it the same for other animals? Do you have a favorite one? Mine are snakes, obviously." He said with a small chuckle.

The girl then went on to describe about ten different animals before she had realized that the list didn't seem to be any closer to finishing.

"I guess I don't have a favorite because I like all of them." Illyana had said, leading Aurel to let out a small laugh. For some reason that did not surprise him.

They fell into a bit more of conversation after that, which mostly consisted of Illyana giving him more random bouts of knowledge. It seemed she had dedicated a lot of time to reading.. considering how much she knew despite being so young. The two of them had spent their time like this, until they had reached another stop. They used that time to talk to the yellow python, who had been more than pleased with the name they had come up with for her. Seeing that Illyana was more comfortable with her, Aurel had decided to bring her into the bus so the girl could spend more time with her.

With these distractions available, time had seemed to fly, and before they knew it, they began to near the girl's home. She had made her way to the front to begin to guide Lucien and Faolan there.

Lucien had picked up a bit of the conversation between Aurel and Illyana, but it there hadn't been much he could hear that revealed too much more about the girl, aside from her likeness of animals. Still, he was glad that she had opened up a little more after talking with him.

Faolan followed Illyana's directions. Occasionally Lucien glanced back at the girl, who seemed a little nervous, but he didn't make any comment on it. For now all he could do was observe until they arrived at their destination.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana was surprised at how quickly the time seemed to go by as she was speaking with Aurel about animals, the serpents, nature in general. It had always been her favorite thing to research, that and the occult and fantasy creatures and things. Because of her deformity, she had been convinced at a young age that there had to be some truth to myths and fairy-tales, and the more she discovered about Aurel's relationship with his snakes, the more she began to realized that a myth may well be sitting right in front of her. Lucien with his healing wasn't far behind. She couldn't tell anything about Faolan aside from his size, but he could be entirely human otherwise for all that she knew.

The deeper she dived into this train of thought, the more relaxed she became. She felt more comfortable around Aurel than she had around anyone else, aside from her sister, including her peers and even younger children. It was strange to think that this was all it would take for her to let down her guard...

But as soon as she realized this, she put up the wall once more. It would not do to become attached to any of them, knowing she was parting with them so soon. She had to keep herself focused on the tasks at hand, getting back to her sister and getting them both out of that house, or she might make a mistake along the way...

As they neared Utica, Illyana became more and more antsy, and once they were within the city limits, she could no longer sit idly and talk to Aurel. She was too nervous and distracted to pay attention to him, so she got up and made her way to the front of the bus. She stood between the two seats, giving Faolan directions as he drove. Her house was only about fifteen minutes in, and she could feel herself becoming more and more anxious as things began to look familiar to her.

Finally, they were on her street. She was standing between the seats, bending around to try and get a glimpse of her house before they approached it. Her hands and face were sweaty, her eyes wide, her skin flushed...and she bounced around with a nervous energy that only children seemed to have.

Faolan had followed the directions smoothly and to a T. He had been right about this girl's intelligence, she seemed to easily slip between the whims and fancies of a child and the stoic demeanor of an adult. He could feel how anxious and excited she was, but see fear in her eyes. When he looked at her, he was reminded of a mouse that had been caught in a box, all of its senses screaming to find a way out but knowing there was none. It was sad to watch, knowing what they were bringing this girl back to...He shared a glance with Lucien as they approached and the bus began to slow before coming to a complete stop outside of the house.

Illyana had been so anxious to get home that she had re-positioned herself in front of the door. As the bus came to a stop, she looked over her shoulder at Faolan, pleading with her eyes only. She was too charged for words. Although she could tell he was reluctant, he slowly pulled the lever to open the door and release her.

She had been carrying her bag with all of the contents, what few there were, held inside. She had the intention of filling it with her things as soon as they got into her room, getting it ready for when she and Isy were able to leave. As soon as the door was open wide enough for her to get out of the bus, she squeezed through and rocketed toward her front door.

It was a modest home, three bedrooms, and antic and a basement. It had a large front room and a huge bay window that the girls loved to sit in front of in the sunlight and play or read or draw. The floors were wood and were very cold in the winter but nice and warm in the summer. They had a small front yard with a fence, but no signs of any pets, and no garden. Her parents didn't have time to tend to things like that.

Illyana ran up the walkway to the front door, smiling despite herself, overwhelmed by the happiness she felt at seeing her sister again. They had never been apart this long and she hoped they never would again.

She was so overwhelmed that she didn't even notice the sign in the yard or how clean and bare everything looked. How dark the windows, how barren the driveway, how empty everything looked...

The little lost girl pounded up the concrete steps to the front door, put both hands on the handle and tried to turn it. She was met with resistance, and a look of confusion crossed her face. She shook the handle hard, using all of the strength of her tiny body could muster, but the door would not give way. She almost called out to her sister, her mother, but thought better of it. Instead, she slowly stepped back from the door and looked around, the weight of the silence finally settling on her. Something was wrong...

Faolan had seen the sign the moment the girl's feet touched the walkway. His heart sank. The house was For Sale. Though it was the end of the day, and many people had already arrived home from work, there was no car in the drive way. The windows were dark, the house was empty. Illyana's family was gone.

"Shite..." the Irishman said with a heavy sigh, making eye contact with Lucien once again as he hoisted himself up and exited the bus. Once outside, he crossed his arms and glanced around, but no one was out in their yards or anywhere along the street at the moment. He watched with sad eyes as Illyana shook her door handle, a look of worry and confusion crossing her face. He sighed again, then looked down at Lucien once more, who had joined him.

"I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this..." If anything, he thought that the girl's parents would be confused to see her, but that they would accept her back. What kind of self-respecting parent doesn't welcome their child home with open arms in front of the neighbors and peers? What kind of parents abandons their child and then moves away?

A third possibility was that Illyana was lying about her family and how she had gotten here, but it was unlikely given her sincerity. She was smart, alright, but she wasn't an actress. Faolan could sense that she wore her heart on her sleeve, something he thought the two of them had in common. Besides, she was genuinely concerned and fearful now, and why go through the song and dance if it wasn't true? No, this girl had been left behind. The circumstances were unclear, but that much was certain.

[xivyxx]

Lucien had seen that dreaded For Sale sign just as quickly as Faolan had. It seemed Illyana was too lost in her own excitement to be home to have noticed. A grimace filled his face as he exited the bus, and had given his love a glance.

"Definitely not this.." He said quietly. The man had many mixed feelings. He was angry, at the fact that this child's parents would have just packed up all their things and left. They had abandoned her, but part of him wasn't sure if the girl was better off with or without them. At the same time, he felt incredibly pity for her, because he could see how badly she had wanted to return.. despite whatever treatment they had given her. It was sad, to be the one to have to shatter that hope for her. It was clear the girl had missed the sign, but she was beginning to see something was wrong.

He let out a small sigh, before he approached the front door.

"Illyana.." He spoke with a gentle voice. "There does not seem to be anyone here. Are you sure that this is the right place?" He asked, kneeling down to her level. Lucien didn't think that was the case, considering the girl's intelligence, but at least.. he could ease her into the bad news he would have to give her.

Aurel had remained on the bus, but had opened a curtain to be able to see what was happening outside. He saw the sign, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He glanced toward Faolan who was currently leaning against the bus, and called out to him.

"Faolan.. is everything okay?" He asked.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan shook his head at Lucien's response and watched as he made his way toward the girl. It was better that he do this, he had always been the best at breaking bad news to people. Faolan was too blunt, and that could be seen as hurtful, and the last thing he wanted to do was kick this girl when she was already so down.

Illyana had stepped back, glancing as she made her way down the steps and onto the walkway again. She looked up at the house, longing and confusion and sadness in her eyes and plastered all over her little pale face. Where was she? Where was Isabella...and where were her parents? If they weren't home then...

She searched the front of the house with her eyes, peering into the windows that had curtains open, but saw no movement inside. They were gone...all three of them, vanished. Is this what they had intended when they'd left her with those men? They knew she would find her way back to them...they knew because they were afraid of her power. Had they found about Isy? Was she safe? She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, trying to sense the energy of her twin, but nothing came back. Although Illyana's abilities were more geared for receiving rather than transmitting, she would know any time her sister was near. No...she was just...gone.

Lucien's voice startled her a little and she remembered suddenly that she had not come here alone. She looked up at him as her eyes filled with mist, devastation writ plainly on her face. "This is..." she began in answer but paused to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat, "This is...the right place. I live here..." she looked up and down the street, her head moving slowly as if she were underwater. She felt so lost now, more than she had when she was on the road, more than when she'd woken up on the bus...more than ever, and she was standing in her own front yard.

Faolan watched Lucien approach and lower himself to speak with Illyana, keeping his ears open to movement around them. If the neighbors came out and saw this spectacle, they would have a hard time explaining why two adult men were accompanying the young daughter of the people who lived here. He couldn't exactly rush Illyana or Lucien though, so a watch for now would have to serve.

He tilted his head slightly towards Aurel as he heard his voice coming from the window nearby. He probably felt safer inside, and the Irishman didn't blame him. He shrugged then shook his head slowly in response. "Parents are gone, sister too I think. I don't smell anyone inside, just residual scents...it's been a few days since anyone was here." He said simply, a detective giving his report. Though it hurt him to see this, he knew there was nothing that his sadness could do to improve Illyana's mood. He had always been a strong pillar for Lucien and now Aurel...maybe he had a chance to be that for this little lost girl as well.

[xivyxx]

Lucien nodded, showing that he acknowledged her words.

"I believe you. Neither of us think that you lied to us. Faolan and I wanted nothing more than to make sure you got to your family safely, so believe me when I tell you that I wish to help you find out what happened here. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, so would you please allow me to handle this? I can go ask the neighbors a couple questions and see if they know anything, but to do that, I think it would be best if you headed inside the bus. I'm sure seeing your family gone and you here would be less than ideal to them." He kept his tone soft as he explained. He didn't want to disregard her pain, but at the same time, they had no answers yet, and he didn't want to confirm or deny anything to her without having all the answers.

Aurel looked back toward Lucien and Illyana as Faolan told him what had happened.

"Did.. they abandon her?" He asked, his voice quiet. That was a feeling he was familiar with, but at the same time.. he couldn't imagine the heartbreak she could possibly be feeling at finding this out. At least for him.. the people who had left him were people he was completely detached from. He had expected no care or emotional connection from them.. but.. these were her parents.. even if they seemed to not get along well.. she was still their child.. and.. what about her sister?

"What are we going to do?"

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana heard everything that Lucien was saying, but it was as if her head was still underwater. She wanted to scream, to cry, to fling herself on the floor like a normal child of her age and have a tantrum...but she knew that she couldn't do that. She was too logical, too intelligent, had seen and felt too much to let this defeat her. She looked up at her house, glanced out around the lawn aimlessly, like she was in a fugue state and couldn't remember her name.

She heard Lucien's words, every bit of them, and that was when she saw the sign on her front yard. She couldn't see the front of it, but she knew what kind of omen it was.

Slowly, the girl nodded her consent to Lucien's suggestion. He was right, if her neighbors called the police and she was taken away from Lucien and Faolan, they might find out about her deformity. They might put the men in jail and take Aurel to an orphanage and after everything they had done to help her she did not want that to happen. This was best...

She looked up at Lucien as her eyes filled with tears, seemingly unaware that it was happening. "Okay," She said quietly, her tone even but subdued. She turned from the man and slowly began trudging back to the bus, her eyes on the ground the whole way.

Faolan shrugged at Aurel's question, listening at the same time to the speech that Lucien was giving the girl. "Dunno..." he said under his breath, then added, "But it looks that way." Though his tone was flat, there was anger and sadness swirling inside of him. He had to remain calm for everyone's sake.

At Aurel's last question, he looked up at the boy and shook his head, "I'm not sure. Don't worry too much though, Lucien and I will handle this. You try and just be there for her...if she'll let you." he said, turning away when he noticed the girl was heading back toward him. She kept her eyes on her feet as she walked slowly back down the drive and stepped up onto the bus. She didn't even glance at Faolan or Aurel as he poked his head out of the window. Before she entered fully though, she paused and looked back at the house as a tear from each eye rolled down her cheeks and splashed onto the stairs. It was like it was the last time she would see it. Having been there before himself, Faolan felt her hurt deeply. He watched her as she turned her back and went inside, then sighed again and made his way toward Lucien.

[xivyxx]

Lucien was glad Illyana had agreed, and watched the girl retreat back inside the bus with saddened eyes. He really wished this was something he hadn't had to do. Part of him might have preferred that her parents were here so he could give them a piece of his mind. Maybe it would have prompted them to treat her better.. but it seemed to them, running away had been a much better option. How cowardly.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Faolan approached him. "Can you tell how long they've been gone, Faolan?" He asked, knowing how good his nose was. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked back at the empty house.

"I.. think it's best if I talk to the neighbors.. to find out what happened. I really.. don't want to jump to any conclusions but.." He trailed off, knowing he didn't need to say anymore.

Aurel's worry hadn't eased at Faolan's response, but he didn't ask further.. mostly because he knew right now they probably didn't have too many answers to give him. He nodded slightly at what he said, and had closed the curtains once more once he heard Illyana stepping inside. At first he was unsure of what he should say to her.. mostly because he didn't think anything he could say would make her feel better.

"I'm sure.. that Lucien and Faolan will figure out what happened here.." He attempted to encourage.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan made his way over to Lucien with his hands in his pockets. He could see the hurt in his beloved's eyes, and he wanted to comfort him, but knew that now was not the time or place. It was Illyana that needed comforting now, anyway.

The Irishman allowed a bit of his anger to show through in his expression now that he and Lucien were out of view of the children. In answer he glanced at the house and took a deep breath, but came back with the same result as before. "No more than a week, no less than three days." he said matter-of-factly.

His eyes hardened a bit when he glanced at Lucien again, not in anger at the man but in frustration at their predicament. "I think it's pretty clear what happened here, Lucien. The same thing that happened to Aurel in Germany...they left her." After this, he pressed his teeth together, the muscles in his jaw working as he looked at the house once more.

There were still questions that needed to be answered from Illyana herself, now more than ever. It was clear that there was never a camping trip like the one she had described, although he could tell that she had been lying when she told them this. So, how had she ended up so far from home in the first place? This was a delicate situation, but one that they needed to get to the bottom of as soon as possible.

"Whatever you need to do. Let me know if you want me to get inside. I doubt there is anything in there, but maybe they left something that can point us in the right direction." While stealth in urban settings was not necessarily a strength of Faolan's, he was a hunter and a tracker and this was a good time to put those skills to use.

While this conversation was happening outside, Illyana had entered the bus and was now sitting on the bench where she and Aurel had their travelling conversations. She leaned forward, gripping the frame with her hands so tightly that her knuckles were stark white. She stared at the floor, the shoes that Faolan had brought her swinging gently with her breaths. She watched her tears as they detached from her cheeks and splashed onto the floor, a steady stream of droplets. She did not cry like children usually did.

At Aurel's words, she simply nodded, but did not otherwise react. She was overwhelmed by all of the emotions, the questions swirling around in her head. She barely had enough energy to handle that, let alone carry on a conversation. Though, she had to say that his presence was at least a little comforting. Though she was lost, she knew that she wasn't entirely alone.

[xivyxx]

No more than a week.. so it had been recent. Lucien's eyebrows furrowed as Faolan spoke. He wasn't a fool.. he knew what was going on here.. he was just finding it hard to accept it.. mostly for the girl's sake.

"Even.. if that's the case.. I still need to know. The more informed we are the better." He said. Faolan's anger was clear, and he didn't blame him for it, he was angry too, but he didn't want to let that get in the way of him potentially being able to get his answers. He would hold back for the girl's sake.

"I think it would be best if you stayed near the bus for now. Depending on what I manage to find out, we can decide what to do next." He said.

Once Faolan had headed over there, Lucien began walking to the home next door. He got rid of his displeased expression, before he gently knocked on the door. A woman opened it, seemingly a little surprised to see him.

Still, he gave her a charming smile, and a small bow. "Good evening, Ma'm, I'm terribly sorry to drop by so suddenly." He said, in a perfectly fluent, American accent. Over the years he had mastered the language enough so no traces of his French accent remained. Usually he only had to do this in specific circumstances, this was one of them.

"O-Oh no.. it's quite alright, how may I help you Sir?" The woman asked.

"I am a relative of Mr. and Mrs. Brewer from next door. Some of my family and I have been on the road for quite a while, and had decided to drop by for a visit, but I happen to see that they aren't there anymore. Might you have any idea of where they went?" He asked, motioning in Faolan's direction. From all the way over here, it was probably that they could see some sort of resemblance.

The woman glanced over at the man and then the bus, before looking back at Lucien.

"The Brewers? Well.. I'm sorry to say I'm not exactly sure where they've gone. Are they unable to get into contact with you?"

"I'm afraid that letters are a bit hard to receive on our end, so I assume we must have missed their reply." He said with a sigh.

"That's unfortunate.. I don't think I can be of much help. About five days ago, they just kind of.. vanished. A lot of the neighborhood hadn't even noticed them move away. They weren't the most sociable people but.. I thought they'd at least say goodbye.." The woman said.

"Oh my.. that's very unfortunate.. Perhaps we should have timed our visit a little better. I'll reach out to the rest of our family, and be sure to reprimand them for moving away without giving their proper goodbyes."

The woman let out a small laugh. "That's not necessary, but I do appreciate the sentiment. I do hope you're able to reach them soon."

Lucien nodded. "Yes.. I do as well. Thank you so much for the information, please have a good rest of your day." The man said.

"Thank you, you as well!"

With that, Lucien turned on his heel, and headed back to Faolan. His pleasant smile became bitter as he did so. It was clear that they had probably left in a hurry. There was really no doubt in his mind that they were running away from something. Guilt perhaps? Guilt at having left their daughter behind. He clenched his fists, his anger becoming harder to restrain, but as he got closer he attempted to keep himself in check. He didn't want to scare the girl.

"I don't think breaking in will tell too much, aside from making it clear they left quickly." He said quietly, not wanting either Illyana or Aurel to overhear.

"I can maybe.. look into things at the bank, if the home was sold to them.. but.. it might not get us much. Is our only choice to talk to her?" He asked. There was no doubt in his mind now that Illyana hadn't told them everything... speaking to her would probably give them more information but.. in her current state, he felt bad doing so.

Aurel distressed a little as he saw the girl's tears beginning to flow. He got up for a moment to retrieve some napkins, before placing them next to her quietly. Ginger, sensing her sadness, slithered down from the nearby shelf and nudged her shoulder, hoping to help make her feel better.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan knew that he was being harsh with Lucien and that this was the wrong time, but this had suddenly become personal for him and he wasn't easily able to hide his anger. Of all people, Lucien would understand and forgive, though that did not give him a right to lash out at the Frenchman. He would have to apologize when they were all feeling a little better.

With a nod, he accepted Lucien's plan and made his way back to the bus. He did not go inside, knowing that Illyana was crying and that Aurel was doing his best to put on a brave face for her. He didn't want to leave the young man alone, but he didn't want to let Lucien out of his sight either, just in case. Aurel would be okay, if a little uncomfortable. He leaned against the bus and took up his prior position, arms crossed, as he scanned the neighborhood for signs of life.

He waited patiently for Lucien to return, listening in on his conversation with the neighbor from afar. Though he couldn't hear everything perfectly, it was enough to confirm his suspicions.

Faolan shrugged at Lucien's suggestions, then let out another sigh. This was hard for him, deciding what to do. With Aurel it had been easier. The boy had wanted to be with them and needed hardly any convincing. Even if he had wanted to leave, he had no home to return to. The girl had a home, a family somewhere out there in the world...she had options, and they would have to do what was best for her while still honoring her wishes.

"For now, yes, we need to know exactly what happened. Anything she can tell us could help us get a look at the whole picture." He paused as he looked back at the house, "But I still think looking inside is worth a shot. What if they left some mail behind, a bill, a title? It could have their new address on it. If they left in a hurry, its more likely that they forgot something they thought was insignificant." Although he was confident that his argument was sound, he wanted Lucien's blessing before taking any action. He had never undermined his beloved and he wasn't about to start now.

Illyana felt like time was simply dragging on and on. There was nothing before her but confusion and nothing behind her but pain now...what was she supposed to do? Where was she supposed to go? Would she ever seen Isabella again? Was she scared and lonely, just like her twin?

The touch of the serpent broke her from her thoughts, which was good because they weren't making her feel any better. Though she did not react to the contact outwardly, she did not pull away either. It was somewhat comforting knowing that the animal could feel that she was in pain. Even without words, they were more intuitive than any person the girl had ever met.

[xivyxx]

Lucien followed Faolan's gaze toward the house. Breaking and entering wasn't really ideal to him, but if he really thought they might have left something behind, then it really was worth checking. Part of him hoped they would be able to find something of Illyana's inside, at least to give her a little something of what was her home.

This entire situation wasn't going to be easy, he knew that. Illyana had clearly wanted to go home, and he didn't think she would be giving up so easily. That left them with an unclear future, mostly because there was no way he was just going to abandon this child without being sure of what future she would hold. They'd figure things out, one way or another.

"Alright.. let's look inside." He said, glancing over at the bus. "I'll go tell Illyana. I'm sure she wants to look inside too... considering it's her home.. she might also know where to look for important things." He said, before turning and walking back into the bus.

Aurel was glad that Ginger's attempt at comfort had seemingly helped, even if it was just a little. He could only imagine the insecurity she was going through right now.. since he was familiar with it. He was almost going to speak, but then he heard the bus door open, and Lucien came back inside.

"Illyana.. Faolan and I are going to check out the inside of the house to see if anything was left behind. Would you like go with in with us?" He asked her.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan could see the unease in his lover's eyes at the mention of entering the house without permission. Lucien was cautious and careful, and if the matter wasn't life and death, he wasn't exactly willing to break the law. The Irishman did not want to make him uncomfortable by pushing the matter, but he remained firm in his stance. Getting inside was the best way to get information, hands down. Lucien could go door to door, but from the sound of what the first woman had said, he doubted any others would offer more details.

He was glad when Lucien agreed despite his misgivings. Faolan would never suggest anything that would put them in danger, and the Nephilim knew that. At Lucien's words, he simply nodded and waited outside while he went to retrieve the girl. He scanned the front of the home from afar, but couldn't make much out. He didn't smell anyone snooping around, but Lucien would have to be his eyes, he could barely see across the street.

Now that Illyana felt more present in the moment, as Ginger had snapped her out of her near-trance, she caught the muffled voices of Faolan and Lucien outside. She couldn't hear what they were talking about, but knew they had to be discussing her. Maybe they wouldn't want her anymore either...maybe they would leave her here to figure her next move out on her own. It wouldn't surprise her, given that her own parents had left her high and dry...actually worse than that. They seemed like good people, the two men who had picked her up, along with Aurel, but she knew she was a burden and she didn't want to impose on them either.

She heard the door open and immediately jumped to her feet, almost out of sheer nervousness, her body moved on its own. She fixed her eyes, which were no longer leaking tears but were red and swollen, on Lucien as he entered. Her heart pounded in her chest as he spoke, and she raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes. "Yes!" she almost yelled, barely waiting for the last word to leave the man's mouth before she answered.

Maybe there was something inside that could lead them to Isabella. Maybe her sister had left a clue somewhere? They had recently been playing mystery games, where Isy would leave clues for Illy to follow. It was like Hide and Seek with some extra flair. Illyana always found her twin and had tried hard not to rely on her abilities to do so, though it was hard for her to turn them off. There was some hope, at least, that she would be pointed in the right direction.

[xivyxx]

The fact that Illyana was okay with this put Lucien a little more at ease. This was her home after all..

"Alright, Faolan is going to get us inside." He said before turning to Aurel.

"Aurel, you have the best eyes here. Would you help me on look out?" He asked the teenager, who eagerly nodded.

"Yes of course. I'll have Bengal and Ginger help too, we can each take a window." Aurel responded. While normally he'd be against this kind of thing, he trusted Lucien and Faolan's judgement. It was clear this meant a lot to Illyana too.. so he wanted to do the best he could to help.

Lucien gave him a smile. "You know what to do if you think someone's coming" He said. Faolan's hearing was extraordinary. If someone was about to catch them, all Aurel would have to do is say so, and he would catch wind of it. This made it a lot easier to go about this.

Aurel nodded in response and went over to the window with the best view of the neighborhood, while the two snakes took some opposing it.

"Just let me know if you see any humans okay?" He asked them.

With that out of the way, Lucien motioned for Illyana to follow him, and they both left the bus.

"Lead the way." He told his beloved, knowing he'd know the best way to go about this.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana was overjoyed to hear that she was allowed to accompany the two men inside, so much so that she almost smiled. Instead, she wiped her face of the tears that had settled there, straightening herself up as much as possible before following Lucien out of the bus. Her eyes and face hardened as she laid eyes on her empty home once more, an invisible mask of focus settling down over the girl. This was not the end, it was just the first step in her true journey back to her twin, and she would do whatever she could to see its end.

Faolan heard and approved of the instructions given by Lucien, and as soon as he and the child emerged from the bus, he made his way in a diagonal toward the house. There was no one on the street and no one peeking around their windows, at least that the Irishman could tell. Even still, it would be much safer getting inside from the back or side of the house, so Faolan lead them directly there. As they got closer, Faolan noted that the house did not have a backyard and the edge of the Brewer's property backed up to the house behind them. This was bad news, but not a deal breaker. He had gotten into and out of places with much more security than this. As long as the child was quiet and followed instructions, this would go smoothly.

The trio made their way to the side of the house where the Irishman located a window. First, he tried it to see if it had been left unlocked. Surprisingly enough, it had. He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked over at Lucien, "Well...that was easier than I thought," he said in a whisper, nearly smiling. Whoever had left the house last had been either very unintelligent, or very overconfident, but either way it had worked out for the would-be robbers.

Once issue was that this window was a little farther off the ground than the girl could reach to get inside. Faolan, of course, would have no problem, and Lucien could get it easily with a little bit of a boost, but Illyana was far too small to crawl in on her own. Faolan opened the window fully, then took a step back to make room for Lucien.

"Alright...Lucien, you go in first. Illyana," he then glanced down at the girl and spoke flatly, "If you want to go inside, we'll have to hoist you in."

The girl had followed the two men silently, fast walking on her small legs as their long strides took them across the yard with ease. She had been just as surprised to see Faolan open the side window as he had been. When she lived there she had insisted on locking all of the windows any time they were closed, even more so than her parents. Oh well...this was good for them, at least.

But she immediately realized why when Faolan addressed her. Even on her tippy-toes, there was no way she could reach to pull herself up into the window. She simply wasn't strong or agile enough to do it on her own.

She swallowed the ball of saliva that had settled in her mouth, and after a beat, nodded to the large Irishman. She understood, and though she knew it was probably in her best interest to keep herself from skin contact with the men or Aurel, she could see no other way around this. As long as she was careful, and stayed focused, she should be okay. Besides, it did happen every time she touched someone...but it was likely the first time.

After she gave her silent consent, Faolan nodded back to her and then to Lucien, signalling that he should make his way inside. Once the Nephilim had pulled himself up and in with no issues, Faolan bent down and held out his hands to give Illyana a boost. He felt as though she were too old to lift like a child, she could manage this.

And she did. She swallowed hard again and approached Faolan, stepping into his hands with shaky ankles. He was incredibly strong and balanced, though, standing in the man's hands felt like standing on a stone. He never wavered, and even helped to balance the girl as she gripped the windowsill and hoisted herself up. She sat down with Faolan supporting her feet, swung her legs inside, and dropped into her kitchen.

It was a lot smaller-looking now, for some reason, without all of the furniture. She had thought the opposite might be true...Illyana scanned the empty room with a heavy heart, but kept her chin up. Maybe they had left something behind. She waited for Faolan to join them, then began moving forward as quietly as she could.

[xivyxx]

Lucien followed Faolan to the side of the house. Luckily it seemed they would be able to get inside without no issue. He waited near the window, making sure Illyana made it in safely before he actually took a look around them. It wasn't hard to come to the conclusion that they might not be able to find anything here, but he wasn't going to give up so quickly. It was easy to miss the smallest thing if one wasn't looking.

The nephilim made his way out of the kitchen, and began to look for any potential clues. There wasn't.. particularly much for him to look into, as the few things that seem to remain consisted of furniture it seemed they hadn't bothered to take.

"Let's do our best to not linger too long alright?" He said quietly. Their bus was particularly hard to miss. If it stuck around too long he didn't want the neighbors to get too curious. The less time they spent in the house, the better.

--

Meanwhile, Aurel remained vigilant of their surroundings. He hadn't kept the curtain open too much, but it was just enough for him to look out of it without people being able to see inside. He really hoped the others would be able to find something to give Illyana some sort of clue. Knowing how kind Lucien and Faolan were.. he knew that they would not deny the girl somewhere to stay while she tried to find out where her family had gone, just as they had done for him. He had a feeling Illyana wouldn't want to give up so easily.

Part of him couldn't help but wonder... was her bond with her sister so great that she'd seek a family that had left her behind? It was harsh to think about.. but having experienced abandonment himself.. he couldn't help but let that cross his mind. Then again.. their situation was a bit different, considering he had no personal connection to those who had left him.

He let out a small sigh, and continued his watch, the snakes doing the same. Hopefully they would not take too long.

[FreckersFrog]

Illyana followed as Lucien began to move throughout the house, but stopped when she heard his voice. She nodded in response and did feel the need to get out of the house as quickly as she could. It was strange, because she thought she would feel the opposite way. This was the house she had grown up in, the house that held so many of her memories...she should want to be here, right? But seeing it so empty, so desolate...somehow it made her want to run away as fast as she could. They had a job to do. She needed to focus on that so they could all get out of here.

After Lucien's comment, she heard Faolan grunt in agreement behind her. "Illyana, why don't you lead. This is your house, you would know where to look."

She paused mid-step, but nodded as she completed the movement. She scanned the kitchen but knew there would be no clues here unless they were hidden in a drawer. She went to one side of the fixture where her father kept a tool and junk drawer handy for doing repairs. She slid it open but there was nothing inside. From here, she lead the men to the family room, but it had been cleaned out. Then, the living room, but her heart sank when she saw not a trace of her father's desk where he kept his papers.

All that was left were the bedrooms. She made her way to her parent's first, knowing it was possible that they would have left something there in their haste to leave. She felt her heart leap into her throat as she entered and saw that they had left a large armoire behind. There were doors and drawers on this piece of furniture, so she crossed the room to it and rifled through it. Nothing. Everything was empty.

The two men followed her through the house using their eyes and ears as well. Occasionally, Faolan would pause and tilt his head to listen, but would eventually move again. He was their lookout on the inside and would know if anyone was approaching, but so far, so good. He could see that the girl was focused, that was good as well. He was afraid that being inside would distract her, but she proved him wrong. She seemed to be doing a lot of that, at least since they had met her.

Illyana left her parent's room but hesitated when she made her way to the room she had shared with her sister. The door was shut, and she paused as she reached for the handle. A lump had formed in her throat again as he hand hovered over the cool metal. She knew that Faolan and Lucien were watching her, but she could not move...something was stopping her from entering. She knew it would not be the room that she had known since she was an infant, the place she felt most safe in the world. She knew that when she opened the door she would find it barren, empty...wasted. But she had to.

Eventually, she forced herself to take and turn the handle. The door swung open, and she was surprised to see that it was not empty, as she had imagined. In fact, it had quite a bit of furniture still inside.

All of her furniture, at least.

Slowly, Illyana stepped inside and scanned the room. All of her sister's belongings and furniture was gone. Everything that would indicate that two children lived here...but Illyana's bed, her small chest with her clothes in it, her curtains, and even the small mirror that hung on the wall so she could check herself before leaving the house...they had left it all.

She walked to the chest and slowly opened it. Empty. At least they had taken her clothes...Isabella was the same size as her, after all.

From here, she moved over to the mirror and tentatively reached out to touch the frame with her fingertips. She did so hesitantly, as it were going to shock her, but it didn't. She let her fingers touch it and then her arm fell to her side, her eyes fell to the floor.

Faolan watched the girl with a heavy heart as she entered her bedroom. One set of things a little girl would need was still there, and he guessed that it all belonged to her. She had a strange look on her face...sadness, focus, and confusion all mixed into one. She wore it well, but the Irishman could tell that she was in deep pain, too deep for words.

As she passed by the bed, he watched her shadow fall under it and furrowed his brows. "Wait, Illyana..." he said quietly as she touched the mirror on the wall. "There is something down there." he said, pointing to under the bed. He approached it as the girl turned toward him, her eyes widening slowly.

He bent down and noticed the shape, then fell to his hands and knees and reached under to grab the object. It was difficult for him, given his size, but easy enough as the object was rather close to the edge of the bed. He rose to his feet once more, then held an open hand toward Illyana. "Is this yours?" he asked.

The girl approached him slowly as if she was afraid to contract some deadly illness from his aura, and stood on her toes as she peered into his hand. He held a barrette, small and pink, with a butterfly design on one side. She shook her head, "No..." she said, her voice heavy with tears that threatened to overwhelm her at any moment, "That's my sister's."

"Mmm..." Faolan hummed, looking at the small thing, then gestured it toward the girl. "Well, maybe you should have it anyway." He held it to her between his thumb and forefinger so that she would not have to touch him.

Slowly at first, Illyana nodded. She didn't want to take it. It didn't belong to her. It felt...wrong. But she wanted to have something of her sister's. Maybe it would help them feel more conne--

As soon as her skin touched the barrette, Illyana's eyes rolled back into her head. She shook, violently, her mouth opened and closed as if she were gasping for air. The fit lasted only a second before the girl stumbled backward, loosing her footing, and fell hard onto the wooden floor.

Faster than lightning, Faolan was at the girl's side. He did not touch her, but he was on his knees and hovering over her. "Lucien!" The word escaped from between his teeth as fear gripped him.

[xivyxx]

Lucien could see how hard this was for Illyana.. but he admired her determination to continue despite it. It seemed her parents had done a good job of emptying everything, at least, that's what he thought until they reached the room he assumed was where Illyana slept, which she seemed quite hesitant to enter. He didn't speak up or pressure her, knowing she needed to take this at her own pace.

He was surprised to see that there was still furniture here, but he could tell about half of it was missing.. which made sense if the girl had a twin. He couldn't help but feel upset at the fact they had left all this here, not even thinking of how their child could possibly feel upon seeing just how blatantly they had planned to leave her behind.. that is unless they thought there was no way she could return here. That thought frustrated him further. Illyana did not deserve this pain.

He watched the girl with saddened eyes as she walked around the room, inspecting what was left of her things. Perhaps they'd be able to take some of it back with them if she wanted them in her possession. Once this house was re-sold he knew it would most likely get thrown out or taken away...

Faolan's voice shifted his attention, as he had seemingly found something of Illyana's at least, that's what they thought at first. He was glad that she at least had something of her sister's to keep. No matter how small.. things like that were nice to have.

What happened when Illyana touched the small barrette was nothing anyone he has expected. He ran to them as Faolan called out his name, kneeling down on the floor next to Illyana. Gently he lifted the girl's head, only to check to make sure she hadn't gotten a concussion or anything of the sort during her fall, considering how fragile she seemed. Feeling nothing off, he looked her over with worried eyes.

"Illyana, can you hear me?" He asked her, attempting to remain calm. She seemed to be conscious but not particularly responsive. "It may have been some sort of seizure.." He muttered but was still unsure, it had all happened too quickly.

"If you can hear my voice, try to take slow, deep breaths." He had seen such a thing before, and there would certainly have been further cause for alarm had the seizure lasted too long, but hopefully the worst of it was over. The best he could do for her was attempt to give her instruction if she could fully grasp his words.

[FreckersFrog]

Immediately as Lucien arrived by the girl's side, Faolan jumped to his feet. He watched from above as Lucien checked her, gauging his reaction. Happy with the result, he quickly crossed the room and left it to take a watch and make sure that no one heard the disturbance, or worse, would come to investigate. He moved to the side windows in the front room, peeking out of them, but saw and heard nothing while Lucien and the girl remained in the room.

Illyana has fallen onto her elbow, which was ringing with pain. Her head had connected with the floor, but not hard enough to cause her any discomfort or serious injury. Slowly, she began to open her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered with the effort of it as her mind came back to her body. It was like waking from a very long sleep. Her muscles were so tired, so heavy, that it was hard to move. She could hear Lucien speaking to her, and eventually her eyes opened to reveal his face hovering over her.

She did as instructed, swallowing the saliva that was building up in her mouth. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she gained more and more consciousness, but she still was unable to move or speak. Her body was recovering from a shock akin to a heart attack or stroke, but she was used to this...it had happened many times before.

Faolan, satisfied that no one was coming to see what had happened, returned to the room. He spoke more quietly than before, worry written across his features, "If she's okay, Lucien, I think we should get back to the bus." There was no need for them to stay here any longer, especially now that Illyana was injured. She was too weak to go through anything else, and already in so much pain...He didn't want her to have to suffer any longer, and if there was something he could do to stop it, he would.