FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Oh, yeah," Cora began, dropping her eyes to her lap for a moment at Akane, though she managed to keep her smile, "The sun is just really bright today!" She said as she shielded her eyes. The last thing she needed was for everyone to worry about her.

She was relieved when the group started moving toward Lucien's trailer again. Not only would it get her out of the sun, it would take the focus from her as well. They had more important things to worry about right now anyway, with the recruitment from yesterday. Now that she thought about it, she was very interested to hear if this magic man had accepted the offer or not.

She allowed herself to be lifted and deposited into a chair inside of the trailer. She greeted Lucien with a smile, which had regained it's usual brightness.

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Just as Aurel was closing the door, Illyana came running up to the trailer and pushed her way inside. She looked a little disheveled, and was breathing heavily, her cheeks slightly flushed, but otherwise dressed and presentable. "I'm here! Sorry..." She said as she gasped and looked about the room. "I, uh...overslept." She said, and blushed even harder as her eyes dropped to the floor at her admission.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Oh, I know!" Cora said enthusiastically, though her expression betrayed her unease. "Lucien told me that too, and Illyana..." She trailed off, twisting her fingers together in her lap as they moved across the sunny grounds.

It wasn't necessarily that she felt as though she couldn't leave her trailer if the others didn't retrieve her, she knew she was allowed and more than capable since she had figured out the door and the chair. It was more that she wasn't sure of herself on her own, out in the world. After all, she had no experience navigating the land world that she now called home, not alone at least. There was something about it that scared her. Not anything or anyone in particular, just the vastness of it, and the unknown. What if she got lost and couldn't find her way back, what if something bad happened and she was separated from the group? Would they know how to find her?

She had been lucky once, when Illyana had 'seen' her on that last day, would she be lucky again? It wasn't worth it to her to try. Just the thought of it now made her feel nervous, like she was exposed, drying out in the sun.

Just as she was starting to get really worried, the sound of Akane's voice brought her back to the now. She looked around for a moment, as if dazed, until she caught sight of her friends. She smiled, although it was a bit more strained than her usual chipper self, "Good morning!"

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's eyebrows lifted with each passing refrain of Lucien's story. He wouldn't normally have believed such a thing, that Lucien had gotten him off nearly scott free after leaving a room full of otherwise healthy men battered, bruised, and probably concussed. He had been in scraps an scrapes in the past, but as soon as the law was involved, he either had to find a clever way out without hurting anyone else, or get thrown in the clink until he could find a way out. Never would he have gone to the law before the attacked, essentially that would amount to turning himself in and Faolan hated nothing more than imprisonment. Being on a ship, there was nowhere to run, however. He had been more than willing to accept his fate of incarceration for this, unless things got even more sour.

No, he wouldn't have believed this story if anyone else had told it. Lucien had nothing to gain from lying to him and everything to gain from keeping him out of prison. There was nothing for him if he was lying, and Faolan knew the way people reacted to him, most were scared to cross him. But it wasn't fear either, that motivated Lucien to help him, it was just out of sheer goodness. A kind that Faolan had never encountered before. It left him feeling...lost.

There was a long pause after Lucien finished speaking, and Faolan took this moment of contemplation to put his little book back into the folds of his bag.

"Well, color me impressed." He said, his voice flat. He shrugged, then kicked his legs out again and laid back down on his cot. "I suppose I owe you again, for getting me out of trouble." He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head, his face completely blank.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan had nothing to say to Lucien's protests, and only grunted and shook his head at the comment. Twenty's still a child. He thought and kicked his legs out to lay out on his cot. There was clearly no sense in arguing with the boy, he was too stubborn. Optimistic and obstinate, a bad combination. He tucked his hands behind his head as a pillow and closed his eyes, his brows furrowed. The least he could do was get some rest before the law came knockin'.

Faolan made no attempt to stop his leaving either, if he wanted to walk around alone some more and get himself in trouble again, that was his problem now. He didn't know what he thought he was doing, risking himself to keep Faolan out of trouble would only get him deeper in the shite.

After a moment alone in silence, Faolan sat up again and reached for his bag, a little too angrily. Why would Lucien risk himself for this when he knew it was a loosing battle? It was plain stupid, is what it was. The boy had no sense.

And yet, had Faolan not done the same thing for the lad, twice? Sure, he'd gotten something out of it for himself, twice, but was it more for private rage or out of some sort of sympathy for the lad that he acted? After all, had he not been a small fish in a huge pond? When he'd left the farm, he'd run into his fair share of gobshites and ne'er do well's, and no one had stepped in to help him. He'd learned on his own what the world was like and it had shaped him into the man he was today. Once he'd thought that maybe everyone wasn't so bad, it was just the few he'd met, but his gut had been right all along. They were all scum...

Except for Lucien.

"Lad's not the full schilling, alright." He growled quietly to himself as he fished a small leather-bound book from his satchel. It was tiny in his large hands, and filled with yellowing and mis-matched pages. There was a leather string wrapped around it, to keep everything inside. Faolan flipped to the back of the book, about a dozen pages from the end, took the charcoal pencil from inside, and began to scribble almost furiously inside. If he was waiting for the inevitable, he might as well record the day's events.

Date unknown, day 7 at sea. Took silver dagger to the side. Could've been dead, but lad saved me with some quick healing. Never felt or seen anything like it. Warm and painful, hot, light from his hands, and the silver and it's poison was gone in a flash. Almost better now, about thirty minutes later. A bit drained and nauseous, but otherwise alright.

He paused here, lost in thought for a moment, then continued:

Took out pack of English. Bastards all, and thieves, got Lucien's the lad's goods back. Law will be coming. Another pause, then:

Lad's special, not human. Something else. Something--A final pause--good.

He;d just added the last bit of punctuation when the door opened. He looked up, saw Lucien, and snapped the book closed with one hand. Immediately, he felt his brow furrow, but his frustration had left him. Why was that?

He raised his eyebrows at the Frenchman's words. "Will it now?" he said, disbelief thick in his voice. The boy hadn't been gone a half hour and already everything was fixed?

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana woke with a start. No dreams, just unease.

Two things were clear immediately: she was in her trailer, and her back was killing her. She had fallen asleep at her reading table, a book laying open in front of her, now with the addition of a large wet stain of drool. She looked down at it in disgust and disappointment, and slapped it closed.

Despite her efforts, and her newly moistened page, she had learned nothing new or useful in helping her get to the bottom of her unease with Geralt. She hadn't completely finished her research, but it was unlikely that she would find anything at this point. She would just have to learn whatever she could from the man himself, although this was what she had been trying to avoid in the first place.

Suddenly, she noticed the shaft of light that beamed through her partially open window and started into a standing position. "Shit!" she exclaimed, and moved so quickly that she knocked over her chair. She threw the blanket she had been wearing off of her shoulders and went about changing as quickly as possible. She hated to be late. Usually, she was up at Dawn with the carnies, overseeing things or reading or doing chores, or getting Cora ready...she couldn't believe she'd slept in. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure exactly when she fell asleep.

In any case, she needed to get moving. By the position of the sun in the sky, she guessed it was already nearing nine, which was unspeakable. She hurried herself getting dressed so she could get started for the day as soon as possible. She needed to be ready for when their new member arrived.

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Cora had been up all morning waiting for someone to come and get her. Every noise from the outside, every voice, every footfall or bump of her trailer excited her, but no one came. Finally, she had gotten fed up, slid out of her tank and dressed herself. It wasn't the hardest thing to do, and her clothes could stay wet for hours if she was out of the sun.

For the rest of the morning, she busied herself with trying to read on her own. She could make out a lot of letters now, thanks to Illy's help, and was able to discern a few words. After a bit of this, she just ended up confusing herself, so she resigned herself to her favorite pasttime: drawing. Illy had taught her this as well, and found that the mermaid was quite good at it. She had a hard time with people's faces and land-dwelling creatures, but she was beautifully artistic at rendering the creatures and landscapes of her home. In fact, nearly her entire trailer had been covered with etchings and paintings, when they could get paint, of undersea life. It was her "pride and joy" as Lucien had called it.

She was detailing an eel, hiding away in the darkness of it's den, when finally a knock came at her door. She immediately responded by dropping the charcoal stick onto the floor and rolling toward the door to fling it open.

"Finally!" She said, not caring who it had been that knocked. "I've been up since dawn, you know." She said to Ivory, slightly perturbed that no one had come for her sooner. She wore her trademark pout, but it only served to make her lips fuller and her eyes even more sparkling.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana could tell immediately that Lucien was holding something back, but she couldn't blame him. He was in the worst position of all of them, having to make this decision without the full support of the troupe, and knowing the risks. This couldn't be easy for him.

It was Ivory's comment that sparked a bit of surprise and unease from the fortune teller. She glanced between the two of them, her brow furrowing. This news was certainly concerning, but she was glad Ivory had gone along. Not only was she willing to protect Lucien, she was one of the few among them who could at the moment, and she wouldn't hesitate. At her last comment, Illyana blushed visibly and looked away. She definitely had not been expecting that sort of attention from their new prospect, but then again, she never was.

Her nervousness quickly faded when Lucien spoke up again. She wracked her brain for a moment, her fingers resting on her chin as she cradled her elbow in the opposite hand. "His eyes, hm?" She thought for a moment longer, shifting her weight from one leg to the next, "It doesn't really mean anything to me..." But there was something that was bugging her, itching at the back of her mind. Dark, dead eyes like a dark endless abyss...heat and swirling vapor...far away sighs and screams...

But she couldn't place it. She twisted her lips in annoyance and shook her head, "No, nothing right now. But, I can do some research." She said, a new fire lit in her eyes as she looked at the two of them again. "I better get started, show tomorrow." She said, and turned away suddenly to trot back to her trailer. Before she got too far, she turned and waved as an after thought, shouting, "Good night!" before contiuning on her way.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan made his way to his cot and fished his bag out from underneath. He traveled light, as always, and carried only necessities in a bag that was usually slung over his shoulder. He had found it on a dead solider, and simply kept it. No use to him now anyway.

He laid it on his cot and unzipped it, searching for a fresh shirt. He knew he had one left.

As Lucien finished speaking, he couldn't help but scoff. Too optimistic was right on the nose. He looked over his shoulder, contemplating the situation quietly to himself, trying not to sound too harsh as he spoke, "And what will we say? 'Officers, my friend here just finished pucking a bunch'a English in their fat gobs, laid 'em out he did, but it was justified. They stole from me and gave me guff!'?" He pulled his shirt off, which had slightly stuck to his skin, wincing as he did so, and tossed it on to the floor before putting the a "clean" one on. His back was absolutely covered in scars, large and small, deep and light, ones that looked like slashes and others that looked like bite-marks. The largest of them was the scar that could be seen from the front as well; it stretched around his neck and shoulder like an enormous animal had taken a bite from him. It was clear from this view that Faolan knew his way around a battlefield, whatever type that might be.

"No offence meant, lad, and I know you came down in the last shower and all, but they'll think you're not quite the full schilling with that."

He sighed and took a seat on his cot, pushing his hair out of his eyes and leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "I think that no matter what story you tell, truth or not, they'll get their man in the end. It's not about the truth, it's about who's more put-out, and right now, that's them."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana didn't even get a chance to ask the first of a flood of questions that were swirling around in her mind before Lucien began to explain. That tight feeling in her gut had loosened and re-tightened itself as he spoke. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or more anxious about the whole thing. Lucien's hesitancy made her nervous, but she knew that he would never do anything that would put their troupe in danger. This was something she would just have to trust him on.

But this was not her only concern.

"Well," she began once Lucien had finished, "I can't say I'm relieved, but I'm glad the two of you aren't hurt. I didn't get anything while you were away, and that's a good sign." Her eyes dropped to the ground, her fingers twisting together as he bit her lip in the posture of thinking and considering.

After a beat, she said, "This might be hard to pinpoint, but...what was he like? Did either of you," she glanced between Ivory and Lucien, "notice anything...off? You can save the details for the meeting tomorrow, but I need to know if you sensed something wrong." This information may help her in diagnosing the initial vision she had had of Geralt and getting to the bottom of the feelings of dread that surrounded him in her mind.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan shook his head as he trudged back up toward their quarters. This was one of the downsides of teaming up with someone so naive; he was untested, and too optimistic.

"That won't be how they see it," He said, "Regardless of who started what, they will lie and twist the truth to their favor." He gestured toward his bloodied shirt, "I've no wound, and you have your property back. Because of what happened when we met, we look even more guilty. They'll say we jumped them, unprovoked, and the officers'll believe 'em. And that's that." There was a finality to his final statement, but no anger in his voice. There was no one to blame for this outcome other than himself, Faolan knew that, and he wasn't even upset at the whole turn of events. As far as he was concerned, whatever punishment he faced was worth teaching those scum a lesson. Maybe, in the future, they would think twice before taking advantage of someone weaker than themselves.

They approached their door and Faolan entered first, holding the door open for Lucien to enter.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan was in full blood-lust, thrashing and slashing at everything that moved before him. He had put two on their knees and knocked three out cold. The last Englishman was backing up, clutching the steel pipe to his chest as if it would protect him. He was muttering something, but Faolan couldn't hear him over the blood pounding in his ears.

He approached the cowering fool and raised a hand to land a hammer blow against his prey's face, but stopped in the back-swing as something caught his attention. His name? Had Lucien called his name? He grunted and glanced over his shoulder, looking slightly confused, and saw the young man standing near the door. It was then that he noticed the wreckage he had wrought all around them in the room. The three of seven that remained conscious were looking up at Faolan in terror, shielding their faces as they peered at him through their fingers. It was a look he was familiar with, and it snapped him out of his frenzy. For a moment, he feared he had killed someone, so intense was his rage, but they all appeared to be breathing as he scanned the room.

He saw the last crumpled in the corner, but knew he had never entered the frey. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand and nodded toward the body, "You do that?" That one wasn't dead either, luckily, but Lucien had clearly re-opened his broken nose, and by the sight of him, he had used his own face to do it.