FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana's expression remained as guarded as possible as she watched Geralt and Lucien interact. Even when the magician winked at her, she tried to show no response, although it did take her by surprise. Lucien's warning about his silver tongue was definitely needed, she would have to keep a close eye on him when he interacted with the rest of the troupe. Smooth though he was, his arrogance ruled him, it was only a matter of time before he would slip something that betrayed the secret of his magic. Illyana was sure it wouldn't be long before the mystery of his powers was revealed, magician or not, Illyana had her own tricks up her sleeve.

Geralt's smile returned as Lucien continued to speak, glad that he had been granted permission to do his show. He had intended to perform no matter what, but at least the Ringleader could recognize talent when he saw it. "Very well, maître, I humbly accept your conditions. It is never my intention to rock the boat...unless, of course, some rocking is requested." He said, and followed the two eagerly as they began to walk away. He couldn't help but glance at Illyana's backside as she walked in front of him, and smiled to himself. She was young, yes, but there was a fire in her. He would have to be careful around their little Madame Illynova.

Illyana was about to agree with Lucien, nodding to him as she turned to wish Geralt a good show, before the magician interrupted her by stopping and holding up a finger. He had glanced back at the group of patrons waiting outside the gates as he came to stop. What was he doing?

"Speaking of which..." He said, looking over at the group of people crowding the gate. It was absolutely minuscule, a quarter of the crowd he used to pull at the theater. This amount of people would barely fill a single tent, let alone the entirety of the grounds. It was mostly children too, and their parents wouldn't want to pay double to see every single show.

"Would you allow me the smallest of indulgences, Lucien? And Madame Illynova, of course," he said and nodded humbly toward Illyana. "I'd like to do a little pre-show presentation, if that is okay with you?" There was a brief pause, and he decided to fill it with more talk as he turned his body toward the crowd, "I promise, only run-of-the-mill tricks. Just to give them a taste, leave them wanting more...I promise I will make it brief." He continued, a devilsh grin splitting his face.

Illyana glanced up a Lucien, hope and worry plain on her face. She didn't trust Geralt, not by a mile, but if they were going to let him perform tonight, she didn't see the harm in letting him have his little 'presentation'. Besides, this would give her a chance to see something of his firsthand, as she wouldn't be able to watch the show. It would delay their opening, yes, as they were due to be ready in minutes, and this was Lucien's call. Still, she hoped he would allow it, if only for her sake.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana knew at once that every suspicion she had about Geralt was absolutely true. He was arrogant, if nothing else, but suave, graceful, and charismatic. If the reaction of the woman who dropped him off was any example of his sway over people, she had no doubts about his ability to draw a crowd. Illyana studied him intently as he approached them, trying to "read" him, although this was harder for her without physical contact, but she knew that was not a risk she should take right now. For the first time, she found a person to be a complete enigma. He had no aura, which was not impossible but extremely rare, especially for someone with his ability. As she studied his form, she caught movement in the corner of her eye as the car behind him pulled away and the light shifted. His shadow...it was not his own.

As she got closer, she instinctively stepped closer to Lucien, grateful that he had come between them despite his desire to be polite. She said nothing, and simply waited, seeing if there was anything else she would spot before their brief interlude was done.

Geralt blinked several times in surprise at Lucien's words, and tilted his head as he responded, "Oh, dear, Lucien, you're not cross with me are you? My deepest apologies, I can assure you, it will not happen again." He bowed low, dramatically, but somehow not comically. Everything he did was intentional, practiced, as if he had done this all before a hundred times and perfected his technique. When he looked up, he locked eyes with Illyana and could see her shudder from the impact of his gaze. Here was their little detective...and a gypsy at that.

"Oh, but how rude of me. Lucien, introduce me to this charming creature. I assume she is your resident Diseur de Bonne Aventure?" He leaned to the side, toward Illyana and reached out to take her hand.

Seeing his intention, Illyana stepped back, her hands conveniently tucked underneath her shawl. She nodded and dropped her eyes to the floor. Prolonged eye contact with Geralt was causing her some trouble, she could feel a headache coming on. "I am Illyana Brewer, Madame Illynova to my patrons. And there is no need for introductions, Mr. Wagner, I already know all about you." She glanced up at him briefly, but did not hold his gaze. The spotlight of his attention was beginning to make her dizzy. This would certainly take some getting used to.

"Mm..." Geralt raised and eyebrow and leaned away in response, it was clear she was not comfortable with contact just yet. He would have to give this one some time to warm up. "Well, hopefully not everything... Mystery is my trade, my dear, I would hate to ruin the surprise." He let the moment between them linger before looking back up at Lucien.

"But, monsieur, I hope you are playing with me. I came with the full intention of putting on a wonderful show tonight," he stepped back and raised his arms, showing off his suit and stature, "I hope the lack of top-hat doesn't alarm you, I wouldn't want to...steal your thunder." He glanced at Illyana and winked, before returning his gaze to his new master.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan was taken so aback by the sudden personal contact with Lucien that he didn't know how to react. He raised his arms as if avoiding the lad, and stood still there for a moment, before awkwardly patting the Frenchman on the shoulder. He felt his cheeks becoming hot with embarrassment and his eyes darted around to make sure they were still alone. Luckily, they were.

Once Lucien let go, he realized he was holding his breath, and let it out slowly once they were apart again. It had been a long time since anyone had attempted touch in a nonviolent manner towards him, he was a little put off by it, although it wasn't entirely unwelcome...

He tried to stamp these confusing thoughts from his mind as Lucien continued to speak. Apologizing again... he thought, and almost voiced it, but when he saw the young man wiping tears from his eyes, he couldn't bring himself to scold him again. He looked around, not wanting to stare, and said quietly, "Well, I didn't mean to upset ya' or anything..."

"No, no, I'm not upset," Lucien responded, his eyes glistening in the afternoon light, "I'm...happy." He smiled up at Faolan despite the tears.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and someone walked out of the house on the opposite side of the street as them. "C'mon, we're burnin' daylight." He nodded toward the direction of the docks, and began to slowly walk that way, hoping that Lucien would follow.

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Follow he did, and the two made their way to the docks. Unfortunately for Faolan, there was little in the way of work to be had for this day. He was advised to try the next dawn, and was given a couple of names to try. Down, but not out, the two returned to the house, taking the long way to see as much of town as possible.

Over the next three or four days, the three men of the household adopted a daily routine. Faolan found some odd work at the docks unloading shipments and doing short transports. The pay wasn't high, but it was better than nothing. In addition, he took a night job at a sailor's pub, which had better pay but a worse smell. He would take dead fish and rotten fruit over the bodily excretions of sailors any day.

Lucien spent most of his time at the church with Father Cyril, studying. Now that Faolan had a job, he couldn't take Lucien out with him except to run short errands. The two saw little of each other during this time, but the three of them were always together and awake for supper.

On the fourth day of their stay with the priest, Faolan had fallen asleep on the couch after his return from his dock work. This sleep was usually good, if short, but this time he found himself awakening early to the sound of Lucien and the priest talking. At first, he tried to ignore it and fall asleep again, but the subject of their conversation prevented him from finding a restful sleep...

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana nodded in response to Lucien's observation. From all of their descriptions of the man, plus Ivory's reaction to him, she was guessing that he was quite overconfident. Being the type of operation they were, there shows really were not the place for arrogance or "show stealing". They performed to stay alive, to keep moving, keep searching...and helping others like themselves have a place to stay and feel safe. There was no room for selfishness on this level, but, desperate times called for desperate measures.

They waited a few moments more, right up until the talkers were going to start letting people in, when a pair of headlights peeled from the main road and started heading in their direction. It could have been another car full of customers, or so Illyana hoped as the lot had started to dwindle. She was about to pass it off as such, when she realized it was not heading for where the other cars were parked, and was making a B-line straight for the two of them.

"Lucien, do you...see that?" She pointed it out. After she asked, she realized how dull that question had been, the headlamps were pointing straight at them.

He nodded in response, but his posture did not change.

The car made it's way through the crowd of patrons, jolting when it had to weave through people and cars, then came to a halt a mere twenty feet from them. There were two occupants, and the passenger door swung open to reveal their long-awaited new member.

He left the car gracefully, in one smooth motion, as he did all things. His eyes were locked on Lucien even before he exited the vehicle, and they flicked toward the girl at his side briefly, not that they could see that from this distance. He was dressed in a black suit and white shirt, unbuttoned to the hem of a dark gray vest. He carried a single briefcase in his right hand and his spotless wingtips waltzed across the dusty floor like he was walking on air. He strode toward the pair, but before he could get far, a woman's voice called out from the driver's seat.

"Geralt, wait!" She cried, and flung the door open before she ran to him, her southern-French accent carrying over the night air.

He paused, but did not turn toward the woman as she came to him. He wanted desperately to roll his eyes, but thought that may be a bad impression to make on the mousy girl that stood next to her Ringmaster. The woman flung her arms around Geralt's neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Her voice was muffled, but they exchanged a few words, and he kissed her on the cheek before sending her on her way. A wedding band flashed in the beam of the headlights as she turned away from him, tears glistening on her cheeks.

Geralt continued his approach as his valet backed out and turned the car around to leave. He wanted to show just how committed he was to their new...relationship. He came to a stop in front of the two, a confident smirk plastered onto his devilishly handsome features. "My apologies for the delay, I was...unexpectedly detained."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan shook his head at Lucien's response, but let him finish his thoughts before he interjected. It was never Faolan's intention to make the lad feel guilt or sorry that he had spoken. He was starting to see exactly what a life of isolation had done to the Frenchman. He felt trapped, quarantined in the name of protection. Faolan's heart was calling out to that suffering, a pain he had never known was to be trapped in one spot, fiercely protected in the way that Lucien was. In some ways, the lad was lucky, yes. He had a roof, men who cared for his well being genuinely and would protect him with everything they had, or at least that's how it seemed. It was more than most could ever ask for, but he also needed to realize that "his lot" wasn't what he was born with. Hell, Faolan's own life had changed years ago, and when he was just sixteen. He was forced to adopt his current way of living, and while there were growing pains, he knew it was something that he had to do to keep others safe. Faolan had played the protector his whole life, so he understood the priest's plight, but he also valued freedom above all else, and new it was what Lucien longer for. He could hear it in his voice.

He stopped walking and turned to Lucien, his expression different than he had shown before. His face had softened, and his eyes were locked on the Frenchman's as he spoke, a rare occurrence as Faolan hardly ever made eye contact.

"Stop apologizin' for things that ain't yer fault, lad." He began, and though his words were solid and harsh, his tone was soft, "You've got a lot of things that others wish for, sure, but there's no need for feelin' guilty. You've done the best with what you have, aye. But, you said it yourself, you're twenty goddamn years old. If you want to stay here and be a priest, do it if it'll make you happy. But if, and only if it's what you want to do. You can't spend your whole life pleasing others. Just because they want somethin' for ya' doesn't mean it's right. Your lot is what you make it...so make it something to be proud of."

It had all come flowing out of him before he realized it. And what exactly had made him go all high and mighty on the lad? He had no notion, but at least the two were alone on the street when his conscience decided to take over. It was then that he realized that he and Lucien were friends, seemingly without him ever knowing it.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's eyes widened as he glanced down at Lucien and he paused in his response to process what he'd heard. Envious? Of him? Lucien didn't know what he was saying, that was clear, but still...he knew part of what Faolan had been through just by seeing the scars on his back. Details were unknown to him, of course, but it was obvious to anyone who looked at the Irishman that he had no had an easy life. Freedom for him had come at a cost.

"Oh, lad, go away out of that. I've had my fair share of scrapes. Travel is all well an' good, but stayin' home is the safer bet." He couldn't say that he was envious of Lucien, but he could see the sense in a sedentary life. Faolan moved because he had to, not because he wanted to. If he had his way, he'd own a place of his own somewhere in a field, far away from cities and people. That just wasn't in the cards for him.

"'You have to make the best of your lot.' ...Somethin' me da used to say." He said quietly, for some reason, memories of his past kept surfacing for him today.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana nodded, finally feeling the fire fading from her cheeks. She took another sip of water before standing, and made her way to the door. She took the handle, but before leaving turned back to Lucien. "I know you already know this, Lucien. Just...watch yourself around him, okay?" She had no doubt that Lucien could take care of himself, but she knew he was more concerned with the safety of the troupe than his own well-being. He may not see the danger coming if he was too busy looking after everyone else. It would be up to Illyana and the others to watch out for him.

She pulled the door open, then turned back one final time, "A circus is nothing without its Ringleader." She said, smiling through the fatigue as she exited the trailer.

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Eventually, the sun began to set, and after all of the preparations for the show had been made, the troupe was ready to begin. The carnies had finished setting up the Ferris Wheel, games, and the string lights, the Talkers had touted the show about town and were setting up in front of various attractions to call visitors to their tents and trailers, and the performers had all prepared for the nights events. There was a short line of people waiting in line to enter, having purchased their tickets from the talkers in town, but it was not nearly the turnout they needed from Graston to keep moving. There were some headlights on the road approaching the valley, but there was no telling whether or not those lights were headed towards them or not.

Illyana stood, in full garb, next to Lucien a little ways away from the front gate. The two were hidden from view by a truck, but they had a view of the road and of the gathering outside. Illyana did not look herself, as her performance demanded that certain stereotypes be upheld. She was wearing a long dress made of a thin light material, with a black shawl wrapped around her shoulders, and a purple bandanna tied around her forehead. She wore dark eye makeup that made her look older and gave her a mysterious appearance, and Ivory had helped her paint her nails and apply rogue as well. She hated wearing "stage makeup", but it always drew a bigger crowd to pretend to be a wandering gypsy. Considering they were in more need than ever, she wasn't going to complain.

She had her arms crossed over her chest and tapped her toes in suspense as she watched the road, sending up little dust clouds with every impact. They had been waiting for nearly and hour to see if Geralt would show, but he hadn't yet appeared. Illyana began to wonder if he would show at all, and had done everything in her power to stop herself from biting her nails in anticipation. The show would start soon, they couldn't wait much longer.

"He'll come." She said quietly, more as a reassurance to herself than anything else. She could tell that Lucien was holding back his annoyance at having to stand there and wait this long, but Illyana was a little surprised that he wasn't more upset. That was Lucien though, always the optimist. It was part of his charm, and not needlessly, it oftentimes helped Illy herself be less anxious. In this case, she was unsure if there was anything that could make her feel better.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's eyes widened as Lucien ran past him to the door, and he watched the Frenchman go before he followed, giving a nod to the priest before leaving.

Once they were outside, Faolan began following his nose to the docks. As this was the afternoon, not many people were out on the streets, but the odd couple the two men made did get a few sideways glances as the made their way through town. Faolan was used to it though, and kept his eyes low as he walked. Despite his stature, he was well-versed at keeping to himself.

He stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked and glanced down at Lucien when he spoke again. "Mm, not a problem." He paused for a moment, unsure if he should continue, but something unknown kept making him speak. "Being inside all the time, it would make me crazy."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

As Faolan gathered his things to tuck them out of the way, he paused to listen to the conversation between Lucien and the priest. It sounded much like how a child would ask permission to have the craic outside. He had his back to the two men, and he grimaced at Father Cyril explained his hesitance. With each passing day, the Irishmen felt more and more sorry for Lucien. He was clearly not the type to be defiant, and if he wasn't going to press the issue, someone should do it for him.

Faolan turned around, and started speaking before his brain could convince him to keep quiet, "Ah, father, I don't mind if Lucien tags along with me. Show him around, so he can get a lay of the land." He glanced at Lucien, then looked around the small home, "Besides, isn't it just more worrisome to leave him alone here then have a walk about with me?" He raised his eyebrows slightly, looking more light-hearted than usual. No one could deny Faolan's physical presence would draw any unwanted or unsavory attention. Even if it did, he knew what to do. On top of that, there was no way that the Irishman could lose Lucien in a crowd. All he'd have to do is follow the scent of pure air until he found him again, and that smell was in short supply in the city.

"I'll have him home before supper, cross me heart." He said, and made a line across his chest. He said it in a way that begged no argument, just like his ma used to do.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana kept her eyes averted for the rest of the conversation, her leg bouncing slightly in her nervousness. Lucien was right, her visions were never set in stone, they were more like...guidelines for what to expect. This one in particular felt less like it was a solid future-occurrence and more symbolic.

"It was more like a warning than anything else...it might not mean anything specific." She muttered quietly, trying to calm herself by bringing the conversation back to more logical topics and out of the realm of romance.

At Lucien's question, she glanced at him but did not make eye contact, then shook her head. "I couldn't tell, it was just odd posture. It drew my attention, if that makes sense," she said, then shrugged.