FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan heard the words but almost didn't comprehend them. He felt his shoulders go slack and his bag slide off onto the ground at his feet. He was aware that he still gripped the strap, but only vaguely.

"The 14th..." he said, quieter this time. "But that's...no...no I'm too late." He said, then he began to look around wildly as his mind and heart raced. He was far enough from town, a little over a half day, he could work with that distance. He had plotted a course to their next destination, they were still two full days travel away, so he wasn't worried about that...

Then, his eyes fixed on Lucien once more. "No." He said, more as a statement than anything else. He looked back at the sun as it was more than halfway beneath the earth now. With every second that passed, the danger that Lucien was in grew exponentially.

He lurched forward, almost too quick for the naked eye, and grasped Lucien's shoulder with his free hand. "It's not safe, I need you to--" Suddenly, a jolt of intense agony rocketed through Faolan's spine and into his brain. He squeezed Lucien's shoulder tightly for an instant before letting go, growled in pain and staggered backward. He began to breath heavily, his chest heaving, as his mouth started to water uncontrollably. He looked Lucien dead in the eyes, and with all of the force he could muster, he said, "Go."

With this, he turned toward the trees and began dragging his bag through the dirt behind him. He was rushing, but searing pain burned through his calf and he stumbled before he reached the treeline. He called out this time, unable to remain quiet any longer. It was happening, and there was nothing he could do to stop it, to keep Lucien safe.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt leaned away at Aurel's response, displeased but keeping it hidden. The way this boy cowered...it was almost pathetic. Very un-German of him. While he had been quite impressed upon seeing his dance, that feeling was waning with every second in his presence.

Cull the weak ones...

It was no matter, however, once the two of them got more acquainted, he was sure the nervousness would fade. Geralt would be sure to keep an eye out for the opportune moment to get more information, and he was fairly sure he knew where to start.

"Oh, of course, look at the time!" He said when Lucien broke the silence. "I know not all of us are night-owls," he said and then looked to each member as he spoke, "It was lovely meeting all of you, I look forward to our...achievements together." He smiled graciously and bowed slightly, watching at Akane and Cora left.

Cora nodded vigorously at Lucien's statements, smiling brightly. She was just glad to see that no one was hurt earlier when the snake overreacted. She took Akane's hand happily, but looked over her shoulder as the Kitsune lead her outside. She and Geralt made eye contact, and she made sure to smile and wave at him as they left. His mouth twitched into a suave smile, and he winked at her in response. She felt her cheeks grow warm and she turned away. Then, just before the two were out of earshot, she turned to Akane and said, loudly enough for everyone to hear, "I'm not sure what all the fuss was about, he doesn't seem so bad to me!"

Geralt, upon hearing this, let his eyes slide over to Lucien but said nothing. Now was not the time.

The two men made their way out of the tent shortly after and across the grounds, Geralt swinging his briefcase next to him as they walked. Although, it had not been there moments before, he preferred to use it as a prop to keep his hands busy. "Oh," he said in response to Lucien's comment, "No need to apologize at all. It is a lovely group of performers you have here, and so...eclectic! Far superior to any I have seen in the past. I am humbled to be among them." He lied straight through his teeth on this last part. Not a single one of them held a candle to him, but he wasn't about to say that.

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

Illyana had simply nodded at Geralt's statements to them, her mouth set into a hard line across her face. She did not look distressed or upset, simply neutral, so as to give nothing away of her mood. She had no doubt that while she was trying to gain more information about the man, he was trying to do the same to each and every one of them.

She had just begun to walk off when Ivory approached her and Aurel, so she stopped. She quickly peered around the taller woman's shoulder to make sure Lucien and the magician had left before she responded. "There is obviously something off about him...but I still can't pinpoint it." So far, all of Geralt's behavior in the short time that they had spent together were rapid firing through her mind's eye. "He seems polite enough, but I think it's an act. Did you see his face when Licorice tried to strike him?" She looked to Aurel, then at Ivory, unsure if either of them had gotten a good look at his expression.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan was finding it more and more difficult to focus on what Lucien was saying. He tried to feel the pounding of his feet against the earth, but the horizon kept drawing his eye. That damn sun...with every second it grew closer to the earth and the moon's rays became stronger and stronger.

He looked to it then, that fateful orb that waxed and waned and took him with it as it swelled and contracted. It was full, brightly shining down on the two of them, smug and untouchable. Although he knew that the moon often looked full to the naked eye for days before and after it was actually at it's brightest, he could feel the animal rage surging through his body. He had to have been right about the day...he couldn't have been wrong, he was almost never wrong about that.

This was Lucien's fault. The Frenchman had kept his distracted with his requests and his lessons and his constant gibbering. Faolan would have paid closer attention if he didn't talk so damn much, if he wasn't always there to look over his shoulder and ask some asinine question.

And even as these thoughts penetrated his brain, he knew they were not his own. This anger was misdirected, and it was beginning to grow so large in him that he could not keep it caged any longer. The moon loomed over them both, threatening and so beautiful.

"I'm..." he heard himself say as his consciousness slowly began to detach from his body. "The date." He caught himself, and stopped walking suddenly, turning to Lucien as a moment of clarity washed over him. His eyes and voice were desperate as he spoke, he was nearly shouting. "What's today's date!?"

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan grimaced slightly as another spike of pain hit his bicep. He was beginning to get annoyed.

He knew that the later they got into the year, the sooner the full moon waxed, it had been so his whole life. It had only caught him off guard a handful of times, and it had been years since then. He was sure he had calculated correctly, he had accounted for every mishap. He could not allow Lucien near him when the time came, it wasn't acceptable to even imagine.

He tried to focus on their conversation to distract himself, but his mouth began to water for no reason at all and he kept his eyes on the horizon as the sun slowly started to sink out of sight. He dropped his eyes to the ground for a moment as he tried to comprehend Lucien's words as his heart began to pound in his chest.

"Hm, maybe in a few months. I'm no dainty dame." Lucien's voice was usually far from irritating to Faolan. In fact, the Irishman usually found the sound of it soothing in a way, but now a singular rage rose up within him. For a second, all he wanted to do was shut Lucien's mouth, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. Violent mood shifts were common this close to a full moon, but something was beginning to feel off about this...

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt could send his fellow's discomfort at his question, and raised an eyebrow as the young man struggled to answer. It was clear that this member of Cirque D'étoiles was much less forthcoming than the others he had met, excluding Madame Illyana. Although, she had not seemed at all nervous of Geralt, only weary. He would have to tread much more carefully around Aurel than the rest.

"Ah, I see!" He said at Lucien's answer, not bothering to comment on the fact that Aurel had not spoken up himself. "I've never been as far south as Freiburg, though I hear it is lovely in the spring." He paused a moment, then nodded and added, "Das würde mir sehr gefallen, Aurel, dankeschön. Although, I have to say," he lowered his voice and held a hand to his mouth as if sharing a secret, "sein akzent ist nicht annähernd so angenehm für das ohr wie wie deins." It may be tough to crack this one, but at least the two of them had something in common. He would have to see just how far his German could take them.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien had far exceeded Faolan's expectations, both in his intellect and his willingness to assist with the Irishman's tried and true way of life. He had thought, maximum, that Lucien may spend a few months on the road with him before settling down somewhere, going off on his own, or returning to the priest but he had been dead wrong. Before he knew it, a year had passed and the two seemed to be getting along well. In fact, Faolan found himself much preferring Lucien's company over any other person he had met during his travels. The lad was smart, a quick learner, and never complained, even when he was left alone for days on end. Faolan found himself looking forward to their time together when he returned from his solitary errand every month.

His usual travel plans had so far gone off without a hitch, due to Lucien's cooperation. He even found that the two of them combined brought in much more capital than he ever could have on his own. Lucien's healing abilities had been a great help in this, and even when he did it for free for families who could not afford it, Faolan found the compensation for this to be far superior than his dockside, pub, and construction jobs. Not to mention, Lucien's negotiation skills were top-notch. Faolan had always had trouble in this department, given his size and his gruff demeanor, it had been hard for people to always trust him on sight in the past. Lucien's soft words and his French accent made people much more willing to accept their help.

When the two were not travelling and camping out, they were sleeping in houses, barns, and backrooms. Faolan would teach Lucien Irish, and in return his French improved greatly, although his accent was still awful. Lucien even spent time improving Faolan's reading and writing skills, as he was literate, but just barely so. The chicken scratch in his journal pages took much less deciphering than it used to, and was improving rapidly. In exchange, Faolan was show Lucien the proper way to punch, kick, climb, fish, hunt, and various other training moves he had practiced over the years. Lucien took quickly to physical labor and exercise as well, and Faolan saw his improvement in both his form and his physique. The "lad" finally looked more like a man.

They had just finished a stint in a town called Kansas City and were moving on. Faolan only had one more day before he had to leave for his errand, so he wanted to make good headway before that. Lucien and he had come up with a routine that worked relatively well and kept everyone safe.

It was now early evening, around sunset, and Faolan was keeping his eyes on the horizon. His voice was deeper, he spoke less, and his back became a little more hunched the closer he got to the full moon. It was particularly hard to hold conversation today though, as he found his mind wandering to thoughts of hunting and eating.

"Mm." He grunted, adjusting his pack on his back as a familiar pain shot up his neck. "I haven't had too catch you in months." Although this was clearly a joke, Faolan had a little trouble with delivery as another twinge of pain made his calf-muscle twitch. It was a little early for this discomfort, but not the first time it had begun a day early. He had timed it right...he knew he had.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt immediately withdrew his hand as the snake hissed and lunged, and a look of rage passed over his face briefly as he looked down at the creature. For a brief second, he imagined the creature's head under his wingtips as he slowly pressed down and crushed it's skull. He did not enjoy being startled.

Being among pleasant company, however, he composed himself quickly and in the blink of an eye, he was back to his graceful self. His smile was now a little strained, however, as his eyes lingered on the serpent a moment before he looked back up at Aurel. "Kein problem, I seem to be having trouble with handshakes today..." He chuckled coyly and glanced over to where Ivory, Akane, and Illyana for a half second before looking back at the snake charmer.

Cora had gasped and covered her mouth when Licorice made the move to attack Geralt. She had been around Aurel's friends since she joined the troupe and had never seen one of them react this way, even to a Carnie. She could even communicate with them as Aurel could and heard their judgement of Geralt. She just didn't understand...he was so nice! She glanced between the two of them, and saw that Geralt was unhurt and relaxed a little. She made a note to ask Aurel about this later...

Now that he was closer, Geralt could see the source of the shimmering on Aurel's skin from before. They were scales, only discernible when he turned a certain way. In addition to this, his eyes were golden with slit pupils, just like the serpents he seemed to have such a deep bond with.

Another half-breed...scum...kill his beasts to break his spirit

Geralt blinked rapidly for just a second and tilted his head as if clearing a fog, then his eyes sharpened to meet Aurel's once more. He clasped his hands behind his back as he leaned in to speak to the lad, who was clearly shy. "It is so nice to hear the tongue of my homeland on a native! Your accent is clearly southern German, whereabouts are you from, Aurel? I am originally from Berlin, of course." He laid a hand on his chest in a gesture of pride. He was clearly interested in this conversation, but wanted to make sure the rest of the troupe could understand what they were saying. There was no doubt in his mind that they were suspicious after seeing the snake nearly bite him, he had to keep up appearances until he was alone...

Illyana watched the entire scene unfold without changing her expression whatsoever. She had no doubt that Geralt could take care of himself, such a great magician should have no problem with a tiny snake. She did notice a look of disgust wash over his features and furrowed her brows in concentration as she watched his body language. The event had clearly upset him, but not enough for him to make it known to the rest gathered there. His composure returned just as quickly as it had faded, but she was glad to see him rattled, if only for a second. His poise was clearly practiced, and institution in his outward appearance, but there was something dark beneath that he had well-hidden. The fact that animals reacted poorly to him was a major sign, she would have to add this fact to her research tonight.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan was generally a patient person, but there was no need to tell Lucien that. Besides, it sounded like bragging, and the Irishman didn't much care for that. "I'm sure you can keep up." Lucien wasn't just extraordinary because of his abilities, although the wings didn't hurt, he was also rare because of his intelligence. Faolan rarely met men of equal measure, especially on the road.

This is why he was not surprised to hear that the lad spoke multiple languages. Locked up in a church his whole life, this fact did not surprise him. "Mm...we can start with French. I've never been to Germany, don't think I'll get there now." In fact, he doubted he would ever leave the United States, now that he was here. No need to, really, especially if there was about to be a war on overseas.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt did not react to Lucien's first statement at all, and kept his eyes locked on Cora's. She did nothing to break their contact, aside from glancing away from him in embarrassment, so he did not feel any need to do so. He let his eyes rove over her body for just an instant, a little sad that she had dressed so conservatively. He could tell that she was extremely slender, but shapely nonetheless.

He could tell that Lucien was eager to move on from this display, and he guessed that Ivory might be as well, even without looking at her. Was there nothing he could do that would not draw her ire?

However, he did slowly start to move away and allowed Cora's hand its freedom. She took it back gracefully, blushing all the same. Her contact with Geralt had not been unpleasant at all, in fact, quite the opposite. Although she had been embarrassed by his attention, it had given her quite the thrill. She hoped that one day soon she could watch his show and that he could see her contribution to the troupe.

It was Aurel's accent that truly drew Geralt's full attention away from Cora. "Ah, Aurel, eh?" He said and approached the lad, holding out his hand to shake, "Ist das ein deutscher akzent den ich höre?" He asked in his native tongue, then looked over his shoulder at Lucien, "You didn't tell me you already had a German in your troupe, there goes my novelty."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan huffed, glad that Lucien had changed the subject. "I promise not to slag you on it, my French accent is bollocks." And it was, there were a lot of guttural sounds that Faolan could not wrap his mouth around.

He paused a moment, then ducked under a low-hanging branch. "That'll be nice, but it might take a bit, since I can't write it." Faolan's parents had been illiterate, and he would have grown up the same if they had not sent him to primary school when he was young, but the priests at the school only taught in English.