FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt simply smiled at Lucien's teasing. He was glad that the ringleader had seemingly relaxed around him, at least enough to let him inside his "home" and drink wine with him. Being French, he assumed it would take more than a few sips of Cabernet to intoxicate the man, but it was certainly a start.

"Hm." He nodded at Lucien's memento comment, taking a moment to swirl the wine once again before he followed up with, "I should have guessed that about you. Do you mind?" He gestured to the desk, then stood and made his way over before Lucien had a chance to respond.

At the ringleader's next statement, he couldn't help but pause in his examination of the man's work-space and look over his shoulder. He let out a quiet chuckle, then asked, "I couldn't agree more..." He smiled as he noticed the King of Hearts card that he had left in Lucien's care sitting on the desk, and wondered if he had tried to throw it away. The card was lying next to a small white paper crane, like those you would see in the orient. He had never been, of course, but he knew how to recognize it.

He took a sip of the wine from his glass, a little earlier than he would have usually, and let it sit in his mouth a moment before swallowing. "Mmm..." he sighed with pleasure, impressed with himself for not the first time today. "Blackcurrant and...smoke, likely from the French Oak." This had been an excellent year. He let that statement hang in the air for a moment, then added, "How long has it been, since you've been home?" He asked, then turned back to the board, noting an aged envelope with French postage.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

The creature tore through the trees and the underbrush, making no effort to hide itself. Why would it? After all, it was the most powerful creature in the woods that night. Any animal, be it small game or large, would cower when facing its might. The beast ran, jumped, sniffed, hunted, and devoured its prey all throughout the night. It stopped only to howl at the moon, track, or rub itself against the trunks of nearby trees to leave its smell and make sure all of the denizens of this place knew it was here to feed.

Throughout the night, it caught several rabbits, a deer, and a wild dog. The beast ate every bit of every meal, flesh, blood and bone, until there was nothing left but a spatter of blood on the dirt. The creature then sensed sunrise coming, and ran as fast as it could in a singular direction as if trying to outrun the very rays of light. But even this beast was not fast enough to evade the natural order. As soon as the first beam of sunlight shot through the canopy of the trees to fall on the creature's red-furred hide, it weakened and began to shift back.

This time was no less painful than the one before. Bones shrank, snapped, then reformed again. The tendons tightened, muscles contracted and twisted until they were their original size. After a few minutes of this agony, the beast writhing and growling in pain, Faolan's unconscious and nude body lay in the dirt as the gashes, cuts, and scrapes from the beast's night of gallivanting slowly closed and healed.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Tidy indeed...just like its occupant." He said as he poured Lucien a glass and then filled his own before placing the bottle on the table between them. He picked his glass up by the stem and swirled it in the glass before holding it to his nose and locking eyes with Lucien once more. "I hope I didn't offend, of course. It is my bottle, I thought it only natural that I pour." His free hand was lying in his lap, the corkscrew seemingly gone from the space.

While they sat, his eyes darted briefly to the bulletin board over Lucien's shoulder. He spotted what looked to be several small photos, likely a group photo of the troupe and some other close-ups if objects that he couldn't make out on this first glance, a collection of post cards, an envelope, and a child's drawing. This was particularly interesting to him, as there were no children in the troupe, at least that he knew of. He could tell it was old, however, as it was layered over by other papers and photos. It showed four figures, two smaller, one of medium size, and one that was gargantuan in comparison. That was all he could make out without getting closer.

"My apologies," he said after a moment of silence, "I was admiring your collection while I let the wine breathe." He gestured to the board with his glass. "I hope you don't mind..." he said, as his eyes drifted back over to it.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

The creature elated in the smell of fresh blood as it hit the air, and his chest cavity filled with air as he breathed in the scent. It was warm, and delicious. He put the claw to his mouth and a long crimson tongue slid out to lap the salty sweet liquid from his paw. But, his prey was getting away and he needed more then a taste.

Now that the hunt was on, he felt his energy level rise rapidly as adrenaline pumped through the creature's veins. It looked up as the man thing tried to flap away, wounded, but could no longer smell its flesh or the blood that was dripping from the wound. The wolf crouched low, then rocketed into the air in a high jump, desperate to try and grab the meat, but its claw bounced off of something solid. Now angered and starving, the wolf looked up as the man thing flapped away.

Realizing that this would not be its meal this night, the wolf snarled and crouched low on all fours before throwing its head back into a long mournful howl that rent the night sky and caused nearby birds and small game to scatter in terror. After this, the creature bounded off into the forest in search of its next quarry.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Oh, trust me, it takes a lot to tire me out." He said, with a wink, and then nodded as Lucien lead the way into his own trailer. "Ah...schön." He said as the two entered.

He paused a moment to close the door behind them and then took a moment to scan the room. His eyes didn't linger long on any of the standard furniture, this was of no interest to him. It seemed the room tripled as a meeting space, office, and bedroom. Unfortunately, the curtain that divided the bed from the rest of the room was drawn...that had been one thing the magician had been interested in seeing. He quickly noted the empty wine rack on one side of the meeting area, a small shelf of books near the desk, a violin on a stand in the corner next to a record player, and a small bulletin board hanging on the wall that was decorated with several photos and pieces of paper. It was difficult for Geralt to make out at this distance, especially because Lucien was in the way. Overall, it was very clean and tidy, not a speck of dust and everything seemed to be in its place. This, also, was not surprising in the slightest.

Geralt moved to a chair and took Lucien's invitation, pulling it up around the side of the table so it wouldn't divide the two men as they sat to drink. He gracefully folded his legs, and in the same motion raised his arm to reveal the wine bottle and two glasses, everything clutched in his dexterous fingers. He set everything down, sliding a glass toward Lucien, then produced from that same hand a corkscrew with a small wave of his fingers. All of this manifested as if from nowhere, but to Geralt it was the same as breathing.

He pierced the cork and began to twist to remove it, and while he did so he looked up at Lucien. "I hope that, along with decoration rights, there is no standard of cleanliness we must uphold in our living spaces? This place is immaculate, and for once I admit I do not think I'm up to the task." He said lightly as that smile he always wore widened just a bit.

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Illyana blinked hard several times as her eyes began to water. She was thinking too hard. She only heard part of Ivory and Aurel's next statements. Maybe those all-nighters and the readings earlier had tired her out more than she thought...

She rubbed her eyes and yawned, then nodded toward Aurel. No matter how much she wanted to stay up discussing and figuring everything out, it would do her no good to be exhausted tomorrow. "You're right..." she said, almost sadly. "We do have another show tomorrow..." She looked to Ivory, "The trick for now is just to be careful...as soon as I find anything out, I'll let you know." At this, she turned from them and made her way out of the tent and towards her own trailer. She had hoped to get a chance to do a little more research before sleeping, but she was too tired. She'd have to wait until the next day.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

The wolf's nose twitched and a gout of steam escaped it's nostrils. It blinked, finally its vision clarifying. It's ears rotated in their sockets, listening for any sounds of movement or approaching creatures. It heard something, distant, something talking words at it, and it shook its head in confusion as its mouth began to drip viscous drool. It was hungry, insatiably so, and wanting nothing more than to gorge itself on fresh, hot, living meat.

It smelled something strange behind it, and sniffed loudly several times before turning its head to see. It smelled almost like a man, but there was something overpowering the smell of its flesh: something pure, like clean snow. The wolf's bright green eyes came to rest on the man thing behind it, and its lips snarled back to reveal two-inch canines and dark red gums. Pure or not, it was made of flesh.

The beast steadied itself, still a little wobbly from the change, and turned its body to face the tiny creature before it. Faolan had fully transformed, taking the shape of a large creature that had the anatomy of a wolf blended with the stature of a human. It was nearly seven and a half feet tall and loomed over the small creature before it as a low growl started to vibrate through its chest cavity. It was covered in dark red fur, the same color as Faolan's, and its eyes were that same dark green color, but there was no semblance of the man behind them. The man had gone quiet inside this new form, his base instincts to hunt, kill, and eat had fully taken over. In most cultures, this was known as a Lycanthrope, or werewolf, but the creature knew nothing of this, nor would it care. Its sole purpose was to destroy living things, to rend them apart until they were just meat and blood and bone.

Its nose twitched again and its eyes flashed as it saw the little thing trying to escape, to fly away on wings of white. Before it was out of reach, the creature slashed out with its claws, a little sluggishly because it was still weak from the change. It needed more time before it would be strong and fast enough to eat this one.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's legs carried him forward as he moved about in a haze. As he walked, one piece of clothing after another fell from his body to the ground. First, his jacket, then he forced his feet out of his boots, then his shirt, and finally his belt. His mind was drifting, one moment fully his own and one moment filled with unbridled rage and hunger. He could smell Lucien's sweet flesh behind him, but he wanted him to run, to fly away, anything to stop him from becoming a victim of the beast.

He didn't know how long he was stumbling through the trees, could only keep moving until the change fully started. Once it did, there was no moving until he was finished. He knew very little about the aftermath of this, but often had small snapshot-type memories that flashed through his brain after he was himself again. If he hurt Lucien, would he even remember doing it?

Eventually, he had to stop moving as his body seized violently in agony. He could feel his tendons snapping and reforming, his bones breaking and healing rapidly in a new configuration, his muscles stretching and contracting around his new form, under his new flesh.

Faolan fell to his knees, and looked over his shoulder to see Lucien, his face wracked with worry. Before it began, he managed one final desperate plea to the Frenchman, "Please...Lucien....Fly." And then he roared in pain.

It was as if Faolan's entire body was housing an earthquake. His bones protruded beneath his skin as his body twisted and writhed in pain. The sound of loud snapping accompanied each tremor. He spine lengthened as if growing discs, his arms and fingers grew, his bones broke his skin and fur began to grow all over his body. He bled for a moment each time his skin was rent, but just as fast as it had been torn, it stitched itself together again as his skeleton was re-formed. His legs snapped first one way, then the other to accommodate large muscular double-kneed legs. His fingernails grew from the ends of his fingers and curved into cruel claws. His jaw dislocated and hung from his skull for a moment, attached only by tendons, until it was joined by a second jaw bone that looked as thought it were growing out of his mouth. Tears streamed down his face as the pain caused him to black out and the screaming and roaring finally stopped. This was where his mind faded, where he became another.

For a moment after the change was complete, the creature was seemingly unconscious; green eyes fluttered as his body shook with mini aftershocks from the trauma he had just endured. The beast was on its hands and knees, it's claws digging into the earth beneath it. The tail hung limp behind him, but slowly started to become animated as the beast's mind clarified.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt glanced over to Lucien's trailer as he indicated and his wicked smile spread further across his lips. He was sure this was done strategically, its exactly what he would have done if the shoe had been on the other foot. He'd want to keep an eye on himself too.

He nodded and then looked back to Lucien, "Ah, how fortuitous...I'm sure we will make quite compatible neighbors. I'm not much for sleep, so while I am late to bed, I can be quick to...rise, if the occasion calls for it." He tiled his head, and there was a pause as he searched the Frenchman's face for a reaction.

After a beat, he brought his hand out from behind his back, which was now clutching the neck of a wine bottle. "I believe you assented to sharing a glass tonight, nein?" He shook the bottle gently so they could both hear the liquid sloshing inside.

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Illyana shook her head at Ivory's question, her face tight with concern. "No, I haven't had the chance yet. I will tomorrow morning, provided he's alone. I don't want 'Geralt the Great' to know we're on to him just yet, we have to be careful. I get the feeling that as soon as he senses us looking into him, he'll be even more secretive."

At Aurel's question, her mouth pulled up on one corner and she bit her lip as she tried to visualize what she had seen. "It's hard to say...it looked...I don't know, like it was too big for him, and too dark. It looked like it might have had...eyes?" She said, straining her memory. She was trying to slow that moment down in her head and get a better look at it, but it was difficult for her, especially given her slight exhaustion. "I could just tell," she said after a pause, "It wasn't his."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan was kneeling, clutching his rib-cage and bent double as wave after wave of pain rocked him. He couldn't understand how he had made such a grievous mistake...one more day, that was all he needed and Lucien would be safe. Why couldn't he have paid attention!?

The pain subsided briefly and he heard Lucien approach, heard him speak as if they were both underwater. He forced himself to stand and did not turn to face the Nephilim. Instead, he focused hard on the treeline and began walking toward it with a tilted, jolting gait. "Can't help." he growled, his voice growing more gravelly with each word, "Get away...not safe."

He stumbled beyond the treeline and dropped his bag behind the trunk of the largest one nearby. It would have to be safe there for now. He lurched forward and breathed out hard as agony rioted in his chest cavity. He could feel the beast inside, it was ready to tear him open, turn him inside-out like it had every month for years, and devour his mind. He imagined the sun sinking lower and lower beneath the horizon, he could feel the moon's rays burning away his human skin to reveal the creature below. He would become it, fully, and he could have Lucien nowhere near him when this happened.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt nodded in agreement, "Yes, it does seem as though you have cultivated a very well-oiled machine here. There teamwork must be astounding. My presence will be nothing more than a momentary hiccup in the works, I'm sure." And he was. Some of the members seemed hell-bent on making it so. Ivory for one, Geralt was sure, would not allow his presence to affect her performance in any way. Her claim was staked, and would remain so come Hell or high water. The others, however, seemed more apt to follow direction than give it themselves. They would not be effected through sheer force of will on Lucien, Ivory, and Illyana's part. The trio seemed to be the strongest of will, and therefore would naturally guide the others. It was not at all that Geralt wished to upset the balance, he just couldn't help but be attracted to chaos.

As they approached his trailer, he forced his grin to widen. Large, yes, but dingy, he was sure. Luckily for him, it would take hardly any effort to clean it up and make it his. He looked it over and glanced to Lucien, still smiling, "It's wonderful, Lucien, I cannot thank you enough for finding a place for me here..." There was a brief pause, then Geralt glanced around. "Oh, but I do wonder, where can I find you in case of...emergencies or...other needs?" He cocked an eyebrow at the Ringleader, sure he would grasp his meaning.

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Illyana nodded at Ivory's assessment, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at the trio's feet. Although it was clear that Ivory had a sort of personal bias against the man, Illyana knew there was truth to what she was saying. Though she could be quick to judge, Ivory's instincts were usually spot-on, as were Aurel's snakes'. She was glad to have them here, as, aside from Lucien, they would be the one's to guard the other two against Geralt's advances and sweet-talking. Cora and Akane were intelligent and kind, but their judgments of people were not as sharp. It was clear that Cora had been won over instantly, though she had always expressed a nervousness around men, it had melted just as soon as Geralt had kissed her hand. It was most likely his politeness that had done this, as Cora was used to men acting well...much rougher towards her. She had warmed a similar way to Lucien and Aurel, though they had taken their time instead of rushing right in, as Geralt had.

At Aurel's comment, Illyana shook her head and reached out a hand to rub his arm and comfort him. "It wasn't anything you or Licorice did." She said, her supportive instincts taking over for a moment. She dropped her hand but kept her eyes on his face. "It did upset him...but there was more than fear. He was angry...almost furious. It passed quickly, though. I would let your snakes know to stay away from him, that's a good idea." She said, then looked to Ivory, "Then there was this...thing that happened with his shadow." She looked to the ground again, trying to summon the image in her mind, "It twitched and sort of...shifted. It didn't look like it belonged to him. Similar to Akane's," she said, looking back up at the damphir, "but different somehow."