FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana scooted a little closer to Akane as she began to eat, thankful for the warmth her friend was sharing with her. She took a couple of small bites, then twisted her mouth slightly at the Kitsune's remark. "He doesn't exactly strike me as the consistent type," she said, then took another bite. As she swallowed, she added, "I'm sure he's around here somewhere." but she did not smile. In truth, she was glad for his absence and hoped he wouldn't be lingering every morning while he was with them.

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Cora's eyes widened along with her smile as she saw Geralt, and she eagerly made her way toward him and the piano. "Good morning, Geralt," she said, glad to see he had stuck around this morning after all.

He smiled over at her, and approached, bowing slightly in greeting, "Good morning to you, Cora. As usual, you are positively fetching."

Cora giggled sheepishly and nodded toward the piano, "That was a lovely song you were playing." She wanted to change the subject, a little embarrassed by all of the man's compliments, especially in front of Lucien.

The Magician tilted his head slightly, "Why thank you, doll. Although, I must admit I am out of practice." He looked to Lucien, and his expression changed microscopically. Though it was still one of pleasure, this was an different variety. "Oh, just a simplified version. My father absolutely loved Beethoven." He tapped his forehead and added, "I suppose it got stuck up here."

There was a slight pause, and he stepped away from the instrument. "I was hoping to hear the two of you practice this morning, if you don't mind an onlooker. I am but a student of music, it is always a treat to see professionals play." he said, glancing between them hopefully.

Cora looked to Lucien for guidance, a slight bit of pink rising in her pale cheeks. Although she had performed in front of many strangers, and her other troupe members, something about singing in front of Geralt was making her nervous. Perhaps because he knew things about music that she hadn't yet grasped. Although Lucien was also an expert in comparison to her, he had a calming presence about him that never seemed to rile her up. She likened it to the effect her singing had on walkers, but it just seemed to radiate from him. Having him around always made her feel more at ease...maybe she was just thinking too hard about it.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana nodded at Lucien's comment as she served herself. "I'll see that he does." She'd had this on her mind already, but knew that Aurel would likely be sleeping in. His trailer was usually the warmest place for him due to the makeshift "sun-roof" that let in tons of natural light.

She chuckled lightly as she heard Akane's statement, then made her way to the table and sat next to the Kitsune with a half-full plate of breakfast. "Thank you," she said, smiling, then waved to Cora and Lucien as they made their way off.

Cora immediately started pushing herself toward the big top after saying her farewells to Illy and Akane. She beamed over to Lucien at his observation, "I am!" she agreed, "I'm just excited. I love performing with you, and the song is lovely." It had been only about three months since she had begun engaging in this facet of performances with Lucien. Once she had come out of her shell a bit more, and gotten comfortable in front of crowds, she found singing for others to be exhilarating. Now, she found herself looking forward to it much more than her "regular show", and was always more than happy to practice with Lucien as well.

As the two drew closer to the tent, Cora tilted her head as music drifted toward her. Someone was already playing the piano...it was a soft tune, and somehow sounded familiar to her, although she couldn't place it. She looked at Lucien quizzically, then began moving a little faster towards the Big Top as curiosity struck her.

She reached the entrance and waited for the Ringleader to hold it open, as she entered, the music came to a stop.

There, in the center of the room, sitting at the piano, was Geralt. He had turned toward the pair as they'd entered, and his face cracked into that familiar wicked smile.

"Ah, there you are." he said, then stood and lingered next to the instrument. "I hope you don't mind, I was breaking her in." he said, as he laid a hand on the lid.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

It was clear from Lucien's tone that he was having no argument. Though Faolan understood why he was so upset, he was torn. His heart wrenched at the Nephilim's words, and guilt hung over him like a shroud. His shoulders slumped, and he looked to the ground for a moment in defeat. He knew that Lucien was right...everything he was saying was true. They needed to find out what was going on here, and correct it if they could. The Frenchman was too good of a person to let something like this sit. But...this was their life together, Faolan was only thinking of them. Maybe a little selfishly, but his intentions were good.

Still, he knew that wasn't enough for Lucien. Not now.

"I'm sorry." he said, meeting the Nephilim's eyes once more. "I know this is...serious." There was a pause as he looked about again, making sure they were entirely alone. It wasn't extremely necessary, given his senses, but he knew that even he could be snuck up on in the wrong circumstances. "We can probably get in there so you can talk to...them. We need to figure out exactly what's going on before we make any rash decisions. It could have been a...misunderstanding that you heard." Faolan said this even though he was almost positive that this could not be the case; he had learned to trust Lucien's gut feelings as much as, if not more than, his own. They had not once steered the pair wrong in the nine years they had been together.

He took a moment to listen closely, see if he could hear anyone in the direction they had gone. He sensed some movement there, but couldn't be sure if it was right next to the tent that they had seen the child in or not. He glanced over his shoulder, then took Lucien's hand. "Come on, around the back," he said, and began leading the Nephilim back to the Son of the Serpent.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Cora had awakened a little earlier than usual, and gotten herself ready before Akane had come to collect her. She was always excited on the last day of the shows, because that meant she could take a break from swishing her tail and "stretch her legs", and vocal chords, so to speak. She'd dressed herself in something comfortable but moderate, and waited for someone to retrieve her. Once Akane showed up, she rolled out of her trailer and into the day, all smiles.

She was happy to see that Lucien was already at the breakfast table. She joined him, glancing around for Geralt before she did so. Even she had to admit that she was a bit disappointed that he was not out and about yet, she had been looking forward to seeing him. She hand't shared this sentiment with anyone, and in fact, found it a little embarrassing.

Instead of dwelling on it, she focused on the task at hand. She greeted Lucien brightly, as usual, and took her place at the table. She ate her fill of breakfast, making sure to eat enough so she would have enough energy for the performance later.

At Lucien's statement, she nodded vigorously, remembering to wipe her mouth with a corner of the tablecloth before she answered. "Oh, yes, I'd love that," she said though a smile.

As she exited her trailer, Illyana caught sight of Lucien, Akane, and Cora all sitting at the breakfast table. She smiled a bit, then began to head over. It wasn't until she reached the table that she remembered to look for Geralt, but was pleased to see he was not darkening their morning this time.

She had wrapped a forest green shawl around her shoulders to keep warm, and pulled it tightly around herself as she made her way to the food troughs. "Morning," she said, smiling over at Lucien, "Little chilly today," she commented as she rubbed her shoulders with her hands before reaching for the clipboard she had left out yesterday. Before grabbing it though, she remembered the scolding the Ringleader had given her, and reached for a plate instead.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana was completely absorbed in the book within a matter of minutes. The outside world faded away as she read through the words on the page, committing them to memory. Before long, she was yawning every few minutes and had nestled into her usual spot against the pillows and huddled under a blanket. It only took her an hour or so to fall asleep, which was a record. Ivory glanced over her shoulder a couple of times, but when she noticed the girls' eyelids drooping and the yawns increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration, she did not speak up for fear of rousing her reading partner.

Eventually, both women drifted off to sleep and did not wake until the morning.

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Illyana awakened first, naturally. She found that she had fallen asleep with the book of history lying open against her chest. She saw that Ivory had fallen asleep too, and noted the pile of books beside her was much smaller now. It appeared she had read through four of five of them before drifting off. Illyana was impressed, and smiled as she tiptoed out of bed and around the trailer. Her small size made her light, which made her very quiet. She got dressed, placed a blanket over Ivory's shoulders, wrote a small note for her and left it on the table, amongst some other treats, all without waking her research assistant. Before slipping out, she smiled over at her, shutting the door quietly as she made her way out into the early morning sun to begin the day's chores.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's hand whipped out faster than the naked eye could catch as he saw Lucien trying to head back from whence they came. He had anticipated this. Though his chest felt like it was in a vice grip, though his stomach turned, he hesitated to agree with the man he loved. It was not unusual for them to have disagreements, but it was unusual for them to be moving pieces on the board of someone else's life. If they interfered here, now, they could be getting themselves into something they were not properly anticipating. Though it was like Faolan to do first and ask later, this situation paused, because he knew what Lucien planned to do.

Faolan leaned in close, whispering through bared teeth, "Keep your voice down." He glanced around again as he heard footsteps, far off, and moving parallel and not toward them. Luckily, for the moment, they were alone.

"I know what you're thinking, but stop for a second and really think about it. What do you plan to do once you free it?"

The thought of that child being imprisoned, caged, and subjected to whatever horrors were in store for him here made him physically ill. Normally, he wouldn't have walked away and even waited until the coast was clear. When someone's freedom, let alone a child's, was threatened...well, there was almost nothing more that Faolan hated in all the world.

But this was not a decision they could make on the fly. They had to have a plan, for the before, middle, and after, that did not include the death's of anyone involved, preferably. The circus was stocked with employees and there was bound to be some patrons lingering about...it was just too dangerous to risk without a proper plan. And, even then...what were they going to do with a kid if they did manage to free it?

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana couldn't help but smile as Ivory took the book from her. She'd expected some sort of scolding, but was glad it wasn't directed at the "state" of her room, or the amount of books she had slid over. Illyana's thirst for knowledge had driven her since she was a little girl. Aurel, and even Lucien, had commented on how quickly and thoroughly she absorbed books. Although she knew they were meant as compliments, it often made her feel self-conscious. As a child, she had never been very physically active, and had always defaulted to feats of the mind. Her parents, of course, and her peers had found this strange. They claimed that she was "hiding" in books when she should be experiencing the "real world". But in her mind, these books could teach her more about the real world than her circumstances could ever offer her. Now, she had more opportunities for travel and leisure, but she had carried her love of reading into adulthood, and knew this would not change any time in the near, or distant future.

At Ivory's insistence that she sleep, she merely smiled and nodded, opening the book to near the end where she had left off. This one was a history book about the settlements of Vikings. Some might say that it was completely irrelevant, but Illyana knew better. Germany was raided and eventually settled by Vikings, and they believed in the existence of Shamans that acted as avatars and channels for the Gods on Earth. They had a variety of abilities that she thought were very similar to the ones of modern magicians. On top of this, the previous night she knew she had read a passage about "instant travel through space and time" and thought that Geralt's "displacing" may be something similar.

"Hm?" she said as she half-heard Ivory's question. Without taking her eyes off the book, she turned the page and said, "Oh, yes. Although, I don't find Fiction nearly as stimulating as history." After her eyes had scanned the page, which took a matter of seconds, she looked over to another pile of books on the bed and pulled one out from near the bottom.

"Here," she said, handing it down to Ivory. "I've already read through this one, since it's German, but it's a little too...immature for what I'm looking for."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan did his best to ignore the Ringleader's comment as the two walked away, though he caught the word "Irish". It wasn't important right now, and besides, his little "act" had gotten the job done at least. He walked quickly away from the tent, his mouth settling into a deep frown as he did. His fists opened and closed again as fury boiled in his chest. What he had seen...it was despicable.

As the pair slipped behind a tent, Faolan turned to face Lucien, making no attempt to hide his disgust.

"Thought it sounded that way..." he said in response to Lucien's observation. He glanced about, though he knew no one was nearby, and stepped closer so he could lower his voice. "Lucien..." he struggled for a moment, fighting to find the right words, as usual, "There was a kid in there."

Silence hung between them for a moment as he watched Lucien's face fall.

He continued, describing exactly what he had seen: "They...I couldn't tell if it was a girl or boy, looked to be about...I don't know, not a teenager. They were in a cage, near the back corner, kind of huddled up. There were snakes in there with it, I couldn't tell if they were alive or dead. And..." He felt his fists clench again. "I smelled alcohol coming from it, and...blood."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana was completely taken aback when she felt her feet leave the floor. She dropped the book she had been holding, which bounced onto the bed face down and open. "Ack!" she squealed, then looked up at Ivory, surprised as confused as the dhampir placed her on the bed. For a moment, she was still an silent, unsure of what to say or do. She was not often in unwilling contact with others, given her situation, but she noted that Ivory had taken care that there was no skin-to-skin contact.

After she had calmed herself, she twisted her mouth in begrudging acceptance, attempting to pout. Ivory was right, after all, and Illyana knew this, even if she didn't like it. Lucien would simply have a fit if he found out that she stayed up late for another night to research Geralt, especially this early on. No, she had to admit that this time she could not force herself to stay awake and read.

But still, the allure of knowledge was too strong, "But, I promise I'll only--" another yawn broke her sentence, this time it was jaw-cracking, and it made her eyes water.

When she was finished, she fell silent again before letting out a sigh. She couldn't say she wasn't grateful for the offer of assistance. She glanced around the bed, seeing the sheer amount of ground she still had to cover, and seemed to deflate as she realized that she would need to accept Ivory's help if she wanted this done quickly. She knew the dhampir well enough to gather that she would not leave her trailer until Illyana was truly, finally, asleep.

"Well...I would appreciate an extra set of eyes." She reached across the bed and slid a pile of seven books towards Ivory. "I've already skimmed these a couple times, but you can start here. If you finish, let me know, there's plenty more to keep us busy." she said, glancing around at the other books on the bed. She had to admit, even sitting here in comfort was making her tired. She yawned again, then reached for the closest tome.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan saw that the tent flap for the next attraction was still open, but it looked as though someone was shuffling around in front of it. When the pair drew closer, the Irishman noticed that it was an employee of the circus, seemingly, who was there to close up shop. Faolan, being as tall as he was, could just see past the man's shoulder as he moved to block their view and close the flap. He thought he glimpsed the outline of the bars of a cage, tucked into the back of the tent. So, it was a live snake they were showing off after all? He couldn't believe even this place could be so bold as to name the attraction "Son of the Serpent". He would have scoffed, except he noticed the strong smell of alcohol wafting from inside of the tent, and the direction of the cage specifically, along with faint traces of blood. There was also an earthy, almost moss-like smell, but it was very faint, overpowered by the odor of liquor. He wrinkled his nose in displeasure, squinting now to see a little more of just what was in there. He caught a glimpse of something long and pale, and maybe a few strands of very light hair and...fingers? Was it a person...?

Just as he was attempting to put this together, the flap closed in front of them to cut off his view. Something turned in his stomach and squeezed in his chest as the thought of what he was seeing struck him. Was it a human being in that cage...someone small and slight? No, he must have seen wrong. Lucien was right, maybe it was time for them to start looking into some spectacles for him.

He tried to ignore the heavily accented voice that spoke from the employee's mouth. He glanced down at Lucien, his brow furrowed, and heard voices from inside. He didn't understand German, so he had no idea what they were saying, but he could tell it was angry. The sound of the response was weak and...small and scared. The bad feeling in the pit of Faolan's stomach turned ever more violently as he realized that he may be right. But, before making a scene, he had to be sure.

As the man-in-charge, for this was how he presented himself, stepped out to greet them. Faolan made eye contact for a brief moment before letting his face split into a wide, almost goofy smile. "Ah, c'mon there boss-man!" he said, too loudly and with a heavy Irish accent as he reached for the tent flap, "Can't we get a private peep? Walked all the way here..." he pulled the tent flap back quickly, before either man could react, and got a full view of the spectacle within.

Immediately, the employee's hand went up and violently yanked Faolan's off of the canvas, just as the Irishman's goofy smile fell and turned sour. "Halt! Said ve're clossed!"

He looked down at the man who held him and rage burned in his eyes. He'd let him remove his hand, for the sake of the gag, but he couldn't help this flash of fury as he realized what these two were concealing. After a second passed of the two men staring at each other, Faolan pulled away with no effort and held up both of his hands, palms forward, "Aye, aye, no need to eat me 'ead off! I was just taking the piss." He looked down at Lucien, nodding toward the exit. "These two aren't havin' the craic, let's go." Though his voice and expression remained mostly light-hearted, his eyes were hard and serious, and he knew Lucien would gather his meaning with one look.