FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan held the door open, but would have shut it if not for Lucien's request. He watched the snakes slither by passively, but still touched by aw at their loyalty to this child. As far as he knew, reptiles were solitary creatures, so even if they were the boys pets...this amount of dedication and sovereignty was striking. He could not necessarily say that he had not seen this behavior before; for instance, in all his days travelling he had never been attacked by a wolf or dog. However, canines were pack animals, and he knew they would recognize him as their alpha and therefore would not attack unless they were challenging him. Perhaps this child had more in common with him than he knew...

As the last serpent entered the trailer, he deftly jumped inside, the shocks creaking under his added weight, and swung the door shut as quietly as he could.

He heard Lucien's assessment and grunted his response, then made his way to the driver seat and held the key just outside of the ignition. He glanced over his shoulder and said, "Things will probably change once I turn 'er on. We'll have a good head start, but I'll have to gun it." He knew that it would take the employees of the carnival a while before they could gather themselves and give chase, but the trailer's lack of speed was a big disadvantage and he would have to make up for it.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Cora agreed wholeheartedly with Lucien about the song. It was ready, so practicing more would just take up time. Besides, Cora liked to hear things when they were new to her. She feared that the more the practiced, the less feeling she may be able to put into the song.

"I agree," Geralt said for her, "It's perfect." He had decided not to clap this time, but his expression showed his admiration, he was sure of that. He stood, and his eyes moved to the siren. She met his gaze, and he held it for a moment. He could see the way she looked at him, he knew he had done his work with her, and rather more quickly than he had intended. He flashed a smile, and was about to speak, when Lucien spoke first.

He moved his gaze to the true object of his desires and raised his eyebrows, "Oh, of course! I would be glad to see if you have anything to add or change before tonight." He knew this would not be the case, the transition was perfect, but Lucien maintaining the illusion of power was important to their future...endeavors together. "Just as soon as my...partner gets here, I'm all ready to go," he said this with a wide smile, standing with his fingertips pressed together. He wasn't sure how long they'd have to wait for Ivory to get here, but as long as he was on time, that's all that mattered to him.

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Illyana's mouth twisted a little at Ivory's comment. She knew this, Lucien and Faolan had always been very adamant that she finish her meals to the point where she was too stuffed to walk. It seemed that in the latter's absence, Lucien had redoubled his efforts to ensure that she ate by enlisting the help of the others. This denial of her food was not an act of defiance by any means, she had just never been a big eater. She had always been a small child, her sister had been taller and broader than her, though still slender. Her mother had always told her that her sister had absorbed all of the physical prowess in the womb, while she had been left with the mental. She was not wrong, but there was a lot more to her twin than her mother ever knew.

"It's a good thing he went to practice early, I suppose," was all Illyana said in response, though her tone was slightly playful. If Faolan had been here, he would have simply shoved her plate back toward her, or place his finger on the edge of the dish to stop her from moving it in the first place. If he were here, she would have no choice but to oblige him.

Aurel's arrival saved her a bit from scrutiny, especially if it was cold. He had never been a big eater, and his metabolism slowed much more when it was chilly out. She doubted he would be able to eat any more than her. At least she was not alone in this.

She greeted her serpentine companion with a smile, "Tonight will be cold too, make sure you remember to turn the heater on tonight for them...and you." she said, wrapping her shawl a little more tightly around her shoulders.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan trusted Lucien to take care of things like this without violence. Unfortunately, this was typically Faolan's first thought. It was in his strengths, after all. He was relieved to see that the barrier trick worked, and a small smile flashed across his face as the men ran to deal with it.

He waited a moment, until he was sure they were completely occupied, then moved forward. He had thought for a moment that it would be best to get into the trailer, drive it over and pick Lucien and the boy up, but decided against it. A large, rumbling tub like that would pull much more attention than two and a half figures, even if they were being followed by a bunch of slithering reptiles. He motioned for Lucien to follow, and began to sprint across the grounds towards the trailer. At their position, they would reach the back side opposite the door.

Faolan was a much faster runner that Lucien, and though the Frenchman could fly, it would be too noticeable in this situation. He knew he did not have to tell him that. He could feel that he was pulling ahead a bit, but was okay with this. He did want to make sure the coast was clear before they made it to the door.

It was a good thing too, because as they drew closer, Faolan smelled a foreign presence in the area. He slowed slightly, pinpointing the location as near the door of the trailer. Even at this distance, he could smell more sweat and alcohol, and hear heavy breathing and the sound of small metal pieces scraping against each other. He slowed as he approached, and motioned for Lucien to do the same.

As they reached the back of the trailer, he held a finger to his lips to signify silence, then a palm towards Lucien to indicate that he should wait here. When Lucien nodded in agreement, Faolan slowly began to sneak his way around the trailer.

On the hunt, he was completely silent. His ears and nose were tingling with sensation as he tiptoed around the back side of the vehicle. He peeked around the corner and saw a man at their door, trying to jimmy the lock. Faolan would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't been so focused on the task at hand. There was no way around this, he would have to deal with it his way.

He sneaked up along the side of the trailer, not that he needed to. He was only four or five feet away when the man noticed him. He turned, slowly, drunkenly, and Faolan had enough time to close the distance.

A quiet "He-" was all that managed to escape the man's lips before Faolan's fist found his face. His nose crunched in and his eyes closed. For a moment, the man was woozy, but Faolan had hit him in the right spot to knock him out. The Irishman grabbed the man by the shoulders and let him down gently, so as not to make any more noise, then slid him away from the trailer door to make room as blood trickled slowly from both nostrils.

He retrieved the keys from his pocket and knocked on the side of the trailer twice, signalling Lucien that the coast was clear. He unlocked the door and held it open as the two made their way towards him.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt happily obliged Lucien, finding it quite pleasurable not only to listen to the song, but also to watch him play. He took his seat again, and this time did not allow Cora's lulling song to get the better of him. It was best if he remained...alert around her.

Cora's blush deepened at both Lucien and Geralt's compliments, knowing that they were genuine. To have someone as talented and intelligent as Lucien say this to her...well, she had no way of responding except to bite her lip and look away sheepishly. She was eager, however, to practice once more. Her vocal chords never tired, so really, she could sing all day if it was requested of her. She knew that wouldn't be necessary, so she decided to make the most of the time that she had.

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Illyana smiled as she saw Ivory joining them at the mess area, donning the scarf she had left over the top of her head. She nodded toward her friend as she took one last small bite of food, before wiping her mouth and pushing her plate away. She had served too much, as usual, and found she was unable to finish it.

At Akane's comment, she chuckled quietly, "I wouldn't call it a 'sleepover' per se. Ivory was helping me with some research." Since the Mermaid had joined Cirque D'étoiles, she and Akane had spent a majority of their time together. They had similar "bubbly" personalities, and enjoyed each other's company. Illyana was grateful, for Akane had a little too much energy for her. It was draining to be around someone who was too much of anything for the clairvoyant. She preferred the company of more reserved individuals, like Lucien, Aurel, Ivory and...well, others who were less outgoing. That was not to say that she did not like the two of them, in fact, she was often jealous of their positive outlooks and boundless happiness. After a while, it just became a little too tiring for Illyana, who identified herself as a hardcore introvert.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan watched Lucien as the child accepted his hand and grimaced as he saw the boy's legs falter. He was clearly to weak to stand, let alone walk. This enraged Faolan even more, but he knew he could not allow this to get to him. Not if he wanted to truly save the child without being noticed. He averted his gaze and focused once more on the sounds around them. Once their conversion in German was through and Lucien had lifted the child free of the cage, Faolan nodded and slowly stepped out of the tear he had made in the back of the tent. He looked and listened about for a moment, then motioned for Lucien to follow.

Boy in tow, the two made their way across the ground the way that had come, behind the perimeter. As they went, Faolan glanced over his shoulder to see a group of snakes, the ones that had been surrounding the boy in the cage, following the three of them. This struck him as odd, and he would have stopped to ask that they stay behind, but something told him that it would be a waste of time. They still had to make it back to their trailer, which had been parked among some other vehicles close to the site. This would be the toughest part of their journey, crossing the dirt lot with no cover without being seen. If they were, Faolan had no doubt that he would protect them, but if the denizens of the carnival gave chase...well, their trailer was not the fastest vehicle as it was hauling quite a bit of weight. There best bet was to make it across and drive away before anyone had time to notice them, or at least give them a good head start. This is what Faolan aimed to do, snakes or not, it was the best plan.

A couple of times, the Irishman had to stop and signal the others to do so as well when he heard someone crossing in front of their path. They made good headway with this, but eventually they came across a group of men all gathered in one spot.

They appeared to be a cadre of employees lingering near the entrance. Faolan could make out the outline of the trailer from here, but it was still quite a ways off. He held up his hand, signalling for Lucien to stop. He looked around, sniffing and listening, to try and get an idea for how to get passed them without being seen. There looked to be about 5 or 6 of them. Nothing he couldn't handle, but a fight would ruin the element of surprise.

They were far enough away that they would not be heard, so Faolan ducked back around the corner of the stand they were hiding behind and whispered to Lucien, "I see about six guarding the entrance. I may have to go...deal with them." At this moment, he saw no other way of passing. At least, if he could provide a distraction, Lucien and the boy could make off toward the trailer, swing back and pick him up. If they couldn't, he could run for it. He was sure he was faster than any regular human, but given the presence of this "special" child, he didn't know how many others may have abilities. Hopefully, Lucien had a better idea.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan barely brought himself to let go of Lucien's hand, but be knew it must be done. He let him move back over toward the boy, but didn't bother to listen to their conversation as he could understand none of it. He listened instead to movement outside. It seemed they were alone, and lucky. The man who ran this place certainly did not seem concerned at all for the safety or integrity of his business or performers if he was not even bothering to check in on this child. Had he planned to leave him out here all night...alone in a cage? Faolan was afraid of what Lucien might see if that man were to walk in on them now, but he wasn't sure he would be able to hold his fury back, even for the love of his life.

As soon as he heard his name, his attention was on the Frenchman as he knelt in front of the cage. He approached rather quickly, knowing that breaking the cage would produce quite a bit more noise than was good for them right now. Still, it had to be done. As he walked toward the cage, he finally noticed the snakes that were curled up in various spots around the child. At first, he was slightly alarmed by this, especially as he had seen Lucien reaching inside, but his instincts told him that these animals would mean them no harm. They seemed protective of the child, if anything.

The Irishman looked at the lock that held the cage door shut, his eyes briefly landing to the boy, who was staring at him warily. He couldn't blame the boy, and was used to worse looks from kids. He could see now why Lucien suspected that the child was not entirely human, and his scent told Faolan the same. Though it was covered up by the strong smell of liquor and faint traces of blood and sweat, he smelled something earthy...mossy, like a stone in a forest or a piece of damp wood. It was not unpleasant to Faolan, and instead reminded him of the forests at home. It was similar to the way he felt about Lucien's scent, although it was much less intense for him.

He saw that the lock was hanging free, which was good for him but knew it would be loud. He looked around, but seeing no cloth with which he could dampen the sound, he had almost given up before he noticed Lucien's vest. He gestured toward it, "Lucien, your vest," and held out a hand.

Lucien handed it over without delay, and Faolan wrapped it around the lock and jam. Once it was secured, he motioned for Lucien to stand back, and raised his fist. He began to bring it down, then paused, looking between the boy and Lucien. "Tell him to cover his ears."

Lucien and the child both obeyed, and Faolan brought his fist down like a hammer onto the clock. There was a loud grinding sound, then a pop, and the lock hit the floor. He knew it had been loud, but luckily the trick with the lock had worked. He unwrapped the vest and handed it back to Lucien, and as he stepped back, the door swung free.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Cora felt herself transported by Lucien's music, and knew that she had to match his level of perfection and elegance. She strove to be a good partner for him now so that she was sure there would be no doubt of the feeling behind his song. It filled her full of hope, and she wanted to be a conduit for that so that the audience could feel it too. Having Geralt here may have been better than she thought after all, he may be able to give her the feedback she was looking for.

Geralt made sure to focus all of his attention on Lucien so as not to be swept away by the soothing power of Cora's voice. He wanted to be sure not to miss any telltale signs of Lucien's emotional state as he played, and knew he could not do so if he allowed himself to be rocked by the sound. Although he was prepared for it this time, it was still extremely hard to resist. Even a man of his particular talents and skill was not able to fully combat the power of the Siren's Song. Now he understood where her act got its name and why hers seemed to be the most popular attraction in the troupe. It held the same allure as alcohol or narcotics, and would absolutely keep the patrons coming back for more. Still, he had to push through and focus on Lucien.

He watched the Ringleader's face the whole time, and felt his smile widening in its semi-stupor as he noticed Lucien allowing himself to be taken away, only for a moment. A smile, small but genuine, flitted across his lips. Even from the Magician's vantage point at Lucien's side, he could see it. The Ringleader must have noticed this momentary lapse in awareness, for he straightened again and for the rest of the song seemed a little...tighter. His expression, his body, his hands, all seemed a little more focused. The music did not suffer for it, at least to the untrained ear, but Geralt could tell that he was trying to keep himself wound up. They had that in common around Cora.

As the song came to a close, Geralt let himself slip for just a moment into the state of euphoria brought on by the young woman's voice. If he had been a lesser man, he may have slipped from his chair and onto the floor. For a moment, his eyes closed and his face relaxed, along with his mind. As he drifted away, memories began to flash before his eyes. The second he realized what he was doing, he straightened again just as Cora sang the last, sharp note.

She looked to Lucien, her smile brighter than before, and said, "Thank you, Lucien, but I couldn't do it without your playing. You're just...amazing..." she was at a loss for words. Nothing could describe the way that singing made her feel, and she only hoped the positive experience transferred. She looked over at Geralt as he was standing.

The Magician stood and began to clap, though he could tell the drowsiness was clear on his face, he blinked to clear it as quickly as he could. Cora could prove...dangerous to him.

"That was absolutely magnificent. Lucien, Cora, you are a gift to music."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan never took his eyes off of Lucien's as he spoke, green locked with gold. The longer he listened, the more his anger faded. Though his rage at the injustice was still present, Lucien always helped to dampen his negative feelings, relax him. He knew it was this way for others as well, but there was something special about the way he made the Irishman feel, because he knew Lucien deeper than anyone else did. Lucien's kind heart, his open arms, were one of the myriad reasons why Faolan loved and protected him so fiercely. He knew all that Lucien wanted was to pass that protection on to others, now that he had the means. This was just another way that he was spreading his wings in defense of the innocent, of the downtrodden and less fortunate. Faolan could not deny him this, even if he was afraid. Lucien made him feel invincible, and though he had kept this to himself for a long time, he knew that eventually Lucien would want to give it to others as well.

He looked down at his hand as Lucien squeezed it and felt himself relax. He opened his fingers and let Lucien's intertwine with his, blood from his palm smearing both of their skin. He squeezed back, gently, and nodded.

"Okay," he said simply. "If he wants to come, let's go." There was nothing for him to fear.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt's face fell for only a moment as Lucien commented on his father, but he saw no need to reply, and his smile returned quickly. He rubbed his hands together, looking as if he was about to eat a hearty and delicious meal, and took a seat. He smiled over at Cora briefly, but kept his attention on Lucien. This was the real study, he needed to see if he would let himself go with the music or not. He jumped at the idea to see the Ringleader...uncomposed, even if only for a moment.

Cora nodded vigorously at Lucien's question, smiling through her nervousness. She placed her hands in her lap, and waited for Lucien to begin playing. Once her part came, she began to sing just as they'd practiced. It was quiet at first, but she knew that the sound would build as the song continued. The more and more she sang, and listened to Lucien play, they more relaxed she felt. Geralt's presence melted away from her mind, and a small smile returned to her features as they reached the second stanza. Music was where she could feel herself come alive. It was almost like being back home before...before she came abovewater.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan entered the tent after Lucien, making sure to keep his distance from the cage where the child sat. He didn't look directly at the being there for two reasons: first, he was certain his presence would alarm the child, and second, because he knew that he could not afford to lose his temper now. He had to keep calm so that he could keep all three of them from being discovered.

Once Lucien began speaking to the child softly in German, he started making his way around the tent to be sure they were alone. Luckily, he sensed no movement and the smells of other humans in the tent were fading. He made his way to the front and very carefully peeked out of the flap. He saw movement in the darkness, but it was far enough away that he was sure they would not be discovered. The light inside was dim, and the canvas was heavy enough to obscure the sounds of Lucien's conversation with the child. He waited a moment, and whatever was moving made its way out of sight. He closed the tent flap, but stayed near the entrance and trained his ears and nose outside, monitoring the activity around the grounds.

Once he heard Lucien moving toward him, he turned to assess the look on his beloved's face. He was furious. In fact, Faolan had never seen the Nephilim this angry before, not even when he had returned from his two-month hiatus back in Green Bay. Whatever the child had said had certainly riled him up.

Faolan could not help but glance over Lucien's shoulder at the child in the cage, and he felt a similar fury boil up in his chest. It was clear, even from here, that they were uncared for; skinny, with sunken eyes and horror written across their features. They were covered in bruises, and the smell of blood and liquor filtered heavily from that direction. They were pale and malnourished, long platinum blonde hair was dry and split, and their extremities showed signs of severe dehydration.

He tore his eyes away from the sight as he felt himself loosing control of his anger. His teeth were bared and his eyes alight with fury, but he did not want the child to see this. He calmed his expression as best he could as Lucien began to reiterate their conversation. Anger flashed in the Irishman's eyes, but he managed to keep himself under control, though he could feel his nails cutting into his palms from how tight his fists were clenched.

As Lucien finished, Faolan looked from the child, who he realized now was a young boy, and back to Lucien. Still, despite his anger at what he was witnessing, there was the slightest hint of doubt within him. He agreed that they could not let the child continue to live in these circumstances, but what would they do with him once they freed him? His lot would not be much better at a foster home...but could they care for him properly either?

"Lucien..." he began, steeling himself for what he was about to say, "I understand that this is...despicable, we can't allow it to continue. But, if we get out of here without being seen, what are we going to do with...him?" Though the Irishman was older than Lucien, and had much more experience in the world, he had found himself looking to him for guidance in matters of the heart. He wanted the Nephilim to say something, anything, that would change his mind for the better.