FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan lowered his head a bit like a wounded dog, but kept a small smile on his lips. "Aye, leithscéal..." he muttered as he continued to eat. He didn't exactly have the mouth of most Irishmen, but even Faolan liked to indulge in a curse every now and again. It might take some getting used to, but he would try for Lucien's sake.

At Lucien's next discovery, Faolan nodded as he chewed a large gulp of stew and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Wait..." he said, looking between the boy and Lucien as knowledge lit up his eyes, "Does that mean the lad doesn't know his own birthday?" Faolan hadn't thought about his childhood in ages, especially his own birthday. Lucien remembered it more than Faolan did, and ever since he had begun giving him presents he found it hard to forget. He had remembered Lucien's birthday as well, once he was told, and tried to do something for him on that day every year. It was a bit of a tradition they had started, and if the boy was going to stay with them, it only made sense to introduce him to it as well. But, if he didn't know his birthday, how could they know when to cut him in?

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt found himself relieved to be rid of his new coworkers. It seemed that he had found the upper limits of the pleasure of their company, and so was happy to see himself out once no one claimed him. He found himself craving the fire of whiskey on his tongue and the steam of hot breath in his ear, the smell of cinnamon on a woman's neck...yes, that was just what he needed after a performance to shake off the feelings of mediocrity that threatened to overtake this evening.

Cora and Illyana shared a look at Geralt's sudden lack of interest in not only Lucien, but the entire troupe. This was the most disgruntled either woman had seen him, though he did a good job at hiding it. Cora could sense the hard edge that had surrounded him, while Illyana observed just the slightest tilt in the energy of the space. It mattered more to Cora than the clairvoyant, but the mermaid was not confident enough to broach the subject, and Illyana found herself satisfied by his apparent off-kilter mood.

He quickly left the tent, not bothering to flash his trademark honey-sweet smile around to anyone before doing so. It would be a waste tonight, both of his energy and of the crew's time, apparently.

He exited swiftly and began stepping briskly toward his trailer. Nights like this, after a performance, he preferred the silence and chill of the night air, so he'd decided to walk. He was not but thirty feet from the tent when he heard the sound of Lucien's voice carrying toward him. He felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, satisfaction flooding him when he heard his name on Lucien's mouth, but this time he managed to hold it at bay. While he was very in control of his facial expressions and the words he chose to share aloud with others, he was aware that some of his foul mood may have...emanated a little too openly from him. He decided this was just fine, if it got Lucien to chase him down. His parasitic colleague apparently agreed as a darkly gruff chuckle radiated through his mind.

He crawls back to you...

Slowly, he turned and made eye contact with the Ringleader, his face expressionless for the first time since he had been in the Frenchman's presence. He said nothing until the man was finished speaking, then let out a breath which steamed on the cold night air. "Ah...well, normally I would tell you that there is no need to apologize, you were only looking out for your property and the props, but I'm not sure you would accept that." He laid a hand on his chest as he spoke, his expression lightening slightly, "It was prideful of me to presume that burning Ivory's silks on stage would not raise a few questions. In my defense, I only hoped to save some of the surprise for those waiting backstage as well as the patrons sitting in the stands." He paused gently here, then nodded and finished with, "In the interest of ending the matter, please consider your apology accepted."

He let his eyes trail over Lucien's shoulder wistfully for a moment as he looked back toward the tent to see some of the others exiting. "I wouldn't presume to guess your plans for the evening," he said, his eyes snapping back to the Ringleader's as his carefree grin slowly returned, "But I could use a walk into town and some firewater on my lips. You are free to join me, if your desires point you in my direction." He leaned forward slightly, waiting for Lucien's response as his eyes twinkled under the starlight.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan nodded at the boy's response, "Mm...that makes one of us," he said, "My eyes are shite." Eyesight had never been the Irishman's best sense, but after he'd been attacked by the creature in the woods, his other senses had seemed to pick up the slack. He could see, of course, just not things that were too far away and his night vision was even worse. Luckily, his senses of hearing and smell, coupled with his natural instincts, made his eyesight almost obsolete.

He watched Lucien stir the pot and heard his own stomach rumble with anticipation. It smelled wonderful. He ate the rest of the bread that he'd brought and produced another from the bag to dip into the stew. At Lucien's explanation, he nodded and hmm'd his response. Unusual, to say the least, but it wasn't as if Faolan's childhood had been run-of-the-mill either. Although he was sure the boy wouldn't know, he wondered just how closely related to reptiles he was, considering that a snake had seemingly raised him.

But no...the boy seemed rather civilized as well. Aside from the circus, there had to be something else in his past that had taught him these things. Faolan of all people knew that transitioning from fully feral to fully civilized would be harder for someone who had only known one extreme.

He watched the exchange about the food with interest as well, which only further proved his theory about the child's upbringing. Faolan paused a moment to receive his bowl from Lucien, then dipped his bread into the steaming liquid and ate it fresh out of the pan. Hot food had never bothered him, his tongue had all but lost sensation anyway. He chewed and swallowed, but before taking another bite, he asked, "How old is he?" He directed the question at Lucien only because he was unsure if they had already discussed it. Besides, he wanted to let the boy eat uninterrupted.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt simply nodded and took a step back. "Your wish is my command, fräulein," he said this under his breath. Really, this placating himself was getting out of hand. If he was forced to make another apology over the next twenty-four hours, he may reconsider his acceptance of Lucien's offer.

He made his intentions clear by turning his body toward the exit, "We are travelling tomorrow, ja? If I'm no longer needed here, I'd like to have things in my trailer prepared for the journey," he looked to Lucien, waiting to be dismissed. Normally, he would have preferred to celebrate with a night out on the town with his cohorts, but he doubted this batch of wet blankets would cause him anything but more grief. No, he would spend tonight in the company of those that appreciated his presence. Maybe that would fill him with a new sense of purpose in the morning.

Their disrespect is eating you alive, Geralt. Something must be done before they think you a weak and sniveling worm that burrows beneath their heel...

He attempted thoroughly to resist the gruff voice that echoed through the chambers of his mind, but he could not deny the truth in the creature's words. These small pats on the back were not worth so much as a smile from him. He was Geralt the Great, after all, this collection of misfits had no idea who they were dealing with. Perhaps the time would come to show them sooner than he had originally anticipated.

As he turned to leave, his eyes caught Lucien's face, and he felt the fire in his soul diminish slightly as his eyes traced the man's lips. His hair...the shape of his eyes...it was all the same. It reminded him why he was here at all...and something in him felt a twisted sort of longing to fulfill his designs. Even if this...mediocrity was what he had to endure, perhaps it was worth it.

Cora watched Geralt as he turned to leave. Though he was looking to Lucien for guidance, Cora found herself speaking up before the Ringleader had a chance. "Oh, Geralt, we all usually help out cleaning up and preparing for tomorrow. It goes much faster in the morning if we all pitch in," she said, smiling over at him.

He paused and his dark eyes flicked to the pale face of the Siren. "Hm..." he said, fighting the urge to sigh and roll his eyes, "Well, if I can be of service, point me to where I am needed most," he said, smiling halfheartedly in Lucien's direction.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan almost chuckled aloud at the child's response, but he was reminded of the unfortunate reason why a question like that was necessary. It was clear by the child's sleight build that he had been underfed his whole life, which was why he appeared to be much younger and more feminine than he actually was. This would be the first improvement that Faolan would make to this child's life: making sure he would not want for food again.

Despite his slender frame and the way he picked at the bread, it was clear that he had a taste for protein. It made sense when Faolan thought about snakes. They were predators and carnivores, after all, and if this child had some sort of affinity with them then perhaps he had these same habits. The Irishman sympathized, of course, being related to predators himself, meat was always first on his list of cravings. Well...of the edible variety, anyway.

"Oh, much more, lad," he said, and leaned forward to reach into the bag, "Sharp nose you have there. I almost forgot." He leaned back and withdrew a large jar, almost too big for even Faolan's large mitt, full to bursting with dark liquid and chunks of meat and veg. The top was sealed with wax, wrapped in cloth and tied with a string. "I stopped by the grocer and they had stew. Made yesterday, but warm it up and it should be good." Of course, the Irishman would have preferred to hunt for fresh meat while they were camped, but he hadn't had time due to the shopping errand Lucien had requested of him.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana had been expecting this answer, but made her disapproval plain on her face anyway. It was unfortunate, but all they could do for now was watch and wait for him to make a mistake or to purposefully reveal something about his abilities. Even the sharpest knives could sometimes dull, if they were patience and perceptive, they would catch something.

With renewed resolve, Illyana nodded to Ivory's suggestion and the trio began making their way across the tent toward the rest of the troupe. The dhampir was right, there was time to worry about this later, they did have a long night of prep work ahead before the breakdown at dawn.

Geralt merely tilted his head in response to Akane's words, noticing that she had shifted her attention to Cora.

The mermaid's eyes brightened even more as her friend made herself known to the three of them. "It was just stunning, Akane, really! Seeing it on stage was even better than watching you practice." Although she had been excited to see Geralt's show, and enamored the entire performance, she had also been looking forward to watching Akane's segment. She was a brilliant dancer, and the way she utilized the different tools throughout the performance was mesmerizing. Cora had been a long time admirer of not only Ivory's, but Akane's physical talents as well. Both women were exceptionally strong and gifted with choreography and execution, and Cora's only regret was that she did not understand the physicality of dance, and could only make suggestions based one what she was seeing.

Both she and Geralt's attention was taken when they noticed that Ivory and the rest were approaching. The Siren looked up at the Magician and dhampir's faces as she drew nearer, and could sense tension in the air even though both of their expressions were calm.

As the Vampiress closed the gap between their two groups, Geralt took the initiative and stepped forward. "I believe I owe you an apology, miss Ivory. I ensure you that your silks were not in fact, harmed, and will be returned to you posthaste. My weakness for theatrics may have...clouded my judgement." He laid a hand on his chest to show how heartfelt his statement was, and made sure that his eyes were as big as they could be as he entreated her. Really, this display was paltry and base for a man of his station, but while Lucien was around he had to maintain the air of humble gentleman. He would have preferred not to have to speak with Ivory until the following day, but it seemed that the woman could not give him but two moments of peace.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Clearly, no," Faolan said in answer to Lucien's question. The small half-smile remained plastered on his lips as he watched the boy take a bite of the bread he'd been offered. To see his eyes light up that way, over the simplest things...it was bittersweet. He knew that the child had had a rough go of his life, it had obviously not started well, but Faolan was now determined to at least point the young man in the right direction. It was all he could hope to do.

A bit of a silence hung between the three of them for a moment as Faolan ripped the bread roll in half and offered one to Lucien before taking a bit out of it. He glanced at the boy, taking small bird-like bites out his piece. The thing looked huge in his small and slender hands. After a moment, Faolan nodded toward the child as he tore another piece from the inside of the bread. "Don't be shy, there's more where that came from. And wait til you see what I brought for breakfast," he said, raising his eyebrows and glancing down into the mouth of the bag, where only he could see the contest.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana was a little surprised when she saw Ivory approaching them instead of Lucien. Honestly, she had expected Geralt's stunt with her silks to have her storming over there in a rage, but Illyana was impressed by the neutral expression on her face. Maybe she'd known about it in advance? Perhaps working with the man had numbed her to his ostentatiousness...or maybe this was all an act and inside she was seething. Illy hoped for the latter. Anyone letting down their guard around the Magician, even Ivory, would be bad for everyone until Illyana could find a way to pin him down.

She watched and listened the exchange between Aurel and the dhampir, and noticed a ripple in the woman's aura as the silks were mentioned. So, it was bothering her and she was managing to maintain a cool demeanor. Illyana raised her eyebrows slightly, impressed by Ivory's ability to hold back. She wondered if it had been Lucien's doing, taming her feisty side. It was sure to bother Geralt if she seemed unaffected by it.

"The most interesting thing about the act was the hypnotism, I think," she said, looking directly at Ivory. She had decided not to bring up the silks, the less it was mentioned, the easier it would be for Ivory to remain stoic. "Had he mentioned that to you before?" she lowered her voice a little with this question, glancing around to make sure the Magician was not nearby. She didn't sense anyone watching or listening, but with his abilities it wouldn't be hard to sneak past Illyana. Aurel and Ivory, on the other hand, had much better physical senses, and Illy felt safe discussing this in public as long as they were alert.

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Geralt held back a sneer at the Ringleader's suggestion, but did furrow his eyebrows slightly. It seemed that everyone in this troupe was more interested in keeping props intact than making money. Even Lucien, the most charismatic among them, was Heaven-bent on holding the Magician, and all of his performers back. It was clear that while they were successful, none of them had an ounce of showmanship. He understood why he couldn't be trusted, but really, to scold him over something so small...it was asinine.

Of course, he must hold his tongue. There would be no wooing Lucien if he was too quick to insult him and his entire troupe.

Instead of speaking his mind, he forced a smile and bowed slightly to show his subservience. "I am but a servant of the stage, patron. As long as the audience is entertained, I consider my job done."

This divine maggot mocks your power. He will know the truth of what he has done in time, when he feels the heat of the Lord's flames nipping at his wing...

Geralt felt anger boiling within him as the creature that shared his body spoke. In this moment, he wanted nothing more than to show Lucien and the rest of them exactly what he was capable of, unfettered...but he knew he must hold back.

Akane's arrival distracted him from his rage, and he made sure to lighten his expression as he saw her approach. "Oh, miss Akane, there you are." She had come from the direction of the audience seating but Geralt did not recall seeing her in the crowd. He would have too, as it was part of his act to study the faces of those who watched his performances. Curious indeed...maybe the two of them shared more abilities than he had thought initially. "Thank you for the applause, even I can't deny that I'd been missing it in retirement," he said this with a nostalgic sigh and a light smile, as if remembering the old days.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's anger still boiled within him, but was dampened a bit as he heard the boy's response to Lucien's question. He was glad that the kid liked them, even if they weren't perfect. Whatever happened from here on out, Faolan knew that he would never regret the decision that he and Lucien had made to save this boy from his tormentors.

The Irishman busied himself with retrieving the food he had procured from the market while he was in town while the two conversed again in German, but paused when Lucien turned to him. His smile widened as he began to relax a little, and he shook his head and stopped rummaging through the bag for a moment as he looked up at the Nephilim. "Have I ever told you about the dog I had when I was a lad?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"No...what did you name him?" Lucien answered, mirroring his lover's expression.

"Madra." he said simply, then withdrew one large hand from the bag and tossed something ovular and light brown toward Lucien. "I brought us some fresh bread from town..." he paused a moment as he retrieved a second roll from the bag, then shrugged, "Well, it was fresh this morning anyway."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana watched at Geralt took the stage with furrowed brow. Though she had seen magician's acts before, and read even more about them, she was sure that Geralt's would be just as...unique as the Magician himself. She focused intently on his hands as he performed, but try as she might, even she was not able to watch all of their movements. She even caught herself distracted on occasion by his misdirection. It was no wonder the audience loved him, if he could fool someone like her, she had no doubt that the normal humans that attended their shows would have no chance at catching him. As far as she could tell, each one of his tricks used some facet of his real magic. Traditional human magicians used all sorts of tactics to pull of the feats that they claimed were real; plants in the audience, trick knots, misdirection, and "special effects" like pyrotechnics to draw the audience's eye away from them while they snuck their way into the prestige. On the contrary, however, it appeared that Geralt the Great wanted all eyes on him at all times. This was especially interesting...but not as interesting as his hypnotism trick. Many stage magicians would use a plant for this, recruiting someone from town and bribing them into pretending to go along with the trick. She couldn't say this was entirely impossible, as Geralt had not been seen about the grounds for most of the day. It was possible that he had gone into town to recruit a plant, but not likely given his immense pride. No, Illyana would believe that this was genuine and be sure to add it to her list of his abilities until he proved otherwise.

Illyana hadn't even spared a thought of Ivory's silks until Aurel mentioned it. She kept a half-smile at bay as it threatened to creep across her lips, "If he's not careful," she said quietly, "the crowd will be the only ones pleased with him." She omitted mentioning that she hoped this would be the case.

Cora's face fell slightly as she heard Lucien's comment. Although his tone was not angry, she had never heard Lucien angry, she could tell he was at best disappointed, which was worse in a way. She was glad that his displeasure had never been directed at her. She could see the tension in Geralt's jaw when he heard this and Lucien walked away from him, his eyes followed the Ringleader as he made his way back on stage amidst applause. Though he was smiling, Cora could tell that he was also not happy with the way their small exchange had gone.

Still, he turned to her, leaned down and offered her a peek inside his sleeve. She squinted, furrowing her brow in confusion, until she spotted the dark blue shining material inside the sleeve of his coat. She gasped, then looked up at him with eyes wide as he held a finger to his lips, then tapped the side of his nose.

She scrunched her own nose up as she smiled at him and mirrored his gesture, feeling a swelling of pride in her chest as she realized that the two of them were sharing a secret.

As Geralt spotted Lucien returning, he straightened up and smiled toward the Ringleader as the tent erupted into cheers and applause. There was no denying that his show had been a complete success. If there had been a better turnout, the Magician may have used the phrase "near-perfect" to describe it, and he knew that his new employer was well aware.

As Lucien came to a stop in front of them, Geralt began speaking to avoid any more scolding, "I do apologize for that little display, I did not think of the silks ahead of time and simply...improvised. But, fear not, I would never have destroyed something so beautiful without a way to restore it." he added a wink towards Cora as he finished speaking and she smiled in return.