FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana was beginning to lose the semblance of control that she had built around herself since awakening on the bus. The last hour or so had been some of the most overwhelming she had experienced in her young life, and it was clearly taking a mental toll to match the physical toll the past few days had exerted on her tiny and frail frame. She took deep breaths to keep herself in the moment and focused on one specific point, Lucien's necklace and the pretty jewel that hung at its end. She noticed it back on the bus, but he subconsciously tucked it back beneath the collar of his polo every time it escaped. Right now, she couldn't see it, but she could feel it pulsing beneath the cloth.

"Um, yeah that's okay. I don't mind." Snake? She vaguely wondered what snake he was referencing. Another Viper, a Python, or a Cobra, maybe? If Aurel and the Viper had a friendly relationship, she doubted he drew the line there. Maybe she would get to see them sometime...

Faolan could see the girl's strength fading rapidly. She was beginning to lean heavily on one side and her eyelids were about ready to close. He glanced at Lucien and nodded toward her, but was sure the man had already noticed. If she was unconscious, she would never know if they carried her to the trailer until she woke up. Best not to rouse her now, anyway, she needed all of the rest she could get.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt happily filled Lucien's glass with three more fingers of whiskey, smiling all the way. He would be happy to provide a more...liquid experience for the Nephilim. He was far too wound up on a regular basis and deserved a chance to relax, especially if Geralt happened to be near when the Ringleader let down his guard. Though even the Magician's head was beginning to become a little hazy with the liquor, he suspected that he was much better off than Lucien, at least so far. It had taken him many years to build up this level of tolerance, but he had neglected to eat a meal before coming over tonight just for the special occasion.

"Oh, please," the man said as he set the bottle down, "There's no need to downplay your talents like that. I consider myself quite skilled in manual pursuits and I have no skill at sketching." After a beat, he looked over at Lucien with a cocked eyebrow and responded, "If the reward is great enough, I'd be willing to sit as long as you needed..." He made sure to make eye contact with the other man then, his dark eyes piercing Lucien's light golden ones. Even in the dark, he could see them shining with an inner light. Something he missed when he looked in the mirror...

Empty.

"Although, now that you mention it," he said a little louder, talking over the voice in his head, "I am curious...have you ever drawn me?" This question would tell him so much, and for such a simple answer.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Despite her disappointment, Illyana knew that Lucien and Faolan's explanations made sense. It was calming, in a way, to know that they were willing to get her home in the best condition possible. But she also knew that they were not unintelligent in their own rights; they had seen her family's photo, and given her condition, probably feared that they would be taking her back to a less-than-savory environment. Despite their misgivings, she sensed no deception in either of their voices or in the feelings they gave off. Either way, she was in their hands and she would just have to trust them.

She nodded to Lucien, and though she opened her mouth to speak another, this time jaw-cracking yawn escaped her instead. She rode it out, but felt herself wobble slightly as she did so. The fatigue, now that she had eaten, had finally caught up with her. Suddenly she was so tired...exhausted even, that she felt her eyelids growing heavy. In the middle of a conversation, though she was fighting for consciousness, she felt it leaving her, and fast. "Yes, I understand..." she said quietly, blinking slowly and yawning again.

Faolan watched the girl wearily as he saw the last bit of strength leaving her. Now that her body had obtained the fuel it so needed, she was crashing quickly. He heard all that Lucien said, and was grateful for it, but was more focused on making sure the girl didn't collapse into the dirt right in front of them.

"It's late," he said after Illyana answered, and stood to begin collecting everyone's dishes. "Why don't we get a good night's rest and figure everything out in the morning." Although it was phrased like a question, Faolan's tone made it more of a command.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt chuckled aloud at Lucien's next comment, "Oh, they certainly are not." He had noticed a sway in Lucien's hand as he held his glass, a slight flush in his cheeks and a heaviness in his eyelids. The Frenchman was becoming drunk. Maybe just a buzz at this point, but he was on his way. In a show of solidarity, Geralt emptied the rest of his glass into his mouth, not even bothering to taste it as the fiery liquid slid down his throat. He barely batted an eye as he refilled his glass, then offered the bottle toward his companion.

"I'd love to, honestly, any excuse to watch you work..." he laughed lightly, leaning a bit closer to the Frenchman and lowering his voice slightly, "I wouldn't want to assume your artistic method, but maybe I could pose for you sometime. That'd be a fantastic way to test your skills, if we really wanted to." While Geralt's intentions with Lucien had always been clear, at least in the German's mind, he hadn't expected this conversation to get this far. Whatever negative feelings of sadness, doubt, or nostalgia were holding Lucien back, Geralt did not want to let them get in the way of their perceived closeness. It was his best chance yet to get a little closer to the Ringleader, and he was not about to let it go to waste.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana ate until she physically could not eat any more. Faolan had also brought extra water back for everyone, and she made sure to drink her fill. Though she was usually a smaller eater, she surprised herself by getting through almost half of the sandwich before she was unable to eat another bite. She was a bit worried that her body would be unable to digest it, but hoped that the water and whatever Lucien's healing had done would help her to keep it down. Maybe he would offer to help her again before going to sleep...but then again, she really wasn't sure what the limitations of this were and whether he would have to touch her to do it. She weighed her options mentally as she ate, wondering if it would be worth it to try; if it would take away the pain and if she could...control herself. That was the true test, whether she could stand to be in skin-to-skin contact with a person in the state she was in, especially given the strong feelings that were radiating out from Lucien at all times. Either way, she would wait for him to offer. Illyana was not one to ask.

Once she was finished and Lucien had asked his question, she nodded toward him almost ferociously, though she was caught in the middle of a yawn. "Oh, yes, please. I'm ready to go." She said this matter-of-factly, as if they had no choice but to leave right away.

Faolan had watched the girl eat, and though he was dissatisfied with the amount of food she had chosen to ingest, he knew it was best not to push her in her current state. He wrapped the remainder when she was done and handed it back to her so she could have it if and when she decided she was hungry again.

At her answer, Faolan raised his eyebrows and shook his head, "I'm afraid we can't leave tonight, miss." He answered her tone with a hard line of his own.

Immediately, Illyana's face fell as she looked at Faolan and then back at Lucien, her eyes growing in size with each passing second. She thought it had been clear to them...she wanted to leave as soon as possible. It would only be a few hours of driving into the night if they left now...but the big man's voice was flat and final. He had decided, just as her mother had that night...she knew there was no changing his mind.

"Oh..." she answered, dejected, "I'm sorry, I just thought...well..." she looked into her lap and the sandwich she held there. She'd gripped the hem of her dress and was squeezing and twisting it in her hands. This was a nervous habit she had been trying to kick, but she had so far been unsuccessful.

"I'm sorry." Faolan said, softening his tone a little when he saw the girl's reaction. "I didn't mean to come off harsh, but Utica is almost five hours from here in the bus. Even if we left now, we wouldn't arrive until around midnight, and I doubt your parents would be happy about that. Besides, you need a good night's rest. Let's get you some sleep and breakfast, and we'll head out first thing in the morning." He looked at Lucien when he was finished, hoping for agreement.

"I-It's okay. I...I understand." Illyana said, staring down into her lap with an intensity she could scarcely muster. She had been looking forward to seeing her sister's face again...her smile, to see someone happy to see her for once. But waiting another night...it wouldn't be so bad. At least she would have a roof over her head, and blankets...

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Mmm..." Geralt nodded as he continued to flip through the sketchbook. "A few things come to mind right away...but here is not the place for them, I'm afraid." He made no attempt to hide the suggestion in his voice or his expression and made sure that he made eye contact with Lucien near the end of the last sentence. He was sure that the Frenchman was not trying to flirt, but from what Geralt had learned over the short time they had known each other, the man simply couldn't help it. This trait was far from a bother though, and in fact proved to be quite the opposite. Geralt quite enjoyed entrapping Lucien into small flirtations when he had the chance, and would never back out once the game had begun. Whatever he could do to bridge the gap between colleague and sexual partner, he was happy to bring to the table.

"You're certainly organized, I can see that, though I'm not surprised." He finished leafing through the book and handed it back to the Frenchman, making sure that their fingers touched as the man took it from him. "I'd like to see your other work sometime, if you're not feeling too shy."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana was glad for Lucien's beckoning, she just felt better when things were asked of her first. Slowly, she exited the bus and made her way to the fire and the seat that Lucien indicated. She was determined to let her weakness show through as little as possible, though she swayed slightly when she walked. Her muscles were just not responding to her as they normally would, the fatigue and dehydration had done more in these past few days than she had ever experienced in her life. It was more than lucky that someone like Lucien had found her or else...well, she knew she wouldn't be walking around.

Faolan was disturbed to see the girl walk over; she was moving as if underwater. She would need food and water and treatment, but he knew that alarming her about her health would not be helpful right now. Hot through or not, he began putting her sandwich together from the items that Aurel and Lucien had helped prepare and handed it to her shortly after she sat down.

Illyana took the plate from Faolan and flashed a tiny smile at him and then at Lucien, "This looks very good, thank you," she said, her voice flat. In truth, the sandwich did look scrumptious and her mouth began to water before the plate was even placed in her hands. Her stomach let out another loud growl of protest as she held the plate in her lap and looked down at it as if mesmerized.

Faolan began heating the meat for another sandwich, but furrowed his brow when he noticed the girl was not eating. "No need to wait for us," he said, nodding toward the plate, "Please, this isn't the time for table manners. Dig in." He flashed a smile back at her. It was true that it was impolite to eat before everyone was served, and Faolan observed this ritual at every meal, but there were exceptions to this rule, and this was certainly one of them.

Illyana was slightly startled by Faolan's insistence, but she knew that she needed to eat, and it was clear that all three of the men around her knew it as well. She nodded and slowly lifted the enormous sandwich to her mouth. It was heavy in her hands, and her wrists shook with the effort of holding it up, but she managed to put it to her mouth and take a tiny bird-like bite out of it.

It was absolutely delicious, akin to the best meal she had ever eaten in all of her life. Part of her knew it was because of the lack of sustenance, but the other part simply wanted to enjoy the meal.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt listened and watched very carefully when Lucien answered his question about his friend, and noted the very obvious hint of sorrow in his voice and the faraway look in his eyes when he talked about it. It was clearly something that pained him to think about, best to keep it on the back-burner. There was no need for any...distractions now.

"Mmhhmm...I see." Geralt raised his eyebrows playfully at the Ringleader's next response, glad to hear the light tone return to Lucien's voice and a glint sparkle in his eye. He decided that he liked the Frenchman most when he was being playful. "I'd like to test that out sometime, not that I don't trust your word, of course. What is it they say? 'Trust, but verify'?" He said, giving the man a sideways glance as he began to flip through the sketchbook. All of the drawings were rather impressive, to say the least, it was clear that Lucien had an eye for art and a talent for it as well. Geralt glanced at the man's fingers as they curled around the whiskey glass, smiling as he imagined them holding a variety of...other objects.

"These are really quite good..." Geralt said wistfully as he lingered on a drawing of a hawk in flight. "Have you mastered human figures as well, or do you prefer to stick to the wild?"

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan chuckled and nodded to Aurel's determined expression. "I know you will." Considering the matter thoroughly discussed, he continued with his work setting up their meal.

At Lucien and Aurel's offer, he nodded, "Thought you'd never ask." He said, obviously joking to those who knew him. "Lucien, can you cut the bread into sandwich slices, and Aurel, can you set up the plates? I just have to warm this." He unwrapped the meat and tossed it in a pan he had left warming. It was perfectly rare, so all he wanted to do was heat it a bit, not actually cook it. It should only take a few moments, and then they would have sandwiches. He could hear the girl moving about the in trailer, but was unsure just how long it would take her to clean and dress herself. He made sure to keep the fire low so the meat wouldn't warm too quickly...she was weak and exhausted after all, it would take her much longer.

Several more minutes passed before the girl emerged from the trailer. Faolan had been correct, her weakness had certainly slowed her down, though the promise of a warm meal was keeping her engaged with the activity for the moment. Illyana was normally a small eater, mousy, as her mother would say, but right now she knew she needed sustenance. It would be one of the few times that she would choose a meal over reading, as she often did when she was at home. It was all well and good, because her parents never preferred her presence at the table anyway and would usually have Isy bring her something after they had finished eating.

She washed herself with the towels, standing on one to keep the water off of the floor. Though her muscles still ached from lack of hydration and her limbs were shaky and unsteady, she managed to stay standing for the entirety of the procedure without getting anything too wet. She had always been a tidy child, another lesson enforced by her parents.

When she was done, she changed into the clothes that Faolan had brought. Simple undergarments, a dress that was slightly too large but warm, soft, and not too flashy, and a dark blue coat that she wrapped tightly around herself. She found a mirror in a drawer and fixed her bangs so that they were laying over her forehead. As she had no hat and no scarf at the moment, this was the best way to hide her deformity.

Once she was finished and dressed, she made her way to the door after folding the towels and leaving them on the counter. She took a deep breath and opened the door to find the three men gathered around a fire outside. She stood in the doorway nervously, looking over at Lucien with her hands wringing together in front of her.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

It was clear to The Magician now that this line of questioning was only causing Lucien to put up a wall, so Geralt decided to abandon the topic for now. Though he was curious, insatiably so, he did not want Lucien to become closed off to him. It was clear that whoever this friend was, though it was most likely the man in the drawing, meant a great deal to him. This has to be the same man from his conversation with Aurel as well...but Lucien had used present tense. This meant that the Irishman was alive, but that he was no longer involved with the circus or its members. Given time, Geralt was sure to get the answers he sought. For now, it was best to remain light, he had to make the most of his alone time with Lucien.

So, despite the hundred burning questions swirling through his brain, Geralt simply nodded. "Mmm, I see." After a beat, he noticed the sketch in the book that the Frenchman had been working on. Even in total darkness, Geralt's parasitic companion allowed him to see clearly, so the blackness was no obstacle to him. The sketch itself was actually quite good, a wolf howling at the moon...appropriate for the evening's scenery. "Don't tell me this friend also taught you to draw?" He reached over and plucked the book from Lucien's lap, letting his finger brush against his thigh lightly as he did so. "Your line-work is impeccable...what other secrets do those hands hold, hm?" he asked, looking at Lucien out of the side of his eye and raising an eyebrow playfully. Maybe a little flirtation would help to take the man's mind off of the past and keep him concerned with the present as well.