FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

The little girl slowly but surely relaxed as she sensed the good nature that Geralt was currently exuding. Though she was still crying, her voice had lowered and she was no longer actively upset. Though, there was still work to be done...

"My...my mommy, I can't find her. I gotted lost..." she said, and her bottom lip began to quiver.

"Now, now Cece--Can I call you Cece?" Geralt scooted himself a little closer to the child, but kept his hands back so she didn't shy away from him. Slowly, she nodded her consent and his smile widened, "I'm sure the two of us can find your mommy, no problem at all. I bet she's very worried about you..." He glanced around, but did not see or sense anyone approaching them. This was a strange place for a child to have been left, as well, near the back of the grounds...

"First, can I ask what brought you all the way back here? This isn't a place where Cece's and mommies usually go."

Cecelia relaxed more and more as Geralt kept talking to her, and she almost smiled with the use of her nickname, but her worry prevented it. "I was looking for the pretty white-haired fairy lady...she's so pretty and I just wanted to tell her..."

Geralt raised his eyebrows at the mention of Ivory. Interesting...but this made sense, in fact, they were rather close to the tent where the vampire did her performances. "Oh, is that so? Well, little lady, you happen to be in luck. The Winter Fairy is a close friend of mine. Would you like to meet her? The all three of us can go and find your mommy together. How does that sound?" At this, he extended his long-fingered hand to the girl, slowly and gently so as not to frighten her further, keeping his smile all the way.

The girl glanced from his hand to his face, back and forth several times, before she made her decision. Her mommy had always told her strangers could be dangerous, but this man seemed nice...and he did tell her his name. And if he knew the fairy lady, maybe she really could help them. She was so pretty and strong...she would know what to do. Cecelia reached out and laid her tiny hand in the man's big warm one, and he took it and stood, then walked her toward the tents behind them.

Geralt was pleased that the girl had decided to take his hand. If she had refused, he would have had to retrieve someone else, like Lucien, and that would not have been ideal for him. Ivory's tent was nearby, so after he took her by the hand, he began leading her toward it. "You want to know a secret about the Fairy, Cece?"

Cecelia nodded, gripping her cat close in her free hand as they made their way toward the tent.

"She's gets prettier the closer you get..." he whispered, keeping his voice low in case Ivory was nearby. Hopefully, she would still be in her tent. He knew that she liked to wait until most patrons had filtered out before heading to her trailer. Due to her popularity, she attracted many less-than-savory "fans", and preferred that they leave her alone at the end of the night.

Cecelia's eyes sparkled and she finally smiled as he told her this, which caused Geralt's smile to widen just a bit more. As they reached the tent, he paused outside, pulled back the flap and leaned in. "Oh, miss Fairy, are you here? I have someone who'd love to meet you." He glanced around the tent and spotted the vampiress near the back of the space, clearly waiting to leave. "See," he said down to Cece as he pulled the tent flap open a little more, "There she is."

The little girl responded with silence, and open mouth, and large water-filled brown eyes as she looked for Ivory and spotted her. "Wow..." she whispered, completely entranced by the woman even from this distance.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana blinked hard several times and as Lucien's voice reached her ears, she realized that it was him, Faolan and Aurel all gathered together outside. Of course, who else would it be?

Before she exited the trailer, and once her eyes had cleared, she looked from side to side to make sure that there was no one else around. This was a precaution she had learned in her own home, as she was best neither seen, nor heard. When she was satisfied that the coast was clear, she stepped down the large step from the trailer, her hand on the door frame to steady herself, and approached the trio.

She felt worlds better from yesterday, and the past four or five days seemed like a dream to her now. She was leaving this trailer feeling almost wholly herself again...almost. Once she was home, once she was with Isy again...she knew that would make her feel much better.

"Hm?" she said, realizing that she had been lost in thought as Lucien spoke to her, "Oh, yes, thank you for bringing it..." she said, her hands wringing together as she looked about. That was when she noticed the sun's height in the sky and panic suddenly struck her.

"Wait," she said, her eyes widening as she looked back at the man before her, "What time is it!?" Her voice rose slightly, cracking again though her throat had been moistened. Was it this late in the day? Would they still be bringing her home today? Why hadn't they woken her up at dawn...? They would have been on the road for hours already...

Faolan had looked up from the newspaper he was skimming as Illyana left the trailer, and he sat a little more forward in his chair when he noticed her grip the doorframe, but relaxed when she began walking toward them. It seemed that Lucien's healing had done the trick for her after all. He did not speak or stand, seeing no need to at the time. She was more comfortable around Lucien, though she was not necessarily nervous around Faolan, the Frenchman was better at these types of things.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Although Geralt had preferred not to be seen these last few days, and he had the means to do so by use of his displacement ability, tonight he had deigned to walk back to his trailer instead of appear there instantly. The reason for this was mostly due to his sour mood. Using the parasite's abilities only served to cause him more stress and upset, so he thought taking in the cool desert air this evening would be best. Seclusion had never agreed with The Magician, but he had felt his pride damaged severely by Lucien's rejection and was still not ready to join the world. He had not even had the heart to visit the Dice House in town yet, and doubted he would before they left. There was really nothing to draw him there, and he simply wasn't in the mood.

Las Vegas had turned out to be much more profitable than he had expected as well. Because of the dam offering more jobs to laborers, the economy here was booming. All shows had seen record turn outs, The Magic Show being so successful that they had to add a third show. Immediately after it was over and the tent began to empty, the Magician headed in the opposite direction, towards his domicile.

Hands in his pockets, his lanky legs carried him there, eyes on the ground. It would be a short walk, but one he needed. Maybe tonight he would go out...if he could muster the energy...

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a little girl crying. Immediately, his eyes darted about until he located the source of the sound, worry gripping his heart like a vice. It didn't take long for him to spot her, standing by a stack of empty crates that had been used for transporting the circus' goods from place to place. There were no adults around her, and the closest patrons were too far too hear her cries of woe. Quickly, the German made a beeline for the child, but slowed at he approached her. There had been too many people at his shows for him to recognize her face, but she was fairly certain she had not come from the direction of his tent.

She was small, looking no older than six or seven, with blonde hair tied up into two pigtails with bows on the side of her head. She was wearing a simple but higher-end dress and shoes, and was gripping a stuffed cat with white-knuckles. She looked around, confused and lost, tears streaming down her face.

"Hey there, little one..." Geralt said in a soft, gentle tone, as he knelt by the girl. If it was one thing the man could not stand, it was the sight and sound of a child crying.

The little girl looked over at him, startled at first, and glanced around with even more fervor. Geralt made sure to stay far enough away that he could not reach out for her, she was old enough to be weary of this.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help." He said, giving her a smile. "My name is Geralt, can you tell me yours?"

The girl looked scared for a moment, horrified even, but as she saw him come to a stop and kneel down a ways away from her and heard his soft and gentle voice, she seemed to relax, albeit slowly.

"Ce-...Cecelia..."

"Cecelia, hm? That's a lovely name," he said, maintaining the smile with his knee pressing into the dirt, "And your bows are so pretty...why the long face, hm? I bet you have such a pretty smile."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's moment of concern was broken by Aurel's forced contact, and though he was very quick, Aurel was faster and the lad had slipped away before he had a chance to snag him again. He fought a smile as he looked over at the young man as he slid behind Lucien, "hiding" from him. Instead of going after him for more, he pointed to his eye and then pointed to Aurel as a playful warning that he was being watched. Having him around had been a good distraction at least, and he knew that Aurel did not like to see either of them worried or concerned. He was growing into a fine young man, and Faolan was proud of him.

After a beat, he nodded in agreement with Lucien. "Too right, I'm knackered," he said, then headed for the door to the bus. It was about time all of them got a good night's rest so they were properly able to greet the coming days. The Irishman knew they would not be easy, for anyone.

----------------

The next morning came and went, and Illyana remained unconscious until after lunch. Lucien had checked on her several times, holding his fingers to her nose and checking her temperature in addition to small healing treatments to keep any stomach cramps or fever at bay. The girl seemed to be improving, but her body was craving the rest. Though he had to touch her to heal her, she didn't wake up when he entered the room, which was best anyway as he did not want to alarm her.

Though, eventually the time came when consciousness slowly returned to her. It had been like waking before, slowly, but it came more easily to her. At first, she was confused as her sight returned and focused on another unfamiliar ceiling. It smelled strange too...not like home and not like outside, but like a strange combination of the two.

Once the awareness of her unfamiliar position struck her, she shot into a sitting position in bed, chest heaving as she looked around. Slowly, calm touched her as she remembered the events of the previous evening. The bus, Lucien, Faloan, Aurel, the viper and the roast beef sandwich rushed back into her mind all at once. She was in a tiny ovular pod of a domicile, this must have been the small trailer attached to the back of the bus she had seen before. How had she gotten here...? One of them must have brought her.

She looked around, calmed more when she found that she was alone. The windows were open, which let in sunlight and a fresh, warm breeze. There was a bookshelf and the bed, but not much room for anything else. It was small and sparse, but clearly lived in. The strangest thing about it was the metal bars that had been added to span the inside roof space...what purpose they served, Illyana could not fathom at the moment.

Once she felt grounded, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood. She raised her eyebrows in surprise when she felt no pain in her feet or legs upon standing, and then realized that she had also managed to sit up in bed without pain or soreness...maybe the night's rest had been better for her than she'd imagined. That, or Lucien had used more of his ability on her while she slept. Though she hadn't given her consent, she couldn't be mad. After all, she'd had no dreams and she suspected her was only trying to help.

Before leaving the trailer, she checked to be sure her bag was there and found a glass of water and a plate of food sitting near the bed. It was the other half of her sandwich. She hadn't planned on eating, but the sight of the food sent her stomach to moaning, so she paused to eat a little more before exiting.

She still hadn't managed to finish the meal, but did her best to make a dent before she was full, and left Aurel's space to greet the day. The sun blasted her in the face as she opened the door, and she shielded her eyes to protect them from the light. She could see nothing at all for several moments as she blinked the moisture from her eyelashes, trying to see the figures that were huddled in chairs nearby.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

The next day, the cadre of performers and their band of carnies arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada. Geralt had visited the town once before, and it had been a droll affair, so he hadn't really been looking forward to it. Unfortunately for The Magician, he didn't make the decisions about where they stopped and had no say in the matter. Especially after the last evening's events, he did not feel the need to approach Lucien to discuss it either. At least, he had heard, that gambling was now legal there and that construction on the dam was almost completed, so the town had to be flush with cash at the moment. At least that was a way he could spend his downtime, since he had decided to give Lucien his space.

The rejection had been a disappointment, and one the parasite sharing his body had insisted on reminding him of every chance it got. He had done his best to tune it out, but despite his attempts his mood had plummeted. He no longer felt the need to interact with any of the troupe members, and spent every waking moment either in his trailer or away from the grounds. In the coming days, and during the next round of performances, he made himself scarce and rarely appeared between shows.

Illyana, on the other hand, had been more and more energetic the closer they got to California. She was counting the days until they arrived, because she knew what she would find there. She was seen with fresh, bright eyes at almost any time of the day, and Geralt's absence had her smiling a bit more than usual as well. Despite the lull in her research, she had been rather cheerful recently, and others had noticed, though they had said little. Lucien and Aurel were the only ones who knew the details as to her heightened mood. Ivory had an idea, but not the details, and she was too respectful to ask for more than that. The only bit of concern that had reached her ears was when Aurel mentioned to her that Geralt had paid Lucien a visit on the roof of his trailer during the full moon. At first she had been concerned and almost offended by the magician's brazenness in this, and had kept her eyes open for more contact. To her relief, Lucien and Geralt had almost no contact, and the former was nowhere to be seen except on performance nights.

Cora and Akane had returned almost entirely to normal during this time as well, and though the mermaid still found herself having some...different feelings from time to time, she had stopped worrying about them as much. She was just happy to see everyone getting along, though she had noticed Illyana's increased positivity and Geralt's absence. She was pleased by the former and concerned by the latter, but again did not let this get to her. The longer she spent with the troupe, the more at home she felt abovewater, even in the dry heat of the desert.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan's face split into a toothy grin, showing canines as he reached for Aurel and pulled him into a loose headlock, "What's that supposed to mean, huh?" he said, and ruffled the lad's perfectly straight long platinum hair with his rough knuckles.

Although at first Faolan had been nervous around the boy, over the years they had grown quite close, even physically. Even though the Irishman still did not like being touched or touching strangers, he was comfortable with Aurel enough now for small shows of affection like this. Though they were few and far between, as he saved most contact for Lucien, he found himself teasing Aurel in physical manners often. He had never had a brother, and his sister had been too feminine, by his mother's insistence, to wrestle with him, and his father had been too distant and busy too. Since this revelation, he'd imagined this must be similar to what it would have been like to grow up with another close male in the house, and it was welcomed by him.

Still, some doubt crept into his mind at the thought of the girl being nearby. He and Lucien would have to go back to hiding, even when they thought they were alone. He glanced up at the Frenchman as he released Aurel, a look of longing entering his eyes for a moment before it faded. It would be hard, but he knew they could do it...as long as it didn't have to be forever.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Disappointment immediately clouded Geralt's eyes as he felt Lucien grow resistant to his touch and eventually pull away. Of course, he had known this was a possibility, but before he had spoken the Nephilim had seemed almost relaxed in his grasp, accepting of it. Had his words been too overtly sexual? Normally, a pickup like this would have worked like a charm, but Lucien was not just any man...even Geralt could not hide the frown that replaced his smile as the connection between them was severed.

Pathetic. Worthless. Failure.

This also immediately sobered him, and all traces of alcohol in his system seemed to be wiped away in an instant. "Oh, I suppose I have as well." He said, before tossing back the remainder of the whiskey in his glass and glancing at the half bottle that now remained of the one he had brought as an offering.

Geralt knew that he had a tendency to be...dramatic when it came to his failures, and holding in his utter despair at this turn was difficult for him. It was best if he extricated himself now before he said or did something that he would regret.

He stood, rather abruptly, and glanced down at Lucien almost absently, "I'll take my leave of you, get some of that rest I so desperately need." He did not allow the Nephilim time to respond before turning and making his way toward the ladder. He would have preferred to blink away, but even despite his rush in leaving, he knew that consistency was important here.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he mounted the ladder and began to descend, flashing one more strained smile at Lucien before he disappeared, "Try not to say up too long..." And with that, as soon as he was out of eye-line of the Frenchman, Geralt disappeared in a whirl of pitch-colored smoke.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Slowly but surely, Illyana gently drifted into unconsciousness. Though she fought to stay awake, and hard, she had reached the point of full saturation and both her body and her mind gave out. She was vaguely aware that someone was touching her, but didn't mind so much. It was a comforting, calming presence. He smelled like ripe berries and mint tea and sunshine on dewey grass. He sounded like a choir of angels singing very far away....

Faolan watched the girl slowly fade, and though his muscles tensed when she began to fall, he knew Lucien would catch her. And he did, gently and slowly, as was his way. Faolan watched him handle the girl and felt his heart swell with something akin to pride. He wasn't sure why, but watching Lucien handle a creature that was so weak, so vulnerable...it was soothing to him. It reminded him of Aurel mostly, but also partially of when they had first met. Lucien had been young and soft and naive, and Faolan had been harsh and stoic and even slightly cruel. The Nephilim's warmth had eventually melted his cold heart, and broken down the walls around Aurel's. He wondered what effect he would have on this girl.

As Lucien walked away to bring the child to Aurel's trailer, he began to clean up. He smiled at the lad as he returned and indicated for him to help gather things.

"A good night's rest will do wonders." Faolan said, smiling softly over at Lucien as he approached them once again, his eyes full of love.

He chuckled at Aurel's comment and shook his head, "Exactly, even. I thought we'd put that behind us...but fate has a way of intervening." He said, slightly wistfully. He wouldn't say that he regretted their positioning on the road, knowing that this girl's life had depended on them was enough to add pause to that thought. He was just...weary and unsure of her future, which made him reluctant to reach contentment on the matter. If they found out a little more about her past, her situation, he would be able to rest easy knowing they were not returning her to an adusive household.

Nothing would be gained until the morrow, however, so Faolan knew there was no point in worrying now. At least she was safe her with them and could sleep easy for one night.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Mmm, please do." His humming was getting deeper, lower and lower in his throat. This was mostly subconscious, but something he did when he was trying to...attract a mate. Although Lucien was male, and these types of small displays did not usually work with males as well as females, it was almost instinctual, the way his body reacted as he grew more and more aware of how beautiful Lucien was. How much like her he was, how mystifying their connection...

And there had to be one, there was no way this resemblance was a coincidence. And Lucien being French, of all things? No...no, this was too perfect.

Unless...unless fate was playing a cruel trick on him, and it wouldn't be the first time.

Sacrifice.

Geralt shook his head slightly and pulled away, but only a bit, before he re-positioned himself closer still to Lucien. He was practically hanging off of the side of his chair by the time he spoke next.

His mouth had stretched into that wide, almost predatory smile as he watched Lucien study his features, his eyes alight with the fire of lust, even in this almost pitch darkness. "Oh, study away..." he said, his voice low and heavy, "Make sure not to miss any details..." he added, his tongue slowly curling from between his lips and tracing them before he withdrew it again.

At Lucien's next comment, he couldn't help but chuckle and drop eye contact to land on the man's hands. "Well, well, well, I didn't take you for a man to point out one's flaws so readily..." he shook his head and waved a hand to dismiss the comment just as soon as the words had left him. "I suppose my weariness is just my age catching up with me...I knew it would happen eventually, but I didn't think it would be quite so soon." After another beat, he slowly reached for Lucien's hand, "I will say though, I find I sleep much more soundly when I have...company..." As his warm hand laid over top of Lucien's chilled skin, he brought his eyes up to meet the Frenchman's once more. Normally, he would have preferred to wait a little longer to make a move like this, but with an opening like that, he simply couldn't resist.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt could see that his prolonged eye contact and proximity was getting to the man, which pleased him greatly. For some time, he had been worried that the attraction between them was only one-sided, but the Nephilim's reaction here was enough to convince him otherwise. There was no need for him to become uneasy around The Magician, especially given their emploee/employer relationship. The drink had a little to do with it, he was sure, but not all. Every now and again, the Frenchman would glance down at Geralt's hands, but quickly look away. This was enough to tell The Magician that his insistence was not going nowhere, it was just going somewhere very very slowly. While this would normally be an annoyance to the German, for this particular prize, he was willing to wait.

"Mmm..." he hummed sagely as he took a conservative sip of his drink, "It sounds like our childhoods were almost entirely opposite." A small sarcastic grin lit his features then but was quickly replaced by his more suggestive expression. No need for distractions like that now.

"I should have known," he added when Lucien explained about the drawing, "You'd never do anything that could be perceived as even slightly unwarranted, or make anyone uncomfortable without their permission." He realized then that his tone and words were becoming a little too self-righteous, so he pulled back a little. Although Lucien was not willing to hold his gaze for almost any length of time at this point, Geralt kept trying to maintain eye-contact as long as he could. "Consider my permission granted, here and now, for any sketching, drawing, observing, or other...artistic activities." He held up a hand as if being sworn in, his dark eyes alight with mischief.