FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

The Big Top show was performed as planned, with just a tiny addition made to Geralt's show. Otherwise, it had gone off without a hitch and the troupe had collectively never seen the tent this full before. Vegas had been just the honey pot that everyone had been hoping for, and Geralt's presence made it that much more lucrative as well. Although, this time The Magician had felt no need to flaunt that fact.

Despite his disappointment with Lucien, most of his interactions with the rest of the performers after meeting Cece had been perfectly cordial. He even showed his face around the grounds for small amounts of time, though he was a bit short and curt with the Ringleader himself. At the rest of the troupe, he smiled and waved, he cooed and complimented, but still there was a pit of angst boiling within him. Luckily, his positive attitude had managed to mask it for the time being, keep it bottled up so that it didn't lash out at anyone. He knew it would hurt later, but for now it seemed to be working just fine, so he let it ride.

He was happy to oblige when Ivory asked the favor of him, and did hand Cece the autograph with a flourish. Both she and her mother were very excited to receive to it and surprised to see that Geralt was such a big part of the show. Neither of them had asked his roll when they'd met him and Ivory, so their eyes lit up when they saw his performance.

This, coupled with the success of the evening, had him in a particularly good mood. So, when he was about to leave for his plans in town, he wasn't annoyed in the slightest when Akane called him back. He turned as she fell in step beside him and smiled down at her with his arms resting behind his back.

"Akane." He nodded his greeting, then followed up with, "Spectacular performance this evening, the crowd absolutely adored you."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana was surprised at how quickly the time seemed to go by as she was speaking with Aurel about animals, the serpents, nature in general. It had always been her favorite thing to research, that and the occult and fantasy creatures and things. Because of her deformity, she had been convinced at a young age that there had to be some truth to myths and fairy-tales, and the more she discovered about Aurel's relationship with his snakes, the more she began to realized that a myth may well be sitting right in front of her. Lucien with his healing wasn't far behind. She couldn't tell anything about Faolan aside from his size, but he could be entirely human otherwise for all that she knew.

The deeper she dived into this train of thought, the more relaxed she became. She felt more comfortable around Aurel than she had around anyone else, aside from her sister, including her peers and even younger children. It was strange to think that this was all it would take for her to let down her guard...

But as soon as she realized this, she put up the wall once more. It would not do to become attached to any of them, knowing she was parting with them so soon. She had to keep herself focused on the tasks at hand, getting back to her sister and getting them both out of that house, or she might make a mistake along the way...

As they neared Utica, Illyana became more and more antsy, and once they were within the city limits, she could no longer sit idly and talk to Aurel. She was too nervous and distracted to pay attention to him, so she got up and made her way to the front of the bus. She stood between the two seats, giving Faolan directions as he drove. Her house was only about fifteen minutes in, and she could feel herself becoming more and more anxious as things began to look familiar to her.

Finally, they were on her street. She was standing between the seats, bending around to try and get a glimpse of her house before they approached it. Her hands and face were sweaty, her eyes wide, her skin flushed...and she bounced around with a nervous energy that only children seemed to have.

Faolan had followed the directions smoothly and to a T. He had been right about this girl's intelligence, she seemed to easily slip between the whims and fancies of a child and the stoic demeanor of an adult. He could feel how anxious and excited she was, but see fear in her eyes. When he looked at her, he was reminded of a mouse that had been caught in a box, all of its senses screaming to find a way out but knowing there was none. It was sad to watch, knowing what they were bringing this girl back to...He shared a glance with Lucien as they approached and the bus began to slow before coming to a complete stop outside of the house.

Illyana had been so anxious to get home that she had re-positioned herself in front of the door. As the bus came to a stop, she looked over her shoulder at Faolan, pleading with her eyes only. She was too charged for words. Although she could tell he was reluctant, he slowly pulled the lever to open the door and release her.

She had been carrying her bag with all of the contents, what few there were, held inside. She had the intention of filling it with her things as soon as they got into her room, getting it ready for when she and Isy were able to leave. As soon as the door was open wide enough for her to get out of the bus, she squeezed through and rocketed toward her front door.

It was a modest home, three bedrooms, and antic and a basement. It had a large front room and a huge bay window that the girls loved to sit in front of in the sunlight and play or read or draw. The floors were wood and were very cold in the winter but nice and warm in the summer. They had a small front yard with a fence, but no signs of any pets, and no garden. Her parents didn't have time to tend to things like that.

Illyana ran up the walkway to the front door, smiling despite herself, overwhelmed by the happiness she felt at seeing her sister again. They had never been apart this long and she hoped they never would again.

She was so overwhelmed that she didn't even notice the sign in the yard or how clean and bare everything looked. How dark the windows, how barren the driveway, how empty everything looked...

The little lost girl pounded up the concrete steps to the front door, put both hands on the handle and tried to turn it. She was met with resistance, and a look of confusion crossed her face. She shook the handle hard, using all of the strength of her tiny body could muster, but the door would not give way. She almost called out to her sister, her mother, but thought better of it. Instead, she slowly stepped back from the door and looked around, the weight of the silence finally settling on her. Something was wrong...

Faolan had seen the sign the moment the girl's feet touched the walkway. His heart sank. The house was For Sale. Though it was the end of the day, and many people had already arrived home from work, there was no car in the drive way. The windows were dark, the house was empty. Illyana's family was gone.

"Shite..." the Irishman said with a heavy sigh, making eye contact with Lucien once again as he hoisted himself up and exited the bus. Once outside, he crossed his arms and glanced around, but no one was out in their yards or anywhere along the street at the moment. He watched with sad eyes as Illyana shook her door handle, a look of worry and confusion crossing her face. He sighed again, then looked down at Lucien once more, who had joined him.

"I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this..." If anything, he thought that the girl's parents would be confused to see her, but that they would accept her back. What kind of self-respecting parent doesn't welcome their child home with open arms in front of the neighbors and peers? What kind of parents abandons their child and then moves away?

A third possibility was that Illyana was lying about her family and how she had gotten here, but it was unlikely given her sincerity. She was smart, alright, but she wasn't an actress. Faolan could sense that she wore her heart on her sleeve, something he thought the two of them had in common. Besides, she was genuinely concerned and fearful now, and why go through the song and dance if it wasn't true? No, this girl had been left behind. The circumstances were unclear, but that much was certain.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt shrugged at Ivory's response, nodding. "I do, and he wouldn't...I just found it...intriguing. You know me well enough by now to know I had to mention it." And this was true. Though the two never spent any time together, and in fact this was the first time they had been alone for an extended period of time, Ivory could guess well enough at The Magician's intentions. She at least thought she knew him well enough to guess things about him, he could tell by the snap judgement she had made on his character upon their first meeting. It was no matter, just a little joke to remind her of this fact.

They arrived at her trailer and Geralt stopped well before her door. Ivory was a private person, especially when it came to him, and he was not in the mood to tease her any further. He decided to end their conversation where it was so as not to leave a sour taste in either of their mouths for the rest of their stay in Las Vegas.

"I'll leave you here. Thank you for your help, I'm sure that little Cece will remember this evening for a long time to come. Meeting your idol isn't something every youngster gets to do." He gave her a small, curt bow and turned away before she could respond. Part of him wondered whether this was a fluke or if their relationship could be saved, but he decided to push those thoughts away for the time being. Sour taste and all of that.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt couldn't help but smile over at Ivory as a sense of triumph washed over him. Finally he had found a way to compliment her in a way she accepted. It was good to know that he could crack a bit of her shell, even if it hadn't been what he intended. Even though their time here had been brief, the man saw a glimmer of hope that their relationship could be less...tense in the future. As long as this wasn't a one-off, anyway.

"There's no arguing with that, she is something..." he said in reference to Cecelia. He had truly been impressed with the little girl after spending only a short time with her. At first, he'd been hesitant to think this, given how cliche their initial meeting was, but she had shown that she was more unique than she had appeared at first glance.

Noticing that they were quickly approaching the trailers, he wanted to make sure he got in one last observation before the two of them parted ways. Who knew if they would be able to continue this conversation, or even if they would cross paths again in the coming days. Aside from the Big Top show, the two barely spoke.

"Speaking of which..." he added, furrowing his brow slightly. He felt that the tone was light enough that he could sneak in a bit of teasing..."You've done a good thing this evening, not only helping to locate the girl's mother but to invite them back gratis? And without even asking Lucien first. How rebellious of you..." he said, giving her a sideways glance and flashing his perfectly white teeth in a smirk. This was akin to something that he may have done, but had been a little surprised by the liberty she had taken. Not that Lucien would mind...it just seemed out of character for her.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana couldn't help but smile when Aurel and Bengal gave their consent for the name she had come up with. Having never had a pet of her own to name, she was quite pleased with herself. Although her sister had wanted to name her bunny "Hoppy" when she first got it and Illyana had coaxed her into agreement about changing it to Hopscotch. It was more sophisticated, she said, and reminded her of butterscotch. This had been enough to convince her, so, Illy supposed she had been responsible for that name as well.

"Okay, I hope that she likes it too." She said before nodding and glancing out of the window. They had been driving for some time now and the scenery had not yet changed. There was no clock nearby, so Illyana couldn't tell just how far they had gotten...but she hoped it was farther than she thought. Talking to Aurel had helped to pass the time...maybe she should continue their conversation to ensure that she was not constantly thinking about how much longer they had on the road.

"Did you know that snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica?" She blurted, looking back at Aurel as she did so. The only way she could think of continuing to speak with him was to bring up things that she knew. Since he had an affinity with snakes, she decided this was the best way to keep him engaged.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Ivory's comment actually made him laugh aloud. What a suggestion that was...

"I'm afraid that time has ruined me...if only someone had said that to me when I was younger." Geralt flashed a smile to her, but did not maintain a visual on her. He could tell that the male gaze made Ivory uncomfortable, and he'd decided that now was not the time for pushing her buttons. She had done a good thing this evening, and it had been revealing to see her interact with Cecelia. Besides, she seemed a little less prickly now towards him than she usually was, and he did not want to give her an excuse to resume her prior attitude.

Even more revealing was her answer to his rebuttal. He raised an eyebrow and hummed, but did not respond until a bit of silence had stretched between them. He was choosing his words carefully, making sure not to trigger any negativity. When it came to him, it was too easy to make Ivory angry, and there was no need to remind her of his dislike for him now.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how resilient children are. Take yourself, for instance. I can't imagine anyone ever calling you fragile." He glanced at her again out of the corner of his eye. It was true that Ivory appeared more than capable on the outside. But he had no doubt that this hard-shelled exterior was hiding something soft deep down. Everyone had their weakness, and he recognized then that he and Ivory were similar in how deep they had theirs buried. Even if they protected it in different ways, he could tell that she shared at least some of his fear of exposure.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Hhhmmm..." Illyana focussed on the task at hand, wanting to distract herself as much as possible from thoughts of the circus and the things that each of them had experienced there.

She had never seen a yellow ball python in person, but of course had read about them in her books about African fauna. She wondered how Aurel had come by her...his explanation about Bengal made sense if he was German, but had he been to Africa? She doubted that, given his complexion. It was possible that she had come to the United States as an egg, or had escaped from some exotic animal trade...either way, Illyana was sure that she had fallen into the best hands possible.

Suddenly, a light clicked on in her brain. "What about Lemon?" But as the name came out of her mouth, she disliked it. Lemon's could be delicious, but most people associated them with an intense sour flavor. It wouldn't be right for such a regal and beautiful creature. "No, no..." she said, holding up her arm so that Bengal could transfer back to Aurel. "Something yellow...or white...not Daisy..." That was far too feminine.

Her brow furrowed and she placed her bent index finger against her chin in the posture of thought, wracking her brain. Then, it came to her. "How about Ginger!?" she said, the enthusiasm immediately returning to her voice. She liked this idea. It was simple, descriptive, feminine, and sounded a little exotic. Besides, Illyana was a particular fan of candied ginger and ginger-flavored tea.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt scoffed gently at Ivory's words, nodding in agreement. Very few things could pull him back from the brink of despair that he was teetering on these past few evenings, but this has been just the ticket, it seemed.

He blinked in surprise at Ivory's next question, however. He had always held pride in his foresight, but had to admit to himself that he had not seen this coming. It was direct, a strong question, and he was in a particular mood, so he respected it.

"Is it that obvious?" He said, shaking his head a little without looking in her direction. He had begun to walk beside her, noticing that she was not hurrying away from him as she normally would. Had his interaction with the child intrigued her this much? He supposed he could entertain her with a direct answer...she had helped him with this project after all.

"I do," he added, after a moment of silence. "I find their innocence absolutely charming. Their simplicity...I envy it, at times." He walked with his hands in his pockets and glanced up at the star-filled sky. Absently, he retrieved his watch from his vest pocket and popped it open. He looked down at it and a strange expression crossed his face...a look of longing...then he replaced it and looked at Ivory again, "You? I must admit I noticed that you were a little...off-balance with young Cecelia."

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana's expression fell at the mention of the word 'circus', and it was clear that she was almost instantly detached from the conversation as the gears in her mind began to whirl. How was this possible? A coincidence like that...she never would have guessed that Aurel had shared an experience with her. It was clear by the tone of his voice that the place did not hold happy memories for him, and hers had been the opposite of pleasant as well.

She glanced over at Lucien and Faolan in the front of the bus, but did not say anything. Could it be more than a coincidence? Fate...it had to be.

Knowing that she wore her sorrow on her sleeve, Illyana tried her best to brighten her mood by raising the tone of her voice slightly to mask the look of fear in her eyes. "Well...I wouldn't mind helping you name the other snake too, if you both wanted." The Viper, now Bengal, as circled his way around her shoulders and was not slithering back to Aurel using Illyana's arm. "What kind is she?" Illyana wasn't sure why, but she knew that the snake was female. She could barely remember seeing it, but could feel its strong presence even from this distance. She remembered her being large and light-colored...

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

The mother raised her eyebrows at Ivory's confession, certainly surprised, but this look faded quickly and was replaced by a smile as Geralt straightened again. "I'm sorry, Geralt, I should have asked first before just assuming..."

"Oh, it's no problem at all. Cece is a delight, and it has been my pleasure to help put a smile back on her face." He said, bowing slightly to her. He glanced over at Ivory at her suggestion and cocked an eyebrow as well. Maybe she had picked up some of his tricks along the way after all, taking such liberties with the front row. But he was glad for it, if anyone deserved them, it was this woman for raising her daughter so well on her own. She had done by herself what two of his parents could not: believe in her child.

"And this is an excellent suggestion, Miss Fairy. We would love to have both of you the night after next. You're sure to enjoy it." He said and flashed Cece a sly wink.

"Wow, thank you Gerald! And Miss Fairy too! Can we mommy, pleeeaaassseee?" And young Cecelia showed her mother the biggest eyes she'd worn all night.

Her mother chuckled and squeezed her shoulder, "Well...how could I turn down that face, not to mention such a lovely gift from our new friends?" She looked back up to the pair of them, "We'd love to come, thank you both very much."

"Not at all." Geralt said, laying a hand on his chest in a gesture of contentment. This was the most confident he had felt since his first week among the troupe, and he felt lightened by this new mood.

"Well, it's time that we go...sorry, honey, but they're not the only ones who need to get to sleep. They have big work to do tomorrow!" She smiled down at her daughter.

At first, Cecelia looked like she was about to argue as a deep frown touched her lips. She looked back over at Geralt and Ivory and her expression lightened slightly. There was a slight pause where no one spoke or moved, then Cece flung her arms out and wrapped them around Ivory's hips in a hug. She buried her face in the woman's skirt for a moment, then looked up at her with misty eyes, "Thank you, Miss Fairy! I can't wait to see you again!" After the embrace concluded, she turned to Geralt and though she thought about hugging him as well, she had practiced handshakes with her mommy and thought that would be more appropriate. She thrust her open hand toward him, and he took it with no hesitation but added a little chuckle for good measure.

After this farewell, the mother mouthed 'thank you' to the two of them before taking her daughter's hand and pulling her away. Cecelia kept her eyes on Ivory and Geralt until she absolutely had to turn around, then the two of them turned a corner and were gone from sight.

Geralt watched them in silence until they were gone, then glanced at Ivory out of the corner of his eye with a smirk. His expression had not yet returned to that of his normal smug attitude, his lingering gladness remained on his features as he looked at her. "Well, that was an adventure, hm?" He said, his tone still light and airy.