The Circus IC Thread

He spoke without turning "I don't know, Freddie, how about you tell me." he said, trying to stay calm despite the feeling of betrayal and whole unfairness and stupidity of the situation.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, you 'like' him don't you. You told him he could stay. Stupid me." his voice was a bit bitter. He hated the weak look on the face of the man whose face had changed to reflect his presence with Jasair. It was wrong to have such weakness showing on a face like that, grizzled and harsh. It made Freddie look all the more like someone he didn't know. He was already acting like a different person.

"Perhaps you should consider not liking him, Freddie. You might be sick, but he has everyone on this ship thinking you are pregnant, even Saquir. And unless your biology has decided to give you a sex change and you have been fucking someone like desert hares I would say that was kind of impossible. But then who am I to say that? Im just the ship's cook. Who am I to know whether some stranger is messing with us? Perhaps you should stop acting like a pubescent teenage girl and remember you are the leader of this troop."

He hated the weakness he saw in Freddie right now, the way his eyes were glassy when they should have been hard and determined, serious. While Freddie had always been playful, he had always known when to be serious and when to play, and yet now he seemed to just be turning into something weak and.. and no, he wouldn't go there. "Excuse me" he said, turning away and walking out the side door of the kitchen to where his room was. He couldn't stand to see Freddie like this any more.

<<Freddie>>

"I'm n-not a girl," Freddie protested. "It was a joke. Jasair! How the fuck can I be pregnant?"

But his last words were spoken to an empty room. "It's absurd," he whispered. Why would anyone ever believe such a thing? He was a man, damn it! And didn't you have to have sex to get pregnant? Even people who had sex a thousand times sometimes didn't get pregnant so how could he -- who had never had sex in his life -- or even come close to it --

His hands curled into fists. Freddie gulped in air, setting his jaw in grim fury. Saquir. It could only have been him. He was going to wring the squirrel's neck. Then he was going to make him make everything right again.

Whirling, Freddie stormed out of the kitchen and back across the ship to his friend and partner's room. On the way, he met another handful of crew, and ... that look!

"DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!" thundered Freddie, making his employees jump and flinch back. "YOU ARE ALL IDIOTS!" He stepped forward and the hallway emptied, letting him arrive at Saquir's door without running into anyone else.

Freddie banged on the door. "Saquir! Saquir! You better fucking be in there!"

Saquir about jumped out of his skin, he was half asleep, but the pounding fists on the door killed that real quick. He slowly moved to his feet as he heard the other all but screaming on the other side of the door, "And if I am and I pretend I'm not? What will you do then?" He called through the door, back to his cool self, no more worrying about things that had happened taking up mindspace. He was excellent at controlling many things at once, but as soon as something he couldn't control came into the equation, he was shit.

"Going to break down my door?" He asked cooly, "Maybe, when you'd found me, you'd take a swing or five at my head? You calm down first before you come in here, Freddie Fantastik." He said firmly, "Take a breath settle your nerves, then, I will let you in." He said firmly.

He moved to sit down again, pressing his fingers into his knees as he resumed his clearing exercises, emptying out the 'junk' in his mind was the only way he could function properly. And right now, he was not functioning properly, especially with... Freddie, banging, on the, door! He growled, rubbing his horns, "My god, stop it already!" He snarled, pushing to his feet and stomping to the door. "You settle down or you'll hurt yourself."

<<Freddie & Saquir>> ((an RP with wulff))

He heard Saquir shouting on the other side and snarled back at first, but he knew how stubborn the man could be and stomped up and down outside the door pacing before moving to knock again, snapping back, "I am calm!"

"The hell you are!" Saquir growled in response, folding his arms. "Promise me you won't try and strangle me," he said through the door. "Or attempt to hurt me!"

Freddie blew out his breath in a loud huff of annoyance and rolled his eyes. Sure, the provocation was great, but they'd had worse arguments and Freddie hadn't yet snapped and actually hit the smaller man. "I'm not going to hit you," he promised gruffly. It was kind of amusing that Saquir seemed so nervous; in a way it was funny, but it also meant that he must know why Freddie was upset and Freddie wasn't sure if that were a good thing or not.

Saquir's ears flicked back and forth and he debated for a moment before he undid the locks, and stepped back, his tail flicking as he moved away and sat on his mini-sized chair, big enough for him anyways. "What?" he asked, pulling his feet up beneath him.

Freddie burst into the room, energy making him pace back and forth in agitation. "What?" he echoed back. He paused to scowl at Saquir. "What's this I hear about me --" he jabbed a thumb into his chest -- "Being pregnant?!"

"Well," he said, resting his elbows on his knees, and thinking about it, perfect balance, as usual, and sighed. "I don't know. It kind of makes sense. Wild cravings for weird things, morning sickness, your emotions." He gave the other a flat look. "The only thing I couldn't figure, was how," he added quietly.

"How, indeed!" barked Freddie, beginning to pace again. "How," he repeated. "Fucking hell, Saquir!" He threw his hands up into the air. "Even were you delusional, 'how' would that ever make sense? I'm a man! You know this! Morning sickness -- ha!"

"Yes, but, Freddie, you aren't exactly normal," he said. "Who says that because someone wants it so you can't be a girl? I've known you for ten years, Freddie, and I've never seen you fail to please someone ... Even me." He rested his chin on his knees and sighed. "But ... I don't know, do you remember ... falling asleep somewhere, maybe? Somewhere maybe you shouldn't have?" he asked. "I know you don't tell me everything."

"What the hell?" Freddie kicked the wall. "This is ridiculous! Saquir! It was a joke. A gods-be-damned joke! I was sick! That's all! Some kid wants to get in with us and seizes the moment. How could you even be considering this?" His hands curled up into fists as he stared at his friend, shaking his head emphatically. "No. No, no, no, no!" He wanted to close his legs tightly, as if to hide the already hidden secrets between them, and burst into frantic pacing again. He wasn't going to think about that! No!

"And, no!" he shouted, hurting too much, confused and struggling to shove down the sudden fear. "No, I've never had sex! Okay? Fuck!" His legs trembled and he pressed the heel of his hand to his eye as if to shove the tears back in. "Oh, damn it." Everything today was making him cry, and the howling wind was making his head throb. "Fucking shut up!" he shouted.

As if the storm had been waiting for just such a command, the pelting against the hull ended abruptly, startling Freddie, who stared, perplexed, towards the outside.

"Okay, so it ... was a joke, then why are you so sick?" asked Saquir, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't understand. There's an explanation for everything, not this." He wiggled his toes a bit before he rubbed his horns. "Forget it, nevermind." He shook his head, "I know, you've never had sex, you're practically sex phobic, Freddie. I just ... Not even the flu does that." He said, "Not to you, Freddie." He muttered quietly, reaching behind him for a box of tissues and offering one to the other. "Freddie, I've never seen you cry. Ever. Save once, but that was necessary," he said quietly.

He sighed again, and started when the sounds stopped. He hurried to his feet, pulling open the door and looking around, looking up at Freddie. "Come on." He tilted his head. "Lets go see where we are."

"We're in the desert," answered Freddie, annoyed. "No." He clamped a hand on Saquir's shoulder, holding him firm, even as he accepted the tissue. "It's all over the ship, Saquir! You've got to fix this." He was practically begging now, mopping at his face while sternly telling himself to snap out of it. "I don't know what's wrong with me, but it's something else! Anything else. I can't have ... that! Not now, not ever, but especially not now. These rumors will destroy everything!"

He released the acrobat to scrub at his face. "On top of everything else ..." The lack of wind and sand pelting at the ship made Freddie's ears ring. "What do I do? We can't go on like this, not like this, oh, fuck! I can't stop crying. What are we going to do?"

"No, really, I know." Saquir sighed, moving back into his room and shutting the door. "What am I supposed to do, Freddie?" he asked looking up at the other. "Sit, for gods sake, you're still sick." He huffed, pushing the other to sit down, and he sat down on his chair again, balancing on his toes and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Freddie, settle down, if you like we could drop the crew somewhere remote, or quiet, pick up a whole new one, if you prefer. Freddie." He hopped down and placed his hands on either side of the other's face, not touching, just hovering, because Freddie didn't like to be touched. "You can go on. You will go on. Take a breath, put on the Freddie Face, solid and steely. You'll be fine."

He pressed his horns against the other's forehead and touched his face slightly, before he let the other go, quickly. "We'll put it out that it was a lie by the fae, we'll have him scrubbing out the animal pens on all fours. Especially the Ronus' cages." He said softly, "Then we'll drop him at the nearest port, no harm no foul. We'll be fine."

"We can't do that!" Freddie was appalled. Just change the crew, just like that? They were the best crew yet, and some had been with them for years. They had kicked off people before, but no matter the personal cost, Freddie thought it was a bit of overkill.

He let his chin rest in Saquir's hands for a moment, closing his eyes, eyes that hadn't lost their weird glow. "I'm scared, Saquir," he confessed, snuffling a little.

He shrugged, sighing a bit, "Okay, so we'll smear him. It's easy." He said, his thumbs rubbing his cheeks slightly, "You worry me sometimes Freddie." He murmured, looking at the other, "What are you scared of? Freddie the Great? You can tell me." He sat next to the other, nudging slightly against the other.

Freddie scooted to the side and folded himself sideways to lay his head in Saquir's lap. He continued to dab at his eyes with the tissue. Thankfully, the tears seemed to be drying up. "What if it's true?" he whispered, shivering a little. "What if it's just something my people do? And we don't know. I don't know what I am; maybe it's just something else that my freaky body decides to do, but what if I'm really sick? What if I just wake up dead some day?"

He shook his head restlessly and sprang to his feet to pace again. "I want ... Saquir, I've never ... I mean --" He stopped, looking helplessly at his friend, unable to wrap words around the yearning in his heart.

He let the other lay on him, petting his hair a bit, which seemed to get curlier with each of his movements. "So what if it is?" He said, "Freddie, we'll get through it. We get through everything. So what if it is something your kind does? Your body isn't freaky, Freddie, it's you. Please, I've got enough body dysphoria issues as it is. You are not ... freaky."

He grinnd, letting the other stand, and said, "I think you would find it very difficult to wake up dead." He said quietly, shifting, and adjusting his position, "Slow down, take a breath, tell me what you want to say." He reached for he other, his fingers brushing the back of his hand.

Freddie crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. "I know," he agreed. They'd been through a lot together. This was hardly the worst; he wasn't sure why he was making it into such a big deal -- No, that wasn't quite true. There'd been rumors about him forever. Generally, he tended to play them up, using them to make fun of himself and keep people guessing, but now ... Now, with the Regent of Jan out to get them, this rumor was very dangerous indeed, and to be so carelessly tossed about, as if it were nothing?

He supposed it wasn't the kid's fault. They didn't know him and he didn't know them, so how would he know that it wasn't something to play around with? He shook his head with a frustrated sigh. "Saquir, don't make fun of me. I'm serious." This time he was, he really was. There was no joking this away. Jasair was right; he, Freddie Fantastik, was the captain of this tub. He had to pull himself together, damn it! He was strong. All the time, he was strong, and that's what was needed, now more than ever, with the looming threat against all their livelihoods. He just wished he knew whether or not he could rely on himself.

Remaining silent, Freddie paced away to stare out the porthole, but all he saw was the reflection of the ship's soft lights against the cavern wall. He sighed and pushed irritably at his hair, curly and thick, snagging on his fingers. He could shave it off, but in a few minutes it would be back. He leaned there against the bulkhead, feeling drained.

"It's not important," he answered, stubbornly trying to shake off this weird melancholy. No more whining. He was a freak, but that was old news. They had more important things to worry about, like getting out of this desert and figuring out how to combat this stupid rumor.

"Of course, of course." Saquir looked up, his eyes flicking over the other, watching him pace. "Come here, you're going to make yourself sick." He said, eyes furrowing slightly, "Please Freddie, everyone's worried; you've been sick for days. Come on, at least relax a little." He seized the other's hand and tugged him down to sit with him. "I'll go get started on putting together the counter. You ... try and get some rest." He touched the other's hair again, "Okay?"

Freddie frowned. Then he sighed, grimacing as his belly grumbled. "Okay." It would do no harm to humor Saquir a little, and this way he could hide out from the rest of the circus without appearing to do so. "Think you can do one thing for me, though?"

"Hm?" he asked, shifting and standing, looking up at Freddie. "Promise me you'll sleep first," he said, arching his brows, his mouth curling up a little.

"Whatever," said Freddie, crossing his arms and looking away.

"What do you need?" he asked, laying a hand on the other's arm as he trotted over to the other and stood in front of him.

"Jasair's mad at me," said Freddie, frowning again, but this time with confusion as he thought about Saquir's adopted son. "I don't know why, but, would you talk to him? He threw a pan at me."

"I'll take care of it," said Saquir. "Now lets hope he doesn't throw a pan at me. Are you hungry? Want me to see if I can wrangle something to eat out of him?"

Freddie gave him a grateful look. "Yes, please. I'm starving." He was silent for a minute. The quiet seemed strangely unnerving after the ruckus of the storm. "Thanks. And, I guess, we need to arrange a meeting of the whole crew. They have a right to know what happened and what we're going to try and do. Wish I knew what that was, though." He rubbed his head, wondering if he was going to have a headache now. "If you see him, tell Enrir I'd like to speak to him?"

"Your wish is my command," said Saquir, bowing slightly, tapping his toes on the floor before he opened the door and bowed the other out, hurrying down into the ship, talking to one or two people, and the rumor spread like wildfire, just as Saquir had meant it, as he moved through the ship.

Rolling his eyes at the sarcasm, Freddie went back to his rooms, flopping down onto a lounge chair and toeing his shoes off. He didn't stay there long, going instead to his desk and pulling out this season's itinerary. He frowned at the schedule before pulling out another sheaf of papers, his quill, and some ink. With a sigh, he got to work. Letters of notification needed sent, and he needed to see what, if anything, he could salvage from the botched tour.

"I know some basic first aid, but I'd be willing to study and learn more advanced treatment. My power can lessen pain, but not eliminate the source." He explained in answer to Enrir's question. It was a little embarrassing and more than a little annoying that he wasn't talented enough to actually heal, but he had never been wrong in a diagnosis. That was something at least.

He mostly listened during the course of the tour, asking only a few questions here and there. And accepting the answers he received with nods or perhaps commenting briefly, nothing too long or catching though. For the most part, he was just listening. Even without undertone of lust, the man had a sexy voice. Definitely the kind of voice that Daven could listen to all day, but the tour ended all too soon and they paused for a moment near Enrir's room, where he was given the choice of where he wanted to stay and led to one nearby shortly after he answered.

He grinned widely up at the taller man, "Thanks, Enrir." He spoke sincerely, "I wouldn't have found anything by myself... and... thanks from not kicking me off the ship right away. I really appreciate it." He added softly, standing on his tip-toes to plant a kiss on Enrir's cheek.

"And no... I don't have anything besides the clothes I'm wearing. I figure, if I can stay useful enough, I'll eventually be able to afford some new clothes or something."

<<Reth>>

At once when the storm broke, Reth's team sprang into action. They had not spent the time idly, instead planning out the best way to take advantage of the situation. They each had their jobs, and Reth closed his ears to the priestess' ramblings about how Pym brought this to them as their reward, etc, ad nauseum.

They moved swiftly through the caves, and Kaedan's people safeguarded their passage. The desert prince fell behind and caught up at intervals to make sure that his subordinates were clear in their instructions. He did not often go on missions, but it had been decided that he would lead this expedition. Though he knew that Reth was aware of his skills, a reminder never hurt.

The two men shared a look and Kaedan took the lead as they stepped out of the caves and into a cavern lit by the airship's soft lights. There they halted for a minute. The glow from the sunset was behind them, casting all into shadow, making the ship seem even more immense than anyone had expected. Only Reth had ever actually seen the Cygnet, and it had been many years since any of the rest of them had seen an airship. It was a new experience for most of them.

Pherris tapped Reth on the shoulder and pointed; the group moved in that direction, stepping back for the large man to tap on the hull where he said the entrance would be. They waited anxiously, but their watchers hadn't been wrong: the ship was still here. This meant a better than even chance the circus was not planning on leaving right away, which gave the Dro their chance.

Five people waited there: Reth, Kaedan, Mick, Pherris, and Ois. They were the most skilled, most trust-worthy. They would have this ship.

Enrir didn't duck away when Daven went on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. The bigger man just smiled down at him and nodded his head, "You thank me now, Daven. But being here is hard work. I make it look easy, true, but there's more to this place than just performing, or making the ship run. There's the people too. Don't forget that, okay?"

He reached down to slide his hand over Daven's head, smoothing down his strange, glittering hair. "We can get the seamstresses on board to give you a few pieces of clothing. You can borrow some of my material. I hope you don't mind dark clothes - I prefer black and red when I can get it."

He looked over Daven's shoulder. "You should get settled in. I'll let Freddie know you're all settled and see how he's going. We'll discuss what your role is later. For now, anybody senior to you, just do as they say. You're a greenie - new - so you'll be bounced around a lot." he grinned, "It comes with the territory."

Turning and walking away, he threw over his shoulder, "I'll bring up dinner when I can and we can eat together." He was more than aware that he hadn't asked - but that just suited him fine at this moment.

Then Enrir was off, searching for Freddie. He figured he'd try his rooms first and when he came to the small door, he drew a breath and knocked.

"Freddie? Are you awake? It's Enrir."

<<Freddie>>

The knock on his door was a welcome distraction for Freddie's cramping hand. He set aside his papers with relief. "Yes? Come in." While writing essentially the same thing a dozen times was necessary, it was also tedious. "Ah, Enrir. Have a seat."

Freddie rose from his desk, smoothing imaginary wrinkles from his outer garments. They were indefinitely delayed, he'd written, due to some unforeseeable events that called them back to the capitol. He hoped to conclude business in time to complete the latter half of their touring schedule. Minus Jan, of course.

He smoothed the frown from his face and took a seat, pouring from the tea service and offering a cup to Enrir. Someone had come by with the tea and sandwiches to ease some of Freddie's unrelenting hunger pangs, but it wasn't Jasair. It was odd to think that the boy was angry with him. They had argued before, but this time felt more personal, permanent, and Freddie couldn't stop thinking about it.

He nibbled on a butter cookie and tried to focus. "Enrir," he began, noticing his hand shaking and setting his cup down. The cookie went on the saucer. He was feeling uncomfortably exposed under the elemental's amused, patient gaze, but refused to let himself squirm like a schoolboy. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his chin. Saquir's preference for long, thick, curly hair tickled Freddie's suddenly sensitive neck, making him shake his head irritably.

"Enrir, I wanted --" Focus, Freddie! "-- to talk to you about what happened in Jan. I --" The tension bled from Freddie's body and he leaned into the back of the sofa with more of a lounge than a stiff, upright, boss-to-employee lecture stance. He uncrossed his legs, features swiftly shifting subtly to Enrir's fantasy. A sensual smirk came to his lips.

"We're in private, now," he heard himself say as if from a distance. Abruptly, Freddie jumped to his feet, pacing energetically, face dark with an embarrassed flush. "No! No," he said again, jerking his hair from his face. "That's not it."

He spoke quickly, hardly daring to glance over at the man: "I mean, I understand what you were trying to do, and I hope I have not caused offense. I appreciate it, I --"

His groin throbbed with heat and Freddie only just stopped himself from rubbing his growing erection through his pants. "Er, forgive me, Enrir," he blurted. "Talk to Saquir about that stowaway of yours. E-excuse me, please, I beg your pardon!" And he dashed for the safety and security of his bedroom, closing the door behind him too firmly and covering his face with his hands. What is wrong with me? he thought.

Enrir entered cautiously, well aware of the recent traffic in Freddie's rooms as well as the frequent mood swings of the man himself lately. Taking the proffered seat, he sat quietly, silently trying to study Freddie through his volumunious clothing: It was as hard as always just to see what Freddie looked like beneath all those layers of cloth. Was the man pregnant? How could he be? But Enrir had a gut feeling that Daven wasn't lying, and that it was all true. Resisting the urge to sigh, he took the tea offered but didn't drink. He was suddenly very tired.

Keeping the light grin on his face wasn't usually such a chore, but today it was hard to keep it from slipping. He didn't frown at Freddie, he almost never frowned at Freddie, but it was hard not to. What was the man playing at? Then again... what had they both been playing at before.

Another day and the remnants of his Retreat would fade - his sexual desires would abate somewhat, but not much. At least he wouldn't be driven to his chambers moaning like before. His skin suddenly flared heat when Freddie's voice changed and became more suggestive, but Enrir reigned in his own self control and forced himself to sit and just observe.

Damn but the man could be sexy at times! Enrir had never figured out why, but at times Freddie was just average, just Freddie. And at other times.... He resisted the urge to sigh again. Freddie was complicated. Yeah, just like everyone else on this ship.

Then Freddie was hopping and flapping around - then he fled into his bedroom. Enrir did sigh then. Uncrossing his legs casually, he stood and glided towards Freddie's bedroom door. Knocking again, he spoke through the wood. "Freddie.... like you said. We're alone. I can't imagine what's going on... I never know what's going on most of the time. But i am your friend. Saquir will mother you - he cares for you that much. Jasair... well, he'll follow you to the ends of the earth - and me... I'm here for you if you need me. I think you do right now. Come on Freddie, just talk to me. Tell me what's going on... I'm here to listen. You've helped me though tough times Fredz, please. Just talk?" his voice was soft and slightly pleading and he felt a warm surge of affection for the other man. Hopefully Freddie would feel it too.

<<Freddie>>

The deep, gruff voice on the other side of his door sent sparks up Freddie's spine. His frustrated, panicky scowl and growl turned into a lustful moan he didn't recognize as coming from his own throat. His hands clawed at his clothes, yanking and pulling until ...


<<Reth>>

The Dro waited patiently, and at last the gangplank cranked open. A trio of strangers stood there. One man stood head and shoulders above the rest. At his feet were tiny growling dogs.

As planned, Kaedan stepped forward, praising the ship and its occupants for stopping and pleading with them to take him and his fellows back to civilization.

"We've been set upon by raiders, lost all our livelihoods, and got chased into these rocks by the storm. Please, please take us with you!"

<<Reth>>

Watching with bemusement while Kaedan won over their greeting party, with help from Mick and Pherris. He kept a close eye on affairs, taking in the men and women gathered from the ship and noting their reactions. The big man seemed to be in charge, and he gave off suspicious vibes. In fact, the whole crew looked on edge or nervous about something. Reth wanted to put it off as left-overs from the storm, but he hadn't gotten as far in life as he had without help from his intuition, and his gut feeling was that something was going on.

Surreptitiously, he edged forward along the crowd until he could hear the big man speak. He was the one with all the little dogs that were currently running little, yappy circles around Pherris. The big idiot had a goofy grin and looked to be entranced by the creatures while Ois looked disgusted. But then, that was her normal expression.

The man, Pedon by name, grabbed another of the circus performers by the arm and whispered something. The slight, young woman nodded and quickly dashed away.

"On second thought," Pedon said, grabbing someone else, this time close enough for Reth to hear: "Go find Saquir, too. He should know about this." The man nodded and scampered away leaving the animal trainer looking worried and anxious behind.

Interesting, thought Reth.

Saquir heard the knock and assumed others would attend to it, in the meantime, he worked to finish things of and work to deal with the rumors flying around. When he'd dealt with it, he went to Freddie's cabin to discuss getting new things for the circus and continuing their tour, when he heard strange sounds from within. Things that one wouldn't expect to hear from Freddie's room. Enrir's maybe, not Freddie's.

He knocked loudly, "Freddie!" He called, "Freddie!" He could pick a lock in point five seconds and, while he could do it to Freddie's, but he refrained from doing so, though, in this case it might be prudent to do so. "Freddie!" He shouted, his tail flicking worriedly, when he heard Enrir's voice inside, and he couldn't help the stab of jealousy that lanced through him, but he quickly shoved it away, it wasn't the time or the place. He stamped on the floor and he shoved himself at the door, and it popped open with a deafening crack (he could pick the lock, he never said *how* he could pick it).

He stopped short at what he saw and his ears went back against his head, "Freddie!" He hollered, bearing witness to Freddie's distressed state and Enrir's... wrangled one, he clenched his jaw, "I'm sorry, I thought you were in trouble." He lied smoothly, hoping that his interruption was enough to throw some ice on their parade (really, really hoping) and he blushed a bit, turning and walking out and shutting the door behind him.

He returned to the heart of the ship, and about ran over one of the newer men who had come looking for him, informing him of the visitors. He frowned, turning and following him to the front, moving around Pedon, his hand on his arm, tugging to make him lean down, "What's going on?" He asked, his tail flicking as he looked at the group, not exactly in a friendly manner as he spoke quickly with Pedon, getting the run down of what was going on.

He growled softly, "I wasn't born yesterday, keep them outside, I don't want to risk the ship or the lives of those inside because we were foolish and let in raiders." He said to Pedon, moving in front of him slightly to scrutinize those who would have access to the ship, he didn't trust it, not in the slightest. "They stay out until Freddie says otherwise." He determined finally. Something definitely told him to be wary, showing up right after the storm, and right where the front door was, no, that was all kinds of unfriendly and suspicion.

"My name is Saquir and I'm the first mate of the ship, I'm going to have to ask you to remain outside for now while I talk with the captain, however, we can offer you a little water and maybe something to eat if Jasair will have it, so I ask for your patience for a little while." He said to their... 'guests'. He went to Pedon, speaking softly into his ear, "Don't let them in, even a little and if they try to force it, close up the ship and arm her." He said quietly as he rubbed his horns with the heel of his hand and went to go see Freddie again. This would certainly interrupt them, if his bursting in hadn't.

He would be roused from his room when one of the crew knocked on his door saying that there was food to be taken upstairs to strangers that found them in the storm. He frowned a bit. "Ill bring it up when its ready" he said, sending the man off again.

Moving into the kitchen proper, he would start to rustle up some food that was mainly from leftovers that wouldn't be missed too much by the crew. Substantial enough to take care of hungry stomachs, but he knew they were on ations right now, what with them not even knowing where they were headed to, or if they would be able to land long enough to get supplies. Or if they did, no one had told him. Of course he could have had the crew member wait, but in all honesty he was wanting a look himself. Perhaps it would take his mind off things, since sitting in his room trying to sleep hadn't done the trick.

With the tray loaded, he would move to the door, only to pause. What was he thinking? The crew member had mentioned that Saquir hadn't liked the situation much. Setting the tray aside a moment, he would pick up his knives and strap them to his thigh, then pull on his chef's coat that neatly covered them since it went just above his knees. Picking his tray again, he headed upstairs to where the new people were waiting.

Saquir made his way back up to the bedroom, pushing open the door, and leaning in the doorway, "Freddie, come on, you have to pull yourself together, he stepped in, his tail flicking. If either of them needed help, he would pull them to their feet, ushering Freddie into the bathroom, and a hard grip on Enrir's wrist would keep him from leaving too quickly, and a tug would bring him down so he could talk to him better, "What happened?" He muttered urgently, well aware that Freddie was NOT all right at the moment, and, while he didn't blame Enrir, he was a convenient victim of inquisition.

<<Freddie>>

Freddie didn't even notice the first interruption, wrestling with Enrir because for some strange reason he didn't want to take his pants off. The lust coming off the elemental despite whatever misgivings he had only increased Freddie's ardor. Having never grappled with someone other than at the other end of a sword, Freddie growled with exasperation. Enrir was as slippery as an eel!

He tried letting the other man pin him; if that was what it would take, Freddie was willing, but Enrir just stared at him! He cursed, hearing himself say things like, "What's wrong with you? Just hold still!" Enrir's fantasy made Freddie bigger and stronger so it was really only a matter of time until he had his way.

However, additional hands grabbed him, pulling Freddie backwards and away. He shouted and fought, but together Saquir and Enrir managed to drag Freddie across his suite, shove him into the bathroom, and slamming the door behind them as they beat a hasty retreat.

The cold water was shocking, turning Freddie's lips blue almost instantly. He yelped, scrambling to get away and slipping and sliding in his stocking feet and disheveled clothes. He couldn't get coordinated at first, managing to stay in the spray long enough to get completely soaked before stumbling free. Teeth chattering, hands shaking, he stripped and huddled on the floor in a couple of towels.

A quick peek showed him that his body was back to normal. The fog had lifted from his mind, too, and horrified embarrassment was what turned his face red now. He buried his face against his knees, arms around his head, silently shivering and praying for the world to end. There was no possible way that he could look Enrir in the eye again. Ever. He would just live out the rest of his life in this bathroom.

Fumbling and still shivering, Freddie managed to reach up and click the latch. He dragged down another towel to hide beneath. He was never coming out again. Never. Never-never ever.

Saquir sighed, "Enrir, go downstairs to the door and have one of the other's fill you in while I go try and pry Freddie out of the bathroom, okay?" He asked the other, gesturing for the other to go, "Hey Enrir?" He asked, and when the other turned he rubbed the back of his neck, "Thanks for being such a stand up guy." He said, looking sideways, "You won't hear that again from me, so you better take it to heart." He stomped his feet a little and went to the bathroom, knocking.

"Freddie!" He called, "Enrir's gone." He said, tapping again, "Come on..." He looked back and forth, "Quit acting like a girl, and come out here!" He said when the other didn't appear. "Look, there's these people at the gates and I don't trust them, but I figured I'd talk to you about it before we sent them packing." He called. "Freddie!"

Enrir sighed as Freddie finally came to his senses. The wrestling match between the three of them had taken a toll on him, more so because he was exerting so much self control. It was hard not to just roar his head off and burn the place down. Oh how he longed to dance naked amongst the trees and not have to worry about making anyone cry. He sighed again and nodded (rather stiffly) as Saquir told him to go.

He wasn't sure what was going to happen now, but he hoped for all their sakes that Freddie didn't make a big deal of it. Hell, he hoped he wouldn't make a big deal of it! Turning at Saquir's voice, he frowned as the other man actually said something nice to him. Knowing Saquir for a while now, that was really rare and Enrir did take it to heart. He didn't mention anything though, simply ducking his head in acknowledgement and disappearing out the door.

Getting to the hatchway wasn't too difficult, most people had settled into the dust storm pretty well and gotten things under control after their mad dash away from Jan. Once there, he noted the new people and pulled Pedon (he knew how much Saquir trusted the man) aside. "What's happening here?"

<<Reth>>

The food was more that welcome. All the Dro heads turned as the young man in the chef's apron came bearing trays of -- oh, the Gods be praised!! -- fresh food! The small group didn't have to feign their delight or hunger, quickly surrounding the platters and devouring them to the crumbs. Mick was the jokester as always, flirting lightly with the kid to see if he could make him blush and teasing his friends about their 'hearty' appetites.

Mick was there to put the circus people at their ease, to take their attentions and suspicions upon himself and he was doing his usual uncanny job of just that. The younger ones, the women, and the animals were all oohing and awwing over Pherris, doing his level best to play the simpleton.

Ois hung back, her usual, suspicious self, and Kaedan would chat up anyone, asking for news of the outside, if anyone had word of his clan or family (their story mixed in with a little bit of truth, for Kaedan had family in the Confederacy, he just didn't know where).

When Enrir appeared, the reaction of the other circus people alerted the Dro. They'd known that the small, funny-looking man (obviously a born slave) was of high importance in the circus, and he'd said he would speak to their captain, but the tall, charismatic man who'd most recently appeared was not the person Reth had expected. This was not Freddie. Was Freddie Fantastik still the owner/operator of the circus? If not, the game had just gotten more convoluted.

A small, imperceptible gesture indicated to Mick that he should concentrate his attentions upon the newcomer while Kaedan and Reth sifted for a little more information. They needed the captain of this vessel to okay their presence and invite them aboard, even for a short while. Just enough, as they'd told this Pedon fellow, to get out of the desert and to some town where they could re-provision and get home. They had some credit; they were merchants, after all. If left here in the desert, they would surely die.

This was the information that Pedon passed along to Enrir when he appeared, introducing him to Kaedan and pointing out the others, engaged in their little conversations. Mick shifted his attentions easily amongst the growing crowd, flitting about like a butterfly, injecting a sentence here, an ingratiating smile there, making all the ladies blush (and a few men), still trying to put a smile on Jasair's face to chase away the worried, angry-ish frown he'd appeared with. Something was bothering the boy, and Mick made it a side project to find out what. His instincts were telling him he was on to something ....


<<Freddie>>

Saquir's voice drifted through the door, but Freddie ignored him. He was going to sit right there and die of embarrassment, thank you very much.

Enrir nodded at the quick and succinct summary of what had just occured. He gave the newcomers the warmest smile he could muster, which was quite warm actually (he was still really glad of having escaped Freddie's attentions with his skin intact) and went about introducing himself to the others. Though he didn't actually have a position of authority on the ship (he was, after all, just one acrobat amongst many here) it was clear that the other circus people made way for him with just a polite word whispered or a light touch on the shoulder. Ripples announced his presence to each of the new comers as he came around to meet them.

The first was Reth. Not for any particular reason - he just happened to be the closest to Enrir at the time. "Hello there stranger." His voice was jovial and warm, his accompanying handshake firm but friendly. "I've been told you've been having some problems." He smiled at the man, "What is it exactly that you would require?"

Of course he couldn't promise anything - but at least he could suss things out a little more for Freddie. The Gods knew he needed to get back on that man's good side again!

He had travelled up through the ship to where the newcomers, the interlopers were. However, his suspicious surly attitude was not really in his nature, and the honest delight they showed in his food (the rest of the crew were kind of used to having good cooking) was taken with pleasure by him. It warmed his demeanour somewhat, though the fact that his father wanted them watched kept his behaviour as guarded as he could make it really.

But there was little that could work against enthusiasm for his talents, and the good natured interest from one member of the newcomers especially. "Im sorry, what was your name again?" he asked Mick, who seemed charming and kind of what his bruised and battered soul needed right now after the stuff with Freddie. He needed some positivity right now, and this newcomer was really pleasant, and extremely complimentary of his cooking. He liked that. Nothing like a soothing bandage over a wound to make you feel better. In all honesty he was feeling a little guilty for only putting together what was generally deemed to be leftovers for the newcomers. Still, he could wow them with his real cooking later he guessed.

Over time, and conversation with Mick, he would warm to them, becoming less suspicious. He.. didn't often have anyone really pay attention to him except his father and Freddie, and had all but written off that he was anything except bland and yes, somewhat talented with cooking and knives, but yeah. It was nice being talked to like any other member of the crew, even .. even more maybe. He drank in the attention, showing perhaps a weak spot for such things from his currently slightly damaged state of mind.

Enrir smiled at the man that greeted him. He was wary, though, as they were strangers and in his world, strangers weren't always the best people to be around. Especially given what he was. But he kept himself warm and open, "Enrir, nice to meet you." Inwardly, he rolled his eyes. Nice to meet you? How much more lame could he be?

"No, sorry. Not the boss," he grinned, "He's busy at the moment, what with the sandstorm that we had and all." He didn't want to tell anyone that Freddie was actually sick. Whether of the body or mind, he had yet to fathom, but he naturally didn't want to show any weakness to these poeple. It was just an inborn wariness. Elementals away from their natural habitat tended to grow that sort of self awareness.

"But for now, I'm the next best thing." He indicated a seat that had been set up at the table for their guests to dine and relax, at least someone was still thinking straight, "Please, make yourself comfortable for now. Until Freddie can see you, I'm afraid there's not much more we can do." He smiled pleasantly enough, "You understand?" Their guardedness, their secrecy. But he didn't say it out loud, giving Reth's intelligence the benefit of the doubt.

"What can you tell me of your situation and what you may need?"

<<Reth>>

"So if you're not the boss, what do you do? In the circus, I mean." The more he knew about these unhumans, the better the price on the auction block.

Reth leaned back in his seat, raising an eyebrow. Something more important than refugees seeking assistance? He glanced up at the ship, letting concern creep into his face and voice. "Is everything all right? Did you take damage?" Damn. He hadn't thought of that. Hm. The cave should have sheltered them from the worst of the storm.

"There's nothing much to tell," he answered with a shrug. "We were robbed and left to die. Miserable bastards," he added with a scowl. "Sorry. Anyway, all we want is to go home. I'm sure you can appreciate that."

Enrir raised an eyebrow, wondering just how much the man had supposed about him. Obviously he was assuming much to have that tone - but Enrir chose not to disabuse him. Only smile politely and nod. "I am an acrobat. The best flier in the circus, if you ask me. I also create illusions - just mirrors and smoke really, but the crowd seems to like them. And yes, some of us miss our birth homes, however this circus is our family now. Our home."

"As far as damage taken, I am not aware of any major problems, however I will suppose that there are a million little problems to be fixed after that storm we had." He frowned and concern also crept into his voice, "Do you know who robbed you? That must have been hard to lose your valuables."

He glanced around, "Your friends are rather relaxed to have just been left for dead. I commend your command of your crew, Reth."

<<Reth>>

Reth raised another eyebrow, surprised, and gave Enrir a second once-over. "You're an acrobat?" He leaned forward a bit. "I always thought they were smaller ... huh. Oh, illusions, huh? Show me one?" He leaned forward eagerly, face openly curious and even a touch excited. Everyone wants to see a good magic trick.

Enrir's next question brought the frown back. "Yes, we knew them." He paused a little, allowing embarrassment, as well as anger, cloud his voice and expression. "Business partners -- ex-partners. May they rot in hell for all eternity." The last said in a dark tone under his breath.

But a bad temper couldn't be sustained given the merry atmosphere. "Relaxed?" he repeated, laughing. "Relived, more like! Hells, we've been living so long on nothing but sand with each other for company for weeks. We're so happy to see you, we would do pretty much anything to hitch a ride. When do you think we might know? Do you think your boss will let us go with you? Please say yes! It'll mean so much to us." In more ways than you can possibly imagine.