Mad as Rabbits (Danylo & Nicoleta/Public)

"Would ya lookit that-"

Man and woman stood side by side in front of the colorful building, admiring its spectacular appearance. They had never seen any other place like it.

Danylo took a puff of his cigarette, casting a sideways glance on his partner. "Wonder how long it took 'em to paint it."

"Who knows." Nicoleta replied plainly, beginning her ascent up the endless rows of steps. The Cuman followed quickly behind with both hands in his pockets.

"Good idea," He joked sarcastically. "lets go ask the mayor." The woman scoffed and glanced back at him; He gave a lazy grin in return.
"Don't you have work to do?" She quirked an eyebrow as they reached the top. "I'm sure your horses miss you dearly." This time Danylo snorted.

Nicoleta placed a hand on one of the columns, observing each and every detail. It was amazing yet eerily familiar. She had seen this before-well, not this-but...Suddenly, images filled her head playing at high-speed followed by a strong array of emotions.

Torn and tattered soldiers (what she assumed were soldiers) shouted and shrieked joyously. Perhaps a battle had gone in their favor? She didn't know. Yet, she felt just as ecstatic. It was almost as if she had fought right alongside with them. As if she had been there the whole time.
Her heart began to swell at the next sight; A small boy with large blue eyes and dark, messy brown hair. Dimitrie. Her baby.
He sprinted towards the woman with arms spread wide open donning a toothy grin. Never had she seen him so happy before! "Mami! Mami!" Tiny hands tugged at he clothes. "We won mami!" Nicoleta laughed, a feeling of pride filled every part of her as she lifted her son into her arms. Yes, yes! They had won-

"Nico." The Romanian was pulled back to reality by the firm voice. She turned to face the man with a warm, sad smile still plastered on her red lips. Danylo blinked, unsure how to take the strange expression she wore.

"I understand ya like it," he chuckled softly "but it doesn't mean ya gotta get all emotional about it.." With a calloused thumb, Danylo wiped away a single tear from her burning cheek. She sighed and clutched his hand.

Nicoleta wanted to tell him but she knew he'd call her crazy. The Cuman would tell her that she missed their son too much and was making up crazy ideas now, which, he was probably right.

But it felt all too real...

(IDK SOB. Every time Stephen the Great of Moldavia would win a battle against those damn Turks, he'd build a monastery. Which were painted. B) Such a religious bamf. )

((Stephen the great-- the only historically cool person to live in Moldova/Moldavia. But vlad the impaler lived there for a while too-- fffff XD))

A good Racketeer always knows that getting the government in his pocket worked well in his favor. Dimitrie fancied himself one of the best.

But the mayor had refused his offer. Why? How? He refused free whores and drugs whenever he wanted. It didnt seem like anything a normal politician would do. He must have been a sucky mayor. Hated, too. Probably.

The man was brooding all the way out of the office. And all the way down the stairs. And all the way-- he stopped to watch a nice looking aid walk away. Then he brooded all the way through the lobby. And was about to do so all the way down the stairs.

His mother...?? What were the chances? Did she know he was here being illicit? He loved his mother-- which was why he made it a point to stay away from her. He didn't want her to see who he had become after he was let out on his own. His father knew, he'd seen him around, but the two were never really that close.

Thinking quickly, he ducked into a doorway, hoping, just hoping, she was only on the steps and would stay there. It was not a very solid theory.

(They were related I think. B) AND THAT'S A LIE- Dan Balan lives there. And sax guy. And pan flute player with one arm--- /shot)

The Romanian let go of the man's hand after a few comforting moments. It felt too weird for them. Maybe they had loved each other once, but not anymore. It was just one of those unexplainable things that happened between a couple. However, they stayed together for Emiliana's sake. Neither one could even begin to imagine how the girl would react if they split.

Danylo flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his shoe, giving a drawn out sigh of absolute boredom. He wanted to do something. Anything. The Cuman couldn't sit still for more than five minutes if he wanted to. He was a true manchild.

Stuffing his hands back into their pockets, he motioned his head to the entrance. "How 'bout we look around, huh? I'm sure there are more things for ya to cry 'bout.." He snickered as she rolled her eyes, making their way to the doorway before stopping abruptly to stare at the giant trying to hide.

Danylo tilted his head, scratched the back of his neck, then cleared his throat. Well. This was odd. And awkward. Why was Dimitrie here? And why was he hiding?

"Son..." His eyes seemed to flicker with confusion. "What are ya doin'...?" Before the boy was even given a chance to reply, Nicoleta pushed past her husband and wrapped her arms tightly around her baby. She gushed and cooed in Romanian, gibberish to anyone who didn't understand the language.

"Draga mea! My sweet little boy!" Even if he was well over 6 feet, he'd still be, as unfitting as it was, her little baby boy. She laughed and squeezed him in her tight hug.

"How are you? Where have you been? Why are you here?"

The man looked panicked. He tried to communicate with his eyes to his father, tried to tell him to leave but... It was too late.

Dimitrie had the wind knocked out of him by his mother, now preventing him from breathing anymore the way she was hugging him. It used to make him feel loved, but now it just made him feel ashamed. "Mami," He choked out finally, patting her back in response to the hug. "Nu vorbi aşa tare... People are gonna hear you--"

Too late again, he was bombarded with questions. He didn't have an alibi for being there pre-thought over. He would just have to wing it. "I'm fine... I've been... I've been here," He shot a glance to his father, making sure he would shut up about the truth. "And I... I work here. With the mayor." He flashed a delayed grin and bent down to kiss her cheek. "I missed you, Mami."

Danylo sucked in his breath, holding back the urge to laugh. What a load of crap. And still Nicoleta somehow believed it.

The woman finally let go upon receiving the kiss, giving a proud smile. "You work with the mayor? That's my baby-" Danylo snorted but Nicoleta paid no attention. Instead she gave a loving pat on his cheek.

"What about Crina? Where is your sister?"

At that point, the man decided he should step in and save his son's sorry behind. It would have been amusing to watch him get what he deserved for doing such a low, scummy job but not at the hands of his own mother. That would be too cruel..

Placing a hand on Dimintrie's shoulder, Danylo looked down at his wife sternly. "The boy jus' got outta work, cut 'im some slack. He's probably tired 'nd hungry." He shuddered slightly as the Romanian shot an icy stare in his direction; He would be receiving hell later that night.

"Dimitrie," Her face softened. "Would you like to come home with us for dinner?"

"Please?"

He froze when she asked about Crina. There was no way to explain that.

Thank god for his father, who was hardly around but at least when he was he made up for the absences. "Yeah--" He still didnt have time to get a word in edgewise. Should have known. He'd been away far too long.

Apprehensive about more explanations but yearning for his mother's cooking, the latter overpowered the former and a smile spread across his face. Maybe he would even get to see his sister.

"Of course I will, Mami." He replied. "Then we can catch up."

Like a giddy school girl, Nicoleta giggled and quickly descended the steps. Danylo remained at the top with Dimitrie, giving his back several firm pats.

"So." His grin faded into a serious grimace, something unseen from the usually cocky man. "When do ya plan on telling her the truth?" He didn't want the boy to think he could lie that easily to his family; eventually he'd be found out.

"Ya only makin' things worse for yourself.."

Once he was out of her view, the smile dropped and he grimaced. More so when Danylo spoke up.

"Would YOU tell her the truth?" he dug a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and gestured to the man for a match for one. "Once the carnivals leave this place, what does it matter?"

Taking his first drag on the cigarette, he began descending the steps, saying finally with a bit of bitterness, "Don't think you're in any position to coach me on what's right and wrong."

Danylo pulled the pack of matches from his pocket and lit one up for the boy, carefully handing it over.

"Ya do realize the Ragtags follow ya wherever Mystique goes, right..?" He couldn't escape him family that easily. No matter how much he tried.

His frown deepened as he followed Dimitrie down the steps. He could have brought up how he would never sell his sister for his own greedy desires but that would have been too low of a blow. Instead, he pulled out his own cigarette and lit it up.

"..I had my reasons for leavin'." Whatever those reasons were, he didn't know. He just remembered waking up one day and leaving. He eventually felt guilty for it though, partly the reason why he was back in their lives. But he accidentally stumbled upon the family when he entered the circus business.

" 'nd don't think ya can talk to me like that. I'm still the father here.."

"Well, she hasn't caught me yet," He shot back. "And when she does... Well, she does." With an added thought, "I'll talk to Crina later and see what story she can come up with herself." Crina really had no fault in the situation. He didn't want her to bear the worst of it... Which she inevitably might.

"Who else is there? Emiliana, Güzäl... She doesn't go near Cosim, does she?"

They finally caught up with his mother and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the facade back once more. "What's for dinner, Mami?"

He grunted as a reply. Crina wasn't his own daughter but he did feel bad for the burden Dimitrie was placing on her. Maybe he had stayed around while the kids were growing, he would have learned a thing or two about respect for family..

Danylo came up to Nicoleta's other side, staring down at the ground as they walked to the Ragtag area only a few yards away.

"Hmm..Whatever Güzäl has cooked up..." The woman always left the cooking up to the older girls when she went off doing her own thing. Usually they made soup, anything else would almost always end in disaster.

"Ciorbă de peşte. Maybe."

Nicoleta wrapped her arm around his waist but frowned, pulling it away. "Have you been eating?" She pinched his side. "You're so skinny! You'll get sick if you don't put meat on your bones!"

"Well, knowing her it might be some Turkish sludge." He laughed. The Gagauzian was more their father's daughter than their sister. It was bound to be something like ram soup, well, unless Emiliana had griped enough against it.

He jumped at her alarm-- another thing he'd forgotten about. "Mami--" He was sure she would do the same thing if he was overweight. "How am I supposed to find a wife if I'm fat??" He laughed. He did miss so much about being around his family.

Danylo coughed to make them aware he was still there. Listening to every word. Their food wasn't that bad. Much better than stomach stew, really.

"You'd still have your looks. Just with...chub." She gave a light laugh, looking up at her son. He certainly did get skinny. And even sickly...She wondered if it was the stress of work that caused him to look so ill. Or something else..

Nicoleta pulled away from his grip as they neared the caravans. "Emiliana! Güzäl?" She couldn't hide the excitement in her voice.

Dimitrie cast a glance at his father. "Well, at least you'll have food you like." it seemed in their family were millions of little fractures. Differences in opinion and lifestyle that didn't exactly add up to people being raised together-- no matter how distant.

He returned his attention back to his mother. "But girls don't like chub. Chub is what you like to get after you marry a girl. Just look at Danylo." He was one of the only one's in the family not to address him by father. He respected the man but he didn't think he deserved the title. The man wasn't about to admit to his mother either that he had been taking copious amounts of ether and cocaine. Those were things he could trust his father with.

There was a ruckus in the kitchen tent, most likely an argument about food, and Güzäl could be heard over the hisses of a small girl. "That's why I made them both--!!" The tent went silent as Nicoleta called their names, and Emiliana was kicked out to go see if it was important enough for both of them to see.

The little girl stood there, stupefied, staring a her brother, a wide grin spread across her face. In one swift move she sprinted over and tackled his leg. "FRATI--!"

He hoisted her up in his arms and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Mili, where have you been?" He joked, getting a laugh from her in response.

Nicoleta snorted while Danylo rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha."
If he had started to get chubby it was because he was living with three girls. That would be enough to stress any man out.

"Your father isn't fat," she laughed "He's-" Nicoleta watched as Emiliana came out stunned then tackled her brother. She couldn't help but laugh again. She was happy to see them happy. That was all the mother wanted for her children.

"Don't knock him over now. He's a toothpick. He'll break-"

Danylo offered a smile, kissed the top of the girl's head as she was held by Dimitrie, and proceeded to enter the tent to greet his other daughter.

All of these people were here, expecting the best from him. Suddenly the pressure was on. What did a mayor's aid do, anyways? And what would he say about Crina? If Danylo knew all about his dirty laundry, Güzäl did, too. He tried not to let it show on his face as he told his little sister how much he missed her, and thought of her, and all the things he was supposed to say.

Emiliana wasn't back-- something must have been up. As she was turning to go out and see what it was, her father was in the doorway. The man meant everything to her. They didn't talk about it much but she had been an orphan before he found her. Without him she probably would not have been alive today.

"Tati--" She stepped over and hugged him tightly. "Are you going to stayfor a while this time?" She remembered why she had abandoned the cooking temporarily. "What's goin on out there?"

Danylo hugged back, pecking her forehead with a smile.

"Of course."

It was a lie. When morning came, he would have had some excuse made as to why he needed to go back to Mistique and he'd leave once again. The man didn't like misleading his daughter, but he chose to pretend it didn't effect her in anyway.

"Dimitrie's back." He took a puff of his cigarette. "Why don't ya go out 'nd say hello? We can get Nicoleta to finish this." A wide grin grew on Danylo's face.

Those words were meaningless to her by then, but at least he still took the time to say them. She would always love her father regardless. Her othe siblings (well, aside from Cosim, and he had drawn the short end of the stick anyway) had no idea about the helplessness that came from being orphan. The fact that he had taken her in at all meant he could leave and come back anytime he wanted, and he would receive the same amount of appreciation.

The same couldn't be said for Dimitrie. She knew what he was doing over at the other carnival. She knew it from her father, and from Cosim, and was not surprised. But to think he was still being received like that...! She lowered her voice as a frown spread across her face and she spoke to him in her native tongue, so only he would really hear. "So he goes off and sells women, and ruins himself with drugs and commits so much crime and he gets to come back and be treated like he's Christ himself...?! And gets to eat our food just because Nicoleta likes him best...?! No. No, Tati. I don't want him here!"

He understood her frustration as best he could. Danylo wasn't proud of the work Dimitrie did..or the things he did in his freetime...but that didn't want him around. That was his own flesh and blood. He enjoyed to see him when he could. He loved seeing all his children when he actually thought to go visit them.

"You're overreactin'." He gave a sigh followed by a pause. "Part of the family, includin' ya, haven't see him in a while. Besides..ya know how Nicoleta is..."

It wasn't so much that she favored Dimitrie the most out of all her kids (though one could question..) it was that she worried too much. Danylo knew that all too well. She would stay up all night, asking too many questions, thinking too many thoughts. Often bad. The fact that the Moldovan left and never kept in touch with the family only served to make matters worse.

He was a lot like his dad...

"She gets too wrapped up in things."

"Ya gotta learn to forgive 'nd forget.."

She was quiet for a while, looking at the floor but every once in a while looking up to see if he'd somehow changed his mind. He didn't.

"Fine." She muttered, putting down the utensil she was holding and heading out of the tent. Before she left, though, she muttered again, "Well someone ought to tell her the truth. She can't be so stupid forever." Güzäl loved her adoptive mother... But she would speak her mind when the need arose.

"Dimitrie--" She greeted with a half smile. He put down Emiliana to hug the older sister lightly. Neither of them were on very good terms. "Come back I see. For good this time?"

He glared at her through his smile. "I don't know about that, Güzäl... I'm kind of busy... Working for the mayor."

She could only snort in reply. "Oh, really?"

Danylo followed behind, calmly putting a hand on her shoulder as she spoke. He gave a light squeeze when she started getting snarky, as if to say 'not here'.

"Well you can stay with us while we're in town can't you?" It was odd, the men tended to avoid the family. A lot. But Nicoleta would remain hopeful.

"You can't be that busy," she laughed. "what does a mayor's assistant even do..?"

At that moment, the Cuman glanced at Dimitrie curiously.

Gradually Güzäl calmed down and decided not talking altogether was the best she could do. Dimitrie was bound to slip up one way or another. And she knew about his addictions, and that he wouldn't be able to stay with them under his alias and not have Nicoleta figure it out. If that is, he would be able to stay at all. Whores were alot more demanding than politicians.

"Well, I don't know about that, mami..." He ran a hand throuh his hair nervously. "I am pretty busy... You know it's election time... The beginning, hats why there aren't campaign signs out yet... So..."

Damn he was good.

He continued. If he wasn't so entrenched in vices his intelligence could probably put to a good use. "I organize everything... For the mayor... Mayor... Stuff..."

The man had tripped himself up at the end, just wanting to not talk anymore. She wouldn't talk, but you couldn't keep the smile from her face.

Danylo had to turn his head away to keep the others from seeing the smile plastered on his face. Dimitrie wasn't that good at lying yet he still managed to entangle Nicoleta in them. The man began to chuckle but he quickly forced himself into a fit of coughs to act less..obvious.

What a hypocrite he was telling his daughter not to do something while he did it himself.

Nicoleta tilted her head. "Mayor stuff." She repeated. "That would mean doing...?" The sound of hissing and bubbling along with the smell of burning made the woman forget her inquiries. Something was boiling over. She hastily entered the tent to check on whatever it was that was cooking.

"Mayor stuff." Now Danylo repeated him, snickering.

He cometely choked when she called his bluff, but breathed in relief when she had other matters to attend to.

"Well hell if I know what a mayor does." He muttered back. His sister and father were beside themselves with amusement. "I had to say something, didn't I? And what about you covering for me, Danylo?"

((so shorttttt /SOB-- BUT IM GETTING THE BOOK. B) ))

( B)))))))))) /JEALOUSSOB)

"Cover for ya?" He laughed again. "I never said I was coverin' for anyone. I only did it at the mayor's buildin' 'cause I felt sorry for ya." He casually blew smoke in the boy's direction, giving another raspy chuckle.

"You're a big boy, now quit scowlin'. You're with ya family now."