FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt waited for Ivory to deal, then took his cards. Of course, his face did not change as he looked at his hand. Immediately, he dropped one pair onto the table. He was less interested in the actual play of this game and more interested in how everyone else managed to calm and hide their expressions. He watched the players, his eyes moving around the table as they went, and appeared less-than entertained by his own hand.

Akane's question made him blink for a moment, he had been watching Cora's performance in the game and found it unusually well-crafted. Her face hardly ever twitched away from it's serene smile. He looked over to the red-head now, and cocked his trademark half-smile. "Why, were you looking to poach the secret of my youthful glow?" he asked, dark laughter echoing through the chambers of his mind as he did so. It was his turn, so he leaned forward to pluck a card from Ivory's hand, finding another pair to drop. "That depends on exactly what you've heard," he continued, but as he opened his mouth to say more, he was interrupted by another, lighter voice beside him.

Cora tilted her head as she spoke, "'A long time' is relative, isn't it?" she asked, tilting her head.

Geralt raised his eyebrows and glanced at the siren, amused and surprised at the wisdom she had just displayed. Because of the child-like glow about her, he had not been expecting her to add to this conversation in such a profound way, but he had to admit that he was pleased by this surprise. "Very true..." he said, letting his eyes linger on her for a little longer. Maybe he had discounted Akane and herself too early, this was certainly a sign of hidden depths.

Illyana could see that the rest of the troupe remained in the mess area, still playing cards. As she approached, she heard the tail end of Cora and Geralt's conversation, but thought nothing of it. His eyes rolled slowly up to her as she approached and he held out a hand, gesturing to an empty seat to Ivory's side. "Ah," he said, "Care to join our game of Old Maid?"

Illyana shook her head, her voice flat as she addressed him, "No thank you, I came to fetch Ivory." she then turned to the Dhampir. "Lucien has something he'd like to speak with you about." she said, she knew Ivory would be able to find him on their own.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan felt Lucien's hand on his wrist, felt him grasp so tightly that his arm was shaking. The vibrations traveled all the way up the Irishman's arm and into his chest, where his breath was short and his heart was hammering on and on. He would have pulled away, wrenched his wrist from Lucien's grasp and continued walking...no, running away, into the night. He would find himself a dark, cold place and sleep there until the sun rose and reminded him that he had a life to lead, perpetually and totally alone. That was how it was before he met Lucien, before he had agreed to take the young Frenchman along on his wanderer's life. He could go back there, to the way it was, and no in the world would care.

Except for one.

His body overpowered his thoughts, however irrational they were, and moved on its own. Instead of pulling away, he turned, fast enough to make him dizzy. He locked eyes with Lucien, and all of his reservations and insecurities melted away as he looked into those golden pools. There was comfort there, a comfort that Faolan would not, and could not give up. He stepped forward as Lucien let go of his wrist, and his eyes moved to the Frenchman's open lips. He couldn't hold back now, even if he wanted to.

He reached up and slid his hand over Lucien's shoulder to hook his palm behind his head, swift but not violent, into a kiss. It was the fourth kiss Faolan had ever experienced, but it was the only one that mattered, the only one that would ever matter. He pressed his lips against Lucien's his eyes closed and moved forward as his other arm snaked around Lucien's rib cage to his back. He held him there, and everything felt right for one single, perfect moment. His heart, which had been so darkened with conflict moments before, felt so beautifully full and light. He was the happiest he had ever been, and would ever be, and he never wanted it to stop.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt couldn't help but smile at Akane's comments, they were so innocent and ignorant. Though she wore the body of an adult woman, her mind was still very naive and inexperienced, as was Cora's. There were certainly things he could teach them, given the opportunity. He would have to check though, to be sure of their age before making any concrete advances.

The Magician had opened his mouth to ask for further confirmation of Akane's abilities, when Ivory interrupted. He had been leaning forward on the table, watching her expectantly, but as he made eye contact with her his smile slowly faded. "By all means." he said, then slid the deck across the table toward her. He then leaned back in his chair and interlaced his fingers across his stomach as he watched them deal.

Cora smiled around at everyone, happy to see her friend's getting along. Although she sensed tension between Ivory and Geralt, she wasn't sure why. He was so polite and charming, and Ivory was usually very nice to everyone she met. Cora tilted her head as she looked at Ivory, just now realizing her distaste for the Magician...she'd have to ask her about it later.

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Illyana listened to Lucien's plan, then nodded in agreement. "I think that's wise, telling him first would probably make Ivory say no on principal." She chuckled a little, realizing that if anyone would back her up in an explanation of Geralt's...shortcomings, it would be Ivory. She would make sure to keep the dhampir informed of any new discoveries about Mr. Wagner.

At Lucien's request, she snapped out of her reverie and nodded once more. "Not at all, I'll go now." she said, then made her way out.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan spoke without thinking as Lucien finished speaking, the words just dropped from his mouth, "Your feelings for me."

It had been building in him for a while, this confusion about Lucien and their relationship. He had always said that Faolan was his dearest, his closest friend, and that he owed him so much for letting him come along, that he valued their time together and worried when he was away during the full moon. Had this all been just the talk of friendship, or did Lucien feel something more for Faolan? The Irishman had never looked directly at this thought, never consciously entertained it, but now it was at the forefront of his mind. These past several hours, ever since they had left the bakery, had been driven by these thoughts and he was only now realizing it. Lucien's friendship, his companionship meant more to him than anything else in the world, but he had not seen that until this moment, until they were fighting with one another. This realization filled him with guilt and sadness, it defeated him. His shoulders slumped slightly, and the frown he had been holding dropped into a neutral expression. As he looked down at Lucien, whose eyes were glassy, whose breath was coming out in puffs on the cold night air, whose chest heaved and hands shook...he wanted nothing more than to comfort him, to show him how sorry he was for causing this upset. He wanted to fold him in his arms and tell him everything.

But he couldn't. It wasn't right, and he didn't need to expose himself to Lucien like this. It wouldn't be fair of him, and the risk of losing him was too high. Faolan couldn't take that chance.

"I don't...want to talk about this any more." He said quietly, finally fully deflated. "Let's just go, it's over." Even though it hurt to tear his eyes from Lucien's face, he turned away and started to head back to their lodging.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt placed the joker back on top of the deck, cut it one-handed again, then chuckled quietly at Ivory's comment. "What can I say, it compliments me too well." he held his arms out at his sides to indicate his current outfit as an example. Besides his obvious statement, black was the trade color of the Magician. It would be criminal to try and pass off wearing any other color, not to mention his complexion.

At Akane's comment, he turned toward her and cocked his head to the side, suppressing his laughter this time, "Of course I can! They don't teach sleight of hand in Magician School for nothing." At this, he began to cut the deck in one hand again, once, twice, three times, then he brought his other hand over and began manipulating the cards into a serious of shapes. First one card flashed by, flipped over, and was gone again before another revealed itself. He twisted them through his fingers for several seconds, then performed another spring flourish, then a death roll, before dropping the deck onto the table and fanning all of the cards out, face up, for the table to see.

He then leaned forward, arms crossed and elbows on the table, smiling. "Still, it's nothing compared to that trick you just did," he nodded toward the top of her head, "Where did you learn that little number, hm?"

Cora's eyes had followed Geralt's hands as fast as they could. but still she missed some of his finer movements. His hands and fingers were like lighting over the backs of the cards, he was truly amazing. She glanced at Akane while it was all unfolding, her mouth slightly open in astonishment.

Seeing her friend made her remember the first time she had seen her dance. That had certainly looked like "magic" to her then, and it still did now. She closed her mouth and smiled to herself at the thought; the people in her troupe were definitely one-of-a-kind.

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Illyana's smile remained as she looked up at Lucien while he shared these apologetic words with her. She couldn't help it, Lucien had a comforting presence for her. Even when she was flustered, he always seemed to know what to say to help her calm down.

Although she slightly resisted the hat-rub, she chuckled quietly as Lucien performed it. It had been a long time since he had done this to her, and it reminded her of the old days for a moment. She glanced over at the drawing on his desk, and her smile widened a bit.

She had been distracted when Lucien started to speak again, but her usual stoic expression quickly returned. "Hmmm..." she hummed while pondering his proposition, "Having his performance last is the best option, its the longest and has the most pizzazz." there was a brief pause as she placed a curled finger against her chin.

Lucien was right, avoiding contact between Ivory and Geralt was the best option for a smooth performance. Though Ivory had great self-control, she was the most vocal about her negative feelings toward the Magician. Illyana was sure that teaching them the choreography necessary for a smooth transition would be the hardest among all of the other pairs. Ivory wasn't even comfortable breathing the same air as Geralt, let alone giving up the stage to him.

But she knew that Ivory's would be best. She was already going after Akane and before the Acrobatic section before, and lately had been performing last. In terms of the transition itself, she was the most capable in case Geralt suggested something ostentatious, which he was likely to do. On top of that, the shows were currently aligned from shortest to longest, so having Ivory into Geralt made the most sense in terms of scheduling as well.

"You're right...their pairing is the most risky, but unfortunately for Ivory, it makes the most sense. I think she'll understand, we just have to hope that they both reel it in a little for the sake of the show." Illyana trusted Ivory, but she had a bit of a temper and was more than willing to share it with the rest of the world, and Geralt had shown a particular way of bringing that temper out in her. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it for whatever reason. If they could both practice and perform it in silence together, Illyana was sure it would be a hit.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Stop!" Faolan growled and turned on his heel to confront Lucien. He was now not watching anything he said, letting his emotions take over for his brain. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You always...always lead people on! You say things that make them think, I don't know, make them misinterpret your intentions. You did it in the bar with those women, and you're doing it now with me." Although he kept his voice low, his tone remained harsh and flat. He needed Lucien to understand that the way he spoke, his natural charm, it made people think that he was...interested in them. If he didn't want people like those women...like Faolan to misunderstand, he had to choose his words more carefully. He couldn't listen to it any more, he didn't want to think that maybe Lucien meant something more to him than just a friend.

His head was swimming with confusion and...sadness now that had replaced the anger. Was this why he had gotten so angry? The thought of Lucien...being with someone else, spending his time and laughing, talking to, touching someone else...it made him upset. His heart began to pound again and the sound filled his ears. He didn't want to be confused any more, he just wanted to understand, for Lucien's words and thoughts to be clear to him. If he knew, if Lucien would just tell him...one way or another, maybe he could let it go...

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Good, I won't have to bother with explaining the rules then." Geralt said, enthusiastically. He watched as Ivory leaned over to Akane, and noticed her fox-like ears slowly disappear from the top of her head. Though his face did not betray it, he was impressed. He'd have to add this to the list of facts he would use to research exactly what Akane was.

He was surprised to think that there were things to research at all. He wasn't expecting to come into contact with creatures that he had never heard of before. Although Geralt was well-traveled and confident in his knowledge of the unknown, even he had to admit that there were things he hadn't seen. He was only sure of three of the troupe's origins: Lucien was definitely of some divine nature, 'madame' Illynova was a seer of some skill, and their Winter Fairy was from a vampiric bloodline. The other three, well, he couldn't begin to guess. But all of this would come in time.

At Aurel's comment, Geralt snapped out of these thoughts and turned his attention on his fellow German. "Das ist nicht nötig, I've always preferred a Joker." he said, and clapped his hands once more.

The sound of the snap was loud, and final as his palms came together. There was a brief pause, and when he spread them apart, there was a deck of cards flashing between his palms in a mid-air spring flourish. The backs of the cards were matte black and had no pattern, and were quite unique. Once they were all in his palm, he cut the deck with one hand, then bent it and flicked another card through the air and into the opposite hand. He held it between his index and middle finger and flashed it to the troupe to reveal a joker. It was stylized after a gentleman with a suit and cane, and did slightly resemble its summoner.

Cora clapped her hands over her mouth as she watched this display, her blue-green eyes wide with wonder as she watched the cards snap and fly through the air. She mouthed 'wow' to Akane, but did not speak. She had never before seen these feats, and even though Lucien and Ivory were good at cards, she was quite sure neither of them could do that.

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Illyana paused when she felt Lucien touch her shoulder. Although her hand was still hovering over the handle to the door, she looked over her shoulder as he spoke to show that she was listening.

Again, he was right. His assessment of the situation, although it may be slightly clouded, was sound. Illy did not want to tip Geralt off that they were on to him in any way. The less he knew of their abilities and true natures, the better. She knew she would have to live and work with this man, but hoped that his relationship with everyone in the troupe, including Lucien and herself, would remain strictly professional. The moment he felt like he had been figured out, he would likely either lash out or leave them high and dry, and that was not what they needed in this moment.

She could feel that Lucien was stressed. Though his aura remained pure, divine, it was clear that their situation was getting to him. She trusted him to have everyone's best interests at heart, but she worried that he would be spreading himself too thin. Worrying about their financial situation while attempting to field their new member and also put up with his advances, well, it could get tiring for him quickly. She knew he would be too worried about all of these issues to take care of himself, this was why she knew she had to share some of the load.

She sighed and shook her head, dropping her hand from the handle and letting her expression soften. "I'm sorry, Lucien. I do understand, and I know you're right. I just get...caught up sometimes." She reached up and patted the hand that he had left resting on her shoulder. "It's okay, I won't take it too far." she reassured him by giving him a small smile. Though her expression remained slightly tense, this was what she could offer him for the time being.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan huffed loudly at Lucien's response as he continued to walk away. He could tell that Lucien's words were genuine, but Faolan could not quell the fire boiling in his stomach and chest. He could feel his teeth grinding together.

He thought back over their night, how it had begun and ended, and wondered how it went so wrong. The interruption of their time together had been enough to annoy him, but everything that followed...it was like it had been designed solely to throw Faolan into a rage. He was surprised that he had managed to hold it together as long as he had, honestly.

"Have a 'nice time'...is that what you call it?" He asked, his tone harsh but his voice quiet, "This all could have been avoided if you had just listened to me." It was now that Faolan realized that he may be using words that were too harsh, too hurtful, but he couldn't stop himself from saying them. In this moment, he believed that everything he said was true.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt clapped his hands excitedly as Aurel and Ivory consented to his idea. Although he could think of several more fun and lucrative ways to spend his time, this was the best he was going to get right now. He had seen Lucien walk away with Illyana earlier, Geralt knew he would not get anywhere with Lucien today, at least until he was done working. For now, this was a great way of getting to know his fellow troupe members on a level he could work with more...fluidly.

He was about to speak when Cora and Akane returned to the table and asked to join them. He looked at both of them, his smile all charm, and said, "Careful now, we might get distracted from the game with two beauties at the table..." he winked in Cora's direction and elicited another giggle. This was just too easy.

"But, of course, you're welcome to join us!" He continued, "The game is called, 'Old Maid'," his eyes lingered briefly on Ivory for a moment before he turned to the rest of the party, "Ever played before?" This would certainly be a better way to train the player's facial expression than poker. Poker was about reading someone else, and it was so much about control that it could distract the player. This game was fun for fun's sake, and an easy way to learn to control your expressions so as not to give up the ghost.

Cora's hand shot up into the air, "I have! Ivory taught me to play." She said, smiling over at the Dhampir.

"Ah!" Geralt answered, "So I trust that means everyone else does as well?" he said, raising his eyebrows as he scanned the rest of the group.

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Illyana was taken aback at Lucien's response. Though her expression was subtle, only her eyebrows furrowed in response, she had been expecting almost the opposite at her revelation of this facts. Not only was his lack of concern somewhat alarming, but the sigh that escaped him seemed to be bordering on annoyance. Had the magician already charmed Lucien this much, so as to dismiss these vital clues?

Although...Illyana couldn't deny that he was right. Taking into account the abilities of the other troupe members, and their origins, there was no denying that they're abilities could have been easily misconstrued. Even her abilities had not been looked on favorably until she had met Lucien and Aurel...and Faolan. It was not her intention so much to judge Geralt, but to figure out what he was so they could more easily predict his intentions. She supposed that wasn't coming across, either that or the less likely, Lucien didn't care.

"Oh..." she said, letting her eyes fall to the floor, "I understand." There was a pause before she added, "I'll just keep my eyes open, then." and turned toward the door. Of course this had a double-meaning. Perhaps reading Geralt was the only way to truly figure this out...no matter how badly Illyana wanted to avoid this, she had to expect that this was a possibility.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan had taken enough of this whore's malicious words. He felt the muscle in his arm tense as if to strike her, the sober part of him still holding back, when Lucien stepped between them. They were all lucky for this, Faolan would have acted out of pure anger and that was never a good thing.

Although Lucien had put himself in between the Irishman and the woman, Faolan couldn't take his eyes off of her snide painted face. He was practically snarling at her, but slowly his awareness returned as Lucien's words carried to his ears. So, it was their fault now? This was just like Lucien, to apologize for something that was not their fault at all. These women deserved whatever negativity would come down on them because of their insistence and their unctuousness. Faolan felt betrayed, furious, confused, and tired all at once. His head began to swim with these thoughts and emotions as Lucien led him away. He didn't even hear the rest of the conversation, nor did he hear the woman yelling after them.

Once they had stepped away, Faolan ruffled his shoulders to drop Lucien's hand. He didn't feel like be touched or comforted right now, he felt like punching something.

"Yeah, I can see that..." he grumbled as they walked, refusing to look in the Frenchman's direction. A small silence followed, and Faolan continued by snapping, "Next time you want to go on a wee escapade, keep me out of it." The booze was making him hot and angry; he was uncomfortable, his head hurt, his heart pounded roughly against his ribs with the adrenaline. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep.

But the thought of Lucien with that woman...them touching each other, kissing, falling onto a bed...these images would not stop parading through his mind. He clenched his fist and jaw, over and over, recognizing a pain as his heart throbbed harder and harder. It hurt to think of this, and he wanted it to stop.