FreckersFrog

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Any time," Faolan answered after their kiss, smiling down at Lucien. Looking at him now, it was as if the world had melted away around them. All he wanted was for the two of them to spend the night in each other's arms, for Lucien to forget his worries and for Aurel to sleep soundly until the morning, all three of them without a care in the world.

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Faolan got his wish, it turned out. Over the next weeks, the trio completed their work on the homestead and took their leave. Before they moved on, the Irishman even managed to procure a small rinky-dink trailer for Aurel, which they attached to the back of their own travelling home. This worked for a while, but it turned out that the engine in the trailer was not as strong as they had all hoped, and gave out over the next year of driving it.

After this, Faolan searched for and eventually found a suitable replacement in an old stripped-out bus. The trio had to camp in one spot for several months, the longest they had stayed put anywhere, before the bus was workable as a home. Faolan used every trick he knew, every mechanical feat he could muster, to build his own small living space inside of the vehicle. When he was done, it drove well and was more than comfortable for himself and Lucien. Aurel remained with them during this time as well and shared no wish of leaving or making his own way. He seemed perfectly content in the company of the two men, and they were happy with his as well. They kept his small trailer, for he did not require that much space either, despite the fact that he had attracted the friendship of a new, much larger serpent during their stay.

Once their living accommodations were up-to-snuff, they hit the road again. Lucien had made some friends and contacts in town and was a little sad to say goodbye, but Faolan was anxious to get back to their old safer way of life. While the addition of Aurel had at first given the Irishman pause when it came to the growth of his and Lucien's relationship, it had done nothing but blossom since he joined. Having someone around to care for, to watch out for and teach had caused the two to grow closer than ever before, and Faolan could say he had never been happier. Even though he was plagued by monthly errands which sometimes left him too weak to even stand up then following morning, he did his best to return to Lucien and Aurel as soon as he could, and often found a warm bed, plate of supper, and sweet desserts awaiting him upon his return.

Over the next four years, Lucien had managed his dream of seeing all of the United States. After this, the trio took to a more sporadic approach. Sometimes they spent a little longer on the road and less time near town, and sometimes vice versa. They didn't really have a plan, which was how the three of them liked it, and this worked very well for a long time.

One afternoon in late spring, they were driving along a winding road on the East Cost, somewhere south of New York. Faolan was behind the wheel, as usual, and Aurel was in the passenger seat drawing the landscape. The bus was loud and jerky and a little on the slower side, but the engine was strong and true, especially after Faolan had made some modifications to it. As they approached a crossroads ahead, Faolan slowly came to a stop and glanced over at the boy next to him. "So...which way?" he asked, half-smiling. This was a game that the two had devised after Lucien had traveled the country, and Faolan enjoyed including Aurel in whatever small decisions he could.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana snorted a little at Ivory's comment, unable to hold back this sudden outburst. Of course, the dhampir wasn't wrong, but Illyana had not been expecting a retort of this caliber. "Hey," she said after she had finished giggling, keeping her tone light, "I thought we were on the same page with that..." After a beat, she broke out into full-fledged, though quiet laughter, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she succumbed to it.

It was rare that Illy could be caught laughing this way, and seeing it made Cora's jaw drop. Of course, she'd swallowed the bit of sandwich that was still in her mouth beforehand, but she looked over at Akane slowly and then back at Illyana. After a moment of just watching, a smile spread across the mermaid's face and slowly she began to mimic the diviner in her glee. The laughing increased in intensity and Cora joined right along with it.

"Mmm." Geralt nodded at Lucien's comment, sucking a bit of lemon off of his finger, "Oh, to undress the world...wouldn't that be something?" he smiled devilishly at the Nephilim for a moment, at least until the sound of laughter broke through the intensity of the moment. He glanced over his shoulder at the table, which had just erupted into a torrent of raucous laughter. He raised both eyebrows in interest, then looked back at Lucien, "It appears we're missing something quite hilarious over there. Should we join them?" Normally, Geralt would want to prolong his alone time with the Ringleader as much as possible, but he found his good mood to be allowing some deviance from his standard motivation.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Oh!" Cora exclaimed, raising her eyebrows as Akane placed the plate full of sandwiches in front of her. "You're right," she said, smiling at everyone before taking a fist-sized bite out of one of the morsels. She was rather hungry anyway.

Illyana turned her attention back to Ivory as Cora heeded her advice, glad that this reminder had been spoke aloud. "Just because you can," she said to the dhampir playfully, "Doesn't mean you should." Even with the best of teachers, Illyana doubted she would ever get the steps right. Not only did she not believe that she was capable, she simply wasn't interested. Besides, the troupe had enough dancers as it was.

"Coming right up, meine flamme!" Geralt called back to Akane as he picked up another glass and effortlessly transferred the bottle of gin to begin filling it.

He shook his head at Lucien's explanation, though he didn't take his eyes off of the task at hand. "Of course, of course, chef. I would think your palette would be nothing but sophisticated. One day I will gather the proper ingredients for another German Sidecar." He paused momentarily as he squeezed a bit of fresh lemon over the girl's drinks, "Or, just a particularly exquisite bottle of Asbach Uralt, for sipping." He winked at Lucien as he finished the drinks, but paused as he listened to the explanation about Cora.

He hummed in response, nodding sagely, "Interesting, given her...nature," he looked over at the girl who was stuffing her face with sandwiches, quite unceremoniously. "Maybe I'll ask her about it sometime. She can't blame me, I've never seen anything like her before." This was true of many of the members of Cirque D'étoiles, but Geralt could say with certainty that he was most interested in Cora's origins, mostly because he had not even known of the existence of her kind before her reveal earlier in the day and had never fathomed that mermaids, or sirens, were real. If Angels and Devils were real, The Magician supposed it could be true of nearly anything he could imagine.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan spent the rest of the evening preparing food and conversing with Lucien and Aurel, though that mostly consisted of the Irishman reminding the young man how important his daily vegetables were. Despite the mood he had walked into, the three had quite a pleasurable evening, though Faolan could still sense the weight of what Lucien had discovered in his face, voice, and movements. Something was bothering him, that was clear, but the Irishman would never ask unless he knew it was something that Lucien wanted to talk about.

When they got into bed, he was still a little weary of sleeping with Lucien until Aurel completely ignored any sign of their plans. The boy went to sleep just as he always did, quickly and without fuss.

Faolan was thankful for that, because this was something he had sorely missed in the time that Aurel had been with them. It was strange to think that even though they were both unconscious for most of this activity, being near Lucien in sleep helped his body and mind to find comfort and relaxation. This was some of the best quality time that they could spend with each other, just loosing wrapped in each other's arms.

Faolan rarely fell asleep before Lucien, as he liked to know that the Frenchman felt comfortable and safe. It was at the point where he could tell from his face as he slept. Unfortunately for both of them, Lucien had a hard time falling asleep tonight, which prompted the Irishman's inquiry.

As Lucien explained, Faolan felt his heart rate increase and his muscles tense as a wave of anger passed over him. The more he learned about the boy's past, the more upset he became. It was almost unimaginable to think that it was possible, but things like this did happen in the world. Being reminded of it was not as easy as it should be.

Though Faolan was just as enraged by this injustice as his partner, he forced himself to relax, to be the protector that he knew that Lucien needed. "Devils sometimes wear the skin of men, Lucien...you know that," he said softly, running a hand through his beloved's hair and placing a kiss on his forehead. He glanced over at Aurel as he slept then, and let the silence hand for a moment before adding, "It's our turn to do right by him, to show him that Angels can walk on Earth with men too." He took Lucien's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, reminding him that nothing would ever harm him or the boy as long as Faolan was here to protect them.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Illyana chuckled quietly, covering her mouth to hide her smile before replacing it against the side of her cup. She was glad that Aurel had jumped on the bandwagon to help her distract Ivory, even if it was obvious what she was trying to do. Even as a child, Illyana had never been good at subtlety.

"Oh..." she said in response to Ivory's comment, "I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I doubt I could keep up with someone of your talent. I prefer to watch anyway." She smiled again as she finished speaking, trying out all of the excuses that she could for the time being. Maybe one of them would stick?

She nodded to Aurel as he made his way off, knowing he could take care of himself as long as he had his snakes with him. Even though she felt that protective urge to go along, she knew that he would be fine. He was trained well.

Geralt watched Lucien's face as he sipped his own drink, glad to see that this one was being received with the same enthusiasm as the last. He bit his lip at the mention of the sweetness and felt his fist clench slightly as a wave of disappointment in himself passed over him. Lucien was far too polite to tell him when he didn't like something, he reasoned that this was as close as he would get to it. He felt his smile twitch as he struggled to maintain it. Geralt would be the first to admit that he was prideful, but he was also say that there were reasons for it. Unfortunately, it was harder for him to take criticism like this, especially from the object of his particular brand of affection.

"I am full of regret this evening, Lucien, I was all out of Cointreau. Hopefully the next drink I make you will be a testament to my skill and will not leave you wanting." He watched the Frenchman's hands as he made his own drink this time, taking note of how much whiskey he used. The Magician would not make the same mistake again.

Cora nodded to Akane as the two of them took their places at the table, herself at the end and Akane across from Illyana. She smiled at everyone in greeting, remembering her manners, then looked back over at Geralt and Lucien and called out to them in a clear voice, "Yoohoo!" she said, catching both of their attention by waving her hands, "Can I get another drink over here?" she smiled, but after a beat her cheeks redened once more and she added, "Please!?" rather forcefully, embarrassed that she had forgotten this pleasantry, especially when speaking toward Lucien. After another moment, she glanced around the table and said, "Oh, I'm sorry...would you all like anything?"

Illyana smiled sagely over at Cora, tilting her head slightly in amusement as she listened to the whole exchange. She shook her head at the question, "No, thank you. I'm just fine with water and juice." She took a sip of the juice she still grasped in her hands, studying Cora's body language to determine whether she should step in or not. It appeared the mermaid was fine, Geralt must have stayed his hand a little with her first drink. That, or she had a natural resistance to its effects. For now, it should be fine.

Geralt heard Cora's call clearly and knew exactly what she wanted before she finished asking. He flashed her a smile, then nodded and held up a finger to indicate that he had heard her. He then turned back to Lucien and grabbed a bottle of gin and a glass. "She is just a delight...where did you find such a unique and delicate creature?" he glanced at Lucien out of the corner of his eye as he began mixing the Bee's Knees for the girl.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan could sense Lucien's attempt to hide his less-than-chipper mood behind a half-hearted smile, but he knew that now was not the time to ask after it, when and if The Nephilim was ready, he would speak up.

The Irishman made his way to the counter near where the two of them were sitting and busied himself with gathering the necessary tools for making supper. "Well, I think. They had mutton at the grocers." He said, raising his eyebrows to his two companions.

He could tell that the joke didn't land when neither the boy nor Lucien smiled. He sighed quietly and bobbed his head, "Oh, you mean the hunt for Aurel's "room". Well, I didn't find anything pre-made, but I do have a lead on an automobile factory that might have what we're looking for, or something close." The man who'd helped him had once worked at the factory and now owned his own repair shop in town, and by his estimation, they had many old parts that could be bought on the cheap. He was interested in some upgrades for the engine on their truck as well, so this seemed a good place to kill two birds with one stone.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Cora had watched, delighted as the two couples danced. Though she was trying to give both pairs equal time, she found herself eyeing Akane more than the other three. She watched her face, her shoulders, her hands, her legs...as she twirled across the floor in Lucien's arms, and felt her heart almost glowing with happiness. It radiated from her like the rays of the sun, but there was nothing she could do in her slightly inebriated state to hold it back.

The mermaid's light mood was raining down on everyone this evening, even Illyana, who was focused intently on Geralt and Ivory's dance. For a moment, she had been afraid that The Magician had hypnotized or otherwise altered Ivory's state of mind, but as she searched the dhampir's face from afar, she saw no signs of this and felt no residual effects. Despite her worry, she felt the urge to smile as she caught sight of Lucien and Akane, noticing that everyone was smiling at some point during the dance, even if Ivory's was sarcastic more than anything else. No, maybe the dhampir had simply accepted his offer to show him that she was not so easily frightened. In any case, the song ended rather quickly, and Illyana watched as Ivory made her way rather quickly back to her seat.

She leaned forward, keeping her eyes on the young woman's face, but noticed nothing unusual aside from the unease in her eyes. This was unusual for the dhampir, but Illy knew not to point it out, that would only make it worse. Instead of engaging Ivory directly, the fortune teller looked over at Aurel and said, "I'm glad we skipped that one, it looked...complicated," loud enough for the other young woman to hear her. Distraction would be best for now, she knew that Ivory would tell her if she noticed or felt anything strange during her time of close proximity with the magician.

Cora had decided as the song came to a close to join the rest of the troupe at the table, and so began making her way there with Akane. To the kitsune's question, she smiled up at her, noting that the uneasiness from before had almost passed entirely and now felt like a tiny little seed in her stomach. "Oh, just fine," she nodded vigorously to accompany her answer. While she could tell that the drink was effecting her mind and body, she still felt as though she were in control of herself. "I might want another, actually..." she added, glancing back toward Geralt and Lucien as they stood by the drink table.

"Hm?" Geralt had been so fixated on his dance partner that he had not noticed when Lucien approached him. This lack of focus, his distraction, it was unlike him. It had been years since he had allowed himself to be so open, and then he had been living at the bottom of a bottle. While he'd decided to let the night take him where it would, he would not let even a second more of Lucien's company go to waste.

He looked back at the Frenchman, his eyes clarifying. "My apologies, patron, how rude of me. That is a German twist on a Sidecar, and this..." He picked up his glass and looked into it for a moment, letting that trademark smile spread its way across his face once more as his gaze sharpened. "Is magnifique. In fact..." he let his eyes flash to Lucien and kept them there as he downed the liquid in the glass and set it back down on the table, empty. "I'd love another," he finished, winking at the Frenchman, who now had his full attention as he leaned against the tall table on his elbow.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

As Ivory's eyes searched for anything in the world she could focus on but his own face, Geralt felt that old familiar triumph surge through his veins. Something in him resisted the urge to feel victorious, however, as normally he would have reveled in being able to make any woman, and especially a woman like Ivory, react this way toward him. It wasn't necessarily embarrassment...well, not entirely. This was the first time he had seen the Vampiress off balance since the day that she and Lucien had knocked on his door. It was certainly interesting, and not something that he would forget any time soon. "I wouldn't dream of it," was all he said in answer, knowing that he only had seconds left to enjoy the proximity until the song was over.

As the song came to a close, he could already feel Ivory stiffening to pull away from him. She had not returned his eye contact since her last comment, and the second that the music stopped and silence once again filled the void, she had turned to take her leave. Normally, he would bow and thank the lady for the dance, but she had given him no time to do so. He watched her walk away, keeping his eyes and his light smile on her until she found her seat once more. Amused, he shook his head, before he made his way off of the floor and back to his drink.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Faolan had spent the morning and part of the afternoon in town, searching for a solution to Aurel's request. Though the Irishman would admit he was "handy", he did also enjoy larger projects like this as they helped to keep his hands and his mind sharp. He doubted he would find exactly what he was hoping for here, that was like locating a needle in a haystack, but he may at least acquire the materials needed to start the project, or source some ideas at the very least.

He searched hardware shops, repair sheds, junk dumps, and some stores more geared towards motorized travel and handicrafts. While he did not find exactly what he was looking for, after several hours of searching he was pointed in the right direction by a good Samaritan in town. Satisfied that he'd found all that town had to offer, he made a stop at the grocer and picked up some ingredients for supper and things the trio needed in general, then headed back to their shared home.

Once there, he got to work immediately, hoping to finish by dinner and catch up on the work he had missed during the day. The family had been more than happy to let him have the morning off, he was a hard worker and had gotten finished with a lot of things they asked for ahead of schedule. His current project was repairing some structural damage to the house itself, in particular the pantry.

Once he had done a good amount of work for the day, he hurried back to the trailer to see Lucien and Aurel. He could hear them talking inside, even from far off, but made it a point not to listen to the actual words. He had never been a fan of eavesdropping, even if it was by accident. He had caught sight of them in the house, but stayed away so as not to disrupt their lessons. He was glad to see Lucien, as he always was, and felt as though a weight was lifted from him as he laid eyes on his beloved's face. The smile that almost appeared fell immediately when he noticed that the expression on Lucien's face was tense and unhappy. The Irishman glanced at Aurel, who did not appear upset, but who was also not smiling.

Faolan closed the door quietly as he entered, unsure of what to say or how to approach this situation.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Geralt's cocked smile showed a flash of pearly white teeth at his partner's response. He shrugged ever-so-slightly, not allowing the action to break the grace of their movements as they continued to glide across the dance floor. "Am I that obvious?" he asked sarcastically. Geralt had never been a fan of flashy clothing, color-wise anyway. Many others who called themselves "magicians" had attempted to use bright and obnoxious fabrics in their suits to gain favor with audiences and set themselves a trade mark. He'd preferred to stick with black and white, sometimes gray. It wasn't like Geralt the Great to need that brand of misdirection anyway, his skill spoke for itself.

As he felt the song reaching its mid-point, he swept through a couple of more elaborate steps, putting their conversation on hold for the time being. Of course, Ivory was more than capable of keeping up, and if it hadn't been for the other pair on the floor, he may have tried even more daring maneuvers.

Once the song was nearing its final quarter, he returned them both to their original position to finish it out. Since Ivory had put distance between them, he had maintained it out of respect and had not attempted to pull her close again. Given the fact that this may be the only time he was ever able to be this close to the young woman, he'd decided not to look this particular gift-horse in the mouth.

After another moment of silence between them, he made eye contact once more, finding himself unable or unwilling to put his words through their usual filter before they escaped him. "I'm sure you're aware of this, but I'd been prepared for you to decline my request..." He span Ivory once more, slower and more gently this time, as the music called for. Then, once she was close to him again, he let himself show an unadulterated smile and added, "Though it may have pained you, I'm glad you accepted." And that was the Devil's honest truth.