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Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Aurel turned the sketchbook around to show Lucien and Faolan what he was drawing.

"You know.. der freunds.. I don't know how to say it in English.. Um.. I was trying to draw the two of you, but I wasn't sure if I should draw you holding hands or not." He said, pointing to his drawing. The brown striped snake around his shoulder slithered a little downward, as if trying to see the picture, and had looked upon the two men with what could almost be identified as an amused look, if one paid enough attention.

Lucien panicked for a moment, unsure of what to tell the boy, he could see Faolan had mouthed a 'what did you tell him,' to him, but he had no response to that. He knew how concerned Faolan was with Aurel finding out, so he hadn't dropped any hints.. or.. anything.. that could have possibly given the child that idea.. or had he? Aurel was a pretty observant child.. but he hadn't known that it was to this extent. He cleared his throat.

"Erm.. what makes you say that?" He asked him, straightening out a little as he avoided looking in Faolan's direction. He certainly hoped this wasn't his fault.

"Oh well, my snakes said so. Were they wrong? My snake said he saw you kissing." He said, tilting his head a little, the snake mimicking his motion.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Akane was brimming with confidence by the time she had reached the pair. Elegantly, the kitsune grabbed hold of the side of her dress and raised it in a partial curtsy, before she moved her other hand toward Cora.

"May I have this dance?" She asked, mimicking Geralt's words, her eyes brimming with excitement.

Meanwhile Lucien had made his way over to Ivory, and extended his hand toward her, giving her a smile.

Ivory on the other hand raised an eyebrow, not particularly inclined to stand. "Why don't you ask Illy? I'm sure she'd enjoy it." The dhampir said, giving the fortune teller a sideways glance.

Lucien chuckled, having expected that sort of response. "I'm afraid that simply will not do. I promised Akane that we'd be nearby in case she almost drops Cora, she's quite concerned for her safety you know? It would be reassuring to have us both around." He insisted, his smile becoming more innocent in nature. "Plus, I'm sure Aurel can be the one to ask Illy to dance." He added.

Ivory's eyebrow twitched, and she squinted at the Ringleader for a moment before she finally heaved a heavy sigh, and extended her hand to take his. "Fine, but you owe me a desert." She told him, causing him to let out a laugh.

Aurel on the other hand had raised an eyebrow at Lucien, but then he let out a chuckle. It seemed that Lucien was enjoying himself. With that in mind, he turned his attention to Illy and raised his hand toward her.

"Do you want to?" He asked.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien had been quite happy with the way taking in Aurel had turned out. There was a sense of pride in the Frenchman in seeing how far the boy had come when they had found him. He was certainly more confident than he was before, and his eagerness to learn almost reminded him of himself when he was younger, yet there were things that he and Faolan could do quite happily together, which was nice to see. Their bond over hunting and fishing had helped them grow closer. He was glad at least someone shared Faolan's enjoyment for hunting, as the Frenchman had never.. really had a knack for it.

Explaining Faolan's situation vaguely to Aurel had not been as difficult as he had thought. He had been accepting of what Lucien had told him, though he could see the worry reflected in the child's eyes upon the mention of danger, but the promise of telling him when he was older had seemed to be enough to keep him from asking more questions.

The job they had now thankfully allowed him to bring Aurel with him, though he had taken note that he was a little more reserved and quiet around the boy he was tutoring. He had explained to the couple that Aurel was a bit.. sensitive about his appearance, because of a condition he had contracted as a child. They hadn't been too hard to convince, so thankfully it had prompted them to not ask too many questions in regards to it. He had made sure to tell Aurel to call him 'Uncle' in front of these people, as he had decided to go with the story that his sister had sent over her son to him in fear of him getting caught up in the war. He had never been too fond of lies, but he told them this would be necessary to keep him safe, and the boy had agreed, understanding that this was important.

Aurel was the happiest out of all of them. The boy had lacked many good experiences in his life.. and he could say that in these five weeks they had all spent together.. that it was the happiest he had been in a long time. He was so proud of the fact that he could run around like he used to.. though he occasionally get looks from Faolan when he didn't want to eat his vegetables or he didn't eat as much as the Irishman wanted. He couldn't help it.. he just sometimes couldn't bring himself to eat as much. Lucien was always at least a bit understanding, though he did side with him on eating more vegetables. He was willing to try to best to do so but.. it just wasn't as good. Throughout the time that had passed, some of the snakes had decided to leave. They had lingered for a while because they had wanted to make sure he was well taken care of, and now only four remained, along with his the brown striped snake that was always at his side.

The boy had also used up quite a bit of pages in the sketchbook Lucien had given him. After seeing some of the sketches Lucien had done, he sought to improve his skill, hoping to maybe someday reach his level, but obviously he was nowhere near it, but at least his scribbles had become easier to discern. Trees now looked like trees, and he was still working on trying to draw people properly. That was what the boy was currently doing, sitting on his cot and doing his best to draw Lucien and Faolan. He had been drawing the two side by side, but had paused before going any further, glancing up at his two guardians. Watching the two men, Aurel had thought on more than one occasion that the two were really close, but it hadn't been until one of the snakes had made a comment about them that he had began considering other possibilities. This was what prompted him to speak up.

"Are you two.. der freunds..?" Aurel asked.

Lucien had not been expecting the question, and it had caused him to fumble a little with the book he was holding, but he had managed to keep himself from dropping it.

"W-What?" He asked, clearly having been caught completely by surprise.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Akane was surprised to see Geralt pull Cora off the chair. For a moment she was afraid that he was going to drop her but, he had held on to her pretty closely. The mood had become more relaxed through the slow-tuned music that filled the clearing. The kitsune watched the two of them dance. Cora looked like she was having so much fun. She wished.. that she could be able to dance with her like that.

The Ringleader had been watching the exchange between Cora and Geralt the entire time. He had tensed a little upon seeing Geralt lift her off the chair, but Cora did not express any discomfort, so he did not find the need to intervene. Honestly he was a little surprised.. had Geralt perhaps noticed a desire in Cora that he had missed? She certainly seemed to be enjoying herself.. and surprisingly enough.. Geralt seemed to be doing the same. He believed the expression he held right now to be genuine. It almost made him smile, but that was when Lucien had caught sight of Akane's ears flattening briefly, making him shift his attention to her.

There was.. something about the look in her eyes, something he recognized.. a look of longing, that had made him feel nostalgic, and prompted him to speak up.

"What's wrong?" Lucien asked, causing the kitsune to jump. She had been so focused on Cora and Geralt that she hadn't noticed him step closer.

"Oh.. nothing really.. I was just.. thinking about how nice it must be to be able to dance with her like that.." Akane responded, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, elbow resting on her leg.

Lucien raised his eyebrows slightly as he brought his gaze back to the dancing couple. There was one thing he had noticed upon the interactions between the two women. They truly enjoyed each other's company.. and there was an innocent joy he saw reflected in their eyes when they were together. Part of him hadn't been sure if there was more to it but.. it seemed like there was, based on the way Akane felt about this situation. He let out a small hum.

"Do you want to dance with her?" He asked, finishing off his drink and setting the empty glass on the table.

"Yes.. but I don't think that I can do what he can.. I'm too small.. what if I drop her?" She sounded genuinely concerned, and he could hear the small tinge of envy in her tone. He felt a little bad for her. He knew what it was like to want something that felt so out of reach... He couldn't help but sympathize with her.

"I think that it's possible. Did you hear what Geralt told Cora? You can do anything with a little help." He said with a smile. "Why not.. make yourself a little taller? I don't mind stepping out on the dance floor with you. I'll be sure to step in if you really feel like you might drop her. Maybe I'll pull Ivory along for a dance." He said with a small chuckle.

Akane brightened slightly at Lucien's suggestion. Honestly she hadn't even thought of doing something like that. If it was just holding her up.. maybe she'd be able to do it? Having Lucien close by was definitely reassuring, she didn't want to end up hurting her in any way. If Ivory came along to then there was even more of a higher chance that she would be just fine.

"Yes.. you're right. I want to do it." She said, determination filling her expression, her ears perking back up again.

Lucien smiled warmly at Akane at her response, glad he had helped her in making up her mind. He had a feeling that Akane wouldn't be the only one who would be enjoying this next dance.

Ivory had shared Illyana's reaction, though she hadn't been as obvious about it. She had been more than ready to step in if Cora had been at least even a little uncomfortable by his actions but.. she couldn't really bring herself to, not after seeing how happy she was to be dancing. She let out a small sigh and leaned back against her chair. Honestly if she held no existing bias on this man already.. she might have thought that he had done this out of the kindness of his heart.. considering the way he looked right now. It was a little surprising, to see no sign of the man who gave the air of arrogance.. just.. someone who was really enjoying this dance. It was.. weird, and she didn't really know what to think of it.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien's smile widened at Faolan's response. Who knew that the two would be able to get along so well so quickly? He was honestly glad for it, and it made leaving the two alone together a lot easier. It certainly gave Lucien a peace of mind.

"Yes, I suppose I will. Make sure to catch every single detail for me okay?" He asked the boy, who was blowing on the fish to let it cool a little.

"Yes! I will!" He said happily. Having seen Faolan break a piece of the bread to eat it, Aurel did the same, figuring he could do that while he waited for his fish to cool. He didn't deny that he was avoiding the vegetables on purpose, but he looked forward to eating the bread and the fish a lot more. It hadn't been that long but.. somehow being here with Lucien and Faolan felt.. so natural to him now. He wanted nothing more than to put his terrible experiences at the Circus behind him. Part of him wondered what his life might had been like had he met Lucien and Faolan earlier but.. there was no point in thinking about that now. He was just.. happy to be here.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Akane smiled warmly at Cora for her compliments. "Thank you." She told her, the red in her cheeks increasing for a moment. It was then she noticed her smile fade, but she didn't understand why. Had she said something that had upset her? She had been so happy just a moment ago. Her smile faded slightly, and she was about to speak up when Geralt arrived at their side.

His question to ask Cora to dance had caught her completely by surprise. She watched the exchange quietly. She had 'danced' with Cora before, but in a different way, which kept the woman in her chair, but they had still managed to at least move around to the rhythm of the music. Was that what Geralt was planning to do? Her eyes followed them as he pulled Cora into the center of the dance floor, ears twitching as the song changed to a slower tune.

Lucien watched this exchange quietly. He had noticed Cora's change in expression but.. he had been unsure of the cause. His expression had become worried for a moment as he had watched Geralt make his way over, but he didn't see any need to intervene, considering that Cora had accepted his offer. It at least.. seemed to have made her expression lighten. Lucien turned slightly to begin preparing Geralt's drink, expert fingers seeking the ingredients just as Geralt's had, before he set the glass back into the water, and gave the two his full attention.

Ivory eyed the two with a bit of suspicion as Gerlat had pulled Cora to the dance floor. She was unsure of what his intentions were, but she would be sure to keep a good eye on them.. just in case he got any funny ideas.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Aurel nodded at Faolan's question. "Yes! Lots of fun!" He exclaimed as he received the plate from Faolan. It smelled really good, and definitely different than when he ate it raw. "Next time we will fish my way! I'm teaching him!" He added, clearly excited and looking forward to it.

Lucien thanked Faolan for the plate before he looked back at Aurel. "Oh? And what way is that?" He asked.

"I catch!" The boy explained, extending his hand and opening and closing his hand.

The nephilim smiled a little amusingly. "So you're going to teach Faolan to snatch fish up with his hands?" He asked.

"Yes!"

"It's unfortunate that I have to work tomorrow, I would have loved to see that." He said, turning to Faolan with amusement shining in his eyes. It would have certainly been a sight to see.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Akane's dress flowed elegantly with her dance, she was really glad she had decided to wear this one today. Through her performance her movements had become looser, and her muscles felt much lighter, almost like she was flying. It had caught her off guard for a moment, but she had gone with it, until the song had come to an end. By then the kitsune was out of breath, her face flushed now that the alcohol had finally made it's presence known. The heat didn't usually bother her.. but she certainly felt it now.

Applause rang out, and Akane gave a bow before she headed back to the others to take a seat, letting out a breath.

"Whew.. now it's pretty warm." She said, fanning herself with one of her fans before she turned to look at Cora and giving her a smile. "How was it?" She asked, as she always enjoyed hearing the mermaid's opinion.

Ivory and Aurel both smiled at Illy's compliment.

"Oh Illy, you're making me blush." She joked. Neither of them could disagree with what she had said.

Aurel had never thought he'd ever truly enjoy dancing but.. there had been something about being given the freedom to do as he wanted with it that had made him warm up to the idea, and now he genuinely found it fun. It made him feel like he was understanding the snakes in a different way, and it helped him strengthen his bond with them all, just as he had made new bonds with all of the troupe.

Lucien joined the others in applause as Akane had finished her dance and taken her seat to rest. He could tell from her expression that she was finally feeling the effects of the alcohol, he'd be sure to keep an eye on both her and Cora. Still, he was glad that they appeared to be enjoying themselves. Even though Aurel, Illy and Ivory weren't not as involved, he could tell they were at least more relaxed and in brightened mood. That was good. He was glad that the party doing what it was supposed to.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Aurel had been quite satisfied with himself, having been able to catch two fish. He hoped Lucien would be proud of him too. As they had made their way back to camp, the boy had watched Faolan curiously work. Back in the days he hunted for his food, he had always eaten it raw, and back at the circus his food had been cooked, but he had never actually seen it prepared for himself, so it was a new experience for him. The taste of raw food didn't bother him but, adding seasoning and such to a dish really made it a lot better.

--

Of the options Faolan had taken down, Lucien had decided to take the dictation job, even if it was short term, it paid the most. When he had done everything he had to for it, he could easily take on a different job, so he wasn't too concerned with it. The job wasn't all too difficult, as Lucien was a very good listener and a fast writer, but he had to admit it was a bit boring. Sometimes he preferred things like the bartending jobs over something like this just because he got to interact with more people, but in this case he wanted to prioritize what he'd be making, considering he and Faolan had a child to take care of.

The Frenchman allowed himself a bit of a walk through town, since he had finished a bit early, to see a bit more of what they had to offer. He was looking for something for Aurel. They had all of his basic necessities covered but.. he didn't actually have any possessions of his own. He at least wanted to give the child something to do when he wasn't doing his training or when Lucien wasn't tutoring him in English. He headed into one of the art supply stores, and had settled for a box of crayons and a sketchbook. Lucien of all people found artistic expression important, and even if the kid didn't have a knack for art, he thought maybe he could still use it for a bit of entertainment. With that in hand, he headed back to the campsite, and had arrived right on time it seems, as the smell of cooked fish filled the air.

"Of course." He said with a smile.

"Welcome back, Lucien!" Aurel exclaimed. "Me and Faolan caught lots of fish! Look! I caught two!" The boy said, pointing to the meal Faolan was cooking.

Lucien's smile widened at how excited Aurel was to have done so. It seemed that the two of them were getting along really well, even in his absence, which he was really glad for. It was clear Faolan was at least a little bit more relaxed around the boy.

"Good job, Aurel. I can't wait to try it." He said as he approached the two, giving the boy's hair a bit of a ruffle. "I brought you something, I hope you can make use of it." He added, before taking the sketchbook and box of crayons from the bag and placing them on the boy's lap.

"You can color in this book, whatever you want." He told him.

Aurel looked down at the sketchbook, eyes lingering on the crayons. "Buntstifte.." He muttered. This was something the boy had grown up consider a luxury. He had never had access to them, and the only time he had seen them was back at the orphanage.. but the other kids would never let him use them, and the staff there had never done anything about it. He had resigned himself to never being able to try it.

"Thank you!" He said to Lucien, hugging both the sketchbook and crayons close to him.

Lucien wasn't expecting the boy to like them as much as he seemed to. It clearly meant a lot to him. He was glad he had decided to go through with it. "You're very welcome. Feel free to color as much as you want." He told the boy, who seemed quite eager to.

It was then that Lucien looked to Faolan as the boy begin to look through the empty pages.

"Did you enjoy fishing with him?" He asked him, taking a seat next to him.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

It was clear from the way that Geralt spoke of the instrument that it held some sort of meaning for him. Lucien did not have to inquire on it, there was just something about the look in his eyes that told him he cared for it. It reminded him a little of when he was looking out into the water to see Cora swim. There was a.. genuineness to him. Considering Geralt seemed to be the type of man who was always on guard, seeing these other sides of him was certainly a nice change. Despite that, he decided not to ask for who he had planned to give this to. If Geralt had wanted him to know, he probably would have told him. This was something he had learned long ago.

"I wholeheartedly agree." He said with a gentle smile. He of all people appreciated things like this.

It was the sound of Cora's voice that had snapped him out of his train of thought, causing him to shift his gaze onto Akane.

The kitsune's cheeks had become a little red as she noticed some eyes turn to her. She hadn't expected it, but she could not deny that she had been enjoying the music. If Cora wanted to see it, she'd most certainly comply.

"Oh, well if you insist." She told her a little sheepishly. By then the kitsune had gotten through the food she had been given, and went ahead and finished the last of her drink. She didn't want to let it go to waste.

Akane then picked up her fans from the table, having brought them out earlier when the heat had been getting to some people during the tank filling, before making her way to the center of the area they had left clear for dancing. She spread the fans open, and gave a small bow, before she began her dance. This song was particular, since it slowed and sped up at specific points, so Akane was paying close attention so she could match it with her steps. Once she had gotten the hang of the rhythm, she quickened her pace and began to dance more fluidly, flashing a smile in Cora's direction as she did an elegant twirl.

Ivory smiled a little as Akane began to dance, having turned to face in her direction.

"Akane can really dance to any sort of music." She commented.

"She adapts well, though we could say the same for you." Aurel said in response, causing the dhampir to shake her head.

"No.. we're a bit different in our approach. I respect her because of that." She said. Unlike her, the kitsune did not mind a bit of trial and error, she was okay with showing an imperfect dance and then experimenting along the way, and enjoyed every bit of the experience. Akane also didn't mind the spotlight, and while both of them were performers, outside of their acts Ivory much preferred to stay out of it. "But well, it's that individuality that makes our troupe so interesting." She added with a small chuckle.