Something Beautiful Flies High Up [Maurelle]

[Christian Moynahan]

Learn to fly, learn to fly
Show the world how you try
But don’t let go until you know,
until you know
Me
-Two Door Cinema Club, “Settle”

(Thanks, Colleen!)

While the place was small and dimly lit, it was well kept, both outside and inside. The neighborhood was much the same, such that one could leave a car parked on the street and be sure of still finding it there upon returning. The people were friendly but not nosy, just the sort of people Christian preferred. Perhaps that all was why it was “No Place.”

He had convinced Maurelle to attend a ceili. How, he was uncertain, but he asked no questions. Why she had agreed was a mystery as well. It was hardly important. It was the fact that she had agreed that mattered. This was a part of his life that no one saw. It was not much of a secret, but it was a place to start.

Ceilis were an important part of Irish culture; or, at least, that was what it seemed to him based on his upbringing. There had been a small Irish community in Roanoke, and while Christian's mother had raised him in a strict English manner, his father had made sure to include a good deal of Irish culture into their little bubble. Since then, for every city he had lived in, he had done his best to find at least a small Irish community of some sort. Los Angeles had been easy. There was a bit of every culture there, he suspected. That was a thing to love about big cities.

The evening had not started with the ceili, however. Earlier, Maurelle had met him at Áine to look at how best to approach the situation of Maurelle’s losses. They had both started on it independently, but Christian had not had the actual numbers on his end. Now, working together, they came to a very feasible and efficient - Christian’s favorite part - solution.

He must have looked like a madman, he thought in retrospect. It might have been considered a fit of adrenaline-fueled mania. They had the books spread out on the coffee table, and a large standalone pinboard-slash-chalkboard near the clear back doors. Christian, dressed with a few buttons down and his sleeves rolled up and his hair going slightly more askew as he moved, kept racing from the table to the pinboard to scribble the numbers onto general ledgers and income statements, and flipping the pinboard over whenever he needed to do math. It took them only the late morning and early afternoon to determine where Maurelle’s remaining assets should be divided and placed in order to help her best recover. It was a good solution, he thought. Caused in part by him, solved in part by him. It evened out. Just as it should.

He’d had to shower and dress after that, picking out more casual attire, and Maurelle could have as well if she wished. For the ceili, he had suggested she wear something slightly form-fitting as a top and something loose on the bottom. A dress or a blouse and skirt - but not a skirt so long and wide that it spun too much - or pants if she would rather. It was not an attempt at controlling what she should wear; it was just that they would be dancing, and ceili dancing was fast-paced and flowing. There was a threshold of comfort there.

They made a small dinner and, at Christian’s suggestion, ate it outside on the porch while the sun was setting. They’d had a little time for idle chat after that, since dancing on a full stomach was never a good idea.

When the time came, Christian drove them to the place and pulled the Civic up onto the curb. They had both probably had enough of teleporting that traditional transportation was one part strange and two parts relief. The evening had just begun in earnest by then. Ever the gentleman, Christian went around to Maurelle’s side and opened the car door for her, and they walked up together to the front door. Above the door was a sign that labeled the place as “No Place,” which became clearly a misnomer.

The little place was light enough to see faces, without the darkness of a club but also not as bright as a ballroom. It might have been called a pub, since it did have a bar, but it also had a large dance floor and a raised platform. A scattering of both familiar and unfamiliar instruments were laid about there, as most of the place’s patrons were gathered near the bar.

It was almost as though he had announced himself, even though he hadn’t. Quite a few people looked up as Christian and Maurelle entered. “Christian!” There was a rush of hugging and pats on the back.

After the cheer, when everyone stepped back a bit, one of the young women looked him up and down. “Seriously, Christian,” she said, a little softly. “You look as though you hadn’t just come out of a coma three weeks ago.”

He gave her a small smile. “Thank you, Dee.”

All of the regulars knew who he was. This was only his third visit, but he tended to leave an impression.

An older man gestured toward Maurelle. He, like many of the others, spoke in a thick brogue, but there were others who didn’t and who, like Christian, were less directly Irish. “And who’s this you’ve brought with ya?”

“It is time for introductions, isn’t it?” Christian chuckled. “Everyone, this is Maurelle. Maurelle, this is… well, everyone. You’ll learn their names throughout the night, because I don’t feel like introducing each of you at once.” He gave them a look. There were a few chuckles and a good many grins.

“Well, good point. ‘Everyone’ ought to get themselves onto the floor. We’re about ready to start.” The group dispersed, and the older man nodded respectfully to Maurelle. “I’m hoping you’ll both be joining us.”

“We will.” Christian nodded as well. “Give me a moment to get her caught up.”

“We’ll see you, then.” The man headed off toward the dance floor, where many of the others were gathering; beyond them, the musicians picked up their instruments and plucked or tapped at them. Christian led Maurelle to the side and gave her a smile. The group that gathered at No Place could be overwhelming. He wouldn’t have blamed her if it was a bit disconcerting.

“The dances are easy,” he told her. “It’s the footwork that could trip you up. Here.” He stepped back a little so she could see his feet easily. “Not all of the dances will need these, but they’re good to know.”

He stepped forward on his right foot, tapped it against the floor, then his left foot, tapped it, then stepped backwards on his right foot, tapped it, and then his left foot, and tapped it. Right, tap, left, tap, right, tap, left, tap. Forwards and backwards. He smiled as Maurelle started getting into the rhythm of it. “Perfect. Now, sevens.”

He started to step to the side, crossing his right foot over the left, then going back to the first set of steps. Then, the reverse. “These should be all you need tonight. It gets more complicated if you’re a serious, competition dancer. Part of the group are going to a competition in Las Cruces next month. I’d go with them if I could.” He grinned. “I’m a professional-level ceili dancer. The more you know.”

The way he pronounced “ceili” was nothing like the spelling; the pronunciation was “kay-lee,” at least in this sense. He tilted his head toward the crowd, the musicians, the dancers, some with beers in their hands, all chatting amongst each up, sending up a wonderful noise. “Welcome to my world.”

Taking one of her hands in his and placing the other below her arm, such hat she would place her arm on his shoulder, he started to dance her around their little corner. “Are you comfortable with this?” he asked softly, with a gentle smile.

For reference:
the general idea
basic footwork
sevens

Christian's outfit

[Maurelle Lacroix]

Something wicked this way comes

The invitation was unexpected, though the unexpected was becoming quite expected when it came to Christian. It was not she did not expect invitations from him now, it was just what he invited her to that came as a shock. She had no clue what in the world it was to begin with nor even begin to come close to thinking about how to pronounce the darn word. Christian was quick to alleviate both of those issues when she raised them, though it was still tough as nails to try to properly pronounce the darn event's name.

"Your Gaelic language needs some massive modernization and lessons on how not to turn ones tongue against ones self." She had exclaimed at one point during the day. That was after going on about how to actually get started on restoring her tattered empire. The losses had been not as heavy as she had anticipated but still heavier than she would have liked. She would have preferred none at all but that was being far too hopeful and optimistic, especially with the way things had spiraled out of control in certain portions of the country.

All in all, there was thirty-two lives lost, three buildings razed, and another four that looted or harmed in some fashion. It was roughly a third of her standing assets in terms of property, which paled in comparison to the loss of life. Christian was doing what he could to try and rectify the physical damage and the cost of such, but it was a heavy emotional burden as well as the physical. It was another trial though, some tribulation that in the end would forge her into a better leader and woman than she was before. Such was the way the world worked, whatever did not kill you made you stronger.

When Christian aptly excused himself to make himself presentable, Maurelle took the time to freshen up herself. She had arrived in a a purple and black dress that ended just above her kneecaps, as he had mentioned something about dancing. Dancing was... not exactly her strong suit. While she could be graceful and do something formal like waltz, she highly suspected a venue named "No Place" would be having such formal dances going on. Mobility and comfort seemed far more paramount than whatever aesthetic could be gained from a far more elegant gown.

What "No Place" was though, she was not entirely sure. It felt better than a pub or bar but it was nowhere near as nice as a dance hall or banquet hall. Maybe the best thing to call it was simply a sort of convention or community center, with its unique decor and subtle lighting. Perhaps that was the intent, enough lighting to see the other patrons, but not enough to see who they are or what they were up to. An intimate yet private sort of setting, fitting that Christian would invite her here, it was just the sort of place he would be at home at.

"A pleasure to meet you, everyone." She said with a half curtsey as Christian introduced her to the older gentleman who had come to greet them. It seemed that Christian was at least a semi regular here as the man called him out by name, which did not surprise Maurelle in the least. Where the man found the time for doing so though, that was a mystery indeed, the workaholic that he was. "Keeping a bunch of little secrets close to your chest aren't you?" She smugly teased at him as he said he was a professional level dancer and showed her some of the basic moves.

The smugness turned into a small but genuine smile as he "welcomed" her into his world. There was more to those words than this little event, if her intuition served her right. After their talk at the hospital... well it seemed like the logical conclusion, an attempt to woo her to the side of the decision that he wanted her to take. A little barrier of his own let down, perhaps asking for her to lower one of hers in turn?

As he took her hand and lead her, she embraced not being in total control for a change. "Comfortable, no. Excited and invigorated, well, what do you think?" She responded with a gleeful smile as she kept in step with his dancing. It was not graceful nor pretty but she was actually having fun.

[Christian Moynahan]

Always been here
It almost seems like yesterday
Hard to picture
It's the little things that slip away
-How To Destroy Angels, “How Long?”

A note to himself: Christian would have to also invite Maurelle to some kind of formal dance. He liked the way she felt in his arms, the way she moved following his steps. He attended formal events every now and then, but only when he was invited. He had been invited to a few since his appointment as Ark’s CEO, but had declined them due to being busy. He did find time for ceilis, though, even if he had only gone to two plus this one, and for a few other things, such as working out and practicing martial arts when he could. He was married to his work, yes, but he knew he had to maintain his health, especially with the way he had nearly fallen apart between the cholera scare and the trial.

He knew that this would be short-lived. She would meet the dark eventually. Sooner or later - though he desperately hoped for the latter. She would learn of the things he had done, particularly in what was known in Ark as “the Basement.” It was all in the name of science, but some deeds simply did not wash clean, and not everyone saw the world as he did. He did not need to be precognitive to know that she would leave him then. She might even report him to the authorities. He had a plan for that, of course. He had plans for everything. But… for now, he had someone with whom he could share his life and his heart. It would be enough, however long it lasted.

It was an experiment, in a way of speaking. It was a study in just how much he could give.

“That’s my girl,” he said with a grin when Maurelle explained that she might not be comfortable, but excited. “Let’s go out there and kick some Irish ass. Or at least have fun trying.”

This time, he took her hand to walk with her. “You look beautiful,” added with a smile. “And you’re learning quickly.” Many ceili dances were group dances, but there were partner ones as well, and no doubt they would expect Christian to dance those with his pretty guest. Aside from his initial introduction of her, no one has asked who she was, in relation to him or otherwise, because Christian had not told them, and they had more propriety than to ask.

“They know who I am,” Christian explained as they made their way into the throng of dancers. “That is, they know what I do. We got past the whole ‘Are ya now?’ phase the first time I showed up here.” The “are ya now” was spoken in a playful but accurate brogue. Lines were beginning to form out of the shapeless mass of people, and a proper tune was coming together as well. “They’re starting with an easier one. Don’t worry, you’re not the only first-timer here.”

They ended up being one of the far pairs. “All right. We’re going to dance forward and back first, then swap in diagonals. Then sevens to your… right, and back in, and then you and I dance again. And then we do that again.” He grinned. “It’s easier than it sounds. I'll guide you. Ready?”

They got started in earnest - as earnest as one could call what was basically a dance party - and the dance was exactly as Christian had explained it; one learned to tell from the formations and usually the music. It went on for three rounds. Then everyone split back up into random groups of chatting, a break between dances. A few dancers went for mugs of beer.

“Would you like anything to drink?” Christian asked, running a hand through his hair to get it to settle down at least a little bit. He’d had it cut back to pre-bombing levels, rather than the mess it had been at Jung. “I’m going for a cup of water.” Christian could drink almost anyone there under the table without trying, but he was not a huge fan of beer, and while there were other drinks behind the bar that could be mixed or taken straight, he would be driving later.

The man who had led the greeting at the door passed by them, then stop and backtracked. “Looks like I was fairly rude earlier, wasn’t I? Didn’t even offer me name.” He extended his thick hand to Maurelle. “Name’s Angus. I’m the one arranges these things.”

“It’s a wonder they don’t fall apart,” Christian joked.

“And you.” Angus looked sideways at Christian. “Aileen’s kid is sick again. We’re gonna need you to stand in for Edward.”

“Angus, you know I can’t make the compe-“

“Not for the competition.” Angus waved his hand and took a chug of beer. “For practicin’ tonight. I got Annie to stand in for Aileen. You pick up the slack and we’re good. ‘Sides, you get to show off for Miss Maurelle here.”

“I am not that transparent.”

“Yes you are, Moynahan,” Angus said with a grin as he walked off. “Yes you are.”

Dance #1

[Maurelle Lacroix]

Two sisters, one called good
One called wicked
But who knows the true tale?

"Your girl huh?" Well that was either a slip of the tongue or Christian had finally decided to elevate their status from friends to partners now? Was her coming out on this dancing foray actual a date and her agreeing to become ... that something more that Christian had talked about back at Jung? It would not surprise her if that was something that Christian had up his sleeve for something like this, in fact, it would be right up his alley to pull something like that.

"However, kicking Irish ass is definitely something that fits on my agenda. You Brits are all too fun to one up at any given occasion." There was a grin on her face as wide as she could ever make it. Oh how she loved bringing the haughty and arrogant British down a peg or two at any given opportunity in any course of action. Perhaps it was her being French or perhaps it was just her competitive drive to be the best at anything, but when a chance like this presented itself, she was quick to pounce upon it.

His words were complimentary but fell upon her like water, they caught her attention but were meaningless. She was confident in her beauty, confident in who and what she was, confident in almost every aspect of her entire existence. Such petty words were not needed for her to know that she was beautiful, to know that Christian thought that she was attractive. He could hardly keep his hands off of her nor his eyes off of her curves as they danced to and fro. Christian was a man still and a man who found her company very invigoration and stimulating.

She did not believe him though when he said she was learning quickly. She knew when she was not at her best and in this case, she was simply following Christian's lead and trying to keep up with the demonstrations she had been shown. It would take many more of these before she would begin to feel comfortable enough to say that she was going to take such compliments as truth. Perhaps Christian simply liked stroking her ego though, which she was more than fine with, even if it was clothed in white lies and petty meaningless words.

She muffled a bit of laughter as he explained as to why the throng of dancers were not all over him. It would have been natural if they were, with him being the CEO of Ark and now a national hero and symbol of... well that was still up in the air. Some say him as the symbol of freedom and heroism, others as a revolutionary to shrug off the authority of law. Perhaps he was a bit of both or neither, who knew what he wanted to be seen as or was truly except for him? Still, the "are ya now?" was just too much to handle and she did let out a laugh.

"You should speak in an Irish accent more often, it makes you a bit cuter." It seemed however that the dancing was about to begin in earnest as a tune was forming, along with a bit of lines. Well, she had to give them props for being quick to organize at a tune, no wonder armies so often carried a band along with them. Maybe she would need to implement that in her own strike teams, though with some obvious modifications.

Luckily for Maurelle, Christian ended up being her partner, which she suspected was no accident at all. She was his pupil as he instructed her once more on how to dance this weird little shindig. "I will have you know, that if you laugh at me one time during all this, I am not averse to throwing my shoes at your large head." However, with him leading her, she was able to keep in step, even if slightly behind and enjoyed it, though she was quite relieved when it was over and they split up for gossiping.

"I will have a glass of unsweet tea if they have it, otherwise a cup of water for me as well." She said before the older gentleman that greeted them earlier came over and properly introduced himself to her. She took his hand with a smirk and ceromoniously gave it a small peck. "A pleasure to meet you. I am madamouseille Maurelle Lacroix and I have to say it is a nice place you have here. It shall not be falling to pieces any time soon under such good management." Now it was a game between her and Christian, a very fun game to play.

As Angus and Christian exchanged words though, she could not help but let out a good deal of laughter. Oh she knew she was on show for him tonight, he was very much that transparent, and she had dressed to be shown off. "Oh do go light on him, he is still getting used to being able to call himself the boyfriend of a woman like me. He simply does not know what to do with himself." She flashed a playful smirk to the both of them before setting her eyes back on her host. "About that refreshment dear?"

[Christian Moynahan]

It’s a switch flipped
It’s a pill tipped back
it’s a moon eclipsed, whoa
And I can tell you that
when the lights come on
I’ll be ready for this
-Lorde, “Bravado”

In referring to Maurelle as his “girl,” Christian had meant many different things, primarily that they were close enough that he could use an an affectionate term. That was close enough to another meaning, however, and Maurelle seemed to have taken it that way, or was curious about it enough that she pointed it out. He had left the status of… whatever they were in her hands after his words to her at Jung, for her to choose how much she wanted to let her in.

No… that wasn’t entirely true. Christian had every intention of breaking through every wall she had until she reached her core, her true self. He did not need her to open up to everyone - if she wanted to hold everyone else back, then that was up to her. But he wasted to see what she truly was… which was a bit odd, because he did not want her to do the same to him, since who he really was typically scared others away.

But if she wanted to take his words on a more serious level, then that was, of course, her decision. Her interpretation. He gave her a smile that was part sly and part pleased. “My girl.”

He had suggested kicking Irish ass; his half-English heritage gave him the leeway to do that. Much more Maurelle, who, as anyone could guess, was not Irish at all. “Hey, now. Careful with that lumping Brits in together with Irish. Sure, they share a heritage, but who's noticing?” He grinned. “Well, they let a half-Englishman among then, so I suppose they’re a forgiving lot.”

He meant what he said, however; it was difficult to keep up with the footwork involved with ceili dancing, but Maurelle was handling it beautifully. It was a good thing she was his partner; he could hardly stop watching her move.

That laughter, too… she should laugh that way more often, he thought. It was a beautiful laugh, musical, in a way. “Only a bit?” he teased back, as the dance’s lines started forming. Their partnering was, of course, no accident, and he could tell that she was enjoying herself. He was glad to have brought her, and that she had agreed to join him. It was not a date per se, but it might be considered the prelude to one. A sort of test of how and what kind of date should happen, if Maurelle chose to pursue one in the future. Again, it was her choice.

Once the first dance was over, Angus introduced himself, and he and Christian had a one-on-one about his arranging ceilis. It seemed Angus had overheard Maurelle’s request for a glass of tea. “Ah, mademoiselle, we ain’t classy enough for that, but Christian here can get you some water. He’s a proper Englishman.” The older man shot Christian another grin, to which Christian could only chuckle.

When Maurelle referred to him as her boyfriend, however, that was enough to suggest just how she viewed him. He smiled to himself for a moment, then grinned to Angus. “She’s right. I haven’t a clue.” That was true enough; although he’d had girlfriends in the past she was different. She was… he really did not know, but she was something new, somehow.

“Ah, the refreshments. Of course.” He stood up and, with a slight bow, excused himself.

Angus nodded to Maurelle as well. “I’ll be steppin’ away meself. Someone’s got to get the next round goin’.” He smiled. “Hope you’re enjoyin’ yourself.”

Christian returned with two cups of water, just in time for them to finish before another round of dancing. The next dance was a touch more challenging; they were leveling up for the newcomers, of which there seemed to be a fair amount. This time, men and women formed lines opposite each other, and Christian put himself across from Maurelle, which may have made it seem that Christian planned to dance with her again, but he was well aware that, due to the nature of the dance, they would hardly meet at all. The others would lead her, though, and he knew she would pick up on the different switches quickly.

He did, however, curse himself for not teaching her the jig step. That was one that required the dancer to lift her knee up and her foot back. It was not that common, but probably looked daunting. It was fun, though, and the music light and easy to follow. It was one of the longer dances, but, once it was done, Christian extended his hand for Maurelle to take. Before he said anything, though, Angus appeared over his right shoulder.

“We’ll be givin’ the new ones a break and do a bit of practicin’ for the competition now. I’ll expect to see you among ‘em when they’re set to go.” He was looking at Christian first; then his gaze shifted to Maurelle. “Ya wouldn’t expect it, but he’s one of our best dancers. Apparently he’s been raised on this. Surprised me, for sure.” He waved his hand at the others taking a seat, those not in the competition group. “We’ve got lots of fine people to get to know. Have at it, ‘specially if you plan to come back with him.”

Christian had disappeared and now reappeared with another two cups of water. “This strikes me as a bad idea,” Christian said with a laugh, passing her a second cup. “I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?”

“Christian, get up off your arse and join 'em,” Angus called. "Come now, we won't be havin' this waiting for long."

Christian rose and, with a lopsided grin, went to join the practice group. The moment he turned away, someone slipped into the seat next to Maurelle.

"Hi," the girl said. She looked young, perhaps twenty-two, but upon looking at her eyes, one could see how much she had seen, and place her at roughly her early thirties. She spoke prettily and was beautiful to match. "I'm Deidre. We barely got to meet before."

She watched as the group took formation and began to dance, in much more intricate patterns than the others the full attendees had danced. Their feet moved faster than one might think possible, interweaving, each dancer disappearing among the others and appearing again on another side, twirling around, ducking under, circling. Christian may have shown reluctance to stand in before, but in the midst of it all, he was clearly enjoying himself. Deidre smiled. “So you're his girl, huh? Lucky."

She turned to Maurelle and grinned. "I'll tell you something about him that you didn't know if you tell me something about him that I didn't know."

Second dance

[Maurelle Lacroix]

The sound of your voice painted on my memories
Even when you are not with me I am
With you

She hid a frown at the lack of tea, it was unfortunate as that would have provided a nice sugar rush on top of the refreshment. It seemed water was going to have to do though, which meant she was like as not to only have a bit of dancing left in her. It was fun and enjoyable but it was out of her league of being comfortable by a mile and quite difficult to pick up and go with. It would leave her time to people watch though, a very interesting and amusing past time, especially given the nature of the establishment.

"A proper English gentleman? Well then, I must be the Queen of Shiva." Maurelle said with her traditional snark and grin upon her face. Christian was many things but she would not go so far as to call him a gentleman, English or no. While he had positive qualities, he also liked to push peoples boundaries, even when it became clear that they were past a reasonable point. He wanted to push hers she knew, and he was in a way, but she had enough wits about her to push back when the occasion called for it.

Leaving her with Angus to fetch the drinks, she also found herself without even the old man for company as he excused himself to get the next round going. That was disappointing, as it meant that there likely was another dance to come and she had barely had a proper respite from all of this material yet, nor her refreshment. By the time Christian returned she had to nearly down the entire cup in a one gulp before they were once on the dance floor.

However, despite lining up across from each other, she did not end up dancing with Christian, but was lead by others. It caught her off guard and she was definitely a step behind in every movement, yet she still somehow managed to keep up regardless. For what it was worth, her partners managed to keep her going without any complaint, probably taking it easy on the new girl. They were... a rather warm and friendly bunch, not half bad at all for what seemed like a large group of Irish expats.

Christian had found her at the end though as her legs began to feel a bit wobbly, only to be interupted by the sudden appearance of Angus. She did not hide her little sigh of relief as he revealed that they would be giving the new people a bit of a proper break now as the competition practice was going to go on. Though she raised an eyebrow as he revealed that Christian was one of the best dancers among the bunch, seemingly raised on the culture. "Is that so? It seems like you and I might need to have a talk a little later Angus and share more secrets about Mr. Moynahan here."

She was teasing Christian all that she could, even going back to referring him to as she did during their first encounter. Christian had a funny grin though as he rose up and went off to do some of the practicing and she playfully blew him a kiss. However nearly a moment later a young lady had slipped into Christian's seat and began to introduce... or reintroduce herself.

"Hello there, I'm Maurelle. A pleasure to meet you Diedre." She said politely and wondered who the girl was again. She didn't recall bumping into her before, yet the night was becoming something of a whirlwind. Maurelle chuckled a little as the woman said that she was lucky to be Christian's girl, it was very amusing. As was the offer that she made next.

"An exchange of secrets hrmm? Well, let me think of something." She put up her right hand to her chin, with her forefinger and middle finger on her chin and the rest of her hand cupping it. What could she possibly know about Christian that these friends of him did not and what could they know about him that she did not? "Well, as it so happens, Christian is an excellent cook. He made a fine Christmas dinner this previous year and not a single scrap of food was left on a plate it was so delicious." It was stretch to think no one here had ate something of his, but it was the very beginnings of a guess.

[Christian Moynahan]

Did I let you know?
Would you like to go?
I wanna dance to every day’s occasion
-Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Did I Let You Know”

With a small smile on her lips, Deidre watched Christian dance with the others. If he would have just agreed to go with the group to the competition, they would have been a shoe-in for the top spot. But she and the others all knew he had the kind of work that you didn’t take off a day to dance for. They had tried to talk him into it a little bit, with Angus throwing in most of the argument, but so it went.

She looked at Maurelle curiously. Seeing what type of woman Christian was interested in was sort of a treat. She had hardly thought he would have chosen one. Some of the women there - and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t one of them - had made their own passes at Christian, only to be quietly rebuffed. Dee had to wonder what it was about Maurelle that had drawn his attention.

When Maurelle told her about Christmas dinner, Dee grinned, then laughed heartily. “That sounds fantastic! I’ll remember that. We’ll come up with some sort of pretext to make him cook for us.” She liked to think that Christian was good at everything, but that would make him too perfect, wouldn’t it? He had to have some flaws. Everyone did; there was nothing wrong with that. It was just a matter of what kinds of flaws they had, and how much they tried to hide them.

“Hmm. Well, I figure you know more about him than I do….” Dee tapped a finger against her chin. “Have you ever seen him do a backflip? He knows a couple of martial arts, seems like, and he learned how to do a lot of cool stuff. Like doing a backflip with no hands.” She laughed and gestured toward the floor. “It takes a special kind of person to do a no-handed backflip on a hardwood floor without being afraid of falling.” She grinned again. “That was the last time he was here. I don’t even remember how it came up in conversation. But it was like one of those movie backflips. Except without wires.”

There was applause; Dee glanced back to see that the group was finishing their dance. She smiled and started to clap also. “Here he comes,” Dee said through the corner of her mouth.

Indeed, Christian was headed straight toward them, rolling up his sleeves, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt that had not already been unbuttoned. He tossed his head slightly and reached for one of the two cups of water nearby; accidentally, he picked up Maurelle’s. “How did we do?” he asked both women, without bothering to hide the confident smile on his face.

He had noticed long before, near the beginning of the routine, that Dee had approached Maurelle, and he could hazard a guess as to who they had been talking about. If Christian was transparent, Deidre was even more so. He did not know specifically what the conversation had entailed, however. He could ask Maurelle later if he felt like it, but at the moment, it wasn’t important.

“I see you’ve been getting to know each other,” he remarked, in a tone that was half-joke and half-earnest. Deidre took the opportunity to find out more from Christian’s point of view.

“Oh, of course,” she teased. “I had to find out more about the woman who could call herself your girl.” Maurelle had not been the topic of conversation, but Deidre left that alone for now. All she got in return was a slight tilt of Christian’s head and a faint smile.

“They’re setting up for another group dance,” he said, now gesturing with his head toward the floor. “It’ll be mostly beginners, since the rest of us are taking breaks. It’ll be fun. Dee, you could help some of the new ones learn this one.”

“Oh, for sure,” she said, and, with a toss of her hair and a bright smile, she bounded off to join the others. Christian placed his hand gently on Maurelle’s arm. If it had not before, it would now become obvious that the entire point of his last remark had been to get rid of Deidre.

“I think Chelsie wants to dance.” He nodded toward an older woman who was holding a large, thin drum. “We should take over for her.”

He led Maurelle over to the platform where the instrumentalists formed a semicircle, and approached the person at the left end. “Ah, Maurelle. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She had a very American accent, but spoke softly. “I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself.” She smiled and showed the drum to Maurelle. “This is a bodhrán. I expect Christian wants to show you how to play it.” She winked at Christian. “That or show off.”

She passed the instrument to Christian, who placed it carefully on the chair and went to fetch another chair, but Chelsie beat him to it. Christian waited for Maurelle to take a seat before sitting himself, after picking up the drum. It was a wide drum, with the skin stretched over one side and two wooden bars crossed over each other in the back. The drumstick, or tipper, was a small wooden stick with rounded ends. The song had not started yet, so Christian demonstrated the way both the drum and the drumstick should be held. “You hold the drum head to the inside, and hold the back of it with your hand against the skin.” He placed her left hand in the correct position. “Here you tap the tipper against the drum. You can use both ends.” While holding her right hand, he tapped one end and then the other, a bit like a seesaw. Eventually they got into a rhythm. “That’s perfect.”

He paused for a moment as the other players began the song. “Try to keep pace, but don’t worry about getting left behind. The others will keep it together.” At first, he kept his hand around hers to keep her in time, but then removed his hand gently when he felt she had gotten the hang of it. “Go for it.”

[Maurelle Lacroix]

There goes my hero
Watch him as he goes

Maurelle grinned as it seemed she hit on something that the patrons here didn't know about Christian. Part of her had wanted to know something more, something better, but the man was hard to get to know. She understood though, they were not official, well maybe now they were, and she had yet to really let him know about her. Not that she needed to, he seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere and was friends with Gabriel, the slippery and informative bastard. An ally, perhaps even a friend, but a slippery bastard all the same.

She grinned though as the woman seemed to think that she might have known more about Christian than they. Oh perhaps she did, in some sense and capacities, but this was a surprise to her as was his skill in dancing. There was much and more about that man that she could do to learn about, even if it was something small and obscure. Every little details could be a deeper look into the type of man that Christian was and just what he was and who he liked to associate with in the down time.

She had to laugh as Dee explained how Christian had done a no handed backflip. Oh that was something interesting indeed, as well as the tidbits about martial arts. Though it was more common these days, with many seeing the health and defense benefit from the old fighting styles, few could have the skills to master it, and if Christian could pull off that trick he certainly did. "That is fascinating indeed. I definitely think he is holding out on me with a bunch of little secrets, I might just have to find my way here and into your ears more often."

Christian's turn with the competitors seem to have ended as he was returning to her side. "Looking marvelous out there twinkle toes. You really should let your hair down more often." It was said with her all too familiar grin and hint of smugness, but there was also a hint of praise in there if he could decipher through her attitude.

"Only a little bit, just some stuff about secrets and what not. Nothing serious." This time she gave him and Dee a wink before chuckling. Was Christian worried about what she or Dee might tell each other? Just the thought of that made her nearly giggle, big mighty Christian possibly scared of some girl's gossiping! How the mighty were fallen with but a whisper!

Maurelle let Christian lead her over to the woman who wanted to dance after he suggested Dee help out the newcomers again. The woman was kindly and had learned her name, it seemed secrets were indeed hard to keep among this bunch. "It has been a very fun and interesting experience. Christian has shown me much this evening and I expect even more!"

Maurelle did not know how to tell Christian that trying to learn how to play the instrument was really out of her comfort zone. She let him try to demonstrate but was totally lost, musical proficiency was something that was outside her realm of possibilities. "I think, you may have finally bested me, dear sir. I think we shall need to carry on, together." With more than the drum, but she was not about to say that so plainly. This was the first night of them being a couple, she could still use her elusive and covert tricks!

[Christian Moynahan]

Dance like no one’s watching you
Dance like the whole world’s watching you
Dance like I am watching you
Dance
-Parabelle, “The Angel Beside Me”

When he found Maurelle and Deidre sitting together, Christian instantly guessed that they had been talking about him. More specifically than that, he had no idea. It could have been something good, naturally, or it could have been Deidre nosing about where she should not have been. That did give him pause. But instead of even bothering to ask playfully, he just used a quiet means of getting rid of Deidre. That was probably transparent enough, too, but he was probably past that point by now.

Anyone who knew Christian at all would have been surprised to see the faint blush that colored Christian’s cheeks as Maurelle complimented him, in her own way, of course. “Twinkle toes? Is that my nickname now?” But she had been watching, then, and that gave him a little bit of satisfaction. He had done just about perfectly, he knew - there was no such thing as “perfect,” just an ideal that everyone strove for, or should strive for - and although Maurelle might not have been able to tell that for certain, he did, and that made him smile for a moment, before smirking at her comment on what she and Deidre had been talking about. Dee giggled and returned Maurelle’s wink. Women.

Once Deidre was nice and gotten rid of, they picked up Chelsie’s bohdrán and Christian began to teach Maurelle how to play it. This was pushing her a bit too far out of her comfort zone, however, and while in some cases, Christian would have pushed her to keep trying he decided the evening had probably been overwhelming enough already way.She admitted that he had “bested” her, to which he only smiled gently. There might have been more to her words than what appeared on the surface, or he could be imagining things. Either was likely. He did not ask any further, though; he liked the game they were playing. Taking it slow, one step at a time.

“We’ll continue together, then.” He placed his hands over both of hers, the one supporting the drum and the one tapping the tipper against the skin. This was one of the shorter dances, fortunately, it being one for beginners. Chelsie returned in short order and took the drum back with a smile.

“Thank you both,” the woman told them resuming her seat as Christian and Maurelle stood up. “How are you doing, miss Maurelle? I think you have another dance left in you.”

The next was a partner dance, for which Christian, naturally, paired off with Maurelle. There was a small crowd around them that did the same, with others seated or standing around to watch. “This one will be easy. It’ll be like how I taught you at the beginning. Just follow my lead.”

They made their way onto the floor with the other pairs. Some couples were there; some others too, friends, relatives, strangers who just wanted to dance. All in the middle of it, it may have felt more comfortable to Maurelle, even though Christian's praise was sincere: She had picked up on it quickly. Most of all, though, she was glad she was enjoying herself.

He placed one hand on her back and took her hand in the other, much as one might in ballroom dancing, although the pace would be faster than most ballroom dances. They started just after the music did, with Christian guiding her, and they kept a smooth pace, almost as though they were gliding along the floor. The crowd around them began to clap to the beat, joining in on the merriment.

He couldn't help smiling. This was as close to perfect as the evening could get. He tilted his head slightly as they moved about the room. "Still having fun?" he asked, just as the musicians brought the dance to a close. The room applauded, including the dancers, and Christian ran a hand through his hair, which, as normal, did nothing to move it from its place.

He was taking a moment to catch his breath now, but then again, aside from playing the bodhrán, which took its own kind of energy, he had done very little but dance since his arrival. "Are you hungry? We could grab food at home. Probably not a restaurant, as I doubt I'm presentable to polite company right now."

[Maurelle Lacroix]

Red like roses fills my dreams
And takes me to the place you rest

Christian was not one to give up easy, as instead of leaving the drum to silence, he decided they would play it together. Maurelle would have shaken her head in amusement had she not been trying to at least halfway pay attention the motions. It was not something she suspected she would do ever again in her life, but it seemed important enough to Christian to at least give a half effort.

Her temporary feeling of being out of place and bested was alleviated quickly all the same. Maurelle had to hold back a grin at being called Miss Maurelle, there were connotations with that word that were extremely amusing if not used in the right context. Not that the lady could have suspected Maurelle's mind would go that way, especially with the relative newness of the relationship she had Christian. An innocent passing giggle instead and she gave a nod to the woman.

"I think I might just have one more go about in these feet of mine. That is if twinkle toes here doesn't throw me to the sharks." Oh, he would, if he could.

They were partnered off again, with each other once more, and Christian remarked that it would be an easy one. Maurelle somehow doubted any of these dances were actually easy, yet she let him lead her back onto the dance floor all the same. So what if she stumbled a few times, such was life, you stumbled and then got back up and tried again. The riots had seen her stumble, had seen her fall into moments of weakness afterwards, but she had stood back up and was trying again. Only, not alone this time and with more solid footing where it had been a shifting ground.

As they started the dance, she couldn't help but notice how it almost felt like a faced paced ballroom dance, like a salsa. It was faster than that though and she was letting Christian lead her while her eyes and body tried to mimic what she saw to the best of her ability. Was it the best, absolutely not, but it was exhilarating to be care free and lost to the burdens of time. It was magical in a sense, as there was no backroom deals, no secret wars, just her and Christian dancing.

"Oh, quite so, you have no idea." She said with a grin, not a smirk, a small but noticeable difference. There was no sarcasm, no hint of riddles in her words, just sincere happiness and in a state of being absolutely care free. The dance was over though, the both of them trying to catch their breaths, and an applause that Maurelle had not seen coming, not knowing they were being watched the whole time. With a smile, she gave the crowd a curtsey and then turned to Christian and gave him one to.

His question of food was an obvious ruse, yet one she would not call him out on. If that was how the game was going to be played, then so it shall be. "I think some food and showering are on the cards after so much fun." She would have thanked him for a fun and rewarding night, yet she suspected the night was not over, not just yet.

FIN Maurelle