Lucien trusted Faolan's instincts, and decided not to protest to his decision. If he had figured something out then he trusted him to see it through. The nephilim had his eyes on one of the side mirrors as they went, and sure enough, he saw a pair of headlights. Part of him grew wary, because if the vehicle had caught on this quickly, then he wasn't sure if they'd really be willing to lose them. Still, Faolan did not seem concerned, so he figured this was within his calculations. He grabbed on to one of the straps as Faolan made a sharp turn, for a moment grew immediately concerned for the boy, and rose to his seat, heading to the back to get a look at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked the boy in German. He was still on the cot, so it seemed that the boy had managed to hang on.

"Yes.. what.. was that?" He asked.

"We're trying to lose our pursuers, I'm sorry that I couldn't warn you sooner."

"It's okay.. did.. you lose them?" He asked, sounding clearly worried, having pulled his knees up to his chest.

At this, Lucien opened the curtain of the window every so slightly. He could see the headlights of the car that was following continue on in the direction they were heading, as Faolan had intended.

"It seems so, but we're going to wait a little bit here until we know for sure okay?" He told him, causing the boy to nod.

"Do.. you want your friend back?" He asked, extending the small wolf in his direction. This caused Lucien to smile.

"I want you to hang on to him until we're completely out of trouble okay?"

The boy nodded, and Lucien's gaze went back toward the window. The headlights of that car had eventually went out of their sight, nothing but a flicker in the distance. They sat there in silence. Part of Lucien wondered how long it would take the driver to realize they were no longer following anyone. He knew Faolan was waiting until they saw them return for them to finally take their leave. Sure enough, after about twenty minutes had passed, he saw those headlights return. He could only assume that it was the same ones as before, as no one really had a reason to be driving on these roads so late. Eventually the car zoomed past them, and it was then that Lucien knew for sure that Faolan's plan had succeeded. Upon realizing he no longer knew what direction to go to, their pursuer had decided to double back to the circus, and would be returning empty handed.

He let out a relieved sigh. "Looks like we're in the clear.."

Faolan waited silently while Lucien and the child had their discussion. He understood almost none of it, and could only decipher certain words due to German's similar dialect to Irish. He tried not to focus on them, and instead turned his ears toward the road. He could hear the rumble of a far off engine, and knew it was approaching them. The tension increased with every second that passed that the vehicle was not ahead of them.

Eventually, relief struck him when he heard the vehicle pass, and it increased when he could no longer hear its engine. All three of them sat in silence for the next quarter-hour before their would-be pursuers passed them going the opposite direction. The time dragged on, made even slower by the fact that they were waiting, but this they could endure if it meant freedom. He was surprised at the boy's lack of alarm while they waited. He seemed nervous, eyes darting at small sounds from outside. He was gripping the wolf that Lucien had let him hold very tightly, squeezing it about the neck. The serpents were all crowded around him as if protecting him. It was curious, but Faolan decided not to dwell on it. There was nothing he could know by staring. He tried to avert his eyes as much as possible, knowing the boy would probably be more unnerved by his presence.

After a good amount of time had passed since the vehicle had driven by, Faolan turned the engine back over. It rumbled to life again, coughing and spitting. He had to let it warm a little before they began to move, but did not switch the headlights on. Instead, he backed out of the clearing they had been hiding in, nearly blind in all the darkness. He relied on his keen instincts and senses alone, and guided them safely back onto the road. He headed toward Douglas again for a ways, then made a turn onto the interstate that would take them on the long and winding path to their destination. It was best not to drive passed the circus again, especially in such a conspicuous vehicle. He did not turn the lights on until they had turned off from the path to Douglas as well, just as an extra precaution, and was grateful that they did not pass any other travelers on the way there. The less eyes on them right now, the better.

Lucien heard the engine roar to life once more, signifying that the coast was clear. He looked at the boy, who seemed to relax a little at this.

"We've lost them. They won't be able to find us now." Lucien reassured, giving the boy a peace of mind.

"R-Really?" He asked.

"Yes, Faolan's trick worked, they think we're long gone by now. We're going to travel through the night to head into the next state, to make sure to knock them completely off our trail. I know that you've had a really long day. You should try get some rest while you can." He told him.

For a moment, Lucien rose from his chair and headed to the back of the trailer. He opened a drawer and pulled out a large blanket. It wasn't something he hadn't needed too much in a while, considering Faolan provided him with enough warmth as it was, but he figured the boy would need it. He returned to him, and opened it for him.

"That's.. for me?" He asked.

"Of course, i want to make sure you're warm. You should try to get as much sleep as you can. I'm going to be up front with Faolan, but if you need anything at all, just call for me okay?" He told him.

Snake wasn't really used to.. such kindness, but he took the blanket anyway, and placed it over himself and his snakes. He hadn't felt warmth like this in a long time.

"Thank you.."

"You're very welcome." He said, before moving back to join Faolan at the front of the trailer.

"I told him it'd be best if he got some sleep." Lucien paused for a moment as he spoke, before turning to look at the Irishman. "We've made it past the first hurdle.." He said, reaching for Faolan's hand and giving it a small squeeze. "I knew we would."

Again, Faolan could not understand almost any of the conversation between Lucien and the boy. He thought he may have caught something about a trap and the next day, but he couldn't be sure. He focused his attention of driving instead, watching for the sign that would lead them to the turnoff they needed.

When Lucien joined him in the passenger seat, he glanced at him out of the corner of an eye, but otherwise kept his eyes on the road. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lip as he felt Lucien's hand on his own, but he did not respond in kind. It was best for him to watch the road.

"Yeah...we did," he said, though his voice was a little strained. Of course he trusted Lucien, but the full weight of what the two of them had done was beginning to sink in. Faolan remembered the day he had agreed to travel with the Frenchman, and the fear and trepidation that went along with that decision. At the time, he had figured that the young man would stick around for a few months, a year at best, before he decided to settle somewhere or move along on his own. Never would he have dreamed that the two of them would still be together all these years later, that they would be...lovers. He would not change that decision for anything in the world...but this was different. He didn't know the first thing about interacting with a child, and now the boy was living with them for the foreseeable future. What if he decided to stay with them? He couldn't be more than ten or eleven at best, and he looked younger than that due to his slight build. This meant another mouth to feed, someone else to clothe...and who would teach him? They couldn't exactly enroll him in school due to their lifestyle, and Faolan was no educator. He could see Lucien doing it, but when would he have time? Who would be responsible for the boy while the two of them were working? Would they ever get to be alone together again?

All of these questions and more were swirling around in Faolan's mind like a hurricane. He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and the leather creaked under the force of his grasp.

Instead of this question, he nodded back toward the child and asked, "He have a name?" It was all he could manage right now.

Lucien glanced at Faolan and shook his head. "He says they called him Snake.. but that isn't really a proper name.." He muttered. It seemed mostly like an alias.. but the fact the boy hadn't given him anything else worried him a little. Did that mean he originally didn't have one? This would be something he'd have to ask him later. Maybe he could help him come up with one? In the end the decision was the child's.

He turned slightly to get a better look at Faolan's composure. He seemed.. strained, and while he knew the situation that had just passed was not the best, he didn't think that was why he was being like this.

"Be careful, Faolan, you don't want to break the wheel do you?" He lightly joked, before pausing for a moment. "What's on your mind? You have that look on your face that tells me a lot of thoughts are going through your head." He said. While he knew they had.. jumped into this whole situation, if Faolan had further concerns, he wanted to hear them. After all it wasn't just him who was in this, and while he was completely willing to take responsibility for this child, he didn't want to force it on Faolan. He supposed they would have to be clear in how things would be moving forward..

Faolan should have expected this, but the knowledge that the child didn't even have a proper name was quite upsetting to him. He could feel his teeth grinding together as he jaw muscles worked and anger welled up in his chest. What other horrors had this child seen...and at such a young age. Faolan himself had been through a lot, seen a lot of heartache and caused most of it, but he had at least been a man when it had happened. He couldn't imagine how he would have turned out if he had been that boy's age when...

Lucien's question snapped him out of his thoughts. He relaxed his hands and jaw a little, knowing that Lucien would be able to read these signs like a book with large print. Part of him was thankful for that, their closeness, it saved him from having to voice his every grievance and concern. But part of him wished that he could be alone with his thoughts as well. Even he knew that his issues were not always...productive.

"Mmm..." he grunted quietly, then glanced over his shoulder again to see that the boy had wrapped himself in the blanket like a cocoon. He could tell from the pace of his breathing that he was asleep, or nearly. "He speak English?" he asked, though he could anticipate the answer based on Lucien's continued use of German.

Lucien was glad to see Faolan relax, but the man hadn't necessarily answered his question.

"He can't speak it well, but he picked up some words at his time at the circus. I assume if this place originated in Europe he was exposed to a lot of different languages.." He muttered. "I can teach him though, so he can communicate with you better.." He told him, before letting out a small sigh, and lowered his tone.

"I know that.. this decision was rushed.. but I will do my best to make it work. When we near the next town I can ask him a bit more about himself.. and what he wants to do.." He muttered. "Do you have any idea what he may be? He clearly has a strong bond with his snakes.. Just this once, I think the name of that attraction may have been adequate."

Faolan grunted again at Lucien's response. He had thought not.

His jaw began to squeeze a bit again as Lucien started explaining, and he glanced out of the side mirror absently to keep himself from looking at the Nephilim. He knew that Lucien was only trying to help allay his worries, his fears, his hesitancy, but Faolan knew that nothing Lucien said right now could truly help ease the doubt in his mind. Only time would do that, really.

"Mmm...I have to give them that. I don't know what he is," he said in hushed tones, "I don't think he's really like me or you...he feels..." he paused for a moment, looking at the boy in the reaview mirror. Although he couldn't see him, he could smell that mossy earthen smell that the child exuded, hear the sound of his soft breathing. "Somewhere in between." He was basing this guess on pure instinct, but something told him he was not too far off the mark.

"And," he said, looking over at Lucien and placing a hand on his knee. "I know you will. I'll try too." Despite his questions, there was nothing he could do to change their course now, short of dropping the boy on the side of the road. This decision had come with obligation, and though Faolan hated the idea of it, he was an honorable man and would do his best to stand by the choices that he and Lucien had made tonight.

Lucien let out a small hum. Yes.. he supposed that made sense. It was likely he was at least half human but.. he wasn't sure what the other half was. Perhaps the child himself could tell them.

He reached out to place his hand on top of Faolan's, and gave him a small smile. He knew this was not enough to alleviate whatever Faolan was thinking about but.. he decided to let it go for now. Honestly part of him hadn't even considered what having a child around would entail. Their alone time would be.. severely cut off, but he was trying to shift his attention away from that. Surely.. they could figure something out.

The rest of the drive was quiet, Lucien tried to stay awake to keep Faolan company in his drive, but on occasion he would doze off. Despite that, his hand was linked with his beloved's not wanting to let go of it as they drove off toward the next town. He was awoken by their stop. Faolan had parked the trailer in the middle of the forest, where they decided they could get proper rest for the remainder of the night.

When morning came, they talked about how they should proceed. It was decided that Faolan would head to town to get the boy some fitting clothes and other necessities, while Lucien remained behind to get him cleaned up in the nearby lake. It wasn't like they could take him into town looking like this.. it would bring questions. They set up camp, and Faolan left to town, leaving Lucien with the boy.

"Can you swim?" He asked him, causing the boy to nod.

"Yes.. I can.. swim well.. I just.. haven't done it in a while.." He muttered. The snakes had spread out now that they were in the forest, most likely on the hunt for prey, however, Lucien noticed that the striped brown snake the boy had stuck to him closely. It was clear he was the closest with this one.

"Do you mind if I take a look at your legs? I want to see if I can do something to help make it easier to walk.." Considering the weakness he clearly had, he wasn't sure if it was from fatigue or from lack of usage, but he'd at least give it a try. The boy agreed, and Lucien began to take a look. It seemed he had feeling in them just fine, they simply had no strength. With that in mind, his hands began to emanate a warm glow, The boy was clearly surprised, but didn't say anything at first, until he was done.

"That.. you did that with my head too right.. what.. is it? I can move them a bit better..." The boy was in awe, clearly by what he had done.

"It's.. just a little thing I can do, to make people feel better. It's my special skill, but it's also my secret, don't tell anyone, okay?" He knew this was dangerous to reveal, especially to a child.. but he really had no choice in the manner. He was sure no one would really believe him if he tried to explain it.

"O-Okay.. I won't.." He said, his eyes still curious.

"I'm going to try to help you stand alright?" He told him, reaching for the boy's hand. He grasped it, and tried to help the boy to his feet. His legs still wobbled, but they at least didn't completely give out on him like before. He helped him make his way to the shore of the lake, and helped him take a seat near the edge. It was upon placing his hand on his back that he saw the boy flinch.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" He asked worriedly.

"N-No.. it's okay.." Despite the boy's response, Lucien couldn't shake his worry. He convinced the boy to be honest with him, and honestly he hadn't been expecting the reason behind his pain. Upon removing his shirt, Lucien was met with a terrible sight. Long lashes trailed across his back, in no pattern in particular. Some looked old.. some much newer, still clearly not properly healed. It was clear from this sight that the boy had been whipped on more than one occasion. He felt nauseated, and the anger that followed this discovery was hard for him to contain. How could that ringleader have done this to a mere child? A lot of the things he had seen and heard made sense now, but it was sickening for him, to think that man would have been willing to go so far for his greed.. to hurt him like this. He clenched his fists, his jaw tensing. Lucien was almost regretful that they had not ran to that ringleader on the way out. While not one for violence, even he wanted to give him a piece of his mind.

He shook his head, trying to calm himself as to not scare the boy.

"Do you mind.. if I try to make this better?" He asked him, waiting for the boy's approval before he slowly began to heal the more recent lashes. The boy squirmed a little, and he saw the snake hiss at him out of the corner of his eyes, but he made no move to lunge at him. It seemed he acknowledged his desire to help. It honestly hurt to see the boy hold this many scars. Faolan had.. plenty of experiences in his life, leading to all the scars he had now but this boy.. he was so young.. and already held so many. It was upsetting, frustrating, but it only made Lucien's desire to protect him stronger. It was clear this boy hadn't really been able to have a proper childhood. He.. would do his best to change that.

Faolan was quiet for the rest of the drive. Though he knew that Lucien had drifted off several times, he remained awake and alert. His body had been trained by years of travel and danger to stay awake for days at a time. One drive through the night was nothing compared to the years he had spent on the road, and Lucien's hand wrapped in his own made it all that much easier.

When they stopped, he feigned rest for Lucien's sake, but remained in a half-alter state until morning. He was listening and watching for any sign of approach, no matter how slim the chance was, he wasn't willing to take it that they had been followed.

They hadn't, luckily. Once they had all awakened for the day, he set off for town with a list Lucien had prepared of things that the boy would need.

It didn't take him long to reach town, which was already bustling with activity in the early morning hours. He made his way around to various shops, purchasing clothing for the child, food, and other odds and ends. In one particular shop, he stopped just as he was leaving to grab something extra. While he was in town, he also bought gas and some other tools and supplies he would need for the trailer. He'd heard something squeaking under the hood and wanted to make sure it was in good order before they took off again.

The last thing he did before leaving was check for job postings. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of anything promising. Most of the things he saw were short term engagements, two days or less, and there was almost nothing for his skill-set. He had no doubt that Lucien could find work if he applied himself, everyone had trouble turning him down when he put his mind to it.

Unsuccessful in that endeavor, he asked around a bit, but got nothing else. People naturally resisted him, especially when he asked questions. He would have to come back or send Lucien tomorrow to see...

He took his leave of town and headed back as the sun began to fall, a full pack slung across his back.

Once he had finished healing the boy, they headed into the lake. He was honestly surprised how good of a swimmer the boy was, despite the resistance in his legs. He felt swimming would end up being very good for him in terms of getting the strength in his legs back, he'd make sure to keep that in mind for the future. When he was all cleaned up, he brought him back to camp, having given him one of his shirts and bundled him in a blanket for now. He figured Faolan would return with the shopping soon.

"So... Snake.. do you mind if I ask you how you ended up in that place?" He asked. "Do you have.. any family to go back to?"

Even now, the snakes were curled in the general vicinity of the boy, still not seemingly wanting to leave his side.

"I.. stumbled upon it.. back in Germany.. about.. four years ago?" He said quietly. "And.. no.. not really.. I was living in a forest on my own before then.. with him." He added, motioning to the snake that was curled up around his shoulder.

Lucien was surprised to hear that he was living all by himself. How did he survive? He would have been way too young to do so on his own.

"Your connections with snakes.. it's very impressive.. it's almost like you understand them."

At this the boy seemed to brighten up a little. "I can understand them.. actually.. I can speak to them too." He said with a smile. "They've always been my friends."

He hadn't actually expected for him to be able to do that but.. he supposed if he was some sort of serpentine like creature.. it made sense, though he wasn't even sure if he knew for himself what he was.. if he said he didn't have a family to go back to. They would have a lot of things to figure out.

"Well I must say that's very impressive, I'm glad that you've had friends at your side this whole time."

Faolan returned to their camp just after sundown, and noticed that Lucien had built a fire for himself and the boy. He had smelled the smoke a long ways off, and figured as much. He approached them loudly, not wanting to take anyone by surprise. He looked to Lucien first, fought a smile as he felt the boy's eyes on him, then glanced to him and nodded his greeting.

He held the bag up and gestured to Lucien, "I brought everything you asked for, and then some," he said, then dropped the bag at the Nephilim's feet and took a seat beside him. He held his hands out to the fire even though he wasn't cold, it was mostly for appearances. He could feel the child looking at him, and glanced his way briefly several times, but did not engage him in conversation. The Lycan doubted that he would understand him even if he tried.

Snake smiled at Lucien's compliment. "Thank you.. I am too." He told him. It was.. oddly easy to feel at ease around the man. His snakes had felt the same. His back felt a little sore but.. it was definitely better than before, and he could move with ease. Getting to go swimming too.. he couldn't remember the last chance he had really gotten to do that.

"The big one is back.." One of the snakes spoke up, causing him to shift his attention to the bushes where the man had loudly made their way to them. It seemed he was trying to maintain a bit of distance from him, and was trying not to stare to much.. was it to avoid scaring him? The man was intimidating but.. perhaps he wasn't so bad.

He watched Lucien look through the bag that Faolan had brought, and he pulled out some very nice looking clothes. At least.. nicer than he had ever worn.

"Here.. let me help you." He told him, before helping him change into the new clothing. There was.. even a jacket.. and it was very warm. Even when he had first joined the circus and he was treated better.. he had never received something so nice. He gave Faolan another look, hesitating for a moment. He and Lucien had pulled him out of a bad situation.. he felt.. he should at least express his thanks, even if the man was a little scary.

"T-Thank.. you.." He said in awkward English, his German accent clearly seeping through. He hadn't had too much need to put the English he had learned to use but.. maybe he would try.. it would be nice to be able to communicate a bit better.

Faolan averted his gaze as Lucien helped the child into the clothes he had brought. He'd tried to pick things that were functional over fancy. He knew Lucien would have advised him against some of his choices, but he went through with them anyway. Among them was a large and well-lined jacket for the boy. Faolan had noticed that he'd seemed cold in the trailer the night before, and remained bundled up to his nose while the sun was down. He'd spent the most time choosing that article of clothing.

Although he tried to keep his eyes on the fire while the child was changing, the smell of blood pulled his eyes back and Faolan glimpsed the outlines of scars as the firelight flickered between the three of them. Immediately, he felt his heart pumping hot angry blood into his veins, into his head. His fists clenched tightly and his breath came in hot gusts from his nostrils as they flared wide. This is why he had smelled blood before, the child had been abused, whipped it looked like, among what else Faolan did not want to face.

Knowing that the boy was close enough to see him was the only thing holding him back from flying into a rage. He punched one fist into his other hand and gripped his knuckles so tightly that he felt his joints popping beneath his skin. He may have broken his own hand, staring into the fire and imagining all of the things he would do to that creature that called himself a man, if the boy had not spoken.

Slowly, he looked back over at the child and slowly his face softened. He was not completely relaxed, but his jaw was slightly less tight, his eyebrows sitting a little higher on his forehead as the boy's heavily-accented English wafted towards him. He saw genuine gratitude in that boy's eyes, just for the act of handing him a coat. He remembered a time when that same gratitude shined from his eyes and onto strangers that had helped him in the past, he remembered thinking that there was hope in the world when he experienced this kindness. And he remembered his sense of confusion, rage, and despair when he experienced cruelty.

Finally, he nodded, and flashed the boy a tight-smile. "As long as you're warm, lad, that's thanks enough for me."

Lucien could almost sense Faolan's fury as he changed the boy's clothes, and he knew exactly why, because he shared that same anger. It seemed however that the boy hadn't really noticed, and honestly expressed his thanks to Faolan for getting him these clothes. He couldn't help but smile at that, and was glad that it had helped ease some of Faolan's anger.

"Do you like them?" He asked, in English this time.

The boy took a moment, trying to comprehend the words, before he nodded. "Warm." He responded. "an' nice.."

Lucien smiled a little sadly at this, because he knew the boy had probably not had access to any decent clothing, considering the rags they had basically found him in. While he would have probably chosen some garments that were a little different from Faolan's, it was the fact the boy liked them and that he was comfortable in them that mattered. It was around this time that the striped brown snake slithered up to wrap around his neck, settling in to seemingly take warmth within the jacket. He could clearly see the trust between the boy and his snakes.. it was honestly a little heartwarming.

"Ah.. I wanted to run this by you.. Snake.. it's not really too much of a name.. Would you like to change it? Now that you're away from that place, you don't have to go by that anymore.." He said in German, figuring this would be something the boy would need.

Snake knew that Lucien was right. It really wasn't much of a name but.. he hadn't really bothered with something like that before, because it was just what everyone ended up calling him. "I don't really know.. what kind of name I'd take.. Do you have.. an option?" He responded, causing Lucien to let out a pensive hum.

"Hmm.." He glanced at Faolan. "Do you want to help me think of a proper name for him?"

Faolan's anger still boiled within him, but was dampened a bit as he heard the boy's response to Lucien's question. He was glad that the kid liked them, even if they weren't perfect. Whatever happened from here on out, Faolan knew that he would never regret the decision that he and Lucien had made to save this boy from his tormentors.

The Irishman busied himself with retrieving the food he had procured from the market while he was in town while the two conversed again in German, but paused when Lucien turned to him. His smile widened as he began to relax a little, and he shook his head and stopped rummaging through the bag for a moment as he looked up at the Nephilim. "Have I ever told you about the dog I had when I was a lad?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"No...what did you name him?" Lucien answered, mirroring his lover's expression.

"Madra." he said simply, then withdrew one large hand from the bag and tossed something ovular and light brown toward Lucien. "I brought us some fresh bread from town..." he paused a moment as he retrieved a second roll from the bag, then shrugged, "Well, it was fresh this morning anyway."

Lucien had mirrored his lover's expression at his question. He had never mentioned he had a dog, but he couldn't deny that he wasn't curious as to what Faolan named him. At his answer however, Lucien could not stop himself from letting out a laugh.

"You named your dog dog? Faolan did you even try?" He couldn't help but tease, his eyes clearly reflecting his amusement. Well if that was Faolan's naming sense then.. he supposed he wouldn't be that helpful in this. He caught the piece of bread he gave him with ease, and expressed his thanks before standing up and going over to hand it to the boy.

"Here you go, I'm sure you're hungry." He told him gently.

The child was clearly surprised by this offer, as he stared at the bread in almost disbelief. The strong smell of it filled his nostrils.. and honestly he couldn't remember the last time he had bread that looked this good. Hesitantly he took it, before taking a bite. Immediately his expression brightened. It was.. just the right amount of crunchy but it was also soft.. but most of all it was delicious.

"Good.." He said, voice muffled through his chewing. Despite how great his hunger was, the bites he took weren't large. His appetite had never been the largest, but he couldn't stop himself from continuing to eat this peace of bread. These people.. were really nice. Even now the large man looked.. less angry than before. He wasn't as scary when he was smiling like that.

Lucien was glad to see the boy enjoy the bread, even though it was a little sad at the same time. When was the last time this boy had gotten a proper meal? To be so excited over a piece of bread? Then again considering how malnourished he looked.. he figured it wasn't often. The boy had quite a way to go for a full recovery.

"I suppose I could try to come up with one.." He said, clearly going into thought. He didn't want to half ass it, after all a name was important. It would signify the start of his new life outside the circus, so he wanted it to be fitting for him.

"Clearly, no," Faolan said in answer to Lucien's question. The small half-smile remained plastered on his lips as he watched the boy take a bite of the bread he'd been offered. To see his eyes light up that way, over the simplest things...it was bittersweet. He knew that the child had had a rough go of his life, it had obviously not started well, but Faolan was now determined to at least point the young man in the right direction. It was all he could hope to do.

A bit of a silence hung between the three of them for a moment as Faolan ripped the bread roll in half and offered one to Lucien before taking a bit out of it. He glanced at the boy, taking small bird-like bites out his piece. The thing looked huge in his small and slender hands. After a moment, Faolan nodded toward the child as he tore another piece from the inside of the bread. "Don't be shy, there's more where that came from. And wait til you see what I brought for breakfast," he said, raising his eyebrows and glancing down into the mouth of the bag, where only he could see the contest.

Lucien was amused by Faolan's response, taking the half of the bread he was offered as he continued to ponder, eating the bread he had been given. He would probably not come up with something today, but he'd be sure to keep it in mind as the day went by. The nephilim couldn't help but smile to himself as he watched Faolan interact with the child. It wasn't really something he got to see much, considering most children were intimidated by him, but he could at least tell Faolan seemed to have warmed up to the idea of this, and he was glad for it.

Snake tilted his head in slight confusion at Faolan's words. "There's more?" He asked, looking down at the bread. He was used to small quantities of food so.. it was strange for him to be told there was more available. He followed the man's gaze to the bag at his feet, and his snake like tongue poked out of his mouth for a second as it helped him take in the scents around him. He could smell.. meat in the bag. That was something he hadn't been able to have in a while, and it almost made his mouth water.

"Meat?" He asked.

Faolan almost chuckled aloud at the child's response, but he was reminded of the unfortunate reason why a question like that was necessary. It was clear by the child's sleight build that he had been underfed his whole life, which was why he appeared to be much younger and more feminine than he actually was. This would be the first improvement that Faolan would make to this child's life: making sure he would not want for food again.

Despite his slender frame and the way he picked at the bread, it was clear that he had a taste for protein. It made sense when Faolan thought about snakes. They were predators and carnivores, after all, and if this child had some sort of affinity with them then perhaps he had these same habits. The Irishman sympathized, of course, being related to predators himself, meat was always first on his list of cravings. Well...of the edible variety, anyway.

"Oh, much more, lad," he said, and leaned forward to reach into the bag, "Sharp nose you have there. I almost forgot." He leaned back and withdrew a large jar, almost too big for even Faolan's large mitt, full to bursting with dark liquid and chunks of meat and veg. The top was sealed with wax, wrapped in cloth and tied with a string. "I stopped by the grocer and they had stew. Made yesterday, but warm it up and it should be good." Of course, the Irishman would have preferred to hunt for fresh meat while they were camped, but he hadn't had time due to the shopping errand Lucien had requested of him.