[OOC] Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

[xivyxx]

Lucien's smile widened a little at Faolan's compliment. He was about to lay down, but then he figured he should change out of the bloodied clothes first. Now that all this was over with he figured he probably shouldn't use this one anymore until he had a chance to wash it.

"I think we're even. I mean the only reason you got into this mess in the first place was because of me. I didn't want you getting in trouble with the law because you decided to help me." He responded as he pulled out his bag from under his cot and removed his trench-coat, folding it neatly before putting it away and grabbing a different one to slip on. It was only then that he finally laid down. A moment of silence followed, which he didn't mind. Lucien was in a decent mood now that he could afford to relax. Hopefully the rest of their trip would go unhindered. The nephilim fiddled with the one of the tassels on his relic, feeling at ease to have it back. Since it had been given to him, it had never left his side until today. There was a small sense of comfort he got from wearing it. It was strange really, considering he had never met the man who had entrusted it to him.

Lucien shook his head, before he let his gaze drift over to Faolan. Going on this ship had definitely taught him some things that he would never have learned if he had stayed behind in that church. It had definitely proved to be an interesting experience... but he was glad he had someone like Faolan at his side to teach him. He could only hope that in return, maybe Faolan would be able to become a little bit more optimistic. Sometimes things really could just work out.

"Hey Faolan." He called out. There were some.. insults that he had sort of got the meaning of, but there was one that he was still curious about. It wasn't like he was ever planning to use any of this words, he'd never dream of it. He just at least wanted to know what it was they were calling him. "What's a poufter?"

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan, still feeling a little ill from the silver, took a moment to breathe deeply and relax. Now that he had a moment out of the action, he recognized that he was still feeling some pain from the wound. It seemed that whatever Lucien had done to him, it only helped to accelerate his natural healing process. What would have been days, possibly weeks of recovery had been sped up to mere hours. He thought at this rate, he may even feel better by the next morning.

The site of the wound was sore, and his head throbbed and muscles ached. He was feeling slightly nauseous, but that would pass. Once he had rested, he thought he may go up to the deck for some fresh air.

It was good news and bad news that he wouldn't be working any more. First, he had been counting on his leftover wages to get him started somewhere in the states. Now that he was without pay, he would have a harder time making his way. He would find a way to, it would just be more difficult than he'd thought initially. Second, they had about a week, hopefully less, left on the journey, and without and outlet for his energy he would start to get cabin fever. He would have to find a way to let off some steam, or it would make the coming change that must more difficult for him.

It was then that his mind drifted to Lucien again, and the healing. Now that he knew for sure that his senses had been right about the boy, he wondered what his influence could possibly be. He had dealt with witches and hags who could do magic to heal and to harm, he had even run across some other fae creatures in his time in Ireland, but never had he witnessed anything quite like what Lucien had done. Faolan's knowledge of otherworldly beings was limited to those native to Ireland, he had never met a French fairy. Perhaps their healing powers were stronger? Faolan doubted this highly. It was more likely that the lad was something he had never encountered before. The only way to know was to ask, but Faolan would not breach his trust in that way. He valued his privacy, and did his best to respect the privacy of others.

He had just started to let his mind calm when Lucien spoke again. "Hm?" he grunted, half comprehending what the lad had said. Once realization of the question hit him, his face immediately flushed an this eyes snapped open. He glanced over at Lucien, suddenly very aware of his movements and not trying to draw too much attention, he shook his head and turned away slightly, looking at the wall as he spoke. "Mm...maybe that's better explained another time. It's an insult, that's all that really matters." He said, flustered but trying hard to hide it.

[xivyxx]

Lucien was curious at Faolan's fluster over his question. It certainly wasn't the type of reaction he had been expecting from the usually stoic man. It had caught him a bit off guard but, he decided not to push for an answer. It wasn't that important he knew, but he really did wish he had told him. It was certainly.. refreshing to see this sort of expression on him.

"Alright then.." He said. It was clear he was reluctant but, he let it go, and let his gaze drift back up to the ceiling. He decided he'd let the man rest. He deserved it, considering the day he had.

The rest of their voyage had been relatively peaceful. As the officer had said, the Englishmen never bothered them again. The seas had been in their favor, and about a week later, the Port of New Orleans had come into sight. He could see it through the small window in their room.

"Look, Faolan! We're finally here!" He said a little excitedly. There had been a part of him that had almost wanted this voyage to last longer but.. he knew it had only been a matter of time. Despite the bit of unpleasantness he had encountered, he had enjoyed the time he had spent in this travel, and he was glad he had met someone like Faolan to keep him company in it. It was a bit sad to think about how they might have to go their separate ways. "So.. what's your plan after landing..? If you don't mind me asking." Would he leave right away? Part of him hoped not. It would be nice if they got to spend a little more time together, after all Faolan was the first friend he had made outside of the church, or at least, he hoped they could be called friends. Lucien certainly saw it that way.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan growled as a response to Lucien's chipper exclamation, as was his usual response. He was sitting on his cot, bag packed next to him, bouncing his leg in impatience. He could not wait to get out of the cabin and off of this ship. He was thankful that the voyage had been no longer than two weeks, the full moon would be upon them within another fortnight, and it was best that he was in a big open space for when that happened.

It was not his company that drove him to seek freedom, but the travel itself. Faolan had never liked being in enclosed spaces for too long, and was on deck as often as he could have been throughout the voyage. If he wasn't taking in the sea air, he was training in their cabin. He had done about three-thousand push-ups before he lost count.

Lucien turned out to be quite pleasant. The two had had many exchanges during their two weeks at sea, most of which consisted of Lucien's statements and questions and Faolan's grunts and three-word responses. It ended up working out, overall. Faolan at first worried that he may become annoyed by the Frenchman, but by the time they arrived in New Orleans, he found that he actually enjoyed the young man's presence.

Still, he was eager to see land.

At Lucien's next question, Faolan's leg ceased it's thumping for a moment as he looked out of the porthole at the port. He couldn't see much but roofs and smoke, but that was enough. "Nothin' solid. Look for work in town, make some money...move on." He shrugged. It wasn't a hard answer, it was essentially the same thing he had done the last handful of times he had uprooted himself. No use staying in one place for too long, it was dangerous for him. He preferred to leave within the month, but with the state of his purse, he supposed he would have to stay in New Orleans for a little longer than that.

[xivyxx]

Lucien attempted to hide his relief at his response. Of course he figured the man would leave but, if he was planning to find work in town then that would mean he'd be sticking around for a little while longer. He couldn't deny he was a little envious of the travelling the man would be doing. Honestly he wasn't even sure what was waiting for him here, aside from the fact there would be a priest here to receive him.

"I see.." He said, his gaze not leaving the sight of the port that was now well within their reach. The boat harshly swayed as the ship finally docked. He could hear the movement and noise of the people who were now beginning to leave their small rooms to finally leave the ship, and Faolan had wasted no time in doing the same. The nephilim quickly followed, his eyes sparkled with excitement as they disembarked. He was setting foot in a completely different land, a completely different place than he was used to. It felt much crowded with everyone getting off all at once then when he had first gotten on that ship. It was only now that it all suddenly felt very real to him. He instinctively grabbed on to Faolan's sleeve, not wanting to get lost in the crowd of people that had wanted to get off just as quickly as they had. It was when the crowd had finally began to disperse a little that he heard his name being called out.

"Lucien!" He turned to the sound of the voice, spotting a middle-aged man rushing up in their direction. He seemed to slow after giving Faolan a glance, but he then turned his attention back on the nephilim.

"You.. are Lucien yes? I am Father Cyril." As he spoke, he shot Faolan another slightly nervous glance. Lucien was quick to speak up. "Ah, yes, I am. Pleased to meet you Father Cyril.. This is my friend Faolan. He.. helped me out a lot back on the ship, I owe him a lot." He told him, not wanting the priest to be too wary of him.

"O-Oh.. I see, well then you have our gratitude for giving Lucien your aid. I'm sure his guardians will be relieved to know he arrived safely."

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan was on his feet before the ship had made contact with the dock, and had his foot out of the cabin door before the horn blew to signal their arrival. He was eager to depart, and weaved his way through the crowd of people as they made their way off of the ship and onto the dock.

Immediately, smells began to assault his nose and his hearing was bombarded with many accented voices. He had never been to America, and seeing it for the first time was different and similar at the same time to all of the cities he had visited in the past. The first thing he noticed were the smells, strong spices and sugar were the first two he could identify, but he also smelled scented smoke, warm tepid water, and mint.

The second thing he noticed were the accents of the natives. He had heard and American accent before, but never had he heard anything like this. However, mixed in among this were also French accents, different than Lucien's or even people from Paris, but French all the same.

The buildings were shorter, from what he could see. It seemed they liked to build outward here, and not upward.

This line of thought was broken by Lucien gripping his sleeve. He glanced down at his hand, and said nothing. There were a lot of people crowding around and this was the Frenchman's first time travelling, he was sure the lad was stirred up. He allowed him to hold on, and slowed his frantic pace a little to accommodate him.

He smelled and incense heard the footsteps of the approaching priest before he heard his call out Lucien's name, and his head turned towards the sound. This must be the priest Lucien had mentioned on the way here. At their acknowledgement of him, Faolan simply nodded, "Not a problem." Overall, it had turned out to be one of the more pleasant voyages he had had. Companionship had never been easy for him, but somehow he had found himself making an exception for Lucien.

[xivyxx]

Father Cyril glanced around at a bit of the crowd that still remained. "Let us get away from this crowd, I'm sure you both have had enough of cramped spaces." He said as he motioned them to start walking. Lucien followed, his eyes couldn't help but wander as he walked through the streets. Honestly he was a little surprised at how.. familiar things seemed to him in terms of structure, though he had heard this city held a lot of French among other European immigrants. The sense of familiarity was a little comforting.

"I hope your voyage went well? I'm sure it must have been hard travelling on your own." The priest asked. "I admit it was a lot to take in but.. Faolan helped me get accustomed to the way things worked. It was certainly.. different." He responded. The priest had given the larger man another sideways glance. It was likely he was worried about the man's intentions, but Lucien didn't think he had anything to worry about.

"Was.. everything really okay? There were no problems..?" Father Cyril asked in French, causing Lucien to glance back over at him. He knew there was a deeper meaning to his question. He had hesitated for just a small moment, after all he had revealed his healing ability but.. Faolan had never asked any questions, so he figured everything was fine. "Yes, it was fine." He responded but in English, a bit of a habit from the ship. The priest sighed with relief at his response. By then, they had finally gotten a decent distance from the dock.

"Well, my home is further down this street. I'm sure that you are both tired of the food they have on that ship. Faolan was it? You are welcome to join us for dinner, it's the least I can do for the help you provided to Lucien." He said, looking up at the man. At this, Lucien smiled, looking up at Faolan with a bit of anticipation. He was glad that Father Cyril had offered. It gave a reason for Faolan to stick around a while longer.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan walked with the unlikely pair through the crowd, which wasn't exactly hard. When most people saw someone of Faolan's sized moving toward them, they moved out of the way whether it was conscious or not. He listened objectively to Lucien and the father's conversation, but did not comment. Instead, he focused on keeping his eyes on the people and buildings around him, memorizing the terrain and getting a lay of the land and its people. It shouldn't be hard to find his way around town, and already he saw some opportunities for work with signs posted at the dock. He could stay here for another week or so before it was time to move on.

When they exited the crowd, Faolan felt the urge to pull away from the pair but continued walking beside him. Something told him that he was going to be in Lucien's company for a bit longer, the young man would not tolerate him leaving without saying goodbye, he knew that much.

This was confirmed when the priest offered to have him over for dinner. While his first instinct would have been to decline, after all, he was not planning on staying in New Orleans long. On the other hand, if he accepted, this was one more dinner he would not have to find for himself. With no money and no contacts stateside, Faolan was essentially on his own. He should accept the hospitality of the priest based purely on survival if nothing else. Aside from that, it was clear from Lucien's expression that he wanted the Irishman to accept.

"Can't say no to that, the food on the ship was pretty shite."

[xivyxx]

Lucien's smile widened at Faolan's acceptance as they continued on their way. Father Cyril had been a bit taken aback by his response, but it seemed he was also having a bit of a hard time understanding him. Faolan had a very thick Irish accent after all. Still, he said nothing and continued along the streets. Lucien was sure to take in all of the sights, this city was very.. colorful. He hoped that if he was going to stay here he'd get more of a chance to see it all. It would be a shame to have to say indoors all the time when there were so many things to see. He'd be sure to bring it up to the priest later.

Eventually they came to pass what appeared to be a church. It was certainly much smaller than what Lucien was used to. After all the churches back in France were.. quite large. The one he stayed at was one of the smaller ones but, in comparison this one was not nearly as big. It was certainly more modest. They walked past the church and stepped onto the grounds, which lead to a smaller area which seemed to hold the priest's home. Lucien eyed everything with a glint of curiosity in his eyes. Things really were quite different here.

"Please, do come in." Father Cyril said as he motioned for them to come inside and leading them to the small living room. "I'll go serve dinner, I'll be back momentarily, please, make yourself at home." He said before he disappeared off down the hall. Lucien took a seat on the couch, but he appeared a little restless. He had wanted to keep exploring, but he didn't want to be rude. He'd simply have to be patient.

"This city is so.. colorful, and very lively." He commented to Faolan.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan was also eyeing the landscape with interest as they walked through town, but this was more for memorizing the terrain than anything else. He did notice that he had been right before in his assessment of American architecture, it took up more land than air, which was a little disappointing to him. He hoped that somewhere had been left green and undisturbed, but only time would tell him that.

His eyes were assaulted with colors, his ears with more accents, and sometimes a different and extremely interesting language that sounded nothing like he had ever heard before, and his nose by scents of baked goods, tobacco, mud, wet wood, and alcohol. These smells were mostly normal, but there were hints and undercurrents of spice mixed in with everything. If it weren't for his preference for big, open spaces, New Orleans would seem to him like an interesting place to call home.

When they approached the church, Faolan was reminded of the ones back in Ireland. Small, dumpy thing it was, could maybe hold a hundred at most. Nothing lie the obnoxious things they called "cathedrals" in the city. He preferred them this way, if he preferred them at all.

They entered the house, and Faolan nearly had to duck to get inside. The home was small, but modest, and smelled strongly of wet wood and incense, which was not an entirely unpleasant combination. He seated himself across from Lucien as the priest scurried off, and glanced about, subconsciously sniffing the air. He could smell dinner from here, something spicy and thick...and fishy.

"You're not wrong. It's definitely different...but, also the same." He didn't really know how to describe it. He felt both comfortable and anxious, which was not a combination he was used to. "Hope you like seafood." He said, as he set his bag on the floor at his feet.

[xivyxx]

Lucien nodded in agreement. "I think I get what you mean. It does have a bit of a French feel but.. I also see things I normally wouldn't see back in France, it's a little refreshing, but at the same time comforting because it doesn't feel like I've been thrown into a completely different place." He said. It was that sense of familiarity that allowed him to feel a little less out of place, but he could still tell he was definitely not in France anymore, and he really looked forward to being able to see more of this place.

At Faolan's next comment, he glanced over in the direction the priest had disappeared off to. It was only because Faolan had pointed it out that he was just barely able to make out the smell of fish. It had certainly been a strong smell back at the boat, considering they had been at the open sea.

"You really do have a good nose." He told him with a small chuckle.

It was then that Father Cyril came back into the room. "Dinner's served." He said, motioning them over to his dining room. Had they not been cramped into a small room for the majority of this journey, Lucien would have found it strange to see how small things were in comparison to Faolan's size. The man was certainly tall. He wondered if he would be able to become tall like that one day. The nephilim could only hope. Once they were seated to eat, Lucien began to contemplate. After dinner was over.. would Faolan leave? He knew the man wanted to look for some work before he left the city but.. where would he stay? He was a little worried about him, but there was also the fact that he thought it would be nice if he would get to see him around more before he actually decided to leave. Honestly, Lucien wasn't really ready to say goodbye. Had he gotten a little attached? Maybe. It wasn't everyday he got to make a new friend.. and even more so a friend who knew something was off about him but decided not to question it. That fact was what made him trust Faolan a lot more than the average person.

"Lucien? Do you not like the food?" Father Cyril's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He had been so invested in them that he had stopped eating.

"Oh, no I do! I was just lost in thought, my apologies. It's very delicious, thank you." He said as he continued to eat again. It was after a little while of this that he decided to speak up again, but this time in French.

"Father Cyril.. my friend said he was going to try to look for work here for a little while before he moved on to the next town.. do you think it would be possible for him to stay here in the meantime? Back at the ship.. he really did help me a lot. I felt I would not have made it here unexposed if it weren't for him.." He muttered. Part of him felt rude for asking in French even though he knew Faolan couldn't fully understand, but he also hadn't wanted to offer without checking with Father Cyril first, after all, this was his home, and Lucien was also a guest here.

Father Cyril raised his eyebrows slightly at the question, before giving Faolan a small glance. The priest hadn't really known how to feel about the man, considering he was a bit.. intimidating, but he couldn't really deny him if he had really helped the boy out to that extent. He knew how worried the head priest had been about sending Lucien off to travel on his own.

"Faolan, Lucien tells me you are going to be staying here a little while for work. If you don't have anywhere else to stay, I would gladly let you stay here. My home isn't all that large but.. if you don't mind it, feel free to stay until it's time for you to go." He offered. Lucien was relieved to hear Father Cyril offer, but he didn't glance up to look at Faolan. He wasn't sure if he had overstepped again in asking this without consulting him first but.. he didn't see the harm in it. After all, he could deny it if he really didn't want to, he just.. hoped he wouldn't.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan grunted in agreement. It had been named after a province in France, after all. Hopefully all of that made Lucien feel more at home. Faolan remembered how it was when he first set foot into the world, it hadn't been pleasant. At least he'd done what he could to make the journey more pleasant for the lad.

He almost chuckled at Lucien's last comment, and said under his breath, "Comes with the territory..." just as the priest stepped back into the room.

Faolan followed the two of them into the kitchen, ducking as he made his way through the door. He certainly felt a lot bigger now that he was inside again, like back in the cabin. It was a bit cramped in here too, not as much so, but this home had clearly been meant for one average-sized person, not two and a third almost-giant.

He lowered himself gently into a chair and looked down into his bowl. The spices had hit him when they first entered the house, but now that the food was mere inches from his face, it was packing a wallop. His eyes started to water just from the scent of it, and he could feel his Irish constitution turning his face red already. Faolan's incredible sense of smell made spicy and rich foods a little harder for him to eat, but his stomach growled almost audibly as he looked down at the food in front of him. He waited until the priest and Lucien picked up their spoons before he followed suit, and began to eat. Despite the smell of the spices, the flavor was quite mild. It reminded him of a seafood stew, just with more flavor. He liked it, and soon found himself digging in hungrily.

He had been eating so fervently he hadn't even tried listening to Lucien's conversation with the priest. Not that he would get more than a couple of words anyway, he only spoke two languages, and they were both his native tongue.

Faolan almost started when the priest began to speak directly to him, and he looked up at him sheepishly as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve without even noticing that he was doing so. "Mm..." he said, then glanced at Lucien. So that's what he'd been talking about...

Faolan looked around a moment. Judging by the size of the house from the outside, there was only one room for sleeping, and probably one lavatory as well. He had shared a smaller space with more men before, but with his size and the situation, this felt more like an imposition. However, he didn't exactly have a place to stay, and he would only be here for a week and a half at most...

"That's kind of you to offer...I'll take you up, if you've got the space. Only a few days though, I'll be out of yer hair within the week." Even if Faolan couldn't find enough work to get him moving in that time, he planned on finding another place to stay with what little money he could earn. "If you've got any work that needs doin', I'd be happy to lend a hand in return."

[xivyxx]

Father Cyril glanced toward the entrance of the kitchen. "If you don't mind the couch, I'm afraid that's all I have to offer." He said, pausing for a moment. "There's a few things that could use some storing.. The boxes are quite heavy. I'm afraid our backs can't really handle that kind of weight anymore." He said, chuckling a little sheepishly.

Lucien felt his shoulders relax as Faolan accepted Father Cyril's offer. His smile returned to him, and he began to eat his food at a more normal pace now that he didn't have those thoughts to worry about. Even if it wasn't long, he'd be sticking around a little longer. Who knows.. maybe he'd like it here? Hearing them talk about work made the boy curious. Now that he was here, would he be allowed to do those things?

"Hey.. Father Cyril.. is that something I will be able to do as well...? Work?" He asked a little hopefully. The priest seemed to clearly hesitate in answering his question. Perhaps he should have waited to be alone to ask him but, he couldn't help it. Part of him hoped that being away from home meant he'd have a little more freedom, after all he was much older now.

"I'm.. not sure if that's a good idea, but you did just get here. Maybe when you adjust a little more.. we can talk more about it." He responded. Lucien grew a little dejected, but he didn't argue, considering he knew the reasoning behind it. He'd have to bring it up later when they were alone.

"Ah, by the way, the docks is always looking for people to help out, so I would recommend asking there if you're looking for something less permanent." The priest suggested as he turned his attention back to Faolan.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan nodded in agreement as he continued to eat dinner, he was almost halfway done and Lucien had barely started. He was always happy to earn his keep when offered charity. Not only did it feel better to him, it kept people from feeling taken advantage of, which kept them happy and complacent. Sometimes, even that wasn't enough, but he was willing to try at least, Besides, he could sense this priest was afraid of him, and fear was a great motivator for keeping one's trap firmly shut.

He listened to the two men speak and glanced between them as they did. He saw Lucien's expression when the priest shot down his idea, and his brow furrowed. Sheltered was not quite the word to describe Lucien's situation. It was almost as if he had been imprisoned without even knowing it. Not allowed to work? What had he done all day, back in Bordeaux, and what were these priests trying to protect him from, exactly? Faolan felt sorry for him, knowing that he had spent the first twenty years of his life locked in a church without the ability to even express himself physically. Faolan would have wasted away under those conditions. Although Lucien seemed happy enough, Faolan could tell there was a desire in him to get moving, see the world, lift some heavy boxes...maybe that would be a start.

"Mm. I might try that." He grunted at the priest, then glanced at Lucien, letting his eyes linger a moment before speaking, "Why not let 'im help? We've both been cramped in a ship's cabin for a fortnight, what's the harm in letting him pull his socks up?" Stirring the pot had not exactly been Faolan's way of life before, Lucien had certainly changed that, and in only a matter of weeks.

[xivyxx]

Lucien lifted his gaze as soon as Faolan suggested for him to help. He looked in Father Cyril's direction, his eyes hopeful. Even if it wasn't too far, he still did want to help out in something while he was here. The priest appeared pensive for a moment, but then nodded.

"I suppose you're right.. Sure, he can help, though I'm not sure how many of those boxes he'd actually be able to lift, but there should be some lighter ones around. Besides it would be good for you to become familiar with the church as well." He told him. Lucien brightened up immediately at the permission that was given to him.

"Thank you, Father Cyril! I'll do my best!" He exclaimed, before giving Faolan a look of gratitude. He hadn't really felt comfortable with pushing it. After all, he had just arrived, and the last thing he wanted was to cause any problems for the priest who was kind enough to let him stay. Maybe if he proved he was capable enough to help around here, he'd be allowed to do more later.

Once they had finished their food, Father Cyril rose to his feet and gathered the dishes. Lucien had quickly gotten up to help wash them, considering he had gone out of his way to make dinner.

"Well, it's getting late, and I'm sure you two want to get your proper rest now that you're off that ship." He said as he lead them out to the living room. Briefly he left the room and returned with a blanket, which he placed on the sofa for Faolan. "Here you go."

Lucien looked toward Faolan. It was strange now having to sleep in a separate room from him, considering the time they had spent on the ship but, it was back to how things were before he supposed. It was nice to have had the company while it lasted. "Goodnight, Faolan." He told the man before he followed Father Cyril down the hall.

"This.. used to be a bit of a storage room, but I cleared it out so you could use it, I hope it's alright."

"Oh this will do just fine! Thank you. Goodnight, Father Cyril" He told him with a smile. He was told his living space wouldn't be that large, but that was fine by Lucien, it's not like he had that many belongings to begin with. There was a mattress across the floor, and he had a pillow and blanket, it was really all he needed to be comfortable enough. The priest nodded before heading off toward his room across the hall. Lucien wasted no time in settling. Despite the cramped room, he didn't really mind. It was still nicer to sleep in. It hadn't taken the nephilim that long to trail off into sleep.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan had eaten his fill and made his way into the living room, grunting a thanks to the priest as he laid the blanket on the couch. He looked to Lucien as he wished him goodnight and nodded as well, letting his eyes linger on the lad for a moment before he left the room. What were these priests so insistent on keeping a secret from the world...?

After the young Frenchman and his protector left the room, Faolan kicked his shoes off, and it was then that he noticed how warm and humid it was in the house. He was used to this, back home, and obviously in the ship, but he took him by surprise all the same. He took his shirt off, laid it on top of his bag, and spread out on the couch. His feet hung over the edge, but he was used to that too. After a few moments, he was asleep; nothing like a long day of travel and a hot meal to relax him.

--------------------------

The next day, Faolan awoke at dawn with the rest of the house. The three men ate a simple breakfast, and eager to get to work, Faolan made his way to the church with the pair of Holy men as well. The priest showed them what needed doing, and left them to their work, although a little reluctantly. Faolan directed Lucien as best he could with helping clean out some of the excess and organize everything. Despite the fact that the Frenchman was not nearly as strong as he, and Faolan had never been one for taking charge, the two got the job done remarkably fast. The pair finished by lunchtime, and the Priest was completely flabbergasted. He had no idea what to have them do next, so they spent the rest of the day helping with the regular chores. Faolan's rest was even better that night, it had been a good day.

--------------------------

But he couldn't spend all his time at the church. Once they had awoken and eaten, and finished with their daily hygiene practices, Faolan announced to the room, in rare fashion: "I'll be heading to the docks today, maybe have a walk about town, see what I can find in the way of work."

[xivyxx]

Lucien had quite enjoyed working alongside Faolan to clear out the storage room. It was a nice to have something to do for a change. Considering his old church had been much larger, there were many other people available for cleaning and other things like that, so even then he wouldn't have too many opportunities to help out. It was a little satisfying to be able to put in work like this, and he was quite proud by the time they finished and got back to Father Cyril. Perhaps this would make the priest believe him to be more capable. He could only hope.

--

A chance arose the next day, when Faolan stated he was going to go down to the docks. He felt like this might be his chance to be able to look around town a little more.

"Father Cyril, could I.. maybe go with him? I figure it would be a good chance to get to know the area.." He asked a little hesitantly. The priest clearly became hesitant, not wanting to expose Lucien to the people in this city so quickly. Briefly he glanced at Faolan, before looking back at the nephilim.

"Lucien.. I understand you're excited to be in a new place but.." It was clear he was attempting to find the right words, without giving too much away to their guest. "Lucien.. I feel it's too soon. I'm responsible for you while you're here, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to head to the church soon. Maybe another time when I can accompany you."

Lucien attempted to hide his disappointment, but he didn't do it well. Still.. he at least had hope to be able to do it later, he supposed that would be enough. It's not like he could be upset with Father Cyril, he was only trying to look out for him, just as the other priests had. He couldn't help but feel a little frustrated though. He knew he was old enough to attempt to take care of himself. Plenty of men were already out on their own by this age. Had he really traveled so far to still remain in the same situation as before?

[FreckersFrog]

As Faolan gathered his things to tuck them out of the way, he paused to listen to the conversation between Lucien and the priest. It sounded much like how a child would ask permission to have the craic outside. He had his back to the two men, and he grimaced at Father Cyril explained his hesitance. With each passing day, the Irishmen felt more and more sorry for Lucien. He was clearly not the type to be defiant, and if he wasn't going to press the issue, someone should do it for him.

Faolan turned around, and started speaking before his brain could convince him to keep quiet, "Ah, father, I don't mind if Lucien tags along with me. Show him around, so he can get a lay of the land." He glanced at Lucien, then looked around the small home, "Besides, isn't it just more worrisome to leave him alone here then have a walk about with me?" He raised his eyebrows slightly, looking more light-hearted than usual. No one could deny Faolan's physical presence would draw any unwanted or unsavory attention. Even if it did, he knew what to do. On top of that, there was no way that the Irishman could lose Lucien in a crowd. All he'd have to do is follow the scent of pure air until he found him again, and that smell was in short supply in the city.

"I'll have him home before supper, cross me heart." He said, and made a line across his chest. He said it in a way that begged no argument, just like his ma used to do.

[xivyxx]

Both Lucien and Father Cyril turned to look at Faolan as he spoke up. The priest seemed slightly surprised at the offer, as did the nephilim, but his expression immediately became a little pleading as he turned to look at the priest. While the father didn't like the idea, there was really not much he could say to argue as to why he couldn't go without revealing anything specific. To any other person, saying no in this situation would end up appearing more suspicious than anything else. He sighed.

"Alright, you can go, just be careful." He told him, causing Lucien to smile widely.

"Thank you, Father! I will." He exclaimed, before practically running past Faolan to the door. "Let's go, Faolan!" He was almost impatient to do so. Honestly he hadn't expected the priest to accept, but he was quite happy he had. It was his best opportunity to get to know the city. Once they were outside, he looked up at the larger man.

"Thank you for that." He was greatful Faolan had intervened. It made him think maybe it wasn't bad to be a little more insistant at times but, he simply felt it was too soon. Maybe getting through today with no problems would be enough to prove to Father Cyril that it was fine for him to eventually be able to walk around on his own, though it was likely convincing him of that might take a little while.

[FreckersFrog]

Faolan's eyes widened as Lucien ran past him to the door, and he watched the Frenchman go before he followed, giving a nod to the priest before leaving.

Once they were outside, Faolan began following his nose to the docks. As this was the afternoon, not many people were out on the streets, but the odd couple the two men made did get a few sideways glances as the made their way through town. Faolan was used to it though, and kept his eyes low as he walked. Despite his stature, he was well-versed at keeping to himself.

He stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked and glanced down at Lucien when he spoke again. "Mm, not a problem." He paused for a moment, unsure if he should continue, but something unknown kept making him speak. "Being inside all the time, it would make me crazy."