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Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien slept quite well that night, and had woken up around the same time as Father Cyril, out of habit. He left his room, quiet as he took note that Faolan was still sleeping. He headed for the kitchen, figuring he could help out with breakfast. The priest still appeared a little pensive, but he spoke up once Lucien had entered the room.

"I must admit... I didn't expect him to return.. but I will keep my word, and have a conversation with him." The priest told him. Lucien wasn't really offended to hear this, after all he didn't really get a chance to get to know the Irishman while he was here. He was happy he had been proven right.

"Thank you, Father Cyril." He told him, before he began to make beignets. It seemed that Faolan liked them, so he figured he'd make them one last time before they went on their journey, considering he wasn't sure how often he'd be able to do so. When they were just about finished making breakfast, Faolan entered the room.

"Good morning." He greeted the man as he helped the priest set the table and place the food down before they took their seats. Faolan was looking a little better, but he still looked a little weary. He decided not to comment on it however. It was halfway through their breakfast that Father Cyril had finally decided to speak.

"So.. Lucien tells me you are aware of his ability to heal, and yet you didn't question it, or tell anyone. Why was that?" He asked, causing Lucien to almost choke on his food. He was quick to recover though, eyes darting from the priest, to Faolan. The question caught him off guard completely, as he didn't really think the priest would start with that. Despite the bluntness of the question, Father Cyril knew what he was doing. He was going to judge this man for himself, and that included his reaction to such a sudden question, to not give him time to come up with any sort of excuse. He needed to see if he could truly trust him with Lucien.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien tilted his head slightly as Faolan spoke. Usually he was pretty good about understanding him through his accent, but this time around was a little more difficult, as there were some words he did not comprehend. He didn't want to make him rephrase, because he thought it rude, but the gist of it at least told him that the man was okay. He didn't really want to bombard him with questions when he was looking so tired. He briefly glanced down the hall before looking back at Faolan.

"Well.. do try to get some rest. I.. talked to Father Cyril.. he'll probably want to talk to you tomorrow but.. he seemed inclined to allow it." He told him simply.

"You're clearly quite tired from your journey, so I don't wish to keep you up. I'll leave you be." He told him, turning to leave, but then paused, turning to give the man a smile. "Welcome back, and rest well." He said, before going off to his room. He was clearly happy and relieved to see Faolan had safely returned. His excitement for their upcoming journey only increased now knowing that he was so close to being able to leave with his friend.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

"Well I'm certainly happy to hear it is to your satisfaction then." He said, having expected for him to ask for at least some minor things. Perhaps he had misjudged him, or perhaps he was simply trying to remedy the bad impression he had of him.

Lucien raised his eyebrows a bit as Geralt spoke up again and began to look through his briefcase. He caught the unnatural movement of how deep his arm had gone despite how small the briefcase was. It was probably some form of magic. If he had to guess then it meant most of his belongings were probably in there. It was certainly a handy thing. He was clearly surprised to see the man extend a bottle of wine to him, and one from Bourdoux at that.

"Oh.. Pourquoi vous ne devriez pas avoir." He said. "It's even from Bourdeaux.. Quite the charmer aren't you?" He did appreciate the gesture, no matter what the motives may have been.

"Since you went out of your way to bring this, I would be happy to share a glass with you one of these nights. It is the least I could do." Lucien was too polite to not extend the invitation. After all, it had been a while since he had been able to enjoy a nice glass of wine in the peace of his own trailer, considering he had to cut back on it when their financial problems had started.

"Ah, but I can't really be walking carrying this bottle around, so I hope you do not mind holding onto it for me." He said before returning the bottle to him. He could faintly hear the sound of people getting louder, so he glanced back at the man.

"I assume you have everything that you need? The briefcase seems to hold more than it appears." He commented, hoping that it was the case, considering they were practically out of time.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

As the days had gone by, Father Cyril was more in belief that the man would not return, but Lucien still believed in him. He said it could take up to a week after all, and they were nearing the end. It was still within the time frame he had been given, so he did not lose hope. It was upon the sixth day that there was a knock on the door. Usually the priest did not receive many visitors, as anyone who wanted to speak with him usually went to the church to do so. Lucien practically flew out of his room before Father Cyril could make it to the door.

"Faolan!" He exclaimed, but held off on the hug, considering the reactions the man had to them. The man looked incredibly wary, which then brought about concern into his expression, but relatively he seemed alright. He was quick to step aside so he could enter. Father Cyril was clearly surprised to see him, after all he hadn't actually expected him to return. Still, it seemed the man was tired, so he didn't think they'd be heading out today. He would be sure to have a talk with him tomorrow.

"Feel free to clean up and use the couch." The priest said simply, before heading off to his room. It wasn't like he was trying to be the bad guy here, the man was clearly tired, but he worried about what this might mean for Lucien in the future. He had a lot to think about overnight.

Once the priest had gone, Lucien turned his attention back to Faolan. "Are you alright?" He asked him, considering the man's tiredness. Of course he was happy the man had come back but, he wanted to make sure he was in good health before they departed. He didn't want him to push himself either. He could bear to stay a little longer if it was necessary.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien was a little surprised to hear Geralt agree to the pricing so readily, he had expected at least some sort of retort, but he wasn't going to complain, he much preferred for him to be compliant. As they locked eyes, the man realized he had noticed him looking. He had been quick to redirect his gaze, but it clearly hadn't been fast enough. He'd be sure to be more careful in the future, since he didn't want to give the man the wrong idea.

The ringmaster was quiet as Geralt looked around the venue. The carnies had rushed to get this together, knowing that this man was used to performing on a more upscale stage, Lucien was trying to give him the least amount of things to complain about.

"I did my best with the time I had. Of course if there is anything else you need, or changes you want made that are within my ability after today, feel free to let me know before the next set of shows. I do give my performers freedom with this, as I want them to be comfortable." He said, emphasizing that this was something that needed to be done ahead of time. Ironically enough he wasn't a miracle worker, not in this way anyway.

When it came to their performance tents, Lucien tried to give them as much creative freedom as they wanted, because it usually inspired them or helped them make their acts better. No one here ever asked for something ridiculous, but he wasn't sure about Geralt in that aspect. Regardless, he offered because he wanted to make sure he had whatever he needed to perform at his best.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien couldn't help but let out a chuckle, knowing Faolan was joking. If he had to be perfectly honest, physical contact with other people was not something he had growing up. Even though the people at the Church had cared for him, they had always kept him at a distance. Faolan was probably the first, and now second, person he had hugged, but he didn't find it necessary to share that. Instead, he joked.

"It could have been worse." He said jokingly, before stepping away. He could almost feel the lingering touch of the man on his shoulder as he had began to walk away. He tried not to feel sad, believing the man would return.

He lingered outside for a little while until Faolan was completely out of sight, before coming back inside.

It took a couple days for Lucien to be able to speak to Father Cyril. Despite his improved mood they hadn't spoken all that much. He felt a little bad honestly, but it was time for him to speak up. It had been a few days since Faolan had gone, and while he wasn't sure exactly how long he was going to take, he wanted to make sure to say something to Father Cyril before he had, to give him a bit to warm up to the idea.

"Father Cyril, I need to speak with you.." He said after knocking on the priest's door.

"...Come in.." Upon hearing that, Lucien opened the door, though he mostly remained at the door-frame. "What is it?"

The nephilim let out a small breath before he brought himself to speak. "Father Cyril, I am truly grateful for everything you and Father Thomas have done for me.. but I decided that I want to experience the world after all.." He said. Immediately the priest's eyebrows furrowed.

"Lucien we've been over this--"

"Please let me finish." Interrupting was something Lucien almost never did, but he felt like if he didn't in this situation then he wouldn't be allowed to finish. "Back before Faolan had decided to leave.. I asked him if I could go with him, and he said yes. There were some things he had to take care of beforehand but.. he's going to return.. and when he does.. I'm leaving with him.."

"Lucien you can't be serious. You hardly know the man. I admit I was a little wrong about him but.. how do you even know he is going to come back for you? He could have took you with him in the first place."

Lucien was quick to shake his head. "No.. Faolan isn't like that. If he hadn't wanted me to go, he would have told me no. I told you that back at the ship.. he helped me out a lot, and he made me realize how naive I truly am. I appreciate the shelter I was given as a child, but I think I was protected from too much. Those two weeks on the ship taught me that. I'm.. ready to face it all head on.."

Father Cyril let out a heavy sigh. "People out there lie all the time. I get he's your friend but.. what are you going to do if he finds out about you? If he tries to use you?"

"That's.. not going to happen. Faolan he.. he already knows I can heal people.. Back at the ship things happened and.. he got hurt because he helped me, I had no choice. But he didn't ask me any questions, or inquire anything about what I was, up to this day, and he didn't tell anyone either. I think even if he knew.. it would be alright. I trust him, Father Cyril. I know I'm not as experienced with people as I could be, but there's just something that tells me that I can believe in him. Even if.. I couldn't travel with him, I can't stay behind these walls anymore, I wish to go." His voice was filled with determination this time around, very well willing to defend Faolan in this situation.

The priest wasn't sure what to say at first, but it was clear he was exasperated. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had been shocked to hear the Irishman knew about Lucien's healing ability. There was a part of him that made him even more hesitant to let Lucien go with him, but he seemed determined this time around, and he was worried saying no might have the man going off on his own, which seemed like a worse alternative. Regardless, he wasn't even sure if Faolan would return for him. If he didn't, it was possible Lucien would be discouraged from continuing on this journey of his.

"If the man comes back, I'll have a talk with him. I promised Father Thomas I would take care of you, the least I can do is make sure you're going with good company. If I decide it's safe to travel with him, I at least want you to write to me every now and then so I know you're alright. I'm sure Father Thomas would appreciate it as well."

Lucien's expression brightened up. "Thank you!" He exclaimed, bowing his head to the priest. Father Cyril simply shoo'd him away, and he was quick to leave the room, happy that he would be allowed to go. He wasn't worried about how the conversation between Faolan and Father Cyril would go, he hoped the priest would see the same good in the man that he did. All he had to do now was wait for him to return.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Father Cyril appeared surprised at having received payment from Faolan. He hadn't really expected it, but bowed his head slightly in thanks. "It was a pleasure. I must admit it was nice to have the muscle around. I wish you safe travels on your journey." He told him.

As Faolan got up to leave, Lucien was quick to follow him out the door. The priest had remained in the kitchen, figuring he would allow the man to say his goodbyes.

There was a small moment of hesitation from Lucien as he walked outside with Faolan, but then he shook it off and gave the man a hug. Even though he knew he was coming back, it still was a little saddening to say goodbye. "I'll talk to Father Cyril while you're gone.. I didn't want to make anything awkward by bringing it up while you were still here.." He said quietly before he pulled away. He figured this way was best.

"Be careful.. I hope whatever it is you have to do gives you no trouble." Considering he wasn't really sure what that was, he figured he could at least safely say this. He didn't want to pressure him by telling him to hurry, but he could not deny he was very well looking forward to his return.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien glanced back at Geralt. He knew that the man most likely thought the reason they had come here was for him. He wasn't wrong, but it also wasn't completely the case. It just made the whole thing a lot less risky than going to the other much more desolate town.

"There were a couple things we had to do in the area." He said, but decided to leave it at that. It had also been lucky that there was a lake nearby. Had they taken the other route, it would have been much harder to find somewhere to refill Cora's tank, based on what he had seen on the map. Of course there was no reason for him to go into details on that at the moment. He'd see for himself soon enough. His response wasn't surprising, that was about what he expected to hear, considering their exchange back at his apartment. Those prices would easily fly in Paris, he of all people knew that.

"I expected as much." He said, growing pensive. Honestly if the country wasn't suffering at the cost of the depression, he would have been much more willing to charge more, but right now they couldn't deter their patrons by overcharging. He wanted to take advantage of the fact children would be getting in for free to encourage more people to come with their families.

"I'm afraid we'll have to make due with fifty cents. Deterring people with higher prices is the last thing I wish to do at the moment, considering it's our second time here." When they headed for the next town, he would be able to revisit that. For a moment, his attention shifted to the way the man carried himself, with one arm behind his back. It reminded him of what he and Illyana had talked about. Perhaps he had overthought that vision a little. This particular posture might simply be normal for the man. It sure appeared to be. He turned to look forward again, not wanting the man to think he was staring. It was then they arrived at the man's performance tent. He had prepared it to be larger than some of the others, knowing he would most likely bring in a bigger audience. He had guessed his shows would be on the longer side, therefore wanted to make sure people would be less likely to miss it.

"Here we are." He said, holding the entrance to the tent open.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien felt himself let out a small sigh of relief. He felt like a small weight had been lifted from his back. Even though.. he hadn't left yet, he still felt a little more free than he had before, because he now had that chance.

"Good luck at work!" He called out to him, a bit of that old brightness returning to his voice, something that hadn't happened since his argument with Father Cyril. That was something he wasn't looking forward to. He was sure the priest would still be against it but.. he wasn't going to back down this time. He decided it was best to wait until Faolan left to say something, as he didn't want to make the man's remaining stay awkward, and he didn't want him to get kicked out either. Lucien went back to his room, and continued to keep a bit to himself, though it was clear that his mood was not as down as before.

Father Cyril had returned from the church and had a few last minute tasks for Faolan to do. He attempted to help when he could, to give himself something to do as well. Plus if he helped out, it would allow the man to finish faster and hopefully get more rest in before he had to work again. Before Lucien knew it, the day for the man to go had arrived.

They had just finished their breakfast when Father Cyril spoke up. "So.. you said you were leaving today? I must thank you again for the help you gave us back at the church. I'm sure a lot of those things would not have gotten moved if not for you." The priest said.

Cirque D'étoiles (1x1, FxM, MxM, FxF)

Lucien had a feeling despite Geralt's attempts, he would surely be hearing more 'apologies' from him. He was beginning to see that it was just the kind of man he was, one who was used to being in control. Normally he did not have this sort of issue here. There was no one troublesome in his troupe, and Lucien did not really have to go out of his way to be completely stern with people. This would not be the case with Geralt, that much was obvious.

"That would be most appreciated." He said simply as they continued on their way. He took note of Geralt looking at the other tents. It was good to see that he was at least interested in the other acts. The ringleader was actually curious to see how Geralt would react to the others, considering Ivory's skill had at least piqued his interest.

Hearing his response, he nodded slightly. That was fairly normal for a magician's act, after all they had a lot to offer.

"That is correct." He said, pausing for a moment. "I suppose this is a good moment to mention this is the second time we've been to this city in this circuit, hence the low turnout, but the alternative was worse." He said with a small sigh.

"I assume you are used to charging more than that."