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year 5, quarter 3
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Post by Faris Scherwiz on Jun 7, 2019 10:33:25 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@tag
Sure is a protagonist right here
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
”Some Warrior of Light you are.”
Faris crouched in the roadside underbrush. It grew thick under the hot, wet sun, and he was careful not to shift too far and send himself toppling into a particularly rough patch of thistles. He’d waited here for hours perched on the balls of his feet and watching the road. He’d seen three caravans of merchants with carts heavy with potions and greens and weapons of all kinds. He’d seen a gaggle of farmers trudging along the side, complaining about the humidity as they’d rubbed the backs of their necks. None of them had spotted him.
Faris groaned and stretched his arms over his head, wincing at the cracks as he rolled out his shoulders. The sun-worn hours hadn’t done much for him either if he was telling the truth. His knees ached. His toes had gone numb. His heel had long since sank into the damp earth, and he had to shift them every once in a while to keep them from sticking. Still, he’d staked out worse places than this for longer, so he couldn’t complain. This was his idea afterall. His heist, and it felt good to be back to pirating again.
He tensed and ducked down at the sound of rickety carriage wheels somewhere down the road. It grew closer from his right side, and he peered through the leaves to catch a glimpse of it. A high-bred chocobo. That was the first glimpse he caught. Sleek, red feathers. A sturdy leather harness. The boots of a carriage footman. Faris felt his eyes set even before he caught sight of the rest of it. This wasn’t some merchant’s caravan or farmer’s cart. No, this was a personal ride, and it was owned by someone with more riches than they knew what to do with.
What did it matter, really, if Faris took his share?
The red-white light overtook him in a flash. His tunic expanded and hardened into a crimson breastplate. His legging thickened into grieves, and the bandanna around his head elongated into a dragon’s helm. Faris summoned his spear to his hand before launching himself into the air, rocketing nearly twenty feet and slamming down in front of the cart with enough force to send a cloud of dust flying beneath him. The chocobo reared back, squawking in surprise. There were shouts as the carriage veered sharply to the right, bumping and trembling as it came to a sudden stop. Faris angled his head, spun his spear between his fingers, and pointed the sharp end at the driver.
”You’ve a lot of brass to be traveling these roads with that kind of coin.” Faris tilted up his chin. ”You’d best hand it over. I’ll not be crossed.”
Bartz was deep in his dreams. Images flashed like a kaleidoscope mixing and overlapping with holes in some of the pictures. Bartz was on a boat peering over at the large dark mass that floated underneath, but he felt calm and at ease instead of fear at the sight. The image shifted and he was now looking down into a swirling green vortex as trepidation wrestled with excitement in his stomach. Then just as sudden he was looking down down down from way up in the sky the feeling of scales against his thighs and his arms wrapped so tightly around someone
Bartz awoke in sweat as the dream slowly melted into reality. Bartz took a deep stabling breath as he felt his cloak around him like a blanket. The plush couch he was sleeping on felt like a cloud compared to the ground even if had almost rolled over onto the many crates littering the floor. Crooked into his arm was small stuffed chocobo that he nuzzled closer. He had seen in the window of a shop in Provo that he just had to have. He meandered the shop for a few minutes before a nice elderly woman asked if he needed help. He flipped the question and asked her is she needed help. "You see I'm not from around here, and that guy in the window reminds me of best friend. Problem is I can't afford him, so I thought I'd offer to run some errands for the store or clean for him.
Well what an errand the woman had for him. Bartz ended up agreeing to ensure a shipment of the highest quality stuffed animals to a family in Torensten. Normally she would go, but her husband had fallen ill with an unknown disease that was baffling the medics. It would be easy work, the family provided the carriage and chocobo mount and rider to ensure the products did not get lost or mishandled or dirty. Bartz agreed enthusiastically as the woman offered the plush and some money to him. Bartz waved off the money; the plush and a free ride were more than enough
Bartz had just rolled back over and almost fallen back asleep when the cart jerked wildly. He was flung from his couch and crashed to the floor. Well there were worse ways to be woken up, he knew that. He wasn't being attacked by a monster or shooed out of someone's garden. Bartz stood and stretched and noticed the caravan had stopped moving. Curious, he wrapped his cape around him and his head still full of sleep exited the caravan.
"Are we there?" he called with a yawn looking puzzling out into the trees. This didn't look like a city, but perhaps these people lived out in the country. Bartz rolled his neck between his hands trying to get the kinks out as he rounded the caravan to see what was up. Well it looked like they were being held up. Bartz let out a low groan as his eyes flickered to the armored person wielding a spear to the chocobo rider and obviously spooked chocobo. His head move rapidly as he traced the same pattern with his eyes wondering if he could just back away or.... that armor looked so familiar
Bartz stomach dropped again as he realized where he knew that armor from. That guy who claimed to know him had worn that in the bar. As much as he wanted to jump into the forest before the lunatic tried to put him in a cage and haul him wherever, Bartz felt inclined to finish his promise to the old lady and perhaps save this chocbo rider's skin. "Hey, is that you...." Bartz called with a hesitant wave trying to remember the person's name but could only think of Far, "Faron? Fara? Falcon? Faris....yeah Faris that's it." Bartz tapped his forehead as the name came back to him. "Yeah, we don't have money. It's not our cart just escorting stuff. And robbing people is bad so....." Bartz winked and gave a thumbs up hoping that would be enough to deter Faris.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Jun 12, 2019 6:27:48 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@bartz
I thought he was making progress for a second there
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
For a moment, no one responded. Not the driver and not the riders -- whoever they were. Faris waited, unmoved and unyielding. He could stand there all day if he had to his aching muscles be damned. Then there was a voice inside the carriage. ”Are we there?” Faris’ eyebrows furrowed. Why if that didn’t sound familiar…
A head peeked out the side. A scruffy, brown-haired head with wide eyes. Faris froze, staring at him. That was-! It couldn’t be-!
”Bartz?!”
Faris’ mouth fell open in disbelief. After all this time. After all that effort. And the lout had stumbled blindly into him of his own accord.
He groaned and lowered his spear. ”Robbing people's bad, eh?” Faris gave a tired laugh. ”Aye, you might be right. I’ve searched head and tail for you, and you’ve caught me at my worst.”
Faris laughed louder. Hearing Bartz hardly know his name had shaken him worse than he’d cared to admit. Shaken him straight into old habits and back again. He’d been a right dolt, and he knew it.
”You don’t recall a thing, do you?” Faris bit his tongue before finally banishing his spear and armor in one. In a flash, Faris stood before them bare and defenseless but for the dagger at his hip. He pushed his hair over his shoulder and rubbed at the back of his neck. ”I couldn’t believe it. You! So rattled you’d forgotten Lenna, Krile, me…” He angled his head, groaning as his neck popped. ”I guess that’s the way of it. That old king was the same until he caught sight of Krile. I thought we’d be close enough that you might...”
Faris bit his tongue. It didn’t matter what he’d thought. This was the way of it, plain and simple. He laughed again, sadly this time. ”You must think me daft. Aye, mayhaps I’ve acted it.” He looked up to meet Bartz dead in the eye. ”But I’ve a right head on my shoulders now! Though I’ve still half a mind to knock you upside the head for whatever trouble you’ve gotten yourself into. Krile’s worried sick! Keeps waking up shouting how you’ve thrown yourself into some danger or another!”
Faris crossed his arms decisively. ”Aye, if you’ll not stop your wandering then we’ll wander along with you. It’s the only thing for it. If someone’s not to keep you from stumbling straight into a behemoth’s maw then Krile won’t get a lick of rest.” He shot Bartz a challenging look. ”That's a term you'll accept, aye?”
Bartz could feel the sweat from his nervousness start at his brow as he held his thumbs up. True, this Faris fellow had saved him from a bunch of bumbling drunken pirates, but at the same time he had almost kidnapped Bartz claiming to be his best bud forever or something like that. Bartz would relax this shoulders as the man would start laughing and give a uncertain laugh of his own cocking his gaze towards the stagecoach before Faris would finally banish the spooky getup and back into some regular clothes.
Bartz rubbed at the back of his head as Faris would ramble about strangers he didn't know just giving a small shrug when he asked if he remembered anything. Still Krile... hadn't that been that young blonde girl who pestered him the entire time they were trying to tag and protect all those chocobos in the north. And now it seemed the two of them had teamed up to find him. Bartz put his fingers under his chin as he thought, he pulled the crystal from his pocket looking at it. His head began to hurt like it always did when he looked at it too long. But Faris had been right it did do something crazy to him.
"How about not?" he groaned as Faris threatened to knock him upside the head taking a large step back waving his hands out in front of him. "And hey, I don't get into trouble," he lied pointing out a finger defiantly. He may have gotten into some uncomfortable situations every now and again, but he had skated through each of them just fine with a little luck and running when people were distracted. Either way, he was fine and in one piece. He didn't need people worrying about him; it wasn't their responsibility
Bartz groaned as Faris threatened to follow him around with that Krile girl. Still, it seemed as though the two of them weren't going to be shaken off easily, so Bartz took a deep breath and worked out a plan. He pointed a finger up , "It sounds like I don't really have a choice." Bartz shrugged again with his palms held up in the air. It wasn't like he couldn't slip away from them again if nothing came of this little detour to his solo wandering
"But I have some questions first," Bartz said crossing his arms, "You said we were some sort of Warriors or something but explain to me how this is something a hero can use." Bartz stepped forward pulling the crystal from his pocket. "Can you sing me something," he asked looking at the coachman who simply shook his head still shook up about this whole affair. "Okay, I'll do it myself." Bartz closed his eyes for a second trying to remember the music and songs that he heard in the club he had met Genesis.
A off tune note started the complete disaster. Bartz sang offtune mixing in beatboxing the beat when there were no words as his body would flail wildly out of time to his offkey singing. His shoulders bounced erratically as his hips moved in a harsh figure eight motion. He tried drop low and his knees popped and creaked like stairs in an unused house and for a second he swayed side to side as he tried to stand back up. He shimmied one way and then back. Thankfully for both Faris and the stagecoach the crystal began to glow it's emerald hue as light enveloped him.
Bartz emerged from the light in a red button up that wasn't very buttoned and tight dancer pants tied at the top with a green satin sash as his body became a graceful machine twirling en pointe and easily finding a rhythm of its own. Bartz let the dance finish on its own time as he would point his finger at Faris, "A whole lot of good this would do for a hero although it's real great for parties." Bartz would smile brightly as a the answer to everything came marching to the forefront of his brain. "The Warriors of Light is that the name for a stage show or band? Probably something I would have done after a few drinks. You guys are just looking for your front man back?" He shrugged as his body swayed in time to the chirps of the birds flying above.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Jun 20, 2019 10:18:04 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@bartz
And now we're having a dance lesson. That driver must be so confused
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Bartz relented with a groan, and still Faris kept his suspicious eye. Bartz had already bolted on him before, and a few words didn’t mean he wouldn’t do it again. Still, he felt something warm in him that Bartz would so much as give him a chance. It told him maybe there was some hope after all.
Faris blinked. ”The crystal?” He looked between Bartz and his shard before groaning. ”You really don’t remember a thing, do you? Aye, the crystal might be small, but it packs a mighty punch of power if you can use it right. There’s hardly a thing stronger! I can show you how if you-”
”Can you sing me something?”
”Eh?”
And then, true to his word, Bartz sang.
Faris could only watch in horror and awe as Bartz started in on a mixture of sounds and motions that no man should have been capable of. He twisted his hips. He jerked his fists in unnatural rhythms. He warbled in a pitch that didn’t know itself or where it was going. Faris stood rooted in place, eyes almost fearful. ”I can play the bard!” he shouted almost desperately. ”There’s no need to-! You’ve not a scrap of pride left!”
Dignity or not, it worked. He started to glow after one of the most stilted dips Faris had ever seen, and that glow took him over in a flash. Once it had finished, Bartz was posed in a triumphant twirl half-clothed in a red crop top, flared black pants, and a scarf. Faris blinked in surprise before his lips broke into a wide grin.
”Aye, that’s it! You’re a proper dancer!”
Even so, Bartz didn’t seem to grasp the gravity of it all. He was so oblivious, in fact, that Faris let out a loud, barking laugh. ”’Parties? Stage show?’ Are you daft?” He put his hands on his hips. ”You’ve always had a knack for the dancer class! I shouldn’t be surprised it’d come to you first. That form’s got sly sense of power to it. Do you know any dances?”
Faris didn’t let him answer before he shook his head. ”What am I going on about? Of course you don’t! You haven’t got a clue what it is! Well, there’s nothing to it but to teach you then. Er. Well, if I can…” Faris swallowed. ”Aye, I’ll just…” He held up his own crystal before freezing and giving Bartz a dangerous look. ”I’ll not hear a word about it! A single laugh and you’ll have hell to pay!”
With that said, Faris took a long, steadying breath. The dancer class. He’s always hated it. Spinning around like that, it wasn’t just a blow to his pride, but it meant revealing himself in a way that made his stomach turn. Still, he’d have done just about anything for his friends, and if this is what it took…
Faris bit his tongue and willed the crystal forward. In a flash, his tunic had all but disappeared. His hair had been drawn up into a curling ponytail, and he wore a pair of flared yellow pants and pink heels beneath it. He felt air at his collarbone and midriff, and he shivered more from the sensation than the cold. In seconds, he stood before Bartz barely clothed and dressed like a harlot.
He shot Bartz the fiercest look he could manage and hoped it would cover the blazing heat in his cheeks. ”Not a word.”
Bartz pursed his lips and wagged his finger. "Of course I know how to dance with or without this silly crystal thing." Trying to prove himself Bartz would begin to snap in beat with rhythm of the song in his head. His warbling humming began again, but his body moved like poetry in motion. Bartz started with a jump kick spin that landed en pointe before leaning forward his hand outstretched for Faris to take. Except the man didn't. Instead Faris threatened violence again and Bartz sucked air through his teeth, "You sure like to hit things, don't ya mister?" Bartz ran a hand through his hair as he gave a grimacing smile. He really didn't feel like being hit today.
Before he could even muster any words that might have caused such a thing, Faris was shrouded in light as well. It was rubies and flares as though it would strike out and engulf if someone got too close. Still an instant later, Bartz jaw would drop as before him stood Faris, but completely different than the one he had met. Bartz shot the coach driver a look of confusion as the man stared in abject confusion and horror. Bartz quickly patted his own chest to see if he just hadn't noticed before giving a slight blush himself.
But it didn't feel like a surprise. Bartz pursed his lips as something tickled at his brain that he already knew this about Faris. It was probably the suddenness of it all , an Bartz waved it away physically as he waved his hand in front of his still red face. "And you're telling me we're not a stage show," he teased twirling and striking a pose. Still, something stirred within him that he needed to keep dancing. "Alright if you don't think I can dance" Bartz started a playful smile betraying his challenge, "then show me what you got." Bartz shoulders began to swing in time and a moment later his hips joined in too. He shimmied his way over to Faris before gracefully bowing and extending his hand once more for him to take.
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Jun 25, 2019 8:12:28 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@bartz
OH GOD I DON'T WANT TO SHIP THIS
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
True to his word, Bartz didn’t say a thing. Faris blinked at him, waiting, but it was as though he hadn’t even noticed. The bastard. Toying with his feelings like that. Acting all decent and carefree. Despite his empty head, Bartz was still Bartz at the end, and Faris couldn’t imagine a malicious bone in his body. Why did he have to go accepting him like that?
"And you're telling me we're not a stage show.” Bartz shot him a sly, teasing smile as he twirled around lifted his arms in a dramatic pose. Faris felt his cheeks burn even hotter.
”You dolt,” he said, but he didn’t mean it. This was exactly what he’d wanted from his friend deep down. Seeing it again and aimed at him twisted something in his chest that he didn’t want to name. Relief? Affection? He didn’t know.
"Alright if you don't think I can dance…” Bartz shot him a playful smile. ”Then show me what you got.” Faris couldn’t say a word before Bartz was shimmying and swaying in a way that was almost intoxicating. It felt like watching a band of fey dancing in a wooden grove, but it was all the crystal’s power of course. Bartz could have danced him into a stupor if he’d wanted to, and Faris had to remind himself it wasn't genuine. It was the crystal, nothing more and nothing less.
Bartz gave a final spin and stopped with his hand extended. Faris looked from it to Bartz’ gleaming eyes and then froze, staring at him in horror. ”You want me to-? Here?” The weight of it felt like a tidal wave about to come crashing down. Bartz wanted to dance. Of course he did. This wasn’t a lesson to him and it wasn’t about the crystal. To Bartz, there wasn’t a thing worth doing if his heart wasn’t in it, and with the two of them here…
Bartz’ eyes bore into him with eager expectation. Faris hesitated before he gave an uneasy laugh and an even more uneasy smile. ”Aye, you’ll have your wish then. If you’ve got your heart set then there’s nothing else for it.” Faris grasped Bartz’ hand and willed the crystal’s power forward.
As soon as he took his first steps, his tension slipped away.
It didn’t matter that he was in heels. It didn’t matter that he was exposed and feminine and oozing with sexuality because the crystal drowned his fears in something almost primal. He spun once into Bartz’ arms before he spun away, seizing him in a forceful step. He caught a fire in his eye as he thrust Bartz against him, touching once before stepping back and twirling him in a loose spin. Bartz stayed loose and playful and always flitting at Faris’ fingertips. Faris was hard and decisive and brimming with passion. He felt them merge in that moment -- fire and wind and moving as one. They flared together.
His heart fluttered and for once he grasped at Bartz’ hand and released himself to his lead. His friend led with his hips, wiggling his eyebrows before twirling him away. Faris laughed -- a light, loose, exhilarating laugh that seemed in its own time and place. How long had it been since he’d loosened so much, had such fun, lived for the moment? That was Bartz at his core, and he’d always had a way of spreading his own humor to any who would hear it.
And at the edges of his thoughts flitted the words Faris would never say. ’I missed you.’
As the two danced the coachman stared in dismal confusion before slowly sneaking pass the two twirling figures on the side of the road. There would be hell to pay if he didn't make the delivery in time, and he wouldn't let two weirdos dancing in a the middle of a country road stop him from getting paid. He shook his head with one final glance in their direction before making his way to deliver the stuffed goods.
Bartz wouldn't have noticed a bomb going off in this moment. He was here to win a dance battle, and that what he planned to do. As Faris would let him go of a twirl, Bartz would immediatly drop down on his haunches and frame his face with a quick angular movement of his hands. Bartz began to vogue his way back over to Faris, his duck walk quick as his hand accentuated and framed his face, his arms, his chest. He shimmied his way back to standing where he would prance his catwalk running his hand up his thigh and gave his butt a smack. He gave a final twirl before jumping in the air, and kicking one leg back, falling hard to the ground as he death dropped.
Bartz looked over to Faris for her reaction, but just caught her laughing. Something about seeing her laugh, and lying splayed out in the middle nowhere did the trick, and Bartz found he began to laugh as well. It was a deep beely shaking laugh, and his breath caught as he tried to breathe between the laughs. Tears streamed from his eyes as light would envelope him once more leaving him back in his blue tunic and red cape still laughing heartily in the dirt. "How is that supposed to intimidate any wrong doers in any way, shape, or form." The idea that that was useful as a warrior was still ludicrous to him as he stood and brushed the dirt of himself finally being able to control his laughter.
"Aw man!" he would complain loudly as he noticed the cart was gone. He walked over to were he had dropped his stuffed chocobo in all the confusion and rubbed the dirt of him. "We're gonna have to hoof it now." he lamented as he put the fake bird in the crook of his arms. "Alright, you've got youself a deal for now. We can grab that blond girl your attached to, but then y'all can tag along for now. I was thinking of going," Bartz stopped and spun for a few seconds before pointing in a random direction, "that way. Whichever way the wind says we go."
Post by Faris Scherwiz on Jun 25, 2019 19:31:02 GMT -6
[attr="class","oneword1"]
[attr="class","fromyou1"]@tag
Sure is a protagonist right here
You've got a lot of brass, or mayhap you're just lacking in brains!
Bartz fell right smack in the middle of the road in a piled heap and then he burst out laughing. Something about the sight of it -- as absurd as it was -- brought a renewed wave of laughter in Faris as well. He doubled over, laughing harder than he could remember, and in that moment his crystal lost its hold. He felt its power dissipate with his own tension, saw the flash, and then felt the fabric fold at his midriff, and still, he laughed. Bartz sat up, nearly breathless from his own humor. ”How is that supposed to intimidate any wrong doers in any way, shape, or form?"
”Well if you do it like that, you won’t!” Faris grinned as Bartz got back to his feet, straightening his newly formed tunic. Faris ran a hand through his hair and revelled in its usual messy waves. He’d had just about enough of that dancing.
Bartz only then noticed that the carriage was gone, but if he was upset about it, he didn’t show it. He just groaned, picked up some manner of plush animal, and readied himself for his next horizon. ”We’re gonna have to hoof it now,” he said, and Faris shrugged.
”I came on foot. The walk’s a devil in the heat, but we’ll make it by dusk I should think.”
It all felt so natural that Faris almost forgot what Bartz meant when he brought up their deal. ’We can grab that blonde girl.’ ‘You can tag along.’ This was Bartz. It felt like Bartz, but the way he talked struck out like a dagger’s edge. Krile was nothing more than the ’blonde girl he was so attached to.’ They were both nothing more than burdens to tag along. Faris felt the humor drain from his eyes as he touched at the back of his head.
This wasn’t right.
”You really don’t remember a thing.” It brought a sound out of him that might have been a hollow laugh. ”You’ll let us tag along. Aye, that’s what I asked, but…”
Faris looked at him -- the same old smiling, joking Bartz as always -- but that just sharpened the contrast all the more. Maybe he looked the same, acted the same, had the same wit and cheer and smile, but there wasn’t any weight behind it. The thought of losing Bartz felt like a blade straight to the chest. The thought of losing Faris hardly gave Bartz a shrug.
”Would you want us? If we came?” Faris looked away so his eyes wouldn’t waver. ”You’re Bartz. Aye, but you’re not my Bartz. We were like brothers, and if this doesn’t give you something to feel…” Faris laughed weakly. ”Well then maybe I’ve just played the fool.”
Bartz leaned and stretched as he began to limber his body up for the long walk ahead. He couldn't be sure the exact time, but dusk seemed a long time away. He hadn't much noticed the heat until Faris mentioned, and he wished he hadn't now feeling the sweat staining his pits and chest. Still, he'd adventured through worse conditions than that, so with a jaunty little hum he began to walk down the lonely dirt road waiting for Faris to join in behind him.
Except Faris didn't. Instead he stated what Bartz himself had been trying to tell these two since the beginning. "Uhhh," he would stutter as he turned back around to face Faris as he asked if Bartz wanted them to join. "I" he started running his hand through his hair as he stammered for the right words. He didn't want to hurt Faris' feelings, but he wanted to be understood. "I've never travelled with anyone before," he would state simply truthfully. "At least not since," Well not since his dad had died, but he wasn't about to open that up to Faris. "I wouldn't know what to do or how to care about someone other than me."
Bartz turned round now shrugging hoping the explanation would make sense. It wasn't a yes or a no, so Faris could choose to do whatever. As he shrugged though, his stuffed chocobo fell from the crook in his arm back on to the road. As he went down to pick it up, he looked it in the eye. "Except Boko," he would say quietly to himself tapping at his chin as the not often used lightbulb would blink on in his head. "Boko!" he exclaimed standing up still looking at the stuffed chocobo in amazement and wonderment. "That's it!" Bartz turned once more to face Faris the cogs in his mind clearly whirring and trying.
"Okay, so you say you know me, and if you know me that means you have to know Boko," Bartz started his smile radiating from his face. "And Boko's the smartest guy I know. So, why don't you and your friend help me find him? That way you're not tagging along, but helping me out." Bartz hoped the idea was making sense to Faris, but he elaborated on it anyway. "If we find him, he'll know straight away if you guys are legit or not. If he tells me I'm being dumb, then I guess we'll figure out things. But," Bartz smile faded just a touch, "If we find him and he doesn't recognize you guys, that's it. Okay? Either way I can't wait to find my best bud." Bartz gave Faris a thumbs up as he waited to see if the man would agree to his plan.
