Welcome to Gaia! ::

The man watched Bapp with a level of mistrust that must have been off the charts, and it wasn't exactly a very sociable reaction to the young man's introduction. Tensing up, his lips pressed together into a thin line, and his brow furrowed underneath his white hair. After he had been so thankful before, he had quickly clammed up (-shoots self-) and remained silent on the matter of his name. His jaw clenched and he looked around the small clearing the tent had once occupied.

Subtly, he reached behind him, picking up the rock he had spotted and palmed it in his hand, rolling it around to get a good grip. The man climbed to his feet and carefully folded the clothes over his arm and made a neat pile so he could walk over to return them to Bapp. And to get a little closer.

"I appreciate what you are trying to do for me ..." But he didn't finish the sentence, waiting for a split-second that it seemed that Bapp wasn't paying attention to him. Using the rock, he was going to attempt to strike the young man over the head.

Awkward. The rock dropped from nerveless fingers and thudded against the ground, rolled a little and came to a rest next to his boot. The man was in a state of shock and confusion. The rock couldn't care less and was happy being a rock. The corner of the man's mouth twitched, mouth open in utter disbelief. He might as well have been trying to hit Bapp with a marshmallow for all the good it did him.

And he didn't believe the insect excuse for one minute. What was Bapp's game? His eyes narrowed for a second, and he slowly started after Bapp when he waited. If this young man could deflect stones without even batting an eye, then trying to pull another fast one after that little stunt could be the last straw. Trying to beat him in a fair fight was out of the question, same as running when he could barely walk straight.

Instead, the man clenched his jaw again, and he followed right after Bapp. He ventured another question, "Who are you really?"

"Me? Just a traveling artist. Nothing much. Is there something wrong?" Bapp replied with his trademark grin.

They were passing the Port of Gambino already.

Bapp's fast walking pace compelling the strange man to keep up with odd staggering.

"You're walking strange. Are you alright?" He turned to wait for the man to catch up for the umpteenth time.

((We're walking to Barton from Isle de Gambino))

((GWAAAAAAAAAAAAH YOU'RE RIGHT!!!!))

"N-nothing wrong. It is peculiar that you are out here alone."

And when Bapp stopped again for him to catch up, he replied with, "I'm just ..." He floundered for words for awhile, stammering and put off by his own inability to even form coherent sentences, finished that sentence with a harrumph. "Can you grant me a moment of respite?"

Refusing to budge another inch either way, he sat down on the nearest stump, resting his head against his arms. After a few steady breaths, he sat back up straight and dry washed his hands over his face and through his hair. His gray eyes were watching Bapp wearily for a glimpse before his bangs flipped back down over them.

"I haven't been well."

Understatement of the year, he was in a cold sweat, his skin feverish, and he was so fatigued and weak it came to no surprise to him that he couldn't even put a dent in Bapp's hat; nevermind that he didn't know about the modifications. "How much farther is it to Barton?"

(( Well, it is plausible if you're in the company of a pseudo-overseer XDD ))