Matteo wasn’t sure what he had been expecting when he’d offered to get down on his knees and beg-- someone to stop him, someone to laugh at him, a simple [i]yes[/i] or [i]no[/i]-- but the knight’s request (to put it kindly) made him hesitate. He was already down on one knee, fully prepared to prostrate himself so his outrageous request at least [i]seemed[/i] to come from a place of humility. Which it was-- in no way did the Thief think he, Ash and Muu were anywhere close to the same tier as the duo he’d approached. 

But he had a story to sell. He had nothing to lose. Mocking and humiliation were the least of his concerns-- he had to [i]prove he tried[/i], or he would go down in his friends’ minds as the absolute loser he’d definitively proven himself to be the night before. [i]Literally.[/i]

Yet [i]kissing their boot[/i] represented an agreement to the knight’s demands, and [i]that[/i] made the dark-haired youth pause more than anything else. Torn, his gray eyes flicked down to the boots before back up at the faceless stranger, lingering on their helm. From the build and voice he guessed it was a woman, but it didn’t really matter.  [i]Carrying heavy bags deep into the woods, dying for the priest… that sounds…[/i] 

He wasn’t proud. He was just lazy. Despite having been the one to make the offer, he hesitated now to sign this unwritten contract. 

And then suddenly, Ash was there. Matteo jerked in surprise as the ranger knelt and kissed the knight’s boots, sealing the deal and sparing him his indecision. [i]I’m not the only one who’s desperate,[/i] he realized, and that his deprecating introduction of the group had perhaps been more honest than he'd expected. He even heard a little [i]please[/i] from Muu. He’d dragged all three of them down to his level for this gambit, and for their sake if not his own, Matteo suddenly willed it to succeed.

The chance of success had been so slim he’d barely entertained it when he first approached the pair. Objectively, the odds seemed impossible. 

[i]Is this fate, then?[/i]

Seeming resigned, Matteo hesitantly mirrored Ash, lowering his head to let his lips brush the knight’s other shoe. An act of solidarity more than anything else. [b]“We’ll do what’s necessary,”[/b] he muttered, heart thumping with sudden dread. What had they gotten themselves into? [i]What have I gotten us into, rather?[/i]

He rose when prompted by the priest, grateful for her pity, and offered another mild smile. [b]“Thank you both for this opportunity. My name is Matteo, Thief by trade.”[/b] He copied the way Etono had first introduced themselves when they’d met. As the priest spoke Matteo felt privately that any and all of the proposed targets were more than the trio had ever overcome successfully, but did not weigh in with his opinion. They were in no position to make demands or suggestions. [i]Not yet.[/i]