Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

[DelightedOne]

Heart-Songs

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Heh. Heartsongs mentions always make me happy.

This is actually pretty great. Honestly I don't know if it would be helpful but my main "tactic" when I'm writing is to make a mind-movie of the plot and if I don't like it the problem is usually on the primary concept I used not being compatible with one of the other elements in the current version.

If his headspace was hard to get into then you could try to develop his character a bit more in your head with other things(basically trying to make a profile for him), that way you can have a clear idea of how he sees the world.

 

[ses]

Alright, if we're determined to send more than one pony to the Hills estate and do Edge Sacrament, we can drop Rarity, move Soft's Request into the free social slot now that we've confirmed that's allowed, and have Rarity do double-commission. That lets us send Biedde alongside Axe for +3 moth and whatever narrative help an extra person to carry cargo provides. We can then use the freed up AP for Edge Sacrament with only +1 Bases action for (Social)Soft's Request/Study/Study/Study/Forge Summoning/Edge Sacrament as our total actions for the turn. Comet and the Risen do Edge AotLs while Filthy and Servants do Bases, Rarity does a commission, and Axe spends one AP on the assault, her second AP is a bit of a wildcard. Wrong Keys? Third Edge AotL? We guaranteed don't get access to a 3circle site next turn.

Spoiler: Proposal Edge Sacrament+Kidnap Hills plan

Selene	Scry Book		AotL	Edge
Selene	Scry Reagent		Forge	Forge 2
Selene	Soothe the Night		Winter
Axe	Kidnap Hills		Grail	Filthy
Axe	Wrong Keys		Knock	Stairways
Baldomare	Lantern Influence		Social	Soft's Request
Mareinette	Honored Guest+Assault		Velvet	Forge Name
Biedde	Edge Influence+Assault		Velvet	Edge Sacrament
Forge Name	Build a Prison		Velvet	Study Books
Rarity	Commission		Velvet	Study Artifacts
Fluttercomet	Edge AotL		Bases	Study Artifacts
Jade	LOCKED
Servants	Bases
Risen	Edge AotL
Detectives	Dodge Junction
Constables	Tall Tale
Commissioner	Hoofs Dirty
Filthy	Bases

Spoiler

Selene	Scry Book		AotL	Edge
Selene	Scry Reagent		Forge	Forge 2
Selene	Soothe the Night		Winter
Axe	Kidnap Hills		Grail
Axe	3circle site		Knock	Stairways
Baldomare	Lantern Influence		Social	Teach Rarity
Mareinette	Honored Guest		Velvet	Forge Name
Biedde	Edge Influence		Velvet	Soft's Request
Forge Name	Build a Prison		Velvet	Study Books
Rarity	3circle site		Velvet	Study Artifacts
Fluttercomet	3circle site		Bases	Study Artifacts
Jade	LOCKED
Servants	Bases
Risen	Bases
Detectives	Dodge Junction
Constables	Tall Tale
Commissioner	Hoofs Dirty

This plan gives up Edge Sacrament in order to teach Rarity and put 3 follower AP on getting a 3circle site established. Subject to change on QM comments on what a 3circle site requires. Less risky and gets the permanent upgrade to Rarity's income while leaving the door open to double commissioning on turns 23 and 24 with the benefit of higher lore levels. It also doesn't leash Filthy Rich, though it can likely be edited to do so if the thread wants to.

Honestly I just dont think the benefits are worth risking a 2nd Rarity commission in a row. We can do Edge Sacrament if the thread really wants to and give up on 3circle site and teaching rarity, but I dont think a 2nd train ticket to canterlot is a good idea.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Clearly we should just send Mareinette to get him

 

[Flaregamer82253]

Clearly we should just send Mareinette to get him

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...Actually, yeah, if we were gonna send anybody to try and cover an Axe weakness, Mareinette is better than Biedde in case we run into social. And they're going into an estate. This will require disguises! And we have a rare chance to reprise a missed opportunity.

Hell, this fits the narrative of having Mareinette picking up the ingredients so that she could start cooking!

And besides, getting prisoners is a Grail action in Cultist Simulator, not an Edge or Moth action.

 

[ses]

I mean I suppose we could just Name-bomb him with total overkill if we're doing double-commission. Use the extra Names to handle the "Acquire moveable assets" bonus objective.

 

[Xoden]

There's a REASON why I... kinda gave up on skipping her, even as I've explicitly stated multiple times how I think her Sacrament is the second worst, morally speaking, right after the Wolf One (if a VERY distant second).

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Yeah. Personal Grail Sacrament both looks more interesting and far less reprehensible. But far harder to achieve, and the mood is a pressing need to get a shot of Power fast.
Probably would have been really easy in a hypothetical 'wide' build, but not now with only 1/3 prerequisites and unknown amounts of effort to complete.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

You misunderstand; I mean just Mareinette. Hence the .

Also we should remember that the DoA detests Mareinette and her monstrous ways, so sending Mareinette with DoA to get Hills for Mareinette's Sacrament is really just rubbing ludicrous amounts of salt into that wound.

Honestly, if you just wanted to send one pony? Velvet might be the best bet, mechanically speaking. She covers every Lore to the point that she'll beat a Name's General Bonus. Narratively... it might be best to keep Velvet physically distant from the scene of the kidnapping.

 

[spiderhellian]

Eating Velvet Hill is a bad idea

1. We are close to All In. There are many things we want to achieve before then, and we want our focus on those things. As I believe @Greymere mentioned, it's therefore valuable to not make a mess. Not cause craziness we'll need to deal with or that'll throw off our plans. Kiling our father would make a mess. We're killing off our family's head. We're killing a mafia-org's head at the same time it's second-in-command is leaving. This is going to be a mess.

2. We don't need to. I'm not even talking about Girldinner here. But for the same cost of effort, we could just... abduct literally anyone else. A random criminal off the street, if we'd like.

3. We're way overconfident on its easiness. This is the head of a mob family. You don't think he's going to have some capacity to escape? Some level of guards? Names are strong, but this is risky!

 

[ses]

Eating Velvet Hill is a bad idea

1. We are close to All In. There are many things we want to achieve before then, and we want our focus on those things. As I believe @Greymere mentioned, it's therefore valuable to not make a mess. Not cause craziness we'll need to deal with or that'll throw off our plans. Kiling our father would make a mess. We're killing off our family's head. We're killing a mafia-org's head at the same time it's second-in-command is leaving. This is going to be a mess.

2. We don't need to. I'm not even talking about Girldinner here. But for the same cost of effort, we could just... abduct literally anyone else. A random criminal off the street, if we'd like.

3. We're way overconfident on its easiness. This is the head of a mob family. You don't think he's going to have some capacity to escape? Some level of guards? Names are strong, but this is risky!

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I agree with all three points but not necessarily to the level of agreeing with the conclusion?

Velvet Hill "has the Annoyance tag", it was always intended to be a perfectly viable to just send a powerful Edge follower. And Names are indeed strong and I do expect Hill to have defenses, but also I expect that we'll be able to pick up moveable assets that pay for the cost multiple times over, and that actually does help. I don't know if I'd rely on Axe to solo it with perfect reliability but two or three names should be more than enough to handle whatever hurdles exist. Biedde is the Name of Assassination, more than he is the name of guarding. This is exactly what he's good for.

As for making a mess... Reproach is a devoted minion now and the Bureau takes orders from us. We already delayed dealing with The Changeling Threat, our organization's main purpose, for two months. It wont even be a blip on the radar for us to not assign resources towards Hill and leave it for the local police (who will be helpless to deal with 6-7 moth levels plus Name specialty bonuses).

Honestly I kind of want to send Axe on a burglary mission at this point even if plans for Mareinette befriending fail. We need bits, Axe needs something worthy of her to do this turn, we can do it safely in comparison to the payoffs. Burglary is literally the Cult Buisness for Knock followers and Axe is stronger in Knock than an Exalted Neville or Enid.

[Combating suspicion, breakpoints 60/80/100/120/150]

[Mareinette's roll: 90 13 + 60 (Social action) + 30 (Grail, level 6) = 180]

[Final breakpoint reached]



"[GRAIL]!"



-and then she convinces everypony this is just a bad dream, and that they should go back to sleep.

And they all, without exception, believe her.

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This is the kind of roll that a Name can make when a big mess would occur, and we got the exact words "[This enemy's attack will create absolutely no suspicion. Its occurrence will be completely ignored both narratively and mechanically, unless Velvet Covers decides otherwise]". I perfectly expect that same message to be there with "This enemy's" replaced with "Your" conditional on being able to pass a CD 150 test, and minor blips that dont really reach us past the Bureau not showing an interest on a 120...

[The sound of a dropping pin, cd 20/50/100]

[Roll = 62 + 9 (Cult Influence) + 5 (Moth 1) + 10 (Knock 2) – 10 (A small, quiet town) = 76]



Following the dispersing crowd comes a second group.

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From the Changeling Purge. Note that both Knock and Moth aid in combatting suspicion for break-ins. A team rocking 8 knock levels and 6 moth levels plus a re-roll plus +50 general bonus should... be able to hit CD 120 99.99% of the time due to the chance of double nat1, and CD 150 91% of the time. And that's assuming Axe isn't willing to pop an influence.

Or maybe it's an Edge roll like Selene's was... in which case thats still 9 lore levels plus general bonus and it's a contested roll against the local mortal constabulary.

 

[Alan975]

As mush as the spice of the punisment of a bad Mother would be missed in the meal, the idea of turning the crime of the sky on its head is just...

Well, it sets a nice precedence don't you think?

A parent should always give of themselves for their spawn, a parent who does not should be made to do so. That is a lesson that I would like to be enGrailed on the soul of someone that will ascend.

Talks of right and wrong, of final lines to cross feel quite moot when we have and continue do do things just as bad.
This though is a prime example of how those necessities should be done.

and while I'm not fool enough to think that this would change The Lady's viewpoint, at least the flavor text will be oh so sweet

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

This is your regular reminder that Cadance could stand to be visited by friends more often. Friends like Mareinette. Don't be selfish. Let the Wire-Horse sample the finest offerings of Canterlot. Let her luxuriate in ways impossible at the Estate. Let her clicker-clack amongst the nobility. Let her (possibly) cheerlead the abduction of Hills while watching through opera glasses, knowing the surprise Velvet is preparing for her return from her royal retreat. Vote maximal friendship. Vote Princess Mareidance.

 

[Greymere]

Alright, if we're determined to send more than one pony to the Hills estate and do Edge Sacrament, we can drop Rarity, move Soft's Request into the free social slot now that we've confirmed that's allowed, and have Rarity do double-commission. That lets us send Biedde alongside Axe for +3 moth and whatever narrative help an extra person to carry cargo provides. We can then use the freed up AP for Edge Sacrament with only +1 Bases action for (Social)Soft's Request/Study/Study/Study/Forge Summoning/Edge Sacrament as our total actions for the turn. Comet and the Risen do Edge AotLs while Filthy and Servants do Bases, Rarity does a commission, and Axe spends one AP on the assault, her second AP is a bit of a wildcard. Wrong Keys? Third Edge AotL? We guaranteed don't get access to a 3circle site next turn.

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Looks good to me tbh. If Bird decides to make "building a 3-circle site" a project w/ a progress bar instead of a Forge Name exclusive, maybe we could throw DoA's second AP at it just to get it started.

 

[Alan975]

This is your regular reminder that Cadance could stand to be visited by friends more often.

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You're right! We really should do that more often, we already commute to the damn city.

Perhaps some Lore lessons Lunch dates every now and then?
And if a certain someone would like to tag along on her own volition, then it would just be plain rude to say no

 

[Alan975]

Looks good to me tbh. If Bird decides to make "building a 3-circle site" a project w/ a progress bar instead of a Forge Name exclusive, maybe we could throw her at it just to get it started.

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Oh! that would make a perfect oportunity for our son and Rarity to get to know each other!


As fun as it all is to joke about, id say that their future connection is quite important.
They're a growing boy -although for how long we can't say- but just becuase Stormchaser could open his heart for one does not mean that he could accept another that is so...

Not to mention the dreaded idea that Velvet will perhaps not act as a proper mother should because of that.

 

[ses]

Oh! that would make a perfect oportunity for our son and Rarity to get to know each other!


As fun as it all is to joke about, id say that their future connection is quite important.
They're a growing boy -although for how long we can't say- and even if Stormshaser could open his heart for one does not mean that he could accept another that is so...

Bot to mention the dreaded idea that Velvet will perhaps not act as a proper mother should because of that.

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Sadly if Rarity double-commissions we don't get any interactions between them. Rarity is mechanically and narratively totally absent from ponyville for the entire month on commission turns. And Forge Name will probably be an artifact the turn after that so no interactions that turn either. It just doesn't line up unless we don't do a Hill assault.

Looks good to me tbh. If Bird decides to make "building a 3-circle site" a project w/ a progress bar instead of a Forge Name exclusive, maybe we could throw DoA's second AP at it just to get it started.

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I don't know what the overlap between "Willing to vote for a Grail Sacrament plan" and "Not willing to Leash Filthy for very minor gains" is in the voterbase but it can easily be non-zero. Personally I'm pretty close to being one of them. The payoff for grail sacrament is absolutely massive and turns a deadly, quest-threatening enemy into a Befriended Name. The payoff for mind-controlling Filthy in the Edge Sacrament plan is... an extra Axe action we'll probably use on burglary for bits or starting some minor progress on the 3circle site.

 

[Shaper47]

4 Axe AP on lessons and one Velvet AP on studying that Knock 7 Artifact gives us Mastery.

Considering how we don't have Axe explicit tasks like expeditions ready at the moment it's the perfect time to get some knock lessons.

 

[ses]

We don't have a knock 7 artifact, and the thread seems to be adamant on not risking our Baldomare safety net with the Knock 5 book, and Axe is going to be busy with expeditions from next turn on. Knock 6 doesn't seem to be in the cards. We're not getting Knock lessons on turn 23 (Reagent expedition, Great Book Hunt), or on turn 24 (BTRC3). So we could hit mastery at turn 26? Maybe? If we don't unlock any other Long endgame expeditions in the meantime.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

You're right! We really should do that more often, we already commute to the damn city.

Perhaps some Lore lessons Lunch dates every now and then?
And if a certain someone would like to tag along on her own volition, then it would just be plain rude to say no

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If I am right, then you should vote to not interfere in Mareinette's friending of Cadence, rather than your current selection.

 

[Shaper47]

We don't have a knock 7 artifact

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Technically Axe does and as a subrogate she can lend us the Frangiclave to study.

and Axe is going to be busy with expeditions from next turn on

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With what bits?

We literally don't have the cash with how the thread has insisted on throwing away money.

Heavy doubts about how easy people are assuming the Reagent expedition is going to be.

Besides short expeditions are free if someone else is the leader. Which covers the Moth Books expeditions.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

People keep trying to make plans as if Bird won't upend them with new developments and shenanigans when the turn actually starts. Foolishness.

 

[AuthorTransient]

I would argue that Windy Flakes is a better target than Hills, just that we would need to spend an action on finding him first.

 

[Alan975]

Sadly if Rarity double-commissions we don't get any interactions between them.

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Thats more likely yes, Greymere mentioned Rarity being put to work on it

If I am right,

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Sarcasm. WE, we, as in Velvet
I want to see the result of the sacrament, and I believe that snubbing Our Lady and sending her off to room with our bestie is a bad and stupid thing to do.

We literally don't have the cash with how the thread has insisted on throwing away money.

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How exactly? You're absolutely correct with our budget constraints but when has that been wasted? Put to a good cause more like. I'm not really seeing what we could have skimped out on.

Not even getting into what your previous preferences on money making would have costed us.

 

[Shaper47]

How exactly? You're absolutely correct with our budget constraints but when has that been wasted? Put to a good cause more like. I'm not really seeing what we could have skimped out on.

Not even getting into what your previous preferences on money making would have costed us.

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A straight 960 bits + unknown amount of bits were not picked.

500 from the Wedding instead spent of sunkcost Twilight. We definitely could have skimped out there, that was 100 percent a waste.

400 from the blackmail. Cool narratively but kinda a waste mechanically as Bureau as our cult is long term benefit not short term and we're running things short term with our situation. Misguided priorities here.

An unknown amount of bit from not putting Biedde to work gathering bits instead having him corpse robbing to avoid leashing Rich.

60 bits wasted on paying Biedde. Yes it was a waste, if people wanted to pay him they should have picked the 900 bits earlier.

 

[Greymere]

People keep trying to make plans as if Bird won't upend them with new developments and shenanigans when the turn actually starts. Foolishness.

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Well what else are we going to do in the meantime?

Thats more likely yes, Greymere mentioned Rarity being put to work on it

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No, I was talking about DoA, since Ses mentioned that in their plan her second AP is a wildcard. I edited my message shortly afterwards to make it more clear.

With what bits?

We literally don't have the cash with how the thread has insisted on throwing away money.

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If only we had something currently in our inventory that we could liquidate into 300 bits to use for expeditions, which would become accessible by using that Lantern Influence we're almost certainly already going to be active for Moth book studying purposes.

 

[ses]

Honestly I'm getting more attached to spending DoA's AP on burglary. She can make bits very easily and I'm not concerned with miss "+100 and reroll to Knock rolls now that she's befriended" hitting us with suspicion. And we're kinda desperate for bits to pay for the Great Book Hunt and Reagent Hunt.

 

[Shaper47]

which would become accessible by using that Lantern Influence we're almost certainly already going to be active for Moth book studying purposes

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Aotls are fine for Moth book studying purposes and if we want Moth 6 Mastery it's best to save the lantern influence for turn 25.

 

[Nevermort]

Sarcasm. WE, we, as in Velvet
I want to see the result of the sacrament, and I believe that snubbing Our Lady and sending her off to room with our bestie is a bad and stupid thing to do.

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I understand. If Mareinetee thinks that we refused her dinner invitation she can stop holding back and eat some obnoxious noble. And her appetite would be ruined just when we are busy making her our own surprise dinner.

@OurLadyOfWires can we combine both options into third? For those who want to take both. It is fine if not, just wanted to ask.

[] Write-in: Mareinette is her own mare, and Cadance could use some company. But you are still very interested in her endeavors.
-You will signal to Mareinette that you are still interested in your ongoing relationship. She will hold you for that. But for now you are fine with her spending more time in Canterlot.
-From what you hear, Mareinette will be more absent from your home than usual. Something about spending more time in Canterlot.
-This is a free action, and will not interfere in Mareinette's ability to serve you.

 

[Greymere]

Turns out procrastinating about starting on writing my thesis means I just start writing about the pastel pony horror quest instead, lol.


In Which the Child Will Devour the Sky

You are Velvet Covers. And right now… you are making a plan. An acquisition.

Because soon, when she comes to you this month, you will accept Lady Mareinette's invitation to dinner. And for all that you are accepting her invitation, you are still the host of this manor. So it is your duty to make sure the fare is acceptable for your guest.

No, not just acceptable. To serve only the bare minimum to a guest is an offense in and of itself, and Mareinette is no mere noblemare drunk on the pomp and wealth of her station. The main dish for this feast must be exceptional. Something worth notice, something handpicked, not a target of opportunity and circumstance.

And so you find yourself here, in your study, surrounded by maps and schedules. Ones that you have barely looked at because where you will acquire your ingredient… is a place you know very well.

It is the place you spent your childhood and young adult years.

It is where your father lives.

…

You can't fool yourself into thinking that this is "good". Regardless of your reasons, you are still plotting the capture and eventual death of a pony. And to some, that the one who you are planning to kill is your father and not a nameless stranger would only make such an act more monstrous.

Maybe they would be right. But here, in this room empty of any other eyes save your own…

You hate him.

You hate the stallion that dares call himself your father, as though he ever thought of you as his child and not just another piece on the board.

You hate how he made you think that he loved you, all the while he was only shaping you as clay.

You hate how he tossed you aside once you could no longer pretend at perfection, because a flawed tool was no better than a broken one, fit only to be melted down into scrap.

You hate how he treated you as something to be bartered and sold, something voiceless to be handed off like a pouch of bits for his own gain.

And… you hate that even now, after everything… nothing ever really happened. That after everything he did, the only time that he might have felt even a flicker of regret is when he realized that you had stepped beyond his shadow, and even then only at the loss of an opportunity. That no matter how much time passes, he will continue to live in comfort and power, moving bits and carving pieces into their 'correct' shapes, until he passes away at a ripe old age knowing that he achieved all that he ever wanted.

And you hate this ugly, festering wound on your heart, that bleeds and bleeds and bleeds no matter how many years pass, no matter how much you try to fill yourself with the love for your family and your friends, that tears itself open again every time you see the imprint of his hoofwork in your life.

You hate him.

YOU HATE HIM.

YOUHATEHIMYOUHATEHIMYOUHATEHIMYOUHATE-

…

…

…

You breathe in. You remove your hooves from where the wood of your desk has splintered. You breathe out, a plume of frost following its wake.

You will not let yourself indulge in your hatred. Not yet. There will be time for that later, when the proper spices and savours have been readied, and you see him face-to-face. Right now, you need to make a plan. You need to decide who you will send. And you need to decide if there are other things besides Velvet Hill that you'd want to take from his estate.

The prison is prepared. Your mind has been steeled.

All that's left is to act.


Expedition: Assaulting Velvet Hill
Duration: SHORT (costs one action from one follower, additional followers can go without spending action points)
Base cost: 5 bits/day (you must have 25 bits per follower sent)
-[n] Assault an opponent (Velvet Hill)
--[n] Who is going? (WRITE IN which followers will go)
--[n] What are they taking? (WRITE IN what artifacts, if any, to take)
--[n] What is their objective? (WRITE IN what your followers must do, in order of PRIORITY)
--[n] Anything else? (WRITE IN any other orders or specifications you have)

Spoiler

Just a little brainstorming on what kinds of thoughts might going through Velvet's head if she decides that yes, she will be kidnapping and eating her own father for eldritch power (you know, normal pony things).

 

[ses]

YOUHATEHIMYOUHATEHIMYOUHATEHIMYOUHATE-

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Oh hey how did you manage to figure out the exact thoughts going through my head when I read the "send an obsequious letter" update? All the moral arguments about crime families and justice in the discussion afterward were absolutely nutty to me when all I could think was "I WANT TO KILL HIM BECAUSE I WANT TO KILL HIM OW I BIT MY TONGUE"

I don't feel that as much these days now that he's thoroughly deposed as a threat to us, but still. I would have slammed the yes button if we had actually been offered the vote to Wolf Word him at the time.