( oh, well, good thing they're not jumping to extremes or anything. ) —Lets call it a contingency option. ( said as mildly as one can while masking some knee-jerk alarm, which might still glow at the edges of Ben's calm, but hardly disruptive.
in fact, probably about as calm as she seems — Ellie, then, he learns.
Ellie here is quickly wielding a tendency to stun Ben with striking optimism. something to look forward to... well, it's a tall order for sure, in a predicament like this, but hearing her vocalize it makes the idea feel half-tangible already. it's still possible, isn't it? somehow, some way...it can't be so difficult.
Ben scoffs, the sort that one can hear a small smile through. ) Outside? Certainly. Not a place like this, though...I've never been chased by shadows, for one. ( Ben can't quite decide if Ellie is just so adept to handling threats, or if she's familiar with these shadow creatures herself. to Ben's credit, he tends to have a little more forewarning, often somewhat more prepared than he was for all of this. Ben only brought his pocket first aid kit, no traveling provisions, no emergency tools, no extra clothes, and definitely packing light on the herbs and wards. he thinks this is what roughing it truly means. )
...Is it— ( abrupt, bucking the momentum of their chatter, Ben's tone pinches upward with sudden confusion as he turns around, to look down the stairs whence they came. they've been climbing, and now, Ben can no longer see the landing below them. ) —Am I daft, or...are these stairs not...stopping?
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in fact, probably about as calm as she seems — Ellie, then, he learns.
Ellie here is quickly wielding a tendency to stun Ben with striking optimism. something to look forward to... well, it's a tall order for sure, in a predicament like this, but hearing her vocalize it makes the idea feel half-tangible already. it's still possible, isn't it? somehow, some way...it can't be so difficult.
Ben scoffs, the sort that one can hear a small smile through. ) Outside? Certainly. Not a place like this, though...I've never been chased by shadows, for one. ( Ben can't quite decide if Ellie is just so adept to handling threats, or if she's familiar with these shadow creatures herself. to Ben's credit, he tends to have a little more forewarning, often somewhat more prepared than he was for all of this. Ben only brought his pocket first aid kit, no traveling provisions, no emergency tools, no extra clothes, and definitely packing light on the herbs and wards. he thinks this is what roughing it truly means. )
...Is it— ( abrupt, bucking the momentum of their chatter, Ben's tone pinches upward with sudden confusion as he turns around, to look down the stairs whence they came. they've been climbing, and now, Ben can no longer see the landing below them. ) —Am I daft, or...are these stairs not...stopping?