Voicetest for Paradisa

[indirectcause]

[Ben has been living in the castle for a few weeks now. The magical castle. Because THAT makes sense. He's been struggling with the...domesticity of it all. Of waking up, getting dressed, getting breakfast and having a perfectly regular day. No running, no hiding, no walkers. He would have thought such a thing would be blissful, but it only serve to put him more on edge. Waiting for the ground to collapse from under him.

...No. Bad allegory.

He's wandering the grounds at the moment. Or rather, he's telling himself that he's wandering the grounds when he knows really, he's patrolling them. Even if the walkers never show up here, some habits are hard to break. He may be absolutely terrible at providing for the group, but he can at least still walk around and keep his eyes open for trouble. So that's what he'll do. Better than sitting around waiting]

Comments

[banshee_rider]

[You know who's also patrolling the grounds? A seven foot tall, fully armored space marine, assault rifle held at the ready for dangers she already knows aren't going to pop out.]

[One could still dream, though.]

[She tips her helmeted head at him and paused as their paths threatened to cross.]

I think I've seen you out here before.

[indirectcause]

[He will never get used to people like this. It was like someone straight from a comic book.

Still...better a comic book than a horror movie]

I guess I have been around here a lot.

[banshee_rider]

If I had to guess I'd say you were making a perimeter sweep. Just makes me wonder what you're expecting to find.

[She's noticed because, well. She's sort of doing the same thing.]

[indirectcause]

It's something I can do. [One of the few things he can do.

He doesn't reply right away. He's learned to be careful with outsiders, you can never tell if they'll help you or cripple you. It's even worse here, he can't tell who comes from a place where the walkers are a problem, or if they're lucky enough not to have to deal with them]

Something that isn't here, but I guess I got used to looking out for them.

[banshee_rider]

I hear you on that. It's not easy to stop looking out for something you've spent decades looking out for.

[In her case, Aliens!]

[indirectcause]

[Decades, ouch. He's not even been alive long enough to count decades as a plural yet. He shrugs his shoulders]

It's been about four months. [It doesn't feel it, though. After everything they've been through, hell it DOES feel like decades sometimes] It's just been... real intense.

[banshee_rider]

[Kelly nods. She gets it, it's hard to come down from something like that, once you get used to it.] Well, as quiet as it gets here, it can also get pretty intense. You just have to bide your time.

[indirectcause]

[He's not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing]

I heard. It only happening every month or so sure sounds easier than dealing with it every hour.

[rightchoices]

Ben.

[ It's a greeting, soft and low. Lee feels for him, really - he knows what it's like, spent the first few weeks (months, maybe) here doing the exact same thing. He'd been caught off guard before; they couldn't afford to be caught off guard again.

Except the walkers didn't come. Other things did, but keeping his eyes so low to the ground all the time was exhausting. So he relaxed (or at least tried, even if it didn't always work out so well all the time.)

He has a notebook open in his lap, pen in his hand. Writing something - lesson plans for the girls, maybe - and trying to enjoy what's left of the sunlight. ]

Out for a walk?

[ He knows what you're doing up, man. ]

[indirectcause]

Hey.

[It sounds a lot less relaxed than he's trying for. He's glad of Lee's presence here, though. Like it or not (and Ben figures it's leaning more towards the 'not' side of things), Lee is the one they all look up to. The glue that holds their fractured little group together. Even with only the three of them in the castle, knowing Lee is here...it helps.

He stuffs his hands into his pockets, wandering over. He doesn't have to look. He can stop for a few moments. It'll be fine. He still casts a few cautious looks around before finally turning his attention to Lee proper]

I guess. It's better than sitting around and doing nothing. It's peaceful here.

[He says 'peaceful' the way others might say 'suspicious']

What're you doing?

[rightchoices]

What does it look like I'm doing?

[ There's no anger or frustration in Lee's tone - just mild exasperation as he holds up the notebook. There are lists of things: dates, names, events and places, all Earth history. Mostly American, but still. He's watering it down to make his curriculum more palatable for the little girls he's teaching instead of the college students he used to lecture to, but he's getting there. ]

Just preparing for class tomorrow. [ .. ] You could stop by if you wanted, you know. Clem would like seeing you there.

[indirectcause]

[Bet you missed all the obvious questions ever, huh Lee? It's okay, you can admit it. Ben squints at the paper for a moment]

Wow. Class. That seems a lifetime ago. [Still, disappointing Clem is like kicking a three legged puppy on its birthday] You're not gonna assign homework are you?

[rightchoices]

[ Like kicking a three legged puppy on its birthday. What an apt description -- Lee was inclined to agree. ]

Afraid so.

[ But he really shouldn't stop there, should he? ]

How'd you do in school anyway, Ben? Not sure we've ever talked about that.

[indirectcause]

Yay. [That is the flattest 'yay' that was ever yay-ed. He shrugs a little at Lee's question. He doesn't like to think about it, school was the life he had before everything went to hell. When he still had his family, a regular life. That's all long gone now, and he knows there's no getting it back, no matter how much they hope]

I was okay, I guess. Got good grades. I never liked tests all that much, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not all that great at dealing with stuff that has to happen in short time frames.