[Closed Log]
Who: Basch and Ellone
Where: The Slums (Ellone's Roof)
When: Late Afternoon/Early Evening
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Right. That was -it-. Ellone had been dripped on for the last time! She didn't have much in the way of repairs - and had to conserve what she did have, but she'd put up with the leaky roof one night too many. A girl on a mission, the brunette tucked her rusty hammer under one arm and some thin planks under the other as she made her way outside. She'd a few hours yet before night fell, and that would be plenty of time, she thought.
Her ladder lay on its side beside her shelter, so she juggled her burden until she had a free arm to pull the ladder up straight, then carefully started up to the roof. Tricky in a long skirt, but she managed without hurting herself. Once on the roof she set her things down and started to crawl forward a bit - only to stop short when her skirt got caught on the corner of the ladder. Frustrated, Ellone gave her skirt one good tug - hard enough to cause the ladder, sadly, to twist to the side, thus freeing her skirt - and clattering to the ground in the process.
"Oh no..." NOW how was she going to get down?
Basch walked down the street, holding a bag of food in one arm. He felt like an errand boy, at the moment, but it was the Princess' wishes. He turned the corner and saw a woman on the roof. Basch looked up, wondering why she had decided to do the handy work herself. Passing her ladder, he continued walking, but moments later he heard the sound of the ladder hit the hard cobble stone street.
Basch turned around and looked up at the woman, seeing that she was stranded on the roof. Being the gentleman he was, Basch walked over to the ladder. "Do you need help?"
Saved! Ellone, had she seen Basch earlier, would have called out to ask him to help her out. After all, not everyone in the slums would have been kind enough to stop. Some might have kept going. Still others would have probably taken the ladder and run with it.
"Oh please, thank you!" Ellone called down to the man, hands resting on the roof. "I guess I didn't secure that ladder as well as I thought." Or at all.
Basch placed the bag of food on the ground and went to pick up the ladder. He picked it up, wondering how a woman like her was able to even lift it. Putting it against the roof, Basch looked up at her again. "Repairs?" he asked.
She smiled sweetly as the man lifted the ladder for her and set it against the roof. "Thank you so much." Ellone sighed with relief. "Mm? Yes, there's a hole in the roof over here. I think the wood is a little rotted, because it keeps leaking when it rains at night."
Basch looked down and thought for a moment. Repairing roofs was not a woman’s job. Feeling a little sorry for her, he sighed and started heading up the ladder. On the roof, he walked to where she stood and looked for the hole. When he found it, he bent down and peeled up part of the roofing. The wood was obviously rotten, like she’d expected.
”This is not going to be an easy task,” Basch told her, looking over at her briefly. “Do you just have a hammer up here?” he asked.
He's coming up? Ellone was surprised, a second time. Backing up to make room for him when he joined her, she sat back against her heels, "I'm sorry to trouble you. You've done repairs for this sort of thing before?" She tilted her head to the side, inwardly wincing at the rotten wood and Basch's assessment, "Oh.. I was afraid of that.." She frowned briefly, then looked up again, "Oh, no no, I have nails also. Just a few though," only ten in fact, as she reached into her shirt pocket for the nails. Luckily they weren't rusty and bent; they looked almost new, in fact.
Basch sighed again. Ten nails would not cut this repair job. With that many nails, he could only patch up the job to stop the rain from coming into the house. The roof needed new wood to prevent more damage. Basch did not even know if the woman could afford repairs of that nature.
“I can only patch it,” he said. “If that is all you have with you. I can patch it now, if that is your wish. However, you will need to have someone replace this rotten wood. It will only cause you more money, in the long run.”
"Oh, but I couldn't ask you," Ellone began, looking at the nails in her hand. "A patch job is all I can afford right now," she admitted after a moment.
Granted she'd be getting that money from the President of Shinra (unless that was a dirty dirty lie), and she might be able to spend more money to afford the roof repairs.
Smiling, Ellone looked up to the man again, "Is there anything I can do to repay your kindness? I can pay…or perhaps you'd like something to eat? I have food in the house."
Basch continued to examine the hole in the roof, listening to the woman say she did not have enough to make the proper repairs. Slightly troubled, Basch gave the woman a nod. “Then, I will mend the hole,” Basch told her.
He then listened to her offer of how she could repay the favor. “The repairs will not take long. There is no reason you owe me anything.”
He looked at her. “Perhaps, a glass of water?” Then, Basch held out his hand. “The hammer and nails would also be nice,” he told her, with a slight smile.
Talk about the kindness of strangers. "This is awfully nice of you," most people would expect something back; but it seemed this fellow was doing it just out of kindness. More people should be like him. "Long or not, I would feel awful if you did the work and got nothing in return."
A glass of water? Ellone smiled, "That I can manage. Oh!" Yes, the hammer and nails -would- be helpful wouldn't it? "Sorry," she smiled sheepishly, offering the hammer with one hand, and nails with the other. "I'm Ellone. Ellone Lybis.. and you are..?"
Basch took the nails and the hammer from the woman…Ellone. When she asked for his name, Basch looked away slight, catching himself before he said his proper name. He shook his head slightly and looked back up at her.
“Raion…Underhill,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He gave her a nod and placed the nails in his mouth, turning his attention to the hole in the roof. He took a piece of roofing and laid it over the hole. The hole was not too big, but just big enough to be an annoyance. He started to hammer the nail in.
"It's a pleasure, Raion." Mindful that he couldn't speak too well so long as he had nails in his mouth, she shifted a little to watch him work.
After a moment, the silence got to be too much for her, "Do you live around here? I don't think I've ever seen you in the slums before." Of course, it was just as likely she'd kept to a different schedule than him. Normally by now she'd be snuggled up indoors where it was warm.
Basch looked over at Ellone and took the nails out of his mouth, debating on the story he should tell.
“I recently moved here,” he said. “I live a few streets down,” pointing to the proper direction.
He sat the nails now on the roof. “My parents used to live here,” he told her. “I grew up here, but…that was a long time ago. My story…it is not interesting.”
"Really?" Ellone leaned to the side, turning her attention towards the direction Basch pointed. That would explain why she'd never seen him around anyway. "Ah, it's a little of the opposite with me." Ellone smiled wistfully, "I used to live in the middle class part of the city. I live here now though." She patted a hand gingerly against the wood of the small dwelling. "I don't know. I think everyone's story is interesting - at least in part. That's why we live on, right? Because life is interesting."
Basch looked at the woman unsurely. His life was filled with betrayal and darkness. For years he had not even been able to see the sunshine. He did not want to bother the woman with his story. Plus, it might lead her to discover his real identity. However, perhaps death would not be so bad at this point. If he could somehow become Basch fon Ronsenberg again…perhaps life would be worth living again.
“I promise you…it is not interesting,” he told her, with a slight smile. “What about yourself? Do you have no one to help you with such tasks? No father or brother?"
The smile on Ellone's face faded a little bit at the look she's given by Raoin. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" She raised a hand and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, her smile surfacing again, wistful.
"Me? ..No, my…my parents and my little brother…they all died when I was young." She plucked at a strand of thread on her skirt, "I've been managing pretty well for myself so far, though."
“It is not you, my lady,” Basch replied, knowing he had done something to hurt the woman’s feelings. “I am not used to talking about such matters.”
He started to hammer again as the woman talked about her family. “I am sorry about what happened to your family. You will meet again. I believe in such things.”
Taking another nail, he started to hammer than one in as well. “I hope this will resolve your problem.”
Ellone raised a hand to her chest, inclining her head, "I apologize, I didn't mean to pry."
She smiled at the words that followed, nodding agreement, "Yes, I believe it too. One day." She shifted a little to watch the hammering work go on, brightening, "I am more than certain it will, Raion. I can't thank you enough. Oh!" she glanced toward the ladder, realizing, "Forgive me, I almost forgot. Let me get that water for you, since you've been so kind to help me."
Basch watched as the woman left. After she was gone, Basch felt bad for what he said to the woman. She was only trying to start up a conversation with him. Instead of a pleasant conversation, Basch was only letting his bitterness show. He continued working on the roof until it was done, waiting for the woman to return.
Aw, Ellone didn't hold it against him! Not everyone had pleasant backgrounds. Ellone's had her own share of tragedy, but she chose to focus on the good. Some people just had less good than others. Ellone wasn't gone long, and was soon spotted climbing up the ladder again, "Here we are. I'm sorry for taking so long," she smiled. "How is it coming?"
Basch looked over at her as she returned. “You are just in time. I have done all that I can with what I have,” he told her.
Taking the glass of water, Basch sat down and drank some of the water, wetting his dry mouth. He looked at Ellone and closed his eyes. Pointing towards the sunset, he sighed.
“My parents used to live over there,” he told her. “My father…he was a blacksmith and my mother helped run his business, but she mainly was busy taking care of my brother and I. They died a while ago. To get by, I joined one of the military groups around here, but I left a few years ago. I needed…to get away. The city is far worse on my return.”
As she handed the water over, Ellone sat down again, peering curiously at the patch job. "You're handier with a hammer and nails than I am," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "I always bang my thumb at least once or twice."
She almost chuckled, when Raion pointed towards the sunset, drawing her attention that way. She fell into a thoughtful silence at the tidbit of information that the man gave, and she smiled in appreciation.
"I'm sorry to hear about your loss, Raion." Military groups? Which one, she wondered. Well, that wasn't important. "The city may be worse, and may be struggling, but it's still here. We're still here…and as long as we're here, we can help the city. At least, that's what I believe. I think," Ellone paused, putting her words to order, "I think the city would be far worse off if there was no one at all who cared about the state of affairs the city is in."
“Perhaps, no one has taught you how to properly do repairs such as these,” Basch told her.
“You are right,” Basch said. “There is little good, but only a few is better than none. However, there is strength in numbers, Ellone. Perhaps, in time, there will be enough people ready to change things that it can actually happen.”
Basch drank some more water. “I have been all day without a proper drink. For your kindness, I think you.”
Ellone laughed, "I think you are right in that, Raion. In any case, I and my fingers thank you," she grinned.
She glanced at Raion, "Perhaps there will be. For the sake of the city, and the poor children - not to mention everyone else - I can only hope that is the case. The city could use a few - no, more than a few - people fighting for her." She rubbed her hands together and stretched, "Oh all day? You must have been thirsty. I'm glad I was able to help you."
Basch gave a soft sincere laugh and smile. “My throat thanks you.”
He looked around and handed her the empty glass. “We can only hope that day comes, Ellone,” he told her. He looked around the roof. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asked her.
Ellone smiled, taking the glass back and cupping her fingers around it. "It will come, I promise you, Raion. Even if it does not come in our generation, it will come. Things cannot remain this way forever."
Mildly she studied the glass, then looked up in surprise, "Oh! Oh goodness, no, this is more than enough, thank you! Besides, haven't I kept you from your own tasks long enough?"
Basch started moving himself down towards the ladder. “Let me, at least, make sure you get off this roof in one piece,” he told her. “Next time, you might want to wear pants, instead of a skirt.”
At the ladder, he stopped and looked at Ellone. “I shall go down first, in case you fall. I will catch you,” he told her, like was sure he would.
He went to head down the ladder, but he stopped. “It is Basch, actually. Not Raion.” he said. For some reason, he knew he could trust her with that much. At least, he could at least say his name again. It was worth that much. “I have reasons, for being deceptive, but you have my trust.”
With that, he headed down the ladder to wait for her.
Aw, what a gentleman! Ellone grinned sheepishly - okay yes, a skirt was a bad pick of clothing to wear when climbing a ladder and things. "I will, thank you." The home wasn't that high up, but she was fairly sure it would still hurt if she fell.
As she stood to head towards the ladder after Raion, she stopped short when he told her his actual name. "Basch?" She blinked - the name rang no bells to her, and while she was curious about the deception, she wouldn't pry. She already hit her quota for prying questions today. "Thank you for giving me your trust. I promise I will honor it." When he descended the ladder, she tentatively started to climb down as well, unsteady, but not slipping by some small miracle.
Basch stood on the street, making sure Ellone didn’t fall off the ladder. When she was down, Basch started to close up the ladder. He put it under one arm, his hand grabbing it by the other end.
“Let me put this away for you, and I shall be on my way,” he told her.
Thanks to the assistance of Basch, Ellone safely made it to level ground and took a step back. "You are too kind Basch, thank you." She pointed to the alley on the side of the house, "I usually leave the ladder there, behind the bin."
Glancing around, she spied the bags that Basch had carried earlier, before he aided her with the roof. Wanting to return the favor, she knelt, collecting the bag in one arm and waiting for Basch to finish putting the ladder away before she surrendered his things. "Is there nothing else I can do for you?"
Basch sat the ladder down where Ellone had instructed. Making sure it was stable, he looked over at Ellone and motioned for the bag.
He shook his head at Ellone’s comment. “Nothing,” he told her.
At the gesture, Ellone handed the bag over with a smile. "All right then, Basch, but if you ever need anything that I can provide, I would be happy to help. Even if it's just a glass of water." She added with a smile. "Be safe returning home, Basch. And thank you very much again, for the help with my roof." She'll sleep dry tonight!
She waited only long enough for Basch to get out of sight before she retreated indoors herself.
Where: The Slums (Ellone's Roof)
When: Late Afternoon/Early Evening
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Right. That was -it-. Ellone had been dripped on for the last time! She didn't have much in the way of repairs - and had to conserve what she did have, but she'd put up with the leaky roof one night too many. A girl on a mission, the brunette tucked her rusty hammer under one arm and some thin planks under the other as she made her way outside. She'd a few hours yet before night fell, and that would be plenty of time, she thought.
Her ladder lay on its side beside her shelter, so she juggled her burden until she had a free arm to pull the ladder up straight, then carefully started up to the roof. Tricky in a long skirt, but she managed without hurting herself. Once on the roof she set her things down and started to crawl forward a bit - only to stop short when her skirt got caught on the corner of the ladder. Frustrated, Ellone gave her skirt one good tug - hard enough to cause the ladder, sadly, to twist to the side, thus freeing her skirt - and clattering to the ground in the process.
"Oh no..." NOW how was she going to get down?
Basch walked down the street, holding a bag of food in one arm. He felt like an errand boy, at the moment, but it was the Princess' wishes. He turned the corner and saw a woman on the roof. Basch looked up, wondering why she had decided to do the handy work herself. Passing her ladder, he continued walking, but moments later he heard the sound of the ladder hit the hard cobble stone street.
Basch turned around and looked up at the woman, seeing that she was stranded on the roof. Being the gentleman he was, Basch walked over to the ladder. "Do you need help?"
Saved! Ellone, had she seen Basch earlier, would have called out to ask him to help her out. After all, not everyone in the slums would have been kind enough to stop. Some might have kept going. Still others would have probably taken the ladder and run with it.
"Oh please, thank you!" Ellone called down to the man, hands resting on the roof. "I guess I didn't secure that ladder as well as I thought." Or at all.
Basch placed the bag of food on the ground and went to pick up the ladder. He picked it up, wondering how a woman like her was able to even lift it. Putting it against the roof, Basch looked up at her again. "Repairs?" he asked.
She smiled sweetly as the man lifted the ladder for her and set it against the roof. "Thank you so much." Ellone sighed with relief. "Mm? Yes, there's a hole in the roof over here. I think the wood is a little rotted, because it keeps leaking when it rains at night."
Basch looked down and thought for a moment. Repairing roofs was not a woman’s job. Feeling a little sorry for her, he sighed and started heading up the ladder. On the roof, he walked to where she stood and looked for the hole. When he found it, he bent down and peeled up part of the roofing. The wood was obviously rotten, like she’d expected.
”This is not going to be an easy task,” Basch told her, looking over at her briefly. “Do you just have a hammer up here?” he asked.
He's coming up? Ellone was surprised, a second time. Backing up to make room for him when he joined her, she sat back against her heels, "I'm sorry to trouble you. You've done repairs for this sort of thing before?" She tilted her head to the side, inwardly wincing at the rotten wood and Basch's assessment, "Oh.. I was afraid of that.." She frowned briefly, then looked up again, "Oh, no no, I have nails also. Just a few though," only ten in fact, as she reached into her shirt pocket for the nails. Luckily they weren't rusty and bent; they looked almost new, in fact.
Basch sighed again. Ten nails would not cut this repair job. With that many nails, he could only patch up the job to stop the rain from coming into the house. The roof needed new wood to prevent more damage. Basch did not even know if the woman could afford repairs of that nature.
“I can only patch it,” he said. “If that is all you have with you. I can patch it now, if that is your wish. However, you will need to have someone replace this rotten wood. It will only cause you more money, in the long run.”
"Oh, but I couldn't ask you," Ellone began, looking at the nails in her hand. "A patch job is all I can afford right now," she admitted after a moment.
Granted she'd be getting that money from the President of Shinra (unless that was a dirty dirty lie), and she might be able to spend more money to afford the roof repairs.
Smiling, Ellone looked up to the man again, "Is there anything I can do to repay your kindness? I can pay…or perhaps you'd like something to eat? I have food in the house."
Basch continued to examine the hole in the roof, listening to the woman say she did not have enough to make the proper repairs. Slightly troubled, Basch gave the woman a nod. “Then, I will mend the hole,” Basch told her.
He then listened to her offer of how she could repay the favor. “The repairs will not take long. There is no reason you owe me anything.”
He looked at her. “Perhaps, a glass of water?” Then, Basch held out his hand. “The hammer and nails would also be nice,” he told her, with a slight smile.
Talk about the kindness of strangers. "This is awfully nice of you," most people would expect something back; but it seemed this fellow was doing it just out of kindness. More people should be like him. "Long or not, I would feel awful if you did the work and got nothing in return."
A glass of water? Ellone smiled, "That I can manage. Oh!" Yes, the hammer and nails -would- be helpful wouldn't it? "Sorry," she smiled sheepishly, offering the hammer with one hand, and nails with the other. "I'm Ellone. Ellone Lybis.. and you are..?"
Basch took the nails and the hammer from the woman…Ellone. When she asked for his name, Basch looked away slight, catching himself before he said his proper name. He shook his head slightly and looked back up at her.
“Raion…Underhill,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He gave her a nod and placed the nails in his mouth, turning his attention to the hole in the roof. He took a piece of roofing and laid it over the hole. The hole was not too big, but just big enough to be an annoyance. He started to hammer the nail in.
"It's a pleasure, Raion." Mindful that he couldn't speak too well so long as he had nails in his mouth, she shifted a little to watch him work.
After a moment, the silence got to be too much for her, "Do you live around here? I don't think I've ever seen you in the slums before." Of course, it was just as likely she'd kept to a different schedule than him. Normally by now she'd be snuggled up indoors where it was warm.
Basch looked over at Ellone and took the nails out of his mouth, debating on the story he should tell.
“I recently moved here,” he said. “I live a few streets down,” pointing to the proper direction.
He sat the nails now on the roof. “My parents used to live here,” he told her. “I grew up here, but…that was a long time ago. My story…it is not interesting.”
"Really?" Ellone leaned to the side, turning her attention towards the direction Basch pointed. That would explain why she'd never seen him around anyway. "Ah, it's a little of the opposite with me." Ellone smiled wistfully, "I used to live in the middle class part of the city. I live here now though." She patted a hand gingerly against the wood of the small dwelling. "I don't know. I think everyone's story is interesting - at least in part. That's why we live on, right? Because life is interesting."
Basch looked at the woman unsurely. His life was filled with betrayal and darkness. For years he had not even been able to see the sunshine. He did not want to bother the woman with his story. Plus, it might lead her to discover his real identity. However, perhaps death would not be so bad at this point. If he could somehow become Basch fon Ronsenberg again…perhaps life would be worth living again.
“I promise you…it is not interesting,” he told her, with a slight smile. “What about yourself? Do you have no one to help you with such tasks? No father or brother?"
The smile on Ellone's face faded a little bit at the look she's given by Raoin. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" She raised a hand and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, her smile surfacing again, wistful.
"Me? ..No, my…my parents and my little brother…they all died when I was young." She plucked at a strand of thread on her skirt, "I've been managing pretty well for myself so far, though."
“It is not you, my lady,” Basch replied, knowing he had done something to hurt the woman’s feelings. “I am not used to talking about such matters.”
He started to hammer again as the woman talked about her family. “I am sorry about what happened to your family. You will meet again. I believe in such things.”
Taking another nail, he started to hammer than one in as well. “I hope this will resolve your problem.”
Ellone raised a hand to her chest, inclining her head, "I apologize, I didn't mean to pry."
She smiled at the words that followed, nodding agreement, "Yes, I believe it too. One day." She shifted a little to watch the hammering work go on, brightening, "I am more than certain it will, Raion. I can't thank you enough. Oh!" she glanced toward the ladder, realizing, "Forgive me, I almost forgot. Let me get that water for you, since you've been so kind to help me."
Basch watched as the woman left. After she was gone, Basch felt bad for what he said to the woman. She was only trying to start up a conversation with him. Instead of a pleasant conversation, Basch was only letting his bitterness show. He continued working on the roof until it was done, waiting for the woman to return.
Aw, Ellone didn't hold it against him! Not everyone had pleasant backgrounds. Ellone's had her own share of tragedy, but she chose to focus on the good. Some people just had less good than others. Ellone wasn't gone long, and was soon spotted climbing up the ladder again, "Here we are. I'm sorry for taking so long," she smiled. "How is it coming?"
Basch looked over at her as she returned. “You are just in time. I have done all that I can with what I have,” he told her.
Taking the glass of water, Basch sat down and drank some of the water, wetting his dry mouth. He looked at Ellone and closed his eyes. Pointing towards the sunset, he sighed.
“My parents used to live over there,” he told her. “My father…he was a blacksmith and my mother helped run his business, but she mainly was busy taking care of my brother and I. They died a while ago. To get by, I joined one of the military groups around here, but I left a few years ago. I needed…to get away. The city is far worse on my return.”
As she handed the water over, Ellone sat down again, peering curiously at the patch job. "You're handier with a hammer and nails than I am," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "I always bang my thumb at least once or twice."
She almost chuckled, when Raion pointed towards the sunset, drawing her attention that way. She fell into a thoughtful silence at the tidbit of information that the man gave, and she smiled in appreciation.
"I'm sorry to hear about your loss, Raion." Military groups? Which one, she wondered. Well, that wasn't important. "The city may be worse, and may be struggling, but it's still here. We're still here…and as long as we're here, we can help the city. At least, that's what I believe. I think," Ellone paused, putting her words to order, "I think the city would be far worse off if there was no one at all who cared about the state of affairs the city is in."
“Perhaps, no one has taught you how to properly do repairs such as these,” Basch told her.
“You are right,” Basch said. “There is little good, but only a few is better than none. However, there is strength in numbers, Ellone. Perhaps, in time, there will be enough people ready to change things that it can actually happen.”
Basch drank some more water. “I have been all day without a proper drink. For your kindness, I think you.”
Ellone laughed, "I think you are right in that, Raion. In any case, I and my fingers thank you," she grinned.
She glanced at Raion, "Perhaps there will be. For the sake of the city, and the poor children - not to mention everyone else - I can only hope that is the case. The city could use a few - no, more than a few - people fighting for her." She rubbed her hands together and stretched, "Oh all day? You must have been thirsty. I'm glad I was able to help you."
Basch gave a soft sincere laugh and smile. “My throat thanks you.”
He looked around and handed her the empty glass. “We can only hope that day comes, Ellone,” he told her. He looked around the roof. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asked her.
Ellone smiled, taking the glass back and cupping her fingers around it. "It will come, I promise you, Raion. Even if it does not come in our generation, it will come. Things cannot remain this way forever."
Mildly she studied the glass, then looked up in surprise, "Oh! Oh goodness, no, this is more than enough, thank you! Besides, haven't I kept you from your own tasks long enough?"
Basch started moving himself down towards the ladder. “Let me, at least, make sure you get off this roof in one piece,” he told her. “Next time, you might want to wear pants, instead of a skirt.”
At the ladder, he stopped and looked at Ellone. “I shall go down first, in case you fall. I will catch you,” he told her, like was sure he would.
He went to head down the ladder, but he stopped. “It is Basch, actually. Not Raion.” he said. For some reason, he knew he could trust her with that much. At least, he could at least say his name again. It was worth that much. “I have reasons, for being deceptive, but you have my trust.”
With that, he headed down the ladder to wait for her.
Aw, what a gentleman! Ellone grinned sheepishly - okay yes, a skirt was a bad pick of clothing to wear when climbing a ladder and things. "I will, thank you." The home wasn't that high up, but she was fairly sure it would still hurt if she fell.
As she stood to head towards the ladder after Raion, she stopped short when he told her his actual name. "Basch?" She blinked - the name rang no bells to her, and while she was curious about the deception, she wouldn't pry. She already hit her quota for prying questions today. "Thank you for giving me your trust. I promise I will honor it." When he descended the ladder, she tentatively started to climb down as well, unsteady, but not slipping by some small miracle.
Basch stood on the street, making sure Ellone didn’t fall off the ladder. When she was down, Basch started to close up the ladder. He put it under one arm, his hand grabbing it by the other end.
“Let me put this away for you, and I shall be on my way,” he told her.
Thanks to the assistance of Basch, Ellone safely made it to level ground and took a step back. "You are too kind Basch, thank you." She pointed to the alley on the side of the house, "I usually leave the ladder there, behind the bin."
Glancing around, she spied the bags that Basch had carried earlier, before he aided her with the roof. Wanting to return the favor, she knelt, collecting the bag in one arm and waiting for Basch to finish putting the ladder away before she surrendered his things. "Is there nothing else I can do for you?"
Basch sat the ladder down where Ellone had instructed. Making sure it was stable, he looked over at Ellone and motioned for the bag.
He shook his head at Ellone’s comment. “Nothing,” he told her.
At the gesture, Ellone handed the bag over with a smile. "All right then, Basch, but if you ever need anything that I can provide, I would be happy to help. Even if it's just a glass of water." She added with a smile. "Be safe returning home, Basch. And thank you very much again, for the help with my roof." She'll sleep dry tonight!
She waited only long enough for Basch to get out of sight before she retreated indoors herself.