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The soft laughter had done much to assure Ben that he was, in fact, in the right place. It seemed callous to place distrust in the academy's mages, but his wariness and discomfort was nearing his limit. He stood to his full height as she took his hand off her head, although he wasn't sure how he felt about Lilie picking up on his doubt. Without his sight, he wasn't nearly as aware as he should be of his surroundings and naively assumed it would be the same for everyone else. Fortunately she took his mistake in stride and he shared a laugh with her. At the very least one of them was getting some enjoyment out of this! 

Afterwards he noticed Lilie's quiet response. [color=C0C0C0][I]Perhaps her nerves were getting the best of her,[/I][/color] he thought. No matter, come hell or high water, he would encourage her. He raised their hands up slightly, as he stared at the spot where he hoped her head was. [color=C0C0C0]"Worry not. The fruits of your labor will ensure your success,"[/color] Ben said.

He patted her hand (after a few missed attempts) in comfort as he overheard a female voice next to them. A countess was mentioned along with Lilie and Aaron Starag—it seemed that fate favored him today. Her voice came from his right, and she mentioned that Aaron was one spot over, which meant the young man was on his left. He turned his body slightly and stopped when he realized he had no way to tell where exactly he or anyone else around him was.

No matter, well wishes were best carried by words. [color=C0C0C0]"Best of luck to you, Mr. Starag,"[/color] Ben said before turning back to Lilie and raising his voice. [color=C0C0C0]"And to everyone else as well. We are in your capable hands."[/color]