(no subject)

[nevegallus]

The wisps are scared.

Neve's not sure she's ever seen them scared before.

They've been a passable light source since the city plunged into darkness, flitting about the apartment and following her when she goes out to make sure Bellara and Daniel and Shion are alright. But now, two days in, they won't leave the apartment, huddling on the other side of the couch like their blue glow doesn't give them away.

“Alright, fine,” she says, but gently. If they're afraid, it's probably for a reason. For the first time in a long time, Neve grabs her scepter on her way out the door.

The flashlight on her phone cuts a cone through the darkness of the hallway. By now, she’s gotten used to traversing it in the dimness, but she still steps carefully as she takes the stairs down to Bellara's. It won’t hurt to check in again, and who knows? Maybe Bel’s figured out something about this darkness that Neve doesn’t know yet.

She knocks on the door, turning her light up and then down the corridor. She can hear something shuffling just round the corner, and the fine hairs on the nape of her neck prickle.

“Open up, Bel,” she says, softly to herself.

Comments

[off_tempo]

Bellara just barely manages to stifle a tiny squeal at the soft knock on the door, which is ridiculous, because she'd heard Neve's approach — familiar steps that had to be Neve's, unless some creature is out there intentionally mimicking the sound of the prosthetic, intentionally trying to trick Bellara, which would imply a level of intelligence and also personal knowledge that would really be quite terrifying actually, why did she even let herself think that? — but she swallows her agitation and opens the door, an inch at first and then wider the moment she sees Neve in the low light. She's fashioned herself a few small light sources among the trinkets hanging from her belts, and it gives her friend a rather eerie glow.

"Neve," she whispers, not sure if she's letting Neve in or being invited out. "Are you okay? Any, um, developments? I was thinking of venturing out, but I wanted to check with you first, and, well, here you are!" She stops herself from babbling further with a muffled choking sound, all too audibly belying her anxiety.

[nevegallus]

"Yeah, let's step out," Neve agrees. She turns her phone's light off. Bellara's giving off enough of her own light, even with the door half-blocking her. She can still hear that shuffling around the corner and she doesn't much like it.

"Mostly, I was checking on you," she says, keeping her voice low and stepping back so Bellara has room to exit her apartment. "But when I started to get ready to leave, the wisps huddled up by the couch. I'm worried."