[ They must have passed, like ships in the night, footsteps masked by the pounding volume of their own thoughts. She knows if she doesn't distance herself from this room as far as possible soon, she's going to go deaf in the brain. After a few more gasps, she resigns her runaway heart to beating how it may and pushes herself back to her feet, when a booming yell pierces its way through the lofty hall. ]
[ Beverly answers it in kind, though not the least bit articulate—a short, startled bark of a scream that she bites short, head swiveling in search of the source. Frightened as she is, there's no mistaking that for a monstrous bellow, or even a random machine noise, it had been— ]
[ Her name. ]
[ Her name in a voice that, even at the top of its lungs, could bring nothing but relief. A bolt of pure, intoxicating, icy, burning relief, settling her nerves as it does electrify them. Of course, of course, thank God, he'd been missing because he'd already gotten out! ]
Richie!
[ A cry belted in response, halting with either tears or the grim, needling reminder that It is still slumbering in these halls. But it can't be normal sleep these bodies are kept in, after all. They have to be drugged down or frozen, impossible to rouse with a shout or a fairy tale kiss to the glass. Of course, idiot... She'd love to see the dose keeping that thing snoozing, and then triple it. ]
[ That doesn't matter now. What matters is finding him; the shout had echoed terribly, but if she had to guess, it would be far off across the room, at the end of a row. She starts off running (trotting), barely conscious of the twinge in her ankle the little stumble had left her with, but it does make the row seem infinitely longer... ] Richie, where are you?!
beep beep richie!!!
[ Beverly answers it in kind, though not the least bit articulate—a short, startled bark of a scream that she bites short, head swiveling in search of the source. Frightened as she is, there's no mistaking that for a monstrous bellow, or even a random machine noise, it had been— ]
[ Her name. ]
[ Her name in a voice that, even at the top of its lungs, could bring nothing but relief. A bolt of pure, intoxicating, icy, burning relief, settling her nerves as it does electrify them. Of course, of course, thank God, he'd been missing because he'd already gotten out! ]
Richie!
[ A cry belted in response, halting with either tears or the grim, needling reminder that It is still slumbering in these halls. But it can't be normal sleep these bodies are kept in, after all. They have to be drugged down or frozen, impossible to rouse with a shout or a fairy tale kiss to the glass. Of course, idiot... She'd love to see the dose keeping that thing snoozing, and then triple it. ]
[ That doesn't matter now. What matters is finding him; the shout had echoed terribly, but if she had to guess, it would be far off across the room, at the end of a row. She starts off running (trotting), barely conscious of the twinge in her ankle the little stumble had left her with, but it does make the row seem infinitely longer... ] Richie, where are you?!