Distant Bells | TaEla Sea Monster AU |

Silver Bell Calls

Zeta hiked up the spiral steps. Her next stop was the bedroom greeting her eyes with its entire lonesomeness.

She could just pass by on this, or rather check for nothing interesting. Kobo was having sweet dreams in the living room, there was no need to inspect.

She took a good peek from the doorway, standing still on the grayish circled stair. The lights were turned off, made her unable to see much, aside from the fact that really, nothing changed. She and Kobo had already cleaned up any mess two days ago. If anything was to cause a wuss it was going to be from sneaky rodents. This room was good as new, good to go, too.

Her kitty strut fared upward when she returned with a clearance of a doubt. Her mouth parted out in want of air, closing in only in the time that she finally had to lean against the wall and rest for a couple of seconds. Giving her sensation, giving her time for oxygen-wasting, fumed her with determination.

"Salty Chips, Salty Chips..." She hummed, lingering thoughts of getting a snack to bite off, for this all-night shift was going long. When she made it to the storage room on her right, immediately her stomach rumbled slightly. Yes, it was going to be a long, long night.

'Damn...' Zeta buried her hand into her shirt's pockets. Was she ever this hungry? She had a hearty serving of meat and veggies beforehand, mayhaps this rumbling was just a mere phantom suggestion. Nonetheless, food was food, she won't deny the chance to get a freebie.

The storage room was big, yet looking belittlingly small for her. There were many things stored up atop numerous thick shelves. There were canned foods, hiking gears, scuba-diving equipment, lighthouse's bulb filters, and even something as eccentric as a spare bell (Which she knew was in fact needed in case the current one unexpectedly broke down). A stout new-looking fridge was at the near end of the room, where it stood on the tiled floor offering any comers to taste its content, be it chilled food or chilled ice.

She opened the fridge, scanning inside with a little frown. Great, either she or Kobo had to go to the grocery tomorrow and restock some beef, carrots, and spicy hot sauce. Typical situation, guess she'd resort on that cereal so her stomach won't beg no more.

Regis' Chips wasn't what should be labeled there though. It came in a small, blue box with fancy text printed all over the colorful faked picture of crispy crunches that looked too tasty for the eyes. This brand too, criminally known all around this city for being good, which was not.

"Mmmmph." Zeta hmphed silently. Next time she would get some better things, because snacking on goodies during her shift was a guilty pleasure. Silver Bell covered the sense of her slacking off alongside the gentle smell in that span of sea salt visible below.

With a box of this peculiar-looking snack stored in her pant's pocket, she walked out of the storage room, in a beeline straight up to another room waiting to be checked.

The penultimatum then ushered her when she climbed up the floor; the watch room, or as Kobo always called it: the Storm Prep, in fanciful fashion. Kept just right below the utmost rooftop was several machineries that whirred a near-silent, croaky sound, used for maintaining the lighthouse's Fresnel light maker, among other particular things she couldn't describe.

There was, in every truthful sayings, no need for any check-up of the machines, because frankly there sure would be zero flaws. These sturdy cogs ran like a beast, invulnerable against even the greatest of storms, functioned perpetually for the lighthouse keeper to guide the lost into the light. Besides, she had already checked it a week ago (Knowing herself, she had to admit that it was also because these tasks were insanely tedious, just let her have this for once!)

Not every day would she get to meet something fantastic which was itching near by the tick of this heart-beating second.

At best she could do was looking here and there over so few gritty machines, seemingly working endlessly, seemingly standing until the end of Silver Bell. With the trustworthy Kobo by her side, she knew everything should be better off carefree. Nothing was going to come falling down, also, she had something better prepared: Her little thumping heart ... and also a gift.