Chapter Text
Something rattled in the darkened alley between two yards, and a nervy dog barked. Drizzle dragged the clouds to the ground; what should have been almost pitch black (#070705) was a smoggy purple (#2d203e). The ratty wooden gate to a small yard in disarray creaked - its latch had worn away long ago.
Silence, save the dog barking. And the cars in the street and the wind rattling the slats of a lean-to bathroom. Better than silence - background hubbub that assured the dull emptiness of ordinary city nights. The lights behind the windows of the house before the yard glowed golden (#f6da68), and then were obstructed. The darkness shifted with interest.
The Chameleon (#cb008d) barged the backdoor open with his hip, hands and tail grasping full bin-bags. From inside, a wash of noise erupted - jenga tiles falling, and a reptilian growl.
["You can't shake the table, Charmy!"
"You did that! Your big stupid tail knocked it all over!"]
Espio raised his leg high and flipped the top of the wheelie bin, throwing the bags on some rats. He shook his hands, and dragged it round and through the back gate for collection. The door to the house was still open. From the darkness, the heat of the herpetarium was waving the air. Despite the bright light spilling out, the darkness crept closer in quiet methodical clanks.
Espio closed the gate and attempted to latch it. The darkness sprang back from the house and lay prone. Standing in the doorway, Espio looked back into the yard; his eyes roved in the dinge, resting on something shining there. If what lurked could panic, it was surely sweating under his steely gaze.
But it didn't - it returned an even steelier one, twitching one lens.
"Espio, for god's sake don't leave the door open, it's freezing!"
Espio blinked, and his face was blank and bored.
"Thought I saw a racoon."
He slammed the janky door. The figure on the ground clanked as quietly as it could to it's cold feet, lenses facing two different directions: one roved the sky, the fence, the houses around for new information; the other trained on the figures laughing in their warm house.