sheep_game | Counting Stars

[ of course he's still here. Lily has been the nicest dream he's had so far, but he always wakes up.

alway -

Kevin snaps his head up at the voices. ]

What in Hades...?

[ they look like the furies, don't they? but there are so, so many of them. and still they speak, in overlapping tones.

—the titan is already cursed. you have already destroyed his memory.

—you see his face? the boy cannot even convince himself. did he visit you, after he stole your memory?

—you have chosen...an excellent painful death ]

That second one - is that about him? But if it's about him, then why are they talking about him like that?

And he didn't do that to Bob, that was ...

Kevin struggles to his feet as the figures swarm. ]

Cepheus? Cepheus!

[ Is this a dream? Is it Cepheus's dream--? ]

[ a reverberation, when he says the name. even the arai seem to freeze for half a second. happens again, the second time.

(or is that just the heartbeat of tartarus himself?) ]

[ it could be. it could just be that horrible heartbeat squeezing the life out of him. gods, it feels real. for a moment, he doubts.

-- no, keep it together. he's still soaked from his ocean adventures, even if it is quickly steaming away in the heat of this place. ]

Cepheus, this isn't real. I don't remember this part.

[ isn't it real? is he sure? has anything, ever, been more real?

but the third time he says the name, everything stops. a faint, faint reverberation: tell the sun and stars hello for me.

and then the dream shatters, and they both wake ]

[ Kevin launches himself out of his basement bed with a scream and a jolt, instinctively reaching for his sword and halfway into a shadow portal before he is even fully awake -

he. stops halfway through. but not in time to prevent himself from dumping himself out onto the lawn in front of Lily. ]

[ up in his own bedroom, cepheus also sits bolt upright as he wakes. notices the flicker of power and movement beyond his window and finds himself there with sword in hand before he's aware of making the decision to move. but it's just...kevin?

then freezes.

oh, it's. kevin. sure starting to remember things about his nightmares. ]

Edited 2024-05-06 03:17 (UTC)

[ It's just Kevin, picking himself up off the ground all hollow-eyed and looking very much like he just saw all the awful things that Cepheus is starting to remember.

He winds up glancing up at the window and then locking eyes with Cepheus. ]

Cepheus?

[ it's so tempting to react like, nope wrong number! and dive back into bed forever.

but he waves instead, if a little unwillingly, and gestures that he'll come out in a second ]

[ sir you can't new phone this, we don't even have phones

but all right. he just. sits down, then, rubbing at his face. ]

[ he is going to splash cold water on his face before heading out. ughughugh.

and then go and sit near him. at least the green scents of the grass and nearby fruit trees are soothing after All That ]

Bad night?

[ yeah. actual air instead of airborne Tartarus acid. or ocean water, or -

he turns and looks up as Cepheus sits next to him. ]

They're all bad, if I dream. You?

About the same. But something tells me that you already know that.

[ but maybe he'll get lucky and kevin will have no idea what he's talking about! ]

[ since when has Cepheus ever been lucky.

Kevin just stares at him with that heavy expression somewhere between sympathy and exhaustion. ]

... Yeah. I think I was in your dream tonight. Lethe was right about random dream sharing.

[ he's too tired and upset to bother with any illusions tonight, so it's all merisian bioluminescence up in here ]

For future reference, I'd love it if you could stay out of head.

[ whoa. now that Kevin is actually focusing on it, that's ... cool? alarming? he definitely jolts as he realizes Cepheus is still glowing. ]

I'd love to stay out of your head too.

[ he hesitates, still staring, trying to figure out what to say. ]

It - was't bad at first? Kind of nice feeling what you feel about the ocean.

[ going to take one or two deep breaths before answering ]

Yeah. That's gotta be new for you.

Yeah. I didn't realize it was so ... lively.

[ like maybe that's obvious but. ]

Being in tune with all the fish and everything.

[ okay, maybe his mouth twitches a little. slight temptation to smile ]

They're more talkative in real life. You wouldn't believe how many corals want to take up their turf wars with me.

Corals have turf wars? ... what do they expect you to do about it?

Obliterate their enemies, mostly. I usually tell them to talk it out. Sometimes the turtles help mediate? They're pretty patient since...you know.

[ he can't hide a faint snort at that. ]

Slow and steady, huh.

[ his smile fades a bit as he looks over that bioluminescent glow again. ]

Does Meris always show up?

[ there goes that humor. looking away ]

Not always.

[ sorry, Cepheus. ]

Just most of the time?

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