sheep_game | Counting Stars

... I had a dream about Kevin too.

I'm going to guess it wasn't a great dream.

[ His breath catches in his throat the first time he tries to answer. Presses a hand over his eyes and takes a few calming breaths ]

We were running through Tartarus.

[ that's a sharp inhale he can't help, and he goes paler than he'd been a moment ago, hands at his sides going to fists ]

...I'm really sorry you had to see that.

I'm sorry you guys have to actually deal with that place. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[ deep breaths don't help, it turns out ]

Most of us don't. Ananke, there are three living half-bloods right now who have been to Tartarus and escaped. One was Kevin. One was my girlfriend. And one was me. She and I fell in together, not too long after Kevin got out.

—Sorry. I should've thought about whether or not you'd been— I didn't mean to dredge up such bad memories.

I just said it wasn't common. How could you have known?

I...don't know.

[ quiet for a count of ten ]

...I'm sorry. I guess we both gave you, um. The worst night's sleep ever. Tell me if there's a way I can make it up to you?

You still shouldn't apologize for dreams you can't even control.

...But if you want to do something... Do you know how to make brownies? There's no way I'm getting back to sleep without something to take my mind off of...any of that.

I know how to not burn brownies. Probably.

I don't think I'm getting back to sleep either, anyway.

Cool. Scarab says he remembers my mom's recipe, so we can teach you to do better than just not burning them.

[ well, that makes him smile a little ]

Let's go.

[ and off to the kitchen! ]

[ To the kitchen! Ananke gets right to work pulling out the different ingredients and pans and such they'll need ]

You ever sifted stuff together before?

[ guilty freeze as he's pulling out the chocolate ]

...No. Man, I'm going to ruin your mom's recipe.

[ laughs ]

Not any worse than I am.

Don't underestimate how good I am at ruining things.

How bad can it be?

[ kind of. hesitates. then shrugs, busying himself with taking a look over the ingredients ]

Not that bad in the kitchen, usually. My parents haven't banned me yet, anyway. I'll just follow your lead.

Mm... Well, we can keep it simple for now. Mixing the sugar and butter together is basically impossible to mess up.

[ Conjures up an illusion of the right measurements over the butter and sugar ]

I'll handle sifting stuff and melting the chocolate.

[ was he talking about cooking, really? doesn't matter; he looks at the illusion, nods, and gets to measuring out butter and sugar, then melting the butter ]

[ like he hasn't filed that away to keep in mind now. Busying himself measuring out the different dry ingredients to sift together ]

Do your parents ban you from a lot of stuff?

[ a laugh ]

Nah, not really. I don't think no weapons around the breakables counts, especially after the fifth time I've broken something. My mom is really, like...gentle. She's never even gotten angry at me. And, trust me, she's had plenty of reason to.

Never? Even my mom's gotten mad at me, and she's basically the world's best mom.

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