Arrakeen, Friday morning

[future_sandworm]

The family's private quarters of the palace were quieter and less grand, but this was still obviously a palace. Warm yellow light from the Arrakis sun filtered through curtains moved softly by the wind. The room was comfortably furnished with cushioned couches and a few small tables. On one of them Leto had arranged for refeshments to be placed

Comments

[myownface]

"You know," Sparkle said, smiling at Leto and then looking thoughtfully toward the curtains, "one of the planets the island stopped on had three suns? Three. It was, like, never dark, there. The desert here is practically refreshing, compared to that."

Hey, it was a conversation starter, while Sparkle settled in.

[future_sandworm]

Leto took a seat on one of the couches and gestured for Sparkle to do the same. "At least we have dark and cold nights," he said with a laugh. "And I the island isn't prepared for that heat. So, it is still moving, then?"

[myownface]

"Still," Sparkle agreed, shaking his head in vague amusement before making his way over to take a seat near Leto, himself. "It just left this one place that was so colourful and glittery that it put a Fandom High dance to shame. And, I mean, we both know those dances."

They'd met at one, after all.

"Now it's at this place that... I'm not sure what it's about. It makes portals or something. I wasn't all that impressed by it before I left, but I'm sure I'll hear all about it on the radio when I get home."

[future_sandworm]

Leto grinned. "You didn't take advantage of the glitter?" Sparkle had had him covered in it when they first met, after all. "A place of portals you say?" Leto was suddenly very relieved that Hania wasn't on the island.

[myownface]

"I tried to, but seriously, that place hurt my eyes," Sparkle replied, grinning. "I think I got, like, a bag of dirt? But it's rainbow dirt. I might try to grow something in it."

He was pretty sure anything he put into the dirt would also sprout into rainbows. It was a theory worth testing, anyway.

"And yeah, like, portals to all over the place. I didn't stop to ask if they were portals to other places in the multiverse or not, though. Maybe when I get back I'll ask around and see if anyone knows."

[future_sandworm]

"Growing a plant in it sounds like an interesting project." Perhaps Sparkle needed a colourful addition to his plant family?

"Coffee?" He offered, reaching for the tray on the table. It was similar to what Sparkle would be used to. "I am sure that someone will be brave, or stupid, enough to try out the portals. I hope they will return to tell the tale to the squirrels."

[myownface]

Sparkle could always use more additions to his plant family. And Atton had already given him permission to get a croton so...

"Please," he said to the offer of coffee, and then smiled a little. "And yeah, I'm sure we'll hear all about it from someone. Just so long as that someone isn't me. That's a little too much adventure for my tastes, right now."

[future_sandworm]

A colourful addition. Sparkle would have to find a colourful name for it.

Pouring coffee for them both, Leto said: "I guessed from what you said when we spoke last that adventures would not be something you would willingly seek now." Did Sparkle ever willingly seek adventures?

Leto put the pot down on the table, looking at Sparkle. "How are you now?"

[myownface]

Sparkle would come up with something. It might have, like, six middle names.

"I'm..." he frowned a little bit. "Better? I guess? I mean, a little. The planet with the screaming sun was hell on the nerves, and Atton's gone back to his galaxy again so it's good to have company, but things still aren't quite... easy, I guess. Not like they used to be."

[future_sandworm]

Leto would have asked about the screaming sun if there wasn't more important things to talk about. "I'm glad you could visit," he said. "Not like they used to be?"

That didn't surprise him.

[myownface]

Sparkle shrugged a little.

"It's weird," he sighed. "I mean, I've been through a lot of shit on the island, you know? It's even killed me a few times. But nothing there really shook me up the same as this thing in Atton's galaxy did."

[future_sandworm]

"Understandable," Leto said, reaching for Sparkle's hand. "What in particular bothers you?"

Injury, the helplessness of being a prisoner, taking a life. From what Sparkle had told him there could be several things.

[myownface]

Sparkle's shoulders hitched up in a shrug, and he took Leto's hand readily.

"A lot of stuff, I guess," he admitted. "Getting hurt right at the start sucked, but it wasn't even the worst part of it all, you know? And I've even been locked up before. It was kind of like... more of that. And I hate that and I don't ever want to go back to it, that's one of the reasons I'm even on the island these days. But that part wasn't really worse than it needed to be."

He chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"The worst of it was the stuff at the end," he said, finally. "Atton getting caught. The death sentence. The crazy bastard who was willing to kill me just to rub it in Atton's face before we died. Everything... after... that."

[future_sandworm]

"You have never felt that close to death before?" Leto asked, as that was how he interpreted what Sparkle had just said. To a Fremen, death was always close, so imprisonment would be worse. It all depended on what one expected from life, didn't it?

[myownface]

"Maybe," Sparkle allowed, chewing on his lip in thought. "Some of that. But it wasn't even really about my death. I mean, of course it was. Part of it was. But Atton was going to die, too, because I was there. And then everyone else died, and by that point I'd just... completely fucking lost it."

Not many people started to sing Cabaret while waiting to be executed, probably.

"It wasn't even entirely the danger of it," he added, more quietly. "I mean, I've seen fighting, and I've seen death, and that time was just so... personal."

[future_sandworm]

Leto wasn't sure he understood completely, but he wouldn't have been surprised by Cabaret. There was always something to hold on to in the face of fear.

He just nodded slowly, not asking more questions. If Sparkle wanted to tell him more, he would listen, but he let that be his choice. To comfort he brushed his fingers, those that weren't holding Sparkle's hand, against his cheek.