Shattered Dreams
He had been up late that night, looking at stars, different yet similar to his home. He missed parts of the sky, the north, particularly. There had always been something about northern skies. Stars made him hum to himself, singing their praise wordlessly. And then he'd falled asleep.
A true dream. He knew them from his childhood when he longed for them, wishing to see his father. But since his wedding (not even asleep did he think of what happened with her then) he had not entered his father's realm. Their falling-out had shattered a bond. He had shattered that bond.
The tall, imposing building, more like a palace than a temple, towered over him, the gargoyles stood frozen. Then, as a ripple in the fabric of the Dreaming itself, a presence was suddenly there, embodying everything once more, breathing life into this world. The gargoyles looked at him.
"We haven't seen him in ages, have we?" one said.
"No. Ungrateful brat. Thought he'd been torn apart."
They fixed him with their eyes again and he shivered.
"That one, in there, is not your father," they said. "Not in body, at least. His spirit is there, but you caused the downfall of his body. He loved you enough to grant you something more precious than life. Death."
Orpheus didn't understand, but he knew it to be true anyway and he knew tears were streaming down his cheeks. He looked down. He was dressed as he had been back home, not on the island.
"Let's give him a push, shall we?"
He was swept away, landing somewhere so strange he knew not what to make of it. But two familiar shapes were sitting on the edge of a stone circle, feeding birds.
"Father." He breathed the word, not quite able to speak. "You are going with aunt Teleute. They say it's my fault..."
The other figure, his aunt, looked up and winked at him. His father ignored him for as long as it took his heart to hammer ten times. Then he stood up.
"In the end, I made a choice too," he said. "I heard the gargoyles. Nosy beasts. They were right." Dream's eyebrows showed his displeasure.
Orpheus still did not know what to make of it. Was it his fault his father was dead? Where was he going? And in the back of his mind a small well of something poured with the realisation that this might mean that his father did love him in spite of whatever he had done, in spite of his anger and of this thing he did not know about.
Oneiros rose, always looming darker in the distance than he felt up close.
"Take care of your aunt." Orpheus nodded as his father stepped closer. Only one aunt would need that and he would have done it regardless. "Goodbye, son." A cool hand touched Orpheus' burning cheek and he felt five years old once more. He felt the place fade away and knew he was waking up, being sent back. He tried to reach for something to hold on to, but knew it was in vain.
The last thing he saw was his aunt smiling and he heard her whispered words.
"Don't worry, I'll look after him. See you, nephew. Some time."
He woke, staring up at a sky still alit with stars, but considerably lighter than before. Orpheus did not move. He wept and no stars came down to console him, nor did he expect them to. Not in this place, so godforsaken and empty, where he would no longer have a chance to see his father again. And there were questions too - of guilt.
[ooc: yet another farewell-Dream. Orpheus is crushed. If you are out early, you may find him, still crying. Or just see him sitting in a huddle on the beach before he crawls up and finds Delirium.]
A true dream. He knew them from his childhood when he longed for them, wishing to see his father. But since his wedding (not even asleep did he think of what happened with her then) he had not entered his father's realm. Their falling-out had shattered a bond. He had shattered that bond.
The tall, imposing building, more like a palace than a temple, towered over him, the gargoyles stood frozen. Then, as a ripple in the fabric of the Dreaming itself, a presence was suddenly there, embodying everything once more, breathing life into this world. The gargoyles looked at him.
"We haven't seen him in ages, have we?" one said.
"No. Ungrateful brat. Thought he'd been torn apart."
They fixed him with their eyes again and he shivered.
"That one, in there, is not your father," they said. "Not in body, at least. His spirit is there, but you caused the downfall of his body. He loved you enough to grant you something more precious than life. Death."
Orpheus didn't understand, but he knew it to be true anyway and he knew tears were streaming down his cheeks. He looked down. He was dressed as he had been back home, not on the island.
"Let's give him a push, shall we?"
He was swept away, landing somewhere so strange he knew not what to make of it. But two familiar shapes were sitting on the edge of a stone circle, feeding birds.
"Father." He breathed the word, not quite able to speak. "You are going with aunt Teleute. They say it's my fault..."
The other figure, his aunt, looked up and winked at him. His father ignored him for as long as it took his heart to hammer ten times. Then he stood up.
"In the end, I made a choice too," he said. "I heard the gargoyles. Nosy beasts. They were right." Dream's eyebrows showed his displeasure.
Orpheus still did not know what to make of it. Was it his fault his father was dead? Where was he going? And in the back of his mind a small well of something poured with the realisation that this might mean that his father did love him in spite of whatever he had done, in spite of his anger and of this thing he did not know about.
Oneiros rose, always looming darker in the distance than he felt up close.
"Take care of your aunt." Orpheus nodded as his father stepped closer. Only one aunt would need that and he would have done it regardless. "Goodbye, son." A cool hand touched Orpheus' burning cheek and he felt five years old once more. He felt the place fade away and knew he was waking up, being sent back. He tried to reach for something to hold on to, but knew it was in vain.
The last thing he saw was his aunt smiling and he heard her whispered words.
"Don't worry, I'll look after him. See you, nephew. Some time."
He woke, staring up at a sky still alit with stars, but considerably lighter than before. Orpheus did not move. He wept and no stars came down to console him, nor did he expect them to. Not in this place, so godforsaken and empty, where he would no longer have a chance to see his father again. And there were questions too - of guilt.
[ooc: yet another farewell-Dream. Orpheus is crushed. If you are out early, you may find him, still crying. Or just see him sitting in a huddle on the beach before he crawls up and finds Delirium.]