for in that sleep of death what dreams may come

[thelordofdreams]

"Dream?" she said. "Give me your hand." He could hardly see her through the rain

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[get_a_lifetime]

On the beach, Death beamed brighter than the sun. There was nothing that could darken her day; not now that she had her youngest sister with her. She continued her pursuit of sea glass and shells, toeing the line of foam on the sand as the tide receded.

Never in her life...all seventy nine days of it...did she expect to see not one, but two of her family in flesh and blood.

Shells and glass fell with a dull clatter as she stared at him standing there in the water, half dressed and...

...with eyes.

"Brother?" she asked, almost frightened to hope. Maybe Delirium had an effect on her after all. Maybe he was a hallucination.

[thelordofdreams]

He turned.

She looked different. How, he could not say. But then again, everything had looked a bit different up on that cliff.

He regarded her coolly. "If you've brought me somewhere to talk me out of this, Sister, I am unamused. You have a function. Perform it."

[get_a_lifetime]

As if she wasn't pale enough, she could feel a rush of heat drain away from her face and her smile faded to a thin, tight line.

"Do not speak to me like that, Dream. Not here...I didn't just take it before and I won't accept it now."

[thelordofdreams]

"I... I apologize." She was, perhaps, the only one who could elicit those words from him outright. "I am so tired. Just tell me why you've brought me here. Please."

[benedictbecky]

"...are you okay there, sugar?"

Becky, in a blue and white sundress, barefoot, had been looking at shells before she'd caught sight of the new guy. Poor thing looked like he'd popped outta a place not too different from her own. She set down the conch shell and approached him with care, like she might walk up to Miho.

[thelordofdreams]

Dream looked at her, and then past her, his eyes flicking over the beach. It hadn't occurred to him yet that he had proper eyes.

"I'm in the waking world," he murmured.

Then to the girl, whose name he couldn't be bothered to search his mind for, he said, "Tell me where I am."

He should not be anywhere.

He should not be at all.

[benedictbecky]

"You're everywhere and nowhere at all," drawled Becky softly, and then peered at his cheek. "And all cut up too. You need a doctor."

Figuring he probably needed some kinda concrete answer, she added, "A lotta people call this place Tabula Rasa. It's an island."

[thelordofdreams]

"I earned it," Dream said vaguely, in regards to the cut. Blood for blood. "It should not matter soon."

He looked at her. "And island. No. You do not dream of islands. Rain. Phone booths. Your mother. You should not be here."

He should not be here. Reality was slipping. Had he caused this?

[flowers_on_skin]

Eostre dropped the book that she was reading and stared.

And stared.

She hadn't seen him in...She didn't even known how long it was, that was how long it had been. She had had nothing but bad dreams for a long time.

"I...hello, Dream. It's been a...long time."

[thelordofdreams]

There were few people that Dream would be more surprised to see at this moment.

"You... should not be here," he said. Then completely at a loss added weakly, "And I... should not be."

[flowers_on_skin]

Eostre very nearly rolled her eyes. Some things never, ever change, and some things do. She got up off the sand, leaving her hat and sunglasses behind her.

"None of us should be here, and yet, here we are." She walked over and looked up at him. "What did you do to your face?"

[thelordofdreams]

"I..." He brought a hand to his face and his fingers came away smeared with blood.

"The Fates," he said.

"I killed my son."