☾ Dear Mr. Sandman . . . ☽ [ RP w/ LoneDigger ]

[brinary]

Hallucinations again. Just like the ones he'd had when he was asleep in the apartment, before his aunts and mother came, just hallucinations. Or maybe it was the confusion of the setting he was in. Dell's eyes glanced around wildly but he tried not to show his concern and wrangled his emotion in before the heart monitor could pick up on any nerves.

 

Just hallucinations. Dell swallowed and tried to relax, even as the sluggish feeling took over his senses and lead weighed down his bones. The man lay stretched out in the hospital bed with his awareness flickering from mounting concern of his surroundings and inward control as his mental voice tried to rationalize.

 

It was nothing. Everything was fine. He just woke up, he'd just been told what happened-- he was ok.

 

"Hi," Dell whispered then cleared his throat- but couldn't seem to talk much louder than a hushed tone. "I was told about why I came here. Are you the doctor?" Somehow speaking felt odd and ill-placed. Dell couldn't squash the wriggling nerves in his stomach but tried to weakly smile through them.

[LoneDigger]

Though the lights were quite dim what little there was seemed to reflect right off the lenses that the doctor was wearing creating a glare that shielded his eyes from view.

It was quite strange, even the way he shuffled in the room would have suggest he were an old man, but his skin did have a single wrinkle nor was his hair grey. But the way he moved so slowly towards Dell was just creepy.

 

"Of course I am, now let's take a look~

 

Dell could hear the man's voice, but the doctor's lips did not move and the sound was only inside his head like some kind of

weird channeling. Even the television itself seemed to echo the words in a static tone.

[brinary]

He was hallucinating. He was hallucinating. His anxiety was playing with him, the drugs were making him loopy, he was reading too deeply into his surroundings and environment. Pinned to the bed and unable to do much in the way of movement, Dell's panic could only continue its stunted growth. Hospitals were one of his most disliked things-- as a place, as a piece of architecture, as an item in the world. They smelled clinical and were homes of torments and torture just as much as healing and hospice.

 

A grin chattered itself across his lips, a nervous tick. Dell tried to speak louder and found that he felt nearly breathless. "I-I'd like to see... my mother, so she can--" a pant "so she can be here, to hear this, to see, you know. Since she," dizziness "she'd remember anything I happened to forget."

 

This appointment needed to end quickly. Better yet, Dell could just go back to sleep and see Morpheus. But he knew that wasn't possible. But even less possible should be a nightmare creator's appearance in real life instead of a dream.

[LoneDigger]

"Oh, I'm afraid there is something terribly wrong with your brain. I'm going to have to replace it~

 

A sadistic chuckle left the doctor as again in slow motion he pulled a scalpel from his white coat and brought it towards Dell's temple and began to even more slowly slice into it, the blade pressing against his skull, agonizingly sharp.

But it was a classic mistake on Phobetor's part. Since Dell obviously had never actually had his brain removed in real life his imagination and terror could only stretch so far before the man was left screaming awake.

 

But this time he would not awake in a scary hospital, but in his own bed surrounded by his worried family members shouting to bring damp cloths and something to sooth him... anything!

[brinary]

The cold rag his mother had been pressing to his forehead was yanked off as Dell's screams abated, the young man rocketing up with a ragged gasp at the tail end of his waking scream. His family jumped back in reactive surprise and that was enough for Dell to bolt off of his bed and stumble to the bathroom. His socks slipped and he pitched forward, running faster into the small bathroom, blindly fumbling as he retched into the toilet. It felt agonizing. There was hardly enough food in his body to throw up anyways and the dry heaves rubbed his throat arid and sore.

 

Dell was dimly aware of someone pulling his hair back from his sweaty face, edges and curls sticking to his forehead. His mother was telling someone to put the tea kettle on and get the car ready. The shock and pain of the situation must have knocked him out clean. He didn't feel himself being moved, heard barely closing doors and worried voices all around him, the sob of one of his aunt's.

 

His awareness was in pieces and fragments, slowly returning as he opened his eyes and was met with an overlarge stuffed spider. They must have taken him back home. The man weakly wrapped his arms around the stuffie, feeling full despite not remembering having eaten. They must have worked his throat, spooning in whatever oatmeal or fluids that they could before leaving him here. The lamp light was on in the corner of his old room, glinting off of tiny awards and accomplishments that chronicled his life.

[LoneDigger]

The sandman was having an equally rough time as Dell. The sea of dreams and lost memories he had been sailing so blissfully on before had turned rocky and turbulent. A wild storm had kicked up and he was lost by the towering waves of Dell's deepest fears, his life's worst moments.

 

Phobetor had entered the man's dreams again and turned everything hellish. He had no idea what his brother was doing but it must have been bad from how violent the hurricane was getting.

 

It was a good thing the sandman couldn't physically eat, or else he would have definitely been sea sick.

 

But his focus was stronger as he fought to steer the small sailboat through the dark and rising waves, and in his efforts the net with all the captured happy memories had been long lost and swept away back to the depths of Dell's mind.

 

Morpheus cursed his brother for choosing such an innocent man as Dell to be the subject of his torments.

Not that his brother didn't give many others nightmares, but why was it that he had to be subjected to this kind of torture nearly every time he closed his eyes.

 

All the sandman knew know what that he was going to give his brother a piece of his mind and try to get some answers for Dell's sanity.

 

And with that... it didn't go so well. The sandman thought he was an expert captain, but not when the circumstances were so chaotic. He ended up crashing the boat against some sharp rocks and could hear his brother laughing wickedly from upon the lighthouse he was standing. Though there was no lights coming from the abandoned structure, it appeared to have been broken and Morpheus knew just exactly who's work that was.

 

The waves carried, no scratch that, dragged and then tossed the stranded sandman upon the lonely beach, face first.

Groaning softly as another wave doused him before he could even get up and stumbled further up the shore.

He was cold and tired, but on a rampage to speak to his brother.

 

Climbing up the winding stairs to the very top of the old lighthouse he found him leaning against the railway with a casual air that was really obnoxious. So the sandman decided to shoot that carefree attitude right back in his brother's stupid face.

 

"Hey, Phobe~"

 

...

 

"I told you never to call me that."

[brinary]

"That whore Rosalia and her entire clan did it, from the second we moved everything was different."

 

Dell retired the name Dell and had to remind himself to answer to Yusnavi. Things in the household were different than his secluded apartment. He must have been in and out for at least two hours. The length of miles back to his family's house was almost that, and his body must have been functioning with automatic responses for when he'd apparently eaten.

 

They said he'd been out of it for half an hour, so it made sense.

 

Yusnavi watched the proceedings of his aunt's rampant rage and the ensuing argument/defense that followed. Now sitting up in bed, fully awake and spooning up a bowl of porridge, the noise of it all was soothing. He would take anything over the static of his nightmares and even feared what a still silence could hold. They had his blinds open so the light from the afternoon came pouring in. A cousin of his, Chella, watched from the sidelines as well. When she and Yusnavi locked eyes, they grinned then looked away.

 

Chella was always helpful. She was also a part of the reason the man's face was covered in a layer of oatmeal and pomegranate juice. The facemask seemed unneeded but was greatly improving his mood-- it smelled fantastic and was most likely going to make his skin repair from recent stressful barrages. The argument moved out of Yusnavi's room and downstairs. There was music playing from the guest room. Someone must have put the record player on. His food tasted good. His face smelled good. And the videos he was finding on the internet, along with his research on the spirits of dreams, were all good.

 

Although being awake was so abysmal, after the back-and-forth experience Yusnavi had been having, he greatly preferred it and his mind felt lighter for it.

[LoneDigger]

"Phobe, Phobe~"

 

The Sandman repeated childishly just to annoy his brother further.

 

"You it's pronounced Phobia. Don't try and be funny."

 

 

"But I can't help it, Phobe. I'm just such a happy guy~"

 

 

"And you think I love my job?"

 

 

"From the way you get all giddy and weird anytime you make a sleeping creature suffer with your nightmares, I'd say so."

 

 

"Sometimes it's fun, I guess~"

 

 

"What so amusing about this one? Tormenting him and keeping my gifts away."

 

"..."

 

"Well? Answer me then."

 

But instead of an answer his brother decided to be an even bigger pain in the ass by spreading out his arms were which webbed like the wings of a bat and jumping off the edge of the lighthouse and flying off into the moon hovering over the sea.

 

Though he wasn't the only one with the ability to fly... the sandman didn't have wings, instead fumbling around to pull out an umbrella and opening it, promptly causing him to float into the air and after his brother.

 

"Phobe! I mean-- Phobia! We need to talk NOW!"

[brinary]

"I don't think this will help," Yusnavi mumbled as he watched the pendulum's arc and descent. Frustrating as his issues were, it was always the escalation of treatment options that did it for him. The humidifier in his room was pumping away and the clucking of one of their chicken's, Dixie, was cut short. His aunt hushed him before continuing to recite a chant. The man had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes and instead pouted but remained obediently still.

 

After shortly conferring with the old books and journals, his mother and her eldest sister had decided that dragging him under a sleep spell wouldn't wok. Instead, he was going to be opened up as a vessel for emotional energy and hopefully would get so overpowered it would shock his system and make him pass out. Worse case scenario, he becomes possessed. Which Yusnavi honestly didn't see as too bad a trade-off. He'd heard that people that were possessed functioned as sleeper agents inside of their own bodies as whatever harbored within them took over control.

 

It'd been several minutes and his butt was beginning to hurt. His eyes continued following, ticking, as he thought of doing light as a feather, stiff as a board with his cousins. The memory made him briefly smile before sighing audibly.

 

"I think it would be better if--"

 

Yusnavi found himself in his room but it was empty of people. And looked much fuller, paintings of dreams and nightmares scattering the walls, unfinished and finished, desktop computer on sleep mode as a slow wave effect traveled across its screen. Fairy lights used to decorate the curtains and bedframe and looked like lightning bugs stilled as a lava lamp idly lit the corner of the room where his desk was. It was clear of any homework but books were still stacked on its heavy girth.

 

"God dammit." But feeling in a jubilant mood and definitely not dreaming, but definitely not awake, Yusnavi felt more comfortable as the world seemed to respond to his knowledge and instead of being pitch black outside, the space filled with the hues of dusk. Yusnavi pulled a robe on that had been on his bed, feeling a chill go through him, and bundled his hair into a bun as he left his room and peered around the dark hall before walking around.

[LoneDigger]

Phobia could sense that Dell was back in the dreamscape and he needed to find the man before his brother did.

His brother just didn't get it, that he needed to do this. The man was cursed, something was drawing in negative energy. Perhaps it was a Mara gripping somewhere in his brain, but even he was not positive of that.

 

Time did not pass normally when you were in a dream. What should have realistically took months, was only a minute before Phobetor landed outside Yusnavi's home. He decided to let himself in, and his stupid brother the sandman hadn't even made it here yet, perfect!

He was about to stir up another perfect nightmare just for Dell's agony, but he found it impossible. Something was blocking his dark energy and making it impossible to create anything more frightening than a couple small spiders. But nothing hellish like before.

Phobia cursed loudly underneath his breath as he stormed into the house, surely having a stranger barging in your home unexpected was enough to give anyone a heart attack

[brinary]

"Auntie?"

 

Yusnavi had been staring hard at the dark bathroom in the hall, seeing the vague outline of its mirror. There had always been a nightlight inside but it seemed to be off. It was a question of entering the space when he'd heard the loud stomping and cussing. Looking to the stairs that led to the bottom floor, the man let his question hang in the air before realizing his stupidity.

 

Of course it wasn't his aunt. The place had been spectacularly empty. The only entities that could enter his imagination's recollection of his home would be whatever walked in the realm which existed on the thin line between existence and total mental soundspace. If he was going to be attacked by some monster, well, he'd rather it be in some actual clothes. Ducking back into his room, Yusnavi found an old pair of sweatpants he used to wear, the pattern sporting excited frogs and spiders in witch hats and tightened the robe around him.

 

Gently closing the door to his room, Yusnavi roused the hallway light, slapping the bulb a few times after flipping the switch so it came on. With a big breath, and also a bat in one hand, Yusnavi slowly came downstairs. And upon seeing who was exactly invading his home, proceeded to beat the shit out of him with the weaponized sporting item.

[LoneDigger]

Lucid dreaming or whatever this was, even the sandman himself was a bit confused at what this was.

It didn't seem that Dell was actually asleep, but that his mind was in some kind of sleep-like trance.

But the mere fact that he and his brother could move around in this mentality created meant it had to be something close to letting your mind shut down enough that the intimation was taking hold.

 

Morpheus only arrived at Dell's home in time for the best fucking part of this whole thing, watching Phobia howling in fear and pain as he seemed to be getting pulverized by a swinging bat.

 

The sandman was not a violent guy or one who usually liked to spectate in blood sports, but getting to see Phobe on the receiving end of something he dealt out to sleeping creature every single night was just too priceless to miss.

 

"Get him! Get him!"

 

Morpheus cheered his friend on as Phobia tried to retreat. Busting into Dell's home uninvited had proved to be a terrible idea, he was covered in bruises and he was positive more than one something was broken.

And like the typical younger brother that he was, the king of nightmares ending up running to hid behind the safety of his older brother.

 

"He's crazy...!"

[brinary]

Yusnavi had played pitcher for five years in little league before moving up to swinger during a boiling hot summer where he proved himself several times over to his longtime coach. Junior league saw his potential nearly realized- and he would have made it far, too, if he had been able to get more sleep. But he had to leave. It had been a tearful breakup but even Yusnavi had seen during practices what his ill habits would cost for the team. The man hadn't touched a baseball bat in a full decade now.

 

Some things just stayed with people, apparently. Wailing on the man who took part in his torture was not only easy but lightened his spirits exponentially.

 

He'd gone straight for a hit to the back, watching as the man reacted and then switching right up to let the ball sail-- a powerful swipe at his knees. Yusnavi beat the shit out of him. Yusnavi exerted his anger and frustration and confusion. When the nightmare spirit scrambled behind the man of Yusnavi's dreams (literally and figuratively speaking) all the Cuban could do was pant and push the curls that had escaped his loose bun back before exhaling sharply.

 

He glared at the cowering figure behind Morpheus, shaking his bat. "You better think next time before you come parading my dreams, asshole! I'll fuck you up even more next time, try me, motherfucker! Lucky I didn't throw a heel right between your eyes." Then, mood changing completely, he smiled at his friend. "Hey, Morpheus. How's it going."

[LoneDigger]

What a terrible sport baseball was when Phobia got to thinking about it... equipping small children with bats and encouraging them to use them with all their strength to hit was just a disaster waiting to happen.

One thing was for sure that if the nightmare spirit had been a baseball, Dell would have already hit a home run straight out of the park.

 

That made sandman think if he only his disgusting little brother were a sphere they would have been rid of him already and instead he's stuck in the middle.

Pathetic how much of a scaredy cat his brother is when not in control, the reason why he problems frightens others in their sleep because he himself wants to be the master of his own fears.

Something philosophical like that or other.

 

With a roll of his eyes and step away from Phobe cowering on the ground he greeted the man with a casual wave and easy smile.

 

"Well, I see you've met my brother... He's really such a pain in the ass."

[brinary]

Yusnavi tilted his head and looked between the two of the men. "Brothers, huh? Wow." He looked down at the bat and gently placed it on the large chest that was in the foyer of the house. Glancing back at the nightmarish man and then to his sunnier brother, Yusnavi beckoned them in and began to walk deeper into the house. He turned on the lamp in the hallway and then turned inwards to the kitchen and dining area. It took him a minute of fumbling in the darkness before he turned on the stove light. It dimly lit the area, joined by the opening of the refrigerator door.

 

"Do you guys eat?" He piled fruit cups into his hand and closed the door with his side, letting the snacks fall on the tiny circular table in the dining room. He opened one up and began to pull out little tangerine pieces, tilting his head back to let them plop in his mouth. "I think I can cook--" he swallowed, rubbing his throat. "I think I can cook in this... weird dream thing, whatever this is," Yusnavi finished as he looked around.

 

It was still interesting to be walking around like this. Yusnavi doubted the dream could change much because it seemed like a space like this, imposed onto Yusnavi for him to enter, didn't follow the same rules of a lucid dream. Like if he stepped outside, he'd get swept up in the winds of his imagination- for better or worse.

[LoneDigger]

"Oh, dear..."

 

The sandman let out a big sigh, already his younger brother was proving to be very embarrassing in front of his... friend? Were he and Dell even considered such?

With a soft huff he knelt down and picked up the slithering little thing and tucked him in his arm, the snake was hiding it's face in the crook.

 

See, Phobia in his own fright, had sunk down so low against the floor that he had turned into a literal sniveling little snake.

Whenever spirits were overwhelmed by emotion, the tended to loose control of their own powers. In the sandman's case this usually occurred when he became emotional around children, giving them wildly wonderful dreams that were just an explosion of rainbows and kittens, all things children loved that were nonsensical.

 

Whereas his brother, in the rare moments in a lucid nightmare when the subject would be able to fight back against the scary monsters in turn made Phobia very uncomfortable. His loss of control over the mind's fears resulted in his own power's demise.

 

"Ooh, I haven't seen one of these in ages..."

 

The sandman hummed as he plucked up on of the fruit cups and peeled off the lid, sipping a bit of the juice from the side as if it were some kind of cocktail.

 

"We can do anything imaginable, or unimaginable in your mind. But... this place... it's not a dream. I don't know what it's called, you're awake I think... but your mind is completely open to us spirits... could be dangerous, actually."

[brinary]

Yusnavi motioned for Morpheus to sit with him, sliding a seat back for the man- and the brother-snake in his arm- before lowering himself into one. He opened another fruit cup to begin chewing on those. They were pineapple and moschino cherries, something he'd always considered to be a weird combination but pretty in appearance, good in taste. As the sandman began to explain what this exact 'realm' was, Yusnavi made a sudden noise and nodded.

 

It took him a moment since he'd stuffed his mouth with fruit slices but once they'd been swallowed down, he pat his mouth dry. "My family has been trying a lot of different methods to help me with the sleeping thing," the man explained. "They were doing this trance thing that I thought was pretty-- well, not ridiculous but... I didn't think..." He trailed off as he looked around at the replica of his home a decade ago. It even smelled the same. Slowly, he finished- "I didn't think it would be like this."

 

Vaguely he considered what might be happening to him in the physical world. If this was supposed to be a stay that would last years and years, only minutes in the real world, where he would wake up aged but finally able to sleep and have a good night's dream. "Are you used to being in states like this?" He propped his chin on his hand, looking at the two with interest. "Like, can you appear in daydreams, even, or trance-states like this?"

[LoneDigger]

"Not typically... we usually stick to our own dreams and nightmares respectively, but it's very possible for us to enter day dreams and such..."

 

The sandman murmured, nonchalantly stroking his brother's scales, trying to coax him to come out again but he seemed pretty down about Dell fighting back against him. Though Morpheus loved it when his brother got a taste of his own medicine.

Miserable beings surrounds themselves with more miserable beings, and then they are happy.

Wise words...

 

Absent minded, he plucked up snake Phobe by his back and dipped his head down to the cup of fruit, the little tongue flickering a taste against a slice of peach before retreating back again. Maybe that would help him feel more normal again.

[brinary]

Yusnavi hummed his understanding then idly watched the small display of brotherly care. He could tell that Morpheus was the older for sure, and had he not been well-- the man was surely the more dominant in the matter of taking care and trying to coax a reaction. It was a few minutes of this. The dream warmed as a gentle lightness began to color the air. The man was finally relaxed. Cheeks bulging with fruit juice from his third cup, he had to wait a moment before swallowing it down.

 

"Um..."

 

Chewing his bottom lip, Yusnavi glanced at the snake curled up so protectively in Morpheus's arm and then looked away. "... What's your brother like to eat?" he finally asked and gave the two of them a half-smile. "I'll cook for us. I don't know how long I'm going to be here but the least I can do is try to feed you guys. It's cultural instinct."

 

Their response wasn't even out yet before he'd gotten up to move to the freezer. "There's chicken, some pork, um, I saw vegetables in the fridge and I have the breading to make stuff... Maybe even, like, a dessert if you're into sweets?" he glanced back at them after taking full inventory, continuing, "If you're into sweets, that is."

[LoneDigger]

"I suppose it's good you don't have a phobia of snakes... For some even the sight of one this tiny would be enough to send them into a panic attack."

 

The sandman chuckled, not because he found it amusing that people were afraid of things that could not harm them logically. But because right now it seemed that his brother was the one more scared of Dell at the moment.

He really was such a big baby when he's not in control of his nightmares. No one knew this of course, but older brothers always did.

 

"Small animals I suppose... But chicken should suit him just fine."

 

Morpheus hummed, gently cradling the snake in his arm as he raised it up so he could look at him in the eye, a faint smile tugging up his lips.

 

Dell was so kind to them both, even if they didn't deserve it. Sandman knew he had been neglectful of the man for so long, refusing to visit him and bring sweet dreams even when he was in desperate need of a break from his bother's and other darker dream spirits or demons endless assaults of night terrors and insomnia.

 

"I myself would probably be a vegetarian if I could actually eat... See, I can taste it and imagine. But it's not really going anywhere.... It's more of an allusion to us."

 

He tried to explain, but it was difficult. He could feel things, but eating wasn't something beings like him needed or did. But they could when the imagination allowed it. And he could almost taste it...

 

"Something sweet would be perfect... Maybe I can lend a hand?"

 

He'd never even cooked before, but it seemed rude not to offer to at least try and be useful. Plus it might be fun, keep the daydream more stable.

[brinary]

Yusnavi was certain that if his family had been there, majority of the women would be screeching for their lives. Somehow throughout a total burst of panic and despair they would still manage to grab a broom and try to wrap the snake with it as hard as they could. Of course, screaming the entire time.

 

Thinking about it made Yusnavi want to snicker but the man swallowed the urge down and just nodded to what Morpheus was saying.

 

Usually they'd run a pipe and fill a bowl with water, placing the frozen chicken inside to dethaw. But dreams were a miraculous thing and the combined lucidity of Yusnavi's mind with the in-between nature of that moment had the chicken just magically be fresh and ready to cook. The next thing to do was get out the cutting board and spices. He'd cook something quick and nice for the nightmare man. Mostly as an apology offering.

 

As Morpheus continued talking, he'd gotten to work, slicing into the chicken breasts to put them flat then beginning to cut them into even strips. Spices already poured out on the same cutting board, letting the meat roll in the spices and marinate through little holes poked into their skin was going to enhance the flavour big time.

 

If his mother had been there, she was sure to have scolded him for several things already. As it stood, Yusnavi kind of liked having a pair that wouldn't judge him too harshly.

 

Glancing over his shoulder at the question, the man felt himself blush faintly and grin at the idea. Because that sounded really cute and fun. "Sure you can help. But where will you keep your brother? Will he just lounge on your head or will he mind the clanging and stuff?"

[LoneDigger]

After the incident regarding the baseball bat Phobia never wanted to even see another stick like object aimed towards him again, and certainly not a broom being swung around by a bunch of panicked-hellbent-on-killing-snake ladies that were of Dell's family. That was his worst nightmare now.

 

But right now the little serpent seemed to be enticed by the smell of meat and he even dared to slither out a bit more, his little forked tongue flickering in and out to taste the air. He even went so far as the end of his brother's arm, only to be picked up and placed on the sandman's shoulder.

 

"No, no~ It's not ready yet."

 

Morpheus scolded his brother softly, if Phobe had it his way those chicken strips would already be settling in his belly. Apparently snakes had a thing for stuffing themselves and then just laying there in some patch of sun to bask in their gluttony. Honestly the sandman did not like snakes, or any of the creatures his brother associated with.

He preferred the cuter animals, or mythical unicorns and friendly dragons. Anything children dreamed of.

 

"I have to keep him in my sight... You can't trust him for a minute, even when he's like this."

 

Sandman explained as he tickled the scales on the snake's side before shuffling over to Dell's side so he could see about helping to prepare their little meal.

He'd never cooked chicken before, but once in another dream he remembered baking a cake... that was fifty layers tall.

[brinary]

"You know," Yusnavi began then corrected himself with a flustered laugh. "You don't. You'll know after this, because I'll tell you," he chuckled before continuing. "I actually used to own a snake." The man made sure the pan was hot and oiled before laying down the seasoned strips of chicken, the immediate sizzle and crackle prompting him to step back. His hand gently pushed against Morpheus's chest so he could stand back as well.

 

He continued to lay down the strips of chicken and put a lid over them after pushing them around with his fork. "Her name was Constance, after my grandmother's old dog. I loved her very dearly. I hid her from my family for a while and then eventually let her on her way." Yusnavi recounted the event fondly and sighed.

 

"She loved eating spider webs and crickets."

 

As the chicken cooked, the man set it aside and reached in the cupboard to pull out brown sugar, vanilla, and a can of condensed milk, chewing at his lip before facing the other with a grin. "Alright. I'm going to preheat the oven and get to work on beating eggs- we'll make flan! You think you can handle maybe melting down some sugar?"

 

It was a playful sentence, challenging but teasing.

[LoneDigger]

"Oh, really? Maybe that explains why Phobe here turned into one... your subconscious remembers Constance. Do they look alike?"

 

Sandman grinned as he held out his brother pinched between two fingers behind the snake's head, his tail quickly coiling around the other's wrist for balance and letting out a little embarrassed hiss as being disturbed from his comfy spot on Morpheus's shoulder.

 

"You hear that? No chicken for you, just some cobwebs~"

 

The elder brother teased the younger as he let him crawl a bit angrily up his arm so he could go back to being undisturbed by their antics.

 

"I don't know, sounds like a pretty big job."

 

Sandman smirked but then pressed up beside Dell again so he could help make the flan. Now... was he supposed to melt the butter and sugar together in the saucepan?

[brinary]

Turning his head to look at the horseplay- if he could call it that- between the two brothers, Yusnavi tried to remember the exact coloration and looks of his snake. Constance definitely hadn't been your regular garden stalker but she wasn't a big predator either. So the man settled on making a small noncommittal noise, still lost in thought. "Maybe a little. Who knows." His grimace was quick to come but Yusnavi held back on correcting himself with another convuluted sentence. He was

 

While they were teasing and taunting one another, the Cuban managed to find some good eggs and a bowl. He got out about two more, and a large plate- for whatever purpose. At Morpheus's joke, he cracked another smile and laughed with that familiar flush rising in his cheeks.

 

He really blamed it on the lack of human contact for months on end. It'd done him dirty in times like these.

 

"I believe in you," he replied after his ending chuckles and passed Morpheus a pan with a scrape of butter already resting in it. Motioning to the brown sugar after deftly cracking a few eggs, Yusnavi explained the task simply. "Just hold the pan and twirl the brown sugar around as it dissolves into this kind of thick paste? Not paste but... thick substance," he finally settled on.

 

"It shouldn't take more than a few minute so I'll be done whisking by then. So be careful not to burn it."