110 Requiem for A Dream (1/2)

\”So… basically what you're saying is you've got a secret base now?\” Ty confirmed.

He'd scratched his nose with a hand caked in glitter and accidentally swiped his face with a spattering of gold dust.

Arah and I laughed heartily.

We were in my dad's study which in the recent months had become my study and something of a secret base for me, Ty, and Arah mostly because aunt Lena still didn't like coming in here.

The open window behind dad's desk brought in that cold October breeze that felt cool on the skin. That cold seeped into the tiled floor and made it a comfortable spot for us to sit in and laid out our materials.

The three of us were currently in the midst of finishing our Halloween costumes so they'd be ready in three weeks for that most favorable of holidays. This time, we'd decided to go as the big three of the DC. Ty was going as Superman because he was like Luca in his sense of justice. Arah would be Asian Wonder Woman right down to that skimpy skirt from the movies. Me, well, I was already a dark knight in the Fayne. Might as well be Batman in Mudgard too.

After I'd finished laughing at Ty and he'd cleaned his face a bit, I answered his question with, \”Yeah, and it's right beside a nice lake too. Although we'll need to make a lot of repairs to really make it work.\”

\”Sounds like quite the task,\” Arah said distractedly as she was busy pinning glittery, paper-mâché stars to the short blue skirt in her hands. \”I imagine thinking about the upkeep and managing your resources is just as challenging.\”

'Which is why I didn't want it at first after Kallista dropped the bomb on me… I had enough problems to deal with, you know?\”  I complained. \”But the idea eventually grew on me. I mean, our growing unit does need a base of operations to work from in the Westmarch.\”

I was gluing bits of foam muscles onto my Batsuit when I looked up and noticed Arah's narrowed eyes staring back at me.

\”What?\” I asked.

\”This Kallista, she's that busty fire fairy you told us about, right?\” Arah confirmed.

I nodded. \”Yup, and they're called salamanders... so what?\”

Arah sighed. \”Nothing.\”

Then she went back to her work and ignored me for a whole five minutes. Eventually, though, she looked up from her costume and cocked her to the side, and said, \”You know, my mom's an architect and my dad's an engineer…\”

\”So?\” I asked warily. I didn't like where this conversation was headed. I can already see it as if I could see into the cogs moving around inside Arah's brain.

\”Maybe…\” she paused, breathing deeply before continuing to ask the question I already knew was coming, \”Maybe this would be the perfect time for Ty and me to join you in the Fayne. We could help with renovations for starters?\”

\”—too dangerous, I know, I know,\” Arah said, rolling her eyes. \”But if you can do it, Dean, and you're not exactly the most athletic guy out there—\”

\”—Oi!—\”

\”—I'm just saying,\” Arah raised her hands up in surrender, \”that if you can hack it, who's to say we can't too? Right, Ty?\”

Ty hadn't answered so both Arah and I turned toward him and found him lost in thought. His eyes looked glazed over.

\”Tyberius!\” Arah snapped.

Still, Ty hadn't responded, and it wasn't until I grabbed his shoulder and shook him that he began to stir.

\”Wh-what?\” Ty blinked. Then he massaged his brow like he'd just had a huge migraine. \”S-sorry. I was—\”

\”—Spacing out?\” Arah finished. \”Yeah, we know.\”

I looked at my friend with concern. 'You okay, dude?\”

Ty dropped his hand and nodded. \”Y-yeah… just tired, I guess. Not sleeping so well recently.\”

\”Why?\” I asked, offering him another can of Diet Coke.

Ty looked down at the can in my hand and shook his head. \”Dude… you're the only one who drinks that. Regular Coke is fine…\”

Arah laughed at me before tossing Ty a regular Coke can.

He popped it open without bothering to let the air out slowly, causing it to fizz up and drench his hand in soda.

Ty spent the next ten seconds lapping it up with his mouth while Arah and I laughed heartily once more.

Eventually, after things had calmed down, I returned to the topic of Ty not getting much sleep and asked him what it was about, and he responded surprisingly with, \”Hey, Dean… do you ever get nightmares? About the Fayne?\”

My brow furrowed. \”Um… I already live in that nightmare. I don't think I'd want to dream about it too.\”

\”Not that you dream at all these days,\” Arah added. \”Do you even get any sleep done between here and the Fayne, Dean?\”