Or it could be the dead giant star starfish god thing, but I rather assumed that she was used to things like that.
She turns away from it, looking right at me instead.
"It's dead."
Yes, we know. Or rather, it's as dead as it can be, given the nature of its physique is as much geology as biology.
"Yes, I spotted that. Is it still dreaming?"
She rolls her eyes. "Stop reading Lovecraft. None of it is literally true."
I see she's familiar with Howie's work. General cultural osmosis?
"You weren't inspiring him then?
"
"European folklore and
racism inspired him. I didn't have anything to do with it. If a creature dies, it doesn't
dream. Its soul might still have a connection to the Dreaming, its life might change the texture of part of the Dreaming, but it won't
dream and it won't have
nightmares.
Living things have nightmares.
"
Of course, 'living thing' has a wide definition throughout the DC Universe. Given that
Stars can have anthropomorphic embodiments. That date mortal entities.
I bow my head slightly.
"So you're not getting anything from this?"
She opens her mouth slightly and then appears to think better of it, closing her lips and turning back to the Mother Star.
Well, she didn't say
that. I'm sure there's all manner of interesting things about the big dumb starfish.
"If you want me to guide you through the Dreaming to someone who can actually answer you-."
"No. No, I'm perfectly happy to leave that particular can of worms well alone. I doubt that Morpheus would exactly be thrilled with the Host of the Ophidian popping by for a visit."
If nothing else, there would be a lot more 'wanting' dreams floating around for some time. And possibly nightmares about snakes. Plus, he probably stinks of Dream's sibling Desire.
"If you dream, then you visit the Dreaming." Her head comes up slightly. "Did I really just have to say that?"
"I'm not so sure. No soul, remember. At least, originally. And I kept dreaming after coming here. I think that my dreams.. at least were just a reinterpreted mess of images thrown up by my brain ticking over while I slept."
Ah, the rational, scientific explanation for dreams... A pity the DC Universe is neither entirely rational or scientific.
"I suppose that's not entirely stupid. What about now?"
Huh. Alright, the magic I've integrated should mean that I'm just as capable of entering the Dreaming as anyone else. But would all of my warding disrupt that? Atlanteans have studied the process a little, but I'm a fairly unique case. There's nothing… That stands out to me as showing that my dreams changed between pre-soul and post-soul.
Won't know until you try an experiment. and that kind of thing gets looked upon poorly by Dream.
"Don't know. But I'm a Hellenist. Do you know anything about my nightmares?"
"I think it's too far away?"
I notice she didn't answer the question. At least, not directly...
"Hm? Oh, from Earth. Yes, I thought that might be a problem." I shrug. "I do actually know roughly where these things came from. If you want, we can hope between systems until we find a planet with a lively enough magic field to be worth investigating."
"And how long would that take?"
Not that long, I'm sure. Admittedly, it depends on what Persephone would have to say about letting him take a road-trip with her.
"Assuming that you can manage passage through the Honden of Avarice, perhaps an h-."
"No." Zagreus shakes his head. "Veto."
Yeah, figured as much.
"If you're concerned for Melinoë's chastity, I assure you-."
"Oh, I'm not." He brings his right fist to his chest. "I'm not. But a demi-god like you bringing my sweet little sister into his place of power? Our mother would be quite upset."
And when Persephone is upset,
Hades has reason to be upset.
"My lady Melinoë?"
She doesn't look around. "She probably would. She's been getting a bit… Weird about it."
Well, this probably is the most attention Melinoë has gotten in centuries...
"And your feelings on the subject?"
"Because my life is so incomplete without seeing the dreams of a dead starfish."
What, no professional interest in what something like it could have nightmares about? Solar-sized fishermen, maybe?
"I… I'm sorry, I can't tell whether you're being sarcastic or not. It sounds like you are, but you're the Goddess of Nightmares and Madness so you could-."
"And what would you do if I did want to go?"
"I would entreat your mother directly. Or swear an oath of her choice that whatever it is she fears happening would not happen. Or given that I'm reasonably sure that you're over eighteen-."
Come on, OL, is it that important? Really?
Zagreus narrows his eyes. "Can you afford to anger another deity?"
"I'm not sure. I talked Hera into divorcing Zeus and all that happened was that I got hit with lightning once. The Themysciran oracles have been glaring at me, but other than that I haven't noticed any fallout from the.. incident with Apollo. On the other hand, Eris, Hephaestus and your regal father have been genuinely helpful."
Yeah, but they find you useful. Or amusing, in Eris' case.
Zagreus regards me curiously. "I rather doubt that our father has been genuinely helpful yet. You are still alive."
"Except for when I wasn't. And just-" I shake my head. "-knowing that I have somewhere to go when I die is a tremendous weight off my mind. Try living in a purely material universe if you want some concept of my old ennui."
The 'donation' of millions of alien souls might have gone a decent way to getting on his good side too.
I let the glow of my environmental shield grow brighter, the normally skin tight orange outline gaining considerable volume.
"And I'm the philosophical leader of an organisation that believes quite strongly in personal fulfilment. If you want to go, then I'll deal with Queen Persephone as best I can."
Eh, I suspect there's a limit to how much she'll trust you...
Koriand'r frowns. "Why would you not simply fly from world to world?"
"Because that would takes weeks. The Star Conquerors were a galactic threat, and some of the people who live in the places they once lived are pretty darn hostile. And I'm really not convinced that Persephone would be happier about me taking more time."
"I haven't even agreed to go anywhere with you!"
Yeah, kind of getting ahead of yourself, OL. Still leaping before you look. Or even decide which way to leap.
"When fishing with a rod, you bait the hook and then leave it there. You don't shove it in the fish's mouth."
Zagreus jabs at me with his right forefinger.
"That sort of comment bothers me, to say nothing of how our mother would feel-."
And he would know, what with the whole 'god of the hunt' thing he has.
"Shut up, both of you." Melinoë straightens slightly. "I think I can feel something."
Melinoë's form… Changes. It's subtle, but her outline becomes slightly indistinct and her horns and colouration becomes slightly more pronounced. Direct Dreaming connection. I wonder if she'd mind us studying her?
How rude, OL. Poking and probing a lady, especially after her mother is already put out with you.
"That's interst-."
And she vanishes.
To quote the Tenth Doctor: "What?
What?
What?!"
OL! Do something! ...No, wait! Get someone
else to do something, you've already meddled enough!
