lady moonlight, 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐌𝐀𝐍 [hiatus.]

imperfect hosts ───── ii.

(𝟏x𝟎𝟐)

               ───── ATHENODORA? ───── Came the question from a curious Disturbia, whose slender hands were occupied with the thin coffee-coloured paper in her hands. She beautifully moulded it as if it was clay in her hands, soft at the touch and easily bendable. A cut here, a fold there. She twisted and shaped the piece of paper until a petite bird was born from the palm of her hand. With a surprised gasp, she lifted the creation so that Morpheus could analyze it, and how could he not give a quiet nod of approval when she was smiling so brightly at him?

The Dream Lord placed a giant grimoire in front of her, with a thick velvet cover painted in purple and large golden letters which announced the book's title. ───── It is a human name. It comes from Greek, meaning 'a gift from Athena' or 'a gift from the Gods'. I think it's a fitting name for you.

───── But I am not a gift from the Gods. I'm not even sure my existence could be considered a gift at all. ───── Disturbia meekly shrugged and dropped the origami creature on the table, hiding her hands inside the long sleeves of her dress.

When the stoic lord had first brought up the idea of giving the girl her own name, just like Morpheus had been his, she felt taken back. For the past thirty years since they had shared a home, there had been no need to baptise her in such a personal way, mostly because she thought of herself undeserving of such particularities. Disturbia fitted her fine enough, it painted perfectly the essence of her whole being and who she was to those who surrounded her -a disturbance, a loophole, a paradox. Few names could portray her as perfectly as that one did.

───── A gift doesn't have to be necessarily good or bad. It's merely something that is given. Like a name. ───── Seeing as his words did little to convince the girl, he opted for a new strategy, laying both his hands on the table as they sat across from each other. ───── You only exist because humans wished so. They prayed and wailed so hard that you were able to come into life. Perhaps, you really are a gift from the gods to Men. It's very early to tell, still.

Disturbia gazed into his sharp face, the clean features that brought an air of elegance to his whole demeanour. She found herself easily distracted when staring at the man in front of her, a thought that often brought shame to her cheeks. Always so attentive, Morpheus seemed to always know what to say when it came to her, and that made dealing with him every day much harder for someone like Disturbia. Someone who barely knew what tenderness and comfort were.

───── Yet the time I spent on Earth was filled with chaos and death. I might as well be a curse.

Morpheus sank in his own sigh. ───── You were unaware of your powers and their lengths, Athenodora. Frankly, I am not so sure about them myself. But we can work with what we have now, step by step, and figure out the rest later. Together.