The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Seventeen

It was nearly dinner time. Morpheus stood in the kitchen, leaning back against the cabinetry, as Steven tended a pot of pasta, while Julien sat on the kitchen island, smoking a cigarette. Julien had said he didn't feel like telling the story over and over, so he was waiting for the others, but Morpheus did know Shade and Athen were not in the palace, and that Shio had been dismissed early, along with most of the servants.

Morpheus glanced at the clock on one of the appliances, then began making a salad, with a little help from River. Spider and Ardor came in as Morpheus was trying to grate a carrot. Joy followed a few minutes later.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

"Gone," Julien told her. "You know if Dolly and G are awake?"

"Dolores might not wake until sunset," Morpheus reminded them, and Ganymede was up until the middle of the day, again."

"Joy can you-"

"Just use your mind to call them!"

"I think Ganymede prefers his mobile," Julien said, patting down his unglamorous blue-jeans and Depeche Mode tee, without finding his own device.

I'll do it, Joy said, sharing the telepathic message with them all, Morpheus suspected.

"I still can't quite figure how you do that," Steven said, as he carried the pot to the sink. "All my work in making cellular technology secure, and then in trying to subvert it, and working on deep web and dark nets...for all it seems analogous, there's so much I don't understand, like how aware relays are."

"Whatever those are," Julien scoffed.

"It's just what it sounds like," Joy said authoritatively, "He means, for example, I might have trouble focusing on Morpheus, but you are physically or mentally closer to him, and I use you as a relay to find and connect to Morpheus."

"He looks cute today," Julien said, so generously shifting the conversation to someone else's issues.

Morpheus shrugged at Joy as he carried the bowl of salad to the table.

Joy shrugged in turn, "That's how he always looks when he's not playing dress-up with you."

Julien laughed, "How is Morpheus the only pretty, gay, goth boy you aren't attracted to?"

Joy tsked her tongue, but she didn't sound upset, "When I met him as himself, I already knew he was Opi's son. He's like family."

There was a pause, then Julien said, "I'm not sure about that." Morpheus suspected Joy was helping Julien get in some telepathy practice.

Ganymede and Dolores came into the kitchen together. She was wearing sunglasses and a blue and white Brooklyn baseball cap, in addition to a polka-dot sundress. "Unscheduled family meeting?" Ganymede asked, as he went towards the blood cellar.

Steven carried the pasta to the table in a serving bowl.

"Beer, Steven?" Spider asked.

"Maybe after dinner. Thanks."

Spider carried his own bottle to the table.

Julien ground out the butt of his cigarette in a glass on the island, then joined the rest of them at the table. They were nine, River included.

"Shade and Athen left, they plan to be back soon, but Shade said I'm in charge. Of the house, and any haven duties."

"You are the most senior Vampyre, right?" Spider asked, "of the bloodline." He nodded towards Dolores, but Morpheus didn't know if she even noticed, with head bowed and glasses on.