A Rose's Withering To Sow Thy Seeds [Calypso/DEVELOPMENT SOLO]

ENTER THE DREAMER

“Calypso..”

A far off voice called to her, like hearing someone from beneath the waves of an ocean.

“Wake up, idiot.”

A jarring pinch got her to open her eyes. A dark night’s sky was above her, the ground flat and full of flowers… Not just a random assortment but, poppies? They were never her favorite - they were a pretty sad flower in general, even if they were coupled with a sense of calm. She slowly sat up, seeing a woman right beside her, having released her cheek.

It was Pseudologoi, no longer appearing like a child, rather as an adult, however the roses she typically bore on her hair and clothing were no longer red, but pure black. Calypso’s eyes slowly drew up to her sister’s face, only to witness a chilling sight - her face was full of cracks, a restful expression on her face.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” She spoke frantically, reaching out to touch the cracks, but hesitated, as if afraid of breaking her any further, “Are you sick? Are you hurt? Did something-”

“Gods, shut up! Shut up for five minutes.. Always so annoying, you yacking sack of ink..” The woman would heave, holding her chest as if even speaking was painful, throwing up a hand to stop Calypso from reaching any further, the young Danava reeling back and sitting quietly as worry was on her face.

“Now listen to me very carefully, Calypso - I am dying.”

Shock settled on the youth’s face, “Wh-”

[color=#7c0717]“NO TALKING. You think this is any easier for me? Gods… Anyway..” She’d release a labored breath, “I am dying. I have been slowly wasting away this entire time. Initially, I didn’t understand why it was happening - I didn’t appear to get weaker, I didn’t feel any way initially - I merely… Was fading away. I was holding out, just a little longer, to see to your development, but slowly the toll was taking.”

“..Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” Her voice was low, desperate, “Why.. Why doesn’t anyone-”

“I don’t want to hear the damn pity talk, I don’t have much time!” She snapped, “I didn’t tell you because you’d be obsessing every damn minute about me! You’d be wasting yourself on a dead woman. A long, dead woman…” Her voice trailed off.

“What are you talking about..?” Caly whimpered softly, “You’re right here.. I mean, not in the physical sense but.. You’re here..”

“I’m not the Danava of Lies, not any longer. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nidhana already shuffled it off to some poor newling. I am.. But only memories.”

Calypso’s heart felt like it froze, but her eyes were wide, a forced smile on her face, “But that’s… That’s okay! That’s better, actually! If you’re just memories and you give me a minute I can make-”

“No, Calypso.”

“..What?”

“I don’t want to be brought back in any capacity.”

Her eyes burned with tears, her body feeling like stone, “But why? Why? You’ll get to be alive, maybe not remembering everything at first, but you’ll be alive! And with me, and we can-”

“I AM A DEAD WOMAN CALYPSO,” She’d snap, the younger of the two flinching, “Have you any idea how long i’ve lived for? Minus the years these old bag of memories were tossed about to and fro - wouldn’t be surprised if that was some silly tactic to make me feel better about my children passing - I have lived for countless lifetimes. I have seen civilizations rise and fall, death and misery, joy and love! I ended my life on my own terms, and I intend to keep it that way. The world does not need a second coming of Pseudologoi - Child of Eris, especially not on the selfish terms of a child.”

Calypso whimpered and sobbed, her eyes closed tight, her head low, “..P-Pseu..”

[color=#7c0717]“Gods, Calypso. Don’t cry in front of me.” She’d reach out and grasp her cheeks, forcing her to look up. There was nothing but sadness in the ancient one’s eyes, “This is not the time to be crying. This is the time to be doing.”

“What the hell can I even do?! You’re my sister, you’re one of the only family I have left, and you don’t even want to try… It’s not fair… It’s not fair..”

“Yeah, It damn well isn’t fair, isn’t it? You must feel quite upset for me deciding to die and leave you than live and be happy with you.”

“...” She looked almost hurt to admit, “...Yes.. Yes i’m upset, I’m so upset!”

“Then eat me.”

Calypso looked incredibly bewildered when those words left her mouth, “..What?”

“Eat me. Gain my knowledge. Apply that to survive. I may be old and done, but you haven’t even started living yet. You’ve placed yourself in the position that can lead to your dreams becoming real, you yearnings and aspirations no longer being so. So take my knowledge, and go.” Flecks of existence flaked off the woman as she produced this idea, as if she were willing her vanishing to occur faster, “If you don’t, i’m food for that brainless network anyway. At the very least my knowledge will go to somewhere useful if you consume me.”

“..But.. You’re.. I..” She shuddered, eyes wide and teary, “...”

The elder sister laughed, patting the younger on the shoulder, even her arms were disintegrating quickly, “You’re mad at me for lying and hiding from you just like your pretty little Ulv did, aren’t you? Then go on that feeling, be mad, and take from me.”

“I don’t want that to be the last thing I ever do to you, Pseu! I DON’T WANT ANOTHER PERSON DYING BECAUSE OF ME!”

“Quit spewing bullshit you idiot! I’m dying either way, at least don’t let what i’ve built go to waste! Enough fucking platitudes!” The woman snarled, fangs presented, scales visible, “You think you’re going to be able to crawl out of dreamland with an attitude like that? You think you can help ANYONE with such cowardice? People are going to fucking die sad with you, mad with you, hating you, and you know what? That’s the price of life sometimes, but you just have to keep fucking moving, because if you let one ill death or relationship rock your world, you’re bullshit. Nothing but a pile of shit on the floor waiting to be cleaned up.”

Calypso tightened her fists, sighing shakily, “...You’re right.. I hate it.. I hate it so much…”

“THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! BE MAD! BE SAD! REVEL IN THE UNFAIRNESS OF THE WORLD AND FUCKING EAT ME!”

Her teeth bared, tears rolling down her face, her tensed arms and legs shuffled across the nesting of poppies, before she let out a throat-tearing yell, her emotions welling to the surface, as she’d dive at Pseudologoi’s body with widened jaws, knocking her clean over, and started biting into the woman’s midsection. There was no taste of blood and viscera, there was no scent of iron and fear, it was only the weight of finishing off a loved one that created that pit of sickness in the Danava’s stomach.

She sobbed with every twitch of her lips.
She screamed with every long winding moment this went on.
She ached with how much hate she felt towards this outcome.

Yet despite this, the woman who laid beneath her, slowly being torn and shredded, had nothing but a smile on her face as she stared at the dreamscape’s sky. There was nothing but a sense of peace as the younger of them took and took everything she had left. Her sense of self was slipping away rapidly, her breaths becoming less and less frequent, before she’d close her eyes and rest the vestiges of her hand on the younger one’s head as she ate, and ate, and ate.

“...Despite all odds, you’re alive. You have much more to learn, but hopefully this dusty relic can do something right by you for once.. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to raise you.”

She slowly closed her eyes, exhaling slowly as she let the darkness of the unknown take her.

… I hope better days are shining upon you, Luca… Farewell…