"You must dream about this place often." Catface noted, turning her head about, staring into the endless expanse. "It was remarkably easy to construct. That, or maybe dream stuff's just easier than I remember..."

"Right." S did the same. "I know it ain't real, but it's comfortable. Submerging in it all, like I did back then. It's not as strong, but it's alright this way. Just the desert, nothing else."

"... 'It' being sand, I assume?"

"Right."

Catface chuckled. "It's funny, when I first heard about you, I figured you'd be more fanatical about all that. Bring up sand every other sentence or something. It's a little disappointing, your gimmick barely comes up outside of combat, and even then it's wishy-washy."

His deadly gaze shot back up at Catface. "It's not a gimmick." His blood was boiling, though the sensation is dull and weak in the dream. His hand formed his glass blade within itself... It felt so right in his hands... Her throat was right there... No. 

S dropped the blade, and it disappeared before it hit the sand.

S wasn't sure if Catface noticed. He couldn't smell it here, and her smug expression betrayed nothing.

He looked away from her, and back at the sand. "... Right. I go through phases. Sometimes I'm more vocal about it- Depends what's happening, who I'm travelling with." His escapades with Todd, in particular, tended to draw out the maniac inside.

"Something else on your mind, then? Awwww, is it me?~" Catface's faux-cheery posing and voice made S contemplate trying his luck with his blade after all.

"Heh. Could be." He joked and returned a casual smirk, which concealed his bitten tongue and a desire to watch her suffocate, here in this ocean of sand. "Right, but no, it is someone. Him."

Catface's grin twitched.

"Beyes, I mean." S stated, perceptive as ever. 

"I got that, genius." Catface flipped upside down, and hovered down towards S, keeping her uncanny gaze locked with his. "Of course he is. He's the most useful toy you've ever had, isn't he~?"

"Damn right he is." S stated without missing a beat.

"..-" Catface, however, did miss one. 

"Where is he, Cat? What are you doing to him?" S stepped closer, and narrowed his gaze.

"Don't worry, he's well fed, and I'm keeping up with his grooming to a T~." Catface remained where she was. "I'm just keeping him, guy. It's really no different than what you've been doing to him." 

"You're right. But who he's with isn't up to you." S ended his thought there, and stared into her eyes. "Where is he, Cat?"

Catface hesitated. Again.

"Oh? Then who is it up to? You?" Catface mocked.

S smirked.

. . .

Catface sighed.

"I've been off my game." Catface broke away from S's gaze. "Y'know, I spent a good half-hour hovering above you while you were double-sleeping, trying to think of a clever line for when you woke up. I couldn't. My ad-lib's been fine, but..."

S shot her a look that said 'I don't care. Tell me where he is.'

Catface backed away, and reoriented herself in the sky.

"He's with me, in my house." Catface admitted, the voice dropping a ways. "Despite my bes... No, that ain't accurate. He's doing fine." Catface looked down at the sand. 

She clearly had more to say, but all her mouth did was furl.

"Right, your house?" S pressed, stepping forward. "You've barely left the sky since you took him, and you've been constantly moving. What kinda house is that?" 

. . .

Catface looked down at him.

"You're a strong guy, S." Catface stated, her voice flat and emotionless, and her face taking similar cues. "On any other day, I'd find that compelling."

"You were different yesterday, too." S pressed. "What happened? What did you do?"

"Not nearly enough."

"What did you-"

In the blink of an eye, Catface almost landed flat on the ground. She remained just high enough in the air to match S's height, and stare into his eyes. "S, I want you to fight me."

"Right, in a dream?" S's heart skipped a beat, but the rest of him didn't. 

Crap.

"Right here, in this dream. Just like before." Catface continued. "But no pretenses this time. No admittedly justified rage, and no concern about accidentally cutting you in half."

S's eye twitched. Crap crap crap crap crap

"This isn't my dream, I'll still be hurt here. But you won't. We're on an equal playing field."

She's wrong. S couldn't explain it, but she's very wrong. Not how he is now. He knew. 

He couldn't accept this fight, but he couldn't let her know. How scared he was. How the mere thought of her made him shake in his shoes. How much he had to spend every waking moment they got closer distracting himself.

No... It wouldn't matter to her. 

"You might never get a chance like this again. To hurt me."

He couldn't let himself realize that. Well, he did, but he couldn't let himself say it. He couldn't admit how terrified he was that he'd never come home to Ruth again. The others, too. Maurice, Heremays, heh, Mandolyn... His body promised Ruth he'd be back. Until it was true, every word, every movement of his body would act in service to that.

He couldn't say no. 

"Say something, you idiot."

But he'd die if he agreed.

Pickle.

Shit, shit, shitshitshitshit-

"What is-" Catface was genuinely and very visible confused. "Are you trying to intimidate me, or are you having a stroke-"

"No." S said, his thoughts exploding.

SHITSHTISHITBAD ANSWER

"No?" Catface stepped back, and a long blade of ice appeared in her hand. A moment later, it was pointed at his throat.

RIGHTCRAPCRAPSHITCRAP

"Maybe I'm not asking, tough guy." 

"Right, threatening me?" S chuckled, glad that his heart made no noise in this realm. "You just said I can't be harmed here."

BADBADBABDABDACRAPSHIT

"Why? You're S, you're not supposed- There's literally no reason for you to decline-"

"You asking for it is all the reason I need." S barely knew what he was saying. "For some reason, you need this. And the longer you go without it, I figure the better shot  we have in the real world."

S was surprised, that was a pretty damn good point.

Catface scowled, and took a step back.

"Damnit. I'd thought your perception would've been dulled here. Tch." Catface spat. "What a cheap ability..." 

Beside her, Ruth appeared. Her perfect, spitting image, wearing her uniform, with her trained, customer service smile.

Catface stabbed her repeatedly. Ruth screamed, letting out helpless wails of pain as blood poured onto the cold sword and staining the yellow sand.

S's eyes widened with rage.

Catface pushed the lifeless body to the ground and turned around, the inn appearing where she faced. Her off hand raised, and a ball of flame engulfed it, the same scream pouring out from inside.

S imagined stuffing his glass blade down her stupid Cat throat, tearing it open from within and peeling her face off with his teeth-

The Gossip Kid had been a bad influence on him, he realized.

S turned towards the illusory flame... That was some good heat. Almost accurate, now. 

More images of Ruth, some assorted peoples from Basenholm and Starsford, and even images of Beyes appeared, all immediately cut down, their screams creating an impossible cacophonous echo. 

S stood still. He wouldn't let his legs quake.

Those images of Beyes were terrible, his face would never do that.

Catface's tantrum didn't last longer than forty-five seconds. 

She turned to S, saw him standing still. He'd maintained his composure... And he'd be able to hold it for about fourty-four more seconds.

"...Knew it wouldn't work." She scoffed. "Damnit, I'm out of sorts AGAIN..." She looked away, and shook her head.

S said nothing. Talking would've given him less seconds.

"Y'know what, it was dumb to try anything with you." Catface shook her head. "That idiot'll give me what I want. Heh. Yeah, curious to see what this'll do to someone like her, anyway." She paused, with an unmistakably evil glint in her eye. "That'll be way better than fighting her~"

Her..? Wait, how would- 

She turned back to him with wide eyes and a devilish smile. "Later, S. Hope bedbugs eat you alive."

Catface disappeared, just like her illusions did.

.- 

"GGAAH-" S let out a guttural exhalation, keeling over. 

His eyes were wide, his body dry heaved unendingly, as he clutched himself painfully.

He'd overestimated how long he had.  He was outta juice. Way out.

"SSSHHI...HIIHH...HIIH..." S's knees gave out, and his naked body collapsed into the sand. "T...TOOOHHH CLOSE... WAYYY TOOO CLOSE...HAHHHH... HUEEEH..."

He felt hot liquid pour down his bare thigh.

He won. He won. At the cost of... He won. For now he won.

He...

It'd be a while before he'd be able to move his body again.

 

 

The sand embraced him as its lover.