FIC: Cacoethes

[kangeiko]

Title: Cacoethes
Fandom: The Sandman
Summary: The first death; the first birth. 

100fandomsprompt #77 'bug', written for  brandy_took, prompt: The Sandman, Death/Delirium, butterflies, for the cherry!fics challenge.

"Is he dead yet?"

 

"No."

 

"Is he dead yet?"

 

"No."

 

"How about now?"

 

Death smiled. "No, Delight. Not just yet."

 

Delight pouted and pirouetted, throwing her arms out with impatience. "It's not fair to make me wait!" She chewed on a tendril of her hair and smiled, suddenly. "But it is funny!"

 

"Yes." Death sat, legs crossed, on a boulder much like any other, watching over the horizon where an ape-like man struggled with a wild beast. Beside him, screaming, was a man-like ape, female, naked, with a swollen belly.

 

Delight was bouncing up and down with excitement. "He's nearly there, he's nearly there!" She clapped her hands, colourful sparks spiralling out with butterfly wings. "Oooh, pretty -" and the creatures climbed over her, crawling across her skin and preening, their bright wings fluttering. Delight poked one with a finger, giggling as it flicked back, and resumed hopping up and down. "Is he dead yet?"

 

"Not yet," Death said. Although, it was a close thing: the ape-like man was tiring. His mate - propelled by adrenaline and fear - was making a decent job of climbing a nearby tree, holding on to the shelter its scant branches offered with fearsome determination. The leaves fluttered over the female's belly and she mewled, keening for her mate.

 

The ape-like man made the mistake of looking up.

 

"Now he's dead," Death said. She smiled. "Shall we go to him?"

 

Delight stopped hopping, her smile fading. She dipped her head slightly, looking at the mangled corpse through a multi-coloured mess of hair. "All right."

 

Together, they walked across the little hill, Delight holding firmly on to Death's hand along the way. She is still so young, Death thought. Older than this world, it is true - but, then what isn't? - but still so very, very young. She patted her sister's hand and smiled down at her reassuringly. "You'll tell me if it's not fun, won't you?"

 

The little head nodded and sprouted some more multi-coloured hair. A few brave butterflies decided that it would make a fine resting place, and set down happily, questing for nectar amidst the curls. She hesitated a little, then said firmly, "it will be fun, though. It will."

 

There a note of steel in Delight's voice that Death had not heard before. She looked down, surprised. "Why are you so determined?" She asked simply. At their feet, the ape-like man slowly rose. His torso was mangled, and he poked at it unhappily for a little while before noticing them and squeaking something in surprise.

 

Delight nodded at him and gestured for Death to step forward. "You have to take him first," she said. "That's right, isn't it? I don't get to play until you take him."

 

Death was frowning. "Delight, dearest sister, why are you so -"

 

The ape-like man made the sound again, and reached out for Delight's small hand, grasping it and falling to his knees.

 

Delight looked up at Death crossly. "He sAid my NamE," she explained, as if to a small child. "He knOws mE on ThE iNsiDe."

 

He did. He held on to Delight's hand, blathering something in an incipient tongue: a series of grunts and moans that meant nothing to Death. She could only sigh, and press a cool hand against the bloodied forehead. "It is done," she said, and watched the man watch Delight.

 

Her little sister only nodded, and looked back towards the boulder they had stretched out on. "LeT's Go hAve a piCnic." She reached into the tangled mess of her hair with one hand, plucking out a butterfly, holding it tightly by its fragile little body. It screamed silently, legs kicking, while Delight brought it up to her, examining the furious flutter of wings. "It'lL be fuN."

 

Next to her, the man nodded eagerly, and made that curious sound again. "Manea," he said, reaching out to pet her curls with blunt, grasping fingers. His crude touches left marks across Delight's skin, spiralling outwards like ripples in a pond; a multicoloured nightmare given life waking up across her form.

 

Slowly, quietly, "all right," Death said. She held out her hand. "Take my hand, beloved sister, and walk with me."

 

Delirium smiled back.

*

fin


A/N: Mania, or 'Manea', (another name by which Delirium is known) is the personification of insanity in Greek mythology. Moreover, in Roman and Etruscan mythology (and a few others), she's the goddess of the underworld. I liked the idea of Delight being initially slated to help Death in her duties, but that no one - possibly not even Delight herself - would know that she could not do it as Delight, but would have to become Delirium. I probably mangled The Sandman mythology, too. I care not. :)

Right. I had a horrible, horrible day at work, and fic is the only cure. Point me to the Picard/Q fic!!

Comments

[brandy-took.livejournal.com]

I like it, I'm not quite sure how to describe how it left me feeling, because it didn't fit into any of those neat catagories we slide things under--and that made it exceptionally good.

[kangeiko]

Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it! :)