𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧||𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐧

003||The Killjoy Brother

"Lord Morpheus."

The way the man turns is full of a certain regal feeling to him, each movement calculated and pristine. His trailing coat has no right to flow as elegantly as it does behind him as he faces his trusted Librarian.

"Lucienne." He greets monotonously, his voice like thunder off in the distance. Deep and powerful.

Lucienne is a tall, proud woman with a shaved head, short, pointed ears, and a pair of black rimmed round glasses sitting her nose.

"You have a guest." She says curtly, bowing her head in the usual sign or respect to her king.

At this, Morpheus tilts his head ever so slightly that it is nearly imperceptible to those who do not know him. Sharp blue eyes that hold that look of never ending boredom and impassiveness land upon his sibling.

"Deceit." He greets rather disdainfully, eyes no longer holding that impassiveness, but rather a sort of irritation. Despite his expressionless comportment, his eyes could never hide what he felt for long.

Long brunet hair trailed down Deceit's back in loose waves, barren feet against the cold stone in the eerily quiet and empty palace too big for a mere five. Stormy grey eyes gleamed with mischief as his short stature was comically small compared to his elder brother and his librarian before him. He wears a white tunic cut right above his knees that hung from his shoulders loosely.

"Deceit, you know better than to simply barge into another Endless's realm unannounced." Not just a statement of fact, but a warning. "There are–"

"Yes, yes, there are rules and protocols, and you act as if you did not barge into Hell unannounced mere months ago." Deceit waved off rather rudely. Lucienne glanced away at anything but her lord and his brother. She knew she should have just sent Matthew to bring Deceit in.

"Be careful with that tongue, younger brother, for unlike Death I do not take kindly to discourteous behavior or words." Morpheus, every agonizingly slow, took steps down from his throne, each time his heel hit the stone of the step, the clacking of his heel resonated loudly through the throne room.

Deceit frowned before relenting. He bowed. "My apologies, brother of mine, for I have not seen you nor the others in decades. Is it so rude as not to greet them as though we are familiar? It's not like we haven't known each other since the dawns of time."

"We may be siblings, but younger siblings are wise to learn to respect their older ones." Morpheus shot back, far too clipped to be simple impassiveness now. "And I am not surprised you have not, Anansi."

The Deceit of the Endless merely quirked the corner of his lips up. He started, "Well, it's not exactly my forté, dear Morpheus."

Lucienne merely shook her head in disdain. Never had she ever met an Endless so...informal...

Not including Desire, but it was a rather close tie.

"And I am only merely here to see your Raven." The young Endless's words startled all in the throne room, even if it did not show on their expressions. Matthew let out an undignified squawk, feathers ruffling out a bit as he glanced from his lord to Deceit.

Morpheus gave him a chastising look before bringing his attention back to his brother. "And what is the purpose of your need for my Raven?" He inquired, his voice never changing from that same monotonous and unchanging volume.

Deceit tilted his head, raising a brow. "I'm interested in...him, you could say." He shrugged a bit. "To put simply, I'm bored and my influence only goes as far as you and the others' realms before reaching the Waking World–"

"That is not my problem to deal with." Morpheus interjected, voice stern. "Leave, Deceit. Before I no longer welcome your presence."

Deceit shook his head in dismay. Although being rather stubborn and teasing, trying anything to get his way, Morpheus was, much to his dismay, blunt, straightforward, doesn't beat around the bush, and observant.

Everything that Deceit does not like.

"Alright. I will leave your little throne room and your little castle and your little realm," Deceit quipped, and Morpheus would groan aloud if he did not have his pride and dignity. "But...I want to peruse your library." He added.

"You have no interest in reading." He frowned.

"What if I do now?" Deceit sad haughtily.

Morpheus tried not to remember the times where he had witnessed his youngest brother, very literally, chuck, hurl, and fling books from an ancient library in the realm of Knowledge.

"Very well." Morpheus conceded. "Please refute from any...urges of defacing my property. Lucienne," he turned to his librarian who has been quiet since the start of the conversation, "Accompany Deceit to the library."

She bowed her head. "Of course, my lord."