SLEEP-BRINGER.

            ❝   Sleep, you are lord of all the blessed gods and mortal men, and of every living creature the broad earth nurtures, for you alone are master of all and you visit all, binding their bodies with fetters unforged. You free us of cares, and, offering sweet respite from toil, you grant holy solace to our every sorrow. You save souls by easing them into the thought of death, since to Death and Oblivion you are a true brother.   ❞

           ❝ Maybe you two deserve each other after all. ❞  To witness his twin become so enamored at first sight is enough to summon a relinquished sigh, the mouth of his bottle meeting his lips on cue.  ❝ Don’t you think I’ve learned how much of a prying family we are? If something happened between you and Pas, would you really come talk to me about it? ❞  Whether his point was proven or not, Thana leaned back in his seat in silent reverie; truth was, there was not much he had to say about anything, unsure what to make of his own reaction.

           ❝ You’re wasting your time. ❞  How ceremonial of him to believe anything else as of now; Thana rarely spoke of his relations to anyone, yet Hypnos refused to take his word for it. Perhaps that was why he shied away from the pressure to begin with. ❝ I’m keeping him for now, yeah. I’ve yet to come up with a permanent solution — I’d leave him with you in Cimmeria if it wasn’t for him being stupid enough to end up in the Lethe at some point. ❞ 

            ❝ I have nothing else to do — And if you think about it, when you’re immortal… that’s impossible. ❞  Shrugging nonchalantly, he knelt down to pet the dejected pup; not even a gentle touch could cheer him up, like he knew what events had taken place. Poor thing.  ❝ Well, we wouldn’t want that to happen, now would we? ❞  Hypnos cooed, scratching Taphos behind his rounded ears, leaning over to press his temple to the canine’s forehead.  ❝ Don’t get rid of him, Thana. You’d end up regretting the choice. ❞  How could he dream of parting with something so adorable?  

    “ I HAVE NO DOUBTS about that, dearest Hypnos. ”  It amuses her to think of Thanatos as kind. He may have been the god of peaceful death but it was a little strange to think of the perpetually crotchety being as kind.  “ I can’t imagine Thanatos being more than polite, actually. But I will take your word for it. ”