Chapter Text
Morpheus stood at the end of the corridor, arms crossed, glaring at the doorway to Iris's study like it had personally insulted her family lineage. Which, given that she didn't have a family lineage to speak of, made the whole thing even more irritating.
"I don't see why I have to do this," she muttered.
From his position a respectful three feet away—he'd learned the hard way that closer meant potential violence—Wolff adjusted his clothes. "Lady Iris specifically requested—"
"I know what she requested, Wolff. I was there. I have ears." Morpheus touched one of said ears protectively. "Excellent ears that Bena keeps attacking for no good reason."
"You did trap five innocent girls in an elaborate dream prison, Miss Morpheus."
"It was a test. There's a difference." She scuffed her boot against the polished floor. "And they passed. So technically, I did them a favor. They should be thanking me."
"One of them did thank you, if I recall correctly."
Morpheus's scowl deepened. "That doesn't count. That girl—Sakiko—she's weird. Who thanks someone for trapping them in existential nightmare scenarios?"
"Someone with a remarkably generous spirit?"
"Someone with a screw loose, more like." Morpheus pushed off the wall with exaggerated reluctance. "Fine. Fine. Let's get this over with. Where are they now?"
"Last I saw, they were helping Miss Bena set up a stage in the Grand Hall. Though 'helping' might be generous—Miss Bena appeared to be directing most of her ire at you via the Corettons."
"Of course she was." Morpheus started down the corridor, her footsteps echoing with theatrical petulance. "Because why should I get a single moment of peace in my own castle?"
"Technically, it's Iris' castle—"
"Our castle. The Castle of Dreams. Which I am a fundamental part of, Wolff, in case you forgot."
"I would never forget, Miss Morpheus."
Something in his tone made her glance back at him, suspicious. But his face was carefully neutral, which somehow made it worse.
The Grand Hall was in a state of controlled chaos when they arrived. The stage had materialized with dream-logic efficiency—all flowing curtains and atmospheric lighting that shifted between deep purples and midnight blues. The Corettons were chirping frantically as they hauled equipment under Bena's watchful eye, while the five Ave Mujica girls were scattered across the space in various states of activity.
Nyamu was on stage, practically bouncing between elaborate set pieces with the kind of manic energy that made Morpheus tired just looking at her. Mutsumi stood quietly to the side, testing the weight of her bass with the carefulness of someone who'd recently had reality pulled out from under them and wasn't quite ready to trust solid ground again. Umiri was examining the lighting setup, occasionally adjusting angles with minute gestures. Uika hovered near the stage steps, watching her bandmates with something soft in her expression.
And Sakiko—
Sakiko was watching all of this. Like she was trying to memorize every detail, catalog every moment. Like she knew it wouldn't last.
It gave Morpheus a feeling she didn't appreciate in the slightest.
"Ah, Morpheus!" Bena's voice cut through the ambient noise like a knife through butter. "Perfect timing. Come help Wolff with the final stage lights."
"I literally just got here—"
"And now you're here to help. Isn't that wonderful?" Bena's smile was all teeth. "Unless you'd like me to report to Iris that you're shirking your responsibilities?"
Morpheus opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. "This is harassment."
"This is consequences." Bena turned back to directing a particularly wobbly Coretton carrying what looked like a drum cymbal. "Now get to work."
"You're enjoying this way too much," Morpheus grumbled, but she stomped over to where Wolff was already transforming, power cord held delicately in his jaws.
From the stage, Nyamu's voice rang out: "Hey, is he a werewolf?"
"Wolff is not a werewolf," Morpheus said automatically. "He's a—actually, I'm not explaining this to you. Just don't stare, it's rude."
"I'm not staring, I'm appreciating." Nyamu grinned. "That's so cool! Can you do that whenever you want?"
Wolff, having successfully draped the power cord, transformed back with practiced ease. "I... yes. When necessary."
"Man, everyone in this castle is so interesting!" Nyamu hopped down from the stage, landing with the kind of casual grace that spoke to years of performance training. "Iris is like this super mysterious castle master, Bena's got that whole cool-scissors-woman thing going on, and Wolff can shapeshift. What's your deal, Morpheus?"
"My deal," Morpheus said flatly, "is that I'm trying to do my job, which is currently being made impossible by chatty musicians who can't take a hint."
"Ooh, she's feisty." Nyamu turned to Mutsumi, who had drifted closer. "Muuko, doesn't she remind you of someone?"
Mutsumi studied Morpheus with dark, thoughtful eyes. "...Sakiko. When she's trying not to care about something."
"I am nothing like—" Morpheus stopped, because Sakiko had looked up at the sound of her name, and now there was this moment happening that Morpheus absolutely did not ask for. "You know what? I don't have time for this. Bena, what else needs doing?"
"Actually," Iris's voice drifted from the entrance to the Hall, perfectly timed, "I was hoping you might show our guests to their rooms. They'll be staying with us until Rhodes Island returns, after all."
Morpheus turned slowly, giving Iris her flattest, most unimpressed stare. "You're doing this on purpose."
"Doing what, dear Morpheus?"
"This." Morpheus gestured vaguely at everything. "The whole... making me interact with people thing. I'm onto you."
Iris's smile was maddeningly innocent. "I simply thought you'd be the perfect guide. You know the castle better than anyone save myself."
"Wolff knows the castle."
"Wolff is busy helping Bena with the stage setup."
"The Corettons know the castle."
"The Corettons cannot speak."
"That's never stopped them from being opinionated before."
A Coretton chirped indignantly from somewhere near the drum kit.
"See?" Morpheus threw her hands up. "They agree with me!"
"I think that one was actually disagreeing," Uika offered helpfully.
Morpheus rounded on her. "Nobody asked you."
"Morpheus," Iris said, and there was just enough steel under the gentleness to make it clear this wasn't actually a request. "Please show our guests to their rooms."
The ‘please’ didn't help. Morpheus knew a command when she heard one, no matter how prettily it was wrapped.
"Fine," she bit out. "But if they get lost in a nightmare corridor or accidentally end up in the Infinite Library for three weeks, that's on you, not me."
"I have complete faith in your abilities."
"Your faith is misplaced and I resent it." Morpheus turned to the five girls, who were watching this exchange with varying levels of amusement. "You. All of you. Follow me. Don't touch anything, don't wander off, and if you hear singing that sounds too beautiful to be real, it probably is, so plug your ears."
"Is that... a common occurrence?" Umiri asked.
"Common enough that I'm warning you about it." Morpheus started toward the eastern corridor without checking if they were following. The sound of footsteps behind her—five sets, she noted—suggested they were at least capable of basic instruction following. "The castle has moods. Sometimes those moods involve spontaneous musical numbers from entities that technically don't exist but haven't let that stop them. It's best to just ignore it."
"How do you ignore something that doesn't exist?" Nyamu sounded genuinely curious.
"Practice."
They walked in silence for approximately seven seconds before Sakiko spoke up. "Morpheus."
"What."
"Thank you. For showing us around."
Morpheus's stride faltered for half a step. "I'm not doing it out of kindness. Iris told me to."
"Still. Thank you."
"Stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Being..." Morpheus waved a hand irritably, "...nice. It's weird. You should be angry with me."
"Why would I be angry?"
"Oh, I don't know." Morpheus's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Maybe because I trapped you in a nightmare world where you had to confront your deepest fears and insecurities? Just a thought."
"You helped us," Sakiko said simply. "Even if you didn't mean to."
"I absolutely did not help you. I was testing you, or something."
"And in ‘testing’ us, you helped us see things we needed to see." There was something in Sakiko's voice—not quite gratitude, not quite understanding, but something close to both. "So thank you."
Morpheus stopped walking entirely and turned to face her. The other four girls stopped too, watching with interest.
"You," Morpheus said, pointing at Sakiko with one finger, "are deeply frustrating."
"I've been told that before."
"I can see why." Morpheus spun back around and resumed walking, faster this time. "Your rooms are in the East Wing. You'll each have your own space, but they're connected by a common area. Don't ask me how the layout works—the castle does what it wants."
"Does the castle always do what it wants?" Mutsumi asked quietly.
"Yes. It's extremely annoying." Morpheus led them around a corner where the corridor suddenly became wider, the walls shifting from stone to something that looked like crystallized starlight. "But you get used to it."
"How long have you lived here?" Uika's question was gentle, probing without being pushy.
"Always." The word came out more defensive than Morpheus intended. "This is my home."
"Must be nice," Nyamu said. "Having a place that's always yours."
Morpheus didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't. Instead, she picked up the pace, leading them through corridors that shifted and changed with the castle's whims. The architecture grew more elaborate the deeper they went—crystalline walls gave way to something that looked like frozen starlight, then to smooth dark wood inlaid with silver, then to stone that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.
"This place is incredible," Umiri murmured, running her fingers along the wall. "The structural integrity shouldn't work, but it does anyway."
"Dream logic," Morpheus said. "Don't think about it too hard or you'll give yourself a headache."
They rounded one final corner, and the corridor opened up to reveal a large ornate door that definitely hadn't been there yesterday. The castle was feeling helpful, apparently. Or showing off. With the castle, it was hard to tell the difference.
Morpheus pushed the door open to reveal a sprawling common room with five doors leading off to individual bedrooms. The room was exactly the kind of thing the castle would create—beautiful in an almost aggressive way, with plush furniture and windows that showed views of impossible skies.
“And this!” Morpheus announced with a theatrical sweep of her arm that sent her clothes fluttering, "is the East Wing! Where you absolutely, positively, under NO circumstances, are to wander after nightfall!"
The five members of Ave Mujica held varying states of attention. Sakiko looked politely attentive, notebook already in hand. Uika seemed delighted by everything. Nyamu was openly gawking at the castle's interior with stars in her eyes. Mutsumi appeared to be examining the structural integrity of the ceiling now. Umiri just looked tired.
"Why not?" Sakiko asked, pen poised.
“Because—!” Morpheus paused dramatically. "Because that's where we keep the... the… THE LINENS!" Morpheus bellowed, as if this explained everything. "Dangerous linens! Sharp linens! Linens that will... uh..."
"Give you papercuts?" Nyamu offered helpfully.
Morpheus's ears twitched. "Exactly! The most vicious papercuts you've ever experienced! Your fingers will never recover!”
“I don’t think linens give papercuts," Mutsumi said flatly.
"Well, THESE ones do!" Morpheus huffed, tail swishing with indignation. "This is a magical castle! The rules are different here! We have carnivorous tablecloths!"
"Carnivorous—" Sakiko began writing this down, then stopped. "Wait."
"She's making that up," Umiri said.
"I am NOT!" Morpheus stamped her foot, which made surprisingly little sound on the plush carpet. "Just last week, a tablecloth ate an entire roast chicken! Bones and all!"
"That's what tablecloths are for," Mutsumi said softly.
"What?”
“Holding food. That's... that's their purpose.”
"Whoa," Nyamu breathed, already making a beeline for the window. "Is that a double moon?"
"Three moons, actually," Morpheus said. "The third one is just shy. It'll come out later."
Each bedroom door had a small plaque. Morpheus watched as the girls gravitated toward them, reading their names in elegant script.
Mutsumi had stopped in front of one door, staring at it with an expression Morpheus couldn't quite read. The main plaque read "Mutsumi" in the same flowing script as the others, but beneath it were several other names, layered one over the other. Most were illegible, worn away or written in languages that didn't quite exist. But one name stood out, clear enough to read: "Mortis."
"What..." Mutsumi touched the plaque gently, as if it might burn her.
"The castle knows things," Morpheus said, more quietly than she'd intended. "Sometimes more things than it should."
Mutsumi's hand dropped. "Does it know everything?"
"Pretty much. It's extremely nosy." Morpheus shifted uncomfortably. "But it keeps secrets well enough. Better than people do, usually."
"That's... oddly comforting."
"If you say so."
Sakiko had moved to stand beside Mutsumi, looking at the plaques. "It's acknowledging all of who we are. Not just the parts we show the world."
"Like I said. Nosy." Morpheus turned away, heading back toward the main door. "Anyway. You're settled. Beds are through those doors, bathroom's the door on the left that doesn't have a name on it—don't ask me why it doesn't have a name, I don't make the rules—and if you need anything, just... ask the castle, I guess. It usually listens. Though I'll have you know that in the old days, castles didn't have indoor plumbing, and people managed just fine."
“Did they, though?" Uika asked.
"The point is, you each get a room. With a bathroom. And... and other room things.”
"Very descriptive," Sakiko murmured, still writing.
"I heard that!"
"I wasn't whispering."
Morpheus opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "You—I—that's—I’m being attacked. So! Where were we?"
"You were about to show us our rooms," Uika said helpfully.
"Right! Yes! The rooms!" Morpheus clasped her hands together. "Now, I've carefully assigned each of you to a room that perfectly matches your personality and aesthetic preferences …"
"How do you know our aesthetic preferences?" Umiri asked.
"I—well—I'm very perceptive. I can tell these things at a glance."
"So you're saying you looked at us and just... knew?"
"Exactly!”
“That’s called making assumptions."
"It's called being INTUITIVE!" Morpheus's voice was rising again. "And I'll have you know I'm EXCELLENT at reading people! For instance!" She pointed at Nyamu. "You clearly like bright, cheerful spaces!"
Nyamu perked up. "Oh! Actually, yeah! How did you—"
"See?! I'm a genius!" Morpheus preened, her confidence restored. "And you!" She pointed at Mutsumi. "You prefer... dark... brooding... uh..." She trailed off as Mutsumi just stared at her. "...Gothic spaces?"
"I like plants," Mutsumi said.
"Plants! Of course! I was just testing you! Your room has plants!”
“Does it?"
"It will! By the time you see it! Castle!" She called down the hallway. "WE NEED PLANTS! DREAM UP SOME PLANTS!"
Morpheus turned back to the group with a scoof. "See? Problem solved! I'm an excellent host. Yay."
"You forgot about the plants until just now," Sakiko observed.
"I did NOT forget. I was... strategically remembering."
"That's not a thing."
"It is now."
Uika giggled. "You're funny.”
Morpheus blinked, ears twitching forward in surprise. "I—what?"
"You're fun! I like you! You remind me of—" Uika paused, tilting her head. "Actually, you kind of remind me of when Nyamu-chan tries to act all serious and composed but then immediately trips over something."
"I don't trip over things!" Nyamu protested.
"You tripped over a microphone cable last week."
"That was ONE TIME!"
"And the week before that, you tripped over a bass."
"That bass was defective!"
"Nyamu," Umiri said gently, "you trip over things constantly.”
“Why is everyone betraying me today?!"
Morpheus watched this exchange with a complicated expression, something flickering across her face that might have been recognition or longing or simple confusion. Then she shook her head sharply, her ribbons bouncing. "Well! At least someone appreciates my efforts! Thank you, um..."
"Uika!"
"Thank you, Uika." Morpheus seemed genuinely pleased for a moment, then caught herself and straightened up haughtily. "Now. Just, go into your bedrooms. Which definitely exist and are definitely ready and absolutely have plants in at least one of them.”
Nyamu had wandered over to one of the doors and was examining the nameplate. "Ooh! This one's mine! Can I look inside?"
Morpheus swept past her and threw the door open. "Behold. A room of unparalleled—"
She stopped. Inside was a cheerful bedroom with yellow walls, flower-patterned curtains, and what appeared to be several dozen Corettons piled on the bed like a writhing, chirping blanket.
"Why are there Corettons in here?!" Morpheus shrieked.
The Corettons chirped innocently.
"Did you put them there?" Sakiko asked.
“They're not supposed to be in the guest rooms. They're supposed to be in the—the Coretton room? Where the Corettons go."
"Is there really a Coretton room?" Umiri asked skeptically.
"There is now."
"I think they're cute!" Uika said, picking one up. It chirped happily and nuzzled her hand.
“They’re menaces," Morpheus muttered. "Always getting into everything. Last week I found three of them in my closet eating my ribbons."
"They eat ribbons?" Mutsumi asked.
"They eat EVERYTHING! They're insatiable! They're—"
One of the Corettons chirped sadly.
Morpheus's expression softened for just a moment. "Oh, don't give me that look. You know what you did." But her tone was less harsh.
After several minutes of chaos, during which two Corettons escaped and had to be retrieved from a chandelier, Nyamu's room was finally Coretton-free. Mostly. There was still one hiding under the bed, but everyone agreed to pretend they didn't notice it.
"There!" Morpheus announced, only slightly disheveled. "Perfect! Just as I planned! Except for the Corettons, which were definitely not part of the plan!"
"It's really nice!" Nyamu said genuinely, looking around. "I love the curtains!"
Morpheus blinked. "You... you do?"
"Yeah! They're super cute! And the whole room is so bright and happy! The castle has good taste.”
Morpheus's tail was doing a pleased little swish now.
"The castle did a great job. VERY helpful! See? I delegate! I'm an excellent delegator!"
"What's my room like?" Uika asked excitedly.
Morpheus led them to the next door, and this time when she opened it, she peeked in first to make sure there were no Corettons. "This one should be... yes! Perfect! No creatures! Just elegance and refinement!"
Uika's room was done in soft pastels, with gauzy curtains and what looked like genuine flowers in vases around the room.
“Wait,” Sakiko said. "I thought you said there weren't any plants."
"Those are FLOWERS! Completely different!" Morpheus said quickly. "Flowers are... dreamlike! And temporary! Very temporary! Don't get attached to them!"
"They're beautiful," Uika breathed, stepping inside. "Thank you, Morpheus-chan!"
Morpheus's ears flattened slightly, and she looked genuinely flustered. "I—you're welcome! But don't think this means I'm going soft! This is just professional hospitality! Very professional! Extremely professional!"
"You're blushing," Mutsumi observed.
“I AM NOT!" Morpheus's hands flew to her cheeks. "This is just... castle lighting! It makes everyone look flushed! Very common in castles! Ask anyone!"
"I've never heard of that," Sakiko said.
"Well, you're not a castle expert, are you?!"
"Are you?"
Morpheus opened her mouth, closed it, then spun on her heel. "NEXT ROOM! Let's keep this moving! We haven't got all day!"
"You literally said earlier that you have all day," Sakiko pointed out.
"I CHANGED MY MIND! Time is now of the essence! Hurry up!”
She showed them the remaining rooms—Mutsumi's was indeed filled with plants (the Castle had apparently worked fast), Umiri's was elegant and practical with a writing desk, and Sakiko's had a small keyboard in the corner.
"You put instruments in our rooms?" Sakiko asked, genuinely surprised.
"Of course!" Morpheus said, regaining some of her confidence. "You're musicians! It would be cruel to separate you from your craft! I'm not a monster!"
There was a brief, awkward silence.
"I mean," Morpheus added quickly, "some people might CALL me a monster, but that's completely unfair and based on rumors and—”
“We don't think you're a monster," Uika said gently.
Morpheus's ears twitched. "You... you don't?"
"You're prickly," Nyamu said. "But like, in a fun way!"
"I'm not prickly! I'm professional!"
"You literally just yelled at a Coretton for looking at you sadly," Umiri pointed out.
"That was different! He KNOWS what he did!"
A distant chirp echoed down the hallway, sounding suspiciously smug.
Morpheus growled. "See?! He's mocking me! They're ALL mocking me!"
"I don't think Corettons can mock people," Sakiko said.
“You don't know them like I do! They're— they're—" She paused, seeming to realize she was getting worked up again. She took a deep breath and smoothed down her clothes. "Anyway. The tour is complete. You've seen your rooms. Are there any questions?"
"When's dinner?" Nyamu asked.
"Dinner is at six o'clock sharp in the main dining hall! Don't be late! Punctuality is very important in this castle!"
"What time is it now?"
Morpheus looked around, realized there were no clocks visible, and pulled a small pocket-watch from her pocket.
“4:30.” Morpheus announced. "Which means you have plenty of time to settle in. Unpack your things. Get comfortable. But not TOO comfortable. Remember the rules."
"What rules?" Umiri asked.
"The... the rules! About the East Wing! And the... the linens!"
"The carnivorous linens that don't exist?"
"They MIGHT exist! You don't know! This is a magical castle! Anything could happen! You may rest! Until dinner! At six o'clock! Sharp! Don't forget!”
"Wait—" Sakiko stepped forward. "Will we see you again? Before Rhodes Island arrives?"
Morpheus paused with her hand on the doorframe. "The castle isn't that big. You'll probably trip over me at some point."
"That's not what I asked."
Of course it wasn't. Sakiko had this irritating habit of asking what she actually meant instead of dancing around it.
"I'm usually in the West Library," Morpheus heard herself say. "If you get bored. Which you will, because there's not much to do here except read and avoid the occasional existential manifestation of someone's subconscious fears."
"That sounds like an invitation," Nyamu said cheerfully.
"It's not."
"Too late, I'm choosing to interpret it as one."
"You can't just—" Morpheus stopped, because arguing was clearly pointless. "Whatever. Do what you want. Just don't blame me when you get lost trying to find the Library and end up in the Hall of Echoes for six hours."
"Is that another common occurrence?" Umiri asked.
"Happened to Wolff last month. He still flinches when he hears his own voice. I have to go now, I’m busy.”
“You said earlier your only task today was showing us around," Sakiko pointed out, consulting her notebook.
"I said no such thing!"
"You said it five minutes ago. I wrote it down. See?" She showed Morpheus the notebook.
Morpheus stared at the page. "That... that's not my handwriting!"
"It's mine. Quoting you."
"Well! It's still not legally binding! What if I was being sarcastic?!"
"You weren't using a sarcastic tone."
"I'm ALWAYS using a sarcastic tone! It's my natural speaking voice!”
With that, Morpheus turned and walked out, her footsteps echoing down the corridor. Behind her, she could hear them talking—excited chatter about the room, about the castle, about the names on Mutsumi's door.
She didn't let herself think too hard about why she'd told them where to find her.
Or why the idea of them actually showing up made her feel terrified and hopeful in equal measure.
The West Library was exactly where she'd left it—which was more than could be said for most rooms in the castle. Morpheus collapsed into her favorite chair, a monstrosity of velvet and wood that had definitely seen better decades, and stared at the ceiling.
"They're settled?" Wolff's voice came from somewhere near the bookshelves.
"Don't you have stage equipment to move?"
"Miss Bena released me from my duties." Wolff emerged carrying a stack of books that looked dangerously close to toppling. "She said, and I quote, 'Go check on the sulking child before she does something dramatic.'"
"I'm not sulking."
"You're in your chair."
"I'm sitting in my chair."
"You only sit in that specific chair when you're processing difficult emotions."
"That's not—" Morpheus stopped, because it absolutely was true and they both knew it. "I hate how well you know me."
"It comes with being your assistant for the past five years, Miss Morpheus."
Wolff set the books down on a nearby table—carefully, because some of them looked old enough to crumble at harsh language—and settled into his own preferred spot, a window seat that caught the perpetual twilight from the castle's eastern face.
"They're strange," Morpheus said after a moment.
"The Ave Mujica girls?"
"Who else would I be talking about?"
"You could be referring to the Corettons. They've been behaving oddly since the stage construction."
"The Corettons always behave oddly. It's their defining characteristic." Morpheus pulled her knees up to her chest, a posture she'd never let anyone else see her in. "But yes. The girls. They're... strange."
"Strange how?"
"They thanked me." The words came out almost accusatory. "Multiple times. For traumatizing them."
"I don't think they see it as trauma so much as... necessary growth?"
"Don't," Morpheus said sharply. "Don't do the thing where you make it about me. This isn't about me."
Wolff fell silent, coughing in that way that meant he disagreed but knew better than to push. The library settled around them, books whispering to each other in languages that hadn't been spoken in centuries.
After a long moment, Morpheus spoke again, quieter this time. "Iris must have told you to check on them before coming here. Did you see Mutsumi’s door?"
"The multiple names? Yes."
"The castle didn't have to do that."
"The castle does many things it doesn't have to do, Miss Morpheus. That's rather the point."
Morpheus didn't respond. Outside, one of Terra’s two Moons was starting its slow arc, and somewhere in the East Wing, five girls were settling into rooms that knew more about them than they might be comfortable with.
Morpheus tried very hard not to think about why any of it mattered to her at all.