Chapter 4: He and the Asters
Chapter 4: He and the Asters
The next night, Caden breathed in the void. He held a picture frame in his hands, reminiscent of the night before. Tashi dreamt of this. Caden thought as he eyed the picture frame. Beside Caden was a brown-haired woman with a gentle smile. Her bright and green eyes caught his eye. She had long straight brown hair and she held Caden close in the photo. Beside Tashi was a black-haired girl whose hair was tied up into a bun. Who are these girls? Caden thought. Probably someone Tashi just saw in passing.
Caden hummed. The people you meet unconsciously pop into your dreams.
It isn’t that weird. He thought as he placed it in his small pile of trinkets. It laid in the middle of the void. He looked around. Maybe I’ll try a different door today. He walked around, avoiding Tashi’s familiar door. He breathed in and felt weightless. He opened his eyes to see himself floating. Right. Maybe I’ll try a door away from here.
Soon, he came across another labeled one. Cassiopeia Aster.
It was Tashi’s sister.
He thought for a moment. Then looked down at the door with the dog plush hanging on it. It was as if it was asking him, why? Why not me?
He shifted his gaze back at Cassiopeia's door.
He entered the door.
As he crossed the threshold, the door disappeared behind him. He was in Tashi’s childhood home. He walked around, reminiscing at the rooms happily. He looked at the living room where he and Tashi would play games all day. He chuckled.
His relaxed demeanor changed when he heard noises in the kitchen. It was the kind of noise he didn’t want to hear in any dream. Said noises in particular included heavy breathing and the sound of skin slapping on skin. His ears turned red.
I’m going to be stuck here for the entire night, he thought sadly. He turned to look if he could try hiding upstairs.
“C-Caden!”
What?
He groaned. What is wrong with your family Tashi? Do you all dream of being naked in some way or another?
“I’ve al- always had a crush on you, Caden!”
He hid his face in his hands, sighing at the familiar voice of Tashi’s sister. The brunette turned blonde would always keep to herself in the corner whenever he would visit. Sometimes he’d feel a slight chill as if she watched him when he wasn’t looking. Tashi described her to be a lost cause claiming the girl to obsess over this fictional man in a popular game she liked playing.
Who’s a lost cause now?
“M-more…” He had heard her beg.
The worst thing about being stuck in someone else’s dream was having no power over it.
He groaned.
The next morning Caden felt more tired than usual. He felt his face heat up from the dream last night. He had to hide in the stairs as he heard the girl moan his name, again and again
And again
And again
Why?
What was worse for him was that he saw his dream self carry the girl he considered to be his sister across the threshold, still connected. He wretched at the fact that he saw himself, well, a better-looking version of himself doing unspeakable things (not unspeakable but the stuff he’d rather not say out loud) to the kid he grew up with.
He sighed.
Well.
His phone rang. He raised a brow. He saw the name.
Cassi
Cassiopea
Caden dropped his phone.
He wasn’t sure if there was a higher being involved but
Could he at least have given me a normal superpower?
Flying? Strength? Invisibility?
Caden thought dream walking was particularly annoying.
“What is it, Cassi?” He tried to hide the stress in his voice.
“Good morning, Caden!” The other end was of the familiar voice he heard last night. He cringed at the sound of his name. “Tell Tashi I need to call him quick. Mom also wants to ask if you guys want to visit since it’s the weekend.”
God no.
“I’ll ask him. You sound pretty energetic this morning.” Caden said awkwardly.
“I had a great dream last night!”
Caden nearly choked on his own spit.
“Please open the door.” He heard again. Wait? What? He ran downstairs, not even bothering to fix his hair. He hurried to the front door where soon enough he saw the familiar little blonde girl looking at him. She shared a lot of Tashi’s traits but she dyed her hair blonde. Nevertheless, she also shared his peculiar purple eyes. It didn’t shine as bright as Tashi’s seeing that she hid it behind the thickest frames he saw on someone’s glasses.
Yes.
“I was getting cold, you know!” She huffed. Right, Caden thought. She entered the house unceremoniously. “You really thought that I’d wait for a response from you guys? I know you’re plotting to make up an excuse and a story to avoid going there.”
She’s right, Caden thought. He avoided looking at Cassi, remembering the dream from last night.
“Tashi’s not awake yet?” She called. Caden closed the door, sighing.
“Nope,” Caden replied, smiling as much as he could.
I think the gods are testing me.
As if on cue, Tashi yawned and scratched his head, coming from his room. His brown fluff of hair stood out as he opened his eyes, looking at Cassi and Caden.
“About time!” Cassi proclaimed, huffing at her brother.
Tashi’s gaze shifted between Cassi and Caden. He narrowed his eyes at Cassi.
“What are you doing here?” He yawned. “Isn’t that boy uh, Ren, calling you in your phone?”
“Don’t call him by his first name!” Cassi huffed. “The wedding event is coming up and we’re going to get married.”
“I swear to god you spend thousands just for a PNG in a tux.” Tashi scratched his head as the younger girl punched him with a glower on her face.
“Don’t judge me! I saw your top tier subscription to that streamer!” Cassie proclaimed. “Don’t get me started on your merch!”
“At least Leilaps is real!” Tashi rebutted. Caden sighed. It was just like old times. The two bickered the most out of all their siblings. The two of them inherited the trademark Aster purple irises. The rest of the 4 siblings didn’t. He went off to the kitchen, preparing more breakfast than usual. It looks like they’d have to go to the Aster household after all.
Amongst the pointless thoughts within the confines of his head, he thought of why Cassi was particularly pushy today. Normally she’d just scream into the phone and shout a string of curses at the two when they refused to go to the household. Normally, she could manage.
“Caden!” The screech nearly deafened him. It was so raw and unfiltered that he could feel the emotion in the girl’s voice. The pair of siblings ran towards him. Tashi was pushing his sister back as he waved the girl’s phone all over the place. Cassi was tugging on his hair and jumping to steal her device back. “Don’t look! Caden!”
“Look!” Tashi shouted. Cassi shoved her weight towards her brother, making the man stumble forward, allowing Caden to see more of the image on her phone. He froze when he saw what looked like a more anime version of him. “It’s Ren! He looks exactly like you!”
“Tashi! YOU ASSHOLE!”
It was a swift kick. Never before had Caden seen Tashi keel over to the floor before. Cassi was flushed red and ran outside.
When night fell once again, Caden contemplated entering Cassi’s door once more. He cringed at the possibility of seeing “himself” once more. He pressed his lips together and looked at the door that was beckoning him once more. He flew towards it, standing in front of it.
Fine.
You want me to go in?
He turned the knob.