fandomhigh | MSND Production, Saturday, 7 p.m. FHT

Dream, with a scowl to match Pippi's, leaned against a wall of his own and surveyed the fae.

They hadn't hurt anything too badly.

Yet.

At intermission, Titania stormed into the wings, intent on finding the cause for the darkness. She paused as she saw Dream again, and sorrow overtook her, as well as a sense of foreboding.

"My lord Shaper. How think you our comedy?"

"Why did you bring the child, and permit her to take such a large part?" her asked, nodding to Nadia.

He would ask that, of course. Parker was cackling in the back of Titania's mind, highly amused.

"With the exception of myself, Puck, and my lord Oberon, I gave no direction-- and the spell could not be changed, once we were on this side of the veil." Titania's chin went up. "I did give the child leave to go, but she hath chosen to play her part. Better that, then leave her actor to stumble on now, alone unencumbered." She frowned, thinking of Violet Buttercup. "With one or two other... exceptions."

"Yes, it does seem as though it might be better for her to go on," Dream sighed, watching Nadia.

"So. Of my news." He looked at his hands. "I trust Nuala sends information to you by way of her brother?"

Oh, unfair, to ask such questions, with the face before her long mourned, in a mortal form, whose heart could hurt with it.

"On occasion, and not as often as We would wish. But yes." Her gaze softened. "I think I know that which you wish to discuss." A slow step forward, then another, trying to see his face in the shadows. Ever difficult to read, but still....

"Do you?" Dream asked in a voice that was deceptively mild. "Then you have heard of Orpheus. Or, rather, of his death."

You would have to know him very well to see how much pain was behind his eyes as he said this.

The pain of this went too deep, cut too harsh, for prevarication or lies. "We had heard. We grieve with thee, Lord Shaper. For what did occur."

Ohhh...

You have some comment, child?

No.

"He is with his Eurydice, now. It should have happened long ago," Dream said. "I was too proud, as was he."

It is clear admitting this is one of the most intimate things Dream has done recently. As if to undercut this, he glanced over at Lee.

"How do you believe your husband enjoys his time here?"

Titania can hardly bear this. For so long, she wondered if Orpheus's death was the beginning of a long decline, and seeing him here, like this, with these words, humbled... oh, she would cry for it, yes, would it not reveal far too much.

His second question catches her off-guard, and she says, "I hardly know. He seems as ever he is. Spiteful and childish in action, inscrutable in thought and heart."

"Ah," Dream said. "Still, you both have your ... other interests."

His eyes slid over to Niall at this point. "And of course, you are queen."

"I will always be Queen."

Studying him, even knowing the futility, she had to reach out one hand, and rest it on his. "There are interests, and... loves. You know the difference, I would hope. And what that difference was, for me."

Dream froze and pulled his hand away.

"I do know the difference," he said shortly, though not unkindly.

Then: "It seems our time apart has made you bold, my lady."

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Some time after Parker had left, Walter came up to Dream looking concerned. After speaking with both Nadia (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/725611.html?thread=34788971#t34788971) and Pippi, he was aware that they were not themselves. What he didn't know was whether Dream or any of the faculty did.

"Professor Dream, I need to speak to you about Pippi and Nadia."

Dream blinked, still a little phased by his conversation with Titania. He had hoped the posessions would go unnoticed by the audience, but clearly not.

"They are not themselves," he said, bluntly.

No shit. But he respected his teacher (and feared the ruler) far too much to say that aloud.

"Yes, that's the point. Whatever is in Pippi offered to take me back in her place 'when the curtain fell.' Is there some way to free them before that happens?"

Dream lowered his voice. "The rulers of faerie have made a vow to leave, and leave the cast unharmed, as the last lines of the play are spoken. They should leave nothing of themselves, and take nothing back."

He glanced over. "Should I remind the fae in Pippi of this?"

Walter relaxed slightly as his fear for his friends abated with Dream's words. "Please, sir. I don't want her trying to trick anyone else."

Dream nodded. "Bring her to me, Walter."

Walter nodded and returned quickly with Pippi (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/725611.html?thread=34889579#t34889579), or an unreasonable facsimile thereof.

"Pippi" follows behind Walter, she seems somewhat distracted.

First, she get's a body way to young.

Then? she almost makes our with a demon from Hell (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/725611.html?thread=34864491#t34864491).

Now? Lord of Shapes wants to talk to her.

So not Adella's day.

Okay kid. I've pulled myself together, now let me do the talking.

Why?

I don't want you to give him the wrong idea.

You mean the truth?

Now listen...

You have to leave when the play is done... But I'll still know your name AND Mr. Crawley's phone number when you're gone.

...

There's a jolt, and she grins.

"Hello Professer Dream." she says in a perfectly Pippi kind of way. "Are you this 'Lord of Shapes' I keep hearing about?"

"It is one of my titles," Dream said skeptically. The girl appeared whole enough...

He gestured to Walter. "Your friend here says you had offered to take him back to Fairie, after the performance."

"That wasn't me." Pippi said tapping her head. "She rather thinks she oh so very clever. She knows perfectly well there are rules. She's just trying to work around them..."

Dream's face was grim even for him, which is pretty grim indeed. "Make sure she knows that if she breathes another word about working around the rules, she will meet a rather unpleasant end." He sighed. "Tell her of your Witch Doctor."

Somewhere in the back of Pippi's mind, there was, in fact, wibbling.

"She was giving me some trouble, but we've reached an accord I think." Pippi says with a strange smile. "She's not feeling very social anymore. Had a rather nasty shock I think... Thank you for your consern sir. If she gives me any more trouble, you'll be the second person I call when the curtain goes down."

...

That's more like it.

Humph, consern. That's a change.