"I know you are *you*, my lord, but are you also him?"
"I do not follow, Hippogriff."
"Our lord would not have done as you are doing. In all the years I served him, he did not touch me."
~The Sandman "The Wake"
-----------------------------------------------
Chapter 3 -- Facets
"So, how was your meeting?" Thessaly asked casually, trying to hide the interest from her voice. She was as placid and cool as ever on the surface, but I knew that she was itching with curiosity.
I took my time in answering her. The tingling excitement of new love spread through my body like a fever. The butterflies of excitement in my stomach killed my appetite; I had to force myself to feed. On the way to work, I had supped lightly on the alcohol-laden blood of a half-drunk sorority sister, leaving her weak but alive. I suspected that the alcohol in her blood was increasing the intoxicating effect on me.
I could tell that Thess was impatient even though she would sooner die than show it. A few straggling students filtered out of the library; a few had fallen asleep over their books, their weary heads nestled into the pages of the voluminous tomes. Seeing that there was no one around, I smiled a secret smile and decided to answer my collegue.
"You are right: he isn't Morpheus," I sighed, my back to her, feigning disappointment. I could hear her indrawn breath, ready to sing out "I told you so" in her cold and superior tone. I half turned, grinning crookedly and showing just a bit of fang.
"But I don't mind one bit," I finished. I was so happy I could cackle. Thessaly raised her left eyebrow at me.
"So, you two hit it off, I take it? And," she said, in a disinterested, conversational tone, "how does this Dream King differ from our Morpheus?"
I didn't quite like the tone of her question. Something about it hit me as wrong, as if this Dream was in no way related to the other Dream, as though some totally new entity had taken his place. "He is still deep-thinking, brooding, and consumed in his work, but he is more open and relaxed now."
"Oh?"
"He is warmer, friendlier. I... I like it." I smiled.
"Hrmph. Doesn't sound like the Dream I know," Thessaly began sorting through stacks of books from the return basket, sorting them into neat categories on the rolling cart.
The sudden slam of the library doors distracted us, making me jump. Thessaly just glanced up, calm as you please, and turned to wheel the cart through the endless shelves of books. Standing at the door, her hair a little damp from the sprinkles of rain that were starting to fall, was a small, thin, mousy-looking girl. She clutched a teardrop-shaped crystal pendent and wore, awkwardly, the clothes of any normal student. Her thin brown hair was wilting from the moisture.
"I- I'm sorry, I should have caught the door, but the wind..." she apologized.
"Nuala?" I asked. A small smile flitted across her face, and she awkwardly tucked a lock of hair behind a pointed ear. The elf came over to the desk, glancing around nervously.
"Yes, how did you know?" she asked me, practically whispering. Nuala had come to the Dreaming some time after I left.
"I told her about you," Thessaly cut in. I hadn't even heard her approach. I gave her a sharp look but she didn't notice. "It's nice to see you are well, Nuala. You still have my gift I see." Thess indicated the crystal. Nuala nodded.
"Nuala, Drusilla here has visited the new Dream King, and has been wondering why none of us have as well," Thess mentioned, smirking slightly.
"Really? Why did you go back?" Nuala asked.
"I missed him. I still love him, and I wanted to see how much he'd changed," I replied, feeling uncomfortable with the whole conversation.
"Changed? Morpheus didn't change, he has been replaced." Nuala frowned. I repeated my jewel analogy for her benefit.
Nuala looked pensive. "I- I think I have an answer for you then. You love Dream. We love Morpheus. If the essence of Dream is like a jewel, with facets, then I guess we liked the way the light reflected of a particular facet. And this facet, this new Dream, is not the same one."
"Very right, Nuala. He may be Dream, but he's not my former lover. He isn't my anything," Thessaly sniffed, sounding fairly snobbish.
"You two are right, but I don't feel the same way," I admitted. "Maybe I like this facet more. I don't know. It is an interesting blend of the old and the new. I thought I was rekindling an old flame when it is more like starting a new one. I think it's better for me that he isn't Morpheus."
Nuala smiled and laid a hand on my arm, comfortingly. "If you are happy, Drusilla, then by all means, embrace it."
Thessaly snorted, surprising me. "Well you'll not be getting any competition from *me* anyway."
Nuala checked out a book on fairytales and bid her farewells; Thess and I got back to work, hardly speaking. The night went by quickly, as I had hoped. I was eager to return to the Dreaming. As I was grabbing my jacket and purse to leave, Thessaly grabbed my arm.
"Drusilla, I will give you a piece of advice," she said earnestly. Her arrogance was gone, and she seemed sincere enough, so I listened. "Do not make the same mistake, the mistake that all of us save Calliope and Nada made. If you are right, and he is as involved in his work as Morpheus was, it is not a good idea for you to stay there. He will not leave his work to be with you every moment, and it is nearly impossible to have a life of your own in the Dreaming. When you find yourself spending days alone, it will get to you. You will be installed in his domain, and he will feel he has you and does not have to work to keep you."
"What are you suggesting, Thess?" I asked.
"Stay here. Visit him every night, keep it special like that. The threat of mortal men and the lack of proximity will keep him chasing you. That is the only way I can see it working out between the two of you," she said. A rare smile found its way onto her face. "And I do mean this, Drusilla, if anyone can find happiness with Dream, which I am not sure is possible, it should be you."
"I'm touched!"
"And I am serious. I never really knew any of Dream's other lovers, but all the time I have worked with you, you have been very tolerable, pleasant, and a hard worker. I admire that in you." Thessaly took a deep breath, let it out, and turned back to her work, finished her speech. She seemed a bit uncomfortable with her outburst, unused to showing any emotion besides cold logic.
"Thank you, Thessaly," I said, smiling. She shrugged. No big deal.
"So I take it you won't be taking a leave of absence then?" she asked, efficient and brisk once more.
"No, I think I'll stay on here," I assured her.
"Good," she said coolly. "It would be difficult finding another person who keeps hours like you."
"Goodnight, Thess." I waved as I took my leave.
"Pleasent dreams," she called after me.
-----------------------------
Stay tuned for the next installment...and the exciting conclusion!!!! :D
"I do not follow, Hippogriff."
"Our lord would not have done as you are doing. In all the years I served him, he did not touch me."
~The Sandman "The Wake"
-----------------------------------------------
Chapter 3 -- Facets
"So, how was your meeting?" Thessaly asked casually, trying to hide the interest from her voice. She was as placid and cool as ever on the surface, but I knew that she was itching with curiosity.
I took my time in answering her. The tingling excitement of new love spread through my body like a fever. The butterflies of excitement in my stomach killed my appetite; I had to force myself to feed. On the way to work, I had supped lightly on the alcohol-laden blood of a half-drunk sorority sister, leaving her weak but alive. I suspected that the alcohol in her blood was increasing the intoxicating effect on me.
I could tell that Thess was impatient even though she would sooner die than show it. A few straggling students filtered out of the library; a few had fallen asleep over their books, their weary heads nestled into the pages of the voluminous tomes. Seeing that there was no one around, I smiled a secret smile and decided to answer my collegue.
"You are right: he isn't Morpheus," I sighed, my back to her, feigning disappointment. I could hear her indrawn breath, ready to sing out "I told you so" in her cold and superior tone. I half turned, grinning crookedly and showing just a bit of fang.
"But I don't mind one bit," I finished. I was so happy I could cackle. Thessaly raised her left eyebrow at me.
"So, you two hit it off, I take it? And," she said, in a disinterested, conversational tone, "how does this Dream King differ from our Morpheus?"
I didn't quite like the tone of her question. Something about it hit me as wrong, as if this Dream was in no way related to the other Dream, as though some totally new entity had taken his place. "He is still deep-thinking, brooding, and consumed in his work, but he is more open and relaxed now."
"Oh?"
"He is warmer, friendlier. I... I like it." I smiled.
"Hrmph. Doesn't sound like the Dream I know," Thessaly began sorting through stacks of books from the return basket, sorting them into neat categories on the rolling cart.
The sudden slam of the library doors distracted us, making me jump. Thessaly just glanced up, calm as you please, and turned to wheel the cart through the endless shelves of books. Standing at the door, her hair a little damp from the sprinkles of rain that were starting to fall, was a small, thin, mousy-looking girl. She clutched a teardrop-shaped crystal pendent and wore, awkwardly, the clothes of any normal student. Her thin brown hair was wilting from the moisture.
"I- I'm sorry, I should have caught the door, but the wind..." she apologized.
"Nuala?" I asked. A small smile flitted across her face, and she awkwardly tucked a lock of hair behind a pointed ear. The elf came over to the desk, glancing around nervously.
"Yes, how did you know?" she asked me, practically whispering. Nuala had come to the Dreaming some time after I left.
"I told her about you," Thessaly cut in. I hadn't even heard her approach. I gave her a sharp look but she didn't notice. "It's nice to see you are well, Nuala. You still have my gift I see." Thess indicated the crystal. Nuala nodded.
"Nuala, Drusilla here has visited the new Dream King, and has been wondering why none of us have as well," Thess mentioned, smirking slightly.
"Really? Why did you go back?" Nuala asked.
"I missed him. I still love him, and I wanted to see how much he'd changed," I replied, feeling uncomfortable with the whole conversation.
"Changed? Morpheus didn't change, he has been replaced." Nuala frowned. I repeated my jewel analogy for her benefit.
Nuala looked pensive. "I- I think I have an answer for you then. You love Dream. We love Morpheus. If the essence of Dream is like a jewel, with facets, then I guess we liked the way the light reflected of a particular facet. And this facet, this new Dream, is not the same one."
"Very right, Nuala. He may be Dream, but he's not my former lover. He isn't my anything," Thessaly sniffed, sounding fairly snobbish.
"You two are right, but I don't feel the same way," I admitted. "Maybe I like this facet more. I don't know. It is an interesting blend of the old and the new. I thought I was rekindling an old flame when it is more like starting a new one. I think it's better for me that he isn't Morpheus."
Nuala smiled and laid a hand on my arm, comfortingly. "If you are happy, Drusilla, then by all means, embrace it."
Thessaly snorted, surprising me. "Well you'll not be getting any competition from *me* anyway."
Nuala checked out a book on fairytales and bid her farewells; Thess and I got back to work, hardly speaking. The night went by quickly, as I had hoped. I was eager to return to the Dreaming. As I was grabbing my jacket and purse to leave, Thessaly grabbed my arm.
"Drusilla, I will give you a piece of advice," she said earnestly. Her arrogance was gone, and she seemed sincere enough, so I listened. "Do not make the same mistake, the mistake that all of us save Calliope and Nada made. If you are right, and he is as involved in his work as Morpheus was, it is not a good idea for you to stay there. He will not leave his work to be with you every moment, and it is nearly impossible to have a life of your own in the Dreaming. When you find yourself spending days alone, it will get to you. You will be installed in his domain, and he will feel he has you and does not have to work to keep you."
"What are you suggesting, Thess?" I asked.
"Stay here. Visit him every night, keep it special like that. The threat of mortal men and the lack of proximity will keep him chasing you. That is the only way I can see it working out between the two of you," she said. A rare smile found its way onto her face. "And I do mean this, Drusilla, if anyone can find happiness with Dream, which I am not sure is possible, it should be you."
"I'm touched!"
"And I am serious. I never really knew any of Dream's other lovers, but all the time I have worked with you, you have been very tolerable, pleasant, and a hard worker. I admire that in you." Thessaly took a deep breath, let it out, and turned back to her work, finished her speech. She seemed a bit uncomfortable with her outburst, unused to showing any emotion besides cold logic.
"Thank you, Thessaly," I said, smiling. She shrugged. No big deal.
"So I take it you won't be taking a leave of absence then?" she asked, efficient and brisk once more.
"No, I think I'll stay on here," I assured her.
"Good," she said coolly. "It would be difficult finding another person who keeps hours like you."
"Goodnight, Thess." I waved as I took my leave.
"Pleasent dreams," she called after me.
-----------------------------
Stay tuned for the next installment...and the exciting conclusion!!!! :D