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“Welcome to the Dreaming, Johanna Constantine.” Lucienne watched Johanna look around curiously. She’d invited her into this lucid dreaming state for a purpose, and she was interested in how Johanna would handle it.
“You have a job for me, you said? Casting out demons or something?”
“No, no, be patient; it’s easier to show you.” Lucienne wasn’t quite sure how this was going to work, but she was hoping that things would fall into place as soon as she showed Johanna….
Johanna’s gaze was more piercing than most new visitors. “So, who casts demons out of the Dreaming for you?” Ah, that was it. She was looking for demonic evidence. Easy enough to deal with.
“Oh, they don’t dare come here. Lord Morpheus doesn’t allow it.” No need to explain all the politics between Hell and the Dreaming; the end result was no demons and that was how Lucienne liked it.
“That must be nice! But what is that scary looking creature over there then?” Lucienne looked where Johanna’s chin was pointing.
“Oh, that’s just a nightmare. Run along home now.” The nightmare tossed its head, but faded out as it fled into the distance.
Johanna stared after it in awe. “Oh my god, it just listened to you!”
“Well, I am my Lord’s steward after all.”
Johanna turned to her. “Why am I even here? You’re so amazing! What could you possibly need me for? I’m just a hot mess who can exorcise demons!”
“Shush,” Lucienne said. “I don’t let people talk about my friends that way, and I’m hoping we can be friends. Now come here and I’ll show you what I need you for.”
As the two women walked into the throne room, Death of the Endless turned her head.
“Ah! Lucienne!” Dream said, “There you are!”
“Death, my sister, you’ve met Lucienne before.” Death smiled and nodded her friendly regard toward Lucienne.
“This is Constantine, Johanna Constantine. She and her family assist me from time to time with tasks in the mortal realm. Constantine, this is my sister, Death.”
Lucienne watched Johanna glance at Dream at that introduction. Her confusion was swallowed up in the way her gaze was attracted back to Death like a magnet. Death reached out her hand, and Johanna took it, and Lucienne knew Dream’s plan was going to work when they stood like that for a measureless moment, no longer aware of their surroundings, lost in their eye and hand contact.
“Hmm, yes, I was hoping you both would have dinner with us tonight,” Dream continued, when the silence grew to the point it would be awkward for him to continue to ignore it. Death and Johanna startled, and turned to him to give their acceptance. Lucienne tried not to gloat, but nevertheless cherished Dream’s wink acknowledging the success of their plan.
Dinner was a roaring success, and Dream was smugly satisfied with the success of his plan to set his sister up with a human in retaliation for her setting him up with Hob. Now to worry about Johanna’s immortality. He was sure something would come to him. Maybe Lucienne would have an idea again. In the meantime, Johanna should be invited to visit the Dreaming anytime. Death as well. Yes, this was going to be amusing. Maybe Fiddler’s Green would help….
Matthew swooped into the library. “Lucienne! Lucienne! You have to come! There’s something going on in Fiddler’s Green!”
“Hmm? What is it, Matthew?” She hoped he wasn’t coming to tattle on Death and Johanna again. Somehow Matthew had been the only one who was surprised the first time the setting overcame their shyness and they made out in the glade. That’s Death! Why is she kissing Death! Doesn’t she know what could happen? It’s called the Kiss of Death for a reason! Obviously Death had figured that one out, and Lucienne wasn’t going to worry about it. But what was Matthew on about now?
“I don’t know,” Matthew answered, “but there’s this big pile of nightmares seething in the meadow!”
“Well. Excuse me, Gault, I should probably go check this out.”
“Oh, I’ll come with you, this sounds interesting!” Gault replied. Their tea would get cold, but the story they were reading together would wait.
“Just keep your distance a bit, if you would, love?”
“For you, of course.”
“Okay okay,” Matthew interrupted, “enough with the lovey-dovey stuff, now come on!”
“Well. That certainly is a seething pile of nightmares, isn’t it?” Misshapen eyes peered in every direction from the thick surging darkness in the middle of the meadow.
“I told you!!!” Matthew squawked.
“Hey you lot! What are you doing here?”
One large-ish nightmare detached from the pile. “Oh, sorry, Lucienne, we were just visiting.”
“Visiting who?!? Fiddler’s Green?”
“No,” said Gilbert, “I’m right here with Gault.”
The pile slowly sorted itself into separate figures, each more disturbing than the last, and a disheveled looking Johanna stepped forward.
“Are you okay?” Lucienne asked her. “What is going on here???”
“Oh, I just. Was here. You know. After Death left. And one of my regular nightmares stopped by. And it was kind of nice to chat instead of being terrorized. So we chatted. And then another one came. And another. And well. It was just kind of a social… party. I guess. With all my nightmares. They really are kind of lovely when they’re not working, you know? And they know me so well. I feel perceived.”
Matthew hopped around in corvid distress. “Oh my god, not only will you kiss Death herself, you’re half in love with your own nightmares!”
Johanna blushed, though not as much as Lucienne would have expected. Her mouth opened to defend herself but Matthew’s agitated noises prevented her.
“No! No! Don’t tell me any more! I don’t want to hear or see anything else. Lalalala! From now on, I’m going to stay with Eve when you are in the Dreaming!”
Johanna straightened her clothes, running her fingers through her hair, her expression wavering between sheepish and smug.
“Well. I apologize for interrupting,” Lucienne began. “Perhaps you can understand why it looked concerning? We’ll leave you to it then… unless you’d like to join us for tea?”
“Actually tea sounds quite nice, right about now.” Johanna turned to the crowd of nightmares hovering behind her. “Thanks for hanging, loves. Shall we do it again sometime?” Murmuring affirmatively, the nightmares slowly drifted off under Lucienne’s even gaze.
“Come on, then,” Gault invited. “We were having tea in Lucienne’s study. Matthew, Gilbert, would you like to join us?”