Lilly-Meg in Dreaming

[awesome_lilly]

The curtains are of rich red velvet, and the stage of burnished brown wood.  The seats are all deep, comfortable plush, and the lighting reflecting from the crystal chandelier above somehow manages to be perfect at every angle.

Meg always dances in a beautiful theater, in her dreams.  After all, why settle for less from your own subconscious?

Comments

[balletrat]

*Center stage, of course, is Meg, with a full corps de ballet of backup dancers surrounding her.

Interestingly enough, several of them are blue with purple hair, but that's neither here nor there.*

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly is not surprised when the road she's walking turns into an aisle of a gorgeous theater. This has been happening kinda often. She's a little more surprised to see Meg, and so she takes a seat to watch her friend dance.

...it's her friend, right?

[balletrat]

*A second later, someone sits down next to Lilly to watch Meg dance

It's . . . Meg. Although this Meg is dressed in a full, bustled black dress, and carries a cane.*

Lilly! *she says, surprised.* I didn't think you'd make it.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly blinks.

"Meg? You... you are Meg, right?"

She glances from Meg to the stage, where Meg is dancing. She remembers the dancing.

come come commala

[balletrat]

'course I am, *the Meg next to her says, reasonably.* This is just a way to get a better perspective. I mean, all this is me, really, isn't it? Subconscious dreaming, and all.

Except you - you're not me, I can tell, so you must be you.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly's pale.

"I'm me," she says slowly. "All of me."

dead and not dead old and young whispering in her head

[balletrat]

You mean, like what we were talking about before I left, *the Meg next to Lilly says calmly.

Onstage, Meg's dance grows more agitated, nervous; the dancers around her reflect the unease.*

[awesome_lilly]

"Yeah."

Lilly's biting her lip. It hurts. It reminds her where she is. Who she is.

For a little while, at least.

"We're friends, right?"

She shouldn't have to ask. It's Meg. Her BFF. But there are voices...

didn't die never left never danced

[balletrat]

Of course we are, *Meg says, blinking, as the dancers onstage join hands and circle around, counterclockwise, their heels and toes clicking on the stage (and were they always wearing those boots, so inappropriate for ballet?)*

I mean, it'd be kind of unnerving if we weren't, you hanging out in my subconscious and all.

[awesome_lilly]

"Right."

Lilly doesn't sound certain, but she manages the ghost of a smile.

ghost of a girl

"Are you... how are you both places? You're okay, it's not happening to you, is it?"

[balletrat]

Oh, everyone's divided in them a little, *Meg next to Lilly says.* But it's just how people are; it's not the same. Otherwise we couldn't deal with half the things we do.

*Onstage, the dancing Meg spins, her finger pointing at different dancers in turn.*

That's not the same as the universe trying to deal with what you do.

*One of the blue dancers falls gracefully to the stage floor, and doesn't get up again. The Meg on stage watches her fall as she dances, her face shadowed.*

It looks like it's hitting you pretty hard, *the Meg next to Lilly adds, looking a trifle concerned.* Have you got any ideas about what to do about it?

[awesome_lilly]

"I do," Lilly says absently, watching the dancers. "I'm going to have a meeting after the-"

She breaks off, blinks.

"I mean... yeah. I'm trying to get to someone who can help me. Um. Me."

[balletrat]

Helping yourself is good, *the Meg next to her says approvingly.* Makes you feel much better about it once it's all over.

'course, sometimes it doesn't work. And then of course it just makes everyone who could have helped feel worse - while we're on the topic, anything I can do?

*Several other audience members nod in agreement. There may be faces Lilly recognizes among them.*

[awesome_lilly]

There are. Xander, Kitty, Duncan, Svava, Veronica... And there are faces Lilly doesn't does know, ones she's pretty sure Meg can't see. Half the time she can't see them either.

"Not really," she says slowly. "You can't hear her, can you?"

[balletrat]

Hear who? *the Meg in the audience asks, puzzled.

In the front row, a bejewelled, bewigged woman has begun to croak - long, loud ribbits. The dancers onstage all seem to be convulsed in laughter.*

Her, you mean? She's not supposed to be singing, really, she just can't stand to be out of the limelight -

[awesome_lilly]

"That's her singing?"

Lilly looks confused.

"How did she ever get a limelight in the first place, then?"

[balletrat]

She's Italian, *Meg says, reasonably.*

Besides, she's usually better than that. It's just he thinks it's funny.

*She gestures vaguely towards Box Five, where a man in a white mask convulses in laughter. Sitting next to him, smoking a cigar, is another man; Lilly might not recognize him, but his ice-blue eyes bear a strong resemblance to those of a gunslinger they both know.*

This is the Opera; ghosts have power, here.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly frowns at the man smoking the cigar.

ice-blue eyes boring into hers -You feel anything wrong -- anything -- come find one of us-

Not him, though. He's still unfound. They're just blue eyes, don't mean what you think they mean.

Meg's words sink in, then.

"I'm a ghost. I think. I don't have the power to stop it, though. SHe tOlD mE tHAt."

no power in the 'verse can help her.

[balletrat]

You are a ghost, I know that, *Meg agrees, thoughtfully.*

And you might have more power than you think. I mean. Maybe not to stop it, stop it, but there's generally loopholes.

*She glances up at the Opera ghost, who's stopped giggling, by now; he's watching the dance on stage, with an intent look on his face.

The dancers, Meg among them, glance warily in his direction from time to time; it throws one or two of them off their stride, and they stumble off into the wings.*

He was always very good at being in two places at once -

[awesome_lilly]

"It's not two places," Lilly says, her voice flat. She looks at the blonde girl Meg Veronica Susan beside her.

"It's... so many. So many places, so many voices, and they used to be quiet sometimes but they just keep getting louder now."

[balletrat]

Are you forgetting where you are? *Meg asks next to her, and onstage you can catch the sparkle of Meg's red (hot) dancing shoes catching the light as she spins.*

Can't you leave - I don't know, some kind of marker?

[awesome_lilly]

"I'm forgetting who-" Lilly starts to say, and then the music breaks, just for a second, as something echoes outside the building. Something she's start to recognize.

"...oh no. I have to go, Meg. How do I get out of here?"

[balletrat]

Oh, I know all the secret tunnels, don't worry, *Meg says, calmly, apparently unperturbed.

Onstage, the dancers freeze, heads turning. This is a sound they recognize.

The audience stirs, and a few people rise. All men.

For the first time, Meg on stage speaks.*

You shouldn't be here for this part, anyways, *she says, clearly, to Lilly, and her face is pale.*

She's so melodramatic, *the Meg in the audience comments, and rises in a calm ruffle of black skirts as the dancers go back to a frenzied whirl.*

Follow me.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly stands up, still glancing nervously over her shoulder.

"Where are we going?"

[balletrat]

Under the Opera House, of course, *Meg says, walking along briskly*

Hurry, or we'll be too late - and remember, your hand at the level of your eyes.

*She pushes against a panel on the side of the wall, and a staircase opens up as if out of nowhere, leading down into darkness.*

I'd lead you out if I could, but it's my dream and there's only so far I can go - if you take the gondola, though, you should get out far ahead of the angry mob.

*She throws a quick darting glance back over her shoulder, and then turns back to Lilly.*

Hurry - you don't want to stay around here, now. Trust me on this one.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly shivers as another noise howl comes from behind them.

"I trust you, Meg. Let's get out of here."

She smiles warmly at the blonde ballerina and then has a second of wondering why she's trusting a complete stranger.

[balletrat]

*Meg shakes her head, a little sadly.*

- I told you, Lilly - I have to stay. My nightmare, remember? And I don't have a free pass through the Dreaming like you.

The gondala's light. If Christine could handle it, you won't have any trouble. And it'll take you fast.

*She smiles at her; the black draperies have somehow changed into a tutu again.*

Now, va-t'en. You can figure this out. I know you can.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly smiles back, or tries to, at Meg's faith in her.

"Yeah, okay. Thanks."

She runs quickly down the staircase, into the gondola, pushes off and fights a sudden inexplicable urge to sing.

The girl -Meg- was right. The gondola is fast, and it carries her swiftly away from the Opera House and from the dream.

[balletrat]

*Meg has already turned back, as the panel slides shut to cut off the escape route. She knows the steps of the next part as well as the rest.

The next day, the girl who sleeps in the bed next to Meg's in the rented quarters in Milan notices that she seems preoccupied; but when asked about it, Meg just shakes her head and tells her that there's nothing on this world she's worried about.*