#anywhere

"I'm not stupid. Don't call me dumb."

"I didn't, I asked if you were worried you were because you said 'we'll see' about you learning . CONTEXT." He says with an eye roll, "I was going to assure you, should you be having a moment of doubt, that it was not that hard and you'd sail through it with just a bit of effort and attention."

"I mean, I don't know about that place."

"what's wrong with it?" He seems geniunely baffled.

She shrugs. "Probably won't be here a whole year, anyways."

"Oh? Huh. You wouldn't be the first changeling who had to runaway so they could stay with a motley or smething"

A complicated expression as she mulls something over and then a shake of her head. "I got the basics. I can figure it out."

"Well, you also NEED the saining. You learn about bedlam yet?"

"No?"

"And they said Saining was your name, but I remembered this name. It's Dagmar."

"Dagmar is your name, but you've got more than one... and one name you don't have yet is your true name. It's mystical stuff. It's..who your fae self is at the core. It's something you don't share with others once you learn it, not lightly. But it also anchors you. Without it? You can hit bedlam. You know how weird things are now? Well, it gets weirder, and you start seeing things even other changelings don't. It's ..like insanity for the already tweaked. It takes control of you..mood swins, hallucinations, and so on."

She rubs the back of her neck. "Can I just quit?"

"uhm you wouldn't like that either."

"This just.... happened."

"It's called being undone..and , it's like being a spiritual quadriplegic. Trapped inside yourelf, unable to feel, unable to..well, even dream. " He shudders

"Well, sure it just happened. It happens to us all"

"Dreams just...." she trails off and shakes her head. "They lie to you, you know?"

"Dreams tell you the truth too"

"Bet it feels RIGHT to be as tall and strong as you are now, bet it feels like you've been missing it all your life but didn't know it."

"They're stupid kid stuff, or they're just... bad memories..."

"It... yeah."

"There you go. " he says " Hard data is a part of truth, but it's not all the the forms truth takes." He smiles, "Weclome to the party Dagmar. If you find you feet tapping to the beat of your own drum, to the music going inside you all along... dance like no one is watching. I bet even Chieftain Brekke who has stoic down is known to bob her head to the theme music to her own heart now and then."

"I don't dance."

"Not everyone dances, but everyone wants to..." He smiles, "now and then anyway. See you around, Dagmar. Glad I could help."

"Sure. See you."

And he trots away, singing "S-s-s-s A-a-a-a F-f-f-f E-e-e-e T-t-t-t Y-y-y-y
Safe, dance!
We can dance if we want to.
We can leave your friends behind.
Cause' your friends don't dance,
and if they don't dance, well they're
no friends of mine...."

there's something particuarly catchy about the way he sings that ancient tune.

But then he's gone, and only it's echo remains.

And she heads back to the beige house, ducking her head as she enters the place that feels even smaller than it did this morning.

"Oh" One of her fosters asks, "Were you outside?"

"Yeah. A kid from school swung by."

"Oh, you're making friends. Good"

"Yeah. He's okay." She slides into her seat, the wood creaking. "Hey. Uh. Would it be okay if I went over to a friend's place after school on Monday?"

"Monday's a school night, what about homework?"

"I could do it after dinner?"

"Well, we would need a phone number not just for you but for your friend. And to make sure it's okay with their folks."

"I'll... I'll ask her at school, okay."

"Okay, nothing written in stone, but... we will see." A nod "I don't wnat you to risk your grades, but I'm glad you seem to be making friends too so, we'll see. Now go get ready for dinner"

"Yes, ma'am." She goes off to wash her hands and set the plates.

The school is long empty of swarms...the target got away. And a voice muses in the dark, miles from that school, "The Day Maiden is here... no no no... this will not do. This will not be. The forested one helped protect her? She's an enemy too. Pity. Both going to go on the wheel again all too soon, but...that's what you get for having Da'ans like that. yes? yes."

(End scene)