milliways_bar | (no subject)

They really really can. Just don't try and tell her she's related to Time. She has enough of a headache from talking to Del.

"It's an honour to meet you, Dream," she says politely. "Your wife is well?" Mrs Dream sounds just so wrong.

"My lady Moiraine is well, yes."

There is a slight smile, and a nod.

"I'm glad." an equally slight smile.

[OOC: is all good!]

"How has your life been?"

He's curious, because he's never spoken with one of Death's. Even one as tangentially Death's as Susan.

A derisive snort.

"When I was a small child, I remember playing with a My Little Binky set, and using Grandfather as a xylophone. Then my parents decided I was to be protected from all that, and told me Gradfather and all the other Night people didn't exist. They sent me to a School for Young Ladies, and taught me logic."

Somehow Dream feels that it is the better part of valor not to admit that logic is a part of his function. Instead he nods,

"And would you have preferred to remain as you were?"

She sighs and shakes her head. she hadn't meant to sound so bitter.

"I don't know what I would prefer. I just... I thought I knew how the world worked, then when I was fifteen a rat skeleton and a talking bird tell me I have to do Death's Duty.

"It would have been nice to have had some kind of warning."

"Most ravens talk. They actually are not all that uncommon. I had ravens as assistants for as long as ravens have been."

He mentions, because generally people are supposed to make sure conversations go both ways. That doesn't mean he's any good at it, but he tries. When it comes to dealing with people, Discworld Death and Dream of the Endless have a lot in common.

"Did you have no warning at all?"

"I'm sure they talk to you, but I wasn't used to it.

"I had some warnings. The tooth fairy confused me, for a start. But I'd been told they didn't exist. By my parents. And they knew they did..."

She stops herself. She sounds petulant, but she can't help herself.

If it is any consolation, Dream doesn't seem to mind the petulance. It is rather to be expected from children, and most things are children to the Endless. Occasionally something makes it up to seeming teenager-like. But those things are usually limited to stars, planets, and other such long-lived things.

"So it was not that you had no warning, but rather that you did not understand those you were given."

Dream has too much in common with her grandfather for Susan's liking, actually. She goes to protest this, and catches herself.

"Touche," she says.

"It is fair to be annoyed by that. No one likes to be caught un-aware, and hearing that you simply did not understand is worse than finding out you were caught un-aware."

He offers her a slight smile,

"If it helps at all, my Elder Sister who is something of your Grandfather, has also been known to be caught without warning upon occasion. Rather more when she is he than when he is she, but you understand how that goes."

It makes sense to Dream. But he's spent ten billion years as brother to Desire.

It actually makes sense to Susan as well, sort of.

"He's... he's got a lot in common with humans," she admits.