11873/Wonderland: The Cheshire Question

Wonderland: The Cheshire Question
Date of Scene:	02 August 2022
Location:	Memorial and Meeting Rooms - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	The meeting to determine what to do about the Cheshire Question is interrupted by the arrival of Dream and Delirium of the Endless, who have their own ideas after having talked to the attendees one at a time in advance. A deal is struck, Wonderland is saved, and Terry is returned.
Cast of Characters:	Donna Troy, Rachel Roth, Irie West, Michael Hannigan, Kaida Connolly, Madison Evans, America Chavez, Kate Bishop, Victor Stone, Nadia Pym-van Dyne, Gar Logan, Kian, Dream, Terry O'Neil

---

Donna Troy has posed:
    Really it's surprising that the meeting has not already taken place. Vorpal has been stuck in Wonderland for a couple of weeks now, and with a Titan missing or trapped, you might expect a meeting to have taken place straight away.

    The truth is though that Terry is /safe/. He's comfortably asleep beneath a tree in Wonderland, alongside the Mad Hatter and the Caterpillar, their dreams bridged by the magic of the Red King's Crown and Scepter. It would be easy enough to just go and wake him up, but the problem with doing that is that Wonderland would start to rapidly collapse. Terry himself wouldn't like that. This does however give some leeway for working out a solution.

    As yet, it seems that nobody has com up with a solution. There might have been more demand for a meeting sooner if anyone could think of anything to say. Thus when Donna and Raven called for a special team meeting to discuss the Cheshire Question, the announcement was met with a mixture of impatience and trepidation. Some people might be hoping that Donna and Raven have some actual news; the less optimistic may be thinking thinking that the delay indicates they have nothing and only called the meeting because it had been too long to not call one.

    The last few hours of waiting for the meeting to start have not been the Titan's most productive. There's a point where you're just waiting so hard nothing else really gets done. But finally the hour comes round at last, and the Titans have made their way to the meeting room. There is a lack of tactical displays. There are no tablets waiting in each place on the table with complete briefings. Just an assembly of Titans and allies connected to the Wonderland business, impatient for it to start.

    And finally it does. Donna and Rae have been whispering to each other as the team assembled, but when everyone's gathered, Donna gets to her feet. "I'm going to keep this brief," Donna starts (nobody cheer). "When this first happened, Rae and I asked a... higher power... to intervene. He promised to consider it, but it has been a couple of weeks now with no news, and we need to start considering alternative solutions to getting Terry back, without losing Wonderland in the process. Rae's going to give you a quick rundown of what we did, then we're going to throw the meeting open to suggestions."

    Donna takes her seat again, and nods to Raven. "Go ahead, Rae."

Rachel Roth has posed:
    Let it be known that this is the first time in /years/ that Terry has been, by all accounts, just about safe from harm.

    It isn't evident that Raven has an intense disagreement with this arrangement- though later accounts might differ on whether she has an issue with him being safe, or his sacrifice. In truth, she does: Raven applauds Terry's willingness to take up this mantle... But like all Titans, she is at least part hopeful idiot. Less than the others, but still part.

    That, really, is what makes you a Titan.

    Raven has lingered there at Troia's side as if the pair of them are somehow in charge of the group, a weirder pair of beings intertwined cannot be found- even with the trio of Terry, Gar, and Kian. Wonderland is weird, but Terry wears that all on his sleeve: Beneath the surface, there is no deeper heritage of awkward and apocalyptic than the couple now, however temporarily, seated at the head of the table.

    When called to speak, Raven takes a step forward.

    "At its core, Wonderland is a dream. It is many dreams. There are... A number of complexities to its nature, but underlying all of them, catching many of those concepts like a spider's web, was the dream of the Red King."

    There is a moment, then, where Raven looks to Donna, whom likely offers an encouraging glance. Raven is often unwilling to divulge much information at the best of times. These are, however, not the best of times- and the others deserve to know.

    "That is why Troia and I, we... Approached a being." Approached is a kind word, through magic and the use of sand that the lord of Dreams likely /still/ considers very much stolen, Raven brought Troia and herself before a concept in the shape of a man.

    "This being controls, this being /is/ the very idea of Dream. One of the oldest of a set of beings that are intrinsic concepts of existence. We sought to offer Wonderland to him, to return the dream of Wonderland to the Dreaming as a whole. It would have... Spared Vorpal, had it worked."

    Raven being wordy is an odd thing to behold. Normally, it's a sparse sentence, and her voice does not sound as if it is used to speaking so much at once- because, frankly, it isn't.

    "So far, we have not heard anything. There has as yet been no response, which means that it is unlikely we will receive any response at all." Much of this is retreading what Donna had just said, but... Describing the being adds the weight to it.

    "That is the kind of intervention that is required. Something... Akin to divinity, or perhaps some level of mending reality, or a way to perpetuate the dream of Wonderland without confining those that are dreaming within it. It is... No small task. There are no bad ideas here. No matter how grandiose or insane your idea may be... It may be something that we can use."

Irie West has posed:
    Irie looks thoughtful, if not a little lost. These kinds of things are beyond her scope. She's used to the usual level of supervillainy and this kind of problem can't be solved by running really fast and punching things.

    She raises a hand to ask a question. "So, is it like Terry is dreaming of Wonderland and if we wake him up it'll disappear?" She looks at Madison, "Or the Red King? What if we find people to dream it in shifts? That way nobody has to be stuck dreaming it forever?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
The past few days have been such a blur that if someone were to ask him right now what day it was, Nick would be at a loss for words. It's some day. And it wasn't as busy as other days. Which is why Mike's rocker persona is standing here, minus the wild hair. With the outside temperatures as they are, that potential mess got pulled back into a pony tail. Ugh.

Also someone said this meetup involved Terry. That was more than enough reason to use the last bit of energy he had on hand to get here quick. As Donna starts to sum up what was going on, elements of his conversation with Dream filters in. A brow lifts. As he looks over to Rae as she sums stuff up.

"Dream did consider it." Nick responds, raising his voice in response, "The manner in which the request was made asks for much and requires alternative methods. The thing is he can't make exceptions without good reason. And of those he asked, who probably do not remember the encounter, he found our initial arguments lacking. If there's to be a solution there's need for compromise on our end. Offering something that can benefit the Dreaming itself. Something that can help him with maintaining the balance."

He pauses, "There's been a LOT of stuff that's been going on with outside interference with dreams, and it's a lot more than one person can do. I can think of one instance where several of you guys helped out in a case before. Perhaps a guarantee of future assistance should these threats pop up would be a good offer?"

Kaida Connolly has posed:
"I see, well, I suppose calling in the actual Dream itself would be helpful to deal with sleep based things." She then considers and looks to the side. She rubs her chin and Kaida idly shifts on her feet, doing a strange little twirl before giggling and then blinking and shrugging. She looks around at hte others before clearing her throat.

"Anyway, anyone think to call the epitome of madness in for this? I mean, she'd seem like a helpful person in this case." She nods her head before glancing to the side and seeming unsure of something.

"Assuming ya know..." She then shrugs and shakes her head before sitting down and seeming awfully confused about something.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well, I was actually wondering - what if we could find someone that's really sick, you know? Terminal. If they took Terry's place - could that keep them alive? And- if it could, wouldn't that be a kind thing to do? I mean, they'd have to //agree// obviously... But they could live, and we could get Terry back."
    As Kaida suggests calling on the embodiment of //maddness// Madison can't help but remark, "Wouldn't that, uh... be even more dangerous than calling on the embodiment of dream? Madness can lead to- well. Some pretty dark and dangerous places."

America Chavez has posed:
    This is maybe America's second time in the Meeting Room. The last time she was here, her and Donna put together a plan to expand the influence of the Titans as an organization. That meeting went well and America was left optimistic. This meeting is a stark contrast. Terry's been gone for too long. Sure, he was safe as houses. But he was incommunicado... unless you wanted to be responsible for the destruction of a pocket universe.

    America's been that before. She got the tee shirt. It wasn't pleasant.

    So, for this meeting she sits in silence. Her expression reserved and focused on the information being presented. As Rae makes her own declarations she arches a brow. Raven being vocal was rare--even in her moments of scathing rebuke she was short and to the point. This show of expression from her is startling enough. But the ramifications of what they suggested are even moreso.

    "As someone who comes from a pocket dimension of her own..." Quick flash of pain. "I agree that we need the intervention of something on a divine scale. I tried some experimental relocations of the flora from that realm. It didn't work. Even on worlds in universes that match the requirments for Wonderland," she shakes her head. "-No dados-. The moment it was introduced it shriveled to dust and motes of glitter. Go figure."

    The Dream master among them--sometimes Nick Drago, sometimes Michael Hannigan, sometimes a shadowy creature known only as Phantasm--gets an arched brow of his own. "This 'Dream' wants quid pro quo... to save a universe? That's... pretty damn arrogant of him." Leave it to the interdimensional traveller to call a literal god arrogant. She grew up with the Greatest Among Them as a next door neighbor and mentor. It might not be that surprising in hindsight.

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate showed up at the meeting time looking like she just finished running a marathon. Though considering who she is an the fact she still has Wonderbow and her quiver on her she was probably doing a marathon session of archery practice.

    Something she is well known to do when she is full of energy or made to wait for important things that she would rather just deal with. That being having to wait for the meeting.

    There are some indications she may have actually pushed herself too hard too and hasn't even had time to really cleanup from that practice. She is still wearing the comfortable cotton loose workout pants and a tanktop. Her skin is flushed. There is something a smidge, manic or wild around her eyes too. That part is the unusual part.

    The large jug of no-calorie sports drink with plenty of electrolytes and salt though is not the unsuual part. Neither is the squirmy landshark named Jeff tucked under her other arm.

    When she settles in her chair she notes "I... had the strangest..." she just trails off puzzled. Like words are actually escaping her completely. She just shakes her head. "I genuinely am not even sure .... what just happened while I was training. This hot girl... " and just stops and flushes even more then shuts up to listen to Donna and Raven while drinking her energy drink.

    Clearly disturbed by something.

    When the explanations are given she slumps in her chair more, Jeff in her lap being petted at this point and the bottle on the table. There is a look at Nick and she just sighs deeply. "Fuck." is muttered. "I mean.. the last time in the dreaming was one of the most crazy moments of my life.. and I am counting wonderland. That... I've never wanted to strangle a villain more than whats his name banality face..."

    A glance at Kaida and then she considers "Jeff and I ... I think met .. maybe a very cute but ...... good talk though.... okay seriously I don't even know." and she falls quiet again without explanation. Things are a jumble but something is going on and she hugs her baby landshark.

Victor Stone has posed:
    After the visit from the odd girl who spoke in colors, Vic had tried to find Gar and Kian. By the time he'd closed things out in the labs and hopped on the elevator, though, it was pretty much time for the meeting--which was probably the idea behind her timing. He can't quite remember all the details, although he knows they were talking about Terry and Wonderland. The most important thing to him isn't Wonderland at all; it's Terry himself. But that's something they can address once they have Terry back.

    "I just ran into someone down in the labs who was... weird. Seemed to indicate /something/ might be moving along in terms of Wonderland, but--I don't know. I was going to try to suggest we try using Project Gozer, but I think..." He frowns, leaning against the wall, and rubs at his chest. "I don't know if that'd work, but it's an idea."

    He shakes his head, and looks to Donna and Kate and Gar. "I don't really--magic isn't my strong suit, at all, but I think maybe we need to have a chat sometime soon. The council, I mean. I've got... thoughts." Vague and ominous, not like Vic much at all.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
    There is a sound from the elevator as Nadia arrives. She's a bit late, but in her defense her elevator ride got diverted through infinity and seeing things man was never meant to know. Luckily though, she is not a man. "I just..." She begins as she steps off the elevator still a bit unsteady. "Either I met another Alice in the elevator or I accidentally used Janet's mushrooms in my omelet this morning. "I guess it could be both, depending on your perspective."

    She takes a moment to steady herself. "Also is our tower supposed to have a floor of mind bending unreality?" Coffee, she needs coffee. Realizing after a moment the meeting has already begun she stops talking and starts listening, leaning against a wall for support.

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan's brought pizza, because that's the sort of thing he'd do for a meeting, even one like this. 'I do my best thinking on a full stomach,' he would say at other times.

This time, he doesn't have any great ideas. "I mean, could we even do that?" he asks to the question of taking turns. "This only worked because the ones who kept Wonderland together are from Wonderland. Terry's not, but the Cheshire Cat is."

With a couple others indicating they've met someone or experienced strange things afterward, it has him squinting their way. "Huh.." That's all for the moment, as everyone takes their turns.

Kian has posed:
    Kian has never gotten over misliking this room, mainly because of the memorial.  It just reminds him of what's possible on this world.  Predictably, he hangs close to Gar.
    "I've spoken to Terry a few times in my dreams.  He's doing well enough, but...."  He just lets the sentence die there.
    He glances towards Nick -- Michael -- can't earth people just settle on one name and stick with it? -- and opens his mouth, then closes it again.

Dream has posed:
Titan's Tower is a formidably-protected fortress. Wards upon wards. Sigils, traps, countermeasures. Some potent spellcasters were part of the construction and the incantations are engraved in the same steel beams that hold the Tower up.

Dream doesn't just defy them; he appears and it's like they're not even *there*. One moment the memorial room is full of Titans; the next, there is a +1 sitting in a chair that definitely wasn't in that place a moment before.

And despite appearing across from Rachel and Donna, the newcomer somehow conveys that he is now sitting at the head of the oval tabletop.

To some in the room, he looks ... well, not normal, but nothing terribly unusual at first glance. White skin, white hair, white robes; the most remarkable feature is his eyes. There are no eyes, not like a human. Instead there is a night's sky worth of distant stars and nebulae, as if one was looking through his face and seeing all the universe beyond.

For those who can sense the warp and weft of magic, Dream's presence has its own gravitational field. Reality rearranges itself around him just by virtue of his presence.

"I am Daniel. I am the Lord of the Dreaming. He looks around the table at the Titans in turn, in no great rush or hurry. "And I am here to discuss the matter of Wonderland. Be at your ease," he suggests. A hand raises and his fingers flex. "And remember.""

For most of the Titans it's quite an unusual experience; the sensation of a dream slipping away, except in reverse. Recollections pour into their minds, all the things that were kept from them at the time-- and the absolute, certain knowledge that this is an entity more ancient than the stars and with a purpose beyond mortal comprehension.

Donna Troy has posed:
"DArk PLACes lEaD To madNESS, not thE OtheR WAY around," calls out a voice behind Dream. "NOT THE othER WAY aroUND. SOmetiMEs IT's not ENOUGH THoUGH, madISON. It's the odd funnel cake girl.

    The hot girl. The someone weird in the labs. The Other Alice. The gamer girl. The girl in the homeless shelter. "IT's not REAlly mADNESS THOUGH kAida. That's not quITE RIGHt. BuT i am supeR heLPFUL."

    She gives a little finger-rippling wave as she steps into the room from the elevator, and sits at the table next to The Lord of Dreaming, perched awkwardly on a rickety wooden stool that definitely was not there a moment ago. She has none of Dreams grace or composure, none of that sense of power and yet... and yet she belongs there beside him. Nobody doubts that for a moment. For those who have met her before, some understanding of what they experienced must surely present itself.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna sits through Raven's explanation with more than a single encouraging glance, and when the introduction is over and Raven seated again, Donna finds her hand under the table to give it a quick squeeze. Then she's paying attention to everyone's contributions. A raised eyebrow to Mike, a tilt of the head to America, and a nod to Irie to confirm her understanding of the situation.

    When Kate, Vic and Nadia hint at their experiences, she raises an eyebrow in Raven's direction. When Gar hints at his own, she gives him a speculative look. And when the two newcomers enter, the other eyebrow goes up to meet it. After a moment she sits back in her chair, hands folded in her lap, and gives a respectful nod of the head first to the Lord of Dreams, and then to the Lady of Delirium. "Welcome to Titans Tower, both of you," is all she says.

Madison Evans has posed:
    An unfamiliar figure appears in the room, and Madison turns at the sound of his voice - blinking in surprise. "Uhh..." she remarks intelligably.
    Then she sees his eyes. "Whoa." The teen creeps closer - bending down to get at the proper height to really peer (a little rudely) into the eyes of the incarnation of Dream. "How do they //do// that?" she asks.
    She seems unaware of the memories creeping back into her mind for a moment, as she stares into the beings eyes, until the strange girl appears and brings the memories to the fore. "Oh!" she exclaims, straightening from her study of Dream's eyes. "...did you find your Doggie?" she asks hopefully.
    "is this when we need to answer the question?" she asks - gesturing towards the girl as she explain, "She asked me if the dream was more important - or the Red King's escape from reality, but- I feel like I didn't really understand the question, completely."
    Looking both to Dream and Delirium she adds politely, "Would either of you like some pizza?"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Nick turns his head to look over to America as she calls Dream arrogant. "So is asking someone to endanger something they're caring for without even considering what they must do to accommodate the request. Or the added consequences that could incur doing it without acquiring some form of compensation."

And then Dream is here to talk. Oh. Well, Okay no more playing telephone.

A curious glance is fixed upon the girl that enters in, seating herself next to Dream. He's not sure who it is, but there is a slight upturn to the side of her lips at her presence. Maybe it's in the way she talks. But there's something oddly delightful about her.

It is at this time that Nick opts to drift back to more quiet observation.

Kaida Connolly has posed:
"OH yeah! Like her!" Kaida points at Delirium and nods her head even as she nods to Dream, "Sup, Daniel." And the tiny mouse warrior potentially goddess gestures to the girl.

"I was at the soup kitchen when I saw her and she was looking like a homeless girl but wasn't and she had butterflies and strangely the..." She stops, "Anyway, not important." She states simply enough, "Like her." She nods and smiles at Delirium and then shrugs before settling back down and looking again to Dream and then at Madison before looking back to Dream. Strangely, she doesn't seem bothered by his eyes.

Rachel Roth has posed:
    Raven is as silent as is typical of her through the words of their allies- their family. For what it's worth, she's squeezing Troia's hand back. That's not quite normal, but they're grasping at straws.

    Worse still, the others start hinting that they'd gotten attention. Little bits here and there let Raven piece together they'd been visited, but not entirely all by the same person. Having the atttention of Dream was one thing. Any of the other Endless? Something else entirely? That is Bad going to Worse. There are, after all, supposed to be seven, and of those seven, only two of them are remotely safe to deal with.

    Luckily, nobody mentions an Ankh.

    Leaning forward, Raven is about to speak about what had been presented, when Daniel makes his appearance. That, is heartening. As far as she is aware, he is polite: But if he were simply refusing them, he wouldn't be appearing at all. What she does not expect is Delirium.

    There are... Stories, loosely connected, the idea of ideas of what was once Delight. The earliest tellings of the Endless, as sparse as any tellings of the Endless are. Then, at some point, Delight seems to morph into, well, what they're dealing with now.

    "Everyone," she begins, cautiously, "This is Dream. I am sure I don't need to tell you. He has come here to speak upon the matter, and I would caution- that he has the floor at any point he wishes to have it."

    This is not necessarily a word of warning that Raven will take any steps to provide Dream and Delirium their room to speak- more a caution that if Dream wishes to speak, it won't matter if someone else has anything to say at that point in time.

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate stares at Dream now. Listening to him and that wave of his hand he does. She frowns. I mean the experience she had wasn't forgotten down in the gym. It just was .. memories with Delirium are harder. She runs through it again trying to figure out if it makes sense more now. Sort of. Maybe. Not really. Huh.

    When Delirium comes in though she shifts in her chair and peers at her now. Then grins and reaches down and waves to Delirium with Jeff's front paw. "Hi Dee." she says with a crooked smile.

    She looks back to Dream and then to Delirium. "I'm hoping we can help our friend and save Wonderland too please, if possible."

    Then conspiratorially to Kaida "I like her too."

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan's attention is drawn away from Kian, Vic, Raven, Donna, or anyone else the moment Dream shows up, just..there. "Hey.." he begins, a tickle of something at the back of his mind.

When Delirium joins in, he drops his slice of pizza as his palms smack flatly against the table. "You!" the green one exclaims. "I was playing a game and you were there..and you were in the game, too!" It's all coming back to him now, and he takes in each person in the room to see just how much of that is the case for them as well.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
    Nadia doesn't really intend to, but finds herself just sort of staring into Dream's eyes all the same, absently comparing the stars to the star charts with which she is familiar.

    She might have been mesmerized that way far longer had not Delirium appeared from the elevator. "Oh, hello again!" Nadia waves to her. Somewhere in another part of her brain she is wondering how Delirium got back into the elevator again, or why she chose to arrive by elevator, but then elevators are awfully convenient. Maybe that strange mindbending place can only be reached by elevator...

America Chavez has posed:
    America was going to give Nick a piece of her opinion when the pair of Endless reveal themselves. The flood of memories about her car drive with Daniel are a wave that tilts the room on its side for a moment. Lucky for her she's doen enough zero grav missions that the nausea isn't too disorienting. She peers at the pair for a moment.

    Daniel's eyes don't really bother her much. She's been around entities with eyes full of stars and galaxies and more a few times. The weight of the being's presence is another matter though. That she has to give respect to. Delirum is something else. The -feel- her words present is tangible and the mismatch of ennuciation and weight leave her grasping for the meaning within the words. She hasn't dealt with the woman before, and she's not sure if she would be happy to in the future.

    She focuses on the one she's spent the most time around. "Hi, again" she says to Dream. "No endless highways or talks about the philosophy of sacrifice this time?" she asks with a direct look. She looks to Nick for a moment and shakes her head. "So... Nick, Michael, Phantasm says you want payment to help save Terry? I wasn't aware that entire universes were part of the barter system but okay, name your price, I'm more than sure we can pay it."

    Is she a bit petulant, absolutely. But she gets this way when her friends are in...well, not necessarily, in danger but in a situation that she can't punch her way into or out of with ease.

Kian has posed:
    Kian just *stares* blankly at Dream for a moment as the dream memory returns.  "/Ta dio/," he says quietly, staring, and then falls quiet, immersing himself in what had been forgotten until now.
    "Dreams become stories, and stories become dreams," he says aloud, echoing the words from his memory.  "But... Wonderland *is* a story.  I read it.  The dream already is a story."  He's musing aloud, not really speaking to anyone, just trying to piece things together as he goes along.  "Does... does that mean the story itself is now enough to keep the dream going?  Does Terry even *need* to be in there?"
    He reaches over to squeeze Gar's hand.  "Please tell me it really might be that easy.  We deserve one easy solution by now."

Victor Stone has posed:
    "So do we have a plan for Wonderland yet?" Vic peers between Delerium and Dream, more at the latter than the former, since he mostly remembers the former. "I remember we talked about... whether Wonderland needed to be a dream or not."

    A pause. "I still say I'm right about the Ship of Theseus, by the way," he adds.

Dream has posed:
Dream lifts a hand at Donna's welcome. "Your invitation is appreciated, but I must decline. I am not here as your guest. I am here on the business of the Dreaming," he tells her, and includes Raven in that nod as if appreciating her direction to the others. "That may require actions from me that the obligations of the guest would otherwise not permit."

Dream's focus turns to Madison and the faintest of smiles can be seen for a flickering moment. "I am not hungry, but your manners are appreciated," he bids her.

He rests his hands on his lap, seemingly unsurprised by Delirium's appearance over his shoulder. It's a thing she does. "Perhaps some scale would be in order," he suggests, and gestures at the table. Tiny figures rise up from it made of the same material. The Earth and moon; the planets, the sun, the stars, the Milky Way, the local galactic cluster, the superclusters, on and on as the sense of scale dwarfs human imagination despite the incredible detail of the model. His fingers twitch the other way and the image collapses and turns into a landscape of The Dreaming, somehow to scale and somehow not; there's the Lord's Keep, the House of Mystery-- the Gates of Horn and Ivory, and the incalculable, fathomless black void where sleeps things so monstrous and puissant that even *glancing* at them causes deep and profound unease.

And then the image tunnels closer, over and over, like a camera zooming in-- and the Titans can finally see the speck, the iota, that is Wonderland compared to the near-infinity of the Dreaming.

"It is not my custom to intercede for the sake of mortal desire. Your lives are tiny and finite, your dreams often short-lived. But, those with whom I spoke--" he nods at the various Titans-- "impressed upon me the urgency of the situation. Were I to remand Wonderland to the Dreaming, your friend Terry would pay with his life. If I let Wonderland survive, then in time it would become a significant threat to the Dreaming and the damage would pour into mortal dreams across the whole of the universe."

"But my sister has impressed upon me the importance of not just the dream, but to you individuals. I at times am unkind, but I am not cruel, and I belive we have a solution that may resolve your various conflicts and concerns.".

People playing close attention might find it unnerving that he doesn't blink. Or breathe. Or twitch or touch his skin or shift his robes. As if they are interacting with their *idea* of what Dream looks like.

"The solution is simple and complex at once. It will require a great deal of work to accomplish. We have negotiated the ... property rights, so to speak. Wonderland will be allowed to exist in a realm that is no longer the Dreaming. Your friend will not sacrifice his life for Wonderland nor will he be trapped into eternal servitude to sustain it. There will be great effort involved and you will consent to being the agents of that task," he advises the Titans. "Else, I must harvest Wonderland and remand it to the Dreaming. Will you stand for your friend and ensure the debts are balanced?"

Donna Troy has posed:
    "THEY wERe VEry wORRied abouT THEIR FriENd, brOTHER," Delirium says. "BUT I COULd HAVE made it so that theY REMEMBERED HIm oNLY AS A CLOud thEy oNCE Saw in the sky, then THEY WOULDN'T MINd."

Donna Troy has posed:
"OR I CoULd maKE iT SO THey CARED AS mUcH ABOUt eveRYONE Else aS THEY Care about HIM, AND THEN they WouLD Be TOO WORRIED AND Too HurtING TO givE Him any THOUGHT. Or i coULD JUST MAKe them SEE /EVERyTHING/ UNTIl thEIR Minds brokE."

Donna Troy has posed:
    She smiles and gives another little wave to the various greetings sent her way, an incongruous reaction given what she just said. "BUT iT's not jUST ABOUT THEM, BroThER. IT'S aBout me.

    "They helpeD ME TO BE SuRE Of THAT. WOnderlAND IS ONLy hALF yOURS. I COULDN'T LET you jUST TAke it. HaLF Of It is mine. HALF OF It is DELirIUM."

    Delirium spreads out her hands, and her fingers ripple. "TERRY Can't have IT," she says.

    There's a blurring, a rippling, a shifting of reality. A flock of tiny starlings flies through the room for a moment, quickly vanishing (before Jeff is able to snap at one) and the scent of burnt toast wafts through the room.

    Terry, sans Hatter, Caterpillar, Crown or Scepter, appears asleep on the middle of the meeting room table.

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison goes from staring in wonder at the models that appear on the table - somehow leaving the boxes of pizza undisturbed, to wheeling on Dream in alarm. "Oh! No, no, no! We don't want him to //die//!" she protests, looking to the other Titans to back her up on this, as if there was any doubt on this front.
    And then Delirium goes and gets very... alarming, and Madison takes a step back away from the girl. "...we'd really rather you didn't do any of those things. And- and friends take care of each other, yeah? And are kind." Hesitantly she asks the unusual woman, "Aren't we friends?" There's a hint of hopefulness in the question - though she's not //entirely// sure what it would mean to have this woman in her life as a //friend.// She may be making an awful mistake here.
    She seems about to say more - but falls silent, letting Victor handle the question on her mind, instead.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic sighs and rubs at his forehead. "Okay, so... before we agree to anything, /what's the plan/?" He looks right at Dream. "I get the idea that even what seems like an entire universe to us is just a tiny speck in the flotsam of infinity, yadda yadda. I get that there's a lot of work involved, potentially. And I'm sure we all get that we're going to have to do a bunch to make this work, whatever the idea is. But, frankly? I was /just/ talking to one of the other Titans about how some big bad pillar of the universe screwed her over. Used her and then tossed her aside. I love Terry, but I don't want to throw all our lives away on something we might not even be able to /do/."

    He shakes his head. "So, yeah--what do you need us to do? I think it's reasonable to ask before we agree to do it."

Kaida Connolly has posed:
A blink at the appearance of Terry, Kaida stares at the appearance of the cat man and then she looks over at the pair of might endless beings and then at the others before looking back at Terry. She moves a little closer to him, sniffing a little before shaking her head and looking to Delirium.

"First, that's totally uncool! No messing with my memories again or I'll become very cross." She nods her head, "And you don't want me cross, I assure you." She then reaches down and moves her cloak to reveal a small pack that she swings around and sets down. She opens it up and pulls out a thing covered in foil. With confidence, she walks right up to Dream and sets it down before him, patting it and nodding.

"Hu Dark Chocolate." She nods her head and steps back, "25 dollars per 8 ounces." She gestures, "Some of the best chocolate on Earth and all for you." She looks back at the others with a nod before looking back to Dream, "That should at least cover a great deal of the debt.

"Try it! I think you'll agree."

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate manages to restrain Jeff from leaping out of her lap to snap one of the Delirium starlings. Though it looks like they safely vanished before she would have had to be a problem.

    She absently reaches to get one of the slices of pizza that Gar brought and distributed around, and offers it with quickly practiced deftness to the land shark. Quick deftness so she doesn't lose a finger and have a sad land shark in the process. That should mollify his sads.

    "I'm really glad that we helped you decide to not ... do those other things Dee." she says it with heavy emphasis. She has a pretty good idea that Dee could have done any of those other things. She has a lot less idea than Donna and Raven do about that though. She just has an inkling of what the Endless are or mean. Gods are one thing. These two are something else. Ugn.

    She looks at Terry curled up asleep, and doesn't get up or do anything. She is pretty sure she would be in the way of the team mates who will react to this with more vigor.

Kian has posed:
    Kian, for once, doesn't hesitate.  "I will."  Of course, there's more on the line for him than just a friend or teammate.
    He lets go of Gar's hand -- Kian doesn't want him to feel the thrill of fear that just went through him as he realizes he actually doesn't know what he's just agreed to... but even though Vic is being perfectly sensible, he remembers something else from his dream, something he himself said: "what's the point of being a /rhytak/ if this isn't something I can make happen?"

Gar Logan has posed:
Whatever's going on with the things Dream is showing them, Gar is only partly following. He's seen those science videos that show things at different levels of magnification before. It was remarkable, making one feel big in some ways, but very, very tiny in others.

He clears his throat at any talk of Wonderland going away, or Terry, or any of it. Instead, his impulsive nature bubbles to the surface after Vic asks about a plan. "Don't know, don't care. Want Terry back, want the Cheshire back, and want Wonderland to survive. In a way it's a part of me now, too. Do that, and I'll do whatever." He lowers his hand, having raised it in the fashion of making a vow. "They're not gonna ruin us or anything. I hope." There's excitement and nervousness in his tone, but he's working to hold it in, keep it under control. Not easy, especially when Delirium joins in to speak in that way she does.

His nose wrinkles after she says what she does about Terry. "Who left the toaster going?" he wonders, just as that blurring of the room takes place. The moment You Know Who is there, he forgets himself and leaps atop the table, darting to lift Terry up into his arms. "You're back! Wake up now!" Pause. "Like, right now!" Pause. "Any second!" Pause. "I know you can hear me!"

He's looking around at the others, including Dream and Delirium. "Heh..what?"

Rachel Roth has posed:
    Yeah, this is going just about as well as Raven hoped it sincerely wouldn't. Of course Wonderland attracted the attention of Delirium- or, perhaps, Delirium's attention was attracted to Wonderland? Either one of these is bad, because Delirium isn't supposed to /have/ attention.

    All the same, things happen very quickly. Those present verify that they've been visited now by a second of the Endless, when entreating with a single one of these entities is a less-than-once in a lifetime happenstance, the last few of which were only tangential and resulted in the near death of multiple people and the creation of a superhero.

    To say that this is bad is an understatement, and Raven is quietly simmering on the other end of the table, unhappy with anything that's going on, much less the pace that it is taking. Kaida makes a demand. Others acquiesce.

    Terry is there.

    Really, most of Terry's life can be summarized by the phrase 'and Terry is there' but this particular instance is worse.

    "Well." she states, looking at their companion on the table, and taking a moment to look at Donna, who receives the immediate implication that Worse has gotten worse, and that Terry shouldn't be there, and that the Endless' involvement should have been more graceful if their plan had actually gone the way it should have.

    But, now, Terry is there. Raven is alarmed, and frankly, stunned silent. They're being given a task, and as much as it is her usual demeanor, Raven is perhaps one of the few with the good sense to just /shut up/ and let all of this happen.

    Her expression, as neutral as it is, mildly expresses that to the whole table: The very minor twitch at the edge of her eye. A light flinch and squeeze of Troia's hand.

    It was supposed to be simpler: It was supposed to be Dream, not Delirium.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
Nick listens to the proposed solution. Property rights, no longer a dream. So that would mean...

The musician looks over to Delirium, listening to her colorful dialogue that seems remeniscent of the very land they're discussing. Yeaaaah, she's probably going to be the new owner.

Kind of fits.

And then Terry is there. Sleeping away. Nick starts to shift to his feet upon seeing the sleeping Titan. But gives pause as he hears Kian's voice. Nick looks over to Kian and gives a nod. "I will too."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The most famous of all Zhuangzi stories goes something like this:
Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering about, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know that he was Zhuang Zhou.

Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou.

If that is the confusion one might experiment when dreaming up a butterfly, just try to imagine the scale of bewilderment one experiences after dreaming up a whole world for a while.

While Terry opens his eyes, it doesn't register right away, to his awareness, that it is Terry doing so, or that he has eyes. His consciousness is still awash with the swaying thoughts of the grass, the melodious but ponderous language of rocks, the shimmering of skies, the uncertain existence of the snap-dragonfly and the fleeting but savory life of the butter-fly; He still feels like the loud and logical nonsense that runs like a river through every expression of the land and its inhabitants in every boisterous color and preposterous proposition, and the muted stillness of escape and sequestration that can only happen when one is lost in the most garish of festivals where everything draws attention from the self and one can be a mere witness, unobserved and at rest, to heal in anonymity.

Terry never wanted Wonderland for himself. He wanted to preserve it, but he has as much inclination to be a king as any cat does- which is zero. They just want to be *treated like kings.

In the past, he was able to visit people's dreams in those rare moments where he could collect himself /as/ himself, but being taken out of the dream of Wonderland outside of his cycle is a little disorienting. His individual identity isn't gone by any extent of the imagination, but merely diluted, spread out and merged into vast expanses, and now it is making its way back, which explains why his gaze goes from being almost catatonic to gradually acknowledging his surroundings. He is still, however, experiencing some confusion.

"guys? he mutters drowsily in Kian and Gar's direction, his voice at first having that dream-like quality, but its cadence returning to his normal voice at the end. The first thing he becomes aware of is that he's in Gar's arms, which draws a hazy smile from him. Then he blinks and notices everybody else in the room with them, all ten-or- so people and he blinks very, very slowly.

He looks at Kian. "... where'd you find a bed THIS big?"

America Chavez has posed:
    America listens to the shpeal. If the size of a single universe is that vast, imagine what it is to proclaim yourself a policing force for countless others. Her jurisdiction is something of nightmares. But it's hers. Delirium, Dream, she doesn't care who has Wonderland, only that its people are safe and protected and Terry is allowed back with his family: namely the Titans.

    And then he's there on the table. She nods and returns her gaze to Dream. Sure, most would wonder what is required before agreeing to it. But most people aren't America Chavez and most people aren't overconfident to a near fault. "You do your part and we do ours. That seems fair." She nods to Terry as he stirs and smiles. "Your part or parts are done. So what is our part?"

    No once can claim that America isn't a woman of action, and quick action at that.

Irie West has posed:
    Irie was just as surprised as everybody else when Dream and Delirium had arrived, and scowls a bit as she remembers her conversation with the Endless. She looks between the two of them her mouth screwing into a thoughtful moue.

    "Seems to me," she says, "That what we have to do isn't entirely up to Dream. If Wonderland /is/ part of Delirium's realm then I think she has a say in it?" She shakes her head. "Maybe they need to work out custody of the place first."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna is in very much the same place as Raven right now. She returns Rae's hand squeeze, a little more firmly, and gives her a hint of a smile. Trying to be reassuring. She had talked about all this with Raven well in advance, and she too knows that this has got /complicated/, and that to a significant degree the only thing to do now is to wait and see.

    And to hope that it all works out. Because Titans do that. Hopeful idiots? Perhaps so.

    She gives Dream a small nod. "Nevertheless, I extend our welcome to you Lord Oneiros, and to your sister," she says. "It is offered simply for what it is, and without burden, expectation, geas or debt on either party. Your business is your own, but our hospitality is ours."

    That however is all she seems to be offering to the discussion at this point.

Nadia Pym-van Dyne has posed:
    It's a lot, more than a lot really. Nadia is not so much daunted by the cosmic forces at play as taking the time to parse it all and try to understand what is going on. There is Dream's carefully reasoned, even cold approach and then there is Delirium. In many ways the pair could be said to embody differing views on science that Nadia has experienced, and if Nadia tends to lean towards one or the other it is almost certainly Delirium in her unbridled creativity and tendency to push boundaries just because she /can/, just to know what lays beyond.

    So while Nadia was about to blindly consent to help with the plan to stabilize Wonderland that Dream was putting forth albeit vaguely, Victor brings that up short and then Delirium is claiming it as half hers and Terry is brought forth on the time. With so much happening at once Nadia just smiles, she smiles at Delirium and she smiles at the return of Terry. Of course this does leave one question, "So, with Terry returned, what becomes of Wonderland now?"

Dream has posed:
Dream just... looks. At all of them. It'd be unnerving enough with those eyes, full of the infinite and unknown-- but the presence of the Dreamlord weighs on the human psyche like a weighted blanket. It's a familiar expression; every stern parent, every disappointed coach, every friend feeling let-down and every teacher frustrated by someone not rising to their own potential.

And for a moment, when Terry is brought to the table, Delirium is included in that look. Dream's tolerance for his little sister runs long, but he clearly disapproves of her actions and the heavy-handed coercion she employs.

That weighted examination sits on the Titans for an excruciating, approximate eternity, before it's lifted again.

"I will attempt to put this in terms you can comprehend. I have taken temporary custody of Wonderland so Terry can speak here on his own behalf,", Dream explains. "This is no small effort from me. What follows is that Wonderland straddles the divide between my sister's realm and mine. I do not expect you to comprehend the troubles that may arise from that. But we have come to an accord that we will see Wonderland moved to a ... mutually agreeable location," he clarifies. "Adjacent to the mortal realms instead of occupying mine. A place where it will be allowed to grow and flourish, where visitors to that realm will take their imaginations to the Dreaming. It will exist as a place of dreams and madness, and be all the more powerful for it."

"And there will be yet a debt to pay. We negotiated the location with The Mother and she accepted our offer. We proxied your debt to her."

Three fingers lift into the air. "Three favors. From each of you, for each of us. When we call upon you, you will attend immediately and accomplish the task we set forth." He sweeps those infinite eyes around the room. "This is no trifling oath. You must be willing to commit to it, fully and completely. As your sage Dante remarked, the deepest circle of Hell is retained for betrayers and oath-breakers. I will assure you, Dante failed substantially in his attempt to describe the horrors that await the soul of such a person."

Dream looks to his sister, a wordless exchange in which great amounts of thought are expressed. When their conversation concludes, he turns his gaze out the Titans and waits for the volunteers to rise up.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Delirium nods at Dream, then tilts her head to the side thoughtfully, sticks her tongue out at him, and shrugs. Then she turns to the Titans. "NOt JUst /any/ favors ThoUGH," she says.

    " THiS WIll. . . CAUSe probLEMS. YOU HAve a familIarity With thESE THINgs. BETWEEN You, you know hoW tO WORK witH dreams. And With THe /other/ things that cOme WHen yoU ARE nOT EMBRAcING ReaLITY."

Donna Troy has posed:
    " WONDerLAND WIll iNFrINGE on botH OUR REalms. OUR RESPOnsIbilIty, yet not fuLLY OUr domAIN. YOu will atteMPt to FIX SUch proBleMS for US, When WE Call on YOu. THreE TImEs."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Delirium gives Dream a questioning look. "That was right, WASN'T it?" she asks him, suddenly less forthright, less certain that she had been. Her attention seems to wander, and she swings her feet on her stool, looking down at the ground. Her shoulders slump tiredly.

Victor Stone has posed:
    Vic tries not to squirm under Dream's gaze, just look back impassively, patiently. Not sullenly, not quite--what does he have to be sullen about? He's just waiting on an answer.

    And then he gets the answer, and that was all Vic really wanted. To know what was being agreed to, before they agreed to it. A clear, concise statement? Three favors from each of them, to each of these two? Maybe it's foolish to believe that these beings will only give them tasks they can actually accomplish, but otherwise what's the point?

    So he pushes up off the wall and nods. "That's more than fair," he says. "I'll agree to your terms." He cracks a grin. "We're Titans, after all. Problems we can handle--and it definitely makes sense for us to come help solve a problem we created." He glances around at the others. Some already agreed. Will everyone else?

Madison Evans has posed:
    The promise //feels// weighty already, as Madison looks between the two beings, and the other Titans - and Terry, being held by Gar. Her gaze lingers there, before she looks back to Dream once more. "And if any of us refuse - the deal is no good?" she asks.
    There's no hesitation as she adds, "I accept, and I give my word, I just- I want to be clear. You know?"

Kaida Connolly has posed:
"So, that's a no on the chocolate?" She asks and peers up at Dream. She can feel the weight of his gaze. Hell, she can literaly feel his magic and yet, frankly everyone is bigger than her. Everything really is. She knows what it is to be small. So, when something is bigger than every other big thing. What is it? Just big.

"Well, can't say I didn't offer but that's fine. Three favors to help you save a lot of people's lives and keep Terry awake. That seems fair." She looks to Delirium with a smile and casually lifts up the chocolate toward her and then leans to the side, almost like it were a conspiracy.

"I really recommend making this chocolate one of your favors. It's amazing."

Kian has posed:
    Hell?  Not a concept with any meaning for the birdman, even one who's traipsed though Tarterus.  And he hardly needs to be threatened, he's already given his word.
    "You've restored Terry /tenar'h/, I am in your debt," Kian says, and offers a hand to help Terry down from the conference table.  "It's not a bed, /tenar'h/, it's a desk.  And you're awake."

Irie West has posed:
    "If /she's/ in I'm in," Irie says, pointing a thumb at Mads. "Whatever we do, we do /together/. I mean, that's an awful lot of favors, but I'd be helping the Titans regardless of whether or not I'd agree, so I might as well agree." She stands up and holds her fist aloft like she's holding something. "You have my sword!"

America Chavez has posed:
    "Six favors? Three for each of you?" America asks for clarity. Then after less than a second's hesitation she nods. "Done, done, and done." She looks over at the reunion between Kian, Gar, and Terry with a smile. "More than." She settles back in her seat and lets those with more authority in the room give firmer acceptance.

    She's agreed already and that's enough for her to be satisfied. As long as Terry is home and those close to him are happy. She looks over at Donna and Rae with speculative glances. The worry on the latter is not unnoticed but the source of it eludes her. This all seems pretty straightforward if a bit bigger than she had anticipated.

Gar Logan has posed:
It isn't that Gar's ignoring Dream, or even Delirium for that matter. He can /feel/ the weight in the room, sense That Look. He's got it enough from his parents, his adoptive parents, from Donna, from Raven, from numerous others. Has it ever really stopped him? Of course not.

It's just that his attention is more on Terry. Kian, as well. "Agreed. We're the Titans. Saving the day is what we're known for. We already saved Wonderland once, and Terry..well, you kept it around, and as crazy as this sounds, I want to go back again someday. So..yeah. Three favors or we all go to hell or whatever. Fine. Without the rest of you, I might as well be in hell already."

Gar works a hand up to ruffle Terry's hair. Its red color, wild as it is, is rivaled by his own green version. "Hey. What's up, man? Check it out. They got you back, and they're gonna make sure Wonderland's, well, okay as it can be. We just gotta be on call for them. But you're back." He trudges back to the edge of the big table with Kian nearby, grinning at him. He'll get Terry situated in a chair. "There's pizza! You two want any?" Yes, he's just asked Dream and Delirium. "It's an Earthen delight!"

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Kate looks at Donna and Raven and then at the confused Terry.

    The Endless said he was brought back to speak for himself but people are already agreeing to the deal too. Sigh. She leans to snag her sports drink bottle and drinks it. not answering right away.

    She looks at Dream though. "Some of us should get a favor credit for fixing the problem with the Brazier of Kuldon. We never did get paid for setting that problem right in the Dreaming."

    Yeah she is willing to go there. She is still a little salty about that whole ... sequence of events.

Donna Troy has posed:
    "No." Donna's word is spoken softly, but firmly. It carries. She may not have a VOICE the way Dream and Delirium do, but she has been trained to project her voice over the din of battle, and she makes sure she is heard. She glances quickly in Raven's direction, but while this might be something she'd normally want to discuss with Raven first and get her expertise on -- this is not the time.

    She bows her head respectfully to Dream and to Delirium. "My Lord Oneiros, My Lady Mania, with respect -- what you ask is too vague. My friends' enthusiasm demonstrates our good faith, but such deals as this... we know they take more precision. May I request we word it thus: that we will set out to resolve such issues as you present to us, three times, to the best of our abilities, as far as we consider ourselves able to do without taking such risks as we consider too far beyond our abilities, as promptly as practicality allows, without stinting or holding back. That if we fail in our task but have truly tried, the obligation is deemed fulfilled. That if the requests you make are morally objectionable to us, we have the right to request another such task in its place."

    "I suggest also that this debt is not to be paid individually, but as a team. Though Phantasm is not a member of the team, he could be regarded so in this matter. But remember -- we entered this business as a team, we resolved the problems Wonderland was facing as a team. We talk to you as a team. This resolves the question of who exactly must swear this to you and what happens if a single person backs out. This is who we are, and this is /right/."

    "If you can agree to this, you have my word as an Amazon, in the names of the Five, that we shall fulfil these tasks to the best of our abilities, and that I personally shall dedicate myself to ensuring the team as a whole follows through with the debt. I believe you know I would not swear such a thing if I did not mean it."

    Donna glances at Kaida. "And please do accept the chocolate as a gift without expectations of favor or reciprocation as well," she adds turning back to the head of the table. "It's very good chocolate." Donna adores the little mouse, but that's just not how you negotiate with beings like this!

Dream has posed:
Dream considers Donna's words, then looks at Del again. Another wordless exchange, and Dream rises.

"YOUR TERMS ARE ACCEPTABLE. WE HAVE AN ACCORD.." His mouth does not move, but the words echo around the room-- around the *Tower*. Maybe clear over to the mainland.

"Bear in mind the cost of failure, Troia of Themyscira," Dream cautions the Amazon. "A failure is a failure no matter the efforts you apply. Your debt will be discharged, but the task will remain unfilfilled. Languish in defeat too long, and your New Wonderland will unravel whole and be torn between our domains," he says, gesturing at Delirium.

Dream finally looks down at the chocolate on the table, leans down-- how did he get to be seven-feet something tall?!-- and breaks off two morsels. One and a half for Delirium, and one for himself.

Dream examines it, sniffs it, and chews it thoughtfully. A kerchief is used to wipe his fingers clean of the remainder.

"It is, indeed, a very good chocolate," he assures the Titans. "Come now, sister. We have a weighty task ahead of us.".

Donna Troy has posed:
    Delirium seems to be no longer paying attention, and her wordless exchange with Dream seems to have taken the last of her energy for involvement in this discussion. She takes a bite out of the meeting room table, and chews on it thoughtfully for a few moments before blowing a bright red bubble with it that instead of bursting like a bubble gum bubble would, separates and drifts away. It's soon followed by another that's green, two blue ones in a row, and then a purple one that splits into numerous smaller bubbles after drifting up close to the ceiling.

    Her attention is only drawn back by the offer of the chocolate, which she takes from Dream with a smile, and tastes with the tip of her tongue. "VERY GOOd cHoCOLate," she echoes in agreement.

    Delirium gives another wave to the Titans, accompanied by a soft, sad smile. "ByE!" she says, and vanishes.

Kate Bishop has posed:
    Okay.

    Seems it is settled.

    Kate is more than a smidge salty she still is being stiffed for the whole Brazier of Kuldon affair to be honest.

    She doesn't try to press the point with the whole Entities of Everything, instead she just feeds Jeff another slice of pizza.

    "Bye Dee, see you around." even as she vanishes.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna gets to her feet, and bows low to Dream and Delirium. The gesture is echoed by Raven, but she's letting Donna take the lead there as Donna spoke up on the negotiations. No doubt Raven will tell Donna later in private about all the things she missed that she might have said. Donna suspects so, anyway. The pair of them however have perhaps a bit more insight into who exactly they have been dealing with than the rest of the Titans, and are keeping things polite and formal.

    "I am an Amazon, my Lord Oneiros, Donna replies. "We do not plan to fail, but we are never blind to the costs of it. You have my word, and our thanks."

    When the Endless have gone and left the Titans alone, Donna blows her cheeks out and exchanges a meaningful glance with Raven. Perhaps that, if nothing else, will tell the Titans they have been running things close to the wire. It may be that it's not Donna who Raven will want to glare at later.

    Terry is yawning and looking confused. "Gar, Kian?" Donna says quietly. "I think it might be an idea to put him in med bay overnight for observation. I'll bring you guys down some pizza."