From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 13:07:37

The tiny voice might have gone entirely unnoticed had not Titania been in a near-constant state of exploring her own woods, looking both for Mabb, and anything else unfamiliar or out of the ordinary. She paused, squinted as she looked for the source of the small voice and was surprised to find a little fairy-like creature sitting on a leaf with a miniature picnic.

Her surprise came mostly from the fact that while she looked like a fairy, Titania could feel not even a trace of magic coming from her. With a gentle smile on her face, Titania stepped closer and crouched near the winged creature. "Are you enjoying yourself, little one?"

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 13:10:16

Tiny blinked as a sudden shadow blocked the bit of sunlight she had been enjoying. She looked up, and let out a surprised squeak, nearly dropping her cup. She set it down daintily, and then slowly smiled back.

"Yes, ma'am, I am." She replied, and then, ever the gracious hostess, reached out and picked up a blackberry about the size of her head. Straining, she lifted it, grunting a bit before speaking. "Would you like one?"

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 13:15:10

Titania's smile widened. "I thank you," she replied and took to offered berry. It was tiny in her own hand, about the size of her thumbnail. The little creature herself was only about the size of Titania's thumb. "I apologize if I startled you."

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 13:18:49

Oh, this lady was nice! And pretty. Very pretty. Tiny couldn't help but gaze for a bit after giving Titania the berry. She shook herself out of it, and tilted her head.

"You're welcome! And it's all right...I am used to it. But you're a lot nicer than the others I've met. Well... most of the others. I did meet a rather nice Swan-boy, though he was so sad, the poor thing. But the other fairies, they weren't nice at all." She was babbling, and Tiny paused, realizing it and blushing sheepishly.

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 13:24:00

Titania's eyebrow raised. "Met other fairies have you? You have to be very careful with fey. Some seem very nice. Some are outright cruel. You might not be sure which you've gotten until it's too late. Tell me, dear, who are these fairies you've met?" Likely unseelie. But not likely to be Mabb. "And a Swan-boy? All in these woods, hmm?" The smile stayed on her face, edged with curiosity.

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 13:28:04

"So I've been learning." Tiny repied wearily, with a sigh. "One tricked me, and it was very cruel indeed. That one was Robin Goodfellow. He's big, like you, and he tricked me and then made me make a deal with him!" Boy, Tiny had a big mouth.

"And then there was Tink...she was small, like me, not quite as small though. And I couldn't understand her, she made pretty little noises instead of speaking. But she was rude! How can people be that rude?" Tiny took a breath, and then rambled on.

"The Swan-boy was very sweet. I think I may try to visit him again soon."

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 13:33:01

Robin Goodfellow. That little Puck. Titania wasn't at all surprised he'd tricked the little winged one; she came across as wide-eyed and naïve, and that was often Puck's favorite prey. The other, Tink, Titania didn't know of at all. Interesting.

"Hmm," she replied, full of helpful information. "And what is your name, so I do not keep calling you Little One?"

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 13:44:28

Tiny repositioned herself, stretching her legs out and planting her hands behind her, palm down. "Tiny." She said this as proudly as ever, smile wide on her face.

"...Can I have your name, pretty Lady?"

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 13:48:59

"Rarely have I come across a name so suited to its owner." It was a gentle tease, and Titania cleared away a section of grass with a wave of her hand. Pebbles and the like rolled out of her way, and the verdant greens curled themselves into a seat for her. She smiled again. "You may call me Titania, my dear. I am Queen of these Woods."

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 13:55:01

Oh! To Tiny, that was like a wonderful compliment. "Thank you! Oh, finally, someone who does not laugh at me for my name!" Tiny looked eternally grateful for something so small, and then she watched with wide-eyed fascination as the ground seemed to shift to Titania's command.

Tiny's jaw dropped. "...You-...You're a Queen ? And this...this is yours? All of this?" She gestured to the woods. Quickly, Tiny scrambled up and swept into a formal curtsey.

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 14:05:35

Flattery and deference always sat well with Titania, and when Tiny curtsied, Titania nearly preened in response. "Yes dear, I rule these woods." In spring and summer at least. "And Tiny is not so comical a name, certainly not in comparison to some I've heard." She gestured again and the ground spit forth a flower directly beneath Tiny's leaf, and grew, raising her up closer to Titania's level.

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 14:07:47

Tiny straightened, eyeing Titania with sheer admiration. She was so beautiful, and when a flower rose beneath Tiny, bringing her up and eye-level with Titania, Tiny squealed with delight.

"You control everything here, then? Flowers, and animals, and everything?" Tiny happily stroked the petals of the flower, nuzzling her face against one. "You're magnificent, Miss Titania, your Majesty!"

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 14:14:33

That wasn't exactly Titania's power, but she saw no reason to correct Tiny. The plants bent to her will now only because it was her season; were it winter, she'd struggle with the same task that came to her easily now. She didn't command the animals, just often enchanted them or humans to do her bidding, and the seelie fey obeyed her. Unseelie begrudgingly accepted her half-year rule for the sheer fact that in those months she was too powerful to do otherwise. But Tiny didn't need those details.

This time Titania did preen, tossing red hair over her shoulder. "Of course I am dear, that is why I am queen. How long have you been in the Sleeping Woods, Tiny?"

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 14:18:36

Tiny was awestruck, her eyes almost starry as she stared at the beautiful queen. "Not very long...since the late spring, I think. I like the Woods, very much. It's so pretty, and I like talking to a lot of the animals. I just haven't met many nice fellows, is all." Tiny sighed, toying with the ends of her hair, absentmindedly running strands through her fingers.

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 14:25:50

"You would do well to be careful here. It is not just the other fey who are dangerous. The animals, the plants, the Woods themselves can be tricky at night, more so come winter. One as small as you is both in greater danger, and possibly easier to overlook."

It was a standard warning Titania gave to some, entirely up to her whim. The flower Tiny rested on sprouted one extra leaf that curled against her like a backrest. "The woods and its inhabitants can be very beautiful. But beauty can be an illusion that conceals so much to be wary of."

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 14:31:47

Tiny listened closely, keeping her head tilted, her eyes attentive to every word.

She slowly nodded "..An owl tried to eat me the night I met Swan-boy, and then a few days ago, a fish nearly got me. I believe they think I'm some sort of insect." She sighed again, curling her knees toward her as she leaned back against the leaf.

"Though I am mostly happy with myself, sometimes I think it would be nice to be of normal size. Being this small can be so frustrating, and so dangerous."

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 14:38:52

"There are ways to change your size. Illusions and glamours strong enough would seem real to almost anyone. For instance..." Titania closed her eyes a moment and constructed a complex glamour, one that changed not her looks but her size. She appeared to shrink, right down to Tiny's size. She opened her eyes, on level with Tiny's and smiled. "Like so. It is merely an illusion, but so complete I would be taken for your size."

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 14:47:29

Tiny gasped and flailed, nearly falling from her flower chair. Then she recovered, clapping her hands with delight. "Oh, Queen Titania, what a wonderful illusion! What fantastic magic! Do..do you mean that with one of those illusions, I can become...or look big? Like..like normal girls?"

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 14:55:26

"For a time, at least. I'm sure there is another way. There are different magics that abound in these lands. But with illusions and glamours, you can change much of how you look." As she spoke, Titania changed again, her hair darkened, as did her skin, going jet-black and nut brown, respectively. And then she changed again, going back to how she usually looked, full sized. "There is a kingdom southwest between these woods and the jungles further south where intriguing magics abound. If you mean to find a permanent change, there may be something there that could help you."

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 15:08:14

Tiny was absolutely mesmerized by the Queen's words, and by the transformations she was displaying.

"...Do you think, maybe, if I traveled there, I could find something like that? Oh..." Now Tiny went from hopeful to distressed. "But if I did that...my mother would never recognize me, should I find her again."

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 15:14:08

"Your mother? You're searching for your mother?" Titania's voice seem concerned, and she stopped her transformations to listen. "Tell me about it."

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/11/2007 15:16:58

Tiny nodded, her expression one of melancholy now. "I lived with my mother until the ugly toads took me away, and then I got away from them and the fairy prince, and ended up here..and now I'm trying to find my Mother. I don't know where she is, and I miss her. That nasty Mr. Goodfellow promised he'd let me see her, but he just showed me an illusion."

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/11/2007 15:27:42

Titania shook her head. "If all he did was promise he'd let you see her, then he kept his word, as he saw it. You must be very very careful wording deals, especially with fairies. The trickier the fey, the more he or she will look for loopholes. Do you not remember where you were taken from?"

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/17/2007 12:19:02

She gave a sigh. "Then I suppose it's my own fault, though it still was not a nice thing to do."

Tiny tilted her head in thought. "I know that mother had a very small farm, with a lovely garden. That's all."

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/17/2007 12:44:35

"Fey are often only ever nice when it suits their own purpose. Especially unseelie. He make you some sort of deal I would expect; there was something he wanted in exchange." It wasn't a question. Titania knew how Puck worked, how all fairies worked. Something for something, and you'd best be careful how it was all said.

"Ah. Unfortunately that is not enough for anyone who wished to help you to find the way. Tell me about this fairy prince you got away from, then." Her voice suddenly took on a very compelling tone. If someone had wanted to resist talking to her, they'd have found it extremely difficult.

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/17/2007 13:33:26

(moving the thread over)

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/17/2007 13:40:29

"I know. It's especially confusing because I have no idea where I am, and none of this land looks familiar to me. Then again, it's hard for anything to look familiar to me since I'm so small, and it takes a while for me to adjust to where I am..." She bit her lip in both caution and thought.

"W-Well...he is prince of the Flower Fairy Court, at least, in my lands...You're the Queen here, so..so I do not quite understand or know where his kingdom is in relation to here. His name is Cornelius." She wrinkled her nose. "Isn't that a funny name, Cornelius?"

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/17/2007 13:50:40

"I understand," Titania said with what sounding like soothing sympathy. "These woods can easily confound."

"Ah, the Flower Fairy Court. I have not seen any of the flower fairies since I moved my court to these woods. Whether they came on their own or stayed behind, or went elsewhere..." She shrugged. "And what is your relationship to Prince Cornelius? Why did you need to get away from him?" The tone of her voice hadn't changed.

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/17/2007 16:45:44

Tiny gave a small smile at Titania's soothing tone. And she looked pleased to hear that Titania hadn't seen any of the Flower Fairies lately. "Oh, thank goodness." She breathed a sigh of relief, and then continued. It sure was hard not to, for some reason...Tiny wasn't sure why, but something about the Queen's voice...

"He's my husband. Or at least...I'm supposed to be married to him. But I didn't want to be. But they made me anyway." She paused, pondering how many 'buts' she had put in there. "And they changed my name to Maia, and demanded I give him a lot of children. But I ran away. He was mean, and I really didn't like him much at all." Tiny frowned. "I just wanted to go home to my mother."

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/17/2007 17:04:36

A marriage of convenience, rather than one of true love. That much Titania understood. But then children had never been part of her own bargain, and she'd never borne Oberon a child. Thankfully, in retrospect. What a child that would have been...

"Poor dear," Titania said comfortingly. "It is not the best of decisions to run away from one who has any amount of power, especially not a prince. Perhaps it is a good thing I have yet to see any Flower Fairies about. I doubt even a flower fairy prince would so easily give up a wife."

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/17/2007 17:43:31

Tiny gave a small sniff, propping her chin on her knees now. "I know, it was rash and probably foolish...but I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to be married to him, and I certainly didn't want to bear his children! I just hope they've given up chasing me."

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/18/2007 11:47:10

"Fairies are very fickle. They'll have either forgotten immediately or will hold the grudge and memory forever. There's very little middle ground. For your sake, I hope it is the former." That was quite a lot of information Titania had gotten from Tiny, and she stored it away, making sure to remember it if any flower fairies entered the woods.

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/19/2007 12:49:54

"Maybe they have forgotten!" She said hopefully. "Otherwise, I suppose I'll just have to keep running. I don't know what else to do."

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/25/2007 00:29:16

[OOC: OH. MY. GOD. I'm SO sorry I spaced on this thread.]

"They might. They might not." Titania sounded oddly flippant about it. "Some fairies hold long grudges." She was thinking of Mabb now, of the information Schmendrick had given her. She needed to find either the unseelie fairy or a member of the council before it was too late.

"I am sorry my dear, but I believe I'll have to take my leave of you." Titania didn't stand yet though, remained as close to Tiny's level as possible.

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/25/2007 11:26:20

( OOC: XD it's okay )

"Well...Even though this forest is strange, and rather unfamiliar...I still like it. It's pretty, and I made a nice little house for myself. So long as I'm safe, for now, I guess it's okay." She smiled optimistically up at the queen, before nodding.

"I bet you have many important things to do." Tiny said with admiration, and stood on her little seat.

	From: no_common_fae	Date: 07/26/2007 12:45:39

Titania nodded, keeping the skirt of her gown from swishing too much in Tiny's direction, in case the fabric or rush of wind knocked the small girl off her little seat. "I do in fact. But perhaps I'll see you again, Tiny. Be well."

And Titania vanished. Not walked away, not flew or any other kind of departure. Simply disappeared from sight altogether. She smiled to herself as she walked away on silent feet, completely invisible. My, but she liked making her entrances and exits. The smile soon faded though as she returned to the pressing matter at hand. She needed to find Mabb. Or Oberon, even. Their now former relationship aside, she had not seen the unseelie king in some time. If not for the return of Mabb, she might not seek him now.

	From: _ruleofthumb	Date: 07/26/2007 13:12:36

Tiny appreciated the gesture. Most people didn't realize how little it took to knock her down.

"Good bye, your Majesty Queen Titania." She gave a little curtsey. "Be well!" Tiny parroted the words, and then fluttered back down to her picnic to finish off the little feast.