So that was subtexty as fuck, but if Dragon can't come out and say it then maybe she shouldn't come out and hear it. Maybe.

She tinkers. Occasionally asks for more parts.

The Fairy Queen has no complaints about having her shade provide them.

Fugue is lovely, she only has to think about taking things apart and putting them together and not about being in the Birdcage without a trial or being dead or not being able to speak to her parents.

Eventually the Fairy Queen has other matters to attend to and instructs her Scout to find an appropriate stopping point.

"On what timescale, please?"

"The next five minutes."

That's a really inconvenient timescale but she can manage "not going to explode" and only need to redo about forty-five minutes of work when she's allowed to resume.

And then all of reality can explode outwards around her as she falls into a very dark pit held in the Fairy Queen's hand.

She's not sure whether she likes that she's conscious in here or not.

That depends on her opinion on being without any form or sensory input whatsoever.

Oh, she hates it, she's just not sure it's worse than missing time.