#Calliope x Lucienne

[windsweptinred]

@two-hands-toward-the-sun one full colour version. Appoligies for the wait, it was most niggly. 😅 Anywho I hope you like it. 😁 I tired to keep the pallete soft to match the tender feel you give the ship. ♥️

[two-hands-toward-the-sun]

ITS SMUT TIME BITCHES

I FINALLY POSTED THE MOTHERFUCKER

it's got lucienne! it's got calliope! it's got calliope making a dick for herself and railing lucienne the way lucienne deserves! they're having fun they're having feelings and i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it <33333

[seiya-starsniper]

hi!! for the flower prompts, can i ask for coreopsis and lucienne/calliope? and could i ask that lucienne is the one being comforted? i feel like that's much rarer to see in fics involving her. thank you so much! <3 (and i promise i'm working on your prompt fill too--i'm a slow-ass writer and i got more requests than i expected 😅)

Okay so this is embarrassing, but yesterday I wrote a whole gault and lucienne thing before I re-read your ask and realized you had asked for calliope and lucienne LMAO. But fear not, the other story will pop up at some point for femslash weekend 😅😅😅

Enjoy the feels trip my friend, I really enjoyed writing this!

Flower Prompt Game!

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When Calliope falls to sleep one night, she cannot help the little gasp that escapes her lips as she finds herself walking through the stacks of the Library in the Dreaming.

Calliope has not been here since she was married to Oneiros thousands of years ago. He had barred her from the realm when she left him, and in turn, she was content to never dream, had preferred the dull gray sleep that kept her from dreaming of their once happy life.

She had missed dreaming dearly when she was held prisoner.

Now they are both free, and it seems her former husband has lifted his sanction on her presence. Calliope had known that imprisonment had greatly changed her former husband, had made him kinder, more open, more. As she stares at the beauty of these priceless volumes, and their infinitely high shelves, she finds herself growing emotional at the beauty and wonder of what her old paramour has built. 

Perhaps one day, when they are ready to discuss their sorrow, they will walk through here to ease the pain. Perhaps they could even be friends. But for now she is content to wander by herself and refamiliarize herself with what was perhaps her favorite part of the Dreaming other than Fiddler’s Green.

Calliope is running her fingers along the spines of unpublished stories, trying to decide what she would like to read, when she suddenly hears a high pitched noise that sounds like a hiccup or a sob. As she stills her breathing to better listen for the noise, she realizes it is indeed the sound of someone crying, and trying not to be so loud. For even how soft the sound, it still echoes throughout the Library.   

Calliope walks towards the direction of the crying, careful to keep her footsteps light and quiet so as not to startle the other occupant of the Library. It does not take long for the source of the noise to reveal itself. 

In a large, violet armchair with a high back sits Lucienne, who is bent over a rather large book and weeping openly over it. 

Calliope has never seen Lucienne cry before. They had interacted some when she was still married to Oneiros, but the other woman had always kept her at arm’s length, preferring to stay polite and cordial rather than try to win her favor or pursue a deeper relationship with her. Her coldness had stung Calliope at the time, but after the marriage fell apart, Calliope realized that Lucienne must have seen Oneiros through many a lover, and perhaps may have been avoiding a friendship with her to protect her own heart from despair when things inevitably ended.

She thinks now that she has been given the perfect opportunity to rectify the situation. 

“What troubles you, my dear?” Calliope asks, making her way slowly towards the chair where Lucienne is sitting. Lucienne jerks as if struck, and when she sees Calliope, she immediately pulls out a small handkerchief from her breast pocket to wipe away her tears. 

“Lady Calliope!” Lucienne exclaims in surprise as she continues to dab at her face furiously. “My apologies for having you witness something so unsightly.”

Calliope smiles and gently reaches out to still Lucienne’s hand. Up close, she can see that Lucienne is still as stunning and lovely as she remembers, even in the throes of despair. Her amber eyes are shining not just with sadness, but also awe and disbelief. She most likely was not aware that Oneiros had lifted his ban on her presence.

“It is quite all right Lucienne,” Calliope replies gently, offering what she hopes is a reassuring smile. “One should not be ashamed of their emotions. It is quite all right to cry, especially in front of others.”

“Thank you,” Lucienne says. She turns her palms to grip Calliope’s own, and Calliope is struck by warm the librarian’s hands are. “I appreciate your honesty and thoughtfulness on the matter,” Lucienne adds, a small smile beginning to peak at her own face. 

“Would you be willing to tell me what has created such a response?” Calliope asks. “For how long I was married to Oneiros, I had not once seen you cry. Perhaps I could offer you some comfort, if that is something you’d desire.”

Lucienne nods eagerly and closes her eyes. A soft glow envelops the chair she is sitting in and within moments it has expanded into a sofa. Calliope accepts the invitation and sits down, only mourning a little bit that that action requires her to withdraw her hands from Lucienne’s. She misses the warmth already. 

“This book,” Lucienne starts, gesturing to the volume in her lap, “is the unfinished novel of a woman whose husband murdered her in a fit of rage.”

Calliope curses under her breath. “Writing was her only escape from her way of life,” she replies, understanding dawning on her. How many women had Calliope herself influenced with the gift of creativity, a pitiful consolation for their terrible misfortune to marry men who did not appreciate them?

“That’s right,” Lucienne confirms. “Her writing is…well it is marvelous and raw and I found myself quite caught up in the story of the heroine. But then I reached the last page and it was—unfinished. I had known it would be and yet I was still not prepared. And now no one will ever be able to read and appreciate her story.”

Calliope nods sympathetically. “She did not deserve her fate, and it is only right that you mourn the loss of her talent along with her life,” she says. “May I?” she adds, reaching to take the novel from Lucienne’s lap. 

Lucienne nods her assent, and they sit there peacefully for a time as Calliope begins to read. 

When she reaches the unfinished pages, Calliope too, finds herself in tears. 

“Thank you,” she says, turning to Lucienne and taking the other woman’s face in her hands. “For sharing this with me. It is, as you said, a great loss to the Waking that this will never be published. But now it lives on here, in your quarter, along with the stories of billions of other women whose stories have been lost. The dreamers who visit you need only read these books in sleep to be able to carry them back over to the Waking World.”

Lucienne inhales sharply and closes her eyes, her whole body trembling with emotion. When she reopens them, her eyes shine with tears once more, but there is now a new determination in them that takes Calliope’s breath away. 

“I had not previously looked at it that way,” Lucienne says, “I had always believed these stories would remain lost, forevermore, with only me to appreciate them.”

Calliope smiles. “And now?” she asks.

“Now,” Lucienne says, returning a smile so radiant Calliope thinks she may go blind. “Now I feel even more invigorated to invite the dreamers to spend their time here.”

“I am glad,” Calliope says, and moments later she wakes up. 

Calliope sighs as the morning light streams through her windows, feeling more rested now than she has felt in months. She brings her hands to her face, wondering if the warmth of Lucienne’s hands had carried through to the Waking World. 

She sits up eventually and stretches, then moves to start getting ready to go about her day. She thinks she will visit the women’s college today, and sit in on a creative writing lecture. She could feel that it was going to be a good day for inspiration.

[bazzybelle]

I saw you might be interested in Lucienne/Calliope? 👀 (We’ve been calling it Calienne or Callienne). Here’s their tag on AO3! https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Calliope*s*Lucien%20%7C%20Lucienne%20(The%20Sandman)/works

Full disclosure…I wrote a full 75% of these fics xD

Ohhh! Merci! I am excited to dive into this pairing. I also like the ship name, Cal(l)ienne... it almost sounds like caliente. XD

[alexxuun]

Endless chemistries…yet…

[morpheusbaby3]

Morpheus and his ladies in these photos:

Morpheus x Lucienne.

Morpheus x Calliope:

Morpheus x Nuala

Morpheus x Johanna

and also morpheus x reader for all of them.

[littledollll]

No bc I need the sandman women biblically. I NEED Lucienne and her knowing eyebrow raise and I NEED to lock elbows with Death as we walk and I NEED Calliope to just look my general direction.

I can take all three. Definitely not in a fight.

[thatsladyfaggottoyou]

okay so thinking more about Lucienne/Dream/Calliope and... I think I'd want to write it as set after Daniel!Dream comes about. I think that while in the show we've definitely seen Morpheus has the capacity for change--particularly in how he sees and addresses Lucienne--I don't see in him the kind of respect she deserves from a partner.

BUT!

Daniel!Dream is so lost and new-old and full of so many possible things, and I think he has the potential to treat her right.

And Calliope and Lucienne feels like a natural progression tbh. Like obviously the smartest butch and the most hopeful femme wind up together literally how could they not? Especially when they're also the most hopeful butch and the smartest femme? Themes of loyalty and hope (grit in her teeth rot in her blood but fighting and standing and flinching but still standing) and cleverness and hyper-competence and also two people who need much more support than they receive.

(Is this a thinly-veiled attempt to write a doting-on-Lucienne fic? no, because I'm admitting that one outright.)

[inastarlesssky]

Okay, it's here.

I am so very grateful to @kydrogendragon for so kindly looking over this silly little bit of writing. It's my first attempt at a fic for The Sandman, and I tried my level best to do Morpheus and Calliope justice.

Anyway, here it is! Little attempt at a fix-it that had to break things a little bit first. Basically a look at what would have happened if Calliope had visited the Dreaming on that 'one day perhaps'...

[windsweptinred]

1, 5, and 7 for Lucienne/Calliope. I hadn't even THOUGHT of them before I saw you posting about them... and im kinda in love. I need more information... 😍😍💜💜

1. What are some of the headcanons you have?

I have one which completely owns my soul. Which is they raise baby Nada together....I've always loved the idea of Calliope raising the reborn Nada. I can't think of anyone Dream would entrust with the newly reborn baby girl more then Calliope. Calliope gets a second chance at motherhood, and Nada gets 'the' most amazing maternal role model. I adore the idea of them finding peace together, a second chance at happiness. But add Lucienne into the mix. Loyal, wise, brilliant, beautiful Lucienne... I just. Lucienne who loves Dream 'platonically in this case' enough to try and mend the rend, let him have a second chance to build a relationship with these two astounding women. But also has the wisdom, strength and bravery to do it the right way and do what's right by the ladies she loves, above the wants and needs of her Lord.

5. What was the moment for you that made you ship them.

7. What are some good fics for this ship?

I'm going to combine 5 and 7, with good reason. Because honestly, I'd never even thought about Calliope and Lucienne together until I came across the work of @two-hands-toward-the-sun and fell in love. Utterly and completely,... There was such a tenderness to them in their work, a healing peace which hooked me immediately.

From then onwards it's been my favourite ship for these two women. There's so much hope woven into it. And they're so perfect for each other, creatively, intellectual and emotionally. There's a tranquil yet brave love in this pairing and they've both been through so much, they deserve it beyond measure.

[two-hands-toward-the-sun]

no but listen. listen. i am going absolutely rabid thinking about lucienne and calliope, platonic or romantic or anywhere along the spectrum of relationships.

what comes to mind first when i think of what would draw them together is, of course, how stories are fundamental to both of them: their inspiration and their preservation.

another thing they share is their steadfastness. how lucienne refused to abandon her post for more than a century, even as the castle crumbled down around her, and i think also of how she faced down the corinthian when he confronted her; the way calliope says i am a goddess to madoc, how she says ask me again when i am free.

i just think they would be good for each other and good to each other and hhhhh i need to go lie down now

[seiya-starsniper]

Trick or treat!! ☀️☀️☀️

Hello my friend!!! 💖💖💖

As you know, I'm a big fan of AUs, so I'd like you to imagine a modern day AU where Lucienne and Calliope once almost dated when they were young, but Calliope ended up dating Morpheus instead. The three of them remained friends, and Lucienne was even the Maid of Honor at their wedding! But then, everything went to shit, and they divorced. (dealer's choice here on incompatibility or something else for maximum angst). For some reason, Calliope cut off Lucienne in addition to Morpheus, and once the divorce was finalized, moved back to Greece with her sisters.

Years later, they reunite! Calliope and Morpheus are sort of on speaking terms again, frosty but polite, and Morpheus has moved onto a different relationship. Calliope and Lucienne realize there's still some chemistry between them, but are they willing to jeopardize their recently renewed friendship for love? Also, is it weird for Lucienne to date her best friend's ex?

[ladyclwriter]

Dream of The Endless x Hob Gadling

Speak Now

Summary: Hob is standing at the church, right after the preacher says "speak now", while Morpheus holds Calliope's hands.

DreamxCalliope, HobxDream, love triangle, NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY chronological close to canon (I don't even know how it would be)

Characters mentioned: Dream, Hob, Calliope, Desire, Death, Delirium, Lucienne, Fiddler's Green.

Hob would never tell anyone he felt absolutely desperate when a raven told him his favorite endless being would soon be married.

“Wait- what?” his face was his very own confusion. “Since when gods get married?!”

“Since their loved one is a muse” the raven explained, with the most unnecessary commentary a raven could ever say.

Hob would never tell anyone the way he felt his heart breaking in a thousand pieces. He was an immortal being, yes, but it would never stop that feeling of a dagger crossing all the flesh and bone on his body, making him shake from head to toe. And at the first time in all his life, he felt his soul cracking a little.

It wasn't from all the ages he lived. It was by pure pain. Love.

Desire could never say enough about how they would be so. pleased. to see that marriage going to absolute shit. Oh, they didn't cared about being a bitch. And for sure would find a way to fulfill it's desires, and the ones from Robert too.

“Poor soul. I see your suffering, and my empathetic heart couldn't just turn away” the long-haired man jumped on his seat, facing the blonde being with a shocked face.

“What the hell?!” the only thing he could gasp.

With a feline chuckle, Desire looked around the office, sliding one finger on Hob' chair. “I am not here for chattery, however, we can do it someday. So, here's my offer”

He knew he didn't had exactly a choice, so he stood up, hands crossed in front of his body, still kinda shocked.

“I take you to my brother's marriage, and you stop it. Nothing more, nothing less” Robert felt shivers when the golden eyes stared at his.

“It is insane”, he said. “It is childish”, he said. “I would never ruin my friend's happiness”, he said.

Yet, he was there. Staring at huge wooden doors, listening to a very loud preach, sweating, shaking, with his heart beating fastly and loudly at his ears.

“If one has anything against this union, speak now or forever hold your peace”

He waited until that line, just like Desired told him to. And then, struggling and squeaking to pull the giant door, he got in. Before he even stepped on the purple starry mat, all eyes were on him.

Hob hesitated, his heart skipped a beat, his legs felt like gelatin in a short second. Then he walked. Step by step, completely aware of his body and everything around him. It was a little torture, feeling everything on his body, every single cell. But he walked.

Standing at an specific point, he took a deep breath. “I do”, his voice trembled.

Clearing throat, he straightened his back, switching his eye from a random purple flower, to his eyes. There, at wherever that church was, he let his starry dark eyes show up. His cloak was flowing behind him, spreading at the floor, a swirling universe. His hair was more messy; indeed, Calliope loved him the way he truly was — or the way he really wanted to be.

Those little stars were staring directly at Robert, who by a little second forgot what was doing. Cleaning his throat another time, before the preacher required an explanation, he spoke up.

“I am not the kind of... Guy, who should be rudely bargin into a white veil occasion” gestures with his hands, the little man tried his best to not babble or freeze. “But you are not kind of... Endless, who should be marrying the wrong... Person”.

Calliope didn't looked offended at all, but the crowd around them surely did. Not her, not Dream would say anything. In fact, both of them were still confused, equal puzzle looks.

“I-I mean... There are horrified looks from everywhere in the room but I'm only looking at you”

Gadling couldn't believe he was actually saying it out loud. He didn't even knew exactly what his feelings were; the only thing he knew, was he needed to stop that marriage. He needed to stop Morpheus, he couldn't give up away from his... His... Best centenary friend?

That made Robert hesitate one more time. Dream raised one eyebrow, waiting for whatever he was going to say, holding his only-a few-words-away future wife's hands, expectantly curious. Robert still didn't knew exactly what to say or feel, so he focused on what mattered; all the little moments he had with the goth god. The laughing, the fighting, and all the anxiety and suffering when Dream never showed up. It didn't matter if it was too random, or if it didn't made sense. Romantic love, or friendly love, he wouldn't give up. He wouldn't let Morpheus get married, and forget him for the rest of their eternity.

“Morpheus. I... I don't know about you, but... I love you” the I guess tickled his tongue, but saying that would take away all his credibility. Whether these words were truth, a bluff, or didn't meant what they seemed to, he said it. He said it because he felt it burning inside him ever since their very first meetings. He felt it burning his heart every single lonely night, hoping his friend would visit him in dreams.

Every single guest gave him disapproval faces, a special one was sliding and sinking in her seat.

Death felt guilty; it was her fault that those two got to meet at first place. And she was the one to blame for not doing her duty; killing Gadling exactly when his fate said to. Maybe that moment was the consequence. Maybe the ruin of, whether Hob's or Calliope's or Dream's happiness, would be her fault. She sunken more and more on her seat, only her curly hair visible to anyone at the backseats.

“So don't say yes, run away now. I'll meet when you're out of this... This crazy church, at the back door” he gestured to the stained glass, with shapes of, perhaps, people, he's never seen before. “Don't wait, Morpheus. Don't say a single vow. Your time is running out”

Now, the lord of the dreaming was the one receiving stares. It didn't looked at all that he was going to answer, or say anything.

Calliope slowly turned her head to her groom, taking some seconds to raise her eyes to his. He didn't let go of her hand, but he didn't took his starry eyes away from the apparently human in the middle of the church. She looked at their friend, then. Fiddler's Green stood there, frozen, with the funny preacher-like robe they got to him. When he noticed the questioning eyes of the bride, he shrugged, as confused and offended as everyone.

The impersonated garden gazed towards Lucienne, who got her hand in front of her mouth, completely shocked. Right in front of her, Death was disappearing on her seat, and Delirium at her side was laughing hysterically, clapping lowly her hands, really happy with the chaos the buzz from the guests were forming. Desire was right by her side, cross legged with a proud, mischievous, amused smile. Whether the union would be ruined or not, the entertainment payed it all.

Calliope gestured with her head adorned in white and lilac flowers towards him, and Fiddler's Green understood the message. Cleaning his throat, he looked at his lord, with eager and desperate eyes.

Hob was there, standing, fingering his coat sleeves in nervousness, biting his cheek. If that thing took any more seconds, he would have a heart attack, and die from love right there.

“My lord, I hate to interrupt your thoughts, but...” he instantly stopped when Dream looked at him.

Expressionless, plainly silently, almost cold. But Fiddler took all the power they gave him by making him the "union determiner", and raised one white eyebrow. “You should speak now.”

I'm a genius, I know, I know. I'm very sorry if things feel rushed, I was so desperate to post this, and write this idea, that I didn't even gave myself time to give more details. Hope you enjoyed, please tell me your thoughts.

English is not my first language, so forgive me for any grammar.

Stream Midnights and The Sandman, see ya 💜💜💜

[tulipsforyourlips]

✧˖°. i found you ✧˖°. (5)

|| the sandman x dead boy detectives ||

SUMMARY: You run the dead boys detective agency along with your two best friends. And somehow two ghosts and a living girl make it work. Until you dream one night, of dream himself.

PAIRING: dream of the endless x fem!reader

WC: 1500

WARNINGS: mentions of blood (the usual)

PART 5 ✧˖°.

You were sitting on your bed, pondering over Dream's words or actually the lack of them from last night. Why was it bothering you so much who he loved or did not? He probably had gone through an army of lovers being so ancient. You knew there was Nada, Calliope, courtesy of Matthew's inability to stay quiet for more than two seconds, and now Hope. But there was something about the first time he had said her name, pure anguish coating every syllable, that had your heart retreating into itself.

"No mate there is absolutely no way I am leaving her behind." Charles' muffled voice sliced through your silent rambling.

"Charles you cannot be serious. We can't put the entire agency to a halt because of one client," Edwin wailed.

"What's the problem?" You peeped through your door.

That's when you saw Jesse's curled form on the couch and the overheard conversation bore logic.

"She's still here?"

"Yeah." Edwin's face wore a scowl. But as he sensed the oncoming taunting suggestion from you, he hurriedly added, "which I have no problem with of course."

"Sure mate," you smirked. "I will stay with her."

Charles lifted his eyebrows.

"Yeah I am feeling super tired anyways. You guys go ahead," you assured the lot of two.

"How do you manage to feel exhausted after sleeping 10 hours a day absolutely stuns me. You stun me woman." Charles relieved a deep breath.

"Aw thankyou love," you pouted.

"Alright, Hazel keep a watch on her. And if anything strange occurs, call us immediately," Edwin spoke. "You sure you aren't staying behind because of your mysterious guy?"

You gave a mock chuckle.

"No seriously Haz how are things going with him?" Charles wiggled his brows. "Which base-"

"Okay okay okay out! Both of you."

You dropped the book titled 'Hope' with a thud on the table in front of you. You were waiting for Dream to join you tonight and in the meantime, your inquisitiveness had gotten a tight grip on you. So you had raked the library to locate Dream's past lover's record successfully, you might add. Excitement swooshing in your entire body, you flung the book open. Nothing. White blankness stared at you. You flipped through the pages. Still nothing. Are you kidding me? How is this even possible? Lucienne had told you that any being, immortal or not, living or not, had a book dedicated to their dreams and stories. Before you could lose more of your mind on the enigma on your hands, you heard the flapping of Matthew's wings. You quickly put the useless book back in its place.

"Boss wants ya."

You gaped at the apparition in front of you. Consider a rhinoceros, but bigger and scarier and from a fairy land. He was partially covered in moss and vines loosely wrapped around his ears and horn. You pitied the humans back in the waking world whose dreams the animal had ever had a cameo in. You were just glad you weren't one of them. Now not so much as the whimsical rhinoceros slowly made its way in your direction. You stretched your arm in front of you. And closed your eyes in concentration. The sounds of heavy stamping grew louder. You can do this. You have been doing this for weeks. The literal fate of the world depended on you being able to do this. You opened your eyes. Yellow eyes speedily approached you. You got this. Blinding pain seared through your palm where the pointed horn of the creature tore through your skin and the acute scent of copper wafted into the air. Dream raised his hand to dispel his creation.

"No!" you shouted. "Don't."

"Haz-"

"I got this." You got this.

Blackness seeped into the periphery of your vision but you reeled your focus back to the huffing beast in front of you. He started towards you again, sand flying from the rear of his feet. You shut your eyes. Enough. You are chosen for a destiny far greater than yours, Dream's words from your first encounter surfaced in your mind when you had accused him of being a serial killer. So much time had passed since then, so much time putting your body and mind through vigorous training, so much time withholding yourself from your bestfriends, so much time with Dream, who had placed his faith in your hands, gentle and soft. A faint energy began buzzing in the core of your soul, spreading throughout, tickling every nerve in your body and roaring in your ears. You opened your eyes, the creature's angry black pupils crashed against your outstretched bleeding hand, almost. The second his bristly face came in contact with your touch, his pupils dilated and he skidded to a stop. Your hand glowed with the hum of energy that slowly receded back from wherever it had come from, inside you. The animal leaned into your touch before pulling back and leaped away to from wherever Dream had summoned him. Dream. You tilted your head to where he stood, his lips twitched upwards all so ever slightly, a ghost of a smile. A fire ignited in your heart, from where it trickled down your insides, painting them warm, at the sight. He walked towards you and the wave of adrenaline rush that had kept you distracted from your punctured hand that was reddening the sand below, died down. Before the blood loss could take its toll on you, Dream's calloused yet silken fingers wrapped around your wounded hand. His touch though cold, lit your skin on fire. He rubbed sand over your hand. The blow of the pain simmered down to a dull ache. He severed the contact between your skins, leaving behind an abrupt chill. It was as if your body was calling for his hand again, craving for his touch.

His perfect lips parted, perfect? you perverted brain get a grip, "Hazel? Hazel?"

Shit. Were you staring? "Yeah,"

"How is your hand?"

You looked down, a black cloth was tied around it. How long were you zoned out?

You might have cared for the throbbing pain still lapping around it if you weren't reveling in the ecstasy your triumph had wrought. "It's better. Thankyou."

"You did well tonight, mortal."

"Shut. Up!" You turned towards the newly joined raven on your shoulder. "He can hand out praise?" You asked incredulously.

"Unsolved mysteries of the world," Matthew replied.

Dream's lips fought a smile.

You fisted blades of grass within your fingers as you sat alongside the Dream lord in your favourite place of all the realms. The darkness was slowly fading away, a hint of pink dotting the mountain edges. It would soon be time for you to wake up.

"Dream,"

Morpheus turned his attention to you. You didn't like the intensity of it. 

"Yes mortal?"

You hesitated.

Dream's gravelly voice jeered, "How many questions do you have?" Amusement danced in his eyes. 

You sighed and laid down your head on the soft grass. "It was you, wasn't it? That day at the sisters' house. You saved me from Aura." You finally gave voice to the doubt solidifying in your mind.

"That isn't a question Hazel."

"Why?"

"Because you are important to the survival of the realms." 

You felt a brush of disappointment at his answer. What were you expecting? That made a perfect explanation for why he had saved you. This partnership was not forged out of any preference or want. You were chosen for this. He was stuck with you.

"So what happens now? With the nightmares under control- Why did you even create them in the first place? Just some merry dreams would have sufficed don't ya reckon?"

"Nightmares serve a crucial purpose. They are merely meant to reflect a man's worst fears so he can face them."

"I wish I could say makes sense."

"Don't trouble your puny mortal brain with the rules of the universe," he said in a teasing tone.

Your laugh was gradual but it came. He was getting better with his jokes. You felt Dream watch you intently. He had begun to open up. You had managed to writhe little information about his past but whatever you had, the Corinthian, Roderick Burgess, Rose Walker, he had given it up willingly. Do you ever get lonely? You had asked him your first time in the Dreaming. Even though he hadn't replied to you then, you had come to know the answer. He was just as eager for company as you were for his.

"Well back to the concerned topic, with the dreams now learning to trust again, what happens now?" You asked.

The sun had emerged from the diving nook between the mountains. Its rays spilled honey all around you. 

"We will decide tomorrow." Were the last words of your dream as you were tugged back into wakeness.

[7-wonders]

reader has a strong personality, but sometimes she feels unsure of herself, her personality, her looks. in one of these days, feeling her bad mood, Dream reassures her, telling how much he admires and loves her, the way she's beautiful in every way, etc.

Jealousy, Jealousy

Morpheus/Dream of the Endless x GN!Reader

It started with Calliope.

To be clear, you absolutely supported Morpheus both coming to his ex-wife's aid and reconciling with her after their disastrous end (though the details were vague, you knew it had something to do with the son they shared, the one that Morpheus still couldn't bring himself to talk about). What had happened to Calliope at the hands of mortal men was absolutely horrific. If you had it your way, you'd hunt them both down and serve up a bit of vigilante justice. Morpheus forbade you from doing so, on the grounds that he had also been told no when wanting to do the exact same thing.

When Morpheus finally decided that it was time for the two to actually talk, you had met the Muse on your way out of the Dreaming to give them some space. After spending maybe three minutes with her, it was easy to reach the conclusion: Calliope is wonderful.

Not only is she stunning on the outside, but she has a kindness within that refused to be stamped out by her captors. She's so nice that, coming from anybody else, it would seem insincere. On Calliope, though, it's effortlessly natural. She seems like she's actually interested in talking to you, and not just playing nice because of societal conventions and you being Morpheus's current lover.

You trust Morpheus implicitly, but, considering how easy it was to see how Morpheus could have fallen head over heels in love with Calliope, you felt just a tinge of reluctance at leaving the two to resolve their issues. It was okay to be a little jealous, you reasoned with yourself; after all, everyone has that one ex that seems like "the one that got away." You're okay, and secure in who you are and your relationship.

Until Queen Titania came waltzing into the Dreaming.

The entire realm was in a tizzy over the sudden request from the Court of Faerie to send a delegation so that matters "concerning the two respective realms" could be discussed. According to Merv, Titania was going to again extend an offer of marriage to Morpheus. While this was quite the shock to you, a sympathetic Lucienne explained the regularity of such a proposal when you hid out in the library to escape all the excitement of the impending visit.

"Isn't she married, though?" you asked, shoving a dreamer's book harshly into its appointed spot. If you were going to be taking up space, you had figured that the least you could do was help out with some shelving.

"Queen Titania and King Oberon have...what you would call an open relationship, I suppose," Lucienne said. "If anything, their relationship is never as strong as it is when both parties have paramours to entertain them."

"Hm." The laws and customs of other realms were something you had yet to get used to, and you assumed that it would remain that way. "But why is she so fixated on Morpheus? I mean, obviously he's insanely powerful, but surely there's other eligible rulers?"

Lucienne's lips quirked at your subtle dig towards Titania. "There are, but she has never truly been capable of moving past the dalliance that she and His Lordship had."

"A 'dalliance?" Your voice came out high-pitched, the shock of what you learned making you forget how to talk.

When it was merely lighthearted gossip, Merv had shown you a portrait of the Faerie queen in a book detailing the various realms and those that rule them. She had blue-tinged skin and flowing black hair, and though her features were incredibly dainty, there was a strength carried in her regal posture that screamed that she was not to be trifled with. Though she looked nothing like Calliope, she was just as beautiful. Now, you hated that stupid picture, because she was probably twice as pretty when face-to-face with her.

Lucienne realized the error of what she said only after you reacted, and suddenly found herself interested in checking off something on the parchment she was holding.

"It really was nothing more than just that: a simple dalliance," she attempted to reassure. "They only carried on with the affair for a couple of decades, if that."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? I'm only a couple of decades old!" Breathing through the panic that had risen in your throat, you held your hands out in a placating gesture (who you were placating besides yourself, you're not sure) and nodded. "Okay. Okay! So, who ended things between them?"

"Lord Morpheus. He was entirely unimpressed with Queen Titania, and he remains so. Honestly, I believe that the only reason he agreed to the fling in the first place was because of boredom." Lucienne took your hands in hers. "You have nothing to worry about, I promise."

"I know!" You hoped that she couldn't tell how blatantly you were lying. "Um, I think I'm waking up. I'll see you after the Faerie delegation visit."

Since fae were masters of deception on their best days, and you were painfully human, it was safer for you not to be in the Dreaming proper during their stay. Thus, the next time you went to bed and each subsequent night until the delegation left, you would be back in your own dreamscape like every other normal dreamer. Probably for the best, considering how you were currently feeling.

When Lucienne let go of your hands, you used your handy dandy skill of being conscious of your dreaming to wake yourself up. Back in your bedroom, you laid against the mattress and stared up at the ceiling, feeling as the green monster of jealousy began to eat at you.

Honestly, how could you not be jealous? You had just found out that your boyfriend—who, by the way, is an all-powerful, eldritch ruler of dreams and nightmares—has had relationships with a literal goddess and the queen of Faerie. And those are only the two that you knew about! Considering said boyfriend is also probably billions of years old, you weren't sure that you want to know about the others.

If they're anything like Calliope and Titania, then they're surely perfect beings of unfathomable legend. You could see them now, the long line of gorgeous hearts left broken by Morpheus. All of them well-suited to be the partner of the Dreamlord, yet none of them able to pass his test.

That did not bode well for you, neither perfect nor of unfathomable legend, neither ethereal nor regal. You're simply you: loud and outspoken and a little bit clumsy and painfully, utterly human. Normally, such a thing wouldn't bother you. If anybody had an issue with you, then that was their problem, not yours. But what happens when you have an issue with yourself?

You've never deluded yourself into thinking that you were equal to Morpheus in any way. In your relationship, yes, you're on equal ground with him. As just the two of you? You're leagues below him, which, again, has historically not bothered you. It was just a fact of life, until you encountered one ex and heard all of the buzz surrounding another and learned that there are others who would very much be equal to Morpheus.

The jealousy and inadequacy that you're feeling creates a burning pit in your chest that threatens to swallow you up. You needed to do something in an attempt to try and take your mind off of the invasive, all-consuming thoughts, which is how you find yourself sitting on a large blanket spread out underneath a tree in the park and angrily biting into grapes so that Matthew—keeping you company since he was banned from the Faerie visit on account of his cheeky insubordination and how that may look to guests—can eat the other half. Unfortunately, Matthew's doing more avoiding being hit by the grapes of your wrath than actually eating said grapes.

After the fourth grape you've tossed at him with far more force than necessary, Matthew squawks indignantly and puffs out his chest. "Jeez, you don't have to throw them at me!"

"Sorry," you mutter.

"It's okay. I mean, I like grapes just as much as the next guy, but dodging them does not make for a fun eating experience."

You don't laugh, not even a pity laugh if you didn't find it funny, so it shouldn't be a surprise that Matthew hops onto your lap and looks up at you. If anybody can tell that you're not a hundred percent, it's Matthew, whose emotional intelligence is far more keen than one would expect.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Matthew asks.

You shrug. "Just...thinking."

"About what?"

There's no point in lying, especially to Matthew. "About how cool and pretty my boyfriend's exes are."

"Oh no, Killala?"

You look at him in bewilderment, not expecting to hear a name that's not at all the two that you've been stewing over. "Who the fuck is Killala?"

"Nobody, don't worry about that," he hurries to cover his tracks. "You were obviously talking about..."

"Calliope and Titania." You throw a little bit more venom into the latter's name, but in your opinion, it's deserved. She really needs to learn how to take 'no' for an answer.

Matthew shakes his head and affectionately nips the bottom of your shirt. Despite your foul mood, you appreciate the gesture. "Aw, there's nothing to worry about with either of them!"

"Really? I shouldn't be worried about the goddess and the fae queen?" The sarcasm comes out pretty thickly, and you close your eyes and breathe through your nose to try and tamp down the flames of anger licking at your tongue.

"Calliope and Dream have so much baggage between them. Seriously, I'm not going to get into it, because it's not my place to do so, but trust me when I say that their relationship completely ran its course. And Titania? Dream can't stand her!"

"Yeah, but what if one day he and Calliope decide to put the baggage aside and try again? Or what if Titania's proposal makes sense for the realm?"

"That would never happen. They're his exes for a reason."

You sigh and scritch at Matthew's little head. "His exes are goddesses and fae and queens and who knows what other ethereal type of classification! And I'm just me."

"And 'just you' are quite remarkable." You don't have to turn around to see who's speaking, because their voice is as familiar to you as your own.

"Morpheus," you greet, choosing to focus your attention on Matthew. "Finish your business with Faerie?"

"Yes. It went about as expected, which is to say, it was a train wreck."

You can't help the smile that twitches your lips upwards at the use of such casual slang. Morpheus takes a seat next to you on the blanket, but you still refuse to look at him in a stubborn attempt to hold onto what little pride you have left after spilling your heart and being overheard by the very person you were most afraid of hurting with these feelings.

"The Faerie court has departed for their own realm, Matthew. You are free to return to the Dreaming."

"Awesome! I actually think Eve has a couple of tasks for me, so I think I'm gonna head out." Matthew says this like it's his own idea and not Morpheus's. He hops up onto your shoulder, nipping lightly at your ear in farewell. "Good luck," Matthew whispers to you before flying up into the air and back to the Dreaming.

You and Morpheus are left alone together, a prospect that normally thrills you. Now though, you're simply thinking that you've never heard silence quite so loud. Is he mad at you, or is he simply unsure of what to say? You're not sure you want to know the answer, but this stalemate can't go on any longer.

Hesitantly, you ask, "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you feel that you are inadequate compared to my previous relationships." Morpheus gently grabs your chin with his cool fingers and turns your gaze to meet his. "Which, I must add, is completely and unequivocally false."

"Sorry. You, uh, caught me at a pretty self-conscious moment."

He shakes his head. "Do not apologize for how you feel. I simply ask that you might explain why it is you feel this way."

"How could I not feel this way, Morpheus?"

He looks at you with a blank stare that says that he really doesn't understand why you feel this way. It's kind of frustrating, honestly. Not only do you have to have stupid human feelings, but they make no sense to your partner.

"Are you really going to make me repeat what I told Matthew?" you ask. "Your exes are all far more evenly matched to you than I am. They're goddesses and fae queens and other beings who I've probably never even heard of because my human mind couldn't fathom such power."

"And you do not believe that you possess such power?"

"Uh, no." It's pretty obvious that you don't (you'd know if you did, with how many hours you spent staring at household items and willing them to levitate after watching Matilda for the first time).

"You do not know the power that you hold over me, a power which I am glad to let you have. It is far more dangerous than what any previous lover of mine has wielded, for I do not believe I have ever loved someone as wholly as I love you. I am passionate, and have often been told that I am 'too much.' Yet, my realm and my function always came first, and would be placed above all else.

"For you, though? I would give you any thing you wished for if you only were to ask. I would pluck the stars from the sky and string them onto a necklace to decorate your neck. I would raise armies to defend you from the most minor of slights. I would create entire worlds for you, and destroy them thusly if that was what you wished. I even believe that I would abandon my function if you requested it of me."

You gasp at the sheer weight of Morpheus's words, knowing the solemnity of them. "I would never ask you to do that."

"I know. But you needed to know the lengths that I would go to in order to make you happy. That is how much I love you."

"I'm hardly consort material. I laugh too hard at stupid videos and I try really hard to garden but usually end up killing my plants and I get shy around new people."

Out of the examples you listed, only the last could potentially transfer over to any consort activities you would be expected to do. But you're already feeling vulnerable, so you're just laying it all on the line today.

Next to you, Morpheus smiles besottedly and shakes his head at your antics. Instead of calling you out on it, he simply picks up one of your hands and kisses the back of it before enclosing it between both of his hands.

"None of those are disadvantages to you or your personality. I want you, my starlight," he says earnestly. "And do you know why that is?"

You shake your head.

"Because you are exceptional. You are wonderfully kind to everyone, person and creature and dream and nightmare. You are incandescently beautiful in a way that makes me keenly aware of the fact that I don't need to breathe, because I suddenly feel as though I need to catch my breath when I see you. You make me feel alive for the first time in a long, long time. You make me want to be better, to create something better."

God, you're going to start crying. Any doubts that you may have had about yourself and Morpheus are simply gone, with just a few words uttered. That's just what Morpheus does, though: he always knows just what you need to hear.

The only reason you keep the tears at bay is through sheer force, and even then a couple slip past your waterline and fall down your face. Morpheus looks a little bewildered at the sight, but you shake your head.

"These are happy tears, don't worry," you assure him. "I'm just...so happy, and I love you so much."

Morpheus's gaze turns soft, and he kisses you sweetly before laying his forehead against yours. "And I love you. Never doubt that, for my love for you comes as naturally as your breathing, and it is as endless as I am."

"Y'know, you're quite the romantic, Morpheus." You can't resist kissing him again, not when his lips are literally an inch away from yours.

"Only for you."

Morpheus smiles against your lips before begrudgingly pulling away so that he can stand up, and you stand with him.

"Shall we return to the Dreaming, my witty, beautiful love?" He dips his lips to your ear before whispering, "I'd quite like to see just how in your element you look when sitting on my throne."

Saying yes is one of the easiest things you've ever done.

[writing-for-life]

A Collection of My Metas, Fics and Art that Feature the Women of The Sandman

I love the women of the Sandman. I write about them quite frequently, post art about them, write my fics from a female viewpoint (I’m mainly an OC writer though, but I have one-shots and poetry about canon characters).

So since we’ve been talking about them a lot over the past few days, here are all their tags (they contain both official and fanart, and every meta that features them enough for me to tag them), and all my metas, fics and poetry in which they are the main protagonist/character or at least strong focus.

I have posted art for literally all of the women in the Sandman and also written about most of them in one way or another, and you can find the few that are missing via my tags, but it just didn’t feel right to include all of them here. I think it’s normal and fair that we gravitate more towards some characters than others for personal reasons. It’s just the complete erasure of women that often gets to me.

I want to do more, but like every writer and curator, the disinterest in the women of the Sandman is often a bit discouraging. I haven’t given up hope we can change that…

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Alianora

Dreams of Light (poem)

Alianora’s tag

Barbie

The Portrayal of Womanhood in “A Game of You”

Barbie’s tag

Calliope

Mother (haiku)

Calliope and Dream

Calliope’s tag

Carla

Carla’s tag

Chantal

Chantal’s tag

Death

Death’s Wedjat Eye: Deeper Symbolism or Random?

Touching Death or: Why Dream is Not Simply Touch-Starved in The Sound of Her Wings (Addendum to someone else’s post)

Oblivion is not an option—A musical meta about “A kind word and a friendly face”

All the Endless are buckling under the weight of their functions (David Hitchcock art meta)

Comfort (haiku)

Ode to Death (poem)

Requiem (poem)

Sigil (haiku)

Wings (haiku)

Death’s tag

Delirium/Delight

A sacred garden: Death and Delight (Michael Zulli art meta)

Delirium’s tag

Despair

Despair’s tag

Ethel

Ethel’s tag

Eve

Eve’s tag

The Fates

The Fates’ tag

Foxglove (Donna)

The Portrayal of Womanhood in “A Game of You”

Donna’s tag

Gault

Gault’s tag

Gwen

Gwen’s tag

Hazel

The Portrayal of Womanhood in “A Game of You”

Hazel’s tag

Hope

The Sandman Overture and Exiles: Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit—Everything Changes, Nothing Is Truly Lost (Not Even Hope)

Only Hope calls you out like that

Hope’s tag

Ishtar

Ishtar’s tag

Johanna

Thessaly, Johanna and a weird meta about musical motifs

As it was before the otherness came (short fic, Johanna x Rachel)

Johanna’s tag

Killalla

Killalla’s tag

Lucienne

If it is implied Lucien is Adam, what does that make Lucienne?

Lucienne’s tag

Lyta

Aftermath (poem)

Mother (haiku)

Lyta’s tag

Mazikeen

Mazikeen’s tag

Nada

Tales in the Sand—Did we find the women’s story?

Nada’s tag

Night

Night’s tag

Nuala

Nuala’s tag

Rachel

As it was before the otherness came (short fic, Johanna x Rachel)

Rachel’s tag

Rose

Rose’s tag

Rosemary

Rosemary‘s tag

Ruby

Ruby’s tag

Thessaly

Thessaly in the context of second and third wave feminism

Thessaly’s tag

Titania

Titania’s tag

Unity

Unity’s tag

Wanda

The Portrayal of Womanhood in “A Game of You”

Wanda’s tag

Zelda

Zelda’s tag