#Morpheus King Of The Dreamland

[alexander-arcturus-black-lupin-r]

Walks along the Dreaming

Fandom: The Sandom

Paring: Morpheus x Dream of The Endless

Genre: Fluff

A/N: I love my tall white emo boy sm aaaaa Idk if I'm making it a blurb or nah

Summary: Dream and reader are walking through the Dreaming and Morpheus is just being cuteee because he thinks Reader is cute and it's just aaarrrrhhh

Morpheus watched the sun from his corner on the palace balcony. In the dreaming when the sun finally set a cool breeze filled the air. When the sun in the dreaming finally did set

Unlike in the waking world the sun was always out much longer and though he didn't need the night as it was just an time for mortals to rest their weary bodies. He'd come to love it.

Why?

Because of a certain someone he'd come across. He hadn't meant to get attached. He had been asked for a tour of the dreaming and he complied, it'd been eons since he'd hosted a mortal in his castle. He watched as she'd been mesmerised by what his realm had to offer.

Even now as he watched her slumped in the sands he wonders what's so special about her, why can't he get her out of his head. Maybe she accidentally spelled him.

That might have explained why he appeared beside her. She jumped slightly at his sudden appearance. Before she arose to her feet, bowing slightly

"Lord Morpheus, I hope I cause no trouble," he shakes his head. You've barely done anything except be kind. Something most humans must learn from you.

"May I join you," He asks his voice merely above a whisper. You shyly nod and sink back into the Sands. Morpheus claims a spot by you a fee inches apart. Together you both watch the sea.

After a beat he watches you, even as you cease and lay on your back as you gaze at the stars.

"If I may My Lord-"

"Morpheus,"

"Pardon?"

"You may call me Morpheus," her eyes widened.

"Morpheus," his name slipped off your tongue like honey from the finest aphrodisiac.

He said something which was too quiet for you to hear.

"What?"

"I like how my name sounds from your lips," you swore his eyes flitted down to your lips. Without really thinking much, his name left your lips again.

"Morpheus,"

"I could listen to you for an eternity," You racked your brain trying to remember what you meant to ask.

"You distracted me," you say softly. "I've forgotten what I wished to say," Morpheus chuckled.

"I apologise. Would you, would you care for a walk along the dreaming? Before you retire, It helps with remembering." He asked. "You are within your rights to de-"

"I would be honored,"

"T'is I who should be honored," you blushed as you rose from the sands. The sands didn't cling to your clothes as mortal sand would.

He held out his arm. You flinched before you took it. A sharp pain slashed his chest. What had been done to you to make you so scared of him?

Was it his doing?

Your gripped his arm and gave him a small smile. It's not your fault

"Your realm truly is beautiful Morpheus, "

"It's merely an extension of me,"

"Then, you are beautiful," It came out before you could even think. "I-"

"Thank you although i think I should be the one to call you beautiful, considering you manage to be the main focus of anyone who gazes at you,"

You blush at his words.

"I wonder which other mortals or better goddesses you whisper such sweet things to," you say jealously singing in your head.

"On the contrary I tend to avoid most of them, especially those who seek for me for things other than...help"

"You did not avoid me,"

"True,"

"Why?"

"Something about you called to me, I am yet to know what,"

"I hope it's been worth you're while," you say jokingly.

"Without a doubt."

We reached a greenest gardens you've ever seen. The path through the garden shimmered and shone with glitter like stones.

The shrubs and bushes that greeted you held beautiful roses, some were red and some were white, others held different kinds of flowers in different colours.

The moon lit up the entire scene, it's white rays highlighting a swingset.

"Morpheus, this is beautiful," Your eyes roved over the entire place. Morpheus glanced around before looking at you. Then lush green garden

The lush green gardens were something he made eons ago, he'd seen it a million times but for someone like you to compliment them made him feel...warm.

He looked at you, the gardens may have once been the Dreamings most prized possession, but ever since your very prescence entered here.

It paled in comparison, even now as your eyes sparkled at it's beauty his eyes only ever where on you.

"It is quite a sight indeed," you turned to glimpse his face but froze once you noticed his eyes were on you.

"The garden?" You asked although you already knew the answer.

"You," your thoughts scrambled.

You

You

You...

"Me,"

"Yes," a light blushed coloured his cheeks. "You," your lips formed a smile one which he swore lit up the world. "May I be so bold as to ask you to to...extend your stay in the Dreaming." He paused. "I'm sure the residents would love to have you,"

By residents he meant him. Sure Lucienne would be happy to have another person around but he would be the most pleased.

"I would love that, I'd be honored to spend more time with the residents." Morpheus' heart leaped for the first time in centuries.

She leaned in and pecked his cheek. Morpheus smiled as he realised that:

1. He was in love something he'd never felt in eons

and

2. He was in love with you

***

Here's a lil something

🎁

[mischiefxmuses]

"Yours is all the same. Mortal magic is the same." Dream rolled his eyes. It was always this way, mortals could not understand the extent of the endless. They always wanted to be stronger, prove that they were as strong as the endless but it just wasn't true. The endless had been created to be powerful. It was why they set rules for themselves. "Go on continue to mock me. I dare you." The world around them began to shift, the bright day turning dark around them and the wind picking up. His eyes starting to glow. "You have no idea the power you are pissing off right now." Around them the city that she knew all to well was in flames. They were stood in the middle of it. Demons, devils running around past them but seeing Dream they dashed away into the flames. "It is a shame that your friends did not survive. That your home was destroyed. Devils, Asmodeus... the chaos." He looked around taking a deep breath. "The pain. Continue to mock me, to underestimate me and I will make this your constant. You do not want to encourage my wrath. I can be forgiving and patient. I can help you, inspire and give you hope but who I am enables me to crush you and your soul. Do not get me to that point." His voice still calm despite his anger. He really hoped she would be smart about this and not push him. He was in a frustrated enough mood that he did not need some mortal questioning him. "I am Dream of the Endless. Lord Morpheus. King of the Nightmare Realms and Lord of the Dreamlands. Son of Night and Time. You have power but you have arrogance, stubbornness that will not help you in your journey home. In your quest you will need friends, people on your side."

"well of course," patia scoffs, "no one's magic is the same." she couldn't decide if he was being vague or existentialist, but whatever it was, she didn't care for it. it was more annoying than anything. speaking in metaphors rather than being straight with who you're talking to. she took a step back as he spoke. how did he know all that? she rose an eyebrow..it could just be a detect thoughts spell, or similar. it's not hard to find things out about people when you want to. still, it was weird when it was happening to her. she gave a single nod, "well done, knower-of-all," she clapped mockingly, "tell me, what are my dreams and nightmares?"

[emeraldpotion]

[moonmaiden1996]

Claiming His Queen- Part 9

Please Please Please let me know what you think. I really value your feedback it helps motivate me.

Masterlist 

You woke to the most divine feeling of fingers threading through your hair, massaging your scalp with light scratches. A throaty moan pulled from you as bleary eyes focused on the raven-haired man staring down at you in adoration. You smiled lazily as nails racked over your delicate scalp. A smile Morpheus returned. Eyes bright and warm as they took you in.

"Good morning, my Queen".

With that simply greeting, the smile bled off your face and vivid memories of last night sprung to the forefront of your mind. Each image raunchier than the next.  You could still feel his cum inside, the mess that had oozed out against your thighs. Gods, the ache of your pussy, was delicious, begging to be filled again.

“Oh god", a mortified blush covered your face. You buried yourself under the mountain of pillows and blankets. As much as you desired to lie, you had wanted it. The feeling was almost indescribable when he thrusted into you, stretching you full, but in the harsh light of day, the reality had set in. Now he would never let you go. You could see it in the way he gazed at you.

"Now, now you weren't so shy last night." The deep voice cooed behind your barricade of pillows and covers. Beside you, the bed sank deeper as the man slinked closer. It was a feeble attempt to wiggle away from the mass of body heat that invaded your space. A deep chuckle filled the air.

"There is no point in being coy, my love, and as much as I would love to stay in bed and ... explore this new side of our relationship, time is of the essence; it has begun. We must be ready’’ A shiver ran through your body as the cover melted away, leaving you naked under the intense mercury gaze of the Dreamland King.

‘‘Come, we must away.’’

xxx

You shivered as you walked through the Dreaming. All the way you walked, you felt something. Something inside you, small, but nevertheless, it was there. It was there inside you, bubbling away. You weren’t cold, not exactly it was more of a tingling sensation that ran across your spine like thousands of tiny sparks across your flesh. Another shiver rushed through you as you watched Morpheus part in the same inky waters from before. However, instead of the swirling inky mass threatening to consume you, the limp and cowering tendrils of water bent to the will of its master. Crawling back, revealing the staircase descending into darkness.

"Come, my love. Put this on; it will protect you where we must venture.’ Morpheus mumbled into your ear as his arms encircled you, laying the gleaming red jewel around your neck. The stone resting just above your heart.

He looked at you with such adoration and need it hurt. You felt bare beneath his gaze, not that the rich dress he wrapped you in offered much coverage, not that it mattered. He had seen every inch of you. Inside and out. Morpheus’s eyes clung to your figure as he led you into the darkness.

xxxxx

There was darkness for the longest time till a barren heath stood in front of you, light burning your eyes. Bright and grey. You frowned as Morpheus placed three bundles onto a dirt strip in front of him.

Another shiver ran through you as he stood back, pressing his warm hand to the small of your back. The mark seemed to pull against your skin as his lips ghosted over your pulse point.

‘I cannot wait to take you again; you were so responsive under my touch. I will take you against our throne in nothing but your glory.’ Morpheus’s low voice rumbled as his lips ghosted across your throat, nipping gently as they moved.

A shiver of desire and disgust ran through you, gnawing away at your insides, pulling a predator-like smile against his lips as he suckled at a tender spot at the base of your neck.

“Hail King of Dreams and... future Queen. We are so honoured to be the first to meet her." Three voices echoed across the wind, pulling Morpheus from his ministrations.

Three women stood across from you, wild and withered, strange in their attire, smirking in disdain.

You whimper at the loss of Morpheus at your side, watching as he stood straighter, head pulled back as he glared down at them.

"Such a pretty queen.’’ one croaked.

“She will make a good queen and a devoted mother. Don’t you think, sisters? I’m sure the other Endless will be delighted.” Another added, peering deeply at you with icy eyes.

“Maiden, Mother, Crone. I have come with three offerings, I wish..."

"Spare us. We know why you are here, King." One snapped, snatching at the gifts he brought.

The next continued, “We have been waiting to meet her for so long..." purring with glee as she riffled through the present, examining the strange object in the cold light of the heath.

"So long", the others purred.

"Then you know what I have come for." Morpheus’s voice echoed across the wasteland, glaring at the women down his delicate nose.

"Hush, king", one snapped. As they began to move, swaying dementedly, edging closer and closer. You dare not take your eyes off them as they move ever closer. Morpheus’s glare hardened, but he did not attempt to ward them off.

Stumbling back, they had you. Surrounding you, encircling you as their eyes glared across the expanse of your body.

“My my, what has the king done." One crooned, you didn’t know which; they all seemed to be as one, merging and separating as they pleased.

A wiry hand shot out, caressing your chest, rolling down to your stomach. Sharply, you tried to slap it away, but another replaced it. As soon as you slapped one away, another took its place, fondling every inch of you, fingertips mapping the expanse of you. Helplessly you looked to Morpheus; he stood tensely, eyes scrutinising their every movement but never halting them.

‘’Such a selfish king... can you feel it sisters... that spark he set alight inside her." Your eyes fell on Morpheus, his lips set into a thin line as his gaze burnt into the three.

That’s what you felt, that something inside. Despite it feeling so small, so insignificant, now you knew. You knew it would burn and consume you just like Morpheus did; it would pull you in and make you submit. You were helpless. And deep down, you wanted it.

"Tsk tsk, Dream King, such a selfish thing to do."  A voice called.

"So selfish, sister. To not tell her of the ceremony." Another voice replied.

A dull ecstasy-filled memory resurfaced. The ritual. How could you forget? He mumbled it so delicately against your skin as he rocked into you, as he came hard inside you, rutting away till he covered every inch of your core in his cum. Oh god. What had you done?

"The ritual?" you gasped; a look of glee spread through the three as they ensnared your arm, staring down in adoration, cooing at the sigil burned into your flesh.

"Oh yes. The ritual. The ceremony to bind you fast forever." One added.

‘’The first part is complete. Now the very fun part begins.’’ The other finished, tenderly caressing the skin around the mark.

"But I don't want to please… you must know how to stop it." You cried while attempting to snatch your arm away, staring pleadingly at the three. Your soulmate standing in silent rage as his eyes devoured you in disappointment.

"No point pleading, girl. The bonding ceremony began as soon as he plunged into your core.’ She cackled. ‘’You cannot stop once the spark has been struck; you must attend to it, tend it, build it, or it will become a raging inferno, and you will lose yourself to it." The other mocked.

‘‘Don’t cry, queen.’’ Another taunted. ‘‘You seemed to like it.’’

‘‘How!’’ You snapped.

‘Ohh, we felt it. Your coupling was felt across this plane and the next. Scream, did you?’ The last one ridiculed as her finger began to prod against your mark. ‘‘Oh, I feel the bond, so powerful.’’

"Enough. Leave her be. Tell me what I came for so we can leave...’’ Morpheus’s quiet command halted them and slowly, so slowly, they drifted away like clouds of rags. Not before dispatching one last piece of mockery each.

‘’Oh, you will scream and beg.’’

‘’Writhe and pine.’’

‘’Submit and command.’’

‘’But a queen you will be.’’ They all echoed the last part in a barely audible whisper before silently; you watched them, crowd, round him, like servants to their King, whispering into his ears. His eyes turned darker with every utterance till they shone completely black.

xxxxxx

Solemnly you walked back. Rage and shame bubbling under your skin. You were trembling now as you trailed behind Morpheus. Tension vibrated violently off his body as he marched through the dirt, kicking up swirls of dust that clung to the bottom of your dress. He was so angry; you knew that; you just didn’t know what he would do.

You walked till he stopped at the edge of the inky water, turning fast, gripping your throat tight, tilting you back to stare into his onyx eyes, no trace of silver left.

‘’I saved you from the emptiness; I tended to you; I brought you to the peaks of pleasure unparallel to anything anyone has ever experienced. Yet you deny me. I love you. Adore you. Worship you. All I want is you, yet you spurn me. You will not escape me; I will not allow it." He gritted out darkly as his sand churned and twirled around you both. ‘’We will begin…and I will show no mercy.’’ His voice called out as the sand consumed your bodies.

xxxxxxxxx

Firstly, I want to apologise. There seems to be an issue with who can read my work. I have emailed Tumblr, so hopefully, it will be sorted out soon. Also, life is crazy. We are massively understaffed, and I am currently applying for a new job, so I will update you when I can.

This story probably has 2/3 more chapters left. And trust me, the next chapter is going to be gooooddddddd! Dark Morpheus will be back in full force after the reader little slip up with the fates. I am not sure how Dark Morpheus might get, so be warned. But we all know he wants to be loved.

Quick poll- How dark do we want our soft Morpheus? 

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[teamironmanforever]

You know something I just realized:

Jed couldn't have known anything about the sandman - and yet that is the "hero" he becomes in his dreams, which means that Gault told him about the sandman and portrayed him as a hero.

Jed carries a pouch of sand, he has a ruby at the front of his superhero suit, and knows about the Dreamland. He is a superhero there to protect the dreamers. And how could he have known any of that, about any of Dream's tools, if not for Gault?

Gault took all the things she could visibly see about her master's power, and repurposed them for Jed to feel strong, to feel valuable, so that he could have a purpose. Gault went so far as to give Jed one of Morpheus' most sacred purposes - to keep the dreamers safe.

And, inadvertently, that tells you a whole lot about what Gault thinks of her master deep down because, although she calls him the King of Nightmares when he appears in Jed's dreams (because that is what he is to her, as she is one of the Arcane nightmares and no matter how far she runs he's still her king) she STILL created an image of the sandman for Jed that is good and noble and heroic.

It is the Sandman Gault wishes she could meet, the "Lord of Dreams" part of Morpheus as opposed to the King of Nightmares. It is the Morpheus she sees when she returns as a Dream, and, hopefully, Jed gets to meet that Morpheus too one day.

[charliedawn]

The Dream Whisperer.

Warning : Heavy sadness ahead and no happy ending. Yup. I chose pain..

Dream was watching over his realm and sighed, everything was finally as they should have always been. Both worlds were safe and in dreamland, a peaceful era had begun. He should be happy. And yet..He felt unsatisfied.

There was a miss inside of him, an unexplainable longing for something he didn't even know the name for.

He was now back in his rightful place on his throne with all his subjects tending to their duties and no more vortex to worry about..He still had work. Of course. Dream had no time for distractions. Making dreams and nightmares come to life and building a future for human kind weren't fiddle nor easy things. They took time and effort.

But, he could feel that something was missing.

He had learned about human nature and their world, far more than some of his fellow brothers or sisters might dream to acquire. But, for some reason, he couldn't help but wish for more.

He wished to understand more.

It was the reason for his actual presence near the Dream pond at late hours, watching over the humans he had tried to look over at through their dreams..Failure of an enterprise, as he had learned that watching humans from their dreams alone was no way to really understand them, and he still had so much to learn.

Yet, none of the dreams he had laid his gaze upon until now seemed to enclose the secret of life and humanity.

He finally sighed in defeat after spending more than an hour gazing at the pond below and was about to walk away from it, convinced that there was really nothing he could do to understand better now..but then, his ears caught a sound, a song—more of a humming really. It was so soft and soothing, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the song for a couple of seconds. He was enthralled by the melody and returned to the pond, seeking for the dream the sound was coming from.

His eyes finally caught a light in the water, a shining star among the dark swirls of the dreaming.

He frowned.

There was to be no light in those waters, there were meant to be dark and peaceful, filled with the multitude of wonders enclosed in dreams of different sizes and content. And yet, a light had ignited in its center. A dream. None of them had shone so bright before, calling him back to the pond—like a moth to a flame.

Dream lowered his head and his brow furrowed slightly as an image reflected itself on the flat surface of the dream pond. He knelt on one knee, his chest pressing against his thigh and tilted his head to the side to observe the apparition with keen interest. There was a woman there. A human.

She was tending to different plants and humming to herself..She didn't seem to catch upon her secret watcher, stalking her from the shadows of his realm..

What was that song ? Why did it thrill him so ? What made her dream so special ? To make the pond light her dream golden and bring it out before the king of dreamland ?

He had never seen her before in the lands of the dreaming..He was curious and felt something he hadn't for so long: excitement. Morpheus felt excited.

What a strange feeling..The girl didn't even seem special, standing in her flower shop on her own and waiting for the next customer to arrive with a slight dreamy smile..However, something about her fascinated Morpheus.

Was it her smile ? The way her eyes sparkled with kind myrth ? Or, the simple fact that she had succeeded in capturing his attention ?

He wanted to keep observing that uncommon phenomenon. He wanted to investigate this fascinating anomaly and he reached inside his inner pocket for a small vial and bent down to collect the dream, a simple sample for further studying.

However, the waters started swinging the dream away from Morpheus' reach, as if protecting you from him. He frowned in disapproval at the waters and raised his hand, forcing the waters to bring you back to him. He wouldn't let one of his subjects keep him away from the answer he'd been seeking for so long, that he knew he would find with you.

However, the pond seemed unwilling to give in to its master's order, as it became agitated and one of its wild wave snatched the vial away from him. Morpheus inhaled deeply in frustration and was about to order the pond to stay still when the pond calmed itself on its own.

It then finally brought you back before him and it almost seemed like an invitation.

Morpheus didn't understand..What was the pond trying to tell him ?

He reached tentatively, barely gracing the surface with his fingertips, but it was enough for him to be sucked into the darkness.

He kept falling, being led by the rebellious currents and unable to make them obey.

He couldn't hold onto anything and was forced to step into the privacy of your dreams, which seemed to light up his lake and disturb its usual calm waters.

He landed abruptly in the back of your flower shop and groaned loudly in annoyance before standing up. He looked up and glared at the invisible waters, making sure to tell them he wasn't amused. He silently hoped you hadn't heard him, but luck didn't seem on his side as your voice was heard.

"Hello ?"

He cursed his negligence, as he heard your footsteps growing nearer and knew the pond wouldn't let him come back.

The Dream pond had always been a stubborn and unpredictable force..It didn't want Morpheus to take the sample—for some reason—and he was set firmly on punishing it once home. He wondered what kind of punishment would be best for it ?

However, he didn't have the time to ponder more on the question as he heard the back door open behind him. He didn't want you to see him. He had no choice but to hide behind a rather thick and wild bush of dark flowers placed near the back entrance.

To his misfortune, it happened to be where you were going in the first place and he heard you coming his way, stopping a few inches away from the bushes and making Dream's fury for the pond grow all the more intense.

He was going to send it to the abyss..He was going to let it rot and learn how great a mistake it was to have disobeyed its master..

He felt incredibly humiliated, forced to hide in one of the dreams of his own design because he was afraid he might disrupt whatever peace—or whatever made this dream special—you had created for yourself..Dream wasn't supposed to appear in dreams, unless forced to or in case of an emergency.

He heard your hands shuffling with the different plants in display, as well as your familiar humming while placing some of them on high-end shelves for better sunlight and adding water to some others. He knew he shouldn't look, but he could do nothing else and took a glimpse of your back and noticed how gentle and caring you seemed to be with your plants.

It made Morpheus close his hands into fists and misery bloom in his heart.

Plants had always been the representation of life, and Calliope loved them for it. They were also his son's favorite things. He thought bitterly, remembering their harsh dispute on the day of his departure and the way his heart had stopped beating once the sorrowful news of their beheaded son had reached his ear..He had tried so hard to save him, but had been forced to take his life after years of begging. His son was grateful at the end, but Morpheus had been miserable ever since. His hands tainted with his own son's blood and the flowers who had spurt out the ground at the contact of the droplets of blood, taunting him and refusing him the relief of forgetting. Life wasn't fair.

Life was a lie. His stormy eyes glared daggers at the sun-bathed plants which seemed so beautiful with their warm colors and delicate fragrances that reached and tickled Morpheus' nose..But, he wasn't fooled by their innocent look. He knew of their deviousness.

He wished the flowers would die, and you would feel the same way he did at their sight on that fateful night.

"You know I can see you, right ?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts by your voice and his eyes widened slightly, he hadn't even heard you approaching. You were now standing facing the bush he was hiding behind, your eyes leaving no room for doubt. It seemed his hiding spot wasn't as efficient as he had hoped. But, he could still try to fool you by pretending to be deeply interested in the weird-looking plant he had seeked shelter behind. He stayed silent and you tilted his head quizzically at him, clearly awaiting an answer.

He didn't move an inch. He could play coy. Were you going to believe him ? Were you going to leave him be ? As if you could read his mind, there came your answer.

"Yes. I'm still here. Come on out. Don't be shy.."

He hesitated. You had already spotted him. He couldn't hide there forever and run away would really be an unsuitable behavior—rude of him.

He took a step on the side, then walked forward until he was completely visible to you, and you to him.

He thought you would be angry, assuming him to be a thief or even ask him to leave..But, you only smiled brightly at him.

"Hey there, stranger..That was quite the fall by what I heard. Are you alright ?"

You waited for an answer, one that took him time to think of and produce. He had no idea of what to say. He finally gave you one after a few seconds of inner conflict, emphasizing on the last syllable.

"I am..fine."

Your huge relieved smile took him by surprise and even more when you dared squeeze his bicep out of comfort..It didn't bother him as much as it should have.

"That's good to hear. You know, you shouldn't scare people like that ! I thought you had a broken bone or something..Does it hurt anywhere ?", you looked him up and down worriedly.

He couldn't tell you that no human thing could ever possibly hurt him, so he simply shook his head negatively. He then wondered why you seemed to care so much about his well-being ? Wasn't he a "stranger", as you had called him before ?

"I..apologize. That wasn't my intention.", he surprised himself by his answer..He didn't offer apologies so easily, but you seemed to have some sort of effect on his tongue. He felt as if he could tell you anything..which was something Morpheus wasn't sure he appreciated. He had secrets he wanted to keep to himself.

"That's perfectly alright. I can fall too. In fact, I've fallen quite a few times..", you tried to reassure him and Morpheus frowned, wondering what was the point on trying to make him feel better ? But, he didn't say anything. He didn't wish to extend on the subject more than necessary. He even wondered if he should just walk away and leave the shop without a word.

However, he found himself mesmerized by your golden eyes..You weren't another one of Desire's unwanted offspring, were you ? He didn't want to deal with that again.

"So..You like them ?"

The question took him off guard and it took a moment for him to realize that you were referring to the dark flowers he had unsuccessfully seeked refuge behind. He stared at it for a few seconds before reaching forward tentatively with the tips of his slender fingers, caressing one of the flowers with unlikely gentleness. It surprised him to find the smooth texture, even though covered with prickly leaves..He had seen that plant before, in many dreams. But, it was usually a bright and cheerful color that his eyes couldn't behold more than a few seconds, too much of a reminder of the ones he lost..But, like this ? They didn't look as powerful and majestic as other people imagined them to be; those flowers looked weak, bleak and vulnerable. He never thought of actually touching one before and found the experience not so disagreeable as he thought it would be.

"I..do not dislike them ?", he offered with uncertainty.

You smiled knowingly, but didn't say anything, letting the stranger marvel at the Calla Lillies. They were the last ones of the season. Christmas was not such a long time away and you had decided to make a couple of new requests before the season was over, but an error of shipment had lead those beauties being transported here with them. You didn't have the heart to tell the carrier to take them to the shredder and had decided to keep them. But, as no one had had any reason to buy dark flowers lately, the bush was withering away in your backyard. It was sad, but you had no choice. Or, so you thought..Your eyes glanced back at the stranger who had been hiding behind it and found him a funny ressemblance to them with his disheveled black hair, all-dark attire and lost-in-thought expression..He looked sad somehow.

Then, an idea sparked in your head.

"Say..I was gonna throw it anyway. But, I'm sure it would be better off with you. You seem like someone who needs a good house plant, and that little bush needs a home. So, what do you say ?", you asked with a large hopeful smile, already celebrating your victory, until Morpheus' expression soured and he seemed sheepish all of a sudden.

"I would..if I could. But..I'm afraid I have no money to pay you ?"

It wasn't true. He could conjure money out of thin air, and you would never suspect anything. But, flowers like these wouldn't be able to survive in his realm, he had no intention to provoke the death of these creatures..

But, his eyes trailed back to the bush for a few more seconds and a flicker of regret or guilt was noticed in his eyes, even though he would never admit it. He seemed truly sorry for them. It was enough for you to make the next decision.

"No need. As I said before, you would be making me a favor. Besides, you can call it an investment. I'll give you the bush, and it'll give you a reason to come back, will it not ?", you winked at him cheekily and Morpheus' eyes widened slightly. His dumbfounded expression surprised you, it was as if he was expecting you to kick him out of your shop without a second thought. And, he confirmed that by asking hesitantly.

"You..would like me to come back ?"

He seemed so unsure and lost as to your intentions, but you only shrugged and nodded affirmatively.

"Sure. It is a little weird that you hid in my backyard when I wanted to check on you, but people can have surprising reactions when confronted with unexpected situations."

You were so accepting..It baffled Morpheus. You were disregarding all notions of self-preservation to stay polite and welcoming..even though he had trespassed on your territory—and on your dream.

"Why..Are you being so nice ?", the question came past his lips before he had the chance to truly reflect on it, wary of your true intents..

You wanted to answer, but only one thought remained on your mind as you looked at the man who—you only seemed to realize now—was wearing only black..He was devoid of any color and as the passionate florist you were—you had to remedy to it immediately.

You took one of the red roses nearby and before he could protest, you pinned it to his breast pocket with a proud smile.

"Here you go. All better. And to answer your question ? You don't seem like a bad man, and I try not to judge a person on the first impression. Come by whenever you want, even by the back door. Deal ?"

You extended your hand forward with a wide smile to make him understand you weren't mad and Morpheus stared at your hand for several seconds before finally shaking it. His hand was cold and his skin was so pale you could see the little blue veins traveling along his forearm.

He was startlingly and uncannily surreal and your curiosity was peeking its head into your mind. You wanted to know how this stranger had landed in your backyard and why he had decided to hide rather than just say hello.

But, you knew better than to pry on the stranger's whereabouts just yet. He seemed shaken enough.

He would be back. You were sure of it..at least for the bush of Calla Lillies.

You then walked away and left Morpheus there, staring at you until you had disappeared back inside the shop. He then looked back at the bush with a thoughtful expression.

His first human gift.

He had had plenty of lovers before, but none of them thought the great king of the Dreaming needed anything from them. And, he didn't. But, you had still given him this one without a second thought..It would be considered rude not to accept it.

The next morning, you would find your bush missing..taken away by the mysterious stranger. No doubt.

A few days later :

Morpheus was sitting on his throne, deep in thought as he was debating whether to punish the Dream pond, or thank it for the meeting.

He was twirling the red rose between his fingers while staring at the bush—which had surprisingly survived—thinking of you..He had accepted them, but was now regretting his decision.

He had lost his love for those plants long ago..They were mere decoys, a possible reason to see you again.

He had no idea why, but your presence soothed him. He was convinced your presence was primordial for him to understand human nature.

He suddenly rose to his feet and walked back to the pond, leaning down and demanded with a voice that left no room for discussion.

"Show me the girl.."

And the pond indulged without resistance. It had learned its lesson and knew Morpheus wouldn't accept no for an answer..

You appeared and Morpheus crouched to get a better look at you..You were smiling and laughing with a customer. Your dreams were so simple..So pure..Most humans dreamt of love, fame, riches..You dreamt of your everyday life and seemed satisfied with it.

He had tried to dig up information on you, but unsuccessfully. He had no name and hadn't asked for it. He had been imprisoned for more than a century, you were no older than a new-born to him. Besides, some of the new books were taking time being restored to their initial state, and Morpheus didn't want to ask for help in his seeking for the mysterious flower girl. The Dream pond had shown you for a reason. What he couldn't understand was, why now ?

It was unnerving..He hesitated presenting himself to you again. Would you mind ?

He was so deep in thought, he failed to hear the tell-tale sound of rapid and distinctive footsteps behind him. He didn't notice Lucienne, until she was right beside him, staring down at the figure in the water.

"Who is she, my lord ?", she tilted her head curiously, examining your features and finding a strange familiarity she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"A little flower girl..One that the dream pond keeps showing me."

She hummed understandingly and furrowed her brow in concentration, trying to remember where she had seen the girl before. And suddenly, her eyes lit up in recognition.

"Y/N. Y/N L/N. The girl whose dream came true.."

Morpheus looked up at the librarian with a slight frown of incomprehension and Lucienne sighed before taking off her glasses and cleaning them mechanically, trying to sound nonchalant as she explained.

"A few years ago, Y/N was a little girl passionate about flowers and dreamt quite a lot. Her parents believed she should forget her dream. But, she decided to follow her heart. She became a florist. She then stopped dreaming, because she had nothing left to dream for..She had everything she wanted."

Morpheus tried not to think back bitterly of all the years he had missed and glanced down at your face once more, believing you had the answer. An answer to all his questions.

"Y/N..", he mused thoughtfully and was glad to finally be able to put a name on the face.

The story had an happy ending, and he smiled proudly at you—at your reflection—only to realize.

You were one of the accomplished. The people who didn't need to dream..the people who didn't need him. Then, why did the pond show you to him ?

"Then, why is she dreaming now ?", he asked to no one in particular, but Lucienne still provided an answer.

"Maybe there is still something she wants after all ?"

He had to admit it was making sense, but what was the thing she wanted ? She was still surrounded by her flowers..her heart was genuine and she seemed truly happy.

It didn't make sense.

Lucienne seemed to pick up on her lord's perplexity and returned her eyes on you with a slight worried frown. She had been there for your first dream and your last..However, she hadn't even thought of what it would feel like for Morpheus who had missed both. Morpheus wasn't as connected to the humans of this era than he used to be with the others, and she had forgotten to mention something very important which had happened during his leave..

"Y/N. I remember she loved to dream. It took a long time for us to pierce through her, but she succeeded in seducing most residents here. Dreams and Nightmares alike. Her mind was so full of imagination. She kept having the most terrifying nightmares, but her nightmares were nothing compared to her dreams. Her dreams were wonderful, so full of colors. Our own little Wonderland. Dreams and Nightmares doubled efforts to make the best for her, and she loved them all..until for some unknown reason, she stopped dreaming altogether."

Morpheus didn't say anything, he listened carefully and frowned slightly at the abrupt end. Fervent dreamers rarely stopped dreaming so suddenly. He fixed you, picking up on your every twitch or slight change in expression. What had happened to you ?

Morpheus was now doubtful about the true reason behind your lack of dreams and then, a thought crossed his mind as to what to make of himself, being pulled in your dreams.

Was he your dream, or your nightmare ?

He gestured for Lucienne to leave him some time and Lucienne agreed, taking her leave from her lord. However, she was still confused as to his sudden interest in Y/N ?

She would never admit it, but Y/N was the one particular little mistake Lucienne didn't want Morpheus to find out about, but she should have known the dream pond would try to act against her.

Lucienne hadn't been completely truthful with Morpheus. She had confessed that the girl had a lot of dreams, she hadn't mentioned the fact that her dreams used to be so complicated that they influenced the dreams taking care of her. Those particular dreams being Gault and Fiddler's Green, even the Corinthian had visited her once.

The same ones that had only became wilder and borderline chaotic at the end.

She would try to befriend them all and never break into tears, or lose her smile. No matter how horrific the nightmare turned out to be..No matter what they thought of, she would always see right through them and eventually even advised the dreams as to how to get better at their job.

She used to laugh at nightmares and get disappointed at dreams.

Dreams and Nightmares alike would become confused and intrigued by her. The Corinthian, thrilled by the idea of a challenge, even tried to spook her and find a weakness.

She didn't blink at the Corinthian's usual antics, but could still see him for who he truly was. Lucienne remembered it like it was yesterday, the last dream of Y/N before she took the decision of banning her forever..

Flashback :

"Aren't you scared of me ?", the Corinthian once asked you as you were both walking side by side in your street.

"Why would I be afraid of a friend ?", you replied confidently and the Corinthian's brow furrowed at the familiar, but also so foreign word.

"A..friend ? You humans use this term a lot around one another. What is it ?", he asked and you smiled knowingly at him before answering him.

"Someone who likes spending time in my company, and I his."

He arched one eyebrow at you and scoffed.

"You dare suppose I like spending time in the company of a mortal like you ?"

You ignored the way he hissed the last word and the way your heart ached a little at the clear disdain, but you still nodded.

"I do. Or else, why would you be spending so much time in my company ? It's been weeks, and you've not yet made another attempt to scare me..It must mean something."

The Corinthian opened his mouth to deny, but he then started pondering on your words and the way you were holding onto his hand affectionately. He found himself enjoying the intimate touch far more than he was willing to admit.

He finally smiled and found amusement in the way that a simple woman had seemed to prove that everything he—everything Morpheus—believed in was false. He was always the rebel, but until now, he thought it was a default in his nature, a mistake in his creation that pushed him to act this way. But now, he realized there was nothing wrong with him. He just needed to see it through your eyes..

He turned his head to yours and wondered if stealing your eyes would finally bring him satisfaction..He raised his hand to cup your cheek and marveled at the way you seemed to relieve in the simple touch.

He then decided—for the first time in forever—that he wouldn't take them away, that he strangely liked them the way they were..

He rested his arm back by his side and smiled before chuckling at the strange word.

"A friend..I think I like this word."

You smiled back.

A nightmare like him had never been called that before, it was new and it rolled out funny on his tongue. Funny, but not unpleasant.

His fingers unconsciously squeezed your hand a little tighter.

The next time he came to visit you in your dreams, he didn't find you and entered into a blind unspeakable rage at the sight of the familiar seal, the one which prevented dreams and nightmares to enter your dreams or even approach you in the real world. You were banished, and he had lost his only friend.

The Corinthian went on a killing spree that night..

End of flashback :

Lucienne shuddered at the thought of what the Corinthian had done, what he had been willing to do to find you. He had tried to threaten her even, but there was nothing she could have done. Only an Endless had the power to break another one's seal..It was too powerful.

But, she had no choice.

You were the reason for most of the dreams gone rogue.

Fiddler's Green, Gault and even the Corinthian had seeked your advice, and all of them had ran away.

You had no bound, and it was for this reason you had been banned from the land of the dreaming. However, as Lucienne wasn't an Endless herself, she didn't have the choice but to ask someone else to close the gates for her.

And there came her biggest mistake.

She had asked Desire to close the gates for her, to seal you away from the land of the dreaming.

But, for some reason, the return of lord Morpheus had weakened or even broken the seal on your dreams.

The dream pond had never approved of her decision, and she was now paying the price for her own recklessness.

She would have to remedy to the situation, one way or another..She just hoped she could before her lord did.

"Matthew.."

The bird let out a surprised croak when Lucienne called him before flying down. He bowed his head respectfully, hoping Lucienne hadn't picked up on his uneasiness, but the librarian didn't even look at him, her brow furrowed in slight worry.

"I want to be notified of lord Morpheus' whereabouts and if he makes any further attempt to make contact with Y/N. Can you do this for me ?"

Matthew opened his beak to protest, but thought about Y/N. If lord Morpheus knew she was the reason for the three rogue nightmares, what would he do ?

"Understood", he finally obliged and Lucienne nodded courtly.

She wouldn't let lord Morpheus get influenced by you, she wouldn't let him give up on the dreaming.

A few days later :

He appeared in your dreams again, this time with purpose as Lucienne's words intrigued him further as to the reason he had been sucked into your dreams. Morpheus was feeling pulled in, and even though he was sure you weren't a vortex, he still knew there was something unnatural about it. This connection. He had to discover the truth. What had happened during his time away ? He bravely raised his hand in the air to knock at your back door.

But at the end, he halted.

He was hesitating. What if your invitation had only been a joke ? A way for him to leave without being offended ? Besides, how was he supposed to find out about your dreams without you suspecting anything ? He wouldn't trust you without being sure of your innocence and that you were harmless to his realm.

He stayed there for a while and was about to turn around and leave when the door flew open.

And there you stood.

You stopped dead in your tracks at the unsuspected apparition and the same surprise was to be found in both of your eyes. However, Morpheus quickly regained his unexpressive facial expression and lowered his arm slowly.

Surprise left place to a joyous and welcoming smile on your face.

"Hello there. Fancy seeing you here again..You do like my back door, don't you ?", you asked with a small taunting smile and your eyes filled with amused myrth.

He didn't answer and you looked around, wondering if he was alone before standing aside. It was snowing, and you wouldn't let him have a cold on your behalf.

"What are you still doing standing there in the cold ? Come in."

He remained still and silent, hesitating. He then glanced down at the 'Welcome' carpet on the floor and found it matched your attitude. You noticed his hesitancy and opened the back door a little wider, gesturing for him to follow you.

"I don't usually invite potential customers through the back door but..Come on in. Don't worry. Warm yourself up and we can talk. I'd be glad for the company ?"

He opened his mouth to deny, but closed it when he saw you were already inside. You looked once more at the door you had left ajar for him and he had to admit being tempted. A wordless invitation.

'A mere conversation, for further research. Nothing more.', he tried to convince himself more than anyone else as he took his first step in the flower shop.

You walked to the counter and went behind it to rest your elbow and put one fist under your chin and the other on your hip with a small smile.

"So, what will it be this time, stranger ?"

He opened his mouth to address all the questions he had for you, about your dreams, about you, about him, about everything that he didn't understand..But instead, he said something else.

"I was wondering if..", he paused and reconsidered, "I..would like flowers. Please."

Your eyes widened in surprise. You clearly didn't expect it. You bit down on your lower lip—stifling a laugh—and only nodded before leaning back and presenting the flowers all around you with a wide gesture of your hand.

"Very well, stranger..What kind ?"

The way that man looked around, lost and confused at all the different types of flowers and was almost screaming for help, was enough to make you restrain a giggle at his obvious struggle.

The man had no idea of what he was doing and had probably never set foot in a flower shop before in his life..

You decided to take pity on him and help him by asking more questions.

"What type ? Do you have a preference ?"

Who is it for ?, crossed your mind. But, you didn't want the stranger to run away, having already made a huge effort to even enter your flower shop.

He nodded absent-mindedly, looking at all the possibilities and trying to pick one.

"Dark ones, if possible ?", he finally answered and you really struggled to keep on a straight face. People usually asked for red, yellow or even white flowers. 'Dark flowers' weren't that popular, and you had always find it a shame..But now, it seemed you had formed an adept.

"Dark ones..I see..Maybe, 'Black Beauty' pansies ?"

The look of utter loss he gave you—even though trying not to show his ignorance on the subject—was hilarious.

You searched for the flowers and showed them to him. The only affirmation you got was a slight court nod. However, he did look over your shoulder to look at you work and supervise it. It gave you a clue on what he might be doing for a living..Maybe, was he a big boss in some of the local businesses ? Was he in the pharmaceutical industry ? He didn't seem very sociable or talkative..No. It didn't suit him. You would put your bet on it had something to do with computers, or something you could do from an office..

You then saw his eyes wander to the different paper wraps present and they lingered on the purple one and the bright yellow ribbon reel.

You smiled to yourself and even though he hadn't voiced his preferences out loud, you decided to take the initiative. You had the feeling if you had waited for the stranger to speak, you would have waited a long while..

As you were wrapping the flowers in light purple paper wrap and closed it with a nice little yellow ribbon, you allowed yourself to glance up at him and ask with a small amused smile.

"Has anyone ever told you how funny you are, stranger ?"

Dream squinted his eyes suspiciously at you, trying to decipher if you were being truthful, or mocking him ? But, your eyes revealed only genuine kindness which pierced right through Dream's heart as a Cupid's arrow..But, in his case, it hurt and left him breathless. He placed his hand above his heart and squeezed the fabric above his heart, lightly tracing the shape of the rose you had pinned to his breast pocket to calm his racing heart.

"I..don't think anyone has.", he finally muttered begrudgingly and you gave him a knowing smile before handing him the pot.

"Well, I am glad to be the first. You—my friend—are a very funny creature."

He took a couple of seconds before taking the flowers and leaving money in your hand, money you would find in your wallet the next day.

Back into the Dream world :

The pansies had joined his bush of Calla Lillies in his throne room..He thought about your conversation and found himself having more questions than answers.

It wasn't enough. He thought about your dreams, they were never outside that flower shop of yours..Did it have a meaning ?

His eyes landed on the flowers and he frowned a little at them, finding a touch of color there..In the middle of that gathering stood a lonesome yellow pansy, one he hadn't noticed until now..It stood out like a sore thumb and Morpheus couldn't help but be convinced you had done it on purpose. A bright flower among the darkness of his own being.

He plucked out the yellow flower and instead of throwing it away, he carefully put it aside with the rose you had given him. He wanted to keep them. They made him think of you.

Merely two days later, he went to see you again. And he used the main entrance this time around.

When you heard the door bell ring, you put on a smile, ready to greet the new customer and your eyes filled with delight when your favorite stranger stopped in front of you.

For some reason, you knew he would be back.

"Let me guess..You want dark flowers ? Again ?"

He looked away sheepishly and nodded once in confirmation.

And to his utter surprise, you laughed. His face snapped back to you and you tried to stop before taking out something you had been hiding under the counter—just in case.

"Here. Black Cat petunias. Actually, they made me think of you and I had the impression you would be coming back.."

He nodded wordlessly before taking the already-wrapped up package, brushing his fingers with yours..They were softer than anticipated, but also calloused from the many thorns, planting and unplanting of the various flowers in soils.

His eyes glanced down and caught sight of the—once again—bright sunflower standing among his usual dark bouquet. He didn't comment on it. He only put the money of the counter and turned away, a smile drawing on his lips as he stepped outside and tenderly brushed the petals with his fingertips.

He was now convinced they had a meaning. A hidden meaning he was to uncover.

He spent his night near the pond, repeating your dream of the night over and over again, just to hear your laugh once more.

Oh..What a beautiful sound..He closed his eyes again and held the sunflower—the new addition—closer to his chest, unwilling to let go.

Your laugh sounded like music to his ears and he closed his eyes, enjoying the purity of it. He had heard millions and millions of different laughs before, all different and unique..but, he had never heard a laugh quite like hers. It sent shivers down his spine and made him want to make you laugh even more.

Soon enough, his whole throne room was full of dark flowers of different kinds and his secret collection of your bright additions would only grow in days following until it was a big gathering of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, purple...

It made him dizzy, but in all the right ways. It was his favorite.

He had all those dark flowers, and each one was precious, but it was your doing to add that little and simple touch of color. It was like discovering a dream among nightmares. They were special.

Morpheus returned as many times as he could—and you were always happy to see him. However, he knew this little game couldn't last forever. There were so many dark flowers one could find in a flower shop.

"Do you have a crush on me or something ?", you asked teasingly with a wink and a wide grin when he came back for the 12th time, "Because I have to say that coming here, five days in a row, for flowers ? That is hilarious to me..Besides, I'm running low on dark flowers for you, 'your majesty'."

He stiffened at the appellation, but you didn't take notice and proceeded to go along with the plan of bringing the stranger to share a bit more about himself.

"So..If not me, anybody you are seeing right now ?", you attempted and immediately wanted to slap yourself for how desperate you sounded. But, you missed Morpheus' half-smile before he answered.

"No..Not at the moment."

You restrained yourself from letting out a sigh of relief at the man's answer before finding your cheerful smile again.

"That's..unfortunate. I don't know if you have any plans for New Year's Eve but..Would you like to come by ?"

He slanted his head slightly and your smile faltered a little at his thoughtful expression. Was he busy ? Had you read all the signs wrong ? Damn. Maybe, he already had plans ? You opened your mouth to take the invitation back, or cancel the whole thing..But, Morpheus cut you off.

"That..would be lovely. Thank you."

Morpheus hesitated because New Year's Eve was one of his most busy days of the year. So many children and adults alike dreaming of presents, good resolutions, lots of merriment..But, he could ask Lucienne to take over for a few hours. He had promised to rely more on her anyways and even though he didn't celebrate New Year's Eve, he had to admit he was curious.

And for the fifth time this week, he bought you flowers.

A few days later :

He appeared in front of your shop and even though he knew the way by heart by now, he took his time walking to your front door.

He then realized, he had never actually crossed your front step before, not even in the flower shop—that happened to be next to your home.

"Well..Looks like the boogeyman came early this year.", you tried to joke, but Morpheus only stood there, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"You're not much of a talker, are you ?"

You finally laughed it off and stepped aside to let him in. He hummed affirmatively while looking around curiously at your humble abode and you smiled.

"That's fine. I've been told I can talk for two."

"That. I have noticed.", he observed and your eyes widened.

"Did you just sass me ?!", you gaped at him and Morpheus glanced at you from the corner of his eye with one of his mysterious signature smiles.

"Perhaps."

You laughed.

"See ?! I knew there was a funny side to you !"

He arched a skeptical eyebrow at you before finally entering and was surprised to find your main room all lit up and as festive as some of children's dreams are..You had really outdone yourself.

The awe in his gaze was enough to make you giddy, happy to have impressed him. You wanted him to be..It would make your later difficult request easier..

"I didn't really know what you liked so..I made chocolate cake ?", you suggested with your hands in your pockets, rocking back and forth on the balls of your feet anxiously..

Morpheus nodded in appreciation and you smiled. At least, he liked cake. That was good news.

You went to the kitchen to retrieve the cake and you finally both seated in front of each other, Morpheus staring at the slice on his plate and taking a tentative bite.

You smiled at the man's barely hidden delight, his eyes widening slightly at the rich taste.

You started digging eagerly into your plate too...until he asked you a question.

"You called me funny..How did you come to that conclusion ?", he suddenly asked and the question took you by surprise.

Why did you find him funny ?

Truth is..You didn't know yourself. You just felt good around him and some of his antics were just too strange to not be funny..You only smiled absent-mindedly before replying with a light shrug.

"I don't know Morpheus. Maybe, there is just no real reason behind it.."

You felt him tense up beside you and in an instant, all warmth left the room and you realized you had committed a huge mistake.

"I never told you my name."

You closed you eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Welp, the cat was out of the bag..You turned towards him with a small apologetic smile. You hadn't meant for him to find out this way..

"It wasn't that difficult to figure it out, Dream of the Endless..Did you really think I wouldn't notice that the kind and gorgeous gentleman only appeared when I fell asleep and disappeared upon my awakening ? I seeked to earn an audience with you for quite some time, but never succeeded..until you entered my shop."

Morpheus felt anger build up in his chest..Of course. Of course you would be another one of those who wished for a favor. One of the greedy. You wouldn't be spending time with him otherwise. At least, now he knew. There wasn't any decent human being willing to stay in his company without ulterior motives.

But, he had to hear it. He knew he would probably deny it, but he still had to hear it.

"What is your wish then ?", he questioned and you lowered your eyes and bit your lower lip guiltily before admitting.

"I just..want to dream again. That is my wish. That has always been my wish. I stopped after your brother banished me and had to face harsh reality with no escape, nothing to look forward to..I was miserable..I still am.", you confessed almost shamefully, looking away and your eyes brimmed with tears.

How pathetic must you sound to him right now ?

Morpheus' anger faded into sad understanding..He had been cut off from the Dreaming once before. A pain. Pain that turned to incomprehension as he thought of Desire, stepping into his realm to banish you without his consent.

"Why ? Why did my brother banish you ?", he inquired and you shrugged.

"I do not know. I used to be a guest in Dream land. I used to have friends there. How are Gault, Fiddler's Green and that dear Corinthian doing ? I hope they are well..I miss them.", you drawled and your eyes seemed to seek his for confirmation.

He looked away.

"Fiddler's Green is back to his rightful place, Gault is finally who she wanted to be and the Corinthian..", he paused and felt conflicted as to what your reaction would be, "..is gone. The Corinthian is gone."

You froze at the news and memories of the Corinthian came back to you as the information settled in.

"Wait..What do you mean 'gone' ? How ?", you asked, shocked and confused as to how a nightmare had simply been wiped out..

Morpheus considered lying to you, but it would lower himself to your level..He still hadn't forgiven you for your hidden truth.

"I disposed of him.."

The coldness in his voice took you by surprise. The Corinthian didn't deserve it..He only wanted to feel human. You could see he wasn't a bad soul and had actually enjoyed his company. He just needed to be guided. But, Morpheus was making it sound like he wasn't another fragile creature with feelings, but a simple..

"He was a failure.", he cut your thoughts and you closed your hands into fists.

It took you both by surprise when you suddenly stood up and punched him.

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT ?! HE WAS MY FRIEND !", you shouted indignantly. You couldn't believe Morpheus' merciless nature and raised your hand to punch him again, but he didn't let you.

He grabbed your arms before you could hit him again and forced you to look up at him, his eyes staring right at you with he jaw tightly clenched. You stopped struggling and your throat tightened as you found yourself trapped in those two dark blue pools of his.

Suddenly, realization hit you as your eyes fell on Morpheus' cheek which was red..You punched Dream, and he felt it. Morpheus had felt it..You were left speechless. How was it possible ? You could hurt him. Morpheus didn't like it.

You thought he would leave right away, but he only tightened his grip on you and leaned forward to whisper in your ear.

"You want to dream, little flower girl ? Fine. I'll let you dream.."

You snapped your head up at him and in a matter of seconds, Dream could see a series of emotions crossing your face: surprise, guilt and finally...hope. But, it didn't last long as he sneered unforgivingly.

"...Just as soon as I will have discovered exactly what you are.."

Your eyes widened as he disappeared, leaving you behind..The door bell rang just at that moment and your frowned, wondering if Morpheus had decided to come back after all..But was surprised to find someone else standing there.

"Hello, miss Y/N. Sorry to be bothering you, but my name is Lucienne and we need to talk urgently.."

You hesitated for a second before stepping aside, letting another stranger enter your home that night.

In the land of Desire :

Desire was waiting. He had been informed of Dream's arrival and smiled when he felt his brother's presence behind him.

"My dear brother ! I knew it was only a matter of time before you would come visit me..Afterall, you knew you couldn't hide any desire from me..Right ? Tsk..Poor girl. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost."

"What did you do, Desire ?", Morpheus interrupted him, anger bubbling in his chest as he knew his brother was enjoying the situation immensely.

Desire took an exaggerated shocked expression, resting his hand flat upon his chest in mock offense.

"Me ? Why..Nothing, dear brother of mine. I just saved your realm..You're welcome by the way !"

Morpheus gritted his teeth in irritation at Desire's purposefully enigmatic words before standing behind him and forcing his head back.

"I have no time for your games..I want an answer. Tell me. Why did you seal her away from the lands of the dreaming without my authorization ? Why did everyone else even allow it ?"

Desire could feel his brother's patience wearing thin and tilted his head back further to give him a big Cheshire grin.

"My poor naive little brother..She played you like a fiddle. And, you didn't even suspect a thing..", Desire pauses for a second to emphasize the dramatic effect of what his revelation he knew would provoke, "She's a Dream Whisperer."

Morpheus bolted backwards—as if struck by lightning—his eyes uncharacteristically widened in shock and heart beating widely in his chest..Dream whisperer. He hadn't heard that term since the beginning of the Dark Ages. The Dream Piper, as they used to call him, had succeeded in making some of his creations obey him and had created great discord in the land of the dreaming..He had lured in children into his clutches and it had taken him a long time to repear the damage done by the malefic being. But, there was nothing he could have for his dear dreams, as his own creations had been enchanted and wouldn't respond to his commands. He had been forced to destroy them and rebuild them anew. The true reason behind the creation of Fiddler's Green and the Corinthian. But now, he had to deal with you. The one being he wished he could give everything to, even the keys to his own realm.

Desire knew perfectly of his inner struggle and laughed, throwing his head back and moving his legs up and down at Morpheus' despair.

"Your face ! Priceless ! And to think you had to learn it from me, and not your dear trusted librarian !", he exclaimed with a smile splitting up his face and Morpheus' nostril flared once in rage and then, the true meaning behind Desire's words set on.

Morpheus' eyes stared down at his hands, knowing the answer before even asking the question.

"What do you mean ?"

Desire idly rolled his neck to look at Morpheus, already dying from the inside at the revelation and he couldn't wait to see him crumble completely at the news of his closest advisor's betrayal.

"Why..Lucienne knew of course ! She was the one who came to beg me so prettily for my aid that I so gratiously offered ! As you were away and a little trapped in your snow globe.."

Desire had struck him in the heart two times. He wouldn't stay around for another blow.

He knew what he had to do, no matter how painful the decision would be..

"Good luck, Morpheus !"

Desire laughed behind him and he didn't dignify him with an answer before teleporting back to your residence.

Back to the human world :

Morpheus came back and just at that moment, you and Lucienne exited the house.

However, Morpheus immediately felt that something was wrong..Lucienne wasn't looking at him and you seemed drained..When Lucienne looked up at him, it sent a shiver down his spine as her eyes were completely blank and filled with silver. He had only once seen that phenomenon. The Dream Piper.

He looked at the flowers in your hands and immediately knew..He had always thought that there was some hidden mistery behind the colorful flowers you kept hiding in his bouquets.

He had thought them endearing at first, but could now see that the truth was far more sinister.

As the Dream Piper's power resided in his flute, yours resided in your flowers..

You had seeked to take control of him, to manipulate him..He had been a fool.

However, he didn't have the time to ponder more on his mistakes as you raised your hand and Lucienne stood up straight, tears streaming down her eyes as she uttered weakly.

"I'm sorry..my lord..I tried."

Morpheus knew he had every right to let Lucienne take the fall for her mistake..She had failed to warn him about you and worse, had tried to hide you from him.

But, something in him remained that still cared about the librarian and knew she only wanted to help him. She was one of his most precious creations and he wasn't about to abandon her.

He didn't want to hurt her either.

But, Lucienne suddenly charged at him and he was afraid he might not have a choice in the matter. She almost succeeded in tackling him to the ground, but he stepped aside just in time. However, he didn't plan on you, physically and unexpectedly attacking him from behind.

You reached for a dagger in your pocket and held it up against his throat. He froze. He knew you could hurt him, and his Adam apple bobbed up and down in dread as he felt the dagger dig into his skin. He closed his eyes. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to leave all those souls behind..but, he still felt that dying by your hand was better than dying alone.

However, he didn't feel the dagger pierce his skin or see his sister appear. The dagger clattered to the floor.

He opened his eyes once more and found you on the floor..He didn't understand until he saw Cain and Matthew standing next to you, the first one with another knife in hand.

He opened his mouth to say something when a loud cough interrupted him and he looked down to see you crying.

"It's not fair..I just wanted to dream..", you cried out, blood dripping down your chin.

Morpheus knelt beside you and gently stroked your cheek tenderly.

"I know. You have suffered enough..", he affirmed and you couldn't stop the tears from streaming down your face, looking up at Morpheus.

"I'm..scared.", you confessed tearfully and Morpheus pressed his forehead against yours as a gesture of comfort.

"Don't be..It will all be over soon. And you will dream..You will dream forever."

He could see the sorrow he had caused you. He also thought of Desire who had played you like a pawn in their little fraternal rivalry from the start. His siblings and so many enemies who would take any opportunity to harm him..He couldn't let them hurt you. And most importantly, he couldn't let himself hurt you. Again.

It was time to say goodbye.

He grabbed a handful of sand and blew it in your face, but the sensation was oddly soothing.

"I'm sorry. I never intended to hurt you. I just wanted to dream.", you uttered apologetically—your eyelids suddenly feeling heavy—already knowing the fate that would be yours.

You wouldn't depart without making things right with him. You had never meant to hurt him..

"And I thought you would be the one to cure my loneliness..", he replied with the same sadness in his voice, gently stroking the crown of your hair with his thumb affectionately.

"Say..I did put up a good fight, right ?", you asked with a small hopeful smile in his direction.

Morpheus let out a soft chuckle and you realized..It was the first time you had ever heard him laugh..It was beautiful.

"You did..I almost lost.", he agreed with a matching smile on his face and you held his hand, feeling that your end was near..

"I knew you were funny..", were your final words.

Morpheus and you smiled at each other through your tears at the cruel joke of Fate only the two of you could understand. You leaned forward and Morpheus met you halfway. Morpheus closed his eyes and found the sensation rather pleasant and terribly short. It was like kissing a rose petal..Ephemeral and gone with the wind in an instant.

When he opened his eyes..You were gone.

Goodbye, my dear flower girl..

He threw the flowers he had been meaning to offer you at New Year's Eve in the air—his collection—filling the Dreaming with their scents. Sand and flowers were never meant to be, he supposed..

Lucienne was back to normal and quickly understood the situation when she saw Morpheus' face..She opened her mouth to apologize, but reconsidered.

When Lucienne seeked to approach to give him physical comfort instead and check on him, he raised his hand authoratively and shook his head negatively.

"Don't."

Lucienne obliged and turned around, leaving lord Morpheus alone and bringing Cain and Matthew back with her.

Once he was sure no one was there anymore, Morpheus broke into tears..

He knew he could never hold onto anyone. And still, he had tried. But, lesson learned.

..Delicate flowers didn't mix with the harshness of sand.

---------------------------------------------------

When you woke up, your eyes snapped open and you sat up straight in your bed. You then frowned in confusion as you looked around, momentarily lost as to your location.

However, you relaxed when you recognized the safety of your bedroom and sighed before leaning back down.

You had never slept so well.

However, you then felt something wet rolling down your cheek and raised your hand, only to realize it was a tear..

You had dreamt. You were sure of it.

But, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't remember it.

Only one thing was certain; it had been a wonderful dream..

[grangerlamont]

Granger Lamont Back story

Mythology often personifies aspects of nature and life, transferring these elements into gods. It should be no surprise then that our state of repose – something we do for a third of our life – is no exception. In the Greek world, the god of dreams was Morpheus and in some stories and fables he is also associated with sleep or unconsciousness.

He was the son of the god of Sleep, Hypnos, and his mother was Pasithea, the goddess of relaxation but also paradoxically of hallucinations. Moreover, his grandmother was Nyx, the fearsome deity of Night. All of these ‘gods’ contribute and culminate in the characteristics that we associate with dreaming.

Morpheus: The Dream-maker

Hypnos had many children, but he selected Morpheus to be the god of Dreams because of his uncanny ability to assume forms and mimic living beings.

Morpheus was assisted by the Oneiroi (Greek for Dreams) who were all his brothers. They helped him to create the dreams of humans. One sibling, Icelus, made the dreams seem real, while another, Phobetor, was responsible for phobic or terrifying dreams. Then Phantasus, the third brother, created fantastic and surreal dreams. Morpheus was their leader. As a result, he ensured that he alone oversaw the dreams of monarchs and heroes. Moreover, he could even appear to the Gods in Olympus. Unlike his brothers, all of Morpheus’ dreams were true and many prophetic.

Morpheus is derived from the Greek for ‘form’ or ‘shape’. He came to people in sleep and assumed the forms that people dreamt. Morpheus was an artist of dreams, he could shape images and visions and make them seem alive. He could perfectly imitate a person, their voice, their walk, mannerism, and moods. There was one limitation to Morpheus; he could only transform himself into a male figure.

The Ancient Greeks had a saying regarding the ‘arms of Morpheus’. When in the embrace of the god, an individual would enjoy deep, peaceful sleep; they would also dream. These were dreams about the future and upcoming events.

Morpheus did not merely make people dream of simple and everyday things. He was doing so much more. Morpheus was a messenger of the gods and he was transmitting, through dreams, messages from the divinities. The Greeks, and later the Romans, believed that many dreams were portents and omens. As a result, the god of dreams was a very important figure in the classical world and was highly revered.

Messenger of the Gods.

Morpheus was a winged being. He had two wings on his back that allowed him to travel great distances and at great speed. This allowed him to visit so many bedrooms at night. These wings were a gift from his uncle, Thanthos, the god of Death and one of the most powerful of all the ancient deities. Some Greeks believed that Morpheus was possibly a messenger of death and that he could appear to predict the death of a person.

The god of dreams was very protective of his family. His father, the god of sleep, enjoyed tricking Zeus, which meant he often incurred the wrath of the king of gods. Morpheus would carry Hypnos to safety to a place known to the Greeks as the Dream World.

Dreamworld

The Dream World of Morpheus

The place where Morpheus and his family lived was known as the Dream World of Morpheus. Here the god of sleep, his wife and their many children lived. When not appearing to humans in the form of dreams, Morpheus would sleep. A lot. According to the stories, his bedroom was a cave and it was filled with poppy seeds. This was used in ancient times to produce primitive pain killers, which caused drowsiness. The drug morphine is derived from Morpheus.

The only entrance to the world was through the Gates of Morpheus. The River of Forgetfulness and the River of Oblivion, two characteristics of sleep and dreams, were found in Morpheus’ Dream World. The realm of dreams was guarded by two monsters who would appear when any man or god came close to the rivers. However, the Olympian Gods, such as Apollo and Zeus, were allowed to enter the Dream World of Morpheus.

Morpheus: Minor but Powerful

Morpheus was among the busiest of the Gods, as he was constantly forming dreams for men and deities. In most version of the myths, he did not have a partner like most of the other gods, presumably because he was too busy. Some interpretations of the myth have him as the husband of Iris, the goddess of the rainbow and another messenger of the Gods. Morpheus was one of the minor gods, but he was very powerful. This is because he personified the importance of dreams in life and their often hidden messages and insights. The myth of Morpheus allowed the Greeks and Romans to understand dreams and the role that they play in life.

Morpheus has been dream walking when he entered a dream that caught his attention. As he entered it he began to feel like he was out of control. He'd never felt thgis in hos world of dreams. It was when he slept in his cave of poppies that his head began to spin. He'd seen a beautiful woman who was motioning him to come over, intriqued he went. As he did he found himself aroused as she was beautiful with dark hair and ice blue eyes. As she approached him she made no bones about it, she wanted him just as bad. Morpheus was usually loyal to his wife, but tonight he didn't see the harm in a pleasure filled dream for the female. After taking her

Time and time again he reluctantly pulled away kissing her as she slept, and floated away. What he didn't know was that he had just encounter the elusive Niorun. A Goddess of the Norse, and a Dream Walker herself. Morpheus qould be pulled back into her world many times before her protruding belly was extremely noticeable. As he made love to her she proclaimed her love to him, telling him whoand what she was and that she would bore him a very powerful male. The God was happy. He attended the birth and kept the affair going for many years before his wife gave him an ultimatum, Niorun or her. Morpheus chose his wife, but kept Niorun at his distance unbeknown to his wife. Morpheus ended up giving Niorun full power to pull him into her world where Iris couldn't see. There he could love Niorun the way she deserved and visit their son, Granger. Atlas, Iris began to find out again of his transgression and he had to tell Niorun that he couldn't see her again. It was like she knew it was coming and she'd packed up her son and told Morpheus he had to go if he would never return. Granger was taken by his father, and grew up in the house with Iris and many half siblings that hated him. 

When Granger grew he took over the Dreamland from his Father and ruled over it with a stern hand. Zeus hated him, he was more like his grandfather, Hypnos and would get in the dreams of the Gods making fun of them. There was a Goat incident. Granger remembered his Mother, he had the ability to walk into her land and see her. He knew his mother had two girls and a son and Granger became close to them. 

[shxfu]

"Master Shifuuu...Wake uuuppp..." Bartok called with his sweet sing-song voice as he tried to wake Shifu up, landing gently close to the master's face to plant a tender kiss on the nose, "I made you breakfast and tea. Now don't ya wait for them to get cold."

☯ 剑胆琴心 ;   Dormant red panda wiggled one of his ears in his sleep. Even though Morpheus was pulling him deeper into the abyss of nocturnal fantasies, the kiss he sensed through his miraculous dream possessed a power more imposing and beckoning. No trick of dreamland's king could delay his inevitable awakening.

Warm dainty nose gently rubbed against Bartok's in response. Undeniably tender when half asleep, Shifu did not hurry to open his eyes. He was diving out of his slumber gradually, not letting this pleasant osculation cease so abruptly. Slender arm lazily extended upward for the silk to slide down and bare a graceful wrist of the master's. A little later Shifu used it to embrace Bartok and pull him closer, hide him from the rest of the waking world.

                ❝ It only gets cold without you.. Can you wait just for a little bit ? I've been working all night... ❞ he mumbled softly somewhere on the verge of dream and reality.

[inapat13]

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman

Neil Gaiman is an inspiring author of various types of works, including short stories, novels, screenplays, comic books, plays, and so on. His universe is, to me, the greatest representation of the content of an adult’s brain trying to free his inner child’s imagination, dreams and nightmares (and maybe a wee bit of social anxiety).

(Fanart made by Max Overkill)

His love for literature since childhood alongside his belief in the importance of making art, led him to be a very prolific, yet sometimes frustrated (mostly at the beginning of his career as a journalist, I guess), but undoubtedly talented creator. When you read his books, it is just impossible to forget who wrote them. It is almost as if he addresses himself directly to his readers, through his use of parentheses, his typical English humor, and the tremendous amount of allusions to other artists, artworks, classical literature, cultures and pop-culture that nourished him from his childhood years to this day (it is then crucial to learn to be humble because of all the references you didn’t get and those you don’t know you didn’t get).

His writings and other artworks are numerous, but if his name doesn’t ring a bell to you, you may have seen some of them adapted on the big and small screens. Coraline, the animation film directed by Henry Selick is based on the eponymous novel. Good Omens, co-written with the belated Terry Pratchett, has its TV series with David Tennant and Michael Sheen in the lead roles. American Gods, has been developed for television by Bryan Fuller, known for his visual and symbolic style (and for his adaptation of Hannibal). He also has cameos in TV series episodes, like The Simpsons, Doctor Who, The Big Bang Theory… and also Lucifer, in the first episode. I will not develop on this show particularly, but this brings me to one of Gaiman’s works which I love the most. Indeed, Lucifer is produced by the entertainment unit of DC Comics, and inspired by characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg for the comic book series Sandman.

Sandman tells a part of the story of Dream, Morpheus, Oneiros, The Dream King, Lord of Dreamland, the embodiment and guardian of the world of dreams, nightmares and imagination – the controller of what happens when we are asleep. He is as old as the concept he symbolizes, just like his six brothers and sisters, together forming the Endless: Death, Destruction, Delirium, Desire, Despair and Destiny.

The story starts when Dream is captured by an occult magician, who was in fact trying to imprison Death in order to gain immortality. This brings a lot of confusion to his realm of Dreamland and in people’s minds for about seventy years. The Sandman then manages to escape and has to take back his powers and responsibilities, which is a tough task. Throughout his (mis)adventures, the reader discovers Dream’s true self, his complexity, his dark sides.

For those who like the DC Comics Universe, various characters coming from other comics appear in some issues, some becoming sidekicks for one episode or more.

There is a large range of characters coming and going during Sandman’s journey, like ancient and new gods, fantastic creatures, poets and writers, concepts and ideas, but also average people like you and me and with their own dreams and powers. It would be impossible to describe all of the narrative arcs developed in this comic, which was published from 1989 to 1996 with seventy-five issues, as they would need broad and detailed explanations and because I’m not an expert of this universe I'm still trying to understand (some issues are totally autonomous, for those who are not really interested in the main story). But I’m part of those who think that you don’t have to know something by heart to claim to admire it; so if you like or are just interested in fantasy, drama, love, moral and personal issues, questioning yourself, mythologies from around the world, horror, blood, fairytales, Shakespeare, (dark) humor, occult magic, demons, jumping through time, fine drawing, psychology and characters that look like they come from Gothic rock bands like The Cure or Sisters of Mercy, then… Try reading Sandman!

Abigail Sanz

[alexander-arcturus-black-lupin-r]

My little surpise

I loved the Sandman series although shamefully i haven't been seriously reading every single one, I love Tom Sturridge like i'm stupid when he talks or does anything at this point.

So when those two collided. My soul was in heaven.

So for anyone needing a fluff fic from moi about him, I gotchu. Here's Walks along the Dreaming it's completely fluff when i get a free day imma write a smutt version if you have any prompts, kinks, settings idgaf legit anything. You can

A. Comment it below I swear I'll see it

B. Slide into my dms

C. My asks are always open, you can also ask anonymously

Anyway, I'm just gonna drop this here aswell for my audio gals, if you look around you'll find everyone else but this is my absolute favourite because of the voice behind it.

Anyway 🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾lot of love <3333 and have a good day, you deserve it.