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dragon-kazansky · 7 months ago

Text

When the raven calls

Morpheus x Female Reader

You, his raven, die protecting Jessamy while rescuing the Dream Lord. When Morpheus returns to his realm, he mourns your loss, only to find a stranger waiting for him in his throne room. The stranger claims to be you, now in human form. He doesn't understand, but his raven will always watch over him.

{Masterlist}

{Previous Chapter}

Chapter Thirteen - Glass heart

☆☆☆

"Dream..."

Morpheus moves his head slightly to the side so he can see you over his shoulder in the corner of his eye. Your voice was soft, and he would linger on it if he wasn't so... upset about you leaving.

"I did not say you could go to her."

You can hear the warning tone in his voice. To anger the dream lord was never a good idea, and you hadn't intended to anger him, though knowing what you did what do as much.

"I know. But, I cannot allow you to kill her."

"She is the vortex. She could destroy everything." He turns so he's facing you properly.

"Maybe she won't!"

"I'm not talking the chance to find out!" He raises his voice. "She has the ability to destroy everything. Everyone." His voice goes soft at the end.

"She's barely an adult. It's not fair..."

"When did you come to care so much about the mortal?" He asks.

"When I found out what you intend to do." You look him in the eye. "I am asking you to find another way."

"There is no other way."

"Kill me in her place. There must be some way I can swap places with her." You say desperately.

He stares at you. The silence is heavy and you have to wonder what's going through his head.

"Kill you...?" The words part from his lips in an almost whisper. He can't believe you would ever say such a thing.

"I have died for you before, I would do so again. This time, I offer my life for hers." You say, standing firm.

He still can't believe what he's hearing.

"No."

"My lord-"

"I will never take your life. Ever. Do you understand me? Not for any reason. The day you died... a piece of me died with you. Even after we met again in your new form, the image of you on the floor... in your own blood, it never left my mind. I swore to myself I would never let that happen again."

You stand there, tears threatening to fall.

"My lord... I cannot stand idly by while you dare take the life of a young woman who only wants her family back. If... if you're going to go through with this... I shall never forgive you."

Morpheus swears his heart shattered. No words have ever hurt so much. At least, n words from you had ever hurt him so much.

"Fine."

He can't find it in him to argue with you, to fight with you. If he must live with your anger toward him for the rest of time, so be it. He accepts this punishment.

You're not quite sure how to feel right now. You didn't think he would just accept your words. Did he know you were just upset not actually going to hold this over him forever? You're not entirely sure.

"Fine." You repeat.

You walk away.

Morpheus watches you go.

☆☆☆

You sit in the library. Perched on the table as you stare intently at the books on the shelf in front of you. Your leg swings restlessly back and forth.

You're agitated, anxious, upset.

There was no stopping Morpheus, and you had told him you would never forgive him, but you know deep down that wasn't true. You loved him too much to ever stay angry at him forever. It was hard to be eternally angry at him, you were sure of it.

However, in this moment, you were still upset with him.

Lucienne walks in and finds herself confused by your appearance in the library. She glances around to find you here alone.

"Are you alright?"

Startled by her voice, you look up quickly and stare at her for a few moments. Your mind settles and you look back at the books.

"Fine. Just fine."

Lucienne is unconvinced by your words and comes closer. You resist meeting her gaze again as she comes to stand in front of you, blocking your view of the bookshelf.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

You sigh softly.

"Lord Morpheus found me and told me he was still going to go ahead with killing Rose... I... I don't want him to. I don't want him to kill anyone."

Lucienne's expression softens. "What else?"

"I... told him I would never forgive him if he went through with it."

"Oh, come on now. We know you didn't mean that."

"I think he believed it." You tell her softly.

Lucienne looks slightly concerned. She reaches out and takes your hands in hers. You lift your gaze to meet her eyes.

"Lord Morpheus is a stubborn old fool who still follows a lot of the old ways. But if there is something I know for certain about him, it is he cares deeply for you, and he would never do anything that would ruin that bond you both share. I am certain there is another answer to play here. We just need to find it."

You say nothing as she let's go of your hand and turns ro her books.

If only you could believe her words.

☆☆☆

Unity Kincaid has fallen asleep. She finds herself in a grand library, her hand brushing against the spines of the books that sit on the shelves next to her.

She is searching.

Lucienne sees the woman searching among her books and approaches her. "May I help you?"

The library doesn't often get visitors from dreamers.

"Oh, yes, please. I'm looking for a book."

"We have every book ever written, as well as those yet unwritten." Lucienne says proudly.

"I'm looking for the story of my life, had things turned out differently." Unity says.

"I have detailed accounts of sleepers' dreams."

"No. No, thank you. I've had more than my fair share of dreams." She tells Lucienne. "I want to read about my unlived life."

"I'm not entirely sure we have those volumes."

"If you have every book ever written, and every book that will ever be written, it must be around here somewhere." Unity says.

She walks to the opposite shelf and spots the book immediately. "There I am." She pulls the book from where it sits and opens it.

"You're Unity Kincaid? Rose Walker is your great-granddaughter?"

"Yes. How'd you know Rose?" Unity asks.

Lucienne looks at Unity with a column expression.

☆☆☆

"Death is not always such a bad thing." Morpheus tells Rose. They stand in the lands that were once full of beautiful meadows. "You could stay here if you like. My raven was once a mortal."

Though he referred to Matthew, his mind thought of you. You had never been mortal. You just appeared as one. He had to shake you from his mind for now.

You would never forgive him, even if Rose accepted his offer.

"Wait! Sir!" A voice calls out.

Gilbert comes running over.

"Gilbert? What are you doing here?" Rose asks, confused by his sudden appearance. She did not yet know of his true identity.

"This is Fiddler's Green." Morpheus says.

"You? You're a Dream?"

"I am." Gilbert nods. "I, I left my post here to experience life as a human being." He explains. "A life which I humbly offer in exchange for yours."

Morpheus feels his heart sink. You had tried to do the same. His Dreams were all trying to protect Rose Walker.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Morpheus states. "For the Dreaming and the waking world to live, the vortex must die."

"Then what's the point of a vortex?" Rose asks. "Why do we even exist?"

"Honestly..." Morpheus can't answer for even he doesn't know.

"I have a theory," Gilbert starts. "When a human is at the center of the Dreaming, is it not to remind us that we exist because humans dream, not the other way around? The miracle of humanity itself should always be more vivid to us than any marvels of power."

"I cannot find it in my heart to punish you for leaving Fiddler's Green. But it is time you took up your appointed position once more." Morpheus says fondly.

"It would be my honour, sir. It was enver my intention to abandon my role."

"What was your role? Who were you?" Rose asks him.

"Oh, my dear, Fiddler's Green is not a who. It is a where. I was not a person. I was a place." He explains. "And after your death, of you stay in the Dreaming, visit me. Walk in my meadows and my green glades. Rest beneath my trees."

Morpheus smiles slightly at his friend.

"Farewell, Rose Walker. It was a privilege being human with you."

As Gilbert opens his arms, his form begins to drift apart, turning into many many butterflies that fill the air. The ground turns green with luscious grass, and the hills become full of life. The area is so green and beautiful.

It truly is a dream.

Morpheus stands there and looks at the young woman in front of him. If there was any other way he would take it. He didn't want to her hurt her. He didn't want to hurt you.

"I do not wish to take your life. But we all have responsibilities and this is one of mine."

Thunder rumbles in the distance.

"I am sorry."

"Just do it." Rose says. "Whatever it takes to save my brother and my friends. I'm ready."

Morpheus raises his hand, much like he did to the Corianthian. He stares at Rose, watching the way she accepts her fate.

"Stop!"

Morpheus turns and sees you standing there. You look flushed as if you had ran here. Behind you is Lucienne and a woman he does not recognise.

You stand between him and Rose. His eyes stare into yours with longing.

"Unity?" Rose looks at the other woman. Morpheus can't bring himself to look at anyone other you.

"This is Unity Kincaid," Lucienne says. She's not entirely sure the dream lord is listening, but he is.

"I am Rose's great-grandmother."

Morpheus moves his eyes from you to her. You remember to breathe now you are no longer looking at his deep, beautiful eyes. You find your footing and glance at the other women, trying hard to focus.

This tension between you and Morpheus was growing, and you needed to control yourself.

"According to this book, I was meant to be the vortex of this age." Unity holds up the little book.

When Lucienne found out who Unity was, they went through the book together. Lucienne did not hesitate to come to you and explain everything, stating there may yet still be a way to save Rose and fix your problem with Lord Morpheus.

"But because you were imprisoned and locked out of the Dreaming, that fate was handed down to my descendants."

"I don't understand," Morpheus mutters softly.

"You're not very bright, are you?" Unity sighs. "Come here, Rose."

Rose goes over to Unity. "I want you to reach down inside yourself and give me whatever it is that makes you the vortex."

"But how?"

"You're dreaming, darling. Anything is possible." Unity tells her softly.

Rose looks down at herself and then carefully inserts her hand into her chest. You watch with baited breath as she searches for that thing. Slowly, she pulls out what appears to be a glass heart with a storm swilling inside of it.

A heart you had seen before.

Unity takes it and holds it in her hands. "Thank you, Rose."

Morpheus regards the heart and then looks at Unity.

"I am the vortex now, Dream King, as o should have been long ago." Unity exclaims. "So, leave my great-granddaughter alone."

Unity looks down at the heart. Everyone else does, too. It begins to crack in her hands. A blinding light floods out of it, and Morpheus has to catch Unity to stop her from falling.

"Unity?" Rose speaks her name.

"What happened?" She asks.

Morpheus looks at her gently and speaks to her in a calm and soft voice. "You died. So that Rose might live."

"I'm so sorry." Rose looks at Unity with despair.

"No, don't be. I'm not." Unity tells her. "I was meant to have died a long time ago, Rose. But if I had, I would never have met my golden-eyed man, and we would never have had our beautiful baby girl, and you would not have been born."

You look at Unity with a sense of dread.

The look on Dream's face tells you he knows too.

"Wait, the father of your child had golden eyes?" Morpheus asks.

"I've never seen anything like them." Unity says.

"I have."

Desire.

"Goodbye, Rose, darling." Unity says. They hug.

"You and your brother are children of the Endless. You have suffered enough." Dream tells Rose. "You may leave this place. Goodbye, Rose."

Rose wakes up.

☆☆☆

You ruffle your feathers as you perch on your bed. He had kept the room. Despite everything, he kept the room. You were kind of glad.

Though you still weren't sure you wanted it. You were debating asking him if there was a way to remove your human form completely, but you were too scared to ask.

Dream was currently in his sibling's realm dealing with the fact that Desire had sired a child with Unity and had almost made Dream kill one of their blood.

It was a nasty business.

Still, Rose lives. Yet, you find yourself wondering if there was a way to take back your words. Granted, he didn't kill Rose, but you still said out loud you would never forgive him if he had. You can still see the pain in his eyes when you close your own.

There's a knock at your door, and you look at it, startled. Maybe if you keep quiet, whoever it was would leave. You had an inkling he had returned and was seeking you out. You were not ready to talk to him yet.

"I know you're in there."

His voice was like smooth velvet. It was sound you could never tire of hearing. You wanted him to read every book there was to you just so you could lose yourself in beautiful voice.

"Come in." You call out meekly.

The door opens slowly, and he steps in. Morpheus finds himself disappointed to see you in your raven form.

"I told you to get rid of this room." You say, looking up at him through your little beady eyes.

"Yes. I couldn't." He comes to stand beside the bed.

You both stare at each for a while before you speak again. "Did you need something?"

"We need to talk."

You feel dread full your tiny body. "Oh."

Morpheus breathes softly and quietly. "Person to person."

You knew he wouldn't let you hide in your raven form. As a human, you couldn't hide your feelings, your expressions from him. He would see you as you were.

With a flap of your wings, you transform. You sit on the edge of the bed. Morpheus' lips twitch slightly at the sight of you.

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

He takes a seat beside you on the bed, noteavjng a whole lot of space between you. His coat brushes along your leg. His hands settle between his knees as he looks at you.

"I have come to apologise." He says.

You look at him with caution. He supposes you have every reason to be wary. He does not apologise often.

"I was doing what I thought was right. What needed to be done to protect everyone and everything. To protect... you."

He watches the way your browser creases. The cute little knitting of your brows as you try and comprehend his words.

"I would never forgive myself if I ever upset you beyond forgiveness. You have been my most trusted ally from the very beginning, and without you, I am hopeless. I... I watched you die once. I do not wish to ever see that happen again. Flying off to look over Rose while the Corianthian roamed nearby was not your wisest choice. Nor do I fault you for having a heart."

You drop your gaze to the ground in front lf you.

"I... I wish to have you by my side for eternity. I wish you remain as you are, perfect in every way. I wish to hold your hand and see your eyes as they are now. I wish to call your name and see you smile at me."

He slowly reaches out, and you watch as his fingers slide of yours with such gentleness. His hand slowly cups your own and guides over to his lap where he covers your hands with both of his.

"I wish you to allow me the privilege of falling in love with you as I have recently found myself doing so."

Your eyes find his. His which are so blue and so full of stories and emotions. Your lips part as you stare at him intensely.

"Will you allow me that honour?"

"Huh?" It's the only sound you can find yourself making.

"Will you allow me to spend an eternity making it up to you? An eternity begging for your forgiveness and your affection?"

Dream does not grovel for anyone, but for you, he would get on his knees and beg a thousand times.

"What are you talking about?" You ask softly.

One of his hands leaves yours to reach up and caress your cheek softly. He looks at you so closely. His head is closing in, inch by inch. He is so close. So warm.

"I am asking for your forgiveness."

"You already have it," you whisper.

"Then I ask for your love."

You stare at him. "Love?"

"Yes." The word leaves his mouth so softly. You almost didn't hear it. "Can I?"

You inhale quietly. All those feelings, those new emotions, were starting to make sense. The way your heart ached for him. The way you wanted him to look at you. The way you needed him to speak your name.

You had been falling in love with him from the moment he first touched you in this form.

The way he held you down in Hell. The way he reached for your hand when the Corianthian was threatening everyone. The way he looked at you now.

"Yes."

Morpheus smiles as he leans in the rest of the way and lets his lips meet your own. He wraps his arms around you carefully and pulls you into his chest. He needs to feel you against him.

You return his kiss as your eyes close. Your hands come to rest on his shoulder and bicep. You lose yourself in the feeling of his soft plump lips.

When the kiss comes to an end, he rests his forehead against your own and speaks softly. "It will not be easy, loving an Endless."

"I know," you say.

He smiles. "Yet you'll love me anyway?"

"Yes. I don't think anyone could ever stop loving you, Morpheus."

He chuckles. Perhaps your words are true.

"I will look after you."

You shake your head. "It is not me who needs looking after. You need someone to keep you in check."

You both chuckle.

"Yes. Perhaps I do."

You lean forward and claim his lips again. Morpheus does not hesitate to pull you in close again.

☆☆☆

It is true what he said. It was not going to be easy loving Dream. Your love would be tested by ghosts of his past and unforseen circumstances.

However, that's a story for another time.

For now, his love is all yours. And yours is all his. Inevitable.

☆☆☆

TO BE CONTINUED WITH SEASON 2

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@thoughtsfromlayla

@modest-irish-goddess

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#when the raven calls #morpheus x reader #the sandman #female reader #dragon writes

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7-wonders · 9 months ago

Note

what if jessamy lived and matthew was brought in by lucienne as extra help and matthew gets a little crush on jessamy and you notice how matthew seems to be strutting around a lot, his feathers are shiny and he always puffs out his little birdy chest when ever jessamy calls him handsome and theres something that seems familiar but you can't quite place it

until you call morpheus gorgeous when you see him in a new outfit and he somehow seems a little taller, his hair is extra fluffy and he has whatever the dream lords equivalent of a spring in his step is

When Morpheus finally freed himself from his captivity, Lucienne had been faced with a decision to make. Her Lord was determined to find his missing tools immediately, never mind the fact that he was still weak and without any sort of help. While she couldn't do anything about the first part, she could certainly assist with the second. Though Morpheus didn't approve (he was still traumatized by the death of Jessamy, but he would never admit it to anybody, least of all himself), he begrudgingly allowed this new raven, Matthew, to travel with him to Hell.

Imagine their surprise when Lucifer revealed they had taken Jessamy's soul for their own in the hopes that they could use it as a bargaining chip with the Lord of Dreams. This was unacceptable, and so a wager had been made. If Morpheus won The Oldest Game, he got his helm...and Jessamy. If Morpheus lost, then the demon Choronzon got...him.

Thankfully, the former had been the outcome, and Morpheus left Hell with his helm and one more raven than he entered with. But to say there had been some growing pains as the two Ravens of the Dreaming adjusted to both being the Ravens of the Dreaming would be a gross understatement.

That was then though, and this is now. By the time you came into the picture, there were hardly any signs at all that there had been animosity between Matthew and Jessamy. They worked together in harmony now, the perfect team. One could even call them friends...even if Matthew maybe had feelings that were a little more than friendly.

You're in the library with your two feathered friends when Jessamy's head perks up, an obvious sign that Morpheus is summoning her via the mental link he has with his ravens.

"That's me, then." She sighs as though it's a chore to have to go attend to Morpheus, but you know how much she enjoys it. How much she enjoys every moment of her second (third, really) chance at life.

"Official raven business?" you ask.

"The most official." She stands and shakes her feathers out, but stops before taking flight. "Matthew?"

He looks at her in surprise. "Yeah?"

"Your feathers look nice today."

"Oh! I—uh, I flew through a waterfall this morning because I wanted to try something new. Wasn't sure if it would work out."

"It certainly did."

Matthew tries to stutter out an answer. You can hear Jessamy laugh as she swoops off to catch up to Morpheus. If Matthew could blush, you're sure he would be.

He's still staring after her minutes after she's gone, and you can't help your amused smile. "You okay?"

"Absolutely." He nods, his chest puffed out in pride. You stifle a laugh and replace it with a hum, pulling your book up past your face so he can't see just how well you believe him.

These instances, of Jessamy playfully flirting with a head over heels Matthew, are not rare. She enjoys doing it, and who knows? Maybe she feels the same. Their routine is rather sweet, actually, but you can't help the weird sense of deja vu you get when you watch those two dance around each other. You've seen this act before, but where?

The next time you and Jessamy are together, you're both in a position that you did not ever think you'd find yourself in: watching Dream of the Endless play fashion show.

Normally, Morpheus just conjures up whatever look that he wants without a second thought. He can change his appearance at a whim, even though he prefers sticking to his familiar, all-black wardrobe. But this week, he's hosting his siblings. All of them, save his wayward brother, are to be in the Dreaming at the same time for the first time in centuries (Morpheus can't say for certain how long it's been, which is how you know it's been a long time). A "conclave of the Endless," he called it.

Weird way to say you're having a family dinner, but whatever.

Though he'll never admit it, he's nervous. Nervous about his siblings being in his realm, nervous about how the Dreaming looks after having spent so long returning it to its former glory prior to his imprisonment, nervous about proving himself and his power once more. This dinner matters to him, and since you can't be there to support him—he refuses to possibly put you in harm's way and/or at the mercy of cunning and powerful beings who enjoy making mortals their playthings, which you appreciate immensely—he's trying desperately to control the few things that he can, including his outfit choice for the evening.

And there have been a lot of potential choices. Seriously, he's tried on so many outfits that you're starting to lose count. Coats and cloaks, robes and rubies, boots and blacks. It's a dizzying blur by now, and Morpheus looks as done as you feel. He's nothing if not relentless though, so the rigamarole shall continue.

He turns to face you when he's settled on a new choice, and you both look at his outfit with the discerning eye of a critic appraising a work of art. After a few moments, Jessamy, sitting on the back of your chair, is the one to speak up first.

"The collar does not suit you, my Lord."

His gaze goes to you, and the helplessness in his eyes almost makes you say that Jessamy's wrong and you like the look. You'd be lying, though, and you like to think that a core tenet of your relationship is honesty. With that in mind, you grimace and shake your head.

"She's right," you begrudgingly agree.

Huffing is an action that's below Morpheus. It's a very mortal thing to do, so naturally the Ruler of the Nightmare Realms does not huff. If he were to pretend to huff, though, the way that he abruptly turns back around and sighs heavily through his nose would be a very good impression. Your lips twitch when you glance at Jessamy out of the corner of your eye only to see her pulling the exact same move towards you, but you stay silent and go back to the watching and waiting game.

About three outfit changes later, something clicks, and you sit up in your chair in excitement. "Ooh, that's it!"

"You're right," Jessamy echoes your earlier words, only this time in a far more positive connotation.

Morpheus raises an elegant brow. "Elaborate, please."

"That's your outfit for tomorrow," you insist. "You're gorgeous, my love."

He stops fussing with his outfit and looks at you through the mirror. "You truly think so?"

"You look so handsome in that outfit. I mean, you're handsome all the time, but c'mon!" You grin, because how can you not? He's one of the most attractive men (-shaped beings, if one were to be picky) you've ever met in your life, and he's yours.

He holds your gaze for a moment longer, as though attempting to detect any deceit from you, before inspecting his appearance one final time. With a nod and a very small, very self-satisfied smile, he says, "Then I shall wear this tomorrow."

"Perfect." Next to you, Jessamy sighs in relief, and you shoot her a furtive thumbs-up for a job well done.

Since your part in ensuring Morpheus has a successful dinner is complete, you leave the Dreaming hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. What this means is that you're expecting to fall asleep the day after the dinner is scheduled and walk into the worst hurricane that would ever be recorded were it in the Waking. Morpheus likes to act like he has no emotions, but the reality is quite the opposite. In fact, he has so many emotions, and they're all so strong. He just doesn't know how to deal with them, and chooses instead to hide them away until they burst.

Instead of the anticipated disaster zone, everything is...calm. Actually, it's a beautiful day. Think of the nicest spring day, and multiply it by at least 10 (maybe more). That's what this weather is. The sun is out and shining, the temperature is warm but not hot, and everything is in full bloom. Hell, there are actual flower petals dancing through the air right now. Flower petals!

You snag one of the petals and hold it gently between your thumb and forefinger, feeling the silkiness against your skin. "What kind of Disney movie am I in?" you mutter.

You feel Morpheus's presence behind you a mere moment before he asks, "What was that?"

Even with the environmental warning, he still makes you jump, and you turn around to face him. "Hi! How did it go?"

"Far better than I could have expected."

There's something...different about him. His hair looks especially messy and windswept (not that you're complaining, you love that), he's still wearing his special dinner outfit, and did he get taller? You feel like you have to look up just a little bit more to truly look at him so yeah, he definitely got taller.

"Good. I knew it would, though."

"You did?" he asks curiously.

"Of course. I had complete faith in you."

Those starry eyes of his twinkle brightly as he smirks at you, and the realization hits you like a truck. Now you know why Matthew's mannerisms have been so familiar! Because you've seen them before, and you're seeing them now. Morpheus thrives off of your compliments. How...interesting, and a theory that you need to test out immediately.

"I'm really proud of you, y'know." His lips turn upwards into something that's almost a smile, so you continue. "I know how hard this was for you, how much you worried, and you handled it beautifully."

The beautiful flowers surrounding you burst into the air, their petals falling down around you in the multitudes. You start to laugh, but Morpheus doesn't let you make another sound, instead ducking down (from his markedly taller height, mind you) to kiss you. Though you're caught off-guard, you quickly get with the program and return his affections.

"I would like to celebrate with you." He says before moving his lips to your ear, even though nobody around can hear him whisper, "In my chambers."

You pretend to think for a moment, because a moment's all you can spare. "I'm certainly not opposed to such plans."

He pulls you to him in a way that suggests you didn't really get a choice otherwise and grabs his sand from his robes. You press your lips together to hide your smile and happily hold onto him. Oh, you are so using this to your advantage from now on.

#morpheus x reader #dream of the endless x reader #dream of the endless imagine #morpheus imagine #is this good? really not sure

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merinsedai · 2 months ago

Text

Thank you, @ficreadingchallenge for this fun little bingo challenge this summer! Some of these, I could have filled multiple times and some I had to have a search for, but all part of the fun!

1. Under the influence: Spoils of War by @seiya-starsniper [E] Aphrodisiacs! Starting strongly with the smut. Kinda feral for this piece, multiple rereads. Hob is not a good man but he is good in bed. Dream has not spoken since he arrived. How long ago that was I don't know, but I'm in awe of the pettiness. Excellent, love it. Very much E (and probably not the only one on this list...)

2. Newest fic in the tag of your choice: listen, I'm very one-track minded. Dreamling has basically been the only tag of my choice for the past two years. So, the newest fic when I decided to do this square was: Dream Ship by @often-adamanta [E] A spicy little tale set on a space ship which Dream controls and Hob's his muscle. They're a new partnership and Dream's not happy about it so he's giving Hob the silent treatment. Queue Hob taking some alone time, Dream accidentally interrupting and Hob having no privacy issues at all. The start of something beautiful, no doubt.

3. Inspired by another fanwork: I'll Go To Sleep and Dream Again by @chaosheadspace [E] which is inspired by Shelter by softestpunk. An accidentally human Dream has need of the help of Hob Gadling to help him navigate life as a human (eg facial hair, food, and morning wood), regain his Endlessness and recover his tools. Whilst falling in love and having some hot sex ofc. Also, a lot of lovely petnames.

4. Mistaken Identity: As a Stranger I Know Myself by @phinofthestorm and @sleepsonfutons [E] Could be no other choice for this square. Gripping drama, mysteries, feeeeelings, smut (obvs), plentiful existential angst, and shit goin' down. Featuring Jessamy the raven knocking her head against the wall; Burgess's cane; name repetitions; everyone having A Time of it; side characters Shipping Them Too; oh, and a main character you don't expect to like as much as you do...

5.Slow Burn: What Dreams May Come, When Living is at an End by Sebena [T] This fandom is slow burn central, but this is the fic I'm currently in the middle of, and I'm quite enamoured with the relationship between Knight Hob and Morpheus, and it's beautifully descriptive. Plus some lovely pieces of art by @teejaystumbles A real treat.

6. Dressing Up: Make it Count by @arialerendeair [E] Dream gets to dress Hob up very nicely for posh dinners aboard the world's most famous ocean liner in this wonderful Titanic AU. Dream gets to dress down, too! A longer fic but absolutely gripping! Could also use Aria and Konstadt's Colour Forecasting [E] for this square. There's lots of fancy tailoring and clothing choices going on here. And lots of smut, relationship navigation and lots and lots of kissing.

7.Author's oldest fic: Metamorphosis by @windsweptinred [M] Delightful fic about-yes- the metamorphosis of Dream and Hob into Something Else. Starts with high drama as Dream is about to take Death's hand as the Kindly Ones are ravaging the Dreaming and takes things in a very different direction. There's stunning artwork on each chapter that really adds to the reading experience!

8. Small Fandom (<1000 fics): In Which Cat/Cow Is Not A Yoga Pose by @temve [E] ok, technically a crossover with The Sandman (although for pure Aldrich Kemp there's A Fishbowl, a Forklift, and a Friend: or, Who Hired Aldrich Kemp? which I read back in April, so doesn't count for the summer challenge) Temve has Aldrich's voice down to a T and her humour is so on point. I laughed out loud many times in both these fics.

9. Gift Giving: For Your Affection by @cuubism [T] short and sweet little fic by cuubism dealing with high larceny as a love language. cuubism's writing is so joyful, the playfulness she often gives to her Dream brings me great happiness and there's no exception here.

10.Enemies to friends/lovers: Tower and Rose by @moorishflower [E] Beauty and the Beast style 'au' with a magic tower, a mysterious lord, a plucky peasant Hob, an 'imprisonment', a terror stalking the grounds and many, many questions. Why are all the servants ravens? Twists and turns a plenty, and some fun eldritch sex sprinkled in.

11.Lyric Title-listen to the song, too!: please wake me/for my love lies patiently by @beatnikfreakiswriting [E] sequel to the also-having-a-song-lyric title, would you let me know...? aka fics that live rent-free in my head after having rewired my brain. Featuring the most relatable Hob ever, copious interesting facts in the author's notes, and a Dream who would have scared the shit out of me if he'd been my lecturer but is hot af and needs lots of love really. Lots of scorching smut too. Is this a theme? Obviously. Bonus that each chapter, and the series title, have song lyric titles too.

12.de-aging/kidfic England and Nowhere (Never and Always) by @dsudis [M] The last fill on my card, and one I had to search for. And I'm glad I did. I'm about 1/2 way through so don't know the resolution but a lot of it is very soft, especially Dream's relationship with the changeling toddler, Finn. Finn feels very much like a real little boy in his actions and his dialogue. I'm very much enjoying this fic.

FREE SPACE: literally anything by @tj-dragonblade fluff and smut and pure delight.

13.character study: Unsent Letters, Nameless Stranger by @rainbowvamp [M] letters from Hob to Dream throughout the centuries detailing the evolution in Hob's thoughts, attitudes and feelings towards his life, his history and mostly, his feelings for Dream (aka a lot of pining). I'm about halfway through the letters so far and am looking forward to getting back to them.

14.happy ending: My Fair Gadling by @zigzag-wanderer [E] a work in progress, so we haven't reached the happy ending yet, but I have faith in the author and this absolutely wonderful fic. Hob has such a strong narrative voice, he is a delight to read and so, so funny. I laugh out loud constantly in all of ziggy's fics, whether that's the dialogue or the hilarious analogies and metaphors. Professor Morpheus is a study in buttoned up sadness to begin with, but just wait until he's unleashed. He's unbearably sexy when he rolls his sleeves up and fixes car engines at the side of the road, and endearingly earnest in bed. I eagerly await every chapter (especially to find out what outfit Hob has shimmied into that day).

15.Secret Relationship: Risk and Reward by @signiorbenedickofpadua [E] absolutely cracking Regency au. Lord Morpheus spends a lot of time early on feeling mildly fevered. It's probably nothing to do with his new house guest, Mr Robert Gadling, right? These guys slowly, so slowly move towards Something Special. There is the ultimate thrill of finger brushing; the admiration of shapely legs and the highly charged Shakespeare reading. Also balls, duels, painting, stargazing, horse riding and misuse of biblical quotes. And I'm only half way through! The relationship is of necessity given the time period, secret. At the point I'm at, it's finally begun in earnest and I'm excited to see where the plot takes them next!

16. Angst: Exit Wounds by @valeriianz [T] There are many angst-ridden fics in this fandom, and I am a sucker for angst. I love it and seek it out. This fic by sanyumi tore my heart out, stomped all over it and then threw it in the river for good measure. Sometimes you just need to feel destroyed and this delivers.

17. Omegaverse AU So Tell Me Where To Put My Love by @seiya-starsniper [E] Another of my favourite au topics! This starts out with an unhappily arranged marriage, secrets and angst and lots of miscommunication and then explores the developing relationship between Hob and Dream; Dream getting to feel empowered; more miscommunication; knitting; Hob getting to be incredibly rude to Dream's mother, and a very happy ending. Could have tagged loads in this square. Special mentions to i have no fear of time / for who knows how my love grows? by @gabessquishytum [E] for pure horny good times most centuries; and also the incomparable Lover, Be Good to Me by @omgcinnamoncakes which I haven't actually read this summer but which hasn't left my brain. The ultimate omegaverse slowburn and healing fic. Wonderful.

18. High School/College au: Dr Hardass and Professor Sweetheart by crimandclove [G] an outsider pov look at Hob and Dream, who are both professors at the same university (and also married, of course, though the protagonist doesn't know it). And by the same author: Coincidence, [T] which is the story of how Dream and Hob met and became friends in high school. Pure nostalgia for me and Hob is such a delightful pov character to follow. Unfinished but with a full synopsis of how the story would have gone.

19. Road Trip: The Blood of Bucephalus by @llflorence [E] no actual roads, but these guys sure go on a journey. Set in ancient times, with shades of Alexander the Great. Except it's king Morpheus and his loyal soldier (and lover) Hob. Featuring Hob being mostly bewildered about what's going on and Morpheus being the most tight lipped monarch in existence. Also featuring a love for horses and Morpheus's unquenchable desire to travel incognito. Written with the same tenderness, intensity and mystery that is Lis's hallmark.

20. New author (<1 year) Coma Dreams by TheTroubleWithTribbles [M] a fic I had to actively search for but very much enjoyed reading. Some domesticity, Dream being caring, Matthew being traumatised, and Hob enjoying an extended trip to the Dreaming. Featuring some laugh out loud moments, Dream with broccoli patterned oven gloves and Hob being free with terms of endearment.

21. Crossover or fusion fic: Half Asleep, Half Waking by @softest-punk [G] again, I could have chosen fics by softestpunk to fill most of the spaces on this grid! Isn't their writing delightful? Such warmth and such range. Something for whatever you're in the mood for. Am in awe. Anyway, this is a crossover between The Sandman and Rivers of London. I didn't know the RoL books, but after reading this I listened to them on audible and came back to the fic. Very enjoyable- thanks, Cecil! Nightingale is my favourite character from RoL and I loved his relationship with Hob. And Hob gently chiding Molly and Nightingale to get their acts together, ha!

22. Superpowers/no powers Au: Here in the Darkness by @cuubism [M] Since we've got one 'super' character, and one 'normal' character in Dreamling, I chose cuubism's reverseverse fic where they've switched around. Good grief, it was good. Hope is a ray of sunshine, eh? He's just going around being lovely and offering hope, and being kind to Morpheus. And then gets captured and treated horrifically for a century. There's plenty of angst, Morpheus being snitty, then depressed, then a vengeful angel and then they get some softness. It's pure cuubism magic: it's fucking brilliant.

23. Only One Bed: The Chase by @imnotcrying-ipromise [M] I followed along with this story as it was being published early last year, and it was a wild ride of emotions and cliffhangers! Not only is there only one bed, there is a hunt across the country, a wonderful yet dangerous connection, and of course, some falling in love. It's such a fun and thrilling tale: a unique concept with a menacing villain. The sense of peril is real: for our canon characters and some lovely ocs we meet, too. And in the quieter moments there is a lot of sweetness and care between Dream and Hob. An excellent re-read this summer.

24: Soulmates: Destined by @arialerendeair [M] I love a good soulmate au, and this is a cracker by Aria. Featuring not one, but two rescues, a number of villains getting their just desserts, and visits to a Greek temple. Hob is, by turns, a bamf and a gentle, considerate man. He's spent 600 years trying to figure out what the letters of his soul mark mean, and when he does... Dream has spent countless years not even knowing he has a soul mark/mate; it takes a severance from the Dreaming to reveal it, and when he finds out...

#sfrc 2024 #fanfic recs #Dreamling fanfiction #ao3 #ao3 comments #sandman fanfiction #dreamling

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linddzz · 10 months ago

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Here an assortment of Facts About Morpheus in the Red Flags AU. Where I'm starting to lean more towards the version where they meet and are already into each other before the ""Fake Date"" Incident:

-Jessamy is the raven he took care of when he found her injured outside of his townhome. He now has a room with a window he often keeps open for her to fly into whenever she feels like it. I don't know how legal any of this is in London but tbh it doesn't matter because he also does not know what the laws are and doesn't care.

- His townhome is very dark maximalist in decor, which tends to surprise people at first. There are houseplants and little statues all over, and the walls are hidden behind millions of bookshelves. There is an art studio room and books scattered everywhere. Very recently, hypothetical visitors would notice a lot of child locks and child proofed areas that have a bit of a panicked "I bought every safety thing in the store bc I have no idea wtf I'm doing" energy to them.

- He has a therapist. Yes, the Morpheus that Hob meets is the upgraded version who is actually working on himself already. This is what the improved personal growth version of Morpheus is like.

Anyway, said therapist is Gilbert F. Greene. Because Morpheus going head to head with an unstoppable force of old timey adorable optimism who will also not take his shit is delightful. Dr. Greene insists on going by first names and Morpheus always makes "Gilbert" sound like a slur in retaliation. Some conversations I imagine include:

"Good morning Gilbert, you will never guess who had what you might call a """relapse into self destructive behaviors"""" last night."

"I am very sorry to hear that my dear boy. Let me say though, that I am so very proud of you for calling me! That is a phenomenal step for you and it's wonderful that you are being proactive in your recovery."

"Don't patronize me Gilbert. I will hang up."

(this ended up being super long so I'm just gonna spare y'all's dash. Warning for some lightly touched on mentions of drug use and self destructive behavior.)

- Him getting a therapist was part of the requirements for gaining visitation rights and then weekend custody once a month with Orpheus. The therapy is actually helping, and he's bitter about that.

- His given name is actually Dream, he goes by his middle name. All the Endless siblings have awful names. Desire goes by Adonai because who calls a fucking child Desire???

When Hob meets the rest of the family, Destiny goes "it's good to see you again, Dream" and Hob begins turning to Morpheus like "lmao who tf is named Dream" only to find Morpheus glaring daggers at his brother.

- The Endless parents are rarely around. Some of the siblings still live in the manor and they all use it for family dinners, but it's common for their parents to be off travelling for years at a time.

- Morpheus is an author and a painter who has a bajillion pen names to go with each genre he writes in, so it's hard to figure out exactly how much he's written. Even before becoming a father though, his face and full name is mostly associated with children's fantasy stories that he illustrates himself, and his Art vs Artist vibe is very Miyazaki.

Him and Calliope collaborated on a series of illustrated poetic translations of ancient epics. Their divorce was exactly as messy as one might imagine the divorce between two passionate artist types might be.

- His downward spiral of self destruction started before the divorce but oh boy did it nosedive during and after.

- When she got pregnant after divorce proceedings had started, there was a moment where they were both meeting with lawyers and one asked something along the lines of if this meant they would try for reconciliation and staying together. Calliope said "no" immediately.

It's not like Morpheus exactly thought they would get back together, but the speed and firmness of that hard "no" had his head screaming with white noise and some badly thought out self medication for months, which ended up being why Calliope got full custody and he is just now able to get more involved with the now two year old Orpheus.

- His rebound with Thessaly was also messy. She was just in it for a fun fling and he was... Morpheus. He found out he got dumped when she informed him she was already in the process of moving back to Greece, and Johanna said he needed to be banned from any more beautiful Greek expats from that day forth.

- No one can figure out what the deal is with him and Lucienne. The simple explanation is they're queerplatonic soul mates. Lucienne's wife Gault thinks they're a bit codependent (not an inaccurate assessment), but is more civil with him since the day she yelled at him to go get an actual therapist instead of constantly putting his shit on Lucienne, and he actually did. (It is unclear if this or Calliope demanding therapy for him to get visitation with Orpheus was his wake up call catalyst, but probably a bit of both.)

- Lucienne was originally a personal assistant. She now works as his editor since she seems to be the only person who can keep track of all the shit he's written. She is also the only person who can get away with critiquing his works in progress without sending him into a fit where he might burn all his manuscripts.

- When Morpheus started mentioning this Gadling guy a lot, Lucienne paid a visit to the pub. Not to do anything so crude as to threaten a man's life if he breaks her sensitive friend's heart. What could she do anyway? No no. She's just here to smile with zero trace of humor and ask some questions while looking him up and down through her spectacles. Hob will later describe this as one of the most pants shitting moments of his life, and he felt like he got transformed back into a primary school kid who talked slightly too loudly in the library.

- Morpheus went through a slutty phase during and shortly after University that was less of a healthy and fun exploration of his sexuality and libido, and a bit more "I will take anyone who will have me in any way they will want me and I know that if nothing else, I'm pretty."

- Him and Johanna used to have a game seeing who could get more free drinks in one night. This had to be put to an end when it turned into the catalyst for at least three screaming fights between them.

Fight subjects were

Quality vs Quantity. Morpheus insists his ability to get people to buy him a single glass of wine that costs £50 beats Johanna's cheap beers. Johanna disagreed. loudly.

Is it cheating when Morpheus ran to the bathroom to smudge on some eyeliner and then stole Johanna's lip gloss? Is it further cheating when Johanna realized that his main method of getting drinks was "act like Adonai"? Accusations that he would ever act like his horrid annoying younger sibling sent Morpheus into an absolute tantrum.

Competitiveness DID overcome sibling rivalry enough for Morpheus to go to Adonai for makeover assistance. This backfired because it made Morpheus hot to the point of intimidating, and Johanna won that night.

- After Hob starts flirting with him, Morpheus goes suspiciously into a Romantic, Pre-Raphaelite inspired art era featuring lots of noble knights with dark sunlit hair. A lot of them seem to be lured in by dark haired fae entities all La Belle Sans Merci style. It's disgustingly obvious.

-Therapy has made him juuuuust self aware enough to know that he MAYBE tends to go a bit hard and fast with romance. This makes him a little more cautious with Hob than he usually would be, and he's doing a bit of "Hob is so nice and sweet and interested but I'm gonna mess it up :(((" pining. Everyone around him is fucking sick of it. He is not self aware enough to realize he's still going super hard and fast, but this time he's doing it while sighing sadly and drawing Hob in his sketchbook all the fucking time.

#red flags au #human au #Dreamling #gonna make my pinned masterpost to organize shit later today djdjdksk

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gabessquishytum · 8 months ago

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I've spent almost all day at work thinking about my Haunted Mansion AU. I might actually end up writing this. So, some more of my ideas:

Just like in the film, Hob dies during a Masquerade Ball. He and Roderick meet to discuss 'business' and end up going to Morpheus' study, where they're supposed to wait for him. Hob doesn't trust Roderick but believes that he is safe because surely Roderick won't do anything stupid in the middle of a huge party. While waiting, Hob grabs wine for them, but Roderick poisons Hob's drink. Morpheus arrives, realizes what Roderick has just done, and loses it. Roderick assumed he'd be okay (ironically for the same reason Hob thought everything would be fine), but he doesn’t realize Morpheus is a very old and powerful vampire. Morpheus kills Roderick and then cries over Hob's body, eventually ending the Masquerade Ball by carrying his body through the party.

Like Mr. Gracey in the movie, he plans to kill himself to join his beloved in the afterlife but his eldest brother, Destiny, who can see the future, comes to him. Destiny tells Morpheus that Hob will be reborn in time (as Hob has always been one to reject death, which is part of the reason he and Morpheus worked so well together) and if Morpheus kills himself, he'll not actually be joining Hob in the afterlife. He won't tell Morpheus how long, but he tells Morpheus to wait. So Morpheus does.

I had the thought that instead of Ramsley, Lucienne is the butler, but she's also the librarian of the Manor because she spent so much time there that Morpheus just kind of gave it to her. She's also an Elf.

Jessamy and Matthew take the places of the Maid and Not-Butler (The "Inconceivable!" Guy) and they are siblings who are Fae. They both have the ability to shapeshift into Ravens.

I haven't decided if Corinthian is in this yet. Probably not because I can't figure out where to put him.

I also had the thought that Robert, the real estate agent that is Hob reincarnated, would spend a week at the Manor, and every night he would dream a little more about his life as Hob. How he and Morpheus met, fell in love, and it all culminates in Hob's murder.

Morpheus spends the entire time trying to Be Normal™ about this man who is absolutely his beloved returned to him, just as his elder brother promised. He's so busy trying to Be Normal™ (which, for the record, he's horrendous at lol) that he misses the very obvious hints Rob has been dropping about his memories slowly coming back. At least until Rob has his final dream, where he actually TALKS to Hob, the part of his soul that IS Hob. They have a conversation and realize they aren't all that different, and Rob admits he wouldn't mind if they... became one for lack of a better term. So they sort of merged into one being. He's still Rob, but he's also Hob now.

Hob/Rob talk to Morpheus, explain the situation, and they live happily ever after once Morpheus turns him.

- 🐺

I really really hope that you decide to write this, I love this outline so much. I love the inclusion of Matthew and Jessamy, I love how much the setting of the haunted mansion suits Dream’s vibes so incredibly well.

I love how well Hob can fit into this au as well, because it's almost like you can have 1389 Hob and 2023 Hob talking to eachother (only in this au its Hob and Rob ofc). I just think that could be really poignant and lovely. Like I said I really hope you write this up as a full fic, but even if you don't these ideas are really wonderful already <3

#🐺 anon #the sandman #dreamling

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zapiarty · 6 months ago

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Sandman - Dead Boy Detective

1389 - Dream & Death meet Hob Gadling; who refuses to die 1489 - Dream & Hob form their Arrangement 1589 - Hob brags about how good he's got it, with a wife, a son, riches and a knighthood. Dream decides to leave early upon meeting William Shaxberd 1689 - Dream waits for Hob's arrival, who is at his lowest point in his life thus far, Dream expects Hob to ask for death now and is surprised when Hob laughs in his face and says "Death is a mug's game, I've got so much to live for!" 1789 - Dream warns Hob against getting involved with the Slave Trade, Lady Johanna Constantine interrupts their meeting, Hob comes to Dream's rescue briefly which amuses him 1889 - Hob wants to learn things about Dream, dares to suggest he's lonely and that they are friends, Dream storms off in a huff declaring he doesn't need Hob's company

1916 - Edwin Payne dies via ritual sacrifice to Hell by classmates at 16 - The Corinthian begins his mayhem in the Waking World - Dream of the Endless is captured & imprisoned by Roderick Burgess 1917 - Sleeping Sickness officially acknowledged - Unity Kincaid remains asleep

1926 - Ethel Cripps becomes Roderick Burgess' mistress - Roderick has his son Alex kill Jessamy the Raven - Ethel gets pregnant, steals the helm, sand, and ruby and flees - Roderick dies, Alex decides not to free Dream like he'd promised 1927? - Ethel Cripps gives birth to John D

? - Ethel bargains away the helm to a demon, sells the sand

1989 - Edwin Payne escapes Hell - Hob Gadling waits for His Stranger but he does not arrive (As Dream is still held captive in the Burgess' Estate) - Charles Rowland is murdered by classmates via hypothermia & internal bleeding at 16 in December of '89 - Edwin is there for Charles to ease his death; Charles decides to stay with Edwin instead of going with Death - Some point Edwin & Charles form the Dead Boy Detectives

1994 - Infamous Puppy Debacle (Charles got too attached to a living puppy?)

March 22, 1994 - Devlin Murders occur in Port Townsend, Washington

1997 - Great Fenwick Pixie Escape (puts Edwin at a loss)

2006 - Great Chewing Gum Debacle (stressor for Edwin?)

2015 - Rose Walker & her little brother Jed are split when Rose and their mother Miranda move but her father refuses to let Jed leave with them

2020 - Lyta's husband Hector dies via a car accident, Rose's ill mother dies near the end of the year

2021 - Dream/Morpheus is released & searches for his tools to rebuild the Dreaming - Unity Kincaid wakes the moment Dream is released - Johanna Constantine purchases the sand but left it at a girlfriend's place when she left her 6 months prior (resulting in her death via the sand) - Dream faces Lucifer in Challenge for his helm; wins & humiliates Lucifer - John D uses the Ruby to nearly destroy the world in an attempt to make a better one; causing mass destruction and death, destroys the ruby in an attempt to destroy Dream and replace him but this only returns the stored power to Dream in full

8 Months later: - Death & Dream have a talk, Desire & Despair plot to knock Dream's ego down as Desire's previous attempts failed (Nada, Roderick Burgess); focus turns to Rose Walker (Desire's Great-Granddaughter) - Dream reconnects with Hob at The New Inn; 30 years late but acknowledging their friendship - Rose Walker is the Vortex and looking for her brother Jed who dreams of being The Sandman (thanks to Gault) - Unity Kincaid asks Rose to meet her in London to reveal she's her Great-Grandmother (the Great-Grandfather being her Gold Eyed Man aka Desire) - The Corinthian attempts to use her to create a New Dreaming - Lyta Hall gets pregnant from her ghost husband in the Dreaming; Dream banishes the ghost from his realm as Ghosts shouldn't be there - Morpheus collects all his lost Dreams & Nightmares; returns the Corinthian to his base form - Dream of a Thousand Cats - Calliope's most recent "owner" slips up and she is able to send a message to Morpheus who comes to free her (by driving the man who binds her insane with ideas)

Late 2022 - Crystal Palace & David the Demon enter into a relationship

2023 - Edwin & Charles take on the Case of Crystal Palace on behest of Emma the Ghost

- Becky Aspen case in Port Townsend, WA; meet Esther the Witch, get trapped in Port Townsend by the Cat King - Niko Sasaki & the Dandelion Sprites Case - February 17; The Devlin House Case (Charles' history brought up, meet Monty) - Case of the Lighthouse Leapers (Charles & Crystal kiss, Night Nurse fed to Sea Monster, Cat King taunts Edwin with Monty & Charles' likeness in an attempt to get a kiss) - Case of the Two Dead Dragons (Edwin realizes he's truly in love with Charles as he comforts Charles after a breakdown, Monty steals Edwin's first kiss thinking Edwin was talking about him) - Case of the Creeping Forest (Monty's betrayal, Crystal's Awakening) - Case of the Very Long Stairway; Edwin gets taken back to Hell & Charles goes after him, Edwin confesses he's in love with Charles - Edwin meets Despair and she decides they are "friends" now - Case of the Hungry Snake; Niko dies (?) saving Crystal from Esther Finch in an attempt to rescue Edwin & Charles - The Lost & Found Department of the Afterlife "officially" allows the Dead Boy Detectives to work cases to help them help ghosts cross over in exchange for allowing them to stay together on Earth

#sandman #dead boy detectives #timeline #I tried to color coordinate it but the colors kept changing back to white so I gave up

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writing-for-life · 5 months ago

Text

The Ultimate Sandman Character Tag List!

I recently published a tag list for all female Sandman characters I have written about or posted art for (I’ve just added to it and tidied it up. The tags auto-update, so feel free to bookmark it if you want to stay in the loop about the Sandwomen), which made me think:

Why not do that for all the characters for quick reference?

So if you’re interested in one particular character, you can just quickly go to their tag on my blog. These are character tags, so you’ll find anything from metas to fics/poetry and art in no particular order. If you are looking for something more specific, please have a look at my pinned post.

I will not pretend I wrote and posted equally for all of them (some might just have one entry), and a few are missing (I’ll add tags when applicable). But right now, I have roundabout 100 Sandman characters waiting to get explored, and existing tags will auto-update whenever something new gets added, so feel free to bookmark this post.

I tag pretty consistently (some characters have two tags because I initially didn’t 🙈), but the odd one might slip through and float around on my blog without being tagged; you can also try to use the search function on my blog.

So without further ado, here they are (and now I’ll need to lie down):

The Endless

Destiny

Death

Dream (Morpheus only | Daniel only)

Destruction

Desire

Despair

Delirium/Delight

Dream’s Lovers

(Yes, they get their own space for quick reference)

Alianora

Calliope

Killalla

Nada

Thessaly

Titania

Denizens of the Dreaming

Cain and Abel (Cain here, Abel here)

The Corinthian

The Cuckoo

Eve

The Fashion Thing

Fiddler’s Green/Gilbert

Gault

Goldie

Gregory

Guardians of the Gate/Gatekeepers

Jessamy

Lucien (comics)

Lucienne (Netflix)

Martin Tenbones

Matthew the Raven

Mervyn Pumpkinhead

Gods, Demons and (Fallen) Angels

Azazel

Bast

Beelzebub

Duma

The Fates (Furies, Kindly Ones, Hecateae etc)

Hades

Ishtar

Loki

Lucifer Morningstar

Mazikeen

The Creator/Presence and Glory

Persephone

Remiel

Fae

Auberon

Cluracan

Nuala

Immortals and Long-Lived Humans

Bhartari

Hob Gadling

Mad Hettie

Orpheus

Mortal Beings and Humans

Alex Burgess

Augustus

Barbie

Barnaby Farrell (Uncle Barnaby)

Bette Munroe

Carl/Carla

Chantal

Clarice Farrell (Aunt Clarice)

Ethel Cripps

Foxglove (Donna Cavanagh)

Garry Fletcher

Gwen

Hal Carter

Hazel McNamara

Hope Beautiful Lost Nebula

Jed Walker

John Constantine (Comics)

Judy Talbot

Kate Fletcher

Lady Johanna Constantine (Comics)

Modern Johanna Constantine (Netflix)

John Dee

John Hathaway

Joshua A. Norton/Emperor Norton

Lyta Hall

Marco Polo

Paul McGuire

Prez Rickard

Rachel Moodie

Richard Madoc

Roderick Burgess

Rosemary

Rose Walker

Ruby

Unity Kinkaid

Wanda

Wesley Dodds

William Shakespeare

Zelda

Other

Barnabas

Night

Time

#the sandman #sandman #dream of the endless #morpheus #the sandman netflix #the sandman comics #the endless #sandman characters #sandman character tag list #the sandman meta #sandman meta

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im-not-corrupted · 10 months ago

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oohh!! seer dream!

Hi hi! This one's my lil fairy tale (kinda) fic about an immortal-human Dream who can see the dreams of everybody and make them come true. He lives in a cabin outside of the woods, and eventually, a Hob whose dreams always comes true stumbles upon him. They adopt a couple of ravens too, it's a great time. Here's a little snippet from chapter two :)

------

He bundles the poor thing up in the cloak, cradling it close to his chest. There is a faint warmth as he brushes a finger over silk-soft feathers, as cold as he imagined they would be, and the bird still breathes. Faintly, but it still does, and he is grateful for that. For the chance to do something to help heal it, to give it a place to grow warm again until it can take to the skies once more.

”What is your name, then?” he murmurs quietly, trying not to think overmuch of the biting cold. He will be home in the cabin soon, and that will have to be enough for him.

The name comes to him easily, a faint whisper in the back of his mind. “Jessamy,” he tries, and—yes. It fits. It fits perfectly, and the bird in his hands seems to respond pleasantly. Jessamy it is, then.

The walk back to his cabin is much slower than he would like. He is cold, breath frosting in front of him, and the winter clothes he wears does little for the chill. Still, the bird seems to enjoy being cradled close to him while bundled up so snugly in the fabric of his cloak--its dreams slowly become a tiny bit brighter, even if its desperation to feel less pain still occupies most of them--and so by the time he reaches his cabin, he thinks it is worth it.

It is even more worth it when he sees the man who stands on his doorstep once more, looking more than a little dejected where he stares at the closed door. It is the stranger again, the one who foolishly dreams of immortality, and Dream startles at the sight of him. Truly, he had not expected to see him the last time--at least, not for a reason as innocent and as lovely as simply wanting to offer Dream stories because he seemed to enjoy them the first time they met--and to see him a third time feels...

It feels impossible. It feels a little too good to be true, somehow. People do not visit him. He made this cabin his, far enough away from any civilisation that he will not be disturbed, because he did not want people to visit him. Because he did not want to be used for his abilities, because he wanted to hurt less, because he wanted to exist without such expectations.

Occasionally, there are some who stumble upon him. He is an unwilling legend in these parts, a story that has passed onto newer generations through word of mouth. He knows how they think of him, what they call him, what they want from him. And sometimes, somebody takes their chances. Makes their way towards his cabin on nothing but desperation and dreams alone in the hopes that somehow he exists, that, for some reason that is beyond him, he will make their dream a reality even if he had not done such a thing in centuries.

Yet this man continues to find him. He does not request his dream come true. He makes no demands. He does not even ask--he has requested only water and Dream's company, so far, and neither of these take energy or magic from him.

It is baffling. It is wonderful.

And still, it is hard to trust. A third time cannot be a coincidence, surely. He must know by now who Dream must be. What he must be. Dream does not think the man would be so rude as to outright demand he grant the dream that hangs in the air around him, one he imagines so fiercely Dream can still feel it without reaching out, but his muscles still tense.

After two nights of his companionship, after sitting by the fire with the man in front of him...After having somebody spend time in his company after so many years of the walls of his cabin closing in around him, he does not think he will be able to turn this man away. Not after all of that.

Immortality would be difficult to grant. It would be painful, and would take much from him. He thinks it might be a worthwhile price to pay. "Hello," he greets. It is...softer than he intends, quieter. The bird in his hand lets out a little sound, still in so much agony, and he brushes a finger over her head once more. It appears to soothe her, and he is happy to give whatever comforts he can.

The man whirls around, so fast Dream fears he may hurt himself accidentally. He remains properly balanced, however, staring at Dream with widened eyes as though he hadn't expected Dream to be there at all. Which is...strange. This is where he lives. Where else would he be?

A smile as bright and glorious as the sun breaks across his face. It is a smile Dream would do much to see again, one he wishes to burn into his memory so he might revisit it again. "Stranger!" he greets in return, and Dream thinks he will never get tired of the joy, the excitement, that shines through in his voice so easily. It has been terribly long since somebody has been truly delighted to see him. "I thought you weren't here for a moment."

"My apologies," he murmurs slowly. The man has not asked anything of him yet. He wonders how he has gotten lucky enough for this man to find him. "I had not been expecting guests."

#the sandman #dreamling #dream of the endless #hob gadling #dreamling fic #the sandman fic #eris writes things #my asks #wip tag game #cuubism #chapter one is going to go up in a couple of days I think!!!#I'm incredibly excited to share it :))

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dyns33 · 2 years ago

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The debt

Little Morpheus x Reader for a sweet week end

Y/N didn't want to see Mopheus again.

Not at all.

She wished him no harm of course, she even wanted him to find balance, serenity, and happiness, but there were still a lot of things she couldn't forgive.

Their break-up had been difficult. Maybe he had warned her, before they even started dating.

"My love stories always end badly."

Y/N had laughed. She brushed that sentence aside, convinced that it would be different between them, that she was the one who was going to change him, and that they were going to stay together forever.

And they had been together long enough. Several years. They had been very happy. Morpheus had even asked his father not to pass for her anymore, so that his dear sister would never come to take her from him, and since he never asked for anything, Time had accepted.

She wasn't the first mortal to defy the laws of nature, so it didn't really matter much.

But even though time had stopped for her body, their hearts were still racing, and one day they had started to argue.

A bit, then a lot, more and more often, more and more violently.

He had never hit her, but the words could be as hurtful as the blows.

Y/N had made the decision to leave him. It didn't seem to surprise him. This had offended him a little. Maybe also saddened him, in any case she wanted to hope so. He hadn't fought for her to stay. It was the end of all his previous love affairs after all.

The difference was that there was no punishment. No ban. Morpheus didn't prevent her from dreaming, as he didn't ask his father to take back the gift he had given her.

It had been over a year now, and Y/N was trying to move on. Not necessarily to forget him, he would always haunt her nights, and there were some good memories, but she had to learn to live without him, and forever.

So she didn't want to see him anymore, but she continued to appreciate the inhabitants of the Dreaming. It was for this reason that she suddenly stopped near an alley, while it was raining, taking a few steps back to check that she hadn't been mistaken.

Hiding behind a trash can was a raven, visibly injured, which was painful to see.

"Matthew ?" she asked softly as she approached.

"... Hi Y/N."

"What happened ?"

"A tiny little accident, nothing dramatic. I'm resting a bit before flying off to go back to... Well, to leave."

"You can talk about the Dreaming, I don't mind. It sounds serious enough. Isn't Morpheus coming to get you ?"

"No !" cried the raven, fidgeting nervously. "I mean, the boss doesn't know, and he doesn't have to know ! He's going to panic, and be angry, and sad, and disappointed, saying that I'm not paying enough attention, and that I can't go into the waking world alone anymore, and that it's his fault because he wasn't there to protect me, and he's going to take a new raven which will be better than me and..."

"Matthew. Calm down."

"... I don't want him to replace me. I don't want him to worry either. I know he suffered a lot after the death of Jessamy. But it's true that I can't really fly right now, and I'm stuck here."

Y/N sighed. It probably wasn't a good idea, because Matthew was a dream, and Morpheus was very protective of his dreams, very possessive, but she couldn't leave the little bird, and he knew her, so there was no reason for this situation to take a bad turn.

Without saying a word, not listening to the cries of the raven, she took him with her, to her house, where she settled him on a cushion, taking care of his wing and giving him something to regain his strength.

"You can stay here as long as you need, and when you're better you can go back to Dream."

"Thank you ! That's so nice ! I knew you were nice, I don't understand why you and the boss broke up."

"It was not working anymore."

"Because he's not good with people, he knows it, and instead of making an effort, he sulks, imagines the worst, and ruins everything ? Classic. He does that all the time. It has rained for months after you left, he was inconsolable."

Guessing she wasn't supposed to know that, Y/N said nothing, pretending she hadn't heard anything, and taking care of Matthew until he was fit to fly away.

Quite honestly, she thought this story was going to end there. She had helped an old friend, nothing more.

But when she had just fallen asleep, she was surprised to find herself in the throne room she knew so well. Morpheus was there, staring coldly at her. He hadn't changed, and Y/N tried not to think he was still very handsome.

"Matthew told me that you assisted him during one of his trips to the waking world."

"Yes, although I thought he didn't want you to know that."

"He can't hide anything from me. He's a part of me, and I immediately knew he was in distress. But I saw you were with him and helping him, so I didn't interfere."

"Good. Why am I here then ?" she asked, suddenly feeling hope deep in her heart, thinking he was going to talk about that rain, tell her he missed her, and ask her to come back.

"I am in your debt.. As Endless, I must pay it. Ask me what you want, so that we are even."

The request fell on her like a sledgehammer. For a second she almost smiled, then laughed, waiting for him to laugh with her, because it could only be a joke.

"I didn't do this for a favour. I don't want anything, thank you."

"You do not understand." he growled as he rose from his throne, huge and menacing. "I have to pay my debt."

"Morpheus, I don't want anything. Consider us even right now, I don't want to ask you anything."

"You have to, that's the rule."

So that was the only reason he had brought her here. The rules, the responsibilities. Again This upset her pretty much. Morpheus certainly didn't think she had helped Matthew get anything out of him, but that was how she felt. He wasn't offering her a present as a thank you, but because he had no choice.

"No."

"You dare."

"I won't ask you anything."

"But you could. You can ask me for anything you want and I'll give it to you.."

Indeed, as she could have made him a totally ridiculous request, like a book, or sweet dreams, or that he just say "thank you" by getting down on his knees, but Y/N was as stubborn as he was, and she refused to change her mind.

Morpheus didn't back down either. He continued to torment her for several nights, before visiting her during the day, ordering her to release him from his debt.

As always, he was selfish, annoying, insistent, but not violent. He didn't touch her once, and he didn't actually scream, like she knew he was capable of. He seemed genuinely desperate about this situation, and Y/N ended up not knowing what to do.

She didn't want him to think she had helped Matthew to get something, and she could have asked for something ridiculous, and at the same time she could be asking for something huge, like getting a second chance. She was secretly happy to see him again, so often.

Because even if everything hadn't been perfect, she sometimes missed him. She missed what they had had.

Instead, as he continued to harass her, even preventing her from sleeping, Y/N lost her composure, being tired and lost.

"You want a wish ? Fine. I never want to see you again. Never again !"

Morpheus suddenly seemed shocked. Hurt. He studied her for a long time, as if he wanted to say something, before shaking his head and disappearing in a whirlwind of sand.

The wish was immediately regretted, but Y/N tried to call him, hoping he would come back to cancel her request, but he didn't show up.

Luckily for her, the wish was vague. She hadn't said a word about the Dreaming, or its inhabitants, and after several days she finally found Matthew, presumably on a mission in the waking world, standing on a bench.

"Hello Matthew." she whispered as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah. Hi."

"Everything is fine ?"

"Depends. The boss has been crying since he got back from your place. He refuses to say what happened. I know you were both responsible last time, but I don't like seeing him like this. He's my friend, I don't want you to hurt him."

"I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I said something stupid, and I'd like to undo all of this, but I don't know if it's possible."

She explained to him what had happened, and the little raven sighed, realizing that they had acted like fools again. However, he sadly told her that there was nothing he could do, because now that she had made her request, he had to respect it.

"Even if I ask ? I really want to rescind that wish."

"Sorry, kid. It doesn't work that way."

"But... I'll never see him again." Y/N sobbed, putting her hands on her heart. She hadn't wanted to see Morpheus again, but she hadn't thought she would never see him again.

Matthew sighed again, shook his little head, before letting out a caw. Without saying a word, he abruptly flew away, leaving her alone on the bench, where she wept softly, thinking he had abandoned her.

Then he came back, hopping on one leg.

"I had a problem." he declared.

"What do you mean? You... Your leg is broken ?! Matthew ! How did you do that ?!"

"A bike."

"You're totally oblivious. Maybe Dream is right in not wanting to let you walk around on your own. Come on."

Once in her apartment, Y/N did exactly like the last time, taking care of the crow, putting a bandage on his tiny leg, before freezing.

"... You didn't hurt yourself on purpose to make Morpheus owe me another debt, did you ?"

"... Maybe ?"

"Matthew. That's a really bad idea."

"Indeed."

The voice startled her, but she was still happy to see Dream, who was standing awkwardly by the door.

Y/N slowly turned to him, afraid that he would disappear as quickly as he had come the instant her eyes landed on him. He looked as desperate as Matthew had said, scared, which wasn't normal for an Endless.

"You… You're not going to get in trouble ? By being in the same room as me, despite my wish ?"

"I could." he replied. "But I have another debt to you again, which I must honour so, exceptionally, here I am."

"I see. It's... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask that. I was sick of your constant asking, I wanted you to understand that I didn't do this for favours, and I refused to abuse your powers."

"I know. I'm sorry I was so insistent. I never thought you helped Matthew for any reason other than your kindness. But there are rules, I have to offer you something. I... I was hoping you would ask me..."

"Yes ?"

"I didn't think you would ask that."

"And I want to rescind that wish, right now. It doesn't count anymore. I don't want to never see you again. Of course, if you don't want to come back, I'll understand, but if you... You would be welcome."

"That's it. That's what I wanted to hear." he whispered, moving closer to rest his forehead against hers.

Despite himself, Matthew let out a caw of joy, ruining the moment a bit, but it made the two former lovers smile. Taking his emissary in his arms, Dream thanked her for having helped him again, even if the circumstances were special this time.

Visibly embarrassed, he offered her to come and visit him in the Dreaming, if she wanted to. Y/N said she would think about it, adding that he could also come for tea when he had some free time.

They parted ways, knowing they were foolish enough to never see each other again, and knowing they wouldn't last long before they visited each other. Because even if she had told herself for a long time that she didn't want to see him again, Y/N knew deep down that it was wrong, that she wanted as much as needed to be with Morpheus, stupid, imperfect, beloved Morpheus, who had never had love affairs with the same person twice.

So maybe the second time would be the right one.

#the sandman #sandman #morpheus #morpheus x reader #dream of the endless #dream of the endless fanfiction #dream of the endless x reader

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honeybeezgobzzzzz · 2 years ago

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𓅨 Shifting Wings: Chapter One

Shifting Wings: Before the Raven Matthew, there was Jessamy, and Jessamy came with a little sister by the name of Adrienne. Dream adores his two little Ravens, but after over a hundred years of imprisonment and the death of Jessamy, Dream will find that he has not just lost his companion, but his beloved little Raven Adrienne no longer brightens the halls of his Palace. None of his staff wish to speak of where the Raven has gone, but the silent new resident of the palace is cause for question. After all, she was the one who aided in his release. If none of his subjects would help him find Adrienne, perhaps she could lead him to the whereabouts of the missing Raven. If only the woman wasn’t so flighty and hard to track down.

Warnings: Angsty Teenager Vibes, Feels like a hot Mess but Whatevs.

To Note: Morpheus/Dream x FemaleRaven!Reader, NAMED Reader (I like the name).

Word Count: ~2.6k

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1722, France

The carriage, packed with furs and pelts of animals from the new land across the great ocean, rattled heavily as you sat next to your sister and gaze out at the receding road. When your father had decided to get into the fur trade blossoming from the new world, your mother had not been thrilled, but supported her husband with his decision and strive to feed his family. It was a silly thought, to bring his wife and two daughter, both unmarried, along with him. But your father trusted no one with your welfare and chose to have you travel with him.

Your sister was one and nine, and yourself one and five, hardly children, but your mother and father kept their eyes on you carefully. You were certain it was because they had lost children before you and Jessamy had come along. To the fever they had told you while their one and only little boy to the water sickness. It was easy to understand why you were so sheltered, but you felt smothered at times and grew into a rebellious spirit. One that drove your older sister Jessamy up the walls of the inns you frequented in your travels.

Sighing rather dramatically, you fell back against the covered animal pelts behind you and stared up at the sky. From beside you, your sister glanced at you with a raised eyebrow. She knew you both disliked and loved the lifestyle you were forced into. Constantly moving from one place to the other, never having lasting friends, or romance. You had reached the age where boys were on the mind and your emotions changed like a breeze in a field. Jessamy laid on her back and twisted her head so she was looking at you.

“Was is it, Adrienne?” She asked you. “What is it that has you sighing with such integrity, little sister?” You let the sound of the carriage rattling and trundling along the slightly worn path, stretch out in a period of silence before answering.

“How are we to have a future Jess?” You questioned, shifting you own head to look at your older sister. “Maman and papa insist on keeping us with them, but do we not have our own lives to live?”

“They want to keep us safe, ma caillem,” (My quail) Jessamy reminded you, understanding your frustration and sympathizing with your feelings of being stuck. “You know they only have our best interests in mind.”

“Yeah, if that means our interests are being old maids with gnarled hands, crooked noses, and with no intentions of ever getting married,” You grumbled out, unable to keep the bitterness out of your voice. “Who will want us when we are old?”

“You think negatively, ma sœur,” (my sister) Jessamy chided you, reaching over to tuck a long curl of hair behind your ear. “You are what is most precious to us.” Your face soured as you disagreed with her words. Most precious? You felt like you were locked away in your own little world because of them. Adrienne do the laundry. Adrienne don’t talk to that boy. Adrienne don’t stray from the carriage. Adrienne make sure you come back before sunset. Adrienne do this. Adrienne do that. Adrienne. Adrienne. Adrienne! You felt like you had no life compared to the girls you encountered in your travels and you hated it.

At least the visit to Versaille had been interesting, you had never seen such splendor in one place.

At the front of the carriage, your father called out to you and Jessamy.

“Saint Cirq Lapopie, right ahead my daughters! I think you shall like this place! There is much to see and enjoy here while your mother and I conduct our business!” You blinked at Jessamy before lurching back into a sitting position and twisting your body around to look at the new town that would be your home for the next month and a half. It was a village built on a cliff right next to a river, perfect for milling barns and other modern advancements of this new century. You were amazed at how fast grain could be turned into flour just by the stream of water.

Your mother constantly preened that the 1700’s would be the cornerstone of new technologies and your father was excited at the prospects of his business expanding in a way so that your family might finally put roots down. You didn’t see the glamor in such oddity and found the constant chatter rather irritating. How long could people go on about some simple invention!? Forever it seemed like… but at least Saint Cirq Lapopie looked like a nice town, certainly there would be others your age living there, so your hopes for a life weren’t entirely dashed.

“It looks adequate, perhaps I might even find a friend for once,” You mused, hanging onto the carriage and you further inspected the looming village. Jessamy rolled her eyes and took your hand.

“Look on the bright side, ma caillem,” (My quail) Jessamy told you, taking your hand again and giving it a squeeze. “Who knows, maybe there’s a cute boy in the village you can get to know.”

You had been sneaking around with Christian for nearly two weeks before your mother caught on. Jessamy, however, seemed to know the moment you had begun to see the local boy from Saint Cirq Lapopie. You had never been able to hide anything from her and had been reduced to an embarrassed mess when she cornered you and Christian while you had been walking through the market. Better Jessamy than papa, but still, your sister was like a guard dog, she didn’t let just anyone near you. Christian had gotten the riot act from Jessamy, with plenty of threats of bodily harm if he ever hurt you, before promising not to speak a word to mamon or papa.

“I received news that Claudia, my cousin, has come down with the plague.” Christian spoke as you sat next to each other at the base of the river, the village high above you. You looked at him with worry. “My aunt fears that the plague will come to the village, have you heard anything from your father’s work?”

“Just whispers I overhear,” You answered softly. “Papa tries not to speak of work or such things when he knows when I am around.”

“So he hides the truth from you?” Christian asked with a frown. “Adrienne, the plague is spreading across France. It is bound to reach Saint Cirq Lapopie at some point.”

“I think he’s in denial, that the village is closed off enough that it will not come here.” You explained, looking at Christian with pursed lips. “You know what he is like, doesn’t believe such gossiping whispers and mamon will always stand by his decision.”

“And what of Jessamy? She is the voice of reason.”

“Jessamy spends all her time working at the mill, I hardly see her anymore.” You said just as the church bells started ringing. Glancing up the hill, your heart dropped in realization that your time with Christian was now over. You stood up and brushed the dirt from the skirts of your dress, Christian followed and grasped your hand.

“Adrienne, please be careful,” He told you, wishing that the village would be spared from the plague, that you would be spared.

“You know that I’m not allowed out much,” You reminded him, kissing his cheek. “I will see you next week, same time and spot, okay? Papa needs me to do some work for him and I won’t have time to see you.” With that you darted off for the path that led back to the village. Your mother was already standing outside your rented cottage, hands on her hips and a firm look of concern upon her face.

“Adrienne!” She called the moment you appeared. “Where have you been!? You know your father and I want you back before the bell strikes six!” She erupted, shooing you towards the door. You could smell the fire from the kitchen as well as the dinner already cooking, and already knew that she would be putting you on chore duty.

You got to working on the chores expected of you, sweeping the floor of the cottage and washing the dishes your mother used to make the stew. You and your mother worked quietly, waiting for your sister to come home and join you… but neither of you expected the door to the cottage to be thrown open as Jessamy rushed in followed by two mill workers hauling your father between them.

“Papa!” You gasped, dropping the broom you had been holding and rushing forwards. Jessamy intercepted you and held you back as your mother led the men to your parents bed and hefted him onto it. “Jess, Jess what’s wrong with him?” You asked, your eyes twisting around to look at her. “What is wrong with papa!?”

“He collapsed at work,” Jessamy explained, hugging you close and you clung to her, tears in your eyes. “Margaretta said that he hadn’t been feeling well all day but thought it was just because he has been working so much as of late.”

“Has a doctor been called? Please tell me a doctor has been called!” You fretted, looking between Jessamy and your father.

“I’m not sure but one will be,” Jessamy answered, stroking your hair while reality set in. Everyone had been hoping the plague would pass by the town, leave it unscathed, untouched. The truth was that it had already come, and it was going to leave a lasting scar.

You were having a hard time getting your bearings, almost like you were having an out of body experience. Then again, you were fairly sure that you had died of the plague, having caught it after your father had contracted it. You remember laying limp on your and Jessamy’s shared bed, hardly able to move. She, too, had caught it and been rendered bed bound. You only had each other to hold onto after the village doctor quarantined the cottage. The plague had been running rampant through the village, and no one was allowed to visit those sick save for the plague doctors.

One moment you had been tiredly closing your eyes to get some rest and the next you were in a strange world flopping around in an equally strange body while your arms flailed. No, not arms. Wings. You were no longer within your human body, but an entirely different one. A bird’s. Your panic had you flopping around much like a fish out of water as the sound of your sister shouting at you to calm down was drowned out by your heart beat. Your wings generated lift and you were clumsily flying through the air, jerking left and right, up and down.

“Adrienne!” Jessamy called from where she sat calmly on a tree branch. “Calm down!”

“Where are we!? What am I!?” You screeched, your eyes swirling around and taking in your surroundings with odd clarity. And the sounds you could hear! Your mind was overwhelmed and you flew yourself into a tangle of branches, leaves and thorns scratching at your feathers. You screeched once more, more in surprise than pain, and wildly flapped your wings to get away from them. Shooting backwards, you tried to right yourself in the air, but couldn’t figure out how your new body worked. You smashed right into the thick trunk of a tree and cried out as blinding pain ripped up your right arm.

You fell to the forest floor in a heap with a brittle call of pain and Jessamy fluttered down to you immediately.

“Adrienne, stop moving,” She ordered you as you rolled around on the ground desperate to get away from the pain holding you captive. Your little body finally stopped moving as your belly rested on leaves and your right limb was awkwardly stretched out in front you. Something was not right, you didn’t need words to tell you that. Jessamy stepped around you and settled by your head, her wise eyes inspecting what had to be a broken wing. Certainly with the way your beautiful raven and opal feathered limb was bent and twisted. “You broke your wing, you need to stop moving.”

“I don’t have wings!” You erupted with a howl but staying still as ordered. There were tears in your eyes from the pain you felt. You’d never felt something so terrible before and it scared you. Scared you just as much as this new world, this new body, did. “What happened? Where are my legs, my arms!?”

Jessamy shushed you and looked around. She had guessed that you and her had passed in your sleep, how else had you been transported to this strange new world? What Jessamy couldn’t figure out, was why you were both in the body of a bird. Had you both not died from the plague and gone to heaven? This was no heaven… but it wasn’t hell either. Your cries of pain quieted down to whimpers, and Jessamy surmised that you must have gone unconscious when you stopped wriggling and making noise entirely.

“Oh, Adrienne,” Jessamy tutted in worry, shifting her own raven and opal colored body. Without your parents to guide and protect you, it now fell on her to ensure that you finished growing up healthy and happy. A challenging task, surely. “But where are we?”

“Fiddler’s Green, child,” A disembodied voice spoke, startling Jessamy and making her flap her wings in defense.

“Who’s there!?” She barked out, her beady black eyes searching the surrounding clearing as she took a protective stance over you. She saw nothing. “Show yourself!”

“I have no body, little one, for I am the forest and greenery that surrounds you.” Fiddler’s Green replied, pleased to know that Lord Morpheus was already on his way to help the injured raven. The poor thing had no idea what had happened to her.

“What are you then?” Jessamy questioned, cocking her head to the side.

“I am an arcana, one of the three made by Lord Morpheus here in The Dreaming.” Jessamy squinted at the trees, scrutinizing the foliage, and judging nearby bushes for any threat.

“You will explain this to me.” She ordered sternly.

“You have died in your sleep, little raven,” A calm voice spoke out, causing Jessamy to whirl around on her new tiny feet. She hopped over your downed body and flapped her wings threateningly.

“And who are you!?” She growled, hackles raised. “And why are me and my sister here? Why are we birds!?”

“I am Dream of the Endless,” Dream explained. “And you are within my realm, The Dreaming. I shall answer your questions, will you allow me to approach you and your sister? I fear she has greatly injured her wing.” Jessamy stared at this ‘Dream of the Endless’ with a hard gaze, assessing the situation and weighing out her options. She didn’t have much of a choice.

“Very well.”Jessamy said, slightly backing down from her defensive position. Dream approached and crouched down next to Jessamy, who watched his every move. His fingers glossed over the injured wing, and with a subtle whisper of sand along black and white feathers, the injury fixed itself. Then he picked up your limp body and looked to Jessamy.

“Come, we shall speak in my palace.” Jessamy narrowed her gaze before following him, wondering what exactly was this ‘Dream of the Endless’ and could he answer the questions she had. For she had many and all she cared about was keeping you safe.

Date Published: 5/3/23

Last Edit: 5/3/23

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#morpheus x reader #lord morpheus #morpheus #dream the endless x reader #dream of the endless #dream x reader #dream of the endless x reader #dream the endless #the sandman netflix #the sandman x reader #sandman x reader #the sandman

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scrumptiouswordsthings · 1 year ago

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Jessamy in The Sandman

Before I dive in too far - a quick run down of Jessamy in both the comics and the Netflix show (think of it as a refresher).

Comics Jessamy appears only for a short time in Issue #29 "Thermidor" where Dream asks assistance from Lady Constantine during the 1700s in a task. If you haven't read the comics I won't spoil you for the task request. She retires from Dream's service and joins several other of Dream's previous ravens in Eve's cave. She does appear in The Dreaming comics that are a direct spin-off of The Sandman as well, but overall isn't a large part of Dream's story.

Show Jessamy is only in Episode 1, "Sleep of the Just". She accompanies Dream into the Waking World when he is summoned and imprisoned. She proceeds to hang around for years before dying in a clever attempt to help free Dream from Burgess's basement. We see her death on screen, and her echoes are felt throughout the entire first season.

In short, Jessamy's place in the story shifted quite a bit for the Netflix adaptation.

There are plenty of theories on why and arguments on whether or not her use in the show consitutes a plothole, but I am just here to say that while I hated to see her go I thought her time on screen was much more effective than her time on the page. I had to search for where she had shown up in the comics, but I couldn't forget her on screen. To be fair, a part of that now is just the difference between the amount of material we have available on screen versus in the comics, but even once we have more episodes I think that will remain true.

She's sweet in the comics, but without speaking a word she mastered capturing hearts on screen. I do want to emphasize that while her death acts as a shock and reveals emotions in Dream for the first time on screen I do not think she was used just as a sacrificial character. The show leans heavily on the fact that "Dream of the Endless always has a Raven." and Jessamy is the first the audience sees. She establishes the status quo going forward for these ravens. Without her loyalty, perseverance, and determination I don't think the actions of later ravens (*cough* Matthew *cough*) would have the same impact. Jessamy is what Matthew must live up to - she left a big beak to fill not only for Matthew but also Dream's other subjects.

Also, the episodic element of comics may translate well to episodes of a show, but a show tends adhere to linearity a tad more than written stories must. Having a more sequential set-up for Dream's ravens will assist in allowing the audience to track the sequence of events - especially if we get as many different glimpses of the past in future episodes as I expect.

I'm guessing there are even more reasons for the change from comic to screen for Jessamy and her place in The Sandman's greater story, but again - I found the choices they made on screen powerful and evocative for Jessamy as a character. I had nothing against her before, but the show has entrenched a staunch love for her in my Sandman heart.

(One of my favorite articles on Matthew and Jessamy from Screenrant)

#jessamy #the sandman #sandman netflix #comics #dream of the endless always has a raven #adaptation #the sandman jessamy

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dragon-kazansky · 8 months ago

Text

When the raven calls

Morpheus x Female Reader

{Masterlist}

{Previous Chapter} - {Next Chapter}

Chapter Eight - Friends through time

☆☆☆

1389

The first time Morpheus met Hob was a long, long time ago. Dream had longer hair back then. You had been there too, just not inside the tavern.

No, you had to wait outside. You waited on a wall, muttering to yourself about how unfair it was that birds weren't allowed inside. Then remembered you were among mortals and had to hush up. It would only be complicated to explain why a raven could talk.

You had agreed with Death that it would do him some good to spend time among them. Dream had disagreed, but he also didn't take much coaxing to get him out here.

Death was proud of him for tagging along. You were just there for moral support.

Death had come out first. She smiled at you and then went on her way. You waited patiently for your king to exit, too.

Soon, the door opened, and Dream came out. He looked amused. He walks over to you.

"I've just met the most curious human."

"That so?"

He chuckles softly and then gestures for you to follow him as he returns back to the Dreaming.

☆☆☆

1489

Once again, you're left outside. You can't see or hear anything that's going on. Dream said he wouldn't be too long. He didn't expect this meeting to go on for very long as he assumed the human would wish for death.

Dream had explained that a man by the name of Robert Gadling refused to die. Death made the man immortal. She would never come and take him the Sunless Lands unless he asked for it.

A hundred years had passed and Hob still wanted to live.

Dream thought this was fascinating. He told Hob to be there in another hundred years.

As Dream left the tavern, you followed.

"Well?"

"He wishes to live. Another hundred years it is then."

"Who is he?" You ask, flapping your wings gently.

Dream doesn't reply. He just smiles.

☆☆☆

1589

You had requested Dream sit by the window when he came to see Hob this time. He said he would try for your sake. However, when Dream arrived, Hob already had a table set up in waiting for him. You sigh and decide to hide in the trees.

Hob Gadling had apparently become rich. He had made some gold and was living life to the fullest. He was knighted and everything. He was happy.

So, of course, he wanted to live.

When Dream came out of the tavern, he was with a young man. You heard him refer to the man as 'Will'. You flew off after them, keeping a distance, furious as to why he had left Hob. Surely their meeting wasn't over already?

Dream would later tell you he met a curious man. One who wishes to write the most wonderful plays to inspire men.

You weren't surprised Dream took an interest in him.

☆☆☆

1689

You finally got to see Hob Gadling. Dream was there first and sat as close to the window as he possibly could. You perched on the window sill outside and peered in. No one paid you any mind, except your king who checked of you were there.

A man is trying to get into the tavern. He is being held back and told he can't come in.

"Let him be. He is my guest."

You look at the man who had come in. This can't possibly be the same Robert Gadling you had heard about. Last you heard, he was rich and doing well for himself.

Then again, a lot can happen in a hundred years.

Hob sits at the table and shoves food in his mouth. He was starving. You watch curiously. Humanity was so fascinating, and he, especially so.

Dream listens as Hob regails the story of how he lost everything. Even his wife and son. You know Dream has felt loss too.

Yet, Hob Gadling still wanted to live.

You were amazed. He was so resilient. Humanity really was something special. You almost wished to experience it for yourself.

Unfortunately, someone spots you outside the window and shoos you away.

Dream hears you fly away.

☆☆☆

1789

To say you were obsessed with the way Dream looked was an understatement. You always admired how your king looked, but he certainly looked regal now.

You were sat by the open window listening to Hob tell Dream of all that had happened since they met last. Hob was confused by why Dream insisted on sitting near an open window.

Other than Hob getting into slave trading, the conversation was going smoothly. You had been listening with great interest in how the world worked. That's when she walked in.

Constantine.

With her were two henchmen she had paid. Their services apparently involved harming others. You were not too happy to see Dream being threatened.

She puts a drawing on the table. Dated last century. This woman knows there's something strange about these two.

While Hob makes jokes and messes with her, Dream remains quiet and firm.

The need to protect your king takes over, and you do not hesitate to fly through the window as Hob fights the thugs. You fly right for Constantine and distract her. While she tries to swat you away, Dream stands up and takes a handful of sand into his palm. He blows it into her face, and you land on the tables.

Constantine is plagued by her past.

Hob looks confused. "That bird came out of nowhere."

"So it did," Dream says, smile tugging at his lips.

Hob looks down at you as you look up at him. You caw. He looks back at Dream.

"You need not have come to my defence."

Hob has a suspicion he was talking to the raven and not him. Yet, he answers regardless. "Clearly. Still, I didn't want to be drinking alone here in a hundred years' time."

You look up at Dream who merely smiles.

They part ways. You fly back out the window to meet Dream outside.

He is still smiling when he returns to you.

☆☆☆

1889

Dream walks down the street in his cloak and top hat. You have taken to sitting atop the hat, determined not to let him meet Hob alone in case something happens this time.

"You need not come with me."

You scoff and look down at him. "Um, yes, I do! What if you run into trouble again? I'm telling you, sir, you're kind of hopeless without me."

You think you hear him chuckle, but you're not entirely sure.

He's accosted by a woman singing outside the pub before you can even ask him. You sigh as she tries to flirt with him, knowing full well it won't work. The woman is soon dismissed by Hob, who appears behind her.

"Sorry about Lushing Lou."

Dream steps into the pub. Hob takes note of you on his hat.

"You, uh... you have a raven nesting on your hat."

"I'm aware." Dream replies.

"That bird... it can't be, can it?" Hob takes a closer look at you. "That was the bird that from last time with Constantine."

"Sure is," you say, cawing at him.

Hob looks absolutely flabbergasted. "It talks!"

"She does," Dream confirms. "She is my raven."

You caw again.

Dream removes his hat from his head, and you sit on his shoulder instead. They two sit down, though Hob can't stop looking at you.

"Lushing Lou. Is that what they call her?" Dream decides to change the subject.

Hob takes a moment to answer him back, still trying to grasp the talking bird.

"Well, in here, they call her "the hospital.""

"Why?"

"Because she's in 'em a great deal, and because she's sent so many men into 'em. No idea what her real name is."

"Louise Baldwin," Dream tells him. "Her father was in the British army. Her cousin raped, impregnated, and deserted her when she was just a child."

"How do you know all that?" Hob asks.

Dream has never once told this man who he is. He never explained anything.

Dream still does not answer him.

"Your cup is empty. You need more wine."

You chuckle. Hob glances between the two of you.

"You knew Lady Johanna. You know Lushing Lou. You know everyone, don't you?" Hob asks.

"I saw her again, you know."

"Who? Lady Johanna?"

"She undertook a task for me and succeeded admirably, I might add."

"That might be the only thing I've learned after 500 years." Hob smiles. "People are almost always better than you think they are. Not me, though. Still the same as ever."

"I think perhaps you've changed."

"Well, I may have learnt a bit from my mistakes. But, uh... doesn't seem to stop me from making them."

They both smile.

"I think it's you that's changed." Hob says to him. You look at Dream curiously.

"How so?"

"I think I know why we still meet here, century after century. It's not because you want to see whether or not I'm ready to seek death. I don't think I'll ever seek death. By now, you know that about me. So, I think you're here for something else."

The silence from Dream made you uncomfortable. He was generally a quiet person, but this... this was something else. He didn't look pleased.

"Dream?" You called softly.

He doesn't look at you. He keeps his eyes trained on Hob.

"And what might that be?"

"Friendship. I think you're lonely."

"You dare..."

"No, look, I'm not saying-"

"You... dare suggest one such as I might need your companionship."

"Yes. Yes, I do."

Dream stands. You remain seated on his shoulder.

"Then I shall take my leave of you and prove you wrong."

Hob stands.

Dream marches out of the pub. You take flight, soaring above him once you're outside. It's raining, but you don't mind.

Hob chases after him.

You hear him say that if they meet again in a hundred years, it will be because they're friends.

Dream doesn't not answer him.

☆☆☆

By 1989, Dream is locked up in the basement of the Burgess house, and you are dead. Well, as far as Dream knows you're dead.

You're actually back in the Dreaming getting used to your new human form.

Hob isn't even a thought after everything that's gone on.

Hob Gadling sits in the bar alone.

Dream did not come.

☆☆☆

You stand with your arm still looped with Dream's standing at a fence. The pub had shut down. You turn and look at Morpheus.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" He asks, his voice as gentle as always.

"About this."

"It is not your fault. This place wasn't going to last forever."

"I suppose not..."

Dream looks at the fence and sees the red paint. The New Inn. He looks at the line, which goes along the fence and around the corner.

He starts to lead you down that way.

"Where are we going?" You ask, following him. Your arm was still looped with his, so you had no choice.

"For a drink."

Dream leads you to another building. The New Inn. You smile as you realise what that sign meant. It was a message.

Morpheus leads you inside.

There he sits. Hob Gadling is marking some papers in front of him. Slowly, he lifts his head, and his eyes meet Dream's. He smiles.

"You're late."

Morpheus smiles, too. "It seems I owe you an apology. I've always heard it impolite to keep one's friends waiting."

They smile at each other still.

Morpheus pulls up a chair for you, holding it until you're sat, and then sits beside you. You look between him and Hob, who is staring at you.

"And who's this beautiful soul?" Hob asks, smiling at you.

You feel shy again.

"This is my raven." Dream says, smiling.

"Your... raven?" Hob is suddenly struck with the memory of the talking bird. "So I did not dream the raven."

You chuckle. "Hello, Hob."

"You're not a bird."

"I am sometimes. Not today."

Hob chuckles and then glances at Dream. "I hope he's looking after you."

"It's me who looks after him." You say.

"Oh, that I believe." Hob laughs.

"Hey." Dream looks at you. He is amused, you can tell.

You laugh. Hob laughs. Dream gives in and chuckles.

Hob orders you a drink, but you dare not touch it. Human things are still new to you. However, you listen to his stories.

And you feel Dream hold your hand.

☆☆☆

@missdreamofendless - @kpopgirlbtssvt - @sitkafay - @snowsatsu - @ladyofdreaming - @thoughtsfromlayla - @modest-irish-goddess - @mystic-mara -

#when the raven calls #morpheus x reader #the sandman #female reader #dragon writes

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