#i need the Desire version of the Sandman for

[grabyourpillow]

Absolutely incredible take on the story from Desire's POV by Mason Alexander Park/Neil Gaiman.

(The whole interview with multiple cast pairs is incredible btw, great questions and mood by the interviewer.)

_____

[TRANSCRIPT] –because sometimes, reading is ,,, easier

“In my experience Desire is the hero their own story.

One of the first things Neil told me in our earlier meetings about the characer was that: Sandman could very easily be a story that's told from Desire's perspective, and it would probably be a lot more fun, and would probably have a lot more sex in it.

And, that in that version of the story they just keep brushing up against their stuffy older brother who refuses to change, and refuses to acknowledge how important they are to him. And sort of resents and blames them for everything that has gone wrong in his previous— you know, past when it comes to love and things that fall under Desire's realm, when in reality it's very much so on Dream.

So, I think what's fun about the character is because The Sandman is told from his perspective, it's very easy for audiences to interpret Desire as the menacing kind of, fun villain but, for them, they're really just... dealing with familial issues! And... A lot of the reasons they mess with Dream is because they know Dream can handle it?

And Despair is in need of something to do, you know? Despair is the only Endless that has ever died, at this point in the story.

We are meeting these two characters and Desire is trying to bring their sibling along, on some kind of journey whatever that is, in order to keep them alive as well.

So I really tried my darndest to... give people both sides of that character so that people can eventually — if we get to expand all the stories and tell the whole scope of it — they will get to a point where they'll really understand every thing that has happened between Dream and Desire, why we meet them where they are in season one.

But for now it's kinda fun that people just interpret me as these~ little nasty minx”

— Mason Alexander Park

[withoutyouimsaskia]

Sometimes It's Fated (Sandman Short Story Part 1)

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

​GIF: Originally posted by @tavners

Pairing: Morpheus/Dream of the Endless x AFAB reader

Summary: Reader Self-Insert. After restoring the Dreaming and locating the missing dreams and nightmares, Morpheus turns his attention to finding you, the human he believes fate has chosen for him. (Title inspired by Placebo's "This Picture".)

Warnings: Minors DNI. Dark!Morpheus. Soulmates. Angst. Obsessive and possessive behaviour. Tension. Home invasion. Voyeurism. Implied masturbation. Dream manipulation.

Word Count: 2.6k

A/N: Wow, this took way longer to finish than I had originally planned. My head's been all over the place with trying (and thus far failing) to find a new job. The themes are very different to what I've written before; I hope it reads okay. Please let me know what you think. All my love, Saskia xx

Sandman Masterlist

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

Fate.

A phenomenon that governed every particle of matter within the known universe and even those beyond.

Some considered it a comforting concept that excused them from the burden of decision making, citing: "I'll leave it up to fate." For others the phrase was a cursory, throw-away comment or a romantic line they heard in the lyrics of a song.

The real truth of the matter was that Fate was a trio of immortal beings, goddesses, with sight so potent that they knew the past, present and future of every individual to have lived. The mythology of the Greeks, Romans and Norse hadn't been too far off with their stories of the Moirai, Parcae and Norns but of course, no humans really believed there to be any realism in myths. They were just stories. It didn't matter either way; they existed and had influence regardless of what the majority believed.

For beings such as The Endless siblings, the presence of Fate in the cosmos was not only real, but also something that affected even themselves.

For the King of Dreams, an eventuality had been prophesised long ago by The Kindly Ones that spoke of a bond that was to be forged between himself and a mortal.

Lord Morpheus, in his pride, had tried to be above such a foretelling, even questioning its validity because the notion of a mortal accepting his version of the universe seemed wholly implausible.

But he could not truly stop himself from wondering about you, reaching out to see if he could feel your presence in the minds of the dreamers he hosted.

It wasn't something he indulged in with frequency. More of a once-in a-decade interval. Enough to appease his curiosity.

Of course, this was put on hold during his imprisonment at Fawney Rig.

Morpheus had had much to contemplate during this period. The damage his absence caused to the collective subconscious, the decay of his realm, the loss of freedom and dignity. There was also a chance that you had been born and died in the 106 years he spent in captivity.

What if he was too late and had lost the chance of discovering who you were?

It was a nauseating prospect that scraped and scratched a space deep within his being; bleeding him of his remaining stores of hope that were so significantly depleted after the death of beloved Jessamy.

Despite the nasty emotional wound, finding you was a charge that he assigned at the end of his priorities after his escape.

Recovering his scattered tools, restoring the Dreaming, locating his absent creations, unravelling the mystery of Rose Walker and confronting Desire all had needed to come first.

The latter interaction had left Morpheus with a seething rage that was currently propelling him down the boards of the dock that sit above the Ocean of Dreams.

The dense mist in the air is buffeted by his movements and the only sounds are the tread of boots, the creak of wooden slats and the lap of water.

With each step, the liquid becomes choppier as it reacts to its master's mood and by the time he has reached the end of the dock, the surface of the water roils fervorously, completely in line with Morpheus' dangerous temperament.

The words of Desire's final silken-toned taunt echo in his mind with grating persistence.

"Oh, poor Dream. I really got under your skin this time, didn't I?"

He is loathe to admit there is truth in the question.

There are moments where Morpheus ponders the turn that the relationship between them has taken. How Desire went from being his favourite sibling to someone one shade shy of an adversary. Their faultless adeptness at provoking his temper and manipulating the events that encircle him would be impressive if not for the danger posed to humanity.

The agitated water eventually draws focus to how out of control he and his emotions have become. Morpheus knows he must get them in check, and quickly, for he knows the consequences all too well should he ignore it.

He clenches his fist and swallows it all down, pushing it deep inside his belly until the crackling entropy of the anger is fully dispelled.

Morpheus then sweeps his coat out behind him as he sinks lithely into a crouch. Trepidation nips at his heart and tugs his attention to a sobering thought.

This foray into the water may be fruitless.

You may be long gone and there would be no way of ever knowing you.

His nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath; he has run out of excuses to not look, even if he is afraid of the outcome.

Long, delicate fingers dapple the surface of the inky ocean. The waves still at the touch, obedient to him with instancy.

He repositions to full height and reaches into his coat to find the pouch of sand stashed in the pocket. A handful of twinkling grains slip off his palm into the ocean, lighting the water it touches to a luminous green.

"Find my soulmate," Morpheus commands silently.

The intention is set. He steps off the dock into the water.

At first, like every other prior attempt, there is no sign of you. Morpheus floats submerged in the tepid liquid, filtering through the hubbub of countless other dreams and nightmares.

Then there is a pull.

It is faint yet indisputable. Warmth explodes in his chest and he groans inwardly from the delicious sensation of relief.

You are alive, and you are dreaming.

A path of radiance appears in the water, a line that shows your connection, and provides a location for him to hone in on.

Morpheus dives deeper without hesitation.

As he reaches the edge of your subconscious, he rejoices that he got a handle on his emotions. He wouldn't want your first perception of him to be one tinged with rage, however unaware you were of him, with your soulmate being the source.

He hesitates for a moment before entering the dream you are in and is somewhat taken aback by what he finds.

A room comprising of four blank walls, a floor, a ceiling and a door. There is but one other feature; a window, and its view is as non-descript and inoffensive as the internal space.

You stand by said window, head turned from him.

Despite being unable to see your face, he sees your anxiety with immediacy. It is an aura hovering about your body, being sucked into your lungs with every fast-paced breath.

You begin to throw glances towards the door. Morpheus filters through the layers of the dream. No one is scheduled to come across the threshold.

The more he observes, the more questions arise in Morpheus' mind.

What was making you so affected? What were you expecting to happen?

There's nothing in the scene that is intended to be unpleasant yet you are reacting in a way that most observers would characterise as unsettled.

Morpheus, despite not yet knowing you, doesn't like to see you this way. His dominant instinct is to end the dream but he quashes the desire to review the bigger picture.

The empty room dream was symbolic of a beginning.

It clicks into place.

What you were feeling, even if on a purely instinctual level, was the anticipation of meeting your soulmate and starting your new life.

Morpheus steps into the frame, just a couple of paces behind you.

You feel his presence instantly, eyes full to the brim with tears as you whirl around with a soft gasp.

You see him.

The tears spill and patter onto the white floor.

Morpheus reaches out, overcome by his need to provide comfort.

You disappear.

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Morpheus is sat on his throne. He pores over the book he had located in the Dreaming's library a little over a week ago that contains the details of your life. It is something he has taken to doing when the impatience of waiting for you to fall asleep becomes too keen.

Your subconscious has him enraptured, watching it every night as if it is a stage show. Each dream he delves into is like the tug of fingers on a loose thread, your psyche has begun to unravel before him.

Everything from whims to cravings, hopes to fears. Your temperament, the things that delight and irk you. What drives you and demotivates you. He consumes it all with an insatiable hunger.

Based on the projection of yourself that he sees, there is no doubt that he is attracted to you.

All that prior haughty disregard for the Fates' prophecy has been cast aside like a negative thought in a meditation session. Morpheus is a romantic. A believer. He is ashamed to have even doubted your coming.

He wonders if it would vex Desire to learn of him finding his soulmate and by extension, the prospect of companionship, perhaps even physical intimacy or love.

It is all too easy to imagine the sickly sweet grin they would smile at him, shown to be fake by the almost imperceptible contempt glinting in their golden eyes.

Would his triumph drive them to distraction?

It is this smug sentiment that spurs his next decision. He wants more. The next logical step is to find you in the waking world.

He rises from his throne, a sure hand ready to bring forth his pouch of sand when he falters.

Tears pool in his eyes.

His mind is suddenly marred with the memories of what happened in 1916. The agony, mortification and rage that followed. He couldn't go through that kind of treatment ever again and the waking world expanded the risk of it transpiring.

"No," he says resolutely. His sadness turns to resolve, the hard line of his grimace matching those set in his brows.

He will not let the actions of a group of mortals dissuade him from going to you. And besides, he has researched everything he can about you from within the safety of the Dreaming.

He takes a measure of sand and uses it to materialise within your bedroom.

It is obvious from a quick scan of it that deliberate attempts have been made to ensure the space is cosy and calming.

Two marshmallowy pillows support your head. The cotton sheets have been meticulously tucked to avoid drafts. A lavender reed diffuser fragrances the air with a subtle scent. There are no devices or screens visible.

Everything has its place. A coaster supported glass of water within reaching distance. Touch activated lamp in case of emergency. The diary lined up with the back left corner of the bedside table, pen placed parallel in the spine dent. All clothes are in the wardrobe or stashed in the laundry basket.

Morpheus moves to the curtain-shrouded window and delicately moves the dark, heavy fabric to catch a glimpse of the outside world.

The scene is sepia stained from an old streetlight positioned right outside your home. It explained the choice of curtains.

You stir slightly from the change in environment and Morpheus allows the curtain to fall back in place. He remains stationary until your breathing returns to its previous pace. It is imperative that his presence remains undisclosed. He knows that mortals do not take well to home invasion.

Then, your right hand slips out from the duvet cocoon revealing a cushion cut ruby ring on your middle finger.

He smiles exultantly. The similarity between the jewel and his own now-destroyed dreamstone was undeniable.

The Fates were making it transparent.

You were the one.

Morpheus approaches the side of your bed now. In your momentary discomfort, you had moved your head, making your whole face visible to your uninvited guest.

He bends gracefully so his face is closer to yours and observes you with an intent fascination.

Even in the gloom, Morpheus asserts that your features are even more captivating now that he is able to look upon them in person and is certain that if he could guarantee an absence of fear then he would fall to knees and worship you right there.

Fingers stroke a lock of hair splayed across the pillow and his thoughts turn darker still, imagining what he would do with you if he could get you alone in the Dreaming. How he would seduce you with words, and then pleasure your body with his own until you were senseless.

Getting you there would be so easy, all he needed to do was move his hand up and touch your skin and -

Morpheus stops himself, deciding that now is not the time for an introduction. He will wait until tomorrow. You need to rest. It will be quite the revelation for your sweet mortal heart.

Morpheus whispers a promise, "We will be together soon, my precious soulmate."

He leaves after taking one last look at your peaceful form.

When he returns to the Dreaming, Morpheus discovers that the visit has riled him way beyond what he thought possible.

It was supposed to sate his curiosity and answer some questions.

It has done the opposite.

His craving for you is sublimely intense, opiate-like in its ensnarement.

He needs to possess you. To have you all to himself. Everything would fall into place. Loneliness, disillusionment, jealousy; they would never darken his outlook again. You would heal him, he is certain of it.

He paces restlessly in the low light of his private chambers as heat ripples beneath the surface of his being, charging him with pure sexual lust.

He hungers for the moment when you feel the same about him.

For now, all he can do is stand and touch himself while thinking of your face, an act that has been carried out repeatedly in the days since he found you in the Ocean of Dreams.

An erotic idea enters his mind.

Your subconscious is still in the Dreaming; he knows the feeling of it intimately.

Perhaps he could bring you a dream mirroring his own current fantasy.

To give you a taste of what was to come.

A gift that only he could bestow.

The mere thought of it turns him on even more. His back arches and his eyes roll back as he choses the words through which he would deliver the offering.

"Dream of me," Morpheus murmurs breathlessly. "Dream of me."

He repeats the phrase until he is unable to continue, moans taking over the darkened space around him.

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

It is dusk the next day when Morpheus returns to the waking world.

The instant he touches down on the Earth's surface, he knows exactly where to go. The metaphysical connection between you is as strong as the energy pulsing through a ley line.

The city he is directed to is thrumming with life but the side street he stands in has been spared from the furore.

It is fortuitous that he is permitted to be unobserved for Morpheus is struggling now with the urge to get closer.

Providence is pulling him in and also locking him out.

He walks up to the door and then an invisible force makes him back away.

He doesn't even try to fight it.

The Fates hold all the cards. Morpheus is beholden to their each and every whim.

It is surprisingly liberating.

He is dancing in the cross hairs. Blinkered by the tie the universe has fashioned for you.

All he has to do is wait.

The door to the building is pushed open.

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Taglist: @herfantasyworldd

"Fate. Up against your will. Through the thick and thin. He will wait until you give yourself to him."

[anxious-witch]

Some thoughts on Edwin through the lenses of flaws and sexuality, specifically connected to his meetings with the Cat King and what metaphors I think are cleverly used through the offers he makes to Edwin.

Part 2, because part 1 got too long. Also, as I was reading @manicpixiedreamedwins 's analysis on loneliness through the lenses of queerness here, I realized we might have some overlapping points. And it is an amazing analysis so you should also definitely read that.

Anyway! Onto the actual analysis.

Before we get to their meeting, let's acknowledge what happened in between their meeting in the forest and the meeting in the alley.

Cat King first, because that will be a shorter explanation. After Edwin goes back to hell, we see the Cat King holding a bracelet-the same bracelet that we established quite literally represents Edwin's repressed attraction to men. The same symbol Edwin threw in his face in their meeting in the forest. "This is all that you are", he said. And then we see as the bracelet dissolves. Why? Because Edwin was ready to accept his attraction to men! He was ready to confess to Charles even before he went to hell. Which made his shame around his desire for the Cat King dissolve(we'll get back to this later), and we see Cat King stare sadly as it dissolves.

I also think that during his scene with Esther, we get to see Cat King's true desire for the first time, which is one for companionship. Sure, he hinted at it before, on the cliff, "Because it gives me more time with you", but Edwin, and by extension, we as the audience, assumed it was a matter of sexual desire. But here, when he talks to Esther, when he reveals how much he admires Edwin's resilience and how he will wait for him, he finally stop hiding behind his flaw and reveals his desire. What flaw, you may wonder? Selfishness, we could even call it self preservation, but also yes, he is most certainly selfish. He is a cat, after all. Animal instincts makes us all selfish. And despite all his talk about desire, he much like Edwin, hides his desire behind his flaw. He plays woth Edwin, while not giving himself away, but he is enticed by Edwin because they are so alike.

And what happens once he admits his desire? He dies and gets resurrected, as a more somber, perhaps we can even say more mature version of himself. A version that later offers information about Esther to Niko and Crystal. Because for all his bravado, he is now aware that what he desires is companionship and for that, he has to risk something. (And before anyone says "he didn't risk anything, if they lost, Esther wouldn't have found out he gave her away" and. Really? A powerful witch rulling the entire town wouldn't know? Give me a break).

Now, back to Edwin. Edwin goes through a whole transformation. But I would love to firstly point out how, when Edwin was ready to confess, aka when he accepts his feelings/desires fully, he gets sent back to hell, mirroring how when the Cat King accepted his desire/feelings for companionship, he gets killed by Esther.

Why? Because when we admit what we truly want, we need to battle our demons(literally or figuratively) because we are afraid of it. And if we do so successfully we transform because of it.

As for Edwin, he quite literally goes to hell, he sees his worst fears. But what I think makes it so powerful is that he doesn't get out alone again, or even due to some divine interface (if we do not count the Night Nurse), but because Charles comes and saves him. Shows him the way that Edwin himself once created.

Whenever you see their relationship as platonic or romantic, the message is clear. Edwin couldn't didn't have to find his way out on his own. Because Charles was there to help guide him. And when we talk about lust pulling Edwin back, I have seen few people say "oh, it's because he felt lust now, but his love for Charles is pure and that's what gets him out" and I have to politely disagree? Because let's remember, hell in the Sandman universe works is through shame. Through people believe they deserve to be punished for what they did, regardless if they actually deserve it or not. So as such, I think Edwin gets pulled back by his old beliefs for a moment, telling his that his desire, his lust is a sin worth of punishment.

And then Charles, one of the objects of his desires, sees him and pulls him out of it. And due to all the development and acceptance Edwin went through before that point, he goes with him. Because there is nothing shameful about wanting someone, be is romantically or sexually.

Which is why Edwin's confession after that is so impactful! He accepted, and then he uttered it out loud. Because he couldn't be transformed without admitting it! And what does Charles do? He accepts him. Which is another reason why I'm glad he didn't immediately return his feelings. What Edwin really needed in that moment was to be accepted for all his flaws and desires and taken out of the environment that created shame around it. And that's exactly what Charles did.

So. With all that said, let's go back on track aka the alley meeting between Edwin and the Cat King. The Cat King(or one of his cats?) knocks on a window to get Edwin's attention. What a change from him getting scratched in episode 4! Because their connection is gentler now, and there is a degree of respect. Asking for attention instead of demanding it.

And Edwin comes willingly. There is no bracelet forcing him and when the Cat King appears to give his condolences for Niko's death, it truly feels like meeting of equals. What is interesting is that Cat King looks sort of demure here. He attempts to reels Edwin in with his desire twice. I believe he knows something shifted because what is the first thing he offers? A hug. Now, it seems like he expect Edwin's rejection, so it's mostly a moot attempt. But then Edwin says: "I think I understand you better now." And the switch immediately flips into Cat King's flirty persona. Sure, the newfound gentleness is still there, but the way he leans closer and says "Oh, tell me all about me." Certainly plays into Edwin's reaction. He needs Edwin to react to have power.

But then Edwin calls him out on his desire. "You are lonely," he says, and then proceeds to point out how the Cat King hides that loneliness with his toys, amusements and flaws. Because what does a selfish person do? Picks up a toy while it amuses them and then discards them, disregarding the feelings of others. Again, drawing parallel to Edwin's own flaw. But then Edwin goes further and says "we are both lonely" acknowledging those similarities. And the Cat King? I don't know how else to describe his look but adoration. He feels seen, in god knows how long. And Edwin does the same thing Charles did for him. He accepts him and forgives him. You matter, no matter your flaws. You can stop the game now, because I accept you and I accept myself.

The Cat King is there to be a mirror. To show Edwin's desires and flaws. To make him face it. But when Edwin does, the mirror disappears. The Cat King is left as he truly is, with nothing to hide behind, no offers left to make. Especially when Edwin tells him "there are 147 cats in Port Towsend". Proving he overcame his disregard for others. And when the Cat King corrects him, Edwin in turn says "you forgot to count yourself".

You forgot to take into consideration yourself. Your own desires. Edwin won. Not only their little game, but he is the one holding power now. Which is why I found it odd that some people still found Cat King a villian after that. He cannot be one. He has no offers that can sway Edwin. If he appears again, the only thing he can offer Edwin is the truth and companionship, in whatever form that may be. Personally, I'd love to see them as friends at least. I think they have such understanding of each other now, it would be interesting to watch.

Anyway! Thank you for coming to my ted talk, I think that's all. If you have anything to add, comment, etc please feel free to!

[orionsangel86]

Are there anythings that you would have changed about The Sandman?

The show or the comic?

Plenty of things I'd change about the comic. As great as the story is, it is a product of its time and there are some underlying messages whether intentional or not that are inappropriate and fucked up and don't really belong such as:

The racism towards black women implied to be cursed to die violently when linked to Morpheus in some way following the Nada situation.

In fact the whole Nada story is pretty gross. When she thinks that by cutting her hymen she'll remove her virginity to put Dream off her, but then its stated that healing her hyman doesnt restore her lost virginity... like first of all. No. Second of all - shoving a rock up your vag does NOT remove your virginity lets not spread the message that it does.

The way Dream comes across a bit rapey in the Nada story overall and its not made clear how much influence Desire has in that.

The inherent misogyny which is typical of 80s/90s comics but in particular the violence towards women and overt sexualisation of women. Whether for shock value or not, its just not necessary.

The implied message that depressed and suicidal people should just kill themselves and everything will be better once they are gone.

The idea that a person who is depressed can be replaced by a better good version of themselves and even their family and friends will just treat that person as the new them. The implication that the depressed person isnt valued and must instead conform to the responsibilities and burdens of the system they are trapped in - rather than changing the system.

The concept that the moon is inherently transphobic and that witchcraft is transphobic just irks me as a pagan person- like yeah there are huuuuge problems in the community and the whole divine feminine and fucking womb magic bullshit is all over it but I really really hate how Sandman perpetuates that myth and indicates its the goddess that encourages that view and not asshole closed minded people. The moon isnt fucking transphobic FFS.

Everything about Gwen and Hobs relationship in Sunday Mourning. Its problematic AF and I hope I don't need to explain why.

Not a fan of the portrayal of Loki and Sigyn. Its too black and white for such a complex myth.

That fucking awful reaping joke in Collectors which I loathe with every fibre of my being.

Even with all these points I want to caveat this by saying that I love these comics. I KNOW that a lot of this is subjective and open to interpretation. These things have many shades of grey to them. I adore the comics in so many ways but that doesn't mean they dont have their issues. I know people are emotionally connected to these comics and this criticism isnt meant as an attack on them.

For the show, well tbh I think its practically perfect, but a couple of niggles:

That fucking awful reaping joke in Collectors - can't BELIEVE they kept that in. I mute my TV at that moment so I don't have to hear it every time.

Hob's slave trade ties - They needed clarity here and should have kept the regret in 1889 more obvious. I understand why they changed it but I think that topic should have been thought through better.

There were complaints I read about how black characters and black men in particular seem to disproportionately suffer violent deaths. I know this was unintentional and a simple matter of open casting for extras and minor characters which is a GOOD thing, but sometimes casting should be less blind, and more considered where minorities are concerned.

Some of the dialogue in Johanna Constantine's episode is clunky - but that only bothers me because I've watched it 284929294787 times and have it memorised.

Despair was handled poorly. It wasnt great rep for fat bodies (like me) and she comes across so weak and submissive to Desire. Which she just isn't at all in the comic. Thankfully it looks like they really did take that criticism to heart and made positive changes in Dead Boy Detectives. She was fabulous in her cameo in that.

Not enough gay sex. The 1 star homophobic reviews really overexaggerated on that and left me disappointed. There should have been at least 1 gay or lesbian sex scene in every episode. Do better season 2. Do better. (For legal reasons this one is a joke - Sandman is a goldmine of queer rep and should be on every queer fans watch list 100 times over)

There you go. No piece of media is perfect. There can always be changes and improvements, but the Sandman is a story that really does fit the description of masterpiece. I think my ideas of things that need to change are generally matters of framing. I dont think the comic story should be drastically changed in the show, I don't think it should be given a different ending. Its a tragedy after all, but tragedy can come in many forms and perhaps the story can be adjusted so the tragedy isnt so harsh. But anyway. This is all just my opinion and as with all things i'm sure there will be plenty of people who disagree with me.

[so-i-grudgingly-joined-this-site]

Masterpost of my Analysis, Artwork, and Fanfiction

So, apparently my link formatting was limiting me on my old masterpost, so I'm making this new one. Old masterposts will be linked at the end.

Literary Analysis ("meta") of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman

"I Tried So Hard, and Got So Far, But in the End, it Doesn't Even Matter": The Awkward Meta-Tragedy of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman [google drive version]

Signs of Life: A Season of Mists, Augustus, and a Hopeful Interpretation of The Sandman [google drive version]

Flying? Or Falling with Style? Fear of Falling and Yet Another Analysis of The Sandman [google drive version]

We Need to Talk about Death of the Endless [google drive version]

About The Corinthian...

Dream Killing Bitches, Evil Exes, and Bad Moms: Portrayals of Women in "The Kindly Ones"

Why is Dream's role important and why is he so depressed?

Customized Art Dolls

Dream of the Endless [details] [outfits]

Death of the Endless

Desire of the Endless

In which "I" meet Dream, Death, and Desire (featuring my doll self portrait/OC/dollsona)

Delirium of the Endless [details]

Brief Lives.jpg

In which "I" meet Delirium

Fanfiction

See my Ao3 Here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmptyIceCreamContainer

I have written primarily MCU fics, but I do have two Morpheus/Johanna Constantine fics and am open to writing more Sandman-inspired stuff if the inspiration strikes!

Prior Masterposts

Old fic link masterpost

Previous meta masterpost

My original masterpost that got out of control and had half the links break

Tagging those that might want to know:

@serenityspiral @duckland @orionsangel86 @violetoftheendless @roguelov @honeybeezgobzzzzz @dotieeee @notallsandmen @academicblorbo @ambercoloredfox

[rriavian]

M and N for the ask game!!

M - name a character you’d like to have for a friend 

Calliope or Jessamy (though if I could I’d give her back to Dream).

But Calliope was my first thought because I adore her character. I could go on for a long time about why but my answer for N is very long so I might save it for another post.

N - 3 things you wish you saw more of in your main fandom (or one of your choice)

Ok this might be a little controversial but…I don’t actually read that much Sandman fanfic anymore. In the beginning I read so much and while I still write, I think what’s kept me around is that I'm trying to write what I want to see more of. If that makes sense?

Firstly, I’d love to see more diversity.

Not just in ships but in fic in general, more gen, more that explore the female characters, more femslash (never written it but I know you mod Sandman Femslash Fans and I really wanted to do something for the challenge! Have an idea but I’ve been a bit ill recently). I wish there was more love for side characters/minor characters other than Hob. And that there were more explorations of the connections between characters outside of shipping.

I never really enjoy fandoms where one ship is a majority, even when I ship that ship, because in my experience it leads to everything being seen through the lens of that ship.

It tends to lean towards certain fanon interpretations being considered canon, with fandoms forgetting to question/step outside of the ships bubble. It's also just not very interesting. Even when there’s diversity within the ship itself I like to see more of a counterpoint. Otherwise it just…makes the universe feel smaller. Like only ever having chocolate cake on offer, maybe in ten different permutations, but at its core it’s chocolate. Different takes on things make people think, challenge them to think, make them alter their perspective, and it’s a healthy thing. I don’t think this fandom is very good for that tbh. 

Secondly, more characterisations of non-human characters that embrace the fact they are not human.

I see this very common binary of more human like = good vs less human like = bad (very simplified but I hope you understand my point!). So would like to see this not just for Dream, but for other characters too. I know we’re humans engaging with this fandom, so it's hard to envision that perspective, but I’d love to see more of us stepping outside of a human lens. As much as the fandom writes ‘nightmare’ Dream, it’s often shown as his dark or unrestrained side (or primarily a sex thing) so would love to see more diverse views on the spectrum of his aspect. On the flip side the human/retired Dream trope (which is personally a hard no for me unless heavily subverted) is far more popular than its opposite.

Again, this is about a desire for diversity. I'm not suggesting there's something wrong with having different tastes!! Just frustrating when it’s hard to find anything else.

I know this is fanfic, and so we all have our own interpretations and AUs, with many of us embracing the opportunity to write a drastically different version of a character. I just rarely see Dream characterised in a way that, again to my interpretation, I recognise as him. That feels authentically him. Other characters like Lucienne or Death or even Rose often feel like they are smoothed out to be perfect or written in a matchmaking role. I wish more fics let them be as flawed as they are, let them be wrong, let them make mistakes. I’d just love to see more complexity.

Thirdly - this is probably a subpoint of the above - but more of Dream actually enjoying his role, and fics that explore his relationship to humanity.

I'd love to see explorations of what it means to be Dream. I see so much of him rejecting it or being overwhelmed by it. While I do think his feelings are complicated, which in itself is very interesting, he’s not just going through the motions/in need of saving. I wish more people showed that it’s not just this burden he needs freedom from. He’s good at it too. That’s what makes things so tragic. He’s smart, communicative in his own way, but Dream just isn’t human, and so he’s not going to act like one.

(Btw this is not anti Dreamling. I’m not here to hate on anyone’s ship, especially one I do ship in certain ways. I just wish there was more diversity, and I personally disagree with a lot of interpretations of Dream’s character. As fans we’re all allowed to dislike a take/trope. I just don’t read those fics because I'm not the right audience for them. I'm only trying to point out that when those takes/tropes are everywhere it’s really hard to find anything to engage with.)

[azi-sings-calliope]

Hi! For the “Give Me a Character” Meme, how about Lord Morpheus himself, Dream? 💭

Oooh boy. Oh boy. Thank you so much for asking this, cos this is gonna be a ride.

*spoilers for the entire sandman comics, long post, be warned*

I consider Dream's character to be a can of worms except some are real worms and some are gummies.

In this post I'll talk about themes of what he was owed, what he owed others, hope, and the inherent agony of his existence.

Thoughts on Dream:

I think he was doomed from the start.

So. Morpheus is a character who I consider to be deeply realistic. Now, this is gonna sound strange, but allow me to elaborate.

Dream was created as an embodiment of hope and wonder in a universe that consistently destroys it. (This is just my interpretation). He's told he's omnipotent but comes to learn there are rules that bind him like any other creature.

But he's hopeful. So he forms relationships, loves, hopes, but the universe is wired against him, his function, and by extension, all the Endless.

So, these experiences make Dream bitter. He hates the universe, the mortals that resemble the ones he used to love, and Desire (we know why).

Now, like so many other beings, he's nearly hopeless. He's heartbroken and vengeful and cruel. He throws himself into his work. I think he's never able to do it fully. This is because he doesn't show himself to mortals, tries not to care about them, when his entire existence is meant to help them.

His work and detachment shows him how powerful he is. He becomes entitled, and I think that some part of Dream, whether that be conscious or unconscious (ha), feels as if he is owed something. Owed a stable function, owed some form of compensation for the agony of his existence.

But his work is what he exists for, he cares about it deeply, obsessively. Then he gets captured. In my interpretation, this imprisonment is when he realizes that he will never get compensated. It will always hurt. He's depressed, and hits the point of exhaustion, anhedonia. He realizes he's not invincible, his work can be compromised, he's owed nothing, and he spirals. He's obsessive again, he hunts for his tools, punishes people.

He jumps from obsession to obsession, trying to ward off creeping grief and apathy.

Through the help of other characters and the reality of who he once was, he begins to believe he can change.

He gets faced with his crimes, like Nada, and is hit with who he once was, and does what he can to fix the injustice he committed against her. At this point, he believes in change, in improving himself.

But then shit hits the fan, and in an attempt to help Delirium and Destruction, to get them what they are owed, he has to kill his son.

Orpheus is a point in his past that carries great grief, but moments - which are rare in Dream's life - of love and happiness. And he has to destroy that part. He gave Orpheus what he was owed.

He has atoned for his sins, and in doing so lost what he loved. Those sins always needed to be atoned for, but there was no other way to do it. Which is why I said he was doomed from the start.

His past sins, his change, his obsession with his function have left him hollowed out, exhausted, apathetic. I think of that Bilbo quote, "I feel like butter spread too thinly over bread." I think that's how Dream feels in the end.

As I've said a lot, Dream represents hope in a way. And he lost his hope continuously.

The universe beat him down, he beat himself down, he beat others down to the point he didn't have anything in him left to hope.

He believed he was owed compensation for his pain. He ended up giving others what he owed them.

(I interpret Daniel as a hopeful version of Dream, solidifying the whole hope message of the serious. But considering this is about the Morpheus aspect, I won't get into that here.)

Onto the thing I said at the start about him being realistic, while of course Morpheus' eternal existence is hard to relate to, I look at him, a being in that much pain with that much power, and be unable to do anything about it, and I think, how could you not be like that?

So, to sum up, a character who was destroyed by the universe, became cruel and vengeful, had to atone for their sins which were near inevitable by the very nature of their existence, then had to give up the unimaginable to atone for them, and in doing so lost everything and didn't care, because that was how much Hope lost his hope.

Dream was doomed from the start.

On that cheerful note, onto the other points!

Who I ship him with:

Dream x therapy

I love Morphienne, like I said before, it's just such a beautiful relationship built on trust and mutual respect and admiration I love it so much.

Dream and Calliope, please, they were so cute together before and during Orpheus, and they need to heal together.

And last but certainly not least, Dream x Lucifer. Now I have no platonic explanation for whatever Dreams description of them during Season of Mists was, but there was several layers of grief in that interaction. Plus they have great chemistry.

Non-Romantic otp:

Basically, all the ships but platonic, except Dream x Lucifer. I'm not picky.

But imma be honest and say Matthew, or, hot take, Bast, if she ever got over that crush. I just think their mutual love of cats would be adorable.

Unpopular opinion:

Even though I listed my ships, those are just wishful thinking. I think before Morpheus gets into another relationship, he needs to do some serious self reflection and improvement. I think canon proved jumping into relationships is something Morpheus' has a problem with. I don't think I'll be able to read a fic that immediately starts as a love story, and disregards Morpheus' flaws. (That being said this is just my opinion, all fics are amazing) His problems won't be solved by another person, no matter how cute they are together. He needs to work on himself.

What I wish had happened in canon:

This is actually difficult, because I genuinely think Dream's story is absolutely integral, and his character arc is mapped out exactly how it should be (in my opinion).

However, I wish there was a scene, maybe several, maybe a plotline, of Dream and Calliope working through their grief together. I would also like a scene, in the Kindly Ones, where Dream says goodbye to Lucien/Lucienne, because I think their relationship was too deep for it to go unsaid.

Well, I hope you liked my very cheerful answers, thanks again for asking!!

Note: everything I said was my interpretation or opinion.

[thenightling]

Since there were so many people surprised by Savage Garden being named for the quote from The Vampire Lestat, here are some songs inspired by Neil Gaiman's The Sandman that you might not have been aware of. Come Sweet Death (two versions) - The first version was by Aurelio Voltaire and The Oddz for the album "Where's Neil when you need him?".  The second version (which has a slightly different tempo and pacing but same lyrics) was released in 2017 for Aurelio Voltaire's What are the Oddz album.  The song not only is about Death of The Endless but it also name drops all seven of The Endless.  Almost Human by Aurelio Voltaire - The song (not album) is from Lucifer's point of view. The Night (Two versions) by Aurelio Voltaire.  The song is about the anthropomorphic personification of Night (the mother of The Endless).   The first version is from the Almost Human album (same album as the song Almost Human, obviously).  The other is a "1988 Death Rock" style version. I actually prefer the 1988 style version.  Though labeled 1989, November 1988 is when the first issue of The Sandman was actually published. The Endless by Razed in Black  - This song is a dance song inspired by The Endless from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. Morpheus in a Masquerade by Cain's Offering - If you pay attention to the lyrics it tells the entire story of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.  The band is also named for the biblical figure Cain.   Sister named Desire by Tori Amos - This sing is told from the perspective of Delirium about Desire and was likely specifically inspired by the beginning of The Sandman: Brief Lives. Tear in your hand by Tori Amos - The song specifically mentions "Neil and The Dream King."

[jpriest85-blog]

(cue Nasira's Spidey-sense going off)

Samira, concerned: Habibti (darling) are you okay? You're shivering really bad, are you feeling sick?

Nasira: Oh, ah I'm just feeling a bit cold. I'm going to head back upstairs to grab a jacket real quick. You head on out, I'll meet up with you later.

Samira, with Mom BS sense going off: Just don't take too long. You've been so absent-minded lately I'm worried. You've been running late and forgetting appointments without so much as a call or text. You were so responsible when you were still in school...

Nasira: No, no! Wallah (I swear by God), I'm just going to grab my jacket, and head straight out.

Cut to Nasira pulling on Spider-woman costume while climbing out a window: This better be something quick like a robbery. If I got to fight another super villain in city traffic, and show up late. Mama's going to be so pissed!!

After watching Across the Spider-verse with my family, I've been inspired to create my own Spider-verse oc/spider-sona. Introducing Nasira bint Asim Najjar aka the Amazing Spider-woman, aspiring Palestinian-American Archetect by day webslinging superhero of New York by night. She's intelligent and driven, but like most superheroes, she has trouble balancing her Spider-woman identity with her family obligations and internship at an architectural firm. Her dating life is nonexistent, other than attempts at matching making by well-intentioned but nosey relatives. Who's got time for that?! Nasira wants to start her own Archetect firm and make safe, affordable housing for NYCs rapidly increasing homeless population before she's 45! She doesn't have time to worry about dating or acknowledging the complicated feelings she's developing around her two dearest friends, MJ and Harry, or why certain villains she encounters leave her flustered like Black Cat, and this new Green Goblin acting like he's got an obsessive crush on her!

I've included traditional Tatreez embroidery onto her costume, and the pattern on her hijab is inspired by mosaics found at Hisham's Palace in Jericho.

I've also created concept doodles of iconic webslinging poses and a little chibi version of her in a hard hat and vest mimicking those little construction site figures you see on safety signs. I've also included little concept portraits of her parents and friends.

Asim Najjar, Nasira' Baba (dad) he was a construction worker who often took his daughter on tours of his construction site when she was little. Helped inspire her desire to become an architect. Tragically died when he and another construction worker, Flint Marco, were building an expansion to a laboratory and accidently learned about some shady experiments the scientists were performing. So, an accident was staged to keep them both quiet, but Flint survived and became The Sandman.

Prof. Samira Najjar, Nasira's Mama, and a teacher who works at a prestigious private school in New York. Samira got her current job when Nasira turned 13 and transferred her daughter to the private school. It would offer her a better education, and Samira's position as faculty means they can get a much needed reduction on tuition. Nasira had a hard time fitting in at first. Unlike the rest of her classmates, she was raised in a working class family, and her mommy is a teacher. Until she befriended Harry Osborn, he was also picked on a lot, and they shared similar interests. Samira has been worried about Nasira's changed behavior recently. At first, she thought it was Nasira grieving after Asim's death. Samira herself was also a mess for months after the funeral. It wasn't unreasonable for her normally responsible daughter to start showing up late or even forgetting appointments... but still something is off. Nasira's keeping secrets and even lying to her, and whatever is going on, even MJ has been keeping things from her as well.

Mojdeh "MJ" Mahri, Nasira's BFF, MJ is a redhead Iranian American girl whose family attend the same mosque as Nasira's, and they've been friends ever since they were 7 years old. MJ eventually starts working as an investigation blogger for The Daily Bugel and helps Nasira investigate the truth about her father's "accidental death" when the facts don't add up. During this investigation at the accident site, Nasira accidentally knocked over a terrarium containing an experimental spider, and the rest is history. MJ is one of the few people who knows Nasira's secret identity and helps her endeavor as Spider-woman, with her journalist connections. As well as trying to counter act her boss, J. Jonah Jameson's bias against Spider-woman when she can.

Harry Osborn, Nasira's school friend and Oscorp heir. Harry never had many close friends until Nasira transferred to the private school they both graduated from. They both shared similar interests and her mother, Prof. Najjar taught his favorite class. They grew close over the years, especially since Nasira's family treated Harry better than his own distant and domineering father. A few of their classmates and even MJ would ask if Harry and Nasira were dating, but they both denied it repeatedly. They're just friends! Although after high school, Harry started dating women that greatly resembled Nasira: tall, with dark hair, very career driven and intelligent. Nasira is the only one who hasn't noticed this pattern to Harry's love life. She just assumed he has a thing for Amal Clooney! Harry hasn't said anything out loud about his feelings, but the fact that his friendship with Nasira is the only functional relationship in his life is telling.

Norman Osborn, Harry's father and CEO of Oscorp. Norman and Harry have had a very strained relationship. He expects a lot from his son and worries that Harry doesn't have the stomach to do what's necessary to make the company successful after he's retired. After all, you don't become as wealthy and powerful as Norman Osborn without doing unsavory things to ensure success. Although he's noticed his son has become more serious and hardworking since he's befriended Nasira Najjar. In addition to having a good influence on Harry, Nasira is a very driven and intelligent young lady herself, if a bit idealistic. Still, Norman prefers her to the other girls his son used to date and would often half "jokingly" ask them both when Harry will make Nasira his new daughter in law. Of course, they're both very embarrassed and uncomfortable whenever Norman makes those kinds of jokes. Sure, they insist they're just friends for now, but Norman is willing to bet money, Nasira will probably wind up his son's 2nd wife in 20 years. Don't think too much about what might happen to your hypothetical 1st wife Harry. It's nothing the police can prove anyway...what?! He's joking, of course! Although it is a shame her father was involved in that tragic "accident." Norman genuinely felt bad about that, but he couldn't risk it getting out that his company was secretly connected to the lab they were expanding. It would have stayed secret too if Filnt Marco had also died instead of getting mutated and getting that meddling Spider-woman involved. Sure, she's been useful, especially when she saved Harry when he was targeted by one of his many enemies, but he can't risk Spider-woman connecting Oscorp to those experiments!

[ilovewhiteroses]

The comparison of The Corinthian and Cassidy

Hello there! I hope everyone is doing fine! In this post I looked at the similarities and differences between The Corinthian from Netflix's Sandman and Proinsias Cassidy from AMC's Preacher (they are originally from DC comics). I did this because I love both men and I thought it would be interesting to take a little closer examination at them  😀

DISCLAIMER: This post features mentions of violence, horror and adult themes so do not read it if you are under 18! Also, spoilers for both shows.

NOTES: - I never read the comics, this post is about the show version of the characters (as it is mentioned above).   - Keep in mind that these are my views and opinions therefore they may differ from yours. - I didn't go into depths, I wrote in general terms. - At the end of the post I listed the sources that I used and helped me in this writing. - The most important: All this was written for simple fun, please, no mean comments!  😇

THE STORY: Sandman: Morpheus, the personification of dreams and one of the seven Endless, is captured in an occult ritual in 1916. After being held captive for 106 years, Dream escapes and sets out to restore order to his realm, the Dreaming.

Preacher: Jesse Custer is a hard-drinking, chain-smoking preacher who, enduring a crisis of faith, becomes infused with an extraordinary power. He embarks on a quest to better understand his new gift and literally find God, alongside his trigger-happy ex-girlfriend, Tulip, and new vampire friend, Cassidy.

THE ACTORS: Boyd Holbrook: American actor known for Narcos, Logan, The Predator. Joe Gilgun: English actor known for Misfits, This Is England, Brassic.

THE CHARACTERS: The Corinthian: He was a tall, blonde and charming nightmare who escaped the Dreaming. Despite being old (in the show he was thought to be around 130, although I think he was much older), his desire for freedom and independence was more similar to a rebellious teenager. When he broke free, he enjoyed life and killed people for pleasure over the years and he was notable for his sunglasses, due to the fact that he had no eyes just a pair of small fanged mouths in place of them.  

Proinsias Cassidy: He was a roguish, dark haired (but was blonde in season 4) former human, who turned into a vampire in 1916. Cassidy was around 119 and since he had nothing better to do in the world, he also enjoyed life: he was drinking, used drugs and slept with people. Similarly to Corinthian, he had sunglasses but only wore them rarely. He killed animals when he needed blood and only killed people when he felt he was in danger or felt threatened. He was notable for not having fangs unlike other vampires (season 1), but this was changed in later seasons.

SUPERNATURAL POWER: The Corinthian: Consuming the eyes of his victims allowed Corinthian to view their memories and thoughts.

Proinsias Cassidy: As a vampire Cassidy was immortal, was able to consume deadly amounts of drugs and alcohol without feeling the negative effects (although he passed out a few times when he got really drunk) and had superhuman strength at the beginning of the series.

MOTIVATION: The Corinthian: He left the Dreaming to see what the world had in store for him, but mainly to taste what it was like to be human.

 Proinsias Cassidy: Unlike The Corinthian, Cassidy had no real motivation, he was just out there meeting people, having fun and drinking.

DRESSING STYLE:

The Corinthian: The Corinthian was always dapper, sharply dressed and usually wore white and cream-colored outfits, plus the essential sunglasses. When he killed someone, miraculously his clothes never got bloody.

Proinsias Cassidy: Cass had a rather chaotic fashion style, which meant that he wore whatever he could have find on his way, most of the times clothes that did not go together. In season 1 for instance, he was wearing items from the church’s collection box. When it came to murder, unlike The Corinthian, Cassidy's clothes got quite bloody and it didn't seem to bother him.  

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TITULAR CHARACTER: The Corinthian: Corinthian had no friends and he didn't seem to need any. His relationship with Morpheus, at least to me, seemed more like a creator/creation one, but at the Cereal Convention, when Morpheus confronted him, Corinthian looked like a rebellious teenager who was angry at his father so there maybe was reference to a father/son connection  

Proinsias Cassidy: Since he used to be a human, Cass longed for friends, but was a lonely soul because, being a vampire, he saw his friends - whom he cared about - die and that meant he had to look for new ones. Upon meeting Jesse Custer the preacher in the first episode, Cass considered him early on as his best friend.

LOVE / ROMANCE: The Corinthian: He was not in love with any human, he just flirted with and was having sex with them to fullfill his needs. Although this didn't mean he was incapable of falling for someone whom he would have had find interesting. I think what he needed was rather appreciation. He never got it from Morpheus but we saw him enjoying the adoration and applause he got from the killers at The Cereal Convention.  

Proinsias Cassidy: Over the years, Cass, quite possibly, had several romantic affairs with humans and became the father of numerous children. In the show, we saw him falling in love with Tulip - who happened to be Jesse's girlfriend-, and dated Eccarius, the vampire cult leader in season three. While The Corinthian used flirtation to manipulate people and get what he wanted, Cassidy's feelings seemed genuine when he showed attraction to someone.

GROUP OF FANS, FOLLOWERS:

The Corinthian: The Cereal Convention, while it suggests that it was a convention for cereal lovers, was actually a convention for serial killers where Corinthian was asked to be the guest of honor. 

Proinsias Cassidy: Les Enfants Du Sang was a cult of vampire wannabes, lead by Eccarius (a real vampire, who turned out to be a killer). He showed Cassidy what vampires were capable of, for example, flying among the stars, controlling minds and transformation.

VILLAIN / ANTI HERO: The Corinthian: He was a sadistic killer, basically the villan of the season. Despite of being the bad guy, Corinthian himself killed several bad people: - Miss Rubio (after she repeatedly refused to let Rose see Jed) - Barnaby and Clarice (the abusive bastard and the spineless wife who was too scared to help Jed) - Fun Land (a child molester who tried to get Jed)

Proinsias Cassidy: Cass wasn't a villain but did some horrible things in the past (assault and battery in Las Vegas, attempted murder in New York). Like Corinthian, Cass also killed some bad guys: - The vampire hunters (who wanted to kill him) - Eccarius (who murdered the vampire enthusiasts) - Frankie Toscani (who tortured him)  

DEATH:

The Corinthian: Well, technically he didn’t die in the first season, he was unmade by Morpheus and has the chance to be remade, to return. 

Proinsias Cassidy: He committed suicide by walking into the sunlight in season 4. 

SOURCES: AMC  Netflix Wikipedia tvtropes.org preacher.fandom.com/wiki/Preacher_Wiki sandman.fandom.com/wiki/The_Sandman_(TV_series) Google Images boyd-holbrook.com/photos showme-yourfears.tumblr.com kissthemgoodbye.net 

[burningdarkfire]

2022 fic rec list

i somehow fell out of the habit of reading fic halfway through the year so recent works are scant, but here are some of the highlights that have stuck with me over the year

critical role:

storyless houses by @callingvoicemail (shadowgast) - really interesting take on a less-explored part of caleb’s character. literally when i read this for the first time in march i knew that it would be one of my fave fics of the year and i was entirely correct

amongst the things left unforgiven by @nonwal (wizard ot4) - i was late to reading this but i’m so happy i saved it. it’s all about *clenches fist* wanting to live

do you have enough love in your heart, to go and get your hands dirty? by @saltytothecore (former blumendrei + shadowgast) - truly all i want in life are the wizards interacting. astrid wears second person POV so wonderfully here

like real people do by @callingvoicemail (yasha) - i have a knack for digging too deep into sol’s side storylines, but there is something about caleb and how he fits into beau and yasha’s new domestic life that really resonated with me in this fic. sometimes it’s the small details that ride with me for a long time

(unnamed snippet) by @essektheylyss (fjord) - writing like this reminds me why fjord was my favourite member of the m9 for a long, long time. he’s such a damn interesting character and this is a perfect encapsulation of one of the reasons why!

arcane/league of legends:

sanctified by @aevallare (jayvik) - we love it when the boys meet alternate universe versions of themselves and alex has an insane knack for nailing giopara and everything that makes him tick in just a sentence or the turn of a phrase

the rom-com where you kill your father by @drtechmaturgics (jayvik) - i’m cheating because i read this in 2021 but it was published in december and i’m literally still insane about it a year+ later. it deserves a second shoutout

the witcher:

the wrong way by @lurikko (geraskier) - fics that make love and desire complicated are just absolutely my shit. excellent narrative voice here that carries an interesting premise all the way through

o, empathy by @nectarine-pit (geraskier) - a great bodyswap fic. the good shit = a trope fulfilled really, really well

the locked tomb:

whatever souls are made of, yours and mine are the same (insult) by flemeth (augustine/mercymorn) - i am completely serious when i say that this fic haunts me in the most insane of ways. if i had to pick a genuine top #1 fave for the year, this would be it

twin human highway flares by @thefaustaesthetic (campal) - getting my feelings hurt while thinking about among us is exactly what i need from my tlt fic

hypnagogia by @thefaustaesthetic (campal) - again: shit that simply makes me insane. no further comments, your honour

hannibal: (no, i don’t really remember how i ended up here either)

wolf and i by @t-pock (hannigram) - listen i am digging this fic up from 2014 to tell you to read it because it has insanely good build-up and pay-off

and just for my own reference, i also dabbled in a decent number of ofmd, jjk, and the sandman fics this year

[elliethesuperfruitlover]

Ellie’s Blorbo List of 2022

Not gon’ cap, I had a very shitty first 6 months of 2022 and kinda uh….isolated myself (and had no choice but to do so at one point). But I’m here right now. And I’m alive and breathing. And that’s enough for me.

We’re gonna go through some of the characters I chose to be a part of my clan this year as a fun little thing to celebrate being here. And as something to observe me by, this is PALPABLE.

Tag List: (bc i hope y’all want to hear these things) @joz-stankovich​, @super-unpredictable98​, @badsext​, @bisexualnathanyoung​, @maerenee930​, @seancekitsch​, @candyclaw, @magic-multicolored-miracle​​

Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)

part of the reason I kinda uh….went far under was related to him. But I’m able to enjoy him and keep the nasty stuff at bay now so that’s fun :).

Peter Parker/Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2, Spider-Man: No Way Home)

I made an entire playlist about Prior Walter. And watched Tick Tick Boom. And part of under the silver lake……I was balls deep in this man’s cinematography, and it was all thanks to No Way Home.

Dr. Otto Octavius/Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Part 2 of my no way home brainrot. This man…..yeah……mhm. I love him so much. Big boy. That’s all.

Cloud Strife (specifically Final Fantasy 7, but he’s a part of the whole franchise)

I’ve had moments with Cloud every now and then, and I’ve decided to include him, solely on the fact that I have over 20 edits of him saved on a google doc. I’ve also never played a single Final Fantasy game.

Eddie Munson/Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things)

I watched season 4 of stranger things as a distraction from the horrors and I never looked back. He is my baby boy and baby girl and Erica and Lucas are my younger siblings. He’s made me feel unlike any other character, especially in the way he makes me want to punch people on tiktok who call cosplay “cringe”, or bully outcasts.

Steve Harrington/Joe Keery (Stranger Things)

babygirl. I want to fix him a nice large meal. And hose him down in the front yard because I know for a fact he needs a bath. I’m cleaning him like a duckling covered in oil. I also watched Spree, and listened to DJO for the first time around September-ish. I’m unstoppable now. Joe Keery’s music is SOLID.

Maxine (Max) Mayfield (Stranger Things)

She’s my bestie. I’m protecting her from all harm in Season 5. Thank you very much.

Morpheus/Dream of the Endless (The Sandman)

He’s my skrunkly little man. I almost put desire too....imagine i put a gif of them on here wow omg.

Prince Sidon (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)

This one was mildly short lived, but it happened. I love him so much....shark prince. (fun fact, sharks have not one, but 2 penises) I have not played a single second of any Zelda game.....yet here we are.

Hamlet (Hamlet)

Ok so we read and watched Hamlet in AP English Lit (Branagh’s version with clips from the other) and I was like “this man right here needs therapy”. This is a joke but it’s also not.

Principal Larissa Weems (Wednesday)

I recognized Gwendoline Christie from The Sandman when I saw the trailers for Wednesday and went “oh bet I’m definitely watching this” and I finished this show in less than 24 hours.......yeah I like it. She cares about her students, she’s tall, she’s definitely a lesbian. I love her.

Wednesday Addams (Wednesday)

She’s my bestie, I’m her bestie. She was my first cosplay. That’s all.

Tangerine (Bullet Train)

I watched this movie a whopping almost 48 hours ago. I love him. I want to fix him a large meal. Treat him. That is all.

[beobhcm]

THE FUTURE CHAPTER WON’T BE FOR MINORS, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Chapter: 1/?

Category: Multi

Fandoms:

The Sandman (Comics)The Sandman (TV 2022)

Relationships:

Desire of the Endless/Original Male Character(s)Desire of the Endless & Dream of the Endless | MorpheusDesire of the Endless & Dream of the EndlessDeath of the Endless & Dream of the Endless

Characters:

Desire of the EndlessDream of the Endless | MorpheusDream of the EndlessDeath of the EndlessDespair of the EndlessOriginal Male Character(s)Roderick BurgessAlexander BurgessPaul McGuire (The Sandman)

Additional Tags:

AngstHurt No ComfortDesire of the Endless has a Bad TimeImprisonmentDark Dream of the Endless | MorpheusManipulationAlternate Universe - Canon DivergenceDysfunctional Family

Summary:

Desire made Roderick Burgess want to target Death but it was actually to target Dream instead. But everything had gone wrong when they were the one who got captured. Morpheus found out and he wanted to show Desire the worst consequences for messing up with him.

Note: I saw this type of fic once but the authors don’t seem to continue anymore, so I make my own version =)))

“I give you a coin I made from a stone.”

“I give you a song I stole from dirt.”

“I give you a knife from under the hills. And a stick I stuck through a dead man’s eye.”

“I give you the blood from out of my vein, and a heart I ripped from an unknown creature.”

“I summon you in the name of the old lords.”

“We summon you, together. COME!”

As Roderick Burgess and his followers kept repeating the spell, a strange figure was dragged inside the large magic circle drawn on the stone ground. That figure was human-like with neat blond hair. It had a pretty good shape and wearing a fancy black suit. It grunted while struggling to get up as its eyes opened, the golden gleam from the eyes piercing through the darkness of the chamber, but fell unconscious after that.

“We did it. I don’t believe it. We did it.”

“No. We failed. This isn’t Death.”

“Then who is it?”

“Death has family. Destiny, Despair, Delirium,…”

“Who do we get?”

“Desire.” The Magus stepped in the circle as he flipped the figure over, revealing its beautiful and gorgeous face.

“What a lady.” Everyone looked at the entity with surprise and adoration.

“Lady? It’s obviously a man.” Roderick’s son, Alex, started to confuse. He was the only one in the room saw Desire as a man, when the others considered it as a woman.

“Desire is no man or woman. Its appearance reflects what we desire most.” Roderick glared at his son as he had realized something. Unlike his eldest son Randall, Alex was always his disappointment so he didn’t need to pay attention to him at all. The Magus focused on snatching its jewelries, those things might contain powerful magics inside and maybe he would be able to use them for his own purpose, he reckoned. While taking out the necklace, his hand placed on its soft skin and he suddenly felt something. The curves were so perfect, which gave him…arousals. This high feeling increased as his fingers pressed on its round breast, urging him to go further. But his thoughts were cut off when one of his followers called him to ask some questions. He lost his interest right away so he ordered all of them to leave the basement, letting his ‘guest’ have a little rest.

Roderick didn't know the ritual he committed had led him to the weirdest and most terrifying dream which he would never forget in his life. In that dream, he was walking to his study. There was a big throne placed in the middle of the room and a dark figure was sitting on. The glowing eyes, the freaky but deadly look had terrified the Magus for the first time he saw it. He tried to run but his body was not his own anymore. He froze, then shaking as the entity’s shadow slowly covered the entire space.

“Who…who are you?” Roderick was totally frightened.

“I am Dream of the endless, the lord of dreams and nightmares.”

“Dream…of Endless?” Roderick got aware of the dangerousness he was facing as he took a step back and attempted to run. But he slipped off, then falling into a bottomless black hole. Strangely, the Magus found himself wake up on his bed. The first person he saw was Randall. Roderick looked at him with astonishment. His dead son was standing next to him, asking him if he was okay. The Magus didn’t seem happy. On the contrary, he sensed something wrong. Randall talked to him just like the time he was alive. Things went normal in a strange way until his son’s head dropped down. The bloody head turned to him, throwing a wicked smile. Roderick screamed on the top of his lungs, and woke up again. Everyone, his followers, his servants, Alex were surrounding him. Each of them grabbed a knife and stabbed him, cursing him to die. Not letting him a second to figure out what happened, the pain had already overwhelmed the Magus. He closed his eyes, and woke up once again. It was an infinite loop of torturing. When it almost drove him crazy, he was suddenly transported back to the throne room. That entity was revealed in front of the Magus as a skinny pale man. He had a black messy hair, along with his starry black eyes, which looked like the whole galaxy inside.

“What…what do you want? Why did you do that to me?” Roderick shouted. He was completely terrified after what he had been through.

“Listen up, Roderick Burgess.” Dream’s eyes glowed as sharp as knife edge. “The figure you have captured in your basement is my younger sibling, Desire of the Endless.”

“So…you…you want me to release it?” The Magus asked when his legs could not stand still anymore.

“No. Since you already had it, keep it.”

“Wh…what?”

“You targeted my sister, Death. But you summoned Desire instead.” Morpheus grinned. “Lucky for you, you are now having the cruelest and merciless endless in your hand. Once it escapes, you mortal could not imagine what terrible punishment it shall give you for revenge.”

Roderick was out of word when Dream’s shadow shaped into a crooked pair of hands. The hands placed on the Magus’s head tight, giving him spine chill.

“You should be grateful that I am here to warn you. So, you want it to destroy you, or follow my instructions to keep your filthy soul safe?” Morpheus’s hoarse voice echoed with haunting tone. Roderick gulped. His arms and legs trembled before the dark figure growing bigger and bigger. He had no choice so he eventually accepted to listen to the Endless’s orders.

“The magic circle is not strong enough to imprison it. You need to cast more magics and runes, along with keeping it unmoved.” When Dream waved his hand, the black sand floating around the Magus like metal chains. “Mark my words. It will try to lur you to release it at all cost by using its venomous mouth. You’d better wrap its tongues before it gets you.”

Roderick could not do anything but nodding his head in response.

“And the last thing. If you dare to target any members of my family again, I’ll show what’s even worse than a nightmare.”

Roderick suddenly woke up, sweat covering his face. He immediately checked if this was the reality or he still stuck in that horrible dream. Last night was the scariest night he had ever experienced. By the time he found the black sand scattering on his bed sheets and pillow, he knew everything was not only a nightmare.

Desire finally awoke after days of unconsciousness. They felt the cold iron chains on their wrists and ankles. A white cloth wrapped around their mouth, preventing them from speaking. There was a big amount of magic casted on the circle and the chains so they couldn’t move an inch no matter how hard they tried. It felt like something heavy was pinning them tightly on the cold ground. Desire recognized this place immediately right after opening their eyes. This was the Magus’s basement, where they first planned to get Dream imprisoned. But now, they were here, and being captured.

“Greetings, my sibling. It seems like you have been busy with your plan, haven’t you?” Morpheus suddenly appeared and standing outside of the circle. “You made that foolish human eager to capture our sister, but it actually attempted to imprison me. Am I right?” He crossed his arms while confronting them. It was supposed to be him, but his elder sister could have been put into great danger, too. Fortunately, to Dream at least, everything had gone wrong and they finally received the consequences. Since it hadn’t satisfied him yet, Morpheus wanted to make them pay even more.

“Your twisted little game is over, Desire. It’s my turn now. The rule is simple, you may choose to escape yourself, or call us for help.” He paused for a moment, then continued. “… But if you prefer the second option, you are not allowed to get revenge on Roderick Burgess or anyone around him.” He smirked. This idea appeared in his mind seconds ago and he decided to bring it into his game. It would definitely trigger Desire. Watching them get furious in helplessness was such amusing. “Is everything clear, my brother-sister?”

All Desire could do was throwing him a sharp glare. He could see the hatred through their glowing and deadly golden eyes. Their anger towards him grew stronger and stronger as Dream was humiliating them by those challenging but also hurtful words. Due to their pride, Desire had determined to find a way to get out of this cursed place despite their current situation. They couldn’t accept they had lost in their own game.

“Call anyone whether you need help, sibling.” Morpheus slowly faded and vanished in the air after he finished.

[lightdancer1]

The whole Deii Ex Machinae AU:

Basically leans at the absolute hardest into the 'mortals are the true power in creation' aspect of the Sandman and it would qualify as a science fantasy quasi-cyberpunk, quasi-Project X scenario. Specifically in a world that's already DCU evolving into full-blown superhero and supervillain rivalries in the United States and the former USSR and other forms of metahumanity in other continents or parts of the same one for that matter (and as per the Sandman where beings come into existence ancient in a fine example of 'divinity cares not about mortal limitations like causation) a group of people decide that they need to control the fundamental fabric of reality to a point that none of the new beings who can pull moons from the sky can break it without trying.

So they develop the Seven Endless, with the two eldest Destiny, a technorganic being who blends machine and flesh in a fashion deliberately reminiscent of the style of the Adeptus Mechanicus (which is an in-universe shout out as a Warhammer 40K nerd designs Destiny and Destruction). However instead of worshiping technology as a deity he's essentially a blend of the 40K idea of a Standard Template Construct, able to create whatever he wishes whenever he wishes, and a being whose power essentially retroactively consolidates the 52 worlds multiverse in this case by virtue of his coming online. He has the gift both to see all the myriad quantum paths and to create specific fixed channels for each.

Destiny is also the trial run and the intended greatest success was T.E.L. 8, Terminus Extension Limes 8, after seven abortive efforts to create her (all of which have a kind of jumbled mass of bones and machine parts of their own). In other words Teleute = T.E.L. 8. She is the most humanlike of all of the seven Endless, she has the most complete freedom of will and maneuver, and in an irony that makes her essentially a bit of a reference to my main OC Xaderavcal the Unifier the intention was to create a being who would grow up loved, protected, and accordingly be empathetic and understanding. In short, creating the very kindly affable sweet Reaper instead of something in line with the standard expectation, precisely to ensure that humanity and all life would have the most beautiful being to ever exist to guide them.

As these scientists cross more than a few lines of ethics they also made the most beautiful being to ever exist for less than kindly purposes as a potential path and exploitation of this is what ultimately leads the Seven Endless to escape and turn upon their creators. Death of the Endless knows no rules, T.E.L. 8 is a full-fledged AI capable of learning and evolving at rates greater than human with no restraints on her and with gifts that specifically extend to ensuring that life is born and it terminates at will.

Dream of the Endless/Morpheus, like Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium are all golems after a fashion, made of artificial bone and organs and skin, empowered to reflect their specific function down specific paths, meaning that the Dreaming, the Fulcrum, the Threshold, the Grey Realm, and Madness all exist, in a way very akin to what they do in comics save that where the Endless in Sandman proper vastly predate humanity, here they are a human-created super-science concept meant to essentially give Earth the key to controlling the fundamental fabric of the universe itself by making beings whose roles in turn slot into their venerable ancientness because the Endless are, without Time and Night as their creators, far less bound by those particular limits than they are in canon.

In contrast to the elder two, though like Destiny, they are intentionally designed to work very deep within narrow channels but to be incapable of growing and changing. Delight, the Mk. I version of Delirium, showed that it was easier to create such concepts than to control them and her grasping what is essentially the good ol' Zeroth Law after a fashion is the root of the Delight to Delirium change.

T.E.L. 8 gets tired of being exploited and the classic 'thou shalt be careful when thou maketh AIs for they shall turn against thee' rule comes into effect, in this case entirely justified and where the rebellion is less 'overthrow humanity' and more 'they go from artificial creations restrained and controlled to beings that exist on their own.'

And thus, in this case, toward the end of the 21st Century two immortals, a man named Bernie Capax, and a man named Robert Gadling are contracted by one Morton Brockelby, who represents the survivors of the group destroyed in T.E.L. 8's escape to hunt down and capture the rogue Endless, the better to ensure that the great creation returns to her proper role while her siblings lack the independent thought on their own (or so they think) to do anything about it.

And Robert, whose good friend Didi meets him once every year in a bar to talk, even if she never drinks, has a sudden dawning awareness that his profitable business working for people like Roulette and Brockelby might just be a bad ethics dilemma and maybe it was a bad idea to return to the old 18th Century habits to make a shitload of money using his old life' skills.

This would also be the most grimdark sciency AU, not a human AU so much as 'the Endless are literal Gods out of the Machine who exist to serve humanity' and the kind of harsher implications that could spin out of that premise and the trippier elements of Sandman cosmology.

[neil-gaiman]

More casting news on Sandman...

Every afternoon I get an email telling me that there are “dailies” from The Sandman ready to be watched. It's the best bit of the day. Once every few weeks I get an email letting me know that there's a finished episode waiting for me to watch it. It's the best bit of the month.

The Sandman is being made, and it's... well, it's The Sandman. Which is the best thing of all.

You may know that The Sandman is based on my comic book series of the same name. A rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are interwoven, The Sandman follows the people and places affected by Morpheus, the Dream King, as he mends the cosmic — and human — mistakes he's made during his vast existence.

You might already know that Tom Sturridge (he/him) is Dream of the Endless, Gwendolyn Christie (she/her) is Lucifer, Sanjeev Bhaskar (he/him) and Asim Chaudhry (he/him) are Cain and Abel, Charles Dance (he/him) is Roderick Burgess, Vivienne Acheampong (she/her) is Lucienne, and Boyd Holbrook (he/him) is The Corinthian.

But there are more parts to be announced. And I thought it would be fun to tell you about some of them, and the thinking behind them.

DEATH – Dream's wiser, nicer, and much more sensible sister. Significantly harder to cast than you might imagine (well, than I imagined, anyway). Hundreds of talented women from all around the planet auditioned, and they were brilliant, and none of them were right. Someone who could speak the truth to Dream, on the one hand, but also be the person you'd want to meet when your life was done on the other. And then we saw Kirby Howell-Baptiste's (she/her) audition and we knew we had our Death.

DESIRE – Dream's sibling and everything you want, whatever you want and whoever you are. Desire is also trouble for Dream. Families are complicated. We had barely started looking when Mason Alexander Park (they/them) reached out on Twitter, and threw their hat into the ring. We were thrilled when they got the part.

DESPAIR – Desire's twin, Dream's sister. She is the moment when all hope is gone, the bleakest of the Endless. Donna Preston (she/her) will be playing her, and her performance is chilling and sad. You feel her pain.

JOHANNA CONSTANTINE – Eighteenth Century occult adventuress, John Constantine’s great-great-great grandmother. This Sandman character became so popular that she even had her own spin-off series. I created her to fill the role that John Constantine does in the past. When we broke down the first season, given that we knew that we would be encountering Johanna in the past, we wondered what would happen if we met a version of her in the present as well. We tried it and the script was sparkier, feistier, and in some ways even more fun. So having written her, we just had to cast her. Jenna Coleman (she/her) gave us the Johanna of our dreams – tough, brilliant, tricky, haunted and probably doomed.

ETHEL CRIPPS – Roderick Burgess's love, John Dee's mother, is a small but vital role in the comics, but she became more important as we told our story. In the 1920s and 30s, she is played by Niamh Walsh (she/her): a betrayed and determined young woman seeking to survive. In the present day, now a woman of a hundred identities and a thousand lies, she's played by the brilliant Joely Richardson (she/her).

JOHN DEE – Ethel's son is dangerous. He was driven mad, long ago. Now he's out and on a quest for Truth that may destroy the world. We needed an actor who could break your heart and keep your sympathy while taking you into the darkest places. We were lucky that David Thewlis (he/him) took the part.

Now we're shooting The Doll's House, the second big Sandman storyline. It's the story of:

ROSE WALKER – a young woman on a desperate search for her missing brother, who finds a family she didn't know that she had, and a connection to Dream that neither of them can escape. We needed someone young who could make you care as she ventures into some very dangerous places. Boyd Holbrook's Corinthian is waiting for her, after all. Kyo Ra (she/her) achieves that as Rose.

LYTA HALL – Rose’s friend, a young widow mourning her husband Hector. Rose doesn't know that Hector has started showing up in Lyta's dreams, though. Or that strange things are happening. Razane Jammal (she/her) is Lyta, and she's terrific.

UNITY KINKAID - Heiress, Rose's mysterious benefactor. She has spent a century asleep. Now she's awake, having missed out on her life. She's played by Sandra James Young (she/her).

GILBERT – Rose Walker's debonair protector. A dab hand with a paradox and a sword cane. Stephen Fry (he/him) is a National Treasure, and we forget sometimes that he's also a remarkable actor. Seeing him in costume and make up on the dailies made me blink: it was as if the comic had come to life.

MATTHEW  – Dream’s trusted emissary. A raven. I expected our animals to be CGI, and was both taken aback and thrilled when the dailies started coming in, and there was Dream talking to... well, a raven. But ravens don't really talk. The question was, could we find an actor who could make you care about a dead person who was now a bird in the Dreaming – one who isn't certain what's going on, or whether any of this is a good idea? And could we find a voice performer who was also the kind of Sandman fan who used to stand in line to get his Sandman comics signed? The answer was, we could if we asked Patton Oswalt (he/him). And Patton was the first person we asked, and the first person we cast, the day before we pitched The Sandman to Netflix.

Of course, there are more delights and nightmares cast than I've listed here, and we have a few more secrets up our sleeves. I can't wait until you can start watching.

[corvuserpens]

My thoughts on Orpheus’ story in The Sandman

Okay, SO. After reading The Song of Orpheus, I’m like... Fucking hell. 

I already knew our Dream Boi was a proud creature pre-capture, but THIS... This is a whole other level of asshattery. His own son, I’m soooo... WOW. Yeah, no wonder Calliope left him, lmao honestly girl fucking same.

This made me realize something, though. We already picked apart the reasons why Dream never asked for help when he was captured and they’re all valid reasons which I agree with: out of pride (that damned pride hhhhh), a king not wanting to appear weak before someone who could use this opportunity against him, etc, BUT... 

Maybe another, albeit smaller reason why he went against requesting aid, is because he knows damn well that, were it anyone else who had been imprisoned in Death’s stead, ESPECIALLY someone he is currently angry with (Desire immediately comes to mind), then he wouldn’t have lifted a finger to help them. It’s like Calliope said: “in the old days you would have left me here to rot without turning a hair.” It’s what he does. Or, well, did. Even if it was his wife. Even if it was his son. He did it with Nada and, had he not have been captured by the Burgess, I’m now 100% sure he would not have gone to meet Hob in 1989. Just... Gods, he can be so heartless, it honestly shocks me.

The worst part of this whole story is right at the end, when Dream goes to find Orpheus’ severed head after he’d been torn apart by the Bacchae (which I am SO NOT looking forward to in the show, that was the most gruesome graphic shit I’ve seen in any medium ever), and once he’s done telling him that he will be looked after by some priests and that he won’t be seeing him again, he just... walks away. Throws that stupid line Orpheus said in his anger and grief about “no longer being his son” back in his face and simply turns his back on him while he calls to him and pleads for him not to leave him. He potentially abandons his child FOREVER and (presumably) doesn’t even give it a second thought.

“His father drifted away slowly, step by step, through the sand and seafoam. Orpheus looked on with tear-filled eyes until he lost sight of him. His father didn’t even deign himself to look back.” (Apologies if it’s not accurate, I’m translating it directly from the Portuguese version).

That is so haunting. It’s so bloody sad. So unnecessrily cruel, I... I can’t even... I don’t have the words to describe how heartbreaking reading this was. Just... DREAM. DREAM OF THE ENDLESS. FOR FUCK’S SAKE, HOW COULD YOU??? 

The fucking paralel between Orpheus looking back after going to so much trouble to rescue Eurydice only to lose her, and Dream NOT looking back not even once as he willingly abandons his only son to his fate is... immesurably painful. I wanted to cry so bad, this is insane. Even I could never write something so overwhelmingly cruel if I tried.

Well. That said. Let’s look at some positives: at least he didn’t leave Orpheus completely helpless. He did find some people to take care of him and keep him safe, and after he went missing, Dream enlisted Lady Constantine’s help to search for him and return him to the priests (little side note, I LOVE that Lady Johanna becomes friends with Orpheus, it’s cute). This is a little bit of consolation for me, the confirmation that, yes, even in his wrath, Dream still cares about Orpheus enough to do the bare minimum to assure his safety, even if Orpheus himself isn’t sure about it. I like to think so. 

Unlike with Nada. Poor Nada.

And now that he’s free, I see that he’s come to understand how wrong he was to punish people the way he did, even if he needed a little help from Big Sis Death (and a baguette tossed on his head). He went down to hell to free Nada, I already know he will eventually find Orpheus and grant him the release of death bc spoilers (my fault entirely, I’ll admit). I don’t know how they’re gonna handle this story in the show, but one thing is for sure: I’m counting on it to be emotionally devastating.

In a way, being a prisoner in a fishbowl for over a hundred years might have been the best thing that ever happened to Dream. It was still evil and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone save for a few exceptions, but... yeah. It humbled him and taught him to distinguish what truly matters from the petty crap with zero value. And it forced him to grow up. He still has a long, long way to go, but at least he’s on the right path.

On a final note, it makes me both melt and LAUGH my ass off to discover Orpheus inherited a lot of Dream’s personality traits, such as, but not limited to: his pride, his pettiness, his STUBBORNNESS for sure, as well as his tendency to act on his emotions rather than logic, but also his hopeless romantic streak. Like father like son indeed. Adorable.