#this has to be one of the best Sandman stories ever

[coconut530]

ohhhhhh everyone stop what you’re doing and go read The Sandman: Waking Hours

[theniftycat]

What other Neil Gaiman work might you like?

The biggest thing to know about Neil Gaiman is that each work of his is a mixture of horror, fantasy, and subtle comedy.

That being said, each of his projects is pretty distinct from one another and there might be some that are more up to your tastes than others.

I haven't read some of his newer stuff (because I largely stopped reading as much since the early 2010s), but I'll do my best to remember what matters in other works.

Horror

The Sandman is a great work for horror fans. It's also great for mythology fans and other nerds, but horror is a major push and pull factors.

The comic is probably the greatest body of work Gaiman produced and it's recommended if you're a goth at heart and are comfortable with themes of death and humans being gods' toys.

The Sandman (TV) is a great adaptation, but it's very short so far and doesn't cover the best stories.

Coraline is a horror story for children. It doesn't have anything that's not suitable for kids, but it can be viscerally scary to some people. Both the book and the film are great.

Mirrormask is my personal favourite, it's a low budget film with mindblowing surreal imagery and one of the best soundtracks ever.

It's about a teenage girl who has troubles with her parents (who run a circus, btw) and who gets swiped up by her imagination into a bizarre world that is being eaten by her depression. Not a scary film, per se, but it's disturbing. However, it's a very warm film and it always makes me feel better.

Fantasy

Neverwhere is set in a dimension of twisted London Underground where everything that's straightforward in our world becomes weird and too real.

It really tickled my imagination, I highly recommend the book.

Stardust is set in a more high fantasy setting.

It features kings, witches, ghosts, and a star that fell to the Earth. It has a young protagonist who's not exactly the best or the brightest person, so if you hate such things, stick to the adaptation. In my opinion, the book is just lovely.

American Gods is a darker fantasy that asks the questions: "What if every god people ever believed in became real through the power of their worship? And then what if that worship started fading?"

It's set in the USA and because that country is such a melting pot, there are many gods. And not all of them are happy. This is the book that gave Neil Gaiman his reputation of a writer who loves weird sex scenes.

Humour

Stardust the film is often compared to Princess Bride. It's lighthearted, funny, full of imaginative adventures.

Just a very nice film with an all-star cast.

Anansi Boys is a spin off of American Gods, but it's a lot more lighthearted.

Anansi is a trickster god, so you know things will get funky.

I haven't read The Graveyard Book and The Ocean at the End of the Lane yet, but I hear they're very good as well.

Also, short story collections or Norse Mythology might be a good place to start if you want to get a feel of Neil Gaiman as an author first.

[myrskytuuli]

Sometimes I think that’s a little funny how the sandman fandom fixated into the dreamling ship when in canon they interract so little and seem to be good aquintances at best, but then I remember that the actual, canonical ending of their storyline in the comics is that after Dream’s death, Hob has a dream where he is reunited with the ghost of Dream and they walk off into the sunset together, with and this is a quote from Hob himself: “there’s only one way to end a story, they lived happily ever after.”

Like, Hello!!?? The fuck was that supposed to be??

[avelera]

I love how the power levels of Sandman obscure just how insanely powerful Hob actually is.

Like, most of the normal people in the Sandman world have no idea that any of this cosmic stuff is happening. Then you've got the Endless: massively powerful cosmic entities that literally embody metaphysical concepts. Then you've got your rogues gallery of Dreams and Nightmares, most of whom don't interact directly with the human world, those that do basically turn the world of the humans they interact with upside down. Rose Walker straddles the line between normal human and insanely powerful force of nature but again, only a few other normal humans even know of her existence.

So in this crazy landscape of insanely high peaks of power but which, realistically, make up some .000000001% of what anyone on the world is directly aware of, it's easy to forget the weird place Hob occupies.

Despite being arguably the best friend of one of the seven cosmic metaphysical entities that govern a chunk of this universe, he has no idea who Dream is. As far as he knows, Dream might be a minor demon or sorcerer. Heck, he might be a local ghost haunting the White Horse Tavern, for all Hob really knows. Hob is adjacent to Dream though and he has no idea that Dream tangled with Lucifer, or stopped John Dee, or controls the dreams of everyone alive, OR that Hob is possibly still alive only because of a wager between Death and Dream. He is that close to those events, and yet totally disconnected ffrom them, as are all but about six people on Earth.

Conversely, if you never met one of these insanely powerful cosmic entities or humans empowered by their devices like John Dee, Hob Gadling would be the most insanely powerful being you've ever met. He can't die. In just about any other story, that power alone makes him a minor deity.

And yet, in the relationship between Dream and Hob, Hob is the normal everyman type with this guy! Hob is the grounded, low-power one by comparison but it's such a nutty comparison because, for anyone else besides an actual beyond divine being, Hob would be the supernatural immortal entity in the relationship, like a vampire or a god or something.

I don't know, I'm just tickled by the fact that Dream is so insanely powerful in this otherwise low-power world that the indestructible immortal character looks like his cozy little boy-next-door boyfriend.

[mock-arts]

part 2/2 of my 2023 cover collection! This one only 75% star wars and 25% sandman. Check out my cover collection tag for big chunks of covers like this, or check out my big bang tag for a bunch of collab'd stuff! idk or do whatever you want!

oh, and happy thanksgiving for my american buds I'm thankful for getting to work with so many cool people

Links and summaries beneath the cut!

2023 cover collection

We'll Meet Again by @littledumplingwrites (art) (with more art by @punkascas)

When Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi is assigned to AgriCorps, he goes to his Creche Master to ask why he hasn’t been assigned to a Service Corps better suited. As a result he’s sent to MediCorps to become a healer. Cue Obi-Wan becoming Ben Kenobi: a master healer and specialized surgeon who does philanthropic MediCorps work on the Outer Rim. It’s hard work, but good work and he enjoys what he does. But when the Clone Wars start, Ben is called away from his humanitarian work to patch up Clone Troopers and Jedi on the battlefield. And once he’s there, he meets a rising star in the Clone Army: one Captain Cody.

Or, Healer-Surgeon Ben Kenobi was called to the war front. And he wasn't too keen on going. What were the Jedi even thinking when they started a war?

That M*A*S*H Star Wars AU that I just couldn't get out of my head, so I wrote it. (However, you do not have to know or have seen MASH to understand this.)

Healer Ben Kenobi, Reporting for Duty by @littledumplingwrites (art) (with podfic by mengde)

Healer Ben Kenobi finishes his surgical work on one battlefield and finds out he has a new assignment: rendezvous with the 212th and work with the clone healers there. This makes Ben a little nervous, because his new boyfriend Major Cody is a part of the 212th and Ben hasn’t heard from him in weeks.

Can the two of them work through their relationship issues, even as the Separatist Droid Army closes in on their position? Can Cody learn to trust someone who isn’t a brother? And can Ben learn to put his partner’s care above his past hurts?

Can be read as a standalone. Also, you do NOT need to know anything about M.A.S.H. to read or enjoy this story.

Bonds of Beskar by @popjeckdoom (art) (with more art by Aliennotperson)

In a universe where the Mandalorian Empire never fell, but changed, Ad’be’alor Kote Vhett faces threats from all sides. His father, Mand’alor Jango Vhett has been cursed into a Majick sleep, and as Tor Vizsla and his supporters tear the Council of Clans apart, Kote is desperate to wake his father and reunite the Empire. In an effort to save his father, and his people, Kote Vhett offers “anything” to the person who can cure his Father’s curse.

Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi may be the person for the job; only one issue--the Jedi have been in hiding for a thousand years, still hunted by Sith and Mandalorians alike. Can he keep his true identity secret long enough to help the Mand'alor... or will events conspire to reveal him before his mission is complete?

Forever; Without Stagnation by @noir-renard (art)

Din and Luke meet on Tatooine. Din and Luke fall in love. Din and Luke get married—

And then the plot catches up.

The Galaxy needs you, says The Force, and Luke believes it.

Din will understand, Luke thinks. It won’t take that long. What is a few years compared to the vow of 'forever'?

Only Blindly Could I Read You by @lillytalons (art) (with more art by @vanisketches

Rex's goal was to get into the organization, get the information, and take it down. Of course, no one had ever successfully infiltrated this empire, and most people had died attempting it, so it was easier said than done. But, the fact that a government agency had also sent in an agent, their best agent, was either a very good or very bad thing. Rex just happened to recognize them, and for some reason, Ben had decided that working together was the best option. What could go wrong?

It's a Sad Song (But We Sing it Anyway) by @ouzoa11-writes (art) (with more art by @impalafortrenchcoats)

Obi-Wan and Cody Kenobi have raised Luke for years and are at the center of the Rebellion when a new threat looms the horizon in the form of a new weapon. The tides seem to turn in their favor, even as they face new challenges along the way.

Or: Obi-Wan and Cody are soulmates who just want to see everyone survive. Their lives from Luke and Leia's nineteenth birthday to a confrontation with Vader alone.

Standalone though it is part of the "We Raise Our Cups To Them" universe

An Epiphany of Poppies Upon the Battlefield by @questing-wulfstan (art)

April 1940, On a French battlefield, Hob Gadling doubts his will to persevere in being alive for the second time of his existence. He swallows morphine in the hope to soothe his horror-scarified mind, and summons a mirage of the stranger who occupied his thoughts as the patron of his immortality. In a Japanese psychiatric ward, Delirium of the Endless is alerted by Dream's irruption in her realm, who she found missing when she sought his company on her quest for the Prodigal. Disappointment overcomes her as she finds it was but an image of her brother conjured by a mortal, and so it does Hob when her eruption dismisses the vision. Delirium will not resign herself to her exponential loss of brothers however, neither will Hob Gadling withhold his aid from any entity in distress, whether the stranger or his younger sister ; they just might hold the might to liberate Morpheus between their four hands ...

The Other Kingdom by @banhus (art)

In 1916, Roderick Burgess successfully summons Death, and Hob Gadling wakes up in the trenches alongside three dead soldiers.

[neil-gaiman]

Mr Gaiman, I've only ever watched the shows and movies based on your media except for the short story about vampires in the "Teeth" anthology that I hadn't actually known was by you at the time (I discovered this recently) and was wondering if you had a suggestion for the best place to start reading your works? I enjoyed Sandman and Good Omens as shows, and Coraline has been a favorite movie for years, plus I recently discovered you were at least partially responsible for one of my favorite episodes of Doctor Who, but it seems you've been quite prolific in your writing and I'm unsure where to start!

There's a huge thick book called The Neil Gaiman Reader which was made to solve the where to start dilemma for people. Start there?

[altair214]

The other day I was rewatching The Sandman with a friend and as I was watching Roderick Burgess summon Dream, I had a theory. In Overture, Dream talks about the two old gods that overpowered him in the Dreaming, imprisoned him, and then declared themselves the lords of the Dreaming.

Now, in the spell that Roderick Burgess uses to summon Dream, he calls upon the names of "the old Lords" and then names a bunch of random names that don't seem to ever be relevant to anything other than Dream being summoned by Burgess.

My theory is that Burgess, completely unknowingly, calls upon the long dead gods that had once imprisoned Dream to once again imprison Dream.

I got a lot of the information on these deities from this article which I found rather interesting to read, with some further google searching for some more information

Namtar is an ancient Mesopotamian god of death and disease and also means "fate" in Sumerian

Allatu is the Sumerian goddess of the underworld

Morax is a president of Hell, and it's worth noting that he's depicted as either having the head of a bull with the body of a man or the body of a bull and the head of a man

Naberius is a Marquis of Hell and is basically an equivalent of Cerberus, so is often depicted as having three dog heads, though he's also depicted as a raven

Klesh I cannot seem to find a deity that this figure was based off of, but in Hindi it means tribulation, so whatever this deity is, it's probably not a friendly one, it also means snake in Navajo

Vepar is a duke of Hell and is often shown as a mermaid, he controls water and can make ghost-ships appear

Maymon is the King of the spirits of Saturn, he can create snow and ice, and is associated with the direction north

Ashema-Deva I can't seem to find anything about, however Aeshma is a Zoroastrian demon of wrath

Maborym I cannot find anything about

Horvendile is the name of a character from the story that Shakespeare took a lot of inspiration for Hamlet from, it is also spelled as Ørvendil. Yet another spelling is Aurvandill, who is a figure from old Norse mythology. The name seems to mean something along the lines of "rising light" or "morning star"

So in summary, most or all of these figures are from various mythologies, but which ones may have been the ones that imprisoned Dream the first time?

I think that one of them is probably Morax, mostly because he is often depicted as a bull, which is probably the closest thing that someone can say that one of the gods shown in Overture looks like (though the god that attacked had both horns and tusks, which I'm not sure there is an animal with both horns and tusks, if there is please tell me).

The second one, the one the helm was crafted from, is a bit more difficult because none of these figures from mythologies look even remotely similar to the helm (I guess that makes sense considering the design for the helm came from gas masks rather than a creature from mythology). But I suspect that it would be one of the names that I can't find any information on, so probably Klesh, Ashema-Deva (if we're assuming that this is a different deity than Aeshma), or Maborym.

Now from a symbolism perspective, Dream crafted the helm as a reminder to himself of his failure, but then later triumph. The helm is sort of an emotional support for him and a reminder of what he is capable of and a reminder of what he has at stake at all times. So I think to say that the helm is a symbol of tribulation is fair. Therefore, my best guess as to who the helm was crafted from, is Klesh.

So my running theory is that the Dreaming was invaded by Morax and Klesh. Now Roderick Burgess calling upon them probably wouldn't have done much to summon Dream because they're long dead, however, Dream is the Prince of Stories, so the fact that it would be poetic for his second captor to call upon his first captors to aid in capturing Dream (although he wanted Death), would make some sense.

Of course, this whole rabbit hole could be just that: a rabbit hole. but I think it's a plausible and interesting theory and definitely adds some complexity to Dream's relationship with his own helm.

[holy-puckslibrary]

━ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐑𝐒. 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄

˗ˏˋ 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ˎˊ˗

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 — nathan mackinnon x claus!reader 𝐰𝐜 — 2k 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 — when she took the reins as the world's chief claus, her father forgot to disclose one very pressing hidden clause in the job contract... 

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 — my mom and i watched this trilogy on a loop when i was growing up, so it only felt right to take some inspo!! <3

Most children would give anything to have Santa Claus as their father.

They wouldn’t if they knew what you did now.

Your father withheld a crucial detail throughout your many years of training. Perhaps the most important stipulation of them all—you cannot be Santa alone.

“Whoever wears the coat takes on the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus. In accepting the contract, the cardholder acknowledges that they must marry the partner of their choosing before their first Christmas in service to retain the titles, privileges, and residence of Santa Claus. Failure to do so will result in immediate de-Santification.”

You needed a partner. Someone to act as caretaker to the elves and the reindeer, and to watch over the Workshop and general operations on Christmas night while you fly all around the globe, the embodiment of the season's spirit.

Santa Claus wouldn’t—and couldn't—be Santa Claus, if not for their other half.

You suppose you should’ve known, should’ve worked it out sooner. So much of what made Christmas special was because of your mother, the previous Mrs. Claus. In his many years as Santa, your father made a point to remind everyone of that. She is the steward of the season.

While Santa Claus tinkers with toys and checks the lists, charts travel routes and weather patterns, and develops contingency plans to accommodate the ever-evolving technology, their spouse keeps spirits bright. Without help, the effort was pointless. 

So, you should have realized. But you hadn’t, and now it might be too late.

“I have to find a husband in 28 days. If I don’t get married before Christmas Eve, I don’t get to wear the coat. I’ll lose the title, and the reins my family has held for thousands of years will pass to someone else,” you rant, tone carefully hushed to not rouse the temperamental husky one backyard over.

Your breath plumes away from you, rising before dissolving into the chilly Denver air. It reminds you of a snow globe, a bittersweet one.

“Who?” asks Nate.

Nate, like most of the world, is a Mundane, a non-magical person. He isn’t the descendant of Cupid or Mother Nature. Or a Santa Claus like yourself. He’s just Nate. Nathan MacKinnon from Halifax. Nathan MacKinnon, who now resides in Denver, Colorado, for work. 

It's well past midnight, and you’re sitting on his back porch with your head hung low and one of your reindeer, Comet, is nibbling on his icy grass.

“I don’t know,” you answer with a glum shrug. “Normally, it would go to the next child in line. Since I don't have any siblings, I guess the Council of Legendary Figures will convene and select my replacement.”

Nate nods.

In his eyes, you can see him listing off the members in his head. Mother Nature, Father Time, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman, Cupid, Jack Frost. To him, they’re mythical beings. Bedtime stories and folktales he was told as a child by the adults in his life. For you, they’re the closest thing you have to extended relatives.

And they butt heads like ones too.

“What will happen then? I mean, where will you go? Could you stay where you are now, just not as a Claus?” he asks.

“The North Pole is the only home I’ve ever known. All my family’s ever known. When the duty passes from one generation to the next, the predecessors remain in the village, but who knows if they’d get to stay if I fail to comply? It’s all in jeopardy now because of me.”

Nate lowers himself down onto the step beside you. He does his best to disregard the unpleasant feeling of his pajamas soaking in the snow, but you hear the wince.

With the snap of your fingers, the snow is gone, and his pants are completely dry. You’ve even warmed the concrete beneath him.

“Thanks,” he murmurs softly.

He doesn’t have to thank you; you’ve told him a million times. But he wants to. He can’t let you give without acknowledgment. Nate refuses to appear ungrateful, even for the little things that seem insignificant to you. Like vanishing snow or drying his pajama pants. 

Funnily, “Santa Claus” can feel like a thankless job. No one ever thanks you. They thank the persona, the relic. Nate wants you to know he’s grateful for your care and friendship, regardless of your occupation or magic.

Gently, he bumps his shoulder against yours. “You know there’s more than one person in a marriage, right?”

“Yes, but I haven’t exactly made an effort to find the other half of the equation,” you reply, deflecting. 

You always overtake blame. Nate thinks it might be your singular flaw. 

“I mean, it's hard because it's not like I can date like a normal person; my pool is small. And shallow. They either want me to give up the power entirely or give it to them instead. You remember what happened with Jackson Frost. All he wanted was the power his father failed to usurp. That should have been clear from the start. I guess I could see if Orpheus is still seeing the nymph Mother Nature fixed him up with. The whole narcolepsy thing, though not his fault, isn’t ideal, but the only other option is Val. And I’d rather not spend the rest of my life worried about flying arrows and jilted lovers.”

As the daughter of a Legendary Figure and soon-to-be one yourself, you haven’t had much time to date. Or even think about it, for that matter.

There was always a new wrapping paper to test for durability and shine or a machine on the assembly line that needed to be fixed before it broke any more dolls. Or a reindeer with a stomach ache refusing to fly. Or a fire in the kitchen that sets back cookie production by three weeks. Or a maniacal being with frigokinesis (the ability to manipulate snow) attempting to overthrow Santa Claus and assume control over the North Pole.

Crisis after crisis, all with very little personal time. That's why you opted for people who understood: the children of other Legendary Figures with dominion over their own holidays and cultural traditions. However, fraternizing with other magical beings comes with its own set of problems. For example, an ex-boyfriend and his father plotting to ruin your home, ancestral legacy, and a beloved holiday out of pure spite. 

“You’re forgetting someone.” Nate’s quiet voice yanks you out of the downward spiral.

“Who? Easter Bunny is our eternal bachelor who would sooner give up candy than have kids of his own, and Tooth Fairy’s kids are still, well, kids. Jack Smith recently took over as Pumpkin King after his father retired, but he’s not the nicest company. Especially when he’s drunk, which is, truthfully, most days. I guess I could look outside the Council, but —”

“Me. I’m talking about me. You forgot me,” Nate interjects with an impatient huff.

“What?” you blink in disbelief, assuming you misheard him.

There was no way he was throwing his hat into the ring. 

“I could be Mr. Claus. If you’d have me.”

Your face melts. If you'd have him? It wasn't even a question. 

“Nate, I could never ask that of you. You would have to leave everything—everyone, behind. You would have to give up a career you love and have worked so hard for. Not to mention abandoning all the friends you’ve made along the way. You would have to lie about where you live and who you married to—and what she does for a living for the rest of your life. Nothing would ever be normal again. I’m tethered to the North Pole, but I won’t lock you up there with me.”

“I’ve been dreaming about the North Pole since I was a kid. Long before you nearly knocked over my family’s Christmas tree and had to make it up to me with a ride around the block on Comet,” he says with a chuckle.

You snort, recalling the fire you almost started the first time your father ever brought you along for deliveries. You weren’t allowed down a chimney for a few years after that, but the friend you gained was worth the punishment. 

You take Comet to visit as often as you can and have been for years. He leaves out your favorite cookies on Christmas Eve, and you always save his house for last so you can spend the last hour of the season with your favorite person. 

But you always imagined a day would come when he finally grew up and stopped needing Santa Claus. For as long as you’ve known him, you’ve been planning for a broken heart.

You sniffle. Nate takes your hand in his.

“Knowing you—loving you has put that dream within grasp. You wouldn’t be locking me away because I’d go willingly. Happily. All I’ve ever wanted for Christmas is to go to the North Pole with you. To see where you grew up and meet all the people who made you as wonderful as you are.”

“Why have you never said anything?”

“Because I knew you wouldn’t be able to. “Only elves, reindeer, and Clauses,” remember?” Nate smiles, mimicking your father’s response to a ten-year-old Nate’s innocent request. He even does the jolly belly laugh, which warms your heart. “Bernard wouldn’t even let me past the hanger if the sleigh didn’t toss me into the Atlantic first.

But in all seriousness, I didn’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position with your father again. Or with yourself. I know how much the sanctity of Christmas means to you. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to show me something that would feel like intruding on the magic to you.”

All Nate has ever wanted for Christmas is for you to show him your home. All you’ve ever wanted is Nate. The only gift your father couldn’t make and the elves couldn’t build. In all her festive glory, even your mother couldn’t put what you truly wanted under the tree, though not for lack of trying.

Nate was the only person who could give the present of his presence, but you’d always been too fearful to ask, too worried he didn’t feel the same.

But here he is, crouched on a step in the middle of the night watching a reindeer chase a moth like a cat, telling you he’d give up everything to stand by your side. 

For you to be Santa Claus.

“Are you sure?” you ask apprehensively as if he were an animal you didn’t want to spook. “Sometimes we say things in the moment that we don’t really mean. Especially when someone flew 3,000 miles on a reindeer to throw a pity party in your backyard. You can take it back, and I promise nothing will change. No hard feelings whatsoever. I’ll still come and bring Comet to visit as often as possible. And you’ll stay on the Nice List, don’t worry. I wouldn’t even dream of —”

Nate cuts you off with a kiss. Sweet and perfect, and full of promise. The kind of kiss you dream about as a little girl, wondering what your Prince Charming might be like when he finally arrives. And tonight, yours did.

Albeit, the cape was missing (you preferred flannel pajamas anyway), and he hadn’t ridden in on the back of a mighty steed (you crash-landed on a reindeer-back, if that counts), but it was magical all the same.

“Wait!” you burst, abruptly pulling away. “What are you going to tell your parents? ‘Hey, Mom and Dad. Yeah, no, everything’s great. I just quit my job, sold my house, and moved to an undisclosed location—all without warning. No reason to worry!’ Somehow, I don’t see that going over all that well.”

“We can tell them we’re in Alaska and that you’re a toy maker," Nate casually supplies. He sounds like he's talking about the weather or what he had for lunch, not a life-altering cover story. "You couldn’t leave because your workshop is there, so I decided to move to be with you. People move all the time, especially to be with their fiancés.”

Though your heart flutters at the title, worry still hangs low over your head. You know how much he loves his family; you can’t bear to be the reason they’re separated indefinitely. 

“But when I find a way for them to visit, how would we swing that? The sleigh is big, but it's not airplane-big. Curtis is a master of disguise, but even he couldn’t make the sleigh look less like a sleigh.”

“Doesn’t Sandman owe your dad a favor?” Nate winks.

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[niuniente]

Saw your little thing about ask you anything, and I'm sure you've been asked this before but I haven't seen it... HOWEVER, what pieces of media do you think have inspired you the most to make your ocs and the comics that go with them?

A though question. I don't think I have anyone as a direct inspiration as "I want to draw like this artist" or "I want to create stories like this author". I'm certain that the majority of my inspiration is subconscious or runs around certain favorite tropes or themes, like punk and cyperbunk, as well as lots of music, too.

If I narrow this down to media which has really inspired me when I have encountered it the first time, then the inspiration list will be the following:

Comics by Petri Hiltunen. Some of his works have been translated to English, like Anabasis. I can't remember anymore what happened in the comic Asfaltitasanko (An Asphalt Field) but I remember that it really hit me the right way when I was 13.

Sláine series by Simon Bisley. It's still running and I read every new book. This is actually a feminist barbarian comic, which is a great combination and you will see echoes of that in Alrick.

Hob Gandling's story in The Sandman series. Oh I wish I could experience again the time when I read the story for the first time. I was mind opening for a 13 year old.

Vintage manga from 70's and 80's, as well as anime from 90's and early 2000 (like Slayers Next below). Expressions were very prominent back then and I do generously use that whenever possible. I was SUPER happy when I started watching Jujutsu Kaisen and it had those really big expressions!

I think that from anime, I should perhaps mention Bleach, because Grimm is inspired by Bleach series Grimmjow. Who is, by the way, also a cat (a panther).

Alrick, the whole premise of Death-Head Organization and the generous use of black, solid masses gets all its inspiration from a manga Sun-Ken Rock. Especially from the protagonist Ken Kitano, who is the best positive masculine example in any media I have ever encountered. Also, Algoth looks is inspired by Ken's right hand man, Benito Armani:

For the animals and animal parts of the characters in DHD, I LOVE kemonomimi! For other series, inspiration comes from game series Bloody Roar and from a comic series Blacksad. Rena is inspired by Bloody Roar's Mitsuko the Wild Boar.

We simply can't forget fashion! Metal, punk, cyberpunk, kinksters, and other dark dressed underground people. I'm asked at times why everyone seems to dress up the same and my answer is that since the comic is black and white, with black outfits I get to add some contrast to it. Alexander McQueen is awesome!

Other mentions to practice keeping mind open, which allows stories to be formed without judgment or thinking that I have no base for this: - Jeffrey Burton Russell's books about the Devil and religious history - Conspiracy theories (as what kinds of things people believe in and how they find evidence for it to support their views, including opposing conspiracy theories like Moon landing was fake VS Moon landing did happen but we haven't gone back because of aliens on the Moon) - Quantum physics

I'm certain you can pick up more things which have inspired me from my stories and drawings. But, if we speak ONLY about Death-Head's Deal, then underground fashion, Sun-Ken Rock, 80's and 90's vintage manga&anime, and Blacksad are the ones.

[lookitsaboat]

(All I Have to Do is) Dream: Why The Sandman is Important To Me

My first encounter with the works of Neil Gaiman was in 2009 when I sat in a dark theater and was delighted by the Henry Selick adaptation of Gaiman’s Coraline. I immediately sought out a copy of the book and was entranced by his writing, as it was exactly the kind of fantasy writing I enjoyed reading, mixing the magic and wonder of the real world with that of a fantastical world that could only exist in imagination. I was hooked, and soon I had also collected American Gods, Anansi Boys, and several of his short stories. This is when I first became aware of The Sandman, but I wouldn’t actually read it until a few years later when I was in film school. I was roaming the school library for some good reading material, and they had a large collection of the trade paperbacks of each volume of Sandman. I had never been a huge comic book person despite enjoying superheroes on television and film, but Neil’s name meant It was at least worth a look. I tore through each volume (although I admit I got a tad impatient and skipped some of the stand-alone tales to finish the full arc of the story, something I have remedied on subsequent re-reads). For my senior thesis in film school, I focused on a story about dreams and traveling through them, and to say this isn’t influenced by Sandman would be an outright lie. I had written some of the basics before I read the whole of Sandman, but it really took shape when I wanted to tell my own story set in dreams. I even got to discuss it with Neil Gaiman himself when I had the great fortune to spend an evening with him and his wife. He gave me great advice to tell my story, and very kindly signed my favorite volume of Sandman, A Game of You, and his signature had the wonderful advice to “Dream Dangerously” which I have tried my best to do ever since. Throughout my time in Film School I dreamed of possibly getting to adapt Sandman for HBO or some similar television network someday, and while that has not come to pass, I was so thankful for it being a part of my education. 

Several years passed, I had graduated, moved to Florida and had spent many years working at a certain Haunted Mansion in a certain theme park, and Sandman still stuck with me. I would go back and reread my favorite bits over and over again, and was excited when they were working on a film adaptation with Joseph Gordon-Levitt involved,and then even more excited when Netflix announced they were making a series out of the show, which I always felt was the best way to adapt the material.

And then my life fell apart. 2019 came into my life like a force of nature, destroying as much as it could. I wound up in the hospital multiple times and discovered that my body was basically destroying itself after I let it fall into disrepair due to a severe bout of depression. Between this and being stuck indoors during the pandemic, it got worse, and I ended up having to leave my job, which lost me not only a place I loved working for but friends too. I started to feel very alone. I wound up back in the hospital and physical rehab. I had to move out of an apartment that had been home for years, into a strange new home with a strange new roommate, and the loneliness continued to mount. I was in constant pain, and often, the only real voice I had to speak to was the one in my head, which was quickly becoming a much darker voice than it had ever been before. I used to tell myself I’d never consider suicide, it just wasn’t my style, but in the dark of lonely nights, trapped in a room by myself, I did. I thought about how perhaps it would just be better if I was no longer here, and that dark voice getting so much stronger than I ever imagined it could. I had one thing I was looking forward to…The Sandman adaptation. It feels silly to say that a television show was the only thing I had to look forward to, but it’s true. I found a small group of fans on Twitter and they were so kind and welcoming to an older guy who just wanted to watch his favorite story become a show. To help with the long wait and anticipation I finally sat down and listened to the Audible audiobook adaptation of The Sandman, which I had been avoiding as I typically have a hard time with audiobooks, but once I listened, I found myself discovering the magic of the world of The Sandman in a new way, and it felt as if for the first time. As I sat in my bed, struggling with my pain and health, I could make all that go away by putting my headphones on, and listening to Dream of the Endless go on his journeys.

When I first read the comics, one of the one-off short stories on my first read-through that didn’t quite click with me was Facade, a story that features Death meeting a woman named Urania Blackwell (Element Girl for comic savvy folk) who was cursed to be made of different elements and it was slowly destroying her life and mental state. As I listened to the Audible version of this story, it suddenly became real. A woman who can barely leave her apartment due to her condition, her only real companion being a weekly phone call, and a desire, but inability, to kill herself. I found myself silently sobbing as Urania spoke with Death about her life being miserable. I then began to imagine my conversation with Death, the kind goth woman who Gaiman imagined to whisk people from this life to whatever comes next with kindness and a smile. I realized that Sandman had saved me. The dark voice started to go quiet in my mind. 

I admit, I still struggle with these thoughts sometimes, and I am still finding my way back to what I sometimes refer to as “normal” but it has been so helpful to have this world to escape to, to help make sense of my reality. It reminded me how simple it is to go somewhere special, and reminded me that all I have to do is dream. 

Thanks to Neil Gaiman (@neil-gaiman), Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, and all the artists who have worked on Sandman over the years. As you have done so to many hundreds of thousands of readers before me, you inspired me. You inspired me in 2012, and then you saved me in 2022. I can’t thank you enough and I can’t wait to watch the entirety of the new show and find myself lost in that world yet again. 

May we all continue to dream dangerously 

Donald Hallene III

[bi-bard]

Unreal Unearth - Hozier Writing Challenge Masterlist

Hello! Here's the writing challenge masterlist for Hozier's "Unreal Unearth".

This is easily one of the most beautiful albums I've ever listened to it. It is full of gorgeous lyrics and music. I hope that the stories I have constructed for it can reflect that.

I hope you guys enjoy these stories!

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De Selby (Pt. 1)

And Sit Unseen, With Only the Inner Upheld Jack Kline X Reader [Supernatural] Summary: Two Nephilims find themselves taking shelter with the Winchesters. However, no safety and security could match up to true connection and understanding.

De Selby (Pt. 2)

I Wanna Fade Away with You Dick Grayson X Reader [HBO's Titan] Summary: (Y/n) and Dick's connection was one to be envied. By friends and family and anyone who had known them. This connection is good until it seems to be turning Dick into someone different. Now, the biggest question is whether or not that change is bad.

First Time

Some Part of Me Came Must Have Died the Final Time You Called Me, "Baby" Joel Miller X Reader [HBO's The Last of Us] Summary: Joel is offered a rare glimpse of hope after the apocalypse had started. However, the universe can pull away signs of hope just as fast it can offer them.

Francesca

If I Could Hold You for a Minute, I'd Go Through It Again Charles Rowland X Witch!Reader [Dead Boy Detectives] Summary: Whoever claimed that risking your life was only for the living had never seen the true devotion of a ghost before.

I, Carrion (Icarian)

If I Should Fall, On that Day, I Only Pray, Don't Fall Away From Me Sam Winchester X Angel!Reader [Supernatural] Summary: (Y/n) takes a reckless risk in the name of rectifying a tragedy that they played a part in. They did not heed the warning of anyone around them. The consequences of that may be greater than they truly bargained for.

Eat Your Young

It's Quicker and Easier to Eat Your Young Peaky Blinders X Child!Reader [Peaky Blinders] Summary: A new gang attempts to put down roots in Birmingham, much to the displeasure of the Shelbys. However, as tensions rise, more is revealed about this new gang... including some concerning cracks in the foundation.

Damage Gets Done

You and I Had Nothing to Show but the Best of the World in the Palm of Our Hand Daisy Jones X Reader [Daisy Jones & the Six] Summary: In which two dear friends find themselves face-to-face years after they lost contact with each other and it's as if a day had never truly passed. Except that it did. The only question will be what they will do now that it had and they were both such different people.

Who We Are

And the Hardest Part is Who We Are Nikolai Lantsov X Reader [Shadow & Bone] Summary: A long line of unfortunate events leads two old friends to learn more about each other and themselves.

Son of Nyx

Son of Nyx Crowley X Reader [Good Omens] Summary: Crowley is forced to find a newly fallen angel and ensure that they are brought down to Hell. Through the fear-induced chase, an act of kindness finds its place between Crowly and the new demon.

All Things End

And Just Knowin' that Everything Will End Should Not Change Our Plans Merlin X Reader [BBC's Merlin] Summary: A story of love, loss, and accepting the inevitable.

To Someone From a Warm Climate (Uiscefhuarithe)

And Darlin', All My Dreamin' has Only Been Given a Name The Cat King X Reader [Dead Boy Detectives] Summary: A chance meeting creates an interesting bond. The question is whether that bond will stand the test of old habits.

Butchered Tongue

A Butchered Tongue Still Singin' Here Above the Ground Morgana X Reader [BBC's Merlin] Summary: Morgana escapes from Camelot after her attempt to tear apart the kingdom and kill Uther. Now alone, she finds some kindness in (Y/n), who may end up being far more important than Morgana would have ever considered.

Anything But

I Would Do Everything Just to Run Away The Corinthian X Reader [The Sandman] Summary: A dream is convinced to follow a nightmare out of the safety of the Dreaming. They learn just how much of a mistake that was... and how careful they must be to get home.

Abstract (Psychopomp)

All My Love and Terror Balanced Between Those Eyes Will Graham X Reader [NBC's Hannibal] Summary: A collection of nightmares that have been haunting Will the most recently.

Unknown/Nth

And There are Some People, Love, Who are Better Unknown The Master X Reader [Doctor Who] Summary: [End of Season 12] The Master was known for doing whatever was necessary to get what he wanted. However, after so much time together, (Y/n) wanted to believe that they would be offered some kind of mercy. Oh, how wrong they were.

First Light

But After This I'm Never Gonna Be the Same and I Am Never Going Back Again Eleventh Doctor X Reader [Doctor Who] Summary: (Y/n) had never known true peace like they did with the Doctor. They had never known such support, such acceptance, such love. What will happen when (Y/n) learns that their perfect existence isn't all that they thought it was?

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Navigation Guide

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[olive-gardens-breadstick]

sandman hope!hob au Pandora's box

okay so we know DC follows Greek/roman mythology to a point right? so Pandora's box must exist, and we all know the story right? hope gets trapped in the box after Pandora opens it.

part 2

wordcount: 1551

hope!hob is trapped within this box for several millennia all alone, not even taunted by captors, just isolated in the dark and quiet watching as new awful things are born within the box. I imagine the box is opened by someone just before the age of heroes begins. a scorned lover pouring all the new horrid things directly into their cheating, abusive partner and catching a very small light before it enters their gaping chest cavity. they hold hope there, magically closing the wound and sealing their lover into an endless void, outside of time’s realm condemning them to live forever in never ending pain. they do all this with one hand, carefully holding hope, they take his small form outside and whisper into their hand

“do something worthwhile with this freedom, any god out there knows we need you” the words are washy and weak “and if you cannot find the strength to do it all yourself, bless people to inspire you within the minds of the rest of us”

they open their hand and hob’s little light form takes off to see just how the world got on without him. not well obviously, a world with no hope is desolate and cold. hope goes back to his realm to call on his sister death to catch him up, and she tells him she knows just the person to do just that.

Morpheus has been around a long time. he was born after Pandora opened the box and the only word the people of his village called him was hopeless. this was not a surprise of course, hope was not where he was supposed to be, but the rest of the children still seemed to want to live. Morpheus however made it seem like a chore. he went through the motions as they came and did nothing more or less. he was a thing of beauty though, his demeanor didn’t stop suitors from pursuing him. they all did their best but none of them ever seemed to interest him. he even caught the eye of a king who gifted him a ruby necklace saying it popped against his pale skin and dark hair. Morpheus did not particularly want to keep it but his parents had insisted he keep it and marry the king anyway.

and so he did.

he was not particularly fond of his husband, but he didn’t dislike him. the marriage and his husband were just another motion. the grounds of his husband's kastro were vast and stretched for miles and ended in cliffs that Morpheus found himself standing before at the end of the many walks he took in a day. one particular evening, when the winds were stronger that usual, he found himself lingering at the cliff’s edge a bit longer and a bit closer than he normally would, and so had someone else

“are you going to jump?”

to say the voice had startled him would be incorrect, it had simply shifted his focus. the woman who the voice belonged to was dressed in a fine ebony cloth and a very simple necklace with a strange symbol he could not place, and her skin was just as pale as his, if someone had seen them together they might’ve thought they were siblings, still Morpheus did not especially care who she was or what she was doing here but answered her nonetheless

“no, but would it really matter if i did?”

“what does it matter? you know, most people have some sort of emotion towards the prospect of dying.”

“i suppose they do, don’t they? i don’t see why though, it’s going to happen whether they want it to or not”

“they probably see the beauty, or in some cases pain, that life has to offer” Morpheus tilted his head and thought for a moment before looking back at the woman

“perhaps life has nothing to offer me, nothing of value anyway” he said starting his way back to the kastro past the woman dressed in black. he had already gotten past her as she cocked her head and called back to him

“you know how you said it happens whether one wants it to or not?” he stopped and turned back to her

“yes, what of it?”

“it’s not going to happen to you”

“what?” she turned to face him once more

“you aren’t going to die, whether you want to or not. you are going to watch as life progresses and evolves into something you, at this moment, could never even fathom.” she beamed, before he could question her further one of the servants called his name, it was late and the king wanted him back in the kastro, he called back saying he’d be in soon, but when he turned to face her, she was gone.

now, hundreds of thousands of years later, as he stands in the entrance to his home, standing in the living room, the woman is before him once more for the second time. her clothes match the days casual fashion just as they had before, all black and very simple with the same necklace. the man next to her, however, is wearing clothes that fit with the first outfit he has at the very bottom of a trunk in his attic. a long pale yellow tunic with white underneath with traditional sandals. his hair reaches just above his shoulders and his head seems to have a faint gold glow around it. he's looking around at the shelves of books, movies and various musical mediums with awe before moving on to the trinkets and sculptures scattered around.

"I don't believe I introduced myself the last time we met" she pipes up drawing Morpheus's attention away from the man

"you did not." he confirms as he sets his bag down and hangs his coat "you also left quite suddenly" he adds as he takes off his shoes

"yes I did" she laughs "I'm here to rectify one of those things, I am death of the endless and this," she pauses to pull the man behind her to her side "is my brother, hope" the man smiles "and I have a favor to ask of you"

morpheus tilts his head "a favor, why would i do you a favor?"

"its not really for me, its for him" she says pushing him forward a bit

"he doesn't have to do anything for me if he doesn't want to" he says to her before turning to Morpheus "you really don't, I can figure it out by myself, sister I can figure it out on my own this really isn't necessary" his motions are slightly sporadic

"figure what out?" he asks walking to the kitchen thinking about what type of drink to get for his guests.

"you don't have to worry about it, it-"

"my brother hasn't been able to reach this realm for quite awhile, he needs someone to catch him up on what he's missed" death interrupts with a smile "and I thought who better than someone whos been around the longest?" she asks as she follows him to the kitchen

Morpheus ponders this for a moment 'what he's missed?' he pops his head out of the kitchen to take another look at hope 'based on his clothes he's probably never had hot chocolate' he thinks as he goes back in to start gathering the various types of chocolate from his pantry and put some milk on the stove.

"if I were to help him. what would I have to do? just give him the internet, could he just absorb the information?" he questions as he cuts up a chocolate bar.

"internet? what's an internet?" hope asks panicked "can it catch me? is it magic?"

"no hope, no, nononononono, it cant catch you" she reassures him "its like destiny's book but, um, well its hard to explain but its not a net, it cant catch you" she puts her hands on his shoulders and quietly says "no one is going to catch you again I promise. I wont let them"

'catch him again? where was he?' he thinks as he stops cutting 'who caught him?'

"okay no internet"

"no internet"

"i guess, i could just, i dont know, tell him stories?" morpheus suggests pouring the chocolate into the milk and stirring

"stories sound nice, i'd like to hear stories." hope says in a small voice

"you're gonna need some new clothes though," he says pouring the hot chocolate in a cup "tunics aren't exactly in style anymore. here I think you'll like this" he says handing it to hope, watching his reaction as his face lights up. like actually lights up. well not his face per say, but the light around his head.

"this is delightful! what is it?" hope beams (literally) looking into his cup

"you may not have been around but you still live within their souls, if ever so slightly. they are never truly free of you, hope" death says leaning over the counter. "anyway. hope, when Morpheus lights this candle it means he's ready to tell you a story. okay?" he nods "alright lets get you bac to your realm" "okay :)" and with that they're gone.

"..."

"I didn't even really agree" Morpheus says, holding the candle.

n e ways i hope the four people who see this and also read through all of it like it! thank you for reading!

[qqueenofhades]

i'm going feral about queer icon hob gadling thank you very much. I JUST CAN'T WITH HIM. i cry because in the comic in the 1989 panel there's a person at the inn talking about how "of course AIDS isn't a punishment from god." hob has to sit there and hear that and just. JUST. hob being visible! hob being vulnerable in his love! hob surviving all his friends. hob buying the fucking pub with the power of his queer money!!! committing the crime of graffiti to SPRAYPAINT A SIGN FOR HIS LOVE TO FIND

It is... probably because I am a queer historian and that is why I imprinted on Hob in the first place, but uh, yes, I have many feelings about this too, and the subtle way in which queer places and spaces work both in the show and in the Dreamling story specifically. Obviously there are many queer characters in Sandman (and we love it for that), but the White Horse, and then the New Inn, is one of the few physical locations I can think of that is a literal embodiment of queer devotion. Hob buys the old pub and builds the new one so Morpheus, if he does ever come back, can find him! He appropriated the spot where they met the first time, where their relationship was built over centuries, and he both saves the old one and builds a NEW one (new step in their relationship etc etc). And physically paints giant signs because his immortal boyfriend is very stupid! He makes it visible and explicit, he builds his devotion into every fiber of that pub, he does it especially so Dream can still come back and find him if he chooses, he waits patiently, and like... the New Inn is absolutely brimming with queer adoration, and ack.

Also, there was that tantalizing tidbit about the real, historical White Horse pub that the Sandman version was based on, being best known for being run by two women in the 18th century who called themselves "Mr. and Mrs. How." Granted, I found that in the IMDB trivia section and if I was writing an actual paper on it, I'd have to do a heck of a lot more research. However, happily, I am NOT writing a paper, and I say it's real because it feels right. In that case, the White Horse itself is embodied as a queer establishment, a place previously run by married lesbians in Hella Gay 18th-century London, and adds another layer to that being the place where Hob and Dream meet every century to conduct their careful, tentative, tender, unspoken romance.

But then! Tragedy! The pub has been bought and will be shut down, and with it, the physical and literal heart of Hob’s relationship with his "stranger!" As I wrote in my meta about the 1989 scene, everything is so careful, so subtextual, so unspoken, whether it is Hob saying he has been stood up and the bartender deliberately not assuming it was by a woman and offering oblique reassurance that Hob is safe here, as a queer man in violently homophobic 1989. So of course Hob can't stand to think of it going away, and has to save it both for himself and as a queer-friendly establishment! So he takes his queer money, as you say, and does something about it! Maybe bad people get to do whatever in this country with that money too, but so does Hob, and he can claw back a little of the place that has always most belonged to him (and him with Dream).

Hence the New Inn, where Hob absolutely hung Pride flags in the '90s long before it was cool or popularly accepted to do so, was able to use his status both as owner of the establishment and Queer Who Can Kick Your Ass to deal with anyone who had a problem with it, and otherwise keep it ready for the day when his love might get to show up again. It's beautiful! It's visible! It's symbolic! And then when Dream does walk in and make their relationship "visible," i.e. apologising and calling Hob his friend, they get to sit down together in that space that Hob has created and kept as an altar of queer devotion both private and public, they smile at each other adoringly, and then what scene/setting do we cut straight to??

THE GIANT BEATING HEART OF THE THRESHOLD OF DESIRE. FROM ONE BEATING HEART OF DESIRE MADE VISIBLE DIRECTLY TO THE OTHER.

They were insane for this, truly. Insane.

[avelera]

I don't think this is an uncommon headcanon based on the fics I've read, but I see Dream as casual about sex but very guarded against love and emotional intimacy. Perhaps best described as some flavor of pansexual but demiromantic. He's part of the human subconscious, sex would be nothing strange to him and it's enjoyable, but love? Well, he's been hurt too often by daring to love or care too much.

By contrast, Hob (because I can't write a Sandman meta post without it becoming about dreamling these days) I think loves very freely. He definitely has sex freely, we know that from 1389 and all the "women to swive". I think he gives his heart wholly to those he's with (based on the comic) but... there's always going to be the "but". But they can never really know him. For casual lovers, there'd be little point in bringing up the whole truth of who he is, but that makes living in the moment not just a personality quirk, but a necessity. Hob can't really share stories about where he grew up, or what it was like. He can't really go into detail about his past marriage and how it ended. He can't talk about his son dying at 20 with just anyone because he looks forever in his mid-30s and it might attract odd looks unless he successfully convinces people he's "older than he looks". Even if he does tell a lover the truth, that too is isolating, because he can't share the gift, and even if they don't want it, they still will never be able to fully grasp the life he's led. So, Hob can love freely, but no one will ever really know him.

I think this is why I (and other fic writers) see Hob and Dream falling into bed together before they really figure out how this changes their relationship. They're both adult men, fathers, and divorcees/widowers. They've both been shown to have lovers. They clearly flirted in 1789 and neither was averse, Dream was just ridiculously stuck on his 100 years conceit and maybe Hob wasn't blunt enough.

It's not the physical side Dream would shrink from, it's the emotional side. I think the wooing would have to be on Hob's side and Hob would have to make Dream see that he's allowed to have this. That he's allowed to have a lover who cares about him as a friend as well, who isn't some torrid love affair destined for great passion and greater tragedy. Because conversely, for Hob, Dream is the only person who will ever know him, truly know him, who he doesn't have to hide from, and who he can talk to about the last however many centuries because Dream was there too. There's really no one else. And I think that's why Hob would be patient, and understanding, though at some point perhaps push for Dream to see what's in front of him. Or perhaps not, given how much it means to Hob as well not to lose him.

[metisket]

book recs request ❤🖤❤🖤 🙏🙏🙏 in this case, book recs that you feel have inspired your writing style, or inspired your fics somehow?

Hmmm...this is a fun one but a tough one, because I'm not sure I'm really self-aware enough to know the true answer here. But I'll try! A lot of books/authors I believe shaped my writing style did it when I was pretty young, so we're getting some YA over here.

Robin McKinley

I must have read The Outlaws of Sherwood a dozen times between ages 10 and 15. I love me a hero who literally doesn't want to be here and got conned into this by pushy, well-meaning friends. Marian was the most badass Marian I'd ever encountered. Random, complicated, weird side-characters, my beloved. Cecily somehow speaking directly to whatever was unhinged about my own childhood feelings about my gender. Flawless, 10/10, should really re-read to see if it holds up.

This is not to minimize the ridiculous number of times I read The Hero and The Crown, The Blue Sword, Beauty, and Deerskin, because I also read them So Many Times that they've probably become a part of my psyche. Literally none of her heroes want to be heroes. But they've been informed that they are. Apparently. Ugh. Love to hate that for them.

Lloyd Alexander

I also re-read The Chronicles of Prydain at least once a year for many years. It has almost certainly messed with my mind. I was especially unhinged about The Castle of Llyr, because Princess Eilonwy. The best, the worst, the angriest princess. Love and respect. Taran I could take or leave, particularly during his Taran Wanderer phase (I was less sympathetic to his growing pains than I was to Eilonwy's), but The High King was a fantastic payoff, loved everything, no notes.

...Damn, I need to reread this series, also.

Lois McMaster Bujold

I didn't read The Vorkosigan Saga until college, but it immediately hit my brain hard. Fantastic characterization. The way she writes trauma and recovery from trauma, amazing.

Miles. What a character. What a mess. What a problem. He is only a little guy, literally and figuratively, and he's going to do his best to convince you that he didn't mean to offend that guy, set that building on fire, or end that empire. You know. Like a liar.

Sarah Rees Brennan

My number one fanfic influence--her style of writing is so delightful that, particularly when writing Harry Potter fic, I'd sometimes find myself paraphrasing her. I had to Sarah Rees Brennan-proof my fic to make sure I wasn't being an accidentally plagiarist, because her turns of phrase would just go subliminal in my brain. This honestly may still be happening, and if it is, I'm so sorry, Sarah, it's not on purpose.

My favorite of her books is In Other Lands, the story of a boy who is whisked away to magic school in magic land and is extremely annoyed to find himself there. Like why. Why is the plumbing medieval. Why don't phones work. Why is this magical Sparta.

...He's not wrong, is the thing. But he won't bend and he won't break and he won't leave, so apparently he's just going to have to fix the world himself. God help everyone! Love him. Love his friends. Love the entire world and setup and every single side character.

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

I have been informed that you can see the Pratchett and Gaiman influences in my writing. I think this is a lie people have told me to make me feel better, but you know, I Want To Believe. So I'll include them.

Pratchett: Love for virtually the entire Discworld series, with an especially fondness for the Watch books and Susan. Still obsessed with Vetinari after all these years. What if Machiavelli but chill, though.

Gaiman: Lost track of how many times I've reread Sandman. The characters, the coolness, the weirdness, the meta! Especially obsessed with Death. Just someone being very calm and collected in the face of all kinds of horrifying nonsense. I admire that. Love nearly all of his books, but my favorite is probably Anansi Boys. Bet your stupid family drama doesn't involve gods. Or at least. I hope it doesn't.

Erin Morgenstern

I'm cheating by including her, because she didn't actually influence my writing, I just WISH SHE HAD. She can't, sadly, because my outline game will never be that strong. I know my limits. But DAMN. ENVY.

Both of her books are without flaw, but I did love The Night Circus just that little bit more, probably because I am weak to a circus. I firmly recommend The Starless Sea also, though, because it features an Unhinged Library. The characters and settings and descriptions--delightful.

But the best part is the WAY the stories are told. They're not chronological--they're like little intricate puzzle-boxes, where you open one panel, and there's a story, and you open another panel, and there's a different story, and by the fifth panel, there's a story that connected to the first panel, but also a little to the third panel, and--

LOOK, I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE IT. It should be confusing, but it isn't. It's perfect. Just the right amount of information at the perfect time connecting to other pieces of information in a complex, interesting, deeply satisfying way. I would kill to be able to do this. Kill. I actually tried to do this in 'Mirror Image', and I had to give it up, because the level of incoherence was off the charts. ffffffffffff howwwww does she dooooo eeeeeet.

Anyway, I think those are the big ones. Special mentions to: Tom Holt, a deeply weird writer who strongly influenced one fic in particular (Some Confusion, DGM), Patricia C. Wrede, because Dealing with Dragons in general and Cimorene in particular got to me, and Dennis Lehane, because a) his historical fiction is inspiring, and b) I love his handling of The Unhinged Friend in the Patrick and Angie books. The best unhinged friend. He booby traps his own home. Love him. What is wrong with him? We'll never know.

[oreosmilkshakes]

Once Upon A Dream 2

Pairing: Morpheus/Dream of the Endless x reader

Fandom: The Sandman

Word Count: 1,467

Warnings: Mildly dark!Morpheus, mentions of wanting to unalive people, fluffy fluff, bad writing ;-;

A/N: Second and final part for this story! Wasn’t as long as the others but hope y'all enjoyed it! (p.s the gif is making me lose my mind :DD)

Find part 1 here!: Once Upon A Dream 1

Taglist: For all those who requested a part 2, this is for yall. Thank you 🥹

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The skies shadowed over the majestic palace, mirroring the grim emotions [Name] has been feeling since the King of Dreams took her. She was his Queen now. Even so, she refused to leave her room. She refused to eat. She refused to listen to the King’s orders. She refused to do anything. [Name] was very much alone in this unknown realm with the exception of Matthew, a Raven who enjoyed perching on the balcony of her room. Of course, it was a double-sided job. While he befriended the girl, he would spill his observations to Morpheus.

[Name] sat on the settee by the large window overseeing the lush, green meadows surrounding the palace. Her heart ached to return to the real world but she knew she couldn’t, having belonged to Morpheus the second she consumed the sinful seeds. A part of her admitted she found herself attracted to him but what he did still was wrong. It was going to take a lot more than kidnapping her to get her to love him.

[Name] remembered that specific day faintly for as soon as Morpheus laid a gentle and sweet kiss to her lips, her world spun and soon turned black. She would come to be several times, recalling the number of times she would see Morpheus as she laid in his arms, the King carrying her up to her own room. [Name] supposed he was still kind by giving her her own space rather than forcing her to sleep with him. Her short studies of the King allowed her to view him several times in her head.

She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she recalled.

His skin was smooth, it’s tone milky and cool to the touch. Unlike the gods depicted in stories, his figure was nothing like them yet they radiated such power, it practically sent shivers down [Name]’s spine. His jaw was sharp and his lips. Oh, his lips were the first thing that caught her eyes as she laid them upon his handsome face. They were red, rosy and pouty for a man. So very kissable indeed. His eyes were the bluest she has ever seen but there was darkness behind those blue eyes. His hair was as black as his wears and messy, adding up to his final looks. Young [Name] would have wanted this. To fall in love with the man of her dreams and yet here she was, taking it very literally.

Outside, [Name] watched as Matthew perched on a branch, observing her movements closely. She didn’t need the raven to tell her that Morpheus was spying on her. Giving the bird a smile, she waved and watched as he flew off, probably to Morpheus. [Name] reached over for a book by her feet. Best to spend her time reading then dwelling on her predicament.

The disturbance in the wind pulled Morpheus out of his thoughts, sat on his throne with an intimidating demeanour. Matthew’s little feet echoed against the walls as he approached the King.

“How is she?” Morpheus began.

“Well, the usual of course, sir. Hasn’t changed one bit,” The raven replied, noticing the very subtle change in Morpheus’s emotion.

“Sir, if I may?”

“Go ahead,”

“Okay..um,” Matthew cleared his throat.

“You dare lecture me on this matter? How I handle her is my choice. You do not interfere, only observe,” And this made Matthew step back, gulping from the sudden chiding.

“Personally, I think, no offence, sir, but you should make the effort to..well, make her like you,”

This made Morpheus stand from his throne, eyes dark.

“Leave, Matthew,” He wasted no time flying off.

Morpheus sat back down on his throne. Matthew’s words had many truths in them. How long was he going to wait for her to open up to him when he should be the one making the effort? His Queen was all alone and judging by her lack of efforts of escaping his realm, he concluded that she, perhaps, did not want to leave at all. And so it begins..

The first time [Name] had a proper meeting with Morpheus was when he brought her to the library. She bore a meek expression before but the second she stepped into the palace’s library, it changed. Like a child running amok in a candy store, her excitement clouded the atmosphere of the library and Morpheus drank it all in. Clearly, he had done something right. He watched as Lucienne introduced herself to his queen, following her around and guiding her to every book she sought after and when his love returned, her arms carried a stack of books. [Name] peeked behind the tall stack, smiling. This urged a smile from Morpheus himself, although small but it was sincere. He gathered the book in his arms, nodding a silent thanks to Lucienne as he followed his queen back to her quarters.

[Name] practically forgot about the whole ‘how she got here’ when Morpheus told her of the library. She loved spending her free time reading back in the waking world.

“The library contains all books, those that have been written and those unwritten,” Morpheus said and that was enough to catch [Name]’s attention. Perhaps this wasn’t so bad.

Over time, Morpheus brought gifts after gifts for his Queen. Jewelleries, clothing, books and even a pet, a little feline friend.

Over time, [Name] slowly forgave everything, forgetting her dislike towards Morpheus and his actions and her love for him grew and grew. Her own heart would yearn for him each time they separate ways, her own heart would race for him each time he was near her. She grew confident enough to stand close to him, to take his dominating presence all in and when she took his hand in hers one day, he made sure she continued the action. [Name] felt so loved by the King of Dreams because of the amount of respect and kindness he gave and showed her, nothing like how she was treated back in the waking world. She realised that Morpheus was the one who made her open her eyes to the true cruelty to the world. Now, she never wanted to leave his realm.

Morpheus made her smile, made her feel loved, treasured her as if she was the most precious thing in the universe. After all, [Name] was his wife and his queen. He loved her and she loved him.

Here, on a lone bench facing the waterfall, sat [Name] and her husband. Her head laid on his shoulder, fingers tangled with his own as they sat in comfortable peace. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so peaceful and happy. The rushing water, the rustling leaves and the cool air made up the whole romantic atmosphere.

Until, Morpheus pulled away slowly to face his queen.

“Forgive me, my love but I wish to tell you something,” Morpheus paused.

“The day I took you away was the same day I laid my hand on a human. One of the many I have punished over my lifetime as what he did to you was simply unforgivable,” His voice was deep, serious. [Name] took both of Morpheus’s hands, lacing their fingers together now and tightened.

“I would do it again. All for you, my love. You are important to me. Just as my duty as King of Dreams is crucial, you are too to me.  I realised how cruel humans have been to you in your lifetime and I would punish them all for you,” Morpheus said, reading her eyes. He thought he would see fear cloud her beautiful eyes but instead, he found none and a smile spread on her red lips.

“I know, Morpheus. Lucienne told me about it. I hated everything you did to me, taking me away, forcing me to be your wife and queen of your realm but then, I realised something. You were nothing like anybody in the waking world. You treated me with so much love and care and respect that it almost made my heart burst from unspoken love,” [Name] released one of her hands from the King’s, bringing it up to his cool cheek.

Her thumb gently stroked the pale skin, leaning in close enough to feel her husband’s warm breath on her lip.

“I love you, Morpheus. I will follow you in every path you walk, for as long as my immortal life,” [Name] whispered. She didn’t need Morpheus to return those three words because all the answer she needed was from the deep kiss they shared.

It was as if the stories came to life, for Persephone finally did fall in love with Hades and Hades finally feeling the love and light amongst the darkness he harboured.