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endless-ineffabilities · 2 years

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Hi, I was wondering if would you be able to do something where the reader is with Morpheus when he tells Nada he still loves her? Only if you’re comfortable with writing about Nada or just angst in general ofc

Only you can set alight the fire in me

pairing: Morpheus x reader

warnings: allusion to smut, angst

summary: Reader is the half human, half immortal (take your pick - goddess, angel, witch, etc.) soulmate of Morpheus. When they come across Nada in hell, Morpheus makes a confession that the Reader simply doesn't like, to say the least.

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When I found out that he came back, I was elated.

It had been nearly a century since I last saw my beloved Morpheus, who suffered captivity in the wretched hands of Roderick Burgess. I tried everything in my power to free him, but even I cannot stray from the rules of magic.

I was able to communicate with him several times, and each time I had strained my power completely, to the point where he discouraged me from attempting to do so.

I knew that I just had to wait. Somehow, someday, my love would come back to me.

And he did.

He came back different, broken. But in my arms, he was still the same. I could sense a rage had developed within him - against his captors, from finding out that most of his subjects had left, from losing Jessamy.

From being away from me. I could also see that he tried to temper it down, for my sake, simply being content with basking in the glow of our reunion.

"My love," he whispered, voice breaking. We held each other for the longest time, Lucienne having excused herself much earlier to give us some space. Whispering sweet nothings, and promises of devotion repressed through the years. Sitting there in his throne room, almost wrapped in each other's skin, I never wanted to let him go.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," he breathed against my skin, nose nuzzled in my neck.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, my love. They did this to you."

"But all of that caused you pain. You have no idea how," he runs his fingers down my arm, "badly," his hand now gently moving up my knees to my thighs, "... I needed you."

"Morpheus," I whispered, voice getting caught in my throat, "welcome back."

His lips crash to mine, gentle yet demanding, and all else was forgotten.

--------

Of course, there was much work to be done. My love had been robbed of his tools during his time in captivity.

We ventured off to London to retrieve his sand from Johanna Constantine, whom I've grown quite fond of, due to her tireless wit and devil-may-care attitude. I made a note to catch up with her another time.

And now, where else would we be but in the cold, depths of hell -myself, Morpheus, and his new raven Matthew, determined to take back his helm from a demon. Being here feels excruciating, as if hell is pricking through my damn skin. The ceaseless tortured screams of the damned don't do much to help, either.

Morpheus firmly holds my hand, as we follow Squatterbloat through each cursed area of hell. I was distrustful of the demon immediately, knowing that their kind was prone to acts of deceipt and malevolence, no matter how mild-mannered they may show themselves to be in the moment.

We start to climb the cells of the damned, a sprawling block of dreary towers covered by a sky of smouldering fumes. We pass cell after cell, and I try to avert my eyes from every tormented soul, as I don't think I can bear it.

"Take heart, my love," Morpheus squeezes my hand, sensing my discomfort, "We'll be out of here soon."

"I know," I try to focus on him, and nothing else, "Let's get your helm, and get out of this hellhole."

"I am grateful that you came with me. You give me all the strength that I need." He lifts my hand, and leaves a loving kiss.

"I would go anywhere with you, my love."

"Aww, you guys are so cute." Matthew intervenes, "It almost made me forget that we are literally in hell. Almost."

"Well, I nearly forgot that you were flapping about with us, Matthew. Almost." I turn to him playfully.

"Ha-ha," he responds dryly, "Leave it to you two to get all loved-up in hell, of all places."

Matthew and I had gotten into a routine of friendly banter, ever since Lucienne assigned him to be Morpheus' new raven. I appreciate the reprieve that it offers in this situation.

"Just walk on, you two," Morpheus says, feigning disinterest, but I could tell he was amused.

We walk on, and I dread the view that surrounds us, but I dread coming face-to-face with Lucifer even more.

I shuffle closer behind Morpheus, when a strained voice echoes from inside a cell.

"Kai-ckul?" A woman breathes heavily, peering through the jarred bars of her entrapment. "Dream Lord?"

Morpheus halts. He recognizes her voice.

"It is you." Her eyes well up in tears. I can't even imagine what she is going through.

"I greet you, Nada." Morpheus responds, his grip loosening on my hand.

So this is Nada. Morpheus had once revealed to me all of his past lovers. He said that he didn't want to hide anything from me, he wanted me to know what exactly being with him entails. All the good and the bad that came with it.

"But now, there is only you. There will only ever be you, my love. If you'll have me," I remember that he had said to me then, eyes ablaze in passion.

I stay silent as they speak, even when Morpheus drops my hand entirely.

Then I hear her ask, "Do you not still love me?"

I feel myself tense at her question, and Matthew and I exchange a knowing look.

A moment passes, and I assume that he is simply choosing the right words to reject her, while still being considerate.

Until he responds, "It has been 10,000 years, Nada. Yes, I still love you."

Her face lights up in realization, and I try to steady myself, disappointed at what I just heard.

"But I have not yet forgiven you." he turns away from her, and starts walking.

"Come, my love. Come, Matthew." he calls out to us, gazing straight ahead.

"You," Nada's eyes find mine, "are with him?"

"Yes," I answer weakly. I don't wish my words to bring her any further pain.

"He loves me," she grips the bars of her cell, as if wanting to break them off, "He said so himself. One day, he will forgive me and we will be together once more."

"I'm sorry," I don't know what else to say, feeling empty inside from hearing Morpheus' confession.

I walk faster to catch up with Morpheus, with Matthew promptly following behind.

Morpheus reaches for my hand, but I pretend that I don't notice and say, "Let's go. I've just decided that I really hate this damn place." I walk past him.

"That's rough," Matthew quips beside me.

"Tell me about it."

--------

We succeeded, as I believed we would.

Triumphant, and helm in hand, Morpheus, Matthew and I made our way back into the Dreaming.

I had been so afraid for my love when he engaged the Ruler of Hell in combat, that I nearly forgot the exchange that he had with his former lover.

Nearly.

Upon returning, Lucienne greets us with a relieved smile. However, she looks as if she's thrown off by my expression.

"Is something wrong?" she asks me in concern.

Everyone looks at me expectedly, but I'm not really in the mood to share so I just shrug, "Not at all, I'm fine. I'll just head to my library."

Morpheus tries to catch my eye, but I am already heading off. He calls out to me, "I'll be with you shortly, my love."

I enter my library and feel a sense of calm wash over me. Morpheus had constructed this library just for me, and it contains only the books that I love, as well as the ones that I have yet to read but am bound to love afterward.

This room is but a single proof of his efforts to win me over, and that he did, but now I can't help but wonder if I am truly special, or if he had achieved similar feats for his past lovers too. Perhaps he had, and normally I would be fine with that, but then again, he said that he loves her. Does he still love all of them? If he does, then his love will never be just for me.

The door flies open, and he strides in, unbothered and unaware of my thoughts.

He sits next to me on this plush, dark gray loveseat, but I don't look at him.

"Something's wrong?" he asks slowly, "Something's bothering you, my love. Tell me."

"You love her."

"What?"

"You still love her. Nada." I turn to him so he fully see the extent of my emotions. Maybe I am overthinking things, but his declaration of love didn't sit well with me.

"I..." he seems at a loss, choosing his next words carefully, "I will always have a love for her, yes. But it's different with you, of course."

"How so?"

"What do you mean? You know how important you are to me. You are everything." he reaches for my hands, eyes imploring me to understand.

"Morpheus," I pull away, and pace the room, "what if I had encountered any of my exes - Aeneas, Gabriel..."

"Don't mention those names in front of me," he cuts me off, his voice darkening.

"What if I meet them, and tell them I still love them?" I press on, as he looks up at me, brows furrowed, "How would you feel then?"

"You wouldn't dare do that, my love," he stands, adding the term of endearment in a slightly menacing tone, far from the usual doting one.

"That's how I feel!" I raise my arms in exasperation, "I mean, do you still love all of them? Your past lovers?"

"It's not the same. I am an Endless. It's almost impossible for me to simply get rid of old ties. My love runs deep for whomever I devote myself to. With Nada, she's an extraordinary woman... but she's nothing compared to you."

I find it hard to wrap my head around it, and take a few deep breaths. If he thinks that flattery, and a couple of sweet lines will completely diffuse the situation, he is sorely mistaken.

"I'm sorry," he reaches out to me, and I let him wrap his arms around me tightly, "I'm sorry I said that, and that it upset you. I do have a kind of love for all my former lovers, but all that pales in comparison to my love for you."

"I don't know," I mutter against his chest, "what to think."

"Then don't." He leans down, and kisses me. I try to stay angry, but he kisses me harder, moaning low and deep against my lips, and I lose myself in him.

His hands run down my sides, settling on my waist, pushing my back down onto the loveseat.

He proceeds to kiss my neck, biting a trail along the way.

"No one else can kiss you like this," he rests his forehead against mine, and runs his fingers down my chest, "No one else can touch you like I do. You're mine."

I wrap my fingers around his wrist, halting his movements, "And you're mine. Don't ever tell a former lover that you love them ever again. Not like that. I understand the extent of your compassion for each one of them, but you wouldn't want me to do the same to mine."

He gazes at me for the longest time, before a soft smile emerges on his lips, "Understood. And I'm yours."

He kisses me again, and again, and again.

Endlessly.

The end.

first oneshot/request done! It's not as angsty as I intended but hopefully it's got enough 😂

Yes, I do take requests, for Morpheus, Corinthian, and potentially other characters in other fandoms too. Drop me a message!

And, Ineffable's next chapter will be out in a couple of days. Corinthian will be making an appearance - I simply couldn't resist.

#morpheus imagine #morpheus x reader #dream imagine #dream x reader #dream of the endless imagine #dream of the endless x y/n #dream of the endless x reader #the sandman #morpheus x y/n #morpheus oneshot #dream oneshot #dream of the endless oneshot #the sandman imagine #dream of the endless #tom sturridge #endless oneshots #morpheus

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honeybeezgobzzzzz · 11 months

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𓅨 Shifting Wings: Chapter Eleven

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

Warnings: Nudity, Hell, Angst.

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

Word Count: ~2.9k

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“So… you knew Jessamy?” Matthew asked, cocking his head to the side as you shelved some books for Lucienne.

“Yes, I did,” You answered, wondering why the raven was bringing the topic of your sister up. She was dead and had been for nearly a century. Why was there such an emphasis on her now? “What is it that you wish to inquire?”

“I just— I just want to know more about her, you know, being Morpheus’s raven and all now. I have no idea what I am doing.”

“You are doing an adequate job, Matthew,” you informed him. “I do not see how discussing your predecessor will enhance your ability. You are different ravens.”

“Well it’s obvious Morpheus really cared about her!” Matthew protested, feeling like he was fighting an uphill battle with the Endless. It wasn’t like being a raven of Dream of the Endless came with a manual. “I don’t want to just exist within her shadow, I want to be useful to him, otherwise why am I here?”

Your fingers still against the spines of the books you shelved and you slowly shifted your gaze to him. Matthew was looking at you with such a pleading look. You were unaffected of course, but his desperation was palpable.

“You do realize that I am unable to sympathize with your situation as I cannot feel emotion… correct?” You asked the young raven. Matthew was unperturbed.

“Yeah, but you are the only one who will talk about her.” He pointed out. “Like, everyone is walking on eggshells about Jessamy and then even more when Adrienne is brought up… like what is up with Morpheus and Adrienne? Cause I’m sensing some sort of attachment or— or a relationship between them? I mean Adrienne was a raven wasn’t she? How does that… work?”

“Lord Morpheus is an anthropomorphic personification of dreams and reality.” You explained. “He personifies an idea, not a thing, and therefore does not necessarily conscribe to the social norms of humanoids. As for his relationship with Adrienne, not even I know what it was nor what it could have been. I simply understand it as a relationship in which two beings found comfort and understanding within each other.”

“Yeah this is making my head hurt just trying to think about it.”

“My apologies for causing such duress.” You told the raven, eyeing him closer. “I am sure you do not need the complexities of such relationships to cause you more stress for understanding.”

“No, no, it’s not that,” Matthew replied, shaking his head. “I just— Everyone keeps putting Adrienne on such a pedestal, like she meant everything to Morpheus. Like he loved her. Pretty sure he does at this point, he’s sulking about her right now… and assuming she loved him back why hasn’t she shown up yet? Was it one sided? I’m pretty sure she’s avoiding him. If she loves him? Why is she not here? Lucienne and Mervyn keep avoiding mentioning where she is every time she comes up in conversation, and every time Morpheus asks where she is, they get all suspicious and try to bail answering the question. They know something about her, and aren’t telling anyone.”

You blinked at Matthew’s words, surprised at how astute he was to your and Morpheus’s relationship despite still being so new. He was an adequate raven for Morpheus, even if he did not think so. As for Lucienne and Mervyn’s behavior when Adrienne was mentioned, you were sure it was because they still had emotions. Another reason to not have them, emotions were so meddlesome and tiring. But you would not leave Matthew hanging on questions, not when his role for your lord was so important.

“No, Morpheus’s love was was not one sided.” You replied quietly, your mind thinking back to the time Adrienne spent at his side, faithful and dutiful. She hadn’t done much other than be the palace artist, but Morpheus had greatly appreciated her time and company, and often sought her out. She’d been rather pathetic and pitiful now that you thought about it. One look at her and everyone could see how enamored she was with the Dream Lord. How in love. “Conventional, it was not, but her presence was enough for Lord Morpheus.”

“Ah, I guess that explains why the boss is so insistent on Adrienne making an appearance. He’s probably craving her attention at the moment,” Matthew cawed, bobbing his head and shifting his feet. “She better show up or he’s gonna be real pissed. I think the boss might start crying soon…” You blinked, you mind mulling over Matthew’s words. Surely an exaggeration. Her presence was not needed for Morpheus, just a helpful addition. She was a mere blip within his endless existence.

“Adrienne is dead,” You stated flatly. “And whatever Morpheus is looking for, no longer exists, if it ever did in the first place.” It was, perhaps, cruel and heartless of you to say that, but your words were true. Morpheus had set a firm line between him and Adrienne. Nothing was ever to come from it… so why should that change now? Adrienne was dead. Adrienne is dead. She was at peace in eternal slumber, sheltered from her pain, her agony. You would keep it that way. She would not hurt under your care. Matthew stared at you, slightly bothered by the fact that you seemed to know so much, but were entirely convinced Adrienne was dead. How could you know more about her than anyone else? Were you friends with her? And why did you say that she was dead, when everyone else said otherwise?

“That’s not what Mervyn and Lucienne say,” Matthew quietly commented, shuffling his feet and staring at the table he stood on. “That’s not what Morpheus believes.”

“Mervyn and Lucienne didn’t know Adrienne like I did,” You replied, trying to be less stoic and flat to the raven. “Lord Morpheus has been gone for one hundred and six years, how would he know of her condition?” Matthew wilted as you went back to shelving books, your stoicism and emotionless state getting to him once more. You dismissed his echoing words, focusing on the task at hand.

He was new, he would learn.

“So… you want me to be a carrier pigeon to Lucifer!?” Matthew questioned as his feathers ruffled and raised. “Like the mother fuckin’ devil!?”

“Yes, Matthew, I believe you have already met? It shouldn’t be too difficult for you to drop off a letter for me. You needn’t do anything more than that.”

“Okay, yeah, I can do that… but did you see the way some of those demons eyed me? It was like they were looking at a chicken!!” Matthew burst out, waving his wings about and airing his displeasure. “One of them might decide to turn me into fried raven!”

“The Morningstar would not dare to directly attack you, Matthew.” Morpheus sighed, not eager to send his raven to hell but knowing that he had to. “I must reassert myself and the Dreaming as a place of power so those that seek us harm do not think we are available prey.”

“Sorry I know, I know, I just don’t wanna get eaten by any of them,” The raven muttered. “Died once, not interested in dying a second time, ya know?”

“I would not send you if I had another choice, Matthew,” Morpheus said, his eyes tightening. Matthew bobbed his head before waddling forwards and taking the offered invitation from Morpheus. “You only need to be there as long as it takes to deliver my invitation, there is no need for you to tarry.”

“Don’t plan on it!” Matthew chirped, attempting to be enthusiastic about his job. Swooping into the air, he disappeared into a portal that led to hell, hoping that this would be a very uneventful trip. He still found flying through the netherworld odd, but Matthew managed to pop out in hell just fine. It was just as misty and creepy as it was the first time he had been… and it seemed grimmer than before if that was even possible.

“Get to Lucifer, give invitation, leave,” Matthew chanted to himself, clenching the letter within his grasp. He then fluttered his way through the dominion of the devil. Matthew made it to the throne room of sorts where Lucifer and Morpheus had their challenge and touched down on black marble. Standing on the balcony was the formidable figure of the devil, dressed in white. That didn’t take away from their menacing aura. Or their cruel beauty.

“Hello, raven,” Lucifer drew out, slowly looking over their shoulder to eye the lone raven. “What brings you by my domain?” Matthew felt a shiver of fear run up his spine and he forced himself to step forwards, taking the letter from his beak and holding it with his foot. Rather awkwardly too.

“Lord Morpheus has addressed this invitation to you,” Matthew explained, wanting to get this over with so he could go home.

“Did he,” Lucifer aired out, their eyes glimmering with deviousness and venom. “Come, raven, deliver your master’s invitation.”

Matthew had a bad feeling in his gut, but didn’t have much of a choice, so he took to the air and flew closer to Lucifer. He perched himself on the back of a chair and let Lucifer slowly, a little too slowly, take the invitation.

“Okay if that’s all, I should probably get back to Morpheus in case he needs something from me,” Matthew softly muttered, turning his body to take off and flee. Lucifer didn’t let him.

“Why in such a rush?” They asked with a small smile. “Do you not, enjoy hell? Or are we such bad hosts… surely you would like to see some of our sights.” Oh shit, how was Matthew going to say no to Lucifer!?

“It has been too long, Lucienne,” Morpheus spoke, drumming his fingers on the armrests of his throne. “It should have only taken Matthew but a moment.”

“Surely Lucifer wouldn’t threaten or hurt your raven, that would be an outright declaration of war.” Lucienne commented, her brow furrowed.

“I wouldn’t put the Morningstar past anything at this point in time.” The Endless growled, rising to his feet and stepping down the stairs. He approached Lucienne and thought over the scenarios that would delay Matthew. “I shall see what I can and we will go from there, there is no reason for Matthew to remain in hell this long.”

Morpheus concentrated on his connection to Matthew and viewed what his raven was seeing. Instantly he could feel Matthew’s panic as he urgently flailed and flapped around, dodging leering demons trying to get their hands on him.

“Hand off! Hands off!!” Matthew shouted urgently, his panic making his avian heart race unbearably fast. “I’m not gonna be your dinner!!” Morpheus jerked himself back from Matthew’s gaze, rage broiling within his body.

“They’ve attacked him,” Morpheus hissed, eyes blazing with Endless might and power. “I must—” He cut off at the sound of something heavy hitting the marble floor of the throne room. Lucienne and Morpheus turned to see you standing at an entrance, your face blank. You had dropped several books that you were bringing to Morpheus to aid in his quest to solve the current issue within the realm. Lucienne’s heart dropped knowing that you had heard that Matthew was in danger. She knew what you would try to do.

“Blanche,” Lucienne whispered in warning, her eyes showing her fear of your reaction. “Don’t— do not even entertain the idea of—” You were already moving, spinning in a circle to head out. Lucienne called to you one last time in desperation, her tongue slipping momentarily as desperation clawed to the forefront. “Adrienne!!”

A sickened feeling rushed through Morpheus as he watched your body shift and morph from humanoid to a gorgeous raven speckled with midnight and pearl. The very raven he had so desperately wanted to see since returning. You swooped upwards towards the ceiling, disappearing into a portal that would surely lead to hell. If the Endless had a heart, it had either dropped to his stomach or jumped into his throat as he stood frozen in place, trying to understand how Adrienne, his beautiful and gregarious raven, and turned into you. Cold, emotionless, hardened. A shell. You, his precious and beloved raven that Morpheus felt he could not live without, had been here the entire time, and he had not even recognized you.

“Lucienne,” Morpheus said, barely able to find his voice as his fingers dug into the armrests of his throne. “What happened?” Lucienne sighed heavily and peered at her lord and king over her spectacles.

“I’m afraid I cannot say as it is not my business, sir,” Lucienne answered. “Adrienne— Blanche, has requested for privacy and for us to not acknowledge her life as Adrienne. She says she is dead, and that is how she has lived in the past nine decades. As separate beings… and as much as you might wish to address this, we need to focus on Matthew.”

“He is in hell and Adrienne just went after him.” Morpheus hissed, eyes shimmering with supernovas.

“If anyone is going to get him back, it would be Blanche.” Lucienne softly pointed out, not looking forward to the hard conversation Morpheus was going to have with the woman he loved. “She is not the same as you remember, sir, she—” Lucienne paused, her gut twisting and clenching within her body. “I have not seen nor heard from the Adrienne we knew in nine decades, Blanche is in control. Not Adrienne.” Morpheus stared hard at his oldest raven, his vibrant blue eyes border lining silver, and watered down with innumerous unshed tears. Lucienne took a sigh and collected herself once more. “If you wish to inquire what happened to Adrienne, you must go through Blanche first.” An agonizing ideation, as nothing about Blanche was familiar… nor inviting.

Your wings angled your sleek body through the skies of hell as you scoped out poor Matthew who was being harassed by demons. Lucifer would not touch him, but that didn’t mean the demons would do the same. They were going after the touchable, the one that would hurt Morpheus the most should Matthew be killed. You would not allow that. Tucking your wings to your sides, you dove like a bullet for the group of demons. They were not expecting you to dive right into the fray, your feet an nails extended to scratch at their faces. They yelped at your dive bomb and dispersed, leaving Matthew in a dazed heap on the cold ground. You shifted from your raven form to your human form and scooped up the disoriented raven before taking off.

You streaked away from the demons, running through hell with Matthew clutched tight to your chest. The plan was to get Matthew as far from the demons as possible, and when he got his bearings back, send him through a portal back to the Dreaming. The dazed raven was moaning and mumbling nonsensical words against your skin as you rounded a corner and ducked an incoming mace.

“Two for one boys!” A demon crowed, crooked teeth baring at you in a twisted smirk. You were undaunted. “Fresh meats on the menu tonight!”

“I told you I had a bad feeling, sir,” Matthew babbled shaking his head and trying to clear the stars from his eyes. You scrambled over a rock and glanced down at him. “I don’t wanna be fried raven!”

“Matthew,” You called, hoping that he was well enough to fly on his own.

“You don’t sound like Morpheus,” The raven mumbled. “Way too pretty.” You shook the raven in your arm, trying to jostle him out his trance. “MATTHEW!” You barked at him, blocking a shower of rocks headed at you while you slipped your way down a mountainside. The raven snapped to.

“I’m awake, I’m awake!” The raven squawked, squirming in your arms. Then he realized where he was, and that you were clutching him to your chest. Not to mention you were naked. “What the fu—”

“You need to go!” You ordered, crouching down behind a large rock and pulling the raven from your chest. Matthew was placed on his feet and he shook himself out.

“How are you here!?” He asked, staring at you in shock before remembering that you were naked. He quickly covered his eyes with a wing. “I did not see anything I swear!”

“I got here the same way you did and the same way you shall leave.” You stated, eyes lifting to scan the horizon. “You must summon a portal and get back to the Dreaming.”

“You were a mothering fucking RAVEN this whole time!?!” You proceeding gaze had him shutting his beak and processing your words. Matthew would leave. You would stay. “Wait, what about you!?” Matthew protested.

“My life does not matter as I am not Morpheus’s familiar, he needs you,” You stated, glancing over the boulder once more. A demon caught sight of you and they started charging. “It is time to leave, young raven.” Plucking Matthew’s body from the ground, you surged to your feet and summoned all your concentration on building a portal straight to the Dreaming. In the distance one bloomed for you and you ran as fast as you could, Matthew protesting the whole way. You didn’t give him a chance to physically resist your actions because the moment you got within distance of the portal you threw the squalling raven through it as hard as you could.

Date Published: 7/12/23

Last Edit: 7/12/23

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

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ohraicodoll · 2 years

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Figment | Chapter 3

Chapters: 3/7 Fandom: The Sandman (Comics & TV 2022) Rating: Mature Relationships: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Original Female Character, Dream/Reader Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Original Female Character, Matthew the Raven, Lucienne Additional Tags: Mix of TV Dream and Comic Dream, Spice a little later, kinda enemies to lovers, Cause Dream likes when people backtalk to him, lots and lots of tension Summary: She had only been able to enter other’s dreams two years ago, but she knew the rules. Don’t interfere with the dream. Don’t create anything in another’s dream. Don’t destroy anything in another’s dream. But then she stupidly broke one of those rules and the Lord of Dreams does not take kindly to others messing with his domain. Chapter Summary: At last, a confrontation, but not in the way anyone thinks. Read Here on AO3 Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

CHAPTER 3

I took the next day off of work. There was zero way I would be able to focus on work when all I could think about was the fact I had most certainly pissed off an otherworldly being. Could he kill me? Would he kill me?

What had I even been thinking?

That’s the thing. I wasn’t thinking. I was tired and frustrated because everything was spiraling out of control. I hadn’t been wrong. It’s not like I had asked for this, asked to be a Dream Walker or whatever. So this wasn’t my fault, but yelling at the person in charge after being told specifically to avoid them wasn’t high on the self-preservation list.

If I couldn’t sleep before, I wasn’t sure how I was ever going to be able to.

For a few hours, I stress cleaned my entire house to get some energy out. Sitting on the couch, thinking constantly wasn’t going to get me anywhere except more stressed out so I might as well do something productive that didn’t require my brain. When I ran out of things to clean, I grabbed some clothes and went to take a shower.

I looked awful. My reflection stared back at me and I touched the purple circles underneath my eyes, my washed out skin making them sharper. My hair was limp and disheveled, dull in the fluorescent light. There was even a hollowness to my cheeks as if I’d lost weight. Had I? No wonder everyone had been avoiding me at work.

I let the hot water and steam roll over me for an excessive amount of time, mind replaying everything that had happened in the dream. Or nightmare, to be more accurate.

The first time I had a nightmare after I started dream walking, I had been lost in a maze of grocery store aisles. Each aisle was stretched absurdly long and there were no breaks, just turning and turning with no overhead lights. It was how I first learned to wake myself up, that if I commanded myself I could get out. I’d felt more in control after that, knowing that I had the ability to stop it all if I wanted.

But the monster last night had been fast and disturbing and I’d felt so utterly helpless. I hated it. Hated that Morpheus had to pull me out though now I was sure it was on purpose. He had probably used the creature to corral me to him. I groaned.

Dream.

The power that had come off him was terrifying and encompassing. I had felt those eyes on me the past few weeks but him standing in front of me, I felt like he was stripping me bare. I absentmindedly traced the skin under my eyes, remembering how the stars and night sky were reflected in those black pits and how they were solely focused all on me.

I groaned and shut off the water. If I thought I could skirt under the radar before, I certainly couldn’t now. I had severely pissed him off.

I was stir crazy, jittery, and my skin felt tight. If Dream could kill me, there was no avoiding it. Right? I couldn’t not sleep, couldn’t hide as he had very much pointed out to me.

Might as well accept fate.

Putting some concealer under my eyes and doing a little bit of my makeup for the first time in weeks, I picked out an outfit I felt nicest in and threw it on. The dark green satin dress fluttered around my knees, pretty and the color of the forest, and I threw some ankle boots on to go with it. My reflection stared back at me and was a vast improvement from before. I actually looked alive and put together despite being an emotional wreck on the inside.

I was going to go out into the world and enjoy what I could. If he did kill me, then at least I would have one nice last day. If he didn’t, then I could excuse it as a nice mental health day. Don’t get me wrong, I was scared and nervous and probably nearing a mental breakdown.

But everything was out of my control except for this and that was a little empowering in itself.

After spending some time in my favorite little quaint second-hand book store (and talking myself out of buying anything because if I died how was I going to read anything?) I walked through the botanical gardens and people watched alongside the lake.

I floated around aimlessly, enjoying the nice chill weather and the bustle of the morning crowd.

It was around early lunch time when I came to the small market district, the smells from the various restaurants and cafes drawing me in. I twirled a flower I had plucked between my fingers and let my stomach lead me, choosing to sit at an edge table at one of my favorite little cafes. They served a wonderful croissant sandwich and London Fog and the weather was nice enough to be outdoors.

I plopped down in my chair and smiled at the waiter before asking for my usual. My brain was blank for the most part but everything was colored in a tinge of bitter sweetness. The couples and families strolling past, facing down their own problems. Bills, money, relationships, mundane things. I doubted any of them were dealing with a potentially homicidal personified being.

The red poppy petals were velvet soft under my fingertips and a tinge of green from the stem colored my skin from twirling it over and over. This would probably be my last flower.

Not counting the ones that would most likely be at my funeral.

A sharp, loud caw came from behind me, startling me, and I looked over my shoulder to find a huge raven perched on the roof of the business next door. Not unlike the one that had startled me yesterday. It quirked its head at me, black eyes staring, and I furrowed my brow at it.

“That would be Matthew.”

The loud gasp that ripped from my lips drew a few looks as I whirled around, eyes wide at seeing Morpheus sitting across from me completely nonchalant. My heart was in my throat and I could feel the panic hitting me, my body trying to decide between freezing or taking off at a dead run. He seemed completely unaffected by the absolute mind-numbing terror that was probably all over my face.

No, no, no, no , I was awake. I was awake!

My fingers quickly pinched my skin and at the sharp pain, nothing changed. I was awake. But he was here, actually here, and sitting there as if this was a natural occurrence. He looked too real. No swirling cape or flames or black pits for eyes. Morpheus sat in a simple black jacket, gray shirt and black jeans, hair a mess and skin still pale but normal pale. Not ethereal being pale. His eyes were a normal, if startling, brilliant shade of blue. Normal.

And he was still staring at me silently.

“How-” I swallowed, my voice coming out in a hushed croak, “How are you here?”

He quirked a brow, “Did you think I was limited to the Dreaming alone? Or that when you awoke, everything would fade away and cease to exist? I can assure you, you are wrong.”

We both stared, him calm and made of stone while I knew my eyes were impossibly large. I gave a slight start when the waiter came by and dropped off my tea before turning to him and asking what he would like. There was the barest hint of a smirk on Dream’s lips before he requested a simple black coffee. Almost as a, “told ya so.”

“This isn’t real,” I whispered.

“I assure you it is, as am I. The Dreaming is as real as the Waking world,” his voice was dark and rich like molasses, slow with intention, “Mortals are allowed to access it in their sleep and when you awaken, it still remains there. That is the realm I control and preside over and the one whose rules you have broken.”

My breaths were coming out in shallow, panicked rasps, and I shakily wrapped my hands around the hot mug of tea to ground myself a bit. There was no escaping now. He had found me, “So what now? Are you going to kill me?”

The waiter dropped off his coffee in the hushed silence that followed and he gave them a small nod in thanks. Just two people, casually having a conversation about murder and otherworldly realms.

“Should I?” Morpheus asked, no implication or tone to the question. As if he was genuinely asking and wasn’t making a decision about my life. My brows furrowed and I broke eye contact to stare down at my drink, feeling the burning heat radiating through the cup and into my skin. I felt so cold, all my fear leaching any warmth out of my body even as the sun shone on both of us. I could feel the sting of tears but refused to cry, refused to give him that satisfaction. I was tired. I hadn’t meant for any of this.

“No,” I muttered, “But it’s not like I could stop you. Obviously, I have to sleep at some point and you can easily find me wherever I go.” I sucked in a shuddering breath and looked up, meeting his eyes again with the little bit of strength and courage I had, “What I said was true though. I didn’t intend to go into his dream and I didn’t intend to break anything, but the dream world has been the only place I’ve felt real and alive in two years. I couldn’t stand up to him in the real- waking world but I could there. So do what you will.”

Morpheus said nothing, still watching me silently with no indication of his feelings as I nervously sipped my tea and tried to act like my heart wasn’t hammering in my head.

Would he do it here, at the café? That would be awfully public. Maybe when I was walking home some poor hapless construction worker would fall asleep and drop a brick on my head or I’d pass out in the middle of the road or-

“What did he do?”

I swallowed wrong and tried not to choke as hot liquid went down the wrong pipe, “ Pardon?” “The mortal man. At our last encounter, you said he deserved it. What did he do?” Dream asked, unblinking and unemotional but entirely too casual.

My brain struggled to rewind to what I had angrily yelled at him the night before in my rage, which was difficult as I was also trying to shift gears away from imagining all the ways he could kill me, “Um, he cheated on me. Uh, cheating is where-”

“-I am aware of the concept,” Morpheus interrupted, adding onto the end almost unintentionally, “intimately.”

It was my turn to raise my brows, brain slogging slowly as my head went in every direction to process his question, the implication of that last word, and that I had tried to explain cheating to a being most likely millions of years old, “Sorry, uh, yeah, I caught him in my bed with the neighbor. Which was…shocking, to say the least. He didn’t have the decency to even go to his own house.”

He pursed his lips and blinked down at his coffee, a sound along the lines of acknowledgement in his throat. A small silence took over, the sounds of the streets and chattering of passersby filling it. It was all simultaneously awkward and tense but oddly not uncomfortable. I doubted he noticed but considering I still wasn’t sure if he was going to kill me, I was a bit hyper aware of everything.

“You,” his low voice finally broke the silence, warm and dark, “may have been correct in certain aspects.”

There was a pause, intentional, almost like he himself didn’t want to continue the train of conversation. And I was going to flip the goddamn table if he didn’t hurry on with it and continue, “Which aspects?”

Those eyes of his were so vibrantly blue but I could see the swirling abyss behind them, the faint hint of stars and nebulas in the vastness of space the longer I stared. While not as oppressive, his power hummed tentatively along my skin.

“You did not ask for this ability, little dreamer. Under normal circumstances, when a Dream Walker first comes into their power it is barely a seed. I am able to tamp down on it to prevent harm to others and themselves before it ever has the chance to develop and when it becomes much harder to do so,” he broke eye contact then and frowned, lips pursed, “But these were not normal circumstances and I am finding that I cannot fault you for this lapse. It was not your doing.”

The words ping ponged through my head and I was taking shallow breaths, frozen but shaking slightly, “...what does that mean? What are you going to do instead?”

Morpheus leaned back a bit in his seat, almost seeming casual now and that slight smirk coming back to ghost along his lips, “Nothing. I am going to do nothing…as long as you do not give me reason to. You spoke true. You have only transgressed once in the two years past and I have a feeling you fully understand the… repercussions of that now.”

Nothing. He was going to do nothing.

His eyes didn’t leave mine as he took a drink of his coffee.

“But I yelled at you!” I blurted out loudly because I am, in fact, a dumbass.

A croaking, half-choked caw came from behind me and I could see Dream’s eyes flicker in annoyance at where I had seen the raven, “Apologies, do you wish for my answer to be different?”

“No! I just-” I was babbling, words spewing out as I tried to process that not only was I not going to die but the Lord of Dreams was letting me off the hook, “I’m very confused right now and you were really angry.”

“Yes, I was,” he spoke bluntly.

My hands were moving in the air as I talked and I could see him almost following them as if to make sure I didn’t knock my tea over onto him, “So I don’t know! Seeing you here, I definitely thought this was it because you were so mad and I was done for so I had today planned like a sort of last day before the gallows type thing but now you’re saying-” Elbows on the table, I put my face in my hands, “I’m very confused and tired and not sure how to feel.”

“I would expect you to feel some sort of gratitude.”

I sat back up quickly and his hand shot forward to steady his cup as the table shook, “Uh, thank you…for…not killing me?” This was a weird day.

“There are worse things than death, little dreamer,” those long black lashes fluttered as he looked down, so dark against the alabaster of his skin, “You suffered heartbreak, disrespect, and then tortured yourself in your attempt to avoid me for weeks. I would say those were punishment enough, in addition to the nightmare.”

Oh yeah, couldn’t forget that monstrosity.

For the first time in weeks, I could feel myself relax and breathe. I almost could cry with relief even if the anxiety wasn’t entirely gone. I was still very much sitting and having coffee with Dream of the Endless, the very being I had been running from for so long and had feared since I was a kid. But taking away that threat of death, I was able to finally take him in and see him not entirely as a foreboding malevolent force.

He seemed…well not normal, but not like an ancient creature. And slowly, the fear that had choked my every moment started to drain from me.

“And,” Dream continued, “I would not say you were wrong in punishing your mortal man, even if you are not to do so again.” He made sure to look straight at me at that part as if to drive it home.

My brain puzzled and rolled the words around. He had basically just agreed that Thomas was a dickbag but in far more elegant terms. Yet, there was an echo of something personal there. As if the satisfaction in the act, tearing Thomas’ dream apart after what he’d done, was not mine alone.

I am aware of the concept, intimately. “Someone did the same thing to you,” I whispered, not a question but more like an acknowledgement of the same shared pain, “I didn’t think your kind had relationships.”

Maybe fear was a good thing because it kept stupid things from coming out my mouth.

The waiter, of all times, decided to deliver my sandwich at that moment and refill Morpheus’ coffee. I didn’t touch it though, locked in eye contact with the dreamlord. I wasn’t particularly hungry anyways, not after everything that had just happened, even if my stomach growled slightly at me.

The ambient noise of the passersby and traffic filled the silence again for a few long seconds, but we didn’t move. I wasn’t sure if he was going to ignore what I had said, change his mind, or was deciding whether to answer. At last another raven’s caw and the flapping of wings could be heard behind me and going into the distance. His eyes danced away briefly then nodded at the food, “Eat. You’ve avoided enough things on my account.”

I blinked at him and looked down at my food. He waited until I picked at the bread and put a piece in my mouth before continuing, “Yes, my kind, or at least I, have had relationships. And someone did do the same to me, a long time ago. Not in as crude a fashion as yours, but I did bare witness.”

I paused, watching as those long fingers of his traced the porcelain of his cup thoughtfully. “Why did they do it?” I asked softly and looked up at him tentatively under my lashes, as if any moment the spell of the conversation might break.

Morpheus looked out into the street, avoiding eye contact, a far away look coming into those dark eyes. He didn’t look sad or angry and the longer I was around him I noticed how his emotions never played out on his face unless he wanted them to, “It was a complicated matter. I cannot fault her entirely for finding her soulmate and I had not yet learned that desire is always cruel. My family member seemed fit to remind me.”

Chewing on my lower lip, I frowned and watched him. His family member had been involved in it? I muttered, “That’s awful.”

He seemed to collect himself at that and turned back to me, stone faced but a distant look still in those eyes, “It was ages ago.”

I didn’t want to know how long ago he considered that and shrugged, “I don’t think it matters how long ago. It’s never exactly a good feeling, either way. I wasn’t even in love with Thomas the slightest bit and it still hurt.”

Morpheus seemed to shake himself out of the memories and was back in the present, pointedly staring at my food until I put another piece in my mouth, “Then why did you stay with him?”

Was I really sitting here, eating a sandwich and talking about relationships with the King of Dreams? What was even happening anymore? But now that the fear had finished leaking out, it felt…comfortable. I’d gotten used to the slight vibration of power along my skin and those piercing eyes and his presence wasn’t so oppressive anymore. Under the small table, my legs had even stretched out a bit on either side of his to accommodate how long his own legs were.

I chewed on the piece of my sandwich, mulling over the situation and the question, “I guess I thought it would make me feel more alive. Ever since I started dream walking, the waking world has felt so mundane? Like the dreams were in vivid color and being awake, everything was in gray. I’ve been finding it harder and harder to find a point in it all, the day to day slog of going to work, paying bills, hanging around boring people you don’t even like-”

He narrowed his eyes slightly and commented admonishingly, “Which is precisely why dream walking can be dangerous.”

I frowned, “Yeah, but I’m not wrong. It does pale in comparison. And I don’t know, at first it was exciting. The world had colors again. He was nice and I felt excited and things were new, but then…it was routine. He didn’t care about stories or magic or anything like that. He was utterly a banker and so boring. But it kept me grounded, at least for a bit.”

There was a slight quirk of his lips, another one of his faint smiles that seemed to break out of his stoicism, as he commented, “My sister described someone the same way. Though it was a character in a movie.”

“Well then she’d probably agree with me about Thomas,” I chewed on my last piece of sandwich thoughtfully and chuckled.

“She would,” he smiled and I almost paused to marvel at the way it seemed to light him up, “Matthew had less than choice words to describe him.”

I leaned forward sharply, remembering now that’s how he had decided to start our conversation, “So that is your bird?”

He leaned back in his chair with a quirked eyebrow, legs stretching out a bit more and slightly brushing mine, “Yes, Matthew is my raven. He is able to be my eyes and ears in the waking world if I have need of him.”

“Well, Matthew,” I emphasized his name, “kept me from getting hit by a car yesterday when I was half-delirious from sleep deprivation and almost walked into the street. Does that mean he’s been spying on me? Does that mean you’ve been spying on me?”

“Matthew watches over many things for me.”

“That’s not an answer,” I pointed a finger at him, lips unturned in an accusatory smile.

Dream smirked, “Would the truth make you feel better?”

Pausing, I huffed and sat back, “Maybe not, but I’m definitely closing all my blinds now.” I chewed on my lip, “So he watched Thomas too?”

“Yes, to keep an eye for any adverse effects from you intruding on his dream primarily,” he shrugged, “There were none, though Matthew did mention the mortal’s non-stop complaining about you not speaking to him.”

Even if I didn’t care about him, there was a small amount of satisfaction that he was thinking and complaining about me constantly for the past few weeks when I’d hardly thought about him. Ego, maybe. Then again, “Well, I blocked him on everything the night you caught me and then I was a little too focused on running away from you to really deal with him.”

The waiter came by then with the check and as I handed them my card, I briefly marveled at the surreal nature of the fact that I’d essentially had lunch with the Lord of Dreams and we were….amicable now? Having an actual conversation?

“So what now?” I asked, ignoring the way his legs grazed against mine as I shifted in my seat.

“Now, I assume you will finally get a decent night’s sleep, little dreamer,” Morpheus replied, chin lifting, “As long as you follow the rules. It is in your nature to traverse through other’s dreams, that I cannot fault you for, but you are not to interfere or else I may not be so forgiving next time.”

He was back to being the dreamlord, eyes baring down to emphasize that I knew exactly how much he was letting me off the hook. But the fear didn’t come back this time, my skin tingling with the effect of having this powerful being’s full attention on me.

“I’ll be a good girl,” I commented, eyes staring unwavering, and almost paused at how flirty it sounded? It was a loaded comment for sure and I had no idea where the hell it came from.

Morpheus’ blue eyes flashed and my body felt suddenly tightly strung, “We shall see.”

The air was thick and I couldn’t remember if I blinked at all until the waiter finally returned my card and interrupted the moment. What even was that?

We both stood and I collected my things as I pushed my chair in, briefly avoiding eye contact to try and pull myself back together from whatever was happening. Dream gently put a hand at my lower back to guide me out of the patio area, electricity shooting through me at the barest hint of his touch. Intentional versus the slight brush of his legs under the table earlier.

When I began to walk down the sidewalk, he followed along at my side until we were a bit away from the cafe.

Now that he was next to me and the world wasn’t ending, I could admire the way he looked in my world. His coat was wool and fit his body well, the collar slightly up to shield from the occasional wind. While his hair was still a mess, it was more put together at least. He was a good foot taller than me, but made sure to slow down a bit to keep pace. When he wasn’t being a scary asshole, Dream was actually pretty attractive and that thought alone told me that I needed to finally get some rest.

We paused a little away from where the path would split to take me to my apartments and moved a bit out of the way from the rest of the walking traffic. He turned and looked at me and it was only then did I realize he’d had his hand still resting on the small of my back. With both of us standing, I had no choice but to look up to meet his gaze. He was standing close and I could feel his power a bit more, thrumming along my skin like a cool touch tracing up and down.

“Now that you know you are no longer headed to the gallows,” Morpheus slightly smirked at that, “I hope you get to enjoy the rest of your day, little dreamer. Just remember my words.”

I noted the amusement in his words and the lack of bite at the end of his comment and smiled, “I’ll do my best. Tell Matthew I said hello and that he can stop creeping on me.”

A genuine amused smile did finally grace his lips at that and I had to swallow the feeling that shot through me, “I shall.”

With a final nod, his hand finally fell and he stepped away and headed down the opposite path as I began to head back home. I chewed on my lip, feeling confused and relieved and exhausted. The day hadn’t gone where I had thought it would, I pondered before looking over my shoulder to try and catch a glimpse of Dream walking away.

But almost like he’d never been there, he was gone.

And I went home to relax for the first time in a while, enjoying the sun on my skin and the vibrant colors of the day around me.

#dream x ofc #dream x fem!reader #dream x reader #morpheus x ofc #morpheus x fem!reader #morpheus x reader #the sandman fic #the sandman fanfiction #the sandman fanfic #sandman fic #sandman fanfiction #dream of the endless #the sandman #morpheus #series: fragments #fic: figment

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myselfinserts · 5 years

Note

“Baby, you turned the temperature hotter.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, Amaryllis?”

Luci adjusted their mask, staying still as Regi attacked the arm band to their left bicep. Étienne was typing away on a tablet, preparing the course for the test. They’d been working on this for weeks, and this was test number eleven. There wasn’t much time left. If they were going to get this item completed, it needed to be perfected as soon as possible.

So of course they were more than ready.

“Let’s get started,” Luci said.

“Alright.” Étienne finished inputting the settings, handing it over to Regi. “This room as you well know can withstand up to 7000c with a warning point of 6500c, at which point the emergency protocols will initiate and shut the entire test down. Your goal is to beat your best time of four minutes completing this test course, which involves an assessment of your skills adapting to rapid changes changes and using what little terrain we were able to provide.”

“One of these days,” Regi said, “we should make something like U.A.’s and Lucienne’s testing towns. Only like, bigger. And more advanced.” A light seemed to glimmer in his eyes. “Maybe even a giant battle arena.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Reginald. Right now we need to hurry and get this test done. No time to be thinking of nearly impossible projects.”

“Right, of course.” Regi looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

Étienne let out a groan. “Fine, fine. Put it on the back-burner list. If it comes up in a commission MAYBE we’ll consider it.”

“You’re the best, E.”

“Damn fucking right I am.”

They finished the last of the prepping before heading behind the observation glass, making sure they were fully prepped for whatever flames would come their way. Various assistants were setting up the emergency protocols in the event things went wrong, with a special shield being put up in case of shrapnel and debris. Étienne had seen enough of Lucien’s recordings to know just how badly things could turn when they went full power.

“We’re ready for the test Monsieur Allard,” said one of the assistants. “Awaiting your orders.”

“Start the countdown,” Étienne ordered.

“Starting countdown.”

The countdown began. Thirty seconds down. Lucien started adjusting settings on Salt Apple, a pleasant smile on their face. Regi focused on the slow opening doors where the sparring bots would soon emerge.

Ten seconds from the countdown ending, Luci turned on Salt Apple’s sonic speaker systems. They knelt down into sprinter’s position, a delighted smirk on their face. Darkness slowly started to flow from the walls, the others around them, the ceiling. But instead of covering them, it all flowed toward the armband. They darted forward and began the attack on the sparring bots.

“So far so good,” Regi said. “Went straight to the item instead of just covering them. That’s a good sign.”

“Keep a close eye on the temperature,” Étienne warned. “They’ve started using the fire.”

Lucien’s moments felt faster, stronger, more precise. The fires were able to be controlled far better, allowing them to try out fireballs and flame whips. Clearly the Shepherd has been analyzing other heroes. Prepping for this. Flamiliars became quicker, stronger, easily taking out the bots.

One of the assistants checked the settings. “Moving into heat emission analysis. 700c and counting.”

“Keep it steady,” Regi said. He turned to his colleague, lightly tugging on the tip of his small ponytail. “It seems to be working.”

“Let’s not count our chickens, Reginald.” Étienne leaned in close, pressing the speaker. “Start boosting the flame, Amaryllis. We want to get to the same white hot rage you showed off a few weeks ago.”

“I’ll try!”

The flames grew stronger. The colors changing rapidly in a kaleidoscope of heat and power. Hidden guns with blanks did nothing as Amaryllis blocked them with the crook. They hadn’t even needed to swap over to the tuning fork option.

“2500c and rising,” called the assistants. “How hot can Amaryllis’s items handle?”

Regi bit his lip, resisting the urge to pace. “Salt Apple can last upwards of 10,000c, making it perfect against quirks with that kind of power. However, that doesn’t mean all the systems will be in perfect working order. They could break something if not careful.”

“Luckily we made it far sturdier than it has any right being then, isn’t it, Gladstone?” Étienne gave a pleasant smirk. “And I doubt Adaire would ever be that reckless-”

“6000c and rising sir!” the assistants cried.

“What?!”

“6250c!”

“They’re going too fast!” Regi yelled. “Everyone, in the safety pod! Prepare for shut down and evact!”

Étienne turned on the speakers, focusing on Lucien. “Adaire, you’re getting too hot! Time to stop!”

“I’m trying!” Luci said. “I gotta let out one more burst!”

Regi grabbed Étienne and dragged him into the pod. “It’s hit 7000c! Take cover!”

The pod closed up and everyone stayed calm as it sank into the floor. A loud explosion erupted from above, causing the testing grounds to shake slightly. The cool-down timer activated, and soon the pod rose again. When everyone exited, they were stunned. Half the training area was burned away or melted. Amaryllis stood in the middle of the rubble, their costume in tatters save for the crook, poncho, and the new test item, which had sustained absolutely no damage. They held up their mask, a nervous smile on their face.

“I think I need a new mask to go with the new item,” they laughed nervously.

Regi shook their head. “Baby, you turned the temperature hotter. Like, way, way hotter.”

“Sorry...”

When the video had completed, Perun was absolutely speechless. The level of power was something he’d never expected from the young Shepherd. That quiet, tender child was far more powerful than he ever imagined. This level of destruction. It was no wonder Wolfsbane had seen potential in them.

“It’s a good thing they’re such a kind heart,” Perun said in awe. “If this had been any other world, had this child been placed in an impossibly cruel persona, they could easily take down everything.”

Étienne nodded, nod looking up from the blueprints. “To be honest, I don’t think there’s a universe in even the imagination where Adaire is a cruel villain. They care too fucking much.” A deep hunger filled his eyes as he got deeper into the schematics. “This is incredible…I should be able to use this to remake Adaire’s suit. Maybe even make better ones.”

Perun raised a brow. “Was this their last costume?”

“Not exactly. They have three more, but with their new strength, I doubt they’re even passable. No, they need something better. Something that can withstand their white fire. Something-”

“By the amazing Étienne Allard?”

A delighted smirk cemented itself on his face. “Precisely.”

“Well then,” Perun chuckled, adjusting his glasses, “be sure to forward the charges to me. I’d gladly pay.”

“What?”

“Adaire has enough on their mind. I’d rather they not worry about the cost.” He gave him a playful smirk. “Besides, this allows me to leave a generous tip.” He turned his attention to the armband, looking over it carefully. “Is this the final design?”

Étienne shook his head. “No, it’s not. I’m making something far more ornate and functional than the clunky design here. This was just for running tests. Not only did Adaire out perform themself, but they also managed to go full forced without injuring themself. This was the 11th version, but it works.”

“So it’s just a matter of refining it. Polishing it.”

“Like a gemstone.”

“Sounds excellent.”

Étienne looked up from his work, crossing his arms as he looked over the retired designer. She shook his head, lips pressed tightly together as he tried to take him all in. “I don’t understand you.”

Perun set down the item, perplexed. “What do you mean?”

“Why hide this item?” he elaborated. “Your name would have been cemented in history. This item would have revolutionized an entire industry. Not just for heroes, but for civilians too. Why sit on it for all these years?”

The old man let out a soft ‘ah’ and stood up, walking over to Étienne and pulling out his wallet. “Take a look.” He pulled a photo of himself out. In it, he was standing beside an older man, an older woman, three middle aged women and two slightly younger men that looked like them, their potential spouses, and several children of various ages. “What do you see?”

Étienne looked at the photo, barely managing a shrug. “A happy family?”

“Correct,” he said. “A happy family that is sitting on a nest egg I created, that will last them up to at least another hundred years. I made investments, I created things, I built an empire that, even though I have stepped down, is still running under my eldest daughter’s watchful eye.” He smiled fondly. “It is a family that is no longer in the business of creating, but of sustaining. I kept this patent because it was my fail safe. Should anything happen, it was meant to help my family stay afloat.” He put the picture away, his gaze soft, yet forlorn. “But my daughter, bless her heart. She managed to find ways to keep my vision of integrity despite that creation is no longer part of the Perun name. They have no need for this. And because of that, it will only collect dust in my vault.”

“So you’re giving it to someone you see as ‘in need’?” Étienne asked, his voice tight.

“No. I’m giving it to someone of equal integrity.” Perun’s voice grew softer as he turned to all his work, tapping on the design for Amaryllis’s very first costume, something far more regal and light than the final design. “That is what separates the mediocre from the greats, Allard. You and I are cut from the same cloth. We came from nothing, built our names with blood, sweat, and tears. We refused to play by others rules, and set out to cause chaos as powerful as Amaryllis’s Cleansing can be.” He stood up straight, adjusting his tie and regaining his composure. “I am not giving this to you because you need it, Allard. You most certainly don’t. You’re already ten times the designer I am. I’m giving this to you because you’ve earned it. Earned my trust to handle this item with care, and not let it out to anyone.”

Étienne mulled over his words in silence. He reached over and picked up a nearby USB, taking it over to the nearby computer and pulling up the video files on it.

“Well then,” he finally said. “You’d better come over and explain the process to me, because your videos on this drive are muted.”

Perun smiled and hurried over to join him. “It would be my pleasure.”

#myselfinserts #mybnhaocs #friends ocs #the au of class #the au of culture #wanted to do a bit of amaryllis training #regi working on a thing #and a moment in the mind of perun #so this was the end result and honestly I like how it turned out #Anonymous

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