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themirokai · 8 months

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@windsweptinred had this lovely post which got me thinking about Rose and Gault and then I couldn’t stop thinking about Rose and Gault and then I rewatched Gault’s scenes and then I wrote this story. It’s about 2,500 words, most of it under the cut.

“Gault. Lucienne tells me that you have asked for an audience.”

Gault shivered at the feeling of her creator’s voice in her head. The last time he had spoken to her in this manner was before his imprisonment, when she had been a shapeshifting nightmare. Through the painful episode of her capture and punishment, as well as her joyful resurrection, there had been others present and so he had spoken to her out loud. This felt strangely intimate and viscerally reminded her of why she had requested the audience: she had, after all, inserted herself into someone else’s mind.

“Yes, my lord.”

“Then come.”

The space in front of her twisted and was suddenly the throne room. Gault swallowed and stepped forward.

Lord Morpheus was standing on the third step of the staircase, hands behind his back, wearing a cloak of shadows and fire. From beside the stairs Lucienne smiled at her warmly. Gault had hoped that he would see her on the shores of creation or… anywhere else in the Dreaming, really. She hadn’t been here since her punishment, and though his face was calm now, she couldn’t help but picture the cold fury with which he had beheld her on that prior occasion.

Gault took a breath and bowed.

“Speak, Gault,” Lord Morpheus said out loud.

“My lord, as you know, in the time that I was … gone … from the Dreaming, I was living in the dreams of Jed Walker.” She knew it was dangerous to bring up what he likely still considered her insubordination, but she had no choice. His face revealed nothing. “In that time, I became very attached to Jed … and so I wished to ask you if I might be permitted to visit him when he is in the Dreaming.”

“I am aware of your feelings for the boy and this request is not unexpected,” Lord Morpheus said solemnly. “I fear, however, that it may anger Rose Walker, which I am loath to do.”

Gault felt her stomach drop and her wings droop. She looked down at her feet. Of course Rose would only see her as a nightmare who wore her dead mother’s face.

“I will speak with her, little dream.”

Gault gasped and looked up at him. “Really, lord?”

He nodded, glacially slowly. “While I do not condone all of your actions, ultimately you showed the child great kindness. And. The dream you created for him … was … amusing.”

They had never spoken of it. The … dispute over her nature had taken precedence. But the fact remained that she had taken a vulnerable, hurting child, and to make him feel strong and happy, she had given him a ruby and a bag of magic sand, and helped him to fight monsters and protect the innocent. She had given him the names of the creator who had abandoned her.

The creator who was even now staring into her soul.

“More than amusing,” Lord Morpheus said quietly. “It was very touching.”

Gault lowered her head, no longer able to meet his eyes.

“I will let you know the result of my conversation with Rose.”

“Thank you, lord.”

There was grass under her feet again. The throne room was gone.

___

Dream willed himself to the portion of Fiddler’s Green where Rose Walker was chatting with Unity Kincaid. Rose’s eyes immediately snapped to him and she frowned. Unity noticed him as well, but her expression was far more amused.

“Ladies,” Dream said, “please pardon the intrusion.”

“What do you want?” Rose said icily.

“Rose, dear,” Unity said gently, placing her hand on the young woman’s arm, “cut him some slack, he’s not that bad.”

“He killed you, Unity.”

Unity rolled her eyes. “It’s more complicated than that and you know it, dear. And besides, now he pretends not to notice when I visit my husb- spouse.” She gave him a bright smile.

Fondness for Unity outweighed his always-simmering anger with Desire, but it was a near thing. “Crossing between the realms of the Endless is impossible for a human, Unity. … And it is easier to not notice something when it is not directly brought to my attention.”

“See?” Unity said to Rose. “He’s sweet.” She turned back to Dream. “What do you need, Morpheus?”

Dream shifted, clasped his hands behind his back and addressed Rose. “You are a child of the Endless, Rose Walker. You have set boundaries around yourself and your brother Jed. I respect those boundaries. Recently, one of my dreams has asked if she may visit your brother. I told her that I would speak to you on her behalf.”

Rose frowned. “Why would a dream ask permission to visit Jed?”

“She was a nightmare when you met her. Gault.”

“Gault?” Rose asked, incredulous. “The shapeshifter who impersonated my mom?! No! She can’t see him!”

“As I know you are aware, your brother was being badly abused by those charged with his care. Gault provided him a respite in his dreams and came to deeply care for him. She was not a nightmare to Jed. She was a source of comfort when he had little else. And I have since transformed her permanently into a dream.”

Dream could feel Rose softening. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“And what would happen if I say yes?”

“Gault would meet Jed here in the Dreaming. Under your supervision if you prefer.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then I will ensure that she continues to keep her distance from both of you. She … is very skilled at being a dream. She has inspired many people since she was transformed.”

Rose sighed and glanced at Unity who raised an eyebrow and shrugged. She turned back to Dream. “I’ll talk to Jed about it in the morning. Send Matthew to check with me tomorrow and I’ll tell him what I’ve decided.”

Dream inclined his head. “As you wish.”

“But no matter what, she is never allowed to impersonate my mom again, do you understand?” She jabbed a finger at him.

“I understand.”

___

Gault waited in the middle of one of Fiddler’s Green’s meadows. Apparently Rose was comfortable here and trusted Gilbert to ensure that Gault did nothing nefarious or nightmare-ish.

“They are coming.”

Of course, Gilbert wouldn’t be the only one watching. But it wouldn’t do to mention that to Rose.

And then Rose and Jed were walking towards her through the field, holding hands. Jed was taller than when she last saw him (a growth spurt undoubtedly fueled by getting proper nutrition for the first time in years) and he looked more grown up and mature. Gault felt her eyes fill with tears. They stopped a few yards in front of her.

Jed’s head tipped a bit to the side as he studied her. “Did you always have wings?”

Gault shook her head quickly. “No. I got them when I was transformed from a nightmare into a dream.”

“Why did you pretend to be my mom? Did you know she was dead?”

Gault sighed and sat down cross-legged in the grass in front of him. “I did not know your mother had died, Jed.” She looked up at Rose. “I am so sorry for that.” Gault turned back to Jed. “I just picked a shape that I thought would bring you comfort.”

“Our mom wasn’t a ‘shape’.” Rose’s tone was bitter.

Gault nodded and looked down at the grass. “I know. She was important. I’m sorry.” She swallowed and kept talking, still looking away from them. “I found you when I was running away. I felt abandoned by my - by the -“ Gault sighed. “I felt abandoned. And I didn’t know if I was more afraid of… things going back to the way they had been or continuing to be alone.” She looked up at Jed. “And when I found you … you felt a little like … what I had lost.” She knew now that it was his Endless blood. At the time she hadn’t needed a reason. “I knew that you were alone and hurting too. I wanted to help you. And I hoped that in helping you, I could help me too. Or at least I could try to be the kind of dream I wanted to be.”

Jed sat down in front of her. “What about the thing with the rats?”

Gault’s heart twisted at the memory but she kept her voice steady. She could do that for him. “The rat was climbing on you in the waking world, and you brought that into the dream. I tried to get you to shake it off and stay asleep but when it bit you, you had to wake up and then I couldn’t help anymore. I’m sorry.”

“You say ‘sorry’ a lot,” Jed said, narrowing his eyes at her. “I don’t think you need to do that so much.”

Gault chuckled. “Thanks, Jed.”

“Why did you ask Morpheus if you could see him?” Rose, still standing, asked.

“I missed him,” Gault told her, then turned back to Jed. “I wanted to hear what kind of adventures you’ve been having.” She winked at him.

“I live with Rose and Lyta and the baby now!” Jed told her excitedly. “It’s so good! I can eat as much as I want!” He sobered a bit. “But Rose only keeps healthy food in the house. And she worries all the time.”

“I’m sure your sister is working really hard to take care of you,” Gault said gently.

“School sucks,” Jed said. “I’m behind in everything and the kids aren’t nice.”

Gault opened her mouth to ask if he was being bullied but he continued.

“I miss dreaming with you. My dreams are all boring now.”

Gault looked up at Rose. “Jed, do you think your sister and I could talk for a couple minutes?”

Jed frowned. “But you’re my friend!” He paused, as a thought occurred. “You are my friend, aren’t you?”

“Yes, of course I am, Jed,” she assured him. “But Rose is responsible for taking care of you. When I was in your dreams before, the people responsible for you were … well. But now that someone who loves you and is caring for you the right way is in charge, I can’t just show up in your dreams anymore. That’s why I need to talk to Rose.”

From a little ways across the meadow, Fiddler’s Green’s human form appeared and waved. “Ah! Young master Walker! I am so glad you’re here! I wonder if you might tell me more about this … ‘mine craft’ you were describing on your last visit?”

Gault realized that she and Rose were pressing their lips together in matching attempts to hide smiles.

Jed jumped to his feet and waved back. “Hey, Gilbert!” He ran towards the figure.

“That was kind of Fiddler’s Green,” Gault said.

“Gilbert’s a good friend,” Rose said, and sat on the grass beside Gault, so that they could both watch Jed and Gilbert. She sighed. “He knows some of the dream vortex stuff, but he’s had so much going on that I haven’t wanted to drop all the supernatural stuff on him. I haven’t told him about my detente with Morpheus.”

Gault nodded. “I figured as much. There is plenty of time for supernatural stuff when he’s had more time to recover.” She smiled at the sight of Jed gesticulating wildly and Gilbert throwing his head back to laugh, then turned to look at the side of Rose’s face. “You have had to make many difficult decisions. And I certainly understand your reticence with Lord Morpheus. Probably better than most.”

Rose turned to look at her. “You do?”

Gault nodded, looked down at the grass. “He… punished me. After he pulled me out of Jed’s dream. He’s since changed his mind,” she fluttered her wings, “but you’re not wrong to be cautious.” Gault knew the odds were good that Lord Morpheus was listening, and perhaps she should have sought another way to gain Rose’s trust. But she would not say anything false.

“How do you punish a dream?” Rose asked. “Like he did with the Corinthian? He told me he ‘unmade’ him.”

“From what I understand, he completely destroyed the Corinthian,” Gault said. “And good riddance. Lord Morpheus did something similar to me. He… sort of disassembled me and put me back into the dreamstuff, but I was still conscious… was still myself. I was just… hanging in the void.”

“Like solitary confinement?” Rose asked.

Gault considered this. “Something like that.”

“That’s horrible! Was it because of what you did with Jed? You were helping him!”

Gault found Rose’s righteous anger on behalf of a being she had so recently been wary of, incredibly endearing.

“Lord Morpheus was angry that I didn’t return to the Dreaming once it was restored,” Gault told her, “but he was more angry that I wanted to be something different than what he made me. He created me as a nightmare and he was furious that I wanted to be a dream instead.”

Gault half expected Rose to disappear from the Dreaming or for her to find herself in the throne room facing an angry dream lord. But nothing happened. She couldn’t even feel his presence particularly strongly. Perhaps he wasn’t watching after all, and she reminded herself that she only spoke the truth.

“But he changed his mind?” Rose was looking at her intently.

Gault nodded. “I think you may have helped with that. And Lucienne.”

Rose gave a tentative smile. “Is being a dream like how you thought it would be?”

Gault felt herself beaming as she nodded. “I had some experience with Jed, but I love it.” She gave another flap of her wings. “I teach people to fly!”

Rose giggled. “That sounds really nice. Maybe you can teach me sometime.”

“You’re Endless,” Gault told her, “not to mention a former vortex. You hardly need me to teach you. But I’d be happy to help you discover what your soul already knows.”

Rose smiled at her then turned back to look at Jed, who was showing Gilbert a dance move. “Jed told me what you did for him,” she said quietly. “For years the only time he had any happiness was when he was asleep.” Rose faced Gault again. “I am grateful for that. Thank you.”

Gault felt the pressure of tears in her eyes and she smiled warmly. “I was happy to do it. Jed is a wonderful child. He deserves so much better than he got. I’m so relieved that he’s back with you now.”

“Me too,” Rose said. “Though I have no idea what I’m doing most of the time.”

“From what I understand, that is a very common state for parents and others caring for children. What matters is that you love him, and you try to do what is best for him.”

Rose looked at the grass, swallowed and nodded, then turned back to Gault. “Will you come dream with him again?”

Gault knew her smile stretched from ear to ear. “Nothing could make me happier.”

Rose smiled back and turned to Jed, calling, “Hey Jeddy, did you know Gault can teach you to fly?”

A look of wonder spread over Jed’s face. “Really?!”

Gault got to her feet as he ran back over to them. “Really.” She affected a serious expression. “But we’ll need to come up with a new hero name for you. ‘Sandman’ is taken.”

“Oh! I have some ideas!” Jed’s eyes were wide.

Gault put her hands on her hips and grinned. “Okay, let’s hear them.”

~~~

I haven’t quite figured out how we get there yet, but eventually Jed decides that - given the wings - Gault is his fairy godmother.

Thanks so much for reading!

#I hope people don't reach the conclusion from this story that I'm a morpheus hater #I'm absolutely not #but #how he treated gault when he punished her was monstrous #and I think it would have had a lasting impact on her #even though she's now a dream #gault #gault the sandman #rose walker #jed walker #dream of the endless #the sandman #the sandman netflix #mirokai writes #miro does sandman

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seiya-starsniper · 4 months

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Headcanuary Day 2 - Weather

Following up on Day 1’s headcanon, @ml-nolan and I came up with a rivals-to-lovers Gaulcienne murder mystery botany AU. Lucienne breeds rare iris flowers and enters them into contests. Gault is one of her fierce rivals, she breeds magnolias. Gault thinks Lucienne is just some rich brat trying to show off (she’s not, Morpheus is just rich and funds their shared hobby) and Lucienne thinks Gault’s just mean. The Corinthian is an avid cactus breeder. The Constantines’ pride and joy are their 500 year old roses. Cain gets mad at his brother Abel and murders him with his own belladonnas, but tries to frame the Corinthian for it.

Obviously this all takes place in the middle of the summer in the great outdoors (can you tell I'm missing the warm weather???)

tagging my beloved @tryan-a-bex for gaulcienne content this time around!

#headcanuary 2024 #the sandman #sandman headcanons #lucienne the librarian #lucienne the sandman #gault the sandman #gault x lucienne #gaulcienne #I am...having way too much fun doing this instead of writing my chbb can you tell lmaooooo #also it is a crime there's not an actual frame in the series that gault and lucienne share HOWEVER these two shots are back to back #had to splice them together obs

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ml-nolan · 4 months

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OMG Gaultcienne 17 or 21 for the soft prompts, please?

YEEEES—Happy New Year, LFG!

----

21. this is a very long hug now sort of hug

The prickle on the back of her neck tells Lucienne that there is a nightmare in the Library of the Dreaming. The sensation does not frighten her, not anymore, but it does deliver a feeling of unease. But nightmares need assistance in the library just as anyone else might, and one nightmare has been visiting more commonly as of late.

Lucienne navigates to a section of the library overshadowed by a towering cumulonimbus cloud. When she reaches the mouth of the row, sure enough, Gault is there studying the spines.

"Can I help you find something, Gault?"

Gault start, a skinny lightning bolt shooting out toward Lucienne. Seamlessly, Lucienne dodges it. Nothing to take personally.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Gault says, face lighting up her stormy face with highlights of peach and lavender.

If a thunder cloud could be demure, if the spitting clouds of an atmospheric river could be sweet, this is how they would look. Lucienne tries to ignore the tightness in her chest at the sight.

"I am just looking for… well, you know…"

Lucienne does know. This is not Gault's first furtive visit to the Library in the past few months.

"Well then, you are in the wrong place for that. Come along."

Lucienne turns, not bothering to see if Gault is following. She can feel Gault behind her, as if she were being pursued by a malevolent sky entity. But she knows Gault cannot help that, cannot help the way her presence brings a sense of cosmic foreboding, so she is not afraid.

They cross to the section where the more recently created children's stories are kept. Many of the centuries-old ones are warnings, meant to keep children from drowning, or trusting strangers, or drawing too close to wild animals. It is only recently that stories have been built to entertain and comfort young humans. After weeks of coaxing, like trying to draw a suspicious animal from its den, this is what Gault now trusts Lucienne to find for her.

Lucienne guides her to a row packed with 20th century fairy tales, and a smile like the moon glowing through a misty sky graces Gault's lovely face. Then she quickly sobers, frozen in place. Knowing she is not yet ready to choose one herself, Lucienne makes a selection. It tells stories of bright sunny days, of fluffy white clouds that smile down upon picnics and adventures in wide open meadows.

Gault takes it in her hands as if it were a box of precious stones.

"You will not tell Lord Morpheus about this, will you?" she murmurs, as she always does.

If she is asked specifically, Lucienne must tell the truth. However, Morpheus never shows much curiosity about his subjects unless something is very wrong in his domain.

"I will not mention it to him," she says.

Suddenly strong arms are flung around her, and Lucienne is swept into a whirlwind of a hug. The longer it lasts, the more the smell of rain on newly turned soil, of ozone from a fading cloudburst, permeates her senses. After a few seconds, she gives in, raising her own arms to return the embrace. The last time she was enveloped by clouds she had wings and feathers.

It is not an unpleasant feeling, and not one that she wants to end too quickly.

----

Comes from these Soft Prompts. My inbox is open if anyone wants to hop in with asks for Sandman, The Magnus Archives, or Malevolent ships (or any of my OCs).

#Gaulcienne #Lucienne the Librarian #Gault the Sandman #the sandman netflix #Lucienne didn't realize how much she needed a damn hug #Gault wants a teddy bear's picnic #who can blame her #Gaultcienne #Gault x Lucienne #Kick's fics

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rriavian · 6 months

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While thinking about an entirely unrelated fic I had a thought about Dream and Gault and shapeshifting that led down a bit of a rabbit hole. It's really quite fascinating that she's been given a power that is arguably a very significant aspect of Dream.

As far as I can tell she's the only one aside from him to be able to shapeshift.

I don't think any other creation can, or at least not to the extent that she's implied to be capable of, able to take on the image of whoever/whatever. So Dream, Shaper of Form, gives a power reflecting one of his titles - his name, reflecting Morpheus - to Gault and Gault alone. She's one of his major arcana, was trusted because her rebellion obviously really hurt him, and when he made Gault's true from into a dream he gave her a pair of absolutely stunning wings.

I'm starting to think 'major arcana' might be a code word for 'one of Dream's favourites'.

It might be a complicated relationship but I do think they were close (definitely a dynamic I want to write more of) and I also think it's interesting to consider what aspects of Dream the other major arcana could be intended to reflect. Though my thoughts went off on a tangent about that so I may have to delve into it separately, because the shapeshifting thought I started with was actually a little silly.

Do you think Gault ever impersonates Dream?

Like transforms into him and does her best impression? Maybe it used to make him laugh (maybe it still does), maybe Dream's eyes glittered with mischief one day, maybe he wondered just how convincing her portrayal could be.

Did Dream ever turn into her?

Maybe he did. Maybe that had practical uses as well as entertaining ones, inspired tricks only they could pull off. It's a bit of fun, it's a private joke between them, a way to prove how skilled Gault is with this aspect of his power that no other has. And maybe there's something else in that too, in how she's never used it this way, this power she's only used to terrify, something sparked the first time she makes Dream laugh. A sort of pride that finds her growing tired of inspiring fear.

Maybe the nightmare Gault was had been inspired to become a dream the moment she'd made him smile.

#dream of the endless #the sandman #gault the sandman #Gault & Dream #character thoughts #I am very sleepy today but this just spiralled #sandman meta #kinda

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goblininawig · 7 months

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Gault's First Kiss

Lucienne looks out over the Dreaming from a window in a tower of the library. Gault’s glinting form is gliding about, swirling through cotton candy clouds, making them twist into ribbons and dance through the sky. It’s beautiful, enchanting even, and Lucienne can’t look away.

Which is how Gault catches her staring. The Nightmare-turned-Dream flits over with a barely-concealed smirk on her face, landing gently on the window ledge. At a thought from Lucienne, the window melts away, and Gault steps inside. The window reappears behind her. Lucien clears her throat and adjusts her spectacles.

“Hello, Gault. Lovely to see you.”

“Isn’t it just?” Gault replies teasingly, dark eyes sparkling; one flashing shut in a wink.

Clearing her throat again, Lucienne tries to keep her composure, stating, “Yes, well, Lord Morpheus did ask me to look after things while he’s working.”

“Hmm,” Gault hums, wings flapping slightly as she shifts closer to the librarian. “And how are you finding… things?”

Lucienne feels the corners of her mouth turning up. She gathers up her courage, looks Gault in the eyes and confesses, “I find them quite enchanting.”

Gault’s skin shimmers as her face radiates quiet joy and patient anticipation, waiting for Lucien to continue.

Lucienne swallows and adds, “I find you quite enchanting, Gault.”

Gault’s feet don’t touch the floor as her wings move her closer. She reaches out and Lucienne takes her hands, marveling at the play of light and shadow across Gault’s skin. Impulsively, she lifts one hand, bows her head, and presses her lips to the back of Gault’s shimmering hand.

When she straightens back up, Gault closes the remaining space between them. Lucienne and Gault melt together, arms going around each other’s waists, pressing their foreheads together.

“Can I kiss you?” Lucienne whispers, as if too loud a sound would mar the moment.

Gault breathes out “yes,” in reply.

Hesitantly, Lucienne and Gault join their lips in a tender touch. The next kiss is more confident and urgent, and the lights in the library all brighten tenfold at the surge of emotion it sends through the Dreaming.

Far off, on a sandy shore, Morpheus senses the shift in his Realm. A brief smile plays about his lips. It seems that Gault has affected more change than he anticipated. Though he finds he approves of this one rather more easily than the rest.

#the sandman #the sandman netflix #gault x lucienne #lucienne the librarian #gault the sandman #lucienne x gault #the dreaming #first kiss #sandman fanfic #fluff #goblininawig

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lucienne-my-beloved · 21 days

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really silly idea: Rose is annoyed at Lucienne for... some unknown reason... and decides to do something a bit petty: turns every book across two entire racks of shelves so the spines face inward, then dreams up a sign that reads 'mystery section, happy hunting'. The really funny part is bc Rose did this with her mind in the Dreaming, her Endless blood means that no matter how many times Lucienne fixes it, it just reverts back to what Rose did- only she, or Dream, can fix it, and *he* thinks it's funny.

Ooh, great prompt! I started it, and I'll give you what I've got, and hopefully I'll finish it one day!

Lucienne huffed impatiently. The books were backwards again. What the fuck was going on? She turned them around again—acknowledging the futility of it didn’t mean she could help her urge to see the library tidy before she left the section.

“My Lord,” she began the next time Morpheus wandered by her desk in the library, “do you know anything about the new ’mystery section’?” When he looked confused, she clarified. “The section of Agatha Christie’s unpublished novels keep turning around so the edge is facing out. No matter how many times I fix them, the next day they are backwards again.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“That’s all? Just yes? Can you fix it?”

“I can. But I won’t.”

Lucienne was even more confused now.

“You won’t? Have I offended you in some way, my Lord?”

“It is not I whom you have offended, Lucienne.”

“Who is it, then?”

But he just smirked, and wandered off again.

Lucienne put her head in her hands. Apparently, this was going to take some sleuthing.

—

The next time she spotted Matthew flying through, she flagged him down.

“Matthew! Do you have a moment?”

“Sure, Boss lady! What’s up?” He flapped down to perch on a low shelf, incidentally right across from the cantankerous shelf. Well. Not so incidentally, because she spent more time than she ought to standing in front of it and scratching her head (metaphorically, of course).

“It’s these books. I can’t get them to stay facing forward. Lord Morpheus said that perhaps I have offended someone. Do you know of anyone who would have reason to play a prank on me?”

“A prank on you?! No! Why would someone do that?”

“I don’t know, that’s the problem!” Lucienne wasn’t wailing, she would never raise her voice in the library. That was her story, and she was sticking to it. “If you hear of anything, will you tell me?”

“So, you want me to spy for you as well as Lord Morpheus?” Matthew tilted his head from side to side, fixing her with his beady raven eyes.

“No! That’s not…” Lucienne paused so she wouldn’t dig herself further in. “I don’t want you to spy for me. Just, as a friend, let me know if you come across anything?”

“Sure, sure, I was just teasing you. I’ll let you know if I hear anything. Good luck with that!” As he flew off, Lucienne was almost sure she heard raven laughter.

—

“Mervyn, do you know anyone I might have offended lately? Someone seems to be pulling a prank on me.”

Mervyn paused his installation of a new set of shelves for Tiktok videos and turned to consider her.

“Shit, no, Loosh. You do good work. Only a fool would fuck with you.”

“Well, that’s reassuring to hear, but doesn’t help me solve the mystery.”

“Huh.” Merv scratched his head (not metaphorically). “Well, I’ll tell you if I see anything suspicious.”

“Thanks, Mervyn.” This was never going to be resolved, Lucienne despaired as Mervyn turned back to his work.

—

The Dreaming didn’t have day and night, necessarily, but Lucienne had found that if she kept track of Hob Gadling’s schedule, she could occasionally take a night off to spend with Gault. This morning, she was lying with her head comfortably on Gault’s shoulder, putting off getting up and facing the mystery in the library for one more day.

“What’s the matter, love?” Gault suddenly asked.

“What? Why would you say that? Nothing’s wrong.” Lucienne nuzzled her face into Gault’s breast, but it was too obvious that she was avoiding her eyes. Gault tipped her chin up so Lucienne couldn’t avoid her eyes.

“Nonsense. Most mornings you are raring to go back to your precious books, but this morning you keep giving heavy sighs and tucking back into my arm. Tell me what’s wrong, love.”

Lucienne closed her eyes in chagrin. She hadn’t meant to be so obvious.

“You’re right. It’s the books in the Agatha Christie unpublished section. They are facing backwards, and every time I right them, they turn back around again. The only one I can think of who could do that is Lord Morpheus, but he says it isn’t him. He suggested that perhaps I have offended someone, but wouldn’t tell me who.

I can’t figure out who it is, and by this point, I feel like the whole castle is laughing at me.”

“Oh love, I’m sure everyone isn’t laughing at you.” But Gault couldn’t quite hide the twinkle in her eyes and the smirk tucked in the corner or her lips from Lucienne.

“Oh you!” Lucienne laughed and Gault joined her. Truly, laughing about it made the mystery feel so much lighter. Not that Lucienne wasn’t still going to solve it.

“Oh! Oh, I know! You should ask Unity. She has her pulse on the social situation in the Dreaming.”

“Gault! That’s a great idea!” Now that she had a plan, Lucienne was finally ready to face the day. She reached up to kiss Gault one last time, and then they rolled out of bed in their coordinated morning dance. It was so nice to share space with someone familiar and beloved.

—

“Thank you for inviting me for tea, Lucienne.” Unity settled gracefully into the chair opposite Lucienne’s and took the tea cup Lucienne handed her.

“Thank you for coming. I admit, I have an ulterior motive for inviting you today.”

#lucienne the librarian #rose walker #gault the sandman #unity kincaid #ficlets for lucienne

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