Gen question for all of you…
Are there peeps still into Buffy the Vampire slayer?? I’ve been itching to do some Giles and Spike writing and wanna know if there’s anyone interested in reading. If so, and have specifics you want to read about throw em at my ask box and lemme know !!
Summary: Dream confesses to his sins and pleads for Neryssa to forgive him. Proclamations are made and plans for the Dreaming’s residents are made as the truth behind Dream’s disappearance come to light.
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. This also contains examples of what can be considered selective mutism. Minors DNI!)
Dream listened as she recounted the events that led to his only child and once wife, speaking highly of his estranged wife. How she sang his son songs and he sang with her. How Orpheus had spoken with his mother and over time earned Neryssa’s trust and friendship. He realized now why it was that Calliope had gone to speak to him about Neryssa. He chose not to listen, chose to maintain the rhetoric that she is a monster. Siren lore is filled with such stories after all, pushing Neryssa into such a box was easy and confirmed that which Persephone had told him. Neryssa was not as he had been initially informed of.
Neryssa fidgeted with the coat that was still tucked around her. The smell of him on the coat filled her nose triggering memories of old, from a time that she had not thought of when it came to him. And yet, the memories of their time spent together filled her mind’s eye.
“Your words hold care, promise, and even hope at a true relationship,” she said, her voice now thick with tears, “And yet have you never considered how much you have broken me?”
Dream looked away, shame a now constant companion as she pressed on.
“Have you any idea of the humiliation you thrust upon me with your endless affairs? What your actions, and lack thereof, have done in the eyes of your subjects? The ridicule, shame, the indignity and blatant disrespect I endured at their hands?” Tears fell from her eyes as she fought to get the words out.
Lucienne, Jessamy and even Calliope had come to him with this. They had told him about the mocking, the jokes, and parodies made at her expense…all because he’d knowingly chased women throughout their marriage. He himself had heard the servants’ comments, pitying and mocking. They’d had the audacity to insult the queen claiming she had nothing under her skirts to keep him entertained long enough to please. While at the same time pity her for the treatment she was receiving from him.
“I…” he began, unsure of if he should. And even if he did, what could he say?
“Do you?” She asked again, voice hard and thick with tears.
With tears falling from his own eyes, Dream turned his gaze to her once again and gave a shaky nod.
“I had been made aware yes,” he admitted, his own voice thick, “Lucienne warned me of this. I believed your standing as Queen to have been enough, this was proven to be unfounded as said blatant disrespect reached my own ears.”
“You believed an empty title would be enough to keep me from ridicule!?” She asked in disbelief, “And even once proven wrong you did nothing.”
Dream met her eyes and gasped. He had never seen her so broken, so defeated before. Hard were the verbal hits he had taken, and rightfully so, that something Hob had once told him came to light. Without much further thought, Dream stood from his seat on Neryssa’s bed and moved until he stood by her night stand. Head bowed, Dream knelt before her.
“Neryssa, Daughter of Hades, Queen of the Dreaming, Princess of the Underworld, and Commander of the Deep’s forces,” he began gaze fixed on her hand where it lay on her bed, “I, Morpheus King of Dreams and Nightmares, Lord of the Realm of Dreams kneel before you a fragmented soul who has wrong an innocent of crimes that had been both fabricated and untrue. I kneel before you not as a king or lord, but as a man pleading for clemency.”
Neryssa’s eyes widened in disbelief at what she was seeing. The Lord of Dreams, on his knees before her in apology for his actions, inactions and the pain she had endured. She laid in her bed aghast, so much so that her silence spurred him to continue.
“I plead for forgiveness I do not deserve. Forgiveness for the wrong doings I have committed against your honor, your person and the kindness you had bestowed upon me at the beginning of our marriage and undeserved continuation of such treatment through the course of it. I owe you so much more than a mere apology…I owe you years of reciprocity to that kindness,” Dream continued, head still solemnly bowed, tone serious and reverent, “I beg your forgiveness for my hand in your suffering. It was not in my power to forbid you from doing something that comes so natural to you such as song and music. It was not in my power to undermine the fledgeling relationship we had begun to establish not only as monarchs but as husband and wife. It was beneath me to succumb to baser needs and look for satisfaction elsewhere considering I not only had a wife but, with thorough communication and openness the so-called crimes would have been resolved. Should you accept my apologies and forgive my grievous discrepancies, I will pledge myself to your service until you deem I have atoned for my sins thusly.”
Dream ended his oath head still bowed in reverence, respect and penance as he waited for her verdict.
Neryssa, with some struggling, had moved to sit at the edge of her bed facing him as he finished his proclamation. She kept a tight grip on his coat, a subconscious link to the enigma of the man that knelt before her. She held what could very much be deemed his armor in her grasp. Before her knelt a man in his truest form as himself. His apology began the mending of a part of her she had not realized needed to hear these validations from him. And she admits to herself that this is something else, this feels good; a good thing however…
“Hearing your validating what I have been feeling all these years, the treatment at the hands of your people and your and in it,” she began as a slow realization dawned on her, “Is relieving, acknowledging and unexpected.”
Dream froze at the last word, did she not believe him? Did she not believe him capable of not only admitting his faults but taking accountability for them?
Neryssa saw him visibly stiffen and gave him a sad grin.
“I did not expect the proud Shaper of Dreams and Creator of Nightmares to kneel before me in apology,” she said in cold neutrality, her expression difficult to read, “Let alone proclaim his servitude along with a heartfelt apology. I as Queen of your realm hear your oaths and see your plea for what it is. However…I cannot at this time accept your imploration for forgiveness.”
Matthew and Kaira delivered their own news to their respective people. This done, word was sent from the Dreaming through Matthew and Kaira to the remaining residents in exile that their sovereigns had returned and were being called home. The nightmares in the Underworld breathed a sigh of relief, their Queen is safe and they could finally return home. Their King has returned, the question now is why. Why had he left them? Had it been to search for their Queen? Had he chosen to abandon the realm? These were all questions they needed an answer to. The long ago chosen representative of the Nightmares and long time personal guard to the Queen, Braum, could breath a bit easier knowing she was at least alright. Having received word, with the help of his Queen’s siblings, the nightmares returned home. In that same vein, the residents who’d gone to the ocean for refuge rejoiced as news reached them in the depths of the ocean.
In the depths, where no light reached and where coral and stone met to create the hidden city of Abyssus. Queen Lana and her sister, Commander Adrina had opened their borders and provided aid to those from the Dreaming at their daughter when the news of Lord Shaper’s, then believed, departure. Now, news has reached that he had not actually left his post but was kept hostage and preparations are being made for their journey back to the Land of Dreams.
And much to her surprise, Hades had sent his own missive requesting her presence in the Underworld. She had not returned since their child had been a young child and wondered what could be so detrimental that her presence in itself is being requested. Unbeknownst to her, a jealous party had been involved in the development of the relationship between Persephone and her former husband…in addition to having a hand in the deterioration of the relationship.
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Warnings: mentions of betrayal, nightmares, tears and death.
Melda nin - my beloved.
"Siri! Remmy! Pete! Jamie, please! You know what--"
"The Gryffindor Court finds you guilty! You are no longer welcome in Gryffindor; from now on, you shall be known as Houseless."
Harry watched horrified as a seventh-year girl was forced out of the common room amid jeers of "Houseless, Houseless" while ducking and weaving to avoid the spells flung at her. A particularly nasty hex flew in her direction and Harry spun around, wanting to do something, anything to help. He noticed a witch that bore a striking resemblance to Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin in his year at Hogwarts.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright in bed with his chest heaving. Your pleas and the venom in his teenage father's voice still rang in his ears. Harry knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep after that dream so he climbed out of bed and made his way down to the kitchen.
Number 12 Grimmauld Place was depressing at the best of times, but now the atmosphere seemed downright inhospitable. Harry was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sirius was seated in the kitchen nursing a cup of coffee between his palms.
Harry may not have noticed Sirius but Sirius noticed him.
"What are you doing up?" His godfather asked hoarsely.
At the sound of Sirius' voice, Harry was startled. "I...um...had a nightmare." He managed.
"Must be a night for it," Sirius' voice was hollow. "Was it to do with Voldemort?"
Harry shook his head, "You, Remus, Pettigrew and Dad were in it. And there was this other person too; I don't know what her name was. She was brought before the Gryffindor Court and found guilty but she was innocent. I didn't even know we had a Court in Gryffindor."
Sirius went rigid, "The Gryffindor Court was abolished because of that incident. Only the Slytherin Court remains now."
"Who was she?"
When Sirius spoke, his voice was little more than a whisper, "She was a dear friend of ours. Her name was (Name) and next to your mum, she was one of the most talented witches at Hogwarts."
Entranced, Harry leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands, "What was she accused of?"
Sirius bit his lip and turned away from Harry so that his godson wouldn't see the tears pooling in his eyes and the regret on his face, "She was accused of betraying Gryffindor by leaking Remus' secret. All the evidence pointed to her being the guilty one. We didn't know it at the time but we were all under a compulsion to push her out of Gryffindor and the morning after the trial, the spell broke. When we realised what we had let happen, we searched Hogwarts high and low in an attempt to find her but (Name) was gone."
"Did the professors know?"
Still not looking at Harry, Sirius nodded. "A fifth-year Hufflepuff said he saw her go into the Forest. Dumbledore and Hagrid went in there to speak to the spiders to ask Aragog if he'd seen her. He hadn't. And he wouldn't have. Even upset, she was far too clever to wander into that part of the Forest."
"In my dream, there was a Gryffindor who looked a lot like Pansy Parkison. She's a fifth-year Slytherin."
"That was her aunt. Pansy's aunt was Sorted into Gryffindor and immediately disowned but allowed to keep her last name. She spread the rumour about (Name) betraying Remus."
"What happened to her?"
Sirius finally faced Harry again and Harry's eyes widened when he spotted the tear tracks on his godfather's face, "Parkinson got what she deserved." Sirius answered with a deep, menacing growl. "In 1979, during the Winter Solstice, Parkinson was on a solo expedition to learn more about the magical creatures around Stonehenge. She ignored the warnings and three days later, she turned up dead with a terrified expression on her face and an arrow in her heart. There were footprints next to her body that had never been seen before and so, the Ministry covered up her death to avoid panic spreading through Magical Britain."
Harry was so overwhelmed by the reveal of the story behind his dream that he could only sit in silence and he pretended not to notice as Sirius' eyes grew misty with tears again.
Millions of kilometres away from Grimmauld Place an elf announced the arrival of the Lord and Lady of Rivendell.
"Shall we, melda nin?" Elrond asked, offering you his arm.
Summary: Dream searches and finds Neryssa after a grueling battle with John over the ruby and the protection of the Dreaming. What will Dream face upon his rescuing and bringing her home?
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. This also contains examples of what can be considered selective mutism. Minors DNI!)
Dream followed the song like a man possessed.
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.
All your life
You were only waiting for a moment to be free."
It had been nearly a month since her disappearance. One month since he’d battled John Dee and one month since he first heard her song. He had finally closed the chapter of his life that called for recuperating his tools, what he needs to now focus on is regaining his Kingdom and their Queen. He’d received missives from both Hades and his mother by law regarding the residents of his realm and had been caught off guard with the plan Neryssa created to keep his people safe. At this point, he should not have been surprised. Considering all he had put her through, he believed she would have just washed her hands of the realm and focused on her life and her healing…as was and is her right. Now however, he focused on her song; he has to find her.
Unbeknownst to him though, the Corinthian had gotten to her first. And though he couldn’t do much in the sense of his traditional function as a nightmare, he could taunt to his sadistic, metaphorical heart’s delight. That and he did not want to risk smudging the sigil and risk her escaping and do real damage. What he’d conveniently forgotten though was that she isn’t just a pretty face with good pipes. She is a siren. She can compel him to do her bidding. And that she did…She got him near enough to somewhat smudge the chalk but not enough to do much in the sense of releasing its magic. She smirked at him knowingly and watched him leave a new found fear entering him as he remembered she is his Queen still. And messing around with her is not wise all things considered. With one last smirk her way, the Corinthian left..
“You know better than I do he won’t come for you,” he mocked, “So you will rot here for as long as I please.”
In a very childish move on her part, Neryssa gave him the birdie. There are other ways for her to escape that didn’t include Dream of the Endless…the blonde rogue nightmare didn’t have to know that though. He also didn’t need to know that those other ways are indisposed at the moment.
As loath as she is to do, she sang. Old fears reared up as she forced herself to sing, sing their song, sing to him.
—--
Matthew flew over the areas they had been through. From her apartment to the park, even meeting up with the bird of his dreams to join in on the search for her mistress. Kaira flew beside him, beak held high. The poor Raven didn’t know what to do with himself aside from fighting to keep himself locked in on their search. It didn’t take long for them to find a perch, near a rich neighborhood, for a short respite that Kaira spared him a glance in return.
“Human huh?” she asked curiously as she looked over the surrounding area.
“Yep,” replied an anxious Matthew, “Lucienne found me. The boss needs a voice of reason.”
Kaira chuckled softly at that and gave him a hoot in understanding. Her lady often needed a voice to give her a second perspective on things.
“Were you once human too?” Asked Matthew after a moment shared in silence.
“Yes,” she replied easily, “I’m older than you by a bit I gather. My family in what you now call Ancient Greece sold me for extra coin when I was barely into womanhood. The person they sold me to was a rich socialite who wanted a virgin sacrifice.”
Matthew turned to her sharply, “Sold!? For sacrifice!? What for!?”
“She’d been having fertility problems, had not been married long to her husband and needed a child to secure the marriage,” Kaira listened, an invisible shrug in her voice.
“You sound so nonchalant about it all,” he said, still processing all that she’d said.
“It’s been so long that it doesn’t bother me much anymore,” she said lightly, “I have my lady and her family. I have all I need with them as my family.”
Matthew warbled as a nod, taking that as food for thought for himself and how he sees this new life. For now though, they need to focus on finding their Lady.
Leaving Kaira behind to scout ahead, Matthew flew over the progressively growing properties scanning each one carefully as the homes got bigger and bigger.
It was at one of these homes that he heard it…singing; It was faint, but there. And let’s face it, who wasn’t a fan of the Beatles?
“I found something!” He cried out to Kaira, “Over here!”
The owl flew to him and with the skill of a hunter, dove through to directly fly around the manor to find an open spot.
“The manor is locked tight. But my Lady is in there I am sure of it.” she said breathlessly before turning to Matthew, “Thank you for finding her.”
Matthew preened at the recognition of his hard work and gave her a soft, “You’re welcome.”
That said, the new found acquaintances made their separate ways to inform their respective parties of this new development.
Matthew to his credit found Dream under a tree near where the basement of the house would be. He found it odd until he realized that that is where the song is at its loudest. Dream looked like would cry as he listened. What Matthew did not expect was the quiet hum coming from the man. This made something clear to the raven, there is something deeper there between them and he’d do well to leave it alone…maybe.
Dream stared at the Burgess home resentment running through him as memories of his capture and imprisonment ran through his mind. The one contrasting feature now is the song filtering through the stone into his being. He entered the home slowly from the backdoor following her song, humming along as it drew him to her like a moth to a flame. Finding the door that led to the basement, he stepped through until he found her laying on the floor. Her face was pale, with evidence of dried tears her face. Her voice was hoarse and her face void of all emotion as she stared at nothing.
“Neryssa,” he called softly, eyes red and teary.
The woman’s head snapped in the direction the voice came from before going back to staring at nothing. Her singing got louder, voice getting rougher as the volume rose. He stared at her for a moment, guilt and shame waring emotions as he questions whether or not she believes him to be there. Kneeling beside her laying form, he gently wiped away at the chalk breaking the sigil that trapped her. Taking a calculated risk, shifted on his knees until he was hovering over her. He brushed the hair that lay on her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. Gentle fingers tenderly caressed her cheek in attempts to bring her back. No sooner had he done this, her song stopped, eyes widened and something else shone through.
Fear
“I am here,” he said softly, pulling off his coat, and placed it on her like a blanket, attempting to sooth her, “Neryssa I am here. You are safe.”
The fear did not leave her unfocused eyes at his reassurances. Taking a chance, before she even had a chance to react, Dream sat on the ground and pulled her onto his lap. The unfamiliar gesture, his arms around her, his hand on her cheek as his thumb continued to caress her cheek. His next move came unpresedented, even to him, as he pulled her fully to his chest, embracing the top half of her body; their song in her ear as he began humming.
All of these little things, the unfamiliar feel of him on her face, his embrace. These were things he’d never done for, nor with, her before; even when their marriage was thriving and good. This sudden act of physical contact combined with his humming of their song grounded her in a way she didn’t think possible. Fresh tears welled in her eyes as she felt her heart jump in a way it hadn’t in a very long time. Pulling her head away, as much as she could in her state, she stared at him her eyes wide in disbelief. His eyes…his usually guarded eyes held a deep sadness and their own wetness as they gazed back at her.
“Let us leave this horrid place,” he whispered, his voice low and tone gentle, “I shall return you home.”
That said, Dream summoned some sand from his pouch, taking them back to her bedroom in her flat. Once there, he laid her gently on her bed and tucked his coat around her before standing to leave.
Neryssa looked at him as he left and tiredly called, “Lord Morpheus.”
Dream, stunned she had called him by his name, turned to face her.
With a gentle grin on her lips she said, “Thank you.”
Dream’s stunned expression shifted to one of shocked astonishment. So much so that he was rendered speechless. He made his way back carefully into her room and sat at the edge of her bed.
She looked at him, same gentle grin on her face.
“You…came for me,” she said, voice still hoarse from overuse.
His already weak restraint on his emotions wavered even further as he gave a soft, watery chuckle.
“I did,” he replied.
“I…I didn’t believe you would have,” she said honestly.
Hurt and disbelief crossed his face in unison as he said, “You believed I would not save you?”
She shook her head in response.
“You are my wife,” he stated strongly, “I would not have risked you getting hurt.”
She shook her head a second time and whispered, “You already have.”
He nodded, knowing her words to be true and said, “I have come by some information that has made me realize I have never been so wrong about something in the years I have roamed the minds of dreamers. I allowed the judgement of another cloud my own, allowed them to taint what I already knew to be true about you…about us. And I allowed myself to lash out as I believed to be fit for the transgression.”
Neryssa listened as he spoke, heard the pain and regret in his voice. He’d come for her, that alone proved something to her about him…and that he had truly changed.
“I,” he began but stopped, gathering his thoughts, “I would like for you to come back to the Dreaming. You are our Queen. I have squandered that, tarnished the meaning of the title and how it relates to you. I did not defend you nor your honor when faced with the ridicule put upon you by our people. I wish to make amends and earn back the trust you once bestowed upon me and give me the honor of once again being your husband. You always treated me as your meant, never submitted but placed yourself at my side as my equal. Let me stay at your side, allow me to bestow upon you the same kindness you did me. I shall be yours as I have always should and have been.”
Tears fell from here eyes at the end of his speech. She’d known he wants her back in the Dreaming, known he wants the Queen back. But know, she was at a loss as to what to do next. He wants to be hers!
“I don’t know where we go from here,” she whispered, clearly at a loss, “I don’t know if I can be your wife. I am not that hopeful, naive, and in love woman anymore. You broke me Oneiros, every time you paraded your paramours, or they sought to catch a glance of the mate he rejected over lies. And even Calliope! She feared and hated me, I knew. Worst was that your word was law, I had no power to defend myself with.”
Dream listened, shame coiling in his belly as more and more of what he had unwittingly put her through came to light.
“What changed?” He asked after a moment of silence.
“Orpheus,” she replied, “He wandered to my side of the beaches. He’d been a young boy, barely out of his toddler years. He’d wandered over singing his own tune, flowers in hand. He’d wandered away from his mother, leaving her worried sick, I imagine. I led him back to the green and fled. I thought that would be the end of that. Until an older boy wandered back, this time deliberately looking for me.”
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Summary: Dream searches and finds Neryssa after a grueling battle with John over the ruby and the protection of the Dreaming. What will Dream face upon his rescuing and bringing her home?
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. This also contains examples of what can be considered selective mutism. Minors DNI!)
Dream followed the song like a man possessed.
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.
All your life
You were only waiting for a moment to be free."
It had been nearly a month since her disappearance. One month since he’d battled John Dee and one month since he first heard her song. He had finally closed the chapter of his life that called for recuperating his tools, what he needs to now focus on is regaining his Kingdom and their Queen. He’d received missives from both Hades and his mother by law regarding the residents of his realm and had been caught off guard with the plan Neryssa created to keep his people safe. At this point, he should not have been surprised. Considering all he had put her through, he believed she would have just washed her hands of the realm and focused on her life and her healing…as was and is her right. Now however, he focused on her song; he has to find her.
Unbeknownst to him though, the Corinthian had gotten to her first. And though he couldn’t do much in the sense of his traditional function as a nightmare, he could taunt to his sadistic, metaphorical heart’s delight. That and he did not want to risk smudging the sigil and risk her escaping and do real damage. What he’d conveniently forgotten though was that she isn’t just a pretty face with good pipes. She is a siren. She can compel him to do her bidding. And that she did…She got him near enough to somewhat smudge the chalk but not enough to do much in the sense of releasing its magic. She smirked at him knowingly and watched him leave a new found fear entering him as he remembered she is his Queen still. And messing around with her is not wise all things considered. With one last smirk her way, the Corinthian left..
“You know better than I do he won’t come for you,” he mocked, “So you will rot here for as long as I please.”
In a very childish move on her part, Neryssa gave him the birdie. There are other ways for her to escape that didn’t include Dream of the Endless…the blonde rogue nightmare didn’t have to know that though. He also didn’t need to know that those other ways are indisposed at the moment.
As loath as she is to do, she sang. Old fears reared up as she forced herself to sing, sing their song, sing to him.
—--
Matthew flew over the areas they had been through. From her apartment to the park, even meeting up with the bird of his dreams to join in on the search for her mistress. Kaira flew beside him, beak held high. The poor Raven didn’t know what to do with himself aside from fighting to keep himself locked in on their search. It didn’t take long for them to find a perch, near a rich neighborhood, for a short respite that Kaira spared him a glance in return.
“Human huh?” she asked curiously as she looked over the surrounding area.
“Yep,” replied an anxious Matthew, “Lucienne found me. The boss needs a voice of reason.”
Kaira chuckled softly at that and gave him a hoot in understanding. Her lady often needed a voice to give her a second perspective on things.
“Were you once human too?” Asked Matthew after a moment shared in silence.
“Yes,” she replied easily, “I’m older than you by a bit I gather. My family in what you now call Ancient Greece sold me for extra coin when I was barely into womanhood. The person they sold me to was a rich socialite who wanted a virgin sacrifice.”
Matthew turned to her sharply, “Sold!? For sacrifice!? What for!?”
“She’d been having fertility problems, had not been married long to her husband and needed a child to secure the marriage,” Kaira listened, an invisible shrug in her voice.
“You sound so nonchalant about it all,” he said, still processing all that she’d said.
“It’s been so long that it doesn’t bother me much anymore,” she said lightly, “I have my lady and her family. I have all I need with them as my family.”
Matthew warbled as a nod, taking that as food for thought for himself and how he sees this new life. For now though, they need to focus on finding their Lady.
Leaving Kaira behind to scout ahead, Matthew flew over the progressively growing properties scanning each one carefully as the homes got bigger and bigger.
It was at one of these homes that he heard it…singing; It was faint, but there. And let’s face it, who wasn’t a fan of the Beatles?
“I found something!” He cried out to Kaira, “Over here!”
The owl flew to him and with the skill of a hunter, dove through to directly fly around the manor to find an open spot.
“The manor is locked tight. But my Lady is in there I am sure of it.” she said breathlessly before turning to Matthew, “Thank you for finding her.”
Matthew preened at the recognition of his hard work and gave her a soft, “You’re welcome.”
That said, the new found acquaintances made their separate ways to inform their respective parties of this new development.
Matthew to his credit found Dream under a tree near where the basement of the house would be. He found it odd until he realized that that is where the song is at its loudest. Dream looked like would cry as he listened. What Matthew did not expect was the quiet hum coming from the man. This made something clear to the raven, there is something deeper there between them and he’d do well to leave it alone…maybe.
Dream stared at the Burgess home resentment running through him as memories of his capture and imprisonment ran through his mind. The one contrasting feature now is the song filtering through the stone into his being. He entered the home slowly from the backdoor following her song, humming along as it drew him to her like a moth to a flame. Finding the door that led to the basement, he stepped through until he found her laying on the floor. Her face was pale, with evidence of dried tears her face. Her voice was hoarse and her face void of all emotion as she stared at nothing.
“Neryssa,” he called softly, eyes red and teary.
The woman’s head snapped in the direction the voice came from before going back to staring at nothing. Her singing got louder, voice getting rougher as the volume rose. He stared at her for a moment, guilt and shame waring emotions as he questions whether or not she believes him to be there. Kneeling beside her laying form, he gently wiped away at the chalk breaking the sigil that trapped her. Taking a calculated risk, shifted on his knees until he was hovering over her. He brushed the hair that lay on her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. Gentle fingers tenderly caressed her cheek in attempts to bring her back. No sooner had he done this, her song stopped, eyes widened and something else shone through.
Fear
“I am here,” he said softly, pulling off his coat, and placed it on her like a blanket, attempting to sooth her, “Neryssa I am here. You are safe.”
The fear did not leave her unfocused eyes at his reassurances. Taking a chance, before she even had a chance to react, Dream sat on the ground and pulled her onto his lap. The unfamiliar gesture, his arms around her, his hand on her cheek as his thumb continued to caress her cheek. His next move came unpresedented, even to him, as he pulled her fully to his chest, embracing the top half of her body; their song in her ear as he began humming.
All of these little things, the unfamiliar feel of him on her face, his embrace. These were things he’d never done for, nor with, her before; even when their marriage was thriving and good. This sudden act of physical contact combined with his humming of their song grounded her in a way she didn’t think possible. Fresh tears welled in her eyes as she felt her heart jump in a way it hadn’t in a very long time. Pulling her head away, as much as she could in her state, she stared at him her eyes wide in disbelief. His eyes…his usually guarded eyes held a deep sadness and their own wetness as they gazed back at her.
“Let us leave this horrid place,” he whispered, his voice low and tone gentle, “I shall return you home.”
That said, Dream summoned some sand from his pouch, taking them back to her bedroom in her flat. Once there, he laid her gently on her bed and tucked his coat around her before standing to leave.
Neryssa looked at him as he left and tiredly called, “Lord Morpheus.”
Dream, stunned she had called him by his name, turned to face her.
With a gentle grin on her lips she said, “Thank you.”
Dream’s stunned expression shifted to one of shocked astonishment. So much so that he was rendered speechless. He made his way back carefully into her room and sat at the edge of her bed.
She looked at him, same gentle grin on her face.
“You…came for me,” she said, voice still hoarse from overuse.
His already weak restraint on his emotions wavered even further as he gave a soft, watery chuckle.
“I did,” he replied.
“I…I didn’t believe you would have,” she said honestly.
Hurt and disbelief crossed his face in unison as he said, “You believed I would not save you?”
She shook her head in response.
“You are my wife,” he stated strongly, “I would not have risked you getting hurt.”
She shook her head a second time and whispered, “You already have.”
He nodded, knowing her words to be true and said, “I have come by some information that has made me realize I have never been so wrong about something in the years I have roamed the minds of dreamers. I allowed the judgement of another cloud my own, allowed them to taint what I already knew to be true about you…about us. And I allowed myself to lash out as I believed to be fit for the transgression.”
Neryssa listened as he spoke, heard the pain and regret in his voice. He’d come for her, that alone proved something to her about him…and that he had truly changed.
“I,” he began but stopped, gathering his thoughts, “I would like for you to come back to the Dreaming. You are our Queen. I have squandered that, tarnished the meaning of the title and how it relates to you. I did not defend you nor your honor when faced with the ridicule put upon you by our people. I wish to make amends and earn back the trust you once bestowed upon me and give me the honor of once again being your husband. You always treated me as your meant, never submitted but placed yourself at my side as my equal. Let me stay at your side, allow me to bestow upon you the same kindness you did me. I shall be yours as I have always should and have been.”
Tears fell from here eyes at the end of his speech. She’d known he wants her back in the Dreaming, known he wants the Queen back. But know, she was at a loss as to what to do next. He wants to be hers!
“I don’t know where we go from here,” she whispered, clearly at a loss, “I don’t know if I can be your wife. I am not that hopeful, naive, and in love woman anymore. You broke me Oneiros, every time you paraded your paramours, or they sought to catch a glance of the mate he rejected over lies. And even Calliope! She feared and hated me, I knew. Worst was that your word was law, I had no power to defend myself with.”
Dream listened, shame coiling in his belly as more and more of what he had unwittingly put her through came to light.
“What changed?” He asked after a moment of silence.
“Orpheus,” she replied, “He wandered to my side of the beaches. He’d been a young boy, barely out of his toddler years. He’d wandered over singing his own tune, flowers in hand. He’d wandered away from his mother, leaving her worried sick, I imagine. I led him back to the green and fled. I thought that would be the end of that. Until an older boy wandered back, this time deliberately looking for me.”
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Summary: John’s plans begin to unravel seeing he summoned more than he had bargained for. Neryssa finds herself in the same place Dream had once been held captive as John this time in the thick of a mortal’s plans for a better world.
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. This also contains examples of what can be considered selective mutism. Minors DNI!)
Previous Chapter
Matthew kept a close eye on Dream as they made their way through Hell. Coming across Nada was a shock to the system. The biggest shock to Matthew though came when Dream stated he’d not forgive her. The raven made a mental note to ask someone about the story that clearly still has life to it to tell. Asking Dream, Matthew got some answers, but he knew there was more there from another’s perspective. The real test came when they reached Hell and actually spoke with Morningstar. Dream pleaded with Matthew to leave, send word in case things did not turn out as he hoped. Not just to Lucienne, but to Neryssa as well. His wife deserved to know the realm would be in her hands. Matthew too saw that in case things didn’t turn out well, the dreaming would be safe.
The taunts were plenty, the battle had been hard. But when asked what else there could be for the Dream lord and his forsakened queen, Dream’s reply left quakes in the rubble and stone. He is Hope…Matthew had seen to that he remembered. And yet, Dream replied for him and his Queen…as they are one.
“I am Hope…and she, the guiding light,” Dream stated simply.
After thanking Mazikeen, and exchanging a few lasting words with Lucifer a good amount of them related to Nada’s release, Dream and Matthew left Hell for the waking to fetch Neryssa and finally rebuild their realm. To their horror, and Dream’s ire, they appeared at her flat to find Agelieth present along with her siblings and…Hades.
“She’s been taken,” the Lord of the Underworld stated, voice hard.
The first thing Neryssa noticed as her consciousness returned to her was the pounding in her head combined with the cold from the floor she laid on. There was a light shining down on her from her place on the stone floor. Her head spun as she sat up, a hand on the floor and another rubbing at her eyes and head. As awareness returned, she reached for her neck to find the ruby gone.
“I’m so very sorry it had to come to this,” a voice said from the darkness.
Neryssa turned to come face to face with a man. He looked…troubled, to say the least. In his hand was the ruby and in the other a book. Looking at the ground further, Neryssa realized the book the man held was more than likely a grimoire, if the markings on the floor were anything for her to go by.
Adjusting her position to a sitting on her knees, Neryssa studied the man. Her silence seemed to have irked him because he growled something under his breath as he approached the barrier.
“You…are you Dream of the Endless!?” Gasped the man before her, breathlessly.
She glared at him in quiet disdain, and unimpressed brow lifting at his question.
The man glared before a superior grin appeared on his face and declared, “I have now what is rightfully mine! With this power I can now right the wrongs of this world and erase all the lies that should not have existed to begin with.”
The man looked between the jewel he held in one hand and the book he held in the other.
“It means I don’t need this anymore,” he declared, dropping the book with a loud thump, “With the jewel of the King of Dreams, I have no use for mere mortal magic anymore.”
Neryssa stared, eyes wide as he used the ruby blindly and left the space with her trapped behind the warding circle. With him gone, her breathing came in pants and gasps. Ever so slowly, her brain caught up to all that had happened up to that point. The hysterical laugh that broke through caught her by surprise and bounced off the walls. The shock wearing off, she took a moment to look around the space that had so suddenly become her prison.
Aside from the sigil keeping her in, Neryssa noticed a shadow overhead. Looking up, she realized it was some sort of cage. Reaching up to touch one of the edges, she felt the tall tale sign of glass that had been left behind. Whatever this cage had been, it seemed to have been some form of glass globe. That’s when she noticed the name on the book.
Burgess.
Her eyes widened as she realized where she must be. The man who captured her wasn’t looking for her, he had not planned on her presence. The goal had been to get to the ruby. It did not take her long to realize she is exactly where Dream had been for upwards of one hundred years. She tried to push her way out but the barrier, though sloppy, held strong. She laughed to herself as she realized what she must do…and even then she doesn’t think nor believe he will ever come for her despite all the promises he made.
Laying down on the cold stone, Neryssa let out an experimental hum before she began to sing for the first time in a very long time.
Dream glared down at the man on his hand. He understood why he had done what he did, could even understand where the cause stemmed from. What he would not forgive are the actions taken against his Queen. Matthew informed him that it had been some time between the beginning of his interactions with the youngest born son of Roderick Burgess. Time moved differently in the Dreaming, more so now that things were not as they had once been.
“Where is she!?” Dream asked, voice low, cold, sharp as a knife.
John flinched at the sound and shook in place as he said, “I believed her to be you!”
“So you believed I would be so naive to fall for another’s traps once again?” Asked Dream in disbelief.
John nodded, avoiding the Dream Lord’s gaze.
“I will ask again,” Dream said, this time voice a bit calmer, “Where. Is. My. Queen?”
John looked up, gaze almost gone. He’d never considered that the one he’d captured on his search for the ruby was the Queen of the Dream King. Never did he consider the being to have a Queen at all! And yet seeing the deadset look in the being’s eyes as he asked for the location of his beloved, John had a twisted idea.
“If you want her…go and find her,” he said with a twisted grin.
Dream’s eyes lit in anger at the response, but calmed. He took care of the man, making sure he showed him the mercy his life had not given. Dream, being who he is, began his search for Neryssa through the memories and dreams of John Dee. What he saw left him speechless. The man had drawn the same sigil, albeit a bit sloppily, that his own father had used to trap him in search of his sister. Before he could see much further, Dream was called back to find Matthew waiting for him.
"I know, I know," Matthew began in haste, "But there is something you need to know."
"My Queen is being held in the same prison I was," Dream stated, shock and the cold hand of fear clenching his heart. But before he could say more the echo of a harmony hit him...hard.
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,
Take these broken wings and learn to fly.
All your life, you were only waiting for a moment to arise."
"What's that sound, boss?" Asked a mesmerized Matthew, "It's so pretty."
Dream felt his heart skip a beat as the echo of his siren's song filled the Dreaming. It had been so long since new melodies had filled their realm that having this filter through brought new life with it. Even longer since he’d heard her voice at all. A memory long buried served as a reminder to him of a time passed where she had told him of soul songs. How not many of her kind were blessed to find a kindred song but celebrated them when they occurred. He felt a pull drawing him in like a moth to a flame, one he cannot deny nor resist.
"The Song," Dream said, marvel and awe replacing the fear that taken hold, "She calls."
Drawn to the sound of her voice, by what he now recognized as their song, Dream left the realm. Leaving behind a stunned raven and librarian as they too processed what they were hearing
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Summary: The Tardis has grown sick of her Companion’s ghastly behavior towards his love. Grown protective when all she could hear was the sobs of a breaking heart. If only there was a way for her to remind him…make him remember his love…..? Wait, there is! Oh, by Gallifrey, would this be a pain though.
12th Doctor x plus!sizeOC (Mentions past 10 x OC and 11 x OC; both platonic one unrequited).
Disclaimer: I do not own Dr. Who!
It wasn't fair, none of this was. Granted, nothing was fair, but traveling with the Doctor, there were times where fairness felt less than nothing. Tess had first met him during his tenth regeneration. Late as it were, she'd grown to care of him and she in turn found a home with him. In the short time she spent with him, with that face, he'd whisked her away from her in his phonebox time machine to places she couldn't have even found in any book on earth. It had taken time, but he'd eventually opened up to her. She learned about his lost love, the companions he'd lost up to meeting her and asking her to join him and she'd learned, this one from without him telling her, that he needed someone. Even she could see that he was unbearably lonely.
In turn, he learned of how she'd found a work-from-home job in marketing, working for a book publisher. He learned of the few friends that she has and how, while she loves her family, going low to no contact with them has really been the beginning of her finding her peace. He had been the first one to actively take her seriously. Even when she thought her questions dumb or irrelevant, the Doctor always found a way for her to see that there was no such thing as a dumb question. It wasn't until Mars that Tess realized she developed a slight crush on her new best friend, and wasn't until after that she wondered where her own status in his eyes lay.
With 11, he cared so much. Included her where he could, especially when Amy had joined their fold. Tess immediately noticed the crush the Scottish ginger had on the Doctor. And though it hurt, she maintained her distance and let them be while still being the friend and companion they needed. But Amy wasn't dumb either; she, in turn, saw Tess' crush on the Doctor and stepped back, her grin knowing and a plan already starting to take shape. This became more evident when Rory finished off their ragtag group. Things were fantastic for a while, comfortable...easy. Her feelings had grown for him in all that time and though she couldn't really hide her feelings for him from Amy. Hiding them from the Doctor wasn't as difficult as she'd thought. So much so that Amy got the idea to have both her friends confess.
"Come on raggety man," Amy teased, her eyes following him as he circled the console.
The Doctor snorted half-heartedly, attempting to focus on inputting the correct coordinates for their next adventure.
"I'm being serious, Doctor," Amy said, her grin falling a little, "What would be so bad about that?"
"There's nothing wrong with being in love," he groused, "She is just...not my type."
Unbeknownst to the Time Lord though, Amy had planned for this to be said around the time Tess showed up. Rory had been on lookout and witnessed how she froze at this admission. He saw the reboot she gave herself at this new information and how she forced herself to stay put.
"What do you mean not your type?" Amy asked in disbelief, "She's smart, funny, warm...not to mention she's got a killer body–"
"I don't!" Cried the Doctor frustratedly.
Amy and Rory froze, both for completely different reasons.
"Don't what?" She asked.
"Feel for her...like that," the Doctor said, voice barely above a whisper.
"So if I were to hypothetically tell you she has feelings for you," Amy said, voice now hard, "What would you say?"
The doctor sighed tiredly and said, "I care for her. Just as I care for you, and Rory, and River..."
Amy crossed her arms over her chest, brow lifted in angry annoyance.
"But?" She pressed.
"There is not 'but' Pond," he retorted, "I love her yes. And I care, but she's just Tess. That's it."
Rory, by this point had enveloped Tess in his arms and had pulled her away from the devastation she had just heard. Rory had become sort of like her older brother; he'd heard stories of Rose Tyle, and the way the Doctor had spoken had let him know what the man had not said. Even if it weren't the case, Tess would now think she was just some other face who was just there to be something akin to a pet. Nothing got her out of her room that night, not Rory, not Amy, and most certainly a boytied Time Lord with promises of walking through gardens that smelled of various fruits and fragrant flora. The Doctor's rejection had left its mark on Tess. Insecurities she'd believed had long since been buried resurfaced, bringing to attention why it was he wasn't attracted to her...at least one of the whys behind it.
After the passing of Amy and Rory, Tess did what she'd done best and pushed down her own wants and needs to help River build the Doctor back up. When Clara had finally managed to pull him from his slump, Tess vowed to never get in between any potential interest the Doctor may have in another and himself. Clara to her benefit, loved them like family. The doctor is the mad but lovable best friend, and Tess is the loving and lovable sister. Clara had been loud when it came to Tess' well-being, especially nearing the end of his regeneration.
Once the Doctor regenerated and they arrived in England a T. rex in tow, the panic had set in. The Doctor did not recall Clara at all, couldn't recall most of Tess either, but treated her starkly differently from how he treated Clara. Despite all of this, Tess never left his side. She was there when he'd passed out as Clara processed her first proper regeneration. Tess was there, panicking, and as she sprinted behind the surprisingly spry, now old man. After the whole faceless men debacle, they landed in Glasgow. Clara and Tess didn't know how to deal with this new Doctor. Tess, while having more experience with his regenerations, still found it uprootingly devastating to experience.
He is older now...much older, now she knows there is no chance for her to try again. He would not be interested now. The crowning moment in this was the fact that his previous face called Clara while Tess had been hiding in the library, sobbing. Clara told her, finished breaking her heart, the message had been for both of them, Clara had said. To Tess, the Doctor sent an apology. For what? He'd never said, but he was sorry, and pleaded for them to stay. To not be afraid, Clara only broke his heart in saying that Tess had never left his side. Even after he'd gotten old and grey. It was petty, she'd admit to herself later. But this was something he should have called Tess for, too, not just herself. She'd heard the Doctor's gasps on the other line, the sad smile in his voice as he gave a breathy laugh.
"Oh my clever girl," he said to himself, "You're right Clara. She's always been there for me."
As he bid her farewell, he asked her to promise on his behalf to Tess that he did love her and he would miss his clever girl.
Tess didn't believe that last part. She believes that he cared for her to some degree and that he would miss her...but he didn't love her. Not like she loves loved him.
Tess was found by the Doctor after Clara asked to be taken home. She'd remained in one of the many chairs in the library. An extra-large blanket wrapped around her as she tried to read if Persephone settled into her new life. Words blurred as silent tears fell. She pulled the blanket tighter only to hear the clinking of china as it hit wood. She looked up to find the Doctor sparing glances at her yet avoiding catching her eye.
"Are you alright?" He asked, the Scottish brogue gravely, his tone worried.
Tess gave him a gentle nod and grin despite her tears and said, "I should be asking you the same thing."
He gave her a shaky nod and extended an awkward hand.
Tess noticed this, saw he didn't quite know what to do with his hands now. Never one to turn away a comforting touch, especially from him, she reached out from her cocoon. His grip was tight and warm when their hands finally met. Reassuring.
"Clara mentioned you're probably not a hug or touch person now," Tess teased through her tears.
"I was also told I wouldn't have a vote on that," he said with a chuckle, "But no matter that..."
He trailed off as if he'd wanted to say something but couldn't.
Tess let it slide, settling in to stare at the new face of the Doctor. She'd never claim to be unattracted to him based on the face. She fell for him, faces, personalities, and even at times bastardly dispositions, and all. This face had a quiet loneliness she'd only ever seen once on the doctor. The night she met him during his 10th regeneration.
"What?" He asked, now looking up at her, "Do I have something on my face? It's too early for that to be a thing, you know."
Tess chuckled and wiped away the remaining tears and said, "I'm looking at the Doctor."
The planesness of that left him speechless. She saw him...he'd not had other plead...she just did.
"You should rest," she said, after a moment of silence, "You have been through an ordeal and it is important to let things settle before jumping into the next thing."
The Doctor's eyes widened at her words, Clara's words from the call echoing in his mind. He'd felt her hand in his while in Vastra's manor, her presence once his body seemed to have gone into gear after the new mystery.
And then Amy's voice wandered into his mind, "So if I were to hypothetically tell you she has feelings for you," Amy said, voice now hard, "What would you say?"
"I meant what I said on the phone," he admitted quietly, "The thing I told Clara to tell you."
Tess laughed lightly and said, "You can't miss me if you're here silly."
The Doctor felt a wave of sadness take over. That isn't what he meant.
"What do you mean then?" She asked him, not realizing he'd thought the words out loud.
"That...I love you," he stated after taking a fortifying breath.
Tess' eyes watered at this and shook her head.
"No," she said, voice cracking, "You can't."
The Doctor looked at her confused. He knew it took him some time to realize his feelings for her but...why couldn't he? Was it because he is now old? He's not a young strapping man?
"I'm not your type remember?" she asked, voice thick with tears, "You told Amy that."
The Doctor's, now very expressive, brows rose and his eyes widened.
"Oh my dear, clever girl," he said, pulling her hand to his lips.
"You can't love me like that," she insisted, "I'm not your type. And that's ok! And...and if you need space...take Clara for a spin and I can stay here for a while."
The surprise in his eyes shifted to hurt and anger as she babbled.
"I mean, she's prettier and more able to keep up with you," she continued to babble, tears falling faster and faster as old insecurities reared their heads.
The Doctor saw her self destructing, and shifted to kneel before her.
"Tess," he called, his other hand coming to wrap around hers, bringing her attention to him, "My clever Tess. You've always been there. You've seen me at my lowest and stayed even when I pushed you away. Did you really think I'd just take anyone for ice cream on the moon? Or have a picnic in the gardens of Versailles?"
Tess stared at him wide eyed as he spoke.
"My previous self may have been a pudding brained idiot," he groused, "I will not be. Just as the face before his wasn't. You've taken care of me for so long Tess."
"I've loved you for a long time Doctor," she clarified, boldly revealing her emotions.
The Doctor chuckled at this tenderly and nodded.
"Yes," he said, loving grin in place, "You've loved me for so long, through all the good and the bad. Let me return that love."
Tess sobbed openly now, his words hitting home. She broke out of her cocoon and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. She felt him tense under her touch and considered pulling away when she felt his arms go around her. It had felt like an eternity since he'd hugged her with such strength.
"Give me a chance to prove my love," he whispered into her ear, "Give me a chance to prove that I was an idiot for forgetting, for downright ignoring you and even forgetting all that you mean with your actions."
She nodded into his neck, her cheeks and neck blossoming in heat.
"And as for not being my type," said the Doctor, running gentle hands up her back, "Let's say that I met my match when I picked up this bookishly clever girl on one of my many nightly strolls."
Tess laughed at this and pulled away enough to get a look at him.
The Doctor reluctantly allowed it, only to be floored by her actions once again.
Tess swallowed her nerves, focusing on the high that he does indeed return her affections, and leaned in enough to press a tender kiss on the corner of his mouth. This is new, very new; she did not want to push too far for both of their benefit.
Summary: Neryssa is picked up by her father and brother after going to Rachel's. Their long-overdue family meeting is takes place and truths revovling around Persephony come to light. The end comes and a plan is made only for her to get unexpectedly summoned from her home during the meeting.
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. This also contains examples of what can be considered selective mutism. Minors DNI!)
Agilieth got into the passenger seat with some trouble, but overall not too much trouble. Meanwhile, Neryssa took that back seat behind the driver next to Hades who looked more than a little confused as to how his life could have been upended as it had been, how neglectful he had been regarding his eldest child and how in the Hells did she end up with a Demon attached to her hip. The older man sat quietly for a moment gathering his thoughts. Where could this much needed conversation start? Granted Neryssa saved him jumping straight in by flicking her brother in the ear at a stop light.
“What the hell was that for!?” He bellowed from the driver’s seat.
“Snitch,” Neryssa stated simply, flicking his ear again, “I told you I had everything handled.”
“Well, binding yourself to a demon counts as you having everything handled,” Zagreus retorted, annoyed.
“If it is any consolation, she had the situation in more control than the former,” Agilieth said, in Neryssa’s defense.
“I wouldn’t say anything, considering you are not in a promising position right now,” Zagreus stated. Attempting, and failing, at hiding his annoyance behind a calm façade, “And quit flicking my fucking ear!”
“Enough children,” Hades called, calmly from his place in the backseat.
Neryssa gave Zagreus a final hit in the form of pulling a chunk of his hair before sitting back in her seat, her arms crossed.
Zagreus yelped at the tug and nearly pumped on the breaks just for fun when he caught his father’s glare in the rear view mirror.
“The binding is not why I am here,” Hades began, nerves fighting to break through, “Funny, I can delegate masses, command armies and face my siblings on Olympus. And yet speaking with my children about matters that will more than likely change our family is a daunting task.”
“Before we get to the matters at hand,” Neryssa said, interrupting her father, “There is a shop up ahead where we can drop Agilieth at for the time being. A friend of mine owns it.”
Agilieth, who had been quiet up that point, sighed in relief. He did not really want to be present for the conversation that was about to take place. He was aware of inlying issues which may have resulted in the separation between the King and Queen of the Dreaming, but felt no need to cement those rumors in any which way.
“Agilieth,” Neryssa called, with a small friendly grin, “Tell Gloria that yes I will owe her one, family meeting and that my husband has returned.”
Agilieth nodded and before too long, got out in front of a simple looking store front. It truly looked like it was part of the building with how well it blended into its surroundings. The true test will be when he goes inside and meets whoever this Gloria person is.
With Agilieth having been dropped off, Zagreus felt comfortable enough now to relax some as he drove on to Neryssa’s apartment where Milenoe was waiting for them.
In her flat, the siblings and father gathered around her dining room table as she set up the tea tray with tea and some shortbreads she fished out of the forgotten bag of groceries in her hallway. Sitting in the last available seat, Neryssa waited. For what? She had no idea, but she knew one thing for certain…she is not breaking the ice.
“I’m going to get right to it while the tea steeps,” Hades began, clearing his throat nervously, “I received some rather upsetting news yesterday, I will not say who, but I did some look into the information and found that your mother and stepmother was behind a lot of what occurred in the news I received.”
“Did she fuck Zeus again but this time knowingly?” Asked Neryssa sharply, no sympathy or love for her stepmother in her voice.
Hades gave her a pointed look, not appreciating the question, but decided the dig was more than a little deserved, all things considered.
Zagreus and Milenoe sighed almost in unison. The question was expected, they knew who their blood father was and had long ago renounced him in favor of Hades. Who had done everything a father should have done. The fact their mother, unknowingly or not, screwed her own father and did not tell Hades until she could no longer deny it turned their stomachs. Especially when they think of all the ill will she wished on their sister.
“Sorry,” muttered Neryssa, though it was clear she was all but apologetic. Instead she chose to ask the burning question, “What news did you get about her?”
Hades sighed uneasily and said, “She inserted herself in the lives of a newly married regent of another realm.”
Neryssa resisted the urge to roll her eyes, mainly out of respect for her father.
“Da,” she said quietly, “I know it’s me you’re talking about.”
Hades looked grimly at her and nodded, gaze going to his steepled hands on the table in shame.
“Woohoo!” She cheered sarcastically, “We now know why my marriage fell apart! Now we know why my husband, my meant’s loathed me for the better part of nearly a millennia and has held many a lover outside our marriage as a result.”
Hades nodded in shame, eyes closed as he took in what his eldest daughter…his princess said. He should have done better when he started noticing Persephone’s animosity towards her. Should have broken their marriage vows after he’d overheard her trying to warp Zagreus and Milenoe against their sister. He should have done something literally anything to protect his daughter. And yet all he could see was her trying for his sake. He had been so certain that everything would work itself out eventually, he’d made sure nothing was kept unsaid for them to work through. Alas, he failed to even keep his wife from starting something with a child. Over what? Petty, warped jealousy that he would develop the same disgusting feelings his brother had over his daughter? Hades shuddered mentally at the thought of doing anything remotely matrimonial with his eldest, or youngest, daughter. How could he have not seen this?
“The animosity with her hadn’t been an issue until she saw how we spent our time together,” Neryssa whispered, the hot air now out of her system for the moment, “I tried to get along with her, I swear. But she would see how close we were, how you’d go out of your way to spend time with me and even extend that to my mother when she’d come to take me to the depths.”
“At first I thought she was jealous of your mother I admit,” Hades said, agreeing with his daughter’s assessment, “I’d thought things had gotten better once you were old enough to travel on your own.”
“You and me both,” Neryssa chuckled, “But then I grew and…developed. She gave me these stares I didn’t fully understand. Then the Ladies came with news of my impending nuptials.”
“I remember you’d been nervous, upset but reluctantly hopeful,” Milenoe said airily, a tender grin at the memory, “You were such a beautiful bride.”
Neryssa gave her sister a crooked grin, remembering the lackluster look on Dream’s face upon seeing her. Then grew sad, he’d been so different as they got to know each other only for shit to hit the fan and have it all fall apart.
“How did you manage to find out all her ill will came from the non-existent incestuous relationship we have?” Neryssa asked now curious, “She believed you’d what…take me for a sister wife?”
The family cringed at the notion not liking at all that now painted mental image.
“After your siblings left the Underworld, I confronted Persephone on her transgressions,” Hades began, tone deadly serious, “She tried to deny it at first but as soon as I mentioned you she…snapped. Like nothing I had ever seen from her. Almost as if she’d gone mad.”
“Mad with unresolved jealousy more like,” Zagreus grumbled uncomfortably, “Word through the grape vine before I left home was that she was not at all ok after her thing with Zeus.”
Milenoe’s head snapped to her brother so fast Neryssa thought her sister was going to give herself whiplash.
“What do you mean?” Milenoe asked, confused.
“Word was that before she’d escaped Demeter for home, Zeus had caught a glimpse of her and liked what he saw. Well, both him and Ares,” replied and now green to the gills Zagreus, “It’s all gossip, but word had it that there had been a plan, things did not go as planned and that is how she ended up at home.”
“Entrapment?” Neryssa asked, now alert.
“I don’t know,” Zagreus replied honestly, “And to be honest, I don’t want to know.”
“Besides, if this happened before us children there would be no point in stirring that particular pot,” Milenoe added with an understanding nod.
Neryssa gave her own nod of agreement and then asked, “So what do we do now? She all but admitted to you what she did and why. And since it was Onerios she approached with the lie, he will not take this lightly.”
“I hoped to meet with Lord Shaper before he made his move,” Hades admitted with a heavy sigh.
Neryssa scoffed at this unimpressedly and said, “Da, you know better than I do what it is he will do to her. He will treat this as a potential attack on the realm, and let’s face it…No one makes a fool out of an Endless and survives with their minds intact.”
“He will punish her for what she did,” Milenoe stated simply, an almost airy tone to her voice. Clearly unsurprised.
Neryssa nodded and said, “And I will have nothing to do with it. I hold no sway on Oneiros. I’ve not been a wife to him in a long time.”
Hades’ gaze grew pained at her words. He’d known she’d been happy for a time and wondered what had happened for her song to dwindle so viscerally…now he knew.
“You can talk to him if you want,” Neryssa said with a tired sigh, “He has escaped the hell he was in and is now hunting for his tools. We all have an idea of what will happen once he gains his full strength.”
The family sat in silence as they processed the information. This did not bode well for Persephone nor Hades himself. If anything, the conversation with Lord Shaper will be to try and get him to see that the Underworld nor its King had anything to do with Persephone’s actions.
As much as it pained him, Hades knew he had waited too long to sever the marital rights between him and Persephone. He’d let too much happen under his nose and turned a blind eye to her treatment of his daughter. No more, she caused this then she can reap the consequences of her own actions.
“You speak the truth,” Hades admitted, voice pained, “It is no mere immortal Persephone has lied to. And should Lord Shaper believe I supported actions, he will turn his attack on the Underworld.”
The siblings stared at their father grimly.
“I’ll…speak with him about it,” Neryssa said reluctantly, “I have something of his he will regain once his helm is in his possession once again.”
An understanding was reached on the semblance of a plan that had been set. However, a niggling question lingered in their space.
Milenoe took a deep, careful, breath and asked, “What happens now? Regarding mother I mean.”
Zagreus looked grave as his gaze fixed itself on their father, he had some ideas of what could happen. None of these ideas were great, they are the things that need to happen.
“The dissolution of our marriage,” Hades stated simply, voice impossibly cold, “Your mother has risked the lives of one of my children. I have allowed her to get away with these actions for too long.”
Neryssa wanted to leave, this is nothing to do with her…or so she thought.
“If the problem is that she thinks I’m vying for you affections,” she said, disgust in her voice, “What if the same thing applies to Milenoe?”
Zagreus’ eyes snapped to her in disbelief when she asked this. Could this be true?
Milenoe was not fairing much better.
“Mother would never,” she muttered in disbelief, voice thick with tears.
Neryssa looked at her sister, sad resignation in her eyes. She knew it would be a hard pill to swallow. But the chance of Persephone doing the same to her sister is too much of a risk. Unless…
“She would and has been,” Zagreus stated, voice cold and void of all emotion, “Have you really not seen it? She’s been odd with you since Neryss has made herself scarce around the Underworld.”
Milenoe shook her head, tears falling.
“Come on Mil! She forces herself between you and Da when you do things together! She’s made comments and remarks! Da’s had to pull her from the edge a time or two when it came to you all because he wants to spend time with you and not her!” Bellowed Zagreus.
Milenoe by this point was sobbing into her hands. She had pushed those memories and experiences out of her mind thinking them accidents, thinking and believing that her mother loved her and wouldn’t do such a thing. Only for her to take the place of her sister in her mother’s eyes.
“And all because she believes all offspring born from the loins of Gods want to bed their fathers,” Neryssa commented quietly, “Not all wish that fate on ourselves nor our children.”
Hades had silent tears falling down his face as truths he’d hoped were false turned out to be more real than he had anticipated. His children had suffered because of his carelessness.
“What of you Zagreus?” Asked Neryssa, “Were you spared this shit storm?”
“Yes, in the sense that my mother doesn’t wish to bed me,” he replied with a shrug, “But not when it comes to witnessing the suffering her actions have put my sisters through. I mean, I know our uncles and aunts went, and still do, go for one another. But it is almost as if us looking for affection elsewhere is unheard of.”
Neryssa gave her brother a pointed look and nod in agreement.
“The fact that she fucked up my marriage to prove a point is sick,” she added, “Just because she thought I needed to be taken down a peg or two.”
Before anything could be said though, Neryssa felt herself grow faint and dizzy. Her apartment started to fade from around her and a strange feeling of being pulled filled her. The sensations were so intense they overwhelmed her senses to the point of unconsciousness.
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Summary: The sand bag has been found, emotions run high and Neryssa and Dream share a moment that brought forth emotions they had not felt for thousands of years.
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. This also contains examples of what can be considered selective mutism. Minors DNI!)
Italics: Signing
Previous Chapter
Johanna scoffed under her breath as they entered her flat, to fill the silence more than anything. There was this a tiny voice in the back of her head nagging at her though.
“I’ve been told that this thing, whatever it is, needs to be found,” Johanna said cockily.
Neryssa rolled her eyes and shared a look with Agilieth, both extremely familiar with Johanna’s temperament.
“It does,” replied Dream, barely hiding the agitation he felt at this dragging on.
“My question is why should we?” She pressed on questioningly, unimpressedly.
Neryssa glared at Johanna in warning. The siren knows her friend is aware of other things being at work for humanity, but to question Dream to some extent is to question her.
Dream seemed to see something in Johanna he did not like, just beneath her smirk and replied, “Because without it my realm will cease to exist, and without dreams so will humanity.”
Johanna scoffed but didn’t have a chance to reply as Dream pressed on.
“You were asked for aid by a friend,” he commented, voice low, “Is this how you mortals treat them?”
Johanna’s eyes widened in disbelief at his comment, “How dare you–”
“No,” he cut in now clearly angry, “How dare you doubt your friend when asked for aid. Tell me, has she ever given you reason to not trust her? I can understand that you mistrust me, but your friend?”
Neryssa looked in shocked awe as he came to her defence. Never had he so vehemently defended her. Not when Persephone cast her dark cloud on their marriage…nor when fighting off the humiliation of being treated as her husband’s other woman while he took on other lovers.
Johanna backed away slightly, hands raised in the universal sign of surrender.
“Fair enough,” she said, some of the cocky bite dying on her tongue as she spoke, “And you are right. She’s never given a reason to not trust her. But trust in this business is scarce, so forgive me if I seem on edge.”
She turned to look around the cluttered space hoping to catch a glimpse of the item in question, “No offense thought…I could do without dreams for a while. I’ve not had a decent night’s rest in ages.”
“Nor will you,” he replied, now imploringly, “Not until we find the sand.”
“Fair,” she amended, “Just don’t touch anything and keep him away from my crap.”
Neryssa looked at Agilieth, as Johanna pointed at him and nodded. Following behind Dream as he followed Johanna. She cannot wait to get home and finally rest. It’d been a long day and she still has her siblings to deal with on top of Agilieth.
“Granted finding anything in this place will need more magic than you can muster,” Dream teased.
Neryssa kept finding herself caught off guard by him. He’d just teased her friend’s mess as if it was nothing. She had no idea how to even begin to process this side of him.
Agilieth to his credit, was a good guest. And did well in keeping his thoughts to himself as he observed the unfolding tension before him. He had been aware of there being trouble in paradise when it came to the Dream king. He did not however account for it being this bad. He was tempted to move in to see what he could take but thought better of it. This isn’t just any random trick parlor, and he was in enough trouble as it was.
As she meandered through boxes in search for the sand, Dream could not help but wonder aloud, “Why do humans love objects so much?”
Neryssa breathed a low chuckle at the question letting her friend be the recipient of that one.
“For one thing, some objects come in handy sometimes,” she breathed heavily as she chucked another odd looking object onto a nearby pile, “You seem pretty attached to your sand.”
“It’s not just an object, it is a part of me,” replied Dream.
“If that’s so, how did you manage to lose it?” She asked curiously.
”It was stolen,” replied Dream stonily, “By another magic user called Burgess.”
“Well not Rodrick Burgess,” replied Johanna, clearly not believing who he said did the deed. This however was not a slight against him but more her belief that Burgess was incapable of doing what he’d preached of doing for years, “The old Demon King himself, eh? Everyone used to say he was a fake. That he had a the Devil himself locked up…How the fuck did you…”
Neryssa swallowed hard at the look on Dream’s face. She’d been privy to his situation, because of what Jessamy had reported back. What she did not know were the details of his capture.
Neryssa gave Agilieth a dark look, the message clear… Stay put.
Agilieth nodded, his hands raised in mock surrender.
Neryssa approached the pair carefully, her gaze trained on Dream. Their eyes met and slower than she usually would sign she asked, “Are you alright?”
Dream’s brow furrowed until he remembered that there had been an additional spell keeping her from seeing where he was. He remembered when she came to that basement, how she looked confused and at a loss as to how to do whatever it was she had in mind. He also swore she’d been humming something. He had been boiling in anger as she walked away from his glass prison only for it to be tempered by the old magus’ taunts. Someone had seen her, and the old man took no short measure of pleasure reminding him that his powers had hidden him from all and only he could lift it.
The silence was thick as Johanna’s eyes widened in realization, “Shit, wasn’t the devil he had locked up was it?”
Dream’s gaze did not waver from Neryssa as the truth settled. Dream did not know how to answer her.
Agilieth lowered his head in solidarity. For all that he’d done and seen, and even heard about the King of Dreams, Agilieth had to admit the endless had been polite and aware of others and conducted himself with grace.
“Were you down there…all this time?” Asked Johanna.
Dream’s gaze finally wavered, the topic becoming too much. The silence stretched for a bit longer before something caught his attention.
What caught his attention was a photo strip. The pictures held the image of a happy couple, both women smiling freely at the camera as they held each other in a loving embrace. One a more free and happy Johanna, the other a beautiful woman with bright eyes and happy smile as they shared the happy feeling and moment.
“Is this you?” He asked, nodding to Johanna. The question doing what he needed it to do…shift the focal point from him to something else.
“Why? Do I look that different?” Asked Johanna, dubiously “Or younger?”
“No, happy,” Dream said plainly.
Johanna gave the picture strip a sad look, his words hitting harder than she would ever admit.
“Shit,” she breathed, as she came to a sudden realization, “I know where your sand is.”
Dream nodded and let Johanna move around him to get her coat. The night wasn’t even over and her emotions were already shot. She didn’t even have the energy to send a half-assed glare at Agilieth.
The demon kept his hands crossed at his front, respectful despite everything. As much as he wished to hate her, at that moment he realized they were both prisoners to their own nature. The reality that she has faced a loss which cost her more than any other. That it left a mark so deepest that it cemented the want to vanquish any and all of his kind and beyond.
“This may not be the time for this,” he began to stay, weary of her reaction, “But your exorcism was felt in the plain…we may be monsters Miss, but some of us do not target children for the fun of it.”
”What is that supposed to mean?” Johanna asked, anger rising.
But before she could rebuke him, Agilieth replied with, “A soul sent to Hell dragged the demon you were looking to vanquish.”
This stopped Johanna in her tracks. Her guard up, she gave Agilieth a steady look.
”The soul had been a father,” he recounted, “I wish I could say this to be trickery, however it is not. The soul had been a father to a daughter. One he always regretted not being there for. The girl may have died Constantine…but he gave what was left of his soul to ascertain her path to Heaven.”
Tears came unbidden to her eyes. She made it out…her girl had made it out.
“I don’t make a habit of this…” She began, clearing her throat as she did, “But thanks for that.”
Agilieth gave a nod and said, “The demon you sent back was torn to shreds if that makes you feel any better.”
Johanna gave a reluctant, breathy laugh at that. It didn’t, but it did appease her some to know that not all was lost on her end.
“No…but it does mean my work didn’t go to waste fully,” she replied, before shaking her head back to the present, “We need to head out, I think I’ve earned a bit of quiet after all this mess.”
Agilieth chuckled and ducked out to wait for the remaining couple outside.
In Johanna’s office, Neryssa and Dream stood in silence. Dream’s gaze was affixed to the photo strip, a strange look in his eyes.
“Were we ever this happy?” He asked quietly, a sadness there she had never heard in him until recently.
Neryssa sighed and gave a small nod.
The silence pulled his gaze from the photo in hand to her face.
She once again nodded.
“We were,” she sighed, a sad longing settling on her features, “We were not at all happy with the arrangement at first. But you were never cruel, nor unkind. Quite the contrary, you were oddly open and welcoming when you had no reason to be.”
“You were my wife,” he stated simply, brow furrowed in confusion.
Neryssa gave him a knowing grin and signed, “You can be married and still be an ass. Humanity has shown us that…Hells! The very Gods we interact with have shown us that throughout the thousands upon thousands of years they have walked this earth. Being anyone’s spouse did not change anything.”
“It did for me,” he quietly said, “You changed everything.”
“You changed everything for me too,” she replied honestly, “I remember not being happy with the immediacy of everything but was skeptically open and hopeful for whatever the new adventure would be. I was open to you, your world, everything in it and seeing the expanse of it. I was as excited to see your world as I was to show you mine.”
The gentle smile that had worked its way onto her face started to fall as her hands faltered. Whatever it is she was trying to put into words, brought her great sadness.
“Everything changed when Persephone requested to speak to you,” she signed shakily, “You changed. And with that everything good that had grown between us since our union.”
Her piece said, Neryssa grinned sadly at him and turned to leave before Dream could reply. Leaving him speechless in the cluttered room having completely no idea what to do with this new, not so new, information.
He reached for her hand and said, “Wait.”
The pair felt a current rush through their bodies as their hands met.
Neryssa pulled back, startled. It had been so long since she’d felt his touch that she forgot what it felt like. For Dream it felt like the breaking of a dam he had no idea needed breaking, a dam that had been overflowing unchecked until the moment their hands met. And yet the wide eyed look on Neryssa’s face left Dream wondering why the reluctance?
Neryssa walked out of the flat and made a bee line for the exit. She needed air, the touch startled her more than she wanted to admit. She stared at the hand he’d reached for, the hand that still felt his touch and flexed it experimentally.
Johanna and Agilieth watched after her quietly, both wondering what had happened between the pair for her to leave in such a hurry.
Dream came out in a daze. Before Johanna could cut into him Agilieth shook his head at her before nodding to Dream once again.
Look, the nod said. And look she did, she saw Dream opening and closing his hand. Noticed how he stared at the appendage in wonder…as if some miracle had occurred. But questions would need to wait until after they had what he was looking for.
Without a word, Dream walked out in a daze. His eyes fell on Neryssa who did not look any better than he felt. This however, would have to wait until after he had his sand back. Perhaps after, they would have a moment to explore what it is that transpired between them.
Neryssa felt him before she saw him. She didn’t have time for these…emotions. Hell she didn’t have time to reopen wounds she had long since worked on healing and moving on from. All she needs to do is get through this so that she could move on to more important things…like seeing what the hell she was going to do with Agilieth considering how he is now tied to her.
Not too long after, the pair were met by Johanna and Agilieth and were on their way to their next, and hopefully last, location.
“Who is she? The woman in the picture,” Dream, who had made his way up asked Johanna.
“Her names Rachel, Rachel Moodie,” she replied shortly.
“Does she deal in magic as well?” Dream continued to inquire.
Neryssa who walked beside Agilieth in silence rolled her eyes.
The Demon in question did not think being tied to the literal Queen of the Dreaming would be this much fun. He’d noticed the eye roll and wondered what that was about.
The pair heard Johanna scoff and say,“God no. She’s actually a decent person. Has a proper job, comes from a nice family…Hated everything that had to do with magic.”
Neryssa , who’d known about the relationship, glared at her friend. She’d known the bag had something in it. She’d known about it, had it, and didn’t think to reach out to see if anyone else could open it?
“And yet you left the sand with her,” Dream said drily.
Neryssa hummed in agreement with the comment causing Johanna to turn around and face her a retort on her tongue. The glare she was met with left her cold.
“You had an artifact no magic, spell nor incantation could open and it didn’t cross your mind to reach out to see if anyone else could do it? See if anyone had other information on it!?” Neryssa signed jerkily, angry at the sheer irresponsibility of Johanna to leave an unknown object, any magical object, exposed to a non-magic user.
“I didn’t leave it with her!” Johanna said defensively, before quietly admitting, “I…sort of left it...and her.”
Agilieth rolled his eyes at this seeing what Neryssa had seen and said, “For all your guilt and passion for your calling, leaving any magical object in the vicinity of someone who does not use magic is a risk. Not just to their life but those around them.”
Johanna glared at Agilieth, the call out not appreciated. But before she could say anything Neryssa clapped her hands once gaining her attention.
“He’s right,” she signed, standing between the demon and her friend.
“How can you say that?” Johanna asked incredulously.
Neryssa looked at her friend somberly and signed, “Because no matter who I am with, no matter how much I may trust them. If I had an object from unknown origins in my possession I would have done the impossible to keep them separate. I have no doubt you loved her Jo but leaving the sand behind no matter how angry you were? Was reckless even for you.”
“I was staying at her place for a few months, she took that to meaning we were living together, which we weren’t. So one night I went on a job and never went back,” Johanna explained, upset at the turn the line of questioning took.
“Why?” Dream asked neutrally.
Turning to Neryssa a glint in her eye she said, “Because it never ends well, does it?”
“What? Love?” Pressed Dream, his gaze moving between Johanna and Neryssa before finally admitting, “No, I suppose it doesn’t.”
The siren to her benefit maintained her composure. But this is not the time for taking jabs and chose to ignore whatever it was that Johanna meant to do with that jab.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed but people around me have a tendency of getting ripped in half or chucked to Hell,” Johanna said, as they approached the apartment building.
Neryssa hissed sharply at Johanna.
Johanna turned again to her friend and gave her a half hearted, quiet, “Sorry.”
Neryssa, unimpressed with this, shrugged her off.
“Considering all that happens to people around me, I figured leaving would have been safer for Rachel in the long run,” Johanna admitted with a sigh.
“And did you tell her that?” Asked Dream.
”No,” Johanna replied, resolutely, “But I supposed I’ll have to tell her now.”
Agilieth and Neryssa shared a look but said nothing.
“This is her,” Johanna nodded to the building, “Or at least it used to be. Maybe she’s moved house between then and now. Please have moved house.”
The hopeful tone she followed that last bit with had Agilieth rolling his eyes. No one was that lucky human or not.
Johanna approached the door and buzzed the bell.
She fidgeted as they waited and hopefully said, “Maybe we’ll get lucky and she won’t be–”
But before she could finish the sentence, the door buzzed letting them know the door was open.
Anxiety was replaced by curiosity as Johanna noticed that the door just buzzed open. No one spoke through to ask who was buzzing in to go up.
“Maybe she’s expecting someone,” she said, her nerves kicking back up, “This could prove to be one hell of an awkward situation…well more awkward than it already is. Wait here.”
”I’m coming with you,” stated Dream, leaving no room for argument.
Johanna however was tired of taking orders from him and said, “No you’re not. Do you have any idea how much she probably hates me!?”
Dream considered this, but looked resolute in going in with her anyway.
“Do you have any exes who might feel the same way Rachel feels?” She shot back at him pointedly. Her gaze moved to Neryssa momentarily to prove her point.
Dream looked to Neryssa, the possibility of her hating him not one he had considered. Turning to Johanna he nodded and said, “I will not wait long.”
Johanna gave him a cocky half grin and said, “You probably won’t have to. She might just chuck your baggie at me and tell me to go to Hell for showing up at all before slamming the door in my face…like how I’m about to do with you right now.”
The door closed with that promised slam leaving the three outside to wait.
Dream gave a quiet, breath, chuckle and turned to Neryssa.
“Is it true?” He asked her, with the same quiet thoughtful tone, “Do you hate me?”
Neryssa gave an incredulous laugh at the question. The audacity of this man drove her mad.
Agilieth shook his head, unimpressed.
Dream shot a glare at Agilieth, gaze returning to Neryssa expectantly.
Neryssa sighed and signed, “No.”
This answer should have appeased Dream, provided some form of relief even. However, her answer left him unconvinced.
Not too long after, they were joined by Matthew. Neryssa grinned at the raven in greeting but kept to herself.
The raven nodded in greeting, even if he was a bit weary of Agilieth, and turned to Dream. A speech on the untrustworthiness of humans was said. How he had once been a not so good human and that trusting Johanna could very well be a trap.
“I hear you Matthew,” Dream said, reluctant still to interact with the raven, “However, if the Queen deems her a reliable source then we shall honor her suggestion.”
“My point is that if I were Johanna Constantine, I’d be cutting a deal to cash in on the sand with Rachel. Granted I wasn’t the best when I was human,” Matthew continued confidently trying to be helpful, until his tone changed. His beak lowered as his insecurities took hold as he said, “We can’t all be Jessamy, who apparently was perfect in every way.”
Neryssa gasped at hearing this a glared at Dream yet again.
“Matthew, I–“
“Listen, I get it. You think you don’t need a raven,” Matthew said, placatingly, “But the world has changed in the past hundred and change years. Things are not as simple as they used to be. And if you’re here thinking that humans are going to help you out of the kindness of their hearts, well you better start looking. Humans don’t help anyone for nothing, if anything they are looking to find what they can to help themselves. If you are here waiting for that? Then you’ll be waiting in the rain for a long long time. Whatever it is they’re doing, thinking about you is the last thing on their minds.”
Before the conversation could continue, Dream paused as he felt something wrong.
“There’s something wrong,” Dream said with urgency, as he was pulled into Johanna’s dreams.
Agilieth went to open the door, but luck seemed to be on their side as someone walked out letting them in after Neryssa let them know their friend was inside.
Dream saw hope, love and happiness in their reunion. But that didn’t last long. The dream turned dark as the other woman, Rachel, got angry and sad and lashed out at Johanna. Before he could stop it the scene changed, he was walking down a dark corridor. Walking to the end, he found a door where once opened, he came face to face with Johanna’s failed exorcism and death of a child.
“Constantine,” he called, “Wake up.”
Johanna woke startled, found Dream entering the flat and asked, “What did you do to me?”
“It was the sand,” he replied slowly, giving her time to take in what it is that he said and process what she had just experienced.
Behind him, Neryssa stood just beyond the threshold as Agilieth stood guard providing them with a semblance of privacy.
Johanna’s gaze met Neryssa’s as she realized what it is that happened.
“Where’s Rachel?” She asked resolutely.
Neryssa walked in and stood next to Dream.
Dream nodded down the hall where a room lay its door closed.
“Rachel?” Johanna called out, walking up to the door and opening it, “Rach?”
“Jo?” Called a weak voice from beyond the door, “Jo, is that you?”
Johanna came face to face with an unrecognizable Rachel, laying in her bed a breaths away from fading. Her bones protruding where they shouldn’t be, eyes sunken in and limbs looking impossibly weak.
“That’s such a wonderful dream,” she said with a weak yet happy hum.
Neryssa’s hand flew to her mouth aghast at the image that greeted them.
Dream saw the bag of sand in the woman’s grasp and made a beeline for it. Neryssa remained at the foot of the bed watchful of the woman more than the pair, her siren wanting to lull this woman into comfort for as long as she has left.
“What’s happened to her?” Asked Johanna demandingly.
“It was not meant for humans,” replied Dream, almost robotically as he reached for the sand, ignoring Rachel’s cries for him to not take it away.
”It hurts!” She cried weakly, wanting to reach for the pouch yet not having any strength left to do so.
“We can go,” he said, tone monotone.
Neryssa gasped at his callousness.
“What?” Johanna gasped questioningly, “We can’t go! We can’t leave her like this.”
“We can’t help her,” Dream said gently, “The sand was the only thing keeping her alive.”
“You have to do something,” Johanna demanded angrily, “If it wasn’t for your sand, she wouldn’t be like this!”
“I’m not the one who left her with it,” Dream said, almost imploringly.
”Enough,” called Neryssa, voice strong.
The pair stared at her shock.
“Do not blame him for your mistake Jo,” Neryssa chastised, “He did not leave it for someone to find. It is not on him to fix what you caused. If you wish to leave then go. I shall do what I can for her.”
Dream paused at her voice. She sounded so sure, so…strong…
“What is wrong with you!?” Cried Johanna, ignoring Neryssa, “You want your sand back so that you can save all humanity, well here she is!”
Dream looked on, sadness and helplessness mingling as he took every hit Johanna was throwing at him.
“But we’re all just Roderick Burgess to you aren’t we?” Johanna said, tone getting lighter as she came to her own startling conclusion, “All you care about is your sand. Your…power. What’s the point of you?”
“Johanna that is enough!” Neryssa called out, stopping for the moment being from helping the poor woman on the bed, “Berating him will not help her. I understand where you are coming from but if there isn’t anything to be done the best thing is to make her comfortable.”
“Then maybe he should go, yeah?” Retorted Johanna, “He’s got his precious sand back he can leave if he won’t help.”
Neryssa’s eyes took a glow as her power simmering just below the surface.
“If you wish to keep making this harder on her then you should take your leave,” Neryssa said angrily, having had enough of Johanna’s brutality. An echo took hold of the room as if it had grown in space making her voice sound melodious and cavernous at the same time.
Johanna gasped at her friend’s words, the reality of what she said hitting her all at once.
Neryssa busied herself in the pause to hum a quiet song into the dying woman’s ear. The sigh of relief a sign that it was working. To her surprise, she heard Dream approach and quietly bid Johanna to wait outside. To her even greater surprise Johanna obeyed, giving Rachel her final goodbyes before pressing a final kiss to her forehead. The woman took her leave, tears falling as she went.
Neryssa took a step back seeing him nod in her direction. She held Rachel’s hand as Dream sprinkled some of the sand over her body until she passed in her sleep. She took care to adjust her accordingly, and stood to make her way to Dream once again.
“Was I wrong for attempting to leave as I did?” He asked quietly, his sad gaze still on Rachel’s still form.
“Sometimes, avoidance isn’t just running away in fear or cowardice,” she signed carefully, “Sometimes, we avoid things to protect ourselves from the pain and anguish that may come. And sometimes, inaction is a mercy.”
“I helped in this way,” he said almost in a daze at his own actions.
“Yes,” she signed agreeably, “Because you saw a way to help. Sympathy is not a weakness, Oneiros. And learning how to help or even asking for it is not a defect.”
Dream stared at her wide eyed, not having expected this from her. He made to reach for her hand but stopped, uncertain if his touch would be welcome. If it was too soon.
Neryssa gave him a sad grin and placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort before turning to leave. It wasn’t too long before he joined her with Agilieth in toe.
Outside, the trio met with Johanna who had been leaning against the building. She turned to them expectantly…waiting for the verdict.
“She died in peace,” Dream said, “In her sleep.”
Johanna nodded sadly and said, “I’ll let her dad know. You know, she was actually a good person. And believe it or not there are a few good ones out there in the world. Those who are not like me or Roderick Burgess.”
Dream’s eyes lit in angrily, as if the very mention of Burgess’ name with Jo’s was an insult.
“You are not Roderick Burgess,” he said, an air of finality in his voice.
A raven’s call was heard after the statement, causing the group to look in the direction it came from.
“And what’s your friend’s name?” She asked with a small smile.
“His name is Matthew,” he said, but before he could deny the connection, Johanna did what she did best and cut him off.
“Look after him, Matthew, he needs it,” she said looking at the raven, all traces of false confidence and cockiness gone from her voice, “And for what it’s all worth, I am sorry for what I said. Sad thing is that it takes something horrible for us to learn what not to do.”
That said, Jo turned to Neryssa and said, “Don’t be like me. Call me later, and you were right. We have loads to talk about, okay?”
Neryssa nodded and pulled her friend in for a tight hug, before letting her pick her umbrella up to leave.
“Constantine!” Called Dream before Jo had gotten too far away, “That nightmare will not trouble you anymore.
She grinned in thanks and left.
The trio and raven stood under the cover for a moment longer now seeing that the last piece of the puzzle to find is the helm.
“That was nice, what you did up there,” Matthew complemented.
“Don’t ever spy on me again,” Dream hissed at Matthew.
“I wasn’t spying,” Matthew said defensively, before cheekily adding, “If I were spying on you, you’d never know it.”
“I like this bird companion,” said Agilieth chuckling, impressed by Matthew’s backbone.
Neryssa had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as Dream glared half-heartedly at Agilieth.
“So what’s our next move?” Asked Matthew, ready to jump when told to do so.
“I’m going in search of my helm,” Dream stated, “And you are going back to the Dreaming.”
Matthew looked affronted, as one can as a bird at least, when Dream said this and said, “Or, hear me out, you take me with you and we’ll never have to have this conversation again.”
“He has a good head for negotiations,” Neryssa signed to Agilieth, impressed by the raven.
Dream took a moment, looking very tempted to agree if only to put a stop to this circling topic.
“That does sound tempting,” he said with a small nod, “In fact…Where I am going, I may have need of you.”
He knelt before Matthew to speak to him as much as he could to the raven’s level.
“Yeah?” Matthew said, a bit surprised by this turn of events, “Where are we going?”
“Your helm be in Hell my Lord,” Agilieth reminded quietly, causing Matthew to look between him and Dream for confirmation.
Dream’s lack of denial lit Matthew’s tail feathers in disbelief, “Hell…like Hell-Hell or we being metaphorical and going to Hell, Norway?”
Neryssa snorted at that, not being able to hold it in.
Dream turned to her with a small grin on his face before standing and taking out his sand bag.
“Either way, we should probably check in with Lucienne first right? See how she’s feeling about it. Imma go out on a limb, something birds actually do, and say she will not be in favor,” Matthew asked, now suddenly very nervous, “What what of the queen?”
This stopped Dream in his tracks and turned to face Neryssa who stood there expectantly.
Neryssa wished to provide aid, Hell! She may be pissed at him but she won’t let him go to Hell uninvited alone if she has the choice to go.
“Will you be going alone my Lord?” Agilieth asked, catching the attention of Dream.
Dream gave him a questioning look before seeing that the Demon was not so subtly nodding in the direction of Neryssa, who stood a step in front of him.
Dream’s gaze shifted to Neryssa and said, “I shall be going alone.”
Neryssa’s eyes widened in question.
“I do not want to see you hurt,” Dream stated simply, “I don’t know what I will be faced with, but I will not see you become a bargaining chip against the realm, nor give them the excuse to use you against your father.”
Neryssa stopped in her tracks at that and signed, “Together or not, I am still Queen of the Dreaming. My father would understand.”
“My lady,” Agilieth interrupted respectfully, “Lord Dream is correct. He shall be entering the Morningstar’s kingdom uninvited, your life would be forfeit should you go with him.”
“I know I have no right to ask you this,” Dream said, pleading, “But please, remain here until my return. You have the ruby, you can rebuild again should anything happen.”
With that, he stepped away and disappeared in a cloud of sand raven and all.
She stood with Agilieth in silence for a moment longer processing what had occurred before a car pulled up. The car was sleek, black and looked like someone with money looking for trouble. Unfortunately, the person in it wasn’t looking for trouble…more like bringing trouble to her. The backseat window rolled down, exposing her father to her view.
The groan she released sounded very much like a child about to receive a scolding. One thing was true enough however…her brother’s days are most certainly numbered.
Agilieth to his benefit was having a great time! He could not believe how so much had happened in so little time. He had been free longer than he believed to be and seen more than he’d ever expected tied to another. One thing is for certain, she had shown him more respect than others of his ilk had, and that deserved respect in return. For as long as she need, he’d be in her service.
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Summary: Neryssa and Dream meet with Johanna who had a prior engagement to take care of only for the latter to witness Neryssa to make an unexpected decision.
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. Minors DNI!)
[Author’s Note: Thank you so much for sticking with me up to this point! I promise the ball will be rolling in the next chapter!]
Previous Chapter
The couple reached the address Johanna gave Neryssa, just in time to see her walk through the doors of the church. Hattie had been making her way down the way when Neryssa spotted her. Her words from the beginning of the day echoed in her mind, but she did not want to give them more thought than she already had. She is not ready to come face to face with the potential hope the older woman’s words stirred within. Hattie meanwhile, nodded knowingly in their direction. Leaving Dream mildly confused as they made their way inside to find Johanna exorcising a demon. The demon thrashed behind the barrier as it tried to escape. And just because Neryssa could never catch a break, her phone buzzed announcing she had an incoming call. Upon closer inspection Zagreus, popped up on the screen making her curse under her breath.
“What?” She hissed into the speaker.
“Was looking through your ice box and noticed you have close to no food,” Zagreus said conversationally through a mouthful of food, “Do you not have a wait– where are you?”
Neryssa rolled her eyes at nothing in particular as Dream looked on brows furrowed in confusion as considered what he should do. On one hand, Johanna Constantine knew the location of his sand. On the other hand, he was trying to prove himself to Neryssa. In the end the choice of whether or not to confront Johanna was pulled off the table as Neryssa, hand over the receiver, walked through the door just as Johanna was commanding the name of the demon.
“You talk too much,” he said, breathing heavily.
“Tell me your name and I’ll stop,” she replied cockily.
“And why would I do that? When there are far more enjoyable ways to make you stop,” the demon asked just as cocky.
Dream was about to supply her with the name when he felt a nudge at his shoulder. Looking down, he saw Neryssa shake her head in the negative. And before the bickering could even think of beginning, Neryssa walked forth with a closely following Dream.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Neryssa said, removing her hand from over the receiver, “If there is anything I can do to assist, I’m here.”
The demon looked at the couple and stood tall seeing the recognition in their eyes.
“I’m flattered to be in the presence of royalty,” he said, a toothy grin in place, “It has been so long with your time away…Lord Morpheus and Queen Song.”
Johanna’s eyes widened in realization, “Lord Morpheus?”
Neryssa nodded subtly at her friend confirming once and for all who the individual they were speaking about that morning was.
“Though I almost did not recognize you without your helm,” the demon continued, now tauntingly, “I wonder where your helm would be.”
“I presume it is in Hell with the demon to whom it was traded,” replied Dream evenly, control barely in check.
“Rys?” Called Zagreus from the line.
“Yes, but which demon?” The demon in question inquired. Before a barter was struck, “Give me the Princess and I’ll tell you.”
“Not going to happen,” Johanna stated.
“Considering she has yet to know your name,” Neryssa interrupted, voice neutral, “What would you think if I sang out a tune?”
The demon’s eyes widened at the implication, and in a rare show of submission knelt before her.
“I acknowledge you Princess of Darkness and the power you hold,” he began, “I meant to find a way into this world and felt the Princess to be my best opportunity.”
Neryssa stood taller now, Johanna and Dream shared a look as Neryssa revealed a new face…the face of a Queen. The face of one that comes from a line of Gods and ancients and myth.
“I know what you claim,” she said, “Bartering for your freedom by withholding information on my King’s property was not your best move.”
Looking at Johanna Neryssa continued, “I propose a stalemate.”
Then turned to the demon and said, “Provide the information for the location of the helm and the demon it was traded to and perhaps an agreement on more can be made.”
Johanna looked like she’d been slapped. How could Neryssa make a deal with this thing!? It killed a child! It–
“At this point I wish my freedom be from her…my Lady,” the demon said, nodding to Johanna.
“Understandable,” Neryssa nodded, “You do understand, that should your information be found to be false, you will be remanded back to Hell.”
The demon looked up and met her gaze, the chill that resided in her now glowing deep blue eyes held a promise of more than just banishment. He knows who the demon is, he knows the helmed demon appeared in hell with the helm from a place unknown. Agilieth knows he has to play his cards right if he is to be free.
Dream stared at Nerysssa with barely concealed awe as she commanded this creature; No song nor hum from her lips came. Now he wonders what all she can do with her song if this is the power she commands when she speaks alone.
“She tends to do that,” Johanna quietly said, seeing the look of awe on his face.
Dream looked at Johanna mutely and blankfaced; his eyes however, said it all.
“She can command a room just as easily as she lights it up,” Johanna said with a knowing smirk.
On the phone, Zagreus and Milenoe listened quietly, both filled with pride as their eldest sister proved, unnecessarily in their opinion, exactly who she is.
“A deal then,” Agilieth suggested, a smirk fighting its way onto his face.
Neryssa’s brow twitched, the idea of a deal with a demon not one she is keen on doing but if it meant a chance at retrieving the helm then she would take the chance.
“On my terms,” Neryssa replied smoothly, “Afterall, Constantine knows your name. I am certain that she will send you back should you not follow suit with your information. Afterall, you are the one bargaining for their freedom.”
Agilieth growled, clearly showing his dislike for the rebuttal. He reluctantly, to himself, had to agree and give her credit for seeing between the lines.
“Agreed,” he growled lowly, “Last I heard the Helm’s location is Hell. The demon in possession is Chorozon. I should forewarn you, Chorozon is said to be not from our Hell. Word says he came from beyond the borders. Where? I am not certain, but he worked his way to the top Lord Dream’s helm in hand.”
Zagreus and Milenoe, unknown to Neryssa, shared a knowing look. There’d been an Underworld born who long ago somehow managed to escape punishment. How he escaped they did not know, but what was certain was that someone or something had been his ticket out.
Neryssa gave a low chant, low enough that Johanna and Dream did not hear her. And before either could say anything, a chain made of fire lit up like a match to a fuse attaching to Agilieth’s neck. The tail of the chain coming to Neryssa’s hand as if it had always been there.
Dream and Johanna stared in wide-eyed disbelief as Neryssa bound Agilieth to herself. Neither could believe she would go so far as to binding herself to a demon to get a point across. Dream for his part could not believe she would go so far to find one of his tools. There is no guarantee his helm is in Hell, so why would she bind herself in such a manner?
“Until the helm is confirmed to be in Hell, your life and by default your freedom belong to me,” Neryssa declared plainly, “Should your information be true, compensation will be discussed. Are we clear?”
“What in the name of our father are you doing!?” Zagreus yelled into the receiver of his phone only to be met with the tone of the call being disconnected.
Agilieth bared his teeth to her in a snarl then reluctantly knelt before her head bowed.
“Good,” Neryssa said, tone light, “Now then, we must be off because there is a busy night ahead of us.”
“He’s free now, great,” Johanna uttered sarcastically, “What are we going to do with him now?”
“I can leave him with my brother and sister in my flat,” Neryssa suggested, “I need to pass by there anyway to ask them something.”
Dream nodded in agreement, albeit reluctantly. He does not like the idea of her in the presence of a demon, let alone one that would be with her alone for any long length of time. This however, is a better alternative than having her going to hell with him. That tidbit of information however…is not one she needed to know about at the moment.
Johanna hated this plan, hated the idea of a demon in her friend’s home and hated the idea of her being bound to said demon no matter the reason. She trusts Neryssa to do what is needed, but this situation is one she doesn’t need to be on either of their shoulders.
The group walked in awkward silence to Neryssa’s apartment, Dream and Johanna hoping they could drop off Agilieth and be on their way, Agilieth seeing how he might be able to escape and Neryssa planning what the next steps will be should Agilieth’s word be true. Johanna nudged Neryssa, checking in with the other woman.
“I’m fine,” Neryssa whispered, breathing an exasperated sigh, “But once we get to my place, there is a very likely chance my brother will hold my life hostage for the stunt I just pulled.”
Dream fought back a grin as he listened to their conversation. It had been some time since he’d been in the same place as his wife and her siblings. His memories on how they are together scarce, what he did remember though, is how protective Zagreus is over his two sisters. He could only imagine what they will be met with once they reach her home.
Once at her flat, Neryssa took a deep breath and walked through the door, a sheepish grin in place as she faced her stone faced brother.
“I can explain, but not right now,” she began, spit firing a half explanation as she shoved the demon in front of her.
Agilieth’s eyes widened in awed fear as he saw who it was that would be keeping him in check. There is no way she’d be leaving him here with the Prince and other Princess of the Underworld.
“I swear I will fill you in when I come back!” Neryssa called out hurriedly, as she gave the demon one last push forward for good measure and practically ran out of the flat.
Johanna and Dream shared a look, watching in stunned shock as Neryssa ran out. The pair followed at a more serene pace both collecting their thoughts. One not quite believing that the Sandman is an actual being and not just the boogie man. The other, still thinking on how he would leave Neryssa behind for better or worse. In his opinion, the status of their relationship could not get any worse than what it currently was.
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Summary: Neryssa visits the Dreaming for the first time since her departure to find decay and crumbling foundations in her wake. Meanwhile, Dream faces his siblings-in-law and sees some of the truths of what he's done to Neryssa
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. Minors DNI!)
Previous Chapter
Neryssa made her way through the rubble of the palace hardly recognizing it as the image of grandeur and beauty she remembers it being. She felt the rubble dig into the soles of her feet but she couldn’t find it in her to care as disbelief coursed through her. Disbelief that such a place that is usually filled with hope, light and peace could have been ravaged so severely by the actions of one man. A deep sadness encompassed her dropping her to her knees, arms wrapped around her frame, shame and regret now prominent as she cursed herself. She could, should, have tried harder to remain. Perhaps then at least the residents would have stayed as the reigning monarch in the absence of the king.
“My lady?” Neryssa heard from behind her.
Lucienne had been on her walk, she would never admit it but knowing the King had returned and was in the Dreaming so soon after his return left her more than a little anxious. She had not taken to walking through the halls since he’d first disappeared. And not since she’d seen the realm force out their Queen. What coincidence that not long after Lord Dream’s return, she walks near the main hall to hear quiet crying and find the source to be their Queen.
Neryssa stayed where she was, tears falling, quiet sobs shaking her frame as the guilt and shame fought to swallow her whole. She felt kind hands on her shoulder and arms, she knew these hands; they’d helped her through when it was just them caring for the realm and its residents.
“I should have done more,” she whispered through her tears, voice thick.
Lucinne looked on sadly as she provided as much support as she could muster. There was nothing she could do to assuage the guilt, it is not her place. And in truth there were times where she herself felt like she could have done more. The time the king spent away tested all boundaries, hopes, faith and even whether or not the Dream King cared for his people.
“No my Lady,” Lucinne said tenderly, “You did what you could within your means, went beyond those means even. These were events that were unexpected none had attempted to contain an endless and succeed. The fact the Dreaming held itself with your song for so long after he’d been taken is a testament to your strength, faith and I dare say optimism.”
Neryssa cracked a grin at this and said, “I know I have no right to. Please don’t tell him I was here. Not yet. I just…needed to see.”
Lucinne nodded thoughtfully, she would do this for her. She understood the complicated feelings that were coursing through her at the sight of the dreaming in such a state.
“I understand,” Lucienne said, grinning kindly and added a cheeky, “In exchange, I expect at the very least a correspondence from you should you wish to remain in the Waking.”
Neryssa snorted at this and said, “Deal. I beg you forgive me for the lack of communication Lucienne. I didn’t think it would have been appreciated. I understand now, we could have been each other’s support despite the distance.”
Lucienne, ever understanding and wise nodded her kind grin never faltering.
After a moment of silence, an understanding reached, the pair stood and shared a warm moment in silence.
“My lord has been managing to come and go from the dreaming,” Lucienne said, worry evident in her tone, “My worry is that he will not be able to return.”
Neryssa grinned comfortingly at Lucienne and said, “Finding the sand is underway, I’ve made sure of that. I would not leave the realm floundering like it did again. I would, despite the state of our relationship, keep him safe for the sake of the realm and the dreamers above all else. And should you need me for any reason, I mean it too anything at all, please let me know. Summon Kaira, send Matthew, anything. I shall do my very best to aid you no matter what.”
Lucienne gave Neryssa an honest and full smile. The librarian breathed a sigh of relief at her Queen’s words and for the first time since Lord Dream’s return a sense of peace took hold of her. There is the chance Neryssa would not come back, but that did not mean she would shirk away her duty. Lucinne knew this, and yet seeing and hearing the reassurance gave her a hope she didn’t know she needed until that moment.
“I will, my lady,” Lucienne replied reverently.
“That said, I should go and meet up with my friend and Oneiros for him to finally retrieve his sand,” Neryssa said, a tired grin on her face.
Lucienne nodded and bid her goodbyes and watched as her lady vanished in a curtain of rain back to the waking world. Her lady gone, Lucienne made a mental note to keep something for Neryssa in the dreaming…if only as a way for her to lure her back for more than just periodic board meetings.
Dream resisted the urge to swallow heavily as Zagreus openly glared at him, anger, indignation and what very well could be the urge to throw a punch behind the taller man’s brown eyes.
“Peace Zagreus,” Milenoe stated firmly, “We are here to help not keep ensure our mother’s plans remain a truth in our sister’s life.”
“He broke her,” Zagreus growled, “You read her missives home! Scroll after scroll starting with how uncertain she was when they first married, how she fell for him during her time there, and then to the onslaught she received out of nowhere! And why? Because the so-called King she married could not effectively investigate a rumor based on nothing but the sayings of a jealous woman!”
Dream lowered his head a fraction, eyes glazing over as tears gathered.
“You did not see her!” Zagreus stated sharply, volume barely in check as they’d remained in the park, “You didn’t see how broken she was. You didn’t see her song, her hope, her light vanish from her eyes!”
Melinoe’s eyes flashed, “I witnessed enough.”
“Did you?” Zagreus asked sarcastically, “Or did you just see what you wanted to see?”
Walking back to where she’d been sitting in the park, Neryssa spotted a familiar frame across from the bench. A smile appeared on her face at the prospect of having her brother visit. Getting closer, what greeted Neryssa was the rigidity of her brother’s frame and the outrage in her sister’s eyes. Spotting Dream, Neryssa watched as the man looked as if he’d been told the most agonizing news. The reason behind him looking so forlorn would have to wait, however, right now she needed to make sure her siblings didn’t kill each other over nothing.
“Enough,” she stated sharply, her voice for once above a whisper, “Whatever it is that has you picking a fight with each other, knock it off or save it for home…this is not the place for it.”
To her relief, Zagreus backed down; Milenoe however, looked hurt.
“If you wanted to meet you could have sent Maris,” Neryssa pointedly stated, staring at her siblings completely unimpressed, “And if you still want to meet up, you know where I keep my flat key just wait there.”
“Fine,” Zagreus said, before Milenoe could give her input.
“Buuuuuut,” Neryssa said, “There is something I need to do before we have our sibling reunion. Let me do this thing and I’ll see you soon-ish.”
Zagreus did not want to let her leave, especially not if Oneiros would be there. But he also knew, and finally accepted, that his elder sister could take care of herself. She’d spent long enough rediscovering herself for him to see she is a formidable warrior, and an even stronger woman.
Milenoe nodded and stood, Zagreus doing the same.
“Bring Lord Shaper with you,” the youngest of the three said, “We come bearing news, father sends his love, and we will mention all when you return from your quest.”
This said, Neryssa’s siblings made their way out of the park in the direction of her flat leaving her and Dream alone.
“You spent the rest of the day with them?” She asked lightly, trying to get his attention in a non-disruptive manner.
“They appeared after you’d gone,” he said quietly, “Informing me of your stepmother’s doings.”
“We’ll have to discuss this more when we see them again,” she said neutrally, she did not have the mind space for this and whatever they would confront when it comes to the sand.
In a rare show of affection, Neryssa reached for where Dream’s hands were on the table and placed her hand over both of his.
Dream gasped, not having expected her to comfort him let alone do so through physical touch. The warmth that emitted from her hand tethered him in a way he had not felt in a long time, much to his realization.
“Whatever my siblings said,” she said gently, “We can talk about later, right now we have your sand to pick up.”
“You found it?” He asked almost in awe.
Neryssa grinned warmly, “I have a friend who helped. Come, we need to meet up with her a tad bit earlier than expected because of her job.”
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Ch. 1 I Ch. 2 I Ch. 3 I Ch. 4 I Ch. 5 I Ch. 6 I Ch. 7 I Ch. 8
Chapter 8: (Little Bird)
Summary: Hidden deep within the shadows of the Burgess estate, Dream remains trapped in a glass prison—silent, ageless, and watching. Through the shimmer of enchantment, he sees you for the first time: a child with curious eyes and a gentle presence, so different from the rest. Over the years, you return, drawn to the quiet figure beyond the glass, unaware of the ancient power your gaze stirs awake. Time passes. You grow. And still, he watches. And when the time comes, you are the one who sets him free. What begins as an unlikely friendship between a god of dreams and a mortal girl blossoms into something stranger, something beautiful. But as you help Dream reclaim what was stolen from him, you begin to uncover buried pieces of your own past — pieces that may not have been meant to surface.
A/N: YESSS finally some more interactions between little reader and Dream!! Loved, loved, loved getting to this chapter. Hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did writing it. If you'd like to be added to the taglist just let me know in the comments or send me a message, loves. Thanks again!💕😘
MASTERLIST
Day by day, you read to him. Sometimes he would close his eyes and breathe in the rhythm of your voice; other times, he would stare at you until you were interrupted by a loud yawn from a guard, prompting you to whisper, "’Til next time." You often wondered if he truly listened or if he even understood the words, but you liked to think he did. It made you feel as though you were making his involuntary stay a little less miserable with your presence alone.
You had grown careless. Enraptured in your stories, you had missed the soft clink of a cane on the stone steps and the dark figure of a man watching you from behind the stone pillar every night. The guards never paid you any mind, and you were always careful to be tucked in bed by the time Mr. Sykes passed by your room with your nightly mug of honey milk.
But tonight was different. You were lying on your stomach, your chin propped up by your hands, kicking your heels back and forth as you read from a weathered book of Greek myths. Inside the glass, the King of Dreams had done something he had never done before. He had lowered himself to the floor, mirroring you perfectly—lying on his stomach, his pale chin resting on his thin arms, his starlit eyes level with yours. It was the closest you had ever felt to him. A silent, glass-walled slumber party between a girl and a god.
You were just reaching the part where Herakles escapes the underworld when the air in the cellar turned freezing.
"A touching scene," a voice rasped, dripping with malice.
You scrambled to sit up, the book thudding against the floor. Roderick Burgess stepped out of the shadows, his silver-headed cane clicking sharply against the concrete. The ruby at his throat pulsed with a rhythmic, angry light.
"Mr. Burgess!" you gasped, your heart leaping into your throat.
"I have watched you for three nights now," he said, stepping into the circle of light. He looked down at the prisoner, his lip curling in a sneer. "In all the years I have kept him, he has never moved for me. He has never mirrored a human soul. And yet, for a child and a book of fairy tales, he humbles himself to the dirt."
Dream didn't move. He remained on his stomach, but his gaze shifted from you to Burgess, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop another ten degrees.
"Tell me, girl," Burgess hissed, reaching down to grab your arm, hauling you to your feet. "What has he said to you?”
"He hasn't said anything!" you cried, wincing as his grip tightened. "We just... we just spend time together. Please, let me go, you’re hurting me!"
"Do not lie to the Magus!" Burgess roared. He shoved you toward the glass, right against the edge of the seal. "If he won't speak to me, perhaps he will speak to you.”
He fixed a cold stare on the glass sphere, his voice echoing with a terrifying authority. "Return my son and grant me the immortality I am due, or offer me a tribute of equal value—otherwise, I can no longer guarantee that the girl’s stay under my roof will remain... comfortable."
The fear that had been holding your tongue suddenly vanished, replaced by a white-hot spark of protective rage. You squirmed out of his grip and looked at the man who treated his own son like a servant.
"He won't tell you anything because you're a bully!" you screamed, trying to pull away. "You're a mean, greedy old man who just wants to hurt him!”
The silence that followed was terrifying. Burgess’s face went from pale to a mottled, violent purple. His eyes widened, his nostrils flaring.
"You forget yourself, you little brat," he whispered.
CRACK
The slap came so fast you didn't see it. The back of his hand cracked across your cheek with enough force to send you spinning. Your head slammed into the stone pillar behind you, and for a second, the world went black. When your vision cleared, your face felt like it had been branded with a hot iron.
Inside the globe, Dream didn’t move to stand. He stayed low to the floor, calculated, refusing to give Burgess the satisfaction of a struggle that might put you in further danger, but his gaze was a death sentence. While his body remained still, his eyes went utterly dark—the blue depths vanishing into two endless, starless voids of pure cosmic fury. The very shadows in the cellar seemed to crawl toward the glass, responding to a rage that felt like it could level the mansion.
You ran blindly, the corridors of the mansion blurring into a smear of dark wood and flickering candlelight. The sobbing breaths caught in your throat, tasting like salt and the metallic tang of the blood inside your cheek. You just wanted the safety of your blankets, the comfort of the dark where no one could look at you with greed or strike you with hatred.
As you rounded the corner toward your room of the house, you crashed headlong into something solid and warm.
"Oof—steady now, steady!"
A silver tray clattered, the heavy ceramic mug of your nightly honey milk wobbling precariously but staying upright in a pair of steady, aged hands. You recoiled, a small cry escaping your lips as you shielded your face, expecting another blow.
"(Y/N)?" It was Mr. Sykes. He stood there, his brow furrowed in confusion, the steam from the milk rising between you. But as the light from a nearby sconce hit your face, his expression shifted from surprise to a grim, weary horror. "Oh, child. Dear girl, look at me."
He set the tray down on a side table with a trembling hand and reached out, his fingers hovering just inches from your face. He didn't have to ask who had done it. There was only one man in this house with the temper and the cruelty to leave a mark like that on a guest.
"Come," he whispered, his voice thick with a mix of pity and fear. "Into your room. Quickly now, before anyone sees."
He guided you inside and shut the door softly, leaning his back against it for a moment as if to bar the rest of the world out. You sank onto the edge of your bed, your small frame shaking with the aftershocks of the cellar.
Sykes moved with a quiet, practiced efficiency. He disappeared into your washroom and returned with a basin of cool water and a clean linen cloth. He pulled up a chair, his joints creaking, and began to gently dab at the corner of your mouth where the skin had split.
"It's... it's my fault," you hiccuped, flinching as the cool water hit the heat of the bruise. "I called him a bully. I told him he was mean."
Sykes let out a long, heavy sigh that seemed to rattle in his chest. "You spoke the truth, little one. But the Magus has never had much use for the truth. Especially when it comes from someone with a heart as soft as yours."
He wrung out the cloth and folded it, pressing it firmly but gently against your swelling cheek. The cold was a blessing, dulling the rhythmic throb that had begun to make your head ache.
"You mustn't go down there anymore, (Y/N)," he said, his eyes searching yours with an earnest, desperate plea. "He is a dangerous man, and that... thing in the basement... it brings out the worst in him. Promise me you'll stay in your room tomorrow. Let the swelling go down. If your father saw you like this..."
He trailed off, the weight of the secrets he kept for Roderick Burgess visible in the deep lines around his mouth. He picked up the mug of honey milk and pressed it into your hands.
"Drink this. It has a little something to help you sleep. No dreams tonight, hopefully. Just rest."
He patted your knee one last time before gathering the basin and the soiled cloth. "I’ll tell the maids you’re feeling unwell and aren't to be disturbed. Sleep now, child."
He slipped out as quietly as he had entered, leaving you alone in the dim room. You huddled under the covers, clutching the warm mug, the silence of the room feeling louder than the Magus’ yells in the basement. Your cheek burned, a physical reminder of the Magus's shadow, and as you drifted into a heavy, medicated sleep, your last thought was of the dark, star-filled eyes that had watched you fall.
The tea Sykes had brought was long cold, the honey settled in a sticky, amber pool at the bottom of the cup. You curled onto your side, pressing the unbruised side of your face into the pillow, but the silence of the room was too loud. It allowed the thoughts you’d been running from all day to finally catch up.
‘Papa’, you thought, a fresh hot tear escaping and soaking into the pillowcase.
You could almost see his face, the way his forehead crinkled when he was worried, the way he always smelled like old books and pipe tobacco. If he saw your face now, if he saw the purple shadow of the Magus’s hand on his little girl, he would be terrified. He’d be so angry. He’d pack your trunks in the middle of the night and whisk you away from this cold, grey house before the sun even rose.
The thought of leaving should have been a relief, but it felt like a lead weight in your chest. If you left, you’d never see Alex again. Poor, quiet Alex, who lived in his father’s shadow and tried so hard to be brave. But more than that...
Your thoughts drifted down, past the floorboards, past the heavy stone foundations, into the damp dark of the cellar.
If you left, who would read to him? Who would tell him about the birds in the garden or read to him? The Magus only wanted to take things from him—his secrets, his power, his dignity.
The image of him lying on his stomach to match your height flashed in your mind. He had looked so human for a second. So tired. A small, hiccuping sob shook your shoulders. You were just a little girl, and he was... something else. Something ancient. But the way he had looked at you after the slap, the way his eyes had gone dark with a rage that seemed to shake the very foundations of the world, haunted you.
‘He was angry for me’, you realized, your eyelashes damp and heavy. He couldn't move, and he couldn't speak, but he wanted to stop it.
You wondered if he was sitting there now, staring at the empty space where you usually knelt. You wondered if he missed the sound of your voice. As sleep finally began to pull at your limbs, heavy and grey, you felt a crushing sense of guilt. You had promised him you weren't afraid, and then you had run away.
"I'm sorry," you whispered into the dark, your voice a mere breath. "I'll come back. I promise I'll come back."
You drifted off then, the pain in your cheek fading into a dull hum, your last conscious thought a prayer that your father would never find out, because the idea of leaving that man alone in the dark was more frightening than any slap the Magus could ever give.
The morning sun was too bright. It spilled across your duvet in mocking, golden ribbons, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air. You groaned, shifting beneath the covers, but the movement sent a sharp, rhythmic throb through the left side of your face.
When you finally gathered the courage to slide out of bed and look in the vanity mirror, you winced. The bruise had blossomed into a deep, ugly plum color, stretching from your cheekbone down to your jaw, your cheek swollen and puffy. It looked like a permanent shadow, a mark of your "disobedience."
A soft, rhythmic knock at the door made you flinch.
"It’s only me, lass," Mr. Sykes’s muffled voice came from the other side. "I’ve brought some tea and a bit of toast."
You hurried to the door and turned the lock, pulling it open just a crack. Sykes looked tired—older than he had the night before. He carried a silver tray, the steam from the teapot curling into the cool morning air. He pushed the door open with his shoulder and stepped in, his eyes immediately finding the mark on your face.
He let out a heavy, weary sigh. "Sit yourself down, darling. Let's have a look at you."
You sat on the edge of the unmade bed, clutching a pillow to your chest like a shield. Sykes set the tray on the nightstand and reached out, his thumb gently hovering near the edge of the bruise.
"The swelling's set in," he murmured, his voice thick with a guilt he couldn't quite hide. "I’ve brought some cold cream. It’ll take the sting out and help hide the color if you have to go out.”
"Is... is he angry?" you asked, your voice small and raspy from crying. "Mr. Burgess?"
Sykes paused, his hand shaking slightly as he poured the tea. "He’s in his study. Locked away with his books and that ruby of his. He’s in a foul temper, but he’s not looking for you. He’s frustrated that the prisoner still won't give him what he wants, even after... well, after last night."
Sykes handed you the teacup, his fingers lingering on yours for a supportive second. "I told the house staff you’ve caught a nasty chill and aren't to be disturbed. You stay up here today. Read your books. Hide away for a bit."
"I left my book downstairs," you whispered, remembering the volume of Greek myths lying abandoned on the cold cellar floor. "The one with Greek myths."
Sykes’s expression softened into something truly pained. "I’ll fetch it for you later, when the guards are changing shifts. No one will notice." He sat in the small armchair by the window, watching you take a hesitant sip of the tea. "You shouldn't have gone down there, (Y/N). Not because you did anything wrong, but because men like Roderick... "
You looked down into the swirling amber liquid of your tea. You wanted to tell him that the "prisoner" had a name, but the secret felt heavy and precious, like a diamond you had to keep hidden in your palm.
"I’m sorry you have to stay here, Mr. Sykes," you said softly.
He gave a dry, hollow laugh and looked out at the rolling English countryside. "We all have our cages, lass. Mine is just made of old debts and bad choices. Yours shouldn't be."
He stood up, smoothing his waistcoat. "Eat your toast. I’ll be back at noon to check on you. If you need anything—anything at all—you ring that bell, you hear?"
You nodded, offering him a small, weak smile. As he closed the door and the lock clicked back into place, the room felt suddenly very quiet.
You touched your cheek, the skin feeling tight and warm. You wondered if he was still angry on your behalf, or if he was just as lonely as you were, tucked away in your separate cages, waiting for the world to change.
The next night, the bruise was a deep, ugly violet that stretched from your cheekbone to your jaw. You had stayed in your room and played cards with Mr. Sykes during the day, but now, in the darkness of the cellar, you let it show. You had to come back. You had to know if he was okay.
The guards were whispering, looking at the glass with wide, frightened eyes. The atmosphere in the basement felt electric, as if a storm were held captive behind the stone walls.
You knelt by the glass, your breath hitching. "I'm sorry," you whispered, your voice thick with unshed tears. "I shouldn't have been so loud. I shouldn't have made him angry at you."
Suddenly, a voice echoed.
It wasn't a sound, not really. It was like a vibration in the back of your skull, a resonance that felt like the tolling of a great, silver bell under the sea. It was deep, cool, and carried the weight of a billion years.
‘Little one.’
You jumped, nearly falling backward, your eyes darting around the empty shadows. "Who's there? Alex? Is that you?"
‘Do not look to the shadows. Look at me.’
Your head snapped toward the glass. Dream was sitting perfectly still, his back straight, his eyes locked onto yours. His lips were pressed together, unmoving, yet the voice in your head was clearly his. It was the most beautiful and terrifying thing you had ever heard.
"You..." you breathed, your hand flying to your mouth. "You're talking? In my head?"
‘I am the King of Dreams and Nightmares. The mind is my kingdom,’ the voice vibrated, softening as his gaze landed on your bruised face. ‘Are you... alright?’
The sheer impossibility of it made your head spin. You stared at him, seeing the way the stars in his eyes seemed to swirl with a sudden, sharp concern.
"I-I'm fine," you stammered, your fingers ghosting over the bruise. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore. I was just worried about you."
A strange, flickering shadow of an expression crossed his face—something that might have been a smile, if the slight quirk of his lips counted as such.
‘You should not have returned,’ he whispered into your thoughts, the voice sounding like the rustle of dry leaves. ‘It is dangerous. The Magus is a man of small soul and great cruelty.’
"I couldn't leave you alone," you said firmly, plopping down onto the floor. "I promised I'd finish the story."
There was a long silence. You felt a gentle warmth spread through your mind, a sensation like being tucked into a soft, velvet blanket on a cold night.‘Then read, little bird,’ he said, and you could almost feel the phantom touch of a hand against your hair. ‘I am listening.’
Summary: John Dee's discovery of his father's journals and grimmauld have instilled an idea that will cost him more than he bargained for.
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. Minors DNI!)
Previous Chapter
John took measured steps through the manor, looking around the void of life space. As he moved between the rooms, he noticed anything and everything furniture, sculpture and painting was covered by a white sheet. Surfaces void of a white sheet had dust already starting to stick, showing that whomever had been there left not too long ago.
“I wonder if they took anything with them?” John asked himself wonderingly.
He weaved through the unfamiliar space like a specter, uncertain steps moving him forward until he reached the back door leading to the cellar. Careful to not trip, John took the steps one at a time until he heard the crunch of glass on the floor. He thought it curious that there was glass on the ground until he looked further and spotted what looked like some form of contraption made from metal illuminated by a beam of light that come from the ceiling. Moving around the pieces of glass as much as he could, John noticed gold paint on the floor. He did the best he could in pushing away the dubri without disturbing the ground underneath and found the remnants of a sigil. Looking around, he noticed chairs and a table all with a clear view of the area where the metal contraption is still hanging.
“Must have been meant to keep something out…” he wondered aloud, as he kept looking around the area, “Or keep something in.”
He needed to find more viable information, if this sigil is to be of use to him he needs to see what exactly it does and how it works. Making is way back to the main floor, John decided to explore the second floor to see if the bedrooms had anything of value he could use. John went to the first room, what used to be Randall’s room, and found nothing. Two restrooms later he came to the master bedroom where he desperately hunted for something, anything, that would help him in his endeavor. Nothing popped up, claiming this room as his own; he moved to the last bedroom on the floor, what used to be Alex’s room. In there, he found all he had been looking for.
Unbeknownst to John, Alex had taken all of their father’s things, to do with magic and not, into his old room. Partly out of shame and need to hide all that brought the Dream Lord to his home in the first place. And the rest due to necessity as the new head of the family at that point in time. Alex’s attempts to bury Robert’s mistakes presented John with all he was looking for and more. To John’s benefit, Robert’s cabinet was there. And as he dug through it he found book after book on magic, magical artifacts and lastly a grimoire. John breathed a sigh of awed success as he ran his hands over the cover. He felt relief and pride run through him in waves finally bringing him a level of peace he had not felt in a long time. Grimoire in hand, he returned to the master bedroom and got in white sheet covered bed. Pulling them over, he closed his eyes and dreamed for the first time in his life. However, these dreams would not bring him comfort, only fill him with the conviction he needed to fulfill his duty.
In the Waking, Dream nodded respectfully at Neryssa as she bid him a good day with reassurance that she would meet him wherever it is that Constantine would be. He’d not mentioned it to her but he had a visit planned to her father’s jurisdiction of the hells. Persephone would not go unpunished no matter what the rules of the Gods say. But before he could do anything, he needed to recover his sand and helm. He must not look weak before the gods, especially the father of his wife. Dream has more to prove now considering the state of his marriage and relationship with Neryssa.
He had been so deep in thought he had not seen the pair coming his way.
“Well, well,” the woman of the pair said a half-grin on her face, “Never did I consider bumping into the King of Nightmares in the waking world. Did you brother?”
The man of the two shook his head, a neutral expression on his face as he kept his gaze fixed on Dream.
“Zagreus, Melinoe,” Dream greeted quietly as he stood from the bench with a tilt of his head in greeting.
“We tried visiting in your realm only to be informed of your absence,” Melinoe said lightly, tone neutral and almost familial.
“Walk with us Lord Shaper, won’t you?” Melinoe asked, the request sounding more like a command than a suggestion or request.
Dream complied, falling into step between his siblings-in-law.
“We have been made aware of things regarding our sister we must discuss,” Zagreus said, tone dark and serious. He, though the middle child, behaves like the elder of the three siblings. Zagreus adores his sisters, he’d kill anyone who would even dare to think about harming them. And even if he did not know the full extent of what his mother’s actions have caused, he knew that things were not at all at peace nor happy between the Lord of Dreams and their sister.
Dream felt an uncharacteristic chill crawl down his spine. Bumping into his siblings-in-law in such a public domain was no coincidence, the topic that is being broached is not one he was prepared to discuss. Especially not in the open, however this might be better in the long run considering both he and Zagreus were not known for being level headed when emotions run high.
~Meanwhile~
Neryssa’s head reached the surface of the Dreaming’s ocean quietly, her nose and mouth still covered by the water. She swam to the shore and made her way out of the water steadily as she looked around. The first thing to greet her was the stench of decay as she drew breath. It was not long before she spotted what had been her home during her last years in the Dreaming. Her cottage, or what was left of it, was exactly where she’d left it at the edge of the beach on a corner of the shores of the Dreaming that were often overlooked. The planchet that once helped her go in and out of the water floated now clung to what was left of the patio of the cottage, the pieces rotten with decay. What shocked her was the state of decay of the area. She had an idea that his departure would have a lasting effect on the realm but never did it wholly occur to her how his absence would affect the realm over a long period of time of him being gone. The sand clung to her feet as she walked on the shore as she approached what had been her home before leaving the realm.
With what little she could muster, she sang a quiet, sad tune as she walked through the dilapidated building. And just like the day she’d built the cottage the sands swirled around like a cloud of smoke solidifying as she walked between rooms. The last thing for her to fix is the kitchen and back porch and attached planchard. Satisfied with her progress, Neryssa walked around her humming, filling the Dreaming once again as it had long ago. The overgrown fields slowly righted themselves, the further in she got. Not too long in, she was met with a tiny flying baby gargoyle.
“Hello little one, where did you come from?” She asked with a giggle as the tiny creature flew circles around her.
“Oh dear, Goldie, come back!” Called an anxious voice through the thicket of trees.
Neryssa looked up to find Abel looking frazzled as he looked about for the tiny creature now in her care…or maybe she was in the care of the babe?
“G–” Abel abruptly stopped when his eyes landed on her, “Oh my word, my lady!”
Neryssa froze in place, she had not been called by any in the Dreaming since the realm had expelled her. To see him still there gave her a peace she had not known she had been yearning for until now.
“Abel,” she greeted, relieved her voice quiet still from lack of use.
Abel bowed in respect once before her, his grin equally as happily relieved to see her as she is to see him.
“You have no idea how good it is to see you my Lady,” Abel said, only to be interrupted by a chirping Goldie, “And I see you’ve met our newest family member.”
“Gregory must be having quite the adjustment period with this new little one,” she said, with a grin opening her hand for the gargoyle to land on.
What she had not expected was the sadness that overtook Abel at the mention of Gregory.
“Has something happened?” She asked, now alarmed.
“My Lord,” Abel began, “Come through to our home my Lady, I shall fill you in on what all has happened since you’ve been away. Do you still favor green tea with moon-peach?”
Neryssa nodded, cradling a now sleeping Goldie as she followed the younger brother to the meadow where he and Cain live.
Along the way, he told her of Gregory and Dream’s return. She’d sensed his weakened form and knew he needed a piece of himself to even consider leaving the Dreaming. She mourned the loss of Gregory, the large gargoyle having been a companion to her during her loneliest moments in the Dreaming. A spike of anger ran through her at the unnecessary loss, what or who could have had the ability to not only summon an endless but entrap them? Whoever they may be, better be dead or she will be the one to have words with them over the world of hurt they caused in capturing Dream of the Endless.
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
Summary: Dream and Neryssa have their first interaction in public, with Dream wanting to leave a lasting enough impression for her remain open to having him in her presence. And John's plans have reached a standstill until he makes his way home.
(Warning: This piece of writing is a work meant for readers 18+. Mentions: Infidelity, spousal neglect, emotional abuse/neglect, and spousal isolation. Minors DNI!)
Previous Chapter
Dream approached Neryssa like a man on a mission…in his mind, he is in fact on a mission. The bouquet and book in hand, he stood before her with purpose. Unlike the times he’d gone to her apartment, Dream had a different mindset when approaching her. This time around, he’s come to realize that he needed to be as much her King as she had been his Queen. He now could not hope that she would at least take his first attempt, of many, at face value, and at the very least allow him to remain in her space.
She had been at the park for not that long thinking on what the next steps would be when she felt more than saw Dream approach. She looked up to find him holding a bouquet of blue hydrangeas, white roses and hyacinths. The meaning behind the arrangement is clear, blue hydrangeas for heartfelt apologies, understanding, gratitude and serenity. White roses for reverence, and deep affection. And hyacinths for sincerity, deep devotion, and love. Granted she didn’t know what love had to do with them at the moment, if ever. She had to admit, even to herself, that this effort on his part is both touching and appreciated. She would not in good conscience forgive him for all he has done with this alone, but it’s a start. He has a long way to go before she decides he can be trusted, let alone be someone she feels comfortable around enough to go to his neck of the woods for any length of time.
“Good morning, did not think I’d see you here,” she signed, half hoping the sign would get him to leave. It wasn’t time for them to meet yet all things considered, “And no Matthew with you either?”
Dream took a moment to reply as he processed the signs and shook his head in the negative.
“No translator?” She asked, teasing half-grin on her face.
“I shall not require his aid for the time being,” Dream replied, the small grin he was fighting to keep at bay peeking through before presenting to her with the flowers, “These are for you, I noticed an empty vase in your home and thought they would enjoy having a home at yours.”
Neryssa gave him a knowing look and moved over on the bench to give Dream room to sit and motioned for him to sit.
Dream followed her request and sat facing her as much as the bench would allow gifts still in hand.
“I can see that you know the significance behind this particular arrangement,” Dream said, seeing the look she gave the bouquet.
Neryssa nodded.
“You’d mentioned last we spoke that I did not have a choice in our union. That I had no choice in who my intended was written to be,” he began after a moment of silence, tone serious and strangely open as he continued, “That may be true, however you also did not have a choice nor say in choosing for yourself either. We had an odd beginning and yet, could not find it in myself to find fault in you and you for some reason found none in me. We had a time where we came together, strangers in strange circumstances, and began to learn from one another.”
Neryssa turned to look at him, her eyes glassy. She’d expected a lot from him but not this.
“I wish to know you again,” he said lowly, voice thick with emotion, “I wish to know you as you should be known. I have no right to make such demands or requests I know, but I wish to make amends. I want for us to try again, as one, as it should have been from the time we were wed.”
“There is nothing to amend,” she signed, a sad and resigned look overtaking her demeanor.
Dream shook his head again denying the claim, panic beginning to blossom in his chest, “There is plenty! I wrongfully accused you of things that were unjust, was not your King nor husband when you needed me to be.”
Neryssa looked at the flowers again, and realized that he is right. There is a lot they need to make up for and the fact that he is admitting, at least somewhat, his understanding of what he had done and how that affected her was a big step on his part.
She nodded at his assessment and tentatively reached for his gifts. Their fingers brushed as she took the bouquet from his grasp, sending what felt like a lighting bolt up her arm. Though gloved, she felt that brush and stilled for a moment as old memories once again fought to the surface.
Dream felt the brush through his being as fiercely as she had. It had been an age since he had felt her touch. The last time they had, they’d been walking along the shorelines of the Dreaming. Her hand in his as she tried to pull him into the waters for a swim, her smile beaming as she looked at him with affection and mischief. She wished for him to see the sea through her eyes. She’d wished to share a part of herself with him in the Dreaming before they were to go on their honeymoon. He could still smell the salt that clung to her skin, see the stars of their skies reflected in her gaze and feel the warmth of her hand in his.
The couple shared a sad look, both for different yet similar reasons.
Matthew from his perch warbled sadly as he saw the turn the conversation took. He could only imagine how this felt for them both after so long and hoped it wouldn’t all be in vain for either of them. What did draw his attention a bit closer was when Dream began signing and Neryssa’s entire demeanor shifted.
“Fuck no, fuck me, fuck that, you do not say it like that!” Matthew screamed to himself in alarm before flying down like a bird possessed.
Meanwhile Neryssa was confused as to why Dream had signed that and looked at her expectantly.
“Excuse me!?” She signed affronted at his audacity.
Dream looked confused at the shift and signed again, “I wish to fuck you?”
“My Lady! Before you do anything he absolutely DID NOT mean to say it like that!” Matthew anxiously said flying in, breathing heavily as he landed in front of the bench.
Neryssa looked at Matthew, brow raised and a look that clearly said, “Really?”
“I so happen to be very certain of this because he has been practicing that since the last time we spoke,” Matthew pressed on ignoring Dream’s affronted stare, “He didn’t mean THAT he meant to ask you out.”
Neryssa looked to Dream, who was looking at anything but her for confirmation. There was a tiny red sheen on his cheeks as she waited for a response and realize that Matthew was telling the truth.
Dream cleared his throat and nodded, still not looking in her direction. What startled him to look in her direction was the shaking of the bench, looking over he saw her covering her mouth with her free hand as she laughed.
He threw her a glare, which only got her to laugh out loud. For a moment, he reveled in the fact that he'd done that. He'd made her laugh in joy and, not cry or hurt.
She signed something to him but he recongized it as an imcomplete sign.
"Boss," Matthew dared to break the silence now able to breathe properly, "She's showing you how to sign it."
Neryssa nodded, affirming Matthew's observation.
Dream skill looked lost as she reached for his sleeve and turned them to face each other. The book he'd held during his erring signing, now forgotten between them on the bench as she took him step by step through the question.
"I you wish to court you," She signed slowly, and had him follow her movements at a steady pace."
"Is that a question or a statement m'lord?" Asked Neryssa half-teasingly.
"Both," Dream replied, signing as well as speaking his response, nerves taking over the previous embarrassment from nearly blowing everything out of proportion, "I wish to court you, will you allow me the honor of calling on you?"
Neryssa grinned tenderly at him and quietly said, "Let us wait until after...and we will see."
Dream nodded slowly as her words registered. He couldn't help the dissapointed drop of his shoulders.
"Boss, she's not saying no," Matthew voiced, urgently saying the words Neryssa was signing, "She wants to wait until after we're done with this tool business before jumping into anthing."
Dream looked at her now, eyes wide as he finally understood her meaning. She wants to wait...for what though?
A tug at his sleeve got his attention.
"Shakespeare, really?" Neryssa signed, a chuckle moving through her as she looked at the book.
"Do you not enjoy his works?" Asked a now-confused Dream.
Neryssa shook her head and signed, "I enjoy a few of his works but not all. This one is not one of them. If you truly wish to call on me, I encourage you to try again."
John stared at the gates of the manor in awe as he finally got the chance to see what should have been his home. The gates were open and the place looked like it had been left to rot. A shame considering the beauty of the place, but that was not why he was here. He was here to claim his birthright, and through that, the jewel meant for him to cure this world of its evils.
He made it to the door and found an envelope in the mailbox at the door. Pulling it out he found the keys and a note.
To whom may concern,
This place holds an evil none on this earth would believe. Heed my warning and should you stay brace yourself for the ghosts that live in these halls.
-Paul
John gave a quiet chuckle, taking the key from the envelope. The ghosts in the halls would be the ones to show him the way and attain his purpose. The question now is where to begin his search.
(Note: Thank you all again for reading! Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!! Tags are open DM if you wanna follow this fic or sandman master list in general!)
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