☾ Dear Mr. Sandman . . . ☽ [ RP w/ LoneDigger ]

[LoneDigger]

The stranger could tell that the other man was observing him casually, but he didn't mind at all. After all the effort it took into placing every tiny detail in this dream and making it seem almost real was quite a bit of work, even for the master of sleep.

But he didn't take all the credit, in fact all these images were extracted from Dell's memories and subconscious, it was only his job to fabricate them together into something coherent enough that when the male awoke he would remember it clearly.

Often times the sandman was a lazy bastard who did not finish his job, leaving humans with dreams that were a complete mess of imagery, memories, emotions, and all the like. Many times when they awoke they couldn't even remember, or things were so surreal they could not comprehend it, and thus would often forget about them in a few minutes.

The only dreams that seemed to stick around were either the really sweet ones, or the really awful nightmares that left them in cold sweat and feeling dreadful for the rest of the day.

 

He could only wonder why Dell was suddenly giving him such an odd look. Was he realizing that he was dreaming?

Before the sandman could even react, the man was lucid dreaming, he had not planned this part at all as he took control of his dream, quite literally by hoisting the stranger over his shoulder. His front end dangling over his back and his legs draped over his chest. -he was a bit heavier than he looked, blame the faint tone of muscles there-

The stranger didn't protest, but he did squirm a bit from the unusual position and made sure to get his revenge the moment right before being flung into the sea he had firmly, yet playfully enough gave Dell a sharp pat over his ass.

[brinary]

The large splash was a resounding clap in the quiet of the beach. Dell put a hand up to shield his eyes from the sudden spray and let the other massage his ass, finally grinning at the events that played out. When the stranger bobbed up from the salt water, the man had padded off the brink as well and was now swimming out some. Dell lifted a hand to squint pass the sun and towards the ocean's line. Faintly, he could still make out the sailboat. It was strangely sad.

 

His hair refused to be tamed and he regretted not having a scrunchie, pushing the now wild and wet curls out of his face as he took a deep breath and dived back under the water.

 

Seaweed and rocks tickled at his feet, but he couldn't see anything. Opening his eyes would be a disaster-- he kept them closed, pretended he was a marine animal like he saw on old documentary shows about the creatures of the deep. Once he surfaced again, Dell wiped a hand over his face and shook his hair out, eyes stringing from the salt still there.

 

"So." Dell went back to the sandier waters, stumbling as he padded up to sit where the waves were crashing, anticipating each rush as his fingers played across the sand to grab stones and shells just as the wave hit hard. "Who are you?"

[LoneDigger]

The sandman disappeared underneath the water for a few seconds before emerging again in a soft splash, the droplets of water shining against the sunlight as he shook out his hair which was completely soaked and weighed down against his head.

Also... he must have lost his shades when being thrown in the water as now his eyes were revealed and they were a bright blue, not the color that should have been for a man of his complexion, but yet it was not impossible. Just very unlikely, but sometimes genetics are strange.

 

He would have just stayed there in the water, but remembering about bloodthirsty sharks and stingrays he quickly swam back to the shore where it was presumably safer. He did not need his terrible brother getting any ideas of how to turn this scene dark.

The man let out a soft grunt of displeasure at every seaweed that touched him felt like the fin of some marine animal that was stalking him, but that was only the imagination playing it's tricks.

 

So he plopped down next to Dell again, keeping his toes in the waves and hands buried in the warm sand. It wasn't quite the same as stardust, but it wasn't exactly bad either. He could get used to it actually...

 

"Who do you think I am?"

[brinary]

The sound of the waves was more real now. Dell enjoyed the immersive experience, eyes closed, and basked in the warmth of the day. The grit of the sand against his legs and in his shorts as stubby rocks and weathered shells raked up and down his skin gently. There were so many times where he missed the simplicity of his home, as reckless and dangerous as it was. They'd left right on the edge of him being too old to not remember, and too young to be torn up by the sudden change-- the very pinnacle of adolescence.

 

Recently he'd longed to return.

 

It was harder to find witch doctors without being ostracized, even more difficult to be tortured in landscapes that you once knew, only to wake up in an alien environment in contrast. The dreams he had sometimes made those places look like distant memories. But here, now, he felt like it was even more solid. A fantasy the younger him would have, to lay at the beach, older, stronger, with a companion to watch the waves with.

 

Dell lingered on that knowledge and it fed into his silence when the question was posed, collecting shells the waves would deposit and clean off in the crevice of his shoulder. "Are you the spirit from before? The... the voice, I heard, when things were static-like."

[LoneDigger]

"You should know what I am... I'm someone from a distant memory, or someone you who created in your subconscious."

 

"But who I am you are right... the same voice from before just taking on a new form to inhabit."

 

Morpheus explained patiently, trying to say things in a way that would make the most sense to Dell as he did not wish to confuse him further.

This was just a fun, relaxing day at the beach after all. No need for headaches or worrying over such things.

Even the sandman enjoyed very much being in a setting such as this, as every night he was an actor on a new stage. Some of the shows were wonderful, and others just downright chaotic.

[brinary]

He hummed at the information and faded back into stillness, silence. That wasn't very surprising. The only times he'd had good dreams- twice in a single day, what luck!- was with the mysterious voice present. At least now he could put a body to the sound. Strangely, Dell felt like the Sandman's form was in contrast to what he'd imagined it would've looked like from his voice. But also, it fit perfectly. He looked like a soothing character.

 

It had to have been something from his subconscious, because Dell wasn't getting any memories of whoever's face and body the spirit had adopted.

 

"I feel a little bad." Dell slowly brought his legs up and rested his chin on his kneecaps, snorting. "I always feel bad. But I feel..." he trailed off then started again, stammering. "I feel, for you, regarding you, I feel bad. Neglectful... I don't know how it works. But I feel like I present a work hazard." He half-laughed again and grinned out at the peaceful setting.

 

He'd have to enjoy this for as long as possible. It'd all be gone soon. "I'm sorry about this. About me. I have a sense that you're the type of person... or, type of, entity, that doesn't deserve all of my mess."

[LoneDigger]

"Oh, you're feeling sorry for me? What about you? I'm not the one who has to live this everyday... I mean... yes I inhabit dreams every night, but it's my brother who gets the nightmares while I get to deal with the pleasant ones, and at worst the obscure when I'm too lazy to make a proper dream."

 

Was that too much information at once? Dell had just made a simple statement and now here he was ranting off about himself. Maybe he really was getting too selfish these days. But it was never so simple, his job was so eternal yet personal it was draining even for the Sandman. Yet he never knew what being physically tired was, only witnessing it every single night in all creatures that slept.

 

"... And what makes you think that you deserve it?"

[brinary]

Dell took what the man said in stride, quieting as he listened. So there were two entities- one for the good and neutral, and one for the bad. Is that the one he'd heard before?

 

Before he could linger on the memory, the Cuban smothered the thought and focused on watching the waves lap at the other man's feet as he spoke. The two questions hung in the air for a moment before Dell shrugged and chewed on his lip. Trying to think of a proper response was easier said than done. There was a lot of emotion behind the answers to those questions and he didn't want to smother the spirit with his bullshit.

 

"I mean... I must have done something- or been some type of way- to have to endure this." Dell picked at a scab on his leg mindlessly, shrugging. "There are things I can't remember or recall, choices that I thought or think were minuscule that weren't. So I don't know. But having gone through it for so long, you know, I..." he huffed, at a loss of words again before finishing, "I just have gotten used to it. Used to it all. It's not great, but after a few years, eh. You... get used to it."

[LoneDigger]

The sandman stretched before suddenly drawing his legs up to his own chest and mimicking Dell's posture, his own head resting on his knees as he tilted his head to the side so he could study the other as he spoke.

 

"You always think there is a reason for everything... Have you ever considered that it could be out of your control?"

 

Even Morpheus knew exactly what the other had meant when he said it. That actions can and do have consequences that can be unforeseen, but sometimes it seemed like mankind was too caught up on the direct cause and effect logic that beings such as himself weren't even derived from.

 

"Used to it, hm? I wouldn't speak in such a way... You are barely coping. Even I know that."

 

It was not spoken harshly or with any judgement, in fact his voice sounded almost sympathetic. He was somewhat responsible, this was his job, and that other guy was his brother... so they were all connected in this.

[brinary]

When therapy used to be a treatment he actively sought out, Dell's licensed practitioner said eschewing responsibility would only further feed into his steady stream of insomnia. It was only by facing the root- himself- that he could prune the garden of himself and make way for productive growth and longevity. Dell made a noncommittal noise and looked away, turning his head to rest a cheek on his knees.

 

Out of his control. Such a scary thing, the loss of control. Not having it to begin with. His mother was ardently religious but putting his faith in higher powers wasn't comfortable. Of course believing was one thing-- but losing control... He didn't think he could do that. He didn't want to think of what that meant.

 

The spirit's blunt words made him chuckle. "Yeah. I... Hah. Hahaha, yeah, barely coping's a way to put it," the man giggled out faintly, mirth hollow, as he turned his head again, this time looking at the other as they both presented a reflection of the other's position.

 

"Why'd you choose to visit me like this?"

[LoneDigger]

"Why not I ask? It's a lovely place to be... maybe one of the most desired..."

 

The Sandman murmured as he gazed into Dell's eyes for a short moment before he had to look away again, staring out at the blue green sea and foamy waves.

The currents carried so much weight to them, bringing all sorts of things to the shoreline. Treasures and secrets from the deep depths...

 

He looked out further and could no longer spot the small sailboat he had been keeping his eyes on before. Where had it gone?

The sky was clear, but the wind carried doubts and threats of storm...

[brinary]

Questions popped into Dell's head but he kept his mouth shut. Instead of acting on his curiosity, Dell let himself watch the strange man for a longer moment. He was certainly dreamy. Not just looks, but the essence of him-- it wasn't something solid, it was something so easy to slip through the fingers, and Dell felt a pang of hope that he wouldn't forget him. Wouldn't forget this.

 

Unfolding himself, the man stood and stretched, padding out a few steps and crouching in the on coming waves to wash off his sandy lower half. "Let's go build a sandcastle." He stared down at the other and smiled, playfully nudging his side with his foot. "It's a good way to spend the time when you have good company."

 

He poked him again with a toe before walking past and returning to the little set-up the spirit had, a few more items than before present. Dell's talent at lucid dreaming was beginning to show, the Cuban picking up a few buckets, shovels, and molds while grabbing himself a small bottle of apple juice from a cooler filled with ice and other treats.

[LoneDigger]

Morpheus watched as the male dipped himself back into the sea to wash away the sand. He found himself admiring the simple details... the way the water subtly changed the color of Dell's skin and how his thighs were clearly a bit too buff for the shorts, but it was charming somehow... his own were the opposite in that they were slightly too large on him. And both boasting such bright and tacky designs you would find in any respectable tourist shop along the coast.

 

"Oh? And how did you know that playing with sand is what I do best?"

The sandman grinned softly, obviously he was trying to be funny with that bit of obvious humor as he stood up and dusted himself off before padding over to see about making the best sandcastle this beach had ever seen.

He helped himself to a neon pink spade, filling the yellow bucket with the sand that was right between the upper part of the beach and between the water... It was just damp enough to be the perfect consistency for building.

[brinary]

Dell snickered at that. He quite liked this sandman character, this spirit. He was utterly charming, flat in his approach but not so blunt as to be dismissive of emotions, and seemed to enjoy fun. These were all welcome changes of pace. As he sat with the other man and began to fill starfish molds with sand, creating a perimeter for the burgeoning castle, he made an annoyed sound and sighed.

 

"I never asked what I should call you," he mumbled, somewhat embarrassed at his own mental slip. "I think you know my name. And maybe you have many names so I'm going to go ahead and say this is my roundabout way of asking you what you'd prefer to be addressed as." Dell still had a few shells and stones he'd been cleaning off in the waves prior and began to decorate the impromptu "gate" of starfish with them.

 

"Maybe proper introductions are good? I'm Dell. Thanks for hanging out with me," the man chuckled, cheeks flushing at the ridiculousness of his words. But this situation was fantastical in of itself, so it was warranted, this fumbling.

[LoneDigger]

When he heard the exasperated sigh leaving the man he half expected to see their sand castle in ruins, but that wasn't it. Something else was bothering Dell and he would soon hear what exactly the problem was.

A bit childishly, he found it hard to stop when he was in the middle of something and right now he was working on adding windows to one of the sand towers using a tiny piece of drift wood as his stencil.

But it was considered rude not to give one's fullest attention was asked a question so he reluctantly set the piece down and turned to face the other with a faint smile, the sunlight caused him to squint but also gave his blue eyes a mischievous look.

 

"I do have many names... but the closest name that I have is to a proper name would be what the Greeks called me... Morpheus. All the others in Europe and the like gave me more... literal titles."

 

"Well, it's nice to finally properly get to meet you. Dell."

 

He tested out the name just to see how it felt rolling off his tongue and he decided it was quite nice. Even more so how the other was getting so flustered all of a sudden. He had nothing to be shy over... they had already spent lots of time together and he was just the sandman in disguise... nothing special, right~?

[brinary]

Ew. He was actually really charming. When Dell looked at the sunbeams bouncing off those squinted blue eyes, he was hit with a wave of goosebumps and nausea. Something made him look down and away. The man refocused on decorating the starfish with a goofy grin edging up along the corners of his mouth. "It's nice to meet your properly, too, Morpheus," he returned somewhat quietly then cleared his throat to speak up. "I'm glad you decided to... I don't know, to visit? Would it be considered a visit?"

 

Dell stood back from the starfish and busied himself with doing something else that wasn't looking at Morpheus. He was downright cute. If Dell had common sense, charisma, quirky rejoinders, a sense of flirtation, and more mental stability he would've totally told Morpheus he was glad such an old legend still had such a youthful, bouyant spark. But that sounded like a backhanded compliment and Dell was well aware of the fact that he'd butcher something like that.

 

Morpheus said his name, Dell. Not, 'nice to meet you, Dell' but 'nice to meet you. Dell.' All on its own, his own name, he'd not heard himself be addressed like that in what seemed like years. It was always his last name, always his very first, or the occasional 'dude' from people in his apartment complex. Fixating on something so seemingly trivial was odd but Dell felt like it was important somehow.

 

"You're nice to be around," the Cuban said once he finally felt confident enough to say something again, working on expanding their castle's accumulated acres by adding another, smaller castle near it.

[LoneDigger]

"Well... considering how you called out to me and now I am here inside your dream, I do believe I would be considered a visitor."

 

The sandman remarked with a smile. It was funny because usually the only ones who would summon him were children because they had a better sense of the mystics and things that were only real in the mind and heart.

Adults usually lost their sense of wonder and therefore didn't bother with things that they couldn't even explain or prove were really there.

But even so, if the sandman wished he could visit anyone in a dream as long as there was an opening and a shape for him to borrow.

 

Morpheus couldn't help but smile even wider at that remark. It really wasn't often at all that he got to interact with someone like this... usually children and their dreams were so full of random joys that it made it hard to even carry on the slightest conversation with them.

 

"...You're a really good guy, don't ever forget that."

 

He replied, lightly touching Dell's shoulder for a just a moment before returning to extending their castle by using bits of seaweed washed up to make a little garden.

He wished he could have said it better than that, but it was hard to express himself sometimes. His social skills were very rusty when it came to non children.

[brinary]

What a pleasant day. Dell was beaming and openly blushing at Morpheus, buzzing after the touch to his shoulder and the man's kind words. He ducked his head and looked away. It was quiet for a moment before he breathed in, shakily. "I really appreciate it, Morpheus." It was such a nice name to say, Morpheus, a nice ring to it. Dell wanted to say more but just couldn't. There were thoughts that were swimming in his head but nothing was landing and Dell, he wasn't going to open his mouth and let his shitty thoughts pour out in something incoherent.

 

As their sandcastle grew in perimeter and size, Dell adding rounded dome tops and pointed crowns, shaving off little pieces of corners to create cute crevices, the day seemed to slowly dim. By the time the man had paused to lay himself out on the beach, legs spread and drinking his juice, it was the late evening. Oranges and yellows and purples were spread like ribbons with clothesline clouds slinking their way across the sky.

 

Looking upward toward the setting sun, Dell's vision landed to the blackening ocean, the horizon darker now with that sliver of light. "Is there a time limit on how long you can be with someone, in their dreams?" he asked quietly, not really looking at Morpheus as he took in the changing surroundings in quiet awe.

[LoneDigger]

Morpheus was also struggling to find words, he had felt so genuinely sad when earlier how Dell had spoken as if his insomnia and nightmares were his fault or something that deserved to happen to him. That's why he just had to bluntly tell the other that was okay, that he didn't believe that he was bad or deserved any of it.

When speaking to children in dreams, he was able to get away being more nonsensical in the way an immature mind would thrive on. The young ones had more a sense of magic and imagination. Frequently his body was in mythical creatures or friendly animals, sometimes as a knight or prince. Things children dreamed of when they were happy.

 

But when it came to adults he frequently took the shape of real live people, such as friends or coworkers, and sometimes even as their lovers. It wasn't because he was an intrusive creep, well, some might say so. But it was his job, whenever a good dream could be made he could slip into it as long as he had to shell to enter.

Never could he be inside a nightmare. In that way he was lucky, he never had to experience pain or fear, or loss. He always got to see and experience the good stuff of dreams.

Maybe that's why his brother was so wicked, he never got to feel true bliss of a sweet dream. Only the terrors of a person's greatest fears.

 

The sandman was snapped out of his deep thoughts occupying his mind, when finally Dell spoke and he glanced up to see that the sky was already fading into sunset pastels. This whole time they silently played in the sand and decorated the castle the time went by so slowly, yet so fast.

 

"Whenever you wake up again I will be gone... the dream itself is the only thing keeping me here. I can always visit you again another night if I can."

 

He longed to visit again, but the truth was he purposely avoided making that a promise since he may be summoned by another child or perhaps his brother would beat him to Dell's mind again.

But seeing how Dell really needed him now... The sandman wondered if a person could die from something like this. Being so sleepless and plagued by terrors every night was no way to live, it had to be killing him slowly.

[brinary]

"Mm.." Dell realised it wasn't a sentence or full word, but he felt at a loss. He could finally feel the pieces falling together of why the day had such a sense of sentimentality. This was almost an exact recreation of the ending of one of the last day's of his barely normal life. The senior class had decided on a skip day. He and his small group of friends had all piled into a truck and went off-road, rumbling along with music playing and laughs exchanged as they made their way to the beaches in the early morning and gotten there right in the afternoon. They'd unpacked coolers of beer and set up towels, running around to play volleyball with an impromptu net, sand flying everywhere as they kicked soccer balls.

 

They'd caught crabs and cooked them, explored the whirlpool adjacent to the edge of the beach, and its corresponding caves, buzzed with excitement. And all at the end, Dell had padded out to the edge of the shore and sat down to watch the setting sun. He wasn't a senior himself, just a 16 year old who got roped in the thrill of delinquency and basked in the waning energy of that day.

 

Dell sniffled and wiped at his eyes, sputtering a laugh. "I hope you do. That we see each other again." When he felt comfortable about his appearance, looked back at the man and their castle. "If you don't, it's fine," he added, sensing the 'if I can' to hold greater implication. "If this is the last time I ever see you, I'm glad it happened in the first place. So don't feel like it's an obligation or anything," Dell elaborated with a wry grin.

[LoneDigger]

"Oh, don't say it like that now... You will see me again... I just don't know when... I can only hope it will be very soon."

The sandman smiled, and suddenly it felt like this dream could not last long enough when he felt so needed here.

Dell deserved to get some shuteye, and for that he needed to have his mind a peaceful retreat just like this beach was.

He was sure there were other happy memories he could recreate if only he could pull them out of Dell's deeper parts of the mind. Hm...

 

It was time to go fishing.

[brinary]

His lip trembled again but Dell soldiered on in his grin. Standing, he walked back over to their little project and observed it from all angles, slowly walking around. "I'm sure your workload can be pretty demanding, but yeah. Seeing you sooner than later is optimal." It was so strange to have one of his first friends in years be the spirit of dreams. To think that he could tell his mother something like that. She had always been so worried about him getting out and forming connections.

 

Friendship. The man paused, looking at Morpheus with a small smile, then felt his stomach drop out at the uncalled for thought: this was a dream, and all dreams had to end. Especially the good ones. How long had he been in nightmares for, where they stretched on for years and years and he woke up without barely any time passing? Five minutes couldn't be considered a good night's rest, even if the dream was so pleasurable and soothing.

 

And what if he was firmly imagining things, his subconscious desire for companionship and love and pleasantries and fun finally embodying itself as a manifestation of the sandman?

 

The sun seemed to fall out of the sky completely and the beach was swiftly bathed in black, the dark ocean's tides inching up further and further past the established shoreline. Dell took a breath and sat down, hissing through his teeth as he rubbed circles in his forehead. "Shit, sorry, sorry." He was in control of this-- he could change things. But the progress was already going fast. He could feel it falling apart, trying desperately hard to just stay anchored with Morpheus near him. Lucid dreaming and consciousness were battling it out, the atmosphere tensing as the world remained clear with a slight blurring around the edges.

[LoneDigger]

Darkness was crawling in, changing the landscape into something new. The only light was the full moon above the sea, and suddenly there was the sailboat pulled up to the shoreline and the Sandman walked out towards it and climbed it and soon the small vessel was drifting back out towards the water again.

 

"I have to go now... but you will see me again."

 

He called out from the sailboat, his voice clear yet becoming distant as the tide pulled him further away and a wind seemed to kick up.

Morpheus was going on a little adventure deeper into the dream, past the limits of Dell's lucidity.

Something really intrigued the master of dreams about this man and he had to learn more.

Suddenly he threw something off the edge of the boat that sparkled in the moonlight before landing in the water below, it was a fishing net. But not for catching fish but instead lost memories and dreams.

[brinary]

That was probably the last thing Dell heard as the dream fully collapsed around him. He felt the distress clawing up his throat then a sudden suspension of his body- almost peaceful, in a way. Dell slowly opened his eyes and thought he was in another phase of a dream. He was slowly breathing into a harness over his face and squinted around at the white all around him. Slowly, beeping begin to gain a shape instead of being a blurred, pesky noise. Dell squinted and blinked again.

 

His body was attached to various machines and he felt bone tired.

 

Turning was painful and his body was tense. Dell grimaced at the feeling and tried to crane his neck around and find out what time it was, sitting up and then immediately settling down with a pained groan. A hospital attendant seemed to notice the dilemma. Not because of actually seeing him but probably due to the painful yank and beeping that taking an IV out of one's system would produce.

 

Dell watched as the doors open, now sitting up in the bed without being so entangled and was fretted over. When he asked the nurse what time it was, she pointed out that it was 11:30 at night-- from the next day. Dell's family had rushed him to the hospital after finding him asleep and entirely unresponsive after eight hours, which was lucky-- he stopped breathing shortly into being examined. It took time to shock his system again into a normalized state where he seemed to briefly gain awareness but his sleep patterns indicated deep REM.

 

The nurses turned on the television for him and instructed him to lie back down, as they would administer some food for him momentarily. The doctor was supposed to be on call and had taken a particular interest in his case, so he was notified that his appearance would happen sometime after a surgery or two. At Dell's quiet insistence, they turned off the lights to the room so it was dimly lit and the TV was buzzing along, leaving the man to ruminate on what had transpired.

[LoneDigger]

Something was very off about this, the television was turned on. But there was no station, or some kind of interference since the screen was just that eerie static.

The nurses seemed to be changing too, they suddenly seemed less warm and real and more like something out of a old black and white film. Their movements were slow, almost robotic.

 

Then it was time for the doctor to enter the room, and there was something very strange about him too. Even if he wore a smile, it was not reassuring at all. There was something very wrong with this but it was like Dell couldn't move, the IVs that were made to save his life were suddenly like chains holding him down to bed, and instead of pumping medicine, they were dripping poison that was paralyzing him. They seemed to coil like snakes, but when the man were to glance at them they were back to normal, as if his mind were playing sick tricks on him.