#li answer

Much love, Fauxraven

It is high time I come back to writing in here.

I will start by answering some questions, I've been overlooking for a while and then will share why I was away for as long as I have.

Let's discuss my favourite Sandflower interactions though. Thank you for the question and this is going to be quite lengthy as a post, but please bear with me. + the interactions are not ordered by how favourite of mine they are, but rather chronologically for the sake of order in the post 🪷

!Spoilers for the entirety of the Sandman comics under the divider!

Season of Mists

This one is very easy. It's the first time they meet and immediately two panels are very important to me as far as their relationship goes.

People make the VERY wrong assumption Nuala was always enthralled by Morpheus but she wasn't. She met him under her "Ice Maiden" title - a fairy so desired men died for a sliver of her attention. She went to the Dreaming as ordered by Titania, the reasons for which could be discussed in another post. Nuala being a gift to Morpheus is a very calculated move by Titania, putting both Nuala and Morpheus in extremely uncomfortable for them positions. Initially. The reason I love this panel is because it shows simultenously that Nuala didn't care about Morpheus at all and she was being arrogant towards him.

The second interaction in Season of Mists that I want to point out is this panel right here. Although on the surface this entire interaction is quite meaningful this panel right here is very important for two reasons. One and that is the obvious one, he is forcing Nuala on a journey of self-discovery and love, stripping the deceptive glamour thrusted upon her from the moment she first existed (all fairies wear glamour). Second, Morpheus notes to "misliking little magics in his realm", which is factually untrue - everything in his realm is magic in one form or another. What he dislikes is not being in control of the magic being distributed throughout his realm. So here already he had begun very clearly being dishonest with Nuala, which we will see further becomes a pattern - he will say one thing and do the exact opposite.

A Game of You

The famous page. But what people rarely talk about this panel is that Morpheus makes the active choice to be nice to her. Something he doesn't do. It is okay to not believe me, but go back, read for yourself, Morpheus doesn't praise people, he doesn't hand out empty compliments or say nice things to people in general. Now, this is the first time he does that with Nuala. He will do it one-two more times I think - he will praise her to other people and briefly before they separate for the last time. Nuala is someone Morpheus harbours positive feelings for. However, from that point forward, we will see Morpheus making the choice to act in a way he usually doesn't and do things he doesn't usually do. This is the face of the Sandflower community (me and my three bitches), but it is not my favourite panel by a long slide.

Brief Lives

I can choose a lot of interactions from "Brief Lives" however that will take an excrutiating amount of time. The most important thing about Brief Lives is the pendant Nuala receives from Thessaly, Morpheus' nasty attitude, because he is being whiny he got broken up with and what a wonderful pretty girl Lala is. This panel encapsulates that so that's why it's here.

THIS interaction has to be top 3 of my favourite interactions between them. Remember when I said in the beginning people hold big misconceptions about Nuala as a character - that she is a weak, spineless character that fades into the background. This panel is my favourite to disprove those.

"Nuala is meek to Morpheus."

No, Nuala likes Morpheus, there is a difference. Because if she was meek, she would've never stood up for herself or put him in his place, which she does in this very conversation despite their more than obvious power dynamics. While Morpheus shows open distain for her people, Nuala simply and confidently tells Morpheus she cannot change who she is, which is a surprise to the Dream Lord. She is unwilling to allow to be slandered like that whether he is a king or a jester.

This one is here because 1. He lets her keep the pendant, which at that point is not deliberate on his side but it will become a point of deep connection between them (there is a theory about the pendant, another post I want to write a lot), in a way he didn't have with Thessaly mind you. 2. He calls her "Little one" and I think that is adorable.

World's End

I will not put anything from Worlds End because it's the most important Sandflower volume in my opinion. I will, at some point write a whole post about Issue #52. For now, if you're interested go read Issue #52.

The Kindly Ones

This is my single favourite panel in the entire Sandman. Nuala and Morpheus were the original "You came/ You called" and I can't wait to see it in the series through the eyes of Nuala's actress and Tom Sturridge. ( I want to write a whole separate post about the pendant too, so, for now this is enough).

And lastly, I could put their whole conversation here and I could put the numerous comparison's between Morpheus' relationship with Thessaly and with Nuala. But I won't do that because they are irrelevant.

When Nuala became "The Maiden" both in the sense of the Kinly Ones and Persephone, she became a tragic figure bound by her love for a man that is quietly self-distructive. If you go back and read through the comic, there is a distinct uncertainty about Morpheus' coldness from his official partners - Calliope says he suddenly became cold; Thessaly believes he sees people as things he wants until he gets them and then he gets bored; Titania does not talk a lot about the nature of their relationship, however from context we can infer he also stopped responding to her at some point and she is still hung on him (as seen by her conversation with Nuala). Only Nuala recognizes his coldness for what it is - a deep inner hatred of himself and usage of loneliness as a means of punishment of himself. She ecognizes the patterns of his behaviours from his standpoint as opposed to her own, symbolizing the level to which they are connected, whether we as readers realize it or not (because I initially didn't). Nuala wants to save Morpheus, but she is very well aware that she can't.

As for Morpheus he choose Nuala as the last woman (because he did choose to go to her, he had every right to refuse and protect his kingdom, despite the boon) to visit before his death, even though Thessaly had at that point broken him up and he had given up (as by the red flowers in their feet). It is such a heartbreaking panel. Because it is the one that actually shows the depth to which Nuala sees Morpheus past his mask and the level to which Morpheus lies to her for a reason we never find out.

An amalgamation of all they had experienced together is him saying "He didn't notice" and yet, no one who has read the comics from start to finish believes Morpheus. He doesn't believe himself. She was the last person outside of his closest circle he ever saw. Why? Because of his responsibility to a boon? No. He could've left, he knew she would understand, even though she was most adamant he should stay. He stayed because he wanted.

~*~

My personal belief here is that Morpheus in his evident self-hatred did everything in his power to make Nuala turn away from him. He recognizes her as something good and we know Morpheus does not believe he deserves good things. So their last conversation is also a way for him to hurt her to a point where she wouldn't be in pain once he dies. Because she is good and he is not.

Author's note:

It's on posts like these that I realize how much I've uncovered about Sandflower since I first started. I genuinely thought I was in a crackhead space and yet, going back and reading again it's truly baffling how many times Neil wrote actions instead of words - because the good thing about comics is that we can not only read we can see, and the actions Morpheus takes towards someone he doesn't seemingly care about all that much, do not align with his words. I encourage everyone to make their own headcanons or draw their own conclusions. These are my personal and of course they highly reflect my biased viewpoints.

Love,

Just asking because I’m always so in awe in how much love and care you have for the character and it’s overall such a nice vibe you bring to the fandom 🖤

What a truly wonderful question! Thank you so much!

I will do my best to answer, please bear with me.

First off, I have indeed always had fascinations with fairies. Ever since I was a child, my favourite characters were Tinkerbell and her gang, which at the time looked a tad different, but Tinkerbell was the very first character I fell in love with.

Both the old Pixie Hollow and later the new Pixie Hollow fairies were my chosen Disney poison.

(If anyone ever asks me, I will go into heavy detail).

Another big inspiration to my character love roster (please, bear with me, this is all relevant, I promise), was the original run of the WINX club.

And specifically from both, my favourites were Tinkerbell and Flora, respectively. Now, I am not saying, there is a pattern, but it is quite...on the nose.

The influence is undeniable, side by side.

Another favourite visual inspiration of mine is the Kpop girl group, Red Velvet. Nuala encapsulates a lot of their aesthetic, so that certainly was there as well. Especially, Wendy, is a very seemless Nuala stand-in to me. Because Nuala sings and there is no voice in the entire industry such as Wendy's. So yes.

However, it is certainly not enough. There a lot of beautiful women in the Sandman - Calliope, Titania, they are close to that concept, however why Nuala?

To me the answer is simple - Nuala is one of the very few modern female characters that encapsulates girlhood. She is not a girlboss, neither does she have it all figured out. Cluracan and by extension, Titania in combination with Morpheus, throw her in for a ride where she is forced to explore all that she is, reevaluate it and come on top of what makes her, her. I think this is such a human thing, where our environmental circumstances put us in situations where we are at a loss, so then we have to actually either adapt or lay down and die.

And that very thing, is what makes her the most unique Sandman character to me, alongside Morpheus. Nuala is diametrically opposed to Morpheus. Being put in imprisonment (Nuala was very much imprisoned in the Dreaming, I could write a whole post about that) Morpheus and Nuala react to their world differently. Of course, Morpheus was far more limited and yet, he could always reach out to those who would've helped him. He didn't. However, Nuala in complete opposition makes the best of her circumstances - she makes connections within the Dreaming, creates a "life" that wouldn't fill her with absolute dread, despite the crippling wish to be free. Morpheus believes he shouldn't bother anyone and hence always carries the world on his shoulders, while Nuala infamously says:

And I think THIS one, THIS panel right here, it made me fall in love with her helplessly. She opposes Morpheus by simply breathing, by simply believing no one has to be alone in this world. She is hope. She is kindness. She remains kind throughout everything that happens to her. And even though she cries for Morpheus, she also realises this os her right and it is her journey. And I think if people took her a bit more seriously, they will see what I see. That kindness is not weakness and kindness can be beauty.

But all and all:

"People need people."

Author Note:

I hope this answer made a smudge of sense.

My inbox is always open!

Love,

Of course!

I would love to elaborate.

Spoilers for early "The Dreaming" run (1996-2001)

First and foremost, it is important to note that there is a difference about what is considered canon in "The Sandman" universe. If you ask DC, the entire "Sandman Universe" is Sandman canon, however Neil considers canon only what he has wrote, meaning the 10 original volumes, Overture, The Dream Hunters and Endless Nights. Majority of the fandom henceforth also only considers canon what Neil considers canon.

This is what I mean by technically canon because "The Dreaming" was not written by Neil, but it's still part of DC supposed canon. And in Nuala and Lucien "develop" a relationship in "The Dreaming".

I am not a big fan of their dynamic and in general any portrayal of Nuala, outside of Neil's and I am highly critical of it. I do not support Nuala and Lucien's relationship from that standpoint, because as mentioned in a previous ask, for me to enjoy any Nuala dynamic, the dynamic should not change her fundamentally to make it stick. The authors of "The Dreaming" however grossly misinterpreted her character and made her...into something that makes me seeth with anger.

I will give you the shortened version of it and will attach some panels, so you don't waste your time:

In "The Dreaming," Nuala explores the Waking World in her "real" form, and she is not very happy. She meets Cluracan, some irrelevant shenanigans ensue in which Lucien falls in love with a human woman I believe (it's painfully bizzare) and once this woman dies, they kind of make it seem like Lucien SETTLES for Nuala, there is simply no better way to explain it. On Nuala's side, she falls in love with Lucien because she shows her a bit of attention, and after the plot irrelevant shenanigans, she REVERTED BACK TO HER GLAMOUR! Because idk why...AND THE PENDENT...they made her destroy the pendent Morpheus bestowed her. Like...a whole mess, really

So in "the Dreaming" Nuala becomes this insecure, small, sad woman that reverts back to her old ways for sliver of the attention of a man, who only chose her because his human love died. And that is weird for Lucien too, because Lucien belongs with his work husband Mervyn the Pumpkin and Lucien and Mervyn are married (I can go into detail about that some other time).

And that is so wrong, it fundamentally misinterprets and strips everything Neil wrote from a very intricetly written character.

The new run of "The Dreaming" does not fare better. It misinterprets her in COMPLETELY new ways. I also have to note that "The Dreaming" run really soured the possibilities of this ship for me. But I am a very free for all person. I think that a cute ship with Lucien is plausible. Very low chances of canonality in the show, but plausible.

I will be honest of course and say that neither Lucienne, nor Nuala are my first choices for each other, as Lucienne with Gault and Lucienne with Mervyn are equally very important to my health, however, I think it's cute.

As I've said before, they read cute girlypop books and make flowercrowns together.

Those are all my thoughts really on that!

If I can be of anymore help, my asks are open 🫧

Love,

Hello 🪷,

I am looking forward to participate in the femslash! as well!

Well, Nuala is a pansexual character and as all are well aware, I am mostly shipping her with Morpheus (any gender Morpheus).

Nuala and Lucien were a couple in "the Dreaming" and the thought of NualaxLucienne is a very plausible WLW in my books.

I feel I have zero right to tell people about what ships are acceptable. I know I am the Nuala presides, but I can't tell what people should like. As long as she is not put in a situation that grossly misinterprets her character, you will never hear me complain.

Some WLW ships of the Sandman that I endorse to a variable degree:

Nuala x Lady Morpheus (SapphicFlower) - Lady Morpheus is a separate canonical version of Morpheus so I think they are different to Sandflower. Dynamic wise as well. I think Lady Morpheus, which unlike our Morpheus is not self-destructive, recognizes the pretty fairy with the kind tone and she dotes on her greatly.

Nuala x Lucienne - It is technically canon, but also not really. But I like it a lot, I think they gather flowers and read together.

!!! Bast x Johanna (big ship of mine) - very obscure and crackship, but if anyone has the time, I will go into detail why those are LESBIANS!

!!! Wanda x Death (big ship of mine) - second pair of extremely important for my mental health LESBIANS!

!!! Lyta x Calliope - the MOTHERSHIP. IF YOU GET IT, YOU GET IT. IF YOU DON'T...try.

As to where to read about any WLW Nuala ships, there isn't any. Almost all written Nuala content, with the exception of I believe two, is written by me. There is a very big Sandflower Project that is taking the majority of my time in the last four months and will probably continue for the next at least six, so I do not have the free time to write as much free form as I want.

However, I do most ARDENTLY hope that a lot of people will participate in the femslash and will write about Nuala, Lucienne, Johanna, Lucifer, Foxglove, Hazel, Barbie, Nada, Death, Desire, Despair, Titania, Alianora, Lyta, Calliope, Rose, Wanda, Chantal, Zelda, Gault. We have so many beautiful WOMEN and Non-binary femme representation to write and celebrate!

If I can help with anything else, my asks are always open! <3

Love,

Nuala of the Faerie sketch 🥺💕

This sketch is very precious to me. It's Nuala in her rawest, happiest moments.

💗 Private commission for me 💗

Thank you anon for the question!

Coincidently I do have a full list of Nuala's comic appearance because I collect first edition issues of all her appearences.

The Sandman (1989-1996):

Issue #26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 35, 42, 46, 49

✨ Issue #52 ✨My favourite issue of all time!!!

Issue #57, 58,61, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72

As everyone knows I do not endore the Dreaming, so I do not see the reason to share those, but if you wish anon, you can write me again, I will add the Dreaming. It's simply not canon and it will leave you angry. That is all that it will do.

I hope I was helpful. My asks are always open!

Love,