The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Extras: Outline/Synopsis (WIP)

Jibril disrupts Morpheus on his desert holiday and asks him to operate a mirage. Morpheus accepts the assignment and with instruction un-anchors the tent in time so that visitors form any age may find shelter with him there. Jibril departs, saying it is up to Morpheus whether guests are given "illusion or something real".

Morpheus soon gathers that though each guest chooses the form he will shift into, he is still able to choose whether he has any physical contact or intimacy with the guest or befuddles them with sleep and dreams.

After many guests, Morpheus senses the next form chosen for him is his own body.

JULIEN, a vampire, arrives at the mirage having recently survived a plane crash while traveling between Los Angeles and Karachi. Morpheus chooses to reveal that he has never met Julien before, though it is clear that from Julien's point-of-view they met in his past. Cautiously, Julien reveals that in his time he's recently entered a relationship with Morpheus, he has been unaware of the Djinn, he has regret about events in their past, and that on the day he recalls meeting Morpheus, Morpheus "walked right up" asked for a kiss and said "no one else had ever done it."

Debating whether it is possible to break the time-space continuum or whether one can still choose a lover based on attraction after knowing of relationships in future timelines, Morpheus and Julien do make love while in the mirage.

Their time together is interrupted by a call on a mobile device which Julien brought with him, but does not identify as his. Unknown to Morpheus at the time, it is his future device which will be modified to receive interdimensional signals. Julien answers the call and reports "they" are coming for him.

Vampires ATHEN and FAYE arrive as Morpheus anchors the mirage in their time. They announce that Joy is in some trouble and Julien is needed to help, and depart without formal goodbyes.

(4) Back in the Night Regions, Morpheus mopes over the fact that he's fallen in love but does not know when he and Julien will meet next or how that version of Julien will feel about him. Maya tries to help by teaching Morpheus how to create and focus a scrying pool, which he then uses to spy on a young, human version of Julien. Opium steps in to say it doesn't seem healthy behavior and sends Morpheus to visit his Grandfather, Jibril.

On the way to find Jibril in The Allegory, Morpheus encounters DANIEL NEVER, a spirit who in child-like language indicates that Joy is his mother and has sent him. Together they locate Jibril and Daniel is given permission to stay. Jibril offers Morpheus an opportunity saying it is place of the gift he withheld at the Introduction. Morpheus is confused by the unusual order of events, but Jibril explains "usual is not only" and strongly implies that Raphael, Gabriel and himself have all been mentors to Morpheus.

Morpheus agrees to the offer to be partnered with a reincarnated soul. He forms a lizard body out of his own polymorphic flesh and calls for one of the waiting souls, who then introduces himself as RIVER.

Morpheus returns to Opium's den and introduces River to Opium, Absinthe and Laudanum. Questioned about his recent mopiness, Morpheus expresses self-acceptance of his fluid sex and gender while asserting he has preferences.

Opium announces that she has just heard from Jibril who has assigned Opium and Morpheus to go together to The Empty World to look after Joy.

(5) Morpheus prepares for the trip by doing research on New York City and Lizards in the Library of Fiction, but his departure is delayed by politics in the Night Regions which involve PSYCHE and EROS being missing and Opium covering Psyche's duties.

Morpheus accompanies Archon Remiel to Sleep's house where Children of Night TRISTOPHER and ABSIDUS are arguing over whether they can take action related to the presence of several Satans in the Empty World. SPLENDOR, Psyche's child, gives testimony that Psyche, divorced from Splendor's father Eros and dating the vampire Athen, is apparently being held against her will in the Empty World, after attempting to investigate whether LUCIFER abducted a vampire named BLADE, whom Splendor confirms is Julien's biological sister.