#Acedragontype

[gabessquishytum]

https://www.tumblr.com/intolunarorbit/751488123902574592/010-just-beat-the-shit-out-of-me-instead

Hob @ Dream

This is SO real I think Dream would rather be flayed alive than have any kind of emotional confrontation with himself.

Hob is trying to take the positives from the situation: Dream safeworded within 30 seconds of a self-compassion exercise, but AT LEAST HE USED HIS SAFEWORD, RIGHT?

[qqueenofhades]

Hi Hilary! I could use some help with something. Do you know some topics for historical tangents a history professor (Hob) could go on while talking to some students? Like some interesting discussion ideas? I was not a history major and I’m now drawing a blank 😅 I’d appreciate it greatly!

"Right, morning everyone... MORNING... yes, we all do know it is morning and I would like to remind everyone that it's not my fault we were scheduled at eight bloody AM. Consider it building character. Great. Let's get started. Can we put the phones down, please. In my day we didn't even have phones. No really. We didn't. Really didn't.

Anyway, so where were we? Ah, yes. End of the Western Roman Empire circa 476 CE, which stands for the secular Common Era, which historians now generally use instead of the Christian A.D. Anno Domini, which trust me, they used when I was born, because I am very old. Ah, you're laughing again, because you think I'm joking. Which, er, I definitely am. Anyway, the so-called collapse of the Roman Empire is one of the most mythologized events in the Western historical canon, and there are accordingly a lot of misperceptions about what happened and how. As we covered in the last class -- well, can anyone tell me what we covered last class?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Come on, one of you, just raise your hands. I don't bite.

Fine, all right, I'll do it myself. Again. Last class, we covered the eventful fourth century in Roman history, where the empire split into western and eastern halves, eastern Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, and established his capital in Constantinople, which would later get the works from the Turks and become Istanbul. The western capital moved to Ravenna in 402, and it had been in Milan before that, not Rome. No longer the center of power as it had been for many centuries beforehand under both the empire and the republic, Rome was infamously sacked in 410 by the Visigoths under King Alaric I. The Supergoths. The Ubergoths. The Verygoths. The Turbogoths. All right, I'll stop. The Visigoths had formerly been a Roman client kingdom in the south of Gaul, which is the modern country of -- anyone?

Anyone? Anyone? Oh come on.

Yes, thank you Sarah, it was in fact France. See everyone? Not that hard. Now that we're up to speed, right, the so-called End of Rome in 476, when the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by Odoacer, general of the Ostrogoths. Not the Visigoths. Definitely different thing here. The Alsogoths. The Othergoths. The Ohgodthosegoths. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I swear I will actually stop. But the common narrative from then is that Rome just bloody disappeared altogether, the Dark Ages started, it was grim and miserable and murdery all the time, everyone forgot how to do scholarship or art or religion or anything else, and then miraculously a thousand years later, woo, the Renaissance! Everyone sorted their heads from their arses and could do maths again! I'm sorry about saying arses. Please don't report me to HR, they've had enough of me already. Anyway, this argument, despite its long-time supremacy in the Western historiographical canon and Western popular culture, doesn't make sense on any number of levels. And that is because? Can anyone give me just one reason to start with?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Sarah again, yes, thank you. I appreciate you greatly, Sarah. Yes, for one thing, the Eastern Roman Empire still bloody existed! It was literally that meme where we're announcing that Rome is dead, Constantinople wants us to stop telling everyone that they're dead, and we sigh that sometimes we can still hear their voice. Yes, I know what a meme is, don't look so surprised. The city of Constantinople became the center of Roman culture and power, though we call it the Byzantine empire to distinguish it from the pre-476 Roman empire. It used Greek instead of Latin as its primary culture and language, it was Orthodox Christian instead of Catholic Christian, and while it was no longer the multinational power player that its predecessor had been, it still produced some heavy hitters. Such as Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, who actually, albeit briefly, reconquered the territories of former Rome in the west, and was married to the very fascinating Empress Theodora. We'll have to get back to her, but anyway, in the territories of Former Rome, such as modern-day Spain, France, and Germany, there were still client kingdoms who were directly descended from Rome and who premised their new independence on their Roman inheritance. The Visigoths -- yes, them again -- in Spain, the Merovingians and the Franks in France, the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in Germany, and other. So tell me, can we really say that Rome collapsed, exactly, and/or disappeared, instead of just dissipated and re-formed? We still had Latin as the language of state administration, the Roman Catholic Church as the supreme religious and cultural arbiter, and other major innovations that would last through the Middle Ages. Where does this whole Dark Ages thing come from?

Anyone?

Anyone aside from Sarah?

Oh, God's wounds. All right then. The idea that Rome disappeared overnight and took everything good with it is a projection, a fiction, popularized by proto-Renaissance and Renaissance writers who wanted to legitimize their look back into the past. We're getting ahead of ourselves, but the idea of the Dark Ages as this backward slovenly time of idiocy and misery -- it just gets me very worked up, all right?! Yes, written texts and certain other traditional markers of historic narrative became much scarcer than before, and we don't know as much about it as we do the more meticulously documented societies on either side, but it's only dark because we've decided that Rome, the brutal excessively slave-owning militaristic expansionist violent empire par excellence, was the marker of all culture and the peak of Western civilization for all time and nobody else could ever come close! This is how we get bloody Game of Thrones insisting that the medieval era was always filthy and dark and full of rape and violence and morally awful people -- so tell me, George, which part of your fantasy novel, the dragons or the ice zombies, were we expected to read as actual literal truth? It's just because we want to protect the idea of ourselves as so much better than people in the past, and the past itself as full of terrible violence that is somehow worse and more primitive than our violence, and that surely we could never do that because we're so much better! Which is total bullshit! Bullshit!

...yes. Thank you. Right. I'm fine. I'm absolutely fine, I apologize for that. Just a bit of a trigger for me. We'll get back to the lesson now, yes. I'm warning you, though. If you use Dark Ages uncritically in your essay, I am knocking you down a full grade. No matter what."

[cuubism]

I wonder sometimes what would happen to Hob should the dream of a thousand cats thing succeed. Would he still be immortal? Would he still know Dream? Perhaps the Cat of Dreams is particularly fond of one specific human 👀

(Since you were asking for Dreamling stuff)

omg this is a wild thing to consider. since the dream theoretically makes it so that the new world was always that way, i imagine Hob would lose his memory of all that transpired in the other timeline-- or it would get transposed into cat world 🤔 i think Hob must have been that one insane guy who was like 'i'm gonna live forever guys!' while dangling from the jaws of a cat that's trying to eat him 😂 everyone thinks he's nuts

I think he must have caught the cat of dreams attention somehow... probably by doing something stupid and insolent XD thereafter Dream decided that Hob would be his little pet. he still meets up with Dream, it's just that Dream is this bizarrely sentient huge cat that somehow doesn't want to eat him 😂

or else, since Dream usually appears to everyone as their own species, he still looks human to Hob, until Hob goes to the Dreaming with him and is confronted with what he can only interpret as the Cat Overlord 😂 and Dream tells him of the alternate universe where humans were the dominant species and how a thousand dreamers can make it happen. and instead Hob gets a thousand people to dream that he's a cat so he and Dream can live in cat bliss forevermore. he's normal like that.

[magnusbae]

13 books

What’s up readers?! How about a little show and tell? Answer these 13 questions, tag 13 lucky readers and if you’re feeling extra bookish add a shelfie! Let’s Go!

Tagged by @cuubism Thank you!! 💖 Heads up: if you're tagged, you don't need to read it alllll even if you do want to participate 😌

1) The Last book I read:

I'm pretty sure it was Tress of the Emerald Sea, what a delight!

2) A book I recommend:

.... The Way of Kings... (The Stormlight Archive)

3) A book that I couldn’t put down:

The second book of The Stormlight Archive, Words of Radiance had me by my throat like nothing else. wow. 👏🏻

4) A book I’ve read twice (or more):

Listen. I'll list something other than The Stormlight Archive just because this is getting embarrassing. The books I used to regularly reread were: HP, Eragon and Assassin's Apprentice. (full series rereads, crossing the 10 each) 😌

5) A book on my TBR:

I have a hefty amount of books I bought and never read. Ranging from classics to cheap fantasy-- but alas, my brain is fixated on the other author who doesn't disappoint me and so I just stick to his books XD

Some of the books sitting on my ineffective 'shame you into reading' shelf are: Captive Prince, the rest of the Wolfsong series, the.... shadowhunters books... the new trilogy about Fitz which I have in hardcovers yet never read. And some... others...

6) A book I’ve put down:

One of the reasons I am avoidant of taking on new books at all is because I have a very hard time putting down books I started. I'll suffer through entire series just for the few grains of gratification in the end. Or to... spitefullfy and confidently say it sucked balls.

However... three series managed to break me.

First being GoT, I just didn't manage to get through, not even 10 chapters. A true oddedity for me, but I just couldn't.

Second being The Witcher. I managed to power through like 4-5 books? And then I just couldn't do this to myself anymore. It was so, so, so not my vibe. (even while the pc game is about my most favorite game ever.) 🤷🏻‍♀️

And lastly, although I think I did finish the entire series before deciding that if ever a new book came out, I'll never read it, was the-- god what's the name of it... the First Law Trilogy – The Blade Itself etc from joe abercrombie. What a bleak series! Oh my god!

7) A book on my wish list:

My honest wishlist is just to keep on reading Brando Sando in my slow and enjoying-it phase... Although I admit that there's a large amount of those new spicy fantasy books apparently being released that shorts recommend and older folk rant about, so I naturally do want to check it out to see what's up with that but.... in truth... I just want to keep on enjoying Brando Sando XD

8) A favorite book from childhood:

I genuinely really loved Eragon. Oh and Artemis Fowl was all fun. I also really loved Tunnel in the Sky, like really.

9) A book you would give to a friend:

ngl it'll be an unapologetic The Way of Kings with big and passionate begging session of 'please give it a try' like for real.

In case any one of you is actually interested--- (you don't have to read this part) -inhales deeply-

The Way of Kings is a truly misleading book, that might leave you with the impression that the book is all about wars and kings but that is the furthest from the truth a description and a cover and a name can go.

It has fantasy, it has deep and rich world building, elaborate magic system that is deeply embedded into the story, culture and literal every single stone of the world. There's politics, culture, introspection, deep and varied characters, each reading like the main character of the story, having unique and vibrant personality and motivations.

It is not just a book, it is a work of true and deep love for the genre and writing in general. Beautifully done, enriching and enticing.

And what's most important for people who read too many books?

Hard to predict. It managed to pull the rug from underneath my feet in the most surprising and pleasing ways. Brandon writes in a way that is not 'shock just to shock' nor 'drama just for drama'. Every single scene is true, and forward. You always have everything right in front of you, the key is that you do not know how to put it all together just yet.

That can finally give that refreshing 'I don't know where it's heading but I'm enjoying the experience" I feel I had lost over the years, being able to recognize patterns too easily and predict writing intentions.

God, what a book! It does however have a rough learning curve, being such a massive world, it takes time to ease you in. Say about at least 5 chapters in at the minimum. On a personal note, I recommend the audiobooks read by kate reading and michael kramer, literally the best experience I've ever had, listening to those two bring to life every character and accent and scene, wow!

10) A book of poetry or lyrics that you own:

Come to think of it, I don't actually own any. Ha.

11) A nonfiction book you own:

I don't haha! Looking back, it's a lie, I have a few phycology books gathering dust in various hiding spots.

12) What are you currently reading:

........The Way of Kings....

13) What are you planning on reading next?

.....Words of Radiance.... haha. 😋

Y'all don't need to read all them answers in case you just want to answer it for yourself, or you can skip, too 😊😊😊

@mayhemspreadingguy, @pollyp, @nonbinary-nicolo, @msmongoose, @hardly-an-escape,

@ladymatt, @underacalicosky, @grapenehifics, @your-lordsherlockholmes-posts

@acedragontype, @palfriendpatine66, @heretolurkandnothingmore , @virahaus, @wallsinmyhead

@kittttycakes, @elcaballerodragon, @justsuffilike, @pumpkinkingsalem, @handahbear

@willameena

I am certain this is 13, I am certain. Cheers 💖💖💖

[arialerendeair]

You know, I really appreciate the reblogging spree going on with Dreamling Week because there are a lot of older posts that I’d never seen before because I joined the fandom late. I say “old” despite it being less than a year lol but you get what I mean. It’s nice to see what I had missed, that I might never have seen otherwise.

That's precisely why I'm doing it!

A whole bunch of people have never seen the origin posts that led to dozens of fic ideas, or memes that were old and relevant at the very start of fandom!

Dreamling is one of the first (and ONLY) times I was in a ship at the very fucking beginning, and I had the spoons to make sure I tagged everything - and now we're all enjoying the benefit of it!

I'm up to... I think November 26th in my reblog spree, and eventually, I'll catch all the way back up again, with everything queued for all of your viewing pleasure!

It was about 900 posts total, and removing some duplicates (though not all), my fic chapter posts (I'm planning a Fic Masterpost instead), I think it's about 700 or so Dreamling posts that are hitting my queue, and then another 150 or so from @softest-punk that I threw back into circulation!

If any authors or artists out there have a Dreamling Fic/Art Masterpost that they want me to reblog, send me a message on Tumblr and I'll get that set to reblog too! (I'll try to make sure those get reblogged to the Sadman Blog too - so everyone gets some visibility!)

If I have time (cries, so many things to do), I want to make a few rec posts as well, just haven't had a chance yet, it's on my list to potentially do this week!

Hope you are having an amazing week!!

[appletunistic]

Trick or treat! 🎃

Happy Halloween!

Your blog reminds me of:

Kyurem from Pokemon Black/White!

[nientedal]

Hi Dal!!! 📓? I always love everything you write <3

Ooooo let's see. It's funny, at this point there aren't many that I haven't at least STARTED to write down, but...

sometimes i play with ones in which megamind gets attacked. and these can go one of two ways, either they can go "roxanne stops the attack" or "roxanne pursues and retrieves megamind because No. Mine. also, How Dare." and it's late and i am sleepy so in this case i'm going to go copy down some stuff i wordvomited into a discord server 3 years ago lmao - because how about a brainfic in which they have to get married And Then Figure Things Out Later? it's part of a category of stories i call Roxanne Saves The Day And Megamind Is Surprised

it's not ARRANGED marriage, but it is marriage, and it does set up some neat fake-relationshippy vibes that you can then play with however you like. in this particular one, we start off thusly-- we see Roxanne walking up the steps to City Hall to do something or other (I don’t know what it is, that’s not really important to the plot). She’s thinking to herself, probably reviewing whatever it is she’s here for

and. then. there are. screams. screeching tires. a shout (megamind, panicked). we see Roxanne turn. and we see: a sprinter van. large, white, no windows. it has jumped the curb and narrowly avoided hitting a fire hydrant. and we see: Megamind running, turning with his usual gun in his hand, lifting it to aim. we hear a shot, we see his hand jerk, we see the de-gun fly out of his grip and clatter across the steps towards Roxanne.

Roxanne is good at noticing lots of things very quickly. Roxanne HAS to be good at that in order to keep up with Megamind’s plots and make fun of him on the spot during kidnappings. And Roxanne sees: no shoulder array, no cape. panic on his face. a dart in Megamind’s wrist before he yanks it out and throws it and keeps running up the steps. Roxanne sees: men in white coats exiting the sprinter van

...Roxanne does not know what the fuck is going on, but she has seen enough at this point to know she doesn’t want it to go any further. She runs for Megamind’s gun, grabs it up, rolls the barrel to destroy (because Roxanne does not fuck around). Takes off across the steps on a collision course for Megamind.

he’s only a few steps from the doors when he staggers and falls. she fires a couple wild warning shots to make the whitecoats stumble back-- she gets Megamind’s arm over her shoulders-- gets her arm around his waist-- drags him up the steps and into City Hall with her.

inside city hall, a security checkpoint. a gate to go through, with a bag scanner. Roxanne has: a recognizable face, a ray gun, a stumbling Megamind, and no time. she hauls Megamind through security without any issues by yelling something about a meeting and and something about metro man, and then she takes off down the hall. Nobody moves to stop them.

well. they MOVE, just... like, i figure most citizens of Metro tend to freeze when Megamind appears on any given scene??? it’s safest. you stop moving until you can tell where he’s going next, and then follow the recommendation of the artist Ludacris. by which i mean you Get Out The Way

so anyway, megamind doesn’t have his cape, but he still has his belt, which means he has pockets. Roxanne knows the contents of some of these already because come on, of course she does, she's seen how he operates only about, oh, a million times. she drags him into an empty conference room and starts going through his belt’s pockets until she finds his hard-light sheet, which in my head is baaaaaasically a crinkly, thin blanket that operates along the same lines as the Invisible Car

and then she sort of……arranges herself and Megamind so they’re taking up the least amount of space possible, out of the sunlight (to avoid reflection), and hides them under the sheet. it’s not a perfect hide, but as long as they stay very still, probably no one will see anything out of place. probably.

(oh, btw, i'm giving y'all the absolute simplest, most complication-free rundown of this scenario. there are SO MANY PLACES you could go with this, so many places this could go wrong or complicated.)

Megamind has his knees to his chest and his head on Roxanne’s shoulder. she has her arms around him, one up around his shoulders and the other just around his back, with the de-gun in her hand, just in case (of course).

he’s immobilized but he’s conscious, and he goes absolutely rigid when the door to the conference room bursts open and the light clicks on. Roxanne holds him tighter, holds both of them still. a security guard circles the conference table. checks underneath it. leaves. (OR they're found. OR it's metro man, who definitely knows they're there, but covers for them. or or or, etc.) Roxanne doesn’t move. she’s not planning on moving for a good couple hours, at least. Just to be safe. “who are they?” she asks. “the guys in the van, why are they after you?”

He makes a noise that sounds like it’s trying to be words. Roxanne pats him and stops asking questions.

a while later, he mumbles, “I have something they want.”

“and they can just…take you away. in broad daylight.”

“i’m not human. and I’m a supervillain. the few rights i do have, no one is going to fight for”

roxanne is quiet for a while. then she says, slowly, “I have an idea, but…you aren’t going to like it. do you have any kind of government-issued photo ID?”

"ID yes. photo, no."

"….we can probably work with that anyway. marry me."

megamind's reaction to this is one of the things i enjoy playing with, so there isn't really a standard one, but it's mostly variations on the theme of "…wat."

but basically, the idea is that spouses have certain privileges denied other family members or close friends. If Megamind DOES get taken, in broad daylight or otherwise, then Roxanne will have legal recourse to fight tooth and nail to get him back.

"but you're dating metro man"

"correction: i am bearding for metro man, and he keeps saying he owes me for it; he'll help. look, we are already in city hall, i think marriage licenses is….third floor? probate? yeah. third floor."

anyway, she texts metro man. he comes in, agrees to help -- basic cover story: she was pretending to date wayne to keep attention off her Secret Clandestine Relationship with Megamind. in my head he's like, "oh shit, okay, yeah -- and i've got lawyers you can borrow, no problem. and uh. oh! oh yeah, hang on, gimme like…….twenty minutes, I'll be right back." (give me a wayne who Means Well and Does His Best as an adult, but just isn't very good at actually thinking, lol.) anyway he comes back with a couple of sparkly rings to really sell the story, and they get a marriage license. and then they have to hide for at least 3 days, because Michigan requires a lag between obtaining the marriage license and the actual marriage itself.

so, that's the basic setup. like i said there are so many ways you can change it and play around with it, it's a lot of fun!! megamind is reeling because this??? is apparently a thing roxanne (?!!!??ROXANNE???!!!) is willing to just…DO for him???? and roxanne is PISSED that this is even a thing that needs to happen because tHIS SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING MEGAMIND HAS TO WORRY ABOUT, this is something NOBODY should have to worry about. what the fuck.

AND you get THREE DAYS of NO MARRIAGE for them to talk and angst and maybe have a small fight and then make up and realize how close they already are, and they have to act, in public, like they've been dating for a couple years at least! so, that's fun.

oh, and as for Minion: he is hiding in the lake. they're welcome to try and catch him there, but he is a fish in lake mcfuckin michigan, good luck.

so, the three days, the only way this works in my head is if evil lair has been compromised? because otherwise megamind just…wouldn't get caught, right? so wayne brings them to a safehouse and it very much has only one bed and it IS the sofa (it's a pull out bed)... OR he takes them to the Fortress. but that…that's a lot of trust. so, probably not that.

so here's one iteration of the safehouse scenario, based on a pull-out sofa bed my husband and i actually tried to sleep on one time. it was queen-sized. the mattress was three inches thick and had springs that dug into my ribs. THE ONLY way either of us got any sleep was, I starfished across the whole thing, and the boy made himself a bed on the floor out of the discarded sofa cushions. so, roxanne-starfish-megamind-floor is how they attempt the first night, but megamind is not good at sleeping in unfamiliar beds. and he is very, very stressed. he does not sleep well. roxanne winds up dangling her arm off the side of the sofabed and sort of…draping it over his shoulder. or his head. or holding his hand. you can put it pretty much however you want, it just depends what dialogue you use.

night two, they try leaning on the arms of the sofa, and stretching out a little bit and squishing together. they can maybe wake up with their legs kinda. stretched out. tangled up a bit? i'd say "it works great" but it DOES lead to a massive crick in at least one of their necks, and if megamind sleeps at all, it isn't very well. and so finally Roxanne is like, "okay, look. fuck this, I need to stretch out and you keep gasping awake and neither of us is getting any sleep, come here." and she turns to sit backwards against the armrest that's against the wall (so she can lean her head back) and Megamind sits between her legs and sort of…reclines back against her with his head on her shoulder & the arm of the sofa, and Roxanne holds onto him and he pins her upright and she can lean her head sideways down against his, and it works:

listen, i see a megarox, i have to put them in a cuddle. i'm a simple creature, i have few needs, megarox cuddles are one of them.

.......anyway there are about a MILLION BILLION PLACES YOU CAN GO FROM HERE WITH THIS, depending on how plot-heavy you wanna get. but this typically tends to be where i taper off, because this is one i play with for cuddles and angst and not much else.

(there's another version where they get him into the van and roxanne has to call another villain to help get him back. but i'm still working on merging it with the "fake" marriage one, lol.)

[issylra]

💌 Send this to the twelve nicest people you know or seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome.💌

❤️❤️❤️

[rainbowvamp]

Fandom year in review: 11 and 24?

11. Biggest squee moments of the year

My second re-watch of "The Sound of Her Wings" The first time is to see, and the second time is to revel. I have never enjoyed something so much in all my years of recollection.

(Also, when my comments on the letters fic surpassed the number of kudos. equally exciting. equal amount of dopamine deposited.)

24. Fandom resolutions for next year

To finish the sequel to the Letters Fic (I have a tendency to abandon fics. I don't want to abandon this one. I love it too much)

To comment more frequently, and to try to comment on every chapter of a fic, not just the final chapter (The people who have been doing this on my letters fic have literally made me the happiest I've ever been, and I want to be that person for someone else in this fandom)

To not have more than one long WIP at a time. I can do one shots to my heart's content, but no more starting multiple WIPs in a fandom. It overwhelms me and I can't finish them. This is me trying to curb my adhd.

Thank you for sending this! <3

[windsweptinred]

Hey Red, I love your work, I hope you never stop creating. 😉

Seriously though, I think your art style is so freaking cool and you always have interesting meta analysis <3

Gah 🙈... I didn't mean me. Burries into my blanket fort to be all British and embarrassed. 😅

Thank you so much though @acedragontype. Really really ❤️❤️. And I'm so glad you enjoy my meta/headcanon stuff, it's the thing I enjoy doing the most.

[gabessquishytum]

You know what concept doesn’t get explored enough in Dreamling fic? Dream teaching Hob how to read. Like, I’ve seen one or two off mentions of it in canon adjacent fic, but nothing that really gives focus to that idea, y’know? And while I think it would be fun in canon, I’m gonna go au real quick.

So Hob as one of those kids unfortunately left behind. Probably a combination of living in poverty and his undiagnosed adhd. And he’s definitely way too embarrassed by this to actually ask anyone to teach him. So now he’s an adult who doesn’t know much more than his own name and his numbers. And while that probably wouldn’t be enough for most people to get by, what Hob DOES have are people skills. His ability to charm people and talk around them let’s him get through life well enough.

Then there’s Dream, mister wet cat himself. If he’s not an Author™️ then he’s definitely a voracious reader. But he has a personality of a damp paper bag. Like, even he has to admit his lack of social skills is actively hindering his life and relationships at this point. Probably add some autism for ✨flavor✨

But Dream does have moments where he’s too observant for his own good. Which is how he clocks that Hob avoids reading like the plague. (I’m envisioning Hob as a bartender at the pub Dream goes to to try and learn human behavior. But idk if he could avoid reading with that job.)

So Dream corners Hob and proposes a trade off: Dream will teach him how to read and Hob will teach him some social skills. Once Hob realizes he’s not being threatened (seriously, Dream really sucks at this talking to people thing) he hesitantly agrees. At least it’s less embarrassing if Dream also needs to be taught something? And it would be rather helpful…

Obviously during the course of their lessons they fall in love 🥰

This means so much to me!!!! I love it. The idea of Hob hiding the fact that he can't read is so heartbreaking but actually so real and its way more common than people imagine.

I also love the idea of Hob + Dream = One Normal Functioning Adult. That's my favourite thing, when they're each other's missing puzzle piece <3

I figure that Hob might have picked up a few words from around the environment of the bar. Like, each tap has a label on and he knows exactly which is which and he can technically read "Guiness" and "Wherry" and a few others, but they're not the most useful words. Anyways, Dream gets the idea that he'll keep using things around the pub to teach Hob to read: menus, newspapers, posters for old gigs, crisp packets. It's a good way for Hob to build confidence before Dream presents him with an actual book.

And similarly Hob uses the bar as a place to teach Dream about social skills. He coaches him through identifying body language and expressions, quizzing Dream on how he thought each customer might be feeling. Then he encourages three way conversations between him, Dream and regular customers. He gives Dream topics to focus on and gives him safe ways to get out of an interaction that he's not vibing with.

By the time Hob stumbles his way through his first novel, Dream is able to talk to a stranger about the weather without any issues. And they're both mutually crushing on each other so hard!! It only seems fitting that the pub which has been such a cornerstone for their friendship and some pretty awesome personal milestones, is also the place where they have their first date.

Hob reads love sonnets to Dream in a hushed undertone. And it's like the whole building sighs happily at the sights of them together <3

[qqueenofhades]

I also have a local election, so I was trying to do research on the candidates. Which is fine for the state level. But at the local level they’re all labeled nonpartisan. And of course the local paper’s breakdown is 1) not at all detailed enough and 2) behind a paywall -_-

That’s not even getting into how confusing and deceptive the referendum questions were worded *sigh*

I mean yeah, accessibility is always an issue (often deliberately so). But that doesn't mean there aren't ways to get around it:

For one, candidates for most city offices will have campaign websites. Google their names and see what you find. See what language they're using, who they are endorsed by and if you recognize any of the names, who those organizations are, etc. For example, I searched all the names for city council and voted for the two progressive Democrats who a) had been endorsed by progressive Democratic politicians/organizations and b) had an actual, demonstrable track record of involvement in local government. We had a very crowded mayor's race where almost all the candidates (aside from the one Republican, BLEH) said things about affordable housing and cost of living and climate change, but plenty of them didn't return calls from newspapers or didn't release tax returns or didn't have plans, and clearly just wanted their name in the paper.

So for mayor, I voted for the candidate endorsed by the big city paper (very traditional of me, I know) after reading his bio, seeing that he was a registered Democrat who had run for other state/federal Democratic offices, had solid progressive ideas AND plans to carry them out, and would otherwise be able to do a good job. Because there are so many candidates, we will probably go to a runoff, but yes.

If there is a paywall problem: try getting a browser add-on that disables paywalls, disable JavaScript, or just suck it up and pay a few bucks to look at their coverage. Most papers will have subscription sales, i.e. $1 for six weeks, a month, six months, etc, and it is probably worth it to stump up one dollar to read about local candidates (who have the biggest and most immediate impact on your quality of life.)

Ballot questions ARE deceptive, intentionally so, but most municipalities will issue "blue books" or voter's guides, which you will just have to read carefully. I.e. one of the ballot questions here was whether we should preserve a golf course that nobody uses (in a dry western city and that sucks up water) in the name of having "green space," or if we should use it to build affordable housing, which is a HUGE problem here. At first glance, the people opposing it are marketing it as "save the park/green space/environment!" even though as noted, it's a golf course that isn't even used and is just sitting there. You have to read past that and see what's actually being proposed and who it's going to help, and yes, a new affordable housing development focused on helping underserved populations is more important to me than a frickin empty golf course, green or otherwise. So I voted for it.

Anyway, yes: VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS, Y'ALL. THE END.

[cuubism]

For the WIP game I have to ask about In Waking Dreams, it's my favorite.

@acedragontype oh no 😵‍💫 I've been so slow at finishing it. it makes me very happy that you like it though :)

I've been slow but I think I finally got past the mental block I had in terms of the last chapter. Now that we got past the climax of the fic it's been hard to wrap it up, and I care so much about it being right. But recently I've been rereading the old chapters and taking notes on what I want to include in the final part, so I feel I may finally be able to finish it now :)

Here's a little piece-

The world swayed and ached. Hob tried to steady himself. Vast waves of dark sand stretched out below his feet. Water lapped against the shore behind him, oily and black, the endless sea turning and foaming. Far in the distance, past dark planes and silhouetted against a grey sky, he could see the jagged spires of an impossible castle. And not two meters away from him, staggering to his feet on the sand— Hob nearly knocked him right back down, he hugged him so hard. He wrapped his arms around his husband, one hand tangled in the back of his long cloak, the other buried in his hair. Dream pressed his face into Hob’s neck, arms around his waist.  Hob had him back, had him in the real world too, for the first time, but still it was such a relief to see him here, in a dream, where they’d first met, where they’d come to know each other. Things finally clicked back to where they were supposed to be. The world around them seemed to agree. The sand shifted restlessly under their feet; waves curled against the shore, lapping higher and higher; overhead, the grey clouds parted, finally letting through a faint trickle of sun. “My dreamer,” his husband murmured as they swayed together, his voice again that low rumble Hob knew so well.

[alexxuun]

Alex you can't make that post and not expect me to ask for (sandman but also any other fandoms) fic recs 🙏🙏

This is so not fair because all of them are so good and I can’t fit them all into one ginormous post 😭

Saint Morpheus by @landwriter (E| 11k). I’m absolutely bias with this one but c’mon! Hob worshiping dream like a saint is everything. Also by landwriter: The many lives of Hob Gadling (M|20k).

If I could recommend @moorishflower entire sandman fics collection, I would (and I am). Some of my favourites are Maybe sprout wings (M| 91k), Wolf and I (E| 12k, also bias with this one) and If I please you (E| 112k). Praise the long fic.

Giving Sanctuary by @avelera (E|170k) Oh god, they are dads grieving together… also by Avelera: Banana Daiquiris (T|4k)

Unrelated Dreamling Size Kink Shenanigans series by @gabessquishytum (E| 6 works so far). Love me a good monsterfucker hob and BIG DREAM.

High enough (you got me good) by @delta-pavonis (E|11k) the erotic nature of weapon demonstration.

As the world came to a halt by @enchi-elm (E| 4k) humanity’s functionality getting absolutely wrecked because of a certain Endless duo and Hob is caught in it.

When I do count the clock that tells the time by @minisgatewaytoinsanity (E|9k). Dream walked out in 1389 and never met Hob until 2022. Hob repair clocks for a living.

White Knight by @gfawkesphoenixchokingonashes (E|22k). Hob has insomnia and Death knows just who to ask.

Holding On While You Slip Away by @acedragontype (E|33k) trans hob and his long immortal life. How could I not recommend this one.

the silent sounds of loneliness (best of my love) by @serenailith (E|11k) Recluse Dream and Uni student Hob here to help him out of his funk.

Bloodshot and beat by Otterwise (E|7k). Post-apocalyptic Dreamling… this one was quite something.

If you’re looking for a fantastic Hobrinthian fic with a dash of Hobrintheus, And if I get burned, at least we were electrified by @seiya-starsniper is the way to go! (E|41k)

London, 1777: A Study in Purple by Temve (E|4k) rarepair Hoblethros my beloved.

I would add more but this is quite a bit already (and still not enough). For other fic rec, I would have recommended some amazing Daredevil fics but that’s probably reserved for another post. Absolutely amazing read! Go forth!

[teejaystumbles]

@tj-dragonblade @acedragontype, both of you asked about the same thing so I'm making this one post! ❤️

As you might already know, Rekindle my Heart is of course my fire elemental Hob AU. I have not gotten around to writing much more in the last few months, but I sat down and wrote up the bits between this already exisiting dialogue between Lucienne and Dream. I hope you like it. :)

“A fire elemental? Really, Lucienne? You thought giving an elemental refuge in the Dreaming was a good idea?” Dream makes an aimless sweeping gesture with his right arm, a motion betraying his anger at the situation. He is annoyed at himself for it but is utterly unable to suppress it. Were he less in control of himself his movements would look a lot different. He wants to loosen his shape and scream with mouths manifold. Lucienne, always sensitive to his moods, bows her head respectfully and says calmly: “My lord, he is very polite and utterly-” “Do not say harmless,” Dream interrupts her and strides over to the kaleidoscopic windows of raw dream stuff. They currently depict a blue bird fluttering through a cloudy sky, an overgrown thorny rose garden - and a house on fire. “He is anything but. Do you have any idea what damage he can cause to my realm? He is a true elemental, not merely a dream or nightmare of one. His powers are not easily controlled and even if the rules here are mine, he could become a threat to all of us, intentional or not.” “If unsupervised by you, my lord.” “What?” Dream turns to Lucienne, staring at her in disbelief. She only tilts her head and gives him a small smile. “As you said, you make the rules in the Dreaming, nothing here can harm you, no citizen, no dreamer, no guest. If you keep an eye on Hob, there should be nothing you cannot handle, my lord.” Irritated, Dream looks back at the window depicting the burning house and watches the flames shift and change with the motion of the glass pieces. “I do not have the time to keep an eye on him constantly,” he answers and shakes his head. The soft tread of shoes on the floor behind him lets him know that his librarian has approached. Her voice now closer, she asks softly: “How long will he be staying with us?” Dream sighs and turns back to her once more. Her brown eyes look at him without reproach or accusation, her smile encouraging and calming. Dream is thankful for her unshakable countenance. He feels a bit lost, if he is entirely honest with himself. “... I do not know. If he returns to the elemental realms now he could be summoned again by the humans he fled. I would not subject him to that risk.” Lucienne’s smile quirks up and her eyes glitter mischievously. “Very noble of you, my lord.” Dream scoffs quietly and lets her insolence slide. They have known each other for so long. Perhaps it is not bad to have a confidant in his most loyal servant. Staring back at the windows, he sees that the blue bird has found its way into the rose garden and the flames around the house seem to not consume it but only embrace it. Dream frowns at this change but does not comment on it. Instead he says: “He requested asylum. I granted it. I am honour-bound to assure his safety.” Lucienne nods and then pulls up her notebook. “Of course, my lord. If I may make a suggestion - “

And that's a scene cut. :) I hope I'll get to writing this soon aaaah how do you all deal with multipe wips haha 😅

[wyvernquill]

I'm rewatching Anastasia and this convo would really fit in your AU

Hob: look, Murphy, I'm just trying to help Murphy: do you really think I'm an Endless, Hob?

Hob: you know I do.

Murphy: then stop bossing me around

I'm sorry, this ask is already over a year old, but I finally got around to writing a scene based on it! (Plus some Murphy&Gil bits I wanted to put in somewhere, anyway.) Hope you enjoy!

[Mild warning for contemplation of one's potential death, and having once lost the will to life - I wouldn't call it suicidal ideation, it doesn't quite go there, but I figured I'd better be safe than sorry.]

Link to Anastasia AU Masterpost!

(Tag list, let me know if you want to be added or taken off: @10moonymhrivertam @martybaker @globglobglobglobob @anonymoustitans @sunshines-fabulous-legs @dreamsofapiratelife @malice-royaume @kcsandmanfan @acedragontype @okilokiwithpurpose @tharkuun @silver-dream89 @i-write-stories-not-sins-bitch)

“Hob.” Murphy interrupts, eyes flashing with frustration.

(Today’s how-to-be-a-Dream-Lord lessons are not going well - not that any of them have, but this one is a particular catastrophe. Gil has already given up on their contrary charge for the evening, and with the way Murphy’s shoulders are up and tension bristles between them, Hob is unlikely to make much more headway tonight.)

“Tell me. Do you truly believe I am him? The Prince of Stories? The Dream King?”

“Yes,” Hob lies, easily, unflinchingly, and with a smile on his face. A good lie has to be treated like the truth, and maybe, one day, it’ll actually turn into one. They’ve been trying so very hard to teach Murphy this, he should know it by now. “Of course.”

“Then, perhaps,” Murphy spits, and despite his feral arrogance, despite the way he holds his head high and squares his slender shoulders, it’s not the regal indignation of a King, but the helpless tantrum of an angry child who’s failing in class. “You ought to finally treat me with the fucking deference an Endless is owed, Hob Gadling!”

(There are tears in his pale-blueish eyes, Hob can see them, can hear the crack in Murphy’s hoarse voice.

Nobody has treated this man with respect in all the years he remembers, that much is obvious. Nobody but his birds. And he knows, they all know, that he’s no prince, that his blood runs red, not blue - runs at all, come to think of it. Endless don’t bleed.

But he wants to be. He wishes he was. Murphy is not Dream of the Endless, but he is ravenous for the spoils of such a role. Desperate to be respected, to be worshipped and revered, desperate to be owed the sort of treatment he has never received.

Hob ought to be ashamed of himself for taking advantage of that helpless hunger for kindness and decency… and he will be. For the rest of his immortal life, he’ll live with the shame of what he did to cheat Death, and still not regret it.)

Hob plasters a smile over his impatience and opens his mouth, gentle, calming words already on the tip of his tongue. Murphy is lonely and frightened and frustrated, that much is obvious. Fine. Hob knew it wouldn’t be easy, to teach their false Dream all he needs to know, and this is not an insurmountable roadblock. If Hob can only reassure him, earn his trust, be his friend, even, it will make everything much easier. Poor thing, lashing out like an injured animal. But Hob can surely coax him into-

Murphy recoils. Flinches back from the admittedly-half-faked warmth, his face, his entire bearing collapsing into itself like a heavy portcullis rattling shut.

“Don’t you dare,” he growls, pointing one of his stick-thin fingers at Hob’s face, “don’t you DARE! I have no need for your false pity, and I want no part of it! I want-” the white of his eyes is bloodshot, and in his terror, in his fury, in his desperation, awash in unshed tears “-I want out. This deal is off. Find some other poor sucker to teach how to play Endless, I won’t do it! I’ve had enough!”

And before Hob can say as much as a single word, Murphy has snatched up his coat and slipped out onto the rainy street, Matthew following - but not after awarding Hob with a colder glare than he would’ve thought a mere raven capable of.

Murphy does not manage to flee very far.

He is in an unfamiliar town, with no money, no valuables besides the clothes on his back that are now slightly finer than he used to be; and the winter is cold and deep and stifling. He gets no further than a handful of streets until he slows halfway across a bridge, shaking with cold more than anger, snowflakes dancing around him. It is a quiet, windless night - and it has always calmed him, to stand underneath the dark sky at night, and know that most of the city lies asleep around him.

Matthew settles on the bridge’s parapet, caws. Hops closer, cocks his head to one side. There is a clear question in his bearing, a what now? glinting in his eyes. Birds are open and honest - unlike humans. Liars and hypocrites all.

“...I do not know, Matthew.” Murphy admits quietly. He has taken the coat, but forgotten the scarf in his haste, so he tugs at his collar, to keep the cold air from trickling down his spine. “I truly don’t.”

He does not have the means to return to London on his own - and at the same time, does not have much desire to do so. He had nothing and no-one there, but for the birds. Pockets can be picked anywhere - he could make a new start in this nameless town.

…if only it weren’t winter.

Murphy shivers, feeling his bones rattle with it. The night is calm, but bitterly cold, and it will not end well for him, sitting in the snow until morning. In the dark of winter, he cannot afford a night without shelter, a day without a sure way to come by some food to keep his strengths up. In London, he would have known where to go. Here, he is helpless.

Damn Hob Gadling, and may Destruction take him! Murphy will have no other choice but to crawl back to him, and hope he’ll be kept on as Endless-impersonator. Hope, because Murphy’s made a right pig’s ear of it so far, slow and clumsy to learn, and outright refusing to play at nobility. He will always be a gutter rat, Murphy knows it. They can’t fashion him into a Dream King, and perhaps this flare of temper will prove to Hob once and for all that there is no point in trying.

There is no point in trying.

Murphy gives up on his collar, and rests his hands on the parapet. Matthew caws, and presses his head against his arm, a far better reassurance than Hob’s false smiles. It comforts Murphy, at least a little. He’s not alone, never alone - no matter how lonely he might feel.

Underneath them, a foreign river flows just fast enough to avoid the freeze. The water does not reflect any stars, but the snow dancing over the surface makes it almost look as if. His own reflection wavers and breaks across the waves.

(Some nights, he dreams of a darkened shore and a sea stretching far past the horizon, black waters that fold up into the night sky, indistinguishable from each other. Of a wooden pier, and galaxies swirling underneath.

Whenever he leans out too far, the reflected eyes he meets are not his own, and he wakes with a scream lodged in his throat.)

Murphy shivers again, and savours the last remnants of his pride, before it, too, will have to be cast into the dirt and abandoned.

“I believe you forgot this, young friend.”

Murphy’s head snaps up.

Dreams and nightmares approach without a whisper, perfectly silent at night if they choose to be. Gilbert is no exception; and if Murphy were to pay attention to anything but his heart racing like a startled hare, he would perhaps be a little distressed by the fact that there are no fresh footprints in the snow beside his own.

But it’s only Gilbert, kind-eyed and not-human, holding out Murphy’s scarf like a peace offering.

Murphy does not take it.

“Did Gadling send you?” he asks, wary.

“Robert informed me what had transpired between you two.” Gilbert admits. “But rest assured, I am here on nobody’s behalf but my own - and, well, yours. Frightfully nippy tonight, wouldn’t you say?”

Murphy does not say. He trusts Gil as little as Hob, perhaps even less. A dream attempting to betray the memory of his master seems hardly like a paragon of virtue, and is perhaps even more suspicious than a deceitful human.

(He does, however, take the scarf now. It’s too cold to be stubborn, and when he winds it around his neck, it smells of sunshine on a summer meadow, warm and comforting.)

“And if you truly wish to leave… dear boy, I won’t stop you.” Murphy does not like the way Gilbert looks at him, as if trying to see someone else beneath his skin. He does not meet Murphy’s eyes, if he can help it. “In fact I would send you off with well-earned compensation for your time, and travel fare. Unless…”

Gil steps up to the parapet beside him.

“...unless I can convince you to stay…?”

“Why would you?” Murphy mutters, instead of why would I, if you’re offering to pay me off? “It should be perfectly obvious that I’ll never pass muster.”

“Ironically,” Gilbert smiles, but only at the man he pretends to see whenever he looks at Murphy, “it is well known among the former denizens of the Dreaming that His Lordship was often prone to very similar bouts of pessimism. I have faith in you, Murphy - and so does Robert Gadling. Please, do not leave. I rather doubt we will succeed without you.”

"You…" Murphy struggles with the words, the sentiment behind them lodging uncomfortably in his throat. "You have great respect, even love, for Dream of the Endless' memory. So why do you pretend? Why try to fool his siblings that I am him?"

For a moment, Gilbert seems ready to insist, as always, that Murphy is, or at least might be - but, to his credit, he does not play Murphy for a fool, in the end. Not this time. Not like Hob always, always does.

"You are quite correct. I loved His Lordship deeply, in a way that could never be understood by anyone but a dream and their creator." Gilbert sighs, his soft meadow-green eyes gazing far into the distance of better days, lined by old grief. "He made me to be the Heart of the Dreaming, and he was the Dreaming, so I knew his heart and self better than any other. The loss, when he… you cannot imagine it, young friend. I thought I would wither away and die. I thought that would be a mercy. To live as a dream in a universe that does not contain Dream of the Endless seemed entirely unthinkable, and to be quite frank, I did not think I would survive longer than a year at most in the Waking."

"I understand," says Murphy, quietly, and he does. He is no stranger to the feeling of being so untethered, only floating along with the end looming over him, death - not Death, no longer, the Endless have been cast from their domains - only biding its time.

(In the first year he can remember, Murphy did not think he would see another, either.)

"And yet, the year passed. And I lived." Gilbert smiles, faintly, taking off his glasses to polish them. "I suspect it was humanity which saved me, for all that they robbed me of my home and Lord, as well. I found… such joy, in this world. In my human form, wandering among them. Calling a few select individuals friends, even. Young Robert's companionship was a particular blessing, and I owe him more than he can ever know."

He sets the glasses back on his nose.

"Lord Morpheus is dead." Says Gilbert. Says it like fact, like something too absolute for the sort of dream-creature born of hypotheticals he is, like an unshakeable truth he has resigned himself to. His voice only barely breaks over the words. "And I shall grieve him for all the rest of my days… but I must live to mourn him. Life goes on, young friend, and we must all move along with it. And, well. I cannot speak for Robert's motivations, but the true reason why I have agreed to this mad scheme…"

Gilbert takes Murphy's freezing hands in his own. His fingertips are not lined quite right, they would not leave prints that look even remotely like those of a human - but aside from that, his grip is warm, avuncular, firm, reassuring.

"I fear that his siblings will not be able to live on without him." Gilbert confesses, quietly. "They are not made to accept change and move on from a loss as monumental as what humanity has wrought upon them. To have you… not him, not entirely, but perhaps enough… it is my most solemn hope that it might give them some form of closure at long last."

"So that's what it is?" Murphy laughs, bitterly. "Charitable concern for the well-being of personifications of abstract concepts!?"

"No." Gilbert corrects mildly. "Love. For my creator's family."

Murphy scoffs. His chest aches with it.

"What you, hmm. What you must understand, about Lord Morpheus…" Gilbert seems to be choosing his words very carefully. "...is that, for all that he was often harsh and commanding, he was so very loving, always. My Lord loved with all his self, even if he would attempt to turn a cold shoulder to the world - and I think you are much like him in temperament, young Murphy.”

Murphy does not acknowledge that. He doesn't think he can.

“He loved his family, and he loved the Dreaming, and all the beings in it. I was his heart, or near as, you must recall, I knew the truth at the core of him.

Memories or not, love as he did, and you will be a credit to his name, and a comfort to all who knew him."

(Murphy does not have it in himself to love like Dream of the Endless did. He already struggles to love at all.

But perhaps, for the sake of the entity whose memory he will dishonour, he can try.)

“So. Will you come back and resume your lessons?” Gil asks, very gently. “You may leave, now or any other time, of course you may. But it would be to your benefit, as well as to that of many others, if you did not.”

“I’ll stay,” Murphy forces out. He could blame the way his hands shake on the cold. “For now.”

“Thank you, dear child. Thank you.” This time, when Gilbert smiles, it very nearly feels like it is directed at him, after all. “Now, let’s get you out of this cold, hm? And Matthew as well.”

Murphy lets Gilbert herd him back to their inn, sits through Hob Gadling’s apology and wonders if it was sincere - he can never tell, with this infuriating man - and continues to learn as much as possible about the life of Dream of the Endless.

But he’s slowly realising, if anything will convince the Endless siblings, then it certainly won’t be the trivia. He’ll have to learn to love like the Lord of Stories, for their deception to have a snowflake’s chance in hell.

(Oh, wonderful. As if this wasn’t difficult enough already…)