#I mean this turned into a dreamling thing sorry

[secondjulia]

Lord Morpheus' Curls: A short film

Happy holiday, friends! Have you had the opportunity to appreciate Tom Sturridge with curls yet?

From Effie Gray (2014).

[orionsangel86]

Subtext Glorious Subtext! A Dreamling on Netflix analysis in The Sandman - Part 8

Reunited

Love means never having to say you're sorry - but you still should anyway!

8 chapters later we finally made it to the reunion! Phew! After a trip through 6 centuries and a whole emotionally rollercoaster of highs and lows, dramatic fights, flirtations, rain soaked break ups, angst filled abandonments, and everything in between, we reach the modern day once again and reunite with Dream as he stares sadly at the remains of the abandoned White Horse Tavern.

Now the audience knows exactly who he was returning too, and how important it is. What did Hob do when he discovered the White Horse was closing down? Surely he did something? We ask ourselves this as Dream looks down to find red painted arrows on the fence around the White Horse, directing him to a new inn literally called The New Inn.

Unsure what he will find, we follow Dream as he finds the New Inn and enters. @mimisempai did an excellent meta post of Dream's thought process during this reunion scene here which I adore (I admit I have used a lot of their gifs for this series so please give their stuff a reblog and give them a follow - gifmakers are the lifeblood of fandom and I wish I had the talent to do what they do).

I love how after all of the tension and clear discomfort he felt after leaving his sister, as he walked through the streets of London under the judging eyes of all those mortals who considered him "other", he finally finds somewhere he belongs. The tiny pause as he spots Hob sitting in the corner, and relief that passes across his face at that moment. He reorientates himself, and approaches.

Hob Gadling sits to one side, apparantly grading some papers, indicating that in this century he is a teacher of some kind. Without even looking up he pauses, aware of Dream's presence before even seeing him, even after all these years. He looks up slowly and his face lights up. It's glorious. Its so dramatic. It's such a relief to see.

After 133 years, there is no doubt, no questioning, no hurt shown, just immediate joy at seeing Dream again, and just a touch of that cheeky flirtation that we have come to associate with Hob. His first words: "You're late."

The way Dream smiles in this scene is unlike anything else we've seen from him so far the whole season. In a complete 180 from how he was acting at the start of this episode, and in a dramatic turn from even how he reacted to the other humans who looked his way on his return to Hob, Dream is open here, relaxed, at peace, content. All things we have NEVER seen from him before.

In the comic scene in 1989, as I previously showed in Chapter 7, the reunion between Hob and Dream went as follows:

Hob is nervous here, but in the show, in 2022, Hob has already had to deal with being stood up, and instead upon reuniting with Dream he keeps it light and playful, indicating to us that all is already forgiven - Hob's love for Dream shines through regardless of apologies and explanations. He doesn't need them, he's just happy Dream returned to him. Now unlike the comic, Dream apologises here anyway. This is particularly significant because Dream at this point in the comics is still rather resistant to apologies. It's another indication of how quickly the show is changing Dream. Where Hob clearly doesn't need the apology, Dream still gives it.

After Dream sits down he reclines back in the chair, relaxing. His body language significantly different from every other meeting we have seen, where he always sat rigidly and uncomfortably - always at odds with his surroundings, never quite fitting in. This time it's different. In accepting Hob's friendship, he has found a place on Earth where he belongs, where he can find comfort and acceptance regardless of how "other" he may be. This is something that the comics do not show, ever. But it's clearly important for the show.

I love the above gif because it gives such a clear indication of how happy they are to see each other again, the way they hold eye contact with each other and the scene ends with that gorgeous smile of Dreams. The smile that replaced this moment in the comics:

That significantly changes certain foreshadowing in the text, which I wrote about separately in this meta. I won't go too deeply into those changes again here, but basically I believe that this change means Dream has chosen life (symbolised by his return to the friend that refuses to die) rather than death (symbolised by his going back to the birds to listen to the sound of wings and therefore longing to hear them in death) - It's potentially changing the trajectory of the story leading eventually to the events of the Kindly Ones, but we are in early days and I don't want to speculate too much on events the show won't be tackling for a long time yet.

What makes this reunion scene so compelling beyond anything I've mentioned above, is how it is a beginning. The audience does not get to see what happens next, but oh do we want to. This is a classic fanfiction gap in the making. After everything we have just been through, after all the highs and lows of their developing relationship over 6 centuries, finally they are reunited and ready to take their relationship to the next level, its compelling stuff. Added to this the conversation that Dream has with Death earlier on in the episode, we can assume that Hob finally gets that all important name, and an explanation of what Dream is after all these years. It makes sense that he would get this in the show based on the various clues and information given to us so far even though he never does in the comic.

So then we have to consider what this reunion scene is saying in the subtext that isn't immediately obvious in the text. Many shippers would have already picked up on these things without really paying too much attention, because fandoms always tend to be more savvy and able to pick up on what the subtext is telling them than a general audience.

Firstly, the red arrows - whilst it is never textually confirmed that Hob painted those arrows, it is heavily implied in the text. Who else would add directions to a new inn to the fence outside a pub that was closed 30 years ago? Who else would possibly be looking for the White Horse in 2022 and even need directions? Only Dream. So Hob MUST have painted those arrows. This then further implies that Hob had something to do with the New Inn. Once again the audience is asked to fill in the gaps here. Even the name The New Inn has implications behind it, because of how obvious it is. There is a clear message laid out here in the few shots we get - the red arrows directing from the White Horse to the New Inn, the name being the New Inn, everything here screams of Hob, forever waiting, forever hopeful, the eternal optimist, spending 30 years working out a way to send a message to his stranger, to please find him again.

This Hob is someone who saw his only connection to his strange companion lost to him, but who was determined not to lose hope. This Hob cared so much that it's implied that he has spent 33 years painting and repainting grafitti on an old fence, ensuring that he will be found again. This Hob found a new pub, or he found a good site to build a new pub, or he invested in a new pub, but either way, it is strongly implied that he has involvement in the new pub, since such a name as The New Inn is also a direction in itself. This is a Hob who waited in the new pub for 33 years. He is seen to be marking papers of some kind, indicating that he has students, that he is a teacher, and yet he is doing his work in the pub which is not all that common. It raises the question of how much time he spends in this pub? We don't know the date that Dream shows up to reunite with Hob - other than it being set in summer - so how often does Hob spend his days waiting here? Even if he does own the New Inn, and sticks around to keep an eye on it and manage things, he is still doing his other job from the table in the corner. The most obvious interpretation is that Hob has spent the better part of 33 years sitting in this new inn, hoping that Dream would find him again. Was he prepared to wait a whole century?

This is an insane level of devotion from Hob. This is the biggest deviation from the comic by FAR. The show moved the timeline and in doing so, they have drastically shifted the nature of Dream and Hob's relationship simply because no normal person would surely care that much about someone they only meet once a century, especially when that person got mad and deserted them when they dared to call them a friend. The only way such devotion can really be explained is by assuming that the devoted person is harbouring some pretty intense feelings for the one they are devoted too. It reads as pretty damn romantic in my opinion. The only time I have seen similar devotion is... well, in Destiel. (sorry to keep bringing it up but i WAS a Destiel meta writer for years and I keep finding comparisons which are driving me a bit mad).

It's difficult, in my opinion, not to read Hob's devotion to Dream by the modern era as more than platonic. It's easy to argue that he is pining for Dream, that he desires him in more than one way. It's easy to read it as love. Possibly even as romantic love. Whilst Dream's feelings are less clear, we can see from his body language and general comfort upon reuniting with Hob that he finds himself in a place he can relax. That the show chose Dream's reunion with Hob to be the ending of the show version of the Preludes and Nocturns Sandman book instead of his implied longing for death, just screams to me that this particular relationship is going to be more important in the show version of the story going forward. Dream is more comfortable in this moment with Hob than he ever is at any other point throughout the show - even in his own realm in his own throne room (seriously I went back and watched it all again, the boy never relaxes outside of this one particular scene).

But if that hasn't yet convinced you that the creators of the show are trying to tell us something about Dream and Hob, we only need to keep watching to get to the final scene of this episode. Before we have even cut away from Dreams smiling face as he stares lovingly at Hob, we hear the beats of a new song begin to play. Desire by Bob Moses introduces us to Dreams sibling of the same name.

We cut to the Threshold of Desire, where Desire themself stands in their gallery and says "attend sweet sibling. It is I, Desire. I stand in my gallery and hold your sigil..."

and who else initially throught they were talking to Dream? Because I think it's intentionally meant to be vague here. Despair uses she/her pronouns, so wouldn't it be clearer for Desire to call her their sister? But the gender neutral term adds to the confusion. Is Desire calling on Dream? Is Desire involved in Dreams reunion with Hob? Does Dream feel desire for Hob and that is why Desire is getting involved? (literally all these thoughts went through my head when I first watched the show and raised my eyebrows thinking maybe they really were going that way with Dream and Hob before finally Desire clarifies by referring to Dream as their brother who escaped his cage. It was a jarring moment.)

In the comic, this scene with Desire and Despair takes place at the very start of the Doll's House book, following Tales in the Sand. It makes sense to add moments like this to the end of each episode to leave a cliffhanger and encourage the audience to keep watching, but this particular cut to Desire has multiple implications. Yes its good to introduce Desire properly and therefore introduce the next arc of the season, but its also SO obvious to cut to Desire right after Dream and Hob's reunion. It's textbook subtext. Queer Coding 101. It's storytelling via clever editing. Six centuries of meetings, six centuries of building a tentative friendship that has included some pretty heated moments and finally upon the modern day reunion we see our main character truly smile whilst relaxed and happy and comfortable for the first time and THEN we cut to Desire. It's perfect. Chef's kiss.

Whilst we don't see Hob again for the rest of the season, the fact is that their reunion was left tantalisingly open ended for fans and audiences to speculate, imagine, and explore via their own works. The creators basically left fans with a delicious writing prompt to sink their teeth into and I 100% believe that was intentional. We will see Hob and Dream meet again in future episodes, and after seeing how well they adapted Men of Good Fortune, I am practically foaming at the bit to find out how they plan to adapt the dream meeting in Season of Mists.

As a conclusion to this behemouth of a meta analysis, I can only repeat what I said back in my introduction - the Men of Good Fortune sequence of episode 6 is a subtextual masterpiece of queer coding. It is writer acknowledged that they intended for it to come across as romantic and tropey. They full expected fans to ship the characters. Whether this means anything in terms of where the show will take Dream and Hob's relationship remains to be seen. The show is already extremely queer, and we've all seen the hilarious homophobic reviews bemoaning the fact that "all the characters are gay! ALL OF THEM!" so at this point I think the creators should just lean fully into it and bring Morpheus himself out of the closet. After all, he's a non human multi-billion year old personification of a concept, why on earth would he only have a preference for human shaped females? How incredibly boring for a creature of dreams!

I've separately talked about how Hob is technically already canonically queer (depending on how you interpret Jim's gender) so it's hardly a stretch for him either. There isn't really anything holding them back. The way their relationship develops in the comics already supports a romantic interpretation, especially the ending. But look, I'm not one of these people that needs to scream about ships "going canon" and I am fully against any harrassment or angry messages being sent to Neil or the creators because people feel that it SHOULD be canon based on the subtext already provided. I have no idea what they are planning with Dream and Hob in future episodes of the show, but wherever they take them, I am fully on board this ship.

Thank you for reading! If you have questions or comments please interact, I thrive on interactions! My ask box is open and I will try to answer any questions within the space of a few days (unless its a meaty meta ask in which case I will take my time and throw my whole meta brain into it).

Link to Dreamling Meta Masterpost and other chapters

[cuubism]

(this is the how-does-hob's-immortality-work anon, back with More Thoughts which I will now bother you with. feel free to ignore)

the dichotomy of Dreamling: Hob wouldn't live for Dream, but he would kill for him and he would die for him. Dream would kill for Hob or die for him, but the real challenge is living for him.

an in-depth analysis because I am incapable of not talking for a long time about things:

Hob was a soldier for the first century and a bit of his life, right? but after that, we see zero evidence that he becomes a soldier again. I mean, he still knows how to fight in 1789, but he's not a professional soldier, he has no weapons on him at the time, he doesn't kill the two thugs. and throughout the 17th century, when he's starving on the streets, he doesn't turn to banditry or highway robbery (that we see) — and maybe that's because he's morally opposed to it or something, but that seems unlikely, seeing as he later gets involved in the slave trade. no, to me it looks like Hob doesn't want to go back to the career of banditry / fighting / being a mercenary that he had for his first two centuries. I think Hob doesn't like fighting anymore; I think he's maybe traumatised, maybe he doesn't want to prevent anyone from living life to the fullest because he has all this extra time and he doesn't have the right to take that time from other people. so when I say that Hob would kill for Dream, it means something.

slightly hot take: Hob isn't living for Dream. if something happened to Dream, Hob would obviously be upset, but he would keep on living because he just enjoys life. he isn't going to pine away without Dream. if he were, he would have died centuries ago.

I absolutely ADORE that fic of yours about Dream having to actively keep Hob alive for the bet with Death, and especially the bit where Hob risks his life by breaking into the Burgess manor to save Dream. despite what I said in point (2), I love the idea that Hob will risk his life for Dream because Dream is just that important to him.

because Dream is the Prince of Stories, he sees a lot of life as stories. and therefore he would have no compunctions at all about either killing or dying for Hob, because isn't that the role of a storybook love interest? to destroy anyone who would dare to hurt their beloved is what you do in storybook romance. to sacrifice themselves to save said beloved is the tragic, fitting ending to a story. Dream might even see this as what he's supposed to do.

what Dream does not see as his "job" in relationships is to live. that isn't how stories go; stories are about drama and tragic sacrifice, not the everyday struggle to actually want to wake up in the mornings. (not that Dream wakes up in the mornings, since I'm pretty sure he doesn't sleep, but you get the idea.) but Hob shows Dream what it is that makes life so worth living. Hob helps Dream see the value in humanity/life/whatever, helps him want to keep going for a reason beyond his Duty to the Universe.

in conclusion, I love Dreamling.

sorry i did not mean to ignore you 😶

yes i think hob not being a soldier any more is definitely a fair take. he seems to keep up at least some skills - for self-protection i'm sure - but he doesn't have to be an actual soldier. and yeah my guess is when he was homeless he was probably engaging in petty theft or something but there's no particular indication that he was excessively or needlessly violent (i'm sure he had to do some fighting for self-protection).

hob would definitely kill for dream, tho. he just would, you are right XD but he's not living for dream, it's a case of "i can live without you but i'd prefer to live with you"

yes god i'm always obsessed with the idea of dream living his life according to stories, just mapping what he does onto story tropes and narrative arcs, like, 'yes i can do the big sweeping romantic gesture, yes i can do the noble sacrifice, what do you mean relationships are actually about the small things and the day-to-day. idea rejected.' meanwhile hob is literally all about the small things. much to learn there. and hob doesn't see life as a story the way dream does, or if it is a story, it's not one with a set arc and ending. it's more meandering, easily subject to outside influence.

i think that shift in perspective is baffling to dream but ultimately helpful. it's hard to help yourself when you feel stuck on a certain track. and if there's one thing that hob's learned in so many hundreds of years, it's that there's always some way to get unstuck from wherever you are. these paths are not set.

but yeah the dynamic of them makes me crazy

[windsweptinred]

Get To Know Me Game

Thank you for the tag @dream-of-the-bitchless. These were so random, I loved it. 😆❤️

Who was your first fictional crush?:

I'd say either Poison Ivy from the 90s Batman cartoon or Esmerelda from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. Cleverly disguised in my young mind as 'I want to be her.'

What’s the first colour you think of when I tell you to think of a colour?:

I'm pretty sure people who barely know of my existence here on ye oldie tumblr could still answer this one. 😅 But red.

Which fanfiction emotionally scarred you and still makes you shudder to this day?:

Left in the Darkness by locamohita456. It's an AU fic that sees Desire captured instead of Dream. I can't begin to state how phenomenonal this fic is. But dear god mind the warnings on your way in, it's a hard read in places and left me doing a whole lot of wall staring.

I’m coming to your house for dinner, non-negotiable, what are you making me?:

You're getting the same thing my daughters friends get when they visit, which is pizza and icecream. I might even order in. A good time shall be had with no airs and graces expected.

Do you prefer lions or kangaroos?:

I would have to say lions, but I admire kangaroos particular breed of tomfuckery. I learnt the other day they like to punch over astrophotographers camera/telescopes. And I love that. 😆

Which fictional villain do you brush past the glaringly obvious issues for because you really like them?:

I believe the correct question is, which fictional villian do I not brush past? But I probably let Armitage Hux get away with the most daddy issue based war crimes. Did he wipe out an entire planet? ... Yes. Is he still my precious little baby... Also yes. I make no excuses, he's a little shit and I love him. 😆

What would accompany your picture in the Burn Book in Mean Girls?:

I dunno... Bi Bush, wanders the moors dressed like Kate Bush in her most wuthered era. Most potential for crazy cat lady retirement plans. Life goals by the way. Just me and my hoard of moggies, meandering on the moors. The talk of the village Facebook group. 😆

How many days would you last in the universe of your favourite fandom?:

The Sandman? 🤔 Well, considering I'd be heading straight for the Garden of Forking Ways to live out my life in its quiet, gothic landscape, I'd probably be fine. It's the most drama free location in the Sandman. Unless Destiny doesn't like visitors... Then it could turn into some weird, horticultural version of It Follows... 😨

Have you heard of Mischief Theatre?:

"There was a goose that was porked by a ham,

I have a sausage as I am a man." 🤣

Do you feel sorry for Medusa?:

I feel angry for Medusa. Burn the world my darling, you've more then earnt the right.

Which song makes you think of your OTP?:

Oooooo, let's see, I have three for Corinthiel

The Devil and the Huntsman by Daniel Pemberton

Air That I Breathe by the Hollies

I Was Made For Loving you by Kiss

Also to this day I can't hear Tender by Blur without thinking of Dreamling

Which song makes you disassociate and daydream the fastest?:

It's not a song, it's a piece of music. But Dance of the Druids from Outlander by Bear McCreary.

Tagging @zigzag-wanderer, @mashumaru, @bobbole, @seiya-starsniper, @thelostkelpie and @marvagon to have a go if you wish to. 😊

[mimisempai]

Home

Summary

A small slip of the tongue is enough for Hob to discover a truth.

On Ao3

Rating G - 411 words

"That will be all for today. Thank you all for your attention and participation. See you Monday!"

"Have a great weekend Professor Gadling!"

"Goodbye Professor!"

Hob put away his things, perfectly conscious of Dream's gaze on him, then he went towards his lover who watched him approach. When he arrived near him, they took the way out of the school together.

Dream's hand brushed lightly against his as he said softly, "Good job Hob."

Hob smiled, pleasantly surprised at the unexpected praise.

Dream grinned back and continued, "I mean it, it was quite fascinating to see that they had all turned their attention to you, to what you taught them today."

When they were out of the school grounds and along the small alley that led to Hob's apartment, taking advantage of the fact that it was deserted, Dream stopped.

He grabbed Hob's wrist and, pulling him closer, his eyes in his, he said softly, "You did good, Hob."

Hob, his throat tight, could only smile in return and Dream leaned over him to kiss him lightly before stepping back because they couldn't do more given where they were.

They resumed their way, their hands entwined this time. When suddenly in a rustle of wings, Matthew came to land on the shoulder of Dream.

"Boss, Hob, I'm sorry. But you know I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't urgent."

Dream said gently, "I'm listening, Matthew."

The raven continued in a sheepish voice, "We have a problem that requires assistance that only you can provide, boss."

Dream nodded, "I'll be right there. Go ahead."

"Roger!" replied Matthew before flying off into the sky.

Dream turned to Hob and said with an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry, duty calls."

Hob shrugged, saying in a soothing tone devoid of any bitterness, "You can't help it. I knew what I was doing when I decided to date a lord of dreams." 

He kissed Dream's hand that was still in his and continued, "I'll wait for you at home... er I mean at my apartment."

Dream, who obviously hadn't missed Hob's slip of the tongue, replied with a smile, "Yes I'll meet you there."

Hob waved his hand and said softly, "See you then!"

But Dream held him by the wrist and stated simply, "You are allowed to say that. Your apartment, it feels like home to me."

And with a last smile, the lord of dreams vanished, not having seen the happy expression on Hob's face.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Dreamling Masterlist here

[athymelyreply]

I'm sorry you're not feeling well!! Bringing you some soup and tea and a hug 🫂

Tell me about the Gawain and the Green Knight AU, I'm dying to know 👀

OMG OMG SO

There’s sooo many ways a green knight au could go. Obviously Hob is Gawain in this au and it could go one of a few ways

I’ll finish one version here and reblog this post with the others

also thank you so much you really are the best and the soup, tea,and opportunity to be insane about this au means the world to me. <3

fist: hobletheros+dreamling

hob is at the knightly Christmas party or whatever, destruction comes in and hobs knees go weak because “oh my god I want him to rail me” when the game is proposed Hob does the whole thing with destruction’s decapitation and is conflicted about it but then, as with the og story destruction picks up his head and tells him that he’ll see Hob next year. He leaves with a wink and Hob covered in destructions blood and thinks he might be a little in love (the boy falls fast).

a year goes by and he sets out on his pilgrimage to the green knights home. Our dear Hob is exhilarated and terrified and all around conflicted. He’ll get to see destruction again but in the same breath it’s his death sentence. Hob loves life, but if he must perish, he thinks maybe death at the hand of the green knight isn’t the worst way to go, maybe he’ll even get a kiss before he’s dead. his journey takes him to the castle of a man named Oletheros and his wife. The man is oddly reminiscent of the knight from the party, however Hob writes it off as him just feeling something for both the knight and this man. the lord of the castle makes the same deal as the original story: Hob may have whatever lord oletheros catches while hunting, on the condition that Hob give him anything he receives during the day. hob accepts. The wife tries to seduce Hob, telling him she wants him desperately. For extra fun the wife is fem! Dream. She’s dark and alluring and Hob can’t help but be drawn to her, but he knows it would be wrong to disrespect his host in that way, restraining his desire and instead accepting only one single kiss from dream (and oh her lips are so sweet, tasting of white wine and stars and the feeling of flying)

when lord oletheros returns with a deer, Hob gives him a kiss in return, finding himself falling into the lord’s mouth, a kiss with the feel of oak and passion and campfire. The lord welcomes his lips, pulls him into the kiss. Hob pulls himself away with a gasp and tries to continue on, doing his best not to look shaken.

the next day Hob allows himself 2 kisses from dream, both to taste the lord’s mouth and hers but one more time. Selfish he knows, but he is a hedonistic creature, and if these are to be his last few days alive, let them be good ones. Lord oletheros returns with a boar this time. Kisses are traded and Hob feels as if he’s drowning with nowhere to turn. He cannot break hospitality but gods with dream staring like that from under her eyelashes, and oletheros’s rough hands on him he feels as if he might go insane. the last day dream approaches him with a look that has Hob burning for her. Three kisses. It’s so good he could cry. And he does, telling her that he goes to his death on the morrow, and he has no choice but to leave. Dream brings a green sash, saying it will keep him from harm, and not to tell her husband about it, so he wont need to give it to him. the lord returns yet again bearing a fox this time. Kisses exchanged and Hob feels all tied up in knots, awaiting his death at the hands of that strange and handsome knight, and readying himself to leave behind the lord and his wife, both of which he feels he could love, maybe already does, but he cannot admit that just to leave them the next day. he bids them goodbye the next morning, taking the sash and hoping against hope that it will protect him and he can return to them. In the clearing with the green knight he kneels and presents his neck, but when the knight raises his axe Hob flinches. He still wishes to live. The knight scolds Hob for his cowardice in that incredible voice of his and so Hob steels himself, picturing the the faces of the lord, the knight, and the lady. If he should die it will be with love. He prepares for the blade to fall and

A gentle tap at the back of his neck. Only a small trickle of blood. then he feels a hand reach to help him stand. Destruction helps him to his feet and caresses hob’s cheek, lifting the little knights eyes to meet his. He speaks gently, saying that “that’s it, darling, that’s all there is. Come now, we really must fix that cut of yours.” He bandages the nick on Hob’s neck, explaining that his name is destruction, and he was lord oletheros. He tells Hob what a darling boy he is, what a good little knight, he soothes him. And Dream emerges from the trees, takes Hob’s teary face in his hands and kisses him. then they both get to soft dom the shit out of him and Hob gets to cry with relief and joy.

[landwriter]

Hi! Sorry for being anon, I can't send asks from my sideblog. I'm @chaosheadspace.

I saw a few posts about your Dreamling language thing and that you're comfortable with being sent things and I thought I'd take a shot at translating my favourite poem for you. It's German: The reader by Rilke. Just, idk, something about Dream being the prince of stories and Hob having once printed books and now teaching and all that. This poem means a lot to me. It's got nothing to do with how language history or anything. I don't know if you'll have any use for it, but have it anyway.

The Reader (Rainer Maria Rilke)

Who could know him, the one who averted his gaze

Away from his own being into a second,

At times forcibly interrupted

By the quick turning of full pages?

His own mother wouldn't be sure that it's him,

reading words drenched in his own shadow.

And we, who had hours,

can't know how much time went by him

until he laboriously lifts his head,

Taking everything upon him that happened down below.

Whose eyes, that give instead of take,

Collide with the full and ultimate world,

Like a little child, engrossed in play

Suddenly percieves the present,

But his once neat features remain forever changed.

thank you @chaosheadspace! here's the thing whether weaponized into making people feel things in a story or not you are still turning a piece of art unto ME, and i unto my followers, and personally i will ALWAYS HAVE USE FOR THAT.

Thank you so much for this poem in particular - it's beautiful, and I love it. It describes this specific sense I've never seen in a poem before, and remember vividly from reading as a kid: this total shedding of the self and the external world, reading for hours, and then finally returning back into time, but feeling Changed. It brings up specific memories of furiously devouring stories - as I'm sure it will for others - sitting like a little unmoving lawn statue while the world passed around me and I passed through another. That lifting up of your head like you're coming up for air you don't want to even take! Feeling the story still draped about you like a heavy woolen mantle as you try and get up and live your own life. Gosh.

(also there's definitely room for comparisons here with Dream, knower of all stories, and Hob, who's lived so many - in different senses I think they could both be cast as the reader - but I have not had coffee or even tea yet haha)

@xx-vergil-xx look it's Rilke, thought of you!