#dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

I wholeheartedly believe that Dream loves fanfiction. Dreamers inspiring dreamers is his jam

I agree with you even though comics canon seems to suggest otherwise, if I recall he expresses a few times that he doesn't like adaptations and stories are best in their original forms. Yet, Dream disliking dreamers building off each other's art doesn't make sense to me, except in this sense of his dislike of changing stories tying in to his issues with change in general -- if the story can change what does that say about him? (Morpheus: "are my views on change narrow and self-sabotaging? no, it's the rest of the universe that's wrong.")

#you know who'd really hate fanfic i'd bet? destiny XD #fandom: i think i prefer this with my canon glasses off. --destiny: you put your glasses back on and face the facts! #ask #anonymous #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

Ooh, what about dream being soft around kids/animals and Hob just having heart eyes

STRONG headcanon that Dream is way better with kids than he is with adults. (Dream is terrible with adults so low bar but). Kids are more natural dreamers who haven't been totally disabused by the reality of the world yet. He understands how their minds work. He does not understand how logical thought patterns work.

Running into some kids somewhere, maybe they go to one of Hob's friends' weddings or something, and Hob internally is like "oh no this is gonna be bad, their energy is going to be too much for him to handle" and then he turns away for one sec to talk to someone and when he turns back Dream is sitting on the floor with the eight year olds engaged in an elaborate game of stuffed animal mutiny. Hob's like do you wanna join our conversation or...? And Dream's like no Hob, can't you see we're at war here? We're in the middle of overthrowing evil Princess Pegasus. Honestly.

He spends the entire event like that and all the parents love him because he's entertained the children for three straight hours but from Dream's perspective he owes the children a boon for letting him get out of socializing. They will all have good dreams that night.

#dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing #ask #anonymous

[cuubism]

here have a random headcanon i like to think/obsess about sometimes: so at their 1489 meeting, the dark stranger's hand is just laying on table and Hob definitely has a fleeting moment of panic/daring where he's like 'should I touch him? can I touch him?? just to make sure he's real and not some fae illusion or passing dream' but holds out because it might turn out to be a fae trap or disappear like a dream (and maybe he doesn't want that???)

fast forward to 2022 when they meet again decades after their usual date and Hob is just desperately trying to keep it cool and casual. He laces his fingers together, trying to relax because he might do something stupid like reach out shake his stranger (his friend!!) or hug him. And if Hob does get close enough, he might do something stupider and you know, kiss this friend of his (!!!) he's been waiting literal years for. as you do.

just Hob with restless hands trying not to be too much. He slips up sometimes. Just little things like fixing or even fiddling with Dream's collar, plucking a wayward leaf from his hair and refluffing it to back artfully messy glory, a admiring sweep over his shoulders and down his sleeves. To Hob's surprise, Dream returns the touches in kind. Fixes a tie that does not pass his friend's standards, tucks a loose strand behind his ear, brief touches on his elbow or knee to silently catch his attention. (and down the line, Dream is the one to reach out to link their fingers together for the first time)

yes ABSOLUTELY I do think hob is the fiddly-est most physically restless person, always fidgeting I'm sure, and it would definitely manifest around Dream, who's so ephemeral and constantly at risk of just disappearing on him.

What I'm also thinking about now though is what if it WAS a sort of fae trap. What if living things couldn't touch Dream without consequences (or, for that matter, any of the Endless, but thinking about Dream now). Other Endless could touch him, or creatures in the Dreaming, or even living things while they're dreaming, maybe-- but you can't really 'touch' the unconscious. So imagine if there consequences to trying to get too close to Dream in the waking world.

After their reunion Hob tries to squeeze Dream's hand or hug him or something and Dream pulls away (and being Dream, doesn't explain why, so Hob just thinks Dream doesn't want him). Then later Hob dreams of him, and in the dream he does get to hug him, what kind of cruel dream is that? (Still doesn't know what Dream's powers are). He thinks Dream won't show up again after he tried to hug him but Dream comes back for coffee the next week. Hob learned his lesson and doesn't try to touch him, but this time as they're parting Dream sways in towards him like he was about to initiate a hug, then jerks back at the last second and takes his leave abruptly. And that night Hob dreams of his friend cuddling up to him on the couch and tucking his face in against his neck. And so on and so on.

Dream never tells Hob the truth about any of this. Hob's pining horribly over his friend who he keeps having incredibly vivid dreams about--hugging him, holding him, kissing him--but who's only more nervous and standoffish in real life as time goes on. Hob doesn't try to touch him in the waking world again-- until one day Dream shows up to one of their meetings visibly distraught (most likely following some dream where Hob told him he loved him), and Hob can't help himself, he goes over and hugs him.

As to what the consequences of that are... idk 🤷‍♀️, either Hob gets permanently severed from the waking world in some way... or Dream learns that that whole rule was a lie from the start.

#got very off topic.whoops #ask #goldflinches #random dreamling aus i wont write #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

A romantic date?

I love thinking about the first time Dream plans a date for them. Because Dream is such a hopeless romantic but Hob wouldn't know that, Dream has always been very reserved around him. Hob would probably assume he's going to have to be the one arranging all the romantic stuff in this relationship. He might even think Dream wouldn't want that at all.

And then Dream will take him on walks in the Dreaming, and show him all the beautiful things he's created, and constantly be showing up with flowers and wine and stuff. Bonus points, however, if Dream's sense of what's romantic is wildly different from Hob's. (Dream: here is a charmed necklace, simply speak my name into the charm when your life is being threatened and I will arrive and kill everyone. --Hob: ....do you think my life is being threatened daily or something? --Dream: one can never know. (( Hob: also I can't even die??)) )

I do think Dream post-fishbowl might simply expire if Hob did one nice romantic thing for him. Hob's like here, flowers, and some pastries I made for you. And Dream just looks at him like 🥺 and then runs away to the Dreaming for 15 weeks (he took the pastries with him to eat while he overthinks and obsesses over the situation).

#local fic author doesn't know what counts as romantic #ask #anonymous #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

Not a headcanon, more just a thought. Since they always had their centennial dates in June, it isn't until they start seeing each other more frequently in modern times that Dream gets to see Hob in winter. Seeing him in a cozy coat, scarf, gloves, and a hat with a fluffy pom pom on top, ears and nose pink with cold, his breath coming out in a fog. Conversely, Dream seeing Hob in the boiling heat of late summer: doing sweaty outdoor work, stripping to cool off, tits out. A Hob for every season.

Dream is NOT emotionally prepared for tits out Hob in the summer. He might actually have to disappear in a flurry of sand just to get himself together again. Appear and disappear so fast Hob isn't even sure he was there in the first place. He's hyperventilating. He's not okay about shirtless Hob.

Winter has gifts that are much less horny but still emotionally damaging. Like Hob taking off his own scarf and wrapping it around Dream's neck. Or giving him his coat. Soft caretaking season.

Love that for him. Love Dream getting all these normal moments and a love that burns slow and continuous rather than so hot it burns out.

#ask #rhinozilla #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

We all know that Dream loves to build things for Hob in the Dreaming, but I wonder how well he'd do if he had to build Hob something in the Waking? I imagine he'd have all of the knowledge, but putting that knowledge to practical use... hmm

I think of it often in fact, mainly in relation to art, Dream doing waking world human art... (I thought of it so much once I wrote a fic about Dream making pottery in the waking world, it's buried in the silly rabbit au tag somewhere...) but ahh yes the gap between knowledge and doing! Creating with a material that's essentially a part of him (dream stuff) versus creating with a material separate from him... fascinating. I think he might enjoy the challenge of it. Working with his hands in a new way. When it comes to waking world art I think he very much enjoys the creating rather than the ultimate product, it's the process that's interesting... with dreams and nightmares, it might be the opposite? Idk... seeing the way they ultimately turn out and interact with dreamers might be the most interesting part of that. Plus, creating dreams is his job. Making like, random sculptures in the waking world is a hobby, making the actual process part more enjoyable. He desperately needs a hobby, too. Even though he's one of those people that does just another variant of their work as a hobby XD

#ask #anonymous #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing #artist dream

[cuubism]

Today I decided that modern era Hob Gadling's favorite meme thing is "Pocket Sand!" He cries laughing over it and he makes meme format edits about it for his classes. No one ever understands what it is about it that's so funny to him. He once drunkenly confessed to a college he knew a guy who did that actually once he swears. When Dream comes back Hob ends up having to explain it to him eventually.

i'm out of touch and i DID have to go search this up but yeah dream literally does just do that and I can see how Hob thinks his self-defense mechanisms are just hilarious. I feel like no one believes Hob's insane stories about Dream (which he tells vaguely with no identifying info but are still insane). then when Dream meets any of Hob's acquaintances, he already has a questionable reputation. "Holy shit, it's THAT GUY, he's REAL."

#poor dream vs hob's acquaintances #they must think he's so odd #dreamling relationship from outsider pov is hilarious always #ask #aquabluejay #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing #sorry 4 taking forever to answer these

[cuubism]

One of my favourite Dreamling headcanons / tropes is flowers blooming in the Dreaming because of Dream's feelings

EXTREMELY good trope

poor Dream can do nothing but wear his heart on his sleeve. forced to show Hob around the Dreaming like "pay no attention to the fact that I'm in love with you and can't admit it yet! Instead look at these flowers that-- wait. Shit. Fuck."

"Dream, why is there a rosebush here--" "NO REASON."

#ask #anonymous #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

Actually, what about death and Hob finally meeting and sharing embarrassing stories about Dream?

I LOVE Hob meeting Death and being friends with Death. I'm pondering embarrassing stories about Dream, though... because I feel like Dream is actually a very easy person to hurt. Not in all cases; if someone he doesn't respect or who's a particular opponent of his criticizes or insults him he's just like "okay, whatever." Lucifer was like "you're powerless here" and kept ragging on him and Dream was just like "okay if you think so. you're wrong though <3" so he's not always fragile, he's generally pretty assured in his capabilities as Dream except in certain cases like failing to stop the first Dream vortex, 'letting' the Dreaming decay while he was imprisoned and what not.

I'm not sure it would be the same with people he loves and trusts. Hob even calling him lonely sent him running, which wasn't intended to be insulting but probably felt that way to Dream. So I'm not sure Dream would tolerate being made fun of very well, even if it was done fondly; I think it would probably sting more than anything. I honestly didn't even love the way Death poked at him in ep 6 (and I love Death) especially after he had just been through hell. Dream is very proud and under that kind of fragile when it comes to his core self, and this would all probably just hurt more than anything.

Funnily, I think Hob is the opposite -- he can take ribbing from anyone and just laugh it off. The ONLY person I think it would hurt from, actually, is Dream himself.

#maybe i'm just projecting because i personally don't like being embarrassed or made fun of even in jest 😅 #poor dream with his 'i must hold onto my dignity at all costs' versus his very loving but much more casual sister... #i think hob would clock it though. he's extremely perceptive about dream i mean he clocked dream's loneliness after like 5 brief meetings #ask #maelstroms-blog #thank you for sending in headcanons! sorry it took me so long to answer them #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

I gotta soft spot for Dream giving hob a tour around the Dreaming and him just being starstruck and how talented his artist bf is

yesss!!! Dream is an artist, we don't always frame it that way but he is. and such a good one, he's created so much!! major weakness for Hob seeing how bright and colorful and whimsical the Dreaming is, how full of love it is, and in that seeing right past Dream's armored, monochrome exterior and into his very very soft heart.

#ask #anonymous #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

A favorite fanon trope: Hob and Dream are both, for whatever reasons, really very excellent with pre-industrial weapons, and Hob is an enthusiastic historical reenactor to keep his practice up.

Flirty weapons demos ensue...

definitely very accurate, Hob is surely proficient with a wide variety of weapons just based on life experience and the necessity of self-defense. I very much see him as an opportunistic fighter rather than an elegant one -- if he gets attacked and the only thing nearby is a lamp, then you're getting smacked with a lamp, etc -- but yeah for sure he can use real weapons too. as for Dream, someone (?) wrote a fic recently (curse my memory) wherein Dream can use waking-world weapons proficiently by peering into the dreams of humans who can (and subsequently lose the proficiency when the dreamers wake up 😂) and I loved that, I think I'll have to incorporate it into my worldview. when it comes to real life or death fighting I think Dream uses his own powers and tools rather than any particular weapon. Also would not be surprised if Hob's preferred weapon was his own fists.

#someone will recognize that fic i'm sure #ask #embervoices #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing

[cuubism]

Headcanon from my "fic graveyard" doc.

What if Hob can not only refuse death, but also has a kind of death-averse zone around him?

Things heal more quickly in Hob’s presence than he has ever had any reason to account for. He thinks, maybe it’s some effect of whatever has kept him alive over the centuries. People still die around him, of old age, of violence; he’s killed no few himself in war. But wounds heal faster around people who room with him, cut flowers linger past the point they should fade, fruit stays fresh longer, things like that. He wonders for the thousandth time if Eleanor hadn’t encouraged him to go to London to handle court affairs right before she went into labor if she’d have survived the birth.

THAT LAST LINE FUCK 😭

I love this, I'm slotting it into my Hob-becomes-a-patron-saint-of-living thoughts. It happens slowly, over time as he gets older he's no longer just spared Death's gift, but starts to become his own creature that's not quite human, has his own sort of power tied to his incredibly strong will to live... it's more precious to me, actually, than thinking of Hob becoming "Hope." Hob as the personification of Life is dear and interesting to me, especially if he is close friends with Death. There was that quote that went around tumblr absolute ages ago, I don't know its origin. "Life and Death have a long love affair. Life gives gifts to Death, and Death keeps them forever." (I think that comic might have become a meme tho XD). Anyway that's Hob and Death, except, of course, Death once gave Life a gift in return of something that was really supposed to be hers... aka, Dream.

#ask #karalynlovescake #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing #i should get around to writing the patron saint companion fic

[cuubism]

one of my fave Dreamling headcanons is definitely Dream being able to sense daydreams and Hob using that to his advantage… but I specifically headcanon Hob as being a prolific and enthusiastic daydreamer basically from childhood. not in a maladaptive way, just in that pleasant “I’m falling asleep/killing some time and telling myself a nice story” kind of way. and if some of his favorite daydreams over the centuries have featured his handsome Stranger, well… who can blame him? and if Dream discovers this after they get together and decides to indulge his love, well… who can blame him either?

xo @hardly-an-escape

it extremely tracks that after soliciting asks as a balm to stress i then GOT TOO BUSY AND STRESSED TO ANSWER THE ASKS

@hardly-an-escape i love this trope so much. I love when Dream can feel the daydreams around him, and when they can affect him...

I imagine Hob pulling him into sexy fantasies, soft fantasies, fun stories that are totally made up, memories of their prior meetings... soothing Dream when he gets upset by weaving a story around him... using Dream's own power to help him, in some circular sort of way.

Or even... Dream himself visiting Hob's daydreams when he's not physically there? If that's possible?

Yeah I love it <3

#ask #hardly-an-escape #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing #i'm still going insane btw if anyone wants anything while i'm there XD

[cuubism]

At least four separate people have used 'Mr Sandman' as an alert for Dream showing up/an appointment with him. Death has a little bird show up and whistle the first four notes. Desire unfortunately opted for three brass bands to materialise and harass Dream with the song when he entered their realm. Johanna and Hob both have mobile phones which enable them to use the song as a custom ringtone/alarm. Hob is also the only one not to have faced either actual or threatened physical violence for this running joke. #drob

DESIRE

can i level it up to a Mariachi band. not sure what it would sound like in that style but i'm willing to give it a go

this is comics canon too, in the comics when Dream first gets out of babyjail and goes around getting his tools people's radios keep playing dreams-related songs when he's near 😂 very ominously too

thank you. I love it

#drob supremacy #dreamling #silver-lily-louise #dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing #ask

[cuubism]

Dream comforting hob after a nightmare? Or vice versa?

the one who's REALLY going to need comfort after this is the poor nightmare that made the horrible decision to visit hob 😂 doesn't even matter that Dream knows full well it was just doing its job. His protective instincts were activated

I can imagine Hob pulling him back by the arm as the poor nightmare is cowering in the corner of the room like "please my lord! don't send me to the darkness!" and Hob is like, "come on he was just doing his job," Dream: you were so upset that you are in fact STILL crying. --Hob: yeah but that doesn't mean you should behead this guy. --Dream, holding a sword: perhaps not. however, I am going to.

Imagine you get smited by God because you made his boyfriend cry. Poor nightmare XD

Afterward Hob (still crying btw, brutal nightmare), laying his head on Dream's chest: that seemed like a bit of an overreaction. --Dream: I see, so you would have let someone off easy who tried to hurt me? --Hob: that's different. --Dream: IS IT NOW???

#dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing #ask #maelstroms-blog

[cuubism]

Dreamling headcanon/ just a silly little thought.

Hob gets given an extra soft kitty plushie as a joke from a student or colleague at the end of the year.

Dream becomes somewhat obsessed with it as it's something he can hold and fiddle with while at Hob's place. He doesn't even realize he is doing it.

Hob starts holding it at night when sleeping because it smells like Dream. Dream then gets jealous of this plushie for getting Hob's cuddles.

why is Dream getting jealous of a toy so real and true... always he is creating his own problems and then making them worse instead of solving them. It's what makes him a relatable character.

Now how would Dream solve this emotional dilemma? By talking about it? Definitely not. Sulking? Yes. Stealing Hob's sweaters that smell like him? Definitely. (He doesn't see the irony).

#dreamling headcanons for emotional wellbeing #ask #anonymous #dream being dysfunctional is something that can just be so personal