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smallgodseries · 11 months

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[image description: A tiny Oriole sits cheeping on a branch. But this wee bird has tied a big colorful toucan beak over his own, and added a bright red-orange comb. We see him against a bright green rainforest background. Text reads, “18, YUCAN TU, the small god of faking it until you make it”]

Sometimes education isn’t enough. Sometimes you can study and study and try and try, and never quite cross the last bridge between where you are and your heart’s desire.

Sometimes you need to tell the perfect little lie to get there.

Once upon a time there was a small god of orioles named Yucan who wanted nothing more in the world than to be a god of toucans, to manifest himself as a big, beautiful, tropical bird that people would stop to ooo and ahh over when they saw it in the trees, something impressive. It was a good thing to be a god of songbirds. There weren’t as many of them as there had been before cats became quite so popular as house pets, and the ones remaining needed all the divine intervention they could get their wings on. He appreciated their attention and their worship, but he wanted, so very badly, to be more than his nature was allowing him to be.

So he hatched, over the course of several slow decades, a plan, and one night, with no warning whatsoever, his faithful woke and found him gone. He had abandoned his divine duties, flown the coop, left the nest, and no one could find a single feather left behind! All the little birdies were distraught…but not for very long, as little birdies have short memories, and there were other gods of songbirds around to serve. If it wasn’t quite the same, well, nothing ever is, not even following the same god from one day to another. They adjusted. They adapted.

And far away, a very small god with a very big dream put his plans into action. He donned a false face, he told everyone who met him that he was the god of endangered tropical birds, and if no one had ever seen him before, well, some of those birds were very endangered. Deforestation and poaching, don’cha know? So many dangers to evade. So many fledglings to protect. So he lied, and lied, and pretended, and did his best to live up to his own lies. He protected those who came to him, he spread his wings over the nests of species unknown to science, and he tried, and he lied, and he tried.

Until one day, the mask would not come off when he went to go to nest. One day, he noticed that his wingspan was greater, and he no longer heard the prayers of songbirds, but of the birds he had claimed…and of more than them. Of frightened high school drama students and would-be figure skaters, of novice computer programmers and new-made lawyers.

They had their own lies to tell.

And Yucan Tu would be with them every step along the way, singing goldfinch songs in their ears and spreading his wings to defend them from the risks of their own actions.

He is a god of falsehood, yes, but also of sincerity, and of effort.

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Artist Lee Moyer (Trident of Aurelia, 13th Age) and author Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, October Daye & InCryptid series) sincerely thank to each and every one of you who share Small Gods!

Tumblr: https://smallgodseries.tumblr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallgodseries/

Homepage: http://www.smallgodseries.com/

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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dailydreamling · 3 months

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Canon Divergence

Helianthus by jamais_vu0 (Words: 2,389)

Warning: Referenced dehuminization of a non-human character

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Months after he releases Dream of the Endless from his cage, Paul McGuire has a chance encounter that teaches him a few things about Fawney Rig's former prisoner.

Canon Divergence

Des Kaisers Neue Kleider by WyvernQuill (Words: 1,572)

Warning: Unresolved Sexual Tension

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Hob was not ashamed to admit that he'd simply stood there and stared for a small eternity; he himself wearing one of his lovelier fancy suits from the early 1800s, dreamed up to be in perfect condition, and Dream… Dream was wearing a black tablecloth. A black tablecloth that, despite very much being voluminous enough to cover, well, a TABLE, did not manage to conceal much of Dream's body to passing onlookers.

Canon Divergence

Ich have y-don al myn youth (all my youth I have loved) by ScribeofArda (Words: 6,877)

Warning: none

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Hob doesn’t know what his face is doing, but Dream glances up at him and Hob can see his face soften, in that way where his expression barely changes but Hob can see everything behind it. “You have an attentive audience, my love,” he says. “Please continue.”

Canon Divergence

Midnight in Bloom by CeruleanHeart (Words: 14,389)

Warning: Hanahaki/Sex Pollen hybrid, Altered Mental States, Implied/Referenced Mind Control

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

A peculiar species of flowers is spreading in the Dreaming, maddening its residents and threatening to overtake the realm.

When Morpheus himself falls under their spell his only option is to confront all the desires for an old friend he’s had long buried within his heart before his own passion can consume him.

Canon Divergence

Make your interest known by sb_essebi (Words: 2,429)

Warning: None

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Perhaps, in another universe, in the year 1589, Dream of the Endless left the Dreaming carrying a single red rose, intending to court Hob Gadling. Perhaps, sensing Hob's daydreams about his wife, Dream changed his mind and threw the rose to the ground.

In this universe, in the year 1589, Dream of the Endless still leaves the Dreaming carrying a single rose. Fortunately, in this universe, things go rather differently.

See below for more recommendations!

Canon Divergence

| don't look back | by TypicalNerd98 (Words: 15,090)

Warning: Mentions of War, Grief/Mourning

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

“You and Dream will leave, but you shall do so without a guide, no one will give you directions, no one will address you, no one will lay their eyes upon you. You will be on your own, Robert Gadling. Much like beautiful Orpheus was. As for Dream… he will follow after you, but you cannot look back at him or you’ll sentence both of you for eternity of damnation. Only once you pass over to the Dreaming, will you be free of my rules.”

Hob frowned, not knowing what to make of Lucifer’s proposal, so he uttered the one question that seemed the most pressing among the others “But how will I know that you held up your end of the deal? How can I be sure that Dream will be with me?”

Lucifer’s bright smile transformed into a grin, as they proudly stated “You can’t. That’s why it’s going to be so interesting, Robert Gadling.”

Canon Divergence

A Certain Point of View by Konstadt (Words: 6,795)

Warning: Canonical Character Death, Past Character Death, Requited Unrequited Love

Pairings: Dream of the Endless | Daniel/Hob Gadling. Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Dream's heart aches for the love he had, his poorly thought out solution is to watch Hob Gadling from afar to try to soothe the pain - with the opposite effect. Hob has extremely complicated feelings for the beautiful young man who is both so alike and so opposite to the one he loved and lost. Both men pine for what they lost and seek solace in each other, neither have a full understanding of what that means until it happens. A story of misunderstandings and how a burden shared is a burden halved.

Canon Divergence

a lucky break(out) by cuubism (Words: 9,892)

Warning: none

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Hob acquires a familiar ruby at an antiquities sale. Said ruby summons something else into his home as well.

Mercy by Blissymbolics (Words: 598)

Warning: Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Dream comes and goes as he pleases. He appears once every few weeks, satisfies himself with wordless, earth-shattering sex, then disappears in the morning while Hob is still buttering his toast. Hob accepts him every time. No matter what time of night; no matter what responsibilities await him the next morning; he welcomes the King of Dreams into his bed and pleasures him the way only a mortal mouth can.

Canon Divergence

Sunday Meetings by Avelera (Words: 8,306)

Warning: none

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

A happier take on The Sandman comic issue, “Sunday Mourning” from “The Wake”, aka “Hob Gadling goes to the Ren Faire (and hates every second of it)”

Thirty years ago, Hob promised his now ex-girlfriend, Gwen, that they would stay friends and that they would meet every few years at the Ren Faire to catch up. This was despite the fact that Hob hates Ren Faires to the very depths of his soul. This time, Dream goes with him.

Fishbowl Rescue Fic

By the Laws of Magic by Lenore (Words: 32,125)

Warning: None

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

It’s 1959, and Hob Gadling is working at a London auction house, amazing his colleagues with his uncanny knowledge of art and artifacts from the 14th century on. When he gets the assignment to catalogue a family library at a place called Fawney Rig, he looks forward to a working vacation in the country. What he finds is a house with a preternatural chill where odd disturbances happen daily, an ornate carved door with a secret clearly hidden behind it, and visions of his mysterious stranger every time he turns around.

Fishbowl Rescue Fic

Into Darkness and Howling (I'll Keep Him From Drowning) by TinyButFierce (Words: 6,157)

Warning: None

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

It was beginning to sound like Roderick Burgess had something or someone trapped in his basement. Hob was starting to wonder if he should do something about that.

Retire Dream AU

My heart’s ailment by martybaker (Words: 891)

Warning: None

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Dream gets sick for the first time since becoming human

Retire Dream AU

This Dream Is Over (Another Has Begun) by SigniorBenedickofPadua (Words: 115,429)

Warning: Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Panic Attacks

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Weak, confused, and distressingly human, he consents to being taken back to Hob's home to be cared for until he can regain his strength. When he falls asleep that night (which he should never have had need for), he finally finds his way back to his palace, only to find someone else sitting on his throne, wearing his ruby, and claiming his name as her own — Dream of the Endless.

Retire Dream AU

New Stranger by softestpunk (Words: 20,709)

Warning: Unhealthy Codependency

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

It’s been three months since Hob Gadling attended the funeral of his oldest friend when he walks into the basement café of a bookshop on Tottenham Court Road and sees him behind the counter.

A story about not knowing what you've got 'til it's gone, second chances, the power of love, and holding hands.

Matthew’s POV Fics

Get a Room by TheCosmicMushroom (Words: 1,099)

Warning: None

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Dream of the Endless and Hob Gadling were without a doubt, completely and unequivocally disgusting. Matthew watches over a Dreamling date. Much to his chagrin.

Matthew’s POV Fics

Quoth the Raven by Anonymous (Words: 2,651)

Warning: None

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Matthew had decided he was going to murder Hob Gadling.

Matthew’s POV Fics

The Apocalypse Is Nigh! by cuubism (Words: 4,881)

Warning: none

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Morpheus is dating a human. A mortal (as far as Matthew knows). Which means when he dies, the Dreaming will be kaput! Just utter annihilation! But luckily Matthew has a plan.

Human AU

Five Stars by Dira Sudis (Words: 3,532)

Warning: None

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Dream E. tipped well—absurdly well, sometimes, which was probably because Hob actually obeyed all the notes about things like Do not buy apples without sending a picture of them, I will tell you which I want and No other brand is an acceptable substitute on items like Sainsbury's own-brand custard creams. He would order half a dozen of the exact same frozen meal every week for months, then switch to a different one and be just as obsessed with it. There was only one kind of honey he would accept in one size jar. Hob knew

Human AU

You're the One I Need by Moorishflower (Words: 39,086)

Warning: Past Suicidal Thoughts, Depression

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Divorced novelist and aging goth Dream Nickson agrees to accompany his sister Delirium on a cross-country journey to Greece, partially to seek out their estranged brother and partially to deliver his son, Orpheus, back to his waiting mother. When their car breaks down before they've even managed to leave England they receive unexpected help from hobby farmer Hob Gadling, whose cheer and kindness mask tragedies of his own.

Trapped by mechanical failure and a sudden storm, Dream now must deal with his trauma, his past, and feelings he'd thought he would never experience again, all in the course of a single day and night spent with a handsome stranger.

Regency AU - Omega Verse

A Dream for a Viscount by Starsniper (Words: 11,500)

Warning: None

Pairings: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Morpheus "Dream" Endless is a stubborn omega who does not want to be a stay at home omega raising children. He meets his match one night in the form of one Viscount Robert Gadling.

#DailyDreamling Fic Recs #masterpost #dreamling fic #dreamling fanfic #hob gadling #dreamling #dream of the endless x hob gadling #hobmurphy #dream x hob #Fic Rec #ao3 fanfic #fic rec list

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mindfulwrath · 4 months

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Books of 2023

"You Look Like a Thing and I Love You" by Janelle Shane - AI is even weirder when you know how it works. Interesting read. Recommended.

"The Spare Man" by Mary Robinette Kowal - Cozy mystery, IN SPACE! Good mystery, fun characters, ACAB. Recommended.

"Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Vol. 4" by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - Oh they FUCKIN. Recommended.

"Meddling Kids" by Edgar Cantero - Scooby-Doo meets Lovecraft. Scarier than I expected. Recommended.

"Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days" vols. 1-5 by Shiro Amano - Break my heart all over again why don't you. Surprisingly humorous. Recommended.

"Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan McGuire - Boarding school/group therapy for young adults who have just returned from portal fantasies. "Piranesi" vibes. Recommended.

"Down Among the Sticks and Bones" by Seanan McGuire - Prequel "A" to 'Every Heart a Doorway.' Vampires, mad scientists, and the greatest horror: suburbia. Recommended.

"Beneath the Sugar Sky" by Seanan McGuire - Sequel "A" to 'Every Heart a Doorway.' A group of portal-fantasy survivors quest to resurrect a friend. Recommended.

"In an Absent Dream" by Seanan McGuire - Prequel "B" to 'Every Heart a Doorway.' Fae bargains and the consequences of brinksmanship. Recommended.

"Peter Pan" by James Barry - Charmingly written, alarming subtext. At times appallingly racist. An interesting read.

"Come Tumbling Down" by Seanan McGuire - Sequel "B" to 'Every Heart a Doorway.' A portal-fantasy survivor seeks aid to unswap her body. Recommended.

"The Roman Empire" by Don Nardo - Nice overview of the time period, accessible, with good references. At times gratingly Christianity-positive.

"Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village" by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper - What it says on the tin. Amusing.

"Across the Green Grass Fields" by Seanan McGuire - Prequel "C" to 'Every Heart a Doorway.' Horse girl goes to horse world. Frankly, missable.

"Everyday Life in Ancient Rome" by Lionel Casson - Fascinating, and has my favorite quality in a historian: petty snark. Recommended.

"Where the Drowned Girls Go" by Seanan McGuire - Sequel "C" to 'Every Heart a Doorway.' Portal Fantasy survivor escapes institutionalization. Recommended.

"T. Rex and the Crater of Doom" by Walter Alvarez - How we figured out what killed the dinosaurs. Recommended.

"Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist" by Ben Barres - Life, science, and activism from a trans neuroscientist. Recommended if you like neuro jargon.

"The Eternal Darkness" by Robert Ballard - A brief history of deep-sea exploration told by someone who's been there. Recommended.

"Lost in the Moment and Found" by Seanan McGuire - Prequel "D" to 'Every Heart a Doorway.' Abused child escapes to a cosmic Lost & Found. Recommended.

"The Writing in the Stone" by Irving Finkel - A mysterious stone drives a Babylonian exorcist to a killing spree. Cool concept, unpleasant execution.

"The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett - Docu-drama about the building of a cathedral. Like if Game of Thrones loved its characters. Recommended.

"The Secret History of Moscow" by Ekaterina Sedia - People are turning into birds and folktale creatures live underground. Not my cup of tea, but Gaiman fans will like it.

"Wild" by Cheryl Strayed - A woman hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone to grieve her mother's death. An interesting read.

"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski - An imaginary film ruins a guy's life. Disturbing. Recommended.

"The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson - The true story of the 1893 World's Fair and the serial killer who hunted there. Fair bits way more interesting than killer bits. Recommended.

"Piranesi" by Susanna Clark (reread) - The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite. Recommended.

#books of 2023 #my goal was to read more nonfiction this year than last year #definitely accomplished

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citizenscreen · 1 year

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Darren McGavin and Jerry Lewis have a bit of fun during the making of Don McGuire’s THE DELICATE DELINQUENT (1957)

#darren mcgavin #jerry lewis

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mtmcguire · 20 days

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Respite and random thoughts about faith…

Blimey, this week’s been a bit of a roller coaster. As you know, last week I was having extreme difficulties with what felt like bowel-based armageddon. I’m going to relate the happy ending of that story (spoiler: I didn’t die in the end even though I was genuinely beginning to wonder which would go first, the virus or me). I should also run this with the caveat that it is mostly supposed to be…

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#advice from writers #author blog #author blogs #faith #I fucked this up so you don&039;t have to #istuffedthisupsoyoudon’thaveto #M T McGuire #Mary Fails at Modern Life #off topic #trying to be a writer #women in sci-fi #women writers

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missyourflight · 1 year

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when i was on livejournal i used to review, like, everything i watched or read (bc i did not have a job). i kind of miss that so here are some notes about some of the things i read/watched in january!

the hour (s1 - rewatch): i feel like unless you were In It you can't understand the hold the hour had over us when it was airing. whishaw! romola! dominic west as a rake who wants to Learn! the looks! the fonts! jamie parker and anna chancellor and andrew scott and joshua mcguire!! the mechanics of how we bear witness!!!! nobody not even the rain has such small hands!!!! jesus christ. anyway here's 1k of space stuff from yuletide 2012

justified (s1&2 - rewatch): inspired by @love-leah's vital boyd/raylan fanfictions honestly, this whole show should be about boyd/raylan. i remember first time around i was very into the tim stuff because we were living that hbo war miniseries life and honestly the episode where he has to babysit raylan is still very good.

eyes wide shut: for some reason i watched this like new year's morning?? anyway i had fun with that one nicole kidman monologue and the like gaping chasm of blank panic under tom cruise's good guy mask. if you have seen barry lyndon should i watch barry lyndon?

mr malcolm's list: zawe ashton forever obviously!! very sweet for oliver jackson-cohen to be allowed to be funny for once, sope disiru can do literally anything. i rented this on amazon and i wish i had just bought it lol

white noise: obviously the supermarket dance sequence is the best part. idk i feel weird about don delillo ever since i had to read out a fisting scene from cosmopolis as a 17 year old virgin in english extension class 🙃

evil under the sun: my first ustinov poirot, worth the price of admission for the incredible diana rigg and maggie smith bitchfight energy (including an amazingly agressive performance of you're the top). i would like to go to an island please

emma (2020) (rewatch): i love it So much!! everything i said in this deranged letterboxd review still stands!!

aftersun: mescal and corio both wonderful, i can't get over calum's despair developing like a polaroid

the sting: good old-fashioned homoerotic fun etc. paul newman's eyes are So blue

best in show: i watched the christopher guest mockumentary trilogy thing with my sister and this was our favourite. the dogs!!! also there's a thing catherine o'hara does with her knee that killed me

babylon: i loved the parts that were about making films and didn't care for most of the rest of it! could really have done with less of a lecture about why cinema is important

the fabelmans: by contrast i loved the stuff here about why this one specific person is drawn to make films! paul dano has my heart forever and michelle williams' performance did not really work for me whoops

kate beaton, ducks: two years in the oil sands: hark a vagrant was such a touchstone for me, i read this all in one sitting and immediately wanted to give it to three of my friends - her anger is so palpable

#sophposting #monthly media #talk to me about any of this or anything you have enjoyed this month!

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theredandwhitequeen · 1 year

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Music Tag Game

Rules: You can usually tell a lot about a person by the type of music they listen to. Put your playlist on shuffle and list the first 10 songs, and then tag 10 people. No skipping.

I was tagged by @rustandruin thanks

Here is one of my playlists:

1. American Pie by Don McLean

2. Going up the Country by Canned Heat

3. Piece of my heart by big brother and the holding company

4. Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones

5. Way down Hadestown by Hadestown obc

6. Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp

7. I got you babe by Sonny and Cher

8. Your Daddy’s son by Ragtime cast, Audra McDonald

9. Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire

10. Timezone by Maneskin

A lot of rock and a few Broadway musicals is definitely my taste.

I’m tagging @meandi-123 @portinastorm @tasyfa @myrobronbubble @christchex @sugdenlovesdingle @soberqueerinthewild @hermioneclone @cowboymitchell @musicandi

#music #me

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smallgodseries · 1 year

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[image description: A young woman stands among a wild assortment of intergalactic travelers (including Barsoomians, Yithians, a robot, a tank of jellies, tiny translucent blob people, a professional Gnome, and… hey! Is that Jin Jin Jin’s tail I see there?). She wears a straw hat, carnation-colored shirt, black skirt with white polka dots, and black sandals. She holds a heavy black leather bag with several travel stickers (including a bumper sticker that reads ‘I <3 EARTH’) in both hands. Text reads, “187, SUISEI XING, THE SMALL GOD OF SPACEFARING”]

• • • • •

Space. As the sages say, the final frontier. But not for everyone.

Wherever there is vacuum burn and the smell of ozone, wherever sapients don pressure suits to risk the frozen danger between stars, wherever there are those awesome Orion martinis, the ones with the pickled lichees instead of olives—because every civilization that has alcohol will have the martini eventually, in some form or other, as if brined fruit in clear liquor were the summit of social evolution—she is there, or has already been and gone, off seeking a new horizon, a truly final frontier. No one knows where she came from. Just that she always arrives exactly when she intends to, that her ticket is always in order, and that anyone who sails the stars belongs to her, at least for the length of their journey. She doesn’t challenge other gods for their worshippers. She gives them back as soon as the rocket lands. But while they’re in flight…while they’re in flight, they’re hers.

No matter what world she visits, her appearance is the same, only translated for the local biology, so that the sight of her is not alarming: she is always small, always slight and unassuming, attractive to the eye, and as close to female as their understanding of gender allows. She carries her own bags, talks quietly, smiles easily, and seems most comfortable when allowed to don a human skin. She is innocent and ancient, young and outside time, and she has seen things the rest of us can only dream of.

But she carries a camera, and if you can befriend her, if you can make her trust you, she’s always happy to share. She believes in curiosity without conquest, tourism without trauma, and she loves everyone she cradles in her arms of starlight and vacuum.

They say her true form is infinitely vast, the stretch of space itself, and that she is a small god by choice, limiting herself to avoid frightening the faithful she so adores.

They say her perfume smells like raspberries.

They say a lot of things.

Suisei herself says only “Have you been here before? Only I’m supposed to catch the next shuttle for Betelgeuse, and I’m afraid I may be on the wrong platform. Can you help?” Always help her when she asks. Those she blesses always make their flights.

Trust her to be kind.

• • • • •

Please join Lee Moyer (Icon) and Seanan McGuire (Story) each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a guide to the many tiny divinities:

WordPress: https://leemoyer.wordpress.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/smallgodseries/

Homepage: http://smallgodseries.com

Mastodon: @[email protected]

#Small Gods #smallgodseries #Seanan McGuire #Lee Moyer #icons and stories

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