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haha I saw your ask last night and I wondered if it was about Anni K! I haven’t read The Witch Door yet but I love Transfusions! I found her work the exact same way you did - followed her for the Sandman fanart, stayed for the original stuff.

once work slows down a little I’ll get into The Witch Door and then I promise I’ll yell about it with you!

Hey there, beloved internet stranger/acquaintance/writing idol! I have a fandom question and no idea who to ask, but you're a friendly internet presence to me and also seem to have good ideas so – I hope you don't mind.

The thing is, I am writing a bit of fanfiction that uuuuhhhh grew very long legs, very quickly (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about). And I've reached a point where I would really like to talk to somebody about it and get some feedback. BUT, and this turns out to be a bummer: the fandom is tiny, and I do need someone who has read and enjoyed the canon webcomic, because otherwise what's the point?

Funnily enough, the webcomic's author kinda roped me into the dreamling fandom (she drew some very lovely, very popular comics), and now I've read a metric tonne of dreamling fanfic – which is how I know you – and I see all these funny, witty, cool people geeking out about these blorbos together, and I'm over here sighing wistfully because I wish I could have a tiny little bit of that for my story in this niche fandom that I've come to care so much about.

I've tried pinging some folks from the NeedABeta file (tough luck so far), and I've asked friends with mixed success (and also that's a little weird because these people know me in a very different context), and I thought about asking in the comic's comment section but there's not much happening there and I don't want to be disrespectful towards the author and her story? I feel like I'm reduced to hitting up more or less random people going, please read this webcomic so you can geek out with me! And that's also somewhat shitty. 😕

So yeah, I guess my question is: how do I find someone who likes this little known webcomic and who'd have fun talking about characters and fanfiction with me? If you have any ideas, or any ideas who else might have any ideas, I should be eternally grateful 💜🤍🧡

I could tack on a bit about how much I love your stories and your writing style, but I think I've gushed about it in other places and I shall continue to do so 😉 so just, thank you for your time and energy, I hope you have the loveliest day!

Hello!!

I've been in the tiny fandom no one else seems to care about boat (or more frequently, the tiny ship no one else cares about canoe) a bunch and the answer is, as far as I've been able to determine, that if you are going to find someone else to get excited about it then you will actually have to share the fic. Not necessarily all of it, since it sounds like it's not done, but a little snippet you think is the sort of thing that would ping other people's interest if they are also into the thing you're into. Tag it, reblog it during a few timezones' active hours if you want, and hope that someone else stumbles across it and thinks it's cool.

It is a simple fact of mathematics that in bigger fandoms, more people are going to be excited about the same things you are. In smaller fandoms the odds are necessarily longer. There are less people in the pool, and less of them in any one place, and less of those who will be into the particular thing you want to talk about. As the laws of mathematics are kind of one of the underpinning forces of reality this is more or less insurmountable as a problem: you have to work around it.

In a small fandom that means you've got to be the one who sticks your head up and shouts from the rooftops about how cool you think this thing is, and wait and see if anyone else sticks their head up to agree. They might not, but if none of you speaks up first then you'll all spend forever thinking you're alone.

My second piece of advice is this: if you can enjoy this by yourself and take satisfaction from the act of creation, great, keep going. If you've gotten as much out of creation as you can, and you ultimately can't find anyone else to share with (right now, you never know what happens!), and your further enjoyment of the fic hinges on talking about it with a like-minded person, it's okay to just... put it down. You've extracted all the available joy for now. That's not a bad thing.

You might never find anyone else who cares about your thing like you do. It's good for the soul to occasionally fall in love with something no one else really cares about, it keeps you in touch with your actual tastes. The best long-term thing you can do is cultivate a mindset wherein it is enough that you enjoy the thing, that you can create things about it because you love it, and you can shout them into the void and not really care if anyone shouts back. Your love is valuable all by itself.

#the witch door #transfusions

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me when I want external validation

#the struggle is real #absolutely tragic that I actually have to write something before I can share my writing with my pocket friends #if only y'all could see the fics I have written in my mind........ #writing #anyway this meme has 1000% been done before but oh well

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Dreamling x Shrek AU

Time to make everyone angry with this fantastic AU that hit me in the face due to Hob's 1489 outfit. And after a discussion with the wonderful @teejaystumbles I present to you:

Hob:

Dream/Nightmare:

Matthew:

Mother Night and Father Time:

Desire:

Burgess:

The Corinthian:

(although Teejay envisions Hob as Fiona and Dream as Shrek, but we can figure it out 😁)

#the brains on the two of you I swear #sandman shitposting #shrek

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Matching Tom and Ferdie roles: hollow crown season 02 episode 01 / hollow crown season 01 episode 01

#dreamling #if I ever write more for that knight Hob/prince Dream AU I did for Fluffbruary this is the inspo #the hollow crown

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uuuuuuugh I should go grocery shopping and do some stuff around the house but I had a crazy busy week and I'm just....... so braindead. I want to write and I can't even muster up the brainpower for that. I'm just lying on the couch and mindlessly scrolling and half-watching a minecraft video.

#unfortunately I'm almost out of wine so I AM going to have to leave the house if I want to rectify that issue

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it’s monday i’m in the labyrinth

#sorry but #dream of the endless

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lol

#I love this moment so much #I love the moment of recognition #I love Dream’s little smile and his surprise and disbelief #but it’s so lovely - it’s not rude or mean disbelief - it’s kind and understanding #I would’ve loved to see more of him with Jed #maybe someday I will write something for them #the sandman #jed walker #dream of the endless

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I had so much fun appreciating death this week

#death of the endless #fanart #fashion baby #look at her!!! she is so!!!!!

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the cupuppance is sending me

A story from his insta!

#ferdinand kingsley #the comeuppance #ferdie friday

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Dreamling Bingo - Round Two!

The Dreamling Bingo is back for Round Two, but we don't want to do it without you! Since season one of Sandman was forever ago and season two feels an eternity away, we want to see how many people are still interested in joining us and when.

We're debating between the options of a) starting in a couple weeks on May 10th or b) starting a month from now on June 1st. Either way, we plan on ending the round on November 1st not only to avoid Halloween but also because the last two months of the year are usually the busiest and we don't want to kill anyone (mainly ourselves.)

If you're interested, please take a moment to fill out our survey to help us get an idea how many people want to join in.

Survey: https://forms.gle/by7pAYrQU1v7hzG68

If you're not interested but know someone who might be, please share this with them. Thank you!

#OOOOHHH HURRAY!!! #dreamling bingo 2024 #last year’s bingo kicked off the most productive writing period of my entire life #(only slightly exaggerating… it was amazing) #I would for sure do it again this year! #signal boost

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#dreamling #fanart #scrumptious

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the hold this man has on me | via Almeida Theatre Instagram

#self reblog #ferdie friday #O that I were a glove upon that hand / That I might touch that cheek! #with apologies to both Hob and Shakespeare

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I had to do my taxes today and now I am wondering about a) Hob dealing with the evolution of taxes over six centuries and b) newly human Dream confronting it for the first time and Hob trying not to *graciously* offer to marry him for (selfish) tax purposes.

I like to think Hob has been doing mega tax fraud since before he was immortal and isn't about to stop now but I am also a sucker for any and all fake marriage so:

---

It's a joke when he says it. Really it is.

There's a thump from the kitchen table, and Hob peers around the corner from the living room to see a charmingly bespectacled Dream with his forehead pressed to the top of it.

"Problem?" Hob asks. He'd offered to help Dream with his taxes. It's baby's first ever tax return and he's got all the forged documents to allow him to be a real live taxpayer. He's been having so much fun, working at the library. He'd initially been shocked they were going to pay him at all and he still doesn't really grasp how money works because Hob is not actually a harsh teacher, as it turns out. He can afford to keep one small former Dreamlord without ever even thinking about the cost. Dream spends a portion of his pay on coffee and books and scented candles and has the rest in the best, most basic savings account Hob could find for him. They're never talking about real investments or shares or anything of the kind, because Dream has suffered enough and does not need to add having to understand the economy to his list of lifetime woes.

"No," Dream says, with a level of petulance that would impress a four-year-old.

Hob hums. "I'll leave you to it, then?"

Dream makes an unhappy sound, and turns his face to look at Hob. He looks so sad and defeated that Hob can't quite go through with leaving.

"We could always get married. Then I'd be responsible for your taxes."

This may or may not be true. He suspects it's not. It's a joke.

The way Dream perks up stops him dead in his tracks.

"What would getting married involve?" Dream asks.

Shit.

"Umm..." Hob scratches the back of his neck. "Well, we'd need to get a licence. Quick little... thing down at the council offices or the courts or something. You would have to kiss me," he adds, grinning.

Dream tilts his head. "Just the once?"

Hob blinks, a little stone of disappointment turning over in the pit of his stomach. "Just the once, yeah."

Dream purses his lips. Hob can almost see the cogs turning behind his eyes.

"Then I accept," Dream says, closing his laptop and pushing it towards Hob. "We will marry, and you will be responsible for my taxes."

So they get married.

"You didn't actually have to kiss me like that," Hob says, face still aflame as they step into the cool air outside, marriage certificate in hand.

"Like what?" Dream asks, so nonchalant it has to be genuine.

Like you were examining my tonsils, Hob doesn't say.

"Doesn't matter. Do you want to grab a bite to eat? In lieu of a proper reception."

"I would like that."

Hob does Dream's taxes, as promised, two days later, and presents him with the confirmation screen.

"You are a good husband," Dream says, dropping a kiss on the top of Hob's head.

Hob sits for several minutes, poleaxed, before getting up to make them both a cup of tea.

The next time they go to the supermarket, Hob almost has a heart attack when Dream's hand curls around his. He looks down, looks at Dream—who isn't even looking at him—and then looks in the direction Dream's looking. At the end of the aisle there's a pair of, Hob assumes, newlyweds holding hands, having an animated discussion about breakfast spread options.

"You don't have to," Hob says softly.

Dream looks at him, blinks, wrinkles his nose, and tugs him towards the cereals.

Life goes on. They've always gone out together a lot, so they keep doing that.

Hob gets Dream a coffee, and hands it to him as they leave the café. Dream accepts it, and before Hob can figure out what's about to happen, darts in and kisses him. It's not the full dental exam the first one was, but it's very definitely happening.

"You are a good husband," Dream says, turning in the direction of the park they're meant to be heading for without another word or backwards glance.

Hob swings by the library to pick Dream up from work, and finds himself being taken by the hand like something being brought in for show-and-tell, around to all Dream's favourite colleagues and regular patrons to be introduced as his husband. It's...

Well, it's quite nice, actually, but it's not...

"You know you're not obliged to make other people believe it, don't you? The tax man isn't going to find out."

Not least of all because it wouldn't make one iota of a difference, but Hob doesn't quite have the heart to explain that at this point. Dream's treating this very seriously.

If it wasn't all an elaborate panto, Hob would be enjoying it a lot.

Dream looks at him like he's an idiot—familiar territory—and gets his coat. Hob helps him into it automatically, and then Dream takes his hand again as they head outside.

Okay, fine. Dream is clearly convinced that they need to convince other people they're married for reasons other than Hob's ability to manipulate a spreadsheet.

It's not as though Hob minds holding his hand or being introduced as his husband—that is literally true, anyway. And even though he knows it's all part of the act Dream's putting on, he really doesn't mind being kissed as a thank you, or a greeting. Or sometimes just because. Sometimes Dream stops him in the street and holds up the foot traffic to kiss him, and Hob really doesn't mind, honestly.

It's fine. It's fine, it's fine. Hob's managed to keep a greater or lesser hold on his sanity for six centuries, and pretending to have the thing he wants most in the whole world isn't going to be what breaks him. Not even if Dream cuddles up to him on the tube on the way home every time they go out. Not even when he shows up at the university, introduces himself to absolutely everyone as Professor Gadling's Husband, and kisses him hello in front of a whole lecture hall full of first years.

At least, not until Hob drops into the library and finds Dream calmly going through something on the computer with a young woman who's obviously been crying. Dream hasn't spotted him yet, and he doesn't quite mean to spy, but he also doesn't want to interrupt.

"Perfectly simple," Dream says, low and soothing. He's good with people who're upset. Some things never change, Hob supposes, and sleep is always restorative. "My husband taught me all of this, so you mustn't be embarrassed. Taxes are complicated."

Except Hob had not, at any point, showed Dream any of it. He'd just done it. There'd been no instructional element. Hob had simply accepted that he'd be responsible for taxes until the sun exploded.

He watches with his jaw hanging as Dream explains patiently and with authority how to do each step, and the two of them whiz through it in the space of ten minutes before the young woman offers Dream a hug—which he accepts—and goes on her merry way.

It's at that point that Dream notices him.

"Hob," he says, widened eyes giving away that he knows he's been busted.

"Have you secretly got a second husband who showed you how to do that?"

Dream bites his lip.

Hob realises extremely belatedly that Dream knows Hob thinks he's adorable. That he knows Hob can't resist him being a little pathetic. That...

"You knew how to do it," Hob says.

Dream hesitates. Hob watches the full spectrum of possible responses pass through his mind, glimmering in his eyes, before he draws a breath to speak.

"It is a simple form and some basic arithmetic."

"And you're billions of years old and smart even for your age," Hob says as he realises it himself. Why had he thought Dream would be defeated by something like a tax return?

Because Dream had also seemed defeated by...

"You know how the kettle works," Hob says.

Dream nods. "I like the way you make tea for me. It is never quite the same twice, but it is made with affection."

"You also know how the telly works," Hob goes on.

"But if you are required to operate it, you will sit with me."

"And you could've done your own taxes," Hob says. His brain feels like a series of knots being untangled. "But... you know me. You know me so well, better than you let on. Because you think it'll freak me out, I suppose. You knew I'd joke about getting married for tax purposes?"

Dream nods in confirmation.

"And you knew you could run with it."

Crafty bugger. But then he can't help it, can he? Dreams are manipulative. You can take the metaphysical concept out of the function, but you can't take the function out of the ex-metaphysical concept, current menace of a flatmate-slash-best-friend-slash-husband.

Dream nods again.

"Because..." Hob lets out a breath. It can't be true, except it's the only logical conclusion. "You wanted us to be married?"

Dream smiles the sort of tiny, proud smile normally witnessed the faces of parents whose children have just managed to say dada for the first time. He takes a step forwards, closing the gap between them.

Hob suspects he ought to be cross, but then Dream takes both of his hands and he can't quite summon the necessary ill-feelings for it past the sudden upswell of happiness and wellbeing he feels whenever Dream touches him.

"I was just dropping by to tell you that we're stuck in a hotel for the night. Kitchen's flooded. Burst pipe, looks like. I packed you a bag."

"You are a very good husband," Dream says. Normally there's a note of playfulness, even laughter, when he says it. But this is different.

Hob glances up to meet his eyes.

Dream kisses him. He's gotten the hang of appropriate depths of kiss for various public settings, so it's soft and gentle, but lingering.

"I really want to be," Hob confesses.

Dream lights up, one of his gorgeous little smiles making his eyes glitter. "Then we are unified in our desires."

"You want me to be a good husband?"

"To continue to be so, yes."

Hob lets out a long breath. Well. This is...

Good, probably. Yeah, good. Who cares how they got here.

"I was also coming to warn you that the insurance has only booked us one room with one bed. Because we're married."

Dream's eyes sparkle in a way Hob genuinely hasn't seen before.

"I believe that is the ideal number of beds," he says. "I will look forward to seeing you tonight."

Hob leaves the library in a daze, with the biggest, stupidest grin on his face. It's almost enough to make him like taxes.

Almost.

#well I don't know how I missed this before but I LOVE IT #dreamling #fic rec #taxes #I can sympathize with Dream because I too believe that taxes are my husband's job #although I am perfectly capable of doing them myself

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The Sandman Fic Rec List

This is my appreciation for a very talented fandom. I've tried to put less rec'd fics and authors on this list, and only 1-2 recs per author. This got ..... very out of hand, so i've split it into sections (<5k, 5-10k, 10-20k, >20k, and then non-dreamling fic). With one exception, these are all completed works.

DREAMLING

<5k

After Nights of Endless Watching by @nicolodigenovas: I think this is my favourite musician-Dream fic. So much pining, with Hob listening to Dream on the radio, and Dream singing his heart out over and over for him.

How Would You Like It? by @rhinozilla: This is my fav take on "What if Dream did as Death does and spends a day in the shoes of his dreamers?" (ie, asleep, just like a people.) And of course, who would he trust to watch his sleeping body but Hob?

Endurance by anon: Truly fantastic angst fic about what the vortex is to Dream. A test.

(many, many more below readmore)

feeble today, just like the seedlins by @wintersmitth: Hob accidentally whoopses himself into a situation involving his oldest friend's son and fixes everything. Very fun.

The Apocalypse is Nigh! by @cuubism: I'm weak for outsider pov, and I love Matthew. This is Matthew freaking out over how Dream has finally found love.... in a human, and we all know how mortal they are. (Given that this human is Hob Gadling, Matthew is a bit incorrect on that last part.)

Quoth the Raven by anon: Short, sweet, and then hot outsider pov told from (human) Matthew's perspective meeting movie-star Dream's mysterious boyfriend.

Help! I [22 M, straight] am homophobic towards my gay roommate/ good friend and in desperate need of advice! by @sandyman-on-a-pirateship: Fun little reddit post style fic. I love new age epistolary fics.

warning sign by @issylra: One of my favourite tv canon-verse extension fics. Dream learning how to navigate human relationships and desire and jealousy.

Proper Care and Feeding of Nightmares by @karalynlovescake: such a cute and soft fic. And then the last (hilarious) line hits me like a truck every time.

How we're meant to be by monobuu: Really cute short human dreamling meet-cute.

valerian root by cassandrasdreamworld: Look. If anyone could use a therapy dog. It's Dream. And here, he gets one. Or at least, he gets to meet Hob's.

Guardian Angel by @cuubism: This is just the best. Hob thinks that not aging means he can't die. Dream exhausts himself running after Hob to try to keep him from being killed -- he's got a bet to win, after all.

Hope, and a Bottle of Merlot by MDJensen: One of my favourite series right now. TV canon-verse of Dream and Hob slowly growing together.

Helianthus by jamais-vuo: Just a lovely outsider POV of Paul Mcguire seeing Dream interacting like a human with Hob in a grocery store, and feeling complicated things about it.

i don't know what is real (i can't touch what i feel) by lightning-glass42: Dream has a very traumatic time in the fishbowl, and Has A Time after his escape with repressed memories that fight their way free. Mind the content warnings.

in these familiar walls by angree-baratheon: Hob accidentally pulls Dream into his dream of a Saturday morning lie-in.

you who were the place of love by hanap: Four times Dream visits Hob's dreams, and one time Hob wakes up. Just lovely and poetic.

we will be pretty without our clothes / but i'm joking around, instead by equus8: Dream and his complicated relationship with having a body for a vessel, and how Hob loves him in whatever form.

First, Food. by mishabawlins: Such a missed opportunity in the TV series to not have Dream raiding dreams for food. Well, here, he raids Hob's fridge. In his dreams.

Make a God Human by stele3: Hob finds out that he's been having sex with Dream in dreams for like. 300 years.

reach out, touch faith by sommin: Jo is hired to exorcise...... Hob. Hilarious fic.

let me in before the rainy season starts again by @tiltingheartand: Hob pulls Dream into his dream of a rainy morning spent lounging in bed. SO SWEET.

it's all about treading water by faggotinafrock: Like all the fics I love, this one is about trauma recovery. This time, a human Dreamling AU and Dream recovering from an abusive relationship.

My wildest dreamings could not foresee by Yary: The best Dreamling vampire AU. Vampire Dream, human Hob, and Dream realizing that some humans are a lot more tolerant of his bloodsucking habit than he might expect. It's SO GOOD.

In Waking Dreams by @chaosheadspace: This is so beautiful and wistful and sad. A memory of Orpheus that Dream repeatedly lives through comes to him when he is with Hob.

5 pictures of dream as meowpheus and 1 picture of dream as himself by @valiantstarlights: As it says on the tin. Very cute and sweet meowpheus fic in the described social media style.

5-10k

And Not Ask Leave of Any by @that-banhus: One of my favourite dreamling fics, and the best Tam Lin story out there.

heavenly bodies by @the-apocrypha: Oh god, this is hilarious and wonderful. Hob wants to be able to sleep cuddled with his lover, and Dream's solution is somewhat unconventional.

Ancient Roots, New Growth by acedragontype: I'm weak for outsider pov, and this is a lovely and gentle 5+1 outsider pov of Hob letting others in on his immortality by just..... not hiding it anymore.

in the clouds by quietthewandering: Fantastic post 1x06 fic where Hob daydreams.... a lot...... about Dream. Until he can't help but notice.

Poker Face by @fellshish: Great fishbowl rescue fic. Hob joins a poker game at the Burgess Manor.

Come Morning Light by @five-and-dimes: Really great angst/hurt/comfort all about that fishbowl trauma and how it's affected the way Dream sees humanity in light of Roderick Burgess's treatment of him. More specifically, how he sees -- and perhaps fears -- Hob.

The Temple of the King by bluesundaycake: There aren't nearly enough fantasy AUs in this fandom. This is an excellent AU with mercenary Hob bound to the Nightmare King Dream.

A Thing with Wings by @thesuspiciousflyingjellyfish: I think this might be my favourite "canon fate averted" fics. Dream wishes for one thing before he meets his end: to try again at being a father.

The Dread and Fear of Kings by maybemalapert: Wherein Hob is captured by Roderick and held in the same room as Dream. Great whump, and an excellent mutual rescuing at the end of it.

Dulce et decorum est by @moorishflower: This is the best fishbowl rescue fic mostly because Dream is at his whumpiest and then Hob is just so fascinatingly violent and vengeful. Love that for him.

Real People by spqr: The ultimate classic Dreamling kid fic, with a heavy helping of Dream's terrible communication skills.

an immortal's guide to contrition by trellomonkey: In response to 1889, Hob determines to woo Dream and his dreams become filled with all his various ideas on how to do so. Very sweet!

Afterimage by scribeofarda: Post 1x06, Dream having Trauma and Hob helping him through it. I love trauma recovery <3

Maybe This is All Just a Dream by my_written_minds: Post 1x06, Hob learning about Dream and the trauma that kept him away.

Dream of a thousand kisses by @fellshish: Dream practices his reunion with Hob. Over and over and over. I love this disaster version of Dream, and his shock when reality doesn't happen just as dreams do. (Edited. If you are reading this version, you didn't see my typo calling this fic "Dream of a thousand fishes." Oh my god. /o\)

for truth proves thievish for a prize so dear by anon: Ahhhhhhh there aren't enough 1389 Dreamling AUs!! Dream starts a love affair with 1389 Hob, not knowing that his sister has made him immortal as a gift to them both.

I'm stuck on you (I'm mighty glad you stayed) by @hardly-an-escape: Oh god this one is so cute and sweet. Human Dreamling stuck in an elevator and falling in love (and also having panics, but the two are not related).

Stray Cat Strut by cyankelpie: Touch starved Dream seeking comfort as Meowpheus soliciting pets without having to face the mortifying ordeal of being Known. So really, perfect fic.

It's about the journey, not the destination, or some bullshit like that by @mentallyinvernation: Oh man, I love Matthew getting thrown into the mix, and this fic takes it to the next level by also forcing Dream and Hob (human AU) and their two kids and Matthew all into a tiny car on a roadtrip towards a vacation destination. It's great.

And i have known the arms already by @karalynlovescake: Human Dreamling, it's amazing, i've never read a fic that deals with the complications that arise in a relationship over sexual dysfunction and it's so lovely and compassionate and I especially love how Hob is so understanding but also finds himself disappointed that he isn't able to magically make Dream's sexual dysfunction better. Great and unique fic!

10-20k

Hob Gadling's Executions by @secondjulia: I love this series. Very unique take on the centennial situationship, this time with Dream following along as Hob faces various deaths and still persists in desiring to live.

meetings-that-weren't by sky-of-sunflowers: Truly fantastic fic of Dream thinking himself very sneaky by meeting Hob many times between their 100 year appointments in different forms, but Hob catching wise to him every time.

What Manner of Creature by @ro-moray: Hob Gadling over the years trying to figure out what sort of creature he has made a deal with. The very last section is my absolute favourite.

I have lately learned the difference by Cthonion: Hob dreams often of cages. He doesn't know why until after Dream has escaped and reunited with him. I adore fics like this about Dream's trauma leaking through and finding its way to his only human friend.

You Are Safe Here (You Know Now) by @dsudis: SO sweet, human AU of neurodivergent Dream and Hob learning they are safe with each other in their relationship. I adore this one a lot.

Closing the Distance by Ryunya: I am weak for Dream being both touch starved and also overstimulated by being out in the world again. And that's what this bad boy is all about.

If you would have me by @lord-morpheus-ravens: Dream's siblings decide to save him from his fate by forcing on him a consort. He challenges his suitors to pluck the key to his chambers from the form of a cat -- who is himself. This is such a fun fic, of Dream outrunning various suitors and escaping to relax as a cat at Hob's as a safe haven.

fly me to the moon by @the-apocrypha: Dream's fishbowl time left him claustrophobic, and this is very inconvenient, so he enlists Hob's help in fixing it. Wonderful!! Bless Hob and his infinite patience and inability to take shit.

just find the feeling, pass it on by @thirtysixsavefiles: Fantastic New Inn as a temple fic. Beautifully written and very soft.

You Slow Down Time (In Your Golden Hour) by @purplesauris: So cute and sweet and lovely. Dream courting Hob and it is all so wonderful.

>20k

slow burn by arahir: The first Sandman fic I read, and one of the best for sure. Another one with Dream's trauma leaking into Hob's dreams. Dream struggles with letting Hob comfort him. It's SO GOOD and ends with outsider pov, which i am WEAK FOR.

Unsent Letters: Nameless Stranger by @rainbowvamp: God, I LOVE a good epistolary fic, and this one is fantastic. Was such a joy to read them as they came out. These are letters over the years that Hob wrote but never sent to Dream.

Spite (is as good a reason as any) by blue_sunshine: Oh, I love Hob's whole personality in this fishbowl rescue fic. He teams up with Jo as well, what could be better? He determines to find Dream for spite-reasons after 1989.

King of Infinite Spaces by @that-banhus: I love this fic so much. Post TV series, Hob begins to have strange dreams, gets to know his centennial friend better, and deals with a student who has a difficult life and a strange talent.

The Seven Lamps of Architecture by @quillingwords: Criminally underappreciated historical and canon-divergence au fic set in Venice in the 1400s. So inventive, with the story wrapping up in a way that had me going, "Oh, of course!" And since it was a bigbang fic, there's INCREDIBLE art by @the-cloudy-dreamer as well!

I'll go to sleep and dream again by @chaosheadspace: The best take on temporarily-human Dream. I love the unease he feels at being forced into a finite body when he is meant to be infinite.

The Story Teller by @the-apocrypha: A wonderful kid-fic featuring a temporarily de-aged Morpheus.

Once in a Lifetime by equus8: Beautiful longfic of Dream learning (gradually, so very gradually) how important Hob really is to him, over the course of a brief vacation from the Dreaming triggered by a bet with his sister. Early chapters are set in the past and are Hob-centric, but the bulk of the fic is modern day.

Right Place, Right Time by sherwoodfox: Dream and Hob meet, and love each other, in dreams over the years. So when Dream is captured, Jessamy goes to her master's lover to ask for help.

Proving Faith by anon: I think this is the only WIP in here. Absolutely lovely fic about Hob and Dream growing together during a difficult time in both their lives: Dream, coming to terms with feeling betrayed after the fishbowl; and Hob, whose time in his current life has come to an end and he needs to move on.

Thy Fearful Symmetry by @secondjulia: Fantastic Endless-as-vampires fic, and Dream having Lots of Guilt over it. Very messy, lots of emotion, lots of back and forth between Hob and Dream, I love it.

GEN AND OTHER PAIRINGS

only the register by @catalists: Hob meets Paul at an art gallery and makes a scene about it. This and its sequel are some of my favourite fics, and I love a vengeful and violent Hob.

a very old dance by anon: Dream/Lucienne, lovely emotional and sexy take on a dom/sub relationship between the two. Sometimes, Dream just needs to be topped.

You Don't Understand by violent-entertainment: I'm so fascinated by this one. No one ever told Hob in 1389 about the immortality thingy. So he comes to some very... offbase... conclusions about it over the years.

Tame Wolves in Dark Woods by mare-adamantis: Chilling and fantastic dark fic about the Corinthian having been captured by Erasmus instead of Calliope.

by the people, for the people by seris: Delightful fem-Dream with everyone giving her assets due appreciation.

larks and katydids by mightybee4: Fantastic fishbowl fic writing out the horror of taking an infinite concept (Dream) and severing him from all that he is, and what the does to Dream.

Sacrament by cosmicjourney: My favourite Morphienne fic series. It's just so full of emotion and restraint and cautious, tender love.

2 Kings 25:7 by frihetkanske: Hob/Dream/Cori in the most all hurt no comfort post apocalyptic mess you can imagine. If you want to have a cry, this is it, lads.

venus planet of love was destroyed by global warming by @sleepingnerd: Look. We all know Lucifer and Dream are bitter exes. This is how Lucifer feels about it all.

The Lady, or the Tiger by jamais-vuo: Fascinating character study of Ethel, and how she frees the tiger from his cage. (Yes. YES!)

there is a starving, naked man in that cage why is no one helping him? by Sablehaven: I love this outsider pov of a newly hired guard in the Burgess Manor having a conscience and saving Dream because it's right.

Baiting the Trap by Korhzel: Fascinating Dream/Corinthian fic series, very smut heavy but chock full of the complicated and "that can't be healthy but i guess it works for them" dynamic that I love this ship for.

1596 by anon: When Hamnet dies, Shakespeare thinks he's made a deal with the devil. Love how cold and demanding Dream is in this -- our boy has a lot of growing to do, and none of it has happened yet.

Prince of Darkness by OneStepShort: Great fishbowl rescue by a party-goer high on speed that sneaks into the basement in the 60s.

if it knocks you off your feet by tidesong: Jo/Dream, but somehow very soft.

Unusual Pace of Damage by starkraving: Fantastic fic from Matthew's pov, looking at Dream as he tries to recover from many difficult things. I love how the dreaming changes to try to grant Dream rest.

Companions by Picture_Yourself: Matthew and Dream give Jessamy a funeral. So soft and so full of grief and love.

I'm so sorry that you have to have a body by taxonamie: I love this take on the trauma of forcing a concept into a body and shoving it in a cage.

The Words of the Children and the Insane by did_you_see_the_light_in_my_heart: Hob helps Delirium, who seems to his eyes an unwell teen who needs a ride, and misses her attempts to push him to find Dream while he is captured. Del!! I love her. Best girl.

Amid Intervening Stars by anon: I LOVE THIS Calliope is rescued by humans and experiences gentle care and love at their hands. And then makes Dream experience the same. I view this in a very Dream/Calliope lens as well, cause I love them.

just for a minute by madrugadaeterna: Dream and Orpheus on the night before Orpheus's wedding. So soft, and sad in knowing what comes next.

honor has been the reward by romanticallyinept: Dream/Cori human AU, and honour bondage. Love it <3

And if you made it through all of that and still want more, I wrote some stuff too, that you can find linked here <3

#dreamling #the sandman #fic rec #such an incredible list #I'm so honored to be on it <3 #I'm sure I've reblogged this before but there are still a bunch I haven't read!

[hardly-an-escape]

the hold this man has on me | via Almeida Theatre Instagram

#ferdinand kingsley #almeida theatre #the comeuppance #i am unwell #feral for ferdie

[hardly-an-escape]

What if Hob reached out and took Dream’s hand in his during one of their once in a century dates, what then??

(I think Dream would bluescreen on the spot and spend the next 100 years thinking about it)

#gentle hand touches my beloved #dreamling #fanart

[hardly-an-escape]

Somehow I wrote 137k words of The Sandman fanfic in the last 5 months. Behold: the result!

This has been an incredible journey - I decided to step back into fandom while I was waiting on some publishing info and news, just as something to do to keep my creativity sharp. The community and reception I discovered, however, has been astoundingly welcoming. I feel reinvigorated and ready to tackle my revisions on my next novel!

THE HOB ADHERENT SERIES

In which Hob Gadling's Stranger returns, they start a weekly hangout, Hob becomes Morpheus' Emotional Support Human (tm), Matthew bullies Hob onto a Docudrama TV series where Hob pretends to be his own ancestor, and Morpheus is the King of Repressed Symbolism.

Status: Complete

Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Includes some comics canon, and some fun cameos from the wider Gaiman-verse, but it’s not necessary to know to enjoy the story.

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Discussions of grief and in-canon character death.

Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Eleanor | Hob Gadling’s Wife/Hob Gadling (past)

Primary Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Hob Gadling, Matthew the Raven, Lucien | Lucienne (The Sandman), Mervyn Pumpkinhead, Patrick the Bartender, All the Endless Siblings, Rose Walker, Jed Walker, Lyta Hall, Daniel Hall, Orpheus, Lucifer, (plus some cameos from other characters from the Gaiman Television-Literary Universe)

CLING FAST

Hob Gadling is a clingy bastard, and he’s not ashamed to admit it. He clings to life. He clings to hope. He clings to his love of humanity. He clings to his Stranger. He also, unfortunately, has a habit of clinging to his name.

Which means, when the BBC is looking for a new pet history expert to appear in their educational docudrama series “Elizabethan Manor,” they’re overjoyed to find a professor who (according to their meticulous research) is actually descended from the Master of the National Trust building they’re filming in - Gadlen House.

Only Hob knows how right they are.

Picks up a few hours after the end of Season 01 Episode 6.

CARPE DIEM

Hob turns six hundred and sixty-six, invites some fellow Immortals to his pub to celebrate, and receives a gift from Satan themself. Or, the Key to Hell was always going to Be a Problem(tm).

Set between the epilogue and chapter one of Cling Fast.

HOLD TIGHT

Hob is tasked with his first quest as Vassal of the Endless, Morpheus is bad at using his words, Destiny thinks he's so clever, Desire makes a confession, Rose Walker meets her Uncle's boyfriend, and Lyta Hall punches Dream of the Endless in the nose. Or, the one where Hob Gadling turns into everyone's therapist, and honestly, he ain't mad about it.

Set at the end of Cling Fast - after the premiere of “Elizabethan Manor”, but before the Epilogue.

KEEPSAKES

Short ficlets set in the Hob Adherent world, based on prompts received from readers. Includes tales of how Hob and Eleanor met and wed, Hob being a badass at a Ren Faire, some hurt/comfort and sleepy smut, and the story of how Hob met Orpheus.

TAKE ROOT

A deleted scene for a sequel I ended up scrapping.

#GOD this one is SO GOOD #have you read it??? YOU MUST READ IT #dreamling #fic rec