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timesorceror · 21 days ago

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So I started this rec list sometime in mid to late 2024 after listening to @thisweekinfandomhistory's episode on the Crack Van, where one of the hosts commented (and I'm most definitely probably paraphrasing here) about how rec lists are something of a lost art.

This, combined with my burning desire to write a primer on Dreamling (in the hopes it could perhaps one day get covered on the pod) was what pushed me to start going through my 30-something pages of bookmarks (of which those occupy slightly more than a third of my total pages of bookmarks) and start categorizing them in preparation for this list.

Sorry about all the parentheses; I've very likely got some rather loud undiagnosed ADHD and cannot for the life of me keep my brain from interjecting with every single bit of information, relevant or otherwise. But, I digress.

There are ten posts included in this monster of a fic rec masterpost, and they are divided between Oneshots, Multi-Chaptered Fics, and Series. The reason for the divide is simple: Tumblr only allows 100 inline links per post, as I also learned from listening to the lovely ladies of the This Week in Fandom History Podcast.

The rec list posts are below the cut, along with a link to my masterpost Google Doc, an explanation as to the method behind my madness, among other things.

Oneshots - Part One Contains: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crossover

Oneshots - Part Two Contains: Fluff / Happy Ending, Fishbowl Rescue, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, New Inn Is A Temple

Oneshots - Part Three (NSFW) Contains: Accidental Vouyerism, Age Difference, BDSM, College / University AU, Centaur AU, Dragon AU, Dream Sex, Fantasy AU, First Time / First Kiss / Getting Together / Friends to Lovers, Fluff / Smut

Oneshots - Part Four (NSFW) Contains: Fishbowl Rescue, Hurt/Comfort, Medieval AU, MPreg / Breeding Kink, Nursing Kink, Omegaverse, Oviposition, Pacific Rim AU, Period Sex, Retired Dream of the Endless, Selkie AU, Sex Pollen, Shapeshifting, Star Wars AU, Stuck in An Airport AU, Soulmates / Soul Bond, Temporary Amnesia, Tentacle Sex, Touch-Starved Dream of the Endless, Venom AU, Werewolf AU

Oneshots - Part Five Contains: Soulmate AU (No Smut), Touch-Starved Dream of the Endless

Multi-Chapter - Part One Contains: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Crossover, Fishbowl Rescue, Fluff, Friends / Enemies to Lovers, Getting Together

Multi-Chapter - Part Two (NSFW) Contains: Angst with a Happy Ending, Body Swap, Canon Divergence AU, College / University / Academia AU, Creatures & Monsters AU, Dragons AU, Dream Sex, Established Relationship, Fairy Tale AU, Fantasy AU, Fishbowl Rescue / Hob Gadling Saves Dream of the Endless, Friends to Lovers, Fuck Or Die, Getting Together, Historical AU, Hob Gadling is Hope of the Endless, Hob Gadling Owns the New Inn

Multi-Chapter - Part Three (NSFW) Contains: Hurt/Comfort, Medieval AU, Modern Setting / Human AU, Monsterfucking, Omegaverse, Past Relationship(s), Period Sex, Retired Dream of the Endless, Roommates, Sex Pollen, Soulmates AU, Temporary Amnesia, The New Inn is a Temple, Touch-Starved Dream of the Endless, Vampire AU, Victorian AU, Werewolf AU

There will likely not be any more posts added to this, given the nature of how Tumblr posts work, but as I am still in the middle of my second run-though of the Dreamling ship tag's entire body of completed works, I will continue to update this Google Doc as I go (and whenever I comb through my Marked for Later tab and go through fics that are still there as well) that you may view at your leisure.

Note: this Google Doc is my personal fic rec list, and is not the be-all, end-all of Dreamling fics, despite how expansive it is. If there is a fic I have not added, it's very likely I did not read it because of a tag I'm not into (like Hurt No Comfort), or I read it and didn't bookmark it because I felt like I wasn't going to read it more than once. Or any other number of reasons, such as incomplete fics, which I rarely read these days unless it's a tag that I absolutely go feral for.

So don't DM me asking to add specific fics, please. Thanks. :)

I would like to explain that the Google Doc uses the tab function to separate the Oneshots, Multi-Chaptered Fics, and Series, and within each tab, they are further divided using the outline function.

The way I chose to organize the Oneshots and Multi-Chaptered fics was to start by thinking of this rec list as sort of like a menu at a restaurant by picking a main tag that I feel is the focus of the fic, and then further organize them by a sub-catagory tag (for example, I have Moorishflower's fic, Radio Silence, under the broad umbrella of 'Alternate Universe Oneshots' which is further organized under the sub-catagory, 'Post-Apocalyse AU'). Mostly I tried to follow this method by selecting two tags from the tag list of the fic, however not all fics I wanted to include HAD enough tags to use, or they had a bunch of hyper-specific, talk-commentary tags that I felt were not very compatible with the system I had worked out. So there are a few fics that I had to categorize or sub-catagorize simply based on vibes.

Hopefully, that explanation was sufficient, and I know that – given the current state of the fandom in regards to NG – some of these fics may one day become orphaned or be taken down. Unfortunately there is little I can do about that other than to encourage you to download any of the fics you enjoy so that you may continue to enjoy them if they disappear.

The purpose of this undertaking was more to challenge myself (and my patience) to see if I still had what it took to make a proper rec list and also to truly get a sense of Dreamling's major themes, tropes, and common tags so that I could list them out in the primer I still want to write for TWIFH.

That's... pretty much why this exists, though along the way, I was moved to finish this project for the sake of creating a snapshot of this particular ship's fandom at this particular moment in time. Whether or not it lasts remains to be seen, but I'm glad to have done it, and I hope that any fandom historians, as well as current and future fans of Dreamling appreciate my efforts.

I would also like to give a special shout-out to the @mr-sadman Discord, which also has a fic library of at least some of the listed fics for the occasions when AO3 goes down for whatever reason, as a good chunk of Dreamling authors and artists tend to congregate there and are all a bunch of lovely and wonderfully derranged people who have supported me in this endeavor.

So please, enjoy. Go forth and read fic.

All my love, TimeSorceror

#dreamling #dreamling fic #fic recs #fic rec masterpost #long post

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gabessquishytum · 16 days ago

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Okay I literally haven't interacted on tumblr for years but I scroll through dreamling stuff a lot and I see your posts all the time and I know I won't ever write this myself cause I'm an ADHD mess but I have this idea I can't stop thinking about: So you know all those fics where Hob gets amnesia for some reason or another and Dream has to take care of him cause he can't remember anything about who he his or that he's immortal. I keep thinking, what if he only lost like 30 years of memories due to a specific curse or something (idk maybe he pisses off a witch and they're like "have fun being a literal baby in an adult man's body muahahaha!") so the last thing he remembers it was 1992 and he was in the process of establishing the New Inn since he was stood up three years ago. Cut to current and he and Dream have been dating for months after reuniting and being friends for a while and falling in love (naturally) and Dream visits regularly and sporadically so while Hob is trying to figure out what fucking year it is and how he's suddenly a professor when just the other day he was applying for classes and how does he now live in the inn that he literally just started building a month ago WTF IS GOING ON!!?!?!

Cut to Dream to showing up out of the blue and Hob freaking out because his stranger is back and acting super sweet and friendly and what the actual fuck is going on!!

Dream of course figures out something is wrong and gets Hob to come clean and he is murderous, How DARE someone put a curse on HIS HOB!!! I don't really have an exact idea of how this is all rectified, maybe Dream tracks down the witch and tortures them until they take the spell back, maybe he removes the curse himself since he's just that powerful, maybe it's broken with true love's kiss?? (lmao idk, I'm not super into that trope but if that's what you wanna go for be my guest)

Omg I feel so blessed that you went to the trouble of writing this out for me, friend! Yay!!

I feel like it would be incredible to see Hob going back to post-1989 abandonment trauma. In his mind he's still desperately trying to get over the fact that Dream didn't show up. Realistically he's not coping all that well, although he's setting himself up in his new life, he's still crying a lot and making questionable decisions and getting blackout drunk at 2pm. This trauma added together with the utter confusion of being thrust into a place and time that he doesn't know, REALLY freaks him out.

So Dream has to go into caretaking mode and make sure that Hob doesn't have a total breakdown. He's a little better when Dream is around, but he's still so confused and tearful a lot of the time. He needs a lot of reassurance from Dream, lots of explanation about 21st century life, and Dream is happy to provide.

I have this idea of the curse slowly wearing off over time, because Dream has taken care of Hob so well. Maybe one of the rules of the curse was that it would last until someone truly cared for Hob, body and soul. Dream still threatens the witch though of course. He's determined that no one will ever hurt Hob again (himself included, because now he knows exactly how upset Hob was by his abandonment).

When Hob fully regains his memories he drags Dream straight to bed and profusely thanks him for his sweet and tender care. Dream would gladly do it all again for nothing... but the sex IS a nice reward.

#the sandman #dreamling #nsft

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leashybebes · 3 days ago

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wip word game

i was tagged in this a bunch so here goes. these are from a bunch of different things, mostly allying and amnesia fic, with a few fluffebruary bits thrown in when i couldn't find anything in those. and i still had to fudge it a little lol. feel free to guess what's what!

no pressure tags for @hyperfocusthusly, @bidisasterevankinard, @kissmyashes for the word best

from @geddyqueer the word wreck

W - What does Tommy mean, Eddie's in Texas? Buck doesn't remember him talking about taking a trip, but then he doesn't remember what landed him in hospital, either.

R - "Remember, I am a world leading expert at complicated parent stuff, okay? I got you."

E - "Evan. Of course. We're still friends. I just don't need your uh. Your particular brand of wingman skills right now."

C - "Couldn't handle the shift work," Tommy says with a shrug, but it doesn't escape Buck that they're having this conversation two weeks after the first time since Derek became a feature that Tommy wound up in hospital with smoke inhalation and a concussion.

K - Karen lets out a long, slow breath. "Do you want one of us to try talking to him?"

from @dadvans the word real

R - (The) room they're staying in is down the hall from mom's but they still settle close under the covers, heads on the same pillow, a sheet pulled up high creating a warm little world just for them.

E - Evan's big hand squeezes at his waist. "Dance with me."

A - Across the table, Tommy drags the tip of his nose up the side of Derek's face, across his stubble, making him smile.

L - "Look, give it some time," he says again. "I'm not saying never, man, you know we'd love to see you. But not yet, okay?"

from @rcmclachlan the word star

S - She barely comes up to Tommy's shoulder, but manages to make him look small when she envelops him in a hug.

T - Tommy is a good kisser - even out of his mind with pleasure, he's good at it, messy and biting enough that it fits the moment, but not sloppy, more like a controlled messiness.

A - "Are you coming down with something?" he asks, pressing the back of his hand to Tommy's forehead like he's five years old.

R - (The) red velvet cupcakes were an easy choice. They're Tommy's favorite by far which Buck doesn't get at all, if he's being honest.

from @sugarpenchant the word water

W - When Buck kisses back, he makes a noise low in his chest and gets his hands in Buck's hair, keeps him close, gasps against his mouth.

A - A week later, Buck meets a girl on a call who has a pet snake.

T - Tommy looks briefly like he's been dunked in cold water before he musters up a laugh.

E - Evan looks beautifully happy in the resulting photo.

R - (The) rest of the house will need some work to match their style, but Tommy can already tell Evan won't want to change a thing about the kitchen, from the cute little island to the six ring hob with built-in flat top. Tommy grabs Evan's hand to stop the tugging on his sleeve and holds it tight.

from @setmeatopthepyre the word bite

B - "Boy, I clocked you years back. Wasn't sure if you knew, but. You think the way you looked at Deluca or - guys on calls was subtle?"

I - "I had a close call at work," Tommy admits, and tries to ignore the desperate little part of him that thrills when Evan, all these months later, looks worried.

T - Tommy doesn't move in the doorway, other than to tuck his hands into his pockets, a familiar, awkward movement.

E - Evan shrugs and looks away. "I figured I'd never see you again."

#bucktommy #my writing #wip games

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seiya-starsniper · 7 months ago

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I mean, I can't NOT prompt 3."Can you just look at me? Please?" with Dreamling. Because I'm predictable like that.

🤘five-and-dimes

Hey @five-and-dimes, remember when you sent me this BACK IN MARCH? 😅 I finally got around to it, for Sandmannivery and also for Dreamling Bingo!

This was originally supposed to be a shortfic and then it ballooned to 4k, whoopsies! But I don't think you'll mind all that much ahahahaha.

@mr-sadman prompt: Amnesia @dreamlingbingo prompt: Square C1 - Rescue

Rating: General

Warnings: None

Tags: Memory Loss, Dream of the Endless Saves Hob Gadling, Time Loop, Angst with a Happy Ending

Read the whole fic below or on AO3: a half-remembered dream

— — — — — — — — — —

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the air was warm and inviting. It was the type of day best spent laying out on the grass in a bed of flowers, with no thought or care to any sort of responsibilities for that day. It was a weekend after all.

Wasn’t it?

Now that he thinks about it—what day is it anyways? Wasn’t there something he needed to do? Why did it feel like there was something he was forgetting?

— — — — —

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the air was warm and inviting. It was the type of day best spent laying out on the grass in a bed of flowers…

…Where were all the flowers?

When the man sits up all he sees is an endless sea of grass. Where was he? What time was it? How long had he been here? Why was he—who was he?

Why can’t he remember?

What was going on?

How—

— — — — —

It was a beautiful day. The sun—

— — — — —

It was a beautiful day. Again. The sun was shining. Again. The birds were singing. Always the same song, the same length, the same tune. The same, the same, the same. The sun was shining, but now it felt cold and hollow, not warm and inviting. There was something very wrong about where he was, and now that he was paying attention, he fits the pieces together to form a very simple conclusion.

Hob Gadling was dreaming.

He’d been dreaming for the entire time he’d been here. And he still had no idea where here was. Sometimes he’s laying in a field of flowers. Other times there’s nothing else but grass and rolling hills for miles. Sometimes he hears the babbling of a brook nearby. Sometimes he remembers the vague outline of a cottage that reminds him of his childhood home. The one from 1359.

Hob doesn’t know how long he’s been here. Every time he gets somewhat close to maybe remembering something, his mind just—floats away. He wouldn’t quite call it blacking out, his vision doesn’t go suddenly dark and he doesn’t lose consciousness then suddenly wake up. Could a person even wake up from a dream into another dream? Hob has no idea.

Sometimes though, if he concentrates enough, Hob can feel a deep ache in his muscles and bones. He knows it’s his real body that feels the pain because in this dream world, Hob can run and skip and jump for miles and miles and miles. Wherever his body, his real body was, Hob knows that it hadn’t moved or been moved in a very long time.

Too long, his mind supplies.

Wake up, he tells himself. He’d always been able to get himself to wake up if he knew he was dreaming. But it doesn’t seem to be working this time. Hasn’t worked on any of his other previous attempts really, but Hob still feels like he has to at least try to do it again.

Wake! Up! he tells himself over and over to no avail. Wake up, wake up, wake up!

Nothing.

Hob growls in frustration and desperately looks around the dreamscape, hoping for some sort of sign, some sort of clue for how to get out of here. Was he in a coma? Was that why he couldn’t wake up? Was his body safe? Was he—?

Hob startles suddenly as his eyes catch sight of a shadow. The movement is so swift, so sudden, that Hob’s not entirely sure he didn’t just blink and imagine it all. He whips his head around desperately, concentrating all his focus to the spot where he thinks the shadow may have gone.

And then he sees it. A small wisp in the dark. Hob runs, desperate to catch up to it. He wants to see what it is, who it is, because he’s almost certain the shadow is a person, and maybe they know a way out of this place, a trick to wake Hob up, something, anything to help.

But then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the shadow vanishes into the air, as if it had never been there at all.

But Hob knows that he’s seen it. He knows it’s there.

He knows he’s not alone here. Not anymore.

— — — — —

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the air was warm and inviting.

“Why can’t I wake up?” Hob asks the shadow, ignoring everything else around him. The shadow stands out in the bright landscape of the dream, though Hob is certain it did not mean for Hob to perceive its presence at all.

The shadow does not answer him. It never does. Hob sees the shadow all the time now, out of the corner of his eye, always just beyond reach. He doesn’t know what the shadow is, but he is certain that he knows the shadow itself. He’s forgotten the hows and the whys and the whens, but he knows the shadow is a friend. That it won’t hurt him.

The problem is, the shadow won’t help him either.

“Can you just look at me please?” Hob begs. If he were stuck here, if even they were both stuck here, wherever this weird limbo between dreaming and waking was, wouldn’t it be better if they worked together? Anything was better than this crushing loneliness Hob was feeling right now. He would do anything to have a conversation with someone right now. He doesn’t know when the last time was that he’d heard the voice of a friend.��

“Answer me!” Hob demands, his anger rising now as the shadow continues to ignore him. “Why can’t I wake up from this dream?!”

Silence. Then—

“It is not safe,” the shadow says, and then, once again, it is gone.

— — — — —

It was a beautiful day. No. It was an awful day, and Hob screams to the sky and demands the stranger—his Stranger—because something about that rings true in his mind—stop hiding from Hob and face him like a man. That too, rings true in his mind, that the Stranger at the very least, wore the shape of a human man whenever Hob saw him.

As always though, Hob’s questions are met with nothing but indifferent silence.

Hob will not give up. He knows now that something is very wrong, something that is keeping Hob from waking up, from living, and he is determined to find out exactly what.

Ever since Hob encountered the Stranger, his mind has stopped floating away, but now Hob is all too aware that he’s repeating the same day, in this same goddamned endless landscape, over and over again. And he doesn’t know why.

The Stranger knows why. He doesn’t always show up when the day resets, but when he does, he doesn’t speak, nor does he meet Hob’s eye, no matter how much he begs and pleads. If Hob tries to run to him, the Stranger somehow ends up further away, without having taken a single step. It’s infuriating.

Today, Hob can’t see him anywhere, but somehow, he knows the Stranger is here. And still, he ignores Hob’s requests to talk. Hob tries insults next, hurling whatever cruel and uncaring words come to the forefront of his mind. No response. He tries threats. Nothing. He goes back to begging, crying even, for any sort of acknowledgement from this cruel and uncaring god.

No response.

So Hob screams.

He screams and screams and screams and—

— — — — —

It was raining.

Finally, something was different. Hob had grown sick of nothing but sunny days and perfect weather. It was all so fake. The sunny weather was fake, the beautiful landscapes were fake, the trees, the flowers, the singing birds, all of it was fake and Hob hated it here.

Thunder booms in the distance suddenly, followed by the unmistakable crack of lightning, as if the weather had worsened to reflect Hob’s feelings on the matter. Maybe Hob was affecting this tiny little dream world he found himself suddenly trapped in. Maybe he had more power here than he originally thought.

Not that it really mattered anyways. Hob was still trapped, and his only hope for escape refused to talk to him. For all Hob knew, the Stranger he’s been trying so hard to communicate with is the reason he’s trapped here. Maybe he’s keeping Hob here because Hob did something to offend him.

Even as the thought crosses his mind, he knows immediately that it’s not true. The Stranger, whoever he was, was Hob’s friend, and Hob knew, deep in his bones, his weary, achy, exhausted bones, that the Stranger wouldn’t keep him here against his will. There was something else going on, and for whatever reason, Hob wasn’t allowed to know.

“Please tell me what’s wrong,” Hob says to the falling drops outside his cottage window. “You said it wasn’t safe, but what if I’m not safe out there? Where is my body? Why am I asleep? What happened to me?”

Lightning crackles and sparks in the distant horizon in response, but Hob receives no other indicator that the Stranger, the shadow, had been listening to his pleas at all.

— — — — —

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Hob thinks he has never heard anything more perfect and wonderful in his entire life.

Because today, Hob finally remembers.

He remembers the meeting with his Stranger in 1389. Then 1489. And 1589. And on and on they went, secret meetings in the same tavern once every hundred years. A friendship borne on shaky beginnings, but still steadfast and true. He remembers the name of his friend. His patron. His—

“Dream!” Hob calls out to the sky. It vibrates and shakes and Hob can feel the atmosphere of the dreamscape tremble at the utterance of its maker’s name. Hob learned that Dream’s name is a closely guarded secret, that it is sacred, because to hold Dream’s name in one’s mind is to hold power over the Endless himself.

Even knowing this, Hob still calls for him. Even knowing the pull of Hob’s will, Dream still does not come.

Which means that something incredibly bad has happened. Dream would not lock Hob away like this without cause.

“Why am I here, Dream?!” Hob yells. “What’s going on?!”

— — — — —

It was…a day.

Hob does not know how long he’s been here, trapped, scared, alone. The dreamscape has grown dull with each passing, unchanging day, and Hob’s will to continue on with this charade of a life grows thinner and thinner as well.

He does not want to die. Hob will never ask for Death’s hand, of that much he’s certain. He will stay here for as long as it takes, confident that one day, he will once again taste what it feels like to be awake. To be alive.

But Hob is also tired, and, perhaps more importantly, he is bored. As peaceful as his little cottage is, as safe as it appears, there is nothing left for Hob to do but wait. And he does not know what he is waiting for, other than for Dream to finally speak to him and tell him that everything’s all right again.

So Hob decides to sleep.

He realized, some time back, that though his physical body is asleep, his dreaming body is wide awake. But this manifestation too, needs rest, and cannot sustain itself forever, even in the realm of dreams. His dreaming mind, too, needs rest from time to time, which Hob belatedly realizes is the reason why sometimes he has a dreamless sleep.

Dream, Hob is certain, will wake both his subconscious and conscious minds, when everything is safe in the Waking World again.

The cottage in this landscape of Hob’s mind contains a bed big enough for Hob to sprawl in. Hob wouldn’t have had this bed back in the 1300s, it’s more reflective of the one he shared with Eleanor in the 1500s, back when he was a lord and could afford all the finest silks and sheets. It’s far too large of a bed to sleep in alone, and Hob almost wishes he could craft himself a companion of some sort to cuddle up to, to at least pretend he’s not stuck in his own mind alone. And well, it was probably for the better anyways. Hob is pretty sure that even if he could make himself a companion, it wouldn’t be Eleanor he would create in his mind’s eye to cuddle up to. And well, that would be rather embarrassing to explain.

So Hob settles in his large bed, alone, and lets himself drift off, hoping that he won’t wake too soon.

— — — — —

It was a beautiful…night?

Hob spins and spins and spins, and still, he cannot fathom how it is he’s surrounded on all sides by nothing but darkness stars. He thinks he should be falling, for there is nothing but infinity below his feet when he looks down. And yet, the ground beneath his feet is solid as anything Hob has ever stood on, even if staring at it too long makes his eyes a little dizzy.

Everything Hob has come to know about his dream world is gone. The cottage is gone, the bed he’d been sleeping in for eons and eons and eons is gone, the grass, the flowers, the rolling hills, all of it is gone, gone, gone. Like it had never existed in the first place.

Hob tries running in one direction, then another. Yet for all his efforts, he never seems to truly move anywhere. He wonders what it all means.

Then, Hob sees him. A shadow in the dark. A wisp of power. A spark of hope and light and friend.

Dream of the Endless rushes towards Hob in the blink of an eye and collapses in a broken heap at his feet. Hob startles and then falls to his knees, clutching his oldest friend in his arms. Has Dream always been so small? So frail?

“My friend, what’s happened?” Hob asks, trying to not jostle the other too much. Dream doesn’t respond, only groans when Hob tries to take a closer look at him. “Dream, please, are you all right?” Hob pleads, hoping and praying to whatever entity out there that the Endless was all right. That this wasn’t the end of the line for the two of them.

Even if it was though, Hob is certain he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“Hob,” Dream gasps after a moment, his head suddenly shooting up as he meets Hob’s eyes. Hob realizes with horror that his friend’s face is covered entirely in blood, and his eyes are sunken, endless pits of black. Dream looks like someone had beaten him for hours, then thrown him out to fend for himself. Hob feels helpless, not knowing what he can possibly do to help.

“My friend,” Hob wails, tears filling his eyes, and gripping Dream tightly. “What happened to you?”

“It’s over,” Dream wheezes, then coughs out a darkened ball of sludge. “You’re free.”

“What? Dream!” Hob yells, and then—

— — — — —

Hob gasps and coughs loudly as air, real air, fills his lungs. To finally breathe with his waking body is both the most glorious and agonizing thing. He feels as though he had been dead and brought back to life, only this time around, he’d spent a particularly long time being dead. Everything hurt, his head, his eyes, his bones.

“Oh fucking hell,” someone curses from next to him. Hob’s head snaps harshly to his left, trying to locate the source of the voice.

It is a mistake to move so suddenly.

Hot, fiery pain shoots up Hob’s spine and all the way up to the tip of his ears and he groans. The voice curses again, calling Hob a bloody idiot and it’s only when Hob sees a flash of a bright white trench coat that he finally recognizes who it is that’s at his bedside.

“Constantine?” Hob tries to say, but his voice cracks on the syllables. He coughs again. He’s thirsty. Parched even. His tongue feels like lead, and every time he tries to say something else, the words come out as a cough and a wheeze instead.

“The one and only Hobsie,” Johanna replies, still seeming to understand Hob’s intelligible noises anyways. “I’m sure you’re wondering what the flying fuck has happened then,” she adds, gesturing between the two of them. “Let’s get you some water first though, you look and sound like shit.”

— — — — —

Hours later, Hob’s mind is spinning as Johanna explains to him what’s happened to Hob over the past eight months. Eight. Months.

Apparently, someone had figured out that Hob was immortal, and, unsurprisingly, had tried to see if they could steal his immortality for themselves. There was a battle, a negotiation with a demon that Johanna was all too happy to smite, a failed spell, a cult, and—a coma.

A coma induced by Dream. To save Hob’s mind. The demon that the cult had summoned had wriggled its way into Hob’s head, eager for a vessel that would not die so easily. One that could easily wreak infinite destruction and chaos upon the mortal realm.

Dream would not let that happen. He’d followed the path of the demon into Hob’s mind, had fought tirelessly with it, while keeping Hob’s own consciousness locked away in a small pocket of the Dreaming, where not even Lucifer themself could reach. He’d left the guard of Hob's physical body to Johanna, who then stuck Hob in one of her safehouses just outside London, checking on him every other day to see if his condition had changed. She had been just about to leave for the evening when Hob awoke and, in her words, “scared her fucking soul into next Thursday, you git.”

Johanna, unfortunately, has no idea what’s happened to Dream, but she’s not nearly as terrified as Hob feels she should be when he describes to her the last he’d seen of the Endless before he’d woken up.

“That bastard’s too stupid to let a demon off him like that,” Johanna says, shrugging. “I’ll see if I can get a hold of him, but you need to fucking rest, or he’ll kill me himself.”

Hob thinks he should be afraid to go back to sleep, after being asleep for so long already. But shortly after Johanna leaves, Hob finds himself growing sleepy once more, and for the first time, he falls into an entirely peaceful, dreamless slumber.

— — — — —

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the air was warm and inviting.

Hob takes a deep breath, and smells fresh air for the first time in eight months.

He is awake. He is alive.

It had taken him almost an entire week to recover his strength after he’d woken up. An entire week of trying to make sense of his life, how he’d lost eight months of it, the cult of wannabe wizards who had tried to take his immortality from him, the lies Johanna had spun on his behalf so no one would look too closely into why Hob was suddenly missing. It had been overwhelming those first few days, but Hob’s always been quick to adapt to things, so today he is taking the time to relax and enjoy his hard won freedom.

Hob feels his presence before he sees him. He’s gotten good, over the centuries, at being able to sense when Dream was nearby. There was always just the subtlest change in the air, a sudden smell of morning rain where previously there had been none.

Dream sits next down to Hob on the bench, a loaf of bread in hand, which he starts to break apart to feed the pigeons that have gathered at their feet. He looks much improved from when Hob had last seen him. Still fragile, but whole and unhurt.

“I’ve been waiting for you to show up,” Hob says, turning to face Dream and smiling to show that he’s not angry.

“I am aware,” Dream replies, his own lips quirking up just so. “I apologize for the delay. I had some additional matters to deal with.”

“Banishing demons and the like?” Hob asks with a small chuckle. Dream huffs.

“How are you, my friend?” Dream asks instead of answering Hob’s question. Hob stretches and then cracks his neck in response.

“Still a bit stiff, honestly, but doing loads better,” Hob answers. “Thanks for…everything. Even if I wasn’t always the most grateful at times,” he adds a bit sheepishly. He still remembers how angry and frustrated he’d felt. How lonely he’d felt.

Hob knows, logically, that he’d mostly reacted out of fear and ignorance, much of which was brought on by his amnesia in the Dreaming. But he still feels guilty about all the unkind things he’d thought about Dream, when Dream had been out on the front lines desperately trying to save his life. Things he knows that Dream was able to perceive while Hob was locked away in the Dreaming. He wonders if that’s why Dream hadn’t come to see him right away. If his friend was angry at him, though he didn’t look like it at present.

Hob is shaken out of his morose thoughts by a solid hand on his shoulder. Dream’s hand. God, he really must look like a wreck if Dream is this concerned.

“I am sorry,” Dream says solemnly, “that I took so long to rescue you. You suffered unnecessarily because of my shortcomings.”

“Dream,” Hob says, swallowing a lump in his throat, and trying to ignore the heat creeping up his face at where his friend is touching him. “You saved me. That’s not nothing.”

He’s touched at how much Dream cares, but it really wasn’t the Endless’s fault that Hob found himself in danger. If anything, it was Hob’s fault entirely for not being careful enough, despite centuries of living, and learning that hard way that he needed to be careful.

“But it was my fault you were compromised in the first place,” Dream says, then suddenly goes silent, his face pinched.

Hob furrows his brow, confused. “How’s that?” he asks. “It wasn’t your fault that someone figured out I was immortal.” Dream sighs, then shakes his head.

“Those that captured you were not well versed in the ways of the occult,” Dream answers.“They mistakenly summoned a demon far more powerful than they intended, and it was only because the demon knew of your association with me that they were spared their lives, and allowed to strike a bargain.”

“So the demon only helped because he knew you and I were friends?” Hob asks. “That’s hardly your fault still.”

“That is—not all of it,” Dream says, looking wretched and like he’s marching to his own execution.

“Then what else?” Hob asks, placing his hand over Dream’s own. It’s surprisingly warm beneath his touch, but Hob may just be projecting. Dream tries to remove his hand from Hob’s shoulder, and Hob lets him, but doesn’t release his own grip on the Endless’s hand, letting their hands slide down to the bench between them instead.

“It’s okay, Dream,” Hob says, squeezing his friend’s hand in reassurance. “You can tell me.”

Dream stares at the point where their hands meet, face still pinched with discomfort. Hob lets the silence between them drag out, not wanting to rush his friend. Whatever it was Dream wanted to tell him, it clearly was something that weighed heavily on his mind, and Hob didn’t want to put his friend under any more duress than they both had been through recently.

“The demon knew,” Dream finally says, so quietly that Hob can barely hear him, “that I felt more for you than just friendship.”

Oh.

“Dream—” Hob starts to say, his heart suddenly lurching, but Dream holds up his free hand to silence him.

“That is not the only confession I wish to make,” Dream admits, before he takes a deep breath Hob knows damn well he does not need.

“Okay…” Hob replies, bracing himself, but still feeling hopeful, despite Dream’s somber tone.

“After our reunion at The New Inn,” Dream says, his face now tinted the slightest shade of pink. “You dreamed of me.”

Ah.

“I…see,” Hob says, processing all this new information while trying to calm the rapid thump-thump-thump of his heart. “So you’ve known for a while then,” he continues, his question confirmed when Dream nods his head silently at him, still looking somber.

“Why then—” Hob coughs and then clears his throat. “Why all the secrecy then?”

Dream’s brow seems to be in a permanent state of pinched, and Hob wants to smooth it out with his thumb, but he holds himself back as the Endless considers his words.

“My love has been a burden to mortals before,” Dream replies, looking stricken as some painful memory seems to overcome him. “It is, in fact, forbidden for the Endless to consort with mortals, barring certain circumstances,” he continues. “I withheld my knowledge of your feelings, as well as my own, for your own safety. For all the good that it did in the end.”

“Hey,” Hob says, squeezing down on Dream’s hand as understanding dawns on him. “I’m still here thanks to you. And still plan to be for the long haul. Too much to live for, remember?”

“I still put you in danger,” Dream starts to argue, but Hob shushes him gently.

“That sort of danger comes with what I signed up for,” Hob reassures him. “And I’d go through it again, just so you know,” he adds sincerely. “Too much to live for still includes you.”

Dream's eyes widen, shock and hope and awe clearly painted across his features. “You would still—?”

“I would,” Hob replies immediately, leaning in just close enough for them to almost kiss. “You're worth the risk, any day, any century, Dream.”

“You are a fool,” Dream replies, but there’s no reproach in his tone. Only a heat that makes desire curl in Hob’s belly.

“Maybe,” Hob grins, staring pointedly down at Dream’s mouth. “Can I kiss you?”

“You can do more than just that,” Dream purrs, and then suddenly the two of them are enveloped in a whirl of sand that instantly moves them from the park bench to Hob’s bedroom. Hob laughs as he finds himself pinned beneath the King of Dreams.

“C’mere you,” Hob says, tugging his oldest friend down into a kiss.

It was a perfect day.

#dreamling #dream of the endless/hob gadling #hob x morpheus #the sandman fanfic #seiya writes #seiya writes dreamling #sandmanniversary #sandmanniversary 2024 #dreamling bingo #dreamling bingo 2024

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zzoomacroom · 10 months ago

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Retired amnesia Dream + coma Hob for WIP ask game please 🥺🥺🥺

Thank you for the ask! @linzod asked about this one too, and I'm super excited about it! I only have it outlined so far, but I'm hoping to write it once I'm done with the mpreg fic.

So Murphy is just some guy, as far as he knows. He's an artist, and he's kind of a shut-in with no friends and no life to speak of. He starts having really vivid dreams that, unbeknownst to him, are showing him memories of his past life. He also keeps having these recurring dreams where he meets with this guy named Hob who seems really familiar and keeps telling Murphy that he's real, he's been looking for him, he's trapped in the Dreaming and he needs Murphy to find him in the waking world. Murphy doesn't believe any of it, thinks his unconscious mind made the whole thing up, and he's like, "great, I'm so lonely that my sleeping mind made me an imaginary friend." But then he keeps finding clues suggesting that Hob is telling the truth. He goes to the White Horse and, even though it's abandoned and boarded up, he recognizes it from his dreams. He also maybe finds mentions of Hob in historical texts, the drawing of them from the 1789 meeting, etc. So now he understands that it's all true, and he has to find Hob and hopefully regain his memories in the process.

Now I'm going to put what's happening from Hob's perspective under the cut, because it's a plot twist that would be revealed later in the story.

So how did they end up in this situation? Well, after the Wake, Hob became more unhinged than ever and couldn't accept that Dream was dead. So he planned to do a whole "Dream of a Thousand Cats" style thing and have a thousand people dream that Morpheus is alive again. But in order to organize and orchestrate this whole plan, Hob puts himself into a magically induced coma so he can stay in the Dreaming and make sure the plan works. But once it does, he finds himself stuck there. The mysterious and sketchy person he hired to put him into this coma has disappeared, and now he's trapped with no way to wake up. Morpheus keeps finding him when he dreams, so Hob is overjoyed about that but heartbroken that Morpheus doesn't remember him and doesn't believe any of his dreams are real. Eventually, Morpheus finds Hob in the waking world, wakes him up, gets his memories back, and they live happily ever after.

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that this fic will also feature Death, Delirium, Daniel, Lucienne, Matthew, Johanna Constantine and Mad Hettie.

Hopefully I'll actually be able to get it written before too long 😭

#ask game #wip title game #the sandman #dreamling #dreamling fic #sort of #retired dream #zoom writes #zoom says stuff

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qqueenofhades · 1 year ago

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For the wip tag game, the unknown and static strange

This is the only one of the listed WIPs that is already posted somewhere. It is my Dreamling (Sandman) fic that includes double amnesia, a historical mystery in art manuscripts and museum studies, Professor Hob, Human (or is he?) Dream, a complicated relationship to canon, and a whole lot of uncertainty about how and when they ended up that way. I have not updated it since August (alas), but I DO plan to get back to it eventually. There are currently 9 chapters posted and you can find it here:

#evonnagale #ask #tuss asks #dreamling ff #wip tag game

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valiantstarlights · 2 years ago

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[Hamilton AU] Keep Me in Comfort For All My Days

Leon (Hob with amnesia) is sick. Mr. Murphy (Dream) takes care of him.

This is a @dreamlingforukraine fic commission for @bazzybelle . ✨️ Thank you for your generosity and your patience 🙇‍♀️ I hope you like it! 😊

The title is from the song, "Non-Stop" from the Hamilton soundtrack.

CW: period typical homophobia. Contains fluffy fluff. 🖤

Some stuff you need to know if you opted not to read the story on AO3:

Hob has amnesia and is going by Capt. Gideon "Leon" Roberts.

Dream is masquerading as a rich foreign lord named Mr. Thomas Murphy to better keep an eye on him.

This AU is also an American Gods crossover. Hob!Leon is living in a two-storey house (called Reverie House), and his housemates are Slavic gods (The three Zorya sisters and Bielebog/Czernobog).

They have a Caucasian shepherd dog who answers to Little Bear and Ovcharka (which literally means sheepdog). 🐶

Leon blinks groggily awake, and the first thing he sees is Mr. Murphy reading a book by his bedside.

A glance towards the window shows him that it is currently dark out. A fire had been lit, but it is a small thing, and he is thankful that it is. He feels like he's burning up.

He could hear the muffled sounds of Mr. Czernobog and Ms. Polunochnaya talking downstairs. And if Ms. Polunochnaya is awake, then it must be around midnight.

He must be dreaming. Because while everything else seems normal, his room has this hazy quality about it, and there is also Mr. Murphy's unexplained presence.

Were he really awake, Mr. Murphy would not be in Reverie House in the middle of the night. And for that matter, he wouldn't be sitting by Leon's bedside, of all the places to sit and read.

So yes. This must be a dream. A dream where he is allowed to look upon Mr. Murphy for a long time without anyone to judge him negatively for it.

Mr. Murphy looks as stunningly beautiful as always. But in the low firelight of Leon's room, he looks otherworldly. His blue eyes now so dark, his raven black hair unbound, the skin of his neck and collarbones showing, his shirt unbuttoned...

Leon should look away. He should not be having these thoughts about Mr. Murphy's sharp jaw, his long eyelashes, his lips that looks so soft--

Mr. Murphy's eyes flick towards him then, and it causes him to blush. Lord have mercy on him. What was he thinking? It's a good thing Mr. Murphy cannot read minds, or else he would have thought Leon dirty and unnatural.

"Good evening, Captain Roberts," Mr. Murphy says. Leon tries not to melt from the sound alone, but it is difficult. The sound of Mr. Murphy's voice is a balm to his soul ever since he first heard it. "How are you feeling?"

Leon opens his mouth to reply, but only a croaking sound comes out. Before he could even begin to feel mortified, Mr. Murphy is already moving.

"Here, allow me."

Without another word, Mr. Murphy stands up and leans over Leon to prop him up in bed, then sits down beside him and pours water into a glass waiting on the bedside table.

Leon did not have time to voice his protest before one cool hand went to gently hold his nape while the other held the glass in front of his lips.

Leon is feeling about ten thousand things right now, from pleasure to panic, all contributing to him feeling unreasonably warm in the face. Mr. Murphy's cool hand on his nape feels good on his heated skin. He wants to lean against it, but keeps himself still and focuses instead on getting hydrated.

When Mr. Murphy suddenly withdraws the glass before Leon could drink his fill, however, he whines and leans his head forward shamefully, chasing the glass with his lips.

"Slowly," Mr. Murphy says. Leon manages a nod, and the glass is offered to him again. When he has drank his fill, Mr. Murphy withdraws the glass again and, to Leon's shyness, wipes the corner of his lips with his thumb.

"Mr. Murphy," Leon says. He does not fail to notice that his voice still sounded hoarse, like he had not been speaking for a long time. His limbs also felt weak, and the room might be swaying slightly around them. Are they on a ship? Why is Reverie House on a ship? "Am I dreaming?"

The corner of Mr. Murphy's lips tilts up at his words, and Leon finds his gaze focused there. What would it be like to make Mr. Murphy smile? What would his laughter sound like? How lucky Leon would be if he got Mr. Murphy to laugh because of something amusing he said.

"You are not dreaming," Mr. Murphy says. "But you do have a fever."

Oh. That explains a lot. Leon leans back further into the pillows to help the room stop spinning.

"Mr. Czernobog has informed me that Ovcharka found you collapsed in the fields while it was raining," Mr. Murphy continues, and this time there is censure in his voice. "What were you doing?"

Oh. Leon blushes, remembering. "I was sketching."

"Sketching," Mr. Murphy repeats dubiously. "You were sketching the field?"

Leon blushes even harder. It makes sense for Mr. Murphy to sound dubious. Soldiers don't sketch, and common-born soldiers certainly do not indulge in the arts during their free time. "I was sketching wildflowers," he says to his hands on his lap. "Because...when we first met, do you remember? You said you like them best of all the flowers. And I saw that there was a patch of particularly beautiful wildflowers in the fields when I was walking by and..." He sounds so silly. A lovesick fool. "I didn't want to simply pluck them from their homes and give them to you in a bouquet, especially when you mentioned that you love their determination to live despite the harsh environment they're in. And, well... I thought to sketch them instead. And give you the sketch, when I finished."

In hindsight, it was incredibly stupid of him to do that. He is no great artist, and the sketch itself must be heavily waterlogged by now, if not torn completely. His heart grew heavy. He really did give that sketch his all.

Mr. Murphy, who has listened quietly throughout Leon's entire explanation, remained silent for a few more seconds before he says, "You sketched wildflowers so you could give the finished piece to me? Instead of simply taking the flowers? Because of what I said about them?"

Leon nods miserably. Even Mr. Murphy thinks he's ridiculous. And the sketch he had so lovingly done must be torn to pieces by now. Because Ovcharka might have found him, and perhaps Mr. Czernobog had carried him back home, but there is no way his sketch survived. Mr. Czernobog is not a man who appreciates art, and would have left Leon's papers and pencils behind because it's a higher priority to get him home, and Ovcharka would have trampled all over his things with her large paws, not knowing the damage she was making and only worried for Leon.

Leon does not blame either of them for his loss. Mr. Czernobog, despite his stern appearance and curt words, is a kind man, and Ovcharka is a good and loyal dog. It is not their fault, but his. For taking too long, for staying out too long, and for not paying attention to the darkening midday skies.

"I will ask the Zorya sisters if your things have been retrieved," Mr. Murphy assures him. "But that is a task for later. For now, I wish to know how you are faring."

Leon wants to tell Mr. Murphy not to worry about his silly little sketch, but his throat closed up at the last second. "I'm fine," he says instead. "Or, I will be. Fevers never really keep me down for long."

"Oh?"

There was a curious note in Mr. Murphy's voice, but Leon is still too out of it to be certain he heard correctly. "Yes," he says. "I have contracted a fever a few times during the war. Some of my fellow soldiers die from it but," he chuckles grimly, "not me. I was even shot in the shoulder, but I healed pretty quickly from that as well. Minimal scarring and no pain afterwards. Hence the nickname Lucky Leon."

He does not mean to sound bitter or ungrateful to be alive. But for every time someone calls him that, Leon thinks about every other soldier who died from the same thing he has survived, and he feels rotten. Why should he survive when more deserving men die of such simple wounds and sickness? They have wives. Children. Loved ones they long to return to.

Leon had none of those. Still has none of those. Perhaps if the war happened now, he would have the Zoryas to think about while he and Mr. Czernobog are drafted to go to war, and Mr. Murphy is someone he would fight to return to, but the men he fought with had actual families waiting for them. Children who will never see them again. Wives who will never kiss them again.

So why should he be the one to survive?

He felt Mr. Murphy's hand touch the back of his on his lap, and stay there. "You have a dark look in your eyes," Mr. Murphy says gently. He's always so gentle with him. Leon does not know what he has done to deserve it. "I guarantee thinking dark thoughts will do you no good. And," A pause. "I, for one, am glad you have not succumbed to illness or grievous injuries."

Pleasure suddenly suffuses him due to Mr. Murphy's words, and he feels guilty. He does not quite know what to say to that, however, and so he simply says, "Thank you. I too, am grateful to be alive."

Because surviving the war means I got to meet you.

Mr. Murphy's hand is delicate and fine boned, but it feels right resting on top of his own rough one. Leon longed to turn his hand, palm facing up, and intertwine their fingers together, but does not dare to. Mr. Murphy will not welcome it. And he would be taking advantage of his friend's kindness if he were to attempt something like that.

"Would you like to have some soup?" Mr. Murphy asks. "The older Zoryas have prepared a vegetable soup earlier. I could have a bowl brought up for you, if you wish."

Leon blinks quickly a couple of times to help him not be overcome with emotion. Mr. Murphy is so kind and considerate. How lucky his wife must be, whoever she is.

If only Leon were a woman, he could have...

Well, not marry Mr. Murphy, certainly not. Mr. Murphy is a rich and important lord, and Leon is just another soldier, common born, and one just lucky enough to survive the war. But were he a woman, and were he pretty enough, and rich enough, he might have caught Mr. Murphy's eye and...

There is an image that surfaces in his mind. Him, dressed in rags, watching a long-haired Mr. Murphy walk away into the night. He wanted to kiss him, but knows that he shouldn't. He knows it would not be allowed. He is too dirty and worthless. Not fit for his Stranger at all--

Mr. Murphy's hold on his hand suddenly becomes tighter, and he has inhaled sharply.

Leon blinks, and the weird vision and the thoughts accompanying it disappears. "Mr. Murphy?"

There is a strange emotion in Mr. Murphy's eyes, and he is looking at Leon like...

Like how Leon wants him to look at him.

With hunger and barely concealed yearning, his body only being held back from moving closer due to propriety.

His heart flutters in his chest. 'I want to kiss you,' he thinks. 'I want you to stay with me. Never leave me again. Please. I will die. I will suffer endlessly.'

Mr. Murphy's other hand, the one not holding Leon's own, has risen to cup his jaw, and Leon could not look away. Mr. Murphy's eyes, a darker blue in the low light, looks even darker now, almost close to black. There seem to be stars twinkling from deep within them, like glittering jewels at the bottom of a lake at midnight.

"Mr. Murphy..." Leon licks his lips unconsciously, and watches as Mr. Murphy's gaze stray on his tongue. He looks like he is about to lean in and...

Leon's heart is beating so fast in his chest. Is he hallucinating? He knows it could happen at the peak of one's fever. For the sick person to see strange images, as well as imagine all their wildest dreams coming true.

He would do anything for this to be real.

Mr. Murphy leans forward, closing the distance between them, and his lips press against the corner of Leon's mouth, the very same corner his thumb had touched earlier.

Leon gasps, and his unoccupied hand reaches forward to clasp Mr. Murphy's expensive coat. His intention is to pull him closer, but he is too weak to do so right now. He wants to turn his head and capture those lips in his, but his heart is now pounding in his head, and the room is tilting dangerously--

"Mr. Murphy," he moans, high and embarrassingly transparent in his desire. "I want--"

He is delirious. He wants everything. He wants his Stranger, who is right here, impossibly, at his bedside, kissing him.

'Love me. Please, love me. I am here. I have been waiting for you for so long. My Stranger. My Stranger. My love. I love you. I love you.'

Mr. Murphy groans against him, pressing their bodies closer together, and his breath smells so sweet, like the scent of home. A place where one is cherished and adored. Leon feels his toes curling under the blankets.

He turns his head to kiss him back, to kiss him properly, and his lips grazed against Mr. Murphy's own before the room tilts on its axis and he is suddenly overcome with vertigo. He turns away and fights against the bile rising in his throat.

Mr. Murphy holds him tighter, but this time he is only assisting Leon so he could rest fully against the pillows. He too, has leaned away now, and his eyes are only full of concern.

Maybe there is something more in them after their kiss, but Leon cannot decipher it properly. He has managed to stave off retching, but he is still too disoriented to think.

"I will have some soup brought up," Mr. Murphy says as the room slowly stops spinning. He sounds apologetic, and Leon knows he must surely regret...

"I will not leave you," Mr. Murphy assures him, and squeezes Leon's hand. Leon manages to squeeze weakly back, earning him a small smile.

"I will call for Little Bear," Mr. Murphy says, and Leon is about to ask him how, because Ovcharka is a bit stubborn sometimes, when Mr. Murphy whistles a thin high note. A couple of seconds later, Ovcharka comes bounding in, woofing softly, then grinning her silly dog's grin at Leon when she saw that he is awake. To Leon's surprise, she does not jump on the bed like she sometimes does, and instead sits on the floor.

"Little Bear," Mr. Murphy says, "Will you please let Zorya Polunochnaya know that Captain Roberts is in need of something to eat?"

Ovcharka woofs softly once more before she pads out. Possibly to do the task.

"You know she can't understand all of that, right?" Leon asks. The room is stable once more, but he still feels dizzy. He is pretty sure that dogs can only be taught simple commands like sit and stay and roll over; not fetch a human to get some food for another human who is currently sick. And how would Ovcharka even convey that to Ms. Polunochnaya?

Mr. Murphy simply smiles at him, just his tiny one, but to Leon, every smile feels like the entire universe lighting up. "Perhaps. But I intend to stay with you, and so I have entrusted Little Bear to go get you some food."

Leon imagines Ovcharka carrying a tray with her mouth, balancing apples, and huffs with laughter. "You're funny, Mr. Murphy," he says, before his eyes slowly droop closed, and before he knows it, he is fast asleep.

When Leon wakes up, it is still dark outside, but Ms. Polunochnaya has just entered the room. When she notices that he is awake, she beams at him. Her face is glowing softly, like moonlight. She is holding a tray filled with fruit slices and a bowl of vegetable soup, as well as a pitcher of cold water and some eating utensils.

And Mr. Murphy is still sitting beside him on the bed, not having moved from earlier. He is still holding Leon's warm hand in his pleasantly cool one, but now their fingers are intertwined.

#dreamling hamilton AU #dreamling #the sandman #my writing #dreamlingforukraine #good job my thumbs #bold of me to call this a hamilton AU when not a single hamilton character is in sight rn #oh well 🤷‍♀️ the fluffy fluff was my priority and I feel like I have delivered ✨️

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avelera · 5 months ago

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So I’ve actually made some progress on my Hob amnesia fic (“hob is cursed to forget 100 years each night progressively, so Dream gets a walk down memory lane and learns just how in love with him Hob has always been” etc etc) fic anyway I decided to rewrite the opening (how they got together before Hob got whammied by the curse) which is becomings its own fic BUT I’m enjoying what’s happening there so anyway expect…. A lot of thirst. I’m resolved to finish this fic before posting so ONCE IT’S DONE you’re in for a treat!

#hob amnesia fic #dreamling

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roguelov · 1 year ago

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omg omg omg so I had a dream and I need to talk about it. Okay so it starts off with hanging out with Morpheus on the beach and watching him work, in a moment of being complimented he looks away from his work and it goes berserk it was supposed to be a dream and it went wrong and attacked me and then everything shifted into Victorian London and there is a group worried around me. They take me into their house and call a doctor and I didn’t remember anything but my name. I figured I must be married, as I have a ring on and when asked who my husband was I said I couldn’t remember. The doctor comes and cleans my head wound, and declares I have amnesia. The family said they would support me and let me stay with them until I regained my memories. 6 months go by and no luck with memories, until one day walking through the streets with one of the girls and Hob is across the street and sees me and makes a beeline and says my name I see him and I was like I know you, the girl I’m with gets very excited and asks if he is my husband and he’s like no but I am a friend of her husband. The girl tells me to go with Hob and to find out what my life was like and she rushes home. Hob takes me to the Inn to see Dream and I started to remember certain things and it’s a big deal and I pulled out a necklace with the ring he gave me on it and had him put it on me again and he said let’s go home and everything shifts and it’s the castle and he explains everything that I’m technically in a coma in the waking world he is just happy to have found me and yeah it was a good dream it would make a good fic if I would sit down and write it lol

Bro … my love … you straight up left this world and went to another 😂

The drama? The cohesive story? You just lived a whole other life! And I was invested the whole time!!! Like damn you had it all with such good tropes and god I’m so jealous that is probably one of the best dreams I ever heard I hope it was as thrilling as it sounds

#now this was a story #an A tier story/dream #always band obsessed #ask

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missfangirll · 2 years ago

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☆°･:*:･｡★ Writing ★ ｡･:*:･°☆

★ 陈情令 | The Untamed ★

☆ Snow Angels (SL/XXC, fluff) ☆ i carry your heart with me (SL/XXC, fix-it, h/c, fluff, angst) ☆ Saving Grace (SL/XXC, fix-it, mild h/c, reunion) ☆ Sunlight (SL/XXC, fix-it, mild h/c, reunion) ☆ A Kinder Sea (SL/XXC, Yi City fix-it, canon divergence) ☆ Here we go again (SL/XXC, fluff, crack, modern au, mamma mia au)

★ 天官赐福 | Heaven Official’s Blessing ★

☆ Guiding Light (XL/HC, mild h/c, confessions, canon divergence) ☆ Of Gods and Ghosts (XL/HC, light angst with a happy ending, canon divergence) ☆ The Road Not Taken(FX/MQ, fluff, getting back together, modern AU)

★ 二哈和他的白猫师尊 | The Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun ★

☆ we found love in a hopeless place: 1. as your shadow crosses mine (CWN/MR, h/c, first kiss, confession) 2. feel your heartbeat in my mind (CWN/MR, h/c, first kiss, confession)

★ 盗墓笔记 | The Lost Tomb ★

☆ A Port in the Storm (Xiaoge/WX, introspection, fluff, first kiss) ☆ Thunder in our hearts (Xiaoge/WX, fluff, mild h/c) ☆ the world is brighter than the sun (Hei Xiazi/Xiao Hua, crack, kid fic) ☆ all poems are lies, all poets liars (Hei Xiazi/Xiao Hua, fix-it of sorts) ☆ The Big Puppy and his Feisty Cat Liu Sang (Kan Jian/Liu Sang, fluff, smut) ☆ when night falls, i dream of going home (Xiaoge/WX, fluff, mild h/c, amnesia) ☆ It's a lovely day in Rain Village and you are a horrible friend (Xiaoge/WX, crack) ☆ old friends and new (Xiaoge & Zhang Jiuri, fix-it) ☆ Of Brain Weasels And Other Creatures (Iron OT3, kid fic, fluff) ☆ i love you on purpose (PingXie & HeiHua, Soulmate AU with a twist)

★ 七爷 | Lord Seventh ★

☆ Don’t trouble a quiet snake (WX/JBY, fluff, first kiss) ☆ Butterflies in Love with Flowers (WX/JB, fluff, bonding, fix-it of sorts) ☆ When you’re gone (WX/JBY, mild h/c, established relationship) ☆ love by any other name (WX/JBY, fluff, first kiss) ☆ Nightly Hauntings (WX/JBY, fluff, crack, first kiss, sharing a bed)

★ 千秋 | Thousand Autumns ★

☆ Crossroads (YW/SQ, fluff, modern AU, getting back together)

★ 镇魂 | Guardian ★

☆ All the right places:

Snapped (SW/ZYL, fluff & crack)

Mended (SW/ZYL, fluff & crack)

Glazed (SW/ZYL, fluff)

☆ New Year’s Morning:

You are my home (SW/ZYL, fluff)

Cat Fight (DQ/YZ, fluff)

☆ Ad astra per aspera: (SW/ZYL, DQ/YZ, fix-it, fluff, getting together) Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 || Chapter 11

☆ Unlikely (DQ/YZ, fluff) ☆ Learning to fly (SW/ZYL, fluff, kid fic, prompt) ☆ I will stay true (SW/ZYL, fluff, jealousy, prompt) ☆ Always (SW/ZYL, fluff, SW gets hurt, prompt) ☆ Will you shut up? (DQ/YZ, fluff & smut) ☆ The Light of the Universe (SW/ZYL, fluff, first meeting) ☆ One half of me is yours (SW/ZYL, fluff, pining, first kiss) ☆ Send noods (SW/ZYL, fluff, crack) ☆ Strawberries & Cigarettes (SW/ZYL, fluff, 4+1 things) ☆ Driving me crazy (SW/ZYL, fluff, crack, prompt) ☆ To be loved (SW/ZYL, DQ/YZ, fluff, found family) ☆ Bingo! (DQ&ZH, fluff, crack, prompt) ☆ Bite me (SW/ZYL, fluff, crack, prompt) ☆ Nightmare from Bright Street (GCC&CSZ, fluff, crack, prompt) ☆ Leave a Light on (GCC&CSZ, fluff, prompt) ☆ What we do in the shadows (DQ/YZ, crack) ☆ Curiosity got the cat stuck (DQ/YZ, fluff, crack, prompt) ☆ Our scars remind us that the past is real (SW/ZYL, fluff, first kiss, scars) ☆ To Do Unto You (SW/ZYL, fluff, caring for each other, prompt) ☆ I put a spell on you (SW/ZYL, crack, prompt) ☆ silver clouds with grey linings (SW/ZYL, fluff, established relationship, prompt) ☆ The Noodle Incident (SW/ZYL, crack, attempt at humor) ☆ Awakening (SW, sad, angst, introspection)

★ S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery ★

☆ I miss you, I’m sorry (BYT/ZY, fluff and angst, prompt) ☆ Living love in slow motion (BYT/ZY, fluff, pining, getting together) ☆ Tie your heart to mine (BYT/ZY, case fic, angst with a happy ending) ☆ Let my heart be still a moment (BYT/ZY, case fic, angst with a happy ending)

★ The Sandman ★

☆ My Brother's Keeper (Dream/Hob, fluff, getting together, Hob rescues Dream)

★ Thai BL ★

★ Until we meet again: ☆ A Broccoli and a Promise (Win/Team, fluff, getting together) ☆ Reasons to stay (Win/Team, fluff, sharing a bed, first kiss) ★ KinnPorsche: ☆ Under your skin (Vegas/Pete, fluff, tattoos, post-canon)

★ The Eternity of Our Victorious Kisses ★

A Kiss Through Tears (BYT/ZY, fluff)

A Kiss To Claim (DQ/YZ, fluff)

A Kiss In Public (DQ/YZ, fluff)

A Kiss For Luck (BYT/ZY, fluff)

A Kiss On A Scar (DQ/YZ, fluff)

A Kiss To Shut Them Up (SW/ZYL, fluff)

A Kiss Out Of Love (LJ/SY, fluff)

A Kiss As A Promise (SW/ZYL, fluff))

A Kiss Because The World Is Ending (SW/ZYL, fluff, angst, fix-it)

A Kiss To Distract (SW/ZYL, fluff, Ye Olde Haixing Era)

☆ﾟ･:*:･｡★ﾟ You can always send an ask! ★ ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ☆

#masterlist #the untamed #cql #heaven official's blessing #tgcf #the dumb husky and his white cat shizun #erha #the lost tomb #dmbj #thousand autumns #qian qiu #guardian #zhen hun #sci mystery #the sandman #until we meet again #kinnporsche #my writing

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timesorceror · 21 days ago

Text

If you've found this list of fic recs via my Dreamling Fic Recs Masterpost, then you know this list is one of many.

However, if you came upon this list some other way, then know that it is in no way an exhaustive archive of the best of the best in Dreamling (especially since Tumblr posts have a link limit of 100 inline links per post). For the full spiel about how this list came to be and a link to my Google Doc with the most up-to-date full list, please see the Masterpost for details.

All you need to know is that this list works sort of like a menu at a restaurant. You're here to eat at Restaurant Dreamling, and the item categories on this menu are series written various authors.

Some are complete series, most are not.

Some series I have highlighted only my personal favorite fics, while others I recommend as-is. Most series don't have summaries on AO3, so I wrote a few of them myself, but I did copy them over when they were available. A few series recs that contain miscellaneous fics have one or two main tags that are the primary attraction of the fic which they're attached to.

I hope that explanation was enough to get you hungry for some tasty Dreamling fics, and may you have a wonderful dining experience!

acadethicc

that one amnesia post is now a cinematic universe [All Teen Works]

The only thing [Hob] remembers is the 1389 encounter. For all he knows, he woke up in the future, and a Very Hot Mysterious Guy claims he is immortal. Dream takes it upon himself to help Hob during this time, maybe realizing some of his own feelings in the process.

AceDragonType

Besties Hob & Death [Contains some Teen Works]

In which Hob and Death become friends over the course of his many deaths. He also becomes friends with her little brother Dream, and eventually more than friends. They hang out, get coffee, and are generally very cute and adorable.

Aetheltrythh

It never ends well. Or does it? [All Explicit Works]

Dream struggles with his traumas post-Fishbowl, so Hob helps Dream with some of his issues using shibari. They do some bondage and some bonding, and learning how to give over parts of yourself to someone you trust with all that you are.

Anonymous

Sandmännchen [General Audiences]

Dream is having trouble dealing with his trauma post-fishbowl. Hob figures out that Dream is going through age regression to cope, and so he sets out to help Dream with hugs and toys and lots of cuddles.

Sweet Dream [Contains some Explicit Works]

A collection of Dreamling fics containing:

• Replay [7 Chapters | 8,764 words] (Dream Sex, Dom/Sub) • To the Victor [6 Chapters | 24,532 words] (Hob is Hope of the Endless) • Other Names for Roses [2 Chapters | 9,538 words] (Omegaverse / Medieval AU) • Nothing So Crude [4,333 words] (Omegaverse / Regency AU)

apocryphal

Cottagecore [Contains some Teen Works]

The love story of a fae prince and a hedgewitch in the middle ages.

Ardin

In Secret I Love Thee Universe [Contains some Explicit Works]

Arranged Marriage AU. Modern Setting. Dream always knew he’d have an arranged marriage, so when it looks clear that his mother has settled on Robert Gadling, he figures he should get to know the man some, even if it goes completely against tradition to do so.

Aria_Lerendeair

Hopefully [Contains some Mature Works]

Hob is the anthropomorphic personification of Hope and the newest Endless. He has a lot of learning, a lot of growing, and a lot of change to deal with.

aWordyBody

What Magic Art Is This? [All Explicit Works]

Morpheus is a prolific theatre director who possibly cares way too much about art. Hob is a stagehand who just wants steady work at the same theatre, year after year.

Bacota

Chef!Hob au [Contains some Explicit Works]

Dream hires a private chef to help take some of the pressure off of caring for Orpheus. He does not factor in the possibility that he might fall for said chef. Not that this is a problem, technically.

BeatnikFreak

transatlanticism [Contains some Explicit Works]

Fifteen years after Dream left Hob, they bump into one another on a New York street. They have a beautifully smutty hook up, and then engage in some electronic penpal activity.

to take care of me [Contains some Explicit Works]

Of course Dream would come to Hob Gadling if he were in need of comfort. It is simply that Dream of the Endless is not a creature of comfort. Eventually, Hob Gadling manages to convince Dream otherwise.

behold_me

birds of a feather [All Explicit Works]

After their disastrous 1889 meeting, Jessamy decides to interfere in her master’s affairs, arranging a second meeting where Dream and Hob reconcile by having sex on Dream’s throne. Eventually Hob saves Dream from the fishbowl, they get married, and Hob gets to meet the family, in that order.

behold_me, The_KickIt_Domain

the poetry between stars [Contains some Explicit Works]

Suffering from writer's block and broken from a bad relationship, children's book author and illustrator Dream retreats to the small, beachside town of New Haven. He'd never have guessed that the town's vibrant, eclectic coffeeshop owner, Hob Gadling, would be the glue that puts him back together.

BuckytheDucky

last name [Contains some Mature Works]

Hob is in Las Vegas for a friend's stag party. Morpheus is in Las Vegas for his ex-wife's bridal shower. A night of drinking and commiserating is all the two plan for. Life has a funny way of derailing plans.

chaosheadspace

The Library Idiots [Contains some Explicit Works]

Dream Olympiou, freshly hired subject librarian, stirs up the sleepy reading rooms and Hob's life with a personality that leaves much to be desired and a body that's got fine written all over it. Hob is in for an adventure long overdue, including misunderstandings, shushed feelings, and checked out brains (and arses).

charinabook

Dream and Hob (600 years of pining) [Contains some Explicit Works]

Dream goes with Hob to one of his classes, gets hot and bothered about it, and there is some desk sex. Also he freaks out a little when he learns about Hob’s chronic pain, but it turns out alright in the end.

CourfeyracFredMariusCratchit

House at Pooh Corner [Contains some Explicit Works]

When two boys become fast friends, their fathers are tossed together by circumstances. They stay together by choice.

cuubism

Wish [Contains some Explicit Works]

Despite all reason and belief, Dream is pregnant with a half-Endless baby. It's all a lot more complicated than Hob was expecting.

dancinbutterfly

They Kinked So Hard They Self-Actualized Themselves Pregnant [Contains some Explicit Works]

Hob and Dream indulge in some breeding kink. Like a lot of breeding kink, with dream sex and consentacles. Then suddenly there is a child, and Dream complains to Desire about it.

dancinbutterfly, Moorishflower

Fuckboi Hob [Contains some Explicit Works]

Dream is in need of a date to his family dinner. The more objectionable, the better. So he puts out a listing, and Hob Gadling, tattooed parolee in recovery, is the one who answers.

Darci

Black Coffee [All Teen Works]

Sandman stories set in a human!AU, in which Hob and Morpheus meet at a coffeeshop and become friends - and more.

Delta_Pavonis

Knight Rhythms [Contains some Explicit Works]

A collection of Dreamling fics containing:

• Good Knight [748 words] (Fantasy AU / Knight x King AU) • Stay the Knight [2,663 words] (Fantasy AU / Knight x King AU) • find in me your rhythm [9,064 words] (Dancer Dream + Drummer Hob / Fantasy AU) • Sonata in D [454 words] (Dancer Dream + Drummer Hob / Fantasy AU) • Fanfare [1,072 words] (Dancer Dream + Drummer Hob / Fantasy AU) • Metronome [975 words] (Dancer Dream + Drummer Hob / Fantasy AU) • Tremolo [1,228 words] (Dancer Dream + Drummer Hob / Fantasy AU) • Crescendo [1,181 words] (Dancer Dream + Drummer Hob / Fantasy AU) • Sympathetic Vibrations [6,628 words] (Dancer Dream + Drummer Hob / Fantasy AU) • Quaternion [5 Chapters | 16,767 words] (Fantasy AU / Doppleganger)

Not Immune to the Horse Girl Hob AU [All Explicit Works]

Centaur Dream saves Hob from being attacked by a boar. He is rewarded for his services as Hob allows him to watch him finish jacking off. Later, a very enthusiastic size queen Hob eventually services him.

Wood + Glass [Contains some Explicit Works]

When Hob accepts Dream’s response to his video for a fake relationship, he does not anticipate that the fake relationship would become real, or so deeply, incredibly horny. Not that he can complain.

Dira Sudis (dsudis)

A Condition of Complete Simplicity (Costing Not Less Than Everything) [Contains some Mature Works]

Continuity-connected fics in which Dream is varying states of fucked up. There is angst and fluff and many doses of hugs. Hob helps sometimes.

A Well-Ordered Love Story [Contains some Explicit Works]

Dream is a homebody who orders his groceries via an app. Robert “Hob” Gadling is a shopper who usually picks up his order, and through this, they get to know one another and form a sweet, loving relationship.

Dream Problems [Contains some Explicit Works]

Dream thinks of Hob while trapped in the fishbowl, and when he visits Hob after escaping, he realizes that he wants to make those fantasies a reality. Hob is actually very okay with this, though he does insist on some kink negociation afterwards.

Never Refuse You [Contains some Explicit Works]

In 1689, Dream takes Hob on a tour of the Dreaming and grants him a title, and there is also smut. This changes very little for their meetings in the Waking because Hob’s Waking and Dreaming memories remain separate. One day after Dream’s return post-Fishbowl, he asks for those memories to merge. And this… changes the course of everything.

everythingisconnected

Hob gets rest [All Explicit Works]

Hob has trouble sleeping, and Dream decides to help. By having sex. It is surprisingly effective.

foxish_nonsense

Safe Haven [All Teen Works]

When Dream cannot go back to the Dreaming after escaping the Fishbowl, he must instead drop in on an old friend. After he has recovered both his tools and repaired his realm, he returns to reassured said friend that all is well, to mixed success.

frihetkanske

One for Jessamy [Contains some Explicit Works]

Hob and Dream reconcile after Dream escapes the Fishbowl, and some time later Jessamy is returned to her rightful place by Dream’s side.

GalaxyDreamStories

Accidental Alpha [All Explicit Works]

When he left the White Horse in 1389, Morpheus did not expect to see Hob Gadling for another 100 years. He expects Hob to beg for death, especially living as an omega. Hob’s dreams apparently have other ideas.

hardly_an_escape

Trilobites & Tuxedos [Contains some Explicit Works]

The soft and sometimes smutty domestic adventures of Hob Gadling and Dream of the Endless.

honeyteacakes

Dreamling Fics [Contains some Teen Works]

A collection of Dreamling fics containing:

• In My Solitude [3,886 words] (Getting Together / First Kiss) • Coffee for Two [2,120 words] (Coffee / Falling In Love) • Small Pleasures [2 Chapters | 4,138 words] (Idiots to Lovers / Getting Together) • proceed with what you're leading me to [5,038 words] (Witch Dream / Professor Hob)

IcePhoenix96

I'm Gonna Be (100 years) [All Explicit Works]

A certain Endless and human immortal are each other’s one constant for many years. They pine, obsess, and fall in love. And Lucienne is the best wingwoman (of course).

im_not_corrupted

if I make it to the morning [All Teen Works]

After Death suggests finding Hob Gadling, Dream finds The New Inn but does not walk inside. The idea of seeing the cruelty he has suffered [...] reflected in Hob is too terrible for him to bear, and so he returns to The Dreaming. After some prompting, though, he begins to visit Hob’s dreams. Somehow, he finds a safe space there in the company of his friend.

Ismene_Jane

The Sandman Reimagined - Dreamling [All Explicit Works]

Post-Fishbowl, Dream visits Hob several times after their reunion and is invited to Hob’s home, where they proceed to deal with the sexual tension between them and enter into a tentative relationship.

issylra

someone to stay [All Explicit Works]

Dream is a little bit broken. Hob likes to fix things. They fall in love. Or, the tattoo parlor/flower shop AU that no one asked for.

take it easy [Contains some Explicit Works]

A handful of interconnected post-canon stories featuring retired Dream as Hob's roommate.

the trouble with talking [Contains some Explicit Works]

In which Dream begins to feel things and it goes about as well as you would expect.

Konstadt

Corvid Chronicles [Contains some Explicit Works]

Professor Hob Gadling meets author Morpheus Aeternus on his university campus, and this chance meeting changes the course of their lives. Morpheus gets a chance to heal and recover from his trauma, and Hob gets to support his beautiful, raven-loving partner along the way.

Edge Of Silence [Contains some Explicit Works]

Hob navigates the eccentricities of his one true friend in an attempt to increase his understanding of the universe and his place in it... [...] Dream works to consolidate what he has always known, and what he knows now, to learn from his past mistakes. A slow burn expansion of friendship to truly knowing, with a few road bumps [...] and an adventure or two.

LeotheLionathefootofOrion

hob and his boyfriends <3 [All Explicit Works]

When the Corinthian is remade, he goes to Hob. When Dream loses track of his Nightmare, he goes to Hob. And Hob always thought that “three’s a crowd” was a stupid fucking expression, anyway.

#dreamling #dreamling fic #fic recs #long post

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