#occultist hob fic

[avelera]

Concept: Hob-rescues-Dream fic where Burgess insists that Hob take stimulants if he’s going to be around Dream so he doesn’t fall asleep, and that’s how Hob discovered he’s had undiagnosed ADHD for over 500 years when he’s suddenly very sleepy and very very focused on getting Dream out of that fishbowl

#dreamling #occultist hob fic #haven’t decided if I’ll use this in This Rough Magic yet lol #the sandman #hob gadling

[cactusspatz]

June recs

June was full of Neil Gaiman fandoms: first I rewatched Good Omens S1 (S2 on Friday!!!) and then plowed through my backlog of fic to read, and then I watched The Sandman. So there's six Good Omens recs, two Sandman recs, and one lone but lovely Goblin Emperor rec.

GOOD OMENS

Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm / @mouseonamoose Amazing story about Crowley going to therapy, from his therapist's POV. The author clearly knows their stuff and Aubrey is a vivid character in her own right with her own journey to go on. This one's been recced all over, but it really is that good.

dearly departed by attheborder / @areyougonnabe In which Crowley gets discorporated and many shenanigans ensue - the London occultist underworld, lust-demons, Hell bureaucracy, Aziraphale vs loopholes, fake marriage, and of course, a happy ending. Slightly morbid at times but a fun hilarious romp.

Temptation by out_there / @out-there-tmblr Lovely look at Crowley tempting Christ (as he mentions to Aziraphale), and the lasting effect it has on him.

the deft, sweet gesture of your hand by deadgreeks / @mortuarybees Post-S1, Crowley turns up injured at the bookshop and Aziraphale takes care of him. Such a tender romance, such warm h/c. Poetry! Knitting! Pining! Ferociously protective Aziraphale!

Hell to Pay by battle_cat / @fuckyeahisawthat "In the midst of the Great Fire of London, Crowley does an emergency good deed too undemonic for Hell to ignore." Wistful h/c.

Lead me to the banquet hall by obstinatrix & wishwellingtons In which Crowley doesn't eat around Aziraphale because he has too many Feelings about it - and then Aziraphale finds out. Creative, delightful, hot, and well-characterized!

You can also find my older Good Omens recs on Pinboard!

SANDMAN

Spite (Is As Good A Reason As Any) by Blue_Sunshine In which Hob doesn't just build an inn and pine after 1989, but hires Johanna Constantine to help him track down Dream. Great AU in many directions, and the Hob-Johanna friendship is a complete scene-stealing delight. (If you like them as much as I did, there's another WIP that just finished: Totus Mundus Agit Histrionem, which kicks off with Johanna rescuing Hob from a demonic possession.)

Passing the Time by Anonymous Dream passes time in the fishbowl by quietly terrorizing his guards. (The author tagged this 'Dream is petty and terrifying' and I couldn't agree more.) Viciously funny but also a little heartbreaking.

GOBLIN EMPEROR

Between the Grave and the Well by Sphragis "In which Iäna Pel-Thenhior catches a fever and Thara Celehar catches feelings." Gorgeous hurt/comfort-y get-together that really captures the characters and the world.

#good omens #crowley/aziraphale #the sandman #sandman #aziraphale/crowley #goblin emperor #thara/iana #fic rec #monthly recs

[weirdfishy]

bc of this post from @insertsanity529 and idk if the concept will make it into my fic

@thatboysgotwoah hey so. hereʻs a thing. a very loose thing but it is, nonetheless, A Thing. (a thing i didnʻt realize was 1k until Just Now WTF)

there is also a part 2 in the rbs :)

& an ao3 link with little bits added to it here and there

~

Hob is done with war and violence and terror and death and the blood on his hands, especially after that world war. (not The Great War. There never is anything great about war) Gods is he ready to put it all to rest.

He gets caught up in the arts, in preservation, in working for museums and its ilk— and some of those are old money heirs who, in addition to having taken their refuge in the arts, are connected to the occult and those old money circles. Some are young and their tongues are loose, their need to be useful and worth something presents in their pride of their heritage and what they come from, something already Grand.

So Hob hears about the Devil in Roderick Burgessʻ basement, about the lavish parties that are held at his manor in the countryside, about the cult Burgess has. And as he dusts off a sculpture, gloved fingers trailing down smooth marble, there's a likeness to the statueʻs half-worn face that reminds Hob of something–of someone. His stranger. Hob remembers asking if his stranger was the devil, if Shakespeare had given his soul, and a thought blooms in the back of his head. What if….?

But he shakes his head, finishes his restoration, cataloging, and storing. His stranger is enough to handle himself, Hob is sure, and he hardly thinks some fake occultist would be the one to contain…whatever his stranger may be.

He pats the young starry-eyed manʻs shoulder, before leaving, with a look backward too complicated to decipher by one so unknowing of war and death. Hob doesnʻt wish he knew of death and war and violence, would rather no one did, but it is separate things to glorify the thing you run from and to step back, searching for peace. Hob goes home and does not sleep until twilight, fitfully resting for a handful of hours.

The months pass. He hears of The Captured Devil occasionally, he goes to work, he cares for what was lovingly created in years past–much like himself–and he lends a hand when he can, to pick up what is left of boys and men with hazy eyes and empty hearts, knowing he was once the same (or still is, only buried deeper than one would think possible). He walks around town, for hours, looking almost kin to those plagued with sleeplessness, and he thinks, for a handful of moments, that death, life, and the in-between are all cruel in their own way.

Hob cannot stand the joyous life much anymore, too burdened with the reminders of death and those hanging between, and maybe that is why he does not go to a Burgess party. Maybe it is one of many excuses—he hasnʻt been invited (which has never stopped him before), his stranger is not the devil (people will call anything the devil these days), he needs to take care of himself damn it because no one else is and he doesnʻt ever let himself waste away after something like this if he can bloody well help it.

Then it's the weekend after Christmas of 1926, and Hob has finally found solid ground. Heʻs laughingly invited to the Burgess House by a very proud son of Burgessʻ group, their department out for drinks. Hob, who has always turned down invitations with a distracting call for another round on him, actually accepts the invitation, asking for details while the lad is half drunk and everyone is booing him, their unclever ploy for more drinks waved away. Hob buys that round anyway, but he does leave with the details written upon a formal invitation.

He goes, fashionably late and fashionably dressed, a simple deep blue–almost black, really–with silver detailing of the cosmos on the outside of his jacket, those stars falling to scatter on the upper half of his pant legs—like the sky is dripping to the earth. Hob blends in, smiles and drinks lightly, meets with the head of house with a boisterous introduction from his coworker who has obviously drank from a fair few cups already. The man, Roderick Burgess, stares at him, eyes like polished steel.

Something Hobʻs coworker says, about Hob not believing in The Devil in Burgessʻ basement, makes Burgess tilt his head and raise an eyebrow. Hob only tilts his own just so in return– what of a supernatural devil when humans are devilish enough? War is man-made, and man-taking.

His words make Roderick Burgess study him intently, and thereʻs a flicker of what Hob knows to be a decision of kinship in those eyes. Hob doesnʻt like that one bit. Burgess nods and waves to follow him, passing off Hobʻs coworker to be sat down by his father.

Hob is led into the basement, cold and wet. He stays one step behind the man—a child moreso than his green coworker in Hobʻs eyes, playing with things not meant to be disturbed—and is grateful for it when he sees what is in the middle of the room.

Hob wants to retch on the spot, remembering the paper his coworker had brought in last week that said Burgess has had his Stranger in this basement since 1916. Yet Hob goes deathly controlled, calm, and intensely observant.

He drops his jaw and gasps, letting the man crow and tell him what he hopes to get from his prisoner, of how Hob must understand, he saw the loss in his eyes. Hob goes up to the marble, eyes searching for an exit as he walks around the binding circle heʻs been forbidden from crossing. He finds a hairline square at the back of it, with the tiniest notch—a door. His eyes shine, and he lets Burgess think it's from wonder, from the chance of reviving a lost loved one.

He hopes his head shake lets his Stranger know that heʻs crying for him, that he will get him out, he swears. Hob takes in the way Burgess laughs at his Stranger for being curious to a newcomer, turning in his glass prison. Catching his strangerʻs eye, he speaks his first language, something old and forgotten by nought but him–his grandmotherʻs tongue–and makes that promise, saying it was a phrase of wonderment and appraisal. Burgess puffs his chest out and waves him away from the prison, chuckling good-naturedly. Hob shakes Burgessʻ hand, clapping him on the back on the way out, casting a long glance backward before he has to ascend the stairs.

Guilt is tearing at his throat, chewing at his stomach and knotting his intestines, but Hob can deal with that after his Stranger is free, and the Burgess Manor is burned to the ground.

#oh lord #the sandman #dreamling #hob gadling #fanfiction #fishbowl rescue #angst #i wrote this straight and i havenʻt reread it so enjoy or whatever #oh gods iʻm on a dreamling angst writing kick huh #i do call the fishbowl a marble though #fishbowls have openings for air #i had a fashion au once….hence the unnecessary description of hob’s clothes 💀 #part two in the rbs :)

[beauty-of-nyx]

first sandman fic (finally) up!

Relationships: Dream of the Endless & Hob Gadling Characters: Dream of the Endless, Hob Gadling Words: 4444 (this was an accident and im so proud) Themes/tropes/stuffs: Disordered Eating (no specific ED, he's just getting weaned back onto food), TOUCH STARVED, Hob being the best best buddy ever, giving massages and hugs, Dream dissociating because of his reflection, Dream having a sweet tooth, and trying Mac n cheese

Summary:

Dream took a deep breath, “I am Dream of the Endless. I am the King of Dreams and Nightmares. While I cannot be killed, as I warned you, I can be…”

“Hurt or captured.”

Dream nodded. “My absence in 1989 was not intended. An amateur occultist, in hopes of coercing my sister into resurrecting his son, accidentally summoned and trapped me. He begged for gifts that were not mine to give, nor his to receive.”

Dream’s hands shook slightly, but Hob couldn’t tell if they were shaking from anger or nerves.

“The spell cut off my powers, and they sealed my unclothed physical form in a sphere of glass and iron.”

“You were trapped for over 30 years?!”

Dream shook his head, and Hob breathed a sign of relief until…

“A hundred and five, give or take a few months.”

“Oh love.”

“I had a loyal companion, Jessamy, my raven. They killed her a decade in, after she saved her murderer from a beating. And I was alone. I have not eaten, breathed or spoken much for a very long time, I hope you can forgive my inability to speak much.”

“Dream, there’s nothing to forgive. I— can I hug you?”

He froze.

#death of the endless #the sandman #dream of the endless #tom sturridge #neil gaiman #dream #sandman #dc #morpheus #hob gadling #dream and hob

[bazzybelle]

So I don’t really know anything about dreamling, but it looks like you’re working on the snowbaz au you were asking for. Tell me more!

Hello lovely! Thank you for the ask! 💜

Sooooo you don't actually NEED to know that much Dreamling to understand this fic idea. I'm basically taking Simon and Baz and throwing them into The Sandman universe.

This idea is coming out of my months long need to see Simon and Baz as Hob and Dream and no one indulging me on that... soooo I am writing the fic I want to see.

I plan on making this my COTTA fic for this year.

The BASIC story is Dream meets with a human man (Hob) once every hundred years to chat about what the human has done and if he still wishes to live for another 100 years. The details on how or why this happens I'm keeping silent for now, but I suggest watching Episode 6 of Sandman to get the whole picture.

I'm obviously changing several things because Baz isn't Dream and Simon isn't Hob. And while they won't start as friends, they won't be as bitter as enemies. Simon will be less enthusiastic as Hob, and Baz will be less cold than Dream.

I'm also adding an extra fun scene. So Dream gets caught by occultists and kept in like a magical glass dome for about 100 years, until he's able to get out. A very common trope in the Dreamling fandom is Hob rescuing Dream from this prison.

And that got me thinking... don't WE have our own common trope... VERY similar to this?

I think you know where I'm going... 😉

[qqueenofhades]

Loving your potential rescue fic universe, not last for the additional angst factor that Dream can convince himself that Hob will think Dream is avoiding him and pushing him away and will move on, stopping loving Dream. *scene of a single tear running down Dream's cheek because Hob has no way of knowing Dream's absence is not out of choice* immediately cuts to *montage of Hob's wild efforts to locate and free his husband*

Oh, there would be all the Delicious Angst bonuses of Dream thinking that Hob will leave him and/or not bother to look for him, and Hob thinking that Dream just wandered off and got bored with him and not sure if he SHOULD look for him, etc etc. Then when he finally does figure out that Dream disappeared involuntarily and maybe someone should look into that creepy old occultist Roderick Burgess, oh, it will be ON LIKE DONKEY KONG.

#anonymous #ask

[ezrasfics]

So I wanted to post the first part of the first chapter of this fic plan, and so here you go. Criticism is much appreciated, especially on how the two interact + the dialogue.

“So, my friend!” Hob starts. He doesn’t really know what to say now. The initial euphoria of seeing his friend has faded slightly, both sitting in companionable silence. “What have you been up to this past century? I hope it was important enough that you felt you could stand me up 30 years ago!” There is jest in his tone, but he's still curious. This man has met him every century for almost 800 years. Surely he didn’t not turn up just because of a petty argument? Right?

The tensing of his friend’s shoulders told Hob he was right. Something must have happened. His friend seemed to think for a minute, most likely trying to find the right words, “I… First of all, I feel I should tell you my name. I’ve heard it is appropriate for friends to know each other’s names." Hob couldn't contain his grin at that, silently encouraging his friend to continue "I have many names, but you may call me Dream."

"Dream," Hob repeated, savouring the way it felt to say. He definitely felt like he was dreaming. “Not what I was expecting, If I’m being honest.”

Dream cocked his head to the side slightly, “And what were you expecting, Hob Gadling?”

Hob laughed “Ah, I don’t know. Dream suits you, actually.”

“Thank you.” It’s small, but Hob hears it. “I suppose I should tell you what happened to me, shouldn’t I?” He sighs, pauses for a moment, “An occultist, a man named Roderick Burgess… Trapped me in a cage of glass and iron for a century. For 100 years, I listened to them beg. Beg for gifts they do not deserve. Wealth, power, immortality, even. It was humiliating, staring at my naked reflection in that cage, while men of all sorts watched me, bet on who or what I was, or when I would talk.” He took a sip of his drink, something he had never done when meeting with Hob. “I escaped only recently, and had to search for my belongings, which were stolen from me and scattered. My sister was the one who suggested I meet with you today, actually”

Hob didn’t know how to react. A hundred years? Did he have food? Water? Air? A single sentence came into his mind: But you can be hurt, or captured. A thought struck his mind, “Hold on, you have a sister?” Probably not the best response to Dream’s… situation. But it had caught Hob’s attention.

“Ah yes, Death. She is the one responsible for your immortality, not me.” Dream smiled.

“Hold on, hold on. What are you? How am I immortal? And why is your sister named Death, of all things?”

Dream huffed a small breath. A laugh, of some sort? “You are a curious one, Hob Gadling, I will give you that. My title is Dream of The Endless. I rule the kingdom of dreams and nightmares. When you sleep, you are brought to my domain, The Dreaming. I have many siblings, although I do hope you don’t have to meet some of them.”

“Dream of The Endless… That's definitely something,” Hob sips his drink. What else is he supposed to say in this situation? “Hold on, you said you got out recently? When?” he asked.

Dream thought for a couple moments, “Tuesday, I believe. In your sense of time, Why?” Obviously Dream did not see how much of a problem this was.

Hob simply sighed, resisting the urge to facepalm. This man would be the end of him, somehow. “Dream. It's Friday. You’ve been out for 3 days. Shouldn’t you be, I don't know, resting or something?” His arms were assisting his words, drawing attention from some of the customers. Dream didn’t respond. Hob looked away from the stares, at his friend. “Dream? Did you hear me?” Silence. He was getting a bit worried now. Dream’s hand was resting on the table, had he always been slightly shaky? He looked deep in thought, almost like he was analysing something. Oh. He waved the current waiter down, “Hey, would you mind cleaning this up for us? We’re in a hurry.” The waiter smiled and took their drinks, disappearing behind the Staff Only door.

Dream looked up, snapped out of whatever memory he had been in, “We’re in a rush, are we? Where might we be going, Hob Gadling?” He sat up, fidgeting with his hands slightly under the table.

Hob smiled. “Back to my place, of course. I still have 130 years of experience to enlighten you with, don’t I?” He stood up, and started leading the way. Looking back, he noticed Dream following him, he didn’t really expect him to actually want to go to his house, but oh well.

“Well then, we had better get going then. Lead the way, my friend” Dream smiled, following Hob through the doors of The New Inn.

#the sandman #the sandman netflix #netflix the sandman #dream of the endless #hob x dream #dream x hob #dreamling #every hundred years

[avelera]

❤️‍🩹 This Rough Magic: Chapter 8 ❤️‍🩹 Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling Additional Tags: Occult, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Hob Gadling, Spells & Enchantments, Hob Gadling Saves Dream of the Endless | Morpheus from Roderick Burgess, POV Hob Gadling, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, 1920s, Occultist Hob AU, Deception, Suspense, Alternate Universe - Magic, POV Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Magic, Truth Spells, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: After the disastrous 1889 meeting, Hob Gadling turned to the occult to find a way to contact his stranger and apologize. Yet despite becoming a fairly adept occultist in the process, Hob ultimately lost his nerve and never cast a single spell to contact Dream. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter, when Hob's dabbling brought him to the attention of Roderick Burgess, who is now convinced that Hob is a fellow Magus, capable of convincing Dream to give Burgess the gift he gave to Hob all those centuries ago: immortality. Now, Hob must use wits, magic, and a great deal of charm to convince Roderick Burgess he is indeed an ancient, powerful Magus who wants nothing more than to help Burgess become immortal too, if he is to get himself and Dream out of Fawney Rig.

--

New chapter is up! Hope you all enjoy!

#dreamling #the sandman #occultist hob fic #dream of the endless #hob gadling #hob rescues dream fic #hobmurphy #hob x dream #dream x hob

[avelera]

This Rough Magic (15835 words) by Avelera Chapters: 4/12 Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, Roderick Burgess, Hob Gadling Additional Tags: Occult, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Hob Gadling, Spells & Enchantments, Hob Gadling Saves Dream of the Endless | Morpheus from Roderick Burgess, POV Hob Gadling, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, 1920s, Occultist Hob AU, Deception, Suspense, Alternate Universe - Magic Summary: After the disastrous 1889 meeting, Hob Gadling turned to the occult to find a way to contact his stranger and apologize. Yet despite becoming a fairly adept occultist in the process, Hob ultimately lost his nerve and never cast a single spell to contact Dream. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter, when Hob's dabbling brought him to the attention of Roderick Burgess, who is now convinced that Hob is a fellow Magus, capable of convincing Dream to give Burgess the gift he gave to Hob all those centuries ago: immortality. Now, Hob must use wits, magic, and a great deal of charm to convince Roderick Burgess he is indeed an ancient, powerful Magus who wants nothing more than to help Burgess become immortal too, if he is to get himself and Dream out of Fawney Rig.

--

I realize it's been awhile since I updated this, but it turns out the edits this chapter needed were more minor than I feared! Hope you enjoy!

#the sandman #dreamling #dream of the endless #hob gadling #roderick burgess #occultist hob fic #hobmurphy #hob x dream #dream x hob #yet another hob rescues dream fic but this time with magic! #my sort-of what if they hooked up in 1889 fic

[avelera]

🗡️ This Rough Magic - Ch. 7 🗡️

Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Summary: After the disastrous 1889 meeting, Hob Gadling turned to the occult to find a way to contact his stranger and apologize. Yet despite becoming a fairly adept occultist in the process, Hob ultimately lost his nerve and never cast a single spell to contact Dream. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter, when Hob's dabbling brought him to the attention of Roderick Burgess, who is now convinced that Hob is a fellow Magus, capable of convincing Dream to give Burgess the gift he gave to Hob all those centuries ago: immortality. Now, Hob must use wits, magic, and a great deal of charm to convince Roderick Burgess he is indeed an ancient, powerful Magus who wants nothing more than to help Burgess become immortal too, if he is to get himself and Dream out of Fawney Rig.

---

Ch. 7 is up! Let's just say this is a hell of a chapter. Just, uh, remember this is a Dreamling fic, I suppose? 😬

#the sandman #dreamling #hobmurphy #dream of the endless #hob gadling #roderick burgess #occultist hob fic #that one where Hob rescues Dream with magic and con artistry #but sometimes ya gotta clear the air first #by taking a blow torch to it

[avelera]

This Rough Magic: Ch. 5 Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling Characters: Dream of the Endless, Roderick Burgess, Hob Gadling Summary: After the disastrous 1889 meeting, Hob Gadling turned to the occult to find a way to contact his stranger and apologize. Yet despite becoming a fairly adept occultist in the process, Hob ultimately lost his nerve and never cast a single spell to contact Dream. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter, when Hob's dabbling brought him to the attention of Roderick Burgess, who is now convinced that Hob is a fellow Magus, capable of convincing Dream to give Burgess the gift he gave to Hob all those centuries ago: immortality. Now, Hob must use wits, magic, and a great deal of charm to convince Roderick Burgess he is indeed an ancient, powerful Magus who wants nothing more than to help Burgess become immortal too, if he is to get himself and Dream out of Fawney Rig.

--

This chapter is possibly my favorite in the fic so as a weak, sinful creature, I gave in and posted it right away because I've been dying to share it for months. I can't promise this quick an update again going forward but who knows, if people seem to be enjoying this fic, I'll move it up in the fic queue ;)

#the sandman #dreamling #hob gadling #dream of the endless #roderick burgess #occultist hob fic #yet another Hob rescues Dream fic this time with MAGIC #inspired by Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell #this rough magic

[avelera]

"One problem with looking eternally in your mid-thirties is that you are also, eternally, at a ripe age for military conscription. Hob didn’t have a family, he still didn’t have the heart to take another swing at that, and so there’d been nothing to keep him from the trenches of the Great War."

My yet untitled "Hob saves Dream from Burgess because he incidentally became an occultist while trying to call Dream and apologize after their fight in 1889" fic continues apace :3

#maggie's writing progress #It's about 2k of very tell-y prologue getting us to the 20th c but I think it's about to kick off once I get there #dreamling #occultist hob fic

[avelera]

Doylist interpretation: Hob's weight doesn't fluctuate because obviously, Ferdinand Kingsley et al filmed the episode over a few days so it was hardly going to change in that time.

Watsonian interpretation: Hob's body is literally frozen at the moment of his agreement to meet Dream in 100 years. Which was pretty damn fortunate for him because he was 34, obscenely attractive, and also in peak fighting form since he was actively or recently a soldier at that point.

So, with this in mind, I love the thought exercise of what kind of physical routine Hob would even need to bother with. Obviously Magic(tm) explains away pretty much everything like why does his hair grow but his muscle mass doesn't change, etc etc, (because it's sexier that way, duh). And if you've read "Giving Sanctuary" you might remember my theory that 1689 Hob was particularly desperate because he didn't look like he was starving at any point so he would come across as a liar when begging for alms.

The thing is, even if muscle mass, elasticity, and endurance aren't anything he'd need to worry about maintaining and might indeed be impossible to enhance beyond what he has (a rather fascinating possibility, is he doomed to not be able to pick up more flexibility or strength than he has? Sorry Hob, whatever you could bench then is all you'll be able to bench for the rest of eternity? No yoga for you?) there are physical activities he could pick up that would be useful even if his body doesn't change.

There are plenty of activities which are enhanced by improving your strength, agility, and flexibility, but ultimately the skill is mental. Hob would, in my opinion, obviously pick up the latest court dances and be a pretty good dancer in 1589 with plenty of time to practice. Skill at dancing was integral to social life in most eras.

All forms of combat can be enhanced with practice, including hand to hand, weapons, and fire arms. And as someone who was 1) a soldier and 2) is shown to be good in a fight and 3) needs to be good in a fight because even if he can't die, he needs to be able to explain how he survived (or escape, should the witch hunters ever come back) so this would be a simple, practical matter to stay in fighting shape mentally even if his physical fitness doesn't change.

On some other notes along these lines, musical instruments are something that require mental skill, actually it would be quite funny if Hob is versed in instruments that are simply no longer around anymore.

I wonder if he's good at precision games like darts? That's another excellent example of muscle memory skills where Hob could absolutely hustle a bar and then dig into several centuries of practice in pubs to absolutely demolish any opponents. I've already mentioned elsewhere that I could easily see him as a card shark, so long as the game was old enough that he'd had plenty of time to practice.

Anyway! It's a fun mental exercise and the sort of thing that might eventually make it into some fics :3

#maggie's writing progress #sandman meta #hob gadling #the sandman #arranged marriage au dreamling #1689 fic #occultist hob fic

[avelera]

Bad news is, I still don't have anything to post for any of my Dreamling WIPs *headdesk*

Good news is, I have updated word counts!

Giving Sanctuary ch 22: 12,500 words (i told you guys there was no limit on the last chapter!) (probably about 60% done?)

Come live with me ch 16: 700 words (around 10-20% done)

This Rough Magic ch 4: 3,100 (around 75% done?)

Joke's On You ch 2: 4,000 words (probably about 80% done?)

#maggie's writing progress #1689 fic #1589 fic #arranged marriage au dreamling #occultist hob fic

[avelera]

If “This Rough Magic” had a secondary fandom tag it would be “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell”. It would take very little for the story to take place a century after the events of JS&MN and a lot of the spells and the way they’re described and interacted with by Hob are heavily influenced by the miniseries (more than the book).

That said, I hope everyone is ready for Accidental Occultist Hob “thinks magic is immensely stupid and nowhere near as cool as technology” Gadling and the sheer level of SNARK he is going to have whenever magic comes up, I for one can’t wait to share those parts with you, the man could not be less impressed by the entire practice of magic and wouldn’t have gone anywhere near it if Dream had just left him a forwarding address.

#occultist hob fic

[avelera]

This Rough Magic (11554 words) by Avelera Chapters: 3/12 Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022) Relationships: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Summary: After the disastrous 1889 meeting, Hob Gadling turned to the occult to find a way to contact his stranger and apologize. Yet despite becoming a fairly adept occultist in the process, Hob ultimately lost his nerve and never cast a single spell to contact Dream. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the matter, when Hob's dabbling brought him to the attention of Roderick Burgess, who is now convinced that Hob is a fellow Magus, capable of convincing Dream to give Burgess the gift he gave to Hob all those centuries ago: immortality. Now, Hob must use wits, magic, and a great deal of charm to convince Roderick Burgess he is indeed an ancient, powerful Magus who wants nothing more than to help Burgess become immortal too, if he is to get himself and Dream out of Fawney Rig.

-- Chapter 3 is up! And we FINALLY reach the point of the fic that contains the scene of @fishfingersandscarves's AMAZING art. Hope you all enjoy! Special thanks to @mandolinearts for the gorgeous banner!

#dreamling #the sandman #hob gadling #dream of the endless #roderick burgess #occultist hob fic #Hob Rescues Dream fic #hobmurphy #hob x dream