#eccentric beekeepers

[dnickels]

Natural beekeeping has arisen alongside a broadening sense of bee intelligence. People have always known that the creatures are remarkable. “The discovery of a sign of true intellect outside ourselves procures us something of the emotion Robinson Crusoe felt when he saw the imprint of a human foot on the sandy beach of his island,” Maurice Maeterlinck, a Belgian playwright and bee scholar, wrote of bees in 1901. “We seem less solitary than we had believed.” The Mayans worshipped Ah-Muzen-Cab, the god of bees and honey. In Lithuanian, a verb meaning “to die” is reserved for humans and bees. Like us, bees practice architecture and their own, presumably less debased, form of democracy. In 1927, Karl von Frisch, an Austrian zoologist, explained the waggle dance, for which he later won the Nobel Prize. “The bee’s life is like a magic well: the more you draw from it, the more it fills with water,” he wrote. And the water has only kept rising. In 2018, researchers showed that bees understood the concept of zero—an ability previously thought to be limited to parrots, dolphins, primates, and recent humans. (Fibonacci introduced zero to Western mathematics around the year 1200.) When I spoke to Seeley, he was running an experiment on the importance of bee sleep at a research station in the Adirondacks. “It’s not just an energy-saving process,” he explained. “It really improves their cognitive abilities.” A bee’s brain is the size of a sesame seed.

[beekeeperspicnic]

🐝 The Beekeeper's Picnic 🐝

Explore a seaside town in the 1920s and solve cosy mysteries as the (retired) Great Detective in this point and click adventure!

Wishlist on Steam | Itch.io Demo | Discord |

The game will be available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

🌸 Features!

Visit and explore a seaside town It's the  day of the village fete, a suspicious new neighbour has taken a lease on  a long-abandoned cottage and something strange is happening down on the  beach...

Interrogate and befriend a cast of eccentric characters

Make deductions and decisions. Puzzles often have multiple solutions, some of which may please your neighbours more than others.  What path will you choose? Who will you enlist  to help you?

Shape one of the most beloved literary partnerships of all time by choosing the form which the relationship between Holmes and Watson will take: are they dear friends, platonic partners, found family or a romantic couple?

Phone for help of you get stuck! Your older brother Mycroft is always ready to act as your consultant, just give him a call at his club if you need a hint. 

The lovely cover artwork is by @gooolabatooo Music by @sandygarnelle

[tanalogyosc]

"The bees follow their queen, yet they are still used by people for what they do."

Name: Melly Pinewoods Object: Honey Jar Gender: Female

An eccentric and strange woman who had moved to the countryside to take care of her bees following the mysterious death of her wealthy husband.

Rumor murmurs revolving around the nature of her husband's death, ranging from a thief break-in to Melly murdering him to gain his wealth. Yet all of these rumors are still simply, rumors, and thus may not be the truth.

One thing to note, however, is that no one has ever seen what's behind her face as she is always seen wearing either a veil, hat, or beekeeping suit.

[haveyoureadthispoll]

Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

[stiltonbasket]

Modern Xiao-Yu growing up to be a pro beekeeper. Everyone calls him to save the bees!

Modern Xiao-Yu has a meet-cute with Nie Zhuyan when NZY calls his apiary in a panic to report two separate swarms, one on his front door and one on his back door. He never gets to see Xiao-Yu's face, because Xiao-Yu rolls up in long protective clothes + a beekeeper's hat, and Nie Zhuyan is too afraid too go outside until after A-Yu gives him a thumbs-up from the street and leaves--but he still falls in love at first sight. Thus begins a long slapstick comedy of errors wherein NZY keeps turning up at the apiary to find out who that one beekeeper was, only to meet yet ANOTHER eccentric beekeeper who is not his knight in bee armor.

[dujour13]

🍓 siavash!

His Kelish mother worships Sarenrae, his musician father worships Shelyn, but when he was a kid he spent a lot of time at the cottage of an eccentric old Desnan beekeeper who showed the children arts and crafts and gave them honeycombs, and he informed his family quite young that he was going to worship Desna. It was that kind old lady who gave him the nickname Lark.

[pbjelly90]

Okay I just watched the pilot for Elementary and I’m intrigued, definitely will keep watching. If I recall right this was originally airing around the same time as BBC Sherlock, and you can see they wanted to differentiate themselves: it’s in New York, Gregson’s the lead detective (and American here) in place of Lestrade, and Watson’s backstory is significantly different (no military service mentioned, the reasoning for her change in careers, etc) while still maintaining enough elements to be recognizable as a version of Watson (surgeon, likes working on cases, more people skills than Sherlock.)

Sherlock’s a bit different too, he’s got less of the angular appearance from the original novels that BBC Sherlock emphasized with their casting, and his drug habits are foregrounded more with him being in rehab. He seems maybe angrier and erratic in some different ways (crashing Watson’s car?) and has some history they’ve hinted at with a woman in London? (First guess would be Irene.) I’ve always seen most of his other versions and his canon basis as possibly asexual and maybe aromantic, but that might not be the case here? His intro scene was strange with him reciting the movie lines to Watson, but I guess they wanted to show he was bored, eccentric, and had a strong memory? I’m curious enough to see if he hits his stride as this adaptation continues.

Most surprising to me this early on is that it’s Sherly’s DAD, not his brother Mycroft, who set him up with rehab and with Watson as his sober companion here. That stands in contrast to BBC Sherlock where Mycroft is the one most actively looking after him. Also in contrast is Joan Watson accepting a legitimate job looking after Sherlock here (before they even met), whereas John rejects money from Mycroft to spy on Sherly in the BBC show. Do I have a point with this? Not really, but I wonder if these choices were made to set this adaptation apart from the BBC show or because Sherlock’s dad will be plot relevant later. It definitely changes some of Sherlock’s and Watson’s early dynamic so far.

All in all, I’m curious enough about all of it to want to see where it’s going. 😁 Many thanks to @meg-pond for the recommendation!

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I do like that this Holmes is a beekeeper, that’s a fun bit that isn’t adapted as often from the original canon. Yes, give him his retirement career! At least as a hobby.

I haven’t really gotten into the swing of blogging here and I probably have like 2 followers who aren’t bots 😆 but I’m rewatching BBC Sherlock and feeling an inkling to reread the original stories and it just has me thinking and wanting to ramble about Sherlock media and put it somewhere. What I’ve really grown to appreciate all these 20ish years of being a Sherlock fan is seeing every new adaptation put their own spin on Sherlock and all the characters in the canon. Some I’ve loved, some I’ve been displeased with, but it’s always fun to analyze and revisit and see what parts delight and what disappoints or leaves me wanting more. More thoughts below because apparently I had a lot to ramble about on this topic lol.

BBC Sherlock probably has one of my favorite Watsons, and he gets more focus here then a lot of other adaptations, and feels truer to the character to me than many others. Old adaptations like Basil Rathbone with Nigel Bruce used to have him be a bumbling fool type and I’m glad that’s in the past now. I also enjoy Lestrade in the BBC version and tend to prefer adaptations that get him along this vein, a trusted person on the force, exasperated with Sherlock and his methods a lot of the time, but also one of the most willing to put faith in him and believe in his abilities (and his integrity when it matters.)

Irene Adler adaptations like the BBC show or Robert Downey Jr movies are usually hit or miss for me, and generally I find they put too much emphasis on making her have romantic feelings for Sherlock for my liking. I applaud how they want to make her a more prominent character than one who only appears on page in one story, but romantic tension/interest feels so limiting as the way they choose to do it. There’s some merit to showing how she has to weaponize her beauty/sexuality in that time period at times, but they rarely dig deeper than that or give her more of her own storyline.

I’ve also found most Moriarty adaptations pretty lacking. BBC Sherlock’s became very popular, and Andrew Scott is a wonderful actor, but he always came off as far too gleefully chaotic and evil for evil’s sake to be that interesting to me as Sherlock’s foil. I feel like they went with a Batman versus Joker sort of dynamic there, emphasizing shock value, and I much preferred the mystery of him throughout the early seasons versus the reality post reveal.

Moriarty in the original canon only gets hinted at very late when Conan Doyle is setting up what he believed to be the end of the stories (before public demand and personal debts changed those plans), and therefore he’s always been more a mystery figure than an actual developed character in the original stories. But the building blocks are there for adaptations to take and mold and I hope we get to see more creativity here. Robert Downey Jr faces off against a version of Moriarty in the movies that I’d call Moriarty classic. Serviceable, but nothing new there really. Math teacher, formidable, crime lord, older, genius, check, more or less straight from the books.

BBC Sherlock was also missing Moran who I’d been highly anticipating, and fans kept speculating some unnamed sniper was him, but we never got confirmation. To me that was such a huge missed opportunity, for an adaptation that really highlighted the bond between Sherlock and Watson, how could you ignore the bond between Moriarty and his own “dark” version of Watson?

So cue Moriarty the Patriot, which felt like a series made just for me to fangirl over. It nails Sherlock and John, even if they’re not as much the main focus here as other series, and that’s just clearing the bar for me, my first criteria for any Sherlock media being “do they get John right?” They introduce a younger version of Miss Hudson, whom I also loved in BBC Sherlock, but this brings a fun new dynamic where she feels more like a loving sister to our boys rather than a favorite aunt like in the classic take. Still long-suffering, still the heart who keeps them in check and cares for them, and until John comes along, the only person really in Sherlock’s confidence. I hope we see more of her backstory in MtP (BBC nails this quickly with the mention of Sherlock helping to put her shitty husband in prison.)

Then there’s the MtP version of Irene, who’s the most creative take on the character I’ve ever seen. Is there some potential romantic tension with Sherlock still? Sure if you’d like to ship it, but thats far from her main storyline, she has so much MORE going on. Her own wants, her own goals, her own mistakes, her own plans, that whole first plot of hers is still one of my favorite arcs in the manga and a time when it truly differentiated itself for me from any other adaptation. And that’s not even getting into the Bond material yet, which as a Bond movie and book fangirl as well, was this series actually custom made for me?!?? Ya’ll really were deep into my brain for this one, combining M with Albert, bringing in Moneypenny, all of it. The manga blew me away with all of this and how it was handled. Moran, you better never betray Bond as agent 006 Alex Trevelyan a la Goldeneye. 😆

Before the meat of this, I want to take an aside to also say I love MtP’s take on Mycroft. BBC gives us our first more active Mycroft on-screen that I can recall, not just lounging in the Diogenes Club per canon, orchestrating everything at a remove, but more involved in looking after his brother and meddling when he feels necessary. He’s a huge drama queen in the first episode and I’m looking forward to rewatching the seasons again and seeing the brothers’ dynamic grow. But MtP takes this and instead of having our first encounter with Mycroft be with John alone, more removed from his brother still, we see the two fighting and squabbling and I just love them, your honor. I would like to see someone handle their parents better than the BBC version did, and idk if we’ll ever see them in MtP, but I do enjoy the tidbits we’ve gotten like Sherlock’s working class accent. They already used the name Sherringford/Sherrinford for their ancestor, so curious where they’d go with this. But Mycroft in general, his parallels with Albert, his guilt over their ancestor and role in the government? His relationship with his brother? Nailed it, more please.

Brief shoutout to Enola Holmes, she’s a bit Mary Sue/wish fulfillmenty, but I enjoyed her and her dynamics with her brothers vastly more than the sibling they shoehorned into the last season of BBC Sherlock. If you’re going to give the boys a sibling, that was a fun way to do it. Henry Cavill looks NOTHING like Sherlock is usually described, but he was fun and quite nice to look at lol.

Now onto the main thing I want to ramble about: MtP has the single best adaptation of James Moriarty that I have ever seen in writing or on screen. It’s no coincidence that this is the first adaptation I’ve seen try to dive into his backstory, figure out what’s the deal with his brother(s), which was a genius move taking that inconsistency with Doyle’s descriptions to make there be three James Moriartys total, and to give us a compelling reason as to WHY he does the whole lord of crime thing. Like fine if it’s just for money, control or power, and I can read/watch that story if well done, but this is the first time I’ve really seen a series take the building blocks Doyle laid out and really turn them into something more, to create something original and compelling. William and his brothers 100% deserve their main focus in the series, and its all the better for that perspective flip, as much as I love Sherlock and John. Sherlock and John are fleshed out already, most modern adaptations can get them right, but the Moriartys? That was brand new.

Not to mention, they gave William James Moriarty his Sebastian Moran, and nailed that dynamic as well. Normally I’d think if we finally got Moran he’d be my main ship for Moriarty, just as John was always my main ship for Sherlock, but somehow MtP gets me shipping them, but also William x Sherlock, Mycroft x Albert, Moneypenny x Moran, Irene x Hudson aaand I could digress for way too long here so I’ll leave it at that. Note to anyone writing future adaptations, GIVE MORIARTY HIS MORAN.

All of these MtP versions of the characters are so good that now they’ve ruined me for other Sherlock related media, I’ve found. I watched Ron Kamanohashi and loved it, but as soon as elements of Sherlock and Moriarty were introduced, I found myself badly wanting MtP to be the original canon they were drawing from and see those storylines reflected in the modern day setting of Ron’s story. That is now 1000000% my headcanon. Can we somehow get future Sherlock media to adapt some of the new ideas MtP introduced moving forward, and keep expanding on those concepts? Be inspired by them to keep exploring more of the characters once you’ve gotten the mains right? Maybe not, but a girl can dream. It’s a fun time to be a fan of Sherlock related media.

With all that rambling said, has anyone got any recommendations for other Sherlock books, shows, manga, etc? I remember The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was a very influential AU book back in the day for Sherlock fans and is supposed to present an alternate telling of the Holmes and Moriarty dynamic, so I may read that. Sometimes I branch off into Lupin media and I’ve read some of Arsene Lupin vs Herlock Sholmes as well. 😆 I enjoy silly Herlock in The Great Ace Attorney games although he definitely feels like a goofy AU version.

—

TLDR: If anyone has skimmed this giant post and has any other Sherlock media suggestions, let me know! Looking for some more unique takes on the characters and story.

[tobesolonely]

sweet as honey

A/n: beekeeper fic is finally done!! shoutout to @taintedwonder for being an amazing beta :) @harryysstyless​ i love u for the support and great ideas <3

summary: y/n is as sweet as the honey she sells!

warnings: smut! (oral f receiving, some exhibitionism, some slight teasing i think, unprotected sex on a balcony in italy!!) dont be silly, wrap ur willy! ☺️

word count: ~6k

my ko-fi! thank you :)

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

It did not surprise Harry that the sweetest girl he’s ever met (arguably in his entire life) is a beekeeper.

A beekeeper!

He thinks it might be the coolest job title he’s ever heard in his life––he decides it’s even cooler than his own title of “famous person”, as y/n likes to call him.

Harry didn’t mean to fall in love with y/n, he really didn’t, but it was so hard not to. Her energy is utterly electric––Harry’s skin feels like it’s on fire when she wraps herself around him and cuddles, and his cheeks heat to the temperature of an oven whenever she compliments him. He didn’t think that could happen around most people anymore.

Y/n is eccentric and extroverted while also being loving and gentle. Her patience constantly floors him. Harry wasn’t sure exactly what it took to become a beekeeper, some sort of qualification he supposes, but he figures you at least have all of her qualities and even then sum.

It starts with Harry admiring her from a distance every time he sees her. He spends entirely too long fawning over the different apples from the booth across from hers when he is just trying to stay in her vicinity for as long as possible. Once he works up the courage to approach her, it relieves him immensely when they immediately click. She has a voice as sweet as the honey she sells. Harry is drawn like a moth to a flame. Their friendship quickly intensifies from only seeing each other two days a week, to seeing each other nearly every day, to basically living together. (Not that Harry was complaining).

Harry always tries to remember the exact moment he realized he liked y/n as more than a friend, but he can never recall it. The truth is, he’s felt this way since the second he saw her. Anyone with a set of eyes and half a brain knew this; except y/n, he supposes. Harry’s known she is the one for him since he met her. She was fresh out of a relationship, however, with some idiot who had gone and absolutely ripped her heart to shreds, and Harry is just some health nut who visits y/n’s booth at the market every Tuesday and Saturday morning. Their paths crossing was inevitable, but neither one ever thought their relationship would blossom into what it is.

Although y/n constantly asks him not to, Harry always clears his schedule every Monday and Friday night so he can spend the evening helping y/n prepare for the farmer’s market the next morning. There’s a lot of labeling, and moving boxes, and packing, and double-checking––but Harry loves it! Lives for it, actually. Anything is fun if he’s doing it with y/n.  

Harry often tries extending his help to work her booth (she could get very busy very quickly, and Harry knows she is easily overwhelmed) but she’s a stubborn person who has a hard time accepting help from anyone. So every Tuesday and Saturday Harry rides to the farmer’s market before the sun’s up, helps set up her booth, then spends the whole four hours the market is open shopping for himself (and walking laps around the park when he needs a break from inspecting pieces of fruit).

When all the other vendors pack up their booths and load their trucks, Harry would make his way back to y/n to help her do the same. She’d tell him all about the people she spoke to that day and all the praises her regulars sang to her as they loaded the car, and Harry can never contain the smile on his face. She always tells him how proud she was of him but Harry can’t even express in words how proud y/n made him. At least not without the words ‘I love you’ tumbling out his mouth in the middle of it. She is incredible, and it always makes Harry’s heart soar when she believes it; even if it’s only for a little while.

The ride back to y/n’s small farm is always Harry’s favorite part of the entire ordeal. The combination of lack of sleep from the night before plus the long day she just had finally caught up to her, and she always falls asleep mid-conversation with him. He never minds it one bit––always says it's the most adorable thing he gets to witness.

He’ll always wake her when they’re about ten minutes out from her house because he knows she hates being woken abruptly. Harry will reach over while driving her old, rusty, rattling truck (she doesn’t care how rich Harry is; he is not allowed to buy her a new car under any circumstances) and gently rouse her from her dreams, promising to make her a nice, warm cup of decaf coffee while she showers. If Harry doesn't have to head out he’ll stay for a hot shower and chat with her over a cup of tea before eventually luring her off to bed with the promise of cuddles and Real Housewives reruns.

This is their relationship, their friendship, and Harry cherishes it. He can’t help but wonder though, when the pretty little beekeeper that instantaneously stole his heart all that time ago is cuddled up in his arms, what it would be like to be more than y/n’s friend. He falls asleep with a smile on his face and thoughts of y/n in his head.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

“Why d'ya put that one away?”

“They’re not quite done working on this one yet,” y/n tells him when he asks about a large honeycomb. Her voice is so soft when she speaks that Harry has to lean in to hear her over the buzzing of the bees; any excuse he can find to get closer to y/n works for him. “We wouldn’t wanna cut their job short before they finish with it.”

Harry loves days like these. He loves canceling meetings when he shouldn’t just so he can spend the day helping y/n around her farm. It’s especially fun when she lets him wear one of the big white suits she’s always wearing and can watch her do her thing with her bees. Right now, she’s teaching him how to harvest honey.

“What happens if we do?” Harry would fire fifty million questions in a row at her if it meant she never stopped talking.

“Well, you wouldn’t like it if you got kicked off stage while you were in the middle of performing, would you?”

Harry grins and chuckles at the thought. Only y/ can explain something as complex as beekeeping in a way that Harry immediately understands––just one of the many things he loves about her.

“I would not.” Harry looks on as she gently replaces the honeycomb they were just inspecting. The smoker y/n asked him to hold sits limply in his hand as he simply stares at her, admiring how confident she is when she’s in her element.

Comfortable silence falls between the pair as y/n works and he follows along with the exception of Harry following her requests to position the smoker in certain spots when the bees are a little in the way. The sweet girl beside him usually never stops talking, but when she works, her full attention is on the task and she’s too focused to speak. The silence is always warm and comforting, like y/n.

“All done,” y/n announces with an air of finality after working in silence for what had to have been at least an hour. “That didn’t take too long, did it?”

“No. What are we doing next?”

Y/n let out a laugh—a sound so beautiful he can only equate it to the jingling of a bell. “What’s next? Harry, you’ve been here for two days! Don’t you have things to do?”

Far too embarrassed to admit that he pushes all his responsibilities back whenever he wants to see her, he just shakes his head quickly.

“Nope. Nothing.”

Y/n gives Harry one of her looks that tells him she doesn’t quite believe him, but she shrugs. “Do you wanna sing to my plants? I read somewhere that it would help ‘em grow…”

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Although Harry is sure y/n thinks otherwise, he does, in fact, still has a job, though he isn’t sure how Jeff hasn’t dropped him as a client by now.

He’s currently fiddling in a chair at a large conference table, going over tour logistics and plans, and only half paying attention. His mind is on y/n, as it always constantly seems to be. He wonders if she ate lunch (she sometimes forgets) and how much time she’s spent working today. He hopes she’s remembering to take breaks. Harry always called y/n his little bee—she’ll just  go, go, go! until someone physically reminds her to slow down. That “someone” usually is Harry.

“Harry? What do you think about that?” Jeff’s voice breaks Harry out of his y/n-filled thoughts. Harry tries to hide his annoyance when he answers, though he doesn’t think he’s particularly successful.

“What was tha’? I zoned out a bit, sorry.”

“A dinner? With the tour crew, tonight.”

“Can y/n come?” Harry doesn’t miss a beat in asking. Anyone else would have rolled their eyes at him, but he just sighs and nods his head. Jeff knows better than anyone that his best shot at convincing Harry to do something is allowing the involvement of y/n.

“Yes, Harry. Y/n can come.”

So that was how y/n ends up sitting next to Harry at a table with all the magical people who help make his tours possible and chatting with Harry Lambert like they’re old pals. It’s just another thing Harry loves about y/n––she has the ability to make friends wherever she goes and Harry is amazed about it. Harry thinks that’s so cool. She always tells him that she wishes she could light up a room like he can. Harry thinks that if she thinks he “lights up a room”, then she absolutely blinds everyone in it.

“Feelin’ good, lil’ bee?” Harry takes a sip of his drink after he asks his question. He rests his right hand on y/n’s left knee and checks the time on his wristwatch. “Lemme know when ‘ve gotta get you home and we can leave this thing.”

“Harry!” she whisper-shouts. “These people are here because of you! We can’t just leave, you goof.”

“Eh,” Harry waves his hand dismissively. “They’re not here for me. More excited to see each other, I think. Besides, everyone knows I’m only capable of givin’ my attention to you when you’re around.”

Y/n blushes, looking down at her hands and around them like she always does when she doesn’t know what to say, then nods. “Whenever you’re ready, I am. Oh- I wanna show you the honeycombs from today! They’re huge!”

Just like that, Harry wants nothing more than to leave the steakhouse they’re at (he can’t remember the name) and go see honeycombs. He nods and clears his throat, then stands up. “I’ve got to get goin’, everyone. Y/n’s not feelin’ too good. Thank you for all you do. I’ll be seein’ you all real soon, yeah?”

The occupants of the dinner are far too intoxicated to hear him, and he chuckles to himself. A few wish y/n well, but many don’t even hear Harry’s parting words. He likes it this way. Sometimes it's easier to just slip out. Harry already knows that y/n will unleash on him when they reach the car; tell him he can’t just use her as an excuse anytime he wants to get out of something.

“I can’t believe you did that,” y/n groans loudly once they’re in front of the restaurant, waiting for Harry’s car to be brought out of the valet. “You’re embarrassing!”

“S’my job as your best friend to embarrass ya now and then, innit?”

“Says who?”

“Says me!” Harry was in the process of pulling y/n more into his side while they wait in the cold for his car. She’s putty in his hands and Harry loves when she’s pliant and feeling as touchy as he always is. Harry’s hands only leave y/n’s body when he opens her door and jogs around to the driver’s side.

The hand that’s not gripping the steering wheel is in y/n’s, sneaking quick glances from the corner of his eye while he feels her playing with his rings.

“Do you wanna hear a fact you may or may not know about bees?”

Harry nods. Of course he did. He’d listen to y/n recite the phone book if she asked him to. Y/n nods and continues.

“Bees have four wings.”

Harry can hear how proud she sounds to share that—he reckons she thought she was about to blow his mind. So, he pretends he didn’t already know that.

“You’re lying!”

“I’m not,” y/n retorts, letting go of his hand to dig her phone out of her clutch. “I can show you.”

Harry hates that she lets go of his hand, even if just for a moment to show him something. He always wants to touch her. Y/n holds her phone up to Harry’s face at every red light to show him pictures of bees' wings, and he pretends to be mind-blown. He’s certain it’s one of the best performances of his life (he thinks Christopher Nolan would be impressed).

“Are you stayin’ over at mine tonight?”

“I don’t have my skincare.”

If Harry was speaking to anyone else, he might’ve been embarrassed by what he was about to admit. “I bought all the things you use so you couldn’t use that as an excuse not to sleep over anymore.”

“Harry!”

“What?”

“You can’t do stuff like that!” Y/n sounds a teensy bit upset, but Harry knows she isn’t. “I told you that you’re not allowed to buy me things!”

Harry isn’t a fan of her response - he doesn’t ever remember agreeing to that.  “Why not?”

“Save your money, Harry.”

“I have more money than I know what to do with,” he responds quickly, eyes focused on the road. “Let me spoil you now and then, yeah?”

Harry hears y/n let out a quiet sigh, but she argues no further and he is happy to have won this battle. A comfortable silence falls over the car for the duration of the trip as headlights pass them every so often. Harry doesn’t mind it—he’s just glad she decided she was in the mood to play with his fingers again.

Once Harry gets them home, he immediately starts a pot of decaf coffee and puts their towels, a pair of boxers, and one of his t-shirts she always likes to wear in the dryer. Y/n once told Harry she loved warm towels and clothes and he’s never forgotten it. While waiting for her coffee to brew, he puts on the kettle to make himself a cup of tea, quickly reaching for her favorite set of mugs. Even though y/n is more than capable of doing these things for herself, Harry loves taking care of her, even if it’s only for a little bit.

Harry has both of their drinks (y/n’s made just the way she likes it) on the coffee table and a movie queued up by the time she rejoins him in the front of his house, skin glowing from the skincare routine she just completed.

“I found the stuff! How does my skin look?” Y/n flops down beside Harry, reaching for her mug of coffee.

Harry looks up from his phone. “Dewey. I made your coffee jus’ the way you like it… unless your taste buds have changed in the last twenty-four hours.” Y/n rolls her eyes at his cheesy attempt at a joke.

He loved when she was over at his house. It was usually the only time Harry ever saw her truly relaxed. Even when they were meant to be taking it easy at hers (whether that be by cuddling and watching movies, baking together, or simply just falling asleep beside one another) her mind was always in work mode.

“You’re not funny, H.”

He smirks at her from the corner of his eyes. “Then why are you smiling?”

“I’m always smiling! Now, can you please go take a shower so we can watch the movie?”

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Y/n was burnt out––Harry could tell.

He always knew when she needed a break because she would get upset for seemingly no reason at all. Earlier when Harry asked her if he should cook dinner or order in, she promptly told him she didn’t care what they ate and went back to researching hive health.

Ouch.

When Harry made the executive decision to make them lentil soup (as much as y/n tried to deny it, he knew she was developing a small cold, too) she scrunched up her nose and said,” No, thanks.”, deciding to take a nap instead.

Harry did his best to remind her to take care of herself, but she was his lil’ bee, after all. She wouldn’t take a break unless someone forced her to. So, he decided to plan a getaway for them.

“H, I don’t have time for a vacation,” y/n snaps at him when he broaches the topic of a trip later that evening. “You out of all people should know how hard it is to get away sometimes.”

“Y’need one though,” Harry replies. “We could both use one.”

“Who’s gonna watch my bees?”

“Already took care of that. Took care of everything,” he shrugs. “Only thing you have to do is pack a bag and we can go…’n if you don’t feel like packin’ it yourself I can get that taken care of, too.”

“Who did you hire, though? Where did you find them?” Y/n seems doubtful. Harry should’ve known she wouldn’t agree to just anyone watching her bees as she is way too attached to them.

“You really think I’d hire just anyone to watch your bees?” Harry raises an eyebrow. “I’ve got the best of the best for them, don’t you worry about that.”

Y/n giggles, which makes Harry blush. He loved being the reason for her laughter. “I’m going to hold you to that... I can pack my suitcase by the way, H. We can’t leave until tomorrow though... I need time to say bye to all my bees.”

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Harry loved to travel with y/n.

He loves the look of awe when he takes her to a new place. He loves seeing her so carefree, so at peace. Y/n’s beautiful all the time, of course, but especially like this. Stress-free and happy.

They're sitting on the balcony of the Italian villa Harry arranged for them to stay at, bellies full and tongues stained purple from working through a bottle of expensive red wine. The sun had set not long ago, and there’s a nice, warm breeze that ripples through their hair and tickles their skin.

“What are we gonna do tomorrow?” Y/n questions, glancing at Harry through hooded eyes. Her words are slightly slurred due to her intoxicated state, but not so much that he can’t understand her.

“It’s a surprise,” Harry takes a sip of his wine, then moves closer to y/n. “You’ll like it though.”

“Can I try to guess what it is?”

“Sure, y/n.”

“Is it the beach?”

“Nope,” Harry shakes his head. “For another day.”

“Leaning Tower of Pisa?”

He laughs. “We’re nowhere near it, but we can squeeze tha’ in if you really wanna see it.”

“Okay, then I’m out of guesses.” y/n pours herself another glass of wine. “Tell me.”

“‘M gonna take you shopping.”

Y/n pouts. “I thought you said we were gonna do something I’d like!”

“Oh, did I say something you’d like? I meant something I’d like…”

Y/n doesn’t say anything, and he’s glad she doesn’t argue with him. Harry takes the lull in conversation to just admire her––admire the way the moonlight is reflecting off her skin, the way her eyes are a little glossy from the wine, and the way the robe she was wearing hung slightly off her shoulders (and Harry was well aware that she was wearing nothing under it).

“Harry, can I ask you something?” y/n’s voice is so soft that Harry would struggle to hear her had they not been sitting so close.

“Anything, lil’ bee.”

“Do you ever wish you had a girlfriend to take on trips like this? Instead of me? Like, I imagine you’d be having a way better time if you were here with your girlfriend and not just me.” Her chest heaves as she takes in a breath, sucking in air after rushing through what she just said.

“Why would I have a better time with a girlfriend than I could have with you?” Harry’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather go on a trip like this with.

“Because,” she takes her bottom lip in between her teeth. “You could… yanno- you could have sex and stuff? I just feel like Italy is so romantic.”

Harry chokes on his wine, and it takes a few moments of coughing to clear it out. “Really? Tha’s what you’re thinkin’ bout right now?”

“I’m just saying,” she takes a long sip of wine. “It’s okay if that’s what you’re thinking about, you know? ‘Cus I am too. I mean, I’m not thinking it, I just mean, like, I don’t think it’s weird or anything. I mean, I’m also pretty drunk right now so––”

“I’m thinkin’ about it, puppy,” Harry cuts y/n off because she tends to ramble once she gets about two drinks in, every time. “‘M thinkin’ about it with you, because I wish you were my girlfriend-”

The words that come out of his own mouth surprise him equally since he’s been careful about keeping it quiet. Okay, so maybe Harry’s just as drunk as y/n.

“What?” Y/n pouts, her wine-stained lips look plump and soft. Harry wants nothing more than to tug her over to him and kiss her. “Harry, you can’t say that- can’t say that ‘cus we’re good the way we are. We’re good as friends––best friends! Right?”

He takes a steadying breath so he can get his words together. “Don’t wanna be only best friends,” Harry whispers, so close to y/n now that she feels his breath on her neck and smells the wine on his breath. “S’not enough. I wanna be your lover...wanna love on you so badly-”

“Harry…”

“...Y/n…”

“I care about you so much––just–– I want us to be okay no matter what, yeah?”

“We’ll be okay.” Harry’s words come out quickly.

“Stuff like this always changes things…” Y/n is doubtful, unsure.

“Don’t think much else would change. I already treat you like you’re the only girl in the world…” Harry trails off, running his fingers along the collar of her bathrobe.

“I want us to be just as good,” y/n searches Harry’s eyes to see if they possess the same hunger as hers––she’s glad to see they do. “Nothing will change.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Harry’s rushing to get his words out pressing his lips against y/n’s exposed shoulder, thoughts tumbling quickly down a rabbit hole “Wasn’t sure if you’ve ever felt the same way because you’re so bloody hard to read sometimes-”

Y/n gently tugs at the front of her robe so it falls open, allowing Harry newfound access to her neck and collarbone. “Of course I feel the same way, wasn’t it obvious?” She lets out a loud moan when Harry nips and sucks particularly hard at one spot; it’s music to his ears.

“Not at all, or else I would’ve been kissin’ on ya like this a lot sooner.” Harry pecks her cheek, then the corner of her mouth, and finally her lips. “I swear everyone knew I was proper obsessed with ya, except you.”

Y/n smiles against Harry’s lips, melting into the kiss as she grows used to the feeling of kissing him. “How long?”

Harry tilts his head to the side in confusion. “‘How long’ what?”

“Have you liked me?” y/n dips her head, too shy to make direct eye contact with Harry. He rests his fingers under her chin and gently tilts her head upwards.

“You really wanna know?” Harry’s not ashamed to admit he’s liked her since the second he laid eyes on her at the farmer’s market. She nods, and Harry can see how blown out her pupils are in the moonlight. He continues, peppering more kisses against y/n’s exposed patches of skin.

“I reckon I’ve liked you ever since I first saw you,” Harry’s voice drops to a whisper even though they are the only ones on the balcony. “Had to know you...see if you were as sweet as the honey you were sellin’.”

“Am I?” Y/n questions, pushing Harry away from her softly to pause his movements. Harry slides out of the chair he’s in, positioning himself so he’s on his knees in front of y/n. He hums, untying her robe a bit more so that her belly and breasts are exposed to him.

“I’m not sure, pet,” Harry ghosts his hand over her core, not ready to touch her just yet. He knows he can get her more worked up––really make her beg for it. “I’ve gotta taste ya first.”

“You can!” she blurts out, lifting her bottom off the chair slightly. “You can taste me Harry, ‘m givin’ you permission-”

“Yeah, but what fun would that be?” As much as Harry wants to mouth at her pretty cunt and hear her moan and whine for him, he also thought he’d quite like to hear what she sounds like begging for his mouth, tongue, and cock. He looks up at his sweet girl from the rather uncomfortable position on his knees he’s put himself in, thoroughly pleased by how absolutely fucked out she looks. He hasn’t even touched her yet!

Harry decides he has let her squirm and anticipate his touch long enough, finally placing one digit to her covered heat. She bucks her hips up slightly, his light touch doing nothing to quell the fire he ignited in her tummy.

“Don’t tease me, please,” y/n says quietly, eyes screwed shut. “I want it, like, so badly. It’s ok- oh!”

Y/n’s tense body sinks back into the chair as Harry pulls her underwear to the side in one swift motion, exposing her warm cunt to the cool, Italian air. He notices her body shaking (he’s not sure if it’s from the cold or excitement) but he makes a mental note to draw her a warm bath after he’s made her cum on his tongue. Without warning, Harry licks a long stripe from the entrance of her cunt to her clit, taking the small button in his mouth once he reaches it. He moans in pleasure, loving the way she reacted to his mouth and the sweet sounds that leave her.

Harry stretches his arms up to reach for y/n’s hands, wanting nothing more than to see what they would feel like tugging at his curls. She immediately understands what he’s asking and wastes no time slotting her fingers into his hair.

“How’s tha’ feel?” Harry lifts his head from her clit to take a breath of air and check to see if what they are doing is still okay—he’s delighted when she begs for him to “get back to it”.

“Don’t stop, feels really nice,” y/n’s plea ends with a loud moan; Harry’s cock swells.

“Do you want me to keep goin’, puppy?��� He takes his index finger in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it before he lowers it to circle her entrance. “Y’like how my tongue feels on your clit, hmm?” He sinks it in, causing y/n to let out a quiet gasp.

“Yeah, you’re really, really, good at this, H,” y/n struggles to catch her breath so Harry takes this as his sign to slow down. Y/n grinds her hips against Harry’s tongue once he lets up, now having to work harder to chase her orgasm. “W-why’d you slow down?”

She tugs particularly hard on Harry’s hair, causing him to yelp in surprise. He can feel the pre-cum leaking from the head of his cock and onto his stomach, and he thinks he may cum without even having to touch himself. Harry takes her desperation as a green light to resume his previous pace, finger slipping easily back into her cunt.

“Thought it was becoming a little too much for you,” Harry mumbles, mesmerized by how easily her cunt takes his finger. He thinks she can easily take at least two more. “Can I add more? Get ya all stretched out so y’can take me alright?” Y/n clenches around his fingers at his words and Harry knows that if he’s inside her and she does that again, he’ll be a goner.

“Yes, H,” she lifts her bottom off the chair. “I can take more, give me more-”

Harry sinks his middle finger into her, shuddering when his cock dances in his sweatpants. He decides he needs them off (or at least needs his cock out) and uses his free hand to pull them down. He hisses when his cock slaps against his stomach, more pre-cum leaking out of the neglected, red head.

“Takin’ my fingers so good, angel,” Harry whispers, speeding up the pace in which he is pumping into her. “I can feel y’squeezin’ on ‘em––are y’gonna squeeze my cock like that?” All y/n can do is nod, not trusting her voice to answer him.

Who would’ve thought the man who was always so sweet to her had such a dirty mouth?

Y/n can feel that familiar fire igniting in her belly, knows that she needs Harry to angle his fingers just so and hit that spot that would have her seeing stars. She reaches for his wrist and tries to angle him how she wants him, but it’s not working. She needs more––needs his cock.

“Harry, need more- please, need it, need you-” her pleas come out choppy and short as she struggles to articulate exactly what she needs. Harry’s her best friend, though––he knows exactly what she’s asking for.

“You want my cock, lil’ bee? S’that what you want?” he pulls his fingers out and rubs at her clit while he frees himself completely from the confines of his sweatpants. She nods, but that’s not good enough for Harry. “Lemme hear you say it.”

“I want you, H,” she’s panting. “I want you to fuck me...”

“Why didn’t you just say that?” Harry teases, giving himself a few quick pumps. He knows once he’s inside of her he probably won’t last more than a few quick sloppy thrusts––especially if she squeezes round his cock like she’s been doing with his fingers. Harry guides her from the chair and to the railing of the balcony so they’re looking down at the bustling city below them. Harry was grateful they were so high up and it was fairly dark, although not pitch black. The thought of someone only having to look up to see him and the woman he loves in such a vulnerable state ignited a flame in him.

He begins slowly inching his way inside of her, looking at her while she adjusted to the size of him. Y/n tells him she’s ready for more way quicker than Harry thought she would, and he’s pleased to feel her pushing herself down on him while he pushes up into her. It takes all his willpower not to cum immediately. 

“Look at you fuckin’ yourself with my cock,” Harry says smugly, standing still while y/n bounces down on him. “Take what you need, sweet girl. Make yourself cum round me-”

“So big, H,” y/n puts the hand not gripping onto the rail in her mouth, biting back her moans. 

“I wanna hear you, puppy. Want all those people down there to know how good ‘m makin’ ya feel,” Harry pulls her hand out of her mouth and wraps his arms tightly around her before fucking up into her relentlessly.

“Oh, fuck,” y/n moans quietly. “Fuck, right there...”

“C’mon, angel. I know you can be louder than that, let me hear you-” Harry uses one hand to let go of y/n’s plushy hips and instead lowers it to her clit, rubbing small, quick circles at the hardened nub. She lets out a loud squeal that quickly turns into a giggle, causing her to clench around Harry’s cock. He lets out a loud moan, not caring at all who heard. He was going to give the pretty beekeeper begging for his cock the hardest, most intense orgasm of her life.

“Harry, I’m so close...”

“I know, I can feel it baby,” Harry’s curls are sticking to his forehead from sweat. “I’m close too, where do you want-”

“Inside,” y/n turns around, so she’s looking at Harry. “I’m on birth control-”

Harry speeds up the pace, moving faster than he even thought possible. He was fucking his best friend in Italy, at an Italian villa on a balcony. Could his life get any better?

“‘M gonna cum, y/n,” Harry’s thrusts are growing sloppy, his wrist tired from rubbing circles on y/n’s clit. He wants her to cum first, though––needs her to. “Cum for me, sweet girl. I want you to cum.”

Y/n lets out a loud cry if Harry’s eyes weren’t shut, he would’ve checked to see if she drew any attention to themselves. However, he was too far gone, right on the brink of his own orgasm. With two more sloppy thrusts, Harry is finishing right behind her. If they weren’t so close to the edge of a balcony, he would’ve collapsed atop her, completely exhausted from the good fuck he just gave y/n.

They both slowly come down from their highs together, giggling at how good their orgasms made them feel. Harry slowly pulls out of her and stuffs his softening cock back in his pants before grabbing his sweet girl and pulling her to sit in his lap.

“You are as sweet as the honey you sell, lil’ bee.”

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

thanks for reading!! ☺️

[beekeeperspicnic]

Sneak Peek at the Art Book!

We're approaching the final few days of the Beekeeper's Picnic Kickstarter, so I thought I'd share a few pages of the art book as a sneak peek!

You can get the artbook at the Artist and Scholar tier and above!

Text:

Sherlock Holmes' brother Mycroft only appears in a few stories, but he's one of my favourite characters! His powers of observation surpass his brother's, but he lacks the energy and drive for detective work.

Instead he seems to function as a human computer for the government, using his mind to store and process vast amounts of information.

Sherlock does pop over to see him for advice, however, so I thought he would be the perfect hint system for the game.

Mycroft Holmes, the British Government (retired)

By the way, Sherlock, I expected to see you round last week, to consult me over that Manor House case. I thought you might be a little out of your depth.”

Animals

Hodge (Cat)

Hodge is named after 18th century intellectual Samuel Johnson's beloved pet who he describes as "a very fine cat".

Johnson was a well known popular figure in his day but fame was secured by the work of his friend and biographer James Boswell, who noted down lots of his witticisms.

This relationship between Johnson and Boswell is referenced by Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia, with him putting himself in Johnson's role:

“I think that I had better go, Holmes.”

“Not a bit, Doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell.

Toby the Third (Dog)

In 'The Sign of Four' we find out that Holmes seems to regularly borrow a dog named 'Toby' from the eccentric Mr. Sherman in order to track scents. He says he would "rather have Toby's help than that of the whole detective force in London."

I liked the idea that in his rustic retirement, Holmes would feel able to keep a dog himself. Of course he would name it and its descendants after the original Toby.

At first I was unsure whether we should be able to read Toby's thoughts in the game, or whether that would seem out of place. In the end I decided to embrace a bit of silliness!

[purpleactuallydoarts]

Lady Beekeeper, has a bee sanctuary with other beekeepers works there (who wear the 17th century beekeeping outfit). She likes hosting tea parties and invite her trusted guests and close friends.

The net she holds is not for catching bees but to capture creatures that can harm them and move them away. A kind and lovely lady, yet quite an eccentric one...

Believe it or not, her wings are detachable

[quasi-normalcy]

How does one ago about getting a job as an eccentric vicar? Like, the kind that cares way more about things like beekeeping than preaching or the like?

[rottenpietv]

Southern Pokemon. This is a side project of mine imagining what a generation of Pokemon based on the American South would be like. I couldn’t really think of a full spread of 150 Pokemon designs, so I opted to design the gym leaders and League with two Pokemon for each of them. I’ve always had an affinity for all aspects of Southern culture and its many folk tales and pieces of art inspired by this region of the US.

[the-dust-jacket]

The imminent release of Netflix’s Enola Holmes, starring Millie Bobby Brown, seemed like an excellent excuse to re-read the highly binge-able series while drinking lots of tea, which is really the only reason I’m clinging to sanity this week. 

Enola as a character is so close to my heart: clever, proud, fiercely independent, fiercely lonely, sheltered, self-possessed, compassionate, competitive, with a flair for the dramatic that always has me in stitches, she is so much more than Sherlock Holmes’ little sister. 

And her adventures are more than simple Holmes pastiche. They’re full of affection for Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters and world, while also diving into highly improper Victorian history and examining the sexism and brutal poverty that shaped 19th century London. 

Right, and they’re bite-sized, outrageously fun romps full of secret codes, cunning disguises, and derring-do. 

Inspired by Enola Holmes,, here is a collection of books across age groups for fans of Sherlockian pastiche, spunky girl detectives, codes and clues, and foggy Victorian atmosphere. 

(You can also check out Middle Grade Monday at Books of Wonder for more on the series, the about-to-be-released movie, adjacent book recommendations, and tea.) 

The Case of the Missing Marquess, by Nancy Springer: Enola Holmes, raised in seclusion by her eccentric and radically-minded mother, must outwit kidnappers, miscreants, and her own brilliant brothers when Mrs. Holmes vanishes and Sherlock and Mycroft determine to send Enola to finishing school. The series only gets better from here, with strange mysteries, wild corners of Victorian social and political history, and lots of foggy London atmosphere. 

Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories or The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: the Sherlock Holmes stories were infamously such a hit that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was unable to escape his most iconic character, even by killing him off. 

The Sally Lockhart trilogy, by Philip Pullman: intrepid Sally Lockhart and her motley band of friends and allies attempt to outwit criminals, smugglers, politicians, industrialists, and the full force of Victorian patriarchy in this swashbuckling, gaslit tour of seedy London society.  

The Lie Tree, by Frances Hardinge: Faith is clever, and angry, and trapped--trapped on an isolated Chanel island, and by the role of dutiful Victorian daughter. After a shocking death and a supernatural discovery, Faith will go to any lengths to find the truth, in this tense and atmospheric homage to feminist Gothic horror. 

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, by Julie Berry: when the girls of St Ethelreda’s School for Young Ladies find a pair of bodies at the breakfast table, they know something must be done. A murderer in their midst threatens their lives and their tea time---and worst of all, might get them sent home! 

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, by Laurie R. King: When Mary Russel quite literally stumbles across Sherlock Holmes, retired and keeping bees in the Sussex Downs, an unlikely partnership begins. 

Greenglass House, by Kate Milford: a quiet Christmas holiday at home turns into a whimsical adventure when the Greenglass House Inn is invaded by all sorts of suspicious and unannounced guests. 

Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance, by Gyles Brandreth: real historical figures and real historical murders mix with frothy fictional adventure in this mystery starring Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Sherard, and the hidden underside of the Queen Victoria’s polite society. 

Murder Is Bad Manners, by Robin Stevens: there’s not just a dead body at Deepdean School for Girls; there’s a dead body that has mysteriously vanished. Aspiring Sherlock Holmes-style detectives Daisy and Hazel are out to solve the murder--and prove it really happened. 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, by Theodora Goss: starring a wide range of Victorian pulp characters, from Rappaccini’s Daughter to Holmes and Watson, this is both a fast-paced, derring-do adventure and a sweet story of unlikely found family. 

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley: introduces Flavia de Luce, another intrepid girl detective with an odd and lonely upbringing and a delightful fascination with murder and poisons. 

The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin: cunning clues and larger-than-life characters abound in this meticulously crafted classic mystery. 

[dujour13]

13. Lockpicks

So I had to do this one but it ended up not really being about Woljif. Thanks again to @starlightcleric for the Owlcatober 2022 challenge!

***

“The little bard is also a comedian.” Shamira did not look entertained. “You want me to believe you killed Vellexia?”

Siavash drew out the amulet he’d taken from the ancient succubus’ corpse. “It was a team effort.”

Flames roared up behind her. “And what did you find out for me? Speak, but not in front of these fools. Use your mind instead of your lying, flapping lips.”

The heat was unbearable, rising from the floor and warping the air, flames leaping up the walls and boiling on the ceiling. Worst of all were the two searing eyes he could not drag his gaze from. They filled his vision and burned into his skull.

Yet he held his ground. “For the Lady in Shadows’ right hand, it’s surprising how much you don’t know.”

Her minions turned their eyes toward him eagerly. Was Shamira about to get taken down a peg?

“You will tell me everything,” said the red-haired angel—or what was once an angel, now twisting in flaming rage above him.

Trapped in her gaze, he felt hot fingers in his mind—no, claws—digging and scraping, peeling back the skin of his thoughts to expose the raw nerves underneath.

Sweat ran down his face. It was hotter than that Worldwound day when they’d found the haunted city. They destroyed the vescavor queen with fire. Then they went down to the Sellen to cool off and he’d stripped to his linens and very nearly stepped out of those too, when he noticed Woljif turn his face away—

“Hold still!” screeched her voice in his head.

“Great gods, will you sit still for five minutes, Si!”

“I thought of a new song, Da. Can I just play it one time so I don’t forget?”

“No. Arpeggios first, compositions second. You—”

“Can I go outside?”

Then he was outside in the eccentric old Desnan beekeeper’s garden down by the Andoshen, and she was showing him and the other children how to make butterflies out of clothespins and scraps of silk.

She used to read dreams. He loved her to read his dreams so much that when he couldn’t remember any he’d make some up. She probably knew, but she read them anyway and gave him honeycombs and called him Lark because he loved to climb and sing.

All the while, Shamira worked away, and his mind slipped out of her searing fingers down the winding paths of childhood. A child’s dreams—welcome respite from the ardent nightmares of this place. He gritted his teeth against Shamira’s discordant mental screams of frustration.

So hot—so cold—

Tumbling down the mountainside in deep snow with his friends that one year at camp they got caught in a storm and thought they were going to die trapped overnight in a shepherd’s cabin. Was he going to die trapped in the Abyss? Or would they awaken to sunlight, perfectly alive, and run out flushed and laughing as if all the night’s terrors were already forgotten?

She was poking deeper now. Hooked metallic scraping like Woljif’s lockpicking tools, prodding and swiveling, pushing over the tumblers of his memory. He felt one start to give.

Nahyndrian crystals—

No. When they got out of the Abyss.

When they got back to Drezen, which of course they would—he was more and more sure of it—the first thing he’d do after a bath and a party at the Half-Measure would be to head to the Insula with Woljif and lie on the roof and look at the stars together, and then…

“What did you discover? Tell me, you insolent maggot!” Shamira’s scream pierced through his thoughts. She was so close now. Woljif said the trick was to hold one tool at just the right angle to keep the first tumblers from falling back into place while you turned over the last one. Ha, that was the trick—she couldn’t keep up the pressure on his wandering thoughts while she tried to unlock his memory. Her grip began to falter.

…and then they would bundle together in Woljif’s kip (and he was not sharing that part with Shamira) and he would become an outlaw, the ex-Commander and his Merry Band, rogues and vigilantes of the Worldwound: no more council meetings, no more paperwork, just them against the demons, freeing prisoners, healing the wounded, returning life and joy to the remnants of Sark—

Boiling, seething hatred exploded in his mind. He tore his eyes away and squeezed them shut. His eyelids felt blessedly cool. Shamira’s spell was broken. She withdrew her psychic torture implements and screamed aloud in rage.

“Get out. Get out!”

[dangcommaannie]

My other new sexuality is eccentric beekeeper Eliot

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Your fic reca are what’s literally keeping me alive right now! Thank you 🙏 Do u have any new Virgin Sherlock, Sensitive Sherlock or first time Johnlock fic recs? I would be forever grateful

Hi Nonny!!! *HUGS*

Aww, I’m happy my blog is making you happy! I’ve actually recently released a part 2 list for Virgin Sherlock last month so you can check these out:

Virgin Sherlock

Virgin Sherlock Pt. 2

As for First Time / Sensitive Sherlock, ahhhh, I’m gonna use this opportunity actually to update my First Times List, if that’s okay? Only because I have a list already started, and I’m currently compiling a “sensuality” list that I think will meet your needs for sensitive Sherlock when I post it (another ask from another Nonny) so I’ll save it for that time :P Though you might like Shy Sherlock  and Sherlock Soft With Children for that one!

Anyway.... Here we go! :D

FIRST TIMES Pt. 2

See also: First Time || [MOBILE]

Bathroom Accessories by Evenlodes_Friend (E, 3,324 w., 1 Ch. || Sex Toys, Butt Plug, First Kiss / Time, Romance, Horny Sherlock, John’s Patience Wears Thin, Humour, Bottomlock) – John discovers that Sherlock has been playing with some very adult toys in the bath.

Nothing So Sweet by alexxphoenix42 (E, 5,275 w., 1 Ch. || Shopkeeper AU || Beekeeping, Sussex, Alternate First Meeting, Awkward First Time Sex, Self-Consciousness / Body Insecurity, Fluff, Hand Jobs) – In an alternate universe, Sherlock is busy keeping to himself, tending his bees, and selling lovely jars of honey when a soldier limps into his life quite unexpectedly. Part 1 of The Sweetest Things

My First, My Only, and My Forever by vintagelilacs (E, 6,220 w., 1 Ch. || Post-ASiB, Virgin Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock’s Bum, John’s Scar, Sherlock POV, Body Worship, Fingering, Bottomlock, Promise of Forever / Proposals, Misunderstanding, First Kiss/Time, Loss of Virginity, Virginity Kink, Seduction) – Sherlock narrowed his eyes. He was missing a vital piece of data, he was sure. John had been looking at him oddly ever since they left Buckingham Palace, and the ensuing incident with Irene Adler had only exacerbated his erratic behaviour. What was it? Why would he care that Sherlock was a virgin? There was nothing reminiscent of mockery or pity in his gaze. And then it hit him. John Watson was aroused.

Bridges by sussexbound (M, 6,602 w., 1 Ch || Post-TLD / S4 Fix It, Love Confessions, Mending Relationships, Moving Back In, Pining Sherlock, POV Sherlock, Past Abuse, Shaving) – The silence between them is deafening, interrupted only by the hum of the traffic outside, and the soft click-clunk of the plastic cups Rosie is playing with on the floor beside them. It is the first time they have been alone together, since Sherlock’s birthday. It’s only been two days, but it feels huge, important, like there is a precarious bridge stretched out before them both that they need to at least attempt to traverse.

An Interpretation of Viewing Habits by akitsuko (E, 6,653 w., 1 Ch. || Porn Watching, Masturbation, Anal, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Declarations of Love, Jealous Sherlock, Fantasizing, John in Denial / Internalized Homophobia, Bottomlock, Pining Idiots, Sherlock Has No Boundaries, Cockblocking Sherlock) – John watches porn. It's a perfectly normal thing to do. If every video he watches happens to feature actors with remarkable physical similarities to his flatmate, well, that's no one's business but his own. Or: John is in denial, until his infatuation with Sherlock is impossible to deny anymore.

Time on my hands by Mildredandbobbin (M, 7,179 w., 1 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-S3, One Night Stands, Mutual Pining, Virgin Sherlock, First Time, Sexual Exploration / Discovery, Desperation, Body Worship) – Virginity’s a construct, a concept—what does losing one’s virginity entail for a gay man anyway? Sherlock wants to fill that particular gap in his knowledge but John won’t, can’t, never will assist and there’s only so much desperately unspoken pining even Sherlock can take.

Sometimes When We Touch by kedgeree (M, 7,755 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, First Kiss/Time, Inappropriate Giggling, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Virgin Sherlock, John Whump, Touching) – John might be touching Sherlock a little more often than is strictly necessary. Sherlock probably hasn't even noticed. Right...?

Just Like That by sussexbound (E, 8,442 w., 1 Ch. || First Time/Kiss, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock, French Kissing, Anal, Emotional Lovemaking, Enthusiastic Consent, Tenderness, Crying John, Bathing/Washing, Insecure John, Toplock) – John doesn’t want to talk anymore. He wants. Oh dear god, how he wants. For the first time in what feels like years he WANTS.

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

The shape of the world around us by Salambo06 (E, 15,058 w., 5 Ch. || Lumberjack John / Botanist Sherlock, Different First Meeting, John Has a Beard, Light Case Fic, Flirting, First Kiss / Time, Masturbation, Love at First Sight, Horny Sherlock, John’s Bum, Bottomlock, Tenderness, Virgin Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Shy Sherlock, Sexual Fantasies) – Looking through the bush, Sherlock felt his heartbeat quicken as a man passed in front of him. Sherlock frowned, trying to get a closer look despite the bush. The man was wearing a red plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows, and Sherlock couldn't take his eyes off the man’s arms. Muscular, slightly tanned with golden hairs along his forearms. For some unknown reason, Sherlock found himself imagining them around his waist, holding him tightly. Closing his eyes for the briefest second, Sherlock shook his head. Opening his eyes and looking back to where the man stood only a moment prior, he found himself alone. Great, now his only chance to find his way back to town was gone. “Why are you wearing a suit?”

Permanent Fixture by vitruvianwatson (E, 18,836 w., 9 Ch || Post-S4, Parentlock, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, They’re Good Parents, Blushing Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Explicit Consent, Sexual Content, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Big Feelings, Crying, First Kiss, Fluff, Anxious Sherlock, Inexperienced Sherlock, Emotional Communication, Love Confessions) – Now, as Rosie sat curled up against Sherlock’s side, John watched and wondered exactly how he had ended up here. Domesticity had never suited him before, not at any point in his life. His disastrous marriage had been proof of that. But somehow, here in the warmth and safety of 221B Baker Street, here with Sherlock Holmes reading medical jargon to his daughter, Sherlock’s bony feet nudging against his leg, John couldn’t imagine anyplace that would make him happier.

The Wisteria Tree by SilentAuror (E, 29,773 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S3, Emotional Love Making, Amnesia/Memory Loss, Sherlock Loves John So Much, Sherlock POV, Romance, Angst with Happy Ending, First Times, Hurt/Comfort, Est. Rel., Retirement) – Sherlock wakes up from a month-long coma only to discover that he has no memory of the previous six years to his own shock as well as John's...

The Real Great Perfumers by shelleysprometheus (E, 45,355 w., 68 Ch. || Case Fic, Alternating POV, Gay Sherlock / Bi John, Canon Compliant with Divergence at TRF, Friends to Lovers, Oral / Anal, Pining, First Kiss / Time, Dev. Rel., Drugging, Body Worship, Bathing, Love Confessions, Travelling, Bottomlock, Cranky Sherlock, BJ’s, Alternating POV, Jealous John) – The case, this case. This extraordinary, fascinating, scintillating case. A house. Designed entirely by its eccentric owner, built by no less than five hundred expert tradesmen in the heart of Marrakesh. A house that had, seemingly not only driven its owner out, but also to his quite unpleasant death. And a perfumer, a chemist no less, the very thought of the secrets that house could reveal, would reveal was irresistible. Sherlock had to have this case ... and it seems, he also had to have John! Part 1 of the Forethought and Fire series

Points by lifeonmars (E, 53,791 w., 42 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || HLV Rewrite / Canon Divergence, Married Life, Pregnancy / Baby Watson, Drinking to Cope, Boxing / Fisticuffs, Clueless John, Angst, Minor Medical Drama, Tattoos, Christmas, First Kiss/Time, Eventual Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Doctor John, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Case Fic, Drugging, Blow/Hand Job, Emotional Love Making, Parenthood, Passage of Time) – What if His Last Vow never happened? This fic picks up a few months after John and Mary's wedding, in an alternate universe where Magnussen doesn't exist, but Mary is still pregnant. Life continues -- just in a different direction. And slowly, Sherlock and John find their way to each other.

A Hundred Crimson Sols by elldotsee (E, 55,536 w., 16 Ch. || Astronauts AU || Mars Exploration / Space Travel, Slow Burn, Shy Sherlock, Scientist Sherlock / Biomed Engineer John, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, UST, Angst with Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injuries, Suicidal Ideation, Zero-G Sex) – Will Holmes is a chemical researcher recognized widely for his contributions to the new Mars exploration program. Thanks to his ground-breaking developments, the IMMC (International Mars Mission Corporation) is one step closer to Martian colonization. Will and his team of scientists are headed out on the first of three manned missions before the first group of settlers arrive. Three days before launch, one of the crew has to be replaced. Will panics because...new people. The replacement is of course one John Watson, biomedical engineer and space hottie who was pretty sure he had retired from actual space exploration and was now content to work in the nice, quiet research lab. Can the crew survive this TOTALLY ROUTINE trip? Will they be able to endure each other for the looooooong trip in close quarters? Gonna be a wild ride... prepare for blast off. Part 1 of SpaceBois go to Space

Being John Watson-ish by elwinglyre (E, 69,902 w., 17 Ch. || Bodysnatcher AU || Author John, Cranky Sherlock, Angst, Sexual Tension, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love, BAMF John, Past Soldier John, Feelings, Inside Someone’s Brain, Shy Sherlock, Sherlock Loves John, POV Sherlock, Switchlock, Slow Burn, Internal Dialogue, Mental Turmoil) – When consulting detective Sherlock Holmes steps on one toe too many at a crime scene, he's consigned to a desk job in an archaic office on the seventh-and-a-half floor of the New Scotland Yard. It’s in this bleak office that Sherlock discovers a portal into the mind of renowned author John Watson. Grander than his mind palace, this new wonderland affords Sherlock new vistas of experimentation. To learn more about the mystery behind the portal, Sherlock seeks out and befriends Watson. But then it all goes wrong when others find the secret portal door—including the man whose brain he visits.

Just To Hold You Close by sussexbound (E, 70,841 w., 18 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, Sherlock POV, ASD Sherlock, PTSD John, Demisexual Sherlock, Bisexual John, Cuddling/Snuggling, Platonic Cuddling, Enthusiastic Consent, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, First Kiss/Time, Sexual Tension, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cuddle Negotiations, For a Case Until It Isn’t, Hair Petting, Sexual Negotiation, Anxiety, Trust Issues, Slow Burn, Panic Attacks, Frottage, Hand/Blow Jobs, Referenced Self Harm / Abuse / Suicidal Ideation, First Kiss/Time, Anal, Autistic Sherlock) – When a woman is murdered and the last person to see her alive is recently invalided army vet turned reluctant (and prickly) professional cuddler, John Watson, Sherlock Holmes is pulled into a world of intimacy and intrigue he never could have imagined. John is a conundrum and mystery: frank yet reserved, tender yet angry, open yet afraid. Sherlock is instantly drawn into his orbit, and begins to feel and desire things he never has before.

Repairing the Broken Things by BakerTumblings (M, 75,252 w., 15 Ch. || S4 Compliant, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Trauma, Hospitals, Big Brother Mycroft, Misunderstandings, Realizations, Severe Accident, John Whump, Pneumonia, Medical Procedures, Bed Sharing, First Time, Healing, Happy Ending) – "I'm calling today to notify you that there's been an accident."

Northwest Passage by Kryptaria (E, 95,157 w., 27 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Canadian AU ||  BAMF!John, Canadian John, PTSD, Anal / Oral Sex, Rimming, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Drug Rehab, Falling in Love, Pining Sherlock, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Violin, Panic Attacks, Switching, Anxious / Protective Sherlock, Hugs for Comfort, Suicide Mentions, Healing Each Other) – Seven years ago, Captain John Watson of the Canadian Forces Medical Service withdrew from society, seeking a simple, isolated life in the distant northern wilderness of Canada. Though he survives from one day to the next, he doesn't truly live until someone from his dark past calls in a favor and turns his world upside-down with the introduction of Sherlock Holmes." Part 1 of Tales from the Northwest

Given In Evidence by verityburns (M, 97,884 w., 19 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Angst, Drama, Case Fic, Romance, BAMF!John, Submissive Sherlock, First Kiss, Humour) – Coming back from the dead can be a complicated business. With a new case on the horizon, rebuilding a life is one thing... rebuilding a friendship quite another. For Sherlock and John, things may never be just the same...