#or The Picture of Dorian Gray which I also love to bits

[galvanizedfriend]

Thanks for the tag, friend! 💜 @purplesigebert

rules: list 5 of your favourite books on a poll, so your followers can vote which book they think captures your vibe the best

Tagging @definedareasofuncertainty, @amandakc, @rosedforbes, @misssophiachase and @sekretny.

[urfavleo777]

Warnings: SMUT18+, strong language, oral (m receiving), choking, hair pulling, fluff.

It was an October evening. The sun had long since set, causing all the streetlights to go out. Now, the moonlight shining through the window was the only light you could use to continue reading your favorite book.

Accompanied by the sound of rain, you devoured the pages of The Picture of Dorian Gray. With a sigh, you turned the next page. You were getting close to the end, which made you even more sadder. Your weak spot was your attachment to books and some people.

Specifically to one person.

“Baby?“ Your boyfriend's voice caught your attention. You put the book on the bedside table and bit your lip at the sight of your boyfriend standing in only his lovely pink pajama pants. “Are you still reading?”

“Oh..“ you sighed softly, completely dazed.

"Whoa, you alright?" Colby looked down at you, concerned on his face, "Y/n."

You shake your head slightly, "Yeah." You stand up straight, "You just.." You found a more comfortable position, "Look so beautiful tonight"

“Only tonight?” he laughed brilliantly, moving closer to the bed. Then he lay down and took you in his arms, giving you a tender kiss on your forehead. You immediately forgot about the plot of the book that you were reading eagerly just moments ago.

You gently brushed his hair away and planted a kiss on his bare shoulder, only realizing you'd tickled him when you heard a small, muffled laugh come from the crook of your neck where Colby was resting his head.

During that quiet intimate moment the only sounds that could be heard in the room were your breaths and the sound of your kisses.

“Have I interrupted you in anything?“ he murmured dreamily, after a while.

“No, I was just reading.” You denied it immediately.

"I love you." He muttered as he gently pulled away from him, after some moments, and you cupped his face in your hands after tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “We can continue, if you want.”

“Continue what?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Reading your book.” He replied with embarrassment.

"My sweet, smart boy." You laughed before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you too. And sure, we can continue reading my beloved Dorian Gray.”

“Oh.” He clutched his heart dramatically.

A smile appeared on your face. “Are you jealous because of a fictional character?”

He pretended to feel offended, making you laugh again. Just as he was about to answer, the loud sound of thunder interrupted him. You flinched unexpectedly.

Now he was the one laughing. You huffed in mock outrage.

“My little girl is afraid of thunderstorms?” He gently ran his fingers through your hair’s. “Let me take care of you properly, love.”

You nodded and tried not to smile too wide when you leaned in to kiss him.

You do a whole lot more than just kiss him, though. You open his mouth with your own and lick inside with a confident tongue. You take the breath from his lungs with little effort, leaving him more breathless than he has been all night.

“Wanna suck you off,” you murmured, slurred and muffled against his mouth.

Colby breathed out a laugh, one mixed with amusement and disbelief. “I rarely know this side of you, babe.” He told you, smoothing wide palms up and down your arms.

“Do you want a blowjob or not?”

“Well, yeah, but I—”

“Good,” you hummed with a smile before sinking to your knees in front of him. You unbuttoned his pants and free his half-hard cock from the confines of his pants. You tugged at the hem of his underwear until his heavy balls hang over the plaid fabric. 

Finally you decided to have mercy on him as you flattened your tongue against his dick, deciding to follow the vein from his base to his tip. Colby let out a high-pitched whine followed by a "thank you", but you didn’t really care. Yes, it felt good for him, but this was also for your pleasure. You swirled your tongue around his leaking tip, tasting the salty essen.

“Jesus fucking christ— you’re so pretty, baby— fuck.” He tilted his head back, gripping the sheets. “Fuck, please baby. Don't stop.”

You smiled up at the wrecked man, the man begging for you to continue. You could feel the light pressure of his hand against your head trying to push you closer to his groin.

“Can I kiss you?” He surprised himself as the question had left his mouth.

“Please.” you whined with desperation, making Colby groan as his lips found yours in a frenzy.

Your fingers slowly trailed down, finally wrapping your dainty hand around the sheer girth and length that was Colby’s cock.

Another unashamed whimper fell from between his pretty lips.

“That feels good, baby?” You murmured into his mouth between the smacks that echoed off the walls.

“Fuck, yeah mhm, it does.” He rushed out awkwardly, making you giggle into the kiss.

You took him back into your mouth, but that time without mercy as you relaxed your throat, slowly moving down inch by delicious inch as you tried not to gag, his tip now bullying your uvula like his own personal punching bag.

You fucked his aching cock into your throat, bobbing your head up and down, over and over.

“I need your cock so bad Colby.” You moaned.

“Use me, please. J-just fuck, just use me pretty girl.” Colby whimpered.

“Yes, sir.” You whispered into his ear before placing a gentle kiss there. You turned around, hand grabbing onto his still hard cock, you lower yourself into his lap, pink tip already prodding at your hole as your back became flush with his chest, you lay your head back against his shoulder and burrowed it into his neck, both of you moaning in unison as you sink onto him, slowly.

He was so big it was like he was ripping you in half, but you welcomed the burn. The pleasure and pain of it all made your cunt drip even more, further creating less pain and a whole lot more pleasure.

“Shit, you’re so wet and so fucking warm, baby.” Colby huffed.

You wailed as your legs begin to shake, your cunt clenching around him as your nails digging into his thighs that continue to slap up into the backs of yours.

“Colby– I’m cumming, oh my god!” You sobbed, when the most intense pleasure was coursing through your body, turning you into a twitching mess.

“Fuck, me too baby, wher-” He didn’t even get to finish, before you were begging him to cum inside you. Of course he obliged, eyes rolling back into his head and cock throbbing as his heavy load shot deep inside you.

“Goddammit.” He whispered into your neck.

The intensity of the moment consumed you, as he poured every ounce of himself into you, leaving you both utterly spent and satisfied. You both were breathless and drenched in perspiration, your legs entwined with his.

The storm seemed to be going away, the quiet rumbling was barely audible. All of a sudden the street lights came back up. Colby chuckled and sighed.

“So, you still want to read that book of yours again?”

[scarletdreamers]

Hannibal, background music and what it tells us about Hannibal's feelings (Meta)

The background music in the erotic, dreamlike Hannibal point-of-view dinner scene wasn’t just chosen for that specific scene because it had a fitting melody.

For the number one fandom when it comes to analysing every small detail in a show, we have a surprising lack of background music metas floating around on this site. Not very strange, because most of the Hannibal soundtrack is creepy gongs and ping pong balls and every other weird sound except for a regular violin. However, sometimes the horror sounds are swapped with beautiful classical pieces that resemble Hannibal’s music taste. And while it's Bach most of the time, there's a few gems that are soooo overlooked in my opinion. Though today I only want to talk about the music for 2x10, Naka-Choko. The last scene of this episode is this very intense, very passionate dinner scene: 

The background music of this scene happens to be a classical piece which is also the main theme of the film adaptation of the movie Morte a Venezia (1971). In English it is known as Death in Venice. The piece is called Symphony No.5 Adagietto by Gustav Mahler, a late Romantic componist. He made the soundtrack for the entire film. 

For those who don’t know Death in Venice: It’s a novel from 1912 by Thomas Mann, which was later adapted into a film by Italian director Luchino Viscosi. The plot follows Gustav von Aschenbach, a writer (book) / composer (movie) who travels to Venice and meets a young boy (concerningly young, fourteen years old I believe, not entirely sure) called Tadzio. Aschenbach falls deeply and obsessively in love with Tadzio, even though he at first tells himself that it is merely for aesthetic reasons since the boy is incredibly beautiful. A bit of a The Picture of Dorian Gray scenario. Towards the end of the story Aschenbach dies from illness while watching Tadzio on the beach and realises that he will forever be enslaved by his passion for the boy.

The thing is, Death in Venice’s main themes are death, a struggle with morality (physical and moral decay), art, passion & love, beauty and its dangers and internal conflict. The story toes the line between ‘’conscious will and uncontrolled passion’’. Rational morality and passion (passion when it comes to art, beauty, or desire). 

During the whole story Tadzio is described with countless mythical terms. Greek gods, heroes, tragedies and lovers, but always divine. We know that Hannibal sees Will the same way. The most obvious evidence is that he literally drew himself and Will as Pátroklos (Patroclus) and Achilles. All his sketches of Will are in a style that looks most like Renaissance/Baroque anatomy (Hannibal draws bodies like sculptors used to sculpt them, which is a very fascinating art style of itself). Two periods in which myths were the most depicted subject in art. Next to that, Hannibal considers himself something equal to God. He considers Will an equal, certainly in that dinner scene where no one is at the head of the table. Instead they are sitting eye to eye, mirrored, no one has more power than the other. Which would indirectly mean that Hannibal also considers Will divine. This dynamic is a bit different in Death in Venice, because Aschenbach and Tadzio are more like the worshipper and the worshipped. However, Hannibal’s love for Will could be called worship. I mean, he literally left his heart on a church altar. That’s an action that would usually be considered martyrdom. 

Also, the book opens with a storm on a boat and a stranger with red hair. The stranger with red hair symbolises danger, evil, maybe even a devil/demon. They symbolise the nemesis in Aschenbach's story. Not a direct threat, but evil, anyway.

Now what’s funny is that during the dinner scene, Hannibal and Will are supposed to be eating Freddie Lounds. At least, that’s what Hannibal thinks, since Will lied to him. In reality, they’re eating Randall Tier’s flesh and the red-haired devil Freddie Lounds is still alive. 

Another fascinating comparison is Aschenbach’s social status, his behavior and the way he deals with desire. Aschenbach comes from an academic and German powerful family. In his youth he was expected to repress any vulgarity, desire and unreasonable behavior included. Hannibal comes from an even more impressive family tree. His father was a Lithuanian count and his mother, Simonetta Sforza-Lecter, was a Sforza. The Sforza’s were a real aristocratic family that ruled over Milan during the Renaissance period. Their castle still exists in real life. Hannibal is completely blue-blooded. His name holds way more power than we realise, mainly because he’s the only living heir on both sides of the family. He was raised with a lot of expectations and standards. Hannibal’s need to be respected and for people to be as polite as he himself is isn’t just some personality issue he developed over years, he was born into it. He was forced to behave according to a book of rules when he was younger. He was restrained. Any expression of desire, lust, wanting, or romantic affection for anyone was forbidden, let alone for an American, grown up poor and unimportant, mentally unwell man ten years younger than him. This is the same with Aschenbach. Tadzio is young, male and Polish. His infatuation with the boy is an absolute disgrace. 

Which is also what makes his need for Tadzio so strong. His obsession with the boy goes beyond everything he was ever taught, beyond everything he ever knew. He doesn’t know how to handle it. It’s primal, it’s raw, it’s unrestrainable and intense and it’s wrong. But it doesn’t feel wrong. To Aschenbach it feels like something from a dream. His fantasies about Tadzio are so strong that they aren’t just simple daydreams, but border religious visions. It makes him uncontrollable. He loses control of himself, of his feelings and actions. It messes with his idea of morality and love. He’s enslaved by his desire for Tadzio and it gets so intense that it ultimately becomes his end.

See where I’m going? Hannibal’s feelings for Will are the same. They go beyond everything he has ever known about himself. Hannibal feels things for Will he never thought himself capable of, and that frightens him. During that dinner he’s, for example, unable to hold Will’s gaze. He’s unable to stop looking at the same time.

His face is a literal open book with pictures that scream ‘’I want him and I don’t know how to deal with it’’ all over it. It makes him feel vulnerable, it makes him feel seen, it requires an insane amount of trust in Will for Hannibal to let it happen. For Hannibal losing control means surrender, and that’s an insanely valuable (rare) gift he’s giving Will. This is why he completely loses it when he realises Will lied and ‘’betrayed’’ him in Mizumono. Which is why he responded with his version of an emotional outburst: hurting everybody in the room in the hope he wouldn’t be the one with the most broken heart. He’s being held captive by his own feelings for Will, and when Will betrays him, he feels he has no other choice but to shoot with closed eyes and run. It’s his version of Aschenbach’s death because of love, which eventually extends to Will pulling Hannibal off the cliff. 

It’s very smart that they chose that specific dinner scene to combine with the Death in Venice background music. That’s the dinner where Hannibal still believes Will is on his side, but he also realises how dangerous his compassion is to both of them. With the context of the music, this basically summarises his whole point-of-view. The music gives us an insight into the story and the feelings from Hannibal’s side.

Once again a round of applause for Bryan and the team because goddamn they really thought of EVERY detail

[brucewaynehater101]

HI? I need help finding fics or prompts about this one Tim angst concept that I read somewhere but I don't remember if it was a fic or a post. You could also add onto the idea yourself if ur willing! Preferably I need help finding a fic tho-

ANYWAYS

It's basically "Tim doesn't like reading books because whenever Bruce saw him read a book he would get mad because it reminds him of Jason."

I remember something about Tim being banned from the manor library too, but that's all I remember.

If you do help me, I owe you my life because this has been on my mind for WEEKS-

Hi!!! 👋 Not a fic (that I'm aware of). Here's the post, though:

Fantastic premise that Tim hates reading, though. That, or he refuses to admit/do it publicly.

Here's the AU set up:

Tim loves reading (it was a way to occupy/busy himself when no one else was around)

He prefers sci-fi, fantasy, and crime novels

His parents preferred him to read classics and non-fiction

Tim, trying to feel Bruce out and discern what's allowed, resorts to his parents' preferred reading list

Bruce walks into Jason's library to find Tim reading a classic (Maybe The Picture of Dorian Gray or Wuthering Heights or whatever)

Bruce promptly freaks the fuck out

Tim, as a fourteen year old not yet proficient at reading Bruce (and doesn't have the background data yet of what civilian Jason was like), internalized the lesson that Bruce doesn't want Tim reading at all

Tim avoids any libraries when Bruce is around

To the Waynes and the Bats, Tim only reads technical books or ones related to the mission

When Jason starts getting along with the Bats, he teases Tim on his reading habits (maybe a comment or two about how Tim, a rich kid, should be well-versed with the classics). Tim brushes it off good-naturedly.

Jason also invites Tim up to Jason's library and is a little bit hurt when Tim refuses. Jason rationalizes it and doesn't blame Tim, but it was an olive branch by the older one

Jason finds Tim reading a sci-fi novel which prompts Tim into panicking

Then a reveal or whatnot. Anyways, fun concept ^^

[magnuspanoptes]

do you have any book/media recs? i love your thoughts on jonelias and as a fan of it (and hannigram/hannibal nbc) im having a hard time finding stuff that scratches that itch 😩

waow what a question i certainly do not have letterboxd and book lists titled 'jonelias intertextuality recs'. never done that.

manhunter (1986) and the silence of the lambs (1991) or just read the thomas harris books.

functionally any bluebeared narrative where the supposedly ingénue gothic heroine masters the patriarch of the gothic manor works for jonelias so: jane eyre, charlotte brönte; rebecca, daphne du maurier (which is jane eyre if it was psychological horror); and phantom thread (2017) (which is rebecca if the second mrs de winter slayed)

deathless, catherynne m. valente which is the same dynamic as above and is also a death and the maiden story.

the bloody chamber, the tiger's bride, and the erl-king - all collected in the bloody chamber and other stories, angela carter

duke bluebeard's castle, béla bartók

candyman (1992) which is based on clive barker's the forbidden. je text of all time. like this is it. gothic romance where union with the lover is only possible through annihilation of the self because the violence is the romance.

ravenous (1999) has cannibalism as colonial expansion, which the podcast is also doing at times in its themes of consumption as power. jon and elias could naturally do boyd and ives.

amc interview with the vampire. loustat, hannigram, and jonelias are all the same ship dynamic about the dual gift/curse of being fated together with a really awful blonde man. i think this has some very smart writing re consumption and race wrt louis and lestat's relationship as black and white men/vampires during jim crow, and is also a thoughtful narrative of abuse which is set to end in a reconciliation, so pitching this as jonelias but if they were vampires feels reductive. but it's jonelias if they were vampires. if you've been here long enough you know i don't choose to differentiate between avatarhood and vampirism.

opening of dracula, bram stoker. jonathan harker trapped within dracula's castle is literally what happens to my guy jonathan sims in the podcast. speaking of which. nosferatu (2024) was kind of mid to me and my reading of it leaned more towards a csa narrative, but that can definitely co-exist with a romantic interpretation of orlok and ellen. didn't interest me very much but might work for you.

gone girl, gillian flynn and the 2014 fincher adaptation. jon will be amy in this scenario. you understand.

whiplash (2014). trust me.

rope (1948)

crimson peak (2015)

for a similar dynamic but with themes of incestuous enmeshment, see the winter prince, elizabeth wein and dead ringers (1988)

stoker (2013). this would be more of interest to someone who liked abigail and hannibal's relationship, not will and hannibal per se. but i did say i see teen!jon as abigail.

jonathan strange & mr norrell, susanna clarke is a very odd recommendation because it's not gothic, not horror, and not romance, it's a whimsical period fantasy piece. there's a lot more happening in this book but the two titular characters have a relationship founded on mutual academic respect which goes through bit of a schism because they subscribe to different schools of thought. exactly the kind of nerd shit i enjoy and strange & norrell's friendship is very dear to me, close to how i picture regency jonjonah.

didn't watch all of house of the dragon but daemon and rhaenyra over there came close to capturing how i feel about jon and elias. also incest. but i wouldn't recommend this unless you're already moderately into the a song of ice and fire books.

i've never read the phantom of the opera but given what i know through osmosis it has got to be the same type of thing.

the picture of dorian gray, oscar wilde - everyone says jonah is dorian gray coded but that's not right. jon as the corruptible gothic protagonist is the dorian here with elias assuming the role of both basil and lord henry.

annihilation, jeff vandermeer, nothing in this is jonelias adjacent, it's just really good cosmic horror and what happens to the biologist is what should've also happened to jon.

[megumithegreat]

On Flowers and The Meanings in Lies of P

Addendum: This took me like 2 hours to write and I still have so much to say on so many other things but I must temper myself and disappear from here again (inevitably to go write more fanfiction).

lol I'm actually making a real post on Tumblr because IG isn't enough. I don't actually intend to discuss this with anyone, I just wanted to muse in a space that isn't it restricted by characters or the space on my phone screen.

SPOILERS AHEAD for LIES OF P and THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY BTW

Many things in the game have some too-specific-to-be-nothing details, such as being able to liken some of Dante's Divine Comedy (especially Paradiso) and most recently potentially John Milton's Paradise Lost to Lies of P (somewhere on my IG and my BSky, but tbh Lies of P deals a lot with Christianity, see La Pietà and The Creation of Adam both by Michelangelo) and the direct reference of The Picture of Dorian Gray regarding the portrait, and potentially Frankenstein (I'll be reading after Paradise Lost). These are just literary references, but I believe even Galileo Galilei has a nod or two in the game (particularly, celestial bodies and orreries).

Also: Dante, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, and Carlo Collodi are all from Florence, Italy and John Milton really liked visiting Florence. The web of connections continues :D

But back on topic: last week or so, I was playing Lies of P after a bit of Bloodborne and I noticed something on Geppetto's desk:

On his desk, he has an article about daffodils (narcissus flowers). Now, this is a strangely specific detail for EnvArt to have, isn't it? Except when you consider that flowers have specific associations in Lies of P. So why would Geppetto have this article on his desk, and why Geppetto?

The Meaning of Daffodils

Daffodils have mixed positive and negative symbolism. They are associated with the Greek mythology of Narcissus, who fell so deeply in love with his reflection in a pond that he never moved and eventually died. In his stead, a yellow flower named after him grew.

In most cultures, daffodils symbolize rebirth, rejuvenation, new beginnings, good fortune and wealth (if multiple), and hope/optimism/strength (particularly in the context of cancer or hardship). It's a spring flower, growing after winter, and a bright and cheerful flower. Daffodils, thus, have a mostly positive connotation.

But flowers tend to have multiple meanings.

Daffodils, because of their name sake and depending on the color, can also symbolize selfishness (purple) and broken love. If there is a single daffodil, that might represent misfortune (depending on the cultural context).

At first glance, I had assumed that the positive daffodil connotation represented his hope in P and his desire to make Carlo reborn.

Geppetto and Daffodils

To find this article on Geppetto's desk, especially if you know the truth about Geppetto, it makes sense depending on your interpretation of how he treats Carlo/P, disregarding the sheer chaos he caused just to accomplish his goal.

If you believe that Geppetto truly loved Carlo and loves P, then the daffodils in the article might represent broken love (and possibly remorse). He does feel regret for having ignored Carlo to the point of emotional neglect and not even showing up for graduation, and perhaps this is why he puts so much care into making sure P looks exactly as Carlo did whenever he found his corpse. The Real Boy ending and the implications of it suggest that Geppetto truly wanted his son back

[My camp] If you believe that Geppetto used P as a means to an end and Carlo's rebirth was actually to make him feel like Dad of the Year (y'all even Neowiz knows he's a shit dad lol), then the daffodils in the article might actually represent selfishness and narcissism. Perhaps he loved the idea of having a son, and by manipulating Carlo's memories within P, he would get his son back and maintain the "lie" of being a trustworthy dad (which this is a question he asks you).

Additionally, to tie in some Picture of Dorian Gray (by Oscar Wilde, who was gay, but that's a whole other topic, and I think there's at least one other post that talks about homosexuality in Lies of P). One of the themes of Dorian Gray is vanity and narcissism and the ruination they cause. So in love with himself to the point that almost everyone except Lord Henry is beneath him, Dorian Gray drives at least two people to suicide and murders Basil when he confesses his love and offers to help him come back from the corruption.

When Geppetto states that he had D. Gray paint the portrait of Carlo to capture his soul, and having the article of Daffodils and Narcissus on his desk, I myself am inclined to think this was all out of self-pity and ego.

Sources used for Daffodils

https://www.floraly.com.au/blogs/news/daffodil-flower-meanings#:~:text=The%20daffodil%20symbolises%20rebirth%20and,%2C%20resilience%2C%20forgiveness%20and%20vitality.

https://www.almanac.com/content/march-birth-flower

https://flower-meanings.com/daffodil-meaning/

Tonight, I had an epiphany after defeating Romeo again on NG+2. There is a specific reason why white lilies are depicted with P's P-Organ on the title screen.

After all, you'd expect to see roses, wouldn't you?

The Meaning of White Lilies

White lilies symbolize commonly symbolize purity and innocence, and in Christianity, divine femininity (in association to the Virgin Mary). Like daffodils, they are also a spring flower and can represent fertility, rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings.

White lilies are also associated with the crown chakra, which is focused in the cranium or the top of the head. The associated color of this chakra is violet (the color of nobility and royalty).

In literature, poetry, and art; white lilies are often used as a symbol of the devotion and love in addition to purity and innocence. It can even mean protection by a spiritual guardian.

White lilies are often used in ceremonies. They can mean commitment and used for marriages. They can also represent death and funerals, but still for positive connotations, as death can mean purification of the soul.

Romeo and White Lilies

Romeo's association to white lilies in the title screen is underscored by the background also being his precious theater set on fire. There are hints that become more like statements starting at the end of Chapter 4 when you receive "Divine Service" from Cecile if you help her, through Chapter 5 (Malum District), through Chapter 6 to the climax where we learn most of what happened to Romeo after Carlo's death (including the whisper "Carlo..." upon talking to Sophia about the necklace). From Chapter 7 through the rest of the game, it's Romeo that exposes Geppetto's lies.

Romeo and Carlo were in a deeply romantic and most likely sexual relationship indicated by all of the text descriptions/lyrics of "Divine Service", "Someday", "Fascination", and other items, and loading screens ("brotherly love" is often a way to circumvent saying "gay" in games/writing). There is no doubt, especially when Romeo's Ergo catalyzes the beginning of P's transformation by reminding him of who he is. Moreover, Romeo's dialogue all show a desire to protect Krat and a desire to protect Carlo/P. When he is the one to expose Geppetto's lies, that is the moment that he himself is trying to keep P safe. There is never any malice, even when Romeo says he must kill P to stop it all; he is reluctant to harm him and praises him in his final message.

White lilies persist on the title screen until P arrives on the beach ahead of the Isle of Alchemists or so, as if to tell the player that P isn't alone. And we know he's not, but Romeo is absorbed into him and, as he says upon player death, he'll "always be with [Carlo]".

To draw another connection to The Picture of Dorian Gray and flowers, Romeo's role to Carlo/P is very similar to that of Basil (the painter) if we are to assume that Geppetto is analogous to Lord Henry. Both Basil and Romeo sought to protect the boys they loved, only to be denigrated and murdered by their manipulators Lord Henry and Geppetto.

Bonus: there exists a Stargazer lily, so this might potentially be a nod to this species

Sources used for White Lilies

https://windflowerflorist.com/blogs/news/types-white-lilly-flower?srsltid=AfmBOoo4WEwm-YuQB5u2Xfs2x4o9vM2vcui6dzHCmUZFLLHn-EHy4mqH#ruffruff-table-of-contents-item-1

https://www.bloomandwild.com/the-blog/lily-flower-meaning

https://foliagefriend.com/white-lily-flower-meaning/

Tidbits on Roses and Romeo & Carlo/P

Roses are often associated with Romeo, particularly because he is associated with red to contract with P's blue. Given that both Romeo and Carlo lived at the Rose Estate and that "Fascination" record is adorned with roses, it's hard to miss. Even "Divine Service" mentions in the description.

The DLC trailers show roses in association with the Legendary Stalker (even a closeup on her Monad Badge), and Fox says that P's fighting style is reminiscent if not exactly like the Legendary Stalker's style. So perhaps Romeo's association to roses might specify that he is Carlo/P's childhood lover. And since P has the ability to put Ergo he's absorbed elsewhere (as shown that he gave Sophia back her Ergo), Romeo continues to be carried in his heart.

[nuvolisa]

no because like

i love adrien, to death like i would jump off a cliff for him.

HOWEVER

the concept of pv felix? CHEFS FUCKING KISS.

adrien is a ray of sunshine, absolute ball of cotton candy despite being orphaned and suffering from the worst things possible. which is incredibly cute but also a bit unrealistic. i think anyone would become a little ficked up if they had to go through all that.

but pv felix? i can give him the worst of backgrounds and he will act accordingly! he can be a bit morally gray, you know? like, he’s not a snob, he just doesn’t like stupid people, absolute literature nerd, he’s the one who doesn’t drink coffee unless it’s unsweetened espresso. he’s the one to get drunk alone on white wine at the tender age of 15 while reading the picture of dorian gray. he’s the one who absolutely despises physical affection from others but melts at the thought of love. he rebels quietly, subtly. he doesn’t smile even when he’s happy, but his eyes lit up. he puts small poems in marinette’s locker because he will never have the courage to confess how he feels. he despises his father and is not afraid to say so. he stays stoic while saying shit that would put even god’s strongest soldiers in years of therapy. he has religious trauma. he selects carefully his friends. he doesn’t usually joke but when he does he surprises everyone so much that they all are mouth agape and don’t laugh. he psychanalises people he doesn’t like as if he’s freud’s little assistant and blackmails them for fun. people are scared of him and he uses that to his advantage. he would burn down a church for shits and giggles. he is the man. full stop.

anyways,

[romanology]

which of these jegulus fics would you like me to begin writing? and/or which one is the most interesting

it turns out I can't make another poll. idk how to feel about that. anyway, well, I'll just write them down then, heehee.

also, I didn't add Winston Morgue because that one is already being written & people like it so... here is The Duality of man as well as A Shutter in the Shuddering as some morbid replacements.

LONG GREY LINE Regulus Black is a retired Lt. Col. in the army. He's blind and impossible to get along with due to his bitter nature. Draco Malfoy is at school and is looking forward to going to college. To help pay for a trip home for Christmas, he agrees to look after Regulus over Thanksgiving, as Regulus is Draco's uncle (sort of) after all, and they had never met. Draco's mother says this will be easy money, but she didn't reckon on Regulus spending his Thanksgiving in New York. [ movie reenactment - Regulus is Draco's Uncle - James comes in at the end :( though ]

CONTRA MUNDUM It's a bit of an issue when you're a month away from proposing to your girlfriend and suddenly develop a debilitating crush on the publisher of your book. [ publisher Regulus / author James - Awkward moments - Coworkers to Friends to MORE MAYBE??? ]

ANGELES' ANGEL When filming a biopic in LA, the star of the movie James Potter is playing the part of model Regulus, and upon realising he has no idea how to play Regulus, they both go for dinner to learn more about each other. For work, of course. [ famous actor James / famous model Regulus - Coffee Shop AU but it's so luxurious you can't help but hate them for it - Secret Relationship ]

SETTLE DOWN & EAT YOUR PANCAKES After getting into a car crash James finds himself unable to remember anything but his name, and, distressingly, he can't recognise his husband right in front of him. As Regulus helps the naive James, the latter begins to fall in love all over again with the love of his life. [ 50 First Dates AU - Memory loss/Amnesia - Falling in love again ]

A SHUTTER IN THE SHUDDERING When James Potter, a famous Ghost Photographer visits the so-called haunted house "Shuddering", he doesn't expect to see the face of a beautiful yet very clearly dead boy in the mirror behind him. [ nonbeliever photographer James Potter x Picture-Of-Dorian-Gray-Esque muse Regulus Black - modern gothic literature ]

DUALITY OF MAN The Bloodletter Murderer is still on the loose, and James Potter, a resident private investigator, is on the case. When the Malfoy Family is viciously murdered and Come Find Me, Jamesy is written in their blood, James decides enough is enough and brings backup on this increasingly disturbing case. Soon enough, Regulus Black, a nationally celebrated forensic scientist, is beside James while they examine the bodies of his relatives. Of course, the one thing that James doesn't know about his dear friend Regulus is that the man has a secret hobby of calligraphy. Only, the ink always seems to be in blood. [ Murder mystery except we know who the killer is - Hero / Villain ]

KISS THE CHEF Regulus is the loud and proud owner of a Michelin-star restaurant by the name of Au Bon Vivant. It's been in his family for generations, and after his eldest brother held no interest in taking it over, the reigns were given to Regulus instead. But the boy quickly found out what exactly was supplying his family with so much money over the years. [ chef Regulus Black / mafia boss James Potter - restaurant AU x mafia AU ]

MY CLOSEST YET FURTHEST FRIEND Regulus has always thought the Sun to be his only friend. Always a warm hand on his face while he goes about doing his daily duties, that is who the Sun is to him. He wants to meet the Sun, wants to meet the beauty that is that glowing brightness. Desperately, Regulus Black constructs wings to see his best friend. A pity that wax melts when too close to a fire. It turned out the Sun was James Potter, and he was so beautiful, so lovely, that it burned. [ mythology retelling - Regulus is Icarus and James is Apollo/The Sun - Sirius is Daedalus ]

A SPECTRE IS YOUR "MORTAL SOUL" There isn't enough room in this town for the both of them. When Vampire Regulus Black, posing as a Sheriff, saunters into the town of bandits looking for new prey, he doesn't realise his archenemy James Potter, a renowned Vampire Hunter, as well as actual Sheriff, is running the town. [ Western AU - Vampire / Vampire Hunter ]

IN THE CLOUDS, YOU LIVE STILL As the Wizarding War continues to surge on for far longer than anybody expected, the Death Eaters, now the losing side, lost their General, Regulus Black. Regulus, now captured and wondering if he is going to be tortured to death by some lackey, is met with horror to see James Potter, his old friend, assigned to Regulus' case without any knowledge of what, exactly, James has to do to the man he cared so much about. [ Friends to Enemies to Friends-Lovers? Forbidden Love AU ]

WRITTEN IN THE SUN (& THE STARS) After being professional (and exceeding famous) Quidditch stars, Regulus Black and James Potter finally retired after nearly fifteen years of playing. Now in their thirties, they're asked to co-teach a high-level Quidditch class in Castlebruxo. The one problem? They absolutely detest each other. [ Past-athletic rivals to friends to lovers -- Everybody Lives AU ]

[fmajorenthusiast]

What are the Rocky Horror characters' favourite books?

WHOOMST HAS AWAKENED THE CLASSIC LITERATURE NERD IN MEEEE??? FOR SHE'S BEEN AWAKENED!!!! YAYYYY I LOVE THIS TYSM!!!!! (OK I promise that they won't all be classics only some! Also I did my best to make it so that anyone who hasnt read these books can understand- if it didnt work PLEASE let me know and I'll find some way to change it!!)

Frank: But before we let the classic literature nerd in me go wild, we must acknowledge the fact that Frank's favorite read is a nice little series called Fifty Shades of Grey. I have not read these books nor seen the films once but I consider it to be somewhat of an undeniable given that Frank loves it. It's Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Fifty Shades of Grey! He later dragged Riff Raff and Magenta to see all three movies with him and they just cringed to each other so hard. (No offense if that's your thing then that's your thing!! :))

Brad: Brad legit loves the Hunger Games novels!! He was so invested to see what was going to happen next!! And he also adored the Great Gatsby when he read it in school!!! He'll fully recite a few lines for Janet sometimes because he really likes doing it and she can tell that it makes him happy!! It's so sweet!!

Janet: Janet LOVES Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre!!! OK, she gets a little bit scared at certain parts of Jane Eyre (love interest keeps his crazy wife locked in the attic-), but she does love it!!! Also, in Pride and Prejudice she outright squeals from cuteness at certain parts!! To her, that book is everything she dreams of in a romance!! Brad not might have quite such a way with words, but nobody else is Jane Austen, and she knows how much he loves her!!!

Riff Raff: Riff Raff absolutely adores Orlando by Virginia Woolfe!!! He loves the creative style in which the book is written and he'd be lying if he said that he didn't thoroughly enjoy thinking about how Earthlings must have reacted to some certain plot points! (Specifically the one in which the titular character transforms into a woman halfway through and everyone else is like "yeah that tracks she is definitely transfem") He genuinely cried happy tears after he finished it!!! He also loves The Picture of Dorian Gray bc that one speaks to his dramatic, justice-seeking soul! He also full on loves Oscar Wilde's prose!

Magenta: Aaaaaaand some of you may have guessed that this one was coming but I promise that this has been a legit headcanon of mine for a good long time!!! Magenta's favorite book is absolutely Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte!!! She loves how visceral and vivid the writing style of the book is. She was deeply invested in the characters, too!!! She never really understood being hooked on the romantic love of characters until now- and she was hooked. She also really loves Dracula by Bram Stoker!!! She felt that she story was so wonderfully written and the suspense was fantastic!!!

Columbia: Columbia LOVES the Six of Crows duology!!! There were so many moments where she couldn't believe the plot twists that were happening in front of her!!! Also, she's 100% an adult that ADORES Percy Jackson, and honestly, is she wrong? No, she's not wrong bc Percy Jackson slaps!!!

Eddie: Eddie is completely hooked on the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series!!! (Those are the Game of Thrones books if you guys don't know!!!) And he is actively furious at the wait for the Winds of Winter to come out. (Again, if yall don't know- the last two books still aren't out and we're all more than a little bit worried-) One of his favorite activities would be screaming online that it needs to come out!!! Also he holds Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events quite close to his heart!!!

Doctor Scott: Doctor Scott loves Charles Dickens!!!! He'll never be able to decide between A Tale of Two Cities and a Christmas Carol, though!!! He loves the way that those stories remind him of the inherent goodness of people! Both of those leads go through massive redemption arcs, and he adores them!!!

Rocky: Now this lil guy LOVES The Cat in the Hat, Where the Wild Things Are, and In the Night Kitchen- but you must give him a show as you read him these books!!! He's all about the performances!!! Use big arm motions and character voices!!! This boy must be entertained!!!! He will clap so sweetly if you do!!!

The Criminologist: The Criminologist loves the Simarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien!!! He's never seen anything like it before or since, and he's so fascinated by all that it is!!! He also loves the Moonstone by Wilkie Collins!!!!! He finds it to be so charming and the characters to be so hilarious!!! It really was one of the first mystery books and it set off a whole genre for sure!!!

[l3st1b0urn3s-707]

I recently read The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and the reading experience was absolutely amazing, so let's talk a bit about it.

I've always felt some kind of aversion towards classics, which was implanted in my head by beeing forced to read them at school at a really young age, but now that I'm finishing high school I've been trying to open my mind a bit. I started with this book because I love the 2009 film, and I'm really happy I gave it a try, because I really loved it. The narration was very different to what I expected, it wasn't hard to read at all. I can't really describe it, but the way the author uses the words just makes you feel so inmersed in it, I hadn't felt that way reading a book in so long.

Dorian was also such a fascinating character! One of my favourite things about him was how he always felt things so intensely (love, distress, hate.. ), and how his personality changes gradually from an inocent young mind who's excited about the world to a rotten man, corrupted by the influence of Lord Henry. This happens so smoothly, I cannot really describe how incredible it is. The character who really stood up to me, tho, was Basil Hallward. His love for Dorian felt so genuine, and he really cared for him and was afraid Lord Henry would make him a bad person, because even tho he was his friend, Basil knew what he was capable of. Lord Henry also noticed how Dorian atracted people arround him, either because of his beauty or his charming personality, and that's why he wanted to meet him. I think, in the end, Dorian Gray was a mix between Basil and Harry, taking parts of both their personalities into his own.

More on the spoilery side, I think there're at least two parts of the book that are worth mentioning. The first one is Basil's death. His care for Dorian, his faith in him beeing a good person made him die by his firend's hand. Dorian's rage made him act irrationally, and even though he was scared to be discovered, he didn't seem to care much about killing a person (specially someone that was once dear to him). The next part I wanted to mention was the ending and how Dorian said he wanted to become a better person but in reallity he just wanted to feel like he was one. The moment where he took the knife he used to kill Basil to destroy the picture, the only evidence of his evilness, and how it turned him into what he really was, killing him in the process and leaving the portrait as if nothing ever happened. That's one of the best endings I've ever read.

I absolutely loved this book, it was so fun to read and a great experience overall. I'd love to read the uncensored version in the future and see the differences it has. I didn't mention the queerness of the book, but it was definitely present and so cool and interesting.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Heyyyyy any lists and recs for Victorian Johnlock?? Thxxx sm I love all the work u put into this

Hi Nonny!

You know what??? I haven't put up a new list in AGES, but I don't have personal updates of my own recs, BUT I also REALLY NEED a list for this weekend, so GUESS WHAT??? You're the ask that I'm going to just tag-search my MFL list and make a Part Two :) So PLEASE NOTE I haven't read any of these and I'm not 100 on if they are Victorian AUs or ACD Canon. I just go based on what people recced to me or what I saw tagged.

If anyone has any fics that they wuold like to suggest, please do add them below! Enjoy!

VICTORIAN AU Pt. 2 (MFLs)

See also:

Victorianlock

ACD Canon

Long ACD Canon (MFLs)

Granada Holmes Fics (MFLs)

Victorian Meets Modern Johnlock

Regency AU (TO READ) [I know it's a different era but this is so that people know I have a list for "a similar era"]

2 Bits by Ewebie (M, 717 w., 1 Ch. || TABlock/Victorianlock || Shaving Each Other, UST/URT) – It was the quiet moments. The peace behind closed doors and drawn curtains. At the end of a case. At the end of a long day. At the end of their ropes, but away from society’s prying eyes. That was the foundation upon which the rumors were spread. Part 11 of the Tumblr Shorts series

Happy birthday, Sherlock Holmes! by Holmes_WatsonACSAneroxiaDalt (G, 1,665 w., 1 Ch. || Victorian AU || Established Relationship, Love Confessions, Light Angst, First Kiss, Idiots in Love, Hurt Sherlock) – During the journey, Holmes was overcome by a million overwhelming feelings. Today is his birthday. His birthday. And Watson, dear Watson, his sun in the sky, his purpose in life, had not achieved this. Maybe he forgot, but he couldn't blame him. A story were Watson forgot the birthday of Holmes. Or not?

The first time I ever saw your face by Vanimelda4 (G, 2,164 w., 1 Ch. || 1895 Victorian AU / TABlock || PODFIC AVAILABLE || POV Sherlock, Fluff and Angst, Meta Fic) – "Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."

The Picture of Sherlock Holmes by CarmillaCarmine (M, 3,306 w., 1 Ch. || Victorian Dorian Gray AU || Angst, Paris, London, Travel, Painting, Major Character Death, Opera, Captain John, First Meetings) – Sherlock Holmes, a rich and frivolous man, after a lifetime of debauchery finally falls in love. His heart chooses Captain Watson.

Detectives, balls and proposals by Winxhelina (T, 5,365 w., 1 Ch. || Victorian Femlock || Genderbending, Disguised Sherlock, Misunderstandings, Falling In Love) – The adventures of Miss Sherlock Holmes and her friend Miss Watson. My attempt at writing Victorian Femlock after reading way too much Jane Austen and ACD. In which there is a ball, a case, a murder and a falling in love...

The Soldier And The Demon by LipstickDaddy (G, 8,998 w., 6 Ch. || Victorian / Demon AU || Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Soldier John, Demon Sherlock, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Protective John, Protective Sherlock, Happy Ending) – Johnlock/Kuroshitsuji AU - 1879. Captain John H Watson of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers is dying from a near-fatal gunshot wound in the Kandahar desert; until a demon saves his life. There’s a catch, though; one day, his saviour will eat his soul.

Iris by Leloi (E, 11,302 w., 1 Ch. || Omegaverse || Time Travel, Mpreg, Infertility, Virgin Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Omega Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock) –John Watson was quickly learning to hate the Victorian Era. It wasn’t just the lack of proper medical care… Although that was a rather large component. It was the filth. It was the misery and the lack of regard for human life. Ok… So maybe the lack of proper medical care was a major component. It was difficult being a 21st century medical doctor stuck with 19th century technology. There was some sort of time travel involved. The really strange part is that there was a past version of himself living with a past version of Sherlock Holmes. Ok… So maybe that wasn’t the strangest part either. He seemed to be stuck in an alternate universe.

The Reawakening of John Watson by  221b_careful_what_you_wish_for (E, 20,463 w., 14 Ch. || Historical 1800s American/Victorian AU || Artist Sherlock, Writer John, Angst with Happy Ending, Bisexual John, Period Typical Homophobia, Sensuality, Experienced Sherlock, Pining, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Love Confessions, Flirty Sherlock, Frottage, Outdoor Sex, Trust Issues, Minor Character Death, Sexual Tension, Colorado / London, Rimming, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs,  POV John) – Trying to escape his troubled past in England, John Watson has started a new life in the American West. When he meets the handsome artist Sherlock Holmes, a smoldering attraction is sparked, complicating his quiet, carefully guarded existence. Maybe taking a risk with Sherlock is exactly what John needs to feel alive again...

The Inferno Club by SwissMiss (E, 20,841 w., 1 Ch. || BDSM Omegaverse AU || Alpha / Alpha, Victorian Kinks, Case Fic, Public Sex, Wax Play, Pain Play, Collars) – "I'm easy to find," said the young woman. "Hell, London, gets me every time." The real story behind The Adventure of the Illustrious Client.

An Unexpected Proposal by black_tea (E, 21,699 w., 6 Ch. || Victorian Omegaverse Johncroft || Beta Sherlock, Alpha Mycroft, Omega John, Bonding, Courting, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, Protective Mycroft) – John returns home from Afghanistan to find himself in a difficult situation. It's not easy being an omega without a mate in Victorian England. Though highly competent, most can't seem to see past his status. To make matters worse, he no longer has access to the suppressants handed out by the army. However, a chance meeting puts him in contact with one Sherlock Holmes and leads to something even more unexpected. Suddenly John has the prospect of a better life, if he can only bring himself to take it.

You’ve Got Mail: A Johnlock Victorian AU by MorganeUK (G, 37,112 w., 17 Ch. || Victorian AU / You’ve Got Mail AU || Friendship, Dev. Rel.) –  In 1881, Doctor John Watson, veteran of the second Afghan war, inherited a small but prosperous bookshop from his uncle. Against all likelihood, he embraced his new life joyfully and lived happily among his books and... other projects.This is, until the day a nearby store, Holmes & Brother, decided to add a book department to their already enormous store... Unable to find a way to stop his little shop from succumbing under Holmes’ expansion, Watson needs to find help! And who’s better than his dear epistolary friend! Part 6 of the Rom-com adaptations...

The Adventure of the Lost Boy by mydogwatson (T, 38,530 w., 11 Ch. || Victorian AU || Victor Trevor, Neurodiversity, Romance, Case Fic, Angst with Happy Ending, Time Jumps) – Sherlock Holmes makes his way through life as an outsider in Victorian England.

Silence by halloa_what_is_this (T, 44,993 w., 13 Ch. || The Piano Fusion || Victorian Sherlock, Dub Con, Voyeurism, Permanent Mutilation, Johniarty, Mute John) – In 1850, John is a mute young man forced to marry to save his father from indebtedness. His sister as his interpreter and his piano to keep him company, he travels to London to live with his husband James Moriarty. Without John's consent, James sells the piano to his friend Sherlock Holmes, who only asks for lessons from John in return. The lessons turn into a power play between the two when Sherlock proposes a deal: John may earn his piano back one key at a time, certain conditions attached. Part 1 of the Aborted Wings series

Always 1895 by standbygo (E, 45,901 w., 19 Ch. || Oxford Time Travel AU || Time Travel, Friends to Lovers, Case Fic, Victorian, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pining, First Kiss/Time, First Meetings, Slow Burn, Angst With Happy Ending) – Time travelling historian John Watson goes to Victorian era England to study, and meets detective Sherlock Holmes. He finds himself torn between the work he was sent to do, the exciting life of solving crimes, and the extraordinary Holmes himself. 

All Our Gifts At Once, or, the Young Sea-man by tiltedsyllogism (T, 48,119 w., 9 Ch. || Victorian Little Mermaid AU || Sacrifice, Pining, Angst, Realistic Fairy Tale, Bittersweet, Botany, Gardens) – John Watson, storyteller and shipwright's son, walks way from his entire life in Portsmouth to follow the mysterious Sherlock Holmes to London.

Vows Made in Wine by love_in_mind_palace (E, 59,837 w., 16 Ch. || Victorian Handmaiden Fusion || Romance, Angst with Happy Ending, Plot Twists, Mystery, Child Abuse, Dubious Consent) – John Watson, a low born young man from the slums of London appears in the farthest corner of country to work as a valet for the young master living in the secluded mansion. Secrets, betrayal, conspiracy. A love blossoming in the most unfortunate circumstances.

The Courtesan by delightful_fear (M, 67,865 w., 20 Ch. || 1860′s Victorian / Prostitution AU || Medical Examination, Alternate First Meeting) – Desperate times call for desperate measures. John takes a job as a live-in doctor in the most exclusive brothel in London, never thinking he would fall under the spell of it's most infamous consort, Sherlock Holmes.

Concurrence by Calais_Reno (M, 70,876 w., 23 Ch. || Historical / Time Travel AU || Mental Institutions, Modern and Victorian Settings, Period-Typical Homophobia, Alternate First Meeting, First Person POV Sherlock) – “How did you come to be in this place?” I have no idea what possessed me. Perhaps the sheer exhaustion of transport had weakened my filter. Or maybe it was simply that as I looked at the young doctor sitting opposite me, his face calm and professional, but bored (Shares a flat with a mate, who is seducing his girlfriend. Down on his luck. Evidence: clothing and shoes are good quality, but worn. Had to pawn his bag, but could have gotten more for the watch. Sentimental…) I had a sudden whim to give him an interesting story. I decided that Dr John Watson would at least have something to tell his flatmate tonight when he arrived back at his shabby little flat. Or maybe his girlfriend, if she hadn’t left him yet. And the truth was even more interesting than anything I could make up. Part 1 of the Concurrence Universe series

Observations on Sentinels and Guides in Victorian London by  RyuuzaKochou (T, 89,181 w., 13 Ch. || Victorian Sentinel / Guides AU || Action/Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, Romance) – A Victorian era AU where Sentinels and Guides are members of everyday society. Starring Sentinel! Holmes and Guide! Watson.

The Stories in Our Veins by victorianpining (E, 101,717 w., 29 Ch. || Dracula Crossover / Victorian / Vampire AU || Unreliable Narrator, Blood and Injury, Blood Drinking, Gaslighting, Mental Instability, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Strangers to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Angst with Happy Ending) – You hold in your hands a leather-bound book inscribed with the title The Stories in Our Veins. No author is named by the cover. On the first page, the following passage has been written in an elegant, cursive hand: A confederate who foresees your conclusions and course of action is always dangerous, but one to whom each development comes as a perpetual surprise, and to whom the future is always a closed book, is indeed an ideal helpmate. Sherlock Holmes in “The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier,” written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1926.

Fin de Siècle Series by Calais_Reno (M, 102,149 w. across 20 works || Victorian AU || Alternate First Meeting, Friends to Lovers, Alternating POV, Misunderstandings, Period-Typicall Homophobia, Love Declarations, Grief/Mourning, Victorian Attitudes, Marriage of Convenience, True Love, Loneliness, Hurt/Comfort) – Holmes and Watson meet and commit themselves to one another, in spite of laws that make their relationship illegal. Holmes confronts Moriarty at Reichenbach hoping to end his influence in the government; he falls, but does not win. Moriarty's machine continues. While Holmes tries to make his way back to England, Watson, believing Holmes dead, suffers the consequences of their opposition to Sebastian Moran, Moriarty's successor. Finally reunited after several years, Holmes and Watson work to end the corruption that has taken over Britain's government.

Riptide Lover by jinglebell (E, 114,090 w., 20 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Merfolk & Victorian AU || Mermaid Sherlock, Human John, BAMF John/Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Oral Sex, Hand Jobs, Mild Gore, Dubious Interspecies Consent, Stockholm Syndrome, Dark Romance, Dubcon and Morality, Rough Sex, Abstract Mentions of Rape, Size Queen, Switchlock, Foot Fetish) – The year is 1866. When John becomes swept overboard, he never expects to encounter a living creature of myth. When the merman absconds with John, the lost sailor must use every tool at his disposal to convince Sherlock not to kill him. But it seems that killing John Watson is not what the deadly, beautiful creature has in mind at all...

WIPS / SERIES WIPS

Give Him a Mask by AStudyInAlgedonics (T, 10,382+ w., 2/6 Ch. || Sentinel / Guide AU || WiP || Alternate TAB, Sentinel Sherlock, Guide John, Drug Use, Not Nice Mary, Love Confessions) – Sherlock Holmes doesn't zone. Until he does, coming back from his near-exile, so hard that he strips John Watson's shields and draws him into the Victorian enigma of the Abominable Bride Emelia Ricoletti. But what he claims is a simple experiment in the mind palace proves to be far deeper waters than Sherlock meant to plumb, and if John can't break away from the script Sherlock's set him to, this strange zone may drown them both in the dark of the Reichenbach cauldron...

To Belong Series by DrFish (T, 19,400+ w. across 4 works || Series WiP || Victorian / Mythical AU || OctoJohn, Scientist Sherlock, Attempted Kidnapping, BAMF John, Protective / Possessive John, Developing Relationship, Being Lost, Size Difference, Capital Punishment, Happy Ending) – William Sherlock Scott Holmes failed to graduate the University of Cambridge class of 1877. Adrift in London, he accepts a post as assistant naturalist on a scientific expedition to the Western Pacific Ocean aboard Her Majesty's Sailing Ship Frontier. Events do not proceed quite as planned and Sherlock finds himself cruelly cast away by his shipmates. Perhaps he will find salvation in the company of a most unlikely sea creature.

20,000 leagues under the sea: A Victorian Sherlock AU by MorganeUK (G, 30,544+ w., 15/? Ch || Victorian Steampunk AU || WiP || Scientist Sherlock, Submarines) – The Holmes Brothers are living under the sea, protected from the world violence and general stupidity… Alone, with only a small crew, they explore the world inside their submersible. Perfectly satisfied and unaware of their loneliness, until they meet Captain Lestrade and Doctor Watson from the Royal Navy.

This Land We Have Chosen by redscudery (E, 86,309+ w., 16/19 Ch. || WiP || Victorian Canadian Farm AU || Farmer John, Prostate Milking/Massage, Mutual Pining, Colonialism, Demisexual Sherlock, Complicated Relationships, Slow Burns, UST, Awkwardness, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Virgin Sherlock, Canadian Politics, Angst with Happy Ending) – It’s 1866. John Watson is a former army doctor who served in India. He left the service after a mysterious traumatic incident and has been farming in the backwoods of Canada. Sherlock Holmes is an avid botanist and possible hysteric who is a very loud thorn in his brother Mycroft’s side. Since Mycroft wishes to run for Parliament during the first Canadian election, he knows he needs his troublesome younger brother out of their hometown of Carleton before he can precipitate any scandal—and what better place for a botanist than a backwoods farm? Especially when it’s run by someone who just might be able to treat Sherlock’s hysteria? Part 2 of the The Backwoods of Canada series

Untitled Nobility Series by hannahrieu (E, 95,770+w. across 4 works || Series WiP || Victorian AU || Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Dubious Consent, Angst, Mutual Pining, First Time, Friends to Lovers) – John is a servant in Halidon Hall until a tragic accident forces him to leave his home and join the army. After being wounded in battle, he returns to England and finds work as a valet for the Earl of Cornwall's second born son, Sherlock Holmes. Very lightly inspired by Mr. Bates's limp in Downton Abbey.

Fallen Through Time by susandwrites (E, 102,041+ w., 39/? Ch. || Outlander Fusion / Victorian AU || WIP || Time Travel, First Meetings, Meet-Cute, Frottage, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex/Fingering, Riding Crops, Rough Sex, Floor Sex, Breath Play, Light BDSM, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Switching, Romance, Sex to Love) – Inspired by my love of Outlander, but not exactly an Outlander AU. Sherlock Holmes, the world's only consulting detective, finds himself in Victorian London while investigating a murder. The first person he meets is Doctor John Watson, formerly of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers and his world is irrevocably altered.

[shouyuus]

rain what are ur fav books!!!!!!

hi romy!!!!! sry this is late sldkfjsi this weekend got away from me a bit --

i have a good few!!! some of them are more modern, some aren't but in no particular order:

the book thief; a modern classic at this point! super beautifully written, very touching subject matter pls do read this if you haven't already !!!

dreams and shadows; this is one of those books where there were sentences that sent me spiraling like i had to take a lap of my apartment multiple times when i read this book just to like reconsider the meaning of LIFE

any jane austen novel; but i mean pride and prejudice is like... the most popular for a reason, though i will say emma does have a special place in my heart too cause the main character is so like... flawed and kind of annoying but in an endearing kind of way

picture of dorian gray; oscar wilde's only novel, and my go to answer if someone asks me my fav book/novel of all time bc like... its just so lush, the prose is unmatched and trapping ur immortal soul in a painting to then act out all the carnal sins of the flesh while sustaining no damage in ur physical body? a VIBE tbh.

starling house; this is a newer book! i've recoed it to a few ppl but it contains one of my favorite subgenres of like urban fantasy/magical realism which is: anthropomorphic house!!!! i love a good living house u__u

the secret history; bc im NOTHING if not dark academia TRASH like for a solid few months two years ago, i went through and read every single book that could be categorized as dark academia yeah. yeah. also donna tartt really knows her way around a gooddamn sentence

every heart a doorway; another more recent one, it's actually a novella! the first in a series of novellas by seanan mcguire (another one of my current fav authors) -- i realized that i just adore portal fantasies ??? like it's another subgenre of fantasy i fucking cant get enough of and this is one of the best, imo. again, writing is so lovely and visceral and there's good representation in this one too! the mc is openingly asexual!

daughter of smoke and bone; bc laini taylor will always be one of my favs. AGAIN. her prose is so gorgeous. also who doesn't love a cosmic level love story complete with angels and demons and also like an earth-shattering war?

the great gatsby; there are lines from this that are such SICK burns esp when describing tom and i just -- i can't stop laughing every time

a midsummer night's dream; one of those shakespeare plays thats not like THEY ALL DIE AT THE END ukno? also its just silly and fun times. everyone falls in love with the wrong person and chaos ensues; so many BANGER lines tho -- the rly famous one of love looks with the mind and not with the eyes and thus is wing'ed cupid painted blind? that one? from this play!!!

rebecca; another classic, tho it's not as old as some other "proper" classics so it's easier to read -- like it reads like a normal novel, there's not like a weird syntax barrier (like im struggling with with jane eyre right now sigh) and its like the og southern gothic novel of like woman moves into a big house and Weird Shit is happening

lolita; this is a controversial one, so thread carefully, but no one can argue that nabokov is one of the true masters of the english language and a genius to boot. like. you know a book is good if it's been banned and this is i believe one of the books in history (for obvious reasons) but still

[azzagrazt]

what books would you recommend to read to best understand Grazzt?

Thanks for the question, Anon! If you are asking about canon published material, our pickings are dangerously slim; Graz'zt doesn't appear in the works of Greenwood, Salvatore, or Weis and Hickman (as far as I am aware). For that, you have to go all the way back to Gygax's Gord the Rogue novels, which he first published to market the OG Greyhawk campaign setting and then continued after leaving TSR. I have not read the Gord novels or short stories, and as far as I'm aware, Graz'zt's appearances are limited. I think it is possibly one book?

You can get general overviews of Graz'zt from these published supplements (I won't load you down with literally everything, but these are the most comprehensive sources):

Planes of Chaos - an AD&D 2E supplement that offers one of our earliest comprehensive glimpses into the Man, the Myth, the Menace.

Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss - this is a 3.5 supplement that remains one of the most detailed sources on demons in the entire game, although certain lore is no longer relevant. When this was published, succubi and incubi were abyssal fiends and chaotic evil; in 4E, it was decided that they were more appropriately lawful evil (which is true, I suppose), and so became devils rather than demons. This lore change is also where Graz'zt, as an archdevil and possibly the son of Asmodeus, comes from. His tendency to seduce and bargain is a bit antithetical to your garden variety chaotic evil demonic entity, and in changing the succubi/incubi, they reckoned they needed to address him (and his good friend, Malcanthet, the Queen of Succubi and fellow Demon Prince). So, Graz'zt and Malcenthet both became powerful archdevils who Fell and were corrupted by the Abyss.

The Book of Vile Darkness - this is a pretty infamous sourcebook, and it's… well, read the title, and you can pick up what it's about through context clues, I'm sure. TBoVD details his cult.

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (pg149, since I don't think the link will direct you to the page on this one) - this is we get his proper 5E stat block, as well as some fun lore bits about the kind of madness he can induce in people (sex addiction, substance abuse, extreme narcissism, etc.) and the environments he spends time in (I especially love the note about animals and low-int beasts in the area just going into extreme mating season behaviors? Horny and aggressive, just like him!)

The Demonomicon of Iggwilv (Dragon #360) - Dragon Magazine ran a series of articles on the Abyssal Lords to emulate Tasha's great work, and the piece on Graz'zt is, understandably, the single most detailed deep-dive to date.

If you are more interested in my literary influences, then that's a much bigger question! I'm happy to expand further if that's the case, but my biggest sources of inspiration are:

Not to be that guy, but... Paradise Lost, unfortunately, demands its spot at the top of this list. Pride, ambition, charm, and a fall from grace - corporate is asking you to find the difference between these pictures, but they are the same picture, etc.

Similarly, Euron Greyjoy. In Euron, we have a noble son with magic powers groomed to become something greater—until the greater power grooming him realized oh shit, this kid is way too evil to control. Shunned for being The Fucking Worst Ever, he doubles down and pursues his own, even more fucked up, magic, ultimately becoming a god-level abuser to everyone around him. Also, "Why did you cut out their tongues?" "Because I needed silence." has all the right vibes.

I feel like I might be bringing a little dash of Lord Henry from A Picture of Dorian Gray to the table? He is a master manipulator who thrives on influencing Dorian into a life of indulgence and moral corruption, and this is pretty much the exact means through which Graz'zt pursues souls. Win them over, break them down, build them up again, new and horrible.

... Griffith. I won't elaborate. :\

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. Simply the everything about him.

Last but never least, he isn't literary, but the G-Man from Half-Life is an ever-present influence in how I hope to portray him. Not so much as Luz, but when I am writing Graz'zt as Graz'zt, I want him to be kind of like that guy. I have a post about it here, actually.

[ahbeduo]

REALLY?! U WANNA KNOW SUBJECT 2 HCS FROM LIL OLD ME?! HEHEHE I THOUGHT YOUD NEVER ASK!!!

I like to think his name is Dorian :3 leakers were digging in the files a while back and found out that the texture for his model is called “Dorian” so that’s where it came from. Dorian is Greek for “gift”, but also comes from the name Doerain, which means “wanderer” or “exile” which I think is sad but fitting LMAO. (Dorian is also in reference to Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. If ur interested u should look into it, bc I’d butcher the summary lol)

I like to think that bros a more feral version of Albedo. Albedo is domesticated, Dorian is not HFHDH. He’s much easier to anger, but he wouldn’t put up a fight unless provoked or attacked first.

The reason…he was never trained in any kind of sword fighting style. He can swing a sword around but there’s a 1/99 chance that it would actually hurt someone.

I gave him a Cryo vision bc I mean. Just look at him. That pathetic little mess of a guy is the archetype for Cryo. I like to think he’s a catalyst user (and his best weapon is “Frostbearer” and he relies on it more than his sword hehe. Playstyle wise I’d make him scale off of ATK to contrast Albedo’s DEF scaling)

For his relationships, he prefers Klee’s more upbeat and bouncy nature. She doesn’t seem to mind that he’s not Albedo, and treats him like a brother regardless. He’d take her fishblasting any day <3

Albedo…he’s wary around. Even if they were to make up and all that, his vibe around would probably be very much the feeling you get when you go over to a friend’s house and you feel like you have to impress their parents in order to be allowed in. Does that make sense?? Basically he’s walking on eggshells even if Albedo tells him he’s fine LMAO

While he’s made his appearance a bit different from Albedo (red/maroon/black color scheme, hair either down on his shoulders or in a low and messy braid, and a little thinner than Albedo due to Albedo having built up muscle from sword-wielding), sometimes he switches back to Albedo’s form to mess with people. Specifically the Traveler. He’s a little prankster!!

Even tho he’s used to the cold, he loves warmth. U light up a fire and Dorian will sit so close his hair will singe at the edges. He also loves spicy food <3 (when he lived in Dragonspine he ate like. Unseasoned roasted meat and snow. So he craves any kind of flavor now)

I hc him as aro-ace, and also nonbinary for some fics I write :D I mostly do that just to differentiate between Albedo and him (I write him without a name sometimes so using the “he/him” pronouns twice over without stating who’s speaking is very complicated so I use “they/them” for ease of reading) but also bc I feel like. After 500 years of sleeping in poison dragon tummy soup, one would sort of dissociate from the whole gender thing.

Hehehehehe there u go there’s some hcs 👉👈 I love my little guy he’s so sad and I LOOOOOVE the angst potential with him. Lmk what u think :D

uwahhhh those are yummy, thank you for the snacks 😋

Idk what to say there, just know that your HCs are valid! Some of them, like how rocky his relationship with Albedo is, are something i do think of too! Like yeh they cool, but that doesn't erase the fact Albedo is the favourite child. And and and the fact he likes flavours like spicy- I think he doesn't like very sweet things either

[endorstoiii]

The absolute lovely @somekeepsakes tagged me to do this — thank you for remembering me for all this time 🥹

Get to know your mutuals game!

What's the origin of your blog's title?: it's the song Endors Toi by Tame Impala

Favorite color: purple 💜

Favorite game: The Sims franchise!

Song stuck in your head: Cuntissimo by Marina (I'm soooo addicted!!!)

Weirdest habit/trait?: sometimes the ends of my nails get a bit cold and I like to rub them on my lips 😬 (that's a hard question tbh)

Hobbies: unfortunately I don't have many, but I'll go with reading and playing The Sims

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?: I'd love to work with the bands I like, it could be at their shows or management stuff of whatever brings me closer to them, that makes us close workmates

Something you're good at: paying attention to details, I have a good memory and I'm good at unwinding threads

Something you're bad at: only one? Dealing with changes on my routine

Something you excel at: not gonna lie, I am a master in not answering people virtually (nothing proud of that!!!!)

Something you love: being alone preparing coffee in the morning, when the sun is soft and everything is peaceful and silent, you can only hear the birds singing

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: my fave bands, bizarre/dark stuff and The Sims

Something you hate: capitalism, social media in general and everything that comes with it (like influencers, fake stuff, how it makes people dumb etc). Oh, and AI. I hate AI.

Something you collect: I'll just go with the exact same answer as yours — concert tickets which gets harder when these days there are mostly only digital ones

Something you forget: to do the laundry. I do, I always do, but I don't organise it very well and I always end up forgetting a piece of clothing

What's your love language? I'm sorry, but I gotta use the same answer again hahah —remembering random bits and pieces about a person

Favorite movie/show: I don't have only one, so this time I'll pick Rosemary's Baby :)

Favorite food: I also don't have only one, so this time I'll go with lamen — it's getting cold here and I can only think about having a delicious lamen 😋

Favorite animal: my holy trinity of animals: cat, elephant and deer lol

Are you musical? Unfortunately not at all, but as a kid I used to play flute (not well, though haha)

What were you like as a child?: the prodigal one, nerd and weird lol

Favorite subject at school? Art, History, Philosophy, Portuguese and English

Least favorite subject? Chemistry and Physics

What's your best character trait?: empathetic and comprehensive, I think

What's your worst character trait: not answering messages 😭 (Laura, if you're reading this, I am sorry for the delay but I promise I will answer you properly 😭)

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet?: at first I'd say David Bowie, but I'll pick Oscar Wilde — I'm about to finish reading The Picture of Dorian Gray and I'm kinda obsessed with it

Last but not least, show your favorite fanart of your favorite character(s): I don't see much of it, but yeah there's some cool fanarts of Interpol, also cartoons I like such as The Owl House and Adventure Time

Not tagging anyone specific because I'm sooo off Tumblr, people don't even remember me lmaoo but in case anyone wants to do it, feel free to and tagged!! :)

[eflaneurism]

Bookshelf 2025

a running list of what i've read this year! sorted into months by date finished.

my major reading goal for this year is to get through all the unread books i've already got on my shelf. any that fall into this category will be marked with 📚

legend for any other emoji tags is at the bottom of this post.

January

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Unknown Author Nov. 25 2024 to Jan. 03 ♻️ Continuing my reread of this series from last year (Yes, I do hate JKR, please don't worry) and loved this one, even if it took me a while to finish (busy life). The internal worlds of the characters (especially Harry's and how he deals with all his grief) get so much development and focus here. ★ 8/10

February

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde Jan. 05 to Feb. 02 Absolutely loved this and am so glad I went in knowing essentially zero about the plot. Forever adore a book that has me highlighting passages as evidence that the main characters are gay (can't fool me Basil). ★ 9/10

1984, George Orwell Feb. 10 to Feb. 19 ♻️🎧 Again guilty of a reread but this is one of my favourite novels of all time. The way Orwell builds his fictional totalitarian state is unmatched and the end of this book is just so so devastating. 1984 is a masterpiece that I will never stop recommending. ★ 9/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Unknown Author Jan. 05 to Feb. 19 ♻️ What a wrap-up. I cried like a baby finishing this if I'm being entirely honest. ★ 8/10

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession, Michael Finkel Nov. 1 2024 to Feb. 21 A book that's been on my list ever since I heard an abridged version of the story in Jacob Geller's video essay, Museum Theft. This wound up being an interesting and even fun nonfiction read. I really enjoyed Finkel's descriptions of the artworks, they definitely had an impact on my investment, especially at the turning point of the story, when we learn their fate.. ★ 7/10

The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka Feb 21. An answer to the age old question: "Would you still love me if I was a worm?" The verdict? Not good. I read this as an allegory for any condition — mental or physical — which prevents one from being useful or productive under capitalism and thought it was a really great and sympathetic portrayal of that experience. ★ 8/10

Delilah Green Doesn't Care, Ashley Herring Blake Feb. 21 to Feb. 26 🌈 Read this knowing I'd hate it, and I hated it. On me for not DNFing at that point but it wasn't so long, so I figured I'd really ought to just slog through it. Reconfirmed my distaste for romance novels. ★ 2/10

March

Babel, R.F. Kuang Feb. 23rd to Mar. 11 🌈 🎧 So good I think I may have to change my mind about whether I enjoy Fantasy. The kind of book that you will think about often after finishing. ★ 9/10

In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Spaces, Irvin Weathersby Jr. Feb. 23rd to Mar. 16 This one gets a 'meh' from me. Admittedly, I went into this expecting it to be more art history than memoir, which was not the case. I do think that was a major factor in my not enjoying this book very much, however, I also felt like the story was a bit looping and directionless at times. We get lots of stories about Weathersby's experiences and bits of his knowledge around colonial monuments, but it felt like it failed to come together into anything really substantial by the end. ★ 6/10

The Dutch House, Ann Patchett Mar. 11 to Mar. 18 📚 This scratched the part of my brain that loves a character study. ★ 7/10

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams Mar. 18 to Mar. 22 📚 What a fun book. If I'd known how close I was to finishing this the first time I tried I would've just finished it. Adams has such a unique, fun style of writing and I definitely will need to read the next book in this series soon. ★ 7/10

Dante's Inferno: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, Paul Brizzi and Gaétan Brizzi, original text by Dante Alighieri Mar 22. A beautifully illustrated and accessible adaptation. Though I wish I'd read the original first. ★ 6/10

In the Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado Mar. 16 to Mar. 26 🎧🌈 Stylistically not for me. I can appreciate Machado's obvious talents and the bits in which her depth of knowledge on niche topics is given an opportunity to be expressed, but beyond that I found this memoir something of a drag to get thorough. The vigenette-style telling of each chapter made it difficult to become overly invested and the second-person perspective was downright distracting, even with its poetic justification ★ 4/10

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald Mar. 20 to Mar. 28 🌈♻️ Full of gorgeous imagery and quotation. Also oh so very party 4 u by Charli XCX coded. ★ 9/10

to be continued...

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆.

Tag legend:

📚 taken off the shelf, i.e. off my TBR

🌈 queer themes or characters

♻️ reread

📓 read for class

🎧 audiobook (sorry to the purists, i'm a busy guy)