Wednesday reading meme

[dhampyresa]

I am operating on about 3 brain cells right now because of this thing that has pretty much reduced me to tears, so apologies if this incoherent.


What did you finish reading

Good Man Friday, by Barbara Hambly: I see what you did there by comparing Poe to a raven. I liked it, overall, but I missed Hannibal and Rose terribly. I really liked Mede so :( for that. I did like that his brother loved him and what he did for him (sure, it was a terrible thing, but she sold Dominique and Charmian and Thérèse into slavery so I can't feel bad for her). Poe as Ben's sidekick was pretty cool, as was BASEBALL, but still no Rose or Hannibal. I feel like a lot of the politics went right over my head as evidenced by my LOL JOHN ADAMS reaction every time he was mentionned. He's a US president? I think? Idk what was going on here aside from there being graverobbers and baseball matches and stuff.


What are you reading now

The Benjamin January short story, Libre, Hannibal's Odyssey and the incomplete first draft of a friend's novel. It's slow going, because I keep making notes such as "we're not even on page 10 yet there are 5 locales and over a dozen characters i like none of them because I have no idea who they and also idk waht is going and another fucking flashback already omg what is wrong with you".


What are you reading next

The other Benjamin January short stories and after that idk.

Comments

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

I think he thinks of himself as 'Hannibal' because it's been his name for 5+ years at this point and also, if I had a name as badass as Hannibal, I would call myself that inside my all the time. And he chose his name, so. (Plus, it's very interesting that he picked that name. It's not a common first name at all.)

That sounds like an amazing AU! (They probably can't, but Hannibal seems a bit fuzzy on the rules of Creole society. He probably thinks they can until Rose enlightens him. They definitely pretend on the boat, though.) Well, obviously. Hannibal has to play in the opera's orchestra to provide the funds for Rose's school and there he meets Ben. Meanwhile, Rose has all those tignons she is never wearing ever again and she is looking for a seamstress who will take them out of her sight for a fair price...

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and possibly as long as 17 years, if he's been using Hannibal all along, rather than going through multiple names as he travels about. Which is another thing I want to know! I wonder if he chose it because of its connection with Alexander– they're both famous Classical generals? Also, all his family seems to have had unusual Classical names (Diogenes, Germanicus), so there could be some meaning there for him, too. But I don't know exactly what his reasoning might have been, and am sort of fascinated by it.

Yeah, Hannibal would definitely offer to marry Rose if he thought it would be helpful. And then there can be lots of uncomfortably tense platonic bed-sharing on the boat.

And Ben of course is really excited to meet someone from New Orleans who will understand where he comes from, and Ayasha sympathizes with Rose being forced to run away and start a new life. And Hannibal is very paranoid that someone's going to recognize him, and Ben ends up helping him get out of an awkward situation. And Ayasha is very amused by Hannibal flirting with her. And then eventually OT4.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

Can you imagine if his given name was Scipio and he went with Hannibal as a sign of complete contrariness? I do so want to know more about his backstory and how/why he picked his name and ended up in New Orleans. It's not like you can cross the Atlantic by accident.

If it was helpful, he'd offer to marry Ben. There could be and it would be amazing.

Yes, AMAZING! Someone should totally write this fic. Can there be Ayasha teaching Hannibal Arabic and/or just them bonding over hair ribbons?

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I do think there might have been some contrariness to it! I mean, all the rest of his family's names are Greek or Roman, and then he chooses a name from the enemy. I also want to know how long he's been in New Orleans– if he arrives shortly before Ben, or if he's been there for a long time. And why he's there at all– did he follow some girlfriend, like when he went to Mexico? Or did he have a different reason? I think it mentions somewhere that he's been in America for a while, so Hannibal's adventures in New York or Boston or elsewhere would also be fascinating.

HA YES. I have had a wish for some time for trope-y "we have to pretend to be a couple" fic for Ben/Hannibal, but I can't imagine why that situation would arise. Still. I want it.

Yes, of course! And Ben and Ayasha would have had a baby, and Rose and Hannibal can help take care of him/her.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

And not just an enemy, but THE enemy. If there ever was one enemy of Rome feared long after his defeat and his death, it was Hanibal. Well, he's been in New Orleans at least as long as Rose. I'd say two years before Ben comes back, at minimum. I have a feeling he may have crossed the Atlantic because that's the farthest from anyone who could recognise him he could go and then he just got dragged around North America by various girlfriends (and probably boyfriends, if his willingness to follow Ben everywhere is any indication).

I do want it now that you've mentionned it, but there are so many obstacles to it working in the canon setting.

Perfect. Hannibal would try to teach the baby Latin and Greek.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

(and probably boyfriends, if his willingness to follow Ben everywhere is any indication).

I am totally convinced that Hannibal's bisexuality is canon.

I do want it now that you've mentionned it, but there are so many obstacles to it working in the canon setting.

Alas, yes. On the other hand, I have read "pretend to be a gay couple" fic set in Classical Rome, so there's always the option of just ignoring history for the sake of a fun fic.

YES. "Hannibal, I'm pretty sure the baby is just babbling."
"No, listen! He just said 'mutatis mutandis'."
"...and why would he say that?"
"Well, I don't know but I don't think we should question his precociousness."

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

Me too, but I'm hard-pressed to come up with any canon evidence/quotes.

True enough. It is tropefic, after all. (Link to that fic? I'm curious to see how the author makes it work.)

"Hannibal, Livy is not appropriate as a bed time story."
"But how else will he learn about my namesake and his?" (Because you know that kid as Classical name. Ayasha desperates of the rest of them.)
"Fine. Just make sure to take out all the deaths."

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

This is the one that I think comes closest to being 'proof' (From Dead and Buried, Hannibal is talking about himself in third person):
"Lady Philippa wouldn’t believe Droudge if he told her water flowed downhill. She loathes the man– at least she did when I knew her– and, considering what she put up with from the boy’s father, I can’t imagine there’s much in the way of vice she hasn’t heard of before. Droudge would tell her, of course. He’s vindictive that way." Hannibal frowned at some memory. "But once they have a decent lawyer, and he’s tracked down the girl– or boy– or multiples thereof– in question, I can’t see a judge refusing bail, no matter what Patrick’s will may have said."

Hetaeriae Eaeque Brevi Fient by Sineala. It's The Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth. I wouldn't quite describe myself as in that fandom, but I read a lot of the fic.

Ha, yes! I love the image of Hannibal misappropriating history for bedtime stories.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

the girl– or boy– or multiples thereof
Sounds pretty conclusive to me, as far as Hannibal's bisexuaality goes (also moresomes, apparently).

Thanks for the link, I'll get to reading that as soon as I can.

Of course he does. He has no idea what is or is not appropriate as a bedtime story. He's probabmy the one who stays home to take care of the baby, too, becaus Ayesha is at the shop, Ben is at the opera and Rose is at the school.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

He also seems to be aware/accepting of a lot of gay people, but that could just be Hannibal's general attitude toward life.

Ha, yes, Hannibal is a very convenient babysitter. He's probably terrible at enforcing rules, though.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figure Hannibal is very much a 'love and let love' kind of person.

He is the worst at rules. He caves immediately.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Yup.

Ha, yes. There's a lot of: "Hannibal, why did you let the baby draw all over the walls?"
"Well, after he ate the entire cake, he was very determined to do so."
"He didn't take a nap either, did he?"
"...no. But I have gotten him to memorize the first lines of Dante's Inferno!"

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

That baby is a certified genius. Dante's Inferno at below one year old? He'll be taking over the world of literature in no time!