Anyone who has observed anyone else in their lifetime has been able to identify someone by certain features--their face, their clothing, their voice...their footsteps. I have, of course, written of this, yet I do find it valuable to consider.
Someone who is naturally expressive and artistic might walk with a different rhythm than someone who is naturally straight-laced; however, the gait of someone who is recovering from illness and injury will be different from someone who is able. Speed dictates urgency; weight, of course, dictates weight. Those with heels will click, while those in leather may creak.
Overall, the rhythm, speed, weight, and specific sounds can distinguish any two people. A footstep is as unique as an ear, yet more fleeting.
Many of you are quite aware of what my friend and associate has been writing; however, the romantic drivel has become far too inaccurate for me to bear.
I wish to provide a more accurate (albeit less narrative) account of what truly happens within and beyond the walls of 221B Baker Street; I also wish to interact with many of my neighbouring Londoners.
Thus, I have created this web-log in order for me to answer certain queries pertaining to my occupation as well as to ask questions of--and thus satisfy curiosities pertaining to--those around me. 🔎💉
[Ask and roleplay blog; tags and tidbits below. Asks are open!]
Tag guide:
Fandom:
dracula, dracula daily, bram stokers dracula
sherlock holmes, acd canon, acd holmes
[more to come...depending on roleplay buddies...]
Post type:
answers [asks]
observations [original posts]
conferences [conversations with others]
curated collection [reblogs]
Post content:
bothering gentry [talking about or with others]
specific interests [his infodumping]
personal musings [self or general reflections]
my dearest watson [...gay!]
An api a dae [bees!--I would suggest blocking this tag if you are wary of insects. These will likely be the only insects on the blog, though.]
Time period:
Off season: not during Dracula Daily
2026 run: during Dracula Daily
Interacters (Usernames, character names, or emojis will show up here):
Jonathan Harker
Mina Harker
Lucy Westenra
John Seward
🪶🩸
Hello! This year I really wanted to do a Holmes crossover with the Dracula rp blogs, and I thought it would be really fun because not only did they take place at the same time but their authors were pals. Also, so many adaptations have considered this idea...I figured I would put my own spin on it. :)
He is inspired, of course, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writings, as well as Jeremy Brett's portrayal, but he is also inspired by the comic book series "Victorian Undead", especially in the way he crosses over with various other blogs.
Fun fact: the profile picture is not necessarily of Holmes, but as my favorite Holmesian actor--Jeremy Brett--as Hamlet, when he was just 27 years old. I chose that image because, at the time of A Study in Scarlet, Holmes is 27 (though at the current roleplay time, Holmes is 36). Also because that picture goes hard.
Also, for 'specific interests', I always do my research, and never employ AI :) it's just plain fun.
In my line of work, it is rather essential to be aware of many different forms of secret writings and ciphers. While I have written a rather insignificant piece on all forms, I would much like to discuss the more simple, widely-used secret writings and ciphers, as well as decoding cryptograms.
This is a rather extensive post, as explaining often takes far too many words.
Ciphers:
"RO13": A very straightforward cipher in which each letter is replaced by the one thirteen letters after it in the Latin alphabet. Example: "rotation thirteen" becomes "ebgngvba guvegrra".
Caesar Box: While seemingly complex, it is rather manageable--so manageable, in fact, that it was utilised in the Roman empire. It has three parts.
One takes a phrase--we shall use 'caesar box' for this example--and determines the area of the box. Since 'caesar box' is nine letters long, the box will be 3x3; if the phrase is not a perfect square, then one must determine the nearest box.
Then, one aligns the phrase within the box (it takes much space to form it, so I shall arrange it differently): C A E / S A R / B O X
Finally, one reads it down each column as opposed to by row: 'CSBAAOERX'.
3. Pigpen cipher: An alternative symbolic alphabet, more recently developed, where certain shapes (with or without dots) determine letters. It appears as so:
4. Shorthand: Used all too often by doctors and doctors, and not nearly enough by the general populace, this form of handwriting simplifies the cursive letter symbols, allowing for a faster encoded transcription. While many different organisations develop different forms of shorthand, the most popular is the Gregg shorthand, whose alphabet looks like this:
Cryptograms:
A cryptogram is a form of cipher in which every letter is represented by a different one. Often, they do not possess particular rhyme or reason, and one must decode every letter.
It seems a monotonous, but again, it is quite simple.
Start with contractions. If there is a word with an apostrophe, you will often find ['s] or ['t] at the end of words. A word with the structure [123'45] is clear to be [you're] while [1'2] is certain to be [I'm]. Thus, determining popular consonants such as 'S' or 'T', as well as vowels, can lead to many other discoveries.
Two- and three-letter words are also relatively simple to decipher afterward, especially if they are popular prepositions or articles, such as 'in, at, on, of' or 'and, the'. Single-letter words are always 'I' or 'a'.
Double letters, such as 'EE, OO, LL, SS, TT', or common letter pairings, such as 'CH, TH, SH, RE, TR, and ING', will illuminate some letters that could be more difficult to decode.
