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Fyolai
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Fyodor Dostoevsky/Nikolai Gogol |
| Alternative name(s): | Fyolai, Fyogol, Dostogol, Godost, Double Decay/SouGensui/双 減衰 |
| Gender category: | mlm, slash |
| Fandom: | Bungou Stray Dogs |
| Canonical?: | No |
| Prevalence: | Very common |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
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Fyolai (Fyodor Dostoevsky/Nikolai Gogol) is a major ship in the Bungou Stray Dogs fandom. It is the most common ship for both characters.
In Canon & Official Materials
Main Manga & Anime
Fyodor and Nikolai are allies, both terrorists in the Decay of Angels organization. Nikolai refers to Fyodor as his dearest friend and says that as part of his quest for absolute freedom, to prove his free will, he will kill the man he cares about most--that is to say, Fyodor. Fyodor, for his part, has not told Nikolai that Fyodor's ability is the power to take over the body of the person who kills his current body. When Nikolai falsely believes that Fyodor has died at the hands of a vampire, he is distraught and spends an unspecified amount of time cradling Fyodor's severed arm.
Official Art
Two official arts which have been released of the pair are popular with fans of the ship. In one, Nikolai hand-feeds Fyodor cake covered in what may be frosting, jam, or blood while standing behind him.[1] In the other, Fyodor sits fully clothed in a bathtub filled with what appears to be blood or another dark liquid while Nikolai sits on the edge, partially immersed.
In Fandom
Fics about the ship range from very violent ones to fluffier AUs, with a wide range in between. Fyodor's god complex in canon sometimes leads them to be portrayed with "weird God/angel power dynamics."[2] Because Fyodor is Russian and the real Nikolai Gogol was Ukrainian, references to Russian and Ukrainian culture and bits of the languages are often included in fan works. In smut, Nikolai is more often portrayed as a top[3] and Fyodor is more often portrayed as a bottom.[4]
Since Fyodor's backstory and ability were not revealed for a long time, many Fyolai fics have retroactively become non canon compliant.
"Bernadette" is widely regarded as the ship's main theme song, and the most famous Fyolai fan work is probably a "Bernadette" animatic.
It's sometimes shipped as a one-sided ship, where Nikolai has an unrequited love for Fyodor. The two are sometimes shipped as a throuple with Sigma or Dazai as their third.
As of March 2025, there were over 3,700 fics tagged for the ship on Ao3, making it the fourth most common ship in the fandom there.
Common Tropes
- References to or redraws of the official art, which may be fluffy or sexually explicit
- Nikolai feeding Fyodor cake erotically
- Nikolai washing Fyodor when he's unwell or the two having sex in the bath
- Nikolai taking care of Fyodor when he's sick, since his health is poor
- Fyodor braiding Nikolai's long hair
- Fyodor calling Nikolai Kolya and Nikolai calling Fyodor Fedya or Dos-kun
- Christian religious symbolism
- Nikolai being referred to/depicted as an angel and Fyodor being referred to/depicted as a demon or a god
- Religious guilt connected to internalized homophobia
- Bird symbolism for Nikolai; comparisons of Fyodor to a rat
- Fyodor playing the cello (which he does in canon) for Nikolai
Fan Works
Writing
- mercy killing by beecalm (Rated Teen, Nikolai-centric, Relationship Study)
Art
- Fyolai Duet. comic by @n0cturnalcm
- cake art redraw 🍰 by @allistocracy
- devotion by @crushedheaven
- We are polar opposites. comic by @creantzy
- What if Fyodor was in an asylum and Nikolai used magic to turn into a sparrow by @double-rat
- how fantastic you are by @allistocracy
- dtiys for @definetelynotavampire!! by @crowatyourwindow (angel/demon)
- they make me sick by @iennoganan-aha
- would the hand of your dead friend make you feel better? comic by @itzea
- 7 minutes in Heaven meme by @fshbonemercatus
- first meeting by @birb0t (Circus AU)
- Bird :> by @definitelynotavampire
- no need to cry anymore by @credensjustitiam
Video
- Bungou Stray Dogs | Fyolai (Bernadette) by Creantzy
- Bored - Ari Abdul AMV by kat
- Fyolai amv An Unhealthy Obsession multi-artist fan art edit by bloody rose
Miscellaneous
- Wait I'm not done talking about Fyolai official art & analysis posted by @daz4i
Archives & Links
Notes & References
- ^ Official art found on Reddit
- ^ This phrase is from the tags of The Disease Called Love by evenfalling.
- ^ As of March 18, 2025, there were 291 fics in the Fyolai tag, and 441 fics in total, tagged for Top Nikolai Gogol (Bungou Stray Dogs).
- ^ As of March 18, 2025, there were 283 fics in the Fyolai tag, and 475 fics in total, tagged for Bottom Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Bungou Stray Dogs).