#bc I'm not consistent with daily lol

[lunapwrites]

September Readings

So, the other day I did a whole ass Celtic Cross reading for September, instead of my usual 5 card pull. Just wanted to get a little extra context and direction. But also, I wanted to take some extra time with it this month and really, really sit with what it was showing me. And I think that was a good call.

For context, I started with more of a general question than I normally might have: what's our general outlook over the next 3-6 weeks? (I prefer to give CC readings a time frame so I can differentiate better between the future and outcome cards lol.) I then touched briefly on the main points I wanted to focus on: home renovation projects, writing, relationship stuff, etc.

It was... a lot of Swords. I don't normally get them a lot in readings, so when I do it tends to make me a little uneasy - especially cards like Ten. But contextually, I think the overall message here was actually rather positive (and gently scolding lol.)

So first... the cross...

Ace of Swords crossed by the Ten of Swords: we've got a lot going on right now! Lots of projects starting that really needed to be started, lots of stuff that's really engaging our brains - where are things going? How are we going to redesign our space? Will it work better? Will it work at all? It's taking a lot of planning and creativity to make happen. However, we've had a TON of setbacks and general negative bullshit happening to us throughout the process - issues with contractors, things breaking (or arriving pre-broken), shipments getting lost, a car accident, etc. It's all been getting to us a bit, and we've been kinda wallowing in our own misfortune to varying degrees, which isn't really great for keeping your brain engaged on the things you're working on. What this combination is asking us to do is quit stumbling through the streets, wailing and rending our clothes because One More Bad Thing happened, and to just get on with it - even if it sucks.

Queen of Wands in the Subconscious position: this loops back to the context of our Ace of Swords above, as this position kind of sets the foundation of the querent's mindset and position in the situation. In this context, she speaks to focused energies. We are committed to our path, and we're going to put everything we have into getting what we want. No flakiness to be found here - which considering this is an ADHD house, is amazing to hear lol.

Two of Cups in the Recent Past position: this particular card really is what cemented the idea that this reading is aimed at both of us for once lol. This card is usually a symbol of romantic love (especially new), but it can also represent partnership. Everything we're doing now is the result of joint decisions, and mutual support and effort. No one is in this alone. So despite all the bullshit, we've got each other to lean on, and that's huge. (This plus the Queen signal that we're working off a very strong foundation, and that we've at least started off in the right direction.)

King of Swords in the Crown position: so this is basically like... the aspirational self. And in the past, I might have seen this card and handwaved it away as only representing my partner (who does frequently show up as the Kings in my readings, FWIW) but it does go a little deeper than that this time. This card represents logic and intellect above all else. In short, the need to make firm, well-researched decisions before moving forward. In other words, right now we're trying to do a ton of reading and measuring and comparisons before we move forward with anything. That seems like it's been serving us well so far.

2 of Swords in the Self position: okay so this is where my deck starts calling me out for filth, because this card has to do with choices, or rather: indecision. This is something that I struggle with a ton in general, but also particularly with a lot of these changes we have going on. I get so hung up on what ifs and on others opinions that I freeze up and wait for someone else (namely my partner) to pick. That's not really cool, and it's definitely a source of some tension right now (I'm not the only one in the house suffering from executive dysfunction and decision fatigue.) I'm reading this as asking me to basically just shut up and pick one, and if it's the wrong choice, deal with it then, because...

7 of Pentacles in the Future position: I have been getting this card a LOT lately, which makes sense given the projects we're working on and the goals we're working towards - even with my writing. Progress is SLOW but it is STEADY and we are laying the groundwork for success. As long as we keep at it, we will succeed. But more importantly for our dopamine-chasing lizard brains: while the fruits of our labors are not going to be immediately evident, we're going to see some results soon. OR, worst case scenario, the proper foundations will have been laid.

Now for the staff.

8 of Swords in the Environment position: the whole point of this card is about feeling stuck, but not actually being stuck. All I have to do is try and I can most likely solve a lot of my problems myself. But anyway this one goes hand in hand with the Two, supporting the idea that I need to just do it. Adjustments can be made later, but you can't adjust nothing.

Eight of Pentacles in the Hopes and Fears position: this is a very encouraging card overall. It represents slow but steady progress, hard work, and building towards success. We're most likely on the right track, and we should keep up the good work. :)

Ten of Cups in the Outcome position: this is hands down one of the best cards to get in this position. Tens typically symbolize a sense of completeness, whether it's the end of a cycle or the achievement of a goal - and the Ten of Cups is no different. It's the happy family card. Lots of joy and contentment here (and honestly if the way I felt after I reorganized the pantry I now have was any indication, then this tracks lol.) Also, the timeline lines up with our family vacation, so... there's that lmao.

So what does this all mean in the context of the month? Basically, that it's gonna get off to a rough start, but gradually get better - so long as we actively work to make it so, and don't let ourselves wallow in the bad. Fair enough!

As for the runes and Oracle cards...

Kenaz: light, creative fire. For once, not showing up reversed lol. Might be that the brain gremlins are looking to behave!

Ansuz, reversed: communication, or rather a lack thereof in this context. There's going to be some breakdowns.

Berkana: new beginnings, growth. Lots of stuff getting set up now that mean we can actually put plans into action this month, so here's hoping!

Death: despite the name, this is similar to the tarot card in that it is more about change and transformations - consider the moth! As well as the moon (cycles.) Things are ending and beginning.

Protect: this one I'm admittedly a bit fuzzy on, but worth noting that it includes the planetary symbol for Earth. Could also include the sun, but tbh I'm getting more holy mother and child here. Gotta think about how that one fits in.

Anyway, that's September's reading (posted several days late lol.) Let me know in the comments if you've got any different reads on this than I do. :)

[frugalkubal]

[hexhomos]

Maybe I’m that one oomf that’s too woke, but I have a feeling that people being weird about jayvik is a sign of Bad Things on the rise =/ I’m old as balls and I’ve been in fandom spaces since late 2000s, and I’ve never seen people act so hostile towards a fanon mlm ship. I mean precisely in women and queer dominated fandom spaces, dudebros never change, whatever. And of course there were always ship wars. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen people act so oppressed over being into het ships, crash out over their ships not being endgame and demand from fandom content creators to accommodate them. What is happening.

I think this started happening around 2023~ to be more precise bc that's when i started getting weird ass entitled comments on OTHER gay ships. IMHO the real issue here is that we are going through fandom clash with a newgen that did not experience early internet and they take the gayness in fandom spaces completely for granted. As in, they think these little niche holes we've built are the de facto 'effortless norm' and minimize the work that's been done to create these safe spaces. This is the kind of rhetoric i keep seeing pop up:

Many of them have also grown up almost exclusively interacting with art created by old fandom graduates where queerness is presented casually. They're not watching shit from the 90's or 00's. They're not adults, so they don't have a personal contrast experience seeing that 'rep' dwindling consistently over the years. They don't remember a time before this and don't know how bad it was.

OFC there are always old ass conservative weirdos riding on this wave to be even more annoying (certain infamous viktor stan accs... lol!) but #backtotradition rightwing bullshit has been on the rise worldwide, and so are the viral tiktok tradwife alphamale detransition white supremacy grifters. Its a larger cultural problem feeding into the micro stuff we see daily and it's terrible. It's also why I tune this shit out and I stand my ground. I'll draw what I WANT to draw and I'm not going to be twisting myself into pretzel shapes to appeal to anyone and everyone; go get YOUR shit elsewhere!

I *do* think people have been getting way more entitled towards fanworks, and that comes with a heightened level of apathy. You can notice this on the decreased number and quality of feedback across twitter, as an example (seeing as that place has been consumed by the conservative grifter wave) but it's also been reported by every fic writer who's consistently used AO3 for years. Tags on tumblr aren't as widely used. The focus on 'community' has been replaced by 'DOES THIS MAXIMIZE ENGAGEMENT?'. I know from personal experience that there is this one specific asshole who, for almost a year now, has been trawling the trans viktor tag and leaving insanely long transphobic critique comments on works of newer writers to discourage them from writing. (They are always on the cusp of open violent transphobia, but shittily cloaked as 'debates' on ~natural biology~ and fantasy logic so they don't get banned. If you've seen the ao3 pfp of a smirking white haired woman before you know who im talking about.)

Things have been Bad and on the Rise for a while now. Look at the current shit on the news. Look at the presidencies around the world. And it's going to get worse before it gets better, because it always does; that's what forces people to wake up. Be annoying. Be watchful. Don't waste your time platforming or debating weirdos that should be left to die on obscurity - this is how trump got a memeable platform, and look at where we are now. Protect your peace.

[clowningaroundmars]

some more hobie1610! :)

i luv this little bug just bc i love mj and i LOVE LOVE LOVE hobie! i simply couldn't resist 🩷

in the story, i tried mashing together a bunch of different references for his character, while still trying to stay true to the character of mary jane watson but also not sacrificing too much of hobie brown. i hope i… did a good enough job?

more under the cut :)

☆ hobie1610 is a supermodel-in-training inspired by mj watson's dreams of being a model and an actress. except in 1610, mj has these dreams forced onto him rather than aspiring to be them. he's living mj watson's dreams and hates it lol

☆ hobie1610 has a strained relationship with his family, true to mj watson's awful family dynamics in canon. it just... runs in every mj's blood i guess lmao

☆ hobie1610 wants so badly to be an investigative journalist! his plan after graduating from visions is to land an internship at the daily bugle :)

☆ he also gets up to mechanical shenanigans in his free time, fixing and building whatever he can get his hands on. he's very handy with machines and tech, true to the original characterization of hobie brown on earth-616, except on earth-1610 he usually has to hide his tools and gadgets

☆ his favorite subjects in school are english lit and physics!

☆ i gave hobie1610 uniform locs to look like mj's signature long hair but also to directly contrast hobie138's freeform locs

☆ if hobie1610 were to ever meet hobie138, he'd seethe and mald with jealousy. just like miles, mj's biggest wish is for his family to stop stacking so much pressure on his shoulders all the time. seeing another version of him living the free anarchist life would def have him feeling a type of way

hobie meeting mj: oh wow... nearly forgot what my face looks like without m' piercings lol :p

mj meeting hobie: I'M BRITISH IN THIS DIMENSION?!

☆ but he's a hobie alright! he rebels as often as he can in the typical ways teens with strict parents do. no one is putting this guy's flame out 🔥

☆ most of that rebellion consists of sneaking out when he knows he shouldn't. his mother is strict, but she's often very busy and that gives hobie1610 many chances to slip away unnoticed. his bravery is inspired by mj's character in the spiderman ps4 game, where she gets involved in dangerous missions with peter. those gameplay scenes with her in the museum inspired the 3rd chapter of my hobie1610 story

☆ hobie1610's sense of humor is more like zendaya's mj than anyone else

☆ the concept of hobie being miles' mj didn't entirely come out of nowhere! it wasn't just abt punkflower-- the possibility came up when i remembered that andrew garfield claimed he wanted his spiderman's mj to be a man. specifically played by michael b jordan ;)

☆ hobie1610's casual wardrobe outside of visions and his photoshoots consists of mostly greens and earth tones. most mj's across various diff portrayals have green or earth tones in their casual fits

references ↓

[roomwithanopenfire]

Stats Sunday

(no banner today bc my laptop sometimes does this weird thing where it won't let me upload files and i don't feel like restarting it rn)

Hi! Thanks to @brilla-brilla-estrellita for the tag!

April has been a weird month for writing, but sharing my graphs and stuff is always fun for me (and hopefully you) even though I didn't work on like ANY of my preexisiting wips last month. As always, this post is long, expect stats, graphs, and musings under the cut. (No snippets today tho)

I posted zero fics in April which is understandable given that I have been SO busy lately with school and stuff.

Total words written for April: 22725 (this is the most words i've written in any month this year so far....)

Days I met my writing goal (200 words): 11

Days I didn't write or edit anything: 18 (this month has def been the worst month in terms of consistency bahaha)

Day I wrote the most: Apr 18th with 5957 words (this is the highest daily word count of the year, very abnormal for me, i went insane for a couple of days)

Number of Fics worked on: 1 fic plus one scrapped idea (LITERALLY ONLY 1 FIC AND IT'S NOT ANY OF MY WIPS)

Daily Average: 757 words (but this is a lie, most days i wrote 0 words lol. check out my graph)

I feel like this does not showcase enough how insane i felt on the 18th. Check out this quick graph i made of my daily WC for the whole year...

the spike is insaneee. Let's see my not-very-exciting pie graph i've created and see what i've been working on

No familar wips here. not either of the COBBs that I should be finishing (last years and this years 😭), or the COSW fic that I promise i'll finish eventually, but just 1000 words of a scrapped project and like 20k+ worth of a shiny new idea. The document is titled GET OUT OF MY HEAD because I was just going to write the scenes that were stuck in my head, but, like, it's still in my head and is getting more and more complex and complicated, but i haven't been writing it as much the past few days and i miss the writing demon that was inside of me, come back. channel more words through me please. let me write 6k in a day again, i miss you.

And this fic is not even for a fandom i've written for before, this is uncharted territory. i'm sure that just by glancing at my blog you can guess which new fandom this is for loll. we'll see how far i get on this wip. i've been writing scenes out of order as they come to me, but now i'm losing some steam so i have to decide if i actually want to put the work into making this something. And I think I do. Despite orginally writting it to get it out of my head, it is still very much in there. Taking up space.

And some life update news, the month of April has been pretty good to me. I got a year older, finally figured out my summer job, and i am getting an A in all my classes (at least, most likely. I still have one final left that I could bomb, but it's open-note so i'm not too worried). I have one week left at school, and then I'm home for the summer. (Which I have a whole ton of mixed feelings about. I love being home, but I also feel so much more me when I'm at school. But I'm excited to be making money again omggg.) also just yesterday the girl i have a crush on asked me out so eeeeee. very exciting

tags and hellos

@alexalexinii @aristocratic-otter @argumentativeantitheticalg @artsyunderstudy @arthurkko

@blackberrysummerblog @best--dress @bookishbroadwayandblind @bookish-bogwitch @the-beard-of-edward-teach

@cccloudsss @confused-bi-queer @cutestkilla @drowninginships @facewithoutheart

@emeryhall @fiend-for-culture @hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature @ileadacharmedlife

@theimpossibledemon @jyae23 @larkral @lovelyladzzzz @lovelettersto-mars

@m1ndwinder @monbons @nausikaaa @noblecorgi @orange-peony

@prettygoododds @raenestee @rimeswithpurple @run-for-chamo-miles @rbkzz

@shrekgogurt @simonscones @skeedelvee @supercutedinosaurs @sweetronancer

@talentpiper11 @thewholelemon @valeffelees @youarenevertooold @you-remind-me-of-the-babe 

please let me know if you'd rather not be tagged in just stats with no writing. or if you'd rather not be tagged at all. no hard feelings if you'd rather not get the notif <3

[flawssy-227]

Hello! As a former democratic staffer, what's your best advice for Americans right now in how to get their senators and representatives to listen to them? Especially with regard to specific legislation like the SAVE Act as an example. Are there different approaches you would take with red vs. blue congresspeople?

Hi Tox! Thank you for asking and thanks for all the work you're doing🫡

Let me put my staffer hat back on… been a while lol.

🔵I think the best advice I can give is to be consistent and persistent. 1 call isn't going to change anything unfortunately. But calling daily or even weekly? That makes the biggest difference. Staffers have to log every call, so in their daily reports to the elected official, they will say, "we've received X amount of calls on this topic." It shows what constituents are focused on during any given time period.

🔵I know lots of people want to email or fax or write letters instead of call (I feel you I HATE talking on the phone), but those can get lost/ignored very easily. Phone calls are a better tool.

I know you've promoted 5calls and tbh it's the best/easiest thing to use if you're new to calling elected officials and don't really know what to say. It breaks down key issues and gives you a sample script you can use when you speak to someone or leave a voicemail.

🔵If you're feeling really brave, I would grab a friend and go to an in person Town Hall. This is a great time to prepare remarks and speak to your representative face to face. They cannot ignore you here. Guarantee at any town hall, the local Democratic Committee will be there and recording everything. Also, I love my democratic committee- joining yours is an easy way to get looped into local Dem events.

🔵I would also follow all of your representatives on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or Facebook. When they post things, COMMENT! Respond and call them out. Ask questions. Make a fuss. They probably won't respond but others will see your tweets or comments and maybe join in.

🔵Now, as far as red vs blue officials and how to speak to them, I would tailor your message to them. If you're reaching out to a Republican senator about the SAVE act for example, I wouldn't focus on the obvious harm towards trans people, women or folks of color (bc let's be real, they don't care), I would say "I'm from a military family and I'm concerned that our military members who are serving abroad will be unable to register to vote in person and therefore will miss their constitutional right to vote." OR "Did you know X amount of voting aged women are in your district? If this passes, you could be losing X amount of votes in 2026."

🔵I think Republicans know there is a blue wave coming in 2026, many of them are already worried about their seats if they're up for reelection, so imagine if they got 200+ calls in one week about the SAVE Act and realized how upset their constituents are!! And btw, you don't have to say "I'm a democrat" or "I didn't vote for you", you can just suggest that they're losing a group of voters if they vote yes on the SAVE Act. Your voting history is private, so even if they have your name and zip code, they can't see who you voted for in the past.

🔵Republicans have the majority in the house and senate, so it's more important now to reach out to our Republican representatives. Ultimately, these people are banking on us not paying attention or being too lazy to call them out on it—so let's make sure they know we're watching and listening and make sure our voices are heard.

[fredsters-world]

ougghhhh so curious plz tell us more about negative au :3c

Heh well... It's still new and has concepts as I literally created it in idk 5 mins literally two days ago, BUT ☝️ I'll tell ya what is like cemented. Which apparently is Tyrants backstory bc I'm biased, sorry Stryker

(mini ficlet or something below)

Tyrant was a patient at a hidden research facility that was completely off the records. He had been there all his life, with his earliest memories consisting of the dark, cold cell he once resided in. Instead of receiving treatment, he was subjected to tests—experiments that were either too risky or unrefined before being approved. You could call it Mobian experimentation.

He, along with others, was used daily by faceless adults—some in white lab coats, others in yellow bodysuits with masks that never revealed their identities.

Tyrant—or rather, Patient 029—had never known a life outside those walls. Even if he considered it "normal," it was nonetheless traumatic for the poor kit. He had never been shown love, gentleness, or kindness—he had never even heard the words before. All he knew was pain and obedience, because if you didn’t obey, you only got hurt more. That was precisely why he was considered one of the "favorites"—but that wasn’t a good thing.

It only meant he was the favorite for testing.

So, when the faceless adults in white coats arrived with a hospital bed, he wasn’t surprised when they wordlessly strapped him in.

He knew the routine. He was going in for another surgery.

He just hoped they used enough anesthesia this time.

As they prepared the injection, he braced himself for the familiar prick, squeezing his eyes shut. No matter how many times he had been injected, he still hates needles.

But the pain never came.

Instead, he heard rustling—then a sharp yell.

“Hey, what are you—?!”

A loud thud. Then another. Heavy objects crashing onto the floor.

When he finally opened his eyes, the straps around his wrists, ankles, and tails had been undone. In an instant, he was scooped up into someone's arms.

He was in a state of shock as the familiar walls blurred past him—until they weren’t familiar anymore.

He thought he was outside.

He had never seen the outside before, but nothing around him looked like the facility.

His gaze slowly lifted, his body still trembling, to see the face of the one holding him so tightly.

It was an adult in an white coat. But this time, he had a face.

Bright pink eyes stared down at him. His lips parted, as if they were about to say something—

But the words never came.

In a flash, red liquid dripped from the spiky, yellow-furred adult’s eye, seeping through three deep slashes.

The same red liquid dripped from the terrified, shaking blue kit’s claws... (TBC? Idk I'm done writing for the night)

What happened was Stryker had impulsively saved Tyrant and only him from that facility. He had stumbled upon said facility by accident as it was hidden as an abandoned warehouse, which Stryker was planning to crash at for the night. Who knew he was going to get a whole knew brother instead huh? Stryker btw is NO HERO. He takes jobs for commission because he loves rings(money lol). Don't ask him why he saved Tyrant, he just did. He was already too far gone when he gave the ex-orphan a name. Ask him if he has baby photos of Tyrant and he'll pull out an album outta no where.

I plan on sharing more of them hopefully through art work!

[shefollowedthestars]

okay after this post i have to do this

owning a bakery with your girlfriend, kate bishop 𐙚 ˚🍰 ⋆｡˚ ᡣ𐭩

warnings: none except a mention of a threat? if there's anything else that should be put here pls lmk

notes: I LOOOOVE THIS IDEA. bc i love baked goods and kate bishop. this is also mostly unedited so i apologize if it is horrible lmao 😭 also i mentioned the bakery is in east harlem bc that's the vibe it gives me but i also have never been to nyc so i could be completely off

it's called bishop-y/l/n's bakehouse. small and brick, located in east harlem, it's a homey and welcoming bakery that thrives and centers around community

you two are friends with your regulars and constantly help said regulars out in their personal lives (kate and her friends may have saved them a couple of times). but you always know things abt your customers lives and have daily chats. "ms. carter! did your son get accepted into columbia?"

the art on the walls consist of custom art you two had made of your golden retriever, archery memorabilia, souvenirs and things you got gifted - all very friendly and cozy vibes

all the recipes are either family recipes you got from your side or recipes that kate discovered from messing around in the kitchen for hours

additionally, the bakehouse is the number one spot for the young avengers (mcu's version). after a hard mission or when they're stuck on something, they'll come to the bakery and talk to you as you serve what you know is there favourite dish. you know each superhero's one by heart and ofc you know kate's better than anyone else's. you know her favorite is the strawberry shortcake cupcakes you make (your great aunt taught you the recipe) and she likes them with one strawberry slice cut in half on the top. she gives you a kiss on the cheek whenever you bring it over, which earns a "ew" from kamala lol and a "ohhhh my god you two are adorable" from billy

kate likes to refer to owning a bakery as her first job as it is her favorite thing in the entire world. she loves serving customers, preparing food with you and looking at the community and home that you've built

i think there's definitely been times the bakery has been threatened by certain enemies with kate being hawkeye and she immediately gets protective and tells her co-heroes that they have to do something about it

she didn't really need to tell them that though because they were all on the same page. there's no way america is losing the place that sells the best flan in all of new york city!!

and you know those cliche play fights couples have in movies? where they throw flour at each other and now ingredients are all over each of their faces but they're just both so in love with each other? yup that happens way too often with the two of you. you'll say something like "hey aren't you like a wannabe katniss everdeen?" and she'll immediately throw the flour she has at your face teasingly lmao

also clint and his family visit all the time and the kids are so excited!! they will try literally everything in the bakery and get a sugar rush lol. it tires you out low-key, but it makes kate want kids soooo bad. and can you blame her? i mean imagine a cute little kid running around looking cute and taste testing your new recipes 🥺 "mommmm, it needs to be sweeter!!"

and whether you end up having kids in the future or not, this bakehouse will be passed down to someone part of the warm and loving family you two have created with your delicious food <3

i'm literally obsessed with this idea so if you have anything to add PLEASE let me know in the comments or send me an ask abt your thoughts bc i could talk about this for hours on end genuinely. anyways i hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful wonderful day!!

[iatrophilosophos]

i saw your comment about mullein, and wanted to see if you might share how often you drink mullein tea, vs how much you smoke. my wife is a daily smoker with asthma and has been dealing with increased coughing recently and is looking for solutions. (i know dosage is very ymmv but just to get an idea)

I mostly vape rn but I've been a solidly 1pack/day smoker for years. I'm actually pretty bad at keeping up medicine habits for myself consistently so my relationship to mullein has been a pretty on/off affair-- starting to feel super crappy about smoking is a good reminder to cut back and be more diligent about mullein and breathing exercises for a while, lol. I roll my own so I've smoked mullein more than any other route bc it's easier to just add to my existing habits that way; just rolling it into the middle of tobacco cigarettes like a spliff. Sometimes ppl smoke it on its own as an alternative but it's a very light, acidic smoke that just doesn't hit the spot for me.

Imo the ideal course of action is to use it every day, unless a person has a weird reaction to it or finds it unpleasant. (I've never heard of negative reactions, just always good to stress that people should stop doing things that suck/feel weird ASAP and seek informed support if any weird symptoms dont subside within a day or two, are exceptionally miserable, or come on very quickly and intensely). Second most ideal option is to use it daily for as long as is sustainable, and get back into it whenever it feels like particularly wanted support.

Mullein at an effective dose should have a pronounced, but not unpleasant effect in moderate to heavy smokers, or people experiencing acute respiratory illness that is appropriate for home care, within 24-48 hours of starting a regimen, or sooner. Coughs should be non-hacking but produce flem & active heavy to moderare smokers should expect to see small amounts of brown to black matter in their phlegm, but NOT phlegm that is entirely black or bloody (*again, never heard of this happening i just would never want to set someone up to cough up blood and not immediately seek higher care). If I were setting up a tea habit, my ideal scenario would be to pour boiling water over ~2-3 tablespoons of dried mullein or about a tablespoon and a half mashed up fresh*, cover it, and let it sit overnight before drinking in the morning. If there weren't results within two days, id go for about double that.

*usually with herbs you use less dried than fresh because most of the volume & weight of plants and other living things is water; however, mullein is a bit of an odd one. It's a super fluffy absorbent plant that actually compresses a lot more when it's fresh than it does dried

Another fun thing we can do with mullein is combine it with what we'd call a "lung affinity aromatic". These are herbs with volatile compounds (you can smell them easily and they're rich in essential oil) that have a history of use for lung complaints. These are usually chalked up to bronchodillation but imma keep it 100 i rlly dont feel like going thru rn and deciding if i think this is scientifically true for each one, this is not knowledge i have off the top of my head, so we'll just say for rn that theres precedented use for this purpose, i like them, and rhe ones i have to list rn are nontoxic anyway so 🤷 The most easily accessible lung affinity aromatic to add to a tea habit is probably peppermint-- id go for 2 teabags added to the above method, personally. Other lung affinity aromatics include: rosemary, oregano, other mentha species, probably monarda and basil if id have to take a wild stab based on crossover constituent chemicals but dont quote me

Lung affinity aromatics are often used as steams, particularly in essential oil forms in shit like shower fizzies. Definitely something I & my community members were doing during early early covid (again, NO MEDS YET, just ventillators and not enough of them in the city!) to try to get our O2% back up before deciding it was time to go to the ER was hot steamy showers with a good dose of peppermint or oregano oil on an adjacent damp washcloth. Nobody in the cohort that was trading this tip around ever ended up looking bad enough to go into the ER, even with some scary oxygen dips--but of course I simply can't know how it would've shaken down in the world we weren't using this method, maybe we were fine the whole time 🤷

Last thing, mostly covering my own ass: when i see clients who take prescription medications, it's important for me legally and ethically to encourage them to speak to their prescribing physicians about herbs or supplements they're considering taking. However, im also aware that many medical doctors are sorely underinformed and frankly fucking boneheaded about herbalism or diy remedies that may be popular among their patients and are thus not necessarily the level-headed and well-rounded resources we might wish them to be. I'm not familiar with any particular interaction concerns associated with mullein or any of the culinary herbs mentioned, and they're some of the most widely used herbs in the anglosphere so we'd hope that if there were something horribly dangerous about using them alongside the pharmacuetical medications prescribed for the conditions they're commonly associated with, we would have noticed by now. Still, it's always a good idea to independently research possible interactions with any and all applicable prescription medications, and of course quit at the first sign of weirdness.

Under the cut is a rant about asthma cigarettes for anyone who's interested because I think they're neat and they're very badly understood

A popularly derided product in 20th century commercial medicines is "asthma cigarettes". Contrary to what many assume at first glance, these did not actually contain tobacco, but were made from a variety of herbs including mullein, peppermint, oregano, as well as lobelia and/or jimson weed (datura). Now, dont quote me here, but im pretty sure lobelia in this context functions as basically mullein on steroids. Lobelia when taken orally is a "purgative" (makes you puke and shit, a lot), which is an action very popular in "heroic medicine", a western school of thought thats mostly been left on the trash heap (though much smaller doses of lobelia remain in use in a variety of Indigenous healing traditions as well as by some eleclectic and bioregional western herbalists. I dont know much about these yses but from a distance they seem reasonable enough to me and ppl i trust like it as a plant). However, im fairly certain that lobelia has this action due to at least in part saponin content, which tend to be expectorant. Mullein also has saponins but not enough to cause such dramatic reactions, even in quite high doses. As for jimson weed (datura), I got nothing, beyond knowing it's been historically and traditionally used for asthma in many contexts. Presumably it's a pretty low-dose thing, i kinda doubt ppl were out here getting high on fucking datura on purpose when they could get cocaine from the same pharmacist, it's kinda a gnarly one. More an ethogen than recreational for sure. Anyway, asthma cigarettes were also never intended to be smoked like tobacco cigarettes, definitely a one-a-day kind of deal. While we know that smoke of *any* variety is bad for your lungs and carcinogenic, prior to the advent of aersolized steroid inhalers, smoking could be considered a pretty reasonable route of administration for antispasmodic, bronchodialating and expectorant medicines (at a time when even the vast majority of newfangled lab pharmacueticals were more directly plant-derived than they are today); and at least in terms of ***immediate short term benefits***, probably the medicine contained within asthma cigarettes outweighed the smoke damage. I can't speak to long term effects of smoking any of these herbs because I dont believe it's been particularly studied. P cool tho.

[the-kr8tor]

I was drinking rooh afza today cus it was so hot and it reminded me of hobat SOO also viper i found ur tt acc>:) Daily Hobie HC! Week four, day three Hobie clung onto your shoulder, nestling himself comfortably under your shirt, relishing in the softness and warmth of your skin, as well as the fabric on top of him. He watched as you carefully piped icing onto some halloween-themed pumpkin spice cookies, rubbing his fuzzy head up and down against your neck, tickling you slightly as the tip of his tongue stuck out to spare some light licks on your skin. He lets out a few chirps of mischief, his way of laughing in bat form as you shook your head, shaking him slightly as a playful warning to stop tickling you. He flies off from your neck, making his new position of comfort on top of your head, looking down and watching as your fingers firmly squeezed the piping bag, keeping a consistent thickness to the outlines, before filling it in. You were currently doing the first bat shaped cookie, which Hobie had claimed that it was his to try. He flew down to your wrist, placing his hands(?) on top of the piping bag, moving along with your movement, as if he was helping you. Hobie hides a smirk as he feels your eyes fondly roll at him, watching as you shake the cookie slightly to level out the icing, before setting it on one of the trays to set. You had given it green eyes instead of white ones, which meant that it was easily distinguishable as Hobie's. You put down the piping back for a moment, taking a quick break before your fingers begin to cramp. Hobie gazes up happily at you, his big brown eyes practically sparkling as you cradle him in your hands. He chirps as you gently press a flurry of kisses to his face, looking completely lovestruck as you pull away, moving to cling to the collar of your shirt and pull his way up to your neck once more. Hobie murmurs about how he loves when you practically drown him in your love, hugging onto your neck and playfully nipping at your earrings, which were dangly bat ones. He tugs on them slightly, playing with them and making sure it wasn't irritating you too badly. As your hand came up to affectionately scratch him a little, he takes your finger and licks the pad of your index, his form of kisses in his little bat form. Hobie continues to watch you pipe icing onto multiple witches hats, pumpkins, ghosts and bat pumpkin spice cookies, occasionally napping either in the crook of your neck or on top of your head. (Or in your bra if you got them) Once you finished piping them all, you let the icing set for a bit before eating, gently stirring Hobie awake to tell him the progress. He yawns, his large eyes sparkling at the progress you've made. Hobie's little bat feet clutch onto your shirt, pulling you away from the edge of the counter to the middle of the kitchen. As black mist shrouded the bat, a tall, lanky Hobartholomew Larry Brown stood in the bat's place, holding you close as he peppered kisses all over your face in between praise about how they all look so delicious. After a few minutes of Hobie's teasing appreciation, leading to a lot of head-spinning kisses and a few nips which may have left a light mark, you check on the cookies once more, Hobie perched on your shoulder. The icing had set properly, giving the cookies the final look it needed to be spooky. You pick out Hobie's bat pumpkin spice cookie and hand it to him, chuckling as he eagerly pulled it away from your fingers with his mouth, a muffled 'thank you darling' coming from his cookie-stuffed face. -🐦‍⬛

Oohh what is rooh afza?

Lmaoo at first I thought you found mine which seems impossible bc I'm on private 🤣🤣 (I just retweet art on there lol)

Daily Hobie HC ❤️❤️❤️

I raised a brow at his lil lick thinking he's in regular tall form but now I understand now that he's actually in bat form 😂😂

He loves watching you bake awww!!!!!

Him 'helping' you is the cutest ever 😻

What a coinkidink! I just got a pair of bat earrings!!

Akznkwznkwkdnw him crawling all over R's shirt 🥰

HE'S IN MY WHAT?! 🥴🥴🥴

I too want head spinning kisses from HOBARTHOLOMEW LARRY BROWN

You turn around and he has managed to eat the whole tray 😂

[fitgothgirl]

Things are going pretty well! Most importantly, I've planned out starting over my weed tapering schedule that I did before Costa Rica, with the goal of being on a break for 1-2 weeks before we go to the lake house for 4th of July; I can smoke there and stuff (some family members smoke weed too), but I'd rather not "need" it so much around family. Plus once I'm there, I'll let myself smoke when offered and actually be able to enjoy it with only a couple hits, like everyone else lol. I realized that after coming back from CR last year and smoking a lot again, when I would try to taper down again I wasn't setting up a whole schedule like I did before because there wasn't a looming deadline of "I can't bring weed or purchase weed and I'm going to be there for 10 days no matter what so if I don't taper I'm going to withdraw like crazy." I was just going off one step at a time in my head. So even though I'm not leaving the country any time soon, just having everything all planned/written out again feels immensely better. And I've been really dragged down by smoking too much again for a while now and have been wanting to get back to this so badly; when I lock my weed in the kSafe I actually get such a wave of relief as well as pride and I almost get choked up. I just suddenly feel like I'm back in that headspace when I was doing so well from like 10/2023-01/2024.

One difference is that once we're back from that lake house trip, I have another pseudo-break planned. I don't want to get back from vacation and be "done" with my goal and then just let everything fall apart again. If I get offered by friends that's one thing (hence "pseudo-break"), but if I possess it I clearly can't control myself. So even with my kSafe, I just don't want to have weed at all for a month or two after the lake. And maybe after that if I do get a little weed for an occasion and have some left over, I'll have my bf keep it somewhere hidden in his office so I can't use it until another occasion. I'm not trying to swear off it forever, but I don't trust myself either - I've been a constant smoker for like 15 years and a few months isn't going to fix everything.

I'm also back on my bujo, which feels like the backbone of everything. It keeps me so on track and focused on what I need to worry about, as well as remembering what not to worry about right now. If I do nothing else at all, I want to at least check/update my bujo daily.

And I'm back to logging in my MFP, but not for a calorie deficit, just to stay aware of what I'm eating, how much I'm eating, what nutrients I'm getting/lacking, etc. Even though I'm not trying to keep my calories "in line" or focus only on healthy foods right now, it looks like I've been mostly doing that anyway (only for the last week when I started getting everything together again bc I was definitely over-eating [and over-drinking] before). However last night I watched Bob's Burgers S15E8 (They Slug Horses, Don't They?) and I have an estranged and complicated relationship with my older sister (different estranged complications than my mom lol) PLUS yesterday was her birthday too and yeah that episode had me fucking bawling, I was not ready for it. Kinda made me mad they snuck that on me lol. Anyway, I then had a big fuck-it response and ordered $15 worth of candy from 711 through DoorDash and ate most of it... And that's okay! It was a binge and I went way over my caloric needs but it's just one day, and weight loss isn't even one of my foci right now. And hey it was delicious too. And now it's time to move on. (Being gentle with myself is one of my main foci right now.)

In terms of exercise, I've been trying to get consistent with the gym again, so I'm aiming for at last once a week. It's a very reasonable goal and honestly there've only been a couple times where I missed an entire week, but the point is that I'm making an effort to be consistent with it and stay more aware of/focused on it again.

Outside of health stuff - I asked the bar manager at work if I could get the drink recipes to study ahead of time before I start my training on March 4th. I know there are flashcards they have to memorize so I figure why not get ahead of it if I know I'm going to be trained over there. And she was indeed able to give them! (She's not the one who'll be training me.) During that moment I also asked if there was anything else I should keep in mind/practice leading up to my training, and she said pour counts, so that's good to know too. Stoked I can get ahead on things, and I also hope that my proactive attitude left a good impression on my bar manager. 😇

[melt1ngmoment]

I can't even properly articulate all the reasons I think im probably autistic like i talked abt it very substantially at dinner last weekend with the aries but I forgot a lot of stuff too to mention . cuz he was saying he feels like he might be and im like hahaha lowkey same and mentioned the social interaction reasons. and then I started ranting abt societys perception of autism and neurodivergency and how doctors are biased blablabla women misdiagnosed w bpd etc... and im like yeah I probably am but I won't likely seek that out rn mostly bc of money and partially bc I fear medical professionals lol. but I forgot to mention a lot of other stuff that affects me like the daily functioning the fact that I feel slow sometimes the burnout and fatigue the routine and consistency the unawareness of my own physical body (interoception I believe) feeling like i can't make friends like sooooo much. nd I don't wanna sound like someone who just saw like one infographic online nd calls themselves autistic and TBH I feel like that stereotype is just some vague hypothetical imaginary type of person ppl act like is a common occurrence in the conversation of self diagnosis. as if self diagnosis takes away from Real autistic people or smth like that and just coming up w this concept of a person that is probably not that common in my opinion. Idk idk. Its so hard to talk abt esp bc I have so many biases against MYSELF and like how I present myself nd how I've been conditioned to act. like always pushing aside my discomfort and trying to keep up in social situations and be pleasant even tho I don't feel like I ever keep up in social situations I'm always a wallflower and sometimes I just barely get a word in during gatherings or events or in groups of ppl I feel like a fake potted plant. LOL. but its like maybe im just normal and this is normal and or I was just born wrong. haha

[lains-reality]

Im struggling with applying this concept in my daily life due to boredom (my ego is too bored to live in the present)

So what I’m getting is that we’re just observing the ego. The “self” doesnt think that something is boring- ego does. And the state of being bored is just the state of wanting something to happen. Which contradicts the I am.

It’s just that my ego lives such a boring life with almost zero human contact for the entire day and with few hobbies. The only thing I feel like I can resort to is social media. (Which I’m trying to stop) Do I just observe this routine on and on again? It’s hard to live in the present when there’s nothing to do

Sorry I don’t know if this made much sense..

"Im struggling with applying this concept in my daily life due to boredom (my ego is too bored to live in the present)"

theres not really an application, just reminders. when something prompts you to do anything, that can be used to remind yourself of the truth.

when i get bored its usually 'cause i want the world to look a certain way, when actually even without your desires there are so much things to do! divinity is in everything, everywhere.

"And the state of being bored is just the state of wanting something to happen."

what ru talking abt (1) theres no states here (2) does being bored actually have to mean anything? ik i just said the reason why i get bored, but ... (3) if the character is unreal, then does it concerns matter?

"Which contradicts the I am."

nothing really contradicts the I AM. everthing takes place in awareness anyway, this is all like saying I AM bored, but really you are the I AM, not the bored. you can just accept that the bored feeling is here, it doesnt really change anything does it?

"It’s just that my ego lives such a boring life with almost zero human contact for the entire day and with few hobbies."

then do some hobbies? what do you want me to advise you?? you're bored.. its either

do something and enjoy yourself

wallow in the boredom

either way you can let go of limitations as you go in both situations anyway. idk if this will help but i thought that i couldnt let go of limitations without some big fight or something, but no! simply getting yourself to do some chores and choosing to enjoy yourself through that is enough.

theres this idea that everything is meditation, once you know what it is.

went a bit off point lol

"The only thing I feel like I can resort to is social media. (Which I’m trying to stop)"

then stop fixing yourself to feeling like theres only social media. just let the idea of something possibly more guide you. you think you are the character who only has the body it has now and is limited by it.

"It’s hard to live in the present when there’s nothing to do"

you know i deleted a quote from my reblog blog's queue bcs i thought this is not as important as the others, i'm so mad now that i need it. it said bascially people mistake the contents of the present moment as the actual present moment. it was by eckhart tolle.

you are ALREADY IN THE PRESENT MOMEMT, your mind wants to take you to the past or future, but thats not NOW. you can say 'but that was then' or 'thats not now so i dont need to deal with it rn' and move on. you don't need something to do to honour the present moment. you're already here!!

also, again, you think that theres nothing to do bcs you take yourself to be the body. the limited. theres so much more than what you're character can do. you are unlimited.

reading

read practising the power of now by eckhart tolle, its like consistently the only book i keep talking abt in like almost all anon answers

learn to be comfortable by yourself

[bibliophile-in-training]

A Plebian's Review of the Last Voyage of the Demeter

I don't do reviews normally but I have many thoughts I wanted to share after recently watching this movie. In general, I did enjoy this movie and I thought it was a fun watch. As someone who read Dracula and enjoys most modern Dracula stories I would watch it again if it came on. (6/10)

Non-spoilers:

It took some liberties with the source material. Combine the recent Poirot movies with modern vampire lore and that's what you should expect, not something strictly adhering to the novel. Not necessarily a bad thing, but if you're enjoying dracula daily just know this isn't really that.

On that note, Dracula bibliophiles aside, it's a pretty good movie on its own. It's suited for modern audiences and won't confuse them with Stoker's vampire lore (ex. what can and can't kill a vampire, what powers Dracula has).

It had pretty gory moments that you may not be prepared for if slasher movies aren't something you watch. Also, check out doesthedogdie bc there are a lot of potential triggers.

The lighting for this movie was really good imo. There was a strong contrast between day and night which awesome, but you could also still actually see what was going on in the dark. There were a couple times when Dracula was in a shadow and you couldn't really see him but it was for effect as opposed to trying to be "realistic" (looking at you, GOT).

The design for Dracula was cool and they do play into him getting stronger and scarier as he continuously feeds.

The Captain is not the main character (in contrast to the source material's Captain's log). Here, it's Dr Clemens we follow and we get an occasional Caltain's narration from the log.

If you like Until Dawn and other titles from Supermassive Games, you'd probably enjoy it. Dracula's design, the kills, and character choices feel like you're watching a playthrough. Not to mention there are a lot of close-up shots of characters in the same way Supermassive Games does.

Spoilers under the cut:

The Good:

The cinematography was pretty good. I particularly liked shots that followed through the ship to the cargo hold where count bat boi was sleeping.

They also filmed the gory scenes really well, and one scene that stood out was when one person who's become a thrall bashes his head through a door and then slides his nose along the splintered panels as he looks up. Impactful to say the least. They didn't pan away and leave it up to our imaginations but went all in and I applaud it.

Things were recognizable from the novel (names, events, some vampire mythos). I was genuinely surprised that they marked Dracula's coffins with dragons and kept that he slept in dirt, since modern audiences probably wouldn't have known about these things. When we (modern audiences) hear "Dracula" we think it means "vampire" as opposed to "dragon", and we would likely expect Dracula's cargo to be velvet-lined coffins.

The opening scene (finding the ship at Whitby & the wagon train of the coffins) had me immediately invested and excited, and I was already looking forward to this movie (I chose it over Barbie lol).

The Captain's actor was phenomenal. He went all out when he was grieving Toby's death and he really didn't have to but I'm so glad he did. While the character itself wasn't consistent, the actor made it believable. He was strict and kind when he was sane, he was frantic and distraught when he was insane, and his moments of grief and hope were all palpable. Good choice.

"Oh my God it has wings" When I say I LAUGHED SO HARD

Honestly there were a lot of funny moments. Some were genuine to cut the tension and help build characters but being ND and desensitized to horror I don't know if I was supposed to laugh at some of them, like when the cook's dingy knocked against the side of the hull. And when vampire Toby jumped up.

The use of knocking was a cool addition. I enjoyed when they used it like when Toby was in trouble and when Dracula was messing with the two dudes on deck.

One of the key things of Dracula's personality is that yes - he can kill you in 10s - but he won't because he's a sadistic bastard that enjoys drawing it out and playing the wager to see if you'll die of fear before he can bite you. They absolutely captured it. Homie is purposeful in how he terrifies his victims before giving them a gruesome death.

I think the model ship they showed at the end was the original model ship for the Demeter in the 90's Dracula movie (or at least a nod to it), which is how this movie was started apparently. Nice touch.

The Grievances:

Dr Clemens was a mary sue. I'm sorry, there's no way around this. Man has bad main character syndrome. I can accept a black man fighting tooth and nail to graduate Cambridge top of his class and struggle in a world that won't see his abilities because they won't look past his skin color, but on top of that he's an astronomer, a sailer, a strategist, a detective, and everyone immediately falls in love with him? Hell, he cured Toby's [1] grief over losing his lifelong friend (Huck, the dog, who was MUTILATED) and [2] guilt for all the animals dying because it was his responsibility to take care of him, and [3] fear for whatever unknown thing did this, with a headpat and "sometimes shit happens and you can't do anything about it".

He took one look at Anna, Dracula's beef jerky ration, and immediately went "she has an infection, she needs a blood transfusion", then proceeded to give her repeated transfusions over several days and he was totally fine. Up running around and fighting vampires meanwhile in reality he would have been bedridden from lack of blood and possible complications from the procedures.

Also, why is he the only clean person? Everyone's covered in grime and blood and dude looks like he just walked out of a proactive commercial. Even when he's floating in the middle of the ocean for days with an open neck wound he looks like he was just in the shower. Compare it with the Captain's burns and the first thrall's face after banging the through a door and the dissonance just pulls me out of the movie.

Keeping him alive just to sequel bait. Just. Why. Hollywood, it's okay to kill your protagonist. 1912 did it really well. Plus, I personally wasn't invested enough in this character to want to see a sequel following his vendetta with Dracula. We already know about Jonathan and Van Helsing. You can make movies that stand alone. It's okay.

If you want to sequel bait why don't you have him delirious from being lost at sea for several days and end up at the asylum with Dr Seward and Renfield? That would actually be cool and you could still have Dracula show up to taunt him.

Also, in regards to Anna, while I think it was a cool idea to use her for lore dumping and as a surprise for the audience, I was disappointed with her. She had the potential to provide a lot of info and help fight Dracula but instead she had to be the "strong independent woman". I don't hate this trope (think about Ripley in Alien, or any of the women in the original novel) but it wasn't done well here. While it's cool to see her gain confidence and wield a gun against count bat boi I was really hoping she would provide more info like his weaknesses. She says "he ran out of food in my country" but we know this isn't *literally* true because we see people at the beginning. It's the fact her people knew how to keep Dracula away that he ran out of food and he decided to try greener pastures. You could bring up HOW they did that (religious tokens, garlic, silver, etc.).

Also when she does try to give info about Dracula it's still vague and meant to be mysterious. Bruh, you are locked on a boat with this monster and you know your only hope for survival is to flee or work together to get rid of him. Why are you not giving as much info and details as possible? Because that's what the script said bc the writers wanted to make dracula look cool by relying on the characters to say it? Okay.

This movie relies on a lot of telling instead of showing. It's like they don't trust their audience to pay attention or understand what's going on. The only time I legit felt they showed and not told (lol) was when the Captain asked if what happened to the animals could be transmitted to humans and Dr Clemens lied and said no. You could see in the actor's face the inner monologue of telling the truth vs preventing chaos. It was nice and gave more info about the character than him actually yelling his life history at the first mate.

It also suffers from the writers trying to make every scene be memorable. There are too many times characters say things because it sounds cool or would be good in the trailer rather than because it makes sense for the character to say that.

Honestly all the characters fall flat for me (besides the captain who's character is treated like a pinball). They're all archetypes rather than people. The protagonist. The independent woman. The racist drunkard. The child. The religious guy. The guy that makes obscene jokes. The only names I know are Toby, Dr Clemens, and Anna. Bc they get said a lot as opposed to me actually caring about them.

On that note, I am definitely biased because I loved the Captain's log from the novel, but I wish that this was from the Captain's pov, culminating in him tying himself to the wheel and dying from shock or exposure like in the book. Then Whitby.

On that note, I am still upset that they used modern vampire mythos yet again for Dracula. In the book the Captain dies after being taunted for days by Dracula after tying himself to the wheel, only possible because the rosary in his hand protects him. It's a noble but horrific sacrifice made of fear and a duty to not let the evil on the ship reach land. In this movie, however, he reaches the wheel and dies because the rosary has no power over Dracula (it's also how Toby dies).

Oh, also the sun kills vampires. How do we know? Because occasionally some people turn into vampires, but only when it's convenient for the plot (looking at you, Anna). Why don't they use this against Dracula and dump the dirt box they know he's sleeping in during the day? Who knows. But they wasted a lot of potential to play on the audience's expectations (rather than giving into them) by using Dracula during the day. Y'know what's scarier than a vampire picking off your crew at night? A vampire picking off your crew at ANY time when you only expect it at night because SURPRISE sunlight just doesn't let him crawl in lizard fashion.

Are you seriously telling me Dracula sustained himself off of Anna for several weeks, and then decided to slaughter the crew mere days before the boat docked? Yes, he was weak bc of it but I don't think the director knows how blood works (see Dr Clemens's transfusion issue). Also, if that's the case, how did Anna not suffocate in her dirt box for hours on end for weeks? Just fill the other 48 crates with dead people and say Anna was the last caprisun in the box and it would make more sense.

Also, why have their last hurrah be the day before they reach Whitby? It made the movie seem too fast; it felt like it only took a week to get from Transylvania to England. Why not find Anna early on, then disperse the crew member deaths across a couple weeks like in the novel? It would help with the suspense and you could have the Captain tie himself to the wheel then let us experience the time passing after he dies so the audience has a moment to sit with the deaths and feel hopeless. Bc that's what the role of the Demeter is, story-wise. It's supposed to make us afraid of Dracula and feel hopeless in his presence. Not give us hope and make him into our rival we have the possibility to get revenge on. That's what our dear friend Jonathan is for.

Dracula never takes human form. Why do all adaptations refuse to give him his bushy mustache? COWARDS.

Okay, he *sort of* takes human form. But they really just put him in a waistcoat and top hat then expected us to believe that showed he was cunning. You literally said he's both man and beast then only show the beast. One of Dracula's main appeal is that he's clever and his sadistically human traits are the only thing preventing him from immediately ripping you to shreds. And he can pass as human, so he could be anyone. Yet we only see the beast part.

While this movie was fun to watch, it comes off more as a gruesome drama or action movie than a horror. I never really feel any suspense or dread. Compare it to Alien which had the same situation. Alien did such a good job of making you feel scared and claustrophobic when you're surrounded by the vastness of space (in this case, the ocean) and being hunted down by an intelligent monster. I was watching this to see how Dracula killed people rather than seeing how they struggled to survive.

I can believe this movie was in production hell not just because of the writing but some errors. In one scene, the Captain's burn is on the right side of his face but there's a close-up cut and suddenly it's on the left side like someone flipped the screen. And this is just one error out of a couple. No Starbucks cups tho.

It sounds like I don't like this movie because of all of my nit-picking grievances, but I really did like it. I think my issues are just because my expectations were too high going in. I was expecting a loyal expansion of an underappreciated segment of a classic novel, which is really rare these days. And a *suspenseful* horror.

I see why Guillermo del Toro and Stephen King suggested it. It's pretty similar to their stuff, just more fast-paced. So if you like that stuff and Until Dawn I think you'll really enjoy it.

[faffreux]

;-; your love for fawful is genuinely so comforting to me, as in it makes me feel better about my own feelings with my romantic relationship with a fictional character (one that has been much more intense and like, Real (realized i'm ficto thanks to her for example) than past ones, and our 1st anniversary (of hopefully many) is very soon(sept 1st ^-^)!! also idk why my brain is yelling at me to mention this but she and i are lesbians btw, aha <3).

but anyway, especially with those couple anons you answered recently, i resonated with them a lot... having consistent n logical dreams about my love, seeing her in things in my daily life in such a way that it makes me feel loved *by* her and even watched over by her, being able to feel her comfort somehow, and so on... it feels so amazing, especially as someone that thought it would never find a romantic partner despite wanting one badly. she may be fictional, but the feelings are real, and it's so so so nice..💖

so basically just... thank you for sharing your love n relationship like this. i'm sure i'm not the only one that feels this way... my steam for words is running out(i feel this ask is already rather poorly worded orz) im sorry so just. thank you thank you a million times thank youuuu 🥺💖💖💖

OMG YOU'RE SO WELCOME I'M SO GLAD I COULD HELP??? I HOPE YOUR WEEK IS FULL OF SUNSHINE AND I MEAN THAT ONE HUNDRED FOLD OK

Thank you for sharing!! I don't have a huge response atm bc I'm getting ready for work but this means a lot to hear! ngl I get really excited when I open my inbox and see a message this long LOL

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this is kind of random but i just wanna say i love that you appreciate genshin's music. it's often overlooked but they really do have some great soundtracks 💕

wahhhhhh ty that means a lot especially bc it does kinda feel like i'm just yelling in a corner over here sometimes HAHAHA

although tbf I don't think genshin's music is overlooked if anything its one of its strongest points and the only thing that's consistently praised (lol) but yeah in terms of like. daily fandom life you only really see people talk about it when an album drops and even then a looooooot of the overworld tracks in particular are definitely overlooked