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Just thinking about how completely isolated Jonathan is and how he has discovered that there are horrors upon horrors in this huge empty castle he is trapped in and he has no way to tell anyone and he has no way of knowing if he will ever escape and yet he continues to keep a record just in case.

Sorry, that may have been a run-on sentence.

There is a strange optimism in his journaling, which he seems to be doing only for himself and for Mina. So does his love for her keep him going? Or is it just that he has to do something or he knows he'll go completely mad?

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And now we meet Miss Lucy Westenra. Right off the bat we see that she is young and innocent and very obviously twitterpated with Mr. Arthur Holmwood! She finds Mr. Hollywood's doctor friend to be a friend indeed and a perfect catch for Miss Mina, if not for the fact that Mina is marrying our friend Jonathan Harker.

A thing I find fascinating is that, although I have never seen any movie adaptations of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," if I am to understand correctly, the movies portray Lucy as the exact opposite of young and innocent and maybe even a little naïve. How I would love to see a movie that is true to her character!

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I love how absolutely devoted to one another Mina Murray and Jonathan Harker are.

That's all for today. Just that.

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What meant the giving of the crucifix, of the garlic, of the wild rose, of the mountain ash? Bless that good, good woman who hung the crucifix round my neck! for it is a comfort and a strength to me whenever I touch it. It is odd that a thing which I have been taught to regard with disfavour and as idolatrous should in a time of loneliness and trouble be of help.

I'm really chewing on this line from Jonathan's diary. I spent a few years as a traveling lay Minister for my church and there were many times that people of other faiths would pray with us or for us. Some in my group were disdainful of this (never in public, thank goodness!), but I often felt that there was a spiritual strength that came from their acts of faith, even if they were not my own.

This was also true when my friend would invite me to join his family for Seder and other meals or when I went to his Bar Mitzvah and I was a part of their religious rites. Or when my friend invited me to join his family for Eid.

Do we appreciate the gifts of others faith traditions? Or do we, as some folks in some social media groups I'm in, openly mock the sincere expression of faith and concern? (Yes, I'm talking about you, people who refer to God as "Sky Daddy" and you, people who mock Latter-day Saints by talking about multiple wives, a practice that ended over 125 years ago and was only engaged in by a small percentage of Mormons in the first place, and you, people who insult Catholics by accusing them of being pedophiles.)

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The Count is evil. Absolutely, completely, unequivocally. And yet he has portrayed himself to our friend Jonathan Harker as a kind, inquisitive, perhaps eccentric but generally harmless fellow with a strange aversion to mirrors.

This makes Jonathan's entrapment all the more terrifying. At some point he will realise that this strange old man from Transylvania is not his friend or even his employer but rather his captor and his tormentor.

It also gives me pause as I wonder how often abusers follow this pattern. I have even more empathy for those who find themselves trapped in an incredibly dangerous situation.

"Why didn't they leave?" others will ask.

Because they didn't know until it seemed too late. All the more reason to gave friends to rally to support without judgement!

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It is late but I just want to note that I find it fascinating that Jonathan is repeatedly warned by all of the locals to stay as far away from Dracula as possible and he dismisses them all as quaintly superstition but he still accepts their various wards and protections because he senses something is truly off about this entire business trip he's been sent on.

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Reading today's Dracula Daily entry reminded me of a question I had a while back: What makes holy/sacred relics/totems effective wards against vampires?

I see four possible options:

1. The belief in the individual wielding it gives it power.

2. The belief in the individual giving it gives it power.

3. The belief in the monster encountering it gives it power.

4. The thing itself has inherent power.

When the lady in the inn gives Jonathan a crucifix necklace (maybe a rosary?), he clearly states that he views it as idolatrous rather than holy. I'm not convinced that option 4 is valid, as we have the many stories of vampires sleeping in crypts in cemeteries and I wouldn't think they'd be able to enter or exit with the number of religious symbols all about.

So that leaves us with option 2 or 3. I'm inclined to think that it is most likely option 2. But that makes me wonder: could an announced effigy of a vampire be used to destroy the monster remotely?

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Why hello there, my friend Jonathan! I am so glad that you have discovered paprika!

I love your trains of thought: If the trains are punctual in London, an hour late in Munich and Buda-Pesth, do they just continually run later the further east you go?!

I am also delighted that, from the very start, you are thinking of how you can share your journeys with your beloved!

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Dracula Daily returns in two weeks, so I guess it is time to revive my Tumblr! I think I'm going to post responses to each day's readings this time around. Not worried about engagement or interactions; just doing this for me.

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I still can’t stop laughing about how much Johnathan and Arthur on the river sounds like a D&D campaign.

Arthur: we choose to go up the river. I’m proficient with boats

Stoker (the DM): I never thought that would be useful. Go ahead and roll

Arthur: 18

Stoker: You’re doing pretty well moving up the river, but the other boats don’t want to let you inspect their cargo.

Johnathan: We buy a Romanian flag and pretend to be Romanian officials.

Stoker: You’re… You’re both English. And you’re going to pretend to be from the Romanian government?

Johnathan: I rolled a nat 20 for intimidation

Arthur: I rolled a nat 20 for deception

Stoker:… okay. Everyone lets you inspect their boats no problem. You’re now the Romanian government

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Oh, so much more than a kingdom!

Five chapters into Mistborn: heist? This is a heist? Heisting a whole kingdom?

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I've never watched any of the screen adaptations and, at this point, I will not do so until this one comes into being.

One of these days, someone is finally going to create a faithful screen adaptation of Dracula. The found family will be prioritized. Dracula will be horrifying, not just alluring. There will be nods to the queer undertones and gender role fuckery of the book. All three suitors will be present and accounted for in all their bumbling, gun-totin', well-meaning glory. Mina Harker will be just as brilliant and sweet and badass as her book counterpart. Jonathan Harker will not be shoved to the side but recognized as the determined, devoted, strong character that he is. Lucy Westernra will not be reduced to a slut who got what she deserved and her loss will be profoundly felt in the narrative. There will one day be a screen adaptation of Dracula that recognizes that this story was never about him. Dracula is the name on the cover but it was never about him. It was about the kind, cunning, and brave group of friends who, when faced with unspeakable horror, came together and defeated it.

There will one day be a screen adaptation where Quincey Morris gets to kill Dracula.

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I simply cannot get over my despair that Mina continues to blame herself and believe she is unworthy of both her husband's love and God's love because the Count forced her to drink some of his blood. I am sure it was a common view on what constitutes sin (Krett, the view is still around today), but I just wish one of her wonderful male companions would tell her that what the Count did to her was not her choice and that she is still blameless and worthy of being loved.

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New suggestion for things to yell in frustration: Names of OTC health supplements.

Examples:

What the Flintstones' Vitamins is going on here??

Are you out of your CoQ10 mind?!

Holy Omega-3!!

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In this chunk of the Droughtula, I'd love to see all the documents we didn't get to read:

The diary of Mary, the maid the Harkers inherited from Mr Hawkins, wondering where on earth her new employers have gone.

The report from Patrick Hennessey, M. D., M. R. C. S. L. K. Q. C. P. I., etc., sent to assorted British embassies in the Balkans in the hope of finding Jack Seward somewhere, about the condition of patients in the asylum and the closed police case into the death of RM Renfield.

The notes from the lawyer that Dr Hennessey went to see, to figure out just how implicated he might be if - hypothetically, of course - Renfield had been murdered.

The gossip column noting the sudden departure from the country of the new Lord Godalming, presumably stricken by grief from the loss of his father and fiancée in short order, with some speculation about when this most eligible bachelor might be back on the market.

The postcard from Varna that Van Helsing sent to the colleagues he asked about vampire myths earlier in the year.

The letters between the said colleagues wondering why the hell Van Helsing is now in Varna and what does he mean, send more Communion Wafers and top up the dispensation??

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my new phone ringtone

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1000 posts!