#an exercise in horror

[peterlorres21stcentury]

On the topic of Peter Lorre impressions, and there are indeed many: here is a work from horror writer and absolute mad lad Arch Oboler, with a track from his 1962 record "Drop Dead! An Exercise in Horror."

Every story on this record is fun and even a bit chilling for the young horror fans out there, and it's all on Youtube if you want to hear it. However this is my favorite track because it reminds me of my own creepy cannibal creation, the PL-inspired thing who hungers, Torg. I created him before I ever heard this story, so I just about fell out of my chair the first time I listened.

me: Hey Torg, I think we found a long-lost member of your family.

Torg: You did? Oh how wonderful. ^_^

Of course Torg eats his victims whole, so perhaps it is not quite so gory as this recording, but still. Personally I find the entire track hilarious in a dark sort of way. The impressionist really struck that chord of pity in the midst of horror that only Peter could conjure, assuming Peter would agree to deliver a line like "I like to eat brains!"

[infernal-lamb]

Searching your eyes for the saint is an act of futility

something that's just been on my mind recently!

[obsob]

despite, despite, despite!!

[mysharona1987]

[brother-emperors]

DO NOT BE AFRAID

this is combining Ovid's Heroides and the Excidium Troie because I can't stop thinking of Hermes telling him not to be afraid. what the fuck!! Ares is wearing the crown that Paris gave him.

I have. thoughts. about Paris. he's almost got this Troilos parallel in my mind, that the event that defines him in detail exists in a lost narrative that we don't have (the Cypria), but everyone else knew. the event that defines Troilos is his death (murdered, butchered by Achilles, the violence of which haunts everything after. Achilles, child killer, you can't escape that!), and the event that defines Paris is the Judgement. what's a lost text but a kind of grave!!

idk I don't think that Paris before the Judgement would recognize himself after bc when you become god touched, it rearranges your guts. you become transformed in the worst way possible! how could you recognize yourself! but I also think that all the Parises after the Judgement would recognize each other because that event is so locked into the trauma of war and the scar it leaves on the land, it's like a scar on the narrative too. it exists like this forever, over and over again, so you exist like that forever too. Troy collects grief and despairs.

Troy as trauma: Reflections on intergenerational transmission and the locus of trauma, Andromache Karanika

and Paris is like. a miserable little god/corpse-puppet or something, like a match for the gods to throw onto gasoline.

The Excidium Troie + Ovid's Heroides:

Excidium Troie, trans. Muhammad Syarif Fadhlurrahman

Ovid, Heroides 16 (trans. Harold Isbell)

a collection of things regarding Paris that made me go 😬 but under a cut bc this is getting. very long.

The Divine Twins in Early Greek Poetry, Corolla Torontonensis

Iliad 24 and the Judgement of Paris, C.J. Mackie

Elegy and Epic and the Recognition of Paris: Ovid "Heroides" 16, Elizabeth Forbis Mazurek

Ennian Influence in "Heroides" 16 and 17, Howard Jacobson

Paris/Alexandros in the "Iliad", I. J. F. de Jong

[egophiliac]

Where can you play ride kamens? It looks fun looking at your blog but idk where to play

it'll doesn't start until the 30th, but there's some pre-release episodes/character bits that are scattered around the website and twitter! (the links to pre-reg/download are also on the website :D)

honestly I'm really enjoying it just based off of the pre-release stuff, these characters look like they're going to be exactly that blend of ridiculous and emotionally constipated that hits me so right.

[winkle-pickers]

listen i extremely need these two to be bitchy jogging buddies this is my ideal friendship dynamic for them!!!!!!!!!

[cryptwrites]

Poisons

Hello! I'm gonna share how I go about writing poisons and the things I think are helpful to keep in mind. Now, I have never actually poisoned someone - shocker - but I have done extensive research on the topic, so I would say I know a decent amount about how to effectively poison someone. Disclaimer: This is for writing purposes only, don't poison people. Thanks.

Keep In Mind:

Poisoners need little to no physical strength although they do need a strong sense of self control & nerves of steel. Shooting or stabbing someone takes a mere moment of consideration and is frequently the result of  a split second decision, while position requires dedication. Many poisons require a certain amount of time to work and the poisoner usually must administer several doses of poison in order to work. The poisoner also usually must be within close proximity to their victim and often will have to look them in the eye and engage with the person while the person slowly dies.

Exotic poisons can be more trouble than they’re worth. Importing exotic poisons leaves a trail for authorities to follow, and they require more research to correctly use.

Smart poisoners work with what they’ve got. The clever killer looks for drugs that are already in the victim’s medicine cabinet and that could be deadly. Read medical warning labels to get an idea of how to use them.

Poison can be used in ways that aren’t deadly. If the goal isn’t death, you can render someone dizzy or dopey, making a character vulnerable to a bad influence. 

Common Poisons

Hemlock: Poison hemlock comes from a large fern-like plant that bears a dangerous resemblance to the carrot plant. It was readily available for treating muscle spasms, ulcers, and swelling, but in large doses will cause paralysis and ultimately respiratory failure. 

Mandrake: It was used as a sedative, hallucinogen and aphrodisiac. Superstition mediaeval denizens believes when the vaguely human-shaped root was pulled out that plant gave a piercing shriek that would drive anyone to madness or death - hence the harry potter scene.

Arsenic: Arsenic comes from a metalloid and not a plant, unlike the others but it’s easily the most famous and is still used today. instead of being distilled from a plant, chunks of arsenic and dug up or mined. It was once used as a treatment for STDs , and also for pest control and blacksmiths, which was how many poisoners got access to it. It was popular in the Renaissance since it looked similar to malaria death, due to acute symptoms including stomach cramps, confusion, convulsions, vomiting and death. Slow poisoning looked more like a heart attack.

Nightshade: A single leaf or a few berries could cause hallucinations - a few more was a lethal dose. Mediaeval women used the juice of the berries to colour their cheeks, they would even put a few drops on their eyes to cause the pupils to dilate for a lovestruck look which is why Nightshade is also called ‘Belladonna’ or “Beautiful woman.” The symptoms include dilated pupils, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, tachycardia, loss of balance, staggering, headache, rash, flushing, severely dry mouth and throat, slurred speech, urinary retention, constipation, confusion, hallucinations, delirium and convulsions.

Aconite: This toxic plant, also called Monkshood or Wolfsbane, was used by indigenous tribes around the world as arrow poison. The root is the most potent for distillation. Marked symptoms may appear almost immediately, usually not later than one hour, and with large doses death is near instantaneous. The initial signs are gastrointestinal including nausea, and vomiting. This is followed by a sensation of burning, tingling, and numbness in the mouth and face, and of burning in the abdomen. In severe poisonings pronounced motor weakness occurs and sensations of tingling and numbness spread to the limbs. The plant should be handled with gloves, as the poison can seep into the skin.

If someones poisoning another:

The character should analyse the daily life of the target well before attempting to poison them. Note what sort of medicines they take, at what moments they are most vulnerable, how attentive they are to their surroundings, and so on.

Choose a poison that suits your needs. You need to be as discreet as possible and not arouse suspicion. Too dramatic and people will know something is up. Choose poisons that are easy to slip into meals/don't have to be administered constantly, or you could simply frame it as an overdose by using the target's own medicines.

Think of how you want to administer the poison. Some take effect through touch while some require being swallowed. Based on that, come up with a plan to poison your target.

Make sure everything corresponds with the plot and characters, and nothing becomes a plot hole. Don't have a typically nervous character be perfectly calm when thinking of poisoning. Don't poison someone just for the sake of it. Have everything tie back to the plot, your characters rarely should be poisonings someone just for the "cool" effect. Trust me, it doesn't actually have that effect and just comes off like lazy writing. Have your characters act in accordance with their personalities.

Research time periods and history when choosing poisons. Not all poisons were popular during the same time periods, and not all of them are native to the same geographical areas.

[thequantumranger]

Elizabeth Harvest (2018)

[twiyke]

emoji charadesign requests ✨✨

[thegreenhordes]

[A look at other happenings... The Princess Mourns.]

She sets down her notebook, puts away her diary, and sighs. The mirror she was provided shows her the sad face she wears. There is a moment of silence before Twilight turns from her reflection and moves her mane in an attempt to cover the bite on her neck. It is healing nicely at least, the bleeding ceasing long ago, all that is left are scabs. She hopes the wound does not scar.

?: Princess? A voice calls her, and she answers. Twilight: Yes, Doctor Tea?

Dr. Herbal Tea: The Subject's body is being brought in to begin the Autopsy. Twilight: Oh, I see. I'll watch from the window as discussed. Please talk aloud as you work, so that I know what is happening. Dr. Herbal Tea: Of Course, Your Majesty. Her nose wrinkles as she walks to the window, watching with sad eyes as one of the best and brightest of Ponyville's medical staff is rolled in on a slab. She hates when they speak in such formalities. Right now... Right now Twilight doesn't feel very much like a Princess. She doesn't feel like a Good Element of Harmony either. But she shouldn't dwell, she needs to focus. Nurse Redheart's body is placed gently on the operating table, her body looking wrong as ever. Twilight cringed at the sight of loose skin, torn at the mouth, and mangled legs.

Twilight: If it weren't for the bones and sagging skin, I'd have trouble telling she was infected at all. Dr. Herbal Tea: I suspect under cover of darkness, it would be nigh impossible until far too late. Twilight: Please begin the Autopsy, and gather infected samples. Dr. Herbal Tea: Yes, Princess. The Doctor turns to the dead Nurse, using his magic to pick up a scalpel.

Dr.: First incision... Note: Sagging Skin is thicker around chest and stomach. Opening subject RH-T3-01. Can confirm the presence of many large pustules.

Dr.: Very thin membrane.

Dr.: Odd. Organs appear mutated... Enlarged lungs, the heart seems swollen. Taking notes.

Dr.: Looking inside the mouth... Hm. The four Fang-Teeth at the back resemble snake fangs. Pulling Fangs for later examination.

[Do not get attached, we return to my last hope soon]

[aviul]

dentists love him

[redlettermediathings]

[severeweatheralert]

You know if Alice in Borderland 3 is set in the real world I really, really hope they give at least one character Borderlands-flashbacks that blend in with the real world to a near-seamless degree. Your subconscious is desperately trying to communicate that something happened. It was real.

No one else can see the firelight dancing across the carpet when you check into a hotel, and you can't feel the heat of it, anyway. No one else can see the vines choking out gleaming high rises or the moss covering the pavement in the reflection of your rear view mirror. No one can tell you why all the fruit in the supermarket smells rotten. No one can tell you why, when you throw open the curtains in the middle of the night after a particularly vivid nightmare, all of Tokyo is dark (except for one white spot in the distance, and you can almost taste the dread in the back of your throat).

That is, until you meet someone you almost recognize.

[poindexters-labratory]

He needs some TLC

Day three of @miiilowo's fnaftober: Out of Sight

[keyofjetwolf]

So far 2024 has seen me knocked flat by a cold, but hey, enabled my first book of the year to start and finish!