#and other gothic hallmarks

[landwriter]

💌 and 💞 for the fic writer asks

Thank you!

💞What's the most important part of a story for you? The plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language For sure it's the characters! Obviously all parts are important but it's the relationships and development of characters that really drives me up the wall and gives me the brainworms that make me write. Stylistic elements are also dearly beloved, and I don't think I could ever share anything that didn't feel, to me, like I'd written it the way it needed to be written in terms of language - the sound and feeling and pacing of it, I guess? I spend WAY too much time polishing language. Like, plot is the plot, worldbuilding is the worldbuilding, pacing is pacing, but god help me if I do not have the right-feeling adjective. Finding good sentences gives me so much joy.

💌Share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited! Starting to flesh out possibilities and plans for an ambitious WIP that I think technically will constitute a Gothic mystery? Never thought I'd be writing Gothic fiction or a mystery. I don't have a clue what I'm doing but I'm v stoked. Creeping unease, increasing claustrophobia and dread, things aren't what they seem, etc etc. The past haunting the present! Also because it's me there is still of course the theme of The Power Of True Love etc which - lit majors correct me - is not an element of Gothic fiction hahaha. But very very excited for this one!

[obsidian-pages777]

Pick a Card: Your own Persephone and Hades Love Story

Left to right- 1->3

Introduction

This reading will give you, your own personalized rendition of a love story as if it were inspired and based on the mythology of Persephone and Hades. These two mythological entities were famously known to have had a deep, profound and, also to mention, a rocky ride of a journey in love. If you are interested in this Gothic theme of a potential love life , pick one of the piles above.

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Pile 1:

To represent your relationship you received The Lovers. This card signifies a deep and meaningful connection. Your love story will be one of profound passion and mutual respect. Just like Persephone and Hades, your bond will be transformative for the better as the Strength card showed up as well. You will both bring out the best in each other, finding balance in your differences.

To represent the challenge you will face in your love story you have received The Eight of cups, Wheel of Fortune reversed and the Nine of Wands. This indicates sudden change and upheaval. There will be challenges and disruptions, but they will serve to strengthen your relationship. Much like Persephone’s abduction, these challenges will lead to a new and stronger foundation for your love. There will have to be a letting go, loss and simply regrouping your strength so that it makes way for a refreshed energy. You might leave something important to you for this relationship to occur. This might not feel like the correct decision at first but you decide it is anyway.

To represent the sweet progression of your love story you have received the Page of Swords, Ace of Cups and Four of Wands. These cards bring hope and inspiration. After overcoming obstacles, your love story will be one of healing and renewal. You will have a reason to celebrate this journey with a beautiful gesture of commitment, such as a well thought out and creative proposal made by your partner to you. It could even be a destination wedding or an intimate and romantic engagement party of sorts that will be one that happens to be the hallmark of your relationship in the eyes of many, since there might have been speculations regarding the longevity of your connection because of your previously mentioned challenges. You will both emerge stronger and more connected, finding joy and fulfillment in each other's company.

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Pile 2

To represent the beginning of your profound love connection you have received The High Priestess. This card symbolizes intuition and mystery. Your love story will be marked by a deep, almost mystical connection. You will both understand each other on a profound level, much like Persephone and Hades, whose love was rooted in the underworld's secrets.

Secondly you received the card of Hades himself The Death. This card signifies transformation and new beginnings. Your relationship will go through significant changes, shedding old patterns and evolving into something entirely new. Just as Persephone's life changed when she became queen of the underworld, your love will transform you both. You might feel that this person has an air of intimidation to them. Despite your reluctant nature to consider the longevity of this connection as certain, you might still be drawn to them as though you are influenced by a mysterious force beyond your control. I feel as though this is a connection that your ancestors would require you to have this lifetime.

Thirdly and most conveniently you have received The Temperance card and The Two of Cups. These cards represent balance and harmony. Despite the changes and challenges, your relationship will find a beautiful equilibrium. You will both learn to blend your energies, creating a partnership that is both peaceful and powerful. After all you see each other eye to eye. There is a rightful place in each others hearts made just for the both of you.

================================================================================================

Pile 3

To start things off you have received The Ace of Pentacles and Six of Cups. These cards symbolize abundance and nurturing. Your love story will be one of growth, both emotionally and perhaps even physically. Like Persephone's role in the cycle of life and death, your relationship will be a source of renewal and creativity. You will feel that this connection is a fresh start for your life. You might have met this person before once upon a time, whether you recall it or not.

You have also received The Devil card. This card indicates temptation and passion. Your relationship will be intense and possibly a bit tumultuous, with strong desires and deep emotional ties. However, like Persephone and Hades, you will find strength in your connection, learning to navigate the darker aspects of love. Since this card speaks for itself there is not a necessity for another pull regarding the main challenge to be faced.

The Justice card is present here, it brings fairness and truth. Further you have received The two of Pentacles. Your love story will ultimately be one of balance and justice, where both partners are seen and valued equally. Just as Persephone balanced her time between the underworld and the earth, your relationship will find its own harmonious rhythm. There will be compromises made with proper communication as shown by the presence of the Ace of Swords to end off the reading.

[claudiablogger]

posting abt soulmatism on main got me thinking abt iwtv. and how the reason it ends up working so well as a gothic romance is because it succumbs to the delights and the violence of what it means to be soulmates......what it means to be made for someone you may not be meant to be with. s2 e8 like when louis said I could feel him a presence in the theater a chill on the back of my neck. and immediately follows it up with it had all the hallmarks of a hallucination. you spend an hour with him and your hearts are beating in sync together. the show makes it very very clear that despite the unique relationship b/w a maker and their fledgling (i feel you louis. i feel you too madeleine) and the comfort and understanding that comes with spending several decades with someone (it's me and you. you and me) neither of these are simply prerequisites for this kind of deeply physical bond that pulls louis to lestat over and over--and it isn't just love, which is strong: the show goes out of its way to describe the ineffable incorporeal yet sexual thrall in which both louis and lestat clearly have each other, regardless of the power imbalance, regardless of the bitterness. iwtv is doing soulmatism studies, the comfort and the horror of being pulled towards someone or something you want over and over and not having the power to say no. and the relief in giving in, when if it were your choice--you'd have to desist.

[escapedaudios]

Long post! (Discussing Gothic Horror, Der Wolfsjäger, Werewolves, and why I love all of these things) I love Gothic horror, the aesthetic, of ruin, the haunting atmosphere, and the feeling that something old and dangerous and powerful lingers just outside of sight. The biggest aesthetic hallmark of Gothic horror is probably the lone decaying castle, this haunting vestige of the past intruding on our present day idea of normalcy and safety. But there's another aspect of Gothic horror that isn't as prominent that I have an affinity for.

I like the primal side of it. Statues inscribed with symbols no one can read anymore devoured by vines and fallen leaves. I like the beastly and barbaric side of that haunting feeling. That strange hereditary reminder of a time when forests were endless and dark with little refuge for man. Enter the werewolf. I am fascinated by the idea of people, even against their will, being returned to this savage state. I think most humans have an inherent discomfort with the idea that we are animals. We are fragile, we hunger, we are made of soft flesh that can be devoured.

Remembering that we are no more than animals somehow reminds us of a time we didn't exist in. That time when the forests were endless and we were few. It's frightening, it makes us feel small, it takes away our sense of control and safety. It shatters our delusions of power. But there's also something cathartic about completely immersing yourself in the things that make your afraid and uncomfortable. The Gothic werewolf is symbolic of this. The man living among us who has completely submitted to the brutal nature that still exists in all of us.

I say Gothic werewolf as a distinction from other kinds of more sympathetic, palatable, and less horror-centric werewolves. The Gothic werewolf is haunting. He's cunning and cruel. He does not see human life as special or valuable. He never stops being a wolf, even when in the form of a human.

I adore this. It's also one of the things that makes the Werewolves in my writing special. They don't see themselves as humans who become wolves, they see themselves as something completely different. They're characterized by their sickening disdain for civilization. In Matador Gothic when Alfonso asks Rampage to reveal his true fork he rebukes him, telling him that his wolf form *is* his true form. Mondheulers in Der Wolfsjäger wait patiently for the full moon, waiting to kill again, sometimes killing and maiming impulsively even as humans.

Blutschreibers in Der Wolfsjäger have to spend over a decade in the wild as wolves before they gain the ability to transform back into humans. This return to feral barbarism, and the allure of giving into it, is what gives them their flavor. The Blutschreibers are particularly unique, not only in the sense that they are haunted by spirits, but because underneath all of their barbarism and savagery there is a frightening level of intelligence and cunning that we as humans find frightening in something so animalistic.

We see barbarism as beneath our intellect. Something we left behind in the past for more intellectual and sophisticated virtues. Seeing something as intelligent as us, if not more, rip flesh and wield brutal strength is disturbing not only for its physical danger, but in the way it assaults our comforting worldview.

I'm excited for all the neglected and untapped potential for werewolf horror in audio roleplay. I'm writing Der Wolfsjäger with renewed enthusiasm now. Have fun! And remember, if you see a wolf in the wild, he always saw you first.

[umholy]

hey guys. here are some plots that have been heavy on my mind and i would love to write them out. please, before you reach out to me/like this post, make sure you read my guidelines under the read more in the pinned post. the bolded muse is the one want to play.

havana rose liu x opp — camp counselors but make it slasher, or the quarry inspired.

muse a lives in a rural town and odd shit starts happening to her — stigmata, she starts healing people with a touch, she starts having visions of the immediate future — and the setting of the town is southern gothic vibes, which means that she is ruled as a freak by some and as an immaculate miracle by other religious freaks. enter muse b, who is a journalist or priest sent by the vatican to investigate. — stigmata and the unholy inspired.

emma d'arcy x opp — muse a is the lead singer of a rock band who is touring the united states when they meet muse b (can be their fan, they can meet by chance at a festival, can also be an actress) and their connection is immediate and undeniable. this plot is meant to navigate the ups and downs of their relationship filled with angst, jealousy and love. we can make them toxic and intense, all wrapped in fame background that puts them under a microscope.

hallmark-inspired plots with plenty of smut.

mxwxw ship where a married couple pays especial interest in their best friend's daughter, or a couple who goes out and hooks up with a woman but they are both so infatuated with her the next morning they end up sending a text to make sure she got home okay.

muse a is a billionaire stuck in a loveless marriage and as he and his wife try to make one last effort to save their marriage they decide to have a baby via surrogacy. enter muse b, who will be their live-in surrogate and surprise, surprise, they end up falling in love. plenty of sneaking around, and angst, not to mention the baby.

anything with stepcest where we can develop a good plot surrounding it. the angst & sneaking around being real.

muse a is married to muse b's brother, but she is the portrait of a neglected housewife. it all changes when muse a and muse b start spending more and more time together until they develop enough feelings for one another to start an affair behind the brother's and entire family's back.

roommates with feelings but add a lot of drama.

dad's best friend x opp, that's it.

anything forbidden.

i really need historical plots, too.

son's girlfriend x boyfriend's mom/stepmother.

muse a comes into muse b's kingdom and seizes it ruthlessly bringing muse b back to his land as his future queen. when time passes, what feels like a prison starts feeling like freedom and his bruteness melts around her softness. — would love to play either hannah dodd, anna sawai or emily bader.

muse a and muse b are star-crossed lovers, but it just happens that fate recycles over and over again and muse b always dies before they can have their forever. muse a is the immortal being fated to search for muse b in just about every reincarnation and tries to love her from afar but always ends up coming closer.

[asgardian--angels]

anyway seeing people on iwtvtwt being legitimately upset/put off by the previews for ep 7 baffle me, im looking around the room like i thought we were all here to revel in this fucked up vampire love story which is, and I cannot stress enough, fucked up

I mean I'm obviously not seeing this from book fans but, it just is wild to me that show-only fans are somehow having a moment of 'whoa this is so messed up are they really going to xyz? I don't know if I can handle this' or even that they aren't going to watch it

did you miss the part where lestat literally dragged louis by the jaw in a trail of blood down the alleyway, or when lestat stone cold threatened to grind claudia's bones into dust if she didn't get back in her cage for louis's so-called happiness, or any number of the other pretty fucked up stuff in s1? let alone the very bonkers messed up stuff in the books? I just. We literally already had a scene in s2 where Louis hallucinates Lestat telling Louis to kill him because that's the only way Louis knows how to love, followed by Louis actually smashing his skull over and over against a stone wall only to realize he killed a random innocent person instead. That kind of fucked up is the expectation for this season.

Look, eps 7-8 are going to be intense, but still well within the realm of what's established in the show and certainly within the wide wide realm of the anne rice books. The show goes some very dark places emotionally and physically, and that's critical to the point of the show itself. Will it be tragic, and unfair, and brutal? Absolutely, as it was in the book. We cannot stop that Titanic from hitting the iceberg - Claudia will die and we cannot prevent it, but Armand could have and did not. There will be senseless cruelty, and mind games, and dark acts of rage and revenge. This is gothic horror and gothic romance, and I just don't think anyone should be genuinely surprised by what that entails.

Most of all, I just absolutely do not want to see any negativity towards the show after this episode, any 'how could you's or 'this was sick and disgusting' or animosity towards writers, cast, crew, etc. Do Not. This is not the show to be asking for, or expecting, violence or tragedy to be toned down, or major plot points like Claudia's death to be somehow changed. You do not need to have read the books to love this show, but it is imperative to acknowledge the show echoes the books in both content and tone, and that it does not shy away from those dark venturings is a hallmark of an excellent adaptation of an iconic series.

Anyways I am kind of apprehensive of going on Twitter after this episode, because I just want to revel in my feelings and not have to deal with or even think about other people's myopic grievances. This episode is going to make me lose my mind in the best of ways, and the more fucked up it is, the better. I want to see everything unravel, I want to see things in the present day come to a head, I want to see Lestat being made to condemn his sister-daughter to death, I want to feel Louis's sorrow and helplessness and rage when he cannot save her. Let's just have a good time, alright? We're not here because we want a happy show where everyone turns out alright in the end, we want a story that is compelling and complex and tragic and reflective.

basically everytime i see these twitter opinions i just remember jacob anderson in full burnt prosthetics singing jones barbecue and foot massage

[rruhlreviews]

Book Review - The Shining by Stephen King

This is the first Stephen King novel I’ve read, and fittingly, I read it during the largest snowstorm I’ve seen in a few years—though not nearly as severe as the blizzards that entrap the Torrance family in the Overlook. It was an excellent introduction to his body of work. Since I write gothic horror, reading The Shining has helped me to learn more about the broader canon of the subgenre, especially since my experience thus far has primarily been the foundational stories of the nineteenth century, such as Carmilla and the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The Shining, written and set in 1977, enhanced my horror experience as I had a closer cultural connection to the fears explored in the story. Small details down to the sad song Seasons in the Sun on the radio made the threats feel close to home. I believe this is why it had such mass appeal, as a reinvigorated take on a classic subgenre. Divorce, generational trauma, economic depression, and the undercurrent of racial relations are easy for the contemporary reader to connect with, and this is still true almost fifty years later in 2024.

Regardless of the year of setting, The Shining contains the hallmark elements of gothic horror: an isolated location, missed opportunities for escape, loss of sanity, and haunting. The characters not only physically trapped in the Overlook, but emotionally trapped with each other, and it’s the latter that makes the story captivating. Jack fears becoming his father, Wendy fears becoming her mother, and both fear upsetting their son with a divorce, which keep them entangled in their failing marriage. Through the narrative, their resentment for each other is as palpable as the steam building up in the boiler, a ticking time bomb. This is what I consider to be the most masterful element of the novel and the reason it remains so popular: a sense of subtle, creeping dread and psychological tension.

The first 250 pages were difficult for me to remain interested in, if I’ll be honest, but I kept reading because of the little hints. I could not put the book down for the last 200 pages. My own gothic novel has a slower pace, and something I had been recently struggling with was feeling like I needed more glamour and action to convey dread, but The Shining is titillatingly creepy with a thousand little threads that weave together in a web to ensnare the reader’s curiosity. The introduction of the story teases a climax that is paid off in full at the end. In addition to the main suspense around “redrum,” the recurring symbol of the wasps stood out to me. The first major supernatural occurrence at the Overlook was the resurrection of the hive, Jack connects the wasp nest with his abusive father and the cycle of trauma, and the entity dying at the end is compared to a swarm. The novel is neatly bookended, starting with Wendy and Danny together in a normal day, and ending with Wendy and Danny together in a new type of normal. I do personally prefer horror stories with hope at the end.

After gaining experience with formulaic mysteries and thrillers—which I do enjoy, don’t get me wrong—I love a suspenseful novel that is not predictable. Despite knowing nothing was going to allow the family to leave the Overlook, there were times I had hope Jack would snap out of it, and I really thought it wouldn’t be possible—but then he did at the very end to complete his goal of saving his family. I could not predict if Dick was going to make it to Colorado and survive to the end of the novel, and that perilous journey up the Rockies in a blizzard may be one of the most harrowing things I’ve ever read—and he fought not only the winter, but racial profiling. Another touch of realism to bring the fear home. I was convinced Wendy and Jack were going to kill each other, but Jack was the only one not to escape the Overlook. The novel kept me guessing and I felt real fear and disgust, especially when the dead woman in the tub was first revealed and when Jack was hunting Wendy in the scene made famous by the movie. A successful horror story indeed. My hope for my own writing is to make a reader feel such raw emotion and concern for a character.

As for criticism, I’m unsure how I felt about the third person omniscient point of view. I believe we needed all the viewpoints offered to get a full picture of the story told, but at times, the perspective seemed to shift midsentence and the style wasn’t the most readable. From a gender lens, something I could’ve gone without was how the novel paused to mention what every woman’s chest felt or looked like. It’s not unexpected for a male author in the seventies but it did take me out of the narrative. If I had a shot every time the word “nipple” appeared, I probably would have about five shots, which is, in my humble opinion, too many for a story without a romantic focus.

If The Shining was written by an unknown author in 2024, I feel like it wouldn’t have been allowed to have such a slow start or have a length of 500 pages. The market has changed since 1977 for an audience with a much shorter attention span. The first page is Jack’s dislike for his new boss. It doesn’t have the hook demanded by modern readers. Yet the first chapter foreshadows the rest of the novel, and right away, we know Jack will try to kill his family like the former caretaker. The narrative may meander at times like a mountain road, but it delivers. King keeps his promises to the audience in The Shining, which is what makes the book and him as an author so successful.

[medievalthymes]

Hi, Sarah! Can you please make a list of your favorite books of 2022? I really appreciate your recommendations

aww for sure i can!

this was kinda a shit year for reading for me because i was finishing off my undergrad, i only got around to reading like 60 books rather an the 100 i wanted to, but there was definitely still some gems in there.

1. mexican gothic - silvia moreno-garcia

good old-fashioned gothic thriller

very atmospheric

anything moreno-garcia writes i will read so also check out their other books as well

2. wolf and the woodsman - ava reid

jewish representation

if you liked the winternight trilogy you'll like this one

again very dark and atmospheric, excellent winter vibes. a good one for this time of year.

the romance is top tier

2. a dead djinn in cairo - p. djèlí clark

fun novella

super quick read

setting is egypt 1912, steampunk alternate universe. top-notch world building

intriguing mystery

4. the long way to a small, angry planet - becky chambers

cozy space opera with an interspecies cast

good lgbt rep, a bit of romance. found family trope

part of a series but can be read as a standalone

while light it still manages to touch on some important issues and topics

5. the six deaths of the saint - alix e. harrow

another novella, only 30 pages but jesus this one packs a punch. feels like an epic novel. probably my favourite on this whole list.

historical fantasy

beautiful prose

on kindle unlimited, if you have that

i'm not going to go into any more detail because i don't want to spoil it but seriously. this is 30 pages, go read it and then come back and scream about it with me

6. lovelight farms - b.k borison

cutest fucking romcom i've read in a while

hallmark movie vibes but not cringy

MC owns a christmas tree farm, and in order to win a contest to get more publicity for the farm she asks her best friend to be her fake boyfriend. shenanigans ensue.

friends to lovers, mutual pining, fake dating. what more could you want?

happy reading!!

[usagirotten]

Nocturne Season 2 Trailer Unveiled: A Dark Symphony Awaits

Netflix has just dropped the highly anticipated trailer for Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2, and fans of the gothic horror series are in for a treat. Set to premiere in January 2025, the new season promises to delve deeper into the dark and twisted world of Richter Belmont and Alucard as they face their most formidable foes yet.  The trailer teases a thrilling story continuation with stunning visuals and intense action sequences that have become a hallmark of the Castlevania franchise. Viewers can expect a blend of horror, drama, and epic battles as the characters navigate the treacherous landscape of the French Revolution, where vampires and other supernatural creatures lurk in the shadows. Key Highlights from the Trailer: - Richter Belmont’s Return: The legendary vampire hunter is back, ready to face new challenges and enemies. - Alucard’s Symphony: The enigmatic Alucard joins forces with Richter, creating a powerful duo against the forces of darkness. - New Villains: The trailer hints at new antagonists who will push our heroes to their limits. - Epic Battles: Expect more of the intense, beautifully animated fight scenes that fans love. As the release date approaches, excitement is building among fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the Castlevania saga. With its rich storytelling and captivating visuals, Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 is set to be a must-watch for both longtime followers and newcomers to the series. Stay tuned for more updates, and prepare for a dark symphony of adventure and horror this January. Read the full article

[mermaidsirennikita]

What are your favorite accidental pregnancy (oops baby) books?

HMMMM

These aren't all the books I love with oops babies, but they're all books I love wherein the oops baby is a big plot trigger versus an additive, if that makes sense?

Deep by Kylie Scott is a contemporary rockstar romance where the oops is the whole plot. The heroine is the new sister in law of one of the hero's bandmates (so basically, this is a best friend's brother angle) and she's been flirting hard and trying to seduce the bass player for a whiiile, but he's decently older (she's early 20s, he's late 20s, he's lives a lot of life and she's a coed) and trying to honor the bro code so he resists... until they have a one night stand. It ends badly (hurt feelings) so it's radio silence. uNTIL LOL. One of my favorite pregnancy reveals in a romance novel EVER, it's RIDICULOUSLY dramatic and comical and the entire plot is him having to learn how to show the fuck up for her.

Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret. This one has a super nerdy but also stern glasses-wearing duke end up in this cat and mouse situation, chasing the heroine across Europe because he THINKS she stole something from him... Anyway, they sleep together, it's amazing, then they get separated and he thinks she ditched him.... And a couple years later, they run into each other and she has a souvenir from the adventure, as it were. So it's like. Part oops baby, part secret baby. So fun, so hot, so great.

The Recruit by Monica McCarty. My favorite Highland Guard book (thus far). They hook up while she's pretending to be a servant girl, and he says something that really pisses her off. So when her true identity (the woman Robert the Bruce wanted him to marry) is revealed, she's like "yeah it's a no on the marriage" and they part ways. But like, four or five months later they see each other again and he realizes she's pregnant and is like "OH HELL NO" and forces her to marry him lmao

Jane Goes Wild by Farah Heron is like, the aftermath of the oops? The hero and heroine have this amazing flign at the beginning of the book, they're head over heels for each other... and she finds out he's married. And then she finds out she's pregnant. Five years later, they've made it work, he's divorced, they're co-parenting and it's civil but they only see each other when they absolutely must. Until... they both end up at the same destination wedding, and they're both in the wedding party. Feelings ensue!

A Holly Jolly Ever after by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone. The heroine is a former child star who's recently divorced and starring in a sexy Hallmark Christmas type movie with a former boy bander. She actually has never gotten there~, and she ends up enlisting him to teach her a thing or two. It ends up becoming a hook up situationship, and.... OOPS happens. This one is so hot, so funny, and so authentically emotional (with smart critiques of purity culture).

Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young. Two strangers meet at a Halloween party, hook up in her friend's guest bedroom, and oops, now there's a baby. This one is really heartfelt and character-centric, and one thing that makes it extra special is that both leads have limb differences! (As does the author.)

The Music of Love by S.M. LaViolette. A mysterious woman gets hired by an arguably more mysterious rich man to be his piano teacher. Issue is, they're stupid attracted to each other, which leads to them hooking up almost immediately... and now she's pregnant. But he's actually pretty honorable and feels bad about knocking his employee up, so ARRANGE THE MARRIAGE! This is so Gothic and OTT in the best way, I adore it. The hero also has albinism (hence him not leaving his house often, he's treated horribly by society and he does genuinely need to stay out of the sun) which I haven't read in any other romance novel. Also. His name is Eustace. But he's called STACY. And that's the kind of historical romance hero name I find stupid hot.

[cyberpunkonline]

The Best Designed RPG of All Time is... "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines"

In the realm of role-playing games, a few titles stand out as true masterpieces. Among these, "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" reigns supreme, and it's not just because of its bloodsucking protagonists. This game has achieved legendary status for various reasons, but perhaps one of its most exceptional features is its unparalleled level design.

A Dark and Immersive World

From the moment you step into the dark and gritty streets of Los Angeles, you're immediately transported into a world where vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures lurk in the shadows. The game's setting is a modern gothic masterpiece, blending the eerie and the familiar in a way that few other RPGs have managed to replicate.

Choices Matter

One of the game's standout features is its emphasis on player choice. Every decision you make, from the alliances you form to the people you feed on, impacts the game's narrative and your character's progression. This level of choice and consequence was groundbreaking when the game was released, and it remains a hallmark of its design.

A World of Darkness

"Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" draws heavily from the World of Darkness tabletop RPG series, and it masterfully captures the essence of this rich and complex universe. The game offers players a chance to immerse themselves in the intricate lore, political intrigue, and moral dilemmas that define the World of Darkness.

Unmatched Level Design

Now, let's talk about what truly sets "Bloodlines" apart – its level design. The game features a series of meticulously crafted mission areas that are nothing short of awe-inspiring. Whether you're sneaking through a haunted mansion, infiltrating a creepy asylum, or navigating the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, each location feels like a living, breathing part of the game world.

What makes these levels truly remarkable is the attention to detail. Every room, every corridor, and every hidden nook is designed with care, adding layers of depth and immersion to the experience. The missions themselves are diverse and compelling, often allowing for multiple approaches and strategies. You can play as a suave talker, a stealthy rogue, or a bloodthirsty combatant – the choice is yours.

The level design also serves as a storytelling tool. It's not just about aesthetics; it's about conveying the atmosphere and narrative of each location. Whether you're exploring the opulent society of the Venture Tower or delving into the twisted secrets of the Ocean House Hotel, the level design enhances the storytelling in ways that few other games can match.

Conclusion

"Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" isn't just a game; it's an experience. It's a testament to the power of immersive storytelling, player agency, and, of course, exceptional level design. While many RPGs have come and gone, "Bloodlines" remains a shining example of how to create a rich and memorable game world.

So, in the grand pantheon of RPGs, "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines" unquestionably deserves its place among the greatest. Its level design alone is a masterclass in game development and continues to inspire game designers to this day. If you haven't had the pleasure of sinking your fangs into this classic, it's high time you give it a try – just be sure to watch your Masquerade.

Stay cheeky, and happy gaming!

- Raz

PS. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to Cyberpunk Online. We have so much more cooking!

[bumps-in-the-night]

I watched La Morte Vivante (known as The Living Dead Girl in English) tonight. It’s a 1982 French horror film about the relationship between Catherine, who recently rose from the dead and now feeds on the living as a sort of ghoul or vampiric creature, and Helene, Catherine’s childhood friend who has sworn herself as her caretaker. Throughout the movie, Catherine becomes more Alive as she continues to feed and grows increasingly aware of the reality of the situation. It’s very lesboerotic. It had a lot of the gothic hallmarks (supernatural horror, heavy emphasis on atmosphere and aesthetic, intense displays of emotions) so I feel comfortable calling it a gothic horror movie.

Spoilers ahead: I thoroughly enjoyed it. Specifically, I really enjoyed how it turns a common vampire media trope on its head. Often, when vampire media features a human and a vampire in a relationship (this can be romantic, platonic, familial, et cetera), the vampire is deeply, toxically obsessed with the story’s human in a way that often proves destructive. However, in La Morte Vivante, it is Helene who is destructively obsessed with Catherine. As Catherine grows more aware of what she is, she is horrified; she begs Helene to leave her alone and let her die so she doesn’t keep hurting people, but Helene cannot let her go.

They’re deeply devoted to each other, but the only way they can express that devotion goes against the wishes of the other. Helene wants to stay with Catherine, while Catherine wants Helene to flee and save herself before Catherine loses control of herself and hurts her. They love each other so much. I won’t really spoil it further, but they both lose in the end.

[mxdam]

fairy tales and the female gothic

"gothic" is a bit played out as a term. what is the gothic? is it Dark Macadamia? is it crimson peak? is it ebony dark'ness dementia raven way?

the gothic as a genre is generally agreed to have begun with the novel the castle of otranto by horace walpole, one of the worst pieces of crap ever composed in the english language. i'm so serious, don't read it. walpole (1717-97) was an antiquarian, sort of a hobbyist historian whose particular interest was in the medieval period (this was pretty hot shit in england at the time, but we can talk more about 18th century foundations of horror and ghost stories later). by talking about otranto we can identify certain hallmarks of the gothic genre:

an illusion of historicity. walpole pretended that the novel was actually derived from a medieval italian manuscript which he'd "discovered" and translated for a modern audience.

a focus on the family unit, lineage, inheritance: conrad, the sickly heir to otranto, dies horribly at the beginning of the story and this is seen as heralding the downfall of the family line.

an interest in corruption, violence, unequal power dynamics: manfred, the lord of otranto and conrad's father, wields the power of life and death over peasants under his rule and the inhabitants of the castle cower under his whims.

the appearance of unusual and/or supernatural occurrences that undermine ordinary reality and emphasize the themes of the story

an almost taken-for-granted exploration of patriarchal power and control, in the literal sense of rule of the father, with commensurate interests in sex, control, and incest: after conrad's death, manfred decides to divorce his own wife, conrad's mother, and marry isabella, his dead son's fiancee. both women are helpless to do much but run away.

what does this have to do with fairy tales? in our previous installment, we talked about the ways in which fairy tales reflect and reinforce patriarchal realities for women; that's one connection. another connection hinted at by marie mulvey-roberts in her essay, "from bluebeard's bloody chamber to demonic stigmatic," is that the prototypical gothic story is a fairy tale: the tale of bluebeard.

in bluebeard and its variations across cultures, we see a story that reflects "a time when women were deprived of legal rights within marriage," such that "the ‘Bluebeard’ fable is a test of wifely obedience and subjugation to the will of her husband" (mulvey). perhaps not for nothing, the most famous rendition of this story, la barbe bleue, was written by charles perrault, the same guy who gave us cendrillon, or "cinderella," upon which the disney cartoon and countless other renditions were based. in it, a young woman is married to a man whose knowingly-impossible demand of absolute obedience from his many wives inevitably results in their slaughter. the protagonist barely escapes with her life.

there are numerous parallels between the gothic and this story: a fascination with violence, corruption, and evil, a focus on lineage and the family unit (the male-female couple being the basis for all nuclear family and for all structures of biological inheritance), and above all an exploration of patriarchy. bluebeard can almost be considered the ur-text for what has come to be called the "female gothic," gothic stories written primarily by women (ann radcliffe, the bronte sisters, jane austen, octavia butler, angela carter, shirley jackson, toni morrison, jean rhys, daphne du maurier, etc) which explore the complex webs of interpersonal relationships and power structures that shape and control the lives of women, and how those women react to, challenge, or submit under the force of those structures.

in the next installment, i will talk about the wicked stepmother and the female gothic. stay tuned 🥸

[deadboyfriendd]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Game

Thank you for the tag <3 @jo-harrington

1) How many works do you have on A03? - none, actually. I haven't made it to tht neck of the woods yet.

2) What's your total AO3 word count? - That would be a big ole 0

3) What fandoms do you write for? - Stranger Things currently. I used to be a writer for The 100 back in my Wattpad days. Sometimes I throw around the idea of writing for Fargo or Criminal Minds.

4) What are your top five fics by kudos? - I would say probably Stains in the Granite, Cochise, Stone Gothic, H E A D L I N E R S., Kate, and The Bisbee Letter Series

5) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? - I try really hard to respond to the really meaningful ones, but if I have poo brain that day it slips. I read all of them and reread them over and over until they're engrained in my noodle brain though! .

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? - Stone Gothic or Sockpuppet. Stone Gothic is angst in terms of bodily violence Sockpuppet in terms of ouchie feelings OR OR OR She Makes Dirty Words Sound Pretty. Can you tell I love angst?

7) What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? - Hallmark, probably. That was kind of the whole point of doing a Hallmark movie themed fic.

8) Do you get hate on fics? No.

9) Do you write smut? If so, what kinds? - Yes but it has to be there as a plot catalyst. I write very flowery very feelings-oriented smut, even if the characters don't have feelings for each other. Though, I feel like everything I write is feelings-oriented.

10) Do you write crossovers? - It never went I don't think I've written one yet but if I get a good idea I'm not opposed to it. Maybe if you wanna count SITG or Cochise since they're based off of 50 First Dates and Tombstone?

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen? - Not that I’m aware of.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated? - Again, not that I'm aware of.

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before? - Nothing that I would explicitly credit myself with but @dr-aculaaa and I loom over each other's docs like God. I'm pretty sure Drac has inadvertently written half of my fics.

14) What's your all time favorite ship? -We're big Steddie fans around here. Keep an eye out for a Steddie fic I have brewing.

15) What's a WIP that you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? - LMAO might be that steddie fic that I just talked about. I also have a very flowery and angsty AU of an AU of an AU baby about Robin that I've been screaming to her about that is on the very back of burners.

16) What are your writing strengths? - I'm really good at analogies and descriptive writing. I've always written about feelings because I have a lot of them and I'm painfully self-aware of them.

17) What are your writing weaknesses? - LMAO editing process? I don't know her. Every work you get is beta read by Drac and that's IT. If it misses Drac then it was meant to be a part of the fic. In terms of my actual writing, I think it's smut writing. I'm good at making people love each other not good at making them fuck.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? - There has to be a place for it that makes sense. I used lines in Latin in Cochise and Bisbee because my Eddie is very much based off of Doc Holliday, who spoke Latin, and used that line very much as a plot catalyst. I use a lot of analogies to Marlowe's Doctor Faustus which also has Latin in it, which was crucial to the storylines of both Bisbee and Cochise.

19) First fandom you wrote for? - The Walking Dead when I was entirely too young to be fic reading or writing. Maybe One Direction before that? Also W A Y too young to be fic reading or writing. The first fandom I ever had success writing in was The 100. Still too young but I'm proud of those 100k notes.

20) Favorite fic you've written? - The Cochise and Bisbee universe. I LOVE writing in that prose and I LOVE reimagining these characters into Tombstone. It's so personal to me since I'm from Arizona and I love living here and all of the cowboy stuff. It feels like I neglect it sometimes but really, I'm trying so hard to get them perfect because this is absolutely my passion project and I'm so proud of them even though they get like zero reads.

No Pressure Tags: @dr-aculaaa @bettyfrommars

[justrandomfanfictionskh]

Mary Todd pt 9

ao3 Beginning previous

Jason's watch showed that it was 10:45, when he landed on a building across from, WE. He took a deep breath as he looked up at the looming tower of glass and steal. He had always found the monolith of Gotham imposing and intimidating. It was just so different from the blackening, red brick, and dirty concrete of his childhood. There the buildings were old, tall, and dangerous, and yet they were always welcoming. The windows opened for AC units and clothes lines, letting out the sounds of life within. Fire escapes framed the sheer walls allowing easy access to every floor if you knew how to climb. And while the front doors were always solid with metal grate over them, they looked more like the doors you would see on a house than in the slums. WE and all the buildings like it were the exact opposite.

They soared into the sky not out of necessity like the tenements of the slums, but because they could. The windows never opened, to allow life to easily get in or out. And while the doors were glass, they were always too big, as if you needed a special kind of strength to open them. And the walls were always flat and sheer. Even if the skyscrapers were crowned with gargoyles and lined with other hallmarks of Gotham's signature gothic architecture, unless you had a grappling hook, the buildings of the elite were impossible to enter. Unless you had been invited.

And that was what put Jason on edge. The buildings of Crime Alley, and other slum neighborhoods, were places of warmth and safety that allowed access to anyone who was clever or trusted enough to get in. The buildings of the wealthy and elite were just monuments of status, that only the "worthy" could enter. Jason had never been considered worthy by the Gotham elite. He doubted he ever would be. And so, their buildings would forever be dark, staring, intimidating things. They were a means to an end, not something that he needed to protect. Not like the buildings of Crime Alley. 

Jason took another deep breath and sunk into a squat on the ledge. He was just distracting himself and he knew it. But he didn't want to think about what was about to happen. He began to scan the surrounding roof tops. He checked his watch again. 10:46. It was going to be a long 15-minute wait, plenty of time to get his thoughts in order and yet...He groaned and began lightly hitting his head against the ledge he was squatting behind. The sharp ting of the his helmet hitting metal repeatedly was the only sound in the sleeping financial district, but Jason didn't stop. He needed to decide what he was going to say. How was he going to approach her? How would she respond? How would he respond to her response? Could he convince her to set aside the mask? Should he convince her? Would he tell her his identity? B's identity? Had she already figured it out? She had been so young! How much did she remember? What was he going to do?

Finally, Jason folded his arms on the railing and leaned his head against them. The subtle pressure of metal behind leather, had a nice grounding effect, that he clung to as he tried to sort through his thoughts and emotions. Eventually he checked his watch again and groaned so loud it startled some pigeons. It was only 10:47. He stood up and caught a glimpse of movement coming out of the corner of his eye. He spun hand flying to his gun as the flicker of red and black moved silently behind him. He opened his mouth to berate Tim for spying, but froze when he saw who it actually was. 

Ladybug stood tall and serene in the city night lights of Gotham. Her red body suit was augmented with black plated armor. Armor that was scattered with small red polka dots, just as her suit had a scattering of small black polka dots. This was the third version of the hero's costume, and Jason watched them change with increasing relief as the colors had muted and become more practical and less garish. But this was the first time he studied the armor, checking it for weaknesses and vulnerabilities. He needed her to drop the mask, but if he couldn't get her to retire, then he needed to make sure, her suite was as safe as possible. Which meant...

In a flash of pink light, the suit vanished and there was Marinette. Mary. His sister. There were no more distractions. No more masks. No more secrets. There was just her, and a strange, red, bug, creature flying into the waiting handbag slung over her shoulder. She was staring at him with those big blue eyes that he had known so well. Eyes that had pleaded for just one more story and had laughed at all of his corny jokes. Now those eyes were deeply searching him, as if he were some sort of puzzle that she needed to solve. Her face emotionless, as she waited for him. 

With a deep breath, Jason took off his helmet. He was still wearing his domino mask underneath, but now she could see his eyes, and hear his voice without modulators. But that didn't seem to be enough for her, as she crossed her arms and gave him a very pointed look. Her expression easily translated into, "Really Jay-Jay?" 

He hesitated for only a moment, glancing around the roof. All of the visible cameras were off. He could see no one on the opposing roof tops. Their current position was not as secure as the WE building, but he doubted she would move if he asked. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes. The domino mask came off as easily as her had put it on, since it was perfectly molded to his face. When he opened his eyes, her face had instantly softened. 

She now looked at him with open tenderness and hope, but also fear, as she whispered, "Jason."

"Hey Pixie," he said, his voice strangely choked.

She was instantly blinking back tears as she rushed forward. Jason tensed for only a moment, but then her arms were around him in the warmest, tightest embrace he had ever known. His arms wrapped around her instinctively and suddenly he wasn't the Red Hood. He wasn't the young man who had died and been resurrected, been betrayed, and abandoned, and lost. Suddenly he was just Jason. He was just that little boy on the fire escape holding his sister, tight against the cold night air, whispering stories as the rest of the world fell away. Suddenly nothing else mattered, and it was enough. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his jacket, and Jason knew she was crying. 

"For what?" 

"For forgetting. I'm so sorry Jay-Jay! I never should have left! But I did! And I forgot about you! I forgot your name, your face everything! I didn't mean to leave. I didn't mean to forget. You must be so disappointed. You must hate me! I---"

"Hey!" Jason whispered as he smoothed her hair. "Enough of that! I could never hate or be disappointed in you! And you didn't forget! You remembered the stories. You remembered my nickname. You even remembered my name eventually! And I am so proud of you! You are amazing Mary! More amazing than I ever dreamed you could be!"  

Marinette pulled away to look at him, her eyes wet but clearing. Jason could now see how tired she was. Under her expertly applied makeup, Jason could see dark circle that could rival Tim's! Her shoulders slumped as if they were carrying a great weight, she had long grown accustomed too. And her eyes were always moving the way Bruce's did. The way his did. They were searching, collecting, and calculating every detail around them, as if some hidden things were about to jump out of the shadows and she needed to find it first. The familiarity of his sister's paranoia was heart breaking. He didn't want this for her. She deserved better. But before he could voice those thoughts, she spoke first. 

"Then why did you never come for me?"

Jason breathed as deeply as he could and took a step back. He needed to be careful. If he said the wrong thing, then he would lose her forever. That couldn't happen. Finally, he said, "You were so happy! Your life was so much better than anything I could have ever given you. Besides, I had to protect you!"

"From what?"

"From me."

Marinette huffed a small laugh and shook her head as she dried her eyes completely. "That's ridiculous Jay-Jay."

"Mary!" Jason began with a raised voice but then he paused to calm himself. She waited for him. "You don't know what I've done. I have enemies."

"I do know what you've done," Marinette said pointedly. "My best friend is a future reporter and is obsessed with superheroes. She's the next Lois Lane in the making, so all I had to do was mention Red Hood, and I got a full dossier on you from all the way back in your Robin days. And yes, she connected you to the second Robin. And as for enemies...well, let’s just say I probably have more than you at this point."

"I doubt that" Jason said seriously.

"Really?" Marinette said with a slight smirk. "Well then I guess every single, ancient magical cult, and mafia, and league is after you because you are the sole guardian of some of the most powerful magical items in the world too?"

Jason could only stare. How did one even respond to that? He shook his head and said, "Pixie...I...I'm dangerous. I'm...not right. I could hurt you."

Marinette's expression instantly softened. "We're all dangerous, Jay-Jay. Especially us. You don't need to be a drug lord in the City of Chaos to hurt me."

"But I shouldn't hurt you!" He insisted. "You're my sister I need to protect you!"

Marinette rolled her eyes again, as she moved to lean against the railing. "Ok first of all, we are clearly out of sibling practice, because brothers and sisters hurt each other all of the time. Trust me, I've baby sat more than enough of my friends’ little siblings to know that 'hurting' each other is part of being close to each other."

"I mean hurt you physically!" Jason practically yelled. "Hurt you in a way you can't come back from! I'm sick Mary! I could kill you!" 

Jason expected so many things from her. He expected softening sympathy, desperate pleading, or even gentle reassurances. What he did not expect was the clear uninterested casualness as she folded her arms leaned forward and said, "And I could kill you. I could hurt you. I could hurt you in so, so many ways, physically, magically, and mentally. I could tear you apart Jay-Jay. That's what happens when you get close to people. When let yourself love people. You open the door to let them hurt you. It's hard. Believe me I know." There was a flash of some deep hidden pain enveloping her whole being, but before Jason could address it, Marinette had lifted her eyes to him again, and there was nothing but fiery determination in her cold bluebell eyes.

"But that's the risk you have to take!" she declared as she straightened, "We can't be alone. We're not meant to be alone. So, we take the risk and love each other! And as for you being sick, that's what family is for. To help you through the sickness. No. Mater. What!"

"Mary---" Jason began, but she didn't let him finish. 

"And secondly! I can take care of myself! Or did you miss the whole, heroine of Paris, youngest senior member of the Justice League, honorary Amazon thing?"

"Wait," Jason said shaking his head, "Since when were you an honorary Amazon?" 

Marinette smiled mischievously, "Since Diana decided that I needed more training than the natural instincts of the Ladybug, and a few dubious words of advice from my past mentor."

"So, Wonder Woman did train you!" Jason said with a furrowed brow. 

"Not in the mentorship way that your thinking of," Marinette said casually, "But technically, yes. She and other select Amazons trained all of Team Miraculous when they visited Paris. I have my own room at the Themysciran Embassy."

Jason's jaw might have dropped a little at that, there were so many different things to feel in that little revelation he didn't know where to begin. Relief that she hadn't been completely alone, when the Justice League had ignored her calls. Anger at Wonder Woman for not bringing the severity of the Paris situation to the League's attention sooner. Pride, that she was so well respected by some of the greatest warriors in the world and considered one of them. Anguish, at the realization that he'd never get her away from this life. That he would have to fight the entire Amazonian nation in order to get her to retire. That they would never let her go. 

"You shouldn't," he found himself muttering, and he immediately regretted it, because Marinette had heard him, and had squared her shoulders as if ready for a fight. 

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Jason groaned and shook his head. But he lifted his eyes to meet hers. She needed to see how serious he was. How important this was. "You shouldn't be a hero, Mary. I left you in Paris, so that you could have a normal life. So that you could avoid all of this---" he shook his helmet at her viciously as he cried, "Insanity! This life is dangerous, and crazy, and you deserve better! You deserve a nice happy, normal life! Being a hero, any kind of hero, is the exact opposite of that. It's a trap you can't escape even in death! And I know! I've died! I wanted better for you. I want you to be free!"

Marinette's expression was so seriously stoic, she could have rivaled Bruce's glare. She took in his words still leaning against the railing with her arms crossed. When he stopped talking, she waited for him to catch his breath, and then continued to stay silent. And just as the silence was about to get awkward, Marinette raised a finger and said, "One what you want for me doesn't matter. Don't interrupt me Jay-Jay, you've said your piece now let me say mine." Jason's mouth snapped shut, and he crossed his arms waiting for her to continue.

"What you want for me," she said again, "Doesn't matter. Yes, you're my brother, and I'll always love you no matter what. But I haven't seen or heard from you in 15 years! Jay-Jay. Not even a whisper. And for a good portion of that time, you had the ability to whisper, but you didn't! So, you don't have the right, or the authority to comment on anything that I did during that time. Any of the choices that I made were mine! I have yet to regret them yet, and I won't change them just because you've suddenly decided you want a say in the things I do. I thought I said not to interrupt me!"

Jason's mouth snapped shut again, as waves of indignation, anger, and guilt crashed over him at every word she said. Marinette then held up a second finger and continued, "Two, Not only does your opinion not matter, but you gave up the right to give your opinion. The moment you decided that my life was 'safer' and 'better' without you in it, you gave up the right to protect me, and influence me. So, unless you want to be my brother again, don't even try to tell me how to live my life! And three!" she declared, not even acknowledging his attempt to speak, "Don't tell me what it's like to die! Don't tell me about the dangers of this life. It's trap. It's suffering because anything you've been through! Any torture, pain, death, resurrection, loss, and suffering you can imagine, I have been through at least ten times! Sometimes twice before Saturday. Did you know there was an akuma born from a child being abandoned at the train station? No one in Paris will ever talk about that one, because her power was to make everyone as lost and as helpless as her! It..."

Marinette took a deep breath and Jason didn't even try to interrupt this time. The pain of his own abandonment, their abandonment, was still a fresh wound only growing fresher as her every word drove home just how much he had missed. Just how much he had failed her. Anger, and indignation were gone. Now there was only pain and guilt, as he once again took note of just how tired she was. But her shoulders quickly squared again, as she spoke with a far gentler voice that only grew in determination as she said,

"And finally, 'should have,' 'could have,' 'would have,' none of that matters any more. None of that ever mattered. What is, is what is. I. Am. Ladybug. I am the Guardian of the Miraculous. The Keeper of the Miracle Box. I can't change that without erasing all of my memories from the last five years. Including this memory of you. Of finding you, finally! And I guess what Jay-Jay, I don't want that! I don't ever want to forget what I've been through. The choices I've made, the things I've failed, the things I accomplished. I don't want to forget a single one. And no one can take that from me, unless I decide otherwise."

Marinette stood straight and proud now, and Jason was reminded of Wonder Woman. Despite her stature, she was tall. Her eyes were hard in their determination. Her jaw was set in her purpose. Her shoulders and feet were squared in challenge, and her chin was lifted in defiance. And Jason finally saw her. He saw her as a leader, as a warrior, as a hero. The little girl he had sworn to always protect had gone and grown up. She wasn't there anymore, replaced with this calm, confident, beautiful woman that had earned her place among the strongest most powerful people in the world! And she wasn't even twenty years old. And even as Jason swelled with pride and admiration for the woman his little sister had become, his heart broke, because he had missed it. He had missed all of it. And by his own choice.

Jason looked away. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't see her like this. It was just too much too soon. He couldn't look her. In the end the only thing he could do was whisper under his breath desperately, "I'm sorry." 

Marinette must have heard him because she gave a resigned sigh and moved to stand beside him. Jason felt more than saw her as she leaned against the ledge he had just squatted behind. And when she did, she said softly but clearly, "I forgive you, Jay-Jay. I think I will always forgive you. That's part of being a family, right?" 

"Even when I kill people?" Jason whispered.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Marinette shrug casually saying, "Well I mean, I've killed people too, so it's not like I have any room to judge." 

Jason snapped back to look at her shocked out of his guilt by pure astonishment. He stared at her wide eyed, but she just smirked as he said, "What?"

She leaned in conspiratorially and said, "What did you think happened to Hawkmoth?"

"I... the news said that he was consumed by the power of the miraculous, or something like that."

Marinette nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah, that's just a nice way of saying that after he took the ladybug miraculous from me, I took the cat from Chaton, and cataclysmed him into oblivion." 

Jason blinked and sputtered. He straightened and stared at her in horror and confusion. She was so casual. How was she so casual about turning a man into dust? He stared into her eyes, and it finally clicked. That hardness. The hardness that he had seen in her off and on from the moment they had met. Staring down Batman, staring down him. Calling them out over the phone. Dressing him down, just a few minutes ago. It was an edge that only came from having to make a difficult choice. The choice to kill. She had killed. His sister had killed! The pain and guilt washed over him anew as he struggled to face this new information. 

Marinette must have comprehended his struggle, because she immediately straightened and with a softer voice said, "Why don't we finish this conversation at my apartment? I might have stressed baked while waiting for the clock to magically speed up, and now the kitchen is overflowing with macarons. What do you say?"

Jason cleared his throat still thrown by everything he had learned. He needed to process, but after all of this he was now fairly determined not to let her out of his sight. "Yeah," he said probably a little more gruffly than he intended. "Macarons sound good."

Marinette smiled and transformed, she threw her yo-yo, the only thing that stayed the same no matter what costume she was in and waited for him to put on his helmet. When he did, she swung off trusting him to follow, which he did. But even as he swung, he finally understood Batman's no killing rule with the perfect clarity of an older brother who just wanted to protect his little sister. And all he could think was, 

"Fuck, I owe him an apology...Fuck ."

Next

@laurcad123 @craftgremlin @toodaloo-kangaroo @blackroserelina @maanae @kitsun369 @idkamt @aksartisticlife @its-maemain @iglowinggemma28 @officiallydarkgeek @meira-3919 @crazylittlemunchkin  @read-fantasy-to-escape-reality @raven-ette

[marklikely]

listening to the long form story break episodes rn but do you have any recs for the short ones?

Well here's the episodes that I go back and relisten to the most. because i'm me it tends to be the horror ones but some of them also just have the funniest moments or they made a good movie.

TOP TIER BEST EPISODES:

111. What's Eating Gilbert Grape - Genuinely my fave episode and the movie i want to exist the most, where they make a gay gothic romance set in the vineyards of napa valley. tw for like child death and cannibalism and general gothic horror elements.

109. n o t h i n g - The funniest episode, i've listened to it dozens of times and still have parts that make me laugh til i can't breathe. i don't usually relisten to the actual movie part though because tw for a lot of talk about cat death, but the preamble to them settling on their final idea and their detour through weird penis and/or death related art projects are one of the funniest bits of podcasting i've ever heard and matt arnold is obviously the comedy god of this entire crew.

and then just some really good episodes that I've relistened to:

70. Heaven Heist - maybe the most iconic episode and if you're listening to the long form episodes then i assume you already know it but the one where they originally break the story is just so good that it must be listed here.

76. Tearjerker - Probably the best one for dndads fans since it 1. has Beth May as a guest and 2. tells a horror story about the cycle of bad fatherhood. tw for discussions of abuse and toxic masculinity

90. Bird Box - Them trying to crack their own version of bird box when they realize none of them have seen it. tons of funny bits and a pretty interesting final product about family. tw for child endangerment & some minor mentions of animal death

102. Sensory Deprivation Horror Movie - another one with a lot of funny bits, they try to create their own quiet place or bird box movie focused around one of the other major senses.

104. First - where they make a movie about inheriting a youtube empire because you commented first on a video, but it somehow becomes a sci-fi thriller

106. Disney Endgame - they're tasked with laying the groundwork for the next big step: an entire disney-owned cinematic universe. really wild especially the elevator pitch which is one of the funniest that they've done.

122. Pixar's Shoes - where they create an inspiring and formulaic pixar film about a random object, with some bits that almost put me in tears laughing

123. Halmark Movie Bonanza - just trying to use their hour runtime to quickly make as many hallmark christmas movies as possible which is absolute gold if youre as intimately familiar with the hallmark channel as i sadly am

139. Disney Channel Original Movie Marathon - Another one that i might just like because of my extreme familiarity with the source material, but this is a really funny one where they look at DCOM posters and try to make up the movie that it must be with no extra information. one of the movies they make is a ghost based lesbian surfing movie that i desperately wish was real.

and there's honestly a ton of other really funny episodes but these are just the ones i go back to the most. i do recommend being liberal about skipping episodes though like there is no shame in deciding to go to the next episode if they start the "full 5 act structure plan" phase of the episode and you're not into the story. that's the beauty of this being an episodic show lol