#but then again i’ve not read dracula the intended way maybe these are in the same chapter and are meant to be juxtaposed

[comixandco]

the juxtaposition of the religious debate over empty graves and whether those who die at sea will reach heaven with the demeter drifting near the coast with only 4 of its crew left omg dracula daily

[quietlywatchingwritingreading]

I’m trying to keep up with everything, with how long these posts are, so i’ve written down some thoughts/feelings as I read though the email. Because of the length of this post, i’m putting this under a readmore. 

Dr. Seward’s entry part 1

I’m not sure how to word this, but I do dislike how Dr. Seward didn’t think it fit to introduce Reinfield to the others until he suggested it. Its very dehumanizing, that he doesn’t’ quite consider him a person. Or at least worthy of the same respect as a person. Time era and all that, but its still something that happens today. So its disgusting, but it feels important that this be written that way. A reminder of what people go though.

-I do feel that Dr. Seward is right though to hold off on release. Reinfield is acting like how Dr. Seward considers sane people to act, in order to appeal to being released. However, we’ve already seen him repeatedly escape, and behave in ways that are outright dangerous to others around him. Early on with the fly-spider-bird-Theoretical Kitten chain, and later on with attacking the people who where transporting materials, and Dr. Seward himself.

-The fact is he’s also been changing his personality/mood a lot. Going from loving certain things to having no interest in them a short time later. Presumably Dracula is also involved in some manner, but that IS something I feel Dr. Seward is correct in being concerned about.

-I also think its interesting to note that Dr. Seward felt it surprising after the fact, for Van Helsing to talk to Reinfiled as a equal. Again, dehumanizing, but I still feel that this is important to know. Dr. Seward really doesn’t consider people in his asylem to be equal to himself or other sane people. Which is despicable.

-I find it interesting that He says he’s not free to speak. It’s quite possible that Renfield legitimately wants to help in the fight against Dracula, but cannot. All he can really do is ask for trust/mercy, but at the same time he’s proven himself untrustworthy and dangerous by his past actions.

-The fact that Reinfield wants out so badly,  that he’s willing to leave in heavy restraints and with guards, does make me think theres definitely something going on that he legitimately cannot express, despite his great desires to do so. That being so close to Dracula’s home, or at least one of the places he rests in?

This was a painful chapter to read. I feel bad for Renfield, though I fully understand why Dr. Seward couldn’t exactly release him immediately.

John’s Journal:

-I do find it interesting to note how these people are still trying to do right. At least, they think/consider themselves doing right to Renfield, which is incredibly important I think. They might /are actively making mistakes which makes this a interesting read, but ultimately they aren’t acting out of ‘lets just be mean to this person intentionally”.

-oof. More dehumanization (Comparing/thinking reinfield as similar to the Rats and Wolves. Though I don’t think dracula ever controlled Rats. Bats, maybe)

-This scene of storming the castle is incredibly intense and I love it. I love every part of it! I love how he seams to be seeing Dracula-and perhaps there is some actual magic here that’s causing the effect.

-Okay Dracula is probably controlling the Rats.

-Authur: I know EXACTLY what to do. *Summons several tiny dogs*

(For any sort of context, Terriers are a type of dogs bred to hunt rats. Any Terrier dog likely was intended to help hunt those rats, be it a Border Terrier, a Scottish Terrier, or a West Highland White Terrier. The largest Terrier is the Airedale one that stands about 23 inches tall from foot to shoulder. The smallest, the Yorkshire terrier, is only about six or seven inches tall. Though this might be do to modern breeding standards /a practice of making dogs smaller hten they should be.)

-interesting that the dogs froze up at a certain wall, but once they passed the wall they could follow their instincts to Destroy the Rats.

-So i’m pretty sure they just stole some random people’s dogs But I guess all’s fair in the War against Dracula.

-JOHN WHY ARE YOU. Sigh. Clearly they are really bad at protecting Mina, and I feel Dracula is definitely at least going after her, since thats what dracula does. he knows Mina is cared for by these people who have made him their enemey.

Dr. Seward PArt 2:

—I do like how Van Helsing wants to learn more about Renfield.

Mina Harker’s journal:

-Poor mina. being kept out of the loop is horrible, but she can’t really complain. That she’s not able too. She just trusts Jonathan will tell her eventually, and I believe he would.

-Oh, mina feels so guilty. :(. poor Mina!

-Wow. Again this is a fantastic horror novel, and I feel so scared reading this. I feel so bad for Mina: and lucy must have felt similar.

John’s Journal Part 2:

-And so the quest for hunting documents begins! or continues!

-I just had a flashback to a certain commercial and I wonder if that commercial/company is related to the Carfax in this book.

-The doctors refusing to know about the quest for paperwork is interesting too-and that Jon thinks hiding from danger is a good thing. Its a very easy mindset to get into: a wrong one, but an easy one to get into.

Dr. Seward Part 3?

-Souls and Life are apparently DIFFERENT and this feels important. Seeing that Dracula is a threat against the soul.

-I kind of wonder if Renfield’s lonely. He does seam to know more then he lets on (considering he apparently knew Arthur’s father. and I imagine he must have freinds/people who care about  him.)

-A little more mad science form Seward. He does sometimes do cruelty in order for ‘the better good’. But the better good isn’t really his to judge. And i’m not sure that its a bad thing he’s asking these questions/pushing him a bit. Is life connected to the soul, also feels like a interesting thematic question for the book.

-More dehumanizing, but this time also equating him to a child. It’s kind of disgusting, and while I know its impossible, I’d still like to hope he’d learn to be better.

-drinking seams to be a concerning word. Perhaps tied to what Dracula is doing or influencing.

-you know, I don’t think Renfield WANTS to help Dracula. He’s actively being controlled/influenced, but I think he legitimately wants to find some way to fight against him and what he’s doing, with how he’s iritated and afraid, and doesn’t know what to do since he has such little power anyway.

[the-dimitrescu-seamstress]

Help Wanted, A Prequel

(Mun here! I’ve been a bit busy writing drabbles and finally finished one up. It’s the backstory of how Magda came under the employment of House Dimitrescu.

One thing I’ve noticed is that pre-castle Magda is a bit more rough around the edges than seamstress Magda. I hope you all enjoy it.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The shuttle bus rolling to a stop was what woke Magdalena from her slumber. Normally, she didn’t fall asleep on such rides but the night train from Bucharest to Bistrița hadn’t exactly been restful. But, to its credit, the bus had been mostly empty.

Mostly.

As what seemed to always be the rule with nearly empty buses, an older woman just had to sit next to her. It didn’t matter that there were plenty of other empty seats she could have chosen from. No, she decided to sit right next to Magdalena… and then proceed to talk almost incessantly about to her family, to the point where the younger woman had to fake falling asleep.

Except that in faking it, she actually eventually succumbed to her tiredness.

Looking out the window, Magda rubbed her eyes and blinked, more than a bit confused at the sight of trees closer than they should have been if they were at a rest stop. Which they were not.

The bus was parked in the middle of an unpaved mountain road, the motor turned off, and the driver standing over her. Also noticeable was the fact that, aside from herself and said looming driver, there were no other passengers on the bus.

“Did we break down?” Magda asked cautiously, sitting up.

“There was a rock slide on the main road, closing it down,” he replied, a little too casually. “This is the detour. The other passengers decided to wait at the last rest stop for a bus back, but you had no complaints, so I continued.”

“I had no complaints? I was asleep! And now we’re in the middle of nowhere.” Why the hell hadn’t anyone woken her up? Even the woman who tried to talk her ear off. Magda just loved and appreciated the everlasting kindness of strangers.

“Exactly. And since you’re my only passenger, we should talk. If you want to keep going, you’ll need to pay more.”

“Keep going?! We’re on a dirt road!” she yelled. “Where the hell are we even going?!”

“That is a good point,” he answered, scratching his chin. “We’re on the side of some mountain. You’ll need to pay me to get back to the main road. And civilization.” Magda blinked, dumbfounded. Was he really trying to extort her for more money?

Looking out the window, she stalled for time in order to think of a solution that didn’t involve punching the driver in the face. She didn’t have money; certainly not enough he would consider worth his time and effort. If he knew that, it was possible he’d want a different form of compensation, and she wasn’t about to give that up for him. As Magda mulled over her options, something caught her eye through the trees. It was the turrets of a rather imposing castle. She then saw the turning blades of a large windmill a bit further off, as well as smoke curling from what looked like modern chimneys nestled in the shadow of the castle.

Smoke meant civilization, people, and a potential alternate exit from this hellhole of a scenario.

“I’ll take my chances walking,” she informed the driver while standing up with her bag and doing her best to shoulder past him hard in one swift motion. She almost made it to the door too before being roughly grabbed and pulled back.

“There are wolves and other things in these woods that will happily eat you right up, little girl,” the driver growled, his breath a bit too warm and close to Magda’s neck for comfort.

“Better there than here,” she countered, shifting her weight into him while delivering an elbow to his ribs and the heel of her palm sharply to the side of his nose. It might not have exceedingly effective, but it was enough to escape his grip, as well as the bus. Once outside, Magda did her best to put distance between herself and the road, scrambling through the woods and undergrowth. For all she knew, the driver could have been armed and more than a little pissed off.

After running for a bit, she jumped down an embankment and paused, catching her breath while listening. There were no sounds of pursuit, which she was grateful for, and after a few tense minutes, she heard a motor fire up and the bus drive away.

Now she was well and truly stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Yes, there was absolutely a sudden reaction of ‘what the fuck did you just do, Magdalena?’ but that thought was shushed as worry about the other alternative was brought up as a brief counter-argument. It was the lesser of two evils. Besides, there was the nearby town. Perhaps they had vehicles to rent or someone would be nice enough to drive her to the nearest train station. Hell, if the castle was any indication, maybe it was a local tourist destination with a proper hotel where she could get cleaned up and spend the night.

At least that was what Magda had intended and hoped for.

It was safe to say that she hadn’t dressed for a hike through the woods, but rather a walk through the metropolitan area of a well populated city. Thankfully, she had the decency to wear sensible boots. It was also safe to say that, when it came to mountains, distances were deceiving. Yes, it wasn’t that far to the town, as the crow flew, but for Magda, there were some unexpected ups and downs. Eventually she came upon what looked to be an old farm trail, which saved her ankles from being rolled too much. Either way, by the time she reached the town, she was more than a bit tired.

Not that it could even be considered a town.

It was more like a village, and a poor one at that. Or perhaps one that still lived in a era where not much had changed since the Soviets had marched through. If you were from a more cultured or modern city, it was sometimes still a shock, and a sobering one at that, to see that there were still areas where the horse and cart were still just as prevalent as more modern modes of transportation, and they cut hay with scythes that they had just sharpened by hand that morning. Being away at school and traveling the various cities of Western Europe had spoiled Magda.

The roads were all dirt and gravel or rather, due to a recent rain, gravel and mud. This was a gray mud that was somehow both slippery and sticky, grabbing hold of Magda’s boots at any chance it got. The houses, though in decent shape, were old and worn. Fresh coats of blue, yellow, white, and red paint gave life to wood that was otherwise weathered with that unmistakable brown-grey color brought on by time. The fences, some metal, but most wood, were kept in good shape, as they were what contained the multitudes of chickens she saw, along with a few pigs, goats, and horses.

What Magda didn’t see much of were people. Yes, the village was inhabited, but as soon as she approached any of the residents, they all hurried inside their dwellings, shut the door, and ignored any attempts she made at communication.

“This is ridiculous! We are in Romania, right? You do speak Romanian? The damn bus driver couldn’t have crossed a border!” Magda yelled to no one. Even if he had been able to do so, the surrounding countries recognized the language she spoke. Clearly these people just hated outsiders. Mumbling a few choice words about hospitality, she continued into the center of town. If she could make it to the castle, maybe she could find out where the hell she was and learn exactly how she could get out of here.

The village square was as disappointing as the rest of the village. Aside from the roads converging, the only way she knew it was the village center was because of the statue. It was a crouching woman, armed with a sword and shield, clearly ready to do battle with… something unseen. The plaque read ‘Maiden of War’ which made Magda smile a little. When she was little, her grandparents had spoken about the village they were from having a statue of a warrior maiden. If this was the same village, it would be one hell of a coincidence. Though if the rest of their stories were to be believed, then the castle was home to a terrible monster. Actually, all the aristocrats were supposed to be monsters. As she grew older, Magda chocked that up to being a bit of resentment towards the ruling class, political upheaval, and whatever else would make overthrowing the elite easier in the minds of the populace.

Besides, even if they were monsters, the people in the castle had to be more helpful than the villagers.

The gate that separated the village from the castle grounds was large and impressive, with a carved relief depicting the warrior maid fighting a horned demon. The laugh that escaped her was brief, but maybe a bit harsh. This almost looked like something an American would put outside a castle in an effort to claim it belong to Vlad Tepes. All that was missing were the impaled bodies. Maybe this had been a failed tourist attempt, trying to ride the coattails of the many Dracula movies made over the years. Either way, the road to the castle looked well traveled and she could see faint lights in the windows, so someone must be living there.

As she made her way up the road, Magda re-evaluated the owner’s intentions yet again when she saw the grapevines. She knew absolutely nothing about vineyards and winery, but if one had an old castle with extensive cellars that were kept at a stable temperature, and the soil was good enough, why not start producing wine? It still didn’t explain why the locals treated her as such. Perhaps they were naturally wary of outsiders or just pissed off people in general. Not that it really mattered. She’d be out of their hair soon enough.

At a distance, the castle looked old, gothic, and imposing, but up close, Magda knocked a few hundred years off its age, moving it away from the mountain fortresses that waged war and stood against sieges in the Middle Ages to something more along the lines of the proverbial fairytale castles built in the 1700’s. Turrets, balconies, and large windows abounded. Once you looked past the dark exterior stone coloring, it was actually quite beautiful, and she spent a few minutes admiring the facade before making her way to the front door.

Though the small lion-headed door knockers looked purely ornamental, Magda still used them to announce her presence. After a second try and a few minutes without an answer, she made sure her boots were free of that awful mud before testing the doorknob. The door opened easily and silently, revealing a gorgeously ornate entry hall, centered on an alcove holding a painting of three young women.

“Three daughters… Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela,” she read quietly off the title plaque. White walls, with gilded details and carved woodwork; it all said this was either a home or a museum. Part of Magda hoped it was the latter, so she wouldn’t feel like she was intruding, but again, this didn’t fully explain the state of the village below… unless the person who owned this castle was some overly moneyed individual that looked down on anyone who couldn’t date their family history back eighteen generations and therefore didn’t care about commoners.

To the right of the entrance hall was a room containing an antique elevator. It was something that didn’t look to be in the best of shape, but then again neither was the room itself. Magda had a feeling it was left over from when the castle was built, probably used to move materials to the upper levels. The hallway on the opposite side of the entrance hall looked much more promising. At least for the time being.

The luxury of the castle continued on with inlayed wood floors, lace and brocade curtains, antique furniture, and art pieces scattered all about. Magda quietly made her way down the hallway, listening for any indication of people. The stillness that surrounded her was almost palpable. Which was probably why the normally soft sound of a door opening seemed as loud as a gunshot. Through the doorway at the bottom of the the stairs came a tall woman dressed all in black, with a hood pulled up in order to put her face and red hair in shadow.

“I am very sorry to intrude and disturb you, ma’am,” Magda apologized. “I was just looking for the owner of this castle or someone I could see about possibly getting a ride into a nearby city?” The woman just smiled and giggled a little as she started up the stairs.

“Awwww, you’re lost and looking for someone?” she crooned. “Well, it’s your lucky day. I’m someone.” That was when Magda noticed the sickle in the redhead’s hand and the bloodstains on both her face and dress. Then there was also the matter of her height. At first Magda thought it was just due to an odd angle, but as the other woman climbed the stairs, Magda realized she had to be well over six feet tall, possibly nearing seven. Alarm bells began ringing in her head.

“Oh! Oh, no… no, you see, I am very sorry. I don’t know what you’ve been doing, but I am soooo very sorry for interrupting you. You’re clearly busy, so I’ll let you be,” she explained while quickly backpedaling the way she came, doing her best not to run, despite every instinct saying to do just that. What kind of place had she stumbled upon?

Magda’s steady retreat stopped when she backed into something unexpected. Risking a look behind her, she saw another equally tall woman, dressed almost identically to the redhead, only this one was a brunette, and the look in her eyes was more of a predatory nature. As if she were choosing the right cut of beef off a cow.

Her exit blocked by the brunette, Magda did a stupid thing and bolted for the nearby double doors. She touched the handles just as they burst open, revealing a third individual. Turning to run, arms encircled Magda, pulling her back and holding her tight.

“Never have we had prey come to us so eagerly,” the third woman, a blonde, said with a loud laugh and manic grin. She then leaned in close and inhaled deeply, causing Magda to flinch and close her eyes, going still in the woman’s arms. “I do so enjoy hot blood tinged with fear… Promise you’ll scream for me when I cut you open?” she whispered excitedly into her ear.

“And here I thought you never played with your food,” the brunette quipped drily. Magda could practically hear the blonde rolling her eyes.

“Just because you have what seems to be a perishingly limited imagination, Cassandra, that doesn’t mean that I have to share the same fate.” These two argued like siblings, while the redhead simply smiled and traced her fingers over and around the sickle she held, all the while watching Magda.

“You’ve never shared anything in your life. Why start now?” Cassandra countered.

“You are absolutely correct. Maybe next time you’ll be faster and finally get a bite.” As the blonde replied, the impossible happened. Part of the woman’s body dissolved… and turned into insects. She still held Magda close and tight, but her lower half had utterly disappeared into a swarming mass of flies. Then they suddenly took off together, flying through the castle. Whereas Magda had thought she might have been able to talk her way out of this situation prior to this insanity, now she was utterly filled with dread; a cold fear washing over her. What were these things? How was any of this even possible? Was this how she was going to die? All these thoughts were wiped away as she was dumped, a bit unceremoniously, on the floor of bedchamber.

“Mother… this was found wandering the halls.” The room was mostly dark, lit only by the roaring fire in the hearth. A feminine figure sat behind a desk littered with paperwork. Something was off about the woman. Maybe it was due a combination of the large hat she wore, the dancing shadows caused by the firelight, and the angle Magda was laying at, but something just didn’t look right, and she didn’t know why.

“Ma’am, I can explain. I was on a bus and the driver was trying to extort money from me, so I thought I’d have better luck with getting a ride in your town. The people there were less willing to help, so I came here. I swear I haven’t stolen anything,” she explained in a hurried fashion, hoping they could somehow reach an understanding.

“ ‘My town’? How quaint of you to say that.” The woman’s voice and small chuckle that followed were both rich and cultured, with a foreign affected accent, like she had been educated somewhere other than Romania. Had she been? Did wealthy families still send their children abroad to study? “Whether or not you have stolen anything isn’t the issue, my dear. You are still trespassing, and I do not take kindly to those that trespass on my property.” With that, the woman stood up.

And up.

Magda’s face blanched as the woman’s head drew level with the top of the nearby canopied bed. She had to have been ten feet tall.

“Futu-i!” she yelled, scrambling back and away, only to bump, once again, into the brunette woman, the smiling redhead standing beside her. Hands roughly grabbed Magda, hauling her to her feet. “Ma’am, I’m sorry!” Her voice trembled with fear. “I knocked, but there was no answer and your door was unlocked. Had I known, I wouldn’t have entered, I swear. Please don’t kill me.” That last sentence was said in a pathetic whimper which made the lady smile in a manner that was both pleased and terribly cruel-looking. As if she had heard that request time and time before.

Magda’s stomach sank as she realized she likely had.

The blood stained dresses and sickles were one indication. Her eyes wandered, finding more. There were unusual dark spots on the rug and shackles by the fire. Their impossible height and ability to change into insects. As impossible as it seemed, these women weren’t human. Did vampires really exist? Magda was so in shock and distracted by that thought that she didn’t realize what else was going on until she felt a pressure draw across her left wrist. She blinked. The blonde was holding a knife and Magda could see blood welling up on her wrist. Oddly enough, there was no pain. Just the blood flowing easily and freely.

A large, leather gloved hand cupped her wrist in a firm yet gentle manner. For as lavish as the home decor was, Magda couldn’t help but notice how less than ideal the state of the tall woman’s dress was. The buttons at her wrist were loose, and the fabric? Although it was clean, there were minute stains either from food, in terms of her sleeves and bustline, or from general dirt, if her hemline was any indication. She also saw small repairs where a seam had popped or a tear had formed. It wasn’t the worst stitching she’d seen, but it could have been better. Why was a woman this rich wearing clothing repaired many times over? Yes, she had to have everything custom made, but that surely wasn’t an obstacle, was it?

The lady’s head suddenly dipped into view and almost immediately her tongue was felt along Magda’s wrist. She hissed in pain, forgetting all her questions, and unintentionally tried to pull her hand away, but to no avail. The lady’s grasp was incredibly strong and, in that moment of resistance, they locked eyes.

She had a dread beauty about her. Pale white skin, coal-black hair, deep crimson lips made that much darker by the blood, and eerily captivating yellow eyes. Even with her life currently on the line, Magda was absolutely taken by her.

The tasting was brief, lasting no more than a few seconds. The tall lady stood there for a quiet few moments before making a small hum of approval.

“Take her to the cellar and drain her,” she said in a dismissive manner and a flick of her hand. Almost immediately, Magda found herself being dragged towards the door and to her doom. For what it was worth, she did put up a good fight. Having a brother five years her senior gave Magda the knowledge of how to defend against someone bigger and stronger than her. It probably had been a good thing that, up until this point, she had been nothing but meek and quiet. However, despite her valiant effort and a surprisingly well placed elbow to the brunette’s midsection, she found herself pinned and being dragged away once more.

They say that the strangest things can come out of a person’s mouth when they’re in danger. That they would promise anything just to live a little while longer.

Magda clearly was not an exception to that particular rule.

“Wait!” she exclaimed. “Wait! Your dress! I can make it better! I can do better than whoever you have on hand with your current repairs. I went to school for this! I was on my way to Cluj-Napoca to work at the National Opera as a seamstress!” A slight lie. The National Opera had said to check back with them in six months to a year for a chance at an opening. Until then, she had secured a gig at the North Theatre in Satu Mare. “I know how to sew and I know how to draft patterns! Let me live and I swear I will make you the most beautiful wardrobe made out of the finest fabrics I can find. If money is not an obstacle, I will have you wearing the best silks, satins, brocades, and whatever else pleases you!”

At that, the woman held up a hand and all movement in the room stopped. She studied Magda; scrutinizing and looking for any hint of a lie or falsehood. After a minute that seemed to be drawn out for an eternity, she finally spoke.

“A trial run. Two weeks. You’ll be shown to your new home and given tasks. Complete them,” she ordered. There was no leniency to those words or any sign of gentleness. She then stepped closer to Magda, looking down at her and using her height to cut an even more imposing figure. “Should you fail or try to run, you’ll wish you had died today,” she purred, showing off a wicked little grin. “Bela, tend to her wrist and then escort our new seamstress to her workshop. She has work to do.”

“Yes, mother,” the blonde said, stepping forward and quickly ushering Magda out of the room. Unlike the previous escorting, this time she was gentle. A hand pressing against the small of her back was all that was needed to keep Magda moving. Did she pay attention to where they were going? No. Should she have? Yes, absolutely, but she was still trying to understand what all had just happened.

The room they entered could have been a study or den, perhaps even a catch-all room if the miniature castle in the corner was any indication. Taking a seat at the desk, Magda made the mistake of glancing at her wrist. The incision was neat and clean, but blood had made little rivulet pathways all over her hand and wrist, while a smeared streak up her forearm indicated where the woman’s tongue had been. As if in response of being observed, the wound suddenly began to ache and throb. Magda quickly looked away, not wanting to risk passing out or becoming sick.

She hated the sight of her own blood.

Bela, meanwhile, retrieved a small medical kit from a locked drawer. She then proceeded to carefully and systematically clean almost the entirety of Magda’s forearm and hand, even going as far as checking under her fingernails.

“Five minutes ago, you were fantasizing about drinking my blood,” Magda commented.

“That was five minutes ago,” she answered matter of factly before applying the iodine. It stung and Magda reacted accordingly as every normal human did, by wincing in pain. “Hold still,” Bela ordered, positioning her arm back under the desk light. The suturing of the wound once more made Magda turn away and examine the contents of the room in great detail.

“If this is enough to turn your stomach, then for your sake you had best been telling the truth to mother. She abhors liars.”

“I was telling the truth, I swear it,” the quiet reply came, the reality of her situation now sinking in. Bela made a small, noncommittal noise.

“You should also be careful with how you swear.” Advice now given, the wound was quickly covered in a piece of gauze and neatly wrapped.

“Thank you,” Magda offered. Bela gave no response, only putting the medical kit away and gesturing for Magda to accompany her out of the room. The taller blonde allowed no time for her to look around, keeping the pace at a brisk walk… for her. With her height and longer strides, that meant Magda had to almost jog in order to keep up.

The workshop was…quite the state. It was obvious that no one had been working in here for a rather long time. Magda didn’t know what she expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. Cobwebs, dust, and machinery that, if she were lucky, would actually manage to function for the next two weeks. She wanted to sigh. She wanted to scream and cry or do something that would at least alleviate the frustration of her current situation. However, Bela was probably expecting that, maybe even looking forward to it, just so she could run off to tell her mother and then start sharpening their knives for dinner.

So instead, Magda simply took a deep breath and nodded. “This… will do. Bring whatever items you need repaired and I will take care of them.” There was a drone of insects taking flight behind her and, by the time she turned to look, all Magda saw was the tail end of an insect swarm leaving the room. Once the sound had subsided, she quietly closed the door and sat against it, trying not to cry or to think about the fresh hell she was just been thrown into and what would happen if she failed during these next two weeks.

[newbeginningsforever]

Castlevania Season 3 Analysis - Adrian’s Story

@espanholina​ asked me to rewatch the show and re-evaluate what really happened between Takka, Sumi, and Adrian. I ended up writing five pages of commentary and analysis. I will be splitting this up into what happened before episode 9, and then episode 9 in a separate post. 

I’m trying to be less biased by my emotions this time and focus on analysis. Here we go:

**TRIGGER WARNING FOR NON-CON/SEX AND SPOILERS**

(Rewatching Season 3)

IMPORTANT NOTE: The first time I watched I was completely rooting for Alucard. I desperately wanted him to find peace and happiness. And, of course, this affects perception. My desire as a viewer to see him be happy influenced how I perceived the show. I’m human, after all, and all humans have emotions that influence the way they perceive things. The second time I am watching to try to understand the emotions of the characters, and I am trying to be as realistic/honest as possible about what happened.

Episode 5: Adrian is so happy to have friends. It’s heartbreaking. He’s so content in this episode. It’s horrible to look at the faces of Takka and Sumi, seeing their little knowing side glances when Adrian is not looking. They are scheming, but upon the first watch, I did not see this because their shared looks are extremely subtle and fleeting. Also, I did not want to see them. Neither did Alucard. That is something I have learned while being a psychology major- desperate people see what they want to see until they literally are forced to face the truth. Adrian is desperate for friends and affection, and he will overlook little things to still feel that sense of happiness and contentment.

Episode 7: After being asked if the castle can move, Adrian seems to be mostly emotionless but possibly annoyed by this question. I completely missed the evil eye contact of Takka/Sumi behind his back the first time. They seem to be pretty much solely focused on getting information now. Adrian gazes affectionately at them when they aren’t looking, indicating his fondness for them and possibly his attraction to them. He’s so grateful to have companionship. When Sumi realizes Adrian is pushing back against their questioning, she thanks him and complements him to drag him back into her good graces. Very persuasive technique. She reels him back in with kindness, latching onto his loneliness so he will do what she wants (I’ve had people do this to me and GOD does it suck).

Episode 8: Sumi and Takka return from the Belmont hold. Takka says that Alucard is holding things back and Sumi says this is because he is lonely. Takka asks, “It doesn’t seem fair, does it? He rid the world of Dracula, and this is his reward.” 

Sumi says “I think that he thinks he deserves it… he killed his own father. He wants to be punished for it.” Later, she says 

“Now [Adrian’s] home is more unprotected than ever. He can do so much for us. Give us a future.” Takka responds with: 

“But he stays here because it’s as close as he can get to death as he can manage without killing himself,” Sumi says.

“We should do something for him. Give him a reward.”

Later… “Maybe Alucard can make lunch again. And dinner,” Takka says.

“One more dinner?” Sumi responds.

“Well, sooner or later, I’ll have to start preparing my own food again,” Takka says. He is more serious this time and he is no longer smiling. In a second watching, I can tell that they are intending something malicious. Sumi looks down for a second, expression serious/sullen/discomforted, but then she wipes it away and acts happy again. (The first time I watched I thought they were planning on leaving Adrian, but I did not expect that they would try to kill him) Will someone else watch this scene closely and tell me what they think this expression is? It honestly seems like they might be a little frustrated/sad/conflicted about killing Adrian at this point. Not a lot, but they do seem to be a bit uncomfortable with it or something. I’m not quite sure. They’re animation, of course, so the facial expressions are a LOT harder to read.

The scene ends with Sumi saying: “All right then. Lunch and dinner, and we’ll see what the night brings.” (The first time I watched I did wonder if they were going to have sex with Alucard at this point, because of the line “We should give him a reward”) Now it’s clear they mean to have a couple more meals from him before they murder him. I have to say this writing and animation is subtle. They never obviously reveal their plans, and the nonverbal communication about their emotions/desires are very quick. It’s really only clear in hindsight to me. 

After they go to the armory, Adrian starts to get a bit annoyed and definitely suspicious about their questions/accusations. He tries to brush it off. In this scene, you can see him get uncomfortable for a little bit and then ignore it and try to reaffirm their connection/affection for him. Adrian is doing something here that I bet many of us have done at one point in our lives: he’s (probably subconsciously) blocking out his inhibitions and doubts about his new friends because he wants companionship more than anything, so he will put anything negative out of mind and focus on the positive - they say they will stay with him. They know how to exploit his weakness: loneliness. All he wants is affection and companionship and they know it. I think Adrian doesn’t even want to think about why they are asking these questions, and just ignores it so he doesn’t have to consider the possibility that they are using him. If he was not maddeningly lonely, he probably wouldn’t have done so. (This parallels with Hector’s storyline of course)

What are your thoughts? What did you think Adrian was feeling and thinking?

Next, I will analyze Episode 9.

[flutteringphalanges]

                                         Caught in a Riptide

Summary: After the infamous Count Dracula is discovered and taken into custody by the Jonathan Harker Foundation, former nun and now guardian to her young niece, Zoe, Agatha Van Helsing is tasked with keeping tabs on the vampire after a mishap leads to his release into modern day society. Can Agatha remain levelheaded, or will fate turn her onto a new path?

Pairing: Dracula/Agatha Van Helsing

Rated: M

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for each and every one of you! Here’s a token of my gratitude! Feedback/reblogs/hearts are greatly loved and appreciated! Love you guys! -Jen

                                                    Chapter Nine

At first, Agatha found herself questioning if she had heard the vampire right. That maybe the fumes brought on by the combination of countless mixed drinks and body sprays had gotten to her head. But when she stared down at the Count's large, outstretched hand. At his long, pointed nails. The former nun's ears had been working correctly.

"Dance?" She repeated, the word tasting odd on her tongue. "You want to dance with me?"

"Well surely you know how." The man smiled widely, taking her hand before she could pull away. "Come now, it isn't so hard. I'll show Waltz only has six steps."

If her lack of ballroom dancing wasn't enough, Agatha felt several pairs of eyes fixed on them as they moved about the floor out of tune to the techno music. Dracula, who had taken to humming his own song, didn't seem fazed at all by their audience. Blood rushed to the woman's cheeks, the embarrassment making the room feel so many degree hotter.

"You're blushing." The vampire noted, tugging his partner back to reality. "Might I inquire what about?"

"Surely you're observant enough to realize we're being watched." Agatha hissed under her breath, nearly tripping over Dracula's shoes. "Just a touch out of place."

"Oh, Agatha, you really shouldn't worry yourself about the judgement of others." He chuckled, gracefully gliding across the ground. "Do you know any of them?"

"Well…" She began to stumble. "Well, no...but that…"

"Then I see no issue." Dracula finished, cutting her off. "Relax, Agatha. Enjoy the night while it's young. Though I haven't known you for long, I can tell you need it."

The former nun frowned, but said nothing as the vampire spun her about on the dance floor. Soon the other patrons became a forethought as her eyes locked on to Dracula's. She found it odd how a bloodthirsty killer could be so delicate. So graceful. And as he dipped her, brutality masked by this gentlemanly cover, she found herself delving into conversation.

"So how do you know how to dance so well?" Agatha asked, surprised by how she had yet to trip and fall. He was quite the teacher, she'd give him that. "And saying it's due to your age doesn't count."

"A fair enough question." Dracula agreed. "I simply desired to learn. Everyone has a hobby or two they enjoy. Or an interest they wish to pick up. Dancing happened to be one of my more...socially acceptable ones." He grinned, clearly amused by his choice of words. "What about you, Agatha? Surely you have a guilty pleasure locked away in that treasure chest of a mind of yours."

She thought for a moment. "I can knit...sort of." When his left eyebrow cocked in interest, she continued. "I'm not very good at it and have only managed to somewhat make oven mits. But between my job and caring for Zoe, I don't have a lot of time to myself."

"Perhaps you could knit me a pair that I may use next time you come over for dinner." Dracula suggested lightly. "For business reasons, of course."

Agatha felt her cheeks burning again, but from a different fire this time. She looked away, avoiding the vampire's gaze as her eyes fell on a clock mounted on a nearby wall. A distraction. Sucking in a breath, the former nun pulled away.

"We should get going." She said quietly. "It's getting, well, later and I need to be getting home. Dr. Bloxham left me some paperwork to fill out and I'd like to get that done. She's very...particular when it comes to turning things in on time." A poor excuse, but Agatha hoped it would work.

"Of course." Dracula bowed his head smiling. "I've kept you out long enough, haven't I?"

"It's been a night." Agatha agreed, somewhat struggling to find the right words. "I think it's at an appropriate end." She offered him a small, awkward, but genuine smile. "Your lead?"

Frank jumped in surprise, his phone falling into his lap at the sound of Dracula lightly rapping on the car window. Quickly, he unlocked the car doors as the two adults slid in without a word. Peering into the rearview mirror, glasses sliding down onto his nose, Frank feigned a smile.

"Today went well I hope?" He asked, starting the engine. "No complaints on either end?"

"Oh, I think it was rather splendid." Dracula replied, looking over at Agatha. "Wouldn't you agree, Agatha?"

"I suppose both busy ends were held up to the bargain." She replied, leaning back in her seat. "I don't have anything negative to report back to Dr. Bloxham if that is what you're asking."

"Excellent!" The lawyer beamed. "I knew it was possible for you two to work things out. This is good. Very much so. And I know Dr. Bloxham will be just as pleased as I am."

Agatha said nothing, just merely stared out the window watching the street lamps speed by. She knew Dracula was watching her closely as they pulled up outside of her house. And it was no surprise that he too got out of the car when she did. Of course he'd walk her to the door. How polite of him.

"Don't forget your Champagne." The vampire smirked, handing over the bottle. "I spent a pretty penny on that."

"Thank you." They were the first two words to come to her mind. A phrase that she hoped would send him away. "Tonight was decent...have a good evening, Count Dracula."

"You as well, Agatha Van Helsing." He replied, his teeth glinting in the moonlight. "I look forward to seeing you again. Perhaps you can work on those knitting skills of yours and make me a lovely pair of oven mittens. I'm quite partial to red."

Agatha gave him a half hearted smile and turned away. She felt some relief in knowing he wouldn't follow her inside. At least she hoped Zoe's invitation would've expired by now. Stepping into her home, she locked the door behind her. It wasn't until Agatha heard the sound of Frank's car rumbling off into the distance did she exhale, shoulders relaxing.

"Hey, you okay?"

Jack stepped out of the kitchen and Agatha couldn't help but note the flecks of glitter that sparkled on his shirt. He offered her a genuine smile as he scrubbed at his hands with a rag. Clearly the craft had proved to be messier than the doctor intended. But cleaning was the least of worries on the woman's mind.

"Long night." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. With the other that clutched the alcohol, Agatha held it out towards Jack. "Drink?"

"I'm fine." He shook his head to which Agatha merely shrugged and headed towards the kitchen. He followed suit. "Was it really that bad?"

"We went out for dinner and then to an arcade." The former nun stated, digging through the cabinets before producing a glass. "An arcade, Jack." Exhaling, she poured until the cup was full before downing it. "And don't get me started on the night club. I agreed to watch the beast, not partake in a dance number with him."

"Wait, you actually danced with Dracula?! The Count Dracula?!"

Agatha tried to ignore the look of astonishment on Jack's face as she downed her second glass of Champagne. So much for not drinking. Perhaps telling him how her evening had gone hadn't been the best idea. Especially since she'd have to relive it tomorrow when Bloxham asked for the nitty gritty details. After the last bit of beige liquid passed through her lips, she set the cup down on the counter with a rough clink. Though she wouldn't admit it allowed, it wasn't what they did that bothered it. It was, in fact, how she felt afterwards. Good.

"That's what I said. I was caught off guard." Agatha stated, trying to fend off the young doctor as he took away her bottle. "Clearly I was not in the right state of mind to think for myself. Perhaps I'm coming down with something..."

"Well, at least nothing bad happened right?" The young man interjected, trying to lighten the mood. "No one died?"

"Just my ancestors rolling around in their graves." She snorted, letting out a humorless laugh as she shook her head. "I unintentionally went on a date with Count Dracula, didn't I? Or rather, I might as well have." Jack's lack of a response was a good enough of an answer as any. "Shit..."

"Well it's over now, right?" The man assured her. "Best put it behind you. You won't do yourself any good stressing over it." He smiled, motioning to his sparkling shirt. "Anyway, what do you think of my outfit? Zoe may have gone a little overboard with the glitter. I did my best to clean up what I could. I'm sorry for whatever random particles you come across for the next decade."

"As long as you had fun and she behaved." Agatha smiled softly. "I don't mind the occasional sparkle. This place needs to lighten up anyway." Glancing around, she folded her arms over her chest. "You're welcome to stay the night. I can pull out a blanket and some pillows. The couch isn't so bad."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine." Jack promised her with a wave of his hand. "There's some work I have sitting on my counter that I need to bring in tomorrow. If I don't, Bloxham will have my head. You know how she can be."

"Right." His friend nodded, chuckling under her breath. "Well, thank you a million times over again, Jack. I don't know what I'd do without you in my corner."

"Well, if I'm ever set up on a date with a vampire, I'm sure you can return the favor in some way." The man joked. "Have a good night, Agatha. Give Zoe my best when she wakes up tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning."

"Same to you, Jack." Agatha smiled. "Bright and early."

                                                      XXX

Agatha tried not to think about the previous night's events until she came across Bloxham and her henchman of sorts, Commander Irving, the next day. Doing her best to ignore the rather intimidating man in the corner, she sat down in front of her boss who'd taken to calmly sipping what appeared to be a cup of tea.

"Mr. Renfield informed me earlier that last night was successful." The head of the Harker Foundation commented, swiveling in her chair. "Were you able to gain anything useful from your time together?"

"He can't go in the sun and hates crosses, just as much as we already know." Agatha said, trying to refrain from using a harsh tone. "A rather pointless excursion."

"Nothing is pointless when it comes to Count Dracula." Bloxham replied curtly, setting her drink down. "Him opening up to you, though slight as it may appear, is just as big a goal as any. I'm impressed, Agatha. I wasn't expecting much from you...even though it is only common knowledge."

"I'm not sure what else I can offer at this point." Agatha replied, folding her arms over her chest. "Can I go or is there something pressing you need me to fulfill for you?"

Bloxham glanced over her shoulder at Irving before looking back to Agatha. "I suppose…" She stated thoughtfully. "For now. But keep your schedule free as much as you can. I cannot say when your services will be required."

"Right." The former nun muttered. "I'll be cancelling my tickets for leaving the country then." A snide remark that went unmentioned by Bloxham. "Thanks."

Agatha made sure to accidentally slam the door a little harder than needed when she left the office. Fury bubbled in her chest as Bloxham's words replayed in her mind. A pawn in a game. A puppet in a show. The woman has basically slapped a figurative ankle monitor on her. At least the anger gave her something to focus on to make the time go by faster.

It was lunchtime when the former nun's phone vibrated in her pocket. Taking it out, she frowned deeply when she noted the caller ID. Count Dracula.

"Last night was fun. I wanted to inquire if you'd be interested in scheduling another meeting. My place or yours?" -Dracula

Deciding to ignore it, Agatha shoved her cell back into her pants. Dracula was the last person she wanted to see right now. Part of her expected Bloxham to immediately summon her to her office, believing the vampire to use Frank to his advantage. But when that didn't happen and time rolled on, that concern began to push into the back of her mind.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're ignoring me. Not fun, Agatha. Not fun at all." -Dracula

Agatha groaned, annoyed by the text that had awoken her from her deep sleep. It had been three nights since the vampire's last text. Though despite the messages, neither Frank nor Bloxham had seemed to become involved yet. For whatever reason, Dracula hadn't used that lifeline to his advantage. Turning her phone off, the former nun shoved it into her dresser drawer and closed her eyes. Sleep was a bliss worth taking.

"Agatha, I do hope you are alright. I'm beginning to worry. Do respond. Should I have a welfare check done on you? Perhaps Frank would be of service." -Dracula

"I'll put you out of service." Agatha muttered to herself as she shoved her phone into her purse.

It was late evening now and she was just about to head home. She was tired, hungry, and just about done dealing with the Lord of Darkness. It'd been a week now. A long, paperwork filled one, and all she wanted to do was rest. Getting into her car, Agatha drove home, the moon well into the sky by the time she pulled into the driveway.

"Mrs. Avery?" Agatha called out as she entered the house. "Sorry I'm late, I got caught up at the office."

The house was dark which sent a tingle up the former nun's spine. In the distance, she could see a light coming from the living room. The slight hum from the television meeting her ears. Cautiously, she made her way down to the room wondering if all was well. What she saw made her stop cold in her tracks.

Zoe lay curled up peacefully on the couch, a blanket draped over her frame as she slept. But instead of the short, elderly woman sitting at her side, a tall, loaming man grinned at Agatha from his spot. Count Dracula brought a long, pointed finger to his lips and quietly shushed the former nun.

"Welcome home, Agatha."

[bronanlynch]

bi-weekly update

it sure has been a wild time here and tbh I had enough to do one of these last week and just. didn’t?? for some reason?? anyway

listening: the Promare soundtrack went on sp*tify recently so I’ve been on Promare soundtrack lockdown over here. I know Kakusei is the iconic Promare song but Inferno (the opening song) always makes me tear up??? love to experience emotions about a movie in a reasonable and normal way. so anyway my standout track from the OST is Piromare because I am so very not immune to sad soft piano renditions of a motif that is usually triumphant/cheerful/etc

reading: I have, for once, read a bunch of books. I got a giftcard to my favorite local indie bookshop for Christmas and finally got around to using it to buy two books I’d been looking forward to, Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson (bi polyam Dracula retelling, kind of) and Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (gay arranged marriage space opera)

Dowry of Blood was very satisfying to me, someone who has lots of opinions about how vampires ought to be sexy and also terrifying, and I really enjoyed this specific take on vampire lore. also the formatting/pagination was really really cool and reminded me more of poetry books than prose usually does. for the first couple of pages there’s only text on one side of the page and then there’s one line on the back of a page and it hits really hard. extremely good and cool printing choices. would def recommend, but it is also explicitly an exploration of getting into and then out of an abusive relationship so. warnings for that in addition to the murder/blood warnings

also look at how sick this cover is (by Marlowe Lune, an artist whose work I really like in general)

I previously read Winter’s Orbit when it was on ao3 as an original work (called Course of Honour) and it was really cool to read a familiar story that I uh. read several times on ao3 but with added layers, because the author added a bunch of worldbuilding and an entire overarching higher-stakes political plot. I really really liked the added worldbuilding, and for the most part I enjoyed the new plot stuff, though at times I felt like it distracted from what I liked the most about the original, and there was one specific scene that was taken out that I was disappointed about. fave thing about the worldbuilding is when something is referred to by normal familiar words (like pigeons or bears) and then the actual thing is like, a fucking dinosaur that only vaguely resembles the word that’s used for it. very fun

also slightly mixed feelings about the framing of empire in the book, since there is some discussion about the consequences of imperialism and the resolution of the plot involves getting more rights and political sway for colonized planets. but the majority of the plot is about preserving an unjust status quo, and the representative of one of the colonized planets is working for the interests of the empire so that they can appear unified in the face of a larger-scale potential threat, which I’m not sure I love. and I also didn’t really care for the way the resistance movement (whenever it came up, which wasn’t often) was portrayed. so. on one hand yes there is a message of ‘empire bad and we should maybe try to be less Like That’ but on the other hand sometimes it did feel like the imperialism was an under-examined backdrop for a romance. like don’t get me wrong, I love the romance, I love the characters, it’s just that some of the politics didn’t quite do it for me and I think I just wanted More of things that just. weren’t the focus of the story

warnings for discussions of abusive relationships in this one, except this time it’s backstory for one of the characters, not something that’s present in the central relationship. and for all of the things that I wasn’t quite satisfied with, the parts of the book that are about like, learning how to be a person again after being in a situation where you’re not allowed to be yourself are still very well-handled and hit me real hard.

I also read a whole bunch of KJ Charles because sometimes all my brain can handle is marathoning romance novels, but I’m not gonna talk about all of them because this is already long enough (have not read the new one that came out today yet though that’s what I’m gonna do after this)

watching: Supernatural season 13 is incredibly boring and bad in ways that aren’t interesting or fun to talk about so I haven’t watched any recently. I did watch the first episode of Lupin, and really enjoyed it! will definitely watch more, though slowly because it takes too much of my brain to marathon it, partially because I know just enough French to almost not need the subtitles but having to read and also automatically trying to translate as I’m listening takes more brain energy. love a good heist though, and it has some good social commentary on race and class and crime

also the main character is very good. fucking superb you funky gentleman thief

playing: still making my way through the last mission of Knife of Dunwall. I made a bunch of progress since I whined at my friend about how hard it was and they told me to just stay in the building that has places to hide (the one you have to make your way through as Corvo, so I already know the layout, which helps lol) instead of the one that’s falling apart with nowhere to hide. who would have thought.

have also watched my roommate play lots of games and have thoughts on those too. Final Fantasy games (or at least the ones I’ve seen anything from, which is 7, 14, and 15) really appeal to me on a character/aesthetic/plot level but the gameplay looks like it would be bad for my brain. and yes all of those have very different gameplay but they would all be not fun for me in different ways. my roommate showed me like an hour of cutscenes from 14 last night that was basically a movie of tropes I love but holy shit I could never play a game where I have to wait for other people to be ready to also play the same part of the game before I can advance the plot

they’ve also been playing Persona 5 Scramble/Strikers (I don’t know which one the S stands for and at this point I’m too afraid to ask), which I do intend to play myself some day. it’s a sequel to Persona 5 with the same characters and damn they really nailed the feeling of seeing your friends again after not seeing them for a while, both in terms of. I care about these characters and am happy to see them again and also, they haven’t seen the protagonist in a while and they’re so happy he’s back and it makes me very soft. would love to reunite with friends whom I haven’t seen in a while

making: haven’t worked on cosplay but we did make some very tasty tortellini soup last weekend, and then last night we made fish & chips which was a lot easier than I was expecting and turned out pretty well? we just used frozen fries instead of like. frying them ourselves but we did make some very tasty lemon-garlic green beans

writing: well. I have a couple of things I’ve been noodling away at for a bit, and then a couple days ago I had a little bit of a breakdown and wrote 3000 words of angst in one sitting for an entire different new fic (Persona boys having a miserable time), and then yesterday decided to get in on a thing in The Untamed fandom of people writing short ““boring”“ domestic oneshots, and I love domesticity so I wrote one, which various reviewers have called “very sweet” and “a callout post” (it is both of those things)

I’m also organizing an event for P5 trans content because someone was shitty to one of my roommates over a trans headcanon and I got so pissed off that I’m running a prompt week now. love to have reasonable emotional reactions to things that happen in my life. why would I think about my actual problems when I could get petty and spiteful over someone saying that a fictional character couldn’t possibly be trans

[my-fanfic-library]

Something Different {BBC Dracula x Reader} [14]

Masterlist

A/N: I just wanted to say another quick thank you to everyone reading along. You guys have honeslty made my week so mych easier and to say that I’ve been waking up early (something my lazy ass never does) just to read all of your comments because I get that excited is just crazy. I love you guys so very much, enjoy the chapter!

~^*^~

You froze up. Your mother was looking right at you, asking once more quietly if you wanted a little more milk in your tea. You couldn’t really hear her properly. There was a rush of blood to your ears and your head began to swirl. The phone that you had been holding up to your ear clattered to the ground. Never in your life had such a heavy guilt consumed you and never had such a strong feeling overcome you so quickly.

The words just spoke to you echoed in your ears.

‘She’s gone...’ his voice had been a broken whisper. It was hoarse and accusingly wrapping around your head.

You had done this. This was your doing.

Lucy Westenra’s death was on you.

“[First]? Are you alright?” Your mother bent before you, plucking up the phone. She inspected it. Luckily, no harm. She noticed that the phone call was still on and placed the phone to her ear, “good morning, Jack, she’ll have to call you back.” She explained softly and hung up.

Your mouth opened and shut once more. Speechless. Utterly speechless.

And without thinking about anything else, you turned and ran. You ran as hard as your feet would carry you, not worrying about your unbrushed hair, or your bare face with tears streaming. Your mother called your name but you flew out of the house without another care. All you cared about was where you needed to go, and that meant sprinting as fast and as much as your body would physically allow.

You forced your way past people, earning some cusses and angry stares. You didn’t care. When you burst through the doors of the place of solace, you finally slowed down, doubling over and resting your hands on your knees. Your body shook with sobs. A pain rippled throughout you.

You rose, standing again and wiped your tears roughly with your sleeve. Then, you made your way through the next door.

This time, she looked even worse. You wondered if she had been sleeping at all. Her eyes opened slowly and she tried her hardest to smile. It fell immediately when she took in your state. You staggered towards her in your guilt and your grief. You slumped down into the chair beside her, beginning to sob once more.

“[First]?” She croaked.

“It was me...” you whispered through choked sobs, “I killed Lucy...”

“She... finally succumbed to him...?”

“I... I killed her...”

“What... happened...?” Her voice was so much slower and so much weaker.

“I sent him to her... in exchange for my life... I sent Dracula to kill her... Jack will never forgive me...”

“...[First]...” she began slowly, “Dracula... would have found her even if... you didn’t lead him there...”

Her words were of no consolation to you. Lucy was dead and it was your fault. You had lead Dracula to her so that you could live for just a few more months. Now that he didn’t have her to feed on, you knew it was your turn. You had prolonged your life by only a few months.

“Jack will never forgive me for this.” You sighed through your tears. How, just how would you be able to look at him again, knowing full well that you had caused the death of his most beloved person?

“He will... he’ll have to...” Zoe spoke.

“Can you believe I was that stupid?”

“Yes...” she deadpanned, and then weakly laughed before she began to cough, “but Dracula... fooled us all...”

“Zoe, what do I do...? He’ll find me again...” you had managed to compose yourself a little.

“Flee. You’ll just keep moving... and pray you don’t end up in the same place. Take Jack,” she pushed herself up so that she was sitting a little higher up, “you are the only ones who will know the danger...”

“Yeah, I’ve just killed his best friend, he’s definitely going to want to tag along in my race around the world for the rest of our lives to not get killed by a vampire.” You retorted, sarcasm dripping from your tongue.

“If anyone can, it’s you two... my best students.”

She extended her hand a little. You looked at it. You took it into your own. It was so cold. Not in the same way Dracula was cold. No, this was a tragic coolness. A deathly chill cursing her once floushied body. You hung onto her. She looked half-dead already. Her face had sunken in a little and her hair had thinned considerably. Her wrists had lost their plumpness and her fingers were bony.

This was what cancer did to the body. It plagued it. The strongest of them wouldn’t stand a chance.

“You truly were the best...” she smiled, closing her eyes.

“I do love you, Zoe.” You whispered.

“I know.”

~^*^~

The pew that you stood in was quite far back. Jack was in front of you by a few rows. He hadn’t looked at you once. You eyed the other people. Lots of friends, even more family members. Opposite you, on the left and just a row in front was a man you didn’t recognise. There was a green duffle bag on the ground beside him with a tag. He must be leaving after the service. That would make him Quincey, Lucy’s fiancé.

The service continued and at the front, Lucy’s mother, held back by her sister, sobbed uncontrollably. As the casket lowered down, you could hear her wailing “no” over and over. It broke your heart and the guilt washed over you once more. It was like there was a tiny voice in your head repeatedly screaming “you did this”.

Your selfishness, your desperation to survive had lead to this.

The church began to filter out, starting from the front and working it way backwards. Jack strode past you. His eyes were bloodshot and he had been biting his lip. He didn’t acknowledge you. Quincey wasn’t too far after. He was hard faced and clearly wasn’t as upset as Jack. Dear god, Lucy really had let him get away and she hadn’t even realised it.

Finally, your legs carried you out and you looked around. Jack was standing a few metres away, looking out towards the many graves. He hadn’t spoken to you in over two weeks and it was killing you. You had tried to get into contact with him, and when he had been to visit Zoe, she had demanded that he talk to you. She told you she had used the words “dying wish” to try and convince him, however he saw through her bluff and wasn’t planning on talking to you anytime soon. You sucked in another breath. You needed to talk to him. He was the only other person bar Zoe and Dracula who knew what had truly happened to Lucy. He needed your support as he grieved.

Your shoes clicked as you neared him and you tapped him on the shoulder. He turned away from you as soon as he realised who was trying to grab his attention. You sighed.

“Jack,” you whispered, “please talk to me.” He continued to look away.

“I have nothing to say to you.” He snapped and then sniffled a little. Ouch.

“Please, we need to talk about this. I’m the only other person who knows-“ you cut yourself off, not wanting to make a scene in exploiting your intimate knowledge on her death.

In your bag, your phone was buzzing erratically. You had no intention of picking up, as it had been for two weeks. Luckily, you had not disclosed your whereabouts and so for now, connection was cut.

Jack finally turned to you.

“Fine, let’s talk.” A tear was running down his cheek as his nostrils flared.

He grasped your wrist and began to tug you away from the crowd of people that had collected outside. Further and further, he lead you through the made of graves, coming to stop under an oranged tree whos leaves were delicately slipping away one by one. He let go of you, crossing his arms before sighing deeply.

“Jack,” you whispered, “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am...”

“She’s gone, [First]. She’s gone and it’s because of you. Because of that monster. Apologies won’t bring her back.”

“I know...” you blinked back your own tears.

“Did you truly hate her that much?”

Did you? Hate Lucy? God, yes. Anyone who knew your history with her knew that you had a justifiable hate towards her. But hate her enough to send her to her doom? You didn’t think so. Maybe leading Dracula to her was a rash decision, in your exhaustion just to save your own neck. Offering up the girl whom you had once loved so dearly as a simple happy meal for a true monster.

No, you didn’t. That was the short answer. Though, it was easy to assess that you did, however untrue it was.

“No, I didn’t hate her that much.” You confessed, “I... don’t really know why I did it... how could I have wished something like that upon her?”

“You tell me. You did it.” He challenged, sneering slightly.

“Trust me, I will carry my guilt with me for the rest of my life. Forever. And it will always hurt me. So please, please don’t cut me out again. I don’t know how long Zoe has and- and-...” the flurry of emotions watered your eyes heavily and you became unable to handle your tears, “you’re the only person who knows what Dracula is... you’re the only person who understands. I’m scared, Jack. It’s going to be me next.”

“[First],” he sighed. He knew that Lucy’s death could have been avoided had she denied Dracula her attention. Deep down, he knew that you had sent him on a whim to protect yourself. Of course he knew that you would never intend to harm somebody like that. But he needed to take his anger out on someone or else the cracking of his heart might hurt too much, “it won’t be you next.” He pulled you into him. It felt nice to have some physical comfort after locking himself away for two weeks.

Your phone began to buzz once again in your bag. You continued to ignore it.

“Are you going to answer that?”

“No...”

“It kept ringing all through the service. Who is it?”

You didn’t answer and almost immediately, he knew. He pulled away from you and before you had any time to protest, he had torn open your bag and took your phone. He answered.

“Ah, finally, you answer. I knew my persistence would win you over-“ Dracula’s smug voice rang through Jack’s ear and the urge to throw your phone as far and as hard as he could washed over him. Had it been his own phone, he would have obliterated it.

“It hasn’t.” Jack cut him off firmly.

“Oh, my, this is a surprise. Hello Mr. Seward. May I inquire as to why you have [First]’s phone?”

“Yeah, you can,” you watched Jack’s face twist in anger, “to tell you to fuck off. Oh, and don’t call her again. She won’t answer.”

Your mouth dropped. You gawked at Jack as he neatly replaced your phone back in your bag. Had he seriously just told the most dangerous creature to ‘fuck off’? You were in disbelief. And in that disbelief, in the entanglement of all of your emotions, you began to laugh. Hard.

“You didn’t seriously just-“ you doubled over and you could hear Jack begin to laugh along with you.

“That felt good.” He breathed through his laughs.

“Well, at least you took it out on someone.”

“Yeah, I suppose...” he looked at you. It had been way too long since he had spent some real time with you to just destress, “should we go get a drink?”

~^*^~

Jack awoke with a start. His room was illuminated and it took him a moment to register that it was his phone dining that had brought him from his sleep. He answered. It was Zoe.

“I’m checking myself out.”

The next hour went by like a blur. He needed to pick Zoe up from the hospital, which meant having to argue with two nurses who insisted on her staying. After literally screaming in one of their faces that he was taking Zoe, they were speeding off. She gave him directions, with a quiet and hoarse voice. She was clearly slipping away.

“Should I call [First]?” He asked, looking at her momentarily.

“...no... she shouldn’t come... because... well... she shouldn’t.”

The feeling that settled in his gut was bad. Really, really bad. Something was seriously wrong, but he knew not to press. Zoe would only give him an answer when she was ready. Until then, he’d just have to stay in the unknown.

On the other side of London, in a terraced house, keeping the living room lit was you. You had awoken early with a strange feeling in your stomach and had decided to come downstairs. Old American comedies were on reruns and you quietly laughed along at the jokes. Oh, if only you knew.

Dracula pulled open the door, and looked at the two.

“You don’t look very surprised.” He smirked at her remark.

“You don’t look very dead.”

“I’m getting there.” He nodded, and looked at the male standing behind her. Jack glared at him, and Dracula’s smirk fell from his face.

So, this was it.

He pushed the door more open to let them in and Zoe began to remark about how easy it was for them to find him. Dracula moved towards his chair and sunk down, not really paying her any mind. He pulled out his phone, tapping a string of words before slipping it back into his jacket pocket. Well, the quicker it was over, the better.

Your phone buzzed and you sighed. Reaching over, you grasped the cool device and your eyes adjusted to the brightness of the screen.

[DraccyBoi: I love you]

~^taglist^~

@vampiregirl1797 @avalanet @bunnyreese12 @nerdonpluto @teamceleries @grifffins @hitbythunder @winterseoul @mymagicsuitcase @angeli-fucking-cat @benedictethegoddess @bloodhon3yx @nifflersravenclaw @writteninthestars288 @labelladrama @frankcastlesgrunts @angelicdestieldemon @quakerlasss @aliisa-jones @wolverinexmenn @clairedragonessbaker @cryiner @mitsukatsu @piratewhore @your-pixels-are-showing @tardisnesss @ladydovahkiin180 @catwomom @god-of-dramatic-death-scenes @th3rah @viper-queen @mephdcosplay @greghouse7 @faeprinces @kokoro-no-yami @trishaferdream @therealmoni @crazytxgradstudent @sansthelonelypunster @crowley-needs-a-hug @girlonfireice @wasntpriscilla @ivanna6026 @greeniemoon @blueinkblot @tefymorgan @misfitgirlwrites @lokiphan @newheart97 @middlespellman @bratty-sweetheart @dipsylou @lilmou5ie @the-fangirl-life10 @enchantersnight @imthedoctorlove @haleyea @hoefordarkness @divinemoonsters @dragosdaughter @certthekilljoy

[rigelmejo]

random may notes:

I have a language partner, they are very nice. its both good and aha yikes to see that I can communicate but man do i forget basic things! its good though, to learn what needs correcting!

Listening Reading Method has been helping so much, genuinely, and it annoys me slightly that I just... am not hugely motivated to do it regularly. Like... the progress I’d make if I just did L R Method once per day? That’s ~30 chapters a month? That would be great! But I did not... I did 12 chapters so far - maybe 20 if I push it and count non-Guardian L R Method stuff I did this month. Still, if it’s taught me anything its how much I personally click well with study methods that add audio - so I’m taking that lesson moving forward. Incorporating more listening with my studies is just a good idea for me.

Related to that: Wasabi Japanese is cool. I wanna study with it more when I have time. It’s very audio-visual oriented, in context, which are ways I really like to learn.

Also related: the reason I’m not motivated to L R Method lately lol? Because as SOON as Guardian got comprehensible to extensively read that’s all my ass wanted to do - read. Not slow down and look up words, hear every word with L R Method... just READ. The downside of that is my reading speed is still slow since its a priest novel so :/ I basically have to stop other study plans if I try to prioritize Just reading Guardian. 

ALSO related: seeing how I do get the itch to Just Read though, I’ve got some books lined up to extensively read that should be easier than Guardian. Since they’re easier, they should actually be books I can finish in a couple weeks each (to a month tops). So maybe that will help my urge to just read.

Still just fucking around and reading some of my japanese textbooks, which tbh has been working good for me. I know my japanese study plan quickly deteriorated into a chaotic mess But in my defense - anything’s better than nothing! -3-)/ and things are clicking much better nowadays.

More on japanese: I did not intend to but I read several japanese manga chapters/(super short) graded readers this month. Its not a lot at all, but it is a big difference compared to any amount of japanese I’ve read before. It’s a big step for me. Just like playing those 2 brutal hours of Persona 3 and Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core in only japanese were a big step, watching that Dracula Musical was a big step. They all mark MORE japanese-stuff I’ve tried to understand then back at study year 2-2.5, which before this was the most I had ever understood or tried to. I find Yotsuba a lot more understandable now (along with all the manga I own), and on bilingualmanga of course I can also quickly just lookup definitions if I want. 

Future japanese: I got kybook 3 (an ereader app) and it managed to open up the parasite eve PDF I have and speak it aloud properly (up down, right to left). So that’s kinda exciting, i have an audio resource with it now. Also kybook 3 has an easier time with chinese and japanese definitions, so I should be able to look up words easier now. (Though I might just lookup words in imiwa app tbh so I can save them, see better full translations etc).

I also got all my DeFrancis Reader pdfs into kybook, so I might read them more. They’d count as ‘graded reader extensive reading.’

Again I ended up prioritizing just ‘read anything’ this month over specific like dedication to certain things, so i read a lot but so much random stuff.

this month has been so much ToT

[soybloodandstakes]

Young Dracula Vampires and Their Eating Habits: an exploration

Throughout Series 1 and 2 we see Vlad and Ingrid eat breakfast before school; obviously there’s also the episode where Renfield packs Vlad a spinach sandwich that has a cockroach in it, and we know that Renfield is partial to eating a bug or two (or many). We could say that as they’re still under 16 and don’t drink blood yet, their dietary needs would be similar to a Breather’s - albeit that their cuisine is unusual by stereotypical western standards (because in quite a few cuisines it’s common to eat insects and the like, also the idea of food being made out of bugs is slowly becoming ever more popular) - and perhaps they don’t need to eat food once they’re vampires (and yes I know I mentioned Renfield but it’s kind of relevant, hold on). However. We do see the Count eat; in the episode where the Branagh’s stay over and Elizabeth cooks him that weird blood pudding thing, and even in the first episode there is mention of him having to eat black pudding at a service station BUT it’s only because he can’t otherwise get blood. When Magda first makes an appearance and the Count falls for her again, they have a dinner prepared for her. Now my question is - do vampires in this universe need to eat? Is it a necessity for survival or just a personal preference? And can they survive only on blood or vice versa?

I think I assume that no, they don’t need blood to survive, because if you look at Vlad and Talitha in Series 5, they’re both vegetarian vampires and so neither drink blood.  And I mean also - there’s a whole BRAND for soy blood. Surely that means that there’s enough of a demand for it to have at least one brand right? However I’ve just realised that I am COMPLETELY FORGETTING !! that the VERY FIRST instance we see of a vegetarian vampire is Ivan! Before his incident with Van Helsing, he speaks of many vampires in America living a blood-free lifestyle, posing it as the only sustainable way forward. From this we can assume definitely that no - vampires in the Young Dracula universe do not need blood to survive and don’t even need to eat meat either. So, what do they need and why do they drink blood?

I think that the answer to the latter question is simply instinct and possibly tradition. There are many instances in which we see Vlad have sudden cravings for blood; ones that he fights down and doesn’t give in to but cravings nonetheless. Ivan is converted back to blood drinking from the smell of Slayer’s blood, again the fact that it is an instinctual need. As for what these vampires need to survive? I don’t know for certain. And we probably never will. The idea of vampires and the lore of the creatures has been changed and shaped to many different stories and renditions; I don’t know many of them but we can logically assume that Young Dracula takes inspiration from at least one or two more sources outside of the book that it is based off of (which takes its inspiration from the novel Dracula which I have yet to read). I can’t remember where I read it, I think it may have been in a My Sister’s a Vampire book hahaha EDIT it wasn’t it was in Carry On, thanks Baz, but there’s one idea that vampires need to eat food like humans do, but they can go for longer stretches of time without it. However, an opposing idea is present in Twilight; in this series vampires cannot eat human food and it actually makes them dreadfully ill. Although, in this example the Cullens don’t drink human blood either and drink animal blood instead, something that we can assume the vampires in YD probably don’t do as there is no suggestion of it anywhere. These two ideas and the evidence in YD are the only things I really have to go on as I haven’t read Dracula or watched anything based off it. Though I have read Carmilla - a vampire novel that predates Dracula - it again suggests the idea that vampires don’t eat and may be repulsed by food.

However, I am inclined to go with the idea that vampires (these ones at least) do actually need to eat to survive, and perhaps that their requirements for survival in terms of needing food are very similar to humans if not almost the same.

For one thing, the Dracula’s seem to keep pretty regular mealtimes. Throughout the entire program, they can often be found to at least be having dinner if not any other meal. In Series 3 in ‘Bad Vlad’, Vlad invites a Breather girl, Becky, up for lunch - though you could argue that this is to be in-keeping with Breather life. On this note, ‘lunch’ is intended to be her, which again does question whether they need food at all, however throughout Series 3 there are a number of things related to food that we can explore. Again with mealtimes, something that is actually used as a point to drive the narrative forward is when they’re all having lunch and Vlad is given the ocelots nose instead of the Count, who claims that he “always get[s] the ocelots nose”. There are also various other mentions of food throughout the later series in particular, so we know that these creatures do eat and perhaps they indeed do it out of necessity to survive, much like we do.

Contradicting this though, is the language that is often used when referring to blood and Breathers, and it is something that I also want to explore – how blood is consumed and what it is considered to be. Food or drink? In Series 3 in ‘The Blood Thief’, when Ingrid invites Bertrand to the blood cellar to taste one of the Count’s vintage bottles, she says “What a great evening – dinner and a show.”. With “dinner” being not even a full glass of blood we could just assume that this is a turn of phrase; with blood also being treated in a similar way to wine (vintage bottles, a dedicated cellar, drunken out of stemmed glasses) it does seem to therefore be considered to be like a drink. Additionally, in Series 5 where Warlock ‘puts in his order’ with Ingrid, he says “mines a _” which echoes that of a drinks preference (like a usual coffee order). However, there is also constant referral to Breathers being a “meal” or “playing with your food” so – perhaps vampires can survive without food, as long as they have a supply of blood. Hence the glass of blood being “dinner” for Ingrid. This seems very plausible, especially with the opening of the blood banks in Series 4 for the ‘strays’ or ‘ferals’. Vlad claims that they would go wild without them, and we do see evidence of that when the blood runs out at one point. These homeless vampires with nowhere else to go would probably not have access to food; most likely being led by their instincts alone, the only source of nutrition they crave is blood. Human when they can but animal when they can’t. It’s with this point that I retract my earlier statement that we see no evidence of vampires drinking animal blood instead of human like in Twilight, as in Vlad’s speech to the ferals he mentions the fact that they are/will be feeding off of stray cats if they do not follow him to Garside, as they cannot hunt because of the ceasefire. With this information, perhaps I am wrong in my assumption that vampires need to eat food. Maybe they can simply survive on blood alone. So, this begs the question – why do the Draculas have meals? Why are, according to Renfield, certain maggots a vampire delicacy?

If we forget for a minute that vegetarian vampires exist and focus on the majority, what exactly are the reasons for the Draculas and other vampires, like those at the Hunt Ball in Series 1, to be eating food? Is it still indeed a necessity thing and vampires like the ferals, though surviving, are perhaps malnourished without food as well as blood? Is it a culture thing, a tradition thing? A class thing? Up until the introduction of the ferals, we are not shown a way of vampire life other than that of the Draculas and their associates. The Draculas are therefore really our only source of information and so that is what I am basing these assumptions on. The mention of it possibly being a class thing is also because, assumedly, the Count is.. well, a Count. Whether his title is with or without the corresponding status is irrelevant though, because we know that the Draculas as a clan are still supposedly renowned as a name and have status in their own right because of that, and so may be expectant of certain things due to having money - like food being a part of their life. Another theory is that maybe, turned vampires don’t need to eat but born ones do? (With the assumption that most of the ferals are Half-Fangs?) It’s a possibility. My personal thoughts are that vampires in this universe can survive only on blood – as possibly evidenced by the ferals – but need some sort of food too if they don’t want to be constantly hungry and/or malnourished. In addition, those of a higher status may be more accustomed to eating food perhaps because of tradition, which is usually found to be kept more in higher status places, or because of culture. The cuisine in question is also definitely very odd by human standards, and so here we come back to one of the opening points. The fact that these vampires seemingly have a pretty vamp-specific cuisine even before being 16 is another indication to the possibility that vampires in this universe eat food for possibly more than just enjoyment, and their dietary requirements are the reasons for this. This being said, Renfield also seems to share a lot of the same food, although he isn’t exactly a regular breather and he is pretty disgusting in his taste (even by a vampire’s standards), so it does still raise the possibility of it just being culture/tradition.

In Series 1 the Dracula’s are found to be eating various gross-looking things, a lot that looks kind of mouldy; at the Hunt Ball, we are shown a vampire eating an eyeball skewer, and bugs seems to be a large part of their general diet as evidenced by the maggots for Magda in Series 1, and also Renfield’s “bug burgers” in Series 5 that George helps him make. In Series 2 we also see a large fox in a sort of pie thing among other mentions of badgers and birds that Renfield serves, which leads to Ivan telling the Count he’s vegetarian. There is far more mention of the food that they eat throughout the show, however we can generally deduct that they seem to eat pretty much anything and everything if it’s an animal that moves, particularly if it is gross by regular human (also western) standards. In Series 5 the Count even mentions how he hasn’t “had a toad in years” when one (weirdly CGI-ed) appears on his balcony. So they eat toads too. Maggots seem to be weirdly popular; Series 3 at the Carpathian Feast shows Renfield ‘teaching’ Wolfie how to eat maggots, these ones considered to be a delicacy of “fine dining” having been “fed on a diet of elephant dung”. Gross. These vampires’ diet seems to be quite broad; however, the existence of vegetarian vampires also proves that they don’t need to eat these things to survive or be healthy. Obviously it can just be argued that they eat these things because, well, they’re vampires and it’s a work of fiction, and the fact they eat these weird foods just helps to hold the suspension of belief of them being supernatural creatures. But that’s not how I am going about this, so we’ll forget about that argument. With the consideration of vegetarian vampires, I am inclined to go with the fact that vampires eat these foods in particular because of tradition, because of their culture. Or at least the Draculas do. This may just be that it’s because they’re from “the old country” (Transylvania), and like aforementioned, they’re of a higher status and more likely to keep old vampire traditions. So it isn’t to say that vampires of this universe don’t enjoy a burger or two, despite the Count not knowing what they are. (“What is that, a person from Hamburg?”) However, the vampires that we are shown are all from a similar status family/position as the Draculas, and so their food does seem to be kind of similar. Whatever background a vampire comes from though, their diet is most definitely carnivorous, whatever form that meat comes in. This comes back to my main point of their eating habits coming from their vampire instinct. The fact that the Draculas are accustomed to eating certain foods in certain ways is probably more indicative of their class than anything else. As with all people, I’m sure these vampires have preferences and different types of food across the vampire globe – raw meat is something that you would assume they would eat, yet it is only seen to be eaten twice throughout the show. Ivan in Series 2 after his run-in with Van Helsing, and Hack in Series 5 from the basket of meat that Ingrid sent him. But, they definitely don’t need to have this diet to survive, and we can assume that its reason is more of instinct and tradition.

So what do vampires in the Young Dracula universe need to consume to survive?

Like I said previously, we don’t and won’t know for sure. But this exploration has shown that their need for blood and for meat as food is most definitely instinctual than anything else. Those that are led more by their instincts like the ferals, and even Ivan, are more likely to be blood thirsty and want their hunger satiated that way, more so than through food. They also prove that vampires can survive only on blood if need be, without the need for food as well. However, without food they definitely seem to be wilder than your average vampire. Or perhaps are exactly what you imagine a vampire to be like and the Draculas, due to their class and status, are simply more controlled. I’m not sure. What I am sure about though, is that it is possible for a vampire to live without blood, and without meat. This is proven by both Vlad and Talitha, and Ivan before he was reverted. So, what vampires need to survive is still unclear, but is nothing to do with having a special dietary requirement that is unlike a human’s. In fact, they probably can survive on the same diet as a breather. But, the key thing is their instincts, which are hard to control, being the main reason why the majority of vampires are carnivorous blood suckers. Even Vlad, who has always refused to drink blood even before he was vegetarian, has instinctual cravings for it.

TL;DR - Food for vampires in the Young Dracula universe seems to be more a thing of culture, tradition, and class than anything else. These vampires can definitely survive without blood and without meat if they wanted, however for most their instinctual need takes over. They also seem to be able to survive only on blood, however this appears to make them more instinct dependant, driving them slightly mad. Essentially, food seems to be a preference, and either it or blood can be the sole thing a vampire survives on, irrelevant of the consequences. Also, vegetarian vampires are pretty happily surviving without blood.

I’m sure there is much more I could talk about, especially once I finally read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but this is pretty much all I can think of to explore for the moment. I would be here forever otherwise, and will probably add quite a bit in the future as I come up with more ideas to do with this.

[mytalkingraccoon]

movies i wanna watch soon list

y’all already know my taste, don’t judge me

1) eyes without a mask (1960)

Professor Genessier is guilt-stricken after his daughter's face is disfigured in a car accident. He intends to rebuild his daughter's face via grafting skin tissue; he only needs a supply of donors to experiment on. I think the movie is in french? Idk but you’re going to have to make sure to get a english subbed version.

Freaks (1932)

It follows a trapeze artist who joins a group of carnival sideshow performers with a plan to seduce and murder a dwarf in the troupe to gain his inheritance, but her plot proves to have dangerous consequences. Apparently in multiple countries it was banned for being too unsettling despite having to cut a ton of scenes to be not censored. The director is also the dude that made the classic Dracula in the 1930s.

The innocents (1961)

Literally just a nanny being freaked out about the haunted house she’s staying out. Not a big deal lol

Eraserhead (1977)

This is really pushing it with the time-frame it was made but I’ll deal with it. In a post-apocalyptic society, Henry Spencer works in a factory and has a girlfriend, Mary. When she gets pregnant, she moves to his apartment and delivers a mutant baby, who cries all the time. She can not bear the screams of the child, leaving Henry, who is on vacation, taking care of the newborn child and driving him insane. Geez, bro, that’s rough. Maybe use a condom next time.

Hour of the wolf (1968)

Johan Borg and his pregnant wife Alma arrive on a remote island to spend the summer. Johan, an artist by profession, is uninspired and restless of late. One day an old woman approaches Alma telling her to read Johan's diary, which he keeps in a black bag under the bed. As Johan's mental state continues to deteriorate, Alma becomes increasingly frightened. Unable to sleep at night for some time now, Johann tells Alma of events from his youth and eventually of Veronica, the woman he lived with for 5 years. I have a feeling this movie is going to be messed-up since it says it a psychological horror. 

Strait-jacket (1964)

I’ve actually seen this on MeTV. There’s this dude named Svengoolie that shows vintage horror movies and I would enjoy it if he wasn’t a fucking moron. Either way, if you enjoy psycho, you’ll enjoy this (i do warn you though they show the lady in an asylum in a strait-jacket.) Its about a woman who murdered her husband and the woman he was sleeping with using an ax in front of her 4-year-old daughter. When the daughter is all grown-up she decides to take care of her mother who was finally getting released from the asylum.

I’ve also seen House of Wax  by Andre DeToth. Highly recommend.

Dementia 13

Shocked by the death of her spouse, a scheming widow hatches a bold plan to get her hands on the inheritance, unaware that she is targeted by an axe-wielding murderer (again with the axes? are they fun or something?) who lurks in the family's estate. Oh wow, this was directed by the dude who made the outsiders (hear that, @blognotfound​ (¬‿¬)?)

House on haunted hill (1959)

if you’re wondering why the skeleton is holding a black box i edited the photo because there was a woman hanging and i didn’t want to trigger people with suicidal thoughts. A millionaire offers $10,000 to five people who agree to be locked in a large, spooky, rented house overnight with him and his wife. How much you wanna bet one person is going to be a monster fucker at the end?

Dead of night (1945)

Im getting bored of researching im just stealing shit i find on any site. Dead of Night is anchored by the déjà vu had by an architect at a party whose recurring nightmare seems to be bleeding over into reality. Over the course of the night, he and the other party guests, who have all starred in his dream, take turns swapping disturbing and unhinged ghost stories—until, of course, the suspense is capped off with a stellar twist ending.

L’Inferno (1911)

yes, guys, its silent, get over yourself. Its basically “the tour to the circle of hell.” I don’t need a tour, i am the tour guide (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ 

[bang-and-a-blintz]

Through the Darkness

CHAPTER SIX - ROSEMARY GRITS

Fandom: Dracula (2020)  

Relationship: Dracula/Roxana(OFC)  

Rating: Mature  

Warnings: None  

Word Count: 4,475

Cafe Rose Nicaud had a moderate crowd for the afternoon rush. This allowed Dracula and Roxana to squeeze into a small booth in the far corner without having to wait. It was a cozy spot; the dark walls were lined with brightly painted caricatures of revered local musicians and the glass in the windows was covered with a colored film that reflected purple, green, and gold across the tables. Kermit Ruffin's trumpet cooed and floated casually out from the speakers in the ceiling.

A waitress shuffled over to drop off some menus and waters, when she smiled her cheeks were dotted and rosy and half her teeth were missing. Roxana thanked the woman and took a swig from the ice-cold glass. The midday sun heated the city quite nicely, making her light jacket feel a little too warm, so she shrugged it off and folded it up next to her. Dracula, on the other hand, and despite his all-black three-piece-suit, looked as cool as a cucumber as he lazily put his sunglasses into his breast pocket and picked up the menu.

The image struck her as strangely normal, too normal, to see Dracula sitting across from her at a small cafe tapping his claws against the tabletop and glancing over the menu with an almost bored look. Roxana used the opportunity to properly inspect him in the daylight. She couldn't deny that the man was attractive. His thick black mane was only slightly mussed from the walk, but otherwise impeccably maintained. He had such a distinguished facial structure that she couldn't help but to be in slight awe; from the serious, Slavic brow to the prominently defined cheekbones; he was every bit a good-looking villainous trope. She took particular notice of his full lips; what a soft and pillowy barrier between his vicious teeth and any poor soul that got too close.

By the way his brows knitted together as he read the menu, she gathered he was unfamiliar with the world of modern cuisine. It made it her wonder if he knew anything about human food at all.

"Do you even eat food?" Roxana asked curiously.

Dracula shook his head, "No, but I do find it intriguing how much stock you all put into food here. It's as if you really care about what you consume. I like that."

"Because food is lives. A single plate can tell the stories of the past or create visions for the future; it can soothe your soul, shed your tears, and inspire your senses. It allows us to survive but can just as well be a cause of death." She took another sip of water before continuing. "I believe that flavor is the essence of life and it is blasphemy to claim otherwise."

He stared at her for a moment with what almost looked like fondness. "I completely agree."

"It's a shame though."

"What's that?"

"Well, that you missed out on such a wonderful dish last night," Roxana's lips curved as he cocked his head, "I had really put in the effort and for that chateaubriand to be wasted on you is just tragic."

"To be perfectly honest, I had been thinking about a different kind of meal you could've offered." Dracula grinned, leaning closer across the table, "You know, it's bad for business, not providing for your client's needs and wants. That is something we shall have to work on."

She swallowed thickly, he was a bit too close and she could see nothing but the black hole of his gaze. His eyes were truly mesmerizing and she was afraid of getting lost inside that intimidating stare. Luckily for her, at that moment the waitress came back to take the order, Roxana was grateful for the distraction and spoke up first, "I'll take the rose benedict with some gator sausage and a house bloody, please cher."

"Not a problem, babe, and what about you, handsome?"

"I'm just here for the lady." He smiled boyishly. "But I wouldn't mind trying a tall glass of yourself."

She gave a shriek of laughter and pointed a crooked finger at him before collecting the menus back up, "Oh you're nothing but trouble. Alright, baby, that'll be right up, just holla if you need anything." She walked back towards the kitchen shaking her head. "Ohh, he's bad!"

"If she only knew," Roxana muttered.

He turned to smile at her, "That word you said, 'cher', what does that mean? You called me it earlier as well."

His question was innocent but it turned her cheeks a cherry red that Dracula found very enjoyable.

"Oh it's just a, um, a term of endearment." She spoke quickly as if the more words she managed to squeeze in would save her from embarrassment. "But don't think on it, honestly, it's just habit. Memaw used to say it, along with her cribbage friends, and my old cooking instructor…It comes from 'cherie', the french word for 'dearest' or whatever."

She didn't appreciate how pleased he looked and he most definitely was. It was the little things, he mused silently, that made her squirm and fluster. Another piece to the puzzle he was starting to put together.

"You seem to be warming up to me quite quickly."

"Ever heard of 'Southern Hospitality'? Calling people babe or cher or honey is habitual because we have a friendly culture, nothing more, so don't get your hopes up, sweetie."

"I understand the social pleasantries, but that is beside the point." Dracula looked pointedly at their proximity in the booth. He was right, and she knew it, because who else in their right mind would willingly sit down and have brunch with an undead vampire warlord from the fourteenth century? Maybe she was crazy.

"Look, I don't know how to…be about everything. Seeing as this situation is a little bit out of my realm, I'm just going to be cautious and courteous lest I become a snack."

"I told you," The vampire huffed, "I'm not going to kill you yet. And besides, I wouldn't have you as a snack, no, my dear, you would be a full-on, fine-dining, four-course meal and I intend to make you last."

Her face deadpanned.

"Here you go, baby." The waitress chose the most opportune moment to arrive with the bloody mary. A godsend, truly. "I gave you an extra piece of bacon, sugar, in case y'all wanted to share."

With a not-very-subtle wink towards Dracula, she hobbled away again. Roxana rolled her eyes and immediately started gulping down half the beverage before munching the first sweetened slice of pig. "She's really laying it on thick, huh?"

"I can't help it that I'm irresistible."

"Oh I'm not so sure of that," She popped a pepper into her mouth. "I've been in your company for less than twenty-four hours and I can already tell you are insufferable."

"Roxana!" Dracula mocked gasped and placed his hand over his non-beating heart, garnering some attention from the nearby patrons, "You wound me."

"You'll survive, I'm sure." She polished off the rest of the drink and smiled widely at the noisy tourists. They immediately looked back down at their plates; the key was to always kill them with kindness. "Anyway, if you're finished with being a drama queen, please tell me more about this council and dinner and all that. We've been getting slightly off track."

The Count sighed and raked a hand through his hair, completely oblivious to the exchange, "Basically there is a peace treaty being put into place because apparently things are getting out of hand for the city. The mortals want accountability and the council is trying to solidify an agreement. And as far the dinner goes, I imagine there are going to be a few more people from Mr. Kendell's committee as well as the heads of Keres' council. We will all wine and dine, figuratively for the supernaturals, of course, we'll sign some papers and all the political nonsense, all while you graciously host us."

"And then it'll be over? I won't have to deal with any of this after that?"

"Are you already tiring of my company?" Dracula's brow crinkled upwards and made him akin to a large puppy dog, but she was not fooled. Without letting her answer, he heaved a sigh and continued. "Well, I'd imagine that afterward, at a later date, there will be a ball. Seeing as it should be around the time Mardi Gras starts to pick up, I believe it will be a grand affair. You will be invited, no doubt, Keres is nothing if not socially polite."

"Yeah, sure, that sounds safe." She was being sarcastic, but her interest piqued considerably. A gala for a supernatural and mortal peace treaty during Mardi Gras? Roxana would be lying if she said that wasn't the coolest thing she had ever heard of. Call it some sort of morbid fascination that seemed to be interred in her bones because she always did have an affinity towards dark and strange things.

"I'll admit, Keres can be a bit uptight and a tad pretentious, but let me tell you, that woman really knows how to throw a party!"

"What's the deal with you two anyway, y'all an item or something?"

"Why, are you jealous?" He smirked as she went to protest but cut her off with a lazy wave of his hand, "No, no, no, she is definitely not one of my brides."

That stopped Roxana in her tracks and she stared at him incredulously, "I'm sorry, did you say brides? Plural?"

"Yes." Dracula's brows rose innocently. "I never have more than three at a time."

"What the fu-?" She was cut off by a steaming plate placed in front of her face. The smell wafted up to her nose and she deeply inhaled the tantalizing scent, momentarily distracted from the beast across from her.

"Anything else, hun?" Where the waitress stood, Roxana could only see an angel sent down from the heavens.

"Another bloody and make it a double, please."

The woman nodded knowingly and was off again.

Roxana took a moment to stare at the beautiful dish and appreciate its display. The rose benedict was one of her favorite brunch items; the succulently poached egg perched on top of a fluffy and flaky biscuit baked to perfection, layered with fresh arugula, sliced tomatoes and avocados, a juicy alligator sausage link, and the homemade hollandaise sauce that was magnificent. It was all placed neatly over a bed of the cafe's famous rosemary grits.

Simply divine.

Dracula watched with intent as Roxana delicately used her knife to break open one of the eggs and the yolk oozed out over the side of the dish. With precise hands, she cut a piece that contained a little bit of everything and brought the fork to her mouth. As she bit down and closed her eyes, she let out a little moan that should not have affected him the way it did. He began to salivate as his eyes focused on how her tongue dipped out to lick the little bit left on the corner of her lip and they slowly drew downward towards her neck, where he could hear her heartbeat thump solidly beneath her flesh.

The cheery waitress came back with Roxana's drink; she thanked the older woman and took a large swig, her eyes closed briefly in happiness at how strongly poured the beverage was. Thank the gods for vodka, she thought gratefully and then brought her focus back to Dracula. "So are you saying you have three brides right now? That sounds exhausting. Honestly how could you have time to follow me around all day?"

"No, no, I'm currently in the market." He leaned close and spoke conspiratorially, "It's really not all that difficult, you see, they're fairly easy to control once put in their boxes."

"You're horrible."

"I'm joking," Dracula reclined back in his seat and laughed, "Haven't done that in a few hundred years. No, nowadays it's a bit more complex, isn't it?"

"Relationships?"

"If you want to call them that, sure." He said, watching her for a moment as she cut into the second egg with the same precision as the first. "I've had some difficulties acquiring the right bride."

"Maybe if you practiced a little respect and some monogamy, you might have more success." Roxana took a sip of water and then made a facial shrug, "Or if they're into polygamy, then that's fine. It's not my bag but to each their own. Though I will say, the whole box thing is really fucked up and you've definitely got to cut that shit out."

He found her candor endearing. "It is an attempt I'm making."

"Is that why you wasted the day stalking me?"

"I have an eternity. One day is insignificant and therefore cannot be wasted." As he spoke, one of his large hands waved about and emphasized his speech. "Besides I wasn't stalking, you passed by my window near the square and I had nothing better to do."

"You followed me all the way from there?!" The Count just shrugged and folded his hands together in his lap. She rolled her eyes, "You need to find yourself a hobby."

Roxana ate the last bite of her meal before polishing off the rest of her drink and set the empty glass down with a satisfied sigh. Her stomach was full and her head was beginning to enter the realm of that familiar warmth that only accompanied good liquor.

Again with impeccable service, the waitress swung by again to pick up the dirty dishes and asked if anything else was needed. Roxana ordered another double bloody to-go and the check. She then excused herself to go to the bathroom and Dracula sat back to observe his surroundings. Idle chatter and clinking utensils on plates filled filling the cafe, but the vampire could hear nothing more than a symphony of heartbeats all thumping in a wild orchestrated sonata. He was getting very hungry.

The Count took a deep breath and reminded himself to be patient. All good things come with time. His companion returned at the same time as the waitress and when Roxana grabbed the check, she noticed that Dracula had latched his claws onto the other side. "I'll take care of that."

"Oh no, you won't!"

He smirked as her eyes narrowed, "Oh yes, I will."

"You didn't even eat."

"And?"

"I pay my own way."

"I insist."

They both had leaned closer and closer, not willing to break eye-contact nor their vice grips on the bill. Dracula was incredibly amused. Roxana was not. The waitress's head bounced back and forth along with their verbal tennis match.

"I will make a scene." She all but growled, eyes narrowing.

"Please," He matched her tone, "I would love to see that."

A pause.

"Damn girl, just take the free meal!" The waitress decided to take the opportunity to cut in, "Give him a little lagniappe later, ya heard me? If you don't, well, sign me up, baby."

Needless to say, Roxana was not happy when she walked out of the cafe and stormed down the street. Dracula followed, looking as smug as ever with his hands in his pockets and a little grin on his face.

After a few blocks and a few more swigs from her cup, she finally let go of her pride and slowed to walk alongside him once more. The sun had begun to set, sending its red and orange hues across the city to cut in between streets and through windows. She loved this time of day. The refraction of the sun created a heady glow that felt like a soothing hug to one's soul.

"Where are we off to next?" Dracula looked down at her, noticing her shoulders weren't as rigid as they were when they left the restaurant.

"A nice lady in the bathroom told me about some little show down by the river, thought that sounded lovely."

He made a face, "Modern toilet etiquette is baffling."

"We were just washing our hands," Roxana laughed at the count's confused expression. "Though you're not wrong. A lot more goes on in bathrooms than just 'using the loo.'"

She mimicked his acquired accent and he was thrilled to see her back to her cheerful self. Until her eyes lit up with a curiosity that he was beginning to recognize and he could already tell where her mind was heading.

"Wait, do you -?"

"No."

"But I didn't-"

"No."

"Could you let me-?"

"No." He said, chuckling as she huffed in frustration. "I know what you're going to ask and the answer is no. I have no use for a toilet. Good thing too, apparently, because according to you, there are plenty of strange things that happen in those receptacles that I have no wish of engaging in."

"Eh, it's mostly people doing drugs. You're not missing much." They turned the corner, she brushed away some hair that blew in her face and took another sip. "Unless you're into drugs?"

Dracula grimaced, "Not particularly. It depends on the drug."

"How about alcohol?" She looked up at him and he shook his head no. "So why did you choose New Orleans? You do realize this is a party city, right?"

"Because I see that there is more to this city than what meets the eye." He spread his hands out wide, "Look around! New Orleans is a delicious cocktail of artists and scholars, fighters and doctors, saints and sinners - it is a plentiful orchard of every imaginable fruit and I would be remiss not to pluck the ripened morsels. The culture here promotes hedonism and I am simply embracing it."

He watched as she paused and looked thoughtfully a bush of jasmine flowers. There were hundreds of them lining the block and wafting around their fragrant aroma. She bent down to pluck a group of three and then turned towards him, walking up close, and tucking them gently in his breast pocket.

"What's this for?"

"Something sweet-smelling," She continued forward, "You're starting to stink up the neighborhood with your evil."

"It was a compliment of the highest form - I've actually become quite fond of this city!"

"Yeah? So stop eating its people!" Roxana called over her shoulder. Dracula laughed in disbelief; she definitely would be an interesting flavor and he was very eager to try.

Catching up to her quickly, they made their way across the quarter and over to the river. By the time they arrived, the night sky had crept in, chasing away the rest of daylight. A small crowd had gathered over by the steps along the riverbank and in the center were a couple of musicians with their small amplifiers; the band was jamming and the crowd was dancing away. The music was a bit too uptempo for Roxana's taste but she could appreciate that everyone was having a good time.

"Is this your style of music?" He asked as they sat down next to each other on a bench overlooking the impromptu show. She noticed how close he sat and how he positioned his body angled towards her with his arm draped behind her. Knowing he was going towards being incredibly invasive and unnerving, she was not about to admit defeat and refused to scoot back.

"No, I'm more of a blues or tragic rock 'n roll kind of gal. The sadder the better, I say."

"But you seem so…happy."

"Yeah, well, you seem like a gentleman, but we both know what you're really after here." She gave him a pointed look. "All of us wear masks, Mr. Balaur."

"Fair enough."

They sat for a while and watched the impromptu set until the sky grew darker and the city lights flickered awake. The heat of the sun disappeared along with it and brought in the chilly air once more. A swift reminder to Roxana that she only brought a thin coat. She chugged down the remainder of her drink, in hopes of creating some sort of liquor blanket, and pulled her jacket closer.

"As surprisingly nice this evening turned out to be, I need to get home. So I'm going to head out." She stood up and turned towards him.

"Would you like a ride?"

"No!" She said a little too loudly and then cleared her throat, blushing. "I mean, no that's fine, I'm just going take the streetcar."

"Nonsense, I can drive you, my car is close by."

"Seriously, I'm fine. Thank you, though."

"I'll accompany you to the streetcar then - and I won't take no for answer."

Roxana knew better than to even try and just spun on her heel, walking away and knowing that he would shortly keep up. They weaved back through the maze of the quarter towards the hub on Canal Street and maintained their amiable silence. Dracula kept a few steps distance from her and easily clung to the shadows. She thought it was strange, but made no comment. Must be his nature.

A few blocks from the bright and bustling main street, they were the only people walking around as they passed by a dimly lit parking garage. Where an attendant usually sat was only an empty booth and a single flickering light.

There was a flash of steel and suddenly a man appeared out from around the other side of the booth. He was wielding a knife. The guy pointed it at Roxana, not seeing Dracula in the darkness, and he gave her a grin that sent chills down her spine.

"Hey there, doll. Why don't we make this nice and easy?" His voice sounded like a kazoo made out of sandpaper; wheezy and scratchy and a tad too high-pitched.

Normally, this would be the moment she would grab her mace, spray, and run; but then she remembered the five-hundred-year-old genocidal bloodsucker creeping unseen behind this lunatic. Better the devil you know and all that.

"Hello."

The man jumped and pointed his weapon as Dracula materialized out of the shadows. "Where the fuck did you come from?"

"Wallachia."

"Bless you." Roxana couldn't stop the words from leaving her mouth and when he gave her an incredulous look, she just put a hand up in apology.

"Shut up, both of you, and give me what you've got." He waved the blade back and forth between the pair them. "Or I'll slice y'all right up!"

Dracula and Roxana exchanged looks. He took a deep breath and stepped towards the man. "Let's make a deal, hm? I'll give you what you want, if you give me what I want?"

"What? You crazy, old man?"

"No, no, not crazy, just a businessman." He smirked, "What do they say? Quid pro quo?"

"Well whatchu want then?"

"It's very simple, actually, I just need you to say 'yes'."

The man looked bewildered and faltered his grip a bit on the knife, "Why the fuck-?"

"Have you been drinking? On any drugs?"

"What're you a cop?

"No. I just don't like the taste." The count gave him a look and the man slowly shook his head. Compelled almost. "Good, now, back to business."

Dracula took another step closer and pulled out a rolled-up wad of money, raising his eyebrows and wagging it in the air. The guy gulped audibly, not able to take his eyes off of the prize cash.

"What…what did you want again?"

The vampire lowered his voice, "Just say 'yes'."

"…Yes?"

The tension was thick. Dracula smirked as he glanced over to see Roxana staring at them, her wide eyes with rapt attention. Oh he hoped she would enjoy the show. "That's good enough for me."

Frozen in horror, she watched as his eyes filled with a dark red, and his teeth extended to frightening lengths. He launched at the man with the knife and slapped the blade away, gripping the mortal effortlessly and latching his jaw around the tender neck. Sounds of hissing and slurping and growling battled the poor guy's cries of terror which bounced and echoed across the buildings.

She wasn't sure she could move even if she tried. Roxana just stood there and dumbly stared as Dracula drank his fill. After a few moments, she didn't know because time appeared to stand still, he looked to be finally sated. The count detached himself by brutally ripping out part of the muscle in the man's neck, making a show of spitting it across the sidewalk, and then tossed the body to the side like a useless rag doll. Even in the dark of the night, she could still see the smear of blood across his mouth and the pointy white teeth from his devilish grin.

He put the wad of money back in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to dab at his cheek, acting as if nothing ever happened. Noting her shock, he just rose a single brow, "What?"

"What?" She mumbled and then shook her head roughly, snapping herself out of the daze. "What?! What do you mean? The fuck was that?!"

"He said yes. Verbal consent."

"You have no concept of what consent actually is."

"Oh come on, he was going to stab you, I saved your life." He stepped towards her and she could clearly see the blood now, it even tainted his teeth. She could smell it.

"You're a monster."

Dracula took another step into her personal space. "That's a terrible way to show gratitude."

The image began to repeat in her mind of his teeth tearing so viciously into the flesh and the blood dripping from the count's chin as he rolled his eyes back in ecstasy. Over and over and over again.

He noticed she had paled significantly and got a glazed look in her eyes, "Are you alright? You're not looking so well."

She felt it churn in her stomach and claw up her throat, and without any attempt to stop the inevitable, Roxana promptly vomited all over Count Dracula's fancy suit.

Taglist:

@festering-queen​ @vissidarte213​ @moony691​ @torntaltos​ @allis143​ @apocalypsenowish​

[unfortunately-lovestruck]

So concerning Antonio’s update, this is a long-ass analysis/ramble. If you don’t want copious amounts of literary analysis, ignore this. If you want my review or thoughts, it’s all under the cut.

So to start off, I think we all knew this was inevitable. And by “this” I’m of course referring to the MC’s deterioration into cruelty and hunger for power. In terms of plot, this update mainly consisted of MC’s emotional and mental instability after seeing Frankenstein, who unsurprisingly reactivates trauma within her. So this is mainly build-up and the finale next week will be the climax. But, in terms of symbolism, allusions, and character insight, this update was surprisingly deep.

1) We got a large amount of mental insight from both Antonio and the MC, but especially a lot from the former compared the usual. We learn how lonely Antonio felt after breaking out of the castle and splitting up from her. We learn the urgent and borderline hysterical fear he felt when he learned Eva was alive through the MC feeling the exact same thing in regards to Frankenstein. He explains just how and why the MC changed him, that she made him look at himself and actually confront his problems instead of running away. In one of the options when the MC asks “What scares you?” he answers with “Too many things to list”. MC feels down the bond that he’s experiencing loss, like he’s losing her. He admits he’s not sure stopping her in her fit of rage against Victor was the correct choice. They’re little glances, but when you add them up like this, it becomes a lot. Because the focal point of this update is the MC’s mental stability (or decline of it) we have to see his mental state as well because they’re linked. This leads me to the next point.

2)

The bond literally just snapped. The way it’s described in the second screenshot almost makes it sound like a piece of wood, but what I envisioned was a rubber band. MC experiences so much emotional strain after seeing Frankenstein, which transfers over to Antonio. The copious insight we get from him mirrors how much we see of MC’s emotions, and it all builds and grows. The stress is like pulling on the elastic of the band, until eventually the tension rises so much, it just breaks.

3) We get another reminder from MC just how similar she and Antonio are. Albeit brief, it’s definitely relevant to one of the entire route’s themes. Is man so different from monster if that monster was once a man? (I.E. moral grayness.) MC and Antonio both grew up poor, both lost important immediate family, and both have a little sister they would do anything for. They both crave power as well, and in the end, they both get it. After being born into poverty, Antonio builds status in both the human and vampire world. He’s the billionaire CEO to mortals, and an elder vampire with high ranking to immortals. After having a similar background, MC becomes the prophesied Lady of Blood, and is able to make even Dracula bend to her will and fear her, a feat not even Antonio could accomplish in 5 centuries. They are both so similar it’s astounding. How does this connect to moral grayness? Well, MC eventually ends up calling Frankenstein a “pathetic human”, and is surprised at her apathy considering how recently she was turned. Vanessa asks her what she’ll become when it’s only her and bloodlust with no bloodbags in sight. Though a good portion of this struggle is tied to her being losing control of her power and just being a vampire in general, MC ends up pondering her morals before this slip of her mental state even begins. In the beginning of Antonio’s route, she sees him as a monster. His whole role in the series is the “dark” vampire. Yet after 6 seasons, MC is powerful like him. She drinks blood like him. No matter how morally questionable she initially found him, she is like him. And the transformation, apart from the Lady of Blood bit, only amplified that.

4) Returning to the theme of power, it arises yet again, and is another reminder of the early stages of the route. From the start, there’s a power imbalance between Antonio and MC. Rich vs poor, old vs. young, vampire vs. human. So they both figure turning her into a vampire will even the playing field. But now there’s still an imbalance. MC has control over every vampire in the world except for him. And though Antonio doesn’t want to use it, he has control over her after turning her. Both harbor too much power, and it didn’t cancel anything out as intended, but instead seems more like it squared itself. 

5) I mentioned the symbolism and character insight, but I’ve yet to address allusions. In Antonio’s route, we get a combination of Dracula, Frankenstein/Igor, and Elizabeth Bathory/the Blood Cult. Dracula, so far, hasn’t been too imposing. He nearly bit the MC in the masquerade, and Necahual did try to bite her too, but other than that, they ended up being more minor inconveniences. Frankenstein, however, manages to cause so much damage with so little effort. It takes only a single sight of him to tip MC over the edge of stability. His true motives remain unknown, since just reviving Eva clearly wasn’t the end of it. Now, I haven’t read the novel by Mary Shelley, but after a quick Google search about his motivations in the book, it’s obvious that Frankenstein has a God complex and wants to create a being so powerful it defies nature and science. And the master of the Blood Cult just so happens to have wanted to turn MC himself so he could have control over her, and therefore control of every other vampire. I don’t know how this would take form exactly, but from what I’m seeing, it looks like MC is Frankenstein’s next monster, whether metaphorically or literally. And after this quote,

I just feel like her heart has to play some role in all this. Igor almost cut it out with a knife at an alter. Antonio considered giving her heart to Eva so it would continue to pump the blood she needed to survive. MC calls Victor’s heart cold and dark to do what he did. This scene might look like a cheesy, romantic exchange between two lovers, but I’m 95% sure this is foreshadowing somehow.

So what’s going to happen now? Well, the way it looks is that MC is going to push Antonio away and shut him out completely, and unless he stops her, she’ll force the cult to go find Frankenstein and murder him. My bet is the season finale will be him finally using his control over her and stopping her, and the MC will feel betrayed. We might seriously even just lose a coherent point of view from her because she’ll straight up have a different mentality, and even personality all together. In other words, she’ll become the Lady of Blood, fully and maybe even irreversibly.

But hey, that’s just my theory. Feel free to discuss!

[demonweasel]

10, 15, 22?

10. do you have a creed? Hmm. To be as authentically me as possible, to know that there is always room for growth, to protect and care for my loved ones, and to be intolerant of people’s nonsense

15.  five most influential books over your lifetime. 

1 - The Hobbit: My mom read this to me when I was in the first grade, and while I don’t have a massive love for Tolkein this probably pushed my interests towards fantasy and Dungeons & Dragons and the like.

2 - The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told: Printed after the ‘89 movie came out and I was in middle school. I’d picked up comics very casually but not a lot of Batman and I think seeing the range of golden- to bronze-age stuff put comic book reading on the regular basis as a more pointed hobby of mine

3 - IT, by Stephen King: When the original miniseries with Tim Curry came on I was absolutely hooked immediately. I remember being younger and going to Waldenbooks and seeing a massive poster for it when it was released, just a rainy street and a close up of a sewer grate with a lizard or dragon claw hanging out of it. Not entirely accurate to the story but compelling enough to make a kid stare at it and wonder what IT was. After the first episode I ran to the used bookstore in town and bought my own copy (a miniseries version with Tim Curry Pennywise on the cover and whose eyes would follow you wherever you set the book down). I think I may have finished reading it before the series finished and by the time that school year was over I’d probably read at least 75% of the book he’d put out at that point.

4 - Catcher in the Rye, by Salinger: Yes, the stereotypical douchey CIS white boy answer. It’s embarrassing but it spoke to me as a teenager that always felt like an outsider, that was picked on and didn’t know how to talk to his family about things. It’s problematic as hell and I haven’t read it since college but I used to count it as one of my favorite books.

5 - Frankenstein by Mary Shelly: After reading the non-fiction Danse Macabre by Stephen King (a close entrant to this list) I wanted to read more of “the classics.” I’d avoided them like the plague because I needed to be “entertained” more but after finding Dracula a little too dry (again, after seeing the Coppola film, which I loved and yes, some pun intended) I tried that and I loved it. I read it a few more times in college and got more out of it that way too but it was a great stepping stone.

Honorable mention (because I can’t remember what book it was) to the first book I read by Elmore Leonard, who made me go “Oh wow, I want to write like this.” Maybe Get Shorty? I want to say that but it feels wrong. And yeah, that covers maybe to my mid twenties? 😅

22.  list the top five things you spend the most time doing, in order.

- Sleeping, obv. Sometimes I sleep in too late but I feel like since I left my job I’ve been feeling so much better so it’s worthwhile.

- Social Media. I have an absolute love/hate relationship with it that I could write so much more about but it is what it is

- Talking/Watching TV with my girlfriend. She works from home a lot too, especially now that I’m home pretty much every day. I was honestly a little worried about how much time we were spending together and that we might get sick of each other but there is no pressure when one of us needs/wants to be alone and we have ample space for that. Almost six months in and so far so good.

- Writing. A little worried this wasn’t going to make the list 😅

- Reading. Usually comics on my tablet but I need to get back into the habit of reading more prose fiction.

Thank you so much for the very thought-provoking questions!

identity ask.........oh shit

[thelatelockdownlist]

A Series on Series 03: Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter

Hi! I’m Alex, a YouTube Newbie and this is The Late Lockdown List where I talk about the list of things I’ve got on my mind since the lockdown started. 

Anyway, for those of you who were here for the previous episode, welcome back. 

For those of you who are new, today on the third episode of A Series on Series, 

we’re talking about Nalini Singh’s other paranormal/supernatural series, Guild Hunter.

Since the series has been out for quite some time, if you haven’t read it and are sensitive to spoilers, well, I talk a lot about certain details. 

However, I’m going to tell you if there are particularly crucial plot points that I’ll talk about. You’ll see this when I’m about to spoil a plot

First off, what is the Guild Hunter series about?

We start with a question: How are vampires made/turned? 

From a bite, right? You’re thinking Dracula, Buffy, Angel and maybe even Twilight. But in this series, vampires are made by angels. That's right, the winged creatures. This series starts with one particular Guild Hunter, Elena Deveraux. I'm not going to spoil the story by telling you exactly what happens to her. I am, however, going to tell you that in this series -- of which there are currently 13 books and 4 novellas, you have vampires who work for angels for 100 years to serve out their contract. In turn, the angels work for archangels who make up the Cadre of Ten, who effectively rule the world.

The Guild Hunter series begins in earnest with the first book Angels’ Blood

with Guild Hunter Elena Devereaux and the Archangel of New York Raphael

https://the-guild-hunter-series.fandom.com/wiki/Raphael; credit to Jennifer H.

-- no last name. 

We first meet Elena at work, tracking down a runaway vampire. 

The Guild Hunters are humans -- mostly -- although some are ‘hunter-born’ like Elena who are gifted with an almost preternatural sense of smell that can track vampires. At the end of her track, she finds the ‘baby’ vamp, a vampire newly turned, and returns him to his ‘master,’ an angel. Said angel tells Elena she has a new assignment which terrifies her: New York. 

Apparently when an angel says New York, it can only mean one thing: the Archangel Raphael who rules North America.

Raphael has a mission for Elena:

To hunt down the blood-born Archangel Uram.

SPOILER END

It reads a little like a detective story, chasing down a bad guy who’s way more powerful and centuries older than you and you have your partner, an archangel. There’s adventure and humor and plenty of steam along the way. One of my favorite characters: the butler. And no, he didn’t do it. 

At the end of the book, 

after Raphael kills Uram, a severely injured Elena -- close to dying, really -- asks Raphael one of angelkind’s most forbidden secret: how vampires are made. Raphael says that angels secrete a substance that turns a mortal into an almost-immortal - a vampire. However, not all humans can process this substance without dying violently. It’s why there’s testing. Before this, a great number of humans died while being ‘made.’

Then Raphael kisses Elena,transferring a substance that’s supposed to make her a vampire… 

Cut to a year later in the Refuge, the angels’ secret hideaway where their children grow up, Elena wakes. However, she is not a vampire. She’s… an angel! 

As it turns out, the substance Raphael transferred was ‘ambrosia’ -- the mythical food of the gods. It turned Elena not into a vampire, but an angel. No one can remember this happening so she’s quite  unique -- among creatures whose love of the ‘quite unique’ can be deadly.

SPOILER END

And Nalini Singh does it again! I’m serious about her talent for building these intricate and fascinating worlds. 

You know what this series sort of reminds me? Dominion. 

Yeah, that two-season show based on the movie Legion with Paul Bettany. 

I loved the premise, but the execution fell a little flat. 

Anyway, I never really put vampires and angels together, much less angels ‘making’ vampires. If you have, please tell me which books these are and I’ll try to read them. 

Singh introduces new mythologies into the angels and archangels. The hierarchy is there: Archangels in the Cadre of Ten ruling vast lands 

and possessing different great and terrible powers, the angels who work under the archangels, the vampires who serve the angels, and the humans who are sometimes left to fend for themselves. 

I like how different the Archangels are. They’re all known to be ruthless and oftentimes cruel. Raphael is characterized as both, and is infamous for having tortured a vampire who betrayed him and left said vampire in the middle of Times Square as a warning. The others have their own quirks, but I’ll let you find out what they are when you read the series. 

I’ll tell you their names and territories though, and forgive me when I mispronounce some of the names. I’ve never heard them, and therefore have my own way of saying them: 

Zhou Lijuan

https://the-guild-hunter-series.fandom.com/wiki/Lijuan; credit to Jelena Price

the oldest, often called an Ancient, and the only one of them who has a last name ;) controls China; 

Charisemnon, Archangel of North Africa; 

Elijah, Archangel of South America and Raphael’s closest ally; 

Favashi, Archangel of Persia (for the first few books) and is the newest archangel; 

Michaela, Archangel of Central Europe and former lover of the Archangel Uram of Russia; 

Neha, Archangel of India; 

Astaad, Archangel of the Pacific Isles and 

Titus, Archangel of South Africa. 

and of course, Raphael. 

And then there’s The Seven -- Raphael’s most trusted and loyal men: 

Dmitri, a vampire, the oldest and Raphael’s closest friend; 

Naasir, a ‘vampire’ and the second youngest; 

Galen, an angel and Raphael’s weapons master, originally from the Archangel Titus’ court; 

Illium, AKA Bluebell; a blue-winged angel who grew up in Raphael’s territory in The Refuge; differently spelled, also means the largest part of the hip bone AND the former name of Troy

https://the-guild-hunter-series.fandom.com/wiki/Illium; credit to pandorangheldeviantart.com

Aodhan, AKA Sparkle; an angel and Illium’s best friend; 

Venom, (real name: Tushar) the youngest and a great cook

and 

Jason, Raphael’s spymaster and possibly one of the few angels who did not grow up in the Refuge.

And of course, Elena. She has had her own share of tragedy. I don’t want to tell you the whole story because believe me, reading it is infinitely more satisfying, but I can tell you a little bit. Her father disowned her when she was 18 because he disapproved of her joining the Guild. You see, being hunter-born, Elena didn’t exactly have a choice. If a hunter-born does not use his/her gifts, they end up going mad. She has a tragic backstory, but you’ll need to find out for yourself. 

Hunter-borns are usually the best trackers in the Guild, stronger than most humans and immune to vampires’ mind control. However, they are highly susceptible to an older, powerful vampire’s scent-lure. One consistently comic point in the series is how Dmitri, a 900-odd-year-old vampire, especially gifted with scent-lure, consistently baits Elena by wrapping her in his signature ‘perfume’ every time they meet. And every time he does this, Elena either threatens violence against him or just outright throws a dagger at him.

I also love Elena’s bond with the rest of the Guild members. Her best friend Sara Haziz, the director, is especially protective of her. Elena and Ransom Winterwolf (you gotta love these names) bicker like siblings all the time.

While the series essentially revolves around Elena and Raphael, the other characters get their moment in the sun, too. 

And since I’m a sucker for cherubs, imagine a place filled with little children -- with wings, flying around like drunken bees! You see that in the second book.

While I love all of the books, my favorite so far has to be Archangel’s Legion

This is when the big battle between Raphael and Lijuan finally happens. At the end, when all hope seems lost, 777 (and that has to mean something) Legion angels come to their rescue and turn the tide. Even better, all of these angels can regenerate FAST! Some angels have that ability, but not at that speed. 

The Legion is sworn to Elena and Raphael, who they call the aeclari. As far as I’ve read, the word means warrior, but that’s it. Neither Elena nor Raphael know, and the Legion don’t seem to know how to define it.

SPOILER END

The book that follows it, Archangel’s Prophecy

is a cliff-hanger. I mean, Elena has to be alive. She has to be.

The next book, Archangel’s War

didn’t come out until September 2019 and it’s an absolute testament to Nalini Singh that I have a countdown on all my devices for when a book of hers comes out. Thirteen books in and I’m still all a-quiver in anticipation. 

And because I wrote this script in 2019 -- intending to do this video that year as well, but didn’t -- Archangel’s War has been out for quite some time. I won’t be talking about it, but it is quite a gratifying read. There’s a part in the book that’s heartbreaking, but necessary. And that just gets to me.

Honestly, I can talk more about this since I already read the latest one, Archangel’s Sun

which came out November 2020, but I didn’t want to strain your patience. However, since this story comes in the aftermath of the war, it’s more light-hearted than the previous ones. BUT it’s the story of an unlikely pairing that’s -- think of it as a ‘mature’ romance -- only since angels don’t exactly age and are effectively immortal, the maturity I’m talking about is more of status and years lived. Seriously, it’s a great book and such a welcome relief after the heightened suspense and intensity of the previous ones.

Not that I don’t appreciate the heightened suspense and intensity of the novels, I do! It’s just that if you’re like me and get very invested in the lives of fictional characters, it CAN get a little overwhelming. So this book was a respite -- a much needed one. 

However, paranoid as I am, I feel like this is a lull. 

But I’m ready for the oncoming storm. 

And that’s it for me. Thank you for indulging me. Catch you in the next episode, when I talk about Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy starting with the first book, A Discovery of Witches, which is also a TV series.  

[holidaysat221b]

List of Sherlolly Prompts as of 9/20/2017

Here is a link to the very informal Sherlolly Prompt Fest FAQ

Below is the list of prompts submitted to @holidaysat221b.  Where possible, we have tagged the submitter so that credit can be given if a prompt inspires someone to write a fic or create a piece of art.

Some submissions were specifically labeled as Art prompts, and they have been separated into their own category.  However, if you are a fic writer and one of the art prompts calls to you, go for it.  Likewise, if one of the other prompts makes you want to draw, have fun with it!  Prompts that have been filled at least once will be followed with an *, in case that influences your decision to work with one.

We only ask three things:

1) If you use one of the prompts on this list, please remember to credit the prompt and prompter somewhere in your fic summary/art description or in your notes.  It’s the polite thing to do.

2)  Please submit an ask or message @holidaysat221b with a link to your work, the prompt you used, the prompter, and how you want to be identified (in cases where your Tumblr and fic/artist name are different).  This will allow us to share your work with our followers and tag the prompter (if possible).

3)  We have set up a Sherlolly Prompt Fest Collection on Ao3.  If you are planning to post your fic or art on Ao3 and would like to add it to the collection, please do.  As of this moment, the collection is open and unmoderated.  Please remember to credit the prompt and prompter in your fic/art notes.

On to the Prompts as of September 20, 2017

Art

Art prompt:  (I’ve wanted this like burning for five years, I’ll never give up asking)  Sherlock and Molly, the cake scene from Sixteen Candles".   Only in the morgue and Molly’s wearing the lab coat.  -   @sunken-standard *

Art prompt:   Potter!lock.  Don’t care if it’s student Sherlock and Molly in their house robes, teachers, wizarding professionals, a recreation of the Order of the Phoenix group photo with Sherlock characters instead. Whatever.  Just as long as it’s Potter!lock.  -  @darnedchild

Art prompt:  Molly and Sherlock’s first real date gets interrupted by a case.  Are they dressed up for a fancy evening, or wearing something more suited to fish and chips and a walk around the park?  -  Anonymous

AU/Works that do not/will not fit in with the series current on-screen canon

Sherlock: A TV series featuring a hot guy with awesome deductive skills, his best friend the doctor, the exasperated detective inspector, the sweet landlady, and the pathologist. And no, the pathologist isn’t in love with the hot guy.  -  The Silent Fangirl

A post TRF fic, where Sherlock takes Molly with him, but they return to London a couple years later than in canon because Molly got pregnant along the way (or even twice), so now they are three/four of them instead of two? -  @mychakk

“We had chips. She liked me.” – Sherlock in TLD. What could have been had he and Molly gotten chips in TEH: A kick to Tom’s butt. Happy greeting (a hug at least!) at the end of TEH. Quite a lot of sex with Sherlock instead of Tom. Molly the best man’s date. A (sophisticated. Or not) Molly/Janine cat fight for Janine hitting on SH moments. Dancing, so much Sherlolly dancing (and no leaving early). Probably no Shezza (Shezzer?)—which, hmm, is a shame (But maybe they’ve their own not-being-on-a-sex-holiday-but-sexing-a-lot time). A real proposal to Molly. Molly at family Christmas, maybe even a Christmas wedding. Solving CAM without the threat of exile sharpens Sherlock’s deductive abilities. No Norbury as Molly’s already expecting their first offspring, so Sherlock doesn’t taunt needlessly. Mary as the Sherlolly baby godmother as she’s alive! Culverton Smith is taken down by the duo of Mary and Molly while the latter gives birth there (because the ladies are awesome, plus Mrs H tackles him down). John is so impressed he doesn’t look at any other women. Molly’s big heart brings Eurus from her metaphoric plane the moment she steps into 221B, plus baby Holmes wins her heart too. The Holmes family reconciliation and Eurus is in therapy instead of being a multi-killer. Baker Street Boys Team continues while Baker Street Girls Team gives them a run for their money. Mycroft asks Lady Smallwood out himself to her astonishment and internal squealing. Mummy Holmes gets more grandkids than she could’ve imagined. And basically, everyone walks happily into the sunset. The End. Please note, some things can obviously be modified.  -  @mychakk *

AU: Molly runs away from home when her parents try to arrange a marriage for her. She wants to pursue a life that involves science and marry for love if she ever gets married at all. She meets Sherlock, who is being pressured by his family to marry a nice girl they found for him who loves science as much as he does. It will be interesting when they figure it out.  -  @shadowyqueenbeard

AU. Instead of dying, Mary actually does hide from Sherlock and John effectively and they don’t find her. Still wracked by guilt and worried he’ll never see her again, John still imagines her in his mind and Sherlock still goes after Culverton Smith … possibly both to save John and because maybe Smith knows something about where Mary went? To solve the mystery and bring Mary home, Sherlock and Molly team up.  -  @rooneykmara

Crossovers/Works set in or inspired by another specific fictional universe (ie Potter!lock)

I’d really like to see a Daemon (from the His Dark Materials books by Philip Pullman) version of Series 3/TAB/Series 4 (any or all of those), especially when it comes to the ILY scene.  -  Kay

iZombie!Sherlock – Think of this, if Sherlock gets infected we have: 1) Sherlock with white hair 2) Sherlock getting brains from Molly “for experiments” 3) Sherlock getting different attitudes (hippie brain = hippie!Sherlock) 4) Paler than normal pale Sherlock 5) Sherlock with red bloodshot eyes.   Also:  If Molly Hooper gets infected, it’s like she’s the Liv Moore of Barts.  Lestrade as Clive (and relieved to be not only depending on Sherlock to solve crimes).  Sherlock deduces Molly’s hair color and tan (because Molly can’t show up to work with white hair, even whiter skin color, and very slow pulse rate).  Major asshole Boss being the one shipping tainted Utopium to Britain.  -  The Silent Fangirl

Superwholock!Sherlolly  -  The Silent Fangirl

Doctor Who!Sherlock - Molly Hooper as a companion  -  The Silent Fangirl

Me Before You!Sherlock  -  The Silent Fangirl

Molly Hooper as “Mary Reilly”.  -  @darnedchild

Dracula!lock, but maybe mix it up just a little.  Sherlock as the object of Dracula’s affections (Mina) and/or Molly as the vampire expert (Van Helsing)?  - @darnedchild

Sherlock and Lady Molly of Scotland Yard.  Molly Hooper as Lady Molly from “Lady Molly of Scotland Yard” with her crime solving partner Mary (Morstan).  (Note from Mod -  “Lady Molly of Scotland Yard” used to be available via BBC Radio 4 Extra on demand, you may still be able to find it online somewhere.)  -  @lullikiish

A Hades and Persephone AU with Molly as female Hades (the unrequited love at first, the proximity with death) and Sherlock as a male Persephone (the curiosity, the lack of eating).  Irene would be a great Poseidon (the chaos provided by the ocean, the sailor knots).  As for John, he would be a great Hermes!  -  Kay

Gimme “The Full Monty”, baby. Surely someone can find a reason to have Sherlock, John, and Greg get their kits off? Or Molly, Mary, and Sally? Mrs H could give professional pointers and tips to whomever you’re planning to get starkers.  -  Anonymous

A Sherlolly version of “It’s A Wonderful Life”. Sherlock gets to see what his loved ones’ lives would be like if he never existed, realizing the positive impact he had on them when he was alive.  -  @simplyshelbs16xoxo

Something similar to “The Ransom of Red Chief”, only in this version the kidnappers have figured out that Molly Hooper is a pressure point for Sherlock Holmes. They take her captive, intending to blackmail Sherlock or hold Molly for ransom; but Molly Hooper is having none of that nonsense. While Sherlock works to save her, Molly finds ways to torment, injure, and outwit her captors. Whether she escapes on her own, finds a way to let Sherlock and John know where she’s at, or ends up driving her kidnappers crazy to the point that they give up and send her back is up to the author. Could go humorous or dark very easily.  -  Anonymous

Clique/Sherlock Crossover - After the events of TFP, Molly Hooper (who is actually Jude McDermid) decides to go back to Edinburgh, broken-hearted & bound to continue the “family business” after years of running away from it. Gone is her long hair & colorful jumpers: she completely changed her look & have every information about Molly Hooper destroyed. Years passed, she forms the Solasta Women’s Initiative, much to her brother’s delight, until a horrific event brings Sherlock Holmes back into her world again. It’s more of a Sherlolly/Judelock mash-up where Sherlock wants to know why she left, who she really is, & how he’s still madly in love with her. Molly/Jude is more like she’s finally embracing the life she thought she never wanted, until she realizes that she can never forget the love she has for Sherlock. Can she be Jude & love him as well? Can Sherlock accept her true reality, or does he only love her as Molly & not Jude. Throw in a nice mystery/thriller plot too! Oh yeah Mycroft, who knew Molly is Jude from the beginning but decided to let Sherlock figure it out on his own, is determined to stop this union at all cost. Pls include all the girls & guys in Clique, especially Holly since she’s a badass off to take down Jude and her “girls” no matter what! It’s a crazy plot but if you’ve seen the 1st 2 episodes of Clique, it screams for a Sherlolly crossover fic! Thanks for reading this uber-long fic prompt!  -  @violetjersey

A reversed Potter!lolly with Sherlock being the Muggle-born, while Molly’s the pureblood witch (the likes of Luna Lovegood). Sherlolly, of course.  -  @mychakk

Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” – because I always think of the movies when I see Mizjoely’s U.N. Owen tag.  -  @darnedchild

We know Molly can keep other people’s secrets. Maybe Molly has a few secrets of her own, i.e. her very secret collection of FWBs. Because honestly, you think she would just sit alone in her home every night, year after year, quietly pining for a romantic relationship with Sherlock? And what a surprise when Sherlock and their friends find out…maybe at Sherlock and Molly’s wedding? Crossover possibilities depend on FWBs selected…Q (James Bond), Loki (Avengers), Doctor Strange, etc.  -  @rubyred7531

Period pieces/TAB

Victorian “Hooper”lock—Molly in disguise as “Hooper” the man, and they work together on a case and sparks fly. They flirt and all, and Sherlock can’t figure out right away that she’s a woman, and I think it might not even bother him that much.  -  @lullikiish

Song fic/Inspired by lyrics

Song Fic:  Adele’s “Water Under the Bridge”  -  @darnedchild  *

Song Fic:  … I would love something based on “Samson” by Regina Spektor please.  -  @chelle812

Song Fic:  Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally”  -  @darnedchild

Song Fic:  Texas’ “I’ll See It Through”  -  @darnedchild *

Song Fic:  … I’ve got a quote from a song.  “You only know you love her when you let her go.”  (Note from Mod - The song appears to be Passenger’s “Let Her Go”)  -  @flowerstar5  *

NEW - Song Fic: Angst.  Based on the ABBA song “Knowing Me, Knowing You”.   Sherlock and Molly have tried to have a serious relationship, but it just didn’t work out.  -  @shadowyqueenbeard

OT3/Sherlock, Molly, and ?

A case involving wine and stolen spatulas leads to Mycroft Holmes being attracted to Molly Hooper.  Too bad Molly’s had enough of the Holmeses, and Sherlock mooning over her really isn’t helping.  (Molly Hooper/Mycroft Holmes/Sherlock Holmes)  -  The Silent Fangirl

Molly wants to meet The Woman.  Irene and Sherlock are still friends, and Molly is curious.  Much to everyone’s surprise, Molly and Irene hit it off fairly quickly.  (Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper/Irene Adler)  -   Anonymous

When Sherlock is injured and stuck in a cast up to his thigh, Mary and Molly find out JUST how grumpy he can get.   They end up putting him by a window with binoculars, his pain medication, snacks, juice and his mobile.  What happens next?  (Molly Hooper/Sherlock Holmes/Mary (Morstan)Watson)  -  @penaltywaltz

Everything Else

Sherlock is undercover.  He’s renting a small place and he’s trying to fit in with the extremely old fashioned community that is probably hiding a deadly smuggling ring or something equally bad.  He ends up calling on Molly to come help.  Since he’s already established as an unmarried man, his ‘sister’ (or other family member) arrives for a visit.  Cue living in the same house while hot for each other type shenanigans while pretending to be siblings under the watchful eye of some suspicious townspeople.  -  Anonymous

Molly’s school reunion – Sherlock assumes he’ll be needed to help Molly show everyone up.  The catch:  Molly’s been a beloved peer, so it’s him who gets the obligatory “you hurt her, we’ll end you". :)  -  @mychakk

Sherlock sees a woman on the street.  Instantly intrigued (you can choose as to why) he follows her.  -  @mel-loves-all

Molly loves wearing Sherlock’s house robes.  -  @mel-loves-all

Molly has a piece of body piercing jewelry or a tattoo located somewhere that surprises and titillates Sherlock.  -  @mel-loves-all  *

Whenever Molly is close, Sherlock unconsciously always seems to need to touch her in some way after they start dating.  He doesn’t notice it, but Molly does.  -  @mel-loves-all

A midnight dance.  -  @mel-loves-all

John tries to set up Sherlock with a girl.  Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of contenders.  And what does Molly have to say about that?  -  The Silent Fangirl

Through unexpected circumstances, Sherlock and Molly get engaged.  It doesn’t end well.  Crack!fic  -  The Silent Fangirl

Eurus Holmes ships the Sherlolly.  So does John and Mycroft.  Soon, everyone gets dragged into the Sherlolly craze.  Crack!fic  -  The Silent Fangirl

Molly lives in the flat across from 221B.  You know, the one that exploded?   Yeah.  But before that, there was a) looking at the hot naked guy in the window b) said hot naked guy crashing into her flat because he just wants to c) her traitorous cat crossing the street to hot naked guy’s flat.  -  The Silent Fangirl

Molly stops being Sherlock’s pathologist, and starts being THE Pathologist.  BAMF!Molly  -  The Silent Fangirl

This, Sherlock thinks through the haze of cocaine, truly is the worst form of torture.  Mycroft and Molly’s wedding through Sherlock’s drug-addled POV.  -  The Silent Fangirl

Molly commits suicide, but only Sherlock thinks she didn’t.  He may not be wrong.  -  The Silent Fangirl

When John Watson dies, Rosie is given into the care of her godparents.   Problem is, they aren’t exactly on speaking terms.  Bonus for Harry Watson appearance!  -  The Silent Fangirl

Molly nearly gets hit by a speeding car … until Sherlock pushes her out of the way and gets hit himself.  H/C  -  The Silent Fangirl

Molly in labor.  After watching Mary in labor in TST, I kinda wanna see a funny take on Molly giving birth to her and Sherlock’s child.  Maybe something like Molly being in pain, she wishes out loud she’d never had sex with Sherlock, while Sherlock logically points out how well they emotionally and biologically fit together.  -  Anonymous

Fluff. Molly has been hospitalized for whatever reason.  She decides that she is feeling better and just wants to go home.  However, the hospital does not want to release her yet.  So Molly decides to leave AMA (against medical advice).  She feels she can recover at home just as well and also she is eager to get back to work.  Besides, who is going to know?   This is something someone might expect from Sherlock, but not Molly.   How long before he finds out?  What is his reaction?  -   @shadowyqueenbeard

Angst.  Molly discovers she is pregnant and is not happy about it.  Although she would love to have a baby at some point, right now is not the time.  She and Sherlock do not have a commitment and her career is going well.  She plans to terminate the pregnancy.  Sherlock finds out and tries to stop her.  He please with her to change her mind, marry him and be a family.  Is this just a control tactic or does he really love her?  -  @shadowyqueenbeard  *

Molly discovers there is Sherlock Holmes RPF (Real Person Fiction) on the internet.  She’s shocked to find that someone called Sherlolly4vr74 has been writing fic about her and Sherlock, and they seem to have a dedicated fan base.  Some of the stories are very sweet and romantic, some of them are hot enough to give her NSFW ideas.  Who is Sherlolly4vr74 (Is it Anderson?  Mrs Hudson?  Mary?  John?  I bet it’s John.) and is Sherlock aware of the stories?  -  @darnedchild *

Eurus has been known to put on a persona and disguise to get close to people for information – she was Faith for Sherlock, E and the psychiatrist for John.  What if she had also spent some time around Molly prior to the events at Sherrinford?  What information would she have gleaned about her brother and his pathologist?  -  @darnedchild

Can they be R rated. Because I feel Sherlock would not muck about, with telling Molly what he would like to do to her, he would not use cute little names for all her female parts and would go into great detail, like all his cases. She would be his very serious case. Yes he would most defiantly do a lot of research on pleasing her. Write it however you are most comfortable with.  -  @oliverfel4

Sherlock and Molly are getting married!  It’s time to work on the guest list for the wedding, and suddenly they are faced with the question—Do they let Euros come, or not?  -  @celticmoonbeam

Shipwrecked Sherlolly—Sherlock saves Molly from drowning.  -  Anonymous

Euros leads Sherlock to believe that he failed, and Molly was killed after the ILY scene.  Much angst ensues as he blames himself for her loss … but then we get to see the happy reunion scene when he learns she’s alive.  -  Anonymous

Moriarty trying to up Sherlock by sleeping with Molly, but the joke is on him, as Sherlock and Molly knew each other from secondary school/uni and were each other’s firsts.  They can be regular (exclusive) lovers too.  -  @mychakk

Mary as matchmaker.  At John and Mary’s wedding, Mary feels a little sad when they leave him alone to go dance (“What about you?”).  She decides to make it her mission to help Sherlock find a girl so he’s not alone anymore.  And this former agent has no trouble figuring out the potential between Sherlock and a certain Molly Hooper … (Up to you whether or not you want to throw in a Janine segue before she decides to set him up with Molly.  And feel free to cover Sherlock being shot!) -  @celticmoonbeam

Molly discovers she’s pregnant with Sherlock’s child at the worst possible time:  while she’s with his parents, being hidden away, and the two are pretending to be just friends.  Bonus if they figure it out before they’re told!  -   @penaltywaltz

After the events of TFP, Molly and Sherlock get closer.  Suddenly, though, he pulls away and starts flirting with a coworker of hers, sometimes blatantly in front of her.   It isn’t until an event at Barts that the truth comes out that it was all for a case.  -  @penaltywaltz

Molly finds out that as a child Sherlock liked the book “The Westing Game” and for one of his birthdays she arranges a vacation mimicking the plot of the book, even if none of them really fit the particular characters.  -  @penaltywaltz

Sherlock wants to make a gourmet meal for Molly for a special occasion, but he doesn’t seem to get it quite right.  Fortunately, a friend/relative is willing to help.  -  @penaltywaltz

Sherlock moves in with Molly and begins perusing her book collection, picking up random books that have interesting looking covers, and the next thing Molly knows he’s turned into a fantasy buff.  -  @penaltywaltz  *

Non-established Sherlolly.  Sherlock gets a hold of Molly’s phone one afternoon and can’t resist snooping.  He’s surprised to see a folder in her photo gallery marked “Special” and it’s all photos of him.  -  @penaltywaltz

Have you had sex? – After Euros asked that I somehow thought “Molly??” (as Sherlock says, Irene only texts him, he doesn’t reply).  Later it seems that Euros is the only one who ever has noticed that Molly causes some emotions in him.  So my theory is that something happened between Molly and Sherlock, it happened pretty recently, somehow (stressful night and they talked or they had some drinks and somehow one thing led to another) they ended up having sex; but Sherlock wasn’t good at dealing with it after or something urgent came along and he didn’t really consider Molly’s emotions, he ran off right after or in the morning, and that could be the reason why Molly didn’t pick up the phone first and was in a bad mood during the “ILY scene”.  What happened between them recently is the reason why Molly is a bit rude to Sherlock when he calls, and the reason why she gets so emotional and raw so easily over the I Love You thing, and why she so easily tells him to say it first.   Well, then when Sherlock says “I love you” he finally realizes fully that he really does love her too, and that he is capable of loving that way, and finally sees how easy it could be and what he could lose.  Then after this whole thing he goes to talk to Molly and explain things to her.  -  @lullikiish

Complete me as a person. — Scene that popped into my mind.  Irene has been texting Sherlock again, Sherlock in the end almost agrees to meet her for dinner, but as he’s walking out of his flat while Molly is there looking after Rosie he sees Molly in kind of slo-mo in the golden evening sun holding Rosie and being all sweet.  Maybe already something a bit has happened before between them, some flirting, etc.  The talk with John about a relationship completing him as a person is on the back of his mind.  He walks out, but midway down the stairs while taking his phone out (symbolically in darkness compared to that evening sun) he realizes that he misses that warmth and Molly, and realizes that is what completes him.  He takes out his phone and texts he’s not coming and then goes back upstairs.  Sees Molly all adorable and confused/surprised in this beautiful light and maybe goes to kiss her, etc.  -  @lullikiish

Crack!fic. Molly and Sherlock had a fake wedding for a case. However, when Molly applies for a marriage license to Tom, it turns out the wedding was actually real. She has to approach Sherlock for an annulment. It seems Sherlock deleted the event, because he doesn’t seem to remember it. Or does he? It seems he is too busy to sign the paperwork, he has misplaced it, always an excuse not to dissolve the marriage. Eventually he has to admit he really does want to be married to her. So Molly has to decide between two men. Which one does she choose? 😉  -  @shadowyqueenbeard

Molly, unbeknownst to Sherlock, suffers from psoriasis since her teen years. This is why she’s been adamant about being more physically intimate with him, no matter how much she wants to. Fortunately for her, Sherlock doesn’t care about it at all. Could be a hard T or M rating. Loosely inspired by Loo’s own bout with the disease.  -  @violetjersey *

Fluff and maybe smut, or angst with a happy ending: Molly has a creepy feeling that she is being followed, and goes to Lestrade for help. He discovers that she has a security detail, curtesy of Sherlock. Molly is not pleased with this situation. Sherlock doesn’t understand why not, shouldn’t she be glad that he cares about her safety? After getting an earful from Molly, he cancels the security detail. Molly promptly leaves town without a word to anyone, leaving Sherlock to sweat. Is she okay? Most likely she is on a beach sipping Margaritas, but maybe she’s in trouble. He would like to make amends but first he as to find her. Should he try to locate her or leave her alone as requested?  -   @shadowyqueenbeard

I have read this in one or two fics, but not really developed as a main theme of the story … so: What if Rosie wants to pair John and Molly? How Sherlock will react and … how will he convince Rosie that Molly is for him and not for John. I’m imagining some angst in the middle because the silly man thinks this is a wonderful idea: Rosie gets a mummy and Molly gets a family. In fact, Sherlock sets up a date between Molly and John while he’s babysitting Rosie.  -  @kalkopyryt

Crack!Fic. Molly decides to try speed dating. The day she goes Sherlock is there, deducing everyone else to shreds. He tells Molly he is there purely by coincidence. He’s not trying to thwart her attempts at dating at all. Really!  -   @shadowyqueenbeard

I’m thinking about Sherlock early in their relationship finds someone clothes that are familiar but can’t remember where, but then he watches some old Moriarty video and realizes where the clothes come from. The end is up to the author. Thank you! -  @deemura

[flutteringphalanges]

                                 A Sun In The Night Sky

Summary: A collection of one-shots based off of my story, Mirabile Visu, in which Agatha and Dracula face the challenges and glory of becoming parents. You don’t need to have read the story to understand. To simply put it, this collection of works explores Agatha’s pregnancy, her blooming romance with Dracula, and raising their child.

Pairing: Dracula/Agatha

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N:  The amazing art piece accompanying this one-shot is done by @mitsukatsu! Their tumblr is mitsukatsu.tumblr.com. I highly recommend checking it out! I've never met someone so sweet and who draws so lovely! I dedicate this one shot to you! Thank you all who have left reviews/comments and kudos. I am eternally grateful! -Jen

Prompt: Sorina takes her first steps.

                                                  Baby Steps

"Come on, Sorina, come take the rattle from Papa!"

Sorina, just shy of being a year old, watched Dracula as he shook the elaborately carved, bronze baby rattle that he had acquired after a lengthy search. It was hard, after all, finding something not made of silver. His daughter gurgled, smiling from where she sat in her mother's lap. Maintaining a good hold on her, Agatha carefully stood the infant girl up.

"Go to Papa, Sorina," the former nun encouraged gently.

Though, despite her best efforts, the moment her mother let go, Sorina plopped right back down. The infant squealed, blowing bubbles as her gaze alternated between Agatha and Dracula. The vampire sighed, rising from his knees. He walked over to his wife and daughter and sat down, dangling the toy which Sorina happily took from him.

"Maybe it's just not time yet," Agatha suggested. "She is still quite young."

"I was running when I was her age." When Agatha threw him a look, he quickly added. "Maybe that isn't rightfully accurate, but how are we supposed to know what's normal? I could always-"

"Don't," Agatha firmly cut him off. "Why is it to you that drinking blood is always the answer?"

He shrugged. "It has yet to fail me." His wife's frown only deepened. "I'm only kidding, somewhat. I know the rules as you've reminded me on countless occasions." The vampire turned his attention to Sorina and smiled. "Besides, our daughter isn't like any child I've come across in my centuries of life. She's extraordinarily special. Isn't that right, micul mea liliac?"

Dracula caressed the infant's cheek, the baby cooing as she reached for her father's fingers. The now forgotten rattle tumbled to the floor as the vampire lifted Sorina up and away from her mother. He stood up, offering his free hand to Agatha. She took it, smoothing the creases of her dress down when he pulled her up.

"I'm going to prepare a feeding bottle. If you could put a bib on her while I retrieve some blood from the ice box, I'd much appreciate it. I suppose I'll throw a kettle over the fire as well."

"An easy enough request," her husband chuckled, bouncing Sorina in his arms. "Come, little one, let's get you properly dressed. No need to be ruining that lovely outfit of yours. Blood isn't the most forgiving when it comes to stains." He looked over to Agatha. "Even if it isn't human."

"Neither is soil," his wife countered. "Between you and Sorina, if it wasn't for me, not an article would be clean. Honestly, I still cannot fathom how you made it so long without completely filthying this place up. What I put up with."

"And yet, you still find adoration in your heart for me," Dracula smirked.

"Hm," the former nun snorted. "If one chooses to call it that." She began to walk away, momentarily stopping to call over her shoulder. "Get the blue one. Not that it matters, but it matches her dress."

                                                       XXX

Sorina sat contently in her high chair that, to Agatha, resembled more of a throne than that of the average baby seat-typical Dracula and his taste in furniture. Both parents looked on as the infant happily suckled away at her dinner, rarely taking a moment to breathe in between gulps. She had quite an appetite for such a little thing, that was for sure. Agatha had started trying to introduce soup to her, but it had become apparent her taste buds were more like her father's. Much like learning to walk, improving her diet was on the agenda.

"Next time you go out, I need you to break back some vegetables," Agatha commented, taking a napkin to wipe a dribble of blood that had escaped from her daughter's lips. "Preferably without stealing them. Some people are struggling to make a living you know."

"Your righteousness is showing again, darling," Dracula commented. "Almost charming I might venture."

"Someone has to set an example for our daughter," his wife countered with a frown. "And even you can spare some decency, Dracula."

"Perhaps you can demonstrate later on tonight?" He smirked suggestively. "Perhaps after a certain someone is put down for a nap?"

"Only you would find a way to spin coitus into this," she rolled her eyes.

"It's quite alright to say the word sex, Agatha," Dracula chuckled. "It really isn't as inappropriate as it sounds."

"It is when you converse about it in front of our child," his wife said firmly. She paused for a second before adding on quietly, "...But I suppose we could discuss this matter at a later time." Agatha didn't need to look to know Dracula was grinning. "Enough about this, we should focus on Sorina. I was thinking of reading to her if you're interested in joining us."

"That depends," he replied. "Is it Little Women? That's so dreadfully boring and most certainly isn't intended for infants. You can't possibly think Sorina understands a word of it?"

"I find it quite charming," Agatha responded, almost sounding defensive. "And Sorina seems to listen just fine. Even if she doesn't understand it, it's important to read to her nonetheless. You're welcome not to listen."

"Fine, fine," the vampire waved his hand. "I suppose I can suffer through it. You two go up and start, I'll clean up."

                                                              XXX

After Dracula had finished meticulously cleaning out Sorina's bottle, he ascended the stairs and made his way into Sorina's room. There, sitting comfortably on the floor, were Agatha and his daughter. The former nun looked up from the book, the baby touching the pages curiously. He sat down in front of them, biting his tongue to stop himself from making yet another snide remark about his wife's choice in storytelling. With so much information in the world, she had to choose a fictional book.

"So glad that you could join us," Agatha said, readjusting Sorina in her lap. "Shall I provide a recap?"

"No, I'd much prefer if you didn't," he clasped his hands. "But go on, read away."

A small frown briefly flickered across Agatha's face before she returned to the story. Dracula only half listened, trying his best to tune it out with his wife realizing he was daydreaming. It wasn't until the woman gasped that he was pulled back to his senses.

"Dracula, look!"

To his utter shock and delight, Sorina had somehow managed to push herself up from Agatha's lap. She wavered unsteadily, catching herself before she fell. Immediately, he reached out towards her, unable to hide the wide grin spreading across his face.

"Easy, Sorina, come to Papa. That's it!"

The infant smiled, shakily taking a step forward. Then two. Then three. She took six full steps into Dracula's awaiting arms before finally plopping back down. Her father laughed, lifting her up into the air.

"Clever girl!" He beamed, the infant giggling as she smiled back. "Very clever girl! Look at you!"

"You did wonderfully! Did you walk to Papa all by yourself?!" Agatha was now sitting at his side, also grinning up at their daughter. "We are so proud of you!"

"See, I told you she wasn't too young," Dracula teased, looking at his wife. It was then he noticed that her face had gone pale. "Agatha? What's wrong? What's-"

"She can walk," the former nun said as if stunned.

"Of course she can," the vampire replied hesitantly. "I don't see-"

"Dracula, she can walk," Agatha emphasized. "What are we supposed to do now? Don't you see where we live?" She gestured all around them. "She can walk!"

"Oh," the count said quietly. He exhaled, staring up at his daughter. "Well...I suppose we can put coitus on the back burner." His eyes flickered back to his wife who still appeared quite horrified. "I suppose let the baby proofing begin?"