#contrary to my Gothic nature

[theglasshatstud10]

MY personal Laughing Jack Head cannons!!!!!

(Going off of his character wiki too)

♧ LJ definitely has a fear of abandonment and is extremely touch starved, however he isolates himself because if no one gets close to him, they will never be able to hurt him.

♧ LJ definitely uses all terms of british slang but often prefers to use slang that the working class during the early 1800s used.

♧ He once tried to get "hip with the kids" by dressing up and acting like a road man, saying things like "I'm gonna chef you up fam" and "wag wan G" but because most of the pastas were born and raised in America, they didn't get what he was attempting, and he quickly got embarrassed.

♧ He used to go to a lot of goth clubs back in the 80s and took part in the goth scene when it was new, as he found the dark and gloomy lyrics of goth music to speak what he sometimes felt, best putting it into words.

♧ Despite him being a monochromatic clown, he loves colour. One of his favourite aesthetics being art nouveau and whimsy goth. Otherwise he simply wears gothic clothes.

♧ He can change clothes from his normal goth attire, however, as soon as he puts it on, it simply becomes monochromatic like him, no matter how colourful it is, but it reverts back to his colours as soon as he takes it off.

♧ He loves everything gothic.

♧ He makes his own candies and chocolates.

♧ Currently, his favourite candy bar is the Cadbury jelly bean and popping candy bar. (It's the best one hands down)

♧ He watches period dramas with the other creepypastas, just so he can laugh and point at all of the historical inaccuracies made.

♧ His sense of humour is increasingly dark, crude, and vulgar. Often referencing tragic events in recent history or within someone's life, as he sometimes doesn't always pick up on social ques, so he doesn't know what exactly is appropriate and what isn't (not like he'd care anyway).

♧ Contrary to popular belief, he's actually incrediblely intelligent.

♧ Due to his ability to telliport, he has travelled the world. When he's board he just picks a random spot on earth and kinda just sits there for a while. By doing this, he has managed to witness many things throughout history.

♧ He has witnessed all the crimes and sins of humanity since the 1800s, and he hates the existence of humans for it. However, sometimes he will come across a human or a few, who make him second guess his beliefs and opinions on humanity.

♧ After killing Issac, he went on a 26-year massacre. Killing a child, parent, or random person, every day or few. But slowly, over time, he slowed down. It went from killing every couple of days to every couple of weeks, then soon months, then once a year.

♧ this was when he went into a kind of depression. He didn't do much at all for a long time. He doesn't know exactly how long, and he doesn't remember how long he kept himself isolated in his carnival for.

♧ Eventually, he got back into the swing of it. after all, Issac imprinted that killers streak onto him. But this is when he began to travel.

♧ Seeing the world for what it was both made him more blood thirsty, and yet it kept him somewhat down to earth in a way. He had slowly matured. Although still very child like in nature.

♧ He would write poetry, study gothic literature, take part in the arts, and culture himself in theatre. All just activities to keep himself busy over the years. After all, he's lived over two centuries, and he'll live longer. You've got to do something from keeping you going mad with boardem.

[strayheartless]

could you write more AGSZC goth witch poly hcs possibly plz? i read your original post and...now i need more of it in my life

Well if you need it who am I to deny you😌… hmmm let’s see:

Zack tends to find random spell bags and witch bottles all over his apartment. This is usually Clouds doing but Genesis has also been known to hide a protection charm in the pocket of his work pants from time to time.

Angeal has a big leather bound book full of “family recipes” that looks like it’s made out of cerulean drake skin. Zack swears he’s heard it growl before… he doesn’t ask.

Sephiroth does not own a cat, yet there seems to always be one with him. He says they just follow him, and honestly, he’s probably right. hojo has yet to figure out how they keep getting into his lab and fucking with his results.

Cloud is covered in witchy/gothic related tattoos. moth on his breast bone, triple moon goddess on his side, lunar cycle down his spine - you know, the classics.

Angeal’s most disturbing habit (according to Zack anyway) is enthusiastically yelling “dead things!” When he finds taxidermy in antique shops. They have too much Taxidermy. Seriously Angeal stop with the stuffed birds!

Genesis has a tongue piercing. They all found that out the errr… fun way. Ahem… MOVING ON.

Sephiroth does Yoga at weird times of day, in weird places. He ropes cloud and Genesis into it too. It’s not unusual for Angeal to send Zack onto the roof to call them in to dinner because they are meditating under the full moon.

Crystals. Crystals everywhere. Don’t move them you will upset the little gothic chocobo in the corner. No seriously you’ll mess with the resonance don’t touch them.

Genesis watches true crime like it’s reality TV. They and Angeal sit together and discuss motive and mind sets of killers. It’s unnerving

Clouds an artist. He’s very creative and spends most of the time designing tattoos and drawing witchy stuff.

They are patented members of the gothic night club down town. It’s a bit too kinky for Zacks taste but he’s happy as long as he’s with them.

When they go out in public all of them have two modes, and those are: face full of makeup(except Angeal he keeps it natural), killer heels/ smart shoes, the most elaborate clothing you’ve ever seen. OR. Slouchy cloths and no eyebrows, hair needs re-dyed, boba or coffee cup, comfy slippers/ boots. There is no in between state.

Contrary to popular believe (*cough* Kunsal) Genesis doesn’t actually drink Zack’s blood and use vampire mind control tactics that they definitely don’t have on him. Even if they could do that there wouldn’t be a point. All they’d have to do is flutter their eyelashes at him and he’s dying for their attention.

[tollingreminiscentbells]

Hi!! I just finished reading the main series of All Changed, Changed Utterly, and just wanted to tell you HOW MUCH I LOVED IT. Your writing is fenomenal, so insightful of the characters' thoughts and feelings, the story never got uninsteresting, quite the contrary, even though no major action bits happened through the most of it. Everything was so soft and tender, and their evolution felt so natural and healing. I love the trope of Alastor meeting Lucifer when he is human, and I am SO looking forward for that Southern Gothic AU (no pressure though, life is life).

Also, I wanted to ask about your name! This is a bit silly, but my name is also Noe, and I thought it was cool sharing a name with one of my fab fic authors. Are you from a Spanish speaking country? You don't have to answer though, this is a personal question.

Anyways, THANK YOU for taking the time to write this fic. It has been a delight to read ❤️📻🍎

Hello! Thank you so much for this! I can't even tell you how happy it makes me to hear that someone loves this series as much as I do. It absorbed me for a good four months and I never expected it to get as many readers as it did. I am very much into the Southern Gothic now and I do want it to start releasing in the fall (it feels like a fun fit for the Halloween season), so stay tuned for that for sure! I love self-imposed deadlines and feel good about the timeline.

Name twins! I am not from a Spanish speaking country, though part of my family is Peruvian. Noe is actually my middle name and I started using it when I first came to Japan because my first name is difficult for Japanese people to say.

Thank you so much again! <3

[raiquen]

Book Review: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, Mary Shelley

My Review in a Tweet:

Oh, Shelley, the care you put into the feelings and thoughts, dreams and nightmares of your characters shines through an exquisite writing. The dialogues read as if shouted to the crowd of a theater, trying to convey an emotion they feel new in its intensity.

My Full Review:

Continuing with the series of readings for Halloween, I went for the next one of the Classic Monsters (order entirely decided by the lenght of each novel). "Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus" by Mary Shelley, published anonimously at first on 1818, tells a generally well-known story of a man meddling with powers of nature beyond his complete comprehension and control: the energy of life.

The novel is a collection of letters and retellings of stories from differents points of view, which makes it a little "The Thousand and One Nights"-esque, reaching a point where we are reading the letters the captain of the ship wrote to his sister about the story Viktor Frankenstein told to him about the things the creature narrated to him about the tragedy of the poor family that lived in the cottage the monster was hiding in.

While Viktor Frankenstein seems to understand the "science of life" well enough for him to actually create life (or more technically, give a new one to things that were once alive), he seems to lack... responsability? I wouldn't say morality, because all throughout the novel he seems troubled by his experiment, by what he did and what it caused to the ones he loved, but only after many killings does Viktor actually confess or tells another soul about what he did. By that point, one loses any empathy and pity one might feel or have felt for either Viktor or the creature, both too enraptured and imprisoned in their feelings of guilt, remorse, sadness and anger to consider what they are causing to other people's life.

It's understandable to certain extent why they believe they are in the right, but their constant victimhood and cries for death upon themselves or upon others end up putting them beyond redemption.

This isn't to say the novel becomes unbearable because of this, on the contrary: the rich language with which they denounce the moral wrongs and the Providence's punishments they suffer and endure is very passionate and compelling, probably very typical of the Gothic movement the novel belongs to (I should read more literary theory).

I am a bit surprised and perplexed about which story beats have been used and expanded upon on different media such as movies, series, cartoons and other literary retellings. I think the character of Clerval has been very rarely used, if at all. The incident of the little girl that almost dies but is rescued by the creature is much more used, but it's quite a short part of the novel, and it's only mentioned once again, almost by the end of the book.

I'll make one short commentary in Spanish for any other argentinean readers that might come across by this review: que Viktor se case con la prima me pareció medio santiagueño (?

It was a very good reading, I enjoyed it a lot more than "The Invisible Man".

9/10.

My other 2023 readings.

[just-mysme]

Hello~! I was wondering if you’d like to do a mystic messenger and stardew valley matchup trade with you? Romantic matchup please :3

My name is Casey and I’ll be 25 in June. My pronouns are she/her.

I’m 5’4 and my body type would be a little chubby, but also curvy. I guess I have an hourglass figure too? I have big green eyes and I wear glasses. I also have many piercings (nose and few ear piercings) and my hair is shoulder length wavy hair and it’s dyed a burgundy color.

My preferred age range is 22-27

Personality: My friends would best describe me as cute and sweet with a hint of spice lmao. I’m shy and awkward around new people and it can take a while for me to warm up to someone. But once that happens, I’m much more talkative, playful, giggly and bubbly. I also have a sarcastic, mischievous side and a tad bit moody. I suffer from anxiety, ptsd and depression, so I need someone who can be patient and understanding. I like to cause some mischief here and there, but watch the chaos unfold after lmao. On the contrary, I do dislike confrontation…so I try to avoid it if possible. My humor is a bit dry, awkward and dark. So, most of the time I’m the only one laughing at my joke 🫡. My personality type is INFP and I’m also a Gemini. It’s hard for me to make friends and maintain friendships, but I’m super loyal and loving to my loved ones! I’m also super sensitive and often times to show my emotions I cry lol. I love hard as fast which can be a double-end sword in relationships. I can be social when I want to, but I’d rather be reserved and observant of my surroundings in social settings. I also curse a lot 😅.

Likes/dislikes and hobbies: I love kids and animals! I have two cats of my own named Jasper and Mochi 😍. And I’d like to have kids in the future. I have an unhealthy obsession with anything cute and fluffy. Such as pillows, blankets and stuffed animals. I enjoy traveling, anime, Kpop, nature, watching trashy shows lol, gaming and napping! I’d literally nap all day long if I’m allowed to 😅. Anything spooky and creepy intrigues me! Especially tarot cards and ghost hunts! Even though I love to travel I’m also a homebody and would rather stay home. I absolutely HATE spiders (arachnophobia), crowds and loud abrupt noises and changes. Also can’t stand rude people!

Aesthetic/style: I’d best describe my style as whimsical goth. I LOVE cottage core and wearing long flowy skirts and tops. But I also love to style with a hint of gothic here and there. I prefer darker colors and reds, purples and black. I also wear a lot of boots and corsets.

Ideal type: I do prefer someone older than me and taller than me. But I’m more than ok to date someone a couple of years younger than me. I’d like someone who I can be playful with, someone who I can banter and tease without getting upset. I have two cats, so I definitely need someone who loves cats just as much! I’m not much of a physical person as physical touch can give me anxiety. But if it’s coming from my s/o, I become so clingy and cuddly! I’m also a little possessive with my s/o 😅. My love languages are words of affirmations and gifts. I love giving gifts to loved ones, especially the little simple gifts that makes me think of my love for them.

Thank you so much and I’m excited to do this trade with you! I hope you have a good day/night~ 🥰

Your MysMe matchup is…

Saeyoung Choi✨

it was quite tricky picking a mysme matchup for you, but ultimately i went with saeyoung because i felt as though you two would get along VERY well

HC’s for your relationship…

The more he learned about you, the more intrigued he became, you two would balance each other out, the conversation would never end with you guys!

Playful bantering? Hello?? You guys would absolutely start playing jokes on the other RFA members. He’d start it and you’d take it and run… Think about all the jokes he’s played on poor Yoosung, he’d never catch a break when you and Seven are both online!

Cats. Do I need to say more? The fact you have two cats of your own, Jumin would probably thank you for finally getting him away from Elizabeth 3rd. He’d come over to your place, saying he was there just for the cats (even though you being there was a big factor as well😅)

He’d be the type to be like “what are you watching?” and then watch all 27 seasons of it with you, no matter how “trashy” the show is! He’d even start gossiping with you about it!

The “hint of spice” in your personality reflects his own, so when you two are together, it brings it out on both ends !!

About your relationship…

We both know it takes time for him to accept you, that’s because of his secrecy. You two help each other open up, and become comfortable around one another. He appreciates you, and dedicates everything he has to you. He would walk to the ends of the Earth for you! He’d be very cuddly with you, so long as you’re alright with it! He’d always triple check, just to be safe!

-

✨Your SDV Matchup✨

I had SO much fun with this trade, thank you for trading with me!! I hope you enjoyed!

(Note: I saw your post last night and laughed that we both gave each other Seven😅)

[blossomingbooks]

Book Review: The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

Welcome to the newest blossoming book review, concerning The Secret Garden (1911), Frances Hodgson Burnett's beautiful children's literature masterpiece!

"(...) ‘there doesn’t seem to be no need for no one to be contrary when there’s flowers an’ such like, an’ such lots o’ friendly wild things runnin’ about makin’ homes for themselves, or buildin’ nests an’ singin’ an’ whistling, does there?’"

I can’t pinpoint the moment when I first heard about The Secret Garden. I remember seeing a picture of it (don’t even remember if it was from the 1993 film or something else) somewhere in my childhood and it has lived quietly in the back of my mind ever since. Then at some point during my teens, I decided to watch the film adaptation to know what it was about; and since then the need to read the book has never left me. I’ve had this beautiful Special Puffin Classics edition on my shelf for too long and for some reason, it was this summer when I finally felt like I had to pick it up and put the other book I had started reading on hold.

I absolutely love how the narrative begins with such a gothic feel to it, which is quite unusual in a children’s novel. There are some eerie mysteries surrounding Misselthwaite Manor, reminiscent of Charlotte Brontë or even Ann Radcliffe. But this is not the 19th century; this is the beginning of the 20th century, and the gothic narrative devices are only used in order to shine the light on childhoods filled with darkness.

Spoiled and sulky, recently orphaned Mary Lennox arrives in Yorkshire (whose accent the author makes sure to transcribe to the page) to unearth things she never knew of before — beauty, friendship and even magic. Along with moor-child Dickon and her sickly cousin Colin, she brings a secret garden back to life, while simultaneously so are their spirits revived: “Slowly — slowly — for no reason that he knew of — he was ‘coming alive’ with the garden”. The juxtaposition between the flowers and greens growing and both the psychological and physical growth of the children is heart-warming, and a clear influence of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s interest in Christian Science (which believed that illness is a mental rather than a physical disorder), as well as Spiritualism and Theosophy:

"One of the new things people began to find out in the last century was that thoughts — just mere thoughts — are as powerful as electric batteries — as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison. To let a sad thought or a bad one get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has got in you may never get over it as long as you live."

But I would go so far as to interpret this narrative as pantheist, being so devoted to nature in its core, with protagonists who even see it as magic: “Everything is made out of Magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people”. The novel mentions the church and even includes a doxology, but it surprisingly never defines itself as a narrative of Christian morals, leaving the door of the garden open in an almost agnostic approach (“How can we know the exact names of everything?”). In this way, Burnett lets the characters, as well as the readers, attach the magic of nature to whatever they might feel is right for them:

“Never thee stop believin’ in th’ Big Good Thing an’ knowin’ th’ world’s full of it — an’ call it what tha’ likes.”

[dweetwise]

[Riconti] Immortals

For the "Vampire/werewolf AU" square in the Riconti October bingo ❤️ Rating: T | Blood, illness, suggestive Word count: 1.6k ao3 link

The Richters had always been as reclusive as they were successful.

Contrary to popular belief, the family hadn't reached their current status solely through hard work and old money. No, the Richters' legacy could largely be attributed to neither having to eat nor sleep, and possessing a lifespan far surpassing any human's.

In other words, they were vampires.

Felix had been taught to be proud of this part of himself. In certain circles, vampires were considered the most advanced life form, with superior intellect and a body that never grew tired. The Imperiatti were the best example of the vampire elite; an international group of the influential and the revered, pureblood vampires running much of the major cities from the shadows. 

And with Felix's parents having been part of the Imperiatti for centuries, those views tended to reflect in their attitudes. Because when their son failed to fit in with classmates or colleagues in his dozens of schools and careers, Janos and Ursula were quick to brush off Felix's concerns and claim he merely needed to spend time with others of their kind instead of humans—a sentiment which eventually led to Felix forming the Pariahs.

For a long time, things were good for Felix. He had friends and a successful career, with his family's status keeping the Richters protected against the odd vampire hunters, and any questions about their lineage and slow aging silenced with cold hard cash. Blood bag supply was plentiful with the right connections, and Felix had never had to worry about his secret getting revealed.

Until he fell in love with a mortal.

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

Ace Visconti was thirty years old and a whirlwind of flirty jokes and charming smiles. And though Felix tried to keep his distance, declining invitations and obvious advances whenever they ran into each other in the München night life, it wasn't long until they ended up in bed together.

The same pattern kept repeating for months, until one day Ace was still in Felix's bed in the morning and then he sort of never left after that.

Though Ace was sheepish in admitting he didn't own much more than the clothes on his back and had been living out of a hostel room he shared with fifteen other people, Felix couldn't have been happier. He didn't care about money or empty status—he was simply ecstatic about having this wonderful man in his cold and lonely life.

Naturally, his parents didn't approve. They sneered and looked down their noses, until Felix grew tired of the treatment and pulled away from his family; instead focusing on dating his human boyfriend and dining with his colleagues and actually living for what felt like the first time in decades.

But, as a year rolled by and Ace settled more firmly into Felix's house, as sentiments of love undying (literally, in Felix's case) were professed, and as Felix kept having to sneak behind Ace's back to hide his true nature, he knew he would eventually have to come clean.

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

When Felix finished speaking, Ace was frowning. "A vampire?"

"Yes. I'm sorry," Felix said in a rush. "My family only ever feed from blood bags and not humans, but I understand that you are afraid—"

"Woah, woah," Ace said. "You mean vampire as in I actually drink blood vampire? Not just I'm inspired by gothic architecture and doodled cathedrals on every surface around the house again vampire?"

"No, the…the first one," Felix said.

"But you go out in the sun," Ace said. "You eat and sleep and—"

"Well, the rumors aren't all true," Felix said. "We can do all the things humans do, we just don't need them. We only require blood to survive."

Ace squinted. "You don't look like a vampire."

"Did you never notice how cold my skin is? How pale I am?"

"I thought that was just because you're German!"

Felix wanted to both laugh and scream. This conversation wasn't going anywhere near how he'd planned. If only he could make Ace understand…

In a stroke of genius, Felix opened his mouth to flash his teeth. Ace raised a skeptical eyebrow, until Felix deliberately let his fangs extend fully: sharp points with a hollow core made for draining blood, the maw of a predator—

Ace raised his hands and his eyes flew wide open. "Woah, okay, right!"

Felix snapped his mouth shut and regret filled his thoughts. There was obvious fear in Ace's eyes, and though Felix had expected this reaction, it finally sunk in that he was going to lose Ace.

"So," Ace said after a beat of silence. "Would this be a good time to admit I have kind of a biting kink?"

Felix blinked. He stared. And when Ace only shrugged and gave a sheepish grin, Felix finally let out a startled laugh.

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

After that, Ace let Felix drink from him. 

Felix had never fed from a human before. His first attempt was pitiful, barely drawing blood for fear of hurting Ace. But with Ace's encouragement and the sheer amount of trust he placed in Felix to take only what he needed, instinct soon kicked in and it became a regular occurrence.

Felix would have felt bad, if not for the obvious enjoyment Ace was getting out of the act. Felix found it addicting to drink from a human, the man he loved, his mouth full of the unique cocktail of blood that made Ace Ace. And more often than not, with Ace tired and aroused and Felix full of endorphins from a good feed, Felix made sure to make it up to Ace until he was sobbing from pleasure.

But as they settled into what was perfect, on his thirty-fifth birthday, Ace asked Felix to turn him into a vampire.

"Come on!" Ace whined. "I'm gonna be older than you soon."

"I'm ninety-three."

"Yeah, well you look late thirties at most. I'm gonna be an old coot while you'll still be young and pretty!"

"Yes, because you're a mortal. And I'm not taking that away from you."

Felix didn't often talk about the curse of immortality. But he'd suffered nearly a hundred years in solitude, feeling like an outcast both among vampires and humans, watching his immortal friends fade out of his life and any mortals close to him merely age and die. All the while Felix was cursed to wander alone for centuries to come.

No matter what his parents had taught him, Felix would not wish that fate on his worst enemy, much less the person dearest to him.

Ace didn't agree and wasn't shy of voicing his disappointment. Thankfully, it wasn't his decision to make.

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

Years passed and the signs of aging started showing on Ace.

It was humbling to witness something Felix would never get to experience. He adored the crow's feet and first grey hairs. Though he made sure to tell Ace how beautiful he looked every day, it was obvious that Ace hated aging. He dyed his hair and lathered his skin in creams, dressing himself in even more extravagant clothes to distract himself and others from all new wrinkles and raised veins.

Every year on his birthday, Ace asked for Felix to turn him. And every time, Felix firmly told him no.

Until he didn't.

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

A few months after his fiftieth birthday, Ace suffered a heart attack.

And it was then, with Ace lying in the hospital bed, delirious with pain medication and in critical condition, waiting for emergency surgery with his face twisted from fear, squeezing Felix's hand and whispering I don't want to go, that Felix realized he would never be able to go on in a world without Ace.

Even after Ace recovered, things couldn't go back to how they were. Having come face to face with Ace's mortality, Felix finally asked to give him the bite that would turn him from human to monster.

He thought Ace might be upset, but Ace merely grinned. "Couldn't you do this before I nearly keeled over at barely 50?"

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

Ace looked different as a vampire. His sun-kissed skin was dull and bloodless and his beautiful brown eyes now had a red tint to them.

But when Ace laughed, his voice and smile were the same as before. When Felix held him, the same calm settled over him as when Ace was warm and full of life.

"Holy shit." Felix could hear the grin in Ace's voice, could feel the happiness in the way he squeezed Felix in a hug. "Damn, I feel awesome. Thank you."

Felix smiled and placed a kiss into familiar soft hair, knowing that everything would be just fine.

═════════════ ♢ ═════════════

"Aww," Ace complained only a day after. "I just realized what the worst thing about being a vampire is."

Felix tensed with worry. "What?"

Ace pouted. "No more kinky, bitey blood drinking sex."

"I'm—what?" Felix huffed a relieved laugh. "That's what you're worried about?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Ace grinned. "You'll have to show me around the blood bag buffet. Is there a taste difference? I used to be O+ and I've heard from a reputable source that that shit's gourmet."

Felix shook his head with a chuckle and settled in for a few confusing weeks with this new side of Ace.

But that was alright. Because from this point on, they had all of eternity to spend together.

[theageofthemovies]

VAGABUNDO EN LA LLUVIA - (Carlos Enrique Taboada, 1968)

It’s raining. A married woman leaves a masked party to reach an isolated house; there, she should meet a woman who blackmails her under the menace to send her husbands some photos that demonstrate the unfaithfulness of her wife, but when a wet man appears before the door asking for shelter and then another woman is found wounded in a car. a deadly nightmare begins...

This few known psychologic thriller is a happy cinematic surprise at the eyes of the cinephiles; Taboada was one of the most acclaimed Mexican filmmakers of the past century and during his career he directed a tetralogy of gothic horrors that stand among the best of the genre. The story involves the different relations among three secluded women in danger and the mise-en-scène make use of continuous revelations to change the viewer’s certainty about the real nature of each character involved; furthermore the skillful expressive use of cinematic elements like sounds, score and cinematography, increases the pace of the film and enhances suspense and tension in every plot twist disconcerting and compelling the viewer who realizes his complete unawareness about who the characters really are and what is really happening before (and off) his eyes.

The screenplay is highly effective and the acting (if restricted to the three women) is excellent despite the weak, ineffectual characterization of the menacious tramp of the title (played by an unconcerned Rodolfo de Anda) softens a movie who, without both that title and the character, and focusing the audience expectations only on the psychological conflicts of the three women, would have obtained (imo) a most valuable appreciation by the critics, most of them, I presume, were also disappointed by the fact that the expected horror elements are downplayed respects the three women’s personal dramas; on the contrary, at my eyes, this fine suspenseful movie is made more ‘precious just why by it Taboada demonstrates that there was more in him then just Gothic horror.

r.m.

R.M.

[ilgaksu]

1 and 10 for the writer asks?

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

Oh, I care so much, to the point I struggle to write if it's not in Cambria.

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

Ohhhh, 1000 per cent. It depends on whether you mean "haunted" in the sense of an unfinished WIP plaguing me, or people consistently asking for updates (which is the fastest way to make me move it to the bottom of the pile, because I'm contrary), or in the sense that I found it hard to detach later. I think for the latter, which is most interesting, Obligation (a canon-compliant 3zun/jgy piece that serves as a character study for Jin Guangyao through courtship gifts) and human places (a Crimson Peak AU for cql/mdzs that reinterprets the predatory homosexual in the Gothic and replaces it with a nuanced study of the corrosive nature of homophobia, and its power to distort and warp people's sense of what they deserve in return for their own pain). Both are deeply claustrophobic in their setting and you have to be willing to enter that mindset to imbue the fic with that sense, and also of constant paranoia. I was, by writing them, forcing myself to reckon through these characters with my own past and present, including the damage homophobia, especially internalised homophobia, had wreaked on my life for human places. Finally I wrote both during one of the worst years of my life, so obviously I can see my own personal pain echoed in the work; I think with characters in tragedy, you have to love them at their worst because, for all their fictionality, I always think: there but for the grace of God go I.

To switch fandoms, most obliging neighbour (a canon-compliant fic that reckons with Hei Xiazi's canonical past suicidality as an immortal character, and please consider that if you read this and want to read it) doesn't have this sense of haunting, I think, even though it was written during the lowest period of my life, because of the position I'm in now; even as I was writing it, I was clawing my way out of hell, and I view it as a stepping stone to the nihilistic hopefulness I try and imbue my writing with now - the idea that if there is nothing else but this life and these people around us, life is always worthwhile, precious, and ultimately worth living to the extent and grace we can, and there is nothing that can violate that truth. And with that, the inviolable nature of personhood and dignity; regardless of what we have done or had done to us, we are human and owe others acknowledgement of their humanity in our engagement with them.

(However, I view the work as valuable in its own right because I try to write against the romanticisation of illness, especially mental illness. It's not the sanitised version mental health awareness posters posit with the little graphics of raindrops or whatever; it's a black hole that can eat you alive.)

No matter what, these works hold to me a testament of my own ability to fall in love with the world again, and to choose that love consciously and repeatedly, and so the haunting feels worth it to see in it my own personal happiness now. It's a worthwhile set of ghosts. I try to send echoes of the love I feel for that previous version of myself back to them.

(And sorry for this one being so long!!)

From these writer questions!

[hebimoonlightwrites]

Writer's corner: Hey, guys! How are you? Hope you all are fine! Today I wanted to share with you one of my ideas about a character nobody has asked me for yet, and that I personally really like. I've got the idea from a writing prompt online. If anyone has already written something similar, I'm sorry! It's not my intention to copy others' idea qwq. Hope you'll appreciate it anyway!

Writing prompt: Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways.

words: 1035

Warnings: nothing, cute stuff only~

⋆"𝑀𝒶𝓎 𝐼 𝓈𝒾𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒?"⋆ (gn!mc)

⋆ Finally it was the day. It was finally the day for Jyushi to hang out with mc. He wanted to ask them if they would have liked to be his partner.

⋆Maybe mc didn't really know it yet, but he had prepared something special for them. He had tried to convince himself to do it. To finally do that step which really terrified him a lot. To finally say that he loved them. Jyushi hadn't had enough courage to say it.

⋆But how to blame him? He had always been such an insecure and shy young man. He had had to face a lot at school. He had been even bullied so... what it was a general shyness and insecurity he previously had, had changed into a deeper timidity. He was constantly scared of being judged, exactly how he had been judged by.. uhm.. yeah.. Iyogi and the others..

⋆It must be so suffering trying to be oneself but being constantly judged by the others..

⋆"Come on, Jyushi!! You can do it!! Never give up!", he said that day in front of the mirror, looking at his own reflection while he was brushing his hair, softly closing his eyes. He was going to meet mc again, after some days, in a restaurant. Even if mc were working with Bad Ass Temple and it was becoming a kind of routine to see them frequently, Jyushi missed them when he didn't see them.

⋆But now it was the date day... it was the moment to ask them... to be a couple. Oh well.. if they would have liked to, of course... Jyushi wasn't going to force them. He would have never done such a thing. But at least he wanted to try to..

⋆He had talked to Hitoya about it, about his feelings for mc, about what he thought, their personality and their beauty. And yeah.. it had been the moment that Jyushi had understood how he had fallen for them. He actually had. Even Hitoya had suggested him to try, to talk to them, to give it a try at least. But Jyushi was so afraid of suffering. On one hand he was afraid of ruining everything, but on the other hand he didn't want to hide his feelings any longer.

⋆What did Jyushi love about mc? It was strange, because he loved the fact that they definitely were different from him. Mc were a little bit more extroverted than how Jyushi was, especially when they had to speak with him; they surely were more confident than how Jyushi was. Even their style was different from Jyushi's. Mc loved dressing oversized, comfy, wearing large hoodies with giant pockets in which they could have put their cold hands. They loved snuggling into blankets and also preferred to let their hair natural, without trying to style it in anyway. Also their face was devoid of make-ups or simple lipsticks in their lips. Nothing. They were simple and adorable. Their style wasn't as egocentric as Jyushi's one. On the contrary he preferred to wear gothic clothes, to even put some make-up if necessary and also wear an heavy scent perfume.

⋆Every time he looked at mc, he couldn't stop but fear that difference between them. What if mc didn't like him? It was a thought Jyushi constantly had in that period. And it was also one of the main reason of his insecurity. He even thought not to go on a date with them anymore. Luckily, though, Kuko had hit him with a cane, yelling that he couldn't be coward, he couldn't back out, not now that he had finally done the first step and asking to have a date with mc.

⋆But Jyushi had promised himself to do his best to surprise mc in anyway! He knew they liked some soft songs, not anything like Visual Kei Music, but something definitely calmer than that. He already knew how soft and simple their style was and how extroverted they tended to act like.

⋆So Jyushi looked at his own reflection on the mirror. He was about to do his own make-up, to put some black eyeshadow on his eyeslids, even some slight peach blush on his cheeks and some dark brown lipstick. He stopped, though, exactly with that lipstick on his hand. He was wearing a black jacket with some lace, some pearls, something definitely goth; his leather trousers and a pair of ankle boots.

⋆"No... no, no, no! I cannot go like this!!", he said loudly, letting his lipstick falling on the ground. He looked at his dear plush, Amanda, as he thought about mc, their smile, their soft skin. He had to surprise them. He had to prove them that he cared about them!

⋆That's how Jyushi asked Hitoya and borrow an elegant suit of his. He tried to wear it and to style his hair in some other way. He definitely removed all that make-up he had put on his own face before and looked terrified at the mirror again. Was he ready? He sighed. Maybe he was now.

⋆And now there he was, sitting wearing a suit with a purple tie around his collar, holding a bunch of roses, naturally blushed, smelling like a flower. Jyushi was waiting for mc, he was terribly anxious, constantly feeling observed by the other people who were having a dinner in the same restaurant. Actually all those people were surprised by how handsome Jyushi looked, but in deep that young man was feeling like they were judging him in some way.

⋆"May I sit here?", a familiar voice spoke, getting Jyushi's attention. He gasped and turned his face towards the person who had talked only to notice that they were mc. But... They were different. Indeed they were wearing all black, with lace and pearls.. They were wearing in gothic style!?

⋆Both mc and Jyushi stopped, keeping staring at the person they had in front of themselves. But after a while they bursted out laughing and enjoyed the rest of the evening together. They definitely had proved how they cared.. How they truly loved each other.

⋆Now they could have been together without being scared of being themselves.

©hebimoonlightwrites_tumblr Please, do not copy my contents nor repost it without my permission.

[genshinimpactlife]

hello!! would it be okay to ask for a genshinn matchup? (´∀｀)♡ those look so adooooorable~ and i loved your writing, so i wanted to give it a hand, if you don't mind! just sfw, please <3

i'm panromantic, asexual! my gender is.. it sure is something, but i use they/them mostly. there's not really a preference, i sit right on the cusp of it, i hope it's not troublesome.. ^^;

ahem, in contrary to popular belief and an unfortunately innocent-looking face, i am, if anything, a very snarky sharp-tongued bastard when i'm not locked in my room (away from the eyes of the world, i can be very nice, dare i say. <3). i like scary things and i like to make it obvious! i wouldn't say morbid exactly, but i like to jokingly say unsettling things (if my opposition is okay with it, of course, i always ask) for the funnies. i laugh a lot, and at just about anything, even if it's dumb. i looove horror movies & horror games, especially if they have a gothic aesthetic!!! i love goth music and goth styles. romantic goth being my favorite! despite my love for horror, i am actually a little sensitive and perceptive to things surrounding me, because my emotions are very strong.. sometimes i tear up when my cat looks at me. ;_; i'm a bit of a trouble-magnet because i can't see the color red on a flag apparently, but when someone warns me i listen.

i major in media and design, and i looove to draw. i turn the music up real loud and sink into my paintings. <3 most of them are surprisingly simply peaceful scenery, because who doesn't enjoy it? <3 i like collecting minerals and shiny things as well, i have a biiiig collection of gemstone jewelry.. about 20 different ones that i like to alternate between. you can probably read my mood based on which i'm wearing, ehe.. anyway! i'm a little magpie and i dress that way too.

as for a little more surface stuff, hi, hello, i'm a goth, so i do goth fashion. <3 i dyed my hair jet black (because my natural nearly-black is not enough!!! need less color!!! the gemstone is Enough color!!!) and i have grey-ish eyes! i'm a bit pale so the black make-up makes me look like i died 10 years ago but it adds to my aesthetic so this is not a complaint.

anyway!! i hope you're doing alright and that you're not overworking yourself with these!! please take your time. with how cute these are, you muuust be getting a lot.. good luck & i'm already excited with what you come up with!! <3

I would match you with...

Shinobu loves your sharp tongue and enjoys that you can keep up with her that way.

One too many times, you have gotten into trouble with Itto, and she had to bail your asses out. But she always goes easier on you than him.

She loves being in the same room as you while you are painting; the positive energy you give off is infectious.

She's always gifting you different kinds of gemstone jewelry or other cool minerals and rocks. She saves up for your birthday to get you something especially nice.

She adores your gothic style and sometimes asks you to go shopping with her for new clothes.

Anyone who comments negatively about your style will get an earful from her.

Shinobu is good at seeing red flags; she's become your radar to keep you safe.

She's big on forehead kisses, you could be cooking, painting, or doing anything, and she will stop and give you a quick lil kiss.

Thank you so much anon! I promise i'm not overworking myself with requests <3 I have a lot to do with writing but I don't mind! I hope you enjoy!

[hypmicdaydreams]

Hi!!! Can I have Jyushi or Jirou (or both, separately :) ) with a male s/o who’s style is hardcore goth? Like tons of piercings, the aesthetic, everything? But his personality is really cutesy? Sorry if this is too specific!

Aww this was adorable to imagine! And dw, I completely love specific requests so idm at all! I did do something similar with Jyushi before, but I still wrote for him as well if that's fine with you!! Hope this was alright and along the lines of what you wanted! Thank you so much for the request, and I hope you enjoy 💕

jiro and jyushi w/ a goth bf who has a cutesy persona

-pairings: jiro yamada x m!reader, jyushi aimono x m!reader

-genre: fluff

Jiro

oh man, he certainly thought that you were the coolest at first glance

passing through the school corridors, you certainly caught jiro's eye in that mere instant, amidst the crowd of students all dressed in the same school uniform

i mean, you were the only guy decked out in piercings, and outside of school, when he caught you in ikebukuro, it was hard to not notice your primarily black/dark style

ah, but jiro finds it to be so fascinating, thought that you were so cool! dressed in complete black and a goth

feel like some part of him really wants to try out that sorta style too because he thinks he'd look really cool in it, so jiro definitely admires you

man, he's always wanted piercings too(i'll stand by this), thinking that they'd make him look so cool and attractive; and that's only reinforced, in his mind, when jiro catches sight of your own

gosh, your piercings were so so cool! and certainly attractive to him somewhat, unable to help the slight tinge of pink on his cheeks when jiro saw you around the school

you were so badass in jiro's eyes

(when you guys begin dating, i have no doubt in my mind that jiro brags about how awesome his bf was, perhaps even showing off a bit; he really did admire you)

can also see him convince you to dress him up or to borrow some of your clothes, wanting badly to try out your style and perhaps dress like you for some time

when he stands in front of the mirror dressed in your clothes, whether they looked strange on him or not, jiro can't helo but grin, thinking of how amazing he looked. damn, you had such good style!

def is taken aback a little when the two of you start talking and you, contrary to your gothic style, actually had a really cutesy personality

it certainly wasn't what he expected, especially not at first glance, but damn did jiro love it

he absolutely found your personality to be quite cute, especially around him (he did love being doted on), and jiro couldn't help the blush each time, covering his mouth and dying internally each time you did something he found to be rather adorable

loved (and cannot express this enough) your optimistic and affectionate nature, at least, when you were around him. honestly, just that alone made jiro love being around you since you made his day a little bit brighter

hm, he may be a bit protective perhaps?? given your cutesy nature and all. jiro simply didn't want anyone to dull that sweetness of yours and def wouldn't hesitate to argue or fight anyone that says anything lmao

a hot, attractive goth bf who also was actually so sweet and kind and just downright adorable?? jiro's heart skipped another beat; his feelings for you surely grew tenfold

it was so unfair, the way his heart did leaps, how the butterflies to roamed. geez, you had him wrapped around your finger

again, he loves bragging about you (especially to rub it in saburo's face with such a smug grin), saying how not only did he have such a hot bf, but he was also the sweetest and cutest!!

ah, you guys were certainly a pair of cute boyfriends

Jyushi

once more, this man is absolutely head over heels for you

it wasn't everyday he met someone that had a similar fashion sense as him, dressed up in dark clothes and multiple (perhaps even matching) piercings

instant sparkle in his eyes, his heart beat resounding in his ears

loved loved loved your entire style and aesthetic!! ahh it was so pretty, so you caught his eye right away (that boy he saw on the street was so cool!). def admires with sparkles in his eyes from afar

honestly can see him being a little shy in approaching first because, well, jyushi can be so when meeting others for the first time, but also because he certainly had an admiration for you

that boy he saw across the street the other day was so cool and attractive! how could he not be nervous in approaching someone like you?

can definitely see the two of you sharing wardrobes perhaps, mix and match even or just picking out clothes together

the two of you are always in each other's wardrobes maybe lol, wearing each other's hoodies and shirts

(wear one of his shirts to a concert of his, and jyushi would absolutely melt on the spot and be so flustered, mind blanking for a second or so)

honestly, the two of you are very much similar, in both style and personality

jyushi, although his style is more on the gothic/dark side given his love for vkei, is still quite the sweetheart, much like you; so it works out well actually!

jyushi is very much an emotionally sensitive person, so he absolutely lives for your cute/sweet personality, for your doting nature

it does instantly cheer him up, to have you always so kind and listening to him. it felt nice to have someone that truly cared for him, someone that had such a warm heart and was so full of love for him, especially considering his past

feel like he can definitely be clingy to an extent given your cutesy personality. you were always so optimistic and brought nothing but positive vibes, so jyushi did always seem to want to be around you

you never fail to brighten his day, to assure him whenever he has concerns. you were his biggest hypeman, and some of that optimism surely does rub off on him eventually

ahh, your kisses and cuddles were always so warm and sweet. please give him all of your tender love and affection

feel like from your sweet nature as well that you also help jyushi on his journey towards becoming a stronger person! he does look up to you a lot - in everything actually, from fashion sense to mindset - after all, so jyushi does strive to be more like you, his bf

overall, jyushi simply adores you, a lot. he always has a sparkle in his eye whenever he's with you, a sort of tender love in his gaze

ah, the two of you are certainly a pair of cute goth boyfriends, walking hand-in-hand down the streets of nagoya

[itscritiquegeek]

Surrogate Lovers: The Female Body as Proxy for Consummating Homoerotic Desire in Dracula

Happy World Dracula Day! 

Dracula was first published on this day in 1897. To celebrate it’s 125th anniversary, here’s part of my favorite paper I wrote ten years ago in undergrad. Original paper covered Frankenstein, Dracula, and Carmilla.

The Gothic novel combines that which is natural and familiar with the unnatural and unfamiliar in order to create the sense of uncanny dread that is hallmark of the genre. At its height in the 19th century, the subversion of Victorian ideals and the exploration of deviant behavior was a key part of the gothic and, in particular, the sub-genre of the Monster gothic. Though never explicit, homoerotic subtext runs rampant throughout Bram Stoker’s Dracula - from the Count’s possessiveness of Jonathan to the homosocial friendship of Lucy’s suitors. Restricted by the standards of the time, however, none of these would-be queer relationships are allowed to express their desire in the usual manner; instead, the male subjects consummate their desire via a female surrogate through the exchange of blood. 

Our primary polycule is of course compromised of Quincey, Arthur, and Jack. Not only are these men old friends, war-time buddies, but in this post-war world they all fixate on one woman... Lucy Westenra. Lucy, who so boldly asks “Why can’t they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?” In this question she establishes herself as a sexual deviant in the eyes of the time, thus becoming the perfect candidate to act as proxy for the homoerotic marriage between her suitors. Though the men cannot express their love for Lucy, and by extent one another, in the traditional physical sense, her declining health unites them in a way that was previously impossible.  Through their blood transfusions, the three suitors and Van Helsing—who also expresses a level of attraction to Lucy—unite in one body.

In her work Our Vampires, Ourselves, Nina Auerbach writes: “Dracula forges this male community of passionate mutual admiration, but he cannot join it. Only indirectly, by drinking Lucy’s blood after the four men have “married” her (and each other) in a series of transfusions can Dracula infiltrate the heroic brotherhood (Auerbach 82).”

Dracula’s drinking of Lucy’s post-transfusion blood is a violation of the contract the four men have created with one another; he is an outsider, uninvited, imposing himself upon their sacred union. The drinking of Lucy’s blood not only establishes him as an active agent in the ‘marriage’ (whereas Lucy herself is a passive body), but the very nature of his participation is contrary to that of the other men. Instead of putting blood into Lucy in a symbolic act of penetration (male body fluid entering the female host), Dracula’s bite, though penetrative, removes the fluid that binds the men in the marriage. This can be seen as a reversal of the sex act, a further “abomination” in the eyes of Victorian heteronormativity.

After the death of Lucy, the role of surrogate falls to the next available woman—Mina Harker, adding Jonathan to the homosocial polycule. This quick shift from Lucy to Mina brings into question whether or not the identity of the surrogate truly matters, or merely that she exists. (Note, this was written before I’d considered the coding between Lucy and Mina. They really went from Lucy to her girlfriend!) When Dracula targets Mina as his next victim, he again acts as the catalyst for the homoerotic marriage to be consummated in the new surrogate. By forcing Mina to drink his blood, Dracula formally introduces himself into the marriage, thus increasing the horror of the situation for the men. Their already diluted marriage (considering they did not directly give their blood to Mina as they did with Lucy) has once again been tainted. The elimination of Dracula becomes their primary concern out of vengeance and a need to restore the sanctity of their union - the men are eventually successful in this mission.

Outwardly, Dracula holds up the moral ideals of the time as the most aberrant characters are ultimately punished; in reality, however, it remains queer through the homoerotic marriage. Lucy is ultimately destroyed as is the direct mingling of blood that unites the men in marriage. Dracula, the source of the reversed sex act, is also destroyed through an act of manly sacrifice on the part of Quincey Morris. While the disrupted marriage of the remaining companions cannot exist as it once did, it continues on via their surrogate. Through Mina and her son Quincey, the mingling of the blood continues. The young Quincey becomes a product of the homoerotic polygamist marriage, a true symbol of the love the men felt and continue to feel for one another.  TL;DR The men of Dracula all fixate on the same woman, first Lucy, then Mina, because they all actually want to bang one another but can’t because of heteronormativity. Giving blood transfusions to the same woman is the closest they can get to sexy times with each other. This book is very gay. 

[autolenaphilia]

Arthur Conan Doyle and Frederick Marryat

I was browsing through Arthur Conan Doyle's book Through the Magic Door. It is a delightful little book where Conan Doyle talks about the books he loves. And in Chapter XI he mentions Frederick Marryat, which got my attention because of @marryat92 who I thought might be interested.

The context is Conan Doyle talking about nautical fiction and which books he would pick if he "had to choose a sea library of only a dozen volumes". And in such a library "Marryat, of course, must be represented, and I should pick "Midshipman Easy" and "Peter Simple" as his samples."

It is not surprising Conan Doyle read Marryat.

He was very interested in sea stories as that entire passage in the book gives evidence of. He published an entire collection of short stories about called Tales of Pirates and Blue Water which naturally has just pirate and sea stories. He had his own seafaring adventure as a doctor on a whaling ship as a young man.

There was also ACD's great interest in the Napoleonic wars. This was reflected in his fictional output. This can be seen in the 1956 omnibus of Conan Doyle's The Complete Napoleonic Stories which is a thick volume of over 600 pages containing two short story collections and two novels. The short stories star one of his most popular characters, Brigardier Gerard (although he was even then overshadowed by Sherlock Holmes of course) who appears in one of the novels, Uncle Bernac. Gerard is a comedic figure, an unreliable narrator who tells of his adventures as a cavalry officer in Napoleon's army.

In fact, Marryat actually is mentioned in passing earlier in Through the Magic Door in that very context. In Chapter IX Conan Doyle discusses the literature the Napoleonic era produced, and how little the English has produced about the wars compared to the French. But one of the exceptions is "Marryat's novels, many of which are founded upon personal experience".

So as a reader and writer interested in nautical fiction and the Napoleonic wars, it is not surprising ACD found Marryat’s fiction interesting.

But Through The Magic Door is not the only place in which Marryat appears in ACD’s voluminous writings. Searching through the Arthur Conan Doyle encyclopedia website, I found other references to Marryat. A bunch were to the Captain’s daughter, Florence Marryat who wrote spiritualist works which ACD referenced in his own spiritualist writings. But her father is referenced elsewhere too, most interestingly in two of ACD’s short stories.

One of ACD’s earliest works is the horror story John Barrington Cowles from 1884. The story concerns a mysterious and possibly supernatural femme fatale, and the title character compares her to a story by Marryat:

“"Did you ever read of wehr-wolves?" he asked.

I answered that I had.

"There is a story," he said thoughtfully, "in one of Marryat's books, about a beautiful woman who took the form of a wolf at night and devoured her own children. I wonder what put that idea into Marryat's head?"

This story is included in the Oxford World Classics edition of ACD’s Gothic Tales, with footnotes by Darryl Jones, and Jones explains in a footnote that this is a reference to the werewolf story in Marryat’s The Phantom Ship.

There is a more extensive and weirder appearance by Marryat in another short story, and I mean that the man himself appears as a character. The story is Cyprian Overbeck Wells. A Literary Mosaic.

It is a comedic ghost story about an unsuccesfulwriter struggling with writers block, and reading the classics of English literature for inspiration. And one night he has a vision (suggested to be a dream brought on by his reading), that “The greatest masters of fiction in every age of English letters had apparently made a rendezvous beneath my roof, in order to assist me in my difficulties.“ This includes both dead writers like Daniel Defoe and Tobias Smollet but also living ones like Robert Louis Stevenson. And they set about telling the story of a character named Cyprian Overbeck Wells in a round robin fashion. The bulk of the story is pastiches of various authors.

Defoe starts the story off, and Jonathan Swift continues it. They bring Cyprian aboard a ship but he is left alone after the crew abandon it during a storm. And eventually he sights an island. Swift ends his part of the story by describing Cyprian doing a “nautical manoeuvre“ and

“At the description of this nautical manoeuvre I observed that Smollett grinned, and a gentleman who was sitting higher up the table in the uniform of the Royal Navy, and who I guessed to be Captain Marryat, became very uneasy and fidgeted in his seat.

"By this means I got clear of the current and was able to steer within a quarter of a mile of the beach, which indeed I might have approached still nearer by making another tack, but being an excellent swimmer, I deemed it best to leave the vessel, which was almost waterlogged, and to make the best of my way to the shore.

"I had had my doubts hitherto as to whether this new-found country was inhabited or no, but as I approached nearer to it, being on the summit of a great wave, I perceived a number of figures on the beach, engaged apparently in watching me and my vessel. My joy, however, was considerably lessened when on reaching the land I found that the figures consisted of a vast concourse of animals of various sorts who were standing about in groups, and who hurried down to the water's edge to meet me. I had scarce put my foot upon the sand before I was surrounded by an eager crowd of deer, dogs, wild boars, buffaloes, and other creatures, none of whom showed the least fear either of me or of each other, but, on the contrary, were animated by a common feeling of curiosity, as well as, it would appear, by some degree of disgust. "

"A second edition," whispered Lawrence Sterne to his neighbour; "Gulliver served up cold. "

This leads to a fight between Sterne and Swift, before Smollett manages to interrupt it by continuing Cyprian’s story, and he is followed by Walter Scott and Edward Bulwer-Lytton. But the dream vision ends before Cyprian’s tale ends, having gone off in a new direction with every author. It is a weird bit of comedy, which might have been funnier if I had read the authors being parodied. I leave it to his fans to judge if the pastiche of Marryat is convincing or funny.

[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Victor Valentine Card story ‘‘Seeking for what’s frightening’’

Translation of Victor Valentine’s 4* ‘’Gothic Halloween’’ card story from ‘Helios Rising Heroes’.

Gray: Uwah, amazing… Did you make this, Victor-san…?

Victor: Yes, this robot was built by me. I’m occupied with pouring all my time into producing these for the upcoming Halloween League.

Gray:  I had assumed you were leaning more towards biochemistry… But to be able to build robots too, that’s seriously amazing...

Victor: As you thought my area of expertise is chemistry, however if I had to be honest, I barely have the confidence to manufacture these… 

Victor: And on top of it, I had been also struggling with the design itself...

Gray: Eh… Wondering if it has enough punch to it, you mean… I already think it’s scary enough as is though....

Victor: Adding that pinch of “scary” has been considerably difficult. I’ve been making these as requested by Marion, but as far as the details go, I’ve only received how it should be thematically based on “evil spirits of Halloween”.

Victor: Naturally I have referred to literature to form a general outline on the matter, but what traits resemble an “evil spirit”, about it having a factor of “spookiness” to it...  No matter how far I go with investigating the matter, I simply cannot draw the line where it’d be most suitable.

Gray: Like evil spirits… spookiness….

Victor: What is your impression of it, Gray? Do you think it’s able to represent those traits of an “evil spirit”?

Gray: Eh? Eeeh… uh, um…

Victor: Please do not hold yourself back, and be as candid as you can.

Gray: Be as candid as I can… Right, right...

Gray: Whether or not it looks like one, I can say that it’s absolutely close but… Um… on the contrary, it might actually be a bit too scary... 

Gray: H-how do I say this… It’s like originally you were going for CERO A but ended up heading towards CERO D instead…?

Victor: CERO……? What may that be?

Gray: Ah… awawah, sorry…. I used a game rating system for scale… a Japanese one too…

Gray: The Halloween League is an event that children will attend, in terms of gaming that would be for an event for all ages...

Gray: But, as of now it feels more that it’s heading towards a more mature audience… So I was thinking all like, how about aiming for a younger one instead~... but please don’t mind it too much...

Victor: Hmm, I see…That is very interesting, or I should rather say an intriguing point of view.

Victor: I will do as you said and make an attempt to aim for a younger demographic, however with how it has been currently going, I don’t quite have the grasp on what I should do to change it.

Victor: If you don’t mind, could you tell me more about video games for all ages to use as a reference point going forward?

Gray: !! O-ofcourse…!

-

Victor: Hooh.... Even though it’s shortly summed up as for all ages, there seems to be quite a variety of video games.

Gray: For now I kept it limited and looked up horror games that came to mind… You’d come across even more games if you were to look it up

Gray: Uuum… if you’re looking for a game that has enemies that are “evil spirit”-like, then maybe this one…?

Victor: Yes, that kind of caricature is good. It gives an impression closely resembling the ones in animation for children. 

Gray: P-personally I think it’s good if it’s as scary as these enemy characters here but… That is for you to decide...

Victor: Hmm…. If I were to judge from your perspective, would this be more scarier?

Gray: Eh? Yes… it, would be….?

Gray: I feel, that the difference is pretty obvious but… you don’t seem to think so, Victor-san?

Victor: Indeed. Even though we’re going in a different direction, I don’t feel that any of them are frightening, thus making it difficult to judge.

Gray: R-right…

Gray: Uh… I’m just asking this out of curiosity but… Is there, something that you’re scared of, Victor-san…?

Victor: Something that I’m scared of?

Gray: Ah, aaah, uuum, it’s just… it’s okay if it’s too hard to answer, or if you don’t want to! I suddenly asked something weird anyway, I’m sorry….

Victor: Fufu, what are you apologizing for? I don’t believe it was odd by any means.

Victor: Something I’m scared of… you ask? I haven’t played any video games before so on that matter I have nothing to say, and in regards to horror movies I don’t recall being frightened once. 

Gray: Eh… so you’re like, totally fine with ghosts and demons and all that…?

Victor: More that I don’t believe in such things due to my point of view as a scientist, rather than being fine with it.

Victor: Well, realistically speaking “Ghosts believing scientists” such as Nova are not too uncommon out there.

Victor: I do want to believe in the possibility of it… Unfortunately, I have yet to see a theory that justifies it to begin with. 

Gray: Wah… you’re amazing, Victor-san…. Makes me a bit embarrassed given how I accidentally believe in anything...

Victor: No, I wouldn’t say that I am. I do occasionally envy those who are able to simply enjoy horror movies as is.

Gray: Is that so…?

Victor: Do you have any issues when it comes to horror and occult, Gray?

Gray: Aah, no… I’ve built up a tolerance for it because of games that are full of it...

Gray: Besides, I think… humans are scarier than any ghost or demon, 100 times more scarier even….

Victor: Human themselves…. For example, such as Asch Albright?

Gray: !! Eh, eeeeh…. yes… His name alone makes me sweat bullets, weirdly enough...

Gray: But, not just A….sch, but I’m scared of coming in contact with other people in general...

Gray: Even before talking to them actually, like what if they hate me…. what if they think I’m weird… that’s all I end up thinking about

Victor: Which means that you are currently feeling the same sense of dread when talking to me this moment?

Gray: T-that’s right… Aaah, but, you’re not scary Victor-san… Um, it’s just...

Victor: Yes, I understand. I’ve mentioned it before, but I don’t believe there’s anything odd about you, Gray. 

Gray: V-Victor-san….!

Victor: My apologies for getting us sidetracked. Could you lend me your wisdom for a little longer? 

Gray: Ah, yes… yes of course!

--

Nova: Oooh, looks like you made a lotta progress~ Making ghouls and all♪

Victor: I was able to because of the advice I had received from Gray, and so I was finally able to see the light.

Nova: Good pals with Gray-kun now, eh? Well with Ren-kun too but, lately more people have been dropping by your lab. Lookit this celebrity here~♪

Victor: ...You’re surprisingly in a good mood today, aren’t you now?

Nova: Mmh, haven’t slept so I’m feeling somewhat all over the place

Nova: I’ve been absorbed into making these robots too, and before I knew it three whole days had passed~ That scared me real good, yanno

Nova: Wait a second, nobody came to see me in these three days….!? I wanna be a celeb tooooo~!

Victor: How about resting your mind and body, rather than dawdling around here?

Nova: Naaw~ The adrenaline’s coursing through my veins, not feeling tired in the slightest~ 

Nova: Whatever you say, making these robots is right where I belong. Had lotsa fun doing it too

Nova: Obviously I’m paying enough attention to safety and all that, but there’s more space to feel at ease compared to what I usually do for work….

Nova: Not that I’m forgetting substance research by any means, it’s just pretty nerve-racking when combined with making assets and tools for the heroes to fight with 

Nova: Didn’t mean to pay that much mind to it, still it’s a heavy responsibility to have one’s life in your hands... 

Nova: Makes me go all like, damn, this fear of failure and what to do about it sure is always growing ain’t it now!~ like some kinda realisation each time, yanno

Victor: ….., fear….

Nova: You’re always doing such a fantastic job, me~

Nova: A Summerfieldtastic job~....

Victor: …….

Nova: Eh, no response!? Here I was putting all my energy into being an idiot, and instead of straight manning me, you straight up ignore me!?

Victor: Aah, my apologies… There was something on my mind.

Victor: What did you say?

Nova: I-I didn’t say a word! Vic’s a dummy! I’m gonna go to my room and sleep! Good-NIGHT!!!

Victor: …..?

-

Fun trivia corner:

The Japanese game rating goes from CERO A to D, and Z. All ages would be CERO A, for 12 years old and above CERO B, for 15 years old and above CERO C, for 17 years old and above CERO D, and at last CERO Z for 18 and above. The European one is PEGI with age specific ratings (PEGI-3, or PEGI-18) and the American one is ESRB, with letter codes such as T for teen, M for mature, and so on. Helios is rated as 12+ on the Apple app store, that would be CERO A, PEGI-12 or ESRB T.

[random-imagines-blog]

Vampire Town {Lestat de Lioncourt x Reader}

Requested by: I’m so sorry, I couldn’t find the conversation so I can’t remember. :( Wordcount: 2778 Summary: Happiness and Love can appear when least expected.

During the long span of your life, a lot of your nights had been sent in solitary. You wandered through the world, seeing the beautiful sights of history; the architecture, the music, the literature, the wars, but never had anyone to share that with. Until you came across the broken form of a blonde vampire - Lestat. “Oh, my dear, my dear,” You said, sensing the poor vampire. Broken, without a home, ready to give up on his life after his partner had left him. You sat on the stoop of a burned down mansion beside him, tore your wrist open and forced him to drink from you. He became greedy, which you encouraged. You had just fed on three mortals, willing victims who walked away just as safe as they had come, just a little anemic. You put your hand on the back of his neck and tilted his head back, letting the blood pour down his throat. You squeezed a few more drops, and he let you go, hanging his head upon your shoulder like a hungover human.

You took him to the abode you were staying in. Nothing so gothic as what Lestat may have been living in, but a home nonetheless. A three-story brownstone with a basement that concealed your coffin. You put Lestat into it before the dawn arrived, and looked down at him with a tilt of your head. He was a very handsome vampire, and would only look better with more blood flowing through his veins. He would need a trough-full, however. You would need to wake early to prepare that for him.

Your long fingers stroked his face, turning it towards the candlelight to get a better look. His skin was pale, his hair flaxen. He had been through a lot of pain - even his sleeping face showed that. It may take a dozen nights, perhaps, to get him to peak performance. But you did love a challenge, and were a sucker for a disaster of a person. Loneliness had grown old along side of you - why not try something new for once.

It took some time for the vampire, whom you learned to be named Lestat, to look alive again. Or, perhaps, a little less dead. He was far too beautiful to ever be considered a human being. Those dull creatures, though you were one of them once, bored you with their generic looks. You enticed a few of them towards the house, let Lestat feed. You found out one thing about him instantly - he was absolutely vicious when it came to feeding. Not at all as elegant as his demeanor might make it seem. And you allowed him to finish victims to nearly the point of death, then disposed of the bodies yourself.

“You seem to be feeling much better,” You said, joining him in your parlor. It was just you and he, as you knew no one else in New Orleans. You had only stopped here because it was where the first boat you came across was going. “How could you give up on your life like that?”

Another thing you learned about Lestat; he was very convinced of his own righteousness.

“It is my right to give up my life if I so wish,” He hissed, despite the blood dripping from his mouth. You did not say anything to contrary, just licked your thumb and plucked the droplet from his face. You let it rest on the tip of your tongue, savoring the flavor. “Who are you to try to bring me back?”

“You may call me y/n,” You said with a soft smile, ignoring his harsh tone. “I am noticing that you are alone, but you are well versed in talking to people. Were you a social one, Lestat?”

He was quiet for a little while after that, in some sort of reflection. He stared at nothing, and you left him to that, sleeping in a box rather than your coffin for you still allowed him to take over yours. That was the most intimate gesture that you had ever given to someone. You had shared your clothes with him, even, until you had gotten him some of his own. He looked as pretty as a painting in your white blouses, in your long dark skirts. In this world, for the first time, you had someone to share everything with.

His perpetually bad mood never bothered you. Nor did his dramatic nature. Because you knew that one day, he would either open up to you, or he would leave. You would prefer the first. But would have to quietly accept the second.

But after two years, a blink of an eye for someone like you, he opened up. He told you all about Louis, about Claudio, about Armand. About the reporter whom he had turned who was who-knows-where. About Marius, even, and how he had turned which was further back than you had expected him to go. And so in return, you told him about your loneliness, about how you had traveled from town to town and only run into a few like you. You did not know your maker. You didn’t remember him, or her. You didn’t even remember where it was that you were changed, only that you were high up in the mountains. Why you were there, you could not recall either. But you did not dwell on the mysteries of the past; only your present time.

And on Lestat, because for the present, and forseeable future, you were stuck with him. Lead a stray dog to a home and you have a pet, as you’ve heard someone say.

-

Half of the candles in the parlor remained unlit, for neither of you needed much light in order to see in the dark. Lestat had one of your hands in his as he lead you in a waltz around the room. You could not stop smiling - a facial expression that you hadn’t used too often over the years. A dance! You’ve never danced before, hence why Lestat was currently giving you a lesson. You were even wearing a gown that he had gifted to you - custom made in one of the best shops. He still had his connections in the city of New Orleans. A real vampire’s town, as you had discovered.

“You are a natural!” He praised with a smile of his own, showing off his glinting, sharp, white teeth. “Are you sure you haven’t done this before?”

“I’ve never had a partner. I haven’t met many of our kind before and dancing with a human just seems so...” You struggled to find the words. “Slow.”

“Very slow indeed,” Lestat agreed. He had picked a roses from the garden, and had them in a vase to add something living to the house. He now took one of them, and stuck it into his mouth, the thorns cutting at his lips but he did not have a care about that. You laughed at that - what a silly vampire you had ended up with.

“How is the pain, my darling?” You asked, licking your lips at the sight of that little bit of blood.

“Agonizing,” He droned, swinging you around into a spin, then returned you into his strong arms. The blouse that he wore, another thing custom made, was of a silk fabric, and felt soft upon your cheek. You suddenly remembered what it was like to cry, just from that light touch. Agonizing - you recalled what that felt like. It had been well over a century.

“The same as when you were betrayed by your love, Louis?” You questioned. Lestat cut the dance short, but he still held you.

“I don’t wish to talk about him any further,” He said, harshly. “There are more important things in my life now! I am free of him and his ... whining. I am being treated in the way that I deserve. And you - you are finally being treated as you deserve.”

Lestat wielded compliments as a weapon. He used them to distract you from asking further questions. And it worked, every time. You sighed contently as  he kissed your hand, then went up your arm towards your shoulder, then all the way back down. You could feel his cold lips through the fabric of your sleeves. It made you feel like a flower bulb in Spring, sprouting up for the first time from the damp dirt into the beautiful world above.

“You flatter me deeply, Lestat. You are better than I deserve.”

He spun you around once more, and you continued to spin in the middle of the room, arms outstretched as he watched you. Thanks to being a vampire, you did not feel dizziness like the humans did, and could outdance them all if you so wished. Lestat was a grand teacher. He then caught you, then dipped you low to the ground, so much so you could smell the dust of the floor.

“No, that is what you are to me.” His fangs were exposed as he smiled down at you, a fearsome image for anyone else, but not for you. You smiled back at him, and held him tightly as he brought you back up to your feet, humming along with the song.

“I should get cleaning this place, Lestat. It takes more than dancing to make a house a home.” You let go of him to go and grab a broom, but the blonde vampire grabbed you again. Ever since he had opened up to you, he loved to be in your presence. And it wasn’t something that you were going to complain about after being alone for so long.

“Don’t tease,” He said, holding onto your hands with his long fingers. “I’ll hire us a thousand maids, so you don’t have to get these wonderful hands dirty.” You let out a child-like laugh of glee at his amazing words. You were a sucker for them, mind the pun. “And a thousand more dresses for if you get a speck of dust on this one.”

“I don’t need a thousand dresses, Lestat. I could live in rags as long as I still had you.”

-

Five years later, you and Lestat still resided in New Orleans. It was a town of pleasure, of magic, of long nights - and plenty of swampland in order to hide bodies if you went too far with any victims. You did your best not to, but sometimes temptations swept in and you nearly drank to the point of death. But apart from that, you were living in a near-domestic bliss.

“Now, why are you doing this when you don’t get cold?” Lestat asked, walking in from the outside world with coins in his pocket and a well-fed look on his face. You were holding knitting needles in your hand, working on a shawl pattern that you had seen a woman working on last time you were out shopping. He kissed the top of your head and placed a bag on your lap before you could even answer him.

“I like to keep busy - it keeps eternity interesting,” You insisted. You set aside the knitting and started to examine the shopping bag that was on your lap. “What is this?”

“Why don’t you open it and see?” Lestat asked, with a cocky smile. You looked at him with amusement, then delicately opened up the bag. Inside was something ... something fabric. You pulled it out then stood with it in front of you. A long black gown - the color that you always wore, and which Lestat said you wore so well - and it was made of the softest velvet that you had ever felt. He looked pleased as you brought a sleeve to your face to feel the fabric even better. “Do you like it?”

“It’s wonderful, Lestat, thank you. What’s the occasion?”

“It is the anniversary of the day that you found me. The day that everything changed,” He held his hands up in the air as if he were an actor on a stage, something that you always found entertaining. You loved encouraging the odder aspects of his personality, just as he did the same for you, even when he could not understand.

“What a cheerful gown, I’ll wear it on our next night out.” You exclaimed, twirling with it. Though you would never be able to see yourself wearing it in a mirror, you thought that you would feel beautiful in it. And Lestat would tell you that you were. He was growing predictable in the most wonderful way.

“Why not today?” He questioned, approaching you and held it onto your body to emphasize how lovely you would look in it. “Wear it to bed with me. I want to feel it upon my cheek while I sleep.”

“I wouldn’t want it to get wrinkled... oh, alright,” You said, seeing his earnest expression. He helped you out of the simple dress that you were wearing, one that you had picked yourself. He was much more into the luxurious fashion of the day, favorite bright colors that made him stand out. You were not so flamboyant, and preferred to let him be the center of attention rather than yourself. It worked out well, though you did get occasional glances from other ladies, wondering how someone such as yourself had managed to gain the love of such a charmer.

You wondered the same thing yourself.

As his fingers tickled at your spine, as his hair swept against your face, you questioned how you could have grown so lucky. Were the years of isolation just a pre-payment for the years of happiness that you were having now?

You stepped into the new gown, and he pulled it up, over your thighs, your waist, your bust, your shoulders, and smoothed everything down so it draped you perfectly. He must have came home just in time, for a flash of lightning came through the windows, and the rumble of thunder. The sound of rain upon the roof and on the sidewalk. “Music to my ears,” You said, wrapping your arms around yourself.

“A most marvelous lullaby,” Lestat said, unable to stop feeling the fabric. The seamstress must have put a lot of work into this gown, for it fit you perfectly, emphasizing your waist and bust in a way you haven’t seen before without a corset, and fell to the ground without pooling at your feet. “May I take you to bed, beautiful?”

“Oh, you divine charmer,” You said, pressing your hand upon his cheek. He whisked you away, down to the basement where your coffin lay.

A while back, you had traded in your usual sarcophagus bed for something much better. It was Lestat’s idea initially, complaining about the long, cold days alone inside of a tomb. It had been an unexpected surprise when he actually did something about it, instead of expecting you to do so. When you came home from a feeding and a walk, he presented to you the double coffin. It was exactly as it sounded - two built into one, with room for both of you, and no inner wall to keep you apart.

He held your hand to help you climb inside, then followed you right in. Velvet dress on velvet interior; it felt both warm and rather sexual. With the lid closed, and the two of you in complete darkness, you felt confident, wrapping your arms around your blonde lover and pulled him close.

It took you some time to realize that this was the love that you deserved. That you were worthy of affection and love, despite all of the years that you had gone without it. And you were just lucky enough to find it with another vampire, so the only limit that you had was not time, but imagination.

As for Lestat, you had truly saved him from the misery that he had put himself through after Louis. He was ready to lock himself up for a hundred years or more, just to avoid the pain. To take the sleep of the immortal ones and awake in a brand new age. But this one still had a lot to offer, that much was clear with you. He never thought of that; only that he would remain in a state of purgatory, rather than a life of shooting stars and velvet gowns.

He was glad he stayed in this Vampire Town.