#spot the inspiration from dracula daily

[leopardmask-ao3]

NHH 2022 Day 16: Allium Assurance

Link to the challenge Today’s Word is: Trick or Treat Flowers Characters: Stress, Jevin, various other hermits in minor roles Season: HC 6 Other tags/warnings: Vampires, Word Count: 803

Summary: Garlic flowers are well known for warding away vampires. No one knows of any vampires on Hermitcraft... so why is Stress so keen on packing her ice castle full of the flowers?

Read it on ao3 or

MumboJumbo bled to death<Grian> help <impulseSV> ??? <Grian> somethins wrong witkl <falsesymmetry> you good? Grian bled to death <falsesymmetry> guess not <Tango> what is happening?? <cubfan135> you guys might want to move away from the shopping district <renthedog> I might know what's up <renthedog> I am investigating <PythonGB> don't do anything stupid dude <renthedog> oh yeah he's here <Tango> who??? <Stressmonster101> it's safe in me castle <3 renthedog bled to death <PythonGB> oh dear <Docm77> Ren! <Xisuma> what in the world is happening <GoodTimeWithScar> Guys? Why are their names red? <PythonGB> listen to Stress <Docm77> Ren isn't replying to messages... <PythonGB> he' <Xisuma> Python?? PythonGB bled to death<iJevin> ok that's concerning <Xisuma> I have never seen that death message before <Xisuma> and now four times in one night?? <falsesymmetry> what's with the red names, X? <Xisuma> that's the thing <Xisuma> it means they're unavailable <impulseSV> Unavailable? <Xisuma> They haven't respawned. GoodTimeWithScar bled to death<iJevin> oh shit <cubfan135> DO NOT ENGAGE <cubfan135> ConCorp's defenses and magic weren't enough <cubfan135> vex magic in our bloojk; <Welsknight> Cub D: cubfan135 bled to death <Stressmonster101> get ere NOW <Welsknight> yeah this looks Welsknight bled to death<falsesymmetry> right Stress I'm on my way <Tango> how worried should I be right now <ZombieCleo> you don't bleed so probably fine? falsesymmetry bled to death <iJevin> oh SHIT <Tango> !!! <ZombieCleo> okay so maybe a little worried for everyone else though <Tango> zed please tell me you're at one of your weirdo bases in the jungle or something <Zedaph> desert one yeah impulseSV bled to death <Tango> impulse <Tango> oh <iJevin> we might be screwed

-

Stress waved Jevin inside. "Is that everybody who's coming?"

"I think so, yeah."

Stress led Jevin to a sizable room deeper in her castle, decorated heavily with purple glass and allium flowers, where Xisuma and Joe waited and Doc paced.

"This must be everyone," Doc agreed anxiously. "Whatever's killing us even took down Falsie with barely a fight! How many of us could possibly have gotten away?"

"There are a few hermits who didn't feel the need to come here for security," Joe replied. "Tango and Cleo, of course - Jevin, I'm surprised you dropped by, although of course there's nothing wrong with that - and then Zedaph, TFC, and Iskall have all found safety in their own homes."

"I fink Iskall's comin' here, actually," Stress corrected.

Joe perked up. "Oh that's fantastic, then! Hopefully he makes it here with all his blood where it's supposed to be."

"Yeah," Stress answered absently, poking through some chests. "Better 'ere than goin' for somebody else, that way I can deal wiv 'im."

"Wait," Xisuma realized. "You said deal with him?"

They were interrupted by an angry hissing near the door - not the single rush of air of a creeper, but something harsher, somehow both more human and completely inhuman.

"That'll be 'im, then. Ah!" Stress finally found what she was looking for: a wooden sword. "Right, I'm going out there."

Jevin eyed Stress's choice of weapon skeptically. "Do you... want some backup?"

Stress unfastened her allium flower crown and looped it around her neck. "I got a handle on this, fanks! You can come along if you want, though, seein' as I don't fink 'e'll go for you. Here, hold this."

Jevin took the allium offered to him. "Uh. Okay."

Stress strode out to the entrance of her castle. There, the two of them saw... Iskall.

He stood at the doorway, not approaching further. His right eye was red, and there was a reddish glow behind the diamond in his left. As Stress came closer, Iskall bared sharp fangs.

"Iskall is a vampire??" Jevin blurted.

"Yep." Stress walked right up to him. Iskall made a motion as if to lunge, but halted some distance from her neck. Stress rolled up her sleeves, showing off another allium tied around her right wrist like a bracelet... then plunged the wooden sword directly into Iskall's heart.

Iskall let out another hiss as he vanished. Stress breathed a sigh of relief and returned her allium necklace to her head with a pin. "An' that's that. I hate to do it, but sometimes 'e just gets like that."

"What." Jevin stared, dumbfounded. "What just happened. What about the other hermits?"

"Oh, now that the vampire what drained 'em is dead, everyone will have the chance to respawn normally," Stress explained. "Includin' Iskall himself. 'E'll feel kinda hungover an' probably really guilty, but 'e'll be actin' normal again for a while."

"How did you know that... any of this would work?"

Stress laughed. "Are you kidding me? Wiv how long I've known Iskall? This ain't the first time this has happened. It's 'alf the reason I keep so many alliums around, besides the fact that they're pretty. Gotta be careful when you're neighborin' a vampire!"

[the-lincyclopedia]

This post is part plug, part nostalgic celebration. See, back in 2014, I was a senior in high school, and I was completely unaware of web series adaptations of classic literature (like the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Emma Approved, the March Family Letters, etc.). My first year of college, my roommates introduced me to the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which I fell in love with (if you're logged into AO3, you can see my LBD fics), and I deeply enjoyed multiple other Pemberley Digital productions and loved the 2022-2023 experience of watching the Look Back Diaries as the star of LBD reminisced and spilled a LOT of tea.

But I didn't really look for classic lit web series outside of Pemberley Digital, which meant I didn't watch Nothing Much to Do. Until now.

See, @thecandlewasters (the folks who made Nothing Much to Do, the web series adaptation of Much Ado about Nothing) are serializing all of the videos and transmedia content from Nothing Much to Do via email this year for the ten-year anniversary. It's like Dracula Daily meets the Look Back Diaries (no commentary from the actors, crew, or creators, but an email with a link to each part of the Nothing Much to Do experience on the ten-year anniversary of each video, tweet, Instagram/Tumblr post dropping).

And y'all. Okay, Much Ado about Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare play and I love it a possibly unreasonable amount, so I'm biased, but this adaptation is so good. I was worried it would be, like, loosely "inspired" by the Shakespeare original, but it is SPOT ON, both in terms of the plot and even in terms of a surprising amount of the smaller stuff. Like, when Ben is explaining that Claudio thinks Pedro was trying to get with Hero himself instead of wingmanning like he'd promised, Ben uses that clumsy little bird nest analogy that Benedick uses in the play. It's such a faithful adaptation! I'm so interested to see where they're going to go with this, particularly the Claudio/Hero of it all (please no spoilers; I want to be surprised!).

And also, you know how I said I was a senior in high school in 2014? Well, Nothing Much to Do is about high schoolers (made by teenagers and very young adults), and it's set in 2014. It is EXACTLY my era. Beatrice watches Sherlock. Hero reads John Green. A lot of the boys listen to Mumford and Sons. Like, these are my people. I would have fit right into this frenemy group. And it's just so incredibly nostalgic to see teenagers dressing in 2014 teen fashion and listening to 2014 music and reading 2014 YA books and watching 2014 shows and having 2014 discussions about social issues and using social media in 2014 kinds of ways. Stuff has changed in the intervening years--some for better, some for worse--but I hadn't realized how much love was stored in 2014 nerdy teenage pop culture, for me in particular.

If you want to join me in following Nothing Much to Daily, you can subscribe here: https://thecandlewasters.substack.com/about. (This is not a paid plug or anything; I'm just a really excited fan!)

[hecatesbroom]

Hii!

I thought it was about time to make an index/introductory post to pin (because I love lists and this is essentially a list) so here we are :))

I'm Alys! Or at least I go by that online ever since I decided Internet safety also applies to me. I use she/her pronouns but honestly anything goes, and I'm known to friends as a grandma in a 21-year-old's body.

Feel free to tag me in things, send me a dm, or pop an ask in my tumblr mailbox. I don't bite, and I love interacting with people! (Which includes you, I promise!)

(I do have a tendency to forget to reply, which I'm working on, but please don't worry if that happens. It's nothing to do with you!)

I write fic and the occasional long meta post, and can make gifsets if I set my mind to it, most of them being on pieces of media so obscure they'll only appeal to a handful of people lol

Here's a little, probably incomplete list of the things I love and will most likely post/reblog stuff about:

My main interests at the moment are:

The Golden Girls (find all golden girls posts under #the golden girls, and most ship posts under #golden wives! I'm hoping to go back and re-tag my meta posts & ficlets with a special tag soon, but for now it's just one big treasure hunt under the main tag lol)

Maude (tagged #maude 1972)

And I'm following along with Dracula Daily this year (find all related posts under #dracula & #dracula daily)

Other things I have & will occasionally post about:

The Wheel of Time

The Witcher books

Good Omens

Doctor Who (watching for the very first time! You can find my unhinged rants under #alys watches who)

Tolkien, both his works and adaptations of it

Books in general, mostly fantasy and classics with a dash of basically everything else

The Locked Tomb on my sideblog @i-hardlyknowher

An entire list of (mostly niche, mostly British and Dutch) sitcoms from the '70s and '80s. Ask me about them if you want and I'll love you forever

I'm trying to read and see some more Shakespeare so you'll probably see the occasional post about that too

BBC Ghosts

Broadchurch, which I watched when it first aired, rewatched last year, and am back to occasionally losing my mind over now

The Worst Witch, which I don't really post about anymore but deserves a spot here anyway, because it's what inspired my username!!

[dickensdaily]

Have you ever wanted to read a Dickens novel in the way it would have been originally enjoyed? Dickens Daily is a plan to do just that, inspired by Dracula Daily.

The poll to decide which our first book will be is due to close today, but it is so close I’m going to extend it 24 hours. I can tell you that the two in the top spot are Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, and that one has just stolen the lead from the other.

If you would like to vote in the anonymous poll, it will stay open until 23:59 27th November 2022 UK time. 

See the links in the reblog or the bio of this blog to vote and sign up!

[space-feminist]

I posted 1,649 times in 2022

That's 511 more posts than 2021!

104 posts created (6%)

1,545 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@chasvchalilah

@dingdongyouarewrong

@bisexualkingdavid

@onetobeamup

@marzipanandminutiae

I tagged 1,527 of my posts in 2022

Only 7% of my posts had no tags

#nina's personal log - 183 posts

#ofmd - 108 posts

#dracula daily - 100 posts

#star trek ds9 - 91 posts

#goncharov - 66 posts

#wwdits - 61 posts

#unreality - 46 posts

#star trek tng - 40 posts

#fandom - 39 posts

#our flag means death - 31 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#and there was this one illustration in the books of dorothy and ozma greeting each other with a kiss that i remember staring at for a while

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

it's so funny when european fanartists are all "how do you expect me to know american race politics" when they get called out for whitewashing, like, dude, you're making art of characters of color from american media, american politics are going to be relevant

147 notes - Posted January 20, 2022

#4

seen some posts getting worried that ofmd will become like hamilton in that people will start obsessing over and romanticizing historical slaveowners but i feel like that misses that most of ofmd is fictionalized. like most of the supporting cast of ofmd are fictional characters as well as characters of color who experience in-canon racism, meanwhile hamilton has zero characters of color - it's all historical white people played by poc. ofmd is a comedy with a million intentional historical accuracies simply for fun (e.g. blackbeard's goth outfit) while hamilton's surface inaccuracies are just the casting and music - it presents itself as serious historical fact in a way ofmd absolutely does not. enjoying a character in hamilton necessarily means grappling with a historical white person whereas even enjoying stede or blackbeard doesn't mean that because stede and blackbeard do things in ofmd that they didn't historically do and interact with people who didn't historically exist.

hamilton is a white history told by people of color, whereas ofmd takes a few historical figures and uses them as inspiration for a comedy show with a diverse cast. frankly, comparing a tv show with actual characters of color to hamilton, which despite its casting has zero characters of color, seems really bad-faith and smacks of trying to cancel tumblr's new fave rather than actually offer any analysis of it

203 notes - Posted April 20, 2022

#3

between jonathan being like "i can't wait to meet my good friend dracula and ask him why the townspeople keep talking about vampires" and lucy being like "this guy stares at me really intensely and says i'm a fascinating psychological study, i think i'm in love <3", i think mina's type is "cannot spot red flags"

3,732 notes - Posted May 11, 2022

#2

tumblr did not undersell how funny it is to read dracula as a modern reader. jonathan's all like "why would i need a crucifix when going to visit The Castle of Count Dracula. i'm not even catholic"

28,509 notes - Posted May 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

it's always so fucking funny to me when terfs are like "how can you say trans women and women are the same thing! being born as a man makes you different!" because like. yes. trans women and cis women are different. so are black women and white women. and straight women and queer woman. and women from different countries and different socioeconomic statuses. there's diversity in the experience of womanhood? what a wild concept

59,012 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[thestarkerisobvious]

    this amazing art is by @von--gelmini   aka @starker-stories inspired by the divine art of @starker-sorbet.

                                      Chapter Two:  Fifteen

3.  The Dream

But when Tony sat upon the bed Peter pulled back a little, startled by a shiver of fear.  He hadn’t noticed, up until that moment, what his friend had been wearing, and found himself unnerved at the sight.  There was nothing frightening about the shirt itself, it was ivory white, the same color as the roses (the same color as the bedcover) with billowing sleeves and a frilly collar that was currently open, exposing his pale white chest.  Peter couldn’t say why he was suddenly afraid. Only that Tony had reminded him of something just now, something that had made him very nervous…

“They all have one motion; all jointly move from east to west in twenty-four hours upon the poles of the world.  Or so the wise men said.  But the wisest of men spoke in freshmen’s suppositions -- none were so wise as Master Peter.  Lie beside me and tell me more.  Hath every sphere a dominion?  An intelligentia?”  

Peter stood, silently. This was a bad dream, only Peter couldn’t remember exactly why.  Something about the shirt that Tony was wearing.  Something about the windows in the stone wall that looked out onto the nightsky, because this castle was on a terrible precipice, and if he were to look out of those windows he’d be looking down at a sea of green tree tops with silver threads where the rivers ran through the forest… they ran across the forest… it was across the forest that was the problem, he was sure of it.

“Be brave, Peter.” Tony was whispered again.  And when Peter looked into Tony’s dark eyes, he knew that he could.

Or at least he would try.

He wasn’t sure he would succeed, but when he looked into Tony’s eyes, he also knew he couldn’t say ‘no.’

But it didn’t comfort him at all to find, as he toed off his shoes before climbing onto the bed, that he was wearing the exact same outfit as Tony; tight black pants and a billowing white shirt and a collar that was opening up, exposing his throat, his shoulder, his chest.   He was trying to remember why that was a bad thing even as Tony pulled him into strong, solid arms.  He leaned his head to rest on Tony’s shoulder, taking a deep breath, trying to stay calm.  Tony smelled of burned incense and warm earth.  He tried to be brave.

Then Anthony slipped one hand into the open collar of his shirt and Peter gasped in surprise.

“No!  This is a bad dream!  We’re in Transylvania! This is Castle Dracula, Tony look!”  He grabbed the man by shoulders in terror, his heart pounding in his chest, his head jerking around frantically, taking it all in.  Oh course… it was all so obvious.  The tall black windows.  The battlements, jagged against the sky.  The many shadows.  

“I know this dream, I’ve had this dream before, this is going turn into a nightmare and I’m going to lose you.”  He buried his head in Tony’s embrace, afraid to look around the room anymore, knowing he would see something terrible.  Somewhere very close he could feel it, the much younger boy that had stayed up passed his bedtime reading that book until VERY late at night alone in his house, afraid to shut the book, afraid to close his eyes, afraid to move from that spot until Aunt May and Uncle Ben returned.

But Tony’s arms were solid and unmoving.  He held Peter against chest and murmured to him, stroking his hair and arguing with him gently.  “Hold to me Peter.  Hold fast. Hold close.  Stay with me.  I conjure Master Peter and do not release him.  Fear not, Master Peter, but be resolute.  By the uttermost magic I bind you to me…”  

“But that’s not real,” Peter scolded.  “That’s not even in Dracula.  Even if it were real in this dream it won’t stay real for long.  Because dreams turn into… I told you Tony…”

“Look to me, look to me,” Tony crooned, stroking Peter’s back with strong hands, finally resting his head against Peter’s hair, shushing him, almost rocking him, until he allowed himself to be gentled.  Peter leaned into the warm embrace.  It was a wonderful feeling.  Even if this moment faded into something else, it was a moment he would remember.

“Whatever you want to tell me, tell me quick.  I can’t make it last.  Please Tony.”

Tony lay his mouth against Peter’s ear, scraping his beard across Peter’s cheek.  Peter shivered at the touch.

“You need not fear.  I am the master of this place.  We can speak, dispute, have discourse one with another here.  We spoke so little in the dreams when you first called unto me, for then I was so weak, and you were a magician unskilled.  Do you not see that we are stronger now?”

“I’m not a magician at all,” Peter whispered.  He wiggled a little and Tony loosened his arm a little, looking down into Peter’s face.  

“But you are the Master Doctor, master of all arts, the one who named me.  Who feeds me his light, but does not know of it.  I will instruct you now.”

He guided Peter into a sitting position (Peter had been laying back in Tony’s arm, looking up at his face, thinking that he was wrong, this was in fact the best dream in the world) and looked closely into his face.

“Do you fear?”

Peter thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“I must feed of your light.  ‘Light’ is not a fit word.  Likewise is not ‘feed’ the fit word.”  Gently he scraped the pad of his thumb across Peter’s lips.  “There are no fit words.”  

“But I can show you…”

Gently Tony slipped a hand into Peter’s open-necked shirt and moved it aside and, just as gently, pulled Peter against his chest.  Breathing against Peter’s throat for just an instant, he covered the pulsing vein with his mouth and began to suck.  Peter’s heart pounded against Tony’s chest.  He tried to remember to breathe.

Soon then were laying together on the bed, Tony moaning and stroking Peter’s back with strong hands.  His back, his waist, sometimes down the sides of his legs.  Peter clung to him, trying not to moan as well. Sometimes he would push Tony away and Tony would always comply, (eventually) laying back against the white pillow, panting.  At those times Peter’s hand would fly to his shoulder to look for blood, but he never found it.  Sometimes Tony’s mouth seemed to be wine-stained, sometimes it seemed to Peter that there were wine-stains too, upon his shirt, upon his fingertips, but at other times there were none.  Sometimes Peter’s head spun, sometimes he feared he would fall asleep (but he was asleep. Could he fall asleep in a dream?) Then Tony would move toward him again, whimpering, nuzzling against his cheek, his nose, wordlessly asking for more. And every time, Peter obeyed.

Finally Tony pulled away, sated.  He stroked Peter’s hair and thanked him repeatedly, touching their foreheads together and caressing his face.

“What that… have you… fed?”

“After a fashion.  It is a dream of feeding.  It gives me nourishment. In your bedroom, when night falls on the morrow, you will feed me again.  You will make me strong.”

“And is this…” once again Peter reached up to finger the wet place on his neck, surprised once again that there was no wound there.  “Is that ‘light?’”

“Your light made me strong enough to speak,” he said, tracing one finger over Peter’s lips. “Your light made me strong enough to touch your dreams.  Your light gave me form enough to touch you.  When you lay on your bed and wept tears, I fed from your loneliness.  When you read your books that made you laugh, I fed from your joy.”

“But… that’s not ‘light.’ Loneliness and joy aren’t light. Those are feelings.”

“And when you sit on your bed and read to learn?  And when you make your scholars drawings of plans and schemes of clever instruments? What is the fit word for this?”

“Is it… curiosity? Or… wait…”  Peter pulled away from Tony’s touch enough to think.  He turned his head and considered the old-fashioned words that he knew.

“Is it… passions?”  

He moved back closer, please with himself.  Tony seemed pleased too.  He took Peter’s hands and wove their fingers as he spoke.

“If you were a painter, I would feed upon your light when your landscape was complete.  If you did compose, I would feed upon your light as the ink dried upon your opus. If you were a sculptor, you would feed me when the statue stood completed in your studio.  Not before, for fear you would never finish it.”

“But you learn, Peter.  Daily.  Hourly. You never finish.  And you question.  Even your questions feed me.  I’ve never tasted the like.”  

Peter lowered his eyes and tried not to grin.  It wasn’t easy.  He was sometimes praised for being ‘smart’ but he wasn’t often praised for learning constantly (and he certainly was NOT praised for constantly asking questions.)  He hid his smile by moving his forehead closer to Tony’s chin.

“If… wait… if you are old enough to remember when scientists thought the sun revolved around the Earth, instead of the other way around… that was before the 1600’s.  How old are you, Tony?”

Tony moved away enough to look into Peter’s eyes.  He traced gentle fingers across his jaw, his lips, his chin. Peter moved his fingers to touch the line of Tony’s beard, but wasn’t brave enough to do more.

Then Tony pulled away completely and tucked one arm under his head, staring at the top of the canopy bed, contemplating.  Finally he spoke.

“I was first conjured and tasked to vex the stylite Simeon the Elder before I killed him.  I believe.  Do you know the date of the death of Simeon the Elder?”

“No, but I can look it up in the library.”

“But here are spirits far older than I.  I knew of a demon tasked by Eratosthenes to take messages Alexandria to Syene.  He was a great deal older.  It is hard to tell.  When I am not fed I must sleep.  When I sleep I forget.”

He turned back to Peter and gathered him up in his arms again.  “You are the Scholar Peter, you will consult this vast library you travel to, the one so far away from your dwelling place…”

Peter snuggled in and described the tiny, disappointing library that he visited weekly in Devil’s Holler, and how he could only get his Uncle Bed to drive him to the slightly superior library in the next town over, and how all of them paled in comparison to the libraries he visited in New York City. As he spoke Tony’s hands began a delicious journey up and down his back, the back to his waist, then back to his back again.  

Once, that hand rested in the small of his waist for a moment, then began moving further downward, causing Peter to gasp and jump a little. He couldn’t help it.  He reached for the hand and squeezed it in apology.

Embarrassed, he started talking again.  “But everything is better in New York City.  The schools are better.  The museums are better.  There are more movie theaters.  There aren’t even any museums here at all…” and so on.

They fell into silence and Peter felt himself dozing.  It wasn’t a pleasant sensation.  It made him feel that the dream was changing.  He was hearing strange voices intoning solemn words outside the room.  He jolted awake and looked up at Tony, to see if he had spoken, but Tony only smiled. Then his eyes drifted closed again.

When he jolted awake the second time Tony pulled him closer, rubbing his back through his shirt and calling his name.  Peter’s hand flew to his neck… he had dreamed he was bleeding and staining the sheets… then grinned in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry.  I keep thinking you really bit me.”

Tony smiled and took one hand in his.  “Wherefore?  I did not bite you the first time I fed from you,” he said with a wicked grin, lowering his mouth to Peter’s wrist and sucking gently at the pulse.

Peter was confused.  “You… what?”

Tony moved a little and fished for Peter’s left hand, that had been laying between them.  He pulled it gently to his face and touched Peter’s fourth finger.

“Do you know what this is, my scholar?”

“That’s my ring finger… Tony…” Peter scolded, scandalized when Tony fit the entire finger into his mouth and sucked on it vigorously, finally pulling it away from his lips in a gesture that felt slightly obscene.  

“That finger carries the vein that leads directly to your heart, a perfect place to feed.”

“But it doesn’t really have a vein that… eww gross….” Peter giggled as Tony went down on his last two fingers, sucking on them.  It felt ridiculous (but it felt something else, too. Something Peter didn’t really have a word for.)  

“And yet I can feed this way.  I need not hurt you.  I did not hurt you when you fed me sorrow the first time, when Wagner did not come to your celebration.”

“What… what?”  Peter pulled his hands away and sat up suddenly.  “What are you talking about?”

Tony lay his head back on the white pillow and looked up sadly. “When your schoolfellow agreed to come to your celebration.  You came to your room and told me all about the joy of it.  But then the message came upon the telephone that he would not attend. His father conveyed the message to your Uncle.  You wished to contact your other schoolmate in New York City in consolation, but your Uncle angered you when he said the cost was too dear.  You came to your bed and cried, and then you came to the floor to speak to me.  You gave me your tears.  Then you gave me your hand,” he touched Peter’s left hand, but didn’t take it.  

“Tony that doesn’t… no.  That doesn’t make sense.  I don’t know anyone named Wagner.”

Tony closed his eyes and sighed.  Peter was suddenly worried and reached for him, and soon he had Tony’s head laying against his chest, and he was the one with his face nuzzling Tony’s hair. Tony wrapped strong arms around his back and held him close.

“Forgive me Master Peter, my scholar, my novice magician.  My pilgrim of great libraries.  Forgive me. Grant me pardon.

“I was so hungered.  I had hungered for so long.  I fed poorly. I fed too deeply.  I drank up all the sorrow and loneliness of the moment, and left none behind.  Without the light of the moment you no longer carry the memory.  Forgive me my clumsiness.  I will not injure you thus again.”

He planted a kiss upon the center of Peter’s chest.

Then he whispered “Unless you ask me to.”

Peter wasn’t sure what it meant, and wasn’t sure he was ready to. So he did what he knew how to do. He held on.  He didn’t speak anymore.  He held on until he fell asleep.

When he woke he was cold and achy and laying on the floor.  He crawled up into his bed and under the covers and tried to tell himself it was all a dream.  He hadn’t really spent the night in the arms of a demon, who could be sent out to kill people.  Or take away the memory of his only friend in town.

-----------------------------

MORE TOMORROW

---------------------------

From now on, as promised, the tagged list has a new name.  From now on you are named

MY FEELS:

@mrstarksbaby

@starkerprince – @starkeristheendgame – @dizziestofdaydreams – @twokinkybeans – @fleet-of-ships – @flush-styx  – @mrstarksbaby – @starker-sorbet – 

@castiruth – @starkerthanreality

If you would like to be added to the dinnertable, let me know.

[darkiplurrr]

A New Hero: Chapter 1

Author’s Note: So, I was inspired by some of @bones-and-tomes stories (Go read them, they’re awesome!) and came up with my own original character! This is based on her idea of the egos living in a dimension ruled by the imagination and creations there are called thoughtforms! Also the concept of supers is directly inspired by X-Men!  

Warnings: Violence, swearing, bullying, mentions of prejudice, alcoholism

If anyone wants to be tagged in this series, let me know!

There lies a dimension beyond our own world where the dreams and imaginings of people are given life. They share a world parallel with reality, one compromised of people and mythical creatures and sharing the same history and culture as the real world.

At the beginning of the 1980s, when the X-Men comics were at the height of their popularity, the world of the thoughtforms received a massive change. The dreams of children in the real world, who played pretend at being superheroes, began to seep through the dimensions. Thoughtform children started being born with mutations, special powers and physical differences.

As these births became more and more frequent, these people began to be referred to as supers. Over time, a few of them banded together to form the League of Superheroes, deciding to use their powers for good like their comic book predecessors. Two famous superheroes were known as Jackieboy Man and Silver Shepherd, a Septic and Iplier ego, created specially by humans in the real world to use in comedy sketches. In the thoughtform world, they were real heroes. They were always there in time of need.

In the town of Sighisoara in Romania, famous for being the place where Vlad the Impaler – The inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula – lived, a baby was born to the town doctor, Amara Petrescu, and her husband Denis, who was a skilled painter. When the baby was placed in his mother’s arms and wrapped a tiny hand around his father’s forefinger, tiny claws like a kitten’s suddenly unsheathed from his fingers, causing a nearby nurse to scream in surprise. Baby Lukas Petrescu simply cooed in response.

 “Mama, can I go to the square today? I want to do some sketches.”

  Amara looked up from her medical files and smiled at her son. “Yes, dear, just don’t wander too far. And don’t go into the forest, the wildcats will snatch you up. Be back in time for supper.”

 Lukas nodded, excitedly pulling on a jacket and flinging the front door open. “Bye, mama!” He raced out into the cobblestone streets, barely noticing the looks in his direction as mothers fearfully pulled their children out of the boy’s way. Lukas understood he was different, but was still too young to understand how deeply rooted prejudice could be. His parents never gave him a direct answer when he asked why he wasn’t allowed to go out at night to chase fireflies with the other children. He didn’t hear the whispers as passersby stared at his hands, trying to catch a glimpse of his claws, which were now as big as a tiger’s. The most he had gotten out of his father was, “People fear what they don’t understand. You just stand tall and don’t let them get to you, you’re perfect the way you are.”

 Lukas ducked through an alleyway into the town square, pushing through the throngs of people going about their daily lives. He spotted a store where an elderly man was selling painting supplies and headed inside, admiring the fresh paper and buckets of brightly colored paint. Lukas handed the store owner eighty leu in exchange for a new horsehair paintbrush, which he quickly put in his satchel. The boy then sat down on a bench at the edge of the square, pulling out a sketchpad and paints and beginning to draw out the scenery around him. He had inherited his father’s talent for art, able to paint in great detail ever since he was six years old. Painting allowed him to express himself, to put the world as he saw it down on paper. He could lose himself for hours in the steady motions of moving the brush across the page and the satisfaction in seeing the images take shape. He dreamed that he would someday be a famous artist, with his work displayed in art galleries for people to marvel at.

 As Lukas was trying to find his green paint to sketch out a nearby tree, a muddy shoe suddenly came down hard on the paper, crumpling the half-finished painting. “Hey!’ He shrieked, looking up in anger. “What are you-“

Three slightly older boys were standing over him, smirking at Lukas. The one whose foot was resting on the painting was Daniel Moraru, the local bully. His mother had died suddenly the year before, causing his father Andrei to spend most of his time drinking. That left Daniel to wander freely, taking out his anger on others. His grin was as wide as a shark’s as he said, “Sorry, mutie, guess I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Lukas could feel his cheeks turning red with anger as he tried to yank Daniel’s foot off of the torn paper. “You ruined it! And don’t call me that!”

Daniel rose an eyebrow. “Call you what? Mutie? That’s what my father says you are, you’re a freak. Unless you’re a werewolf, like my little sister thinks. Are you a werewolf, mutie? Did you come down from the mountains?” He reached down to snatch Lukas’s paintbrush, turning it over in his hands.

“Give that back!” Lukas cried out, jumping to his feet and reaching for it, held back by the other two boys. “Let me go, that’s mine, I just bought it!” He felt tears starting to run down his face. “Please, I’ve been saving up for it!”

“Ohh, it’d be too bad if it …” Daniel snapped the paintbrush in two. “Broke.” He threw the pieces at Lukas’s feet as the other boys grinned. Then Daniel roughly shoved Lukas to the ground, who then whimpered as he tried to pick up the shattered remains with his trembling hands.

Lukas felt as if the world had faded away. Fiery rage bubbled inside him like lava. They had destroyed the things he loved and made fun of him for something he couldn’t help being born with. His heartbeat thudded in his ears as he stood, his claws unsheathing. In the blink of an eye, he scratched the side of Daniel’s face, leaving a large wound. He and the other two boys went silent in shock for a few moments before Daniel started to scream in pain, causing the nearby crowd to gasp and cluster around.

Daniel’s father Andrei stumbled out of the nearest pub at the noise, giggling a little from the effects of the whiskey. He blinked as he stared at his son before he realized what was happening. His face became a mask of rage and he raced over, desperately trying to calm the crying boy, before catching sight of Lukas and his bloodstained claws. “You! What the hell have you done to my son?! You’ve hurt him, you little brat!”

Lukas cowered at Andrei’s angry voice. “I … I’m sorry, I …”

“Lukas!” Lukas’s father, Denis, was running up the street towards them, eyes wide as he took in the scene. He pulled his son into his arms. “What’s happened? Are you hurt, son?”

“Is he hurt?! That little monster of yours almost killed my kid! He’s too dangerous to be wandering about where he could attack people! I’m trying to keep my family afloat, we don’t need this right now! I’m warning you, Petrescu …” Andrei spat, glaring at Denis.

“Enough!” Denis barked before looking down at Lukas. “Why did you scratch Daniel? Just tell me what happened.”

“H-He …” Lukas’s eyes were wide with fear. “He br-broke my new p-paintbrush … A-And he r-ruined my painting … And h-he knocked me down … He did it on purpose, I told him to stop …”

“My son was just messing around, he didn’t mean any harm, you-“ Andrei began to snarl before Denis held up a hand.

“Bring the boy to my wife and she’ll fix him up,” Denis said softly. “It sounds like your son provoked mine but I’m sure we can settle this somehow. Let’s just help your own son for now, alright?”

Andrei glared at Denis but picked Daniel up and shouldered past the artist towards Dr. Petrescu’s office, hissing, “Your family will pay for this, I’ll make sure of it.”

Denis sighed and began to guide the trembling Lukas along. “I know you’re telling the truth, he was bullying you. I probably would’ve reacted similarly. But you have to be careful, son. Defend yourself if someone attacks you, but I don’t want you getting into any more fights if you can avoid them, you understand? I just don’t want anything happening to you. It’s my job as a parent to always protect you.” He knelt down and hugged Lukas tightly. “I’m sorry this happened, let’s go home now.”

Lukas nodded tearfully, pressing closer to his father and staring at the ground so as not to see the stares and hear the whispers of the townspeople as they passed. He never wanted to hurt anyone ever again.

[themoderngothicheroine]

Castles Fit for a Heroine

Wandering through the halls of an ancient castle is the ideal for any aspiring heroine. With the capabilities of modern travel, these landmarks are now within reach without having to resort to discomforting carriage rides beset by storms and bandits.

Craigdarroch Castle

On the Canadian West Coast is Craigdarroch Castle, built by the Scottish coal baron Robert Dunsmuir in the late 19th century. Once surrounded by vast amounts of land, it has since been hemmed in by expanding neighbourhoods, but the peaks of towers can still be glimpsed over the trees. With elegant drawing rooms, stained glass windows, and a beautifully carved wooden staircase in the heart of the castle, Craigdarroch is a West Coast heroine’s dream.

Heroines can visit Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, and it is open daily from 10am to 4:30pm, with longer hours in the summer. In October, they host theatre acts with horror themes, this year being a modern adaption of Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Masque of the Red Death’.

Visit Here

Lyndhurst Mansion

Built in the 19th century, Lyndhurst is a Gothic Revival castle in Tarrytown, New York. For an American heroine, there is no better location! It has all the towers and arched windows one could wish for while being located near both New York City and the ever spooky Sleepy Hollow. Together, Lyndhurst and Sleepy Hollow make the perfect day-trip for any heroine in New York, visitors and residents alike.

Lyndhurst Castle is open for tours from 10am to 4pm, Thursday through Monday. Tour the grounds, then go spend some time in ever-spooky Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Visit Here

Quinta da Regaleira

You’ve no doubt already come across images of 20th century Quinta da Regaleira before. This castle is the aesthetic Barbie Dream House for any lover of the esoteric. The exterior of the castle has elaborate Gothic detailing, and the gardens are breathtaking, with lakes, waterfalls, and tunnels throughout. The most startling feature is the Initiation Well, said to have been involved in Templar Knight rituals. With the occult symbolism, Gothic facade, and extensive gardens, every heroine would wish to wander the Quinta da Regaleira in her finest white nightgown.

One can drape themselves across the grounds of Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal, between 9:30am and 6pm, with later hours during the summer. Perhaps it’s best one cannot visit at night - no telling where you may find yourself on those grounds...

Visit Here

Eilean Donan Castle

You can’t throw the decrepit skull of your most noble ancestor five metres in Scotland without hitting an ancient castle, but Eilean Donan blows them all away. Located on the coast of the Scottish Highlands, Eilean Donan was originally built for the McKenzie and MacRae clans in the 13th century, and was reconstructed in the 20th century. Isolated with only a single bridge to the mainland, it would be easy to find yourself trapped here with the Byronic hero(ine) of your dreams.

Eilean Donan is open 10am to 4pm every day, with later hours in the summer. But be careful during the winter, as the cold and snowy landscape makes this a popular wedding destination for many heroines, and the castle may be closed for the ceremony.

Visit Here

The Castle of Otranto

If you’re looking to visit a castle in Italy, why not the one that started it all? Located in the heel of the boot, the foundations of Castello Argonese are ancient, but it was used by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and rebuilt in the late 15th century by Alphonso of Naples. Although the castle is hardly the typical gloomy sort heroines yearn for, the coastal location, local cuisine, and place in Gothic literature make this castle a must-see.

No cost to visit the most famous Gothic literary castle, and it’s open year-round between 10am and 6pm. Watch out for siestas though, and long lunch breaks for the staff. Miss A assures you that this is because you’re in Italy, not because something more sinister is afoot.

Visit Here

Reichsburg Castle

The castle today may be a product of nineteenth century imagination, but the foundations of Reichsburg Castle date back to over a thousand years ago. Located in Cochem, Germany, the castle is perched atop a hill, looking down at the town and river. The castle is an ideal spot to indulge in a picnic and some light reading - Miss A recommends Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla for this location.

One can only visit the inside of the castle with a guided tour, which one join between 9am and 5pm. Afterwards you can join in an authentic medieval feast at the castle. Perhaps find a tester for your wine first.

Visit Here

Bran Castle

Although it may not be the real Dracula’s castle (that distinction goes to more southern Poenari), Bran Castle remains one of the most famous landmarks of the Romanian countryside. Built in the 14th century, Bran has passed through many hands during wars of succession and conquest - most recently it was used as a royal residence in the 20th century, until the overthrow of the Romanian monarchy. With its red roofs and secluded location, it would inspire any heroine to take a jaunt to the Carpathians.

Bran Castle is open all year between 9am and 4pm, with extended hours in the summer.  Look over the stunning countryside from castle towers before adjourning to the tea room for a strong cuppa.

Visit Here

Which castles inspire your heroine fantasies?

Your doting

Miss A

[topicprinter]

Hello guys,I'm a growth marketer and my expertise is content. I'm doing this strategy on LinkedIn recently and getting a lot of traffic to my blog. Even got some hot leads out of it with zero budget.It's a very short and potent 3-step strategy. Here I go.--With Linkedin came new influencers and experts. Whatever industry you are in, it has, for sure, an influencer that inspires your audience.These people are super influential. For Growth Marketers, they’re precious resources to spot audiences that are active on LinkedIn.What if you can tap into this audience and surround yourself with them? It would be easier for you to open conversations, get engagement and create new business opportunities, right?This is what our Dracula strategy is all about. Generating leads on LinkedIn by leeching the network of influencers.Three bites of Dracula: The Dracula strategy is an easy to execute strategy compared to our other playbooks. You have three steps to follow.Find the vessel.Feast on the comments.Steer the attention.Step #1: How to find a vessel?You need to find the most famous person in your industry. You know that type. When they post content, they get engagement showers. And that’s what we’re looking for. Mainly comments.This person is an influencer or your competitor in your industry. And thanks to LinkedIn, finding them is easy. All you have to do is to know your audience’s problems. The keywords that they’re already searching for on Google to find answers to their problems. Our keyword will be “LinkedIn marketing” this time.Go to LinkedIn search and click on content.Then type your keyword and click. You'll see a list of people with hell a lot of engagement.I have 900ish comments (total of 5 different posts) in here sitting in front of me. 900 people that potentially will be interested in your LinkedIn marketing service or product.These people share content daily. They could be gold mines for your business and this is the beauty of growth marketing here. Even if you don’t have the resources and an army of employees, you can still outsmart your competitors.This was our 30 seconds quick search. You can go more in-depth with different keywords and find influencers in your niche. But you got the idea. Now we’re hungry, let’s head to the feast of generating leads on LinkedIn.#2: Feast on the comments.Here you’ll scrape all the profiles in the comment section of the LinkedIn post. If you don’t know how to scrape here is a video crash course:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23e1RHpE5iQ&t=10sNote: Dataminer sometimes doesn’t work on LinkedIn pages. We don’t know the reason but the solution is to create a new user in your Google Chrome.After you scrape the comments, you’ll have all the profile URLs. Keep in mind, you can also scrape the people who liked the post if you want to reach more people.But people who commented are more qualified because they’re engaged with the topic and have an active user status on LinkedIn.Now, what are you going to do with all these comments? #3: Steer the attentionWhat is your goal? You can redirect the attention however you like.Do you want to promote your SaaS product?Do you want to use these people as a traffic source?Do you want to make people download your eBook?Or do you want to send them your presentation?You can do anything you want. In our last campaign, I've sent our latest blog post to 1300 people. We used it as our content distribution channel.We provided a free playbook. But in the playbook, there were CTAs to our products and other eBooks. And it performed well.We got a little organic traffic jam on the website, had dozens of qualified leads and two customers. All with zero budget.If you’re a small business with no to low site traffic, you can do the same. There are two approaches to send messages. #1: Pull approachHere is the message I wroteHey "Name",I saw you commented on X's post about LinkedIn lead generation. I'm also trying to learn more about lead gen and expand my network with likeminded people like you. Recently I wrote a new article about how I generated 700+ leads on LinkedIn, let me know if you want to read it.Why is this message so effective?“I saw you commented on “X” post about LinkedIn lead generation.”It makes my message more credible and personal. We share similarities and I’m using it to my advantage.“I’m also trying to learn more about lead gen and expand my network with like-minded people like you.”I’m straightforward here. That’s true I want to learn more and expand my network with people that share the same goals.Recently I wrote a new article about how I generated 700+ leads on LinkedIn, let me know if you want to read it.This is where I pull. Yes, I wrote something for him but I’ll not throw it to his face. I’ll not enter his territory before he let me in.Here you give an option to the other party to accept you. And once you let them decide and don’t cross the boundaries, people are kind.This respectful approach is a good first step to maintain a relationship and start the conversation. The result? He liked it and shared the article with his WhatsApp group.After this point, you can proceed to the next steps. You can ask him if he wants to join the weekly newsletter etc.With this approach, you need to follow up manually to send the link afterward. #2: Push approachWith the push approach, you don’t need to follow up manually because you’ll share the link with the first message. Like this.Hey Jason,I saw you commented on X’s post about LinkedIn lead generation. I’m also trying to learn more about lead gen and expand my network with like-minded people like you.Recently I wrote a new article about how I generated 700+ leads on LinkedIn, if you would like to read here is the link.www. blahblah. comThis looks a bit more spammy and can backfire. But then you can automatically send all of the links and don’t have to look back.3 compelling message templates for your next campaign1. Salesy and honest reach outThis is a straight forward message about your intention. People usually accept this kind of invitation because you’re not trying to sell anything to them.Here is a message template we shared before, which is pretty personal and honest. Ready to be sent.Hey #firstName#,Sorry to message you out of the blue. I have this idea that solves X problem for content marketers. I’m trying to connect some like-minded people to talk and get feedback.Would love to know what you think of the idea. Please let me know if you’re interested.You can customize this message a bit to your taste and needs. Then you can send your free trial, eBook, service, product, landing page, briefly anything you want.Or you can push the link in the same message. Our personal favorite is the pull approach though. It definitely takes more time with manual work. However, it’s definitely not a waste but an investment.2. Straightforward reach outThis is a straightforward message about your intention. People usually accept this kind of invitation because you’re not trying to sell anything to them.Hey #firstName#,I hope you’re having a great day. I’m trying to learn more about content marketing and expand my LinkedIn network. Right now, I’m looking for smart and like-minded people on LinkedIn to follow, learn from and exchange ideas.I thought it would be great to be your connection,3. Promise valuable content for themHey #firstName#,I’m trying to be more active on LinkedIn and connect with like-minded people. I’m planning to share unique content about “X” every week. As a content marketer, I thought you could find some value in them.Would you like to stay in touch and exchange ideas?Lastly, add them as your connection and send the message with Phantombuster. Phantombuster is my favorite growth hacking tool. You can scrape data, add people, like, comment or message your prospects on different social platforms all automated.(You can use it for free btw)Here we’ll use it to add people and send them automated messages.You have two options here.LinkedIn Network Booster phantom: with that phantom, you can add and message your prospects. But you can only add 80 people per day. 2. LinkedIn Message Sender phantom: You can send hundreds of messages but you can’t add them.It's quite simple to use. Just go to the desired Phantom and follow the instructions.After you chose one all you need to do is to paste that spreadsheet that you have from Dataminer. Then customize your message.Note: Don’t forget the write the name of the column that contains the LinkedIn profiles in the Dataminer spreadsheet to “Column name from which to get profile URL’s”. That will indicate Phantombuster where to extract data.Don’t forget the daily limit. Set it to 10 people per launch and 8 times a day.Run your phantom and get ready to generate leads on LinkedIn.This is it.The Dracula Strategy is a flexible one. What you can do is all up to your end-goal and creativity.And if you have any ideas or feedback reach me out in comments. I’m here to helpSee you around,Note: if you are a visual learner, here is the link if you want to see the article with image tutorials: https://www.grow-force.com/generating-leads-on-linkedin/

[accuhunt]

Away From the Crowds: 11 Offbeat Places in Europe Waiting to be Explored.

Many years ago, over a glass of red wine and stone oven-baked pizza, an Italian chef once told me that you don’t fully experience Italy with your eyes alone. You experience it with your taste buds (through the food), your ears (through the music) and most of all, your heart. Over the years, in my quest to find offbeat places in Europe, I’ve realised how right he was. Not just about Italy, but also about Europe in general.

Experiencing Europe with all your heart. Photo: Linus Mimietz (Unsplash).

  Unfortunately, travelling in Europe has changed significantly over the past decade. Locals in popular places like Barcelona, Venice and Rome are rebelling against overtourism. The streets of Central Amsterdam and Vienna’s main square are overrun with tourist groups.

Does that mean we should stop travelling to Europe? Or that it’s impossible to experience Europe with your heart anymore? If you ask me, it just means that we need to look away from the list of “must do” sights, seek offbeat places in Europe and travel more responsibly.

While the Indian passport currently makes it impossible to travel over land from India to Europe, we can pick an airline that is serious about sustainability. While travelling on invitation from KLM, I was impressed with their use of biojet fuel and research in sustainable aviation fuel, which can drastically cut down the carbon footprint of air travel. Next week, KLM will introduce Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights – with 25% better fuel efficiency than other similar aircrafts – from Bangalore (it already flies from Delhi and Mumbai) to its hub Amsterdam.

Ready to take off!

  Within Europe, travelling by train is an experience in itself (it’s worth getting the Eurail pass if you plan to take multiple trains), as is staying with locals in eco-conscious accommodations, choosing public transport over renting a car, eating local and plant-based food, hiking responsibly and delving deeper into the history, culture and way of life of the region you’re in. If we make these conscious choices, overtourism in Europe will be easier to tackle in the near future.

As for offbeat places in Europe, I’ve got you covered! Based on my explorations over the years, these are some of my favorite alternative destinations in Europe to get away from the crowds:

1. Spain: Segura de la Sierra

The charming by-lanes of rural Andalusia.

  Unless you happen to be a paragliding enthusiast, it’s unlikely that you’ve heard of Segura de la Sierra – a breathtaking little town in eastern Andalusia. Cobblestoned streets wind along colorful houses with panoramic views on the rugged Sierra Moena mountains; olive trees dominate the landscape (and the cuisine, with fine olive oil); the Arab influence lives on in the form of restored 11th century steam baths and a Moorish castle adorns the hill. Although I enjoyed the unique charms of Cordoba and Granada, it was in this small Andalusian village that I finally felt far from the beaten path. Chatting with a local in broken Spanish about a revered local poet, the long afternoon siestas and the stunning hikes still makes me dreamy-eyed about my time in Spain.

Stay at a casa rural – a room or studio where you’re hosted by a local family. Los Huertos de Segura and Apartamentos Sierra de Segura are both lovely self-catering options, while El Rincon de Paco is geared towards budget travel.

Also read: First Time to Spain: 10 Travel Tips to Plan Your Trip

2. Slovakia: The High Tatras

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                      A post shared by Shivya Nath (@shivya) on Jun 1, 2019 at 9:37pm PDT

While the Swiss and French Alps steal all the attention of hikers and tourists in Europe (and have started getting affected by overtourism in Europe), the High Tatras of Slovakia offer relative solitude amid craggy snow-capped peaks, fields of wildflowers in spring, gushing rivers and trails for all fitness levels. I spent a few days hiking, cycling, journeying on the electric train, chilling by glacial lakes and even spotted a wild fox while hiking alone!

To really experience offbeat places in Europe’s High Tatras, stay at Penzion Tri Klasy in Nova Lesna (a charming wood and stone family-run guesthouse) or Pension Barborka if you want to be based in Poprad. For a high end luxury experience, pick Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras.

Also read: A Guide to Exploring the High Tatras of Slovakia

3. The Netherlands: Noord Holland villages

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                      A post shared by Shivya Nath (@shivya) on Jul 2, 2019 at 10:03pm PDT

When KLM first reached out to me about a collaboration involving a trip to the Netherlands, I felt conflicted. On the one hand, I wanted to learn more about their sustainability initiatives. On the other, I didn’t want to contribute to overtourism in Europe, of which Amsterdam is a victim. But when I began to research my trip, I realised that I could choose to stay away from the main city in Purmerend, pick meaningful experiences and discover a unique side of the country.

While in Amsterdam, I sailed on a small, wooden boat that had once ferried 76 refugees across the Mediterranean – with a Syrian ex-refugee guide who put our privileged lives in perspective. A friend invited me to join him on a bicycle ride in a small Dutch village not far from Amsterdam Central – with eclectic houses, cosy cafes and typical Dutch landscapes with windmills and sheep! Further north, I rode for days on the bicycle-only trails of Noord Holland, amid the swaying grasslands, old canal houses, green meadows and flowing streams, often the only cyclist on the trail, discovering little Dutch villages along the way (of which my favorite was Broek in Waterland).

Starting next week, KLM will fly the Mumbai – Amsterdam route daily, making the Netherlands and the rest of Europe even more accessible from India.

Also read: Culturally Intriguing Ways to Experience Europe

4. Germany: Berchtesgaden National Park

The stunning Bavarian Alps.

  Even though there’s a lot to explore and experience in Germany, I’m so in love with the alpine Bertesgaden National Park – just 3 hours from Munich by train but a world away – that I’ve already been back twice! Hiking amid the magnificent Bavarian Alps, discovering turquoise Alpine lakes, trying your hand at cross-country skiing, strolling along picturesque Alpine villages and spending warm afternoons with a glass of chilled beer at a cosy cafe, watching pro skiers tackle the slopes – it’s a side of Germany that not many people end up experiencing.

I loved staying at Burmesterhaus (pick the top floor penthouse), originally built in the 1860s, overlooking the stunning Mount Watzman, hosted by a Finnish family. If it’s your first time using Airbnb, sign up with my referral to get 40$ off your first stay.

Also read: First Time to Germany? Practical Tips to Plan Your Travels

5. Romania: Maramures

Sunday prayers at a cemetery in Maramures.

  Most people think Transylvania and the legend of the Dracula when they hear Romania. And while the region has its charm, it also draws the crowds. But further north, it was the rural countryside of Maramures that stole my heart. We spent our days hitchhiking with locals, in their ancient cars, trucks, even tractors, and journeyed on a rickety logging train with loggers, shepherds, sheep, axes and a lot of palinka (traditional brandy) into remote settlements high up in the Carpathian mountains. One Sunday morning, we found ourselves standing amidst the tombstones in the cemetery of a 14th century church to attend Sunday mass. Absolutely surreal.

Stay at Amizadil House in Sighet for a culturally unique experience. If you have access to a car, pick Casuta din Gradina or Zestrea Brebului in Breb. 

Also read: Romania, You Can Fool the World With Your Smiles but Not With Your Heart

6. Croatia: The Istrian Peninsula

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                      A post shared by Shivya Nath (@shivya) on Oct 1, 2019 at 9:35pm PDT

I felt like I was too late in visiting Croatia, with the explosion of Game of Thrones-inspired overtourism taking over Dubrovnik and Split, and spilling over to other stunning locales. Luckily, the Istrian Peninsula still somewhat qualifies among offbeat places in Europe, especially in off season. Living with a sweet couple in their 400-year-old stone house, I met olive farmers, heard local tales of foraging for wild mushrooms and asparagus in the nearby forests and watched some delightful sunrises and sunsets from the (relatively popular) village of Motovun.

I enjoyed staying at Apartment Pina with a sweet Bosnian couple in Motovun. If you’re travelling in a group and have access to a car, check out Villa Nikolina in Peroj.

Also read: How Croatia Compelled Me to Rethink Travel Blogging

7. Wales: Lake Vrynwy

The night sky above Lake Vrynwy in North Wales.

  While in North Wales, I remember turning off the lights one night and peeping out into the balcony, to see the dark night sky shimmering with stars. In the moonlight below, Lake Vrywy glowed softly, forever etching itself in my heart. Although all of North Wales – with its dramatic hills and vast sheep-filled rolling meadows – blew my mind, nothing compared to the raw beauty of the lake. Go while it’s still under the radar!

I was lucky enough to stay at the gorgeous Lake Vyrnwy Hotel & Spa with a bird’s eye view over Lake Vyrnwy and the dark night skies. The next time I go back, I’d also love to try out the little B&Bs along the Welsh countryside.

Also read: Why North Wales Blew My Mind

8. Switzerland: Ebnat-Keppel

Snowy day at my wooden hut in Switzerland <3

  The Bollywood phenomenon is still very visible in the Swiss Alps – so much so that the Swiss have even named a train after Yash Chopra for all the tourism he’s brought to the Jungfrau region (unfortunately this part of overtourism in Europe is largely driven by Indian travellers). To beat the crowds, it only took a 1.5 hour train journey from Zurich, to the little-known region of Ebnat-Keppel at the foothills of the Alps in eastern Switzerland. Surrounded by spectacular snow-clad peaks, hiking trails, blazing sunsets and virtually no tourists, this felt like the real Switzerland. One worth adding to any secret list of offbeat places in Europe!

I was smitten by Sonnmatt Bergpension & Gesundheitszentrum – a family-run, vegan / vegetarian B&B in Ebnat-Keppel; highly recommended!

Also read: Snow, Skiing and Wintry Dreams in Switzerland

9. Denmark: Bornholm

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                      A post shared by Shivya Nath (@shivya) on May 1, 2018 at 9:55pm PDT

Getting to Bornholm – Denmark’s easternmost island in the Baltic Sea – is an expensive affair that takes you through Sweden and on a ferry, but that’s perhaps why it continues to remain under the radar. After cycling and eating our way through the urbanscapes of Copenhagen, we were delighted to ride along the wild beauty of the Baltic Sea, catching fiery sunsets, chatting with friendly locals, getting a taste of slow-paced island living in remote Scandinavia.

Like much of Scandinavia, accommodation in Bornholm is expensive. Griffen Spa Hotel offers good value for money and is close to the ferry and bus terminal.

Also read: What Indian Cities Can Learn About Green Tourism from Copenhagen

10. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Una

Hiking along an emerald tributary of Una River.

  My original plan was to make a quick trip to the famous Plitvice Lakes of Croatia, but I was worried it might be too touristy and disappointing like Lake Bled in Slovenia. A local tipped me off to take a bus to Una National Park – one of the most offbeat places in Europe – on the other side of the border instead. As I walked across the border from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was love at first sight. Much of the country is still under the radar – with 50% still covered in forests, pristine landscapes, friendly locals and heartbreaking stories of war in everyone you talk to. And I’m pretty sure I was the only outsider in Una village, exploring the unique ecosystem of Una River, with greenish-blue waters full of river islands connected by manmade wooden bridges, wildflowers and emerald blue tributaries.

I recommend staying with a local family in the self-catering Airbnb Pile Dwelling – a traditional, hand-built wooden hut on stilts.

Also read: Dreamy Airbnbs to Experience Europe Like a Local

11. Italy: Umbria

The charming villages of Umbria, Italy. Photo: Lachlan Gowen (Unsplash)

I took to heart the words of the Italian chef and ditched popular cities like Rome and Venice – victims of overtourism for years now – for a slice of life in the Italian countryside. In the relatively less-trodden region of Umbria, I cycled along the rolling hills to the walled city of Todi and ended up meeting some rather eclectic Italian artists and poets. Those delightful afternoons of crispy focaccia (baked in a 500 year old stone oven) and conversation continue to live on in my memory… as though I really did experience Italy with my taste buds, feet and heart.

Depending on which part of the Umbrian region you prefer to stay in and whether you have access to a car, there are plenty of charming accommodations to choose from.

Also read: Living with an Italian Artist in Umbria, Italy

What offbeat places in Europe have you discovered on your travels, and where would you most like to go?

*Note: I wrote this post as part of my collaboration with KLM. As you know, opinions on this blog are always mine.

Cover photo: La So (Unsplash)

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The post Away From the Crowds: 11 Offbeat Places in Europe Waiting to be Explored. appeared first on The Shooting Star.

Away From the Crowds: 11 Offbeat Places in Europe Waiting to be Explored. published first on https://airriflelab.tumblr.com

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Why Elvis Presley Is Your New (Old) Style Icon

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Why Elvis Presley Is Your New (Old) Style Icon

It’s 1968, an NBC TV special. There’s a small stage, surrounded by primly-dressed women with big bouffant dos and men dressed as though they might be accountants. On the stage is a raven-maned man who occasionally sits on the steps to be among the people. But he is clearly not of the people – not least because he is in head to toe black leather. He’s the embodiment of rock’n’roll. He is, of course, Elvis Presley.

It’s not a look that would be easily pulled off unless one was a rock’n’roll legend, or perhaps a TT Race rider. But for Elvis it marks not just his famed comeback but the pivotal point in his wardrobe. Thereafter, through the 1970s, he would lapse, along with his fried peanut butter sarnie waistline, into pure stagewear: the rhinestones, the flares, the capes and those Bill Belew-designed, high-collared white jumpsuits (perfect for those black belt karate moves), like some hip-swiveling anti-Dracula. This, unfairly, tarnished Elvis’ reputation as a style icon.

Even Elvis wasn’t such a fan of it. That legendary, $10,000 gold lame suit of a decade earlier, which Colonel Parker commissioned for Presley from the rodeo tailor Nudie Cohn – the very man who made Johnny Cash the ‘Man in Black’? He didn’t much like that either – he’d often swap the trousers out for something plain and black. In the end he only wore the full suit three times. When it was suggested a new version be created for his ’68 comeback, Presley declined. “I have to be honest with you,” Presley said to Belew. “I always hated that suit.”

Presley’s earlier wardrobe, throughout most of 1950s, was much more him, and ironically, much more now. Think of Elvis today and you might first imagine ‘showtime’ Elvis – all exaggerated hair and jumpsuited up – but it’s his earlier dress sense that marks him out as a true style icon. And it feels particularly relevant today – Cuban collar shirts, wide-legged, pleated trousers, blousons – these are all garments making the rounds on the menswear circuit, but they were also integral to Elvis’ 1950s style wardrobe. He did it all first.

Elvis wearing a Cuban collar shirt in 1955

On stage, he said, generally he’d wear clothes “as flashy as you can get them”. “[But] in public,” he added, “I like real conservative clothes, something that’s not too flashy”. Indeed, in many respects Presley wore the clothes of his era. As a young man he’d shop at Lansky Bros in Memphis – to which he was a loyal customer all his life – where he learned to pop up his collar and where he bought high-waisted pegged trousers, two tone shoes or simple black loafers, short sleeve shirts, loose-fitting sack suits, skinny or bootlace ties: rockabilly, in other words.

One thing he wouldn’t wear, no matter how fashionable they became: jeans. Presley always associated working clothes with the sharecropping poverty of his youth. He’d only wear them if, say, a film role the likes of Jailhouse Rock demanded it. Or if money did. Ironically, Elvis lent his name to Levi’s for their ‘Elvis Presley’ style, the first black denim jeans.

In 1956, wearing a Cuban collar shirt, black trousers, penny loafers and argyle socks

“He was very much a product of his time,” argues Dennis Nothdruft, curator at London’s Fashion & Textiles Museum, “albeit a very fashionable version. What made him stand out was less his clothes as him – because he was extremely attractive and he had this louche quality about him, which shows in how he wore the clothes. They seemed to be less fitted as draped on him, which reflected the way he moved. I think it’s fair to say he wouldn’t be a first choice for purely sartorial reasons but he did have a certain something about him and, of course, he did look incredibly cool in that black leather for his comeback.”

Performing on the NBC special in 1968, wearing the famous all-leather outfit

Indeed, even at its most preposterous off-stage, Elvis managed to pull it off. When he met with a strait-laced Richard Nixon in the White House in 1972, Presley wore a gold-buttoned pea coat style jacket draped over his shoulders, a shirt with a collar bigger than the lapels on Nixon’s jacket, and a belt with a buckle the size of his head. Well, what else would a King wear to meet a President? “You dress kinda strange,” Nixon is said to have commented. “Well, Mr. President,” Elvis is said to have replied, “you got your show, and I got mine”.

Even when wearing what might seem merely his contemporaneous clothing choices, there was plenty of attention to detail. When he started making money Presley had his shirts made bespoke – he had elastic added at the cuffs and the elbows to give the sleeves a more billowing look. He was, unlike more pedestrian men of his era, comfortable wearing colour: for shirts and socks his favourite was bubblegum pink, then considered a distinctly feminine shade.

He’d happily clash patterns. He’d get his grandmother to embroider his shirts with some distinctive detail. His jewellery, of course, became increasingly excessive, but started with subtleties the likes of his ‘TCB’ (‘taking care of business’) signet ring – a deft bit of personal, and later profitable, branding.

Elvis eating an army-supplied packed lunch on the day he reported for duty, 1958

And then, crowning it all, of course, was that hair, a long, unfashionable pompadour – inspired by Presley’s time working as a truck driver, that being the signature ‘do for the kings of the road through the early 1950s – and most definitely counter to the favoured crewcuts of the period. Presley knew just how important what one disapproving child psychiatrist called that “badge of emptiness” was to his style, his rebel image and to his sex appeal. His hair was regularly dyed to ensure Presley’s naturally sandy blonde colour achieved that jet black shade – men dyeing their hair was unheard of at the time – and required three different kinds of hair wax, at the same time, to achieve the desired look. He’d have a jojoba oil and vitamin E scalp massage daily.

That Elvis was aware of his image was certain. What he was less aware of was the impact it would have on menswear at large. While his performance attire was never likely to be emulated, the sheer magnitude of Presley’s fame – enhanced by his starring in 31 movies over just 13 years, genuinely redefining celebrity in the process – meant that his more personal wardrobe inevitably would be.

“I think most people would think of, say, Paul Newman or James Dean as stylish men from roughly that era before they’d think of Elvis,” as John Harrison, the creative director of Gieves & Hawkes has it. “But it’s different if, say, you work in the fashion industry. Then Elvis embodies that whole ’50s look. He’s definitely a style icon.”

Three Key Elvis Looks

Workwear Chic

In King Creole (1959) Elvis wore the most workmanlike outfit of his career – even against the stylist prison uniform of Jailhouse Rock. A chambray shirt over a white T-shirt, flat-fronted, wide-legged trousers and a moleskin, twin pocketed blouson. Elvis returned to similar jacket styles throughout the ’50s and beyond, and it’s easy to see why. Today this look is easily replicated and has recently been plugged by the likes of Prada x Mr Porter, Oliver Spencer and Burberry.

Rebellious Tailoring

For one of his earlier performances, around 1956, Elvis dressed in a way that simultaneously mirrored convention and defied it: he wore black trousers and loafers, with a white shirt under a loose fitting, contrasting tailored jacket. It was smart but sassy too, even disruptive. “I can’t over-emphasise how shocking he looked and seemed to me that night,” one Roy Orbison would later recall. Apparently the first thing Elvis did was to spit some gum onto the stage. Disapproving mothers no doubt fainted on the spot.

Mid-Century Ease

One of the key attractions of Elvis’ early style was the ease of it. Yes, the way he wore his clothes added to his nonchalance, but the garments themselves were simple and easy to wear. Today, in a confusing world of fluorescent streetwear and flossing, this is an enticing way of dressing. Take this look as a case in point – it’s made up of straight leg trousers, an open neck polo shirt, a bomber jacket and white sneakers. It’s not going to change the world, but it’s an effortless combo that anyone can recreate. And no, he’s not flossing.

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