#the only thing in this genre i've read is dracula

[dyrewrites]

Vampire romance means violent murder followed by a loving bath where you wash all of that off each other and then jump into bed to make a different kind of mess, right?

Because if it doesn't I am doing this all wrong…

[beevean]

Rank your top 5 Belmonts And if you have the energy/desire to do more: Rank your top 5 Castlevania games Rank your top 5 Castlevania tracks

5) Richter. I don't think much of the guy, but undeniably he is a very important figure, the symbol of the cracking of the Belmont legacy. At first, he's a hotblooded shonen young warrior, full of energy and life and will to fight... and then we learn that the will to fight is actually an issue, because after he defeated Dracula at age 19, he found no other reason to live.

4) Simon. Got higher up to the list in recent times <3 he's the Belmont, without any drama or obvious flaw. But I've come to like that about him, and admire his feats in Simon's Quest that show that he's not just a formidable badass, but a very noble man too, willing to even bury his foe out of respect.

3) Leon. He deserved none of that :( Leon is another Belmont mainly defined by his noble nature, perhaps to a fault (my good man why are you storming a vampire castle without a sword). His shining moment is, of course, him rejecting Mathias' absurd proposal: he may be full of anger against his former friend, to the point of swearing vengeance and dooming his descendants to a lifetime of fighting, but he also refuses to fall into the pit Mathias won't escape from, and has the perfect rebuttal for his inane logic and indirectly Dracula as a whole: "But defeating him... No, preventing others from suffering the same cursed fate... That was Sara's dying wish... Granting my beloved's wish. That is all I can do to prove my love to Sara. Eternity without her would be nothing but emptiness."

2) Juste. The golden child in deep denial :D It's a bit unfair that he gets reduced to "Alucard Belmont" and at most praised for his OP powers, but hey, he's not the only one. He has an interesting personality if you read between the lines, from his brashness that contrasts with his angelic looks, to how fervently he forces Maxim to keep Lydie in the dark. Also he's the king of interior decor :P

1) Trevor. He's the Sonic of Castlevania. He invented the Superpower of Teamwork™. He's kind and helpful to those he considers his friends and a terrifying menace if he thinks you're in his way (he won't ask first). He has the Legs of all time. His theme slaps an inordinate amount of ass. He's shaped like a friend and I love him <3

(a close runnerup would be Christopher, because I really like the concept of an older Belmont, who thought that could retire, nyooming to rescue his son from Dracula's influence <3 a prelude of things to come <3)

~

I was sure I had already ranked them, but perhaps I need to remake the list anyway...

5) Adventure ReBirth. Admittedly it's been a while since I replayed it, but I have fond memories of it as far as Classics go. It's simple, it's well designed, it's fun, it has kickass remixes (Aquarius <3) I wish it wasn't so obscure because I think it's the best entry point for those interested in the genre.

4) Portrait of Ruin. Y'all sleep on this title unfairly. Jonathan and Charlotte are very fun to play as, the gimmick of the paintings allows for new locations rarely explored in the series, it has an interesting mission system that makes the game more fun to master, and an OST that seriously deserves more love.

3) Curse of Darkness. Yes, it's noticeably flawed, from the mindnumbing level design to the obtusity of Forging. It's not a game I can pick up whenever I want, the only reason I can't put it in first place. But aside from that, it honestly feels like it was designed just for me and my tastes lmao. The fighting/crafting/raising loop is incredibly addictive and reminds me of the Sonic Adventure games <3 and ofc, as you could tell, I'm in love with the characters and story :P

2) Symphony of the Night. The one, the myth, the legend. Describing it feels like a waste of time. It's a timeless classic for a reason. It may not be perfect, but much like Super Metroid, I think the atmosphere is so well crafted that it pulls you in regardless of any issues you might have. It's an experience to be had.

1) Harmony of Dissonance. Oh yeah. This game is stupid fun to me. I just pick it up and play it to wind down. The ability to dash in both directions makes it a 10/10, then you add the spells that are fun to experiment with, the breakability, the COLORS FEEL SO RIGHT, the eerie music (yes it's good! it's good!!! fight me!!!!), Maxim Mode...

~

I was also sure I had this list... how could I pick only 5 tracks from this giant, beautiful repertoire...? D:

5) Chapel of Dissonance. Unlike many of the tracks in this soundtrack, this one is perfectly hummable and sweet. It fits the beautiful sky like a glove, and it may subtly reference Divine Bloodlines which is a stroke of genius :)

4) Lost Painting. SoTN abunds in jaw-dropping tracks, but this one feels uniquely magical, and it plays just in the right areas of the castle (a chapel, a library, and icy caves). It sounds like a sad lullaby sung to Alucard, and I hear reluctance to venture further and fight.

3) Garibaldi Courtyard. I have no clue why this mundane area in the game has music that brings me to tears. Similar in atmosphere to Lost Painting and Fog-Enshrouded Nightscape, but with CoD's more modern sound. I don't know how to put into words the profound sadness I hear here.

2) Dracula Battle (SCIV). I cannot gush enough about the genius of this track as the final boss theme. It never gets faster, or drop a harder beat: you only get these long strings and this complex arpeggio for an unsettling atmosphere. I said back then: "It sounds like you're quietly resigning yourself to your fate. You will die. But that's alright. He will die too."

1) Leon's Theme. This could pass for a classical piece. It's perfect in every way. You can almost touch Leon's sorrow and anger - you can hear the fingers pressing on the piano! It gets you pumped to reach the end of the game, and you get to grieve with Leon for the terrible night he's going through. Special shoutout for the part at 1:34 for sounding like the aforementioned Dracula theme.

[leslutdepointedulac]

13 Book Tag Game

Tagged by: @bubblegum-blackwood Thank you! 💞

1) The last book I read:

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. I'm currently doing my annual re-read of TVC from start to finish but it's taking me longer than last time for some reason.

2) A book I recommend:

Loveless by Alice Oseman. Ik it's not the only book out there to explore asexuality and being aromantic as well, but it's the first one I personally read and I think it's a really good example of it.

3) A book that I couldn’t put down:

A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson. Predictably, it's more vampires lmao. I wasn't initially sure about how I would feel reading something in second person, but it actually works really well imo. I really love how it's told by one of Dracula's brides; I can really get into the characters, and understand her situation.

4) A book I’ve read twice (or more):

So many of my books I've read several times, but one in particular is Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver. Actually just the whole Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. I grew up on them, and I've read the whole series several times over. I like that it's set six thousand years ago, because I don't think I've personally ever read anything in the fantasy kind of genre in that time period. This series has a special place in my heart.

5) A book on my TBR:

I have too many. I think one that I do really want to get to though, is Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I've wanted to read it for a few years now, and I've had the book since last year but I haven't gotten round to it yet.

6) A book I’ve put down:

Normal People by Sally Rooney. I got it as a birthday present from someone in my family a few years ago, and when I saw what it was about it didn't sound like my kind of thing but I figured I'd give it a chance. Yeah, it wasn't doing it for me lmao. I was bored tbh and the lack of speech marks around dialogue was confusing me. Overall it just wasn't my type of thing anyway and I only got a few pages in before I put it down.

7) A book on my wish list:

I've been really wanting to get a copy of the Grimm's complete fairy tales. I know some of how a few of the fairy tales originally go, but I've been wanting to read them all properly for years now.

8) A favorite book from childhood:

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. I read this book religiously as a child. I would read it and then as soon as I was done, I'd read it again. I'm honestly not sure why, but there was clearly something about it that resonated with me, even as a kid. I actually still have the same copy I owned as a child, I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. It's very special to me.

9) A book you would give to a friend:

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. Idk what you want me to say lmao. It's LOTR, everyone should read it. I know it's a trilogy, not just one book, so I am cheating a bit here, but it's too good not to mention. It's fantasy at its finest, what can I say.

(I was gunna say Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, but that's obvious coming from me and I don't want this whole thing to be overrun with TVC lmao.)

10) A book of poetry or lyrics that you own:

I won't lie, I don't actually have any of either, I've never really been interested in things like that. It's just not my thing.

11) A nonfiction book you own:

Buried by Professor Alice Roberts. I haven't actually read it yet, but it goes into looking at burials from centuries ago and how people would have lived in different periods of time, based on burial sites.

12) What are you currently reading:

The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. Again, this is because I'm doing my annual re-read of TVC, but it's taking me an unusually long time to get through it this time round.

13) What are you planning on reading next?:

Apart from moving onto The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice, I think the next thing I want to get to is Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. I've never read it before (Ik don't shoot me), not because I didn't want to, but just because I never got round to it. But I got it recently so I'll be reading it soon!

Tagging: @desertfangs @teethingpains @cinnamonclove but no pressure of course ❤

[volturialice]

Do you have any dark gothic/horror book recs? I’m trying to get out of thrillers at the moment. also looking for some dark classics. any ideas?

I was waiting to answer this until after the Bella's Book Club summer reading reclist went live and now it's live!! and I must say, full of some Choice gothic recs. But I'll list my personal faves here!

Dark™ things from my part of the BBC reclist:

Jamaica Inn (and My Cousin Rachel) by Daphne du Maurier - iirc I described Jamaica Inn as gothic + adventure in my recs, and yep, that's what it is. definitely part of the specific "the book cover shows a woman in a nightgown running from a scary building" gothic heroine tradition. I also gave a brief nod to My Cousin Rachel because it's another of du Maurier's works which I think is underrated (that one's more of a slow-burning gothic mystery featuring a hero of the 'little wet babygirl' variety.)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia - Also as I said in my recs, it's very like Jamaica Inn in structure and genre, though of course the writing, the specific characters, and the central mysteries are different. But MG is (of course) Mexican and has more fun Get Out/Ready or Not vibes with its themes of class and ethnicity.

Girls Running from Houses by tanaudel on redbubble

Perfume: the Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind - Villain protagonist villain protagonist! This one I love mostly for its flowery prose and sheer aesthetic commitment. You're telling me this 18th-century French serial killer turns his victims into perfume?? Say more

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey - Seriously the most underrated YA series of all time. Also so gory and terrifying I sometimes cannot believe it's YA. To this day some of the scariest written horror my eyes have beheld, not to mention it's got banger prose. Most people know Rick Yancey from The 5th Wave which is such bland cookiecutter 2010s YA dystopia love triangle nonsense that I just want to shake everyone and go NO, READ THIS BRILLIANCE INSTEAD! ngl the last book in the series is Not Good (you can 100% tell he had switched all his energies to 5th Wave, which is a shame) but the first 3 are absolutely good enough to make up for it.

Other people's reclist recs that I too have read and enjoyed: Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier), We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Shirley Jackson), Dracula (Bram Stoker), Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)

More classics: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (short and easy read!), The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (a must-read for aesthete gays everywhere. I mean cmon it's Oscar)

Extremely melodramatic "classics:' I loved reading Louisa May Alcott's little known "flops" A Long Fatal Love Chase and Behind a Mask (short story collection.) I might make Book Club read Love Chase at some point because I think we'd have way too much fun with it. We'll see.

My personal favorite that I think everyone should read: The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (short story collection of gothic fairytale retellings!)

Not exactly what you think of when you hear 'gothic' per se but definitely Dark and it's my OTHER favorite: Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer (I never shut up about this book and it's for a reason. Very different from the movie, which I also love!)

My favorite gothic/horror authors:

Shirley Jackson - I've definitely talked about her before but both The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle are straight bangers (and short, easy reads to boot!) Do NOT think you can watch the Mike Fl*nagan Hill House show of the same name and call it a day—they're completely different stories. (also let the record show I'm censoring his name out of personal dislike he hasn't done anything 'problematic' afaik calm down)

Stephen Graham Jones - Insanely good writing oh my god. I have so far only read the My Heart is a Chainsaw books but his entire oeuvre is on my TBR because he cannot lose. Also he lives in my town and I'm starstruck just knowing this fact. Indigenous (Blackfoot) author who writes about indigenous characters!

Kelly Link - Writer of banger short fiction. I particularly enjoy Pretty Monsters because it's 100% written for the Twilight girlies and clearly made with love and silliness

Grady Hendrix - I didn't loooove Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, but I adored Hörrorstör and especially My Best Friend's Exorcism, which is a total masterpiece IMO. Another writer whose entire oeuvre is on my TBR.

[wmarximoff]

sooo could you give us some dftr headcannons pls?? 👀

omfg i've been waiting so long for someone to ask me this leT'S FUCKING GOOOO

NSFW CONTENT BELOW: MINORS DNI.

R doesn't know how to ride a bike because none of her parents taught her how to (and she was always too proud to ask for help on this);

Wanda is actually a few months older than R;

Once R and Wanda went to watch YOU together, but it only took one episode for a awkward atmosphere to hover around the room. R turned off the television without a word and no one brought up the subject anymore;

Wanda knows what their children's blood type would be;

R suffers from severe sleeping issues and sometimes tends on study until she exhausts herself. Wanda is always making sure she doesn't overdo it;

R is an athletic person (she plays tennis), but she doesn't eat very healthy and has a tiny caffeine addiction. One thing Wanda also takes care of;

When Wanda falls asleep on the couch, R watches her for a few minutes before taking her to bed;

R constantly fantasizes about the idea of ​​Wanda's dead body, but she thinks it would be a waste to ruin something so beautiful;

R takes random pictures of Wanda during the day (you can find them here). At first it was a way to mock Wanda for stalking her and kind of reciprocate the feeling of being constantly watched, but after a while R just kept these photos to herself;

At first, Wanda considered kidnapping and keeping R in her basement. Ironic;

During those six months of stalking, one of Wanda's biggest hobbies was just scrolling through R's Instagram feed. She also ended up collecting a few things R left behind: a pen bitten at the tip, a ring she wears to this day (R already noticed but didn't say anything), a lollipop handle, and a small bloody rag from that time when R accidentally cut herself opening a soda can;

When R is not keeping a victim she goes to the basement with her souvenir box (driver's licenses from the girls she murdered) and watches them, reliving the moments;

R has a special place to bury her victims, and it's not random. She often takes Wanda there for picnics, which always ends with Wanda riding her;

Wanda listens to a lot of grunge, post-punk and nu metal – her favorite band is Deftones;

Wanda has a small oral fixation;

R consumes a lot (a lot) of gothic literature – Dracula, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Edgar Allan Poe as a whole, you name it. She started reading them in her pre-teens and it was always a literary genre that fostered her morbid interests;

Wanda likes to cook;

R was raised by nannies. There was a forest behind her childhood home and she used to go there to look for dead animals and cut them open to see the innards;

Wanda is very interested in pagan religions, and despite not being adept at any, she likes the symbols;

Wanda likes to watch R sleeping. R enjoys watching Wanda put on her makeup;

Wanda likes psychological horror movies as much as old sitcoms. She and R often watch movies about serial killers and R points out the mistakes every time just to annoy Wanda;

R has a favorite knife, but her favorite tool is the axe™;

Wanda started smoking cigarettes with R, who started smoking in boarding school;

Wanda often steals R's shirts;

Sometimes Wanda stays outside the stall just watching R take a shower. Something about her likes to watch R from afar as if it were a painting in a museum;

NSFW:

R likes Wanda to pretend to be a scared victim by begging her to stop during sex. Usually this involves knives and some cutting and a lot of degradation. On the most extreme days, R takes Wanda down to the basement and takes her on the mattress she used to keep her victims gagged on. These are Wanda's favorite days;

R likes the fact that Wanda wears a lot of skirts because it means that Wanda is always accessible to her advances;

R likes to write degradations on Wanda's body in blood, either her own or Wanda's;

Wanda has a tremendous daddy kink. As a psychology student she understands where this is coming from in her diagnosis, but she can't help but call R daddy when she's really aroused;

R uses Wanda's chains to tie her up. She'd even left Wanda chained to the bed for a whole day while she just touched herself while watching her;

Wanda likes the times when R chokes her until she almost faints – it makes her feel alive in the arms of the person she loves most in the world;

In some of Wanda's unhealthy jealousy episodes, she likes to interrupt R's process of torturing her victims in the basement just to fuck R in front of the gagged girls. Normally R gets irate when this happens and is especially rough with Wanda, but she likes the other girls to see her like that, to let them know their place and her own place too - only one of them can sit on R's lap, and that will always be Wanda. The fact that the gagged girls are just scared for their lives is just an insignificant detail;

Wanda has a breeding kink;

(my god, that's a lot)

[marias-wonderland]

I like to think Alucard as being a massive bookworm. I been reading Bram Stocker's Dracula and the dude got a library filled with not only books but pamphlets, articles, newspaper, and just pretty anything that he can get his hands one(the library is a mess). He even learned English through books.

So I think Alucard would be a book nerd and maybe a bit of a movie nerd too.

Idk what do you think?

I don't know what I've done to deserve such sweet asks today! Thank you sooo much!!

I've read the book as well back in high school (fun fact: I used to read it during maths classes xD). I remember that part, it was in the beginning of the book, when Jonathan arrived at the castle if I'm not mistaken?

Yes, I remember how he learnt English through books and stuff and that he wanted to hold conversations with Jonathan because he wanted to master his accent (Jonathan noted how his accent and intonation sometimes was a bit off?).

Also don't forget that he was a prince! Royalty was known for being erudite (or at least having access to the best education of that time). It was crucial for his survival as a ruler to educate himself on a plethora of fields. Managing a kingdom is not only about impaling people! Having knowledge on finances, on psychology and on agriculture were some important factors I think.

It was only natural that he would end up a little bookworm.

I'm sure that sometimes, he spends his time in the manor's library, reading whatever books he likes, while drinking blood from a blood bag. Perhaps even integra says to walter to purchase more books for him to read? Whatever doesn't make him drown his sorrows in alcohol and cry into his coffin (Because she remembers her father's words, how Alucard is basically a sobbing child. She makes sure to provide him the few things that bring him serenity).

His favourite books would be historical books, obviously studying the history of the nations of the world, but also catching up with the history of his own country (since he can not visit it anymore). He doesn't strike me as a fiction lover, in a "books filled with magic and friendship" way. Perhaps he would enjoy the horror genre, like Poe and King, since he's accustomed to unbridled chaos and lunacy (perhaps he would even talk to himself about how he would have written the books to be extra scary? Or positively applause the writers for writing something "adequately" scary for mere humans?).

Or he would find science fiction interesting? I'm sorry but idk much about this genre. I remember hirano referenced "Dune" in Hellsing, so I suppose Alucard wouldn't mind it.

My little personal HC is that Alucard would love to read erotica books to Integra (Just imagine that deep masculine voice narrating some spicy activities into your ear 🤭). Integra of course would try to decline buuuut, who can resist a Romanian prince reading you erotica? Certainly not me! (And her xD). Or even if this didn't happen, he would spend his time imagining it (because everyone deserves to have fantasies xD).

The movie nerd is canon ya know, Alucard really loved action packed movies! One of his dreams had a character from those old action movies if I remember correctly (I read about this from some old hellsing posts around here). He loves his movies with guns and violence! (And perhaps some sex in there? xD).

[bookwyrminspiration]

i feel like i should tell you you've gotten me to read dracula cause of all your dracula daily posts, congrats you got me to do what my classics course didn't

like i've literally never read it before, but it's everywhere in fiction and impossible to escape its influence, so it's honestly kinda funny reading it because the characters have no idea what their genre is. "Why did that nice peasant lady give me garlic and a crucifix? why can i not see my host in my mirror?" Homie you are going to be Count Dracula's dinner

Aha! Success! You are not the first and I hope you won't be the last! I hope however much of the novel you read, you enjoy, because I certainly enjoy Dracula. (heads up everyone I will be Dracula posting for the next seven months)

It is very interesting to go back to the source and see how it compares to its distortion in modern media. Like you said, it's inescapable, but it's also so different from the original novel. It's like the only thing that has truly remained is that there is a vampire named Dracula. I had no clue who Jonathan Harker was the first time I read the book, nor what the plot of the book even was.

The introduction to the madness and plot is very funny though, you're right. It's like a non-stop string of events/incidents where we're going well that was clearly weird and fucked up, but also Jonathan can't do anything about it so he shrugs it off and goes about his life and we all laugh about it. I'm excited to relive it again :)

[heredis-sanguinis]

𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐍

- Tagged by: @piltover-sharpshooter & @shimmerbeasts -

-Under 'Read More' for length-

What made you pick up the current muse(s) you have? He's one of my absolute fave League champions. There were hardly any out there and I dipped by finger in that sanguine pool for a moment and got pulled in instantly. To me he has a ton of potential to be fleshed out, that I hope to put down in writing. Riot seems to forget the 'unpolished' gem they have created at times. Especially since he seems to always end up as a joke to people in the community and even the playerbase, and easily gets ignored that way. Or at least in my experiences. The amount of times I've heard jokes like 'discount-ripoff-Lestat/Dracula/vampire/-clown are too.fucking.many...

Is there anything you don’t like to write? Slice of life stuff... I just don't get any motivation to keep anything going in that genre. The same goes for modern verses? I just don't get inspiration for anything on my muses for this either. And not even because I dislike them or anything, it just doesn't mesh with my brain.

Is there anything you really enjoy writing? A n g s t It comes naturally to me, with little effort. And considering how swamped my schedule is, this is a blessing. Though I am not that fuzzed about what genre I'm writing in. I enjoy most things, as long as there is something that moves forward. Development and something to work with to continue that pace and progression are absolutely <3

How do you come up with headcanons? Inspiration from other sources Trying to look behind the basic lore and colour stories, but also look at any potential related characters or other sources and see if anything meshes with Vlad. Like, besides his own lore, I also looked at Noxian lore, Camavoran lore, Viego/Kalista/Hecarim, the Blessed Isles, Ruination, the Darkin and so on.

Do you write in silence or do you play music? I write mostly with something playing in the background. This could be any relatable music to my muses. Or just any of my playlists. A Youtube series I'm watching/listening to. While at work I tend to write down keywords if something comes to mind, and then at home I'll see what comes out of it. (if I remember that I wrote something down)

Do you plan your replies or wing them? I wing them, 99%, mostly. I don't really enjoy planning out every step of muses interactions and relationships. And besides, Vlad is not one to let his life and actions be dictated as easily. He does as he pleases and so too do I write him.

Do you enjoy shipping? I am a shipping whore, but I am very passive in seeking anything in this regard due to really bad experiences where I got accusted of only seeking out interactions for ships, just because I like some characters together. Like, my absolute otp is VladVayne, but I never interacted with any Vayne for the shipping reason. I enjoy their antagonistic dynamic potential a lot too, but yeah stuff happened and now I just tend to not bother to seek interactions. It's a good thing Vlad is not an easy character to ship with, so that saves me a lot of issues as well in this regard.

What’s your alias/name? Cella

Age? 36

Birthday? May 20th

Favourite color? I have several: Black, red, green and purple

Favourite song? This changes whenever it does, But currently it is 'The Skies Above' by The Black Mages

Last movie you watched? I can't remember. It might have been a horror movie when I went to my bestie, sometime last year, to watch 'something'. But I have slept since then, and just don't remember a title.

Last show you watched? I think that has to be Hazbin Hotel? I don't watch a lot of series or shows. Heck, I haven't watched TV properly in a decade now. And rarely go online to watch anything.

Last song you listened to? 'Oblivion' by Masayoshi Soken (Yes, it is another Final Fantasy XIV song)

Favourite food? Listen, I love food, so I don't really have one specific dish or type that I consider a 'fave'. So I'll give a couple: sushi, steak (rare, I need it to bleed), chips (fries for you USA lot), kebab and ice cream (lemon being my absolute fave flavour)

Favourite season? W I N T E R No sun, no spiders (severely arachnophobic), no skin-blistering heat. What's not to love? And if I'm cold, I just. wear. another. layer. of. clothing.

Do you have a Tumblr best friend? Quite a few. Shoutout to @angelicxlly @piltover-sharpshooter @thegoldentigress @weapon-turned-jack These four have been with me through thick and thin for several years now. I love them dearly and they're precious to me. Heck, Monkey-brain-sharpshooter is practically my clone. Literal spiderman-meme stuff there and it gets creepy at times how much we act and think and say alike...

Tagging: You, yes you! I don't know who has been tagged or has done this already. But consider this your tag now~

[pocketbelt]

TUNIC (PC/Steam Deck)

A Christmas gift from my good friend David; he's now 2-for-2 for gifting Zelda/Souls hybrid indie games whose stories feature the defiance/escape of death as a major element starring cute little animals

This one is one of "the greats"; this is a game that should be used as an example when talking about certain types or genres or styles of game, and very specifically TUNIC's puzzle aspect should be regarded as one of the best around (and the competition is fierce). While it takes obvious visual cues from the original Legend of Zelda in particular, and its combat is openly inspired by Bloodborne (note the meters and the limited health-refill potions), and it does this side of the game well, TUNIC's real strength comes through in its puzzles and its conceit of discovering and solving mysteries.

There's an in-game manual whose pages you find individually throughout the game world, drawing from the likes of Zelda 1's manual, from the time where game manuals would often be partly game guides in their own right; maps, enemy descriptions, what your objectives are and should be and so on are all in the manual. The twist is most of the manual, like 99% of the in-game text, is in a made-up language that only occasionally gives way to real language (so single English words, in my case, like suddenly seeing "CHECKPOINT" printed in the middle of a sentence). The idea is you have to infer from context, observation, the provided illustrations and the scraps of words you can understand to figure things out. It's that thing that FromSoft's Miyazaki has discussed, of reading Dracula in English but not knowing enough or being able to find enough to read all of it and filling in the gaps himself; in this case, TUNIC's creator Andrew Shouldice drew from his experience of reading old game manuals as a kid and not being able to read all of the words, and also not having the context to frame what he was reading and seeing anyway.

It captures that perfectly; especially if you know your videogames, you can from context, the scraps of pages you can find, the illustrations and more glean what's going on in any given area and what the broader plot is even with only a scant few words here and there to go off of. In addition to the perfect aesthetic capture of an old game manual, pages occasionally have been marked, annotated or drawn on with a pen or such to clue in to more things and secrets, it's great.

It reminds me particularly of the AVGN video about Swordquest, an old aborted series of Atari games based around completing sections of the game to get page numbers for the game's comic book manual, using the hints and clues of one to solve the other and vice versa, to decode a secret message for a real-world contest. Just the experience of having game and manual as a pair, solving both by jumping back and forth to get a complete picture, it's an idea I've loved the concept of since seeing that video, and TUNIC is more or less exactly that, but the added touch of most of it not being in plain text, of needing to be interpreted, really does spice it up even more.

In that way it's one of those games that feels like a celebration of the artistry of the medium; not just what you can do with the mechanics and structure of a game, but with elements of them that have since faded from use. To consider the manual a key part of the game itself, part of the text, that's something you don't get any more, it's something of a lost form of art, or at least a lost part of the medium.

A beautiful little game. Go in knowing little more than what I've said here, like all great puzzle games.

[hildred-rex]

this pinned post is permanent now too...

Alright, the temporary blog image has grown on me. It's a cropped square from page 31 of A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne (1635) by George Wither.

The header image is Monhegan, Maine (1922) by Nicholas Roerich. Everyone should go look at more Roerich artwork immediately; his are some of the most consistently beautiful paintings I've ever seen.

Anyway...

I'm:

Cinnamon or Hildred by name, accurately referred to with any pronoun set other than he/it.

@/voidblue on pronouns.page.

Generally, my thematic color is blue and not yellow, but it doesn't make sense for Hildred Castaigne to be blue. In fact, I think he'd be somewhat offended. This makes making this account look like me... somewhat difficult. (Update: I've given up entirely. This is Hildred's blog theme now. The Imperial Dynasty of America was secretly the Imperial Dynasty of Tumblr User @hildred-rex's Blog Theme.)

Under the readmore: a list of fandoms I partake in, more detail on my exploits in gothic literature, a noncomprehensive list of other things I've enjoyed, and a "last updated."

Fandoms:

gothic literature (predominantly horror) in general; this gets its own list lower down!

The League of Extraordinary Gentlefolk.

Arthur Machen (have not read everything yet!)

Dracula by Bram Stoker.

The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers.

The Parties are for Losers series by Ferry. (I don't want to give them a random notification for no reason, but they're nopanamaman on tumblr.)

The rest of Ferry's songs are also very good!

currently reading Homestuck due to a D&D campaign (I promise this makes sense in context)

[more when I remember them]

I decided a few years ago that Lovecraft was seminal to the cosmic horror genre and that therefore I should read all the fiction he ever wrote; to my recollection I've read everything listed on Wikisource except "The Street" and "The Rats in the Walls," provided it's extant. (Not sure this counts as a fandom?)

I'll have to come back and add a "music I enjoy" section later.

More on Gothic Literature:

(Listed = I've read it; bolded = I can probably do analysis of its characters; italicized = I don't remember it well; underlined = I really want to reread this and will when I have the time. Small is notes and commentary.)

This is only what I've dredged up from my brain at the moment and I have probably read more; this'll be updated as I read and/or think of stuff.

Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker. (Curiously, I've never actually done Dracula Daily.)

The King in Yellow (1895) by Robert W. Chambers. (Bolding only goes for the weird stories, including "The Demoiselle d'Ys," and is strongest for "The Repairer of Reputations." I've found myself unable to get through a few of the romances & cannot make heads nor tails of "The Prophet's Paradise" except that it feels like someone accidentally published his sheet of idea-collection paper. Admittedly, because of that it makes a pretty good transition between the weird stories and the rest.)

The Three Impostors (1895) by Arthur Machen. (I utterly adore this book.)

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson. (I really loved reading this one, but was very sad by the end. I had Opinions on most of the characters and will again when I reread.)

The Great God Pan (1890) by Arthur Machen.

The Inmost Light (1890) by the same author. (Hello Dyson!)

The Vampyre (1819) by John William Polidori.

The Shining Pyramid (1923) by Arthur Machen. (I didn't like this one when I last read it; Dyson felt off.)

The White People by Arthur Machen (has the most cursed name of anything ever).

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1831, not yet 1818) by Mary Shelley.

The Red Hand (1895) by Arthur Machen.

[Am currently reading more Machen.]

Miscellaneous Things Enjoyed:

This time in alphabetical order.

The Anatomy of Tobacco by Arthur Machen. I feel I must clarify that it's a comedic work that I'd estimate to be of novella length. Reader beware, this book contains random untranslated and even untransliterated faux-Ancient Greek.

At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft. It feels like reading a textbook with a central plot besides the advancement of history (and with a nicer writing style). Content warning for racism and off-handed mentions of the colonial American slave trade.

Fourteen by Peter Clines. This book gets in one's head and doesn't leave.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and its ensuing series, by Douglas Adams.

Last updated 2024-03-31, YYYY-MM-DD. Created sometime in late-ish November 2023. Edited 2023-12-07. Backdated to Louis Castaigne's birthday in a year that would make him 42 years old at the founding of this blog.

[hoochieblues]

@aria-i-adagio tagged me for this a while ago (tysm!) and it has been languishing in my drafts. So… woe and behold?

three ships: ooh. My Dragon Age brainrot could fill all three, but let's go mage!Handers, plus Hannigram as this was the year of that glorious rabbithole, and… I'm inclined to say the Dracula polycule (Harker also starts with H, you know) given that Tumblr Book Club is still in full swing and putting me in my gothic feels.

first ever ship: Good question. Small me had multiple Feels upon reading LOTR for the first time, which I now understand as Hobbit Polycule and Tall Boyfriends, with a side order of Gosh, WWI-era Masculine Ideals Were Quite Homoerotic Weren't They? Honorable mention for - and it may be niche but I'm sure there are like three other people who remember it - Horatio/Archie (old timey ITV Hornblower adaptation anyone?). I haven't thought about that in years but ask me a question and you will get some sort of answer. Apparently.

last song: uh… Lay All Your Love On Me by Pale Honey, according to the shuffle gods. I can only assume an ABBA cover is mandatory at some point in the career of every Swedish band. Probably the law.

last movie: When this post entered my drafts folder it was Visiting Hours (1982) which I had low expectations for but actually liked and would recommend as a movie containing a pretty neat critique of its genre (a self-identified 'feminist' slasher). If I was going to make those video essays I keep saying I'd like to, I'd write an hour's script making cross-references to Network (1976) and Maniac (1980) for those reasons. If someone provided me with enough vodka tonics and Twizzlers, maybe I'd even do a side-by-side takedown with the famously also 'feminist' Slumber Party Massacre II, though goodness knows we'd all regret it. Anyway, since then the most recent is El Conde (2023), which should probably also merit a hypothetical video essay. Not necessarily for the same reasons, but oh my it's worth seeing if you want to get hit in the face with a 2x4 of darkly comic political commentary.

currently reading: I am only just slowly climbing out of short deadline hell and cannot concentrate on my TBR pile but - when I get back to it - it's time to reread Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. 'tis the season, and I'm looking forward to it.

currently watching: Deutsche Oper am Rhein - Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orleans, which I'm liking as a production even though musically or plotwise I wouldn't say it's a fave. Then again, tf do I know about music. Also: foster dogs wrestling. One is trying to choke the other out (affectionately). I'm commentating in the style of Jim Ross: 'as god is my witness she's broken in haaaaaalf!' etc. etc.

currently eating/drinking: Grumpy Mule coffee, a brand name I am currently relating to on a spiritual level. It's not bad.

currently craving: crispy tofu with a jalapeno peach dipping sauce. Peanut noodles. Mushroom tortellini. Apparently I haven't eaten yet. Also, the excuse to make some overly involved ridiculous patisserie thing like Paris-Brest because a) I haven't made or eaten overly froofy desserts in ages, and b) I wanna get stupid with it and make earl grey/cardamom infused namelaka for proof of concept reasons. I've been thinking about this idea for a week now. Send help.

I am really late with this so, if you would like to consider yourself tagged please do so. There's not a one of you I wouldn't like to know better <3

[i-wear-the-cheese]

Okay so I just saw a tumblr post from February getting aggy about books which are marketing using phraseology like 'queer polyam disabled vampires' and then saying 'but what are the themes? Why should I read it?' And look, I didn't want to drop a huge essay on OPs post but like, here it is, here is a thesis on why you should read a book about queer polyam disabled vampires, or what the other options are instead of throwing this entire marketing technique in the bin.

From the outset, so you know I've put some thought into the matter, I'm going to admit I have a masters degree in critical and creative writing, then worked in a bookshop, then went into publishing, and then got engaged to an author (who I will be marrying). So pretty much all levels of book marketing are things I've looked at professionally and academically. Okay credentials established, here is why I think that's not only okay but actively good as a marketing method AND totally necessary:

Genre is a key feature for selling books. When one says "I'm into cozy crime", they needn't say "I'm into books which have themes of subterfuge , greed, and death; frequently featuring small towns and family drama but ultimately in a setting or narrative style that makes the reader feel safe and provides catharsis". That whole long thing has been handled by Genre. In the above example, vampire is the genre! This means that themes of lust, dominance, power, and taboo are implied or even expected. This is true of Dracula, The Vampire Diaries, Carmilla, and Twilight. Vampire novel fans know what to expect from their genre. This alone means you can recommend a book just on "vampire novel" but it also means if you wanted to market a book containing none of these themes you might say "not your average vampire novel" to deliberately let them know that's being subverted.

Marketing is a battle against attention spans. When you're reviewing a book or talking to a friend about why they should read something, you absolutely should go into more depth and detail and certainly anyone looking at it critically should go further still. But "what are the themes" is a question we've all been taught academically but which holds generally little use on its own. The majority of readers don't respond well to "this book deals with the complexity of familial relationships in a cult setting and with regards to long term polyamory". Now that may have been the exact style of sentence original OP wanted and I personally love those sorts of descriptions when I'm getting into the nitty gritty, but I don't need or expect them from book marketing when I know marketing copy writers (often the authors themselves) have to be brief in a wide range of modern marketing formats. Scroll culture basically means if you can't catch someone in the first half second you've lost them.

The main issue I think that the original OP of that post was getting at was the sense that 'queer disabled polyam' was tokenism and was using those minority groups to sell books. This is a multi faceted bit so hold tight. From the outset: everything a marketing person says will be to sell a thing. They're not going to say 'it's got disabled characters but they're a bit shit so don't read it'. Let's not ever pretend that honestly and sincerity are the goal here. That being said it still isn't by tokenism and that's because of the actual definition of tokenism. Tokenism is a concept which arose during the mid 20th century in the civil rights movement and pertained specifically to parading around one or two examples of a minority person being included in a group to show apparent societal progress without affecting the genuine underlying issues or making things better for all. So tokenism applies to things like Disney claiming 7 separate times that their first gay character was in a show or film, because the purpose of that was to market media for which the main focus was NOT the gay characters. But if someone tells me that a vampire novel is about a 'queer disabled polyam' it is a fairly safe assumption from the language use alone that the MAIN character is queer, and disabled, and involved in polyamorous relationships. Main characters are not tokenism, they are representation.

So why does representation rather than tokenism make it an acceptable marketing method? Because that is precisely how you reach the audience who need it! People who are craving literature which makes them feel seen, and reaches the place within their own identity that mass media tends to conveniently ignore will absolutely be looking out for those sorts of buzzwords. So many people fish about for years and years of their lives for a little blip of representation that it really isn't fair to ask them to have to wade through the initial description of the themes of the novel when they are searching for the single book in 10,000 which will have a disabled lesbian as the protagonist. Representation is not an indicator of quality, but quality is subjective anyway and I personally think I'm really picky about book quality but you can bet your arse I have read books which were recommended on such pithy lines as 'Arthurian legend but in space in the future and wlw' because I love books set in space and I love retellings and I love queer shit. But the next stage is to go 'oh that has a load of things I love in it, I should see if it fits my vibe'. Check out some reviews, or read the first chapter, or ask for some opinions, or just take a fucking chance on a book that ticks some of your boxes. OR (and here is the most important bit) ignore it, and accept that sometimes advertising and marketing is NOT targeted at you and if you aren't in those demographics or you are both that's not what you base your reading choice on, you weren't the target audience for the marketing.

In conclusion, there are a fuck ton of reasons this is a perfectly acceptable and even highly useful method of marketing a book and individual preference shouldn't put authors and copy writers of using it. Fin

[poetlcs]

classic lit is the only genre of book I buy every time because I just like to annotate and keep note thus I decided to make a read vs to be read of my classics as right now I do have a lot piled up I've been meaning to get to ALSO! I just like talking about classic lit

so please let me know which I should prioritise

physical tbr classics

zami: a new spelling of my name by audre lorde

a room with a view by em forster

the professor by charlotte bronte

a passage to india by em forster

mrs dalloway by virginia woolf

the last tycoon by f.scott fitzgerald

jamaica inn by daphne du maurier

if beale street could talk by james baldwin

howards end by em forster

dr jekyll and mr hyde by robert louis stevenson

antony and cleopatra by william shakespheare

a clockwork orange by anthony burgess

read classics below cut for my tracking

pre 1500s:

the iliad by homer

oedipus the king

1500-1800

the merchant of venice, hamlet, much ado about nothing, king lear pericles, the tempest, othello, measure for measure by william shakespheare

1800-1900

a tale of two cities, hard times, great expectations by charles dickens

heart of darkness by joseph conrad

jane eyre by charlotte bronte

wuthering heights by emily bronte

the tenant of wildfell hall by anne bronte

sherlock holmes by arthur conan doyle

the mill on the floss by george eliot

cousin phyllis by elizabeth gaskell

the moonstone by wilkie collins

little women by louisa may alcott

dracula by bram stoker

maurice, where angels fear to tread by em forster

sense and sensibility, persuasion, emma, pride and prejudice, northanger abbey by jane austen

the turn of the screw by henry james

frankenstein by mary shelley

treasure island by robert louis stevenson

the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde

black beauty by anna sewell

peter pan by jm barrie

1900-1970

on the road by jack kerouac

dubliners, ulysses by james joyce

the great gatsby, tender is the night by f. scott fitzgerald

rebecca, the house on the strand by daphne du maurier

notes of a native son, giovanni's room by james baldwin

childhood by tove ditlevson

letters to a young poet by rainer maria rilke

voss by patrick white

my brilliant career by miles franklin

nightwood by djuna barnes

brideshead revisted by evelyn waugh

their eyes were watching god by zora neale hurston

one hundred years of solitide by gabriel garcia maquez

wide sargasso sea, good morning midnight by jean rhys

passing by nella larson

the waste land, the lovesong of j.alred prufrock by t.s eliot

to the lighthouse, a room of ones own by virginina woolf

to kill a mockingbird by harper lee

sula by toni morrison

endgame by samuel beckett

things fall apart by chinua achebe

lord of the flies by willian golding

death of a salesman by arthur miller

a streetcar named desire by tenneesee williams

animal farm by george orwell

[sidhewrites]

11, 12, 27, 39? :v

end of year book asks! || accepting

11. A book that was most out of your comfort zone

Real Men Knit, a delightful rom com by Kwana Jackson. I usually hate rom coms and unfortunately this book isn't something I plan to pick up any time soon, but it centers around fibercraft and a yarn store, so I was almost obligated to read it. I definitely recommend it to people who enjoy the genre. It was an objectively good book, just not my flavor tbh.

12. What was the most unexpected book you read this year?

I think the only one that really counts as "unexpected" was the Fall of the House of Usher, since I didn't realize one of the books I was reading was an adaptation of it at first (What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher) I had to put that book down to read the original story by Poe. I think I read it in secondary school, but certainly not since.

27. Did you discover any new genres?

I downloaded "This Quest Is Broken" since it was on sale at the time, and it introduced me to LitRPG books. I don't know if I'll be spending a huge amount of time in this genre, but it's definitely a fun thing to read, and JP Valentine was a great author. I've bought the rest of his books as well.

Also, like many people on tumblr, I'm following a ton of classic lit newsletters after being introduced to them via Dracula Daily :3

39. Five books you absolutely want to read next year?

Chuck Tingle's next horror novel, Camp Damascus, comes out this year, and I've been waiting for it since he first announced it ages ago. (Digression: I cannot recommend his first horror novel enough. Straight was a fun take on the zombie survival genre, and was so so cathartic to read.)

I'm also interested in The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, which was then adapted into the Hellraiser movie franchise, and Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica.

On the other end of the cozy vs horror spectrum, I'm also looking forward to picking back up The House in the Cerulean Sea (Got distracted by a new horror novel while reading it lol) and Can't Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne.

Also an honorable mention, I have two children's' books in Spanish I want to work my way up to being able to read and understand. I'll get there eventually!!

[crjupdates]

How Carly Rae Jepsen Found Strength And Freedom With New Album 'The Loneliest Time': "It's Surrendering To Everything"

On her fifth album, 'The Loneliest Time,' Carly Rae Jepsen dances her way through the "hard-hitting lessons" of life — celebrating growth as both a person and an artist.

Grammys • Lior Phillips • Oct. 20, 2022 • Photos: Meredith Jenks

"Rather than free falling, I'm free-flying," Carly Rae Jepsen says, the warmth of that untethered freedom radiating in her smile. That artistic liberty fuels the pop star's fifth studio LP, The Loneliest Time. 

The album weaves in and out of pure danceable joy, but with the lyrical prowess of a pop artist who has fully embraced every emotion she feels — even if it doesn't spawn a feel-good earworm. With a catalog full of delightful hits like "I Really Like You," "Run Away With Me," and "Call Me Maybe," Jepsen felt it was time to stop trying to figure out her place in the greater pop landscape and just chase the songs that felt right in the moment — and that felt true to herself.

But thanks to Jepsen's pop genius, The Loneliest Time still brims with memorable hooks and candid emotional resonance. There's the sweet and earthy "Western Wind" and the sincere soft folk of "Go Find Yourself or Whatever." Add in the epic title track's expansive disco strings and sloping melody, and it feels as if Jepsen has explored the full spectrum of both pop music and human nature.

"I feel a little less constrained by this idea of what type of pop I'm making," Jepsen says with a calm certainty. "My loneliness made me do some of the bravest and craziest and wildest things of my life. And I loved the reactions that it caused, because they're so dramatic, and I felt it was worthy of an album." 

With The Loneliest Time, Jepsen isn't denying or rejecting her past, nor is she ignoring it. This isn't Carly Rae Jepsen reinvented, it's Carly Rae Jepsen in this moment. That's a powerful step for any artist in pop, a genre prone to pigeonholing stars, especially after a runaway hit.

Ahead of the album's release, Jepsen spoke with GRAMMY.com about the emotionally empowering process of The Loneliest Time, maturing as a pop star, and building genuine longevity.

Do you have any tricks for keeping yourself focused and healthy on tour? Personally, I now judge my day by how much water I've had.

So funny, this age that we're in. We've started so many different clubs on this tour. One is Book Club, where we all get ourselves scooched together reading on the bus. We wanna read Dracula for Halloween month!

We also started this thing with me and Josephine, my glam girl, Scott, our merch guy, and Chris, our tour manager, called Water Club. When we see each other we're like, "Have a water". We literally are just helping each other stay hydrated on the road. What does that say about touring in your thirties, that we started a group called The Water Club? 

I can only imagine that reflecting on and comparing to how you toured in your twenties is an interesting experience for you. 

I've always felt a little like I'm floundering in the good graces of some luck that came my way. That "Where am I?" energy is always with me. But I do feel like this era, being 36 now, and almost 37, I do feel more confident and excited and a little less shocked all of the time. It's kind of registered that this is my life. Which is great. 

If anything, I just feel a little bit more purposeful with every decision. A little bit more confident, even with our stage show. I play it like a little boss lady within the group dynamic that we have, where I used to ask questions like, "Why do we do it that way? Could we do it this way?" Having enough meetings to get to the bottom of things that always were big question marks for me. That part's really empowering and exciting.

Lyrically, there is this acknowledgement throughout The Loneliest Time that the softer, gentler version of you is still accessible, even when you're tapping into larger, more powerful emotions. You alluded to intention earlier, which is so appropriate.

Definitely. This album is very much about taking away the things that Scorpios love, the controlling factor or whatever. It is surrendering to everything — whether happiness, love, hardships or grief, taking on the full experience of life and not trying to avoid any of the hard stuff, or fast forward to the good stuff. It's feeling all of the things. 

This is what this album really was for me, but that's also very much in line with what my life experience has been over the last few years while working on this. It's a lot of hard-hitting lessons about all of that growth.

Carly Rae Jepsen via Instagram: THE LONELIEST TIME 💌 Oct 21. I’m quite fascinated by loneliness. It can be really beautiful when you turn it over and look at it. Just like love, it can cause some extreme human reactions. Preorder now. 💖🖤🌛🍇

I love that you started the album with "Surrender My Heart". When moments are intense and you surrender to it, things are just so much clearer.

Absolutely. It was a very true sentiment when I first started going to therapy — for a lot of reasons. My whole family had dealt with a ton of tragedy all at once. You know that thing, when it rains it pours. I felt like that really happened to us, and my solution to it was so pragmatic. "I'll go to therapy, she'll tell me how to be tougher in life. I will leave with an extra layer of skin and armor and I'll just know how to handle things because life's gonna get harder. I fell apart, let's fix me." And it was just so enlightening to be there in the room. After one session I was like, "Here, take all my money." [Laughs]

She said, "Maybe you need to soften up. Maybe you have to feel all the things." It's so funny, because I'm sitting there being like, "Wait, I wrote an album about being in touch with your emotions. I should be in touch with them." But no, it's still hard to take it in all the time. 

I was kind of avoiding some of the experiences of life. And I don't think that's how you get to feel any of the highs or the lows. Being less frightened of both of those things can make you feel a little bit more stabilized. You continue on without denying any of the highs or the lows as they happen. That's a really huge part of it for me. 

I see other people who walk through life just doing things that I admire so much. I have a girlfriend right now who's going through some big grief and every time I hang out with her she's just like, "I'm sad." And I'm like, "Cool, well be sad with me. Let's be sad and have a sad day together." Just seeing her being brave enough to do that makes me feel braver when I'm having an off day. 

There's power in not wanting to fix everything at every point. And while I don't necessarily think it stems from control, it can stem from this sense of perfection and ideas that we've all been sold, which you cover a lot in your music — of how things are meant to be, how love is meant to be, and sometimes it isn't.

Yes! I think that tension between how it's "supposed" to be and what it is, there's some real dissonance in there that gets to be worked out. But if you can let go of how it's supposed to be and just be really accepting of how it is, I think you're off to a good start.

Emotion was about fusing together everything you had learned on Kiss and Tug of War, and Dedicated started going into heartbreak and creating that new story. Now that you're on your fifth studio album, where do you feel like you're at now? What was the guidepost for you while writing the album?

Rather than free falling, I'm free-flying! I feel a little less constrained by this idea of what type of pop I'm making. Is it '80s? '70s? '90s? Am I sad or happy? What am I emoting as a message? It's like, screw all of that. At this point, being 10 years into the business and change, I am a woman. There are many different things I feel. I can be very playful, I can be hurt and resentful and confused, and I can also have a disco ballad that's five minutes long, and indulgent, and is my opus. And all on the same album, because I contain multitudes. 

I believe that people are ready to expand this pigeonholed idea of what a pop artist can be, which is a genre that's very tricky to break out of the mold of. You can be all of the things. And I've felt that desire in this genre that is so playful in the types of music that you can do. 

But I wanna also break the perception of, "Am I the sexy pop artist?" I just don't wanna have to fight that fight anymore. For The Loneliest Time, the main theme of it is just loneliness and how that can cause such extreme reactions within you. Because my loneliness made me do some of the bravest and craziest and wildest things of my life. And I loved the reactions that it caused, because they're so dramatic, and I felt it was worthy of an album. 

I was less concerned with, "Are they all gonna fit?" and a little bit more excited that they would be as diverse as they were meant to be — and to let the songs speak for themselves.

There's this intriguing blend between pure fragility and super confidence. You just sound like you're having the time of your life. 

Thank you. I really overwrite. Even last night I was with my A&R talking about what we could potentially consider if we were to do a B-side [record]. And we were laughing, like, "Let's bring up the folders again." 

So much thought goes into these things. It's a little bit of a Beautiful Mind mapping. By the time I'm done I'm like, "Oh my God, I seem insane." But it was a method to the madness, and I swear I feel that way every time. When I know it feels done and the order feels good, it was some puzzle I had to unlock. But as much as I'm like, "This is not cohesive," it, to me, is meant to be together. 

Maybe I rebel because of having a song like "Call Me Maybe". I've just so desired to be [putting] all of my attention into being an album artist since then, not a single artist. And that's maybe why I put out B-sides that aren't even counted at the label. They're just gifts.

There's something of a gift with The Loneliest Time, too — people are really coming to understand that you want to be understood. I like the immediacy here. 

Thank you. You know how you can only gush to certain people about the things that you're secretly really excited or a little proud of? I almost feel guilty saying that word, like it should be shameful. But I'm embracing it. Like, "What am I happy about?" I said it to my boyfriend last night, because we just did the final cut and color [for a video], and I'm like, "It's so lovely." 

You can look back on a career with nostalgia, and like Björk said once, "I don't wanna be a nostalgic artist." I really loved that. I love that we're constantly pushing forward, especially for a woman in pop music. 

There was a time where I thought, "It's a young woman's game." So for me to be 36, almost 37 and feel like I'm about to put out my favorite video of my career? It's not so much about anything other than the growth. I've learned how to communicate. And to have the trust of a team at the label now.

It took me a long time to have that confidence, but also to feel like I have a team of people who trust that we can do this together. We can find the right pieces. For the first time in a hot minute, I was like, "Well, I don't wanna be stale. I don't wanna just be putting out music because I'm chasing a thing that was a dream when I was a teen. I'm just as invigorated and as excited now. Why not take all the lessons I've learned and keep growing?" 

For pop artists that I look at — there's a few, like Cyndi Lauper — but I would love to be a part of that catalog that gets to have some longevity with this thing. That'd feel fantastic. That's my secret goal and I'm saying it out loud to you.

I appreciate that, and when you are having fun — the raw, pure, sugar-rush fun — even in a song that covers really wobbly moments, your artistry has legs. It makes the listener excited for what's to come. 

You're so right. Joy is the spot. I had a child come into a VIP Q&A session, and she asked, "Do you write when you're sad or when you're happy?" And I was like, "It's interesting because when I'm sad, I wanna eat a tub of ice cream and do nothing." But I know that there are artists that go to those places they wanna emote to get through. When I get out of my sadness is when I might be able to start talking about my sadness. Then there's a spark, a curiosity I have about it. 

I think that's where "Bends" came from. I think that's where "Surrender My Heart" and "Go Find Yourself" [came from]. My creativity is sparked around a really limitless possibility, a free-flying feeling where you're like, "I'm here to catch this feeling in a way and document it." And it does feel quite joyful.

You have this ease and comfortability because you use pop as an escape, to a degree, but you're also not running away from these feelings.

Oh yeah. I think that's a real difference with even how I'm looking at shows lately. It was, "Come to my show. We're gonna forget how scary the world is for a night. I'm here to help you." And now I'm looking at it in the way that I experience the best shows that I go to. 

I recently saw James Taylor and I said to my boyfriend, "Just so you know, I grew up on James Taylor, and he's this link between my divorced parents. I'm gonna cry a lot, Maybe I'll be fine." He hadn't seen me cry, so I was thinking it was gonna be super embarrassing if it happened. 

I make it through the first half of the set dry-eyed. And then [James] comes out and he's like, "Fire and Rain," "Sweet Baby James," "The Secret of Life." And my neck is wet. It was just a wet neck situation. [Laughs]

[My boyfriend] was putting his arm around me, and James was telling these stories, and by the time it was done, I was like, "I'm so sorry. I can't stop." There was clearly some stuff I needed to feel. 

"The Secret of Life" is the last song that my mom heard in the car the day my grandmother died. I wasn't there because of COVID, but I knew that experience. So I got to feel some things in a safe place that I needed to feel, really safely, really comfortably. And it felt wonderful. I had been needing that night. And it was so cathartic that when I left, I felt 10 pounds lighter. 

That's what the best, most joyful experiences can make me feel. When I saw David Byrne's "American Utopia," my brain got twisted about what a concert could be. Holy s—, I felt better about life. I thought, "God, I've been looking at this all wrong. I've been thinking my job is to help people escape, but what if my job is to help people feel whatever it is they need to? Or a little bit of both?" 

That's where I got the idea for the moon mascot who comes at the beginning of our show on this tour and goes, "Tonight is for you to feel what you need to in a safe place, to escape if you need to." Hopefully it can be that for some people. 

Feeling the confidence that you can be the type of artist that you look at and are inspired by, that's the ultimate achievement, right?

It is the best feeling. That's the dream, the goal. Some joy, some happiness, but also some real in-touch-ness with yourself, and maybe some sadness too — all in a cathartic way.

[lilblog-asatreat]

Hey, question to anyone who has read Dracula all the way through, I don't know much about it other than it's horror, and I usually don't do horror, but everyone seems to be having fun with the Dracula Daily thing, and I'm debating whether I want to join in too or not. So I was wondering, does it ever get gory and if it does, how bad is it? And I guess, what type of scary is it? Like, is it more suspense or action heavy? I can't think of what questions to ask or what exactly it is I want to know, because I've basically never read a horror book, so the only things I can think of that I'd want to know on relation to that genre is movies and shows, and obviously a book can't have a jump scare lol