#Dracula is a monster and murders people

[see-arcane]

I'm going to lose my mind.

Eggers. Bobby Egg. Buddy.

No. Very much no.

[flameswallower]

something I always find really poignant and relatable in fiction is when a monster wants-- or seems to want, in my interpretation-- friendship or love from others in a very sincere way, but through either its nature (eg biological need to eat people), its more human-esque lack of insight (wdym manipulating or terrorizing people is a bad way to keep them from abandoning me), or both, just...cannot obtain this. is never going to be able to obtain this. has absolutely no idea why it keeps going wrong.

[poisonandpages]

Countess Marya Zaleska x Irena Dubrovna

[darchildre]

In conclusion, The Invisible Woman is sadly not very good.

Part of my disappointment is due to expecting a movie that came packaged as part of one of those "Universal Legacy Collection" dvds to at least gesture at being a horror film - this is mostly my own fault. But also, it's just not a very good comedy - very little of it is funny and much too many of the 'jokes' are either Charlie Ruggles or 'hur, hur, a naked invisible lady, oops a man accidentally touched her,' neither of which have aged well.

I will admit that I was hoping for a cool new classic monster lady to add to my sadly very small collection. There is, after all, no reason that a woman can't also turn invisible, be murderously grumpy and prone to petty violence, and have a constant case of the sniffles. Instead, I got this sexist nonsense.

Alas.

[mintyys-blog]

Hello Minty🩷 I'm a huge fan of your blog, I really like your writing and it's very good. Can you make an Alucard reader from Hellsing with mark plus his variants. For more context of alucard is that he is known for his violent, sadistic, and egotistical nature and is often portrayed as a powerful and intimidating figure. Despite his monstrous tendencies, he also displays moments of affection and respect for humans. Also can you do when they find out that Alucard reader is actually Dracula aka Vlad the impaler from actual real history. So Reader is very old and still blends in with the times and actually had a family at one point before they were murdered off anyway I like your writing ❤️

HEADCANON | mark variants with vampire! reader

INVINCIBLE MASTERLIST

WARNINGS: mention of death, murder, blood, vampires, swearing.

Main Mark

He always knew there was something off about you. The way you moved. The way you spoke—like you’d lived a thousand lives already. He chalked it up to confidence, maybe trauma. But when he sees you slaughter an entire army of alien invaders with a grin that bares fangs and laughter soaked in centuries of violence, he realizes it:

You’re not just powerful. You’re ancient.

He digs deeper—files, relics, dusty journals kept by terrified historians—and there it is. The name: Vlad the Impaler. Dracula. Except now, she walks beside him. As you.

When he confronts you, you don’t deny it. You lounge across your throne of shadows and look at him like he’s an insect who dared speak too loudly.

“Yes. I was once a queen of corpses. A warlord. A wife. A mother. And then… I became what they feared.”

He should be scared. But he’s not. He’s fascinated. And… a little heartbroken. Because in your eyes, behind the fangs and crimson glow, is a woman who still mourns the family time stole from her.

“I’m not afraid of you, Y/N,” he says, stepping closer. “I’m afraid of what the world turned you into.”

You laugh. But for once, it’s not cruel. It’s hollow.

Viltrumite Mark

Oh, he loves it.

The moment he realizes your true identity—after watching you tear open a kaiju with nothing but your claws and then lick the blood off your fingers—he wants more.

He’s fought gods. But you? You were one, in your time.

He finds out when he pushes too hard—calls you a monster during a fight. You don’t flinch. You just say it:

“Monster? I defined the word. I burned empires to ash when your kind was still crawling.”

And then it clicks. Vlad the Impaler. The real Dracula. The impaler of men. The cursed mother who lost everything and turned wrath into immortality.

He’s breathless.

“You’ve killed more people than I’ve met.”

You smile, amused. “And yet, here you are. Still kneeling for me.”

To him, you’re perfect. Violent. Powerful. Beautiful. Ancient. He doesn’t want to fix you—he wants to reign beside you.

“Let the universe fear us. They should’ve never given you eternity.”

Mohawk Mark

He always knew you were twisted, but he didn’t think it went that deep.

He sees it when you lose control—when the fangs extend, the shadow tendrils rip through a fleet, and you whisper a prayer in a dead language before impaling a god through the chest. You’re calm, even in the carnage. Regal.

When he asks, joking at first—“What are you, some kind of vampire queen?”—you give him that look.

And you tell him everything.

“I ruled through terror. I watched my sons butchered, my daughters burned. I took my grief and turned it into empire. I drank the blood of kings.”

He doesn’t laugh.

He falls harder.

“You’re insane,” he mutters. “I am,” you purr. “And yet, you can’t look away.”

There’s a sick comfort in it. You’re a mirror of his own self-loathing. You carry your pain like a weapon. So does he.

Now, he’s loyal to you in a way he’s never been to anyone else. Not because you’re kind—but because you’re honest in your cruelty.

Full Mask Mark

He doesn’t speak often—but when you fight, he watches like a man studying art.

Your movements are ancient. Every kill is efficient, elegant, and deeply personal. There’s tragedy in your violence. Poetry in your brutality.

He finds out from you, quietly, one night beneath starlight, as you whisper the name Vlad into the dark and tell him about your castle, your family, and the blood-soaked centuries between then and now.

He doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t judge.

He simply nods.

“You were a ruler. A mother. A monster. And you’re still here.”

You’re the first person he’s afraid to lose.

He doesn’t love you in spite of what you are—he loves you because of it. Because under all the fangs and rage, you’ve managed to survive with your heart still beating, even if it’s surrounded by ice.

No Goggles Mark

He lives for it.

The day he finds out you’re Dracula? He grins for the first time in weeks.

“So that’s why your kisses taste like war.”

To him, you’re the ultimate power fantasy—ageless, elegant, vicious beyond words. He’s in awe of how casually you slaughter, how you smile through screams.

But when you tell him about your past—about your family, your children, the empire you lost—he goes silent. For once, actually silent.

“I killed thousands because I had nothing left. I wanted the world to suffer the way I had.”

He respects it. Respects you. Not because you’re a queen—but because you refused to be weak ever again.

“You built an empire outta grief,” he says. “That’s gangsta as hell.”

He kisses the ring you kept from your first life. And he promises you—no one will ever take anything from you again.

“Let the world scream. You’re mine now. And I don’t share with fate.”

Sinister Mark

Oh, he worships you.

You’re theatrical. Tragic. Divine. You wear your past like a blood-soaked gown, and he loves it.

When he discovers you’re the Dracula, he doesn’t even blink.

“Of course you are. Who else would you be?”

He brings you gifts—thrones carved from bones, silk dresses soaked in red, enemies bound and gagged for your entertainment.

He wants to build a new castle with you. A new legend. He sees you as more than just powerful—you’re eternal art.

But when you talk about your family—the way your children were murdered, the way grief twisted your soul—he listens. Intently.

He doesn’t laugh then. He bows.

“You’ve carried your rage longer than any of us have been alive. And still, you smile. That’s terrifyingly beautiful.”

Prisoner Mark

He doesn’t believe it at first.

But when he sees your eyes glow red in the dark, hears the way the guards whisper your name in fear, and catches the scent of ancient blood in your breath, he confronts you.

“You’re not just some killer,” he says, voice raw. “You’re… old.”

You nod. Slowly. Then, you tell him. About Vlad. About your family. The betrayal. The endless pain. The immortality that followed.

You expect him to recoil. But he doesn’t.

He steps closer.

“They caged me like an animal. But they turned you into a ghost.”

You two are mirrors. Broken things forced into eternity.

He finds comfort in your honesty. You find peace in his silence.

And when the guards speak of how dangerous you are, he only whispers one thing:

“She’s not dangerous. She’s just done pretending to be merciful.”

Shiesty! Mark

At first, he thinks you’re just a fine, dangerous woman with a body count and a mean streak.

But when you go feral in a fight—slaughtering enemies with cruel, poetic brutality, whispering to them in Latin before finishing the job—he realizes something’s off.

Then he finds the old book. And the portrait.

“Yo… you were Vlad the fucking Impaler?”

You just smirk.

“I still am.”

He’s obsessed. Calls you “Queen B.” Gets you iced-out jewelry with crosses just to see you burn and hiss. Makes jokes about you being his “immortal freak.”

But when you get quiet—when you finally tell him about your real past, about your lost children and the love that was ripped from you—he listens.

And he gets real serious.

“They did you dirty. Real dirty. But I got you now. You don’t need to bleed for ghosts anymore.”

He’ll protect you. Not because you need it—but because you deserve to finally rest.

“You ain’t just old, baby. You timeless. And you mine.”

[yanderes-galore]

Venom won the fic poll so here's my attempt at writing him... them...? Sorry the second half is rushed... I honestly didn't have a plot in mind and just... let my mind wander.

I want to write Loki, Moon Knight, and Doctor Strange at some point for Marvel Rivals... but I'll be spacing out any other personal fics I do between requests. Like a little treat for my brain rot.

Lethal Protector

Yandere! Venom (Marvel Rivals) Oneshot

Pairing: Dubious

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Possessive behavior, Violence, Blood, Murder, Kidnapping, Restraints, Clingy behavior, Dubious turned forced companionship/relationship.

No matter the universe, it's hard to get used to Venom. Symbiotes have always been seen as monsters, especially in this timeline displacement event. However... this version of Venom, is one of the only ones where he's become a hero.

Eddie and Venom are one being now. They are Venom and have pushed aside their desire to consume others. For the most part, at least....

They claim they're a hero now, a protector trying to fix the crumbling multiverse that threatens to harm you all. You have even gotten involved due to your timeline merging with all the others. Encountering Venom was a concerning meeting at first...

But you'll take any help you can get.

You already have enough to deal with. You're meeting people you thought you knew only to find out they're from a different universe at a completely different time. There's two Dr. Dooms fighting, Hydra's in contact with eldritch beings, Knull is waking up, Bast is corrupted, Loki's taken over, Dracula...

You had your hands full enough as is.

When you met Venom, like many of the other familiar faces you witnessed, you were tired. Like everyone you're struggling to find a way to stop all this warring. Dealing with a symbiote was the last thing on your list....

Yet... Venom wasn't your typical ball of alien goop. They have a host and are in sync with them relatively well. You had first encountered the beast on Klyntar in an attempt to help the Guardians get Knull under control.

Like most of the wildlife on this planet, you expected Venom to attack you.

They never did, in fact...

You caught the symbiote defending you from another of its kind.

Since then you accepted the symbiote around you. As long as the beast doesn't try to eat your face, you'll accept teaming up. Speaking with the beast even allowed you to learn more about them.

The host was named Eddie. Together with the symbiote they were Venom. While once a beast that tormented Spider-Man in their universe... their connection with Knull was severed then. This lead to some... individuality.

Venom was now considered a lethal protector. Lethal you could see from just looking at them. Although, protector...?

That was a new sight to you.

You had partnered with Venom across various new locations with many different faces. You never bothered considering them a threat. After all, there were worse things to consider.

It also meant you never quite had enough time to process the changes in Venom's behavior around you.

It was hard to tell when the beast was extra ruthless. While intelligent, Venom acted like a towering guard dog around you. Many other faces you've met tended to comment on how insistent Venom is around you.

Even Spider-Man, someone who's used to Venom chasing him down, asked how you managed to 'tame the beast'.

You don't really know how yourself. You simply fought alongside the beast at Klyntar. Ever since then, the beast has followed you around.

Downtime is something you cherish in times like this. It doesn't even seem like you can get that alone anymore. Not that you really want to be alone in the places you find yourself in....

You quietly sit down in a place so familiar to your own world... yet altered. It's all uncanny to you as you try to remember what home was. Before you can, a large presence slams beside you, startling your thoughts before it comes crawling over.

"We wish to know why you are so quiet?" The beast hisses, settling behind you. You feel the protoplasm of the beast shift beside you as Venom looks down at you. You sigh, calming the tension in your body.

"I just... miss home. I see so many traces of it yet it's never the same." You admit, glancing at Venom. "I'm tired of being in danger all the time... I don't want to be alone."

"You don't wish to be alone?" The beast echoes as though trying to understand your conflict. You nod quietly, exhausted.

"I never know who's friend and who's foe. Everything's all messed up and I don't know who I can trust!" You admit, barely picking up the subtle way the beast shifts closer to you.

"Do you trust us?" The creature hisses, studying you. "We wish to trust you."

"I..." You hesitate, having trouble looking into the milky white eyes of the symbiote. "Yes, Venom. I trust you. You... haven't eaten my brain yet, at least."

"We do not plan to eat your brain." Venom growls as if offended by the idea. "You are much too..."

A brief pause is heard and you tilt your head. You weren't expecting them to hesitate as they look at you.

"... You are... inedible. We cannot eat you. We do not wish to." Venom manages to respond. You can't tell if you're offended or not until the beast shifts closer, black body sticking to your clothes.

"We only wish to protect you. Won't you let us? We are friend... You may trust us." Venom hisses, tongue lashing as they press closer.

"Uh, yeah... Yeah, you can protect me... Just... stop touching me?" You ask, pressing against Venom's chest with a hand. You immediately grimace as the black goop nearly envelops you. The beast the chuckles a growl, nodding before pulling back.

"Fine... We will give you space." The beast grins, "For now."

Protection. Trust. You didn't expect that to be a slippery slope. With how Venom stuck around you, you didn't think he'd do anything... wrong.

You underestimated Venom's words, it seems...

After all... You said you couldn't trust ANYONE, right?

....

A slimy appendage swipes across your face as you wake from your temporary slumber. The smell of something wet and metallic tingles in your nostrils as you sit up. At least... You try.

Yet the beast's black tendrils tighten on your body, large white eyes staring down at you.

You struggle to remember what happened. Your head hurts and you keep feeling something wet hit your face. After that... It doesn't take long for you to realize a tongue is hitting your face.

You struggle immediately, the beast above you growling as it tightens its hold. You can now see it's Venom who is holding you hostage once your vision returns. You struggle... but the sticky symbiote won't let you go.

"Venom, What the hell—?" You freeze when you look around yourself. The area around you stunk of blood. Traces of the red substance covered the area as you pull at Venom's hold.

You smell it on them too, the stench making you freeze on the spot.

"Scared? We took care of it. You were in danger. Danger's gone now." Venom answers in a matter of fact tone.

"Danger...? What danger? Danger where?" You try to ask, Venom choosing to nuzzle your head instead of answering.

"Gone. Danger is gone. We said we will keep you safe." Venom answers, licking their teeth as they hold you in their claws and tendrils.

You look around to see where Venom brought you. It's an alternate version of your home, you can tell that much. It looks so different... especially with the amount of blood splashed across the ground.

"... Who did you hurt, Venom...?" You force yourself to ask, heart racing.

"Who does not matter. We got rid of the danger." Venom responds simply. "We brought you home, too."

"Venom—!"

"You said no one is trustworthy but us." Venom growls, "Why do you care? We are the only ones worthy of working with you."

"Let me go, now, I can't—!" You plead, only for Venom to roar and pin you. You feel yourself stuck on the bloodied floor, four sets of claws pinned beside you while symbiote tendrils coil around your midsection.

"We will not be letting you go just to see you nearly get killed again!" The beast roars on top of you, tightening their hold. "We plan to keep our promise. You said you miss your friends... You said you miss home. We're meant to be your friend, we took you home!"

The hold is tighter, suffocating, yet oddly comforting despite the gooey texture and uncanny environment.

"We shall be your friend. We shall be your home. We... shall be yours." Venom growls, tongue dripping with saliva as they stare you down.

"You... shall be ours."

Venom was not the threat you expected to be your downfall in this multiversal problem. Many who were dragged into this may very well die. Naively... You wished Venom would've focused more on the big picture.

Instead, to Venom, there was only one goal that mattered to them now more than home...

That goal was keeping you all for themselves, for protection... at least, you can only hope that's why.

[hotvintagepoll]

LAST POLL OF ROUND 4

Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant (Holiday, Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story)—They're both unspeakably hot and putting them together only makes them that much hotter. Because physically attractive people are WAY hotter when they're also incredibly funny, and both of them are. They play off each other to perfection, and I could eat them both ❤️

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing (The Curse of Frankenstein, The Horror of Dracula)—Obviously never canon romantic but the definition of toxic old man yaoi. Whether it's the look on Lee's face as Dracula about to bite Van Helsing in "Horror Of Dracula" (1958) or Cushing destroying his life and engagement to create Lee's monster in "Curse Of Frankenstein" (1957). Such a popular team that the "Dracula" sequel lifted their final fight from the original and used it as a prologue even though Cushing isn't in the rest of the film.

This is round 4 of a mini tournament. Each poll lasts for a week. Please reblog with propaganda for your favorite hot couple. To vote in all the polls, click here.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Hepburn and Grant:

Truly two of the hottest people ever to grace our screens and when you put them together, it's volcanic. They are totally magnetic on screen together, with the perfect love/hate chemistry. The ultimate 'you drive me crazy' couple, no one is doing it like them.

They are delight and joy and ALSO insanely hot together. Friendships have ended over the ship war of The Philadelphia Story, and you know what? Valid.

They are the hottest couple because they are clever, witty and beautiful. They spark off each other magnificently.

I feel like they’re almost too obvious to bother submitting but I’ve made that mistake before so Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. I present Bringing Up Baby and The Philadelphia Story as evidence, your honor

Perfect onscreen match in some of the greatest romcoms ever. My, they were yar!

Cary Grant & Katherine Hepburn! They're my favorites! Dapper & ridiculous both!

I'm sorry, that's not a very romantic pic, but I had to include the serenading the leopard

and the fluffy bathrobe!

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee:

Not exactly propaganda but I received this ask after Cushing and Lee's submission:

oh, I completely missed the qualifiers for the couples poll! Nevemind. Unless we count characters attempting to murder one another in multiple movies as peak couple behavior, Cushing and Lee tragically don’t qualify.

Editor's note: in this case I'll absolutely count that as romantic.

[lynnnors-blog]

More Eltingville Headcanons

Here’s some more headcanons of these losers (my children) and me sidetracking on my essay for funz! I’m gonna focus on stuff I think they’d like/do!

- We’re all in agreement Josh would be a brony, his favorite? Pinkie Pie.

- I think Bill would like cardigans, I don’t think he’d like hoodies though

- Jerry would play the Sims (totally not telling the club) and make sim Bill like his sim (he craves acceptance)

- Pete would’ve used Axe spray at some point

Sanrio, who they’d like or who they’d get pair up with as a Collab:

- Pete would fuck heavy with Badtzmaru

- Jerry’s color is green so I feel he’d stick to characters with loads of green and I think he’d like Keroppi’s big ass eyes.

- Listen, Bill would deny any involvement with Sanrio character power scaling but deep down……. he’s so basic with his pick, no offense Cinnamoroll lovers 💔

- Josh? Bonbonribbon, no explanation. (I just think he’d like some really cute stuff, but he’s still an asshole and would push a child all the way to hell to get any merch of this character)

Werewolves vs Vampires??? (I’m just thinking of stuff I did as a kid with friends 😭)

- I feel that Pete would so badly wanna be Count Dracula but I know he gives off werewolf vibe too, like this guy would definitely howl at the moon and tell his classmate he was feeling some type of way after seeing it

- Jerry wants to be unique soooo bad so he’ll say swamp monster (he was put in the werewolf team by force)

- Bill, I always feel like the meanest people wanna be vampires so yeah

- Josh would be a vampire too, I think one Halloween him and Pete went out with the same costume (they fought)

Small Talents/Hobbies:

- Pete mentions doing figurines (or well kinda) I think he’d secretly be interested in miniatures (recreating murder scenes to be frank, or his favorite horror scenes from films)

- Bill can sew pretty well and probably even fix some materials here and there (I mean him and his friends break so much shit, you gotta start getting good at fixing stuff, specially when you’re not well off which Bill’s family isn’t last I heard, and speaking from experience 💔)

- I have this fun little headcanon that Josh, although his writing sucks, he’s actually pretty decent at writing romance, I connect this back to another headcanon in which he was more involved with his mom when he was younger, like they’d watch soap dramas together and shit

- Jerry he’d do little magic tricks, my thoughts are that he initially tried to impress his parents (who in my head mostly ignore him or are just not that present) it probably didn’t work but it was fun at least so he’d go ahead and learn more

Other stuff:

- I don’t think they all read fanfic, most likely to do so though would be Josh, Jerry and maybe Bill

- If they were Gen Z, they’d probably say the brain rot shit 😭 Bill acting all high and mighty would roll his eyes and say it’s stupid as hell but I know damn well he’d laugh on the inside

- Don’t let them have instagram, social media in general but instagram especially, after all, they are who they are

- Bill would receive his exact coordinates in this time in age, lemme tell you

- It’s kinda dumb but I lowkey do think Josh and Jerry would fall for an AI chatbot (help them)

- Pete would post his recommendations, he’d probably get strikes though

— Author’s Note—

Anyways, I gotta go back to doing homework 😔, but is there any headcanons or stuff y’all would like me to do? I was thinking on doing an Adult Eltingville Headcanons soonish! Anyways, see ya!

[frenchkisstheabyss]

⛧ 𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝙱𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝙺𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜 ⛧

⛧ Pairing: poly!slasher!minsung x chubby!fem!reader

⛧ Genre: slasher au/horror/fluff/angst

⛧ Summary: It's Halloween 1996, you've just broken up with your toxic ex, and there's a killer on the loose. When you go to the local video store to find your next distraction, you run into your longtime crushes who have their hearts set on looking after you. But you must be careful. Not everyone's who they appear to be.

⛧ Word Count: 2.1k

⛧ Warnings: brief discussion of murder, implied possessive ex, intro to knife play if you squint, suggestive, psycho Minsung, you probably have a killer fetish, & that's all my loves. It's otherwise quite fluffy tbh.

⛧ A/N: I'm starting this series as my love letter to 90's slasher films aaaand because I just love Minsung. I'm writing this in "tapes" instead of chapters for ✨ ambiance ✨ so I hope the vibes come across. I'm already working on part two so I'll have my knives and fingers crossed you babes enjoy this one.

💀 >>> Go to Tape 2 >>> 💀

A bell dings overhead as you step through the door of Topline Video. A crowd of middle school kids dart by, nearly knocking you over in their excitement to get home with some cheesy slasher flick they definitely shouldn’t be watching. All are in full costume, wearing the kind of plastic masks that smell sorta funny when you put them on. 

The kid dressed as a goblin turns back for a second, peeling up the murky green mask to reveal an apologetic face. “Sorry, lady!” he shouts, taking your gentle smile as a sign of forgiveness and racing to catch up to his friends. “Lady?” you whisper to yourself, the door creaking shut behind you, “Great, now I feel ancient.” 

Lucky for you there’s no time for an existential crisis as you’re swept into the frenzy of the video store. The walls are packed with what must be a thousand VHS tapes. Double sided displays line the aisles with hundreds more. Every one of them is some brand of horror movie with even the most obscure subgenre present. 

Black and orange streamers travel from one end of the ceiling to the next with tiny spiders dangling from them. Giant skeletons lurk in the corners guarding jack o lanterns with flickering eyes. Every year people eat it up but this year is particularly spooky. It sends a shiver down your spine when you recall why. 

“I heard they found another leg” a red haired girl says, casually smacking on a piece of bright pink bubblegum. Beside her a shorter girl files through tapes under a large bloody hand drawn sign reading SERIAL KILLERS.

“I thought they already found both of his legs. A guy can’t have three legs.”

The red haired girl shakes her head, smiling mischievously. “That is not true. I hooked up with him once. You could for sure consider that thing a third leg.” The girls break into a fit of giggles. Dodging their insensitivity, you squeeze yourself into the Monster Movie section. 

“Hey Drac” you sigh, staring up at the Dracula cutout looming over you, “I live in a town of idiots.” “You don’t mean everyone, do you?” a voice answers back with the worst Dracula impersonation you’ve ever heard. Suspicious that it isn’t coming from the cardboard cutout, you peek around to see a familiar face stocking the shelves. 

Your heart immediately begins to flutter, a blanket of warmth encompassing you. Han Jisung. If you flip through the dictionary you’ll find him under D for dreamy. The glow of the setting sun kisses his dark curly hair, making it almost sparkle. And those brown eyes, they’re so…no…keep it together. 

“That’s a terrible Dracula voice” you tease, arms folded across your chest. “I don’t know what you mean. Bleh, bleh, bleh” he carries on, pretending to bare his fangs. Now it’s you who’s giggling and you can’t stand how easily he gets you to.

“You are such a dork, Han.”

Returning to his normal voice he only shrugs, “But that’s why you’re so insanely in love with me isn’t it?”

His words intensify the heat moistening your palms. Fidgeting with the sleeves of your jean jacket, you wrack your brain for some witty response only for nonsense to tumble out. 

“No. What? I���uh…um…early.” 

Popping a copy of Megaverse Massacre 2 onto the shelf, Han raises an eyebrow at you, “Early?”

Your brain finally catches up to your mouth and you spit it out. “Uh, yeah, early. I heard you guys were closing early because of the…” 

“Body hacking psycho killer?” a voice cackles, gripping your shoulders from behind. You let out a blood curdling scream that draws the attention of a few nearby shoppers. Swinging around, your fist ready to dish out a debilitating gut punch, you come face to face with Lee Minho. You haven’t quite decided if he can be filed under “dreamy” or “asshole” yet.

Minho grins, never finding you cuter than when he’s getting on your nerves. “I’m sorry, babe. Didn’t hurt you did I?” he teases, straightening out your clothes with a gentleness you weren’t expecting. The sun’s doing that thing again. The sparkle. The glow. The radiant brown eyes searching yours, threatening to make you fall even deeper into them than you already have.

Han dips between the two of you, separating you before you rip Minho’s head off. “I’m sorry. Really. He was deprived of air in the womb. Being an asshole’s just a side effect.” 

Over Han’s shoulder Minho frowns, “Hey! Rude much?” Digging into his pocket, Han pulls out a lollipop. It’s sugar blown into the shape of a blood drenched kitchen knife. “Are you bribing me with a sugary murder weapon?” you ask, staring at it skeptically. Han flashes you a close lipped smile, his cheeks so fluffy it’d be a crime to deny him.

Snatching the lollipop you waste no time popping the wrapper off and tapping Minho on the head with it. “Hey! What was that for?” he winces, wiping lollipop residue from his head. “Sorry, babe” you grin, sucking on your tool of revenge, “Didn’t hurt you did I?” Han buries his face in his hand but it does nothing to hide the joy he takes in his best friend’s pain. 

This is nice. Laughing with someone. With them. It’s been a while since you felt this light around other people. The recent weight on you hasn’t been of some invisible boogeyman sneaking off with one of your limbs. No, your boogeyman was someone you knew well, or at least thought you did, and he’s haunted you every chance he can.

Speak of the devil…

A bell dings, drawing your attention to the door where a man in a demon mask scans the room for someone. You recognize him immediately. Those boots. Those pants. That flannel shirt you always found totally hideous on him. Your heart sinks, the lollipop in your hand tumbling to the floor.

You see Minho and Han’s hearts sink too. It’s as if they sense that any joy you’d been feeling just went down the drain that instant. Minho whispers something into Han’s ear. You can’t make out what, only the calculated tone of his voice. “Hey!” Han says, perking up again, “We’re having a movie night tonight. You should come.”

As the man in the demon mask spots you, your eyes dart back and forth between the men. “A movie night? Sure that would be…I’d like that.”

Han takes you by the hand, “Wicked. Come on, you can pick a movie from the back.” He leads you towards the backroom just as the man advances towards you. Peeking over your shoulder you spot Minho blocking his way. A quick left turn stops you from seeing what happens next, filling your vision instead with tattered old movie posters.

Passing a few of Han’s coworkers, you wave politely and they smile in return. The back room’s like a dustier, quieter version of the sales floor. The walls are still lined with tapes, only there’s no way these have been watched any time in the past decade. Through the dust you see the spine of a tape titled Camp Counselor Sleepover Murder Party 4.

“That one” you decide, stopping dead in your tracks.

Han stops too, squinting to spot what caught your eye, “A woman of taste I see.” 

Pulling it from the shelf, he blows the dust away and hands it to you. “Only the finest for you.”

You feel that lightness again. It's easy to feel it when he smiles at you like this. Such an unexpected but welcomed sense of safety. “Han, thanks for…” you start but the surprise sensation of his lips pressed to yours makes anything you were about to say feel insignificant.

With one hand still holding yours, his other hand comes to rest on your lower back. Your lips are somehow softer than he’d imagined. Even in the absence of the lingering strawberry flavored lollipop, he knows they’d taste just as sweet. Minho’s gonna kill him when he finds out that he kissed you first but nothing could be more worth it.

“Thank me by not worrying about your ex,” he says, “He won’t bother you anymore. I promise.” 

You want to tell him how much he doesn’t understand. That your ex doesn’t give up that easily. But you decide not to ruin the moment, even if letting yourself believe him feels delusional. “Jisung, we need you up front!” one of his coworkers shouts back. He hesitates, unsure if he should leave you or not.

You kiss him first this time, turning him loose, “Go. I’ll be fine back here. Camp Counselor Sleepover Murder Party 1-3 have gotta be rotting around here somewhere right?” One last kiss and he’s rushing back up front, clueless as to how he’s supposed to focus on anything else now.

Turning back to the shelf you realize how big of a challenge you’re in for. Maybe there’s a feather duster somewhere? Or a respirator mask?

“Give it here. That has to be wrong.” Minho approaches the kitchen counter where you sit, playfully swinging your feet. He reaches for the magazine in your hand but you clutch it tightly to your chest, refusing to fork it over.

“Live with it, Minho. You are Suspicious Boyfriend.” 

“Suspicious boyfriend” Han sings, retrieving a bag of freshly popped popcorn from the microwave, “I think it has a ring to it.”

Hopping down from the counter, you skip your way over to Han extending the magazine and the pen in your hand out to him. “Your turn, Hannie.” You see the skepticism all over his face but don’t give up. All torture must be equal after all.

“I’ll take that” Minho smiles, stealing the popcorn for himself.

“Sure. Why not?” Han surrenders, grabbing the magazine and the pen. You and Minho watch on, far more amused than you should be, as Han skims the pages checking off answers to silly personality questions. Pick a country to travel to. Pick a favorite food. Upstairs or downstairs?

After a minute or two he finishes and slides the magazine back over to you. You can barely contain yourself as you assess his results. Leaning across the counter, you share them with Minho who immediately begins to laugh. 

“What’s so funny? What did I get?” Han asks looking so genuinely concerned that you almost feel bad for telling Minho first. Minho empties the popcorn into a bright orange Halloween bowl, shoveling some into his mouth. “Comic Relief Best Friend” he mumbles. Han frowns, coming to see for himself. You hold the results page up for him. 

Which Horror Character Are You?

You point to his score beneath the headline “Comic Relief Best Friend”.

“Oh, okay. So I’m funny and I die before him. Perfect.”

“Aww, come on. Don’t be like that” you say, poking at his chin, “It’s not like I got the best result either. I’m the Final Girl.” 

“What’s so bad about that?” Minho asks, his words muffled by food, “It means you make it to the sequel.” 

“No, it means that I’m boring. Badass but boring. I wanna be the killer. They have more fun.” 

Han shakes his head, a sympathetic hand resting on your shoulder, “I hate to break it to you but you’re not really killer material.” Minho takes your hand like a doctor prepared to give you some bad news, “Yeah, you just…you don’t have it in you, kid.” 

“Don’t have it in me? I do so!” you protest, your tantrum not doing much to make you less adorable. Minho moves toward the knife rack behind him, carefully selecting the biggest, sleekest one he can find. “Okay, so kill me.” 

There’s a long, tense silence.

“Come on. It’s not that hard. Just…” Minho mimes stabbing himself in the chest, his tongue stuck out sideways. “Give it!” you shout, running to take the knife away. Minho catches you by the wrist, slipping the knife into your hand and raising the tip of the blade an inch away from his throat.

“Do it” he dares, his hand tightening around yours, “Prove us wrong.”

There’s an unnerving excitement in his eyes as he awaits your decision. An excitement that doesn’t seem to want you to back away. No, it wants you to come closer. He wants you to come closer.

“Hannie,” you plead, “Can you talk some sense into him please?” Han joins the two of you, saying nothing at first, simply observing. The way that they watch you is intensely sexual and some part of you, one you hadn’t known existed until now, seems to take pleasure in it. 

Han laughs, bringing his arms around your waist, “Oh but sweetie, we’ve played your game. Don’t you wanna play ours now?”

[venussaidso]

𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞: 𝙆𝙚𝙩𝙪-𝙍𝙖𝙝𝙪

The absorptive, fiery nature of Ketu natives creates a heavy magnetic field around them that can attract individuals who carry a darkness within them which I will be exploring through a number of film/TV characters in this short observation.

This heightened sensitivity to unseen realms makes these natives more likely to attract intense or obsessive individuals, which interestingly, happens to be other Ketu natives or even Rahuvians. These dark, twisted creatures seem to have this natural attraction or fascination to the Ketuvian, as if they were drawn to their void. Though Claire Nakti explored this theme already in her Mula series, the astrological influence of the Big Bad Wolf in Magha's arc in Red Riding Hood piqued my interest. It came as no surprise to me that both Ketu and Rahu are tied to the twisted, evil monster or human obsessed with the Magha or Mula native.

warnings: spoilers!, mentions of abuse, murder and domestic violence.

For example, in Shadow & Bone, a Magha Sun woman shares an intense, hypnotic connection with a Ketuvian man, the Darkling, who disguises his dark true intentions, preying on her deep need for belonging (as he recognizes that need within himself too). His dangerous obsession with her, along with his dark ambitions and twisted mind, reveal him to be the "big bad wolf" in her story.

The same thing happens in Penny Dreadful (right), in which a Magha ASC woman falls for a Ketu-ruled doctor who has an affection for animals, providing her care and understanding to her wild nature, only to be revealed to be the vampire, Dracula. The Magha native sees his storage room filled with hung dead bodies, a chilling symbol of his horrifying nature. He becomes increasingly obsessed with her, his predatory instincts getting into conflict with his feelings with her.

Also, the Darkling would have made a fine addition to my thread of the power-hungry, commanding Ketu archetype, seeing as he is characterized by his ruthless ambition and desire for power, seeking to dominate the world and willing to manipulate others in order to achieve his goals.

Anyways, back to the topic.

Much like in Penny Dreadful, in Marvel's Jessica Jones, the Magha Moon woman was initially drawn to the alluring facade of a Ketu man who used his powers of persuasion to captivate her. At first, she enjoys the thrill, but then she becomes consumed by his darkness. He turns out to be a monster. And even after escaping him, his obsession and infatuation with her increases, endangering those around her.

In Crimson Peak, Thomas Sharpe is played by a Ketuvian, epitomizing the archetype of a wolf in disguise through his charming demeanor and hidden malevolence. Captivated by a Magha Moon woman, he is a sweet and kind gentleman, though beneath this façade lies a manipulative and dangerous character. He attempts to isolate her, slowly revealing himself to be the predator.

This reminded me of the film Rebecca, where a Ketu man portrays himself as this charismatic and caring gentleman much like Thomas Sharpe. His nature reveals itself to be controlling and extremely manipulative.

Another Ketu-ruled character functions exactly the same in the series Big Little Lies, portrayed by the Magha stellium native Alexander Skarsgård, who is a charming yet abusive husband presenting a facade of the perfect family man.

While, of course, there are positive depictions of nodal pairings in fiction, the Ketu people are just generally prone to these obsessive, dangerous energies whether the evil force is Ketu as well or not. Much like Magha Moon Julia Roberts in the film Sleeping with the Enemy, who is trapped in an abusive relationship with every aspect of her life being controlled by her husband. She plans an escape, which calls to a theme of Ketu women running away from men especially; as her character has a lot in common with Jessica Jones, Vanessa Ives (Penny Dreadful), and even Edith Cushing (Crimson Peak). All Magha natives.

Another example I wanted to add is the movie Invisible Man, directed by Mula Moon Leigh Whannell, a film about a woman who escapes from her abusive relationship with a wealthy scientist, who happens to be played by Ardra Moon Oliver Jackson-Cohen.

As you've seen and will see in this thread of examples, these Ketu characters tend to be in intense relationships with other Ketu people, and also Rahuvians, being the center of their fixation or destructive obsession. In Phantom Thread, two Ketuvians are captivated with each other and fall into a twisted relationship, the Ketu man exhibiting obsessive tendencies as he becomes increasingly controlling and possessive over the Magha Moon woman.

Circling back to Red Riding Hood, the 2011 film, starring Magha Moon Amanda Seyfried, her father is played by a Ketu native. At first, he is shown to be the loving protective figure in her life, guiding her decisions and teaching her to be cautious of the world and its evils. But then, it is revealed that he was the werewolf all along who terrorized and killed the villagers.

In Scream, the Ketu woman is instead a Mula Moon native this time. She was dating the goofy and charismatic Ketuvian boy who turned out to be one of the killers and he ultimately planned her death.

And now, this time, we have a Rahuvian who played the wolf. He, just like his Ketuvian accomplice, is portrayed as initially harmless. He comes across as caring, trustworthy and reliable, especially to the other Mula Moon native who he was dating.

In the end, both the Ketu & Rahu killers unmask themselves as the "big bad wolves".

Mula Moon Reese Witherspoon was interestingly casted in three Ketu-coded films. Freeway, inspired by the Red Riding Hood tale, depicts a friendly stranger who's portrayed by a Ketu man, offering to help her when her car breaks down on her way to her grandma's, just as the wolf tries to deceive Red in the tale. Beneath his charming facade lies a predatory and dangerous nature, as he is revealed to be a serial killer.

It is also interesting that in the film, American Psycho, she plays a character who is unknowingly dating a serial killer, played by a Ketuvian man. The movie Beast stars a Mula Sun woman who also unknowingly dates a nodal-ruled serial killer.

Then in the film Fear, this time the illusory man is a Rahuvian. He is drawn to Mula native Reese Witherspoon's character, and his true dangerous, predatory nature starts to reveal itself. His infatuation with her turns into a sick obsession, leading to a sequence of violent events.

In Split, though the wolf isn't necessarily in disguise to predate, it is interesting that Ketuvians tend to play predator-&-prey to each other.

Like in The House That Jack Built, a Magha ASC woman exemplifies the theme of the wolf in sheep's clothing in the opening scene of the movie through the character named Jack. Jack is obviously played by a Ketuvian man.

When he picks her up as a hitchhiker, he presents himself as a charming and cultured individual, engaging in a seemingly normal conversation with her while masking his true violent nature. She triggers this hideous nature within him, and she acts a catalyst to his series of murders as she's his first victim.

It is important to remember that Ketu is still a shadow planet, both Ketu and Rahu highlighting the shadowy, illusory aspects of the wolf in sheep's clothing trickery.

In the film Creep 2, there's a nod to this Red Riding Hood-&-the Wolf dynamic as the Rahuvian serial killer is known for wearing a terrifying wolf mask. As expected, much like in Freeway, the nodal killer is fascinated with the Mula native who destroys him in the end.

And in the film Beast, a Rahuvian serial killer is attracted to the Mula native, and as they date each other, she finds out his true nature. She's able to debilitate him just so that she can end his life.

Ardra serial killer in Creep 2.

Similar to the Mula serial killer in Freeway, a Mula Moon serial killer, in Netflix's new film Don't Move, comes off as an extremely friendly, kind and helpful stranger who creates a safe space just to trap his victim. Another wolf in disguise played by a nodal man.

In the series You, a Mula Moon woman becomes an object of obsession for a Rahuvian man. She dates him not knowing of his truly sick, possessive nature until he destroys her.

It is interesting that another Mula Moon woman in the series is the one to go head-to-head with the nodal killer, deceiving him as she's the one to portray herself as the wolf in disguise just as he did too.

This is shown again in Once Upon a Time, in which Red Riding Hood, played by a Magha Sun woman, turns out to be the wolf after all. All this time, she's been unknowingly turning into a werewolf on a full moon, killing villagers in her wolf form.

In the series The Acolyte, Magha Sun Manny Jacinto plays Qimir who portrays himself as an unassuming, harmless smuggler and trader who appears to hold no grand ambitions. He uses a calm, almost alluring personality to create a sense of reliability, only to be revealed as the antagonist of the story in a murder spree scene as the Sith Lord.

Ardra Sun, Ardra Moon Wagner Moura voices the Big Bad Wolf (DEATH) in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Usually playing charming, sometimes sympathetic, evil or morally grey characters, nodal natives seem to fit into this archetype the best; as the shadow planets Rahu and Ketu come off as extremely magnetizing and illusory more than any other planetary type. This consuming quality they have makes them convincing to others with their lies and illusions, just as they are convincing as the scary monsters or captivating antiheros.

The character Kai Parker is played by an Ashwini Sun native in The Vampire Diaries. He feigns remorse and uses charm to hide his predatory intentions. His duplicity is shown when he pretends to bond with Bonnie, when they were trapped together in the 1994 prison world. He creates a false sense of safety around him only to then later reveal his true schemes. He does this a couple of times, evoking sympathy for a hidden agenda.

The character Loki could be fitting under this wolf in disguise archetype. In Thor (2011), he portrays himself as the underestimated younger brother, while quietly harbouring resentment for his brother and hiding his thirst for power. In the film, he not only backstabs Thor, but he ultimately leads Laufey to his death after striking an alliance with him (turned out to be one of his tricks).

This reminded me of Dr. Facilier, voiced by an Ashwini Moon native, who tricks and deceives Prince Naveen, seeking to gain power and control. He initially portrayed himself as a helpful ally, only to become another deceptive wolf in disguise.

And the character Ursula was played by a Magha Sun, Ardra Moon native in the Little Mermaid remake; she quite literally does the same as Dr Facilier to the naive Ariel who is portrayed by Mula Moon Halle Bailey. The cartoon version of Ursula is voiced by Ardra Moon Pat Carroll.

In Last Night in Soho, a Rahuvian man is portrayed to be suave and charismatic, luring an Ashwini native into his dangerous world which leads to her tragic victimization when his predatory manipulative nature is revealed.

In the 1991 film Deceived, a Mula ASC woman discovers that all this time she has been married to a literal wolf. It is revealed, after his death, that her husband killed a man whose name he took. Another twist is revealed that he faked his own death, and he comes after her. Her husband is Ketuvian himself, of course.

Another similar film, called Double Jeopardy, in which an Ashwini Sun woman discovers that her Rahuvian husband faked his own death just to frame her.

In the series Wilderness (2023), Ashwini Sun Jenna Coleman portrays a woman who's married to a deceitful Rahu man who turns out to be the opposite person of who she thought she fell in love with.

It is interesting, and ironic, as the one who is truly victimized by all of this is the Mula Sun woman that her husband was having an affair with. The Ashwini native becomes the wolf in disguise here when she deceives her husband back, and when she stalks and approaches the Mula woman, ultimately being the one behind her death.

Going back to the Ketuvian being obsessed with the Magha native, in this example, it is a Mula Moon, Ashwini Sun native being the object of obsession. In the Beauty & the Beast live-action, Gaston portrays himself as the quintessential hero, and it is his obsession with Belle that reveals his darkness.

His aggression and his resort to intimidation and manipulation to win her over highlights his cruelty and entitlement.

I may continue this with another nakshatra lord influence, as it seems that Moon nakshatra natives experience the same themes. As they already fill in the final girl archetype too, after Ketu nakshatras, it doesn't come as a surprise at all since all three planetary influences (Moon-Rahu-Ketu) made it into my vampirism post. It makes sense that these planetary types are linked to vampires, as vampires are illusory creatures who are known to mask their true predatory nature; fitting all too well in the wolf in disguise trope, as they are predators who appear human and can very well blend in normal society.

The song Haunted was sang by Amy Lee from Evanescence. She has Ketu in the 1H. She mentioned that the song was partly inspired by the concept of feeling watched or followed, which connects with her fascination for eerie themes and darker emotions. I find it fitting under my post as these Ketu-ruled natives attract stalkers, killers, and frightening creatures in their dangerously magnetic field.

More examples of this Ketu archetype, as I seem to have reached the picture limit.

And also. Found this Ketuvian analogy. So I'm right.

[vrfinalgirl]

CUPIDS KINKTOBER 2024 !!

welcome to cupids first kinktober!! I’m so so excited to do this and it’s going to span over all three of my accounts !! @suneslvr @cupids-archives #requests are open 😇

current hyper fixations are, dc, mha, lmk, black myth wukong, creepypasta/slashers, degrees of lewdity, boyfriend to death(1+2)/tpof, scp, & genshin impact! If I don’t get a request for a specific day the default would be one of these fandoms. 💉 submission rules!

(all of these could be customized!)

₊˚♱ ━ October 1rst -- MONSTER?

🩸: your laying in bed on Halloween night. The air is cold and your bedroom is even colder. As you lure yourself asleep, you hear a ghostly sound coming from your closet!

💉: (stalker x fem!reader, stalking, dub/non-con, death threats, choking, and size kink.)

🔪: OPEN

₊˚♱ ━ October 5th — MR. SANDMAN!

🩸: your dreams are constantly plagued by a pale figure. Soon these dreams start to become a reality. Will you wake up before he catches you?

💉 : (dream-spirit x fem!reader, coercion, dub-con, overstim, dream-fucking, somnophilia.)

🔪 : OPEN

₊˚♱ ━ October 10th — DRACULA!

🩸: As a lonely adventurer you wander the 1800s Europeans streets looking for treasure and lost artifacts, soon you come across a castle with everything you’ve ever wanted, little do you know about the secret that lies above.

💉: (sealed! monster x fem! reader, dub- con, blood play, religious text, monsterfucking, hallucinations, happy ending(?))

🔪: OPEN

₊˚♱ ━ October 15th — LOVE POTION.

🩸: you come back to town after a long vacation. Every person you come across has this love crazed look in their eye? You rush to return home after getting cornered by people you’ve thought were your friends? what’s gotten into everyone?!

💉: (threesomes, overstim, breeding, possessiveness, aphrodisiacs, mentions of non-con, and dub-con)

🔪: OPEN

₊˚♱ ━ October 20th — SERIAL KILLER!

🩸: An odd alert shows up on your phone? A serial killer has escaped! and it’s—? … soon you start to receive calls and messages from an unknown number. will you be the sadistic killers new victim?

💉: (knife play, dub-con to consenting, threats, mentions of murder/gore, mentions of rape.)

🔪 : OPEN

₊˚♱ ━ October 25th — THE CONJURING.

🩸: Series of people in your town have been found in massive murder-suicides. Some believe the small- time life finally got to them. others an otherworldly demon.

💉: (possession, mutual masturbation, monsterfucking, suicide/murder mention, dub-con)

🔪: OPEN

₊˚♱ ━ October 30th — UNDER LOCK AND KEY!

🩸: you and your friend are invited to a Halloween party! Unfortunately the two of you get lost on the way there, however an old timely couple picks you up and allows you to stay for the weekend. Everything seems to get along quite nicely, except for the screaming you hear in the basement.

💉: (mentions of incest, gang-banging, corruption, cockwarming, cannibalism, brat taming,dacraphilia, drug use)

🔪: OPEN

₊˚♱ ━ OCTOBER 31RST — HALLOWEEN.

—- CHOOSE YOUR KINK. + YOUR CHARACTER!

🔪: OPEN. 🔪: OPEN. 🔪: OPEN

[cry-ptidd]

I would have dropped the whole virgin girl rule. Not only does it contradict itself in its own canon multiple times, not only is it a weak plot device, with weak disclaimers, but it's based largely on pop culture, and definitely not on Dracula. In Dracula, the horror is that anyone in the story can turn into a godforsaken version of themselves and have to deal with it. The Romanian First Mate commits suicide so he won't have a "worse" fate than death when he realizes that Dracula is the killer (paralleling Jonathan choosing to climb and fall to death rather than become one of the "semi-demons" by the Three). Dracula targets Mina to become a vampire, despite knowing she's been married for months. She's expected to turn Jonathan, since vampires first target their loved ones (see vampire Lucy beaconing Arthur). The poison doesn't operate differently based on sexual purity and gender. In fact, in Balkan folklore anyone who is not a prepubescent child can turn, hence why in rural Serbia and Bulgaria people would check any adult's grave every 3 and 7 years post-death. (7 because if a vampire went around undetected past that, they could leave their homeland and spread.)

On that note, I'd have given the consequences of vampirism to be more dire than "now you have sick superpowers and a liquid diet." There's a reason why that was the main horror instead of death.

YES. That's an excellent point. I've always thought that that was kind of bullshit; imo it was a cheap plot idea to get that scene with Seras and the Cheddar priest before Alucard arrives and does HIS whole virgin shtick. It does have a plot point later, where Integra starts to suspect about artificial vampires because of the ghouls they find being so young in age they shouldn't have become ghouls; it was an interesting plot point, but also the whole "a male vampire can only turn female virgin humans" and vice-versa thing is kinda bullshit because we literally have an intersex character in the show?? What kind of vampire would we need to turn Heinkel into one???

In the additional time we could've given Seras, we could've explored the nature of vampirism more. Maybe it changes you so fundamentally that you feel rotten and turned into a creature so vile you'd be repulsed. Maybe it makes you give into your deepest darkest wants; Seras is someone with a lot (and I mean a LOT) of internalized rage and trauma; what if the extremely violent and sadistic side we saw her get in her moments of bloodlust were what she could become if she wasn't careful? The Cheddar priest was a rapist and a mass murderer, the Bonny and Clyde vampires killed entire families in a power trip— is that what most people would become if they were infected? The idea of such destruction is terrifying; most people hold hidden resentment and power fantasies that they don't act upon because of obvious societal cohabitation and maturity. Imagine if everyone just started to act upon those unrealistic feelings of destruction and anger that all of us have. If I started to attack family members and loved ones because of some hidden anger and blame I feel, or tried to make them into That too. It'd be terrifying and truly something more than just "anthropophagic predator" and "liquid-based diet monster" imo.

[tutanchanup]

I don't know why I have decided to murder you all... I apologise

The Beheading of Vlad Draculea

…a short story intertwined with history.

~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~

Now I STRONGLY RECOMMEND PLAYING THIS WHILE READING! (sorry for the weird format but I haven't figured out how to do it properly here on Tumblr yet, someone help me 😅)

Because it captures perfectly the tone of the scene, thus making your experience fuller too 😉

(The video is amazing too if you'd be interested later)

First, the (un)necessary wall of text (feel free to skip 😄):

What historical facts I was inspired by that we have at least somewhat documented:

What his personality seems to be from what we know of him - pragmatic, resilient, unbreakable, a genius strategist and warrior

His behaviour and crowd interaction I base in the ways of mediaeval aristocracy, a field I specialize in*

We know he'd been killed by his enemies shortly after he'd ascended the Wallachian throne for the third time after 12 years of exile, in 1476, at the age of 45.

He was probably attacked by another pretender for the throne

There's a possibility he suffered from haemolacria

Even though in the world he became known by the propagandistic stories depicting him as a monster, fascinatingly, it has never happened in Romania itself. Somehow there survived his image of a just and beloved ruler, something only now the modern science started to discover has basis in history

Facts for those that don't know much about him:

For his memories, I use the real historical events that we know happened in his life

We know he built his castles with secret passages

We know he was an excellent fighter

His war strategies were legendary, he must've been incredibly clever and was very resourceful

His people probably really loved him. He defended them against the Ottomans and brought down those nobles who exploited them. Their living conditions improved greatly during his reign (justice for everyone, no unfair immunity for boyars, support of lower class, tax exemption for craftsmen, new roads, ending exploitation from Saxons, rewards for common people, commoners lifted to boyar status, ending the sending children as slaves to the Ottomans).

One theory states that that was the reason why they called him Drakgwlya (Dracula means ‘son of the dragon’- his father had the nickname ‘Dracul=Dragon’, his enemies changed that to ‘son of the devil’, but it has one other possible origin - as you'll find out later in the story)

°~°~•~°~°

My assumptions that I used to cover the missing parts:

If I was Vlad's enemy and managed to overpower him, instead of murdering him on the spot I'd choose to behead him publicly, had I the chance (beheading was the only allowed way how to execute a nobleman - btw Vlad upheld that too, he never impaled them, as opposed what the propaganda stories accuse him of).

Why? See the following:

His people were waiting for his return for 12 years with patience and hope. I would want to make sure that they'd see that he's finished for good and that there's no chance that he could return again somehow someday

Vlad the Impaler at this point had an absolutely massive reputation as undefeatable scourge of his enemies (an image even strengthened by the propaganda depicting him as the devil incarnate). I'd absolutely want to create in the public eye the physical image of me being the one ending him

We think that his head was probably sent to the sultan of the Ottoman empire, Mehmed II. Possibly shortly after. But in mediaeval times, the body of the fallen monarch was preserved and paraded around, so that people could make sure that he's really dead - both his followers and his enemies. However without head, how could you persuade them that that's really the legendary Vlad the Impaler and not just some guy in his armour? Public execution solves this, as there would be testimonies from people that saw it happen

°~°~•~°~°

*His personality in my works is based on my own thorough research. I'm considering his upbringing as a 15th-century voivode - influenced by medieval Christianity, and needing the moral code required of a ruler who led his people into battle (I'll do some posts on these later).

Does he sound like a B-movie superhero to you? That's not a coincidence! Modern superheroes are the continuation of mediaeval legendary knights. And many traits we associate with classic heroes - unwavering courage, honor, strategic brilliance, and even calculated ruthlessness - were not just ideals for a medieval ruler. They were necessary for survival. A voivode leading his army personally into battle couldn’t afford fear, hesitation, or weakness. His power depended on his ability to inspire loyalty, intimidate enemies, and outmaneuver both foreign invaders and internal threats.Those who succeeded in embodying these ideals became themselves legends or saints - like Charlemagne or Vlad’s cousin, St. Stephen (guess whom he had the opportunity to learn from…).

And if one thing is certain, Dracula’s name became more than legendary.

This short story tries to imagine how that could've happened.

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Now let's leave the realm of cold facts and musings, and let us step into the warm embrace of art:

Hear, hear! For I have a tale to tell you, of the last day of Vlad Voda of Wallachia:

And let the captivating tones of the bard Farya Faraji wash over your ears while I will be doing so.

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Vlad Draculea, or "the Impaler" as he's become known lately, was standing in a cold, dark cell of his own castle. A massive iron collar around his neck, the chain linked to it binding him to the iron bars of the prison.

That collar was the problem.

You see, he had expected something like this could happen. He wasn't called one of the best strategists of his time for nothing. He knew that there was a chance that one day some of the pretenders to the throne could capture him and throw him in a cell so they could prepare to execute him publicly. He would have done the same. That's why he had rebuilt his castles with secret passages leading from the prison cells he could one day find himself in, including this one. The secret way was hidden under the wooden bench, its opening accessible after removing the third floor stone from the right of the northern wall.

But he hadn't counted for the collar.

It wasn't there when he last checked the state of the castle after his return from 12 years of exile. But his enemy has fished it out of who knows where.

Apparently, the ingenuity of Vlad Draculea had become so legendary, that his enemies made sure to be thorough. Curses.

And so he had ended with an iron collar around his neck, chained to the bars, just a few steps away from the secret passage that could've led him to safety, and yet now made agonizingly unreachable.

He tugged at the chain again, but it was no use, the metal was just too strong.

Vlad couldn't but laugh heartily at the sweet irony of this whole situation.

The saddest thing is, that of all places, the shackle was around the neck. If he'd been chained by wrists, he would consider breaking his thumbs. Maybe he'd manage to break his ankles too, if the shackles had been there instead. But breaking his neck was... a possibility, for sure, but not one that would lend him much advantage.

Vlad smirked again and slightly bowed his head in respectful admiration. "Well played, indeed!" he mused. As a warlord he could always appreciate a clever strategy, even when it was used to defeat him.

But he didn't bash himself over his defeat for too long. He knew he had done the best he could. This wasn't really something he could have prevented in advance.

Sometimes, life was just like this. Sometimes, even the best strategy still couldn't guarantee that you stayed alive.

There was no use in spending his last moments on earth wallowing in pointless grief.

So instead, he decided to use this moment of respite to contemplate his life. And what a life that has been!

He smiled sadly at his cruel childhood. He wept briefly for those he'd loved that had fallen. He laughed again at the times that had brought him joy. He smiled with gratefulness at the moments when he had felt true happiness.

And then he finished with a short prayer, thanking God that he could've lived through all that, and now pleading that his soul be received in heaven.

He then took a deep breath in and out and then looked at the cold cell around him anew, his expression now calm.

"I wonder what awaits me next?" he pondered. The thoughts about his own death inadvertently looming over him couldn't be escaped. But maybe, it won't be so bad... Maybe he'll see his loving wife again. What a nice sight that would be, to once more see her with her arms open, welcoming him home after he will return from his very last battle.

He might even set his eyes upon the face of his beloved brother Mircea, now surely a better sight than when he'd last seen him, when his dead face with gouged out eyes was marked by the horror of having been buried alive. Ah, how he was excited to see him smile again instead!

And his father would be there too... father who he'd hated until the last moment for giving him away to the Ottomans as a hostage and then subsequently betraying them, thus sentencing his own son to death, which neither of them couldn't have known at the time that wouldn't come. But then when Vlad met him again he'd sacrificed himself to save Vlad and Radu’s lives... Vlad longed for the opportunity to talk to him again ever since.

And then of course there would be his dear mother, who he had last seen when he was just 7 years old, and never got to know what had become of her after that. Now he will finally be able to hear her story.

Vlad smiled wryly at those thoughts.

His chain of thought was broken by the metallic sound of keys in the door. Ah, the time has finally come. He looked with a bittersweet smile as that damned collar fell to the floor. Oh well. Now when the fully armed soldiers had clasped him firmly with their hands, it was a dead end anyway.

As they led him over the courtyard that his steps had marked for so many times before, he quickly assessed the situation. The soldiers were many. Too many. And they were armed too. Even if he managed to wriggle himself free from their grip, they would catch him before he'd even reach the closest window. No, the only thing that would achieve was him dying sooner, with no pride whatsoever, and staining his reputation with the mark of "coward" as well. That simply wasn't worth it.

So he let them lead him to the newly raised wooden terrace, where his enemy already awaited him, along with the executioner's sword, and the crowd to behold that. Draculea walked with his head proudly raised, a brave smile across his face. He wasn't scared at all. Why should he be? Fear would do him no service, especially not now. Being scared wouldn't change the situation in any way, so why spoil his last moments with it? He was calm instead, his gaze already fixed beyond mortal matters. He didn't pay much attention to the words of his enemy. It didn't matter anyway, and he would risk that he would roll his eyes if he heard his enemy boasting how he was the one to bring the fearsome Vlad the Impaler to his demise.

His gaze stopped at the sight of the beheading block, and his eyes sparked with curiosity: "I wonder how that will be!"

Then suddenly, a sharp shout tore him away from his thoughts.

It came from the public.

He looked at the crowd for the first time. He didn't pay them much attention before, as he wasn't interested in seeing faces of people cheering over his demise or laughing at his defeat. But he was surprised that that wasn't what he saw. No. The expressions he saw were full of... sadness. The people... His people... were mourning him. "Vlad Voda!" one man had cried with desperation. Soon one woman accompanied him, tears running down her face. These were the people who'd waited for 12 years for his return, and now they were forced to see their hopes of him being their ruler once again thwarted before their very own eyes. "Vlad Voda, don't leave us!!! Don't go, dragul...!"

Dragul. Beloved. The name his people had given him.

Vlad smiled at them kindly, saying without words "But what can I do?"

From the crowd came the answer: "Fight!"

Vlad almost laughed out loud. What use could there be in fighting? Don't they see the odds? The platform was full of armed soldiers, two of them were holding him as well, and his hands were tied behind his back.

But the crowd stood firm. "Fight them!! Fight, Vlad Voda!!!!"

Vlad smiled again at the unfaltering faith they had in his fighting skills.

But then he gave it a moment's thought. Sure, there was no chance to win whatsoever, he knew that beyond doubt. But maybe... Maybe it would be nice to have one last battle. To once more unleash the admirable strength of his body that he had cultivated since childhood. To use the battle skills he had drilled into his mind with such care that they became part of his instincts now. To feel his heart race with adrenaline in the heat of battle ...for that one last time.

But the voice inside his head had stopped him. It was that voice which always rose up to make him aware that he as a voivode had responsibility to his people. He couldn't just let his own desires win. His life wasn't his own, it never was, it always belonged to his people. He was there to serve. And starting a fight here and there wouldn't do them much service, what if they'd risen up and started fighting the guards themselves? That would result in a bloodshed.

He looked back at his people with an apologetic smile.

But they weren't satisfied, no, they had started to rally even more when they noticed he'd actually considered their proposition. Someone started shouting his name, and more people joined. They wanted to see. They wanted to see their Vlad Voda fight one last time.

Vlad again eyed the surrounding, his eyes narrowing in focus as he was taking assessment of his situation. Then he smiled with a playful smile. Truly, there was no chance. But he himself was curious - how many soldiers he could take down before they'd overpower him? One? Two? Five? It was surely a challenge with conditions like this, especially since his own arms were still tied behind his back. But he always rose up to a good challenge!

And if this was the wish of his people, he'll hear out their call! All his life was tied down with responsibility, but maybe now, moments before his own end, he could let himself be free. He deserved at least that one short moment of freedom.

So be it then!

He gave his people a mischievous smile as his old fighting spirit was rekindled in his green eyes. The crowd had noticed and held their breath with excitement. But the guards, who didn't see his face, didn't notice. And so he striked!

In one fast moment, quick as the strike of lightning and just as deadly, he'd butted the head of a soldier next to him with his forehead. The soldier shrieked out with pain as his nose broke and sprayed him with shower of blood. Before the other soldier had even time to notice what happened, Vlad had already managed to slam with full force into his belly with his shoulder, effectively bringing the soldier to the ground. The crowd cheered loudly. Seeing Vlad fighting was a symphony to behold. Vlad was always an excellent fighter, there wasn't anyone who could've bested him in one to one combat. Even here, overwhelmed, his moves were lightning fast, and his hits powerful and resourceful too. When he couldn't use his arms - as they were tied behind his back - he used his feet instead, kicking with deadly precision at the weakest points in the soldiers defences, who weren't prepared for such an unorthodox attack from below. While they were trying to grab him, he'd kicked them out of balance, toppling them to the ground before they could even use their weapons. Vlad had moved with the swift elegance of a deadly dancer, dancing between their pole arms and using his legs, head and shoulders to carry out strikes. He even managed to make use of his elbows, restricted that they were. And at one moment he made a soldier run away while only using his fierce expression, he was proud of that one!

No less than eleven soldiers were out before one managed to hit Vlad in the back of his head with the pommel of a sword, bringing him to his knees. Another five soldiers clasped him, taking a hold of every inch of his body should he find a way to use that in a fight somehow. The crowd shouted with disappointment. Vlad gave them one last look, an apologetic smile across his face, as if he was saying "I did the best I could, but the odds weren't in my favour. Forgive me.

But thank you. It was fun."

With the corner of his eye he saw the massive blade of the executioner's sword swing. He bowed his head in reverence, accepting his fate with grace.

And then, just a moment before the sword fell and severed his head from his body, one single tear dropped from his eye. It had the vivid colour of blood - a condition he was affected by since childhood. The scarlet tear contrasted brightly with his pale face as it made its way across his cheek, found a way through his beard, until it reached his chin and from there dripped on the soil of his kingdom.

It wasn't a tear spilled over a sadness of his life, or the cruelty of his fate.

It was a tear mourning what could've been but wasn't to be anymore.

And as his enemy has grasped his raven black hair and lifted his severed head for all the people to see, the face of Vlad Draculea had for one last time looked down at his people. And on his face has been clearly strewn his last expression, now etched there for the rest of eternity. It showed his people kind smile, yet his brow was full of courage, his fighting spirit staying alive even while his own soul has left the mortal plane.

Because his face told to his people this last message:

"We have lived. We have fought. And it was worth it!"

And his people have never forgotten this. Outside of his realm he became known as the sadistic tyrant from the woodcut-printed stories. But his OWN people have never forgotten who he really was. Even as the dent of time has stripped down every living memory of him, deep down they remembered.

Even 550 years later.

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Made in thank you to the marvelous community around the real Vlad Draculea. The illustrious Corpus Draculianum, working tirelessly on finding new knowledge about Vlad, buried in old documents and archaeological sites. For their dedication in clearing Vlad’s name in the eye of the public, fighting against vampiric monsters and child-eating tyrants, however impossible a task that seems to be. And also as thank you to the Vlandom, the amazing community which celebrates what could Vlad teach us still, and in their works, be it written stories or memes, make him live once again.

… And last but not least:

Mulțumesc, Măria Ta.

.

[theriu]

Now that we’ve reached the end of Dracula, I have some thoughts on a certain scene. (Major spoilers below if you haven’t read the book or the ending yet!)

I think it’s so, so important that Quincey Morris honors Mina’s request to promise that he will kill her if she turns, especially in light of Jonathan’s determination not to.

Occasional posts talk about how Jonathan was determined to follow Mina into vampirism, and speak of it in glowing terms as a sign of his love for her. And I agree, Jonathan’s love for his wife is beautiful and admirable. But in this one case, at least, his means of showing that love is shortsighted and selfish.

What would be gained by him following Mina into her doom? He wants her to not be alone? This is as sadly misguided as those claiming they will go to hell in order to be with their loved ones. Hell and vampirism are by nature isolating because in them, there is no longer any capacity for love or goodness or comfort. All good impulses and deeds are lost to those who become vampires. We see it even in how Dracula himself, a foul and wretched monster, seemed to find a breath of peace as he died—for JUST A MOMENT, his soul was freed of the curse and he could FEEL peace again. Mina would be no less alone with Jonathan also chained to the curse of vampirism. She wouldn’t even be capable of grieving his fate, because Mina and Jonathan would be completely overshadowed by the evil that consumes people who are turned into vampires.

And aside from that, Jonathan’s love is selfish because even if he could comfort Mina in her curse by joining her, he would still knowingly and willingly be dooming countless other people to suffer as he did. He would willingly become the same monster as Dracula, capable of terrorizing and murdering across the centuries, causing the same pain he and his friends and the Romanian villagers have felt countless times over. And he would knowingly and willingly be allowing the vampire that was once Mina to do the same by breaking his promise to kill her. And the fact that he hid his intentions from Mina suggests he already knows that, but was willing to allow it for the sake of the one person HE loves best.

That is why I find his actions to be selfish rather than noble. He'd be sacrificing the lives of countless people he doesn't personally care for just for the sake of the one person he personally cares for. The common denominator is the idea that only what he loves matters.

And that’s why Quincey’s promise is so important, and why his act of giving his life to help kill Dracula is even more noble. He not only destroyed Dracula and saved Mina—he saved Jonathan from himself, and who knows how many innocents from them both. He saved Jonathan from making a horrific mistake that would have doomed both Mina and Jonathan, as well as their victims, to a living hell.

And I like to think that, once the danger was past and Jonathan could contemplate things and talk it over with Mina (after all, these details were all available in the diary entries they collected), he would understand better what a mistake Quincey ultimately saved him from, and how Quincey Morris was an even greater hero than anyone could ever comprehend. Because Quincey Morris didn't stop one vampire.

He stopped three.

[luneemeritus]

A lot of people criticize the 1992s "Bram Stoker's Dracula" because of the romance between Mina and Dracula, that doesn't exist in the novel. But that detail is precisely why I love this movie. Because Gary Oldman's Dracula truly loved Mina, but that didn't redeem him. His love didn't make him a better person. He is still a monster, a villain, a murderer and an abuser. He has done horrendous things to innocent people for so many centuries... but that doesn't mean he is uncapable of loving someone. His ability to love doesn't redeem his character nor makes his villainy lesser. He is a dangerous villain to everyone else except Mina, and she knows it, this is why she didn't chose to be by his side. It also gives a better explaination of his motivation rather than the pure xenophobia of the original novel (not that Francis Ford Coppola's version is any less racist, the way they treated the Romani people is awful, but at least this Dracula has a motivation that makes sense).

Besides, this movie has so many qualities and is such a pearl that I think it's unfair to dismiss all its qualities because Dracula and Mina had a thing for each other. The movie doesn't condone Dracula's villainy.

[kingoftheclaudes]

Propaganda

Erique Claudin (Phantom of the Opera) - My favorite Phantom! Does it differ wildly from the book? Yes. Do I care? NO! Claudin starts the movie by BREAKING YOUR HEART IN TWO and then after the first act he gets to lean into the creep factor by murdering people who get in the way of him helping his daughter achieve her opera goals. While the father/daughter story was cut from the final film, you can 100% see it in Claude Rains' wonderful performance that this is a man so filled with regret at leaving his infant daughter 20 years ago, that he is willing to do anything to help her succeed…even if she doesn't know that he's the one helping her.

Dr. Jack Griffin (The Invisible Man) - He may be an invisible loser but he's MY invisible loser! He's my favorite Universal Monster and just a whole lotta growling energy packed into a small package. I love his laugh and his soft moments when he's with Flora. It really brings a sense of humanity to a "monster" and those thirty seconds he's "visible" gave me a "Oh, no! He's hot!" reaction. His monologues pop off and he can do so much with his voice, going from 0 to 100 in a millisecond. Not to mention, I think he has the highest kill count for a Universal Monster, which is surprising. I guess only an invisible English dude with a vendetta is more powerful than Dracula, haha!

This is round two for The King of the Claudes tournament and other matchups can be found here!

Additional Propaganda under the cut!

**These two fine Claudes have a lot of propaganda each, so we are attaching what we can and making another separate propaganda post for the both of them to include all submissions, which you can find HERE!**

Erique Claudin

This movie is gorgeous and the storytelling is a masterpiece! I don't care what anyone says, this is my favorite adaptation of Phantom and Claude sells it perfectly. He's excellent at toeing the line between a masked mad man and a caring individual and I will be forever fuming about how the father/daughter relationship wasn't official. To me, it will be! He's just the right amount of soft fondness and I was squealing because of how adorable he is when he stammers.

Dr. Jack Griffin

I like my men how I like my science experiments - crazy. He's an unhinged little freak with a huge ego and a penchant for stripping and terrorizing small English villages. He's a delight to watch and I'm so happy he kicked off his movie career with such a banger and without this role, I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't remember what a great actor he was.