#gothic cookbook

[theholmwoodfoundation]

TikTok Video: We Made Paprika Hendl

Here’s the video we made whilst making Paprika Hendl, in honour of our boy Jonny from the novel Dracula!

As always, a reminder to please support the kickstarter for our horror-fiction podcast, The Holmwood Foundation.

[usmspcol]

Here is the promised funeral cookbook! Food to Die For: A Book of Funeral Food, Tips, and Tales compiled by Jessica Bemis Ward (2004) is a combination of history, culture, and helpful advice on funerals and recipes. The first five images are from Food to Die For with recipes!

There is only one cookbook in our collection dedicated to funerals, but there are others with funeral home ads with these two being from 1947 and 1977 which I've added in as a bonus! Both are cookbooks written by local towns in Mississippi and are available in our digital collections.

[serifgothic]

[regicidal-defenestration]

Disco Elysium / uncredited / Embassytown by China Miéville / Marcille Facade and Moabiter Himmel Painting by Helge Windisch / i think i'm going to leave my phone at home tonight by the Narcissist Cookbook / Spacial Bodies by AUJIK / The Sandman #51 / The Gothic Arch by Giovanni Battista Piranesi / I Am In Eskew

[forthegothicheroine]

@batmanisagatewaydrug set up a fun Book Bingo for 2025, and want to try and do it!

This planned list of books for me to read is extremely subject to change, especially since I always get a lot of books as holiday presents, but here's the plan as of this moment.

Literary Fiction: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. My mother got me a bunch of Steinbeck for my birthday, since I liked Cannery Row, so let's see if I can do now what I couldn't in high school!

Short Story Collection: The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury. Another author I don't know super well but who has written at least some things I like.

A Sequel: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck. Like I said, my mom got me a bunch of Steinbeck and I like Cannery Row, so I'll try the sequel.

Childhood Favorite: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain. I read and loved three quarters of this as a kid- but I had to stop before what I knew would be the grim finish, where Twain's depression took hold. It's time I see it through.

20th Century Speculative Fiction: Anno Dracula by Kim Newman. I've come around on Newman, so I should finally try his Bad End Dracula AU.

Fantasy: Fool by Christopher Moore. I keep seeing this when I shelve things at the library and thinking 'I should get that out sometime' so let's make it sometime!

Published before 1950: Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel. I loved the children's book Bea Wolf, and it gave me the urge I needed to find a good translation of the original.

Independent Publisher: Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng. Gothic? Fairies? Dark historical fiction? Amazing cover? Sounds great.

Graphic Novel: Be Very Afraid of Kanako Inuki by Kanako Inuki. Another great cover that's already making me very afraid!

Animal on the Cover: Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. I loved Convenience Store Woman and this has a cute hedgehog on the cover, and that's all I need to know.

Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. One of the books that's been on my tbr for the longest time, and I loved both film adaptations.

Science Fiction: Finna by Nino Cipri. I'm always down to read about genre-shifting trips through alternate dimensions.

2025 Debut Author: You are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego. I have a weakness for riffs on And Then There Were None, plus this seems like the kind of book my library will order.

Memoir: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I started this at someone's house and never finished it, so now is the time.

Read and Make a Zine: Archive.org has a bunch of issues of a Twin Peaks fanzine called Wrapped in Plastic, which I'm looking forward to browsing through! I hope it will give me ideas for what to create!

Essay Collection: The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang. Not much to say about this except that it sounds really fascinating.

2024 Award Winner: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. This won the Alex Award (for adult books with good YA crossover appeal) and I've been curious about it since I worked at a bookstore and put in the order.

Nonfiction: The Madman's Library: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History by Edward Brooke-Hitching. I would indeed like to learn about those books! Because I missed the "learn something new" part, I will read The Feud: the Hatfields & McCoys by Dean King.

Social Justice & Activism: Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement by Ejeris Dixon and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. This has been recommended to me as a good starting point to learn about transformative and restorative justice, something I would like to understand better.

Romance Novel: Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt. Duke of Desire was great, so I'm eager for some more of that!

Read and Make a Recipe: I'm hoping to find something good from the Moosewood Cookbook, I need to learn more good vegetarian meals.

Horror: Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne. More gothics, and as always, I'm late to a book everyone else always loves!

Published in the Aughts: Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood. Another book I always see on the shelves and always mean to get out next time when I'm not in the middle of something!

Historical Fiction: The Keep by F. Paul Wilson. Historical horror (with Jewish characters) is one of my favorite genres.

Bookseller or Librarian Recommendation: Poison Widows: A True Story of Witchcraft, Arsenic, and Murder by George Cooper. This was on the library website of recommended Philadelphia-set books, so I'll happily give it a try.

[erasabledinosaur]

What's in my Game: cc edition

dew of the sea

nature set | Tulips from Amsterdam

EA-edit Set | paranormal art items

Special | Love Not War Valentine Set

EA-edit Set | Bonehilda Themed Items

Art Set | Old Family Pictures

Winter Gifts | a tub full of plants

Winter Gifts | thank you cards

Winter Gifts | winter wishes cards

Winter Gifts | wall ribbons for cards

[DEW at home] accordion wall rack + clothes

[Magic Month] | gothic witch paintings

EA-edit Set | more hallway stuff

bioniczombie

4t3: Strangerville Random posters

4t3: Bread n’ Butter Toaster Clock, and Radio (High School Years EP).

4t3: More Stains (Basement Treasures Kit)

4t3: Collection of Floor Destruction 1: Scratches (Werewolves GP)

4t3: Collection of Wall Destruction (Werewolves GP)

4t3: Collection of Floor Destruction 2: Cracks (Werewolf GP)

Bonehilda Coffin Default.

4t3: Werewolf Noir Film Poster (Werewolves GP)

4t3: Fury-Fueled Nonconformity Poster (Werewolves GP)

4t3: LIS2 Grocery Bags.

4t3: TC Deco 01.

4t3: sforzinda’s High School Years Clutter Separated.

4t3: Perfectly  Plush Couch (High School Years EP).

4t3: Cow Plant Duo

4t3: Simmify Instant Camera (Deco)

4t3: Saved by the Chair (High School Years EP)

4t3: Laundry Deco (High School Years EP)

4t3: BG Decor (Base Game)

4t3: GP07 Barback Clutter (Strangerville GP)

4t3: Heavy Metal Decor (Strangerville GP)

4t3: School Festival Objects (High School Years EP)

4t3: Good Old Times Tables (High School Years EP)

2t3: Bathroom Rugs (Sims 2 conversion)

4t3: RE3 Clutter (Deco)

4t3: House Clutter (Parenthood GP, & Eco Lifestyle EP)

4t3: The Front Desk Clutter (Get Together EP)

4t3: High Definition Blowdryer (Deco)

4t3: Bathroom Clutter Kit Rugs (Bathroom Clutter Kit)

4t3: Bric-A-Bac Wall Art (Strangerville Separated).

4t3: Laundry Maid Essentials (Laundry Day SP)

4t3: Bathroom Clutter (Bathroom Clutter Kit)

4t3: When Life Gives You Linens Clutter (Laundry Day Separated).

4t3: Get Together Decor

4t3: Random 02 (Cottage Living EP)

4t3: Random Rugs

4t3: Kid’s Decor (Growing Together EP)

4t3: Random Decor (Growing Together EP)

4t3: Infant Update (Decor)

4t3: Bathroom Clutter 02 (Bathroom Clutter Kit)

4t3: Basement Treasures Decor (Basement Treasures Kit)

4t3: Grandma’s Couch (Basement Treasures Kit)

4t3: Basement Treasures Decor #02 (Basement Treasures Kit)

4t3: Book Nook Decor (Book Nook Kit)

4t3: Kids Decor 02 (Growing Together EP)

4t3: Greenhouse Haven Decor (Greenhouse Haven Kit)

4t3: Pile of the Sims Daily (Cats & Dogs EP)

4t3: Living Set (Book Nook Kit)

4t3: SquareTube TV (Basement Treasures Kit)

4t3: Shortwave Shindig Radio (Horse Ranch EP)

4t3: More Book Nook (Book Nook Kit)

4t3: Discover University Decor (Discover University EP)

4t3: Paint Decor (City Living EP)

4t3: Art Attack

4t3: Sick Tunes

4t3: Pretty in Punk

4t3: TVs

4t3: Nonna's Cookbook (Home Chef Hustle SP)

4t3: Everyday Clutter Decor (Everyday Clutter Kit)

4t3: Bread Box of Holding (Parenthood GP)

4t3: Pillow for Deep Thoughts (Spa Day GP)

4t3: Party Poppers (Toddler SP)

4t3: Tastefully Empty Bookshelf Decor

4t3: Non-Functional Water Heater (For Rent EP)

4t3: Tibert Decor (For Rent EP)

4t3: The For Rent Sign (For Rent EP)

[witchyfashion]

Get your goth on with 60+ recipes from Beetle House restaurant, where guests indulge in a deadly delicious menu inspired by the works of Tim Burton and all things dark and curious.

If you delight in ghoulish frights and movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, and The Evil Dead; then you’ll love the official cookbook of Beetle House, the Halloween-inspired restaurant with locations in New York and Los Angeles.

The Nightmare Before Dinner features more than 60 gothically delicious recipes from chef-owner Zach Neil, including sauces and dips for the recently deceased, eerie appetizers, sinister sides, soups and salads for the living, macabre mains, devilish desserts, deadly drinks, and creepy cocktails. Knock out your family, friends, and guests with:

Beetle Pie, inspired by Beetlejuice – a brilliant-green homemade pistachio pudding with a crunchy chocolate crust that evokes the corpse-fed grass and rich soil of a graveyard, and seedy and sweet blackberry jam that mimics the texture of blood and bugs

Silence of the Lamb Chops, inspired by Silence of the Lambs – a tasty lamb dish with a buttery mushroom and apple sauce, made gory with splashes of raspberry glaze

Cheshire Mac and Cheese, inspired by Alice in Wonderland – a sweet-and-spicy take on one of America’s beloved comfort foods, served in a teacup

Edward Burger Hands, inspired by Edward Scissorhands – a juicy burger with a Sriracha cream sauce, stuffed with smoked bacon, fried egg, pepper jack cheese, and avocado; with a pair of scissors shoved through it to keep it closed

The Fleet Street Martini, inspired by Sweeney Todd – a bright-red martini featuring Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey; pair with equally gory Love It Pot Pie

Plus, if you’re vegan or vegetarian, The Nightmare Before Dinner has your spooky side covered too—it offers a vegan alternative or ingredient swap for each and every recipe in the book!

Throw your own goth-themed party! A bonus section provides inspiration for table settings, decorations, and foods to serve at your holiday or screening party.

This is the perfect cookbook for the Tim Burton movie buff, Halloween enthusiast, or goth in your life.

Also available by Zach Neil: Death for Dinner Cookbook: 60 Gorey-Good, Plant-Based Drinks, Meals, and Munchies Inspired by Your Favorite Horror Films

buy here

[alders-simblr]

Rowanwood Estates

Rowanwood Estates - WillowCreek - Sage Estates

I'm calling this the 'lite' version because I'm going to go back and clutter it up and change it but it is by no mean 'light' on CC. This one is going to be a long list of links just as a warning and includes my own mod tweak packages for the two cars on it (further explained below).

As with ALL my builds, you're going to want to have bb.moveobjects ON before placing the lot and I DID use TOOL to place some of the more complicated tweaks.

As with all my builds, it is on my gallery under EA ID: alderwitch but you can also download the tray files on my patreon as well here.

Lot Size: 50 x 50

Furnished Price: 915,012 Unfurnished: 336,018

Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 7

Details and CC Shopping List below the cut.

Packs Used: HSY, Cottage Living, Snowy Escape, Eco Lifestyle, Island Living, Get Famous, Seasons, City Living, Get Together, Get To Work, Werewolves, Wedding Stories, Dream Home, Dine Out, Spa Day, Little Campers, Blooming Rooms, Courtyard Oasis, Bust the Dust, Nifty Knitting, Fitness, Backyard, Romantic Garden, Movie Hangout, Cool Kitchen

CC Used: CM Designs: Isla Pt 2, Jasper, Oakley, Rugs, Thermostat Oni: Traditional Japanese Room, Artist's World Room, Custom Food Pink Baddie: Baby Food, Magical Rug, Play Kitchen Sooky: Abstract Frames, Moroccan Rugs, Hydrangea Jug, Kids Rugs, Pretty Blue Rugs ClutterCat: Shiba Inu Rug Aira: Vanilla Rice Cooker Amoebae: Half Strip Tile, Statement Walls, Hallway Stone ATS4: Bagclutter AWingledLLama: Diaper Pail House of Harlix: Bafroom, Baysic, Harluxe, Jardane Brazen Lotus: ABP Closet, Greenhouse, Chronicles of Dressup, Reupholstered Sofa, Phoenix Fence Black Charly Pancakes: Lighthouse Collection, All CC Merged? Felixandre: Chateau, August 2019, Berlin Pt 3, Colonial Pt 2, Florence Set Pt 1, pt 3, Georgian, Grove Pt 4, Paris pt 1, Pt 3, Shop the Look Season 1 Walls That Make Sense: Dynasty, Fundamentals, Lights, Opulence Harrie: Country, Octave, Livin Rum, Tiny Twavellers Icemunmun: AirFryer, Canning Preserves, Finger Sandwiches, Floral tea, Burger Essentials, Mill, Soup, Soda Joliebean: Padtow LBB: Grannie's Cookbook, Recipe Tin, Recipe Stand LilacCreative: Body Butter, Candle LeafMotif: Magnolia Bathroom, Sunbeam Study, Starlight Crystals Ivy LittleDica: Chic Bathroom, Rise N Grind Cafe, Sleek Slumber, Modern Kitchen, Roman Holiday MadameRia: Back to Basics, Luxe, CoL Wallpaper Addon, Lucky Man Marvell: Lux, Janina, KC, Tiny Footsteps, UPcycle MyCupofCC: Maple Manor Books, Curtain, Macrame Shelf Max20: MasterBedroom Pack, Pouf Soft, Washing and Drying Machines Myshousun: Nora Living, Serene Bathroom, Zephyr Office, Dawn Living, Garden Stories, Freja, Gale Peacemaker: Atwood, Grasscloth, Bayside, Caine, Coulor Me Rugs, Drapery Delights, Elme Jute, Elsie, Futura, Gorgeous Georgian, Glass Tile, Hamptons Hideaway, Hamptons Retreat, Hinterlands, Hudsoon, Kingston, Kitayama, Lennox, MCE, Mina, Myra, Nox, Oasis, Quintin, Serenity, Vara, Marcissus Folly PieriSim: David Apartment, Domaine Du Clos, MCM, Oak House, Teeny Weeny, The Office, Tidying Up, Winter Garden Redhead Sims: Nintendo Switch RVSN: Advant 2020 Holiday Decor, Bidet, Binge Inking, CakeABreak, Cupcake Machine, Don't Be Alarmed Alarm Clock, Flood Saucer Light, Hoarders, Void Critter Gaming, Kids Toybin, Knit Happens, Major Inspo, MOtivational Speaker, Personal Brewer, Cod Fish Tank, One Nightstand Short, Peg to Differ, Procraftination, Shop Chef, Shut the Front Door, Smeglish Dishwasher, Sport Retail Therapy, Throw Shade, ToolTime, Watts Not to Love, SP Built Ins, You know the Drill, Ruggable SimCredible: DishDrainer, Naturalis Pantry SimKoos: Boba Storage, Home Clutter, Infant Bottles, Office Tour, Stroller Deluxe Sixam: Cozy Family Room, Gothic W Lighting, Home Basics, Home Improvement, Luxbath, Mixer, Private Surface, RetroVibes, Small Spaces, Spring Six, Stylish Wood, Teen Room Softerhaze: Bramblefinch Powder Walls Syboulette: Oceane, Advent 2022 Wood Parquet, Attic, Bayhouse, Boho Wedding, Brigette, Bougainvillers, Candy, Clarisse, Coraline, Crossfit, Delphine, Designer Meeting Table, Diane, Dino, Dreamy, Faveo, Fitness, Helios, Karaoke, Laundry, Louane, Millenial, Mozaik, Nothingtowear, Pascaline, Petite Chef, Ratatoulle, Sabine, Serenity, Unicorn Birthday Taurus Design: Cassandra Bathroom, Eliza Bedroom and Closet, Elsa, Jade, Katrina Tuds: 2nd Wave, Cave, Crib, Cross, Emma, NCTR, SHKR, Wave WhoisSage: Shag Rug, Handful of Mats, Simply Striking

Functionality

These mods are not technically in the build but are needed to have mods (syboulette's crossfit and aira's rice cooker specifically) functional.

ZulfAndHakrabr: Let's Get Fits Modpack Ricky: Useable RiceCooker

Vehicles

Technically, the two vehicles used for this build use the the Breeze Motors 2018 Mercedes E-Class Wagon and the 2020 Maserati Quattroporte as their base. I won't link to the download page as its a perma-paywaller and I fundamentally disagree with how Breeze Motors is handling their patreon personally. I will leave it to you to decide if you want their CC and how you acquire it if you choose to do so.

For my personal game, I have edited and stripped down my copies of these two cars and modified them so that they work with Simnation Travel. I have a pinned patreon post that is not paywall locked here explaining that more in depth and include the required files HERE.

If you go that route, and would like to download the cars, you can find them here:

Maserati Quattroporte

Mercedes E-Class

I should note that in addition to lacking the door open /close options of the original as those were stripped down, the textures were redone with simlish for a more maxis match look in game.

Mods for this Build

These are not technically required for the build to function but this build was built using overrides for both Sim Realist's SNB Bills mod as well as Simnation Travel vehicles. You shouldn't get any weird errors if you load the build in without those mods but if there's an exception caught by MCC related to that, it's probably just reconciling that the override the lot was built with is not in place in your game. It should only be a one time alert the first time the game loads in if it happens and should not cause any issue other than MCC making a noise at you about it noticing weirdness.

(The SNB provides the High Speed Internet trait to the lot and I think it will just set that trait to empty if its loaded without but I haven't personally confirmed it, hence the note here. ) Additional Note

I'm pushing this to live today just to make sure it hits my tumblr the same time as I pushed the build to my gallery but I will be going back to add links into the list. There are just a LOT to track down and it might take me a day or two to finish that part.

[intertexts]

HIIII ROS i am sorry i never replied to your reply to my ask from a while ago i am so bad at that ;-; in response to that kinda (bc we were talking about jhariah) i did see them live! 3rd concert ive ever been to in my life & it was life changing... i was front row n there was a baby mosh pit n i was with my best friends it was so good <3 i didn't get to see all the songs off TRUST CEREMONY live but if he tours again i will try to get tix because i must see CONTROL BABY live... my faves are control baby n fire4fun n russian doll <3 but it is my fave album ever created (except maybe Måneskin's Teatro D'Ira vol 1)

Dont wanna yap too much but other music im liking rn: Dua Saleh's ROSETTA ep; Missouri Surf Club's songs Rotten & Kingdom Come; Jean Dawson's entire discography generically but specifically SICK OF IT* and New Age Crisis; Ethel Cain's everything; and then im still consistent w the narcissist cookbook, an unkindness, sons of the illustrious father etc. I have been getting into a crazy amount of music since summer started though so there are sooooo many others but i wanna know what you're listening to! i like your music taste as ive said :3

ANYWAY I think i might just send another ask because this is ramble-y n u dont have to reply to it bc its overwhelming but!! Yeah hehe okay p. 1 - mare

HII HI HI no worries!!!!!!! all good i'm also really terrible at it!!!!!! hehe <33 jhariah concert & mosh pit is SO awesome though.. man.. thats so cool.... love that experience for u!!!! <333

checking out all of these rn they're SOO GOOD.... dua saleh ROSETTA ep literally going on the repeat playlist rn omg. ough. how have i not heard them before. holy fucking shit. missouri surf club goood i love the florence influence.... jean dawson & ethel cain WHOO!!!! hell yeag. god. u also have such good music dude. good shit.!!!!!!!

what have i been listening to!!! shit!!! this is gonna be LONG but u asked for it!!! a lot of morcheeba (big calm), de la soul (the grind date), sneaker pimps (bloodsport), tricky (maxinquaye) <- one of my all time faves, madvillainy, cibo matto (viva! la woman), yaeji (with a hammer), chai (wink)... summer to me is usually very hot & humid & sticky & dreamy to me (busted ac) so this is my laying on the floor staring at the fan vaguely dissociating rotation.

other than hip hop & trip hop-- dragon new warm mountain i believe in you by big thief!!!!!! somehow never listened to this one & i'm ill over it. & july flame (other all time fave) by laura veirs & central reservation by beth orton (<- huge recent discovery ill over her voice) & broken social scene self titled for my acoustic rotation...

heavier set: been getting BIG into creature feature they're literally so fun. i think u might like them tbh. american gothic is my fave so far!! summer is for shitty pop punk 2 me!! esp. when i actually have to Do Stuff & not lay on the floor melting. so. we the kings, fall out boy (cork tree & infinity on high), the cab, the academy is..., yellowcard, motion city soundtrack, alkaline trio :]

ALSO special mention 2 blue sky black death (slow burning lights, late nite cinema, noir) bc their instrumentals make me so insanely nostalgic & have been my writing soundtrack for the past month!!!!

[theholmwoodfoundation]

What's your recipe?

Our recipe is specifically from The Gothic Cookbook! Which has an entire chapter dedicated to the food in Dracula!

[cartograffiti]

June and July '24 reading diary

I was so busy in July I simply never did my June post, so it's a twofer!

Way back in May I borrowed all the literary-inspired cookbooks my library had, and the two I finished looking at in early June were The Book Lover's Cookbook by Jensen and Wenger, and The Book Club Cookbook, by Gelman and Krupp. Both have really approachable recipes, with The Book Club Cookbook having the edge on the recipes being inspired by the text and a little more exciting. I didn't find the selection of books featured terribly inspiring in either, and The Book Lover's Cookbook has a prevalence of Mormon literary fiction that explains what I'd loosely thought of as a Midwestern je ne sais quois in the food. Neither book is nearly as good as Kate Young's Little Library series, so! That's that on that, check out Kate Young if you like themed meals too.

An even more disappointing cookbook for me was The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks by Amy Stewart. The stories about each plant are less interesting than the same author's Wicked Plants, and there's a real problem with the text uncritically repeating claims rooted in marketing or racism about the quality or appeal of different items. A letdown! I'm glad I borrowed it instead of buying!

An interesting gothic novel set in Jamaica and England, The Confessions of Frannie Langton was pitched to me totally incorrectly as a romantic mystery. I enjoyed what it is very much once I got over expecting an arc in line with those genres! It's a very disturbing story in which a woman recalls her life as a slave and a free servant, including acting as assistant to race scientists, and the overlaps and problems present in sex work, domestic service, and marriage for women in the 19th century. Sara Collins writes gorgeous sentences, the emotional intensity always felt commensurate with the material in any given scene, and she created a really special character in Frannie, who has complex and sometimes difficult to read feelings about her own agency. In particular, this book has the most powerful portrayal I've ever read of acts of racism particular to white abolitionists, and their need for "perfect victims." Collins also narrates the audiobook, which I highly recommend.

A book that was not for me is Y/N by Esther Yi. This is a literary fiction book about a woman who writes self-insert fanfiction about her favorite K-pop idol, and also about the relationship between the viewer and the artist, the lover and the beloved, the artist and the creation, the believer and the religion. It's about identity, loneliness, and searching for connection. It's a funny book, but it's a very cerebral surreal philosophical story, and this is only going to be for you if you're up for meeting the book's high level of effort. For me, the highly stylized and ambiguous sentences occasionally irritated me to the point of physical pain. I wish I could recommend it more warmly!

I also wish I'd straightforwardly enjoyed Rita Mae Brown's Wish You Were Here. This is a Virginia book with a richness of local detail and expression that really tickled me, even though the mystery was a bit too easy. It also has conversations between the adorable pet characters where they promote eugenics and pathological models of crime. I realize this sounds ridiculous. It was really jarring, and I'm torn about whether to read more and find out whether this is the only incidence.

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper is one of those major children's books I never read as a child, a nice romp about siblings on vacation in Cornwall trying to find the Holy Grail before nebulous bad guys get it first. Very charming, if not quite engaging enough for me, but I understand it picks up when magic is introduced in the next book. I'll probably read that and find out.

The Star Wars anthology From a Certain Point of View (ed. Elizabeth Schaefer) has some very fun stories, mostly by authors I already knew I liked, and a whole bunch of stories that made me mutter various levels of "Oh, fuck off." I think a) some of these people don't understand how to utilize fanfiction, b) a certain amount of making the Empire characters sympathetic is reprehensible, and c) it is incredible how many writers will invent a daughter (specifically a daughter) for characters to cheaply jerk reader tears. My favorite pieces were Meg Cabot's sweet look at Beru and the two about doing paperwork. I'll probably read the other two 40th anniversary anthologies they did to scan for fave writers and mutter about the same problems again.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a book I remember my dad liking when I was a kid--and I remember him following the issues with Stieg Larsson's estate, too--and I only sort of knew what it was about. I knew it's a suspense mystery about a journalist and a hacker PI catching rapist-murderers (the Swedish title translates to something like "the men who hate women," which is more appropriate imho). I wasn't prepared for what a nice meditation it is on friendship, isolation, and the ways society fails vulnerable people. I also wasn't aware Larsson was an expert researcher and exposer of neo-Nazi/far right/racist hate groups, which is relevant, too. It's a brutal book, but not bleak. I unsurprisingly love Lisbeth, and while there are some writing choices I truly hate, I love that she's kind of a mess. I will also offer a hot take that I think this would have been a better book without the romance subplot. Still fascinating, and I will read the other two in the series that weren't ghostwritten.

I finished the Lymond Chronicles at last with both The Ringed Castle and Checkmate, and I screamed and screamed and clapped like a seal. Nothing new to say about the series, they're wildly engaging and also frustrating in some important ways, and I'm very glad I read them and more glad I read them with friends.

I also picked back up with reading Jordan L. Hawk's Whyborne & Griffin books with Maelstrom. This is a hugely silly series, which I needed because just look how many heavy and heartbreaking books I've been reading! Monster of the week scares (rats with human faces! cults with unspecific goals!) that appeal to the same reasons I like the Rachel Weisz Mummy movies, great sex scenes, interpersonal problems with heart. Which characters are cartoon characters and which aren't is a little bit scattershot, and that really showed up in this one, but oh well, it was a hoot.

[cmrosens]

Worldbuilding a Hellscape: Workshop

My most popular posts here seem to be my worldbuilding ones, so I thought I should let people know that I'm opening an online conference marking 200 years since the publication of James Hogg's Confessions of a Justified Sinner, with a creative writing "Building a Hellscape" workshop as a way of engaging with theology in SFF.

My workshop kicks off 09:30AM UK TIME - if you can't make that, it should be recorded so you should get the whole pack of recordings in your conference pack, post-conference when they are all uploaded and accessible.

It's a paid gig for me but as Romancing the Gothic is a project run entirely by one, very overworked person, and exists solely on donations, I've waived the fee.

I'll be getting you to think about some aspects of what a hellscape could be in a SFF context, using prompts like the ones I've posted here, and seeing what people come up with in the hour we have to dig in!

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE: Romancing the Gothic presents its fourth annual online conference over two days - 24th and 25th August. The conference celebrates 200 years of James Hogg's Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner with a series of talks, events and workshops.

The conference is designed to cover different time zones so the days are long. People are recommended to come for as long as they want. The talks and sessions are recorded so that you don't miss anything even if you can't be there in person for specific times/sessions.

Early Bird Tickets, Concessions and Free Tickets

There will be early bird discounts on tickets until 24th June 2024.

Concession tickets are for students, the unwaged, retired people or anyone whose economic situation makes it necessary.

You can donate a ticket for those who are unable to afford to come.

You can donate directly to a person you know providing their name and email, or, for a random donation to help someone attend, enter the name "Sam Hirst" or "AN Other" in the name fields and email the donation ticket to sam[at]romancingthegothic[dot]com to help cover the cost of a free space for someone who needs one. 

(We offer a limited number of free tickets for those who cannot pay the ticket price, please email sam[at]romancingthegothic[dot]com for more information.)

Accessibility

We have live auto-generated captions. We provide slides and, where possible, scripts before the conference with alt-text for images. We have regular breaks and encourage people to take part in ways that are most comfortable for them. There is no forced participation.

If you have any accessibility needs, please get in touch at sam@romancingthegothic.com and I will do my best to make sure these accommodations are provided.

Book your ticket below:

PROGRAMME

(All times are UK time, BST. Please check your local timezone so you don't miss you chosen events)

Saturday 24th August

9am - Greetings and conference set up

9.30 - 10.30 - Writing Workshop with author CM Rosens - 'Create a Hellscape: Using Theology in World-Building'

10.30 - 10.45 - BREAK

10.45 - 12.30 - Panel 1 - James Hogg: Work and Legacy

Nick Smith - I have since been induced to look to you as my guardian angel': Hogg's Highland Journeys and their influence on the Jusfitied Sinner

Mizuki Tsutsui - An analysis of Ian Rankin and James Mavor's draft of the film script of James Hogg'sJustified Sinner:Demon, Union and Adaptation

Martina Jauch - Masculinities, Mania, and Modes of Religion - ETA Hoffman's and Goethe's impact on James Hogg's The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

Laila Sougri - The parallax of Evil: Phenomenological Encounters with the Uncanny in the Works of James Hogg, Daphne du Maurier, and Mark Z. Danielewski

12.30 - 13.00 - BREAK

13.00 - 14.00 - Cooking Workshop and lunch with Allie Pino (co-author of The Gothic Cookbook) - 'Whistle While You Cook: Arepa-Making and Venezuelan Demonic Folklore with 'El Silbón' and the 'Dancing Devils of Yare'

14.00 - 14.15 - BREAK

14.15 - 15.45 - Panel 2 - Demonic Politics

Javier Mosqueda - Building the devil: indigenous and Christian elements in Jeronimo de Mendieta's concept of the demon

Jarrod DePrado - “A God is Not So Glorious As a King”: Religion as a Demonic Political Tool on Stage

Jan Marvin A. Goh - "holy mysteries/by the eyes of the dead': Exploring the Gothic in Divine Concept in Nick Joaquin's The Mass of St. Sylvester

Amy Coles - She has to be hammered into shape: Religion-Related Abuse and Female Suppression in Ray Russell's The Case Against Satan

15.45 - 16.00 - BREAK

16.00 - 17.45 - Women and the Demonic

Maria Belén Caparrós - ‘I’m not going to kill you. I’ m going to sacrifice you’: Patriarchal Spectrality, expressive violence and structural demons in Argentinian Contemporary Representation of Femicide

Vale McComb - WhatPuppet History didn't tell you: Examing a Trio of 17th cent. Possession Cases and What Happened Thereafter

Brenda Tolian - Down Into the Darkness of Anne Bannerman’s “Prologue”

Pauline Suwanban - Contemporary Devil Romances and Female Confidence (2020-2024)

17.45 - 18.00 - BREAK

18.00 - 19.00 - First Keynote - Adam Kotsko - 'Faust in the Anthropocene'

19.00 - 19.15 - Author Roundtable - The Modern Scottish Gothic

Anna Cheung, Helen Grant and further authors TBC

20.15 - 20.30 - BREAK

20.30 - 21.30 - Cocktail/Mocktail hours

SUNDAY 25th August

9.15 - Greeting

9.30 - 10.30 - Second Keynote - Martha McGill - "Evil Company": Internal and External Demons in Early Modern Scotland

10.30 - 10.45 - BREAK

10.45 - 12.15 - Panel 4 - Demons, Duality and Doubles

Gina Lyle - Literary Hauntings in Helen McClory's Bitterhall

Rowan McMonagle - 'Thrawn Janet'

Miranda Larsen - This is a merger, not a possession: Kurama's Complex Morality in Yu Yu Hakusho

12.15 - 13.00 - LUNCH BREAK

13.00 - 14.45 - Panel 5 - The Modern Demonic Imagination

Abhishek Sarkar - Religious Obsession and Murderous Zeal: The Fanaticism of the Serial Killer in Four Indian Films

Efram Sera-Shriar - From Demon World Village to Ghosts 'n Goblins: Popular Occulture, Videogame Censorship, and Satanic Panic in the 1980s

Máireéad Casey - Demon Possession, Sexual Grooming, and Resistance in We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)

Kyria Van Gasse - I see his face but he's not me: the mental and emotional effect of playing the demonic and the monstrous in Live Action Role Play

14.45 - 15.00 - BREAK

15.00 - 16.45 - Panel 6 - Vampires and the Demonic

Mary Going - I Will not Lie Below: Demons, Vampires, and Contemporary Iterations of Lilith

Madhuchhanda Ray - At the Crossroads of the Hindu Demon and the Western Undead: Reading Satyajit Ray’s Quirky Vampire

Anca Simina Martin - The first Romanian Vampire Novel: The Case of the Vampire-priest Antagonist

Hayley Smith - Welcome to God's Army: Religion and Religious Extremism in Netflix's Midnight Mass

16.45 - 17.00 - BREAK

17.00 - 18.30 - Writing Workshop - Samantha Miles - Playwriting as Ritual: Summoning Demons and Constructing Hellscapes

18.30 - 19.00 - BREAK

19.00 - 20.45 - Panel 7 - Imagining Hell

Susan Vanderborg - "Hell is only a word": The Imperfect Demonic Translations of Event Horizon

Ruth-Anne Walbank - This deep hell of ills: Hellscapes and the Gothic in Lancashire Cotton Famine Poetry (1861-5)

Morgan Daimler - Tenants of Hell: Fairies, the Devil, and Folk Belief in Early Modern Scotland

Rebecca Marks - Blotting and Blurring Demons: Blake's Last Judgement

20.45 - 21.00 - FINAL REMARKS

As always, there is a code of conduct for our events. Please find it here. https://romancingthegothic.com/code-of-conduct/

TICKET PRICES

Early Bird Discount available now until 24th June 2024: £17.50 Full Price ticket after 24 July 2024: £25.00 (INCLUDES BOTH DAYS)

Concession for students, retired or unwaged Early Bird Discount available now until 24th June 2024: £10.00 (INCLUDES BOTH DAYS) Concession ticket for students, retired or unwaged: £15.00 (INCLUDES BOTH DAYS)

Donate a Ticket: £15.00 (for anyone at any time! to donate one, this price stays the same) (INCLUDES BOTH DAYS)

[sleekervae]

Yoü & I [1.9]

Masterlist

A/N: as usual, just popping on here to say thanks for your continued support <3

--

A few drunk texts was one thing. But after a few days it turned to phone calls from a blocked number. Charlotte was more perplexed than anything, why would Ben keep trying to call her? He had made it clear that afternoon in the airport, he wanted nothing more to do with her. Unless she was just the victim of some telemarketing scam...

The tour had taken the two bands to Brighton, a lively and quaint beach town that broke the mold of what a small town in the UK could look like. There were buildings of multi-rainbow colours and a boardwalk and carnival. Their hotel was even right across from the water, and Charlotte and Kimberly had a stunning view of the ocean from their window.

Luke had picked it off first: something was off with Charlotte. Every time her phone even buzzed with a notification she went a shade whiter. He put it aside at first, thinking it was just her mom driving her crazy. He too had seen Penelope flip her shit and it could be considered legendary. However, when the tour reached Vienna and it kept happening, he knew something wasn't right. 

The management team had rented two buses for the cross-country trip, packed with hours of sleeping, video games, and a few hours to wander around Vienna and take in the almost renaissance-esque beauty. 

In the middle of the city, looming over the town with a watchful presence was St. Stephen's Cathedral. Gothic and romanesque, it had captured Charlotte's attention; every tile and stone brick withered from the elements of time and now withstanding its greatest feat yet: restoration. The ladders and scaffolding couldn't even take away from the architecture's haunting magnificence.

Luke licked his fingers from the apple strudel he was currently enjoying; the others were still scanning the delectable treats at the bakery one block over from the cathedral. Harry still kept Charlotte well within his sights, knowing Terryn would give him an earful should anything happen to the young singer. Luke had another strudel wrapped and tucked in his elbow for Charlotte, still warm from the oven. 

He cleared his throat as he approached her from behind, she smiled at him, "Beauty, ain't it?" 

She grinned, "Like the Evil Queen's castle from Snow White,"

"This whole town could star in a Disney film," he marveled, "Like you never left the renaissance,"

"Minus the lead makeup, plagues, and lice infestations," she said. Luke was just bringing his strudel back for another bite when she mentioned those awful nesting bugs, and he paused, dismayed.

Charlotte glanced at the pastry, its heavenly scent of cinnamon and baked apples wafting up her nose, "Did I put you off?"

"Nonsense," Luke shook his head and handed her the fresh strudel, "For you," 

"Aren't you sweet," she grinned at him, her smile broadening when she noticed the apple compote under his lip, "You got a little..." 

"Oh," he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket, much to Charlotte's dismay, but she said nothing, "Thanks," 

"OI! YOU TWO!" they both turned when they heard Ashton's echoing shout, "You're gonna' get left behind!"

"They'd probably prefer it," Michael snickered, "Finally going on a date,"

"Oh, knock it off, Michael," Kimberly elbowed him. 

They quickly caught up with their friends and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the imperial city. Afterwards, having had lunch at a small little restaurant -- and Chloe picked up a Viennese cookbook that was all written in Austrian -- they retired to their hotel for a small rest before the show. 

However, Charlotte and Luke weren't sleeping much. He resided on the couch of his room, sprawled out and trying to listen in to Charlotte's conversation in the bedroom. She had been on the phone for over an hour and some, he could see the shadow of her feet pacing back and forth under the door.

Soon enough, Luke's curiosity got the better of him. He stealthily sneaked up to the door and pressed his ear to the wood, trying to garner a listen. However, just as he was comfortable, the door suddenly swung open and he tumbled forward, narrowly missing and crashing into Charlotte. 

Needless to say, Charlotte was stunned as Luke hit the floor, "Luke, I know I'll regret asking," she huffed, "But what are you doing?"

Luke looked up at her sheepishly, pushing to sit on his knees, "Just checking on you," he replied.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and helped him up, pushing him back into the living room, "Grab your phone. I just changed my number,"

"Really?" Luke though didn't seem so surprised, "How come?" 

"Because my ex has been phone stalking me for the last two weeks, forcing me to undergo the very tedious task of contacting everyone I know and giving them my new number," she replied, falling to sit on the couch.

At least that explained some things, Luke thought. He took a seat beside her, "What the fuck does he want from you?" 

"I don't know, I haven't answered," Charlotte replied, "I mean -- do you think he's sorry, maybe? Maybe he wants me back?"

Just the thought alone, thinking that Ben would want to get his slimy hands on Charlotte again made his blood boil. 

"Absolutely not!" he suddenly exclaimed, much to Charlotte's surprise, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. But you can't go back to him! He sees how well you're doing without him and he wants in on the action. That must be why he's calling you," 

Charlotte shook her head, trying not to be hurt by his words, "I never said I wanted him back," she assured him, and he settled down, "I'm a little curious though, obviously it's not all drunk texts and calls," 

"Well, fuck him," Luke grumbled, "He had his chance, he blew it in the most unprofessional way possible, and if he thinks you're just gonna' come running back to him with one phone call, there's a special place in hell for --"

"Luke," she grabbed his hands to shut him up, "I don't want Ben back. I'm happy, and I have no time for his bullshit. Besides, I have to worry more about you guys,"

"Why do you have to worry about us?" he asked.

"For the day you guys push the security just a little too far," she replied, "Give Rob the chance, he'll tuck the four of you into the nearest dumpster,"

Luke smirked at the mention of the usually grumpy security guard, "He'd throw in a skunk just for good measure," he chuckled, going to his jacket to find his phone, "I didn't mean to get so upset, but just the thought of that guy -- I mean, I watched him fuck you 'round for three whole years!"

"You watched him fuck me 'round for one and a half," Charlotte corrected.

"Whatever," he shrugged, "The point is I saw you at your lowest too many times with him, and I never wanna' see you like that again. You deserve better,"

Charlotte's jaw clenched, that familiar agony riddling through her veins and she was angry once again. However, it was anger stemming from jealousy and greed. The words he was saying to her were words she just wanted to scream at him, tell him that Melody was no good for him. 

"So do you," she said suddenly. Luke glanced up from his bag, hands still stuffed deep in the mess of collected trash and knick knacks and his face seemingly paling. 

"W-What?" he stammered.

Charlotte stood up slowly, "I think you deserve much better than Melody. She's an awful person, and you ask anybody they'll tell you just as much. She makes you cry and cuts you down and all of your friends! No person in their right mind is so fucking cruel! 

"Charlotte --"

"You should be with me instead!" she said suddenly, unable to stop the word vomit, "I could be so much better to you than she ever could," 

Luke stood up straight, unmoving, and he didn't say a word. He just stared at Charlotte -- through her -- perplexed and notably upset by her words. However, Charlotte heard a sudden loud snapping noise, right next to her ear.

"Hey, where'd you go?" Charlotte was sitting back on the couch. Luke was standing over her, his fingers snapping next to her face. 

"Huh?" she'd zoned out. And snapped out of it in an instant; like hell she'd be brave enough to actually confess how she felt. Even though the truth was what Luke needed to hear more than anything. 

"I said because Ben's an impotent dipshit, he's calling you 'cause he can't find no girls in New York who'd put up with a limp noodle like you did," Luke huffed.

Charlotte grimaced, "God, have you been taking lessons from Chloe?" 

"I'm just saying, I could list hundreds of selfish reasons as to why the fucker's calling you," he replied.

"And as I told you before, I'm not picking it up," she promised him, " -- and for the record it wasn't limp all the time, it just... it was okay," 

Luke flopped down next to her, phone in his hand, "Shorty, don't lie to me. It's embarrassing," 

Charlotte glowered at him, "Like you have anything to brag about, Casanova," she grabbed his phone and started to change her contact.

"Well, I'd be happy to oblige ya, but I don't kiss and tell," he smirked back. 

Charlotte elbowed his ribs, "Like I'd wanna' know," Luke's response was to shift and lie down, his head fell perfectly in her lap, "Nuisance,"

"But you still love me, right?" he grinned up at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I still love you,"

♛♛♛

Kimberly rubbed what little sleep was left from her eyes, not looking forward to running through the exact same list of songs they'd played over and over again for the last year, just for an empty arena. She understood why soundcheck was so important, but sometimes it became truly tedious. 

She gingerly sipped at her tea, not registering the heavy pattering of footsteps that were rapidly catching up to her from behind. 

"Lookout, Kim!" Chloe suddenly went whizzing past the sleepy bassist. And then Charlotte ran past. Kimberly stood on the spot, perplexed as her friends charged into the rain. And then Ashton and Luke came running past, hot on the girls' tail.

"Make way! Stop those thieves!" Ashton cried.

"Sorry, Kim!" and they ran into the rain as well, with Luke careful not to spill his own cup of tea (because running with hot liquids isn't dangerous at all). Kimberly just shook her head and took another sip of her tea.

"Kids today..."

With Ashton's drumsticks clutched in her sweater, Chloe ducked into the oncoming downpour, sure to clear up by the time the concert would begin. Charlotte was right behind her, both of them clamouring to get on the bus and lock the door before the guys could reach them. Don't ask why Chloe stole the drumsticks, and don't ask why Ashton forgot he had another pair in his bag. It was purely all for fun. 

"Close the door! Close the door!" Chloe urged as they jumped into the bus. Charlotte pulled the lever that closed the bus doors, effectively trapping the guys in the rain. Luke tried to seek shelter under the side mirror, while Ashton pressed his face to the glass in a dismorphed pout.

"Let us in! Before they kill us!" he exclaimed dramatically.

"Come on guys! My hair!" Luke piped in.

"You have constant helmet head, Hemorrhoid!" Chloe shouted back. 

"Fuck you, Mayflower!"

Charlotte was amused, nonetheless, but she wasn't heartless enough to let the guys stand in the rain until the bus driver would finally arrive, "Come on, Chlo. Give him his sticks back," 

Chloe shook her head, "Not until he admits who the better drummer is!" she replied defiantly. 

Charlotte shrugged and turned to the dampening boys, "Ball's in your court, Ash," 

Luke smacked the stubborn boy's arm, clutching his hot tea to his chest as a means to stay warm, "C'mon mate! It's freezing!"

"Alright!" Ash huffed, "Chloe Mayfair's the best fucking drummer in the world since Travis Barker! Now let us in!"

Chloe's face twisted into thought, only long enough to draw out the agony. She then nodded to Charlotte, "Alright, let them in," 

Charlotte pulled the lever again and the bus doors sprang open, and the guys dashed inside. Ashton immediately snatched back his drumsticks from the smug Chloe. They both shook their hair out like dogs, effectively getting blowback on the girls.

"Oh, gross!" Chloe cried, "Sweaty dude hair!"

"It's not sweat!" Luke chided, "Somebody locked us in the rain," 

"Don't look at me!" Chloe replied, "Your girlfriend did it!" Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Because she was under your evil influence!" Ashton scolded back. 

"Yeah, Charlotte would never intentionally lock us in the rain!" Luke added.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" Charlotte replied coyly, reaching up to ruffle his damp hair. Instead, Luke grabbed her and shook his head again, cold water droplets falling over her and a cold burn splattered over her skin.

"Ah! Get off!" she whined, trying to push him away. Chloe meanwhile glanced at Ashton and pulled a gagging face. Ashton shook his head, the smile on Luke's face brighter than he'd seen in weeks. It was a sweet yet frustrating thing to watch. 

♛♛♛

Charlotte sat in the makeup chair, half of her long brown locks tied up while Kimberly put in loose curls with the iron. She scrolled aimlessly through her Instagram, half paying attention to the somewhat curious conversation Maria and Chloe were discussing about pop tarts.

"It's a stuffed pocket that you serve hot, and you can eat it with a fork," Chloe argued.

"No person in their right mind would actually consider a pop tart to be a ravioli," Maria replied strongly. 

"It can be considered as a dessert ravioli," Chloe said, waving her hands frantically.

Maria scowled at her, "You say that to any Italian, they'll bop you over the head with your own drumsticks," 

Chloe huffed and looked over to Kimberly, who was sat next to Charlotte as she was applying her eyeliner, "Kimberly, weigh in here: can pop tarts be considered ravioli?"

Kimberly closed her perfectly smokey eyes, dreading the moment when she would be inevitably dragged into a pointless debate. Without a word, she set the iron down gently and turned to Chloe slowly.

"A Pop-Tart is a hand-held pie," she explained slowly and calmly, much to Charlotte's amusement, "An overly sugary, artificially flavoured, trans-fat-filled pastry made with a biscuit dough and stuffed with fake sugary fillings. You can either bake it, toast it, or fry it. Raviolis are savoury and filled with either meat or cheese, then boiled. So the answer to your question is a resounding and unmoving no," 

And with that, Kimberly took a show-stopping seat in the chair. Charlotte and Maria clapped for her, leaving Chloe pouting like a baby.

"Nuff said," Charlotte smirked. 

"Fine," Chloe huffed, charging for the mini fridge, "But you still can't convince me that a hot dog is a sandwich," 

"I'm not going to listen to somebody who bought a cookbook written entirely in Viennese," Maria replied. 

Charlotte and Kimberly rolled their eyes, glancing at each other with knowing grins as the next debate took its course. 

"So I made a stupid mistake. It must be Tuesday," Chloe continued to argue her point until she pulled open the mini fridge door, but instead of reaching for the can of beer she craved, she was gobsmacked when she came face-to-face with a wall of blue. 

"Uh -- girls?" she called with uncertainty.

"What is it?" Kimberly asked, not paying attention as she applied her mascara. 

"C'mere for a minute?" she asked, "I think you all need to see the fridge," 

Charlotte's interest was peaked, "What's wrong with the fridge?" she asked, trying to get a glimpse in the mirror. 

Maria went to investigate. She figured maybe the guys had come in and taken a few cans of drinks, or maybe there was a small leak? It was a cheap little fridge they traveled with after all, she wouldn't have been surprised if it sustained a few bruises. Instead, what she found was beyond anything she could've imagined. Blue jello; the entire fridge was filled in a block of cool, jiggly blue jello.

"Okay, what the actual fuck?" she gasped. 

Kimberly and Charlotte then went to see, "What is that?" Kimberly asked.

"It's jello!" Charlotte exclaimed, partly surprised, partly impressed. This had 5sos written all over it, and she had to give the guys their props for being so creative -- and patient. 

Chloe stood up straight, cross, "Is this their payback for the toilet bowl thing?" she asked, "And why did they wait two months to come up with it?" 

"Gotta' give 'em credit, though," Kimberly shrugged, "We never would've thought of that,"

"Why'd they have to pack the drinks in there, though?" Maria asked, gawking at the cans of soda and beer frozen in the jello. 

"Well, what do we do with it?" Charlotte looked around, "You guys hungry?"

"I don't like jello," Kimberly pouted.

Maria checked the time on her phone, "We got an hour," she replied, "Grab some garbage bags from maintenance and let's start scooping," 

[abybweisse]

Latest HPB haul

Silly me, I went back to Half Price Books, this time armed with a 10% off coupon. Spent even more than last time anyway. 😭

I'm not sure whether I already had some of these titles in the collected works (I have bought at least one book from the series before), so before I bought these, I made sure to ask about the return policy. It's very important that I find my "missing" boxes of books soon, so that I can get a refund, if I find out I have some repeats.

Since I'm not sure about extra copies, I left the price tags on. In case I forget and start removing all the tags, I didn't remove any just yet. But I don't want to showcase prices, so I've censored the tags.

HPB used random boxes they had laying around, since I bought so many books (and Giant Microbes).

Here's the contents of the Xerox box:

Some "Gothic Fantasy" and "Epic Tales" collector volumes; a nice set of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Poe stories; a box set of F. Scott Fitzgerald; a funny cookbook I actually hope to use pretty soon; a human anatomy stamp set; and some Giant Microbes: DNA, RNA, Zombie Virus, and two Brain Cells. Had to get two... so I can rub them together.

And the contents of the "Lou Goodman" box:

I probably have the vast majority of the "Gothic Fantasy" series from that collection now and several of the "Epic Tales" series. I know for certain that I already have Christmas Gothic Short Stories from that "Gothic Fantasy" Series. Oh, and looks like I now have at least one from their "Classic Stories" series. 🤔 Good grief, how many books did they publish like this? 😅 They-- they don't even all fit on one of my shelves... and I'm sure I still don't have the entire collection. 😭 Anyway, these books don't have dust jackets, and they are super shiny.

The Virgil book is also jacketless and very shiny; that one and all these other shiny ones are published by Flame Tree.

The Alchemist goes along with a collection I bought some of last time I went to HPB -- Chartwell Classics, I think. The Jonathan L. Howard books (soft covers) just look like a really fun read. And I'm excited to have this lovely copy of A Study in Scarlet with a bunch of illustrated contextual information, even though I probably have a basic copy of the story in an old "Sherlock" collection, like one I saved from my parents' house. For protection, they sell it in a thick clear plastic dust jacket; I guess it's something that publisher just... does. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Anyway, that's the haul.

Now to do my best to just plain avoid stepping inside a HPB for a while... like the rest of the year. 😮‍💨 😅

[raitrolling]

its time for the yearly 12th perigee present post (yeah i know its still christmas eve in other timezones im Impatient)

nancor gifted gliese some sunflowers in a cool gothic-style vase since he thought she'd appreciate the contrast, as well as some dark chocolate

dismas gifted maidel a really rare and difficult to find video game that she mentioned wanting to play once. he may have also blackmailed everyone who tried to bid on it on the online auction website he found it on to ensure that he was able to get it at a good price

callan gifted gerrel those clawed gardening gloves because he thought they were funny and also useful (and the pair he bought are in his shade of green, the most fashionable colour out there of course), and some seed packets so he can grow all the veggies he needs to put on a pizza. which callan totally doesn't want to taste test

ashell gifted cheran a couple books, as well as a set of inks and brushes that he thought cheran could use for his anatomical sketches (which he bought from jikiro's company lmao). he gifted jikiro a little hamper filled with different types of berries and some fancy glass jars because he read that they can be used to make ink as well as be eaten, as well as a box of chocolate truffles and a cute tanuki print stationery set because he got anxious that his initial gift idea wasn't good enough lmao

velour made jamie a couple button-up shirts, one covered in subtle star patterns that show off different constellations, and another that has an embroidered kookaburra peeking out of the shirt pocket. he also made a couple bow ties as well, which he says when he's feeling better he'll enchant so the fabric is a bit more interesting. he also made socks and gloves for jikiro and kana, ji's pair being black with classy striped accents in all his quadrant's colours, while kana's pair are patterned to look like tanuki paws

mikiel was a bit unoriginal and gifted both lyvere and thrixe cookbooks, but he did make sure to buy them books based on whatever cuisine they're currently most interested in

lusien gifted anirus a really nice and expensive bottle of scotch (the kind that you only want to drink on special occasions) as well as a fresh batch of homemade jams and preserved foods they can keep on their ship without worrying about them spoiling too quickly

sharle gifted jamie books on how to speak italian, french, and monegasque (remarking that it took him hours to find the last one) since he knows that jamie was trying to learn those languages. he also gifted tira a limited edition snapback (because he collects them), gave quinne a fishing rod (because she mentioned that she likes catching fish but didn't own a rod), and ropikk a bottle of very expensive perfume (because he googled 'gifts for women')

viltau gifted jikiro some custom-tailored silk pyjamas decorated with a regal japanese maple design, a matching silk robe, and would treat him to a candlelit dinner... provided that ji can solve the scavenger hunt vil has prepared for him first. kitaer also gets send on a scavenger hunt, but his reward is the bodies belonging to the perpetrators of a crime kitaer was trying to solve. and also a traditional 12th perigee pudding and some homemade mince pies, because he is capable of catering to his kismesis' lack of a sweet tooth sometimes. viltau's employees also got a big bonus of extra cash and some gift cards

glasya gifted mikail another new plant for his apartment, and will take him out on a trip to the beach so they can go look at the rock pools together and then get a nice dinner at a beachfront restaurant. they also made bags of candies for all their friends using thematically appropriate candy moulds

vallis gifted epsilo a life-sized moray eel plushie, while zanzul and tuuya were gifted starfish and sea snail plushies respectively

linnae went out and picked some pretty wildflowers and ingredients to make potions with for arctus, and also gave a couple wildflowers to his other friends as well

everyone else also gave gifts to their quadrants / close friends but i couldn't think of something specific because i'm braindead. imagine a really cool gift here for every ship (romantic or platonic) i missed

[xcziel]

tuesday new releases for october 17:

dracula daily hardcover - with included art and meme-age - from matt kirkland. for those of us still dracula posting on the reg: a way to have essentially the dd sm tag in a more permanent format

new john grisham, going back to the classic style with a sequel to the firm the exchange

jada pinkett smith's memoir worthy

dolly parton's photo memoir behind the seams: my life in rhinestones

alix harrow's gothic fantasy starling house

the unmaking of june farrow by adrienne young

rachel maddow's prequel: the american fight against fascism maybe kind of unfortunate timing though :/

black friend: essays collection of personal writings from comedy star ziwe

alexis hall paperback romance 10 things that never happened for those looking for that red white & royal blue type fix

sequel to rachel gillig's one dark window two twisted crowns

oh also the big illustrated hardcover critical role: mighty nein origins library edition

also a bunch of minecraft merch was released over the weekend?

and all the nightmare before christmas stuff you could ever want lol (we've added the plague doctor stuffies to the display just for the #aesthetic). there's a cookbook(?)