#isn't victorian fashion just nice

[agentoffangirling]

And on the topic of redesigns, here's how I would redesign the D4 characters. If a character isn't mentioned here, it's because I like their outfits in the movie and wouldn't redesign it much:

Chloe: Brown hair, often styled in braid(s) so they're away from her face from sword fighting. Looks as though she came from the lap of luxury itself with high-end fabrics and materials. A deeper blue for the majority of her clothes, with lighter blues and whites as accents. More feminine, again going into that luxury angle with bits of gold jewelry and sparkly boots. Maybe a slight skirt train when she's not fighting, or a sparkly shirt with ruffles at the end, resembling a skirt

Red: Keeping the red hair, but more muted; I think brown roots would look really nice on her, as though she dyed her hair out of rebellion, which adds to her arc. Natural brown hair could also play into her being less of a VK. Also keeping the leathers, but a ton more black into her outfits to help with the bright red. White is also an accent color, but she has less of it compared to Chloe. More harsh angles and shapes to set them apart, tank top girly instead of the standard t-shirt

Bridget: Red hair, but muted like Red's. Definitely a lot more curls to her, though, and I think she'd also look really cute with a bow. Very extra and ultra-feminine, is obviously rich but doesn't necessarily flaunt it. While her fabrics are high end, she has minimal jewelry and prefers to stick to a more modest style of dressing. Lighter pink for the majority of the outfits to match her hair better but some hot pinks here or there to help her stand out. Puffed up sleeves, short skirts that are similarly puffy (and sparkly) with some type of bottom. Flats instead of boots, nails painted with card designs

Ella: Exact opposite of Bridget. Braids are done in a similar fashion to Chloe's, but a more utility-esque purpose. Denim for the majority of her clothes, keeping that "scrapped together" feel, and very very minimal makeup. Oversized clothing occasionally due to hand-me-downs from Anastasia and Drizzella. Nailbeds are cracked from working so much, and her boots are muddy, form and function over style. Her outfit from "Get Your Hands Dirty" is really what I'm going for

Maleficent: Out with the hair-wrapped horns. Out with them. They're also going to be shorter, not as grown in, and more standing up to resemble the ones from D1 and "Sleeping Beauty". Dark purple hair, darker than Mal's, kept up in a ponytail braid. Victorian clothing with lace, a lot more drapey, almost trailing on the ground. Long nails, purple with green decals. Her outfit is primarily black with dark purple and neon green accents, and her boots are leather with a sharp heel. Black lipstick and a smokey eye to finish

Morgie: I really don't like that scarf. I know it's supposed to resemble a snake, but it just looks tacky. Tighter clothing made of fine materials, a vest with an almost scale-like design to it. Leather pants with that similar scale style running down the sides. Drapey sleeves are alright, but I feel like he could also do without them. Painted nails for sure, though, he would rock a green. More gold decals and a mild green for his color palette Also I think the eye thing should be permanent

[the-s1lly-corner]

hello! it’s my first time requesting something, so please lmk if there is a problem with what i am requesting ;v; i was wondering if you could make a Laughing Jack x reader who is really into Victorian Era/classy stuff? e.g. they dress, talk, and own objects of that era. i hope this does not break your rule of no ocs- but other than that, thank you, and have a nice day/night! :)

Laughing Jack x Reader who loves the Victorian era

No need to worry! You're not breaking any rules at all!

Notes: Reader is GN... Admin knows very little about the Victorian era so a lot of this is based off of quick googling and observing themes! Whoops!

CWs: None

Laughing Jack is... old. Very old, actually. In fact he was around during the era in question!

I enjoy the idea that he still has some mannerisms from that era, it would make sense as he doesnt interact with many people all that often... it's a little jarring hearing him combine modern sayings and slang with what was common back then

He helps you with keeping things period accurate, if being.. well accurate... is important to you! From clothing to furniture, he has a sharp memory!

Looooves your fashion sense, it feels familiar..

Always offers to tie anything- laces, bows, ties, and so on! Sometimes gets carried away and makes the knot look really fancy and intricate

Bro makes the monkey knot from spongebob with your laces/j

Tries so hard to not get too rowdy, he doesnt want to accidentally break any of your belongings.. but alas, accidents do happen. Pretty apologetic and tries to make it right

Asks with genuine innocence if you want time period accurate makeup. Not just style wise, but.. ingredient wise as well

Does not understand why things like lead is bad for humans- you... might want to make sure Jack isn't using makeup containing lead or any other not good things

Not that it would mess with him, his body doesnt seem to react the same way a normal person's would but you'd like that peace of mind..

[suiana]

I just saw your goth! Yan and I immediately FELL IN LOVE OMG LIKE SJJKDOEOJEXHOCOX okay but like what if goth! Yan's darling also has a similar style to them? :^)) imma sucker for goth couples frfr

sounds super cool anon!! (alternate universe with goth!!)

✎ yandere! goth headcanons PT.2 . . .

✎ warnings . . .

― obsessiveness, possessiveness, a little bit of delusion if you squint etc.

(gn! reader x male yandere! oc)

✎ yandere! goth who is immediately attracted to you due to your sense of fashion and style.

✎ yandere! goth who makes an obvious effort to know you better. it isn't every day where he meets someone with a similar style!

✎ yandere! goth who exchanges ideas and happily talks to you about goth culture and fashion. it's so nice to have a friend with similar interests :)

✎ yandere! goth who initially just sees you as a cool friend. he only starts to fall for you after you stick with him despite the intensified bullying from the other kids. like, you would willingly put up with more bullying? for him? that's so cute!

✎ yandere! goth who, like his original au self, shows you his secret stash of knives and his poster clad bedroom once he falls for you. he doesn't show this to just anyone :) consider yourself special!

✎ yandere! goth who gets even more possessive over you. like, when you two were just friends he was possessive 100%. he didn't want to lose a friend like you! but now that you've intruded into his heart his possesiveness shot up to 1000%. a darling with similar fashion and style is something to be treasure.

✎ yandere! goth who gifts you one of his knives as a promise to you. he thinks it's more personal than a ring. I mean, the fact that you're both goths show that a ring isn't as important as something like a prized gothic knife, right?

✎ yandere! goth who thinks that you're just in love with him as he is with you. you both have so much in common! of course you would love him back right? you must be, you have to be. if you aren't he'll kill you.

✎ yandere! goth who talks about many things to you on a daily basis. from goth culture, to school to even how he wants your wedding to be like! oh, to see you in a beautiful victorian goth dress, walking down the aisle~ how absolutely lovely that would be <3

✎ "my darling~ I love you so so SO much <3"

[corvuserpens]

Alright girlies, I just came back from watching The Crow (2024) and

I'm sorry babes, but it's better than Wicked Prayer. Not better than the 1994 original -- but better than Wicked Prayer. This is your obligatory 🚨🚨 SPOILER ALERT 🚨🚨 don't say I didn't warn you.

To everyone who recently followed me for Black Sails, we'll get back to that soon, just lemme dump my thoughts on this movie bc The Crow was a game changer for little nine-year-old me back in the good ol' 90's. It's the movie that turned me into a baby bat.

So first things first: the cinematography. Gorgeous. Nice sets, great lighting. Mood always on point. Aesthetics to die for.

Second of all: score. AWESOME. They had Joy Division's Disorder playing while Eric and Shelly were escaping the rehab center and when that first beat started playing, I almost screamed in the mostly empty theater and started tapping along to it. Immediate B- for the movie just for that. But the rest of the music was just as good imo, it slapped so hard that now I have to look it up and play it non-stop. Surprising amount of goth and darkly-inclined music in there, which I was not expecting given the overall appearance of the lead characters.

The story, as I already expressed in a previous post, was generic but at least it had some themes to it that I found interesting. I couldn't really relate to the lifestyle these characters were leading, and honestly, the whole "oh they had a fucked up childhood and it led them into a life of crime/bohemian lifestyle that will be their end", y'know, "live fast, die young," is kinda old for me. I've seen it too many times for it to be edgy anymore. I get this is a reality for many people and I feel or them, obviously. I just don't think it's original anymore. Or maybe it's just not my kind of tea, which is fine. If it is for someone else, more power to them!

Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. Themes. I may not relate to the lifestyle, but I do relate to the whole "loving someone so much you can't imagine yourself living without them" which is what spurs on the whole conflict. From the very beginning, the movie doesn't hesitate to tell us "these two are doomed by the narrative so all the happy times they have won't last." And I will say, FKA Twigs and Bill Skarsgard have insane chemistry. Eric and Shelly's story is very brief and their relationship is only a speck in each of their lifetimes... but they sell the genuine love between them SO well, which lends an extra bit of flavor to the whole tragedy. They only knew each other for such a short amount of time, but the love was there. The connection was there. The threads of a future were just beginning to weave together, and then they were all cut away in the blink of an eye.

In the original movie, the tragedy of Eric Draven and Shelly Webster mirrored James O'Barr's own loss: they had their entire future set up in front of them, all these plans. They were on the eve of their wedding, and then they were brutally murdered. The tragic element in the new movie isn't lessened. It's just different. And I enjoyed that.

One thing I didn't really enjoy was the whole hell premise and the villain who made a bargain with the devil for eternal life in exchange for innocent souls. First of all, that's not how Satan works and this is slander of the highest order. No, I'm not a Satanist, but I respect the guy. Second of all, it's another tired old trope that needs to be put to rest. I find it much more interesting when human characters do evil shit because they act upon their evil impulses, which we all have, NOT because "the devil made them do it." Just... ugh. No, I loved Top Dollar in the 1994 movie because he was some fucked up little dude who lived for mayhem and death and had impeccable taste in Victorian fashion, who happened to dab in the occult along with his half-sister whom he liked to fuck. He was theatrical and extremely Edgy for the time and that's why he's so iconic and memorable. I don't need a villain who sold his soul for eternal life. Let him be evil for evil's sake, you don't need to sell your soul for that, damn. Not to mention Roeg felt flat and uninteresting. The connection to predatory men in high positions of power who prey on the dreams of young women artists was there, but they made it so on-the-nose that it sucked the interest out of it. Eh.

Now. The whole abandoned train station as a liminal space between life and death and the mysterious man who may or may not be an angel (or the skeletal cowboy from the comic book). There's an interesting concept. And the whole using puddles of dirty water, and rivers or other bodies full of liquid (a tub at some point) as a portal to and from that space? Simple, yet effective. Reminds me a little too much of the meme of the girl on the swing who jumps off into a puddle and disappears through it, but regardless. I think Eric jumps to and from there a bit too often and it breaks the mysticism a bit, but whatever.

I did enjoy the fact that Eric doesn't get his full powers immediately after dying, and I DID like the detail that, as long as his love for Shelly remains pure, his body will always heal because, as the Mysterious Man points out, the death/corruption/undoing of love (can't remember his exact words) isn't hate; it's doubt. As the story progresses and Eric finds out Shelly's Big Dark Secret™, his love for her falters, so his body begins to fail. It ties perfectly to the end of act one, when Shelly asks him to promise that when she becomes hard to love, to love her harder.

Which brings me to Shelly's backstory. It wasn't bad. I can understand the whole "your mom pushed you too hard when you showed signs of great artistic potential and it led her to manipulate you, abuse you and expose you to things a young girl shouldn't be exposed to" so she had to escape from her clutches, but the things she saw fucked her up and she turned to drugs and alcohol to cope.

But at this point, when she reveals she has this Big Dark Secret™ that she can't tell Eric about or else he wouldn't love her anymore, we already know that the villain made a bargain with the devil, so he has the ability to reach into the darkest parts of a person's soul and force them to act on it. And that kinda spoils the moment when it's revealed that Shelly killed someone. Because y'know, her soul is Pure and Good and she would never actually kill anyone because if she did, then she'd really deserve going to hell! Just... No. That's not how women work. That's not even how people work! People are imperfect, that's what makes us human. It would have been so much more interesting if Shelly had in fact killed that random girl, like, I dunno, over money, over drugs, over blackmail or something random and stupid that made her act out and then had it haunt her for the rest of her life, I don't fucking know! But no. She killed her because Roeg made her, exempting her from the blame and the consequences instantly. Boring. Let Eric learn all the fucked up things Shelly did and love her anyway. Let her get a little redemption for her bad choices by earning his full, unconditional love because that's all any of us wants, isn't it? To have someone see how rotten we are and say we are enough for them despite it all. Goddamn.

Okay, what else. The comedic timing. The stupid pun when they first meet, the opera music playing over Eric going ballistic in the hall, the fact he got stabbed with his katana in the back, but two minutes later, somehow the katana flipped around so Eric can pull it out of his front?? That was such a 2000's era movie mistake, lmao. Very charming.

No officer Albrecht or Sarah as a human stand-in for Eric's moral compass or to remind him of Shelly or all the other people they loved and who he will have to leave behind when all's said and done? Bad.

For a movie titled The Crow, there was a sad lack of crow influence in the movie. Eric isn't connected to his crow in any way. No more whole "you kill the crow, you kill the man" anymore, which is bullshit. Bill Skarsgard doesn't even get to have a crow perching on his shoulder??? What is this??????????? Big boo. The crow was the central focus of all the other movies bc it was the protagonist's link to the land of the living. It was a constant presence to remind us that, when all the wrong things have been set right, the crow would lead him back to the land of the dead to rest. As it were, in this installment, the crow was a prop and nothing more. If it hadn't been there, the story wouldn't be affected in the slightest. This is where this film fails to be a The Crow movie to me: one of them is still alive by the end when that's not what The Crow as a franchise is about.

The original comic book was an expression of tremendous grief and loss over a loved one, by how untimely and unfair it was. In the end, the protagonist, whomever they may be, dies so that they can be with that person they lost and they can be at peace in whatever comes after life. Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty compelling to have Eric learn Shelly is going to hell and offers to trade his soul for hers, and it is okay that in the end, Shelly is brought back to life while Eric remains dead. I mean, the whole bit with the mysterious man being a first responder and telling Shelly that Eric fought hard over her? Heart-wrenching. In a different movie, I would be all about it, but this is supposedly a The Crow movie and it broke the precedent imposed by the previous installments, both in comic book and movie format. So... Yeah, that's a no from me. Themes of grief and loss? Never heard of her.

To wrap this post up 'cause it's getting too long: I liked that the Marion character seemed to have a thing going on with her body-guard or wtv he was? You know, the one who killed Shelly? That was a nice little side detail I noticed. The themes were nicely established, but didn't tie up too well, I think. Too many loose ends or things left unexplored. I was glad we didn't get the schmuck happy ending in which the Universe or Entity or what have you deemed Eric's love for Shelly pure enough that he wouldn't go to hell in her stead and they were both brought back to life and lived happily ever after. But we also didn't get to see Eric getting dragged to hell in the end either, that was a missed opportunity to really let the consequences of his choices sink into the audience and make us all leave the room completely horrified. Would make for a much more impactful credit roll. Or maybe I'm just fucked in the head, idk.

The defeat of the villain felt unsatisfying. Did like the whole "you corrupted her (into killing that girl)" "you can't corrupt what's not in there already" thing, but if at the end of the fight Eric had gotten a little monologue about how "it's not about whether the corruption is in there or not, it's your choices not to act on it that really matters" before shoving Roeg into the jaws of hell, that would have helped matters along, me thinks. Hate that the movie has to hand-hold the audience through making connections between what's said at the beginning of the story and when later the characters mirror it with actions. I get we went through covid and all our memory and attention span got royally scrambled for it, but come on. We're not little kids. Let the setup/payoff ratio stand on its own, I promise people will remember.

All in all, hour and half well spent, I wasn't bored and my eyes had a feast with the visuals. I'll give it a 6/10👍 Would have been better as a stand-alone action flick instead of being advertised as a new The Crow installment (and really, it's trying to be a more faithful adaptation of the comic book? Even Donald fucking Trump couldn't make up a lie this blatant), but I enjoyed myself and that's what matters.

[cleolinda]

Sparking Joy (Jean Patou, 1930)

What's the best perfume of all time? Objectively, I don't think that's an answerable question; it might be that the absolute best perfume (which means what?) is something designed by an artisan outside the French tradition or the Arabian tradition, or not by a professional nose at all, but a single bottle mixed up by a hobbyist in some quiet little corner of the world. We just don't know. But much the way the American Film Institute decrees that Citizen Kane is the best [American] film of all time, what do Those in the Know think is the best? Chanel No. 5, right? The top seller in the world for decades?

Not at all. In 2000, the Fragrance Foundation FiFi Awards bestowed the public's choice for "Scent of the Century" on Jean Patou's Joy.

I remember reading this in the newspaper at the time, back when we had newspapers; I hadn't even worn fragrance since Sun-Ripened Raspberry body splash in high school, and I was shocked that it wasn't Chanel No. 5. I have to think "the public" meant "knowledgeable members of the perfume industry," because I had never heard of Joy, and most people I've talked to (who aren't hanging out on on fragrance forums) haven't, either. I feel like many of us would reflexively say "No. 5" because Chanel's done that good a job at shoring up their flagship's legend.

The story of Jean Patou's Joy is the opposite: when a fragrance isn't given the respect it deserves.

(Joy ads, 1947 and 1978; more here)

Famously, back when Joy was famous, perfumer Henri Alméras created Joy for Parisian couturier Jean Patou, as an oddly defiant, perhaps even life-affirming reaction to the 1929 Wall Street crash. At the time, it was "the costliest perfume in the world": "One ounce of the lavish scent contains 10,600 jasmine flowers and 28 dozen May roses"—and it cost $40 ($728.45!!!). And I might say it's a little obscene to create such an extravagant thing in the middle of the Great Depression—and yet, somehow, Joy was a huge success. A master perfumer created a work of art for a luxury vendor, and people bought it, and they loved it. Jackie Kennedy wore it; Vivien Leigh wore it. I've been wearing Joy for three weeks, and if I could have saved up enough pennies in 1930 to buy a tiny vial, I could see myself doing it, just to have that little something.

Joy was explicitly intended to be "a lighthouse" in a dark time of deprivation, and it wasn't overpriced just for the hell of it; it was the costliest in the sense of quality. It might best be known for its rose-jasmine pairing, but besides the entire region of Grasse crammed into every bottle, Joy also contains "leafy green notes," tuberose, ylang-ylang, aldehydes, peach (our old friend undecalactone?), lily of the valley, orris root, orchid, civet, musk, and sandalwood; Wikipedia also lists "michelia," which may mean magnolia here.

I'll admit up front that I have no idea when the sample I bought last month was produced, but the “juice,” as they say, looks very new; it doesn't have the deep dark color that I've seen on vintage bottles of Joy. It's got to be one of the newer formulations. Tom at Perfume Posse can speak for the older ones:

The [2022 sample] I received smells thinner than I remember - more skimming over those fields of flowers than just bashing into them, face-first. The Joy I remember reveled in the excess: bowers of roses, masses of lilies, clouds of tuberose backed with some of that “don’t F with me” musk that must have been civet back in the day. This is nice. Nice and sweet, with only a hint of the previous hedonist.

Angela at Now Smell This:

For the longest time, to me Joy smelled dense, like a Victorian room with the curtains pulled. I couldn’t feel my way around in it. The turning point for me came from hearing current Patou house perfumer Thomas Fontaine describe Joy’s sillage as lush and old fashioned. I’d been trying to make Joy a light, happy perfume. Really, it’s a gorgeously constructed velvet overcoat, heavy and plush and meticulously made. It’s red wine, not champagne.

The Scented Hound:

Joy (current version eau de parfum) is truly a joy when it first goes on the skin as it’s full of lush ylang-ylang and soapy white flowers and bright aldehydes. [...] As Joy continues its slow and deliberate path, a jasmine blends itself with the rose…but combined, they’re still very controlled and incredibly proper. Joy doesn’t transform or morph very much, but in the end, the florals fade and soften a bit, and what you’re left is a lightly warm breeze of light floral sandalwood musk.

The version I have is clearly the newer one—I actually would say it's more like champagne, not in the literal effervescent way (see the Coco Mademoiselles), but in the sense that this Joy is light. Not weak, but light, the way I described the aspect of No. 5 that I could stand as "limpid." In my head, Joy is a beautiful sunset pink color, sheer, almost verging into red. The jasmine comes out the strongest for me at first, maybe with the slight presence of an aldehyde, but then, on top of that, the biggest, fullest, realest rose I've ever smelled in a perfume. If I get cut flowers for my birthday, I always save any roses in the bouquet and dry them. Jean Patou's Joy smells like a rose that is so fully blown that the petals fall apart in my hand when I try to pull it from the vase. Not decaying, not that far gone, but the rose's absolute full potential of bloom, and so vividly that I can see the texture of the petals. If you want to tell me there’s 336 roses in here, I will believe you.

On my skin, the rose floats there on top, on a bed of headier florals, for at least half an hour; in my notes, I jotted down that a spicy ylang-ylang "with a slight bubblegum connotation" (see Samsara for more on the bubbleylang) shows up then, and by an hour-twenty, the whole thing has come together, all flowers present at once in a sweet, soft, heady, slightly spicy, rose-pink glow.

[Sidebar: At three hours, Joy reminded me in some non-literal way of Murray & Lanman's Florida Water, also billed as "the Richest of All Perfumes" in the late 1800s. (Of course I got myself a bottle of an actual Gilded Age perfume they still sell today for $4, are you kidding me?) I've seen a lot of Florida Water formulas (which are still used today in various spiritual traditions), and I've mostly seen lavender, clove, and multiple citrus notes as the components, sometimes with rose, ylang-ylang, and/or cinnamon as well. Unlike many, many French perfumes, Jean Patou's Joy doesn't have any citrus top notes at all, so I'm not sure what I'm getting in common with Florida Water, other than the florals and a certain spiciness that comes out late in Joy's game for me. I'd like to think it's purely the "richness" that reminds me of the Costliest Perfume in the World.]

"Warm breeze" is a good way to describe Joy's drydown; it's not heavy or old-fashioned to me at all, and I can't specifically pick out musk at any point (clearly, this sample was made after real animal musk was banned in 1979; anything animalic still here would be synthetic). I barely get sandalwood—it's just gorgeous florals, and if you (I) haven't smelled the original Joy, you aren't capable of missing it. Now Smell This has a breakdown of how the eau de toilette and the eau de parfum differed as of 2008; I got the EdP. I don't feel like it goes from light to dark, but it does smell very lush and complex to me. It feels like it sings, and you know what? When I first smelled it, I thought it smelled like a number of things I'd tried recently, particularly Coco Mademoiselle L'Eau Privée. That glowing pink rose-jasmine-ylang-sandalwood combination—and then I realized, no, those perfumes smell like Joy. Joy is so iconic that it's used as a building block, a quotation, in so many fragrances that came after it.

And it's so, so easy to wear—in fairness, I haven't worn the heavier original formulation, but I'm not even sure I'd want to. This Joy is so easy and lovely and gorgeous—I've been wondering if I'd ever find my one signature scent to rule them all, and while Joy doesn't have all my favorite notes, I wouldn't mind if it became mine.

But here's the thing: they don't manufacture Joy anymore. You can still buy what's already been produced, for now, but as existing supplies sell out, it'll only get more expensive with time. Because someone bought the rights to Jean Patou's Joy for the sole purpose of not producing it.

You're about to get a second post about who did that and why.

Perfume discussion masterpost

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

i'd love to come on here once again to geek out about Candela's great costume storytelling especially with watches because i loved Sean's wristwatch an unreasonable amount. And they done did it again, with the whole circle!

First of all, Imari/Malcolm wears his watch on his dominant hand, I'm assuming because on the other side the prosthetic would be in the way. But as someone who wears watches near compulsively, let me tell you: they can get in the way in physical activity, in a way that is at best distracting and at worst very painful, and at least enough so that wearing one is a purposeful trade-off for a soldier. Like, he decided he needed a watch badly enough to risk injury on his one good hand every time he punches someone. Something something habits of trench soldiers

But it's a nice watch, meaning either he got it from his family or he spent serious money on it after they cut him off (favour the latter because it looks very non-battered, unlike Sean's which looked like he definitely had it since the war). (Actually all of Malcolm's costume looks suspiciously pristine, I hope it'll come into play but if not it looks very sharp and I'm here for it.)

Then there's the doctor, whose pocket watch is not a status symbol. He doesn't carry it visibly and the chain is completely unadorned, bog-standard silver chain (probably not even real silver). That watch can be old, it can be cheap, it doesn't matter so long as it's reliable and has a second hand and isn't on his wrist for hygiene reasons. Because in a time where you don't have ecgs and you don't have oximetres and bp gauge isn't readily available, you have pulse, and you need a fucking indestructible watch to be a doctor under pressure in that world.

I thought Edgar's costume was a bit underwhelming initially, but turns out it's on purpose! It's all just what he hides some kind of scar or deformity under. With how much Alex stressed how much this man likes his sleeves, I was like oh that's INFORMATION. Because a surgeon who likes his sleeves down??? Absolute hygiene nightmare. Contamination 101. And Edgar seems a very fastidious doctor who wouldn't risk his patients' chances lightly, (and opted for pocket watch over wrist watch like a good doctor should btw) so again. That's a choice. Also having a dangly thing around your neck around less than lucid patients is a bad idea generally and he'd know that but chose it anyway (maybe because this look has a higher collar than you'd wear with a regular necktie?) (or because medical personnel would consider this but a costume designer might not, either way it works!). His clothes barely function for his profession or personality except for the watch (and the glasses), it's so interesting I love it here

Leo. Whose whole look is giving "has Money and Taste and wants to scream about it". Patterns on patterns in the most lavishly Victorian way, with The Most tie pin of all time. Fruity and fashionable. Here's the two things I'd expect this man to have above all else: rings, and a fancy, fancy very visible pocket watch.

He has neither. For the rings, let me briefly put on my tinfoil hat and say this is foreshadowing some kind of secret third life this guy is leading - because they went out of their way with make-up and clothes to make this man look soft and dainty and nonthreatening and then didn't do a single thing to give him the hands of the idle rich, and that feels deliberate. (Maybe it's just subtly hinting at his secret second life, the Candela work; or a less-than-rich background, and that's all it is. Maybe Taliesin doesn't like wearing rings. Still fun.)

But the watch! Where's the watch? He's a journalist, and a member of high-ish society! He should concern himself with time! It's not unimportant when things happen. It's not unimportant when he shows up somewhere. Trapp not only had a watch but was actively looking at it in his character art!

But this is a man who makes a point of running around in loungewear, looking like a gentleman who's just taking breakfast at home, on a five-day sea voyage. Comfort and image over practicality or even warmth. And a man who lies about his age to the narrator. There's some very purposeful ignoring going on here. Either he resents the passage of time or he's trying not to count down the days until some other shoe drops, but I feel like this guy very much decided he doesn't want to carry a reminder of time around with him.

[Retrospective edit: okay but was I kinda right about the conspicuous absence of watches on Leo's costume or what]

So it took me a long time to realise this because it's very small and in a very strange place, but the small round ornament on her lapel? It's a watch!

I'm pretty sure this is here because it looks cool, but let's poke at it with a stick for funsies.

They gave Grimoria a cute little watch right over her heart that she cannot look at herself. I can't figure out what that means but there's something here. Something about how young she is and yet how much old stuff is working through her - how the others can glean some truth about reality and time through her, maybe? How she's outside of time in a very different way from Leo, not by choice but by the perspective she was put in? It's different, in any case, from the norm and from the more "normal"-coded characters in the circle, and it feels like it's foreshadowing some kind of doom.

Long story short, their costumes are so much fun and as the granddaughter of a certified mechanical watch nutter, I deeply appreciate all the cool watch details I'm getting. This is just a treasure trove of visual/environmental storytelling and it's delightful.

[jewellery-box]

Friends!

This blog is for fun. I'm not a historian. I'm not a professional. I'm a teacher who loves fashion history. Everything that I post here is from the Internet, online blogs, museums...everything. Dates and descriptions included.

English is also not my native language.

I really, really don't appreciate comments like:

"Ummm this isn't actually Victorian/Edwardian."

"What's with the description? This isn't right."

"Actually, this isn't...you should know..."

I'm not a professional. This is a hobby blog that I keep for fun. I do not get anything for keeping this blog, and I quote every source I use. If you don't agree, visit the source and see for yourself. You can also get your own blog and post things you consider correct. Or you can try to be kinder about pointing out your doubts at least.

I'm just sick and tired of all the derogatory comments. People never say anything nice but will always jump at the opportunity to correct.

Thank you for your attention 💖

[daincrediblegg]

all right. since you asked very nicely I'll do an outfit breakdown for our dear girl, complete with pictures because I’ve become a bit of a hoe about victorian clothing since I began this whole fucking thing bc of her. (And everyone kindly thank @thejewelsofmyheart for asking)

Now I will note that some of the photo accompaniments are not quite completely the vibe I was going for sometimes in terms of fabric/color/vibe, but let it be noted these are all from my references I’ve collected on here and on pinterest over months and hey this is what I got if I was talking to a costume designer tho this is the kindof breakdown I would give them

Lady Terror's typical undergarments consists of drawers (notably crotchless- as ladies drawers were back then for what should be reasonably obvious reasons), corset (notably one with the recently invented front clasp closure that would make it easier to do up and undo without assistance- on a ship full of dudes this would be wise), chemise, petticoats 1 (linen), 2 (flannel) and 3 (which she only truly occasionally wears) corded- to give her skirt a bit of extra poof (not a fan of this when the cold gets extreme tho understandably). And those are at least the basic components.

Moving outward it gets a little different from what would typically be worn by women even on a ship, but Lady Terror's whole thing is she's trying to fit in with the men while still holding onto her identity as a woman. So to start, we have a collared shirt and waistcoat (where she also notably keeps her pocket watch, given to her by her father), which she typically wears while she's inside the ship and the climate isn't... fucking dead freezing all the time. in lieu of the vest sometimes she wars a smart red crossover. She also has two knitted sweaters (one a slightly lighter than naval blue - one her father used to wear- , one a handsome cream with a slight puff at the forearm to imitate the women's fashions of the day- knitted by a friend) . Alternatively, she has two thick long-sleeved woolen bodices, one in a more formal style that matches her woolen naval blue skirt (which she typically reserves for dinner with the officers) , and one lighter colored more casually styled one that she can wear with her vest over it (much more practical during the colder winter months).

As for OUTERWEAR she has a long naval peacoat (similar to that which most of the officers wear, save for a little more flare at the skirt to accommodate her skirt- and btw the coat pictured above I actually own), a capelet for when she needs to look a little more feminine and extra formal. Gloves, of course, are a must (one pair knitted, one pair lined with fur, and a pair of fur over-mittens that match her hat), a fur hat that she favors from her time in the Prussian seas, a bonnet (that she loathes), and a long red scarf, knitted for her by a friend back home.

And that just about does it for her everyday outfits while on the ships at least. She has a few more bodices and lighter underthings kept in store on Erebus(including one fancy dress complete with crinoline skirt), which doesn't much see the light of day anymore, but on the few occasions that she had to wear it before the expedition, she enjoyed it quite a lot.

Of course also, in my lady terror energy and inspiration tags I continue to compile and collect some dresses that I think would suit her for formal gatherings. She brought only one of note with her on the ship, but it remains in store for the majority of the story (but allow me to say without spoiling anything: Francis would recognize it on sight). I only had room for one more photo so there you have it. Outfit breakdown of the century. Good night.

[merakiui]

Might be a little controversial, but 6D* You're just so friendly and welcoming. I did put you with your beloved tako in the end at least!

Ignihyde, Kalim, and the board game club!!!! :0 why, thank you for putting me in the club my favorite tako is in hehe. <3 I would absolutely demolish him in a card game. >:) I feel like Ignihyde would be a fun dorm to stay in because it's so high-tech and the neon blue is pretty, but truthfully I am abysmally bad at handling technology problems. I would be at Idia's doorstep nearly every day just to ask for help LOL;;;;;; he would hate me for that.

Octavinelle, Azul, and the mountain lovers club!!! This makes sense to me and I promise this isn't my love for the fish speaking. I understand Azul's grind!! He's annoying and so very persistent when he sets his sights on something, but then so am I and we're both dedicated to reaching our goals. I'm forever rooting for him. And the mountain lovers club vibes omg!! I will be the first to join Jade's club. I adore nature. orz we could enjoy so many nice hikes while admiring the flora and fauna. We are meant to be. True love is taking a hike together and stopping every five seconds to look at a cool rock or a pretty flower or a patch of moss.

Pomefiore, Kalim, and light music club!! Omg I don't think you're off at all! Light music club is so fun because I think my vibes align similarly with Lilia, Cater, and Kalim. And Pomefiore is a fun choice. If I were sorted into Pomefiore, I would absolutely thrive. Every day would be fun getting to be around students who like fashion, and I think it would be interesting to spend a day just talking about fashion. And I'd do anything just to have a spa day with Vil or let him do my makeup omg!!!!

Octavinelle, Riddle, and board game club vibes. OOOOOO the Riddle vibes... he's just like me fr. <3 I love my strawberry bf with all my heart!!!

Pomefiore, Kalim, and mountain lovers club! I have been assigned the Kalim vibes by many, so I think it's safe to say this is a factual truth at this point hehe!! :D

Octavinelle, Vil, and gargoyle studies club!! Oooo I think the Vil vibes make sense! I'm not harsh on others like Vil, but I do strive to be my best possible self at all times. Also, I adore fashion and makeup. No matter what mood I'm in, I must always look my best in a nice outfit. I think Vil would understand that sort of feeling! :D and the gargoyle studies club!! I would love to spend hours in that club looking at gothic architecture and gargoyles with Malleus. I'll gladly listen to him talk about gargoyles all day if he lets me ramble about all things gothic and Victorian.

(assign me a twst vibes!)

[genericpuff]

Oh, so that's where the whole "Lolita" thing came from... Uh. I can understand the whole tiredness that going down that rabbit whole provoked you, so it's okay if you wanna rest for a while.

On another note, can I say this whole "Dr. Pepper show" comic reeks of mid 2000s weirdly disturbing content? Like, I'm not trying to say all those things back then were bad, but I think you get what I mean when I say that... Yeah, the 2000s were wild times and tons of stuff that shouldn't be normalized or publicly exposed as "okay" were, well, alright.

And I mean, there's nothing wrong with liking or making content with dark topics. But there's just something about the whole "Gothic lolitas" that make me feel uncomfortable. Like, yeah, I know is a fashion style on some areas. But, like, knowing RS particular interpretation of what it is doesn't make me feel any better.

So, uh, when you feel better (and if it's okay), any theories on what the webcomic could have been about? I personally think it may have been straight-up nsfw of, well, whatever the plot of it was. Or maybe another one of those "purity culture deconstructs", idk.

Anywho, thanks for the info from where "usedbandaid" originates. Have a nice rest of the day. And i'm so sorry for whatever horrors you may have witnessed.

haha I'm okay, honestly, it wasn't so much horrifying in the sense of being like, legitimately triggered, it was more so just like ... whoof. I gotta ease up on my own habits because there's nothing here that I need to be seeing LMAO Just kinda makes me feel sorry for myself a little bit for getting sucked into it in the first place but I know it's just my ADHD tendencies to be like "OOH, STUFF??? I WANNA ABSORB ALL THE STUFF" (instead of doing the things I'm supposed to be doing).

Man, if people go on this many rabbitholes to find my old art some day... let me know because I'd genuinely love to see LOL I've lost so many of my old pieces over the years. But I'm sure there's also still plenty of cringe that would make me (⊙x⊙;) So I'll give RS credit there, a lot of that old stuff - especially The Doctor Pepper Show - was made when she was like, 18. I can understand her maybe wanting to disconnect herself from both that comic and her old usernames affiliated with more more fetish-y art. But that's the Internet for you. It's true what they say - anything you post on the Internet is there forever. Even stuff from 20 years ago.

Oh god 2004 was nearly 20 years ago-

As for The Doctor Pepper Show, there are still pages out there for it that you can find, along with summaries. I think she got about 3 chapters in before she quit doing it (seemed to be due to her going to college around the same time which is like, yeah, valid). Unfortunately so far it seems there isn't a way to get entire chapters to read it at length, but there are some spare pages floating around.

I believe it was about a woman in a neo-Victorian society trying to become a doctor ? (from what I've been told) which is interesting but you can still tell there was a lot of RS' own personal kink stuff going into it. Which is like, fine, more power to her, at the VERY least she was right to put it behind an 18+/R rating back then. But it's wild that she's still doing that sort of thing in a comic that's being marketed to children (LO). Makes me wonder if she'd ever return to it after LO is done, god knows when that day will come though.

[sanityshorror]

Gonna break down the rumors surrounding TDMFH (the Dressmaker from Hell/ Julius the Dressmaker creepypasta)

- it's literally a tongue in cheek written creepypasta

- no it was not based off ASF lol

- campy slasher at most

- I honestly wish I had made it a lot more messed up cuz it's TAME

Read it here or.. THE TL;DR rundown:

>be Casey

>get engaged

>get invited to an exclusive appointment at some high end Victorian fashion boutique

>"okay ig I'll go, what's the worst that could happen?"

>Julius.

>... He high key seems p nice though

>gossip with Julius about the depp vs herd trial while he fits you for your wedding gown

>newbestieunlocked.jpeg

>come back to get your wedding dress in a month

>"you remind me so much of my sister"

>"your sister?"

>"yes, but she's dead now. She was a real bitch just like you >:)"

>get knocked unconscious with Julius's pistol

>funky town plays

>wake up getting skinned alive

>"at least I'll pass out from the pain"

>"OH CASEY... WAKEY WAKEY"

>Julius injects you with meth

>this isn't even a bruh moment what the actual fuck is wrong with you

>get into a shouting match with demon while he skins you alive and cuts your feet off

>"brb I got to do something BUT DON'T WORRY, THERE IS WIFI IN HELL!!"

>?!?!!

>I met the Dressmaker from Hell, I hope you never do.

[datastate]

9, 19 (even tho I know already ehe) aaaand 32 :3

9: do you have a "type"? if so, what is it?

i have felt romantic attraction three (3) times in my entire life, so i fear there isn't yet enough data for this to be conclusive... but i will say! i've never fallen for a blonde person, fiction or otherwise. which is more than my good sibling kid of streets fame can say <3

for a more serious response though, my standards are depressingly low & i feel it's a bit amusing that so few people have really been considered in my mind as actual candidates for a romantic relationship - even before i develop romantic attraction, i've sometimes tried to decide if it's worth pursuing based on a few different factors... though i'm shy to put the details of that here. romance has never been a very important part of my life, but in terms of wanting a long-lasting relationship, it is the most viable option for most who do experience romantic attraction more often than i, and i'd want to be prepared if the question does come.

& for all the jokes, aesthetic attraction plays a very little part in whether or not i'd want someone as my partner. many people pursue me based solely on appearances, and it's certainly made clear to me how shallow it feels to have that as a significant point of interest.

19: describe your fashion sense. do you "dress gayly"?

HOW RUDE...!! ...i may dress gayly, but that is BESIDES THE POINT!!

aheem. in any case. my wardrobe is primarily filled with reds, blacks, and dark purple/blue hues. i typically prefer clothing with a more formal feel to them, often long-sleeved, and i rarely go without wearing my gloves! i do have a few short-sleeved shirts which have fanciful designs on them or where the sleeve hangs nicely... i need to get a new vest, though. and i'd love to buy more skirts (or loose pants that hang like skirts)

in the past, i used to wear much simpler styles. jeans with a leather jacket, hoodie, or a flannel. i still have my first girlfriend's flannel in my closet bwehehe... it's been there for years.

but of course...! when i'm at home, i typically opt for what is the most comfortable, so i end up reusing the same few outfits if i know i'm not heading out that day :P it's usually simple formal black pants & whatever soft shirt i have around.

as many of my friends have claimed... i dress & speak as though i'm... "a victorian dandy" ... devastating.

32: tell a funny story about something really gay you've done.

haggardly lights my cigarette... 🚬

you've already heard the story of my first gf and i taking literal weeks to kiss each other on the mouth, during which we'd meet after school every day in a secluded spot between school walls, just in front of the student council room... so i shall choose another!

when i was a young dyke, see, there was this lovely girl (soon to discover. they're not a girl. but that's unrelated) i'd met during summer courses (to get academic credits early) and quickly grew fond of. we had a bit of a thing going on here, and they eventually invited me to the "anime club" (& book club + the origami club that they started up. but that's unimportant right now) since i stayed after school anyhow in the library to finish work/etc. and they wished to spend more time with me.

when i went to the anime club, it was primarily their friend group. i was extremely nervous of being the only one who didn't know them, especially as i'd transferred late to the school; but they quickly warmed up to me, and throughout the year, we all came to realize we were gay or trans in some manner.

one person's realization was. through her crush on me, which i somehow didn't realize i was the cause of when i saw her instagram & announcement she was bisexual & her sudden uptick in calling me "honey."

the time it actually registered for me that "oh! this is not just a joke about everyone in this club being gay girls!" was when we finished the final episode of death note. after discussing it, she said that she loved my words & picked me up, twirled me around, and carried me out of the classroom "bridal style" -- my friend stole some flowers from one of the planters to put in our hair when she finally set me down in the courtyard. i was so embarrassed, but it was very fun <3

anyway. dn is gay but not for the reason people think. it's because i permanently associate it with one of the most flustering moments of my entire life, during which i accidentally put my face in her tits multiple times 👍

[thesporkidentity]

I had not formed this conclusion in consequence of Sir Percival's refusal to show the writing or to explain it, for that refusal might well have proceeded from his obstinate disposition and his domineering temper alone. My sole motive for distrusting his honesty sprang from the change which I had observed in his language and his manners at Blackwater Park, a change which convinced me that he had been acting a part throughout the whole period of his probation at Limmeridge House. His elaborate delicacy, his ceremonious politeness which harmonised so agreeably with Mr. Gilmore's old-fashioned notions, his modesty with Laura, his candour with me, his moderation with Mr. Fairlie—all these were the artifices of a mean, cunning, and brutal man, who had dropped his disguise when his practised duplicity had gained its end, and had openly shown himself in the library on that very day.

so the fact that he demanded she sign a contract while absolutely refusing to let her read it, indeed, making sure she couldn't read it by covering all the text except the signature line with victorian sticky notes, isn't what made them suspicious. no, that could be explained by him being just the kind of petty asshole who would demand unquestioning obedience from laura and start slamming his hands against the desk to scare them because she's his wife and should do as he says. what made them suspicious was the way that he first tried the charm approach to get what he wanted rather than his default demand of obedience. what a fucking nightmare that they don't question when he's violent, but when he's nice.

also, this is unrelated to the quote, but my brain is just reeling at the cognitive dissonance of the attitudes in this scene. and i don't mean sir percival specifically, i mean the general attitudes including percival's insistence, and fosco's declaring that he and his wife have only one opinion (his), both representative of the idea that a wife should obey the husband (it's just that there are acceptable and un-acceptable ways of ensuring that obedience).

like, on one hand is the attitude that a wife should only do as her husband says. and yet on the other hand is the contradiction of laura having some sort of legal right that requires her consent and signature. she should submit to her husband's will, and yet the requirement of her signature means that she is taking on whatever the responsibility of that contract is. she should have no say, but she should bear the consequences of his deciding for her. it's just this catch-22, there's no way for her (or, truly, women in general) to win there. i hate it! a woman has some sort of legal right, except that she shouldn't, she should follow orders, she should be responsible for a contract. it just goes round and round in a circle of contradictions but no one acknowledges that no-win scenario except for laura and marian. the men just either pretend they don't see it (likely fosco) or truly have never examined that situation because their privilege means it doesn't affect them or benefits them (likely glyde). anyway i hate it, it makes me want to tear my hair out

[crematedcow]

What is the fashion in the world like? What kind of things do the ROs wear?

hm 🤔 the fashion in vestria is pretty diverse and some places have a more unique style then others. but for the most part, the clothing ranges from rococo to victorian (steampunkish, yknow?), but there are also medieval/fantasy knights still walking around, so... it's very extensive!!

as to what the ROs specially wear, i answered that a bit already in the ask about their physical appearance, but i dont mind going deeper into their fashion style and what it's kinda leaned in on!

Chulainn: they mostly prefer to wear tunics in either red, black or brown. just something comfortable, because they do like to wear some pieces of protection above it. something like a short chainmail or leather armor, since that is just something they are used to. sure, it's not like the full body armor they once wore, but chulainn doesnt care about protecting themselves that much anymore. it's more just for the familiarity. then they would some tight, dark pants, so they can wear proper and sturdy boots above them 🤔they dont really care about looks that much anymore, so they kinda just wear whatever, but it leans more into the medieval style

Lys: obviously they dress nice. like very nice. more into the style of the victorian or rokoko with more loose shirts/tunics, but tightfitting waistcoats or vests with jabot collars. those collars!! are a must!! its just so fancy. sometimes they wear neckties too, but not often. lys likes to keep their frills :(! also wears a matching coat most of the time, at least when they are outside. sometimes they dress a bit eccentric, but hey, they work for the queen and have to represent her as much. i also mentioned in a the other ask, that they wear heeled shoes with spats, so i think you get what i am going for with their fashion

Holly: she wears what lys gave her, so their style in that sense is very similar. but she likes to leave out long coats that lys often wears, since it's actually quite warm were they are located lol! i can see her however rocking a short jacket, that goes to her waist. it would be giving expensive, but a lot more laid back compared to their partner! perhaps her shirt wouldnt be correctly tucked in or her collar was messy, and she def would never wear jabot collars like lys

Elli: well?? he just wears his armor the entire time. think of any silver armor with a violet surcoat above it and a hood around the head in the same color, plus the black fabric across where his face would be. they do not dress in anything else...

Irydion: irydion tends to dress in lighter armor. she would cover any vital parts but compared to elli, leave enough uncovered to be able to move quicker and make less noise. she also likes to wear things with fur, since she hails from the more colder regions. it isn't practical later on when they join the mc on the journey, but they def would wear a cape with either fur around the neck or at the ends. she keeps her clothes simple enough, as she never really cared for fashion! i would say irydion leans also more into the medieval/fantasy style :)

Junius: CHEST. IS. OUT. always!! he does not try to have the decency and cover up, even in the more colder climates irydion summoned him in. he either wears very lose tunics with a big enough v-cut, or just a coat with nothing underneath, only buttoning it up halfway through. pain is beauty, or something along those lines... having to work with what is given, he usually wears colorful capes or scarfs around his neck and pants that go to his waist. would he wear fashion corsets? absolutely. junius is here to SERVE CVNT

perhaps i could make some pinterest boards for some visualization? i think that would be fun :) if interested tell me in the asks

[thelioncourts]

Very important question:

Louis in 2022 has elected for the stylish look of hoodie with tailored track pants. What do you think Lestat would wear in 2022?

hey hey hey, do not come for louis! sure, 2022!louis is in his victorian-wife-mourning era, but he is a fashion i c o n. just wait for him to be himself again (sure, it may take a suicide attempt, a queen of the damned invasion, and/or other things); he is going to be the most beautiful thing the 2020s have ever seen !! he's just. sad right now. and maybe under a bit of mind gift duress. and mourning his husband. and secluding himself in a tower like rapunzel.

however, let's talk about 2022!lestat.

re: lestat, I think there are two ways to look at this. one way is that his rockstar era has not happened yet (likely? probably, but who knows with rj) and so we will witness rockstar!lestat in the next few seasons as a modern celebrity. in that case, I think rockstar!lestat of the 2022 world is -- as a lot of people have suggested -- måneskin. now, as a huge måneskin fan, I want to specify that I think he would be primarily måneskin as dressed by the etro house, but with a smattering of their gucci stuff too. here's some of what I mean:

but! outside of his rockstar!persona, you have to keep in mind that they don't want to draw an insane amount of attention to themselves. vampires are already more beautiful than humans and stand out naturally, so dressing in super high fashion or something 24/7 would probably only draw more attention. that being said, they're still going to mostly dress nice and everything so, sticking with måneskin (and focusing the most on ethan and damiano (as they're my faves and who I pay attention to the most anyway)) here are some more daily outfits I feel like 2022!lestat would wear.

(the second to last pic is from an interview with rolling stone, done by jon weigell and the video is on youtube and just !!!!!! you have to look at ethan and damiano in it).

I think a lot of these outfits really embody the fashion forwardness that Lestat would have, especially after being in the rockstar world and seeing the difference in how people express themselves through clothing today moreso than they could and did in the past.

but! again, make no mistake about it, lestat and louis in 2022 will be the fashion couple of the century. just wait until louis isn't suicidal, then you'll all see !!!

[mariana-oconnor]

Wisteria Lodge pt 3

We return to the cautionary tale of Mr Scott Eccles who unknowingly spent the night with a Victorian Era catfish.

And also my quest to live in a fictional house, because it sounds pretty and apparently no longer has an owner.

A cold and melancholy walk of a couple of miles brought us to a high wooden gate, which opened into a gloomy avenue of chestnuts. The curved and shadowed drive led us to a low, dark house, pitch-black against a slate-coloured sky.

It's not at its best on rainy days, that's fine. It's very atmospheric and totally going for that witchy aesthetic. I can work with that.

“Well, sir, it's this lonely, silent house and the queer thing in the kitchen. Then when you tapped at the window I thought it had come again.” “That what had come again?” “The devil, sir, for all I know. It was at the window.”

And there are friendly neighbours checking in when things look weird. Aw, how nice of them.

Outside of the joke, I have an unpleasant suspicion that the 'devil' will be the cook and this is going to be retroactively racist. But Maybe it's Aloysius himself risen from the grave. Or not-grave as the case may be (the body was not recognisable, we can't assume).

"Lord, sir, what a face it was! I'll see it in my dreams. [...] It wasn't black, sir, nor was it white, nor any colour that I know but a kind of queer shade like clay with a splash of milk in it."

Yep. It's going to be the cook. Yep. OK then. Sometimes being proven right is wonderful, sometimes it's just...

Odds and ends, some pipes, a few novels, two of them in Spanish, and old-fashioned pinfire revolver, and a guitar were among the personal property.

Well you can't trust a man who leaves his books and guitar behind.

And then I guess the racism intensifies? We're now in the realms of some sort of reference to... maybe a Victorian idea of a Voodoo-like culture/religion? I don't know much about that family of religions, but this seems like it would match the western portrayals I do know of animal sacrifice, burnt offerings kind of things. That leads me to believe we're probably not talking about mainland Spain, but one of the colonial territories. Caribbean, perhaps?

Puerto Rico's crest looks green and white, though their flag isn't, and they had a revolutionary movement going on in the late 19th century, it looks like. This could be related to that? Like I said, my knowledge of the history of Spain and its colonies is not exactly good.

“I must congratulate you, Inspector, on handling so distinctive and instructive a case. Your powers, if I may say so without offence, seem superior to your opportunities.”

High praise there from Holmes. We finally have a detective character who is being recognised as good at his job. I'm almost speechless.

Of course, he still decides that he wants to try solving the case on his own out of some sort of pride, which seems counter to actual good policing, but sure.

"I could tell by numerous subtle signs, which might have been lost upon anyone but myself, that Holmes was on a hot scent. As impassive as ever to the casual observer, there were none the less a subdued eagerness and suggestion of tension in his brightened eyes and brisker manner which assured me that the game was afoot."

Watson comparing Holmes to a hunting dog again, and once again delighting in his own ability to read his bff so well. Aww... they're so sweet sometimes.

I waited, therefore—but to my ever-deepening disappointment I waited in vain. Day succeeded day, and my friend took no step forward. One morning he spent in town, and I learned from a casual reference that he had visited the British Museum. Save for this one excursion, he spent his days in long and often solitary walks, or in chatting with a number of village gossips whose acquaintance he had cultivated.

Watson: Why isn't he doing anything?

Holmes: *researches things at the British Museum, does recon, and gathers witness statements from the locals*

Watson: He's not doing anything!

The Oxshott Mystery a solution Arrest of Supposed Assassin

Well, that's disappointing. Now I know it isn't an assassin at all.

But it doesn't seem like they think that Mr Garcia is still alive, although I'm holding out hope on that one. The Body. Wasn't. Recognisable. There are only two reasons to beat a person's face in like that and one is extreme rage, the other is to conceal the identity. They're currently going the racist route of calling the cook a 'savage' etc., trying to sell the vicious rage narrative, but I'm still not convinced. Baynes, don't give into the racism. Come on, man. You were doing so well.

Also, I love the word 'ambuscade'. I don't think I've seen it before. It's just another term for ambush, but still. It's a lot nicer.

“Really we must see Baynes at once,” cried Holmes, picking up his hat. “We will just catch him before he starts.”

So he's definitely got something wrong, but we already knew that because there's an entire half of this section and another section to go.

“I can't make the man out. He seems to be riding for a fall. Well, as he says, we must each try our own way and see what comes of it. But there's something in Inspector Baynes which I can't quite understand.”

Hmm... Does Baynes have a secret plan? Is he trying to draw out someone else by taking the cook prisoner? Lure someone into a false sense of security. He does seem several degrees more competent than the average law enforcement professional in these stories.

“We may put aside this idea of Baynes's that Garcia's servants were concerned in the matter. The proof of this lies in the fact that it was he who had arranged for the presence of Scott Eccles, which could only have been done for the purpose of an alibi. It was Garcia, then, who had an enterprise, and apparently a criminal enterprise, in hand that night in the course of which he met his death. I say ‘criminal’ because only a man with a criminal enterprise desires to establish an alibi."

He could have been in collusion with his servants, of course, but other than that, yes. Also, I'm pretty sure people want alibis for non-criminal things. Not good things, sure, but non-criminal things. Like sneaking out to a party or... playing a prank. idk.

“We can imagine that in the confusion of flight something precious, something which he could not bear to part with, had been left behind. That would explain his persistence, would it not?”

Should have had a bug-out bag. Clearly not prepper enough for a life of crime. Always have your most precious possessions on you, or located conveniently enough to grab and go. You've got to be smart about these things if you're going to go around doing politically motivated murders - or other crimes, I suppose.

"The other mansions belonged to prosaic and respectable people who live far aloof from romance. But Mr. Henderson, of High Gable, was by all accounts a curious man to whom curious adventures might befall. I concentrated my attention, therefore, upon him and his household."

Alas, Mr Hynes Hynes, we never got a chance to know you.

But also HA, Watson. And you thought he wasn't doing anything. What did you want him to do?

"the step of a deer and the air of an emperor"

That's one hell of a description.

The step of a deer you say?

He's beauty, he's grace, he's falling on his face.

Also, the fact that their names are Henderson and Lucas.

I have to.

I have to.

"Henderson has two children—girls of eleven and thirteen. Their governess is a Miss Burnet, an Englishwoman of forty or thereabouts."

Oh no... is this a kidnapping plot? In which case, I'm glad Mr Garcia died. If he is dead. it's looking more likely that he's dead, though, as nothing seems to have happened at the Henderson household. Or he wants everyone to think he's dead, at least. Kidnapping is a terrible thing to do. Why couldn't this have been a nice, clean assassination. There's no need to bring the children into it.

And I feel like the governess is probably involved, in which case the finger of shame points at her. Was she also seduced by Mr Garcia? Is he the Spanish bisexual James Bond of the Victorian era?

The emperor reference doesn't seem like it's being used lightly, and the emphasis on 'Henderson's' riches added to it. I'm thinking maybe foreign potentate in hiding? Deposed royalty in exile? Assassination is looking more likely, but also kidnapping is still a possibility. The directions could be directions to the nursery/children's bedroom.

"It was my system which enabled me to find John Warner, late gardener of High Gable, sacked in a moment of temper by his imperious employer."

There's the 'imperious' thing again. Definitely the air of some kind of royal in disguise going on. Also, I'm so used to servants who have been fired being suspects in these things, my brain immediately though he must have been in cahoots with Garcia, but apparently he is in cahoots with Holmes instead.

"They are very violent. Twice Henderson has lashed at folk with his dog-whip, and only his long purse and heavy compensation have kept him out of the courts."

OK, maybe the kids need to be taken away from him if he goes around whipping people. Also, now I'm sad Garcia didn't assassinate him. Horrible man.

"I may add that Miss Burnet's age and character make it certain that my first idea that there might be a love interest in our story is out of the question."

Excuse me? Excuse me? Her age makes a love interest out of the question? Her age? She's 40, she's not dead. Her character, maybe, I don't know, never met her, but her age. Holmes you're channelling 'fourteen year old in fandom' right now and it's not a good look.

That comment alone makes me hope that she and Garcia had the fling to end all flings. I hope she and that bisexual assassin went to town. I hope they had so much sex. I hope they had a romance for the ages. Tragic and doomed and so very very dramatic and passionate.

I hope, if their plan was to kidnap children, that they met a sticky end, but before that, I hope they were at it like rabbits.

Her age... really. Pshaw.

"Miss Burnet has not been seen by any human eye since the night of the murder. From that evening she has utterly vanished. Is she alive? Has she perhaps met her end on the same night as the friend whom she had summoned? Or is she merely a prisoner?"

Super dead. His majesty Mr Henderson does not seem the type to take prisoners. Although maybe he wants information. Eh, I guess she's probably alive, though, that way we can get someone to tell us what happened in their own words, since it seems that, in spite of the shoddy method of identification, it seems that Mr Garcia is indeed dead.

Unless he did fake his death and he and Miss Burnet have run off together.

“I know which is her room. It is accessible from the top of an outhouse. My suggestion is that you and I go to-night and see if we can strike at the very heart of the mystery.”

OK, yes, she's alive and Watson and Holmes are once again breaking and entering to free a woman from captivity. Only this time the woman might be a kidnapper. But also her employer seems to be a monumental dick - as I'm assuming that Holmes' information comes from more sources than just the ex-employee.

So, next time I imagine Miss Burnet will be discovered and tell us her side of the sorry tale. I'm currently in the foiled kidnapping way of thinking. And I'm 90% sure Garcia is actually dead, even if their method of identifying him does leave me groaning. And I'm sad he does not appear to have been the cunning bisexual assassin of my dreams.

Oh, and apparently the house is a rental, so that's a shame. But it does come fully furnished and now with extra guitar, books and remains of potential ritual animal sacrifice... so upsides.