#it has a similar vibe to those gothic posts

[canon-in-too-deep]

Fonts Part 2: Drop Caps

Continuing on from my last post on body fonts, I thought I'd do a little highlight of some great fonts to use for drop caps.

I love drop caps. Drop 'em like it's hot, amiright? Big and dramatic and so very eye catching, a drop cap is a great way to start a new chapter.

See below the break for my full post on drop caps. Links will be provided to where you can get the fonts discussed for free. Beverages and snacks will be bring-your-own only. This is an amateur session. If you're looking for profession opinions and tips, uh, you've come to the wrong place.

So when I'm adding drop caps to any text, I always figure out what body font I'm using first. The body font is like the main course of the meal, and the drop cap is the fine wine I'm trying to pair with it. After all, you wouldn't have a nice chianti with a tuna salad, would you? (I wouldn't actually know. I don't drink wine. But I still wouldn't pair comic sans with anything) It's all down to preference, of course, but some combinations just work more easily than others.

First off, if the body font I'm working with is a bit fancier and more detailed (like IM FELL English), I'll usually just use that same font for the drop caps. Using the same font for the body text and the drop caps can look great and be very aesthetically pleasing, as it gives the overall text a clean, consistent, and balanced appearance. Having the same font for different uses throughout a text while varying the font's size and weight and format is a great way to design something pleasing to the eye and not overwhelm or confuse the reader (and it'll save yourself some time, too. Honestly, picking designs and fonts take up quite a significant portion of my typesetting time).

It's like instead of adding toppings to your ice cream, you just put on another scoop of vanilla. Delicious, and classic. You'll also notice that I use small caps in the first line along with the drop cap. I usually do either the entire first line, or just the first 3-5 initial words marked as small caps. I like small caps with a drop cap. It's like an extra dollop of whip cream on top of your ice cream. Not necessary, but still yummy. ...

Of course, choosing a font that's different from your body font to use for your drop caps can be super fun and dramatic. It'll make your text stand out even more, and can add a lot of character to a design. I've seen some really creative uses of drop caps with graphics/ornaments added in, but for this post I'm sticking to just the fonts.

This one here uses Initials TFB. Initials TFB is one of my favorite fonts to use for drop caps. This font has a lot of really nice detail to it. It's gothic. Fancy. Super duper dressed up. And it's square shaped! Which means it's easy to format and place in your text and won't stick out where it's not wanted. It's like a really nice clip on time. Perfect for formal occasions and convenient to use. (And those occasions can range easily from the classic to gothic to romantic to fantastic.)

Next is another square, gothic font! May I present, her majesty, Medieval Victoriana? Now, this one is pretty similar to Initials TFB, but it has a different vibe to it than the previous font. Also super detailed and fancy, the designs for Medieval Victoriana are a bit cleaner and crisper. It's available in two styles, one with the letter in the center white filled, and one with it black filled (as pictured above).

And now we have something different! Not square shaped! ...Though still gothic (I use a LOT of gothic fonts. They just work so well for so many books! Makes me feel like a medieval monk scribing away). This font is Augusta. It's a medium sort of fancy. Not as full on, in your face as the previous two fonts, but still enough to get into the grand ballroom without making a scene. What I like about this font is that it has a lot of character and flare, but is still decently legible and not so overpowering that it takes too much away from the body font. Augusta also has some very nice lower case letters, making it also a great font for headers and titles (which you might want to pair up with your drop caps, to limit the number of fonts used on a single page). Well dressed and versatile, this font could be a British super spy undercover at the bar. If that bar was behind a medieval printing press.

Cloister Black is like the last font, but with a half dozen more points dropped into fancy smanciness. It's got a lot more going on, and can hit that medieval vibe just as easily as it can groove to a newsstand. It may be a bit harder to tell what letter has been drop capitized, but hey, readers should be able to figure it out from context clues, right? Sometimes legibility is the price of swag, as the hip cool kids say.

This next font is WW2Blackletter, which comes in two different versions (as pictured above): pointy bottom version, or swoopy bottom version. WW2Blackletter is a super duper fun font, and very unique. Just look at that sucker. Lots of character. Grungy. Gritty. Daring you to walk to through the dark forest to the black castle on the night of the full moon. It's definitely a font that requires careful pairing with the right story. Kind of like a guest that shows up covered in fake blood, dressed in all black with a cloak and a set of plastic fangs in their mouth. On any other day, it might seem out of place. But for Halloween, it's perfect.

Okay, now for something a little more different. Takota is a nice brush stroke font. Simple and straight to the point, very bold, easy to read, and works well for more modern texts. Just looking at this drop cap, you can practically feel the thick ol' paintbrush in your head, bristles dripping with fresh paint, as you delicately tap that 'T' key on your keyboard.

I had to of course include at least one script font with some nice swoopy cursive letters. This is Exmouth, a font which I haven't gotten a chance to use a lot of yet, but of which, I am very much enjoying the swoopiness. Fonts with exaggerated flourishes like these are great for period pieces and literary classics. They look like something a handsome gentleman suitor would sign at the end of their letter confessing their deep, unrequited love. Big swoopy cursive letters like these, however, can be a pain to work with as drop caps. They're drama queens. Queen Bees. That mean girl from that one movie that always dresses in coordinated pink. For this example here, I had to adjust the size of the drop cap and add in some extra space between the T and the H so that the drop cap wouldn't be thrusting itself into that first line. If you have the time, it can definitely be worth it to use curved/slanted drop caps like this. They just usually require a bit of fandangling to play nice with the other letters.

... Aaaand that brings up to the end of the list! I was actually going to include some more fonts, but I think this post has reached enough heights as a wall 😅 (maybe I'll have to do a Part 2.5). I was also a bit more limited in what fonts I could recommend, as I wanted to make sure they were all 100% free for use, personal or commercial. If you made it to the end, thanks for reading, and I hope this was helpful!

[squiddy-god]

OK OK OK I currently have like two things I wanna do and I just want to know witch I have to finish First

The first has one chapter done so I just have to write the prologue, the other I still need to write but it's close and really in depth

I have had this monster au cooking for so long (since the previous blog type long) but I saw a really good au with a super similar concept- I'm still going to do mine because the more the better but I think it's hilarious-

Info for the fics :

Beauty Argenti x beast reader : based on a prompt I lost the link to that was basically "yandere beauty and the beast but it's the beauty who's obsessed and begs the beast to Mary them- instead of being kidnapped by beast the beauty just,,, refuses to leave" Argenti is a beautiful knight obsessed with the terrifying tales of a monster he believes must still be beautiful. More Gothic style, not super dark but dark enough to warrant a small warning.

Twst monster au : humans have long been extinct to the world of twst, and those once human who still remain are now warped and twisted by magic to the point some wonder if they were ever really human at all- slice of life + horror where it jumps between being silly and funny monster high vibes to being more grim (haha) and having a darker tone. MC is a lone human and the first seen in over 200 years- they don't belong in this monster world- or do they?

Edit : the twst one comes with illustrated journal entries made by me!

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

FINALLY I'VE FINISHED MY FIRST BATMAN CHARACTER REF SHEET!!!!!!! Ignore the fact that Gentleman Ghost didn't even originate as a Batman character okay I just had the clearest idea of what I wanted this one to look like- either way, now that I actually have the format for these set up, it should be a lot easier to make the rest! I'll probably post them as I finish, maybe saving a couple so I can post them alongside other relavent characters Idk.

Main inspirations + HC voice under the cut:

Alright, getting this out of the way now, some of my inspos are gonna be kinda weird pulls. GG doesn't have the WEIRDEST ones, but I do feel like at least the Scooby Doo one is kinda random- anyways here are some explanations :)

Batman the Brave & the Bold(Cartoon): I love everything about this version of him omfg- I don't have my versions backstory completely worked out yet, but I know I really wanna take the deal with a demon for immortality aspect from this version. It's a really cool idea that I think I could def do smthn fun with. I also really like his overall demeanor in this version! He truly lives up to the Gentleman part of his name, which I know is definitely true for other versions of the character, but the way he's written and voiced in this show gets that politeness across in such a fun way. Also I love the way his cape is animated it's so fun-

Hawkman(1986): Okay, so I'm not really a Hawkman fan? I thought he was pretty fun in DC Superhero Girls, but that and the Harley Quinn Show are kinda the only things with him in them I've interacted with in a meaningful way. That being said though, I saw a bunch of panels from this specific run in the GG tag, and decided I might as well read the parts with GG at the very least since they seemed pretty fun, and MAN I love how he's written in those comics sm- he's so sassy lmao. Sassy Gentleman Ghost my beloved. He's also just overall really funny and has a great presence. I definitely wanna integrate some aspects of his personality in this into my version, and if I were to ever expand my silly little take on the Batman mythos to include other DC heroes, I would def wanna give him a similar dynamic with the Hawks to what they have going on in these comics.

Batman the Brave and the Bold(comic, 2023): He's only in like, one story in one issue, but omfg I love that story so much- I just love the idea that he would go out of his way to protect his descendants the way he does in that story. Also his design is so cool- I love that they actually made him look like a ghost in this comic, what with the blue lineart and the constant unearthly glow. One of my biggest pet peeves with how a lot of people draw him is that he doesn't usually look like an actual ghost, but I think this comic does a really good job with that.

Scooby Doo, Where Are You?(1969): I just love the idea of him coming across like an old Scooby Doo villain. In the hypothetical show I've been writing in my brain(because I'm insane), his introduction would be a full on homage to the long history Batman and Scooby Doo have had together, with the whole thing being set up like an old episode of Scooby Doo and Gentleman Ghost being basically an old Scooby Doo villain along the lines of the Phantom or the Ghost of Elias Kingston. That kinda cheesy but genuinely spooky energy, a filter over his voice to make it sound like he's straight out of Where Are You, all that good stuff. Make this guy Scooby Doo coded.

His backstory(which I will not be sharing) is also inspired by the broad strokes of his comic ones, but not really any specific version of it.

Headcannon voice: Anthony Warlow(Jekyll & Hyde: the Gothic Musical Thriller) or Alex Rochon(the Amazing Digital Circus). I don't really have an explanation for either of these I just think the vibes fit-

[amageish]

People seemed to like my post chronicling the queer history of Felicia Hardy, so I'm going to do something similar to that... Let's chat about the queer history of Marvel's unwitting power couple, Ellie Phimister and her girlfriend Yuki Ohara.

Let's dive in!

Content Warning: This summary will include discussion of anti-mutant hate crimes and genocide, as that is part of Ellie's comic book story.

Like a lot of queer X-Men stories, this one begins with queercoding in the 80s.

While Jim Shooter famously prohibited any queer storytelling in Marvel Comics during his tenure as Editor-in-Chief of the company and, on top of that, the Comics Code Authority also banned it, Chris Claremont, the architect of the X-Men as we know them today, never really followed those rules - and neither did his editors, artists, and co-writers. There are so many queer-coded relationships throughout his runs on the X-Men and the modern X-Men stories are still playing catch-up to this day, canonizing the intentions of him and his collaborators one character at a time. Mystique and Destiny are probably his most famous pairing nowadays, as that is canon now, but he also wrote the Juggernaut as being with Black Tom Cassidy, Kate Pryde as being bisexual for most women she encounters in her life, and, the topic for today, Storm being in a romantic relationship with the Japanese assassin Yukio.

Yukio is, to put it mildly, a risk-taker. She runs through life with seemingly no self-preservation instincts whatsoever and, for some reason, always gets by nonetheless. She and Storm have a fling while Storm is in Japan (Uncanny X-Men 172-173) and this leads directly into Storm's famous punk era, which certainly does recontextualize some of the vibes of her having suddenly gotten a mohawk and a taste for leather.

Their later reunion in Uncanny X-Men 311-313 is extra funny to me - both because of the narration textually referring to them as "more then friends" and because of Yukio justifying her daredevil attitude by suggesting it would have been "politically incorrect" of the villain to have attacked them in public.

These two "kindred spirits" hang out for a bit, but Yukio is ultimately a Wolverine character and not a larger X-Men team member, so they naturally split off as time goes on. Their last appearance together was during the 2014 Death of Wolverine event - though their affair was mentioned by an angry Kitty during the Storm flashback mini earlier this year.

That said, Yukio is obviously a Sapphic and I guess when the team behind the movie Deadpool 2 decided to give their version of Negasonic Teenage Warhead a girlfriend, they looked at the list of queer-coded characters and decided she was the right one for them...

Now, as for Ellie...

Eloise Phimister AKA Negasonic Teenage Warhead debuted in Grant Morrison's New X-Men, but her name was not said on-panel until after she was already dead. She was one of Emma Frost's students, a gothic woman with telepathic powers that foretold the death of her and her classmates at Genosha... and yet she died nonetheless.

This is a very tragic character. She has a silly name, but that is part of the heartbreak of this moment. Ellie is a child who died as a result of a genocidal desire to kill all mutants. Her silly name emphasizes her youth... which makes it REALLY tonally dissonant when it played for comedy from here-on-out.

She was briefly brought back by the camp gay villain Selene when she revived horrific versions of many deceased mutants as part of X-Force... and then she was revived for real with a new design fter the release of the first Deadpool movie. She maintains her precognitive abilities and future-sight here, but otherwise... Well, she's now a comedy character in a Deadpool book. She also can warp reality now, partially as an explanation for why she looks/acts different then her first appearances.

She paled around with Deadpool for a bit, but didn't do anything explicitly queer in the comics until 2022 (good god) where she kissed an unnamed woman, causing Wolverine to wonder if she'll one day lead a X-Men team that is exclusively made up of her multiple girlfriends. This comment is also a subtle not to the implied status quo of the Krakoa era, where Wolverine himself has two partners - dating both Jean Grey and Scott Summers.

This is a funny moment, though I do wonder why it took so long for her to be queer in the comics - Marvel comic books are generally the most queer media Marvel puts out, so I do wonder if it was something specifically about her being a Deadpool character that caused people to hesitate to greenlight queer stories about her.

Finally, in 2023, Ellie got her first solo series in the form of an Infinity Comic.

This series uses the increasingly-popular approach of having "fate" be a stand-in for "the concept of being a loyal adaptation in a multimedia landscape," as she is fated to kiss a girl named Yuki Ohara or else the fabric of reality as we know it will be destroyed.

While Deadpool is only in it for a bit, it is a very meta narrative, with a lot of commentary on the way that female characters are written in comics in general and female reality-warpers specifically, with Ellie having a lot of anxiety about the risk of her becoming like Jean Grey or Scarlet Witch - not helped by the TVA chasing her down and declaring her a threat. However, in the end, she meets her girlfriend-to-be and pauses time itself to get know her properly before having their universe-saving kiss. Good for them!

Since then, she has appeared exactly once - in a Pride issue fashion show - but I imagine she and her girlfriend Yuki are just in a little reality-warp bubble, hidden away as Fall of X finishes up.

Synergy is a dirty word in the comics landscape, but I personally like Ellie and her romance with Yuki - and I'm very relieved that they introduced a new, younger Yuki O. based on the movie for her to date instead of just retconning the established Yukio into becoming Eloise's girlfriend... Storm doesn't deserve to have her girl stolen away like that!

Also, Yuki has a giant mech and electricity powers. Maybe a little cliche for a Japanese character's powerset, but it is badass...

I hope we see more comic book stuff with these two eventually... There is potential there that is as of yet untapped - especially as they are probably two of Marvel's most notable queers by virtue of being in wildly popular movies, even if their comic queerness is a relatively modern thing.

[oneforthemunny]

Always wanted to ask, how does each Eddie's house/apartment look like; where do you envision each of them living?

dom!eddie i picture living in a trailer sorta similar to wayne's. less stuff if that makes sense, since he hasn't lived there as long??? very boy decorated. mismatch, hand-me-down furniture. he tries to make it homey and tapes pictures of you and him on the wall lol. no frame, just packing tape and it's sweet and a little funny. quilts on the bed he got from wayne, posters in his room- maybe the living room. not a throw pillow in sight until you move in lol. probably like one plate, one fork, one spoon, one knife type vibe lol. very boy coded.

janitor!eddie i picture the same vibe as before (i'll call dom!eddie the default) until he moves in with you. i think it would be a small home. two bedrooms (technically three if you count the small 'office' space that you turned into a room). no garage, but he built a covering for you. it's very homey. he built shelves in the living room for all your books (i fuckin' lost the book blurb if anyone has it lol). lots of pictures on the wall, over the mantle. really just a very homey cozy vibe, and i'll leave how that looks up to you :)

older!eddie also has a house. it's not huge by any means, bigger than average. like a one story, three or four bedroom, two and a half bath kinda vibe. he got it after the divorce and he could afford it. he wanted brielle to have her own space and have some extra room for the hopeful future, and he's glad he did. probably very bare minimum as well before you moved in. like a nicer couch- no throw pillows, maybe one throw brielle bought at target, like one of those cheap ones from the $5 section lol. pictures of brielle in frames, but that's the only decor. not even a doormat. two flat ass pillows on the bed, but in nice sheets. a toothbrush holder, hand soap, and no towel on the bathroom. has a music room with his guitar and stuff, garage full of tools to do oil changes and stuff if he needs to. one half broken plastic laundry basket, and candles brielle brings home from bath and body works lol. please tell me you're getting the vibe lol.

mafia!eddie is a 180 entirely. ENTIRELY. mansion. he built it so it's new, but he wanted it to look gothic and ominous as fuck. like very unapproachable. dark exterior, steel gates at the front of the property. he bought land out in the middle of the woods in hawkins, off the beaten path for sure so you wouldn't see the entrance unless you were looking for it type? lots of dark red oriental carpets, red sheets, mahogany wood, chandeliers that are kinda dramatic and dark. all the furniture looks victorian but dark. i think it's mentioned in curiosity killed the cat that he was going for a vibe that was "a mix between dracula and the godfather" lol. large book shelves, candle opera lighting, dark grand stair well, bear skin rug (with the head bc he thought it looked sick). large, tall windows but all the glass is one way glass so it looks even freakier from the outside. very gothic victorian chic.

rockstar!eddie ok so pre-kids- he had a home in malibu, a penthouse in la. owns a couple different properties bc why not. he hired someone to decorate, but really it's like he put weird shit in there lol. like very rockstar- bachelor pad coded. like there's a fifty thousand dollar imported couch... next to light sabers on the wall that he won at a bidding bc they were used in a movie. bedroom is very... interesting lol. def has a waterbed in at least one room. has a bed post with clips for his... activities lol. probably a hook for a sex swing too. then a whole music memorabilia type room. plaques, his achievements, but also things he's collected.

tamed rockstar!eddie with kids- he lets nb decorate mainly but he also adds a few things. he designs the sex dungeon and it does in fact look like a dungeon. dramatic ass lighting, literal chain cuffs on the wall, a bed that with thick posts, mirror on the ceiling, a whole wall of toys. it's so him, like his mind. then he also has a studio in his basement. really, it started bc when he started having kids, he didn't want to leave his house. didn't want to drive into the city to record, so had one put there bc why not? he's got the $$ lol. he also gets the flowers pressed from their three weddings, the baby showers, any really big achievement- he'll get a bouquet made and pressed and preserved. nb always hangs them and decorates with them, and it makes him so proud lol.

bouncer!eddie lives in an apartment. it's very sketch, very cheap. like one bedroom, one bath, tiny ass kitchen and little living room. he literally just lives there. no personal touches beside a tv, a boombox. mattress on the ground, card table and folding chairs, leftover box as a nightstand, towel as a bath mat. he mainly stays at your place so he's not too worried about it, but the first time you come in, you're a little horrified.

cowboy!eddie- i know this is going to sound cliche but if you've ever seen the ranch on netflix lol. that's what i picture. like that wooden, ranch style house. a little older, i think it's been renovated since it was built like forever ago. small screened in porch, wooden dutch doors. a sun room in the back of the house with some house plants. an older couch and recliner, a wooden heater stove in the living room- it was apart of the original design of the house so he kept it, even with the ac/heating unit. patterned quilts on the bed, old school floral sheets that came with the house lol. really, he didn't do much to it besides add a few of his things when he moved in, because it was his grandparent's home before his.

modern!eddie had an apartment close to the park for a very small time. roomed with gareth, and then once he started staying with you, he didn't stay there anymore. probably didn't have a bed, but a futon they put in one of the rooms and had all their gaming stuff in it. he's victim of the striped, blue comforter that's faded as hell. has a rick and morty poster he put on the wall with thumb tacks. tv on the ground with his gaming stuff, wires everywhere. a closet that has shit spilling out of it. very messy lol.

[kathjack]

I'm cooking I will be posting the traditional version of the designs but these are just to ramble about the design choices and why I decided to swap them rather than information about the characters, I will not do this for all of them, only a few, I will post the finished, fully detailed designs on the next week in schedule form

Sorry they look kind of blurry, it's not the camera, it's the grafito getting fucked up when I but my shoulder over it

I believe it's rather obvious that Adam's suit was designed after Beetlejuice, I was going to take more reference on Dewey from School of rock but this one seems more recognizable and I think it fits better since, well, they're dead I added the little spikes on the shoulders because of Adam's outfit for the last episode Also piercings, because I can't believe he doesn't have them in canon I refuse to believe he wouldn't pierce his ears You can't see it yet but his eyes aren't going to be yellow, instead they're going to be blue like Emily's

The why I decided to swap him with Charlie is pretty obvious, they're opposites Also I just like to put Adam through hell both in the swap au, in the Benefactor au and in the Adamsapple fic I'm writing

Lute is also obviously designed after Vaggie's outfit, except that the colors of it are more to resemble Adam and her gothic style She didn't lose her eye, (V)Agatha ended up cutting her arm (details will not be explained yet but it was not intentional), so they gave her a replacement, but because hell isn't as refined as Heaven, the closest thing Adam could get was the sin of Lust to give her one of the best they had (Note. I have yet to decide who will be Ozzie), she normally wears her glove over it but only in front of anyone that isn't Adam, after episode 3 she stops using it in the hotel, being more comfortable around the cast Couldn't see her wearing a bow, so I put it in her back and around the hips Also long hair because she wanted to be separated of her excorcist status (as they all probably have a short hair), put it in a ponytail because she's always ready to throw hands for Adam

Why she is swaped with Vaggie is obvious Also I changed my mind they are dating in the swap au (Adam needs her gothic gf but they have to sort some issues before kissing)

Oh oh, you are gonna love this one

Why are they swapped? Because it's funny, because I have seen people swapping EVERYONE with Alastor except for Pentious which is pretty surprising honestly

I took most of Pentious eyes in the design since they originally serve the purpose of showing how much he distrust others, they disappear once he gets to heaven because now he has learned how to trust and care about those around him Even tho swap Pentious would obviously still be pretty distrusting, he would not be as paranoic, the eyes would come out on his full demon form I gave him a monocle just because I liked how it looked, he was supposed to have glasses like Alastor but he looked like a grandpa and I want him to have a more "Big brother" kind of vibe towards Adam rather tan fatherly (Since Emily is more like his big sister, not a mother) His hat takes the place of Alastor's cane, he's protective over it, it's the source of his power after all, it does not show Pentious true emotions Speaking off, since canon Alastor is always smiling, swap Pentious always has his hood up, never letting it down, he shows other emotions with his face but his hood represents him always having his guard up

Alastor is more pathetic Listen I am not sorry for taking away his bob cut, I don't know how you all can simp for that man with that hair, I gave him something similar but it goes all the way back, no bob cut Glasses, because we all love to give this man glasses His cane takes the place of Pent's hat, it shows his genuine emotions Not getting into details, but Alastor doesn't smiles as much as canon just like Pentious not always has his hood up, he does drop the smile and the more comfortable he gets with the cast the more he drops it for a normal, neutral expression Yes, he goes to heaven but his angelical form will be revealed later

Pentious is still an inventor, Alastor is still a Radio host

This one is simple, I tried to turn Keekee into a dog, not only because of Adam but it was mainly because Alastor canonically HATES dogs, so the idea of this fucking dog getting attached to Alastor and him petting her lovingly on episode 7 was an opportunity I could not pass up

Yeeyee is still female I just didn't trust myself to draw the eyelashes because she is a lot smaller than you think, and I didn't want to fuck her up and end up erasing most of her

I was also just going to put a giant mouth instead of an eye but it looked disturbing, so no

Yeeyee because the k on Keekee obviously comes from Key so I took the last letter to change it but still have it make sense

The key is also still in progress, I don't know how to draw keys

[snifferish]

Sneafie Book Review: "Where the Dark Stands Still" by A.B. Porenek

Alright gamers that's right I'm posting book reviews on my tumblr, BOO! Jumpscare! Anyways I'm a spoiler free kinda guy here we go.

This week I read Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Porenek, this is a Young Adult Fantasy novel that leans slightly into the gothic genre. It's got a lot of Polish Folklore, It's kind of a beauty and the beast retelling? The author and the marketing has compared it to Howl's Moving Castle, which is why I originally took interest in it.

Personally, I gave this a four star rating, but on the Sneaf'o'meter of precision I'd say 73%

Let's get into the good and the everything else.

First off, If you like fun prose and description, this is for you. The Author's range of being able to describe something so beautiful and then transition to something grotesque and everywhere in between is wonderful. This ability comes into play frequently with how she describes the house in the story (which is sentient).

The magic system in this??????? Spectacular, I loved the concept. I've seen things similar to it, but it was so simple yet meaningful (AHH!). Probably my favorite part.

Another really prominent point in the marketing is the amount of Polish Folklore. There's a few specific spirits and demons referenced that are apart of it. I'm no expert on Polish folklore that's for sure, so I can't say whether it was truthful, or what the Author directly took from it. However I can say it was refreshing, new and I learned things :)

Okay sooo... Welcome to a segment called, why not five stars? I hesitate to say something is "bad" about about this book because I think it's really just preference at this point.

The exposition was normally paced but around the exposition into rising action area I felt like It was stalled. Really the book was just giving vibes left and right which is totally cool to some people, but because some information was withheld to certain points I felt like I was missing a lot of the foundation for the conflict and by the time I understood the conflict I was just like ahh, okay.

The romance plot within the story is pretty big, and to me it felt, okay. Just okay. I'll admit I'm a stinky gay that holds heterosexual romances to high standards so maybe that's why I wasn't so into it??? Again! I was so excited, I was thinking yes, it's like Howl's Moving Castle! and I just didn't get that. However, a lot of people who read this and reviewed it did get those vibes, so... not sure. Also, I think pet names just aren't my thing.... It's not usually something I find appealing in romance storylines.

Ultimately, I still really enjoyed this book. This is Porenek's debut novel, and I think it's very promising! Her writing style is excellent and I imagine she can only get better.

Also, this doesn't effect my rating at all, but I am begging fantasy Authors of all kinds to considering adding pronunciation guides. There where times I had access to my computer and I could look it up, but even then I don't know if google is telling me the right way to say it.

if you've read this I'd love to know your thoughts and if youre going to read it, well same, basically, do tell.

[monstaxdirtywonk]

Enhypen's ideal type (legal line) based on astrology

So I'm gonna talk about what I think their ideal types are best on their birth charts. I won't talk about Niki because I don't feel comfortable doing that, despite the fact that there's nothing explicit about this post lmao. I'm gonna use their love related planets aka Venus and Mars (although the last one is more sexual). Moon is an important placement for us in general when it comes to matters of the heart and their possible descendant based on their possible rising signs.

Heeseung

Lots of earth for this boy. Now typically our ideal partner can be signified by many placements although the most spot on would be the 7th house or descendant. Also if someone's into women or feminine people in general, Venus sign would help (moon too), for men/masculine people, Mars or Saturn.

For Heeseung both of those placements are in earth signs so he'd have a similar type no matter the gender.

His Venus is in Virgo, which would make him attracted to someone clean, that smells good and has a casual but meticulous style. He'd like someone organized that has their shit together and plan ahead of times.

His Mars suggests a partner that is goal oriented and hard working. Someone ambitious that sets expectations for themselves and others. A bit judgemental too lmao

Another placement that can signify the long term partner we like is Juno, an asteroid.

His is in Leo. So maybe along all this stability, he'd like a fiery addition. Someone to make him have fun and enjoy life to the fullest.

Although let's keep in mind that the Juno doesn't change frequently so it's kind of vague.

I think a possible rising sign for Heeseung would be Libra, which would put his descendant in Aries.

If that's the case, it'd go well with his Juno in another fire sign. A calculated, organized person that can be fun seeking and passionate too.

Jay

Here comes my bias so it's time for me to simp lmao.

His Venus is in Taurus, so he'd like someone fashionable (he is like that too), with expensive taste and elegant vibes.

I think he'd definitely appreciate someone mature because he is like that too, but also with a playful flair because of his Gemini Mars.

His Gemini Mars would love to debate, although with all the Taurus placements he has, good luck with that 😂

He is a bit stubborn ngl 🙈

Now he said he was born late at night (found it on twitter) or early in the morning I guess

That make his rising either in Sagittarius or Capricorn and his moon is definitely in cancer

If his rising is in Capricorn, he'd like someone with cancer qualities, nurturing and emotional (that'd fit his cancer moon too)

If it's in Sagittarius, his descendant would be in Gemini, so someone quirky, social and communicative.

Overall, someone classy and elegant, that can be chill but excited too, good at communication and curious.

Sunghoon

Sunghoon to me is a very interesting case and I've seen others point that out about him too 🙈

His sun and moon are in Sagittarius and Aquarius, which are signs that can be very independent, free spirited and not easily attached to others.

But then his Venus and Mars are in scorpio, which is pretty much the opossite of that.

I think he'd like a partner that's more intense than him, someone that acknowledge their emotions and is okay with them.

But not too soft, because he has the tendency to be harsh/blunt and that person would feel hurt for sure.

I'm thinking passionate intense, not emotionally intense. I'd say he'd do well with a fire dominant person, with fixed placements thrown in there too.

I think he'd like someone that does a darker concept well, either vampy or Gothic. It doesn't have to be full on, but a touch can work too.

I think his rising might be in Capricorn, which would make his 7th house cancer. But honestly idk how he'd work with a cancer dominant person.

I think he'd like someone more understanding and emotional than himself, but not to the extreme.

After all if the 7th house sign doesn't align with the chart as a whole, it still won't work.

But that's the cool part about astrology, it's all up to personal interpretation because each chart is unique.

Jake

Here comes the golden retriever boy!

He has a Scorpio stelium which I couldn't really see at first because he has a very bubbly, open personality that doesn't match the Scorpio nature (but who am I to speak, I have one too and I'm a cinnamon roll lmao).

But he also has a Libra Mars which is, again, looking for very different things.

I'd say regarding his ideal type, he'd like a good balance between devotion and care free nature which is kind of hard to have lmao

I feel like he'd look for that and not be satisfied with not finding it so he's gonna eventually choose between those two.

Based on the Scorpio stelium, there's more weight there.

I guess he'd like someone that he can be silly with, have light hearted conversations and act like a kid, but also be serious and mature together.

Someone more conventionally pretty/handsome too. Ngl a Libra Mars can be rather shallow because libra isn't a good sign for Mars and it can give the native its 'bad' traits.

Sunoo

That's a really interesting combination. Gemini Venus and Pisces Mars.

Someone interesting and one of a kind, that's really important to him

He seems like the least interested in looks, he goes for the vibe of someone and how they interact together.

Someone artistic and passionate on that field, that accepts their individuality and doesn't try to become part of that mass.

He'd also appreciate style a lot, but not in the way Jay does. For Jay it'd be someone conventionally classy, while Sunoo would look for someone that portray who they are through fashion.

His rising sign is either cancer or Pisces imo, which means that he looks for someone with Capricorn or Virgo traits as well.

Unique, experimental and intellectual but with a grounded personality too.

Jungwon

His Venus is in Aries and his Mars is in Taurus. They are kind of switched aren't they? (Taurus is ruled by Venus and Aries is ruled by Mars)

Most in the Fandom think that he has a Scorpio rising, if that's the case, his 7th house would be in Taurus, so overall he'd be more attracted to Taurus qualities.

I feel like I'm feeding the shippers right now with Jay's Taurus stelium lmao

He'd like someone stable, loyal and practical. To give him a sense of security because he likes that 🥺

But someone more active and dynamic than that, who can keep him on his toes, motivate and encourage him to do better.

A go getter attitude that doesn't stray too far from home.

Regarding style, possibly something casual/elegant with intense colors. Especially red.

(For astrology ships dm me 5$)

[grimoire-of-geekery]

Penny Dreadful #6: The Vampire Bat

Hey there, everyone!

I know, it's been a while since I posted anything new that wasn't just a reblog. It's not been a huge priority, to be honest.

That being said, I've been feeling the Hallows season this year very deeply, and I'm all immersed in my love for Gothic mystery and romance, and so I've decided to share something with y'all!

Now, this spread is a prediction spread that kind of came along unexpectedly. I was sitting around chatting with my daughter, we were talking about witchcraft and Gothic things (and of course playing with tarot cards), and it sort of prompted a Google search for "vampire" spreads.

We looked and looked, but didn't find anything particularly nice-looking. Pretty much standard stuff- spreads that were standard that had been reskinned to say "vampire," or spreads that were basically just clunky piles of vertical cards. Which, honestly, astonished me. People have been taken with the glamour of vampires for a while now, and I'm shocked there aren't more representations of vampire vibes in the tarot spread world, especially considering how many goth-themed tarot decks are out there.

Anyway, I hope this spread is something new, and I haven't just seen it somewhere and filed it in my mind, then regurgitated it elsewhere. Even if the layout has been used by other folks, I hope the end result is something unique.

Now, this reads very similar to my Memento Mori spread, with a few small differences. It's a prediction spread, but in true Penny Dreadful fashion, I designed this spread with the understanding that some futures we just don't want.

The spread is read thus:

The first card is read as the vampire who is coming to your door. This card represents the basic situation coming.

The second and third card are read together as the wind which carries that future to you. You can think of these cards as a description of the surrounding forces around the coming situation.

The fourth and fifth card are also read together, as that which connects the outside forces of cards 2 and 3 to the central card. Sometimes they refer to motives or wishes, sometimes to obligations or concerns, but they represent the central card's link to those forces.

Now, this spread isn't just for predictions. Like the vampire of folklore, the future can be horrible and deadly. Fortunately, there's one feature for this spread that allows us to keep it away, just like one might do with a vampire.

If you wish this fate to turn away from you, you can reassemble the cards into a warding symbol of some kind, something which keeps away evil. For Christians, you might use a cross, while Wiccans might use a pentacle- holy symbols are traditional wards after all. For myself, I prefer laying them in a pattern like the one on the right in the image below.

It's a five-petaled bloom, reminiscent of the wild mountain rose, which like garlic is a traditional herb used to prevent vampires from bothering you. In specific, it's said that the wild mountain rose keeps vampires in their coffins. So, I use that one to prevent the fate from even leaving its birthing place.

If, however, you'd like the fate as predicted to come your way... simply tell the cards that you invite it in. Perhaps leave your window open at night?

Hey, what could go wrong?

[prince-rowan-of-the-forest]

Rambling about Hell's Belles AU!Janus for a sec because I can and I love him

So Janus is... Unique.

In the fact that he has had so many lifetimes, so much experiences. He's seen the universe grow, change and evolve, he's experienced evolution first hand.

In his first life, he was a neanderthal, he's had about 30-50 lifetimes over his existance, the vast majority of which he either cannot remember at all, are very fuzzy, or he only remembers a few, specific memories.

Lives I know he has had specifically:

- His first life, as a neanderthal. Pretty uneventful tbh

- A life during which he was burned as a witch. Since this lifetime he's had a burn-scar esque birthmark all down the left side of his body.

- a lifetime in which he actually practiced 'witchcraft' which directly followed the "burned as a witch" one. In this lifetime he was male, and never persecuted for it.

- He lived a life doing something similar to snake charming. (I'm not sure where this one fits into the timeline)

- A lifetime spent writing gothic fiction in the early 1800s

- A lifetime as a working class woman in Victorian England

- A lifetime as an upper class man in Victorian England (these two really gave them a hard dose of perspective on class and gender inequality)

- A life during which they died on the titanic, in every lifetime since they have been 'inexplicably' wary of the ocean and boats/sailing.

- their final and most recent lifetime with Patton, Elliott and Sam, which I described in another post.

They've had their paradise since the very beginning and because of that it's very expensive. It started off as just a forest with a comfortable cave home, plenty food and resources (all a neanderthal could want, lol) and it evolved with their soul as they lived more lifetimes. (They have spent a collectively LONG time in therapy too, but there's only been a few lifetimes where they've actually been sent there, and they reincarnated from those very quickly)

With at least three lifetimes taking place in 18-19th century England, their soul got very attached to parts of that style of dress and gothic architecture, which is well reflected in their soul's appearance and their paradise.

Don't worry just me having thoughts about my guy i love them

The pronoun vibes switched halfway through writing this help lol

@twoalpacas @awitchbravestheverge @goldnskyart @anxious-mess19 @doteddestroyer

[remythologise]

You mentioned C-Dramas / K-Dramas that scratch that homophobic gay drama itch and, well, I'm shamefully a sucker for those tropes. Could you share which of those mirror that type of media?

LITERALLY SO SO SO SO SO GLAD YOU ASKED. ABSOLUTELY BLESSED ASK ANON THANK YOU.

Will say that it’s really not exactly the same vibe because you will get a SHARP CONCENTRATED DOSE of even more homoerotic shenanigans in the following shows, they are much more intentional (to varying degrees, although I feel undeniably so in every instance) than the western instances BUT it will scratch that itch because none of these shows have “canon” gay romance. This is very hard to explain properly because some of it is very canon, just censored. But I will use my old terminology — it is unmarketable gay media. To me. Despite at least four of these being created and marketed TO appeal to fujo trash like myself… it is unmarketable gay media TO ME!!! Sorry you’ll just have to take my advice that Vibes on censored gay dramas are Tremendous.

I will say because literally all of these dramas have the central relationship ‘censored’ in various ways do not go in expecting a Happy Gay Ending, though most (not all.) of these do have about as happy an ending as they could under the But-Not-TOO-Gay Circumstances. (Much like. Supernatural or House M.D. Shall we say. Journey not the destination…) ALL of the following shows are on Netflix, though it’s probably a better viewing experience with the subs to watch on Viki.

IMO you should also watch the shows in the following order. Also I could harp on about these shows for YEARS but I tried to keep it brief (I could talk more.)

THE DEVIL JUDGE — girl I love this show so much I don’t know what to do with myself. It is SUCH camp fun everyone is so gay in it (despite the canon het romance). I don’t even KNOW how to adequately describe this show it’s literally What If There Was A Dystopian Korea (Basically The Same Korea) And They Made A Reality TV Show For The High Court But Also It’s Mostly A Gay Gothic Romance Complete With Old British Mansion. 11/10 had such a fun time. THIS SHOW IS SO UNDERRATED ON THIS WEBSITE COMPARED TO—

BEYOND EVIL — VERY similar in cat-and-mouse homoerotic vibes to the Devil Judge but Up To Eleven on the cat-and-mouse thing. Literally was awarded best drama and actor award of that year. It’s not just a gay show, it’s also a VERY good show! A detective from a small town and a detective from the city get paired up to Solve A String Of Murders. Both of them think the other is suspicious/untrustworthy. 12/10 would yell ‘KISS’ at my TV until my voice was hoarse again.

THE UNTAMED — someone on anon told me to watch this show in like 2019 and it took me THREEEE YEARRRSSSS to watch it. I really struggled to adapt to the CDrama tone/format at the beginning but I’m SOOOO glad I did. You really have to get into it and flow with it but once you’re in you’re IN you are LOCKED into What If Game of Thrones Was Camp and Gay and Actually Good. SUCH good writing, character, relationship and world building. I laughed, I cried, 13/10 this show has been popular enough that you have all heard of it!

WORD OF HONOR — So you watched the Untamed and this was the thing everyone was recommending to watch next but wasn’t ‘as good’ as the Untamed. Well. Wasn’t as good TO YOU. I’M HAVING A BALL ON THIS BITCH! Literally of all these shows this one is my favourite PURELY because I love these stupid flirting assholes so much. Shut up. Sorry this post is incoherent. The plot is not as good as the Untamed but the banter/relationship is even more in focus and just chef’s kiss dynamic to ME. So 14/10 gay it probably was the biggest reason gay-vibes drama is now banned in China. Girl I am not literally not joking. All the danmei is in unreleased development hell. Help.

GUARDIAN — For the true die-hards (not on Netflix/Viki and got purged from the legal internet but can be found. In places.) SO YOU WATCHED WORD OF HONOR AND YOU’RE LIKE GOD THAT ENDING RIPPED OUT MY ASSHOLE EMOTIONALLY WHAT IF I FOUND AN ENDING THAT WAS QUALITATIVELY WORSE. DO I HAVE ANOTHER PRIEST (AUTHOR OF WORD OF HONOR) ADAPTATION FOR YOU. Production values ZERO acting values MIDDLING gay values FUN AND SEXY. This show is literally what if Torchwood was better and worse at the same time. The reason the string of danmei adaptions started I believe, because this one was so popular. I haven’t watched all of this yet I’m savouring it. Don’t look at me.

HEAVEN’S OFFICIAL BLESSING — not quite the same vibes as what you’re going for with this ask (not a live action; very much an anime and not finished yet) but would be remiss not to mention the VERY PRETTY AND GREAT adaptation of the series by the same author of the Untamed. Also on Netflix.

[duncans-idahoe]

Some of the vibes I want to go with on Alyss’ playlist are more of a southern gothic feel… I don’t know if Araluen if has any swamps or marshes but for the sake of what I’m about to say let’s say there is.

Anyway AU where the RA characters have magic that they’re born with and some people are just more powerful than others. For example a lot of Ranger’s have illusion or deception magics that keep them hidden, but this post isn’t about the rangers this is about Alyss.

In this AU Alyss has magic similar to those of a siren. Like she can make people like her very easily just with a few words or a tilt of her head and can manipulate them very easily. That’s not to say she’s doing it to everyone but she’s still very magnetic even when she’s not trying to be. Pauline has this same kind of magic and knew Alyss had it because she could feel that magnetic pull the day they met. Pauline of course takes Alyss on as her apprentice so Alyss can learn to control her magic and use it for the good of the realm.

Now I chose the southern gothic because I’m imagining Alyss in a white dress covered in mud and luring people into the water to be ate up by gators and that’s fucking magical to me and I won’t ever be the same

[silverandebony]

i'm sorry. TAGGING SASKATCHEWAN CANADA AS KANSAS SOUTHERN GOTHIC AND APPALACHIA????

TAGGING SASKATCHEWAN CANADA AS KANSAS SOUTHERN GOTHIC AND APPALACHIA*

*i misremembered and the one tagged with appalachia&appalachian gothic isn't Explicitly saskatchewan (all of the pictures with location captions are apparently from saskatchewan so i'd be inclined to guess it probably is too, but there's no way to know for sure). so who knows!! i don't know what appalachia looks like! maybe it IS appalachia! in which case why is it also tagged saskatchewan

[Image ids: three cropped screenshots of 'regional gothic' style tumblr picture posts and their tags. The first picture is a truck at an empty intersection with a hazy yellow sky; the second is part of a building mural depicting a nature scene with canada geese captioned 'rural saskatchewan'; the third is of the edge of a town on a foggy day, with old, short buildings fading into the mist, captioned 'uranium city, sk'. Tags common across all three posts are: ethel cain, southern gothic, regional gothic, rural gothic, midwestern gothic, kansas, and midwest. Two of them are tagged with 'gibson girl'. Additionally, the truck picture is tagged with appalachia, appalachian gothic, twin peaks, and hayden anhedonia; the mural picture is tagged with small town usa, small town, small town america, small town canada, great plains, prairies, prairie, and prairiecore; and the foggy town is tagged with 'ghost town, liminal, liminal spaces, and foggy day.

End id.]

I also went back to the blog to see if those posts were still there so I could take better screenshots (they weren't; hooray reporting things for spam) but upon further scrolling I realized that every tagged post. Every. Single. Post. With Tags. all of them. Are tagged with southern gothic and kansas and saskatchewan. THESE ARE NOT THE SAME. WHY ARE YOU USING ALL OF THEM THESE ARE NOT THE SAME

*coughs* anyway. Among all of these, in all their spammy mistagged glory, there is one I would like to give a special shout out to, for in my opinion being the most wildly tagged:

[Image id: another screenshot of a tumblr picture post. This one is a picture of a small motel with a rundown fence in the foreground. A colour filter has been used to make the picture look washed out and fit the regional gothic vibes. This picture has been tagged with: gibson girl, americana, appalachian gothic, midwest gothic, preacher's daughter, regional gothic, rural gothic, southern gothic, hayden anhedonia, ethel cain, nebraska, kansas, motelcore, appalachia, southern aesthetic, saskatchewan, alberta.

end id.]

Take a moment to appreciate it. Bask in its questionable glory. Allow yourself the time to question why?

I think it's the 'alberta' tag that really makes it for me here. The 'nebraska' as well. The latter I assume is from the title of one of Ethel Cain's songs, which would explain... to some degree... how it got there. Why 'alberta' though? Why this picture, out of all of them? Is it actually from Alberta? (It could be; I've seen similar looking things) If it's from Alberta, why is it also tagged 'saskatchewan'? 'kansas'? 'appalachia'? 'southern gothic'? Do not each of these preclude all others? If it's Saskatchewan or Albertan, why is it tagged 'americana'?? Is it for views??? If you want it seen, it's already got the tags! Regional and rural gothic are fine! They'll probably get you a lot more views than tagging something with a Canadian province ever will! I just. I don't understand. why. why have you done this. please stop. i'm begging skfjjsjfjj

in conclusion: tumblr has tagging etiquette and i am begging the young aesthetic bloggers to take a moment to learn it. it will save you so much being reported for spam and having your posts and or possibly your entire blog taken down because of it. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a blog to go report specifically because of this

[encrucijada]

catholicism gothic and the butterfly labyrinth for the title tag pls!!!

catholicism gothic as a concept sprung out during escapril of last year when i wrote the "poem" for the prompt act of creation and captioned it as "catolicismo gótico" as a play of things like southern gothic or small town gothic and the like. it was just some imagery i put together and added some "gothic" elements to (see: blood). here's the thing it's on my 2022 escapril collection

i really liked the imagery! and imagery is 90% of what motivates my writing so i decided i wanted to write something with that vibe. something was intentionally working with the imagery of latinoamerican catholicism but just, make it "gothic". basically write some dark magical realism. the problem was i had no characters or any actual plot, just the ~vibe~. now i still don't have any of that but i... might try to write a chapbook with it?? there are many things i could do with catholicism gothic because it's an aesthetic it's not really a story. the chapbook is about this group of cousins who find a fallen angel in their property's pond one day and decide to lock it away in the basement (or maybe the attic i haven't decided). but i could also do away with the angel plot and simply write a novel about rotten family vibes and just make the images of la virgen cry blood sometimes. many possibilities! i could write them all!

this is all i have for the chapbook so far lmao

as for the butterfly labyrinth, it is the title of my the maze runner ripoff. i love the concept of the maze runner. unethical human experimentation?? set during a post-apocalypse?? awesome. 10/10. if only the books were like... good. i read them all in high school and loved them. then i tried to reread them and never have i fallen out of love so aggressively in my life lmao. the writing was so bad, the dialogue was bad. i think i liked the books because i read them in spanish so when i tried to do the same in english and it was cringe i swore revenge. now: the movies?? i Love the movies. still do, probably always will. the feel and imagery of the movies is amazing. i love the post-apcalyptic outside world contrasted with the sleek look of the w.c.k.d. objectively they're probably not that good but i Love them.

so. with all that in mind i decided i wanted to write a the maze runner ripoff. you know how after the hunger games came out there was a teen dystopia craze? this is going to be my addition to that once that trend comes back. the butterfly labyrinth has a similar set up: scientists are experimenting on kids to find the cure to a virus. except because it's me and i hate zombies (cranks are just zombies lite, i do not like them) i decided to make the virus more... fantasy. so what the virus does is turn people into strange hybrid monsters. they are still locked away in a labyrinth but now the monsters aren't synthetic and made by the scientists (the way grievers are), they are the very same kids of the experiment, except it's those who have succumbed to the virus and turned. so the experiment revolves around examining three groups: the immune, the not immune who aren't infected, and the not immune who are infected and have turned into monsters.

no snippets for this because i haven't done any writing. but if i was to properly commit i would probably make it a duology? one where they are inside the experiment and one after they escape it. oh and it's called "butterfly labyrinth" because the process of transofmation is called metamorphosis.

[measuringbliss]

Glee Rewatch 1x20. What's the Glee Club all about, in the end?

At the time I'm writing this, I'm half-comatose because today sucks and I never sleep enough so I guess it's time to continue my rewatch!

Thankfully Principal Figgins is just as delirious as I am as he's very scared of colored hair and sick-ass outfits.

I'm Team Alice by the way. Jasper can join in if he wants.

(Are you confused? This post might enlighten you!)

Figgins's argument against gothic fashion makes just as much sense as my university department's decision to forbid laptops and phones, that is to say, you can easily debunk it and it is mind-numbing that such a person is in charge of, well, anything.

Thankfully this is Glee we're talking, and surely people IRL are much more thoughtful and logical and aren't complete asses, right?

Needless to say, the viewer is supposed to be on Tina's side here and she's absolutely right to scare Figgins away later in the episode by pretending to be a vampire.

Look at them! Burt and Kurt are on the same wavelength (look at the patterns!). That's good to see. The party is deceitful, just like Kurt's behavior towards Finn. There's lights, mirrors, ~ethnic food~ that is actually just tuna, it's artificial, it's trying to make Finn feel welcome, but it doesn't work because it's *too much*, just as Kurt's actions towards Finn. It's too much and it's not going to end well.

I love how the shortage of red lace and tinsel is a clear sign for the Glee Club that Vocal Adrenaline is doing Lady Gaga.

This trio is a very peculiar one. Color-wise, Quinn has been wearing red a lot recently. She's giving me Little Red Riding Hood vibes. Who's the wolf? Society, obviously. Society's gonna try to dry up Quinn's hope and faith to make a mindless zombie of her. Thankfully we all know she ends up marrying Rachel so everything's fine. They both wear blue! Mercedes meanwhile is set apart by wearing black and grey.

As much as I'm not into Shelby as a character, the scene where she sings Funny Girl and Rachel understands she's her mother is very beautiful. It's one of those rare, great Glee moments.

I think Shelby knew Rachel was in the room. She had to know, right? Do you think she decided on the Gaga number specifically so that Rachel would notice and investigate it?

As usual Will and Finn's clothes are very similar in spirit.

I guess this is the part where I mention I was at one of Gaga's Chromatica concerts? I'm no Gaga afficionado but the music was really good! She was very touching too, although I didn't particularly care about her "I play piano and sing" parts but to each their own, right? I enjoyed the experience. It was essentially a Pride Parade.

Anyway Kurt and Tina are rocking those outfits, and Quinn is jealous. Do we need to analyze those outfits? Kurt's is extravagant, you can't miss the pointy shoulders (a play on typical masculine shoulders that are more rounded), open collar (decolletage), the wig (higher status). Tina's is a bit more puzzling because we generally see less of Tina. The diadem is foreshadowing for season 4 (no it's not) and Tina's general development past S2 (no it's not); she's bubbly in this scene in a stark contrast to her goth persona from before. She's a side character who has multiple sides!

Quinn is all in pink! Suits her well, obviously, she looks like a real princess (the dress, the long gloves, the tights and shoes), if a bit rock'n roll-ish, say Louis XIV's court mixed with Interstella 5555. She tries to seem all girly and typical, but there's a strong personality underneath. Also, her spiky thing next to Tina's bubble is certainly a recipe for disaster. Gosh I love her outfit.

Mercedes's outfit is diva-esque but like Kurt there's an emphasis on the shoulders, mixing masculinity and feminity and exagerating it to the point of burlesque. I'm... not very fond of her look but she does rock it.

(Side note please Mike gimme your entire wardrobe.)

Santana's outfit is very precocious in terms of the show, as she hasn't yet developed much of a character but it's *exactly* the aesthetic she goes for later in the series. Dark, showy, sultry, and exceedingly distingued. Very classy.

Brittany's outfit is weird in that "old sci-fi series" department, the kind that is ridiculous. It somehow works on her. I have no idea what the lobster is supposed to mean. Is it astrology-related?

The scene between Finn, Kurt and later Burt is hard to watch. It's sad for everyone involved, but I think it was absolutely necessary. Kurt needed to be told that his behavior was inappropriate and made Finn genuinely uncomfortable. And Finn needed to hear Burt's talk to have a good look at himself.

And you know what? I admire Finn's courage to try and make ammends the next day. The next day! It's one of his characteristics, he's always trying to do his best, even when he's lost. And here, he knows that he was bad and shows himself as more mature than Kurt, who refuses to talk about it.

"I'm proud to be different. It's the best thing about me." is totally something I would say. You can really feel that the writers knew what they were doing with Kurt, he feels real and resonates in a way a lot of other characters simply don't.

Anyway, the episode ends on a cute note! And I personally feel a bit better. Isn't that what the Glee Club is all about?

[honourablejester]

I vibe with the thaumaturge so much:

“The world is full of the unexplainable: ancient magic, dead gods, and even stranger things. In response, you've scavenged the best parts of every magical tradition and built up a collection of esoterica—a broken holy relic here, a sprig of mistletoe there—that you can use to best any creature by exploiting their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The mystic implement you carry is both badge and weapon, its symbolic weight helping you bargain with and subdue the supernatural. Every path to power has its restrictions and costs, but you turn them all to your advantage. You're a thaumaturge, and you work wonders.”

They fit a particular sort of occult archetype that 5e really struggles with, the sort of ritualistic, vampire hunting, bell-book-and-candle sort of character that was so at home in pulpy gothic stories. They’re not a spellcaster, they don’t wield the raw forces of creation, by their own power or by the gift of others, they just scrounge broken scraps of power and build a tool kit, an arsenal, from them. It’s all salt lines and stolen relics and pockets full of silver bullets. I love them so much.

(In 5e, to get this sort of vibe, I’ve actually spoken before on how I’d go for a fey wanderer ranger rather than a warlock. Thaumaturge fits that martial, pragmatic, spooky, well-spoken sort of vibe, but it’s purpose built for it, whereas the ranger useage is probably not intentional).

I also love the symbolism of the thaumaturge implements so much. The implements are specific objects, beyond your general kit of scavenged bits and bobs that are your esoterica, that you use to define your build, and they have so many archetypes. For a start, they quite literally have the bell (bell), book (tome) and candle (lantern) implements, along with mirror, chalice, amulet, wand, and weapon. You choose three of them over the course of your career, though only your first will be fully unlocked. So if you want to play a border guardian led by the light of a ghostly lantern, or an occult infiltrator and terrifying combatant with a mirror self, or an occult scholar guided by the knowledge stored in eldritch tomes, you can do that.

This class is so strongly built around objects, ritual and symbolism, and I enjoy it so much. They’re the rag-and-bone prophets, the sleight of hand street magicians, the Victorian spiritualists, the down and dirty vampire hunters. I’ve doodled around with a witch gnoll thaumaturge before, and I just … I love their whole vibe.

I do also enjoy oracles, though they’re much more on the cosmic horror side than the gothic milieu the thaumaturge hangs around in. Very much ‘things man was not meant to know’, where you’ve tapped some vast cosmic mystery and physically and psychologically paid the price for it. You have eschewed the guidance of the gods to grapple with universe on your own terms, and it cost you, but you did grapple with it, and you did win power from it, and from your own understanding, not the dribs and drabs fed to you by powerful beings. Maybe it’ll kill you, sure, but even if it does, you did all this yourself, on your own terms, and that is worth something. You wield powers similar to those granted by gods, and you do so by your own merits alone.

Basically, if you came to the warlock class to play blasphemous hubris and defiance of the gods, PF2e’s oracle has you covered. Trust me.

The different mysteries add a bit of extra flavour on top of this, which particular part of the universe you grabbed with your bare hands and naked mind and tried to master, whether it was death itself (bones), the vast forces that move the stars (cosmos), the untapped well of knowledge that lies behind the world (lore), or the very flow of time (time).

All this to say, yes, very much agree with this post. PF2e has a whole buffet of occult classes to play, depending on which flavour you want, which I do think provides a few more purpose built options than 5e. I also just really love PF2e’s occultism skill, which gives you a lot of skill feat options to add to your spookiness, and that’s before we get to a bunch of archetypes like the Exorcist, Eldritch Researcher, and Pact Binder to let you put some spookiness onto the class of your choice.

It's good for all things occult and spooky, is what I’m saying here. Heh.

"how do you play a warlock in Pathfinder 2e" - fortunately, and unfortunately, the answer is perhaps fivefold I'd argue, depending on WHAT precisely about the warlock you find appealing: witch, thaumaturge, magus, psychic or oracle.

The PF2E witch is a full spellcaster using intelligence - but they rely on a patron who gives them their spells via a special familiar. Definitely Pact of the Chain warlock vibes. However, way more powerful spellcasting then a 5e warlock, more equivalent to a wizard.

The thaumaturge has strong occult vibes, focused on "esoterica" - magical scraps and relics that empower special abilities. No patron, technically not spellcasting, but a Charisma-based occult magic user that looks sick as hell. Does seem a bit Hexbladey though, given armor and weapon proficiencies and capacity for melee combat.

The magus similarly is a strong melee combatant, with limited spellcasting much more akin to how the warlock pact slots work in 5e (though Intelligence based). They can use spells to empower their weapon strikes, and they can only cast at their highest two spell levels available (though unlike the warlock, these levels go all the way to 9)

If the thing you like most about the warlock is being able to build a mass murderer around a cantrip, the psychic might be right for you. One of their cool base class features is additional psychic-only cantrips, which you can then "amp" for more power and utility.

The oracle, like the thaumaturge, shares more flavor than mechanics with the warlock, and is probably the weakest case for equivalency in this post. They're charisma casters with divine spells, but unlike clerics their power isn't from a god, but rather a "mystery". One of their key features is a curse, which as it's strengthened provides both power and drawbacks. The curse mechanics feel very eldritch.

ANYWAY at first glance I was like "wtf no warlock, that seems like a missed opportunity" but no, Paizo was like "how do you like your warlock?" and served you up a buffet.

Visit Archives of Nethys if you're interested!