#lulu reads dracula

[libraryleopard]

i feel like a dracula retelling or adaptation from a romani perspective would be a very interesting and valuable addition to the vampire canon though on the other hand i can maybe understand why a romani creator wouldn't be very interested in that particular story

[paarthurnax59]

"Little Sparrow"

Warnings: Christian and religions references, bad French. not much. Lots of fluff!❤️

Chapter 4

  

You stood upon a rocky hill as the sun beamed down at you, covering yourself from it’s blinding rays and blazing heat. The sky was cloudless, giving no refuge from the sun’s harmful rays. Looking around you see yourself in a nearly barren desert with what looked like olive trees scattered around the area, along with a few bushes and other species of fauna. A few deer could be seen scavenging for food. Hoping to see any sign of human life, you treaded the scorching desert. You walked aimlessly for a while until you come across three figures.

“Hey, excuse me! Can you tell me where I am?!” You ran at them and started to make out what they were. Two of them were female, one was a woman wearing ancient Israeli garb and with dark hair, brown eyes and olive skin. Their other was a little girl with features very similar to the older woman. You assumed that they were mother and daughter. Beautiful beyond compared, but had the look of sorrow on their flawless faces. The third, what seemed to be a man facing the two women with him kneeling to the little girl. He wore all white and his back was facing you, completely disregarding your existence all together. 

“Hey! Can you hear me!? I need help!” You shouted once more and again they ignored you. Why can’t they hear you? Then you kept quiet as the man spoke softly and calmly to the little girl, making you stare in awe. 

“My sweet girl, I must leave you. I have fulfilled my purpose upon this earth, and now my father calls me back.” The man in white said to the girl and her eyes began to tear up. His voice, while gentle as an autumn breeze, held a silent power. A power so strong that it could stop an entire war from breaking out. It made you go silent and stand with your jaw open, listening intently to their conversation.

“Papa, I don’t want you to go. I love you! I can’t bare losing you again.” The crying girl ran to the man, which now she assumed was her father, and embraced him with as much strength as her little body could muster. You heart broke for the little girl, knowing how it felt losing a parent. She was even around the same age as you when you lost both your parents. You wanted to be mad at the man for leaving his daughter behind, but for some reason, you couldn’t. He hugged her back with the same amount of love she was expressing to him. He held her tightly, like it was the last time.

“And I love you, my little sparrow. Which is why I must go. You and your mother must get out of here and away from Nazareth…” Your ears perked up from hearing the mysterious man hugging the little child. Nazareth? You were in ancient Nazareth? You continued to watch the heart-breaking moment between three people. No longer you care about them noticing you as you listen with a heavy heart as a family was being separated. “A boat will take you where you both need to go. No matter where you go, you and your mother will always be watched over…I will always watch over you.”   Your eyes start to water over this gut-wrenching moment, just as everything went dark. 

…..

    You awoke gasping in your bed, trying desperately to reach for the people that were not longer there.  Breathing heavily placing a hand on your heart. Looking around the darkness, you can see you were still in your luxurious room at Vatican City. The moon’s light shined through the curtains of your window, forcing you to turn your head to the night sky. Now feeling wide awake, you arose from your bed and walked to it with quiet footsteps. 

   Though you couldn’t see much due to the Vatican’s walls, you still could see some of the beautiful light that came from Rome. You think about the one time you tried to snuck out to explore Rome in the dead of night. Sometimes Jinette’s guards weren’t always the brightest and you could easily sneak passed them. Of course, you were not able to fool everyone.

18 years earlier….

“And so, Beautiful Esther, being the virtuous woman, bravely stood up for her people, though she was fearful of her fate. She believed a life live no courage…is not a life at all. For the fear of God came before the fear of men.” He said by your bedside as he finished telling you biblical stories. Night had fallen and was growing later by the hour.  You watched in amazement about the brave Jewish woman that stood before death to protect her people and save her uncle, Mordecai. 

“She really did all that? Without the King even realizing she was Jewish? Even though she could have been killed?” You said while squirming in your bed, listening intently to the story of one of the bravest women of the bible. 

“Yes, she did, Piccolo Paressa.” He nodded, pleased that his young ward finally was able to sit down for a biblical story. He was glad that it was the story of Esther. Though he hoped she never had to face a horrible situation like the biblical heroin had, he hoped you would grow to be resilient and virtuous. He maybe old fashioned in the ways of the world, but he wanted his new ward to have honorable women to look up to. He wanted you to grow up to be a strong woman with good values. “She was incredibly strong and risked much to save her people. Saving them from annihilation at the hands of her own husband.” He enlightened the young French girl.

“And that Haman guy? Quelle brute absolue!” You spat out and almost wanted to punch someone for what the King’s advisor tried to do to the innocent people of Persia. All because he didn’t like the fact they were different from them. Jinette grinned at your response to his tale. He tucked her in as she continued to discuss the little bedtime story. “Glad he got what he deserved.” He didn’t like how you said that, even if you were talking about a very evil person. As he got done getting you into bed, he used his hand to get you to look him in the eye. He made sure you were intently listening before he spoke. 

“(Name), you should not be saying things like that, even if you believe their punishment was just.” He spoke lowly but still serious enough for him to get his point across.

“Why? he tried to kill thousands of innocent people because they were different from him. He was cruel and shouldn’t be alive anymore.” Jinette sighed with disappointment ever so eminent in his face.

“(Name), we must all face judgment for our wrong doings. Whether we realize it or not. Not matter how horrible or minuscule our offenses are, we all deserve fair judgement. We are not the ones allowed to offer such trial. Only one can do that.” He pointed upward with his finger, making sure you understand what he was talking about. “Yes, those who commit evil acts will have to face the final verdict, some will have to face trial while here on earth. but that doesn’t mean we live through out our lives with hearts full of vengeance. It brings us to a place full of deep despair and darkness. A life of countless moments waisted, precious time that we will never get back. Hatred…it consumes you. Makes you into something that destroys your entire self and forget your true purpose.” Earnestly he spoke as he looked down at you, little your small developing mind sink in his wise words. “This is something I don’t want for you. What Esther did…was out of justice. For love, not for revenge. God will never help those who act in hate and anger. Do you understand, my child?” He asked you, giving him a nod in return. 

“Yes, father.” You replied and Jinette arose from your side of the bed. 

“Good. Then you have a good night, Paressa.” He walked off and to his own quarters, closing the door. The room dark with only the lights from Rome peeking through the window. You smiled as you went to your wardrobe and put on your jeans and jacket. Walking to your door you watched for anyone coming down your hallway. So far it was empty, which meant it was the perfect opportunity to get out of Vatican City for a while. It had been a couple of months since you started living at the Vatican and became Cardinal Jinette’s adoptive daughter. Ever since you had arrived, you had been confined in the city walls. While yes, you had food, education,  a warm bed and shelter. Even well cared for by the old man, but your heart craved more. It yearned to venture out and see the life of the famous city. Most sane people would think that a young girl like you would be crazy to go off alone in a city like Rome. Not you, however. You were tough and resilient. 

    Ever since the day your parents died and were dropped in that God forsaken orphanage, you had fight for survival. The people at the orphanage tried to break you, with no form of success. You weren’t afraid of the people of the world; you didn’t even flinch when Jinette had told you about monsters being real. Having trust in people? That’s an entirely different story. So going out alone in a large city like Rome, didn’t scare you in the slightest.

    Scanning down the empty hall, you slowly walked through the palace. With each careful step, you waited and listened for any form of human movement before moving forward. You suddenly heard heavy footsteps coming in your direction and were getting louder. To not be detected, you hid behind one of the large, thick curtains that hid your small body. The footsteps pass and with a smirk, you slowly emerged from the curtain. You were on your way to the gate when you felt a strong hand on your arm and another covering your mouth to keep you from screaming. Instincts began to take hold, so you began to fight off your assailant. 

“Stop squirming, little girl, or I will put you over my knee.” Said the masculine, but familiar voice, making you growl in frustration. He held you closer to his larger body to restrain you from trying to get away.

“Let me go!” You muffled angerly through his hand, trying to bop his jaw with your head. 

“You scream and it won’t be me getting in trouble for being out passed their bedtime, you little gargoyle.”  Van Helsing gritted his teeth. Wanted to not be caught by Cardinal Jinette, you kept quiet and ceased your struggle with the tall hunter. Jinette sometimes stayed up late to get some extra work done, for he was busy with educating you during the day. You didn’t want him catching you for being up at this late hour, so you clammed up. “Good, now we can talk, and don’t even think about trying to bite me again.” He commanded and released you from his grasp. You jumped away from him and face the young man, with your arms front and center, pulling your fists up to your face. “Are you always this defensive, little one?” He smirked down at you. He was wearing normal street clothes, black leather jacket with black slacks and a grey sweater.  His long hair was now combed back and his face shaved. His arm folded as he watched you in amusement.

“Are you always this much of a creep? Sneaking up on little girls?” You snapped at the man in front of you, not letting your guard down for one minute. It did nothing but made the tall hunter chuckle at your attempt to fight him off. Your face all puffed up and your fists high in the air, ready to brawl with him.

“Alright, calm down. I’m not going to fight you and I am not going to turn you over to cardinal Jinette, little one. I just want to talk to you.” He softly spoke to you as a chuckle escaped from his lips. With a feeling of caution was still present in your mind, your fists lowered to your side and your back straight. “So, can I ask why you were trying to leave? Not running away, are you?”

“No!” You barked and Van Helsing placed a finger to his lips to shush you.

“Keep it down, kid. The guards will catch you if you don’t stay quiet.” He hushed to you aggressively. “Now, if you aren’t trying to run away, what are you doing?” He inquired as he started to circle around you. 

“I just…” You sighed in defeat as you explained. “I just wanted to get out for a while. I have been cooped up in this place for months and wanted to see Rome for myself. I barely got a glimpse when Jinette brought me here.” You defended your actions, not wanting any one to think that you were trying to leave for good. You loved living here and everything it has to offer. “I was going to come back. I swear!”

“Alright, alight. Clam down, kid. You don’t need get upset over this.” He reminded you as he got in front of you, looking down at your fragile form. His heart ached as he looked down at your big, (E/C) guilt-ridden eyes. He didn’t want to make you feel like he was interrogating you. Van Helsing knew that sometimes life inside these walls can get a little stuffy and he knows how protective Jinette is of you. However, you still couldn’t go out on your own, especially at night in a European city. At that moment, an idea struck him. A mischievous grin appeared on his face. “I have an idea, how about I go with you? We can get out for a little bit.” He proposed, you raised your eyebrow, looking at him like had grown a second head. 

“?Etes-vous serieux?” You gasped in French, making Van Helsing groan.

“English, little girl. I don’t know French.” Gabriel rolled his eyes at your response.

“Sorry, but why would you do that for me? You hate me!” You exclaimed loudly, folded your arms and giving him a pouting face. Van Helsing had to cover your mouth once more to keep you from shouting. 

“Honestly, do you always have to yell when you talk? You are either screaming or speaking French.” He said as he let go of your face. “To answer your question; No, I don’t hate you. In fact, I like you, kid.”

“Why? I bit you when we first met and tried to fight with you.” You argued with grown man, not believing that he could like you when you’re only encounter with him was when you tried to go down that tunnel.

“Well, can’t say that I appreciated you biting me. It hurt like hell.” He cursed, letting a gasp escape your mouth.

“You cursed! You’re not allowed to swear in the Lord’s house, monsieur Van Helsing!” You point your finger at him, like a mother scorning her child. He snickered at you. In his eyes, you were just too adorable.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” He apologized while lifting his hands in the air defensively. “But I must be honest, kiddo. You have spirit and a lot of it. You have the guts to stand up to people bigger than you and that to me, is pretty brave.” He looked at you and watched as you look up at him in amazement. Did he really mean that? He looked out the window, he could easily see the lights of Rome and then back at you. “And with spirited people like you, sometimes they get restless. They need an outlet occasionally. You obviously want to get out and I can do that for you.” He looked back at you once more and held out his hand. “What do you say? Call it a truce and we can both go explore the city?” 

     You thought about it for moment. In your heart, you wanted to trust him. He had this aura of honesty and genuine desire of wanting to connect with you. It had been a long time since you trusted people, let alone adults. So far, Jinette and Carl had been able to connect with you and maybe a few other people. Everyone else, they just looked at you like you were a fish out of water. In their eyes, you were nothing but a street orphan who was plucked by the old man through an act of pity. There also weren’t any other children around, making it hard to connect with anyone. However, Jinette had also been teaching you about faith. Not just faith in God but having faith in people. People who deserve to be trusted, like Jinette. So maybe, placing your confidence in Van Helsing, would help you gain a new friend. Slowly, you reached out for his large hand and grasp it tightly. 

“Let’s do it, Van Helsing.”

“Good, and by the way, you can call me Gabriel.” He smiled and then he began to lead you through the halls of Vatican City, avoiding any guards that wondered the halls. You both managed to get to the underground tunnels where a lot of old-fashioned vehicles resided. You had had the opportunity to ride in some of these luxury cars, including the Mercedes that you drove in when you came here in. He led you down the large underground garage, laughing as he pulled you along. He stopped abruptly, causing you to crash into him.

“Why did you stop?” You curiously looked up at him. He looked down to you and pointed his finger down the garage, pointing at a very beautiful black 1969 Ducati Scrambler Motorcycle. You looked in wonder and excitement as you looked at the beauty in front of you. “Is this yours?”

“Yup, got her when she was a real fixer upper a few years ago. After some love and care, I restored her to her former glory, with a few modifications that is.” He bragged with a proud grin plastered on his face. The bike had two helmets on it and he walked over to grab them, handing one out to you. “Safety first.” He joked as you took the helmet and placed it on your head. He helped you strap in on properly before he got on. You followed right behind him and got on. “Hold on tight, girly girl!” He placed his own helmet on before he started the bike. The engine roared as the bike was brought to life. You held on as Gabriel kicked off the stand and then rode off his parking space and out of the already open garage door. 

   The bike rode off into the night as the both of you left the sacred city behind. The lights from the motorcycle lighting your path and soon were both in the gorgeous and historic city of Rome herself. As Van Helsing focused on the road, you marvel at the beautiful architecture and stunning lights that made city look so magical and unreal. The two of you stopped at few places, along the way. Patheon, the Rome Colosseum, and St. Peter’s Basilica. All places where he could take you that were open at this late hour, promising one day that he would take you on a tour during the day. The next stop you made was the Trevi Fountain. You both stood in the at the fountain and then a shiny, silver coin appeared in front of you. 

“Make a wish, (Name).”  He suggested as he hand you the coin. You hold the coin to your chest and closed your eyes to make a wish. When you open your eyes, you tossed the coin as far as you could, landing in the water. “So, what did you wish for?” He poked at you, as you stared at him in disbelief. 

“You know I can’t tell you that! Otherwise, it won’t come true!” You giggled while he ruffled your hair. “Hey! Not my hair!” You squealed as Van Helsing grabbed you and then nuzzled your head with his fist, throwing you into a fit of laughter. You were finally having fun, for the first time in a long time.

….

    You smiled as you think back to your first real connection with Gabriel. Instead of him turning you over for trying to sneak out of Vatican City, he went with you. It wasn’t just that one time either. Once a week at least, when Gabriel wasn’t on a hunt, he would take you out on his bike. He had to get special permission to take you out from Jinette. Turns out, he wasn’t as angry about you sneaking out as you thought. Sometimes it was for lunch, others for gelato or on a tour at one of the museums. You still manage to leave at night with him. As long as you were with Van Helsing, you were safe. The two of you grew closer to one another as the months progressed. 

   Thinking back, it was a rather foolish idea to be trying to go out on your own. And only being eleven years old, at that. Of course, you had been homeless for a year, so the fear of being out alone didn’t bother you. Having to defend yourself as best you could. 

Being lost in thought, you hardly noticed your phone going off. You looked to your bedside table and reached for it. You could see Sam’s name and picture appear on the screen. You swiped up and placed the phone to your ear.

“Hello?” You answer and could a breath of relief from the other line.

“Thank God, (Name)! Are you okay? I’m at Jody’s right now and she told me that you left and didn’t tell you her where you were going. She said you left in a hurry and only told her it’s an emergency! Where are you?! I have been trying to get a hold of you for days!”  Sam panicked on the phone, and you shushed him, stopping him from his frantic tirade.

“Sam, calm down!” You ordered him and he goes silent. “If you just let me explain where I have been and what I have been doing, I will tell you.” He breath could be hard over the phone, showing that he was trying to calm his heart rate. You were too tired to deal with this.

“Okay fine, go ahead.” He pressed while he heard you expound on your where abouts. 

“I’m in Rome right now.” You told him honestly.

“Rome?! As in Italy?!” He yelled as you could hear the shock in his voice.

“Yeah, I have been in Italy for the past two days.” You began to explain.

“Why are you there?” He asked while you stared out in the dark sky. You really didn’t know what to tell Sam. For years, you had kept your life in the Order a secret from the boys. While you did tell them you were from France and raised by a priest, the rest of your story was a little more…fabricated.

    You never told them that you were trained by that same priest and one of his best hunters. Why? Because the more people that know about the Order, the harder it would be to keep from corrupt governments and organizations. The Order had been around for almost two thousand years and had stood strong against the tests of time, mainly due to it’s resilient secrecy. When every hunter reaches the final stages of their training, they are sworn hold the oath to never tell outsiders about the Order. People were just not ready to know the truth of what goes on in the dark. However, you can’t leave Sam in the dark completely. You had told him some truth as too what is going on. 

“I’m going on a hunt, I was told an old friend had gone missing and I need to start looking for him. For all I know, he could be dead or hurt.” You explained as you sat on your bed, looking out the window. 

“Right, I get it.” He lowly whispered, indicating that he understood why you left. Your mind now coming back to the other situation that had led you to leaving the bunker.

“How is he, Sam? Did he get…”

“No, he still hasn’t gotten the mark off …and he’s getting worse. Charlie’s death really took a toll on him, (Name).” He sadly admitted, making your chest tighten with remorse and regret hearing Charlie’s name being spoken. “He killed all the Stynes just a few days ago and even nearly killed Cass. He was all bloody and beaten when Rowena and I found him. Dean did a real number on him before he left.”  He said, just now making you want to cry just hearing what happened. What was happening to your Dean? “There is another thing…Dean…he killed a kid.” 

“What?” You said as a tear came down onto your cheek. You had a very strong soft spot for kids and so did Dean. Which is one of the things that made you fall in love with him. It was his most endearing quality. Now, to hear that he killed a kid had broken you in a way that made you just keel over. 

“He was one of the Stynes, but he wanted to leave his family. He seemed like a good kid from what Cass had described. Dean shot him dead along with the other Stynes that broke into our bunker. He didn’t even give him a chance to defend himself or speak.” Sam sounded so defeated and sad, it made your heart ache with pain. While you can’t fathom feeling sorry for any of the Stynes deaths, you do feel for this poor boy that Dean killed. It could not have been easy growing up in a family like the Stynes. If you were in that boy’s shoes, you would have wanted to get out as soon as you could. The real Dean Winchester would not have killed him. He would have done everything he could to help that kid. What could have been his salvation, became his demise. A tragic ending to a life full of potential and redemption. 

“(Name), are you still there?” Sam snapped you out of your haze. You composed yourself before answering him.

“Yeah, I’m alright. I’m sorry, Sam. I’m sorry I can't be there.” You told him apologetically, wishing there was more you could do for the younger Winchester, and his brother. Despite everything Dean did, you still loved him. 

“It’s okay, (Name). I understand why you don’t want to be here right now. I will find a way to get him back, I always do.”  Sam spoke with much determination. You know he’s right. Sam and Dean would go to the ends of the earth to save each other. Even dying for one another to do it. “You should focus on finding your friend, (Name). Don’t worry about Dean for now.” He assured you softly, trying to ease your mind after giving you the tragic news of what Dean had done. “And get some sleep, It must still be late over there.”

“Thanks Sam, I love you, you know.” You said with a somewhat cracking voice, your heart raced as you expressed your feelings to him.

“I love you, too. Get some rest, okay? See you later.”  Sam before he hung up. It was then you let the tears fall and covered your face as you sobbed fiercely. Your body hunched over trying as hard as you could to keep quiet and not to wake anyone. You cried for a good ten minutes before lying down in your bed and pulling the covers over you. The tears didn’t stop falling from your face. With all the thoughts that had been plaguing your mind, you highly doubt you will get a restful night’s sleep. You turned to the window again, and looked at the moon, full and bright like a star. Your mind still thinking mostly about what Dean had done since you had left. You wonded if things would have been different if you hadn’t lied to him and Charlie would still be alive. You honestly don’t think he would ever forgive you. Truthfully, you don’t think you would forgive yourself for this either. 

“This is all my fault.” 

….

What do you guys think Reader was dreaming about? How about her interactions with Gabriel and Jinette as a child? And how do you think she will work out with this Dean situation?

Please comment, reblog and follow my page for more!

Thanks to all of you for reading!  

French translation

“Quelle brute absolue!”: “what an absolute brute!”

“?Etes-vous serieux?” : “Are you serious?”

[cry-ptidd]

My OC, Angelique ‘Angel’ Delios, is a witch and an Empath.

An Empath is someone who can fully interpret the emotions, moods, and temperaments of others without reading apparent symptoms, allowing them to understand introverts or discover one emotion is actually hiding another. Some users may learn to read emotional imprints left into environment or objects. Usually over time, an Empath's power grows to the point that they can manipulate emotions in others, and possibly use them to empower themselves.

Angel is an eccentric, emotional, kind, and ‘too smart for her own good’ intelligent black teenage girl from America and confesses to being kind of crazy. And by her own admission, has a soft spot for monsters. Angel speaks her mind, even if it may sound crazy or strange to others, with her signature Mona Lisa smile followed by her usual series of airy giggles and is a very touchy feely person when she gets comfortable with someone, which is often when she first meets them due to her deep understanding of people and lacks any of the usual caution or social etiquette ordinary people do.

She has ‘Hellsing: Abridged’ mixed with ‘Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt’ dub humor and is always wearing her Mona Lisa smile and is always giggling about something. She is loosely based off of Delirium and Death from ‘The Sandman,’ Winter from the ‘Lunar Chronicles,’ Gojo from JJK, and is pretty much the embodiment of every Melanie Martinez, Lana Del Ray, and Insane Clown Posse song.

In my slowly - very slowly - progressing story, Angel kind of just..shows up like a stray cat. And like a stray cat, she comes and goes wherever and whenever she pleases, mostly due to the other supernatural stuff she’s dealing with outside of helping or hanging around Hellsing.

- Angel figures out that Alucard is Count Dracula when they first met and she even pointed it out by playfully calling him ‘Count Dracula’ and wasn’t shy about teasing him in good fun.

- When she starts getting comfortable around him, she would lean against him or causally play with his gorgeous hair or steal his hat and sunglasses and wear them on herself.

- Angel is very much a modern teen and teases Alucard about being an old man and even calls him a Boomer whenever he remakes on certain modern things such as Angel’s eccentric sense of fashion or her technology or her unorthodox way of doing things.

- Angel can transform into a small white iridescent snake and black and white spotted rabbit and enjoys being held by either Seras or Alucard.

- She calls his late night walks his ‘eldritch zoomies.’

- She refers to the medical blood packs he’s always sucking on his ‘caprisuns.’

- She also gave him the nickname ‘Al’ and uses often, has him saved as ‘💖Lulu💖’ on her phone, calls him ‘Allie’ when he’s being particularly snowflaky, Or if he’s being an asshole she’ll call him the ‘Crimson Fucker’ (shoutout Team Fourstar!).

- Because she is an Empath, she knows what goes on beneath what Alucard chooses to show to others and brings up his troubles only when they are alone and knows his internal struggles and mechanisms. Also, if Angel focuses long enough on Alucard, she can hear and feel the souls trapped inside of him, sometimes she can even hear them screaming. She tries not to dig too deeply, both because she knows that people who are aware that she is an Empath don’t like it and if she is connected to Alucard for too long, she will start to cry, shedding both her own tears and his blood ones.

- And due to her abilities, and only under certain circumstances, Angel can blanket her presence around Alucard as a way of calming him down like a heated weighted blanket.

- There’s this one scene that sums up Angel’s view/relationship on Alucard where someone exclaims that Alucard is a monster, to which Angel lazily shifts her gaze from the person and Alucard while still wearing her Mona Lisa smile and just softly giggles, shaking her head, and says, “No, that’s not a monster. That’s just Al.”

- Despite her love for the modern age she was born into, Angel is a bit of an old soul though, she loves the vintage jazz vinyl records that she inherited from her mother.

- due to her family and her being a witch, can talk about certain archaic and ancient historical subjects for hours, usually about certain things that she shouldn’t know or that most people would understand. And occasionally, Angel would randomly drop facts and knowledge that humanity either doesn’t know or got wrong that either leaves everyone befuddled and having more questions than answers. (this plays into the multiple mythologies that tie together in this fanfic, it’s a sort of omnism I got going on).

- Angel is a witch and worships and pays homage to the Old Gods of the Pantheons, particularly the Greek and Orisha Pantheons due to her being Black Greek.

- This story gets into the colonization, cultural appropriation, generational trauma, and the violence and prejudice against others caused by the Christian church, both past and present.

- Angel also possesses powerful glamour magic (a hereditary ability in her family). Her glamour reflects her mental state, and since Angel is half-mad, her glamours can be both whimsical and strange. For instance, whenever she’s deep in thought or bored, Angel will summon goldfish/koi-fish or butterflies to fly above and swarm around her. Her hair and makeup and outfits are always bright and attention-grabbing. Her black hair either in it’s loose thick and curly state but with added bright colors or set in beautiful and complicated braids with beads or small trinkets added to it that jingle when she moves, her makeup matches her outfits and also contain glitter and or rhinestones.

- Angel is also a beast tamer, an unofficial occupation she obtained due to her Empath abilities and something that Sir Integra is silently thankful for when dealing with creatures outside of vampires.

- Basically, Angel and Alucard two chaotic peas in a pod and have a very strange brother-sister/father-daughter relationship. She and Alucard have a relationship that I can best describe that if the relationship of Paul and Carl from ‘Llamas with Hats’ and Katya and Trixie Mattel got together, sprinkled some dark-ass humor, cryptic speech patterns, and a shared love of chaos, and produced a bastard child. Also the ‘who’s who’ dynamic switches a lot between them.

Angelique!! Behold!!

[benito-cereno]

Hi. I just saw an old post of yours recommending Plastic Man, Cap Marvel Adventures, Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman comics of the Golden Age. I was wondering, do you have any more recommendations of comics from that era? I've been interested in the Golden Age lately.

Yeah, sure!

Obviously Simon and Kirby were putting out quality stuff during this era, in all sorts of genres. While Captain America is the obvious pick, I’d definitely recommend their work on Sandman, Boy Commandos, and Fighting American. If you’re interested in their non-capes stuff, there are lots of nice collections available now of their sci-fi, Western, horror, and romance comics that should be pretty easy to find. I know Kirby was particularly proud of Boys’ Ranch.

Another favorite of mine from the Golden Age is Dick Briefer’s Frankenstein. It goes through a number of different stylistic eras — horror to superhero to comedy back to horror — but those latter two eras are some of the best comics ever made imo. Here’s an introductory essay I wrote a while back:

I’ll also give qualified recommendations to Will Eisner’s The Spirit and Reed Crandall’s Blackhawk, but only if you can overlook offensively archaic racial caricatures (pretty endemic of the Golden Age, so if you’ve read the stuff I’ve recommended before, you’ve definitely encountered it)

Phantom Lady is pretty good if you don’t mind cheesecakey stuff.

Obviously EC was putting out top tier sci-fi, horror, war, and crime books. Tons of nice collections in print now, some collected by title or genre, some by artist. I personally like the Jack Davis horror collections, but you really can’t go wrong.

If you’re open to humor comics, Herbie is one of the funniest books ever published and the bizarre humor really holds up for the most part. And then the vast body of material from John Stanley — Little Lulu, Nancy, Melvin Monster, et al — is extremely charming, top shelf material. Also technically Carl Barks’s Duck books are Golden Age, but don’t typically get grouped in with Superman and so on.

Of course, the REALLY ace material from this time comes from newspaper strips, but that’s a whole different post

[the-hellsing-organisation]

I meant ‘boo-boo,’ damn autocorrect and my southern upbringing lol

My OC, Angelique ‘Angel’ Delios, is a witch and an Empath. An Empath is someone who can fully interpret the emotions, moods, and temperaments of others without reading apparent symptoms, allowing them to understand introverts or discover one emotion is actually hiding another. Some users may learn to read emotional imprints left into environment or objects. Usually over time, an Empath's power grows to the point that they can manipulate emotions in others, and possibly use them to empower themselves.

Angel is an half-mad, eccentric, emotional, kind, and ‘too smart for her own good’ intelligent black teenage girl from America and confesses to not being the most sanest person in the world. And by her own admission, has a soft spot for monsters. Angel speaks her mind, even if it may sound crazy or strange to others, with her signature Mona Lisa smile followed by her usual series of airy giggles and is a very touchy feely person when she gets comfortable with someone, which is often when she first meets them due to her deep understanding of people and lacks any of the usual caution or social etiquette ordinary people do.

She has ‘Hellsing: Abridged’ mixed with ‘Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt’ dub humor and is always wearing her Mona Lisa smile and is always giggling about something. She is loosely based off of Delirium from ‘The Sandman,’ Winter from the ‘Lunar Chronicles,’ Gojo from JJK, and is pretty much the embodiment of every Melanie Martinez, Lana Del Ray, and Insane Clown Posse song.

In my slowly - very slowly - progressing story, Angel kind of just..shows up like a stray cat. And like a stray cat, she comes and goes wherever and whenever she pleases, mostly due to the other supernatural stuff she’s dealing with outside of helping or hanging around Hellsing. Angel figures out that Alucard is or was Count Dracula when they first met and she even pointed it out by playfully calling him ‘Count Dracula’ and wasn’t shy about teasing him in good fun. When she starts getting comfortable around him, she would lean against him or causally play with his gorgeous hair or steal his hat and sunglasses and wear them on herself.

Angel is very much a modern teen and teases Alucard about being an old man and even calls him a Boomer whenever he remakes on certain modern things such as Angel’s eccentric sense of fashion or her technology or her unorthodox way of doing things.

~ Angel can transform into a small white iridescent snake and black and white spotted rabbit and enjoys being held by either Seras or Alucard.

~ She calls Alucard’s late night walks his ‘eldritch zoomies.’

~ She refers to the medical blood packs he’s always sucking on his ‘caprisuns.’

~ She also gave him the nickname ‘Al’ and uses often, has him saved as ‘💖Lulu💖’ on her phone, calls him ‘Alie’ when he’s being particularly snowflaky, Or if he’s being an asshole she’ll call him the ‘Crimson Fucker’ (shoutout Team Fourstar!).

~Because she is an Empath, she knows what goes on beneath what Alucard chooses to show to others and brings up his troubles only when they are alone and knows his internal struggles and mechanisms. Also, if Angel focuses long enough on Alucard, she can hear and feel the souls trapped inside of him, sometimes she can even hear them screaming. She tries not to dig too deeply, both because she knows that people who are aware that she is an Empath don’t like it and if she is connected to Alucard for too long, she will start to cry, shedding both her own tears and his.

~ And due to her abilities, and only under certain circumstances, Angel can blanket her presence around Alucard as a way of calming him or anyone down like a heated weighted blanket.

~ There’s this one scene that sums up Angel’s view/relationship on Alucard where someone exclaims that Alucard is a monster, to which Angel lazily shifts her gaze from the person and Alucard while still wearing her Mona Lisa smile and just softly giggles, shakes her head, and says, “No, that’s not a monster. That’s just Al.”

~ Despite her love for the modern age she was born into, Angel is a bit of an old soul though, she loves the vintage jazz vinyl records that she inherited from her mother.

~ Due to the resources she has access to due to her family and her being a witch, can talk about certain archaic and ancient historical subjects for hours, usually about certain things that she shouldn’t know or that most people would understand. And occasionally, Angel would randomly drop facts and knowledge that humanity either doesn’t know or got wrong that either leaves everyone befuddled and having more questions than answers. (this plays into the multiple mythologies that tie together in this fanfic, it’s a sort of omnism I got going on).

~ Angel worships and pays homage to the Old Gods of the Pantheons, particularly the Greek and Orisha Pantheons due to her being Black Greek. This story gets into the colonization, cultural appropriation, generational trauma, and the violence and prejudice against others caused by the Christian church, both past and present.

~ Angel also possesses powerful glamour magic (a hereditary ability in her family). Her glamour reflects her mental state, and since Angel is half-mad, her glamours can be both whimsical and strange. For instance, whenever she’s deep in thought or bored, Angel will subconsciously summon goldfish/koi-fish or butterflies to fly above and swarm around her. She mainly uses her glamour to change her hair and eye color to something bold and stunning to match her flamboyant personality.

~ Angel is a beast tamer, an unofficial occupation she obtained due to her Empath abilities and something that Sir Integra is silently thankful for when dealing with creatures outside of vampires.

~ Basically, Angel and Alucard two chaotic peas in a pod and have a very strange brother-sister/father-daughter relationship.

Hellsing OC Gushing

[corvidcrybaby]

My OC, Angelique ‘Angel’ Delios, is a witch and an Empath. An Empath is someone who can fully interpret the emotions, moods, and temperaments of others without reading apparent symptoms, allowing them to understand introverts or discover one emotion is actually hiding another.

Some users may learn to read emotional imprints left into environment or objects. Usually over time, an Empath's power grows to the point that they can manipulate emotions in others, and possibly use them to empower themselves. Angel is an eccentric, emotional, kind, and ‘too smart for her own good’ intelligent black teenage girl from America and confesses to being kind of crazy. And by her own admission, has a soft spot for monsters. Angel speaks her mind, even if it may sound crazy or strange to others, with her signature Mona Lisa smile followed by her usual series of airy giggles and is a very touchy feely person when she gets comfortable with someone, which is often when she first meets them due to her deep understanding of people and lacks any of the usual caution or social etiquette ordinary people do.

~ She has ‘Hellsing: Abridged’ mixed with ‘Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt’ dub humor and is always wearing her Mona Lisa smile and is always giggling about something. She is loosely based off of Delirium from ‘The Sandman,’ Winter from the ‘Lunar Chronicles,’ Gojo from JJK, and is pretty much the embodiment of every Melanie Martinez, Lana Del Ray, and Insane Clown Posse song. In my slowly - very slowly - progressing story, Angel kind of just..shows up like a stray cat. And like a stray cat, she comes and goes wherever and whenever she pleases, mostly due to the other supernatural stuff she’s dealing with outside of helping or hanging around Hellsing.

~ Angel figures out that Alucard is or was Count Dracula when they first met and she even pointed it out by playfully calling him ‘Count Dracula’ and wasn’t shy about teasing him in good fun.

~When she starts getting comfortable around him, she would lean against him or causally play with his gorgeous hair or steal his hat and sunglasses and wear them on herself.

~ Angel is very much a modern teen and teases Alucard about being an old man and even calls him a Boomer whenever he remakes on certain modern things such as Angel’s eccentric sense of fashion or her technology or her unorthodox way of doing things.

~ Angel can transform into a small white iridescent snake and black and white spotted rabbit and enjoys being held by either Seras or Alucard.

~ She calls his late night walks his ‘eldritch zoomies.’

~ She refers to the medical blood packs he’s always sucking on his ‘caprisuns.’

~ She also gave him the nickname ‘Al’ and uses it often, has him saved as ‘💖Lulu💖’ on her phone, calls him ‘Allie’ when he’s being particularly snowflaky, Or if he’s being an asshole she’ll call him the ‘Crimson Fucker’ (shoutout Team Fourstar!).

~ Because she is an Empath, she knows what goes on beneath what Alucard chooses to show to others and brings up his troubles only when they are alone and knows his internal struggles and mechanisms. Also, if Angel focuses long enough on Alucard, she can hear and feel the souls trapped inside of him, sometimes she can even hear them screaming. She tries not to dig too deeply, both because she knows that people who are aware that she is an Empath don’t like it and if she is connected to Alucard for too long, she will start to cry, shedding both her own tears and his. And due to her abilities, and only under certain circumstances, Angel can blanket her presence around Alucard as a way of calming him down like a heated weighted blanket. 

~ There’s this one scene that sums up Angel’s view/relationship on Alucard where someone exclaims that Alucard is a monster, to which Angel lazily shifts her gaze from the person and Alucard while still wearing her Mona Lisa smile and just softly giggles and says, “No, that’s not a monster. That’s just Al.”

~ Due to the resources she has access to due to her family and her being a witch, can talk about certain archaic and ancient historical subjects for hours, usually about certain things that she shouldn’t know or that most people would understand. And occasionally, Angel would randomly drop facts and knowledge that humanity either doesn’t know or got wrong that either leaves everyone befuddled and having more questions than answers. (this plays into the multiple mythologies that tie together in this fanfic, it’s a sort of omnism I got going on). Angel is a witch and worships and pays homage to the Old Gods of the Pantheons, particularly the Greek and Orisha Pantheons due to her being Black Greek. This story gets into the colonization, cultural appropriation and erasure, generational trauma, and the violence and prejudice against others caused by the Christian church, both past and present.

~ Angel also possesses powerful glamour magic (a hereditary ability in her family). Her glamour reflects her mental state, and since Angel is half-mad, her glamours can be both whimsical and strange. For instance, whenever she’s deep in thought or bored, Angel will summon goldfish/koi-fish or butterflies to fly above and swarm around her.

~ Angel is also a beast tamer, an unofficial occupation she obtained due to her Empath abilities and something that Sir Integra is silently thankful for when dealing with creatures outside of vampires.

~ Basically, Angel and Alucard two chaotic peas in a pod and have a very strange brother-sister/father-daughter relationship.

Okay so wowee I'm sorry it took me so long to respond to this but all I can say is GOSH I hardly think you needed my feedback on anything because it's clear that you've put a ton of effort into constructing this OC! A lot of thought has gone into this and I like how many different angles you considered the relationship your OC has to Alucard and how they mirror and contrast one another. I'm also always one for introducing more political commentary into Hellsing - the show is already p damn political but actual exploration of generational trauma due to colonization, genocide and more is just... My shit. Something I do a lot of with Zemira, in her own way. I also like that you've given her more of a familial bond with Alucard because that's not something we see a ton of in Hellsing - his dynamics with Integra and Seras, while close, are both power dynamics which makes this a unique perspective. All told I love the energy here and I dig your OC a lot! Thank you for sharing her with me!

[countesscontessa]

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐞!

Hello all! I’m Laura, but any variation of Lulu is also fine. I’m 19, and am currently in college studying medical laboratory science. If you have no idea what that is, just think of the people in white lab coats at the back of every clinic/hospital who run analyses on blood and other samples. Fun stuff.

More generally, my pronouns are she/her, and I’m a lesbian. I’m a sagittarius sun, leo moon, and sagittarius rising, which—even though I’m not super into astrology anymore—apparently means I’m optimistic if not plain-spoken. I’ll also mention I’m a scorpio venus because I think it’s hilarious and explains a lot. I also haven’t been into MBTI/cognitive functions in a while, but sakinorva dot net tells me I’m an INFP.

I’m a fanfiction writer! In fact, that’s probably why you’re here :) Thus far, I’ve written exclusively for Genshin Impact, but I also love Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Tian Guan Ci Fu, and am trying to get more into Honkai: Star Rail.

Aside from writing and playing various video games, I like cooking, reading, walking, and music by mitski, lana del rey, and beyoncé.

I would also be remiss if I did not mention my vampire obsession. Castlevania, Interview with the Vampire, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and vampire mythos in general have all shaped my brain chemistry over the years and heavily influence some of the things I write. Few shall escape my gothic bloodsucker beam. ;)

I hope you enjoy your time in my silly little corner of the internet, and that you enjoy some of the things I write!! This blog is just for funsies at the end of the day, so I hope we can all chill xD

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐀𝐎𝟑 | 𝐄𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞

[veratok]

❛  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋.    ╾     @arelights​

she was a clever woman: he could see it in the folding of her palms, and in the manner her chin remained primed above her collar. and yet, for her beautiful mind, there remains a chill that has stalled it in its dutiful work: frozen, with some fear, some grief. in his chest, a distant memory of a time long since past comes again, seats itself at the fire of his heart, and warms itself before the burning of a life long lost.  tender, baby-soft fingers, locked within a matching pair, aged with decades of care.   he knows well what can melt the frost from those cold eyes.

❝ — ‘ these restless spirits, called strigoi, are not malicious, ‘ ❞   he quotes, the tome well-balanced upon his palm. his english is stained with his accent, and the clumsy way his lips fail to form the unpracticed tongue. yet, he perseveres, and once he reads ahead, he sparks with amusement. presenting the page to the young mina, an invitation, he speaks once more. extra attention is given, to keep care of his fangs which threaten to muddy his speech.

❝ ‘ but their appearance bodes no good, and may be regarded as omens of sickness or misfortune. ‘  ❞   it intrigues him, to hear of stories from his homeland long since unvisited, now molded as so to befit the english palate. there is some mirth, but tone is left unchanging. however, he speaks gently, hoping to coax some interest from the woman.   ❝ are you one for superstition, mrs. mina ? ❞

[written-prose-things]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale & Laura Hale, Laura Hale & Stiles Stilinski Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Laura Hale Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Miscommunication, lil bit of angst Summary:

Laura Hale has been the alpha of a teenaged pack who's seen everything from draculas to faeries. How is she going to deal with Stiles getting her brother's name as his soul mark? Especially when said brother already has someone else's name.

(the fic’s under the cut as well)

Even if the pack’s a bit more grown-up now, they still act like the kids they were when she first met them. So as she’s sitting down on the couch with her noodle soup, to enjoy some reality tv, that one pack member or another is going to bust through the door and start clamouring for her attention. But she’s nothing if not headstrong.

The staple fight between the Kardashians is barely in its first act when Stiles rushes through the door, his sneakers squeaking and plaid shirt and jacket flapping around. He smells of anxiety and nervousness, exactly like he did the first day they met.

He whispers urgently, “Laura??!”.

She yells back from the den, “Here!!”

He walks towards her quickly, muttering, “Oh my god, be quiet!!”

When he finally turns the corner and enters the den, Laura puts her bowl aside and pats the seat next to her, “What’s wrong pup?”

He takes a deep breath, and she already expects a long-winded rant, “So, you know about soul marks, right? Obviously, you got yours, you’re still looking for the person with that name, so you know about this thing. Everyone gets it, right? But does everyone get that of the person that reciprocates? Not always. Sometimes people have different names.”

Laura frowns. Why’s he talking about soul marks suddenly? God knows it’s been a sour topic for him since his 17th birthday passed and he didn’t get-

“Oh my god!!! You got your mark??!! Stiles! You-” Stiles muffles her mouth quickly.

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” He whispers urgently, “Someone might hear!”    

Laura batted his hand away from her mouth, “No one else is here.”

Stiles raises an eyebrow, “Derek?”

Laura shrugs, “He said there was some work that needed to be done on the roof so he went to get supplies from the hardware store.”

Stiles smirks, “Wow, I always thought that nothing short of an apocalypse would make that homebody move from the mansion. But hey, in miracles we must believe.”

Laura smacks his thigh, “Shut up about Derek already, tell me about your mark, where is it?”

Stiles’ smirk becomes a little stilted as he replies, “I can’t really stop talking about Derek, he’s related to this whole mark thing that’s happened to me.”

Laura stutters, “You- Derek? You got Derek?”

Stiles’ smirk is now a full frown, “Yup.”

Laura knows she shouldn’t point it out, and that Stiles knows it already, “But he already has a-”

Stiles doesn’t let her complete, “Yup.”

Laura sighs. Everyone knows that Derek has a mark, he’s had one since they moved back to Beacon Hills, but he doesn’t like showing it or even talking about it, other than the one time he told her that he’d finally gotten his mark.

Laura sighs, “I’m so sorry, Stiles.”

He shrugs, “Yeah well, it is what it is. But that’s not why I came here.”

Laura barely stops her jaw from snapping open, one of the worst things on this planets happened to him and the boy wants to talk about something else. He’s either finally lost his mind or it’s a whack plan to set things straight.

“Oh? What did you want to talk about?”

Stiles shrugs, “I read this thing yesterday. when I got the mark, I couldn’t just wring my hands and cry about it right? So an older version of your uncle’s bestiary has mentions of a ritual that only werewolves can do to exchange marks.”

So whack plan it is. Laura interjects, “Stiles what the hell are you talking about? How can someone tempt fate like that? Also, why would I take my brother’s mark on my self? That’s so many levels of gross and weird.”

Stiles shakes his head, “No, I-”

The thing about the Hale mansion is that after years of use and the god awful fire, the house creaks and rattles with even the smallest wind. So Laura has trained herself to file little noises inside the house away. But she should know better by now. In giving Stiles her full attention, she didn’t keep an ear out for Derek.

And now her younger brother is standing at the door in front of them.

Stiles lets out a faint choking sound, “H-hey Derek, fancy seeing you here.”

Derek growls, “This is my house.”

Stiles laughs like he’s at a polite office party, “Just uh- How much of that did you here?”

Derek grits his jaw, “You don’t want my mark.”

Stiles bobbles his head, “Well, no- but. I- Look Derek, it’s been 3 years since my 20th birthday. I’ve made my peace with being alone and I don’t want to come in the way of you and whoever it is that you have. So it’s a spell that I’ve read. Any werewolf can do it and I then we can exchange names. So I was thinking that I could get the person with your soul mark to switch with me and the both of you can-”

Derek growls again, “No.”

Stiles stutter, “-get togethe- or no. right. Sure. Uh, What exactly, does that mean? No? Like I can’t give your name to your mark, or…?”

Derek sighs, “Give me my mark.”

“Huh?”, Laura knows better to get in the way of, what ever the hell this is, but Derek’s response is entirely unexpected.

 Stiles holds up a finger, “I’m sorry, but what now? You want your own name… as your mark? Isn’t that a bit vain?”

Derek growls and Stiles quickly amends, with his hands tucked inside the collar of his shirt, “Not that there’s anything wrong with being vain. Late-stage capitalism ya’ know, everyone’s on their own...”

Stiles’ voice peters out under Derek’s stern gaze.

Derek grumbles, “There’s nothing wrong with taking my name back. I’ll finally be able to do my own thing and you’ll be fine, the person with my name is some old polish dude. You’ll be rid of him sooner or later.”

Stiles nods jerkily, “Yeah, right. That- It makes sense.”

Laura gets up. She doesn’t want to do this at all. She trusts Stiles with her life and seeing Derek give that up, it breaks her heart. But it’s his life and his choice, she doesn’t want to come in his way.

“Right so what am I supposed to do?”

Stiles startles like he’d forgotten that she was even there, “You don’t need to be here for this lulu, we can manage on our own.”

She sighs and walks out of the den, she’s too tired to nag Stiles about the nickname.

oOo

Stiles holds his arm out to Derek, his sleeves fall back and Derek sees his name written in a neat freshly-dried inky script.

“What am I supposed to do?”

Stiles replies in a whisper and the gravity of the situation dawns on Derek, “Where do you have your mark?"

“On my leg.”

“Okay.” Stiles slides a chair towards him, “put your leg here and roll your pant up.”

Derek does as he’s told while the younger man busies himself with pulling out the photocopy of the tome his uncle had compiled.

“Now what?”

Stiles nods and looks up from his book, “It’s a little awkward, but we have to make our marks touch and-”

Stiles stops short of touching Derek’s leg with his forearm and Derek growls out, “What?”

He knows that the name is funny. He’s spent years on the internet looking for someone with that name and trying to understand the meaning of the name.

“I- That’s mine.”

Derek huffs, “Yes, that’s going to be yours when we switch. You seem to care much more about this then you let on.”

Derek can’t help but get irritated. Stiles wanted nothing more than to get rid of Derek’s name, he was willing to pawn it off to some stranger, but this god-awful key smash of a name is making his sappy?

Stiles looks up at him, “No, I- That’s me. I’m Mieczyslaw Stilinski.”

Derek huffs, “Oh.”

[nocandnc]

What about your thoughts on the other members of the reviewer team?

Yes!!! So sorry for the slow response >.<;;;

This got a bit lengthy, so my response is under the cut!

I really like Stunk!! ‘Brilliant but lazy’ types are always fun in my book. I appreciate how bold and unabashed he is (although he takes it a bit far with poor Meidri). His vaguely hinted-at backstory of being disowned nobility is very interesting as well - maybe we’ll learn the whole story one day, but sometimes these things are better as a mystery.

It’s also just plain refreshing to have a grown man as the main character rather than a teen like in most fantasy shows >.>

Crimvael, AKA Crim! This is a character I enjoy best when he’s acting as a foil for the other Reviewers. I really like the moments where it becomes obvious this angel has a slightly different mindset than the rest (being able to find something nice about every race, or not understanding ‘surface world’ customs.) Extra points for his androgynous form as this follows common angelic lore.

Overall he’s very cute and sweet, but not the type of character I usually gravitate towards. 

To be honest, Kanchal isn’t the sort of character I enjoy very much... but it’s important to show a wide variety of personality types to go along with strong world building, and his seedy nature is very in line with his thief occupation. He’s not a bad guy though - he does a lot of behind-the-scenes work to turn a profit for his friends and I like seeing them interact, but he’s just no my cup of tea.

There seems to be a running gag depicting his race as sadists, as the Halfling succugirl Piltia was all too happy to give Kanchal a taste of his own medicine.

Hmm, Brooz... I don’t really have many feelings towards him one way or the other. His subdued personality adds good variety to the main cast however, and I’ve always liked the inclusion of beastmen in fantasy. He seems quite picky going off his reviews, which stems from various compatibility issues brought on by his race - I really like how much attention is given to this.

I think he’d be fun to see in action on proper missions now and then! 

Something of a secondary reviewer, here’s Narugami! I think snakes are lovely in real life, but I can’t say Lamias do much for me in particular. As a character I Iiked how big a gap there was between his and the main reviewers’ tastes. Another great example of the differences between these many species.

He's having a chill time in his own egg-eating, bird-squeezing, orgy-wanting way.

Special guest reviewer, Samtahn!! Interestingly, this guy’s appearance is very similar to the Demon Lord Death Abyss - I wonder if there’s a connection? His clothing is rather modern compared to most of the cast and he harbors distrust for his own kind, so I’m curious. His manner of speech and writing style had a very classy feel to it which I also liked a lot.

I’d love for him to have more interactions with the gang in the future, but as a demon he might have difficulties being around Crim. 

The party’s forest guide Lulu also served as a guest reviewer! Nothing comes to mind except... he 100% looks like the kind of character that’d normally be the heroic party’s wholesome mascot. Definitely dresses like the typical fairy of modern western kids’ stories. A pretty average fella all-round.

I appreciate the show’s blatant reversal of such cute and innocent stereotypes by showing us that despite appearances, he’s just as open to getting some action as our main reviewers.

Last on the list is Count Delivel. Despite his somber demeanor befitting of classic vampire tales, he's a cool guy. Well, he must be if Zel is friendly with him. More than the character himself, I liked the little interactions he had with the elf as someone closer to his age. I wonder what the companions from 30 years ago were like...

And if this is the vampire we got to see in their world, does that mean Count Dracula was a case of someone getting reverse-isekaied to our plain human world??

I think that’s just about everyone!! I decided to omit reviewers from other groups or solitary ones like the Incubus Lord, as my love can only be spread so thin.

Hope some folks enjoyed the read ^///^;;

[aion-rsa]

The Haunting of Bly Manor Cast: Where You’ve Seen the Actors Before

https://ift.tt/3loTz7C

There’s a simple answer to where you’ve seen most of 2020’s The Haunting of Bly Manor‘s cast before: in 2018’s The Haunting of Hill House. Writer-director Mike Flanagan has a resident company of actors with roles across several of his horror projects, as shown by the significant crossover between these two Netflix series alone. Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Henry Thomas and Katie Parker are just some of the familiar faces appearing in Flanagan’s new Henry James-inspired spooky series Bly Manor. And here’s what else this bunch is known for on screen.

Henry Thomas – Henry Wingrave

Thomas’ most famous role came at the age of 10 when he played young lead Elliott in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 blockbuster E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (see his terrific audition tape here). In recent years, Thomas has been a frequent collaborator with writer-director Mike Flanagan, playing the young Hugh Crain, father to the five Crain children and husband of Olivia Crain in Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House. He also appeared in three of Flanagan’s feature films, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, as well has having recurring roles in FX comedy Better Things and Stargirl.

Amelie Bea Smith – Flora Wingrave

Nine-year-old Amelie Bea Smith already has three significant roles under her belt. As well as her terrific performance as Flora Wingrave in Bly Manor, she’s also the current actor to voice cartoon character Peppa Pig (a huge deal in the UK), having taken over the role from her predecessor earlier this year. Before Smith took on that mantle, she had a recurring role in long-running BBC One soap EastEnders, playing Arshad and Mariam’s foster child Daisy.  

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth – Miles Wingrave

Ainsworth, the little genius behind Miles Wingrave will soon be seen alongside Alyson Hannigan, Ben Schwarz, Danny Pudi and more in Disney+ feature film Flora and Ulysses, the story of a girl and a squirrel with magic powers. Previous to Bly Manor, he also appeared in short film The Recycling Man and a 2018 episode of British soap Emmerdale.

Victoria Pedretti – Dani Clayton

Pedretti made a real impression as the adult Nell Crain in Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House. Nellie was a sufferer of sleep paralysis and haunted throughout by ‘The Bent-Neck Lady’, if you remember. She and her twin brother Luke were the youngest of the five Crain siblings. Pedretti also played hippy Lulu, a member of the Charles Manson Family in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and played major character Love Quinn in the second season of Netflix’s stalker-thriller You. She can soon be seen as Katherine in the Elisabeth Moss-starring Shirley Jackson biopic Shirley.

T’Nia Miller – Hannah Grose

Miller’s had roles in several Russell T. Davies projects, starting with Cucumber and Banana, and last year leading to the major part of Celeste in Davies’ BBC One future-set family drama Years and Years. She’s recently appeared in Netflix’s Sex Education as head of the school board Maxine Tarrington, and has popped up in a great many British TV shows including Marcella, Born to Kill, Hatton Garden and 2015 episode of Doctor Who ‘Hell Bent’.

Rahul Kohli – Owen

Kohli is best recognised around these parts as Medical Examiner Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti in The CW’s iZombie. A major character in the comic book-inspired horror-fantasy, Kohli appeared across the series’ five seasons, which kept him busy from 2015-2019. He’s also appeared in a couple of episodes of Supergirl as Lena Luthor’s ex, Jack Spheer. Along with Kate Siegel, Henry Thomas and Alex Essoe, he’ll next appear in Mike Flanagan’s forthcoming haunted island series Midnight Mass.

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TV

The Haunting of Bly Manor Review (Spoiler-Free)

By Nick Harley

TV

New on Netflix: October 2020 Releases

By Alec Bojalad

Oliver Jackson-Cohen – Peter Quint

Unforgettable as Luke Crain in The Haunting of Hill House, British actor Oliver Jackson-Cohen’s biggest recent film role was as the titular lead aka Adrian Griffin in Leigh Whannell’s 2020 remake The Invisible Man, opposite Elisabeth Moss. He’s already had a full career on British TV, with early roles in cosy period dramas Lark Rise to Candleford and Mr Selfridge, as well as playing Prince William in 2011 TV series William and Kate: Happily Ever After. In the US, Jackson-Cohen played Jonathan Harker to Jonathan Rhys-Meyers’ Dracula in the NBC series of the same name. He also popped up as Lucas in Emerald City and will soon be seen in the Maggie Gyllenhaal-directed The Lost Daughter.

Tahirah Sharif – Rebecca Jessell

If you’ve seen Netflix’s A Christmas Prince and its unstoppable raft of sequels, you’ll recognise Sharif as Melissa, a friend to and former co-worker of lead Amber. Before that, she played the regular role of Carrie Norton in BBC One school drama Waterloo Road and Ella, Ash’s daughter on long-running British medical drama Casualty.

Matthew Holness – Dominic Wingrave

Comedian-writer-actor Matthew Holness has  appeared in Friday Night Dinner, Toast of London, Year of the Rabbit, Back, Life’s Too Short and Free Agents, but he’ll only ever be associated with one role for this site’s readers: dreamweaver Garth Marenghi of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace fame.

Alex Essoe – Charlotte Wingrave

Before she took on the role of Wendy Torrance in Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep (the same character memorably played by Shelley Duvall in Kubrick’s The Shining) Alex Essoe had a string of low-budget horror flicks to her name. She’s now part of the Flanagan rep company, and will be following up her Bly Manor role with a recurring part on the writer-director’s forthcoming TV series Midnight Mass.

Amelia Eve – Jamie

The role of Bly Manor gardener Jamie is, it’s fair to say, Amelia Eve’s biggest screen part to date, but surely that won’t be the case for long. She’s also completed filming roles in soon-to-be-released feature films Big Boys Don’t Cry, Shadowland, Dorcha and Thea.

Kate Siegel – Viola

Horror star Siegel is a key part of the Mike Flanagan company on screen and in real life (they got married in 2016 after working together on a host of horror properties from Ouija: Origin of Evil to Oculus and Hush). She played glove-wearing child psychologist Theo, one of the adult Crain siblings in Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House, and will also soon appear in Flanagan series Midnight Mass. In Bly Manor, Siegel plays 17th-century noblewoman Viola, whose story forms the basis of a full-episode flashback.  

Katie Parker – Perdita

Remember the 1920s flapper ghost in The Haunting of Hill House? That was Katie Parker, who’s back in Bly Manor playing 17th century noblewoman Perdita, sister to Viola (see above).

Carla Gugino – Narrator

Gugino played Olivia Crain, mother to the five Crain children in The Haunting of Hill House, and for obvious reasons she is (at the time of writing) uncredited for her role as the narrator of Bly Manor. Gugino’s screen career is as long as your arm (if your arm were very, very long) and goes all the way from recurring roles in 80s soap Falcon Crest to 90s comedy Spin City and medical drama Chicago Hope, 2000s comedies Entourage and Californication, all the way through the Spy Kids franchise, to more recent projects The Brink, Jett and Manhunt.

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The Haunting of Bly Manor is streaming now on Netflix.

The post The Haunting of Bly Manor Cast: Where You’ve Seen the Actors Before appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[libraryleopard]

i was thinking about how prior to interview with the vampire i knew sam reid from belle (2013) and then wikipedia informed me that three other actors in that movie have also played vampires (matthew goode, sarah gadon, and emily watson) so anyway i am officially submitting my petition to hollywood for a dracula adaptation where gugu mbatha-raw plays mina harker because i think that’s only fair at this point!

[paarthurnax59]

Little Sparrow: Chapter 5

Warnings: Not much, just some swearing.

    Two days had passed after your late-night phone call with Sam. You were packing and preparing for your mission to find Van Helsing and take down Dracula. You and Jinette planned it all out, flight times, transportation, and inns where you would be able to stay in. You gathered every single weapon that might have a chance of killing Dracula or any other creature that will get in your way. Holy water, a silver stake, crucifix, your anti-heart detecting armor, night vision specs and a gun with silver bullets. Everything you needed was packed and ready to leave when you a knock on the door. Ceasing everything you were doing, you walked up to the door. You turned the knob and opening the mahogany door you see Carl.

“Carl!” You perked up and opened the door wider for him. “Come in!” You stepped out of the way, and he entered your spacious bedroom.

“Hello, (Name)! Cardinal Jinette told you would be leaving today.” He observed as he saw all the bags that you had in your room. 

“Yes, I’m leaving today. I only have three weeks to hunt down Dracula and find Van Helsing. I’m almost ready and will head out before sundown.” You confirmed as held out your plane ticket and passport, being ready to leave for Transylvania. He looked around the room and saw an unfamiliar silver case that laid next to your bag, the case that contained the Holy Spear.

“Can I ask what this is, (Name)?” He said as walked over to your bed, making your heart rate increase rapidly. No one other than you and Jinette knew what was in that case, let alone what you plan on doing with it, not even Carl. You promised to keep it a secret from others, and you intend on doing so. 

“That’s top secret, Carl. It’s between me and Jinette.” You jumped at him and placed a firm hand on the case. Carl, being understanding person that he was, stepped back and nodded.

“Very well, (Name). I won’t push it any further.” He agreed as another knock on the door was heard. You smile as you saw a few other friendly faces come at your door. Five of them to be precise. Two of them being the Tibetan monks that you had seen in Jinette’s office a few days prior, Norbu and Tenzin. Bowing as they enter, you return the bow.  Few other also included Spanish, middle-aged nun, sister Maria Montello in her head wrap on her vale from, who was wearing her rosery on her neck.  The fourth was an Ashkenazi Jewish rabbi, whom you know as Nicolaus Goldstein. He walked up to you and gave you a hug. What you didn’t know was that he gave Carl a death glare. Carl gulped in nervousness and looked away with from the angry Jewish man. Last but certainly not least, Imam Nasir Assad, a Muslim elder that you had grown so very fond of since you came to Vatican City. He helps invent and craft armor for the Order. 

“It’s so good to see everyone again! I missed you all!” You said with a warm happy smile, seeing the friendly faces that you had known for ten years. “I hope everything is good for you guys.”

“Better now that you are back. We are very happy you have returned home, Rosa.” Said the kindhearted nun. When you were younger, you would help Sister Maria plant flowers in some of the Garden. Having difficulty adjusting to life in the Vatican, you found solace in helping create something beautiful. You would talk to her about your past and tragic experience of losing your family and being homeless. Sister Maria would often say you were like a rose, though beautiful and soft, can have many sharp thorns. Which is why she gave you the nickname Rosa. She was like a sister to you growing up. 

“Well, I’m not staying for long. I must leave as soon as possible. I have already packed everything and about to head to the airport soon.” You tiredly converse with your older peers as you looked at your things that lied on you bed.

“That’s a real shame, (Name).” Said Tenzin looking at you with sad eyes. “It felt like you just got here and now you had to leave again for some time.” 

“I know, but I have too. I don’t have much time for seeing all of you.” 

“We know, but we understand. Van Helsing is important to all of us and we would rather have him back.” Rabbi Goldstein patted you on the back, speaking in his Yiddish accent. 

“If I can get him back.” You said quietly, sadness laced in your voice. Everyone looked at you, their mood now sours a little from your lack of confidence. Nasir took a step forward with a deep sigh and place a hand on your shoulder. You looked up at him and saw he was brandishing an encouraging smile. 

“You will find him. I know it. Have faith, (Name). He is much stronger than you think and so are you.”  He reassured you as his hand disappeared from your shoulder. A sense of warmth had spread through your body after Nasir talking. He always had a gift for uplifting people’s mood and build up their conviction.

“Thank you, Nasir. And I will be back with him as soon as-”

“WHY WOULD YOU GIVE THAT MISSION TO HER?!” Your sentence was halted by thunderous yelling coming from outside of your room and began to follow where the commotion was coming from. Peeking out of the hall, you see Jinette there, along with an all too familiar man, staring down at him with a burning glare. 

    Father Giovanni Capuano, the second in command of the Order. AKA, one of the worst human beings you had ever met.  Alongside him, was Jude Abernathy, one of the hunters of the order. He was Capuano’s protégé and another person you hated with a passion. Few other hunters stood beside Jude, glaring at your guardian with daggers in their eyes. 

“I have my reasons for having (Name) go to fight Dracula, Father. As the head of the Order, I have strong faith in (Name) for the task that is assigned to her. I trust you do the same.” Jinette stood firmly and held his ground against the mob. He showed no fear as he stared down at each of them.

“Faith, ha! That girl had been nothing but trouble since she had come here as a child! She is a spoiled, little street rat with complete disregard for others and their lives! For all you know, she could get anyone she is involved with killed!” Capuano shouted now getting in Cardinal Jinette’s face. Your blood boiled as you ran toward them. 

“If anyone of us have done what she did, we would have been expelled! She should get the same treatment.” Shouted Jude as he stepped in front of Jinette, towering over him with his tall frame. He glared down at him with his piecing blue eyes, trying all he can to intimidate Jinette.

“No! (Name), stop!” Cried Imam Nasir tried to pull you back but failed as you speed toward the crowded area where they were publicly harassing your adopted father.

“Hey! What’s going on here!” You shouted and soon enough, everyone’s eyes, attention…and ire… were on you.  

“Well, if it isn’t the little princess, coming to the rescue!” Mocked a black woman who wore armor as she stood next to Jude. All the hunters had their turns giving you hate filled stares. Carl and the rest of your friends followed you out to the hallway, watching you stand up to your fellow hunters.

“Shove it, Nadia! How dare you gang up on Cardinal Jinette! Is this how you show respect to a man like him?! You have no right to tell him on how to run this organization.” You barked at the woman with as much courage as you could in front of the disgruntled crowd. Father Capuano looked at you with a smirk as he stood away from Jinette and to you. 

“Respect, child? With the track record you have, you have no right to lecture to anyone about respect!” Father Capuano was so close to your face that you could smell the garlic on his breath. He ate too much of the stuff and it nauseated you. “If it were up to me, you would have been banished from this Order. It is foolish for him to have summoned you back. You should have stayed in America doing God knows what in that place.”

“Doing more than you ever did for the Order.” You snapped back at the priest. Capuano’s grin formed into a frown. You knew from the grape vine that Capuano hadn’t never been one to be at the for front of battle. When he had a crowd that surrounded him, sure he will stare you down. But when having to fighting for himself…he backs down like a dog with his tail between his legs. He paused in his speech and then that same malicious grin reared its ugly head once more.

 “Do tell us what have you done, hmm? How about you tell us all about your time outside the Vatican.” He mocked you as you gritted your teeth. The other hunters snickered at you. 

“Mind your own business, old man.” You growled as your clench your fists, wanting very much to punch this man. You had wanted to do that since the day you met with Jinette. The temptation just grew with each passing year.

“It is my business when you are part of the Order, girl! I am of a higher rank than you and you will respect that!” The elderly Italian man barked at you as the crowd, which now felt like an angry mob, shouted their own distain for you. 

“You shouldn’t be going on this mission! You just end up getting someone killed again!” Shouted Jude as he prowled over to you and stood next to Father Capuano, who was smirking down at you. “Father Capuano is right; you should be kicked out!”

“ENOUGH!” Shouted Jinette and everyone ceased their idle disagreements as they all turned to the leader of the order ounce more. All were amazed at how loud the old man was able to silence the entire hallway, including you and your companions. “I will hear no more of this! You are all acting like children! (Name) will go to Transylvania, find Van Helsing and kill Dracula! That is final!” with his conclusive declaration, he stormed off into the direction of his office. You observed with concern and were about to run after him when someone grabbed your arm and turned to find it was Father Capuano, pulling you to him. His lips were to your ear and whispered lowly so that only you could hear him.

“You are very lucky that Jinette favors you so much. For if it weren’t for him, you would be rotting in a cell after you had tried to steal from him when you were a thieving, little brat.” He snarled as he gripped onto your arm a little tighter. You try not to budge at his iron hold on you. Not letting the man see you expressing any amount of discomfort. “Let me make this clear, girl. You have brought great shame to this Order. So much so you would have been exiled and never to return. And I am not the only one.” He said making you look to the other hunters. The lot of them looked at you with distain. Once a upon a time, you would consider these people your brothers and sisters. They were your family.  But due to past transgressions, you had lost any trust and respect from them. They treated you like a pariah sense you had returned to Vatican City. Even when they would interact with you, they would glare at you with daggers in their eyes. “Yes, your fellow hunters despise you. You are not wanted here.” He whispered maliciously. Not wanting to hear anymore, you slip out of the old man’s grasp and huffed in anger as you turn to him.

“Like I need any of that. I’m only here to help find Van Helsing and kill Dracula. That’s it.” You attempt to say with great confidence, which you found yourself failing before the old priest. 

“Oh, and how to do you plan on doing that? Using a silver stake or a crucifix?” He chuckled with his arms folded, looking down on you with cruel amusement. “You have heard the legends, no one has been able to kill Dracula for centuries. This is not some regular vampire we are talking about. This is a monster that has lived for hundreds of years, whose strength and ferocity can rival that of the devil himself. He is in a league of his own. What chance do you have with this creature? What sort of weapon would you, of all people, possess to take out such a beast?” He snickered as he watched for any sign of fear or hesitation in your demeanor. In the end he found none. Instead, you stood straight and smirked as you folded your arms. A smirk appeared on your face. 

“That information is between me and Father Jinette. You heard him, it has been settled, Father Capuano.” You stated confidently, as Capuano lowered his arms down as a frown appeared on his face. “Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go talk to him about the final preparations for my departure. Have a good day, Father.” You start to walk away from before you heard his grating voice one more time before you disappear from the hallway. 

“Well, I’m sure Van Helsing will be so ecstatic to see you. Do tell him I said hello and hope he’s well…that is if he will speak to you.” He chuckled from behind you shortly before you heard heavy footsteps of his Italian leather boots sauntered down the halls and a few other footsteps followed him, knowing full well it was the other hunters taking their leave. Turning around, you noticed that Carl was standing a few feet away from you, with an appearance of sympathy after having to face an army of hunters. 

“(Name), are you okay?” Carl stepped up to your and rubbed your arm to keep you from getting riled up. 

“Yeah, yeah. I will be okay.” You lied through your teeth for Carl to stop fretting over you so much. In truth, you were pissed. Pissed at the fact that Capuano had throwing so much disrespect to Jinette and for shoving your own past failures into your face. Most of all, you were fuming at the fact that you let the stupid, old coot for getting under your skin. You told yourself that you would never let that happen when you came back to Vatican City. Not to mention the mass crowd of your former friends.  People that were the closest thing that you had to siblings. You had tried so hard to keep this kind of situation from happing again. 

“Look, (Name), if you need to talk about-” Carl started with a soft voice, but you interrupted him.

“No, I’m sorry Carl, but I can’t talk about it. I need to get to Jinette and make the final plans for my mission. I will talk to you later, okay?” You turned away from him as you finally let the tears flow down your cheeks. 

…

 At last, you reached the familiar mahogany double doors of your godfather’s office. The guards stood by as they took a single glance at you before you knocked on the door. 

“Father Jinette? It’s (Name). Are you in there?” You requested softly but still with a voice loud enough for him to hear. 

“He said you can enter. But only you, miss.” Said one of the guards before he reached out to open the door for you. 

“Thank you.” You acknowledged the man as you went in to see your guardian sitting at his desk, rubbing his head with his hands. Jinette looked tired and worn out.  He was taking deep breaths and heavily sighed. Also, you could have sworn you saw him shaking a little. You can tell that he wasn’t well now. “Father Jinette…are you okay?” You asked taking steps closer to his desk. 

“I’ll be alright, Paressa. Just having much to deal with lately.” He sounded drained assured you, or at least attempting to. Yet, you were not buying it for one second.

  You told Carl that you wanted to talk to Jinette about making last minute preparations for your search for Dracula and Van Helsing. Which was true and you were leaving today. However, with the way that the poor old man had been dog piled just ten minutes ago, you were worried. Concerned that the excitement had been a bit much for him. He may have been a great warrior back in his day, but now? He was now a much older and frail version of his former self.

    Never would you say it to him in person, but you can see it in his eyes. Jinette seemed like a very different person when you last saw him eight years ago. He was tired and the stress that he was being put under was not doing him any good. You can’t help but blame yourself for it. You simply being here had stirred enough controversy. Now that you were not only rescueung one of the best hunters in the Order, but also kill one of the most infamous monsters in history. All this cannot be good on your godfather’s health. He had enough to deal with as it is. You only wanted to check in on him and hopefully get the last of your preparations in order. Time was running out with each passing minute you spent not looking for Van Helsing. No matter what was going on in your life or what you had done, you needed to move forward. 

“I know, you shouldn’t have been yelled at like that. You didn’t deserve it.” You knelt next to him, watching him while he tried to calm his emotions. 

“Thank you, (Name). Once more, thank you for standing in. I know with everything that has gone on with you, that wasn’t easy for you.” Jinette gently grabbed your chin with his rough, aged hand. You smiled up at him while you grabbed his hand. You gave it a gentle kiss with as much affection. Jinette smiled back only for a second but his smiled formed to a frown. He noticed some redness in your eyes and nose. The tears that had not shed down your face because you too were trying to hold in your distress. “Paressa, is there something that you need to talk about with me?” He questioned you, making you blink at his inquire.

“What do you mean?” Your reply short and trying not to get into the drama you both had witnessed.

“Well, unless my eyes have gotten worse, I could have sworn I saw some remanence of you crying before you came to my office.” Jinette answered, making your breath hitch. You cursed yourself for him noticing your tears. “And If I am correct, I do believe I know the culprit of these tears.” He asked you again as a single tear came down your face. He whipped it away before you even realized it. 

“Father…”

“What did Giovanni say to you?” He was quick to probe you, knowing full well who made you cry. Jinette knew about your bitter history with Father Capuano. When you met him, it was at the time that you were caught stealing food from Jinette in Paris. Unlike your godfather and some others, Giovanni never warmed up to you, and vice versa. He felt as though that you were the scum under his boot. Just waiting for an opportunity for you to mess up and made you feel like you had caused Mount Vesuvius to erupt while at the same time drop an atom bomb in the heart of Rome. Jinette, and the rest of your friends, often enough had to come in and save you from his harsh criticism. He hated you and you hated him. You thought for a moment of what to say to Jinette, not wanting to cause any more drama. 

“He thinks I can’t do this. That I can’t take down Dracula and save Van Helsing. That everyone here aside from you and few others that I don’t belong here.” You answered as honestly as possible without mentioning the fact he said you belonged in a cell. Giovanni was the one person that made you feel insufficient. The man knew the right buttons to push when it came to your insecurities. He just had to pick a weak spot.

“Paressa…”

“Are you sure you want me to go, Jinette? There are other hunters in this order that can go and rescue Van Helsing. So many of them far more experienced than I am. They can find a way to take down Dracula far better than I could, and faster! I just don’t want anything to happen to Van Helsing! I still care too much about him to be risking his possible safe return…Even if I am the last person he wants to see.” He was taken aback by your admission, but he also understood. You and Van Helsing were not on good terms when you left. In fact, they were far from it when you went to the states. Which really saddened the old man considering how close you were to him. Despite your struggles, you were always a self-assured girl who never really cared for the opinions of others. Yet, when it came to Van Helsing, it was a very different story. When things fell apart between you, that was when you left the Order. You didn’t care about the others or their opinion of you, unless it affected others like Jinette or your friends. He rose, taking you with him, and embraced you in a warm, comforting hug. 

“(Name), there is no other person that I want to go on this hunt. I know your relationship with Gabriel is stained and broken.” He stroked your back when he spoke. “But it is still salvageable.” Jinette admitted as he let you. His confession made you turn to him with some, while a few te

“How can you be so sure? I mean the last time we spoke he said…”

“I don’t care what he said, considering that his actions spoke louder than words.” He cut you off before you said anything else.

“What do you mean?” You asked as your twisted in confusion.

“He never expressed this to me or anyone else for that matter, but I have noticed something.” He started as he walked away from you and to his large grand window that let him look out Vatican City. Some parts of the ancient city that laid beyond it. “You know when someone has lost something, a sense of longing follows them like a shadow? You can almost instantly notice a change in them right away. They way they speak and the way they move. A missing piece that is stripped from them and replaced by an emptiness that will never be gone unless that void is filled.” He didn’t turn to you as he talked, just stared out into the window as he let his mind wander. “That… my dear Paressa…is what I had seen when I look at Van Helsing, ever since you left.”

“Really?” You perked up when you heard him open about what had transpired with Van Helsing after leaving the Order. In truth, not a day went by you didn’t think of Gabriel Van Helsing. Even when you were traveling with the Winchesters and dating Dean, you still thought about him. You missed more than words can never express. Asking yourself as you lay down in your bed at night, even as you laid down with Dean. What was he doing? Who was he hunting with? What was he hunting? Was he alive and safe? 

     You never told Dean about Van Helsing. Sure, you had shared some details about him with the boys, but you never really got into the bond you had.  A part of you wanted to keep Van Helsing to yourself. Like he was your own deep dark secret that you wanted to keep hidden from the world. Including Dean. You felt like you were betraying him by thinking about Van Helsing while you went out on dates, hunting and even when you made love together. You loved Dean, hell, you still do. Despite what he had said and done to you. But you can’t escape this feeling you get when you think back on your times with Van Helsing. Like there is a piece of you that will always belong to him. A piece that Dean could never have. Even now with Dean having the Mark, how it’s affecting him, your mind is still fixed on Van Helsing. 

“I do believe…through going on this hunt…you will find what you lost. After that, whatever challenges you face, will become easier when you face them. No matter what.” He slowly faced you, his words making your eyes blink at him. You don’t know whether he’s being overly optimistic, or he had maybe gone a little senile. Nevertheless, you will take his word for it for now. Jinette has never steered you wrong before. You took a deep breath and tossed aside the hurtful encounter you had with Giovanni with it. Your head hung for a second and looked up back at Jinette, a sad smile surfaced on your face.

“Okay, I’ll try.”

“Good and as for Giovanni…to Hell with him.” He smirked making you gasp.

“Father Jinette! You swore in the Lord’s house!” You laughed as you covered your mouth in shock. The old man chuckled at how amused you were at your very first time at hearing him swear.

“I believe He would agree with when it comes Giovanni.” He chortled while he pointed upward as an amused grin on his face. You never thought Jinette had gotten so bold in the time you were away. “So…I know I have you leaving today at noon.” He clarified as his laughter died out in him. You nodded, wondering where this was going with this. “However, I have been thinking about something. I feel that it would be unfair for me to make you go alone.” He continued, causing your head to tilt in confusion. 

“Jinette are you…?” 

“No, I am not going with you. Believe me, I would if I could, Paressa.” He answered and feeling of disappointment creeped up in you. At times, you wanted to see what the man was like as a hunter. To see a legend like Jinette in action. But that was when he was a younger man. He was older now, old, and tired. He didn’t have the strength to hunt like you or any other hunter. 

“Then who is going with me?” As you asked him, you heard quickening footsteps come into the room. 

“Father Jinette! You need me for something?! I was in the middle of a new experiment!” Shouted Carl after he came into the room. 

“Ah, Carl! Right on time!” Jinette with a smirk when he approached the unsuspecting priest now standing unsuspectingly in the middle of the room. 

“Yes… one of your guards came and insisted that I needed to see you, immediately. What is the emergency!?” He said as he looked all frantic and shaky. Apparently, whatever Jinette to get him here, must be important. 

“Well, you see, Carl. Our dear (Name) will be leaving us for Romania.” He placed a hand on Carl’s shoulder and then pulled out what looked like an envelope. Carl looked at both you and Jinette back and forth before muttering an ‘okay’ before he opened it. His hand reached inside and pulled out what looked like two plane tickets, plane tickets. 

“Your grace, what is this?” He said looking nervous at his superior. 

“What do you think they are, my boy?” He answered with his hands behind his back, pretending to look as innocent as possible.

“Well, they look like two plane tickets to Romania. Is someone going with her?” He asked, his tone and facial expression getting both seeming to be more on edge.

“Yes, someone is going with her.” Jinette hand tightened on Carl’s shoulder. He raised his eyebrow with a no so innocent smile. “You are.” Carl was speechless for a second before answering the head of the Order. His mouth dropped before he looked back and forth to the two of you. You are also surprised by what Jinette had said. 

“I beg your pardon, your grace, but I am not really a field man.” He said as he stepped away from two of his closest friends, his voice shaking with a nervous smile plastered on his face.

“I know. You are not a hunter, but your knowledge of monsters and dark creatures will help serve our dear (Name) on her mission. Also, I understand that you have new equipment that you are looking to test it out. I can’t think of a greater opportunity for you to show case your talents.” He encouraged which you were not sure it was working as well as you hoped. As far as you knew, Carl had never been out hunting before. So having him go hunt with you would defiantly be a bit nerve wrecking for him. 

“But I don’t have anything packed! And she’s leaving in two hours!” he whined at he pointed at you.

“Not to worry. I had some provisions packed for you.” As Jinette stated, one of Jinette’s large bodyguards in nearly all black came in with two large suitcases. Carl jumped as the huge, burly beast of a man throw his suitcases onto the floor.  You looked over the luggage and noticed that it was a lot of the equipment from the lab, and one was Carl’s own suitcase. “Thank you, Victor. I trust you packed everything?”

“Yes, your Grace. Everything that is needed on this packed away.” Responded the large man with a Russian accent. Carl had his mouth wide open with a shocked expression on his face as the two other men converse like he wasn’t even there.

“Very well, you may take your leave now, Victor.” The man bowed and walked out without sparing a glance at either you or Carl. “Now, you were saying, Carl? A car is now waiting for you both to take you the airport. I suggest you both be on your way. Good luck and may God be with you on your mission.” He taunted the poor priest with a smirk and finally walked out

“But…Your grace! I don’t want to go to Transylvania!!!” Carl whined trying to get his attention and come back.

“Carl, give it a rest. You know once he made up his mind, there is no changing it.” You sighed with an eye roll, though you can’t help but feel bad for him. Unlike you, Carl wasn’t a warrior or a hunter. Brilliant and inventive, but not a fighter. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Carl looks at you with concern in his eyes. “Don’t worry, Carl. I will make sure that nothing happens to you. I swear it.”

“I’ll keep you to that. I don’t need to become vampire food.” He whines again without looking at you and you smirked in amusement.

“Come on, lets go get Van Helsing and kill Dracula.” You say before you walked out of the Office. Thoughts swam in your head as you walked out to the large grand building and to the car that is waiting for you. With Jinette’s encouraging words now planted in your mind, you have stringer hope and determination to succeed on this hunt. A small smile grew on your face as you walked down the halls with Carl trailing behind you. 

“Hang on, Gabriel, I’m coming.”

[inkyardpress]

Perfect Halloween Reads

It’s Halloween indeed with these perfect and scary reads! Whether you’re a horror buff or a scaredy-cat (no judgment), there’s a book here for you!

1.       The Ravenous by Amy Lukavics

Siblings can be a real pain and the Caine sisters know that best. The only thing they can agree on is protecting Rose, their baby sister…but after a nasty (fatal) fall, she’s having some mad cravings. And let’s just say it’s not the kind of food that can be delivered in less than 30 minutes.

Add to your Goodreads shelf!

 2.       Jek/Hyde by Amy Ross

Lulu knows Jek like the back of her hand, so when he starts to go AWOL, she’s worried sick. She blames Hyde, the mysterious new guy who somehow has a bad rep a mile long. And Hyde has the gall to think that he knows Jek better than anyone else…

Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

3.       Uncanny by David Macinnis Gill

Something wicked this way comes when a bolt of lightning causes a blackout on Willow Jane’s birthday. She’s going to have a hard time adjusting to the fact that there’s an ancient witch after her and that she’ll need to master her own magic asap.

Add this book from Greenwillow Books to your Goodreads shelf!

 4.       There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

They say high school is the best time of your life but at Osborne High it’s the total opposite. Students are being killed one by one and, boy, is there a lot of gore. Sure there are some secrets, too, but this book really knows how to deliver hardcore gore.

Add this book from Dutton Books for Young Readers to your Goodreads shelf!

5.       Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Audrey Rose Wadsworth is back and hunting things that go bump in the night, this time while she stays at Vlad the Impaler’s castle. Not exactly a five-star kind of place, especially with a killer lurking in the shadows. Could it be that the infamous Prince Dracula is back from the grave?

Add this book from Little, Brown & Company to your Goodreads shelf!

 6.       The Grave Keepers by Elizabeth Byrne

Ever get a shiver while passing by a cemetery? The Windham sisters sure don’t since their parents own one. For them it’s normal to hang out in your own grave, but a mysterious runaway boy and a ghost? Not so much.

Add this book from HarperTeen to your Goodreads shelf!

 7.       The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

Poor Prosper Redding is down on his luck when he finds out that a demon is living inside him. Alastor is as old as they come, and he’s holding on to a grudge against Prosper and his family big-time. Prepare for mayhem and trouble, Prosper!

Add this book from Disney-Hyperion to your Goodreads shelf!

 8.       The Hanging Girl by Eileen Cook

Want to know your future? Don’t go to Skye Thorne, even if the police think she’s legit—she’s been faking her tarot card readings for ages. And when she gets involved in a kidnapping that she hopes will be her meal ticket, things get dark pretty quickly.

Add this book from HMH Books for Young Readers to your Goodreads shelf!

 9.       Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

Another day, another sin-beast. That’s how life is for Taj, a young and talented sin-eater who’s paying off his contract to the corrupt mages of Kos. But every time he destroys a sin-beast, he also gets a fresh tattoo and the memories of that deadly sin. And it’s a killer price to pay.

Add this book from Razorbill to your Goodreads shelf!

 10.   A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo

Jess Wong would do anything for her BFF, Angie Redmond, even if it means hiding her true feelings from her and protecting Angie from Margot, a girl with dark secrets. This girl fight is going to get murderously ugly.

Add this book from Dutton Books for Young Readers to your Goodreads shelf!

[libraryleopard]

Read Dracula by Bram Stoker via the Draculla Dail newsletter

Very interesting reading experience with some pros (communal, built suspense) and some cons (took me long enough to read it that I kinda forgot stuff as I was reading, d often wished that I was instead reading this for an English class so I could really dig into the text more and especially unpack the xenophobia inherent in Dracula’s character)

Made me miss my vampire cinema class from a few semesters ago :(

“Hey guess what’s happening in Dracula this week” did make for a great conversation-starter these past couple of months and I’ll miss it

I do really enjoy epistolary fiction and that pairs so well with horror

Loved how the daily updates worked to build suspense during the voyage of the Demeter

Jonathan and Mina have so many rights actually?