#undead Mary you so scary
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It wasn’t long after the dead started popping back into life before the live ones realized how easy money could be made. There was an entire work force now that really didn’t have a say in what happened to them. They would work for food. Blood. Meat. They didn’t complain or the ones who could talk knew their choices were few.
It was a whole new world for the dead and the living and those who found themselves in between.
And for Mary Goore, when the guitar was placed back into their cold, pale hands it was a little like coming back to life for another song or two. But Mary was never one to follow orders for too long.
#mary goore#tobias forge#possible fic somewhere down the line#repugnant#undead Mary you so scary#ghost#ghost bc
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Midnight Pals: Yellow Hill
CS Humble: Submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call this the tale of the massacre at yellow hill Humble: it's about a black vampire hunter Barker: is it Blade? Humble: no Humble: not every black vampire hunter is blade for your information
Humble: this black vampire hunter and his adopted son are riding across the lonesome prairies of texas in search of vampires Robert E Howard: don't mess with texas! Humble: but also having philosophical discussions about the problem of evil Howard: [louder] Don't mess with texas!
Howard: hold on thar pardna are ya sayin' there's vampires in MY texas? Humble: right Howard: i ain't gonna stand for that! Howard: any 2 bit varmit tries to suck mah blood is gettin' a taste of my pea shooter! Howard: DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!
Humble: this black vampire hunter finds he has to contend not just with the undead but also with the evil in men's hearts Humble: because the real vampire was racism the whole time! Howard: DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS! Humble: alright alright we get it we won't mess with texas
Humble: it turns out they're not dealing with just any old vampire Humble: not just some mundane nosferatu or some work-a-day dracula Humble: or even a boring old Lestat Humble: no he's dealing with some top shelf blood suckers Humble: they got an evil book and everything
Humble: and these vampires are gonna bring about the apocalypse and the arrival of their evil vampire god Humble: who's so big like you can't even see him Humble: except for his giant crab claw Guy N Smith: i knew it! Smith: i knew he'd be back!!
Humble: so this black vampire hunter is hunting vampires Lovecraft: oh jeez this story is too scary! Howard: don't worry pardna, ain't no vampires that can stand up to my pea shooter! Lovecraft: the vampires aren't the scary part
Humble: but in this texas town, where vampires run wild, there's a family, a widow and her kids Humble: and kids you know they just can't get enough of that old timey candy! Humble: salt water taffy Humble: bit o' honey Humble: ribbon candy Humble: aspic
Humble: licorice dandies Humble: sugared marrow Humble: cornmush bricks Humble: rootmush bricks Humble: saracen's delight Humble: horehound jerky Humble: and mary janes King: oh gross mary janes Howard: DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!
#midnight pals#the midnight society#midnight society#stephen king#clive barker#edgar allan poe#hp lovecraft#cs humble#guy n smith#robert e howard
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previously on this conversation on wild blue yonder (doctor who) featuring @rowanthestrange, @timetravelingsherlockian and me, we discussed things like "did the creatures turn into the ship?" "why was the tardis there?" "to what extent would the captain's plan have worked?" and mainly exploring the Captain's appearance as similar to the mari lwyd, but this post is trying to move the more creature focused discussion separate
SO.
The Doctor has ended up places where they don't save anyone/instead make everything worse (e.g. the First Doctor expanding the scope of the Daleks,"Waters of Mars", I'm pretty sure Five ended up in a few serials where his job was to witness everyone dying around him). I could see TARDIS logic of "I want those two to spend more time together, so I'll drop you off in a spot where there's double the Doctor and Donna!" Or even "we need you to start emotionally processing what happened with the Flux sometime this century." So it's possible all they were there to do was to hang out with their bestie and witness these beings' destruction. That being said, I'm not sure I'd conceptualize "nothing" as anywhere near "dead". A tree could fall in a forest, and it'd cease being a living tree—but one still would need to step over its trunk, ants would nibble and skitter under its bark, fungi spores would sneak between its growth rings, foxes would huddle under the exposed root ball. The tree would no longer be able to impose its will of "grow as tall as possible for as long as possible and photosynthesize"—yet a new forest would emerge from it. (Forestry experts tell you not to remove downed trees from the forest for this reason.) The fungi spores were there when the tree was alive, but living trees release antifungals to keep them from growing, imposing the tree's will of "protect the living bark and wood" on other creatures. The tree's death releases this will, and the fungi can now prosper from the wood. The problem of the mirror-beings wasn't that they were copies or existed—Doctor Who has loudly and proudly been shouting "clone rights!" for at least 15 years—it was that they couldn't see beyond a mission of destruction of all things. The universe didn't need the edge-beings to stop existing as much as it needed to break the sway of their will—i.e. death.
you are RIGHT saying that death isn't the end. like the being said in the episode: "things keep existing when they're gone". it was a realisation, but i think they might've been like "when i'm gone i keep existing too, so of course the tie itself would too"
the edgebeings want destruction. does that mean eviscerating the trees of the universe? or does it mean cutting them down to let a different form of life take root? to let something else grow?
and @timetravelingsherlockian also said this in the replies of that other post:
I am deathly (pun intended) curious if/how/whether the entities dying relates to the salt (given the ghosts/vampires/undead connotations of the superstition). Your proposition that they could be mirroring the ship itself is still making me crawl through the walls.
which is a GOOD point. the entities got scary teeth after being called vampires etc. would that have altered their mortality as well?
my initial theory that they were a bit of Becoming from the birth of the universe that hadn't Become yet also feels worth mentioning somewhere on this new post.
they also worked with expectations initially. Donna expected to see the doctor walk back into the room, not that soon, but she did, and she expected him to talk.
the doctor expected Donna, and expected her to listen (the most basic function of a companion is to be explained things, even if the doctor knows each is so much more than that, that's the basics), and the edgebeing that was donna said very little.
also something i think is important, wild blue yonder, the song, is a war song, or a jolly exploration song. the doctor sees the universe as something to jolly-ily explore, the edgebeings saw it as war
#doctor who#wild blue yonder#doctor who meta#dw meta#doctor who spoilers#60th anniversary#dw spoilers#edgebeings#is anyone clear what their name is
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The Ghosts thoughts after first meeting Silver (My OC)
Julian
"Great. A bloody hippy. That's all we need. But so long as she leaves all that tree hugging malarkey outside, we should get on swimmingly - as out of all this lot I'm the one who's most down with the kids of today. We can chat Tetris and Pac Man and Jason Donovan."
Humphrey
"Seems a sweet enough girl. Clearly got a bit of trouble staying focused but that should let her fit in well enough with the others. We had a bit of laugh for the fleeting moment we did chat, good sense of humor on her once you get her talking. All the woo stuff goes over my head but to each their own, at least she has a hobby."
Fanny
"Outrageous! As if I didn't think the company here could become even more debauched, we now have a scantily clad heathen child running about! Whatever next?! She claims not to be a prostitute but just look at those stockings! And that tattoo and that piercing! Can't the feral urchin remain in the woods?!"
Captain
"Tragic for anyone to die so young. With that said, the girl doesn't seem to care much for authority or my offer to take her under my wing to explain how we run things in this house. She's no Katherine, that's for certain, and I do hope her disrespect doesn't rub off on her if they're to become friends. Quite a fetching pair of boots though."
Pat
"Aww, it's always great to have a new face join us! Not so great that she's just a kid, but she seems to be handling it well, bless her heart. She says she loves the outdoors so am looking forward to sharing all my know how with her, though we're gonna have to rein in a bit of that potty mouth on her, for the sake of the vein in Lady B's forehead."
Thomas
"I admit to feeling the briefest of attractions when laying my eyes upon this new maiden who graced our home of the undead, with so much of her body on display it was a test of will to lower my gaze in respect. The moment of lust swiftly passed, as alas it seems, like our dear departed Annie, she seems to only have eyes for the fairer sex. I suppose we have that in common at least."
Kitty
"Oh hooray! A friend! A girl friend my own age, I never thought I'd be so lucky! And she has pink hair. PINK hair! Can I have pink hair? I know ghosts can't change outfits but we can change hair, can't we?! Oh and she loves games and dancing as much as I do! Not quite sure on some of the music she prefers, a bit too....scary for my taste but that My Immortal is hauntingly beautiful! The whole witchcraft thing makes me a little nervous, especially since Eleanor and I once tried to contact the spirit of Mama as children. But perhaps dear Silver could help me with a love potion?"
Mary
"Demon. Demon child. Beelzebub's brat. Lucifer's seed! Look at her, no shame at all, wearing the Dark Lord's symbol on her neck with pride! Doth she not fear the ducking stool? Wilt she not kiss the feet of the Virgin and beg for forgiveness?! Maybe she not be human. Mayhaps she be one of the Fae or a Changeling in disguise as a mere little'en. Can already see some of the others fallin' under her charms. She will bring ruination on us all.....Unless serious measures be taken, so they must...God have mercy on her soul, if one be there." [Mary's first impressions would later be SERIOUSLY redacted]
Robin
"Strange young lady dance alone under Moonah. Sing praise to Moonah. Drink funny smelling tea. See Robin. Dance with Robin. Then scream. Then dead. Then sleep real long time. She ask me to stay. I stay. Wait. It big boring but stay. She pretty. Young and pale. Remind me of sister. No not THAT sister, ew. Baby sister. Nah. We save her at birth with Moonah water but she still die young. Me lay her in blue flowers. Dad call her Moonah Girl. Me lay strange girl in same flowers. Tell others there dead girl in woods. They no listen. I visit new girl every day. Still sleep. On full moonah, she finally wake. She connected to Moonah. She new Moonah Girl. Funny and silly, chat very fast then sometimes go long quiet. Very strange. Have to protect. She need friend. I stay close. Failed first Moonah Girl...can't ever fail new one."
#bbc ghosts#ghosts oc#silver ravenstar#silver guppy#found family#julian fawcett#robin the caveman#mary guppy#pat butcher#humphrey bone#thomas thorne#captain ghosts
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Intro Post!!
hi everyone!!!!! i stole a phone to make this blog, so don't tell the Head! anyway, my name is wirt, im 14, and i use they/them pronouns, and i'll be running this blog! here's a rundown of all the fun and exciting people who you'll have the pleasure of talking to.
first (the best cabin)- Cabin Esoteric!
there's me, obviously. i'm the best
then there's my older brother tammy, 21, he/him, our counselor, he's... out of it most of the time. don't ask about his eye.
there's tato ash, 16, she/they, our cit!!! shes a bitch
and then theres hector jekyll and edgar hyde, 12, he/him. hector is sooooooo stuck up, man
then theres Cabin Eldritch
theres my bff harley sasqua, 13, he/they, hes.. a bit shy. if you're a dick to him, i'll light you on fire. just because he's tall doesn't mean he isn't just a little softie!! Wirt, why would you say that? because its trueee
then there's lunar, he/him, 19!! he's the counselor, and... don't tell him i said this, a little scary. but like in a cool goth way!!
calling nessie an honorary member since she used to be in eldritch, soooo
nessie loch, she/her, 18!! she's so sweet, and does a lot to help out around camp. hiding a lot of secrets. don't ask about her full name.
then there's carmilla leeds, 9, she/her been here since birth honestly i don't know much about her, but she has a pet chicken named jersey
and finallyyyy edith terrell (but we all just call her edie t.) she/her, 8. she's the only one who is allowed outside contact so blame her if we get found out!!!
now the creepy cabin, Cabin Elysian. i don't know how old these dudes actually are, so i'm just putting the age they died
there's damien polter, 22, he/him, the counselor and the biggest sweetie around!! lily braids his hair, it's so cute
speaking of lily! lily markendaya, 16, she/her, very nice too (what's with all the dead ones being nice?), dating tato i think?
oh wait. exception to the nice rule. jesse o'moore, he/she, 13. he will throw his head at you if you're not careful (i know from expirence :( ). she's like... a sibling figure to mary, i think they knew eachother before the camp was even founded
mary red, 6, she/her. she really likes dolls. like. really likes dolls. looks creepy, but she's a sweet kid.
Ã̷̯̮̉n̵̩̰̊̔d̸̹̳̀ ̶̖͇́̆m̵̩̓͝e̵̘̾̇,̶̙̟͘ ̵̡̧̔͘T̷͙̦̈́h̸͖̒̆e̷̖͋̎ ̴͈̖͋̀Ḛ̷̀́d̸̲̆ň̵͔͍̏i̶͓̇̍ś̷̪͇̾ ̷̼̩̓N̴̳͕͆̚y̵͕̑e̷͍͌̎͜!̸͈̱̐ ̶͇́Ì̵̧͔̈́ ̴̳͛w̶͎̠̽i̷̝̟̓ḷ̸̟̍l̶̥͙̎ ̶̛͙͎̓b̴͖̟̑͋è̷̥͇̊ ̸̹̓͛w̴̺͎͗ā̶͉̚t̵̻́̊c̸͉̑ẖ̷̾̕í̴̺̑͜ṉ̴̘̂g̶̞̞̎ ̸̰͋ở̸ͅv̶͓̇̋ë̸̬͖r̶̦̓ ̶̡͙̅́t̷̤̼͂h̵̖̞͋ḙ̸̔̄s̵̻̀̋e̷̥̹̚ ̴͖͑c̸̢̩͌h̵͓̲͐͌i̵̯̪͗̈́ḻ̴͂d̸͚̦́̕r̷̝̈́͐e̷̯͐͗ń̵̛͈,̶̢̫͋̑ ̶̰͆̂p̴̳̍e̷̞̰̊̇r̶̡̓̀h̵̝̩̚a̸͊̃ͅṗ̶͖s̸̗̃̈́ ̶̩͔͑͘ḯ̸̦̠͂n̷͈̚ͅt̷̝̽ȩ̴͕̇̈́r̷͔̟̈́̚v̴̥̅ẻ̵̲n̵̬̍̀ĩ̷͙̚n̶͎͌̂g̷͕̻̈̀ ̷̨͠w̵̟͎̉͘ẖ̶̣̈ȅ̴̥̽͜n̵̻̼̈́ ̶̯̠̍I̷̤̲͋̅ ̶͉͍͆͝f̸̬͠i̴͕̇n̸̺͛d̷̳̳͋͗ ̸̱̳͠i̷͍͐̈́ť̶̗͜ ̵̩̓a̸͙͑̇m̵̬͇̏͂u̴̞͔̒͠s̵͈̝̋́ḭ̴̅̎n̶̈́ͅg̴͕̚.̷̢͚͋
(And me, The Ednis Nye! I will be watching over these children, perhaps intervening when I find it amusing.)
ooc!! hi!!
nsfw-ish asks sent to the older characters (nessie, lunar, tammy, damien, etc) are alright, but a lot of these characters are children!! dont be weird!!
simple rundown- this is a place for children with anomalies. esoteric is powers, eldritch is strange appearance, and elysian is undead
also, they all have. very extensive backstories and lore that i will be hinting at throughout. feel free to dm me (mod @the-pipster-pin) if you want a full breakdown of everything, but... there is a LOT. you can also just send ooc asks if you have just a question or two, im always happy to answer those:) just know that none of these children are at this camp consensually or legally. and they are all so traumatized. love u and have fun<3
(ALSO lunar and nessie are canonically trans, tato and harley align more with their agab but are nb, and wirt doesnt have a canon agab and probably never will)
all of ednis' interventions will be in pink, no idea if ill keep the zalgo but ill make sure to include the plain text under it
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Week in Review
04/21/2024 – 04/27/2024
Sunday
Week 11 of missing Cipher Academy
Girl Meets Rock good. Seems like the dynamics of the social web are about to shift again, with a rift growing between Takami and Ayame…
Undead Unluck super good…Feng getting stronger is a little scary, because if he ever manages to defeat Fuuko I fear that he’ll want to destroy everything in his pursuit of strength again…but also I want to believe in the connections he’s built with others in this loop…Ichico turning the previous loop’s tragedy on its head to change Nico’s version of Unforgettable is an amazing moment, though I can’t help but feel really sad for Nico regardless…Unforgettable is such a mind crushing ability even without the wife death thing, and I guess the implication here is that he held onto his sanity because of Ichico’s confession but I hope there’s some way for him to better cope with things in this loop…I’ve been really enjoying the fun and cheerful Nico we’ve been seeing so far, and I’d hate for him to just immediately revert back to his crotchety old man self from the last loop.
Monday
Touched some grass and ate some pizza
Tuesday
It’s time to get through some of these library books, the first being The Diamond Girls by Jacqueline Wilson. It’s one that I distinctly remember reading as a kid, and I think I still quite like it, reading today. It’s definitely my favourite of the three Wilson books I’ve read so far – I like the utter and overwhelming chaos that the story immediately throws us into, and even when it gives us some room for respite with the Mary segments, the nature of her living situation is so terrifying that it’s honestly like a horror movie. Dixie’s voice as a narrator is strong and distinct, and I like that you can still tell that she’s a dreamy little kid being put into these stressful situations. Some of the characterization got a little bit tiring, but I did appreciate Wilson subverting some of it by the end, like with Ryan turning out to be a decent-ish guy (still way too old for Rochelle though) and Jude actually becoming friends with the boys. Bruce was a nice character with a heart of gold, but I thought he got a little too attached to the Diamonds a little too quickly…although I guess if I were in his situation I wouldn’t want to turn a blind eye to them either. But immediately proclaiming that you’d like to be some kid’s uncle and stay in her life even though she’s just the estranged daughter of one of your clients is a little weird… Things got wrapped up a little too quickly too, by the end, but I think that’s Wilson’s trademark – just 95% stress and drama before a perfect happy ending, and I can’t really fault her for that.
Ummm Manga Tuesday I guess, which is just in time for the new Chainsaw Man chapter. As usual, I have no thoughts on it – I feel like I won’t be able to tell what’s going on in Part 2 until it ends and I can reread the whole thing from start to finish. Structurally I think I like Part 1 a lot more…
Dandadan good.
Took a break to watch the latest Game Changer episode while I ate lunch and wow I loved the chaos and the way it somehow accurately simulated people going insane in a time loop. All the bribery was fun, as was the contestants starting to say the scripted lines as they were being said by the other presenters. I also love how this continues to spur on the conspiracy theories that the fandom is cooking, and I really do hope there’s some multi-episode foreshadowed twist by the end.
Magilumiere good! Everything’s really coming together now.
One Piece good…I’m nervous for what’s to come.
Wednesday
Ah
Thursday
Very good episode of DunMesh today (with a side of meatballs). Loved all the action, especially with how brutal it could get due to the rules of the dungeon. Kabru doing all his little machinations in his mind was fun, as was him getting the sneak attack on Falin. The Laios and Shuro confrontation was also interesting and revealing of character, but I feel like everything about DunMesh’s writing has been talked to death already so I don’t want to just repeat what I’ve seen on Twitter. My general DunMesh thoughts are just that Ryoko Kui obviously has the writing chops to construct an absolutely original and airtight story, and it’s just fun to be a part of the ride.
Friday
I’ve been in the mood for some TV, and also wanted to pare down my watchlist a little, so I decided to check out Sharp Objects. I’ve heard good things about it and I like small town mystery stories, so I thought I’d like this one too…but the first episode just annoyed me so much that I dropped it right away and read the series synopsis on Wikipedia lmao. Everything about it was just so…screenwriting 101? In the sense that it was like they were checking off bullet points from a How to Write a Screenplay textbook; the tortured protagonist with substance abuse issues returning to their hometown to literally and figuratively confront their past is already well-trod ground as it is, but then every line of dialogue was so basic and boring and acted with all the enthusiasm of a mannequin going through the motions. At first I was wondering if the stock dialogue was some sort of tool being employed by the writers, like a metatextual façade being purposely put up for the sake of the mystery, but no it’s just how it is and I hate it. And judging by the Wikipedia summary that I read, I definitely would’ve hated watching the story progress and the ending, so I’m glad I can just write this one off.
The next show I tried was This is a Robbery, that Netflix documentary about the Gardner Museum art heist. I only got through half of it today, and it’s pretty…standard, I would say. You’ve got the dramatic graphic design and the million interviews and the goofy ass re-enactments of what happened (I know why documentaries do them but it doesn’t stop them from being silly as hell) – just the basic Netflix hyperproduced documentary flair with a dash of being high on its own supply in terms of drama. I thought I would like this documentary because I somewhat enjoy true crime but not the intrusive “accidentally ruin people’s lives due to media attention” kind, so an art heist felt like a nice middle ground between being interesting but still somewhat low stakes…but so far, it’s been pretty slow-moving and meandering and I wish they’d get to the point already.
Saturday
LMAO okay so the reason why This is a Robbery was so meandering and chasing all these dead ends was because there’s no real ending to this story, and I’m so mad that I wasted four hours of my life on this stupid shit. I guess I should’ve looked it up beforehand but I didn’t want to be spoiled…I kind of assumed that if they were making a whole documentary about it, there was going to be an interesting story or narrative to be told…but no, it was just an overproduced publicity stunt to get more attention on the case… They spent so much time interviewing all these people (LITERALLY WHAT WAS THE POINT OF GETTING A WHOLE EX-IRA GUY JUST TO SAY A FEW LINES AND “YEAH IT WASN’T US” BRO ALLOCATE YOUR RESOURCES BETTER PLEASE) and going into the granular details of the case and possible theories about the suspects and their whole organized crime web and I thought it was all going to tie together somehow or be in service of some grand narrative but no!!! This documentary has zero storytelling weight and really shouldn’t have come into existence. All it did was highlight how dogshit the FBI and the police really are. I just wanted some answers and to see how the heist was actually carried out, but I guess real life is rarely as interesting and narratively satisfying as Ocean’s Eleven. I’m giving this thing a 1/10 for annoying me so much and wasting my goddamn time.
Agh…most of the TV shows I’ve watched recently have been duds… This isn’t helping my irrational fear that I won’t find anything that’ll reach Succession’s heights ever again… Granted, I only finished This is a Robbery because I thought there’d be some sort of payoff by the end, but I need to be more discerning with which recommendations I should actually follow through on in the future.
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ok SO I got tagged in the original with @the-down-upside-finch but never answered it because I couldn't pick a song for NYTF but since I'm working a little on the International Alliance of Superhumans (IASH) I figured I'd do it. Tagging.... actually no, this is an open tag. If you see this and want to play, consider yourself tagged!
IASH has always been a movie-type book in my head, compared to NYTF, which is a series, so I have a few more ideas for specific moments in IASH lmao
(Brigid) Intro: Teenagers by My Chemical Romance
IASH opens with Brigid moving back into their boarding school after the summer, for their senior year of high school, and just generally causing chaos. I think this would be taken more funny as anything, especially as we're introducing Melody/Mel too and the fact Brigid is a social media influencer. We end the song with Brigid being called to HQ by Owen.
Martin's Intro: HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar
We first meet Martin while in costume as Hueso Blanco, after afight, and this song I feel like could be well-worked intro his introduction
Some other Soundtrack songs:
People I Don't Like by UPSAHL -- First time Brigid and Martin interact in IASH, but before they know who each other are
9-5 by Dolly Parton -- Used somewhat ironically with Martin at work
Fireball by Pitbull -- First time we see Brigid (Fireball) in costume and the dynamic between their two personalities they've very carefully crafted
brutal by Olivia Rodrigo -- This song in general encapsulates Brigid/Fireball's whole shebang and I would sneak it in someway.
Elevate by DJ Khalil -- Fight scene song or like pre-fight scene song
Blood // Water by grandson -- Fight scene song
GOODMORNINGTOKYO! by TOKYO'S REVENGE -- Fight scene song
Spooky Scary Skeletons (Undead Tombstone Remix) by Andrew Gold -- I vividly attach this song to Martin because his whole supervillain persona is bone/skeleton themed. IDK how this would get used but
Bones by Imagine Dragons -- Once again, somehow attached to Martin/Hueso Blanco. I feel like it'd deal with his spiral? IDK
Mary on a Cross by Ghost -- Martin and Quinn seeing each other for the first time in over a year
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana -- Pre-final battle
Outro: American Idiot by Green Day
I don't know why but it FITS. Not a final-scene song but like a credits-rolling song
(Also tagging @thetruearchmagos in case he would like to see this)
In honor of this dumb meme getting way more attention than I thought it would, I decided to make a tag game out of it!
If your current WIP were a show (animated, live-action, etc.) then what songs would be played during the intro and outro/credit sequences?
My WIP, Stained Integrity, has this soundtrack in the animated series that plays in my head:
Intro: Needed a Change of Pace (Jhariah)
Outro: Flight of the Crows (Jhariah)
(Yes I know the songs are from the same album, I just love the vibes so much)
I thought this might be a fun way to share music we like, as well as share some of the vibes that we associate with our WIPs!
Tagging (with absolutely no pressure): @my-cursed-prince, @r0tting-raspb3rry, @athenswrites, @tabswrites, @da-na-hae, @amaiguri and anyone else that wants to join!
(Also this is my first time doing one of these so please be gentle with me haha)
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For: @toxic-and-the-gang
New Muse!
Amy's Madness Genocide V3
1st Muse:
Mary Rose
Alias:
• "Serial Killer" Mary Rose
• Mary
• Monika Rose (Hated Nickname)
• Roseiphanes
Relatives: None
Relationships:
• Monika (Idol)
• Amy's Friends (Victims)
• Maria Robotnik (Victim)
• AX (Ally)
Species: Hedgehog
Subspecies: Demon/Code
Birthday:
• October 31st
Gender: Female
Sex: Lesbian
Affiliation: Cult of the Juju Rose (Leader)
Eye Color: Red with Black Sclera
Fur Color: Pink
Skin Color: Normal
Quote: "Slither between the vile lines of code lying in wait." -Mary Rose
Based on:
• Sonic.EXE
• Doki Doki Literature Club (Partly)
Debut: Creepypasta
2nd Muse:
I HATE YOU Lilly
Alias:
• Lilly
• Lilly Rose
• IHY Lilly
• Burned Lilly
Relatives:
• Amy Rose (Loved sister, protecter)
• Sally Acorn (Despised Adopted Sister, Bully, Murderer)
Relationships: Dr. Robotnik (Ally) (Creepypasta)
Species: Hedgehog
Subspecies: Undead Hedgehog
Sex: Straight
Eye Color: Sunken Yellow
Fur Color: Yellow
Skin Color: Red
Occupation: Sally's Servant (Formerly)
Status:
• Dead (Creepypasta)
• Undead/Alive?
Quote:
• "I HATE YOU!" -Lilly, I HATE YOU
• "WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!" -Lilly, I HATE YOU
Based on:
• I HATE YOU! (A Mario Creepypasta written by Slimebeast)
Debut: I HATE YOU (Sonic Advanced Edition)
3rd Muse:
Beta Lilly
Alias:
• Lilly
• Sad Lilly (in chromatic folder)
Relatives:
• Amy Rose (Compromised Sister)
Relatives:
• Beta Luigi (Friend)
• Beta Sayori (Friend)
Species: Hedgehog
Gender: Female
Sex: Straight
Eye Color: White Sclera
Fur Color: Yellow
Skin Color: Pale
Occupation: Freedom Fighter
Status: Alive
Quote: "My sister is dead..." -Beta Lilly, after she lost her sister
Based on:
• Luigi's Mansion's Beta Luigi
Debut: Lilly's Mansion (E3 2001)
4th Muse:
22 Days Amy
Alias:
• Creepy Amy Rose
• 22 Days Scary Amy (Deviantart)
• Scary Amy
• Crazy Amy (Not related to Titototter's Crazy Amy at all)
• 22 days till Amy Rose steals your liver
Species: Hedgehog
Gender: Female
Sex: Straight
Eye Color: Black (Since she looks crazy)
Fur Color: Pink
Skin Color: Normal
Quote: "22 days..." -22 Days Amy, Deviantart
Based on:
• 22 Days Scary Amy (by DomesticMaid on Deviantart)
Debut: DomesticMaid (On Deviantart)
5th Muse:
AZ
Alias:
• Alice.ZIP
• D-Sides Amy.EXE
• Fake Freedom Fighter
• Goddess AZ
Relationships:
• Laura (Endless Victim)
• AX (Best Friend)
• Lordess A (Best Friend)
• Chaoamon (Pet)
• Pink Mist Mabel (Friend)
• Pobby (Friend)
Species: Hedgehog
Subspecies: ZIP Bomb Spirit
Gender: Female
Sex: Transgender
Height:
• 5 feet (Faker)
• 15 feet (Real Form)
Eye Color:
• Highlighted Yellow with Black Sclera (Real Form)
• Dark Green (Faker)
Fur Color:
• Lavender (Faker)
• Purple (Real Form)
Skin Color: Normal
Status: Alive
Universe: D-Sides
Quote: "Wondering through the emerald hill zone, running and running on for miles, think that you're in the clear, thinking you're safe, Until Goddess AZ begins the chase." -AX, Alice_'95/'98
Based on:
• D-Sides Universe
• Mario '85 (Creepypasta)
Debut: Alice_'95/'98 (D-Sides Creepypasta)
6th Muse:
Genocide Amy
Alias:
• Amy Rose
• Angry Amy
• Rampage Rose
• Genocide Amy Rose
Relatives: Lilly Rose (Sister, Accidental Victim)
Relationships:
• Sonic (Love Interest, Murdered by Dr. Eggman, Deaseased)
• Tails (Friend, Therapist)
• Blaze the Cat (Love Interest)
• Knuckles (Accidental Victim)
• Mighty the Armadillo (Annoying Friend, Accidental Victim)
• Sally Acorn (Hates, Victim)
• Annie Acorn (Sally's sister, Hates, Victim)
• Pinkie Pie (Rival, Victim)
• Metal Sonic (Enemy, Victim)
• Shadow the Hedgehog (Nuisance, Victim)
• Dr. Eggman (Enemy, Main Target, Victim)
Affiliation: Sega
Species: Hedgehog
Gender: Female
Sex: Bisexual
Eye Color:
• Emerald Green (Normal)
• Blood Red (Angry/Rampage/Genocidal)
Teeth: Razor sharp (Always)
Fur Color: Pink
Skin Color: Normal
Status: Alive
Quote: "YOU TOOK MY SONIC, MY BLAZE, AND EVEN YOU EVEN MADE ME TAKE IT OUT ON SOME PEOPLE I DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL! SO DIE!" -Genocide Amy confronting Dr. Eggman
Based on:
• Genocide (FNF Vs. Tabi)
Debut: Genocide
7th Muse:
Starved Amy
Alias: Amy Rose
Relationships:
• Starved Brenda (Current Partner)
• Furnace Amy (Searcher/Kidnapper)
• Furnace Baby (Searcher/Kidnapper)
• Furnace Endos (Cooks/Helpers)
• Furnace Endas (Cooks/Helpers)
Species: Hedgehog
Gender: Female
Sex: Straight
Eye Color: Black
Fur Color: Pink
Skin Color: Pink
Bio: Starved Amy is a creepy and hungry version of Amy Rose who loves to cook vampires, and Eggman and eat them. She is an incarnation of Amy Rose that has only one goal currently in mind: to feed her insatiable hunger she has worked up over time. She is the same Hedgehog to a marginal degree despite the difference in looks, her outlooks comparably before are much different than what she originally had planned in the beginning.
Quote: "I love that Eggman" -Starved Amy
Based on:
• Starved Eggman
Debut:
• Prey (Vs. Sonic.EXE 3.0)
• Fight or Flight (Vs. Sonic.EXE 3.0)
• Bold or Brash (Mistful Crimson Morning)
8th Muse:
Furnace Amy
Alias: Furnace Metal Amy
Relationships:
• Starved Amy (Creator)
• Starved Brenda (2nd in Command)
• Furnace Baby (Current Helper)
• Furnace Endos (Friends/Helpers)
• Furnace Endas (Friends/Helpers)
• Dr. Eggman (Enemy)
Species: Robot
Gender: Female
Sex: Pansexual
Eye Color: Yellow Burning Eyes
Fur Color: Metal
Skin Color: Metal
Bio: Furnace Amy is a Metal Amy counterpart created by Starved Amy specifically to cook vampires and to outmatch Dr. Eggman to ultimately capture him to be eaten.
Quote: "TARGET SPOTTED" -Furnace Amy, Prey
Based on:
• Furnace (Furnace Sonic)
Debut:
• Prey (Vs. Sonic.EXE 3.0)
• Fight or Flight (Vs. Sonic.EXE 3.0)
• Bold or Brash (Mistful Crimson Morning)
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Demon-Infected Kurenai
Whoo let’s go, this is an AU I brainstormed with help from @firebirdeternal back in September, and it’s finally time to pull it all together.
To whit, this all started with me sending this message:
“Just got hit by the overwhelming urge to turn Kurenai into some kind of horror movie monster after a mid-mission accident? Like there's an unknown scroll she picks up and WHOOPS you're kind of a demonic entity now, so sorry.”
And it kinda just... went from there.
Like, okay, Kurenai is already objectively terrifying.
"I'm going to psychically convince your brain that I was never real and lull you into a false sense of peace with the scent of pleasant flowering trees before I emerge like a nightmare from the branches to snap your neck. Then when your friend looks back they see you standing placidly in the street before wondering where that lovely scent is coming from?"
(Kurama being scared shitless of Kurenai is a fun mental image. Like he doesn't give a fuck about any other living or unliving creature, but this illusion master witch who can carve up someone's reality and murder them while they smile it all away? That's fucking scary no matter how big you are.)
BUT IT ALL JUST GETS SO MUCH WORSE WHEN SHE’S NO LONGER QUITE HUMAN
Kurenai is now upset because she keeps like... bleeding from the eyes? And is freaking out the Uchiha? And she can still eat dango and sushi and all that, but she's like really into raw steak and literal bloody Marys now? And she keeps seeing ghosts?
Kurenai, poking at her chest: My heart keeps stopping and I forget to restart it and then I get cold, help.
Kakashi: Hey Asuma, are you into fangs? Asuma: ...I'm straight and not into you so why does it matter? Kakashi: Not about me. Just answer. Asuma: Fine, uh... I guess it depends on the fangs? Extended eyeteeth, sure, deep sea creature needles, not so much. Kakashi: Great! So, your girlfriend got herself into a situation.
There are Offerings being left at her doorstep by minor demons from the forest. It’s fine.
Kurenai gets monsterized, a tad, and then just. Illusion makeup. For several weeks. Under the assumption/fervent hope that it'll get better on its own. 'It's not a cold Yuuhi, I expected better of you!' 'I panicked okay? And how was I supposed to know it wouldn't get better, I've never been possessed before!'
(Kurenai is a millennial and didn't want this going on her record and interfering with her chance of getting her promotion/a genin team.)
She's not even sure WHAT she is, just like. Probably semi-dead? And demonic? Just like. Kurenai gets into a Situation and it's not even a sentient entity, it's just like. A special kind of chakra... that acts like an infection... but isn't communicable. Or something.
And there's a second layer of chakra under her own, so it doesn't mess with her control of her normal techniques at all, but if she does reach for that second, creepy chakra, things start, like... dying.
Like she channels the chakra and all the grass or trees around her just turn grey. If she channels the creepy chakra, it works like magic instead of genjutsu, and she like... sings hypnosis and shit. Calls up the dead.
She has no idea what she's doing but ANBU is making grabby hands.
Konoha completely skips over everyone else when the Zombie Combo shows up because DUH we're gonna send Undead Kurenai out against immortal bullshit.
SHE HEALS LIKE THAT ONE NEBULA GIF BUT MORE ORGANIC AND LESS TECHNO
Also sometimes she’s just like “Why is my blood black?”
Mostly I'm just really enjoying the mental image of like Hidan: What the fuck are you?!?!?! Kurenai, mid-attack: GREAT QUESTION. I'll let you know when I figure it out!
It's been like ten years by that point and they still have no idea.
Honestly Ninjas are so used to weird bullshit by now that they'll just call it a "Technique" unless it turns out she can pass it on to kids in which case it'll be revised into a Bloodline. How does it work? 🤷. Why did it happen? 🤷. Can you use it to murder people effectively? Hell yes. Good enough!
Kurenai: Wait, what if I can't have kids anymore? [one pregnancy later] Mirai: [is born singing the wails of the damned]
Like one of those Evil Possessed Child horror movies except everyone has superpowers so the Ghost Murder Attempts are just Precocious Shenanigans and the kid eventually grows up to be a productive member of murder-society
"Mirai, honey, what do you want to eat?" "The souls of the innocent." "Uh-huh. We have miso soup." "That is acceptable."
Sometimes if she’s good, they give her a freshly dead pigeon. Asuma is not nearly as thrown by all of this as he could be.
Kiba is SO PUMPED to brag about how he has the scariest sensei in Konoha and people are just like "Yeah right" because they meet Kurenai and she is so??? Normal??? Compared to Gai and Kakashi and all them??? And she's polite and friendly and caring and gorgeous! How is she--OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK DID SHE JUST DO TO THAT GUY'S BRAIN
Kisame and Itachi's trip back to Konoha right after the Chuunin Exams and they get set to fight the Jounin team and Kurenai shows up and gets dismissed and then it takes a moment for everyone to be like "Oh my god, you weren't here when that happened, dude she's a literal creature from your nightmares now."
Itachi: Look, even if she's super dangerous, I'll just trap her in my unbreakable genjutsu it'll be fine. [uses unbreakable genjutsu that psychically links him to her] [several seconds pass] Itachi: [gets a nosebleed] Itachi: Hey Kisame quick question can you carry me and how fast can you run while carrying me because we need to leave right the fuck now.
Not a ‘ooh sexy’ nosebleed, a ‘my brain just completely misfired from horror’ nosebleed.
On at least one occasion, Kurenai does the Creepy Horror Movie Crawling after someone thinks they've snapped her neck.
She's functionally immortal but like. In the most unnerving way possible. She's “allowed” to return to life but the prerequisite to doing so is "freak everyone in the vicinity out as you do so." You're allowed to heal but only if you're a creepy, dramatic ho about it.
Some people have no idea that she's a Monster Person because they knew her in school when she was still mortal and then she learned all this psychology and illusion magic bullshit so when she does things like that they always assume that she's using said illusion magic to fake her injury and unnerve the enemy.
Poor, oblivious fool: Kurenai, good work back there. You can drop the genjutsu now though. Kurenai: Oh right, yeah. Kurenai: [snaps her head back into place with a sickening crunch]
"Haha god you're a freaky bitch sometimes" -Anko probably
Anko is the first person to just completely ignore the Creepy.
Orochimaru did weirder shit, the important thing is that they can still get drunk and bitch about how dumb boys are.
(As far as KureAnko goes, I like "roommates who have definitely done the young-and-experimenting sex thing a few times, and maybe some of the drunk-and-grieving sex thing a few other times, but are nowadays just non-sex buddies who like to wingwoman.")
So you know how I earlier mentioned something about Kurenai possibly being able to see the dead?
She. Figures out Obito's alive. Just. The weirdest fucking wrench in those plans. (Sorry, Obito, except not really.) It’s either because she sees all the other ghosts around periodically but never him, or she just... sees Rin. And Rin tells her.
Anyway
Orochimaru and Kurenai fight. It’s. Not a comfortable time for literally anyone in the area.
Orochimaru: STOP THAT. STOP... NOT DYING. Kurenai: Shan’t.
Just an endless background chorus of "necks don't BEND that way!" and "he just vomited up his own body is that normal" and "WHY THE FUCK DOES HER JAW UNHINGE AS FAR AS HIS DOES"
Honestly though I think Orochimaru is charmed. And wants her body for himself, because Orochimaru. Possibly like. Congratulates Anko on her good taste.
Orochimaru: I want to put my soul in that body. Inoichi: No, no you really do not, I can tell you.
Orochimaru: Can I have a blood sample? Anko, completely rabid: FUCK NO GET AWAY FROM HER Kurenai: [eyes rolled back to reveal black sclera, chanting an undead language that summons demons] Orochimaru: Delightful.
Inoichi definitely tried to mind walk her at some point to like, help her figure out what was going on? And came out of it shaking and speaking in tongues and to this day refuses to talk about it other than to say, "She's in control, don't worry about that part. Never ask anyone to mind walk her again."
He wanted to help and that's the only reason he got out relatively sane.
(Me, at any given point: But how can I turn this genre into a really dumb comedy.)
Kurenai: [on her knees in a random field, head tilted back to stare at the stars, mouth agape, black necro-chakra rolling off her her in waves] Kakashi: Does anyone know what the hell she's doing? [five minutes later] Kakashi: Aaaaaaaaaand that's an entire ROOT base. What the fuck, Kurenai.
Kurenai runs into an Edo Tensei and they burst into flames and nobody knows what's going on, least of all her.
"I'm here to ruin all the bad guys' plans but I honestly don't have any fucking idea what I'm doing" is just. A treat.
(This is such a niche AU.)
(I just point at the most random characters and give them a plot you'd normally only see in one of like... four characters.)
Asuma: [comes across Kurenai eating a dead crow, hasn't even been plucked, let alone cooked, mouth covered in blood and feathers, crouched over the kill like some terrifying, shapeless mass] Kurenai: ... Asuma: ... Kurenai: [swallows] Asuma: ...so, you good? Or... Kurenai: I... I think I need a minute. Asuma: Cool, cool, I'll be in the living room.
Demon Kurenai maybe? But with her actual red eyes, and black sclera. Though "grey skin and black veins" might be more on-brand for the Vibe
TL;DR
Kurenai suffers from a demonic infection. It’s permanent. She’s still super nice and talented! She just also like... exudes some creepy “necro chakra” and feasts on raw animals and all of creepiest things in the forest are leaving Offerings at her front door. When Mirai is born, she occasionally makes demands for human souls instead of baby food. (She is not provided this, but she does get a snack of freshly-killed pigeon if she’s good.) (Asuma is not nearly as thrown by all of this as he could be.)
#Yuuhi Kurenai#Kurenai#Kurenai Yuuhi#Sarutobi Asuma#Mitarashi Anko#Demon AU#AsuKure#KureAnko#Orochimaru#Hatake Kakashi#Hoshigaki Kisame#Uchiha Itachi#Kurama#Yamanaka Inoichi#Phoenix Posts
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Monster of the Week: The Undead!
From spooky scary skeletons to the original zombies, let’s have a look at the undead who have risen around the globe! This will not include vampires (which I have already compiled a post on) or ghosts (which I plan to compile a post on.)
Note that many of these can best be understood -- or only understood -- in their original cultural context, and I encourage you to continue your research if the lore interests you.
Skeletons/Skeletal Creatures
I am, for whatever reason, enthusiastic about skeletons. There’s a drama to them. They look like they’re perpetually grinning, or grimacing, which makes them oddly relatable. As an artist, I’m always thinking about them as the framework for poses.
More importantly, there’s one in all of us -- sorry if that made you uncomfortable -- which makes them a universally recurring being in global folklore. Let’s take a look at just a few.
Gashadokuro
Literally translating to “rattling skull,” the Gashadokuro is also called Odokoru (giant skull) or simply “the hungry skeleton.” That basically tells you all you need to know.
These big boys (and I mean REALLY big) wander around the countryside at night. Their name derives from the eerie rattling noise produced by their giant skulls. As chill as this may sound, the Gashadokuro is not actually chill at all, and if you come across them they will not hesitate bite your head off. This may seem like a jerk move, since they don’t even have a stomach, but they need the energy of the living in order to sustain themselves.
Like most undead fellas on this list, the Gashadokuro has its origins in the real world. They are thought to originate from the mass-graves, usually of those who died under violent or inhumane circumstances, the supernatural byproduct of countless skeletons.
The first Gashadokuro was thought to have originated after a specific bloody rebellion, in which the bereaved, sorceress daughter of a samurai summoned a giant skeleton from the mass grave of the rebelling soldiers and used it to attack the city. Queen behavior, if you ask me.
Santa Muerte
Image Source
Let’s conclude this portion with my favorite skeleton (excluding Baron Samedi, who doesn’t count, as he is often depicted as a man, or a man with a skull-like face), the goddess/folk saint Santa Muerte.
I still have a lot to learn about the rich folklore surrounding Santa Muerte, but to my understanding, she was born of a combination of pre-Columbian Indigenous religions and Mexican-American folk Catholicism.
Depicted as a skeleton in beautiful, feminine attire and considered to be embodiment of death, Santa Muerte is a healing and protective figure. She is beloved by legions of worshippers, despite condemnations from the Catholic church, and symbolizes a culturally positive relationship with death.
Despite appearances, she is a life-affirming figure.
Zombies and Reanimated Corpses:
The Draugr
When we hear “zombie,” we don’t traditionally think of “Norse mythology.” And yet, the Nordics had their very own zombie mythos, boasting some truly terrifying undead.
It is said that they first emerge from their graves as little more than wisps of smoke and a stench of decay, before adopting a humanoid form that boasts superhuman strength, the ability to change size at will, and the ability to shape-shift.
They aren’t mindless -- far from it. They boast an anthropomorphic intelligence, which makes them all the more dangerous.
As to what drives them from their graves? Jealousy and bitterness towards the living. Relatable, honestly.
The Jiangshi
(Note: I wish they were all as adorable as the one in this gif.)
This Chinese hopping corpse may have evolved into more of a vampire by Western influences, but it was originally far more zombie-like. And a unique zombie at that.
Due to rigor mortis, the Jiangshi hops stiffly from place to place, holding its arms straight out. What’s even more singular is their origin. Try to guess. Go ahead, try. You won’t be able to.
The Jiangshi is what occurs when a bereaved family, lacking the proper funds to send their loved one’s body back to their ancestral land for burial, hires a necromancing corpse driver to reanimate the cadaver and guide it as it hops back to its resting place. They’d travel at night to avoid or minimize decay, either prodded by a stick or to the beat of a drum.
Other ways to create a Jiangshi include improper burial, suicide, or possession.
Looking upon a Jiangshi is said to be bad luck, and presumably very unpleasant. However, the real problem is their insatiable appetite.
But fear not: if you see an unhealthy looking fellow hopping towards you with pasty, possibly decaying skin, you can protect yourself with mirrors, the hooves of a black donkey, or the wood of a peach tree. They can also be scared off by the sound of a crowing rooster, though that would require a bit of planning, and the cooperation of the rooster in question. Which, knowing roosters, is unlikely.
Haitian Zombies
All legends of the undead have roots in real tragedies, but this one is particularly upsetting -- and the source of the zombie legend in the Western world today.
The enslaved people of Haiti believed that death would set them free, sending them back to an idyllic version of their homeland unburdened by colonialism. But only if death came naturally. Suicide would turn them into mindless husks, carrying out the drudgery of their captors. A haunting parallel to the practice of slavery itself.
The concept was introduced to a contemporary audience by the 1932 film White Zombie, which sees a white “voodoo master” (who clearly didn’t know anything about the actual Voodoo religion) using witchcraft to create obedient slaves. He eventually uses this (ahem) “”voodoo”” on a white woman to try and force her to fall in love with him.
With the term “zombie” in public consciousness, it became an applicable allegory for all of society’s ills, and can now be used to refer to anything from mob mentality to consumerism. But few are as haunting and as disturbing as its origins.
Videos on zombies:
The Origin of the Zombie, from Haiti to the US
Where Zombies Come From
100 Hundred Years of Zombie Evolution in Pop Culture
Best Contemporary Zombie Movies*
*That I know of. Will update with more.
Night of the Living Dead - Though White Zombie introduced the term, it was arguably this film that popularized zombies as we know them today, particularly as an allegory for herd mentality and consumerism. Its successors, including Day of the Dead and Dawn of the Dead, prove similarly influential.
The Evil Dead Trilogy - Established that zombies can be fun, while also serving as an allegory for various societal problems. Also features undead that are refreshingly ravenous and evil without necessarily being mindless.
The Re-Animator - These days, the average zombie movie pushes the bounds of creativity is “make ‘em faster!” The Re-Animator’s take on the genre, however, would make Mary Shelley proud. Based loosely on the Lovecraft story, “Herbert West - Reanimator,” the films greatest triumph is its ability to have fun with its grisly premise, and compel the audience to have fun, too. It’s also a cautionary tale about why it’s important to be careful while getting a roommate.
Shaun of the Dead - I’m not kidding. This film is great, and shows that you don’t need a serious tone to be heartfelt, scary, or provide a thought-provoking social commentary. Way back when I was a sixteen-year-old college freshman, I turned up to class as a zombie cheerleader, and my psychology professor recommended Shaun of the Dead to me. She’s a woman of impeccable taste, and it did not disappoint.
28 Days Later - Before Cillian Murphy gave us Tommy Shelby, a gangster so pretty he could give Al Capone a sexual identity crisis, he was proving his mettle in the zombie-addled UK. For 2020 reasons, watching him wander the abandoned streets of London with a questionable haircut feels very topical. Add a stellar performance from Naomie Harris, and there’s a reason it sent me into a bisexual panic it’s considered a modern classic of the genre.
Little Monsters - An egregiously underrated flick, featuring a kindergarten teacher (who happens to be, you know, Lupita Nyong’o) protecting her class during a zombie outbreak. A must watch if you want a zombie movie with a powerhouse lead, a happy ending, and perhaps the most badass kindergarten teacher in cinematic history.
#monster of the week#writers reference#writers resources#skeletons#zombies#blood for ts#racism mention for ts
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A Lie of Leftovers.
This is my Fan-sidequest? set in the world of Calorum from Dimension 20's A Crown of Candy season. The introduction:
The Bulb is flickering, it’s power fading. Criminals, those who have been declared as enemies of the Bulb, are sent into the frozen wilds to investigate, not because they are strong, but because they are expendable. In the frosted tundra of the Freezer, they must survive and turn from scoundrels into heroes.
AKA there's a land north of Calorum called the Freezer, which is something of a penal colony for the Bulb's enemies. In theory, they are sent to join the Bite's Watch at Castle Snack, tasked with protecting Calorum from ancient monsters in the north, but really it's to get rid of people they don't want to deal with. Which is exactly what happened to our heroes:
(the 1st 6 are heroes, the last 2 are NPC's)
First is Angelo Wheaton, an Angel-hair pasta cleric from Ceresia. Raised in an offshoot family, that worships the Flying Spaghetti Monster. He's a tempest cletic, weilding both the Wet Noodle and the Ravioli shield, but you wouldn't know it by his attitude. He's more of a flirt, and was sent here for flirting with a Bulbian Archbishop's daughter (but really, how was Angelo supposed to know? Archbishops take a vow of celibacy, they shouldn't HAVE daughters). He's trying to make the best of this, flirting his way through the Bite's watch, but this whole Rot thing is Really Scary.
Then there's Bob Skewer, a Kabob hunter from the Blood Swamps of the Meatlands. He's...not the brightest, but he's good with the land. Didn't understand why the Bulbians were so upset that he hunted on their lands. It's all nature, innit? But he doesn't understand Bulbian stuff much anyway as he worships the Great Boar. He's a master hunter with his Meat Fork, the Charred Carver, and wants to protect creatures and people alike. Doesn't really know what's going on most of the time.
Next is Bonny Brach, a Bon Bon from the Candian Mountains. She's an older lady, and while she's definitely a heretic worshipper of the Sweetening Path, more specifically The Muffin Man, but no one's...entirely sure why she's here? She kinda volunteered? but who would do that? What could she possibly want? No one's really sure, fascinated by the seemingly crazy lady. Unlike most wizards, she uses a warhammer called the Starbasher which doubles as her magic focus.
Claire Margerine was a former pirate, and now a lethal marauder. She was left stranded and culpable for stealing the Lost Buttercow Statue from the Bulbian temple in Lacrimoore, hidden away from the people who would worship it. She knows she was set up by her cohort, Mackenzie Craft, a mac & cheese person, and she swears vengeance. Filled with rage, she carries the Butter Knives, Sweet Cream and Salted. She has trouble working with other people, but gets taken in by her friends.
The Bite's Watch rarely gets such a trained warrior as Marie Malade, a commander in the Fructaran army. She used to be pretty neutral on the bulb, worshipping instead the Golden Apple. However, when a Primogen was getting pushy with one of the soldiers under her command, she stepped in. One thing led to another, and that Primogen did not make it. Marie went away without complaint, though wouldn't change anything, and anyone who hurts her comrades should be warned before they are on the other side of her greatsword, Sharprind.
Finally, there is the Asparagus Druid, Peryn Spears, who lived deep in the Vegetanian Forest. He was offended by the Bulbian's destruction of the forest for it's resources and making temples in their place, and so was arrested for eco-terrorism. He is often quiet, but he is full of the power of the wilds, weilding both the Zucchini Shield and Spearmint. He has seen visions in the tea leaves, something big is coming, and there is a great destiny awaiting them.
I think if/when any character dies, they are revived as zombies, but saved by The Compost (as worshippers not of the Bulb), though the issue is that they can never again leave the Freezer. Everyone will have a modded mini that is their zombified form.
Episode 1: Highfrost is Coming--Character intros, suspicions about the bulb, and Oh No Zombies!
Episode 2: Snack Attack!--Castle Snack is attacked by zombies, only strongly affected by magic and magic weapons. Fascinating!
Episode 3: Walk-in to the Freezer--Commander Crust, in charge of the Bite's Watch, leads an entourage into the depths of the Freezer. They meet up with Frozen Foods who live out here, but they are traveling south to avoid the Rot. There are legends, though, of something deep under the frost.
Episode 4: De-frost De-caves--The Bite's Watch finds the Lost Mushroom caves, but must turn on the lost Oven Light of The Muffin Man to wake up the Kingdom and save them from the dreaded Rot trolls, giants, and mounds of zombies.
Episode 5: Mush-room for Improvement--The Mushroom people tell them of how all the spirits are real but change the bulb's power into something new. However, the bulb is now failing, and if it does, Rot will spread across the land. They must now go and Change the Bulb, or they will all succumb.
Episode 6: Change in Power--the heroes face demons of The Rot, zombies, and many other undead, and must protect and save the new bulb to change it out, and in so doing, infuse it with their own hopes and dreams that will spread out into the world through every person's magic.
@BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN CALL ME! I have stats for all these characters. I have stats for their weapons. I have NPC's. I have the battles more planned out than this. pleaaaase.
#a crown of candy#dimension 20#dropout tv#collegehumor#OC#is this a fanfic?#I mean not technically#but damn
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The Best of YA Horror
I’ve always found YA horror to be made up of quite a small pool of books. As is natural when dealing with teen characters, so much of YA deals with romance and self-discovery and these things don’t often have a place in horror. I’ve read YA books that have been marketed as horror but they’ve substituted a lot of the actual scary stuff for typical YA tropes and themes. It means that genuinely dark, terrifying YA horror is rare but I believe the following books to be some of the best that I know of. Hope you enjoy them! -Love, Alex x
1. Shutter by Courtney Alameda.
Micheline is one of the last remaining Van Helsings and she has the ability to see the auras of the undead through her specially modified camera. She has been training her whole life to exorcise monsters but when a hunt goes wrong, she and her friends are infected with a horrific, deadly curse, known as a soulchain. This unique horror genuinely chilled me and the suspense was second to no other YA book I’ve read. Pick it up for a pitch-black ghostly ride.
2. Wranglestone by Darren Charlton.
Living in a small community haunted by the Dead, Peter is banished to the outskirts where he starts spending more time with Cooper, the rancher he has always admired. Yes, this has a wonderful gay romance but the cold, ominous air is inescapable in this fast-paced, zombie-infested tale.
3. The Merciless by Danielle Vega.
Riley, Grace and Alexis are the most popular girls in school but Sofia is regretting joining their gang. They believe that Brooklyn Stevens is possessed and take it upon themselves to perform the exorcism but the girls’ idea of this is actually more like brutal, bloody torture. I don’t remember the last time a horror book stayed with me like this one has over the years since I read it. I know that it has several sequels but the horrors of the first book have always prevented me from returning. It is truly horrific.
4. Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé.
Skye has always been her little sister Deirdre’s saviour and she’s tired of it. When they move to a small, remote town, Deirdre becomes obsessed with the surrounding woods and begins making strange sculptures. Then she disappears and Skye is visited by a monster, claiming that she’s the only one who can bring her sister back. The atmosphere and threat in this book is incredibly well-written and is completely devoid of light. A truly haunting, ice-cold read.
5. My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix.
Abby and Gretchen are life-long best friends but when they start high school, Gretchen starts behaving strangely. The bizarre events that follow lead Abby to believe that Gretchen is possessed and she’ll do whatever she can to save her. Dotted with 80s pop culture references, this is a dark, emotionally-charged story that champions female friendship, while being full of high tension.
6. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.
Mary has spent her life inside the walled community of the Sisterhood with the knowledge that The Unconsecrated lurk beyond the fence and that they’ll never give up. But slowly, her world and everything that she has always believed to be true starts to crumble. It’s incredibly slow burning, which isn’t ideal if you love fast-paced plots, but it is the perfect mirror for the descent into madness that unveils amidst this high-stakes zombie novel.
7. The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart.
When five friends discover a strange box in the woods, they each place something important to them in it forever and vow to never return to it alone. Years later, terrible things are happening and they realise that one of them has clearly broken the pact and angered an ancient curse. I’ve never read another YA book that has such strong Stephen King vibes. It has that same, overwhelming suspense and fantastic character dynamics that make it compulsively readable.
8. Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell.
When Sophie and her cousins spend the summer at the family home that used to be Dunvegan School for Girls, they discover a room full of vintage dolls and a girl who definitely shouldn’t be there. This book is nothing but terrible, brooding darkness -toxic character dynamics, a razor-sharp twist at the end and a highly disturbing plot.
9. Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics.
When pregnant teen Amanda’s highly religious family move to a prairie house, she is hoping for a new start, away from her guilt and shame. On arrival, the family discover their new cabin covered in blood and as time passes, Amanda learns that there is something very wrong. She begins to question whether the evil is really in the community or within herself. Exploring trauma, mental illness and unspeakable horror, this is a quick read that will leave you thoroughly disturbed.
10. House of Furies by Madeleine Roux.
On escaping the terrors of school, Louisa is happy to start working as a maid at Coldthistle House, a guesthouse with very dark goings-on hidden between its walls. When Louisa takes a liking to one the new guests, she decides that they must both escape. Interspersed with eerie black and white pictures, it has a wonderful Gothic atmosphere that leaks through the pages and a real sense of threat, making it a great pageturner. A fantastic, genuinely scary YA horror novel.
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Frankenstein: Genre and Themes
It doesn’t seem possible that Frankenstein can be sorted into any genre except horror. A monster on a killing spree, a mad scientist in his lab, spooky shadows and an opening in a graveyard? It can’t be anything but horror, can it?
Turns out, it can.
Like we’ve discussed before, every story ever created, no matter how simple or complicated, has to fall into at least one genre. Genre is the sum of similarly themed parts that come together to give a style and theme to a story, a form of shorthand to give the audience an idea as to what kind of story they are about to see. And in almost every case, it’s never as simple as it seems.
Characters, stories, settings, and even themes often correspond to different genres As a result, it’s extremely useful as viewers to examine the categorization of films, as it not only sets up our own expectations for individual stories, it also helps us expand the boundaries of genres as their limits are tested.
Which is why Frankenstein is a bit of an odd duck.
I’ll show you what I mean.
Today, we’re going to be looking at the characteristics of the story of Frankenstein to determine what genres it is, what genres it is not, and the whys and wherefores behind them. Let’s take a look. Spoilers below!
An easy way to figure out the genre of any given film is to take a look at the setting of a story. Movies set in outer space tend to be blanketed in the genre of science fiction. Movies set in medieval times are often considered fantasy. Movies set in creepy castles or spooky swamps tend to be considered horror.
Which would seem to be the case with Frankenstein.
It seems obvious. Frankenstein, along with Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon created and codified the film genre of ‘classic horror’. These were the templates from which all future monsters would spring, werewolves, vampires, zombies and fish-creatures alike.
The spooky, Gothic shadows and creepy angles, the mad-scientist lab, the scenes in the graveyard, skeletons at the fringes of shots, and of course, the monster himself, would seem to speak to an incredibly obvious horror leaning. In fact, the story’s visual language was based on German Expressionism, which had been used in films like Nosferatu, a bonafide silent horror classic.
But…aren’t horror movies supposed to be scary?
There are no jump-scares in Frankenstein. Characters do not die in horrifying ways. They aren’t stalked, nor are they picked off in a way that’s traditional of horror films, and of the three characters who actually die, two were killed in what could be argued as self-defense by the monster.
Weirdest of all, except for possibly the initial scene of his creation, up until he breaks into Elizabeth’s room, the monster is not set up as being ‘scary’. He’s set up as being sympathetic.
From the first real scene we have of the monster, where he’s lifting his hands in fascination towards light and then cowering from Fritz’s brutality, this is a creature that the audience finds themselves sorry for. This is not typical of movie monsters. There was no pity for Dracula, no concern for The Invisible Man or The Mummy. They were truly monsters, who knew what they were doing.
The Frankenstein monster doesn’t. For a long time, the monster reacts, rather than acts. With that knowledge…he doesn’t really come out of this, at least, the first half, looking like a monster. He’s a scared creature, mistreated into becoming a twisted version of what he could have been, a blank template upon which cruelty has been imprinted.
After the change has occurred, after the monster turns into an active character and goes after Elizabeth and attacks Henry, after so much time of the audience’s built sympathy for this creature, then we feel scared of him. We realize that he is an incredibly threatening figure, that he can be dangerous, but we never truly let go of that sympathy. At the end of the film, we don’t necessarily feel victorious that he is trapped, burning to death in that mill. We feel sorry. As much of a threat as the monster became, he didn’t start out that way. It didn’t have to end like that. But it did.
Hence my case for a rather unconventional idea.
I hypothesize that Frankenstein is a tragedy.
Like I’ve said before, this is a sad story, and I think it was that way by design. I subscribe to the theory that you can best tell the genre of a film based on what kind of characters are in it, and that works especially well for Frankenstein.
You see, as I’ve said before, there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ side in this film. The monster is framed as both victim and threat.
And so is Henry Frankenstein.
As an audience, we are not encouraged to wholly dislike either character. (In fact, the only character I believe we are meant to truly hate and fear is Fritz, a character who manipulates his power to inflict cruelty on the monster.) We recognize Henry’s mistakes, we realize that he’s not making the best decisions and we want him to perhaps not reanimate the dead, or maybe at least once he does, treat his new undead son with some respect, but we don’t completely hate him, even as we accept that this whole thing is basically his fault.
Henry is framed as sympathetic. We understand why he feels the way he does, even if we don’t agree with it, and we can figure out why he’s acting the way he is. He has his redeeming moments: his relationship with Elizabeth, once he stops digging up graves is genuine, and the fact that he doesn’t want the creature destroyed could point to a sign of his caring about his creation, even if he sucks at showing it. Even if we don’t relate to Henry, exactly, we understand him, and we don’t necessarily want him to die. He’s a tragic character, a figurative Icarus who aimed too highly for a mortal.
Besides, he was so delightful in that whole ‘raising the dead’ scene. I mean, that’s movie history, right there.
As for the monster?
The monster is actually the most sympathetic character in the entire cast. (Except for maybe Elizabeth.) We get to see his entire lifespan, his birth, life, and death, (Until the sequel) and it’s not a pretty picture. He’s hurt, frightened, and alone, with no-one willing to actually help him function as a being, as a person, instead of as a successful scientific experiment. Henry doesn’t seem to know what to do with him once he proved that he could create life, and as a result, the monster is left alone, with no education in how the world works. He has to figure it out on his own, and the makeshift teachers don’t really help much, either. Fritz abuses him, Dr. Waldman tries to dissect him, and Henry doesn’t pay him much mind after showing him light. Even when the monster meets Maria, he doesn’t know enough about the world to understand that his actions would kill her.
Even further supporting my theory is the ending.
The end of the story, after Henry chases his creation down and faces off with him in the mill, eventually struggling and falling while the villagers burn the mill down, is not played as a victorious climax. This is not the end of a good vs. evil struggle, there is no breath of relief that an audience feels after the defeat of Dracula, Michael Myers, or Freddy Krueger, or even Norman Bates. The ending is solemn, if not sorrowful, as the audience is left with the death of a creature who had experienced misery for the few days that he had lived.
Both protagonist and antagonist share in what is, quite simply, a tragic ending. Henry isn’t even the one to right his own wrong. The monster is slaughtered by an angry mob. Henry never reconciles his mistake. People have died, senselessly, and it could have been avoided, and not in the no-don’t-split-up-you-idiots-there’s-a-killer-in-the-woods way.
The audience is not meant to feel happy or triumphant at the end of this film, in my opinion. In my opinion, we are to mourn both Henry’s arrogance, and the monster’s demise, representative of a life wasted.
Does this mean that Frankenstein is not a horror film? Absolutely not.
Frankenstein codified almost everything we know about classic horror to this day, potentially inspiring things like the zombie horror-genre and influencing Gothic horror in general. None of this to say is that Frankenstein is not meant to be a scary movie, because, in 1931, it certainly was. People were scared, and it was definitely the filmmakers goal to do so in some scenes. The scene where the monster stalks Elizabeth in her room is definitely scary, and the dark lighting adds to the unsettling look and feel of the entire film. The scene where Frankenstein creates the monster remains a staple of best horror scenes, and has influenced countless films since then.
No, Frankenstein is definitely a horror film, make no mistake about that. It’s delightfully scary, full of creepy visuals, unsettling imagery, and a genuinely frightening core story idea: humanity being just capable enough to create life, but not capable enough to see it through competently.
But, horror is not the only genre that Frankenstein demonstrates.
Mary Shelley’s original Frankenstein novel, despite being an excellent example of horror fiction, is also considered the first example of science fiction. If you’ve been following our ‘Legacy of Science Fiction’ series, you’ve probably noticed a few of the trends that tend to go along with science fiction.
A story doesn’t need to be set in the future for it to be a science-fiction story, nor does it have to have aliens or space-ships. All it has to do is be about something just beyond our current understanding, founded in science of a sort. With that understanding, it’s easy to see how Frankenstein fits that bill.
The very creation of the monster himself is the codifier of science-fiction. Although it’s different in the original novel, the fact is, the idea of a man creating life that turns into a monster is an idea thoroughly grounded in the realm of science-fiction, a story concept rooted in the idea of science. It’s also an example of speculative fiction: bringing the audience to contend with questions such as nature vs. nurture, man’s place in creation, and the dangers of not being aware of the limits of common sense and the laws of nature.
Mary Shelley’s original novel came at a time when technology was changing much of the landscape of the world as they knew it, and it makes sense that in her story, this strange, unnatural technology would create a monster to be feared and pitied. In Frankenstein, the methods of this new generation of scientists, presenting seemingly no limits, is as horrific as the monster itself, the power that mankind can access without necessarily the wisdom to do so.
To quote Jurassic Park, the basic premise of the horror and science-fiction of this story is:
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
And in the end, much like Jurassic Park, it works out terribly.
Like we’ve discussed in the ‘Legacy of Science Fiction’ series, Frankenstein practically invented the science-fiction theme of humanity’s creations inevitably leading to our own destruction, whether directly or indirectly. In the case of Frankenstein, it’s pretty direct. Henry’s creation turns on him, and although Henry survives, (and the monster seemingly does not) the premise is still there as a science-fiction device, twisted into a bit of a horror spin. The idea of human beings creating the things that will destroy them is legitimately frightening, especially when it’s played up as being ‘monstrous’.
But there’s a little more to Frankenstein than a tragic horror/sci-fi story. It’s also a drama.
A drama film is a serious story, one that presents us with situations that show us realistic characters struggling with themselves, others, or sometimes, nature itself. Drama usually doesn’t mix with horror, or science fiction for that matter, but it does here.
As I mentioned earlier, not only do we understand Henry and get where he’s coming from, we experience the exact same thing for the monster, if not more so. Unlike many examples of horror films, we’re half on the side of the creature, and get to know him as a character, rather than just a monster.
The conflict is simple, and fairly obvious. Henry’s created this being, and due to his own lack of care, is forced to ‘fix’ his mistake and go up against the monster himself. While the idea of the creation of life, and the character of the monster isn’t ‘realistic’ in traditional terms, the character is understandable and sympathetic to the audience. We understand him, and the conflict is made far more personal than it would be in a traditional ‘kill-em-all’ horror film.
In the end, that’s what sets Frankenstein apart.
Sure, the film is an excellent horror and science fiction film, but it’s not the scares or the sci-fi that we remember the most about this movie. It’s the heart of it, the sad, personal stakes of the movie that sticks with us as an audience, and a culture. There hasn’t really been another ‘Frankenstein’ type film, asking you to consider, not in a high-browed way, but in a simple, emotional way: who is the monster, and who is the man?
We don’t necessarily remember the ‘kills’ of this film. Maybe we forget things like Henry’s wedding, or the scenes with his father, but we do remember the monster lifting his hands up to try to touch the light, his dynamic creation, and the ending, far from a happy one.
We remember Frankenstein because, not only is it a good horror film, it’s also a good story that, unlike a lot of horror films, forces us to care, not only about the men, but the monsters as well. As long as we can still feel emotion for the ‘Other’, there will always be a place for Frankenstein, even almost ninety years later.
Thank you all so much for reading! Stay tuned for next time, when we’ll be discussing the characters of Frankenstein. I hope to see you all in the next article.
#Film#Movies#Frankenstein#Frankenstein 1931#1931#30s#Drama#Science Fiction#Sci-Fi#Horror#PG#Boris Karloff#Colin Clive#Mae Clarke#Dwight Frye#Edward Van Sloan#James Whale
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TMA Retro 4: Page Turner
I was touched to see some tag commentary on yesterday’s post! Honestly, it gave me an emotion - I am traditionally very anxious about engaging online, it speaks to my immense love of TMA that it brought me to Make A Post At Last. It’s very affirming and reassuring to get some response to my lunatic treatises. Y’all are all right. 💜
Anyway, grab some lighter fluid and a sturdy wastepaper basket, time to torch your haunted novel in MAG 4: Page Turner
It’s ironic that this statement is about the Vast when it is one dense motherfucker. so many dangling plot threads are introduced here, each ready to hook you and start reeling. we’ve been into the meta plot since episode one but this episode is the first time the audience is made aware of such.
seriously: Jurgen Leitner and his library, Gerard Keay and Mary Keay, Michael Crew. the figures introduced in this one thirty-minute installment loom large over the rest of the entire run
you could, your first time through, even file this away as a one-off scary story if not for the fact that Jon knows what’s going on (enjoy it while it lasts, my son). He’s heard of Jurgen Leitner. He alludes to an incident with his library in 1994. Deeper than that, he immediately takes the statement at face value and treats the claims within it as authentic, which is a complete 180° on the first three episodes
and this is such a smart story choice? Jon shapes our perspective into this universe and up until now he’s been utterly dismissive of the validity of the stories he’s telling. To go from practically rolling his eyes to scheduling a meeting with his boss about tracking down more haunted books - that tells us that Jon takes this seriously as a threat. And that makes us take it seriously too, makes us take note that strange books are dangerous things in this world. Any offhand mention of books in future statements will be enough to make us sweat
And! It starts winding the narrative tension on a character level. Why and what does Jon know about Jurgen Leitner and his library? Why does he say his name with such venom? And if he’s so sure about the supernatural nature of these books, why is he so loath to believe the other statements?
(and then it takes 80 + episodes to fully answer these initial questions. Jonny enjoys a slow roasted torment)
love that the statement giver presents, as proof of his iron-clad sanity, the fact that he works as a theatre technician. speaking as someone with an unfinished theatre degree: theatre people are feral my good buddy, try again. I mean, we refuse to say the name of one of the most famous plays in the English language because we think a ghost will trip us for the indiscretion. this is not the trump card you think it is.
a quick sidebar for the Red String Brigade: The Trojan Women is an ancient Greek tragedy that involves a baby being thrown off a city wall. The Seagull’s first published English translation was done by Marian Fell, and also a seagull is a bird and birds can fly. Much Ado About Nothing is very good and you should all watch the version from 2011 with David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
it’s interesting that these early episodes seem to take a cue from urban legends in some respects. Nathan Watts gets extremely drunk at a party and then is almost skinned by a monster while having a smoke. Joshua Gillespie is approached while engaging in a whirlwind of debauchery and has to take care of a cursed coffin after accepting money for what he thinks is a drug trafficking gig. Amy Patel regularly spies on her neighbour for her own entertainment and then has to watch him be replaced by a malevolent entity only she can perceive. and now Dominic Swain pushes past his guilty conscience to score a valuable book off an unknowing charity shop and...gets a bit dizzy and haunted by a phantom stink for a few days then gets £5,000, well anyway, the point is he got spooked! spooked after doing something kind of iffy! that is pure urban legend procedure; modern day fairy tales imparting dire consequences onto societal transgressions. in a horror story this structure offers a false sense of safety - if you’re a good person, the monster won’t come for you. I can’t recall which upcoming statement yanks the rug out from under us with the first completely random victim.
cannot comprehend how this guy didn’t start plugging the book into google translate the second he got home. that probably saved him from being taken by the book but I am still judging him for not even trying it. yeah you’d be sucked into some sort of sky hell but at least you’d know what’s in the book!! could never be me
(yes I am aware in this universe I would have been eaten years ago. I’ve made my peace with that)
grbookworm1818 slays me. I don’t know which is better, the idea of Gertude carefully curating the most sixty-five-year-old-on-goodreads username she could as a cover for her cursed purchase history, or her actual sixty-five-year-old brain just expressing itself naturally because Gertrude is a very busy woman who doesn’t have time to immerse herself in the ins and outs of internet culture, she just wants to buy the demonic tomes she’s selected for destruction and get on with her day thanks.
did Gertrude know what a meme was? which Archivist could convincingly pose as a millennial best, Gertrude Robinson or Jonathan Sims?
The Key of Solomon and its former keeper, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, are both real historical figures. the book is basically Renaissance-era magical au fanfic of the Bible, and the man was a 19th century British occultist (and likely drinking buddy of Jonah Magnus) who founded a Very Serious Secret Society. this is a picture of him whiiiiiich rather dispels any sense of menace he’s meant to invoke. what kind of cosplaying nonsense
Mary Keay is such a striking figure. “She was very old and painfully thin, but her head was completely clean shaven, and every square inch of skin I could see was tattooed over with closely-written words in a script I didn’t recognise.” a Look, a vision!
I’m guessing that Our Gerard was blasting heavy metal at 2 am to try to drown out his undead mother while waiting for her manifestation to dissipate. I like to imagine him frequenting Reddit advice posts about dealing with toxic family members, poor lad
oh my gosh Mary refers to Gerard as “her Gerard” is that where Jon got “our Gerard” from?? I feel betrayed??
whatever, I’m reclaiming it. Our Gerard is meant with affection now babey!
the eye portrait is a bit puzzling. the inscription - ‘“Grant us the sight that we may not know. Grant us the scent that we may not catch. Grant us the sound that we may not call.”’ - could almost be read as an invocation against the Eye? But in general Gerry is fairly Eye-aligned, so...shrug emoji
(honestly my main takeaway from the eye portrait is that it’s finely detailed and near photorealistic so we can add “tortured artist” to our list of Gerard Keay traits and is it any wonder that he’s so Fandom Beloved?)
Mary is Not Good at negotiating sales. her main technique involves terrible tea, bringing up repressed childhood trauma, and getting her magic book to drop animal bones onto customer’s shoes. I’m guessing Pinhole Books was in bad shape even before the police investigation and murder charges.
hahaha, the Vast pushes Dominic down the stairs. classic. you gotta grab what opportunities are available
so did Gerard have to follow Dominic back to his flat and wait awkwardly on the doorstep at like 3 in the morning, hoping none of his neighbours would notice and call the cops
the revelation that Mary’s been dead the whole time! this episode may be more intent on world building and plot set-up but damn if it isn’t still a good little ghost story.
kind of rude of Gerry to just burn a book in this guy’s flat without asking and then steal his wastepaper basket.
Jon may not call the statement giver a liar for once, but never fear, he’s still our petty bastard man. accuses Gertrude of filing statements without reading them, has Sasha double-check Martin’s research, grumps about his general misfortune . he’s stressed from the Archives’ disorder and having flashbacks to a certain picture book but by Jove, that won’t stop him making snide comments on what’s supposed to be an official audio transcription!
#tma retro#the magnus archives#tma spoilers#tma meta#I love love love all the little dominos being set into place in this episode#but I am looking forward to an episode about the Vast that really dives in deep#(pun absofuckinglutely intended)
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anime, book, and movie recommendations for everyone’s coronation
Hi, I thought that this would be a good time since everyone is off from school or quarantined I would make a list of some good books and anime and movies to help bide the time until everything is good again. also, I know animal crossing just came out so people will be playing that but I know some people can’t afford the game or even want to play it so.
movies: next-gen (Netflix film), birdbox(Netflix film), coco, love Simon, bohemian rhapsody, venom, spiderman-into the spider-verse, jack, and the cuckoo clock heart, spirited away, howl’s moving castle, Ponyo, summer wars, the girl who leaped through time, princess Mononoke, my neighbor Totoro, the secret world of Arrietty, kiki’s delivery service, Coraline, the nightmare before Christmas, corpse bride, sleepy hollow (live-action with Jhonny Depp), Frankenweenie, 9, James and the giant peach, Kubo and the two strings, paranorman, monster house, the how to train your dragon trilogy, Atlantis the lost empire, meet the Robinsons, chicken little, hardcore henry, the gallows, the mist, I am legend, chappie, the hunger games trilogy, hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, the village, heathers, Godzilla (2014), kong: skull island, 10 Cloverfield lane, hairspray, Jumanji, Jumanji: Welcome to the jungle, ghostbusters (2018 and the original movies), san andreas, astro boy, the road to el darodo (animeted movie), zathura, leap!, gaurdian brothers, the book of life, pom poko, the greatest showman, detective pikachu, Klaus (netflix film), preditor (2018 and the original), clover field, 10-cloverfield lane, shutter island, aladdin (live action), my hero academia: 2 heros, my hero academia: hero’s rising, promare, venom, the garden of words, akira, and battleship
those are only a handful of movies I have to recommend. some can be found on Netflix or Hulu but if anyone wants to know where to watch some of the others then send a message and let me know and I will help out. now from the anime. most of the anime I am recommending is mainstream but not all of them and most can be found on Netflix and Hulu. This is because I cannot afford other means to watch anime and the last time I watched anime on kiss anime my computer got a virus. also, a lot of the anime that I get recommended is mainstream. My cousin watches as well so I tend to watch with them a lot. I try and watch other anime as well but just because someone considers an anime mainstream doesn't mean it is bad.
anime: kill la kill, children of the whales, Durarara!!, sword art online (the Japanese version), Gurren Lagann, Jojo's bizarre adventure, haikyu!!, blue exorcist, full metal alchemist brotherhood, cells at work, death note, Ouran highschool host club, the disastrous life of Saiki k., one punch man, black butler, aggretsuko, neon genesis Evangelion, devilman crybaby, anohana, beastars, carol and Tuesday, rilakkuma and Kaoru (I know this isn’t anime), the devil is a part-timer, amagi brilliant park, black butler: book of circus, blue exorcist Kyoto saga, danganronpa: the animation, demon slayer, Durarara!!x2, fire force, future diary, high school of the dead, school live, love live, monster Musume, my hero academia, the promised neverland, sailor moon, sailor moon crystal, seraph of the end, terror in resonance, tiger and bunny, double decker Doug and Kirill, Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo magnitude 8.0, another, and yona of the dawn, robihachi
once again these are only a handful and most can be found on either hulu or netflix. now for the books, I will split the books into two categories. manga and novels. so here they are.
books: milk and honey by rupi khar, go ask Alice by anonymous, my neighbor Totoro by tagiro Kubo, will Grayson, Will Grayson by david leviathan and jhon green, jays journal by anonymous, letting ana go by anonymous, lucy in the sky by anonymous, red scarf girl by Ji-li Jiang, 13 reasons why by jay asher, the hunger games trilogy, everything, everything by Nicola Yoon, the sun and her flowers by rupi khar, the mist by Stephan king, stop pretending by Sonya sones, the princess saves herself in this one by Amanda Lovelace, the witch doesn’t burn in this one by Amanda Lovelace, life as we knew it by Susan peffer, Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda by Becky albertalli, Kafka on the Shore by Haruki marukami, carry on by Rainbow Rowell, howl’s moving castle by Diana Wynne Jones, October sky by homer hickem jr, the book of david by anonymous, paper towns by jhon green, me, earl, and the dying girl by Jesse Andrews, the help by Kathryn Stockett, stranger than fanfiction by chris colfer, bird box by josh malerman, a long way down by jason Reynolds, 1Q84 by haruki marukami, wayward son by rainbow rowell, good omens by terry pratchet and niel gaiman, breaking baily by anonomous, deep and dark and dangerous by mary downing Hahn, wait till helen comes by mary downing hahn, scary stories to tell in the dark the complete collection by alvin schwartz, and the hunger games trilogy by susan collins
manga: another by kakito and akani, 5 centemeters per-second by makoto shinkai and yukiko seike, orange by ichigo takano, doubt by yoshiki tonogai, limit by keika suenobou, tokyo undead by tsukasa saimura, the flowers of evil by shuzo oshimi, shiver by junji ito, fragments of horror by junji ito, tohyo game by g.o., chiro, and tatsushiko, junji ito’s cat diary: yon and mo bt junji ito, disilving classroom by junji ito, magical girl apocalypse by kentaro sato, gyo. by Junji ito, Uzumaki by Junji ito, Tomi by Junji ito, ibitsu by kazuto okada, Shibuya goldfish by Aoi hiroumi, orange future by Ichigo Takano, Frankenstein by Junji ito, smashed by Junji ito, the princess and the dressmaker by Jen wang (this is a graphic novel but this post is already really long so here it is), the bride was a boy by chii, the garden of words by Makoto Shinkai, strawberry panic by Sakurako kimino, go for it Nakamura by syundei, judge by tonogai Yoshiko, I hear the sunspot by Yuki fumino, I hear the sunspot theory of happiness by Yuki fumino, I married my parents just to shut my parents up by Kodama Naoko, I want to eat your pancreas by yoru sumino and idumi Kirihara, no longer human by Junji ito (original story by Osama dazai), and dark metro by Tokyo calen and yoshiken
these are all of my recommendations for a fun coronacation. also, please take all of the necessary safety and sanitary precautions and stay safe. while I do support a lot of things that normal Christians don’t I am one and am praying for everyone’s safety. even if you don’t believe in God that is ok. I respect your beliefs and you have every right to not believe. No matter what I am keeping everyone in my thoughts and prayers. please stay safe and clean everyone.
p.s. keep the carona memes coming!
#carona#its carona time#carona virus#anime#manga#books#book recomendation#movie recommendation#movies#manga recommendation#anime recommendation
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//LONG-ass headcanon sesh for D, Alucard (Hellsing) and Adrian (CV’s Alucard) all kinda rolled into one.
So, since I don’t have radiantDecay anymore, I’ve sort of pulled back from the verse where Adrian BECOMES D. There was a lot of movement and timeline adjustment that had to happen for that one, and while it is in some way still possible, I’m not terribly interested in upkeeping a unique interpretation for a character that’s never really going to come into play. If you’re writing with D, it’s thousands of years after he was Adrian. If you’re writing with Adrian, it’s pre-1999 pretty much.
So, I have some documents someplace that I had written regarding D’s origins. The novels heavily imply that he’s somehow enhanced—y’know the movies hint at him just being super powerful Mary Sue turbo ultra dhampir simply because he is the son of “Our Sacred Ancestor” whomst we all pretty much know is Dracula himself right? Certain novels even hint that Mina Harker is his mother, if they don’t just outright state it. It might be the clunky translation (they really should have been more carefully transliterated because WOW some of those sentences just… don’t), but thus far it’s not been made CRYSTAL PERFECT CLEAR. However, I’m more than willing to run with that idea.
Dracula is, by the time Mina et. Al. come up against him, quite old, nigh ancient. I think that the Dracula of the Bram Stoker novel is or, rather, was the historical Vlad III Dracula Tepes (the impaler), born in the 1420s, “died” in the 1470s, iirc. Supposedly, the sultan at the time… Mehmed Fatih, kept his head in a box for a while before pinning him up on the walls of Constantinople, which the Turks controlled at the time. Ugly period in history for Eastern Europe… With Wallachia and Transylvania, in particular, two kingdoms in Romania, times were triple trouble. They were sandwiched between the Ottoman Empire to the east, then west was Eastern Orthodox Christendom—further west was Roman Catholicism and if you think THOSE guys didn’t fight, ding dong ur wrong!
BUT this period of violence produced one of the most well-known and controversial heroes (sometimes called a war criminal) of all time. Also he had a great ‘stache. Now when I write Hellsing’s Alucard, I roll with this same lore, so D and that Alucard could absolutely exist in the same ‘verse. It’s kind of a “darkest timeline” deal, a world in which the Belmont clan never existed. Before that even, Lisa never made Dracula’s acquaintance so the guy’s motivations are a little different. In addition, he is NOT Mathias Cronqvist, a tactician during the first crusades in 1090 AD. In that case, he would have revamped (PUN) his whole personality and integrated himself into one of the other great houses of Wallachia/Transylvania and re-emerged four hundred years later as Vlad the Impaler. That could work fine—not like he hasn’t got time—and that would have been around the time he met, and lost, Lisa. Now whether THAT part of history looks the same is dubious, since Vlad’s exploits during the period of his reign/deposition/reign/deposition/beheading are pretty decently documented. In this case, I’m going to say the Belmonts’ existence is in a timeline where those conflicts also may have played out differently. As these are all fictional worlds, I guess this’s up to ME atm. Nice.
So this is part “how I write D” and part “how I’d be inclined to write Alucard (Hellsing) in interactions that take place BEFORE the manga—like WAY before”. Since Adrian would have been a major contributing factor to the Belmonts’ strength from Trevor onward (so in the games idk if folks know this, but Adrian is Trevor’s father, with Sonia Belmont being his mom), that would also have contributed, at least in part, to the ability of the Belmonts to stomp Dracula and his minions.
With D, there is no need to include Mathias and his ebony/crimson stone conundrum, which does tend to throw a small monkey wrench in the ol’ gears (but not big enough I can’t adapt, trust me). The difference, aside from lack of Belmonts, is the origin of vampires. Clearly, they’re a magical construct or a spell-woven form of sentient life in Castlevania. In Vampire Hunter D, it’s heavily implied (once again, not outright stated) that the Nobility, some of them anyway, are simply a mutation of humanity (Dark Gene vs Light Gene, Lina’s whole deal, among other passages here and there), who also happen to be allergic to garlic, crucifixes, running water, and basic-ass Bram Stoker weaknesses. They’ve even got labs full o’ Nobles tryin’a conquer the sun issue.
So to know D, we gotta know his dad first. At the beginning, Vlad III is born to (big surprise) Vlad II. He and his brother are sent to Edirne as part of the Ottoman Empire’s “tribute” of however many young boys from noble houses, to be trained in the ways of Islam and Turkish mannerisms, etc. This is more for pacification of that region of Europe, which is still Eastern Orthodox, than it is for real “peace”. It’s “peace because you guys are a good buffer zone between us and the rest of Eastern Orthodox-dom”, anyway. Every _voivode_ of Wallachia has to swear allegiance to either the Ottoman Empire or to the Eastern Orthodox church. While most of that area is EO, it’s in their best interest to swear to the Ottoman Empire. They’re bigger and closer. Vlad’s dad has done some underhanded shit, but he’s also a member of the Order of the Dragon and has propelled it to new heights within the EO and that’s where Vlad gets his name: Dracula, which is Son of the Dragon. So Vlad II’s immediate family are known as the Draculesti, which is fucking cool—it’s like “children of the dragon” and that’s not even his like, NAME name—it’s a frickin’ nickname, or sobriquet, as is Tepes.
In the world of Vampire Hunter D, vampirism appears to be a genetic phenomenon—ironically, a mutation. No Noble is going to admit that, OBVIOUSLY. And while it’s true, they were probably born that way, they’re still a mutant human derivative. Rather than mutating due to radiation or whatevermstthefuck like the actual mutants in VHD, they’re just born that way. So what I’m rolling with is Vlad III was born with that particular mutation and, kind of like my OC Toby, who is also a genetic vampire, it takes a violent or unnatural death to trigger the actual symptoms, else you’re just a normal-ass person. In fact, in this interpretation, I’m going to say that maybe quite a few people are BORN with that mutation, but if they live to a ripe old age and die, it never triggers. Most likely, the body is too enfeebled to handle it, maybe it dies after menopause/andropause? Either way, the body has broken down too much and there’s no material to work with.
That might also go a long way to explain the animosity many old vampires have toward humanity. Sometimes it’s straight up contempt, of course, but every single time, it seems to be a removal. Carmilla is a good example. Most of the time, her backstory involves a vicious assault that might very well have killed her. Imagine dying that way and waking back up to find that you had to KEEP living in the world that did this to you, that death is FAR far off. I can understand being VERY PERTURBED, to put it mildly. By the same token, what about war? How many folks die in war? Thousands? Millions? Of all those, how many have the mutation? Probably quite a few. Some folks might not figure out what’s going on and stay where they are, buried for decades, before just wasting away without sustenance—Vampires DO require blood, after all, to keep doin’ their thing. Plenty more are probably just torched in the sun. Since they were KIA, it might be rough finding their bodies in the first place…
So Vlad is beheaded—now this part intersects VERY well with Hellsing’s Alucard in my portrayal—and Mehmed Fatih keeps his head close at hand for a bit, probably talking to it. What happens when it starts talking back? We know Dracula has some SERIOUSLY kickass abilities and putting himself back together would definitely be one of ‘em, in my humble opinion. Mehmed dies not long after he achieves “victory” over Vlad the Impaler and no one knows where Vlad’s remains are. Maybe they up and walked the fuck away, hm? Maybe it was HE who ensured Mehmed’s destruction. How poetic would THAT be? Spoiler alert ||very||.
Now imagine going through everything he did—the guy had a tumultuous life. He might be one of the few, lucky ones who figure out that sunlight is a no-go, hide himself away, eventually go back to haunt his castle in the mountains between Transylvania and Wallachia. Now fast forward to the 1800s, MODERN TIMES (heehee okay) and one very ambitious realtor who wants to sell a creepy old abbey to some weird foreigner. Seems legit. Anyway by now we can see that Dracula’s gotten kinda nutty? He has three scary “wives” but he doesn’t seem to care much for ‘em. They’re obviously vampires, too, though I cannot recall if they’re turned by him or if they’re LIKE him—anyone who’s read it recently, do feel free to refresh me.
He’s kinda senile and while he’s crafty, he’s outsmarted by a dandy, an ancient-ass doctor, a dude who cannot stop fainting, a man named Quincey (my husbando), and Jack Seward—nuff said. He has some kind of congress with Mina, though ofc it’s the Victorian age so the only penetration is that of his li’l toofers on her poor neck. Nom. I don’t think Dracula banged Mina Harker. I think that, in THIS world, a dhampir is a nigh-impossibility, because at this point (and their cool-ass vampire science might’ve changed this), vampires are The Undead™ and therefore cannot CREATE LIFE. Not even if they have a raging turboner (that’s a turbo boner, for those of u not in the know). So he bit Mina, but before he did that, Mina married Jonathan—like as soon as he got home. They were married and living together and doing the frickle frackle, presumably, before Drac shows up in London to mess up their day.
In this case and for the sake of sanity, to create a dhampir, the vampire must chew on a pregnant lady. The curse lifts from her when the master is killed, but his blood has already entered and changed the child; the process is much longer and more involved for an adult human, who has an immune system and much more ground to cover. If the smol bean was in embryo stage or even fetal, it had no defense and mom’s body provided it with everything, Dracula’s blood, included. The final set of letters in Dracula mentiones a young boy, Jonathan and Mina’s son, Quincey, named after their fallen friend. So little Quincey is a dhampir!
Now, a bitten vampire cannot, in this universe, turn anyone else. They can feed and create thralls, but they can’t make VAMPIRES. In Hellsing lore, if a vamp bites you and you’re a virgin, you become one—if not, you become a ghoul/zambolio thingamajigger. Integra narrates this for us pretty early on. But it’s not Alucard’s venom doing this. It’s the vicar of Cheddar Village, who is a manufactured vampire. He’s not a true vampire, not like Alucard. Now, Alucard DOES ask Seras if she’s a virgin ‘fore he kills and bites her, which makes sense… IF HE LOVED MINA.
Hear me out. So, he saw this strong-ass bitch and thought “goddamn I’m sick of my whiny, vicious wives UGH I need me a woman like that”. So he’s gunna turn her. It probably takes longer since he hasn’t been powered up by Hellsing and their dark science-magic shit, or whatever it was… OR as he chomps on ‘er, he realizes “well fuck me she’s preggo, so even if she changes, I can’t have her”. Pregnant blood has GOTTA taste different, all those hormones and shit, even early on. I think he did have some weird admiration-affection for her. His arrogance and greed, however, has taken him over, so perhaps he decides to change her slow, to make the fellas suffer. They’ve fucked with him so he’s gunna fuck with them, but I think it pains him a little to do so, because lbr Mina’s the woman of his dreams.
So when Quincey is born, he’s perfect, healthy, rosy-cheeked, and by god only Mina knows something’s amiss. Damned if she’s going to say shit to Jonathan, who’s liable to faint, the absolute fucking walnut. They live fairly well, having taken over the real-estate business from their wonderful, generous, dead benefactor.
Much like Carmilla’s weirdo ghost, however, Dracula’s spirit absolutely lives on.
TL; DR D was born Quincey Harker.
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