#vampire bride font

[glittergroovy]

matching glitters

[silentglassbreak]

I usually don't so this, but since you posted it not so long ago, are the requests still open? And if so, can I ask for meeting Noah after a show, talking about fantasies and maybe some vampire role-playing? But also lots of fluff after because he's a good top. My name's Maggie and my most prominent features are that I am short, I wear glasses and I have dark curly hair.

Alrighty, let's just get right into this one, because there is truly no time to waste.

After Writing Notes: Baby, I am so sorry. I have no clue how we got here...but here we are? Once again, we went a lil off prompt, so I apologize if it wasn't exactly what you were looking for? I hope you enjoy regardless! Just a heads up, this is -BY FAR- the darkest one I've written so far.

Rating: Explicit AF

Warnings: smut, kink, blood play, roleplay, blood...blood...blood, horror themes, light BDSM (choking and biting)

Die For You

February 14th, 2024.

Valentine’s Day is the bane of my existence. I was so tired of the patrons, the demanding orders, and - mostly - the couples. It was vomit-inducing. Did my recent breakup contribute to the way I was feeling?

Sure. Probably.

Did it change the fact that I was in the foulest mood imaginable?

Not in the slightest.

I leaned my head against the brick wall of the building, my break slowly waning, signaling I was due to go back in and finish the last two hours of this God forsaken shift. Being a waitress had no perks. None.

Instead, it came with cons that I had to endure in order to pay my bills.

“Hanging in there, Maggie?”

I sighed and turned to the door, hearing Alexa’s breathless voice. She was certainly struggling in there without me.

“Yeah, just getting some air. I’ll be in there in less than five.”

She nodded and stepped out into the cool evening air. She pulled a cigarette from her pack, lighting it between her lips.

“Have you seen the announcement on Insta?”

I rolled my head to the side to glance at her. “What announcement?”

She smirked, pulling her phone from her back pocket and opening the app, handing it to me.

The poster was on the Black Veil Brides page. It was blood red, with bright white font.

BLOOD BATH

October 31st, 2024

Kia Forum

BRING ME THE HORIZON

FALLING IN REVERSE

BLACK VEIL BRIDES

BAD OMENS

ICE NINE KILLS

THE FIVE BIGGEST BANDS OF METAL

ONE NIGHT ONLY

TICKETS SELLING FAST

My brain almost didn’t register what I was seeing.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” My eyes were blown out as I looked up at Alex.

“Nope. Tickets are $850 a piece, I checked.”

I groaned, tossing my head back. “I could never afford that, let alone before it sells out.”

Alexa scoffed, sucking in the smoke of her cigarette. “You’re hilarious. I just wanted to make sure you’d want to go.” She snatched her phone back from me.

“What?” I quirked an eyebrow at her.

“I have two tickets.”

My heart fell into my stomach. “E-fucking-xcuse me?”

She cackled. “Who else would I take? I’ve got a savings for a reason, right?”

My jaw was hanging open. “Alex, that’s insane. That’s $1,700!”

“$1,896, actually. Including taxes and fees.”

“That’s insane!” I repeated.

“When are we ever going to get to see all of those bands at once? It’s obviously some kind of crazy event. Can you imagine the crossovers we’re going to see? The theatrics!” I couldn’t speak, I was too stunned. “Plus,” She dropped her spent smoke and stomped on it. “I figured you needed some cheering up today. I know Bad Omens is your favorite.”

I could not physically restrain myself any longer, throwing myself at her and wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

“You’re the best fucking human being alive, you know that?!” I peppered kisses on her cheeks, making her squirm.

“Yes, yes, I’m aware.” She wiped my smeared lip gloss off her face.

She stalked back to the door, pulling the handle. “Now let’s finish this bullshit, so we can go celebrate. You’re buying.”

October 31st, 2024

The line to get in was impossibly long, so Alex and I were sat on the ground, chatting about the songs we were excited to hear, and who we were most excited to see.

“Spencer is the actual love of my life, and I cannot wait to see his fucking face.” She gushed.

I smiled. “Oh, don’t I know. But Andy? Ugh, how fucking mouthwatering.”

The doors would open shortly, so we stood, and promptly filed our way in. The venue was huge. We both agreed we would not be drinking, figuring we had a long time to stand and would end up exhausted.

We opted to grab two water bottles from the bar and head to the GA floor. We were early, luckily, and managed to grab a spot up at the rails.

Waiting nearly an hour, the lights finally came down, and the crowd erupted. Alexa was absolutely feral, listening to the opening of Rainy Day playing. When Spencer bounded onstage, full suit attire, and blade in his hand, she nearly jumped the rails.

As he passed us near the stage, I noticed something. I tapped Alex’s arm and she leaned her head down to hear me.

“He’s wearing fangs!” I shouted. She glanced up and looked, seeing the same.

Her eyes rolled as she licked her bottom lip. “Fucking bite me, Daddy.” She groaned, and I bursted with laughter.

She was so unhinged.

Ice Nine Kills finished their set with Welcome to Horrorwood, sending blood red confetti into the air, before gracefully stepping off the stage. During the set I had noticed a few things that almost seemed…off?

First of all, it wasn’t just Spencer with fangs. It was the entire band. Being as close as we were, I could see the shiny white fangs exposed every so often when they’d open their mouths to sing. These weren’t cheap, Amazon pop-ins either. They were convincing. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn that they were their actual teeth, filed down to sharp points. It was interesting.

As well, everyone in the band seemed to have a looming presence tonight. It was so difficult to explain, but it just as if they weren’t just looking at the crowd, but like they were searching it. Looking for something specific, with pointed stares and glaring smiles. It ran a chill up my spine when Spencer made direct eye contact with Alexa for a full minute while singing Hip To Be Scared. It was as if he was looking at a meal.

She ate it up, as expected.

The next set, however, was Bad Omens, and I could not have been more excited.

I had seen them twice before, and their Setlist didn’t stray much, so I was actually shocked when the usual Loading Screen didn’t show, and the opening to Artificial Suicide didn’t begin.

Instead, the opening song was Blood. That was so odd. I didn’t think they even performed this song. The crowd loved it, however.

They still started in all ski masks, and removed them for the next track - Like A Villain.

During the chorus, I was singing and swaying, giving my full attention, but stopped as soon as Noah moved close enough that I could see it.

He was also wearing fangs. My eyes darted to Jolly, who was easiest to see from where I stood. He licked his lips and, as I suspected, there they were - sharp and white.

Alexa seemed to also notice this, tapping me to lean in. “It’s called Blood Bath, so it must be a vampire themed show for Halloween.”

I nodded, because that seemed legitimate.

But still…

I expected that out of Ice Nine or Black Veil Brides. Hell, Oli Sykes actually had fangs.

But Bad Omens?

They weren’t as theatrical. I was surprised they had agreed.

However, I was pulled out of my thoughts when I felt eyes on me, and my attention was pulled back to the stage. A pair of deep, nearly black eyes were staring at me.

The song had changed, and we were on Nowhere To Go. And he was staring at me.

No, not at me. INTO me. Something in my soul felt exposed, as if I had shown up to this show nude.

I couldn’t break eye contact. I was caught between being starstruck, and immensely terrified. His lips were turned up in the slightest of smiles.

“Are you ready?”

I swallowed hard.

“I’m in the driver’s seat now.”

He finally broke his gaze, headbanging between screams.

Once I was released, I inhaled a sharp breath, turning my back to the stage. Alexa noticed as I crouched down, breathing hard.

“Babe?!” She bent down next to me. “Are you okay?”

I shook my head. “It’s too hot in this crowd, I’ve got to go.”

She got down to my eye level. “Maggie, you want to leave during Bad Omens?!”

I nodded feverishly, my dark curls sticking to my neck. Despite being sweaty, I had a cold chill climbing up my spine.

“I’m going to have a panic attack. I need a break.”

Maggie nodded, looking solemn. “Okay, let’s go.”

I stopped her, grabbing her arm. “No, you stay here. Save our spot. I’m going to go get some air, and I’ll be back.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You’re sure?”

I stood up, adjusting my shirt that had bunched up at my waist, and pulled my glasses on top of my head.

“Yeah, I’ll be back after their set.”

She sighed, but hugged me and told me to be careful.

I pressed my way through the crowd, not chancing another glance at the stage, despite feeling the eyes on my back.

-

The evening air was cool, in the fifty-degree range. I worried my sweatshirt with my fingers, feeling the air pull in and out of my lungs.

I had slipped out of the side entrance to the smoking area. I ducked under the ropes and to the back of the building to be alone. The tour buses were back in this area, but I paid it no attention, working hard at calming my nerves.

I had been out here for at least forty-five minutes. I could hear the music inside, and knew Bad Omens’ set had been over now for about five minutes. Figuring it was now a good time to make my way back to Alex, I pushed back into the building, seeing the crowd had not moved much.

I had tried to enter at several different points, but the bodies were condensed so tight, and unwilling to give up their spots. After fifteen minutes of trying, I growled and pulled my phone out, tapping Alexa’s name.

When she answered the phone, she shouted. “Hey! Where are you?”

“I can’t get back up there! No one is letting me through!”

She groaned. “Fuck! Okay, I’ll come out.”

“No! Don’t do that! Black Veil Brides is next! You cannot miss that!”

She went quiet for a second. “Maggie, I don’t want you to be alone.”

I stepped back outside so I could hear better. “I’ll be fine. I’ll watch the crowd to see if I can make it back in later.”

“You’re sure? Cause I will leave right fucking now. You know you’re more important.”

“Babe, you spent almost all of your savings on this. I’m not ruining it for you. I can see from back here.”

“Promise?”

I smiled. “I promise.”

Electing to stay outside a while, I sat on the curb behind the building, going through the photos and video I captured of Ice Nine Kills’ set. I managed to catch Spencer staring at Alex on camera, which I promptly sent her.

She responded quickly.

Alexa: OMFG HE’S IN LOVE WITH ME

I giggled, shaking my head at her response. Going back to my photo album, I sat watching the videos when I heard Black Veil Brides start.

Bleeders was the first song. Fitting.

Alexa: Dude…Andy’s wearing fangs too. It’s definitely a theme.

Me: Love it.

The music was so loud that I hadn’t heard the footsteps behind me.

“Excuse me?” Startled, I jumped up, turning around.

An impossibly tall, hooded man stood, hands in front of him, eyebrows raised.

It took me about three seconds to register who it was, and my mouth fell open.

“Are you okay?”

Noah fucking Sebastian.

I was caught between stunned, ecstatic, and horrified. He had such a soft look on his face. He looked immensely different than he did on stage. He wore black joggers with his own logo on them, a plain black hoodie, and a black baseball cap.

“Wh-“ My voice shorted, so I cleared my throat. “What?”

He smirked slightly. “Are you okay? I remember you from the crowd, and I saw you leave. I almost stopped the set when I saw you crouch down.”

I was floored. He noticed that? I knew he saw me, but Jesus Christ, I didn’t think he saw me?!

“Yeah, I, uh…” I stammered. “I just got really hot. The pyrotechnics and all.”

He nodded, chancing a step toward me. “You sure? You look pretty pale.”

Fantastic. Not only did I leave early during his performance - which he fucking saw - but I also looked fucking peaked at the same time.

I forced a calm smile. “Yeah, I’m good, promise.”

He seemed satisfied with that, putting his hands in his pockets. “Did I freak you out? When I stared at you?”

That was on purpose?!

I didn’t get a chance to answer. “I just perform better sometimes when I have something to focus on.”

I was bewildered, my eyebrows knitting together. “And that something was me?”

He smiled, a warm expression. “I guess so.”

“Why?” I couldn’t stop it from falling out of my mouth. Did it matter?

He shrugged his shoulders. “I liked your face.”

That’s a really strange answer.

“Okay?” I shifted one foot to another, not sure what to say or how to act.

“Why aren’t you watching the show?”

I sighed, moving back to the curb, deciding to sit back down. He made quick work of doing the same, sitting about a foot to my right.

“My best friend is up there. I couldn’t get back in to where she is. I tried.”

He nodded. “Ah.” His hands still in his pockets and knees bouncing rhythmically, he glanced around.

“Well, I’m going to watch from the balcony. Want to join?”

My heart rate sped up, screeching in my chest. His lip twitched at the same time, which was ironic.

“I,” My brain was misfiring, but I knew better. “I can’t.”

His eyes almost fell, his expression turning nearly…sad? “Oh?”

“I can’t leave Alex. I promised I’d make it back to her at some point.”

“You can bring her if you want.”

My mind was short circuiting. This couldn’t be fucking happening.

“I, uh, don’t know.” Something was too weird. This didn’t just happen. “I really shouldn’t.”

He nodded, pursing his lips. “No worries.” He stood up, stretching his arms over his head. “If you change your mind, I’m going up before Oli’s set. I’ll be around.”

With that, he turned around, and took a few steps. He spun back around and raised an eyebrow at me.

“I didn’t catch your name.”

“Maggie.”

He smiled. “See you later, Maggie.”

-

Me: I NEED TO FUCKING SPEAK TO YOU IMMEDIATELY.

Alexa: What level urgency? They’re playing In The End.

Me: B L A C K.

Alexa: OH FUCK IM ON MY WAY.

Alexa and I were regular show goers, so we had code we used.

Urgent situations were assigned a color.

Green: Good to go. Nothing to worry about.

Yellow: Shit’s getting weird. We need to keep eyes open.

Red: Urgent. Get to me ASAP. Serious situation.

Black: Get here now. Highest level priority.

Alexa came barreling out of the door and ran toward me, out of breath. “Are you okay? I got a knife in my boot that they didn’t take. I can stab someone!”

I grabbed her shoulders. “I’m fine!”

She stopped abruptly, narrowing her eyes. “What? Then why the urgency? I missed the end of the set!”

“I met Noah Sebastian.”

Her face deadpanned. “I beg your finest pardon?!”

I just nodded. “Out here. He remembered me from the crowd.”

“Are you fucking with me? Cause Maggie, I love you, but I’ll punch you right here, right now if you’re lying.”

“There’s no need for violence. She isn’t lying.”

Both of us snapped our necks to our left, the hooded figure stepping out from behind one of the buses. Noah came into view, hands still in his pockets.

“Nice to meet you, Alex.”

She visibly reeled, a shrill screech leaving her mouth.

“Holy fuck! It’s actually him!”

I giggled, glancing back at Noah, whose eyes were on me again. I straightened my spine, feeling that same fear sinking in from before.

“I was telling Maggie earlier that I planned to watch the rest of the show from the balcony with the guys. Wanted to invite you to join.”

Her mouth hung open, hand reaching for my arm and pulling me close. “We’d love to.” She answered for us.

I shot her a look. I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to do this. I still had the unnerved feeling that something wasn’t right.

She ignored my stare, smiling brightly at Noah.

He returned her grin with his own, which was oddly menacing. I noticed at that moment that he still had the fangs in.

“Awesome. Follow me.”

We did as we were told, following him into the back of the building, passing people who obviously were working on the show. We were far enough behind Noah that I pulled Alex in close, whispering to her.

“I feel weird about this, babe.”

She stared at me incredulously. “Why? Isn’t this your biggest fantasy?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course it is, but it feels strange. Why us?”

She shrugged. “We manifested it? I don’t know. Shit like this happens all the time.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think it does.”

The balcony he lead us to was private. It was between sets, so the other members of the band were sat, relaxing, beers in hand. It was set up as a lounge, three couches lined up.

Noah graciously introduced us to the other band members, and we shook their hands feverishly, awestruck. It wasn’t lost on me that all of them still had the fangs in.

Alex had struck a conversation with Nick Folio, explaining how she played drums in high school. I sat slowly on the end couch, seeing the view of the stage that was incredible. The couch sunk next to me, and I glanced over to Noah, who was tapping a message into his phone.

“Aren’t those uncomfortable?”

He looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

I pointed to my canines, and he snorted.

“Oh, right. Yeah, you get used to them.” He locked his phone and slipped it in his pocket.

I nodded. “You guys are dedicated to the theme, huh?”

He smiled, showing off the sharp points, and ran his tongue over one. “They’re not easy to take off.”

“Mm.” Must be glued on.

“Can I ask you something?”

He nodded, leaned back on the seat with his arm over the back.

“Do you do this all the time? Pick up random fans?”

He narrowed his eyes, grinning at me.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because it seems abnormal. What makes us so special?”

He sat up, leaning forward on his elbows so he was inches from my face, his breath cool. “What makes you think you’re just some random fan?”

I scoffed. “Because I am?” I leaned away from him, needing air. “I’m just a girl. Short. Glasses. Mop of hair. I didn’t even wear makeup tonight.”

He leaned back as well, keeping a distance between us. “So? Why does that mean you aren’t special?”

I rolled my eyes. “I think I’m not the first fan to be in a balcony with you.”

He nodded. “You’d be correct.” My heart sunk just slightly. “But you’re the first one I went looking for.”

My eyes popped open.

The fuck did that mean?

“Looking?”

He snickered, sighing loudly. “You got me. I thought you were attractive. Really attractive, okay? I figured I’d see if I could catch you.”

This caught me so far off guard, I nearly fell off of the couch.

“You think I’m attractive?”

This made him belly laugh, my disbelief.

“Maggie, can I let you in on a secret?” I just nodded. He leaned his head over, whispering. “I think you’re mouthwatering.”

A sharp tingle shot up my spine, and I wriggled next to him.

The lights went down, and the crowd cheered as Falling In Reverse began their set.

Popular Monster. This show was a trip.

We watched the show, Alex and I singing along to the lyrics of nearly every song. Every so often, Noah would lean over and tell me something about the song playing, complimenting Ronnie’s artistic ability or the instrumentals. The guys all seemed to be enjoying it as well, air-guitar and drumming. 

It was just far enough away that I couldn’t tell, so I leaned into Noah. “Is Ronnie wearing fangs too?”

He nodded, lips nearly touching my ear when he spoke. “It was Oli’s idea. We all have them.”

Made sense. I smiled at him, catching his eyes wandering my face. His arm was tucked neatly behind my back now, resting on my hip. Something about the encounter changed. I didn’t feel fear anymore, rather, Noah’s presence felt safe. It felt comfortable and I felt myself craving it. The air almost lightened, my shoulders relaxing as I exhaled a breath I had been holding.

“Can I tell you something?” I nodded, leaning back in to hear him. “I’d kiss you right now, if you’d let me.”

My eyebrows shot up. He pulled his face away, running his tongue over his bottom lip. A pit opened in my stomach, causing me to swallow harshly. 

“And what if I don’t?”

He smirked, his tattooed finger coming up to swipe across my bottom lip. “That, darling, would be a tragedy.”

It was involuntary, the way my body pressed closer to him, the soft skin of his lips brushing against mine. It wasn’t quite what we wanted, but it was so close.

My self control was fading, and he knew it, his hand tightening on my hip.

“If you’d let me?”

That was it. My lips were pressed against his, molding to his mouth, and breathing into his soul. I felt the sharp tooth scrape over my skin, which elicited a hard groan from me. His other hand came up to the side of my neck, and his fingers tangled in my curls.

We lasted this way for several minutes, finally pulling away with a sharp hiss from his mouth. His eyes were feral, wild. His grip on my hair was tight. He bored into my eyes, speaking something that I couldn’t read.

We were pulled from our moment when a hand tapped my shoulder. I whipped around quickly, and his hands released me.

Alex stood, eyes wide, and smiling. “I hate to interrupt, but I’m going to run to the restroom. Just wanted you to know.”

I wiped my lips with my thumb, feeling a sharp pain. I nodded at Alex, who furrowed her brows, bending down to speak directly at me.

“Watch the fangs, babe. You’re bleeding.”

I looked down at my thumb, the deep red filling the ridges of my print.

A hand came up to wrap around my wrist, staring at my finger. He swiftly and smoothly lifted it to his lips, sucking it into his mouth. When he released me, my finger was clean.

He smiled a sheepish grin at me in response to my shocked expression. “Too weird?”

I wanted to say yes, because that was the normal person thing to say. However, given the heat that had pooled in my stomach and the way my thighs clenched together, I just shook my head.

The music was loud, booming into my chest, and I leaned back onto the couch, staring at Noah.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked me.

“That there’s no way this is real.”

He smirked. “Sometimes, it’s better to believe it’s not.”

This confused me, but he was wrapping his arm around me again, pulling me into his side, and looking down at the stage. We tried to watch the performance, we really did. But within minutes, I was in his lap, straddling his hips, and our tongues were fighting for dominance while his hands roamed up and down my legs.

I sighed, closing my eyes as his lips trailed down my jaw to my neck, nipping gently at my pulse point. He licked a stripe up my windpipe, causing me to rut against him.

“Fucking hell, Maggie.” He leaned back, and I pulled back, hands on his shoulders. “You’re so fucking amazing.” 

I blushed, leaning back down to nibble on his ear. In my peripheral vision, I caught my phone on the couch lighting up. I had four missed texts from Alex.

“Shit!” I grabbed my phone and sat back on his legs.

“Everything okay?”

I shrugged. “Alexa isn’t back, and I haven’t checked my messages. I got distracted.” I said, eyeing him mischievously.

He responded by scratching his nails down the front of my leggings.

Alexa: BABE Spencer is out here talking to Andy!!!!

Alexa: OMFG he’s looking at me. I’m going to talk to him.

Alexa: HE REMEMBERS ME FROM THE CROWD.

Alexa: He asked me to go to his balcony. I have to. It’s the one next to Noah’s. I’ll be there if you need me.

I smiled at my phone. “Such a weird night.”

“Is she okay?”

I nodded, setting my phone back down. “Yeah, uh,” I shook my head, trying to understand how this had happened. “She met Spencer Charnas, and she’s in his balcony.”

He nodded, looking apprehensive. “She’s a fan of his?”

“The biggest. She’d die for that man.”

His eye twitched at that, almost a wince. “Mm. Maybe she should stick with you?”

My face fell, confused. “Why?”

He bit his lip, glancing over to where Folio sat, who was staring directly at him. “I don’t know. Just seemed like the kind of thing you guys do.”

I nodded, falling off of his lap. “Usually, but this is kind of once in a lifetime.”

He sighed hard, his eyes glancing back up to Folio. “I wish it wasn’t.”

This was confusing, his entire demeanor had shifted.

“Are you okay?”

He worried his bottom lip with the fangs, and nodded. “You, uh,” He looked at his bandmates, who were all giving him a look. “want to see the bus? I need to get something, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”

There was something under his tone that made me almost flinch. It was as if he wasn’t giving me a choice…

“Okay? I mean, or I could wait with Alex in the next balcony?”

“No!” Noah’s voice was harsh, causing me to wince. “I mean, let her have her time. Once in a lifetime, right?”

I nodded, unsure.

“You trust me?”

I sighed, suddenly wildly unsure. “Should I?”

He nodded fervently. “Yes. You should.”

-

The tour bus was enormous. It was also a total mess. It was as if it was more lived in than an actual home. I try not to judge, but there was stuff everywhere. Drink containers, beer bottles, random garbage, clothes. The shades were drawn, and you couldn’t see outside. 

Noah turned around with a look of embarrassment on his face, a hard contrast to the persona he had on all night. He scratched the back of his neck nervously.

“Sorry, the guys said they’d clean up…I guess they forgot.”

I shook my head, giving him a warm smile. “No worries. You guys have to live here, I get it.”

He sighed. “Can I be honest?”

“I’d hope so.” I giggled, hands in my sweater pockets.

“I didn’t need to grab anything, I was just hoping for some privacy.”

My eyes widened, and I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Oh…” Suddenly uncomfortable, I began scanning the bus for all of the exits, the closest being the door behind me.

“You don’t have to stay, it was just stuffy in there and the guys are kind of really fucking nosey.”

This made me smile. “I caught that.” I pursed my lips, looking around, trying to soothe the hammering in my chest. “I could stay.”

“You sure? Oli is going to go on soon.”

I nodded. “Once in a lifetime?”

This almost made his face fall, and he leaned against the counter of the kitchenette sink. “I wish it wasn’t.”

This gave me pause, and I moved to stand next to him.

“What do you mean?”

He pulled his hat off, revealing his mop of long dark hair that was overgrown. “I just…” He trailed off. “I don’t get to have normal relationships, yaknow? Date? See people more than once? It doesn’t really happen.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why not?”

He smirked at this, looking down at his shoes. “My lifestyle doesn’t really allow it.”

I nodded. Rockstar life had to be tough.

“Well, just because you can’t date someone, doesn’t mean you can’t be friends, right?” I won’t lie, I was slightly hopeful.

“It’s kind of more complicated than that.” 

I nodded, not wanting to press further, and an uneasy silence fell over us. After about three minutes, he finally spoke.

“I liked kissing you.”

I couldn’t prevent the grin that cracked on my lips. “I liked kissing you too.”

“I didn’t bring you back here for that. I just thought I’d mention it.”

This was one of the pivotal moments in life where you decide how it goes. Walk away? See what this is, and make the smart choice to end it? 

Or consider this the Gods giving you a gift? A one-time chance to fulfill a fantasy you would otherwise never get again?

I decided quickly that life was too fucking short, and moved to stand in front of him.

“Can we…just do what we want? Because this will never happen for me again, and I find it painfully difficult not to jump on you right now.”

He peered up at me through his lashes, his eyes pitch black. “Yeah? You’re sure? I don’t want to be a dick, but you know I can’t continue anything after tonight.”

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes for a second, and opened them with no hesitation left, staring directly at him. 

This gave him the answer he was looking for, as it took less than a fraction of a second for him to have me pinned against the wall behind me, hand on my throat, lips attacking my mouth feverishly. A smooth growl rumbled from his throat, and something inside of me clenched. 

With the grip in my neck, he guided me to spin, lifting me up onto the countertop. My legs wrapped around him instinctively, and I breathed into him, feeling his hands smooth up my legs, and push them apart so he could press himself between them.

His mouth pulled at the skin of my jaw, surely leaving bruises I’d have to explain to Alex later. When I felt the sharp point of the fans against my skin, I placed a hand on his chest.

“Noah?” He didn’t pull back, but only hummed in response as he licked and sucked on my collarbone. “Maybe you should take the fangs out?”

He stilled, frozen. This caused me to do the same, waiting for his next move.

“I can’t.”

My brain didn’t register that. “Can’t?”

“They aren’t coming out.” He breathed again on my skin, making me shiver. “Is that a problem? If it is, tell me now.”

The idea of not going further made my body physically scream, so I just shook my head, signaling for him not to stop.

His arms, strong and solid, lifted me clean off of the counter and pulled me into the hallway, our lips reconnecting. In the back of the bus held a large bedroom area, and with one hand, he slid a door shut behind us. 

He lowered me onto the mattress and became so gentle, I almost couldn’t handle it. His hands reached to unzip my sweatshirt, pulling it open to reveal my crop top. I chose to go without a bra tonight, knowing I’d be keeping my sweater on. His eyes roamed to my hardened nipples pressing against the fabric, and he bit his lip in response.

“If at any point you want to stop, tell me, okay?”

I nodded.

“Say it. Say you understand.” His voice was callous, no playfulness left.

“I understand.”

This brought a wicked smile to his face, fangs pressing out and his tongue gliding over them. “Good girl.”

He was ruthless, his hands pulling my shirt up, exposing my bare breasts, hands grasping them with force, pinching each nipple between his fingers. I yelped at the sudden painful sensation, but pressed into his touch. His knee balanced him on the bed, pressing against my core. I writhed under him, begging for friction.

“So fucking needy, darling. All in good time.”

I sucked in a breath, nearly whining at his teasing. His right hand snaked up my chest, grasping at my throat. The pressure was so much, but I couldn’t ask him to stop because it was so good, I was okay with dying right here like this.

His other hand slid down my stomach, nails scratching into my flesh, before he gripped the waistband of my leggings and tugged them down.

“Tell me how bad you want it, baby.” His fingers loosened just enough for me to speak.

“So bad. Need it. Need you.”

His eyes were roaming my body, eyes settling on the jet black panties I wore. His hand pressed flat against the fabric, making me hiss at the sensation.

“You want me to eat you? Devour you?”

I nodded frantically.

“If I do, I’m going to bite you. You alright with that?”

I froze, staring up at him, tears running down the side of my face. 

“You can say no.” His voice was smooth as honey, dripping down his lips and right into my soul.

“Please.” It came out as a breath, just the ghost of a word.

A harsh snarl left his lips, and he dropped onto the floor with lightening speed, pulling my leggings off and gripping the waistband of my underwear, ripping them apart to show my already soaked pussy.

His fingers slid through my lips before coming up to his mouth, his eyes rolling back at the taste. “Fucking stunning.” He groaned.

His mouth attacked me, licking long, flat stripes up my core, causing my hips to buck. I whimpered, trying not to make too much noise.

His hands gripped my thighs and pulled me closer to the edge of the bed, bringing me right to his face.

“No one can hear us here, baby. Fucking scream for me.” 

I let go, letting all of the harsh, vile sounds leave my throat with no restraint. His mouth sucked hard on my clit, making my vision go stark white behind my eyelids.

“Oh my God, Noah, I’m going to come, please don’t stop.”

He latched harder, a finger penetrating into me, pressing against my sweet spot and smoothing circles into it, bringing me crashing over the edge of bliss. My back lifted off of the mattress, my entire body tingling.

At the exact second my orgasm slammed into me, I felt a stinging, slicing pain on the inside of my thigh, causing me to scream out and look down. Noah’s face was still buried between my legs, but his eyes were staring directly at me. His fingers continued to massage me through my euphoria while his lips pulled at the sore spot on my thigh. When he lifted his face, my body finally calming, a deep crimson fluid sat on his lip before his tongue came up and swiped it away. 

He rested a palm flat on my stomach as my breathing slowed. “Are you okay?”

I blinked back the tears and gasped in a breath. “More, please. I need more.”

It wasn’t even me speaking anymore. My body had transcended to another plane and I was watching from a different dimension at that point.

He smiled, his teeth tinged with blood - my blood. “What’s the magic word?”

“Jesus, fuck, Noah! Please!”

His hand snatched me by my waist, flipping me over and pulling me back up so my feet were on the floor. His arm held me up, as standing wasn’t an option with the way my legs felt like gelatin. I felt the warm fluid from the wound on my thigh dripping down my leg.

He paused, reaching for a drawer and grabbing, what I assumed to be, a condom. I heard the foil open and be discarded. He let go of me for ten seconds to put it on, and before I could think about anything else, he was pushing inside of me. The feeling was achingly delicious, the stretch and burn of it. Noah was exceptional. My body fell forward, hands reaching out balance. He thrusted mercilessly, pounding me harder into the mattress, his breathing loud and deep, guttural moans escaping him.

After a few moments, and my vision slowly blurring as I began climbing the hill once again, his hand wrapped around my neck and pulled me backward to stand straight up. I whined, leaning my head back on his chest.

It was without cause, but I still asked. “Bite me again? Please?”

I didn’t want it, I needed it. I was ravenous for the pain and the feeling of him being so connected with me. 

“Don’t say that.” His words were breathless, but I was persistent.

“Please, Noah. Please.”

“God damn it.” He tightened his grip on my neck and I felt his lips touch my skin before the fangs sung in deep, piercing the thin skin just above my clavicle.

A scream pierced through me as the pain sent white hot shock waves through my body, my vision cutting out and my orgasm tearing through me. I vibrated at the stimulation of it all, and began to feel by body going slack, my skin tingling with a numbing sensation. My eyelids began to feel heavy, Noah's lips still latched to my skin. I could swear I felt a sucking feeling. That would be one hell of a hickey later.

Noah's thrusts suddenly stilled, his throat growling against me, his fingers gripping my hip violently, surely leaving bruises.

I was still riding the high of my climax when I felt everything starting to go sideways as the room began to spin. His arm wrapped around me quickly as I felt my consciousness slipping.

"Easy, baby. Easy." I hadn't even noticed him slip out of me, or unlatch from my throat.

Suddenly, his hands were gentle, laying me down on the bed on my back. Through my hooded lids, I could see him standing, tall and muscular. I could see all of him, and as badly as I wanted to savor it, I was so sleepy.

His hands pulled a soft, red blanket over me, and he put a finger up. "One second, stay here."

He disappeared out of the door, and I felt my eyes threatening to close. My brain was shutting off quickly, and it wasn't going to be optional anymore.

He came back within a minute, now wearing shorts, with a large blue Powerade, and a pack of Reese's in his hands. He set them down on the mattress next to me and slid his arms under me, lifting me up onto the pillows of the bed.

"Maggie, you still with me?"

I could only mumble in response, the pull of sleep tugging me down.

"Don't fall asleep. You need to drink this." He opened the Powerade. My hand came up to take the drink, but my fingers had very little sensation. "Here." Noah used one arm to lift me partway, and held the bottle to my lips. "Just take sips."

Once I had sufficiently drank a quarter of the bottle, suddenly feeling parched, he recapped it and began tearing open the Reese's. "Eat this, you need to increase your blood sugar and carbohydrates."

Feeling slightly more coherent, I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why? Did that orgasm almost kill me?" I snickered, taking a peanut butter cup and peeling the wrap off the bottom.

"No, the orgasm didn't." He said pointedly, but made work of getting up and heading for the door again. I laid, slowly munching the chocolate, eyes trailing after him. I pulled the blanket up to my chin, feeling strikingly cold suddenly. I felt a numbness in my toes and fingertips. Something about it bothered me, but also didn't?

He walked back in, a damp rag in his hand. What did he need that for? He used a condom, I thought?

Noah sat next to me on the bed, and ran a hand over my cheek gently, giving me a small, comforting smile. "You feel better?"

I nodded, still chewing the second peanut butter cup. "Much."

His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Good, I'm glad."

Smoothing his hand over to my hair, he pulled it away from my neck, and pressed the damp rag to it. I winced, pain shooting up into my face.

"Christ!" He pulled his hand back, and I noticed the rag was a deep red. "Am I bleeding?"

He shushed me, moving my face back over. "Not much anymore, it's mostly stopped. This is just a little alcohol to sterilize it." He sighed as he pressed the rag to my skin. "Next, I'll clean up your leg."

My mind, suddenly clear as day, began running through all of the most ridiculous scenarios possible. Regardless of how stupid it sounded, I still had to ask...

"Noah?"

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow, pulling out a large bandage and unpeeling it from the paper.

"Are you an actual vampire?"

His hands stopped, and his neck snapped up at me. His eyes were deadly serious, but his lips twisted in a sick smile. "Now, why would you say something silly like that? Of course not."

"But-"

He chuckled, his body shaking, and continued applying the bandage to my neck, hand lingering on my cheek as he looked in my eyes.

"No, I'm just a guy with kinks, that's all."

Did I want to press this further?

I looked back up at him, and he smiled brightly. That's when I noticed.

"You took the fangs off."

He peered up at me, running his tongue over his teeth. "Yeah, something like that."

Noah began pulling the blanket from my leg when he stopped abruptly, his eyes shifting to the door of the room. His hand gripped my leg, and he spoke under his breath.

"Fuck." His eyes looked back at me, a panic now rising. "You have to go. Now."

He grabbed my arm, and began pulling me off of the bed gently. "Can you stand?" I heard the door of the bus open, and people speaking at the front.

The urgency in his voice was frightening, so I swung my legs over and attempted to stand. The room swayed slightly, but I managed to stay upright. I nodded at him.

"Good, okay," He stood off the bed, and ran to the other side, picking my clothes up and tossing them at me, sans my torn panties. "get dressed. I'm going to open the window, there's a ladder just outside. Climb down it and go. Fast. Go to your car, and leave."

I was stepping into my leggings and looked up at him. "I have to find Alex, first."

He huffed, frustrated, and helped me put my shirt over my head. "Don't. Just go."

Noah pulled the window open silently, and pulled me over to him once I had zipped up my sweatshirt and slipped my shoes on. "Noah, what-"

He pressed a hand to my mouth. "Please, just listen to me. Leave. Don't look for her. Just go. Fast, okay?"

My eyes welled up. The terror was back. Why was he hiding me? Was he embarrassed? Did he not want anyone to know I was here? Why didn't he want me to look for Alex?

He hands hoisted me up effortlessly, he didn't even groan when he lifted me to the window. I slipped a leg out, and turned my head to him. "Noah?"

He looked at me, eyes sparkling bright, brighter than I had seen. "Yes?"

"I hope to see you again."

The smallest smile turned his lips up. "If you're lucky, you won't."

-

Alex's phone wasn't picking up and she hadn't responded to any of my messages. Bring Me The Horizon's set was about over, and she was nowhere. Ice Nine's balcony was empty - they all were. She wasn't in the venue. She wasn't outside. She was gone.

Her last text to me had me walking behind the building, looking through the busses.

Alexa: Spencer invited me back to his bus with him and Ronnie...I can't believe this is real life!! I will text you when I'm done! ;)

I only knew which bus was Noah's, but I felt like an absolute creep looking through the others, trying to see into the windows. I was standing next to one, on my tip-toes, trying to see through the tint, when my ears picked up on something...

It sounded suspiciously like screaming...but not the kind I would expect from someone having a good time. Not the kind I just made.

I rounded the corner, finding one last bus, and noticed it appeared to be moving. This had to be it. As I approached, figuring I would just wait until she was done, it stilled, and the night went eerily silent. Something about it made my stomach drop. I considered going back and getting Noah, asking him to check it out, but I had already come to terms with the fact that whatever that was, was over.

Instead, I made a soft wrap on the door, hoping someone would answer. Nothing came, no sound or motion. I sighed. Someone was definitely in there. Maybe they fell asleep? I almost did.

I knocked harder with the same result. Eventually, I pounded, hollering. "Hello?"

My fingers reached for the handle, and I noticed the door was unlocked, the door opening easily. I looked in, and noticed it was dark, only a neon blue light emanating from the back somewhere. I stepped up the staircase, peering my head around the corner.

"Alex?"

What my eyes saw, I was nowhere near prepared for. My eyes met hers, only hers were upside down, head hanging off of the edge of the bed, tears running down the sides of her face. They were also lifeless, and so was she. She was laid on the bed, fully dressed, and blood poured from her throat and pooled on the floor. There were two men on top of her, mouths latched to her chest and throat.

I couldn't help the gasp that came out, my eyes watering at the scene. I brought my hand up over my mouth and both men looked up at me. I couldn't register what I was seeing...

Spencer Charnas and Ronnie Radke were on top of my best friend, and their faces were absolutely covered in her blood.

Their fangs shined, covered in the red viscous liquid, and harsh growling hisses came out of their mouths.

Before I could scream, a hand had grabbed the back of my sweatshirt and pulled me down the stairs, and was dragging me away from the bus. I thrashed, screaming and fighting against the person pulling me away.

"No! No! Please! Stop, please!!" A hand came up over my mouth.

"Shut up!" My eyes looked down, and through my bleary tears, I saw the tattoos. The familiar tattoos.

Noah pulled me over to another bus and pressed me against the side. He loomed over me, his eyes dark again, all of the light gone.

"I told you to fucking leave!"

I couldn't speak. I was stunned. "I...they...Alex..."

"Alex is gone." He was so matter of fact. Stern, even. A choked sob broke out of my chest.

"No, no please, you have to help me."

"I am helping you! You have to leave! Before anyone realizes you did." His hands were against the bus on either side of me. "Please Maggie, please just leave."

"Noah..." I stared at the sharp fangs. "Your teeth..."

He hung his head. "Maggie, listen to me. You were never here. You lost Alex at the concert, and she went missing. They already reported her missing to security." My eyes went wide, tears streaming. "Now, go home. Stay there. And never speak about this again. Understood?"

I didn't respond, I just glared at him. He was one of them. A monster. He drank my blood. He tried to kill me. Him and his friends...they killed Alex.

When I didn't answer, he grew impatient, slamming his hands against the bus, making me flinch.

"God damn it Maggie, do you understand?!"

I just nodded, and he let one of his arms fall. I slipped by him, but his hand caught my arm. I stopped, staring up at him.

"I'm so sorry." His eyes were soft again, but I ripped my arm from him. He looked taken back by my sudden brazenness.

"No you're not..." I took several steps forward, but I took a deep breath and stopped, turning to see him still staring at me.

"But you fucking will be."

[justanotherfanfolks]

IM PITTING HIS HATS AGAINST EACH OTHER!

Moment of silence for BALD! (hatless from Phantom Bride and technically ceremonial robes) and Mad Scientist Era (those Science Club goggles), which didn't fit on the poll.

[equinox-86]

𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐤 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

I was supposed to do my font project but then got sidetracked coloring in my sketches, and now we have colored concept sketches and a title whose design is still in the works

That's Noctis' outfit in Diabolik Lovers: Another aka my own story that takes place before the events of Haunted Dark Bridal. It goes into detail about Richter's and Karlheinz's plans, the POV of Vampire Hunters/Humans, where the sacrificial brides are sourced from, Noctis and Yui's relationship and how Yui was saved from almost being sent to the Sakamaki Manor.

I might reuse the outfit for Lost Eden. I'm still not happy with the LE one in my wips, and it's getting harder to make outfits that fit her color scheme and aren't repetitive from game to game (ノ´Д｀)ノ

The art is intentionally messy. It's just concept sketches, after all. I finally got to show off her nape. That mark is relevant to my HDB prequel story :>

⋆┈┈⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅┈┈⋆

[dcwnthercbbithcle]

Mapplethorpe learning that, typically, the relationship between a Sire and their Scions (at least in terms of vampires) is one of respect and admiration, and that with many Scions, they follow the word and advice of their Sires, admiring and internalizing it greatly as they grow and amass their own power.

MEANWHILE, Doe, like, Doe does not, by any extension lend Mapplethorpe that inherent trust, respect or admiration you'd associate with a Sire. Doe doesn't listen to him as a Sire, she loves him, but as a boyfriend and friend, nothing more. She'll participate eagerly in the more standard romantic sire/scion bloodplay that you'll often see with couple vampires. BUT, she doesn't view Mapplethorpe as any font of wisdom or guidance and you KNOW he feels some way about it.

She's his Scion!!! He feels the connection of his blood in her, he feels the attachment and the need to care for her beyond the bounds of their friendship and romantic entanglement, he feels them intertwined on a level thats almost spiritual! He knows she does too! They've had moments that can only be explained through the shared bond! Like Doe somehow managing to find him when he's injured from a parkour trick gone wrong, even though she would've had no way to know how or where he was.

BUT!!! HE HIGHKEY YEARNS FOR THE SIRE RESPECT AND THE RELATIONSHIP HE SEES IN OTHERS! Like David and his boys, like the head vampires and their brides in movies! He wants that! He wants her to look at him in that way too! But Doe, well, Doe does not. Doe will not and he is forever wanting and trying to get her to give it a chance!

Doe dodging and weaving around Mapplethorpe's hope that they can have a unique, romantic and admirational vampire bond going back to him being her sponsor and her 'guide' like:

*guide in quotation marks because Mapplethorpe really hasn't guided Doe in anything! Doe has major burn scars on her arm because Mapplethorpe straight up forgot to tell her she couldn't go out in the day. Doe had to learn to communicate and the entire vampire language EXCLUSIVELY on her own. Doe learned to hunt, not through Mape, but through herself! He really hasn't been any help to her at all in that respect!

[xxgothchatonxx]

So, there’s a few new adaptations of Dracula coming out soon, and I wanted to share my thoughts on them: 

The Invitation - I’m super excited to see this, it comes out next week and while it doesn’t seem to be a direct adaptation, it does have certain “...hold on, as in x?” references, i.e. the vampire’s name being “de Ville” (one of Drac’s fake names), one of his brides being Lucy (*fingers crossed they treat her somewhat decently... well, the bar is low*), and one of the guys being JONATHAN FREAKING HARKER! YEP, OUR JOHNNY BOY! (although... oh god, he’s not working for Not!Drac is he? that’d be sad...) So, I’ve got a few theories about where this is going... I’m hoping it’s going to play with some Dracula film tropes that I think is safe to say, we’re pretty sick of seeing (*cough* doppelganger shit *cough*). So, a subversion of those tropes (i.e. the main girl Evie being understandably creeped out and not having any of it) would be nice and refreshing.  

Renfield - you had me at ‘Nicolas Cage as Dracula’. But seriously, making a sequel to the 1931 film (judging by the title font and the look of Drac) is a pretty ballsy move. So, kudos for that. The premise is about Renfield (the epic Nicholas Hoult) breaking away from his toxic, co-dependent relationship with the Count, which I am all for seeing. So, combine that story with this cast,  it’s also going to be a horror-comedy - I’m sold! 

The Last Voyage of the Demeter - I’ve talked about this recently so I’ll just reiterate that it’s about bloody time they did this setup! We just read how this turned out in the book, how cool would that be as a horror film? 

In conclusion - lot of original ideas! Bravo, Hollywood! Now, whether these will be enjoyable or not is yet to be seen but they get points for originality! What do you all think? :) 

[docrotten]

HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) – Episode 109 – Decades of Horror: The Classic Era

"I am Dracula and I welcome you to my house." Are you falling for that old trick? Join this episode’s Grue-Crew - Chad Hunt, Whitney Collazo, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, and Jeff Mohr along with special guest Dick Klemensen (since 1972, the editor and publisher of Little Shoppe of Horrors Magazine - The Journal of Classic British Horror Films) - as they enter the House of Hammer once again with one of the company’s best, (Horror of) Dracula (1958).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 109 – (Horror of) Dracula (1958)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

ANNOUNCEMENT Decades of Horror The Classic Era is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL which will now include video episodes of The Classic Era! Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website. Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop. https://classicscifichannel.com/

Jonathan Harker begets the ire of Count Dracula after he accepts a job at the vampire's castle under false pretenses, forcing his colleague Dr. Van Helsing to hunt the predatory villain when he targets Harker's loved ones.

IMDb

  Director: Terence Fisher

Writers: Jimmy Sangster (screenplay), Bram Stoker (novel)

Music by: James Bernard

Cinematographer: Jack Asher (director of photography)

Production Design: Bernard Robinson

Makeup Department:

Philip Leakey (makeup artist) (as Phil Leaky)

Roy Ashton (assistant makeup artist) (uncredited)

Special Effects: Sydney Pearson

Selected Cast

Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing

Christopher Lee as Count Dracula

Michael Gough as Arthur Holmwood

Melissa Stribling as Mina Holmwood

Carol Marsh as Lucy Holmwood

John Van Eyssen as Jonathan Harker

Valerie Gaunt as Vampire Woman

Olga Dickie as Gerda

Janina Faye as Tania

Charles Lloyd-Pack as Doctor Seward

George Merritt as Policeman

George Woodbridge as Landlord

George Benson as Frontier Official

Miles Malleson as Undertaker

Geoffrey Bayldon as Porter

Barbara Archer as Inga

Paul Cole as Lad

Whitney had a “reel” treat when she first saw (Horror of) Dracula at Geoffrey Rayles’s Rayle Archives in Lenoir, NC where she was able to view the 1958, 35mm, Technicolor print along with a couple reels of the early 1960s re-release. Of course, she loved the movie. What’s not to like with Cushing, Lee, and Gough? For Chad, (Horror of) Dracula changed the way he looked at the Count and, along with The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), this one is his favorite Hammer film. Chad also has a heck of a story about the first time he saw the film at his grandparent’s house. Daphne had great fun watching Cushing and Lee, especially in the few scenes they had together in (Horror of) Dracula. Jeff is a big fan of Dracula (1931) but also loves Lee’s more feral, animalistic interpretation in (Horror of) Dracula. 

You might say Dick Klemensen gives truth to the statement, “If you show it, he will come,” when he drove over two hours across the state to catch a showing of (Horror of) Dracula at a drive-in theater in Des Moines. According to Dick, if you want to show someone a Hammer film who has never seen one, this is it. The film has everything: action, blood, fights, and pacing.

Incidentally, if you haven’t read an issue of The Little Shoppe of Horrors Magazine, edited and published by Dick Klemensen since 1972, head on over to their website and order yourself an issue (or two or three). They’re stock full (at about 100 pages of 8-point font) of interesting articles and art about classic British horror films.

Also be sure to check out The Men Who Made Hammer shorts (running between 15 and 60 minutes each) featuring Dick and produced by Constantine Nasr on the Scream Factory Blu-ray releases of the following Hammer films: X the Unkown (1956, Jimmy Sangster), The Brides of Dracula (1960, Jack Asher and Terence Fisher), The Curse of the Werewolf (1961, Roy Ashton), The Phantom of the Opera (1962, Anthony Hinds), The Kiss of the Vampire (1963, James Bernard and Bernard Robinson), The Lost Continent (1968, Michael Carreras & film commentary), and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974, Roy Skeggs). The other entry in The Men Who Made Hammer series features Tony Dalton (author of Terence Fisher: Master of Gothic Cinema, 2021) discussing Freddie Francis on The Evil of Frankenstein (1964).

October is a great month to revisit this Hammer gem! As of this writing, (Horror of) Dracula is available for streaming on HBOmax.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Up next on their very flexible schedule is one chosen by Daphne, Antonio Margheriti’s The Long Hair of Death (1964) starring Barbara Steele!

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave them a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

To each of you from each of us, “Thank you so much for listening!”

Check out this episode!

[glittergroovy]

[atr-xx]

Anime Masterpost

A list with all of the animes I've seen (doesn't include currently watching). Divided in series and movies.

Those with green font are my favorites, those in red font are the ones I hated wouldn't recommend.

Series

Akame Ga Kill!

Akatsuki no Yona

Angel Beats!

Angels of Death

Another

Anohana

Ao Haru Ride

Assassination Classroom

Attack on Titan

Black Butler

Black Clover

Bleach

Blood Lad

Blue Exorcist

Brothers Conflict

Bungou Stray Dogs

Carole & Tuesday

Cells At Work!

Code Geass

Code:Realize Guardian of Rebirth

Convenience Store Boyfriends

Darling in the Franxx

Deadman Wonderland

Death Note

Demon Slayer

Devilman: Crybaby

Devil's Line

Diabolik Lovers

Durarara!!

Elfen Lied

Fairy Tail

Fate/stay night: Unlimited Bladeworks

Fate/Zero

Food Wars

Fruits Basket (2019)

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Gintama

Given

Hakendan: Eight Dogs of the East

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Interviews with Monster Girls

Inuyasha

Kaguya-sama: Love is War

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

Kakegurui

Kamigami no Asobi

Kamisama Kiss

Kill la Kill

Kimi No Todoke

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou

My Hero Academy

My Little Monster

My Sweet Tyrant

Nana

Naruto

Naruto Shippuden

Natsuyuki Rendezvous

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Nodame Cantabile

Noragami

One Punch Man

Ouran Kouko Host Club

Overlord

Paradise Kiss

Paranoia Agent

Parasyte

Peach Girl

Prison School

Psycho-Pass

Rascal Doesn't Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai

Say "I Love You"

School Babysitters

Seven Deadly Sins

Skip Beat!

Snow White with the Red Hair

Sword Art Online (season one)

The Ancient Magus' Bride

The Saga of Tanya the Evil

Tokyo Ghoul

Toradora!

Uta no Prince Sama

Vampire Knight

Violet Evergarden

Wolf Girl and Black Prince

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches

Your Lie on April

Movies

5 Centimeters per Second

Akira

A Silent Voice

Belladonna of Sadness

Castle in the Sky

Colourful

Garden of Words

Grave of the Fireflies

Hotarubi no Mori e

Howl's Moving Castle

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas

In This Corner of the World

Kiki's Delivery Service

Millennium Actress

My Neighbor Totoro

Ocean Waves

Only Yesterday

Paprika

Perfect Blue

Ponyo

Princess Mononoke

Spirited Away

Summer Wars

Tales From Earthsee

Tamako Love Story

The End of Evangelion

The Girl Who Could Leapt Through Time

The Secret World of Arriety

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Tokyo Godfathers

Wolf Children

Whisper of the Heart

Youjo Senki Movie

Your Name

[kewltie]

YEAR END FIC REVIEW

This year I wrote: 

biological imperative 

wings of icarus

war of the roses

sugar, we’re going down

you are cordially invited...

garden of eden

your kiss tastes so red

hana to ryuu 

a demolition boy & his cryptid bf

the fox’s bride

when dandelion roars

hope is a four letter word

butterfly pinned under glass

the devil and the deep blue sea

vol 1: goodbye halcyon days

papa said to knock you out

my boy builds coffin

love meme, hate meme

interlude: paper darling

in rouge

at the feet of the world

that’s 21 stories (124k words!!!) and that’s discounting all the random fic snippets that i wrote only on tumblr so far. 

Overall thoughts

My actual writing year didn’t really start until like in May which mean the bulk of my writing was in the last half of the year. I spent most of the first half reposting and moving my eunhae fic over to ao3 so I didn’t actually have any new fic to post (even tho i was prob still writing away with random fic ideas anyway but no actual completed fic to post) until I wrote BI for bakudeku and that pretty much sealed the deal for me. New fandom, new pairing, and new obsession. Honestly coming in I was worry how slow I was writing and how I didn’t get much done but looking at my fic list and my wordcounts and HOW I DID IT ALL IN HALF A YEAR... im pretty impress with myself :D.

Also, I think it’s a good time as any to finally realize and accept when you finally  move on to a new fandom. So thank you v v v v much to my old fandom for nurturing me and helping me grow as i writer these past five years. You made every eunhae fic worth it, thank you again!!!!

My best story of the year

“A demolition boy & his cryptid bf” if all the kudoes that keep on coming tell me. Here’s a random tidbit about it: i wrote it all in like 2-3 days in some sort of mad spur. social media style fic was something i did for eunhae before so it wasn’t new to me so i guess that’s why it came easy enough LOL but this was little more intensive just bc i wanted it look even better but im sooooo glad ppl were so accepting of it despite the style of the fic and the way it was format. you guys rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gave me enough confident to start “love meme, hate meme” even tho im pretty sure i was going to do it anyway lol. 

My favorite story of the year

“love meme, hate meme,” only bc it is my masterpiece in term of how fucking damn pretty it is and how much blood, sweat, and tears i poured into it just to get that damn FONT COLOR RIGHT. 

Most fun story to write

“papa said to knock you out” aka kasumi ‘verse only bc she literally wrote herself. her voice come clear and true to me and i had such a fun time writing in her pov!! it also plays into my dumb romcom trope that i always love bc royalty au? CHECK? single parents? CHECK CHECK? past secret love affair? CHEEEEEEEECK. it’s just all so damn cliche and it’s me to T and i fucking love it. 

Story with the single sexiest moment

“In Rouge” played with a lot of things i love where it borders on sexy/intimate without crossing the line. like im 90% sure bakudeku were going to bang in the restroom but the fact that it’s THE RESTROOM IN THEIR SCHOOL and katsuki is damn good bf and wouldn’t want their first time in that shitty place so yea hands to themselves. but honestly i don’t do smut/nsfw but i always tread the water with it lol with my kink fics bc i am kinky v v v much so but i do in a way that is comfortable with me without dealing with explicit sex and im really glad i get to show off that in my fic bc sexy doesn’t alway have to lead up to sex ya know???? 

Most "holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story

"my boy builds coffin” a katsuki that kill sends shiver down to spine but man writing it and thinking what push him over the edge was exciting only bc i love my fluff in general but i highkey love dark and edgy stuff too esp super dysfunctional relationship, yo. 

Story that shifted my own perception of the characters

"My boy builds coffin” for sure. Only because I wanted to stretch how Katsuki would fall and understand the length he would go to ensure a future where izuku is alive and thriving and I THOUGHT man if your future bf who is this scarred and traumatized individual person come back in time to protect you by killing every fucking thing that hurt you and instead of freaking the fuck out you’re like “um, IM SO JEALOUS OF MY FUTURE SELF TO HAVE THIS PERSON DEDICATE THEIR LIFE TO THEM” and im like fuck bc that’s the kind of fucked upness that i love. 

Hardest story to write

if it isn’t “love meme, hate meme” than THIS IS YEAR IS FUCKING CANCEL. the formatting,juggling a gazillion of usernames, the font color and text, THE FANFIC ARCHIVE etc everything i have to carefully format and code even tho i have extremely and bullshit knowledge of it. 

Biggest disappointment

nothing???? i love ALL MY BABIES. but no really that fucking mad max au im writing and was supposed to be posted yest.... DAMN YOU. 

Biggest surprise

Uh, “demolition boy” and probably “kasumi verse” only bc i never intend for either of them to happen :P. 

Most unintentionally telling story

the vampire fic my entire reason for writing it is so I CAN PROCRASTINATE ON THE ACTUAL FI IM SUPPOSED TO BE WRITING. i wrote it all in one sitting passed waaaay into the AMs. that’s... some dedication to my procrastination. 

Story I haven't written yet, but intend to

the age gap abo childhood friends au i have been working on the side :S.

Goals for this year: 

Finished all my major projects (kasumi ‘verse, wedding verse, social media au, stepbro au)

hopefully i can get started on gasoline verse aka the post zombie fest where bakudeku tried to survived it by building the most codependent fucked up relationship possible :D; it’s letting your bf become a ‘zombie’ just bc you can’t live without him 

WRITE AT LEAST ONE TODODEKUBAKU FIC!!!!!

thank you soooooo much for putting up with this year!!!! i know im really bad at replying/commenting and interacting with you guys but i want you to all know i feel incredibly blessed and humble by all your kindness and support. you all treated me so well last year and this year I hope to return your kind gesture by giving you more stories to read in 2019!!! :D

[recommendedlisten]

Vampire Weekend - “Harmony Hall”

So much of Vampire Weekend’s image has been built around a youthful sparkle in their dapper charm, but nobody is safe from the hands of time, and in the six years since their indie baroque opus Modern Vampires of the City, time has pushed the one-time posterchildren of hipsterdom into adulthood in unexpected ways. Multi-instrumentalist and producer Rostam Batmanglij left the group a few years back to pursue a solo career, bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Tompson have spent some time releasing their own material without exiting, and while lead singer Ezra Koenig has remained largely out of the music spotlight, he has found success on a blockbuster level through songwriting credits for Beyoncé alongside hosting an Apple Music radio show, creating a Netflix anime series, and starting a family with actress Rashida Jones.

Reading between the lines and remembering that her father is legendary producer Quincy Jones, that might actually have something to do with the news that the Brooklyn outfit -- now in its official 2.0 version -- have entitled their highly anticipated fourth studio effort Father of the Bride. If not, it at least lends credence to the way Koenig tallies up life’s riches, today’s socio-political tensions, and the inevitability of death taking it all way on the album’s leadoff single “Harmony Hall”. Rostam co-produced it, so you can’t quite say what sounds different here is a result of his absence, but the listen does shift ever so slightly away from that manicured singularity of Vampire Weekend’s sound in strummy guitars and fluttering percussion, with the layers of impressionistic detail becoming even more ornate now that their membership has expanded.

Acoustic strings web a pattern where Ezra’s every word sticks out in bold font, but soon, a choral line rolls down the rails of a piano train spirited somewhere between George Michael’s “Faith” and a jam band session. It’s characteristically breezy in its material, though closer inspection sings a story far more disconcerting. “And the stone walls of Harmony Hall bear witness / Anybody with a worried mind could never forgive the sight,” he sings. “Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified / I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die.” That last line being a reference to MVOTC track "Finger Back", only slightly adjusting its context in which our current culture climate makes existentialism a tough chore for the humanistically sane. With all they’ve learned from time, Vampire Weekend assess their discomfort with it through grown-up ease.

Vampire Weekend’s Father of the Bride will be released later this year on Columbia Records.

[gadgetgirl71]

November Round Up

This November I managed to read 12 books I can’t believe it myself. I haven’t read that amount of books in one month for ages. With reading this amount of books I have finally caught up with my Goodreads 2020 Reading Challenge. However that leaves me 7 more books to read in December to complete my reading challenge of 80 books.

I hope during December I can write all of the book reviews for the ARC’s that I’ve read and committed to write a review on this year. So I can start afresh in January 2021. I have been having trouble with writing my book reviews this year, which I have shared with you a few times over the months.

Over the last few months I’ve been suffering from lots of very bad headaches some turning in to migraines, even when I’ve been crafting. So last week I rang the Opticians and got an appointment for the next day. It turns out that I needed new glasses even though I wasn’t due to have my eyes tested again till next summer. So I can’t wait to pick up my new glasses this week, as I’m hoping that this will help me with writing, reviewing and keeping my blog up to date as well as getting back to my crafting. The only reason I’ve been able to keep reading with my kindle it because I’ve had it on the largest font that I can use.

November Reviews:

Book One.

Ghost by Dolly Alderton Pages: 336. Publication Date: 15 October 2020. My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

MY REVIEW

Book Two.

The Fate of Us by Tori Fox Pages: 261. Publication Date: 27 August 2020. My Rating: ⭐⭐

MY REVIEW

Books Read This Month:

The Rush’s Edge by Ginger Smith

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane

Colton’s Salvation (Demented Sons MC #1) by Kirstine Allen

A Perfect Paris Christmas by Mandy Baggot

Last One to the Party by Bethany Clift

A Witch for Mr Holiday (Witches of Christmas Grove #1)by Deanna Chase

Trusting Skylar (Silverstone #1) by Susan Stoker

A Witch for Mr Christmas (Witches of Christmas Grove #2) by Deanna Chase

Saving the Preachers Daughter (Dogs of Fire MC Savannah Chapter #1) by Piper Davenport

Stealing the Biker’s Heart (Dogs of Fire MC Savannah Chapter #2) by Piper Davenport

Redeeming the Biker’s Past (Dogs of Fire MC Savannah Chapter #3) by Piper Davenport

314 (Widowsfield Trilogy #1) by A R Wise

Recently Acquired Books This Month:

Pre-Ordered Books:

A Witch for Mr Winter (Witches of Christmas Grove #3) by Deanna Chase

Amazon First Read:

The Empress by Laura Martinez-Belli, Translator Simon Bruni

Amazon Purchases:

One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot

Blending In: A Magical Romcom by R J Blain

A Witch for Mr Holiday (Witches of Christmas Grove #1) of by Deanna Chase

A Witch for Mr Christmas (Witches of Christmas Grove #2) by Deanna Chase

Bear Strength (Reverse Harem Biker Protector Romance) by Lilly Wilder

The Ten Thousand Door of January by Alix E Harrow

Hardback Purchases:

Leaving the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Signed Edition)

Dances and Dreams on Diamond Street by Craig Revel Horwood (Signed Edition)

NetGalley:

Last One to the Party by Bethany Clift

Cunning Woman by Elizabeth Lee

Trusting Skylar (Silverstone #1) by Susan Stoker

BookBub Free Books:

For a list of all the FREE books Via BookBub please go to Books Acquired via BookBub in November 2020 Post.

Book Blitz Posted This Month:

Instant Heat (Breathing Hearts #1) by A K MacBride

The Librarians Vampire Assistant #5 by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

The Prince’s Bride by JJ McAvoy

Fighting for Us by Bella Emy

Then He Happened by Claudia Burgoa

Our Friendship Matters by Kimberly B Jones

The Guy from the Internet by Birdie Song

Wyatt (Twilight Falls #4) by A M Salinger

The Hit Mom by K Marie

It’s Raining Men by Rich Amooi

Faerest by Brianna Bennett

The Taming of a Wicked Rogue by Samantha Holt

When the River Rises by Joey Jones

Worth the Wait by Charity West

Slash (Devils Fury MC #7) by Harley Wylde

Book Blitz Cover Reveals This Month:

The Consequences of Fate by Mary E Palmerin

November’s Favourite Book Blitz Cover

November’s Favourite NetGalley Cover

November’s Favourite Cover Reveal

November’s Favourite BookBub Cover

So the reasons for this months favourite book covers for the four different categories are:

Fighting for Us: Well I think lots of people may like this book cover as it’s seasonal with a bit of a hunk. Say no more!

The Consequences of Fate: Well seeing I only posted one cover reveal this month I only had this one to choose from.

The Last One at the Party: This cove drew me to wanting to read this book and once I read the synopsis I just knew it was my type of book.

Curse of Christmas: I had to choose this one as I’m feeling quite seasonal and this just put me more into a Christmassy mood.

#ARC, #BookBlog, #BookBlogger, #BookBub, #BookReview, #Books, #Covers, #GoodReads, #NetGalley, #NetGalleyuk, #NewBooksAcquired, #November2020, #NovemberRoundUp, #ReadingChallenge

[distributhor-of-happiness]

Hello les koalas! Le froid est revenu ! Et le mois de décembre est enfin là. Cela veut donc dire sapin, lectures hivernales, Noël en petit comité et peut-être quelques flocons (en Belgique, c’est rare… on verra bien!). Mais surtout, écrire le bilan de novembre signifie que la fin de l’année approche. Et qui dit fin de l’année, dit aussi bilan annuel, fin du Goodreads challenge et le point sur les objectifs de l’année. Il nous reste un mois pour finaliser ça. Que votre décembre livresque se passe bien ! Mais avant, le point sur novembre qui fut un joli mois de lecture pour ma part. Le dernier du Pumpkin Autumn Challenge 🙂 

Novembre

Livres lus : 9 livres

Pages tournées : 3125

#CLIC

5⭐ – Excellente lecture…

Ma lecture chouchou du mois n’est autre que FOOLISH HEARTS. Un roman ado tout doux, plein de bons sentiments avec lequel j’ai passé un très bon moment. Je l’avais dans ma PAL depuis bien longtemps et j’ai du mal à croire que j’ai attendu autant de temps pour le découvrir. Je recommande aux amateurs de lectures mignonnes (en VO) qui font chavirer votre petit coeur d’ado.

4⭐ – J’ai adoré…

Toutes mes autres lectures du mois.

J’ai enchainé les Felicity Atcock (tome 3, 4, 5, 6 et le bonus 3,5) avec lesquels j’ai passé des moments bien drôles, bien tordus et bien “romantiques”. La plume de Sophie Jomain est toujours si agréable. Quant à son héroïne, il ne faut pas la prendre trop au sérieux. Elle a le don pour se mettre dans la pire des situations. Entre anges, demi-démons, vampires et changelings, j’ai eu ma dose de créatures fantastiques ! Si vous êtes intéressés, voici ma chronique de la première intégrale (tomes 1 et 2). Je ne voudrais pas vous spoiler la suite 🙂

La voleuse de livres fut une lecture splendide et unique. J’ai également regardé le film qui est superbement adapté. Une lecture qui me restera en tête pendant longtemps et que je ne regrette pas d’avoir découvert.

La neuvième maison m’a également beaucoup plu. Je suis curieuse de lire la suite (qui n’est pas encore dispo) et je recommande ce livre à ceux qui aiment le fantastique sanglant (rituels, fantômes, enquête et sociétés secrètes au programme!).

Enfin, j’ai lu le classique de la littérature édité chez Bragelonne dans une édition qui vaut la peine d’avoir dans sa bibliothèque à savoir, Princess Bride. J’avais déjà vu le film il y a longtemps donc je me rappelais de certaines scènes. Toutefois, la lecture du livre est une expérience incomparable que je ne peux que vous recommander. Goldman fait de ce récit une histoire inoubliable. Humour et mise en abîme sont au rendez-vous !

📚📚📚 Il a rejoint ma PAL 📚📚📚

Moment inédit cette année ! Un seul roman a rejoint ma PAL et c’est un livre que j’ai déjà lu. Avez-vous deviné ?

Oui, il s’agit de THE BONE SEASON de Samantha Shannon chez De Saxus. Je me le suis offert en édition relié car je soutiens l’auteur depuis qu’elle a sorti son livre aux éditions J’ai lu en 2014. J’avais dit à ce moment là qu’elle irait loin et grâce aux éditions De Saxus qui lui offre une nouvelle vie, je suis certaine que cela va être le cas. Et je compte bien relire ce livre que j’avais adoré car la suite sera dispo en 2021 !!! Youhouuu

En novembre : +1 livre

PS: j’ai aussi commandé Le Royaume Assassiné qui ne devrait pas tarder à rejoindre ma boite aux lettres ❤

 Que vais-je lire en décembre ? 

Pour ceux qui auraient loupé l’article, voici ma PAL prévisionnelle pour le Cold Winter Challenge #CWC. De très belles lectures à l’horizon ! Il me tarde de rejoindre le doux cocon des lectures cosy de Noël !

Psssssit : mes livres sont dispos en commande dans votre librairie et via le net !

A bientôt les koalas !

[Bilan mensuel] • Novembre • 2020/11 Hello les koalas! Le froid est revenu ! Et le mois de décembre est enfin là. Cela veut donc dire sapin, lectures hivernales, Noël en petit comité et peut-être quelques flocons (en Belgique, c'est rare...

[taxicabmag]

Four Poems by Jessie Janeshek

House of Wax/Aches and Pains

It will be bad news        but go ahead, take a walk

               make your own pizza

like it’s the same        as snorting cocaine      in the Arbor Day Plaza

       or racking up red steps

                 under the watertank

or how you mock Dracula             w/ bad hair and a flat chest

                   bat bikinis          black dresses

       and not enough jewelry.

Vampires live        on red sauce or thick venison

        rotting amber in heat

                 and you don’t even listen to me

just send the obituary          but what could the cat music

             in my scrapbook mean?

You lock me in the zoo          my soft leopard stole losing heat

        or you lock me in the wax house

or you spot me at the restaurant

      and stare atavistically       murmuring sister

burn me in street

                          say his death means the ass-end

                                  of good times, the 50s

                          your fancy grief.

In this town full of scarecrows           gold wallpaper, trains

        men kissing from trucks

                             give me dead country magic.

        I buy a strange ring to put on and get sick

        I pray with a twang      walking the earth

                        undead in Nebraska.

Bad Bridge, Devil Red Rumble Seat

               I was the new kind of blonde

    appetitive longlegged automaton          a miniature sheep farm in Brownville, Nebraska.

                       I don’t trust what I’ve done

                                  but have you done it with a hot water bottle

                                          a fear of your fall stalker

                                  or any regularity?

                I was the new kind of bride

         I gave up being pure with any knack for California gold

                       a kind of unconscious

                                   scotch and soda superstition

                      a fair woman acts dark

             I gave myself over      to two dudes with pool cues

                  strapped to their backs

                            I gave up my future             at Meriwether Dredge.

                 My future starts at 10:27

                         red water-tank glows wind factory dark

             before he fucks me, he asks

                        do you have any interest

               in a car wreck that will take        the skin off your face?

            Screwball queen masquerading as queen of the harlots

                          erecting my high heel

                exactly in front of the witch jail

                                           a kind of unconscious superstition

                                           a thin line between kissing and suicide

                 I’ll enter the dinner party dressed like Madam Satan or Norma Shearer

                                false eyelashes maybe.

                  I’m afraid of the party           but your id will give me a ride.

House of Wax/Free O’Frost

         You ask why I’m still chopping

pumpkin on a stick             hens and chicks

         when it’s not worth it            give yourself apoplexy

heat’s on/a top knot              we walk through pseudo-winter

                      you say I’ll regret complaining

        when all men stop whistling

        you say you can’t stop crying

                     about prairie city

        his skin falling off his skull in the yard.

I was drunk in a past life

        I always kept a noose in the room

desolate, spicy, and wild just in case.

        Now I go out to piss

                 behind spooky pines

        since it makes me feel like an animal.

                          I go out in my vinyl

                 Halloween costume

                               and plastic mask

                 I keep lapping up blood to feel full

                          I don’t wear gloves

                     and I owe myself

                          the longest apology.

The glittery deer          wears the longest

                 eyelashes ’til me.

I eat eight pieces of pizza

        sew my lashes on         once I numb myself

                 with booze and cocaine.

You say old money/new money            stratified sadness

        Hollywood forever       erroneous gold jacquard robes.

                 You say unwrap the deer       get out of my house

        but I was drunk in a past life

                 crash-crushy velvet.

                                   High winds, no forgiveness

                          the man spanked me over and over

                                   no gloves

                          a beastling has-been

                          hot roots on the lit

                                   route to stardom

                          illegal schemes and my scar

                                   bloated like your inflatable

                          corpse in pink lipstick

                                   weak star but there’s still a room for me

                          in the dark snow of late-nite TV.

House of Wax/Husker Red

        I dream money comes

in envelopes written in Western font

          like a long-lost rogue father

                badness becomes                badness in badlands and learning the blackness

         badness in learning      a venison daughter        a too-soon semi-waste.

             You apologize for your gender in natural colors

      then you just lean back            criticize body hair

                      you say burnt fur

      too soon and my limitations      you love getting punched in the face.

                                  It probably seems like we’re everywhere

                                         taxidermy museums       the axe-murder house

                                                sucking joints for our sadness

                    and it gets a little murky

                           in my little mind

                                         w/ all the duck decoys

                                              the exposure to the weather

                                         the shadow effect                 the death day hovers

                                                 my face like a harlot

                                            not heart-shaped enough.

You ask why I’m not mourning

             like Dracula’s daughter        you pump up the volume

                 and why can’t we just fuck?

                                         You don’t watch TV                                           this house is too hollow

so let’s just get sad                                   and wander the graveyard

                    hit the stag bar

                           kiss at the stag bar in my blue-black lipstick

but it’s not a diary                if everyone writes it

             hemlock soft hard

                  baywood close liquid

                                                look into my crystal ball

                                                you can’t see a pore

      it’s not a chainletter       when it’s this derivate

                but don’t you feel like my whore

                           tongue on my tongue once

                           drinking from my bloody cheeks?

                                  You’ll go back to god

                                         so your flatbed truck levitates

                           I’ll dream a soft curse

                                       in the murder cabin

                       leave the ghost some tobacco so in comparison you’re moralistic

                                  wash my hair before the hayride

                                  wash my hair after the frost

                                                even in the snowstorm

                                                              in the black coat

                                                I’ll go out to show off my legs—

Jessie Janeshek's second full-length book of poems is The Shaky Phase (Stalking Horse Press, 2017). Her chapbooks are Spanish Donkey/Pear of Anguish (Grey Book Press, 2016), Rah-Rah Nostalgia (dancing girl press, 2016), Supernoir (Grey Book Press, 2017), Hardscape (Reality Beach, forthcoming), and Auto-Harlow (Shirt Pocket Press, forthcoming). Invisible Mink (Iris Press, 2010) is her first full-length collection. She holds a PhD from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and an MFA from Emerson College. You can follow her on Twitter @BlondeBitters and Instagram @fruitbatlashes.

Pictured: Cubism Study, Colored pencil on board, 2017. By John Collins, Taxicab Magazine’s Virtual Artist-in-Residence.

[junkcereals]

Junk Cereals: Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry

With Halloween around the corner, I had to investigate the Monster Cereals trio. Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry have been in the culture for a few decades. Count Chocula and Franken Berry came out in 1971, and Boo Berry was introduced in 1973. General Mills tried including two others in the monster brigade, Frute Brute (which was released in the 1970s and the 2010s, since apparently it’s hard to recognize true failure when you choose the most self-pleasing vantage point) and Fruity Yummy Mummy (which was released in the 1980s and made the same 2013-14 comeback because ridiculousness comes in pairs).

First of all, Count Chocula is everything it wants to be: scary, threatening and tasty. Are you scared enough to eat it? Are you scared enough not to eat it? Are you so proud that you would bleed to death from a vampire bite rather than join a chocolate-eating culture?

None of these cereals lie about what they are, and advertise their low bar of flavor in decent-size font on the front of the box. Count Chocula is not the least of these, as it expresses itself to be a chocolatey cereal. Read: not all the way to chocolate.

Count Chocula is chocolatey enough to taste reasonably like chocolate. Thus, it is the most pleasing of the trio. Also, at the end of the bowl, it leaves behind a decent chocolate trail in the milk. 

This has all the wickedly pleasing marshmallows that never fail and appear to be dusted a bit with chocolate powder.

Boo Berry does nice work. While artificially flavored, it legitimately tastes like blueberry. The scariest part of this is I might actually buy a second box of this if it remained on the shelf after Halloween. Maybe I’m lying to myself.

The ghoulishness is credible, ostensibly because it’s blue. If it were white, well, I hope it tastes like something other than white chocolate so that I can believe in it.

Franken Berry proves that you can’t create a strawberry taste by shouting it from a mile-and-a-half away. This stuff tries to taste like strawberries, and occasionally I kind of want to embrace that idea, but most days I can’t get up the emotional energy. 

The grain pieces in all of these cereals are the same shape (and those pieces aren’t substantive in either Boo Berry and Franken Berry), so you end up putting more faith in the marshmallows, which don’t disappoint. Similarly, I will await the release of the Bride of Franken Berry cereal, hoping that she is his better half.

Count Chocula nutritional facts: 1.5 g fat, 130 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrates (9 g sugar), 1 g fiber, 25% DV iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, zinc and Vitamins B6 and B12. (Boo Berry and Franken Berry both have 28 g carbohydrates and 150 mg sodium as the only differences.)

How many bowls did it takes? 18

How many do I wish? Count Chocula: 30, Boo Berry: 20, Franken Berry: 5

[glittergroovy]