"He was right. I didn't want to be a vampire. But it had to be better than being dead."

— REGARDS—

Dutch forests

albertdrosphotography

art trade skk flower shop au for @thatkarleesidraws :D

AU where they made Dazai go to therapy and now he's working in a flower shop. He knows nothing about flowers or how to care for them and gives terrible advice to his customers.

by Anne-Marie Leflaive

Welsh Spring woodland

Azalea

A lot of the changes that have happened to Dracula in the pop culture imagination and adaptations are frustrating.

But honestly the consistent used of garlic bulbs instead of garlic flowers is funny.

I presume it is because it's more visually obvious (and easier for the audience to recognize it as garlic.) But a wreath of flowers is a very different image than a whole wreath of garlic bulbs. It's so much less subtle.

listen i love and grow and appreciate native plants as much as any plant ecology nerd but good god the energy of a lot of native plant discussion on social media continues to be so............ much

to me it is evident that jonathan already knows that his situation is precarious at best and actively dangerous at worst. all the "he doesnt see the red flags" stuff that people used to say about him is utter nonsense.

he recognizes that drac is purposefully keeping him awake at night and, while he doesnt remark upon his suspicions, his wording and choice of details to include (e.g. drac going "you must be less interesting, so i don't keep you awake", which is more a reflection on drac being a bad host than on any fault of jonathan's) makes it clear that he understands that this is done on purpose and not by accident.

he keeps taking note of situations in which he would expect to see other people, but doesn't. he is aware that he is isolated and alone with a dangerous man (he took special care to highlight drac's unnatural strength and cold skin, the nauseating feeling he got upon being too close during that first supper, and he keeps taking note of any incident in which drac makes him feel uneasy - the nasty smiles, the way drac comes and goes without letting jonathan know when to expect him).

he is wants to be the model picture of an english gentleman guest, trying not to snoop and wander about the castle, when he doesn't have his host's permission. still, he can't help himself but try the doors, and the second door he tries is already locked (which is, of course, important in conjunction with the fact that drac tells him that he wouldnt wish to go anywhere that was behind a locked door, anyways). additionally, he notices that there are no mirrors, which he tries to frame as "oh, i am lacking one of the comforts i am used to, haha, sure weird that these transylvanian people don't have those", but it gives him pause - especially, considering the obvious wealth and opulence he is otherwise surrounded with.

to me this all reads as a continuation of that sentiment from may 4th where he already penned down that if he doesn't make it back himself, he hopes that his journal does (and that one of the last sentiments he wished to convey was his love for mina, i am still not okay about that). obviously, he isn't yet at the point where he wants to give shape to his fears by outright writing them down, but he is meticulously keeping track of all those red flags people joke about him missing. if he wasn't, he wouldn't be writing them down. their inclusion in his journal shows that jonathan knows what's going on (with the limited information he has, obviously), shows his wariness of his host, and shows that he isn't sure if he will safely return to mina.

I love how todays update really drives home the tragedy of everyone just doing their best and trying so hard and bad things still happening to them

It is understandable that van helsing can't stay every night with lucy indefinitely because he has other things to do back home and he tries to get seward to be there in his place but accidentally fucks up the adresse on telegram he sends

Seward can't be there for lucy every night indefinitely because he too has work to do he already has fallen behind on with everything going on, he also can't give more blood transfusions at the moment so he can't save lucy in an emergency and he is exhausted so he couldn't even properly look after her at night

Lucys mother just wants to check on her daughter and dies because of it because dracula scares her to death

Lucy tries to look out for the maids by sending them to the dining room to calm down and have a drink which opens them up to being drugged and makes herself even more vulnerable

Lucy herself wants her mother to have some flowers in death so she accidentally gets rid of her last defense against dracula even if she knows van helsing told her to keep the flowers where they are at all costs

And even mina can't be there for lucy even though she so desperately wants to because she still has to care for jonathan who is still dealing with the aftermath of his encounter with dracula

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 20 March 2024

The edible plant Allium triquetrum (triangular garlic, three-cornered leek, angled onion, onion weed) is considered an invasive species in some countries. It will quickly cover the ground and is very challenging to remove!

Jill Raggett

I've picked a wild garlic flower and placed it between the pages of Sep 11th (when Van Helsing gives Lucy the wild garlic flowers), so I will find (hopefully) a pressed garlic flower between the pages when we get to that entry. I've never pressed a flower before so I don't know if I'm doing it right or if it will work: wish me luck! I'll update you when we get to that entry

The "Bloofer Lady"

Other portraits:

Mina | Jonathan | Dracula | Lucy | Lucy...? | Lucy (Final) | Jonathan (3 Oct) | Mina (3 Oct) | Dracula (Final)

Before vs After:

Creamy Roasted Pepper and Garlic Pasta (Vegan & Gluten-Free)