Mod Gemmy here! So when or if Mara Dracula appears, I’m not sure how to handle her skin tone because she’s not white. Should I have it be her skin ton, or white like how everyone is in Spooky Month? Idk how to uh make polls on mobile so… oop

Drawings below:

The next sheet in my Doctor Who character series! Round #2 of Aliens and Monsters.

Featuring The Rani, Mechanoids, The Kandyman, The Mara, Sea Devils and Alpha Centuri.

just re-watched this episode

Rise Of Empires: Ottomans

Rise of Empires: Ottoman - Season 2

Quality : HD screencaptures Amount : 9.411  files Resolution : 1.920 x 1.080 px

-Please like/reblog if taking!

Why is he still flex material?

A Taste of Faith

[PRINT] - [COMMISSIONS]

Ok so the concept for this piece was : historical gay nuns, and 70s lesbian vampire movies meets tes (don't ask me why- I just had a vision at 3 am)

Because I think Serana should have been meaner<3 I love women's wrongs and when vampires do the suck <3

Btw of you want to see more gay Serana art, go check out @gay-of-waterdeep, their art is wonderful, and I can't say this was not a bit inspired by what they do :))

Process (and me rambling about some of my favorite 70s lesbian vampire movies (because I have a problem)) below vvv

Additional details about this drawing ! 1) I used the same Mara design than the one from my tarot deck :)) and 2) the other woman is one of the priestess in the temple in Riften lglggigkglgl her name is *check wiki* Dinya Balu

And now......... Some movies I enjoy because my house my rules, you came this far so why not hear about niche european movies :))))))

Disclaimer for a majority of the films in this genre : the male gaze is very fucking obvious in these movies... they were made by men for men, and the message is often "lesbianism is a dangerous temptation for women". It's a glairing flaw nearly all of them share and that sucks (and frankly it's a flaw Serana's writting kinda has in my opinion, minus the lesbianism part, but let's not dwell on that)- so if you can't get past it, it's completly understandable, be on your way and have a nice day <3

- Daughters of Darkness ! A toxic man is returning to london with his newly wed wife, but they get stuck in Belgium and are forced to stay in a luxurious hotel. Don't worry about the 10/10 smokeshow countess seducing his wife :). Completely unrelated, this movie has, in my opinion, the most beautiful lesbian kiss I've ever seen- but I might not be very objective because Delphine Seyrig is there lglglflflllglm The best one in the list ! So if you want to whatch one, whatch this one <3

- The blood spattered bride ! This is more of... an aquired taste let's say- but I really like it ! A quite effective horror movie, with goofy ass scenes (shoutout to the vampire lady buried in the sand naked with only a diving mask that is not the screenshot because tits), and emasculation being a recuring theme <3 (but if you want to watch it, please check the content warnings beforehand, it has a lot of very shocking and frontal scenes, and it's the 70s so it's not done very tactfully. Also pretty intense flashing lights)

- The vampire lovers ! Ok so this one is a lot less fun compared to the other two because it's made by the Hammer BUT... 1) Ingrid Pitt hello and 2) it's such a intriging thing to see a very christian/conservative studio make a film like that. I know a lot of people don't like the Hammer movies from the 70s, because the studio had a lot less money, and were making wild decisions. But I love them, because they tend to be much more fun bloody and sexy ! I'm a simple woman mjllkklhkhlhlho case in point with the vampire lovers (although if you want a fun vampire hammer movie from the 70s, Dracula ad 1972 is way better). And Peter Cushing is there (i love this man so much-) !

And now I shall resume my quest to find Vampire Lesbos by Jésus Franco and have a probably mid experience watching it xoxo

this incorrect quote thing is becoming an addiction i think

more teenage rebellion AU!

Sabine: I'm so tired of this life. I want to be a roomba. I want knives taped to me. And I want to be set loose.

---

Sabine: I feel like I can be myself around you. Youngest Brother: You’re weird and quiet around me. Sabine: Yes.

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Katka, opening a Space Capri Sun: Guess I'll drink my sorrows away.

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Sabine: Please say words of encouragement to me so I don’t murder someone right now. Leia: You don't get to paint in prison. Sabine: *sighs* Thank you.

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Youngest Brother: Dear Diary. My teenage angst banthacrap has a body count.

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Leia: Do you ever get pre-annoyed? Like you already know someone is going to tick you off? Luke: What? No, I— Youngest Brother: *enters room* Leia: *jaw clenches*

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Luke, about Youngest Sister: I could fix her, but honestly whatever the heck is wrong with her is way funnier. Katka: That's what any god probably thinks about me.

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Youngest Sister: Dracula had it right, sleep all day, live alone in a castle, and explode into bats to get out of all social situations.

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Youngest Sister: So… I’ve seen you’ve been spending a lot of time with that Wren girl recently. Youngest Brother: No, Mara, it's not what it looks like, I swear. Youngest Sister: Oh really? So no reason for me to be jealous? Youngest Brother: No! You’re the only one for me. Youngest Sister: Is that so? Youngest Brother: I promise! She and I are just... together... sort of... okay?! She’s my partner. Youngest Sister: So there are no best-friends-feelings involved? Youngest Brother: You are still my one and only best friend! She’s just the love of my life, nothing more! Youngest Sister: But I’m still the platonic love of your life, right? Youngest Brother: Of course bro! Youngest Sister: Bro... Sabine: What the-

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Sabine: I see the red flags, I acknowledge that they're there, and then I completely ignore them. Leia: *facepalm*

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Youngest Brother: Think you can answer some questions without the usual level of sarcasm? Youngest Sister: If you can ask the questions without the usual level of stupid.

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Katka: If I can't cause tiny bits of chaos every day, I think my body will shut down.

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[at the sleepover in GItN] Leia: Youngest Brother, can I ask you a question? Youngest Brother: Yes? Leia: Why don't you go back to your Depression Fortress and leave us alone?

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Youngest Brother: Unfortunately, due to several experiences in my youth, I cannot just 'walk up and join a circle of people talking', but it does sound lovely, thank you.

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Sabine: Do you ever wonder why you're still single? Katka, eating mayonnaise straight out of the jar with a spoon: Yeah... I mean, I'm perfect! Who wouldn't want to date me? Sabine: I can name a few people...

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Youngest Sister: Are you having another depressive episode? Youngest Brother: A depressive episode? Youngest Brother: I'm having a depressive series and we're just on season one.

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Leia: If looking good was a crime, you’d be a law abiding citizen.

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Katka: What can therapy do for me that screaming in my car for 30 minutes can’t?

#DRACUI / IND. WRITING BLOG FOR DRACULA OF PENNY DREADFUL. WRITTEN BY MARA.

Hi Evelyn! How was your day today?

Hello Evelyn's... companion, do you have a name?

"That’s a conversation for when… I’m not at work…"

list of names i use to pick character names!

i scoured several baby names sites years ago and i still use this list to this day if i’m stumped on what to name a character of mine! figured i might as well post it since it might help someone else! feel free to add on ^^

https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/50-baby-names-that-means-healer-for-girls-and-boys/ (boys?? ig??) Aeson Before Jason, it was Aeson. This variation of name had commanded the hearts and minds of the warriors. Aeson means ‘healer’. Alaunus Alaunus is the name Sun God in Gaulish. It also means prediction, and revenge, which also happens to be related to the Greek god named Apollo. The name Alaunus signifies ‘brightness’. Asa A simple, sober, and scriptural name, Asa, means ‘expert, healer, or an individual born in the morning sun’. This is a uni-sexual name, that sounds equally good on females. Galen Galen is the name of a second-century physician who developed the basis of medicine. Galen means ‘quiet or healer’. Helem Helem, an Israeli word, signifying ‘to dream or to heal’. This name is slowly losing its existence, however if you like sound of it, you can definitely pick it up for your boy. Jayr Jayr, which means ‘healer’, has been used in America since the founding of the provinces, all thanks to the Puritans. Despite being an old name, its a rarely used one. (girls?? ig??) Airmed The name Airmed comes from the Irish mythology. A woman named Airmed was known for her ability to heal people during battle. There goes a folklore that healing herbs sprouted from her tears and healed the body of the injured. Althea This sentimental and ethereal name comes from the Greek folklore and has a peaceful ring to it. Althea implies healing power. Amethyst Amethyst has been utilized in healing and enchantment since time immemorial. As Amethyst is a birthstone from February, it would be best utilized for a young lady from February. Emma Emma, the generally acclaimed name, has numerous takers everywhere throughout the world. So no big surprise individuals decipher it unexpectedly. While its most regular meanings are ‘widespread, complete or whole’, in Teutonic, Emma signifies ‘healer of the universe’. Leigh Leigh has several meanings. In Celtic, Leigh signifies ‘healer’. This name can likewise be spelled as Leigha. It is a unisex name. Reselda Reselda, an enchanting Latin American name, which means healer, is getting a charge out of moderate degrees of utilization in European nations. Sirona The name Sirona belongs to the Celtic healing goddess. In the eastern Gaul, the figure of Sirona appears in carvings near the German sulfur springs. Even its temples are built near the thermal springs and healing wells.

https://baby.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Gothic_Baby_Names Arachne (girl) - Young woman who challenged Athena and was turned into a spider Balor (boy) - One-eyed giant in Irish mythology Griffin/Gryphon (boy) - Mythological beast with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle Isolde (girl) - tragic Irish heroine Moon (unisex) - ancient symbol of fertility (last names) Addams - from the famous show The Addams Family Bara - a noted femme fatale from the 1910s Baudelaire - French poet famous poet from Gothic period in literature Gorey - artist who has a goth aesthetic Mortem - after fashion design Rose Mortem who is married to Goth band frontman from The Awakening Stoker - last name of the writer of Dracula (dark sounding names) Akeldama (boy) - field of blood; where Judas Iscariot committed suicide Dade (boy) - dark one Draven (m) - Child of the shadows Leila (girl) - Arabic for night Mara (girl) - a maleficent female wraith in Scandinavian folklore that causes nightmares Shadow (unisex) - black Shiva (boy) - God of destruction (creepy) Avarice (girl) - greed Badriyah (girl) - full moon Golgotha (unisex) - Hebrew for skull Melancholia (girl) - a mental condition and especially a manic-depressive condition Morte (boy) - French for dead Thorne (unisex) - sharp Vladimir (boy) - alleged vampire Wolfe (boy) - deadly beast (creative gothic names) Ascelin (unisex) - of the moon Aelfwif (boy) - Germanic word for elf + battle or war Alaric (boy) - first king of the Visigoths; means all-powerful ruler Clove (girl) - spice Draconia (girl) - dire Druscilla (girl) - it sounds dark but actually means fruitful Dyrk (boy) - one who admires nighttime Mallory (girl) - cursed or ill-fated one Perdita (girl) - lost in Spanish Quillon (boy) - sword Twilight (girl) - dusk Vespers (unisex) - Catholic evening prayers Xander (boy) - vampire hunter from the television show, Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (nature) Ash (boy) - what's left after a fire Belladonna (girl) - poisonous plant with purple flowers Branwen (boy) - Bran is a Celtic word for crow Briar (boy) - a thorn Chrysanthemum (girl) - flower associated with death in Japan and some European countries Foxglove (girl) - a beautiful but poisonous flower Hellebore (girl) - flower that blooms through the snow in the middle of winter Hemlock (unisex) - poison Socrates took to commit suicide Merula (boy) - Latin for blackbird Oleander (unisex) - a beautiful but poisonous plant Onyx (unisex) - stone that is pitch black Raven (girl) - bird often associated with death Sage (unisex) - a spice Willow (girl) - weeping tree; symbol of death (books) Basil - from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Desdemona (girl) - tragic Shakespearean heroine Grendel (boy) - name of the beast from Beowulf Eulalie (girl) - figure from Edgar Allen Poe poem Manfred (boy) - the lord in The Castle of Otranto, a gothic novel by Horace Walpole Nimue (girl) - an Arthurian sorceress Tempest (unisex) - as in by Shakespeare

https://baby.lovetoknow.com/baby-names/celestial-boy-names-related-space-astronomy (galaxy) Baade - last name Burbidge - last name Cygnus - swan Fath - conquest Fornax - furnace Helix - spiral ornament Leo - lion Phoenix - dark red Reinmuth - counsel mind Serpens - the serpent Virgo - young (planet, moon, satelite) Atlas - moon of Saturn; name of a Greek titan who held the heavens on his shoulders Hyperion - moon of Saturn; named for a Greek titan Jovian - name of the system that includes Jupiter, its rings, and its moons Mars - planet name representing the Roman god of war because the planet is red Mond - German word for "moon" Oberon - moon of Uranus; named after the king of the fairies in a Shakespeare play Phobos - one of Mars' moons named after a horse who pulled Roman god Mars' chariot (star and constellation) Alnair - the bright one Aquila - the eagle; constellation Azmidi - unknown Celaeno - the dark one Chertan - two small ribs Dorado - the swordfish; constellation Elgafar - the forgiver Felis - cat Hydrus - the male water snake; constellation Wurren - little fish (astronomers) Asaph (Hall) - discovered the moons of Mars Edwin (Hubble) - American astronomer who created a galaxy classification system Kepler (Johannes) - determined planets traveled around the sun in ellipses Sagan (Carl) - American astronomer who helped popularize astronomy (astronomy terms) Albedo - ratio of reflected light Aphelion - the point where a celestial body is furthest from the sun while orbiting Barlow - type of lens for a telescope Blazar - type of active galaxy Comet - ball of ice and debris orbiting the sun Dob - short for Dobsonian; type of reflector for a telescope Equinox - when day and night are of equal length Phoenix or Phoena (The magical fire bird in Greek mythology. In Greek, Phoenix means "rising bird" and Phoena means "mystical bird" or "purple.") Gibbous - when the moon appears more than half illuminated Meridian - imaginary north-south line Mak - nickname for the Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope Zodiac - set of constellations

https://baby.lovetoknow.com/baby-names/137-magical-girl-names Althea (Greek for "with healing power) Andromeda (In Greek mythology, she became a star. The name means "advising like a man.) Diana (Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon who is often associated with witchcraft and Wiccans. The word means "divine" in Latin.). Holly (English word for a type of plant, the name is often associated with Wicca.) Iris (Greek for "rainbow" and also the name of a flower. Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow.) (fairy) Aine (Irish name that means "brightness or splendor." In Celtic folklore, Aine was the queen of the Munster fairies and a goddess of the summer.) Asteria (Greek for "star." She was the goddess of justice. Also known as the "crying fairy.") Calliope (Greek for "beautiful voice.") Devas (Persian/Greek fairies that live in nature and appear as small balls of light, like fireflies.) Mab (Irish for "baby." In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Mab is the queen of the fairies.) Selkie (In Scottish mythology, Selkie is a name for fairies which means "seal folk" as they had the ability to change into seals and human form at will.) Titania (Greek for "great one" or "giant." Titania was the queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.) (dark fairy) Agatha (Greek for "good woman." Agatha Harkness is a witch in Marvel comics.) Belinda (German/Spanish word for "pretty one" or "serpent" or "beautiful snake." A goddess of heaven and earth in Babylonian mythology." Ceridwen (Welsh for "beautiful as a poem." A Celtic goddess of poetry and a sorceress in Welsh folklore.) Dahlia (Swedish origin, the name for a flower. A dark witch character in the television show The Originals.) Eris (Greek goddess of discord and strife and a witch in the Maleficent Disney movie.) Koko or Kohko (Algonquin name that means "the night.") Lamia (Evil witch in the book and movie Stardust. A Lamia was a snake with the head and breasts of a human female in Greek mythology.) Melinoë (In Greek mythology, a nymph associated with nightmares and mental illness as well as the moon. She is associated with wearing the color yellow.) Opal (A dark pixie character in the Artemis Fowl series. The word comes from the Sanskrit and is a type of gem.) Tanith (A Phoenician goddess of the moon. Tanith Lee is an acclaimed dark fantasy author.)

(elven) Amberle (Elven princess character from the Shannara series.) Elanor (A Sindarin name that means "sun star.") Siofra (An Irish name that means "fairy" or "elf.") Vila (In Slavic mythology, a type of winged elven race that are beautiful and live in the clouds.) Willow (English origin. A type of tree and also a witch in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.) (witch) Alcina (Greek for "strong willed." A witch from Greek mythology and also an opera by Handel.) Aradia (The "first witch" from the Wiccan work Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches.) Aurora (Goddess of the dawn in Greek mythology and also the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Disney movies.) Circe (Geek for "bird." Circe was a witch in Greek mythology.) Cirilla or Ciri (A pale-haired sorceress from The Witcher books, video games and television show.) Fleur (French for "flower." Fleur Delacour is a French witch in the Harry Potter series.) Lilith (Asyrrian word for "ghost." Lilith was Adam's first wife in Hebrew mythology who became a demon.) Merlinne or Merlynne (Welsh for "sea fortress." A feminine version of Merlin, the wizard in the story of King Arthur.) Minerva (Latin for "of the mind; intellect." Minerva McGonagall is a witch in the Harry Potter series.) Sabrina (A name of Celtic origin that means "white rose." Also a famous teenage witch on television.) Sadira (Persian for "lotus tree." Sadira is a sand witch in the Aladdin Disney television show.) (mystical) Aisling (Irish name that means "dream or vision.") Amitola (A Native American name that means "rainbow.") Ariadne (A Greek goddess of fertility.) Avalon (The mystical "isle of apples" in Celtic and Arthurian legend.) Celeste or Celestia (Latin for "heavenly.") Epiphany (Greek word that means "revelation" or "revelation of a divine being.") Kachine or Kachina (A "sacred dancer" or "dancing spirit" in southwestern Native American cultures.) Luna (Italian for "moon." Luna was a Roman goddess of the moon.) Maia (Greek for "mother." Maia was the goddess of spring and "mother earth" in Roman mythology.) Merope (Greek for a bird that eats bees. In Greek mythology, one of the seven Pleiades, a group of nymphs who were turned into stars by Zeus. Also Voldemort's mother in the Harry Potter series.) Nokomis or Nakomis (Chippewa name for the daughter or grandmother of the moon.) Seraphina or Serafina (Hebrew for "fiery," Seraphina is based on the seraphim which are angels in Judaism and Christianity. Serafina Pekkala is a witch in the His Dark Materials series.) Ulloriaq (A Native American name that means "star like.") Zorya, Zora or Zarya (A pair of goddesses in Slavic mythology who are the morning star and evening star.)

(mermaid) Acantha (Greek for "thorn." A nymph in Greek mythology). Asrai (A fairy that lives in seas and lakes in English legends. They are associated with the moonlight.) Asterope (A Greek word for "starry face." She was a nymph in Greek mythology.) Clio (Greek for "glory." Cleo was a sea nymph in Greek mythology.) Daphne (Greek for "laurel tree." Daphne was a nymph in Greek mythology.) Kailani or Kailee (Hawaiian for "sea and sky.") Larissa (Greek for "citadel." A nymph in Greek mythology and the name of one of Neptune's moons.) Lorelei (In German folklore, Lorelei was a mermaid who lured sailors to their death in the Rhine River.) Melia (Greek name that means "work." Melia was a nymph in Greek mythology and the daughter of Oceanus.) Narice or Nerissa (Greek for "from the sea." Niamh, Neve, Nieve or Neave (Gaelic for "bright." In Irish folklore, Niamh was the daughter of the sea god.) Ondine (Latin for "little wave." Ondie was a nymph and water spirit in German folklore.) Sereia (Portuguese name that means "mermaid.")

https://baby.lovetoknow.com/baby-names/47-rare-boy-names-that-are-unexpectedly-cool Aero (air-oh) - air Axton - swordsman's stone Asar (ah-sar) - unknown; Greek form of Osiris, God of the Dead Benno - bear Brage (brah-gee)- first Druid (droo-ihd) - strong seer; Ancient Celtic priest or magician Enos (ay-nohss)- man or mortal Kalix - most beautiful Omri (om-ree) - my sheaf Orvar - arrow Osten - stone island Rodion (roh-dee-on) - song of the hero Scion (si-on)- descendent Taft - building site Torin - chief Yudel (yoo-dehl) - praise Zoar (zor) - light or brilliance (Extraordinary and Rare Long Names for Boys) Alderic (ahl-day-reek) - old ruler Benesh - blessed Caishen (ki-shen) - god of wealth Coleman - dove Jacobus (juh-koh-bus) - supplanter Janeiro (juh-nayr-oh) - January Ledger - tribe spear Raiden - thunder and lightning Taranis (tuh-ran-iss) - thunder Tristram (trihss-trum) - riot Whittaker (wit-uh-ker) - white field Yorick - farmer Zhubin (zoo-bihn) - spear-like

(elemental) Aidan (Gaelic) - fire element; fiery Ethereal (English) - air element; extremely delicate Garnet (Middle English) - earth element; dark red gemstone Gale (Middle English) - air element; jovial Rain (American) - water element; abundant blessings River (Latin) - water element; flowing body of water Sky (Old Norse) - air element; cloud Zephyr (Greek) - air element; west wind https://baby.lovetoknow.com/baby-names/graceful-tree-names-girls Apple Ash Aspen Catalpa Cherry Hazel Holly Juniper Laurel Madrone Magnolia Myrtle Poplar Willow Yew (scientific tree inspired) Balsamea - Abies balsamea, or balsam fir Betula - Betula lenta, or black birch Carya - Carya ovata, or shagbark hickory Castanea - Castanea dentata, or American chestnut Celtis - Celtis occidentalis, or common hackberry Cercis - Cercis canadensis, or redbud Gleditsia - Gleditsia triacanthos, or honey locust Ostrya - Ostrya virginiana, or American hophornbean Swietenia - Swietenia mahogoni, or mahogany Taeda - Pinus taeda, or loblolly pine Tilia - Tilia Americana, or American Basswood

(unique/cool) Baylisiana - there is only one Pennantia baylisiana, or Three Kings Kaikomako, left in New Zealand Dentelle - there are only two Bois dentelle, or Lace Wood trees, left in Mauritius Erythrina - coral tree, or Erythrina schliebenii, found in Tanzania Kaikomako - also inspired by the Pennantia baylisiana (Three Kings Kaikomako) in New Zealand Mpingo - African blackwood tree with a purplish hue Pennantia - also inspired by New Zealand's Pennantia baylisiana (Three Kings Kaikomako) Socotra - Socotra dragon tree, also known as Dragon Blood tree, found in Yemen (rare) Auxin - hormones in trees that stimulate cell growth Cambium - the growing part of the tree trunk Chi (Vietnamese) - branch Clematis (English) - twig Crown - the upper part of the tree with the branches Dalia (Hebrew) - hanging branch Lignin - a strong, natural chemical glue that holds the central heartwood of a tree together Ritva (Finnish) - birch branch Verbena - leaves, twigs (meaning tree) Alani (Hawaiian) - orange tree Anargul (Kazakh) - blooming pomegranate tree Ashley (English) - ash tree clearing Björk (Icelandic) - birch tree Eglė (Lithuanian) - spruce tree Elowen (Cornish) - elm tree Fidan (Turkish) - sapling Hadas (Hebrew) - myrtle tree Hadassah (Biblical) - myrtle tree Hollis (English) - holly trees Iva (Slavic) - willow tree Jela (Serbian) - fir tree Kalina (Polish) - viburnum tree Kiri (Maori) - skin of a tree Liepa (Lithuanian) - linden tree Lina (Arabic) - palm tree Lovorka (Croatian) - laurel tree Melia (Greek) - ash tree Moriko (Japanese) - forest child Oihana (Basque) - forest Ornella (Italian) - flowering ash tree Pomona (Roman) - fruit tree Randa (Arabic) - scented tree Taimi (Finnish) - young tree

if anyone has more they’d like to add feel free!

Ooh a tag game! *vibrates* I was tagged by @phoenixkaptain to answer these and then tag some people I would love to get to know better ...

1) Three ships: Hmm. Benoit Blanc/Hugh Grant('s Philip); Luke Skywalker/Mara Jade; and whatever is going on between Vader and Obi-Wan, I don't know, but it's funny in a train wreck kinda way. ... and that means my star wars phase has overtaken me completely, once again.

2) What was your first ship?

I'm not sure if canon things count, and I don't remember it clearly ... but it would have been either of these three: Hiccup/Astrid in How to train your Dragon; Eragon/Arya in Eragon; or some m/m ship from Haikyuu!!. The common denominator being: I had a crush on all of those people, respectively.

3) Last song listened to: *checks* It's La Cintura by Alvaro Soler, because it's a bop and stuck in my head whenever I catch a few notes of it.

4) Last movie watched: I let tumblr bait me into watching Glass Onion. Not disappointed.

5) Currently watching: Do I seem like I have the attention span to be "currently watching" something? Unless you mean the myriad of stuff I started and never finished ... in that case, *unrolls list from here to twitter*

6) Currently reading: I'm rifling through the Leia & Darth Vader tag on ao3. What that says about me as a üerson is between me, god, and my lawyer.

7) Currently consuming: Lemon roll! And information overload on social media. As you do.

8) Currently craving: A feeling of hunger. I should have one by now, I think. I do not. It feels weird.

Alr now to poke others:

@booksfoodmusic-minion

@draculas-bee

@secretmarial

@allwhoponder

@salmonellaandcheese

@cowgirljedi1701

@benevolentgentleman

@savage-hershys

If you feel like it, join!

ヾo Hello!

For the ask game -> 1, 12 & 26?

#1 ... You're killing me here, Mara. I was 13. I was really into The Clone Wars. I had an OC who was basically me, managed to be a Jedi, a Sith, and Mandalorian at the same time, and was some long-lost relation (can't remember exactly how) to Obi-Wan. And she was very, very edgy.

I literally forgot this OC existed. Can't say she's evolved much over the years -- more like she's been in suspended animation. Waiting. Watching. Judging me.

#12 Most of what I write falls under Medieval Fantasy, so a lot of the general research I do applies across projects. But Prince of Death did involve a fair amount of research into the population size/distribution of medieval European states, relative army sizes, and the ordering/naming of military units.

Also I've learned the proper names for the various pieces of a suit of armor.

#26 The Lord of the Rings trilogy (+ the Silmarillion) will always be a favorite. I've also got a soft spot for Narnia (The Magician's Nephew is my favorite). As a tween, I really enjoyed Mistmantle, Dragonspell, Redwall, and Percy Jackson. Out of the classics, Dracula, with The Scarlet Pimpernel and A Tale of Two Cities tied for second place. I remember reading Sense and Sensibility and really enjoying it at the time, but I couldn't tell you the plot aside from a few anecdotes if my life depended on it.

Thanks for the ask!

tag people you'd like to get to know better

thanks for tagging me ju @kraeuterhexchen love you🖤🖤

relationship status: single

favorite colours: thank god it's plural night blue, phthalo green, burgundy, black, mauve are just a few that come to mind

song stuck in my head: vuoto dentro by sick luke ft. mara sattei and bresh mixed somehow with mary on a cross by ghost

last thing you googled: the wordle website that's already in my most recent.... it's that time of the day (night?) my dudes

time: 01:19

dream trip: i would love to go backpacking around europe with my best friend karla one day and visit all the places i have never been to and simply just hang out, have the time of my life as i always do when we're together. and also! meet the cutest patootie ju, hopefully at a certain satanic band's gig...

last thing you read: the last dracula daily entry

last book: a slow fire burning by paula hawkins

favorite thing to bake/cook: oh i LOVE baking! sweet treats especially. my favourite things to bake are carrot cake, cinnamon rolls, apple cake or muffins, cheesecake and tiramisu. as for the savory, i shall add the recently learnt paprikás csirke (thx jonathan harker bbygirl)

favorite craft to do in your free time: once upon a time there was an eda who wasn't depressed out of their mind and used to do all sorts of crafts (painting, knitting, cross stitching, journaling and im probably even forgetting some) every single day to avoid having a thought. nowadays, the most i can do is a puzzle and only on sundays when im free from my disgusting job

most niche dislike: i dislike oh so many things and yet rn i can't think of anything as usual :) it's not niche but i dislike loud and aggressive people. oh and also light almost imperceptible touch as in when part of your body is so so close to someone else's body and you can feel that it's there but it's not actually touching you. it drives me insane

opinion on circuses: i hate the animal cruelty of it so i can only tolerate like acrobats and people who actually do some kind of magic with their body and their skills

do you have a sense of direction: i think i do? i can find my way after a couple trips in the same direction (ahem red café) and i also know how to use cardinal points and maps beloveds

poking my usual people (im so sorry...): @braindeadfern @xmoonlithearts @rbf451 @gothedrals @sunflowerpumpkinpie @thetimecrystal @lonelyvomit @noushbitesback @spillways-mp3 only if you want to🌿

“I’ve taken a life, but never shared a life.” - A Comprehensive Review of Sophie Lark’s Serial Killer Romance Novel, There Are No Saints

Content Warning: Abuse, sexual assault, murder, domestic violence, self-harm Spoiler Alert for There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark

“Well. Looks like I’m into serial killer romances now. So that’s brand new information. In my defense, sociopaths should not be this attractive.” writes Larissa, giving Sophie Lark’s romance novel There Are No Saints a five-star review on Goodreads. When typing in “serial killer romance” into Google, you’re greeted with listicles titled “Serial Killer Love Stories” and “5 Horrific Serial Killer Romance Books (Psychopath Love Story)”. Lark’s story is one of hundreds being mass-produced for Amazon’s Netflix-esque book subscription service, Kindle Unlimited.

Something that should be said about this novel before the full review: this book is not intended to be ‘good.’ L. Brown, who gave No Saints 4/5 stars on Amazon, says “Just please read the synopsis and content warnings before jumping in. And don’t take it too seriously while you’re reading it. It’s for the best”. This is the nature of these ‘trashy’ romance novels. They are known to be mediocre but incredibly attractive because they are filled to the brim with sexy characters and fantastical smut. This quality designation does not absolve them of criticism, though. But any ‘negative’ aspects books like these can have tend to fall into the rug-sweeping ‘taboo’ category. Toxic relationship? Taboo. Poorly written characters? Also, apparently, taboo. Any piece of criticism these novels receive fade into the background, as loving readers clamor to say, “If it’s not your cup of tea, don’t read it!”

Smut, as a category, is sexually explicit content. Content that could border on assault (or just plain be assault), consensual sex, passionate moments. The more absurd, the better. Quality falls wayside, predictably, as written porn comes to life. What this does to the culture surrounding these romance novels is conjure an immense aura of shame. Women are sly about reading their ‘smutty’ books. Those who do not want to purchase a Kindle (thus discretion), can get books from smut authors who market their novels as having “innocent covers” compared to the traditionally more lewd ones, ex. half-naked men, buff werewolves, women in the throes of passion, etc. While all being romantic in nature, these books boast strong female characters and caring male love interests. Never mind that she is pregnant, homeless, kidnapped, sick. He is a Mafia boss, a professor, a dragon, her step-brother. The core of all of these stories is love and heart, marketed in a very sharp package. Sometimes, though, the package is opened, and the only thing left inside is blood.

There Are No Saints fits perfectly into this ‘smutty’ romance genre. The book details a serial killer obsessing over an up-and-coming artist. The killer, Cole Blackwell (no relation to Edward Cullen or Jacob Black from the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, though Cole is regularly described as very pale and is compared, multiple times, to Dracula), is a famous artist from an old, rich, San Franciscan family. He has no loved ones, emotions, or redeeming qualities. Mara Eldritch (Lark loves a symbolic last name) is a young starving artist, desperate for studio space and traumatized (in a sexy way) by her abusive past. Any other characters in the books are useless, serving only as placeholders for cheap plot points (abusive parents to explain trauma away, best friends being murdered for sexy thrill, etc.).

Romance author Sophie Lark opens No Saints, confessing, in her dedication, “Writing this book was intense therapy for me, dredging up some deep hurts from a long time ago”. Therapy can look like a lot of things for different people - for Lark it looks like a heartfelt statement followed by a book drenched in dubious consent, assault, murder, and abuse. There is no additional satirical or critical layer. If Lark was trying to make commentary about women having to endure in the face of abusive men, she missed that mark entirely and ended up playing directly into it. It’s an unfortunate result to an interesting concept. Instead of Mara  being independent and daring, she has meaningless calls-to-actions that ultimately get snuffed out by the man she apparently is trying to rebel against. It’s a lesson in futility marketed as feminism.

There are No Saints begins in Cole’s point of view (the novel alternates between his and Mara’s), while he is gloomily presiding over an art show, wherein his serial killer rival is also showcasing a piece. His enemy is named Alastor Shaw (possible reference to the chief torturer demon in the hit CW show Supernatural, knowing Lark), an older, uglier man who has been in not only an art battle, but a killing battle, with Cole, for an indeterminate amount of time. The difference between the Good serial killer (Cole) and the Bad serial killer (Shaw) is that Shaw kills women. That’s it. There Are No Saints does not contain a “killer-of-killers” redeemable love interest. Cole kills 14 innocent men, but no women, “I don’t kill women, typically, This is not out of any petty moral constraint. It’s just too fucking easy”.

Enter Mara into the gallery. Described by Cole as “a nobody” wearing “a loose white shift dress” with “battered Docs [that] look older than she is”, she is immediately identified by Cole as an anonymous girl that is dirty and small.  Someone bumps into Mara, spilling wine all over her dress. She runs to the bathroom, Cole thinking she’s trying to wash the stains out of her dress, but this “nobody” returns, doing “quite the opposite: she’s tie-dyed the entire thing”. This quick Project-Runaway-style turnaround is what Lark attempted to do with Mara’s character for the entire novel: be quirky in the face of destruction.

Throughout No Saints, Mara is repeatedly described to be unique. She wears overalls with nothing underneath, she reads Dracula (highlighting only topical quotes for Cole to read when he breaks into her house later), she listens to EDM. She has an abusive mother, no money, and shit luck. These novels, with their unfortunate protagonists, all possess negative traits that are never accompanied by negative  qualities. They want a romance with all of the edge but none of the grit. Mara has “never known what it would be like to swipe a card without wondering if the balance would clear” but has “never starved yet”. She’s down on her luck, but God, not starving-down, that would be unbecoming.

Female protagonists in dark romance novels tend to be either 1) demure, quiet, and inexperienced, or 2) snarky, haughty, and whorish. Either way, their character arc always peaks at becoming as ‘dark’ or ‘twisted’ as their male love interest. Their subsidiary personality traits, like being kind or witty, act as seasoning to their congealment into their boyfriend.

As far as how Mara is interpreted by readers as a character, some, like Ayman’s five-star review of No Saints on Goodreads, regard Mara as: “…so admirable, strong, and will put this psycho in his place when needed. she isn’t the “i can change him” type or the super submissive type that would make me say “stand up girl”. cole does that all on his own. she literally makes him feel regret for the first time for some shit he pulled. and if there’s one thing i’m gonna eat up, is a woman bringing wreaking chaos on a very organized man UNAPOLOGETICALLY!!! the shear revenge she pulls…she’s the puppeteer and he’s the puppet!”

While other people, like Lori, with their one-star rating, disagree, “A sexually aggressive heroine does not a strong heroine make”.

The collision of these characters, Cole, Shaw, and Mara, happens after the gallery showing. After smoking some weed in the alley with one of her friends, Mara is struck on the back of the head and wakes in the trunk of a moving vehicle. Lark then spends a lengthy paragraph detailing the duct tape, bag, zip-ties, and rope used to gag and bind Mara. She gives the readers all the gory details of the kidnapping, details you’d hear on Forensic Files, TikTok compilations, all the warnings women are given about strange men. How to break out of zip-ties, how to find the emergency pull-tab in the trunk (“WHERE’S THE FUCKING LATCH!” wonders Mara), what cuts duct tape. Mara inventories her trauma exactly how someone who likes true crime would want to hear about it.

After drafting this Criminal Minds script in her head, the trunk Mara is in, flings open, “It’s only when the cold air hits my flesh that I realize I’m naked – or at least, partly naked”. How, in this detailed description of her current state, did she not realize she’s naked? The answer is obvious: it wouldn’t be sexy. Mara is dumped in an alley way by a mysterious man. He dressed her in a skimpy BDSM outfit and ‘stripper heels’. Every trauma Mara goes through in No Saints either makes her even more resilient or, just hotter. Before leaving her to die, the man pierces her nipples and slits her wrists. The chapter ends.

Back to Cole, walking home from the gallery and wondering if he’s going to be caught for his most recent kill (he isn’t, the whole situation is forgotten immediately because there has to be room for sexy moments). He stumbles upon Mara, gagged, and bound, and immediately understands her presence in ‘his territory’ as a message from Shaw, “I don’t kill on impulse. I prepare my location. And I never lose control. He hopes I’ll break all three rules”. Ignoring the fact that those three rules are all fundamentally the same, character-wise, Mara becomes a question mark for Cole, “I’ve never killed a woman. I assumed I would at some point, but not some skinny girl, and not in some frenzy of fucking and stabbing like that ghoul Shaw”.

This is where our love birds get introduced. Cole, standing stoically above bleeding Mara, while she whimpers for help, and he thinks of killing her. This is where character development happens, right? This is the moment where we see Cole start his redemption towards Mara? –“I take one last glance at the girl’s beautifully tortured body. Then I step over her and carry on my way”. No. Cole leaves Mara to die. Thus is their meet-cute.

Mara, through sheer power of will (“I’m not dying here. I’m not fucking doing it.”), gets up and survives this murder attempt by Shaw. The rest of No Saints is Cole and Mara orbiting each other, him growing more possessive over someone he thought he watched die, and Mara just needing money and a place to make art. They are, not subtlety, given the Hades and Persephone motif, though Cole expresses his distaste for such obvious reference in the first chapter, insulting a sculpture that has “all the symbolism hitting you over the head”.

As the plot continues, Cole inevitably does something murder-y, like threaten to kill someone Mara has sex with. She does this as revenge, Cole knows, because he puts a camera in her art studio and Mara purposefully has sex with someone else on a giant canvas (that she later hangs in Cole’s office) while making direct eye contact with the security camera the whole time. Cole threatens to kill someone who slapped Mara’s ass (bar is on the ground, as he is already a serial killer), and Mara, throughout, all but gasps and stares.

Lark attempts, again and again, to define Mara’s character. Unfortunately, those definitions tended to be mutually exclusive. For instance, at an art show that Cole demanded Mara wear something specific at (which she rebelled from, saying “Well fuck him, I pick out my own clothes.”), they have an intimate moment after Cole manages to get Mara’s painting sold. She finds herself suddenly attracted to the man that left her for dead, saying “I wanted death. I wanted HIM” (Lark loves using capital letters in place of description). Mara offers a sexual favor to Cole, internally thinking “This is the deal with the devil. He owns me. He controls me”. Then, a mere four sentences later, tells him “I wanted to fuck you. But you don’t own me, Cole. And you never will”. Lark makes it hard to ignore inconsistency in character, especially when it happens on the same page.

Mara and Cole’s relationship can be crudely defined by a phrase Mara tells herself while in one of her many painful contemplations of Cole: “Rage isn’t the same thing as ‘caring’”. Cole is violent, disrespectful, and cruel. He compares having sex with her as being “strapp[ed] into an electric chair”. His redemption comes from the misery he spares Mara from, though it was him putting her in it in the first place. Cole dares to admire the strength Mara has to overcome her trauma, like a predator playing with his meal. Even outside of their interactions with each other, Cole is disrespectful - Mara tells him about when her dad died, saying “I loved my father, the day I lost him was the worst day of my life”. Cole, ever the loving partner, responds with a smile, “The worst day so far”.

Cole, like Mara, is a very contradictory character. Not in a anti-hero, grey-morality-type way. Cole doesn’t make sense in a poorly-written way. His violent profession is emphasized in the beginning of No Saints and used only as a spunky character trait for the rest of the novel. His serial killing distills down into him just being a violent and broken man. Something attractive and fixable. He later starts developing feelings for Mara, “Mara warps who I am. But in the moment, when I’m with her…I like it. I see things I never saw before. I see things, Hell, I even taste things differently”. Mara, just being her, poor, inconsistent self, is curing this man’s murderous instincts. Cole, as someone who didn’t ever kill women, doesn’t make sense to have this redemption arc. Mara is not hard for him, she’s just new. If Shaw fell in love with her and resisted killing her, that would be character development. Cole has not grown, nor has his serial killing done anything for the plot but be shock value. In fact, the mention of the 14 people he killed is rare, and he doesn’t kill again after he meets Mara. He’s never caught, either: “Getting away with murder is pretty fucking easy. Only 63 percent of homicides are solved under the best of circumstances—and that includes the cases where the idiot criminal is literally holding the smoking gun. There are precious few genius detectives, despite what network television would have you believe. I’ve killed fourteen people and I’ve yet to receive a single knock on my door.”

If Cole’s violent crimes are the equivalent to a day job in how they impact his life and intimidate Mara (both meaning, not at all). It brings up the very important question of: why is Cole a serial killer in the first place?

Back in the beginning of No Saints, we see Alastor Shaw make a pass at some young girls at the gallery showing. Cole, watching, thinks to himself, “Alastor’s need disgusts me. He’s such a cliché of himself. College co-eds, for fucks sake.” Cole goes out of his way to snidely mock Shaw, whispering under his breath, “You and Bundy”. This reference to a real-life killer makes the true-crime loving audience that will inevitably devour No Saints feel included – as seen in RenegadeWoman’s five-star review of No Saints on Amazon, “I have never read a book so psychologically dark – except about Ted Bundy”. But what true, narcissistic, sociopath cares about other killers? Especially long dead ones? Lark makes her characters just culturally literate enough for the readers to sit up and go “OMG! I know that reference!”

There Are No Saints is a part of the growing “violent criminal romance” subgenre, something consequential to the recent hyper-popularization of true crime content. Especially on the social media platform TikTok, where it is hard to parse out the difference between fake crime and true crime, and the fans of both tend to be one in the same. So, lines between crime and romance, fact, and fiction, are destined to blur.

Mikayla Raquel, reviewing There Are No Saints on Amazon, says: “what is it about serial unaliver smut that is just sending me into a tizzy lately!! Cole is yummy yummy yummm…now i want a psycho artist unaliver control freak to rent the house across from me and watch my every move and become obsessed with me…and be really rich and sexy LMAO.”

The phrase “unalive” comes from users trying to circumvent TikTok’s rigorous yet unpredictable explicit content tagging system, so “murder/killing/suicide” has transformed into “unalive”. The presence of the word here, in an Amazon review that does not scan for such verbiage, indicates the origin of this person’s exposure to There Are No Saints: BookTok.

“Dark romance”, as a genre, is very popular on ‘BookTok’ (the term coined for the reading community on TikTok), hijacking recommendation lists and Goodreads charts. Most dark romance stories bank on the fact that these readers will be so caught up in the subversion of classic romance tropes that they will not notice the decreasing quality of the writing. It’s a lot of “look at how bad this man is treating this woman, BUT he is also nice to her a few times”. The disparity between these two concepts: abuse, and subsequent love, is what drives the popularity of these novels. They bank on the idea of “he’s an asshole to everyone but me” , while the audience don’t realize the relationship they’re reading about is going far deeper than domestic violence.

Redemption arcs in dark romance novels seem to have no limits. When talking of heterosexual romance, the man can keep the woman locked in a cage (Birdie’s Biker, Misty Walker) or even stalk and sexually assault her (Haunting Adeline, H.D. Carlton). It does not matter, as the man is redeemable, even when he says he’s not. His irredeemability is a character flaw, not an actual plot point. These men are regularly painted as satanic creatures with one soft spot: their woman they abuse. This broadcasts a dangerous message: if a man protects you, he is allowed to hurt you.

Cole does just this, regularly hurting and seducing Mara. The climax of the novel is a sexually explicit scene where Mara, during intercourse, reveals to Cole that she was sexually abused as a child. Cole uses this experience to re-train Mara, even as she says “No, wait!” Her abuse becomes sexual fodder for Cole to manipulate. Though, it works, as afterwards, she “sob[s] again, this time from pleasure and relief”. Thus, Mara and Cole come to a close.

There Are No Saints is, at its core, an unconventional love story. It’s certainly not the best thing ever written, but it sure is entertaining. Mara summarizes the reading experience best, “I’d rather be dead than bored. And heaven sounds pretty fucking boring”. ■

★★☆☆☆

Okay so I decided to immediately revamp my vampire sona when I realized I messed up the outfit before I forgor… never made a “ref” til now. It’s very bare bones but… whatever. Also drew her in the Spooky Month style because I think it fits her 💜.

She also never had a name, and it used to just be our real name, but since we’re planning on using her more for ask blogs like example (coughs loudly)

@thebekashow (srry for @, but I gotta share your awesome blog somehow hehe-)

Might as well give her one.

So here’s Evelyn Salvatore!

Lore below!

Evelyn Salvatore used to be a 13-year old girl living in moderns times until she found a grimoire. Evelyn was always obsessed with magic and horror, when she had access to the internet, horror games, horror video series, creepypastas, she ate it all up. Not realizing this was a real grimoire, she found a spell that would transport her back in time. When Evelyn chanted the spell, she sent herself 754 years into the past.

Evelyn was then found by a woman who claimed to be a vampire. The woman called herself, Mara Dracula, and she questioned Evelyn about her situation. Seeing the grimoire in Evelyn’s hand (and the fact that Evelyn had modern clothes on), Mara pinned the two together.

Mara then made a deal to Evelyn, if Evelyn allowed Mara to turn her into a vampire, Evelyn would be able to reunite with her family, but in return, Evelyn must stay with Mara to wield her powers properly. Afraid of dying alone, Evelyn accepted.

Over the years, she fully learned her powers. Though there was one thing she hated, drinking human blood. For the longest time, Evelyn still had some sort of moral code, which almost cost her her life several times. She just never had the heart to feast on humans directly. Instead, she would steal blood from hospitals to feast.

This still counts for today, however, Evelyn had forgotten her past. She doesn’t remember her family, where she lived, or that she was once human. All she knows is that she wonders around, hoping to find someone who can help her feast on human blood.

Fun fact! Evelyn’s green hair isn’t dyed, it’s her natural hair color! Evelyn had a vampiresona, and in my lore, because she knew what she wanted to look like as a vampire, that’s what she became! So green hair and purple eyes (which are shown in this art style).