[andro-purpur]

gothic for people like me

• some mornings you’ll wake up and look at the clock. if you look at the clock, get out of bed. if you don’t, you will lose hours of your day.

• keep water on your windowsill. do not move it. you will need it soon. best not to think about why.

• you still have posters and decorations in your room from seventh grade. what grade are you in? you can’t remember. don’t try. it’ll only make time warp.

• always sleep with the comforter design side up. it distracts them for long enough while you sleep.

• if you wake up and your comforter is design side down, go to the bathroom immediately and check yourself for wounds.

• what month is it?

• your nightlight keeps disappearing. your mom insists she took it for your sister. that was weeks ago. your sister doesn’t have your nightlight.

• there was a different fish in this fish tank last week. you don’t remember replacing it or it dying. it’s the same fish. don’t stare.

• you come home and your room is rearranged. do not ask. do not look in your mothers eyes for the rest of the night.

• do not eat the fruit salad.

• if the coat rack looks like a man staring at you from the corner of your room, that’s because it is. leave him offerings of fruit salad for him. throw away the blueberries. do not eat them. neither of you can eat them.

• don’t eat the blueberries.

• you lose the fish food again. after feeding the fish every night you store it in a salt circle. it never disappears again.

• you come home from a friend’s house. no one is home. everyone left their phone at home. they are gone for too long and come back dead quiet with reflective eyes. do not stare. tell them “i just wanted to let you know i’m home.” and retreat to your room. do not come out until you are called to dinner.

• cover your altar with a blanket before you leave the house. if your family finds it, you’re in danger.

• close your closet doors closed unless the lights are on and you’re getting clothes out or in. do not linger. keep them closed.

• you feel like someone is watching you through your window. you live on the second floor.

• you’ve never seen your neighbor before. their lights are always off. everyone has accounts of this neighbor being especially awful, but they don’t exist. do not attempt to ask for a discription or knock on their door.

• if a solicitor comes by to sell you something and has no teeth, close the door. lock it. do not attempt to communicate. you’ll lose your teeth too.

• do not drink the freezies at the local taco bell. you don’t know what’s in them.

• try not to dream about work. especially if you work in fast food. a strange woman will speak to you if you ask to take her order. she will speak in an ancient language. if you hear this, do not ask her to repeat herself. wake up immediately.

• do not look for socks. only let mom bring them to you.

• you will feel sick every time you leave your room. ignore this.

• you go by 30 names. none of them you respond to.

• dad’s music is metal. it will shake the house. if he listens to anything else and it does not shake the house, stay in your room. it will not be safe to come out that day.

• light your yellow gnome candle while you take a bath. it keeps them away.

• buy a furby. keep it asleep. do not wake it up. keep it up high. do not move it. it will protect you.

• you cat is like you. he is your familiar. he is the only one you can trust in the house. he knows the horrors. do not ask. he will not tell.

• you have a new book every week. you’ve never read any of them and you don’t intend to. put them with your other books and leave them alone after that. if you intend to move them, move them in groups of 2. this is respectful.

• you put new batteries in your discman every day. they disappear every day. do not stop replacing them.

• glass and ceramic instruments are your friends. do not betray them.

• do not acknowledge the new gnomes that appear in your room every week. they think you like gnomes. if you respect them gnomes, the things giving you the gifts will leave you alone. it is their payment for living in the same existential plane as you. they worship you.

• by your house is a stream that is blocked by grass and rocks every day. make sure you go daily and remove the grass and the rocks. the water nymphs will repay you soon.

• do not eat anything from mom’s garden other than the chives. you may never eat again.

• if you feel like you need to call in sick for work, do it. the house will thank you

• if your mom offers to take you to the laundromat past 10 pm, do not go. alternatively, if you are at the laundromat past 10 and arrived earlier than that, you are safe.

• bathe as little as possible. the water is toxic.

• if the deer have eaten your mom’s plants, do not go outside. they might eat you too.

• always stay up too late or go to bed too early. never go to bed at a reasonable time. you’ll pay for it if you do.

• do not go in the woods by your mailbox. never look into them for too long. turn your back to it as soon as possible. they don’t like to be watched.

• you hear your cat’s meow from outside. your cat is purring next to you. do not investigate. it is a trick.

•always leave a light on in your room, whether it be the tv, fish tank, nightlight, or big light. if you don’t you could get some unwanted guests.

[kaleido-scopophobia]

Rural Appalachian Gothic

• There’s a house next to yours that caught fire. No one has come to tear it down. It’s been there for years. They’ll never come. At night you hear the fire crackling.

• On the way to town, you drive past a cow field. There are a lot of cow fields. The cows stare. You pass the cow field, but there’s another one. There are more cows than before. They all stare. Have you ever not been passing a cow field?

• The locals all say the letter R too hard. You hate the letter R. It consumes the other letters. The whole word is shaped around the R. It invades other words it shouldn’t be in. You don’t think “hollow” has an R in it. You know “wash” doesn’t. It sounds like a growl. You’re not sure it’s a human sound anymore.

• Someone spit a wad of dip on the sidewalk. You can’t stop looking at it. Something about it seems strange. It’s too shiny, too compact. There’s a stain bleeding out from under it. It’s too red.

• You don’t usually drink Mountain Dew, because you heard it rots your teeth. You buy some at the gas station one day, though, because it’s the cheapest drink there. You wake up the next morning with your teeth on your pillow. You check the mirror. New teeth have grown in. They look sharper than your old ones. You crave more Mountain Dew.

• No one asks how you are. They always ask if you’re alright. You feel like you shouldn’t be. You feel like something happened you don’t know about. They say it slowly, like they’re expecting you to say no. What happened?

• Everyone knows everyone’s business, but no one gets involved in it. You see a man bleeding out on the sidewalk in town one afternoon. No one looks at him. They quickly walk past and avert their eyes. You approach the man and ask if he needs help. He glares at you, lip curled in disgust. You feel the stares of the locals on you. You hastily walk away.

• You hear shrieks late at night. People say they’re foxes. Foxes have a wide array of vocalizations. You accept the explanation, and the next time you hear the shrieks, you brush it off and go to sleep. The next morning, there are three dead foxes in your yard.

[recklessfiction]

What to do If One Finds Oneself at the Circus

Don’t Panic. You just might turn out to be one of the lucky ones. 

Do not join in the acts. The circus will think you are one of its own and keep you. 

The music is trying to charm you. Play hard to get. 

The Ringmaster will look like they have two heads. They do. Do not listen to either; they both lie.

Do not go into the back tent. Yes, I do hear the screams and yes, I hear what they are saying. But they do not belong to us, they belong to the circus. Come away now, we mustn’t be seen here. 

The clowns don’t look at all like you expect them too. I would advise against looking for their faces. 

Eat nothing that is offered to you. You can’t know from what plane of existence it came from, or to what new master it will bind you.

The Circus does have animals. They are not from this plane of existence, but they certainly are magnificent. One even looks like a duck. 

Do not wander the grounds around the Circus. You may think you know these fields like the back of your hand, you grew up here after all. But these are no longer those fields; something new has taken their place for the night. 

Never allow the Circus to set up its tents on your land, or else you too will be replaced by something new. But only for the night.

The Magician is fake. The Automaton is real.  

I must insist you do not enter the Hall of Mirrors. What comes out will not be you and where you come out will not be here. 

All your earthly problems will disappear if you join the circus, and they will be more than happy to take you. After all, a human is a novel attraction and can always be relied upon to draw a crowd. 

The washrooms are on the left beside the Big Top.

If you can manage it, just don’t go. Just don’t go to the Circus, it will save you quite a bit of trauma, and both of us quite a bit of trouble. But I suppose I cannot stop you.

You mustn’t scream when the acrobats come out. They will hear you, and insist you join them. They will tell you it will be fun, but your bones aren’t meant to bend that way. They will break you. 

Despite what you see at the Circus, you mustn’t make a sound. You must not weep, scream, or rage. At the Circus, every sound you make is laughter and if you aren’t careful, they may think that you are enjoying the show. 

Remember. The circus is always looking for new acts. 

[jackalopiel]

A guide for exploring the woods

Only go in the summer. The winter court will do you no favours. The summer court is less malevolent, but no safer.

When you enter, know that time will not work in your favour. You may lose entire lifetimes within hours. 

Choose a new name, but don’t keep it for too long, otherwise you will belong to it. 

Bring cold iron, wear red.

Carry red berries from a rowan, mountain ash, or holly tree. St. John’s Wort or red verbena flowers are acceptable as well. They will keep you safe, but not for long.

To see through the glamours, place four-leaf clovers in a pouch around your neck. It may help.

Children should wear crowns of daisies. 

If you return home, and your child is different, do not go looking for what you have lost. 

Leave the same way you entered, but never return through the same entrance. The second time, they will know enough to keep you. 

Do not stand in the mushroom rings. If someone you know enters a ring, you cannot save them. 

Never accept a gift. They will want something in return.

Be polite, but do not say thank you.

The food will be the best you have ever tasted. Only eat it if you wish to never leave. 

If you must stay the night, sleep under the rowan, holly, or ash tree. The elder wood will make you tired. Do not close your eyes.

If you hear music, you are running out of time. If you hear harps, your time is up. 

Don’t join the dancing unless they give you a token.

You cannot become one of them, however much you desire to leave your life behind. 

If you see an alder tree, know you will not be lucky enough to go home unscathed. 

Sit under a hawthrone tree or an elderwood tree on midsummer’s eve if you need to find the courts.

Place salt on your windowsills if you make it back, otherwise they will follow you home.

If you meet other explorers in the woods, do not help them. They have been there too long. Do not let them know you can leave, otherwise they will try come with you. Do not let them help you, they will try make you stay. 

[uglybeautifulthings]

You end up alone at a strange party

The room is crowded with dancers clad in expensive, jewel-toned gowns and coats, though you can’t seem to make out any of their faces.

The dining table is laden with large plates of shining heaps of meat, and delicately ornate cake platters. The whole arrangement smells of cardamom and cinnamon.

The music is smooth as silk, though you can’t tell quite what instrument it’s coming from.

You begin to feel a little dizzy, overwhelmed by the noise and chatter, when a gloved hand presents itself to you and you take it without thinking. You find yourself dancing with an attractive stranger, their eyes an uneasy sort of yellow, oddly snake like.

You dance until your feet ache, and when the stranger turns their back you fade into the crowd and wander to some secluded section of the house, your back against the cold wall, breathing heavily.

In the dark, you overhear a conversation, though you can’t make out anyone else in the room. The pair appear to be lovers discussing some sort of plot to murder one of their spouses. You panic and rush back to the crowd, but the sweet scents and sultry music quickly distract you, and very soon you have forgotten all about... well, you can’t really remember what you’ve forgotten all about.

[slavicafire]

slavic gothic

you read a post from America complaining about low temperatures and snowfall. it’s all in fahrenheit but it doesn’t matter, you do not understand it either way, numbers don’t matter, schools don’t close, you measure cold in bravery and whether alcohol freezes in your hand before you can drink it. your soul is frozen by default either way, only tears can freeze, but you don’t cry, there’s ice enough on the lake

you’re on your way home trying not to stray from the path in the woods, ignoring the hungry eyes impatiently observing your every tired step. you remember what your grandma taught you, the warnings and cautionary tales and - but there it is, it’s there, just behind those trees, if there’s one it means there will be more around, it’s tempting, it’s right there, and you stray from the path and you know that one day mushrooms will be your undoing

walking through the gray neighbourhood you feel tiny against the towering monuments of soviet pride and accommodation, the harsh straight lines and edges of the blocks of flats reflecting the sharpness of your thoughts and reactions, shells of sunflower seeds beneath your feet like a greeting celebratory carpet, on your back the patient guarding eyes of ancient old ladies leaning against the windowsills, they are always there, they never tire, they never blink

when you get home you look in the mirror, like every day for so many past years, and again the familiarity of your own face startles you, you feel like you’ve been here forever, like you’re ingrained in this soil and in this place and yet, yet there’s something unsettling behind your eyes, when you think you’re not looking, it’s always lurking there somewhere and with it a nostalgia and bitterness and longing for something unreachable, something you lost so long ago, it cannot be helped, there’s nothing you can do about wanting to be alive again

[historical-rp-memes]

Send a gothic romance trope for an AU starter based on it

1. Realizing the creepy housekeeper has keys to your room. 2. Why are there hooded figures creeping about on the cemetery at night? 3. The lord of the manor is dark, dangerous, and yet so handsome. 4. The beggar in the street corner keeps telling you to beware, beware! 5. Her pure white nightgown flutters in the wind, a bright spot in the chilly pitch black night. 6. There is a literal skeleton in the closet. 7. Someone who looks exactly like you has taken over your life. 8. A baby left at the church door, wrapped in expensive blankets. 9. Her skin is white as snow, her hair is black as ebony, and her lips are red as blood. 10. Your much older guardian wishes to marry you on your 21st birthday. 11. The lady of the manor is beautiful but cruel. 12. The village’s maids keep disappearing mysteriously. 13. While travelling at night, your carriage is stopped by a highwayman. 14. Monster hunting is a valid choice of profession. 15. There are strange sounds coming from the attic. 16. Your host is a scientist whose theories have been rejected by the mainstream scientific community. 17. There is something off about this old hotel.

[worgengel]

OMENTOBER. A SOUTHERN GOTHIC PROMPT LIST.

·

Hi guys! Heres the prompt list for this years inktober. Feel free to interpret how you want, and tag me or use the hashtags! Im so excited! On day 31, you make up a prompt.

[tetty-tetiana]

Сет fight пользователя hesita2014 с Chanel

Maurices pink shirt, €26 / Slim fit pants, €27 / Wedge booties, €34 / Shoulder bag, €47 / Chanel sunglasses, €360 / Iphone case, €11 / Gold And Black Butterfly Monarch Metallic Temporary Tattoo, €3,12

[tetty-tetiana]

cool for the summer by hesita2014 featuring a cool outfit

Black cami, €8,03 / Blaque Label floor length skirt, €115 / Giuseppe Zanotti ankle strap sandals, €1.425 / Valentino crossbody shoulder bag, €1.230 / Ray-Ban green lens sunglasses, €135 / Tech accessory, €22 / Crystal hair accessory, €5,09 / Britney Spears spray perfume

[tetty-tetiana]

dark night by hesita2014 featuring a liquid eye liner

Zimmermann shirts top, €440 / Glamorous high rise shorts, €14 / High heel pumps / Tech accessory, €23 / Circular glasses, €9,07 / Napoleon Perdis liquid eye liner, €26 / Bobbi brown cosmetic, €28 / Lip treatment, €7,29

[tetty-tetiana]

Сет cute green пользователя hesita2014 с high-waisted skinny jeans

Wet Seal brown dress, €26 / 2LUV high-waisted skinny jeans / Disney tech accessory, €9,12 / Daisy hair accessory, €4,55

[tetty-tetiana]

Сет night пользователя hesita2014 с high heel shoes

TFNC prom dress, €78 / Giuseppe Zanotti high heel shoes, €1.455 / Gold purse, €76 / Effy Collection white gold diamond ring, €1.730 / Black jewelry / Camouflage concealer, €36 / Black mascara, €6,37 / Makeup / Nude lipstick / Aéropostale fragrance, €23

[tetty-tetiana]

Сет Kiss пользователя hesita2014 с black shoes

High low dress, €35 / Christian Louboutin black shoes, €800 / MICHAEL Michael Kors crossbody handbag, €155 / Cartier gold jewelry, €11.395 / Bobbi Brown Cosmetics nude lipstick, €28 / Clinique mascara, €16 / Topshop glitter eyeshadow, €7,10 / Chanel perfume, €98 / Le top nail polish, €26 / Fuchsia, €1,45

[niallhorantheirish]

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - August 2, 2015

[tetty-tetiana]

i will never not laugh at this

[tetty-tetiana]