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stars-and-clouds · 9 months

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A List of my Favourite 'Gothic' Media

Last Updated: Nov 1st 2023

My preference to gothic aesthetic is mostly victorian goth. Hence, this is what the list will consist of with some outliers. This is not a list of every good gothic media out there, it’s just the ones I have consumed and truly make me feel like I’ve transported into that world.

This list is very selective and subjective. It doesn't always follow the textbook or culturally accepted meaning of 'goth'. It is mostly about the vibe, aesthetic, feelings and motifs that are associated with a beautiful, melancholic and mystical story.

Feel free to submit me ideas for the list, or add your own in reblogs/comments and I will keep updating this post as I consume more of said media =D

*The titles in italics are not exactly gothic but give the same melancholic, beautiful vibe that draws me to gothic media.

Movies:

Corpse Bride (2005)

Crimson Peak (2015)

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Dracula Untold (2014)

Haunted Mansion (2003)

Van Helsing (2004)

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Vampire Hunter D (anime movie) (1985)

The Others (2001)

Constantine (2005)

Series (Anime, TV shows, Cartoons):

Penny Dreadful (tv series)

Castlevania (netflix, cartoon/western anime)

Courage the Cowardly Dog (cartoon)

The Haunting of Hill House (netflix)

The Haunting of Bly Manor (netflix)

Supernatural (Not gothic per se, but it has the melancholy and secretive, monster world and lots of themes of loss and happiness.)

Carnival Row (more dark fantasy, than gothic but it's basically set in victorian London and I love it)

Books:

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

Frakenstien - Mary Shelley

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

Dracula - Bram Stoker

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Anne Bronte

Penny Dreadful (serial fiction) - (Various)

Doesn’t really count but all the northern bits of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ make me feel that way too.

The Castle of Otranto - Horace Walpole

Fevre Dream - George R.R. Martin

Games:

Vampyr

Castlevania Series + Lords of Shadow

FFXIV- Heavensward (Expansion)

Albino Lullaby- Episode 1

The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (Expansion)

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (any of their ttrpg campaigns or interactive/visual novels are also good)

Curse of Strahd (D&D)

Bloodborne (PS4)

Silent Hill 2

Following are Visual/Interactive Novels:

Any of the ‘Vampire the Masquerade’ Books (they’re sub par but I love the vibe) (IN)

Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly (VN)

The House in Fata Morgana (VN)

Music:

this section will be really long so i will properly update it later.

Oh Willow Waly from The Innocents

The Unqueit Grave Penny Dreadful Version

youtube playlist with my favourite gothic sounding music

Gothic Pinterest Board

#gothic #goth #emo #victorian #aesthetic #penny dreadful #jane eyre #dark acadaemia #dark academia #castlevania #jrpg #movies list #list #the witcher #gothic aesthetic #dark fantasy #vampires #horror #fantasy

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ayakamizu · 7 months

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FFXIV Write 2023 Day 26 - Last

Last: Noun. A final appearance or mention; the end or conclusion. Characters: Ayaka Mizushima (WoL), Haurchefant Greystone Expansion: Heavensward Rating: G Notes: Takes place after the end of the main Heavensward MSQ. References to That Moment! So incoming angst is to be expected. I think listening to One Last Kiss while writing this was either the best idea ever (because it set the mood) or a mistake (because now I'm sad).

No matter the time of day, that final moment haunts Ayaka’s dreams.

For brief moments during the day, she can almost ignore the ache in her heart—the way it feels like it’s being cut down the middle. She’s reminded though when she steps through the threshold of the Fortemps Manor, or when she stares up at the spirling towers of Ishgard, or when she walks through Camp Dragonhead without him greeting her—

(Once, overcome with emotions, Ayaka found a corner of Camp Dragonhead and stifled her sobs. None of the soldiers stationed at the camp mentioned anything, despite Ayaka knowing a few of them saw her, and for that she was thankful.

It was bad enough in Ishgard when nobles gave their condolences—as if they ever cared a wick about Haurchefant. The concern from the people in the Brumes felt more genuine.)

She cannot escape it in her sleep either. That moment, replayed over and over again. No exaggerations were ever needed. Haurchefant’s bloodied smile begging Ayaka for one last smile always made her wake up in a cold sweat, a sob bubbling up. She would hide her face in her pillow those nights and let the tears flow, curling her arms around her body and desperately wishing they were replaced by larger, more muscular ones.

Haurchefant wanted one last smile. A reassurance that she would be fine—that the last thing he saw wouldn’t be her crying over his dying body. She gave him that and, as the light faded from those beautiful blue eyes, she placed one last kiss on his forehead.

“I love you,” she whispered into the dead of night, clenching at the ring he gave her. “I miss you. Why? Why did you have to—”

She wanted to spend more time with him. They had plans for after everything was over—to have him meet her family properly and not through letters. She would show him Kugane and he would show her parts of Coerthas that she hadn’t seen yet. They wanted to wake up to each other in the morning, basking in the dawning light together.

But now they couldn’t have that. It was cruelly taken away from them. When the righteous anger burned out of her, she was left feeling hollow. Maybe some part of her died with him at that moment—the last fleeting innocence that came with the rush of your first love.

#ffxivwrite2023 #ffxiv writing #ffxiv #wolchefant #expac: heavensward #aya: writing #wol: ayaka mizushima #c: haurchefant greystone #ship: the knight and mage

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pr1ncesspopstar · 8 months

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Parting Gifts - FFXIV Write 2023 - Day 6 Rings

Ao3

Nothing short of throwing herself upon the coals of the dying fire could ease the cold in Halditar’s body. Its orange, glowing embers mocking her as their life flickered out, soon to leave the room drowned in darkness once they faded. Flames were unchained. She could imagine the satisfaction embers felt at becoming a glorious blaze. The freeness having burned bright and then turning to ash gave. It was the way things were.

It was the way things were.

It was the way things had to be.

She dug her thumb harshly against the ring in her hand, dragging her brain from the pit of despair and hurt it begged to drown into. To go back to how she once was, isolated, practically mute, a ghost that merely haunted the place others told her was home. She was utterly helpless, incapable of acting or feeling anything beyond the void. Her heart seemed detached from her body. She hadn’t even cried yet, making the roegadyn wonder if she had finally broke. If such were the case, it may be best for her to stop. Spare herself the pain, the disappointment of being useless.

But Haruchefant wouldn’t want that. They had both come too far to give up now. So she needed to stay present, and keep going.

The topaz set at the ring’s center was sharp, perfect to keep Halditar’s in her body and feeling. Feel the ring, slightly attuned to lightning as it sent static through her arm. The softness of the blanket wrapped around her legs. The smell of wood smoke and hot chocolate. Wind whipping right outside the window, and sleepless footsteps wandering the Fortemps manor as restless as her. She was still here. They all were. So many people and things she needed to fight for…

Her gaze did not budge from the fire when the door handle clicked and the hinges creaked to announce another. Heavy footsteps dragged over stone until the person came to the seat opposite of her, settling their body into the antiqued furniture so wearily it creaked.

“I was told you’re the type to struggle with sleep when a lot is on your mind,” Lord Fortmeps spoke softly. “That makes two of us.”

Halditar’s let her stare break from the flames to look at the kind Lord. In only a few hours, it seemed like the man had aged a decade before her eyes. The lines of his face were darker and defined by grief, eyes tinged red from tears. Despite the heartache he bore, he still smiled and looked at her with naught but kindness and care. Halditar’s stomach curdled in shame, unable to give him anything, to feel in some small way responsible for losing his son. She hated she found it difficult to meet his eyes.

“Seems so.” Her voice was rough, barely a whisper.

“I would like to ask you to stay longer, make sure you’re rested and ready for the trials to come… but I know that isn’t a luxury afforded to you.” There is an unspoken part between them. For her to stay long enough to see Haurchefant buried. She’d want nothing more, but evil would not wait for her to mourn. Nor would she be able to control her fury once it ripped free from the chains of grief it was born in. She feared that. Of what her fury would make of her.

“Thank you for your concern, Lord Fortemps.” She said. The Warrior of Light opened her mouth to say more, find any words to fill the space. But so many of them were merely caught in her throat. They weren’t good enough for him. So, like a fool, she remained silent. Letting the sorrowful atmosphere fill the space between them as soon as the ash in the fireplace outweighed the embers.

“What is that you’ve been playing with this whole time, Halditar?” Lord Fortemps eventually asked. She stopped passing the ring between her fingers, the movement having been something mindless she could focus on. She held the ring between her finger and her thumb, letting the bronze band catch the light in such a way it was as brilliant as a halo.

“It’s, ah, a ring,” she struggled to speak around the knot in her throat. The dichroic gems shifted from yellow to purple from all different angles, their imperfections creating cracks of blue throughout. “It was my mother’s. Gifted to me before she…”

“I’m sorry to hear.” He offered an apologetic smile, but Halditar’s shook her head.

“No, please don’t be. Her death was…” Violent. Bloody. Raging. So many words she could have said. All true, but none more true than the way her mother had said it herself, right before throwing herself onto the battlefield. “It was beautiful. She died exactly the way she wanted to.”

“A mercy we both have that knowledge to comfort those of us left behind.” He sounded so small. Voice wracked with an ache that reminded Halditar’s he was trying just as hard not to break from grief as her. Her grip on the ring tightened, so much it hurt her fingers. She could feel her composure breaking the longer she stared at this accursed ring. The true reason she held it.

All too quickly, hot tears finally welled over her lashes. The words rushing out like water through cracks in a dam.

“My mother instructed me, when she gave this to me, to only give it to someone I could trust my entire life and happiness with,” she confessed. Lord Fortemps jaw tightened, his eyes going steely. All she could offer him was her own grin, full of hurt and the shadow of all the joys his son had blessed her with. “I should have liked to give this ring to Haurchefant, when all of this was over.”

She offered the ring to him, having to use all her might as she kept her hand steady. She lowered her head as one would when making a request, but she did it to hide the tears on her face as she felt she had no right to cry in front of this many who had only shown her kindness yet she still asked for more.

“But now all I can ask of you… please, won’t you bury Haurchefant with this ring? It will forever be his to me, even gone, it deserves to be his alone…” Any more words she tried to speak came only as whimpers, throat sealed by tears. She felt his fingertips shake as he took the ring from her palm.

“It would honor me to fulfill such a request. It would have brought my boy such joy to know you thought of him so dearly.” His voice wavered heavily now. She raised her head, and the man’s eyes brimmed with tears of his own, clutching the ring to his chest in promise.

“I cannot thank you enough, Lord Fortemps-“

“Just Edmond in private, for now. You have earned that much, my girl.”

That ever-present warmth and kindness. It finally broke the Warrior of Light. A wail long sealed in her chest erupted out, a mournful cry as the tears wouldn’t stop. The smallest sliver of kindness had brought her to her knees, furiously rubbing at her cheeks and eyes to keep her face dry. Her tears only worsened as Edmond rose from his seat across from her and moved to her side. He pulled her into a hug, and she could not resist.

“I never got to tell him anything! There is so much, so many things I wanted to share! He didn’t even get to know who I really was! He never will!” She cried into his shoulder. His hand was on her back, stroking in the way a parent would for their child. A touch Halditar had long been without, and that only made the tears squeeze out harder.

“But he knew enough to know you were someone extraordinary, and that says more about you than it does what you couldn’t share. He cared for you so deeply, Halditar, that much I know,” Edmond assured her. She could feel the man’s tears grazing her own ear. “He believed you have the strength to change the world into something beautiful. More than anyone on this planet.”

‘What good is that if he isn’t there for it?’ A part of her wished to snap, but she bit her tongue. It was merely grief talking. She sobbed into Edmond’s shoulder until her tears ran dry, and her eyes ached from trying to force out more. Dawn break gave the windows some light to fill the room, heralding the coming journey.

“Thank you, Edmond.” She told the father, who nodded in understanding. At least with the grief shared, tiredness could settle into their shoulders instead. “I best get ready for the day ahead… and when we return, it will be victorious.”

“I know, but before you go, let me give you something.” Edmond reached into a pocket in his coat, right above his heart. Pulling from it a worn leather pouch, and from that, a ring. A silver and set with green emeralds and pink sapphire, dainty and much too small for her finger. Like her ring would have been too large for Haurchefant’s.

“That was a ring I gifted to Haurchefant’s mother. I had planned to return it to him once I knew he’d found someone important. I think it is only appropriate that it is now yours.” He said, setting it in her palm, closing her fingers around it, “My only regret is I did not give it to him sooner. Small though it would have been, pervasive, such a slight change would have altered fate.”

“Thank you. I’ll wear it with pride.” She promised, pulling the ring to her chest. Edmond nodded and rose.

“I will leave you for now, then. Best I check on everything while I still have some energy in these old bones…” He bid her goodbye.

Alone, she stared at the ring. So small, elegant and feminine, the opposite of what she would have picked for herself. Would it have been what Haurchefant would have picked for her? Perhaps, perhaps not. But it would be a connection, however small, to him. To the relationship they shared, the relationship they could have had.

She strung the ring upon a cord and tucked it under her armor and shirt.

Through all her years, all her jobs, that ring would remain.

Deffo not my best work but focusing on consistency and length. It'd help if I stopped starting to write at 11 and finish writing when i wake up at nine the next day.

#ffxivwrite #ffxivwrite2023 #ff14 #ffxiv #ffxiv wol #my writing

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keicordelle · 11 months

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Rescue, Ch. 2 (Recovery)

Fandom: FFXIV Rating: E Pairing: Estimeric Word Count: 3.9k Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence Tags: Established Relationship, Aftermath of Torture, Serious Injuries, Rage, Blood and Violence, Rescue Missions, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Caretaking, Recovery, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Consent, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, POV First Person, POV Estinien Wyrmblood

Summary: While the Warrior of Light chases after the Archbishop, Estinien has only one goal: find and free Aymeric from the clutches of their enemies. May Halone have mercy on those who stand in his way, for he certainly won't, carving a bloody path to where his lover is being held. The scene he finds when he arrives will haunt him for the rest of his days, but Aymeric is alive, and, with careful tending from the chirugians, ought to make a full recovery.

That is, if he doesn't sabotage his own healing by trying to work through the pain. It is up to Estinien to hold vigil at his bedside and cater to his every need while he recovers: except, much to Aymeric's dismay, the one that might allow him some distraction from the pain. But if Estinien will not grant him relief, he will find it himself.

Aymeric's groan of pain had me bolting upright ere the sound had quite passed his lips, looking him over for signs of distress. "Are you alright? What happened? Do you need help?"

"I'm fine," he assured me, though the crinkle around his eyes belied his pain. "Just a little uncomfortable, that's all."

I leapt to my feet, neck twinging in protest at the sudden movement after so long curled up asleep in the chair beside his bed. "Can I help fix your pillows? Or perhaps you would like a mug of tea?"

His smile was fond but exasperated as he repeated, "I'm fine. There is little you can do for me at the moment." He paused, reconsidering. "Actually, perhaps I would like a mug of tea after all. And mayhap one of those honeyed donuts they sell at the markets."

"Of course," I said, snatching my lance from its nearby resting place. "I'll be gone but a moment."

In the aftermath of Thordan's escape and Haurchefant's death, no one had questioned my insistence that I stay at Aymeric's side. He was injured, after all, and there may still be those about who believed him to be a heretic. With the Warrior of Light hunting down the Archbishop and his knights, driven by a righteous fury that rivalled my own, I could rest assured that the matter was in good hands, permitting me to remain behind and care for the wounded Lord Commander.

Aymeric had been thrilled to take me up on my offer to stay with him, looking on me with that frightening depth of affection as he agreed. If he had grown exasperated with my efforts to watch over him, well, truly he only had himself to blame. Three days and three nights he had spent with the chirugians once he was free, the best healers in Ishgard tending to his every wound until naught but time could heal the remains of his suffering. The shallow cuts across his body had vanished, but the deeper injuries remained, his arm and back and feet still requiring careful tending, to say nothing of his psyche. And yet the first day he was let out of his sick bed, where did he run to but his office, claiming that his work could not wait for him to recover, given the turbulent state of Ishgard in the wake of the Archbishop's disappearance. Thank Halone Lucia had the good sense to find me and rouse me from the slumber that had let him slip past me. Since then, he'd been confined to his manor, and the orders chaffed, perhaps worse than my hovering, which even I could recognize bordered on stifling. Three times since I'd caught him trying to sneak out. After the last time, I'd hidden all his shirts on the assumption that he wouldn’t dare venture into public without one. Although if perhaps I had missed one...

The thought sent me back towards the closed door of his bedroom. I'll just peek in, and if he's resting in bed like he ought to be, then I'll stop and get him a loaf of that sweet bread he likes too by way of apology.

A small sound from within the room caught my attention, and I paused with my hand on the door handle, listening. A heartbeat later I heard Aymeric gasp, and the handle twisted in my hand before I had quite resolved to turn it.

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#ffxiv #ffxiv smut #estimeric #estinien wyrmblood #aymeric de borel #cw rape mention #in the context of it not happening but I feel like I should mention it anyway #ffxiv fanfiction #my writing #steel and crystal #~K

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thetoxicgamer · 1 year

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One early FFXIV dungeon still stumps newbies and veterans alike today

It can be challenging to remember every single mechanic in the dozens of FFXIV dungeons you must accomplish as you go through the critically acclaimed MMORPG (and its award-winning expansions). Fortunately, Final Fantasy 14's dungeon systems are generally quite forgiving and won't severely penalise you for making a mistake. However, one early A Realm Reborn dungeon continues to routinely kill both novice and experienced players. The good news is that, if you happen to encounter it, it may be because you're playing too well. Haukke Manor is the sixth dungeon you’ll encounter in FFXIV: A Realm Reborn. It’s often considered the first point dungeons start to pick up a little bit, with the introduction of a few simple but important mechanics to keep track of. It also boasts a very cool haunted house setting that sees you tracking down and putting a stop to its owner, Lady Amandine, who has been up to all manner of nefarious deeds in a vain attempt to preserve her beauty. Where players are getting caught out, however, is in the level 50 revisit to her mysterious mansion. Haukke Manor (Hard) can be accessed after beating the base story progression of A Realm Reborn, and demands you put a stop to Halicarnassus, the demon who Lady Amandine put a stop to. This fight isn’t especially difficult for the most part, especially in its modern-day incarnation. Unfortunately, many groups find themselves nearing completion only to suddenly wipe as everyone’s health is obliterated in an instant. The game doesn’t make it too clear at first exactly why this has happened, but it’s actually almost always a function of your team doing too much damage, too quickly, something that’s very easily done in the dungeon’s modern incarnation with how quickly early players can gear up. Throughout the fight, Halicarnassus spawns various additional enemies, culminating in Lady Amandine herself. At certain health thresholds, she will absorb one of her companions to cast a spell called Blood Rain, which deals damage based on the health the absorbed enemy had left. This means that if you’re damaging her too quickly, Halicarnassus will actually spawn Lady Amandine and near-instantly absorb her, which spells almost-certain death for your party. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG3eXuSGl40 Haukke Manor (Hard) isn’t an essential dungeon, but it’s one that pops up from time to time on roulettes – and, personally, it’s still one of my favourites from an aesthetic standpoint. However, it’s one weird mechanic that can often catch players off-guard, and it’s still a problem today despite the recent Endwalker reworks to old ARR dungeons. Usually, success takes a knowledgeable player explaining in chat that everyone should hold back on the damage and let the additional mobs spawn, so players can safely take them out one by one, before continuing to attack Halicarnassus. Alternatively, if you have it, a well-timed Tank limit break might be enough to save you from doom in a pinch – but, as a recent post to the FFXIV Reddit shows, your healer will still have to be fast about topping everyone’s health back up afterwards. If you want a bit more fun backstory on Haukke Manor, did you know it was actually misnamed in English? The original Japanese name, “Hauketa Goyoutei,” should translate to “Hauketa Manor,” but Square Enix’s Michael-Christopher Koji Fox explains to producer Naoki Yoshida during a live panel that this was mistranslated during development, and no-one noticed it because the team was so busy in the run-up to the game’s fabled relaunch. Whoops! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kt1COQNiIw Still, at least now you can explore it without dying. While you’re waiting for your duty roulette queue to pop, check out everything shown about FFXIV patch 6.4 in Live Letter 76, or find out how to survive FFXIV deep dungeon Eureka Orthos and manage your FFXIV Island Sanctuary into a flourishing getaway paradise. Read the full article

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