Loo011 - M.LIU

reblog for a would you rather question in your inbox!

Hey, guess what I got for Christmas this year!

I doodled these on my phone whenever I got a bit of time during holidays. I know some of tgem might be OP but eh, what are self inserts for?

I based the cards off my sona variants, each of them has a bit of a different effect (bcuz sona variants do be having different traits) and they would all be individual cards in the deck. So in the end, you can have a Stable filled with bird unicorns lol.

Anyways, I've played this game so much with my siblings, I love it. Playtrough is fun and I'm addicted to games with beautiful illustrations.

Btw, it's Unstable Unicorns.

Nevermore is a gothic tragedy. Part II: Supernatural Brides

I had set out to finish this saga of essays before Nevermore came back. And then I realized that all the fucking references I have on hand were going to require at least one essay for each. Which means a total of…at least four parts.

So I made it my goal to finish at least one. And since we're talking about tragedy, it seemed logical to continue with the gothic novel.

Before I start, I have to make a little disclaimer: most of my sources come from Spanish material that I'm not sure I have an English translation because they are loose essays I have from my college days and prologues to books from different publishers that are dedicated to publishing gothic novels. If you understand Spanish, I'll be happy to pass the material on to you if this interests you. But if you only understand English, I'm afraid I only have two sources for you: Supernatural Horror in Literature, an essay by H.P. Lovecraft on the foundations of cosmic horror that reviews the history of horror in fiction and The gothic quest a book of about 400 pages that describes in detail the history of the gothic novel, I hope the density of that work compensates for not being able to deliver more finished information.

Brief (seriously VERY brief) history of the gothic novel

Here is something a bit tangled, because the Gothic novel goes hand in hand with many of the topics of the literature of romanticism (literary movement with which it shares time) and it is also necessary to understand some historical and architectural issues.

Let's go by part: Romanticism is a literary and artistic movement that formally emerged in the second half of the eighteenth century (it is estimated that the first works of the same are dated from 1770, approximately) consisting of three parts: the so-called pre-romanticism, romanticism as such and late romanticism.

Anyway, even from its beginnings, this movement emerges as a series of anti-classical ideas that sought to recover folkloric and medieval elements, were obsessed with the inviduality of creativity, nostalgia for nature (something that would later become nostalgia for the time before the industrial revolution), considered passion and sentimentality as the creative axis and in general were looking to Greek tragedies and other fantastic tales as a source of inspiration.

This clashed with the strong Christian values of the time and the rise of technological advances. A contradiction that is present in the works of this literary movement.

Another important historical fact that is necessary to understand is that this kind of novel gets its name directly from Gothic architecture. These works were intended to take place in castles, monasteries, mansions belonging to ancient families and medieval cemeteries. The reason is simple: the Goths were considered shitty architects and many of these buildings had been abandoned for decades if not centuries by 1700, so you could walk down a path and simply find an ominous monastery or the remains of a mansion and if you asked someone where it had come from, they would probably tell you about 15 different versions, but all involving dead people and ghosts living there. As you may have gathered from the above, the writers of this period were eating this stuff up with fries.

It is with the convergence of all these elements that Horace Walpole's novel The Castle of Otranto was published in 1764. A text born from a nightmare that this man had in the castle of Strawberry Hill, a neo-Gothic property that belonged to him. The novel is mediocre at best, but it lays all the groundwork needed going forward: ominous ancient places full of legends where the crumbling architecture is a reflection of the moral and emotional corruption of the characters.

Feminine entities

One thing in which the Romantics differ from the Gothics is their view of love. In this era, love is perceived as a kind of force that is above the characters, something so beautiful that it is capable of making them completely lose their minds (this is tied to the concept of the sublime. And where the romantics embrace this concept as something beautiful, the goths say “this is fucking disturbing”.

For this reason many gothic stories are up to their necks in supernatural brides: beautiful ghosts dressed in white, beings that we consider references to nymphs who only need to whisper in the ears of their victims to become obsessed with them and, above all, vampires. Vampires whose description you will have in detail because the narrators of these stories spare no words to point out how beautiful they are.

Because these supernatural brides are there for one thing and one thing only: to make our sad male hero lose his mind with the power of their impractically long eyelashes. Sometimes they love them honestly and deeply, sometimes they are insidious, evil and lying; on more than one occasion both alternatives are true at the same time. But the reality of things is that, in the end, the love of these supernatural brides ends up completely destroying the unfortunate object of their affection.

If this seems a bit sexist to you, that's because it is. There's no argument here and it's not worth delving into any further.

I've talked about Annabel as a vampire before, but this time I want to talk more in detail about two issues: how supernatural brides work and the consequences for the protagonist of having a relationship with her and the similarities this story presents to a particular job.

Love and death

What is a ghost? A terrible event doomed to repeat itself over and over again. An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead that seems at times still alive. A feeling, suspended in time, like a blurred photograph, like an insect trapped in amber. El espinazo del diablo, Guillermo del Toro (original quote in Spanish)

One interesting thing about this whole thing is, too, that while the attitudes of many of these supernatural brides may remind you of variations of a succubus (you know, a female entity that is there for and to seduce), the reality is that the gothic novel is steeped in religious puritanism, so these ladies (most of the time) don't usually need to be sexual with their love interest/victim to get their attention. They usually only need a single glance.

If you think I'm exaggerating:

Never gaze upon a woman, and walk abroad only with eyes ever fixed upon the ground; for however chaste and watchful one may be, the error of a single moment is enough to make one lose eternity. 

The dead women in love, Théophile Gautier

Another thing is that these supernatural brides are usually here at just the right time to skillfully grope the weaknesses of their beloved lover and victim: Are you a feisty guy who thinks he's not afraid of anything? Well, the spirit of the water that will end up bewitching you dwells in a mysterious fountain that no one dares to visit out of fear (Ojos Verdes, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer ESP/ENG), Have you just obtained eternal life by making a pact with the devil but are a little terrified of what might await you in the solitude of immortality? The beautiful young girl just revived by your own hand has opened her eyes and both you and she know in this one look that you will spend eternity together (The Skeleton Count, or The Vampire Mistress, Elizabeth Caroline Grey), Have you just moved here from Naples and are feeling incredibly lonely? Well, it turns out you have a beautiful neighbor who also seems interested in you. By the way, she's practically a poisonous plant (Rappaccini's Daughter, Nathaniel Hawthorne).

Examples like these are plentiful and most end in three ways for the victim of their affections:

Death.

Madness.

Or eternal mourning for having lost her despite having been a victim of deceit or manipulation.

In Lenore's case, her “supernatural bride” appears after the incident in which she rips the wallpaper off the wall: if flowers symbolize feeling alive, she doesn't need them. There is no need for flowers because she is irreversibly withering away.

And when all seems lost, she receives a visitor.

Annabel is a ghost in Lenore's life. The fuzzy silhouette that represents the one thing that made her happy during her confinement, her last glimmer of sanity in a situation where she could no longer hold on without breaking. A specter whose shadow Lenore has been obsessively chasing since a previous life. And every time she manages to reach her, something snatches her away: Annabel goes back to a place where Lenore cannot reach her with her hands.

This is the sad fate of supernatural bride lovers. Because for the gothic novel, when love transcends death it is not a reason to rejoice: the character's life has been permanently disrupted and all that remains is a feeling that is beyond reason. Love becomes the cruelest and most terrible of punishments.

Carmilla

If you're still here with me and you haven't read Carmilla yet, I highly recommend that you do because if you like goth lesbians, this is exactly your shit.

But just so we're on the same page: Carmilla is a short vampire novel published in 1872 by Sheridan Le Fanu in his collection In a Glass Darkly. The plot is about Laura, a young woman who lives in a proper gothic castle located in Austria and her life will be disrupted with the arrival of a beautiful young woman her age named Carmilla.

Both Lenore and Laura live in almost complete isolation barely accompanied by maids (And, in Laura's case, her father) in a huge estate that is surrounded by an appropriately dense and slightly terrifying forest. Now, the reason they are both here is different: where Lenore is locked up against her will, Laura simply lives in a place that is difficult to access.

But let's make a slightly insidious reading here.

One of the first things we know about Laura is that the maids she lives with, despite being fond of her, consider her “a bit touched in the head” and the incident where Carmilla enters the room when Laura is a little girl is completely dismissed for this reason.

Laura is 19 years old when all this happens and at no point in the play is it mentioned that she has any suitors or intentions of getting married, a bit strange for the time in which it occurs. One would assume that the reason for keeping her so isolated is precisely that Laura's father doesn't think his daughter is particularly sane in the head.

As does Lenore.

Add to that the fact that they are both grieving. Lenore for Theo's death and, in Laura's case, for learning that the daughter of a dear friend of her father's has died in strange circumstances and, although she did not get to know her, this fact affected her a lot.

Anyway, sooner rather than later this almost supernaturally beautiful young lady of her own age shows up and kicks in the door saying she wants to be friends. Carmilla through a carriage “accident” near the property and Annabel requesting a meeting to get to know her.

In both cases, the dynamic established is the same.

On the one hand, we have a young lady who looks completely ecstatic at this pompous and definitely somewhat deranged creature. Laura spares no words in explaining to the reader how fucking beautiful Carmilla is, how important she is to her and how much she loves her. And Lenore, well, Lenore does this:

On the other side, the supernatural (girl)friend returns her affection with the subtlety of a kick in the teeth:

Annabel is a little more subtle than Carmilla was before she and Lenore were a thing, but we still see her get super physically close (something she doesn't usually do with other characters in Nevermore, so this is something she only does with Lenore).

Fun fact: that gesture with the fan means “I'm shy, but I'm interested.”

Unfortunately for our comphet-filled protagonist (because she watches THIS and still thinks they're “good friends”) her days in the company of this girl end in tragedy. Carmilla is eventually unveiled as a vampire and killed, while Lenore sees Annabel leave and, taking into account that they are both in Nevermore, subsequently sees her die.

In both cases, the protagonist's life has been scarred by her supernatural (girl)friend: neither a year-long trip abroad nor a new group of friends can take Laura or Lenore away from the memory of those happy days that are now irretrievably tainted.

Conclusions

I think one thing that has happened to me writing this now that I seriously pulled the rug out from under me regarding the amount of references in this comic and it has been non-stop bullshit. They're all still framed within the genres of tragedy and gothic novel, but even with this essay I've fallen short on some topics.

I don't know when I'll continue with this saga because it really involves going through an awful lot of material, but I can at least say one thing for sure: the amount of detail it has is, honestly, quite impressive.

No I think mod is trying to play into it

So evil jackson is the diary.

Very interesting.

About their memories. Annabel lee isn't just going backwards and lenore forward; Annabel is remembering faster and more compared to lenore

Moreover Annabel remembers the trivial memories, the supposedly less important ones.

For example Lenore would remember Annabel's first and last visits while Annabel would remember lenore showing up as Leo and a casual picnic together.

So basically lenore remembers being inlove with Annabel while Annabel remembers falling inlove with Lenore.

It's why Annabel is so hopelessly devoted and lenore isn't. Lenore remembers Annabel saying she wants her to have a better life even if she(Annabel) is forced into needlepoint. Annabel remembers the why

As much as I hate saying it; I think this is all because Annabel was more attached in life, that she loved lenore more than lenore loved her and it carried into Nevermore.

Plotholes with the Brothers Theory and an Additional Theory regarding Exer's magical origin.

Right! Let's get this started! Spoilers for Jackson's Diary Obvi!

The Brothers/ Sibling theory is an interesting one. If you like to read Webtoon's comment section like I do, you might see it surface from time to time.

It's no secret that Exer and Jackson are connected in some way.

- Jackson being the only one to actually see Exer's magic (until David of course).

- Exer thought box is grey like Jackson's power and Jackson's thought box is green like Exer's magic.

- The entirety of season two is literally them sharing each others braincell.

- The Diary being connected to Exer's magic.

But them secretly being brothers on the other hand is really up to debate. Some might even argue they are twins seperated at birth 🐣. However it's very unlikely! According to Paola in her QnA Instagram section their ages are different.

Exer is the oldest of the main cast, being 18 and Jackson the youngest, at 17. Yes, you can argue that there are siblings who are only a year apart. Which i'll give you a point for, as IT IS possible, what's impossible to ignore however is the fact that Exer's and Jackson's nationality are different.

Exer according to the Wikifandom, is Indian-African American. While Jackson, American. I can't clarify where they gain the info from, so take it with a grain of salt. The reason why i have a strong believe that Exer is Indian-African American is due to Paola's patreon.

(I think im allowed to share this? Since technically its public and you can view it for free? Tell me if its not allowed and im ganna edit it, okay guys!)

If im right that this is Exer's mom, than its prove Exer's and Jackson's mom are two different people.

Its blurry since i can't afford the monthly subscription (it cost like a whole week of lunch money, if converted to my home country) so I could be wrong but my speculation is that this is Exer's mom. Due to the woman in the picture not resembling Jackson's mom and she is wearing what seems to be a sari? (A traditional South East mostly India, Women's wear.)

The woman in the blurry picture have curly long hair like Exer's while Jackson's mom have a shorter shoulder length straight hair.

[Below the pic of Jackson's mom for ref. ]

This implies that for Jackson and Exer to be related, Harry must have cheated on Exer's mom. We all know that's IMPOSSIBLE! No way! Very out of character!

If they are not related than how are they super connected?

This is where we go to the second theory, Exer's Magic came from Jackson. Here me out!

So far, there are three confirm cases of magical users in JD. That being Exer, Lucy-furr, and David. And you know what they had in common? They are all written in the Diary by Jackson!

You know what they say! Once is by chance, twice a coincidence and three times a pattern.

At first with Exer it might by chance, but than Lucy came in to the picture as a MAGICAL cat! Sure it could be a coincidence, but than suddenlyDavid have the ability to see Exer's magic! It's a pattern! Jackson can give power to living beings it seems!

What's interesting is that Lucy and David don't have their power until Jackson specifically activate it. In Lucy's case she had been drawn in green crayon before, but she IS still a normal cat. It was only after Jackson drew her again back in ep 66 where she finally gain her magic.

Exer is unique in a way, since he seems to use his magic even when Jackson is not in Kingsmont. This fuels my theory of them being friends back in their childhood.

The biggest evidence for me regarding the magic being given by Jackson to Exer is this drawing.

A green stickman with a blue magical hat and a wand! Like is this evidence or what??

I must admit the blue in the wand and hat is not the exact shade of blue Jackson is. But still!!

[Below is Jackson's blue]

But its just a theory! A poorly made word jumble of a paragraph!

Thanks for reading.

It's the moooost wonderfuul tiiime... IT'S THE MOOOST WONDERFULL TIIIIME... OF THE YEEEEAAAAARR!

New sona variant unlocked!

Virto the Festive!

I love Christmas! :>

Hello,

How are you? I am Anas from Gaza. Due to the terrible situation, war, bombings, and the dire living conditions, could you please help us by donating through the GoFundMe link, even if it's just a small amount? And if you can't, could you please share the link?😔💔💔💔

GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/972df009

!

Nah I think I'm closer to a detective

Just want to be clear but we all know Diary is definitely lying, right?

I mean that switch from annoyed to apologetic was too weird and sus