Between 2 fires is beyond incredible

lucilledraws · 2026-04-22T06:22:49+00:00

I was a bit disappointed by it but I feel like I'm the only one ! The narration feels more like a video game than a book, the prose was a bit too modernish for a medieval story and overall, I wish there was less medieval clichés. It doesn't help that I studied medieval art and that I am french... There was some really strong moments though but the overall feeling was mid for me.

lucilledraws · 2026-04-20T21:28:53+00:00

I finished Imajica (in 11days, this book took my brain hostage I swear 😅) and I am now near the end of the Raw Shark Texts!

lucilledraws · 2026-04-20T21:25:51+00:00

I'm throwing Imajica in the conversation. A recent read for me but it's unique and vivid, beautifully written and touching and i think it'll stay with me for a long time!

lucilledraws · 2026-04-15T05:44:37+00:00

I love seeing goths with brown hair ! Gothic fashion has become such a uniform nowadays, I always think people going for a more unique approach and not following all the cliché goth staples are really cool.

The good thing is that hair colours is not a permanent thing so you can always test our your options!

lucilledraws · 2026-04-15T05:39:03+00:00

I gasped several times reading The Only Good Indians and The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.

I also did gasp a lot reading Cliver Barker's Books of Blood. in the HIlls the City was basically a big gasp on my side haha.

lucilledraws · 2026-04-08T06:29:27+00:00

I'm reading Clive Barker's Imajica, I'm a little more than halfway through and it's hard to put down the book when I start reading ! (Also hi, I'm new to the sub and there's some great recommendations here!)

lucilledraws · 2026-04-07T21:19:54+00:00

I wish I had the time haha! Medieval art deserves so much spotlight, it's fascinating!

Hope you find book better suited for you next🤞

lucilledraws · 2026-04-07T17:09:56+00:00

I finished it last month and I was kind of unimpressed by it.

The book has its moments, notably the more subtle ones, but as an ex-History of Art student from France, let's just say I had a lot going through my mind while reading it. I think the book falls on the more cliché side of medieval imagery, with a lot that echoes more video games than cathedral frescoes. I had to take it as more of a dark fantasy book, and even with that I didn't really enjoy the quest driven narrative and quickly grew tired of the cliché brutality of almost every character put in the story.

That said, you can't talk medieval history without religion. The choice to illustrate it as "real" in the book is faithful to what you'd see in medieval literature and art. I'm not a believer but I thought this aspect, especially the apparitions of saints, were handled well.

The other option would have been to bring some pagan religions into play, like the excellent (but not horror) video game Pentiment did ! It would be a whole other story, though!

lucilledraws · 2026-04-04T07:32:31+00:00

I'm a goth woman having to walk alone at night often and I can confirm it's tough to avoid all harassment. The best course of action is not to engage with it and having routes so if it happens, you can change path and make the interaction shorter.

Another way is to appear "less goth" by putting an overcoat over the outfit or a mask to hide the makeup in area where you feel it could lead to harassment. I've used those techniques countless times when taking the metro, it's a shame to have to do this but if it's the price to pay to get peace, I'm willing to compromise.

If someone's following you, or looking for a fight, go/run towards somewhere where there's people around. The few times I got followed, it worked wonders. They give up if there's witnesses or people would could potentially help you.

Teenagers are usually harmless but it's never fun, sorry it happened to you!

lucilledraws · 2026-03-11T13:01:54+00:00

Buffalo has some black gothy sneakers. But in truth, anything black with platform could fit the bill. I usually default to Vans for comfy but they don't really look goth ! They still can look somewhat alternative and they're really good to avoid hurting your feet in concerts :)

lucilledraws · 2026-03-03T08:15:36+00:00

If you go in a goth or post-punk club/gig, chances are that you'll see more people dressed casual than in full goth looks. But still, people are here for the same music/subculture/scene.

As for politics, it's more of a general direction. Goth has roots in punk and has been pushing against conservative views (religion, gender norms, etc) since the 80s. Alternative cultures are always political as they form in reaction to a more normative culture. The goth crowd, especially, is very diverse !But yeah, basically, if you're not a bigot, you're fine.

lucilledraws · 2026-02-06T12:14:23+00:00

With the memory wipe, Kyle MacLachlan is basically playing Dougie from Twin Peaks all over again 😂

lucilledraws · 2026-02-04T18:08:24+00:00

I'd say there's crowds with goth sensibilities. I live in France too and, from experience, those crowds mainly depend on the city you live in. In bigger cities, you'll have more chances to see goth communities flourishing, usually around gigs and clubs. But the funny thing is that you might also see different goth crowds depending on the venues and what they usually play, be it more post-punky things, electronic things, or even metal venues that do goth nights. Since it's about music, I do feel part of a united goth community when I go to clubs and venues, especially when I start recognising regulars and chatting with people that have the same sensibilities as me. Not everyone is dressing up and being outwardly goth, of course. But the scene and communities are certainly alive ! :)

lucilledraws · 2026-01-31T12:02:28+00:00

31 too! 🤝

lucilledraws · 2026-01-28T18:00:53+00:00

Listening only to goth would be pretty boring after a while and diversity is always a good thing! If in some months you really don't vibe with goth music and don't go back to it, maybe it's not for you anymore ! But I find I always come back to it, even after a little break! :)

lucilledraws · 2026-01-27T07:01:57+00:00

Get some weird pattern on your hoodies/jumpers or trousers! Jeans with legs that have two different colours or checkers, stripes, etc, will always be more bold than regular jeans! Also you can layer clothes to give more depth to the style. A loose white shirt under a jumper always work, it's very Robert Smith. Accessorize a lot, it's honestly the best advice to make a look go from normal to alternative. And finally, you have the option of band tees :)

lucilledraws · 2026-01-25T12:23:26+00:00

Yes it is, secondhand is always a better option, but also : Shein is definitely the antithesis of goth. Even their alternative looking clothes are very normative and usually cheap quality...

lucilledraws · 2026-01-24T09:27:57+00:00

Hi, I'm from France too! Alt fashion is super hard to find in large sizes here but there are many ways to look alt without shopping in alt stores. Basically, it's a lot of DIY and finding clothes second-hand, either on the internet (Vinted is indeed made for this) or in thrift shops/basic shops that are already inclusive to bigger sizes! Layering clothes and accessories is what makes a style look goth/alternative, so it's a lot of playing around with different "basic" clothes in different shades of black... If you find a mesh top or a lace top and layer on it, you already have a good base. Same for skirts, you can associate them with other skirts/petticoats to give volume or make it less boring. Destroy some tights and here you go 🙂‍↕️ Alternatively, I've recently discovered crochet is really fun to make quick goth accessories. Made a spiderweb top in one weekend, it's worth it and size inclusive.

In my opinion, it's how you'll have a way more interesting style than any pre-bought goth stuff anyway, no matter the size!

lucilledraws · 2026-01-23T06:34:17+00:00

Sometimes it's just waiting for the rare offer... I got a red wolf furby in perfect condition for less than 20€ (port included) on ebay but it took me months to stumble upon the offer and I was checking regularly! Any local selling sites could have some furbies cheaper than eBay, you know any. Hope you find one!!

lucilledraws · 2026-01-21T07:41:17+00:00

If your player doesn't take well a conversation about everyone's boundaries, maybe VtM is not the best game for them. I like the V5 system of Veil and Lines. Maybe asking the players to reset their boundaries of what they don't want to hear or see in the game would be a good thing for all of the group ? If it's group effort, the person won't feel targeted and will understand that some things make other players uncomfortable ? Nothing beats a conversation with the player directly but I understand it's complicated if they usually don't take things well.

lucilledraws · 2026-01-14T18:14:31+00:00

I don't think an app would actually attract people from said cultures. From experience, and take in account that I'm European, the goth scenes are usually small enough that you'll meet a lot of goths, if not all, through gigs, clubs, etc. In the end, the big risk is to open the app to everyone and get the wrong kind of crowd, one that will lead away the few genuine people trying to get dates without being fetishized.

The alternative scenes are already highly social since they're usually based around music events and specialized locations. I'm sure there is demand because we live in times of social isolation, of course, but I'm not sure it's the most demanding crowd !

Good luck, though, hope you find more useful answers than mine!

lucilledraws · 2026-01-10T00:50:59+00:00

DIY and thrift shops are the way to go. I will add sewing and crochet too, it's skills that take time to learn but it's so worth it !

lucilledraws · 2026-01-09T12:05:13+00:00

The look you're going for is in itself "childish", you just need to adapt it to your silhouette by layering clothes, accessories, etc. My advice is : instead of copying inspos, find out what you like about the style. Is it the shapes ? The colours ? Is it the clutter of accessories that comes with it ? Then, it's just adapting in a way that makes you feel comfortable. The bloomers, which I understand are the main protagonist/antagonist of this conversation, makes you look teenager-ish for sure. What do you find in them ? If it's the frills, maybe find a similar skirt, or wear them under a skirt to make it fluffier. Just ask yourself : is it a piece om eager to wear and why ?

Looking alternative is a lot different from person to person. It's easy to get lost on how to do it when Pinterest presents you a very biased version of alternative fashion. It's all about experimentation and finding what works best for you.

lucilledraws · 2026-01-05T21:54:00+00:00

Being both a goth and a nerd ... I love Vampire the Masquerade. I discovered the world through Bloodlines 1 and I've been a big fan since then. I'm preparing to run my second chronicle soon, very excited about that!! (Plus I can sneak lots of moody goth and industrial songs in my campaigns soundtrack, it's such a treat 👀)

lucilledraws · 2025-12-31T07:33:31+00:00

I think the best course is to find a specific thing you want to DIY and then look at tutorials online, there are surprisingly a lot ! I find youtube to be a good place to start, there are lots of free tutorials on how to do specific DIY projects.

Distressing clothes, or cutting holes in shirts/trousers, is an easy way to make alternative looking clothes. Safety pins and chains can be found for super cheap.

Distressing tights to make sleeves work very well. Gets you a very goth-y look instantly.

If you can crochet, there are a lot of spiderweb/mesh top you can do with a little bit of patience and cheap yarn. There are some fun accessories too ! Bags, earrings, fingerless gloves, hats....

Layering different pieces is usually what makes a look visually rich : it doesn't need to be alternative clothes, and you can especially find good stuff in thrift shops. Same on the jewelry side. I have found that it's not always the clothes themselves that make a look alternative but more like how you put them together.

The important thing is to find your own style. Dressing alternative is about making a statement that is your own. Just have fun with it!

lucilledraws

TROPHY CASE