why do all the words sound heavier in my native language?

Masterpost of Free Gothic Literature & Theory

Classics Vathek by William Beckford Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë The Woman in White  & The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu The Turn of the Screw by Henry James The Monk by Matthew Lewis The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Maturin The Vampyre; a Tale by John Polidori Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De Quincey The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Dracula by Bram Stoker The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Short Stories and Poems An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Songs of Innocence & Songs of Experience by William Blake The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Pre-Gothic Beowulf The Divine Comedy  by Dante Alighieri A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe Paradise Lost by John Milton Macbeth by William Shakespeare Oedipus, King of Thebes by Sophocles The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster

Gothic-Adjacent Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood Jane Eyre & Villette by Charlotte Brontë Lyrical Ballads, With a Few Other Poems by Coleridge and Wordsworth The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens The Idiot & Demons (The Possessed) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas Moby-Dick by Herman Melville The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells

Historical Theory and Background The French Revolution of 1789 by John S. C. Abbott Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth by A. C. Bradley The Tale of Terror: A Study of the Gothic Romance by Edith Birkhead On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History by Thomas Carlyle Demonology and Devil-Lore by Moncure Daniel Conway Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism by Inman and Newton On Liberty by John Stuart Mill The Social Contract & Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau Feminism in Greek Literature from Homer to Aristotle by Frederick Wright

add [ reverse ] to change sender and receiver's roles.

[ arm ] sender links arms with receiver.

[ back ] sender pats receiver on the back.

[ blanket ] sender wraps a blanket around receiver.

[ cheek ] sender kisses receiver's cheek.

[ chore ] sender does a chore they know receiver hates doing.

[ cook ] sender cooks for receiver.

[ feed ] sender feeds receiver a bite of their food.

[ flowers ] sender gives receiver some flowers.

[ forehead ] sender kisses receiver's forehead.

[ gift ] sender gives receiver a gift. specify what.

[ hair ] sender brushes receiver's hair.

[ hand ] sender kisses the back of receiver's hand.

[ picnic ] sender takes receiver out for a picnic.

[ ruffle ] sender ruffles receiver's hair.

[ take ] sender takes receiver's hand.

[ takeout ] sender shows up to receiver's place with dinner.

Remember, requests are open.

WARNINGS: VIOLENCE, CURSING, MENTION OF BLOOD. MENTION OF A GUN.

DIALOGUE:

TAUNTER:

1) “Is that really all you got?” 

2) “Come on, you can do better than that.” 

3) “I’m not even sweating yet.” 

4) “Think I broke more of a sweat petting my cat than I did fighting you.” 

5) “I’m sure you can hit me if you try hard enough. I believe in you.” 

6) “So close.” 

7) “You’re… boring me.”

8) “I expected more.”

9) “Why couldn’t the cops deal with you?” 

10) “Oh, no.” (said really sarcastically) 

11) “I’m sooo scared.” 

12) “Honestly, if you weren’t threatening actual lives, you’d be more of a nuisance, really.” 

13) “This is what I was called for? You?” 

14) “What… is this?” 

15) “Do you want me to slow down for you?” 

16) “If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you get a hit in.” 

17) “This is stupid. Goodnight.” 

18) “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be good enough to beat me one day.” 

19) “Come and get it.” 

20) “That actually hurt. Wow.” 

21)  “Compared to my usual crowd, you’re nothing.” 

22) “Get out of my way.” 

23) “Move.” 

24) “Having fun?” 

25) “Aw, you’re not hurt already, are you?” 

26) “I was just playing. Surely you can take more.” 

27) “Oh my, is that blood? Just from that?”

RESPONDING 

28) “You have to get through me!”

29) “Shut up!” 

30) “I can keep going.” 

31) “This— this is nothing.” 

32) “I’ll make you regret saying that!”

33) “Then let me make this a little more challenging!” 

34) “Of course it hurts, dipshit.” 

35) “You should be scared.” 

36) “Stop— stop taunting me!” 

37) “Fun? Fun? Don’t insult me.” 

38) “I’ll show you better!” 

39) “I can’t stand you.” 

40) “Get out of my way!” 

41) “Over my dead body!” 

42) “I won’t let you get to them.” 

43) “I’ll make sure you can’t hurt anybody else.” 

44) “Over my grave, you bastard.” 

45) “Dammit, all right, here we go!”

46) “I’ll take you down if it’s the last thing I do.” 

47) “If I can’t take you down, I will never forgive myself.” 

48) “Try and move me, I dare you!” 

49) “You’re gonna regret that!” 

50) “You want to see what I can do?” 

51)  “You’re nothing.”

52) “Keep taunting me and see what happens.” 

53) “I’ll give you one chance, walk away.” 

54) “Fine, I guess we’re doing this.” 

55) “Y’know, talking during fighting isn’t very professional!” 

SCENARIOS 

56) You have a stupid smirk on your face, and I’m just trying to be serious. Why are you like this? Can we fight already? 

57) Why are you taunting me? Stop— stop dancing. We’re in the middle of a fight. 

58) When the cops/superhero/my friend told me what you were doing, I wanted to stay in bed. And now that I’m here, I’m thinking that maybe I should have. 

59) Is that bomb fake or real. I can never tell with you.

60) I’m bleeding from your knife/kicks/punches, but I’m not gonna stop fighting until you’re finally taken down. 

61) Every time you taunt me, I see red, and you know this. I should be stronger, but I’m not. 

62) I won’t let you hurt the people I love. Not while I’m still breathing. 

63) You notice that I’m breathing heavy, and you just keep smirking. I— I can keep going. I can. 

64) We used to be friends, what happened to us? Why do we always have to fight? 

65) If you’d just put that gun/remote/knife, we could go home, y’know? We don’t have to keep fighting. 

66) You’re not fighting like you used to, what happened? 

67) This is pathetic and a waste of my time, you’re in my way. 

68) You’ve gotten weaker, I can’t help but let a smirk cross my lips, this is almost… funny. 

You stumble against the wall with half-lidded eyes. It’d be so easy to just stroll by you, but for some reason, I can’t help but keep taunting you. 

69) You hate me. I hate you. Yet, taunting you is one of my favorite things to do. 

a collection of quotes, phrases, and sayings for when your muse needs a little TLC. change & alter as needed.

THE HURT:

“Nah, it’s not that bad. I’ve had worse.”

“I don’t think I can walk that far… or at all.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need your help.”

“Will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just—I’m just really tired.”

“I don’t need a break. I’m okay.”

“It was my fault. It was all my fault.”

“I think I need help.”

“So, I don’t think I’m dying, or anything, and it’s probably not that serious, but… I’m kinda bleeding. A lot.”

“Is the room spinning right now, or is that just me?”

“No, I’m okay, I just… I hit my head. Really hard. I’ll be okay, just give me a second.”

“I’m not sick! I’m fine!”

“No, I don’t think any of my bones are broken, or anything like that. Just bad bruises.”

“Yeah, but you should see the other guy.”

“I’m fine. This just happens sometimes. It’s normal for me.”

“I’ve got a headache.”

“Seriously, though, I’m fine! Stop making such a big deal out of it!”

“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I don’t need your help, and I definitely don’t need your pity. Fuck off.”

“Please tell me I don’t look as bad as I feel.”

“I think I’m running a fever.”

“So, what’s the prognosis, Doc? Am I gonna live?”

“Stop fussing over me! I’m not a baby!”

“Can I stay with you tonight? I just… really don’t want to be alone right now.”

“No, I-I’m okay. It was just a nightmare. Go back to sleep.”

“I… can’t actually remember the last time I had something to eat.”

“You shouldn’t be here. You’ll get sick, too.”

THE COMFORT:

“Honey, have you been crying? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I think you’d better take a break.”

“It’s not your fault, sweetheart. You did everything you could.”

“You don’t have to go through this alone. I’m right here for you if you’ll just let me in.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Don’t ever let yourself believe that there is.”

“You really don’t realize just how many people love you, do you?”

“If you’re not going to take care of yourself, at least let me do it for you!”

“I’m sorry. I know it hurts.”

“You’re not alone, baby. You never have been.”

“Let’s get you some food.”

“You’re dead on your feet, poor thing. Come on, you need some sleep.”

“Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”

“Tell me where it hurts.”

“How many times have I told you to be more careful?!”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m right here, okay? I’m not gonna leave you. I’m never gonna leave you.”

“Oh, honey, you’re safe now. I promise. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Go ahead and take a shower. I’ll fix you something to eat.”

“What happened to you, baby?”

“I’ll kill that bastard. I’ll kill him for what he did to you.”

“You look like shit, man.”

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy! You got pretty banged up back there, and you don’t want to go making yourself worse.”

“I’m not trying to baby you. It’s called taking care of my friends.”

if the crown fits ... take it.

i promised myself a great love. that didn’t work out. 

you fired something in me, and when i look at you now, i must have you again. 

i have carried a romantic idea of people all my life.

it was an act of love, not an act of betrayal.

i saw a great love as a kind of perfect love. maybe it's not.

you're delusional about people, about the world.

that is your great gift. but it's a curse as well.

we cannot change without cost, even if it is our own.

you are always seeking for me to look at reality. well, i am, and it's horrifying. 

it is a flaw for a leader to want love so much.

you don't believe in me. i've spent my life trying to get you to.. and you just don't.

the worst thing in life is to come up against your own limitations and stumble.

i can't stop loving you when you talk, it rushes me.

no morality, no philosophy, just win.

i think you have a large appetite that is not constrained by morality.

you are complicating me.

a great love, like a great country or a great leader even ... is a flawed one.

not as fun as me. because i am known for being fun.

it's .. close to enough.

you do this, and you can't come back. i mean it.

there are many versions of you, and you know i'm the only one who sees them all.

i never thought being doomed would feel so pleasant.

i am fucked. i have decided to embrace it.

sometimes you just take the next step and the path appears. 

i look at you ... and my heart breaks. for your pain. for your sorrows.

i will not live a powerless life.

i do not wish to avoid bloodshed. what part of that plan do you not understand?

sometimes i'm so clever, i have to take a breath not to become dizzy.

i think i was angry because no one has ever not liked me.

there is no other way. i am a prisoner here.

you think me more naive than i am.

we are always not quite as good as we wish.

i don't want to kill you. you're not a bad person.

i could kill you. you are a bad person.

you're so sweet sometimes, i could just kiss you on the nose.

people underestimate the joy in suffering.

it wasn't destiny that did it. i did it.

i'm not scared, and i'm not holding your hand.

you're lying, which is both out of character and really annoying.

i am as good as dead here. that's why i have nothing to lose.

i will not be at your, or anyone's whim.

feels like you only just got here.

i need more time. this can't be it.

don't go. please. not yet.

i'm not ready to let go of you just yet.

our time is limited, but my love for you is not.

won't you stay just a little bit longer?

it's never enough time when it comes to you.

please don't walk away.

i feel like we barely got a second alone.

this can't be all there is between us.

i really need you to hold my hand.

i wish you didn't have to go.

can't you figure out a way to stay longer?

do you have to go? now?

if you leave me now, i don't know what i'll do.

just... five more minutes. that's all i ask.

give me some more time. give me a chance.

i need you to stay here with me.

don't make me beg you to stay.

how much longer do we have together?

i want more time.

i hate to watch you go... but i love to watch you leave.

tell them you're busy. tell them you can't come in today.

maybe you can lie and say you're sick. stay here with me.

wait wait wait! where are you going?

i need you to be close to me for a while.

would you stay with me through this?

what if i asked you to beg me to stay?

when do they need you to leave?

how much longer do i have you here?

what if i want you here all to myself?

[name], please. please stay.

i can't let you go just yet.

i treasure every moment i spend with you.

would you lay with me for a while?

i won't be able to sleep if you leave.

i'm not letting you go.

the day just flies by when i'm with you.

you really need to visit me more often.

i feel like we barely scratched the surface.

i really don't want you to leave just yet.

can't we work something out? keep you here a little while longer?

maybe you could call in sick.

clear your calendar for me.

figured we could use a night alone.

it's been a while since we went on a date.

we should spend more time together.

do you miss me as much as i miss you?

time really does fly when you're having fun.

is that really the time? have we been talking for three hours?