The Darkling Tag - Take Two

A few Octobers ago, I took on the Darkling Tag - a series of questions aimed at illuminating all the dark nooks and crannies of a "Goth" personality. It's been a while and I've been curious as to how my responses may have changed, so I'm doing it again!

You can read the original here and then pop back to this current version.

Simple Questions:

• What is your favorite candle scent? - Right now, I'm loving all things lavender. I wonder if that's because I'm really stressed out these days...?
• Do you have a favorite book? - Bram Stoker's Dracula. Still. Forever. 
• Are you a tea or coffee person?  - Mostly coffee, but I also enjoy tea.
• What is your favorite brand and color of lipstick?  - Right now I'm wearing Covergirls' Entwined
• What is your favorite perfume/cologne? - Fun fact! I don't wear fragrances because most of them give me a headache. But I do like anything with tea tree oil or eucalyptus.
• Do you have a celebrity crush? - Nope. I don't currently have any crushes at all.
• If you had to give up the color black, what color would you choose instead? - Navy blue
• If you could change your name to a stereotypical 90s/2000s gothy name, what would it be? - Raven, like from Teen Titans. I even have her haircut right now! 
• What are your top three tips for surviving hot weather while black clad? - Sheer and breathable fabrics, nix any unnecessary layers, and stay in the shade!
• What song will always make you happy (doesn’t have to be a goth band)? - Mortals from Warriyo
• Are you active in the arts (ex. Play an instrument, paint, write, etc)? - I write, mostly. This blog but also a space opera novel.
• If you had a teacup or mug made inscribed just for you, what would you have it say? - My favorite that I've ever seen is that one pretty floral teacup with matching saucer that simply says "You've been poisoned" at the bottom. 
• What is your number one non-gothy hobby? - Pilates! 

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Thought Provokers:

• If you could be a supernatural creature, what would it be and why? - I'd love to be a banshee (bean sidhe) actually. They have a really heartbreaking task, to wail for a person about to die in the clan they look after....
• What horror monster-based super power would you have? - I'll take all of Dracula's abilities thanks!
• Do you feel confident or comfortable interacting with other Goths or gothy people (online or irl)? Why or why not? - The Goths I have met in person and online have largely been the nicest and friendliest people ever. It's only the really young and surly ones that have something to prove that can be difficult to deal with, but I guess that goes for teenagers of all persuasions.
• Which is more important for a look: Great hair or great makeup? - Hmmm, that's a tricky one. It really depends on your style, but I would rather do something wild with my hair and forgo the makeup altogether. 
• Is there something you wish there was more of in your subculture? - Acceptance of the way the culture is shifting and evolving I guess. Less gatekeeping. More inclusivity. 
• Care to share an embarrassing story related to your “darkliness“? - I dyed my hair black using a box dye once. Never again. 
• How are you at DIY? - I used to do a lot more of it - from sewing clothes to hot gluing accessories. 
• Quickly describe your ideal wedding. - It doesn't exist.

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Confessional (aka True or False):

• I love watching cheesy romance films. - False. Straight up can't stand romcoms - they're rife with tired old sexist tropes and often perpetuate rape culture. Pass.
• I ALWAYS remember to wash off my makeup at night. - True. If I forget even once I wake up with face demons.
• I sleep with plushies. - False. Unless my bat pillow counts, but I don't sleep with it.
• I wear non-black pajamas most nights. - True. I usually just wear t-shirts and undies to bed.
• I still listen to a boy band that had disbanded years ago. - On the rare occasion I'll listen to like, one or two Backstreet Boys songs.
• I think Andrew Eldritch is overrated. - True. Peter Murphy is a doll though.
• I don’t like vampires. - True and false. I HATE the modern interpretation of vampires as something beautiful and tragic. I much prefer the more monstrous versions of years past. 
• I don’t like clubs. - True. I'm a hardcore introvert - you're lucky to drag me to a house show!
• I’m dating a goth/darkly-inclined person. - Hmmm, he could be considered darkly inclined....
• I don’t enjoy graveyards. - False. They're very peaceful and beautiful if well-kept.
• Blood makes me queasy. - False.
• I’d sooner faint than pet a spider. - False. Spiders are cute!
• I don’t like haunted houses. - False. I love haunted houses. I tend to find myself living in haunted places, too
• I still browse Hot Topic’s clearance racks. - Sometimes. If I find myself near one.
• I’ve never read Dracula. - False. It's still my favorite book!
• I think “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” is a long and boring song. - True, it's long. It doesn't do much. But it's still a classic and I have much appreciation for it.

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So, tell me all about your favorite dark classic if it isn't Dracula, by some miracle.....