Yep, I’m Still Daydreaming About Lazaar. And Having Fun Drawing Him On Procreate. Tried The Brilliant

Saw this (during the current re-run) and cannot stop thinking about it. So very, very, very funny.

And, also, Andrew Scott’s arms…

📷 screenshots of opening scenes from NT film extract on YouTube 📷

⬆️ Fan Photo Collage using extract from A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and stills from the TV Show

My favourite book in the whole world. Ever.

I was out and about yesterday and found a well-loved copy of ‘A Discovery of Witches’ in the local train station book swap.

⬆️ A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (p175)

Part of me wanted to leave it for someone else to discover the absolute magic (literal and figurative) of it; part of me was delighted with the connective sign from the universe and part of me grabbed it with both hands as I’ve lent my copy out and am really missing it. I delved into it straight away and got wonderfully lost for the entire train journey.

To celebrate, I edited together a little extract (p175), just for fun, which tries to capture the delectable sensory overload to be found in the writing and the show itself. Can’t really put into words how much I love it.

⬆️ Mørck and Rachel Fan Scribbles (rushed and imperfect but tried to capture the feelz) based on some photo edits I did a while ago. The idea is that Carl and Rachel end up in a beachfront cafe after a windswept walk. The photo edits below are how it starts and the Procreate sketch above is where it’s heading…

The (improbable) scenario rambled on a bit a lot so I put it on AO3. Still wondering what these two characters will be like; hoping they’ll lead us on a merry dance; still hoping for some sneak peeks from Netflix soon. ☺️

🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠. The end.

It's National Wine and Cheese day 🧀🍷

(in the US but frankly it should be an international thing!). To celebrate, here are Matthew Goode and James Purefoy enjoying cheese and wine in the Camargue sunshine after a hard day horse riding and rounding up cattle.

I love Matthew's ecstatic faces, he is in his happy place 😆. I am with him, cheese and wine are one of the best things in life!

Also just noting in passing, the thumb, the open shirt and neck (THAT Bblue shirt 🩵🩵), the gorgeous smile 🫠

📷 The Wine Show (2018) s2:05 my edits

Vampire and his prey mood board, using stills from ADOW, Abigail and random photo edits I made. It gets me when the stag kneels down and accepts his fate/submits to the predator.

And here’s a random rambling about Joey and Lazaar, which I wrote today because I was unwell and couldn’t go out: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59486872 It flows from the photo edit of them lounging on the couch above… and a comment made by the wonderful @pleasereadmeok 🖤❤️🩶 I’m not sure the fic even makes sense. But it’s just for fun… so there you go.

I’m half way through Department Q Book 3 and Carl is pretty into Mona, from the tiny snippets JAO gives away. I need more MG charm in the story so, instead of tidying the kitchen and getting on with work, I tried some more photo faffing using the 📷 above (by Female First website and Philip Sinden) and here’s what I came up with:

‘A candid snap of Carl and Rachel at the messy end of a post-work social (that Carl didn’t want to go to). They’ve tried to sneak off together but got side-tracked in the doorway: Carl pulls her in, playfully, towards him and she can’t resist. The photo, though, is a bad idea as far as Rachel’s concerned. Carl hasn’t even noticed they’re being watched (he’s tired, as usual, and she smells just too good).’

In my mind, this is where the ‘Carl and Rachel dance’ is at, @asgoodeasgold 🖤

I need to work on my photo editing. It’s fun. But I lose focus before my brain is onto the next thing. I’d love to try photoshop but feel fully overwhelmed every time I look at it.

OK. Now you made me need a ‘Covenant Breaking’ section in all lingerie departments. Just next to ‘Mix and Match’.

(🔊 on) A Discovery of Witches Real Time Read Ch17

"I want to take you home."

Matthew wants to take Diana to Sept Tours so he can protect her.

This is my favourite scene in the whole show, their coming together and leaving Oxford to meet their future. It's so unbelievably romantic and swoony and exciting, it gives me all the feels 💓💓💓

And the way Matthew looks at Diana 💓🫠

📷 Sky/Bad Wolf A Discovery of Witches (2018) s1:03 my edits

🎶 Rob Lane

I adore the Coco Wyo colouring books, especially Spooky Cutie. If I could add some more vampire pages, they would feature my favourite vamp and, instead of ‘Cute but Creepy’ I’d call them ‘Lazar but Loveable’… like this one, where he’s reaching Joey a snack from his fridge. It would be a niche market, for sure… 😝

Making progress. Decided to sketch him out by hand and crack out the copics 🖤 because, why not?

And finished… 🖤

⬆️ Fan-Photo-Art-Collage-Faffing-Around (still!) imagining an epilogue to Abigail (2024)

This imaginary mini epilogue scenario for Abigail (2024) popped into my head (can’t seem to shift Lazaar this week). Joey goes back to the house after a week or so. I know that really she wouldn’t go back… and if she did, she’d likely be 💀 BUT happily this isn’t real and I’m a hopeful romantic. Especially when there are vampires who look like Matthew Goode involved. Even in a horror film. It seems. Unwise, perhaps. But just for fun 🎡.

—————————————————————

(Imaginary) Mini Epilogue - A Visitor

— Characters are not mine (obvs): they are borrowed from the writers of Abigail (2024) —

When every self-protective instinct in your body begs you to fly but you don’t.

When you feel yourself submitting and you know that’s all part of it.

The plan.

Whose plan?

Is it his plan? Or was it yours when you returned here to this godforsaken place?

Has it been your plan since the moment you first felt his crisp touch on your skin?

Physically, you might be in turmoil but there’s no mental unrest here. Only serene, sacrificial curiosity.

And white-hot desire.

He’s studying you now. Pondering your reappearance. But it is not yet the look of a hunter appraising his prey. There’s a wisp of gentleness in the air between you.

“Ana,” he rumbles, with a depth that rattles through your chest.

He knows your name. Your real one at that. Did he ask? Was he told? What did they say about you? The fact that you’ve had air time in their family life brings a slight smile to your face. Abigail squeezes your hand, which you’d forgotten was holding hers in the moment he appeared, silently beneath the trees, out of the tepid dark air.

The vampire doesn’t know what to do with a smile from you. Yet. His chin recoils slightly and his eyes narrow.

“You’re here,” he observes. The old-worldly way he pronounces the second word widens your smile.

He looks to Abigail for an explanation of your presence - long past dusk, in their garden - but the girl simply shrugs and returns his steely stare.

“I came to check up on Abigail,” you hear yourself asserting as your focus is drawn to his hands adjusting the collar on his fawn cashmere sweater, exposing the pale skin of his neck.

He glances down towards his feet, suppressing a scowl that you suspect is defensive and guilt-ridden; you can’t feel the anger he emanated the last time you met.

“Ah,” he raises his magnetic gaze and your breath stops as you register gratitude in his expression.

His head still bowed towards you, he massages the back of his neck with slender fingers. You contemplate how he smells, right there, at the base of his hairline.

“Very well,” he nods and you feel Abigail squeeze your hand once more.

The vampire bows slightly lower, turns and begins to walk back towards the house. You watch his retreat appreciatively, his tall frame stalking across the darkened lawn, his overcoat billowing at the mercy of his long strides. You know that, once he’s safely shrouded in the shadows of the house, he’ll turn back to look at you.

And you wonder what the next move will be.

📷 photos above faffed around with using Procreate (my current obsession); I think if I were to start again from scratch I’d just use a straight-up Lazaar screenshot as I struggled to make MG as MDCM into him - think I need to elongate his face or something and then obviously there’s the mouth - but I learnt a lot by trying - and it’s all just for fun/ to express an idea so perfection’s unnecessary, I say. Original screenshots/ photos below - please let me know if the MG one is your edit and I’ll add credit; I saved it without any intention of using it (besides appreciating his withering side eye) but then this idea popped into my head and now I can’t find where I got it. Sorry ❤️📷

Vampire Issues - A compilation album

(‘Cos that’s what I got 😂) 🧛🖤

✍️ Played around with the epic FREE brush and texture sample pack from True Grit Texture Supply today. Absolutely love them. Need to learn a bit more about the style though! Swipe right for the mood board /references. You know who the characters are meant to be by now 😂

Also updated The Visitor on AO3. Chapter 6 features a playlist so hence the music vibe. Hmm, what would be on your vamp-inspired list?