The Darkling Tag

No wifi for several days means having plenty of time to answer to yet another goth tag! Yay! :D

After the goth tag, the ungoth confessions and the goth clichés, here I come with the darkling tag!

THE DARKLING TAG

Simple Questions

What is your favourite candle scent?

I don’t have any. I adore candles, but when it comes to scented things, I prefer perfumes and incense.

Do you have a favourite book?

Charles Baudelaire’s work is the book of my life, really. When it comes to fiction, my favourite novel is something never translated in English called Alexia (or Retrum, depending on your country) by Francesc Miralles. I also love the  classics that are Interview with the vampire and Dracula. And for non-fiction, I'm a huge fan of Caitlin Doughty's mortuary knowledge.

Are you a tea or coffee person? 

Tea, without a single hesitation! I love coffee-flavoured stuff and I can enjoy a cup of coffee when there’s half of milk and three spoons of sugar. Otherwise, I really dislike coffee.

What is your favourite brand and colour of lipstick?

Nyx’s black lipstick is the only black lipstick I have tried, but it’s so good!

What is your favourite perfume/cologne?

I have several of them. I’m very much of a perfume person. I love strong and weird scents, such as Parfume Noire’s and Adopt’s patchouli, Black Opium, or Yves Rocher’s So Elixir. But I also like delicate fruity scents like Céline Dion’s Sensational or A New World’s Gotha (something I found for 3€).

Do you have a celebrity crush?

You have no idea how many of them I have, seriously. It's actually a big part of me: I discover some actor in a new series, I read or watch many interviews, I watch more, and then I also find this person quite beautiful... It's an unending circle. It's linked to my high sensitivity, which makes me feel deeply connected to art, and sometimes to the artists of said art. So, basically, to be clear, a celebrity crush is for me much deeper than just finding someone attractive. 

Just to list a few: David Tennant, Aidan Gillen, Jodie Whittaker, Einar Selvik, Lana del Rey, Björk, John Simm, Chris Pohl, Mattew Porretta, Ville Valo and many British actors... and some French people too, such as Nicola Sirkis, Alexandre Astier or Julien Doré.

If you had to give up the colour black, what colour would you choose instead?

Purple, definitely. Purple has been my non-black favourite colour for as long as I can remember.

If you could change your name to a stereotypical 90s/2000s gothy name, what would it be?

Probably Raven ? I mean, I love ravens and crows, and I love The Crow too. Or maybe Morticia...

What are your top three tips for surviving hot weather while black clad?

1. No makeup at all

2. Simple open shoes / sandals

3. Avoid tight clothes (bye bye corsets) and heavy fabrics (bye bye velvet)

What song will always make you happy (doesn’t have to be a goth band)?

Oh, there are so many of them. But I immediately think of folkmetal bands like Grimner or Manegarm, because in my repertoire, nothing screams more ‘happy’ than folkmetal!

Are you active in the arts (ex. play an instrument, paint, write, etc?) 

Well, I’m a poet, a photo creator and a model. I’m also an occasional cosplayer, and I used to write songs and to utterly fail at playing guitar or piano.

If you had a teacup or mug made inscribed just for you, what would you have it say?

The very first thing that comes to my mind is ‘Baudelaire’s bitch’...

What is your number one non-gothy hobby?

Gaming, I guess. I spend so many hours on that stupid League of Legends...

Thought Provokers

If you could be a supernatural creature, what would it be and why?

A Vampire Diaries-like witch, like Bonnie or Kai. You can do so many things, and the stories behind each coven or grimoire or spell is fascinating! Also it's a lot of work so it corresponds more to my mentality, I prefer to learn my powers instead of just magically having them without moving my finger.

What horror monster-based super power would you have?

No idea. I’m neither into monsters, nor into horror, nor into super powers.

Do you feel confident or comfortable interacting with other goths or gothy people (online or irl)?

Well, as an introvert, I feel more comfortable online than irl, goth or not. And, well, I have to say, I haven’t really spoken to any real-life goth. Every time my friends go on a break to talk to people during parties, I feel uncofortable. But not because these people are goth, but simply because they’re people.

Which is more important for a look: great hair or great makeup?

When it comes to my personal look (I can’t and don’t want to speak for other people), I’d say better hair is more important. Here’s my logic: I can (and very very very often do) go somewhere completely bare-faced. But on the other hand, if I have dirty hair with roots showing on three inches, I feel completely stupid if I put on the tinest bit of makeup.

Is there something you wish there was more of in your subculture?

More DJ sets oriented towards modern goth music, that’d be nice.

How are you at DIY?

Pretty good I think, but I’m terribly lacking of ideas.

Care to share an embarrassing story related to your "darkliness"?

When I was around 13 years old, I made my own spiked collar... with real nails as spikes. Don't do that. Your psychologist will tell you you have 'psychiatric problems'.

Quickly describe your ideal wedding:

My ideal wedding would be a wedding that would never take place.

The Confessional (aka true or false)

I love watching cheesy romance films.

False. I genuinely can’t stand this kind of films. I have nothing against a romance, but as long as it's not the core of the film and as long as it's mature and serious.

I always remember to wash off my makeup at night.

True. Makeup is tiring my eyes, and after a whole day, my face just feels heavy and dirty. In any case there’s no reason why I would keep it, since I barely ever wear makeup two days in a row. 

I sleep with plushies.

False. I do have several plushes on my bed, but it’s just decor. I don’t sleep with them.

I wear non-black pyjamas most nights.

True. I have 9 pyjamas, but only 2 of them are black.

I still listen to a boy band that had disbanded years ago.

True and false? I don’t listen to any boy band, but I listen to many disbanded bands.

I think Andrew Eldritch is overrated.

False. I mean, him as a person, I don’t know. But I adore the Sisters! Although I think it's an established fact that the guy has now lost his 80's charisma.

I don’t like vampires.

False. I bloody adore them. Pun intended.

I don’t like clubs.

False. I really love clubbing! Ask my friends, we’re 4 in my squad, and I’m the only one who danses all night long with little to sometimes no pauses at all.

I’m dating a goth/darkly-inclined person.

True and false. True because yes my boyfriend is a goth-inclined metalhead, but false because he’s like that thanks to me. Prior to knowing me, he had no idea these universes existed, which means I didn’t start dating him because he was a darkly inclined person.

I don’t enjoy graveyards.

False. Utterly false. I mean, I am a taphophile. I don’t just enjoy graveyards, I’m fully passionated by them.

Blood makes me queasy.

True and false? I used to not being able to stand the sight of the tiniest drop of blood. I’m doing pretty fine now, but I still can’t stand anything slightly gory. Blood in itself doesn't make me feel bad, but I'm overall extremely squeamish.

I’d sooner faint than pet a spider.

True. Next question please.

I don’t like haunted houses. 

No idea. I just never been to one, so I can’t know.

I still browse Hot Topic’s clearance racks.

Can’t answer. French person here. Hot Topic doesn’t exist in my country.

I’ve never read Dracula.

False! I read it three years ago and I devoured it! Such a great book, seriously!

I think Bela Lugosi’s Dead is a long and boring song.

So damn false! Long? 9 minutes is long? Are you kidding me? I’m a metalhead, I’m used to 17min-long songs! So, clearly, 9min my standard lenght. And this song is far from being boring. Bela Lugosi’s Dead is a very creative and atmospheric song. I once had the chance to dance on it while the dancefloor was nearly empty - such a unique moment. ♥

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There you go! Hope you enjoyed reading this tag! Don't hesitate to share your own version! :D

~ Neph