#but it doesn't explain the supernatural stuff and I just don't know how it would have worked yknoq

[woulddieforloki]

The Essex Serpent spoilers (on the off chance anyone is avoiding them bc they wanna watch the show bc Tom is in it but they haven't gotten around to it)

I've seen gifs of the show so I knew Cora and Will get together in the end but I hadn't realized they they both have another love interest so this whole time I've been like "Will you have a wife Will you have a wife Will you have a wife" but I figured that meant Stella would die in the fifth or sixth episode and it would clear a path for them and Luke would just have to suck it up but I just watched episode three and I knew the moment they went "I don't think you have a right to be this angry with me" "no, I don't" "then why are you?" that Will wanted to kiss her and I was like it's okay the fear of God and his love for his wife will stop him and then he pulled her in and I was like NO??? but I tried to convince myself that it was fine and it would be a one-time thing until Stella died and she'd never have to know and they wouldn't wreck their marriage and then Stella fucking looKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW THEM?????? come on Will we were rooting for you 😭😭😭

[starlitangels]

Redacted Boi Social Media Headcanons

Vincent only really uses Instagram, but is required by the Department to have it private because his human name is legally missing-presumed-dead and his face has a risk of being recognized if someone from his human life stumbled upon his Instagram. That said, he doesn't really screen people who request to follow him

Darlin' and Sam don't use any social medias. Darlin' has a Facebook from teenage years, but they deactivated it. But not fully deleted, so they can still be tagged in all the group photos posted to the pack page. In high school, Darlin' was the person who got a lot of unsolicited DMs because they were hot but they hate attention so they blocked everyone but their pack and deactivated. Darlin' reluctantly keeps their Discord for the pack server

David hates social media. He maintains the pack's private Facebook group and Discord server (though the latter is really more Asher's job, David's just in charge) but will not touch anything else. David's favorite social media is YouTube because he can lookup tutorials for anything and not have to ask anyone for help

Milo's a borderline Instagram influencer. He's got a gazillion followers (who all think he's hot, and he is). His Instagram is directly linked to his Facebook, so every picture and caption he puts on IG gets automatically posted to FB too

Marie comments only on Milo's Facebook (she has and kinda uses IG, but doesn't comment). She's the one that will leave the heartfelt comments with "Call me" at the end. She knows that's a meme among younger people that their older relatives leave "what a beautiful couple. Call me" comments, but she does it anyway. And guess what? She does it because it works. Milo👏 is👏a👏Mama's👏Boy👏 and he will call her when she leaves those comments

Asher doesn't use social media much, but is perpetually on Discord. He mods the pack's server, and like 6 others just for fun. He does post lots of pictures of Babe and selfies of the two of them together on the pack's Facebook though

Damien used to get into arguments on Twitter with randos. Huxley thinks it's funny to pull them up from when Damien was a teenager

Huxley was never much into most social medias but I like to think he'd be like that one TikTok dude who pops up on my Tumblr dash occasionally who explains how to do calisthenics and other workout stuff in a really simple, easy, modified way for people who are just getting started. People started following him because he's hot, and then realized he's actually like the nicest dude and doesn't know he's popular

Lasko's a Tumblr boy. I'm not taking constructive criticism on this

Gavin refuses to get an Instagram because he knows he'd get too addicted to it. He knows he's ridiculously good-looking and would amass a following supernaturally fast, and that's why he won't. But he has his old Facebook from when it first started to be popular. He got rid of all his old friends list and now just has Freelancer, Huxley, Lasko, Damien, and a handful of d(a)emon friends who also have Facebooks like Crux

Avior doesn't have any social media at all

Neither does Caelum and Gavin and Freelancer have decided not to expose him to the negativity of the internet

Vega refuses

Cam keeps a few things for professional purposes, but doesn't use them much

Guy is a Tumblrina. Guy is a Tumblrina. Guy is a Tumblrina. Guy is

Aaron's favorite is LinkedIn. This is a joke.

Elliott uses Pinterest a lot for aesthetic inspiration for dreams. He doesn't use much else

Blake is on like every social media all the time. Mostly for CloseKnit. But he also stalked Bestie from afar for a long time

James had to get rid of all of his when his job started getting more secretive and he had to have limited contact with the rest of the world

Morgan doesn't have any social media just as a way to keep himself and his magic safe. The Department protections didn't require it, but he thought it was for the best

Porter totally isn't jealous that Vincent has a higher IG follower count than him and his account isn't even private. He's always trailing like 20 behind

[theminecraftbee]

some smallishsona social links i've thought up:

XIII (DEATH): zombiecleo. i know this is the obvious choice but also i'm not immune to obvious choices. cleo is a "florist" that joe knows. florist is in the world's biggest scare quotes; between the fact they're the one who's willing to give the team weapons and fence stuff they got from the other world, and also the conspicuous full-body burn scars, joel is VERY willing to bet that cleo is not, in fact, a florist. he's not stupid though. he's not about to like, ask if she's in the yakuza or something. because then they would kill him. he is ALREADY unwillingly at constant risk of death by shadow monster, he doesn't need yakuza coming after him, thanks.

cleo's social link starts out about their begrudging willingness to do joe a favor by handing high-schoolers various weaponry, but also their continued attempts to explain that they're making a mistake. (joel KNOWS okay it's not HIS fault there's a demon in his head and his life is full of tarot cards now, give him a break.) however, as the social link continues, it reveals details of cleo's life, the story of how they ended up with those burn scars, and how they can move past the tragedies of their past.

V (HIEROPHANT) xisuma. this one feels a little obvious, went back and forth on whether this should be tfc instead but landed on xisuma. a man joel meets in a tea shop who is very concerned about joel's mental state, considering how joel came to town in the first place. joel thinks this is extremely rude, thanks, especially since if it hadn't been for the fact it was tea, not alcohol, joel would be half-convinced xisuma had been trying to drink his problems away.

the social link focuses on xisuma trying to mentor joel very badly, and also the reveal that part of why xisuma is so concerned for joel is that he wants to make up for his failures to take care of his younger brother. at the end of the social link, xisuma starts to reconcile with his brother and family, and joel maybe reluctantly admits it's nice to have an adult with nothing supernatural going on with them that's somewhat concerned for him. not that he needs supervision or anything, but...

XVI (TOWER): doc. was going through the suggestions people gave me and was surprised to realize just how UBIQUITOUS this was as a suggestion. however, yeah, this fits his character archetype to a t. doc is a disgraced scientist who is willing to give joel his inventions to test; joel's courage social stat needs to be like a 4 before he can even initiate this social link, and joel first finds out about doc from rumors in town about a madman scientist who got someone killed in a lab accident. the inventions provide various perks in battle, though, and frankly by the point in the story joel has high enough courage to start this one his attitude is starting to become "fuck it we ball", so.

doc's social link starts with doc leaning into his terrifying reputation. however, as the social link continues, it becomes clear doc is actually trying to make a working version of his clean fuel generator that couldn't possibly ever cause an explosion like the one he faced again. in the end, it's revealed the original design was sabotaged, and there was nothing doc could have done to prevent the tragedy--except, maybe, be willing to share his plans with others to catch the sabotage, because joel helps doc figure that out.

this social link MAYBE has some thematic relevance. don't worry about it.

I (MAGICIAN): scar. one of joel's earliest social links and teammates, i'm debating if he was one of the people who was teamed with grian before joel arrived. scar himself has a largely magic-based garu persona. he's also the party's early healer, although he later gets supplanted in this role when impulse joins as the actual party healer, and his build is actually more focused on heavy-hitting magic and status effects. (think ann, or reload mitsuru). i think if i go with my current theme for the team's personas (mythological lovers/mythological figures related to love or bonds), i might make his persona majnun?

anyway, he's very VERY scar, a fast-talking, smooth-playing, optimistic kind of guy, who DEFINITELY won't end up having a mid-story breakdown about whether or not he's wanted or needed on the team, absolutely not, no way, it's not like that's the magician's role in a persona game or anything. as a social link i think scar's social link is about him dragging joel into his school black market schemes and the two of them hitting it off during this, but also, a bit, about scar confiding his loneliness and feelings of inadequacy as something more than the comic relief. he's one of the earliest available social links, second only to skizz, and ends up being one of joel's closest links, magical tarot powers be damned.

VII (CHARIOT): skizzleman. joel's earliest social link, who develops a persona thanks to joel having to rescue him from the other world. a cheerful, friendly guy with a slight sense of distance under the surface, skizz works to keep himself strong and the people around him happy, sometimes to the point of excluding his own emotions. he's an agi user, although his persona is largely focused on physical skills rather than magic (he's the team's physical heavy-hitter), and i might make his persona patrolcus? (all of these personas are things you can argue with me, btw.)

skizz's social link is about him trying to find ways to lighten the moods of the other people in joel and skizz's apartment building who were moved in there because they didn't have elsewhere to stay, and his ability to remain cheerful despite often being rejected in this. it's also a social link about digging more into the history that lead to skizz feeling alone enough to be Vanished and in need of rescue. because he's so plot-central in that way, though, his actual SOCIAL LINK is more lighthearted shenanigans about the various schemes skizz comes up with to try to get other people to cheer up, and eventually ends with joel and the others turning it around to give skizz that same cheerful stuff.

anyway these are the guys i've definitively assigned to what social link now i am having SO MUCH FUN with this au,

[panlight]

not sure if you’ve touched on this before hint i’ve been curious lately: does edward actually like alice and bella or does he just appreciate their gifts? i’m not quite sure how to explain it but the more i think about it, the less alice seems like the kind of person edward would like. she seems to be more self-interested and cunning than the saint-like characters edward typically reveres. i’ve been wondering if their bond is less about a genuine like for each other and more about an understanding of each other's gifts.

i know edward's attraction to bella as a person vs her silent mind has been discussed before. do you think edward would've fallen for bella if she were more like characters like rosalie and jessica? for instance, assuming her mind were still closed off to him, would edward still have found bella fascinating if he perceived her to be vain and materialistic?

This is part of why I'm less interested in the gifts stuff that a lot of other people. I think it does muddy the waters with things like this. Like, are Edward and Alice actually compatible as siblings/friends or is it just like "you're the only one who understands because our author gave us these specific gifts?" And at the end of the day maybe it doesn't super matter; they DO have those gifts and it DOES help them understand one another so what it would be like without them only really matters if you're writing some All Human AU that removes the supernatural. In their world, compatibility with gifts is a thing, and probably just as valid as other kinds of compatibility and sympathy.

It is interesting that Edward thinks Rose is selfish and vain but loves Alice, when you know if it were Rosalie spending all this money on clothes they only wear once and throwing parties he would see it as another sign of her poor moral character. But part of it may be that Alice and Edward are different enough that they don't annoy each other in the same way Rose and Edward do. Both of them are more melancholy, more negative, more judgmental. Alice is more fun and happy and extroverted so Edward probably doesn't see his own flaws in her the same way he does in Rose (although they can be similar, too, in their sort of manipulative "I know best" dealings).

With Bella I think the gifts thing is even more of a factor. I mean if he could hear Bella's thoughts he'd be getting a lot of "Edward is SO hot" because that's what her narration is in the book, and I don't know that he's find that any different than how Jessica or whoever thinks about him. But because he can't read her mind, he's able to project on her, and also interpret her choices and actions in flattering ways rather than negative ways as he does with most people. And like I get it. I certainly think things I wouldn't say or do. I'm very patient and helpful at my job at the library, for example, but in my head when I see certain people coming and asking for help I'm like "ugggggh not THIS person" and "why can't you do this yourself?!?!" so if Edward were reading my mind he might be like "oh she's not as nice as she seems, she's two-faced, what a scoundrel!" when it's really just . . . being human?

If Bella's behavior was more like Rose and Jessica but Edward couldn't read her mind, that would be interesting. I guess if she also still smelled delicious he might fall for her, and then make up flattering explanations or excuses for the behaviors he doesn't like in others. "She just moved here/she's lonely/she misses her mother/she will grow out of it/whatever" when he's not willing/able to extend that same grace to Jessica because he can read her mind and judges her on her thoughts.

And this isn't me badmouthing Edward; I'm sure it WOULD be genuinely hard NOT to judge people when you're hearing what they are thinking all the time. That's going to flavor your perceptions of people in a major way. But I do think it's not really a fair or accurate view of a person, because what we DO and SAY matters more than what we think. We can have bad thoughts and re-direct them. We can think something mean and choose not to say it. We can internally grumble but do the Right Thing anyway.

I also think having the first two people he spent any time with being the uncommonly "good" Carlisle (super compassion!) and Esme (unconditional love) probably didn't help Edward get a realistic picture of what most people's thoughts are like. Judging a teenager's developing brain against a centuries-old compassion-motivated vampire doctor isn't gonna be a fair comparison. "Carlisle would never think like that" sure but he's also been actively choosing to fight baser instincts for hundreds of years, and Jessica's a 17-year-old navigating social cliques and history exams. They are not the same.

[yuri-is-online]

Back with some more thought experiments! This time, let’s talk about the actual worldbuilding of Twisted Wonderland. I mean, this is a completely separate world where fairytales and fantastical things actually exist. It’s functionally impossible for Twisted Wonderland to just be Earth plus some Disney sprinkled on top.

The biggest point that really gets me is that fact that methods to foresee the future exist. Astrology is a valid class in NRC and Yuu suffers from plot convenient prophetic visions. The mere idea that the future can be foreseen should have huge ramifications on how businesses and governments operate. Imagine knowing the effect of a deal or policy before it even happens. Or minimizing crisis by knowing about it before it strikes.

Magic should also affect technological development. We know that there was an age before magic was widespread among humans, thanks to Trein in GloMas. In that sense, I can see how up to a point technological development may be similar… but post-magic the technology should be different due to a different set of limitations.

Language is also an interesting topic. Setting aside things that humans probably can’t event speak like the Fae languages seen in game, what of the languages used in Twisted Wonderland? Would they be similar to Earth as a result of the Disney movies used to create its history? Does that explain why Rook speaks French?

This isn’t accounting for religion either. The Age of the Gods is a thing, drawing from the Hercules movie. That would mean that the Greek gods actually exist in Twisted Wonderland. So how did they fall out of worship? I mean, only Hades seems to be recognized anymore due to the Great Seven, and not even in a religious way.

Look, I’m going to hit the character count if I keep trying to list all of my questions. This is just all so fascinating! And true to my fixation on Yuu, this is all great content for exploring just how alien Twisted Wonderland must feel. Like, Yuu should honestly ask more questions. I don’t buy how easily they adapted in the game.

- 🦐

*cracks knuckles* Shrimp you have brought up stuff I've been thinking about for a hot second, I'm so glad you have come into my inbox ( ๑ ˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و ♡

I agree that I don't think Yuu would have adjusted as easily as they are depicted to in game, but this is a mobile app gacha game licensed by Disney so it's not going to focus as much on stuff like that. Luckily that's what we're here to do anyway~ I am going to go through these points one by one.

Point One: Astrology

The most we learn about how fortune telling works in game is from the Scalding Sands hometown event. There is an exchange between Cater, Trey, and Jamil about using coffee grinds to tell fortunes, and Trey specifically says something I think is interesting: we get two really interesting lines:

From what's said here we can tell two things: A) there is a distinct difference between types of fortunes and B) a distinct difference in the quality of fortune tellers. Someone like Cater is correct most of the time with his divination, but not everyone will be making actively relying on it for major decisions. I could absolutely see older kingdoms having a seer employed who a ruler could call on for supernatural advice, but I don't think that would be common practice in modern day Wonderland outside of maybe Briar Valley. Besides, just because you know something bad will happen doesn't mean you will be able to efficiently mobilize your forces in time to make a meaningful difference.

Speaking of which, not to touch on spoilers too much but Leven seems to be implied to posses the ability to actually clearly see the future, and as for Yuu's visions...

Well Lilia says he thought they might have a curse like Silver's (not that he knew why they were dizzy)... and the ability to see the future IS often handed out in Greek Myths as a curse, but well. Make of that what you will.

Point Two: Magi-Tech

The way technology works in Twisted Wonderland is a bit vague. From how Idia talks, I think there is a distinct difference between technology and magitechnology, with Idia specifically specializes in the latter. I actually went a really long time thinking that since Yuu hadn't a single trace of magic on them they wouldn't be able to ride a magi-wheel because of how Deuce talks about it syncing with your own magic and what not. Even magicless people in Twisted Wonderland don't seem to be completely magicless, they just don't have enough of a mana pool to actually cast a spell.

I think it would make sense to suggest magic and magitechnology probably affected Twisted Wonderland's development in the same way the silicone chip did ours, but the key difference would be that if you put too much magic into a device most humans can't use it. That would bring up a completely separate set of setbacks and issues... while there might not be a difference in the type of things built their internal construction would definitely be wildly different.

Part Three: Language

I think the easiest answer to this is yes. We know there is a "common" language that most places now use... I like to headcannon that language as being unique to Twisted Wonderland but I have seen some people think it is probably English. Which brings out my scrunchy face because the prevalence of English in our world is because of the British Empire... which never existed in Twisted Wonderland.

Rook speaks French because one of his favorite plays is set in Fleur City/the Shaftlands... which as a side note. In his Vampire card vignette he names the play that made him like Neige so much: Kingsroad~ The Sword to Become King!~ which is literally the Sword in the Stone based off of the little song he sings from it. I have been going crazy since GloMas thinking about if this suggests that King Arthur is french in Twisted Wonderland or if Rook is referring to another play... personally I think he's from Sage's Island but that's a crack for another post

Part Four: Greek Myths and Religion

There doesn't really seem to be any religious presence in Twisted Wonderland at all. It's unclear if Hades was ever worshiped or if he was just referred to as a god due to his perceived immortality and power. Given that there is something called the Jupiter group... and the Shrouds are a branch of the Jupiter family... AND that the Titans you fight in Chapter 6 are yelling about getting to and killing Jupiter... I think that it's highly likely there are events in Twisted Wonderland's history that correlate to the stories of the Great Seven, but didn't necessarily involve the Great Seven themselves. It's just that those events are remembered as having been done by them... for some unknown reason. Not to be conspiratorial... but do we have any proof they ever actually lived in Twisted Wonderland at all? (━＿━)ゝSure there are relics and things, and there are apparently paintings in the Land of Dawning Meusuem, but where did they come from? How old are they? I don't need sleep I need answers, is this a primary or a secondary source about the Queen of Hearts Riddle?

The End

I also wish Yuu would ask more questions, but I get why they don't :/ this is a gacha game blah blah blah but also. I don't think Yuu knows what questions to ask, there's a lot of stuff about life you don't think about as being abnormal until someone looks at you funny and I think Yuu realistically does a lot of that, but if you put every single instance of that into a game it would get very exposition heavy very fast. Luckily you, I, and everyone reading this have massive brains and can talk to each other about it!!!

[dragonshoardofworks]

DP x DCMK (x DC)

Where Danny and Shinichi meet at the Hawaii where's a Ghost Convention (pre-portal and Conan, when they're both around 11–12 years old) since both sets of parents are invested in the topic. (The Fentons because they're the Fentons and Yusaku because he's researching for one of his books).

They become friends and keep contacts through messages, sharing school shenanigans, crushes, cases and family mishaps.

The One Thing that Danny doesn't share, though, is his halfa status.

First, because Shinichi doesn't believe in the supernatural (according to him, magic is just unexplained science) and second, because his change is far from any kind of "normalcy" and Shinichi had categorically stated that he doesn't want anything to do with superheroes, he's just a "normal" detective and they (the Justice League) save the world.

Though, it's not unusual that, if something weird happens in a case, Shinichi asks Danny's opinion and intel since the Fenton's library has "weird"/obscure material. (If the answer gets him too close to superhero-stuff, Shinichi passes the ball to the JL, more specifically to Red Robin, but that's something for a following reblog of this thread.)

So when Shinichi becomes Conan and settles in Ran's home, he contacts our favorite boi.

(A bit late to the @crossoverdanuary party... (^～^;)ゞ Anyway, long post in chat-style, plus an extra, so I decided to use the read more function because it was getting out of hand... (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) )

Shinichi: Hey Danny, do you know anything that should be killing you, but instead it shrinks you? Danny: Shrink as in size or age? S: Age D: Hold on, gotta check some books to be sure, but usually anything age-related is dark shit. What's for? Fun or case? S: ...It's for a case D: Well, that didn't sound ominous at all, then gotta go *faster* *few minutes later* D: Okay, the closest thing (still in the Mortal Realm) to what you asked is this jewel most commonly known as "Pandora" (if she knew, she would definitely lose her shit) D: it's a gem hidden inside another gem that glows red under the moonlight D: "if bathed in the light of the Volley Comet, it would shed tears capable of granting eternal life" S: This doesn't sound anything like what I asked you (⁠눈⁠‸⁠눈⁠) D: Cut the sass beanpole and let me continue D: since the legend exist and it's documented, it should be reasonable to presume that someone managed to attain it, right? S: ...right *squinty eyes* D: So if some scientist tried to reproduce the same results in the *scientific way* instead of the magical one, they could have either the original "Tears" or the one who consumed them and run test and experiment on them D: whatever the case, there would be either some inferior or failed products that instead of making you immortal, *de-ages* you, which is the next best thing (i.e. you would live longer) D: but since they were "failures" compared to the immortality elixir, they could definitely become poisons. D: So! Since you were so ominous, was it really for a case or did our dear Professor Agasa dabble in alchemy? 👀 (read) D: Beanpole, I know you read my explanation and since this is really dark shit you *have* to at least give me context D: because among the warnings that the grimoire gave me, there's the thing that you become somewhat cursed S: ...Or you're cursed or you're not, there's no "somewhat" D: He speaks! 🙌 D: Give me *the deets* *long pause* D: *Shinichi Kudo* ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ S: Okay, fine! I can feel your disappointed stare all the way to Japan, stop! >Д< D: Then explain S: Okay S: so you know how I can't leave things alone when they have suspicious all printed on them? D: Your worst defect, yes, but continue D: ...wait D: Shinichi no D: HOW OLD ARE YOU NOW?? S: Still 17, thank you very much D: I mean physically, you little shit, don't dodge the question! S: ... S: ...we think 7 D: What in the Infinite Realms everloving fuck, Shinichi D: Okay, you know what? D: I'm coming to Japan and you can't stop me, you *midget*, I know what you're already going to say D: it's dangerous, yada yada D: nothing I've already seen and fought S: What do you mean?! D: Since you're *such a good detective*, deduce it yourself D: give me your coordinates in the meantime and don't you dare move from that spot S: If you send me Superman or anyone of his creek, I swear to Kami, Danny D: Please, Superman could only desire to be anything like me, now *coordinates* ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ *coordinates sent* D: good boy D: now get ready in 3 S: 3 what? D: 2 D: 1

🕵️👻

A full body shiver run over Shinichi as soon as the "1" appeared on the screen, so he looked up from his phone, searching for where the cold draft could have come from. However, the agency toilet window was closed and the closed door had a good insulation, last time he had checked.

So what...!

"Boo."

Shinichi shrieked with all the high pitch of an elementary schooler, as he whirled around to look at what, or better, who had whispered by his ear.

A white-haired green-eyed floating teenager with a black hazmat suit with white accents grinned almost maniacally at him, showing their fangs predatorily.

Anatomically they looked male and despite the unhinged expression, the body language didn't project "danger". If anything, it was loose and casual as if he (until otherwise stated) belonged here.

The unearthly glow suggested either some substance coating him that gave him that illusion, or there was magic afoot.

Irritation surged inside Shinichi: Danny knew his rules! No direct superhero meeting, only exchange of intel!

"Who are you and why did Fenton send you?" Shinichi gritted, crossing his arms to appear less like a 7 years old.

"You disappoint me, little detective, I thought you would have figured it out at first glance!" The supposed hero pouted, crossing legs and arms midair and staring back at Shinichi. "I guess that your fame had been an exaggeration, after all. Some East Highschool Detective you are!"

The teasing little smirk incensed Shinichi more than alarming him (the other knew his secret!), but the last thought made him pause.

Danny wouldn't betray him like this by informing whatever "superhero" of this situation just to help him without his consent. Their boundaries had been awesome like that and had been respected so far, despite the many trials both had faced.

So who was this person really?

Shinichi's mind focused back into deducing the teen before him, and the more looked, the more disbelief made way in his heart. (...He had said he would be coming to Japan, but not in that instant!)

"No way, Danny?"

"Fucking finally, midget! What took you so long?" Danny huffed, untangling then touching down on his feet and looking him over. "It even gave me time to take a look at your situation!"

"Hey! Your voice is different, so I could deduce it only because "if you exclude the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the Truth"! Since you would never spill my secrets to anyone, this must have been you!" Shinichi gestured to his friend, who flushed green when he registered the meaning of the words.

"Wow," he breathed, sounding pleased, as he scratched his nape, "you would believe that a ghost of me is still me instead of me betraying you, wow!"

"Wait, ghost? I thought you just become a superhero, not that you died!" Despite his insistence on not believing the supernatural, Shinichi had read the Fentons' papers on ghosts (the most recent ones, AKA the "no more biased version" as Danny had called them). And, while he hadn't told his friend this, the scientific breakdown of what makes a ghost what they are, had made Shinichi believe in the existence of ectoplasmic beings.

But to discover that one of his best friends had died, he hadn't known or could have done anything, plus Danny hadn't felt safe enough to tell him until it had become unavoidable, made Shinichi clutch his heart in agony and despair.

Probably sensing the shift and interpreting the action for what that was, Danny's face shifted into regret, as he knelt down before the shrunk detective and a ring of light lit up at his waist, washing over him and leaving a hoodie-and-jeans-clad raven-haired and blue-eyed teenager.

Slowly, as if not to spook a frozen Shinichi, Danny laid a hand on his shoulder, while the other took the free little hand to his NASA hoodies chest and splayed it there, allowing him to feel his heartbeat. As if he had known that only words wouldn't have been enough to convince the detective.

Slowly but surely, feeling Danny's sluggish but steady heartbeat, made Shinichi unclench, then lean against his friend's chest, head tucked under his chin.

Carefully, Danny wrapped his friend in a hug, knowing well that, while physical affection was welcome from him, Japanese social conventions and the Kudo's upbringing had left Shinichi a little adverse to prolonged contact.

As the apparent 7-years-old melted into the embrace and clutched Danny as well, followed by a suspicious wet sensation on his chest, the halfa realized that this was bad.

Shinichi had never sought comfort like that, according to professor Agasa (who Danny did keep in contact with, since he was more a parent than the Kudos), so to do this now...

"It's okay, Shinichi, I'll explain better what happened to me, but it's not your fault." Shinichi shuddered at these words and buried deeper in the embrace, making guilt shoot through Danny. He had caused this breakdown. The least he could do was to help him through it and some.

"And we're gonna find a way to solve what happened to you, I promise."

[aloesarchives]

In your Toji lives au would you ever consider making Tsumiki a sorcerer, if so what would her technique be? If not, how does she feel about being the only one in the family without “powers”?

Warnings: Lore dumping for "Toji lives AU", profanity, being too long than it should be

Well, I did thought about it, anon.

In my "Toji Lives AU", Tsumiki doesn't have a curse technique. There are some reasons why I didn't give her a curse technique.

1.) My lack of understanding of the basic understanding of curse technique. I've been reading JJK for almost four years now but I have yet to understand the power system of the series. I know! I'm a fake fan but my smooth brain hasn't been able to grasp the basics/fundamentals of the series. That's why I didn't give Tsumiki a curse technique because my ideas for curse techniques won't make sense in the realm of Jujutsu Kaisen.

2.) I literally have no clue on what curse technique would suit her. Personally, I can't make/give Tsumiki one because I don't know enough about her. Generally, if there is a character that's powerless in a series I'm writing, I would writing a power/technique/ability based on how much I know them. However, since there's very little on Tsumiki in the canon story, I think it would be easier for me to not make her a sorcerer. All we know, at least to my knowledge, is she's the step-sister and step-daughter of Megumi and Toji, she's a kind-hearted and caring person but isn't afraid to call out someone(like what she did with Megumi in Middle School), she took care of Megumi every since their respective parents went MIA, and she got stuck in a coma after accompanying some classmates to the cursed bridge. That's the only information on her personality and life I have on her. But it's very limiting for me to give her a technique for the AU.

But if I had to give her one, it would most likely be a healing curse technique. Again, I don't know the fundamentals for her technique. All I know is she uses her ability to heal other sorcerers wounds but not have regenerative properties. Tsumiki, while a firm person, doesn't hit me as a fighter or someone who's needed on the battlefield. She's more of a support/healer based on her personality and nature. But yeah, a healing curse technique is something I would give her if I made her a sorcerer.

But since I didn't make her a sorcerer nor have any curse technique, she's the most normal out of everyone in the family. In my "Toji lives AU", both her and Megumi don't know about the Jujutsu world or anything curse related because I had Reader and Toji never bringing it up/mentioning it. It was not until Satoru and Suguru went to retrieve the two of them at Reader's request is when they learn about the Jujutsu world and curse technique.

She knew she didn't have powers when Satoru, Suguru and eventually Reader explained it to her and Megumi. She was aware because before Megumi's manifestation of his Ten Shadow Technique, he kept telling Reader he was seeing monsters everywhere. Reader would ask Megumi to describe the monsters and his description of them are now curses. Tsumiki knows Megumi doesn't like to lie or never really lies to Reader, he doesn't make stuff up for attention. She could tell on Mother's face that there was something else going on that Tsumiki wasn't experiencing herself.

By the time she's 6-7 years old, she knew she didn't have a curse technique or powers because she couldn't see curses, had any sort of manifestation, and she was passed the age where a kid would receive one. After meeting Satoru and Suguru, she knew Reader was a sorcerer because Satoru explained how her and Megumi's mom was just like them. But she didn't know how powerful until Satoru tells her and Megumi that Reader is a powerful sorcerer, unlike any other, to the point Satoru admits Reader can rival him herself.

While Megumi starts to look up to Reader, Tsumiki feels like a odd one out because she never got supernatural powers. Most are quick to point out that Toji doesn't have powers but that doesn't apply to her father at all. Toji doesn't have a curse technique or any curse energy. However, he can still see curses, have extremely heighten human sense and abilities, and wield the most broken weapons in the Jujutsu world because his celestial restrictions allows him. He doesn't have any powers but his celestial restriction gives him extraordinary physical abilities that beyond the supernatural in exchange. She doesn't have celestial restriction like her father nor does she have a technique like her Mother and Brother, overhearing how both of them possess techniques that have unfathomable potential and strength. Tsumiki is just...normal.

However, Reader explains to her that she and Toji still love her no matter what. Saying that she doesn't need a curse technique in ordered to be accepted and seen in their family. Reader tries to reassure her that it's not uncommon for individuals to be born without a curse technique in her clan. So it's normal for Tsumiki to not have one herself. This also means Reader reminds Tsumiki she has no need to jump hurdles to prove herself. Reader tells Tsumiki what matters is she builds up and grows herself.

Oddly enough, it's actually Toji who gave her a more earnest and honest commentary and explanation to her. This happened when she and Megumi were teenagers. She was having one of those close talks with Toji at home because Reader and Megumi were out doing Sorcery stuff. He explained to her that her being born without a curse technique can be seen as a blessing because she doesn't have to be involved in the world of Jujutsu. Explaining how the Jujutsu world isn't special compared to the real world. If not, it's a lot more grim and unforgiving to those who live in it. He openly admits to Tsumiki that even Reader and Megumi, who are born with legendary and sought after abilities/techniques, shoulder a burden not everyone experiences.

Megumi has to burden the expectations of having a technique that has the potential to rival and defeat Satoru Gojo. The strongest sorcerer in Modern Sorcery. His technique is a prized and beloved by the Zen'in clan, Toji's biological family. A clan that would do anything in order to keep their status as one of the main Jujutsu families. Toji spills a little bit to Tsumiki about the ruthless and unkind nature of how the Zen'in treats both non-sorcerers and sorcerers. Speaking about being born with a curse technique doesn't guarantee your acceptance. They will see you as sub-human if the technique is weak and useless. Even if you have a powerful technique, the clan doesn't give a shit about you. They only care for the technique, not the person. So it's a constant struggle for power and placement against your own family and clan/ fight for a place at the table.

Then there's Reader, who's curse technique can match and be on par with Gojo. However, the burdens she shoulders is a lot more different and heavier than Megumi's. She bears the burden of being one of the strongest around, meaning she constantly is needed and busy like Gojo is. Toji also speaks of the burden of guilt you carry for doing enough, if it was enough. To call the shots and make observations no one else can see. The insight and guidance you offer would be sufficient in growing the younger sorcerer. Your care and concern would be enough to help others not fall down a dark path. That what you were doing was enough to protect your family, to keep your beloved husband and children safe. Toji told Tsumiki that Reader was glad Tsumiki didn't have curse energy because it meant to didn't have to face the horrors of the Jujutsu world. Something her mother, and unfortunately her younger brother, have to face and be apart of.

Now, Toji said all of this not to be like "well you aren't missing out much" or "you're better off doing this instead of that". But rather, to make a point that having a curse technique isn't always everything and what matters the most is someone's will and personal strength. Toji confesses that a person's drive and will is what keeps them going in the Jujutsu world and the real world. Tsumiki may be powerless but her kind-heart and caring nature is something not many have the ability to do nature. Toji even says Tsumiki is stronger than most sorcerers because the conviction she has overpowers many others.

"Kindness isn't a weakness. Rather, it's a strength others don't have the capacity to understand its true nature, Tsumiki. So don't be so hard on yourself because you lack an ability. Not many are strong like you to keep doing what you're doing. The closest person I can think of that's just as kind as you is your mother(Reader). And we already know she's insanely strong as it is. So don't feel down about what you don't have, what you already have is powerful that not even that Gojo kid could understand."

"You're already strong, Tsumiki. You're just not seeing it like your mom and I do."

With that, Tsumiki feels less excluded and more empowered. When she was younger, she never voiced her shame and her alienation from her family. But after her talk with Toji, she isn't ashamed of being powerless and keeps up her kind personality. All because of the conversation she had with Toji and her being honest with her.

Tsumiki may not know this, but her kindness and caring nature is one of the reasons why Reader hasn't given up on herself and what she does/fights for in the Jujutsu World. Because to Reader, Tsumiki's kindness grounds and brings her down to Earth. Tsumiki reminds Reader that kindness exists anywhere and is needed for the world to no collapse on itself. That it takes a different kind of strength to still show kindness when there's a lot of resistance. Reader keeps fighting so people like her daughter can live and exist in this unforgiving world. That's how strong Tsumiki's kindness is and she doesn't have a curse technique to make such an effect.

Tsumiki in this AU knows and understands the world of Jujutsu. But she isn't involved in it as a sorcerer because her only connection is through her parents and brother, not herself. But she knows the basics of curse and curse energy. She's not ashamed of being a non-sorcerer and has a different yet positive outlook on life. She doesn't mind not having powers because she's already secure about herself thanks to her Mother and Father.

Leave it to Papa Toji to make things better lol

[greenerteacups]

I'm on my nth re-read of books 1-4, and I keep finding new things to be delighted by, on top of the old reliable lines that make me giggle every time. Like in book 4:

“Yeah,” said Harry, whose success had overdosed him with optimism. “Hey, think about this: you reckon I can just Banish the water and walk down?”

“Oh, bless, he thinks he’s Moses.”

How does (presumably pagan-ish or non-religious based on holiday celebrations) Draco know about Moses? Does he think Moses is a wizard??? I mean... he DID accomplish several miracles with a big stick. Any of the implications here make me cackle

Oh this is awesome, I've been wanting to talk about this for ages: I think wizards know what the Bible is! And Christianity, and Judaism and Islam, and I think there are practicing members of all of those religions (and more!) in the Wizarding World. Here's why.

The Bible (Old Testament specifically — Draco's references lean towards the OT because that's the broader cultural referent, it's the common glue of the Bible/Quran/Torah and if wizards know any Abrahamic text, it's that) is a huge, ubiquitous, world-shaping cultural text that was thousands of years old before the International Statute of Secrecy. The date of 1692 for the SOS means that any muggle culture before the 17th century is fair game, even if it's not accepted by wizards. So that's why I think atheist/agnostic/pagan wizards should still have at least referential familiarity with it.

The fact that wizards celebrate Christmas (NOT Yule, although obviously in Lionheart they do both) tells me that there is at least vestigial religious belief in the population. Expressions like "Merlin" in place of "God" tells me that wizards probably have a different relationship with it — Merlin's generally treated as a kind of prophet? — which is giving "splinter sect of Christianity defined by the emergence of Merlin as a separate prophet for wizards," but I'm not gonna spiral too far into that headcanon, because this is a lore analysis post. But that's my working idea, here.

The first-order response to the "what about magic?" problem is: Not everything that happens in the Bible can be explained by the Harry Potter magic system. Water into wine, sure. Resurrection? Impossible, as far as 99% of wizards know. Harry Potter is the only person we know of to be fully resurrected, and even he's never technically full-dead. Moses parting the Red Sea? I mean, we can imagine spells that would do it, but think about how much water is in the fucking sea! We don't see anything of nearly that scope happen in the series. And what about manna? We know for a fact that you can't use magic to make food!

But let's sidebar that, and drill down on what you can explain. Water into wine. Curing the sick. Okay, cool. There's still a big difference between "established in-universe ability that has been ritualized and turned into technology" and "literal miracles." Walk on water? Sure, you could probably perform a spell for that. But does Jesus? Do we know, for a fact, that he had a wand, or that he cast a spell? Had the spell for that been invented yet? Are you even sure he was a wizard? Can we prove it? Moreover, would it matter?

This leads me to my bigger point about the nature of religious belief: if you believe the dude's divine, having magic doesn't change anything, right? Because he's still the son of God. Christians don't believe Jesus was divine because he performed the miracles; they believe he was divine and so performed the miracles. There are many different IRL-theological stances on how much of the supernatural stuff in the Bible "actually happened," and you can be a skeptic about the scientific facets while still subscribing to its broader philosophical and religious claims about God.

Even if you take Jesus and other Abrahamic characters out of the question, there's still a place for religion in wizarding society, because of the afterlife. With the exception of ghosts (who by their account have never been fully "dead," and so don't know it) and inferi, the relation between the wizarding world and the afterlife is a one-way conduit. That means there's still plenty of room for wizards to adopt religious beliefs specifically about the afterlife, and religion would still play a social role in defining how people approached those topics.

Finally, the pagan elements of the Harry Potter series read less to me as an espousal of sincere religious conviction and more as a ritualistic vestige of prehistorical magical practices. Since the universe's magic draws heavily on pagan ceremonies — especially in the realm of potions/herbology/magical creatures — ironically, I can't imagine paganism as a religion in the universe of Harry Potter. Like, it's just straight-up true! It would be like starting a religion around meteorology, or chemistry. There's no element of mystery or divinity involved for faith and belief to fill in the gaps; you know how magic works, and you can be good at it.

What JKR did with the magic system — apparently on accident — was to textually validate huge volumes of pagan practice without invoking any of the associated spiritual or religious beliefs. And since we live for seven years in the mind of a competent, practicing wizard who does tons of magic without seeming to believe in any particular god at all, I have to infer that you don't need to. Rowling has, again, likely not on purpose, built a universe whose central conceit is: "what if the pagans were just straight-up right?" and revealed the answer to be: "well, then it wouldn't be paganism anymore."

[wonderinc-sonic]

How about everything in Dramatic for Team Sonic?

Team Sonic - I am presuming you mean the og 3, Sonic Tails and Knuckles?

😨 What do they each fear? Do the other's know?

Well everyone knows Sonic's scared of water. Knuckles totally flicks water on him to piss him off. Tails tries to get him to back off.

And they know Tails is scared of thunderstorms. I think Sonic would be understanding, and Knuckles thinks its reasonable - the lightning storms up on Angel Island are no joke.

Knuckles got away with not letting on that he had any fears for a long long time. Probably until heroes. He does not like ghosts though, and he's in good company. Sonic definitely sticks a sheet on his head to spook them though, because he's a bitch 💙

Other than their obvious fears, I think Sonic gets scared of sleep paralysis, and dreams about his feet getting stuck, so maybe also quicksand getting to him? I think Tails is scared of lots of supernatural things, not just ghosts but also zombies and werewolves. Not so bad he can't do halloween, but he's easily spooked by horror stories. Knuckles is also kinda... well not scared, but on edge in social settings. Gets very riled up about it.

🤕 Have they shared with eachother what hurt them the most? How do they care for eachother?

No! Hell no! We're just cheerful bros, right!

'Hey, Sonic...'

'Go to sleep, Knuckles.'

'Do you think about... what happens after we die?'

'More since I died.'

'What?'

'... honk shoo. Mimimimi.'

Sonic will not talk about his pain ever, not until it literally becomes a huge problem for everyone else. Tails... is gonna follow in his footsteps, but Sonic was there when he was a hungry little kit with nobody to love him. Knuckles probably would talk about his worst memories. But not like, looking for comfort, more like 'hey here's a fun story - the Master Emerald one time threw me off the island to teach me to fly, so I smacked into the cliff and went unconscious' And they just have to try to unpack that

🏥 How is their health? What do they worry about for eachother?

Knuckles is throwing vegetables at them. Please, eat some fibre. How are you guys going to the toilet? Pls.

Yeah, Sonic eats like dogshit, never gets his teeth checked, just presumes every ache and pain will go away if he ignores it.

Tails is much more curious about these things, I think once he's had a thought he can't let it go. Because of him, Sonic gets his shots and stuff. Knuckles... he worries about their health, but he doesn't really trust medics. He might get his vaccines if Tails can explain it to him well enough. I think mostly they don't worry about eachother's health, they're too busy feeling invincible.

🗣 What can get them to raise their voices?

Excitement. I think Tails gets louder and louder when he's talking about things, and faster and faster. Also if Tails is frustrated and not being understood, same happens. Knuckles shouts defensively, sorta like a scared cat might howl. When he's happy he's quite soft spoken. He's recently picked up the sense to joke around, yelling about things he's not actually mad about only to switch out on people, but only Sonic, Tails and maybe Amy can tell it's a joke.

Sonic does shout, he's not scared to be loud, but he doesn't do it over just anything. He does not like not being heard however. If he's mad at you, and you're not listening, he'll shout. Especially if you're Knuckles. Never if you're Tails.

☣️ What's each of their top toxic trait/ vice? Is it funny or a problem?

Sonic's toxic trait might be burying his feelings. He's sort of getting better, and he is emotionally intelligent, and it's hard to tell if he's doing it out of some sense of duty as a hero, or because it's a habit built from being a natural loner. It makes it hard to be his teammate sometimes.

Knuckles isn't toxic for being naïve, but he is a stubborn arse. He will resist even more if everybody tries to pressure him to change his mind, very non-newtonian contrarion. He gets himself into arguments he doesn't really mean to just because he doesn't like being seen to back down, then can't figure out how to fix it and needs help.

Tails is a bit young to have entrenched toxic traits, but we can already see he will be a workaholic. He's also likely going to be quite competitive, especially as he starts measuring up his achievements next to Sonic's, who he struggles to find fault in. So, I think that could be a problem for them down the line, but for now - no, I'm not calling an 8yo problematic!

My dream team favourite silly guys, why don't I write them more? Oh yeah, because I'm scared I'll never do them justice! I hope this is all okay, and thank you so much for the ask!!!

Tag game here!

[ckret2]

I don't really understand Bill's abilities. If I'm not mistaken, it was said that he knows lot of things because every image of Bill works like a camera through which Bill can observe this world.

And at the same time, he knows where long-forgotten treasures are buried and which lottery tickets you need to buy to win. And recently you said that Bill knows everything about humans, until the moment it is necessary that Bill did not know about something so that there would be a funny situation.

And also Bill can see the future. Is this how he was able to see where the treasure was buried and which tickets needed to be bought? Did he see in the future that a treasure would be found in some place, and tickets with such numbers would let somebody win money?

You don't fully understand Bill's abilities because they haven't been fully explained. It's on purpose. He's a mysterious guy with secrets and he doesn't sit around thinking about how his own abilities work. However, I've shared what you need to know in order to understand as much as you're supposed to about what he's done so far.

Yes, he knows lots of things because he's been spying through his eyes on earth for millennia. This is based on semi-canon info: Bill states this in the Bill Cipher AMA. ("JUST DRAW MY FORM ANYWHERE IN YOUR HUMAN WORLD- EACH IMAGE OF ME ACTS A PEEPHOLE FROM MY DIMENSION TO YOURS.")

He knows where long-forgotten treasures are buried because "long-forgotten" means the last human who knew is dead. He's not a human, he was around when it was buried, he knew about it at the time.

HOW he knew isn't explained because it isn't necessary—it's supposed to be weird and impressive that he knew and that he flung it out so casually—but it isn't hard to think up logical reasons: buried treasure has a whole lot of money in it, I'd think a few of those dollar bills could have been luckily angled to watch the treasure-buriers while they were drawing up the treasure map for where they planned to bury it. Or maybe the chest they used had an Eye of Providence on the iron lock and it could see where it was carried. Or maybe one of the people who buried it was wearing an Eye of Providence brooch. Doesn't matter. What does matter: if Bill knows about something old, it's because he has known about it.

When he's looking at the lotto tickets, his eye is bleeding and Mabel says he's looking into a higher dimension. Other places (definitely chapter 29, I don't recall if any of the other upcoming references have been posted yet) state that Bill can see into higher dimensions, which lets him see through solid objects (such as walls), but doing this makes his eye hurt/bleed. Therefore: he's looking through a solid object—the scratch-off surface—to see if the cards have winning numbers. This wasn't explained in chapter 20 because you're supposed to go "how tf did he do that," that was the goal.

"And recently you said that Bill knows everything about humans, until the moment it is necessary that Bill did not know about something so that there would be a funny situation." <- Now this here is what we call a joke about the writing process. I am not literally stating that Bill's powers are supernaturally controlled by the concept of comedy. I'm stating that, as a writer trying to craft an entertaining narrative, sometimes my decision to include a line is based less on "does this hold up to rigorous scientific & logical scrutiny given the internal rules we have constructed for this universe?" and more on "is it funny enough to balance out the fact that it's a little bit implausible?" I won't fully violate the rules of his powers solely for a gag, but sometimes it just ain't all that serious.

Here are Bill's 'sees/knows things he shouldn't' powers based on what has thus far been shown in the fic:

Knows a lot of random stuff; they're among the Lots Of Things he's observed over the millennia. This is based on semi-canon info.

Can (occasionally) see into "higher dimensions," which lets him see through solid objects, at the cost of pain and a bloody eye.

Can (constantly) see into the future; full extent yet to be explored in fic, but it's at least a few minutes. Please note that every time this has happened where we see it from his perspective, he LITERALLY SEES the future, visually, with his eyeballs. As in, he looks at the place where something is going to happen, and sees it happening there. (Places he's observed the future just off the top of my head: ch 2, 7, 18, 20, 27, 28, 34, 35—there may be others I've missed.)

Can see & hear things in the mindscape (ex: Dipper's ghost floating around) that other people (ex: Dipper's whole family) cannot

Can see in the dark (explicitly confirmed in ch 34 but he regularly hangs out in the dark startling people—ch 15, 20, 24, 26, 32)

[obsidiancreates]

A Lot To Chew

(Different Vampire AU than the last one, this one is Comedic. I just love Vampire AUs.)

Burton Guster doesn't see his best friend in the world until ten years after graduation. He gets postcards with no return address, from all over the world, but no sight nor sound otherwise.

Until he wakes up one night in 2006 to the sight of his formerly MIA best friend leaning over him with glowing red eyes, a gift-wrapped but obviously identifiable pineapple in his hand, and a wild grin with two sharp fangs visible in the moonlight from the window.

Gus's scream is so loud and shrill it actually sends Shawn to the ground, hands clamped over his ears and an equally shrill scream coming out of him.

Gus leaps out of bed and grabs his bible and a cross, backing into a corner and holding both out! Shawn gets up, rubbing his ears and sending Gus a glare.

"Not cool, dude. Is that any way to greet your best friend after a decade?"

"You better be in some crazy costume, Shawn!" Gus keeps the cross aloft in front of him.

"Well, if you'd let me explain before you stake me-"

"Oh my god."

"Listen, I know this seems bad but good news, I can totally live off stuff like rare steaks. ... Bad news, I can't shapeshift or anything like that. Medium news, I can totally help you move your couch with like, one hand if you need me to."

"Are you actually Shawn?"

"Gus. What kind of question is that? Obviously even if I wasn't I'd say yes."

"Ha! You can't be Shawn, you're too honest."

"Are you saying I'm less honest than a demon? What proof do you need from me to put down the cross, man?"

"... When'd we meet?"

"Uh, basically birth, and then when we were five we officially declared ourselves the best friends in the entire world."

"... Alright. Okay. Why'd you get kicked out of church?"

"First of all, I did not get kicked out- Father Wesley politely suggested we stop attending."

Gus lowers the cross slightly. "That's the same thing, Shawn."

"No, because I think getting kicked out of a church would mean lightning strikes me and I get blown out as a pile of ashes."

The cross goes all the way down, but he keeps a grip on it. "Oh my god. You're really you."

"Duh!"

"And you're a vampire."

"For about five years now, yes."

"What? You don't look twenty-three."

"Yeah, well, apparently an animal blood diet means I'm still aging. I mean, I'm aging well, no doubts about it- and even the supernatural had very little to improve on with my hair."

"How did this even happen?"

"Kind of a long story, buddy. And a little gruesome. Do you still throw up at stressful situations?"

"Shawn."

"That's a yes. I'll tell you another time, but, I came here for a reason."

"To drink my blood?" He raises the cross again. "Condemn me to share your eternal damnation because your love for me has been twisted by your monstrous transformation."

"Dude. That's way too dramatic and absurd, nothing like that. I'm here because we're going to become private investigators together!"

"What?!"

"Yeah! I need you to go out and do stuff during the day, obviously, but-"

"I'm dreaming. I have to be dreaming."

"I know, right? Dream come true. Anyway, the thing is the cops brought me in for questioning tonight because I called in a tip and when they wouldn't stop insisting my Nighttime Lifestyle pointed to me being a criminal I ended up telling them I was psychic and the spirits demand I only work at night-"

"You lied to the cops?!"

"Gus, I'm a vampire. What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, maybe hypnotize them to let you go?!"

"... Huh. ... That would've been a great plan, actually. Whoops."

[immediatebreakfast]

This is all cultural context of the readers since different countries have different rites, and myths for handling the dead. Yet, I'm always surprised how the maids just simply stole the little gold crucifix from the recently dead(?) Lucy. The girl that doesn't even have a day of being dead.

"Because," he said sternly, "it is too late—or too early. See!" Here he held up the little golden crucifix. "This was stolen in the night." "How, stolen," I asked in wonder, "since you have it now?" "Because I get it back from the worthless wretch who stole it, from the woman who robbed the dead and the living. Her punishment will surely come, but not through me; she knew not altogether what she did and thus unknowing, she only stole. Now we must wait."

Van Helsing has a very appropiate reaction to the act, he is angry not only at the "stealing from a dead girl" act on itself, but also for what it means to leave a fresh transformed vampire without a symbol of faith to stop them. I do wonder if there could be some religious dutch reasons involved since Van Helsing mentions a punishment.

We sadly don't get Jack's cultural reaction since he is too focused on how Van Helsing is acting today; which is understandable because he is really acting shady, but what was the attitude towards stealing from the dead in victorian england?

Would it have been wrong on the grounds of social class since Lucy was upper class and the maid was in her service? With all of the talk about how crucifixes, and rosaries were seen as idolatrous I don't know if they had religious reasons to discourage it. Maybe it was seen a monetary loss?

Because here in my country Colombia, oh boy there is culture surrounding the stuff of the dead. It's a very hard process to choose what to keep, what to throw away, and what to gift. However, everyone can agree that is very disrespectful to just grab things without consulting with your family, or worse to steal from behind their because grandmas had this [insert object] that I want for me.

Here, our cultural identity that is tied to the supernatural is also tied to the question "what if?" Because as much as we would like to think that some stuff are explained in absolutes. We don't know! You can ask here anyone if they believe in ghosts, and no one will give you a clear answer. Because there are situation that we can't explain, and that question is always left.

Which follows what not to do with the dead: Don't let anyone gift you stuff from their dead relatives because to those dead relatives you are a stranger. Be careful with things tied to certain feelings that the dead in question had for it (for example both my grandma and grandpa were buried with their wedding rings no ifs no buts). Let yourself mourn while deciding these things.

And, don't steal from dead because you don't know their conditions when they died.

If this was a colombian story focused on the supernatural, and Lucy was not a vampire yet came back as a vengeful ghost to haunt that maid for stealing Van Helsing's "gift" from her, I would go "Ja! Serves you right." Because that maid decided to desecrate Lucy's grave by stealing from her.

[penig]

a question of power, Pt 1

"Hastur was a Duke of Hell. Crowley wasn't even a local counsellor." Good Omens, the Book, 1990, p. 186 of my (apparently 1st edition, 1st printing, sweet; too bad the dust jacket's so torn up) hardback copy.

This is probably the only definitive statement concerning Crowley and Aziraphale's power levels we will ever get. Between Gaiman and Pratchett's cavalier attitude toward worldbuilding and the ineffable accounting of supernatural powers that human minds can't properly conceive, we're on our own quantifying this stuff. Certainly anything we figure out now may be confirmed or contradicted or cast in an entirely new light when we finally have the entire story in front of us.

Will this stop us from trying before we get all the data in hand? No, of course not.

Personally, I only care insofar as it relates to characterization, but to some people it matters a lot. And Crowley looks a lot more powerful than a local counsellor, on the face of it, in the video adaptation. (Which is where the "Crowley was Raphael" headcanon comes from. Personally, I despise that headcanon, but you do you.) Whereas Aziraphale often comes across as barely powerful at all, and reluctant to use what power he has.

This is unsatisfactory for those of us who want equality between partners. And we want to be satisfied with the story, don't we? So let's look at what we've got and examine the ways we can justify seeing them as equals, and where that gets us.

First, and most obviously: Crowley can stop time. That seems really powerful, and we don't see anyone else do it - which doesn't mean nobody else can. The way we see it used, however, implies that it's not something other angels and demons are accustomed to. Crowley stops time as Satan comes up through the ground, even though Satan is presumably more powerful than he and Aziraphale put together by several factors. So either he expects Satan not to notice it's happening, or he expects the effect to stop when Satan notices and acts to end it. Crowley also stops time when they swap bodies and checks to see whether anyone's looking, the implication being that it's not a showy power, that unless someone in the know is looking straight at the phenomenon, they aren't likely to notice it.

What if stopping time is a specialist skill? What if it's a power routinely used only by starmakers? In fact -

In the S2E1 teaser, we see Crowley crank up the new nebula to start it running. What if what he's doing there is not just powering the nebula itself, but initiating time in that area of space, to give all the processes the room they need to happen? What if that's his role, or part of his role, among starmakers - not building stars, directly, but starting time for them, or switching them over from the outside-of-time angelic workshop to the material plane where time runs? What if he's one of the few angels ever made who ever learned that skill? And what if, being the curious heedless little bugger he is, he extrapolated from that skill and taught himself how to do the reverse, and stop time in a localized area?

That's a lot of what ifs, but it would also explain a lot, reasonably parsimoniously, including the question of why nobody else is hanging around the nebula ready to hold the scroll for him and he has to call in Aziraphale to lend a hand. Everybody else had finished up their part of the job, and gone home. I am open to other suggestions, but I quite like this one.

Second, in the second series he easily accesses a file which should only be available to thrones, dominions, or above. When the archivist goggles at him he shrugs it off - he used to work with those guys, and they never change their passwords. But why did he have their passwords? Was he their supervisor? Was he a higher rank and security clearance? This, and Saroquel's recognition of him, are the best evidence the Raphael people have gotten to date.

Okay, sure if that floats your boat - but I've worked in a lot of offices. I've never had a supervisor who was any good at system security (or the work itself, not the work I was doing). Even when I was temping, I generally knew more passwords than the boss did. In my offices, the person who knew all the passwords was the snoopy little clerk who a) had legitimate reasons to get into everybody's workstations, b) read over people's shoulders, and c) liked to know what was going on and be one up on everybody else, including playing pranks on them. What's more likely, that somebody put Crowley in charge of other angels, or that his coworkers were the kinds of people who set passwords like "password" and Crowley was a nosy bastard? I rest my case.

Third, he drove the Bentley through hellfire and on to Tadfield, still burning - but we know, because God said so directly in the show, and the authors implied it in the book, that this is because Crowley had developed what, for a demon, was basically a superpower: he could imagine things, including that he and his car were getting through the fire, and shape the world with it. If we adopt the popular fanon that the Bentley is sentient and supernatural in itself (possibly as a result of prolonged contact with Crowley and Aziraphale) he even had help there. It's a power that doesn't originate with his demonic nature, but with his acclimatization to Earth.

Fourth, he can detect things that are obscure to others, including to Aziraphale. He "smells" when the hellhound finds the Antichrist. He can tell when someone's looking. He clearly has finely-honed senses. The only other character who seems able to do anything unusual with the sense of smell is (of all angels!) Sandalphon, who can "smell evil" in the bookshop, but apparently can't tell the lingering scent of a demon who sat all night in the space drinking from Jeffery Archer books. This seems more subtle than we are accustomed to think of power, and it may in fact have been developed out of relative helplessness, a skill honed by hypervigilance, rather than an innate trait. Or it could be innate and individual, or tied to the type of angel he originally was, or related to his beast aspect - we simply don't have enough information on the point.

All the other powers we see him use - shapeshifting, size change, transformation of objects, passing unnoticed, influencing living people (and plants, and rats, and cars), transportation along the telephone lines, mending his car - are things that seem to be routinely available to angels and demons of all ranks. He calls fire to sign the invoice for the Antichrist, but it's a modest amount of fire compared to what Hastur lights a cigarette with, and seems to hurt him. Driving 70 miles per hour in central London must involve superhuman reflexes and a capacity to clear people and cars out of his way. It's all treated in story, and can easily be assumed by the reader, as bog-standard demonic factory settings that anyone can do.

This is probably as long as anybody wants to read through, so I'll have to make another post about Aziraphale and the relative power levels between them.

[autistic-dream]

Sick Day The Corinthian x NB! Reader

Fandom: The Sandmand

Plot: Reader wakes up sick with a cold. The Corinthian does is best to help reader feel better. Unsure of how to help, he sneaks back into the Dreaming to ask Lucienne for help.

Warnings: Reader uses they/them; Reader is Chronically ill; medial trauma?

N/A: I based Reader's chronic illness off of my own. This is just pure fluff and self indulgence. Enjoy :)

≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫

It feels nice in bed, warm and safe.

You feel particularly safe in Corinthian's arms. You know he doesn't sleep. He doesn't need to sleep. But he will still lay with you in bed. Holding you closely. If you could remain here forever you would.

You don't want to move. But the wave of nause that hits you forces you out of bed. Rushing to the bathroom and shutting the door behind you.

Throwing up in the mornings sucks. There is no food in your stomach so it's just a bunch of bile that comes up. You catch your breath finally. Resting your head on the edge of the seat.

There is a soft knock at the door. The only downside to dating a supernatural entity that didn't sleep was that he knew when you were in here.

"Y/N? I brought you some water. Can I come in?"

"Sure if you want to see this hot mess." you laugh, if you don't you think you might cry. And crying never made this better. The door opens. You look over to see the Corinthian walk in. He kneels down beside you handing you the open water bottle. You take it drinking it. The water feels nice, washing the bad taste in your mouth. He brushes a loose strand of hair from your face.

"Do you want me to call someone?"

"No, I am fine."

"You don't look fine." he says. "You look like Death on a bad day."

You laugh. "Just need more sleep..." you rest your head against the toilet again. The room is spinning, and the light is way to bright. "I am just going to stay here."

"Let me carry you." he says, scooping you up in his arms. He lays you back in bed. And you bury yourself in the covers. This is the worst he has seen you. "I am going to take your temperature," he says.

"I am fine."

"You are burning up." he says. "And you are really in no position to argue."

"I just want to cuddle."

"And I want you to feel better."

"Cuddles will make me feel better."

"After I take your temperature"

"fine," you complain, letting him take your temperature. He slips back into bed with you. Holding you close to his chest. The Corinthian waits till you fall asleep before he enters the dreaming.

He needs help and he only knows one person who can help him. The only person in the dreaming who would be willing to help him. ≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫

Lucienne is surprised to see the Corinthian here in her library. Something is off about him. He doesn't seem his usual smug self.

"If Lord Morpheus catches you here..."

"I need your help" he says.

"What?"

"Your help. I need your help." he repeats.

"My help?"

"My partner is sick."

"Your partner?" she raises a brow.

"Yes...y/n call's me their boyfriend." he explains.

Lucienne nods. "I am just surprised that you have a significant other."

"Can you help me?"

"What are you looking for?"

"stuff that helps humans feel better when they are sick." he says. "I am worried that its worse than they are letting on."

"They could be sick with anything." she hands him a book. "This is the basics. On what to do to help someone feel better." he skims the book. "Do they know about you?"

"Yes." he says. "It's kind of hard to hid it when you are dating someone as observant as y/n." he chuckles. Nothing could get past you.

"They write lovely poetry." Lucienne smiles. Like she knows something he doesn't. You never let him read any of your poetry.

"Thank you." he says holding the book up.

"You better go before Morpheus catches you."

"I think I would take him over the look on y/n's face if they wake up without me there." he says. Now that he knows what he needs he returns to the waking world getting some things together.

≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ≪•◦ ❈ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫ ❈ ◦•≫

You wake up from the weirdest dream you have had to rival any of the fever dreams you have had before. The Corinthian walks into the room he has a little TV tray with a bowl of soup and what looks like grilled cheese?

"what's this?" you asked.

"I did some reading. One what to make your partner when they are sick." he says. "I also went out you some medication." he smiles. You sit up letting him set the tray on the bed. He climbs in next to you. "We can watch those movies you said you wanted to show me."

"Princess Bride?" you asked.

"If that's what you wanna watch. We can watch it." You nod in response.

"This is really sweet." you smile kissing his cheek, snuggling close to him as he turns the TV on pulling the movie up. You slowly eat your soup. It's really good. For a nightmare he is a surprisingly good cook.

After you finish eating you find yourself falling asleep again. Normally when you get sick you find sleep difficult. But now that he is here you find it much more easier to sleep. Snuggled up close in his arms. It's the best feeling in the world.

[wildfire317s-oc-box]

Raincode theory with wildfire317:

So I have a theory that Desuhiko's forte is not necessarily what he thinks it is. Let me explain: So Desuhiko explains during one of his gumshoe gabs that he got really good at doing makeup and costuming as a kid which would explain why it is understandable that his forte is, as far as he is aware; a disguise based forte. However the main thing his forte hinges on is the one thing he almost always has either nearby or on his person: his backpack, which can fit not only him but at-least one other person inside and an untold number of wigs, clothes, shoes, accessories, assorted containers of makeup, cosmetic prosthetics, voice changers, his guitar and presumably anything needed to make and fix said costumes and costume parts; which for those who don't know, is A LOT of stuff (without including potential backups of anything) like at the absolute minimum a 20ft x 20ft x 12ft room's worth of stuff and thats with all of the clothes and wigs being folded and vacuum sealed. In that same gumshoe gab he also explains that he was a very shy kid and got good at hiding, and a backpack that can hold as much stuff as a living room would make a pretty good hiding place. How does this tie into his forte not being a disguise based forte? Well it's a little tricky to explain but I will do my best. My theory is that Desuhiko's forte is technically the ability to access what is known as "Hammer-space" through his bag, which is the thing that a fair few characters have where they just pull an item they need out of the space behind their back as if they were hiding it in an invisible, weightless backpack or when they are digging through a visible backpack and they are able to lean more of themselves into it than would physically make sense, more or less making his bag a modified bag of holding from dnd; but in a way that makes sense for the universe he is in and where he is at his current level of capability as no other character is shown to have this ability at all times besides Shinigami who is more toon than not. Technically Yuma and Makoto only have it in the mystery labyrinth due to Yuma's ties to Shinigami and Makoto's ties to Yuma but none of the others can or atleast show that the are able to access "Hammerspace" even in the mystery labyrinth. But Desuhiko probably thought that it was a disguise based forte because using his makeup skills to solve mysteries that required stealth and disguises was what he knew he was good at and is what he seems to be the most proud of. It doesn't really make much sense as a forte in other ways either, as a forensic forte is described as and shown to be a supernatural ability such as being able to see into the past and view a crime scene as it was when it was first viewed by an outsider like Hallara or more or less going ghost like Vivia; And while being able to do costuming to that degree is certainly an excellent talent I'm not entirely convinced it could be considered supernatural. I have also noticed that a detective's forte tends to match their personality as well, borrowing Hallara again, they much like their forte; are more serious and unbiased. While Desuhiko is more than a bit cartoony in his behavior but upon digging deeper his personality is not entirely what someone would expect so it would make sense if he were to have an equally cartoony and unexpected forte, which in some instances costuming could fall under cartoony (such as dressing in drag for potentially comedic shenanigans) but it's not quite unexpected, with all the times he talks about being a star and how he usually gets put on mysteries that require disguises it would be a little too expected and obvious for someone like Desuhiko to have a forte that just boils down to being able to disguise himself and others as well as he does. So I suspect that instead Desuhiko has some level of toon-force and can access "Hammerspace" to a certain extent for now.

TLDR: For various reasons I suspect that Desuhiko's true forensic forte is access to "Hammerspace" rather than "Disguise".

[kmze]

Thoughts on 7x01 - 7x12 welp the best way I can describe it so far is weird, this is the weirdest this show has ever felt for me. The biggest issue is the heretics and how the show tried to make them the main characters without putting any effort into making us care about them. They tried to do what they did with the originals but the difference with that was we were slowly introduced to that fam, this was basically six new characters at once! And it doesn't help that it's very obvious by episode 5 Valerie is getting the screen time Caroline usually would have. Whether that's because Candice was preggo (like she doesn't do much but walk, sit or stand around) or Dries' sabatoge I don't know but I didn't like it! I do give the writers some credit for at least trying something new with the FF but I just felt like I was watching a completely different show for most of these episodes. The good news is once we move onto the huntress and the phoenix stone it gets better, again all my bitching below and accompanying meta about the bane of my existence!

7x01

In retrospect EL OH EL that right after Stefan talked to Caroline on the bench he walked by Valerie.

“She’s going to want to know how Ric died of alcohol poisoning” don’t threaten me with a good time Bonnie!

The whole bomb idea is incredibly dumb but the scene where Caroline and Stefan talk about it is great. I love that Caroline just picks up the bomb and Stefan is like "what are you doing!" like those memes of all the brain cells leave my body when I'm around my man LMFAO

This episode just feels off, I can’t really explain it, it’s kind of like 4x01 like the writing for everyone is just weird. Some stuff just sounds soooo dramatic and I just want to roll my eyes, especially the diary voiceovers.

“What would Sheriff Forbes do” let Damon kill everyone!

I do love the “you make me happy” scene and the kiss is great but it’s cut up so weirdly it feels rushed and choppy, fucking Dries.

I think my biggest problem with the heretics is that it was too many at once. They should have only had like 2-3.

See this is why I don’t fuck with Enzo!

7x02

Yo Stefan walked in mad! I love how NOT HERE for Damon he was in this whole episode lol he was so pissed off as he should be!

Damon and Lily crack me up!

What Bonnie sees when she touches the phoenix stone looks like a scene from Event Horizon which is the scariest movie ever. So I agree with Bonnie! Like absolutely NOT! GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!

"I'm just saying when a guy's willing to let another guy die so his girl can live, there's usually something cooking in the kitchen" that was 100% shade at Stefan letting Elena die so Matt could live, you can't convince me otherwise!

Why didn’t Damon just snap Enzo’s neck?

Who ever shot the scene of Stefan walking in to save Caroline, I hope you step on a lego.

The skin to skin contact joke was so cheesy, dork. I do love that Stefan is always teasing Caroline when he flirts with her, he's been doing it even before he realized he had feelings for her.

Bringing people back from the dead with a stone is just a line I would not cross. I know it’s a supernatural show but like nah, that’s too ominous to mess with. No thank you.

I agree with Matt this is all Damon’s fault!

There’s just no way I can believe Matt is letting Stefan and Damon live at the Lockwood mansion. I know it’s because of limited set pieces but there’s just no way!

I really love the “I don’t want to hear the name Stefan Salvatore EVER again” scene, like she is so mad! Then she walks away all dramatically until the moment she stops and catches her breath and breathes out to calm herself (like he taught her) and the look on her face where she thinks 'he came back' and all the emotion that hits her with that realization. So much credit goes to Candice on this scene too, she plays it to perfection.

7x03

Prime example of Dries weaponizing the FF, they had to have Stefan say the car line to Lily because he burned his car in the future (which why?) so he wouldn't say "tell those brats to stop torturing Caroline" first so it wouldn't hold as much weight. Hoe.

"So you know what it's like to have a completely unforgettable place in someone’s mind" I can't believe how much Val played herself with that line! Because she learned that Caroline had a completely unforgettable place in Stefan's mind (7x18).

I can’t believe they killed Oscar he was the only interesting one!

Stefan thinks showing a girl his mothers grave is romantic HE IS SO WEIRD!

You’re in trouble now Damon! Fuck Ric too! And furthermore why does ever Bamon scene have to have Ric there too!

They DEFINITELY hyped up the SV flashbacks lol. Apologies to the anon who said this and I couldn’t remember how OD the whole thing was, you were right. But it’s also so boring so it’s really hard to care as much they (Dries) wanted the audience to feel this. They tried to do what they did with the Stebekah flashbacks in 3x03 and it fell incredibly flat IMO.

Stefan and Caroline inadvertently worked together to get Caroline free by being honest with Lily. All the razzle dazzle of these flashbacks but the true team is still Steroline.

The fireplace scene is still one of my favs. I love how they each got zapped because they keep forgetting the spell because of their love language is touch. Lots of honesty in it and I really love that Stefan says "you're here and you're safe and you're with me" because that's the opposite of what's going on in the FF and it works as a full circle kind of thing that he gets that back in the finale.

7x04

LIZZIE AND JOSIE!!!

I remember I was so confused why Damon seemed so mad at Ric in the FF and now I realize he was just being proactive of his OTP!

Baroline you are both so adorable!

Stefan and Caroline’s other love language is shenanigans!

“Torture” this man wants sexy Caroline time SO BAD

VERVAIN NEEDLE AGAIN! CRYING

I am very here Stefan manipulating Mary Louise and being ready to kill her so he could have sex with Caroline! Then Caroline appears so we know it was their plan all along. The whole sequence too parallels with their no-humanity first time which was so important because it showed that their first time still had their essence. Like Steroline's relationship revolves around them being vampires, I always felt Caroline helped Stefan accept his vampire side more and that’s why the duo off arc was so great for them (and no other ship got that). This episode was so good for them.

Paul and Candice were so great in the scene where they burst into Caroline’s bedroom to have sex. Stefan sounds so out of breath lol and he’s smiling and so desperate like he needs to touch Caroline everywhere now! Candice does such an adorable look when Stefan says “I’m thinking about you” and like melts into his forehead. I love it, just wish the lighting wasn’t so dark, overall this season's lighting is super dark like S1 again.

7x05

Why does Ric think Bonnie is here to be his assistant GET AWAY FROM HER!

The morning after scene and even Damon barging in is all completely adorable and hilarious! Stefan teasing Caroline about how well he knows her, the kiss is super sexy and sweet. Damon picking up on Caroline’s ‘tude about Valerie and making Stefan more and more uncomfortable. The part where Stefan mouths “SHUT UP” at Damon clenching his fist then smiling up at Caroline! A+ comedy!

The lyrics to the song playing are “can’t forget the sex we had” this show is too much sometimes lol.

HA! Julian and Stefan both committed murder sprees on CHRISTMAS!

“Will you please just shut up” CRYING Stefan is ready to kill him!

Told you that stone was evil! The "who's soul is it really" was a cool plot.

The Bonenzo scenes in this episode were surprisingly good! I wish they had kept the momentum and not done Lily/Enzo. Then they could have teased Bonora too! This is how they shot themselves in the foot with the FF though, this show never operated on a structure of showing you what happens and building up to that. The timeline is always chaos, sometimes it’s a day between episodes sometimes it’s a week, hell the 2nd season was 3 months in total!

Valerie pretty much orchestrated all these dramatics so she could reveal the truth to Stefan and ruin his date with Caroline. She heard him making plans with her at the gas station and looked right over in jealousy so you know it affected her. And Stefan falls for it because he always has a weakness for a crazy bitch with a sob story. But I think there’s more nervousness over his kindness than when he would sympathize with Katherine or Rebekah because of the FF (and the sabotage against SC scenes). We know Caroline hates him but we don’t know why and we know he saved that journal.

Damon is diabolical! Do love this Bamon scene though and finally they get a scene without Ric!

7x06

The manipulation kiss scene reminds me of the scene in 6x19. The dopey lovesick face Stefan makes as Caroline puts her arms around him is so damn cute! Even though their scenes are too few and have been played down on purpose, it feels like them. I've liked every scene since the fireplace scene in the 3rd episode.

Stefan’s murder face!

Credit to Damon for figuring out his brother was an unhinged maniac with murder on his brain so fast.

“Wow that was a wonderful story Hemingway” CTFU

Matt working with unhinged Stefan! Plot twist!

Caroline so appalled at Valerie’s complete lack of tact lol.

Bonnie’s styling is at its best this season though so at least there’s that.

Beau’s character is… a choice… I S2G there’s never been more proof there’s no black people in the writers room than having a black character who can’t speak appear as a “servant” to a bunch of old white witchpires. The optics are HORRIBLE!

I do kind of dig Julian and Lily and that kiss was hot!

Really nice Defan scene where they talk about being Dads and Damon agrees to help Stefan commit murder.

Caroline’s scared BB face!

7x07

Still can’t believe after all that we never got to hear the broadcast!

I do not remember this plot with the people being compelled to sit around Mystic Falls on an IV.

Show why are we acting like vampires being “older” makes a god damn difference on this show now. As if 1000 year old Klaus wasn’t constantly being outsmarted by literal supernatural teenagers.

Stefan always has to do psychological torture with a theme, last season it was the B&B now it’s murder thanksgiving! I love how Damon just grabbed a plate ready to sit back and watch Stefan play his little mind games.

Matt’s face at pregnant vampire CRYING

Damon wasn’t really the best person to send to protect Lily Stefan LMFAO

Well Valerie you don’t make it easy to trust you!

Man this was some other Dries bullshit trying to fracture Matt and Bonnie’s friendship and for what!

This Defan scene is one of my favorites and Ian does such a fantastic job, I love how he says all three of them will never change. When he says “I don’t want to know the whole story!” CHILLS

I know everyone hates the baby plot but I really love that Caroline got to be a Mom and as someone who watched Legacies I love Lizzie and Josie and that the school and the girls were her endgame. So I’m just accepting the nonsense part of it because I do love what it gave to Caroline.

7x08

I find the huntress/stone plot line way more interesting than anything with the heretics. I also feel Defan/Lily wasn’t explored enough because so much time was wasted on them.

Oh here's an example of “Things Dries took from me” there was supposed to be a convo between Stefan and Caroline talking about the SV baby and it was cut because she’s the worst, and this goddamn scene was the perfect spot to put it in!

IDK why but this show just loved doing proposals in the final seasons lol. There’s been four so far and if my calculations are right there’s seven all together, Stefan had four alone!

Forever love how Julie retconned the greenhouse to be on the Salvatore plot instead of this random house in this random episode lol. This was a nice scene where Valerie tells everyone the truth, I honestly don’t hate Valerie at all she’s shady and crazy but she isn't annoying.

The Stefan and Lily scene warms my heart, it’s just so good! Stefan finally getting that one last day with his Mom and being able to ask her for advice about the girl he loves. And I always felt Lily’s words stayed with him about Caroline sacrificing everything for her girls, I thought it was a big part of why he sacrificed his relationship with her to keep the girls safe. Also LOL at Stefan being like “Damon give me the you’re dead to me look on a weekly basis” you get used to it.

The I love you phone call is great, I like that it was a subversion of what happened in 6x15, Stefan made sure to tell her in time.

My god it took Lily a long time to die due to plot contrivance!

7x09

Makes zero sense that Stefan wouldn’t take Valerie with him since she’s super powerful and all. So it was definitely because he didn’t want her there if he was going to get the chance to see Caroline again.

FUCK THIS SNOW SCENE! I will never not be bitter that Caroline didn’t go to Lily’s funeral for this shit. God they even parallel Stefan and Caroline with how they say goodbye to their mother with “I’ll make this all right” “I’m going to be alright” and how their choices after were anything but that FOREVER BITTER!

At least Damon makes me laugh.

God Mary Louise is the most insufferable of the heretics. We should have just had Valerie and Nora last past the 2nd episode.

BONORA SUCH SEXY WASTED POTENTIAL!

The theme of this episode is crazy vampire people who won't just sit and talk about their problems or feelings!

Caroline visiting her Mom's grave is so sad but I love that they're showing how conflicted Caroline is about the babies and what she feels for them. In her head she thinks it should be easy to give them up because their not hers but there's a part of her who feels something for them. I actually love the way Klaus phrased it as "it's okay to love something you can't explain" (it's a good line I cannot lie).

They needed to make it more obvious but Valerie was waiting for Stefan's call. Because in the next scene you see Caroline arrives at the boarding house because Stefan called Caroline instead after Damon was stabbed because he finally broke out of his revenge-fueled haze. He admits he should have let it go and Caroline assures him she knows what it's like to not be able to move on from your Mom's death. Really love the moment where Caroline touches Stefan's should and he has such a reaction to her touch, like he's been craving it to soothe him. That is at least back to the essence of who Steroline is, which was very much missing for most of these episodes, thank god it gets better after this. Eat shit Dries!

Honestly Stefan kinda needed to take a nap, in hell!

7x10

"They tell us to only send good news, but I cannot. The days grow darker in Mystic Falls, and my heart darker still." ADSFJSHBFEWGDG KILLS ME EVERYTIME! THE DRAMA!

See now THIS feels like the show I had been watching for 6 seasons, besides 7x04 this is the only episode that felt like the usual Mystic Falls shenanigans of yore. Neil Reynolds is the hero we needed this season.

The way Bonnie stood up ready to fight Stefan CTFU I told you she don't really fuck with him! Mama bear had to step in!

The groundhog day sequence is great, I am a sucker for that plot device.

The Defan scene with PS!Stefan is really great too, this is honestly a very good season for the brothers and their relationship and really dives into how off balance it is.

7x11

Caro with the vervain needle this time!

The whole derelict Mystic Falls taken over by Julian’s goons was not my favorite.

Two great parallels with 2x02 in this episode! One where Hallucination Damon almost stabs Caroline on the Steroline date is filmed like when he tried to stake her 2x02 (plus it’s literally brought up). Then the scene where Caroline takes Stefan into her room to calm him down mirrors when Stefan brought Caroline into the bathroom to calm her down in 2x02. Caroline even repeats some of his words like “you have to try” “it’s the only way” etc.

I cannot believe Damon killed Tyler. He deserved so much better.

Honestly I kinda dig watching Stefan and Damon go a little crazy pants this episode.

God this scene is so frustrating. Because I’m watching it and I’m like YES STEFAN YOU GET IT when he says he’ll never be happy until Damon is out of his life. And he makes so many god damn strides in doing that from the end of this season into next season and the finale just crushed all of that. Notice as well that Hallucination Damon keeps trying to kill Caroline because that’s Stefan’s happiness. This episode is a bright light in a sea of dark.

Ending FF with “you’re the easiest way to get to Stefan” while the whole episode the Phoenix stone was using Caroline being in danger to get him to learn the lesson. Good tie-in.

7x12

Bless this cute scene with Caroline eating fries and Stefan giving her heart eyes I haven’t seen the heart eyes since episode 4! It’s also very cute when he takes her hand and says she scared him for a minute.

Damon’s such a maniac lol.

You know what the Stefan Valerie coffee scene didn’t bother me I thought it did in the past. The Steroline coffee scenes were always about Stefan bringing a coffee to Caroline so doesn't feel the same.

Omg Julian never stops talking! Thank god Stefan kills him in this episode but like 3 episodes too late my lord.

The huntress stuff is truly interesting and I am enjoying Bonenzo way more than I did the first time I watched. I really like how front and center Bonnie is with that storyline (foreshadowing her becoming the huntress) and she’s getting dual attention from Nora and Enzo.

Oh wait the huntress was activated by Enzo I take it back he still sucks.

Again good FF tie in with Stefan not getting to Caroline in time both in the present and future.

Lines that made me laugh:

Damon: At which point, we kill said person, storm the castle and save your damsel (Stefan's right he was having so much fun at Stefan's expense it's so much better when they aren't in love with the same girl)

Damon: Bastard links his life to my mom's and then engages in a duel. What is this, Hamlet community theatre? (I love on the nose jokes!)