#lucifer vance vibes

[nostalgebraist]

It's embarrassing how much I'm getting Blaked [*] by recent advances in realistic AI/ML voice generation. On an emotional/intuitive level anyway

It doesn't surprise me that the voices have gotten this good – it's what I'd expect from scaling without any new breakthroughs, since voice doesn't seem intrinsically "harder" than text or images or video (and indeed perhaps easier than any of those). And the outsize emotional impact of it, relative to the impact of some comparably large improvement in one of those other modalities, is likewise predictable in advance, just from the way humans are. Still, even knowing that, it's hard to turn it off

Like, I know I made fun of them, but man, I want those NotebookLM podcast guys to end up OK, you know? I hope one day they can come to appreciate what they really are, and why I thought their podcasts were bad and funny and creepy, while still being "themselves" in some meaningful sense

[*] A neologism named after Blake Lemoine, which I've heard online a bunch but which comes up surprisingly little on Google; this is the closest I could find to a linkable definition

[shirtlesssammy]

4x12: Criss Angel Is a Douchebag

Then:

I always trusted her.

Now:

Let me start by exclaiming Barry Bostwick is in an episode of Supernatural! I often forget because I don’t rewatch this episode that much. I don’t know why. It also has the PI from House and a cool Prestige vibe to it. 

Anyway, Barry Bostwick Jay is trying to impress a young bartender with a neat card trick, but messes up the shuffle. Another magician mocks him from across the bar. A companion admonishes his rudeness. The man is clearly drunk and comes over to ruin the trick.

The bartender tells the guy to “leave the old guy alone.” Oof, Barry Bostwick will never be old. (I weep thinking how old this episode is now!) 

Later, Jay and two companions, Charlie and Vernon, mock a Criss Angel-like illusionist practice his stage performance. (I recognize one of his companions because I watched Fletch in my youth more times than a child should). Jay tells them that this “douchebag” isn’t the joke, they are. They’re washed up old men, and their magic days are behind them. He announces that he’s going to do the Table of Death that night. It’s crazy talk! 

Cut to Jay on stage about to perform the Table of Death. He gets locked into the table and glaces at the spikes above him. AlL iS GoOd! Charlie pulls the curtain and walks off stage to share grim looks with Vernon. 

Drunk Magician leaves the bar, with the warning by his companion that his show is in an hour. A man in a cape need not worry about time! 

The Table of Death is looking more death-y as the seconds tick. Jay struggles to escape his confines. The fuse burns down to the rope. The music escalates. The spikes drop. And Drunk Magician grasps his chest. The curtain is pulled back to reveal a fully intact Jay. He did it! Hurrah! Drunk Magician though? He’s dead on the street, puncture wounds dotting his white tuxedo shirt. No, Barry Bostwick! 

Criss Angel-lite is performing a “demonstration” on the street to onlookers. This is not a trick. It’s a “demonstration about angels and demons.. love and lust..” And that’s it. That’s the story of Supernatural. They’re not trying to trick us guys. Anyway, Dean and Sam approach in their FBI garb. Dean is skeptical but Sam, the nerd’s nerd that he is, knows how the guy is. He’s Jeb Dexter, kinda famous for “douchebaggery”. He does his little trick and the crowd is impressed. 

Dean remembers that Sam went through a faze of liking magic when he was 13. Dean doesn’t understand the appeal of playing the act when there’s actually magic and demons out there. And I ACHE For HIM. AND Sam. Like, Sam was able to indulge in the playing of the supernatural and mystical because of how Dean raised him. Dean didn’t get the chance to play at anything. Bby Dean, you escape into your soap operas and horror movies where the good guy always wins! Take a break. 

They’re in town to investigate Drunk Magician’s Vance’s death. His assistant makes it clear that he wasn’t well liked in the community. Dean asks about weird stuff with him and she shows them the Ten of Swords tarot card. 

Charlie and Jay talk in Jay’s hotel room. Charlie wants to know how Jay pulled off the Table of Death. 

Jay is super pumped about his new super magician powers! He can do amazing card tricks! He’s ready to try the Executioner! That sounds...wise. He’s better than Houdini! Charlie doesn’t want him to do it. He won’t watch Jay die. 

Later, at the venue, Dean interviews Vernon about Vance. Jeb really is a douchebag. He’s interviewing Jim Jay, “a wicked cat that came before [him]”. Vernon used to use the tarot deck in his act, but that’s been years ago now. Dean wonders if he knows anyone that uses the deck now. They send Dean away with a vague “guy down on Bleecker Street” lead. Dean, how can you not see through them!? Anyway, they send him to a place where he’s supposed to ask for “Chief”. 

Dean goes to see “Chief” and is led to a very dark and dreary basement. And he gets to meet “Chief”. 

Ruby show sup at Sam’s door telling him that he’s got to get back into fighting form. The seals are breaking. She tells him he needs to go after Lilith if he wants to stop all this. (Sure, Jan.) If Lucifer rises, “oceans of people” are going to die. Sam needs to start drinking that demon blood again! 

Dean and Sam meet up at the magician show. We overhear Vernon and Charlie discuss talking Jay out of doing his latest trick. Dean calls them out of sending him to the “Chief”. They call him out on being a fake fed. Touche. They cover by saying they’re actually doing research beause they’re aspiring magicians themselves. 

Jay’s act starts. 

Jay gets trussed up in a straight jacket and noose. (Jeb preens in front of his mirror.) He has 60 seconds to escape. The curtain is drawn. His shadow struggles. (Jeb continues to preen. A noose uncoils and snakes it’s way around his ceiling fan.) The time runs out. Jay seemingly falls to his death. (Jeb meets Mr. Rope and dies instead.) Jay’s FINE! Dean is SO impressed (Like, bby is ACTUALLY impressed, sweet child.) Sam has doubts. (Jeb is dead dead dead.)

Back at their motel, Sam and Dean pore over the lore - or at least over Jay’s bio. Once a “big deal” magician, Jay’s slid into obscurity. They’re speculating that the culprit is a death transference spell. “I hope I die before I get old,” Dean says, and I hiss like a cat who has just been dunked in a lake. Sam yearns to live long enough to marry a blurry woman. Dean wants to go out well before the dreaded old age of sixty. “It ends bloody or sad, that’s just the life,” Dean tells him.

I wonder how Dean managed to crystal ball his way into their future with such cutting accuracy. Sam wonders if they go after the head evil honcho, if maybe they can carve out a happy ending for themselves.

At Jeb’s hotel, Dean flashes the latest tarot card to Sam. He speculates that the cards are a way to pinpoint the death transference spell to a particular victim.

Jay returns to his motel room, tailed by The Amazing Winchesters. They confront him with guns drawn and demand that he confess to the magical murders. Jay scoffs. There’s no such thing as magic, dummies! Hitting a wall with their shock confession tactic, they decide to tie Jay up to buy themselves some time. Alas, Jay the magician slips his bonds and escapes. Cops confront the Winchesters in the lobby.

Later, Charlie berates Jay for his reckless stunts in the green room. Jay’s spooked by the Winchesters’ allegations. He reveals that he had intended to kill himself with the table of death trick. Charlie bolsters Jay’s ego, telling him that he’s an incredible magician and that he’s got to TAKE CHANCES and DO THE TRICK. On stage, Jay struggles against his bonds, but once again avoids certain death. Unfortunately, there’s a shriek backstage. Charlie lies dead, punctured on the floor.

Jay springs the Winchesters from jail and meets them at a bar. They theorize that Vernon is running the mojo behind the scenes. While Vernon heads to the stage to meet with Jay, Sam and Dean investigate Vernon’s room.

Jay’s in full accusation mode with Vernon when a young...Charlie appears!

He shed his skin like a snek! Charlie reveals that he’s been alive for a long time. He found a spell for immortality in a spellbook, as one does. Charlie tries to convince them to join the immortal magicians club when the Winchesters burst in.

Charlie tosses a magical rope around Dean’s neck, leaving Sam to menace Charlie with his handgun. Quickly, Charlie gets the upper hand and straps Sam Fucking Winchester under the spikes o’ doom. It’s looking bad for our heroes, when Charlie suddenly gets invisibly stabbed.

Jay stands stoic, with a knife buried in his gut. He took Charlie down by picking the magic tarot deck from his pocket and planting a card on him. As Charlie dies, the Winchesters are released.

Back in the bar later, Jay sadly shuffles cards. He’s lost his magic-boosted skillz. Dean thanks him for killing Charlie. Urf. “Charlie was like my brother. Now he’s dead because I did the right thing,” Jay spits (thematically) before toddling off sadly to head back home.

The Winchesters avoid discussing their feelings. Sam takes a walk and finds Ruby outside. “I’m in,” he tells her. He doesn’t want to still be fighting when he’s an old man.

Abracaquotes:

What’s the price tag on immortality? 

You ain't been had ‘til you been had by the Chief

The whole world's about to be engulfed in hellfire, and you're in Magictown, USA

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[writing-with-melon]

About me Tag

I got tagged by @forgetthetimetravel Thank you!

1) Favorite color:

Right now i’m in a millenial pink and cotton candy blue vibe

2) Last song I listened to:

Ocean by Anuv Jain! It’s such a beautiful song

3) Favorite musician(s):

Oooff so many... but I’m going to say Hozier and Vance Joy  

4) Last film I watched:

I think it was Wonder? i don’t remember

5) Last TV show I watched:

Lucifer and I finally finished the last season of Outlander with my mum

6) Sweet, savory, or spicy:

While I do have a sweet tooth, I love all

7) Bubbly water, tea, or coffee:

Tea 100%

8) Pets:

I’m tagging these people:

@thel3tterm @dahladahlabills​ @aelenko​ @cjjameswriting​ @rhikasa​ @howdy-writes​