#this is his vengeance route death btw ..

[sixoclockuty]

wish upon a shooting star.

[talltale-lore]

Talltale Lore (info taken directly from my lore doc)

(Just showcasing 3 in this post) (also I’m not the best at drawing humanoids so bare with me lol)

More info about these characters will also be shared in the future btw, these descriptions don’t contain everything they have to offer in this AU, I will have many more tidbits in my “Lore Stuff” segments!

TALLTALE CHARA

Chara in this AU was experimented on by Gaster behind the Dreemurrs' back. Gaster injects a new (and very dangerous) substance into their soul (which I will reveal what it is later) and resulted in a slow painful death for them. However, after their death, the substance also starts to rapidly spread around the underground; destroying everything, killing everyone, and leaving Gaster as the only survivor (still coming up with how though).

This event causes Chara to not only become horribly corrupted till they are almost unrecognizable, but leaves them fuelled with anger and vengeance for all the pain Gaster caused them… All while the substance injected into them slowly starts to take over their mind and soul until it can use them as a host.

Also, whatever you believe in Undertale, whether you think Chara is evil, good, or neutral; This Chara is very different personality wise! In this AU, they are a very anxious person and could get scared very easily (before their corruption I mean). They have a lot of problems they are dealing with like self doubt, low self worth, anxiety, and trauma regarding their treatment on the surface. They also fear going to anyone about it, keeping their problems to themselves… Not helping that Asriel, although completely unintentional on his part, keeps dismissing how they feel… Not out of malice but simply because he just doesn’t understand their experiences and what they went and are going through.

TALLTALE FRISK

Frisk is about 14 to 15 years old in this AU!

For their entire life so far, they grew up in foster care, resulting in them being very untrusting of others. One day, they get adopted by a family who is really kind and loving to them! But Frisk rejects their love and runs away in the middle of the night and wanders towards the mountain where they fall, and so the story begins. When Frisk falls, they are quite a jerk… but throughout the story or in the pacifist route (and especially after the pacifist ending) they slowly start to miss their adoptive family and they realize how wrong they were… Depending on the route, the player is who unknowingly guides them to where their character will end up. Frisk is also importantly supposed to have a parallel character-wise with Corrupted Chara… One I promise to explain far more in-depth Later!

When they run away, they fall into the underground only to find it completely destroyed... They run into Gaster to discover he's the only monster left. Everyone has died but most still roam the underground as vengeful and/or normal spirits. Gaster then puts them to the quest to free all the monster's restless souls wandering the underground just like he did with the 6 humans that fell before them, whether Frisk wants to or not.

And so, They begin their journey… Left with someone who constantly stalks and attacks them… Someone who just may be the most vengeful of all of those in the underground combined…

TALLTALE ASRIEL

All he knows is that Chara went "missing" and desperately wants to find them! He's one of the first monsters Frisk encounters. In fact, he willingly goes along with you throughout Frisk's journey in the underground. In the canon/pacifist route, when Frisk discovers all the horrific things Gaster did to Chara… He starts freaking out and tearfully runs off and not soon after becomes a vengeful spirit. You fight all three of the Dreemurrs at once in this AU, having to free them one by one. With Toriel being the easiest and Asriel being the hardest and longest.

Before everything, Asriel was sadly never able to give Chara the pendent to signify them being best friends due to Chara suddenly going missing after a big fight the two had… (that comes in importance later, as well as the pendant for Chara's boss battle… So remember those two things!).

He feels horrible and guilty every time he sees it, but he still wears it regardless (he wears it in his spirit form btw) and as a personal reminder… a reminder that he won’t give up and abandon Chara despite everything and what they eventually became… As Asriel, although not his fault in the slightest, blames himself for everything that happened to them…

Asriel also plays a BIG role in the Genocide Route (In which I'll explain later).

(I haven’t remastered his spirit and Vengeful forms yet btw, the art is outdated but the designs are unchanged… however it would look jarring showing the outdated art next to these quick colored sketches hhh)

[willel]

This may be a silly question but I love "what if" scenarios. If for whatever reason Max's storyline in s4 was given to Will instead, how do you think it would've differed? Like do you think it would have the same ending Max's did or would you have changed anything?

Love your blog btw!

I don't think it would work the same way. Vecna's reason for targetting Max was to eventually kill her for his plans.

I dunno if he has the same plans for Will, so I dunno if he would approach the situation the same way. I mean before we got volume 2 it was pretty funny imagining Will being Vecna'd (not killed, but mentally tortured)

I can still imagine the mental torturing going on for Will, as well as Vecna stalking him like he's prone to do. But if Will were in Max's place, I don't think Vecna would ever "pull the trigger". All these people would be dying in town and Will is just waiting for his turn that never seems to come. Even the audience would be sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for it to happen and it never does. I guess it would go to show that Vecna has different plans for him had the story taken that route.

I can kinda picture every time Vecna finds a new victim, is showing visions to his victim, or is killing his victim, Will sorta senses everything in a terrible way. Like nausea and dizziness overtake him, he can't even stand on his own two feet and basically faints until Vecna completes his spell.

It reminds me of something but I can't recall..... I think it's Pumpkinhead. Good movie btw, suggest watching it. Can't recommend consuming any of the sequels though, classic case of "you didn't understand the original at all"

Anyway, I'm pretty sure our main ..... protagonist.....? (not sure if you could call him a protagonist) ends up physically attached to the main villain. The main villain is a creature born of pure malice and vengeance and its task is to hunt down a group of tourists who did something the main "protagonist" didn't like. Also note, this creature is not a typical monster feature. It's highly intelligent and thoughtful, like any other demon from hell.

Every time the creature is performing its duties, killing someone, or occupying the same space as the protagonist, the protagonist seems to have some kind of weird fever dream and can't function normally. Like a trance.

Here is a clip. The second gentleman with the rifle who shoot it is the "protagonist".

Wow, I never noticed before but he even gets a nosebleed. Ha. Also, hurting the main "protagonist" also hurts the demon, kinda like all those theories that Will is Vecna's soul cage or in Harry Potter terms... um... what's the word.... one of those objects Baldymort split his soul into to stay alive, including Harry Potter himself.

Anyway, thanks for the ask. It dug up some deep lore buried in my brain about this old movie.

TO GET BACK ON TOPIC, I don't think it would've played out the same, but there is potential in season 4 for it to follow a similar path though I don't think WIll's death is Vecna's goal.

It makes sense to make Vecna's curse similar even for people he doesn't intend to kill so that the characters and the audience knows what's up.

BUT, if Vecna were a smart villain, maybe if Will were a target next, he would purposely make his tactics different so that the character and the audience don't know what's happening.

[winterbuckytho]

When Is It Over

After being missing for 48 hours, Tony Stark comes into the restaurant and is escorted to the table James Rhodey was waiting for him at. Rhodey, always a patient and understanding man wanted to give Tony an absolute earful for disappearing like that. He and Happy had been just about to raise alarms when he got the text "I'm a genius and you know that but I had major breakthrough and can't talk to anyone else. You will never guess who's bed I woke up in."

Rhodey guessed wrong 17 times then finally gave up by texting back. "Uuuugh, I hate it when you’re right! Just tell me!!"

"One Sargent James Buchanan Barnes, the Manchurian Candidate himself. TMI, but we have no boundaries, he's an awesome lay btw. I'll send you info for a meetup and brunch. I need so much coffee."

And so not long after the two sat in a little known upscale place seated at a privately reserved table on a terrace over looking the sea, Rhodey asking how in the flying fuck Tony had ended up at a dick appointment in Wakanda.

"It all started a while ago but what happened last night started the night before last. I kept having this nightmare where Barnes is bearing down on Pepper and my reactor is busted and I'm trapped in my suit, pinned to the floor like a butterfly to a card by one of those creepy bug collectors. Pepper is right there but I can never convince him to not hurt her. Sometimes it's you or Steve and I guess because I watched footage of him before he started remembering stuff... God, the way he gunned after Steve, like a pretty Ultron. And I fought him myself in trigger mode, Christ, his eyes were colder than dry ice and emptier than Bruce's apartment right now... I had it again and sitting up after with a glass of warm milk thought about that exposure therapy thing, what is it called?"

"Systemic Desensitization?"

"Right, anyway, so I called King T'challa and it turned out Barnes was awake. So i asked to see him, explain what I want to try and do because I already have 15 flavors of PTSD, I didn't need a special designer one and reassured nothing like vengeance was even remotely on my mind. I just needed to see him outside the context I had him in before in Siberia so he agreed to have me."

"Whoa, that's a stupid idea. So what happened?"

"Well, he has a convalescent suite in the mines, most secure place on the planet I bet. From himself and from others. I went straight there and was on his doorstep at 2 the next morning. He was still willing to see me and the Princess seems to have figured out how to end his following through with the programming, so he opened the door and..."

--

"Stark, I understand I never even knew you and I fucked up half your lif-" Bucky Barnes began.

“I don't wanna talk about that Barnes..." Tony replied.

"Then what do you want?" Buck asked shaking his head a little at a loss as to why Stark would need to see him this bad. A cold fright made his belly feel full of squirming eels as he wondered what in God's name he had done now. 'Th-they say I'm alright now but before... I hardly remember being brought to Wakanda, everything after my arm was fried off... is just a smudge of awareness. Did I hurt him bad that day, he looks okay but what did I do..?'

"I... fuck, okay, this is one of those times where I am doing a crazy rich person thing, you know. I keep having these dreams... "I remember them all." you said. That's what you said and ever since I feel like I need to face you in a.... I don't know... unfiltered way? I need to know you're not going to... hurt me or Pepper or Steve or Rh-" 

Bucky stood in the doorway his blood chilled to slush in his veins. What did Tony want him to do? Act out some death wish? 'Absolutely fucking not. I will eat a gun before I endanger anyone else. I can't, I literally can't let it happen, even by the most unpredictable accident...' "Tony, what is it you mean for me to do? I'm not gonna fight you, I-i can't, I-"

"Shit, Sarge..."Tony says and aggressively goes in for a kiss. A hard confused long and breathless kiss.

--

"Oh my God, you did not!" Rhodey exclaimed his incredulity impossible to contain.

"You going keep talking or are you going eat your lunch and let me finish?" Stark says a little miffed even if he wouldn't say that word unironically.

"I thought you were in like, regular killer robots trouble, but this takes the cake, please do go on. I want every sordid detail. I can't tell if I'm more horrified at your taste in guys or frustrated with you for not telling me about what you were going to do."

--

'Oh god my heart is racing faster than that time it almost got its promised dose of metal shards before I could get the other reactor in. I might throw up. But uh yeah, I'll admit it. I'm definitely getting hard. Is this it? Is this what I need to make myself understand he's not a killing machine anymore? For an engineering genius I'm so fuckin' stupid... O-oh ah, is- is he... holding me?' Tony's mind went from one thought to the next so rapidly it almost made him dizzy. But as Barnes wrapped an arm gently about his waist and pulled him closer over the threshold and into his suite, his initial fright at his own actions became quieter and slowed till he was thinking nothing and only letting the electricity of it flow as neurons and synapses and receptors did their work. He could feel Barnes' lips tremble slightly against his as they kissed, cold metal under his palm as it slid up over the smooth curves up to the other man's shoulder, his need now becoming clearer by the second.

Bucky didn't understand what was happening and in ordinary circumstances would like to know and love someone before getting closer this way. It felt wrong at first and he was so hypervigilant he was half convinced his body was acting on its own to attack Tony until the man moaned deeply in to the kiss, the sound of it long and greatly pleased. Barnes pulled away a moment looking at Stark. "What is this? I... I’m afraid I don't understand..."

"You and me both, pal. Oh no, Steve is rubbing off on me.... But yes... I'm figuring something out. Can we go to your room?"

"I- uhm sure it's... uhm... on the left. End of the hall."

"Come on, I can make it fast."

"I... had no idea you..."

"Again. You and me both, pal. Turned out my heterosexual philandering was me performing gender conformity and trying to hide from anything real about myself. I think I swing both ways. Or multiple ways at once." Tony said leading to the bedroom. He took off his jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair by a small table in the room and sat on the edge of the bed. 

Buck sat next to him and said "Ah. Well, you're not alone in that. If I had a nickel for all the girls I had hanging on my arm while hiding the truth..."

"Wow. I mean... The length Steve was going for you... I didn't realize it was a two way street."

"Yeah, I'm fuckin' stupid for that boy. All those years... and then the first one I see his face again, the curse was lifted. Kinda like a fairytale." Barnes laughed.

Tony laughed too. A genuine happy sound he had been too anxious to properly make the last few months. Hearing Bucky say it like that, he knew they both loved the same things in their favorite star spangled dumbass. Another layer of fear melted and he grasped Bucky's metal hand. "Is this going to hurt what you got going for him? I can stop, find some other way to work through how I'm feeling about everything..."

"No, its okay. I...think I understand what you need."

"Oh yeah?"

"We were never properly introduced and until you know who a man is, he will always be a stranger."

'I'll be damned... that's kinda exactly what this is. I need to know him. I need to know him inside out like how I know Steve. It took almost dying together a few times for us to become friends. This is the express route for me and Barnes.' Stark sniffed and nodded then said abruptly, "But first I... I’m sorry. I'm sorry things went down how they did for you, I'm sorry for reacting that way when I found out our... connection. I- well I was going to say I'm sorry I blew your arm off but I'll say it when I'm sure I won't be lying. I had seen you kill a dozen people that day and I'm still scared shitless of you."

The room was quiet a moment as Bucky carefully gathered so he wouldn't burst in to tears before he could say it. "I'm sorry as well. I never got to apologize to any of their families before. So thank you too."

"Hey." Stark said quietly. He was beginning to truly feel something about Bucky other then that fever pitch fear. The time Barnes had come within a second of shooting Tony straight in the god-damned face came back to him but he didn't see that man in this moment. "I want to believe you so, come on. Make love to me and show me who you really are."

--

"Oo, you was being all smooth with it, okay, alright, Mr Stark, turn the swag on..." Said Rhodey.

"One of these days, Alice, right to the moon." Replied Tony.

"Ha ha, okay, I'll stop. One of these days...”

--

Barnes nodded and turned further to Tony reaching a hand out. He used the side of his index finger to take Stark's chin and tug lightly guiding him towards himself and beginning to kiss him in soft slow motions. "Do you want me to take charge a bit? Because I don't think I want you to make it fast."

"Hah~ I uh... don't mind, bottom, top as long as you're comfortable."

"How bout we work it both ways. I mean sure I'm big and can probably punch out that whole wall down in less than 3 minutes but I have a... softer side too."

"Being little spoon is nice..." Stark replied with a small smile pulling his tie vest and shirt off. He was endeared further to see Bucky blushing in the low warm light.

Bucky pressed him back on the bed and rolled half on top of him. His was so effortlessly strong his weight could barely be felt as he held himself from simply pinning Tony to the bed under him. Heat began to flush his body as the gentle kisses they traded became more passionate and hungry. A thrum of pleasure pulses outward from his pelvis and Bucky groaned in the ecstasy of it thinking 'Guess it's like riding a bicycle... it's all coming back to me now, huh?...uhn~' while his hips rocked forward pressing down against Tony.

It was a small gesture but so erotically charged, Stark's breath caught in his chest a second then he mirrored it with his hand sliding downwards to explore the stiffening shaft pressed against his thigh. He squeezed and stroked it marveling it a little for it's size and immediately wondering how much of Bucky's size was from the serum. He suspected from the way Barnes handled himself though that it was all Buck. He pulled the waist band of Bucky's pajama bottoms out and down exposing him. Tony's hand wrapped around it and he watched as Bucky's eyelids lowered and he breathed quietly "Oh God hahn..." pecs heaving as he gasped. Stark bit into his lower lip surprised how a sight like that could turn him on and quiet still more of his fear of the man. It humanized Barnes instantly like nothing else he could have made in the Avengers tower r & d labs.

Bucky's erection throbbed, Tony's hand feeling cool on it's hot skin as he took in the sensation just made it even more captivating but he paused a moment before raising himself to stand and pulled his pants off. As he did Tony took off the remainder of his clothes as well and soon they reconvened on the bed together. Tony waited for Buck to lie down then took a position that would serve well for oral. He was surprised to be further guided gently to straddle Barnes' face. They each used oral to the pleasure of the other and it was not long before the room was full of moans and sighs.

Barnes could never explain it but serving someone willingly in this scenario nearly made his mind melt with the extreme arousal building inside him. He moans softly his tongue massaging and circling sensitive skin, probing flicking at the entrance. He can't help how he is drawn in to the movement both soothed and excited by it, all the while feeling heat and soft textures and slick saliva slowly slathered up and down his length paired with a delicious friction he couldn't withstand in stoicism. His hips jerk and thrust up and his arms wrap around Stark's thighs pulling him down against his now wildly thrashing tongue.

"O-ohn hah! Mmm~!" Tony's breathes come fast and eratic as he tries to not be distracted from the task at hand. Which was enjoying Barnes' response to his sucking and licking of the man's cock. He is becoming increasingly intensely aroused to the point of loosing much of his control leaving him trembling and squirming as he struggles to keep his tongue moving. Finally unable to do much else he accepts Bucky's entire length in to his mouth allowing him to thrust himself in and out while Stark groans in deep pleasure at the many sensations.

Bucky came to a point where it wasn't enough and he needed to see his lovers face as well as become the more active party. He slowed his licking and paused one hand grasping Tony's arm and pulling him up to head of the bed French kissing him and enjoying the feel of their tongues sliding about one another. After a few moments they worked into missionary position. Bucky licked his fingers, massaged and stretching Stark making the man whimper and gasp pressing his head back into the pillows. Then he began to penetrate working his tip in slowly, setting urgency aside for a bit to be sure they were both on the same page.

Tony, experiencing great pleasure eagerly thrust his hips up as his calves rested on Barnes' broad strong shoulders. "I-it's okay, I'm experienced, you can go harder, go faster. Oh god~!" Even as he did it he was having a strong sense of sorrow derived from the way Bucky handled his body, with such a care, terrified of himself of hurting anyone. He knew this was because of who he was as a person and not just special treatment. Hydra had commited a deep sin against humanity by making such a man kill against his own will and every minute with the former Sargent made Stark's heart break for him, drowning the animal fear right out with the deep kindness that had stayed true in Barnes’ heart all these years.

Buck nodded now breathing heavily and started to thrust deep and hard at an almost relentless pace, grunting in a low tone his eyes scanning Tony's face drinking the pleasure he caused, this somehow just as pleasing as the direct stimulation of the sex itself. But still he maintained responsibility for both of their well being and carefully examined himself to be sure he could warn if he lost control of himself somehow. His ardor rose and swelled around him and to this he was perfectly happy to lose himself in the moment, his breaths harsh and fast as his powerful thighs and hips worked to thrust and his hands rose to lace his finger with those of both of Tony's hands holding them pressed to the pillow beside Stark's head on either side, Bucky's mouth exploring licking kissing Tony's throat and chest.

"That's it , oh don't stop, don't stop huhn!! Ah aaah hah~!" Tony groaned as he chased his orgasm. 

"Yeah? Ohn~ come on, come with me, come on baby..." Bucky told him between gasps and moans speaking softly into his ear.

It was one of the best climaxes he had ever had and he supposed it had something to do with how emotional the sex had been paired with Barnes commanding him to do it. 'I didn't even feel submissive till he took the reigns, and that's kinda how I like it.' Tony thought. Panting he said "You really must have given those girls a run for their money. And Steve?"

Bucky paused and smiled. It was honestly one of the most beautiful smiles Tony had ever seen. "Actually, I'd bet my left arm he's still a virgin. He's always so focused, no one ever wonders. They think a man like that would have been taken such a thing the first time it presented itself but our history together says otherwise. His birthday wasn't always July 4th, you know?"

"Meaning he didn't always appear to be the reserved type, a no kiss and tell sort of guy. Oh my God, that explains so much. Does he think it's too dirty or something?"

"Nah. He just wants the moment to be right. And it never can be with the world at stake every other day. He says to me, 'We can move to the country or the sea shore and no one will bat a lash. The ring can be made of the perfect materials for your hand and we can just settle down, when the fight is over’. He doesn't know... living is always going to be a fight. There's always a fight. It doesn't end until your heart stops. So he'll always be waiting for the right time and I'll always be waiting for him." His gaze was a bit melancholic, a bit proud and a lot yearning. His crystalline cerulean eyes swam with tears a moment before he closed them and leaned in to kiss Tony. 

Tony wrapped his arms around Bucky and now he felt more real than ever, there was no monster here. Just a man who was having the most rotten luck in history. And he still fought for more each day. 'Men like them really are cut from different cloth. I always thought my dad was just being a righteous asshole when he said that but no...'

--

"And I'm cured! Turns out the right guy can heal you with magic peen." Strk said sarcastically.

"Pft, really?"

"Well, of that one thing. My mind is still fucked pretty hard from everything else though. But I'm glad it's finally laid to rest. Dad would have wanted it that way. Mom would forgive him, why shouldn't I?”

"Jesus, did you just mature before my very eyes?" Rhodey said with a smile reaching out to put a hand on Tony's shoulder with a squeeze.

"Yep. Let's hope I don't have to fuck everyone who has wronged me to finally put my suit away." Tony sassed back patting the hand of his best friend.

He hoped that day would come though. That Steve and Nat and Bruce and Vision and Wanda and Sam and Clint could set down their suits and anger issues and come home so they could all be worth the wait together.

[sueboohscorner]

The Vampire Diaries 813 Recap “The Lies Will Catch up to You” #TVD #FreeCaroline

Last week ended with the awesome surprise of Kai’s arrival from hell. This week, we go back a few days to see how that happened. While the Maxwell bell was being rung by Matty Blue, enabling Cade’s crossover into our dimension, Kai caught a glimpse of Mystic Falls through his haze of torture. He leapt and made it through before the gateway closed again. 

Delighted to be alive, Kai eagerly orders a meal fit for a family of four. Impatient for satisfaction, he rips open a packet of jelly on the table and takes a taste…except he can’t taste it. He grabs another customer’s food and takes a bite…nothing. He picks up a knife and stabs himself in the hand…no sensation either. The poor waiter comes along and stares at him in shock…Kai magically impales the waiter on his blade. 

This scene is ingenious. We are reminded in the course of moments why we’re happy to see Kai: Chris Wood’s portrayal is hilarious and terrifying by turns. But we’re also reminded how truly unpredictable and dangerous he is.

Back to the present, Alaric’s ready to take righteous vengeance against Kai for murdering Jo at their wedding, and Damon restrains Alaric in the interest of getting Kai to revive Elena first. Alaric is pissed, and he’s right to be. Damon is overconfident as usual; he will not be able to control this situation.

Speaking of out of control situations, Matt calls Caroline into the police station to help him deal with a bizarre flood of complaints coming in over the last couple of days…against Stefan Salvatore. Caroline immediately realizes they should have seen this coming; the moment Stefan became human, all his past compulsions started to fade. Everyone he’s ever compelled to forget a horror he inflicted on them or carried out right before their eyes…and Caroline will dutifully sit with a great many of them, listening to her fiance’s hit parade of cruelty. She hears their stories, then compels them all over again with a new version of the memory that might be easier to bear. Matt even compliments her creativity, noting that she’s coming up with a lot more variety than her mom used to; there were a lot of “animal attacks” in the town records.

But one of the people whose memory suddenly returned didn’t run to the police to file a report, because he knew Stefan personally and understood what was happening. Armory intern, Dorian, whose backstory included a fire that killed half his family…well, until today, when he woke up and remembered who told him that backstory in the first place. Seven years ago, he came home to a gut-wrenching scene of horror, but Stefan set the house on fire and compelled him to forget everything. Of course, we in the audience instantly understand the significance of the time frame: Seven years ago, Klaus Mikaelson forced Stefan to go on a Ripper road trip with him. 

Once again, this scene is utterly brilliant. By placing the murder of Dorian’s family in the timeline of the series, the show has put us in the same position as Caroline. We have to uncomfortably deal with the notion that we knew about Stefan’s acts of evil, but we were just happy to get him back. As viewers, we sided with the bad guy and forgave him, and sure, okay, we had the excuse of his humanity switch and his desire to protect Elena from Klaus…but we were able to move on and forget his victims. Now, here’s a tragic case of Stefan’s collateral damage, and we hadn’t given him a thought. Lives have been lost and ruined, and we kept rooting for this guy. It keeps getting harder, though, doesn’t it?

Dorian forces Stefan to dig his own grave, then shoots him. It’s dark and hardcore, and Dorian immediately knows he’s no longer the victim or the hero in this story.

Also on a road trip, Damon and Kai are en route to Elena’s coffin. Sure, this will go well. Damon calls Bonnie and tries to play off his questions as hypothetical, as if she doesn’t know him better than that. She instantly figures out Kai is there with him, and while that pisses her off, it also gives her hope: If Kai found his way through from hell, Enzo could too. 

Btw, props to Chris Wood for his physical comedy throughout this scene. This guy is a star.

Damon and Kai talk through the Sirens situation, and Kai gets an idea. Maybe he could follow the “sexy Sirens” playbook to anchor him to this dimension. He needs to kill some bad guys and consume their flesh. Conveniently, there’s a guy sexually harassing his employee nearby, and Damon approves of murdering an ass-smacking SOB. I’m with you, Damon.

Stefan’s lying in his shallow grave, bleeding out slowly, inviting Dorian to take a second shot, and this time, please try to actually hit something vital, because slow deaths are wicked painful. Dorian is freaking out in a million different directions, including the realization that he’s now probably also going to go to hell, and it wasn’t worth it. He walks Stefan back to cell phone range and calls for help. Caroline can’t heal Stefan, of course, but she can compel the paramedics to record this as an accidental shooting among hunting buddies. 

Driven by her desperation to find Enzo, Bonnie lets a psychic magnetism draw her to Cade, who offers to help her hone her gifts. They take hands and she reaches out for Enzo, drawing on Cade’s power to help her. It works! She finds Enzo, but he quickly tells her not to trust Cade, and to leave before Cade is able to use her to locate him. She breaks off the connection and Cade reveals what’s really happened. Cade is fascinated by her, because she’s proven to be so much like him; he thought he was the only being who could psychically create a new dimension without even trying. Just as he created hell, she created a new pocket dimension and sent Enzo there. But of course, Enzo’s soul is on his list, so he can’t just let her keep him.

Recovering from his bullet wound, Stefan again tells Caroline she should be done with him. I’m inclined to agree. I know Caroline has a deep sense of loyalty, and I also think there’s a certain resistance to giving up a goal you’ve sacrificed so greatly to attain; if she lets this relationship go, then all the things she’s done in the name of being with Stefan are suddenly pointless, and she has to regret them all over again. But seriously, girl, you can do better. Cut bait and start the healing process. #FreeCaroline

Also trying desperately to make good on a foolish investment is Damon, who’s quickly realizing he has little hope of controlling Kai. He tries offering the hope of redemption, because hey, that works on him every time…but he’s making the classic mistake of misunderstanding what Kai is. He’s not a vampire whose humanity flips on and off; he’s a sociopath, which means his humanity has always been in the off position. More importantly, Kai is amoral, not unintelligent. He can tell he’s being played by a desperate man. Dangling redemption in front of Kai is like dangling a masters degree in front of a dog.

Shocking absolutely no one, Kai siphons Damon and disappears with the coffin. 

Speaking of siphons, Alaric brings the kids for a visit. They’re hitting a developmental stage he can’t handle on his own–they can’t control their magic.

I loved this episode. Between the pure joy of watching Chris Wood work, the brilliant plot and scripting choices that placed the audience in the position of uncomfortable self-reflection, and the discovery that Enzo is (at least for now) safe from hell, I give this a 10. 

What about you? Comment below with what you liked, what you didn’t like, and any theories about Kai’s next moves!