#those damned by devils

[jangmi-latte]

i...i just have no words....i legitimately ran out of words i am DROUGHT please in my mou–

[cbrownjc]

Hi! Hope you don't mind but I wanted to ask your opinion on some stuff we learned in ep 6 and possible repercussions for Daniel's character. So we get the super heavy-handed wink wink nudge nudge "body switch" line from Raglan, which imo definitely implies they are gonna go there at some point - body switching *will* be a thing.

Before this, I was actually pretty hopeful that at some point, Armand was going to turn old man Daniel into a vampire. Not sure yet how and when it would happen, but it felt like they were building towards it (also having not forgotten the super sus levodopa treatment from probably-a-vampire Dr. Fareed). But if they're going to introduce body switching (and it feels significant that this line was said to Daniel so I doubt it will NOT involve him at all), then that no longer makes sense, right? Why bother turning old man Daniel when they're gonna body switch his spirit with what I suspect might be a cloned younger version of him (played by LBF ofc)? I realize I'm making a lot of assumptions here lol but the hints are there, aren't they? Mostly I just really don't want Eric to be written out of the show - I'm so attached to his version of Daniel (though I also want to see more of LBF - I'm so torn lmao).

Where do you think they're going with this?

Hi,

Okay, so. IF older Daniel is turned and IF the body switch is still in play, I feel there are multiple scenarios going on as to where this could be going.

The first thing we have to look at is who we might see turn older Daniel if it happens. (And which I already predicted after last week's Inside the Episode for ep 2x05 gave away that the IWTV book was going to be published I think very likely is going to happen this season.) If it's Armand who does it, then it is 100% Daniel who is being turned. If it's Louis -- or anyone else -- who does it, then it 100% is not Daniel who is being turned IMO, but Raglan James -- no matter if it's Eric that we see getting bitten, drained, and turned by Louis . . . or any other vampire.

Because this show did not go to all the trouble it did in this latest episode (2x06) to specifically discuss how Armand has never once in his whole vampire life made another vampire and then not have him be the one to turn his one-and-only book-canon fledgling.

So if we see anyone other than Armand turning older Daniel at some point? Then that is Daniel's body being turned, but Daniel's actual soul/spirit/consciousness will for sure be somewhere else. Even if we don't actually see the switch happen beforehand.

If this is the case, Daniel's soul/spirit/consciousness will be in some other body -- most likely Justin Kirk's -- and I can see a scenario where Daniel doesn't want his older body back because it's now a vampire. So a new body is made for him -- via clone or whatever -- by Dr. Fareed that is younger, but not super young or something (and played by LBF -- whom I myself have already pointed out is 36 years old right now . . . meaning he could realistically play someone 40 years old IMO).

So this way, Daniel is still human, just in a different body now. And his older body is now a vampire and . . . IDK, goes off to join in on the Great Conversion thing, I'd guess. Or, maybe James just goes off to do what he did in the TotBT book but then, maybe something goes wrong with him in Daniel's older body -- maybe he's not fully anchored to it or something because this is the first time he's ever jumped bodies. Or maybe something else goes wrong (put a pin in this). And so James jumps bodies again, but he now wants to be a vampire again really bad. Which now sets up for him plotting to steal Lestat's body and the whole TotBT storyline.

However, if we see Armand turn older Daniel? I do think they could still be setting up for the body swap but, IMO, it might go more like this if they are:

Older Daniel gets turned and, just like his book counterpart, goes mad sometime very soon after he is. And I think the earlier in the show's run that Daniel gets turned the more likely we are headed toward the book scenario of Daniel losing his mind after he is turned. Because even I have kind of glossed over the fact Daniel being turned by Armand didn't lead to a happy ending for them both -- not right away. Things actually went really bad for them for decades afterward. Daniel went mad, and he and Armand were separated during that time he was, for over 20 years before Daniel finally healed and reunited with Armand again.

And while I don't think Daniel's turning on the show will lead to a +20-year separation -- because Armand and Daniel have already done that on the show -- we are very much not out of the woods on older Daniel going mad once he is turned IMO. I think Daniel going mad after he's turned is not only very much in play but will happen at some point if he is.

And, in the show? Daniel might not just go mad because he's unable to deal with what he now is or he's angry at Armand about, well, a whole lot of things. IMO, the body swap hints might also point to something, even more, being at play here. (Pin!)

This, however, is where my thoughts on these things get a bit more possibly depressing because -- I'm not 100% sure that turning older Daniel would cure his Parkinsons. Because Parkinson's isn't like cancer or being poisoned or dying from being shot or something. Parkinson's is specifically a neurological disease.

And one thing that the books have shown is that The Blood does NOT cure something neurological.

In the books, one of the twins, the vampire Maharet, was blinded before she was turned. And she isn't able to just take some human eyes and put them into her empty eye sockets and have that work permanently. The human eyes just continue to die within her eye sockets and that is because even The Blood can't heal the nerves connecting them.

We also see that The Blood doesn't help with neurological problems with the character of Mekare -- the other twin -- in the book Prince Lestat. Now, I'm only up to Chapter 15 of that book, but I have read past the part in that book where Jesse talks about Dr. Fareed examining Mekare, particularly her brain. Because while Mekare had her tongue cut out before she was turned, something happened to her mind as well. And this is what Jesse says was discovered after Mekare was examined by Fareed (via a CAT scan and other ways):

"They said Mekare was mindless," said Jesse. "They said the brain in her head was atrophied. They said there was so little indication of brain activity that she was like a human in a coma, kept alive by the brain stem alone. Apparently, she'd been entombed for so long, possibly in a cave, no one knew, that even her sight had been affected. The powerful Blood actually hardened the atrophied tissue over time [. . .]"

What this tells me is that there is probably not going to be any reversal wrt Daniel's Parkinson's once he's turned. Daniel's brain, and nerves, might just do like Mekare's did -- harden at the point they are at now. Keeping things forever in the degenerative state they are at whenever he's turned.

The Blood can kill cancer cells, destroy poison within the body, eradicate diseases like TB from the body, and even heal cuts and wounds. But it doesn't seem to be able to do anything for neurological issues, going by the books. It freezes things where they are when you are turned wrt that and does not repair them.

So older Daniel going mad after he's turned? Might not just be because of being unable to fully deal with now being a vampire. It might also be because he was turned while his body had health issues that even The Blood cannot fix. And while he will no longer age or die, Daniel might still have his body's neurological issues that were there when he was turned, just now forever frozen in that state where they were. Just like it remained so for the twins.

The show specifically focused on Daniel's shaking getting worse in episode 2x02 when he was under emotional stress/duress, which is very much a Parkinson's thing. As I know I've said more than once, I took care of my mom for 10 years while she had Parkinson's, and because so I've hyper-noticed these things -- the camera very much sometimes focusing on Daniel's shaking this season. Daniel's shaking was even commented on by Louis just last week.

And if Daniel is turned soon, well . . . imagine having to live with something like that for eternity?

And so just like with Maharet and her eyes, which Dr. Fareed figured out how to give her permanent ones that would never die in her head, (and also knew he could give Mekare a new tongue but, at least as far as I've read that offer hasn't been accepted -- and doing something for her brain was likely out of the question given that she was the Sacred Core at that point meaning her brain was fused with Amel's spirit . . . operating on that would very likely put every vampire in the world in danger), maybe this will have Dr. Fareed coming up with a new, cloned body for Daniel that don't have those neurological issues?

And then maybe that body gets stolen by Raglan James in a later season and we get the TotBT storyline that way? I can see being one way into it.

As it is, I know that making bodies for spirits to occupy does become a thing in the books after Prince Lestat. So their being able to do so is likely going to be established at some point -- and this could be one way they do so.

But, either way, if older Daniel is turned anytime soon, these are the two ways I can see it going afterward, and probably why they are also dropping body swap hints as well along with it. Because I don't think Daniel being turned is going to be simple, or lead to something happy right away. Again, it didn't in the books.

And really, this all just kind of backs up why I wasn't ever really feeling Daniel being turned anytime soon. But I realize now that my wanting the show to wait before they did so was the more happy way I was looking at it to go.

But this is Gothic Horror. And while I don't think Eric will be "written out" right away or something, I don't think whichever scenario I've given for all of this will lead to something happy. Not for a long time. There is just too much already in the source material that points to it not, IMO. And I think the show is very much setting up for that as well with the hints it's clearly dropping wrt all of this.

[creacherclown]

im feeling so normal about this

The Queen of the Damned, Anne Rice

[cometrose]

the supreme court is so comically evil like you really have to vote blue across the board they made it legal to criminalize homelessness, overturned chevron which means the extremely conservative courts get to override health officials and environmental regulations

like infant mortality has increased by 8% in some states post roe, they will avoid the trump immunity case as long as possible, they essentially shielded all the jan 6 rioters

if biden loses we could be stuck with 6-3 or 7-2 extremely conservative judges for decades!!! that could mean 40 years of social rights regulations and health codes thrown out the door!!! look how much we’ve lost in 8 years?

and what about pack the courts? you can’t pack the courts with this split congress you can’t pass roe laws with this split congress you really have to vote blue all the way

[spywhitney]

How I sleep knowing I'll never trust anyone that hates Sydney but worships Richie:

[juregim]

and i’d give up forever to touch you

Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto

A Simple Woman - Chelsea Hodson // Sue Zhao // Lovers - Rene Magritte // Your Hands - Florence Ripley Mastin // Like Grains of Sand (dir. Ryosuke Hashiguchi) // No Exit - Jean-Paul Sartre // To Die For - Sam Smith // The Lobster posters (des. Vasilis Marmatakis) // Letters to Milena - Franz Kafka //

[lorei-writes]

... You know what would absolutely suck about Luke and Jin both?

If you wanted to knit them a sweater by hand, it'd take a damn eternity. Why so big! Why so big! Why did they have to grow so big and wide! (They each can get a... scarf?)

[blue-rose-soul]

A thought had occurred to me. What if whatever living things that come in contact with Lucifer, their souls are tainted and they go to Hell. So with Alastor's mom, Nicaise had interaction with Lucifer, after she die, she went to Hell.

I imagined in one scenario both she and kid Alastor in hell, had to fend themselves against sinners, hellborns and exorcists in every extermination day. Nicaise may have to learn few tricks while kid Alastor go monster on who would dare to harm his mother.

Maybe because I want to see interaction of Nicaise and Rosie while Alastor play with the cannibals children.

Another scenario would be when Alastor die, he reunited with his mother but then feel angry at everything because out of all the people he had known, his mother does not deserved this fate.

He would probably be overprotective of Nicaise leading him to be anonymous radio demon instead of broadcasting his victims. Probably will see the hotel as a haven because exorcists can't harm hellborns and Charlie can use that to her advantage.

Well, first of all, that would be very very unfortunate for anyone who served Lucifer drinks on his vacation. Or just bumped into him in the crowds.

But it would also make for a pretty interesting scenario. I doubt there's anyone who could exist in Hell for any length of time without being changed by it. Even Charlie brushes off getting a bit of some guy's brain stuck in her eye. Nicaise knew how to hunt a bit so she at least already knew how to use a gun. It didn't matter to her that Alastor had these bizarre powers, he was her boy and she was going to protect him!

I do think she'd try to go to Lucifer for help, once she learned who he is. The problem would be that he wasn't really accessible to her. It's safe to assume that Lucifer's home is somewhere in the Pride Ring, but there's nothing in the overhead map of the Pentagram that appears to have some link to Lucifer or any of his motifs, aside from the Hazbin Hotel itself.

It could be his home is somewhere outside the ring of mountains that surround the Pentagram. Or maybe it's up on that red... moon? The body floating near Heaven. Lucifer can create portals so it would be accessible to him, I think. Or his home could be hidden down in the sprawl somewhere but regardless of where exactly Lucifer lives, it's not someplace regular sinners would be able to just stroll up to.

So Nicaise and Alastor are pretty much on their own, but at least they have each other to rely on. And that allows them to at least maintain a sliver of their own humanity. As hard as Nicaise tries to protect Alastor, however, Alastor is so much more powerful that it often ends up the other way around. She gets a job playing piano at a bar, insisting that Alastor remain home and safe, but after the first night Nicaise comes home covered in bruises Alastor starts sneaking out to follow her, and when he sees the bar patrons getting handsy with his mother he goes ballistic. He wasn't trying to turn the patrons into chuck beef, exactly. Or, it would be more accurate to say, he didn't realize he could.

Nicaise lost her job, but worse was the look of abject horror on her face at the carnage Alastor had caused.

Nicaise's expression haunted Alastor. Hell, he scared himself. He was still a ten-ish year old kid at this point in mind as well as body, and he didn't know how to reign in his emotions to prevent more explosive outburst like that. He was scared and vulnerable... Ripe for a deal to be made.

Nicaise meets Rosie while out looking for a new job. She made her way into Cannibal Town by accident, and unfortunately encountered some less friendly residents who zeroed in on her as potential prey. Nicaise was able to kill two of them and in doing so attracted Rosie's attention. Rosie came to see what the commotion was and to try to settle things, by which I mean crush whoever was disturbing her peaceful Cannibal Town like an insect. But when Nicaise pointed the gun at her and declared that she didn't care if Rosie was an Overlord, nothing was going to stop her from betting home to her child, Rosie paused. Child sinners are extremely rare, and don't generally last long in Hell. The only child sinners we've seen so far are in Cannibal Town, so I like to think Rosie might have a bit of a soft spot for kids and takes any child sinners she comes across in Hell under her wing. She calls off her cannibals and invites Nicaise to her parlor for tea.

The meeting ends with Nicaise getting a new job and a modicum of protection. Non-cannibals aren't allowed to be residents of Cannibal Town and Nicaise refuses to eat demon flesh (at first) but Rosie sets her up with a new gig at a music venue in Cannibal Town and a guarantee of safety for her and her kid while they're within Rosie's territory (Rosie's playing the long game here; she's fully intending to recruit Nicaise and Alastor into her following). It's all suspicious but Nicaise can at least return to Alastor with the good news that she has a way to put food on the table.

Only when she returns home, Alastor is gone.

Alastor reappears the next morning no worse for the wear to find Nicaise frantic. She checks him over for injuries while he insists he's fine. He won't tell Nicaise where he disappeared to though. It becomes apparent soon after that something about Alastor is different. As the weeks pass, Alastor gains control over his powers extraordinarily quickly. He stops causing random outbursts of green flame or exploding lights. Suddenly he can melt into shadows at will and pop out wherever he pleases. And creepy little dolls appear out of nowhere to do his chores for him or make mischief around the house. As relived as Nicaise is to see him learning to control his abilities, she can't help but be suspicious of this sudden mastery.

Shortly after, Overlords begin to disappear.

[leomonae]

Okay but... how much blood does a D&D vampire need every day, simply "once a day" is not greatly helpful in and of itself! Am I looking at, like... a city of 50k people to support 5k vampires sustainably where they only need a very small amount, or one of 500k going off real world blood donation amounts, or like 5 million if it's an entire person's worth of blood daily ffs, did anyone actually think through the logistics of this when they put it in the game?

I'm not actually convinced the Underdark has that many people living in it, if it's the latter. I'm not even convinced the entirety of the Sword Coast does! How the hells was Cazador feeding all these vampires enough to keep them alive for so long in the centuries leading up to the Rite?!

[quillaffinity]

“wash me [and i shall cleanse thee with mine tears]” - AkiAngel Web Weave (CSM Spoilers)

---

used to bleed more than weep

now? now all i love is damp with tears - your skin, lover, is soaked

---

(be not afraid)

Chainsaw Man is written and drawn by Fujimoto Tatsuki  

csm / ??? / csm / vladimir nabokov / csm / richard siken / csm / richard siken  / mitski, “first love / late spring”  / dalton day, “exit, pursued”  / csm / csm / andrea gibson, “the madness vase; two birds” / csm /  richard siken / csm /  caitlyn siehl, “achilles to patroclus” / csm / csm / muna, “navy blue” / csm / csm / richard siken / csm

[bleachersgirl]

line from a 13 year old one star review of the vampire armand that makes me want to read the vampire armand more than anything else.

[arvandus]

Trying to get a perfect combo on Solomon’s song is like…

[just-sp-in-inginthevoid]

Back when you called us devils answering 'can a human piece of shit be redeemed?' by saying no.

- but you can't denigrate someone trying to do better

[stuffy-just-doodles]

Hehe, funny chainsaw go brrrr-

[lestatslestits]

Hey Daniel I’m on the Night Island when are you coming back (of your own accord, through no influence of mine btw)? I’m watching Blade Runner and blending things