#Protocol “Sole Survivor”

[dzthenerd490]

File: Attack the Block

SCP#: AFY

Code Name: Blue Tooth Hounds

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-AFY instances are contained at in an artificially created cave system that spans 150x150 meters wide at Site-AA. They are bred and trained in that area so that they can become proper hounds for Mobile Task Force Demeter-4 "Animal Control". No one besides Level 4 Clearance or a member of MTF Demeter-4 is allowed within the containment area of SCP-AFY. Any testing with SCP-AFY must be approved by a Level 4 Clearance Staff. 

In the event of a containment breach a pheromone is to be released within the SCP-AFY containment area. This pheromone will make them docile and want to hide by any means available. Should they smell anyone with an unidentifiable smell enter the containment area they will hunt them down and kill them. A calming pheromone will be released after the containment breach has been cleared. 

Description: SCP-AFY is a species of Quadrupedal aliens that came to earth via meteor. The males of the species all are large being able to stand 5 to 6 feet tall and weight on average 600 to 1200 pounds. They have no visible sensory organs, small but sharp claws, and for some reason glowing blue teeth. They also have fur so black that it absorbs all forms of light making them look like living and moving blobs of darkness. 

Despite having no sensory organs SCP-AFY has a keen sense of smell especially for pheromones. As such the females of the species produce these pheromones regularly quite similar to how a queen ant of a colony sprays pheromones on the ants to follow her orders. Unlike the males the female is devoid of hair and has a body size of 3 -4 feet tall. They are also relatively weak without male guards, but they do have a defense mechanism of spraying hostile pheromones onto their attackers. 

As a whole, the species is extremely fast and flexible able to run along any terrain with ease and at a speed of 30 to 50 MPH. They can climb across any surface, and break through glass, metal, and even concrete with ease. Their sense of hearing is incredible, and their bodies are durable enough to resist most melee and even basic firearm attacks. However heavy firearms, explosives, and energy-based attacks are quite effective against them. Furthermore, despite their great senses, they mostly focus on pheromone commands often ignoring prey when it hasn't been sprayed by hostile pheromones.

SCP-AFY was discovered in 2011 when an apartment building at [data expunged]. The Foundation was called to action when an agent living in the building as well as another agent passing by saw the SCP-AFY male instances roaming around the apartment building. The England Division of the Foundation deployed Mobile Task Force Artemis-6 "Wild Hunt" to capture all of the anomalous beasts. Though they captured a few the female was already killed, and the rest were killed by a boy who calls himself Moses and his friends. However, they were arrested by the police who believed they killed everyone who died by the SCP-AFY instances and caused the explosion in the name of arson. 

Foundation agents disgusted as detectives offered the boys positions at the Foundation under Protocol "Sole Survivor". They accepted and are now under training to become MTF units within the Foundation. As for a majority of the survivors of the apartment they were given the proper amnestics and sent to new apartments with £5,000 each as compensation for their troubles as well as hush money. The cover story for the boys was that they really did attack the apartment and were given capital punishment as a result, fake bodies were created for the funerals. Surprisingly a lot of people showed up to said funeral not remembering much but believing Moses and his boys were heroes.

Update 2013 - Moses and his men have completed their training they are now the newest recruits of Mobile Task Force Epsilon-11 "Nine-Tailed Fox". Unlike normal MTF Epsilon-11 units they are quite talkative and have good charisma making them instant favorites among Foundation staff. a majority of Mobile Task Force Alpha-1 "Red Right Hand" do not like this, so they are often handled by MTF Alpha-1 unit "Monster Slayer".

.

SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[hell0jon]

can’t wait (i can) for alice to find colin’s body suspended in the middle of a dark room in wires likes he’s just been crucified, in a way

[cripplecharacters]

Do you know any good sources for burn scar care?

I’m writing a character who was burned in a spaceship crash. The story is set several years after the fact, and I want to incorporate that detail into the story. What would a burn scar care routine look like?

Hi!

I generally recommend medical websites for this kind of stuff. There are tons of information readily available online, especially about things as common as a burn injury. Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors or MSKTC can be helpful for you!

While caring for a burn scar will be different for everyone (there's many types, degrees, plus just individual differences between burn survivors themselves) some of the things that you can include;

Burnt skin doesn't produce its own oils, so it gets dry. It needs to be moisturized, oil-based products (think coconut or grape seed oil) are often used. The heavier the lotion, the fewer times a day it needs to be applied.

Massaging a scar, especially when it's relatively new. It can be a massage, but stretching or just putting pressure on it is part of that too. It helps the skin from becoming extremely sensitive. Initially you do it delicately, but after the scars are matured it's fine (or recommended even) to put some force into it. This loosens them up.

Itching is a huge issue. Both massaging and moisturizing help with that, but if it's still causing problems then there are medications that could provide some relief.

Protecting the skin from the sun. All year, including cloudy weather. Sunblock, big hats, sunglasses if needed, all that. This applies to people with darker skin as well because the skin loses its pigment after a burn (it can sometimes come back but it's definitely not a guarantee).

Avoiding the heat. A lot of burn survivors will have problems with temperature regulation because burns damage the sweat glands, so they overheat faster. There's nothing burn-specific here, same protocol as for avoiding a heatstroke - drink water and keep out of the sun.

Wearing softer and looser clothing. Rough and tight clothes can cause blisters, and that is a Problem. Inappropriate materials could also induce more itching.

Taking pain meds. Chronic pain is common, so your character might need medication.

I definitely wouldn't say that this is an exhaustive list, but I think it's a good start! If you need more details, I think the resources linked above should work.

I'm glad to see people interested in burn scars being a disability that requires a lot of care rather than seeing it as a solely visual thing! Makes it much more authentic :-)

I hope this helps!

mod Sasza

[goodneighborxfallout]

I just found your blog, it's really cool you're doing this!

Anyway, how do you think the companions would react to Sole being seriously injured/nearly dying?

Thanks for requesting! Sorry it took me so long to write this.

Cait: “Shit, shit, shit! You better not die on me, Sole!” she’ll curse while picking you up from the ground and hauling you over to the nearest doctor she can find. She will threaten and beat up anyone to get you the help you need as fast as possible. 

Codsworth: “Sir/Mum, please hold on!” Codsworth will frantically try any sort of first aid he can to stabilize you. He won’t admit it to himself, but he is not optimistic about your survival chances because his Mr. Handy body does not allow him to pick you up and get you help. He’ll have to find a way to get help to you and that will take double the amount of time. 

Curie: Curie will be the most calm and collected. Being a doctor, she has experience patching people up and she knows panicking will only make things worse. With Curie by your side, you are in good hands. She’ll do whatever she can with the current equipment she has and once you are stabilized she will bring you to either a hospital or a friendly settlement to nurse you back to health completely. 

Danse: Danse might freeze for a second. Instinctively, he recalls Brotherhood protocol but he hesitates because he also knows how harsh that protocol can be. You are not just any soldier, you’re you, and no part of him is willing to risk you dying just because the protocol doesn’t care for your survival as much as he does. So instead, he’ll forgo protocol, forgo the mission in general if necessary and bring you to safety. 

Deacon: “It’s just a flesh wound. Carrington will patch you right up,” is what he tells you to keep you calm, but he himself does not believe it. Your condition is a lot more severe than he is letting on and he has to try hard not to openly panic. Luckily, Deacon knows his way around the Commonwealth pretty well, so he’ll pick you up and take the fastest and safest way back to HQ, all the while cracking some lighthearted jokes to keep you smiling. 

Gage: Raiders are mostly not known for their medical skills. The lifestyle Gage chose is one where death is accepted. However, raiders often also stock up on drugs. He himself is not a fan of it, but he does know where others hide their caches around Nuka World. So he’ll give you some buffout and med-x, and then haul you over to the nearest doctor after which he goes off on his own for a bit. Gage normally doesn’t care when others die, but seeing you close to death made him panic, which made him realize that he’s grown attached to you. He is not sure how he feels about that and needs some time alone to reflect. 

Hancock: First and foremost, Hancock will get you to safety and bring you to a doctor for help. He’ll stay really calm during this. He won’t show you how he feels and he’ll just focus on reassuring you with comforting words. However, he also won’t stick around when the doctor is treating you because he will be hellbent on getting revenge on the people who dared to hurt you.  “You’re in good hands here, Sunshine. I have to go take care of something.” 

Longfellow: “Told you the island would eat you alive,” he mumbled while dragging you back to the doctor in Far Harbor. Longfellow hasn’t gotten attached to someone in a long time, and even though he likes your company, he always kept himself shielded. Of course, he hopes that you’ll pull through, but he’s not panicked or upset. Most people die in the fog, so why not you too? 

MacCready: Mac is a survivor. He’s been fighting since he was a little kid and he’s found himself in countless hazardous situations. Therefore, MacCready is wise enough to not go out without some healing supplies on hand. Still, he panics seeing someone he cares for so dangerously hurt, and will fumble around looking for a stimpak in his backpack, finally emptying all its contents out onto the ground to find it more easily.  

Nick: “I ain’t gonna lie kid, it’s not looking good. How are you feeling? You think you can walk?” Nick has lived a long life - even if doesn’t see all of his memories as his own -, he’s lost a lot of people and in his line of work a happy ending is mostly not the outcome. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care or that he won’t try everything he can to save you, it just means he’s good at staying calm and collected during these kinds of situations. 

Piper: “You’re not going to die out here, Sole! I promise!" Piper will quickly administer a stim, then put your arm over her shoulder and drag you to the nearest doctor. She’ll try to remain calm but small things give away that she’s panicking, like having trouble aiming her gun right at enemies along the way, and losing her temper at every obstacle you encounter. 

Preston: “Come on, general! You can pull through!” Preston will be terrified of losing you. While carrying you to the closest doctor around, he’ll still beg anyone he meets along the way for help. 

Strong: “Human fight well! Now die like warrior.”  

X6-88: “The Institute needs you, sir/ma’am.” He’ll administer a stimpak and will then ask you to teleport back to the institute for further treatment.

[diazheartsbuckley]

Inspiration Saturday/Seven Sentence Sunday 💕

I'm baaccckk. It's been minute but I've been away with my girlfriend for nearly a week and it's exam season which means that I should be working on my paper. But here we are and I came up with yet another AU lol. Aaaand also made a moodboard for it

Tagged by @wikiangela @jamespearce9-1-1 @daffi-990 @evanbegins @wildlife4life @disasterbuckdiaz mwah mwah mwah 💋

Soldier/War Correspondent AU

(Story and tags under cut)

Staff Sergeant Eddie Diaz bears the visible imprints of a life spent in the crucible of war. His sun-kissed skin and prematurely graying hair are a testament to the countless deployments and the myriad of challenges he has faced since joining the army at the age of 18. Eddie's stoic demeanor hides the depth of his experiences, and his piercing gaze reflects the proud resilience of a man who has faced the horrors of conflict yet remains committed to his duty. Despite being a decorated soldier, Eddie carries the weight of survivor's guilt, unsure if he truly deserves the accolades bestowed upon him.

The St. Christopher's medallion, a cherished possession given to him by his ex-wife, dangles from a chain around his neck, providing a glimpse into the personal talismans that anchor Eddie amidst the chaos of war. As a leader, Eddie embodies strength, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to his comrades, his very presence a testament to the sacrifices made in the name of duty.

In contrast, Evan Buckley, a 32-year-old war correspondent exudes the confidence of someone who has navigated the complexities of journalism for nearly a decade. His hard exterior and sometimes perceived arrogance stem from a deep understanding of his own capabilities and confidence earned through years of reporting from the front lines of conflict.

Despite his outward confidence, he carries the weight of the stories he has witnessed, and beneath the bravado lies a journalist deeply affected by the human cost of conflict. His journey as a war correspondent is fueled by a commitment to shedding light on the untold narratives and fostering understanding in the face of global turmoil.

And a little snippet inspired by 3 x 15 and the music video from the song 'Gone Away' by Five Finger Death Punch (my babies ahhh)

The crackling radio broke the silence in the aftermath of the ambush, blood staining Eddie's face, hands and armor. The air was acrid and filled with the smoke from the crashed helicopter, parts spread all around him on the ground, only adding to the vision of destruction. Eddie could barely lift his head to grab his radio, Command trying to break through. The realization of him and his fellow soldier, Sergeant Anita Mills, being the sole survivors of the ambush was slowly sinking in as he brought the radio closer to his face, his voice weighted with grief as he spoke into the receiver.

"Command, this is Diaz. Reporting three K.I.A. We need-... Requesting extraction from our current location. I repeat, requesting extraction and confirming three K.I.A. Chief Jennings, PFC Binder and Sergeant Norwahl are gone"

Mills looked at him with sorrowful eyes, her chest rose and fell in a strained and heavy pace, her head hung low between her knees, the weight of her armor pressing against her throat, restricting her breathing but she couldn't care less about herself in this moment.

The reply from Command crackled through the radio, the voice on the other end offering condolences laced with the stoicism of military protocol. "Acknowledged, Staff Sergeant Diaz. Our thoughts are with you and Mills. Proceed with caution, and we'll arrange for extraction once the area is secure"

He nodded solemnly, his eyes fixed on the wreckage of the helicopter, a poignant reminder of the friends he had lost in the chaos of war. Eddie and Anita found themselves grappling with the weight of confirming the loss of three lives, the echoes of grief lingering amidst the unforgiving and darkening landscape.

tagging!! @honestlydarkprincess @giddyupbuck @watchyourbuck @athenagranted @butraura @callmenewbie @cal-daisies-and-briars @jeeyuns @fionaswhvre @thewolvesof1998 @theotherbuckley @hippolotamus @steadfastsaturnsrings @poughkeepsies @spotsandsocks 💗🦋

[fuckyeahaudiodrama]

🪸 JULY LISTENS 🪸

(ft. some lovely coral for those of us caught up on The Magnus Protocol😌)

this month, i’ve been working through some of the stuff that’s been languishing on my listen list for approximately a million years as well as revisiting some old favorites. here’s what i enjoyed most in my earholes:

G.O.B.L.I.N.S — (pilot, crowdfunding now!) for fans of Stellar Firma, the Meredith brothers have reunited with some other familiar voices to spin a story about an overly ambitious human office worker who gets dragged through the veil into the fae realm by a pair of chaotic goblins. the show is scripted but it’s marked by the same sense of humor that has characterized the Meredith’s other improvised works. 8 episodes projected if it funds.

Larkspur Underground — (11 eps, complete?) a fictional exposé about the sole survivor of a serial killer’s disturbing abduction and grooming. i was giddy to discover this one as an ardent fan of Showtime’s Dexter. it’s gory and glorious, and if you’re keen you might spot some clues; if not, the final episode is going to shock you. creator wants to make more, but it’s been a few years so who knows.

I Found A Wormhole — (5 eps, complete) a short yet existentially harrowing series. exactly what it says on the tin. mind the content warnings on the final episode but by the time you get there you’ll definitely know what’s coming tbh.

The Grotto — (10 eps, ongoing) a pull-no-punches exploration of messy grief with a supernatural twist. season two is here! this series has an absolutely killer soundtrack and immersive sound design. it has such a unique vibe. you’ll definitely like it if you like WOE.BEGONE.

Dear Bastard! — (16 eps, complete?) an epistolary comedy about a bunch of squabbling neighbors. i like to use this show as a palate cleanser when i’ve been listening to a lot of gruesome horror, because it’s just so light and fun.

Deviant — (10 eps, complete) a space pirate dramedy! i stumbled across this purely by accident and did a little binge. i love an absolute mess of a protagonist, so this was right up my alley. it’s a little abrasive at times but overall i enjoyed the narrative and it wrapped up nicely.

Murphy — (6 eps, s2 in production) a folkloric monster-of-the-week mystery with very charming characters. the first season is complete and although it is short, the episodes are long and make great use of their runtime. pleased to see their recent crowdfunder has been successful so there will be more!

Ghost Wax — (45+ eps, hiatus) a horror anthology facilitated by a “reclaimer” who can extract the final statements of the dead. this is similar to How i Died but the lore feels much more fantastically intricate. i don’t want to spoil too much of the meta plot but there’s a LOT going on, and i’m looking forward to s2.

Fulmar’s Folly — (12 eps, ongoing?) people on reddit love this series so i decided to give it a spin. fans of zombie survival like We’re Alive are most likely to eat this up. it can be a little overwrought at times, but the constant tension feels genuine in context. episodes are quite long but the length feels satisfying and necessary.

Nowhere, On Air — (46 eps, ongoing) another spooky small town radio show about a girl in a world she doesn’t belong to. this is one of my favorite genres of AD. fans of WTNV, King Falls AM, Tiny Terrors, and other shows of that ilk will probably enjoy this. it leans a little more surreal and introspective than comedic. IMHO, the host also just has a lovely voice. the meta plot is currently really hitting its stride.

All In My Head — (19 eps, ???) night terrors turn out to be something much more sinister. so intriguing, i was devastated to realize it may have been abandoned. i’m not going to completely give up hope for a final season though!

Zoinks! — (11 eps, complete?) a darkly comedic homage to scooby doo and other childrens detective fiction. i loved the way the narrative approached the subject of child neglect, while still maintaining a thread of silliness that saved it from complete bleakness. s2 has been mentioned but it’s projected release date has come and gone without a word, so it may or may not happen.

Trice Forgotten — (10 eps, ???) an aspiring cartographer gets accidentally mixed up with some pirates. i relistened to this series in honor of its anniversary and was just blown away by the sound design all over again. the setting is made so rich and alive by the effort put in by the production staff! and the character dynamics are so intricate and gorgeous. i am especially a fan of the tension between alestes and gammon. beautiful first season with SO much left to explore, i really hope to see this come back for a s2 someday.

[dykedvonte]

what do you think Danse does to keep himself busy after blind betrayal, specifically if he's living in sanctuary? I just love your takes on him a lot haha

I think Danse is very lost in any settlement but especially Sanctuary. It was the first and very close-knit at that with the small group the Sole Survivor founded it with. Each time they would invite a new companion to live there it was like adding a pillar to the community and represented what the Minute Men stood for when it came ot uniting and protecting the commonwealth as one. I am not going to say it's cliquey, in fact I feel like SoSu and Preston/Sturges would go out of their way to make newcomers feel welcome but for Danse that is very different.

He (from my playthrough experience) is one of the later companions. I ran around a lot and got a good portion of the companions and their quest before act one was done. He is also one of the few companions who openly thinks lowly of life in the commonwealth and certain citizens (if not all citizens to an extent). He did not introduce himself to Sanctuary to make friends or roots. So when he gets stuck there under the SoSu's "orders" (not letting him rot in sorrow in some random bunker) he doesn't have any comfort or companionship, in fact, I think he has more tensions and beef tbh.

I imagine the first weeks or even a month or two were rough. I don't think it is stated enough that like Danse went to that bunker intending to follow Brotherhood protocols and kill himself. SoSu may have convinced him not to in the moment but with someone like Danse, so rigid and stuck in an ideology even after it spits in his face, it's not unlikely he has a weird guilt about being alive at first. It doesn't help that I know in my heart that a few of the more petty or insensitive companions or settlers would tease him about it (playful meanness) thinking he was adjusting well (or not caring) to the Sanctuary life and coming to terms with his identity. Sometimes they go too far and it's easy to tell he's gotten back into the headspace, looking at his reflection, trying to remember concrete dates for his memories, etc..

I have this head canon that SoSu recognized this pattern as they had to have immense survivor's guilt (especially after being in Kellogs brain) about surviving the vault. They had the same idea about making things "fair" for the other vault dwellers and Shaun was the only thing between them and those thoughts for a while. For the first weeks it was a lot of SoSu monitoring him and making sure he was adjusting and not falling back into that thinking, y'know the whole "I am a disgrace and abomination against the Brotherhood and humanity. The only thing I can do to no longer sully the honor of either is to kill mys-" Like stopping that with minor distractions.

It would be a lot of small work and building projects and patrols for lost scavengers or to make sure no one is stalking the place. It's nice for him for a while, he's getting social interaction and he's not dead in the eyes of at least one Brotherhood member, especially one of as high rank as the SoSu. But it's also really unhealthy. Danse was trained and raised in a militaristic pseudo-religious faction. As much as there seemed to be casualness towards comrades there was a strict structure and order. He shoves the SoSu into that role and probably gets nick-named as their shadow during this period.

They are his only goal as he has nothing else and it shows bad. The rest of the settlement notices he trails after them and only really does his own thing when it's part of a task he was doing for, with or assigned by the Sole survivor. It's not an obsession with them specifically but he has lost his entire understanding of life and this is the one thing that stayed concrete. He does what he's asked of because following the Sole survivor has at least kept him belonging somewhere and why mess that up?

I am sure SoSu is not oblivious and is actively trying to figure out how to get Danse to start socializing and trying to actually settle into the community but for the time being Danse would treat himself like the machine he perceives himself as; Overworking himself as he believes machines don't need the same amount of rest, isolating himself and mostly trying to not have a mental breakdown every time he get into the power armor that is very much not his issued Brotherhood of Steel tech. He openly does this in respect of the General who hates it and makes everyone else uncomfortable.

this was very long just to say I think Danse just works himself to the bone all day and purposely puts thoughts in his already fragile psyche that everyone hates him and only tolerates his presence to not seem Synth-phobic and the Sole survivor's favor.

[lordsammichsilas]

I'm plotting out a fanfic idea I had that follows Danse and Recon Squad Gladius from when they first get to the Commonwealth to when the Sole Survivor intervenes to help them. Reading through the terminal at Cambridge Police Station, it really sounds like a nightmare mission so I'm trying to write it as a survival horror.

Anyway I'm going through wikis and trying to find as much canon material to work with before I start making things up and I was wondering something. Obviously Danse has power armor. Knight Keane's power armor is destroyed when they first get to the Commonwealth by raiders. Other than that, does anyone on recon squad Gladius wear power armor?

Rhys doesn't have any on when you show up to help fight the ghouls. Haylen doesn't, but she's a scribe.

Worwick was succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds. Brach stepped on a landmine and died the same day. Knight-Seargeant Dawes was killed by a blow to the head by a sledge hammer and Haylen even makes a note that he wasn't wearing protective headgear.

It sounds like only two people wore power armor, which is strange to me. Part of the recon missions to the Commonwealth seem to be hubris to me. I'm writing it as if Maxson's idea of protocol is needlessly reckless and aggressive and Recon Squad Gladius was a preventable tragedy. While walking aboard the Prydwen, you hear on the loudspeaker that fraternizing with locals is forbidden. This scans with Maxson in FO3 being wary of outsiders. The way they just sort of pick locations and bad things happen, it almost reads like a lot of their problems would have been prevented if they just spoke to the locals.

I'm wondering if they didn't all go in power armor because there's a shortage or something. Everything went to the Prydwen, which Proctor Ingram has to struggle to keep in the air (that's in her logs). I almost wonder if higher ups spun it as going in without power armor was something that was spun as something honorable or like a noble sacrifice in order to cover up a power armor shortage?

It's the only thing I can think of that would explain why only two people on the squad would have it?

[whenneutralityfails]

Meet Zhao Fenfang, my Sole Survivor, a spy and assassin for the Special Branch of the Chinese Army. Under the cover identity of Singaporean refugee Vicky Chao, she somehow managed to seduce and marry a high-profile American war hero and was able to infiltrate the United States without fear of the internment camps.

When the Great War fell and her double life of housewife and secret agent was about to fall with it, Fenfang made the split second decision to break protocol. Maintaining cover without going on a sleeper agent killing spree, "Vicky" followed her husband Nate and their infant son Shaun into the nearest fallout shelter.

And then she was frozen. Then unfrozen. Then the bastards killed Nate and took Shaun and you know the rest, but the Sole Survivor emerging from Vault 111 is a woman on a mission with only one thing to lose. Who better to take on the Commonwealth Wasteland?

Fenfang is featured in my Fallout 4 longfic, Rogue Element! Rated M for typical Fallout violence, grievous injury towards animals (Dogmeat), and themes of PTSD and fractured identity.

[bloodgulchblog]

Wait wait wait Zita, please humor me- what is the most explicit that Halo has ever been about the UNSC killing children? As in, has a child ever died onscreen or has it just been in the books/implied offscreen?

This is for science, I promise.

Unless I'm forgetting something, the actual Halo games have never portrayed a child on-screen.

The most child death we get in one place is probably the opening of Ghosts of Onyx where Tom and Lucy, age 12, are the sole survivors of a mission that kills pretty much the entire S-III Beta Company.

(Don't ask me about Spartan-III ages, or do if you want but I will have to completely derail into a whole 'nother post. Last time I talked about it was on the oc advice for people making Spartans.)

We've also seen at least one child die as collateral in a UNSC vs insurrection conflict.

There's mention in The Cole Protocol of how the Spartan program quietly had plans in place to euthanize Jai if Halsey hadn't successfully convinced him to stop making escape attempts.

[industrial-fishing-simulator-rpg]

 07/11/2024 - Actual Play Report

Xenosphere I

NOTE: Usually in Industrial Fishing Simulator player character’s are called ‘Survivors’ and scenarios/adventures are called ‘missions.’ But I won’t necessarily use that language here. 

Also I’m not trying to make this like the most perfect play report essay in the world, but I am trying to be somewhat thorough–so–know that.

Xenosphere I - Recording 1 - Introduction

Part I: Summary

Some time in the distant far future, when humanity has encountered a variety of extraterrestrial species and has spread among the stars, an ancient artifact is discovered on the oceanic planet Kestrasi Meridia (which is renamed from TOI-1452b, an actual possible exoplanet in the Draco Constellation). This artifact proves deeply mysterious, covered in strange writing, and is sending out a signal to a location deep underwater on Meridia. 

A team of Survivors, made up of language, archaeology, and biology researchers, as well as nautical explorers is assembled to investigate the signal emanating from the strange artifact. These are the players of the game Xenosphere I for Industrial Fishing Simulator. They are sent on this mission from the Ixta-B87 research station by Dr. Helene Lazara and have been assigned the following roles:

Crew Roles and Directives:

The Concierge (played by Spencer) - Captain (must be filled)

Report in with Dr. Helene Lazara or check for any messages in the office.

Sir Barnaby Stephus III (Justin) - Xenolinguist

A few days ago, you requested some final analyses on the tablet’s hieroglyphics. Check the lab computer for any readout results.  

deb (Emma) - Xenoarchaeologist

You’ve been researching the chemical composition of the artifact in relation to any compounds native to the planet Meridia. Your most recent test results should be available in the lab.

Shakes (Hannah) - Astrobiologist

Distract your peers from their tasks. (1) by alerting them of an incoming object of large size on the sonar computer; (2) destabilizing or sabotaging equipment; (3) lying. Or distract your peers from being suspicious of you by engaging in seemingly normal tasks for your role such as surveying the computer systems or asking for diagnostic information from NESSI.

You are a saboteur, a double agent–maintain absolute secrecy from your peers. You’ve received your orders from your implanted radio transceiver behind your ear. “Disable the emergency protocol system and sabotage docked submersible in Deep Search IX. Retrieve the Dialect Cube, designated Synta in the Xenosphere 45.909 W, -206.784 S. Assure you are the sole survivor. Press to alert.” 

You are working with an organization known as the Inquisitorium who is operating in deep secrecy within the Neb Corp, working to sabotage their efforts to exploit ancient alien technology by capturing it for themselves. You do not know what a Dialect Cube or what a Xenosphere is.

You have an Inquisitorium contact, an android called ‘Pann.’

You can press your radio implant behind your ear to ping the Inquisitorium contact and will receive rendezvous information or other communications

You cannot communicate back other than to press your implant button twice for “yes” and three times for “no.”

Patback (Alex) - Nautical Technician

That power outage was strange. You need to check on the engine room and power supply.

Assure that the docked submersible craft in the docking bay is secure and available for use.

Pancake (Zoe) - Computing Officer 

You kept it a secret from your fellow crew, but you touched the tablet with your bare hand and cut your index finger on its extremely sharp edge. You stopped the bleeding, but think you might have an infection. No one is allowed to touch the relic without safety equipment due to its radioactivity, and you need to check on the progress of your infection quickly. 

Allegra (Bee) - Medical Officer

Prepare the high yield pressure suits for all crew found in the store room and assure all crew have oxygen tanks. 

Check on the vitals of your crew mates. You might want to grab a bioscanner from the clinic. 

Their underwater journey commenced aboard the research submarine Deep Search IX and travel had proceeded for several days for some several hundred nautical miles when a sudden power surge occurred. During the surge, the lights went dark, the entire crew miraculously went unconscious and the vessel descended rapidly by about 3200m near to the depth of the mysterious signal. When they awoke, they found that only a few minutes had passed and they went about their tasks as well as investigating the power surge. 

The Captain of the submarine, a Khardimon called The Concierge (Spencer) went to the office and found a voice message from Dr. Helene Lazara which she had missed from last night.

Xenosphere I - Recording 2 - Message from Dr. Lazara

The voice message indicated that a power failure at another research station on the planet had blacked out communications and that the Captain should call Dr. Lazara soon to be briefed about a “situation.” Dr. Lazara also mentioned that she believed the artifact might be a key. 

Meanwhile, Allegra (Bee) immediately went about collecting high yield pressure suits and oxygen tanks for the entire crew, but was intercepted by Pancake (Zoe), who revealed a strange wound on her hand to Allegra. Allegra examined the wound and found that the inside of the laceration was beginning to crystalize. Under a microscope, it appeared that the crystallization was growing out from the wound and the edges of the crystallization were rotating like saws, chewing through Pancake’s flesh and churning out crystal formation. 

In the lab, Sir Barnaby (Justin) received the below readouts of a linguistic analysis of the glyphs that were found all over the artifact, which yielded strange and cryptic results. This was clearly some kind of alien language which was connected somehow to Khardimons, the enamel-based magnetically-sensitive alien species which appeared on Earth centuries ago. Also in the lab, deb (Emma) found a material analysis of the artifact which found a match. The artifact appeared to be composed of several chemical compounds: hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite crystals, and compounds from local corals. This meaning, the tablet was made of the teeth of some kind of creature in addition to the local coral component. 

At this point, Patback was also in the engine room, where he discovered that the power surge which briefly knocked out the Deep Search IX had nearly drained all of the power cells in the submarine which would soon go into emergency power failure. Patback immediately changed out the power cells for fresh ones and then assessed the submarine’s auxiliary submersible in the lower docking bay. He surreptitiously packed himself some survival gear into the submersible (which can only seat 2) and went to join the others, but was briefly followed by Shakes who seemed to be checking out the area of the docking bay and cargo hold. 

During this time, Shakes was receiving transmissions to their radio implant from an organization known as the Inquisitorium. Shakes was being ordered to distract the crew from their objectives but also to get to the signal first and retrieve an important relic for the Inquisitorium, betraying their crew mates. 

At the control room, the Captain (The Concierge - Spencer) called back Dr. Lazara and a strange pick-up occurred in which most of the crew heard the following:

Xenosphere I - Recording 3 - Alien Transmission

At the end, the receiver was shot and a tracking signal alert popped up on the console, indicating that the Deep Search IX was now being tracked by an unknown source. Ixta-B87 station was downed. With some quick thinking, the computing officer, Pancake, managed to dislodge the tracking signal and the crew made their descent to the complex, where they were met by an alien structure mounted into the side of a geothermal vent some 3200 or more meters below the surface of Meridia’s dark waters.

This complex seemed to have an entrance protected from the water by a deep magenta energy field which the Survivors were able to pass through in their scuba suits unharmed. They entered into a large chamber where they encountered a closed impassable energy field and an access panel of sorts with a slot just the size of the ancient table they’ve been carrying. However, a little while before leaving they had just made the agreement to leave the tablet on their ship so they had to send a few people back to retrieve it before they were able to unlock the energy field and proceed further into the complex. 

The next chamber was very large, containing two dais near the entrance which blazed with blue flames that smelled lightly of sulfur and at the opposite end two one-eyed statue-like figures who bared strange alien faces as seen in the image below (slightly resembling the Khardimon aliens). This room also had two magenta energy field doors and one green energy field door. But the Survivors didn’t have too much time to think before the statues began to wake up, chittering at each other before attacking the Survivors. 

A pith collector head

A crappy map of the complex. (1) Entrance, (2) Trophy Hall, (3) Holding Tank, (4) Xenosphere

A somewhat fraught and desperate battle raged on for some time, the statue-like figures (pith collectors) using strange Khardimon magics to gain various upper hands, but the Survivors discovered that by coating their various weapons in the blue flame from the dais they could deal devastating attacks to these creatures. During the battle, there were losses, however. While it was Pancake who helped deal a death blow to one of the creatures, the other began to absorb its shattered friend and in the process melted Pancake’s mind, killing her. Additionally, the Captain (The Concierge) attempted to cast a spell but failed, causing a paradox from the Whoops! Table which resulted in her being swallowed by a dark vortex and being jettisoned into deep space thus removing her from the game. Ultimately, the remaining Survivors destroyed the last creature and were able to recover themselves.

However, during combat, Patback had managed to wander off through the green unlocked energy field into the complex’s trophy hall where he discovered many strange relics including a great slate-black khopesh and a fragment of an enormous glass-like dragonfly wing with a single watering humanoid eye in its center which kept Patback in a catatonic state as he stared at it. Luckily, he was rescued by his companions who would help to study this strange chamber, revealing at the end of the hall–a mural depicting an ancient Khardimon raising a khopesh above its head and holding the head of a slain victim in its other hand. An inscription of text matching that from the xenolinguist’s analysis of the table was also carved into the mural on removable stone cartouches which thus began the puzzle that would end the game. 

Effectively, to summarize, the Survivors had to take clues from the analysis of the tablet, translating letters they learned there into words from an alien language, piecing together similar words into like meanings until eventually they could translate the puzzle in the final room of the complex–the Xenosphere, a large gyroscopic holding tank for an item called the Dialect Cube. 

In one room, the trophy room with the alien mural, the Survivors found the word for liar/lies, and in another room, a strange room where they found a glass sarcophagus where a seemingly human woman wrapped in vines was entombed alive, they found the word for truth. Then in the Xenosphere, placing the cartouches of the words lies and truth on either end of the scale there would balance it and placing the word for balance found also in the mural room in the slot on the Xenosphere’s control panel would unlock the device.

When the Survivors had finished their puzzle, the Inquisitorium had arrived at the complex, surrounding the Survivors, handing over a large carbine to the saboteur Shakes and taking the Dialect Cube. The game ended with the remaining Survivors surrounded at gun-point, Shakes with the Dialect Cube in hand, and a mysterious organization at the forefront.

Part II: System Check, Play-Report

This game was very fun, but also very complicated. I knew it was going to be very complicated going into it. Mostly because of the xeno-linguistic puzzle I had devised to end the game and unlock the end of the “dungeon.” But, as soon as Justin (who played Sir Barnaby the xenolinguist) got his hands on the readout prop I had made of the alien language, he began working on deciphering it right away, which I would bet saved the game about an hour when they actually got to the point where they were gaining more clues for the puzzle. I was worried the entire week prior to playing that I had created a puzzle that was wayyyyy too hard for a reasonable person to solve within the one-shot TTRPG setting, but they did it. And using the system I arranged within the game, they paid as a team, 50 Lore points to receive one hint from me, and of course, received a little bit of guidance on the structure of the puzzle which I felt was not really something that helped them solve it but rather helped them to understand how to think about it. 

Overall, I thought it was a fun experience. I had fun writing this game. I got to play with my linguistics chops which I always get a lot out of, and some of the repeat players like Bee (Allegra) and Emma (deb) said that they felt this was the best FishSim game yet and as newbies to TTRPGs in general felt like they got into their characters easier and had a more full roleplaying experience which made me very happy of course. Justin (Sir Barnaby) is a person that I’ve been playing D&D and other TTRPGs with for years and years and years–since the beginning and it was an absolute pleasure to have him and to see him immediately dive into the linguistics puzzle. 

I am also glad that I got to have Zoe (Pancake) and Alex (Patback) join us as first timers to any TTRPG ever. It's been so great that FishSim is getting to see so many first time TTRPG players. RIP to Pancake who was absolutely eviscerated by the pith collector using the Eyes of the Architect ability, but it is what it is and Zoe had to leave anyway. Alas. 

This is also the first FishSim game where we’ve gotten a lot of use out of the Whoops! Table which is rolled upon whenever a spell fails to cast. Unfortunately, it was mostly Spencer (The Concierge) who failed to cast any spells and died because of it, but in this game casting spells is extremely high risk, extremely high reward and I always warn all my players prior about this.

Once again, I am thinking of things to change mechanically in the game. I am thinking that Will is definitely not a necessary statistic separate from Stress. I am still pondering replacing it with Aware/Perceive or something similar. I think that could be beneficial. On the matter of spells–I am wanting to make spells a bit more sci-fi flavored so I’ve decided to rename them Compounds and I have decided that they are composed of ingredients in combinations of three which are combined in a device which helps a Survivor cast the Compound. When a failure occurs, a paradox occurs, and one must roll on the Whoops! Paradox Table to see what the resulting failure is. Thanks to Bee, I now have a list of 300 Compound recipes for these created by her swiftly programmed randomizer. So, I’ll be working on that for a long while, I’m sure.

Also thinking about Occupations as distinct from Species. Currently, FishSim only uses the term Occupation which refers to whether your character is Human, Android, Simulacrum, or one of three alien species. But I am wondering if it might be interesting to have Occupations as opposed to Species. That being said, it is still extremely helpful that every game starts with each character and player choosing a role on the ship and me sending them their personal directive. That really gets the game rolling and seems to be pretty fun for everyone prior to regrouping.

Part III: Personal Note

I put a lot of effort into Industrial Fishing Simulator, truly because I think it's fun to make my own TTRPG and I think it's fun to get my friends together in a room, play a silly sci-fi alien game, eat food, and gab. But I am also very grateful that people enjoy the stories I tell and see me as a good storyteller. And I’m glad I can make some of my friends’ very first TTRPG experience a good and memorable one. 

I’ll be tabling Industrial Fishing Simulator for a couple months so I can edit in some of the changes I want to make but I’ll be back soon! 

Thanks to everyone who reads these little play reports and who plays the game!

~ clio <3

[dzthenerd490]

File: Oculus

SCP#: AJW

Code Name: The Mirror Demon

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-AJW is contained at Site-AR and is wrapped with a blanket that is sown with thaumaturgic symbols, meant to repress SCP-AJW’s anomalous abilities. These symbols specifically target SCP-AJW’s ability to create illusions in the minds of those who wander too close. SCP-AJW is contained within a 5x5 meter containment cell but is separated from the rest of the Site by a 10-meter hallway. Within the sides of this hallway are pillars also covered with thaumaturgic symbols to suppress the range of SCP-AJW's area of effect.

Testing must be approved by at least three Level 3 Foundation Staff or higher and must be transported to the assigned testing chamber by AFA-2 units. Once inside the testing chamber all Foundation staff observing even if they are in a separate room are to be wearing specialized Anti-Cognito Hazard headgear or goggles. Only after having said gear will the ritualistic blanket be removed. The only security to be present are the AFA-2 units and all other Foundation staff are to remain at least 100 feet away from the testing chamber as a precaution. Once testing is concluded the blanket must be put back and wrapped all around SCP-AJW before being returned to its containment cell. 

Description: SCP-AJW is a mirror that stands almost 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide, heavily detailed with a black outline frame giving it an ancient beautiful but haunting vibe. The mirror seems to possess no traces of thaumaturgic frequencies or TRE radiation yet possesses several souls cursed within it after death. This has only led to more confusion on its origin as well as how it is even able to function the way it does.

SCP-AJW absorbs the life force of those it is around, the most notable aspect of this behavior is when it like plants around it wither and animals become increasingly aggressive and malnourished. However, it is unable to do the same for humans, instead it slowly breaks them down by making them insane. SCP-AJW unleashes illusions onto any human who looks at it or is even close to it. The range of this effect is anywhere within 2,000 square feet for those who have seen it. However, those who haven’t are safe so long as they maintain a distance of 200 square feet. These illusions will trick people into killing one another, touching dangerous objects, or convince them that they are not being hurt when they receive any kind of damage to their own bodies. 

SCP-AJW feeds on souls and death so it continues to cause as much damage as it can in order to achieve this. However, SCP-AJW is extremely smart as well being able to come up with hundreds of contingency plans as it torments its victims. It has also been proven that the only way for someone to bring harm to SCP-AJW is to either wear Anti-cognito hazard gear or by luck alone. SCP-AJW is also able to affect the mental state of those it has caught under its effect, able to make them lose hope or see those they once called friends and family as enemies. 

SCP-AJW was discovered in 2013 when a young man named [data expunged] was sent to prison after killing his sister when the two tried to study SCP-AJW. Apparently, this was the second time he was convicted of family murder as when he was a child, he sent to a mental facility for killing his own father and mother. The Foundation saw this as a red flag and had agents within the law enforcement apprehend the SCP-AJW as it was there during both events and the young man claimed it was at fault for everything. Despite the Ethics Committee’s plea, the O5 Council saw no reason to waste resources on the man so Protocol “Sole Survivor” was not given consideration for his sake. He was later killed in prison by his fellow inmates.

Due to the possible cognito-hazard SCP-AJW was sent to Site-AB to be contained. However, MTF units and researchers that got SCP-AJW to its containment expressed feeling strangely weak and seeing things in the corner of their eyes that weren't supposed to be there. They only felt better after being escorted at least 2,000 feet form SCP-AJW. They needed to be escorted as every time they tried to leave its vicinity willingly, they just walked in circles without realizing it. 

Now that it was realized how truely dangerous SCP-AJW was, Site-AR was declared the most logical choice for containment with the Department of Technology, Alchemy, Science, Magic, and Warfare in charge of establishing the containment procedures. SCP-AJW is outrageously dangerous and as such the Decommissioning Department has made several requests to have it destroyed. Due to testing being ongoing given the complexity of the anomaly it is this request has been put on hold for now. Though as the years go by more administrative staff are in agreement that SCP-AJW is too dangerous to be left alone.

.

SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[onedismay]

For the asks :)

8. Do you prefer to play as male or female Shepard? 9. Share a pic of your favourite Shepard 13. Favourite ME1 squad combo 26. Blue, green, red or fuck you? 59. Favourite NPC? 71. Favourite OST song(s)? 76. What are you hoping for from ME4?

Yay, thank you!

8. Do you prefer to play as male or female Shepard?

Female mainly because I neeeed hairstyles that are longer than 5cm. I also slightly prefer Hale's delivery over Meer's, especially in ME2 when Shep is in her gruff "I just died and this is all bullshit" phase. :D

9. Share a pic of your favourite Shepard

My original gal Jill(ian) Shepard! (Soldier/Spacer/Sole Survivor) She romanced Kaidan on my very first playthrough but in my recent run she's single for now. She's nearly 100% Paragon, the kind who always wants to follow protocol and do everything "right," but then ends up second-guessing her decisions after the fact anyway. Feels like an imposter, and that was before ME2 even happened... Oh boy. Check out her glitchy cutscene-induced bald spot! I might make it canon, actually.

13. Favourite ME1 squad combo

This is hard, I like to mix them up. For gameplay purposes I find Kaidan the most useful, and this is the most shallow reason ever but I love playing dressup with Tali so every time I get new armor for her I HAVE to see it immediately. But Kaidan + Tali is kind of a squishy combo on insanity so in practice I can't often take them both...

26. Blue, green, red or fuck you?

I wanted to put a gun emoji here but I can't find one. When I don't gun, I red because it's the least magical option out of the three.

59. Favourite NPC?

Administrator Anoleis came to mind first so I guess it's him! No matter how I end up handling that plotline it's always a delightful time. Like, even if everything goes amicably, you still come away with the impression that you've ruined his day by merely existing, and I love that. I wanna know what he does on his freetime. How does he relax? Does he? What thoughts bounce around in his head on sleepless nights? Does he have a single friend

71. Favourite OST song(s)?

Leaving Earth (volume alert!) I'm a sucker for these kinds of ultra powerful end of the world tear jerkers.

76. What are you hoping for from ME4?

Answered here!

[aria0fgold]

OHMYGOD! This was the most intense thing I've ever had in hsr, ohgoodness...

You can see the lil sliver of health of the enemies cuz they were on ONE PERCENT! AND THEY KILLED THREE CHARACTERS! They even killed Geppie but cuz of his special revival thing, he got up and I was spamming his ult like crazy, I was holding my breath hoping that the special technique thing from my gold equation can kill them off or so help me god. This was on Extrapolation Threshold Protocol THREE!

Yeah Geppie, same expression. Look at you, you sole survivor! This is why I'm so proud of you, thank you for surviving long enough for the enemies to die by god's hand oh goodness...

[joeys-piano]

Tagged @walkinaroundtheuniverse:

This is the summary from a Bungou Stray Dogs project I never posted from 2019. This is what my writing was like when I was in college.

---

It was 1989 when a mysterious research facility closed its doors to the public; it was 1996 when those doors were blown, sky-high.

Looming from the edge of Yokohama’s doorstep, an explosion and a series of catastrophic events nearly wiped the city before suddenly, it all drew to an end. Although the military had written the incident off as “an error in protocol”; at the height of the Great War, such devastation could only be viewed as a terrorist attack. Following the aftermath and now wandering the streets were not only the ghosts of the survivors, but the brick and mortar of murmurs and conspiracies. Salvaged from the ruins became the bricks for Suribachi City, those that knew the truth soon lost their lives in neither glory nor grace, and the sole survivor from the research facility knew nothing about the unfortunate line of dominoes that had led to this tragic end.

However, after the publication of a certain book and a series of disappearances nearly twenty years later, perhaps there was more to the story than one could overlook. For the tale to unfold, there were two survivors. One was a vessel for a minor god; the other needed no other credential than the ability coursing through his blood.

---

Send me a 🌹if you'll like to read more writing I've never posted, but is kept in a vault somewhere.

[lumpsbumpsandwhumps]

[scrambles into the room at high speed, slams into the door, falls flat on my face]

I JUST FINISHED HELL FEST AND I HAVE THINGS. TO. SAY!!

For one, I liked the friends more than I thought I would! Honestly got upset they ended up dead, and it’s a surprising twist we have two final girls instead of one. (Of course, Natalie is the true one)

And ok- ok- I am a lover of soft yanderes and the likes but… I am very well starting to see your appeal in the dark and dangerous- (especially the tension when The Other first steps up to Natalie, the dangerous air curling between them that we the audience are aware and she is completely oblivious to)

And the scare actor aspect- where an actor has the full capabilities and liability to throw you over their shoulder and run off. I am… I am a civil, logical, sane person, ok? Alright? But…. c’mon, that’s hot. (Aw, you could’ve kidnapped anyone but you picked me?? Awww, I’m blushing)

[rubs hands together deviously] Moving onto The Other!!

When he snatches the photos? No need for that, it won’t really help amp up his creep mode. There isn’t any purpose if you only consider it a benefit to his stalking and murder. But to have something of Natalie? To have a personal momento of her? When she’s vulnerable and smiling? (Plus, there’s two photo strips, he only dropped one in the bathroom, he kept one throughout the entire night and I’m assuming he took it home after all that)

Going from that- he could’ve killed her best friend when she ran after him for the photos! There was a ton of time while she was alone and it was an off limits area, no one likely would’ve found her for a awhile. Did he go for her? No

Because his first victim was Gavin, who has an obvious crush on Natalie. Tell me it wasn’t jealousy!! “I have a surprise for you!” Really? Really?? With the exclamation mark and everything??

And when the ride breaks down! What other actor would slowly creep up to her while she’s having the breakdown and ride with her?? I really, really doubt that’s protocol. Especially! ESPECIALLY! When he extends his hand to help her off the ride???? What minimum wage worker do you know would do that??!

[head in hands, banging my fists on the table] THE WAY. HE. REACHES FOR HER HAIR IN THE BATHROOM. IT IS SOFT. IT IS ABSOLUTELY SOFT. She was alone and vulnerable! And he doesn’t hurt her one bit! Even though he’s armed and dangerous! He doesn’t even grab her hair! He just pets it!

I am also delusional enough to claim he controlled himself from hurting her when she stabbed him. He had a long reach weapon, he was taken off guard and went crashing to the ground. For a man of his wit and the fact he’s done this before, I fully believe he had the capability to get one last swing on her as he went down. But he didn’t!!

Where is the lie???? How does no one else see this????

LET ME TELL YOU MY VERY NORMAL AND LOGICAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS MOVIE. LET ME TELL YOU MY TRUTH AND MY GOSPEL.

Yes!! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually liked everyone in the friend group! There's no inner bitchy fighting between the girls (aside from the beginning because of old school days drama, but that's squashed pretty quick once they get to Hell Fest). None of the guys are creepers. They're actively trying to get their two lovebird friends together because they know the feelings are mutual. It's refreshing to have a cast that's entirely likable, especially because then there's less tropes to rely on when it comes to who's getting hacked next (I really thought Nat and Taylor were gonna be the sole survivors because of the foil "we hated each other the first 10 min but now we're trauma bonded besties". I really like that Nat and Brooke can keep their promise to each other about going to Spain after all :,) )

SO LET'S REVISIT THE PHOTOS:

Not only did The Other take the photos of a cutesy, smiling Nat as his future momento (and yeah, he did keep the second one, it's what he puts in his mask box :3), but I like to see it as the first sign of true infatuation. We've seen before he doesn't take too kindly when people insult him for "not being scary". He already chased one girl into the haunted house for such an infraction, and he got real fucking close to Nat's personal space when she made a similar comment. But she laughs it off, points out the previous hiding girl, sticks around to watch after her friends bail and then goads him into making the kill. Yeah, she thought it was just an act...

...but you cannot tell me that motherfucker didn't get some heart eyes for her right then and there!!! She assisted him in murder!!! And he knows she (kinda) knows and he's so into it. The little "shh" finger to the lips he gives her as she runs back to her friends, like baby's first accidental accessory is a secret safe between them? Taylor even point blank saying "oh, looks like you made a friend ;)"? Chef's kiss is not enough, chef's sloppy toppy is in order.

So of course, first kill? Gotta be Gavin. Bye bitch. He literally has photographic evidence of you smoochin' up his new dream girl. And I love, love that he still texts Nat throughout the night too pretending to be Gavin with little exclamation points and emojis later on. What a dork. Murderous, but a dork. Side note, sorry, but I hated the humming. Pick a better song or shut up lmao.

Now I know, I know, The Other scare actor from the ride is not actually The Real Other (diff jacket and shoes), but like you, I am delulu and in love, so I am also choosing to believe that was really him toying with her struggles and hitching a ride out front with the perfect view of seeing her cower between his legs. What a gentleman helping her out!! So much better than Gavin, right?

What kills me about the hairdryer scene was that he only did that for his own gratification. She never realized he was there, he was gone when she finally opened her eyes, he gave her 0 scare or anxiety. There was literally no reason for him to do that as it would have had no affect on their cat and mouse game, but he did it anyway, because he wanted to and he's a simp. And then seconds later, rattling the stall door and grabbing her hair??? He could have fucked her up so easily, especially when she was alone and trapped, but he only wanted to frighten her. Again, a gentlemen!!

Blah blah blah, friends dying whatever BUT. The part when Nat gets separated in a maze and he appears behind the glass wall to stare at her. Banging his fist on the window while she freaks out? Excellent. Side note, notice how he's only targeting her group of friends? For the sole purpose of unnerving/upsetting her, sure, but also as an excuse to stay two steps behind her at all times while slowly isolating her >:3c Like this park has hundreds, if not thousands, of fresh meat. He killed the first girl in a matter of minutes, meanwhile he's been stalking Nat for hours and picking off 4 besties when he could have been slaughtering it up elsewhere. Girl's got a hold on him if he'd rather dedicate his limited time for murder solely on her hmhmhm.

AND ONCE MORE WHEN HE'S GOT HER AND BROOKE TRAPPED IN THE FINAL HOUSE. 1) He swings his axe down and cuts Brooke, not Nat, despite her being 2 inches in the left and the one who kicked off this whole chain of events. He could have wounded her, but he didn't. 2) When Nat tries to fight him in the mannequin room, he eventually overpowers her to the floor. Again, he could have swung his axe down right on her, killed her in seconds. But he didn't. He made the deliberate decision to just knock her in the face with the hilt (not even hard enough to break her nose, just bloody it up!). My money is on that he was probably intending to knock her out while he finished up with Brooke so that they could have proper, uninterrupted alone time before the cops showed up...

Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss, the ladies are safe, homeboy goes home despite still having a gut wound but acting like it doesn't bother him in the slightest I guess. Puts away his masks, saves the pictures of her with the rest of his former trophies, for the reveal that...The Other is a certified DILF. Why are we sleeping on that fact. I don't care what his actual actor looks like, we never see his face in the movie so I can imagine it however I want and if he is canonically a father whomst I want to fuck, that makes him a goddamn DILF. And when he's looking at his daughter, he does the lil *clench fist* Arthur meme, which he also did several times with Nat, which I'm going to foolishly interoperate as him either repressing himself or maybe as a tell when he looks at someone with adoration. Like, that little girl is so happy to see him home and rushes to give him a hug (which he kneels down to give her that's so cuuuuuute), she asks if he got her a gift and he actually did. He's a good daddy, clearly capable of a soft spot.

Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk about dangerous yandere slashers where you are the only member in the audience and you're not allowed to leave under any circumstance. I will continue to be a slasher x final girl truther and Hell Fest is one of my biggest and most recent examples of everything we could have had if the writers weren't cowards but instead horny on main like me.

Also thank you for validating me about the scare actor thing like when I tell you I have that fantasy every time I go to HHN. Just waiting for someone to hoist me away while I'm in a barely lit attraction, people assuming my shriek and brief struggles are just part of the act, while I'm realizing the actors aren't supposed to really be touching me but it's too late as I'm dragged further into the darkness...I would not fight to survive because I would be down on one knee proposing to my future slasher spouse right then and there.