#ooze cruise

[mollyjames]

Ooze Cruise - Slime Against Humanity

Can't stop the slime

[poz-patrol]

Resident Evil Revelations PS4

[approachtheancientkeep]

[mj-iza-writer]

Whumptober Day 17

Nowhere else to go - Ruined Map - Shipwrecked - "We had a good run"

"Yo ho, yo ho... a pirate's life for me", Whumper hummed as they entered their ship's office.

They stomped on a hatch that led to a secret room under their office.

"Are you awake, ye scurvy dog?", they called down to their prisoner.

"Who could sleep in accommodations like this you bastard", a voice yelled at them.

"Watch it or else you won't get dinner", Whumper stomped on the floor again.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've puked today", the voice called up again weakly, "I can't eat anything right now."

It was silent for a moment.

"If you are looking to reward me, I'd love to come upstairs. I'll even stay in your office. It smells down here", they called up, "please."

"Whumpee, yeh drive a hard bargain", Whumper chuckled.

"Please my back hurts from being tied up like this please... plus the whipping I received..."

"Whipping?", Whumper paused.

"Yeah, this morning Captain. You didn't know?"

"No, I didn't know. Please tell me it's not on your back", Whumper started to pull out their keys.

"Back and ass", Whumpee answered.

"Shit", Whumper started down the stairs.

Whumpee nervously watched them come closer.

"I didn't do anything to receive the punishment. I think they were drunk. They staggered down the stairs as a drunk would", Whumpee explained.

"Do you know who they were", Whumper's hands were on their hip, "let's see the damage."

Whumpee cautiously turned their back towards Whumper. They groaned as Whumper lifted their shirt to look.

Whumper had had a tattoo done on Whumpee's back a few islands back before setting off. Whumpee was a prisoner from a different ship. A cruise ship. Whumper had taken a few things of value and sunk the ship with the crew and guests. Whumpee was deemed useful. The tattoo was of a treasure map Whumper had discovered. They were currently on their way to find it. No one except Whumper's best crew mates knew that tattoo was on Whumpee's back. The map and inhabitants of the island were destroyed, so no one would follow Whumper's ship.

Whumpee whimpered as Whumper pressed a firm hand against their back. Blood oozed out from the slash marks.

"The map is almost shredded", Whumper frowned.

"I didn't do anything. I was somewhat asleep when they came down here", Whumpee tried to look back at them, "I didn't try to damage your map."

"I believe you. Do you think you can pick out who they were?", Whumper lowered the shirt, "I'll let you upstairs for a while if you do."

"I can captain", Whumpee nodded, "anything to get out from under the floor. I'm so nauseous."

"I can see that", Whumper sighed at the piles of puke covering the floor.

On top deck, Whumpee took in the sunlight and fresh air. Salt water splashed up at them, causing them to laugh lightly.

They were tied to the railing near the captain's wheel.

Whumper had the anchors hoisted.

They tried to make do with their destroyed treasure map. They didn't want to chance Whumpee's wounds getting infected before they found the treasure. Scurvy would make the map even worse.

Whumpee suddenly cowered away when a newer member walked past them.

Whumper watched as they grinned evilly at Whumpee.

"Is that them Whumpee", Whumper frowned when Whumpee nodded nervously.

"Captain?", the second in command hadn't been made aware of what happened yet.

"Jones, watch the wheel. Keep us going straight", Whumper stood aside.

"You" Whumper pointed at the sailer, "come here slime."

"Yes sir?", they turned worriedly.

"Who gave you permission to go under me office and punish me prisoner. Because of your acting out of line, our entire journey may be worthless", Whumper took dangerous steps towards them until their finger poked right into their nose.

"It's a prisoner. I didn't think anything of it. I was drunk and angry I figured I could take it out on them", they explained.

"You destroyed the vessel for a treasure map is what you did. It's barely legible because of you", Whumper grew more and more angry, "I out to take your hide for bruising theirs."

"I-I didn't know.. .... I-I'm sorry" the person backed away fearfully until they met the railing.

"No one touches me property. You had to go into me quarters to get at to 'em", Whumper continued toward them.

"Please.... I had no idea", the sailer shrunk down. They knew what Whumper was capable of.

Whumpee burried their head into their arms, also knowing what Whumper was capable of. They didn't want to see anything more than what they had already witnessed.

Whumpee heard more pleading, then screaming, then a loud splash..... then a gunshot.

"Dead men tell no tales", Whumper frowned as they caught Whumpee looking up at them.

Whumpee weakly stood, but didn't dare look over. The seagulls were diving. Those buzzards told them exactly what they would see.

Whumper took over the wheel, Jones walked over to Whumpee and harshly lifted their shirt.

"No", Jones stated in disbelief.

"We will try to push on", Whumper frowned at Whumpee, "even if they die from infection. We will use their corpse."

Whumpee shuddered, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Puke over the side. I might lose it if you throw up on my ship again", Whumper frowned.

"I don't want to look", Whumpee frowned as they leaned their head against the wood.

It was late in the night when Whumpee felt a blanket cover them. They had sat down earlier, and apparently dozed off

"Captain?", Whumpee looked up.

"What?", Whumper had gone back to the wheel.

"You're still awake?", Whumpee frowned.

"Aye, I've been dreaming of this treasure for a long time. I won't let anyone be in my way of achieving this", Whumper sighed, "it isn't my first time pulling an all-nighter. I use to run an entire ship deck on my own at night when I was a mere mate. Everyone else would sleep while I worked", Whumper sighed, "I rather sail by the moon and stars, they be your only friends sometimes."

Whumpee looked up and saw the sky, "it's beautiful. You don't see it like this in the city."

"Aye, the city is always awake. Not a place for a seaman", Whumper sighed, "get some rest."

"Did you mean that earlier? Do you think I'm going to get sick and die?", Whumpee's lip quivered, "I don't want to die."

"I don't know, unfortunately you're already sick. I'm not a doctor, nor is there any on the water. I don't think the tattoo is healing. Plus, those whip markings are opened wounds. Unfortunately, you may meet an untimely end" Whumper seemed to be quite saddened to deliver the news, "I've kind of grown to enjoy our back and forth banter. I even considered keeping you alive to be my pet."

Whumpee frowned, "what if I do live though? Maybe there are things I can do to keep from getting worse."

"I suppose you will be allowed to live... as long as you behave yourself", Whumper grinned.

"Do you have any cool stories about your times at sea?", Whumpee looked at Whumper with puppy dog eyes.

"No, now go to sleep", Whumper sighed.

Days passed...

Whumpee weakly watched as Whumper and the crew rolled away from the ship to land.

"From what I can tell, the treasure is here. They were growing weak and would slow us down. That's why they were left on the ship", Whumper told Jones.

"And you're sure your fondness for the creature has nothing to do with it. There is clearly an infection, they may be dead by the time we return", Jones made a knowing glance, "I like them too, they've grown on me, but we have to accept we are seamen we don't get things like that."

"We can certainly try Jones", Whumper grinned weakly.

After some time they finally found the markings, the 'X' if you will.

"It's here Jones... it's really here", Whumper celebrated.

Cheers amongst a few crew members caused Whumper to look their way.

The trusted crew men... the ones who would be living to enjoy their earnings stepped away from those premarked for death. Whumper only allowed their most trusted crew to live.

"I'm sorry mates, but I'm afraid ye sailed your last sea", Whumper pulled out their pistol.

Jones followed.

Whumpee jumped at the sound of gunshots.

"Captain", Whumpee whispered.

"Dead men tell no tales", Whumper frowned.

Whumpee laid on the deck. They lifted their head slightly when the Captain, Jones, and crew climbed aboard.

"Whumpee?", Whumper hurried to their side and knelt.

"I heard the... gunshots", Whumpee coughed, "I was nervous."

"We found the treasure... it's here see", Whumper held a gold coin close to Whumpee's eyes, "you helped us find it."

"That's good", Whumpee blinked slowly, "I don't feel good."

"It's okay, just hang in there. We are going to sail to another island. I think there is a village there. I'm making the decision to save you. I've not done that for anyone before. You can't waste that", Whumper held Whumpee up and watched their skin get paler, "you can't die on me."

"Whumper they've been dying since that tattoo was done", Jones held Whumper's shoulder, "you've fallen in love with something that you marked for death."

"Don't fucking remind me", Whumper yelled, "dang it you scurvy dog... you can't die."

"I'm.... sorry..... Captain", Whumpee's breathing more labored, "can you tell me a story, I'm really tired."

Whumper shook their head to try to fight away their tears. Captain's can't cry.

"There once was a brave soul who came aboard my ship and put up with this old captain's stupid ideas. They never acted defiantly... even allowing a map to be tattooed on their back by a questionable source. Never complaining about how sick they've grown from it", Whumper sighed, "you're dying because of me. You said you didn't want to die."

"Dying isn't as scary as big thought', Whumpee winced, "I think I'm now afraid of being alone."

"You will never be alone", Whumper hugged them close, "never."

After a few moments Whumpee took their last breath.

"They're gone", Whumper sighed as they felt Whumpee's lips for any breath, "the first person that I grew to like. That wasn't disposable to me, and I let them die."

Jones sighed, "you couldn't control it. You didn't know that this would happen. That person that did the tattoo knew what was planned. I fully believe they did this on purpose. To get back at you for destroying their village."

Whumper only nodded, "I know, but I didn't care. Now I do care and they're dead."

"The damn seagulls are already overhead. What do we do with the body?", Jones knelt down.

"I'm not burying them at sea", Whumper lifted up Whumpee's body, "I promised they'd never be alone."

"I'm not sailing with a dead body", Jones frowned.

Whumper sighed, and started toward their office .

"Where are you going?", Jones frowned.

"We remain anchored here for now, bring the treasure to my office. I need to do something first. We will divide the bounty tonight."

Whumper wrapped Whumpee in a blanket and carried them down under there office.

"I know you hate it down here, but I have no other choice", Whumper carefully laid the body on the floor.

Whumper set down to a long piece of paper and, to the best of the memory, drew out a new map. They had planned to find an uninhibited island to call home. Whumper and Jones planned to settle there after the treasure was found. They only needed to find it.

Jones came in and handed a cup of coffee to Whumper.

"Captain, my Captain. You need some rest", Jones leaned in against Whumper, "you didn't know this would happen. You worry me."

"I know, but Whumpee didn't deserve it. I grew to love that bastard. I think they were okay with me too. Just the other night, they asked if they would be allowed to live if they survived the infection. I already knew the infection was there, but I didn't have the heart to tell them the whipping sealed their fate. They would be dead soon, that's why I pushed to get us here. I can't rest yet either, I promised the crew we'd divide the treasure."

"They all agree we can wait until tomorrow. They are celebrating", Jones smiled, "so what are you doing. I can see you've drawn up the map that was on Whumpee. There is a lot of extra space. May you be deciding where our town may be located? You do still love me right. After what you said about Whumpee being the first thing you've grown to love, I was a little concerned ."

"I loved you from the start. The moment I saw you Jonesy", Whumper smirked.

"Aye, I wonder the lads and lasses care to turn back for home tomorrow afternoon. We can come back and find our island. Do ye think you'll be okay sailing with a corpse for a few days? I want to burry them in a fitting grave. On our island."

"Yes, my love", Jones nodded, "now that we have our normal crew back, I have my love back."

Whumper finished hammering Whumpee's cross at the head of their grave.

"There we go a fair grave, better than any I've ever given anyone else. Ye even get a good view", Whumper knelt down, "you'll see my ship leave whenever I go collect up my crew for an adventure. Every time we come home, you'll see us again. I am very sorry you died. I hope this is an acceptable grave for you."

A giant wave came up and sprayed Whumper in the face.

Whumper chuckled, "ye scurvy dog."

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

@villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived

@sacredwrath @porschethemermaid

@monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz

@bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13

@notpeppermint @cyborg0109

@idontreallyexistyet @painfulplots

@whumpbump @everythingsscary

@skittles-the-whumpee @expressionless-fr

@theforeverdyingperson @legendarydelusiongoatee

@candleshopmenace @whumpanthems

@lavndvrr @ivymyers

@starfields08000 @a-living-canvas

@lumpofsand @watermeezer

@indigoviolet311 @whumpy-mountains

@3-2-whump @risk606

@electrons2006 @paperprinxe

@whumprince @kaz-of-crows

@mis-graves @decaffeinatedtimetraveler94

@sausages-things @ragin-cajun-fangirl

@isikedmyself878 @daffyduckcommittedtaxfraud

@valravnthefrenchie @glennemerald

@jasperthecapser @does-directions

@deafeninglittlecrown @jumpywhumpywriter

[theomnicode]

One punch man and flirting with romance

Romance, in my opm? More likely than you think.

There are many instances in one punch man where the author and the mangaka specifically tip their toes into showcases of implicit romance than explicit, but it is there and I'd like to jump into the romantic cruise ship and put down some of the cases where romance has been implied.

Starting with number one, Fubuki and Psykos implied to be kissing under a tree as teenagers where Fubuki seals off Psykos' powers with an implied kiss, where Psykos is also seen blushing right after. Rest of their interactions also ooze romantic overtones.

Number two is cd audio drama, Saitama and the mysterious heroine, where Saitama and Genos go see a movie and Saitama starts talking about relationships after seeing Suiryu flirt with a woman, then goes on tangent about girlfriends and such.

Saitama: That’s not the point... I have the feeling that things like a heart to heart interaction, sharing an umbrella, warmth, are all things broken away in my life. Other people can have things like big events and circumstances happening, romances and such bringing happiness in their daily lives. I have the feeling something broke and that sweet-like fluffy, nice stuff just fell right off from me. That's what I meant.

Saitama: Genos, look, have you ever seen a hero anime without a love interest in it? Genos: I don't remember watching a lot of anime in the past.. Why do you ask? Saitama: Well, we're heroes, right? We're working and living as such. And yet, why are we indifferent towards things like love interests or girlfriends? In some way it seems obvious and logical, but is it really ok? Are you ok with reality being so much harder than fiction?

It is obvious that Saitama would still be interested in romance, as he seems to be a romantic at heart, yet after becoming so strong he struggles with his emotions, his apathy.

Saitama also reads romantic shoujo manga on his spare time, as seen on season 2 OVA.

Number three is fairly recent addition where it is implied that Genos interest in Saitama as a disciple may or may not be entirely platonic. 3 different people (Zombieman, Flashy flash and Amai-mask) take note of Genos growing interest in Saitama. Genos has also been noted very much be interested in his master's physical appeal in audio cd dramas and below excerpt.

Genos for a long time, has been a prime example of a potential fool in love, but it is still handled in implicit rather than explicit manner. Shoujo sparkles and all that included.

Number four is a most recent addition of Blast and his partner, possibly holding hands under the panel. Blast's partner is specifically referred to as "partner" and not a collaborator by Sitch, giving his partner some more importance in the scene than rest of Blast's teammates. This one may be reaching, but we'll be seeing in future arcs how correct that assumption is.

Number five, Saitama and makeover audio drama where Genos has given Saitama's attack a long name.

Saitama: (Serious voice) Super shining and lightning, that’s right, this next punch will overwhelm you like a gust of northern urban wind deep in December, this illusionary, fantastical, understanding punch from the heart, starting from hyper dreaming attack the final, a never-ending eternal forever endless sentimental with a high sense aggregation of full throttle, godless, loneliness, can’t stop falling in love and as soon as fighting…

Number six, monsters named Maiko plasma and Electric catfish man appear to be a married couple. Maiko plasma refers to Catfish man as "darling" in multiple occasions, so they appear to be involved.

Number 7, where Tatsumaki thinks that Saitama is attracted to her because he's gripping her hand.

Last but not least, number 8, romantic alternate universe comedy part between Fubuki and Saitama in high school audio drama, where Fubuki thinks Saitama wanted to confess to her.

OPM may not yet have any really explicit romance, but implicit...there is a boatload. ONE does not leave fans cold when it comes to romantic undertones. :D

[pansexualkiba]

"Shit..." Bakugou huffed, "Get out of here, you frigid bitch. This one's mine-"

"Wait, what's that sound?" Todoroki suddenly asked, perking up at the distant sounds of squealing. "Is that... A car?"

Suddenly, a car exploded through All for One's torso, splattering his viscera across the pavement. It was a sleek racing car, dark green in color with black lines and similarly-black upholstery. The hubcaps on the white-wall tires were bright red, and the license plate read "IZUKU" in bold green.

Todoroki and Bakugou stared in shock as the car swerved to stop in front of them, suicide doors opening to reveal no one was at the wheel.

"M-Midoriya?" Todoroki slowly asked. "Is... That you?"

"Yeah!" Midoriya beeped, his headlights pulsing as he talked, "This is the Second Holder's original Quirk! Gearshift!"

"Gearshift..." Todoroki tested the word on his tongue. Bakugou continued to gape in shock.

"Yes! Let's go!" Midoriya urged them. "I can't hold this form for much longer! Get in!"

"Both of us?!" Bakugou finally broke out of his stupor.

"Are you sure we'll both fit inside you at once?" Todoroki asked.

"Don't worry!" Midoriya assured both of them, "I can take anything when I'm with you two."

Bakugou and Todoroki looked at each other.

"I can drive." Bakugou called before sitting in the driver's seat.

"...Teach me, just in case." Todoroki asked, sitting shotgun. The doors slid closed, and with a screech of tires, the trio were sailing down the highway, leaving behind All for One, slowly reforming himself from the ooze of gore.

The trio sped down the road, the sunset slowly giving away to night and the distant cities beginning to glow with light.

Inside the car, Todoroki fiddled with the radio until he settled on a moody, jazzy tune. As the singer's husky voice filled the cabin, Todoroki leaned back in the passenger's seat, sighing as he let the vibrations of Midoriya's purring engine massage his spine.

"Hey, Cold Stuff." Bakugou huffed, finally speaking up. "You wanted to learn how to drive, right?"

"While we're on the road?" Todoroki blinked.

"No one else here, so why not." Bakugou shrugged, then pointed at his feet. "Most cars don't have three pedals, by the way. What you're seeing is a manual drive. The pedal I'm pressing is the accelerator, the one to the left is the brake, and the one left to that is the clutch." Bakugou smirked. "You think Izuku's fast now?"

Todoroki tried to imagine Midoriya going faster than he already was. His skin began to feel clammy just from thinking about it.

"Here, put your hand on the lever." Bakugou pointed at the stick between them. "That's the gear shifter - probably why he turned into a manual drive, thinking about it. Go ahead and put your hand on it."

Todoroki slowly, trepidly, placed his hand on Midoriya's gear shift.

Bakugou placed his hand over Todoroki's, perfectly interlacing their fingers.

"Watch my feet, now." Bakugou softly commanded.

Todoroki watched, enraptured, as Bakugou, at the same time, pressed the clutch and took his foot off the accelerator. Despite that, Todoroki could detect no loss of speed, from the feeling of Midoriya's motors through his seat.

"Now, while we're cruising like this..." Bakugou slowly moved Todoroki's hand, and the gear shift, into a new position. "Shift into second gear..." In another swift movement of his feet, the accelerator was pressed again. "And Izuku'll be even faster. Rinse and-"

Bakugou was interrupted by a sudden explosion on the road, and Midoriya swerved violently, though stayed his course.

"What the fuck?!" Bakugou swore, and adjusted one of his mirrors. Todoroki, under no societal compunctions such as "road safety", simply turned around in his seat.

Behind them was an equally-slick, yet distinctly more deadly vehicle. It was black in color, with seats lined with velvet-red leather. The vanity plate on the fender stated "DEM0N", with an ostentatious crown as a decal next to it.

"Foolish One for All..." The car announced, in a deep, chilling voice that had Todoroki's hair stand on end. "Did you truly think yourself so special?! Indeed, your first mistake was to assume you were the only one with the capacity to turn into a car!"

Suddenly, the car picked up intense speed, matching, and even beginning to outstrip, Midoriya and his passengers.

"As you can see, I am now a car as well!" All for One's baritone roared through his surround-sound speakers

[thebeetleb0y]

Rewatched the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt IWTV and I already knew going in that the show was much better and I think one of the reasons why, outside of just better writing and the changes they chose to make for the show, is that the actors for the amc+ series clearly care so much about their characters. All of them!! The care and understanding for each of their characters oozes out of them so clearly in the after the episode insiders(which I highly recommend watching they give such an insight into the characters choices and the writers reasons for them). And idk maybe the cast for the movie DOES care deeply but I’ve never gotten that impression personally and I feel like this is one of the shows where the actors do need to care deeply about their characters and their motives and understanding the media it comes from and the amc+ cast so clearly does

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Thorgothrel

CR 8

Lawful Evil Large Ooze

Adventure Path: Iron Gods: The Choking Tower, pg. 90-91 (image taken from the Starfinder Alien Archive 3, pg. 114)

These excessively cruel creatures hail not from the Darklands or any strange plane in the Outer Sphere, but from within the universe itself. Arriving in ships designed for their protoplasmic forms, Thorgoglbltr-- I'm just going to shorten it to Thorgo. Arriving in ships from beyond the stars, Thorgos are a species of beings who consider themselves both advanced and enlightened enough that they know what's best for all life in the universe, and what's best is being really, really stupid. That's a dramatic oversimplification of their goals, but the slightly-more-complex-but-still-short-version is that Thorgos consider sapience to be a naturally self-destructive phenomenon, and that any species which evolves sapience is sure to bring ruin to not only itself, but its whole world.

Of course, rather than simply devolving themselves to senseless protoplasm and living out the rest of their existence in atavistic peace, they harness their intelligence to build starships to cruise out into the universe, because they simply have to inflict their vision of "peace" on every species they encounter, whether or not said species desires or even moderately agrees with the Thorgos' assessment. They're explicitly noted to have the technology and knowhow to perform downright miracles, their ability to perfectly manipulate the genetic structure of any lifeform they encounter after just a few short minutes of study--something which takes scientists in our world decades in carefully controlled laboratories--granting them the potential to eradicate any disease, repair any genetic deformity or defect, heal any wound, and effectively solve any problem that could be solved with a specialized lifeform... but in a similar vein to a certain other mad geneticist, Thorgos don't want to do any of that boring "make better societies" stuff, they want to remove sapience from every species in existence. Every other species first, naturally.

To this end, Thorgos have Atavistic Manipulation, a dangerous ability that's attached to their two slam attacks which themselves are stapled to the ends of pseudopods with a 20ft threat radius (10ft space/10ft reach). Not only do they deal 1d6+6 damage each, but more alarmingly they cause the targets to bleed Intelligence, something we've only seen once before on creatures with similar goals to the Thorgo. Unless the victim receives a DC 15 Heal check or some form of magical healing, they lose 1 point of Intelligence every round until they're rendered completely comatose as the protoplasm of the Thorgo invades their body and overrides their mind. Furthermore, if a Thorgo spends an hour tinkering with a creature's biology after the victim falls unconscious, the atavistic alien can cause the Intelligence damage to become permanent, setting the victim's max Int to 1 and requiring Heal, Limited Wish, Wish, or Miracle to undo.

And if you think what they can do in the field with their own two pseudopods is scary, it gets so much worse when they start hauling people back to their ships for more intense experimentation, up to and including making the atavistic regressions hereditary. If a species evolved sapience once, it stands to reason it may do so again; they have to be thorough if they want to make sure a world 'blessed' by their presence stays blessed.

But! We're not talking about their labs or other tools right now, we're talking about a basic scout/scientist. Every Thorgo comes equipped with that skeletal doohickey you see in their center, a generator that feeds the slime the electricity it needs to survive (which is why they're immune to Electricity, among other things) AND projects a powerful Force Field, the slime shielded from every angle by a shell of 40 hitpoints that recharges by 10 each round so long as it's got at least 1 hitpoint left in it. Unlike the Robots whose Force Fields require an entire day to recharge if they go offline, the Thorgo's advanced fields can be repaired in a single full-round action and a successful Disable Device check (which they have a +8 to) against a DC of 15... and they need to, because their bodies swiftly and dramatically break down in the presence of most atmospheres, including Golarion's own.

A Thorgo without its field loses 1d4 Con every single round until it gets the doohickey up and running again, putting a harsh time limit on how long it can stick around to fight... but because it's limited to a 20ft movespeed and no methods of swift egress, a Thorgo without its field will likely have to swiftly dispatch its foes to give itself the time it needs to get its field active! Good thing that its Poisonous Sublimation is a double-edged sword! The gas a Thorgo breaks down into when it's exposed to hostile atmospheres is violently poisonous, filling a 20ft cloud with lethal vapors that instantly kill any creature with 6 or less Hit Dice if they fail a DC 17 Fortitude save, which must be made every round one stays exposed to it. Creatures with more than 6 Hit Dice don't fare much better, losing 1d6 Con each time they fail their save! A DM wishing to use a Thorgo as a boss fight against a 5th~6th level party may want to reconsider the encounter, or at least weaken the poison, because managing to break through the thing's first layer of defense only to suddenly lose half the party to the resulting gas cloud will likely not go over well on the table.

While their shield stays up, Thorgos are still dangerous. They can subtract 5 HP from their shield at any time to launch a Force Ray, a touch attack dealing 10d6 Force damage to its target, making this a literal case of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't.' Hopefully the party has some method of petrifying the thing, because little else will work; attacking its HP directly will inevitably break the shield and unleash the Baby Cloudkill, but there's almost nothing else that can be done thanks to its pile of immunities. Thorgos are immune to Electricity and Cold and have 10 Acid Resistance, and despite being a sapient Ooze they retain the Ooze's normal immunity to all mind-affecting effects. They also can't be poisoned, put to sleep, paralyzed, polymorphed, or stunned, and you can't really effectively burst them down to avoid multiple rounds of the poison cloud unless you're a Vital Strike Enjoyer with some exotic two-handed weapon hitting them and them backing away, because they're also immune to critical hits and ALL forms of precision damage besides.

At least Fire and/or ranged attacks still work! Shattering their shield means they can no longer use their fierce ranged attack, letting a ranged party plink the slow-moving slime down with little issue. Just mind the reach, and try not to send the 6 Int Barbarian in for longer than absolutely necessary.

You can read more about them here.

[snapghoul]

Gnawing at my reflection

A dupe looking a little too much like Ethan gets on the IMF’s radar, something isn’t quite right.

Note: Snaps back at it again messing with the Cruise-verse ™️, writing a Collateral/Mission impossible because I can. Please let me know if yall want more of this story because I might wanna try to write a little mini series.

Warnings: Violence, blood, death.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

London was drab, cold, and oppressive. Grey. The hunts felt boring and tasteless, each target weak and cowardly.

He was a hunter, craving fearsome prey; these pathetic little bunnies did nothing to quench his bloodlust. But this one—this one had been impressive. He hadn’t encountered someone who fought back like that in ages. Still, it ended far too soon. Shame; he expected at least a real challenge from the cocky prick. These new hits were all too predictable.

He caught his reflection in the cracked mirror of the rundown safe house bathroom. A scar traced from his jaw through his hair, a jagged piece missing from his ear. Someday, he’d collect what’s due for those encounters. But not today.

“What do you want?” the man at his feet sputtered, blood oozing from his lips like thick syrup.

He tilted his head, waving his gun dismissively, rolling his eyes. Always the same question. He didn’t have time for this—his schedule was tight, his itinerary demanding. If he didn’t check off his list, there would be consequences.

He didn’t bother replying, just putting lead into the man’s skull and with a fixing of his suit, he left. A silver ghost.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

The face on the screen was unmistakable: cold, calculating, with a slight frown. Ethan stared back at an image of himself. The silver hair was a striking choice—an ironic contrast if they were trying to impersonate him. Even this doppelgänger's facial hair was silver. Odd.

“When was this taken?” Ethan asked, crossing his arms and stepping closer to the larger screen on the wall, his eyes narrowing for clues.

“Two hours ago, right before Agent Yance went down,” Brandt replied. An agent had been killed, but they managed to capture an image before he died. “That’s why you weren’t immediately jumped the second you stepped in here.”

Ethan nodded, a twitch of his brows revealing his skepticism. It was impossible for him to be in two places at once—well, not entirely impossible. But to go rogue, kill an IMF agent in London, and then show up at the U.S. base two hours later? He was fast, but not that fast.

“Interesting take,” Benji interjected, everyone in the room equally baffled by the decision to alter Ethan’s appearance.

“Yeah, we’ve got a Jack Frost on our hands,” Brandt said, pulling up another image of the man. “Quick, trained—two shots to the chest, one to the head and that’s not even the worst of it.” He sighed, revealing the next piece of the puzzle.

The screen flickered as more files appeared: blood records, DNA, birth records, death certificates.

“Holy—” Benji sat up, wide-eyed, as Ethan's gaze darted around. This was impossible; not even identical twins could match this perfectly. “He’s Ethan. How is that even possible?”

“Freaky right, a near-perfect copy,” Brandt explained, leaning over one of the chairs, gripping it tightly. “Blood type, fingerprints, even down to birthplace and time. The only difference? The hair. We had someone run DNA we got off Yance, and that’s the only flaw.”

Ethan pored over the information, noting the eerie similarities between his file and that of the man beside him. Whoever this was, he was intended to replace Ethan, to eliminate him. But something felt off.

Brandt continued, his voice steady. “Vincent, no last name. Reported dead in 2004 in LA. Found in the MTA with a gunshot wound to the face that mangled his ear, and a fatal abdomen wound. Later, his body went missing from the morgue. He was linked to the confirmed deaths of four people that night, believed to be tied to more, suspected to be a contract killer.”

A contract killer, a skilled one. That meant someone was targeting the IMF, and agent Yance—though not inexperienced—was still vulnerable, an easy target.

“He wanted us to find him,” Ethan said, piecing it together. No one as trained as Vincent would leave a trail unless he meant for them to follow. If you took out an IMF agent, you made sure to bury them deep. “Vincent’s working for someone. This—this was reckless. They want us to see him, they want—”

Ethan locked eyes with Vincent, and for a moment, it felt as if he were staring into a twisted reflection of himself. He had seen people impersonate him before, but this was different. This man was engineered to be him. Designed to the finest of details.

“They want me to see him,” Ethan breathed. This wasn’t just a message; it was a warning.

[mollyjames]

Ooze Cruise - Gelatinous Cube x Ochre Jelly

What if we were two girls trapped in a dungeon together. And we were both oozes.

[sicklyseraphnsuch]

If you're still looking for writing prompts: Unlike his memories as ice king, Simon's memories of the apocalypse are "fresher" so to speak. Maybe he gets a nightmare about it? Just cruising through collassal loss of life and stuff I guess xD

An echo of a scream rings in Simon's ears as his eyes snap open and his limbs lock up. There's vicious sense of vertigo, as if the world turned upside down. Then his knees hit something solid, sending a jolt of pain up his spine, and causing his senses to crash and bleed into each other. He tastes the cold grey of cement and hears the sour smoke of burning rubber. It takes him precious seconds to sort through the mess.

Simon doesn't remember falling asleep. That's… not good. And his memories are cloudier than a polluted puddle. Images of ruined cities and ravenous hordes flash through his mind but he can't make sense of it

Likely, he got knocked. By what? He doesn't know. Where's Marcy? Possibly, they got separated when he got knocked out. But she's a smart girl. She knew to run and hide when a real baddie showed up. He would find her. He would always find her.

He pushes himself to his feet, noting the area in brief, broad strokes. A warehouse of some kind. Someone's home. A couch. An ironing board. A kitchen. A kitchen!

Stumbling over, Simon pops open the cupboards and eureka! This place hasn't been looted yet! He grabs boxes of cereals and granola bars and cans of soup. He doesn't have his bag with him, likely lost in the scrap that knocked him out. But one doesn't survive the apocalypse without being clever.

He dumps out the trash can and reuses the bag to store his windfall of resources. Hmm… From the looks of the place - practically pristine, then there's a good chance that there's more resources to find. Perhaps, he could chance upon a medkit of some sort. Yes.

Yes.

But would he need one, really? He could fight off any threat that came his way. He just needed to use all the tools in his possession.

His hand strays to his hips where he keeps the Crown. He wouldn't put it on, of course. The threat has passed. But… But maybe he should. So he won't get caught off guard again. Except, his fingers brush empty air. The Crown was not with him.

tHe cRoWn Was NOt wIth Him

No. No, no, no, no. Where is it? He must have his Crown!

He searches the warehouse - tipping over the couch, throwing aside the ironing board. Carpets are kicked up, coffee tables are shoved away. He runs and he ransacks every inch of the place, but he doesn't find the Crown.

Simon does find the door. It resembles a garage door - a heavy thing, made of thick sheet metal. Silly, wimpy Simon would never be able to lift it. But adrenaline bloats his veins and he heaves. His back creaks something awful and a sharp, pinching pain shoots up his spine. None of that matters because he pulls open the door. He can get out!

He barely has the presence of mind to grab his sackful of food. But at the very last second, he remembers and reaches over to sling the bag over his shoulder. Marcy will like the soup - it's got her favorite kind.

First, he must find Marcy. And the Crown. Yes, first find the Crown. Then Gunther. Feed her chicken soup.

Wait. It's bright. Why is it so bright? His eyes hurt. He can barely see. What was that? Movement. Oh no. Everywhere. Noise. Crowds. He's surrounded. There's too many! Where's the Crown?!?

He starts running. He has no idea where he's going. His sight has abandoned him. But he can hear them - all of them - their shuffling, their gasps, their ooze drooling and dripping out.

"Simon?" "What's up with him?" "Is he taking out his trash?"

The mutants have mutated. Now they sound nearly like the humans they once were, as if they were speaking. But it's all a trick. Simon knows better. And he doesn't have his Crown. And what about Gunther? No, focus you fool. Marcy. Marcy is not here. He needs to find her. He needs to make sure she's safe. The Crown would know where to look.

"Mr. Petrikov?"

He smashes into a body - soft, pliant, warm - and tumbles, head over heels, to the ground. Pain cracks from his nose as he lands face first on the asphalt. Shouting. Something grabs his shoulders. No, no, no. They're all on him! They're piling up! They're going to bury him alive!!!

Using all his limbs, Simon begins to fight back. He digs his elbows into hollow eye sockets and pounds his knuckles against bare, sensitive sides. He swings kicks at all nearby stomachs and bites every hand that tries to touch him.

They must have done the same to Marcy. They must have taken her. They must have taken the Crown!

"You took her! Give her back! Give her back!!!" He shouts, emptying his lungs into a furious, ruinous cry. It leaves his throat rough and raw, stinging with each breath.

"What the donk!" "Crazy bastard…" "Everyone, please!"

The press of bodies slide and shift. A gap! Simon lunges for it, legs primed to dash. He gets caught. Strong arms - soft as steel - wrap around his arms, over his chest. No! He was so close! He was so fucking close!

"Hey!"

A grey visage appears before him as a pair of hands cup his face carefully. Thumbs stroke circles beneath his eyes as a melody is hummed - familiar and faint. Why, it sounds like the theme song for Cheers, that old sitcom.

"Breathe, there we go. Just keep looking at me."

Simon notes a pair of black eyes, fangs, pointed ears - connects each feature into a fully formed face. He knows this face. He's watched this face through a thousand days. He knows the many ways this face can look - asleep, awake, sick, happy, scared. He would remember this face even under the Crown's chilled gold.

"- Simon Petrikov. You are 59 years old. It's Wednesday at 8 am in the morning. You're in the human city of Ooo. You're an antiquarian working at a 21st century museum -"

The words wash over him. He blinks, settling into his bones and bruised flesh. He's on the ground, kneeling. He's got pajamas on but no shoes. His sack of food was torn open, scattering cereal and granola across the streets. Oh. Oh god.

What… What had he been doing? Where was he going? Why…

His breath begins to speed up. Marcy squeezes his face, forcing him to look at her - only at her.

"You're okay. You're with me. We're safe, Simon. We're safe. You didn't let anything happen to us."

Simon hiccups, shaking hands reaching up to grab hold of Marcy's shoulders. He swallows what feels like a mouthful of sand - gritty and salty. He opens his lips, looking for the right words. But a fog has enveloped his brain, thicker than mud and just as transparent.

Marcy offers him a smile - tender yet tough. There's no hint of distress on his fearless Marceline.

"Let's get you outta here, okay? Can you stand?"

Simon mutely nods.

Marcy slides her hands down his face and on his shoulders, gently pulling up. Simon manages to find his feet, thankfully not injured from his morning run. Haha. His doctor always told him to include more exercise in his routine. She can't complain now, maybe.

Marcy'a arm drapes over the back of his neck as she hovers like a second shadow. Her long hair acts as a curtain, hiding the rest of the world from view. Well. They probably didn't have a shock blanket on hand. But this way is better.

He leans into her hold as he concentrates on each step. There will conversations - difficult conversations - when they get back to his place. He's not looking forward to any of it. But that's later. Right now, he want to get off the street, away from everyone else.

As if reading his mind, Marcy murmurs, "We're almost there. Just keep walking, Simon. Just keep walking."

Simon grits his teeth. He takes another step. The concrete is hard and unyielding beneath the naked pads of his feet. But he doesn't stop. He's gotten this far. He can go a little further.

[simplyclary]

You Never Go Out of Style: Some Personal Favorites from Taylor Zakhar Perez's Fashion Lookbook

The idea for this post stemmed from a couple of lines that Alex said to Henry [via text] in Red, White and Royal Blue that goes "I hate the tie you're wearing in Vogue. It's so boring. What do you have against color anyway?", which I randomly commented something like "Okay, Mr. Fashionista".

This is a list [of sorts] of some of my favorite Taylor Zakhar Perez looks from past events (in no particular order) and a personal commentary.

Taylor surely knows how to rock every style possible, from the casual to the dressy to the preppy to the shirtless summer vibe. You name it, he'll most likely rock the heck out of it. He's the next fashion stunner that the fashion world has to look out for.

His photo above is just a little taste of what's to follow. I have to admit that this is one of the first photos I saw of him. He's wearing a simple ensemble composed of a white Prada tank top plus a cream button-down that is unbuttoned and black pants paired with a simple chain necklace and a couple of bracelets. His charisma was just oozing and therefore, I was immediately attracted to him.

Before I officially get into it, I would like to say that there'll be breakers in between each of the looks that will be mentioned to provide pauses. Some photos on here are also candid shots, but you take what you get, I guess.

I like to start off with a little heat (if you know, you know). Grab some water, get your snacks and enjoy.

Prada (Spring/Summer 2024 Menswear Show)-June 2023

HOLY HOTNESS!! How do I even begin?? Like words are gone from me every single time I see this picture!! I can't even begin to describe what's going on other than the fact that Taylor looks extremely hot and chiseled. Like he's a Greek god come to life.

I would also like to add that he mentioned in the "Get Ready With Me" video for Vogue last September that this Prada show in Milan back in June was his FIRST fashion week. So imagine him stepping out of the car shirtless (even for a minute) during his first fashion week in the first month of summer is just unbelievable. Like jaws dropped and hearts fluttered (peep the audience behind him).

Outfit wise, no comment because what is there to comment other than the fact that he just made summer extra hot. Plus those colored shades and his accessory choices (a watch and a Prada necklace) was just matching the overall summery vibe. It's summer but make it designer.

The black blazer is honestly giving me like rich guy vibes plus the green pants just adds a pop of color to not make the look simply ordinary. The necklace peering out of his collar just adds a little glimmer and the shades to protect his beautiful brown eyes from the summer sun is the little casual add-on that this dressy look needs.

Man, Taylor really managed to pull off three looks this day and still managed to make them similar but different. Like I know nothing really changed because his green pants are still there but with the white tank top screamed fashionable summer. Also the way this photo was taken with the sunset behind him really made him stand out. I really like the contrast of the semi-dark background to his light outfit.

Again, considering that this was his FIRST fashion week, he already SLAYED and that's a sign that he will continue to do so in the events to come after.

Versace (Cruise 2024 Show)-March 2023

Gosh, something about Taylor in an all-black ensemble just does something to me. Like he become 10x more attractive in my eyes (not that he isn't already). This photo simply screams rockstar or something like that.

I never thought a mesh tank top with leather pants is a combo that would work, but on him, it does actually work. Again, the contrast of a dark outfit and a light background works every well. The light green of the background with his dark ensemble just makes him pop out.

I would also like to add that his tousled hair with this outfit is a lovely combo. If his hair were pulled-up and he had no bangs, I think I wouldn't like it as much (or I would, who knows?) as I like his hair tousled. Also the pairing of his necklace with a couple of silver bracelets and a ring on one of his fingers just looks like little stars and comets in his night sky of an outfit.

Vogue World: London- September 2023

Hello my prince!

This look, wow!! It's like he jumped out of the pages of a fairytale book. This look left me completely breathless. The white top (not buttoned all the way through) with the attached waistcoat and the flared trousers gives me the Victorian/Edwardian London era vibes which is fitting considering that this event took place in London.

Taylor looks every bit the royal prince in this ensemble. I am obsessed with his overall look. However, if I were to change something, I would change the color of the attached waistcoat to something darker (navy blue, maybe) so it's not white on white but that's just me.

I also love the fact that he was present in this event because Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, called him and that invitation alone means something special and bright for his future in the fashion world.

Disney, you better cast him as a prince right now or else....;)

Of course, with Taylor, it's always multiple looks a night so for this silver-gray cropped top look he wore, I couldn't really say anything except that it was such a sparkling number which kind of contrasted the plain white top he wore in the earlier photo.

Add the fact that this top is cropped so a bit of midriff was shown but who am I to complain. Taylor is cut and fit anyway, so I won't say more than that. It was a good outfit choice to end a sparkling and star-studded night in London.

Ferrari (Spring/Summer 2024)-September 2023

When I first saw this look, I screamed. And then I saw a comment on socials that said "Taylor Zakhar Perez in his Stephen Strange era" which made me scream even more because Doctor Strange is one of my most favorite Marvel characters.

To be honest, Taylor kind of pulled the reverse version of Doctor Strange because for those who do not know, Doctor Strange wears an all blue outfit with a red cloak. With Taylor's version, he pulled the reverse by having a dark red inner top with a navy blue [that's almost black] trench coat and pants. He kind of completed his version of Doctor Strange with his tousled dark locks and a bit of stubble.

He also gave me major Sherlock Holmes vibes with the trench coat which I honestly love.

Other than the fact that I completely disassociated, this look is something I can see many people wearing during the colder fall season. Like this look gives immense fall vibes to me, and Taylor flaunts it nicely, as always.

The Clooney Foundation Event-September 2023

Oh my good heavens! This was a look that had me screaming and breathless at the same time. Before continuing, I want to say that I could also see this outfit as something Bruce Wayne would wear, which is funny because George Clooney played Batman.

Again, something about Taylor in an all-black ensemble does something to me. It just leaves me mesmerized. Add that he's sort of clean shaven here with his usual tousled hair. That is a perfect combination of a look for me. He's wearing a black Versace tank top underneath the coat and merely visualizing that gives me butterflies.

In other photos, his coat is unbuttoned and his tank top could be seen and also a little choker necklace around his neck that is so thin you could barely see it but yes, he was wearing like a dash of silver jewelry during this event.

Fun fact, he was supposed to wear like a brooch [that's like $35,000] but he broke it prior to the event. True ACD/TZP fashion, if you ask me.

Also, during this event, he was seated at the same table as Donatella Versace and Anne Hathaway so that speaks volumes.

Burberry (Spring/Summer 2024, London Fashion Week)-September 2023

This look is giving very practical vibes. Like the trench coat that is almost like a raincoat over a plaid long sleeve is very practical especially during the ever changing weather in jolly, old England.

As usual, Taylor manages to pull it off in every way possible. Also, him being in London Fashion Week generated like the highest media value which is something else and I mean, who can blame the people?

This look is pure fashion and function, which I guess, is one way to simply put it.

Bullet Train Premiere-July 2022

Nothing like a blue turtleneck to get me swooning. Taylor wore a light blue long-sleeved turtleneck paired with dark blue pants and a couple of black bracelets on his wrist to the Bullet Train premiere, which was his FIRST premiere night, to support one of his close friends and former co-star Joey King.

This is such a simple yet dashing ensemble, and I definitely swooned hard. Add that his hair was pulled up so he has no bangs in the way of his handsome face was just a good look.

I would like to add that he looks so good in blue. I mean, he looks good in every color in the world, but something about him in blue is just stunning to me.

Green Carpet Fashion Awards-March 2023

Oh my, you have no idea how much I have fan-casted him as Rhysand or Azriel or Xaden Riorson in my mind just because of this photo. (If you have read the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas or Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros or at least, you have been seeing book content on socials, you'll know who I'm referring to).

Again with the all-black ensembles. I swear, give me Taylor in an all-black ensemble any day and I would just gush over it. But something that sets this apart from all his other all-black ensembles is the way it fits him.

His shirt and pants with the blazer is just cut close enough to his body that he looks magnificent and as if his clothes was molded from the night itself. Also, the clean shaven face and pulled back hair makes me want to respect him (I mean, I already do) like a High Lord from a fantasy novel or something.

Add the fact that he's seated and posing on a white settee is lovely because he looks like a shadow warrior in a land of snow and the contrast is just amazing to look at. He's like a painting almost so there's that.

International Woolmark Prize (IWP) Event-May 2023

If you know Taylor, you know that he would not pass up on an opportunity to advocate about fashion sustainability. He could talk about that advocacy forever, and for good reason.

Earlier this year, he attended an event with The Woolmark Company and he wore a navy blue ensemble, which is composed of a white tank top and a striped navy blue button-down that is layered by a navy blue coat. He completed his look with black loafers and a pair of necklaces, which add a little shine to his outfit.

No more words to describe him other than charming and handsome.

London and Milan Street Style-September 2023

This photo is just Taylor on a regular day crossing the street in London, but he makes it look like a fashion runway. Like he has a way of walking that could give actual models a run for their money, I'm not kidding.

Anyway, his outfit here is kind of not what I would personally pick but meh, I don't mind how it looks on him. I also just so happen to realize that the colors of his outfit (including his shoes, which are not shown in this photo), compliments each other. The orange details of his beige sheer top compliments the blue of his jacket and his blue pants compliments his orange and brown shoes.

With his shoes, I would have personally gone for sneakers but Taylor wanted to be comfortable, so he picked another pair of shoes instead. I would no longer question his fashion choices at this point. I guess the colors compliment each other so that's a plus. The touch of sparkle with his jewelry (he was wearing a choker necklace, a couple bracelets and a ring on his left index finger) and a touch of darkness with his watch is a bonus point in my book.

This is a fan-taken photo and Taylor just casually posed in front of a leafy background yet it looks like something out of a magazine. I mean, he is photogenic in every possible angle, so yeah.

He was just giving super casual meetup with the fans vibe here. Like a black t-shirt with black joggers is the perfect casual outfit. He also added a pop of color to his dark ensemble by having a blue jacket wrapped around his shoulders, which just adds to the casualness of the overall outfit. Also the fact he was holding a book (it's "All The Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr) just warms my bookish heart.

This is probably one of his most casual outfits, like no designer anything, just plain tees and pants. It's an everyday outfit, I guess so I have nothing more to say about it.

The unbuttoned shirt?? Do not get me started on it, please!

I cannot explain how many butterflies flutter in my chest every time I look at photos of him with his shirts unbuttoned. Like the hotness and charm that exudes from him is on another level.

This is the day after the Ferrari event [I think?] and Taylor went to the same spot where he met with some fans and the atmosphere became like a fan signing event and it was lovely to see.

Style-wise, this is one of my favorite Taylor looks because it's style and comfort, casual and preppy at the same time. The white top with the dark pants is the total opposite of what he wore in the photo before this which was dark on dark. This time, it was light on dark which is always a lovely contrast to see on him. Add the glints of gold and silver from his jewelry and you have a stunner right there.

The TZP Lookbook Ends Here.......Or Does It???

That is quite the plethora of photos to browse and indulge yourselves in. Fashion week is never over for this stylish stunner. Red carpet or not, Taylor Zakhar Perez will always find a way to flaunt his charming and unique sense of style that will always have fans' jaws dropping and hearts fluttering.

He is on the list of stylish people that fashion magazines should look out for, and dang, if his outfits in this year's numerous fashion weeks does not secure him an invite to future fashion weeks or the MET Gala 2024, I don't know what will. Inviting him to events is also a key to generating high media value, considering he kind of has the world in a chokehold recently, so there's that.

If you want more of TZP's fits and style, do not worry, the lookbook does not end here because there's going to be a sequel to this (like I pray that RWRB will have a sequel just so they could have the proper press tour and all that), but I'll leave you with this for now.

To officially end, I'll leave you by telling you to support Taylor's fashion sustainability advocacy and choose your fabric to own your style.

Peace!

[marisatomay]

i’m still sautéing this take but i think it’s important that tom cruise do a rock of ages/cocktail type beat every decade or so where it’s so very objectively bad but he is so good in it so charming so compelling like truly giving a performance that he carries the movie on his back as a reminder to the people that oh right he both oozes charisma and is an incredible actor

[lieslab]

The depths between: Chapter seven

Intro

Chapter six

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎ ꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎ ꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

“You’re so not cut out for this siren thing,” Felix mumbled beneath his breath. He dunked the fish beneath the water, chucked it over towards the sand, and slipped beneath the water to wash his face and hands. 

When he reappeared, laughing was heard in the distance. He whipped his head over his shoulder to find the inky hair of Hyunjin poking out of the water. “Way to go,” he called out to Felix. “What a way to traumatize the poor thing.” 

“I didn’t mean to and you know that!” He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “How long have you been watching?” 

“Since the moment you disappeared to catch a fish. Screaming your name at the top of their lungs isn’t the best idea. You know, I heard there’s quite a few dark sirens lurking around this island and they-”

“Enough!” Felix snapped. “I wouldn’t have to be in this mess if you would have just left the cruise ship alone to begin with! I told you over and over again to leave them alone.” 

“Blah, blah, blah. Wah, wah, wah.” Hyunjin mocked him and stuck out his lip. “Oh poor little you with trauma from dying. Should I try to find your mommy to comfort you?” He rolled his eyes. “You’re not the only one with trauma from dying.” 

“It was the only request I had.” 

“Maybe you should just be happy that I’ve yet to snap your goddamn neck, do you ever think of that?” 

The two stared at each other with a wave of tension between them. Felix swallowed and glanced over at the fish that had gone limp. Blood still oozed out of the spot where the head used to be and saturated the sand around it. 

“All I’m saying,” Felix managed to weakly get out, “is that neither of us asked for this life. Neither of us wanted to be a siren. You know how hard it is to be removed from humanity. I think the least you can do is be a little kind to innocent humans.” 

“You have no idea what it’s like to be a dark siren.” 

“And you don’t know what it’s like to be one of the light ones.” 

Hyunjin hated what Felix was doing. He didn’t like to be guilt-tripped and that’s exactly what Felix was trying to do. He couldn’t help it. It wasn’t his fault that his darkness had trickled into siren form. Some things just couldn’t be helped and this was one of them. 

Hurting and killing people, it was an itch that couldn’t be scratched. An eternal longing that nobody seemed to understand besides other dark sirens. The more Felix acted around you, the more he hated him. 

You were supposed to be weak and defenseless. Hyunjin was set on killing you out of spite and he was sure to get his way. All he needed to do was get Felix away from you and then you’d be his toy. He wouldn’t taunt you for long because he craved watching your pretty little self choke. 

“All I’m trying to do is help them survive. Don’t you wish we would have had that choice? Don’t you wish someone would have reached out to us an-” 

“You can’t change the past, we’re already cursed. You should grow up and get over it. You know how this goes. Maybe you should stick to the overfishing and slaughtering male dolphin pods.” 

“And maybe you should stay away from cruise ships, but I guess we’re both not getting what we want, are we?” 

Hyunjin shot him a final glare before he sank back beneath the depths. Felix sighed, shook his head, and walked over to you. You had landed half in and half out of the water. Every time the waves rolled up, they reached your chest. 

He stared down at your closed eyes and a softness fell upon his face. He reached down and gently stroked his sun-kissed thumb across your warm cheek. He missed being human. He missed it far more than anything in the entire world.

| ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ |

Next part: Chapter eight

Taglist: @ilovetocas1 @vvislici0us @fr34k4c1dr41n @hamburgers101 @juskz @x-0ophelia0-x @viviworkshere @velvetmoonlght @jeonginsleftcheek

Masterlist

Requests, taglist, and inbox rules

[samreiddaily]

Indiewire - The 28 Best Film and TV Performances of 2022

Sam Reid, “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire”

"Playing a character like Anne Rice’s Lestat is a complex task. Not only are there legions of fans who expect a certain caliber of terror and romanticism, but Tom Cruise’s performance in the 1994 film is still a hot-button topic. But Reid took on the role with all the force, charm, and horror that Rice dished out in her 1976 book. Audiences first meet him alongside series lead Louis (Jacob Anderson); He’s magnetic, charming, and oozing enough sexual allure to draw in nearly all of New Orleans. But the relationship between Lestat and Louis is described as a “fucked-up Gothic romance” by journalist Daniel Malloy (Eric Bogosian) for a reason, and it’s soon apparent that Lestat’s vampirism isn’t his only problem. Every minute of Reid’s performance here is a master class in manipulation. And when things go bad, and Louis wants to leave, Reid lashes out with fire and anger, but there’s an undercurrent of glee. He wants the audience to know Lestat thrives on emotional violence as much as anyone. It’s a performance I love rewatching, even though I know I shouldn’t."

[grace--le--domas]

Mission Impossible Rant ? Part 2

Continuing from Part 1. Last couple of weeks have been the most stressful ones of my life. So, I you have some good vibes and good luck, a girl could use some. I feel like I am falling apart. On that note, let's continue.

SPOILERS FOR MI:7

Mission Impossible- Rogue Nation: I consider this one the love child of MI:1 and Ghost Protocol. Rogue Nation introduces my fave, the icon, the legend- Miss Ilsa Faust herself. Rebecca Ferguson is a national treasure. What's interesting about this film is that it somehow doubles as a spy thriller and a rom com- Boy meets girl, boy goes on his first date with said girl , girl seemingly betrays boy. All very wholesome. The action pieces are great, but they don't take the central stage. Rogue Nation is more cerebral, a bit more noir-ish than its predecessors. And I loved every second of it.

2. Mission Impossible- Fallout: Fallout is my second favourite, tied with RN. It surpasses every movie just for that one shot of Henry Cavill reloading his arms (I'm only half kidding) . The storyline has a million villains in it, but honestly it melds with the action so well that you wouldn't even notice.

Fallout also introduces one of my faves of this series, one Alanna MItsopolis (daughter of Max from the first film). Vanessa Kirby is kooky in the best sense of the word as Alanna, girl just oozes charisma. Fallout also has a great story at its heart, and highlights Ethan's fatal flaw- loyalty to his people extremely well. It also drives the Ilsa-Ethan storyline a bit further (Might do a post on just these two at some point).

(And the score slaps too)

3. Mission Impossible- Dead Reckoning (Part 1?): Yeahhhhhhhhh. I might get flack for this but I didn't enjoy this as much. Following up a masterpiece like Fallout is difficult, but this film lacks soul. The enemy is an AI that growls. No, I am not joking. AI as an enemy is hard to do in an action thriller (Westworld s3 fumbled the bag too). The stakes are not well defined and the second half just drags on.

And now coming to the biggest issue of all, Ilsa's death. You are telling me that Ilsa Faust, spy extraordinaire, would lose a sword fight to a rookie? I call rats. Fridging a beloved female character so as to drive Ethan further is tasteless in my opinion. Unless she's not dead, in which case I take everything back.

It also retcons Ethan's past, which was always flimsy to begin. That being said, it's not all bad. Henry Czerny's Kitteridge returns (Revenge, Ready or Not), Pom Klementieff is an assassin and Cruise jumps off a cliff on a motorbike. This one just lacks heart, after Ilsa's death it all just seems so pointless.

I might to do post for Ethan-Ilsa and another for a fan theory I have. Bye and don't forget to be awesome :)