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the-blind-assassin-12 · 4 months

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Change of Plans

A/N: Although I am SEVERAL days late at this point, this is a gift for @something-tofightfor - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RACHAEL! I hope your day was all that you wanted it to be, and that this year is the best fucking one yet. I so badly wanted this to be done in time, but you know me. Anywho, I love your guts and I hope you enjoy this chaotic little cake I whipped up with the help of one of your favorite cowboys.

Word count: 4k

Warnings: listen, don't do what Reader does here. Other than that... just some language. It's very tame. But don't do it.

Summary: Jack is there on business. You're there for pleasure.

He noticed you right away.

Sitting in the waiting area near gate A-7, right leg crossed over your left and an open book in one hand, you caught his eye -

Well hello, gorgeous.

- and he had to repeatedly free his focus from your direction, reminding himself why he was at the airport in the first place.

Damn it, Agent, you’ve got a job to do.

You turned the page of the book you were reading, letting out a sigh and stretching your neck, and Jack adjusted his position on the barstool he occupied so that he was forced to change his line of sight. He cleared his throat, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a sip. The bold, smoky flavor of the deep amber whiskey coated his tongue, and by the time he swallowed he was back on his task.

He’d been sent to locate and detain a known associate of a crime boss that Statesman was attempting to bring down. Intel gathered from Agents assigned to the case suggested that the associate - a mid level player who occasionally dealt in black market weapons - would be traveling through Louisville on his way to meet with the mysterious and nefarious man they knew only as The Gatekeeper. The current theory was that The Gatekeeper was operating out of San Francisco - or more specifically, out of a secret underwater lair that was built into one of the foundational structures of the Golden Gate Bridge, hence his nickname. But Statesman had been unable to confirm that yet. Catching up with the Gatekeeper’s gun runner was their best bet when it came to pinning down his location for sure, and since he had the most experience with facial recognition and planting trackers, the assignment had gone to Agent Whiskey.

So let’s find this shit kicker and get on with it so I can get on with… He resisted the urge to turn back in your direction.

Setting his glass down on the cork coaster it was served to him on, he brought his newly emptied hand up to tap the arm of his gold wire glasses. At the touch of his fingertip, the stealth lens screens activated, and he used them to scan the faces of the people moving through the terminal. So far none had hit as a match for the Gatekeeper’s associate, but since the man was clever enough to book himself tickets on multiple flights that day to make it harder for anyone who might be looking to follow him, Jack had to keep checking until he either found his target or the last of those flights had taken off.

I’ll find him. Soon as he shows up I’ll-

But Jack didn’t even need to finish the thought, because his lenses detected the person he’d been waiting for before he could. Just as he was about to get up from his seat and position himself to intercept his target, though, he saw something else flash across his lenses.

Mission directive has changed. Do not detain. Intel from Kingsman suggests associate may also be working with Golden Circle remnants in Canada. New directive is only to place the tracker and not to pursue until we know for sure who he is meeting. Agents in Vancouver and San Francisco have been put on alert and will be activated as needed.

Jack blinked twice to acknowledge Ginger’s message, then used the movement of his eyes to send a question in response.

Received. Return to HQ?

He had his jet on standby there at the airport in the event that he needed to abscond with The Gatekeeper’s man, and he assumed that since that was no longer necessary, Champ and Ginger would want him to come back and await further information. Keeping one eye on his target, he used the other to read the new message that flashed across his lens, finding it to be a surprise.

Negative. Don’t want to risk the chance of counter tracking. Take the Pony somewhere for a few days first. Vegas or Denver are preferable but Mexico City is also available.

Well, shoot. Looks like I’m takin’ a vacation. My favorite kind of mission.

Ginger had listed cities where Statesman owned properties that were reserved for off duty use - for when Agents had to lay low for a while, or for when they needed a safe place to recover from injuries sustained in the line of duty. There were several more located around the world, but judging by the selection that was presented to him, they wanted him to stay close enough to either have him back in Kentucky in a matter of hours, or send him to California or British Columbia in a pinch when the intel on who the associate was meeting with came back.

Received. Target inbound. Contact when directive complete.

With that, he lifted his finger up to tap the arm of his glasses once more, the screens deactivating so that he could remove them, folding them for safe storage in the inner pocket of his jacket. In a turn of luck, his mark headed straight for the bar he was seated at and sat down two stools over. He showed no signs of having made Jack for a secret operative, not even bothering to look in his direction as he ordered a drink from the bartender.

Perfect.

Jack’s grin was imperceptible as he used his thumb and pointer finger to pull one of the small “buttons” from the cuff of his jacket sleeve. Flattening it with a tight pinch, he dropped the bio-tracker into his own beverage and watched as it dissolved into the liquid. It finished just as the bartender placed a rocks glass of whiskey on a coaster in front of Jack’s target. He waited for the other man to take a sip, and then he closed the distance, scooting over one stool so that he was right next to him, and then he greeted the man with a jovial tone.

“Did my ears deceive me just now, or did I hear you order the Statesman 12 year, my friend?” Jack pointed to the other man’s glass while holding his own.

The other man turned to face Jack, a semi-scowl on his face, his annoyance over being addressed by a seemingly drunken stranger as a “friend” clearly written in gray-green eyes. “What?” He glanced down at Jack’s glass and then at his own. “Oh.” He grunted and gave Jack a nod before taking another sip of his drink. “Yeah. You drinking the same, I take it?” He arched one eyebrow and turned back to face the television screen behind the bar without waiting for the answer to the question he’d just asked.

“Smoothest bourbon there is.” Jack held up his glass, inspecting the contents. To anyone else’s eye - even the man beside him - it would appear as though he were simply appreciating the way the overhead lights streaked through the rich amber liquid. In truth, he was making sure that the button-turned-tracker had been completely infused into the drink. Seeing that it was, he glanced over and caught his mark with his own glass midway to his lips once more.

Slow down there, son, leave some for our toast.

Reaching for the man’s elbow, he stopped him from draining the last of his beverage. “How about we both raise our glasses to good taste and safe travels?”

The other man jerked his arm away as though he’d been burned, the motion accompanied by a deeply frustrated sigh. Checking his watch, he rolled his eyes and shook his head at Jack. “Sure Fine. Just make it quick, I have a flight to catch.”

As he presented his glass for the toast, Jack aggressively clinked the rim of his against it - with just enough force so that some of his drink had sloshed into the other man’s glass without him noticing. “Quick it is. Safe travels.”

“Uh huh.” The sketch of a scowl was back as the man nodded again, knocking back the remainder of his drink, including the tracker. “Same to you.” With that, he slapped a fifty on the bar and left his empty glass, on his way to whatever gate would take him to whatever scumbag was waiting for him.

The Gatekeeper or the Golden Circle… or whoever the fuck else. We’ll know soon enough.

Taking his glasses back out of his pocket, Jack unfolded them and put them back on his face. With a tap of his finger the one-way screens hidden in the lenses activated again, and through a series of blinks and subtle eye movements, he sent confirmation of his mission back to Ginger Ale.

Tracker planted. Target in motion.

Before he got a response, though, he was distracted by a voice coming from over his shoulder. “Excuse me? Is anyone sitting there?”

He turned towards the speaker and his eyes widened, lips lifting into a slight grin when he saw that it was you.

Hot damn, she’s even prettier up close.

His grin grew at your sudden, small intake of breath when your eyes met. “All yours.” Using one hand, he pulled the stool out for you as Ginger’s message started to scroll across his field of vision.

You muttered a thank you as you chewed your lower lip. “You didn’t have to-”

Well done Agent Whiskey. The tracker is live and we are following its movement. Which location did you select?

“Now darlin’, what kind of gentleman would I be if I only did what I had to do?” He smiled, covertly answering Ginger’s question.

Not sure yet. Stay tuned.

You let out a sound that was almost a laugh, shrugging. “You’d be like most gentlemen I’ve known, I guess.”

Agent, we need to know-

Jack brought his hand up and tapped the side of his glasses, closing the communication screen and letting Ginger’s message go unfinished. It wasn’t the first time he’d done it and it wouldn’t be the last. He always eventually got back to her and never made her wait too long. But his focus had been drawn to you all afternoon, and now that you were sitting directly beside him, he wasn’t going to rush the interaction he’d been putting off for hours.

“Then allow me to introduce to you a different kind.” He reached up and swept his hat from his head, laying it on the bartop, and extended his free hand to you. “Jack Daniels.”

– – –

15 Minutes Earlier…

You checked your watch with a sigh, noting that you still had a little under an hour before you’d be called for boarding.

It’s fine. That means I can start another chapter now. You rolled your eyes. I’ll need a new book for the flight home at this rate, though.

It was one of those flights that didn’t make sense - with a 4 hour layover in a city that was completely out of the way of your destination. But that was why you’d been able to find tickets for only $48 each way, less than three days out. Things at work had been hectic, and you weren’t sure if you were going to be able to get the time off until the very last minute. So even though it certainly wouldn’t have been your first choice if you’d been able to book it months ago when the trip was first brought up, you were perfectly content to take the unnecessary stopover in Louisville on your way to Las Vegas.

Doesn’t hurt when the people watching prospects are this interesting, either.

You glanced over at the nearby bar and the astoundingly attractive man seated there who’d snagged your attention as soon as he arrived. He, like a handful of others in the terminal, wore a dark felted Stetson But unlike most, it suited him. As did his perfectly tailored suit and-

Oh, fuck, he’s wearing glasses now. And they look damn good on him, too.

You cleared your throat and forced your thoughts back to your trip and your reason for taking the less than desirable layover. Even though it meant spending hours alone in an airport, you were excited, because it also meant being able to see several of your friends who lived far away, and being able to celebrate your birthday with them. Well, not just your birthday. The trip was meant to be a group celebration to make up for the fact that you hadn’t all been able to get together for a birthday in years. Since there happened to be two of you who had birthdays in January, that was the month that was chosen. But the dates that were settled on had included your actual birthday smack dab in the middle of them, and you were looking forward to having something fun to do with people you missed.

Which was why you groaned as you read the notification that popped up on your phone regarding the flight status.

Delayed - Mechanical Issues

“Fuck.” You muttered under your breath, closing the airline app and tapping your phone screen to open the group chat so you could fill the others in on your situation. Before you finished typing though, your phone vibrated in your hand and a picture popped up of two of your friends - Jess and Maddy - both wearing ear to ear smiles at Harry Reid International, the text from Jess simply reading two words followed by several exclamation marks: We’re here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kayla chimed in next, responding with an emphatic YAY! and sending a screenshot of her GPS, showing that she was just under 2 hours out. Be there so soon!

Nat still had her phone on airplane mode since she’d only taken off from LAX about an hour earlier, so you didn’t bother waiting for an update from her before you finished typing your own.

Bad news, my flight out of Louisville is delayed. :( Mechanical issues… No idea when I’ll be there now, but I’ll keep you all posted.

You sent the message and tucked your phone into the outer pocket of your bag as disappointment set in. As it was, the rest of your friends were already supposed to arrive half a day before you. But now, it was looking like you were going to miss out on the entire first day of the trip.

Or more.

Frowning at the thought, you tried not to let yourself get too upset until you had a better idea of your situation. You told yourself that it could be something quick and easy to remedy - maybe you’d only have to wait one more hour. Maybe less. Either way, you decided that since half of the group was already there, it meant that the vacation had unofficially started, and it was time you treated yourself to a drink.

And if I know Jess and Maddy, they’re doing the same right now.

You picked up your bag, slinging the strap over your shoulder, and headed towards the bar. It was moderately crowded, only a few stools left vacant scattered here and between other travelers. But as you got closer you noticed that the man you’d caught yourself spending more time watching than any of the others was still seated there - and that the seat beside him had just become empty.

Perfect timing.

That confidence lasted only until the man spun at the sound of your voice, and seeing him up close had nearly knocked the breath from your lungs.

Oh, shit. He’s-

By the time he’d given you his name along with his hand to shake, you’d noticed things about him that you hadn’t from across the room. Like the flecks of tan and gold that lightened his dark brown eyes, the distinct bow of his upper lip beneath his mustache and how it rested against the plush pillow of the lower one, the way you couldn’t see a stitch of leather on him aside from his boots, but the smell of it - along with bergamot - clung to him and made him even more appealing.

You swallowed, his warm hand wrapping around yours and squeezing as you managed to tell him your name. “It’s nice to meet you, Jack.”

Without letting go of your hand or releasing your eyes from the lock his own had on them, he repeated your name back to you, the sound of it making your face grow warm. “Pleasure’s all mine, I promise you.”

When he winked as he withdrew his hand, you knew you were screwed. You ordered yourself a drink - something local, a bourbon you’d not seen before called Statesman - and Jack, though approving of your choice, simply asked for a glass of water. As you brought the glass to your lips, another thought popped into your head.

But am I really screwed, though? Because… he seems just as interested as I am.

Over the next half hour, you and Jack made small talk and subtly flirted in smirks and glances. You asked him what brought him to the airport that day, to which he’d answered:

“Had some business here earlier. But that’s done, so the rest of my evening is completely free.”

You shook your head at that, taking another sip of your drink. Damn that’s good. “Don’t you have a flight to catch?”

At that, he grinned and spread his large hands wide. “Ah, well, that is one of the perks of being my own pilot.” He raised one eyebrow and leaned towards you. “I can leave whenever I choose.”

Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. That definitely makes him even more attractive somehow, though.

You mouthed the word wow and let out a stunted laugh as you reached into your bag to retrieve your phone. Some time had passed and you were hoping that there would be another notification about the status of your delayed flight. “That must be nice.” You groaned as you saw that there was nothing new from the airline, and several texts from your friends expressing their dismay over your travel woes. Shaking the phone in your hand, you sighed. “I’m here on a layover that got delayed and the rest of my friends are already in Vegas.” Looking over at him, you wet your lips with your tongue. “I’d love to be able to just… hop in and take off whenever I wanted to.”

– – –

Well, shit. Did she just say Vegas?

Clearing his throat, Jack reached up to tap the arm of his glasses. Several missed messages came through at once, all from Ginger, but he blinked them away as he spoke. “Well, I know we’ve only just met, and I’m not trying to make any suggestions-” Though I could. “- But I happen to be going to Sin City myself tonight.” He had to contain his grin at the flash in your eyes as he used the nickname for the gambling town. “I’d be more than happy to take you with me.”

Destination selected. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

You sucked in a breath at his proposition, and though he knew you were likely considering saying no, he hoped you’d say yes. “I… Jack, I couldn’t ask you to-”

“You’re not. I’m askin’. I’ll show you my license and everything to prove that I’m legit, but darlin’, I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to.” He tilted his head towards the window. “No tellin’ how long they’ll need to fix that bird, and if your friends are already there…” He trailed off and shrugged, returning his gaze to you. “My jet is fully fueled and ready to go. I could get you there so you don’t have to miss out too much. More than you already have, I mean.”

He could practically hear Ginger’s reply when it came through, but he fought the urge to let out a snort as he read it.

IT’S ABOUT TIME, AGENT. Make sure your friend buckles up. We’ll contact you when you can return to HQ.

You bit your lower lip again, and he couldn’t help but watch the way your teeth dug into your flesh. “I…” He saw the rest of your protest dissolve the same way the tracker had earlier, your eyes shifting from skeptical to excited until that’s all he saw in them. You laughed, then, lifting your hand and holding up one finger. “Alright. I’ll… yes. I’ll take you up on it. But on one condition.”

Received. Will await contact. Over.

Jack reached up to tap his glasses before removing them and stowing them in his pocket. He leaned in closer to you, concentrating on the quirk of your lips and the mixture of impulse and instinct in your eyes. “Let’s hear it.”

“You let me buy you a drink once we get there.” You said it over the rim of your glass as you finished the last of it, eyes on him as you swallowed.

An excuse to go out with a beautiful woman? That’s the condition?

Jack flashed you a smile. “I think those terms are more than agreeable, ma’am.”

– – –

What the fuck am I doing?

You half laughed at yourself, but at the same time there was something about Jack that made you feel like you could trust him. You were aware that that could be a danger in and of itself, but your gut told you he was a good man, and you had always felt that you were a good and accurate judge of character.

How’s it any different from meeting a guy and getting in his car with him? It’s not, really.

It was, and you knew it was, but you hadn’t been wrong yet. And as much as you wanted to get to Vegas to see your friends, you also found yourself wanting more time to get to know Jack. He was offering you the chance to do both of those things, and even though you were looking for one, you couldn’t find a downside.

Pulling out your phone, you opened the group chat and sent one text before switching it to airplane mode.

Change of plans. Met a (really good looking) pilot who was on his way to Vegas and offered me a ride. Sending a screenshot of his license number in case I go missing hahaha. Just kidding. I’ll be fine. See you soon!

You knew what they’d say when they saw your message.

Jess would likely just send a thumbs up - or possibly a photo of herself giving a thumbs up.

Maddy would emphasize your message and respond with something like Okay but don’t die!

Kayla’s message would be a more whimsical reaction like Jesus take the wheel! (Wait do planes have wheels?) or Life is short, take rides from hot pilots when you can with the peace sign emoji.

And Nat would send advice from several documentaries and podcasts she’d seen or listened to, about what to do if you were being abducted.

You laughed to yourself again at the entire situation.

“Alright, Jack.” You hopped down from your stool and picked up your bag. “I’m ready when you are.”

He stood, taking his hat from the bartop and placing it on his head. “No time like the present.” Running his hands over his clothes, he smoothed out his suit jacket. “Follow me, darlin’. And give me that.” He pointed his chin towards your bag. “I’m a gentleman, remember? Where would my manners be if I let a lady carry her own bags?”

You shook your head with a smile and handed over your carry-on, leaving you with only your purse. “I don’t know. You’re teaching me about gentlemen, remember?”

You knew when you saw his eyes darken that you’d made the right call.

“Oh, sugar. I remember. Few hours to Vegas. Plenty of time for me to teach you things.” With that he started walking and you were left to follow, slightly stunned at the implications in his tone and in his words.

This is definitely going to be a trip to remember, that’s for sure.

Thank you for reading! If you would like to be added to or removed from the taglist, please feel free to let me know by sending a message or filling out the form on my masterlist! :)

tags: @something-tofightfor @dihra-vesa @littlemisspascal @mishasminion360 @nyctophiliiiiaaa @practicalghost @tanzthompson @harriedandharassed @woodlandmouth @trickstersp8 @imtryingmybeskar @wildmoonflower @mswarriorbabe80 @theredwritingwitch @silverstarsandsuns @competentpotato @pedro-pedrito-pascalito @jedi-in-crocs @hannahkatharine @novemberrain221 @chiyo13 @myloveistoolittle @Noisynightmarepoetry

#HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHAEL!#pretend this was on time #jack daniels x reader #jack whiskey daniels x female reader #jack daniels x female reader #pedrostories #jack whiskey daniels fic #kingsman the golden circle #jack daniels x you #agent whiskey x female reader #pedro pascal character #agent whiskey fic #jack daniels fic #it's cowboy times

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ask-a-w · 10 months

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Long recap about Death Island

Death Island aired on 22 June 2023 in my country and I watched it on the opening day.

Go in with low expectations and it's a fun action movie, don't expect a strong plot. The formula is similar to the previous RE CGI movies so the plot is pretty predictable!

As always, Leon destroys a vehicle and dangles from something with one arm. Leon is no longer cynical and depressed like he was in Vendetta.

Shipping is non-existent. Maybe some Valenfield if you take some scenes out of context. Cleon wise, also nothing since Leon only talks to Claire once or twice in the movie and it's about the mission. No Ada, sadly. For Jilleon, if you consider them being in the same room as shipping, sure. They conduct themselves professionally and Leon is his usual sarcastic quippy self.

Rebecca is just there 'cos she's the medical/science expert. Honestly both Claire and Rebecca don't do a whole lot in this movie.

There are no post-credit scenes.

I will be posting super lengthy spoilery recap below the Read More as I write down what happens scene by scene. So grab a drink and buckle in. If you can do a summary, feel free to do so.

Movie starts with a 1998 flashback featuring Dylan Blake, his best friend JJ, and other Umbrella soldiers in a truck that is headed towards Raccoon City in the very early days of the outbreak. They are given orders to evacuate Umbrella personnel & government officials only. If any civilian attempts to get through, they are to be shot on sight.

The truck reaches a blockade on the outskirts of the city where some uninfected Raccoon City citizens are scuffling with Umbrella soldiers. A government official’s car barely scrapes through the blockade.

The scene then cuts to Dylan, JJ, and team hiding in a butchery. Everyone except Dylan and JJ have been bitten. Orders are given on the radio to quarantine anyone who has been bit. JJ & Dylan separate themselves from the infected and hole up in a storage room that has a glass window that overlooks the adjacent room where the infected soldiers are. New orders are given that HQ won’t evacuate any uninfected Umbrella soldiers unless they kill their infected comrades. JJ readies a submachine gun (SMG), Dylan disagrees and briefly scuffles with JJ as their teammates turn into zombies and bang on the glass window which shows signs of fracturing. JJ gains the upper hand and starts shooting the zombies as Dylan lays on the floor and screams at JJ to “Stop it!”

Opening sequence time featuring each character’s mish mash of scenes from the games and this movie. You see everyone’s profiles and Leon’s profile is all redacted in black bars. Even his nationality is redacted which amuses me.

We are then shown a street in San Francisco in 2015 where Leon has parked his lime green motorbike on the side of the road as he listens to instructions from Hunnigan. They got back the OG voice actress for Hunnigan but we don’t get to see Hunnigan's face for this movie.

Hunnigan mentions a government employee who specialises in robotic engineering by the name of Antonio Taylor and he is wanted by the government for leaking military secrets to overseas groups. He has been kidnapped by terrorists in a white & orange truck and Leon is tasked to intercept said truck and “rescue” (aka arrest) Dr Taylor.

Leon spots the truck and there is a very exciting motorbike chase scene with the super powered Maria (from Vendetta) who interferes with her own motorbike. Leon destroys her motorbike but she manages to jump onto his motorbike to fight him off. Needless to say, Leon gets thrown off the bike, rolls on the road with no damage but his bike explodes in the process as he laments, “I loved that bike.”

Next scene is Claire investigating an orca carcass that has washed up on a beach. The local fishery official noticed a TerraSave tracker on the carcass and that’s why Claire is brought in because TerraSave has places trackers on marine animals for some reason... She measures the bite wound and the official asks if a shark caused this. Claire says the wound is bigger than a shark's mouth and is puzzled.

After that we are shown Jill in the dark in a garage of a house. She darts around carefully, repeatedly clicking her flashlight on and off as she searches the house. Chris orders her on the comms to secure the street but Jill responds that it's too late as she is already inside the house and then she shuts off her comms.

You might be annoyed by Jill turning the flashlight on and off because I found it very distracting.

Anyway she reaches the second floor of the house, notices blood stains on the wall and finds a female corpse on the floor of a bedroom. She gets ambushed by a male zombie, tussles with it, smashes through the second floor balustrade onto the glass table on the first floor and kills the zombie. This is the scene that is shown in the trailer.

The SWAT team and Chris in his BSAA uniform enter the house. SWAT surrounds Jill and point their weapons at her as she raises her hands. Chris says "She's with me" (feel free to count this as an out-of-context Valenfield moment) and the SWAT team disengage and search the house. Chris admonishes Jill for going into the house without backup while Jill says she's not gonna stand by and wait if there are innocent people to be saved.

We are introduced to the final main character and Rebecca is in a lab doing some research on a laptop. Chris walks in and asks for updates regarding the infected that have recently popped up in San Francisco. Rebecca says the twelve corpses in the morgue have an advanced strain of T-virus, no bite wounds, and only have needle marks. Those that are bitten by the advanced strain zombies do not turn but die from their wounds. They talk about Jill and if you watched the trailer, the conversation is about Jill and her lingering guilt of being brainwashed by Wesker.

We get to see another trailer shot of Jill shooting at targets in the gun range. Chris walks in and I don't know how Jill senses Chris is behind her but she knows he's there and takes off her ear mufflers. (Another Valenfield moment?) Chris discusses about Jill's recklessness. He talks about Piers Nivans from RE6 and how he was going to pass the baton to Piers but he tragically died to save Chris' life. Chris says people in their line of work have to be willing to die.

I can't remember much of the dialogue/argument between both of them but there's something along the lines of being soul-less and empty inside and how Jill continues to fight so she won't dwell on being empty. She ends the argument by putting on her ear mufflers and continues to angrily shoot at her targets.

Finally, we are in the big bad's secret liar where Maria and Dylan are holding a hooded Dr Taylor hostage (you won’t see the doc’s face until the later part of the movie), forcing the doctor to do some stuff on the computer. Dylan is shown with a limp and a cane. Dylan empties his revolver and leaves one bullet in the chamber. He plays russian roulette with Dr Taylor and since the gun does not fire, Dylan merely remarks Dr Taylor "will die by some other fate". Dylan also has a weird tic where he taps his cane on the floor at least five times in succession. We will learn why later...

Dylan then puts the gun to his own head and there's another flashback to the butchery in the opening scene. JJ is momentarily overwhelmed by a zombie and gets bit before he finishes off the horde with the SMG. Dylan tries one last time to plead with HQ to evacuate him and the injured JJ but HQ says all those who are bit must be killed.

Dylan and JJ fight over the SMG, and JJ fires the gun in the tussle, shooting bullets into Dylan's leg (which is why he has a limp in the present day). Dylan manages to get the SMG in the end. Flashback ends there with Dylan in the present day pulling the trigger of the revolver but nothing happens.

[From this point onwards, I might not get the scenes correctly in order but the content of the scenes are fairly accurate.]

Claire goes to the same lab where Jill, Chris, and Rebecca are in. Rebecca has analysed the bite wound on the orca carcass which has some remnant T-virus in it. The orca has been part of the herd swimming around Alcatraz. Rebecca also says this new T-virus cannot be transmitted airborne or by saliva which is concerning.

Anyway, all the victims are linked to Alcatraz so Jill, Chris & Claire (gonna dub them the trio) go to investigate while Rebecca stays behind to create a vaccine, and also be the mission liaison in case things go wrong.

The trio join a group of tourists to visit Alcatraz while Dr Taylor has escaped. Dylan tasks Maria to recover their hostage as he notices on CCTV that the trio have set foot on Alcatraz. Just when the trio plan to split off from the tour group to do some private sleuthing of their own, the tourists take turns to become zombies without being bitten.

Lots of impressive fight scenes as the trio try and fail to save the civilians. A security guard with a SMG is surrounded by zombies and their combined weight makes them crash through the floor into a sewer(?) tunnel below. Even though Jill loses her gun, she jumps in after the guard to save him by kniving a zombie but the guard sadly turns as well. Jill is now separated from the Redfield siblings.

Dylan also releases a cage full of lickers underwater with marine-like ear features that remind me of the monster from The Shape of Water. I am calling them marine-lickers to make it easier.

The siblings are now alone, surrounded by bodies. Their comms are jammed and they are worried about Jill. Both hear a thumping coming from a cart and they open it to find a cowering man hidden within. He gives his name as "Tony Davis" and I could spot from a mile away that the man was Antonio Taylor. They all try to get out of the island.

Jill, armed with only a knife and flashlight, carefully explores the tunnels. She spots a shadow in the tunnel and to us viewers, it is very obviously Leon's shadow. Jill and Leon briefly brawl with one another and come to a stalemate as Jill finally gets a good look at Leon's face and just exclaims in surprise, "Leon?"

Leon recognises Jill as well and they disengage while Leon gives Jill a spare gun from his vest before they get interrupted by a zombie. Before they can kill the zombie though, it gets pulled away by a long tongue and Leon briefly mentions "Not good" before he motions to Jill to stay silent.

Jill also has her back partially on the floor and against Leon's knee/foot(?) and Leon has one knee on the ground while his other knee/foot/hand(?) is propping Jill's back. I gotta admire Jill's serious control over her abdominal muscles as the marine-licker comes out of the shadows and uses its tongue to "taste" the air around Jill's knee and face. Jill is very disgusted and is grimacing.

One of the containers beside Jill's face begins to fall and she manages to catch it in time but she does not notice a small cartridge on top of the container which clatters to the ground. Leon shoots the marine-licker ASAP as two more marine-lickers join in the fray and they try to run away.

Jill's ankle gets snagged by a marine-licker and Leon dives in to grab Jill's hand to prevent her from being pulled away. Both of them try to kill the marine-lickers behind each other.

They run again as a bunch of marine-lickers come out from the shadows and there is a funny dialogue of Jill asking "How many are there?" as Leon replies "I am not stopping to count" before he kicks up a jerry can and shoots it, incinerating the tunnel of marine-lickers. He then replies "Zero" as Jill goes "What?" and Leon clarifies there are now zero lickers. Pffft.

The Redfields and "Tony" are holed up in a cafeteria and when "Tony" learns Claire is from TerraSave, he accuses her of being a bioterrorist for what happened in Harvardville (Degeneration). Claire angrily retorts that TerraSave was framed.

"Tony" wanders off and gets ambushed by a zombie. Claire steps in to save him and "Tony" apologises for his behaviour. We are then shown something's POV as it flies around the three of them. It aims for Claire's neck and she collapses, seemingly paralysed. Chris rushes to his sister before he gets paralysed too. "Tony" just runs away before he sees Maria on the stairs.

And we are back to Rebecca in the lab as she receives a call from Hunnigan about someone hacking into the DOD (department of defence) to obtain confidential information about bioterror attacks that have happened since Raccoon City along with files on Leon, Chris, Jill & Claire. Rebecca says she has not heard from the trio for 2 hours and decides to go rescue them. (This scene is in the trailer)

Leon and Jill are squatting down and making their way through a tunnel. (Leon is taking the lead btw) Jill questions why there is such a tunnel down here and Leon says it's probably used for transporting weapons from when Alcatraz was a military base. Jill quips Leon should be a tour guide.

Leon feels a draft of wind coming from a nearby wall and he pulls apart the wall brick by brick to find a crawl space. We do not see them crawling as they next appear in a spacious liar that has baby BOWs that are being incubated in the water, an armoury loaded with a ton of weapons that is next to a submarine dock that was "probably leftover from the military base".

They find a console that showcases bio-drones which are essentially mosquito drones. Dylan cackles over the comms and taunts Leon and Jill to go back to the prison compound where Claire & Chris are waiting.

Back to the prison compound they go while Rebecca is shown gearing up and carrying a case of vaccines as she is escorted by a SWAT team.

In the prison compound, Chris is in one jail cell while Claire & "Tony" are in another cell next to Chris. The Redfield siblings are pale and clearly unwell. Leon finally notices that Antonio is in the same cell as Claire and reveals the doctor's identity to everyone. Leon is also bit by the bio-drone and he slumps down to the floor.

Dylan & Maria finally make their appearance to the heroes and there's some egotistical villain dialogue. Dylan briefly name drops Glenn Arias from Vendetta as it is revealed both of them were acquainted. He hired Maria as she has some unfinished business with Leon for killing her dad.

Dylan says they should all be fighting the big organisations like the government who hide the truth instead of going after companies like Umbrella and individuals on the black market. He especially mocks Leon for working for the government that is clearly corrupt and Leon just says "It makes a living".

Dylan jeers at Claire for working with a NGO that does nothing but "only provides bandages" instead of doing real work to prevent bioterrorism.

He also ridicules Chris for having people die on every mission he's on and he keeps bringing in new people every time only for them to lose their lives.

Jill is spared from infection as Dylan wants her to feel his pain of seeing close friends turn and having to put them down. Claire is on the verge of turning and Dylan encourages Jill to shoot Claire before she can attack Antonio. Dylan taps his cane again and we flashback to the butchery.

Dylan has the SMG pointed at JJ and he pulls the trigger but it's empty. JJ tries to rummage through the mess on the floor and finds another SMG but Dylan grabs a metal box and smashes JJ's head with it at least five times (same rhythm as the cane), killing JJ.

Jill has her gun pointed at Dylan instead of Claire and Dylan shoots Antonio in the chest anyway. Maria and Jill fight a tiny bit before Leon manages to throw a flashbang as a distraction for Jill to escape. Dylan and Maria leave after that for "their final plan" and Dylan tells Maria not to go after Jill because there is nowhere else for Jill to go.

A dying Antonio asks the heroes why they keep fighting when things are so bleak and Leon and Chris say "There's Jill". Claire tries desperately to staunch Antonio's bleeding before Antonio reveals a secret code for a failsafe hidden in his pen. He hands the code to Claire and passes away.

Back to Rebecca on a boat as they approach Alcatraz and pull up to a choppy dock. The SWAT team notice a bogey approaching on the boat's radar which turns out to be an infected shark. Everyone dies via shark except Rebecca (plot armour is strong!)

Jill meets Rebecca in the tunnels as Jill heads towards the secret liar and she tells Rebecca to go to the cell block as the others are infected.

Back to Leon, Chris, and Claire as they shudder in pain and try their hardest not to turn. Rebecca arrives and Leon recognises her and calls her by name. Rebecca administers the vaccine to Leon by injecting him in the neck.

Jill arrives at the secret lair and the baby BOWs have released tons of bio-drones into the air which has now spread all over the globe.

Back to Rebecca, Claire, and Chris as both siblings are now cured, albeit still weakened, and out of their cells. Leon is absent as he ran off to the secret lair as soon as he could stand.

Leon is back at the console in the secret lair and tries to stop the bio-drones but he is interrupted by Maria who wants revenge on him for killing her father in Vendetta. It's a very fierce battle since Maria is super powered and Leon is still recovering so he is barely dodging her attacks. Leon gets his head & body smacked a lot in this fight too. Ouch. Maria is the one that throws a chair at Leon in the trailer.

There are also meme worthy scenes of Maria trying to put Leon in a headlock with her legs... I'm sure dirty-minded fans will have a field day with this.

Leon gets a sudden rush of energy and manages to kick Maria so hard she gets impaled on a rebar and dies. Leon shows no remorse btw and he never flirts with her in this movie.

Jill finds Dylan at the submarine dock and he injects himself in the head with the advanced T-virus and falls into the water below to merge with the BOW shark.

We have all five heroes grouping up and pointing their weapons at the mutated Dylan which looks like a cross between an elephant, RE6 HAOS, and RE4 mutated Saddler. Trailer shot of all five of them jumping to avoid the tentacle and then all of them separate after that with Jill and Chris finding caches of weapons to attack Dylan, Rebecca and Claire fire RPGs before Leon asks Claire to use Antonio's passcode on the console. Rebecca decides to accompany Claire.

All the massive weapons deal no damage to Dylan. Leon even drives a truck full of explosives into Dylan too. (Second vehicle Leon destroys in this movie)

Jill finds a short-ranged plasma rifle and asks Chris and Leon to lure Dylan over to her. So we get the trailer shot of Leon driving a humvee while Chris mans the machine gun turret on the back, shooting at Dylan and trying to get Dylan within Jill's range. Jill fires the weapon and while Dylan is seemingly dead, he still comes back to life.

Jill tries again to fire the plasma rifle but it needs time to charge and she gets smacked away by Dylan and Chris runs up to her to make sure she's alright. (Another Valenfield moment!)

Jill, Chris, and Leon run around the dock as Dylan rampages.

Before Claire can enter the killcode, Rebecca stops her and says they can control the bio-drones and the drones attack Dylan's body, "messing with its DNA".

Dylan tries desperately to escape into the ocean and they all try to close the gate leading out to sea. The gate lowers very slowly...

Jill has found a bag of weapons(?) and pulls out a flare, taunting Dylan to follow her as Leon and Chris try to assemble this huge-ass RPG that requires two people to carry.

Jill then dives into the water, Dylan follows after her, and she tries to shove a grenade into Dylan's mouth but is briefly strangled by the strap of her bag of weapons. She knives Dylan's eyeball and cuts the bag strap to free herself. It almost looks like Jill loses consciousness & sinks but then the camera cuts away to Leon and Chris firing the huge-ass RPG on the chains of the gate to make it drop down even faster.

Gate drops down on Dylan's head but doesn't quite decapitate him, Jill's bag of grenades (I think) goes off and Dylan's body explodes in a shower of goo.

Jill climbs out of the dock, miraculously dries off within a minute, and looks at the water with Dylan's gooey body. Leon and Chris are further away behind her, look at the body for a few seconds before they turn and walk away.

Scene transitions to the outside of Alcatraz where it is now sunrise. Leon jokes he can add "tour guide" into his resume as three helicopters are seen flying towards Alcatraz.

The camera shows an overhead view of Alcatraz and slowly pulls out... before the end credits roll with reels from the movie shown on the left and names of the people who worked on the movie on the right. (Kinda like Damnation's end credits)

So yeah, that's the movie. Pretty linear and not as messy as Vendetta but still predictable as the villain turns into a BOW.

Thanks for reading! I know I got a little tired at the end. I would say to watch this movie when the blu-ray/DVD comes out, probably not worth the money to watch in the theatre.

#crossbow down #death island #resident evil death island #leon kennedy #chris redfield #jill valentine #claire redfield #rebecca chambers

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d-criss-news · 9 months

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[HQ] Darren Criss makes himself at home at his Cahuenga corridor bar, Tramp Stamp Granny’s. (Photo by Giuliana Mayo)

Darren Criss’ ascent to small screen, big stage, bar business

This Sunday, Darren Criss will hold an intimate summer concert at the Ford Theater, where he’ll play all kinds of music from his career. Criss rose to stardom after he portrayed Blaine Anderson in the TV show “Glee.” And he performed in Broadway musicals like “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “Chess.” But he also wants to emphasize the beginning of his career at this weekend’s concert. “I also had my own career before all of this on YouTube with songs that I had written and musicals that I had written that, if it weren't for those songs, I don't think I would have been able to be on shows like ‘Glee’ or do anything on Broadway for that matter,” Criss says. “So I try to give something for everybody.” Criss’ passion for music started not with singing but playing instruments, he shares. “I was a classical violinist. … I play guitar and piano and drums and a couple of things — kind of jack of all trades, master of none.” Criss points out that LA, where he moved to from his San Francisco hometown, was where he had his “beginning nexus into the entertainment world.” And in the Cahuenga corridor, he and his wife, Mia Swier, own a piano bar called Tramp Stamp Granny’s. There, people can drink and sing show tunes all night long. “When I moved to Hollywood, I moved right down the street, Whitley and Franklin. I came here because of The Hotel Cafe, just to be part of … the singer-songwriter scene … that's always been there. But certainly as … a 22-year-old kid, being around people in that oeuvre was really important to me,” he says. “It’s right in the center of so many things that I love.”

#darren criss #kcrw #darren criss @ the ford #glee #hatai #mia swier #tramp stamp granny's #press #july 2023

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kremlin · 7 months

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back from my trip. i drunk peed into oracle’s HQ lake where their penis boat is. i also did rude antic on EA’s hq sign but not posting pic. hmm. let’s see. all these san francisco corporate car rental places have like basically only white teslas, and i said NO TESLA, so i got a charger which i drove around like a huge douchebag. sat through 8 hours of meetings a day. did a lot of drinking. watched several 50 y/o men, get like, teenager sloppy drunk, sneak a weed vape around, grab each others asses etc. they run the company.

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fishermod · 2 months

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hi! just trying to spread this to other users also spreading this info when i see them circulate but, tumblr/automattic moved its HQ to to san francisco, so you should link to the SF HRC and not the NYC DHR!! i made a post about it if you wanna reblog that or just copy over the info to your own post, thanks!!

Yeah, I did see that tumblr's HQ was in san fran now. When I looked into san fran's equivalent of the NYCCHR it looked like you had to do an in-person appointment for it, so I opted to link the NYC one since they had a pre-existing settlement and could probably still bug Tumblr about them not adhering to that settlement. I'll add a note about san fran tho since hoo boy that post's going way more nuclear than I expected

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indeedcaptain · 7 months

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Spirktober 2023, day 1: Uniform

I will catch up after missing the first two days if it kills me. I told myself that I would write my own personal novel but I am fixated on these guys right now. Behold! More fan fiction!

Also posted on AO3 here.

☆ ☆ ☆

Kirk had been in San Francisco for six months. His time on the U.S.S. Farragut had ended, and his new ship had more time in spacedock before they would set out on their five-year mission, to explore new space and push the boundaries of Federation knowledge. And he would be there, leading the charge, as the youngest captain in Starfleet history. His father had been so proud, and his mother so worried. Sam had been… well. He had been himself, which was all he would ever be.

Kirk was worried too, if he were being honest with himself, but he was trying to remind himself of the similarities between his old and new postings instead of focusing on the differences. The U.S.S. Enterprise was the same class of ship as the Farragut. The officers’ mess would have the same ten replicators. His quarters would be different, larger, and in a different location, but the mattress and sheets and smell would be the same. The uniforms would be the same. Almost everything would be the same, except for the people and his role among them. He even had gotten to know the ship and some of the crew ahead of time, thanks to his sojourns with Captain Pike through his various misadventures. He reasoned that he could take on his new level of responsibility without too much fuss.

Four days before the U.S.S. Enterprise was scheduled to take off on her journey, his new crewmates began to arrive in San Francisco and either come say hi or introduce themselves to him. Newly promoted Lieutenant Uhura threw herself into his arms with congratulations when she returned from visiting her grandparents in Kenya. Bones arrived from Georgia a few hours afterwards, bearing moonshine and tales of Joanna’s exploits. Slowly they trickled into the city and HQ grounds, with new faces mingling with the old. Uhura positioned herself at Kirk’s side and introduced the ones she knew to him, whispering details that might be helpful to him into his ear as they departed. She knew who was secretly dating, who couldn’t work alongside each other, and who was most likely to break anything fragile. With every detail she was able to slide him, he felt a little less overwhelmed by the prospect of guiding three hundred people successfully through the black and a little more excited to get started.

Three days before departure, a package landed on the doormat of the apartment Starfleet had furnished him with. He picked it up as he arrived back from a dinner out with Uhura and several of her Xenolinguistics friends, hefting it up into his arms as he wrangled a padd out to tap against the lock.

Inside, he dropped it on the kitchen table, located a pair of scissors, and sliced into it. It was printed with official Starfleet logos, so it must have been something related to the mission. Inside were four sets of a new uniform, with a note on top.

Captain Kirk,

Congratulations on your promotion and taking command of the U.S.S. Enterprise. As your unique mission will take you beyond where finding adequate replacement uniforms will be convenient or possible, the Fabrications team has taken this opportunity to outfit the Enterprise crew with new, more durable, and more functional uniforms.

Please let us know if you discover any issues with their construction at your earliest convenience.

Best wishes on your journey.

Starfleet Fabrications and Material Construction

Kirk pulled the top uniform out. The material was certainly thicker than he was used to, but it stretched in the same way, and the gold of command was a warm, cheery hue. He pulled out the matching pants and, grinning, made his way to his room to see how captaincy fit him.

☆ ☆ ☆

It’s not that there was anything wrong with the uniforms, per se. They were comfortable, durable, and flexible. The colors were right. They fit him well. He could feel the clever measurements within them as he bent his knees and elbows experimentally, moving through his range of motion and found no areas of discomfort.

It was just, he thought as he frowned at himself in the mirror, that they weren’t particularly flattering. He had thought, despite his best efforts to quash any public displays of vanity, that the old uniforms had helped him cut quite the striking figure. But the new uniforms had softer, less visible seams, and fewer panels. The outcome was that they were undoubtedly more useful for extended action, more difficult to rip, and likely easier to repair.

But they also made him feel like a child again, round like only a farm boy could be, weaning play clothes that he could get dirty without upsetting his parents.

It’s fine, he told himself. It’s not like there was a common Earth saying about “the clothes make the man.” He was not a self-conscious teenager and it didn’t matter if his clothing made him feel like a child again. They were useful for his mission.

But that didn’t mean that he had to like them.

☆ ☆ ☆

The uniform had not grown on him, but he was wearing it as Montgomery Scott, new chief engineer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, beamed him aboard for final review. The enthusiastic Scotsman pumped his hand and led him down into engineering. Kirk found himself buoyed from department to department by the momentum of his crew, everyone wanting a moment of his time to tell him about their experiments, or ideas, or questions for their trek. Their excitement was infectious, and (despite all of them looking like babies to him in their soft uniforms) Kirk was thrilled to see each and every one of them.

Finally he ended up on the bridge, surrounded by his hand-picked command crew: Lieutenant Uhura on communications, the Russian baby genius Chekov for navigation, the ace pilot Sulu, Bones, who was supposed to be in Medbay but was following Kirk around with a hypo just for the hell of it, and ---

“Where is Mr. Spock, Uhura?” Kirk finally asked, when there was a moment of silence.

Uhura looked down at her padd. “He should be here any moment, he was on his way back from---”

The turbolift door slid open, and Spock stepped out. Kirk hadn’t seen him in over a year: not since his last time on the Enterprise when she was still Pike’s ship, when Spock had saved his ass in a firefight and Kirk had promised Pike afterwards that he would convince Spock to be his first officer if it was the last thing he did. He looked just as Kirk remembered him. Spock was tall and dark and broad, steady and familiar and comforting. There was a happy jolt in Kirk’s stomach as Spock turned to him.

“My apologies, captain,” Spock said. His dark eyes were warm as he looked over Kirk. “I just returned from a visit on Vulcan. My mother was less than enthusiastic about my departure.”

“It’s good to see you, Spock,” Kirk said. He could feel his affection radiating out of his face, but he was powerless to stop it. Spock inclined his head, and walked from the turbolift to the science station, which whirred to life at his approach. He placed his hand over the power panel almost fondly, with his back to the rest of the bridge crew.

Kirk felt his mouth dry out. Had Spock’s legs always been so long? Had his ass looked like that before, or had he gotten stronger in the intervening year? Had his shoulders always tapered to his waist at that angle; had his fingers always been so agile; had the blue of the science shirt always set off the soft green undertone of his eyelids like that? He realized that he was staring and pulled his eyes away, and if Uhura smirked at him then he would pretend he didn’t know what she had seen.

As he settled into the captain’s chair, his captain’s chair for the first time, Kirk thought that he might be convinced of the merits of the new uniforms.

#spirk #k/s #kirk/spock #star trek fan fic #my writing #spirktober2023 #spirktober #Kirk Likes Spock's Butt and That's It

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dominoblues · 1 year

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WORLD-BUILDING SERIES #1 KAIBACORP - PART 1

KaibaCorp Tower - Head Office - Domino HQ, "The Blue Obelisk"

KaibaCorp Tower - Main NA Office (Operations, Marketing, HR, IT) - San Francisco HQ, "The Sun Tower"

KaibaCorp Tower - Main EMEA Office - Frankfurt HQ, "The Red Tower"

Apart from the main three offices, KaibaCorp also owns smaller offices across all regions mostly for language localization and customer care. The exeption is the NA Office in New York City, which is a rental of a few floors in Midtown Manhattan, and consists of the financial department and the legal team.

DISCLAIMER: all designs belong to the original creators: [1] [2] [3]

#seto kaiba #domino blues #worldbuilding

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marthanielsn · 10 months

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hello besties i’m catching up w a few tag games sorry to bother u with a lengthy post (lie since it’s all under the cut) 🥰🥰🥰

thank you bb @ojacksonscohen for tagging me, here is a list of five songs that have been on repeat 🎶 (i’m nor gonna cheat and actually check on spotify 🤭)

don’t blame me (taylor swift)

dream girl evil (florence + the machine)

the alcott (the national ft. taylor swift)

under the radar (foals)

maroon (taylor swift)

nobody is surprised 👀

ALSO !!!! while i’m at it lemme post some other things i have been tagged on ages ago, as i am a master procrastinator 👼👼👼

@pristina-nomine tagged me to answer some qs and post nine of my favourite films. not gonna make this image heavy so you’ll get a cute little list!!

— get to know me 💋

favourite colour: blue!!!

song stuck in my head: at the moment it’s ethel cain’s crush, but just because i’ve been listening to it on repeat this afternoon

last song i listened to: as above 🤠

three favourite foods: look i am a basic italian i’m just gonna mention pizza, pasta alla norma, arancini 🤭

last thing(s) i googled: ahdkdjdkd “download instagram photos hq” I AM SO SORRY I AM A WEAK WOMAN I NEED MY BLORBO’S PHOTOS IN MY GALLERY

dream trip: oh i have many but at the moment i am obsessed with chicago/philly/san francisco

— nine favourite films (v glad it’s not just four tbh)

obviously TWILIGHT (2008) dir. catherine hardwicke. can never ever get enough of it oops

in the mood for love (2000) dir. wong kar-wai. absolute masterpiece the longing the suffering i feel understood

stoker!!!!!!!! the 2013 film!!!!!! directed by park chan-wook!!!!!!!! mia wasikowska my beloved!!!!!!

ok this is gonna be weird but. shirley (2020) dir. josephine decker; idk why, me and her… we vibin’ 😘

bright star (2009) dir. jane campion. no need to say anything else ehehehe

the death and life of john f. donovan (2018) dir. xavier dolan, cos u never forget ur first

MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006) DIRECTED BY MY MOTHER SOFIA COPPOLA NUMBER ONE PERIOD DRAMA MOST ME MOVIE TO EVER EXIST

jane eyre (2011) my beloved ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

um……………… shrek……….

@villetteulogy had tagged me 700 years ago (real) to post my lock screen, last song and current reads! i’m in a silly goofy mood so let’s gooooo 💘💘💘

#tagged

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elonmuskfansgossipblog · 10 months

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Elon bought Shivons Austin house in August 2021. That's when she moved to Austin. She posted pictures of a locked closet they had to open in her new house, it's on her twitter account. That's also around the time Elon basically stopped flying to San Francisco. He used to fly there every 2-3 weeks but dropped down to every 6 months exactly in August 2021 until the tiwtter purchase in late 2022. Late 2021 was also when he had Neuralink HQ moved to Austin.

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tornrose24 · 1 year

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I was remembering episodes of the Epic tales of Captain Underpants. Specifically the memory wipe episode. And I was remembering Krupp talking to Murdsley when I remembered him mentioning how everyone had to bring there own toilet paper after the TP mummy episode...

...And my mind went to a screeching halt because that sounded all too familiar.

I remembered how people working at Twitter HQ in San Francisco are saying that they too have to bring their own toilet paper because Elon Musk was firing the janitors amongst the MANY that he already fired.

And now I’m all ‘you HAVE to be kidding me.’ Because Elon is now officially the equivalent of a children’s book character. An antagonist character to be specific. And not just that, but the version of said antagonist character who also happens to be a complete moron most of the time.

#captain underpants #elon musk #the epic tales of captain underpants #truth IS stranger than fiction #of ALL the things captain underpants would predict #people being forced to bring their own toilet paper to work due to the head honchos stupidity was NOT one of them

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dragongirltongue · 1 year

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do your heroes have secret identities? if so, how do each of them manage it? alternatively, if there's a break from their hero work, how do they fill the time?

So while furry tends to carry a little more variety in the individual this setting still works on the superhero rule of just putting on a domino mask will make you instantly harder to recognize somehow. With that explained let's go down the list.

Weightless, AKA Ramona Knight. She started out having a secret identity 6ut over time decides to 6ecome a full time Superhero and unmasks herself for the world to see. Due to some events in her 6ack story there's no draw6ack to this choice as her history effectively does not exist.

Ramona spends her off time resting really. Once the team and HQ are esta6lished she helps out around the 6ase. Sometimes the rest of Safeguard force her to take a nap.

She's also got this from 6eing an allegory for my own transition, she's also canonically trans herself uwu.

Tectonic, aka Samantha [lastname] She's got one, she was Ramona's roommate when the dragon first showed up in San Francisco. She felt that her hero 6usiness could endanger her friends and the union she's with as a construction worker so she keeps her lives very separate. Weightless is pu6licly in a polyamorous relationship with Tectonic and Samantha to help keep her cover.

She'll either 6e working her day jo6 or actually finding some time to relax, she's got a few places she'll drag Ramona to like 6ars and such, just trying to help her 6estie/GF cut loose.

Upright AKA Quinn [lastname] She's got one too, given her ha6it of 6reaking and entering 6uildings for fun 6efore she decided to 6ecome a superhero she's got a few things to hide, she's more casual a6out it as time goes on 6ut she's got no intention to 6ridge the gap like Weightless did.

After 6ecoming Upright she stopped her more criminal 6ehavior mostly 6ecause hero work gave her the same thrill, her off days are spent pretty lazily too, mostly trying to find ways to rest her 6ody in spite of her curse.

Breakout AKA Lucas Jackson God he wishes, he would love to 6e a6le to just 6e some guy sometimes 6ut given how his powers work he can't really hide his face when he's doing the superhero thing. Even if he could the la6 that gave him his powers have his personal details on record and could out him at any moment if they wanted.

As much as he'd love to cut loose and have fun, most of his off time is spent trying to find ways to control his mutation 6etter, not wanting to 6e rid of it 6ut desperately wishing to not have to worry a6out it. Quinn sees Lucas' life style as a challenge and tries her 6est to make him relax.

Glitch AKA Lolo_13 Glitch maintains an online identity as a living 6reathing [human] with flesh and 6ones 6ecause while she may 6elieve that 6eing a digital god is a 6lessing, she does miss the mundanity of 6eing [NameMissing] and is happy to live that fantasy on social media and online games. If you get the reference in her name you get a high five 6tw.

As mentioned her off time is spent posting online and trying not to 6e caught as a 6ot in online games despite her digitally superior reaction times.

She also makes a game out of fucking with rich people until they agree to donate large sums to the charities of her choice, she considers this to 6e hero work though so it doesn't count.

#koboldstonegenerator #6ringing you answers #6aaah #Heroics!#OC: Weightless #OC: Tectonic #OC: Upright #OC: Breakout #OC: Glitch

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202105961caic2223 · 1 year

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‘The Bird That Was Freed’, and The Destructive Hate Speech That Followed

After Elon Musk expanded the reach of his dominant and groundbreaking empire, as the Space X, and Tesla CEO bought Twitter for a jaw-dropping $44 billion, it seemed as if Musk’s reign as “the world’s richest man" was an invincible force of nature. However, the tides have turned for the worst, as Musk, announced that he would be stepping down as Twitter CEO only months after taking over the company. This resulted from a Twitter poll, where Musk asked users of the site whether he should step down as CEO, promising that he would abide by the results of the poll. The results of the poll concluded that 57.5% of users of the site opted for Musk’s resignation, while only 42.5% of users wished for him to remain. (Take a look at the poll results down below:)

It also seems that Musk’s other companies took a severe hit, following his ownership of Twitter, as well as his exit, and it gets worst… as his net worth has plunged dramatically. Musk’s net worth has reportedly also taken a severe bullet to the chest, with it dropping in value by a reported record-breaking loss of “$200 billion” according to Bloomberg. Danny Goldman from CNN has stated in an online newspaper article that “The CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter is worth $137 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, good enough for second place on the list of the world's richest behind LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault. But at its peak in November 2021, Musk's net worth was $340 billion. That makes Musk the first person ever to lose $200 billion in wealth, Bloomberg reported last week. The bulk of Musk's wealth is tied up in Tesla, whose stock plunged 65% in 2022. Demand for Teslas weakened as competition in electric vehicles from established automakers surged last year. The company missed its growth targets and scaled back production in China.”

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Here’s how it happened:

On October 27th, Musk announced his takeover of the company with a cryptic tweet on Twitter itself, saying; “the bird is freed”. (See his tweet down below:)

Following this Tweet, the world was fascinated by what the new Twitter CEO’s first business move would be, and I should probably point out that the current executives and employees of Twitter were extremely nervous (no surprises there!), and this is what followed…

His Victorious entrance into the Twitter HQ:

Upon his arrival at the Twitter Headquarters in San Francisco, Musk victoriously Tweeted a video of him strolling in cheerfully to his new office, bizarrely carrying a kitchen sink leaving many people in complete confusion over his antics. Musk captioned the Tweet; “Entering Twitter HQ - let that sink in!”. Hilarious right?!

Although you really shouldn’t be surprised by Elon’s seemingly weird antics, as he is no stranger to playing the role of an internet troll on social media, and he was simply just gloating over his seemingly ever-expanding world dominance, like the James Bond Villian role he so well lives up to.

See his full Tweet and video down below:

Employee Cuts and Resignations:

You could undoubtedly say that Musk wasted no time in asserting his status as a ruthless businessman towards his new business endeavor, as he controversially and immediately fired Twitter’s former boss Parag Agrawal and numerous other leading executives within the company. He ruthlessly demanded that employee cuts needed to be made, leaving many employees worrying about the stability of their current employment. Nobody was safe from the ruthlessness of Musk’s business strategy, who had effectively turned the company upside down to create a better one in the long run.

A news story published on the ‘Los Angeles Times’ website reported; “Musk had asked workers to commit to his more “hardcore” version of the company or leave.” Unsurprisingly many employees handed in their resignation form’s pretty swiftly (SHOCK!), as many employees didn’t see sustainably fruitful employment underneath their new boss, as he was firing employers left, right and center. Just to put these details of Musk’s obliteration of employees into perspective, the ‘Los Angeles Times’ also stated that “An internal counter of employees currently reads 2,750, one person said, though some resignations and cuts may still be in the process of being counted. Twitter had more than 7,000 employees before Musk took over in late October.” Judging from these figures alone, it's obvious that Elon takes no prisoners… I also don’t think I’ll be looking for a job at the Twitter headquarters anytime soon, and you probably shouldn't either.

Read the Full article here:

Elon’s Changes To Twitter:

Within his first week as the new CEO of Twitter, Musk immediately made numerous plans to change the social media network. One of the first changes he wished to make was to charge users of Twitter $8 for the Blue Tick verification symbol to appear on their profile, and the idea behind this was to reward the content creators of the app with more profit. Musk also believed that paying 8$ for the Blue Tick had reward benefits for the consumer, as those who are verified will be able to claim reduced advertisements, and increased quality of presence on the app, and they will be able to lengthen the duration of recorded videos.

Other substantial changes Musk wished to introduce to the site were rules and regulations updates, the banning of Twitters advertisements to endorse other apps (in an attempt to stop users from focusing their attention on rival sites), and the most important one being the banishment of ‘doxxing’ (location sharing). I think that most people will agree that this was one of Elon’s better ideas, as users across social media put themselves at a much higher risk of theft and physical violence due to sharing their physical whereabouts. However unfortunately for Elon, this wasn't enough to allow his Twitter endeavor to be a success.

The Destructive Hate speech That Followed:

Free Speech, Removing Censorship, and Reinstating Previously Banned Accounts Of Controversial Figures Such As Ex-President Trump and Ye (Kanye West) were also at the top of Elon’s to-do list. We already knew way before Musk’s ownership of Twitter that he was an advocate of the free speech movement. So you can easily put two and two together and conclude that Musk intended to allow free speech to be accepted on Twitter also, as he has always believed that censorship on social media platforms is more negative and that everyone has a right to their opinion. But this had many Twitter users extremely concerned and worried, which is understandable as many believe that there is merit to censorship, as it disables hateful speech such as bullying, racism, and distasteful images to the site. This argument is very true, as I can imagine most parents won't want their impressionable children to be influenced by potentially dangerous users of the site.

And this is where I bring former President Donald Trump into the discussion. Before Elon’s takeover of Twitter, it is quite hard to forget the events that occurred on January 6th, 2021, following Trump’s loss in the general election to current president Joe Biden. Most people will agree that Trump’s tweets after losing the election were responsible for the storming of the U.S. Capitol, which it is hard to argue why his Twitter account was banned from the site, due to breaching the site's guidelines. Twitter issued a statement explaining the banning of his account, stating “ we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.” So you could argue that Trump’s account was permanently suspended for good reason and that the repercussions of such hateful speech on Twitter simply outway the benefits.

Click on the link to see the full statement (Trump’s Tweets are also included to provide context):

Then finally that leaves me with Elon’s extremely controversial decision to reinstate the account of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West). And, well unsurprisingly this decision from Elon quickly came crashing down in flames, after Ye (who leans heavily toward the far right) caused an extreme amount of controversy, after coming out with many Anit's Semitic outbursts directed toward Jewish people. Despite Elon Musk being an advocate of “freedom of speech”, after Ye outrageously Tweeted a picture of a Swastika on his account it seemed that he had no choice but to remove Ye from Twitter, and thankfully he did. In response to Ye’s Anti Semitic outburst, Musk Tweeted;

While you could argue that Musk made the right call, you could also argue as to why he would even have thought it was possibly a good idea to even reinstate Ye’s account, considering this is the man who claimed: “ 400 years of slavery was a choice”, back in 2018. This left many questioning Musk’s capabilities of responsibility and judgment as a CEO, with many debating as to what extent “freedom of speech” is acceptable. Just to put it into perspective, hate speech on Twitter has severely increased since Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter. Studies carried out by Montclair State University, within the Faculty; School of Communication and Media News had proven that hate speech had dramatically spiked upwards only hours after Elon took office. (Have a look for yourself at the graph data down below:)

MSU, School of Communication and Media News Hate Speech Study:

Here are some of the key findings from the study:

“The seven-day average of Tweets using the studied hate terms prior to Musk’s acquisition was never higher than 84 times per hour.”

“However, on October 28 from midnight to noon (immediately following Musk’s acquisition), the studied hate speech was Tweeted some 4,778 times.”

“Terms studied included vulgar and hostile terms for individuals based on race, religion, ethnicity, and orientation.”

“The potential impact of this hate speech (the potential number of times a term posted in Twitter could have been viewed) was more than 3 million.”

“Elon Musk has promised to reduce restrictions on the platform and “free the bird.” From these results, this directive represents an obvious danger to young people using the platform.”

“Platforms with lax or no moderation are frequently spaces filled with racism, homophobia, transphobia, and antisemitism.”

“Recorded data indicating the spike in hate speech:”

Judging from these figures alone, you can clearly see how potentially damaging posts and comments on Twitter can really be if they are uncensored. If millions of users, including kids, are within reach of consuming hate speech online, it can have a severely damaging impact on their mental health and general well-being, not to mention that many young kids are impressionable and may possibly decide to copy the behavior that they see online. This is where unlimited “free speech” becomes a problem, as negative behavior and hate speech online becomes normalized, due to the lack of punishment for their actions, which leaves those responsible for spreading hate speech to not be held accountable for their actions. So this inevitably causes children to think that this type of behavior is acceptable, and therefore become influenced to copy the type of language they see online. So you have to wonder… do you really want your vulnerable children to be within reach of a social media site where hate speech seems totally acceptable? Personally, I think not.

During the period before Elon Musk announced that he was going to be stepping down as Twitter CEO, many predicted that Twitter was going to suffer from extreme loss of users due to the new technological changes and the offensive content that had increased since Musk began his Twitter Endeavour. ‘The Guardian news website published an article predicting; “More than 30 million users are expected to leave Twitter over the next two years as concerns mount over technical issues and the proliferation of offensive content, after Elon Musk’s $44bn takeover, according to a forecast”. So this makes you wonder… how beneficial was Musk’s ownership of Twitter really going to be? When you weigh up the positives and the disadvantages of Elon Musk’s stint as Twitter CEO, you could definitely make a strong argument that agrees with the fact that the disadvantages out the benefits. (Read the full article in the link down below)

According to an article published by the MIT Technology Review Website “The firm Bot Sentinel, which tracks inauthentic behavior on Twitter by analyzing more than 3.1 million accounts and their activity daily, believes that around 877,000 accounts were deactivated and a further 497,000 were suspended between October 27 and November 1.” The article states that this was a result of the severe increase in “hate speech” on the platform, leaving many users wishing to become effectively disassociated with the site. The article also states; “We also believe the increase in suspensions is from Twitter taking action on accounts purposely violating Twitter’s rules to see if they can push the limits of ‘free speech,’” This particular statistic is arguably very important, as it highlights the issues within a site that pushes the boundaries too far with “free speech”. Users who use offensive language, such as racism, antisemitism, homophobia, bullying, etc, will attempt to see how far they can push the rules and regulations of Twitter before they get themselves suspended. This unfortunately is the price you pay for allowing a more lenient approach to “free speech”. (Be sure to read the full article in the link down below)

Following the results of the Twitter poll, Musk Tweeted; “I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams.” (See Musk’s Tweet down below)

Despite his intentions being good… it seems he has only forced Twitter on track to its potential grave, and unfortunately, the coffin might already be nailed. You can decide for yourself whether you think Elon Musk was the right person to take on the role of CEO, but because he himself had decided to step down as a result of the Twitter poll, I think it is quite telling that even as a man who has created such a successful and wealthy empire, even he believes deep down within himself that he has failed. It seems as if Musk had simply placed too much on his plate, and that he wasn’t able to transfer his successes from his other companies to Twitter. As a result of this, he faces the consequences, both to his reputation and financially. We will have to wait and see how he bounces back from this… and for some reason, I think he will come back with a vengeance. Who knows, maybe he will design his own social media platform, I think that could be interesting!

#caic2223

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