#can you shoot video inside a casino?

[riaaanna]

Montreux Part 3: Queen Studio Experience - 2 Sept 2023

I had the opportunity to visit Queen Studio Experience in Montreux for the occasion of Freddie's birthday celebration! This day (2nd Sept) was the main agenda of my entire visit to Montreux. The morning was for my dissertation lol but the afternoon was for the Studio Experience and the evening was for the official Freddie Mercury Birthday party! So here was my afternoon.

Queen Studio Experience is in the Casino Barriere Montreux, which I didn't take a picture of from outside so here's one from Google on the left (📸 Martin Tanev). It's located where Mountain Studios used to be and has been converted into a Queen museum/exhibition since 2013. It was curated by Greg Brooks after the success of the Stormtrooper in Stilettos exhibition in 2011. You can read more about its history here.

This is the display at the entrance before the door! There are two lion statues in Freddie's outfits, a Flash Gordon pinball machine (I didn't actually try it so I don't know if it works!), and one of the replicas of Freddie's harlequin catsuit that he wore on tour from '77-78.

There are actually many costume replicas that take turns taking displays inside the QSE, some of the previous ones over the years can be seen here (with pictures of other displays in QSE over the years). In fact there was a new Brian costume replica put up a few weeks after this event, and I was even back in Montreux (yes I went twice 😭) just two days before that was put up so I missed it...

There was also this coin dispenser by the entrance where you can buy a commemorative coin of Queen Studio Experience! I had exactly the right amount of cash at that time so I got myself one!

Entering the door to the exhibition, there is a small room of fan arts, poems, prints, handwritings, and a lot of fan tribute items from fans all over the world. The walls are full of them and it's touching to see the outpouring love for Freddie and Queen from so many people over the years who have come to visit the place!

When I came to visit it was quite crowded which made it difficult to take a proper overall photo of the entire place. (Not that I did that the second time round I went there either, sadly...) It took some time to get clear shots of these costume replicas on display in the middle of the room.

Inside there are four cabinets of costume replicas. The first one is Freddie's famous yellow jacket for the Magic Tour. It's also supposed to be accompanied by his Shure Unisphere microphone, but it's been taken out as a photo prop with the fee for each photo going to the MPT.

The second is Brian's Zandra Rhodes top that he wore during the '74-75 tour. There's a cute little Knucklebonz Rock Iconz statue (from the Queen II collection) of Brian on the bottom left of the cabinet. A small detail that I've just noticed is the top doesn't use a zipper in the back but instead there are fourteen buttons to hold the thing together.

The third is Freddie's black and white catsuit which he wore around '77, one of the most notable occasion being the shoot of We Are the Champions music video. Complete with matching black and white ballet shoes!

Last and absolutely The Most, is Freddie's massive lobster(? prawn?) costume for the It's A Hard Life music video, which was designed by Natasha Korniloff. I'm not sure if the big feathers are part of it. I also noticed the yellowish leaves on the back of the legs. I don't remember if they were supposed to be there? But it was a nice detail.

Inside another display case is what a typical Queen studio setup looked like when they were there. Here are closer shots of each of them along with what was written for them:

Roger Taylor’s Ludwig chrome drum kit often played in concert including Live Aid.

John Deacon’s ‘Music Man Stingray’ Bass Guitar has featured in a number of concerts.

This Brian May ‘Guild’ replica of his ‘Red Special’ electric guitar has been used in concert.

Brian’s Vox AC30 guitar amplifier.

Shure SM85 vocal microphone used during Freddie’s last studio recordings.

Yamaha DX-7 Synthesizer played on many Queen songs, including “Who Wants to Live Forever”.

"Handwritten lyrics by Brian and Roger. The band often played the game scrabble during recording sessions." The handwritten papers are clearly from Jazz session - on the left looks like a running order of the songs in the album and their durations, and on the right seems to be a lyrics draft for "Fun It". I adore the little doodles and squiggles on the paper, some of which are unmistakably Freddie's, and you can find similar ones on some items that were auctioned at Sotheby's.

There were a lot of display cases for each album, most of which are albums that were recorded there in Mountain Studios. There's not enough space to attach close-up pictures of everything but it was so fascinating to see all the different tidbits when I was there.

There was a display case that showed photos of the inside of Freddie's apartment in Montreux which I quite liked. I have to admit I never looked it up before and only saw it for the first time during my Boat Tour with Phoebe, I even struggled to find which one it was from the boat cause I stupidly didn't google what it looked like before 💀. It was new information to me that the stuff from there were also auctioned at Sotheby's so I guess it's all empty now.

But outside the casino on the side of the building there is a Queen Tribute Wall, which is just a big wall dedicated as a giant guestbook for fans to leave their own handwritten marks. On the second photo above, on the far corner on the left (I didn't properly take a picture of) there's a door, which actually used to be the original entrance door to Mountain Studios when it was still active. Again great to see marks from people from all over the world!

It was only a quick tour of QSE before the main sessions which I'll have separate posts for! But before that the next one after this will be a Lyrics special, because QSE was a goldmine of handwritten memorabilia and I adore each and every one of them. Thank you for reading!

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Info for Faith In The Future World Tour MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO - JUN 9 2023

With special guests THE ACADEMIC & SNARLS!

Important Times:

5:30 PM - Doors Open

7:00 PM - Snarls

8:00 PM - The Academic

9:00 PM - Louis Tomlinson

Times are all approximate and subject to change.

General admission (pit tickets):

Heavy traffic advisory: heavy traffic and extra congestion will be present due to show at @hollywoodampstl. We strongly encourage you arrive early.

Subject to change. Check the venue’s socials for updates!

⚠️ HYDRATION REMINDER ⚠️

Hydrate before the show, while waiting in line and during the show

For optimal hydration drink something with electrolytes such as Gatorade or LiquidIV

Wear sunscreen!

Eat well!

Here are important policies:

The venue is CASHLESS! Pay with major credit or debit cards except Discover.

Food & drinks special info here

Heavy traffic advisory: heavy traffic and extra congestion will be present due to show at @hollywoodampstl. We strongly encourage you arrive early.

Parking: parking available on site for $10 ($25 premium parking) cash/card. Info and map here and here

ADA info here and here 

Cameras: Small personal, non-professional "point and shoot" cameras are allowed. Professional cameras with detachable lenses are not permitted. Audio recorders, video recorders and digital cameras with video capabilities are prohibited during all events.

Water: 1 sealed and unopened water bottle or empty plastic bottle, max 20oz is ALLOWED (link)

NO Outside food and/or beverages

NO Cans, Metal/Glass/Plastic Containers, Bottles or Flasks

NO Illegal drugs or substances (zero tolerance on this)

NO Incendiary devices, flammable liquids, aerosol cans, permanent markers

NO Weapons of any kind

NO Strollers (exceptions made for collapsible ones that fit under seat)

NO Banner sticks, poster tubes and flag poles

NO Items whose content cannot be inspected (wrapped gifts, etc.)

NO alcohol

NO smoking (except on the South side of the plaza area (behind the seats) by Casino Center Drive)

NO Aerosol sunscreen/bug spray

NO Laptops, personal computers, two-way radios, tablets, iPads

NO Flashlights, laser pointers, flares, fireworks, confetti

NO Nose making devices (air horns, whistles, bells, vuvuzelas, etc.)

NO Balloons, balls, projectiles, optical illusions

NO Skateboards, segways, scooters, roller blades, bikes, hoverboards, helmets

NO Coolers, ice chests, folding chairs, pointed-tip umbrellas

NO Seat cushions or booster seats: cannot have zippers, pockets or concealable areas

NO Masks, chains, studded belts or bracelets

NO Drones

NO Animals or pets (accomodations will be made for trained, harnessed, and housebroken service animals)

NO Unapproved pamphlets, handouts, ads, flyers

NO Clothing, garments, or signs displaying explicit language, profanity, derogatory characterization

There is NO RE-ENTRY!

VIEW VENUE MAP

VIEW SEAT MAP

For more details click here 

Bag Policy:

Bags must be no larger than 12" x 6" x 12"

Oversized bags and backpacks are not permitted

Diaper bags must be accompanied by a child and are subject to inspection

Exemptions will be made for medically necessary items that require a bag larger than the 12" x 6" x 12" limit and are subject to inspection

Banners, signs and flag policy:

Banners, signs, flags, posters of any kind will not be allowed inside Saint Louis Music Park.

NO signs displaying explicit language, profanity, derogatory characterization

Contact:

For additional questions please call the venue at 314-451-2244. You can also access their website. Message them here. Check their twitter here and IG here for updates. Venue: Saint Louis Music Park. Address: 750 Casino Center Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63043

[allsonicgames]

Sonic the Hedgehog’s Gameworld

Original platform: Sega Pico

Original release: August 1994

Available to buy: No

The first thing to talk about with this is the console it appears on: the Sega Pico. This is an “edutainment” device released in 1993. The internals were the same as a Mega Drive, but it featured a drawing pad and a pen, and the cartridges were books. The console can recognise which page you are on, and you can even press parts of the book to activate things in the game.

This game is a collection of minigames that take place in an amusement arcade. Each page of the book features a collection of minigames, plus some short dialogue (some of it voiced) from the characters.

The first page features a car race where you have to tap a button to go fast, a Skee-Ball minigame where you have to select the right power to aim your ball, a climbing game where you tap fast to win, and a basketball hoop game where you have to aim to shoot balls into hoops (although I found it easier to just aim forward and wait for the moving targets to align).

The second page has a Simon Says flag matching game, a crane machine where you pick up toys, and Whac-A-Mole where you have to tap the drawing pad to hit Dr. Robotnik.

The third page has three mini games. One based on the “ball under a cup” game where a bird hides inside an egg and is swapped around with empty eggs and a card game where you have to match pairs of cards. The third is a battle between Sonic and Dr. Robotnik where they’re throwing rings at each other. You press a button and a random icon is selected which determines who gets to throw a ring.

The final page of games has a game that is a bit like “Finders Keepers”. You have to run around multiple floors of a building, looking under everything for emeralds.

Then the game has an extra page where you get to colour in and draw. In the Japanese version, it features casino based minigames instead, like a roulette wheel.

For the intended audience, it’s a pretty fun minigame collection, and as it focuses on “dexterity”, feels like it’s much heavier on the “video game” side of things than “educational”.

[helpagirlout-lander]

HOLY RESUME, BATMAN! According to IMDb, he’s got 13 Feature Films, 5 Short Films, 6 TV Movies, and *152* Episodes of Television under his belt!! Take a peek at his never-ending list of work... he’s done pretty much everything! Drama, comedy, fantasy, horror... and the WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK IS GOING ON short films. Vampires? Yep. Shakespeare? Yep. Austen adaptations? Yep. Dr Who? YEP.  Check it out!

The Iliad Project (2015): Making Of / The Iliad 

Uncle Vanya (2016): Self Portrait

The Hunt (2019): Promo / TalkBack / Rehearsals

The Low Down (Film, 2000): John: Full Movie / Trailer

Finding Neverland (Film, 2004): Theater Patron 5: Tobias at 1:45, Again

Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman (Film, 2005): Lt Llewelyn:  Trailer (Tobias at 1:29) 

Casino Royale (Film, 2006): Villiers: Full Movie

Atonement (Film, 2007): Naval Officer: Trailer (no Tobias)

The Duel (Film, 2010): Von Koren: Trailer (Back of his head at 1:45) / Clip (Tobias @ 1:48)

Forget Me Not (Film, 2010): Will Fletcher: Trailer, Two / Clip / Full Film (w.Portuguese subs)

Hysteria (Film, 2011): Mr Squyers: Trailer, Two (no Tobias)

Black Sea (Film, 2014): Lewis: Full Movie / Trailer (Tobias @ 0:33)

Una (Film, 2016): Mark: Trailer, Two (no Tobias) / Premiere Interview One, Two, Three (at 5:41)

Underworld: Blood Wars (Film, 2016): Marius: Clip, Two / Interview, Two

Carmilla (Film, 2019): Doctor: Trailer (Tobias @ 0:30) / Clip, Two, Three

A Very Social Secretary (TV Movie, 2005): Keith: Trailer (Tobias @ 0:33)

Persuasion (TV movie, 2007): William Elliot: Trailer (Tobias @ 1:21) / Clip (Tobias @ 4:37) / Clip (Tobias @ 1:41) / Clip (Tobias @ 2:13)

The Relief of Belsen (TV Movie, 2007): Derrick Singleton: Full Movie (w.Dutch Subs) / Full Movie (Lower Quality, No Subs)

The Door (Short Film, 2011): Man With The Wings Of A Swan: Trailer (Tobias @ 1:25)

The Knowledge (Short Film, 2011): Full Film

Nora (Short Film, 2012): Richard: Full Film (Tobias @ 6:25)

The Circuit (TV Movie, 2016): Sasha: Clip / Clip / FanVid

Off the Page: Groove is in the Heart (Short Film, 2014): Mark: Full Film (Tobias @ 2:31)

King Lear (TV movie, 2018): Duke of Cornwall: Trailer / Clip (Tobias @ 0:31) / Film Review (Tobias @ 2:04) / Featurette (Tobias @ 2:54)

Midsommer Murders (TV Series, 2000): Jack Dorset, 1ep: S3E3 - Judgement Day (WITH ORLANDO BLOOM)

Casualty (TV Series, 1998-2000): Frank Gallagher, 11eps: S13E7: Clip, Two, Three, Four / S13E8: Clip (YES THAT IS MARTIN FREEMAN), Two / S13E10: Clip, Two / S13E11: Clip, Two, Three, Four / S13E18: Clip, Two, Three, Four / S14E18: Clip, Two / S14E19: Clip, Two, Three, Four / S14E20: Clip, Two, Three, Four, Five / S14E21: Clip, Two / S14E22: Clip, Two, Three / S14E23 - Burned Out Hearts Clip, Two  {{Shout out to YouTube user hexicode for uploading all these!}}

I Saw You (TV Series, 2002): Vince: Trailer (Tobias @ 0:10)

Ultimate Force (TV Series, 2002): Box 500, 3eps: S1E1 / S1E2 / S1E3

Foyle’s War (TV Series, 2002): Stanley Ellis, 1ep: S1E2 - The White Feather (Video Not Available in USA)

Rome (TV Series, 2006-7): Marcus Junius Brutus, 17 Eps: S1E1-12 / S2E1,3-6: Series Trailer (Tobias @ 0:18), Two (@ 0:10) // 1x01 Very Beginning (Tobias?), Clip / 1x10 Clip, Two / 1x7 Clip, Two, Three / 1x08 Clip (low quality) / 1x11 Clip, Two / 1x12 Clip / 2x03 Clip / 2x06 Clip, Two // FanVid, Two

Bonekickers (MiniSeries, 2008): Scott Wilson, 1ep: S1E6 Full Ep

MI-5 “Spooks” (TV Series, 2009): Andrew Lawrence, 2 eps: S8E7: Clip (Tobias @ 7:26) / S8E8: Clip (Tobias @ 4:37), Clip (Tobias @ 3:15), Clip (Tobias @5:49, w/French Subs)

The Deep (MiniSeries, 2010): Raymond, 5eps: S1E1 / S1E2 / S1E3 / S1E4 / S1E5 / Trailer

Any Human Heart (MiniSeries, 2010): Ian Fleming, 2 eps: Trailer (no Tobias), Two (Brief Tobias @ 0:13)

The Shadow Line (MiniSeries, 2011): Ross McGovern, 5eps: Trailer, Two (No Tobias)

Eternal Law (TV Series, 2012): Richard Pembroke, 6eps: S1E1 / S1E2 / S1E3 / S1E4 / S1E5 / S1E6

Simon Schama’s Shakespeare (MiniSeries, 2012): 2 eps: This is England / Hollow Crowns (not full screen/ low quality)

Secret State (MiniSeries, 2012): Charles Flyte, 1 ep: Recognize Tobias? / Trailer / S1E1 /

Getting On (Tv Series, 2012): Dr Tom Kersley, 3 eps: S3E2: Clip

Black Mirror (TV Series, 2013): Liam Monroe, 1 ep: S2E3 / Preview (Tobias @ 0:41) / Trailer (Tobias @ 0:14)

Dr Who (TV Series, 2013): Lt Stepashin, S7E9 - Cold War: Clip (Tobias @ 1:40), Clip (Tobias @ 0:13/0:26) / Clip (Tobias @ 0:10) / Teaser (w/T) / BTS (w/T)

Game of Thrones (TV Series, 2013-2019): Edmure Tully, 9 eps: 3x03: Clip, Two, Three / 3x06 Clip / 3x09: Clip, Two, Three, Four / 6x07 Clip, Two (Tobias @ 2:32) / 6x08 Clip, Two / 8x06 Clip 

Silent Witness (Tv Series, 2014): Greg Walker, 2 eps: Preview (Tobias @ 0:19) / Intro ( Tobias @ 0:50)

The Honourable Woman (TV Series, 2014): Nathanial Bloom, 5 eps: Trailer / Trailer #2 (Tobias @ 0:17) / Trailer #3 (Tobias @ 0:13) / Who Do You Trust (Tobias Dies @ 1:21) / Nathanial / Clip (Tobias @ 0:12) / FanVid

Outlander (TV Series, 2014-2018): Frank Randall / Black Jack Randall, 24 Eps: See Master Post

The Night Manager (MiniSeries, 2016): Geoffrey Dromgoole, 4 eps: Trailer (Tobias @ 0:57) / Access Interview / Clip

The Terror (TV Series, 2018): James Fitzjames, 10 Eps: After Premiere / Interview, Two, Three, SyFyWire, RCN (Tobias @ 9:43), HeyuGuys, MovieNCo / Trailer (Tobias @ 1:34) / Clip, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six (@2:29), Seven, Eight (@0:41), Death, Nine, Ten / Meet the Characters (Tobias @ 1:32 & 2:33, Interview @ 2:50) / Inside Look, VFX & BTS (Tobias Clips Throughout) / Opening Creds

Catastrophe (Tv Series, 2015-19): Dr Harries, 5 eps: S1E2 / S1E4 / S2E3 (not full screen, low quality)

This Way Up (TV Series, 2019): Richard, 4 eps: Trailer (No Tobias)

The Crown (TV Series, 2019-20): Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 20 eps: Interviews: SethMeyers, HeatWorld, MG (S3) SeasonFour, CBSThisMorning, Radio1, GoldDerby, FredCarpet (S4) SeasonThree, GMA3, FLW (Tobias @ 2:11), ConversationsAtHome, CastQ&A, DeadlineZoom, CinemaMag, HeyUGuys & Two, TheUpcoming, AP  / BTS, Two / EW Cover Shoot / 3x05 Clip / “Sweetie” / 4x09 Clip / “Moondust” / FilmingS4 (Tobias @ 2:34) / S3 Featurette

READS: Give Me Your Children / When You Are Old / Nothing Gold Can Stay / A Poem For Every Autumn Day, A Light in Dark Times / Sonnet 151 / In Fields / Wanderings

Get Career Confident / No Small Parts / Drama Actors Round-Up

CHARITIES: Choose Love / WaterAid America / No TTIP

COMMERCIAL: Birth UK

[kiri-ah]

File: Sector 5

Part of the Action Figure Collab hosted by @go-shotaro

Pairing: Kim Jungwoo x gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned for reader), low key Taeil x Sicheng if you squint

Themes: Dark Matter (TV Show) AU, Elite Dangerous (Video Game) AU, basically space stuff, gunfights, lasers, hackers, set in the future, spaceships, Star Wars is mentioned like twice, Sicheng is a jerk, Mark and Johnny are half-brothers

Warnings: Major character death, gunfights, blood, two swearwords, mentioned burials, mentioned black market

WC: 3.7k

Summary: In a galaxy divided into factions, war is rampant. The ship files that you’re searching for could solve all of your problems - if only you can get into the classified sector of the space station where they’re housed. With Jungwoo on one side and Taeil on the other, nothing can go wrong. Right?

Taglist: @allegxdly , @stayctday , @leelatte , @dundun-baby , @kunrengui ​

Author Note: Welcome to my first collab fic! This is also my first full-length fic on tumblr which is pretty cool. When I saw the concept for this collab I decided it was perfect for my first foray into working with other creators. In the process I made a lot of new friends and I had a lot of fun. Plus I’m pretty proud of this fic. Please enjoy File: Sector 5!

You walk as quickly as you can while still being discreet. There are a lot of people that you wouldn’t want to notice you here. Jungwoo and Taeil, following behind you, seem to have had the same thought. Taeil has a cap over his projector glasses, and Jungwoo has on a black too-big hoodie that hides his give-away physique. In your earpiece there’s silence, but that doesn’t bother you. Yangyang told you to reach out once you got to the section of the space station you need. You still have a few more obnoxiously crowded spaces to traverse before you arrive, so you focus on draining the urgency from your movements and walking like you belong here. Like you’re not about to break into a classified sector and commit a crime.

You make your way through the bar, the ship parts market, and the casino with minimal issues. You think you see a familiar face across the way in the market, but he turns away a second later and you breathe easy once again. If it was who you thought it was, you wouldn’t be alive anymore. Nakamoto Yuta is famed for his cruelty. You enter Sector 5 and speak quietly into your earpiece. 

“Yang, we’re in sector five. Where do we go from here?”

“I’m getting your location still, hold on,” comes Yangyang’s voice into your ear. 

“Take a left here, and then head down for a few hallways. This is one of the permanent sectors like ours, so you can use your gun now if need be and not worry about puncturing an outer wall.”

You take the left where he says to and continue down, checking to make sure that Jungwoo and Taeil are still behind you. They are, and so is another figure.

“Get over here,” you hiss, pulling them into a side hallway. The figure doesn’t appear to have seen you and passes by, turning down another hallway. You recognize the face of Xiao Dejun, an infamous criminal like yourself. You try not to think about what would have happened had he spotted you. You wouldn’t be dead, but you would probably wish you were. 

“What happened?” asks Yangyang in your ear. 

“Security,” you mutter. 

“Oh.”

You pull Jungwoo and Taeil out and walk down the hallway until Yangyang tells you to stop by a door. “You guys will need to get through this door without my help,” he says. “Beyond it, I can only get high energy drain levels. Be careful.”

Taeil kneels by the card scanner and pulls out his tools. You and Jungwoo turn around, standing guard in case another member of security comes and you need to shoot them. Taeil carefully prys the backing panel off of the scanner and maneuvers until he can see the wires. He scoffs. 

“For a high security organization, their security is terrible,” he mutters. He cuts the casing off of a wire and does something you can’t see with it, and the door slides open. You continue keeping watch as Taeil packs up his high-tech phillip’s head screwdriver and cleans up the casing. When you turn around, you’re speechless. 

“We found the source of the energy drain,” Jungwoo says in a low voice. Before you is a room of lasers, the kind you thought only existed in old movies. They cross back and forth across the space like an absurd red spider web and fizzle oddly like Redstone in that old game Chenle likes. Minecraft, was it? 

“What kind of black market did they get these on?”

Taeil shrugs and walks into the room. “Looks like we can get in,” he tells you. “The lasers are designed like shark teeth - easy to get in, not so easy to get out.” The analogy doesn’t help you feel any better about the situation, and you clutch at your gun. 

“Can you turn them off?” Jungwoo asks Taeil, seemingly as nervous as you are.

“I can, but we don’t need to to get in. Let’s focus on that on our way out.”

You nod and walk in, spotting the pattern like Taeil did. “Maybe their security is just bad,” you say. “This is so easy.” You swing your right leg over the nearest laser and start your way across. You get a finger close to the laser and feel the heat emanating from it. You turn to warn Taeil and Jungwoo of this, only to find that they’re already in the maze themselves. You duck under the next beam of red and feel the heat on the back of your head from the proximity, then step easily over one that reminds you of a tripwire - right at ankle level. You hear Jungwoo and Taeil following behind you, Jungwoo struggling a bit because of his wide shoulders. At some points you have to turn around and help him since he can’t see where his biceps are about to brush one of the heated red lines. At least Sungchan isn’t on your team, he’s even larger than Jungwoo. Chenle and Hendery will have to help him or find another way in. You almost laugh at the thought before deciding that you rather like all of your teammates, actually, and you don’t like to think about them dying by heated laser. Each time you stop to help Jungwoo, Taeil reminds you that you need to hurry. You eventually just tell him to please be quiet, because some people are trying to focus here. He shuts up, thankfully. 

 When you reach the end of the room, you’re faced with another door. Taeil tampers with the wires and it too slides open. The hallway is paneled with light gray and the floor is tile reminiscent of a hotel lobby. Your guns are poised to fend off an attack as the door opens, but nobody is there. You lower them slowly and Jungwoo steps out into the hallway. There are footsteps fading away down to your right, but nobody is watching for you here. You look for the source of the footsteps and spot who you’re pretty sure are the team Johnny and Mark, orphan half-brothers notorious for their sudden team changes depending on the paycheck. They’re for sale to the highest bidder, and they don’t care who that is. Your guess is confirmed when the shorter man laughs - you’ve worked with Mark before, and that laugh is both contagious and unique. 

When you refocus, Yangyang is back in your ear and instructing you to go the opposite way that the pair is walking. He says that the door at the end of this hallway is the one you want. Your shoes shuffle against the tile as you try to go quietly, with Jungwoo in front of you and Taeil nervously watching your backs. He isn’t as confident with a gun as you or Jungwoo, he prefers to work behind the scenes. The nature of this mission required a tech whiz on site, though, and he came reluctantly. He knows how important it is to steal the USB drive with ship plans on it. The newest fighter models will make or break the war for your faction, and you have reason to believe that those ships also have teleportation devices in the plans. Not just lightspeed travel, but all-out teleportation. You can only imagine that sort of power on your own ship, the Phoenix.

You walk all the way down the hallway and find the door that Yangyang has pointed out to you. Taeil once again gets down to open the wire panel and gasps in delight. 

“Finally a good security system! Give me a moment.” His face disappears behind the stand housing the card reader and he hums as he fiddles with whatever has made him so happy. Even laying at an awkward angle, his voice is beautiful. You sometimes wonder why he became a technician for a faction like yours when he could be a singer for one of the more powerful factions that aren’t always at war. When confronted with this question, he would smile a little and tell whoever was asking that his one true love was testing security systems, no matter how much his voice delighted other people. He said with a dry laugh once that the selfishness of that reason made him perfect for the job. Part of you doubted that story, but everyone working for your faction had baggage. You didn’t need to pry into his.

Eventually there comes a pleased “aha!” from behind you, and Taeil reemerges. His face has a smudge on it that you wipe away with your thumb. 

“Have fun?” 

You ask the question sarcastically, but Taeil nods happily. “That’s what I like to do. The other systems were easier, I think this room must be important.”

“That’s what I said,” grumbles Yagyang in your ear.

The door slips open with some prodding and you walk into a lab with pristine white surfaces and surfaces that look as though they’ve never been used. In the middle is a silver table covered in instruments of some kind, although you don’t know what they would be used for. The walls are lined with diagnostic panels, and one is a window into a secret hangar you weren’t aware of. Inside is a ship that looks a lot like the X-Wings of the Star Wars franchise. The movies are still iconic today despite how obsolete they are, and everyone knows that the X-Wings were never recreated due to a problem with their size in relation to the way they were meant to work. It appears that whoever made this ship has been hiding their discovery. 

“Y/N, focus,” Jungwoo whispers. You nod and turn away from the hangar, albeit reluctantly. 

You look at the remaining two walls, both of which are shorter and lined with  counters. Taeil is looking at one, and you walk over to the other. You find a monitor completely shut down and follow the cords down to discover that it isn’t plugged in. That’s a little strange. You look at the computer tower and find a USB drive, labeled “Schematics.” That’s even more strange. Why would they leave something so valuable lying around? Hiding in plain sight, perhaps? You plug the monitor in and turn it and the tower on, opening the USB files. You’re low on time, you know, but you have to make sure this is the right drive. 

Once the files are loaded, you gasp. “You guys, look at this.” Jungwoo and Taeil stand and look over your shoulders as you scroll through page after page of exact instructions and diagrams for the X-Wing. 

“They even stole the name from Star Wars,” Jungwoo scoffs. Taeil laughs lightly. 

“These are the right files, we should get out of here.”

“Agreed,” you say. You pocket the USB drive and unplug the monitor again, making sure to leave minimal traces of your passing through. “Let’s go.”

Yangyang repeats the directions out of Sector 5, and you walk quickly. You make it to the laser room without incident and go back through the doorway. “Taeil,” you ask, “can we get out of here faster if you turn off the lasers, or if we just walk through like we did on the way on?”

“Definitely turning them off,” he assures you. “It’s too time consuming to worry about things like this when we need to be worrying about the USB being reported missing.” He settles down by a panel near the start of the lasers and peels off the cover where it looks like maintenance might be done. You only know this because he tells you happily that there might be an off switch. 

“Aha! Found it!” he singsongs after a moment. The lasers go off a second later and you’re about to celebrate when a siren screeches from the ceiling. 

“All units to Hall Sixteen!” A voice yells over an intercom that you hadn’t noticed. “Lasers have been disabled!”

“Shit,” Jungwoo and Taeil say in unison. 

“Let’s go!” you yell. There’s no point in being quiet now. You hear the clomping of boots down the hall and yelling from both ends of the laser room. Hall Sixteen.

You run out towards the exit and find yourself facing Xiao Dejun and another man you don’t know. They both have guns and are shooting the moment you get within range. You shoot back, missing Dejun by inches. 

“Sicheng?” cries Taeil from beside you. He lowers his gun slightly. “I thought you were dead!” He runs towards the man, completely ignoring the battle around him. Dejun shoots at him but misses. Jungwoo hits him in return, a nonlethal hit to the arm. It’s enough to make him take pause though, and long enough for you to see with crystal clarity as the other man - Sicheng - raises his gun and shoots Taeil in the chest. Taeil doesn’t even have his gun up, and the shot tears right through his body. He collapses into the fall, blood spouting from the wound. It looks like Sicheng hit his heart.

Someone is screaming, and you realize it’s you. You feel your nose start to burn and your eyes brim suddenly with tears. Not Taeil! you want to scream. Taeil can’t be dead! Your body reacts faster than your brain, and you shoot Sicheng in the gut as he stares at Taeil’s body, looking almost shocked. Then you rush forward and kick the wound, making sure it hurts. 

“You asshole!” you cry. “You killed Taeil!” You dodge another bullet from Dejun (it hits Sicheng in the upper stomach, and you have just enough brain space left to be smug) and spot Johnny and Mark behind Jungwoo. You scream and point, not even having words. Thankfully Jungwoo understands and spins to meet them. You shoot at Dejun, wasting bullets. One hits his left shoulder, and another hits a rib. You hear it crack. He writhes out of the way of the rest. You kick his gun hand to disarm him and knee him in the balls, a simple solution to his frustrating ability to avoid bullets. Having properly taken care of him, you turn to face Johnny and Mark. 

They have Jungwoo cornered, and he’s desperately dancing out of the way of more bullets. He already has red spreading across his right side. It looks like just a graze, but it could have easily been far worse. You pick up Dejun’s gun and use it to shoot the back of Johnny’s thigh. He crumbles to the floor, blood already gushing angrily out of the wound. Mark turns to him, worried, and somewhere in the back of your mind you realize that’s sort of sweet before you shoot Mark too. He doesn’t deserve to die any more than Taeil did, and you liked working with him, but he’s the enemy right now. He needs to go down. You take aim and shoot him in the side, which is the best place you can hit at this angle. He looks almost surprised at the intrusion. You turn away. Jungwoo runs up behind you. 

“Taeil?” you ask, looking down at his body. “Are you in there?” You reach down to feel his pulse, except there isn’t one. His neck is already cooling where he lays, a  surprised look still painted across his features. 

“Y/N, we have to go,” Jungwoo says. 

“We have to bury him!” you screech. You didn’t even know your voice could sound like this. You suppose you’ve never lost someone as important as Taeil before, though.

“We’ll come back for him as soon as we get the USB back to home base,” Jungwoo mutters. “Come on.” He tugs on your arm, and you follow him, letting the tears flow. Jonny shoots one last time at you, but misses. Of everyone who could have died, it had to be Taeil. Precious Taeil with his lovely voice and sweet temperament, the person everyone went to if they needed someone to chill with. He would never again hear you complain about uncertain futures or how you missed your home planet. He would never again hug you or make you smile or gift your ears with his sweet tunes. 

“We’ll come back,” you repeat, nose stuffing up. “We’ll come back.”

You leave Sector 5, only meeting one more person. Jungwoo shoots whoever it is before you even register their presence. Thank goodness that one of you has their head still on right. Getting back inconspicuously is a little harder with bloodstains on Jungwoo’s side, but you somehow manage to avoid everyone you don’t want to see. You sneak in the back way to your building and get up to Doyoung’s office. He’s the leader of your little group, so he’s the one you take the info to.

When you knock, he invites you in, and you enter the room. You’re never quite sure if he’ll be happy to see you, so you walk in with some trepidation. Thankfully he has one of his beautiful smiles on and welcomes you in. 

“What did you get?” he asks. 

“A USB Drive, it has files for new ships,” you tell him. “ Exactly what we were looking for.”

“Where are Jung-”

Doyoung gets cut off by a voice coming through the radio on his desk. “Sir! Doyoung, sir?”

Doyoung holds up a finger to you and presses the talk button. “Yes Yangyang?”

“Is Y/N with you yet, sir?”

“Yes.”

“Y/N,” Yangyang says, “he doesn’t know yet what happened.” Doyoung looks at you, eyes questioning. 

“Okay Yang,” you say. “I’ll- I’ll tell him.”

“Okay. That’s all, sir.”

Doyoung looks at you across the desk and narrows his eyes. “What happened?”

“We got in without incident,” you say. “There was a laser maze, but we got through okay. We didn't get caught on the way in and found a lab. That’s where we found the drive. I made sure these were the right files, and then we left. Taeil-” You cut yourself off, tears threatening again. 

“Taeil turned off the lasers so we could get out, but it activated some sort of security system. Some men came to kill us and Taeil recognized one. I think his name was ‘Sicheng.’ Taeil-” You take another deep breath. “He ran toward the man, gun down, like he thought the man wouldn’t hurt him. But Sicheng… He killed Taeil. Shot him in the heart.” 

The tears are flowing freely  down your cheeks now, and you make no move to get rid of them. Doyoung looks shaken for the first time since you’ve known him, and he stands up. He walks around the desk to hug you, mindless of the blood on your clothes. 

“We’ll give him the hero’s burial he deserves,” he murmurs. “In the meantime, you should go and put the drive with our other ship plans.

You nod in the affirmative and leave his office. The file storage room is just down the hall. Your surroundings are a bit blurry from the tears in your eyes, but you make it fine. Yangyang is already there, and he pats you on the back as you plug the USB drive into its designated spot. It has a blood spot on the label and you sort of smile at the irony. You won, but at what cost?

A moment later the entire course lights up. “The Red Team wins!” proclaims a voice from the speakers. You feel the character you were playing melt off as your laser tag gun powers off. The dryness in your throat and the tears on your face fade away with the persona you became for the game. You high-five Yangyang and run to get Taeil from where he lays on the other side of the course, still playing dead. You run into Johnny on the way. “Good game,” he says, bumping your fist. “Hitting my thigh patch was a fantastic idea! You’re a really good shot.”

“Thank you. Your team owes us pizza,” you remind him smugly. 

“I know.” He throws you a playful glare on the way past. “We’re going to the fifth floor dorms once everyone’s rounded up. I think Lucas and Jeno tied up Sungchan, Hendery, and Chenle, so I’m going to get them.”

“Sounds good. We’re gonna go get Taeil, Sicheng, and Xiaojun.”

“Okay. Meet you at the entrance!”

He walks off and Yangyang follows you to Sector 5.

“You did an amazing job acting!” he says. “It really helped me get into my role.”

“I thought I would actually cry when Taeil fake died,” you tell him. “He actually looked dead.”

“Well I couldn’t see, obviously, but after you guys left he just sat and hummed. It was hilarious. In one channel, you’re screaming your revenge and sobbing, and in the other, Taeil is humming Baekhyun-sunbaemin.”

Taeil meets you at the beginning of the laser hall. “That was so much fun,” he enthuses. 

“Yeah it was,” you agree. “You did a great job with the puzzles!” You’re referring to the puzzles that kept Sector 5 locked. Supposedly they were hard enough to keep intruders out, but Taeil had gotten in pretty easily. 

He smiles. “Thank you. You did a great job kneeing Xiaojun in the nuts, he was out for a solid minute.”

“ I didn’t hurt him too much, did I?”

“Nah, he’ll recover. He might want to punch you or something though, I don’t think he was acting with that part.”

“Oh.”

You walk back to the entrance with everyone in the group and do a quick headcount. Twenty-three men. Okay, you’re good to go.

You pile into multiple vans out front where their managers sit, bored. They congratulate the winning team and drive you to the dorms, where you all squeeze into the 5th floor apartment and Johnny orders pizza for everyone. You’re very glad that you don’t have to pay for all of the food for twenty-four people.

“We should do that again some time!” Mark suggests as you’re eating. There’s a resounding cry of agreement as everyone lifts their pizza slices to the idea. 

You’re totally going to do that again.

End.

All Rights Reserved, kiri-ah, 2021

[introvertguide]

15 Badass Movies for a Fun Time at Home or with Friends

There is a buzz in the air as COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out and the hope of having a movie night with friends is again becoming a reality. Watching alone isn’t as fun because I want to talk to somebody about what I have just seen. A full theater does not agree with my introvert nature because somebody screaming or laughing or talking on their phone will ruin it for me. Watching with a fellow cinephile or two is perfect. But what to watch first? People have been stuck inside, so fantasy and alternative worlds have been overly popular. All I do is talk over zoom for a living. I think what I need most right now is a movie about realistic people with realistic skills that go into a situation and just wreck house. I need a badass movie. What is this “badass” movie you might say? Well, here are some basic criteria: 1) There must be a tough lead character who kicks butt while spouting one liners and doesn’t need superhuman powers (high levels of peak skill with speed, aim, or strength is OK if they are plausible in the real world), 2) most of the characters (good and bad) must be likable, admirable or at least memorable, 3) the lead must face and defeat overwhelming odds against them, and 4) extra points for memorable one liners. Also, I am only dealing with human protagonists (sorry Terminator), but slightly superhuman opposition is acceptable. This list is by no means exhaustive, it is just an example of some badass movies. So in no particular order:

1) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

To start off the list, I want to mention the most well known American badass. Indiana Jones is a smart guy with a gun and a whip. He is rugged and punches guys in the face. He has weaknesses but works through them to get the job done. Harrison Ford was in his early 40s for this role and had this tough-as-nails and seen the world kind of feel while still being young enough to fight hand to hand. Any of the first three films featuring Indiana Jones would work here, but this is the original and it started the fun. Easy to watch. Easy to cheer for. Great movie. You can’t really go wrong with any age or group with this one. 

2) 13 Assassins (2010)

This movie is extremely badass but not for everyone. This is one of the goriest films I have ever seen as 13 warriors kill off a couple of hundred soldiers and the evil leader that they guard. The movie was directed by Japanese extreme horror icon Takashi Miike if that means anything to you (hey made Audition and Ichi the Killer). The movie has gallons of blood, but also an amazing story of redemption and honor. There are tons of scenes of a single warrior taking on dozens of soldiers and managing to overcome. Not for everyone, but still very much a badass movie.

3) The Raid (2011)

This is an Indonesian action thriller with the word action in bold. The film is directed by Gareth Evans and stars Iko Uwais as part of a small police force that tries to take down an old building that houses a drug lord and his violent gang. It has a lot of what I like in badass movies: one-on-one fights between the lead and almost superhuman villains, long well-choreographed scenes, a banging soundtrack, ridiculous weapons, and ridiculous gore. The fight scenes in tight places and the use of the environment for weaponry is amazing and the sound design makes sure you can feel every punch. The lead character should have no chance, but he makes up for it with skill and being a pure badass. This movie is one of the few that I would describe as having non-stop action.

4) Jon Wick (2014)

When did Keanu Reeves become so cool? I grew up with him being part of the Bill and Ted duo. He decides to learn martial arts and play a god-like being in the Matrix movies and then becomes a one man wrecking crew? I guess he is a badass because he does it so well. Keanu plays a retired hitman who is wronged and decides to go back to work for vengeance. He just won’t stop coming and seems to constantly survive out of pure hatred alone. There are 3 films in the series and any one of them will impress. Pure fun too watch.

5) Casino Royale (2006)

When I was asking around, there were many people who thought that James Bond was the ultimate badass. I disagree in that many of the older films show Bond as overconfident with the assistance of many people. In fact, Q is more of a badass in many ways than James Bond. However, when the series was taken back to its roots with the last book that had not been made into a serious film and made darker, it reached badass levels. From the parkour chase to a poisoning to an extreme torture scene, this was not like any James Bond movie before it. Roger Craig plays a much colder lead who gives no quarter, much more like what the greatest secret agent would have to be. Heavy on violence but light on gore, this film is more for all audiences than other films on this list.

6) Desperado (1995)

What makes this movie is not all about Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayek. It is that every other character is memorable and badass as well. The street standoff with Bucho’s men versus El Mariachi, Quino, and Campo is iconic. El Mariachi murders everyone in a bar with precise skill. The rogue assassin Navajas with all the knives played by Danny Trejo. Nothing but extreme shoot outs and fight scenes with a ridiculous variety of guns and explosives. I think what makes this movie so amazing is that all these amazing assassins are incognito and, when they suddenly produce an arsenal out of nowhere, it is always a pleasant surprise. Quino and Campo are amazing when they bring their guitars. 

7) Pulp Fiction (1994)

Truly the role that made Samuel L. Jackson into the ultimate badass. He and his partner Vincent are hitman that keep running into the worst situations. The thing about the film is that everybody is so cool. The characters are cool, the music is cool, the dialogue is cool, hell even the diner featured in the movie is cool. The movie only spans a couple of days (in completely separate segments shown out of order) but packs in 7 distinct situations that are all berserk. From the mind of Quentin Tarantino, this movie is dripping with the best characters traveling through the best story. Highly recommend.

8) Leon: The Professional (1994)

Also known simply as The Professional in the U.S., this film features the debut of Natalie Portman. It is directed by Luc Besson at his best period, right between La Femme Nakita and The Fifth Element. The lead is actually a quiet hitman who reluctantly takes a little 12-year-old girl on as an apprentice to become a paid assassin. Her parents were killed by a corrupt cop and she wants Leon to help her exact revenge. He is an absolute badass and somewhat of a caring surrogate father to the girl. Unlike a lot of the films on this list, the premise is not simply kicking butt in a bad situation. There is serious character growth. Apparently you can be a caring parent and a cold-blooded murderer...and that is badass.

9) Kill Bill (2003)

Being a badass is not exclusive to men and The Bride is a prime example of this. She survives a shot to the head, kills deadly assassins, slaughters a gang, and takes on a crazy school girl bodyguard. She is tougher then any lead I can think of and she has the bad attitude and sense of vengeance that makes for a badass. Combine this with the soundtrack and beautiful cinematography associated with director Quentin Tarantino and you have a beautifully violent movie in which the hits keep coming. Even on this list, the fight scene between the bride and Gogo Yubari is insane. Also note the nod to Bruce Lee with the bright yellow motorcycle suit. Beautifully badass film.

10) Aliens (1986)

In nature, there are few things more dangerous than a mother protecting their young. A mother will fight you to the death and make sure that, at the very least, you won’t be able to go after her kids. Now imagine an alien planet covered with hostile beings created in the mind of James Cameron and Stan Winston and you have a setting made to create a real badass. In the beginning, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is just desperate to survive and barely knows how to use a weapon. She meets a little survivor named Newt and then has a real reason to become aggressive. She and a group of marines fight through a station filled with super destructive xenomorph aliens made straight from nightmares to save this kid. The transformation is truly amazing and culminates in a mech suit versus a giant queen alien and it is extremely badass.

11) Army of Darkness (1992)

Far and away the funniest movie on this list, this is the third film stemming from Evil Dead and again stars Bruce Campbell taking on the deadites that were raised by reading from the Necronomicon. The opposition is the undead evil that faces the world which makes the violence very unrealistic. This was early work from Sam Raimi and features a variety of different shots done to the extreme. What really makes this film stand out is how Bruce Campbell is amazing at delivering a one liner. His classic quips have been used as fun Easter eggs in video games like Duke Nukem and World of Warcraft for decades. The quintessential horror comedy and a perfect example of a badass.

12) Die Hard (1988)

Apparently, I am a big fan of single characters that need to work their way through a building of villains using mostly intelligence and the element of surprise. Throw in some one liners and I am all for it. That is exactly what this is with Bruce Willis crawling barefoot around a 40 story building and fighting off a gang of villains. The movie also has Alan Rickman as the main bad guy and he is chewing the scenery. This is a great example of being a badass, but it is too bad that the follow up sequels were so poor. Definitely stick to the original and let the rest pass by.

13) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)

An OG of the badass movie genre, this is some of the best of Sergio Leone and the spaghetti western. Instead of one badass, this movie has three different leads that are all amazing. You have the good, Clint Eastwood, who is an amazing shot and a heart of gold under a rough exterior. You have the bad, Lee Van Cleef, playing an conniving assassin that will kill anyone that he doesn’t have a use for. Finally, you have the ugly, Eli Wallach, as a desert rat that will do anything to survive. They all gain information about a gold stash and need to work together to get it, but this creates a vortex of cheating, undercutting, and straight up murder. Clint Eastwood is more of the classic badass with his cigar, hat, and poncho, It is an iconic look on an iconic character in an iconic movie. That is what I call badass.

14) Ong-Bak (2003)

This less of a badass movie and more houses some of the most amazingly badass fight scenes that can only be described as badass. This movie introduced the great Tony Jaa to the western world and showed the high flying nature of Thai boxing and Muay Thai in general. The main character is entered into a street fighting tournament and the moves include a flying double knee drop and a full splits kick. If the whole movie was the tournament, it would be the best movie that ever existed. The variety of opponents makes the fighting even better and the cinematography is top notch. Tony Jaa is truly badass in this film.

15) Dredd (2012)

Not the crappy version with Stallone, this movie is seriously badass. It features Karl Urban who is helmeted for the entire film (as Dredd would be) taking on a 200 story mega slum filled with residents that want to shoot him dead. There is a drug dealer high up in the building and she locks down the entire compound with instructions to kill Dredd, who only has his rookie partner to help. He takes on random resident mobs, groups of gang members, and even a trio of mini guns that have bullets that can rip through walls. He has a smart gun with a bunch of ammo that he uses judiciously to kill everybody. This movie was seriously underrated since it had not been that long since the garbage Judge Dredd came out in 1995. The 2012 is a far superior movie, being much more violent and dark instead of having Rob Schneider as the comedy relief (not badass).

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I know there will be a lot of opinions about what makes a badass film and what movies i didn’t add. Feel free to add your own movies or critique my choices. I will stand by my choices, however, and recommend any of these films for a night of cheers and badass action.

[house-of-otome]

I love all your hot takes on the brothers!! You understand and muse their personalities so well!! I wanted to know if you could write each brother’s reaction to stumbling upon an unknowing GN MC who is caught up listening to their music, dancing and singing about--Completely unaware there is a brother watching they're little jam session.

Awwww thank you, nonnie! That's really sweet of you to say ^-^ So sorry it took me a bit to get to your ask ^^;;;;; Hope you enjoy!

-----------------------------

There you were, in the music room, swaying and moving and singing along to music no one else could hear. Completely lost in a little world of your own. You loved the brothers, really you did, but sometimes you just needed a moment to yourself like this, to recharge so you could be ready to face anything the Devildom had in store for you again.

Unbeknownst to you however, you had left the door to the room open a little and someone was able to watch your every move.

Lucifer

He was on his way to his private study when the sound of shuffling footsteps in the music room caught his attention and made him stop in his tracks. He peered inside, initially thinking Mammon might be sneaking about trying to find treasure to sell again. In fact, he was ready to start on what probably would've been a two hour long lecture when he opened the door to step inside. But the words died in his mouth when he instead saw you moving about to music he couldn't hear. It was clear to him that you weren't aware of your surroundings so he watched for a bit, an adoring smile gracing his features. He once again found himself wondering what natural magical charm you possessed to make him feel so ....soft. After a couple minutes of watching he decided to take his leave, tucking this special moment away in his memories, after all he did have work to do still.

Mammon

He was in good spirits, on his way back to his room after a successful evening at the Devildom casinos. When he heard soft humming and singing coming from the music room he had to do a double take. He poked his head through the slight opening in the door and saw you. His first instinct was to barge in there with his usual boisterous attitude, but something about the gentle happy look on your face made him think twice. Luckily for him you had your eyes closed so you didn't see him as you gently but energetically moved about and sang along to whatever human world artist or band you were into. He poked his head back outside real quick to see if anyone was around, when he saw that no one was nearby he poked his head back inside and allowed himself to let his guard down. He looked at you with a sweet and genuine smile that could probably instantly melt your heart if you had seen it. He bolted as soon as he heard distant footsteps, but he felt even better than he already had earlier now that he knew he had seen you being so at ease here in the Devildom.

Leviathan

Even a shut in otaku needs to go out of his room to grab a snack sometimes. He was on his way to the kitchen to see if there was anything left for him to grab, when he heard noises coming from the music room. Taking off his headphones he peeked inside and saw you there, seemingly very focused on a video you had pulled up on your D.D.D. which was perched on a dresser nearby. He watched as you watched a bit of the video, paused it, practiced the moves you'd seen and then continued watching when you had gotten them down. Then he realised that he recognised those dance moves, you were trying to copy one of Sucre Frenzy's routines! He had to cover his mouth with his hands to keep himself from making any noise. Were you practicing this to surprise him? You hadn't told him anything so he guessed it was something he wasn't meant to see. With that thought he rushed back to his room, his snack completely forgotten.

Satan

He was on his way from the library to his room, a book he had been looking for tucked underneath his arm. When he heard singing coming from the music room he naturally got curious so he decided to take a look. When he saw you a look of surprise quickly passed over his face before settling into a gentle smile. You seemed so calm, so at ease, and before he knew it he felt himself relaxing too. He found it puzzling, how you had this effect on him, but it felt good so he wasn't going to complain about it. He watched you for a couple minutes as you sang and danced along to the music that only you could hear through your headphones. He didn't want to be rude though so he decided to leave you to it and return to his room, he was still smiling when he got there. He also decided to see if he could find out what you had been listening to, he was a very curious man after all.

Asmodeus

He was actually looking for you, he had gotten a couple new bottles of perfume from his job as a model and was told he needed to pick one to advertise for the next shoot, so he wanted your opinion. Not that he needed your opinion, he told himself, but he wanted it anyway. When he heard singing from the music room he didn't hesitate to take a look inside. He would be so so tempted to go in there and join you, especially if you were singing a song he recognised. But something told him that this was a special you moment so he stopped himself. Instead opting to watch you for a bit, the way you moved around and seemed to enjoy yourself enchanted him. However he did still need your opinion on the perfume, so he stepped back outside and knocked on the door, asking if you were in there as if he hadn't been watching you for the past five minutes. Will ask if he can join you next time.

Beelzebub

He had just returned from his work out session when he passed by the music room on his way to grab a snack from the kitchen. When he heard sounds coming from inside he couldn't help but take a peek. The most gentle of smiles graced his features when he saw you were dancing along to your music. You were here, with him and his brothers, and you were so at ease, enjoying yourself. It made him happy that you didn't feel scared or anything, being in the Devildom. He loved you so much, so to see you at peace, as if you had never lived anywhere else, made him all kinds of soft inside. He knew he couldn't watch you for long though, his hunger had been temporarily forgotten when he saw you, but he knew that sooner or later his stomach would rumble loudly and he didn't want it to ruin the moment. He left to resume his way to the kitchen before it got the chance.

Belphegor

He was on his way from his room to the attic to switch napping spots when he passed by the music room and heard noises coming from inside. He was really sleepy, and was about to continue on his way, when he recognised your voice coming from the room. Now this, of course, made him really curious. He could also use a napping buddy, so he decided to peek inside, and there you were, dancing and singing like no one was watching. He supposed that before him there really had been no one watching. He kept watching for a bit, curious to see if you would notice he was there. When you didn't, even after a solid 5 minutes of him standing there, his sleepiness got the better of him again. So he walked up to you and called out your name, probably startling the shit out of you, and then proceeded to drag you off to nap with him. He was definitely going to tease you about this later, but he really did love seeing you enjoy yourself like that.

[doomtodivide]

Imagining The Future: Bastille's New Era Analysis

Hello all! The following is taken from the first of my new era update posts on r/Bastillecult. I highly reccomend reading all the posts on there!

Last time I had a few solid guesses with the whole Goosebumps EP transition period, so I figured I would try my luck with this new era. I've broken everything down into a few categories that should hopefully flesh out a sketch of possibilities

Aesthetic: The new logo has a very sleek design. This complete change in aesthetics is very noticable. Bad Blood was filled with literature references, a cozy and nerdy looking dan, and more earthy looking tones. Wild World focused on nihilism, movie references, and an all too realistic dystopian city aesthetic. Doom Days focused on escapism, partying, fucking, and a red and home-y vibes. The lack of color and the clean and sleek look points towards it being a more future oriented era.

Triangle: For a deeper background, I highly recommend reading u/casperwyomingrex 'spost.

The WW era triangle and this new triangle are technically called deltas. While I am by no means a geometry person, I’ve been told by a few math nerds that these triangles are technically not possible in certain plains and spaces, making them impossible. While it is likely that Bastille just needed to explore just slightly outside the normal definition of a triangle to match this aesthetic, the impossible triangle t-shirts hint that there is significance to having “impossible” triangles. This hints that there may be more in common between the WW Era and the Future Era, ie. a dystopian society.

Dystopia: Bastille created an entire dystopian corporation for WW. I remember them saying somewhere they hated the promo and touring process for this album, leading them to switch up the process for DD and the Goosebumps EP. With the record label change and covid shaking up the world, this opens up the opportunity for them to have a redo with this era, especially considering it is a fan favorite era. Many people have pointed out that hint has a vibe similar to black mirror, a sci-fi dystopian show, which would fully support a sci-fi dystopian aesthetic era.

Sound: Though the clip is only 8 seconds long, it gives us some hints about the new era. Bastille once again uses synths for sound, creating a reference to Sci Fi sound effects. The clip mirrors the effect of oscillators to create things like laser sound effects, teleportation, warping, and other “space” noises. I find the juxtaposition of Sci-fi interesting; it was most popular in the early 1900s, meaning Bastille is referencing the past, yet it focuses on the future, which in the lense of Sci-fi, would mean the 2000s and beyond.

In the lens of broadcasting, short interludes are used throughout advertising to the point where many people don’t even think about this. A lot of them are used to hook us in and signify a certain company or thing. In advertisements they are used to signify the company’s presence and to worm the product into our brain. In casinos they are used as a dopamine reward. News stations use them to signify the station. This especially could be relevant in a dystopian society. I’m mentioning this because the clip doesn’t sound full enough to be a song, rather an intro to a news station segment. I find this especially notable considering WW had a news anchor. Looking back, a few videos from wild world could hold significance. This video

has a sci-fi esc clip in the intro.

In Previous Context: In the context of ReOrchestrated, Bastille is no longer letting imposter syndrome or shitty opinions stop them from what they want to do. Meaning they are going full force into the future. There's one specific time during the ReOrch doc where the boys talk about how ReOrch made them realize they could try new shit, even if management thinks it will fail. Dan has spoken in a few interviews now about being excited about collabing (and mentioning relinquishing control to others in the ReOrch doc), a few artists have come forward about working with Dan. While it’s unlikely that every collab we’ve theorized about will go through, Dan Wilson and Ryan Tedder seem to be confirmed in the roster based off of their interviews

When considering the past, a lot of previous songs focus on nostalgia; for example, in Fake it “We can never go back / We can only do our best to recreate.” Post ReOrch and DD, Bastille has worked up enough confidence to push into making their own future, one unlimited by nostalgia and fear.

In the Context of the Goosebumps EP, Inception and Vanilla Sky are both referenced. Both of these movies mark the first time* (to my knowledge

) that futuristic sci-fi has been referenced in Bastille. There is significant overlap with dreaming and time travel, something that could definitely be applied to this era. While it could be coincidental, Bastille has been quite purposeful with using references to add to the era’s aesthetic (see Aesthetic section). Referencing them during a transition period points towards both the literal future (new era) and a new aesthetic.

*Cosmos: War of the Planets and twilight zone have both been referenced but fall into a different category of sci-fi than Vanilla Sky and Inception

In Regards to Distraction Tactics Space Week and WW, alot of it holds very similar aesthetics. This video

from WW also holds a similar aesthetic. Considering DT is linked through space and WW is linked through dystopian this might MIGHT be related.

Hints: It wouldn’t be a new Era without Dan “Soon” Smith teasing us a bit, so here are a few highlights. In this interview

, Dan says “I want to tell you but I can’t! We just want to reflect on the future…” The No Bad Days tweet and the #ToTheSky post likely plays a part in the new era, but the 8 second clip does not have any immediate hints. The art installation in the #ToTheSky post originally caught my interest when it was posted. James Turrel, the artist that created the installation, uses light as a medium to create art. The installation, called the Space That Sees, is described as an “allegory of light that we generate from inside and light that comes from outside: the emergence into space where light comes forth as in a dream." While I have no fucking clue how to interprete this allegory, I imagine space, light, and dreaming will become key players in the new era. A few other notable works of his are the Raethro Pink and Alta Pink, both of which are pinkish purplish white triangles light projections surrounded by inky blackness. The use of Bastille’s triangle logo and a flash of light purple light means there are likely deep ties between the new era and James Turrel’s creations; furthermore, he also acquired a dormant cinder cone volcano to turn into an a museum/observatory using light apertures to observe the solar system, adding further ties to the space and light themes.

Meaning: "You Don't Predict The Future. You Imagine It" I have purposely not used predict in this analysis so I don’t jinx this era. I’ve found a few variations of this saying (You Can’t Predict The Future. But You Can Create It), but all of them seem to point towards creating the future instead of guessing. I imagine not many of my predictions of this era will not be accurate because I am not the one imagining it. I feel like this might also point towards being conscious about what you want out of the future instead of merely guessing where the tides will take you. This could also be like that one story of a kid's drawings turning into real creatures because of the kid imagining it. I feel like “future” and “imagine” point deeply towards sci-fi because of the creative inventions that will take us there. This could also connect to the theory that the survivin’ coin is linked to A.A., and this statement being a motto to help someone escape addiction. Personally, I feel like this clip is the beginning of some sci-fi choose your own adventure video game, but that's my own opinion.

My Personal Crazy Conclusion: It wouldn’t be a post from me without me shooting out some crazy theories. A Light Cult Utopia. That's right. It would be the opposite of WW, meaning it would be new territory for Bastille and it would break a mold (ReOrch doc). It would also give Dan the ability to be more positive then he has been in the past, while also allowing for his normal cynical undertones. Bastille is purposeful with their references, meaning the Jonestown reference in DD might have a bit more purpose behind it. The lighter colors used in the clip would point to happiness. Considering utopias are “imagined” it would fit the phrase in the clip. Sci-fi would also fit into this as being imagined. Considering there are a few space references, I imagine that humans have imagined perfect spacecraft, further fitting sci-fi and a utopian society. Also, Dan collabed with Future Utopia on the track “What’s In A Name?” That's right, what’s in a name? The name being Future Utopia? An entire new era being the name? That right cultists, Dan ”Soon” Smith snuck this under our noses the entire time that bastard.

Summary Statement: This new era will likely bring collabs from an entirely new approach. A Sci-fi dystopian (or utopian) world, one focused on dreaming, light, and space will likely be the aesthetic for this era.

Loose ends: I am only one human, meaning I physically could not rewatch Inception and Vanilla Sky while also researching James Turrel, so there might be a few things I missed in my brief look at them. If anyone would like to read 1984 by George Orwell through the whole dystopian thing, there might be a few connections there.

Based on some things I’ve heard from a little birdy, expect some big non-album projects that tie in with this era and other things….

Special thanks to u/0verjoyed and @ ja9zimm on twitter

[rainy-day-gracie]

Old Friends 3

Spencer Reid x reader

Loads of just Spencer fluff + the team :)  enjoy!

Chapter 4 has been posted!!

Chapter 3: 

“In the past week, three bodies in downtown Las Vegas have been found. One John Doe, two identified prostitutes.” Garcia pointed to the TV. “Cause of death with all three was a single gunshot wound to the heart. But there is something else.”

“Whoa,” Morgan breathed. “Don’t see that everyday.”

“He removed their faces. Maybe punishing them for their sins?” Prentiss wondered. 

“It could be that someone close to him is or was a prostitute. Shot to the heart plus removal of the face could be personal.” I said, not totally convinced of myself. 

Hotch closed his file. “We can start building a profile on the jet. Wheels up in 20.” 

---

Spencer was oddly quiet on the jet. “You okay?” I asked him. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just- going back home, that’s all.” He glanced over with those coffee colored eyes, and I knew that’s not all that was bothering him. 

“Maybe if we wrap this case we can go out on the town,” Prentiss suggested hopefully. 

Morgan smirked. “I thought you hated Vegas.” Prentiss rolled her eyes. 

“If we play poker, I am crushing you all. Including you,” I pointed at Spencer. 

 “Oh, I’m sure you could beat the rest of us, but the Boy Wonder here has been on a winning streak for nearly seven years.” Rossi smirked and took a long sip of his coffee. 

Spencer sighed. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep that up, YFN is one of the only people that has beaten me.” The rest of the team stared at me in awe. 

“YLN, what’s your IQ?” JJ wondered aloud. 

Spencer groaned and I laughed. “Um, well... 190. Spencer and I have had this argument before.” 

“Three points shouldn’t be this big of a deal!” He exclaimed. 

We almost couldn’t stop laughing until Garcia video called. “What is it? What’s so funny?” 

“My IQ is higher than Spencer’s.” 

She gasped. “Oh my goodness, this is some kind of magical moment, but I am about to ruin it.”

“They found another body?” JJ asked expectantly.

“Yes, but this time the shots were to the heart and genitals of a downtown prostitute. Plus the removal of the face.” Garcia cringed. “Goodbye, my beloved crime fighters!” And her face disappeared from the screen. 

“Alright, Morgan, YLN, Rossi, you are at the station working on victimology. JJ, Reid, visit the latest crime scene. Prentiss and I will visit the ME to see what we can find out.” Hotch said authoritatively. “This guy doesn’t have any kind of cooling off period.” 

---

Rossi and Morgan seemed to have some kind of inside joke that I wasn’t in on. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Okay, what’s going on? You guys keep glancing at each other and smirking, but you don’t talk to me unless it’s about the case.” 

Rossi glances over at Morgan and then looked at me. “We’re just not sure if you and good old 187 were truly just ‘old friends’ in college.”

Morgan sat down next to me at the table. “We’ve seen those small glances at each other when you think no one is watching, reassuring hand squeezes, the way he lingers on you after you look away.” 

I could feel my face turn bright red even before he stopped talking. “Umm... I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Rossi smiled. “And there’s the small fact that you dated for almost two years at MIT.” 

I gasped. “How did you know about that?”

Morgan was giggling like a little kid. “Garcia may have let it slip once.” 

I took a deep breath. “Of course she did. Well, whatever. That was almost ten years ago when we had to break up. We were nineteen.”

“Yeah, right,” Rossi said. “And lets just pretend that he wouldn’t move mountains for you.” 

I didn’t have an answer for that.

---

It wasn’t up until six victims that we had an idea. 

“YLN, all of the female victims look like you,” Hotch began hesitantly. “If you released a statement, denouncing his kills, he would have to come to us directly. Otherwise, I don’t think he’s coming out of the woodwork any time soon.”

“How would I denounce his kills?”

“We would hold a press conference. You would say that the FBI wouldn’t be working on this case anymore. That the kills weren’t sophisticated enough, and the shootings were unrelated to each other,” Hotch explained. “Being insulted by someone he sees as lowly, beneath him, it would get under his skin. He would have to come to us.” 

It took all of three seconds for me to agree. “Sure, someone will have to coach me first.”

JJ stepped up. “I’ve got that covered.” 

An hour later, dozens of reporters were standing outside Vegas police station. All waiting for me. 

“Remember to hold yourself like a queen. Control the crowd, don’t let them control you. And keep your answers short and to the point.” JJ explained quickly. “You’ve got this.” 

“Thanks, let’s just get this done and I can crush you guys at the casino.” I said, making JJ laugh. “Let’s do this.”

---

“Hello, thank you for coming. My name is SSA YFN YLN, and I’m here with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. I would like to alert the public that the shootings around the city of Las Vegas will no longer be considered a BAU case.” I made sure to keep my chin high, and speak clearly. Like a queen, JJ had said. 

“Why isn’t the FBI investigating the shootings of the city’s prostitutes?” One reporter called out. 

“We believe the shootings, while savage, are unrelated to one another.” 

“What do you have to say to the families of the victims?” 

Oh god. I didn’t know how to answer that one. I’m sorry? Feel better soon? I looked out into the crowd for something that could help me.  

Spencer was standing at the back. He nodded encouragingly, giving me a small smile. 

“The Las Vegas police department is doing everything they can to find the individuals responsible for the shootings in the city. The FBI simply believes that the case doesn’t... have the sophisticated nature needed to be a BAU case.”

“What can you say about the rumor of the removal of the faces of the victims?” 

“The Las Vegas police department is not commenting on that rumor at this time. Thank you very much.” And with that, my first press conference was ended. 

The team met me inside the building. The smiles on their faces said I did a good job. Even Hotch had a pleased twinkle in his eye. 

“You looked like you had done that a thousand times.”

“Commanded those reporters like a boss.” 

“I’m so proud of you.” 

Spencer barely whispered that last part, so quiet no one else could hear him. 

“I wanna talk to the bitch that insulted me on TV!” 

---

The man held a prostitute in his arm, a revolver pressing into her temple. 

I tried to run out so he could see me, but Spencer held me back by my waist and pushed me into a side room with him. 

“What are you doing? He wants to talk to me!” I yelled. 

    Spencer shook his head. “The second he sees you, he’s going to shoot you, no matter who’s surrounding him. Stay here and-“ 

“If I don’t see that bitch soon, this whore is dead!”

“Spencer,” I pleaded. 

He paused for a second, just looking at me. “Fine,” he breathed. He did not like this at all. 

I walked slowly out of the room and into the man’s line of sight. His eyes widened and he smiled maniacally. 

“You really think my kills aren’t sophisticated?” He hissed at me. Based on the fact that he waltzed into the police department with a hostage, he wasn’t planning on getting out of here. But he’s going to make sure he caused as much damage as he could. 

I kept my voice from trembling. “I don’t think anyone who cuts people’s faces off is anything more than a murderer.” 

“YLN,” Hotch warned from behind me. 

I didn’t dare take my eyes off of the man in front of me. “But your kills are ones that the BAU will study for years to come.” I gestured around the room. “Look at this. Right now you’ve got dozens of trained law enforcement pointing guns at you. Why would you not want to enjoy that spectacle while you’re still alive? If you shoot her, you get killed. But if you put that gun down, you can live to truly see the mass panic you created in one of the largest cities in the country.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Your choice.” 

He considered it for a second and slowly let go of the woman he was holding. The man then dropped his gun on the ground, and got on his knees. 

I felt as if I could breathe again. I shut my eyes as Hotch put the man in handcuffs and dragged him away. 

“You are on some kind of roll, YLN.” Morgan patted me on the shoulder. “Spencer is a lucky boy.”

“Oh shush.” I groaned at him. “I need a drink. Can we hit the town now?” 

Prentiss walked up next to me. “I thought you’d never ask.” 

---

We took off the next morning, most everyone in varying degrees of a hangover. Prentiss and Morgan were the worst of it. “Ugh, I hate Vegas,” I heard her groan.

Spencer took his seat next to me on the jet. “I’m still convinced you were cheating last night. You couldn’t have beaten me that many times, right?” 

I laughed loudly. “I’ve beaten you in poker since college. What were you expecting?” 

He gave me a fake glare and rested his head on my shoulder. “Whatever, I’m taking a nap.” 

Good thing everyone was too hungover to see the obvious blush on my face. 

A few hours later, Spencer’s head was still on my shoulder. “Hey, Spencer?” I whispered. 

“Yes?” 

“What’s been bothering you?”

His dark eyes opened and he lifted his head. “Well... nothing’s been really bothering me. It’s just... strange to be seeing you everyday again.” He looked me in the eyes. “Is that weird?” 

“No, it’s not weird. The last time I saw you... you were off to join the academy and I...” I was taking a gap year to care for my negligent mother dying of breast cancer. 

“I know. And I know that’s why we... ended it,” Spencer sighed. “I just didn’t realize how much I’ve missed seeing you all the time until you joined the team.”

I gave him a small smile. “I’ve missed seeing you all the time too, Spencer.”

[fillingthescrapbook]

(Reworking) Army of the Dead

I'm gonna veer away from just reviewing this film because I don't want to contribute to the negativity. Zack Snyder seems like a nice guy based on how his crew (and his actors) talk about him, so let's not punch down. Instead, I'm going to offer my two cents on how to improve the dazed and confused Army of the Dead.

Now, before I begin, I just want to say that I was really looking forward to this film. The trailers promised a colorful good time. I was dismayed by the fact that nearly half of the film takes place outside the zombie apocalypse. The good time was in short supply. And the colors? ... Well, I played myself there. I made myself forget that Snyder isn't a fan of colors.

But enough about my gripes. If you plan on watching the film and haven't yet, I would suggest you scroll away now. We're about to get into spoiler territory because here's my pitch on how to improve the movie:

Number one: Let's give the bad guys a clearer objective. The movie begins with a road accident that unleashes a super zombie into an unsuspecting Las Vegas. He's fast and doesn't just attack people. It's pretty clear from the get go that the movie is setting him up to be more than just the instigating incident for the zombie apocalypse. So I don't understand why, after a very cool opening sequence, that super zombie is swept away to focus instead on casino owner Bly (Hiroyuki Sanada) hiring someone to steal money from his hotel inside Las Vegas.

I mean, after watching the film, we know that obtaining one of the super zombies was the real mission. And I get that the writers wanted that twist. But why make the bad guy the owner of the safe he wants to steal money from? It takes only a few dialogue changes to make him a former partner at the casino, that he wants the money his partners never gave him--and that explains away the need for mercenaries and a safe-cracker.

And why wait to introduce Martin (Garret Dillahunt), his right-hand man, until the team has already been formed? Martin should have already been present during the initial meeting, providing reasons to Scott (Dave Bautista) on why Bly can't just get his men to come in and out; that they know Scott has a way in, that they know Scott has a team he can convince to go in, that they know that there are zombies inside the city of Las Vegas that aren't like other zombies--that's why they need specialists. When Scott asks why Martin needs to join them, Bly would wave it off as him wanting an inside guy in the team to make sure they deliver the money to him. But an exchange of looks between Bly and Martin could already set the tone for the viewers that there's a different mission at play.

Also: it's fine to play Bly and Martin as desperately courting Scott since he and his team are desperate as well. They need the money that they're gonna get from the heist. That should've been implied from the beginning as well, that Bly and Martin have already done their research on Scott. That would've allowed us to speed through getting the team together. So we could have a scene first of Scott and Maria (Ana de la Reguera) having a scene arguing about taking the job. Scott would be for it, needing the money to provide for his estranged daughter. Maria would be against it because she wants out of the mercenary business. But because she loves Scott, she agrees.

I have no problem with how fast they recruited Marianne (Tig Notaro). That was one of my favorite scenes in the movie. My only wish here was that they didn't have to green-screen Tig Notaro in, that they had cast her in the first place instead of the other guy. Because Tig as a badass? Something I never knew I needed.

They should've had Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick) live in the tent city just outside of Las Vegas. The film established that he needs the money, but not really why. Having him need money to evacuate his family completely from the tent city provides a visual reason. He also could've been Scott's way of keeping tabs on his daughter, since we learn later in the movie that he became an absent father because of his guilt. Scott's first scene with his daughter could've been while he was recruiting Vanderohe.

Mikey (Raul Castillo) should've been Scott's contact in how to get into Las Vegas. Mikey is shown to be a YouTuber of sorts who regularly sneaks into the Vegas area to kill zombies for views. I don't understand why he couldn't be the one who has access to Lily (Nora Arnezeder) and her container gate. He could be the one to suggest that the team douse themselves with "perfume" made of rotting smells--which he uses to make himself less noticeable to zombies when he films his videos.

Which leaves Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer) and Chambers (Samantha Win). Dieter is supposedly a known safe-cracker, and it doesn't really fly with me that he doesn't have someone guarding him at all times. Instead of Chambers belonging to Mikey's crew, she could've been Dieter's bodyguard instead. They could still keep in the detail that she's never fought a zombie before, but she could still remain a really good fighter on account of, you know, being in charge of Dieter's protection. The guy who walks out could be part of Dieter's team as well--and someone who knows that going against zombies, even on your own terms, is still a suicide mission.

The first complication, instead of Dieter not knowing how to kill zombies, should not have been in the planning of the heist. Bly and Martin should already have a plan in place. They are, after all, running this show. The first problem should come up at the tent city--just prior to the team meeting Lily. Vanderohe would report to Scott that his daughter Ella (Kate Ward) sneaked into Las Vegas to find her friend Geeta (Huma Qureshi) because Geeta's kids wanted their mother. That takes away the unnecessary scene of Scott and Ella arguing if she's joining his team or not. Because neither Scott nor Martin should have allowed Ella to go in with them. At the most Scott would offer to find Geeta. But they were operating on a plan that had only one escape helicopter. Adding more people to the team at that point was stupid. Having Ella sneak in prior to the team going in would take care of that, and would make Ella less liable for the deaths that happen later on. And Scott, knowing he can't just abandon his team, decides that he will stay on the mission--and once he has delivered Dieter to the safe, he would go off on his own to look for Ella.

I don't mind the tribute to the queen zombie all that much--had we actually seen zombies threaten the team first. Mikey could be shaken that his rotting "perfume" didn't work, with Lily explaining that some of the zombies have higher intelligence and rely on sight and warmth more than smell.

Having Lily lead the team up until that point, fighting zombies, and then using Burt (Theo Rossi) as an offering to get the Queen to allow them passage would've been more impressive than a zombie tiger to be honest. And when the Queen takes Burt, Lily should have told the team that her job is done and that she was going to come back for them at a certain hour. Martin should've been the one to convince her to stay, citing that they need her knowledge of Las Vegas zombie lore to guide them to where they need to go. Which would then alert Mikey and Chambers that something is not right with Martin.

When Martin approaches Lily about his other mission, Chambers should've been there to see the exchange. Maybe even a handshake between the two. That way she has a reason to confront Martin about his lack of trustworthiness.

After the confrontation, I feel like Martin should have been more proactive in getting rid of Chambers. Making her go last should have been Martin's idea, saying it's a precaution since she's Dieter's bodyguard. Creating noise that would wake the dormant zombies should have been Martin's move as well, and not Chambers making a mistake. Just locking her in with them feels like a very cowardly thing for the current main villain to do.

And then, when Chambers bursts out of a glass window, I feel like Martin should've shot her just as she was about to succeed in beating down the zombies. Excusing his act by lying and saying he saw her get bitten, and that he was just saving Chambers the trauma of turning into a zombie. By then, Martin should have gotten everyone to move on ahead, keeping back in the guise of being concerned for Chambers. Maria and Lily could have stayed with him, as Mikey would've been Marianne's guide towards the helicopter, and Scott and Vanderohe would have continued to guide Dieter through the casino and towards the safe.

When the team regroups (sans Mikey and Marianne) is when they should start to encounter the zombies as integrated challenges into the heist. Like, they need to turn on the electricity to get to the safe--but the lights and the noise would wake the zombies inside the casino. So the plan would be situating Vanderohe, Martin, Lily, and Dieter by the elevators so when the electricity comes in they could get in immediately. They could create barricades or traps to ensure they would be safe from the zombies.

Scott and Maria would be the ones to turn the electricity on so they could go find Ella while the others are focused on the safe. The plan would then be to evacuate Ella through Lily's gate instead of exiting with the team, leaving the rest of the team to be the ones to squeeze into the helicopter.

Over at the helicopter, Mikey would warn Marianne about his distrust of Martin as he shoots zombies while Marianne refuels their escape plan. Marianne could also vocalize her concerns about Martin's shadiness, with the two concocting a plan to get rid of Martin as soon as he makes the wrong move.

When the lights come on, Martin convinces Vanderohe to accompany Dieter to the safe. Leaving him and Lily as lookouts to make sure no zombies get down. And giving him and Lily time to do his other mission.

Scott and Maria, succeeding in turning on the generators, would then make their way to where the super zombies are--having learned from Lily at the beginning of the heist that that's where possible survivors are imprisoned by the intelligent undead. It's while they're leaving the heist casino that they learn about the government's plan to move up the schedule on nuking Las Vegas. They radio to the others about the government's change of plans.

Martin, upon hearing this news, pushes Lily to leave Dieter and Vanderohe since they're running out of time for his other mission.

Dieter and Vanderohe, in place of having a crisis with Mikey on the lead up to the vault, would instead be using the zombies there as bait for the booby traps. Remember, in this pitch, Bly and Martin have already given them everything they needed to know to open the safe. The only thing they don't have is the actual safe combination. (As an added complication, it would be great if Dieter actually gets bitten prior to getting to the safe--and then having the team amputate one arm to stop the spread of the virus. It's an additional wrinkle into the heist that could exist in a zombie apocalypse.)

When Martin kills the Queen, Scott and Maria would see the change in the zombies outside their headquarters. They wouldn't know that Martin killed the queen, of course, just that something's changed--and they have an opening to get in and save Ella. So they take it.

Meanwhile, Martin offs Lily because he has already acquired his true mission: the Queen's head. He can even keep his evil mustache-twirling dialogue with Lily. His goal now is to get to the helicopter before Vanderohe and Dieter unlocks the safe.

The action here would then be amped up as Scott and Maria work as a team to take down the stragglers on their way to find Ella. They could even encounter Burt, who is still unturned, while looking for Scott's daughter. Burt could still be useful later on as someone who betrays them.

At the casino, Martin has to be smart about his way to the helicopter as zombies are already roaming the halls and he doesn't have that many bullets left. He uses one of the elevators as a distraction, leading some zombies to enter the elevator that Dieter and Vanderohe will use later on.

Inside the safe, Dieter has succeeded in opening the safe. They are using radios to ask for help in taking the money and bringing them to the chopper.

Outside, we hear Vanderohe's voice in Lily's radio as the King zombie finds his queen's body. He growls at his legion of zombies to find who is responsible. He takes the queen's body back to the zombie headquarters.

Up at the helipad, Mikey is answering Vanderohe's call for help saying he could leave Marianne for a bit to go to them--but he gets cut off when Martin shows up to try and take the helicopter. They have a fight at the helipad, avoiding using the guns so as not to damage the helicopter. But we see that Mikey and Marianne are ready for Martin's inevitable betrayal. We pan out and we see that the hotel is now fully swarmed by the zombies.

Dieter tells Vanderohe that they could start loading up the elevator with the money. But when they open the elevators, zombies start pouring out. Leaving the two surrounded.

Meanwhile, at the zombie headquarters, Scott and Maria find Ella. They get a happy reunion and Scott gets to have a moment with his daughter--which is cut short by Maria telling them they have to go. But before Maria could finish, she gets killed by the King zombie. Maria gasps as she tells Scott to save Ella and run. This is when Burt could play the traitor card and push Ella, or the friend she was trying to save, so the zombies would turn on them instead of him. Right before he gets killed. Ella promises her friend that she will take care of Geeta's children.

Scott and Ella has to run.

Meanwhile, Mikey and Marianne succeed in knocking Martin down. He drops his bag and the Queen's head rolls out--and bites Mikey. Marianne is concerned, but Mikey knew he was gonna get bit someday. Martin regains consciousness, shoots Mikey twice. Before realizing he's out of ammo. He then picks up the queen's head and threatens Marianne with it. Before he could take another step though, Mikey tackles him--and they both tumble off the helipad together. And then zombies start coming out of the stairwell. Marianne radios Vanderohe--

Who saves Dieter from a particularly strong zombie just in time. He knows they're not getting out alive. They have managed to barricade themselves by the safe using the rails. But it's about to give up. Vanderohe tells Marianne that they're gonna lock themselves up in the safe. That she should fly out and come back for them after the nuke hits. Hopefully they'll survive the blast.

Dieter and Vanderohe run for the safe. The barricade gives way. Dieter pushes Vanderohe into the safe. He pushes the safe door close before he is overwhelmed by the zombies.

Marianne is already inside the chopper. She hears Dieter's screams through the radio. She shoots a zombie and then flies out.

Scott and Ella manage to get up to a squat building to another helipad. They see Marianne's chopper flying out of the heist casino. Scott shoots a flare. But there's still light and Marianne is seen flying away instead of towards them. Scott and Ella say their goodbyes to each other. The King zombie reaches them. Scott tells Ella he loves her as he faces off with the zombie. And then the chopper arrives to take them. Scott pushes Ella to go on first. He does his best to battle the super zombie.

Inside the chopper, Marianne tells Ella that she still has guns. Ella uses one of the guns to shoot at the zombie so Scott could get into the helicopter. Which he does. But the zombie is also able to jump in.

They struggle inside the chopper.

The nuke is launched.

Marianne is focused on flying the chopper. She gets shot. But she waves it off. Saying it's just her arm. Ella has to help her fly the helicopter though.

Scott succeeds in killing the King zombie. He pushes the zombie out of the helicopter and into the tent city.

The three of them make it out.

Marianne lands the helicopter a safe distance away from Las Vegas and the nuclear blast. And then it's revealed that her "arm wound" was a shot to the stomach. And she has bled too much to survive.

Scott and Ella mourn the loss of their friends and loved ones.

And then Scott discovers he's been bit.

Ella cries. She tells Scott she may have hated him, but she never stopped loving him because he was her father. And then Scott forces her to shoot him, so he doesn't turn. She does as he wishes. She is the only survivor of the heist.

Until--we see the safe from the heist casino. It's been a few weeks since the nuclear blast. The safe door bursts open: and out comes Vanderohe. And we see he's been bitten. But he hasn't been turned into a zombie. The bite saved him from the nuclear fallout, while the radioactivity is keeping his zombie gene dormant.

And then, at a tent city, we see the King is still intact. He has been retrieved after the nuclear blast, having fallen outside of Las Vegas. And we see Bly there with a smirk.

A sequel is coming.

And that is how I would have reworked Army of the Dead.

[psychemeanscure]

PART 17 { A little spoiler; This part involves phone calls so I intentionally highlighted it as bold ones. Anyways, happy reading y’all~}

When did things became awry with their plans really? When did it started from the first place? Because for her it was that night surely. She was bound to travel for a prior business that time when she received an overseas call from her foster mother that even her supposed to be exhausting expression change into jovial in a split of time. Thus she accepts the call after coming out from her premise.

“Mamá!”

“Mi hija…”

“You called. You missed me, aren’t you?”

She can already read her mother’s heart indeed for she heard its defeating chuckle from the other line while much curve smile came into her than before. “I knew it! I miss you too mamá. How was home?”

She may not see its reaction yet she knew that a mocking scolding will come upon her after. “Miss? Ah, really?... If you miss me then why you have to wait for me to call you than calling me first? Tu niña, really. And home? Well except that its spelling consistently stands as M.A.D.R.I.D. We’re still alive, yes.” 

For it was her turn now then to laugh. She’s used to it anyway for she usually been given an earful and of course, the quirky jokes of her mamá that will never get old every time it calls nor surprised from its not so timely timing of bothering choosing a right time in calling. Whether late nights or dawns in Spain just like today, she doesn’t care. Its decision of hearing her hija’s voice when she misses it, is a must. Even she’s always against it.

“Perdon mamá, It’s just that things been busy for me these days that I hardly had a chance to call. But believe me, I really am missing you too though.”

Sigh has been heard from her foster parent then. “Hija, please take care of yourself. Don’t get me worried for you when we’re so far away por favor. Hm?”  

“No te preocupes mamá. I’m taking care of myself, okay. Speaking of we, how was papá? I missed him too... And mamá, did I told you many times to please not pester yourself in calling me late nights or dawns? You’re not getting any younger, please take care of your health as well oh?”

“Tss. You are just like your sleeping papá, really. Can’t you two stop bullying me for once?”

That a chuckle came after her realizing its defeating banters once again. “So papá is sleeping? Mamá, you can’t blame us okay… Calling for missing me isn’t an excuse. It can wait, you know I can always answer you right away even when I’m busy. Right?”

“Okay, okay. I lose. As if I can win over you. But hey, it’s your fault anyway why I can’t really sleep this time. Did I also told you that I’ll never welcoming your idea of hiring men around our home? Then what am I watching right now huh?”          

And it was enough for her to stiff by her carseat the moment she steps in the driver side. “Come again, mamá?” urging her mamá to repeat what seems to be deaf in her. “I said, your men were so diligent guarding 24/7 that It feels uncomfortable already. Four sedans, for real Amilia dear? That’s too much for a protection mi hija.”

She was already dumbfounded by what she was hearing. She did admit that she suggested it once for her to monitor their safety, considering their health worried her that if something may go wrong while she wasn’t around taking care of them. She loved them as much as her biological parents, and if being overprotective is the only choice to do then she must. But she long trash the idea for she respected her mamá’s decision of not pursuing it, she’s just too private liking it.

So whoever is behind this thing, she surely needs to know for she can’t risk the danger her foster parents might face when it happens. They shouldn’t be involved as they do not even know about anything. ‘Mierda!’

A curse she had to thought for once before covering a safe response that will not worry her mamá. “O-oh. Is that so mamá? Uhm, when did they started? Perhaps, can you send me a picture of the them as well? You know, just want to make sure how they good they were with their job.” Followed by her fake chuckle then.

“Three days up to now I think. Psh, you didn’t even deny it. You and your business tactics really. Okay, I will.”

“Thank you mamá.”  

Thus the latter send the picture she wanted after few more how are yous there and then. “Mi hija?”

“Hm, mamá.”

Her foster mother’s last catch of her name before quite silence did. “Mamá?” for it was her turn to get its attention. “Be safe for us, please.” as guilt came after that she had to silently clear a throat to hide it. “Si, mamá.”

Thus that’s how they end their call then as she hastily checks the picture after. There she saw what how it basically described. Four sedans indeed park on their front gate while two or more were outside. She even tried to zoom it in but it was just too blur for her to clearly see a possible clue she may get. She was about to give up either if not for the video it intentionally records for her. Thanking fully to her foster mother for more as it was a zoom in vid then. Good thing her mamá is somehow a detailed person that every bit of it were clearly shoot.

Till she finally found it. A clue that was so familiar for her. The initial logo on its car hood she can always see. She saw it, right in front of her eyes. The word Ziar, carved in a metallic steel. The last four letters of her enemy’s last name. “Veeros Alcaziar.”

Her mere utter with its name from the outside, but a trembling cold dumbfounded on the inside. She feared for her parents’ safety. Her foster parents who have loved her with all their might. One wrong move and it will be the end. If she needs to sacrifice something, she will as long as she can assure the safety of her parents.  “No...” she starts pouring droplets of tears then. “No. No, not them please.” She didn’t see this coming, she admits.

She wasn’t even aware of her phone falling from her hold. Driving her energy through her office instead of fleeing to her original agenda. Rummaging to every possible evidence that could counter the son of a bitch. Only to hear Jang Taeyoung and Zilo Alcaziar’s conversation from her voice recorder instead.

Beep!!! ----

For she ends up beeping her car horn when stepping once again to her car after the confirming vague talk from Jang Taeyoung. She can even sense the uproar she did from the way she can hear the nosy mouths of the passerby as even him saw it himself from above. The continuous horning of her car which still stayed from the entrance way of the Casino Hotel.

But the heck will she care either. Her mind was already messed up for her to include them. “Mierda, mierda, mierda! Don’t make me choose please!” Brushing her face from the frustration she needed to outburst.

She thought to choose wisely just a while ago yet here is him, stirring her own decision-making for a crazy plan he planted. He was supposed to help her but here he is. “F*ck, Jang Taeyoung. You’re not helping!” as another beep from her car horn was heard.

It was then indeed. The misconception of their tangled thoughts.

~

That for some time she starts to notice a cryptic car following her every travel that even her own apartment isn’t exemption. That’s when she knew, she has been supervised by the old Alcaziar. Days passed, she received a proposal from an industrial corporation she’s too familiar with. She may be involved with corrupt officials but she has never been approached by illegal scheme when it comes to business unless she’ll do it but now.

Strange it is so she begins to dig in then. Reading every details of its investors and shareholders that might possibly connected from the old geezer. Even used her connections to monitor their every move, including the former till she found one. The image of the bulldog prosecutor in the enemy’s den. “What a loyalty you have Mr. Kim.” For she decided right then to might as well get use of him.

That’s when she became aware of everything. The hidden backstabs, the conspiracies, the possible framing. And she played with it. That even all the information she had gathered she still act naïve. Before she realized, she’s tending through the fire already for she purposely accepted its offer to erase suspicions, to divert the risk of her parents. All for them even if sacrificing him is the only thing needed.  

Yet throughout her silent journey of fighting she can’t still guess its motive on doing that. She even thought that it could just be an assurance for its business not being sabotage or anything. Or rather searching a flaw he’s planning to keep in hand. As none of it came close till Jang Taeyoung confirmed it himself. That all along, it was her who the geezer is after with.

Sinking each details, she had consumed. The obsession she hasn’t seen coming. As today isn’t different either. Those guarding hidden eyes around her, she will not mind any of it from this day on. She’s screwed anyway.

Freely visiting her biological mother even after Jang Taeyoung’s reminder of leaving it for now. Still she managed to come. On this columbarium, in front of her mother’s spot, rains heavily pouring over the umbrella she is holding. She could not much be surprised if something happened on her after this for she long accepted her consequence.

“We’ve finally met mom.”

Her first word after a long time. “I’ve missed you.” Followed by her longing how are you.

“We’ve missed you. Dad is, so please meet each other up there as well. You don’t have to worry about me here, I’m doing fine.”

Before silence did for her. “But mom…” as she’s starting to get unaware of her words. Letting out the struggle she wanted to fade away. “Can I ask you to take care of me first? Just this time. Guide me please, mom.” for an incoming tear planning to drop into her eyes, turning her head to the side as if not wanting her mom to see it to herself. “I-… I’m scared, mom. And it fears me, so please be there when it happens, oh?”

With the last wipe of her tears and a caress to her mom, she left. As so it did…

Her consequence.                                    

[popopretty]

BSD Chapter 77

SKYFALL (PART 4)

Omg I love this chapter sooo muchhh. Not only because it is one of the happiest chapters we have in a while, but also because things start to fall into place, and a lot of things are explained.

Both Japanese and English are not my native language (and to be honest I’m still so high after reading the chapter) so I may make some mistakes here and there. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you spot any!

SPOILERS AHEAD

-          Lucy jumps towards Atsushi and used her ability to take him into Anne’s room. They successfully gets in, but Hawthorn has tied a blood thread to Atsushi right before that and get to the room with them. He shoots Lucy in the arm but is immediately caught by Anne and got pulled into the locked room.

-          While they feel relieved that they have caught Hawthorn, Ango instead tells them it is their total defeat, cuz they not only cannot save Sigma, but also got seen by the Hound Dogs as the allies of the terrorists (for attempting to save Sigma before). Everything has been planned by Fyodor all along and even Dazai cannot see through it.

-          Back to the cell where Fyodor is casually reading books, while Dazai seems shocked at what happens. Fyodor says he doesn’t do anything, just praying to God, and his prayers have been listened. Dazai figures out that even the casino is a bait, and asks Fyodor why he sets up for both ADA and the Hound Dogs to be there. Fyodor casually say that it would be more beautiful that way. Fyodor says that even though Dazai tries to turn around the situation, but God prefers perfection and harmony, so he has followed the God’s wish and added one more line to the page, that “no one will believe ADA’s innocent, no matter how many proofs they get”.

-          Meanwhile, Tachihara is gathering the terrorists’ data from the server when he finds an USB. He opens it and inside is a video of Atsushi speaking about the truth behind all the incidents (about the book, the page, how ADA is set up and everything). He got a call from Teruko at that time, asking if he finds anything, but after a moment of thinking, he decides not to tell Teruko about the USB and the video he saw. Teruko then tells him that the situation has got out of their hands. The terrorists plan to use currency as weapons so it has become an international matter. So she tells Tachihara to go back to Port Mafia and track down the location of the two ADA members that got away (Tanizaki and Kenji). Tachihara tells Teruko that he is not sure if he can act like a Mafia well, to which Teruko laughs out and says he is born to do infiltration mission. She reminds him of how he used to use his ability to get the secret information, and how he uses it to kill off the two Black Lizard members who tried to cover for ADA.

-          Tachihara has a flashback about him visiting Hirotsu and Gin after the incident. They still don’t know about his real identity and are both glad to know he is alright. They both say that their wounds are surprisingly light because the attackers do not hit their vitals at all. Tachihara tells them that he has to go and before leaving the room, he asks Hirotsu if Hirotsu thinks he is meant for the mafia. Both Gin and Hirotsu start to laugh.

-          We are back to jail where Dazai is laughing at Fyodor too. He says Fyodor doesn’t know a thing about God, that God doesn’t give a damn about “perfection” and “harmony”. We then see a flashback of Odasaku and Gide, when Dazai talks about how God is only good at uncertainty and irrationality. And that is the weakness him and Fyodor share. No matter how many plans they come up with, in the end they are still stuck in a jail at the end of nowhere. And the real ones to make the world turn, are the ones who are striving, crying, and bleeding in the midst of all that uncertainties. And with the strength of those souls, everything he and Fyodor can do is to watch.

-          Back to Tachihara’s flashback, Hirotsu laughs and tells him he is a mafia, in and out, a model that everyone in the Mafia should look up to. That is when Tachihara realizes that he doesn’t infiltrate the Mafia to avenge for his brother, but because he wants to become “something”. That’s why he doesn’t shoot Yosano. He hears Yosano saying sorry about his brother and gets all confused, like what in the world are the ADA. He then asks Hirotsu, if he thinks that ADA are really the terrorists. Hirotsu seems surprised and says maybe Tachihara has hit his head somewhere, because both him and Gin believe without a doubt that there is no way ADA could be the terrorists. And as a Mafia, Tachihara should know that too.

-          Back in jail, Dazai repeats what Fyodor said before about human being sinfully stupid, but adds that they are not as boring of an existence as Fyodor thinks.

-          Tachihara finally realizes that ADA cannot be the terrorists, no matter how he thinks about it. We can see in the background the image of the page being torn. (I assume that it is a sign that the spell of the book is somewhat broken here, as Tachihara, who should not believe ADA at all, finally comes to sense and decide to side with them)

-          In the last scene, Sigma is going to hit the ground when he notices Gogol waiting for him, alive, laughing, and saying its time for the magic of reviving the death.

And that is the end of the chapter. I had a lot of fun reading and translating it. And I’m so glad everyone is aliveeee!!!! Now I just need to see Kunikida…

Anyway, thanks for reading my long post again. And see you next month :3

[awrteachtv]

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[tabloidtoc]

OK, October 19

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Pregnant Princess Eugenie betrayed by her own dad -- Queen Elizabeth bans Prince Andrew from delivery room 

Page 1: Big Pic -- Lea Michele and husband Zandy Reich enjoying a leisurely stroll with their son Ever in a stroller in face masks 

Page 2: Contents 

Page 3: Contents 

Page 4: Demi Lovato moving on -- a heartbroken Demi is picking up the pieces after splitting from her fiance Max Ehrich 

Page 6: When Kris Jenner shocked fans with her announcement that Keeping Up With the Kardashians was ending she didn’t explain why she decided to pull the plug on the show after 20 seasons but now she’s gearing up for a big TV interview in which she’ll reveal the real reason she’s calling it quits which is ironically because there’s too much drama going on with her family and she wants to see her children happy again 

Page 7: It’s a good thing Taylor Swift has been sheltering in place at her Nashville farm and not at her posh pad in New York City where bullets were flying outside her $18 million Tribeca townhouse during an armed robbery at a sneaker store next door, after just one season on The Talk Marie Osmond has been unceremoniously given the boot because her ex-cohosts Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood threatened to quit unless she was canned because they felt Marie didn’t bring anything to the table and just made it difficult for them to get their ideas across plus they thought she was too refined and too nice and too polished, Emma Stone’s recent hush-hush wedding to Dave McCary has her ex-boyfriend Andrew Garfield crying the blues and ever since Emma and Dave were spotted wearing matching wedding bands Andrew has been telling people that he’s happy for Emma but everyone knows that deep down it must be devastating for him because she was the love of his life 

Page 8: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars are chic in suits -- Emily Blunt, Sandra Oh, Gugu Mbatha-Raw 

Page 9: Olivia Palermo, Charlize Theron 

Page 10: Who Wore It Better? Lily-Rose Depp vs. Kaia Gerber, Mj Rodriguez vs. Kat Graham 

Page 11: Brie Bella vs. Kyle Richards 

Page 16: News in Photos --  Gwen Stefani modeled one of the new styles from her L.A.M.B. eyewear collection while shooting a campaign 

Page 17: Brie Larson and her boyfriend Elijah Allan-Blitz wore masks at a grocery store, Drew Barrymore posed on the set of her new talk show, Katie Holmes and boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr. had dinner with his dad Emilio Vitolo Sr. 

Page 18: Kidding Around -- famous parents can’t get enough of their mini-me’s -- Prince William and sons Prince George and Prince Louis, new dad Artem Chigvintsev and his son Matteo, pregnant Ashlee Simpson enjoyed a day of shopping with daughter Jagger 

Page 20: Wells Adams out on a run, Keo Motsepe and Anne Heche take a selfie, Alessandra Ambrosio spending a day at the shore 

Page 21: Arnold Schwarzenegger and his girlfriend Heather Milligan took their two-wheelers out for a spin 

Page 22: Farrah Abraham clad in a patriotic bikini in Venice in California, Olivia Jade and boyfriend Jackson Guthy on a dinner date 

Page 23: While guest-hosting the Ellen show Stephen “tWitch” Boss created a TikTok video with wife Allison Holker and guests Addison Rae and Derek Hough, Irina Shayk served looks for designer Nicole Benisti’s Fall/Winter 2020 campaign 

Page 24: At the Hometown Heroes Live Music Festival Snoop Dogg honored his late friend Tupac Shakur with fellow headliner Nelly, Helen Mirren stunned while attending Prince Albert II’s Monte-Carlo Gala for Planetary Health, Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly 

Page 25: Ireland Baldwin getting her tresses dyed back to blonde, Kaley Cuoco filming a scene for her show The Flight Attendant 

Page 26: Inside My Home -- Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers’ historic home -- the spouses of 10 years are calling time on their marriage and saying farewell to their L.A. hideaway 

Page 28: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich’s divorce is off 

Page 29: Ryan Gosling will turn 40 in November and there’s just one thing he wants for his birthday -- baby No. 3 with longtime girlfriend Eva Mendes because he loves being a dad and is eager to grow their family and Eva is totally on board and the couple who already have two daughters would be thrilled to have a baby boy, after quarantining in Big Sky in Montana for months Justin Timberlake is itching to get back to work in L.A. but his wife Jessica Biel doesn’t want to let him out of her sight -- while Jessica likes the slower pace of Montana Justin is bored as hell but Jessica wants Justin around to help with their son Silas and their new baby boy but everyone knows she’s afraid Justin will go back to his old habits

Page 30: Rebel Wilson’s romance with hunky new businessman beau Jacob Busch is heating up and the two have been inseparable since she returned to L.A. last summer after shooting a TV series while Down Under -- they hang out at her house cooking healthy meal and exercising and go for hikes in the canyons and Jacob is wonderful and generous and sweet and he loves her sense of humor, Kim Kardashian is close to ending her marriage to Kanye West but she’s holding off on filing court papers until she finishes mapping out the details of her post-divorce life, Oh Baby -- these couples secretly welcomed little ones -- Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski welcomed their second child which was a boy, Billie Lourd and Austen Rydell welcomed a boy named Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell, Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix welcomed a son named after Joaquin’s late brother River 

Page 32: Cover Story -- Princess Eugenie’s royal baby drama -- the mom-to-be is worried her disgraced father Prince Andrew will steal the spotlight for all the wrong reasons -- Queen Elizabeth is set on making sure that Eugenie and her great-grandchild are spared any future embarrassment caused by Andrew because she’s had enough of his reckless behavior -- Prince Andrew is crushed by Eugenie’s decision to keep him out of the delivery room and is hoping she’ll reconsider 

Page 36: Sandra Bullock -- wedding and baby and a tell-all -- she is planning for a family-focused future and ready to clear up rumors from her past 

Page 38: Parenting the Pandemic -- Ex Factor -- these former couples may have their differences but they make it work for the sake of the kids -- Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson 

Page 39: Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead, Anderson Cooper and Benjamin Maisani, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck 

Page 40: Interview -- Demi Moore -- the star talks about her bravest roles including her latest in the pandemic thriller Songbird 

Page 42: Primetime Babes -- how this fall’s hottest stars stay in tip-top shape -- Gabrielle Union, Hilary Swank, Nicole Scherzinger 

Page 43: Lily Collins, Nicole Kidman 

Page 46: Style Week -- Becky G’s new collection of sunglasses with Dime Optics 

Page 48: What’s Hot Right Now -- be a trailblazer this season in a statement-making jacket -- Iskra Lawrence 

Page 49: Mad for Mascara -- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley 

Page 50: Think Pink -- shop these pretty items that support breast cancer awareness month 

Page 54: Entertainment 

Page 55: Q&A with Candace Cameron Bure 

Page 58: Buzz -- VanderBump Rules -- Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor the latest Vanderpump Rules couple to announce they are expecting celebrated the news at a gender reveal party and among these guests were current costar Lala Kent and their former castmate Stassi Schroeder both of whom are also pregnant 

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Jane Fonda recalling the time she told Kim Kardashian West she had a beautiful butt, Millie Bobby Brown on doing arts and crafts during quarantine, Drew Barrymore revealing her experience on the dating app Raya 

Page 61: Catherine Giudici joking about how her life revolves around poop with three kids, Sharon Stone on how she was madly in love with Robert De Niro before the two starred in 1995′s Casino, Chace Crawford joking about the time he turned down an offer to become a Chippendales dancer 

Page 62: Horoscope -- Libra Cardi B turned 28 on October 11

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Julia Garner