#I know and have met and kind of interned with one of the main actors who played a ninja turtle in some kind of ninja turtle movie | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

usedpidemo · 5 months

Text

the craziest christmas party ive ever attended...(storytime!)

God, the flu fucking sucks. Imagine being healthy for three straight years, working out as often as possible, and then the one time you get caught in the middle of a rain, the next day you begin falling ill. Headaches. Body aches. Cough. Dry throat. Completely zapped all my energy and three years of positive momentum just like that.

One week later, after several trips to the hospital, plenty of rest and medications in between, I was beginning to pick myself back up. If there was any silver lining, I lost weight during that time period because I couldn't eat anything. Even so, I still felt...off. I was forgetting things more often than usual, my clarity and awareness would disappear at random times, and it felt like my body was moving on its own. I felt like I had no control over myself.

This is practically the reason why I've kind of disappeared over the last month or so. The illness completely took me down and I've basically forgotten how to write :< Seriously, I feel like the main character in Memento, trying to pick up the pieces of what the hell happened. I'm getting better with each passing day, though, so hopefully this will all be behind me as we enter the holiday season.

Anyway, it's not often that this country gets to host an international entertainment event, let alone one of the premier Korean awards. No idea, I don't really watch these things at all. The idea of seeing so many K-pop acts and actors in one setting appealed to me. Not to mention the actual lineup? NewJeans! Le sserafim! Mother Eunbi! Itzy! Stayc! Kep1er! Kim Sejeong! Many of these acts are either making their stage debut or have returned numerous times. This was easily a must attend. Who knows when we'll get another opportunity like this, especially after the controversy and backlash surrounding the handling of the ceremony.

I got fortunate buying the tickets. To be fair, they were expensive by local concert standards; 50 USD at the very back to 450 for VIP, which is a significant punch up compared to a typical K-pop concert even solo held in the very same arena. Not to mention, the site automatically picks the tickets for you, rather than give buyers the freedom of choice to select specific seats. It also helps that the pricing turned plenty of people off, on top of previous negative experiences in that arena for other fans. Even better was when I actually entered the venue; since there were so many vacant seats during the beginning, we were moved up to the very front, right where the artists were all seated ahead of us.

Honestly. Shitty camera aside, the scenes were priceless.

I admit I mostly went for the female acts, especially my girlies Le sserafim and Eunbi, but I've learned to give so much respect and appreciate everyone who performed. Regardless of their status and popularity, nugu or main event, the crowd was electric and passionate: they would cheer, sing along to the songs, and interact with the performer when they would ask. There wasn't a dull moment all throughout the seven hour program.

Speaking of seven hours, I can see why I don't watch this shit live: it can be taxing to the mind and body. I had to get up during one of the longer awardings, one where they gave it to like 10 different artists just to stretch my legs. I respect what Wonyoung, Daniel, and Hanbin did to host, cause I'm pretty sure either way my legs would end up melting like jelly after everything that had transpired.

Man. NewJeans. Freaking NewJeans. I understand why they're so beloved and revered like they're the second coming: they truly love their fans. And holy shit, the pop from the audience when they entered the venue for the first time, and they were practically the main characters of the show. Every little thing they did was met with raucous applause. They waved at us like a dozen times all throughout the show and were having fun from beginning to end. Also, the crowd went fucking crazy for their performance. OMG into ETA is insanely hard.

AND THE AUDACITY TO FOLLOW UP NEWJEANS WITH MOTHERFUCKING LE SSERAFIM?! Best transition ever! Their set was even better than MAMA: Perfect Night (holy shit that choreo) into Eve, Psyche, and Bluebeard's Wife (holy shit that choreo). Their aura was through the roof! Unsurprisingly, they also had the crowd going nuclear.

I'm just gonna blitz through the section of favorite performances because if I had to describe them all this would be longer than any of my fics in recent times. Kim Jaejoong is a fucking legend and I was shook when he transitioned from balladeer to a goddamn rockstar. The opening with &Team and SB19 with Gento set the tone for the rest of the show. Kep1er's dance breaks. GOD. I wish it wasn't accompanied with flashing lights cause they were so fucking hot. Mother Kwon Eunbi proved why she's goddamn mother! ITZY had me singing fucking Cake of all songs. AKMU was quirky and fun and thats why I love K-pop. Also, the sibling dynamic reminded me of my rather strange and turbulent relationship with my sister. Just a random anecdote.

The ending was where shit was dialed up to eleven. I feel very lukewarm towards Stray Kids' newer releases post Back Door, but they absolutely brought the heat by opening with Maniac. Get Lit then Topline was when they brought everyone to their feet, including us the audience! And if that wasn't enough, here comes BooSeokSoon (BSS) to end the show on the perfect high. Like none of us were sitting down once it ended.

On top of all the performances, there's the interactions too. Oh man. I was hoping that Le sserafim, ITZY, Kep1er, or Eunbi—any combination of these—would be seated on our side, but we got NewJeans. And they kept interacting with us. So much. Every single member noticed me at least once and I somehow got Hanni on camera. Insanity. If that wasn't enough, NMIXX were also placed on our side, and Lily, Haewon, Bae, and Kyujin waved at us multiple times as well, including during the final goodbyes. STAYC's Yoon went around to wave to everyone in the audience during the intermission period, and after their initial entrance into the venue, Sumin and Seeun waved at us. I really wish I had my cameras on but I was so focused on capturing anyone's attention! It worked; I also got the attention of several other groups, from ZeroBaseOne to Tempest to SB19 to Sakurazaka46. They transferred Le sserafim over to our side late into the ceremony and I was hoping they would interact with us; it wasn't meant to be. I don't have any negative feelings cause I still got copiously blessed with so many other acts.

I don't know what's gonna happen moving forward. Considering the backlash and issues that have sprung in regards to the handling of the ceremony, there's a good likelihood an award show of this scale will ever be hosted again. Or maybe the energy shown by the crowd will inspire future ceremonies, like MAMA or Golden Disc. Who knows. What I do know is that everything about this felt like both a dream and a movie. To see many of my favorites, gain respect for groups I hadn't heard of till last week, and just attend an award show in general is a damn good way to end the year.

#update #storytime

44 notes · View notes

idolskpop · 7 months

Text

2PM Taecyeon Reveals Shocking Truth About His ‘Vincenzo’ Role: He Didn’t Know He Was a Villain!

2PM Taecyeon is one of the most versatile idols in the industry, who has successfully transitioned from being a singer to an actor. He recently amazed the viewers with his brilliant performance as a psychopathic killer in the hit drama ‘Vincenzo’. But did you know that he had no idea he was playing a villain when he accepted the role? Read on to find out more about this surprising revelation and his career journey!

From Idol to Actor: 2PM Taecyeon’s Career Highlights

Taecyeon debuted as a member of 2PM, one of the most popular K-pop groups in the second generation, in 2008. He quickly gained recognition for his charismatic rap skills, powerful dance moves, and charming personality. He also participated in various variety shows, such as ‘We Got Married’, ‘Family Outing’, and ‘Running Man’.

(Photo : 51K Official Instagram) However, Taecyeon did not limit himself to music and entertainment. He also pursued his passion for acting, starting from minor roles in dramas like ‘Cinderella’s Sister’ and ‘Dream High’. He gradually improved his acting skills and took on more challenging roles in different genres, such as comedy, romance, thriller, and action. Some of his notable works include: - ‘Who Are You?’ (2013), where he played a detective who falls in love with a woman who can see ghosts. - ‘Wonderful Days’ (2014), where he played a prosecutor who returns to his hometown and reconnects with his childhood friends. - ‘Assembly’ (2015), where he played a bodyguard who helps a former welder become a politician. - ‘Let’s Fight Ghost’ (2016), where he played a college student who can see and fight ghosts. - ‘Save Me’ (2017), where he played a young man who tries to save his childhood friend from a cult. - ‘The Game: Towards Zero’ (2020), where he played a man who can see the moment of death of anyone he looks at.

2PM Taecyeon’s Dream Role: A Villain in ‘Vincenzo’

Taecyeon’s most recent and impressive work was in the 2021 smash hit drama ‘Vincenzo’, where he played the role of Jang Jun Woo/Jang Han Seok, the main antagonist of the story. He was initially introduced as a naive and clumsy intern at a law firm, but later revealed to be a ruthless and cunning serial killer who was behind a series of crimes.

(Photo : tvN) Taecyeon’s portrayal of the character was praised by critics and fans alike, who were impressed by his ability to switch from being cute and funny to being cold and scary. He also received several awards for his role, such as the Best Villain Award at the 12th Korea Drama Awards and the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 8th APAN Star Awards. However, what many people don’t know is that Taecyeon had no clue that he was playing a villain when he accepted the role. In fact, he only found out about his character’s true identity when he received the script for episode 3. He revealed this shocking truth during his Asia solo tour, where he met his fans in different countries. In Hong Kong, he attended a media press conference on September 29, 2023, where he shared his career journey and stories about his profession. He said: Talking about Vincenzo I actually didn’t know the role was an evil character. The scripts that I received were only episodes 1 and 2, and back then I was the kind cute intern Jang Jun Woo. I myself was also surprised to know that I am a villain. He also posted this tweet on his official account: https://twitter.com/only_oktaec/status/1707384587545088309?s=20 This revelation surprised many fans, who wondered how he managed to pull off such a convincing performance without knowing his character’s background and motivation. Some of them commented: - Wow, that’s amazing! How did he do it? He was so good as Jang Han Seok! - I can’t believe he didn’t know! He must have been shocked when he read the script! - He is such a talented actor! He made me hate him so much in Vincenzo! - He deserves all the awards for his role! He nailed it!

2PM Taecyeon’s Next Role: A Physically Demanding Character

After achieving his dream role of playing a villain in ‘Vincenzo’, Taecyeon is not resting on his laurels. He is already looking forward to his next challenge, which is to play a character that requires more physicality and athleticism.

(Photo : tvN's Official Twitter) He revealed his wish during his media press conference in Manila, where he met his fans on October 1, 2023. He said: For my next role, I want to show more of my physique. I want to play a character that is a boxer, a swimmer, or a fighter. I want to challenge myself and immerse myself in the role. He also expressed his gratitude to his fans for their support and love, saying: Thank you for always being there for me. I will work hard to show you more of my skills and charms. I love you!

2PM Taecyeon’s Bright Future as an Actor

2PM Taecyeon is one of the rare idols who can successfully balance his music and acting careers. He has proven his versatility and talent in various roles, especially in his latest drama ‘Vincenzo’, where he surprised everyone with his shocking revelation that he didn’t know he was a villain. He is not afraid to take on new challenges and explore different genres and characters. He is also eager to improve his skills and satisfy his fans with his performances. We can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in the future. We are sure that he will continue to impress us with his acting and charm us with his personality. What do you think of 2PM Taecyeon’s revelation? What role do you want to see him play next? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article

#2PMTaecyeon #OkTaecyeon #Vincenzo

4 notes · View notes

joyofkinoko · 2 years

Text

My Cross to Bear | three (1.0k words)

The Budget Ghostbusters are called in to investigate the allegedly haunted Gom Theatre in Seoul, and you are a rising actress cast in the latest show, ironically “the Phantom of the Opera”. With both the spirits of the theatre and the critics of the industry down your throat and out for your blood, you find your only comfort in Choi Beomgyu, the sweetheart YouTube cameraman.

.: coworkers to lovers .:. female reader .:. fluff, hurt/comfort, paranormal :.

.: tw: paranormal elements, mature language, near-death experiences :.

.: masterlist .:. budget ghostbusters :.

You sat quietly in a seat in the front row, watching as rehearsals went on without you. Your script was in your lap, open, but given your predicament of a sprained ankle, you’d lost your appetite for rehearsing. It’s discouraging, being unable to do anything. And it’s also degrading, having to constantly ask for help.

Thankfully, the day didn’t stay too boring, when just past lunch, a group of five (surprisingly handsome) men came to introduce themselves. “Budget Ghostbusters,” they called themselves. You had laughed at the name when Director DK brought it up, but at least rehearsal could be less about your injury with them here.

They were, after all, just five friends who went viral and continued making content that they enjoyed together. Their obvious closeness and comfort with one another almost reminded you of your friendship with Nicholas, who you graduated theatre school with. Just friends chasing dreams together.

You didn't know much about them, except from whatever silly facts Sunghoon rattled off into your ear during lunch break (what a fanboy). But they seemed kind enough, well-intentioned, and, to your surprise, fairly respectful (at least more than the average content creator you've met in the entertainment industry).

“We won’t be doing much today. Just getting a few b-roll shots of the theatre, your rehearsals, and perhaps a few quick interviews,” their leader Soobin said with a soft, dimpled smile. He's the one Sunghoon hyped up the most, and you can't help but find his attempts to fanboy subtly endearing. Yeonjun, their oldest, is the one who hands out media consent forms to the cast and crew, including yourself.

After a few more anecdotes from the boys and your director, rehearsal resumes but not without DK pointing you out as the main victim of whatever phantom (if such one exists) haunts your theatre. “That’s YN, but people have been calling her Teddy since she played a bear in her first starring role,” DK kindly explained as you shot a glare at him. (It was an embarrassing role, but it certainly jumpstarted your career, so you suppose you can’t complain.) “She’ll be sitting out rehearsal for a while.

“Will she be alright by opening night?” Hueningkai, who you recognize from modelling ads in department stores (he must be the most popular), asks with a kind concern.

“Hopefully,” you reply indifferently.

DK shoots you a look. “Teddy-”

“Certainly!” you sit up with a sarcastic smile. “I’ll limp if I have to.”

“Right, you told me over the phone about the sandbag...” Soobin nodded in contemplation. “Is it still safe for the actors to be on stage then?”

“There’s really nowhere else for us to rehearse, and the owner of the theatre won’t let us shut down the show so...” DK frowned. “At the very least, all of the, quote-unquote, ghost situations haven’t necessarily repeated.”

Nicholas smirks. “He means to say that the sandbag was the first murder attempt.”

“Sounds... good,” Soobin nodded with unenthusiastic certainty. “Well, that’s about it for now. I guess you guys can start rehearsing again. Beomgyu here will be filming a little, and YN, If you’re ready, Hueningkai and I would love to speak to you about your experiences.”

“Well, I can’t really leave here on my own, so you can interview me whenever,” you lightheartedly joke, cursing at yourself internally for he injury.

“And uh, Taehyun will be walking around the theatre if that’s okay? He’s the one with the ghost senses,” Soobin asks.

“I don’t believe in ghosts. I just know the most,” Taehyun corrects him.

“That’s fine Taehyun. There are a few restricted areas, so just come back here and ask for someone to come with if you wanna go,” DK says, and the afternoon begins.

An afternoon which, quite frankly, is still rather uneventful for you up until a richly deep (think dark chocolate) voice whispers from behind you. “Hey!”

You jump in your seat, startled by what you think might be a ghost, but when you turn around, you find yourself meeting dark chocolate eyes holding up an expensive camera. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I forgot this place is meant to be haunted.”

“It’s fine!” you reassure him, adoring the cherry coloring his cheeks. “I was just a little surprised. I’m YN.”

“I know! I’m Choi Beomgyu, the cameraman, obviously,” he smiles brightly, caressing his equipment with care. His kindness and infectious energy endears you with the way it contrasts his mature impression. “It's nice to meet you, leading lady."

You don't think you've ever blushed so furiously. "No need to flatter me! I'm just a... well, ghost survivor I suppose."

"All the more reason to treat you with all the kindness I can offer," he smiles, offering a cheeky wink that sends your heart soaring. "No one gets to mess with the star! Not on my watch." The two of you spend a few more minutes giggling away as rehearsals continued, both of you almost losing track of time and purpose as you make pointless jokes and comments. It's distracting, sure, but it's welcomed in its warmth.

The conversation ends when you see Beomgyu glance over to the side where Yeonjun and Soobin are chatting with a few members of the crew. You barely notice, but you think you see Yeonjun arching a questioning eyebrow in your direction to which Beomgyu suddenly straightens his back and clears his throat. "You just happened to be sitting at the prime angle for filming the stage, so I’ll be sitting here behind you for a while to film, if that’s okay?”

You nod brightly. Back to business it is. “You've been sat here for a while, so yes. Of course.”

“And your leg... Are you okay?”

You look down.

You somehow forgot it’s why you were sitting alone in the first place.

You think you might be able to like this Choi Beomgyu.

You think you might be able to like him a lot.

You look up and smile.

“I will be."

send an ask to be added to the taglist!

@butterflx @insert-a-creative-url-right-here @moavill97

#tomorrow x together #choi beomgyu #txt smau #social media au #beomgyu x reader #txt fluff

33 notes · View notes

sofipitch · 2 years

Note

Im curious for the show in how theyll take inspiration from source material here. Like I think I will enjoy it knowing its not meant to be an exact adaption- though Im curious how they will handle Claudia with the actress being a grown person (or really all of them being aged up) Or Louis with his arcs of guilt and repression- when this time he starts owning a bunch of brothels and maybe has a past male lover? Im curious tho optimistic

I'm kind of confused bc this ask isn't a question? I can also only answer these to the best of my knowledge bc I'm not one of the show runners, I'm just some guy 😂

But if you are asking why I support the show and it's changes I'll say that I personally hated being a teenager and in this version Claudia will be 13. I think that is plenty young enough to feel stuck in one's body, which is Claudia's main issue. The show runners have said child labor laws were a reason they cast someone who was legally an adult but I think Durst was the only possible youngest Claudia. She was 12 and already an accomplished actress when she took the role, I read that Neil Jordan wanted a trained child actor since it's such a hard role for a kid to play an adult. The behind the scenes in my dvd copy Durnst even says at the time she didn't really understand what her character Claudia was going through, looking back as an adult made it make sense, so I'm guessing she probably had good stage direction for Jordan or other crew. So at the end of the day, I think to have someone reasonably play a character who is mentally an adult they needed to cast someone older. We haven't gotten a lot of images of Claudia but it looks like from the 2 we have she is still a "child".

I also kind of feel like comments that Bailey Bass is too old are rooted in racist stereotypes. Black girls get seen as "older" and "sexual" much sooner than white girls. Some of what I have seen ppl say about Bailey Bass has really disgusted me. I don't think you should be commenting on this girl's body parts, even if she is "legally an adult". She is still leagues younger than the ppl I see commenting on her body.

For the other characters I also prefer for them to be older. Lestat not having a fully formed prefrontal cortex might explain a lot of his bullshit but I also agree with others in saying that AR consistently saying the most attractive men alive are 21 (and later 20 and then 19) and her harping on how attractive Armand is (who looks 17) sounds more like a fetish than realistic. It's an old post by a friend, now @hedonisticgene but it was his old blog I think, said "Have you ever met the college kid who thinks he's a sex god? That's Lestat". So I do think making the characters older will make them seem attractive and charming and also have ppl not inquire too much about their lives be realistic.

As for the brothel it has the potential to be as morally repugnant as Louis having been a slave owner. I think fanon and late canon woobifies Louis so much that his general weak moral backbone is often ignored. Remember in the book IWTV Louis does not object to kill humans "bc it's wrong morally" but bc he thought it was an aesthetic experience he should work his way up to. He also describes his slaves in some awful ways, so I don't really think brothel owner is out of the question. And when it comes to Louis's repressed sexuality, well wouldn't it be the best cover, if you are gay and don't want others to know, to own a brothel. I am aware some ppl read Louis as bi while others (myself included) see him as gay. I also read IWTV as the interpretation that Louis's struggle to come to terms with vampirism is his struggle to come to terms with his sexuality. And Louis doesn't shy from telling us he went to whorehouses or that he maybe had feelings for Babette. What he shies away from is admitting his feelings for Lestat. So I think Louis being repressed has more to do with internalized homophobia than sex in general. So I feel like surrounding yourself with a whole bunch of hot women would be the best way to be "I'm totally straight! Look how straight I am!" 😂

I have my reservations about the show like any fan. These books (well the first three) mean so much to be I'll be devastated if this show sucks. But honestly for me it's not in these kind of small details, to me what matters is the character dynamic. That's what I love, and as long as this show scratches my brain the same way the books do I'll be happy.

#asks #vc

8 notes · View notes

eeveedel · 1 year

Note

not the same anon but can you tell us more about the multiverse au? sounds fascinating 👀

ps: can’t wait for more elf queen, i really enjoyed it

ofc! I've talked about the general plot, so here's a bit of a deepdive into each character:

famous harry. our main protagonist, and probably one of the most unlikable characters I've written (but don't worry, he gets better). Harry was adopted when he was young because he was neglected by his birth family, his adoptive parents were incredibly strict and became stage parents, pushing him into performing. he's very successful but also surrounded by bad actors and suffering from a ton of things -- depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and a lot of internalized homophobia. he's not a great dude, but he's got a lot of shit going on he has to learn to deal with.

assistant louis. famous harry's long time assistant, he's pretty much the only one who hasn't quit and can put up with him. he's very sweet, quiet, and shy, and also openly gay and chubby, which are two things harry picks on constantly. he's somehow also the only one who consistently cares about harry's mental health and well being.

au harry. we only get to know au harry through other people, since famous harry kind of took over his body when he woke up. but he's a darling, very sweet and nerdy, loves LEGO, cosplay and dungeons and dragons. he's an accountant and he and louis live a quiet life with their three adopted special needs cats. he's also a big big boy and very kinky, two things famous harry cannot relate to.

au louis. also a sweetie. he and harry met playing D&D in college and have been in love ever since. he struggles a lot missing his harry, but refuses to put up with famous harry's shit. he makes him face a lot of things, and ends up helping Harry discover a lot of things about himself (including the fact that harry is in love with his own universe's louis)

1 note · View note

hozierandco · 3 years

Text

Henry Cavill x Reader / Lessons / SMUT

A/N: Henry has to learn how to play golf for a film but his teacher may teach him a bit more than golf. In which Henry is a clumsy cinnamon roll. Inuendos intended, sorry not sorry. SMUT: oral sex (female receiving), vaginal sex, teasing, cursing, cumshot. Read at your own risk.

For the sake of a film in which he would play an aristocrat, Henry had to know how to play golf. He had agreed to it though he never had one single piece of knowledge on the matter.

Him who had done life-endangering stunts was not going to abandon for golf. He had three weeks before the beginning of the set and had decided to spend his holidays at a golf resort off in Scotland where he was determined to master the skills to that sport.

Y/N had been working at the Baurheid Club for the past five summers. The rest of the year, she lived in Glasgow but since her uncle was the club's manager and since she knew all about golf, she kept on working there.

The season was about to start and she was in charge of giving private classes for top-notch clients. Her rock solid privacy was celebrated by all and she was the perfect fit to deal with bankers and members of the idle class. An actor was about to complete the list.

"Y/N, here's the list of your clients for the next week"

Three names as each client required all attention. Quality over quantity was the motto of the club on that regard. The second one rang a bell to Y/N: Henry Cavill.

"Why does that name sound familiar? We've already have him, perhaps?" Y/N asked to Olivia who was welcoming the clients in the resort and who happened to be a close friend to Y/N.

"He's an actor, you fool" she replied in a moment of rest from the wave of clients "A handsome one too, lucky you!"

Instead of rejoicing along with Olivia, Y/N just hoped he was not the megalomaniac kind and that he wouldn't be a nightmare to work with. She went on with her day, many things had to be fixed before her first classes the next day.

Henry arrived by the entrance desk where Olivia acknowledged him and welcomed her just like any other client, in spite of her shouting internally. He had packed the bare minimum so his installment was brief.

The next day, it was almost noon when he woke up so he took himself out to the cafeteria.

Y/N had finished her first class of the day with a young member of the Dutch royal family and was gaining back the main accomodatio, up to the staff's lunch room. She had not changed clothes as she was not to meet any client.

Or so she thought.

"Oh, come on now!" Y/N heard someone grunting in her back as she was about to open the door to the place where she had left her food. She turned around only to see a frustrated Henry Cavill.

"May I help you, sir?" Y/N asked.

"Yes, please!" Henry jumped on the occasion "I'm looking for the lunch room but I always end up in this corridor... It's a bloody labyrinth there", he added holding back a nervous laugh.

Henry came back from his frustration as his misery was coming to an end with Y/N's arrival and that's on his way back that he noticed just how splendid Y/N was.

"Please, let me be your guide"

"Thank you very much. By the way, I'm Henry"

"And I'm Y/N", she responded making the connection with the photograph of Henry Olivia had shown her on her phone.

Along their journey to the lunch room, the two of them made some small talk while Y/N had to keep her composure. Olivia was right, he was bloody handsome. Even more so that on any photograph. And besides, he was visibly not a douche but an angel, making her feel at ease early on in their conversation.

As they arrived by the cafeteria filled with expensive furniture, the actor accompanied his "thank yous" with an offer: "I'm all alone at the resort, I could use some company for the lunch"

It was tempting if it wasn't for the fact that Y/N and the whole staff wasn't allowed to eat with the clients.

"Oh I see..." Henry said as Y/N explained the situation "But what if it's the client's decision. Isn't the customer always right?" he completed, glad he had found this trick to make her stay.

"Well, I suppose that it's the rule, yeah..." Y/N had been upset to decline the offer but she figured that indeed, she could stay a little while. Besides, the cafeteria was big enough for her not to be seen by anyone.

"It's a yes, then?"

"Yes, it is"

"So, what do you do here anyway?" Henry asked her as he came back from the buffet.

"I'm a golf instructor"

"Well, in that case, I'll probably see you on the green"

"About that, I should probably tell you that I'm the one who's gonna take care of your lessons for as long as you stay"

"I cannot wait. Though I should apologise in advance"

Y/N quizzed him by fixing his eyes. Shit, those eyes... Don't stare, don't stare, Y/N thought.

"I'm probably the worst golf player in Britain"

***

"You want to hold it like that" Y/N informed the way to seize the putter as she placed herself behind the impressive stature she had in front of her.

She could not believe that she was giving in the cliché of being glued to get someone to play golf.

Henry had not exaggerated, he indeed was pretty bad. In fact, he lacked of coordination and Y/N had to constantly remind him of how he was supposed to swing his body.

"May I?"

"Yes!" Henry was relieved to hear that he would get more help from her as she suggested than she could grab his arms to show the move.

She took his arms by the elbows. Henry being in a polo, she could feel all of his muscles under her touch.

"There, that's right! You've got the move. Now try to hit the ball"

And Henry executed himself but failed to even graze it. He snickered and then gave in a frank laughter that Y/N echoed.

"Right, you're gonna need to spend more time with me, Mr. Cavill"

"It's all I'm dreaming of. Dinner with me tonight in the garden?"

The class ended and for Y/N, it meant the beginning of her third and last class of the day.

As it was only 4 pm, Henry joined the games room where he had a view on the green where Y/N was helping an old lady to practice.

Of course, Y/N was too busy to notice him but it didn't stop him to smile like a child at her.

He was admiring her grace and her air of benevolence when a man came to him "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

Henry nodded at the stranger who in turns carried on "It must run in the family"

As Henry took his eyes oof of Y/N to see whom he was talking to, the stranger introduced himself "I'm Max, the club's manager. Y/N's uncle"

"Oh! How do you do? I'm Henry"

Max nodded, knowing very well who his select guest was.

"Is she a great teacher to you?"

"For sure. It's just that I'm a terrible pupil"

Max laughed along with Henry "Ah, son, she'll make a great player out of you"

The dinner happened. Henry had changed into another polo paired with camel chinos.

Y/N too had changed into a strapless floral dress with brown sandals. She greeted Henry as she sat down in the grass on which Henry had displayed a basket of fruits.

They started drinking and talking as the moon rose in the sky.

"I've talked with your uncle this afternoon"

"Oh have you? He's quite something, isn't he?"

"That he is. According to him, you're the greatest teacher out there"

"And you doubt it?"

"I'll try to be as good as a lamb for you"

After dinner, Y/N suggested that they take a walk around the resort. Any way to make the night last longer was worth seizing.

Everything was calm. No one around. Under their feet, the grass was slightly wet as dew had started forming and tinting their shoes.

Y/N took off her shoes, soon followed by Henry who had not done something as spontaneous as throwing a picnic in a very long time.

With their shoes in their hands, they carried on walking on the grass as crickets were going for a symphony and more and more windows got dark afar.

"It's been ages since I hadn't spent a lovely night like that" Henry sighed with pleasure "but that being said, I should hit my bed if I want to be at the top of my performance for my strict instructor"

The two of them had gotten very close to one another "If I stay now, I'm staying the whole night" Henry commented as Y/N's lips were dangerously close to his.

"I would let you" Y/N replied.

***

Henry and Y/N had met regularly apart from the times set for the classes over the last two weeks and if Henry had barely gotten better, the two of them had grown fond of the other. They had kissed on the fourth night, but both of them were not craving for more. Henry did not wish to rush things, nor did Y/N though the tension became unbearable.

"Do you think your uncle would kick you out if you spent the night at my room tonight?" Henry ventured as the class was over, wishing that he could kiss her right there, on the green.

"I wouldn't mind being kicked out if it meant spending the night with you" Y/N answered as she put back the clubs in the trolley.

After they finished eating at their favourite spot, Henry seized Y/N's hand and together they traveld to his room.

As Henry opened the door, he preceded Y/N,cupping her face with his hands to make her follow him in the suite.

He shut the door behind her and took her in his arms, only letting go on her after having carefully laid her on the bed.

"It is my turn to teach you a lesson, baby", he purred in her ear as he had let his lips wander from her legs to her face.

He placed his body over Y/N's but suddenly he got repentant and cursed "Fuck, I came here with nothing..."

Of course, Henry had no plans of making love to his instructor when he had booked holidays at the resort and found himself caught off guard, without protection for the night.

"In my purse" Y/N told him where to look.

"You might just be the most prepared teacher ever"

"Just grab it" Y/N begged him as he was going for encores, giving another sequel of kisses to her skin.

Henry ripped the scabbard and took his apparel out of his trousers, dressing it for the occasion.

Gracious God! There was lot to look at...

Fully erect, Henry came back in bed where Y/N was trying her best not to stare at the length.

"You sure about this?" Henry inquired as he aligned himself.

"Never been more sure in my whole life"

Henry then slid his member, inch by inch to be sure that Y/N was coping with what she was given.

He was just half through when it began to hurt.

"It's alright, doll!" Henry consoled her "I'm sorry, I'll go slow, I promise"

Henry found his way out as he had an idea to ease the process. Y/N still under him, he got down on her and made a feast of the flesh flashing before his eyes.

There was no doubt: he was much better at this than with golf.

As Y/N looked down at the face that had found shelter between her legs, she noticed just how dedicate he was. He was giving it all the attention required.

His eyes were glistening by the feeble light above their head.

Henry's cock was beating a rhythm of its own, pleased at it was that Henry was able to make Y/N moan with just his tongue and fingers.

The resort was known for "its quiet nights" and "tranquil setting" but tonight, Henry was eager to go off the rails.

It did have the expected effect on Y/N since her lair had gotten damp. Henry let her come back from the mountain she had climbed before he dived inside.

This time around, the whole length got in no sooner said than done.

"You're just so gorgeous!" Henry articulated with difficulty as he was carrying his moves, putting more energy by every second that went by.

Y/N's fingers borrowed the path drawn by his torso which was dripping with sweat "You're one very good student. And a very hot one too"

Henry's heart was pounding in his chest as he lifted Y/N's legs to put them by each side of his spine. That way, he reached a new spot with the tip of his penis which made Y/N pant with his name on her lips.

"Henry!" she cried her lungs out through the dark of the night. The tranquil nights long gone.

"Come for me, doll!"

She didn't have to hear twice as she was unleashing her falls.

But Henry was insatiable. Though teased twice by the sight of Y/N coming for him, his cock was still showing no sign of weakness.

He was willing to let go of her lover to give her some rest while he would take care of himself but Y/N stopped him as he was about to take off the condom.

"I wouldn't mind a third lesson" she told him "Let's change the angle. Show me how your swing's going. As for your stamina, Mr. Cavill, it got much better"

Y/N got on all fours, spreading her legs for Henry to come up behind her. As he entered the well, Y/N stretched herself so that she in turn allowed more of Hnery to get in and out.

Henry was admiring the view as he held Y/N by her hips, pounding her.

In and out, fast at first, the sounds of his cock hitting the bottom of her cunt.

Then Henry who got tired of the the action - and who was not going to hold it back for very much longer as Y/N's moans were rushing his climax - got slow, savouring every second he had ahead of him before he would come too.

Sensing that Y/N was close to get her third orgasm as she got tight around his cock, he decided for her to come to do so as well, and hoped that it would arrive soon.

She did come, shouting and laughing as she came back.

"I don't want you to come in that. I want to see you coming for me, Henry"

Henry then quickly removed the piece of latex which was soiled with pre-cum. The sole fact of taking it off almost made him come.

Henry kneeled on the bed by the level of Y/N who was laying down and emptied himself on her stomach.

"I cannot wait for our next class" Henry said in a sigh as he rested his limbs by Y/N.

#henry cavill #imagines #henry cavill imagines #smut #oops i guess #mind that i wrote smut in the train for the sake of science #henry cavill x reader

158 notes · View notes

itsbeaconhillsbaby · 3 years

Note

I love your writings, they’re so good and realistic and not weird and cringe like some others on here, by far the best I’ve seen in a while !! Was just wondering if you’re taking requests and if so if you could do one when your an actress and have always had a crush on him but you meet him at an after party at a premier or something and have flirty banter and maybe more ? Thankyou x

hello my lovely x

this is so unbelievably sweet I've been screaming since this popped into my inbox. I wanted to start this off by saying a massive thank you - this is my first ever requested piece and I am so excited to be able to create something for you! this is a milestone fic: the 10th fic that I've written for tom, and is also one of my longest!! I also want to apologise for how long it has taken me; I started on this a while ago now and you have been so patient and kind! please enjoy and let me know what you think! (also the timing that this is now coming out on his birthday is all the spook!!)

after party antics || tom holland x reader

word count: 2729 warnings: alcohol use summary: premiere after party meet cute

Circular tables filled the floor as glittering chandeliers hung low from the ceilings above. Pretty foliage and large blooming fresh flowers in pastel pinks, greens and blues, draped through the room, entangling themselves around chairs and across wooden beams. Lace, satin and chiffon brushed along the floors as what felt like the entire film industry conversed with one another; hands clutching at suit jacketed arms, glasses clinking in cheers.

Music, chatter, camera flashes and laughing filled the room - sounds reverberating all around. You glide through the crowds, smiling and nodding your thanks as people congratulated you from either side.

Taking a detour from your path, you spotted the signs for the bathroom and let out a shaky exhale when it appeared empty. Resting your hands on the wash basin and closing your eyes, you took a couple of deep breaths before your face erupted into a toothy grin, a small squeal of excitement bubbling from your lips.

You were at an after-party.

For your very first film.

Surrounded by some of Hollywood’s finest.

WHAT!

If your best friend woke you up stating that this was all some insane dream, you wouldn’t be surprised. It would make more sense, actually – this just couldn’t be your life.

You could feel yourself spiralling and spritzed a little bit of water onto your face to calm yourself down, making sure not to ruin the amazing make-up look that your team had spent so long perfecting earlier that day.

The premiere had only just finished.

You had walked across the red carpet on wobbly legs – cameras flashing, thousands of fans screaming from behind barriers, photographers and press overpowering each other in order to get the best angles and shots; screaming for you to ‘look over here’, ‘turn to the side.’

The premiere had only just finished up as you sat amongst a drool-worthy cast; some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Joining such a large cast was daunting, especially considering who some of those people were – and more so since it was with Marvel, one of - if not the - biggest film franchises out there.

You took another look in the mirror, tucking your hair behind your ears and smoothing down the front. Giving a twirl in your signature Teuta Matoshi gown, the tulle dress embroidered with tiny little yellow daffodils and white daisies, you took a moment to admire your favourite designer as you adjusted the slightly puffed sleeves before leaving the restroom.

You held the door open behind you to allow for a gaggle of tall women to enter in beautiful flowing gowns, turning abruptly to shift yourself out of the way - smiling at them as they all smiled back.

Up on the tips of your toes, wobbling slightly in your heels, you try to peer over the heads of the masses of people. You were eagerly looking for your team, consisting of your incredible manager and your best friend, who you dragged everywhere with you. But you could barely see past the sea of heads in front of you.

You decided to head for the heavy, wide double-set doors that stood open, leading out into the freshly manicured gardens; alive with luscious trees, plants and flowerbeds. A separate dirt path led into a lowly lit rose garden that was nestled in amongst the grasses.

It was a little quieter outside, but not by much.

There was a large marquee to your immediate left. A bar was situated at one end as bottles were flipped in the air - waiters passing out trays lined with champagne flutes. Pristinely clothed tables were crowded with guests; bodies tumbled past you as they headed into the marquee - parties splitting into different locations now that the main event had concluded, leading into a very alive and wild after party.

Your cheeks ached as the smile on your face refused to drop. Too amazed by your surroundings to let it relax. You stand out on the patio area, looking out across the gardens towards the glow of the city in the distance, lights twinkling in exchange for stars. Despite the dry warmth of the evening you could feel the lightest of winds raising the tiny hairs on your arms.

“Room for another?”

You jumped slightly at the interruption, the voice light and questioning. You turn, your dress dancing around you.

“Sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting. I’m Tom, I’ve been meaning to introduce myself all night. Congratulations on the film!”

As you exchange pleasantries, your cheeks gathering up some heat beneath the radiant glow of your make-up, he presses forwards leaning in for a hug as you do the same. You can feel his hands against the bare skin at your back leaving behind tiny little goose-bumps in their place, your skin tingling from his touch. You couldn’t help but breathe in his cologne, the pleasant woodsy scent engulfing you.

“Ah, so you’re the spider guy? I think I’m getting the hang of these superhero names now.”

Your lips twitch, forming a playful smile.

He tilts his head ever so slightly to the side, eyeing you up as tiny crinkles appeared around the outside of his eyes. They were looking at you inquisitively with a sweet kind of intensity.

You could feel your heart kick up a notch under his gaze. You scolded yourself internally for your lack of composure. Of course, you knew who Spider-Man was, you’d been such a fan of the Marvel films for years and you’d have to have been blind not to notice the cute, brown haired, quick witted, web-slinger who the world quickly fell in love with. They weren’t the only ones; did he look even better in person? How was that even fair? You shook your head slightly at your thoughts in an attempt to dispel them from your conscious.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I said that. I’m a fan of yours – your work is brilliant.”

You continued on with your bumbling word vomit – a light pink blush evident across your cheekbones and nose.

Tom’s face lights up more as you stumble over your sentences, his eyes glistening in the darkening sky.

“Oh really? Big fan, hm?” He wiggles his eyebrows teasingly, before calling upon one of the many smartly dressed men and women swooping seamlessly through the crowds with their glossy black trays.

You take a moment to drink him in. His crisp navy suit sat comfortably unbuttoned, the satin shirt hugging the figure beneath. He looked older than you’d seen him portray onscreen; his jaw strong and chiselled. His shoulders and body filled out his suit comfortably, hair beautifully fluffed; although it did seem slightly rumpled, as though he had been running his hands through it.

“Oh yeah,” You paused for a beat before continuing, “Then again, I think you’re about the 30th actor I’ve said that to tonight.”

He nods, laughing, his eyes lighting up at your relaxed, playful energy.

“Oh. Okay, nice. No, I see how it is. New girl keeping us all on our toes with the flattery.”

He holds one of the crystal champagne flutes out to you before picking up his own. Shimmering, golden liquid danced as you accepted the glass, fingertips brushing over open palms.

The cool bubbles gently slid down your throat. You could feel eyes on you as you focussed on the glass in your hand.

“Have you met everyone yet?” Tom gestured towards to the lit-up marquee, “A lot of us were talking about how great you were in your film, they’ll want to meet you.”

“Now who’s full of the flattery,” You tease, nudging his arm slightly as he shakes his head at you, “But honestly, I haven’t, I’m kind of finding it all a little bit intimidating. I’ve also lost my team which is not helpful.”

You took another sweep of the area. Now low-key wishing that you wouldn’t find them for a little while, not if it meant that you could continue to talk with Tom with no interruptions.

“Well hey, I can introduce you? I was so terrified when I did my first Marvel premiere, but everyone is so great. Trust me. It’s like a strange, crazy dysfunctional family. I think you fit in perfectly.”

“Are you calling me strange, crazy and dysfunctional? You have an interesting way of making friends, Holland.” You both laugh, “Only if you’re sure though? I don’t want you to be stuck introducing me all night.”

“Don’t be silly. We’ll make it fun. C’mon.”

Tom led you through the entrance of the marquee, turning on the charm as people fist bumped or pulled him in for a quick hug or handshake. Every time they did he peered through his eyelashes at you, inviting you to introduce yourself.

As you made jokes and conversed with your new peers, Tom couldn’t stop himself from watching you. Your name had been all the buzz recently and he’d been eager to meet you. Not only because you were undoubtedly going to be working with each other on future projects, but because you were also getting thrown into the Marvel spotlight like he had been. Little did he realise just how enamoured he had become with you in such a short space of time. There was something about you, he thought, as your cheeks glowed, a wide grin resting upon your face, eyes dancing wildly as you spoke with your new peers - something that he felt drawn to. You noticed him staring and gave him a little wink, shaking him out of it as he joined back into the conversation.

****

The two shot glasses sloppily thump against the bar top.

“Ha!”

“What! No, I was totally first!” Tom protested loudly, throwing his hands into the air.

“I definitely beat you!”

You smiled politely at the bartender as he collected the row of glasses lined up in front of you before turning wildly to face Tom.

“You just can’t face the fact that I won.”

He gestures to his brother who had pulled up a stool to join you both, “Harry c’mon, I won right?!”

“You can’t ask him that, it’s cheating. He’s your brother, of course he’s going to pick your side.”

“Tom, I hate to say this mate but I think she has you beat…” Harry said regretfully, camera slung around his neck as he nursed his own drink, mouth falling into an upturned grin as he supervised the pair of you.

You looked past Tom, straight at Harry, grinning proudly, “I take it back, Harry’s opinion is very important.”

Tom gives Harry a gentle shove as they mess around. You feel an arm slink around your shoulders, giving a playfully gentle squeeze. Your heart thumps along to the beat of the bass, music pulsing through your very bones as the three of you continued to laugh and joke around. Tom’s hair had gotten far more rumpled as the night had gone on, a long way off the perfectly styled look that he’d started off with.

You decided you preferred it messy.

Tom was sitting close by you on his stool, your knees both knocking together. His foot was tapping the footrest to the beat of the music. He’d discarded his suit jacket, and it now hung from the back of the chair, leaving him in his fitted shirt. You couldn’t help but notice his defined muscles as he ran a hand through his hair before resting it on the back of your seat.

“You look really pretty tonight. I saw you walking the carpet earlier, you completely owned it up there.”

“Tom Holland, are you flirting with me?”

You spun in your seat a little bit, making direct eye contact as your hand rested gently on his knee.

As soon as the pair of you had challenged each other to a drinking competition (involving a lot of shots) the night flew by, and you found yourself becoming more and more comfortable with Tom. He was quickly going from that cute actor who you had a little crush on, to someone you were actually spending time with? The intimidation you were feeling from earlier had dissipated, leaving you feeling slightly fuzzy and very happy.

He shrugs, that cheeky grin appearing again. A twinkle shining within those gorgeous brown eyes.

“I don’t know. Am I?”

He slides off of his seat, holding a hand out to you, palm up.

“C’mon.”

“Where are we going?” You questioned, as Harry returned with the drinks.

“Dance floor.”

You can feel your face light up as you hopped down from the high stool, gripping onto Tom’s hand as he helped navigate you back down to solid ground. He whispered to his brother who comfortably started up a conversation with the people around him, before giving him a pat on the shoulder as you dragged him over to the dance floor.

The floor was already packed with bodies. A live DJ station was against one wall facing out into the crowd; flashing, swirling lights brightened up the outdoor space. You pointed out a space in amongst the crowd and Tom led you both towards it, far better at making a path through the wayward limbs than you would have been.

The space was small, and the pair of you were in extremely close proximity. This was the most at ease you’d felt all night, allowing yourself to just feel the music and dance with one of the sweetest, most charming and insanely attractive men you’d possibly ever met. The space quickly filled up, growing tighter until you and Tom were practically chest to chest. He was a quick mover; his hips, legs and arms moving in all the right directions.

Your bodies were pressed together tightly, rapid heartbeats beating as one.

He leans in, pressing up against your side, brushing some stray hairs out of your face, “I also meant what I said earlier. You’re really beautiful tonight.”

“Just tonight?” You whisper into his ear, leaving him to flounder slightly on the dance floor. A little colour flushed to his cheeks as he lifted an arm, spinning you under it.

Before he has a chance to answer, you continue.

“You don’t scrub up too badly yourself, Holland.”

As the two of you lock eyes; the heat from the dance floor, the pounding of the music and the dancing, twinkling lights all fade to the background. His eyes dart to your lips, and you can't help but follow his lead, when you can suddenly hear your name being called out in the crowd.

"Oh my god, I got her. We've been looking for you for ages!" You were suddenly no longer face to face with the cute boy but instead looking into the slightly stressed face of your manager, "It's nearly 4am, the car is here and we gotta go!" She took a moment to look between you and Tom, who suddenly now looked a little bit embarrassed and sheepish - nervously rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Oh. Sorry, I've interrupted something here, haven't I?" She awkwardly made her way back through the crowd after whispering a sorry in your direction.

You smile at Tom, and make your way out from the dance floor. He was close behind you, nodding to a group of people back up at the bar.

He pulls you in for a goodbye hug, embracing you similarly to how you'd hugged earlier in the evening. Except this time was full of promise and a strange tension that hadn't been present before. You could feel the goosebumps prickle your skin where he touched it - his hands gentle as he held them tight around your waist, breathing you in before pulling away.

"Thank you for tonight, Tom. I owe you, seriously."

As you hurriedly caught up to your team, dress fluttering behind you as you immediately begin laughing and chatting animatedly to them, you could feel eyes on you. You looked back as you continued to vacate the marquee and head for the cars out front. Tom was stood, staring after you, a bright smile on his lips.

Something told you this wasn't the last you'd hear from him, and your stomach flip-flopped immediately at the very thought of seeing him again after tonight. For now however, the image of the brown haired, glossy eyed young man smiling after you in awe would have to be enough.

#glamour-l #tom holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fanfic #tom holland imagine #tom holland fluff #tom holland meet cute #asks #lisa writes #you should've seen my reaction to getting my first request THE EXCITMENT #I haven't posted fic in ages now tho and im all shy and nervous again omg #I really hope you like it

121 notes · View notes

felassan · 3 years

Text

Mass Effect development insights and highlights from Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

This is the Mass Effect version of this post.

[In case you can’t read it the subtitle in the bottom left logo above is “Guardians of the Citadel”]

Note: Drug use is mentioned.

Cut for length.

Mass Effect 1

ME began its life in a vision document in fall 2003

Codenamed “SFX”

Conceived of by Casey Hudson and a core team from KotOR. Its genesis was the intention to create an epic sci-fi RPG in an original setting that BioWare owned (so they could have full creative control), and in a setting that was conceived of first and foremost as a video game

Initially players could control any squadmate, but they wanted it to be about Shep and for players to be focused on Shep being a battlefield commander, rather than on switching bodies

By the start of 2004 its story was shaping up. Initially humans landed on Mars in 2250 and discovered evidence of an ancient alien race and a powerful substance, Black Sand, which rapidly advanced tech to the point that FTL travel was possible. (My note: obviously now the Prothean artifacts on Mars & associated mass effect force tech enabled this in the final canon, but I wonder if aspects of the ‘Black Sand’ naming-type & powerful substance stuff was rolled into red sand from final canon) Humans were suddenly capable of travel to multiple star systems and made contact with a multitude of other species. At the start of the first game, these species together with humans had a fragile peace, with focus placed on the political center of the galaxy, a hub known as Star City, later renamed the Citadel

Multiplayer was a vision for the series as far back as 2003. The plan was for ME1, an Xbox exclusive at launch, to take advantage of the platform’s online components. Early designs saw players meeting in one of the central hubs to interact and trade items in their otherwise SP adventures

By 2006 it had the name ME and the story was more specific, with the theme of conflict between organic and synthetic lifeforms. The story’s scope now stretched across 3 games and included scope for full co-op MP

They tried to do MP in every game, discussing it from the get-go, but it always just fell by the wayside. “When you’re trying to build something that is a new IP, on a new platform, with a new engine, you’ve got to really focus on the core elements of the game.”

The conversation system prototype was made in Jade Empire, and some of ME’s earliest writing was done in an old JE build. At first there was no conversation wheel. Paragon was “Friendly” and Renegade “Hostile”. In the prototype Shep was a silent unnamed Spectre. Many conversations in the prototype about the player’s choice in smuggling a weapon through Noveria made it into the game

In said prototype a merchant referred to themselves as “this one”, though the word hanar never appeared. The PC in it also had the option to end a conversation with “I should go”. In the prototype also, Harkin was voiced by Mark Meer

An early version of the Mako got used as the krogan truck in ME2

Early concepts of the Citadel were drawn in pencil by CH. A piece of concept art of its final design was painted based on a photo of a sculpture near Aswan, Egypt

As with any new IP naming it was a struggle. They put out a call to all staff for ideas, did polls, made a name generator that combined words that they liked in random ways and made pretend logos of ones they liked in Photoshop to see if they could make themselves love the name or find visual potential in it. (Some of these names are in the pic at the top of this post.) CH liked “Unearthed” as it was a reference to Prothean ruins dug up on Mars and humanity’s ascendance going away from Earth. They knew the game would have a central space station featuring prominently so some of the ideas were based on that - “The Citadel”, “The Optigon”, “The Oculon”. “Element” was another one they had in mind due to the rare substance in the game

CH: “I was a big fan of John Harris’ book Mass, which had epic-scaled sci-fi ideas, so that was a word that came up often. Many of the names came from the idea that the IP featured a fifth fundamental physical force (in addition to the known four of gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear and weak nuclear) so the word ‘effect’ came up pretty often.” Ultimately none of the ideas really felt right. One Monday morning they were going over the names and Greg Zeschuk said he had an idea on the weekend: “Mass Effect!” CH: “I said, ‘I don’t hate it’, which in the naming process is a high compliment. And it stuck!”

CH on Shep’s Prothean vision from the beacon: “It was hard to imagine how we would do this. CG was - and is - really expensive. Instead I wanted to try doing it through photography and video editing. So I went to a local grocery store and bought a few packages of the weirdest looking meat that I could find. Then I set up a little photoshoot in my basement, complete with some electronics parts and some red wine for juicyness.” He used these props to create a video sequence where the photos were rapidly cycled and blurred, along with production paintings, to create the scary vision an organic/machine experiment on the Protheans. These mashups were also used as inspiration for concept artists and level designers who were working on these themes

Tali used to be called Talsi

On the licensing side they often joke that they’re licensing N7 not “Mass Effect” due to N7′s popularity

There was a confidential internal guide to the IP in 2007 to help devs along and summarize/synthesize the vision etc. Some excerpts from it are shown in the book and this is the first time the public have ever seen them

Early versions of Asari had hair

Asari were designed as a nod to classic TV sci-fi (with human actors wearing obvious makeup and prosthetics to play aliens)

The turian design guideline was “we want them to be birds of prey”. They also wanted a range of alien types, some close to human like Asari, while others were to be a lot further away, like turians

BioWare patented the conversation wheel, which was a first for them. CH had been frustrated with reviews of Jade Empire that said that the actioncentric game was too wordy [with its list dialogue]. “I’m like, story is words. [...] What is it about our games that is making people feel like they’re wordy?” Then he thought “In a game you kind of need to feel like you’re continuing to play it. Maybe you should continue feeling like you’re playing it actively into the dialogue.” “[The wheel] kind of gave a new experience with dialogue when you did start to react based on emotion, and that’s ultimately what we’re trying to bring out in our games”

The original krogan concept was based on a bat “with a really wide squidgy face. We just used its face on top of this weird body and it kinda worked”

Geth musculature was based on fiber-optic cables, with flexible plates of armor attached

The vision for the IP was 80s sci-fi inspired space opera

The concept art of Saren lifting Shep by the throat inspired a similar scene in-game. The staging wasn’t planned til designers saw that art

A squadmate with Shepard on the way to meet Ash in an old storyboard was called Carter. Early name of Kaidan or Jenkins?

Bono from U2 was kinda instrumental in bringing us ME lol

Finding the right cover art for ME1 was notably tricky

Matt Rhodes got his start drawing helmets for ME1, including one which would become Shep’s “second face”. He estimates he drew between 250-270 different ones

Some of the sounds in-game were people smashing watermelons with sledgehammers and sticking fists into various goos

The audio team had fun trying to slip the iconic main theme into unexpected places throughout the MET. “We were very aware of how powerful that track was for the fans and it was tempting to overuse it for any moment we wanted to make really emotional”.

The theme was creatively repurposed in ME3: slowed down and reworked as the ambient sound for the SR-2. “If you listen to it for a really long time, just stand in the Normandy and listen, you’ll actually hear the notes change slowly. It doesn’t sound like music, it sounds like a background ambiance, but it’s there.” (My note: Well no wonder the Normandy feels so much like home?? 😭 sneaky..)

Bug report: “Mako Tornado”. There wasn’t enough friction between the tires and the ground, causing testers to lose control of the vehicle and send it spinning into the air like a tornado. “As it turns, the front end comes up, and then it starts spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning faster and faster and faster until it just flies up in the sky” (My note: Sounds like a regular day in the Mako to me)

Cerberus originally had a bigger role in this game. It was cut but they had a whole explorable outpost. “I called it Misery,” says Mac Walters, “It was this planet with a little outpost that said ‘Welcome to Misery’”. Everything on the outpost was shit - dirty worn stuff, no windows, no kitchen, the vehicle bay was open to the elements etc

The Reaper sound is literal garbage. Some audio designers went on a recording trip to a national park. One of them got fixated on a garbage can, “a metal bear-proof receptacle with a heavy lid that creaked horribly when opened”. “It was like, ominous, spooky, tonal and almost musical. I decided to throw a mic into the garbage and record it moving. I didn’t know what it was going to be until later”

They were making lots of noises to record like throwing logs and rocks around. An old couple peered at them through the window of their camper van in the woods and must have called the cops because then the cops showed up, pulled them over and told them to stop. The cops towed their car (the driver’s plates were Cali plates and expired), drove them to Edmonton outskirts and then the audio producer Shauna got a call and had to go pick them up “like three little boys”. “We got a stern talking to”. Once back they were playing around with the garbage sound, editing it etc. Casey heard it and proclaimed “That’s the sound of the Reapers”

Preston Watamaniuk: “There are things I could have done to Mass 1 to make it an infinitely better game with better UIs” and some simple cuts and changes. “But when you’re living with it, it’s very hard to see those things”

BioWare Labs

As social media and smartphone games exploded, BioWare dedicated a small team dedicated to exploring opportunities here - BioWare Labs

Mass Effect: Galaxy used a unique graphic art style and static visual presentation common in visual novels. It has the distinction of being the only iOS game BW have made during their first 25 years

Scrapped ideas were a 3rd person space shooter called Mass Effect: Corsair and 2 DA titles - a strategy game and a top-down dungeon crawler starring young Wynne. (My note: Maybe the corsairs stuff was rolled into Jacob’s backstory in 2, the Alliance Corsairs)

Corsair was a very short-lived project that never got its feet under it. It was a spin-off on Nintendo DS featuring a behind-the-ship perspective and branching dialogue. At one point it had MP. The idea behind it was basically “ME: Freelancer” - fly your ship around, do missions, get credits. It had a limited branching story but was a gameplay-centered experience intended to fill the gap between ME1 and 2. That gap ended up being filled by Galaxy

Galaxy and Corsair’s smaller screen allowed concept artists to use bold colors and a simplistic character design style to help those games stand out from Shep’s story

Nick Thornborrow did some art for Corsair but was worried his art style didn’t fit ME. He moved to DA where he feels his art style fits better

Lots of BioWare VAs and even a lead writer and the VO director are drawn from Edmonton’s local community theater scene, which is vibrant. Think this is how Mark Meer got involved

Mass Effect 2

Player choices carrying over was a first for BW

Dirty Dozen-inspired plot

Its plot is a web of conditionals (see Suicide Mission)

Was more of a shooter than anything BW had made since Shattered Steel

There was 2 camps on the team, those who wanted to push combat and systems forward and redefine the ME experience and those who wanted to make a true sequel, with the same gameplay and systems but a new story. Karin Weekes: “I think it ended up being a good push-pull. It felt like a pretty healthy creative conflict”

“ME2 was a game you could hold up to someone who argues that games aren’t a serious medium and go ‘Oh yeah, then why is Martin Sheen in this?’” Sheen was their first pick for TIM

The idea for TIM came from a mash-up of concepts CH had collected over the years. The name “Illusive” originally came from his pitch for naming DAO’s Eclipse engine, a word inspired by Obi-Wan’s line “It’s not about the mission, Master. It’s something... elsewhere. Elusive”. “I thought, what if we called our next engine 'Elusive', but used an ‘I’, and then it’s like ‘Illusion’. [...] I still really like the word with an ‘I’ and what it conjures”

When ME1 DLC was in production, CH had been watching a lot of CNN, specifically Anderson Cooper. “How is one guy travelling to all these places and never looking tired and always being able to speak with clarity?” CH says it seemed almost superhuman. “What if there was someone who is the absolute maximum of the things you would aspire to be, but also the worst of humanity?” Cooper, though not evil, became an inspiration for TIM down to the gray hair and piercing blue eyes

Inspiration for TIM’s behind-the-scenes role pulling political strings came from Jack Bauer’s brother Graem in 24. Graem “can call up the president and tell him what to do and hang up, because he’s so connected and so influential”. Sheen had played a president and his performance brought gravitas and wisdom to the role. He had quit smoking, but the character smokes. He didn’t want to fake it, but he also didn’t want to smoke, “so he actually asked for a cigarette” to hold so he could stop his words to take drags with natural cadence

Writing was still pushing to write and revise lines hours before VO started. A series of problems like injury and some writers leaving for other opportunities left it so that Karin, Lukas Kristjanson and editor Cookie Everman hand to land the story safely, with PW helping where they could. Lukas: “We took over the writing bug and task list, and I can’t stress enough how much [Karin and Cookie] did to get ME2 out the door. There’s no part of that thing we didn’t touch”. Karin: “That was the most dramatic 2 weeks of my life”

Initial fan reaction when they started promo-ing ME2 was very negative because people didn’t want to know about new chars like Jack and Mordin. “[fans were like] ‘Get them out of here. We want our characters from the first game’. But then when they played them, those became some of the most popular chars [of the series]”

Concept art of Thane has an idea annotation saying “Face can shapeshift?”

At one point when designing Thane concept artists sent multiple variations of him to the team asking them to vote on which was the most attractive

Most of the Normandy crew was written by lead level designer Dusty Everman. Lukas gave him advice in the evenings between bugs

BioWare Montreal made ME2 and 3 cinematics

CC for Shep was based on tools used by char designers to create in-game chars. Under the hood similar tools existed to create aliens

Aliens were much easier to animate than humans. When something is human it’s very difficult to make it look realistic and you can see all the mistakes and everything

Over the holiday period in 2007 CH worked out a diagram on a single piece of paper that would define the entire scope and structure of the game. The diagram is included in the book

Bug report: “I shot a krogan so hard that his textures fell off”. At one point shotgun blast damage was applied to each of the pellets fired, and shot enemies ended up with just the default checkerboard Unreal texture on them after their textures got blown off

Blasto was meant to be 1 step above an Easter egg but his fan popularity prompted them to bring him back in ME3

They rewrote chunks of Jack 2 days before she went to VO. She was the only one they could change because all the other NPCs were recorded. They redesigned her mission by juggling locked NPC lines and changing Shep’s reactions by rewriting text paraphrases to change the context of the already-recorded VO

Lukas snuck obscure nods ito ME2′s distress calls. In the general distress call for the Hugo Gernsback, there’s BW’s initial’s and Edmonton’s phone number backwards. In a fault in a beacon protocol there’s the initials and backward phone number from Tommy Tutone’s “Jenny”. In 2 other general distress calls there’s initials and numbers from Glenn Miller Orchestra’s “Pennsylvania 6-5000″ and initials and numbers from Geddy Lee and Rush’s “2112″ respectively

Mass Effect 3

“The end of an era marks the beginning of another”

ME3 “marked the end of Shep’s story”

Saying bye to Shep was as difficult for devs as it was for players

JHale’s final VO session included Anderson’s death and romanced Garrus’ goodbye. “We were in the session and we both just started crying”, Caroline says. “I couldn’t come on the line to give her notes because I was crying, and she was crying. And so there was just this minute-long pause of like, nothing, nothing, nothing - just silence through the airwaves. And then I came on and just told her that I was crying and she said ‘I’m crying!’” They talked about these anecdotes also here on the N7 Day reunion panel

The Microsoft Kinect voice support required devs to teach Kinect hundreds of commands in a variety of accents across multiple languages. The result was useful but made for some awkward moments. Numerous players accidentally said “geth” or “quarian” while making a particular decision and accidentally killed Tali

MP chars were voiced by cops and military people

The helmet on one of the MP chars was originally designed for cancelled project Revolver

The payload device at the end needed to attach to the Citadel while essentially serving as a giant trigger. “It ended up becoming quite the engineering feet just to visualize how this thing would move and connect to the Citadel”

Concept artists explored creating an anti-team, where Kai Leng was almost an anti-Shepard essentially, with an elite squad to counteract your team. This idea never went beyond concept phase

ME3 Special Edition was released on Nintendo Wii U exclusively. This exclusive version of the game includes Genesis 2 (a sequel to the original Genesis comic) and unique gameplay features that took advantage of the touchscreen GamePad. For years Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood had had the honor of being BW’s only game made for a Nintendo console

FemShep regrettably didn’t feature in major ME marketing til ME3. Later releases like DAI, MEA and Anthem have taken increasing care not to gender their protagonists in cover art

To capture combat sounds they took a trip to CFB Wainwright, a military base southeast of Edmonton. They got a big tour of it and were allowed to record anything they could find. The tour ended with them getting to drive and shoot tanks (real shells). The force of doing that sent waves through Joel Green, he felt his whole chest compress when it went off; the perfect sound for the Black Widow! After the trip the soldiers let him keep the shell he fired and it’s been passed on like a torch to various devs since

Kakliosaurs began life as a joke in the writers’ room after John Dombrow placed a Grunt figure on a t-rex toy he had on his desk. Lore was brainstormed to justify the mash-up before someone asked, “Why don’t we put this in the game?” They loved it so much Karin had custom coffee mugs made

Bug report: For a while Tali’s final romance scene would fire when she was supposed to be dead

“Balancing combat: how designers in ME3 entered an ‘arms race’” - the solution to players feeling OP vs players feeling frustrated by really strong enemies is to find a good middle ground, but for designers Corey Gaspur and Brenon Holmes, it was war. Brenon designed enemies, Corey designed guns. Corey “was obsessed with bigger, heavier guns. We had this sort of informal competition where he’d make this crazy overturned gun that would just murder all the enemies, and then I tuned some stuff up to compensate”

Brenon had to invent new ways to “stop Corey” and this led to the Phantoms. Corey had in turn designed consumable rockets that could wipe out entire waves of enemies. He must’ve figured this would make short work of Brenon’s space ninjas, but Brenon had other plans: “I had just added the ability for her to cut rockets [when Corey was playing MP and he was watching]. She cut the rocket in half... Corey just turns and looks at me and is like: ‘Really dude? I just shot a rocket at this Phantom and she’s fine? Not even damaged? Zero damage?’”

This friendly rivalry helped elevate ME3′s gameplay. Corey had a knack for making a gun feel so good to fire it had his fellow designers scrambling to keep up. It was his version of balancing. Before Corey sadly passed away he mentored Boldwin Li in all things weapon design and the arms race continued

Corey designed the Arc Pistol. It was causing problems for enemies because it was too powerful. It seemed hell bent on staying that way, Boldwin would tune down all its stats and it was still doing 3x the damage it should have been doing. “I was like ‘What the hell?’, and then I looked closer. It secretly fired 3 bullets for every pull of the trigger! Corey, you sneaky jerk”

The day it launched there were midnight launch parties across North America including one near the BW building. Numerous devs sat at long tables greeting fans and signing autographs as the fans picked up preorders. When midnight struck the line was long enough that it took several hours for some fans to get their game. One particular fan is remembered: “It was 3am. Some guy drove up from Calgary with his friends. He was like one of the last people in line. I think he was sort of tired-drunk. He threw himself across the tables, pulled up his shirt and shouted ‘Guys, sign my abs!’ And like I did, because he waited so long. It felt impolite not to. So I hope he enjoyed his copy of ME3″

For designing Protheans concept artists had free reign to design something that read as ancient

Before the concept art team had the story of the game to work toward, they explored wild ideas of their own including an image of the crew stealing back the Normandy to go after the Reapers

Jen Cheverie was testing scenes and was initially excited to be testing Mordin scenes, til she saw she was testing the Renegade version of his death. “This is even before like all of the audio and everything was in, so you didn’t even have the sad music. I remember sitting at my desk and my hands just went to my face when I saw that the gun Shep pulls on Mordin is the gun he gives Shep in ME2. I burst into tears and was crying for the rest of the day. People are waving to me as they walk by and I’m like, ‘It’s ok, I’m just killing my best friend’”

There’s a segment called “Shepard’s story ends”. Casey on the ending: “There’s a whole bunch of things that come together to make it incredibly tense and emotional for players. I think the biggest one was the sense of finality, that whatever it was that happened in that very last moment... was it.”

Wrapping up the story was a massive feat. In a way all of ME3 is an ending. Its final moments were the players’ last with a char they’d been with all the way from Eden Prime

“And while the critical reception of the game was extremely positive, many fans were unsatisfied with the ending, which became one of the most controversial in the history of games.” CH: “We were, on one hand, at the end of a marathon trying to finish the game and the series. But as devs we also knew that there would be more. We knew that we would continue to tell the story. In retrospect, we didn’t fully appreciate the tremendous sense of finality that it would have for people”. He envisioned an ending that posed new questions, something in the tradition of high sci-fi that left players dreaming about what that particular galaxy’s future could hold. “Frankly, there’s a lot more that we could have and should have done to honor the work players put in, to give them a stronger sense of reward and closure”

AAA games are massive undertakings with a million moving parts. Somehow they come together but even the best-planned projects don’t turn out quite like devs hope. From start to end video game production is a series of compromises. It’s rare if not impossible for devs to ship a game they’re entirely happy with. “I think that people imagine that when you finish a game, it’s exactly the way you wanted it to be. But whether people end up loving or hating the final result, we work hard to finish it the best we can, knowing that there’s a lot we would have wanted to do better. I think that’s true of any creative work”

As the dust settled after the initial reaction to the ending and later its epilogue, meant to show the wide-reaching ripple effects of Shep’s final choice, “players emerged mostly asking for one thing”. CH: “Now, most of what we hear, after both ME3 and MEA, is ‘Hey, just go make more Mass Effect’. And that to me is the most important thing. Knowing that players want to return to the ME universe is what inspires us to press on and imagine what comes next”

Mass Effect: Andromeda

By creating a new ME in a new galaxy the team was challenged to put their own visual stamp on the game while keeping it true to the franchise

Being the first ME game on a new gen of consoles meant for more detail

“Massive transport ships called arks populated with salarians, turians, humans, asari and quarians” made the risky jump to the Cluster

MEA was the first time BW had truly codeveloped across 3 studios: Edmonton, Montreal and Austin. The bulk of the work especially early on was done in Montreal, which was composed of a handful of Edmonton expats and heaps of experienced devs who joined from elsewhere specifically to bring a new ME experience to life. Series vets in Edmonton then came on to contribute writing, cinematics, design and QA, along with leadership from creative director Mac Walters and the core Production team. Austin writers and level designers also joined the fray

“It took a new team to take ME beyond the Milky Way”

Mac: “A lot of people in Montreal joined BW as fans of the franchise, so they just had this passion, and it felt like it was more like the days of Jade Empire, where a smaller younger team gets to do something for the first time. Even though it wasn’t necessarily a new IP for me, it felt fresh and new because of that. The team was just super excited to be working on it”

Early plans had the player exploring hundreds of worlds, procedurally generated, allowing for a nearly infinite variety of experiences. But as development wore on, it became clear that the game narrative required more specific, hand-touched level design on each world to keep the story focused and the experience engaging. “The plan was to give players numerous uncharted worlds to explore. Designers worked hard to come up with procedural elements that would make such planets special. Eventually the team made the difficult decision to abandon procedural planets in favor of more memorable hand-touched alien worlds, each with a specific story to tell”

One challenge was defining what ME meant without Shep. Care was given to include many of the MET’s key species. “Ryder recruited turian, asari, krogan and salarian followers”. Like Shep Ryder represents humanity’s hope for a peaceful coexistence among aliens who had long operated without human contact

Beginning with MEA the team decided that with few exceptions vehicles in ME have 6 wheels. Early Nomad concepts were bulkier. Later ones focused on its ability to move over its ability to protect itself from hostile fire, underlining the themes of exploration

German concept designer and auto-motive futurist Daniel Simon was contracted to create the Nomad and Tempest. The Tempest’s final design took inspo from the Concorde

Concepts for angaran fighter ships have the following notes: “Two doors swing open, wings rotate down to function as landing struts, the landing struts split open. It has a spinning turbine engine

Despite being set a galaxy away and some 600 years after Mordin’s death, there was a time when he had a cameo. It wasn’t cut due to running out of time however, it was cut due to drug references. John Dombrow explains: “One day I had to write a small quest for Kadara. I thought it’d be amusing if these 2 guys living way out on the fringes in a shack were growing plants for uh, medicinal purposes, and needed Ryder’s help with it. It occurred to me, wouldn’t it be amusing if Ryder had the option of actually trying ‘the medicine’ to see what would happen? And I thought, what if it turned into some hallucination that somehow involved SAM - like maybe SAM would sing? But why? How could I motivate that? Then it hit me. Who else in the ME game sings unexpectedly? MORDIN. As a nod to him I wrote SAM singing Modern Major-General. It got even better when our cine designer John Ebenger wanted to take it even further. Bless him, he came in on a Saturday to do a special hallucination showing Mordin himself. It was great. Til the fateful day we were told MEA had already been submitted to the ratings board. That’s when you declare things like drug references in your game. Mordin fell under that category which meant it was a no-go. We were too late”

Ryder’s white AI armor contrasts Shep’s iconic dark armor (intentional design)

Concept art for Ryder involved experiments with cloth (cloaks, ponchos, capes - “Pull here to release cloak”) and asymmetrical design elements

For alien design, there’s a few exceptions but humanoid figures are the ME standard and this persisted into MEA

Kett and angara concepts explored striking lines and textures

– From Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

415 notes · View notes

spidey-sophie · 4 years

Text

Tangled In The Sheets | Tom Holland One Shot

Pairing: Tom Holland x Female Reader (exes to lovers)

Warnings: angst-ish, smut, unprotected sex, fingering, oral (female receiving), overstimulation, squirting, ass play, angsty sex

Summary: You were the one who told him it didn't mean that you guys were back together. "I agree," he said as his lips reached for the weak spot on your neck, "it's just for the fun of it."

Word Count: 5.6k

Notes: The biggest THANK YOU ever goes to the immensely talented @worldoftom. She made this 100 times better and I’d be lost without her!

It was just another Friday night. Ever since you got your bachelor’s degree, you had yet to get used to having no paperwork to be done. It was a big achievement for you, but somehow you still didn’t manage to properly celebrate it. You just wanted to stay home, listen to some music, go through one of your favorite books or movies. But the sound of your roommates getting ready for yet another party was distracting.

You were just about to put your headphones on when you heard your friend Zoe calling your name. She entered your room, looking excited, all dressed up and beautiful, which made you chuckle because you were sitting in your room, your hair in a messy bun, bags of chips all over your bed.

“Come over Y/N, Alex and I need your help!” she practically pulled you out of your bed. What could they possibly need you for?

“Hello, Y/N! Welcome to your intervention!” Alex proclaimed while she held a couple of dresses in her hands.

You opened your mouth to object, but she interrupted you.

“We decided to finally get you out of bed. We won’t take no for an answer. It’s the biggest party of the year. After studying so hard this whole semester, we think you need to relax. You were like the best student in our class, and it’s finally time for you to celebrate it!”

“And we made sure he won’t be there," she added. "You need to have some fun, ever since you broke up with…”

“Don’t say his name Alex!” Zoe hissed through her teeth, angry eyes on Alex. “So what do you say?” she quickly turned back to you.

“I really appreciate everything you girls did, but I really need to finish some laundry and I have some stuff to pack and…” you trailed off.

You were glad your friends cared this much about you, of course, but the thought of going out, the crowd, the loud music, alcohol, cigarettes... No, you wanted to skip all of that. Both Zoe and Alex were also single so there was a chance they’d hook up with someone which then would mean you'd be left all alone. So thanks, but no thanks.

You still weren’t interested in dating. It kind of felt like it was too soon after your last attempt. Even though you knew he might’ve moved on.

“Pleaseee Y/N, this will be our big graduation celebration party! I’ll borrow you my black backless dress that I know you love!” Alex said and showed you the dress she was holding in her hands.

“If I say yes, will you both leave me alone for the next like two months and stop blackmailing me into going to pubs and parties?” you asked, swiftly seizing the dress Alex was holding.

They both started screaming and hugging you at those words.

The rest of the evening went by pretty quickly. Zoe helped you with your hair and you applied some makeup. Nothing drastic, just something to enhance your features. You didn’t want to go all out with hair or makeup because the dress Alex borrowed you was the star of the show. It was a short, black dress with spaghetti straps that cross on your back. For the first time in a while, you were actually happy about how you look.

“Okay, let’s go,” you said as you joined your friends in your living room. Zoe just nodded at you, since she knew how compliments made you feel.

“Look at you femme fatale.” As Alex said this and went by your side, she slapped your bum.

“Stop it or you’ll never see this dress again,” you threatened. And with those words you were already in your uber, heading to the club where your friends from university were throwing a party.

It was a big club, on two floors with a big balcony area. As you arrived you recognized some faces, but there were many that you’d never seen. As it turned out, the word of the party got spread through town really quickly.

You found a place where you could sit and one of Zoe’s not-so-secret admirers kept sending you drinks. As night went by you felt yourself getting a bit lightheaded. There was a warmth going through your body, a spurt of energy that made you grab Alex and head right to the dance floor. It’d been a long time since you felt this carefree. You had no idea if it was because of the alcohol or because you were finally done with your studying, but you felt free. After a few songs went by, you left Alex with some of her friends and went to the bar to get another beer.

“Hi, I’m Mark,” you heard a deep voice behind you and as you turned around you noticed a cute blonde-haired boy.

“Hi, I’m Y/N.” You grabbed your beer and had an internal debate about whether you should stay here and talk to this cute boy. On the one hand, it wouldn’t hurt to flirt a little. On the other hand, flirting and talking didn’t have to lead into anything more with this guy. (Or anyone.)

Just when you decided you should give Mark a chance, you noticed someone familiar. It felt like you would always recognize those light blue eyes. You stopped listening to whatever this guy next to you was talking about and focused on another blonde boy. It was dark in the room, but as far as you could see, he was alone, just some girls around him.

You excused yourself away from Mark and went back to Alex on the dance floor.

“So much of you making sure he won’t be here. Guess who I just saw – Harrison!”

“Really? Well, he told me he and Tom were going to another party! Was Tom with him?” Alex started justifying herself.

“Why are you talking to Harrison? Nevermind, where’s Zoe?” Alex was just about to hug you, her eyes filled with empathy, but you had to change the subject. And as much as you tried, you started to feel nauseous. You couldn’t face Tom now. Not yet. The crowded room started suffocating you, you had to go outside to get some fresh air.

“I’ll just go out on the balcony for a bit and I’ll go home, okay? I’m feeling sick, must be because of all the booze. Thank you for finally bringing me out.” You hugged her and started fighting your way through the crowd.

While you were walking, all the memories about your relationship with Tom infected your mind. If anyone asked you right now, you had no idea why you two broke up. You were together for a year and a half. You met him through Zoe. There was a time when she wanted to be a model and she found an aspiring photographer, Harry, who had a brother named Tom. One night, Zoe decided the four of you should go out, and that’s all it took.

Your relationship in the beginning felt like a dream. That first year of your relationship was the best year of your life. The two of you were inseparable. He was everything you ever dreamed of. Handsome, charming, funny, honest. But there was one thing that always scared you about him. He was adventurous and wild, two things you did not have in common. At first you guys worked out. Some nights you would stay home and watch movies and cuddle, which was delightful. Other nights you wanted to please him so you went out clubbing, and sometimes you even went on trips with him and his family. All of this was fine, but as time went by, all of your differences started to become more and more obvious.

It’s like he was the light, the warmest, nicest person you ever met. And you were the complete opposite, often called a “tough one” by everyone who knew you. During the early days, his light was strong enough to bring out the best in you. You started going out more, you were smiling more often and more sincerely. No one knew you like he did. Every time you had a big exam, he was the one encouraging you and going through your notes with you. When you were sick, he was there to help you. And it wasn't like you never reciprocated. You were going through his scripts with him, driving him to auditions. You were his first and biggest fan.

He was an aspiring young actor so he had to have a big social circle. You were just starting your last year of studies, so your main goal was your education. He started filming more and more often outside of Europe, and you slowly started to drift apart. As his career skyrocketed, you felt like the distance wasn’t helping your relationship. He always made sure you were fine. And sometimes you were, sometimes you weren’t. Especially when he was out there, somewhere across the ocean, filming or doing who knew what. He was surrounded by beautiful actresses and models, so some days the jealousy got the best of you. You’d call him and get mad if he didn’t respond right away. Then you’d make up. But after that, he’d get mad at you because you never wanted to go with him to wherever his new film was getting made.

After six months of trying to work things out, you both made the most painful decision of your lives. You both decided to go your separate ways. Sometimes love is just not enough. There were too many things standing in between you. A promise to always check up on each other was made.

The first month without him was the hardest one. You would wake up and check his social media, sometimes you would even text each other. Those were mostly friendly texts, sometimes flirty. But those were the crumbs that kept you up during that whole day.

A month later, he came back to London. And that was when you received a message saying he’d come by your place to pick up some clothes he had left there. However, from the moment he walked in, you knew it wasn’t just about the clothes. Your skin was flushing at the sight of him. Both of you just stood there in silence. You saw the same urge you felt beneath your fingertips in his honey eyes. The aftermath was a battle to see who would cave first.

It was only the first time you had sex after breaking up. You were addicted to his touch. To his tongue. His hands. No one had ever made you feel the way he could.

The second time was after you accidentally met at a pub. There was a magnetic force that led you to him. It was messy, full of excuses and flirty innuendos. In the end, you almost did it in the bathroom, but you were both sane enough to drive back to his place instead. You both insisted there should be no strings attached. Just doing it for the sake of old times. You were the one who told him it didn't mean that you guys were back together.

"I agree," he said as his lips reached for the weak spot on your neck, "it's just for the fun of it."

After that night, you met a few more times. Almost every time you guys would end up breathless, feet tangled in the sheets. And every time you both insisted it was just that – a purely physical release and that there wouldn't be a next time. But as those meetings became more frequent, the more you started thinking about him. You finally realized the only thing you wanted was him. You thought you were ready to change for him. With only one more exam left to pass, you thought to yourself that maybe it was time to start over. Since you wouldn't be under so much pressure, you could follow him while he was filming, travel and get to see what the world had to offer.

You called him only minutes later and told him you should see each other that night. Tom agreed and said he had something important to tell you. You let him go first, since you were too nervous to come clean about your feelings. And that was your biggest mistake.

He told you he was going away for a few months.

And he told you that you should start seeing other people.

Hearing that was a hard punch to the stomach, but you only let yourself gape at him for a few seconds before you shrugged it off.

You wished him luck and that was the last time you saw him. It took you a lot to pick up the pieces. A lot of failed first dates. Some drunk nights. Countless crying nights. It’s been another six months since you last saw him. You knew he was back in London, but you ignored his calls. If you wanted him out of your life, you needed to get him out of your head first. And your phone.

Your hands were wrapped around you as the fresh air caught you. Just as you were about to step out on the balcony, you saw him. He was talking on the phone with someone, smiling. When he looked up at you, his smile grew wider and he winked at you. It was too late for you to just turn around and run away. How could you, your knees felt like they were some overcooked noodles.

He looked different. Dressed in all black. His body was even more muscular than the last time you explored it with your mouth. His curly hair was gone. Short hair looked really good on him. It was a hot summer night so he was wearing a black shirt with a few of his buttons unbuttoned.

“Well hello there,” he said as he finished his phone call.

“Hello to you too.” You didn’t want to risk it, so you kept your distance. If you came any closer to him, there was a chance you’d run into his arms, which was the last thing you wanted.

“So… how have you been?” he asked, hands running through his head. Everything he did it looked so precise, magnetizing, so much so that it kept pulling you closer to him. Every move he made attracted you even more.

“Okay… Good. I finally have my degree. And how about you?” The nervousness you felt was starting to fade. You tried to keep it together and you were sure that there was no way he could feel how his presence made you feel.

“I just finished filming a very emotional movie. So I’m taking a break for a few weeks, maybe months. I missed being home,” That was another thing that drove you crazy about him - how confident he looked while speaking.

“How is everybody?” You finally decided to approach him a little bit. Now you were on the balcony too, but still far enough from him.

“Oh they’re fine. Dad just wrote another book and he actually said he’d like you to read it.”

“Really? Thanks, I'd like that,” you said. You'd always got along with his family and it was another thing you missed about him.

“Also congratulations on your degree! What are your plans now?”

“I don’t know, the sky's the limit. Speaking of plans, I see you decided to join the military!” you pointed at his head and he smiled again.

“It was for the film. I kind of like it now that I got used to it,” he said, running his hands through his head. It made you wonder how it would feel on yours.

Standing here, facing him, watching his every move, you couldn't help but feel like you were trying to tell each other how you were feeling with your eyes. You knew he was glad to see you, because you were too.

“Well it looks really nice on you.” You looked him in the eyes. The alcohol you drank prior this meeting gave you the courage to come a little closer to him. And he looked right back at you. You knew that look he used to give you. It was usually when he was infatuated with you.

“And you look gorgeous tonight.” He took one step closer to you. All of your senses were focused on his perfume. Tom didn’t break eye contact with you. A few moments passed, filled with silence, but it wasn’t awkward; it was comforting. Something about his presence felt so familiar, so warm and sweet.

“Do you remember how you used to dress up for me?” he asked, and you knew very well what he was thinking about. Sometimes you would put on your best lingerie under a sheer lace dress or a robe. This was something you did after he was away for too long, just a little gift for him.

“Yes I do, and I remember how many times you ripped my underwear.” It was something that both annoyed and turned you on.

“And how about that time when we did it in your parents' basement?” he said softly and he was so close now, there were only a few inches between the two of you.

“We only did it because you initiated it,” you decided to play his game. You moved your hair on your shoulder, making sure he could see your neck.

“It was because you did this…” and he did the exact thing you did back then – he put his hands around your waist and brought you closer to him. You could hear him breathing heavily in your ear.

“And you did this.”

You kissed him. Your heart was pounding, you could feel it in your throat. His lips were addictive and after six months, you were finally taking another hit. His hands were still on your waist keeping you flush against him. It was like you couldn’t get enough of him. You knew you shouldn’t be doing this, not after all the promises you made to yourself. But your body and heart wanted him. His tongue was warm and tasted like beer, too irresistible.

He ran his fingers down your back, all the way to your bottom. Tom had never seemed so needy. As his hands finally grabbed both of your ass cheeks, you felt yourself getting wet. You moaned into his mouth and you could feel him smiling. When you finally remembered to breathe, you both stopped kissing, but your heads were still next to each other.

“Your place or mine?” he said, voice deep and needy.

“Yours is closer.”

The drive to his place felt like it lasted for hours. There was music playing, but you weren’t paying any attention to it, you were just watching him drive. He looked so hot when he was focused on the road, slightly smiling because he knew what was about to happen. The longer you looked at him, the more your thighs trembled in anticipation.

As soon as you entered his house, he slammed you into the wall and started kissing you again. His leg was between yours, keeping them apart. Your hands were wrapped around his neck. You were so needy for a release that your hips started instinctively going up and down his leg. You could feel the wet trace you left on his pants. The kiss got messier, and you needed him to touch you.

“I want you so much,” you breathed into his mouth. He tried to get you out of your dress, but the knot on the back was too tight. As he couldn’t wait any longer, he ripped it apart. An old habit of his that you hated right now.

“Alex is going to kill you, this was her dress.”

“I’ll buy her a new one.” He smiled into your neck and left wet kisses where the straps used to be. You held his face between your hands and started kissing him again. You bit his bottom lip, as a punishment for doing something you didn’t like. Everything he did drove you crazy. The way he hummed in your mouth, the way he kissed your neck, the way he cupped your breasts.

You were naked in front of him. He stripped you down all the way. You were exposed but you didn’t feel that way. He stepped back, to look at your whole body. You took this moment to move backwards, trying to find something for better support. You stumbled upon a pair of shoes, but before you could chastise Tom about it, your hand hit the top of the console table. It would have to do.

You could tell by the look on his face he was enjoying himself, smirking at you as you moved. If it was anybody else, you’d probably feel ashamed and would try to cover yourself with your hands, but you didn’t need to do that with him. Besides the many times you hurt each other over the years, he was always the one you felt like you belonged to.

And another thing you knew about him was that he liked to be in control. Which was something you loved. But not tonight.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he blurted out and he smashed his lips on yours again. The kiss was needy and raw, filled with all the lust you still have for each other. He held you by the back of your neck the way he always did, it was like he'd never even left. The twinge between your legs felt just as familiar, especially as he replaced his lips with two of his fingers. He was moving them in and out of your mouth until your saliva started dribbling down your chin. You took his hand and moved it from your mouth all the way down to your pulsating core. There was a slight surprise on Tom’s face, it wasn't usual for you to be this bossy in bed. You were looking him straight in the eyes as he started to fuck you with the two fingers he had had in your mouth just a few seconds ago.

Your pussy was even wetter than your mouth. You used his shoulders to steady yourself and jammed his face against yours, eager to kiss him again. Slow and hard. As he paced his fingers, you started touching his already rock hard dick. You were barely touching his head, but you could hear him moan and he started to gently thrust his hips into your hands. He wanted to be touched and he clearly wanted it now.

“You like that?” you asked him, neither of you stopping your movements.

“Yes,” he moaned in your mouth. He was melting under your touch.

“Good. Go down on me and maybe you’ll get more,” you told him between kisses and stopped touching him. Without any words, he obeyed and kneeled in front of you.

You touched the side of his head gingerly to test his reaction, and he was quick to lean into your touch. Your hips rest against the table, and as he put your left leg over his shoulder to keep you in place, his head moved back too. His buzz cut tickled your skin and you felt pathetic about how much it turned you on. It made your hips tilt forward and without any teasing, Tom went straight to your clit with his tongue. A loud moan escaped your lips. Both of your hands were going up and down his shaved head, all the way down to his neck. He was looking up at you. Just looking at his eyes was enough to make the fire in your clit into an explosion. His tongue was flicking and pulling around your swollen clit until your legs started shaking.

“That feels so good, please keep doing that,” you instructed. His mouth was open wide and he stuck his tongue out. Your hips were buckling, practically riding his wide tongue. You needed more, so you used your arms on the console to hold you steady. It was wobbly, but cradled his head awkwardly between your thighs, letting the prickle of his growing hair spur you on. Your moans only got louder, but you didn’t care if anybody could hear. You just wanted to release the tension in your body. As your movements became more and more eager, he suddenly pulled his head away from you. He helped you hop off from his shoulders and stood up, his face covered in your juices. You were so close to cumming you could barely function.

Stopping was his way to pay you back.

“Turn around,” he whispered in your ear and now it was your turn to obey. From the first moment since you turned around, his hands were wrapped around your waist. Your pussy was throbbing so hard so you instinctively spread your legs apart for him. He unzipped his pants and pulled down his boxers. You arched your back even more at the sound of his belt falling on the ground.

Your elbows were between two flower vases, next to the bowl where you knew he usually left his keys. He was about to enter you from behind, you could sense the heat from his cock, twitching against your skin. But he didn’t move any further. It seemed like this was his moment to tease you, and you let him. He started by rubbing the crown of his head between your shoulder blades. You felt his hand snake around your waist like he was holding you in place. The other was stuck in between you as he guided his dick between your legs until the tip found your clit, rubbing it in small circles at first. His movements were so slow that you wouldn’t even feel them if you weren’t already this swollen and sensitive. He cupped your breast with his free hand, moving his dick across your folds with the other. Every time he moved, you could feel your belly clenching. All your muscles were tensing, waiting for him to do something more. You were so close to orgasming for so many times that you couldn’t take any more teasing.

His movements on your clit became faster and faster. Your wetness was spread all the way from his head, down his length and on his hand. His movements became too intense for you, both of your legs were shaking and at one point you felt like you were about to faint. Your clit was overstimulated, but at the same time you felt so empty. You needed him inside you.

“Tom… just stop,” you said breathlessly.

“Stop what?” he said as he finally stopped moving.

“Just stop teasing and fuck me already.” And at those words, he slammed into you. You gasped at the strength of his thrust. It hurt, but it hurt so sweetly. He was so, so deep inside you, and you were wet. Welcoming. Pleased by the stretch of his member. Your screams were mixed with his loud moans. He was never very vocal in bed, so this turned you on even more.

“Do you like that?” Tom asked you.

“Yes, just keep doing that.”

He was thrusting into you. His dick was getting all the way out and then back in, balls deep. His groans were filled with pleasure. You were clenching and tightening around his length. Waves of immense pleasure hit you as his movements became faster.

The hand that was cupping your breast fell down on your ass. His free hand went back to your clit, helping you to finally achieve your climax. His touch this time was light, he knew just what he previously did to you and that you didn’t need much stimulation to explode in his hands. You could feel it closer than ever. His hands were all over your ass and hips, guiding them fast and hard into him. His fingers were so wet so he was spreading the wetness up and down between your cheeks with his thumb. If he wanted, he could just put it in with ease. It was something that always excited you anyway.

After so much teasing, a warm crash of pleasure hit you from high above. At that moment, Tom let his finger slip into your ass. The unexpectedness and the pleasure of it all made you cry out loud. And with a few more shallow thrusts you were about to finally come.

“Tom… I’m gonna…,” but you couldn’t finish your sentence. Your orgasm hit you hard and you started shaking. You finally lost control over your body. The immense pleasure and the urge to pee were the only thing you could feel. You’d never felt like this. He wasn’t moving now save for his thumb, helping you come down from your high.

“It’s okay,” he told you while holding you as you started to calm down. Your wetness was leaking on both of your legs. “How do you do this to me, Y/N?” he asked while starting to move again inside of you, slowly this time.

“I don’t feel like this with anybody else,” you whispered, drawing your hips forward so he would slip out. Then you turned around and kissed him. He slid his tongue into your mouth and you sucked it. You hopped onto the table, facing him, your legs wrapped around him instinctively. His lips left yours and started kissing your jaw all the way to your ear.

“Me neither,” he whispered in your hair while he kissed your ear.

“Come inside me,” you whispered back and he slid back in. Your hands were on the small of his back, guiding him into you. He was already deep in, but you somehow wanted more of him. You wanted this moment to stay forever. He was hugging you while thrusting slowly and deeply. It only lasted a few more seconds and he couldn’t hold it anymore. With moans and grunts, you watched and felt him let go. He was shivering and pulling you close.

Once he finished, you were both quiet. He licked his lips and kissed you again. His sperm was starting to leak out of you so he had to pull out, even though you both didn’t want this feeling to ever stop.

“Wait I’ll bring you a towel,” he said and started to pull up his pants, but they were all wet from the way you'd squirted when he was fucking you. You even felt a little ashamed since this was the first time you'd made this big of a mess, but Tom was quick to reassure you. Just as you were about to say you were sorry, Tom put his finger on your lips and told you, “It’s unbelievably sexy how hard you came, don’t worry about this.”

“I’ll buy you new ones,” you mimicked his previous joke, and you both smiled at each other. He took one moment just to look at you, silently and then finally went to get some towels.

You both cleaned yourselves in silence, smiling at each other from time to time or stealing glances. Tom also brought you his shirt and shorts. Once you were both dressed, you hugged each other again. For the first time in months, you felt happy. It was like you expressed all of your emotions through sex. All of your anger and sadness were gone. He cupped your chin and pecked your lips.

But his eyes went from smiling to looking very sad. You could feel the tears forming in yours as well.

“Why didn’t you return any of my calls?” he asked, breaking the comforting silence.

“Fuck Tom, do we have to do this right now?” you asked and stepped away from the hug. He didn’t answer so you continued, “I don’t know, maybe ‘cause you wanted to see other people?”

“I only wanted that because you were the one who broke up with me and insisted that everything after the breakup was just sex.”

“And you were the one travelling around the world!" you boomed. "You got scared. You decided that we should try to be with someone else instead of talking things through and finding some way to work things out.”

Another silent moment. But this time it wasn’t comforting at all. You were standing on opposite sides of his room. You were scared he’d hurt you again.

“Okay, I got scared,” you were just about to leave when you heard him, “I got scared that I’ll be the one holding you down. That maybe you’ll find someone who you can be with, someone who will always be here for you and fulfill all your needs. I want you. I’ve always wanted you. And you were the one who always wanted us to hook up casually, so I thought maybe you didn’t want any strings attached while I’m away. And that was my stupid way of letting you go. But I can’t let you go. I keep thinking about you. When I’m alone, when I’m with someone else… It’s always about you.”

“I wanted to go away with you,” you were finally able to say something back. After all this time, you told him what you'd wanted to say that night he left. The night he took your heart and shattered it. And now here he was, snapping the pieces back together at last. Fixing the puzzle he had scrambled before, pumping it back to life until it was pounding hard in your chest. So hard you could barely hear your own thoughts.

“What?” Tom asked, but you couldn’t repeat what you just said. “Do you still want to?” He approached you, his eyebrows furrowed. He wasn’t too close, like he was afraid to pull you back in and touch you. You nodded.

After that nod, he hugged you.

You smiled into his neck. And a strong tug in your gut made you daring enough to think that you two might work out this time.

#tom holland #tomholland #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland smut #tom holland one shot #tom holland fluff #tom holland angst #mcufam #tom holland fandom #tom holland oneshot #tom holland fic #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland x fem!reader #tom holland fanfic #tom holland blurb

1K notes · View notes

tobeornottotc · 3 years

Text

ADACHI AND KUROSAWA- THE MEANING OF TOUCH

First thing first: Touch can be physical (come into contact with something), internal (emotional, feeling touched, concerned sympathy and gratitude) or mental/psychic (an effect on something: talent, skill or presence). In the dictionary, there are so many meanings for touch, but this show focused on this three.

Episode 7 was all about touch, touch and even more TOUCH. In a show where the premise is on the magical abilities of touch being used to help and ease the lives of people including our main character, we come to see in this episode just how much touch is needed even in his new blossoming relationship with Kurosawa. How these two discover how much they need the other's touch is so incredible, and I love it so much. So here's my breakdown for it :) Here are instances this episode where touch happened and what it meant for these two cuties.

The confession with the touch:

Kurosawa has just confessed, and he's about to lean forward and touch Adachi's cheek a sign of affection; Kurosawa feels rejected and a burden to Adachi. Adachi flinches because of anxiety in his head: The touch was to show sincerity and love, but at this time, they both are too scared.

Adachi and his anxiety

Again it wasn't that Adachi didn't want Kurosawa's touch but the opposite; he was frightened because of too many thoughts in his head, his heart was racing, and his whole mind was shutting down at that moment. Kurosawa wanted something with him. He realised what was happening and then, was shocked when Kurosawa's hand fell from his cheek. Adachi knows he has to stop him from leaving, but he's frozen, still unsure that he's right for Kurosawa, still uncertain about what to say, how to phrase how he feels, still unsure of everything in his head. So he lets him leave, Kurosawa takes that as acceptance, he thinks Adachi is straight and likes girls so of course, he's not into him, it breaks his heart immensely, but he decides to stay polite and return back to them being colleagues. Machida is such a great actor, you can physically see and feel when Kurosawa feels deflated and defeated, after seven years he must say goodbye to a love that meant everything, he took a risk, but he lost everything but most importantly Adachi's touch.

The touch at this moment was not fulfilled, it was hindered and stopped by Kurosawa because both were scared: this touch meant for both of them the truth, crossing the line and risking it all to be with each other, but because Kurosawa stopped it left both of them dissatisfied and heartbroken.

Kurosawa's reason for liking Adachi

Kurosawa felt objectified, used by people who didn't really understand or know the real him. People were only viewing him on the surface, from the outside. It should feel great, but he didn't like it, he hated being objectified and not actually being noticed. But Adachi was different. Adachi noticed him; he gave him reasons why he thought he was cool why he thought he was great because, in Adachi's mind, Kurosawa is much better and awesome than him. Adachi also felt touched by Kurosawa's gesture from their first meeting, when he took the wine glass and drank for him despite not being strong enough to do so. That's why he followed him and comforted him; it's one of the automatic things with Adachi and Kurosawa, Adachi hates seeing Kurosawa hurt, so he followed him to ensure he was okay. In doing so, he also touched his heart without knowing and changed everything for Kurosawa.

Kurosawa's touch to Adachi 7 years ago: made him feel cared for, protected and happy.

Adachi's touch to Kurosawa 7 years ago: made him feel noticed, understood and appreciated.

They did this all by being near each other, but also Kurosawa decided to repay Adachi because of this hence why he never thinks a bad thought about him, he also wants Adachi to feel noticed for his efforts (therefore his thoughts and the way he protected Adachi in episode 1/2 when it came to work) he wanted Adachi to feel understood by people. He wanted people to give Adachi proper appreciation. Adachi did the same without knowing; he wanted to ensure Kurosawa felt the same way he made him feel, hence he hates him being upset at him, he hates when he's in trouble with people/work, and he hates when he feels his feelings don't matter. They both again keep trying to repay the other for how they made each other feel at their first meeting. It was a perfect match, and it started from touch.

Adachi and Kurosawa: the need to please people

It's such a meta thing that Kurosawa and Adachi met each other because of an event where both were forced to come to be objectified by one of the heads. It's interesting because the reason that keeps preventing Adachi and Kurosawa from confessing how they feel is the perception of internalised homophobia.

Adachi is worried about how society would think; he's also concerned about not being good enough for Kurosawa in people's mind. Kurosawa is scared about the same thing; that his feelings are seen as abnormal to Adachi, that he's just burdening him with his feelings etc.

All this back and forth and running away is because of both's need to please people though they both feel uncomfortable and disappointed each time they do so. Adachi has social anxiety, so although he wants to help and be useful to people, he hates situations where there's too much pressure on him and where he has to interact with strangers; he gets anxious, worried and feels stupid each time this happens. Adachi literally can't eat because of his anxiety at the dinner it's so relatable the way he feels scared about how people perceive him.

Kurosawa tries to please people by not saying how he feels; he feels inappropriate to complain about being objectified when it's meant to be viewed as a compliment, he tries his hardest to be kind and help everyone. Still, he also feels defeated and empty by the fact that if he says no, he could ruin everyone's jobs and opinions on him. They're trying to conform to social expectations, behaviours and perceptions by not genuinely being themselves a perfect metaphor for why they both avoided confessing or ran away from admitting to the other.

They both saw through each other in that event and because of that automatically touched the other heart because of it.

Kurosawa's drunken fall

Did you notice they were two touches in this scene: One when Adachi catches Kurosawa, and the second when he puts his hand on his heart. Both can be seen literally; Adachi is saving and catching Kurosawa as he falls. Adachi is like a healing presence to him (just like the results of his magic), Adachi makes him feel safe and secure, and I find it so important to notice how Adachi does this automatically. We've watched each episode and saw Kurosawa let doubts fill his mind, about the kiss, about annoying Adachi, about being a burden but Adachi automatically runs to him and blurts out what he's thinking always erasing Kurosawa's doubt and making him feel safe to be the way he is, to like Adachi the way he has, to keep doing the things he's terrified of.

That's Adachi being his safety net without realising. Adachi wants always to make sure he's safe. It's innate in their relationship. Last Adachi is catching him when he's meant to be the one catching everyone else/ saving everyone else. Adachi is the only person who made an effort to pay attention to Kurosawa, to help Kurosawa, to also see Kurosawa just like everyone else; it was a relief to Kurosawa, it was important.

Because of this, Adachi physically, literally and metaphorically touches his heart and enters without knowing.

But the physical touch also points back to the magic that started it all for Adachi's realisation and awakening; the magic stemmed from that touch, just like in present the magic keeps helping Adachi pay attention and catch Kurosawa each time he slips, the magic was there from the start just waiting to manifest and its source was Adachi's need to show Kurosawa he was loved, listened to and looked after. That's beautiful.

Also, notice how Kurosawa and Adachi are always reading each other's minds without knowing it? We have Adachi who has the physical ability to read Kurosawa's mind, but you also have Kurosawa being able to read Adachi's mind without knowing. In this scene, Kurosawa confesses he felt useless, and he felt upset for being useless at the dinner, but Adachi was also feeling the same way, he also didn't fulfil his responsibilities at the dinner, he felt worse than Kurosawa, uncool, gloomy and a burden but hearing Kurosawa, someone he was starting to think was really impressive and cool, excellent (he showed jealousy seeing how suave Kurosawa was at the dinner), it made him feel relieved that Kurosawa was just like him, and it again increased his confidence to want to tell Kurosawa why he liked him and thought he was cool. Without knowing it, Kurosawa was metaphorically catching Adachi too and making him feel safer and less worried.

In this scene, touch meant for both of them :

A safe space to be their authentic self.

A relief that they weren't failures/useless.

Inspiration/ confidence to be even better.

They're both so great guys, so good, so pure and perfect for each other.

Adachi's memories of Kurosawa

Did you notice this too? They all had to do with Kurosawa's touch, putting a scarf around his neck, touching his cheek, carrying him, helping his wounds, helping him with his things, they all showed how Kurosawa touched Adachi emotionally: he was comfort and warmth (the scarf), he was helping hand and companion, he was healing presence, and he was understanding and protective of Adachi every single moment he was with him.

But he also made Adachi's heart race (each time he tried to touch his cheek), and that touch was excitement/nervousness. I also love how the first act of Adachi when he realised how much he needed Kurosawa's touch was to ignore and walk away from helping his colleague. He's not thinking about pleasing other people, He's thinking about Kurosawa, he's doing what he wants, and he's brave. Kurosawa did that.

That's how Kurosawa and Adachi touched each other without realising their physical touches, emotional metaphorical touches, and their mental touches in each other's life. Both of them meant so much to the other, fit each other, needed each other without understanding until they finally confessed at the end of this episode. That final hug and Adachi responding after feeling scared, that kinda touch is the most precious, most beautiful thing I've ever seen in a couple and I am obsessed with this couple's growth and relationship.

#cherry magic #cherry magic! thirty years of virginity can make you a wizard?!#cherry magic!#cherrymagic #adachi x kurosawa #reviews #analysis #japanese bl #bl series #bl drama

366 notes · View notes

santipietroepaolo · 2 years

Text

"How realistic is the Sinti representation in Suburra?" - A translation of the VICE interview with Alexian Santino Spinelli and Niccolò Carradori

Hello everyone! As you can probably guess, I’m a huge fan of the tv show Suburra: Blood on Rome. Over the course of this past year, I’ve met quite a few fellow fans, some of them not from Italy. A lot of those passionate fans were thirsty to learn more about all aspects of the show, with questions pertaining to language, culture, politics and representation. I can answer a lot of the questions related to Italian language and culture, and about Rome specifically, but when it comes to the question of Sinti representation, I don’t have first hand experience myself!

As most watchers know, the show is very clumsy in terms of diversity, as illustrated (among other things) by the questionable choice not to cast actors of Sinti descent to play any of the main Sinti roles. In 2017, VICE published an interview with Sinti advocate Santino “Alexian” Spinelli, asking his opinion about the quality of the representation in the show.

I wanted to make this interview accessible to international viewers of the show, so I gave a go at my own translation. However, I am in no way a professional translator, so I apologize in advance for any inaccuracy or mistranslation that might have occurred. You can find the original interview linked in the translated article. Let me stop babbling and let’s jump right into it!

"How realistic is the Sinti representation in Suburra?"

In the show, the Anacletis are portrayed as a very large family, with set traditions and a clearly defined esthetic.

By Niccolò Carradori, 25.10.17, for VICE.com

I don't know about you, but my favorite Suburra character, both in the show as well as in the 2015 movie, is Spadino. Not only because his name is Spadino, or because he's the one with the most interesting characterization, but also for all the weird and emphatic expressions he puts on whenever he's trying to act though.

As I was watching the show, however, I caught myself wondering several times if the representation of his family and of the Sinti ethnic group overall - however influenced by the show's context of criminality - wasn't excessively stereotypical. The Anacletis are indeed portrayed as an impressively extensive family, with a taste for interior design at the crossroads between the Palace of Versailles, Tony Montana's house, and some kind of burlesque establishment.

Moreover, the dynamics of house Anacleti are deeply anchored in tradition: at the beginning of the series, we see Spadino forced to partake in an arranged marriage, including an engagement party during which he is expected to demonstrate his commitment towards his future bride in front of their whole community. Meanwhile, homosexuality is presented as a taboo so heavy, it might threaten one’s life.

In order to understand just how many of the aforementioned aspects depicted in Suburra are actually true to life, I have contacted Santino "Alexian" Spinelli - a musician and university lecturer of Rom ethnicity, author of two essays - whose mission has always been to promote understanding of Rom and Sinti culture, through the work of the non-profit Thèm Romanò.

VICE: I would like to begin with your general opinion of the show, and the impression it gives of the community. Taking into account that the family depicted is first of all a criminal one, before being Sinti, what impressions did you receive as you were watching?

Alexian Santino Spinelli: Setting aside the context of organized crime, from the very beginning I realized that the image given off by the show was an overwhelmingly stereotypical one. And all these stereotypes, used in depicting the Anacleti in Suburra, truly go to show how marginalized Sinti communities are in Italy: a country where such communities have been present as early as 1300, but where very little is still known of their traditions, language, literature and art.

Let's take for instance the aesthetic element: the garish homes, with their fancy furniture entirely gilded in gold, white statues and draperies appearing here and there, the blue velvet sofa - all of it generates a particular atmosphere in the series, as if those homes represented a parallel universe.

Yes, absolutely. It's an element which mutates from an overly simplified aspect of culture - such as the importance of gold - which is then taken to the extreme in order to cement this idea of a defined community. Of course, in Rom culture, gold does have an apotropaic function, and having golden jewelry on one's body or one's home helps warding off evil - and that reckons back to the fact that historically Rom were specialized in working with metals - but there is no such "standard" as the one a viewer might interpret from watching the series.

The same also goes for the muscle cars, the sparkly tracksuits and the tacky haircuts…

These are all details which, in my opinion, meld together to create a deceptively dangerous idea - which would be that inside such groups, there is a push to seek ostentatious and tasteless wealth, to be achieved - and this is what I find questionable - at any and all cost, even outside the confines of the law. If you met any of my children in the street, you would not be able to guess that they are Rom from any aesthetic clue... I myself have two degrees, a Conservatory diploma, and an Honorary Citizenship [to the city of Laterza], but I drive around in a simple, old station wagon.

And then there's all of the Anacletis’ family dynamics: the arranged marriage between Spadino and the daughter of the head of another family, the scrutiny as to her virginity… how far off is this image compared to the reality of the Sinti experience?

It is true that virginity is an important value in Romanì culture. However, this too shifts from a notion rooted in tradition, with its own specific context, and is pushed to the extreme. Arranged marriages in Rom communities - in the same way they did in rural Italian culture - happened 80, 100 years ago. Nowadays, young people in the community choose each other freely, and especially they are free to reject any unwanted proposal. It is true, however, that there exists a formal "etiquette" to follow in such matters.

For instance, the aspiring groom - in order to display his interest towards a girl to the concerned families and the community as a whole, and therefore secure a potential engagement - follows the rite of Buchvibbe, also known as "serenade". It is a very unique courtship ritual specific to Italian Rom of very old settlement, which the series draws its inspiration from. And which would be the group I personally belong to.

Culturally, young people are not allowed to enter the homes of families they are not closely related to, at least not without a valid motive. If there exists the wish for a betrothal, this wish is to be expressed in front of the families, their relatives and their friends. A lot of people are invited, a party is thrown, and a band is hired to play three songs - the aforementioned serenade - dedicated to the girl whose hand is being asked in marriage. Two more songs are then dedicated to all relatives on the bride-to-be's father’s side, who by tradition are closer and more involved in decisions pertaining to family matters. The families will receive these serenades in silence, and the next day, "ambassadors” from the groom-to-be’s family will return with a formal proposal to the bride’s father, who is honor-bound to attend the morning banquet the suitor’s family will have organized. At this time, the father will return his answer to the proposal. But of course, all of this happens after the daughter has been consulted on the matter. The father's response will be the one his daughter gave.

From then on, the engaged couple are permitted to date, but will never be left alone together before the wedding, because - and on that, the show is truthful - virginity is very important in Rom culture. Virginity is an non-negotiable condition for the girl to be able to receive other Buchvibbe. The engagement can also be broken at any time before the wedding, and the girl as said can receive other proposals. Nowadays, "serenades" are very much planned in advance by the couple. It is a rite they decide to partake in - indeed, young women are often the ones to suggest a serenade to the young man - and only when they are sure of it. This is because giving life to such an event can be very expensive… We're talking about bringing together 100, 200, sometimes 300 guests, since Rom families are very large and usually no one is left out of the gathering.

In the show, the families are indeed shown to be very numerous.

That is true to life. Creating large, very close-knit family units and living together has always been a priority in the Romanì community. I'll tell you even more: every action, be it positive or negative, is always perceived collectively and never individually. In-group solidarity, constant moving around and endogamous relationships are historically the only defenses such groups had at their disposal for survival.

To pull together and to live almost in symbiosis - everything said and done is said and done to the whole family - is very important. To show respect and solidarity towards one's relatives is an important value. Rom value family, but in the show, everything is amplified negatively, and that which is a positive value is presented as something negative.

Let's move on to the question of homosexuality: one of the main characters belongs to the Anacleti family and is gay. His mother is aware of this, but the young man is still forced to hide his sexuality or else "he will be killed." In reality, how is homosexuality perceived?

Here we have to have a more complex discussion. As is true for a lot of other minority cultures, homosexuality is rejected. Socially, this happens because it [homosexuality] does not guarantee the perpetuation of the community, the survival of the ethnicity. It is a form of anthropological taboo linked to procreation and group preservation, as theorized by Claude Lévi-Strauss. But the stigmatization of homosexual people, as we know, is not exclusive to this community.

It is true that inside the Romanì community, a person who manifests their homosexuality is made fun of and marginalized. However, just like in non-Rom communities, young Rom too can live out their sexuality. Of course, like everywhere, there are families who are accepting and others who are not.

Overall, in many ways the series gives off the idea that the community the Anacletis belong to inhabits a space so separate from the others as to be almost unintelligible…

You see, the issue isn't so much presenting something so stereotypical as to appear almost grotesque, it's more about doing so when so few watching have the tools at their disposal to understand that the image they are being shown is a heavily stylized one, very distant from reality.

If a similar thing had happened in regards to the traditional garbs of Jewish people - just to pick the first example that comes to mind - the media, institutional, political and social reaction would have been much stronger. Here, on the other hand, there is no push-back. When it comes to Rom you can say or do anything, because no one will react.

Thank you for reading! - Salt

#suburra #suburra netflix #suburra: blood on rome #spadino anacleti #roma #sinti #antitziganism #italy #italian culture #santino spinelli #vice #article #translation #by me

13 notes · View notes

canary3d-obsessed · 4 years

Text

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 10 second part

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Meta)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Unclean Realm

Lan Wangji has a Louis Henry Sullivan moment on seeing the Nie family home, becoming enraptured by its overwrought monumental architecture after a lifetime of restrained good taste and single-story buildings.

He approaches the fortress with the expression of delighted wonder that he usually reserves for when he’s looking at the moon or at Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian is like, yep that’s a building, all right, but he supports Lan Wangji’s kinks.

Meng Yao tells them about the Wen Clan directive, and has what appears to be a moment of genuine, affectionate amusement at Nie Huaisang’s reaction.

Jiang Cheng kinda blames the Lans for inventing the whole “indoctrination” thing and for encouraging his brother’s disaster bi tendencies. Wei Wuxian responds by complimenting the Lan Clan, almost like someone who met his true love got some real value out of the instruction he received there.

(more after the cut)

One of the great ironies of this story is that Wei Wuxian sort of becomes a rogue Lan disciple because of his relationship with Lan Wangji. He relies on Lan temperament techniques, uses music as a primary cultivation method, has committed all of the Lan rules to his supposedly terrible memory and cites them on multiple occasions, and is an important mentor for the younger generation Lan disciples. Because Hanguang-Jun is just that good in bed.

Xue Yang in the background of this conversation is channeling OP’s church-enduring, school-enduring inner 10-year-old.

Nie Mingjue, Chifeng-Zun, appears, and couldn’t be more different than his brother. On first watching this episode, I saw him as a grumpy, sexy, very emotional leather daddy man who is quick to anger. Rewatching, I see someone who’s struggling with a growing illness...the resentful energy kind.

Nie Mingjue’s handling of resentful energy is very different from Wei Wuxian’s straightforward interest and acceptance. NMJ has a traditional cultivator’s view of it, regarding it as evil and as something to resist, while he is literally carrying it on his back. He’s like a secret alcoholic who is preaching temperence, and can’t find a way to be reconciled with himself.

At this point of the story, Nie Mingjue is keeping it together, but is under a hell of a lot of stress, and Baxia’s blood thirst is already maybe a problem.

The Yunmeng bros think that Nie Huaisang’s fear of his brother is hilarious, because they don’t understand the situation. They think he’s just living in a hideously toxic family dynamic like theirs, when actually he’s in a loving, sorta healthy, if parentless, family that is being crushed under a generational curse.

Compliments for the Yunmeng Bros

I’m not the first meta poster to notice how happy Jiang Cheng is to be praised by Nie Mingjue.

He never gets this at home. Jiang Yanli praises him, but in that watery “you tried your best” way that doesn’t really stick. Nie Mingjue’s praise really means something, because he is a fearsome warrior and stern authority figure. And this is a double compliment, because Nie Mingjue says he heard it from Lan Xichen, and agrees with it.

Let’s Make Terrible Decisions

Keep Xue Yang alive, says Wei Wuxian, and Meng Yao immediately agrees, although I’m pretty sure he would have proposed that even if WWX hadn’t.

So they do, not realizing that “kill him later” is never a good plan for someone who 1. super needs killing 2. has a whole lot of death-dealing skills.

Future clan leader Jiang Cheng notices how smart and talented Meng Yao is. Xue Yang finds it hilarious when the trio praises Meng Yao, possibly because their evil team up is already underway.

Boss’ Bed Warmer Son of a Ho

The constant insults toward Meng Yao are about his mom, but there’s another level of leering implication, that Meng Yao seems to encourage in his conversation with the soon-to-be-murdered guard captain.

Nie Mingjue elevated him way above his expectations, and he is ridiculously pretty, which has to create rumors. In the Nightless City scenes when he’s fondling Baxia and telling Nie Mingjue’s family secrets there’s definitely a sense of intimacy that’s not just “loyal retainer.”

I feel like maybe this whole exchange is a bit of theater designed to show Xue Yang something without showing it to anyone else. Meng Yao didn’t need to have this conversation in front of his prisoner.

Let’s Do Exactly What We Said We Wouldn’t

Once the younger quartet are alone with Nie Mingjue, Wei Wuxian crosses the room away from his friends and practically into Lan Wangji’s pocket, if Lan Wangji had pockets.

He has no pockets and also has no personal bubble any more, when it comes to Wei Wuxian.

We could make a weapon out of Yin Iron, Wei Wuxian says, completely forgetting his entire conversation with Lan Yi, apparently. Lan Wangji doesn’t argue with this idea.

Nie Mingjue warns Wei Wuxian not to try it.

I stabbed a man in Qinghe just to watch him die

Nie Mingjue is like the Johnny Cash of the cultivation world, carrying the weight of his poor choices and trying to steer the young folk to the path of righteousness. But--like Johnny Cash--his bad choices have made him really fucking cool, so he isn’t very good at deterring anybody.

Meng Yao Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends

Immediately after Meng Yao’s fellow Nie clan people call him “son of a whore” again, Wei Wuxian meets him, is nice to him, addresses him by his military title, bows to him, asks why he’s away from the party, and thanks him for his service.

But Meng Yao has already decided to make friends with Xue Yang, so Wei Wuxian goes onto his list of people that he doesn’t give a crap about except if they can be useful to him. Then Meng Yao goes to make out hatch a plot with Xue Yang.

I’ll Sleep On Your Roof

Meeting SongXiao seems to have done away with the last of Lan Wangji’s resistance to his connection with Wei Wuxian.

He hears a noise on the roof and, when realizing it’s Wei Wuxian, he smiles one of his tiny reserved smiles before heading outside.

When he sees Wei Wuxian drunkenly sprawled on the roof, limbs akimbo, wine on his chin and neck, mouth full of poetry about the open road, Lan Wangji gives him the most fond look imaginable.

Then he reluctantly leaves, with his signature “say goodbye, but only when he can’t hear you” thing.

They’ve both come a really long way since their first meeting. Wei Wuxian is openly and vocally attaching himself to Lan Wangji...but is not actually entering his space or asking for anything from him; he just wants to be near him, and wants to let him know that. “I’ll sleep on your roof tonight.”

And Lan Wangji just...loves him. Wei Wuxian is drunk, embarrassing, demonstrative, eager to make a hell weapon out of yin iron, touchy feely, and absurdly sexy. And Lan Wangji is pretty okay with all of that.

I Might Have Been Drunk

Wei Wuxian carefully avoids telling Jiang Cheng where he was last night.

Even if he did get blackout drunk, he would have woken up on Lan Wangji’s roof. And I don’t think he was as drunk as that. He just knows Jiang Cheng wouldn’t like the truth.

Wen Fucking Chao, Again

Wen Chao shows up to be annoying and boring. This leads to a pretty good fight between Nie Mingjue and Wen Zhuliu. Note that when the chips are down, Nie Huaisang stands with his Gege without any cowering. Almost as if he had hidden reserves of bravery, and is not as helpless as he lets on.

Wen Zhuliu isn’t styled to be super hot, although he’s certainly compelling, and in Dance of the Phoenix he looks good with sensitive-guy hair wispies. I wonder what actor Feng Mingjing looks like out of character?

BRB, adding a tag to my follow list

Battle Bros

When the fighting breaks out, the Yunmeng brothers are decisive and united, with Wei Wuxian giving orders to Jiang Cheng and JC following without hesitation.

I feel like if these two could have gone through a few big battles together, instead of being separated during most of the Sunshot campaign, their whole relationship would have improved. On the battlefield, they respect, trust, and understand each other.

The Pointy End

Nie Mingjue is holding his own against Wen Zhuliu, but he gets distracted by Meng Yao hollering “Xue Yang has escaped” and then shanking the guard captain right in front of him.

Wen Zhuliu takes advantage of the distraction to aim a very slow stab at Nie Huasang, and Meng Yao jumps in front to get stabbed on his behalf.

When the Yunmeng bros show up to help NMJ, Wen Zhuliu immeiately yanks Wen Chao back behind him and points his sword at Wei Wuxian. He absolutely sees these two as a serious threat. Considering that eventually WWX is going to kill Wen Chao while JC kills Wen Zhuliu, this concern is not misplaced.

Wei Wuxian tells Wen Chao to stop being such a jerk, and Wen Chao menaces Wei Wuxian and gloats about the burning of cloud recesses. The burning, that is, of some part of cloud recesses that doesn’t include the library, the Jingshi, the main cultivation chamber, the rabbit warren, or Lan Qiren’s house, unless the Lan Clan is really really good at rebuilding things to very exact specifications.

In a rare moment of seeing Meng Yao’s internal thoughts, he is worried about Lan Xichen when he hears about cloud recesses.

The Yelling Part

Now we have the particularly nasty breakup between Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao. It’s...got some layers. Meng Yao is cowering on the floor, but is not apologizing.

He never apologizes throughout this encounter.

孟瑤無悔 - Meng Yao (has) no regrets

This scene is amazing and excruciating to watch, even more when you know what’s ahead.

What the Fuck is Meng Yao’s Plan

On one level this is Meng Yao, manipulative sociopath, setting up a cover story for his aiding and alliance with Xue Yang. On another, this is Meng Yao, loving subordinate, being tossed aside by his lord because he dared to stand up for himself.

He uses the same “scout’s honor” gesture we’ve seen Wei Wuxian use to swear he’s telling the truth. Wei Wuxian is always lying when he uses this gesture.

I’m...not sure exactly what Meng Yao’s plan is, with all these chess moves? By stabbing the captain in front of NHS, he created an opportunity to plant a cover story about Xue Yang’s escape. He might be hoping that Nie Mingjue will forgive him and keep him on, while Xue Yang can stay in his back pocket to be used later.

Dry eyes? Try Visene

Or he might be intending to get kicked out, given his non-apology. In any case, Nie Mingjue is weeping during this encounter, and Meng Yao...isn’t. He is signaling distress in his voice, expression, and body language, but his eyes are dry up until the last moment, and even then they just glisten a bit. In a show where every actor is an expert at crying on cue, that’s got to be a deliberate choice.

Which isn’t to say that Meng Yao is faking being full of emotion in this scene. It’s just that the emotion isn’t necessarily sorrow.

What Does Nie Mingjue’s Head Think

Flip the view and this is about Nie Mingjue being betrayed by a subordinate, who has turned out to be a self-serving murderer. And on another level it’s Nie Mingjue being betrayed by his lover, who was just using him for advancement.

I rewatched the later episode where we get the scene as Nie Mingjue’s head perceived it, and he’s particularly brokenhearted and disillusioned from his head’s POV. In that version there is a telling addition to the conversation.

Nie Mingjue asks about the guys who were roasting Meng Yao behind his back. He asks, if I hadn’t come, would you have murdered all of them?

Um. No, dude. Of course fucking not. That’s what a patriarchal authority does. That’s the way an angry Nie Mingjue/Baxia team might solve a problem.

Meng Yao has to use subterfuge to kill his enemies. And while he super hates being called “son of a whore” it’s absolutely not enough to make him kill someone, with the risk murder brings. Likewise, being treated well isn’t enough to make him spare someone. Nie Mingjue totally doesn’t get this, because he’s been the patriarch of this clan his entire adult life.

And Here’s the Actual Problem

There is a betrayal here, but Nie Mingjue is not simply a victim. Whether it’s a sexual relationship or a non-sexual bond of affection, there can be nothing solid in Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao’s relationship within a feudal society, because it is fundamentally unequal. Even if they love each other deeply - which I’m not convinced either of them does - every encounter they have is tainted with power dynamics.

Meng Yao has been elevated by Nie Mingjue and quite probably taken into his bed, as well as being told many family secrets, but has not been given a new surname (like, for example, Wen Zhuliu was) or independent power. More importantly, Nie Mingjue has not used his authority to remove or punish the many people who disrespect his subordinate. Lan Qiren would have had all of those gossipy fuckers kneeling in the snow, and Wen Ruohan would feed them to his mosh pit zombies.

Meng Yao is a murderous little snake, but he is right to be angry with Nie Mingjue about some things, and his pursuit of his own agenda is understandable.

Well, That Was a Slice

Meng Yao leaves, hurt, with a dignified bow; just as he did that one time when his dad kicked him down the Carp Tower steps.

Take note, both patriarchal authorities: that is his way of saying “I’m going to murder you one day.”

Nie Mingjue sits with his broken heart, as we realize that we’ve only spent 20 minutes with this guy and we’ve gone on an entire emotional journey with him. This episode packed in a LOT.

Soundtrack: Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues

#fytheuntamed #the untamed #wangxian #meng yao #nie mingjue #my gifs #canary3d-original #the untamed meta #the untamed gifs #restless rewatch the untamed

442 notes · View notes

ultraintrovertedgryffindor · 3 years

Note

hiiiiii could you please do a will poulter imagine where the reader is in a broadway show and will comes to watch and instantly falls for them (could it be gender neutral as well if you can?) and keeps coming back to the show until he finally gets the courage to ask them out, but the reader is the one who makes the first move? i’d literally love u forever

Of course! What a cute idea 😊

Sorry it took awhile, had to juggle school and some drama, but here it it finally lol

~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't often that Will got to go to a Broadway show.

After weeks and weeks of his best friend, Collar, going on and on about how amazing this play he recently discovered was, Will immediately jumped at the chance of seeing the show with him when he found out that they'd be in his hometown that week.

Will thought his ribs would be crushed from how tightly Collar hugged him. Will was lucky enough to get really good seats before they were sold out.

It was the first night that the show was in London, so they weren't surprised to see that the place was packed, but that definitely didn't lessen the excitement. "I'm so excited for this." Will expressed.

"Oh, you're gonna love it, mate." Collar replied.

Taking their seats, it was only a matter of minutes until the lights started to dim and a loud overhead voice explaining the show was about to begin and repeating how no photography or video was allowed and all that.

Will and Collar were pretty much beaming with excitement, the latter bouncing his leg up and down with anticipation.

The two friends were immediately entranced when the ensemble cast walked onstage and performed the first song, applauding along with the rest of the audience when it ended.

Main characters were quickly introduced, and Will was surprised at how much he was enjoying the show so far, but he should've known Collar had the best tastes.

A new character was introduced, and Will could not take his eyes off them. The voice that emitted from this person was almost otherworldly, he'd never thought someone could sing so well. Will could've easily said that they were beautiful as well. Maybe it was the way the spotlights shined on them, making their aura angelic in a way. They seemed to exude confidence, that in itself was so damn attractive to him.

Every time this person went onstage, Will naturally focused in on them, he didn't even realize until after the show. "I know that look," Collar smirked, "which one was it?"

Will blushed. "I don't know what you mean..."

"Mate, don't bullshit me." He laughed.

Will rolled his eyes, knowing he couldn't lie to his best friend. "The one who sang that solo, before the intermission."

Collar's eyes lit up in clarity. "Oh, yeah! They were awesome. The cast usually meets fans after the show in the lobby, you should try to meet them!"

Will quickly shook his head. "No, no, no, that's okay."

"Nah, come on!" Collar grabbed Will's wrist, dragging him to the lobby with a ridiculous amount of force.

Just as Collar said, the whole main cast was lined up behind a red velvety rope, all smiling, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. Will instantly spotted you, grinning widely while talking to a fan. You looked like the friendliest person on the planet. Obviously, Will didn't know if you were for sure, but he had a gut feeling.

You felt someone staring at you, well, hundreds of people have been staring at you every other night for the past two months now, but you were proved right when you caught the eye of a man across the room.

It took you a bit of recall, but you eventually recognized him as Will Poulter. You hadn't watched his recent stuff as you were so busy, but he was an actor you had respect and admiration for. He looked like he had taken an interest in you, which you never thought would be possible. You gave him a warm smile, and you could see his bashful gaze and blush.

"Dude, you gonna talk to them or?" Collar asked impatiently. "They just smiled at you, that's gotta be an invitation, man."

Will wanted to, so badly, but you looked busy enough as it was. "Not tonight, I'm pretty knackered if I'm being honest." Collar gave him an annoyed look, but he wasn't going to pressure him.

You saw Will leave the theatre from the corner of your eye, and you refrained from frowning. You really thought he'd come talk to you, but in a way you were thankful, you probably would've embarrassed yourself in some way. But still, you were a bit disappointed, but you still smiled when you met people who enjoyed the show.

Will pretty much slapped himself for not even trying to talk to you, so he did something rather impulsive; he bought another ticket to your show. "You haven't even met them, and you're already whipped!" Collar laughed loudly.

"Please, don't start." Will whined.

Seeing Will again at the show, in the orchestra seats, almost made you blush onstage. He was there again? Your gut told you he was there because of you, but your logic told you that you were being conceited. Maybe he just was so moved by the performances that he had to see the show again.

You felt his eyes trained on you the entire show.

After the show, you were in your dressing room, scrubbing off the caked on stage makeup that you had to wear every performance. Until your friend and co-worker barged in unannounced. "Knock, for the love of god, knock!" You snapped.

"I did!" Your friend replied, not very convincingly you might add. "Did you see that hot blonde eyeing you tonight?"

You furrowed your brows. "How'd you even see that?"

"I know when someone's eying MY friend!" They said, emphasizing the 'my'. "It's a superpower I have."

"Yeah, well, that guy was here yesterday. He must love the show a lot if he came back a second time in a row." You said while finishing taking off the makeup.

Your friend smirked. "Or maybe…he loved your performance?"

You rolled your eyes. "Stop, you'll get my hopes up."

"Well, I guess we'll see when you go out in the lobby."

You loved meeting people who enjoyed the show, especially your performances. Praise felt nice, but what felt even nicer was the fact you saw Will awkwardly making his way to the area were the cast was, shaking hands and congratulating your fellow performers.

Slowly but surely, he made his way to you with a grin. Damn, that grin could probably cure every illness in the universe, you thought. "Hello there, loved your performance!" He praised.

"Thanks! You were at the show last night too, weren't you? Or are my eyes just playing tricks on me?" You giggled.

Will scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, yeah, actually I was." He chuckled.

"Dang, you must really love the show!" You chuckled when he couldn't come up with a reply. "I'm Y/N." You stretched your hand out to shake his.

"Will." He smiled.

"Oh, I know actually! I know some of your work."

Will blinked in shock, but smiled nervously. "Oh, wow, awesome! I'd imagine doing this type of thing, traveling, how would you even find the time to relax and watch films?"

"Oh, trust me, we barely even have time to relax much less watch movies. But I remember seeing you in Son of Rambow, you were a pretty cute kid." You smiled.

Will chuckled bashfully. "That's very kind. I'd hope I'm still as cute as I was when I was little."

"You definitely are." You didn't exactly mean to sound all seductive like, but it just came out that way. You found yourself liking the way it made all of Will's blood rush to his cheeks.

"Oh, thank you." He stuttered, looking around nervously. "Well, it seems like loads of people want to meet you so, I'll get going."

Your mouth opened and closed like a fish, willing yourself to tell him to stay, but all that came out was a strangled sigh. Damn it, you must've scared him off…

"They said that to you?!" Collar shouted, listening intently to Will about the encounter with you as soon as he got to his apartment. "They said you were cute. Mate, please, tell me you asked them out."

Will cringed, biting his lip and looking up to his friend in shame. "I got nervous…"

"That was your opening, man!"

"I know, I know. Just gonna have to have a go at it again…" He said, pulling out his phone with another sigh.

"Tell me your not."

"Too late." Will showed his phone screen to reveal a newly purchased ticket to the show…again.

"You're burning a hole in your wallet."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." But he hopes it'll be worth it. "Third times a charm..."

Another night, another show, and you felt yourself having a little bit of low spirits, until your friend pulled you by the wrist to the side stage. "What're you…?"

"Look who's here, again!" Your friend whisper yelled, pulling aside the stage curtain to reveal a tiny bit of the audience waiting for the show to start. "Look there!" They pointed.

"No way…"

Will was there in the audience again!

"He must really want that ass!" Your friend guffawed, making you lightly slap their arm.

You couldn't help but blush, it was so sweet. But you thought back to the night before, he was so nervous and finicky. You realized you had to make the first move, no flirting or else he'd startle like a baby deer.

Oh boy, your nature was not able to NOT flirt. You might've thrown a couple winks to Will onstage, maybe thrown a couple smirks when you were able to. Yeah, the no flirting thing wasn't really working…

But you thought maybe it made him a bit more comfortable walking up to you easier after the show. "Damn, you have an obsession with theatre, huh?" You teased.

Will chuckled. "Yeah, I must."

"So, why are you actually coming here? Three times in a row must be hurting your bank account."

Will stayed silent for a moment, just staring into your eyes with a blush slowly rising to his cheeks. "I, uh…" He paused, "I just really love the show." He instantly cringed internally. "I should go."

"No!" You shouted accidently, startling him slightly. "Sorry, uh, why don't you stay? Our night ends in half an hour. If you don't mind, I'd love to talk to you."

Will instantly felt relieved, in a way. He nodded excitingly, causing you to grin.

"Great! I'll meet you out the front doors, okay?"

Quickly going to your dressing room, your friend hugged you tightly from behind you. "Dude, finally! I never thought I'd see the day you'd make a first move."

"Wasn't easy. Why can't extroverts act like extroverts?" You chuckled, looking over yourself in the mirror.

"You're generalizing."

"I gotta stop doing that. But anyway, I'll be back soon, hopefully he won't run off."

"Good luck." They blew a kiss.

Thankfully, Will was still waiting outside the theatre, sitting on the steps, scrolling through his phone. "Hey!" You greeted. "Sorry if I took awhile."

Will smiled, standing up from the steps. "It's totally fine."

"So, forgive me if I'm wrong, but I have a hard time believing you came here three times in a row, wasting money, just because you enjoyed the show a lot."

Will's smile dropped, looking to the ground. "Uh…you're not wrong."

"Last night, you left so quickly. Why?"

Will let out a sigh. "I got…scared, I guess." Well, he admitted that, why not admit more? "You just seem so confident, I was intimidated. But I did want to talk to you more, just didn't have the guts to, I suppose."

Another smile graced your face happily. "Well, the show is still in town for a few days, then our tour is over. I'd love to go out for a coffee or tea sometime, if you're available."

Will's eyes lit up, his grin coming back and letting out a thankful chuckle. "Yes! Yeah, I'd love to!"

"Here's my number, call me and we'll work out the details."

"Wow…" He smiled.

"What?" You asked with a giggle.

"That was a lot easier than I thought it would be."

~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you liked it, @poulterfilms , I hope it's what you had in mind🥺

#will poulter #will poulter x reader #will poulter imagine

99 notes · View notes

limenysnocket · 3 years

Text

Special Moves

Summary: Taika struggles to show you how he feels, worried he might freak you out. He's usually quite the charmer and has lots of moves that could easily make you swoon, but he decides to bring out only the special one.

Warnings: Light swearing

A/N: Thank you @olyvoyl for the lovely request. It’s super late for me. I’m super tired, and I have a lot more requests to fill, but I’m still grateful! Hope this is okay. Didn’t really get to much editing this time.

“Lord, are you seriously that nervous about talking to her? I’ve seen you walk up to women and make them swoon faster than ever in bars before. What difference does a movie set make?” Hemsworth yawned while he got his makeup done by another woman. She seemed to be enjoying her job.

“The difference is,” Taika mumbled, “is that she works with me. I can’t just walk right up to her and kiss her like I want to.”

“I bet she’d let you. You’re just too much of a chicken to try.” Hemsworth heckled his work friend while he closed his eyes. His makeup artist had to stifle a laugh. Even she knew about Taika’s crush on his co-director. Everyone on set knew. All except for you. People could mistake you for the most oblivious person on earth sometimes, and you wouldn’t blame them. It was to Taika’s luck that you were such a way. Otherwise, his secret would have been exposed to the one person he was trying to keep it from.

All he wanted to do was just hold you, and kiss you. He wanted to brush your hair out of your face and greet you each morning with a warm, tender kiss and a nice, warm breakfast to fill your belly and keep you energized for the day. God knows he was going to ware you out at the end of the day.

These were the first innocent thoughts he’s had about any woman he’s thought about hitting on in a very long time. Usually, when he thought about getting someone in bed, it wasn’t too bad, since he had learned how to control himself. But, when he thought about doing certain things to you... Oh, he didn’t know. It just felt too wild. He felt like he had to romance his way into your heart before he could even think about deserving you. Even thinking about holding your hand got his face all flushed and he would become bashful.

“Ah, Taika, Taika, Taika. When are you going to man up and tell her? I will, if you don’t want to, but I think that would just be a waste. Heard from some ladies that you have quite the special moves,” Chris wrapped his arm around Taika’s shoulder and mess with a curl on his head. Taika was quick to swat Chris’s hand away and go back to his loathsome pouting.

“My special moves are useless around her,” Taika started mumbling to himself, rubbing at his cheeks, while he stressed.

“What special moves?” a mellow voice quipped through the open, makeup trailer doorway. Taika whirled around, cheeks ablaze.

“Taika’s talking about how he thinks he can beat me in a fight,” Chris grinned, nudging Taika with his elbow. “I told him he didn’t stand a chance. Then he started bringing up fighting techniques and all this weird Japanese fighting styles.” Taika opened his mouth to protest, prepared to stick a finger right in the bigger man’s face, but that’s when you giggled.

“He has a point, Taik,” you grinned. “We’ve both admitted at one point or another that the man is built like a God. He could kick anyone’s ass if he wanted to. I bet you will too, one day, if you keep on training. Might have to level up a few times though, unless your trainer really thinks staying in motion all the time really helps.” You giggle again. You’ve rendered him speechless, and Chris is on the verge of laughing his ass off.

“How do you... know about...?” Taika asks through a parched throat.

“Your personal trainer posts videos of you all the time. Some of them are kinda funny, Taika. I find them very entertaining,” you give him that big, adorable smile that he can’t get out of his head for half of the day. “Anyway, Hemsworth, they need you on set. Just a quick briefing before we get started for the day. Taika, you should head inside too. You’re the director after all--. Excuse me-- ‘Visionary Director’.” You laugh again, and turn the poor man into a mush. You leave with the makeup artist after that, and leave Taika and Chris alone again.

“I told you once,” Chris hums, rubbing at his chin for a moment while Taika still stares at the door, “and I’ll tell you again. She’s totally into you.” Chris comes out of the camper like a giddy little kid and starts heading towards the main building, where more people started pouring in with their cups of coffee. The sun had finally turned the sky orange with color. Dawn had broken, fucking finally, and Taika was very much awake now. There was only one way to find out if what the damn God of Thunder was saying was true. He had to hold your hand.

The man was on a mission. If he could somehow finesse his way over to you and hold your hand... How did he think this was going to work again?

He kept staring at your hands while you helped get the actors and extras around set and into position. He watched when you talked, how you seemed so confident when you would use your hands while you talked. Did you pick that up off of him, or was that just a perk that came with everything else amazing like you? No, it just had to be something that came with you. He was near certain of it. Maybe his enamored mind got to him.

He stood next to you with every chance he had. He thought about trying to hold your hand. He really did. But, every chance he had slipped away as you got so deep and intense with your directing skills. He felt almost useless. You were so passionate. He wanted to let you do all the work, but his mind would never let him do such a thing.

It was literal fucking days. Chance after chance flew by, and Chris’s teasing and threats to tell you only got worse and more real. He was biting his nails, the tension for him was awful. It wasn’t until he had to dress in his little suit covered in small balls did things started getting much more real for him.

He was standing in the middle of the set, joking with Hemsworth while his Korg mascot bobbled around on his head. People were yelling at him, off to the side, to not be so violent with it. Yeah right. Like he was going to listen to people he didn’t have to listen to.

“Taika, you’re in the wrong spot!” you holler from the side, and get down from your chair. Okay... so maybe he would listen to you.

“Then where am I supposed to be standing?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders. You roll your eyes and start heading towards him. He freezes up. He’ll listen to you from a distance, but when you were up close, he felt like he was about to break down.

“I’ll forgive you once, since you probably shouldn’t look down unless you want to get yelled at again,” you said, inspecting the large, foam structure on his head. If you thought Taika was frozen then, you should have seen how rigid he was once you had taken his hand into yours. You took him across the lime green floor of the set. Everyone was watching, and had gotten a bit quieter. Hemsworth was giving him a big thumbs up from the side. Taika was flipping the fuck out internally, and Chris was trying to keep Taika cool with awkward hand motions. They obviously weren’t working. Taika was still speechless, and losing his mind at the same time.

You placed him on the X made out of tape on the floor. “There,” you say proudly, putting your hands on your hips when he was finally put in his correct place. You finally look up to his face and see him completely bashful. His hand was still extended out where you had been holding it. “You okay, buddy?” you hum, your oblivious manner making everyone’s day so much better and worse at the same time. They just wanted you two to kiss already.

“I’m fantastic,” Taika whispers through strain. You give him another once over and just shake your head before leaving him again. Chris is gawking at Taika. He feels the urge to leave his spot and practically shove the kiwi into your arms to finally make you realize that you’ve been driving the man crazy for the past month. Ever since he met you and your kind heart.

But no. The day goes on as normal. Well, almost normal. You still don’t notice how much he looks at your hands. He’s even gotten to the point where he wondered how small they would look against his own. He’s driving himself crazy over you. All he wants to do is hold your hand! How hard can that possibly be?

Harder than it looks.

He was in his office, looking through some paperwork after a phone call with a producer who just flew in. He needed to have everything ready for the morning tomorrow. Everyone else had either left for their trailers, or they had all sauntered off to find a pub somewhere.

There had been a lack of powernaps in Taika’s day today, and it left him stupidly tired. He was rubbing his eyes at his desk, and he was fully prepared to fall asleep.

He started to droop. The words on his computer screen turned into blurred lines of unreadable filth. He let his head dangle, but it shot up, as soon as he heard his door handle jiggling. He scooped up papers as fast as he could and he stood up fast. He nearly fell over and he hugged many folders to his chest. “I was just leaving--” And there you were. That bright, oblivious smile on your face. You had come to check in one him... and he was making a fool of himself again.

“I hope this means you’ll get some sleep soon,” you smiled at him, picking up a spry piece of paper that had left his grip by accident. Taika was once again bashful and set his papers down on his desk.

“Hopefully,” Taika murmured to you. You tilted your head to the side while you inspected him.

“I wanted to talk to you about something Hemsworth said to me today, just before he went out with Tessa for a few drinks and bed,” you whisper, and this caught Taika’s attention fast.

“What did he say?” Taika was worried now.

“Well,” you start, your cheeks now gaining quite the color to them. “He said something about you wanting to hold my hand earlier. He said it was your ultimate move.”

Taika sat back on top of his desk. Oh, he was going to kill Chris when he came back. That, or vandalize his trailer beyond recognition. Taika was starting to fume to himself, brewing up a truly nasty scheme to get back at Chris.

He felt your warm hand on his, and he froze up again. Your warm laugh brought him back to life again. “You know, you really scared me with that today! I thought you hated me, at first! If Chris hadn’t said something, I think I may have come in earlier and asked what was wrong myself.” You let go of his hand again and you sit down next to him on his desk. “If you’re really that flustered by holding my hand, it makes me wonder how you’d react if I were to kiss your cheek.”

“I believe I’ll keel over and die,” Taika put simply, a smile on his face, but still a very bashful one at that. It makes you laugh again, and you set your hand on top of his. Now, you are all the more eager to try. You lean over and breathe along his cheek. He nearly jumps right out of his skin at the feeling.

“You’re so fidgety,” you murmur right in his ear. He’s melting again. Before he can make a puddle on the desk, you press your lips against his stubbled cheek. And there he goes. Still as a statue. “But I think it’s cute.”

You slowly got up, grinning. “We’ll talk more tomorrow, okay?” you turn to him, still smiling so bright. His smile got wider on its own.

…

FINALLY!!!!!!

#Taika Waititi #taika waititi imagines #taika waititi x reader #i love you Taika #fluffy #soft boi hours #god i'm so fucking tired

120 notes · View notes