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flowerandblood · 1 year ago

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The Man with the Cold Lips

[ Amor • Aemond x Psyche • female ]

[ warnings: sex content, oral sex, fingering, smut, angst, domination, violence, trauma, mourning ]

[ description: After she is attacked in a fair by a strange man and narrowly avoids death, her father the king decides that from now on she will be watched over by one of his ‘ghosts’, a assassin acting on his orders, wearing a black mask. The man follows her like a shadow, accompanied by their past, which keeps her awake at night. Gothic horror love story, angst, sexual tension, very dark Aemond. ]

This story is several requests combined into one: sworn protector x female; Amor x Psyche; Phantom of the Opera! Aemond x female. I took the liberty of creating a completely new story from this, having only elements of each of these requests.

Series & Characters Moodboard Lady Walford Moodboard Gothic & Horror Sensual Moodboard

Yesterday's trailer and the panel with ewan did something to me, so I think that dark aemond is the most appropriate thing I can give you today and that's it. It begins!

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Next chapters: Masterlist

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Although she knew it was dangerous, after what had happened she forbade telling the King about what she had discovered. Some part of her hoped that Prince Aemond was alive − she was willing to help him regain the throne if only he would agree to spare her brother's life.

She spent the rest of the day alone in her chamber, covered in thick furs, thinking hard about what had happened.

About Vhagar.

He told her she knew his name, so he must have been someone she had seen on a daily basis before. Her discovery frightened him enough that he was willing to kill her − however, did he really want to do it out of fear of her father's wrath and the fact that he would lose his position, or was it something else?

She bit her lower lip at the thought that a part of her suspected she might be working with the Prince, to be his liaison, a devoted servant who by some miracle had managed to get into her father-king's closest guard.

He gave up the idea of murder because he knew that even if he had faked her suicide − the King would have blamed him for not watching over her and he would have lost everything, so he came up with another excuse, hiding himself behind sheer terror, hoping that she would believe him.

However, what purpose did what happened between them afterwards?

She pressed her lips together, feeling the heat in her body at the memory of that overwhelming feeling of fulfilment, that wonderful tickling and tension rising in her lower abdomen with each of his thrusts.

She placed her hand on her womb, swallowing hard at the thought that he had come inside her, that she could expect a child because of his seed.

She squeezed her eyelids shut, trying to breathe calmly, thinking only of how much better it would have been if he had let her die that night.

Her father had demanded, despite her objections, that she join the funeral feast in her mother's honour, so she walked reluctantly down to the great hall, her ghost following her at a greater distance than usual.

She thought that he himself was horrified by what had happened between them and the consequences that might follow.

She sat down at the table next to her brother, her father smiled at her and she reciprocated the gesture, thinking with amusement about how easy it was for her to pretend.

"There she is, my daughter. My treasure, my greatest support." He said with a pride from which her throat squeezed.

Only a few years ago she would have believed his words.

She felt him grasp her hand and she reciprocated the embrace, stroking his skin with her thumb.

"She's no longer a child and I've decided it's time to find her a suitable candidate for a husband." He said lightly, she felt her heart stop, the smile disappeared from her lips, on her face only pain mixed with disbelief.

They were at a feast dedicated to the funeral of her mother, his queen, and he was discussing her marriage.

"I ask that willing lords report to me on this matter." He said contentedly, letting go of her hand, and she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.

She felt him standing behind her, felt his menacing, dark aura, and wondered what he was thinking.

If he imagined her lying in bed with another man, letting him sink deep between her thighs.

She left the feast quickly that evening, explaining to her father that she was tired, which he accepted with understanding. When she stepped into her chamber her servants helped her to pull off her mourning gown, once again offering her condolences, blowing out all the candles one by one.

She lay comfortably under the thick layers of furs, looking out the window at the cloudless sky full of stars, thinking about what had happened, unable to believe that by some miracle she was still alive.

As she began to slowly fall asleep she shuddered suddenly; she heard the door to her chamber open − Vhagar stepped inside without a word and closed it quietly behind him.

She watched with a rapidly pounding heart as, with an unhurried, lazy step, he approached her windows, untied the curtains and covered the only source of light with them, repeating this act until complete darkness fell around them.

She could see nothing but blackness.

She heard the sound of steel hinges opening, then the sound of a belt being unbuckled and the rustling of robes falling to the floor.

She lay still, her lips parted in horror and disbelief, felt once again this familiar, throbbing sensation between her thighs and embarrassing, sticky wetness.

She listened to his footsteps, the old wood creaking under his feet as he finally climbed onto her bed, she heard it bend under his weight.

She felt the touch of his big hand on her cheek and trembled, taking a deep breath, realising he wasn't wearing gloves, his warm breath wrapped around her face.

She tightened her hands on his bare, muscular shoulders as his fingers slipped into the ties of her nightgown and just ripped them open − she squealed when she heard the sound of the fabric being torn and a cool breeze surrounded her flesh.

"− I won't stop −" He said in a trembling, deep voice, so startlingly clear that shivers ran through her, her mouth parted wide in a helpless moan when she realised he wasn't wearing a mask.

She squealed loudly, her body arching all over, her hands clenched in his hair when she felt it, his cold, wet mouth clamped down on her warm breast, playing with her nipple, sucking and licking it, the spot between her thighs throbbing with pleasure and desire.

"− oh − oh, gods −" She mumbled out, never having felt anything like it in her life, his hands ripped her chemise off her and only then did she feel his whole naked body pressed against her skin − it was such an overpowering, shocking sensation that she was out of breath.

She wanted to enjoy every second of what was happening, his lips teasing her nipple with a loud click, clearly taking great pleasure from it, his hands tightened on her hips, forcing her to spread her thighs wider in front of him, her fingers stroking his hair − she thought with a trembling heart that they were unexpectedly soft and long.

"− we can't −" She choked out with an effort, wanting to retain the remnants of her sober thinking and decency.

He, however, only chuckled under his breath, amused, his hand from her hip slid down between her thighs − she whimpered loudly as his fingertips ran over her heat, collecting the moisture that had already managed to flow out of her, oversensitive and delicate.

"− should I leave you like this? − I'm not that cruel −" He hummed under his breath with a kind of excitement from which she quivered all over. She heard him raise himself higher on his elbow, his nose ran over her cheek − she gasped as she felt his fingers begin to apply more pressure, in sure, circular motions teasing the bud hidden between her folds.

All she could think about was that he wasn't wearing a mask, her hand rised involuntarily to touch his cheek.

"Tsk-tsk." He hissed as he caught her wrist − his tongue ran over her upper lip as his middle finger made its way inside her, searching with it for the spot he had rubbed earlier with his length. "Don't."

She mewled with delight and her body shook with a shiver of pleasure when he finally found it, her hips responded to his touch with desperate rocking, her mouth parted invitingly, letting his tongue deep into her throat, their lips joined in a sticky, loud, hot kiss.

She panted loudly along with him, stroking his hair as she felt him slide his finger out of her, impatient, his lips sucking and brushing her fleshy skin again and again as the tip of his manhood pushed against her swollen slit, thrusting forcefully inside her.

She clasped her hands on his bare back feeling the scars beneath them and cried quietly into his mouth, trying with difficulty to fit him inside her − he throbbed all over in arousal, her breasts pressed against his chest in the tight embrace of their bodies.

They both started to moan between loud, wet kisses as he began to root into her hot core − this time she was so wet that a few pushes of his hips were enough for him to begin slipping into her with ease.

"− mmm − that's it − so fucking good −" He panted into her mouth, gripping her hips tightly with his hands, stretching her tight walls with his length with every movement of his hips.

She moaned helplessly beneath him, stroking his hair, neck, shoulders and back, all sweaty from exertion, their lips finding each other in messy kisses over and over again.

"− fuck − do you really think I'm going to share what's mine? − that I would allow some mere, petty lord take you? − hm? −" He hissed out and she felt her walls clench tightly on him at his words in pleasure, heat surged through her lower abdomen from which her head completely spun, her helpless whimpering answered him.

"− p-please − I − ughmm −" She babbled, unable to focus on anything other than how he slammed his manhood into her, how wonderfully it teased the spot hidden in her walls.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to feel him closer, tightening her fingers on his back − she heard him groan low feeling it, speeding up, thrusting into her like crazy.

"− you want it, don't you? − my seed − deep, deep inside you − fuck, say it −" He breathed out between quick, deep, brutal thrusts − she felt him looking at her, felt his hot breath on her face, his forehead pressed against hers.

"− y-yes − please − fill me, fill me, fill me −" She mewled, both of them moaning loudly as a powerful orgasm shook her body, her core began to clench against him, forcing him to let go, his length twitching all over as his semen spilled deep inside her.

"− good gods, yes, take it −" He exhaled in delight, his thrusts sloppy and desperate, pushing his seed as deep into her as possible.

"− you're mine − I'm going to fill you every night − gods, you're going to bear me so many children −" He gasped in bliss, slowly coming down from his peak, the whimpers of pleasure coming out of her lips at his words − she wasn't sure she'd ever experienced anything like this in her life.

"− please −" She mumbled quietly like a helpless child, running her hands over his naked skin, wanting to remember that wonderful feeling − they were both hot and sweaty with pleasure, their bodies sticking to each other, her breasts pressed against his bare chest.

They both sighed when he finally fell on top of her, embracing her, their fingers sinking into each other's bodies, wanting to feel each other as much as possible, though she wasn't sure if two people could connect in any physical way more than they did now.

She could feel his loud, raspy breath against her cheek, the tip of his nose running over her hot skin, as if he wanted to check that it wasn't all just the result of his imagination.

"− stay − stay inside me −" She whispered, and he sighed quietly, as if relieved, with a gentle movement of his hips sliding his already half-soft manhood fully into her, hiding himself deep inside her.

Even though she knew it was wrong and irresponsible, that she couldn't trust him, that he was a traitor, she had never felt safer with anyone before, her eyelids closing involuntarily, having not experienced a peaceful sleep for so long.

"− don't open your eyes until I leave −" He whispered in her ear and she nodded, stroking his soft hair, her lungs filled with his scent, male sweat, steel, dust and fire.

His arms held her in a tight embrace through this night and many nights to come, making the days blend into one for her.

Each time he came to her he would cover the windows with curtains so that she could see nothing, and then sink his lips and tongue into the warmth between her thighs, groaning in delight as he felt how much of her moisture flowed out of her, only to end up rooting deep into her, as he promised, filling her with his seed.

He always rose before dawn − she could see through her closed eyelids that the first rays of light were sneaking into her chamber despite the curtains, that if she opened them she could see his face.

She feared, however, what she would see.

All she could think about all day was the night, what he brought to her along with the brutal, deep thrusts of his hips.

When he took her, he would say that he was her husband, that only he had the right to touch her, that she would only bear his children.

She was his.

He used to show this to her by standing closer than usual when she was eating or reading, by no longer leaving when she was taking a bath or changing, staring at her shamelessly, promising her servants in her presence that if they said anything to the King, he would end their lives.

"Vhagar doesn't mean it and he would never hurt you against my will. Am I right?" She asked coldly, frowning at him as the terrified girl tried to attach the long sleeves to her gown with trembling hands.

"Mmm."

When they were alone he would dare to approach her from behind as she sit, his leather-gloved hand running over her throat only to grasp her cheeks tightly and lift her face up, forcing her to look at him.

She stared into his eyes obscured by the dark material, at his mask, indifferent, cold, mocking, his thumb gently massaging her skin.

He didn't need to say anything − she could feel the tension between them quivering in the air, making her feel a throbbing inside her.

"Tonight I'm going to make use of those lips." He hummed softly, parting her lips with his finger − she closed her eyes, feeling that she couldn't last, her hand lifted swiftly the thick layers of her gown and slid deep between her thighs, sinking into her moist warmth.

He sighed quietly, looking down at it, clearly taking satisfaction from the fact that his mere presence made her unable to bear it, that she needed to relieve herself.

"− do you want it so badly? − me fucking those moist, sweet lips? − hm? −" He cooed, and she only whimpered, tilting her head back, resting it against his stomach, with a loud, embarrassing click rising and falling on her fingers, teasing her pearl at the same time, feeling her nipples grow hard with arousal.

"− please −" She mumbled, although she didn't know what she was asking for, they couldn't do it now − they had to wait until night fell, like every day.

"− you look wonderful like this −" He murmured, stroking her cheek with his thumb, his voice trembling slightly − she knew that he was already completely hard, that he was dying at the thought of being deep inside her at night. "− so devoted −"

She mewled at his words and felt him clamp his hand over her mouth, stifling her moans that escaped her throat as she reached her peak − she felt her walls clench hungrily on her fingers, wonderful waves of heat surged through her body again and again. She heard him gasp with satisfaction as he saw her body spilling in front of him on the chair.

"− mine −"

That night as they lay in complete darkness, both of them falling asleep, his nose snuggled into the hollow of her neck, his soft manhood deep inside her, she dared to ask him the question that had long been pressing against her tongue.

"Are you Prince Aemond's envoy?"

Her question hung in the air as if in the void; she felt his body freeze − for a moment he did not breathe, his fingers tightened on her soft skin.

Silence.

Long, cruel, cold.

"Yes."

She swallowed loudly, a shudder went through her at his words. He felt it and leaned in, placing a soft, warm kiss on her shoulder, his fingers squeezing her breast with affection.

"I want to help him. Can you convey this to him?" She asked in a whisper and felt him flinch all over, letting the air out of his lungs in disbelief − she felt him lift a little, his hot breath on her cheek.

"What do you mean?" He asked in a trembling, low, deep voice, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. She pressed her lips together feeling her heart pounding like mad.

"I will support him if he spares my little brother. If he agrees, I'll do whatever he wants." She said in pain, feeling a squeeze in her throat − his lips pressed quickly against her skin, greedily, violently, kissing and sucking her, his length throbbing hard inside her.

He began to move again, slowly rooting into her with a sigh of delight and relief, saying no more until they reached their peak together, panting loudly, their bodies heated and quivering with exertion.

"− be patient −" He whispered in her ear with such tenderness that she felt her heart squeeze, heat spilling over her lower abdomen. "− soon − I promise you, we'll be married soon −"

After what he said, she fell asleep filled with hope, with the fact that she wanted to believe his words, that he would really protect her, that perhaps a great bloodshed could be avoided this time.

That they would really get married.

She thought that now, that everything had come together in her mind, she could finally look at him − her future husband, the man who had taken her for himself, who brutally and indivisibly stormed into her heart.

That was why, even though she had sworn to him that she would not do so, hearing him get dressed in a hurry she lifted her eyelids.

She felt her heart freeze, her throat squeezed so tightly that she couldn't catch her breath.

He sensed something was wrong, subconsciously realised she had broken her promise and lifted his gaze to her, his hands clenched on the belt of his coat.

A large scar ran across his right cheek, in his eye socket not a blue iris, as it seemed to her when she looked at him through the thin black material, but a sapphire, glinting dangerously in the first rays of the sun, his lips clenched into a thin line, in his healthy eye pain, disappointment and anger.

"You shouldn't have done that."

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Aemond Taglist:

(bold means I couldn't tag you)

@its-actually-minicika @notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess @sweethoneyblossom1 @watercolorskyy @randomdragonfires @apollonshootafar @padfooteyes

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sonicasura · 2 years ago

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Transformers: Analog Horror Style

I've been talking about this on a non fandom related Discord and decided to bring it here. There are various analog horrors that utilize non horror series such as Splatoon 3 or Jurassic Park. It felt only right to add something like Transformers to the mix.

Extraterrestrial mechanical beings who can disguise themselves as various machinery, grainy footage and videotapes that only hold clues??? Perfect material for a horror. Here's some ideas that came to mind.

Decepticons

Nowhere is safe and one wrong move can potentially be your last. The Internet is a stalking ground so post or search with caution. Lest you wind up on Soundwave's radar. This Decepticon will be happy to light up his targets for one reason: an insidious hunt for the spy master's cassettes to enjoy.

Ever seen a beautiful sports car parked by the side with a sleek blood red paint job? DO NOT TOUCH. Unless you want to meet the same fate as all the others who run afoul with Knockout.

A terror in the skies that signals disaster wherever he appears. Pray the lone jet doesn't reveal it's true form. Don't look and hope he hadn't spotted you if a glimpse occurs. Survivors of Starscream are miniscule.

Results are all that matter. Morals? Worthless. Lives? Another opportunity to experiment. Emotions? Not needed. Shockwave only serves for the cause with lethal efficiency.

It is useless to hide. This will only excite him. Run as it chips away at his boredom. Fight and he'll be merry to slaughter the lamb caught in his gaze. All Hail Megatron as humanity is nothing but a plaything.

The only way this information can get through is by the way of analog. Find these tapes at your own risk. There is no turning back the moment the video starts. Decepticons don't lose their prey easily.

Autobots

It's nearly impossible to tell if they have good intentions unlike their more violent counterparts. The Internet is a double edged sword that needs to be regarded with caution. Autobots are at a greater disadvantage than you think. What little information about them is scarce.

Communication and knowledge is minimal. Some can speak but how comprehensible they are varies. The most understandable share only broken sentences that rarely blur into inhuman language. A few offer a 'soup' of linguistics which share little to no connection. Some play by the ear but don't understand what every word means. The remainder are mute, either speaking in their language or have no voice box to respond through.

Most don't understand how humans function. A situation that has led to people being slaughtered by Decepticons, accidental harm to the innocent, or danger by their fellow man who believe they gone insane. This has led to a decision from their leader, Optimus Prime.

Human help is REQUIRED. They need a liaison if the Autobots hope to even catch up to the Decepticons. Government related officials won't do as these humans are too volatile and always under Soundwave's surveillance.

What they need is a teacher. Someone who can offer such knowledge and not marked as a person of interest to their enemies. A bystander will do.

Pay attention to the car that appears outside your driveway. Look closer at the one following behind on the road. Did another join each car? Flee foolishly and they will give chase.

If the lights behind you disappear, DON'T RELAX. The Peterbilt is coming. Avoid him as he will trap you. Stop and the chance of escape dwindles. Turning off the engine was a bad mistake. DO NOT RUN. Optimus Prime will catch you and escape is impossible.

Welcome to the war. You can't escape until one side wins. The Autobots are guardians but also prison wards to their chosen liaison. You will be protected yet caution is still advised. Welcome to this new dangerous life.

That's it for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you later. Transform and Roll Out!

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starlightshadowsworld · 1 year ago

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Heroes of Olympus but prior to the events in the series, Praetor Jason Grace corners Nico Di Angelo.

Because he knows he's lying about bring an Ambassador of Pluto.

"What gave it away?" Asks Nico, his back against the wall witu Jason's gladius pointed at his throat.

"You think the Gods ever cared to send a liaison before?" Asks Jason, amused. "Well that and the paperwork was shody at best."

Nico nods, not suprised he was found out so soon. "Your smarter than they give you credit for, Praetor." Jason chuckles "flattery will get you nowhere. Now what am I to do with you?"

"I could be valuable to you" Says Nico and Jason raises an eyebrow "oh? Do tell, or is this just a last ditch attempt to beg for your life?"

But he moves his gladius, slightly. Allowing Nico to speak without the fear of injuring himself.

"I'm not an Ambassador of Pluto, you're correct. I'm a son of Hades."

It said a lot about Jason's self restraint that he his ownly visible suprise was his eyes widening ever so slightly.

"I'm Italian and Greek. It's how I managed to sneak in undetected. It works for this Camp and it works for the other, I'm sure you realise what I'm suggesting."

Jason nodded.

"You're offering to be my spy. But why? I have everything to gain from such an agreement. But you, have have nothing."

Nico smirks "that's where you're wrong."

His expression falls to one much more serious. "I have my own goals to fulfill, a time will come when both sides will need to stand on the same one. I have everything to gain by influencing both to act."

Jason blinks at him, before laughing. "You think that the Greeks and Romans will ever see eye to eye?" He calms, mulling over Nico's words.

"As funny as that statement sounds, I believe you're right. This last war, we've been kept in the dark and I hate it. I fought a Greek titan, if that says our worlds will one day be shared I don't know what does." He says.

His smile turns dangerous.

"But what's stopping me from simply killing you and starting war? You are still an imposter."

Nico smiles.

"Because you're smarter than that."

Jason rolls his eyes but he lowers his gladius and takes a step back.

"Very well, you will continue as Ambassador. But you will not answer to Pluto, but to me. You hear anything, you see anything. You will inform me. And I will share what I know."

"But know this, you step out of line. You give me any reason to suspect you're a danger to my people and I will have your head mounted on my wall." Says Jason.

"I would expect nothing less, Praetor." Says Nico. Jason smiles, it's warm. "Not here, when it's just the both of us let there be no titles or formaltities. Here I am simply Jason, please address me as such."

Nico nods, "only if you address me as Nico."

Nico nods, holding out his hand which Jason shakes. Both swearing on the Styx to seal their promise.

@yonemurishiroku

#jason grace #nico di angelo #jasico #heroes of olympus

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petercapaldi-press · 1 month ago

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The Nice Man Cometh

"Being nice is a way of not letting people know you hate them"

As an amiable drunk in the BBC mini-series Runway One, Peter Capaldi's inherent charm works once again

[transcript under the cut]

People who have worked with actor Peter Capaldi are unreservedly "nice" about him. "Peter? Och, he's great. A really nice bloke," says Glaswegian comic Craig Ferguson; "Nice easy going and great to work with," adds Richard Holmes, producer of Capaldi's road movie Soft Top, Hard Shoulder. Georgia Masters (whose One night Stand lost out to Capaldi's Oscar-winning Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life for the 1994 BAFTA for Best Short) was also won over by the Scotsman: "I'm glad Peter won. He's such a nice guy."

"I'm not as nice as people say," is Capaldi's response. "Being nice is a way of not letting people know you hate them." All the same, he has used his charm to great effect on screen. "You discover an aspect of yourself that you have no control over. As much as I'd like to be cool and play hard-man roles, there seems to be something about me that the camera responds to in a benevolent way. And you know, it's worked for me." It certainly has; from his debut as the mermaid-loving, naive oil executive in Bill Forsyth's Local Hero, to the comic relief a la Roy Kinnear in Dangerous Liaisons and the self-pitying, lovelorn gadget expert in TV's Chandler & Co.

This month Capaldi stars in the BBC's Runway One. Shot in Eire and the United States and directed by David Drury, Runway One is a fast-moving thriller that throws two members of the Garda into the cloak-and-dagger world of Russian spies and CIA spooks. Capaldi plays a drunken policeman who is reluctant to get involved when he and his partner stumble on clues linking covert flights into Shannon Airport with arms shipments for Oliver Norths Iran-Contra deals. Capaldi handles his character as a cross between Billy Connolly and Bruce Willis. "Making Runway One was great fun. David [Drury] handles the darkest corners of the human psyche with great ease and a sharp sense of humour. So it's fairly comic but at the same time very frightening. The sleepy Garda taking on lots of Yanks in shades, the film's got a bit of everything - drugs, comedy, romance... and lots of things exploding."

Capaldi's future also appears to include a little bit of everything - there are plans to direct a fantasy/horror feature film; he has been sent scripts from Hollywood ("which have obviously been turned down by 95 other people," he says with typical self-deprecating charm) and TV offers keep on coming, although he rejected another series of Chandler & Co. "It was fun but I find being in the same thing week after week very depressing."

This antipathy to repetition means that Capaldi is less than enthusiastic about the theatre: "I can't stand the theatre. I hate it. I only ever did it because as an actor you're supposed to." What passes for good acting on the stage leaves my jaw on the floor. I can't believe the nonsense that goes on. But I won't give any examples - I'm too nice for that." SIMON TIFFIN

Runway One will be shown as two 90-minute episodes on BBC1 on August 27 and 28.

#peter capaldi #interview #1995 #runway one #chandler & co.

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perverse-idyll · 3 months ago

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@hprecfest 2024 - Day 5: a romantic fic

Yeah, it's Dec. 23rd 26th, but I haven't given up hope of posting a few more of these. Therefore, onward! More Snarry!

Miles to Go Before I Sleep by pluperfectsunrise - This is so far into sweet romance territory it risks setting off the skeptical Scrooge in me. See, it's rare that I swoon over emotionally mature versions of Snape. But this fic is so elegantly written and so perfectly constructed I was seduced by its humor and the writer's light and loving touch, so it didn't take me long to fall for its charms. (Much less time than it takes Harry to fall for Snape's, I'll tell you.) The premise: once a year, Harry and Severus dance together at the Ministry's Solstice Ball. Over the course of 14 years, undercurrents of yearning rise to the surface as they waltz closer to confessions of the heart. It all comes together (yes, I did that on purpose) in a consummate final scene, with several lightning strikes of dialogue the Gollum writer in me covets and the Snarry fan adores. This story knows exactly what it's about and takes you there with tenderness and grace and a kind of snowlit intimacy, beautifully crafted. Pluperfectsunrise has a gift for writing restrained romance that blossoms in a rush of resolved UST.

Contempt/Devotion by danpuff - Two stories, two sides of the same coin, and part of an ongoing series, Love, Your Enemy. Okay, this is definitely my drug, my poison, the flavor I crave above all else when imbibing my OTP, and it's the kind of conflicted, even unhealthy romanticism that contains the seeds of self-destruction but also healing. With Snape/Harry, it feels right to me that strains of love/hate pollute the flood of desire, but in the end I want their relationship to survive, whatever it takes, and this series does not disappoint.

In these paired fics, Danni gives each of the men their own voice and viewpoint on the same events, each mirroring the other's out-of-control emotions and internal struggles to resist. Contempt is Harry's story, and it's soaked in the wildly contradictory heat of his passion for Snape and his anger at the fact that he can't wean himself off this secret addiction. He's cruel to Snape in his mind, hammering on all the reasons why he's contemptible, the reasons their liaison is unthinkable, and why he should stay away. (Spoiler: he doesn't stay away.) It's an untenable and guilty cycle of near-madness. Harry's engaged to Ginny and playing the role of faithful, upstanding lover, all the while telling himself that he'll end things with Snape … just not yet. That he'll do what's right, even if he's beginning to doubt what that is. The emotional impact of this fic is intense, erotic, compulsive, and at times makes you wonder if a happy ending is even possible. Snape's version in Devotion is even more self-lacerating because of course Snape knows exactly why Harry should hate him and why he only compounds his past mistakes by not driving Harry away. He anticipates rejection, despises his own longing, and yet is horribly aware his soul belongs to Harry, even though he considers himself unworthy and certainly the worst thing that could happen to Harry's reputation. But he chooses to suffer jealousy and self-loathing rather than give Harry up, and is willing to risk being destroyed by the inevitability of Harry leaving him.

And through Danni's gorgeous, intimate descriptions and red-hot sensual detail, the reader is inside their skin with them, experiencing every breath and rapture and torment, all the rationalizations and temporary ecstasy. Danni is amazing at mapping the emotional hardships and rewards of coming to grips with an inappropriate love, something so consuming that it feels dangerous. And the series isn't complete yet, so the outcome and consequences of their illicit relationship remains open and uncharted. Even as a WIP, this is one of my desert-island stories and a personal touchstone for everything I love about my ship.

#hprecfest2024 #day 5: a romantic fic #snarry #author: pluperfectsunrise #author: danpuff-ao3

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queereads-bracket · 6 months ago

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Queer Fantasy Books Bracket: Round 2

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Raven Cycle series (The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily Lily Blue, The Raven King) by Maggie Stiefvater

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive. Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble. But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. Fantasy, young adult, paranormal, urban fantasy, series

The Last Binding trilogy (A Marvellous Light, A Restless Truth, A Power Unbound) by Freya Marske

Endorsement from submitter: A trilogy of books set in a magical Edwardian England, the Last Binding series focuses on three queer couples who come together in order to solve a conspiracy threatening all magic. It's a masterful blending of fantasy, historical fiction, and romance, with a splash of mystery and Wodehousian romp. Expect magical manor house parties with beautiful wallpaper, as well as explorations of power, trust, and what we owe the land.

The prose is absolutely gorgeous and evocative. The characters and their emotional arcs form the beating heart of the story, intertwined with beautifully crafted romance. The worldbuilding feels organic and deeply rooted within this hidden magical society. These books are thoughtful, tender, scorching, and fun all at once.

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He's struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents' excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what's been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he's always known. Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else. Robin's predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they've been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles��and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep. Fantasy, historical fiction, romance, adult, magic, Edwardian, series

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richincolor · 7 months ago

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New Releases

A whole slew of new books coming out this week and I see some I want to add to my TBR pile. How about you?

Something Like Right by H. D. Hunter Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

A contemporary young adult novel about one life-altering year of a biracial Black and white teen boy, showing a raw glimpse into the systemic inequality in racialized communities.

Zay’s ma always said his mouth would get him in trouble. Sure enough, it got him into his first and only fight in his junior year of high school. Expelled from his district, Zay’s only hope for redemption is to transfer to Broadlawn Alternative School and complete the year.

Zay isn’t thrilled about the disgusting school lunch and classroom trailers at Broadlawn, and boarding with his aunt Mel and her live-in boyfriend isn’t the greatest. But he’d rather be there than in the city dealing with his estranged father, his overbearing mother, and the fallout from his fight. Besides, Broadlawn has Feven, the beautiful new student Zay is starting to get to know—and fall for.

Still, first love is rarely a fairy tale, and as Zay’s time in Broadlawn comes to an end, he learns that shaping yourself within a new place is a lot harder than letting it shape you.

A tender contemplation of first love, broken families, and healing generational trauma by an incredible voice in young adult fiction.

Drown Me with Dreams (Sing Me to Sleep #2) by Gabi Burton Bloomsbury YA

In the second book in this dark and seductive YA fantasy duology, a siren must decide if saving her kingdom is worth betraying the boy she loves.

Saoirse Sorkova is on the run. Accused of several murders, her siren identity compromised, even the newly crowned King Hayes can’t protect her if she’s caught. The only way to save her life is to send her on a dangerous mission across the magical barrier that surrounds the kingdom.

Forced to travel with Carrick – once her best friend, now her greatest betrayer – she begins to unravel multiple plots that threaten the safety of her family, the livelihood of the entire kingdom, and her future with Hayes. And the more time she spends with Carrick, the harder it is to keep hating him . . .

Soon, Saoirse is forced to what if Hayes isn’t the right ruler for the kingdom? And if he’s not, is she willing to betray her king – and her heart?

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy series is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.

Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters Viking Books for Young Readers

Young Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue in this heart-pumping romance by award-winning author Julian Winters!

When roguish Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is left in America to clean up his image after a horribly public break-up gone viral, romance is not on the table. Carefully planned photo ops with puppies? Yes. Scheduled appearances with the Santa Monica elite Absolutely. Rendezvous with a pink-haired, film-obsessed hottie from the private school where he’s currently enrolled? Uhhhh . . .

Together with his entourage—a bitingly witty royal guard, Rêverie’s future queen (and Jadon’s brilliant older sister), and a quirky royal liaison—Jadon’s on a mission to turn things around and show his parents, and his country, that he’s more than just a royal screw-up. If he doesn’t prove that he’s the prince Rêverie deserves? Well, he may not be allowed home . . .

But falling for a not-so-royal American boy has Jadon redefining what it means to be a leader. If he can be someone’s Prince Charming just by being himself, maybe that’s all it takes to win over a nation. Or at least a prince can dream .

A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks

In this sweet sapphic romance about two foodies in love, Vivi meets Lan while studying abroad in Vietnam and they spend the semester unraveling their families’ histories—and eating all the street food in Sài Gòn.

In Sài Gòn, Lan is always trying to be the perfect daughter, dependable and willing to care for her widowed mother and their bánh mì stall. Her secret passion, however, is A Bánh Mì for Two, the food blog she started with her father but has stopped updating since his passing.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese American Vivi Huynh, has never been to Việt Nam. Her parents rarely talk about the homeland that clearly haunts them. So Vivi secretly goes to Vietnam for a study abroad program her freshman year of college. She’s determined to figure out why her parents left, and to try everything she’s seen on her favorite food blog, A Bánh Mì for Two.

When Vivi and Lan meet in Sài Gòn, they strike a deal. Lan will show Vivi around the city, helping her piece together her mother’s story through crumbling photographs and old memories. Vivi will help Lan start writing again so she can enter a food blogging contest. And slowly, as they explore the city and their pasts, Vivi and Lan fall in love.

Codex Black (Book Two): Bird of Ill Omen by Camilo Moncada Lozano IDW Publishing

Best friends Donají and Itzcacalotl stumble into dangerous political intrigue in this follow-up to the young adult epic Codex Black: A Fire Among Clouds!

In 15th-century Mesoamerica, Donají and Itzcacalotl travel to the Oracle of Lyobaa in the hopes of learning the secret behind Donají’s missing father. But instead of receiving information, they find themselves roped into a quest to stop the assassination of the great Emperor Ahuizotl! This is easier said than done when faced with a mysterious group of black-clad killers who want nothing more than to send the known world tumbling into chaos.

Along the way, the two will have to navigate new friends, old enemies, and corn people as they try to save the emperor…before it’s too late!

Helga by Catherine Yu Page Street YA

Helga is not the obedient science experiment her father intended. And though she has only just awoken, he leaves her in the care of his lab assistant Penny to go on a business trip.

Bursting with curiosity, Helga quickly escapes from the well-meaning Penny and heads into Amaris City. There Helga finds she is as untamable as the invasive blackberry vines overtaking the island. And because of the misdeeds of her father’s scientific community, the natural world grows more volatile.

Helga soon discovers the night market, rowdy clubs, delicious food, and cute boys. Enamored with city life, she’ll do anything to find love―but she has only two weeks until her father gets back, and besides there are ominous rumblings from the volcanic island that could put her dating schemes, and even her own life, in grave peril.

We Are the Medicine (Surviving the City #3) written by Tasha Spillett & illustrated by Natasha Donovan HighWater Press

Miikwan and Dez are in their final year of high school. Poised at the edge of the rest of their lives, they have a lot to decide on. Miikwan and her boyfriend, Riel, are preparing for university, but Dez isn’t sure if that’s what they want for their future.

Grief and anger take precedence over their plans after the remains of 215 children are found at a former residential school in British Columbia. The teens struggle with feelings of helplessness in the face of injustice. Can they find the strength to channel their frustration into action towards a more hopeful future?

“We Are the Medicine” is the moving final volume of the best-selling Surviving the City series.

Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Stringfield Joy Revolution

Whitney Curry is primed to have an epic semester abroad. She’s created the perfectitinerary and many, many to-do lists after collecting every detail possible about Paris, France. Thus, she anticipates a grand adventure filled with vintage boutiques, her idol Josephine Baker’s old stomping grounds, and endless plays sure to inspire the ones she writes and—ahem—directs!

But all is not as she imagined when she’s dropped off at her prestigious new Parisian lycée. A fish out of water, Whitney struggles to juggle schoolwork, homesickness, and mastering the French language. Luckily, she lives for the drama. Literally.

Cue French tutor Thierry Magnon, a grumpy yet très handsome soccer star, who’s determined to show Whitney the real Paris. Is this type-A theater nerd ready to see how lessons on the City of Lights can turn into lessons on love?

#weneeddiversebooks #new releases #young adult books

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rorirevolutions · 4 months ago

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World Building Pt. 1: Power Systems

Mighty Med is the first example of Super Society so it and The Thundermans are going to be the main bases for the world. Lab Rats does not dip into Supers until they meet MM crew, however I fully believe that Douglas is well versed in the Villain community and can work as a slight liaison for them(when he feels like it). I read through the wikis of all the fandoms and this is the power system I came up with.

Superpowers are categorized as traits, features or skills that are beyond normal human ability. That is, a character with a superpower can do things that normal human beings can't do.

Humans with the Super-Gene originated when their ancestors ate the seeds of a mysterious plant, commonly known as the 'Power Plant'. However, having the Super-Gene and having Superpowers are 2 totally different things. For those that are born and raised in an environment that already has other Supers the gene typically activates quickly after birth due to the potential for nearby threats. However, a majority of humans with Super-Genes are not in this category, most have the gene activated during a dangerous situation or forcefully activated upon reaction to a foreign body. What the power(s) present as after the gene is activated typically appears random, however the abilities usually compliment the person. Sometimes certain powers reappear in a family line over and over again due to personal similarities. There are exceptions to the rules such as when Multiple births occur(Twins, Triples, etc), though they are uncommon. When multiple births occur strange things tend to happen as the individuals are permanently linked. Even within a Super enriched household latent gene activation can occur. For some individuals their Super-Gene wont activate unless under specific circumstances.

Aliens and other genetically different species are an entirely different matter as they are not Human and their powers follow the laws of their home worlds and/or species.

There are some abilities that all who have active genes posses such as above average durability and seeing the souls of the deceased through what is commonly referred to as ‘True Sight’.

Bionics are another deal entirely, as they are a series of foreign objects and mechanics permanently tied to the body of a human with no Super-Gene(commonly referred to as 'Normo's' or 'Non-Super's'). Due to this difference they require a lot more maintenance. As the body grows and ages the systems need to be adapted to now fit that body. This also means that malfunctions and glitches are extremely common and if not corrected can due permanent damage to the individual. The 'Chips' act as the central mainframe and main access to where all data and updates are stored and uploaded. Due to this without their chips the individuals will become more and more unstable as they cannot properly function with all the hardware implemented in their bodies.

Thank you for reading and if you have any critiques, thoughts or ideas please let me know!

#lab rats elite force #lab rats #mighty med #the thundermans #henry danger #danger force #villains of valley view #rewrite #Rori's Rewrite

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aronlewes · 2 months ago

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It's been quite awhile since I've mentioned the "casts" of my books. I released the first book in the Monster Tamer Sisters duology the other day (https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Tamer-Sisters-Aron-Lewes-ebook/dp/B0DS4NLFVC) and to be honest, I only really had actors in mind for the two male leads in the series. Kelcian was a young Killian Scott, and Denny was Nicholas Denton, who I discovered in Dangerous Liaisons. (Starz did that show so dirty!)

My friend @pineconeenchanting kindly drew Kelcian and Aggy from the first book, and I wanted to share her art too.

This series is a little bit steampunk, a lot fantasy, and a considerable dose of (wholesome) romance as well. It has cute monsters in it, and it's only 99 cents for a limited time.

#killian scott #nicholas denton #kindle unlimited #aron lewes #romance books #romantasy #romantasy books #my book cast #steampunk romance #ebooks #book recommendations #book blog

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bloody-wonder · 8 months ago

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do u have any book recs for morally bad characters? not grey or ambiguous or whatever. i think id use ianthe as an example of what i mean

far be it from me to decide which character is "morally bad" or merely grey so for the purposes of this rec list i focus on characters who do bad things for selfish reasons. however, ianthe, beyond just being a villain-esque character, has that iconic persona(lity) which alas only few of the characters mentioned here share. so keep that in mind in case you wanted a list of ianthes😅

okay so when i think ianthe i think unhinged girl books, specifically boy parts by eliza clark. ik ik i keep mentioning it in every rec list but truly there's no other character who reminds me of ianthe more than irina sturges, minus the sword. boy parts is sometimes described as american psycho for girls and while i haven't read that book yet i can confirm that characters in bret easton ellis' other works (less than zero and the rules of attraction) are quite morally bankrupt and entirely unlikable, especially compared to the cast in the secret history by his fellow bennington graduate donna tartt who are themselves toeing the line between grey and irredeemable. that is, if such finer distinctions matter to you🤷‍♀️

dark academia typically features protagonists who are more or less evil which is true for joanne harris' gentlemen and players as well as its sequel different class. cracks by sheila kohler is another example - it's a short and weird book about girls in a boarding school commiting shocking atrocities. aside from we have always lived in this castle by shirley jackson, which i have already mentioned, books like tender is the flesh by agustina bazterrica and we need to talk about kevin by lionel shriver are bridging the gap between litfic and horror and focus on people who range from morally ambiguous to utterly despicable and frightening (yet fascinating). if you want to go all in with this latter vibe you could try killing stalking which is an extreme horror/dark romance bl manhwa. needless to say: always check the trigger warnings.

if hannibal lecter is someone who fits your understanding of "morally bad" you should try the og book series by thomas harris. fair warning tho: they are not queercoded like the show😅 two more series following the crimes of a nasty but compelling guy are the joe goldberg books by caroline kepnes and the tom ripley books by patricia highsmith. in the latter series i will admit i only like book one which stands on its own pretty well and after it i'd rec trying highsmith's other books instead - for example, strangers on a train. another thriller author to check out is christopher rice whose melodramatic and somewhat depraved early works feature deliciously problematic side characters. start with the snow garden and see if you like his style. my last thriller rec is for your own good by samantha downing which is about a bad teacher abusing his power to punish students he doesn't like.

switching the gears to historical fiction and classics. perfume: the story of a murderer by patrick süskind is the life story of a man who by all accounts is bad but if so why does his perfume smell so good? what does he put in there?? another perfect example of a character blurring the line between morally grey and black is the protagonist of thomas savage's the power of the dog. both books have very good film adaptations which i recommend as well.

if you want to try and tackle a dusty tome foregrounding wicked antiheroes consider reading vanity fair by william thackeray or dangerous liaisons by pierre choderlos de laclos. if you'd rather start with something shorter look no further than the picture of dorian gray, who i personally think is "darker" than just grey (ha), but if you already read it consider revisiting the classic via the uncensored edition. still shorter? then you might like another work by oscar wilde - lord arthur savile's crime. it's much more humorous and satirical, as is lieutenant gustl by arthur schnitzler - a hilarious stream of consciousness novella following an odious imperial army officer as he contemplates how to restore his damaged manly honor in the wake of another man touching his sword - not a euphemism but definitely a metaphor😅

i really struggled to choose sff recs☹️ the thing is, in your typical fantasy characters like this will either be pretty one dimensional villains or side characters with not a lot of screen time, whereas those on the main cast are rather what you would probably describe as morally grey. nevertheless, here are three recs i'm not very satisfied with: first of all, empire of the vampire's jean françois gives me ianthe vibes. so far he's a character in the frame narrative only but i expect he'll play a bigger role in the final book of the trilogy. secondly, there is a secondary villain character in the winnowing flame trilogy by jen williams who is honestly my favorite part of it and they do bad things etc by virtue of being a villain but,, maybe they're just misguided? maybe their friends and family didn't love them enough but the main villain did? i mean, who's to say🤷‍♀️ finally, the main character of lynn flewelling's nightrunner books has an evil ex who has a fun poor little meow meow arc in books 4 and 5 - you decide if it's worth reading the entire series bc of it. i mean it's pretty good old queer fantasy so it's worth it for other reasons too but yeah. you see what i mean when i say it's difficult😭

#book tag #hope this helps

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monstersonscreen · 10 months ago

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Many monsters in the original Doctor Who series were the result of collaboration between the BBC's costume, makeup and visual effects departments, or with freelance firms.

A perfect example would be the namesake aliens of 'Terror of the Zygons'; the initial design was sketched by the serial's assigned costume designer James Acheson (future Oscar-winning costume designer of Time Bandits, Brazil, Dangerous Liaisons and The Last Emperor). Acheson looked at half-formed embyros in amniotic sacs for inspiration!

It was beyond the capacity of the BBC's own costume department to make, so Acheson turned to sculptor John Friedlander of the BBC's Visual Effects Department. Friedlander sculpted the ribcage, head and face of the Zygon suits.

#Doctor Who #Classic Who #Terror of the Zygons #Zygons #James Acheson #John Friedlander #costume design #visual effects #prosthetic makeup effects #BBC Visual Effects Department

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birdiewrites78 · 1 year ago

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Dangerous Desires: Chapter One

This is Chapter One of a multipart series. The story includes violence inspired by Criminal Minds and touches on sensitive topics such as domestic violence, racism, and misogyny. If any of these topics make you uncomfortable, please refrain from reading. This chapter only briefly mentions racism, and each chapter will have specific warnings. Thank you for reading, and feel free to provide any feedback through my inbox.

This Chapter is dedicated to Isis because without her I would have never had the courage to finish writing.

August 1, 2005, 6:03 am, Woodbridge, Virginia

Natalie was out on what was shaping out to be the hottest day of the year; she would much rather be in bed trying to forget her nightmares or even in the living room that had air conditioning watching South Park Reruns. But dogs don't care about your feelings; they only want to go outside. So Natalie was watching over her small Yorkie, and as she used the bathroom, the sun was coming out in the distance. Once Bella was finished, the pair walked back to their townhouse. The small dog was clearly in a good mood, wagging her tail and sticking her dog out; the same couldn't be said for Natalie. Today was her first day at the Behavioral Analysis Unit. She wasn't a profiler or anything important like that; she was just the media liaison who was tasked with making sure that more people joined the BAU because many agents were lost six months ago in the bombings.

Natalie mindlessly walked, occasionally checking around her to make sure she wasn't being followed. As she was about to reach her townhouse, something drew her attention. She must have missed it earlier as the sun hadn't fully risen, but she could see it now that her neighbor had grown tulips. The pink blubs had fully matured and were undoubtedly beautiful. It had been a long time since she had seen tulips, and her day got a little better.

The rest of her morning consisted of changing into her work outfit, which was a white button-up with a white t-shirt underneath. Her pants were black slacks and a black suit jacket. Natalie searched through the jewelry box to find her pearls. Natalie didn't grow up rich; she was far from it, but her mother saved up to give Natalie pearls as a gift when she turned eighteen. Natalie blinked away the tears in her eyes and put on the matching earrings and necklace set. The rest of Bella’s morning consisted of getting Bella food and making herself some coffee and toast. After finishing up her breakfast, Natalie went to the powder room to check her appearance. She entered the small bathroom and averted her attention to the mirror. Natalie had inherited her father's darker skin and often had to hear negative comments about her complexion, so she became good at pretending that the comments did not bother her.

She studied her reflection, looking for any glaring flaws in it. She just saw her soft, doe-like, dark brown eyes, which were covered in dark brown eyeshadow. She made sure to check that her false lashes were on properly, next to her thin, arched brows, scanning for any extra hairs that were out of place. She checked her lipstick next; her lips were in the shape of a cupid's bow, and the lipstick color was a combination of blush pink in the center with a dark brown lining her lips. She smoothed down her long, pin-straight hair and made sure that none of her tracks were showing. The final thing she did was adjust her pink broach, which was in the shape of a ribbon.

The commute to work was dull. Natalie didn't bother to turn on the radio; she just listened to the sounds of the outside world. She slowly watched her surroundings change from the dense greenery to the industrial compound of the FBI’s headquarters. After going through security and getting her badge, Natalie made her way to the elevator. She was nervous but she couldn't let that show, she took a deep breath and started to pretend. She strutted into the hallway from the elevator, her So Kates making a small click on the white carpet floor with every step she took. Her steps were graceful but purposeful; she exuded confidence everywhere that she went. Her eyes were drawn to the receptionist's table, and she continued walking up to it, stepping carefully on the now-light beige carpeted floors. There was an older black woman with short black hair working the desk; she had smiled lines edged into her face; there were also semi-recently dark circles under her eyes. The receptionist looked up at the woman coming towards her, smiling brightly at her.

“Can I help you, dear?” The receptionist questioned the young woman.

Natalie took a deep breath before she started, "Hello, ma'am, I'm here to see Agent Hotchner.”

The receptionist turned to her computer, and the younger woman presumed to have confirmed that Agent Hotchner had scheduled meetings.

Looking up from the computer screen, the receptionist asked, “What's your name?"

Natalie always dreaded this question because of the temptation to say the wrong name.

She cleared her throat and continued, “Natalie, Natalie Price, Miss, I am the new media liaison."

The woman smiled at Natalie and chimed, "Yes, Ms. Price, welcome to the behavioral analysis department; I’ll show you over to your desk, and Diane is just fine."

Natalie often felt that she had a resting frown, which often made her appear unfriendly, so she tried to smile frequently to overcome this barrier.

Natalie spoke up as Diane started getting up. ''Thank you, Diane. I'm excited to be here, and you can just call me Natalie.”

Diane grinned at Natalie's words; she fully stood up and ushed for Natalie to follow her. Natalie grabbed her light pink rolling bag and walked behind Diane through the large office. The thing that stood out to her was just how empty the office was despite this; the office was beautiful and definitely, the nicest Natalie had ever seen. It was covered in floor-to-ceiling windows, surrounded by metal desks with wooden tops. The walls that didn't have windows displayed old certificates and awards that the BAU won.

The agents that were there had piles of documents on top of their desks mixed in with empty coffee mugs. Except for the clicking of keyboards, the sound of pens writing on the paper, and the turning of pages of reports, the office was silent. Natalie noticed how the walls were a mixture of concrete and dark blue paint; there was an intricate pattern on the ceiling, with overhead beams that stuck out from the ceiling.

When Natalie finally reached her desk, what drew her attention next were the stairs with an attached metal railing. There was an imposing room on the second floor that was also covered in large windows. Natalie couldn't look into the windows, though, because of the large blinds covering it. Diane spoke again, which made Natalie slap out of her thoughts.

“Here is your desk, honey; once you get settled, just go up to the conference room up those stairs, and to the left, you’ll meet the team along with Agent Hotchner there.”

Natalie looked at her desk; it was the same as all of the others except for the fruit sitting on top of it. Natalie froze when she saw a note attached to it, and she felt panic surge through her.

Diane must have noticed Natalie's unease because she spoke again: 'You're not allergic to fruit, are you? Oh boy, I’ll get this cleared away. Sorry about that, dear.”

Natalie visibly relaxed at the revelation; she told herself that just to try to relax, he wouldn't find her again.

Natalie began to speak before Diane left. “No, I’m not; I just am not the best with surprises, but thank you, Diane; it's lovely.”

Natalie finished, trying her best to smile back at Diane. She knew she probably came off weird, but if Diane was thinking that her face didn't give it away,

“Well, I’m glad you like it. I should probably get back to the desk. Let me know if you need anything else, dear.” Diane concluded as she started to walk away.

“Wait, Diane, I just have one more question: whose office is that?” She asked while pointing to the large office on the second floor.

"Oh, that's Agent Hotchner’s office. He is finishing a call, but he will meet you in the conference room.” Diane replied.

“Oh, thank you,” Natalie responded, watching as Diane made her way back to her desk.

Natalie sat on her swivel chair and started to unpack her rolling bag. She made a mental note to get Diane a gift card as a thank you, maybe for a spa. She took out of her rolling bag what she needed most: her black Fendi spy bag, her silver laptop, and her planner with a pink pen attached. She reached inside her Fendi to pull out her silver compact. She opened it and looked at her reflection. She took one last look, smiled at herself, satisfied enough with her appearance, and shut her compact, putting it back in her purse. She moved her rolling back under her desk, then gathered up the things she put out on her desk, putting them under her right arm. She walked to the stairs, holding onto the railing, and took a deep breath before proceeding up them.

She walked to the left, just as Diane told her, and opened the first door that she saw. Unlike the rest of the office, this room didn't have windows in it. Natalie mumbled to herself a small mantra before she opened the door: “Don't let anyone make you feel inferior; you deserve to be here.” She opened the door and was greeted by a room filled with six people sitting around a circular table. They immediately looked up at her, in confusion, and said, “Hello, I'm Natalie Price, the new media liaison for the BAU.” She announced it to the group. She noticed a black man with a buzz cut and a goatee dressed in casual clothing smirking at her. He spoke up first. “Welcome to the team Price, we go back by last names for the most part here, I’m Morgan, that's Reid,” he said, motioning to a young man with brown hair touching his neck with one side tucked behind his hair. He briefly looked up at Natalie and gave a quick half-smile.

Morgan then motioned to a young white woman with long blond hair. “This is-"

The blonde woman interrupted, introducing herself: “I’m Agent Jennifer Jareau; you can call me JJ. I was the previous media liaison, so let me know if you need anything.” Natalie smiled at her, feeling a little more comfortable knowing that the previous media liaison was still working there. Morgan simply smirked and started again. “Would anyone else like to introduce themselves?” He asked for the room, but no one else spoke up. So he decided to continue. “This is Prentiss,” he said, motioning to a white woman with dark brown hair and bangs cut. Prentiss looked at Natalie and smiled at her. "Finally, last but not least, this is Agent Gideon.” Morgan finished pointing at an older white man in the corner with short brown hair that had sprinkles of gray; he wore a striped button-down shirt and black slacks. Agent Gideon looked up from staring at the small window overlooking the scenery outside to greet Natalie with a half smile.

Morgan sighed at Gideon's actions and muttered something under his breath. Natalie could sense a little bit of tension between the two. She decided to speak up again to clear the air. “It is nice to meet all of you; I am excited to..." Natalie’s sentence was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. In walked a white middle-aged man who had shorter brown hair, with pieces of it falling onto his face. It reminded Natalie of Leonardo Dicaprio’s hair in The Titanic. He had dark brown eyes that seemed to pierce into her soul. Natalie knew she would be working with profilers, but it never occurred to her that they would try to profile her. His face had a mixture of frown lines and wrinkles in his temple, and Natalie also noticed a beauty mark on his cheek. Natalie had only experienced what could be described as love at first sight; she couldn't deny what she felt when she looked at the man; her heart started to beat quickly, time came to a stop, and she froze for a few minutes just staring at him. He was so handsome that it hurt, she thought.

Aaron was having similar thoughts. He couldn't look away because Natalie was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She took his breath away and scrambled his brain. He was undeniably attracted to her, which terrified him because he had never felt this way. Sure, he had loved his ex-wife and felt an intense attraction when he met her as a teenager, but he had never felt anything quite like this. The man felt an urge to know everything about her and do anything for her. He had read about sirens in Greek mythology using their songs and looks to lure sailors into their untimely deaths, and he felt the same way about the woman. He wanted to do anything for her already, and he started to profile her. His thoughts were interrupted, however, by Morgan smirking and speaking up again. “Hotch, didn’t you say that we had a case?”

Aaron reluctantly tore his eyes away from the woman and looked at the team, who all had knowing smiles on their faces.

Aaron spoke in a commanding tone, “Yes, we do, and it's time-sensitive, so we should get started."

He paused before starting again because he would have to look at the woman again. “And you are?” He asked, looking back at the woman.

“I am Natalie Price, the new media liaison; I just transferred from Narcotics,” Natalie responded not looking into his eyes.

"Right, well, I'm SSA Agent Aaron Hotchner, but you can call me Hotch.” He paused. Normally, he would reach out to shake someone's hand, but he feared that he would turn into a lovestruck teenage boy if he touched Natalie.

He felt frustrated by the hold Natalie already had on him, so he decided to be an asshole as he continued, “Truth be told, I'm not completely convinced that we need a new media liaison quite so soon.”

Natalie looked up to face Hotch with a condescending smile; she didn't appreciate him questioning if she was needed.

"Duly noted… anywhere in particular that I should sit?” Natalie quickly responded.

Natalie felt better that he was rude; it would be easier to ignore her feelings if he were.

Throughout his life, Aaron has often been described as serious. If his team had to choose one word to describe him, it would be "serious." They would also acknowledge that he was good at his job, but Hotch, as he was known, often felt like that was all he had. He was an absent father and an absent husband, and his frown seemed to be his constant companion. Despite this, Aaron had grown accustomed to his busy schedule and his role as a team leader.

But for the first time in his life, he was speechless, Natalie did not seem afraid of him, and the monotony of his life quickly changed.

He responded slowly, trying to collect himself. “No, anywhere is fine; welcome to the team you are about to witness your first case.” He responded.

He pushed his thoughts aside and decided to focus on a woman's life at stake, and as the boss, he had to remain professional. He cleared his throat before starting up the projector and directing everyone’s attention to the large screen in the office.

He started speaking. “Today’s Case is in Seattle, Washington. Before twenty-three-year-old Heather Woodland left for lunch, she downloaded an image with a time-delay virus attached; it left this image on the screen.” Hotch paused, pressing the clicker to show the next image.

The text read, “For heaven's sake, catch me before I kill again," repeated several times. Natalie felt a little sick. “At most, we suspect this woman will have about thirty-six hours to live, wheels up in 30.” Hotch finished his thought. The team grabbed the files sitting on the conference table and headed off to get their bags.

Natalie headed back to her desk, and with her stuff in her arm, she realized that her desk was close to Morgan and Reid’s. She grabbed her pink rolling bag. She was glad she decided to pack a week's worth of clothes, along with all of the toiletries and her medication, last night. She opened her flip phone and sent off a quick message.

Natalie: "I will be gone for about three days; please take care of Bella and don't burn the house down."

She felt bad about leaving Maria and Bella because they had rarely been apart for that long, but she knew what this job required when she took it. Natalie felt a ping in her hand, so she looked down to read it.

Maria: "Will you take care of the dog? I can't promise I won't burn the house down. You have renter's insurance, right?”

Natalie smiled. She felt lucky to have her best friend Maria in her life; she always managed to make Natalie smile even on her darkest days and was the one person she could never get tired of.

Natalie: “Yes, I have renters insurance, Maria, but if I come home to a burned-down house, I'm busting the windows out of your car."

Natalie laughed at her message and then put her phone, along with the things she took to the conference room, in her rolling suitcase.

Morgan must have noticed her smile from her texting Maria because he smirked as he spoke up, “Message from your boyfriend?'

Natalie looked up at him; he couldn't tell if he was curious or was trying to flirt with her. "No,” she stated, pulling her bag off of the desk and wheeling it.

"But you didn't deny you had a boyfriend.” Morgan inquired, and Reid spoke up next: “I’m sorry about him, Natalie; he was dropped on his head as a baby."

This made Natalie laugh as she replied to Reid, “Thank you, Reid, and no, I don't have a boyfriend, Morgan."

Natalie started to walk off in the direction of JJ and Prentiss, where she hoped to find the direction of the plane. Natalie was feeling anxious about flying; she had only flown once in her life, and she hated it. She thought maybe this could be a sort of exposure therapy for her. She went outside to the small runway, and as she walked on the concrete, she was happy at the sound her heels made. Natalie pulled her rolling back until she reached the outside of the large white plane. “This is it,” she thought. She pushed down the handle of the rolling bag and carried it like a regular bag; it was heavy, but luckily, her time in retail and dance made her strong and muscular.

She touched the outside of the plane as she walked up the stairs, being careful not to fall, especially not on her first day. Natalie looked around the plane; it was glamorous, and JJ and Prentiss were already seated next to each other towards the front of the plane. The seats were plush and made out of leather, with ample leg room, and there was a beige curtain hanging leading off to the back area.

Natalie also noticed a large couch placed near the cockpit; she mentally thought about the taxpayer money that bought that. Natalie moved to the back, right by the curtain, opting to sit close to the aisle, away from the window. Natalie opened her rolling bag this time, taking out her laptop and her iPod; luckily, she made sure to charge them last night. She put in her headphones and put on one of her favorite albums, I Brought You Bullets, You Brought Your Love, by My Chemical Romance.

She had somewhat of a scene phase back in 2002 when the album first came out; it helped her through losing her mother, so it became a comfort to listen to her. Derek and Reid filed into the plane, laughing to themselves about something; they sat towards the middle; Gideon came in next and sat towards the front; and finally, Agent Hotchner entered the plane.

Natalie looked up for a brief moment and then went back to her computer screen. She couldn't handle looking at him at the moment. Agent Hotchner sat across from Natalie, which made her wonder if she accidentally stole his seat.

After that, the plane ride was mostly uneventful. Natalie kept to herself and started working on outreach to encourage people to work for the BAU. It used to be one of the biggest departments until the bombings that occurred six months ago. Natalie didn't know much about exactly what happened; she was on a need-to-know basis with Agent Strauss. There were discussions about the case, and the team bounced around theories about the profile. Natalie wrote down what was essential, but the rest she left to the profilers. Aaron looked at Natalie a few times and wondered what she was listening to, but after his comment, he felt like he had made a bad impression, so he didn't ask. Eventually, the plane started to land, which caused Natalie to grip the armrests. She hated this part the most.

The plane descended smoothly, however, and Natalie scooted over to the window in amazement. She was in Seattle for the first time. Despite the nearly 6-hour plane ride, there was still light outside because of the time difference, which was good for the case. Natalie put her things back in her rolling suitcase and followed after JJ as they walked off the plane. They were going to have to split up to be the most effective with the small amount of time they had to find Heather. Natalie was assigned to ride with Hotch, Reid, and Gideon to get a profile for the suspect, while the others were going to talk to Heather's family. Natalie followed the others to one of the black SUVs waiting for them. Natalie felt nervous that it would be her first press conference, and while it had been years since the last incident, she wanted things to go differently this time.

They pilled into the SUV, with Natalie and Spencer sitting in the backseats while Gideon and Agent Hotchner took the front. Hotch drove, and Natalie noticed a few times when their eyes met as he looked into the internal rearview mirror. Natalie decided to look out the window to take in Seattle; naturally, she wished that she was here under happier circumstances. Natalie couldn't get over how beautiful Seattle was. Natalie especially appreciated all of the greenery; her mother had instilled a love of gardening in her at a young age, and since none of her other siblings were interested in it, eventually it became their thing. Eventually, they reached the Northwest Field Office; the building was large and imposing and covered in windows. Natalie followed Reid out of the car and into the building. He held the door and genuinely seemed surprised when Natalie said thank you, probably because no one else did.

After they went through security, Natalie trekked through the halls to reach their office. Natalie was surprised when Gideon corrected Agent Hotchner to say that Reid was a doctor; she figured he was intelligent, but it made her have even more questions. When it was time for her to be introduced, Hotch avoided her eyes and simply stated, “This is Natalie Price, the media liaison for the BAU.” Natalie gave a small wave paired with a smile. What shocked her, though, was Agent Hotchner's dry sense of humor. While she wasn't a profiler, she could already tell from his frown lines that he didn't often joke. They went over the profile. Natalie made sure to write down the key details on her laptop. She was impressed by how quickly they figured out the profile, and she had a million questions she wanted to ask about how they figured it out so fast.

After delivering the profile, Natalie had a million questions she wanted to ask, but they had to leave. Natalie scurried out first after packing up her laptop behind the men, following them back into the SUV. She started to get nervous because it started to sink in her head that she was going to be on national television and be hounded by reporters. She used to be a reporter, so she knew firsthand how vicious they could be. Even though the team already had a few leads on the suspect, they needed to come together to discuss what everyone had found before they tried to narrow it down. Natalie decided to get her mind off of her anxiety and tried to strike up a conversation with Spencer. "Reid, how old are you?”

She questioned him, turning to him in the car. Agent Hotchner gave out a dry chuckle at Natalie's boldness. Maybe someone who didn't know Natalie well would think she was making a poor attempt at flirting. However, Natalie was very inquisitive and enjoyed learning about other people, and while objectively Reid was attractive, Natalie wasn't that interested in dating, and she preferred older men anyway.

Spencer smiled at Natalie's question. “I’m 23; how old are you? And that is certainly an interesting question to ask.

Natalie gave a half smile at that. “23? I thought you just had a baby face or something and you were secretly like, How are you a doctor?" Natalie skipped over his questions; she needed answers now.

Spencer laughed at this. “I suppose I am technically a genius; I have an eidetic memory and an IQ of 187, and I noticed you didn't answer my other question."

Natalie smiled again, looking back at Spencer. “I’m 25, but I turn 26 in a few months, and I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but I think that you are amazing."

Natalie responded to Spencer, and he in turn gave a genuine smile. Spencer could tell already that Natalie was very kind; of course, Morgan was his best friend, but secretly he knew that everyone would get tired of his random factoids and his tendency to ramble. But Natalie made him genuinely feel appreciated, and that meant a lot to him. There was no denying that she was beautiful, but he honestly felt a sibling connection to her, and he gathered she felt the same. Reid also gathered how Hotch gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, and his frown got a little bigger while Natalie said that he was amazing.

Reid smiled to himself at how his normally stoic boss was slowly becoming attached to Natalie. Natalie and Reid continued to talk until they reached a small white courthouse. There was already press swarming the area; Seattle was considered one of the safest places to live, so naturally, the deaths of four young women plus the kidnapping of Heather Woodland gained the attention of every news outlet. Police officers had to escort the team up the white marble stairs to the podium and microphone set up for Natalie. Her hands started to sweat, and her anxiety started to kick in. Natalie took a deep breath and took out her notepad from her computer. She touched her pin, which calmed her down.

It almost felt like a touch from her mother, which made her more confident. The press swarmed her, which caused the officers to have to tell them multiple times to stand back. Aaron helped them control the press, which made her feel a little bit better as well. Some of the reporters gave her weird looks; she knew that they were probably used to seeing JJ, and they were naturally going to be tougher on a black woman, so she mentally prepared herself for any misogyny.

Natalie approached the podium, tapping the microphone to make sure it was on. She cleared her throat and started to speak, "Hello, I am Natalie Price, the New Media Liaison for the Behavioral Analysis Unit for the FBI. We are here to give the public some information on the suspended suspect and general safety advice for the women of Seattle watching.”

Natalie took a deep breath and continued, “We are looking for a white male in his late 20s, someone who could most likely blend into any crowd. This perpetrator is highly intelligent and most likely has a previous history with law enforcement. We believe that the suspect drives a Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows. Finally, we believe the suspect will mostly try to insert themselves into the investigation. If you have any tips for the FBI, please report them to Crime Stoppers, which you can do anonymously. And for the women of Seattle, we recommend reporting any suspicious activity, going out in groups for the time being, and being alert to your surroundings at all times.” Natalie took another breath. “That is all at this time, and we will not be taking questions."

Natalie finished. She stepped away from the podium, proud of her delivery, and walked to be escorted back to the SUV. The reporters naturally followed, asking a series of questions: “Does the FBI have any leads?” One woman asked, “Do you believe Heather Woodland is still alive?” Someone else shouted, as Natalie reached the car an older white man, with silver hair yelled out “Another Colored Person Taking away the jobs of white people. What's going to be next for an all-colored FBI team?”

Natalie just slammed the car door, she was seething she had felt so proud of herself but it was now tainted by some racist prick. But she refused to let her new co-workers see her cry. Hotch glanced at Natalie; he was going to speak up, but Gideon said something first: “Don't let that asshole ruin your day, Price. You did a great job."

Natalie gave a half smile at Gideon. “Thank you, Agent Gideon; I won’t.” Reid chimed up next, "I'm sorry that you had to deal with that.” Natalie appreciated how the team was trying to comfort her “It’s okay Reid, I’m used to it.”

Reid frowned at that “But you shouldn't be, that wasn't okay.”

Hotch chimed in. “No, it was not. I will make sure he is banned from all future press conferences when we get back to Quantico; you have my word.”

He looked over again to Natalie, who was a bit surprised but ultimately grateful. “Thank you, Agent Hotchner.” He gave a head nod to Natalie. She decided to just look out of the window again until they reached a police station, where the other agents were waiting. JJ approached her first once she stepped out of the car. “Price, Congratulations on your first Press conference you did amazing.” Natalie smiled at JJ and responded, “Thank you, JJ; that means a lot."

JJ gave a quick smile back as the rest of the agents cross-referenced the list of suspects compared to the profile they had developed. Eventually, the team narrowed the suspect list to one person, Richard Slessman, and started to discuss the best course of action. “I can call over the SWAT team; they will most likely be ready by nightfall, and considering that Slessman lives with his family, hopefully, that means he won't put up a lot of resistance.” Hotch declared.

Natalie panicked at that thought. She suddenly spoke up, “No, you can't raid the house if children live there.” She realized speaking up so boldly on her first day wasn't the best move, and it aggravated Agent Hotchner.

“Need I remind you Price, that you are not a profiler but simply the Media liaison, therefore you have no stake in this conversation.” Agent Hotchner harshly responded, Natalie was glad he was an asshole it made it easy to overlook whatever feelings she thought she may have had for him.

Prentiss spoke up for her though “Hotch, there is no need to speak to Natalie that way, did you have a suggestion Price?” Natalie appreciated the girls on this team, she genuinely hoped they would become friends now.

“Yes, I do, and while I may be the media liaison Agent Hotchner I would like to remind you that I came from Narcotics and, therefore have useful knowledge on raids.” She paused taking a second to think and then she continued “I suggest you lure him out, that way the children aren't traumatized and we avoid a repeat of WACO” Natalie looked into his eyes when saying this.

She was pissed by how she was treating her but she couldn't deny how her heart skipped when she looked at him.

“Very Well.” Agent Hotchner responded he was staring at her again with his jaw clenched.

Natalie was right in her original assessment, this morning, it was a miserable day, and it was going to be a miserable year.

#aaron hotchner series #aaron hotchner x oc #aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotchner #aaron hotch imagine #aaron hotch fanfiction #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #aaron hotchner x reader

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petercapaldi-press · 2 months ago

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INTERVIEW

No more Mr Nice Guy

Thu 31 Aug 2006 01.03 CEST

Stuart Jeffries

After two decades playing charming, easy-going types, Peter Capaldi has hit the big time as a diabolical spin doctor. So why does the star of The Thick of It seem so miserable? He talks to Stuart Jeffries

'I hate restaurants that play music," says Peter Capaldi. "You come out for a quiet meal and you're supposed to put up with all this booming. Why? It's madness!" It is too soon, one might think, for the 47-year-old actor to start playing Victor Meldrew, but he is making a remarkably convincing go of it. His expressive left eyebrow has shot up a good three inches.

We're standing in the doorway of a London restaurant, wondering where to conduct the interview. The noise is boombastic, but not in a good way. Capaldi stomps upstairs away from the racket. If there was an audition for Last of the Summer Wine at the top, he would be a shoo-in to play Nora Batty's crotchety love interest. But there is no audition. Only a booth where we can sit and he can moan.

Capaldi is supposed to be talking about the gentle new BBC comedy drama Aftersun, in which he plays a sandal-and-sock-wearing middle-aged grump. What drew him to the part, I ask. "I read the script and I thought: this is me." Capaldi used to be a troubled young art school rebel, the front man in a Glasgow punk band called the Dreamboys. Now he's a man who complains about restaurant music. "It happens to all of us," he says.

Who is Peter Capaldi? More likely than not, you're thinking, "Wasn't he the bloke who was in that thing?" And the answer is, "Most likely, yes. Yes, he was!" He has been in more than 40 films and TV dramas, including Judge John Deeds, Shooting Fish, Foyle's War and Iain Banks's The Crow Road. He was John Malkovich's resourceful manservant in Dangerous Liaisons and he even has an Oscar for his first short film, of which more later.

But you probably know him best as Malcolm Tucker in Armando Iannucci's political sitcom The Thick of It. Tucker was originally going to be a composite of spin doctors - Campbell, Mandelson, perhaps even Charlie Whelan - but as the series evolved Tucker became less suave and more boorishly Campbellian. He looks like a man whose head is ready to explode; he swears like a trooper and makes horrible threats with the abandon of a Caesar trying to forestall the collapse of his disgustingly corrupt empire. Indeed, because Tucker is required to swear a lot, Capaldi finds himself swearing more at home, which must be nice for his wife Elaine and 12-year-old daughter Cissy.

Capaldi, who has had something of a topsy-turvy career as an actor, says his newfound nastiness makes a welcome change. "I'm usually required to be boyish, easy-going and charming. So I leapt at this role." In the audition for The Thick of It, he played opposite Iannucci, who took the ministerial role. They improvised a scene in which he told Iannucci that there had been a lot of speculation in the press about him resigning and that the government had every confidence in him, but that if he didn't go they would look weak so he ought to resign. Up to that moment, Capaldi had played it nice. Then he turned nasty: he made it clear that if Iannucci didn't resign he would end up at the bottom of the river. Metaphorically, of course. Once he had got the part, Capaldi went on to say lots of rude and hostile things about leading politicians, the most publishable of which seems to be: "He's about as much use as a marzipan dildo."

Capaldi and Iannucci discovered that they grew up on the same street of tenements in Springburn, Glasgow. They did not know each other, though. Otherwise, as Capaldi points out, they might have exchanged pre-verbal greetings from passing prams. Both were born to Italian immigrants, though it was the Capaldis who had the ice-cream delivery business. He once used his family's business in his screenplay for the 1992 film Soft Top, Hard Shoulder, about a Scottish-Italian who will inherit part of the family ice-cream business if he can make it back to Glasgow in his clapped-out Triumph convertible in time for his father's 60th birthday.

Now, however, Capaldi is somewhat in awe of the younger man who directs The Thick of It. "Armando likes to keep us nervous. We always get the scripts late and barely know the words when we film. I think he likes us to be scared so we can't rely on our technique. The scripts are always brilliant, very closely plotted and perfectly finished. We always shoot a word-perfect version and then shoot another version in which we improvise. There's always much more shot than you see."

Capaldi will play Tucker in an hour-long special of The Thick of It to be filmed in October. He is tight-lipped about how the child pornography charges that actor Chris Langham faces will affect the making of the special. "I don't know anything about what it will involve, except that it will be about the opposition." But isn't Tucker supposed to be a Labour spin doctor? "I don't think he'd have any trouble working for the Tories." And didn't Langham play a Labour minister? Capaldi agrees, but will say no more.

Tucker is the latest incarnation in a career that has seen Capaldi go from Oscar winner to Hollywood reject. It all started in a Glasgow flat when he came home a little drunk to find Bill Forsyth in his kitchen, chatting with his landlady, a costume designer. Something about Capaldi's innocent, charming demeanour appealed to the Scottish director and he cast the young man opposite Burt Lancaster in his 1983 film Local Hero. After that strange debut for a 25-year-old film and art student, Capaldi spent the following decade in bedsits and rep, before winning that Oscar as director and screenwriter of Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life, which starred Richard E Grant. He thought for a moment that he had hit the big time and could become a director. "The truth is that I got to Hollywood and I didn't know what to do once I got there." He claims to have gone to one Hollywood meeting, where it was discovered he was not up to direct a movie, and, disappointed, got the next flight home.

His CV suggests a career that has gone in cycles - plucked from Glaswegian obscurity to star in a film opposite a Hollywood legend; wilderness years in rep; an unexpected Oscar; years of journeyman roles; and now back to prominence as Malcolm Tucker. His performance as the latter has made the phone ring with offers of acting work. "A year ago nobody was interested in me. I am suddenly wanted as a very bad man, rather than whatever I was before."

But if directors have Capaldi pegged as a very bad man like Tucker, how come he plumped for a role in Aftersun that, after all, requires rather gentle comedy? "I was just sent the script. But you're right - the director was worried about whether I could do gentle comedy after Tucker." Even though you've been doing that for much of your career? "Quite."

Aftersun tells the story of Sue and Jim, a couple who married young. Twenty years on, she is on antidepressants for empty-nest syndrome while he is basking in the fragile professional pomp of being the king of MDF. Then, as an anniversary present, the couple's children send them on a two-week holiday to a Spanish villa. On arrival they discover that they're sharing a pool with a pneumatic 20-year-old toff hottie and her no less vexatiously young and lithe Spanish himbo. Hilarity, thanks to David "Cold Feet" Nicholls' script, ensues for the best part of an hour.

The comic drama of pristine youth confronting vulnerable middle age is what keeps Aftersun compelling, along with the sniping rows between Capaldi's Jim and Sue (played by Sarah Parish from Cutting It). At one point he returns to the villa to find Sue smoking a joint beside the pool with the Spanish himbo. "It smelled like a crack den!" he says, with ludicrous overstatement.

"The script spoke to me because of the fungal infection on my feet," Capaldi says now. I sneak a glance at them: sandals, no socks. Jim, by contrast, wears special anti-fungal socks that must make him a devil with the ladies when he wears them with sandals. "In my case," Capaldi says, "the doctor says it's better to keep the air flowing."

Capaldi complains that there are too few grumpy roles for middle-aged men. "It seems to me that most things that are being made are designed for young people. There are aren't that many depictions of melancholic older people, even though they form a growing proportion of the population."

But he has no plans to get stuck in the middle-aged acting rut. He hopes to return to directing with a project called The Great Pretender, which sounds like a philosophical seminar on Kantian metaphysics rather than a Saturday night no-brainer. "It's a film about the making of a film about the life of Bonnie Prince Charlie. It has four parts for Ewan McGregor." I see. Or rather, run that by me again. "There's a film about Bonnie Prince Charlie being made in 1938." Right. "But we discover that the film's star, Lesley Grangely, who's a little like Robert Donat, has vanished on a bender because he's an alcoholic." With you so far. "So the film-makers get this guy who works in a shoe-repair shop to stand in for Grangely. He doesn't know that he's standing in. He thinks he's an extra, but they use all the footage." Right. But why does McGregor, God bless him, play four roles? "Because the role of Bonnie Prince Charlie has a stand-in. So there are two stand-ins. It was conceived to be pieced together and it would have a pseudo-documentary feel to it. It will be really easy to make and we're ready to go," says Capaldi, with the enthusiasm of one who has spent seven years working on the project.

There are two problems with the film, however. The first is that McGregor, whose fame has ensured that the film is more than a complete non-starter, has got to go round the world on his motorbike again for one of those TV travelogues. "He's going to go the other way or something." Clockwise rather than anti-clockwise? "Or vertically rather than horizontally. I can't remember. But he has been incredibly supportive of the thing."

Capaldi won't say what the second problem is, but, given that filming was due to begin earlier this year, clearly something isn't flowing. Possibly money. "It will happen soon. But after my experience with my last film [Strictly Sinatra, a 2001 gangster flick starring Ian Hart that was derided by critics], what I've decided is that I will only make films the way I want. I don't want to make a film to make a film. Strictly Sinatra became a compromise between me and the producers and neither of us liked the results much."

He insists that he now knows what he wants to do. "I want to make this film." It could be a triumph or a turkey, I say, adding ill-advisedly: "It's got cinematic disaster written all over it." As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I wish I could retract them. "Oh thanks," he says, eyebrow shooting up. "I could make the title of my memoirs: 'It's got cinematic disaster written all over it.'" He is being, I hope, ironic. Of course, if the film doesn't work out, he could always get a part in Grumpy Old Men.

· Aftersun is on BBC1 on Friday September 8.

_________________________________________

admin's note: I don't normally include video links to this blog because this is about written stuff, but here is a link to a youtube video of Ewan McGregor talking about the Bonnie Prince Charlie movie script that never actually got made.

#the guardian #aftersun (2006)#the thick of it #ewan mcgregor #strictly sinatra #interview #2006

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afteriwake · 3 months ago

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A Carter Family Holiday Event (A "Just Pieces On The Board" Story)

So here's some Christmas fluff from the extended Carter/Stark/Holmes/Parker family! With bonus Steve and Happy. Please enjoy the Christmas fluff?

A Carter Family Holiday Event - Tony watches as his family decorates for Christmas.

READ @ AO3 | SERIES PAGE

It was Christmas tree decorating time in Tony’s apartment, two weeks after Thanksgiving. His family was there to help, and he relished in that. Pepper, Molly and Sherlock, Sharon, Steve, Peter and May, Happy...by blood or by choice, these people were his family. After years of being alone or just having Pepper and Happy, it was great to have a real family, especially around the holidays.

Barnes had been located, but he was in Wakanda getting the best care he could to deal with the brainwashing, Prince T’Challa assured him, but the near assassination of King T’Chaka and the appearance of Bucky after all the time Steve had spent looking for him had made for interesting times. T’Challa’s kid sister was some sort of scientific genius and Tony had made plans to fly both the Prince and his sister out to tour Stark Industries to see if there was any science they’d be willing to share. The beginnings diplomatic visits started without the politics, though Sherlock had said Mycroft might try and make some official parlay with England if it went well.

But that was a topic for another time. Steve was more pensive than usual, so Tony had set him in charge of the Christmas tree decorating music and it showed. “I'll Be Home For Christmas” blared from the speakers as Sharon and Molly threw popcorn at each other instead of making a popcorn garland, Sherlock steadied the ladder Pepper was on to hang tinsel at the top of the tree, and Steve was putting smaller more fragile ornaments towards the bottom with May’s help. Peter was in the kitchen making them brownies and cookies, since apparently his son could make a mean batch of brownies that were almost as good as Darcy’s better-than-sex brownies.

Tony knew he could have had professionals do it, but he’d demanded family time and his family had capitulated without much protest. It was nice to have them all here, and he was walking around taking pictures. Not that he couldn’t help if he wanted to, but it would be nice to have physical manifestations of the memories later.

“Not that I don’t like the classics,” Tony said, “but can we get something a bit more...bubbly?”

“No Mariah Carey!” Sharon and Molly chorused, then dissolved into giggles.

Steve cracked a grin and moved away from May and the ornaments, putting on “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.” “Better?” he asked.

“Much,” Tony said with a nod. He went over to Steve and clapped him on the shoulder. “If you’re worried about Bucky, I can call try and call Princess Shuri and we can get an update, okay?”

“Thanks,” Steve said, a grateful smile replacing the barely there grin. “I just...if Zemo hadn’t triggered him, he’d be okay.”

“No he wouldn’t,” Sherlock interjected. He hadn’t been involved in the security detail and attempted assassination attempt, but Molly had been as a S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison and she told him everything. It had been one of the few times she’d been in danger in years, but Sharon had had her back and they’d gotten King T’Chaka to safety away from a rampaging Bucky Barnes with minor injuries. Molly’s arm was still in a sling, the only sign left that anything untoward had happened to either of his nieces.

“How so?” May asked.

“What Princess Shuri aims to do is rid him of the brainwashing permanently. No more triggers. Bucky could always be triggered again by those with ill intent if he wasn’t going through this. But as Molly told me, he remembered you, Steve. You had the power to break the hold the brainwashing had on him. With you by his side, I’m sure Bucky will be fine.”

“I hope you’re right, Sherlock,” Steve said with a nod.

“Why don’t you help me decorate the mantle?” May said. “I think we’ve done all we can do with the tree.”

Pepper climbed down from the ladder and made her way to Peter. “Can I steal a cookie, Peter?”

“The peanut blossom ones are cool,” he said with a grin, and Tony snapped a picture of Pepper wrapping an arm around Peter’s shoulder as she swiped a cookie. It was nice to see the two of the getting along so well. And the fact that all the adults in the family had basically adopted May into their family even though she was biologically just Peter’s family warmed his heart.

Sherlock took a step back and looked at Tony. “I think it’s time to see it with the lights,” he said to Tony. “My wife and her cousin are more interested in a popcorn fight than making the chain.”

“Hey, be happy it’s the only kind of fighting we do these days,” Sharon said with a smile, brushing off stray kernels from her lap. She stood up and looked around. “I’ll sweep it up. Want some more wine, Molly?”

“No thank you,” Molly said. “I’d love some sparkling cider, though.”

“I’ll get it," Sherlock said, going over to his wife and kissing the top of her head and squeezing her good shoulder. She looked up with a wide smile on her face and Tony got a picture of the two of them having a private moment. He’d get it framed and give it to them as a present if it turned out good.

“Sharon, you don’t have to clean up,” Happy said. He’d been in the other room gathering decorating supplies and had just come out with more for the mantle. “I can do it.”

:No, I helped make the mess,” she said, smiling at Happy. "I'll clean it up." She went over and took some of the boxes. “Let’s go help Steve and May. The mess can wait for a bit.”

“The gingerbread men are almost ready for decorating!” Peter called out.

“Well, as soon as the mantle is done, let’s light this sucker up!’ Tony said, setting down the camera. Pepper picked it up and aimed it at Tony, and he mugged for the camera before grinning at her, going over and pulling her into his arms. “Isn’t this great, Pep? A real family Christmas.”

“It is," she said with a smile, kissing his cheek. “Merry Christmas, Tony.”

“Merry Christmas, Pep.”

“Let me get everyone for a family picture once we light the tree!” Happy said from the mantle, where he and Steve were unraveling a poinsettia garland.

“It’s got a timer, Happy. The picture wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t in it,” Tony said sincerely.

“Boss...I’m family?” Happy asked, surprised.

“Nearest and dearest,” Tony said with a nod, and he swiped the camera from Pepper and got a shot of Happy’s wide smile. Yeah, these were all his nearest and dearest, and he was happy to have them here tonight. His family, all together for the holidays. Who could ask for anything more?

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