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elvendara · 3 years

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Sugar and Spice Day 3

July 14th

Rock concert (Rockstar/Fan)

“Five minutes till curtains up!” the man ran backstage shouting over the din. Saeran expected a knock on his door shortly and sure enough, it came. Without waiting for an answer, the man opened the door to let him know the time limit. Saeran locked eyes with him through the mirror and nodded.

Once the door was again closed, he stared at himself. He’d long ago bleached his hair white to differentiate himself from his twin. Saeyoung worked in the shadows, it wouldn’t do to have a famous brother who looked exactly like him. He also utilized colored lenses. It served two purposes, he didn’t need to wear glasses, in fact, his fans didn’t even know he needed them, and the mint green was a stark contrast to his regular, amber-colored eyes. The pink tips were a more recent addition, but he liked them.

Black eyeliner was expertly applied, years of practice making it almost effortless. He took a sponge and smudged it, giving himself that perfect edgy look. The earrings were already in, silver crosses dangling on each side of his face. Ironic really, considering he didn’t believe in God. The thick black silver studded collar was snuggly around his neck as was the matching cuff around his right wrist. He stood and grabbed his leather jacket, sliding it on and glancing into the full-length mirror he had been given in his dressing room. He was comfortable in this persona. The music had been a way for him to deal with his life. Writing down his anger, confusion, and loneliness was a way to get it out of him. It became bigger than him pretty quickly and he found that hiding behind rock stardom meant he didn’t have to answer any real questions about his true self. It worked. Except it kept him lonely and alone. He’d come to terms with spending the rest of his life that way. It was easier than imagining being real with someone. Who could ever love the real him anyway?

He smirked at his reflection as he laced up his biker boots. Time to bring the house down!

He was soaked in sweat but didn’t feel tired. In fact, he felt invigorated, like every time he finished a concert. Feeding off the audience was one of the biggest perks to his career. Someone handed him a towel and he wiped his face with it.

“Great show Saeran!” one of the concert coordinators told him. She held a tablet to her chest and had a handful of fans behind her. Five doe eyed girls and one shy looking boy. Well, now that he looked closer, he was definitely a man, close to his own age. He looked sheepish being with the teenaged groupies. “These are the VIP’s for tonight’s afterparty. Thought I’d introduce you before you change.”

“Nice! Great to meet you, I’m glad we’ll be hanging out tonight. Hope you have a good time. Congrats on winning the backstage passes.” He regurgitated. There wasn’t always an afterparty but there were some special guests, rich, who had paid for the whole thing, so he’d been pressed to oblige them with an appearance. He hated the politics of being famous, but he did love his fans. It was because of them that he could enjoy what he did. If it was up to him, he’d fill the party with fans and not rich entitled groupies. He knew he would spend the night fending off offers to ‘get to know each other better’ all night.

“Oh my GOD! It’s really you!”

“Wow! You’re so HOT!”

“Ahhh, my friends are never gonna believe this!”

The girls were just cookie cutter versions of every other girl he’d seen. He couldn’t blame them; it’s how they sold his image. The man looked embarrassed; he wouldn’t even look him in the eye. He took the chance to check him out. He appeared to be a tad shorter than himself, with blond hair and pink clips holding back his bangs. He wore one of his concert shirts and tight-fitting skinny jeans. His nails were painted alternating pink and black with the black ones having his band’s logo on it, a mint green eye. So he really was a fan. Cute too.

“Uh, well, like the lady said, I have to go get changed for the party, I’ll see you all there. And be sure to grab your swag bags before you leave, don’t let them rip you off there! There’s a CD with a snippet of some of our new songs.” He winked and walked off. There was a lot of oohing and ahhing as he left.

He took a quick shower and dressed in a ripped black T-shirt, black jeans and his biker boots, putting all his accessories back on and reapplying his eyeliner. Taking a deep breath, he turned and walked out to the convention center next to the arena. Of course he wasn’t alone, he had security that surrounded him and paparazzi snapping pics as he made his way to the party. They screamed questions at him that he didn’t answer, he smirked, the signature look the media had come to know him by. Surrounded by so many yet feeling so alone. Making it next door took longer than it should have because of the circus around him, but make it he did.

Once he was inside he was taken by the arm by the coordinator who had introduced him to the fans, he couldn’t remember her name but she seemed nice enough. At least she didn’t flirt with him like other women did and took her job seriously.

“You’re here, great, first you should go say hi to the Han family, they’re the ones footing the bill for this afterparty, then you can have a few minutes with the fans before talking to some reporters…”

“Whoah.” He stopped in his tracks and could swear she left skid marks with her heels she’d been going so fast. “I want more than just a few minutes with those fans, and who are all these people anyway?” He saw his bandmates and some of the roadies, but everyone else was a stranger.

“Nobody you need to worry about, uh, I’ll see what I can do with the schedule.” She seemed frazzled but clicked away on her tablet while heading off again. He assumed he should follow, so he did.

“Mr. Han, I appreciate you taking the time and effort for this function.” Saeran greeted the elderly man.

“Ah, of course of course, anything for my new bride!” he had his arm around a young woman who was clearly less than half his age. The rumors about C&R’s head were obviously true. Standing on his other side was a tall and elegant man who appeared to wish he was anywhere but here. He’d seen that face plastered on magazines of all sorts. The heir apparent, Director of C&R, Jumin Han. They nodded respectfully at each other, Saeran feeling sorry for the man and having to deal with his father’s escapades, but the old man seemed like a descent sort. After a few minutes of his ‘wife’ fawning all over him, making him feel uncomfortable, the coordinator pulled him away. He was thankful to her for saving him.

She escorted him towards a section in the back, past all the dancing and the loud music, that was closed off. The music was still loud but at least he could hear himself think. In the section the fans sat, eating and drinking snacks on the coffee table. They all stood up and rushed him. Well, the girls did, touching him and giggling. Where were their parents? They didn’t look old enough to be out. They sat him down and pressed against him. The blond man sat to the side in a chair and continued to sip his cola and eat the snacks, sneaking a look now and then. He wished he could just be alone with him and have a conversation. At least he wouldn’t try to crawl on his lap like these girls seemed to want to do. Well, maybe he wouldn’t mind if the blond tried that.

After about 30 minutes, which felt like a lifetime, the coordinator gathered up the girls and took them out. It was past midnight and he guessed he had been right about their age, couldn’t have minors out at all hours of the night. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It felt like they had leached some of his life force out and he was drained.

“I guess that happens all the time to you huh?”

Saeran sat up abruptly, how could he have forgotten about the blond?

“Sorry, I’ll go if you want to be alone.” He stood and Saeran panicked.

“NO!” he stood, banging his knee on the coffee table, sending him on his ass back on the sofa. He grabbed at the knee, eyes scrunched, “Ow ow ow…”

“Let me see.” Suddenly there was a presence by him as the blond sat beside him, his fingers touching his knee. Because of the ripped jeans, it was easy to see his skin in that area. “Doesn’t look so bad, at least you didn’t break the skin. You’ll have a hell of a bruise though.” The blond raised his gaze to Saeran and he finally got to see the full view. Wow, those eyes knocked him out, was that color even natural? Maybe he was wearing amethyst-colored lenses like what he himself wore. His face was kind, a soft pink flush growing across his cheeks and bridge of his nose. It was adorable.

“Ah, that was really stupid of me. But…I’m glad you didn’t leave. We didn’t even get a chance to chat.” Saeran tried to regain his coolness but found he couldn’t seem to be bothered to try and act in front of this man. “Uh, what’s your name?”

“Yoosung. Don’t have to ask yours I guess.” He smiled, lighting up the entire room.

“Yoosung…I like it.”

“Thanks. I…uh…like you. I mean…I…your music…I…I…like your music…and…uh…I”

Saeran laughed and waved off Yoosung’s explanation.

“So you’re a fan huh? And what…a doctor?” he asked, placing his foot on the ground gently, still rubbing his knee.

“Not quite. But I am going to medical school. And yes, a BIG fan!” his eyes got large, as did his smile. “Your songs spoke to me when I was at a really low point. I don’t know, it felt like you knew what I was going through and understood my pain.” The smile faltered as his thoughts went back to those days. Saeran reached out and placed his hand on Yoosung’s, yes, he knew what it was like to be in pain, he could see it in his eyes.

Their eyes met, an understanding passing between them.

#my posts #fic #Yooran #Yoosung Kim #Saeran Choi #mysme #mystic messenger #Sugar and Spice #Day 3 #July 14th #OK #I know these are supposed to be Saeran as Spice #but damn if he isn't the sweetest baby boi!#He just wants to be loved!

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another-dr-another · 3 years

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insert those coins babey! no point in holding onto them if they aren't used !

You Now Own:

001 - Mineral Water (x2)

Drawn from the ocean depths and rigorously purified. Ideal for a modern on-the-go public unsatisfied with tap water.

002 - Sea Salt

A basic seasoning produced from the evaporation of seawater. It also sees use as a preservative.

003 - Ration

A set of canned and vacuum-sealed foodstuffs. The taste isn't bad, and a certain snake that wants to play hide-and-go-seek is just crazy abou- wait, what?

005 - Ramune

A sweet, lemon-flavored carbonated drink. A marble plugs the opening of the uniquely designed bottle. The bottle can also be reused if you bring it to the ramune store.

010 - Ship In a Bottle

A intricate creation, a model ship within a bottle. Made with time, love and care.

012 - Envy-Enducing Envy CD

A CD of songs by Japanese band Envy. Full of unreleased tracks/first recordings.

014 - Children's Book

A children's book about family and forgiveness! The plot is about a sister who can't get along with her younger brother, but they find common ground and bond over causing trouble for their parents.

016 - Sour Soda (x2)

No flavor is listed on the bottle other than sour, which may just be a flavor in and of itself. It's a near black shade of blue... I think.

017 - Gentleman's Guide

A book that's meant to help shape you into the perfect gentleman. However, it's rather demeaning towards the reader, which doesn't feel very gentleman-ly.

018 - Masculine Cologne

Very masculine, can only be used by masculine people. No weaklings allowed, or people with the common sense to smell it before purchasing, and realize it smells really bad.

019 - Fancy Sword

True to it’s name, it looks very fancy, and very intimidating. However, it's only for show, and rather blunt- perhaps inexpensive?

022 - ??? Alcohol

It's something alcoholic. This is a school, it should be confiscated, and you won't be receiving any more information.

024 - Hair Cutting Scissors

Snip snip snip, meant for hair-cutting at home, as these aren’t professional grade. Still though, try and make it even, okay?

025 - Purple Hair Dye

Pretty purple hair dye guaranteed to not come out of hair for weeks! More of a pinkish-purple than the box advertised, but still pretty.

028 - Constellation Skirt

With patterns matching actual real constellations. Despite matching the night sky, it almost seems sun-rise themed, with its pink background and pale gold stars.

030 - Bottled Tea

When heated up, it's meant to help soothe upset stomachs, and muscle aches. Popular among student athletes.

031 - Alarm Clock

It's a digital alarm clock. One of the few normal and functional things here, and it's the thing that screams at you to wake up every morning.

032 - Broken Stopwatch (x2)

It won't stop running, no pausing or restarting. You can however make it record different laps.

034 - Baseball Cap

Perfect for keeping the sun out of your face! This one is all black though, so it'll retain a lot of heat.

038 - Card Game (x3)

One easy to play, and popular among kids. The front side of the package shows a family of four playing.

039 - Reminder Booklet

A small pamphlet that gives reminders for daily things, such as eating, drinking, taking meds, etc. Also has room for you to add in unique personalized reminders.

041 - Tiovita

A Japanese energy drink sold at most convenience stores. Pretty inexpensive, and with a nice fruity flavor- but hey, only one per day!

044 - Lie Detector (x2)

Fun for the whole family! Though not incredibly accurate... wait, how do you know that?

045 - Evidence Encylopedia

A book focusing on evidence found in crime scenes. From most overlooked to most common, this book talks about it all.

049 - Track Award

A award from a middle school track and field award. The recipient of the trophy seems to have come in second in two events, and first in one.

050 - Plane Tickets (x2)

Anywhere, anytime, round trip tickets. Probably given as some sort of thank you for volunteering to get off of a accidentally over-booked flight.

051 - Therapy Advertisement (x2)

Some therapist endorsing themselves. Upon looking at the services they offer, I don't feel very inspired to go there.

056 - Soulmate Sweatshirt

A sweatshirt that supposedly brings the most comfort not when you wear it, but when holding someone wearing it. Currently smells strongly of... lavender?

057 - Scrap Metal x3

Seems to be broken bits and pieces of some sort of engine. Could be repurposed, or simply a cool trinket.

059 - Old Journal

It seems to be from the late 80s, and kept being written in up to the early 90s. There's a entry on the last page, synopsizing the birth of the owners son, and how proud the owner is of his now five year old.

060 - Paper Boat

A piece of paper that's been folded into a boat. Apparently you can fold and tear it as you tell a story to provide a visual aid for the story, but no one here knows how.

061 - Calendar

It's got pictures of internationally famous towns on it! This particular one has been written on with a note on almost every day.

064 - Face-paint Kit.

A professional face-painting kit. However, it’s missing it’s red, yellow, blue and white paint- those colors have been all used up.

065 - Life Quote Sign (x3)

A sign with some stereotypical life quote written on it in flowery lettering. Most likely to be seen hanging in a kitchen.

066 - Throwing Rings (x2)

Meant for fair games. If you have good enough aim, maybe you'll win a prize!

067 - Pleasant Savior

Seemingly a CD filled with various performances by the same person. I haven't played the CD, so I don't know what kind of performances he does though, and the name is off-putting.

069 - “Fresh” Bouquet (x3)

Somehow still smells sweet with flowers that look flawless. It's comprised of roses that have been dyed rainbow, all of them.

070 - Hair Ribbons (x3)

They come in a variety of colors, but the Monomono Machine only dispenses yellow. Guaranteed to make the wearer feel a certain sense of self-satisfaction.

071 - Girls Profile

A student profile from a all-girls academy. The paper is water-stained and some of the ink has run, so it's hard to make out what's on the paper.

073 - Baby Doll

It seems to be from around the 90s and... not quite well-loved, but well-played-with. Doesn't come with the original clothes... or hair.

075 - Dream Catcher

Made by a past SHSL. It's actually been pretty effective, and is part of the reason they got scouted.

080 - Retro Game

It's handheld, old, and extremely broken. The screen has been shattered so it displays wrong, all cracked and distorted.

081 - Blackout Curtains (x2)

Completely block out any and all light. Strong enough to plunge a room into darkness.

084 - Noise-cancelling Headphones

They completely block out all sound! Also come with the ability to adjust the size of the band, and will stay on your ears even if you pull the band down to your neck.

086 - Wall Decals

Stickers you can put on your wall. They do a decent job of covering up holes in said walls.

087 - Antique Stuffed Animal (x2)

It seems to be bunny themed, and dressed in clothes you'd see on babies in the 1930s. It's in pretty good shape, other than a few tears where the lace trim at the end has had it’s stitches removed.

088 - Embroidery Kit

Or rather, a needle and thread to be used for embroidery. There's only one needle, and one spool of thread, but hey, it’s something.

090 - Scented Markers (x2)

A full rainbow set, all with their own unique smell! Be careful though - it's hard to get these out of clothes.

092 - Fake Christmas Tree (x2)

Too plastic to be a real tree. It's also incredibly small, but real trees can be small too, so that doesn’t really mess with the realism.

093 - Hair Gel

Top of the line hair gel, and completely unopened! Helps you style your hair and keep it in place, but doesn’t give it the nicest texture.

095 - Instant Noodles

Just add water to get something hot, salty, and/or spicy! A nice meal if you're looking for something that's quick and easy, you can dress it up some too.

097 - Drink Mix

A powder used for ??? warm drink, made with milk, tastes like... something? You try it and tell me, but it smells good at the least.

099 - The DSM-I

Self-explanatory, it's the original version of the DSM, from 1952. Index cards have been slipped in-between most of the pages, talking about what happened with the information listed there.

100 - Collection Of Old Ads

Dating back to the 1920s. A magazine full of ads from a different time, it’s somewhat of a miracle the paper held up while the ideas in it didn’t.

101 - Wooden Ruler

It's a wooden ruler. Used for measuring things, nothing else- why do you ask?

102 - Building Blocks (x3)

Stacking and stacking, and sending it all crumbling down. And then you rinse and repeat.

104 - Cutesy Hair Clips

Snap clips in pastel colors and covered in designs. Oddly enough, there isn't any non-pastels, unless you count the few white clips.

106 - Newspaper Collage

Seems to be a collection of snippets from newspaper articles. There must be hundreds in here... it's a big collage.

107 - Cropped Sweatshirt

Cropped specifically due to a parent saying not to. The sweatshirt seems to be related to some organization, with the big fancy emblem on it.

109 - Pins And Patches

A mix-and-match bag full of enamel pins, buttons, and iron-on patches. Good luck finding something to do with them all.

110 - Origami Paper (x2)

Simple origami paper, in a variety of colors and patterns! Comes easy to tear out of a book, which includes instructions on basic origami types.

112 - Colorful Band-Aids.

They come in many colors, designs, even different sizes. Some seem to be made to cover up paper cuts, others meant to help skinned knees and scraped elbows.

Thank you for visiting the Monomono Machine!

~*~

Maeda, narrating - And I thought the coins were kinda heavy...

Maeda - What now?

[Free Time Event - Uehara]

{Head to Your Room}

#dra #au #fangan #fanganronpa #yuki maeda #chapter 2 #daily life

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iworshipkeanureeves · 4 years

Text

There Are No Rules (3/3)

Keanu Reeves x Reader (The Devil Wears Prada AU)

A/N: The series has come to an end and I’m a little sad about it because I had too much fun exploring this universe, but I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as I did. Thanks @toomanystoriessolittletime for this opportunity to participate in your writing challenge, and I can’t wait to wish you a happy birthday!

Summary: Reader applies for a job in a fashion magazine where Keanu is editor-in-chief.

Warnings: none

Words: 3.5K

-Part 2-

The morning they had to leave, Keanu sent a car to Y/N’s home. Opening the door, she was relieved to find out he wasn’t sitting inside, and she was informed that he would be meeting her at the airport. Y/N was still a little embarrassed from the previous night, thinking it would have been wiser not staying for that drink, and it was easing to know they wouldn’t be sharing an awkward car ride.

Y/N had no idea what to expect but she was definitely amazed to learn that Vogue owned a private jet. Sadly, it was only reminding her how much out of place she felt. Y/N had never been on one before, and no matter how excited she was, there was a feeling of anxiety accumulating in her core. This lifestyle wasn’t hers, she did not know how to behave, especially at all the shows she was going to attend with Reeves. She was afraid to be a disappointment.

Y/N was greeted by Nigel rushing her to get on board, while the driver was taking care of her luggage. Stepping inside, Y/N acted like she was looking around for a place to sit but her eyes were actually scanning the place and searching for Reeves.

He was already asleep with his ears plugged and a black satiny sleeping mask covering his eyes. It didn’t come as a surprise after the sleepless night that Keanu and Y/N had shared, still unsettling thoughts were running in her head, thinking that maybe Keanu was pretending, just to avoid interacting with her.

Y/N, on the other hand, was unable to rest. She was nauseous, worried that things were going to be weird between Keanu and her, and to make the matters worse, they would be stuck together for a whole week. Y/N was also disgusted by her own actions, knowing it was Emily, who should have been on this jet, flying to Fashion Week she had been dreaming about for so long. Instead, Y/N selfishly took her place, and she hadn’t even had the guts to apologize yet.

Nigel seemed like he had a sleepless night too. He had probably spent the bigger part of it making a wardrobe switch, throwing away outfits he had spent a lot of time putting together. Not only Y/N’s and Emily’s sizes differed, but their styles too, so Nigel had only a few hours to come up with something completely new. It was another reason for him to hate the fact that Y/N was coming instead of Emily, and he wasn’t afraid to openly express it with his sulking look.

Spending long hours on that jet, Y/N couldn’t help but think, how a simple refusal could have solved most of these problems, and how she would be enjoying a calm day at the office now.

---

Surprisingly, the Fashion Week was going way better than Y/N thought it would. It opened up a whole new world for her, and Keanu was there to guide her. Indeed, he was being very nice and patient with her, Y/N really enjoyed having her boss this way. Sometimes Y/N even felt like he was the one assisting her, as Keanu would help with where to go, what to do, what to say, and she was thankful, because otherwise she would have been completely lost.

Keanu was also good with dissipating any remaining awkwardness between them, and a couple of days in, Y/N had almost forgotten that uncomfortable exchange at his place. They were back at ‘friendly professional‘, and even if Y/N had been craving the kiss, she liked having their relationship this way. It was less stressful, and she could properly enjoy the events of the Fashion Week.

Y/N didn't feel excluded at all, Reeves was taking her everywhere, and he was even encouraging Y/N to converse with people. Not that she often dared to, but still, it was nice to know that she wasn't just someone far in the background.

And the outfits were fantastic of course, even if Nigel didn't like Y/N too much, he did a perfect job. He was even considerate enough to search for comfortable shoes and Y/N appreciated that. Keanu seemed like he enjoyed her outfits as well, since Y/N would catch him occasionally checking her out. She was certain that Keanu was more interested in her fashion rather than Y/N herself, but she savored his attention.

Keanu was definitely leading socially but it was Y/N, who kept everything in order, and Keanu knew he could trust her. “Can you check if our car is close? I don’t want to be late for Saint Laurent,” he asked, ready to leave Dior.

Praising technology, Y/N opened a GPS app connected to their car, hoping it was not too far away. “It’s just around the corner, our driver is probably waiting for us already,” she turned her phone around showing Keanu the screen. In that second, Y/N felt her phone vibrating, unknown number popping up on the screen.

Y/N knew she was still technically working, and maybe it was not the right time to answer calls from her personal phone. She was about to stick her mobile back into her purse, when Keanu interrupted. “You’re not going to take this?” He asked.

“May I?” She was a little surprised, thinking how this would never happen back in the office. Keanu would often remind her that working hours were not for personal matters, but she guessed the rules didn’t apply in Paris.

“Sure, I’ll meet you outside,” Keanu let her go with a little wink, and she found her way outside to return the call. It was really hard to find a quiet corner. Luckily, Y/N wasn’t famous and people were completely ignoring her when Keanu wasn’t by her side.

“Good morning, Y/N, I’m calling from The Bronx Daily, I’m happy to inform…” it was all Y/N heard before her brain went clouded. Words were mixing up inside her head, and her brain could only put together little snippets coming from the other end of the line.

“… we would like you to start as soon as possible…” Y/N immediately remembered having that interview, but they hadn’t responded in so long that Y/N thought it was over. She didn’t even know what to say. Of course, she was happy, but everything seemed so quick and unexpected that she was having hard time gathering her thoughts.

“Thank you so much, could you email me all the information?” She had only managed to say, before she saw Keanu waving at the driver. Once the call was over, she ran closer joining him for the ride.

“All good?” He handed Y/N a snickers, something to keep her through another show.

“What? Oh, yes yes, I’m good.”

“You’re sure? You seem a little off.” He was watching Y/N playing with her chocolate bar, nervously twirling the wrapper in her hands.

“I’m fine, it was just my friend, she got engaged” Y/N lied, she wanted to think more before announcing her decision.

Truthfully, there wasn’t much to think about, she had just been offered a job as a journalist, which meant she would finally be writing. It was something she had been dreaming of for so long, and it didn’t matter that it wouldn’t be as glamorous as Vogue, she had to start somewhere.

It was a pity they called her in the midst of the Fashion Week, when Y/N was enjoying her job like never before. She had to constantly remind herself that her fairytale was going to end next week, and she would be back to her horrid office job fulfilling absurd Reeves’ wishes.

Speaking about Reeves, it made everything much harder, since Y/N felt herself slowly falling for him. Y/N was sure as ever, she wasn’t going to waste a great opportunity for another man, especially the one completely out of her league, who also didn’t even seem to be interested in her any longer.

Y/N felt that if Keanu truly wanted to kiss her, he would have done it back at his place before leaving to Paris. But he didn’t, and maybe Y/N was overestimating how much he actually liked her. Still, it broke her heart knowing she might not be seeing him again.

Their car was slowing down next to a venue, and Y/N kept on staring through the window with a slight concern. She still couldn’t get used to those huge crowds surrounding the entrance, people shouting and press cameras flashing in front of her eyes. “Do you enjoy this chaos?” She inquired, keeping her eyes set on the pavement.

“No, of course not,” Keanu chuckled. “But I love my job and I love fashion, it’s something I have never doubted. So I guess, when you’re determined about the things you love, it’s easier to turn a blind eye sometimes, and I’m pretty sure you’re aware there are much worse things in the industry than that.”

“Yeah…” Y/N sighed and gave him a shy smile.

“This chaos will be over soon, and no matter how much you hate it now, I guarantee, you’re going to miss it someday.”

---

It was Y/N’s final night in Paris, she was hanging out in her hotel room, getting ready for the gala event as Reeves’ plus one. He had sent a professional glam team to her room for her hair and make up, and Nigel had stopped by earlier leaving a beautiful evening gown for Y/N to wear.

It was a dark burgundy chiffon dress having a corset embedded with bright tiny jewels. Y/N could only wonder how much it was worth, but in the same time, she had other things to worry about too. That tight corset being one of them.

It had too many little clasps in the back, and Y/N was sweating, desperately trying to work behind her. Her arms were burning and her neck was doing almost a 180 degree turn to the mirror, trying to keep track of every little metal piece sliding between her fingers. It was impossible, and she had been aware from the very beginning that in no way she was going to do it herself.

Y/N knew she should have asked her make up team to help her, if only she had thought about it earlier… But it was too late now. Time was not on her side, and Y/N had to think fast. It was either Nigel or Keanu to help her, and the choice was obvious here.

Y/N dialed Nigel as quickly as she could praying for him to answer. It took a few calls for her to realize that Nigel was not available to help. Her only hope was Keanu now, and Y/N didn’t think much before dialing his number. Gladly, he was quick to pick up.

“Can you come help me?” She asked, breathing her frustration to the phone.

“What did you do?” He was always quick to think that Y/N had messed something up.

“What? Nothing, it’s about the dress” She had neither time nor energy to argue, so she just waited for Keanu to confirm that he could come.

In a minute, Y/N heard a knock on her door and rushed to let Keanu in. He was already wearing his white dress shirt with a black tie, but the suit jacket was probably still in his room. For a second, Y/N lost herself admiring his built, his shirt nicely tucked in, accentuating his hefty core. Her hands even shook a little willing to wrap around his sturdy waist.

“If you don’t like it, I’m sorry, but trust me, Nigel knows better,” Keanu spoke closing the door behind him and coming closer into the room.

“It’s not that, I love it. I just can’t deal with the corset, and Nigel won’t answer.”

“Fine, show me.” He crossed his arms waiting for Y/N to bring the dress.

She slowly handed him the gown, and they both stood confused. “Do you want to wear this on top of your robe?” Keanu asked with a cheeky smile, making Y/N blush and shift her eyes to the ground. She was wearing nothing but her panties underneath, and she only had stickers covering her nipples, so naturally, Y/N didn’t feel easy taking the robe off in front of Reeves.

“What? Oh no, I-I’m,” she was stuttering, feeling the burn in her cheeks.

“It’s okay, I won’t look,” Keanu giggled turning around. He was so used to working around unabashed models, that he didn’t even realize at first this could be making Y/N feel uncomfortable.

She looked beautiful as ever, making it hard for Keanu to focus on her corset. In fact, he was stalling, slowly working his way up her spine, wishing this moment lasted forever. With every clasp done, Keanu could see her breasts lifting higher, every little push up was making his breathing increasingly erratic. He tried to look away, but his eyes would wander back to Y/N’s décolleté, perfectly framed by luxurious fabric.

More than anything, Keanu wanted to undo the corset ripping it apart, he was barely holding himself together. But he had to. Y/N was his assistant, a good one in fact, and he had almost ruined it once, so he knew better to stay away this time.

Meanwhile, Y/N was sensing Keanu close, his breath against her radiating skin. She was imagining him kissing her exposed neck, trailing sultry kisses down her bare back. Y/N could feel his fingertips occasionally brushing against her soft skin, waking up little tingles in various places all over her body. She got carried away by various scenarios playing in her head, all of which involved Keanu tearing the dress away.

“You’re all done.” His words snapped Y/N back into reality, and they both shared longing looks reflecting in the mirror. Both of them felt it, neither one dared to do something. “No wait, not yet.” He stepped aside to take a white gold diamond necklace out of the velvet box and came back closer brushing Y/N’s hair over her shoulder. “You look beautiful,” he said, admiring Y/N through the mirror, his eyes following the necklace as it sank down closer to the valley of her breasts.

In that minute, sadness washed over Y/N’s eyes, as she remembered it was her final day in Paris. Her Cinderella story was coming to an end, and Y/N felt like she would never even see Keanu again after telling him she wanted to leave Vogue.

“I’ll meet you at the lobby,” he nodded stepping through the door. “We’re leaving through the front door, so don’t get too overwhelmed.”

She knew she had to tell him. Eventually.

---

The gala was overwhelming to say the least. Y/N felt like every event she had participated in during the week was to prepare her for this. Some of the people she could remember from the fashion shows she had seen, and surprisingly, some of them remembered her too.

Of course, she didn’t magically turn into a social butterfly, but her time spent in Paris definitely helped to open up her shell. Y/N was amazed how she only needed one person to believe in her in order to become a confident woman, or at least she was getting closer to it. Unfortunately, the realization only made it harder to leave Vogue.

Y/N kept calling it Vogue in her head, but truly, it was Keanu she didn’t want to part with.

“Y/N?!” She heard him whispering in a strict tone. “What is wrong with you today? You’re all in your head.” He complained, but he also seemed a little concerned for Y/N.

“I’m sorry, it’s nothing. You wanted something?” She smiled, persuading him there was nothing to worry about.

“You have to choose from the menu, I’ve asked you like three times already.” Y/N only gave him an apologetic look, taking the menu from his hands.

During the dinner Y/N tried to constantly be aware, she was afraid to look like a fool drifting away in her mind again. She kept observing the environment, noticing how most of the girls were barely touching their food, and it made her wonder whether she should follow this social protocol too.

It took Y/N two minutes of playing with her food to realize how actually hungry she was. She wasn’t even going to be a part of this world soon, so why bother, she thought. The steak was so juicy, Y/N could almost hear it calling her name, inviting her to indulge. Ant it was definitely worth it.

As they were waiting for the dessert, the chatty crowd around the table was becoming too much for Y/N, so she excused herself to get some fresh air. Also, she wanted to prepare her words for telling Keanu she was out, something quick and painless.

Keanu was expecting for Y/N to come back soon, but as he noticed she was gone for a great matter of time, he decided to go look for her.

He found Y/N in the balcony, admiring the sun setting over the Parisian rooftops. Her dress was flowing in the wind as she was leaning over the balcony railing, looking stunning from behind. Keanu even had to stop for a moment to marvel the view.

“You’re okay?” He inquired coming nearer to Y/N and resting his hands on the rail, close to where hers was.

“Yes, just needed some air,” her eyes were set on the Eifel Tower; she had never been to Paris before.

“Did something happen? Because I feel like something’s wrong.” He turned his core towards Y/N, trying to read her face. The only thing he saw was how pretty she was.

“The Bronx Daily reached out, they want me to write for them.” Y/N bit her lip trying to swallow her tears.

“Are you going to?” Keanu was soft, almost compassionate.

“Well yes, I know it’s not Vogue, but at least I’d be writing.”

“So, that’s great news, right?” He raised his palms up, almost ready to hug Y/N. Keanu saw it wasn’t easy for her, so he tried to lighten the atmosphere with his smile. He was genuinely happy for her.

“Yeah, but… You don’t seem too upset,” she smirked, finally finding the courage to look Keanu in the eye. “Was I really that bad?”

“Oh come on, I think we both knew Vogue was only temporary for you.” Y/N raised her brow, thinking what the hell Keanu meant with his words. “You’ve always wanted to write, it’s your chance.”

“Then why did you even bother to take me in?”

“I saw a beautiful girl with so much potential just not enough vigor that I… I don’t know, I guess… I just wanted to show her what she’s capable of, to give her wings, you know.” For the first time Y/N saw Keanu like that. He was timid, even blushing, it was him now unable to keep his eyes up.

“You know you turned me into a terrible person, right?” Y/N sighed. “I stabbed Emily in the back, I stole this opportunity from her, and I don’t think I deserved this at all. Is that what you’re calling giving me wings?”

“Well, Harpies have wings too,” Keanu smirked making her giggle.

“And look at the bright side.” He raised his hand up to her shoulder coming to stand behind her. Y/N could feel his touch still being a little uncertain, so she sank backwards slightly, molding herself into his grip. “You won’t have to deal with Emily anymore, who I’m sure is mad as hell.” Keanu continued making them both chuckle, his hands were squeezing Y/N’s shoulders form behind, warming up her skin. The weather was getting chilly, but Y/N was feeling warmth from within, she wanted to be held like this forever.

“Besides, since you won’t be working for me anymore…” Keanu brushed his fingers through Y/N’s hair, fixing a couple of strands messed up by the wind. He slowly pushed one of her shoulders forward turning her around, then carefully drew his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb running just below her lower lip. Y/N’s eyes were glimmering with anticipation, and before she could do or say anything, Keanu’s lips came to join hers.

He was tender at first, slowly deepening the kiss, trying to test the waters before he was sure Y/N was in for this. He even pulled back a little, opening his eyes to check hers. “Is this..?” Y/N didn’t let Keanu finish, wrapping her hand around his nape, pulling him closer again. She felt the kiss with her whole body, excitement and arousal reaching every single cell of hers. It seemed like their hands had only one goal, which was to pull each other close, making them eager for even more. It was impossible to hold back with their lips fusing, dancing around one another, exploring the taste they had been craving for so long. It felt like the kissing was never going to end, but for the sake of their swollen lips, they had to slow down at least for now.

“Do you want to go back for dessert?” Keanu asked, pressing her gently to his chest.

“I’ve already had mine,” they both chuckled, bringing their lips back closer for another little peck.

“Want me to show you around Paris then?” Keanu grinned, offering Y/N to take his hand. Nodding with enthusiasm, she left another kiss lingering on Keanu’s lips and locked their fingers together getting excited for what else this night had to offer.

-THE END-

Tag-list: @keandrews @rdjloverxxx @danceoftwowolves @greenmanalishi @lilywoood

>Masterlist<

#keanu reeves #keanu reeves x reader #keanu reeves fanfiction #keanu reeves imagine #the devil wears prada #keanu reeves x you #keanu reeves series #keanu reeves fic #StephsBirthdayWritingChallenge

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markwatkinsconsumerguide · 5 years

Photo

Consumer Guide / No.92 / Realtor Annie Challis with Mark Watkins.

Annie’s a top producer in the real estate industry representing both buyers and sellers from Downtown to Beverly Hills to Malibu and all areas between in Los Angeles.

MW : After leaving the UK, how did you get into real estate in the USA?

AC : I have lived in Beverly Hills since November 1989. I started in real estate after leaving the management company where I was President and we managed various artists. This involved worldwide travel from my US base promoting various star artists. I had been traveling probably nine to ten months of every year for over eighteen years and after my first two week break in that time I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore and have some “me” time. One of my dear friends and ex-client suggested buying houses, renovating and reselling. Whilst doing that I decided to get my real estate brokers license so as not to have to pay commission to another agent. Then my business just grew from there with recommendations from friends to buy and sell for people.

MW : Did your real estate skills help you when buying your own home?

AC : No, not really, you see I had actually bought and sold five homes of my own before I started in the real estate business. I love looking at houses, seeing what needs doing, do it and move on. I never really feel emotionally attached to a house, although I do love walking into my home and looking around and feeling peaceful. I guess the contents are more than the bricks and mortar mean more to me.

MW : How is your own home decorated, and would you move again?

AC : My home is a mixture of antique and contemporary. I believe less is more so there isn’t too much “stuff” lying around. Yes I’d move again. Not sure when or where yet. At the back of my mind, I think I would like to spend more time back in the UK where I have family. Having said that, I don’t know if I could spend winter there. My blood has thinned out since living in Los Angeles. I get chilly when the temperature goes down to 70 fahrenheit in the winter.

MW : Are there any marked differences in terms of how British and Americans buy and sell property?

AC : There is a huge difference how British and American Estate Agents operate. Over here in the US, agents have to have passed a pretty hard exam to get a license, and in order to buy and sell have to have that license which has to be renewed every four years. Both buyers and sellers are represented by agents over here and the whole process is done with official legal contracts, so rarely use a solicitor. Once someone puts in an official offer it is in writing and there is no “gazumping” (unlike in the UK), and the inspection is far more rigorous to determine if there is anything wrong with the property.

MW : Has Trump been a plus or a minus as far as you are concerned in the US housing market?

AC : Although Trump has reduced interest rates for loans there are other things he has taken away like the amount of tax-relief on loans and on property taxes.

And with a sense of the country being “up in the air” nobody can predict what will happen - a bit like it is for you at the moment (with Brexit)!!

MW : As former President of Stiefel Entertainment you looked after many top artists in the music business, tell me about your favourite songs by each of these artists you managed...

...Rod Stewart ; The Bangles and Patty Smith...

AC : Well this is difficult. I have to say that I liked most. Thank goodness we never had acts where I hated the music. I went through years of Rod Stewart’s music and indeed we have been good friends from my Capital Radio days. I love tracks that were out before I was involved in management, such as ‘The Killing of Georgie (part l & ll)’ from the 1970s.

I have great memories of the time The Bangles released ‘Eternal Flame’ in 1989 and still love it. It was No.1 on both the UK and US charts.

I liked the track Patti Smyth did with Don Henley in 1992 called ‘Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough’.

MW : Tell me about your time at London’s Capital Radio?

AC : I was working at Radio Luxembourg as an assistant during my school summer holiday and production manager/presenter Dave Cash asked me if I would join a new radio station setting up to start in London. I loved the idea and jumped in. We had an office in Piccadilly at the corner of Down Street with the Hardrock Cafe on the other corner. Director Richard Attenborough was there almost every day and very few of us including programme controller Michael Bukht, who was one of the nicest gentlemen I had met. We spent months there getting the station together, and then moved to Euston and suddenly loads of people joined and there we were. Capital Radio went on-air 16th October, 1973, shortly after LBC, with the first record played being Simon & Garfunkels ‘ Bridge Over Troubled Water’.

MW : Specifically, what shows did you present & produce?

AC : Kenny and Cash was crazy and producing that kept me on my toes. I loved Kenny Everett and Dave Cash dearly. We had such a good time.

I would put together a playlist but basically that show changed second by second, particularly as Kenny was such a genius and would put together jingles and snippets at his studio at home and bring them in the next morning. We did get a few morning calls once Aiden Day was the programmer director about tracks we played. My biggest memory of that was when we played ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen. Aiden was not pleased - it did of course go to No.1 in the UK in 1975 and stayed there for nine weeks until the end of January,1976.

I also came up with an idea for Gerald Harper’s Sunday Affair where we played a real cross section of music from classical to rock. Gerald was a well-known actor who had never done a radio show, but his charm from TV came over the air-waves and giving away champagne and roses didn’t harm that. It became a huge success. He was so easy to work with.

I had a good relationship with record labels and pluggers - they all seem to have respect. In fact I’m still in touch with many. It was an amazing social time when they appeared to have unlimited expense accounts for lunches and dinners.

MW : Is there any truth in the rumour that Gerald Harper might have moved from Capital to Radio 210 in Reading?

AC : Don’t know about that!

MW : ...memories of Maggie Norden? ; Roger Scott? and Tim Rice?

AC : I have great memories of Maggie, Roger and Tim. Roger was an excellent broadcaster and went way too soon. I didn’t see much of Maggie and Tim as they had weekend shows. My closest pals were Kenny (Everett), Dave (Cash) and Tommy Vance.

MW : How do you know Steve Blacknell?

AC : I meet Steve through events in the business - it was an extremely social time. We are still in touch.

MW : What do you like to see and do in Beverly Hills?

AC : I have to say that the area has changed a lot in the years I have been here. When I first came it seems spread out and lovely as a city, now it is growing into a high rise city. The weird thing is once a home gets old they tear it down and build something new until that fad is over and do the same again. So people are trying to keep some of the older ones now. Los Angeles is such an easy driving access to all climates - here we have the sun and beaches and you can drive for two hours to the snow. Downtown LA, which is like the business area in the City in London is really being built up including theaters, museums, restaurants etc.

MW : What newspapers / magazines do you read?

AC : I read the British dailies online every morning to catch up on what’s happening there. I read The Week, New Yorker, the New York Times at the weekend. There are so many 24-hour news TV channels over here you get up to the second news

MW : What are you plans for the business...and how buoyant is the current market / any trends…

AC : I’ve got sales going on at the moment and enjoying that - who knows what the future holds.

https://www.anniechallis.com/

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reviewdoctorwho · 7 years

Text

Marco Polo- All the Splendor Telesnaps Can Display

This is one of my favorite First Doctor serials, which is saying something since none of it actually exists. For those of you who aren’t aware, back in the 60s and 70s the BBC (among other channels) wiped a metric ton of master videotapes from many TV series, Doctor Who included. Since the First and Second Doctors were filmed exclusively onto videotapes, it meant that every one of their master copies were destroyed forever. Over time people have found copies of episodes around the world, artifacts left over from old BBC foreign broadcasts. Some serials, such as this one, are completely missing, while some others are missing just one or a couple episodes. Even more interestingly, sometimes in missing episodes there will be a snippet of someone getting shot or a monster blowing up or some other violent acts, because all that survived were the pieces cut out of the broadcast in foreign markets due to censorship. As a result of this wiping, a huge percentage of the First and Second Doctor serials only exist in reconstructions made with the audio (every single episodes exists as audio even if the master tapes were dumped) and telesnaps, screenshots of the recording television screen kept for record keeping purposes. Thanks to the people who piece these together, we have a very thorough idea of what these episodes would have been like, but we are still missing out on the hard work put into our favorite show back in the day. Every Classic Whovian has a missing serial they’d love to see completed, and for me it’s this one (it used to be Enemy of the World, but they found that several years ago and it is literally as amazing as I could’ve ever hoped for).

Synopsis: Interestingly, this story is narrated by the titular Marco Polo as he writes his memoirs. He begins telling an interesting story about the strange group of people he met in 1289…

The Doctor and crew land in the snowy Pamir mountains, their TARDIS completely broken and shut down after escaping the craziness that was the previous serial. They begin to investigate their surroundings, trying to find a way to survive and avoid the Mongols they discover looming in the area. The Mongols track them down and are about to kill them, thinking they are evil spirits who have just materialized on the mountain, when Marco Polo arrives on scene and stops them. The crew join Polo’s caravan, which is headed to see the Kublai Khan, and the Doctor tells Polo about his “flying caravan” and how it needs to be repaired so they can leave. Our four heroes are introduced to Tegana, a Mongol warlord on a peace mission to see the Khan, and Ping-Cho, a young Chinese girl whom Polo is escorting to the Khan so she can be wed to a 75 year old dignitary. Tegana and Marco Polo begin creating their own plots to steal the TARDIS- Tegana so that he can use it to destroy the Khan, and Polo so that he can use it as a bargaining chip to earn his freedom from the Khan- as soon as the Doctor repairs it. Over the next several episodes, the caravan moves across the Gobi desert, with the TARDIS crew trying to figure out how to escape now that they know that Polo intends to take the ship for himself. Tegana’s attempts to steal the TARDIS get more cunning and more violent, but he manages to escape blame on merit of his (seemingly) faithful servitude to Polo and the Kublai Khan.

Eventually, the crew makes it to the Khan’s summer palace. The Doctor meets with Kublai Khan and they end up becoming friends, bonding over their old age and all the issues that come with it. They start playing backgammon, and the Doctor makes bank but then bets it all on the freedom of his TARDIS and loses. After some arguments over who the TARDIS should belong to, our four heroes are locked up yet again and only escape when Ping-Cho and Susan tell them about a plan they overheard in the palace, a plot created by Tegana to sneak into the throne room and kill everyone, including the Khan. The crew escape capture yet again, alert Marco Polo, and they all head into the throne room to find Tegana having killed many a dignitary but subdue him before he can kill the Khan. Tegana takes his own life rather than have it taken by the Khan’s men, and as a reward for saving the Khan The Doctor and his companions are given the key to the TARDIS and allowed their freedom. Things even work out well for Ping-Cho, who is freed from her dreaded arranged marriage to the 75 year old dignitary when he is found dead after drinking an elixir of life (mercury). She chooses to stay with the Khan’s court and enjoy freedom in splendor. As the TARDIS fades away, Polo is granted freedom to go home back to Venice.

Background Info:

This is one of the hard-historical serials that were present in the first season (which was 50% historical and 50% hard science fiction since it was supposed to be an educational show)

This is the first serial to feature The Doctor interacting with a famous historical figure

First serial written by John Lucarotti. Lucarotti had worked with show creator Sidney Newman on several of his largest shows both in Canada and in England, and he contributed three serials to Doctor Who, all First Doctor stories.

A photo from this serial was the first ever Doctor Who cover photo on the magazine Radio Times. The show and Radio Times have a long-standing history of cover features, and this was the very first one to receive the treatment.

This was the second and final directorial credit for Waris Hussein on the show. He was the director for An Unearthly Child and had been supposed to direct half of all episodes of season 1 (of which there are 3 more serials after this), but left because he wanted to direct more plays.

Opinion: I love this serial. Yes, at times it does drag on (I mean, how many times can shady stuff happen and people literally bring you evidence that Tegana did it before you start thinking they may have a point?), but that’s what happens in these old 7-part serials. The shame with these telesnap reconstructions is that you can’t see what they actually looked like in action. The shots of the sets, especially with regards to the caravan, are so lavish looking. I imagine that if we had the actual episodes in full it may not look as opulent, but it is far and away one of the best set designs we’ll see for a long time. Every character is incredibly strongly written and I love the scenes between Ping-Cho and Susan as well as Ian and Tegana because the actors’ chemistry is so great that you can feel it without even having to see it. Phil Sandifer points out an interesting quirk about this episode, one that I loved without realizing that I loved it until I saw it pointed out in his review. The characters in this serial that we encounter throughout the entire thing are surprisingly diverse. Even currently on Doctor Who we tend to focus on one culture and/or race at a time. Typically, if the Doctor is getting involved with a group of people, they are often fairly homogenized. In this one, however, we get a western man, a Chinese woman (although the actress is actually Burmese, but still, yay not-yellowface!), and a myriad of Asian characters (sadly, these are almost entirely yellowface. Gotta love the 1960s) all interacting with each other as they trek across the desert. I just think that this story is fascinating because the hard-historical episodes are pretty rare, making up half of the serials in this season but then dropping rapidly until there were no hard-historical ones anymore by season 5. Out of all the ones I’ve seen so far, this one is the first where I could really get invested in the history without being bored to tears. John Lucarotti used the actual memoirs of Marco Polo to create his story, and it shows. I definitely wouldn’t want to show this as anyone’s first Classic Who serial or anything, but once you’re comfortable with the tone and format I’d recommend giving this one a watch. Or, more accurately a listen. It’s on YouTube if you’re interested!

Favorite Moment: Like I said, I enjoy the whole thing, but let’s just all gather ‘round and enjoy these lovely colorized photos from the set that shows you just how amazing this serial looks.

#doctor who #classic who #marco polo #First Doctor #ian chesterton #barbara wright #ping cho

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stfumoffathaters · 7 years

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That io9 article

As you may or may not be aware, io9 used a story about Russell T Davies knowing who the next Doctor is a jumping off point to run an attack article on Steven Moffat’s history of comments about a female Doctor. As you might expect from the previous snippet I posted, it is rather an unfair representation, so let’s unpack it a bit:

It looks like the new Doctor has been cast. After accepting an award at the British LGBT Awards, former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies told Guys Like U that the next season already has its next Doctor. Davies was responding to a question about whether the new lead should be a woman, a question posed to current showrunner Steven Moffat multiple times over the years. And he’s been very consistent.

Moffat’s been answering this question since at least 2013. Exactly one day after it was announced that Peter Capaldi would take over as the new Doctor, Moffat explained his decision to DigitalSpy, saying that it “didn’t feel right” to cast a woman at the time since he didn’t think enough fans would want one. He even went so far as to say female fans were the ones most adamantly against it.

It’s absolutely narratively possible [that the Doctor could be a woman]... And when it’s the right decision, maybe we’ll do it. It didn’t feel right to me, right now. I didn’t feel enough people wanted it... Oddly enough most people who said they were dead against it – and I know I’ll get into trouble for saying this – were women. [They were] saying, “No, no, don’t make him a woman!”

To start with, it seems slightly unfair to start an attack on Moffat over this by using Russell T Davies; a man who previously gave this bizarre quote on the subject in 2008:

“I am often tempted to say yes to that to placate everyone but, while I think kids will not have a problem with [a female Doctor], I think fathers will have a problem with it because they will then imagine they will have to describe sex changes to their children. I think fathers can describe sex changes to their children and I think they should and it’s part of the world, but I think it would simply introduce genitalia into family viewing. You’re not talking about actresses or style, you’re talking about genitalia, and a lot of parents would get embarrassed.”

I still don’t even know what the fuck this means, unless the Doctor is suddenly going to become a nudist after regeneration. Yes, Russell has learned over the years but it’s definitely still the worst thing either of them has said on the subject.

Moving on, the argument that Moffat’s statements on this are consistent (ie. consistently anti a female Doctor), there’s this from their own website. As for the answer Moffat gives, there is nothing there that wasn’t true at the time according to polls. He wasn’t saying most women were ‘vehemently’ opposed to it, he was saying that most of those that were were women. As far as I can remember from polls that were conducted around the time, more men were against overall but of those that were vehemently against more were women. There’s an argument that people not being ready for a female Doctor (which I wasn’t at the time) is no reason to not actually do it, but when there would have been huge BBC pressure to keep everything stable, I’m not surprised that he didn’t and went with Missy instead.

Moffat would later shy away from the “women don’t want a female Doctor” defense and double down on suggesting it could happen one day, but not that day.

Speaking at the Hay Festival in May 2014, he said he’d consider casting a woman in the role, but only when the time was right, adding that it shouldn’t be a forced “political decision.”

A person will pop into the showrunner’s head and they’ll think. “Oh, my God, what if it was that person?” And when that person is a woman, that’s the day it will happen... It will not happen that somebody sits down and say we must turn the Doctor into a woman. That is not how you cast the Doctor.

Beyond the fact that “political decision” is a loaded term that justifies continuing the status quo, Moffat is kind of a hypocrite.

For example, during the same Q&A session, Moffat revealed that Capaldi was the only person he brought in to audition for the Doctor. The “person that popped into his head”:

Peter Capaldi just kept popping into my head. I got him round to my house to audition. And he didn’t know he was the only person auditioning.

This mirrors his selection of Matt Smith, who had previously auditioned for Sherlock (another role Moffat defended as quintessentially male back in March). This means only those in Moffat’s immediate line of sight stood a chance, and no one else was given an opportunity to show what they could bring to the role.

The political decision thing is a fair point, but the full context of the quote is interesting:

“A person will pop into the showrunner’s head and they’ll think. ‘Oh, my God, what if it was that person?’ And when that person is a woman, that’s the day it will happen.

Casting is the dark arts of television. It is everything. That decision is central and absolute to everything you do. It’s the difference between a television programme and a sensation.

So you don’t mess around with that; you don’t cast for any other reason than for passion and for aesthetics. It’s not a political decision, it’s an aesthetic decision and will always be.”

I’m not sure whether Moffat realises that and considers deliberately casting a white man just as political as casting a woman or a POC; as some of his comments about casting Bill Potts would indicate; or simply doesn’t understand that it’s not politically neutral, which is problematic.

The charge of hypocrisy on the other hand is a reach. The worst that can be said of the Capaldi decision is after an immensely stressful anniversary year Moffat wanted to work someone who he got on well with; who liked his work, a known fan of the show; and a brilliant actor who was perfect for the part. Had it been pretty much anyone other than Peter it would have been approaching unacceptable. In regards to Matt Smith, it’s simply bullshit. To start with he auditioned for Watson, not Sherlock, and was told he would be more of a Sherlock. Secondly, we know through Neil Gaiman the role was offered to a black actor (it’s not specifically said to have been 11, but the circumstances for 9 and 10 don’t fit) before it was offered to Smith. Thirdly, and finally, this from Andy Pryor:

“And then with Matt [Smith], Steven Moffat [the writer] really didn't want a younger Doctor, but I just insisted on auditioning Matt because he's an old man in a young man's body."

So, the idea Moffat always wanted Matt (when outside of the Sherlock audition he had likely never seen him, if he was involved in that audition at all) is complete nonsense.

He says a woman “could” be the Doctor, if she’s the first person to pop into his head. But after over 50 years of white men, it’s absolutely always going to be a white man that pops in there first — especially if the person who is the showrunner is himself a white man who surrounds himself with roles that are traditionally played by white men.

Yes, it’s difficult to argue this isn’t an element sometimes, but I don’t think it necessarily applies to the casting of either Capaldi or Smith, Capaldi because of the aforementioned reasons and Smith because he had to go through an audition process and the guy who initially popped into Moffat’s head was black, inferring from Gaiman’s statement.

However, it’s not just about women not getting the opportunity to try out for the role, though that’s a big factor. Moffat never really thought about having a woman be the Doctor because he thinks they’re better suited as the Doctor’s companions, saying as much during a BAFTA talk in 2015.

There’s an aspect to it where you could say that if you made the Doctor female you’d lose a fairly unique rare role model, I’m not sure if I’m completely persuaded by that argument purely because I don’t think the Doctor is the role model of Doctor Who. He isn’t. Because you can’t really base yourself on the Doctor. He’s off the spectrum, barking mad, from space and has lots of mysterious abilities that we do not. How do you base yourself on that? The role model is actually the other character, his best friend, the person who deals with this out of control, overgrown schoolboy racing around the universe being rather too imperious and too interfering for his own good.

This isn’t the only time that Moffat has said he doesn’t see the Doctor as a role model, but his track record doesn’t support the companion being the true hero (and not just because he’s called the Doctor the “hero figure”).

While companions are given more character development, coming into the Doctor’s life to learn something about themselves and teach the Doctor something in the meantime, Moffat’s defense is pretty insulting. It assumes that only men can be emotionally stunted, hyper-intelligent weirdos who roam the galaxy causing and solving mischief.

We’ve had male companions in the past, albeit typically alongside female ones. And in his argument, Moffat never says the companion has to be female here, but he is saying that the Doctor is male, so the only female lead in the show could be the companion. And as he describes companions, they’re put in the uncomfortable position of being the Doctor’s emotional core. This reinforces the stereotype that it’s a woman’s role to bring emotional balance to a man, but men can’t or shouldn’t do the same for a woman.

I’ve already covered the first bit of this, where I’ve said he’s arguing that the Doctor isn’t really a role model, which is why the argument that making the character a woman would not be specifically a loss of a unique male role model (which is an argument I’ve seen put forward by a female writer of DW tie-in books in Doctor Who Magazine). A hero figure and a role model aren’t necessarily the same thing, especially given the multiple deconstructions of what the Doctor actually is during Moffat’s tenure.

Also, ‘it assumes that only men can be emotionally stunted, hyper-intelligent weirdos who roam the galaxy causing and solving mischief’? Errrr, River Song and Missy, anyone? Definitely Clara’s style too, it’s only her humanity that stops her being the Doctor, not her gender (and there’s sort of a fix for the former).

‘but he is saying that the Doctor is male, so the only female lead in the show could be the companion’. He’s very specifically not saying that, but if you misunderstand if not deliberately misread what he says you are going to continue making an arse of yourself. The rest is rather undermined by Rory and Danny being much more the emotional balances in their relationships with Amy and Clara than vice versa.

It gets even more muddled when you consider Moffat’s actual track record. A 2014 study showed that Moffat’s female companions had, on average, fewer speaking lines than Davies’, and Amy failed the Bechdel Test far more times than her predecessors. Clara did improve the scales, and Bill has been pretty solid so far, but the numbers still tend to fall below what existed before.

Ughhhhhhhh. Long time readers and followers of this discourse will be aware of the so-called study the author references here, which was discredited (well, by us, at least) because of falsified data and bias, and no rigour whatsoever. This is the point where this becomes a loaded article, attempting to prove an assessment already decided (much like that study!)

Moffat himself was asked about the accusations of sexism later in 2015, replying that he understood the concerns, in theory, but also didn’t think they applied to his show specifically. He also added that his wife is a “powerful woman,” which is always a helpful defense.

It’s a big and complicated issue and I never quite know how to respond to it. The general point being made by these people is correct. We need better female role models and representation on screen. We need all of that. Maybe this is my dim-wittery but I do not understand why Doctor Who of all shows is singled out as a misogynist show. And I’m really not like that. I’m sure I’m to the left of a lot of my detractors, but I don’t want to argue with them because I think generally they’re right. We do need to do better.

The interview was not just about sexism, but took in a range of topics and oh, look; the ‘powerful woman’ quote was not a defence but in response to one of a series of questions about his themes; this particular one being ‘you’ve often introduced a strong woman with an enigma at her core’, to which Moffat responds: ‘It’s hardly something only I’ve done. And I’m married to a very powerful woman.‘ Presumably meaning that his character creation is in part inspired by his wife.

As for the quote...he’s not saying he doesn’t deserve criticism, but when questions need to be asked about shows such as Game of Thrones, The 100, maybe even Once Upon A Time (in my opinion, please do not ask what I mean by this) it is very unfair to single him out in particular.

Moffat’s years-long pattern has been to evade the question with a “maybe at some point,” or defending his decision to cast male Doctors for... insert his latest reason here. I honestly don’t believe Moffat ever seriously considered a woman for the job during his tenure as Doctor Who’s showrunner, and probably still wouldn’t be if he were sticking around next season.

He’s continually said he’d think about it, pointing to his choice to turn The Master into a woman, but his hiring practices have continually put himself in situations where a male Doctor was a given. And his reluctance to alter his (male) Doctor and (female) companion dynamic is apparent.

This is all a belief, and it’s therefore difficult to disprove, but I have already disproved or significantly undermined the bits based on facts. It’s not known whether or not women auditioned for Eleven, either.

There’s also his attitude that selecting a woman would be a forced political choice, instead of something that could serve and grow the narrative. It’s even echoed in his advice to new showrunner Chris Chibnall, published in March of this year, saying his next Doctor should be a “friend” instead of someone who serves an “agenda.”

Just choose the best person for the job and any other agenda, however worthy, should be ignored. It has to be the best person for the Doctor that Chris is writing for... Chris is going to be working with the actor for quite a few years and it is a pressure cooker. It can be tough, so you need to choose your friend wisely. So long as it works for the good of the show, that’s fine.

I mean, I have genuine issues with the political choice idea, but there’s an argument here that he genuinely just might not want to get people’s hopes up or protect Chris Chibnall from backlash of dashed hopes as his friend, or both (especially if he didn’t yet know the casting, where he could be under orders from above to be diplomatic if asked)?

Additionally, he could well be saying that if you decide you’re going to make this change, you do that as part of the narrative and then cast for it, rather than casting first and then writing around it. Which would make sense, because it’s how he cast Missy and Bill. The friend thing is ‘choose someone you can actually stand to work with’, nothing more.

Moffat’s most recent answer to this question came just a few days ago in an interview with BBC Radio 4 (via We Got This Covered), Moffat went into how he chose Smith and Capaldi as his Doctors, saying it wasn’t a matter of purposefully choosing white men for the job, it just so happened that the perfect actors for the job were both white men. What are the odds, right?

“I didn’t not cast a woman… I cast a man. I didn’t [cast a woman] because I wanted to cast Matt Smith and I wanted to cast Peter Capaldi. I didn’t think it was a terrible idea, I just thought, ‘I want to cast those people’ – that was it.”

Of course, we know that he didn’t see anyone else and he didn’t want to let any one else’s thoughts intrude onto his mystical process of waiting for someone to pop into his head. This is why Moffat’s reasons are so elliptical and confusing: he didn’t affirmatively rule out women, he just never gave anyone but his preferred choices any thought whatsoever. So when asked to defend it, he can’t, really.

Hmm, okay. We’ve been over that Moffat’s probable first choice to play Eleven was a black man but even if it wasn’t, Matt didn’t just pop into Moffat’s head as anything other than the results of the audition process. He proved himself more suited for what Moffat wanted as a result of that. There may have been subconscious bias involved in that decision but that statement just isn’t true.

Despite Moffat’s insistence to continue playing the same tune, there are hopes the new showrunner will change things up, giving audiences a female Doctor or having the iconic character regenerate as a person of color. The actor’s been picked, so it’s too late to petition, but it’s never too late to hope. Casting a more diverse Doctor would revitalize the show, encouraging a new audience while challenging current fans. So, what does Chibnall himself have to say about it?

Nothing is ruled out, but I don’t want the casting to be a gimmick and that’s all I can say.

Shit.

For once, I completely agree, though I note the statement was made before Moffat’s advice was given. And tbh Chibnall has no real excuses left, and puts the show at risk of stagnating if he doesn’t change.

#Doctor Who #Steven Moffat #Pro Moffat #Russell T Davies #Chris Chibnall #female doctor #female doctor debate #female representation #misogyny #rebuttals

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