che swore sometimes they were a match made in heaven - like cupid himself had taken one look at him, cranky with a cigarette perpetually smoldering between his fingers, and thought yeah, that one needs a miracle. it was as if an arrow had struck him square between the eyes the first time he’d seen nadia, and from then on, he’d been a goner - smitten, hopeless, completely at her mercy.
his hand found nadia’s - fingers slipping between hers like it was second nature - and with a slight tug, he guided her back toward the warm thrum of the venue. at her mention of some time alone, his brows arched - a slow, deliberate lift that made it clear what was on his mind. his thoughts veered off track, straight into the kind of territory that made his grin reach his eyes. “sounds like we ain’t gonna get much sleep tonight.”
unable to help the smirk from curving at her lips, nadia watched as her husband’s brows quirked in interest, knowing exactly where his thoughts had drifted off to. she got a high off teasing him in such a way that— it was devilish, she knew that, but could you really blame her? che ignited a fiery passion within her, the kind that she had never experienced before welcoming him into her life. “you’re right. we’ve got the day off tomorrow, so we’ve got plenty of time to catch up on our sleep...” her words were followed by a wink, raising her own brows to mirror his. “that’s if you’ve got it in you, of course.”
Morgaine was sat on the floor, in full costume, with her back against the wall as she attempted to study her lines. Her script was laid out on her knees and she was tapping a pen against the open page, staring down at the coloured marks she’d made beside her dialogue. She fondly remembered watching her father do the same thing when she visited him on set as a child.
The fire of determination was burning within her; Morgaine was eager to make ‘Whispers of the Past’ her best film yet. But doubt and apprehension lurked. She wasn’t sure if it was just a blip or whether the clarity that came with age had now cured the blindness of youth. Sure, she’d been reckless and not taken some things as seriously as she should have done and perhaps that’s why she hadn’t got her real breakthrough role yet. Or maybe it was audiences that couldn’t see the true greatness of her films. The success of ‘Mercy Me’ five years ago had stoked Morgaine’s ego, yet nothing had lived up to it since and she was relying on that ‘talented Wolfe Family blood’ to do her justice this time around.
With a huff, she rested her head against the wall and looked up, asking the next person that walked past, “do you ever get imposter syndrome?” and not caring if it came across as weird or completely out of the blue. She needed reassurance that wasn’t alone in her feelings right now.
when producing a movie, renata always made sure she could be as hands on as possible, all in on the action during filming, as well as pre and post production. she’d always been extremely particular about which projects to attach her name to. to say she was picky would be an understatement. filmmaking was an art, and it would go against all of her core beliefs if she were to jump onto any job that came her way.
basking in the fresh air outside the soundstage, the italian beauty sipped on her coffee, deep brown eyes trained on her phone screen, scrolling aimlessly past posts from old friends or colleagues she didn’t care to keep up with.
the sound of another woman’s voice captured her attention, provoking her to turn to lay sight upon a blonde goddess; she had a familiar face, although, she had never been the best with placing names with faces.
the question caused her to let out a small chuckle before shrugging. “honestly? not really. i’ve always been pretty sure of myself, but i’ve always been confident, though… even when i was a small child.” she replied matter-of-factly before slipping her phone neatly into her coat pocket. “i assume you’re dealing with that right now?”
his arms found her waist, fingers curling into the fabric of her dress like he was mooring himself to her. if there was one constant in their chaotic, whirlwind of a life, it was this - nadia in his arms, making the noise of the world feel distant. what on earth had he done to deserve such love?
che’s smile bloomed slow, unhurried, a rare thing that softened the sharp edges he so often carried around with him at work. “careful,” he cooed, voice warm, teasing. “you’re gonna make me soft.” and then he kissed her - lips pressing firm against hers, nicotine laced with the sharp sting of mint that he’d had consumed before slipping outside. god, he was a lucky man.
“y’know,” he murmured against her brims before he pulled back, lips still lingering close. “probably oughta buy something before we bolt.” truth be told, che couldn’t give a damn about appearances most days, but tonight - at a charity event - he had to at least feign some civility. “something to put in your trailer, maybe?”
before crossing paths with che, nadia had never experienced love quite like theirs — he was the love of her life… her soulmate… her everything. he meant everything to her. it didn’t matter how much money or fame she had, or luxuries she had at her fingertips, all she needed was him. everything else paled in comparison to the director; he was a divinity and for as long as she lived, she would adore him unconditionally.
relishing in the instant bliss that was his lips against hers, she snuck in an extra kiss, blush stained lips already missing his the second they parted. “you’re right. i actually did have my eyes on an art piece.” a one-of-a-kind painting by her favourite artist, a canvas adorned in violet and blue shades; reminiscent of claude monét’s water lillies. “well, how about we go back inside, buy it and then go straight home? i’ve been craving some time alone with you all day.”
𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 : che and nadia’s house, cast & crew dinner.
𝐖𝐇𝐎 : actionhq members @actionstarters.
crystal wine glass in hand, dark eyes scanned the living room, her l gaze searching for anyone she hadn’t greeted yet. many of the faces she knew — old friends, former co-stars, but there was a handful that she hadn’t had the opportunity to formally meet in the past.
“on a scale of one to ten, how ready are you for shooting to start?” the actress questioned, focus turning to the person by her side at her rental home’s bar. “fingers crossed everything goes smoothly. there’s nothing worse than set drama… i don’t have time for all that nonsense these days.”
Setting back in the mobile chair, Seneca sighed, exhausted by the work he had put in today already. He felt stiff from having sat for such a long time, now that he wasn't focused on work. Stretching a little bit, he holds his arms out before bringing them back onto the table in front of him. Pushing himself away and rising from the chair, he grabbed his things from off the table and walked toward the exit. A few minutes later he was outside, lighting a cigarette and thinking he had been alone to do that. Taking a longer drag, he held the smoke in his lungs for some time before finally letting it out. Swallowing, he glanced to the side, “I wonder if it's too early to take a nap.” He muttered to himself, holding the cigarette to one side and tapping it, sending a sprinkle of ashes onto the sidewalk below.
so far, the first day of filming had gone relatively smoothly, which always made set a more bearable place to be — throughout her long career, some films she’d worked on were a volatile place to be… stars feuding ( of course, nadia was never part of any feuds ) or directors going off the deep end. luckily, everyone got on well together, which was a relief.
with another 2 hours to kill before her call time, the actress decided to venture outside, in a desperate need for some fresh air to clear her head. the cool breeze hit her as she stepped out of her trailer, catching sight of a familiar figure just across from her.
“never too early for a nap. at least that’s the way i see it.” she laughed, reaching into her coat pocket to retrieve a half-full packet of cigarettes. “you got a light?”
“wasn’t anything,” he muttered, voice low, words drawn out like a stretched thread. “just needed some air. didn’t want to interrupt while you were busy charming the pants off some dude.” he glanced sideways at her, smile beaming.
it wasn’t jealousy - no, that wasn’t the right word. he was glad people fawned over nadia, that they scrambled for a moment of her time like moths throwing themselves at a flame. she deserved it - the admiration, the reverence, the hushed awe that followed her into every room. she’d more than earned it. but did he wish they could go out without someone intercepting them halfway through a sentence? without someone stepping into their space with a hand extended? yeah, sometimes he did.
“it’s just...” he paused, dragging one last pull from his cigarette before flicking it into the gutter, the embers scattering. “it’d be nice if we could go somewhere without you getting pulled aside every five minutes.” his voice softened then, quieter, like he wasn’t sure he wanted to say it out loud. “feels like i’m always sharing you with someone.” his eyes lingered on her face and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, shoulders bunching like he was bracing for something. “not your fault,” he added quickly. “i just thought we’d have at least twenty minutes before someone swooped in... maybe next time we skip the gala, grab a bottle of wine, and sit on the kitchen floor. sounds more productive.”
lips curving into a smile, a soft, melodic chuckle escaped her. “charming the pants off? i hope you don’t mean that in the literal sense, you know he’s not my type.” she replied, her tone laced with enthusiasm, throwing a playful wink in for good measure.
as good as acclaim felt, at times, it did become tiresome. while fame had its perks, it certainly got old after the four decades she’d been in the spotlight. sometimes, all she wanted was to go out with her husband without either of them being recognised — ah, to live a life of anonymity for a day… or two. still, she had to remember this was a reality of the business she was in.
watching as che flicked the cigarette onto the ground, she moved closer, closing the gap between to them to drape her arms around his shoulders, pulling him against her. “i know, darling. the novelty wears off after a while.” a sigh. “well… we can still make that happen. how about we ditch this thing and go home? the only person i want to be with tonight is you.”
( MICHELLE YEOH, 61, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER. ) Have you heard of NADIA MUI yet? i believe they’ve been living in LA for 40 YEARS. they’re currently cast as an ACTRESS in the movie. somethings that remind me of them are: A MANTLEPIECE LINED WITH ACADEMY AWARDS AND GOLDEN GLOBES, DIAMOND RINGS ADORNING SLENDER FINGERS, EXPENSIVE RED WINE, A METICULOUSLY CRAFTED PUBLIC IMAGE. before joining this project, i’ve heard they were known for being CHARISMATIC, PHILANTHROPIC, AND MATERNAL. however, on the down side, they’re also known to be METICULOUS, STRONG-WILLED, AND SELF-CRITICAL. because of this, they’re often labeled as THE ICON. i just hope they come to set prepared. especially since I’ve heard those call times are going to be pretty early!
FULL NAME — nadia mui.
DATE OF BIRTH & AGE — december 4th, 1963; 61 years old.
BIRTHPLACE — hong kong.
CURRENT RESIDENCE — los angeles.
OCCUPATION — actress & producer.
ORIENTATION — bisexual biromantic.
MARTIAL STATUS — married to che gavaria.
CHILDREN — none.
ZODIAC — sagittarius sun, leo moon, scorpio rising.
MORAL ALIGNMENT — tba.
born in hong kong, the eldest of three children, nadia has always had a demeanour that demanded attention. she had a natural creativity about her, exploring many different artistic mediums before deciding that performing was her favourite. it gave her an indescribable rush, and from that moment, she knew that acting was her calling.
when nadia announced to her family that she wanted to be an actress, it wasn’t a surprise to them. they were supportive, unable to deny her talent and the fact it was what she was meant to do. sure, they imagined different career paths for their eldest, and it did take a while to warm up to the idea, her parents had always supported her. even now, many decades later, she still calls them her biggest fans.
her acting career began in hong kong; starring in several action films, always performing her own stunts and she became known for paving the way for women in action films.
her first big break in hollywood was being cast as a bond girl, the film opened her up to countless opportunities in the United States, where she worked her way up the hierarchy to become what she is now, one of the most famous actresses in the world and a hollywood icon. throughout her career, she earned a multitude of accolades including three oscars, six golden globes and many more.
in her late twenties, she married a famous actor who she fell in love with on set of one of her earliest films. the marriage fizzled out after five years, its demise being caused by her husband’s infidelity; which became a tabloid scandal.
years later, she met and fell in love with che gavaria, a director who she was introduced to at an awards show. they married after a year of dating, and as of 2024, they’ve been married for 15 years.
che’s fingers trembled slightly as he cupped the flame to the cigarette perched between his lips. the air outside the starlit gallery was cooler than expected, crisp and biting against his face - a much welcome contrast to the suffocating warmth inside. the chatter, the glasses clinking, the grating sound of forced laughter - all of it had begun to wear thin. he didn’t mind the charity gala itself; hell, he even liked these kinds of things, sometimes. but he knew better than to compete for nadia’s attention when some slick producer with perfectly gelled hair had cornered her. he wasn’t jealous. not exactly. but there was only so long he could stand there, half-smiling and nodding while someone else soaked up her focus.
so, che murmured an excuse before stepping outside, a carton of cigarettes lifted in a silent signal to her. she knew the drill - he'd be back when he was all jacked up on nicotine, when the air felt less stifling.
he lingered in the alley, cigarette ember glowing like a heartbeat in the dark. halfway through, he spotted her - silhouette sharp against the faint spill of streetlight, the faint click of heels against the dark cement floor. “did you enjoy getting your ear chewed off? thought i’d lost you to a better conversationalist.” he grinned, smoke curling lazily from his lips. “they pitch something to you?”
high brow galas were something that nadia had become used to in all her years in hollywood, they were all the same — expensive liquor, important guests with more money than any of them knew what to do with, schmoozing, ass-kissing and a whole lot of showing off. while she enjoyed a party, she was used to the types of film executives who would spend the evening practically bend over backwards to earn the chance to get her considering to join their film — the perks of being a three time oscar winner, she supposed.
after a rather gruelling conversation with a prominent and rather eager producer, the dark-haired woman tolerated the tedious conversation for as long as she could possibly stand, offering him the handy, yet utterly overused “my agent will be in contact with you” line before ushering off outside at the quickest pace her stilettos could muster.
catching the sight of a small orange flicker of light ahead of her on the dimly lit street, she moved closer, the crunching of gravel under her heels filled the gap of silence hanging in the air. “well… i wouldn’t say he’s my favourite conversationalist. he was certainly trying to charm me, though.” she responded, a light chuckle eliciting red stained lips. “he tried to pitch, but i brushed him off as politely as i could, you know how it is.” a shrug. “you went off in a hurry, though. is something on your mind?”
MICHELLE YEOH
— wins the award for Best Actress for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” at the 95th Annual Academy Awards (March 12, 2023)
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