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josephquinnswhore · 2 years ago

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hi honey! i discovered your blog not too long ago and my love your writing is so amazing i actually can't get enough!

i had a request if your taking them? it would be a dad!pedro pascal x wife!reader. and i've been thinking about this heavy since he was at the oscar's

could you do like a super fluff about everyone's reactions if he was the one to win an oscar for best actor?

hope you have a wonderful day my love! 💝

Cause for Celebration - pedro pascal x female reader

Summary: Pedro is nervous about being nominated for his first Oscar Award.

Word Count: 1.9k

Note: This is the best frigging idea I’ve ever seen. I love this and I hope it lives up to your expectations!! 🤍 This is my first request I’m crying so many tears right now! Thank you anon I LOVE you. May you pillow always be cold on both sides. Please let me know if you like it 🫶🏼🫶🏼

Your fingers seem to have a conscious of their own, mindlessly twisting your wedding ring around your finger to stop your hands from jittering as you were led to the paparazzi.

“Pedro! Pedro over here!” The flash of white light was blinding, the screaming and calling of paparazzi as they’re desperately attempting to gain your attention, you smile politely as you stand next to Pedro, changing your pose to his arm around your back and your hand resting on his chest. “Pedrito! I love you!” A fan screamed from next to the photographers, the one confession was enough for Pedro to thank the photographers, entwine your hands and make a beeline straight for his fans, as you approach the fans are a mess, crying and screaming as Pedro signs their items, even taking some selfies with fans. “Y/n can we please get a photo! We love you!” Your heart skipped, smiling at how sweet his fans were and you accepted graciously, “of course sweetheart!” You bare the biggest grin and lean into her as she cries, ignoring the metal barrier that presses into your ribs. “Thank you so much! Good luck Pedro!” You both thank them and move on to the interview the woman, you knew well from Pedro’s past interviews and long mop of auburn hair. Pedro’s warm hand met your back, hands grazing on the sequinned gold dress that clung to your body graciously.

“Pedro it’s so good to see you again, this is your wife right?” Pedro let out a small laugh, turning his body towards you in an attempt to include you. “Yes, this is my beautiful wife, how couldn’t I bring her? She’s my number one supporter.” The redness that spreads along your cheeks heats your face, adding to the blush from your make up. You clasp your hands together and let out an excited huff of air, “you’ve done so incredibly this year honey, you deserve this Oscar. I’ll run up to the stage and snatch it if you don’t win!” Your giggles are harmonised by Pedro’s and Amelia’s laugh. “Will you be on the dance floor with Pedro at the after party this evening?” Your hand tentatively rubs down Pedro’s arm, shaking the nerves off you, “of course how could I not? I cant have another beautiful woman claiming my man!” Pedro scoffs playfully, “you know I only have eyes for you cariño.” Amelia sighs adoringly at the two of you, “well that confirms it folks! Pedro and y/n are the hottest couple on the red carpet tonight!” She turns away from the camera her co worker held and back to you, “good luck tonight, see you two next time!”

Both saying your goodbyes, Pedro’s assistant led you past a long line of celebrities, waiting to be let in, your breath hitched, “oh my god you’re skipping past Andrew Garfield!” Pedro slips his hand into yours, “must be getting important baby,” he jokes, knowing of your little crush on Andrew, and you’re led straight into the venue. “You’re the most important to me baby- whoa,” you gasp in awe, interrupting yourself. The room was ridiculously huge, hundreds of seats in rows you couldn’t count, the stage was empty, other than the stand and a large screen above the stage, red curtains framed the outside.

“I can’t believe this is real, I mean I can. You deserve this more than anyone, I’m just so proud of you.” Celebrities fill the hundreds of seats, the ones near you being filled with A-List celebrities you’d crushed on when you were younger. “Thank you baby.” He presses a soft kiss to your temple, moving his arm around to rest on the back of your chair, you lean into him as the ceremony begins, lights dimming slightly as the spotlights shone bright on the presenters.

Unsurprisingly, Michelle Yeoh won best actress. She was a talented actor, her role as Evelyn in ‘everything everywhere all at once’ was unmatched. The mix of sci-fi and adventure had you on the edge of your seat and was a brilliantly produced movie. Her speech was just as brilliant, her sense of humour and gratitude was touching, and you felt nothing but happiness for her as she thanked her family, shaking the hands of presenters, Harrison Ford and Kate Hudson who clapped in celebration for her.

“We would like to start off with a massive thank you to everyone who joins us tonight, this has been a massive year of acting and the most incredible. We are excited to announce that Halle Berry and Elizabeth Olsen will be presenting the next award and last of the night.” Harrison Ford and Kate Hudson clap to themselves as they introduce two of your idols, barely containing your excitement you clap steadily, Pedro laughing at your excitement.

“This is it baby, this is yours.” You grip his hand encouragingly. “We are happy to present this years best actor, with some incredible nominees including; Austin Butler for his role in Elvis”, a montage of the Elvis movie flashes on the large screen tv. “Brandon Fraser for his role in The Whale,” cheer erupts through the stadium, Brandon was special to a lot of people, no doubt he would win if Pedro didn’t. “Colin Farrell for his role in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin, and what an interesting movie that was.” You find yourself jittering, Pedro’s warmth leaving your hand as he straightens his jacket, a nervous twitch of his. “Last but not least, Pedro Pascal for his spectacular role of Joel Miller in The Last of Us game rendition.” Your eyes focus on the screen, your husband portraying Joel Miller, your hand running down his suit pant on his thigh. “I’m here baby, we got this.” You whisper, reassuring the anxiety both of you felt.

The room cheered for Pedro, your heart soars with pride as you cheer along. “Alright alright let’s get to it.” The crowd shushes, the rooms tension increased tenfold. The fumbling of the envelope could be heard through the microphone, the crackling of the paper as it opened and the two women looked at each other with a big smile on their face. “The winner for the 2023 Best Actor award is,” you’re on the edge of your seat and Pedro is still, anxiety clawing at him. “Pedro Pascal!” They exclaim in unison. Your jaw hits the floor, pride and excitement becoming too much, the whole room cheered for him, he was unmoving in his seat, in shock that he actually won. You pull his arm upward, a big grin on your face as he stands, you stand with him and you don’t miss the loving look in his eyes, he kisses you softly, laughing as he pulls away, moving toward the stage. You and your peers are clapping, your tears welling on your lash line threatened to ruin your perfectly applied make up. Pedro shakes Halle and Elizabeth’s hands, taking the Oscar in his hands and cradles it, as if it were made of glass. “I don’t even know what to say, I was certain I wouldn’t win so I haven’t prepared much of a speech.” The confession earned him a chuckle from the crowd, yourself included at his truth. “I just, want to thank my family, my mother for guiding me my sisters and nephews for their support. Everyone on my team and the guys at Naughty Dog for giving me this life-changing opportunity. I want to thank the other nominees, especially Brandon Frasier, your journey and story has touched us all and we love you man.” The room erupts in cheer, whistling clapping and yelling echo in agreement. “Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank my beautiful wife, for always believing in me, pushing me to be a better man. For loving me and for being selfless, for putting up with a lifestyle she knew nothing about. I want to thank her especially for making me a father to our beautiful daughter Eméile, and our beautiful son on the way!” Your cheeks are burning ferociously as the crowd gasps and turns to you, seeing you confirm the statement with your hands protectively grasping your stomach, a small bump that would’ve been otherwise noticeable, was now noticeable.

Past the point of caring about your make up, tears are falling down your cheeks, a sob choking you up as it gets stuck in your throat, you blow him a kiss as he finalises his speech with a repetition of his wedding vows. “Thank you for saving me, I wouldn’t be here without you cariño.” You were sobbing, clapping for your husband as your chest expands to make more room for your heart that is so full of love. He pulls you into a bear hug as he embraces you, his own tears of happiness falling on to your bare shoulder. The event coming to an end as they thank everyone for their presence. “With that ladies and gentlemen, we want to thank you all for joining us tonight. Please feel free to stick around for the after party to celebrate!”

Pedro pulls away from you, shaking the hands of his peers as they congratulate him, inviting him to party with them early into the morning, in which he declines. “No thank you, me and my beautiful wife are going to spend our time celebrating as a family, you all have a wonderful evening!”

“Dad you won! I knew you would! I’m so proud of you!” Your daughter Eméile exclaims excitedly as she sees the golden figure of his Oscar. She buries her face in his suit-clad chest and sighs. “You’re like, the coolest dad ever now. You know that right?” Pedro laughs and ruffles your daughters hair. “Uh I would hope so Em!” She smiles as she hugs you, gently approaching as she doesn’t want to hurt the baby, even if you assure her a hundred times it’s fine. “I’m so proud of you too ma.” You bite your lip to stop it’s wobble, “thank you baby. I’m proud of you too. I’m darn proud of us all!” You admit with a huff. “Why don’t we watch a movie with dinner and popcorn to wind down?” You and Em shoot each other a look and grin, Pedro raises an eyebrow at your scheming. “I vote ‘We can be Heroes’.” You snort as you purse your lips, “Agreed. Two votes babe you’re outnumbered.” You confirm with a smirk on your lips.

Pedro sighs, “alright, I’ll order takeout. Chinese?” There was no objection as you both murmur in agreement taking seat on the lounge.

“I don’t wanna hear a peep outta you two about how cringe this movie is.” You and Eméile both burst out laughing, “but dad it is kinda cringe.” Pedro sighs as he sits with the popcorn, the smell wafting into your nose as you salivating as your hand dives into the oversized bowl of steaming buttered popcorn as the credits roll in. “You’re 16, don’t you wanna watch like, Wednesday or something?” Em scoffs, “no, I wanna watch this,” she points to the tv and turns to her dad, “and since when did my age have anything to do with my interests?” You raise your eyebrows at Pedro and he gives you a look of confusion, shaking his head. “Teenagers are so confusing.” He mumbles to himself as you all settle into the couch, crunching on the popcorn simultaneously as you cuddle up to each other as you wait for your Chinese takeout to arrive.

What in the world did you ever feel nervous for? You think as you watch the movie on the screen, the effects making you laugh as you watch Pedro-Marcus fly through the sky on the tv screen.

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal x fem reader #Pedro pascal rpf #Pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal at the oscars #dad Pedro pascal #dad x Pedro

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foolishlovers · 9 months ago

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hiii!!! do u have any recs for long AUs??? thank you! :]

of course, i love long good omens AUs, here are some of my favourites:

[you can request more fic recs here.]

Golden Handcuffs by seekwill (E, 70k) Far from any city, near the Scottish coast, Tadfield College has a celebrated history, an unrivaled academic reputation, and two departments at war. When the Biology and English departments are forced to share a building, Senior Lecturer and botanist Anthony Crowley finds himself drawn into the orbit of the polite but strange English professor, Dr. Aziraphale Fell. As the new term begins, two academics navigate the politics of both their offices and academia, and try to solve the puzzle of one another.

Fifty-Two Blue by bendycello (M, 84k) It would be a gross understatement to say that Crowley simply didn't like Aziraphale. He was posh and stuffy and arrogant, and Crowley couldn't figure out why everyone else in the program liked him so much. It hardly mattered; they were competitors, and Crowley didn't need to make friends to become a surgeon. It takes several unleasant encounters, the excessive use of house plants as a coping mechanism, and getting stuck in an elevator for Crowley to start reconsidering his priorities. Or… Crowley and Aziraphale are surgical interns with competitive streaks a mile wide each, and they really do not like each other at all. Until they do.

Waking Up Slow by the_moonmoth (E, 87k) “Then you’ll just have to come back with me," Aziraphale said. “You what?” “You’ll have to come and isolate with me, at my cottage.” The thing about messing with people, Crowley thought, was that sometimes, they genuinely surprised you. After both being exposed to coronavirus, total strangers Crowley and Aziraphale are forced to wait out their isolation together. A tale of soft winter romance by the sea.

Slow Show by mia_ugly (E, 95k) In which temptations are accomplished, grand romantic gestures are made, and two ineffable co-stars only take four seasons of an award-winning television program to realize they’re on their own side (at last, at last.)

Car Trouble by summerofspock (E, 102k) Aziraphale's car breaks down so he takes it to the first mechanic he can find. From there, his mundane life changes drastically as he finds himself befriending the man fixing his car.

on the same page by Chekhov (E, 117k) Aziraphale Z. Fell is a rising star of the spiritual literary genre - the next Eat Pray Love guy - and his version of Chicken Soup For the Christian Soul is flying off the shelves. It's not that he's not grateful, but it's one thing to enjoy a career in writing and another completely to be pigeonholed into a specific genre, so much so that you are almost forbidden from writing anything else. So yes, maybe he has a bit of a secret. An outlet for his less… appropriate urges. And yes, if his typical readership got word of the sort of paragraphs he could put out on a particularly inspired night, they might suffer some form of heart attack typical for their age. But all of that is well hidden, and there is absolutely no way anyone would ever find out about his Arrangement with A.J. Crowley - the most debaucherous romantic fiction author of the decade. That is… until they have to pretend to be married to each other.

Married at First Sight by Aracloptia (T, 146k) “Well, that was a thing,” Crowley said once they were out of earshot. Without talking about it, they were both heading down the field, towards the lake where the photographer (and likely a few more people from the TV crew) was waiting. “That was a wedding,” Aziraphale replied, surprised at his own annoyance that somebody called a wedding a ‘thing’. “Yeah, obviously, didn’t miss that part,” Crowley said with a shrug, and waved abruptly in Aziraphale’s general direction. “Neither did you, from the looks of it, since you’re dressed like a wedding bride and everything.” “Excuse me, I am a—“ Aziraphale stopped himself, and started over. In which Aziraphale ends up marrying a rude stranger who wears sunglasses.

Old Vines by sevdrag (E, 189k) A.Z. Fell, one of the most respected names in wine and food blogging, has been sent on assignment with his assistant Warlock Dowling to spend six months in California Wine Country. Under direction (by his boss, Gabriel) to use this experience to double his blog followers and write a novel, Aziraphale is both excited and anxious about the opportunity. Anthony J. Crowley is the owner and viticulturalist of Ecdyses, a winery that unexpectedly fell into his lap eleven years ago when he hit rock bottom. He may be in debt, yeah, but he’s paying off his loans — and despite pressure from his lenders and their team of inspectors, Crowley has found a kind of contentment tending his little corner of terroir and producing extraordinary wine. Crowley’s old vines are the heart of his vineyard, and he’s never let anyone in. Crowley finds Aziraphale intriguing; Aziraphale finds Crowley enthralling. Turns out a famous wine expert and an experienced viticulturalist can still learn things from each other. The summer of 2019 unfolds.

What We Make of It (Shotgun Wedding) by charlottemadison (E, 213k) The important thing, Crowley tells himself -- the most important thing -- is Adam, his brilliant, creative, empathetic nephew. Being fourteen's hard enough; the kid didn't ask to deal with the weight of the world on top of it. And if taking care of Adam means Crowley has to tough it out at a job he can’t stand, so be it. And if Crowley's job means that Adam’s charming English teacher is NOT a romantic possibility, well, that's just how things go. But the occasional drink with Aziraphale proves hard to resist. They frequent the same pub, so who can object to them saying hello? Briefly sharing a table? Perhaps a little conversation? The painful knowledge that it can’t be anything more -- not without somebody getting fired or sued or both -- well, that can't be helped. Until Crowley stumbles onto a terribly reckless idea…

#you've come to the right place #i love nothing more than immersing myself in a really long good omens fic shshhs #if anyone has some recs for me PLS go ahead and send them!!#good omens #good omens human au #good omens fanfic #good omens fic #aziraphale x crowley #aziracrow #aziracrow fic #good omens fic rec #foolish recs #go fic masterpost

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eucanthos · 24 days ago

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Amanda Morgan, Pacific Northwest Ballet

Studio photography by Anna Peters (award-winning Seattle wedding photographer)

Morgan joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2016. She was promoted to corps de ballet in 2017.

https://annapetersphoto.com/52onfilm-no-1/

#Anna Peters #photography #dancer #model #black #ballerina

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thisbelongsto-nohbodys · 11 months ago

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So any future Hilda HCs?

I’d probably best to send this again, maybe more focused on certain characters at a later date. I’m currently doing a rewatch of the whole series (I’ve just finished the movie atm) so that should help but off the top of my head here’s a few since S3 is somewhat fresh.

Due to Hilda’s fairy background, Frida is able to siphon some essence and cast certain spells that require it (it’s like donating blood…without the blood, it’s safe). This however led Kaisa to inquire on how she was able to cast those old spells. Frida spilled the beans on Hilda and Johanna being part fairy and Kaisa wondered if getting essence from a half-fairy would be more potent and so she and Frida went to Hilda’s place. When Kaisa saw Johanna it was love-at-first-sight and she completely forgot about y she came over at first. Johanna was hesitant on what Kaisa wanted but offered to go get some tea at a cafe sometime and discuss it. This led to their first date, then their second and so on. Eventually Hilda got a witch step-mom.

After her time as a Troll, Hilda developed a slight fear of bells. While not as painful as it was when she was a troll but she can’t stand the noise.

David became an entomologist due to his strange magnetism of insects and general fascination. Louise helps take pictures of whatever bug he’s studying for his research papers. The most annoying bug he’s dealt with was the Mothman during a research trip to America alongside Hilda.

Louise became a photographer, she helps David and Hilda with their research but she is also an award winning photographer.

Alfur with a continued note-taking partnership with Adeline eventually after a few years presented her with “Engagement to be Married” papers and she signed gleefully. After a few months of planning and revisions, the wedding was both tiny and had all of the proper paperwork filed in order (Bartell was Alfur’s best elf).

Eugene eventually made it to the sea but after he saw the Trolburg harbor he makes it a point to come by and try out new material with the sailors. This annoys the freaky friends since they still don’t find him funny but the sailors do.

Frida was given a witch’s cloak as a gift from Tilde. Similar to the one Kaisa wears. It was made from Witches’ Wool, an ancient recipe lost to all but a few witches in that dimension. She explained its origins being from a demon realm where witches live on a Titan’s rotting corpse but all portals there have dryed up over the centuries.

Deputy (now Chief) Gerda while a more “by the books” chief of the safety patrol, was more understanding towards magical creatures and issues and preferred to listen first before making decisions. This has led to a number of new rules within Trolburg to accommodate its more mystical citizens as she worked to get humans more comfortable with their strange neighbors.

Wood Man slowly rebuilt the cabin Hilda and her mom lived in. He says it’s so he can have a second home away from home but secretly it’s so his old neighbors would visit more often, which they do.

Aunt Astrid helped teach Johanna and Hilda a bit of fairy magic. While it’s not as strong as it was back at fairy country and because they’re part human but there’s still a few spells that they can perform, mostly minor things (think Cantrips in D&D)

Johanna and Astrid made Hilda a new sweater with fairy magic and charms woven into it. She wears it always (washing it often of course)

That’s just a few off the top of my head atm. Hopefully after rewatching S3 I can think of some more

#ask #Hilda #hilda netflix #hilda the series #Hilda headcanons

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brian-in-finance · 10 months ago

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Video 📹 from YouTube photo shoot BTS forJuly 2018 Irish Tatler

Instagram cover and contents video 📹

Facebook Watch fun Q&A video 📹

Outlander-Online Instagram Story screenshot 📸

Screenshots: Caitríona Balfe Fan

time for more

Caitríona Balfe talks to Shauna O'Halloran about time-travel, wedding plans and why women have had enough of Hollywood's shitty behaviour (her words, not ours).

A pair of stonewashed Levi's 501s, flat white converse and a little white T-shirt are all that Caitríona Balfe needs to rock up to a day's shooting in North London, and still have a full crew comment on how beautiful she is in real life. It's never something I like to lead with in interviews - we're here to discover the person, after all - but I do feel that to not mention it would be a shame, because she is quite stunning, even when off-duty. It's not that much of a surprise of course. The Monaghan native was once one of the most sought after runway models in the world, having been spotted by a Ford Models scout in Dublin. At 18, she was opening and closing shows in Paris for Chanel, Moschino, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton, to name a few. And this humble glossy is just one of many she's graced the cover of - with Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle magazines all having starred Caitriona over the years. So no wonder there was literally not one bad shot to be found in the photographer's edit.

Today however, Caitríona Balfe is known best to most of the world as Claire Beauchamp Randall - Outlander's time travelling 1950s nurse who falls for a dashing highland warrior by the name of Jamie Fraser, played by her costar Sam Heughan. The show, now on series four, is based on a series of novels by Diana Gabaldon and to say it has mega fandom is an understatement. Having taken up acting after her modelling career, Outlander was Caitriona's first major role and has propelled her into a stratosphere with over five million viewers per episode. How, I wonder, is that?

"It's been such a wild ride!" She tells me as we sit down to interview. She's back filming in Scotland for her fourth season and we already know that seasons five and six are a go, so Claire is going to be part of Caitriona's life for some time to come. "I was cast late into the proceedings. I got cast on the 11th of September and I was in Scotland [for fittings and filming] on the 15th of September 2013. I guess I knew about two days before they announced it!" She says of the whirlwind entry into Outlander. It didn't take long, however, for Caitríona to realise the scope her new role was going to have.

"After we filmed about four episodes Sam and I were taken to LA and we did a fan event. Nobody had seen anything and there was over two thousand people at this fan event...having not seen one minute of footage. We came out on stage and everyone was just screaming!"

The core fan base has stuck with them as the seasons have gone on and Outlander has won multiple awards. Caitríona, too, has been widely recognised for her role with 20 plus nominations and a host of Best Actress wins from institutions like the People's Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, the Saturn Awards, IFTA and BAFTA.

One of the notable points of the drama series is the sparky on-screen chemistry between her and Heughan during their many steamy scenes together. So much so that people have had a hard time believing that they're not a couple in real life. No matter how much the actors insist.

"It's nice that people kind of see something in that, but you know, we've always just been friends. And I said it from the beginning but people didn't want to hear it!"

Even so, it must be hard after four years of filming sexy scenes with someone to not get embroiled in a romance of some description.

"We went for a walk," Caitríona explains on how the deal was cut early on. "Both of us had to go to London right before we had to start filming, I was getting my second perm of the week and he was getting his hair dyed, probably for the 15th time that month and we met down in Kensington and went on a big long walk in the park. I was there with my poodle perm and he was there with some kind of terrible ginger-red version of his hair and we were like, You know what, who knows what this is going to be but we're going to be in this together and we gotta have each other's backs.' And from that time on we always have." A sweet moment that has led to a lasting friendship and has probably been key to Outlander's success.

"The shows that have been successful - I think you always see that they stick together. The minute you let ego or your pride or all of that kind of stuff get in the way, I think that it can really sour things," she says with honesty. It has to be said, there is no ego about Caitríona Balfe and as the lead role in the show, it's easy to imagine that she sets the tone for all involved.

The atmosphere on set, she says is supportive and tight, although she's painfully aware that not all hit shows and Hollywood sets are so lucky.

"Our work is really tough and we're in tough conditions, like when you're out in the pissing rain or sideways snow, which happens! To have people be supportive of each other and care about each other, that makes such a huge difference.

"I know somebody who worked on a show as the lead male and he and the lead female never spoke, literally didn't speak to each other unless they were in a scene. I can't imagine ever wanting to be in a situation like that, I can't imagine waking up in the morning and feeling like I have to go to work with someone who won't even speak to me. That's horrible."

But the stories are rife; even before #MeToo broke, celebrities and bad behaviour on set seemed to go hand in hand. And it makes for great, salacious tabloid fodder. And women, notoriously, seem to get the raw end of the deal, in everything from respect standards to salaries.

"I think everybody's waking up to the fact that they can't get away with that stuff," Caitríona chips in. "I obviously came to this point of my life a bit later so I've always felt very comfortable about standing up for myself or speaking up for myself but there can be a bit of a double standard. But I don't think, I mean I will stress this, it's not always men enforcing that. We've had male directors or male producers who are so much more sensitive and supportive than sometimes the females can be. I don't necessarily think that it's a split line down the middle about sex; it's not all women supporting women because that's not my experience. I think it's really about people." And does it hurt more, when it's a woman being the unsupportive one?

"Yeah, I think you expect better. And I think sometimes they think because they're women they don't think they're being discriminatory, but if what you're asking is completely out of line..."

In the hierarchical worlds of modelling and acting, people entering the careers at the bottom rungs are more vulnerable to mistreatment.

Caitríona notes that she did experience it in particular as a young model and her first career left her with some healing to do.

"I remember one of my first ever photoshoots in Dublin. I was so young and I remember coming back from it and my sister was like 'Where have you been all day?' I was just being sent off with a strange photographer who was older and with no kind of knowledge about where I was going, what was expected, just sort of thrown out to the wolves at 18."

It was that age that she first began travelling too, to Paris and Milan, and with little to no support structure. "It's just incredible when I look back now at how I navigated all of that because you literally are just sent off on your own, traipsing around strange cities where you don't know the language. You are just expected to fend for yourself.

"It was the wild west and you were lucky if you had a job. There was a discrepancy of power - the agency was really supposed to be there protecting you, but it was almost like you needed to please them to get the jobs.

"I think that's why so many girls who have gone through that experience are as tough as nails," she adds, also referring to herself, although that toughness hasn't come without cost.

"When I left the business, I moved to LA and I am so grateful that I was able to take a year...a lot of that was just dismantling a lot of the mental issues I had taken from the business because your confidence and your self-esteem is in the toilet after you've been in that business for so long. Most models I know have terrible self-esteem which is the most crazy thing."

Thankfully, in both modelling and acting, the industries are changing.

As someone who is in the Hollywood stratosphere and has been in the company of the likes of Weinstein and more, Caitríona has first-hand experience of being with the people at the very centre of the #MeToo storm.

"A lot of my year in LA was just dismantling a lot of the mental issues I had taken from the business"

"A lot of the names that have come forward, it's strange because you kind of go 'Oh yeah, that's not surprising.' With someone like Morgan Freeman; I grew up watching him and he's been that voice that calms everyone. But I had previously heard rumours. Nobody is above the law and what I do hope is that all of these things go through a process because I think the worst thing is that we get into this situation where there is like a mob mentality and we start being judge, jury and executioner on social media because that's never the right way of doing things.

"But I think there has been a real shift and I think people aren't going to put up with shitty behaviour anymore. And they shouldn't."

The one thing that high profile and influence does afford people is the ability to shine a light on situations that deserve more attention. It's something that Caitríona’s very aware of and since her Outlander fans have always asked 'who can we support on your behalf', she went out of her way to discover a charity that she could be an ambassador for. As a result, she is now a patron of Wold Child Cancer and travelled to Ghana last year to see two of the hospitals the charity works at. "It's very humbling when you see the different kinds of care you can expect if anything ever goes wrong in your life just because of where you are born," she says of the experience but is equally quick to downplay her role as a patron versus that of the people working on the ground, despite using her own time and profile to raise awareness and funds for the charity. "I feel so grateful that I can, the people in the trenches are the people who do work day-to-day and it's super impressive because they don't get a lot of credit for it."

Check Caitríona’s Twitter and you'll see how impassioned she is about this, as well as being a big supporter of other issues: she was vocal on repeal, supports ethical fashion choices and promotes a meat and dairy-free lifestyle.

"I believe that no matter what you do you should be a responsible citizen of the world," she says, "I think a lot of my social media is promoting issues I believe in and causes that I believe in.

“As for my more private life, frankly I'm not interesting so I don't like doing selfies, my partner is super private so he isn't on any social media and doesn't want to be so nothing is said about him. So yeah, that's naturally how I am!"

It's clear as the conversation goes on how grounded Caitríona is. She's fiercely proud of her Irishness and uses it as a conversation starter worldwide (*We command goodwill - people genuinely like us!") and while she laments how badly her name gets 'butchered' she misses the fada which she dropped for ease some years ago. "I'm devastated about it!" she says, before also confessing that technology had some part to play in its demise.

"In the early days of computers I didn't know how to put it on! I just learnt a couple of months ago, like ohhh it's that button there. So I might bring the fada back."

And she hasn't ruled out an upcoming wedding in Ireland - the actress is recently engaged to intensely private music producer Tony McGill, but plans for the nuptials are still undecided. Would she consider coming back to Ireland to tie the knot?

"If you put a sun lamp over it, yeah I'd love to!" She laughs. Wedding planning is not really her thing however, and doesn't garner giddy chats and wishlists.

"I would just love to have all of my friends and family and have a great party," she clarifies when coming across as less than enthusiastic about planning her perfect day. "I think the production side of it is just too much like work!"

And finding time that suits both their schedules is also proving challenging, with Caitríona lined up to film in LA with Matt Damon and Christian Bale. It's a biopic of mechanic and driver Ken Miles (Bale) and the conflict between Ford and Ferrari during the 1960s. "I play Christian Bale's wife and James Mangold [Walk the Line, Logan, The Wolverine) is directing. It's set in the sixties, it's all about Le Mans, the 24-hour race so it's a lot of fast cars, hot men and me!" She laughs. "I've been watching loads of documentaries on Le Mans which is really cool."

And this is Caitríona: totally unfazed, seemingly, by the prospect of working with some of Hollywood's most famous actors and directors and yet, nerdily researching so she can be prepared on the day. Oh, and consciously enjoying it too. With more projects in the pipeline, that demand is only going to get higher, but of one thing I can be sure: to her own self, Caitríona Balfe will always be true.

Remember… we command goodwill - people genuinely like us! ☘️ — Caitríona Balfe

#Tait rhymes with hat #Good times #Irish Tatler #July 2018 #YouTube #My screenrecording

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phanfictioncatalogue · 9 months ago

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15k Words (2) Masterlist

part one

A-Lister (ao3) - tastefulcucumber

Summary: Phil’s Dad owns a small photography business. Daniel Howell, academy-award winning actor decides that Lester’s Portraits is the best place to get his head-shots for his portfolio. He expects to get his pictures taken, but what he doesn’t expect is the photographer’s son to be so captivating. No one else has treated Dan this normal since the beginning of his acting career. Maybe that’s just what Dan needs, a friend who is there for him, and not for his status.

A Little Bit Of Magic - dxnhowell

Summary: Dan is the new potions teacher at Hogwarts and is muggleborn, this is his first year teaching and whilst he’s excited, he has to get used to being in the castle with absolutely no muggle technology. Phil is the herbology teacher and is clumsy and likes puns and likes to help Hagrid with his magical creatures. Dan and Phil eventually meet and become rather close, some of the students realize this and try to get them together before the end up of the year.

Amaryllis (ao3) - bokeae

Summary: In which Dan has to wed Princess Alice when he would much rather marry her brother, Philip.

Ardour (There’s a World Outside These Walls) (ao3) - centroid

Summary: Dan’s facade crumbled. His breathing was the first to go, leaving his lungs with short gasps of air. He brought his hands up to press the heels of his palms into his eye sockets as tears trekked down his cheeks. Dan’s romantic life was always covered in a veil of sorrow, but never once had he cried over it. Never once did he let his walls down and just weep. Dan was relieved, so relieved but at the same time he was in despair. It was as if his fate had been set in stone, finalizing that he was and would forever be alone. In a world with its foundation dug heel toe into romance, he was someone who had to go without.

billet-doux (ao3) - Tarredion

Summary: Dan and Phil, gang leaders and rivals to the highest degree, harbor big secrets they want no one to see

Coffee and Calligraphy (ao3) - brookwrites

Summary: Dan’s a barista at the local cafe, where writer!Phil decides to sit with his journal. Dan likes Phil. A lot. But things change when Dan finds something out about Phil that breaks his heart.

Colour Me Blue (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: What if a boy, whose heart was so full of darkness, that he couldn’t believe in colours anymore, met someone so full of light who slowly painted his world bright again?

Demons In My Head (ao3) - kae_karo

Summary: An unconscious demon mysteriously shows up on Dan's property, and Dan heals it, promising he'll send it back to where it came from as soon as he finds out why it's there. Finding the will to banish a charming demon is harder than he thought.

for you I’d wait (til kingdom come) (ao3) - blueshirt

Summary: The time that Dan misunderstands one little conversation—which he still maintains is PHIL’S FAULT, not his—and it leads to six years of unrequited pining.

going the wrong way home (ao3)- moonlightmusings

Summary: the almost-college au where dan and phil take a summer road trip.

I heard the March birds singing, and oh, what a beautiful sound. (ao3) - emonerd_io

Summary: Inspired by the anime 四月は君の嘘 (Your Lie in April)!

The piano initiated the opening chords, and she drew the melody out in simple, yet alluring and complex lines. It’s a tune Dan did not recognise, but fell in love with immediately. Deep, and filled with a certain longing, yet tragically beautiful. It’s the type of music that allows you to fathom why exactly some people practise for years and for decades, trying to master their craft, just to play something so modest and stark, yet so exquisite.

This is the story of two young musicians, Dan and Phil, and how their lives became entwined over the course of one year in high school.

In Faded Holograms They Speak (ao3) - artdeficient

Summary: They’re in japan and nothing seems to make sense, so they hide in hotel rooms and pretend they can’t see what’s right in front of them, and it works, for a while. (badlands au based off of halsey’s album)

no longer feel alone (ao3) - natigail

Summary: who'd have known that a random act of kindness from a stranger could lead to this.

refraction (ao3) - indistinct_echo

Summary: (To be read after completing Monochrome by intoapuddle.)

Dan doesn’t want to wait any longer: it’s time to share with Angie and PJ his Fall Whisperer identity. This really isn’t so scary… oh, who is he kidding, it’s terrifying.

Cue supportive-boyfriend Phil, amateur-therapist Dan, and a healthy dose of luck (+ bonus smut).

Teach Me to Fly (ao3) - thesleepdeprived

Summary: Soulmates!AU, Wings!AU. People had always told him that wings were the solution to everything, the key to your love life, your friend circle, who you are as a person, even. Yet somehow, Phil just can’t bring himself to see it that way. Who would want a soulmate that would never fly? (or, as my planning outline so eloquently puts it, kiss kiss fall in love you emotionally repressed motherfuckers) COMPLETE

These Violent Delights Of Love (ao3) - cyanica

Summary: Dan is hopelessly in love, Phil’s seemingly oblivious and they’re on a world tour just to make things more chaotic.

And yet, the Gods, or the Ruler of the Universe, or whoever the hell was in charge decided Dan needed to die in the end, too. Currently, leaning over the porcelain throne of shit and piss was the Gods’ human voodoo doll, throwing up the contents of his unfortunate Indian dinner – and significantly more alarming than that: black tulips. Fucking flowers. This wasn’t real life.

waiting to be found (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: Dan and Phil meet at a club.

(And then a coffee shop.)

Who’s Taking You Home Tonight? (ao3) - whatkindoffanfics (orphan_account)

Summary: October, 1944. While World War II rages on, Dan Howell finds himself thrown into the secretive world of Bletchley Park, a headquarters for intercepting and breaking the codes of encrypted German messages.

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phan #phanfic #masterlists #15k #15k masterlist

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weddingswithjan · 1 year ago

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Professional Keene Photographer

How To Find The Perfect Wedding Photographer

Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event filled with precious moments, and finding the perfect wedding photographer to capture those memories is crucial. In the picturesque landscapes of Southern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts, Weddings With Jan offers an intimate and authentic wedding photography experience. Let's explore how to find the ideal wedding photographer to document your special day. Our professional Keene photographer brings skill and creativity to every frame, ensuring perfection.

The Importance of Choosing Wisely

Your wedding photographs are more than just images; they're timeless reminders of your love story. It's essential to choose a wedding photographer who understands your vision and can turn your moments into cherished memories.

Start Early and Do Your Research

Begin your search for the perfect wedding photographer early in your wedding planning process. Seek recommendations from friends and family who have recently tied the knot. Additionally, explore online portfolios, read reviews, and view sample wedding albums to gauge a photographer's style and expertise.

Consider Your Style

Every couple has a unique style, and your wedding photos should reflect that. Discuss your preferred style with potential photographers. Whether you lean towards traditional, contemporary, photojournalistic, or a mix of styles, finding a photographer who aligns with your vision is essential.

Meet and Connect

Arrange meetings with potential photographers to get to know them better. The chemistry between you and your photographer is crucial, as it can make the photography process more enjoyable and natural. Ensure they listen to your ideas and understand your priorities.

Review Their Portfolio

Request to see a complete wedding album from a past client to get a sense of how the photographer captures an entire event. This will help you assess the consistency of their work and their storytelling abilities.

Discuss Packages and Pricing

Budget is a significant consideration when choosing a wedding photographer. Be upfront about your budget and discuss package options. Ensure that the photographer you choose offers a package that aligns with your needs and budget constraints.

Ask About Backup Plans

Inquire about backup plans in case of unforeseen circumstances such as equipment failure or illness. A reliable photographer should have contingency plans to ensure your day is documented seamlessly.

Read the Contract Carefully

Before signing any contract, read it thoroughly and ask for clarification on any terms you don't understand. Ensure the contract includes details like the number of hours of coverage, delivery timelines for your photos, and the rights to your images.

Trust Your Instincts

Ultimately, trust your instincts when making the final decision. Your wedding photographer will play a significant role in your special day, so choose someone you genuinely connect with and have confidence in.

In Southern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts, Jan at Weddings With Jan embodies the qualities of the perfect wedding photographer. Her international experiences and artistic perspective ensure that your wedding day is captured with a unique touch. Reach out to Jan at [email protected] or call 202-209-6427 to discuss your wedding photography needs and embark on a journey to transform your love story into timeless art.

Choosing the perfect wedding photographer may seem like a daunting task, but with thorough research, thoughtful consideration, and a connection built on trust, you'll find the ideal photographer to document the most beautiful moments of your life!

#https://weddingswithjan.com/#new hampshire wedding photographer #wedding photography services #award-winning wedding photographer #destination wedding photography #vermont wedding photographer #massachusetts wedding photography #creative wedding photography #international wedding photographer #capture your wedding memories #unique wedding photography experience #professional wedding photographer in new hampshire #photography passion and creativity #wedding photography in keene #nh #best keene wedding photographers #keene nh photography services #affordable keene wedding photography #keene bridal photographer #keene engagement photography #keene wedding photography packages #nh wedding photography #wedding photographers in new hampshire #new hampshire bridal photography #affordable nh wedding photographer #destination wedding photographer nh #nh elopement photographer #nh wedding photography studios #wedding photography in brattleboro #vt

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foxes-that-run · 1 year ago

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2021 Haylor Timeline

Timeline Tag, or years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

2 January - Harry at Jeffs wedding with OW. Holding hands at wedding photos - the Paparazzi Clint and his partner follow Olivia to a hotel in Santa Barbara. He later does an hour long podcast on following them and explains he then realised Harry was there and takes photos. After a few phone calls, the two photographers discover rumors of a romantic relationship between Harry and Olivia. 10 minutes later, photographed them together. in Nanny tell all Nanny said Olivia was still texting Jason to say she loved him, that Olivia was pretending to not have service. Nanny found out she was at the wedding online.

3 January - walking with OW in Santa Barbara

4 January - Harry hike in LA

15 January - Ted Lasso Season 2 starts filming London, in Nanny Tell all nanny said that Ted confronted her on the plane there about her telling Olivia that Jason had been crying and not coping. Jason then offered the Nanny a life coach to get info out of her and they were attending therapy with the Nanny.

18 January - Coney Island released as a single.

14 February Olivia at Harry’s LA house with luggage. Don't worry Darling filming wraps. On the 21st Taylor Lover tour cancelled.

16 February - E News Harry and OW fly to London together. DWD wraps, Harry OW cast photo

20 February - OW near Jason Sudeikis /her kids London house

6 March - Oliva posts photo of Branston Beans from Harry's Kitchen, the curtains can be seen. Lockdown laws mean she should not have been able to travel there and was bragging about it and posting inside his house.

10 March Instead of congratulating Harry on the nomination Zayn posted “F the Grammys”

youtube

15 March -Talk at the Grammys, Taylor and Harry part of small group of attendees. Harry goes over to Taylor and they are polite, Harry seems a little awkward and says “well it was nice to see you”. He keeps looking at her during his acceptance speech for record of the year.

Taylor wrote High Infidelity and WCS with Aaron Dessner while in LA for the Grammy's, when she saw Harry & J Mayer.

Niall and Liam congratulate Harry on his Grammy win, Zayn and Louis do not.

31 March - architect of Harry’s Erskine House renovations posts photos of the interior to their website. It has a black, wood pale grey palette with pink stairs

13, -25 April - OW with Harry london

April 27 - Joe leaves UK to Belfast to film.

May 11 - HS & TS both at Brit awards (the 26th was a blood moon)

May - Harry’s bassist since HS1, Adam Pendergast, leaves love band (date from his LinkedIn)

20 May - Harry and Olivia dinner at Refuel Bar & Restaurant at The Soho Hotel. ET Rumours Joe and Taylor engaged.

15 June - Harry seen with fans wearing Apollo eleven tshirt

21 June - Harry wrapped My Policeman in Italy, started in Feb. Released 1 September 2022. Holiday in Italy

2 July - renegade released

3 July - Harry at England v Ukraine game Italy

8 July - Harry and Olivia on yacht and in Italy

26 July - Charlotte Clarke (Harry’s backup singer) said she was let go and doesn’t understand why. won’t be on HSLOT

28 July - Taylor posts for folklore' anniversary, "It’s been one year since we escaped the real world together and imagined ourselves someplace simpler." with a photo from Donegal Ireland. Heavily TTPD coded with Victorian gown, like the Betty speech’s on eras tour and lakes (poets), two coffee cups too, was it already a double album?! Coffee also as in the end of the Karma MV. Joe posted photos from the same trip on July 22nd

9 August - 26 August Harry in studio maybe mixing Harry's House in the behind scenes photos here you can see outfits he wore in LA on these dates.

4 September – 22 July 2023 - Love on Tour, Harry has a new bassist Elin Sandberg

7 September - Taylor in Belfast visiting Joe. Red TV entirely recorded at Kitty Committee Belfast UK (her home)

9 September - Taylor at Toronto Film Festival and to premiere all too well

11 September - Harry at Toronto Film Festival to premiere My policeman, talks about wasted time being the worst thing in presser

17 September - wildest dreams TV released, TikTok about recording Red TV and a glitch. Harry and Olivia in Phili with Xander, max and family

May 11 - HS & TS both at Brit awards (the 26th was a blood moon)

May - Harry’s bassist since HS1, Adam Pendergast, leaves love band (date from his LinkedIn)

May 24 - Joe and Taylor together in Paris

3 June - Harry OW her parents London

21 June - Harry wrapped My Policeman in Italy, started in Feb. Released 1 September 2022.

30 June - H Holiday in Italy

2 July - renegade released

8 July - Harry and Olivia on yacht and in Italy

13 July - Jason sudokis GQ that he still doesn’t know why they broke up and it ended in November 2020. Harry mentioned.

14 July - HSLOT announced for September

26 July - Charlotte Clarke (Harry’s backup singer) said she was let go and doesn’t understand why. won’t be on HSLOT

7 August - OW and Harry had guests at house, Harry has moustache and greets someone.

9 August - 26 August Harry LA in studio maybe mixing Harry's House in the behind scenes photos here you can see outfits he wore in LA on these dates. Walking with Olivia 19 August

31 August - Taylor and Joe hiking Franklin Canyon

4 September – 22 July 2023 - Love on Tour, Harry has a new bassist Elin Sandberg. OW at first show.

7 September - Taylor in Belfast visiting Joe. Red TV entirely recorded at Kitty Committee Belfast UK (her home)

9 September - Taylor at Toronto Film Festival and to premiere all too well

10 September - Harry golfing in Dallas

11 September - Harry at Toronto Film Festival to premiere My policeman, talks about wasted time being the worst thing in presser

17 September - wildest dreams TV released, TikTok about recording Red TV and a glitch. Harry and Olivia in Phili with Xander, max and family

18 September - Harry seen with Olivia near her parents in DC before show there

22 September - first heart kiss since 2018! St Paul - Falling, with Two Ghosts intro (4:31). Then again weekly till the end of the year

25 September - Taylor London Lena's wedding.

youtube

29 September - & 1 Oct Harry played Nashville and wore a white satin outfit, he played with his rings while performing Beautiful. Harry plays To Be so Lonely for 9 shows then never again, including Nashville N2 and NY. In Nashville looks up. OW at shows

3 October - OW parents at HSLOT but she is in LA.

9 October - Harry in Florida dinner

13 October - fan sends to DM that they saw Harry, no OW at Pittsburgh cathedral of learning with “more police and security than I knew existed” wouldn’t have recognised him if it wasn’t for them.

16 October - Harry wore “all things must pass” hoodie NYC OW walked awkwardly holding him. One security person.

22 October - one more photo of Taylor and joe in the bathroom leaked (the proper selfie), photos from 2016 leaked in 2020

25 October - Harry seems to be in a bad mood when he first goes on stage in Boston, also wearing no rings. Heart kiss in Falling, OW there and not seen with him until harryween in a week.

26 October - Taylor posts TikTok "Autumn Lovers RISE" as a reenactment of a 27 September 2017 Tumblr post. She writes lyrics to ATW "just between us did the love affair maim you" "and Plaid stuff and ankle boots" she's wearing a skirt but says 'stuff' plaid shirts and ankle Chelsea boots is Harry in 2011-2013. And "Maroon/Hunter Green" The ATW move included a book coming out 13 years later about the love affair.

30 October - Harry dressed as Dorothy at harryween MSG NY, Olivia as Dolly Parton posted photos with exercise bike and boobs. Olivia left for LA.

31 October - Moon Harryween Harry played MEDICINE!! For the first time since 2018

1 November - rumors Harry and OW fighting

10 November - heart kiss in falling. Tumblr anon said about OW “I was working at the venue in Sacramento when he played during LOT. Her backstage privileges were revoked after the show prior to that...which was..I think...Portland. Our backstage security was instructed to not allow her backstage under any circumstances. She didn't even arrive to the venue with him. From what I understood from Sacramento through the end of that tour her security access was no more than say..contest winners..radio personalities etc. I was shocked at the time that they lasted another year since there was clearly trouble in paradise.”

11 November - Harry has a bruise on his back I. Love on tour backstage photo

12 November - Red TV released Harry wears red in his show on the 11th. All Too Well Short Film premiere Dylan O'Brien (who is in ATW film) is included in this footage of Austin and Dylan cheering when Jack plays Question..? in the Studio. Appears on Fallon and says she easter eggs 3 years in advance in reference to ATW.

16 November - Pleasing launch with Harry on bike photo on cover of Dazed

17 November – Taylor leaves NYC for Panama to go see Joe. Taylor posts a drunk TikTok from Panama. On the 20th she went to the national theater and leaves on the 22nd. Joe stays and films. Midnights written while gone

21 November - Last time Taylor is photographed in public for 3 months is the SNL performance for All too Well

25 November Rolling Stone noted the Haylor call and response “the long-running songwriting badminton between her and Harry Allegedly is pop call-and-response the way it ought to be”

28 November- 13 December Harry MIA. after his shows. OW seen alone in LA

1 December Taylor wore Gucci lion ring to Zoe’s kravitz birthday throwback photo shared day after YLM date identified by Jack.

5 December - You're losing me written. Love on Tour in Buenos Aires

28 December - Harry and OW Italy. Fans post they saw them Hampstead NYE, no photos.

Continue to 2022

#haylor #Youtube #haylor timeline #2021

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stranger-marauders · 1 year ago

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i could never let you go

two: dancing queen mamma mia! au

chapter summary: Lena finds quite a surprise while covering the check-in desk. After a drink with Robin and Nancy, you make a discovery you never wanted to make.

chapter warnings: language probably, use of y/n, single-mom struggles, mentions of cheating, mentions of previous pregnancy, absent father

word count: 5.2k

series masterlist | masterlist

Whenever she heard three men in the courtyard, Lena had immediately gone to go and investigate.

At the sight of the three men and their bags, she knew that they must have been looking for the check-in desk. With that, she immediately snapped herself into her customer service persona.

“Good afternoon,” she started. “Can I help you three out?”

When they turned around, her heart stopped. She could’ve recognized their faces any sooner.

“Sure, we’re here for the wedding.”

“I’m Jonathan Byers,” one of them said. “You have a room for me?”

Lena swallowed the lump in her throat, flustered. “Jonathan Byers?”

“I’m Munson. Eddie Munson.”

Lena, of course, quickly became even more flustered. “Eddie!” She looked over to the last man. “So you must be…”

“Steve Harrington, yeah,” he said.

Lena didn’t know what to think. Her three potential fathers were all standing right in front of her with no clue in the world of who she was.

The first man, Jonathan Byers, had shorter brown hair. While he was somewhat handsome, he certainly also looked professional. With the research she’d done on him, Lena had been able to determine that Jonathan was now a successful photographer who had taken jobs with all types of newspapers, magazines, and practically any company that needed a picture of some kind.

The second man, Eddie Munson, had been much easier to find on the internet. Eddie Munson, the lead guitarist of the band Corroded Coffin, which, as of last year, was Grammy award-winning, was very popular. Not only was he an amazing guitarist, as she’d seen via Twitter, but he had also been rumored to be in a relationship with their lead singer. He was an absolute heartbreaker, even after all these years, as he’d never been in a confirmed relationship. Nonetheless, in all of the pictures she’d found of him over the years, he somehow looked almost exactly the same, having the same long hair and leather jacket that he’d had before.

Steve, however, had been the most difficult to find anything about. While he wasn’t a famous photographer or an even more famous musician, he was, without question, a millionaire. His father and his father before him had owned a contracting company that had been passed down to him, also leaving him with the millions that it had generated over the years. She hadn’t been able to find a picture of him, so she hadn’t known what to imagine about him. Lena wasn’t quite expecting him to be so handsome with his medium-length hair and his dark brown eyes, his slightly tanned skin. He, just like the other two men, was attractive.

It seemed her mother had had a type in her youth: rich brunet boys.

“Were you, uh… expecting us?” Steve asked, seeming confused.

“Yes,” Lena said, trying to pull herself together. “Yes, of course!”

“You’re not Y/N’s daughter, are you?” he asked. “You look just like her.”

“I thought you looked familiar.”

“Darlene, is it, sweetheart?” Eddie suggested, almost like he’d heard of her before.

“Oh, everyone calls me Lena,” she said quickly. “I am named after a Darlene, though.”

“Lena’s pretty,” Jonathan said. “I had a great aunt Darlene who lived right off the mainland here.”

“Would you mind taking us to our rooms so we could freshen up, maybe?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Lena said. “Uh… right this way!”

Lena didn’t know what she was doing, exactly. She didn’t know how she was supposed to hide them in the hotel from you. Now that she was thinking about it, she definitely should have thought that out before she had invited the three of your former lovers to her wedding. For now, putting them in the old and abandoned barn on the property would be good enough. At least that way you’d be able to buy some time and get another room put together for them, hopefully one that your mother wouldn’t be able to find out about.

Whenever they reached the old structure, Lena opened the door for them. “All right, just in here.”

“Where’s your mom?” Steve asked, almost anxious. “I wanna see her. I wanna thank her for the invitation.”

“It’s very kind of her to remember us after all this time,” Jonathan said.

“Can I see my room now?”

“Don’t hold your breath, Eddie, but I think this is your room.”

“Can we see Y/N, please?”

Lena had very quickly found herself extremely overwhelmed. She now understood why her mother had always gotten onto her for asking a thousand questions at once whenever she was younger. It was too much to handle.

Because of her overstimulation, Lena spat out the first thing that came into her head. “I sent the invites. My mom doesn’t know anything.”

Immediately, all three men seemed alarmed.

“She’s done so much for me, and she’s always talking about you guys and the good old days, and I thought… I just thought it would be such an amazing surprise for her that you’re all gonna be at my wedding.”

“Hang on, Lena,” Steve said, putting his hand against his head like he was having a million thoughts at once. “I–I can’t be here, okay? The last time I saw your mother, she said she never wanted to see me again.”

“That was years ago!” Lena exclaimed. “Please stay. It would mean so much if you did.”

She didn’t want to think about the three of them leaving yet. Lena had just met them. She couldn’t tolerate her potential fathers leaving and then possibly never hearing from them again. Lena couldn’t do it.

“Listen, I can see that you’ve been through a great deal of trouble,” Jonathan said, trying to ease the tension. “Might I suggest that we all reconvene on the boat?”

“Good idea.”

“Nope,” Eddie said.

Both Steve and Jonathan looked at him like he was crazy.

“Why not?”

“It’s an adventure, Jonny boy! It’s good for you!”

“Ah.”

Lena sighed. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she had to think of something quick to get them to stay. That was when it hit her.

“Okay, when I sent the invites, it was a long shot that you’d even reply, and now you’ve come all this way for a wedding. Surely there must have been some special reason for you to be here.”

“You’re just like your mother,” Steve said, shaking his head. “I’m glad my boys haven’t met you. They’d never recover.”

“You have sons?” Lena asked. Could she have siblings?

“Yeah, two,” he replied, not thinking much of the question. “Someday, I’d like to bring them here.”

“Like you used to bring my mother?”

Steve sighed. “No, not like—”

“Wait, do you hear that?” Jonathan said, listening closely. “That sounds like her right outside.”

Whenever everyone stopped arguing and your faint hum could be heard from outside, they all three tried to leave the structure. Lena, of course, blocked the entrance.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Listen, listen, she can’t know. Okay? I’m going to go. Please stay.” She paused. “Promise me that you won't tell anybody that I invited you.” Whenever the three men didn’t answer her, she restated herself. “Okay? Promise?”

“You got it, sweetheart,” Eddie said, flashing a grin at her.

“It’s a promise.”

“Fine.”

Lena, for the first time since she’d met her three possible fathers, sighed with relief. “Okay.”

Whenever she left the barn, climbing out of a window in order to avoid being spotted by you, Lena knew it was only a matter of time before you found out that your former three lovers were on Pinestead Island.

For the past few hours, you had been running around the island to try and at least make the place look put together. Of course, that was after the hour that you’d wasted drinking wine coolers with Nancy and Robin in their room.

You didn’t know why they had talked you into drinking with them. Quite frankly, you didn’t know how they had either. You hadn’t intended on drinking during the day, maybe that night whenever the three of you were alone, but you now hated the decision you’d made. It was only supposed to be one drink. One drink, apparently, was all it took to feel the effects of alcohol anymore.

Getting older sucked.

Running around tipsily on Pinestead Island wasn’t something you ever would have thought you would do. Now, though, you felt even more emotional than you had earlier that day.

While you loved Leo and you knew that your daughter was in good hands, you felt like she was much too young to get married. You wished that she would’ve gotten to experience more of the world before she got settled down and married, especially to the first serious boyfriend that she’d ever had.

Lena had very quickly fallen for Leo when he’d come to Pinestead Island about three years ago. Even though he was a year older than her, it didn’t matter. They had very quickly fallen in love, ready to leave everything behind for one another.

You were glad that Lena had found someone to take care of her if something ever happened to you. That didn’t mean, however, that you were ready to see your baby get married. In your opinion, twenty was much too young to be a bride. Twenty-two had been much too young to become a mother on your own. You didn’t want Lena to have to grow up too quickly, similarly to what you had had to do.

That thought, however, came to an abrupt halt whenever she heard something come from the barn.

You immediately thought that was odd. There wasn’t supposed to be anything inside of that barn, nor had there been anything in the structure that was of value for a long time. You assumed something must have finally fallen over, or maybe an old shelf had finally rotted away and had given out with the weight of the objects resting on top of it. You also wouldn’t have put it past any of the kids that currently worked for you, however, to be inside of the barn smoking or drinking and trying to avoid doing any more work for the day.

With your mind running at a thousand miles an hour, you decided that you wouldn’t be able to focus until you checked the inside of the barn.

It couldn’t have been anything too bad, you thought. Whenever you walked inside the barn, however, nothing could have prepared you for the sight of Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers, and Eddie Munson standing together in front of you.

Your head started to hurt: it had been nearly twenty-one years since the last time you’d seen any of them.

Truthfully, you hadn’t left things so terribly with Eddie. Even though you’d been a well-sought-after groupie, and that was the glorified version, that was all there truly was to that relationship. It was a short-lived fling, and both of you knew that. There weren’t any hard feelings or anything. You and Eddie were simply a one-night thing, and what a night it was. That didn’t exactly mean that you wanted him in your barn, though.

Jonathan wasn’t so bad, either. The only reason you had the hotel on the island was because of him and his great aunt, to be honest, and you never would’ve been happy again without him. If it wasn’t for him, your life would’ve been completely different, and while that reality might have been nice to dream about, you knew that that wasn’t what you wanted. Once again, that didn’t mean that you wanted him in that hotel or anywhere near the property.

Steve, however, was a different story. He had completely enamored you all those years ago. You had never felt anything quite like what you had during that month with him in the old house on the island, and you still didn’t think you would ever quite feel anything like that again. Steve Harrington had shown you the world and then had completely shattered it at your feet. You didn’t know if you would ever quite feel love like that again. That was why, out of the three men, you definitely didn’t want him anywhere near you, your property, and the entire island if you could help it.

The three men could only stare at you, and you back at them. All of them had aged somewhat well. While Eddie looked exactly the same, other than a few wrinkles here and there, Jonathan and Steve looked different. Jonathan looked much more put together than he did the last time you saw him, his hair much shorter and his skill less pale. Steve, however, almost looked like a different man entirely. While he, of course, still looked like himself, he still looked older. Steve, much to your dismay, was one of those guys that only got more attractive with age. While his hair wasn’t the same as it was the last time you saw him, it was still a medium length, still similar enough that he still resembled his younger self. All three of them looked good. Probably great compared to how you looked right now.

You didn’t need to look at yourself in a mirror to know that you looked terrible. Not only were you a bit tipsy, but you’d been working around the island and the hotel all day, meaning your hair was probably messy and you smelled gross. You weren’t even wearing a cute outfit. Besides, the last time they’d seen you, that was before you’d had Lena.

Lena.

The three of them couldn’t be on Pinestead. You didn’t know what you would do if they happened to run into your daughter and talked to her for just a few moments. Steve, Jonathan, and Eddie weren’t stupid. It wouldn’t take long for at least one of them to realize that Lena had to be one of theirs.

You didn’t want to think about all of the things that had happened with the three of those boys that were now men. Now, though, as you stood in front of them, almost as if you were frozen to stone, you didn’t quite know what to do.

“I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” you finally asked. “You’re not really here.”

“Would you like me to pinch you or something?” Steve asked.

“You keep your hands to yourself.”

“That’s not what you said last time.”

You didn’t quite know how to respond to him. The audacity he had to joke about their relationship after everything he’d done.

“What the hell are you doing here, Steve? Why are any of you here, actually?”

“I’m taking pictures for an article in a magazine,” Jonathan replied.

“And I’m here on a spontaneous trip,” Eddie said.

“And I thought I’d just drop in. Say hi,” Steve added.

“And that’s why you’re in my old barn?” you asked, somewhat annoyed with the three of them.

All three men clamored to explain why they were there, but, unsurprisingly, were not actually able to come up with a reason for their presence. Shocker.

“Hm. It’s a shame we don’t have any rooms right now,” you lied, knowing damn good and well that you definitely still had more than enough space. “It’s that time of year, you know?”

“That’s why I made the decision to book ahead,” Steve said as-a-matter-of-factly. “You know, for your convenience.”

Of course he did. You hated him. You hated that he’d planned a spontaneous visit twenty-one years after you’d seen him at such a time as this. It was like he knew that today and tomorrow were the most inconvenient times for you to deal with the repercussions of him being on the island.

“It’s… not a good time.”

“Why?” Jonathan asked.

“Because…”

You didn’t know how to tell them about Lena’s wedding tomorrow without telling them about Lena’s existence. They couldn’t know about her. Then they would want to stay even more.

“One of the local girls is getting married here tomorrow, and I… I just don’t have the staff to take care of everyone. You’d be so much more comfortable on the mainland. All three of you.”

“Oh, no. Not at all. Jonathan’s used to roughing it, and Eddie likes staying in places that are much, much worse.”

“And what about you?” you asked him, somewhat bitterly. “Seems like you left that part out.”

“Uh, me?” Steve asked, somewhat taken by surprise. “I, uh… I–I just came back to see the island, you know, and I, uh—”

“Listen, I’d love to stop and chat to, uh… reminisce about the good old days, but I have to go, uh… go clean one of the rooms, or something like that.”

Whenever you left the room, the three men all exchanged glances: even though you had aged twenty years, you still had not learned the subtle art of lying.

“Age has certainly done her well,” Jonathan finally said, breaking the silence.

“To be honest, I was expecting her to be stout and scary,” Eddie replied. “Like a crazy mom or something.”

“Nope,” Steve said, shaking his head. “She’s, uh… She’s still Y/N.”

With that, Jonathan, Steve, and Eddie made the decision to finally enter the villa and hopefully get sent to a real room.

As you walked back to the villa, you thought you were going to have a mental breakdown.

Nothing could have ever prepared you to ever see any of them again. Especially Steve. You hadn’t thought about seeing them in twenty years, so why would they—

That was a lie. You knew that. Even if you never wanted to talk to your daughter about it, you thought about that summer all the time.

It had started with Steve. You remembered meeting him clear as day, even now. That was back in your performing days, back when you secretly wanted to be just like your mother. You were singing in one of the bars back on the mainland and Steve was sitting at the bar. You finally noticed him after he didn’t leave for hours, only watching you as you sang a mix of covers and originals with your acoustic guitar. That night, Steve had taken you back to Pinestead Island, showing you the big and abandoned farmhouse where he’d been staying.

He’d given you the most thrilling month of your life. Steve had made sure that you felt loved every single night, and that you did. You didn’t think you would ever experience something so magical ever again. He had loved every single part of you and supported you every night at the bar, making sure you went back to your place with some type of money. He’d shown you that he could have had you anywhere: your bed, the kitchen table, the beach… it didn’t matter as long as he had you.

That was until Steve had gone home to get married. You remembered whenever he told you he had to go back home to Indiana and you had told him that you needed him to stay. You remembered that you didn’t understand. That was when he had told you that he had a fiancée, Amy, and he was supposed to marry her in four days. With that, you promptly told him with tears in your eyes to leave the island and that you never wanted to see him again, so long as you still lived.

You didn’t know if you would ever experience such heartbreak again. Steve Harrington had been enough to scare you out of ever truly loving anyone again for the rest of your life, and you were certain of that.

Shortly after that, you’d met Jonathan. He had come to the mainland to take pictures of the area for some travel magazine and had stopped by the bar for a drink. Of course, just like most of the men that walked into the bar, he was completely enamored with you and the Dynamos. The next day, you and Jonathan rented a motorboat and took it out to the island, mostly so you could show him what the place was like. Maybe he could have used it for your magazine, you told yourself. Whenever it had started raining and you had both gone inside the big house, the same one that you and Steve had shared together, something within you sank. Because of that, Jonathan had tried to make it all better for you, showing you that someone could love you again. After a night together, however, Jonathan’s contract was up—he had to go home, too.

That was when Eddie came into the picture. He and the band had a couple of gigs booked at the same bar you’d been working at all summer, but now you were opening for them. Eddie had talked to you before you’d gone on stage, making sure you were okay before you performed. After your set and Corroded Coffin’s set were over, Eddie offered to get you a couple of drinks, and you both got drunk enough that you brought him back to your place on the island. After having one of the craziest nights of your life sex-wise, Eddie hadn’t had any choice but to leave you on Pinestead Island so he could continue touring with his band.

With that, you had been left all alone.

You found out around three weeks after Eddie had left that you were pregnant. You had been about two weeks late on your period, so you took a test to confirm what you’d already known to be true. Your jeans and bras had already started to fit tighter, and you’d already started getting sick in the mornings, which you had just attributed to eating bar food every night.

After panicking because you were currently carrying a child in your stomach, you panicked even more. You couldn’t begin to think about who the father was. You hadn’t been thinking about it, mostly because you’d been partying all summer, but you couldn’t remember when your last period was. It had to have been some time before Steve had left, meaning that it could have been any of them.

Whenever you told your mother what had happened, she told you not to come home. She said that you had been stupid enough to run away to Michigan and to get knocked up, and even dumber for not even knowing who the father was. Because of that, she wanted nothing to do with you or the baby that you were still planning to keep.

That was when you had met Darlene. She had actually owned the abandoned farmhouse that you had been staying in, and she asked you if you wanted to stay with her. Of course, you had obliged. You didn’t really have a home to go back to now that your mother had disowned you, and you certainly didn’t want to be alone. In your opinion, that woman had saved your’s and Lena’s life. That was the reason you’d named your daughter after her, even if you didn’t truly know if Jonathan was the father or not.

Even if you’d had some wonderful times that summer, that didn’t mean that you ever wanted to see them again. Truly, you hadn’t ever prepared to see them again. You’d imagined for a long time what you would say to each of them if you did see them again, but most of it was for Steve. For the longest time, you’d thought that if you ever saw him again that you wouldn’t have been able to stop yourself from yelling at him, telling him how unfair it had been that he had spent that summer with you only to leave you alone on Pinestead to get married to some girl he was engaged to back home.

It was cruel. All of it. Whatever had brought them back to Pinstead now the day before Lena’s wedding was cruel, and you didn’t know what you had done to deserve such treatment from the world.

Your stress didn’t let up whenever you walked into your room and Robin and Nancy were trying on your old Y/N & the Dynamos costumes. At first, you chose to ignore them, simply asking the first question you needed to know. You would assess the Dynamos situation whenever you had the mental ability to do such a thing.

“Where’s Lena?” you asked, your voice tense.

“I haven’t seen her. Why?” Nancy asked.

“I have to find her right now—”

“Here it is!” Robin shouted, holding a large object in hand.

Whenever you saw what Robin was holding, you thought you were going to lose your mind. Under normal circumstances, seeing one of the old posters you three had made back in your partying days would’ve made you happy. Right now, though, it only made your head hurt.

“Now why was this piece of art hiding in that trunk?” Robin asked.

“That is the last thing I wanna see right now.”

“You should hang it in the bar,” Nancy said jokingly. “Show Lena what a cool mom she has.”

“Absolutely not! Give that here.” Whenever Robin handed it to you, you crumpled up the paper, throwing it on the ground. “I never wanna see that damn thing again.”

“What’s going on?” Nancy asked, her voice immediately lacing with concern.

“Yeah, what happened?”

“This has to be a joke,” you said, not even beginning to explain yourself. “Any minute I’m gonna wake up from this nightmare and they’ll all be gone.”

Before Nancy or Robin could say another word, you dove into your bed and buried your face into your pillow. It was the only thing that was stopping you from crying.

“What’s wrong?” “Nothing. Just leave me alone.” You took a shaky breath. “I knew this would happen one day. Of course it had to happen right now. Why was I such an idiot?”

“Come on,” Nancy said, moving to sit next to you on the bed. “Just tell us what’s wrong.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this torn up over anything,” Robin said. “It’s just depressing.”

“Just… Just tell us what’s going on,” Nancy said, putting her hand on your back.

You tried to think about what your options currently were. You could’ve simply told them that they didn’t need to know what was wrong, but that wouldn’t have ended well. Nancy and Robin wouldn’t have left you alone until you told them something. You could also lie, but you knew that they knew you were a bad liar. No matter what, you still ended up looking like an idiot: you might as well have just been honest with your two best friends.

You finally sighed, your voice broken as you sat up. “It’s her dad.”

“Whose dad?” Nancy asked, her eyes wide with concern.

“Lena’s!” you said, but your daughter’s name in your voice was much harsher than you intended it to sound. You sighed again. “You know how I always said it was Steve? Steve, the millionaire who ran home to get married?”

“Typical man,” Robin said, somewhat spitefully.

“Here’s the problem with that. I’m not quite sure it’s really him.”

Nancy and Robin both gave you confused looks. “What do you mean?”

You hesitated. “There might’ve been… a couple others.”

Robin shouted your name in response, almost as if she was about to scold you. “You’re telling us that you weren’t completely sure of who Lena’s dad was and you didn’t tell us!”

“I… I didn’t think I’d ever have to, to be honest with you. I didn’t think all three of them would be hiding out in my old barn the day before their potential daughter’s wedding.”

“They’re here?” Robin asked, rushing to the window. “Where’s the barn?”

Nancy shook her head. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure!” you said. “What, do you think I’d forget my daughter’s possible fathers or something?”

Nancy nor Robin truly knew what to say. It was too bad that there wasn’t an instruction manual about how to comfort one of your best friends about their three possible baby daddies accidentally showing up to their daughter’s wedding, except they don’t actually know that she’s potentially a daughter of one of them. Such a shame.

“Who are the other two?”

“Jonathan and Eddie,” you explained. “I just don’t understand why they’ve all three turned up now. It’s like some horrible curse or something.”

“Very Greek if you ask me,” Robin said. “Dare I say Shakespearean?”

“No. I can’t take any more drama this weekend.”

“Do they know?” Nancy asked.

“No, I never told anyone. That’s why I’m confused about why they’re here. It can’t just be a coincidence that Lena’s getting married tomorrow.”

“I thought you didn’t want this wedding to happen,” Robin asked, somewhat confused.

“Even if I don’t agree with it, she’s my daughter. They have no right to turn up like this. I mean, what have they done for Lena?”

“Be more fair than that. They don’t even know she exists!” Nancy said.

“They don’t need to know. I’ve done a good job at raising Lena all by myself and now… I–I’m not gonna let them ruin her day. I won’t.”

“Okay, then let’s make a plan. Tonight’s already a male-free zone at the bachelorette party, and then tomorrow Robin and I’ll, uh… t–take them fishing, or something. I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”

“Fishing? Gross,” Robin replied, turning her nose up in disgust.

“I said or something.” Nancy sighed, shaking her head. “You should’ve told us. We could’ve helped more if we would’ve known.”

“No, you couldn’t have.”

“We could’ve tried.”

“I guess this serves me right after everything I’ve done,” you said, shaking your head. “I deserve this.”

“Oh my God, you sound just like your mother,” Nancy said.

You gasped, offended at the thought. “I do not!”

“You do!” Nancy replied, trying not to laugh. “Whatever happened to Y/N: the life and soul of the party?”

“Rock chick and sex symbol for all?” Robin added.

“Oh, she grew up, that’s all.”

You knew the real answer to that question. The old you was stupid is what she was. She had been stupid enough to get with all of those men, then not even do it with protection. You didn’t even think you now and your past self was near the same person anymore.

“Grow back down again, then. You’ve done nothing to be ashamed of,” Robin said. “We wanna see you have the time of your life again.”

“And maybe finally find someone,” Nancy said, smirking.

You sighed.

After everything you’d gone through in your life, you knew that a happy ending wasn’t in the cards for you. The only hope you had was that Lena and Leo would find their happy ending and that this marriage would be a huge waste of money and time.

For the sake of Nancy, though, you knew that you had to play along.

next chapter

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #stranger things #steve harrington headcanon #steve harrington series #steve harrington stranger things #mamma mia! au #eddie munson #jonathan byers

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jerzwriter · 3 months ago

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Meet Mono~Poly's Jordan Carrick

Those who read my Tobias x Casey fics may be familiar with a few fics that included his brother, Jordan. You can find some information about his character in my HC here. There will not be much character deviation from him in this series, though Jordan went through a brief prick period in HC, that won't be happening here.

He won't be a frequent character in this series, but he will appear at Tobias and Casey's wedding in chapter five and will pop up again in the future.

Name: Jordan Carrick

Hometown: Born and raised in Washington, DC. He is a photographer who usually doesn't settle in one place for very long these days, even though he calls New York City home.

Age: He is 31 at the start of this series and 34 at the time of his introduction to the story in Chapter 5.

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Relationship Status: Happily, happily single

Occupation: Successful, Award-Winning Photographer

Faceclaim: Rege-Jean Page

Personality traits: Charming, flirtatious, friendly, and warm. He doesn't see his family very often, but he loves them deeply and is very loyal to them. He's a free spirit who enjoys living life to its fullest.

Other facts:

He's Tobias's only brother and 7 years his junior.

Like his brother (before Casey), Jordan is a confirmed bachelor and has no desire to settle down.

In this series, he and his brother always had a close relationship despite their age difference.

He's immensely grateful to Tobias for getting married because he believes this will get his mother off of his back to do the same.

He gets along very well with Casey, though when Tobias first introduced her as his "girlfriend," Jordan gave it 8 weeks. In his toast at the wedding reception, he says he's glad he got it wrong.

Mono~Poly Original Characters Mono~Poly Series Information Mono~Poly Series Masterlist

My Main Masterlist

#mono-poly #mono-poly characters #jordan carrick #original characters #open heart #open heart choices #tobias x casey au

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thebirdandthebee · 2 years ago

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Easy As

A/N: I don’t know, I just liked this gif haha. I know we’re all pumped for JAW winning his first Golden Globe! This is lightly inspired after I got an ask for Carmy winning an award. This doesn’t have smut, but it is VERY fluffy! Also, no giveaways at gender of baby Berzatto if anyone has guesses :)

That being said, I am taking requests for this series again!

Vanessa Monaghan is the breath of fresh air that Carmen had been gasping for.

Page 29: Beard

“My love are you almost ready?” Vanessa called, putting in her diamond earrings as a finishing touch. She turned in the mirror to take in the final look. Though Carmen was insisting it wasn’t as big of a deal as she was making it out to be, Vanessa knew how big of a deal the James Beard Awards were.

Carmen was nominated for Best Chef: Great Lakes and if he won tonight, he’d be one of the few in history to win Best Emerging Chef and a Best Chef designation.

It was also a great reason to take a trip, with the awards taking place in New York – one of Vanessa’s favorite cities. Carmen had less fond memories of the Big Apple, but he was grateful Vanessa was here with him. Honestly, he’d much rather skip the event all together.

Vanessa sprung for a hair and makeup team to help put her together. After all, at six months pregnant, sometimes doing her hair took too much energy. Old Hollywood waves with kohl-lined eyes and red lips to top it all off would definitely be too much to do on her own. Just getting into her red velvet dress was effort enough. It was fitted across the middle to show off her baby bump with a sweetheart neckline, which Carmen appreciated as each passing months it felt like her breasts grew bigger and bigger.

“I need help with this thing,” she could hear him murmur as he walked back toward the bathroom suite.

“Carmen you look so handsome,” she smiled, clicking toward him in her heels that put her about two inches taller than him. Carmen looked up from the mangled bowtie around his neck and gave his wife the same look as when she walked down the aisle.

“Ness, you – you’re stunning,” he complimented. She was everything he’d ever dreamed of. As she stepped in his personal space to properly tie his bowtie, his hand slid naturally over her form, one landing on her waist the other on her baby bump.

“It might be silly of me to ask, but there is food at this thing, right?” She tilted her head.

“There’s not dinner,” Carmen shook his head. “There’ll be hors d’oeuvres but there ceremony itself is only an hour long. We can order some food up when we get back,” he assured.

“Good, we’re starving,” Vanessa said, sliding his bowtie into place. “God you look good in a tux,” she complimented, making him grin.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” he said earnestly, leaning forward to peck her lips just lightly enough that it wouldn’t muss her red lips.

“I love when you get to wear your real ring,” she said, holding his hand and running a finger across his gold wedding band, which was usually replaced by his silicone work bands. “Like it actually is making me a little horny,” she added, but then again, pretty much everything did in her second trimester.

“Really?” Carmen asked, brows pushing up his forehead.

“Come on, don’t let me tempt you – you have an award to win,” she said, “and our car should be here any moment.”

Carmen dutifully lead his wife, grabbing the car door and holding her hand as they pulled up to the historic theater the ceremony was being held inside.

“How do I look?” Vanessa asked, standing at the end of the red carpet.

“Incredible,” Carmen replied. “Ready?” He asked as the coordinator ushered them in front of the step and repeat. It wasn’t a crazy paparazzi-filled stretch, but there were a handful of photographers there.

Vanessa stayed close to Carmen who proudly placed his left hand on her baby bump.

“This is way more fun than walking at graduation,” Vanessa said, looking at her husband who smirked with a small laugh. She decided in that moment she’d buy each and every photo taken of them that night.

It was fun for Carmen to catch up and see some familiar faces from his days living in New York, at least, the ones he enjoyed seeing.

He knew he wasn’t going to win Best Chef tonight anyway, so he just wanted to make sure that Vanessa enjoyed the evening and there was nothing more she loved than meeting new people.

“When are you due?” Miles Regent, a chair member of the foundation who awarded Carmen his first James Beard medal six years ago asked.

“Valentine’s Day,” Carmen replied proudly.

“Congratulations, Carmen, seems like you’ve got it all,” Miles, an older man with a perfectly groomed beard winked.

“I do,” Carmen countered, smiling as he remembered his fortune.

“Baby, do you know where we’re sitting?” Vanessa asked as the lights in the theater dimmed as a warning.

“Uh yeah, they put the nominees in a specific spot,” he said, looking around for the signage.

“I can’t wait to take these shoes off,” Vanessa said as she walked alongside her husband, who found their table and pulled out her chair.

“Want me to get you a bite to eat quick?” He offered, to which she nodded with complete adoration in her eyes. Carmen darted off toward the refreshments as music began to play, and by the time he came back with a small plate of pregnancy-friendly treats, Vanessa had already made friends with everyone else at their table.

Carmen took the time used by the presenters to talk about the Foundation and history of the awards to study Vanessa’s hand that he kept in his lap. He admired her wedding ring, her freshly manicured nails and the little veins that ran from her palm up her arm. He also was glad to take a bite of any of the hors d’oeuvres she couldn’t finish for one reason or another. He thought the food was actually pretty spectacular and made a note to as Miles who catered the event. How do you pick a caterer for a room full of the best chefs in America?

Then, the awards began. Best Emerging Chef, Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant... and on and on. Vanessa was making a mental list of all the places she wanted to visit after baby arrived.

Before they knew it, they were calling the category Carmen was nominated in was being presented. His division included chefs from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

“The 2024 Best Chef: Great Lakes is Carmen Berzatto,” the presenter read off the card. Vanessa’s head whipped around to face her husband who looked equally as stunned. He impulsively stood up, his legs acting on their own accord and Vanessa followed, giving him a big hug and a soft kiss to his cheek – both of them a little shocked.

“Get up there!” She giggled, eyes wide. He nodded, still in complete surprise. The presenter elaborated as he found his bearing.

Carmen Berzatto is only the second chef to be named both Best Emerging Chef and Best Chef in the history of the foundation.

Carmen made his way to the stage, standing at the podium as the medal was slipped around his neck. Now, he had to say something.

“Wow, not to sound cliché but I really was no expecting this,” his fingers grazed the medal which sat not too far below his collarbone. “Of course I would not be up where without the work of my amazing team at The Bear, it’s entirely a group effort,” he began. “When we changed my family’s restaurant over from what we’d been doing for fifty years to something entirely new, I don’t think in our wildest dreams we’d reach something like this,” he said honestly, “we mostly just needed to stay in business,” he added, earning a laugh from the crowd. Vanessa’s eyes flooded with tears. She was so proud of her husband she was sure she could take flight.

“This is entirely impossible without my beautiful wife who is patient, understanding, encouraging and supports me endlessly, no matter what,” he said, barely finding Vanessa’s gaze from under the stage lights. “I think anyone here can understand what it’s like in this industry and the demands it makes on us, but also our families, and she’s my partner in everything I do – there is no me without her.” Vanessa let out a wet laugh. “Thank you,” he said simply before being applauded off the stage.

As the next presenter took the stage for the final award of the night, Carmen appeared from beside the table, hastily taking his seat with his medal still around his neck. The moment he was settled in his seat, Vanessa pounced with a big, firm kiss.

“Carmen,” she said with wide eyes. “What just happened?” she whispered aggressively, a wild smile on her face.

“I have no idea,” Carmen whispered back, their hands clasped together. Thankfully, there was only one more award for the night and soon the ceremony came to a close. However, everyone wanted a piece of Carmen as the scheduled agenda wrapped up.

He did his best to accommodate those who approached him, shaking lots of hands and forgetting many names, but being as gracious as possible nonetheless. Soon, however, he could tell Vanessa was powering through and he wanted to get her back to the hotel.

Carmen, from across the room, encountered a familiar face. Not a friendly face, but familiar nonetheless. His former director who lived and died to make Carmen’s life fucking miserable.

He gave Carmen a smile, which was not returned. And as soon as Carmen made eye contact, he broke it again, ushering his wife out of the front door to where a car was already waiting to take them back to their hotel.

Vanessa let out a scream of excitement as soon as the car door closed behind Carmen.

“You did it!” She laughed, “Carmen! Congratulations!” She squeezed his hands in hers. “I’m so proud of you!”

“I can’t believe it,” he laughed, thoughts of his former director already banished from his mind.

“I can!” Vanessa insisted, scooting closer to him as the car pulled away from the theater. “I’m so happy for you, you earned this,” she said, kissing him again.

They bribed their driver to stop by a by-the-slice pizza spot where Carmen loaded up a box with all kinds of options and a fistful of cannoli.

“I don’t think it gets any better than this,” Vanessa smiled, laying back on their plush hotel bed in her plush hotel robe, double-fisting two pieces of pizza beside Carmen.

“I think it will get a little better,” Carmen reminded, sliding his hand over her belly.

“Okay, fair,” she giggled, making him smile. They shared a comfortable silence as they ate their pizza.

“Last time I won a James Beard,” Carmen spoke up. “I was so fucking miserable,” he said quietly, tearing off a piece of crust. “I was leaving Madison Park – not sleeping, living off of Xanax, cigarettes and kitchen scraps,” he listed off, Vanessa listening intently, slowly shifting to lay on her side and face him fully. “I hated waking up, hated going to work, hated leaving work, hated going to bed,” he tallied, “and I was sure that was as good as it was ever going to get. I was being rewarded for living the most miserable life.”

Vanessa reached over, resting her hand on his bicep.

“I guess I didn’t think I could do this while also being happy,” he said sincerely. “I meant what I said, Ness,” he scooted a little closer, turning so they were nestled closely, sharing a pillow. “You make me happier than I’ve ever been – sometimes I forget how hard shit was before you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Vanessa smiled softly.

“You’re a star, Carmen,” she replied gently. “I feel fortunate just to be in your galaxy,” she pecked his lips. “We love you so much,” she added, gently grasping his hand and setting it on the bump.

“You make all my dreams come true,” he said, thumb rubbing back and forth over her little belly.

“Do you know what would be a dream come true for me?” She asked, taking advantage of her captive audience. “If I can have that last cannoli.” Carmen laughed, loudly and carefree before acquiescing to his wife’s demand.

“Anything for you, Ness.”

#Carmy #carmy smut #carmen smut #carmen x oc #Carmen Berzatto #carmen berzatto fluff #carmen berzatto smut #Carmen berzatto x ofc #carmen berzatto x oc #the bear #the bear hulu #the bear fan fic #carmen berzatto fan fic #Jeremy Allen White #jeremy allen white is HOT #congrats JAW!

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