#natalie hill the bear

[bmegrl9124]

Did they stop doing family meals once the new restaurant opened? I feel like we haven't seen them have those meals in the new restaurant.

[bmegrl9124]

Uh, is he well-off enough to be a restaurant backer? This may be why his background is being brought up in this way. Michelle already had restaurants in New York, she told Carmy. Maybe Stevie had backed those for her and could possibly be of help to Carmy, Sydney, Nat, and Uncle Cicero at The Bear in S4 or something?

STEVIE OF STEVIE AND MICHELLE. THE BEAR.

They were so specific about Stevie.

I don't know how important he is to this story but they really focused on him in FISHES

He's from Northern California

Grew up there

Likes to hike (good for him or whatever)

Most interesting part is that he's from Carmel by the Sea

I only remember that recently because someone pointed out that Carmel by the Sea is where a lot of millionaires and billionaires choose to live.

It tracks for Stevie because his parents had the Robero Clemente rookie card which Stevie said he and Michelle threw away or lost during a move.

The Faks said the card was worth a few hundred.

It's actually worth at least a million dollars.

Why does Michelle NOT know this about Stevie?

That's a pretty significant thing not to know

Also why is Stevie from Carmel by the sea?

Like why is that an important thing to have happen? I mean he does seem to be a content rich guy, compared to the not rich, non content Berzattos. But what does that signify?

[lacyscabinet]

Sickness

Natalie Scatorccio x reader

NOT PROOFREAD

MASTERLIST

A/n: hi y'all!!! Sooo... sorry this isn't a request but a couple of days ago I was really sick and I thought "I wouldn't survive a day in the wilderness during winter" so I basically created a scenario where the reader gets a fever while stranded. Enjoy:)

After that cursed night when the desperation got the best of all of you and you all ended up banqueting over poor (but perfectly cooked) Jackie, everything started going even more down hill that you thought was possible.

The weather grew colder, there was no game in sight which was getting Natalie extremely frustrated and Lottie's cult started to form.

Your days were spent chopping wood in the burning cold, helping Mary in the kitchen trying to make the most of whatever you had or simply staying in the living room under a blanket, facing the fire and getting warm.

One particular morning Taissa took down a huge tree after you realized that soon the wood you saved up for the cabin was going to run out. So when she was done she passed you the axe and headed back to the cabin leaving you alone.

Soon enough it started to snow, and it's not like you could just go back inside, if you did everyone would freeze to death that night, and you thought to yourself "If Nat and Travis go out in the snow every day I can stay out here a little longer'

So you did. After four hours you had enough wood for a few days but you decided to keep going, chopping some more.

"What are you doing out here during a fucking blizzard y/n?" Suddenly a voice called out, Natalie and Travis came back from their daily (failed) hunt

"Chopping wood" you simply said, and Natalie shook her head "Come inside, you're gonna get sick, you're not used to staying in the cold for this long" she placed her hand on your back, guiding you back to the cabin.

At dinner time Mari served the watery soup she prepared and you all chugged it down to at least get the brief feeling of fullness for a while, Natalie sat next to you, her elbow colliding with yours every time she raised the cup to her lips.

Suddenly you let out a small cough and Nat's eyes immediately shifted on you with a worried expression "You okay?" She asked, you simply nodded and acted as if it wasn't a big deal.

"You ready to sleep?" Natalie asked as she got comfortable in your shared makeshift bed, you sat next to her with a tired look on your face, and Nat immediately realized that it wasn't just because you needed some sleep, she wrapped her arms around you and pulled you to her, placing a hand on your burning forehead "Shit" she mumbled "you're sick baby, you have a fever" you rested your back on her chest, closing your eyes, slowly the fever started to rise and suddenly you heard Natalie talking to Van "Wet this cloth with cold water or something we need to keep the fever down"

Seconds later the cloth was placed on your forehead and you softly whined at the contact "shhhh...I know it's cold but it will help" she cooed in your ear, suddenly you ended up in a coughing fit, your girlfriend's eyes widened and she instantly rubbed your back trying to reassure you.

After another couple of hours you finally fell asleep in Nat's arms, she stayed awake all night, checking on you and immerging the cloth in cold water periodically.

"Here, it's for her" Natalie heard Lottie mumble, looking up the brunette was holding a necklace with the tooth of the bear she killed at the end of the summer as a charm "It's for protection, the wilderness told me..."

"Shut the fuck up Lottie!" Natalie snapped at her "This is serious she's really sick and your wicca bullshit is not gonna help her, she needs paracetamol and cough syrup so if the wilderness told you where to find that stuff I'll be glad to listen but I doubt that happened so please, please, just leave us alone now"

Slightly hurt by her friend's tone Lottie backed up and went back to her bed, falling asleep.

After a couple of minutes you woke up because of a runny nose, Nat passed you a piece of cloth and waited for you to be done.

"how are you feeling baby?" She asked, scared that you were feeling worse, you cuddled up to her once more and mumbled "I feel the same" and even tho Natalie was slightly relieved that the pain wasn't encasing, she knew that you were still in pain "I'm so sorry y/n, I wish I could do something but I can't do anything and it's just-"

"No... it's okay Nat, you're already doing more than enough for me"

Natalie smiled, cradling your head on her shoulder waiting for you to fall back asleep, hoping that you were going to get better.

[wtchrinthesky]

Summer, Highland Falls

Relationship: Sydney Adamu/Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto

Rating: Unrated, but the constant use of "fuck" might bump it up to Mature

Additional Characters: Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto, Richard "Richie" Jerimovich

Words: ~2.5k

Tags: Hospital Setting, Friends to Lovers (open to interpretation tbh), Songfic (kind of)

Summary: Sydney and Carmy wait to meet Baby Bear.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck!

Expletives are the only thing on Carmen’s mind when he gets the call from Pete that Baby Bear has been welcomed into the world. Rochelle Alexandra, after he and Sugar’s grandmother and Pete’s mom. 3:13am, 8 pounds, 11 ounces. 

Carmy wants to die when he walks into the waiting room. The hospital is warm, almost stifling. Natalie is still recovering, and visitors aren’t technically allowed until eight, relays the gentle woman in scrubs that looks like Claire until he blinks extra hard. He feels a ball of concrete drop in his gut when he meets the scalps of Tina, Neil, Theo, Richie, Sydney, their noses all buried in their phones. Pete had mentioned that Donna was there, too, which made Carmy extra want to die, but the feeling settles the slightest bit in his mother’s absence. He feels guilty for the relief. 

He does not want to be here. 

As the stiff pleather cushion exhales from the weight of his body when he sits, his right foot starts bouncing against linoleum, his fingers worry his cupid’s bow like bricks very shittily falling into place. The Faks are the first (and only) to greet him, boisterous as ever, to which he reciprocates with a nod and a small “hey.” He can’t peel his eyes away from the dove-with-olive-branch pattern on Sydney’s scarf. He wants to kick himself, run for the hills, maybe go and give the third rail of the L a real big hug. He wants to be anywhere other than here. 

He has to be here. He owes it to Nat. He gets that feeling at the nape of his neck, cool and foreboding, the very same that made him observe Mikey’s funeral from the driver's seat of his car. He can’t watch both death and birth from the sidelines. It’s unfair, plain and simple.

Carmy screws his eyes shut and takes a breath, letting the smell of hand sanitizer and the sound of monitors beeping in the distance grab hold of him and yank him toward something more grounding. His eyes open to stare at the fabric wrapped around his chef de cuisine’s braids. It helps. He fucking sucks. God, he sucks. He feels guilty all over again for something he’s not sure of. Familiar voices get distant as they meander out of glass sliding doors for a cigarette. He’d join if he wasn’t absolutely sure he’d book it as soon as his shoes hit concrete.

Somebody coughs. He sits across from his penance, beautiful, wrapped in silk and down-packed pine green polyester. Linoleum walkways split them apart like the Red Sea, a testament to his obsession for perfection. He wants so badly to get a star, to get three, to scoop Michelin galaxies from the fucking skies if it means she’s happy. If it means she’s inspired, if it means she won’t leave. It’s all for her, and that makes things infinitely worse, knowing all he’s done was push her away and make her feel small. 

The consequences of his own actions taunt him, because he loves her, and she does not deserve that. She does not deserve the pollution he brings with everything he does, she does not deserve to be tainted. Barolo Chinato splashes across marble. The setting is ironic considering how fucking sick of himself he is. 

Sydney is running. Sydney is scared, and when she gets scared, she trips over her own feet fleeing. 

The sound of her father’s CPAP machine always made her feel like a coward. Maybe– no, she is definitely one, because even now she’s running. Is there a difference between feeling disrespected and being a quitter? The answer should be obvious, you’re not quitting if it’s out of self preservation, but she always has to make things infinitely more complicated. She digs herself into a hole and then gets mad because she didn’t think she’d need a ladder. Carmy is the same way, she thinks, and gets pissed all over again because he’s been such a dick lately. Like, seriously, she can only pretend to know what’s crawled up his ass and died. She wants to grab him by the ears and shake his head around like a jar of loose pennies. She’s running because she’s scared. Scared of him, i.e., how she feels about him. Scared of what will happen if she stays. Scared of her suspicions being right, that this is more than it really is. 

This is the thing, baby. 

Sydney doesn’t remember her mother very well, but often finds herself looking to her for guidance. It’s innate. The misty words of a lullaby, the only proof Mom ever existed beyond, well, Sydney’s own existence and Polaroids of her smiling face, ring in her mind: Will you carry the word of love with you? Will you ride the great white bird in together?

She constantly has to ask herself if every little thing she does, every choice she makes, are actions of love. The fact that she’s at this hospital at five forty seven in the fucking morning is definitely an action of love. Though, to be honest, it wasn’t like she was sleeping anyways, and newborn babies are kind of the cutest things ever, so it’s not like she’s turning down that opportunity. She has to face the music sometime. 

Her shoe scuffs across white tile and nudges Carmen’s own bouncing foot, willing it to stop. Is this an action of love? He looks up like she’s God and he’s a man that’s lost his faith. He’s always got these big, sad puppy eyes, like he’s surprised that people want shit to do with him. He never looks at her with vitriol, even when he’s over her shoulder during service telling her she’s too fucking slow. Even when he’s blowing up like one of those vinegar and baking soda volcanoes, all red-faced and flailing arms. He doesn’t always look at her soft, but he never looks at her hateful.

Right now, he looks at her like she’s the only thing in the world. It makes her gut tighten, the bile inside it curdle because it’s making it so hard to run. Maybe she wants to stay. Maybe it’d be self-sabotage. Maybe it’d make her a better person in the end. She can’t help wondering if Carmen’s confession under the table was entirely truthful. Sydney doesn’t know if he’s even capable of the truth, considering he’s been lying to himself since he left New York. 

A realization in the form of what feels like her heart growing three sizes just about knocks her off her metaphorical feet, bringing them to a halting stop. She cares about Carmen. Of course she cares about him, she’s cared about him since Eleven Madison Park, but like, she actually fucking cares. She wants to pour all the golden light from deep inside her to her palms and press it into his chest. She wants to free him from his burdens, or at the very least, offer him two extra hands to hold it all. She’ll forgive him over and over again, and it’d be like breathing. She wants to tell him the truth. 

That everything she does with him in mind is an action of love, even if it’s leaving.

“Uh,” She fumbles out instead, in an embarrassing excuse of a peace offering. “I’m doing the Mini. Do you have any ideas about sports organizations involving octagons?” 

Carmen blinks once. Another time. He’s completely thrown for a loop. He’d expected her to just quietly apologize and look back down at her phone. Sydney can tell from his face, once again disbelieving that someone’s making an active effort to talk to him.

“... What?”

“That’s the clue. Sports organization with an octagon.” Her jacket rustles when she shrugs and it’s music to his ears. Carmy sits back and interlocks his hands in his lap after rubbing his brow in thought, like the crossword was life or death. He reels his mind for any sports logos that are shaped like an octagon, and he thinks of ADT for some fucking reason, which is not at all related unless you count home security as a sport. 

Sydney waits for his answer. She’s so patient, and he doesn’t deserve it. If he was her, he would’ve bolted out of the Beef the second he saw his own face. 

“UFC.” He blurts, and a jazzy jingle plays quietly from her phone, and she smiles. He could have a coronary right now and die happy. 

“Nice.” Sydney praises quietly, her foot drawing back across the aisle to hook around the leg of her chair. It’d be insanely childish to play footsie with her, but it’s all Carmen wants to do if it means she’ll smile again and he gets to know it’s his fault. That he’s done the world a good service for once. He refrains, unworthy. 

Once the initial silence has broken, the next one that falls is horrid, so Sydney keeps the conversation going– for her own sake. She shifts, wincing briefly from the ass pain thanks to cheap hospital seats. 

“Uh, what– what do you think Nat’s kid is gonna call you?” 

Carmen was so caught up in the joy of Sydney’s presence that he entirely forgot the reason they were here in the first place. He picks at the dry flesh around a fingernail, growing afraid on his sister’s behalf. She’d called him one night in tears. I don’t know if I can do this, Carmy. Like, I don’t know if I can be a mom.

He didn’t know what to say. When someone is scared, and you don’t know what to say, it’s a good rule of thumb to tell them it’s gonna be alright, you’re gonna be alright, even if you feel like you’re lying. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Sugar wouldn’t be a good mom. There was not a doubt in his mind she’d be a good mom– Hell, she mothered him when Donna failed to. But the fact that he’d turned out how he did made his stomach churn. It wasn’t Nat’s fault, and he feels like a dick that his uncertainty even implied that. It was just… a lot of pressure.  

“Probably just.. Uncle Carmy.” He shrugs, finding solace in the space between Sydney’s eyebrows, which wrinkle when she furrows them in incredulity. Her cheeks dimple to accommodate a correspondent, disbelieving smile.  

“Not even, like, anything fun?” It was so easy to fall into banter with Carmen, even if the right thing to do was be furious at him for how he’d been acting these past few months. She’ll find time to pace in her apartment and scream into her hands about it later. 

Carmen makes a face like he’s being interrogated for a crime he didn’t commit.

“I– I don’t know. Maybe Uncle Bear. Maybe.” 

“Mmh.” Sydney nods and pushes her lips to the side, the digital pattern game she’d occupied herself with now abandoned in her lap. “I don’t even know if I’ll get to be an aunt. I just hope, like, the kid doesn’t say my name wrong, and then I’m stuck as, like.. Bibby for the rest of my life.”

“That’s..” Carmy lets out a soft breath of a chuckle. “I– I mean, okay.”

Syd sits up better and leans toward him briefly, her face almost accused. “What?! Don’t laugh, it’s a genuine concern to have!” 

She can’t help laughing, either. Maybe because it really is silly. Maybe because Carmen is contagious, sticking to her brain like beautiful Tuscan algae to the bottom of a pool. Sydney doesn’t think she ever wants to scrub it off. She’s sick in the head, she ultimately decides. 

Eight A.M. finally rolls around and the Bear's inner circle walk in a cluster down the halls of the maternity ward to Natalie’s room. Tina and Sydney chat quietly, the Faks loudly, both harboring excitement at the new addition to the family. Richie is quiet for once in his fucking life, hasn’t regarded Carmy the entire time he’d been there, aside from brief sidelong glances. He jolts when Richie’s shoulder bumps into his, barely playful. Still mad, but out of love. 

“You nervous, cousin?” He mumbles, perhaps out of respect to new, sleeping mothers. Anyone who knew him could tell he was thinking about the last time he walked down this corridor. 

Carmen shrugs because it’s the safe thing to do, running his fingers across closed lips. His eyes glitter when Sydney rolls her head back in laughter at something stupid Neil had said. “I mean– I dunno. It’s weird, ‘cause it’s like.. Real. Now. I guess.” 

“Yeah, I get that.” Richie nods, unable to restrain himself from tickling Carmen’s face with the “It’s a girl!” teddy he’d bought in the hospital gift shop. Carmy bats it away, muttering “fuck off,” even if he’s smiling. 

He knows the anger won’t go forgotten, and that doesn’t upset him because Richie has a right. But they’re happy for Natalie, and that feeling seems to permeate throughout the entire hospital, full to bursting as his sister says his name and dubs him "Uncle Carmy" like he'd hoped. Doubt completely goes out the window when she asks him if he wants to hold the baby first, fixes his arms to support her head. Sydney briefly peeks over his shoulder, face contorting like she’s hurt by how adorable Baby Bear is. 

“Holy shit,” Carmen mutters, as a newborn fist grasps his finger. Her fingernails are so small, he thinks. Do not fucking drop her, for the love of God, he thinks next. He’s sure his worry is palpable, because Nat takes her back within seconds and sets her in the warmed bassinet beside the hospital bed. 

“She looks like a ham.” Sydney coos endearingly, her grin nearly face-splitting as she curls a finger in front of the baby’s sleeping face. “What color are her eyes?”

“Blue, but I think they’re gonna get darker like Pete’s.” Natalie relays softly, squeezing the hand of her husband. 

The conversation melts in Carmen’s ears, distant and muddled. It’s pleasant, for once. He doesn’t know the last time he’s felt this good, and he finds himself staring at Syd’s profile while she speaks. He doesn’t know if the resentment will return once the little welcoming party ends. He hopes that it doesn’t, not out of worth for Sydney’s care, but a yearning for it. Morning light pours through the room filled with sweet words and laughter, swathing the only important thing in Carmy’s life with rays of sunshine. It pools on her face like honey, and her eyes crinkle when she turns back to meet his gaze. Carmen doesn’t know if it’ll get better. 

All he knows is he needs her. 

[nataliesscatorccio]

Like everyone else I am rightfully obsessed with Shauna and Jackie's shared wardrobe, but can we talk for a second also about the very specific jealousy sharing clothes comes with? This experience might not be as universal as I think it is, but: The babyish instinct to want to grab it back and say "mine!" and all the self-conscious thoughts of it looks better on her than it looks on me. Feeling protective over your clothes ("I don't want her to borrow it, she'll mess it up!"), or feeling resentment when your clothes get compliments while someone else is wearing them (the instinct then to laugh awkwardly and deny credit, "thanks! it's actually hers.") And even larger scale! That strange push for competition when two girls show up wearing the same outfit. Who wore it better?

All this to say buried under the love stored in wearing the butterfly tops and sharing the flannels and saving the virginity dress there is also that distinctly meaner and pettier voice of a ghost in Shauna's ear saying "did you ask if you could borrow that?" saying "you're going to ruin it." saying "it looked better on me." saying "hey! that's mine!"

The brief and amazing moment in the pilot when Jackie is suggesting outfits to Shauna speaks to this too. Shauna's frustration at finding anything of her own that's suitable. Wear the red dress I gave you! It's such a sincere suggestion. But it's Jackie's old dress. It's Jackie's suggestion. Shauna knows when she puts it on the cruel voice in her head that sounds a lot like Jackie will remind her all night that it isn't really her dress, and Jackie wore it better anyway, and every compliment she gets will be politely redirected to Jackie. "Thanks. It was hers." (This sentiment echoes into infinity).

Then we have Jackie's funeral, and the ferocity with which Shauna insists Jackie keep her clothes. Sure, for the humanity and the dignity of it. But just as much, how could she bear to see Natalie or Akilah or Mari or Misty or anyone else walk around in Jackie's shoes? She didn't want to borrow Jackie's clothes. (I kind of doubt she wanted Jackie to borrow hers either). Nor did she want Jackie's whole hand-me-down life. But fuck if she was going to donate it to Goodwill for just anyone to take, and it wasn't like she was satisfied with her own.

I think of this The Haunting of Hill House post via @2008hondacivic and of Twin Peaks' Laura Palmer yelling "Don't ever wear my clothes!" at Donna. Don't ever become me! But also, there is so little left of me, and That's Mine! Give it back! I'm sure they wish they could.

[gravehags]

unraveling a stitch - natalie edit

Pairing: Cardinal Copia x OC (Curator!OC)

Rating: Teen

Tags: mushy gushy feelings, first meetings, imperator serving cunt, natalie thinks she’s going to be murdered, ministry backstory

Words: 2,039

Summary: This is the weirdest job interview she's ever had.

a/n: [shakes bag of natalie shaped cat treats] pspspspspspsps

~~~

To say Natalie Sinclair was nervous would be putting it extremely fucking lightly.

She’s sitting in the back of a car - a very nice car at that - and being driven out to somewhere in the middle of the countryside. Idly, she hopes that Sister Imperator isn’t actually some kind of serial killer. She seemed nice enough on the…what was the system they used? Doom call? The preliminary interview went well, Natalie thought. She had managed to succinctly answer all of the questions the older woman had thrown her way, surprising even herself with the calmness in her voice. So impressed was Imperator by her that she asked her to fly out - fucking fly out - to visit her at what she deemed “The Abbey.” When the older woman emailed Natalie a ticket confirmation later that night, she was stunned.

And now, here she is.

She had left the airport about an hour ago, meeting up with the large man who stood stoically in the arrivals area with a small sign bearing her name. The driver has remained silent the entire drive, but every once in a while she catches him glancing at her in the rearview mirror. When the car crests a hill and descends into a forested valley she gasps audibly at the sight. A vast collection of stone structures - probably the size of a university - sit within the trees. She gazes out the window with her jaw dropped as they drive through a multitude of well-manicured lawns and gardens towards an enormous gate, which opens as the car approaches. The driver pulls in and continues down a long driveway up to a large wooden door.

Oh shit, she thinks, this is happening.

Panicked, she adjusts her dark hair - twisted up into a soft bun - and straightens her skirt before clambering out of the car. She turns to thank the driver but he’s already gone. Weird.

“Welcome,” a warm female voice says from behind her, “you must be Miss Sinclair.” The woman from her interview, Sister Imperator, stands in the doorway and for the first time Natalie’s finally able to get a good look at her. She’s a handsome woman, her wavy grey hair in a neat twist, wearing a suit. Very prim and proper, Natalie thinks, until her gaze turns downwards and she sees the electric red stilettos on Imperator’s feet.

Oh work, grandma.

She smiles and looks back up at her, meeting her incisive gaze. Natalie can imagine what she was like in her youth - hell maybe what she’s like now - and the men she’s cut down to size.

“Hello, Sister,” she says, extending her hand, which Sister Imperator takes in both of hers. “Thank you for having me.”

She steps sideways and gestures for Natalie to enter the impressive stone building. When she walks in her jaw drops at the gorgeous stained glass that illuminates the space with bouncing colors. 

“Wow,” Natalie says, slowly turning in a circle to drink everything in.

“I’m pleased you like it,” Sister Imperator says with a small smile, guiding her down the hall, “I’m sure you’ll enjoy many things the Abbey has to offer.”

The walk to her office is quiet, punctuated by the crisp snap of her heels on the marble floor. Natalie’s little black heeled witch boots, which she had thought were quite chic, pale in comparison. After climbing a flight of stairs they reach a solid door at the end of a hallway, which Sister Imperator opens for her. The room inside is equally as impressive as the rest of the Abbey, with high ceilings and large windows that look upon a green little courtyard. Imperator takes a seat behind the large desk and gestures for Natalie to take hers, which she does with some anxiety.

“Thank you for this opportunity,” Natalie says, fingers tangling in her lap.

Imperator smiles again. “Of course, dear. I will be blunt with you, I may have misled you regarding this interview and indeed…about this job.”

Natalie’s own smile slowly drops, as does her stomach.

“What,” she begins nervously, eyes darting around the room, “what do you mean by that?”

Shit, shit, shit. Natalie can’t help but feel really fucking stupid, just agreeing to come out here to the middle of nowhere to meet a woman she’s met once over the fucking internet. Her mind reels back to the serial killer thought she had earlier and she’s convinced she’s going to die here and this woman is going to bury her under a topiary.

Sister Imperator must see the panic in her eyes because she holds up her hands in an assuaging gesture. “You’re perfectly safe, I apologize for my ominous wording. What I mean to say is the nature of this collection is quite…sensitive. As is our organization who holds it.”

Natalie’s shoulders drop from their tense fight-or-flight position and she sighs. She feels silly as she clears her throat.

“Er…what exactly is this organization? You call it the Abbey and you carry the title of Sister…is this some sort of religious institution?”

“Yes,” Imperator begins slowly, eyeing her cautiously, “ah, if I may ask…do you hold any religious beliefs? I apologize for the intrusive nature of this question but it is relevant.”

“Oh, um. I don’t,” she says, slightly hushed, “I’m sorry, I’m not Catholic or a believer of…well anything really.”

She’s taken aback when Sister Imperator sighs in relief.

“Oh good,” Imperator says, steepling her fingers. Good?

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” Natalie says after a beat, confused. “You want someone who isn’t religious to care for your collection?”

“Let’s just say we want someone more ah…open minded.”

Natalie shifts in her seat, frustrated with the way Imperator’s dancing around the truth and she frowns.

“Sister Imperator, I don’t mean to be blunt but can you please just tell me what it is you do here?”

Her lip curls into a wry half-smile, clearly pleasantly surprised by Natalie’s directness.

“The Ministry,” she begins, “represents those devoted to the cult of the Olde One. We are as old an institution as the Catholic Church yet far more…subtle in our ways. Out of necessity, you understand.”

Natalie’s jaw drops a little.

“You’re Satanists?” It’s more of a statement than a question and Imperator’s pleased she’s put two and two together.

“Indeed. We’re a small but mighty group that is spread throughout the world. This location,” she gestures to the walls around her, “is like our Vatican. Our collection here is that of Satanic art throughout history and requires someone with a special understanding of our church but most of all a level of education and expertise that many here lack.”

Natalie’s stunned. She had no idea these people existed beyond individual belief systems and teenagers rebelling against their parents.

“If this is your Vatican,” she begins slowly, “does that mean you have a pope?”

Sister Imperator lets out a dry little laugh.

“All in good time, my dear. But first I must tell you, this ‘interview’ is entirely a formality. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve had the job since we ended that call.”

Natalie’s shock and wonder rapidly turns into joy as a grin splits her features. You fucking did it, she thinks.

“Oh my God,” she blurts out, “Wait, sorry. Is that offensive?”

When the sister snorts out a far more genuine laugh this time, Natalie beams at her.

“Does this mean you accept the position?”

“Yes,” Natalie says a little too quickly. The opportunity to work with an art collection held by fucking Satanists has her spinning. “Absolutely.”

“Wonderful,” Sister says, clapping her hands together and standing. “We’ll sort out the details of your employment and your move to the Abbey later but for now there is someone I would like you to meet.”

Natalie dutifully follows her out of her office, practically floating as she leads her down the hall and down the stairs. They exit onto an open-air cloister and she encounters the first people other than the sister and the driver she’s seen here. People of all genders in black habits of all styles - some very racy, Natalie notices with a blush - congregate and walk down the halls. Sister Imperator leads her through and Natalie clocks the way the acolytes shy away from her in either deference or fear. It’s hard to say which.

Imperator stops at a closed door and waves a hand towards it.

“This will be your office,” she says lightly, “it once belonged to our dear departed Cardinal von Shreck who was previously in charge of our collection. His work, however, fell to the wayside in recent years with his declining health. You will be inheriting quite a mess of paperwork from him, I’m afraid.”

Natalie shrugs.

“I’ve had worse,” she responds and Imperator continues down the hall and makes a left. The Abbey is massive, Natalie thinks, much larger than she previously thought. Once again Imperator stops at a door and gives Natalie a brief smile before knocking.

“Entrare!” comes a muffled voice, and she pushes the door open.

The room is cozy but beautiful, filled with books and papers. But that’s not what draws Natalie’s eye.

Making his way towards her and the sister from behind the desk is a man. He wears a vivid red cassock with an unusual bejeweled symbol she makes a note to ask Sister Imperator about later. On his head is an angular hat and Natalie smiles at how it looks like he’s wearing horns. He’s not tall, but he still makes for a surprisingly commanding presence when he moves before her. Now that he’s closer she can better see the rest of him - his startling mismatched eyes surrounded by black paint, his swept back brown hair littered with silver, the pristine sideburns, his large, straight nose and the neat little mustache underneath it. Everything about him is charming, she thinks. Even dashing.

And then she realizes she’s staring.

Imperator notices and gives her a peculiar look.

“This is Cardinal Copia,” she finally announces, “you will be consulting with him as you work with our collection.”

Cardinal, Natalie thinks. Wow.

“Your Eminence,” you say, extending your hand. “I’m Nat-Natalie Sinclair.” Sister Imperator smirks at the title and Natalie’s stutter as Copia blushes. Not missing a beat, he takes Natalie’s bare hand in one of his gloved ones and lifts it to his mouth to place a slightly damp kiss on the back. His black lipstick leaves a little mark on her and she feels a flutter in her belly.

“No ‘Eminence’, Signorina Sinclair,” he finally says, his voice filled with nervous energy, “Simply Copia.”

Natalie beams at him, she can’t help herself, there’s just something about him that makes her feel warm and mushy inside. He’s barely spoken half a dozen words and already she knows that there’s something special about this man.

“Poor von Shreck,” Copia says, wringing his hands, “We lament his loss, but I am glad to see that Sister has found such an excellent replacement. And such a lovely one at that.”

He looks stricken with fear as soon as the words leave his mouth and Natalie flushes from head to toe.

“I-I’ve heard he’s left behind quite a bit of work, but I’m sure I’ll be able to tackle it, especially with your help.” Her smile is encouraging and he seems to relax a little under her kind gaze.

“Indeed. I am at your service, signorina,” he says with a little bow that makes Natalie giggle. Clearly having reached her limit of the two of them interacting, Imperator places a hand on Natalie’s shoulder to guide her out.

“I’ll see you soon, Cardinal. And it’s Natalie, please,” she says with a little wave as the sister steers her out of his office. He gives a little wave back and Natalie swears she hears a small voice whisper her name behind her as the door shuts. It’s been mere seconds but she can’t help but miss his presence already. Imperator eyes the goofy smile on her face shrewdly before starting back down the hallway to her office. Natalie follows, feeling as if butterflies are ricocheting off the inside of her stomach.

Cardinal Copia, she thinks. What a lovely man.

[rhaenyrasbutch]

masterlist (upcoming)

the last of us

a burning hill - abby anderson x female oc

good luck, babe (rugby/modern/uni au) - abby anderson x masc!female oc

bad dog - ellie williams x female oc

house of the dragon

there's nothing left for you - rhaenyra targaryen x masc!femaleknight oc

the north remembers - rhaenyra targaryen x stark!female oc

game of thrones

the wall (night's watch os) - masc!female oc x masc!female oc

willow

play the game (willow x challengers au) - kit tanthalos x female oc x jade claymore

harry potter

the fates (golden trio year os) - ravenclaw!masc!female oc x gryffindor!masc!female oc x slytherin!female oc

renegade nell

garden song - nell jackson x masc!female oc

yellowjackets

just kids - masc!female oc x lottie matthews x natalie scatorcio

mother earth - masc!female oc x lottie matthews

industry hbo

us vs them - masc!female oc x daria greenock x female oc

other

untitled the bear (youngest berzatto daughter)

untitled punisher (billy russo sister)

untitled l word generation q (shane mccutcheon x female reader)

[themculibrary]

Natasha Romanoff-Centric Masterlist 2

part one

although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight (ao3) - paperclipbitch bruce/natasha T, 6k

Summary: Post-movie. “You shouldn’t google yourself,” Natasha tells Bruce.

american pie (ao3) - ashlearose13 G, 4k

Summary: Here's the thing about Natasha Romanoff: before she was theirs, she was her own.

Common Ground (ao3) - Writegirl natasha/nick T, 4k

Summary: Natalia Romanova was many things: a killer by thirteen, a Black Widow at fifteen, on the run from the Red Room by sixteen and captured by SHIELD at seventeen.

“You have a simple choice in front of you. Either you want to live, in which case you give us your total cooperation. Or you want to die, in which case the kill order will be carried out within the next ten minutes.” The agent stood and went to the door. “You have five minutes to make a decision.”

counterfeit and counterpart (ao3) - Frea_O maria/steve T, 28k

Summary: Five times Maria Hill doesn’t understand Natasha Romanoff, and why she might be better off that way.

four times somebody trusted Natasha Romanoff (and one time Natasha trusted somebody) (ao3) - zauberer_sirin bruce/natasha T, 2k

Summary: Natasha is not used to being treated as something other than a threat.

I'll build a house inside of you (ao3) - magdaliny T, 19k

Summary: Natalia is stacking blocks very carefully when the adults come into the room. None of them look at her, because they're all looking at her father. He's wearing combat gear, and the hair on the left side of his head is slicked back with blood. He smells like smoke and something unnameable, sweet and dark and a little sickly in her nose.

Father is saying, “Don't be ridiculous. The only thing children are good at is disobeying.”

i'm so tired (of being afraid) (ao3) - himynameisv natasha/matt T, 35k

Summary: Steve glances at her with what she can only describe as a small, fond smirk. "You're not alone in this," he murmurs.

She breathes in, gathers up the courage to grasp him on the shoulder. "Neither are you," she says.

They stand there, mourning together in the silence, because that's how the two of them have always been.

(Or: Natasha Romanoff had three families. She's going to get them back and/or die trying.)

i'm staying at my parents’ house and the road not taken looks real good now (ao3) - hannaenomia maria/natasha N/R, 22k

Summary: Natasha takes The Avengers to her family's farm to recover after their first run-in with the Scarlet Witch and promptly flirts with Maria Hill in front of everyone, whether she admits it or not. (Black Widow comes before Age of Ultron in this storyline)

In Your Hand (ao3) - SpideySense777 natasha/tony M, 32k

Summary: Major Spoilers for Black Widow if you haven't seen it.

Tony and Natasha overcoming her betrayal after Civil War and finding peace in the fact they are screwed up people.

i see things that nobody else sees (ao3) - burnthatbridgewhenwegetthere T, 1k

Summary: before she was the Black Widow, she was just a black widow. Natasha, Natalia, Natalie- it's hard to be a person when you have specifically been taught to not be one.

the struggle is silent.

Mama Bear (ao3) - Dira Sudis (dsudis) clint/laura T, 2k

Summary: How the Black Widow became Auntie Nat.

melt (ao3) - romanovasquinn T, 5k

Summary: Perhaps she did not have a heavier hand in the transaction, Natasha thought, perhaps she loved me when she first saw me open my eyes.

She found herself living on perhapses so that she would never land on anything definitive. Perhapses were the thing that kept her from thinking about how unloved she was from the day she was born. It’s a dirty secret she kept hidden in the crux of her heart.

Cold, Natasha thought. She must feel very cold."

---

Melina attempts to reconcile with Natasha by taking her to her biological mother's unmarked grave. It goes as well as you'd expect.

music save your mortal soul (ao3) - nunya_bznz_babes G, 3k

Summary: The girls leave behind little things that never last long - an empty bed with the slight indent of their small body on the mattress, drops of blood in the training room, hair follicles and bits of dead skin that would become the dust that settled in barren corners or coated the lungs of the survivors, the instructors. Clothes to be handed down to the next set of potential Widows.

Natalia won't let herself become one of the dead girls, the ghost girls, the tiny bones rotting under layers of soil. But she remembers their names.

Or: Natasha Romanoff

My Unshaped Form (ao3) - atrata bruce/natasha E, 26k

Summary: Of all the people they could have sent, they send Bruce Banner. In his defense, he seems to realize he has no chance of finding her.

No Place In The World (ao3) - Mtabby2260 clint/laura T, 3k

Summary: "The ceremony is necessary for you to take your place in the world."

"I have no place in the world."

"Exactly."

off to the races (ao3) - Elekat G, 11k

Summary: Elementary School was torture. The kids didn't take it seriously, everything was useless information she would never need, oh, and Natasha hated gym class.

one of us will break it (ao3) - zauberer_sirin nick/natasha T, 1k

Summary: Natasha is not in the business of soft.

(Spoilers for Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

September (ao3) - enigma731 pepper/tony, natasha/tony T, 12k

Summary: Natasha studies him for a long moment, trying to decide whether she believes this last assertion. “So basically you’re trying to make an invention to cure PTSD? Why not just go to therapy?”

Tony gives her a look. “You want to go to therapy?” Tony scoffs. “Besides. Like some doctor is going to know what to do about the fact that I have nightmares about aliens and wormholes.”

“Okay,” says Natasha. “So you’re inventing the world’s next great therapy contraption. What did you want from me?”

“Well." Tony turns back to the computer monitor in a movement that may or may not be to avoid her gaze. “It’s not working. Normally I’d ask Banner, but, well.” He huffs out a bitter laugh. “Besides, I hear you’re the one to ask about coding.”

Some Assembly Required (ao3) - AlphaFlyer clint/natasha T, 4k

Summary: "They say that when you go to the seven circles of Hell, IKEA has taken over the suburbs and parts of the ring road.” Natasha and Clint enter an alien universe.

Some Summers They Drop Like Flys (ao3) - kvikindi T, 5k

Summary: Natasha blew all her covers. It's a brave new world.

Training Wheels (ao3) - thetbone G, 13k

Summary: Natasha doesn’t know how to ride a bike, doesn’t know how to be part of a family, doesn’t know how to be free.

But she’s learning.

you taught me the courage of stars (before you left) (ao3) - wcndanat T, 5k

Summary: Madame B waits, waits, and waits, until she doesn’t anymore. She walks to the table in the corner of the room, picking up the gun sitting over it, and Melina’s breath falters (no, please, not Natasha, not her Natasha, not yet).

The glock slips in Sonja’s hands and Melina closes her eyes, just to open them a second later — she doesn’t want to see this, but she has to, — and that’s when it happens, so suddenly that the woman almost starts sobbing right there on the spot.

Natasha gets up.

or

five times someone witnessed Natasha saving herself, and the one time someone saw her giving up.

[ynscrazylife]

WHO I WRITE FOR *will be continuously updated

(Platonic means familial and/or friendship)

9-1-1

Romantic & Platonic: Chimney Han, Eddie Diaz, Evan “Buck” Buckley, Hen Wilson, Maddie Buckley

Only Platonic: Athena Grant, Bobby Nash

Bridgerton

Romantic & Platonic: Anthony Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton, Cressida Cowper, Eloise Bridgerton, Francesca Bridgerton, Kate Sharma, Simon Bassett, Tilly Arnold

Only Platonic: Daphne Bridgerton, Gregory Bridgerton, Hyacinth Bridgerton, Violet Bridgerton

DC Movies/Arrowverse

Romantic & Platonic: Alex Danvers, Bruce Wayne (Patterson), Kara Danvers, Lena Luthor, Selina Kyle (Patterson)

Call of Duty

Romantic & Platonic: Alejandro Vargas, Alex Keller, John Price, Johnny MacTavish, Kate Laswell, Kyle Garrick, Simon Riley

Criminal Minds

Romantic & Platonic: Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan, Elle Greenaway, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau, Luke Alvez, Spencer Reid, Will LaMontagne

Only Platonic: David Rossi, Penelope Garcia

Game of Thrones

Platonic & Romantic: Brienne of Tarth, Cersei Lannister, Jamie Lannister, Jon Snow, Margaery Tyrell, Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Theon Greyjoy

Grey’s Anatomy/Station 19

Platonic & Romantic: Addison Montgomery, Alex Karev, Amelia Shepherd, Andrew DeLuca, April Kepner, Arizona Robbins, Ben Warren, Callie Torres, Carina DeLuca, Derek Shepherd, Jack Gibson, Jackson Avery, Jules Millin, Jo Wilson, Lexie Grey, Lucas Adams, Lucas Ripley, Mark Sloan, Maya Bishop, Monica Beltran, Nathan Riggs, Teddy Altman

Only Platonic: Meredith Grey, Owen Hunt

Harry Potter

Romantic & Platonic: Bill Weasley, Cedric Diggory, Charlie Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Fleur Delacour, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, James Potter, Lily Evans, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Sirius Black, Viktor Krum

— MCU/Spiderverse

Platonic & Romantic: Bucky Barnes, Bobbi Morse, Carol Danvers, Clint Barton, Gamora, Kate Bishop, Loki, Maria Hill, Melina Vostokoff, Maria Hill, Miguel O’Hara, Natasha Romanoff, Peter B. Parker, Peter Parker (AG), Peter Parker (TH), Pietro Maximoff, Sam Wilson, Scott Lang, Sharon Carter, Stephen Strange, Steve Rogers, Thena, Thor Odinson, Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff, Yelena Belova

Only Platonic: Agatha Harkness, Pepper Potts

Star Wars

Romantic & Platonic: Anakin Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmè Amidala, Poe Dameron, Rey Skywalker

Stranger Things

Romantic & Platonic: Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cunningham, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, Steve Harrington

Only Platonic: Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers

Superntural

Platonic & Romantic: Bela Talbot, Dean Winchester, Gabriel, Jo Harvelle, Sam Winchester

Only Platonic: Bobby Singer, Ellen Harvelle, John Winchester

The Bear

Romantic & Platonic: Carmy Berzatto, Natalie Berzatto, Richie Jerimovich

— The Rookie

Angela Lopez, Aaron Thorsen, Bailey Nune, Jackson West, John Nolan, Lucy Chen, Nyla Harper, Tim Bradford, Wesley Evers

— The Vampire Diaries

Caroline Forbes, Damon Salvatore, Elijah Mikaelson, Enzo St. John, Hayley Marshall, Klaus Mikaelson, Kol Mikaelson, Rebekah Mikaelson, Stefan Salvatore, Tyler Lockwood

— Top Gun

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, Jake “Hangman” Seresin, Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, Penny Benjamin, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

[princeescaluswords]

Alma Mater

Written for @teenwolf-meta's Meta May Monday prompt: Place.

Teen Wolf put a lot of focus on Beacon Hills High School as a location. Even the 2023 movie, which took place in 2026, spent significant time at the school. Scott McCall, the lead protagonist, had been graduated for thirteen years; why was this one location so important?

On the surface, it could be as obvious as the show being about teenagers, but I don't think the decision was that shallow . I think there were three very important reasons that it was a primary setting.

To serve production needs. At the end of Season 2, the production moved from Georgia to Los Angeles. The reasons for this I have only encountered peripherally, but none-the-less, it did create a certain disconnect in the minds of the viewers. Beacon Hills High School not only had a sudden change in floor plan but it had a definite change in climate. There were now palm trees! Yet, the series did not avoid the contradictions. Of course, all productions face financial limitations; this production seemed capable of having only a certain number of sets, which, for example, is why the new library in Season 5 was clearly Derek's loft repurposed. Practically, a high school would be an easy location for the principle cast to encounter each other. There would no need to explain why, for example, Stiles and Scott would see Lydia coming up the sidewalk as in Wolf Moon (1x01) or why Mason would be talking about their Friday night plans with Garrett and Violet in The Benefactor (4x04). In addition, it would be an understandable way to introduce new characters, both adult and teenager. There could be new hires, new transfers, or even characters the audience had not met before that the principle cast had and yet not discussed.

To serve thematic needs. I have stated before and I will state again, that I absolutely believe that Teen Wolf is a bildungsroman -- a story exploring the spiritual and psychological transformation of a child into an adult. In our modern culture, this frequently happens in high school, for this is where the protective authority of parents and family begins to give way to acts of self-determination. Relationships with friends become more complicated, with the increased importance of social strata, the emergence of sexuality, and the recognition of impermanence. For the teenagers undergoing this transformation, the world becomes less welcoming even as they gain more agency, and part of that is the transformation of school from a safe space (sorry, Natalie) to an area of contention. There are suddenly consequences to action and inaction. The gulf between the protagonists, who have up until this point been children, and adults becomes less and less clear as they begin to share both opportunities and complications. The teenage protagonists also discover that there is no guarantee of fair treatment from adults, evidenced by the bitter hostility of Adrian Harris to the incomprehensible and comedic self-absorption of Coach to the well-meaning but predatory academic ruthlessness of Mrs. Finch. To be in high school no longer means that is is beneficial to allow others to make their decisions for them. Who are you, really?

It also serves one of Jeff Davis's favorite themes: recursion. Students graduate and are replaced by new students, who must face similar crises in the process of growing up (though hopefully not as violent). Beacon Hills High School showing up in the movie was no more nostalgia than the flashback to Derek Hale's high-school experiences in Visionary (3x08) or 117 (4x02). What Derek experiences in high school has bearing on what Scott experiences in high school has bearing on what Eli experiences in high school. In the series, the differences between Derek's and Scott's and Liam's experiences are compared to each other, such as in the outcomes of their first loves. Likewise, in the movie, Scott isn't longing to be a teenage alpha/lacrosse captain again; he's coming to terms with the terrible trauma of his high-school-era experiences by helping Eli through the terrible trauma of his high-school-era experiences.

To serve as a storytelling tool. Teen Wolf is a tale of danger, terror, and horror. One of the easiest ways to create that tension is to transform the common everyday parts of life into something that is threatening and out-of-control. Think about Night School (1x07), and the utter menace of Beacon Hills High when there are no lights and no people. Think about the twisting of normal fun activities -- lacrosse games plagued by a star player suddenly tearing himself open or pursued by a gigantic beast or being stalked by extra-dimensional cowboys. Think about how many times the locker room -- a place where students are frequently vulnerable while changing clothes -- is a place where teenagers get trapped in lockers or showers or darkness.

It's also a way to signify danger. The enemy invades a place that is supposed to help teenagers learn and grow while hanging out with their friends, and this perverts into a place where they have to constantly be on their guard. The principal is suddenly a man who wants to manipulate teenagers if he can or kill them if he can't. The guidance councilor has her own agenda in fomenting supernatural genocide. Teachers, who are supposed to be showing teenagers the truth of the world they are going to responsible for living in, turn out to be never what they seem, whether as harmless as protecting his nine-centuries old wife by lying or by offering teenagers as human sacrifices or by being a temporally-displace Nazi.

High school, just like the world, isn't all bad of course. High school has a benevolent purpose, just like many people have benevolent intentions. Other guidance counselors can present characters with alternatives to being a victim or running away in terror. Friends made there who will stand together against the darkness. Teenagers can learn leadership skills on the lacrosse field and can learn knowledge in the library that can help one survive. A benevolent and influential family might even have arranged the high school be built on the confluence of ley lines, not only to protect their secret vault, but also because it might keep certain supernatural creatures out.

Beacon Hills High School played a significant role in Teen Wolf not out of lazy decisions but about the focus of the story on transformation. Children become teenagers become adults who help other children become teenagers become adults. Or, those characters with sinister intent transform twist a civilized location into threatening one so often that it becomes an identifying mark. The production made proper use of this setting.

[celtfather]

Women of Summer #665

Women are an important part of Celtic music. We celebrate their contributions this week on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast # 665. Subscribe now!

Charlene Adzima, Telenn Tri, Runa, The BorderCollies, Fialla, Natalie Padilla, Adria Jackson, Bettina Solas, Fig for a Kiss, Keltricity, Louise Bichan, Clare Cunningham, Maggie’s Wake

GET CELTIC MUSIC NEWS IN YOUR INBOX

The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Enjoy seven weekly news items for Celtic music and culture online. Subscribe now and get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free.

VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2024

This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create next year's Best Celtic music of 2024 episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now!

You can follow our playlist on Spotify to listen to those top voted tracks as they are added every 2 - 3 weeks. It also makes it easier for you to add these artists to your own playlists. You can also check out our Irish & Celtic Music Videos.

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:06 - Charlene Adzima “Smash the Brisket/Hunter's House/Maids of Mitchelstown” from The Initiation

Charlene Adzima: fiddle, vocals

4:27 - WELCOME

5:51 - Telenn Tri “Looking at a Rainbow Through a Dirty Window” from The Cat's Meow

Christine Morphett: Harp and fiddle

8:30 - Runa “Until Morning” from When The Light Gets In

Shannon Lambert - Ryan: vocals, bodhran

13:03 - The BorderCollies “The Sweetness of Mary  -  Clumsy Lover” from To the Hills and Back

Caeri Thompson: vocals

Lisa McCann: bodhran, shruti, vocals

Suzanne Ramos: fiddle

16:33 - Fialla “Fear A' Bhàta” from Home & Away

Katie: Vocals, Guitar, Bodhrán, Irish Stepdancing

21:06 - FEEDBACK

24:50 - Adria Jackson “Eriskay Lullaby” from Troubadour

Adria Jackson: harp, vocals

27:20 - Natalie Padilla “Prairie Flax” from Montana Wildflower Natalie Padilla: fiddle

30:56 - Bettina Solas “Lonely Maiden” from Ruminations and Wanderings

Bettina Solas: autoharp, vocals

34:16 - Fig for a Kiss “Beare Island” from Wherever You Go

Addyson Teal: Vocals, Fiddle

40:23 - THANKS

42:08 - Keltricity “The Plooman” from Live at Terra Firma Radio

Laurel Fuson: Accordion, Piano

Caroline Yeager: vocals, Violin, Piano

46:41 - Louise Bichan “Arnie's” from The Lost Summer Louise Bichan: fiddle, photography

52:43 - Clare Cunningham “Wind in my sails” from ON MY WAY (AR MO BHEALACH)

Clare Cunningham: guitar, vocals

56:37 - CLOSING

57:32 - Maggie’s Wake “Shaken & Stirred” from Maggie’s Wake

Tara Dunphy: tin whistle, flute, fiddle, guitar, banjo and lead vocals

Lindsay Schindler: fiddle and vocals

1:00:58 - CREDITS

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You’ll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.

Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you’ll get 7 weekly news items about what’s happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage.

Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor.

Finally, remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment.

Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.

WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST

* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. If you love Celtic music, you are in the right place.

We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.

You can make a musician smile. Just find a way to support the music you love. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, Digital Download, or join their communities on Patreon.

You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com.

If you are a Celtic musician or in a Celtic band, then please submit your band to be played on the podcast. Send an email to follow@bestcelticmusic

Plastic Free July. Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single - use plastics?

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

You are amazing. It is because of your generosity that you get to hear so much great Celtic music each and every week.

Your kindness pays for our engineer, graphic designer, Celtic Music Magazine editor, promotion of the podcast, and allows me to buy the music I play here. It also pays for my time creating the show each and every week.

As a patron, you get ad - free and music - only episodes before regular listeners, vote in the Celtic Top 20, stand - alone stories, you get a private feed to listen to the show or you can listen through the Patreon app.  All that for as little as $1 per episode.

A special thanks to our Celtic Legends: Marti Meyers, Brenda, Karen DM Harris, Emma Bartholomew, Dan mcDade, Carol Baril, Miranda Nelson, Nancie Barnett, Kevin Long, Gary R Hook, Lynda MacNeil, Kelly Garrod, Annie Lorkowski, Shawn Cali

HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

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Decide how much you want to pledge every week, $1, $5, $25. Make sure to cap how much you want to spend per month.

Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to celebrate Celtic culture through music.

You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast on Patreon at SongHenge.com.

TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We get to know a region through its culture, history, and legends. This fall, I’m taking a group to taste Scottish whisky. We’ll visit at least three of the Scottish whisky regions. Taste a variety of whiskeys, then we will do some light hiking through the Scottish countryside.

You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/

#celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast

I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? Please email me. I’d love to see a  picture of what you're doing while listening or of a band that you saw recently.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

Steffen Röder emailed a photo from Munich, Germany: “Hi Marc! This St. Paddys I had to be in the hospital in which ill spend the next three weeks due to a chronik pain issue. I was able to sneak in a (light) pint tho and have my banjo with me. I sang some tunes at the nearby lake with noone but some frogs around and enjoyed the moment. I hope you had a good one too!  Greetz from Munich, Rusty!”

Gerald Guinn of The Secret Commonwealth emailed a St Pats photo: “Hi Marc! Glad you had good St. Pat's/Birthday!  The Secret Commonwealth did as well. We had shows on all three days of the weekend, culminating with our 31st anniversary St. Pat's show at Cedar Glade Brews, in the "city of our birth", Murfreesboro, TN (see attached pic) Now it's on to finishing up album #5! We hope to have it out in early summer. Best!”

Brenda Richardson sent a photo for St Patrick’s Day: “I walked with a group from the YMCA in the 5K St Patrick’s Day Race in Colorado Springs. We heard some Celtic music along our route!”

Michael Maloney emailed a St Patrick’s Day photo: “Morning Marc! Happy belated St. Patrick's Day and Birthday! I feel like I'm still recovering. I play solo at Hugh O'Neill's in Malden, and several shows with my bandmates, The Boston Harbor Bhoys (Waltham Sr. Center, Medford's Ford Tavern, Framingham Elks fundraiser, Quincy's Assembly, and Boston's Green Dragon).

So many songs, so many memories. I loved playing Hugh O'Neill's, where a table of young people requested The Saw Doctor's "N17" and ran out from their tables on the refrain each time to shout out "and the grass is green!".

To the Sr Center in Waltham where the ENTIRE room of 100 people got all the hand - claps right on "Wild Rover" by the 2nd refrain, and the beautiful emotions expressed from our rendition of Danny Boy.

To guests at the Framingham elks getting up to do all the dance moves to "The unicorn song", to seeing old fans from the South Shore of Boston that we haven't seen in 4 years requesting "Raglan Road", to jumping around The Green Dragon with my harmonica and tambourine leading hand claps on 'Finnegan's Wake" getting the whole bar clapping together.

Agh, it was all so wonderful, went through a range of song styles and eras in the Celtic music catalogue, and it was wonderful connecting with audiences from the 20's up to their 90's, who all appreciated the music and experience in their own ways.

It was one for the books! “

  Check out this episode!

[bmegrl9124]

A comment of mine from YouTube:

I don’t get how S3 was supposed to start off just like S2 when S2 ended on a low note & S1 ended on a high note. It wouldn’t make sense for S3 to start off the same.

It was on a video where the lady was comparing S3E1 to S2E1 and her comparison made no sense.

[elizabeth-mitchells]

39, 40?

thank youuuu 🫶

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

oohhh fun i love wild au scenarios! i think there are a few. the time i put +50 tropes(?) in a one shot, the 10 cloverfield lane au, hill house au, resurrecting like christ au, going on a date with a bear au, both conjuring aus... but!! i'll say the wildest one should probably be the shaunajackie DIY Eye Transplant

40. Write a 9-word fic.

At the end of Natalie's funeral, Mari finally arrived.

writing asks!

[masalasludge]

hii @girl-bateman ty for tagging me and if you want someone else to talk to about your book i’d love to hear about it!!!!

im currently in a Mood, been listening to Wednesday’s discography, mae martin’s most heartbreaking songs, and specifically Billie Marten’s ‘drop cherries’ has been on sad bitch repeat for weeks i cant stop walking around and humming it i love her soooo so bad whole album is gorgeous highly recommend

im kind of watching haunting of hill house again, and looking for other series that are dialogue heavy and have a similar prose-y poetic vibe to play as background noise for writing and also bc im feeling halloweeny so im not just rewatching succ again, waiting for my mom to catch up on midnight mass so i can watch the last 3 eps lol

i’m reading . so much fic . and i’m about to reread a romance i own but cant remember anything about even tho theres like 20 highlights, Mia Vincy’s “Wicked Sort of Husband,” toggling between that and some assorted James Balwin and then finishing Belly of the Beast by Dashaun Harrison, an analysis of antiblackness n fatphobia in the US

been obsessed with ladyknightthebrave and jacob geller on youtube, the bear (syd my fearless leader and natalie the bear, my friend natslie who carries the fsmily curse have u met natalie) and the batman (2022)

(if ur reading this i tag u love u)

[frutiylaris]

Saints & Sinners [Ao3 Notes] V: 0.1 [Part one]

Don't mind me, just a reminder note for my Ao3 plans. Just an online footnote for myself to come back to incase I forget my LITERAL notebooks, multiple yes, are right beside me. [ Saints ] -Oskar Venhart | "Hollow" | Surviour of the 'Otherside' -Natalie Oullete | "Clockwork" | Key Holder of the 'Otherside' -Jeffery and Liu Woods | Package Deal | (Unplanned atm) -TBD -TBD [ Sinners ] -[1] Zal | Otherside effect. | -[2] Slenderman | Redone... kind of? Idea is the same, but cause is more related to decay/forest spirit than "Tall man in suit." | -[2a] People who are 'proxys' will eventually decay into an incarnation of the Slenderman and wreck havoc until dealt with. A seedling one might say. -[2b] Some people are naturally drawn to this, moth to the flame and all that, but others are forced by other proxy's to undergo this process to appease the Slenderman and avoid his wrath. -[2c] Despite the consequence, death is often best for those afflicted, proxy or not. However, killing the body must be done quick before the 'hatchling' begins to take form. When a 'hatchling' is killed; Slenderman will gravitate to the killer in question and either kill them or take his due in blood. -[2d] The 'Hunted' are stalked by any nearby proxy available and if said proxy is killed by the 'Hunted' said hunter will rack up a blood debt and draw the attention of other monstrositys or potential illnesses. -[3] The Otherside | Anything I type here would be compared to silent hill, so its like that, Er- Kind of. | -[3a] The otherside is not malicious, nor does it harbour any ill will to those who unknowingly wander into it. However, it is alien to those not attuned to its existence. Merely harbouring knowledge of its existence is enough to open a gateway though many cannot bear said knowledge. -[3b] Those who can enter and exit, and not lose their mind, are known as 'Key holders.' Said people who can do so are highly valued and thus targetted by that which lurks within the otherside. -[3c] Certain individuals harbour a 'pure soul' and are referred to as 'Pure ones' whilst the naming is confusing it refers to one's literal tangiable soul and a fully formed soul is capable of warding away any ill that may come to them in the otherside. However, said pure ones are prized by the entitys which lurk as they can spread influence with ease through their natural 'Aura.' [ Extraneous details ] -[1] Natalie Oulette | Clockwork -[1a] Natalie is french "canadian", born in france, moved to canada lived there for 3 years, then into Minnesota where she spent the rest of her years growing up into adulthood. -[1b] She has the nickname "Clockwork" due to getting a set of gears tattooed on her left shoulder, her stepfather didn't approve but her mother did. -[1c] Childhood friends with Oskar, also romantic interest with Oskar, however... see reason below. -[1d] Older Step-Brother attempted to sexually abuse her, however was beaten senseless, the step-brother, by Natalies Step-father. After said attempt Natalie shut herself off from anyone and when Oskar attempted to help, she verbally abused him in a fit of rage. Natalie regrets this deeply and feels herself unworthy to be loved by anyone. -[1e] Wanted to be a nurse, however was falsely hospitalized for a year by her parents thinking she had "lost it" and as such she was sent to a psychiatric ward where she unintentionally walked into the "otherside" and trapped herself for another year. -[2] Oskar Venhart -[2a] Oskar is half-german. His mother immigrated to the USA and fell in love with a farmhand. -[2b] Autistic and Loyal to a fault. Childhood friends with Natalie more out of random chance but eventually cared and loved her in a platonic way. -[2c] Terrible with displaying emotion -[2d] Believes himself irredeemable after failing to see what Natalies step-brother planned

[cocktailsfairytales]

💕★💕NEW RELEASE💕★💕

A Dangerous Man by Deanndra Hall is now available exclusively on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited!

Grab your copy ➜ https://amzn.to/3Xa2n74

Start the Appalachian STAR series!

Amazon ➜ https://amzn.to/3SXAkFL

Book Description:

She’s headstrong and independent. He’s determined and dangerous. Is their love a disaster … or their salvation?

Bear

Relentless.

I’m a murderer, and I own that. I’ve paid my debt to society, but what I did is a stain on my soul that will leave me forever unworthy of anything good. So I’m surprised when a couple of nights with FBI Agent Sela Baldwin when she’s here at the farm guarding Natalie leaves me longing for more time with her. She’s stuck in rehab from her injuries and mad as a hornet, but my offer for her to live with me and explore our relationship is surprisingly well-received. We settle in, only to find that the cartel still has a mark on Sela and Natalie, and it’ll take all of my friends from App STAR, Citadel Security, and the Eagle Point Search and Rescue teams to keep them safe—if Sela will just cooperate. I swear, that woman is her own worst enemy!

SELA

Relentless.

They might call him Bear, but he’s a wildcat in the sack. I think about those hands and that body constantly while I’m trapped in the rehab facility, planning my escape and furious that the bureau doesn’t think I can do my job. I don’t connect with people emotionally, but when I discover he’s been in an accident, I’m terrified. As soon as he asks me to move out to the farm with him, I realize being on the disabled list will give us time to maybe have an actual relationship. His openness and honesty give me hope, and I’m surprised at myself and how fast I start to trust him and care for him. There’s just one problem. The cartel is still after Natalie and me, and no matter what Bear says, I’ve never trusted a man to take care of me. Is my Dangerous Man dangerous enough to get the job done, or will I have to do it myself?

Come to the hills and hollers of eastern Kentucky and get acquainted with eight of the most determined men you’ll ever meet in the Appalachian STAR series.

#BAPpr #DeanndraHall