#Oscar and Felipe Rivera

[myhusbandwouldplay]

Can we talk about this for a minute????

The way Hector motions to the family to get behind him and puts his hand out to protect them is *chef's kiss*. He's already taking the role of Patriarch of the family. 🥹

Also, how he's at the front, being the leader and ready to jump in if De La Cruz lays a finger on Imelda. 🥺💜

The twins looking out for each other is everything to me. I don't know which one is which, but one of them pulling the other back broke me. It was so sweet! 😭😭😭

This gif is everything to me. It shows how much the family loves each other and how they look out for one another. 🧡

[enigmatist17]

Bruno had awoken in the middle of the night with a vision so clear it had sent him crashing to the floor from his bed.

Two men in a village not far from Encanto, one longing for the family he loves while the other watches with a heart stained black with greed. A toast, poison-laced tequila that takes away a man who only wanted to return home, a red book filled with music that would make his career span the world.

Judging by the tablet that lay splayed beside Bruno, this would happen and happen soon. Despite never having braved the world for a vision of a non-Encanto native, Bruno's heart broke for the man who would be taken too soon, unable to spread the joy his music most likely did. After knock knock knock knock knocking on his wooden floor, Bruno decided to do something estúpido, not one to ignore a gut feeling as he packed a small travel bag and snuck out of Casita. Encanto must have known of his vision, as a horse was awaiting the nervous clairvoyant only a few feet from the back entrance, the two heading towards a path that the Miracle opened for him.

Well, if that wasn't a sign this man was already welcome in the town, Bruno couldn't tell you otherwise.

It took him a day and a half to reach the town he'd only heard of due to Agustín and his family when they had joined their town. Bruno was already exhausted from being so far from his home, but one look at the tablet he'd hurriedly stuffed in his bag steeled his resolve.

Sí, you can do this, Bruno.

Being an obvious outsider, Bruno gets a few looks, but everyone seems pleasant enough when he inquires about a few musicians. It's a bit of a change that he's not ashamed to bask in, the usual whispers and glares from those who had dubbed him el malvado brujo Bruno far away for now. It's nearing dusk when Bruno finally spies the two men from the vision; the broader man of the duo is laughing about something while the taller man just smiles at his supposed friend. He had heard the last of their show when he approached the square they'd performed in, hanging back to ensure he could spot them from the crowd.

Friend indeed.

Wringing his hands, Bruno watches the two head for a room they were sharing, where poisoned tequila most likely sat. Knocking on the wooden bench beside him for good luck, the clairvoyant made his move, waiting for the two to pass where he stood before clearing his throat and heading for the broader man.

"Eh, Señor?"

"Hola, how can I help you?" The potential killer raised an eyebrow but smiled, and for a moment, Bruno could see how he'd hid his greed.

"Lo siento, but my hermana watched your performance tonight, and was too shy to speak with you afterward..."

"Oh?" The man looked flattered, his taller friend rolling his eyes playfully. "Is your hermana still around, perchance?"

"Sí sí, by the fountain across town. Figured it would give her time to breathe and calm down, no?" Bruno chuckled, pointing the opposite way they were facing. "Would you do me the honor of speaking to her?"

"I could never turn down such a request, and I promise to bring her home before too long."

"Good, or I'll have words." Bruno forced a laugh, and the man handed off his guitar to his friend before hurrying off without a backward glance.

"Ah Ernesto, never one to turn from a pretty woman." Bruno gave an awkward smile that faded the moment this Ernesto was gone.

"We must hurry, before he realizes my lie." The man blinked at that, frowning at Bruno, who had begun heading for his room. "Come, come, we must get your things."

"What are you talking about? Why did you lie to my friend?" The musician didn't start walking, and the slightly hunched-over man in a green ruana looked back at him with a panicked look.

"Please, I will explain, but we must move."

"I'm not going anywhere until you speak to me, Ernesto is my friend, not someone to be afraid of."

"He plans to kill you." The musician's eyes went wide at that, before narrowing in anger.

"That is ridiculous, he is mi amigo!" The ruana clad man ran a hand through his curly hair with a shake of his head, and dread settles in the bottom of his stomach at the certainty in his gaze.

"I will explain, but he knows you want to return home to your familiar, and cannot let that happen. You write the music, the music he needs, and nothing will stand in his way." Desperation drips from nearly every word as they stand in the street, and Bruno hopes the other will finally listen to him. "We must go, please."

"I..." Bruno watches the musician turn to look where Ernesto had gone, and something must have clicked, as he turns back to the seer with an expression he can't place. "...come, our room isn't far."

Ernesto returns to a half-cleared room an hour later, a single piece of paper lying on what had been his friend's bed.

I hope you make it without me

His enraged yell echoed throughout the town, far behind where Bruno and the man he still didn't know the name of rode off on his horse.

---

"So...you see the future."

"Sí."

"And it told you Ernesto would kill me?"

"Sí."

"And you left your magical village to save me?"

"Sí."

"...and you didn't even know my name?"

"Sí."

"....why?"

"....I don't know."

"...huh." Not the most stimulating conversation Héctor had ever had, but it was definitely the strangest. If he hadn't been running on no sleep for the last day as he and his mysterious savior had ridden for the next town's train station, Héctor would have imagined a night of heavy drinking would be responsible for such a strange hallucination. Now, here they were, sharing a small room for the night while Héctor tried to think of what to do next, after making it home of course.

Save for the fact he held a glowing tablet in his hands, what would have been his corpse splayed in the street while Ernesto walked away with his guitar.

"Do...would you like me to get rid of that?" The ruana-wearing man, no Bruno, wrung his hands nervously, clearly regretting showing Héctor the vision of his death. Without a word Héctor held out the tablet, eyes going wide as it turned into sand the moment Bruno touched it, the strange man's eyes glowing the same green.

"What was that?" Héctor leaned forward in his seat in curiosity, frowning slightly when Bruno seemed surprised at the tone.

"My...Gift uses sand, I-I usually reuse it like that." Bruno had sat on top of the single table in the room, eyes still glowing as he made the sand float up off the floor and onto the hand he held out.

"That is amazing! Can everyone do this in your magic town?"

"Eh n-no, no it's only mi familia who have Gifts." Bruno knocked on the table after depositing the sand within his ruana, before shaking his head with a soft smile. "Um, y-you'll see when you come to Encanto..."

"What?" Héctor blinked, and watched as Bruno cursed under his breath. "My family is back in México, I must return..."

"There...lo siento, you're right." Bruno winced, trying not to fidget too hard at the soft smile sent his way. "I forget the world is so big sometimes, you know?"

"I would if I lived in a magic town!" Héctor laughed, sitting forward a little bit more. "So, tell me of this Encanto, we have time."

So Bruno does, keeping the worst bits of the town's reception of his particular powers to himself while regaling Héctor of the town and family he loved so dearly. They share a drink and laugh until the sun rises, and the distant noise of Héctor's train grows louder with each moment it comes closer. Bruno susses out the train and its occupants to ensure Ernesto isn't to be found, both he and Héctor relieved the undoubtedly angry man was nowhere to be seen. Despite his polite refusal, Bruno gifted Héctor a small compass that didn't appear to point anywhere specific alongside a small map.

"I-If you and your familia ever want to come visit, this will show you the way." The musician smiled and gave his new friend a small hug, parting when the train rang out for last call. "Travel safe and lowkey."

"You as well, and make sure you rest when you get home!" Bruno gave a smile that wasn't full of anxiety, and waved to Héctor as he ran for his car and hopped on, waving back before going to get settled in for his journey.

It had been nice to sit and talk with someone who enjoyed his presence, and Bruno hoped his new friend would make his way home safely as he rode back for Encanto. A fuming Mamá and his hermanas nearly tackled Bruno off his borrowed horse the moment he rode into view of Casita, distressed he had vanished for three days, but equally as relieved to see him unharmed. It takes a few tries to get them all to settle down long enough to tell them why he'd gone in such a hurry, but once they learn the tale of betrayal, they calm down slightly.

"He seems like he would have been a good fit for the Encanto." Mamá patted his shoulder as Julieta stress-baked a fresh meal for Bruno, Pepa sitting by the doorway in case he tried to run.

Oh no, one adventure beyond the mountains was enough.

"Sí, we don't have many musicians." After a lunch where Bruno felt more hostage than anything else, life in Encanto returned to its regular beat.

That is, until about seven months later, when Pepa came rushing into the town square, going for a special bell that was barely rung these days. It signified newcomers that the Miracle had accepted, ones in desperate need of aid. There were plans in place when the townsfolk heard the noise, Julieta leading the search party of nearly a dozen with a wagon and some of her emergency healing food up and into the hills. They find a group of five struggling over the crest of the magical mountains that hid Encanto from the world, all drenched to the bone from the storm that raged past its borders that usually appeared to hide those unknowingly seeking safety. The man leading the group held a familiar token in his hands, stopping short when they crossed into a sunny valley that wasn't there a second ago, standing protectively in front of the other three behind him when they saw the welcoming party.

"W-Who are you?"

"We're not here to harm you, you're safe now." Julieta stepped forward with her arms slightly raised, the ragged group staying together in uncertainty. "The compass, it led you here because you needed our help."

"I...Bruno gave it to me?" The man blinked, his wife moving to steady him as his shoulders slumped in relief. "Do you know him?"

"I should hope so, he's my hermano." Julieta smiled, motioning for two of the townsfolk behind her to step forward. "Come, your journey is at an end."

"Do you have a blanket? Mi hija's is soaked."

"We have some for all of you, allow us." The four-and-a-half-year-old girl who had been held by one of the twin males behind the couple was grateful for a soft blanket that wasn't wet, cooing to her tío as they were led to the wagon to finally rest. The wagons the family had traveled with were on their last legs, both riddled with marks that showed they'd been attacked more than once on their journey, and preparations were made to bring everything into town once they returned for more hands. For now, the mules they'd been hitched to were released and taken for treatment as the family was loaded up and carried to Casita, clearly relieved to be safe and sound. A red-headed woman was waiting for them beside a man who seemed to be her husband, rocking her infant as they awaited the newcomers, an older woman standing beside her with a reassuring smile as the ragtag group piled out of the wagon once it had stopped.

"Welcome to the Encanto. My name is Alma Madrigal, and let me be the second to welcome you to our home."

"I can't believe this is real.." The tallest member of the group mumbled, offering his hand when Alma approached him.

"I assure you, it is Señor?" Her hand was warm in his, and it took a moment for his exhausted brain to catch up.

"Héctor Rivera, along with my wife Imelda and her hermanos Óscar and Felipe, and mi mija Coco." Alma shook all of their hands, and gently rubbed the top of the exhausted toddler's head with a fond smile.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet the man my hijo spoke of, but there will be time for that later. Come, you look in need of a hot meal and plenty of sleep, and we will tend to all of that for you." Alma smiled, motioning for the younger woman behind her. "Pepa, would you show them the way?"

"Sí, follow me." She gave them a warm smile, and the Rivera family filed into the massive home in considerably higher spirits than they'd had in a long time.

---

The magic house, er Casita, had been kind enough to do most of the work for the newcomers, entertaining Coco with moving floor tiles while all the adults washed up and changed into clean clothes after caring for her first. Seeing furniture and clothing come from thin air was...a lot to get used to, but after eating a hot meal, they all passed out in the guest bedroom with the slightest nudge. Héctor woke up at some point, checking over his family before deciding a glass of water wouldn't hurt, carefully sneaking out of bed and past his brother-in-law's without making a sound.

"Er...house? Casita? Where is the kitchen?" For a moment, nothing happened, but soon some of the floor tiles began to flip over, forming a line down the hallway. "Oh...gracias." Héctor slowly traveled through the magic house as the aches and pains from long days traveling made themselves known, yawning as he turned a corner only to pause at the sound of some voices.

"- tea?"

"Sí, I don't think food would stay." Oh, that sounded like Bruno! Smiling at the thought of the strange friend he'd made, Héctor moved a little faster to the end of the hall, peering around the corner to see the massive kitchen a few feet away. Bruno was sitting on the floor propped up against some of the cabinets, his eyes glowing brighter than Héctor had seen a few months ago, rubbing his temples with a slight hiss. "They made it safely?"

"Sí, exhausted but only scrapes and bruises." Julieta paused her tea-making to run a hand through her brother's hair, earning a soft hum of contentment. "Héctor is very tall no?"

"Mhm, that was my first thought too." Bruno grinned, Julieta leaning down to hand him a fresh cup of tea. "Didn't see it in the vision."

"Mhm, I'm not surprised. Did your vision mention he's an eavesdropper, too?" Bruno looked up mid-sip as Héctor squeaked, revealing himself with an awkward wave.

"Lo siento, I had come for some water, and didn't want to interrupt." Julieta raised an eyebrow but motioned him to come in while fetching a pitcher. She was surprised to see he wasn't taken aback by Bruno's glowing eyes, the newcomers crouching down in front of him with a smile. "It's good to see you again!"

"Sí, although I saw you first." The clairvoyant whispered with a slightly amused look. "I-It's how the town knew you were coming."

"I did wonder, gracias for that. I don't think we could have gone much further, it's been a long few days." Bruno gave him a sympathetic look, reaching over to gently pat Héctor's arm. "You weren't kidding, your house really is magic."

"Did Casita start rocking the beds yet?" Bruno chuckled, the glow in his eyes fading as Julieta returned with some water. "Scared me when I was younger sometimes."

"No..." Héctor looked a bit nervous to hear that, accepting the cool glass and downing it in one go. "Gracias."

"Casita will behave...for now." The elder Madrigal chuckled, offering a hand to both men. "Now, everyone can use some sleep hm?"

"Yes mamá." Bruno scoffed as Héctor muffled a laugh, Julieta getting them up onto their feet with her own grin.

"Buenas noches, we'll catch up in the morning." Bruno patted Héctor's arm before heading for his room, Julieta tilting her head slightly.

"I've never seen his post-vision migraine clear so quickly, what did you do?"

"Eh, just talked with him." Héctor was a bit uncomfortable with the look that seemed to look to his very core, similar to the one his wife often did when he was estúpido about something, but just smiled as she finally slipped the pitcher into his hand. "Is he alright?"

"For now, but that's a conversation for another time. Buenas noches Héctor, don't be afraid to call if you need anything." Héctor nodded and followed Casita's trail back to his room, hoping his friend would get some rest.

Bruno watched him go from the second floor, relieved that once again, his vision had helped save someone, this time, especially someone he called a friend.

[dragoneyes618]

I keep thinking of an AU where Imelda died only a couple of months or years after Héctor did. So all that's left is Oscar and Felipe and Coco, and the twins aren't able to take care of Coco. They want to, but they're, like, teenagers, and there's no other family to help them. They don't have much money; they don't have steady jobs, only being hired by whoever needs any odd jobs done around town, or maybe they do but it doesn't pay enough. They don't know how to make shoes as well as Imelda did, they're not earning enough.

Now, the twins themselves would be fine. They can rent a room or live out of the inn or something. But they can't have that for Coco.

Coco needs a home. She needs proper nourishing food, she needs to have a place to live that won't keep changing all around town every couple of months, she needs toys and clothes, she needs people who'll be able to devote all their attention to her like her parents did. The twins aren't able to give her any of this, not at the moment with things as they are.

So they ask Ernesto care for her.

Sure, they haven't seen Ernesto ever since Héctor ran off on them a couple years ago, but he was Héctor's best friend, he knows Coco, he used to babysit her sometimes. Ernesto's not as famous yet as he will someday be, but he's pretty well known, so it's easy for the twins to track him down, and he has plenty of money, enough to easily afford to take care of a child, or hire caretakers, or whichever he does. Coco will always have enough to eat, a safe place to live, with someone familiar. It's not the same as her parents, of course, but it's the best they can do. They figure Ernesto will be able to care for her until they earn & save enough money to get on their feet and properly raise their niece. Hopefully it won't take too long.

Ernesto agrees to take Coco in. Not that he wants to, but of course his reputation is very important to him, and it'd look bad if he refused to care for his missing best friend's orphaned daughter. 

I haven't figured out yet if he ends up doting on her like a daughter because he feels guilty about Héctor, or if he avoids her as much as possible because she reminds him of Héctor, or if he's cruel to her because he's still angry at Héctor for leaving him (twice - the second time when he decided to go home, the first time when he married Imelda) or what.

On the plus side, at least Imelda and Héctor get to reconcile in death. Since Imelda died so soon after Héctor, maybe she was still holding out hope that he'd come home at the time, thinking he was sick or his letters had been mislaid or whatever she must have been thinking in canon when his letters first stopped. And she wouldn't have so many years of bitterness against him for leaving. So when she encounters him in the Land of the Dead she figures that some tragic accident must have befallen him on the road and Ernesto for some reason never told her (as opposed to in canon where when she saw Héctor after she died she probably thought he'd died twenty or thirty years after he'd left her and Coco or something).

[razoogm]

Rivera family ages (my HC)

Imelda: 76 (when she died)

Héctor: 21 (when he died)

Oscar and Felipe: 73 (when they died)

Julio: 85 (when he died)

Coco: 100 (when she died)

Rosita: 68 (when she died)

Victoria 51 (when she died)

Franco: 72/73

Elena: 70/71

Berto: 48/49

Carmen: 46/47

Enrique: 42/43

Gloria: 40/41

Luisa: 33/34

Abel: 19/20

Rosa: 14/15

Miguel: 12/13

Benny and Manny:4/5

Socorro: 10 months/1

[hectic-hector]

Throwback Thursday: June 2018

PART ONE of three

PART TWO

[veryace-ficrecs]

Coco (2017) Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Ernesto de la Cruz vs. The Court of Public Opinion by skater_of_the_surface - Rated G

The thrilling sequel to Coco that you've all been waiting for! Miguel visits ... wait for it... wait for it... A LIBRARY. Or : Miguel probably can't prove that Ernesto is a murderer, but stupendous fuckbucket is still on the table.

Te Esperaré by lachingona - Rated G

"I thought I threw it out." Imelda mutters. Her words hardly audible, barely a whispered breath. No matter how hard she tried to will the anxiety away, her voice still falters and threatens to break. "I thought I got rid of it." AU. Coco puts up Hector's photo.

The Witnesses by vifetoile - Rated G

When Miguel returns to Santa Cecilia, not everyone believes his story. Experts are called in.

The World Es Mi Familia by bunnikkila (StarlitSkvader) - Rated G

After his night in the Land of the Dead, Miguel remembers the souls with nowhere to go - and decides he's going to change that. After all - the world is his family.

Shaken by How Long it Took by Eurazba - Rated G

9 year old Miguel finds an old photo in the attic of none other than his great, great grandfather and Ernesto De la Cruz! He puts it up on his shrine to Ernesto and at the next Dia de los Muertos Héctor is shocked to find that he can finally cross the marigold bridge.

It Becomes A Game by MandolinDoodler - Rated G

One visit to the Land of the Dead was not enough to grant Miguel any supernatural powers. Five visits, however.... Oscar and Felipe find a loophole to the curse and it turns into a game played behind Imelda's back. OR Five times Miguel was cursed to come back to the Land of the Dead and one time he did it himself

But the Layin' in the Grave so Long (Poor Boy) by ClearWindCalmSkies - Rated G

After 96 years, it's about time Papá Héctor came home.

Offerings by SatuD2 - Rated G

In the years following Miguel's visit to the Land of the Dead, Día de Muertos was very different for one shabby skeleton.

Language for the Dead by meggannn - Rated T

On October 31 2024, the Rivera family has gathered at the hacienda for Día de Muertos. Miguel is nowhere to be found.

The Musician with Poison Tears by sweetiepie08 - Rated G

Miguel Rivera’s been fascinated by the story of the legendary ghost, the Musician with Poison Tears, since he was a kid. He’s always wanted to know the full story behind the weeping specter that haunts the train station with its invisible guitar. Now 18, the travels to Mexico City to try to observe the ghost from afar and get some clues about its origin. Who knows? He might even get a song out of it.

Mexico City by Donteatacowman - Rated G

“Come to Mexico City!” It was an old refrain by now, one Miguel had heard at least a hundred times to the point that it became a running joke among his diehard fans. The first time he’d responded to it a year or so back, when a fan asked him point-blank why he never did shows in Mexico City, he’d said, “Too many ghosts.” This is why.

Reflection by Becky_Tailweaver - Rated G

Becoming a musician is only one of Miguel's many big goals, and he's already succeeding in a lot of them. There's one dream, however—one of his most precious, secret dreams—that he's failed to achieve.

Echoes on a Toy Guitar by Foggy_Fanfic - Rated T

Imelda's parents die before she realizes Hector isn't coming back. On the next Day of the Dead, the only photo she has of her parents is from her and Hector's wedding; she puts it on the ofrenda without a second thought. That night, the toy guitar Hector sent for Coco starts playing her lullaby all by itself.

another universe, another time by volunteer_of_hufflepuff - Rated T

Things slip and change, but Héctor Rivera remains very dead, albeit slightly less estranged from his family. . Or: a collection of short stories of what-ifs and maybes, of people accidentally stumbling onto the tragedy of Héctor Rivera a little too early.

Reunions by orphan_account - Rated T

In which Miguel never meets Ernesto de la Cruz that night, but he manages to get Coco to remember her father anyway - thanks to a picture in his pocket. Basically a later reunion in the Land of the Dead between daughter and father, husband and wife.

The 8 O'clock Song by KazenoShun - Rated G

It's been 10 years since Imelda Rivera was abandoned by her no-good husband and she banished music from her life. She's content to keep away from music for the rest of her life, but a chance encounter during a trip to Mexico City may turn that resolution on its head.

Pan Dulce by papergardener - Rated G

Coming Home by sheepwithspecs - Rated G

Imelda has forgotten so many things about her husband over the years. Too many. Therefore she sets herself on a mission to re-learn something about him: his favorite pan dulce.

Of course, she can't just ask him. That'd be too easy.

Oh, go away, Ernesto! by Ford_Ye_Fiji - Rated G

The Land of the Living has changed a lot since Héctor last saw it.

It's more than a little overwhelming, but this time he's not alone as he crosses the barrier between worlds.

Héctor Rivera and Ernesto De La Cruz sing in the plaza. Imelda likes what she sees.

Miguel’s Big Secret by papergardener - Rated G

Years later, Miguel finally decides to tell someone the truth of what happened on that Dia de los Muertos. But he doesn’t expect another secret to come out thanks to a bunch of eavesdropping spirits.

Should You Marry Mateo? by FootlessData507 - Rated G

Imelda's mother sets her up with every eligible bachelor in town. Imelda is less than pleased.

[myhusbandwouldplay]

What’s your headcanon about all the dead Rivera ages?

Thanks for the ask! Here's what I think:

We all know that Hector died at the young age of 21. 💔

I headcanon Victoria as the first one to die of the main group. I want to believe she was around her early 40s.

About 10 years later, Imelda died when she was in her mid to late 70s.

Oscar & Felipe were next, and both died two or three years after her. They were 65-66.

Rosita was next to die four years later at 50.

I headcanon that Coco's memories go back and forth to when she was little and when Julio was last alive. Ten years ago in 2007. (Note that the movie came out in 2017) Coco is 99 in the movie. 100 when she died. So, Julio was 89. I headcanon they were the same age when they met.

I hope this wasn't too confusing! 💫

[enigmatist17]

It had been a wonderful Día de los Muertos, the first where Miguel could honestly say his entire heart and soul had been poured into it. It wasn't the best feeling to realize he hadn't been as into things as he should have been, but to actually have seen the Land of the Dead...well, he understood now.

"Make sure you change before you go to the graveyard!"

"Sí mamá!" As much as Miguel loved the charro outfit abuelita had personally made for him, he was more than happy to slip into jeans and a tank top to cool off, eyeing the guitar in the corner with a grin as he grabbed his new hoodie from his closet. It had taken months for the historical society that looked over things like Papá Héctor's guitar to allow his family the honor of placing it in the shrine they'd all built for Héctor's poems and notes. Miguel took care to clean it every day after they had finally been given the rights to it, and after about a month, Enrique had unhooked it from its case and waited for Miguel to come home from school.

"You are allowed to play it here at home, special shows, and on Día de los Muertos with permission."

His son could have blinded the world with his smile, the teen letting out the loudest grito Santa Cecilia had ever heard.

Now, it was slung across his back as Miguel ran to the graveyard, waving at familiar faces as he crossed the threshold. The area belonging to his family was tucked into one of the far sides, not far from the Marigold Bridge he'd crossed last year. Miguel scowled when he eyed Ernesto's mausoleum along the way, quickly looking around before giving the bust a middle finger before he took his familiar route along the side of the marble structure.

Hah, did you see that! I am so proud of my little chamaco!

A familiar laugh freezes Miguel in place, and for a moment, he looks around, only to shrug. He knows Papá Héctor would have laughed, or so he hoped, and Miguel smiles when he finally sees the worn tombstones adorned with the cempazuchitl he'd spent time carefully placing with his little sister. Some of the mariachi from around town had offered to keep an eye on the site from the many burgeoning fans of Héctor Rivera away from where he'd been laid to rest, tipping their hats before moving a little ways away for privacy. Miguel smiled when it was finally just himself, shifting the guitar so he could start strumming whatever little tune came to his mind as he took a seat in the grass.

"I hope you all had a great time tonight, I know I have." Miguel began, eyes drifting over to the two new additions to the family plot. The first was Mamá Coco's, the woman having passed three months after Miguel had returned with a song that revived her memory and hopefully saved her father. On the other side of the plot was the second new headstone, one that had been missing for far too long.

Héctor Rivera

Loving Father Husband and Musician

Recuérdame

"We found you Papá Héctor...had you buried about two weeks ago." Miguel sighed as he picked at the beginning notes to Un Poco Loco. "Papá let me play your guitar all day, and everyone closed down so they could attend, which was really nice. They wanted to give you Er-his mausoleum, but Mamá Elena said she'd rather burn it down than keep you away from Mamá Imelda any longer." The memory of watching the historical committee flinching at her legendary chancla made Miguel laugh to himself, and his tempo increased a little as he looked back at the invisible bridge. "I miss you guys."

We miss you too nino, last year was certainly exciting!

Miguel nearly dropped Héctor's guitar as he jerked around, knowing for a fact he had heard someone this time.

"Hola? Someone there?" Aside from some townsfolk celebrating a good few feet away, no one else seemed close enough for Miguel to hear so clearly. That changed a moment later when he heard Dante's familiar barking, the Xolo appearing to the world from seemingly nowhere to bound over to Miguel, knocking the boy onto his back to lick at his face.

Dante, get off the poor boy!

Miguel giggled as he lightly pushed Dante off of him, only to freeze when a skeletal hand covered in an orange glow grabbed the alebreije by the scruff of his neck. Said hand belonged to his Tía Rosita, his great-great aunt not noticing that Miguel could see her until Dante was let go, the taller woman freezing before a wide grin crossed her face.

Miguel?

"T-Tía Rosita?" Miguel quickly scrambled up and onto his feet, eyeing her with disbelief as he slowly reached for her hand, fully expecting to phase through her like he had with the living last year.

He did not, and found himself smothered into a tight hug as he let out a loud laugh of disbelief.

Now I don't want to accuse you of anything, but you didn't steal from an ofrenda this year, did you? Miguel pulled back when she finally cleared her throat, one eyebrow raised as he frantically shook his head.

"N-No, I learned my lesson, promise! I don't kno- wait! I-I've been hearing people since I left the house." Miguel grabbed his right arm when he thought of a familiar voice he'd sworn he'd imagined a few minutes ago, and his Tía smiled in understanding. "Is...?"

Come on, I think someone will be happy to see you. Tía Rosita held out her arm for Miguel to link with after he slung his bisabuelo's guitar over his shoulder. To the living, it looked like Miguel was escorting an invisible person through the graveyard and out into town, the boy stuffing an earbud into his ear to make it look like he was on the phone as he filled Rosita in on some of his personal life. There were skeletons every which way Miguel looked now, and while some may have noticed with a start, they mostly left the duo alone as they headed across town to a small park Miguel had been to only once or twice. He could see Mamá Coco dancing with Papá Julio as Héctor played for them, having perched himself up into the branches of the large tree that cast shade to most of the park in the daytime. Victoria sits on a bench watching with a soft smile, sometimes looking away when Óscar and Felipe laugh about something, going through the offerings the Rivera's had left for them. Mamá Imelda was sitting at the base of the tree, just keeping a gentle eye on her family while occasionally glancing up at her husband, a soft look Miguel could never have imagined crossing her face every time she laid eyes on him. Naturally, she's the first to see him, and for a moment, she has to take in the way Rosita ruffles his hair before she shoots up and onto her feet.

Miguel?!

There's a loud twang as the music comes to an abrupt halt, six pairs of eyes shooting over to where Miguel and Rosita stood arm in arm, but the child is only focused on one set in particular.

"P-Papá Héctor?" A year's worth of anxiety melts away at the sight of his stunned bisabuelo, and despite being thirteen years old now, Miguel can't stop the tears that blur his vision. It had been agony not knowing if he'd been fast enough that morning, and familiar arms were scooping Miguel up and against familiar bones before a sob tears itself from his throat.

I've got you chamaco, todo va a salir bien.

Miguel could feel others coming up to hug him, but all he could focus on was the man holding him. His bones were still stained with age and his brush with the Final Death, but after Miguel wiped some tears from his face, he noticed they were a good shade brighter than he saw that infamous night. Sobs of pent anxiety turn to sobs of joy as he hugs Héctor as tight as he could, only to giggle when the poor man's head pops off and into his hands.

"Lo siento!" Héctor and Miguel stared at each other before the elder snorted in amusement. Imelda gently reassembled her husband as the two dissolved into laughter, eyes rolling good-naturedly as the family finally stepped back to give them space.

So, would anyone like to explain? Victoria eventually spoke up, unable to keep the small smile off her face as she watched Miguel and Héctor giggle at each other. You didn't steal from an ofrenda again, right?

"Why is that the first assumption!" The teen huffed, pointedly avoiding the looks sent his way, along with Felipe's prodding to make sure no skeleton parts were becoming visible. "No I did not, I just...well, I don't know!"

It could be

A side effect?

"Maybe?" Miguel shrugged, smiling a little when Imelda took one of his hands and gently squeezed it. "I..it's really nice to see all of you, I uh, I've thought about you every day."

As have we corazón, in fact, it's hard not to with all you did for us last year. Miguel grinned when Julio ruffled his hair, heart constricting when he saw the smile on his Mamá Coco's face. Socorro couldn't get enough of hearing about your adventure last year.

My intelligent little bisnieto, you have definitely taken after papá. If he had been able to, Héctor would have fallen to pieces at the statement, settling instead for a loud sniffle and squeeze of the boy in his arms.

As much as they all wanted to stay in this happy little bubble, the sky was getting lighter as sunrise came ever closer. Miguel escorted his dead family back to the bridge, one hand firmly holding Héctor's as the other was in Coco's, Dante trotting beside his master with happy barks.

"Do you think I'll be able to see you again next year?" Miguel asked when they finally came to a stop beside the barrier, rubbing his right arm with a hesitant smile.

Maybe, maybe not. We will always be here regardless, don't ever forget that Miguel. Imelda knelt down, giving him a small hug before kissing his forehead. We will always love you, visible or not.

She's always right, you know. Héctor laughed, hanging back as everyone hugged the teen before crossing the barrier and out of Miguel's sight. Soon, only Héctor remained, the taller man kneeling down to hug Miguel as close as he could.

"I hope I get to see you every year...I miss you so much Papá Héctor,:

I do too, I'm so so proud of you. Miguel smiled as he looked up at his ancestor, pulling away despite never wanting to let go. He wouldn't be able to handle any sort of delay in getting his Papá Héctor to safety, aware the sun was close to breaching the horizon.

"You should go home, Papá Héctor; no last-minute saves here." He sniffled, watching Héctor get to his feet and look over at Santa Cecilia with a soft smile.

Get some rest chamaco, I'll see you next year. With one last ruffle of Miguel's hair, Héctor smiled and took his step through the barrier, leaving the teen standing alone at the edge of the graveyard.

"Yea...I'll see you next year." Miguel smiled as he began to whistle, the idea for a new song forming as he headed home.

So far, it's definitely the best Día de los Muertos he's ever had!

[dragoneyes618]

The first people to approach Héctor when he falls are Imelda, Julio, and the twins!

Which suggests that Imelda and Héctor will reconcile, but we know that already.

Which suggests that the twins will forgive their brother-in-law for leaving their sister and niece.

And which suggests that things between Héctor and his son-in-law will be all right.

That just leaves Victoria and Rosita. Why am I worried about Héctor's relationship with Victoria?

Rationally I know that Julio and Héctor would have a lot of Issues to work out, and they wouldn’t be BFF’s right away, but look how concerned Julio is; he immediately goes up to Héctor, and is second only to Imelda when it comes to seeing how he’s doing.

[dragoneyes618]

The uncles - Oscar and Felipe - say "Me three." As though they are one person. Or two people who consider themselves to be two halves of one person...

[jartita-me-teneis]

"Los Olvidados" es considerada la cinta culpable del declive de la época de oro.

Estuvo sólo tres días en cartelera, la prensa y la clase alta estaban vueltas locas, querían quemar a Luis Buñuel y todo lo que oliera a él.

Era 1950 y el cine mexicano estaba en su esplendor , el cineasta español Luis Buñuel ya tenía éxito, pero estaba enamorado de nuestro país, grabada en Nonoalco, en lo que entonces eran los límites norteños de la Ciudad de México. Y tenía un propósito, una visión desgarradora de los niños de la calle en las grandes urbes; Aquellos de los que nadie habla, los que callan, los olvidados.

CINE

El poeta Octavio Paz escribió: “Pero Los Olvidados es algo´más que un filme realista. El sueño, el deseo, el horror, el delirio el azar, la porción nocturna de la vida, también tiene su parte. Y el peso de la realidad que nos muestra es de tal modo atroz, que acaba por parecernos imposible, insoportable. Y así es: la realidad es insoportable; y por eso, porque no la soporta, el hombre mata y muere, ama y crea”.

Su nombre original era "La Manzana Podrida" y en realidad, no tenía ningún nombre de peso, se tenía a Estela Inda, Miguel Inclán y Alfonso Mejía, además de un grupo de niños comandado por Roberto Cobo, un chico que había salido como extra en varias cintas y un día que audicionó para una película de Tin Tan se enteró que Buñuel estaba entrevistando para su nuevo filme, hizo la audición y se quedó con el rol de “El Jaibo”.

DORADO

Sin embargo, desde su inicio, la cinta tenía problemas, dentro y fuera. El productor Oscar Dancingers se opuso a que se incluyeran muchos detalles que resultaban amorales; Jorge Negrete, líder del Sindicato de Actores, quería evitar su grabación e instó a técnicos y camarógrafos a abandonarla; una de las peinadoras renunció por la escena en que la madre de Pedrito, le niega la comida.

Pedro de Urdimalas, escritor de la cinta al lado de Buñuel, pidió que su nombre no apareciera en los créditos y en la primera función privada que se hizo, Lupe Marí, esposa de Diego Rivera, y Bertha, esposa de León Felipe, reclamaron al director que era un miserable y lo que mostraba no era México. David Alfaro Siqueiros por su parte aplaudió el trabajo asegurando que Luis era un genio nacido para el cine.

MX

Los Olvidados era la primera producción sería de Luis Buñuel y quería hacerlo todo al máximo de sus posibilidades, la filmó en 21 días entre el 6 de febrero y el 9 de marzo de 1950, pero aunque la cinta es posiblemente una de las más galardonadas de su cine, él solo recibió dos mil dólares por ella y no pudo participar en las ganancias de la misma.

Ante las críticas, Buñuel respondió durante una entrevista que estaba orgulloso de su filme “La libertad total no existe, yo jamás he sido libre, yo soy libre cuando cierro mis ojos y estoy conmigo mismo sin que sepa que ya estoy viejo; El sistema de inconformidad es esa tendencia a romperse la cabeza por recuperar la propia libertad, lo que es imposible, es por tanto una inconformidad permanente de la realidad exterior”.

En los albores de los 50, el presidente mexicano Miguel Alemán estaba planeando la industrialización en el país, para dejar atrás la agricultura como primera fuente de recursos de los nacionales, pero el cine estaba en su apogeo, por ello las reacciones ante la cinta eran tan violentas.

Se tiene registro de que algunos cines fueron destruidos por los asistentes al estreno en noviembre de ese 1950, los fanáticos salían furiosos, la llamada “Liga de la Decencia” intentó expulsar a Buñuel del país y aunque no lo lograron, el director si dejó el territorio.

CINE

A pesar de los múltiples problemas, Luis Buñuel estrenó su cinta en Europa y la crítica mexicana tuvo que aceptar la gran equivocación cuando el gran jurado del Festival de Cannes le dio el premio como Mejor Director en 1951.

La película tiene una trama dura, y a diferencia, por ejemplo de "Nosotros los pobres" no busca causar lástima sino presentar una realidad diferente a la que se creía que existía en el país.

La historia nos lleva por los barrios más pobres de la Ciudad de México, donde los niños de la calle son una plaga para las altas esferas de la sociedad. Jaibo (Roberto Cobo) es un adolescente que escapa de un correccional para reunirse con Pedro (Alfonso Mejía). En presencia de él, Jaibo mata a Julián, el muchacho que supuestamente le delató. También intenta robar a un ciego (Miguel Inclán) al que finalmente maltrata. Acompañados de Ojitos y Meche (Alma Delia Fuentes), el destino del Jaibo y Pedro están marcados por la muerte."

DORADO

Para muchos expertos en cine de la época consideran que la película terminó con idiosincrasia qué se tenia de México en el extranjero, México había pasado de ser la nación rural donde el romanticismo ranchero era el emblema, las comedias rancheras pasaron a ser del pasado, para dar paso al verdadero país que se tenia olvidado, una sociedad muy corrompida.

Sin embargo la nueva forma de hacer cine gracias al ojo del director Buñuel, con el paso de los años se fueron realizando producciones crudas sobre la sociedad mexicana.

MX

Si bien el termino de la era dorada del cine fueron más factores internos y externos, como la sobre explotación de comedias rancheras, la pobreza de recursos y el que Estados Unidos de alguna manera haya retomado la industria cinematográfica después del conflicto mundial.

epoca de oro Los Olvidados luis buñuel

Cine Mexicano Cine Dorado Mx

[sheepwithspecs]

Echar Agua al Mar: Chapter 1

|| DP Coco (2017) || Rated T ||

Ao3 Link

For Imelda, trying to prevent Héctor from coming back into her life is like throwing water into the sea: pointless. With her family keen to accept the strange musician, and a challenge she can hardly refuse, she soon finds herself caught up in the continuation of a romance decades in the making. [Updates every Saturday]

Author's Note:

A lot of people wanted this one back, so I took the time to sit down and rewrite it properly. I plan on writing a proper ending, but it will be finished as-is (with no added chapters). I don't plan to write anything else for the DP-Coco fandom, so please accept this reworked fic as a celebration of my short, but meaningful time here. As roughly as it ended, I still would not trade those years for the world. I met some of the best people in that fandom, many of which I am still in contact with as friends and mutuals.

I want to take the time to thank each and every reader who has reached out over the years asking about this fic (as well as other DPC fics). The fact that you remember my work fondly means more to me than words can really describe. I wanted to finish this for you, so it's my fervent hope that you enjoy it just as much, if not more, as you enjoyed the original WIP. Please don't stop reaching out, either! In this day and age, it's rare to get reviews on fics anymore. If there's something you enjoyed, no matter how small, I promise that it would make my day to hear it!

The Rivera family was in distress.

Before the last Día de Los Muertos, they had been perfectly content with their lives—if a skeletal soul could indeed be called "living". They had a certain pride in being the best shoemakers in the Land of the Dead, and in death they worked much as they had in life: hard. But now production had slacked off unexpectedly; the twins fulfilled the quota of only one man, Julio made more mistakes in one hour than he had in nearly twenty years, Rosita polished at a tortoise's speed, and even Victoria made simple errors, growing frustrated as she was forced to thread and rethread her needle.

If Mamá Imelda saw them, she might have gloated that her ban on music was well and just. It was music—or the lack of it—that kept the family working at a plodding pace. They'd had a taste of the tunes, a bite of the proverbial apple, and now they were tempted for more. They heard rhythm in the steady ringing of the twins' hammers, in the swish-swish of Victoria's needle, in the scrubbing of Rosita's polishing brush. The Rivera harmony, so easy to recognize, to hum along to… if they weren't in the habit of suppressing those same urges.

But the family matriarch was nowhere to be found downstairs, and could not scold their behavior from the living quarters on the second floor. It was early afternoon, and so Imelda was in her bedroom, hiding… though no one would have dared suggest such a thing within earshot.

"Mamá Imelda can't blame us now," Julio murmured. "Not when she herself sang at the Sunrise Spectacular. In front of everyone, too." It was a conversation they'd repeated over and over again for three months.

"It's true," Oscar added. "She sang again, and so beautifully! But if she heard us…." He was irritated, more with himself than with his older sister. He hated working as though he were a greenhorn cobbler. If he could only finish the day's quota, he could spend the rest of the afternoon tinkering on inventions with his twin. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stop his foot from tapping along in time with his hammer.

"Then let her hear us," Victoria huffed, squinting over the rims of her spectacles. The needle was mere inches from her eye sockets, shaking slightly as she aimed. "Maybe that will be what makes her come downstairs for a change."

"She won't." Felipe looked over his shoulder, shaking his skull at his great-niece. "Not so early in the afternoon. Not before…" he trailed off, gazing pointedly at the clock just above her elegant bun.

"And so? Why not sing?" Victoria lifted her eyes from her work, pushing the spectacles up her skull with one dainty finger. "If there's no danger of her coming down." She sighed as the twins shook their heads in unison. "Oh, if my mamá could see us now. She'd have a good laugh at us all."

"Ah, he's coming!" Rosita announced suddenly, rising from her chair at the window. She let the unfinished shoe in her hand fall to the table, the brush tossed aside as she raced for the door. Everyone paused in their work, following Felipe's eyes towards the clock.

"Right on schedule," Julio said with a smile. "By the way, what will today's excuse be? The corner store?"

"No, we used that one yesterday."

"A walk?"

"We used that one two days ago." They stared at one another with growing concern, each racking their brain for some useful idea. Finally Rosita shook her head, shrugging helplessly at Julio. He blew out a low breath, hands stuck deep into his pockets.

"You say something," Oscar muttered, elbowing his brother in the ribs.

"Why me?" Felipe gulped. "You know I can't think under pressure!"

"Neither can I!"

"I'll say something." Victoria stood as well, brushing bits of thread from her apron. The twins sighed in relief, dropping their hammers simultaneously to the workbench as everyone in the room turned towards the open door in anticipation of their daily visitor. A moment later, there was a self-conscious knock as a man stepped just past the threshold. He was dressed in ragged clothing—espantapájaros, Victoria often muttered under her breath—with his sleeve barely hanging by a thread and shoeless as the day he was born. His gold tooth glinted in the afternoon sunlight as he grinned sheepishly, his hat clutched in nervous hands.

"Hello, Héctor," the Riveras chanted in unison, the start of their new daily routine.

"Hello, everyone." The hat brim began its revolution as Héctor's anxious fingers began to twist. "I've come to… I mean: is Imelda at home today?" The twins shared a sympathetic wince. Rosita's fingers clacked against her cheekbones as she raised her hands to her face. Victoria looked around the room, adjusted her glasses, and scowled.

"This has gone on long enough!" she declared, ignoring the shocked gasps from the rest of the family. "Of course she's here! She's been here every day for as long as you've been coming."

"Ahaha… I, uh… I thought that might be the case." Héctor sighed, looking down at his bare feet. "There's only so many times someone might go to the markets, after all." He looked so pitiable, dashed hopes and guilt and shame, standing in their doorway like a beggar searching for alms. Rosita clucked and guided him to her empty chair, inviting him in properly now that Victoria had broken the routine.

Héctor had given them all of a month before showing up out of the blue, hoping to speak with his wife. Of course, they had all been under strict orders after day one to not let him inside. If he asked, they were supposed to offer some excuse as to why Imelda was not downstairs with the rest of the family. Every afternoon she avoided the workshop like the plague, waiting until he had come and gone before venturing downstairs to complete her portion of the day's work.

This left the rest of the family with no choice but to scramble and find sixty days' worth of excuses to feed him, along with their best what-can-be-done expressions. They would have much rather invited him in, treated him as one of their own, and marched him up to Imelda's room without a word of protest. But the family matriarch's orders overruled any personal attachment to Héctor. At least, it had… until today.

"So." Héctor placed his hat on the table, linking his fingers politely in his lap. "She asked you to cover for her."

"She did," Victoria answered for them, "but this is getting out of hand."

"Even though you knew we were lying, and that Imelda didn't want to see you… you still came every day?" Oscar asked curiously, running a finger over his thin mustache. Héctor managed a one-sided shrug, smiling sadly. "That's pretty stubborn of you."

"Imelda's just as stubborn as you, though," Felipe pointed out, leaning against the workbench. "She won't come downstairs. Not even if you come every day for the next century."

"Victoria?" Julio waved his hand in his daughter's face, a frown twisting his mustache. "Go upstairs and ask Mamá Imelda to come down. For your Papá Héctor's sake."

"No! No, don't bother her. If she doesn't want to see me, then…." Héctor stood quickly, scratching at his thin goatee before offering them a much happier smile. "Tell me, how much would I have to pay for a pair of genuine Rivera boots?"

"What?!" Rosita shook her head in dismay. "What on earth are you talking about? You're family, of course they'd be free—" Oscar and Felipe immediately bent, each studying one of his feet.

"Come now, I'm willing to pay something—"

"No, Héctor." Julio crossed his arms. "Rosita's right. Family doesn't pay for shoes. But, eh…." He glanced warily at Victoria. "What do you think Mamá Imelda will have to say?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. You can leave her to me-e-e—!" Héctor jerked his foot away from Oscar, the appendage flopping loosely as he hopped off-balance. "Hey, watch it! That tickles!"

"But—"

"Listen: Imelda is your mamá. Of course you will do as she says, and don't ask questions. That's the way it should be. But she's my Imelda." His eyes twinkled. "I know how to deal with her. You can leave that to me. I just thought that since I have no plans to stop visiting my family, I might as well have a proper excuse of my own." He leaned in, motioning for them to join him. They huddled around him, close enough that their heads were nearly touching.

"As far as you're concerned," he whispered, "I've given up on seeing Imelda. I've accepted that she doesn't want to see me. And if you do see us together, just… y'know." He smiled again, but this time the expression was far more playful. "She's my wife, isn't she? Act natural."

"Natural?" Oscar parroted, only to get thumped on the skull. "Oh, right! Natural!" They all chuckled, save for Victoria's modest headshake. Héctor nodded and they broke apart.

"I'm sure boots take quite a while to make, yes?" He asked in a much louder tone, directing his voice towards the stairs. "Especially custom boots for your Papá Héctor!"

"You're right!" Julio agreed just as loudly, winking at Rosita. "Custom boots take a very long time!"

"Yes! Weeks!" Rosita giggled.

"Then I'll leave you all," Héctor nearly shouted, taking his hat and waving it with a flourish, "to your work!" As he jammed the hat on his head, there was a soft sound… almost like the rustling of skirts at the head of a grand staircase.

"Come back tomorrow for a proper sizing," Victoria advised, one eye on the stairs. "That way, we won't have to second-guess ourselves once we begin."

"Understood!" He winked once more before turning, offering a little wave over his shoulder. "See you tomorrow, everyone."

"Adiós, Héctor!" The Riveras waved him out the door, looking at one another before stifling their laughter. If Héctor was volunteering to take the brunt of Imelda's anger, they were more than willing to sneak around and help them any way they could. After all, her mighty arm was often the only thing that kept them in line, and something about Héctor's goofy charm made him hard to resist. Maybe that was what she had meant, blaming him for Miguel's naughtiness on Día de Los Muertos: his mischief was catching.

"It's all right, Mamá!" Julio called at the foot of the stairs. "He's gone now." There wasn't a full thirty seconds of silence before Imelda was among them, eyeing them all suspiciously with her usual motherly intuition.

"It took longer than normal to make him leave this time…." She trailed off expectantly, waiting for someone to explain. Without batting an eye, Victoria took over.

"We ran out of excuses and had to think of something else." It was a lie by omission, but it rang enough of the truth that she felt confident staring directly into her grandmother's eyes. "He stayed because he wanted to order some boots."

"Boots?" Imelda repeated, her mouth pursing in distaste. "What sort of boots?"

"Custom boots," Rosita explained. "He's tired of walking around in his bare feet."

"And you accepted him?" For the first time, Imelda seemed unhappy about a potential sale. "Why? Now he has an excuse to come inside and—anyway, you should have turned him away," she fussed, running both hands over her immaculate hairstyle and patting it into place nervously.

"It's our fault," Oscar spoke up, hands clasped in false penitence. "Felipe and I couldn't turn him down."

"We haven't made a custom order of boots in so long. We were excited, Imelda."

"We didn't think, and he is—"

"—like a brother to us, after all."

"It's not just anyone," Rosita pointed out gently. "It's Papá Héctor. We can't refuse him."

"Papá Héctor?" Imelda groaned. "Since when is he— Never mind." She crossed her arms, staring out the open door. "I can't even blame you for it. A Rivera has never been able to turn away someone in need of shoes. Even if it's him. And it's only for a few more days."

"Maybe a week," Julio corrected her. "Or more. We have a lot of orders…."

"Ay… heaven help me."

Héctor sat at the edge of Shantytown, kicking his feet off the ledge as he thought. People passed by, shouting greetings to him from the docks, but he was far too lost in his own mind to pay much attention. As was the case lately, his thoughts were focused on one goal: Imelda.

Admittedly he was out of practice, and quite rusty when it came to the art of courtship. In the olden days, back when they were alive, it had been more a scheme of getting her to notice him at all. He had even rejected the help of his best friend, afraid that Ernesto might catch her eye before he could ever hope to. That was good: he hadn't needed him then, and certainly didn't need him now.

Most of his ideas for getting back into her good graces were the same as his former exploits: serenading by moonlight, offering her gifts, winning her over with his irresistible charm… he no longer had the dimples she so admired, by he was still quite handsome, if he said so himself.

The real question was: would she ever indulge him?

Probably not at first. He frowned, staring up at the city lights dancing above him. He'd given her a full month, slipping away after the Sunrise Spectacular and biding his time. Imelda could hold a nasty grudge—he had firsthand knowledge of that. Years of bitterness would not disappear overnight, just because they'd had one song together, one small adventure with their living progeny. Before Miguel had come, he'd given up hope of reaching her at all.

But.

That's for murdering the love of my life!

The thwap of the huarache against bone rang over and over in his head: a sound of hope. He was the love of her life! Even all these months later, he still couldn't quite believe it.

I still have a chance. I'm the love of her life.

It was that mentality that had him coming to the Rivera household day after day, standing awkwardly in the doorway and asking to see her. He could tell that the family was willing, even if the woman was not. There was pity in their expressions as they lied to his face, telling him that he'd just missed her, that she'd gone for a walk, or to get more thread, or to deliver a rush order of shoes.

Imelda was a stubborn woman, that was for sure. But he was a stubborn man. Year after year he'd gone to that dumb bridge, knowing full well that he would not be able to cross. Compared to that, romancing his own estranged wife would be a piece of cake! He planned it out in his head, days of shoemaking and nights of wooing. She'd be begging him to stay within the month. Maybe. Hopefully.

It was a foolproof plan… so long as she didn't call for Pepita.

[dragoneyes618]

My headcanon is that it was the twins who played the trumpet. Imelda’s decision to ban music suddenly makes a lot more sense. XD

Right at the beginning, when Miguel is narrating his family’s history, we see Imelda throwing away a gramophone and a trumpet. It’s on a papel picado, narrated by a child who didn’t get to know his great great grandma, and so we don’t know if it’s completely accurate, but this could still be a nice suggestion that either she or Héctor knew how to play the trumpet.

Ain’t that something? :D

[juliedrawz]

Ok but can we talk about the Rivera family dynamic?

😆 Like, Oscar and Felipe throwing really bad Dad-jokes and laughing about them, Rosita finding it funny as well, Victoria (the sensable and rational thinking one) finds the joke rediculous and not funny, and Julio is like "ok, yeah, makes sense."

I mean ... I get the part about the barber shop but a sausage has no hair to beginn with ... 🫢 so, I personally would have found it funnier if they had compared Dante to a sausage. Anyway ... 😂 I do like some good Dad-jokes though! And I wanna know how many times Imelda rolled her eyes over her brothers and Héctor duelling each other in who tells the best Dad-jokes.

[entrepalabrasmx]

El nearshoring traerá grandes oportunidades y retos que sumarán a la recuperación económica de México: Alexis Enciso

Las empresas aduanales continuarán incrementando su desarrollo y tecnologización para poder brindar los mejores servicios a la comunidad y clientes

Ahora que la tendencia mundial es relocalizar las cadenas productivas más cerca de los principales centros de consumo, México se encuentra en una inigualable posición en el mundo que le permitirá reactivar su economía de una manera sustancial y natural tras vivir los embates por la pandemia de Covid 19, motivo por el cual el sector aduanero está consciente de que el nearshoring implica, además de una gran oportunidad, enormes retos para estar preparados de cara al crecimiento del intercambio comercial que habrá hacia nuestro país. Manuel Alexis Enciso Hernández, director general del Corporativo Enciso de Agentes Aduanales, expresó que el hecho de que México se encuentre cerca de los Estados Unidos ya es un punto fundamental; sin embargo, también suman a su fortaleza en el ámbito del comercio exterior los otros 11 Tratados de libre Comercio con 44 países, además del T-MEC con nuestros vecinos del norte, Estados Unidos y Canadá. También tiene más de 30 acuerdos con igual número de países para la Promoción y Protección Recíproca de las Inversiones (APPRIs) y 9 acuerdos en el marco de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (ALADI), conocidos como de alcance limitado (Acuerdos de Complementación Económica y Acuerdos de Alcance Parcial). Enciso Hernández destacó que así como las empresas que deseen relocalizarse tienen el reto de agilizar sus trámites para poder operar de inmediato, el sector aduanero tiene en este fenómeno propiciado por los altos costos de transporte en el marco de los conflictos mundiales, “la oportunidad de continuar incrementando su desarrollo y tecnologización para poder brindar los mejores servicios a nuestra comunidad y a nuestros clientes”. Es el caso del Corporativo Enciso, que en 2021 cumplió 70 años de operaciones, lo que le ha permitido tener oficinas de alta calidad en el servicio en el aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México, Veracruz, Querétaro, Puebla, Toluca, Tuxpan, Manzanillo, Tampico, Altamira, Lázaro Cárdenas, Nuevo Laredo y próximamente también en el Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles, prácticamente los lugares más importantes para el comercio internacional del país. Por este motivo, Corporativo Enciso de Agentes Aduanales recibió el galardón como uno de "Los Principales Asesores en Comercio Exterior" que entrega la revista especializada Estrategia Aduanera, la cual reconoció su notorio y constante compromiso ligado a la eficiencia de sus procesos aduanales y logísticos, incluidos tecnología, calidad y capital humano. Manuel Alexis Enciso Hernández recordó que la empresa fue fundada por su bisabuelo Manuel Enciso Rivera, en 1951, continuaron al frente su abuelo y su padre, ambos de nombre Manuel también, y desde 2020 él se encuentra para continuar la tradición familiar que permite hacer más ágil la importación y exportación de productos, y hace de México un país muy dinámico en el comercio exterior, al grado que, de acuerdo con estimaciones del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), con el nearshoring, nuestro país podría tener beneficios hasta por 35 mil 300 millones de dólares al año. Por su parte, su tío Edmundo Oscar Enciso Villarreal, quien recogió el galardón, destacó la importancia que tiene el agente aduanal en los procesos de importación y exportación de mercancías entre México y el mundo, porque “somos el vínculo entre los importadores y exportadores y la autoridad en la materia”.

[dragoneyes618]

Of course Hector hired an entire band for Imelda. Of COURSE.

Sneak peek of a coco fic:

"NO PAPA WE ARE NOT HIRING A WHOLE PARADE FOR CHRISTMAS." Victoria yelled at her father, coco snapping back from dozing off.

"Whaaattttt!? Why have all this money and not spend it!" Julio sighed, "hector what do you think?"

"I agree we should spend money if we have it, but wisely and not on parades." He chuckled.

"This is coming from the man who hired a band for imelda at 4am." Oscar and Felipe laughed.

"Okay, THAT WAS A ONE TIME THING!" Hector groaned.