#and ‘ella’ is just latin for sweet

[five-crows-in-a-trenchcoat]

Crazy to me that some people pronounce Nutella as noo-tella or new-tella. Like. there’s no such thing as a hazelnoot unless you’re pingu.

[iwaoiness]

When Tooru likes Rosalía

Iwaizumi never thought it possible that anything could oust empanadas from the number 1 spot in Oikawa's TOP10 things I like most about Argentina.

Until Rosalia and her album El Mal Querer arrived during Tooru's second year in the Latin country.

Ever since he became obsessed whit her, there was no video call where Oikawa did not hum or sing a song. With the endearing accent that persisted in his Spanish, he sang voy a salir pa la calle, con la manita los aro’ brillando, en mi piel los corale’, me protejan, me salven, me iluminen, me guarden while he prepared to go out after Hajime helped him choose an outfit.

And also me da miedo cuando sales, sonriendo pa’ la calle, porque todos pueden ver, los hoyuelitos que te salen, like that day when he missed Iwa-chan so much that he couldn't disguise it and Jacob (Hajime's roommate and friend) uploaded a story to Instagram where Iwaizumi was laughing (so handsome, so ethereal) with naturalness and happiness and sweetness and with those tender dimples on his cheeks.

And de las luces sale un ángel que cayó, tiene una marca en el alma, pero ella no se la vio while preparing dinner following Iwaizumi's instructions via the video call

And when Oikawa was feeling playful, lying face down on the bed, with the laptop in front of him, he sang di mi nombre, pon tu cuerpo contra el mío, y que lo malo sea bueno e impuro lo bendecí’o, ya me abrazas sobre tu cuerpo, en la esquina de tu cama, and he enjoyed watching Hajime covered his face with his hands, his ears reddened and muttered curses in English because after so long, he understood Spanish too well.

Then, four years later, when Oikawa was giving up all hope of Rosalía releasing a new album, Motomami appeared, and Iwaizumi still remembers with a shudder Tooru's intense scream when it was released.

Now, with no trace of his accent, in fluent, melodious Spanish, Oikawa sang yo soy muy mía, yo me transformo, una mariposa, yo me transformo, makeup de drag queen, yo me transformo, lluvia de estrellas, yo me transformo as he swayed his hips and made his favourite smoothies in the kitchen of the new flat where he finally lived with Iwaizumi.

And there was one day when, while Hajime was talking to Kageyama on the phone about his hesitation to do a deodorant commercial, Oikawa sang out loud es mala amante la fama y no va a quererte de verdad, es demasia’o traicionera, y como ella viene, se te va to tease him a bit (just for old times' sake, not because he wanted to really annoy Tobio for interrupting them in their daily cuddling session).

And then he sang pa’ ti naki, chicken teriyaki, tu gata quiere maki, mi gata en Kawasaki as he and Iwa-chan walked to their favourite restaurant in Tokyo and Hajime, against his will, ended up humming the catchy fucking tune.

He also sang yo no soy y ni voy a ser tu bizcochito, pero tengo to’ lo que tiene delito, que me pongan en el sol, que me derrito as he went through his nightly skincare routine, with the song playing on his phone and Hajime by his side, brushing his teeth while looking at him in amusement through the reflection of the mirror.

And there was a time when Tooru not only sang baby, no me llame’ que yo estoy ocupá’ olvidando tus male’, ya decidí que esta noche se sale, con toda’ mis motomami’, con toda’ mis gyale’, but also joined the trend on TikTok (dragging Hajime of course). Both learned the choreography, recorded the video one Sunday morning and, in less than three hours, got more than 1M likes, 90k comments (20 of them from an excited Hinata), several calls from family and friends, a duo of Mattsun and Makki with their TikTok where both laughed trying to imitate them and Suna re-uploading the video on his social networks with the thumbs-up emoji.

And then came the RR album with Beso which Tooru had on loop for weeks, although Hajime didn't really mind, because the melody was soft (nothing to do with Chiken Teriyaki) and he loved it when Oikawa sang ya yo necesito otro beso, uno de esos que tú me da’, estar lejos de ti es el infierno, estar cerca de ti es mi paz as he wrapped his arms around Iwa-chan, smiled tenderly and looked at him lovingly before kissing him.

Although, when it was discovered that Rauw hurt Rosalía and they broke up, Oikawa (after venting his anger towards the male singer on his social networks) banned the album because in this house we don't tolerate infidels, Iwa-chan and replaced the RR album with the single LLYLM, with that fragment that Oikawa liked a lot and, during an April night, curled up on the small sofa on the balcony under the dark blanket of the sky, Hajime sang to him, low and soft, with an accent in his Spanish ay dame esa pulsera de flores, me la pondré en la muñeca, cuando despierte, así yo lo sabré, así yo lo sabré, yo sabré que fue real, será mi totem, lo sabes tú y nadie más.

But, instead of a flower bracelet, Iwaizumi carefully slipped a gold wedding ring onto Oikawa's ring finger and he, when noticed it, lifted his head from Hajime's chest, blinking in perplexity when he saw the jewel wrapped perfectly around his finger.

Is this...?

He shot his gaze towards Iwaizumi with a whirlwind of dizzying emotions swirling in his chest, where his heart was pounding so hard it could shatter ribs and pierce skin.

Hajime looked back at him, his olive green eyes shining with happiness in its purest state, and he widened his smile, that smile that expresses so much and brings out his dimples.

"Will you marry me, Tooru?" he asked him softly in Spanish, his voice trembling lightly, charged with the same emotions that stirred the setter.

Oikawa opened and closed his mouth, but the words caught in his throat, his lower lip began to tremble, his eyes to mist over before tears began to overflow and his cheks and nose began to blush. Tooru only managed to sob before he threw himself on top of him completely, hiding his face in Hajime’s shoulder, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck and sliding his legs on either side of his hips. Iwaizumi’s strong arms immediately wrapped around Oikawa, aligning their hearts in that hug, bringing him the warmth, comfort, and security that Tooru grew up with.

Hajime was Tooru’s home that always kept its doors open for him.

"If I'd known you were going to propose I would have taught you Taylor Swift's discography." He whispered when finally found his voice and Hajime let out a wet laugh, his hand never having stopped stroking Oikawa’s back while the other still clutched at his waist.

"So that's a yes?" he asked and Oikawa sniffled, lifting his head to look him in the eye.

He smiled, with that cute curve to his lips that forced his eyes to narrow like half-moons and his reddened nose to wrinkle tenderly.

"As Rosalia sang at an awards ceremony" Tooru cleared his throat and Hajime laughed again before his boyfriend (now fiancé and forever his soulmate) cradled his face in his soft hands, his thumbs caressing his cheeks as their eyes met again "Si me das a elegir, entre tú y la gloria, pa’ que hable la historia de mí, por los siglos, ay amor" He inclined his head, nuzzling his nose with Iwaizumi's, who narrowed his eyes, lowering his gaze to those glossy lips that curved upwards "I'm staying with you" He finished in Japanese and Hajime mirrored his smile before their mouths melted into a kiss charged with all the love they had sown since they were two years old.

The same love that today, at the age of 29, blossoms like every spring in an explosion of colours and shapes.

[spanishskulduggery]

I was just wondering what those phrases in Spanish are called that use multiple words for a single meaning, like for instance tonight I saw for the first time “de si mismo” and had no idea that meant “by yourself”. I feel like I need to study more of these phrases lol

I believe the general word for it is something like a "collocation" [la colocación in Spanish - colocar means "to put/place" so it's literally "a placement"].

I did some kind of list on that a while ago but it's when certain words are always paired together - and treated as one singular unit that you can't/shouldn't break up in the word order (normally) - and they tend to mean something in particular and sort of take on a new meaning almost like an idiom

A common example is el vino tinto which means "red wine". You use tinto/a instead of rojo/a where rojo/a is the traditional word for "red", but tinto/a is the word for "deep red" that's almost black

[And if you were going to describe it, you generally consider vino tinto its own unit... so el vino tinto dulce "the sweet red wine"; and you wouldn't really put dulce between the vino and tinto, though I suppose you could but it's a little awkward]

Another one is las bellas artes "fine arts", where normally el arte is masculine and bello/a is "beautiful but together they mean "fine arts"

From what I remember after doing research, collocations are specific words or phrases that appear with very little variation almost like set phrases and idioms or even idiomatic expressions almost

-

However, in your specific case, sí mismo/a means "oneself".

That sí is a 3rd person object pronoun - like mí "me" or ti for "ti". They show up mostly when you come across a preposition - a, de, en, entre, por, para

In this case sí mismo/a means "oneself", but they can exist separately and are gendered. Also, it's not specifically used with just de, and it doesn't always mean "by yourself"

The word mismo/a which often means "same" means "self" when placed behind a pronoun

yo mismo/a = me myself tú mismo/a = you yourself usted mismo/a = you yourself él mismo = he himself ella misma = she herself ellos mismos = they themselves [m+m, m+f] ellas mismas = they themselves [f+f] ustedes mismos/mismas = you (all) yourselves nosotros mismos = we ourselves [m+m, m+f] nosotras mismas = we ourselves [f+f]

And same with vosotr@s mism@s "you all yourselves [informal]" for Spain

In fact I would say normally "by yourself" would be used with por and if it's "you" that's stated it's like por ti mismo/a

Hazlo por ti mismo. = Do it yourself. / Do it on your own. [m] Hazlo por ti misma. = Do it yourself. / Do it on your own. [f]

The "yourself" would make sense if you were using an impersonal construction... where in English we say "you" when it's like "oneself":

Uno debe creer en sí mismo. = "You should believe in yourself." Uno debe creer en uno mismo. = One should believe in oneself.

I believe the de is used as "by yourself" if it's like authorship or with specific verbs, but I see it and think "of oneself"

-

Other instances of the sí and object + mismo/a:

en sí = in and of itself la cuestión en sí = the problem itself, the problem on its own [lit. "the question/problem in and of itself"] Pelean entre sí. = They fight amongst themselves. Ella misma lo dijo. = She herself said it. / She personally said it. Ella misma me lo dijo. = She told me herself. Solo piensa en sí mismo. = He only thinks of himself. Solo piensa en sí misma. = She only thinks of herself. Solo piensas en ti mismo/a. = You only think of yourself. Dicen que solo pienso en mí mismo. = They say I only think of myself. / They say I only care about myself. valerse por sí mismo / valerse por sí solo / valerse por uno mismo = to make it on one's own / to be self-sufficient, to fend for oneself

con is a weird one because it has an irregular object form (thanks to Latin) so it's contigo "with you", conmigo "with me", or consigo which is 3rd person singular

Siempre hablo conmigo mismo/a. = I always talk to myself. Hablas contigo mismo/a mucho. = You talk to yourself a lot. Habla consigo mismo. = He talks to himself. Habla consigo misma. = She talks to herself.

Past that it's con ellos mismos, con ellas mismas, con nosotros mismos, con nosotras mismas etc etc etc

[lovejustforaday]

2023 Year End List - #6

Red Moon In Venus - Kali Uchis

Main genres: Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B, Psychedelic Soul

A decent sampling of: Synth Funk, Smooth Soul

Coming out as a Kali Uchis stan.

But for real, the Colombian American singer/songwriter seems to be the one artist that music hipsters, the English mainstream(ish), and the Hispanic mainstream can all collectively agree upon. Part of this is most definitely owed to Kali's versatility as an artist, with a primary basis of sound rooted in R&B (particularly neo-soul) but regularly dipping her toes into the waters of reggaetón, hip hop, bolero, and afrobeats.

Kali is also a definite lover of retro chic, given her clear appreciation for mid 20th century easy-listening pop and old Hollywood glamour. She cites artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Celia Cruz, and Curtis Mayfield as some of her biggest influences. At the same time, she modernizes these influences and aesthetics with a post-sexual revolution ethos of overpowering feminine-centred eroticism and fiercely wielded confidence and self-love.

Her voice is pleasant, mature, and strikingly womanly, in that same kind of way when you first discover as a child the sensation of being struck by the awe-inspiring beauty of a grown woman. Even as a gay man, I can confidently say that I think this is a sort of universal childhood experience, right?

Actually, I think a lot of Kali Uchis' success as an artist can be attributed to just how likable her musical persona is. I think that deep down, many of us want to be a Kali - completely liberated, in touch with our sensuality, and going through life as a warm and confident optimist. She makes music that isn't just well-written; it makes you feel good about life.

After making a big splash with her stellar 2018 LP Isolation and following it up with the success of 2020's Sin Miedo which was more invested in her Latin American roots and corresponding following, I was very curious to see where she would take things next with her career.

In the end, as it would turn out, Kali Uchis' 2023 record didn't really amount to anything that surprising. Instead, we were treated to a progression and evolution in her sound that feels very natural to her, culminating in an album that makes good on the typical promises of a Kali Uchis project.

That is to say, Red Moon In Venus exists in a rose-tinted world bedecked with lush palm trees and populated by curvaceous mermaids. The record is a creamy cocktail of smooth and funky soul jams with the sweet taste of cinnamon kisses and strawberry wine. A true musical oasis of the richest fruits.

Kali really is at the top of her game here. Everything is a subtle improvement on what already mostly worked for her on past projects, with a little more psychedelic flavour added into the mix, resulting in a final product that just sounds and feels really gorgeous and summery to listen to. Not all great music has to be challenging; this just does incredibly well at what it is already comfortable doing.

The record's first song proper is the lead single "I Wish You Roses", a beautiful parting gift to an ex-lover she holds no grudge towards. Petals flutter past the mind's eye as the world of this neo-soul paean springs to life with all the shades of a summer's rainbow. This song is a soft sigh of relief, heard quite vividly in the actual noticeable sighing melodies of those psychedelic keyboards in the chorus. A very classy song, expressing a sentiment not nearly heard often enough in most music about breakups.

"All Mine" is a lights off "wah-wah" slow jam describing a greedy lover's fantasy of having someone completely to themselves. The sound of the passionate id taking over the superego's domain.

Fans of the big city pop explosion that happened on the internet with the surge of Mariya Takeuchi's "Plastic Love" a few years ago may get a lot of mileage out of "Endlessly", a synth funk track that captures a similar kind of metropolitan utopianism. Kali really knows how to bring the kind of riding-passenger-in-a-red-convertible energy that a track like this one needs to really all come together.

"Moral Conscience", in mild contrast to "I Wish You Roses", is a cautionary tale of karma hunting down an ex-lover who hurt her. Even still, there's more of an air that she's simply warning the wrongful party here - it's not a threat, she's just stating a fact about how the world works (as she sees it anyway). Still keeping it classy. Musically, this is thick and fleecy, lounging languidly in a boudoir sofette with low humming synths.

"Deserve Me" is an elegant and drip-droppy hip hop soul duet with Summer Walker, who is now officially my new favourite random feature after previously popping up on last year's Kendrick Lamar record. Very killer refrain on this cut, almost as addictive as the track that follows it. Speaking of which...

"Moonlight" was quite possibly my SOTY for 2023. A lot can be said for how erotic round shapes are for basically all genders and sexual preferences, and I don't know how to explain this but the song simply sounds ROUND in every possible way. The funk bass is so bubbly and horny and sopping wet that it's probably illegal in many parts of the world. Kali is giving it her ALL on those verses. Absolutely luxurious production. The chorus has that subtle air of mystery that really ensnares the erotic imagination. I can't even remember the last time I heard a song that positively oozed sex like this, while also describing such a clearly healthy relationship. Is it possible to be getting drunk off of flowery bubble bath fumes? Because this is precisely what it would feel like. Interstellar spa getaway for two in the neon pink galaxy of Aphrodite. Perfect fucking song. A++ goddamn.

I could say a few words as to how this is a back-loaded record, but I think y'all have heard me call something front or back loaded at least a dozen times and I'm struggling to find original ways to express this sentiment. Either way, this is a milder case - more just that the second half is so consistently brilliant that it kinda blows the first half out of the water, particularly that early-mid section. The weakest moments here are the least imaginative ones.

But a very good chunk of this record is just pure gold. Red Moon In Venus is a vibrant and aesthetically immaculate R&B record, possibly the best of the new decade thus far.

As I publish this review, Kali has already dropped another album in the first few weeks of 2024 and it sounds almost as good as this one. I don't know how exactly she's doing it but she makes exploring a variety of genres and killing it at every one of them look so easy. Kali Uchis is the queen of her medium right now.

9/10

Highlights: "Moonlight", "I Wish You Roses", "Deserve Me (with Summer Walker)", "Moral Conscience", "All Mine", "Endlessly", "Not Too Late (Interlude)", "Love Between", "Happy Now"

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Lucia (My Life is a Telenovela!)

Full name- Lucia Angelina Serratos

Birth date- March 25th

Place of birth- Miami, Florida

Age (in novel)- 17

Favorite color- Peach

Favorite season- Spring (says it’s not boiling hot in Florida)

Favorite food- tostones with salsa verde sauce (loves making them with her abuela)

Favorite ice cream flavor- raspberry lemon

Favorite dessert- almond torte (also likes her abuela’s flan)

Favorite sandwich- chicken cheesesteak

Favorite actor- Ryan Gosling

Favorite actress- Emma Stone

Favorite movie- Mean Girls

Favorite TV shows- Jane the Virgin, Sex Education, Sex and the City, Euphoria, As Told by Ginger, The Wild Thornberrys, Hey Arnold, Moesha

Favorite singers- Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, Selena, Bruno Mars, Shakira, Gloria Estafan

Favorite bands- Imagine Dragons, BTS, The Rose, Blackpink, Journey, Paramore, Fall Out Boy

Favorite book- When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

She's currently a junior at True Performance School of the Arts. Lucia hopes to be an acclaimed screenwriter someday, maybe also directing as well.

Her mom is Puerto Rican while her dad is Mexican.

Lucia can speak some Spanish, but is also able to follow through an entire conversation.

She has been both to Puerto Rico & Mexico during the summer as a kid. One favorite memory was when she went to a fireworks show in San Juan when she was eight.

Lucia has unofficial acting credits! Her on-screen debut was as the baby being born to her parents' characters on the telenovela Las Pasiones de Mirabel. She was also a covergirl- not exactly, but she & her parents were the cover story in People en Espanol as a birth annoucement!

Through her padrino's connections, Lucia was able to meet a few Latin celebrities including Vibora, an up-and-coming Cuban-American rapper.

Birds of Paradise are her favorite flowers!

Lucia isn't really that close with her mother's side of the family. She's confused as to why her mom & abuela won't talk too much about their family history or certain family members.

She keeps a framed photo of her abuelo (her mother's father) when he was young in her bedroom. He died when her mother was just a few days shy of her quinceañera.

Lucia has been on the set of too many telenovelas to count! She has also been her parents' date to the Paloma Awards, an annual event that awards the best telenovela actors & actresses.

She has been best friends with Leonie and America since they were all eight years old, where they all went to the same Sunday school. Lucia became friends with Remy during her freshman year of high school.

At her quinceañera, Marc Anthony performed while Leonie & America were part of her court.

Lucia is really close to her abuela. They go out shopping and they also knit, gossip, & watch telenovelas together. Her favorite activity that she likes doing with her abuela is when they make tostones and arepas!

One favorite pastime of Lucia's is reading. Sure she loves the sweet & fluffy YA contemporaries and romances that litter the back of her closet, but she also doesn't mind delving into the magical realism of latin writing greats like Isabel Allende, Gabriel García Márquez, and Julia Alvarez.

She had her first kiss when she was nine at her Communion party with a boy named Joel.

Lucia's first real relationship was with a guy named Chris Del Toro during her sophmore year. They dated for about six months before he & his family moved to Washington State.

She has a secret tattoo- a small pair of dove wings expertly hidden by her right ear. Lucia got it done a couple months ago along with Remy and America, who also got secret tattoos.

At the beginning of junior year, Lucia began crushing on Michael Bernardi, an aspiring photographer! Aside from a few smiles & brief interactions, they've never had an actual conversation.

As a baby, Lucia recieved a gold & diamond necklace with a dove charm by her father. She now almost always wears it!

She has a part time job at Sunshine Swirl, a frozen yogurt shop. The shop is in America's neighborhood, so her place is the first stop for Lucia before she goes home.

Her and her friends love the movie Mean Girls so much that they're all dedicated to wear pink on wednesdays every week till graduation!

[independentartistbuzz]

ALOK & AVA MAX PROVIDE COLLABORATION OF THE SUMMER CONTESTANT WITH “CAR KEYS”

Brazilian music superstar and philanthropist Alok, known for chart-topping collaborations with the likes of James Arthur, John Legend, Tove Lo, Ella Eyre and Ellie Goulding has teamed up with global pop sensation Ava Max, known for monster hits like “Sweet But Psycho” with over 2 billion streams, for their new single, “Car Keys.” With a combined monthly listenership of over 50 million on Spotify alone, along with an all-star songwriting team of collaborators and Tiesto’s iconic “Ayla” sample leading the way, “Car Keys” is a contestant for Summer hit of 2023 and is available now on all DSPs and streaming services HERE, with an official music video filmed internationally in Hamburg, Germany and Sao Paulo, Brazil on the way.

LISTEN TO CAR KEYS HERE

The most-listened-to Brazilian artist in the world on Spotify and #1 DJ in Latin America is ending his Spring with this new single following an action packed few months highlighted most recently by a performance at EDC Las Vegas and virtually accepting a charity award from Cannes Film Festival in the same night, his massive Infinite Experience concert, and exclusive Tomorrowland radio show launch. The collaboration “Car Keys” features Tiesto’s iconic “Ayla” sample and was produced by top producer Cirkut (The Weeknd, Maroon 5, Rihanna) and written by another superstar in UK singer-songwriter Raye, who just recently won the prestigious Ivor Novello songwriter award for Best Contemporary Song for having written “Escapism.” All songwriters of “Car Keys” have over 40 billion streams combined on Spotify.

“Ava is someone I’ve wanted to work with for a long time and I couldn’t be happier with the experience and the result. I can’t wait for the world to hear it!” - Alok

Known for his massive international performances, especially in his home country of Brazil, Alok has been continuing to build his new and now infamous Infinite Experience brand, which is a globe-traveling experimental concert project aimed to create a deeper connection through mind-blowing visual experiences and appearances by special guests timed to key moments in his audio-sensory vision. Following his massive Infinite Experience show in Brazil earlier this month, Alok also announced the launch of his Infinite Experience radio show on Tomorrowland Radio. In line with his aim to take Brazilian music to the world, his Infinite Experience radio show airs on One World Radio every first Friday of the month between 21:00 and 22:00 CET, where he brings the Tomorrowland Brasil atmosphere to the airwaves.

Known globally as a climate change activist fighting for indigenous peoples, just after his colossal performance at one of the world’s biggest dance music festivals, EDC Las Vegas, Alok was honored virtually with a prestigious award from the Better World Fund Gala during the Cannes Film Festival for his charity work with his Alok Institute in conjunction with the Amazônia Fund Alliance program for the Brazilian Federation of UNESCO. In 2022, he launched his “The Future Is Ancestral” philanthropic project, with a remarkable inaugural event that brought his climate change initiatives and partnership to the United Nations’ Global Compact to  kickoff New York’s Climate Change Week with a series of panels and a historic, first-ever performance on the rooftop of the United Nations headquarters.

“It has been a great experience collaborating with Alok on ‘Car Keys.’ The process of cutting the record and shooting a video while on tour was a blast, and I’m excited for the world to finally hear it!” - Ava Max

Ava Max has emerged as a pop powerhouse with billions of streams, a procession of multi platinum certifications, countless sold out shows, and Billboard Hot 100 success. With her unapologetic attitude and jaw-dropping vocals, Ava vaulted to the forefront of pop culture with “Sweet But Psycho,” which is now quadruple platinum and held a spot in the Top 10 on the Hot 100 for three weeks.  In 2020, she released her platinum-certified full-length debut, Heaven & Hell, which boasted the double-platinum “Kings & Queens,” platinum-certified “So Am I,” and gold-certified “Salt.” She has had blockbuster collaborations with the likes of David Guetta, Alan Walker, Pablo Alborán, and Jason Derulo. Ava also linked up with Tiësto for “The Motto” which not only crashed the Top 5 of the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs Chart, but it also picked up a platinum certification.

Her body of work has led Forbes to place her among its coveted “30 Under 30” for 2021, and win “Best Push Artist” at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Ava Max has continued her tremendous success in 2023 with the release of her impressive sophomore LP, Diamonds and Dancefloors in January. One of the lead singles on the album, “Maybe You’re The Problem” reeled in hundreds of millions of streams. Her next single from the project, “Million Dollar Baby” arrived to widespread critical acclaim.

[worldrankmusic]

Spring is a season full of promise and new beginnings, and what better way to celebrate this than by exploring the diverse soundtrack that accompanies it. As the snow thaws and the flowers bloom, it’s time to shed our winter coat and step into the new and exciting world of music. From pop to jazz, the soundtrack of spring can be as diverse as the season itself. Pop music has always been the perfect soundtrack for spring. It’s bright and upbeat, perfect for those sunny and optimistic days. Pop artists have produced some of the most infectious tracks that have become synonymous with spring. Think of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” or Maroon 5’s “Sugar”; these are the songs that get stuck in your head and have you humming along for days. Today, pop music continues to be the go-to genre for spring, with artists such as Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Harry Styles leading the way. But pop isn’t the only genre that captures the magic of spring. Jazz, with its smooth and soulful sound, can be the perfect accompaniment to a lazy spring afternoon. Jazz music is renowned for its ability to transport you to a different time and place, and nothing captures the essence of spring quite like the sweet, slow melody of a jazz tune. Some of the most iconic jazz songs have been inspired by the season of spring, like Ella Fitzgerald’s “April in Paris” or Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”. As spring brings with it the promise of new beginnings, it’s perhaps the perfect time to discover new music. Don’t be afraid to explore outside of your comfort zone and try something new. Indie music, for instance, is a genre that often goes overlooked but can produce some of the most unique and captivating soundtracks for spring. Artists such as Mac DeMarco, Vampire Weekend and The Strokes have all created music that pairs perfectly with the season, giving an alternative option for those looking for something different. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try exploring other cultures through music? The global music scene is incredibly diverse, and there’s a whole world of artists waiting to be discovered. Reggae music, for example, captures the laidback and carefree spirit of spring, with artists such as Bob Marley and Buju Banton creating music that transports you to the beaches of Jamaica. The same can be said for Latin music, with artists such as Shakira and Marc Anthony producing some of the most energetic and lively tracks that can get anyone in the mood for spring. In conclusion, spring is not just about cherry blossoms and daffodils – it’s also about discovering new music and exploring different sounds. From pop to jazz to indie to reggae, every genre has its own unique flair that can make your spring even more special. So grab your headphones and dive into the diverse soundtrack of spring – you never know what you might discover. Try this From Pop to Jazz: Exploring the Diverse Soundtrack of Spring

[mangora]

I like seeing people’s headcanons for the characters’ full names so here’s my post (+ my hc ethnicities bc why not.)

Note: I’m mostly basing last names on like online research and not all last names correlate with ethnicity for a variety of reasons, so sorry if they’re not like accurate. And I didn’t have super strong opinions on some characters. Also nonwhite people can live in and originate from predominantly white countries for reasons like immigration or carriers of recessive traits for skin color, so when I say things like Alejandro and Mike are from Europe I’m not saying they’re white swearsies)

Gen 1:

Gwen: Gwendolyn Addams (German/British)

Duncan: Duncan O’Doherty (Scottish)

Courtney: Courtney Barbosa-Gonzales (Filipino/Puerto Rican)

Lindsay: Lindsay Beaudrie (French)

Heather: Heather Himura (Japanese)

Beth: Elizabeth Blaine (German/Polish)

Leshawna: Leshawna Ndiaye (African Canadian, family mostly has roots from Senegal)

DJ: Devon Joseph* Wright (Jamaican)

Cody: Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson (...duh)* (Idk British or something)

Noah: Noah Mudaliar (Tamil)

Harold: Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V* (Irish/Japanese)

Eva: Eva Bortsov (Siberian)

Izzy: Isabella Kennedy (Greek/Irish)

Owen: Owen Ellis (Mixed Western European)

Tyler: Tyler Cain (German [Hebrew])

Justin: Justin Alika (Hawaiian)

Ezekiel: Ezekiel Rudd (Norse/Dutch)

Sadie: Sadie Byun (Korean)

Katie: Katelynn Pakhrin (Nepali)

Geoff: Geoffrey Sawyer (Mixed Americanized Western European, mostly British)

Bridgette: Bridgette Langley (Same as Geoff)

Trent: Trenton Loveridge (Greek/Romani & Israeli)

Sierra: Sierra Wilde (Métis/Angolan)

Alejandro: Alejandro Burromuerto* (Spanish, ancestors are from various parts of Latin America)

Gen 2:

Mike: Michael Chiarelli (Italian [Sicilian with Western Asian ancestors]/Peruvian)

Mal: Mal Grimoire (Mixed indigenous Mexican, chose his own last name)

Svetlana: Svetlana Berezovsky (Russian)

Vito: Vito Valentino (Italian)

Manitoba: Manitoba Smith* (Murri/Koori)

Chester: Chester Young (Lithuanian/Mexican)

Zoey: Zoey Ahn (Korean)

Cameron: Cameron Corduroy Wilkins* (Mixed African Canadian, no clear roots)

Lightning: Rudolph “Lightning” Jackson* (Same case as Cameron)

Brick: Brick McArthur* (Scottish/Mexican)

Jo: Joanna Gryffon (Welsh)

Sam: Samuel Croft (Mixed Western European)

Dakota: Dakota Milton* (Venezuelan/British/French)

Staci: Staci Sweet (British & Swedish/German)

Scott: Scott Baur (Austrian/Scottish)

Dawn: Dawn Orion (Norse/Greek)

B: B. Keen (Egyptian/Ethiopian & Sudanese)(Adopted, canon dead name omitted)

Anne Maria: Anne Maria Ortega (Argentinian)

Gen 3:

Sky: Sky Oxendine (Cree)

Shawn: Shawn Torres-Vidal (Mexican)

Jasmine: Jasmine Maguire (Wangkatha)

Sammy: Samantha Lafitte (French)

Amy: Amy Lafitte (French)

Dave: Dave Shukla (Indian)

Max: Maxwell Delaney (Chinese/Welsh)(Adopted)

Sugar: Reese “Sugar” Houston (Mixed Western European)

Topher: Christopher Fitzroy (Mostly French and British)

Scarlett: Scarlett Fernsby (British)

Beardo: Badru “Beardo” Mohamed (Kenyan)

Leonard: Leonard Hart (Mixed African Canadian)

Ella: Eleanor Darling (British/Scottish)

Rodney: Rodney Feldman (German/Irish)

Gen 4:

Sanders: Jasper Elizabeth Sanders (Mixed African Canadian/Angolan)

MacArthur: Marsha MacArthur (I think the Valentina Escobar thing was total BS that’s just her mom’s name)(Scottish & Irish/Colombian & Mexican)

Dwayne: Dwayne Turner (Mixed Western European)

Junior: Dwayne “Junior” Turner Jr. (Same as Dwayne)

Brody: Brody García-Santos (Mixed Latino)

Mary: Maryam Yitzhaki (Israeli/Afghan)

Ellody: Ellody Mahir (Maldivian)

Emma: Emma Ozaki (Japanese)

Kitty: Kit Ozaki (Japanese)

Josee: Josee Lachance (French Canadian)

Jacques: Jacques Laurent (French Canadian)

Carrie: Caroline Lubomir (Bulgarian/Swedish)

Devin: Devin Linyang (Taiwanese)

Tammy: Tamara Burnside (Scottish)

Jay: Jason Durand (French Canadian)

Mickey: Michael Durand (French Canadian)

Crimson: Sarah “Crimson” Murphy (Mixed Eastern European)

Ennui: Simon “Ennui” Mayer (Romanian)

Miles: Miles Deniz (Turkish)

Laurie: Lauren “Laurie” Soleil (Turkish & French/Dominican)

Stephanie: Stephanie Armstrong (Mixed African Canadian)

Ryan: Ryan Mathura (Trinidadian)

Gerry: Gerald LaPointe (French Canadian)

Pete: Peter Manh (Vietnamese)

Lorenzo: Lorenzo Bandara-Whitaker (Sri Lankan/British)

Chet: Chet Frances (French/British)

Rock: Evan “Rock” Manson (Mixed Western European)

Spud: Andrew “Spud” Cooper (Mixed Western European)

Kelly: Kelly Fournier (French Canadian)

Taylor: Taylor Fournier (French Canadian)

Tom: Thomas Hemingway (British/French)

Jen: Jennifer Carrillo (Chilean/Laotian)

Notes: Chet and Lorenzo keep their last names the same, B and Max's last names are based on that of their adopted parents. Also, my headcanons change a lot. Also also, I'm really interested in world cultures but mostly self-taught on them so if you disagree for some reason or see something inaccurate/stereotypical lmk. Also depending on the character, they either use a nickname or chose their name themselves, in which case I don't want to give out their dead name/s. Also before someone corrects me on Bridgette and Geoff the creators have said they are both from California and came to Canada.

Edit 2: Edited recently because I realized I got some of the canon ethnicities wrong, also I’ve just changed some opinions or learned more about the etymology of names.

[fortunesfavours]

My gift for @casismymrdarcy as part of @starrynightdeancas wonderful gift exchange. I had so much fun writing this! Definitely going to try AUs like this more. A short and sweet one-shot featuring Dean as a camp counselor, ghost summoning, and the cute counselor from Cabin Three getting caught in the rain. I hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 1189

Continued below the cut, will be up on AO3 once I decide on a title.

CW: slight mention of John Winchester/rough family life

Generally, in all of Dean’s sum 25 years of life experience, letting a pack of eight-year-olds that were already positively intoxicated on sugar near candles, a lighter, and his co-counselor’s Ouija board was a truly horrific idea. Yet, here he was, weary head in his hands, attempting to supervise the most hare-brained idea of the week. His co-counselor, an energetic woman named Clara he had first met at the staff meeting a few days before, was on her break, leaving him alone with their cabin. She had pulled him aside in the dinner line and told him that she had “stuff to let the kids experiment with” in a box under her bunk. He had (foolishly) assumed this would probably be art supplies, perhaps some glitter glue and cardstock, or maybe pony beads and string, but alas, here he was.

He had opened the box that had once apparently held Kirkland-brand orange juice to find an intricately-carved wooden plank, detailed with curling vines and celestial objects, as well as the alphabet, numbers, and a small selection of words engraved in a rather medieval-looking font. On top was an equally-ornate planchette, a pack of tea lights, a lighter painted with a spiderweb, and a sticky-note addressed to him.

“Dean,

Have fun ;) Break ends at 1 am, going into town. Don’t burn down the cabin.”

Dean had sighed, rolling his eyes and mourning his choice of summer job. Charlie had sung the praises of her childhood camp to him when he had mentioned his search, leading Dean to sign up as a counselor.

One of the kids, a little girl named Ella, was calling for Dean. He shook himself back to focus to see her frustratedly trying to work the lighter. The kids had set up a wobbly circle of candles around the board, and were clustered around it. Ella’s nose is scrunched up with concentration, and Dean pushes himself out of his chair to light the candles for them. He deftly sets the tea lights alight, and the room starts to smell of beeswax. One of the kids has scrambled over to the lightswitch, and with a flick of a switch, the cabin is filled with warm, flickering candlelight.

The kids promptly start an eager discussion of the proper way to summon a ghost, and Dean so desperately wants to just go to bed. Sure, his dad had been a little over-interested in these sorts of things, but that sure as hell didn’t mean he was going to pull out his childhood familiarity with the paranormal. He can almost see himself as a young child in their faces, bright with eager curiosity and uninhibited trust in the world around them. His chest twinges a bit at the thought, but he catches himself before he can start to dwell on his family issues. He and Sam are out now, out and living their lives. He can be a camp counselor now, he can think about the cute guy in charge of Cabin Three with the blue eyes and not hate himself for it. Dean chuckles, leaning back in his chair, and jokingly calls out, “You should try Latin.”

Charlie, a tall, gangly kid with serious eyes and a way of walking that vaguely reminded Dean of a bird, bounces in their seat at this suggestion. “I know Pig Latin! My cousin taught me!”

This new addition is eagerly accepted by the children, who clearly have decided that this is quite a good substitute for proper Latin. Dean closes his eyes and yawns, mind drifting to thoughts of rest and the chocolate bar he had stashed in his backpack. He could almost fall asleep here, listening to the crackle of the candles and the pounding of the rain outside. Reluctantly keeping himself awake, he tuned back in to hear the group chanting something that with translation was most definitely “ghosts of Lakeside Camp, we summon you” interspersed with humming of what might have been the camp theme song, and which also may have been some pop song Dean can’t conjure the name of. Their voices start to crescendo, getting more discordant but also more eager. All at once, there’s a pounding knock on the door combined with a boom of thunder, then a flash of lighting. One voice lets out a quickly-muffled scream as a gust blows through the cabin and extinguishes the candles. The cabin goes silent but for the rain, full of wide eyes and scared faces.

Dean looks around and as he opens his mouth to comfort his campers, is interrupted by another knock. He silently moves to the door, opening it a crack so as to not startle the campers. When he locks eyes with Cabin Three’s counselor, dripping wet and wiping rain off his face, Dean decides that this is either his lucky day or the gods cursing him. Only one way to find out, he thinks.

“Man, you’re drenched.” he says, and immediately curses internally. What an introduction. The man blinks a few times, and responds entirely genuinely, “My umbrella broke. May I come in?”

“Oh- yeah, yeah, of course. I’ll grab you a towel.” Dean swings the door open, and the man steps in, only to be greeted by twelve terrified faces.

“Yeah, um, sorry about that everyone. This is just… uh-” he glances over at the man, who realizes after a moment what Dean is asking for. “Castiel. I’m Cabin Three’s counselor.” The kids murmur amongst themselves before one speaks up.

“You’re not a ghost, right?”

Castiel squints, and Dean can’t help but find it adorable. “Not as far as I know.”

Hurrying off to grab a towel, Dean rifles through his suitcase before returning with his pool towel and handing it to Castiel. He gladly accepts it, and promptly wanders off to stand in a corner and attempt to dry his rain-drenched hair.

Dean spends the next hour herding campers through the process of getting ready for bed, sneaking conversation with Castiel in between. However, all this does is further send Dean absolutely further into his developing crush. With every sentence exchanged, Cas is nothing but clever, kind, and utterly unlike anyone Dean has ever met. By the time the kids are all asleep and the cabin is tidied up, the rain has subsided into a light drizzle. Cas, though, makes no mention of leaving. Instead, he and Dean wander out onto the porch to continue talking. By the time Dean’s co-counselor returns, Cas has to excuse himself back to his cabin. As Dean turns to go inside, Cas calls out and offers a folded piece of paper. Before Dean can open it, he smiles a beautifully soft smile, turns on his heel, and vanishes into the foggy night.

When Dean opens the paper later that night, he can’t contain the smile that breaks out over his face.

“Dean,

Go out with me tomorrow? I know a place I think you’d like.

Cas <3”

When they get ice cream the next day, they share a kiss over a sundae and Dean decides that taking this job was the best decision he’s made yet.

[solomonish]

From the Mouths of Fools

Belphegor has a habit of forcing his brothers into trouble, mostly with you. There’s nothing more satisfying than the look of horror on their face when they think they must have dashed their chances with you and that they’re digging the hole deeper. Each time, you reach out a hand and ease their worries, and Belphegor’s stomach twists as you tell them with kind eyes not to worry, that they’re very sweet. Why did you have to be such a spoilsport?

(also posted on ao3 @ treetunkdaddy)

Poems:  A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns, I Carry Your Heart With Me by E. E. Cummings, I Love You by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Love Sonnet XI by Pablo Neruda

Leviathan: I love you. Leviathan: I love you more than anyone else in this world. You: Thanks! Leviathan: Happy now? Leviathan: As I thought, this was the right thing to say.

You stared at your phone screen for a moment longer with one eyebrow raised. Something here wasn’t right. Though you weren’t some grand detective, you could tell that the texts didn’t sound like Levi at all Even beyond the sudden boldness, if you pictured Levi texting those messages you could only imagine him with a rain cloud over his head as he hunched over his phone in sorrow. The somber tone didn’t match his usual excitement. Maybe he was trying to get into character for some sort of cosplay…? Biting the inside of your cheek, you tried to figure out if he had mentioned getting into character for something. Still, there was no way he wouldn’t know all the lines of a character he was trying to embody, and it seemed far-fetched that he’d choose something so...overt, let alone practice it with you.

Before you could distract yourself too much from the tasks you were supposed to be working on, a solid oof a few feet away from your door caught your attention. You could just barely hear a half-hearted grumble barely covering the low boyish giggles of a scheming Belphegor as Levi freaked out in a jumble of words that sounded more like a keysmash than an argument. A moment later, you got another slew of texts that seemed much more like the demon you knew.

Leviathan: AAAEWAGVNAFBPEABD Leviathan: WAAAAAIT! Leviathan: I take that back! Leviathan: AARGH, no, that’s not what I meant! Leviathan: I left my D.D.D. on the couch and Belphie ran off with it!

Ah. That made sense. It also explained the nervous energy you could practically feel radiating from where the two demons undoubtedly still lay in a heap. With a devious look on your face, you tapped away at your phone.

You: I took a screenshot of it!

You were right about one of them being outside your door. You could hear Levi’s startled yelp, followed shortly by frantic footsteps running down the hall to his door. The three dots danced on your screen as the sound got quieter, the message reaching you just as the door to Levi’s room slammed shut.

Leviathan: No, you can’t! Delete that ASAP! DELETEIIIITTTTT!

Snickering to yourself, you hefted yourself out of your seat and opened your door to peer out into the hallway. A little ways to your left, Belphie lay sprawled out on the carpet with a half-dazed expression on his face. Taking care to keep your footsteps quiet in case he actually was asleep, you bent over his face to look at his half-lidded eyes. After a moment of shifting into focus, Belphie gave you a lazy smile and patted the floor next to him.

“You should join me,” He offered. “The carpet is surprisingly soft.”

“Yeah, and surprisingly dirty,” You added, gently toeing at his shoulder as if that would spur him to move.

“If you stare at the pattern on the ceiling and let your eyes get unfocused, it’s real easy to fall asleep,” He suggested. You turned your head to look at the ceiling, seeing nothing but a boring, dark texture above you. If you squinted, you could almost make out swirls in the paint. Maybe demons had a better time seeing details in the dark.

Beneath you, Belphie hummed contentedly, folding his hands at his stomach. He almost looked like he was sunbathing in a meadow, surrounded by fragrant flowers - the image made your heart jump the slightest bit. Maybe, if that was the case, you would have joined him. Lying next to him as a gentle breeze danced over your skin and the tall grass kissed your skin...that didn’t seem like a bad way to spend an afternoon.

“Hey,” Belphie asked suddenly, holding you in a serious stare. It was one he didn’t bother to give you often, saving it only for when you trespassed him so greatly he needed to make it known (more often than not when he told you how lame Lucifer was if you mentioned how he’s helped you with some administrative details for the exchange program). “What did you feel when Levi sent you that message?”

“What?” You asked, shaken by the jarring change in his voice. He sounded much more stern, and though it was hard to tell while looking at him upside down, you were pretty sure he was holding you in a glare, albeit a very gentle one.

“Did it make you happy?” He asked. “That he might love you?”

Your face flushed at the personal question and you averted your gaze, missing the way Belphie’s gaze hardened at your reaction. “I-I knew they weren’t from Levi,” You answered, shaking your head and looking back at Belphie. “They sounded way too suave for him. I thought maybe he was playing a character, or something. I didn’t think they meant anything.”

“You thought they didn’t mean anything…” Nodding, Belphie’s mouth twisted in thought as he looked just past your shoulder blankly. Suddenly his arms shot up and he grabbed at the air a few times, shutting off any gateway to questions you might have. “Help me up. I wanna nap somewhere softer than this where I won’t get trampled.”

Rolling your eyes, you turned the idea of leaving him there around once before shifting to his side and pulling him up. He took the chance to stumble into you, jamming his chin into your shoulder as he wrapped his arms around you and nuzzled into your neck. Instead of feeling his breath tickle your skin, however, you felt his hair brush against you as he adjusted, eventually stopping once he was satisfied. You realized for a moment he was listening for your pulse, and your breathing shallowed on instinct, as if you wanted him to hear it. He didn’t tell you what he was listening for, only groaning when you started to ask him to let go so you could resume your day.

“Mmmm….maybe I should nap here? So comfy….” He murmured. Though he made no move to let go, he also didn’t fight you when you finally separated him from your body. Giving him a farewell smile, you turned your back to leave, not seeing his face fall in displeasure.

---

A few days later, there was a book on your bed that you were positive wasn’t there when you left that morning.

Dropping your backpack unceremoniously by your door, you peered at the worn cover to see it was an old collection of romantic poems. There was no suspicious Latin on the cover, now jewels (or missing jewels) to indicate it was a spellbook or otherwise enchanted, so you picked it up. Upon closer inspection, you saw it was a collection of human poems, many of which you read in your early school days. There were a few multicolored tabs stuck in it, no apparent rhyme or reason to their placement. Though it looked to be Satan’s book, you couldn’t imagine him risking getting adhesive on the worn pages. Curious, you flipped to the first marked page and scanned it, face flushing almost immediately.

O my Luve is like a red, red rose That’s newly sprung in June; O my Luve is like the melody That’s sweetly played in tune.

Flipping to the next marked page, your face turned an even deeper red as they scanned the page.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you

Each page you turned to gave you smooth velvet words that someone very clearly wanted to direct at you, each getting more intimate than the last. Every poem you read sent more blush to your face until you were positive another word would have you passing out.

I love your lips when they’re wet with wine And red with a wild desire; I love your eyes when the lovelight lies Lit with a passionate fire. I love your arms when the warm white flesh Touches mine in a fond embrace; I love your hair when the strands enmesh Your kisses against my face.

Honeyed words of Shakespeare and Dickinson forced your heart to pump faster in your chest than you ever thought possible. Though your body really did feel like it might collapse under the affection the poems held, you couldn’t stop yourself from flipping through. Even though it was clear these poems weren’t written for you, the slightest implication that someone could think so highly of you had your head spinning. Before long, you were skimming the last marked page, barely able to catch your breath.

I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair. Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets. Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.

A loud roar of Belphegor’s name shook you out of your love-stricken trance. Slamming the book shut as if you’d been caught doing something wrong, you listened to the hasty, angry footsteps of Satan right outside your door. The closer he got, you could hear his heavy breathing as he fought to contain his anger. “Where is that book? I know you were the last person in my room!”

Though the thought of being on the receiving end of Satan’s anger was enough to send you running, you slowly cracked open your door and peered out. Satan immediately whipped his head around to look at you, softening just a bit in an effort to let you know that you weren’t what he was after.

In a timid voice, you asked, “Which book would you happen to be looking for?”

“It was a collection of poems. You wouldn’t have happened to see it, would you?”

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door all the way and held the book out to him. Snatching it out of your hands, Satan widened his eyes at the tabs. “Did you-”

“It was like that!” You defended. Satan realized you were jumpy and slowly inhaled, willing himself to calm down before you continued. “It was on my bed when I came home.”

With a gruff hum, Satan nodded at your explanation before flipping through the marked pages. “It’s alright, (Y/n). It’s not your fault. I’m positive Belphie was the one who took it since he was-”

Stopping mid-sentence, Satan flushed a deep red once he read which poems were marked to be read. “O-oh,” He murmured, pulling at his sweater collar and clearing his throat. “This is...these are pretty romantic, huh?”

“Well, it is a love poem collection,” You offered helpfully with a shrug. As if he didn’t believe you, Satan looked at the cover himself.

“I hope you didn’t mistake my intent. I didn’t mean for this book to end up in your care.”

“Ouch,” You hissed through your teeth. “Aren’t you a heartbreaker?”

Satan’s eyes widened before he furrowed his brows and backed a few steps away. “No, that’s not what I- I didn’t mean it like that.” Heaving a sigh, he placed a hand on his chest and shut his eyes as he scowled. “Thank you for returning it to me. Have a good day.”

Satan turned on his heel and walked briskly away, leaving you to chuckle at the empty space before retreating back to your room. On your bed, beneath where the book was, lay a green sticky note you had missed in the excitement. Picking it up, you saw a note scrawled in messy handwriting that made you question just how genuine these advances were.

I’m not the best at expressing myself with words. Maybe if I borrow the words of others, you can finally know how I feel.

---

The pattern continued for a few days, with each brother falling victim to one of Belphie’s tricks. Each time, they managed to fluster themselves to impossible standards, aside from Asmo who insisted he never sent you that love letter and don’t you know how beautiful his handwriting is like the rest of him? Oh, but if a love letter was what you were after, he’d send mountains and mountains until you just couldn’t resist him anymore-

By that time, you had gently shut the door in his face and jogged back to your room, just as red as the rest of the brothers were when it was their time to be the victim. Belphegor even managed to send you an email with a fake account with a name so similar to Lucifer’s you almost didn’t catch the differences. By that time, you saw through his jokes and simply asked:

You: Really? An email? lvcifer.pride@dmail.com: What? He’s such a loser that I wouldn’t put it past him.

Even now, over a week since the last incident, Mammon was shouting in the hall as he kept running circles around himself, demanding Belphie to stop making advances on his human and to stop making him look like a fool. Without fail, Belphie always asked, “Oh? Is it foolish to think highly of the human?” Mammon was sent into a new frenzy every time.

By the time they were finished, you were exhausted just from listening to their incessant bickering. Mammon had scurried off, desperate to hide his embarrassment, while Belphie slumped down on the couch next to you and gave you a lazy grin. This time, you couldn’t bring yourself to return it. The antics had to stop.

“I think you should stop using me as a tool to mess with your brothers,” You said, not yet unpausing the show you were watching before the fighting started. Belphie scrunched his face and looked at you without moving his head.

“No can do. It’s too fun to see how desperately they try to save your honor from themselves. Idiots.”

Cringing at the insult, you continued, “Okay, but can you stop with the love advances? It’s a bit...much.”

Finally moving, Belphie turned his head to give you a scrutinizing look you didn’t understand before relaxing back into the couch. “Sure,” He answered humorlessly, tone dry and brittle with what was, to you, misplaced disgust. “It was losing its charm anyway.”

Now he was sulking, and you had half a mind to press play and just ignore his bitter mood. Still, you didn’t mean to make him pout, even if you had no idea where it came from and therefore weren’t exactly responsible for the shift. Sighing, you turned your back on him and leaned back, moving so your head was resting on his slumped chest. Without sparing you a look, Belphie reached his slim finger up and slowly carded them through your hair, making no effort to comb any tangles and deciding to ruffle it instead.

“I would like to know what’s got you in such a sour mood,” You said bluntly, turning your head to watch Belphegor stare at the ceiling blankly. Other than the occasional slow blink, you would have thought he had fallen asleep with how long it took him to respond. You knew better than to think he was ignoring you - he was either thinking of an answer he was satisfied to give or teasing you, seeing how long you’d wait for him and then pointing out how much you must value what he has to say if you’d wait that long.

“You enjoyed it too much,” He finally said, keeping his gaze from yours.

“I enjoyed it?” You repeated, narrowing your eyes. “I can assure you, I enjoyed none of what happened.”

“The fighting, maybe,” He agreed. “But I heard you tell Levi you thought it’d be sweet if he had texted you. I saw your face when you thought the poems were from Satan.”

“You were there?” Trying to remember the scene with Satan, you ran a hand partially through your hair and rested your palm on your forehead.

“The love letter, the gift basket, everything- you enjoyed it before you realized it was fake.”

“Belphegor, where were you?” You asked, knowing he would ignore your question. How many other times had he been secretly watching you without your knowledge? The thought made you shiver.

Clearly disgruntled, Belphegor growled at your questions before rolling his eyes. “At first I was just messing with you, but I never would have guessed you would sooner take sweet nothings from the mouths of fools before you’d ever take the real deal from me when I offer it out to you.”

Blinking rapidly, you felt your face warm and your heartbeat stutter for the thousandth time this week. “You...you never offered me anything,” you answered dumbly. Displeasure flickered across Belphie’s face before he sighed again and slumped further down, forcing your head down with him.

“Of course I didn’t. The others did, but not me,” He replied in such a way that barely hid the frustration in his tone, but the irony he was lamenting was lost on you. Sitting up, you shifted to sit on your knees and bent over Belphie to look at him.

“What are you talking about?” You asked. Belphie turned his head away, but you grabbed his cheeks and gently pulled them towards you so he could face you directly. “Belphie, tell me what you were trying to do.”

For a moment, Belphie wondered if he could just slump out of your grasp and lock himself back in the attic, clear by the pondering expression he wore on his face. You squished his face a little tighter, just enough to keep him in place and speak up. “I guess...I was hoping you would think the love letters and everything were from them and you’d reject them.” He looked to the side to avoid the pity you couldn’t hide on your face, his gaze unintentionally hardening. “Why didn’t you reject them? You should have rejected them.”

“I knew it wasn’t real! I was just trying to make them feel better,” You defended. Swiping your hand away from him, Belphie lifted himself up so he was sitting straight and crossed his arms, the image of a petulant child. “Is this...is this your version of a confession?”

Though he did his best to maintain his glare, Belphie couldn’t fight the light pink that tinted his cheeks. “So what if it is?”

Thoroughly pleased with yourself, you sat back on your heels and pretended you needed to mull things over. His hair was covering his eye and he kept his head turned away from you, but you could feel Belphie’s pensive gaze on you as you made your decision. Grinning and leaning closer, you asked, “Is this another prank?”

You felt his cold hands on either side of your face before you even saw him move. He glowered at you with no heat, putting on an upset show. If anything, he was more upset that you insisted on teasing him when you were so nice to the others. “If you can look at me and say you think I’m pranking you right now, you really are just a stupid human.”

Your grin widened. “A stupid human you’d have no qualms about kissing, though, right?”

There was no need to answer you with words when showing you was much more enjoyable.

[spanishskulduggery]

what's the difference between "tan" and "tanto"?

are they two completely different words/different meanings or is it like a plural vs non-plural thing?

tan is used with adjectives/adverbs

tanto/a is used with countable nouns (mostly)*

So in other words: tan is "so/such" and tanto/a is "so many"

tan fácil = so easy tan difícil = so difficult tan alto/a = so tall/high tan bajo/a = so short/low tan rojo/a = so red tan blanco/a = so white tan dulce = so sweet tan amargo/a = so bitter tanta comida = so much food tanta ropa = so much clothing / so many clothes tanto trabajo = so much work tanto esfuerzo = so much effort tantos libros = so many books tantos hombres = so many men tantas personas = so many people tantas mujeres = so many women

*tanto can be used as an adverb - only showing up as tanto in this case - to mean "so much" or "too much"

You also see these very commonly with expressions of comparison, particularly expressions of equal comparisons/equality

Soy tan fuerte como tú. = I'm as strong as you. Es tan difícil como parece. = It's as difficult as it seems. Somos tan listas como ellos. = We (f) are as smart as they are. Es tan alta como yo. = She's as tall as I am. Tanto yo como ella = Me as much as her Tanto como para expertos como para novatos. = For experts as well as beginners. Tanto como pueda / Tanto como sea posible = As much as possible Tanto como en el futuro como en el pasado = As much in the future as (it was) in the past

-

The same logic here is applied to other words, muy "very" and mucho/a "a lot"

But more specifically you see this pattern:

tal / tales = such, such a cuál / cuáles = which, which ones cual = for which [as in por el cual "by which" or "for which" or "because of which".......... cual can also be used as "just as" or "like" in poetry/lyrical Spanish]

tan = so much cuán = how + adjective/adverb**

tanto/a = so much/many + countable nouns cuánto/a = how much/many [normally a question]

**People rarely use cuán today, it's really only seen in older things and in lyrics

In Latin America people say qué tan which is a deconstructed form of cuán; in Spain it's cómo de

So...

Latin America ¿Qué tan alto es el árbol? = How tall/high is the tree? ¿Qué tan alta es la montaña? = How tall/high is the mountain? ¿Qué tan grande es el edificio? = How big/large is the building? - Spain ¿Cómo de alto es el árbol? = How tall/high is the tree? ¿Cómo de alta es la montaña? = How tall/high is the mountain? ¿Cómo de grande es el edificio? = How big/large is the building?

[sabadorks]

I read about someone that decided to listen to all the albums on the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list during lockdown and I decided to have a go.

It might be a fun way to discover new music and to see how pop music evolved since the '50s.

Not sure how far I'm going to go before I loose interest but we'll see.

Gonna put my first impressions under read more so that I can remember which album/artists I liked.

1955:

Frank Sinatra- In the Wee Small Hours: really nice and chill. Will definitely listen to it again.

1956:

Duke Ellington - At Newport: really fun to jam along, although sometimes the sax (at least i think it’s a sax?) gets a bit too shrill for me

Fats Domino- This is Fats Domino: a really, really fun rock’n’roll album

The Louvain Brothers - Tragic Songs of Life: I’ve heard of them before because I did watch the whole “Country Music with Ken Burns” for no reason since I don’t really care for country music but holy shit I’m definetly going to check out their other releases because the armonies are great!

Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley: another fun rock’n’roll album also Elvis’ voice always makes me swoon on slow songs.

Louis Prima featuring Keely Smith - The Wildest: idk, it’s fine I guess but I don’t really see what’s so special about this album that made it make the cut, I probably won’t listen to this again. I can definitely see why a live performance of this in ‘56 would have been a riot.

Frank Sinatra- Song For Swingin’ Lovers : It’s nice, Frank Sinatra’s music is pretty easy listening and difficult to dislike. I think I enjoyed In The Wee Small Hours a bit more but maybe I was just in a more suitable mood that day.

1957:

The Crikets - The “Chirping” Crikets: it was alright?

Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool: back at this list after a couple of months of not being in the mood. Very nice, very easy listening jazz album. Moon Dreams is such a beautiful, sweet track.

Machito and his Orchestra - Kenya: really really nice Afro-Cuban jazz record. Would recommend.

Little Richard - Here's Little Richard: super short and super fun. The album opens with Tutti Frutti and this is enough to get you in a good mood.

Sabu - Palo Congo: I do like the more melodic songs but the other ones aren’t really my thing. If you’re into percussions (especially hand drums) and people occasionally sing-screaming something then definetly check it out. 

Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners: it’s alright but I’m really fucking tired of jazz music.

Sarah Vaughan - At Mister Kelly’s: turns out that I tend to enjoy Jazz when it’s chill and vocal driven.

Ravi Shankar - The Sounds of India: really nice and educational. Before each piece Ravi Shankar explains some of the basics of hindustan classical music.

1958:

Count Basie and his Orchestra - Baise: man this is a lot of fun. We should totally bring back big band as a popular music genre

Ramblin' Jack Elliot - Jack Takes the Floor: this is a simple, solid folk album, just this guy and his guitar telling stories.

Billie Holiday- Lady in Satin: this is such a touching album. Might be that I feel particularly sensitive today but I was about to cry by the end of it.

Tito Puente - Dance mania: very fun Latin jazz album. Truly makes you want to dance.

1959:

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Singa The George and Ira Gershwin Songbook: this thing is over 3 hours long. If you're a fan of vocal jazz it's probably the greatest thing ever but I'm not so I really just want it to be over. The songs are nice but 3 hours of this is too much for me.

The Dave Brueback Quartet - Time Out: really nice and pleasant. Also I'm really, really getting tired of all of this jazz.

Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles: again perfectly nice and pleasant.

Miles Davis- Kind of Blue: really, really beautiful album. Really chill and soothing.

Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs: it didn't save my first impression and my memory is bad but I remember I had a lot of fun listening to this album.

1960

Joan Baez - Joan Baez: she sounds so good, her voice and her interpretation gives me goosebumps.

Elvis Presley - Elvis is back!: this is so much fun. Idk if it's because I'm aware of how big Elvis was but it feels like a grand comeback. And he sounds good.

Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba: really great, i like the songs in Xhosa way better than the ones in English but she sounds great throughout the album.

The Everly Brothers - A Date with The Everly Brothers: well this was underwhelming and dull.

Muddy Waters - Muddy Waters at Newport 1960: a bit too slow for me but still really nice.

1961

Bill Evans Trio - Sunday at the Village Vanguard: the only album of 1961 in the list is yet another jazz album. For the first time since I started this project I quitted an album halfway through.

1962

Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music: the arrangements are really nice and Ray Charles' voice is incredible.

Booker T. & The M.G.'s - Green Onions: I KNOW GREEN ONIONS! The rest of the album is pretty great and really catchy.

Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba: bossa nova is just a great music genre

1963:

The Beatles - With The Beatles: it's been a long time since I listened to this album. Not my favourite Beatles' record but it's a solid and fun album.

James Brown - Live at the Apollo: this was so nice.

Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan: another album i haven't listened to in a while. My god it's good.

Mingus - The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady: yet another jazz album but a great one.

Ray Price - Night Life: there aren't a whole lot of country album on this list but the ones that are on it are good good.

The Incredible Jimmy Smith - Back At The Chicken Shack: okay what's with 1963 and great jazz albums?

Various Artists - A Christmas Gift For You: shame that Phil Spector was a piece of shit because he knew what he was doing, everything sounds incredible.

1964:

The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night: another album i haven't heard in a while. Fun fun fun stuff.

Jacques Brel - Olympia 64: i like the intensity he puts in his singing.

Solomon Burke - Rock 'N Soul: holy shit this is good. Every track is incredible and he sounds so good and soulful. I'm going to recommend it to everyone I know...

Stan Getz and João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto: my god i love bossa nova. And Girl From Ipanema is on this album.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club, Hamburg: I'm not really feeling this live album, i don't like how JLL sounds. Also i accidentally found out that he married his 13 y/o cousin when he was in his 20s which is disgusting.

The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones: the album is really nice but sometimes Mick Jagger sounds like an absolute dickhead.

Dusty Springfield - A Girl Called Dusty: really nice and soulful pop.

1965:

The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys Today!: really nice and pleasant album.

The Beatles - Rubber Soul: i didn't recall the last song being so icky but the rest is just solid stuff.

The Byrd - Mr. Tambourine Man: oh fuck this is good, I really like the sound.

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme: really nice, smooth jazz

Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home: I really, really love this album.

Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited: idk if it's because I listened to it right after Bringing it All Back Home and I was having a bit of a Dylan overdose but it sort of drags a lot by the end. It contains some absolute bangers tho.

Bert Jansch - Bert Jansch: nice folk album also you know what? For having been recorded on semi-professional equipment in somebody's broom closet this thing sounds incredible.

B.B. King - Live At The Regal: I ruined my experience by accidentally listening to the album on shuffle but it was still great. B.B King has such a beautiful voice.

Buck Owens and his Buckaroos - I've Got A Tiger By The Tail: really fun country album

Otis Redding - Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul: oh fuck this is so so good

The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics!!!: it's a fun album but it's hard to fully appreciate just how new and hard this sound was.

The Who - My Generation: what a way to start a career. This is an absolutely iconic album.

1966

The 13th Floor Elevators - They Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators: the big hit out of this album was nice and the electric jug sounds incredible but jesus christ this album is boring.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds: this is so nice.

The Byrds - Fifth Dimension: it's fine but their previous entry on this list was miles better. Their mix of folk rock and psychedelic rock is a bit dull.

Donovan - Sunshine Superman: the first couple of songs are a bit too subdued for me but then the album really picks up. The songwriting is great and the arrangements are incredible. Also great mixing.

Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde: gonna be honest I didn't remember this album being that good.

The Kinks - Face to Face: the album is great, the fact that the band's previous record weren't on the list not so much.

Love - Da Capo: no idea who these people are but the album is really pleasant. That 18 minutes closing track is far too long tho.

Uh-oh, it didn't save me the updates on a few album so i will have to go from memory:

The Mamas and The Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears: delightful vocal harmonies, Monday Monday and California Dreaming are the two strongest songs on here.

John Mayall with Eric Clapton - Blues Breakers: some very good blues tbh

Monks - Black Monk Time: delightfully deranged

Fred Neil - Fred Neil: no memory of this, I do remember that I heard one of the songs in some movie

Paul Revere and The Riders - Midnight Ride: it was fine?

The Rolling Stones - Aftermath: back at this after weeks and weeks and I'm not gonna lie it was mostly because i did not want to listen to this. I don't like this album, i don't like the Stones (bar a couple of songs) and Mick Jagger sounds like a cunt.

Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme: it's a great album. It's so warm and beautiful.

Nina Simone -Wild is the Wind: this album is insanely beautiful.

The Yardbirds - The Yardbirds: this shit is great also The Pussycat Dolls sampled The Yardbirds?

The Mothers of Invention - Freak Out!: this makes for an interesting listening experience, I'm not sure i like everything on it but it is a pretty fun album.

1967:

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: it's honestly just delightful.

The Beau Brummels - Triangle: it's alright, some tracks are almost magical but not quite.

Tim Buckley - Hello and Goodbye: it's fine, I really love his voice there's something that really grabs your attention.

Buffalo Springfield- Buffalo Springfield Again: it's nice background music but I'm starting to get a bit tired of all of this folk-rock? At least it's a mercifully short album.

The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday: it's fine but i liked their previous album on the list better.

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band - Safe as Milk: Honestly? who the fuck cares about this?

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen: sounds quite magical but i feel far too restless for this at the moment.

Country Joe and The Fish - Electric Music For The Mind And Body: tumblr didn't save my review of this and i have absolutely no recollection of this album. Had go double check to make sure I didn't accidentally skip it but apparently I listened to it a few days ago.

Cream - Disraeli Gears: it's good but I'm in the mood for something more exciting.

The Doors - The Doors: it's fine, contains a few absolute classics but I've never been a massive Doors fan.

The Electric Prunes - Electric Prunes: great stuff, and absolute joy to listen to.

Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved Another Man The Way I Love You: this album is absolutely delightful.

Astrud Gilberto - Beach Samba: it's whatever honestly

Merle Haggard and The Strangers - I'm a Lonesome Fugitive: as most great country albums it's 3 chords and the truth. The tunes are simple but nice and the lyrics are telling interesting stories.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?: it's good, it's rock music taking a heavier, darker turn.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love: even better than the other Hendrix' album.

The Kinks - Something Else By The Kinks: man I love this band so much.

Love - Forever Changes: really solid and nice album

Loretta Lynn - Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Loving On Your Mind): really great stuff here.

Moby Grape - Moby Grape: it's nice

The Monkees - Headquarters: it's a really nice album, No Time really packs a punch.

Nico - Chelsea Girl: I like the arrangements but I find Nico's singing to be unbearable.

Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn: such a fun album

The Young Rascals - Groovin: this was so good and so fun.

Frank Sinatra with Antonio Carlos Jobim - Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim: it's a Frank Sinatra album not much to say.

The Velvet Underground and Nico - The Velvet Underground and Nico: starts pretty great then it just drags on and on. Sometimes on here Nico doesn't sound as bad.

The Who - The Who Sell Out: the concept helps out a lot, there are some absolute bangers and a bunch of fine songs.

1968:

The Band - The Band: what is even the point of this album.

The Beatles - The Beatles: didn't need to be a double album, half of the songs on here are just fillers. The bangers are very much present tho.

Jeff Beck - Truth: nice and heavy, a tiny bit too slow tho.

Big Brother and The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills: there's a reason why most people only remember 2 songs on this album...

Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears: yeah no.

Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum: okay this is great, why is only half of the album on spotify?

The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers: it's nice and under 30 minutes.

The Byrds - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo: the start of country rock is very nice.

Caetano Veloso - Caetano Veloso: I know that the guy didn't like his first solo album but it sounds pretty neat to me...

Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison: it's a great album.

Dr. John, The Night Tripper - Gris-Gris: not sure what's going on but it's pretty neat.

Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul: Miss Aretha could sing and had excellent taste regarding what she sang.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland: finally something nice and heavy

The Incredible String Band - The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter: you really don't have to hear this.

Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida: this fucks extremely hard.

The Kinks - The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society: yeah I just really like The Kinks and this album is great.

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks: this shit is far too rambly for me.

Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes: not sure I like everything on this album but at least it's interesting. And mostly catchy.

Laura Nyro - Eli And The Thirteen Confessions: this stuff is god tier and you know it from the first note. You can also hear just how much influence it had on so many artists.

The Pretty Things - S.F. Sorrow: it makes a really pleasant listen. I know that it's a concept album about one guy but I paid 0 attention to the plot.

The Rolling Stones ‐ Beggars Banquet: idk man, it's nice but I do find the Rolling Stones a pretty underwhelming band.

Sharma, Chaurasia and Kabra - Call of the Valley: took me a while to track this one online, if the one on youtube I managed to find is the reall Album then it's pretty good.

Small Faces: Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake: it's not bad but I don't particularly care for this.

Traffic -Traffic: it seems good but I'm not vibing with this today.

The United States of America - The United States of America: sort of can't wait for the psychedelic era to be over. There was some interesting stuff here but i didn’t find this an enjoyable listening experience.

The Velvet Underground- White Light / White Heat: i cannot stress just how much I don't care about this band and most of their output.

Scott Walker - Scott 2: now THIS is fun. Baroque Pop is often forgotte but jesus if it's fun. It's big and pompous and majestic and so meaty. it feels like you can sink your teeth into the instrumental.

The Mothers Of Invention - We're Only In It For The Money: this was so much fun both lyrically and musically.

The Zombies - Odessy And Oracle: I am in love with this album.

1969

The Band - The Band: this was nice and i really enjoyed the album.

The Beatles - Abbey Road: not my favourite Beatles' album but it does have two of the best songs George Harrison ever wrote so...

Bee Gees - Odessa: I have no memory of this album

Tim Buckley - Happy Sad: a bit too unexciting for me.

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica: I'm not sure of what the hell is going on here. I'm sure they had fun recording it?

Johnny Cash - At San Quentin: man that guy really knew how to entertain a crowd.

Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority: it's fine but I could have died wothout listening to it and I wouldn't have missed much.

Leonard Cohen - Songs From A Room: the man was more of a poet than musician most of the time so yeah excellent lyricism but not much going on musically

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country & Green River: both excellent albums with an abundance of fun and catchy songs. CCR wasn't active long but they gave us so much.

Crosby, Stills and Nash - Crosby, Stills and Nash: this felt like a very flimsy record. The armonies were nice, the rest of it not so much

Miles Davis - In A Silent Way: i really like this, it has a really great atmosphere.

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left: it was fine

Fairport Convention - Liege And Lief & Unhalfbricking: They aren't my cup of tea and I just don't care about their music. I tried so hard to make it past the first 3 songs in both album but I just couldn't.

The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace of Sin: this is not the type of music you expect from a band with this name but it's pretty nice country rock.

Grateful Dead - Live/Dead: it's nice, a tad bit too long for people who arent really into the band.

Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul: this is revolutionary

King Crimson- In The Court Of The Crimson King: I love this album so much.

The Kinks - Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire): The Kinks are usually a good band and this is one of their finest albums (not my favourite tho)

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I & II: I genuinely love these album so much. And in hindsight you can hear that the gears were really starting to turn for hard rock and heavy metal.

MC5 - Kick Out The Jam: not really to my taste but its pretty good.

The Pentangle - Bakset of Light: This is nice nice.

Elvis Presley - From Elvis In Memphis: it's nice, but I'm not sure it belongs on this list?

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trail: 1) this is a great name for a band and 2) the goddamn 25 minute suite that's a cover of a 2 minute song is gold.

The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed: imho one of the best albums by the stones but also it sounds like any other album by the stones and boy was i glad when it was over.

Sly & The Family Stone - Stand: very funky album. ngl the 5 minuts of the n-word with the hard r were mildly uncomfortable but aside from that it's very enjoyable.

Alexander Spence - Oar: it's mice but it does sound like an album by someone who did a lot of acid and spent 6 month in a mental health facility.

Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis: it's a shortish album, but it's so good that it makes time fly and it leaves you wanting more.

The Stooges - The Stooges: side A was great, side B was alright.

The Temptations - Cloud Nine: this is so so good.

The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground: yeah no, i still dislike most of the output from this group.

Scott Walker - Scott 4: every other album by this guy is on this list and deservedly so.

The Who - Tommy: I love this album. The music is great and the plot is fucking insane.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere: some incredible guitarwork on this.

The Youngbloods - Elephant Mountain: forgot to write my thoughts right after. I don't remember anything about this album but I remember linking it.

Frank Zappa - Hot Rats: really neat album. I'm especially fond of the bits that sound like a more elevated version of the local carnival band music.

1970:

Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs: there's a couple of high points but overall it was just fine.

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath: the beginning of heavy metal still sounds incredible and like such a departure from the psychedelic stuff.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid: such a great album.

The Carpenters - Close To You: it's a great album but going from paranoid to this is a bit of a weird experience.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory: CCR are just great.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu: much much more solid than the CS&N album on the list.

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew: banging title but I preferred his previois entries on the list.

Deep Purple - In Rock: this is just an overall excellent album.

Derek and The Dominos - Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs: a very solid album.

The Doors - Morrison Hotel: when these guys decided to go hard they went hard. The guy they brought in to pla bass for like two tracks is so fucking good.

Nick Drake - Bryter Layter: no fucking clue what the title is supposed to me but jesus this is a great folk album

George Harrison - All Things Must Pass: triple albums should be illegal. Nobody has enough quality material to make a triple album actually bearable. And I hate the production so much.

[mimiatmidnight]

Predictions on Baby Girl Sussex?

I’m FREEEEEEEE from finals and ready to chat with you all once again! Thank you all for being so patient, I’m so excited to dive into all your questions and give them the novel-length responses they deserve 😉

I’m assuming you mean name predictions haha, cause the only other thing I can think of to predict would be her birthday (for the record, I’ll go ahead and put my sister’s birthday, June 10th, for no reason other than I predicted my own birthday, April 26th, for Archie!). But I love talking about baby names (as you can see by the length of this post 😅), so let’s get into it.

So I fully expect to be completely taken aback by their pick. Like not even on the same planet as my predictions. Cause that’s just how those two roll lmao. But IF they’re staying in the same theme as Archie’s name, I’m expecting something that’s also short, possibly nickname-y, kind of dusty and vintage, but with a whimsical charm, just like Archie’s. I am still operating with the assumption that she will one day be Princess (whether or not that actually happens, of course, remains to be seen), so I’m trying to keep that title in mind. And also, given that name meanings appear to hold significance to them, I tried to at least somewhat keep meanings in mind. So, in no particular order:

Eloise

“Healthy; wide”

French, English

I am SO charmed by this name. If I hadn’t already decided on Elliott for my future son’s name, this name would be right at the top of my future daughter’s list. I just thinks it’s so delightfully playful yet still timeless and classic. It gives easy and pretty nicknames with Ellie and Ella, or even Lizzy (possibly to honor her great-grandmother?). “Archie and Eloise” sounds so perfect and natural to me, without sounding kitschy or too over the top with the matching. “Princess Eloise” is so deliciously perfect, it just fits together like a puzzle piece.

Eleanor

Unknown meaning

English, French

Eleanor hits almost all the same beats I mentioned above for Eloise, even down to the lovely Ellie/Ella nicknames. It’s even more royal than Eloise, with such heady associations as the legendary Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (not to mention the American Queen, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt!). Eloise is closer to my heart, but I’d be thrilled with Eleanor as well.

Greta

“Pearl”; diminutive of Margaret

German

This one’s quite old-fashioned, but I think it’s so charming and would make an adorable name on a little girl. And fun fact, the name Meghan comes from a nickname for Margaret, which is why both those names as well as Greta all mean “Pearl.” So this would be a perfect way to honor little girl’s mama in a more subtle way.

Poppy

“Red flower”

Latin, English

Spunky yet sweet. Pays tribute to her mother’s homeland of California, while also sounding very at home in her father’s homeland of the UK. A flower name in honor of her mama’s own mama. This scarlet name would be even more perfect if the Ginger Avenger manages to make himself another little Gingette. And as I said to one of my anons the other day, “Princess Poppy” is so screeching cute I might actually combust if I think about it too much, so let’s move on.

Lea

“Meadow; weary”

English

To be totally honest, this one is mostly just because I’ve been addicted to listening to “Lea” by TOTO on repeat lately. Although “Princess Lea” might be a bit too . . . you know. Stor Wors. Even though the sci-fi princess pronounces her name differently, I think they’ll probably still want to avoid that association. Still, that song is heavenly and the name goes with all my criteria so I’m putting it in anyways.

Hazel

“Hazelnut tree”

English

Another nature name, one that I’m sure our favorite Earth Mama will enjoy ;) It’s newly popular, but in my opinion still retains that distinctive and whimsical uniqueness of a name that’s much further on the fringe than Hazel actually is. I can just picture a little hazel-eyed princess running barefoot around her gorgeous backyard, wild hair all spread out as she lays underneath a hazelnut tree. Ugh, so cute.

Etta

“Estate ruler”; feminine diminutive of Henry

English, Scottish

I suppose in response to Archie’s middle name Harrison, I’ve seen some Squaddies predict Henrietta for his little sister. And um . . . that is not a favorite of mine 😅 But if Harry wants to add his brand to his second little munchkin as well, why not Henrietta’s much more sleek and dynamic offshoot, Etta? It's got that old school feel, with also a spark of liveliness. I also love that it ties to their Black ancestry through one of the most legendary Queens of American Soul Music, Etta James.

Maeve

“She who intoxicates”

Irish

Incredibly endearing with a rich history. For my own personal use, this safer option might actually be called upon for my future daughter if I never manage to work up the courage to use my actual long-time Irish favorite, Saoirse. But for Harry and Meghan, I can’t really see them using this one. Still, I felt like I needed an M name to cover all my bases, and this is one of the few that I like. Some other honorable “M”entions (get it?) include Maisie, Melody, and Madeleine (thank you to my lovely anon for this one!).

Francesca

“From France; free man”; variation of Frances

Italian

I haven’t really mentioned middle names here, mostly because this post is long enough already and middle name combos just add a whole other level of crazy. But given the enormous legacy of her grandmother, I am extremely torn on whether Baby Girl will be getting a name in her honor. If her parents so choose, Diana’s middle name Frances, or even it’s more ornately feminine variation, Francesca, would be lovely honors for the little princess to carry. If they do end up honoring Diana, I’d expect it to be in Baby Girl’s middle name.

Violet

“Purple”

Latin, English

One last flower name for Earth Mama Meghan. Violet was my top pick for Archie when he was still the mysterious Baby Sussex, but though it has since fallen from my top spot, it still is a lovely, classic name of inarguable feminine grace, yet with an underlying core of strength and fortitude. I feel like Violet is a woman who ties her hair back with a soft velvet bow, but then hitches up her skirts, draws her sword, and shows the battlefield who’s boss. I just love the duality of this name, and I think it would be a lovely gift for a little girl.

Alice

“Noble”

German

Vintage, classic, girly, and solidly royal, this name calls to mind white rabbits and looking glasses. Once again, on a personal note, this might be an option for my future daughter if I chicken out on trying to get everyone to pronounce Alicia correctly. I love that name in the Spanish pronunciation, “Ah-lee-see-ah,” but I find the Anglicized “Ah-lee-sha” to be dreadful and I wouldn’t want to burden my girl with a lifetime of corrections. Anyways, Alice is just as elegant, if not quite as ornate, and in any case is much more likely for our British-American princess. Plus, what a stunning pair of name meanings to gift these two siblings: “Brave” Archie and “Noble” Alice. They sound straight out of an Arthurian legend. (Plus, how cute would “Archie and Alice” sound!)

Honorable Mentions Cause I Need To Wrap This Shit Up:

Evie/Edie (both follow all the E names I wrote about above, and Edie in particular is a modern name full of moxie that would be a great nickname for the older, traditional Edith)

Lily (yet another flower name, and I just like the sound of this one)

Spencer (another possible route to honoring Granny Diana, yet maintaining a much more modern and spunky taste than Frances, while also being less direct)

Clara (of Nutcracker fame, adding here mostly because I think I’d melt if I heard this in Harry’s voice and accent)

Lucy (same vibes as Alice and Clara)

Ivy (cute, simple, girly nature name, but unfortunately already in use by the daughter of Meghan’s close friend Jessica Mulroney)

Zoe (I have absolutely no personal connection to this name, but for some reason it just now randomly popped into my head as something they might choose, so here ya go)

So yeah! Sorry this was so long, but it was super fun! Thank you for sending in this great question. I’d love to hear all your guys’ name predictions, dream picks, and wild card guesses!

[pciscnedhcney]

dolores j. umbridge. || intro.

----- trivia first. ----- bio second. ----- wcs third.

Basics:

Name: Dolores Jane Umbridge. Lola, if you want. Dolly, if you’re looking for violence. Meaning:      Dolores // sorrow, pain.      Jane // god is gracious.      Umbridge // pun on umbrage, offence or annoyance Birthday: 26. August Age: 28 Pronouns: she / her Sexuality: bisexual Siblings: Ernest Umbridge, squib. None. Parents: Orford Umbridge, halfblood. Ella Cracknell, muggle. deceased.  Other Family: None. Related to most pureblood families, most importantly the Selwyns. Languages: English, Latin.  Current Residence: London, UK. Hometown: Grimsby, UK

Wizard Fun:

Hogwarts House: Slytherin Occupation: Head of the Department of Magical Equipment Control Pet: Four precious cats Blood Status: halfblood pureblood Patronus: unable to cast Boggart: being ridiculed by her peers Amortentia: fresh earl grey tea, dried flowers Wand type: Birch, Dragon heartstring, 8in Affiliation: Death Eaters

Personality:

Positive Traits: poised, seemingly sweet, ambitious Negative Traits: cruel, sadistic, fake

BIO QUICKFACTS. 

Was born to a muggle woman and her blood purist father who teaches his daughter his ways from a very young age. 

Grows up to despise her muggle mother, her squib brother, and her own blood status even before she gets into Hogwarts

Is an exceptional student, but lacks the social skills to make friends with just about anyone and feels extremely slighted by being denied positions of power such as prefect or head girl.

Her mother leaves with her brother when she’s just 15. She never hears from them again.

Starts working at the ministry straight after school. Pays off her father to quit his custodian position so they wouldn’t run into each other at work. Makes very sure no one assumes they’re related. 

Climbs the career ladder fast. Is nice to people who help her get ahead and pretty awful to everyone else. Personality like poisoned honey - sickly sweet. 

Will abuse her position to confiscate pureblood wands for a powertrip. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

Absolutely everything. Every little plot point I’m happy with! But to give you some ideas, I naturally prepared a little list.

Victims. Dolores isn’t just a bitch, she’s a straight up bully. Her prefered victims are people she thinks she’s above. That’s anyone not pureblood, people without a lot of prestige, half breeds, squibs, you name it. This can go anywhere from being rude to your character at work, to being all out violent. 

Someone who knows about her little blood status secret. That can be someone who might even be considered a friend, who maybe feels a bit of sympathy for her, or someone who isn’t above using it for their own benefit. 

People she’s friendly with. Those could be actual friends, though most people will probably find Dolores to be somewhat unlikeable, or just some mutual agreement to be nice to each other for appearance’s sake.

Someone who has as much fun with her more violent side as she does. Inflicting grievous bodily harm can be a great hobby if shared with others.  

[440mxs-wife]

The Hunter’s Princess Chapter 1: Another Dimension

Pairing: Dean x OFC Kira (eventual), Prince!Dean x OFC Lady Kira. Other Characters: Sam Winchester, Prince!Sam Winchester, Castiel, Rowena, Gabriel, King!John, Queen!Mary, Lucifer and assorted minor characters.

Chapter 1 Word Count: 3800

Warnings: Mention of parents’ death, a little angst, mostly fluff. Each chapter will have individual warnings as needed.

A/N: This is from some material that’s been rattling around in my head from another project that changed direction. Couldn’t let all this content go to waste, though, so here it is. It’s a work-in-progress, and I will try and update as regularly as I can. If you want to be tagged in this series, send me a message!

Thank you and happy reading!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was a Wednesday afternoon, and Kira Thomas was bored.

There hadn't been a hunt in over a month and she was starting to get cabin fever. Dean was giving the Impala a tune-up, while Sam was catching up on his serial-killer documentaries. Rowena had stopped by to research something in the Book of the Damned for some crazy spell she was working on. Castiel was off who-knew-where, doing who-knew-what, and Kira didn't want to bother him just because she was bored.

Gonna have to find something to do, she thought to herself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kira Thomas had been in the hunting life with the Winchesters for as long as she could remember. Her parents, James and Ava, were among the top hunters for their generation, but semi-retired so that they could start a family.

Once Kira reached a certain age, her parents resumed their hunting career. That meant Kira was often left in the care of their friend, Bobby Singer, owner and operator of the local scrapyard. Bobby was a gruff old man and mumbled "idjits" a lot, but one look at Kira's sweet face and he melted.

Another hunter, John Winchester, also sometimes had to leave his sons, Sam and Dean, in Bobby's care. John was on the trail to hunt down the monster that killed his wife and the mother of his sons. This was how Dean met Kira.

At first, Dean didn't want to have anything to do with Kira. She was three years younger than he was, and only one year older than his brother, Sam. She followed Dean nearly everywhere, wanting to do whatever it was he was doing. If he was running errands for Bobby, Kira wanted to tag along.

When Dean started weapons training to prepare him for going on hunts, Kira was right there, training along with Dean. More than a few times, Bobby was able to give Dean a batch of grief because Kira had performed better than he did. Those were the days that Dean tended to give Kira the silent treatment. Until she figured out how to bake a pie, that is, then all was usually forgiven.

The day his dad took him and Sam out on the road with him, Dean was heartbroken. It meant that he wouldn't see Kira every day and didn't know when he would again. Kira didn't know it, but Dean's feelings for her had grown beyond that of her best friend. And Dean had no idea that Kira had begun to realize that her feelings for him had shifted to more-than-best-friend territory.

After Bobby died, Kira settled into her own room at the bunker, where she continued to hunt with Sam, Dean and now Castiel. There were so many times with Dean and Kira, the line between friendship and more was very nearly crossed. Drunken near-confessions of love, shameless but harmless flirting and lingering touches all had a way of building up. Everyone was telling the two of them to quit tiptoeing around each other and take the leap of faith, but neither of them could.

Until something happened to force the issue.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kira wandered the halls of the bunker, and for some reason stopped in front of Room #17. It was the room occupied by boxes of her parents' possessions. Boxes that were full of the things left to her after their house was sold. She had never had the time or courage to go through the boxes, but for some reason, today seemed like the day to do it. Kira took a deep breath, turned the knob on Room #17 and flipped on the lights.

Dean had finished giving the Impala a tune-up and had returned to the inside of the bunker to get himself cleaned up. He noticed how quiet it was and thought it was odd that Kira didn't have any music playing. Dean decided to shower up then go looking for Kira to see if she would want to watch a movie together. Maybe then he'd have the courage to tell her how he felt about her.

When he was properly cleaned up, Dean went from room to room, trying to find Kira. He didn't find her in her bedroom, the kitchen or the firing range. As he walked back to his room, he heard soft laughter and occasional sniffles coming from Room #17. Dean poked his head in and a smile broke out across his face.

"Hiya, sweetheart," he said softly, not wanting to startle Kira.

Kira hastily wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath before looking up. "Hey, Dean. Everything okay?" she asked.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. Whatcha got going on here, darlin'?" he inquired.

"Well, seems like everyone had something to do today, except me. I started wandering the halls and ended up here. It occurred to me that I haven't gone through any of these boxes of my parents' stuff since they died. Figured it was about time I did," Kira finished.

"There's no reason to push yourself if you're not emotionally up for it. But, if you're set on doing this, I'm here for you," Dean remarked.

"If you're all done with what you had going on, then yeah, I'd love the company," Kira replied with a smile.

Dean and Kira each opened a box and started looking through them. Most of what they found was paperwork, like Kira's old school report cards, along with some photographs. A couple of the boxes had some old lore books. Dean placed those boxes by the door and made a mental note to take them out to the library later.

They were down to the last two boxes, which contained items found in Kira's parents' bedroom. The really personal stuff, like her dad's cologne and her mom's hairbrush. Towards the bottom, Kira found her mom's jewelry box. She knew her mom had some heirloom jewelry, passed down from each generation of mothers to daughters.

One piece in particular caught her eye, and that was her mother's locket. She carefully drew it out of the box and dangled it in front of her face, then fastened it around her neck.

"Whatcha got there, sweetheart?" Dean asked.

"It's my mom's locket," she whispered. Kira popped open the locket to reveal her tiny kindergarten photo kept within. "I never asked what she kept inside, and she never told me. Just that it would be passed down to me when it was time," Kira recalled. For some reason, the locket started to glow in her hand. "Dean...." she said as she held it up for him to see.

"What's--I think you'd better put that back in the box, honey, nice and slow," Dean remarked with more calm in his voice than he currently felt.

"Dean! I can't take it off," Kira exclaimed as she started to phase in and out of sight.

From the library, Rowena's head shot up and her eyes glowed purple, a sign that she was in the presence of a powerful magic. "KIRA!!" Rowena shouted as she ran down the hall to Room #17. She got to the doorway in time to chant something in Latin, then Kira completely disappeared.

"KIRA!! NOOOOO!!" Dean roared as Rowena slumped to the floor.

Sam came rushing around the corner. "What the hell just happened?!?" he thundered then looked around the room. "Where's Kira?" he asked.

"I don't know!" Dean growled. "One minute, we're going through these boxes of her parents' stuff, and she came across her mom's jewelry box. The next minute, her mom's locket is glowing around her neck and she disappeared! Oh, but not before Rowena here cast some spell that I have no idea what it does," Dean retorted.

Rowena slowly rose up from the floor. "It was a tracking spell. Your wee Kira is fine....for the moment. Her mother's locket is a powerful charmed object that's been passed down from one generation to the next. It allows the wearer to move between dimensions, which is what each mother is supposed to tell her daughter. Unfortunately, Kira's mother died before she could explain," she shook her head sadly.

"So this whole multiverse is an actual thing? She can travel to other places, other timelines?" Sam asks.

"Look, who cares, we need to get Kira back. Rowena, do whatever hoodoo voodoo you have to do to get her back," Dean ordered. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket to call Cas to see if he could somehow help. He had no idea what it was going to take to get Kira back....assuming they even could do so.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kira tilted the mug as she held it under the tap and began to fill it with the frothy amber liquid. She looked around to see if she could figure out who the drink belonged to. Her eyes settled on the outstretched hand of a dark-haired man with squinty dark eyes. He paid for his beer, grumbled his thanks and returned to his table.

With no customers to serve for the moment, Kira reviewed her surroundings. It was a decent sized pub, with four taps for beer, a jug of wine for the more adventurous and a bottle of what looked like scotch. There were seven seats at the beautiful mahogany bar, with several tables on the main floor. Two men were occupied by a dart board in the corner, while four others were huddled around a billiards table.

A woman with curly strawberry blond hair came up to the bar carrying a tray with empty glasses. "Oy, Kira, those blokes in the corner were getting kind of fresh. One of them tried to back me into a corner and pinch me backside!" she exclaimed.

Kira looked at the two men playing darts. For some reason, one of them looked familiar, like she'd dealt with him before. "Don't worry, Ella, I'll take care of it," Kira promised, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Kira walked out from behind the bar and over to the men in the corner. Loudly clearing her throat, she demanded, "Excuse me, which one of you has been harassing Ella?"

The shorter of the two men sauntered over to me and stood so close that Kira could smell the number of drinks he'd had. "Why 'ello, there! Fancy a throw at the board, Love?" he held out the dart with one hand while he tried to pinch Kira's backside with the other.

Since he was so close, Kira grabbed his ear and pulled upward. "I believe I told you that if you misbehave again in my establishment, you would be kicked out. You tried to pinch Ella's and my backsides tonight. That counts as misbehaving, so you are leaving," Kira said as she dragged him towards the door. He tried to squirm out of her grasp, but she held tight and kept moving until she was able to throw him out of her pub.

His friend started to intervene, but Kira cut him off with a death look. "Unless you want a piece of this, I suggest you back off," she remarked ominously. He had the good sense to return his attention to the dart board. After throwing out the offending individual, Kira dusted off her hands on her apron and returned to her place behind the bar.

As the night wore on, Kira busied herself cleaning the glassware and wiping down the bar as customers started to filter out. Just before closing, the door burst open and a woman with long wavy red hair sauntered in. She was wearing a dark-colored cloak, a long pink dress and carried a large satchel. She eased up onto a barstool near where Kira was working and said, "Kira, dear, we need to talk."

"Rowena," Kira whispered.

"How in the name of holy water did you get here, Rowena?" she hissed.

"Just before you disappeared, I cast a tracking spell on you, dearie," she replied. "How much do you remember before you ended up here of all places?" she asked.

"Last thing I remember is Dean and I going through some boxes of my parents' stuff. I came across my mom's jewelry box and found this locket," Kira lifted it to show Rowena. "It started to glow, I called for Dean, then I ended up here," she finished.

"Well, let's start with the basics. What do we know about this place?" Rowena asked.

"From what I can tell, I'm the owner of this pub. I have three servers that work for me, Ella, Jolene and Miranda. Apparently I've kept my hunting skills, because I just threw out a drunk moron just by holding on to his ear. He was pinching backsides without permission," Kira remarked.

As Kira finished bringing Rowena up to date, two new customers walked in. One was taller than the other, with chestnut hair and hazel colored eyes. The other wasn't as tall, but not short by any means. He had dark blond-ish hair with bright green eyes.

"We're almost closed up, gentlemen, but you have time for one or two drinks before last call. What'll it be?" Kira asked.

"Well, what do you have for beer?" Mr. Green Eyes inquired.

"That depends. We have four of them on tap, and it depends on whether you like it light and crisp, or dark and chewy," Kira quipped.

"Hmm, interesting description, I like it," he continued. "Surprise me, as long as it's not the dark and chewy one," he grinned.

"Can do, and for you sir?" she asked Mr. Hazel Eyes.

"I'll go with scotch, neat," he replied.

"On the way, thank you sir," Kira acknowledged.

Kira pulled the tap to fill a mug of beer for Mr. Green Eyes, and when that was done, she poured the two fingers of scotch for Mr. Hazel Eyes. Kira placed the drinks in front of them, and they paid the tab for the drinks.

"Excuse me, Kira?" Kira looked and Rowena was trying to get her attention. "Might I have a word with you, dearie?" Rowena asked.

Kira walked down to where Rowena was sitting and asked her what she needed. "Those two men? They are not what they seem," she said mysteriously.

Kira looked at them and asked, "What are you talking about? Come on, Rowena, they're a couple of guys who stopped by for a drink late one night," she remarked.

"There's something familiar about them. Can't quite put my finger on it, but it's like they're men of great importance," Rowena insisted.

"Rowena, they look like two regular guys. A little family resemblance, brothers or cousins maybe, but normal, thirsty guys," Kira observed. Wait a minute....Nah, it couldn't be.

Kira was finishing up her chat with Rowena when she heard, "Oy, Lady Kira?" Jolene motioned with her eyes that Mr. Green Eyes needed a refill on his beer. Then she took the next round of drinks out to a table.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kira could see Mr. Green Eyes had nearly finished his beer. After he drained the last drop she took his mug, dropped it in the dishwater and picked up a fresh one. "Same selection?" Kira asked.

"Depends. Which one was that?" he asked with a grin.

"I started you off slow. That one was the light and crisp. I'll pour you the next one, and maybe I'll let you name it," she teased.

"You're on, Lady Kira," he smirked.

A sharp pain pierced Kira's head, momentarily clouding her vision. She grabbed the edge of the bar to keep her balance. Suddenly it dawned on her who these men were. It was Sam and Dean, but also....not them. Like Rowena said, something familiar about them, but they're more than just hunters in this dimension.

Kira poured his beer, but before handing it to him, she leaned in so her face was a few inches from his. "Listen. We keep the 'Lady' part of my name a secret. If everyone knew who I really was, I couldn't do half the things I do for these townfolk. I don't want recognition for any of what I do. I try to make their lives a little easier with some charity while letting them keep a bit of their pride," she finished. As Kira plunked the beer down on the bar, some of it sloshed over the edge, hopefully conveying her annoyance.

Rowena flagged Kira down again. "Now do you believe me, darlin'? I saw that look on your face. You know that's Sam and Dean, but they're different here than they are at home," she remarked.

"Yes, I'm with you now. They're still hunters, but that's not all they are. Like they have a more important 'day job'," Kira mused. "Although Dean in any dimension is still going to be a smart ass from time to time. Likewise, Sam is still the more cautious of the two," she replied with a soft laugh.

At that moment, the door opened and a man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes stepped in. "Sirs? I think it's time we set out for home," the man said.

"Just finishing up one for the road, Castiel," Dean replied. He drained the last of the beer from his mug and tapped on the glass to get Kira's attention. She looked up from the mug she was drying off and tilted her head. "Thank you for the hospitality this evening. Hope to see you again," he said as he winked at her.

"Safe travels, gentlemen. May your journey home be swift and free from incident," Kira remarked as they departed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kira looked around to see that the rest of her customers had also made their way home, or at least out of the pub. Jolene, Miranda and Ella picked up any remaining dishes and brought them up to the bar. While Kira washed the glassware, Miranda cleaned tables while Jolene swept the floor. Ella took care of the restocking duties, checking the taps and bringing up another bottle of scotch.

When all closing duties were done, everyone filed out the back door and went their separate ways, except Rowena stayed with Kira. They walked towards a large carriage house not far from the pub. Kira pushed open the heavy, decorative oak door and was immediately greeted by her house manager, Alfred. "Good evening, Lady Kira. I see you've brought a guest with you. Will she be staying long?" he asked.

"Good evening, Alfred. May I present Lady Rowena of the Scottish Highlands. She will be staying with us for an undetermined amount of time. Please see her to one of the open rooms upstairs, while I check in with the rest of the staff," Kira requested.

"Very well, Lady Kira," Alfred replied. To Rowena, he said, "Should you be in need of refreshment or anything else, please be sure to ring, madam."

"Thank you, dear. I am a wee bit tired, so if you could please show me to my room. Lady Kira, I shall see you in the morning," Rowena promised. Kira nodded in agreement then headed off towards the kitchen.

After a quick meeting with the staff, Kira learned that a morning supply run would be needed to replenish some of the items in the pantry. It was in need of coffee, flour, sugar, most of the basics, including fresh vegetables. Kira provided her head chef, Stefan, with the funds necessary to purchase what was needed at the town market in the morning.

The head housekeeper, Coraline, notified Kira that sheets had been freshly laundered. There also were plenty of clean towels in the wardrobe in each room. Once she got the full report, Kira trudged upstairs to her room. She didn't even bother to get dressed in her nightclothes. She pulled back the blankets and crawled beneath them. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As the three men approached their destination, they were greeted by Collins, the head of the stables. He was a short, white-haired man who had worked for the family for many years. He remembered when the figures approaching on horseback had been mischievous young boys. He felt privileged to see them grow up into the fine young men they were today.

"You boys had better get on up to the main hall. Your parents have been looking for you, and they are not too pleased at how late you've been out," he gently chided.

The men dismounted from their horses, so that Collins and one of the other stablehands, George, could lead them to their stalls. As they walked from the stables to the main hall, they thought back to events of the past evening.

They were called in to take out a vampire nest in one of the eastern provinces. There were only supposed to be seven or eight vamps, which was certainly manageable for the three of them. Turns out there were more like twelve, which made things a little more difficult, but not impossible.

They approached the main hall where their parents were waiting. The green-eyed man walked up to his mother and knelt before her, touching the backs of her outstretched hands to his forehead. He repeated the same gesture with his father, as did the man with hazel eyes. The blue-eyed man knelt before them, but crossed his chest with his right arm, placing his right fist above his heart.

Their father looked sternly at his sons as he settled back in his seat. "Do you mind telling me what the crown princes of this land have been out doing at all hours of the night?" he asked. "Your mother was worried sick about you, pacing the floor until word arrived that you had come home!"

The hazel-eyed man spoke first. "Father, we received word of an attack in one of the eastern provinces. On our way back, we happened to stop by a pub owned by a woman named Kira. Had a couple of drinks, then Castiel told us it was time to go back, so we left," he explained.

"Is this true? Dean?" his father, King John asked.

"Yes, Father, Samuel is correct. The threat in the eastern province has been neutralized. For now, anyway. I had a couple of beers in the pub and was enjoying some nice conversation with the owner before Castiel pulled us away," he grumbled.

"If you had just told someone where you were going, I--we wouldn't have worried so much," explained his mother, Queen Mary. "Your father and I have a matter of great importance, which we would like to discuss with you. Castiel, would you please excuse us?" she asked.

Part 2 here!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @janicho88 @akshi8278 @magssteenkamp @swiftlymoniquesblog @lyarr24 @miss-nerd95 @distefano123 @hobby27 @deanwanddamons @jessica-noel94 @wayward-mikaelson @jawritter @gabrielslittleangel @jensengirl83 @deangirl93 @ellewritesfix05 @supernatural-jackles

[saradiasz]

Pairing: Lin Manuel X Reader

Note: Hi, this is my first Fanfic here, i hope you enjoy it!

Warning: Cursing, Teenager Lin, Lin's accent in Spanish, Smut, Fluff, Lin's baby pictures.

Word Count: 5.001

1998- Summer Vacations

I can't wait to meet my new neighbors, it's pretty lonely here since Cameron that lived nextdoor had to go to live in another country with her parents, she was my best friend and maybe my only one, she said that we will still be friends but...it's different, she's going to find new ones and I'm going to be here alone as always...Fuck that, I have to focus on the new neighbors now, maybe they have a daughter...Well, nobody compares to Cam...Ok, ok I'm forgetting that for now. Anyway, my mom is baking a cake to the neighbors when they arrive, I'm so nervous and anxious for...some reason, so I go downstairs to talk to my mom and see if the cake is ready.

 — Hey mom, how it's going there?  — I said looking to the oven and seeing the chocolate cake inside.

 — Right on time honey, I'm going to take it out in 5 minutes, wanna help me with the frosting?  — She said giving me a spatula that i take with enthusiasm.

 — Sure mom.  — I smile to her and she start to pouring condensed milk slowly in the wipped cream that I was stirring.

After that she put the frosting on the fridge and take the cake of the oven and put it on the table to rest, we talk for some time about nothing important until the cake was cold enough for the frosting. Is between spread frosting on the cake and put it on a plate that we heard a knock at the door.

 — Can you see who is for me Y/N? 

 — Sure.  — I said with a bored face, it's impossible that anyone liked to host people at your door, impossible.

I open the door and I see a latin little man, or a big kid... I'm not sure yet, he is wearing a Star Wars t-shirt way too big with large, large pants that another person could fit there with him comfortably, there's a hat laying on his head too, very fancy. He just stay there starring at me with his big brown eyes and then say:

 — Hi I'm Lin son of the new neighbors, my mom is throwing a party tonight and she's inviting your family, nothing fancy just some foods and a lot of dancing, there's none dress code or those shit, we just want to have a good time with everyone and make new friends.  — He said in one breathe with a lot of hand gestures, impressive...He dresses like a kid and talk as much as one.

 — Okay.  — I said slowly.  — I'm gonna say to my mom, actually she's baking a welcome cake for your family, we can take with us tonight then.

 — That would be perfect, thank you so much. — He said gesturing with his hands again. — Bye.  — He turn around and go in the way to the next house as I close the door.

 — Okay, mom you won't belie... What are you looking at?  — She look at me with a weird smile and say:

 — He likes you honey, did you saw the look on his eyes and how he was literally throwing words at you?  — She said giving me a malicious face.

 — What are you saying, of course he don't like me, we talk for 2 minutes...Well he talked for 2 minutes I just listened. — I said rolling my eyes.

 — Well, think what you want, and about the party...we are definitely going, so find a good dress. 

 — Why mom? Let me stay home, please. — I said with fake tears in my eyes.

 — I know you, don't fake a face for me, we are going and period. — Damnit, she know me too well.

 — Ugh, okay okay.

After we both get ready, I take the cake and we go to Lin's house, i can hear music from a far, we get there and knock, a woman full of energy open the door and hug me and my mom tightly at the same time what almost caused a cake accident.

 — Wepa,��I'm so happy you maded, come in, come in. — She said with a heavy accent and then pushed us into her house.

 — And we are very happy that you invited us, I baked a cake for you, take it. — My mom said giving her the cake that was in my arms.

 — Mas no precisava, you didn't need too. I'm going to place this with the rest of the food, thank you...I don't even asked your name honey, what am I thinking... — Own, like mom, like son. She said as fast as Lin did before.

 — It's Y/M/N and what's yours? If I may ask. — Okay, so I'm probably gonna be here for a while, it's always like that when my mom finds another "talkative" mom. 

 — It's Luz, and this is your hija? Uh tan hermosa... — She said giving me a look — Lin has a good taste...

 — Mama, ¿Qué estás diciendo? Excuse us ladies — A blushed Lin appears of nowhere almost screaming and then he leaves with his mother.

 — That was... — My mom start thinking in a word.

 — Freaking weird? Yeah, I know. I told you so, if you excuse me I'm going to find food.  — I go right to the place that's probably the kitchen, there's some latin people talking, probably Lin's family or something, I found a table with some snacks in the corner and go straight to them taking one bowl of... something that I don't know what it is but tastes good. I go to find somewhere safe to eat alone, what's not very complicated since they don't unpacked almost anything, I go upstairs and enter a room with some furniture, I turn the light on and then sit on the floor behind some boxes trying to hide for a while. I really didn't wanted to came here in the first place, don't get me wrong, the people aren't the problem, I am...I just don't like parties, and parties with my mom are even worse. The door opens interrupting my monologue about how much I hate parties. I see Lin talking on the phone entering the room like a thunder, closing the door and laying on the carpet.

 — Tú no entiendes, ella es la cosa más linda que yo ví en toda mi vida...obviamente no consegui hablar com ela Carlos, I'm too shy for that... — He finally realize that I'm in the room and say almost choking on the phone. — Oh fuck, yo tengo que ir bye. Hi, what're you doing here? The party isn't in my bedroom.  — He said with a...smile? Or he's dying? 

 — Your what? Oh I'm sorry I was just... scaping for my mom, I didn't realized that this was your room. — Oh fuck, of course it's his bedroom.

 — It's okay, it's nothing yet actually just a bunch of boxes and I relate with the mom thing, my mom drives me crazy sometimes too.  — He opens a beautiful smile, I never took a deep look at him but he's not that bad actually, even kinda cute with a goofy smile. 

 — Mothers hun. — We both laugh looking at the floor.

 — Did you understood what I was talking on the phone? — He asked nervous.

 — Not even a word. — He's relief came hard.

 — Oh, nice.

 — What you were saying, though? — That's really weird, he start to panic.

 — Ah, uh...porn — That's a bad liar over here my friends.

 — Sure...

 — Yeah. — Awkward silence, yummy...

 — So...

 — What's your name again? I don't think you never said to me actually.  — He said with a question mark all over his face.

 — Well, you never gave me the chance. — He start to blush because of my words and then he whisper an sorry. — It's okay Lin, and my name is Y/N at your service sir. 

 — Yeah, this name suits you. — He said now smiling. 

 — Do you want some?  — I said pointing the bowl to him. — I don't know what this is but is pretty damn good.

 — Sure. — He said taking some of the bowl and then sitting next to me, his leg touching mine. — It's tostones, basically fried plantain, it's a Puerto Rican thing, well latin thing but this one my aunt brought from Puerto Rico. — He said with his eyes glowing. 

 — You used to live there? 

 — No, actually. My parents came to here and then they meet on college so i was born here too, but I love Puerto Rico it's my happy place you know. — He said with a half smile.

 — That's so sweet Lin.  — His eyes finds mine and we stare each other for a minute, but then I look away...This boy is like...affecting me? 

 — So, did you want to get back there? It's dinner time.  — He stand up and offers me his hand.

 — We really have to? — I said forcing a sad face.

 — Of course we do, but if you get uncomfortable I promise that we can stay here okay? — His hand still waiting for mine.

 — Okay then.  — I take his hand leaving the empty bowl behind, we get out of the room still holding hands, until I see my mom, in that moment I go crazy and i walk in her direction leaving Lin.

 — Hm, very strange that you were together inside a room, did you wear protection honey? I don't want a...

 — MOM, we were just talking.  — I said interrupting her before she said something even crazier.

 — I'm just saying...Well, let's go to get dinner, this are really nice people doll you're gonna love them. — She said leading me to the backyard where a big table was full of food, hell yes, that's what I'm talking about, don't like parties who?

I sit with my mom by my right side, Lin appears and sit in front of me, after everybody was at the table we start to eat, people asking food, pouring juice, telling jokes, Lin's look finding mine between conversations, was all really nice, I even forgot why I was so worried at the first place. 

We are at home now, I'm looking at the sky from my window, there's a lot of stars and is a full moon day. The curtains of the other house in front of my window opens all of sudden, of course Lin's window is there, how I didn't noticed that? He don't seems to see me, what makes sense since my lights are off, he's shirtless and writing something on the desk that places below the window, there's a lamp on the desk and the only thing that's on at the room. He seems so relaxed, his mouth is moving fast what means he's probably singing, maybe writing music? I don't know but it's a beautiful view, wait...is this creepy? I'm feeling like a stalker right now, i try to hide but he see me for my own despair. He smile and wave his hand to me, I do the same with a Awkward smile. Crap, I'm so dumb...he take a paper and write "Hi, can't sleep either?", i write fast in a old piece of paper a big "No", he smile and write another thing and then show me "Meet me in 10?" Oh fuck, why he want to see me? he's totally going to report me to the police for harassment. I raise my thumb to him and he closes his curtains, I look at the mirror and remember that I was in my pajamas but who cares, I go downstairs slowly so my mom couldn't hear me, the door make a noise when I open it...damnit, hope she didn't hear this, I close the door and turn to Lin's house, he's standing right in front sadly with clothes now, wait, why am I disappointed? He has a little smile in his face until he reaches me.

 — I'm sorry, I wasn't stalking you I swear, please don't sue me...

 — What're you talking about?  — He said confused, crap crap crap, a thousand times crap, I fell my cheeks hot so I close my eyes so I won't be able to see his face.

 — Nice pajamas by the way... Wait, are this pineapples? — He said with a stupid smirk on his face.

 — Oh shut up, you're wearing Star Wars clothes all day and I never said a word about it. — I try to say this mad but my smile wins the battle on my face.

 — Yo, Star Wars is a classic but I never see a movie about pineapples. — Why do I didn't changed my clothes again? Right, laziness.

 — Uh, rude. — I hit his arm weakly.

 — Au. — He smile and take my hand. — Let's go, we can lay down in the garden and look at the stars and...talk.

 — Okay Yoda. — He laugh a little as we go to the background of his house. 

We lay on the ground with our bodies almost touching, the stars really look beautiful tonight... He turn his head in my direction...We both know what's going to happen but the wait make all better, I turn to him and his laches are beating slowly, the light of the stars make his face glow, he put one hand on my face and start to make little circles around my cheek and say that my eyes are more shining than the stars, his face is literally one inch far from mine. I'm the one who kisses first, his lips are soft and warm, he put his hand in my wrist and push me closer to him, his tongue is touching mine now in a sweet kiss, we end the kiss but we stay closer as possible.

 — That was unexpected. — I said breaking the silence.

 — Well, not for me. I was hoping to do that since I meet you. — He says letting small kisses on my face.

 — So my mom was right this time. — He goes a little far laughing.

 — I was that obvious?

 — I don't think so, but in the moment you walked away she said that you liked me, what I thought that was craziness until now.  — I said with one hand in his soft hair. — No that I'm saying that you like me i just... — He stop me pressing our lips together.

 — Mothers hun... — He said quoting me and then opening one of those beautiful smiles.

The sun is rising when we go back to home, I say a last goodbye to him from the window before jumping on the bed, my back are in pain but I don't care...This was one of the best days of my life, I sleep and my dreams are full of dancing and laughing. 

I wake up with a knock at my door, I look to the clock next to my bed and it's almost 12 o'clock, after a little battle against myself I get up and open the door, Lin is with a big smile in his face, the large clothes now are just a cargo shorts and a light white shirt showing his shoulders and a lot of skin, so much skin...

 — Good morning Sleepyhead. — He said still smiling.

 — How you're up after last night? And smiling... — I said outraged giving room for him get inside.

 — Actually I barely sleep, no i can't get inside. Your mother only let me in when I promised not to enter your room.

 — Of course she did, by the way what are you doing here? — I ask him. — No that I didn't liked, I do, I really do. — I said fast.

 — Really? — He's cheeks are turning red, how he can be this cute?

 — Yeah. — I get closer to him and I let a little kiss into his lips. 

 — So, I was thinking that we could go to somewhere today, I know a place in the woods that's perfect for do absolutely nothing, it's not far so we can walk a little bit and since you didn't eat breakfast, we can do a picnic and no one else goes there so we can stay together in peace. — He said showing me the basket in his hand.

 — That sounds perfect, I just have to take a shower, I see you in 30? — He nodd his head in affirmation and I kiss him more deeply this time.

 — See ya. — He said in the middle of the kiss and then goes away...God I could live in his lips forever...

I take a quick bath and go downstairs, Lin is talking to my mother, he's drinking a cup of coffee and they're... Laughing? Weird...I say a hi to my mom and we go to Lin's place. It's really a perfect place, there's a lot of trees and a little lake in the middle, we rest on a big towel under a tree for some time, we eat a lot, it's a perfect afternoon...

  — Thank you Lin, this is so nice. — My head is resting on his shoulder.

 — You know what would be nicer? — He said standing up and slowly taking his shirt off and running into the lake direction. I take my dress off and follow him with a goofy smile on my face. We jump into the almost warm water together, he start to splashing water in my face and I do it back, he came closer and kiss me, his shy hands are laying in my lower back, i surround his waist with my legs and I feel something getting harder under his belly, he stop the kiss looking at me with his big eyes, his laches are moving fast. 

 — I...it's... — He tries to talk but he doesn't have words for this.

 — Shhhh, kiss me Lin. — I whisper into his ear and he does what i ask, then i take his hand and guide him to where we were before.

 — I never done this before. — He said with his voice shaking. We lay on the towel and I kiss him, i run my hand through his wet soft hair and feel them between my fingers, meanwhile his hands is caressing my back, making little circles.

— We don't have to do it if you aren't ready yet. — He's looking at me with those big brown puppy eyes, I'm losing all control that i have. — I never done this with someone that i just meet either, but you're making me crazy without doing anything.

— I want you, i just don't know...how... — He gaze up avoiding my eyes with his cheeks all red now, did i mention how cute he's with red cheeks? 

— Hey, look at me. — I said touching his face and making he look at mine — I'll not say that i didn't do it before, but i can lead you...if you let me. — He don't say anything, just came closer and kiss me taking all the breath of my lungs.

— Okay...— He said more whispering than really talking. 

— If you want to stop anytime just say, okay? — He nodd his head in confirmation. I stay on top of him and take my bra and throw in the floor next to us, he look at my breasts with his eyes wide open then look to my face like he was asking for permission, what was really cute, i take his warm hands and put them in there and he squeeze very softly, i feel him getting even harder under me, i kiss him urgently like i never kissed someone before, he turn our positions and now he's on top of me going down to my lips and kissing my neck and collarbone, a little noise come out of my mouth when i feel his lips on my nipple pressing it softly and letting small kisses. I hear he saying all the time how soft my skin is and how sweet i taste in his mouth, our underwear go out of our body in some point.

I said that i would lead him but he's doing a great job from himself, driving me crazy with all the wait and his kisses in my body, i can feel everything, every part of our body that's touching, every drop of sweat that roll in our body. The beautiful things that came out of his mouth are like a melody, i never felt so loved when i feel him inside me, filling me whole.

— Am i hurting you baby? — He ask with the most beautiful face of concern.

— Just a little, but it's normal don't worry my love. — He nodd and then lay his forehead in mine starting to move inside me, our bodies colliding softly, his lips is barely pressing mine, he's not moving fast what make all feel even better, he's saying how gorgeous i am and i how i make him feel the luckiest guy in the whole world for let him be with me in his arms, my name come out of his mouth like a poem, we are moaning together and it's together that we come too, my eyes are out of orbit, i can't feel anything else than the goosebumps all over my body, he's head is resting in my chest and he's hugging me tight in his arms.

— You're so amazing Y/N...I'm really happy that my first time was with you. — He said softly looking deep in my eyes after we recover and lay on the ground side by side with our bodys tangled. — I never felt like this before for anyone else.

— Me neither Lin, i love how you make me feel... — I said and i feel the cold wind in my naked body what make me shiver for a moment but Lin hold me closer to his body. — I think we should put our clothes on and go back now, it's starting to get cold and the sun is going down, my mom will kill me if I get home late.

— Yeah, let's go doll. — He said throwing my clothes on me and getting up.

At home i take a shower but Lin's taste and smell are still in my body, i still can feel his arms wrapping me. I touch my lips remembering of when he was kissing me slowly, savouring my mouth. I think about check the window just to see if he's there but before I came into a conclusion my mom calls me for dinner. It's 9am when i sleep, all that i didn't slept the night before mixed with all the "exercise" from the afternoon make me sleep 10 hours uninterrupted. I get up really excited for the day, the sun is rised and it's a beautiful day, i take a quick shower and go catch some breakfast before knock at Lin's door.

— Good morning mom. — I said almost singing.

— Good Morning honey, why you're so happy? You're never like this in the morning. — She said looking at me suspiciously.

— I'm just happy mom, i can't be happy anymore? Jesus

— Of course you can, but it's strange. Let me guess, Lin is the reason of your happiness? — She ask smirking for me.

— Maybe, why? — I ask drinking my coffee 

— Nothing... i like him, he's a very good boy and he's super respectful and I think he really really likes you. 

— I really like him too mom...

— I can see, your eyes glow when you talk about him, i'm really glad that you found each other honey. — She said cupping my face.

— Me too mom, i have to go now. — I kiss her face and go out listening to her voice saying for me not to came home late. I knock at his door and his mom open for me.

— Good morning Mrs. Miranda, is Lin at home? 

— Good morning Y/N, he's in shower but come in, you can wait for him here, and don't call me that, I'm just Luz for you— She said all too happy, probably Lin told her about us.

— Okay Luz. — She guide me to the couch, i look around and everything is in place, just one or two boxes in the corner now, the decoration in very happy with a lot of color everywhere. — This is so pretty Luz.

— Thank you, i really liked how turned too. Come here let me show you a thing. — We get up and she show me trophys and some papers that belongs to Lin, there's some more things but are from a girl, maybe a sister? He didn't told me he had a sister. She takes a big album and we sit on the couch again, that's the good stuff, the blackmail material.

— This is when he born, tan precioso. — She show me a photo in white and black with a baby Lin in it, so cute. — I never thought that he would became this writing machine that never sleep properly, i blame his father they're exactly the same. — She show me a lot of another photos, in graduations, in piano recitals what apparently he was really good at, in family reunions. He appears when we're almost done, he smile when he see me but then he panic when he realize that his mom is with his kid album.

— Mami, i can't believe you're embarrassing me again. — He said hiding his face with his hands.

— I'm just showing to her como tú eras pequeño e precioso mi hijo. — She said standing up and pinching his red cheek, then she put the album where it was before and go out of the room.

— Stop laughing at me. — He said with the most adorable angry face when i start to laugh. I stand up and kiss his cheek as he touch my back and bring me close pressing his lips against mine. — What are we going to do today baby? 

— Movie? My mom's going to shop what will probably take a while so we can watch it in my house. — He smirk at me. — God, you barely discovered sex and you're already addicted? — What i said make him laugh loudly.

— I'm sorry, so...just a movie. I will just say to my mom so she won't be crazy that I'm not home — He kiss my cheek and go talk to his mom.

After we fight for 10 minutes we finally agree in watch the Ghostbusters, we both have watched it one hundred times but it's just too good. My mom finally go to work and we go to the kitchen to do popcorn and take some snacks. After that we lay on the carpet to watch the movie.

— You never told me that you had a sister. — I said playing with his hair in my finger, his head resting in my lap.

— I thought that i did, anyway she's the best, she prefer to be in our aunt's house for the summer, that's why she isn't here.

— I always wanted to have a sister, but my dad died when I was young and my mom never was the same. 

— I'm so sorry Y/N. — He said cupping my face.

— I'm okay now, was a really long time ago. — I put my hand over his. — What about your father, why i didn't meet him yet? 

— He's in New Jersey for work, he'll probably be here in the weekend, I'll make sure that he meet my girl. — He said pressing our lips quickly.

— Your girl? You didn't even asked me yet. — I said throwing a popcorn in his face.

— I have to? — He said confused.

— No, but it won't harm if you do it.

— Okay, Okay. — He said sitting in front of me and taking my hands, i can't believe he'll really do that. I burst into laughter

— I'm just kidding...

— Shh... I'm concentrating. — He put a finger in my lips and then clean his throat and start...rapping?. — I know I'm not much but my heart belongs to you, even more when I remember of that afternoon, baby I can't take you out of my mind, here holding your hands i ask you, will you be mine? 

— You just made that out of nowhere? Cool

— It's that a yes? 

— Of course it's your dummy. — I said jumping into him kissing his lips, the popcorn that was in my lap spreads to everywhere.

I never thought that I would find love in such a young age and so fast, but i couldn't imagine my life without Lin, he's the only man I loved and will always be, and the felling is mutual by what he say every morning that we wake up together, side by side, i never felt so loved in someone's arms before and i hope this felling last until the day I die. This is the end but not our end, we'll last forever.