#in spanish is just called dos puntos because /that/ makes sense

[eightspringdays]

writing in english when your first idiom is spanish is funny because I find myself in the need to make everything rhyme for some odd reason

Also I didn't know this ":" was called colon and my friend told me to fix my colon and I thought she meant my ibs

[wereh0gz]

Sonic OC Showdown questions!

Been wanting to do these for a while now but I've been busy. Now that I actually have some time, I'm going to answer all of the prompts out so far!

(Answers under cut because this got pretty long)

First question-

Ruby has the same powers you'd see in Sonic's Werehog transformation- heightened senses, supernatural strength and stamina, and stretchy arms- but since her transformation is permanent, her abilities are not limited by the time of day. She also has an affinity to Dark Gaia Energy and is very sensitive to even the slightest shift in energy levels. The energy inside her also helps heal wounds, but they don't heal very quickly, and fatal wounds can still be, well, fatal.

She can also transform further when under extreme stress, absorbing Dark Gaia Energy from the environment and tapping into the dormant energy already inside her. It unlocks whatever mental limits there are to her strength and speeds up regeneration. This comes at the cost of her rationality, as her mind becomes so fogged that she acts purely on instinct. The transformation leaves her drained and feverish too.

The transformation is very reminiscent of the Nightmares from Sonic Unleashed, with dark fur, glowing marking around the face and arms, and a long tail and horns.

Next question-

Originally, Ruby was from an island called Punto Oro (essentially the Mobius equivalent to Puerto Rico). Their family lived in a coastal town (think Boquerón or La Parguera), before moving to Central City in the United Federation when they were around nine to ten years old. Then things happened, their bio family is killed, they barely escape with their life, and then end up being adopted by their current cat family.

They currently live in a Zone called Phantom Grove, near Central City, with their adoptive family in a large cabin. The Zone is best described as a sea of trees, with lots of bioluminescent fauna and fungi that light up in the night, and barely anyone living there. It's said that the forest is haunted by many spirits, but Ruby never noticed much supernatural activity in the nine years they've lived there.

They really couldn't ask for a better place to live. It's quiet, there's no people, there's lots of nature and plenty of shade, and there's even a Chao Garden nearby. It's just perfect... save for when Eggman attacks the nearby city, but otherwise, it's perfect.

Next-

I actually don't have a set voice claim for her. I haven't found anyone who sounds exactly like how I imagine her voice to be like in my head.

If I had to describe it, I'd say it's pretty deep, kind of husky, and pretty monotone (unless she's feeling extreme emotion and not actively suppressing it). She also has the slightest bit of an accent when speaking English that becomes more noticeable when she's comfortable. When speaking Spanish, however, she has a heavy Puerto Rican accent that she can't mask very well.

Her voice does change when she goes into Nightmare mode. It's even deeper and rougher, pretty much just like real wolf growls with a reverb effect to it. She can't speak in that form, so pretty much all you'll hear from her in that state is guttural growling, snarls, yips, whines, and howls.

And finally-

Ruby has a lot of time on their hands, so they tend to pick up a lot of hobbies to spend it. One of their major ones is making stuffed toys, which they've actually gotten pretty good at (surprising, considering their large hands make it hard to do a lot of things). They also do a lot of other arts and crafts type things, a lot involving sewing, like embroidery, for example. Puzzles of any kind are a big one, too, especially jigsaw puzzles or anything you have to put together with your hands.

They've also tried drawing, writing, sculpting, you name it, they've probably tried it, but they never really stuck with it. Sometimes they read, or try to watch the shows or play the games their siblings like (which they often don't really enjoy that much; they have a very particular taste in media) but those don't really hold their attention for very long.

Most of all, they like to run in the forest, especially at night, and stargaze. They also often go to the local Chao Garden and play with the Chao there, sometimes even falling asleep with them and spending the night in the garden.

--

And that's it for now! I'll make another post if they add more prompts, or reblog this one with more responses :] If you have any follow-up questions, feel free to ask! My ask box is always open!

@sonic-oc-showdown

[blackssuunn-mandoandyodito]

Tabaco y Brea

Part three

Pairing:Javier Peña x DEA! reader

Rating:Uh, PG-13? What are the ratings?

Words: 2.6k

A/N: Um, tbh this is my favorite and the one we start the Drama™ with.

Warnings:rape reference,violence, (murdering?), sexual talk, prostitution. If I’m missing anything let me know.

Summary:You go to Medellín for the Narco meeting. Things get complicated when Helena doesn’t arrive.

Part one Part two

Colonel Horacio Carrillo is waiting for you at the Carlos Holguin School, his base of operations, once you get to Medellín. Javi drives you all in the OGV (this time a white Van) with you in the back and Steve riding shotgun. Javier gets out, you and Steve rounding the car as the Colonel greets him.

“La inteligencia que me diste estaba en su punto. Los traquetos se van a reunir en las Margaritas” (Your intel was good. The traquetos (drug dealers) are gathering in Las Margaritas)

 You still can’t figure out how Javier was able to convince the Ambassador to let all of you come without more than a day’s notice.

You get closer, Carrillo turning his head towards your direction. Javier sighs.

“I want you to meet our new DEA, Steve Murphy”

The Colonel smirks. “Carne fresca” (Fresh meat)

Both look at each other, and you roll your eyes. 

“No sea idiota coronel” (Don’t be an idiot colonel)

Steve, once again, looks at you surprised. He may not speak Spanish but he’s sure he knows what idiota means.

Horacio laughs at your comment and lets a heavy hand fall on your shoulder. “No sea llorona Bera, hay que darle una buena bienvenida al nuevo!” (Don’t be a crybaby Bera, we have to give the new guy a good welcome!)

You shrug off his hand and get closer to Murphy in a protective stance. He’s a good guy, that much you’ve noticed with so little time he’s spent with you. Steve bumps you playfully as if saying thank you. You bump him back.

After that, everyone climbs into their respective cars and drive straight to the fancy hotel where the narcos meeting was going to be held.

You get a room along with the three of them, your Canon AE-1 hanging heavy on your neck as you climb up the stairs. Steve has a Fujica, and you guess he will be taking as many photos as he can. You’ll try and do the same, but the ones you’re taking will be staying with you and his are going to the ID guys.

Steve gets closer to the window and immediately starts snapping pictures as the narcos keep coming and getting out of their fancy vehicles. You do the same, but from the other angle.

You can see Carlos Lehder, the Ochoa brothers (and you now realize this probably has to do something with her sister being kidnapped) and Fernando Galeano “The Wolfman”, but you’re surprised when Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha “The Mexican” gets out of another car, his face not very happy as they close the red door behind him.

“Is that Gacha?” Javi asks. You nod beside him, his voice sounding as surprised as you feel.

“I’ve never seen him with other traffickers”

The colonel is right, of course. Gacha is known for being a lone man regarding business, a paranoid man who doesn’t trust anyone. Him being there doesn’t mean anything good.

Finally, Pablo Escobar and Gustavo Gaviria arrive in a brown Mercedes convertible. Horacio orders Steve to take pictures of him and something urges you to answer that you’re not his soldiers to be bossed around, but keep your mouth shut.

Reluctantly, you admit in your insides that the intel Javi got from Helena was great, and you can feel in your guts that something big is going down today.

Hours pass and you realize that the meeting is over once the hookers are called up. The four of you get out and drive to the meeting point with Helena, and even if you’re not very fond of her you pray that she’s okay and got the work done.

-

“She should be here by now”

Javier is pacing outside with Carrillo standing beside one of the cars, Steve partially lying on the front while you’re inside with your head hanging out the window.

“You think she slipped?”

Javi shakes his head. “Nah, she’s no dummy”

Horacio bends over the car’s chest and laces his fingers together. “Maybe she’s getting pretty for you”

You snort and Javi gives you a dirty look but nods towards him. “Yeah”

More time passes, and if you’re honest you’re starting to get worried for the girl. One of Carrillo’s men gets close to him and mutters something that makes your heart sink to the bottom of your stomach.

“Vimos a la chica irse hace un buen rato” (we saw the girl leaving a long time ago)

You open the door and jump off, getting close to them as Carrillo speaks to Javi.

“They’re telling me the girl left a long time ago, she’s already dead”

Your partner looks concerned as he kneads his shoulder, a frown well pronounced showing in his face. He turns around and shakes his head.

“No, they wouldn’t kill her at the hotel”

“Then they killed her somewhere else, she knew the risks” you hate how nonchalant Horacio sounds, how easy he speaks about an innocent girl being dead because she decided to help you.

“If we’re going back, we go back now” Steve intervenes, and you’re grateful he has more human sense than Horacio. 

Javi gets close to him, muttering, “Necesito que la encuentres” (I need you to find her)

Horacio gives him a look, but answers. “Conozco un sicario, si te interesa. Quieres?” (I know a sicario, if you’re interested. You OK with that?)

Your blood runs cold as Javi nods, “yo voy” (I’ll go with you) 

You get close to both of them and grip Javi’s arm. “Yo iré contigo también” (I’ll go with you too)

Before Javi begins his protest, Carrillo points towards Steve. 

“Qué hacemos con Carne Fresca?” (What do we do with Fresh Meat?)

Javi glares at you. “Necesito que te quedes con él” (I need you to stay with him)

Disagreeing, you shake your head and move ahead of him. Horacio looks at how you walk towards his vehicle with a grin on his face, and you hear Javi telling Steve something from the distance.

 Shortly after, they’re following after you and climb into the car. 

-

You get to the place where the sicario is supposed to be and decide to stay inside the car as Javi and Carrillo along with one of his men go up to a balcony.

 Even if you’re not there, the sounds of a man getting chocked with a plastic bag reach your ears and Carrillo’s voice shouting drowns them a little bit. 

You clench your eyes shut as footsteps can be heard and shortly after, a gunshot resonates through the night. 

The sicario must have said something interesting because, without a word, both of them climb into the car and drive like crazy to another part of the city.

Horacio hits the brakes out of nowhere and the tires squeal in protest. Javier turns to look at you from the copilot seat, frowning.

“No me quedaré aqui Javier, ni lo pienses” (I won’t stay here Javier, don’t even think about it)

He lets out an exasperated sigh and gets out, his grip hard on the gun at his hands. 

Carrillo’s men go first, getting rid of the ones guarding the entrance. Then, Horacio goes on the other side, with Javi after him and you close behind. You climb the stairs silently, as close to the wall as the small space lets you, one of the soldiers leads you upstairs.

Chaos ensues when he fires, and shouts can be heard all over the place. Javier and Horacio start shooting the men quickly and soon it’s only you who are there. You turn around to Javi, and nausea invades your senses.

Helena is lying there, naked and beaten as she whimpers. Her face is bloody and bruises are starting to form all over her body. You have to cover your mouth to keep a gasp from escaping. You’re amazed at how beautiful she is, even after all of this, and a sense of admiration fills your chest. 

Javier takes off his vest and kneels to cover her with it. With tender hands, he holds her face and says her name.

“Helena? It’s me”

She doesn’t answer, and you can feel the guilt already eating at Javi.

“Te voy a sacar de aquí okay? Te lo prometo” (I’m going to take you out of here okay? I promise)

He lifts Helena in his arms and you trail behind him with your gun held up, Horacio walking behind you.

Nobody says a word as he takes her to the ambulance and you drive off to the hospital. Carrillo talks to his men by radio, telling them where you’re heading to and orders them to go there. Steve is still with them, so you guess you’ll find him there too.

You get to the hospital and Javi takes her to the ER, but they don’t let him go inside. Before his temper gets you in trouble, you put your hand on his shoulder and speak.

“Yo soy su hermana” (I’m her sister)

They nod without any protest and let you go inside with them. Javier sees you go and cocks his head in a silent thanks. 

Half an hour passes before anything else happens, but a doctor gets close to you in the waiting room to tell you she’s stable.

“Puede entrar a verla si lo desea, está consciente” (You can go see her if you want to, she’s conscious)

You nod and smile at her, “muchas gracias, iré en seguida” (thank you very much, I’ll go straight away)

Standing up, your muscles protest for being tense for so long, and you walk to the room the doctor pointed at.

Slowly, you open the door trying to avoid disturbing her, but her head turns towards your direction once a creaking sound echoes through the room.

“Hola Helena”, you greet her, “soy Bera, la compañera de Javier” (Hello Helena, I’m Bera, Javier’s (DEA) partner)

Your voice is soft, and you try to be as careful as possible so as not to startle her. You walk to his side and sit down at the chair beside his bed. She tries to give you a smile, but it becomes a pained expression caused by the bruises in her face.

“Tú eres Bera, eh?” (So you’re Bera, uh?) her voice is hoarse, probably because she screamed at some point. Your heart clenches at that. 

“Si, soy yo. Cómo te sientes?” (Yes, it’s me. How are you feeling?)

You feel stupid just as the words leave your mouth. How is she supposed to feel after what she just went through?

Despite this, she chuckles. “Como mierda, pero sobreviviré” (Like shit, but I’ll survive)

A strained smile reaches your lips. She’s a strong woman, that much you can notice. Regret invades your throat at how unjustified your resentment towards her was.

“Me aseguraré de que salgas de este país, te lo juro” (I’ll make sure you get out of this country, I swear)

She doesn’t say anything but nods, grateful. An awkward silence covers the room but you don’t want to leave her alone. The smell of desinfectant makes your nose itch, spots in the curtains making you uncomfortable. The covers of her bed are completely pristine though, and that reassures you a little.

Just as she’s about to fall asleep again, she mutters something.

“Eres muy especial para Javier, sabías?” (You’re very special to Javier, you know?)

Her words leave you speechless, and she keeps going at the lack of an answer.

“Contrario a lo que pareces pensar, yo no significo mucho para él. Nada más allá de una amistad tal vez” (Contrary to what you seem to think, I don’t mean much to him. Nothing more than a friendship maybe) Her words have an undertone of bitterness, and you open your mouth to speak but no words come out.

“Siempre que yo intentaba algo más con él, me rechazaba. Al principio pensé que era porque simplemente no estaba interesado en una relación,” she shrugs, the movement tense and clearly painful “pero aquella vez que me estaba cogiendo y dijo tu nombre? supe que era porque ya le pertenecía a alguien” (Every time I tried something with him, he rejected me. At first, I thought he just wasn’t interested in a relationship, but that one time he was fucking me and he said your name? I knew it was because he was already someone else’s)

You freeze, partially because of how easy she speaks about it and partially because of the actual words that just left his mouth.

“Yo-Yo no-no..” you stutter, “estás segura de que dijo mi nombre?” (I-I don’t-don’t… are you sure that he said my name?)

She chuckles at that. “Pues me acabas de decir que tú eres Bera, y si lo susurra en mi oído cuando se está corriendo no hay manera de que haya escuchado mal” (Well you just told me that you’re Bera, and if he whispers it at my ear when he’s coming there’s no way I heard it wrong)

Heat spreads through your cheeks and a flutter forms in your stomach at the (frankly hot) thought of Javi thinking about you as he came. But you don’t know if it means what you’d like, there’s no way to make sure unless Javi straight up tells you and he doesn’t even know you know.

You start freaking out in your head. Does he feel the same way about you? Was it just the heat of the moment? Are you gonna do anything about it? Why hasn’t he said anything!?

Ultimately, you decide not to do anything about it. If he wanted you to know he would have told you already. The thought hurts, but you can’t do much.

 You get out a pen from your jacket, rip a piece of paper from the notes at the bedside table and write your real name and the phone number from your house as well as your office one, handing it to Helena.

“Si alguna vez necesitas algo, llámame” (If you ever need something, call me)

She takes it from your hand and nods, folding it under her pillow. You stand up and go towards the door, but just as you’re about to get out, she speaks.

“Asegurate de que Javier esté bien” (Make sure Javier stays well)

Warmth spreads all over your body at her tone. You’re sure she doesn’t mean “keeping him safe”. Regardless of this, you nod.

“Siempre”(Always)

You close the door behind you and walk outside the hospital, conviction in every single one of your steps.

Javier is leaning in the bar at the streetside, Steve standing in front of him. It looks as if they just fought about something, Carrillo sitting at a chair behind Steve.

“I hope you know what that means” it’s the only thing you get to hear from the argument.

Javi then hands him a beer just as he walks towards the corner store, Steve taking a gulp of it. You get close to him and grab his arm.

“I’m sorry for leaving you behind”, you say. “I’m sure you didn’t come all the way down here to just sit around and watch from the sidelines”

Both Carrillo and he snort at your comment, leaving you perplexed. Were they talking about that before you came?

“It’s okay Bera, not your fault”, his posture understanding as he grabs your hand and squeezes. 

You smile and turn to Javier. “She’ll be fine. I’ll help you get her the visa”

Javier nods. “Gracias” (thank you)

You go buy a soda and the three of you drink in silence for a moment.

“Qué sigue de esto, equipo Torbellino?” (What goes after this, Whirlpool team?) Carrillo breaks the silence from his seat. He smirks at you and you roll your eyes at the nickname he gave to both you and Javier, but repress a smile and you turn towards him.

The night starts to weight down on you, the events of the day catching up with your body. In spite of this, you straighten up at the change of subject and your breath comes out easier than before.

“A Cali” Javi says. (To Cali)

You smile. 

Tag list:

@dynphomaniac

@fioccodineveautunnale

@storiesofthefandomloversreblogs

@thisisthe-way 

[spanishskulduggery]

Adverbial Expressions in Spanish w/ a

I’m working on a big post mini-series about different prepositions in Spanish, and I was working on the one for a and there are just so many adverbial expressions that use a so I decided to make this its own post so it’s not one GIGANTIC wall of text when I finish talking about everything that the preposition a is used for.

And if you’d like to go support me and what I do over on Patreon that would be lovely and greatly appreciated!

Anyway, here are some of the most common expressions I know of that use a 

Some of these are idioms, some are compound words. Most compound words with a indicate a kind of directionality or an intention. For example la regla is “rule” or “ruler”, and arreglar is “to fix” but in that sense it’s “to set in order” or more literally “to set according to how it should be / to set according to the rule”... things like that are very common with Spanish.

And as we all know I’m garbage at proofreading my own things so bear with me on this and if you see a typo or mistake, let me know.

a veces = sometimes, at times

a ver = “let’s see”, “well then” [commonly misspelled as haber which is a totally different thing]

a simple vista = “at first sight”, “one’s first impression” e.g. a simple vista parece que... = at first glance it appears that...

a la vez = at the same time, simultaneously

a pie = on foot, walking e.g. ir a pie = to go on foot

a salvo = safe / safe and sound e.g. estar a salvo = to be unharmed

al grano = “down to business” e.g. vamos al grano = let’s get down to business / let’s not waste time

a la izquierda = to the left / on the left-hand side

a la derecha = to the right / on the right-hand side

a través de = through / going through atravesar = to go through, to traverse

(hacia) atrás = going backwards

abajo = going under / lower

arriba = going up / higher up

al tajo = to work

manos a la obra = “let’s get to work”

al dedillo = “by heart”, “from memory”

a bordo = aboard, on board

a cause de = because of

a caballo = on horseback, riding a horse

a cambio = in exchange

a nombre de (alguien) = in someone’s name, under someone’s name ¿A nombre de quíen? = “In whose name?” or “Who’s the reservation for?”; this expression is used for things that are registered or reserved for someone. This would be what someone asks if you went to a restaurant or a hotel and asked you under whose name the reservation was made. It’s also something you’d see on licences and registrations for vehicles or leases, that kind of thing. If someone asks you this at a hotel, you would be giving them your name or the name of whoever you’re booking the room for that would show up on the registry.

a mi manera = “my way” [can be used with other possessives] ej: lo hice a mi manera = I did it my way

a flor de piel = lit. “(as if) flower’s skin” This expression is used in the sense of “very noticeable” or “on the surface”. It would be how you’d translate something like… tener los sentimientos a flor de piel “to be very sensitive” or “to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve”. You’d also see a flor de piel to be like “running high” or “in the air”, in the sense of something is easily perceived.

a toda costa = at all cost a cualquier precio = no matter the price

a ciegas = blindly, stumbling, without knowing, in the dark

a oscuras = in the dark

a espaldas (de alguien) = behind someone’s back e.g. hablar a espaldas de alguien = to talk behind someone’s back

a solas = one-on-one, in private This is said of two people alone most often. ej: Quiero hablar contigo a solas. = I want to talk to you in private. / I want to talk to you one-on-one

mano a mano = hand-to-hand

cuerpo a cuerpo = melee [fighting style; las armas de cuerpo a cuerpo would be “melee weapons” etc]

a consecuencia de = due to [sometimes you see por consiguiente or como resultado as synonyms, “therefore” and “as a result”]

al lado de alguien = on someone’s side [can be literally “beside” in the sense of direction, or it could be something like te necesito a mi lado “I need you on my side” or “I need you in my corner” in the sense of support]

a corto plazo = short-term a largo plazo = long-term

a domicilio = delivery e.g. clases a domicilio “home schooling”, comida a domicilio “take-out food”, entrega a domicilio “delivered to your house”, médico/a a domicilio “a doctor who makes house calls”

al aire libre = in the open air / open-air al fresco = outside

afuera = (going) outside / out

a fin de = for the purposes of, in order to

a diferencia de (algo/alguien) = unlike ej: a diferencia de tu hermana, eres… = unlike your sister, you’re…

a distancia = from a distance, at a distance

al cabo = to the end / finishing, in summation

a secas = only, just [in some contexts a secas means “in a blunt way” or “without mincing words”]

a estas alturas = at this point, at this juncture ej: A estas alturas, no tenemos otra opción. = At this point we have no other choice.

a duras penas = hardly, barely apenas = hardly, barely

a escondidas = in secret

a tientas = fumbling, going by feel or touch

a diestro y siniestro = all over the place [lit. “to the right and left” where diestro/a “able/dexterous” is the old word for “right” derecho/a, and siniestro/a “sinister” is the old word for “left” izquierdo/a]

a la deriva = adrift, drifting

a gatas = on all fours

a cuestas = on someone’s back / piggyback

al principio, al inicio = at the beginning al final, al fin = at the end

a medias = halfway, partway / half-assed [in context this means “done halfway”, or in an accusatory way it’s saying that someone “half-assed” something so it depends on proper context... you can see no hace las cosas a medias as in “he/she doesn’t do things halfway” meaning “he/she gives their all”]

(mantener algo/alguien) a raya = (to keep something/someone) in line, at bay

a la fuerza = by force

a menos que = unless [this takes subjunctive]

a menudo = often

a partir de = starting from ej: a partir de hoy… = from today on(wards)…

a propósito = on purpose, deliberately adrede = on purpose [sort of the same, just a little more accusatory]

a la larga = “in the long run”

a la ligera = “lightly” e.g. tomar(se) algo a la ligera = to take something lightly

a mano = by hand, manually / on hand, nearby

a lo mejor = maybe, perhaps

a medida = tailored, custom-made

a pesar de (que) = despite, in spite of [takes subjunctive]

a punto de = just about to, at the point of e.g. estar a punto de explotar = to be just about to explode estar a punto de hervir = to be about to boil

a tiempo = on time

a posteriori = in hindsight

aprisa, a prisa = hurrying [as a command you can say it like “hurry up”, same with deprisa or you might see it as a command like date prisa where darse prisa is “to hurry”] a toda prisa = as fast as possible, as fast as you can

a primera vista = at first sight

a raudales = in abundance, overflowing [not super common but you never know; more common is estar repleto/a de or estar lleno/a de or using a verb like rebosar]

a primera hora = first thing in the morning, “bright and early”

a plena luz de día = in broad daylight

a cuadros = checkered, gingham [pattern]

a lunares = polka dot [pattern]

a rayas = striped [pattern]

a rombos / de rombos = argyle / diamond-shape pattern

Your clothing you might see a or de used here, but it works like this… quiero una camisa a rayas “I want a striped shirt” or quiero una camisa a lunares “I want a polka dot shirt”. You do see sometimes that it’s de but saying un traje a rayas or una traje de rayas (finas) for “a pinstripe suit” is pretty similar.

Important note: a is used a lot in culinary things the same way you’d see it with French or Italian, where it means “done in the style of”. In that case, it’s hard to translate it very literally.

Common examples:

gambas al ajillo = “shrimp/prawns in garlic and olive oil”

pulpo a la gallega = “Galician-style octopus”

calamar a la romana = “Roman-style squid”

al horno = “oven-baked” [in Italian al forno]

a la carta = a la carte [French]

al pastor = “shepherd-style”

a la rusa = “Russian-style” [usually “stroganoff”]

papas/patatas a la alemana = “German-style potatoes” / German potato salad

In some cases it’s not just food. For example the expression despedirse a la francesa which is literally “saying goodbye the French way” means “to leave without telling anyone you’re going”

Or, you might see something called el servicio a la rusa which is “Russian-style service” or el servicio a la inglesa “English-style service” which refer to a fancier kind of dinner service where an attendant or server will cut portions for you and serve you that way instead of you helping yourself.

Some might require more explanation like... a la amazona which is “side-saddle”. Literally, this is “in Amazon-style”. But, la amazona is also a female rider / “horsewoman”, being the female equivalent of el jinete “horseman”. In that sense, a la amazona means “as a horsewoman does” aka “side-saddle”, because women used to montar a la amazona “to ride side-saddle”