#marimba rhythms start to play

[parznite]

When Marimba Rhythms start to play, Dance with me, Make me Sway Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore Hold me close, sway me more.

[vstrays]

schmoove and groove and stay and sway bbg ✨

💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺💃🕺

dancing and not romancing <3

[happylittlesatyr]

When marimba rhythms start to play~

[strawberry-bubblef]

Hi! It’s me again! I really like the request you made. I was wondering if you can make Jade Leech x Fem! Reader where they’re both singers for the Monstro Lounge and they sing ‘Sway’ by Michael Buble

Jade Leech x Fem! reader singing "Sway"

The Monstro Lounge was buzzing softly, a perfect blend of elegance and tranquility. The faint hum of conversations and clinking glasses echoed in the dimly lit space. There was a sense of anticipation in the air tonight,an unspoken excitement that had spread like wildfire among the guests. The place was packed, and for good reason: tonight’s performance would feature not only one of the Lounge’s star singers but also the charismatic Jade Leech.

You stood backstage, fingers lightly tapping against the microphone stand. Your heartbeat was a little faster than usual, your nerves already bubbling to the surface. This was nothing new for you; performing at the Lounge had long since become second nature. But tonight, you weren’t performing alone.

The lights dimmed, and the crowd fell silent as the music started to play. A soft piano intro filled the room, the melody slow and inviting. The stage lights above you flared to life, casting a warm glow over the intimate space. The opening notes of Sway echoed through the room, and you allowed the music to settle around you like a cloak.

You leaned into the microphone, taking a deep breath before your voice melted into the melody.

"When marimba rhythms start to play, dance with me, make me sway..."

Your voice was rich and full of warmth, smooth like honey as it caressed the first verse. The crowd’s attention was immediately locked on you, their gazes fixed. But your focus was on one person,Jade.

His eyes were fixed on you as he stood beside you, his usual charming smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He wore his usual composed demeanor, but something about the glint in his eyes made it clear that he was enjoying the moment as much as you were. His hand was steady on the microphone as he waited for his turn, his posture relaxed, but his gaze was intense,calculating.

And then, as the melody shifted, Jade’s deep, rich voice joined the music, sending a shiver down your spine.

"Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore, hold me close, sway me more..."

His voice was everything you imagined it would be: smooth, hypnotic, full of effortless control. He was a master at drawing people in with his presence, and the way he let his voice glide over each word made your pulse quicken. You couldn’t help but meet his eyes, his gaze unwavering, as if challenging you to keep up.

As the song progressed, you swayed gently, caught up in the rhythm of the music and the chemistry between you and Jade. There was something so magnetic about him, something that made it hard to focus on anything else in the world. The music swirled around you both like a dance of its own, every note carrying a delicate promise of something unspoken between the two of you. You felt like you were floating, your movements naturally aligning with his, the space between your bodies practically nonexistent.

When the next verse arrived, you both sang in unison. The closeness was undeniable, the way your voices intermingled seamlessly.

"Other dancers may be on the floor, dear, but my eyes will see only you..."

Your voice cracked on the final note, just slightly, but Jade’s sharp gaze never left yours, offering a small reassuring smile as he added his own voice to yours. His presence was overwhelming, and yet, it was comforting. His gaze seemed to understand the vulnerability of the moment. He was steady and sure, in a way that made you feel more confident as you sang alongside him.

The intensity built as you moved into the chorus, the tempo increasing ever so slightly, the rhythm tugging at you both. With every sway of your body, you could feel the warmth of Jade’s proximity, his breath close to your ear, his voice almost ghosting over your skin as he sang the next line:

"I can hear the sound of violins, long before it begins..."

You held onto every word, every note. It wasn’t just about the song anymore,it was about this moment, about the way your voices blended together perfectly, and about the growing tension between you and Jade that seemed to swirl and hum under the music.

By the time you reached the final chorus, the room was alive with the rhythm of your voices, the chemistry between you palpable in the air. But despite the crowd’s cheers, despite the applause that rang through the room as the song finished, you could hardly hear it over the thundering pulse in your chest.

The final note hung in the air for a long moment before you stepped back, your breath shallow but controlled. The room erupted into applause, but you and Jade stood there, locked in that moment, just the two of you.

Jade’s smirk deepened, and he lowered his microphone. The warmth of his voice was low, just for you to hear.

“Exquisite, my dear. Truly.” His words were smooth, but there was an edge to them, a promise that wasn’t lost on you. “You’re quite the talented performer.”

You turned your head slightly, meeting his gaze. His smile was subtle but there was something undeniably sharp behind it.

The crowd continued to cheer, but for a brief, fleeting moment, it felt as though the rest of the world had disappeared. All that remained was Jade, and his intoxicating presence, as he leaned in closer, his lips brushing your ear.

“We should do this more often, wouldn’t you agree?” His voice was like silk, smooth and dark with an almost teasing undertone.

Your heart skipped a beat, and you tried to steady your breath.

“Yes…” you replied, your voice shaky but sincere. “I’d love that.”

And with that, the performance ended,but you knew, this was only the beginning.

English is not my first language !

[ren-054]

🎶when the marimba rhythms start to play, dance with me, make me sway🎶

[clauwagart]

Dance with me!

Sway (2 versions) to listen with the image

Lyrics below!

🎼 When marimba rhythms start to play

Dance with me, make me sway

Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore

Hold me close, sway me more.

Like a flower bending in the breeze

Bend with me, sway with ease

When we dance, you have a way with me

Stay with me, sway with me.

Other dancers may be on the floor

Dear but my eyes will see only you

Only you have a magic technique

When we sway I go weak.

I can hear the sounds of violins

Long before it begins

Make me thrill as only you know how

Sway me smooth, sway me now.

Other dancers may be on the floor

Dear, but my eyes will see only you

Only you have the magic technique

When we sway I go weak.

I can hear the sounds of violins

Long before it begins

Make me thrill as only you know how

Sway me smooth, sway me now

You know how

Sway me smooth, sway me now. 🎼

[maisconkiana]

“When marimba rhythms start to play~”

So, I played Resident Lover for the sake of her, and thE MOMENT I SAW HER WITH THAT DRESS—!? You know I had to draw it. ✨🤸‍♂️🩷

Thank you, Team Avia (@resident-lover) for creating this wonderful masterpiece of a game! I really enjoyed Alcina’s route on my first gameplay. I cannot wait to indulge with the rest of the routes! So far, I did Donna’s and Miranda’s already; onward to Angie and the Dimitrescu sisters~! ✨

[gaijin-fujin-resonance]

黄昏のハウリング / Tasogare no Howling

It starts, fittingly, with the slam of a door. A cold, hollow, echoing sound of utter finality. Something has ended. A portal closed for the very last time. And then nearly 10 seconds of silence, as the echoes fade away. It strikes me again: the use of silence on this album is masterful. And yet it’s not total silence. Out of the echoes arises a faint hum, maybe an orchestral pad, with the hint of angelic sighs - a thousand breaths being held at once.

When the first echoey guitar chimes at 0:10, it is the weariest exhale, caught and strung out with an endless delay. Bass and drums kick in at the same time, a stately funeral pace, minimal to the point almost of bleakness. By comparison, even the funereal arrangement of Ai no Soretsu sounds like a costume-party carnival. Tasogare no Howling opens on a barren, windswept tundra. The gleaming guitars are as corruscating as the ice of freezing rain. In the background, a staccato synth-bass drives the procession forward, while all about, tiny squalls of static and electronic noise nip at the ears like gusts of drifting snow.

In an odd way, the orchestration mimics the opening track, Hyakumannayuta no Chiri SCUM, but instead of warmth and welcome, the impeccable sound design creates a cold, cavernous space of loss and emptiness. The only relief from the arctic wind are the tiny, echoing notes of piano off in the distance - I think Yokoyama-san added them simply to provide some warmth and humanity, like a sparkle of sunlight glinting off all the forbidding icy grandeur.

But as on the opening track, the surprise is the deep, tender humanity of Imai’s voice. His lower register, when he sings from his chest tone, is so beautiful, so expressive - you can feel the weary weight of loss, his voice as raw as if he has been up all night crying. Imai has never been a particularly emotionally expressive man; he keeps his cards close to his chest. But as his voice creaks and frays, it’s apparent that still waters run deep. (This is probably projection, but I’ve always detected a touch of alexithymia in Imai. It’s not that he doesn’t have deep emotions, but he seems to struggle to even process the shape of them, let alone express them.)

The arrangement builds slowly. The details are so exquisite: sighed scraps of backwards-masked vocals (0:37); the repeated clang of a metal icepick in the background (0:43); a weird rubber-band distortion (0:55). Shards of jangly guitars drift in about 1:12, wrapping Imai’s voice in angel wings, then around 1:40, haunting electronic sighs like a rising wind seem to lift the song up into the chorus. Chugging rhythm guitars build up the tone in the mid-range, while a charming clinking sound like a marimba made of bones dances in the treble.

Imai’s voice wavers tremulously on the chorus, an unforced vibrato. The contrast between the icy grandeur of the arrangement and the bewildered humanity of the singer gives the song its great power - like an explorer cresting icy snowdrifts, this is a man struggling through an emotional landscape that seems wholly unfamiliar to him. I don’t know why it’s so unexpected - after all, Imai wrote the music for all those dark, tortured gothic anthems, from Taiyou ni Korosareta to Romance. It’s easy to think of Imai as the upbeat, cyberpunk dance-lover, and forget that he sculpted the epic underground caverns where Acchan, Prince of Darkness played.

After the chorus, a piano solo - again, I think this is Yokoyama-san’s work? But the lovely fluid melody creates such a sweet respite of hope, echoing the echoey strums of the guitars, lifting the listener up like the beating wings of some giant beast. The second verse has lush vocal harmonies adding warmth and humanity. The backing vocals are oddly sweet: Imai’s deep spoken intonation of ‘Howling’ mixes with gasps and little exhalations of ‘hoo!’ as if he’s reached the top of a long, exhausting flight of steps. But these extra vocals convey the odd sense that Imai is no longer alone on his journey through the wastelands. The beasts have gathered; the angels are flocking. By the second chorus, Imai’s voice has changed - he has gathered strength from his ghostly companions, as if he is persevering, rather than simply resigned.

And at 4:46, the whole song cracks and breaks open. Do you see what I mean about the use of silence? The guitar feedback rings out at the end of the chorus, then abruptly everything totally cuts out for a split second - like the whole world holding its breath! The calm before the storm, The eye of the hurricane. Christ, he makes us wait for the best bit. Then oh my god, what a guitar solo! A rising squall of feedback, then the pummel of Toll’s drums - and the heavens break open and the storm lets loose.

For two whole chord progressions, Imai just hangs there, on one single note, like a bird of prey on a thermal (I counted it, it’s 20 full beats!) before the note frays, breaks up, that distinctive electronic shriek that means he’s using the sustainer on the Stabilizer Guitar. The tone swoops, shudders, warps and bends - honestly the first time I heard this solo, I actually thought it was theremin, it’s so liquid and quicksilver - before dropping out of the sky. Wait, no, it soars back up, it cries, it wails, a storm of fury and loss and devastation and triumph, a single man howling against nature, howling at god about the unfairness of fate. 

Imai is not a particularly technical guitar player (though he has certainly demonstrated over the years, that he can play elaborate riffs and solos, he just chooses not to) - but the intense emotion of his squalling atonal noise solos leaves me gasping at his sheer expressiveness. The chaotic simplicity of it is devastating. There’s a whole cathartic emotional journey expressed through guitar noise - he falls down, drags himself back up, claws at his hair, spins around, turns himself inside out, then finally, as the drums come to their cataclysmic conclusion, he lets the mood waver and echo away. Still hanging on to the last drops of sound, he swings back and forth over the brink a few times, sawing away at the tremolo arm until the actual note is gone, there’s only echo, delay, reverb, a stretched-out ghost of a guitar sound drifting off into eternity in the silence of the tomb.

It is not a light or easy listen - it’s not a tune you can just have on in the background. It grabs your emotions by the neck and takes them on a terrifying ride through the rawness and bleakness of loss before coming to the peace of acceptance. But the more extreme the human experience, the more extreme the music. This band’s members went through an inexpressibly extreme experience in losing Sakurai; as did the band’s fans. There is no greater gift from a musician to a listener than to express the inexpressible with the rawness of sound. It somehow feels right to listen to sad music when you’re sad, angry music when you’re angry, grieving music when you’re sad and devastated and reeling and grieving.

Music is healing.

Exorcism.

Catharsis.

The whole album of SUBROSA, but in particular this song, is such a gift to the fans - giving us a place to experience, and work through our grief. Thank you, B-T.

[rubberricky]

🎵when marimba rhythm start to play~🎵

🎵dance with me~ make me sway🎵

Ooc: Instead of Ricky being in the flesh curtains, he was a lounge singer, and every once in a while, he still sings in bars :D

[thenecropolix]

When marimba rhythms start to play Dance with me Make me sway

I found this illustration by Rene Gruau and I just had to draw Sasha and Milla doing the same thing

[tartaeya]

When marimba rhythms start to play Dance with me, make me sway

[starlitecryolite]

//OGTDWV, Vigilante AU

"When marimba rhythms start to play.. Dance with me, make me sway"

A cool frame for something I'm making

[vibewithhana]

When marimba rhythm starts to play

Dance with me , make me sway

[writernopal]

🎻Mariachi - El Sonido Mexicano🎻

Alright friends, this is not the type of post I usually make on this blog but I felt like I needed to because, well, sharing is caring, and because I don’t see a lot of posts or music recommendations containing mariachi music and it breaks my heart! You’re really missing out!

Mariachi is, my god, so special to me. As a Mexican-American, mariachi always felt like one of the strongest ways to connect with my Mexican heritage (aside from the food of course hehe) especially because I grew up in an area where there wasn’t a very strong Mexican cultural presence. It made me feel proud of who I am when there were so many reasons to feel like I shouldn’t be. The energy, the lyrics, the outfits, the dances, the tradition surrounding mariachi are just things I wish more people had the chance to know and appreciate even if they don’t speak Spanish or have any kind of personal connection to Mexican culture.

So that’s my goal today! Buckle in because this is going to be a LONG post. And for anyone that makes it to the end, I hope you come away with a better understanding of this cornerstone of Mexican culture and even find a few songs to add to your playlists. 💙 🇲🇽

For anyone that wants to get right to the song req's here is a playlist I put together that has my favorites in it, it's also linked at the very end of this post!

A Brief History

Mariachi is a regional music style, native to ranches and small towns, which developed in the late 19th century in central/western Mexico, particularly in the states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato (Nopal’s family is from here!), Michoacán, and Colima. Some sources will also include Sinaloa, Durango, and Guererro as places where mariachi developed even though they are on the northern and southern extremes, respectively, of the aforementioned central/western region.

The history of mariachi, in many ways, is the history of Mexico and her people. It starts as early as 1519 when the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés made landfall in what would later become Mexico. With him, traveled musicians carrying primarily string instruments—harps, guitars, and the vihuela (the predecessor to the modern day one used in mariachi, this one was more similar to a lute)—all new to the pre-colonial region. By contrast, indigenous peoples mainly used rattles, drums, flutes, and conch-shell type horns to play their music. African peoples (via the Spanish as slaves) were also brought to Mexico, along with their musical influences. Its the blending of these three rhythms—Spanish, Indigenous, and African—during Mexico’s colonial era (1519 - early 1800s) that formed the basis of mariachi, el son jalisciense.

Other influences, like waltzes and polkas, and the introduction of brass instruments like trumpets, have transformed el son jalisciense into the beloved mariachi that we know today. Because of these added influences, and the rise in popularity of mariachi in the 20th century, there are many other regional styles/genres which are performed with/by mariachi ensembles. Some of the most notable styles are rancheras, corridos, cumbia, and boleros. These styles have their own instrumentations which include marimbas, accordions, drums, synthesizers, tubas, and various percussions instruments, like maracas and claves, that will often accompany a mariachi group performing pieces from that genre. So the key thing to understand here is that mariachi is both a genre and an ensemble type.

Since 2011, the mariachi genre has been recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Instrumentation and Ensemble

Mariachi instrumentation primarily consists of violins, trumpets, guitars, vihuela, guitarrón, and in larger ensembles, harps. Of the instruments listed here the two I want to focus on are la vihuela and el guitarrón because they are likely unfamiliar to most of you.

La vihuela is somewhere between a guitar and ukulele in size and has five strings. The sound it makes is very crisp and high, producing little to no echo, and gives mariachi that sharp quality to its string section. Its primarily strummed but can also be plucked!

El guitarrón is kind of the opposite of la vihuela in that is makes up the bass of mariachi instrumentation. You’ve probably seen it before, its much bigger than a guitar and has a large rounded back with six strings and no frets. It’s usually plucked to create a deep and full-bodied sound which forms the backbone of that hallmark mariachi sound.

Ensemble sizes vary but many consider a full ensemble to be 12 members strong—6 violins, 3 trumpets, 1 guitar, 1 vihuela, and 1 guitarrón (this is the size I had at my wedding!). In some cases, a 13th member will be added, usually a harpist. However, schools and professional companies may have more (upwards of 16) whereas more casual groups will have 4-6 members (think the kind that you see at Mexican restaurants!). Some groups may have a dedicated soloist/singer, but if they don’t, group members will take turns soloing before returning to play their instrument (sometimes even while they play!). They also sing as a group, so its pretty common to have instruments and the musicians themselves microphoned, especially in larger concert halls. However, mariachi in smaller venues often don’t need mics because they’re pretty loud as it is hehe.

Traditional Dress

Remember how I said that the history of mariachi is also very much the history of Mexico and her people? Where here is further proof! You might have noticed that mariachi ensembles wear a pretty distinctive style—the wide brimmed sombrero, bolero jackets, tight pants, both often in black with embellishments, fluffy silk scarves tied in a bow, and leather boots. This outfit is based on another Mexican cornerstone—el charro, or Mexican horseman—and is aptly named traje de charro or charro suit.

Charros have a storied history that I won’t get into for this post but know that these aren’t the “Mexican cowboys” popular media would have you believe. They are sportsmen (and women!) of the highest caliber who not only demonstrate exceptional control over their horses but of the lasso and represent values of honor, gallantry, community, and family. Charros are more like the rugged intersection of rodeo contestants, dressage riders, cowboys, and knights, who trace their origins back to the great haciendas of Mexico, where they competed to outdo one another in their skills of horsemanship.

To digress a little, the mariachi traje de charro also has a variant for women mariachi as well! This sees the inclusion of a long close fitting skirt. Its usually just full enough to allow the woman wearing it to ride sidesaddle, a detail which I think makes a little more sense after the charro origin of it has been explained.

Designs often include embroidered embellishments around the hems and pockets of the suit and of course the signature aletón down the side of the pants. Other accessories can include the zarape, large belts, and brooches.

Dance

You might have noticed there are no percussive instruments in the mariachi ensemble, which in concert settings, is true, but not in full scale performances. Enter another Mexican cornerstone, el zapateado! You have likely seen this style of dance before! Men in trajes de charro will dance with women in bright colorful dresses with big skirts, often striking their heels loudly on stage to produce a thundering sound. Dancers will often whistle, cheer, and sometimes even throw out short phrases of encouragement as they dance, further adding to the ensemble’s music.

This type of footwork was adapted from Spanish Flamenco (among other styles) and is in itself a type of tap dance, characterized by those hard heel strikes, and wide sweeping movements. It can be performed by as little as two couples (yes they are always paired off, even if either the men or women appear alone at first) up to a dozen (really as many as can fit on the stage or dance area haha, the more the merrier!)

There are a few other dances that accompany mariachi such as el jarabe and huapango dances. I should note, that these dances all form what is known as ballet folklórico (or folkloric dance) of which most Mexican states have their own signature style and steps. This is why outfits (most notably the women’s) will look different depending on which state’s performance you are watching. The most well known are the dances and outfits from Jalisco (remember the history section where I mentioned Jalisco as one of the origins of mariachi?) which features those big colorful skirts. Veracruz’s dresses are also very well known, these dresses are white with black embroidered aprons. Another notable mention is Puebla which have more narrow, brightly colored and sequined skirts.

I’ll add some links here to see zapateado and jarabe performances because you really do have to witness it if you’ve never seen it before! I would also encourage you to find a dance group in your area if you can, because the heel strikes are a lot more impressive in person!

Guadalajara, La Culebra, El Tranchete, Son de la Negra y Jarabe - Ballet Amalia Hernandez (dancing begins around 3:30)

Jalisco. Son de la Negra, El Carretero y La Madrugada

Tradicional baile del Jarabe Tapatio

La Culebra, El Tranchete, y Son de la Negra

Artist and Song Recommendations

Now, we’ve talked enough about mariachi and its history so let’s get down to the music itself! The lyrical content of mariachi music revolves around themes of love, heartbreak, betrayal, death, politics, country life, and carries tones of strong masculine pride. Thus the voices who perform these songs are typically masculine/male. However, as I mentioned before, there are women mariachi and mariachi groups. The key thing here is that mariachi music must be performed with body and soul!

Some other characteristics you might notice are el grito or shout, which is common to traditional mariachi and is that loud “Ay!” or “Wah!” you’ll often hear in performances, live or recorded, and may also come from dancers if they are present. Lyrics may also be crooned out to characterize the pain of the lyric’s meaning, Vicente Fernandez does an excellent job of this.

Below I’ve included some of my favorite artists and a playlist of songs for you to check out, but I would encourage all of you to explore the genre on your own and find what you like! I will note that not all of the artists here do strictly mariachi music, some branch out into other genres, but in general, most traditional Mexican artists have sung mariachi before due to its sheer popularity and cultural significance. You’ll also find that there are a lot of classic songs covered by many artists, so there is a mixed bag of original and covered works here!

Artists

Mariachi Vargas

Vicente Fernandez

Alejandro Fernandez

Jose Alfredo Jimenez

Pedro Infante

Pepe Aguilar

Javier Solis

Christian Nodal

Ana Gabriel

Angela Aguilar

Aida Cuevas

Lucha Villa

Nopal’s Mariachi Faves (YouTube Music Playlist, in no particular order!)

[felice-jaganshi]

His Pet

Alastor X OC

Chapter 12

(Both covers for the song i had in mind for this chapter. 1. 2. )

Zariah entered Alastor's bedroom behind him and as soon as the door was locked, she hugged him from behind and poured healing energy into him. He felt her warmth filling his tired, broken bones and mending them.

“Ah, my clever little fox. Such a good pet you are.” His voice was filled with relief, as the constant throbbing pain began to cease. 

“I got you Al.” She smiled softly, happy to be of help.

He gently peeled her off of him when he was all better, “Alright, that's enough.” 

She frowned as she let him go, “Aw, okay.”

He chuckled, “I'd like to change out of my blood soaked clothes, that's all darling.” He then stepped away to his wardrobe. He chose a more relaxed outfit, then used magic and shadows to change instantly. “There we are, much better.”

He then raised a hand and music began to play on the radio in his room. “Come dance with me, my pet. You've earned a treat yourself.”

“Oh… but I don't know how to dance.” She blushed, tails twisting together behind herself in nervousness. “I'm afraid I'll step on your feet.”

He smiled fondly, “Do you trust me?” She silently nodded. “Then just take my hand, darling. I'll teach you.”

Zariah stepped forward and took his hand. “We'll start slow, something simple.” He guided her through the motions of a basic slow dance, using his magic to correct and guide her seamlessly. He hummed along to the melody of the song, it was something soft and jazzy. 

 

“When marimba rhythms start to play

Dance with me, make me sway

Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore

Hold me close, sway me more.”

Zariah blushed again, oh no, there go the butterflies in her gut again! And she knew this song too! She decided to join in and sing the next verse.

 

“Like a flower bending in the breeze

Bend with me, sway with ease

When we dance, you have a way with me

Stay with me, sway with me.” 

 

Alastor was surprised by her singing along, but he grinned wide, he was fond of her voice. So they sang the chorus together and switched off each verse as they sang and danced together. 

After the song came to a close, he held her to his chest, “My dear pet, you are just full of surprises. The more I learn of you, the more fun you are to have around. A lovely little stress reliever, as any good pet should be.” 

She laughed at his choice of words, “If anyone else called me that, I'd think they were trying to seduce me! You gotta watch that wording Al, especially when you're using your deeper voice like that. Someone might think you've got less than pure intentions.”

 

He laughed along with her, “Oh dear, I suppose you're right! I didn't think that could be interpreted that way. Yet you did? Hm, spending so much time with Angel must be rotting your brain to degeneracy. How unfortunate.” 

“Oh no, I've always been great at making the raunchiest jokes of all my friends. If I wanted, I could probably even make Dusty blush!” She sounded so proud of this.

 

“Hm, well, now that would be an accomplishment.” He then sighed, “I think I may be due for a nap, my dear. Would you like to join me?”

“Sure! I'd love an excuse to hold you for longer.”

He led her over to his bed and laid down, letting her snuggle into his chest before he began petting her hair.

She reached a hand up to pet his head as well, and he allowed it for the briefest moment until she touched one of his ears. Then he caught her wrist gently, “Ah ah, my dear. Not the ears.” He didn't explain, but his cheeks had a slight flush to them.

“Oh, sorry. Can I pet the rest of your head if I'm careful? I used to give my mom head massages after work when I was little, she always said I was very good at it.”

“Oh? Maybe another time. You two must have had a very good relationship then… Tell me, do you ever miss her?” He placed her hand back on his chest before releasing her wrist.

“Yeah, sometimes. Even into my adult life, I'd visit her every chance I got after I'd moved out.”

“So.. you said before you'd visit my mother? How often?” He decided it was time to address this.

“She and my mom are neighbors in heaven actually, so I'd visit them both at the same time. Funny little coincidence that our mom's are friends and hang out! Last time I visited, they were both taking pottery classes…. They're probably wondering why I haven't visited in a while…” She frowned.

“Ah, dear… that is a problem…” He looked troubled by this news.

 

“If I find a way to visit heaven, would you like me to say anything to your mom? Anything you'd want me to bring her?” She kept her voice soft and ran a hand along his upper arm. He held her tighter.

“You plan to go back to heaven?” He wouldn't allow it. She was his.

“Not to stay, more like breaking in to let my mom know I still love her, but I'm going to be away for a while. Make up a lie about being on a secret mission for heaven or something.” She hugged back tight too. “I'll never leave you, Al. You're my special person now. I love you, and I'll say it as many times as it takes for you to believe me.”

He sighed, “Very well, my pet… if you do manage to find a way into heaven, tell her I love her still and think of her everyday. I… do not feel the need to lie to her about why I am here. She will either love me as always, or reject me as heaven did for my sins. It is her right to make that decision and I don't wish to take that from her.” He went back to petting Zariah's hair.

[crackedpumpkin]

when marimba rhythm starts to play but i dont dance nor do i sway instead i am eating because i am HUNGRY