#salsa soul sisters

[queen-of-reptiles]

𝚁𝚄𝙻𝙴𝚂

description: For Alexia, she had rules...

rule one: don't date teammates

rule two: don't give up

rule three: don't date your best friends siblings

rule four: ignore rule 1 and 3 for y/n hermoso

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Alexia Putellas x female reader

this is all fiction! Jenni and Alexia were never a thing in this au!

warnings: fluff, a little bit of angst, bad google translations of spanish !

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y/n just posted

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tagged fcbfemeni

y/n VAMOS BARCA! 6-0 ❤️💙

view 19, 339 comments

username1: she is so hot i wanna cry 😭

username2: VAMOS VAMOS VAMOS ! ❤️💙❤️💙

username3: Tres goles para nuestra superestrella!!! 😱

three goals for our superstar

jennihermoso: Mi hermana menor ❤️🥹

my baby sister

^

y/n: te amooooooooo !! ❤️

love you

lucybronze: Little star!! 🌟🌟

^

y/n: my double assist bestie!!! ☄️

username4: Ella es tan linda! 😍😍

she's so pretty

username5: BODY YADA YADA YADA YADA 😛😛

username6: Su celebración del tercer gol fue demasiado divertida 😂

her third goal celebration was too funny

^

username7: ¿bien? su pequeña salsa 😂😂

right? her little salsa

marialeonn16: HERMOSOOOOOOOO!!!! 🩷

^

y/n: LEONNNNNNN!!!! 🩷

keirawalsh: I still have no clue what you said to me at half time... 🧐

^

y/n: you'll get it one day amiga! 😏

alexiaputellas: ❤️💙

^

y/n: ❤️🩷🫡

username8: want her body now please!! 😛

see more comments...

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y/n laughed as Mapi tumbled over, the defender getting her feet tangled as she tried to tackle y/n, the young Hermoso instead sending the tattooed blonde the wrong way and onto the ground.

y/n sent a cross into Alexia, the woman striking it past Cata and into the back of the net, meaning just as Jonatan called time, the playful training match coming to an end.

y/n cheered with her bib team, jumping on Aitana who was closest to her, the woman laughing and spinning the winger slightly as they celebrated.

Salma poked her tongue out at her friend, clearly annoyed at the playful loss, y/n just shook her head at Salma who laughed as she watched y/n get off Aitana.

An arm wrapped around y/n's shoulder and Alexia pulled the girl into her side, y/n's head coming onto her shoulder being just an inch shorter than her Captain.

"Perfecta como siempre mi estrella." Alexia hummed, relishing in the blush which fought its way up the woman's cheeks.

perfect as always my star

"Sólo porque la reina lo recibió." y/n countered with a smile.

only because the queen received it.

The use of the term usually made Alexia feel slightly shy, but whenever the words slipped from y/n's lips, something twisted in her stomach, a protective want that made Alexia want y/n to chant the name out in pants and groans beneath her.

As y/n turned to laugh at Mapi, Alexia shook her head of the thoughts which had started to push into her head, she looked up arm still wrapped around y/n only to see Lucy watching her with a knowing look.

The Brit seemed to have been able to sniff out the captain's crush since she stepped foot in Barcelona. The only other soul to know was Mapi, and that was an accident.

Alexia had gone out with the team and the one time she had decided to let loose, and drink she spilled the secret she had kept so close to her heart.

She was in love with y/n Hermoso, her team-mate, her striker, and worse, her best friend's little sister. Mapi had found her in the bathroom after two drinks.

Alexia didn't drink often so she didn't have a high tolerance and she was sat on the closed toilet lid, head in her hands as she tried to rid her impure thoughts while she tried to not think about y/n and the tight dress she was wearing.

When Mapi found her, she was scared her captain had hurt herself, but the woman just scoffed and blamed love for her injury, it didn't take Mapi long to figure it out after that.

Alexia rolled her eyes at Lucy, the Brit just sighing and looking away as y/n chased after Mapi, the blonde letting out a panicked shriek as y/n chased her down with her water bottle.

"Mierda." y/n cursed as she missed Mapi.

shit

Mapi turned back with an evil grin and before y/n could blink she was covered in ice cold water and Mapi was howling in amusement as she stood there shocked.

The rest of the team were all laughing along as y/n trudged back to them, a pout on her lips as she waved her hands in upset at her soaked body.

"Alexia." y/n whined but the captain shook her head.

"juega juegos estúpidos, ganas premios estúpidos, princesa." Alexia hummed, Mapi shouting in victory as y/n huffs.

play stupid games, you win stupid prizes, princess.

Suddenly y/n launches forward, her body jumping onto Alexia's back and pressing her cold wet shirt into the back of Alexia's dry one, the captain letting out a shout of annoyance.

"juega juegos estúpidos, ganas premios estúpidos, reina." y/n hums back.

play stupid games, you win stupid prizes, queen.

Alexia huffs and rolls her eyes but her hands come up to hold y/n's thighs, walking them both toward the changing rooms which once they arrive in, y/n hops off.

Lucy laughs at y/n as she rips her wet top off, flinging it at the now shouting Lucy. y/n ignores the complaining older woman and moves to the showers, unaware of her staring captain.

Alexia wondered if she hadn't seen y/n shirtless in a while, but the once faint outline of abs, were now a chiselled picture on her stomach, the rest of the toned muscles hidden behind her sports bra.

"You're drooling, la reina." Lucy mutters to Alexia, and the captain glares at her.

"Shut up." She sighs.

Once the group were all changed, a large group of them made their way toward the exit, the Barcelona sun still dangling high in the air, trying to keep as much of the day alive as possible.

y/n was talking to Ingrid when she saw her, a body lent against her car, a familiar body who when y/n let out a shocked call looked up grinning.

"Jenni!" y/n yelled, racing over at her sister, the two meeting in a very tight hug, it becoming impossible to define where one sister started and the other met.

If there was one thing that was known of the Hermoso siblings, it was that they were incredibly close. And since they no longer played at the same club, the two were known to visit each other as often as possible.

Jenni's move was tough on her younger sister, the two having been depressed from days at the beginning when they weren't together everyday.

While the two had now become used to the distance, the shock of seeing her sister was still an incredibly grateful one for y/n, especially when they had a day off the next day.

"¿Qué estás haciendo aquí?" y/n asked her sister as they pulled away. The group coming over and hugging their friend one by one.

what are you doing here?

"Me jalé el muslo, estoy bien antes de que te preocupes. Simplemente no jugaré durante las próximas semanas." Jenni explains as her sister kisses her cheek again.

pulled my thigh, i'm okay before you worry. Just no playing for a few weeks.

"¡perfecto! ¡Puedes unirte a nosotros esta noche!" Mapi grins.

perfect, you can join us out tonight

Jenni laughs but nods, knowing there was no saying no to Mapi Leon, and y/n grins as the group agrees to meet in several hours at their usual place.

As y/n starts packing her car and the others depart, no one notices the shared look between, Lucy, Mapi and Jenni, no one other than Alexia herself.

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y/n just posted

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tagged jennihermoso

y/n Mira quién vino de visita!

look who came to visit

view 16, 387 comments

username1: AWWWWWWW 🥹😍

username2: my fav sister duo!!!! 🥹🥹

lucybronze: Ready for tonight!!!

^

y/n: 😏💙

marialeonn16: 🥹🥹

^

y/n: 🥹🥹

jennihermoso: ❤️

^

y/n: ❤️

username3: 😊😊😩

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Jenni sat happily sipping her drink, watching her sister who laughed as Mapi picked up another four uno cards. The group were at a small beach-side bar.

It was a usual for the group to go and relax, they didn't have to drink or party and were warned against it during the season so the bar here was perfect for them to relax but still be out.

Jenni was sat next to Alexia and Lucy, the latter talking with Keira about something funny that her nephew had done, Alexia was just sat watching y/n.

"So, will we talk about it?" Jenni asks Alexia, using English as she knew if her sister was to overhear, which would be doubtful, she would have a harder time picking out English words, not as fluent as her sister.

"Talk about what?" Alexia asks, turning to face her best friend, her face stone cold.

"Your feelings for my sister." Jenni shrugged and if she hadn't have known Alexia so well, she wouldn't have seen the slip in her cold mask.

"Jenni." Alexia sighed, clearly not having the strength to lie to her.

"It's okay, amiga." Jenni tried, knowing how much Alexia hated being overly vulnerable. "It's okay." She adds.

Lucy and Keira move with a shared look, understanding their captain deserved privacy in this moment, the two opting to join the rest of the group who were watching the intense Uno game happening.

"Rule one, don't date teammates. Rule two, don't give up. Rule three, don't date your best friend's siblings." Alexia denies, her voice void of any emotion.

The captain knew as soon as she slipped from her cold mask Jenni would see. She would be able to see the pleading in her eyes, the captain would be begging to be with her sister if not for her rules.

"Rule four, ignore rules 1 and 3 for y/n Hermoso." Jenni says simply.

Alexia and Jenni never had to say much to each other, they both preferred it that way and with that sentence Alexia could have cried.

She looked over at her best friend who smiled softly as if promising it was okay. Alexia gripped her best friend's hand, grateful for her more than she would be able to voice.

"Now, you must swallow your pride amiga, and your stupid rules." Jenni warns as she nods to her sister, who had bowed out of Uno and gone to get another drink.

Alexia nodded and moved quickly, smoothly gliding next to y/n as she thanked the bartender for her new drink.

"Hola Ale." y/n smiled as she looked up at her captain.

"¿Quieres salir a caminar?" Alexia asked softly, and the look in her eyes had y/n nodding and placing her drink down as they left the bar.

do you want to go for a walk?

The two found themselves walking hand-in-hand down the beach, the crisp Barcelona air still warm, even with the inky sky above them reminding them of the time.

They talked quietly, their conversation flowing easily as they talked of anything that came to mind. But as y/n giggled at a joke Alexia had made, the captain could no longer keep her rules.

"Sal conmigo." Alexia said softly, not even realising it had slipped from her lips.

date me.

y/n paused, her body tensing as Alexia stopped, cursing herself in her mind for how un-romantically she had said that, an entire speech had been brewing in her mind but instead she said that.

"qué?" y/n asked.

what?

"Sal conmigo." Alexia repeated, stronger this time. While stil not what she wanted to say it was progress.

date me.

"¿Qué pasa con tus reglas?" y/n asked rush, holding up three fingers to show she knew the three.

what about your rules?

"¿Quién te habló de ellas?" Alexia questioned annoyed.

who told you about them?

"Mapi." y/n admitted sheepishly, Alexia sighing.

"Mapi." The woman nodded.

Alexia bit her lip and stepped closer to y/n, her hand coming up to take hold of the woman's waist, giving her time to pull away, but when she didn't, Alexia pulled her closer.

"Eres tan hermosa que duele, juegas como nadie que haya visto jamás y podrías llenar el océano con cosas que sabes. Pero no podrías llenar el océano con mis sentimientos por ti, porque ni siquiera los océanos tienen suficiente espacio para ellos." Alexia whispers.

You're so beautiful it hurts, you play like no one I have ever seen, and you could fill the ocean with things you know.

But you couldn't fill the ocean with my feelings for you, because not even the oceans have enough space for them.

Her speech was much closer to what she had wanted to say and y/n sucked in a shaky breath, her hands coming up to cup Alexia's face, as if trying to reassure herself this was real.

"regla cuatro, ignora las reglas uno y tres si eres t/n Hermoso." Alexia whispered.

rule four, ignore rules one and three if it's y/n Hermoso

y/n smiled softly, her thumb rubbing circles on Alexia's cheek as she pressed her forehead against her captain's.

"Bueno, entonces estoy de acuerdo con la regla cuatro." y/n giggled softly.

well, i agree with rule four then.

Alexia let out a breath laugh, her nose brushing y/n's as she did so, her hand tightening around her waist as the other came up to rest behind her neck.

"¿puedo besarte?" Alexia whispered.

can i kiss you?

"Por favor." y/n pleaded and Alexia needed no more.

please.

Her lips pushed against y/n's softly slotting them together as she pulled her tighter to her body, she took it no further, despite her body begging her too, simply for now having their lips together was enough.

And suddenly, Alexia was very grateful for rule four.

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y/n just posted on their story

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alexiaputellas mi amor

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y/n A la mierda las reglas uno y tres

fuck rules one and three

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END

kicking my feet giggling nd shit at this one

loved writing this cannot lie

two requests in one on this one!

Thank you for all the requests ! I will do my best to work through them!

-

Queenie xo

[teatitty]

Me and my mate Dan came up with the names of Jazz's siblings together so in age order we have:

Jazz's twin sister: Soul, a famous musician from their area of cybertron First brother: Synth, a librarian Twin sisters: Rhythm & Blues, always causing some kind of mayhem together, frequent clubbers Youngest brother: Salsa, always job-hopping because nothing ever 'feels like the right vibe for me, y'know' Youngest sister: "Wheelie Pop" Poppy, had a passionate love for life, liked to do abstract sketching

And yes the musical theme is intentional because we thought it'd be really cool if it was a family trait

[soulmusicsongs]

Soul Around The World

Soul music became popular around the world, influencing countless artists across the world. We’ve put together a list with awesome soul tracks form Africa, Asia, Europa and Latin America.

Soul Around The World in 30 songs

Asante Kwa Wazazi - Marehemu George Mukabi (Sengula Nakupenda, 196?) - Kenya

Assalam Aleikoum Africa - Francis Kingsley & Emitais (Assalam Aleikoum Africa, 1976) - Ivory Coast

Bailando en la Campiña - Los Orientales (Bailando en la Campiña - Los Orientales / Mosaico: Tres-En-1 -Tito Chicoma, 1974) - Peru

Beat For Two - Franco Micalizzi (I Due Volti Della Paura, 1972) - Italy

California - Azuquita Y Su Orquesta Melao (Pura Salsa, 1975) - Panama

Can't Give You Anything = No Puedo Darte Más Que Amor - Jaime Delgado Aparicio Y Su Orquesta Contemporánea (Jaime Delgado Aparicio Y Su Orquesta Contemporánea, 1976) - Peru

Come Back Baby - Theodore Nemy & His Band (Come Back Baby / Je Reviendrai, 1973) - Nigeria

Djanfa Magni (La Trahison N'est Pas Bonne) - Tidiani Kone Et Le T. P. Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou - Benin (Fangate Djangele Et Djanfa Magni, 1977) - Benin

Do The Good - The Future Hopes (How Can I Get To My God / Do The Good, 197?) - Nigeria

Dom Za Tebe - Zoran Milivojevic (Rastanak (My Women, My Women, My Wife) / Dom Za Tebe, 1974) - Yugoslavia

Fireman - Benis Cletin (Jungle Magic, 1979) - Nigeria

Kalabuley Woman - Pierre Antoine (Kalabuley Woman / Ye Man Noun (Our World), 1977) - Ivory Coast

Life’s Gone Down Low - The Lijadu Sisters (Danger, 1976) - Nigeria

Moni Ngan - Willie Songue accompagné par Les Showmen (Moni Ngan / Le Jour De Fete, 1974) - Cameroon

Moving World - Kelenkye Band (Moving World, 1974) - Ghana

Overture - Gibson Kente (How Long, 1978\3) - South Africa

Papa's Black Dog - Pazy And The Black Hippies (Wa Ho Ha, 1978) - Nigeria

Pele Rein - Les Loups Noirs (Jouent Pour Vous, 1970) - Haiti

Sound Beat - The Beat Fellows (Sound Beat / Hand In Hand, 1970) - Belgium

Speedy Buggy - Orchester Fritz Maldener (Speedy Buggy, 1972) - Germany

Tilantina Zarie - Alemayehu Eshete (Konjit / Tilantina Zarie, 1974) - Ethiopia

Tsegulani - Musi-O-Tunya (Tsegulani / One Reply, 1973) - Zambia

Tsi Ma Leto - Les As Du Golfe (Les As Du Golfe En Action Vol.1, 197?) - Togo

Ultima Caccia - Giuliano Sorgini (Zoo Folle , 1974) - Italy

Viertel Vor Neun Viertel Vor Zehn - Zanki (Jetzt Komm' Ich, 1977) - Germany

Voodoo Moon - Jackie Mittoo And The Soul Brothers (Last Train To Skaville, 2003) - Jamaica

Wake The Monster - Big Jullien And His All Star (Riviera Sound N°1, 1970) - France

Wait For Me - Roger Damahouzan (Xede Nge / Wait For Me, 1972) - Togo

You Fool, You Fool - The Prophet and His Disciples (You Fool, You Fool / The Pusher, 197?) - Ghana

Zulu Lunchbag - Ndikho Xaba & The African Echoes (Zulu Lunchbag / Big Time, 1968) - South Africa

More Soul Around the World

Soul Around The World in 34 songs

Soul Around The World in 27 Songs

Soul Around the World in 20 tracks

Soul Around The World in 22 tracks

Soul Around The World in 33 songs

[lmjupdates]

IN CONVERSATION WITH LAUREN JAUREGUI

Interview by Jana Letonja

Multi-platinum Cuban-American singer-songwriter Lauren Jauregui has projected her voice across popular culture, including collaborations with everyone from Halsey and Steve Aoki to Ty Dolla Sign and Russ. Her sophomore EP ‘In Between’ was released on 26th May.

Lauren, your new EP ‘In Between’, which was just released, dives inward to craft an ode to the process of becoming one’s true, whole self. Tell us more about the inspiration and meaning of this EP.

This project is I feel titled pretty appropriately. It is a collection of songs, opened by a spoken word piece also titled ‘In Between’, which I think really captures what this project means. The ‘In Between’ is the space before you fully arrive,so these are pieces of figuring out and releasing to be honest. I’ve held these songs for 5 years, so it’s good to just let them go and for everyone to be able to hear and feel and live with them.

Your new single from the EP, ‘Wolves’, features Ty Dolla Sign and Russ. It marks your first collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign since 2017. How was it collaborating with him again, after such a long time?

I have a lot of respect for both Ty and Russ as artists and humans and I consider them both friends of mine. They’re two people who have always uplifted, supported, shown up and helped guide my spirit in this industry, so working with them on this song was an easy choice, especially back in 2018 when it was made. I’m grateful they both still believed in it the way I did and still do. The message is timeless. It’s about finding your light and purpose and allowing yourself to chase your dreams and visions outside of the constructs and BS they feed us.

The first two released singles from the EP are a poignant ballad ‘Always Love’ and vulnerable and intimate ‘Trust Issues’. What are the stories behind these two personal and deep singles?

They both are branches on the same tree of time. ‘Always Love’ is an ode to unconditional love and the way that I love. I wrote it when I was trying to process my feelings of a breakup. And ‘Trust Issues’ stemmed from the same period of healing, where people start entering your life or you’re lightly dating again, but you’re warning this lover that you’re probably not in the best time to be getting too involved in a relationship.

Your first album ‘Prelude’ showcased every side of you with no shortage of spirit, sensuality, style and soul. How does ‘In Between’ differ from it? And in what ways does it connect to it?

To me ‘Prelude’ and ‘In Between’ are sisters. They’re songs that came from the same version of me. The naive, stubborn, healing, grateful, excited, scared, passionate, present, ambitious dreamer that allowed me to get to where I am today and these songs are her exploring her healing, heart and self. They would’ve been part of the same project once upon a time to introduce myself, but I’m not her anymore. I’ve grown and she’s evolved, but these songs are still as much a part of my journey as the ones that will come from who I’ve been since you all last heard from me. So they had to be heard.

Who are your biggest musical inspirations and influences and why?

I honestly have a really wide range if I’m being real. I’m heavily inspired by pop, r&b, alternative rock music. I love salsa, boleros and reggaetón. I was heavily influenced by growing up in Miami and around my dad who was in a bunch of bands and always playing the drums and music in the house. I love a whole wide range of things. It’s hard for me to fit into a box, but if I think of who I’m inspired by, I’m inspired by all the badass songstresses, songwriters and producers like Hayley Williams, Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Summer Walker, SZA, Kali Uchis, Jhene Aiko, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, P!nk, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Kaytranada, Shakira, Celia Cruz. I like people who tell their stories through their music. I love Jazz too. I’m hard to pin, which is my strength and weakness I suppose. I’m versatile.

You’ve collaborated with many artists, from Halsey to Steve Aoki to Ty Dolla Sign and Russ, who are all from different genres. How do you choose who you’re going to collaborate with? What makes it exciting to create outside of your genre?

I don’t believe I’ve defined a genre for myself as of yet. Like I mentioned, I’m influenced by energy from a lot of different genres, so getting to explore making music with artists I’m friends with and look up to and am inspired by is really my only goal with collaborations. Having fun and creating interesting things with other creatives is a blessing.

Tell us more about your songwriting process. What usually inspires you the most when writing songs?

I feel very inspired by love and being alive. The sounds and whatever the producer and I are feeling that day usually drive the direction the song goes in. I love exploring a concept from beginning to end and for the music to align with the words. I usually start off with a track and then build the melodies by playing around until I find what I like and then write the words.

Being in the spotlight can be challenging? How do you deal with it?

I’ve been doing this for a while, so I think at a certain point there was acceptance. I’m grateful to do what I love and I focus on the real love and support around me. Just stay grounded and true to myself at all times.

Lauren, you also actively speak up for social justice initiatives, including human rights, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. What are your views and opinions on these pressuring matters?

Well, that’s a vague question, but I think my overall opinion in reference to the why is just that I believe we are all worthy of safety and a right to live life joyously and as ourselves, no matter our identity. I believe we all deserve to have the right to life, freedom, clean water and foods, shelter and autonomy over our bodies and minds. That’s what I believe and I just try my best to speak that truth to power as often as I can when handed a mic. I also believe it’s extremely important to be as loud about love as possible for this world to even remotely begin to shift into one where that can be a reality for everyone.

Now that your new EP is out, what is coming up next? Can you share a bit about your upcoming projects.

I’m focused on ‘In Between’ right now. She’s really fresh and new in the world, so I’m going to let her take a breath and live a little. In the meantime, I’ll be creating for my debut album while traveling a bit this summer and I’ll be going on tour in the Fall.

talent LAUREN JAUREGUI @laurenjauregui photographer BRIANNA ALYSSE @brialysse photo editor KWAMI LEE @notemplate.xyz stylist RAZ MARTINEZ @itsmerazzie make-up VITTORIO MASECCHIA @vittoriomasecchiabeuty hair NATHANIEL DEZAN @nathanieldezan producer DANIELLE HAWKINS @daniellehstyles @tunnelmediagroup editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA @timiletonja

[hellsgreatestshow]

Important info; Husker

This is lore for my muses built with the help of @hellsgreatestgame. We have carefully worked together to build and expand the Hella-Verse. All these ideas are mine and not to be used by anyone else without permission. A lot of time and effort went into every detail or my lore. Currently all world building can also be shared with @hellsgreatestperformance

This post will focus mostly on Husker and what lead him to making his deal with Alastor.

Husk was born in as Jeremiah Wesker in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He is the second oldest in a large family of girls. He had four sisters and a father who walked out on them making him the man of the house.

He grew up just barely getting by. However, his mom did everything in her power to provide for her children.

Husk had natural talent for theater. He took quite the shine to singing and dancing but that was not the practical path especially considering he needed to help his mother.

As a teen he started to work in a factory after dropping out of school.

In his free time, he would preform in plays. He learned several types of dance including tap, jazz and salsa.

Trying to balance his own passion with work was too much for Husk leading him to drink from a very a young age.

His drinking caused him to have AUD (alcohol use disorder), which was only the beginning.

Over the years he started to develop many health issues including liver & heart disease. He died of heart failure before he even turned 50 years old.

He died in the late 70s.

Husk is a bear. He is plus sized with a beer belly. His posture is rather poor from hunching over a lot.

In hell he could give into his vices without holding back any more. It led him down a very dark path.

He used souls like poker chips. He had no regard for himself or the souls he contracted. He just used them to make more and more reckless bets.

He became an overlord rather quickly with his careless attitude and remained a heavy player for 13 years before his past caught up to him. He was in over his head and for the first time, Husk had put himself into a corner. The souls he collected hated him, he owed other overlords and he only had one thing he could do which was to make a deal with Alastor.

He has served Alastor faithfully for more than 30 years.

[maricabrera]

There weren't many times you'd find Mariana Cabrera in the grocery store. The girl couldn't cook to save her life- her mother lovingly telling everyone she could that given the chance, Mari would burn water (which she had- simmer pots were, in fact, not fool proof)- and the songwriter was more keen on delivery services and take out than meandering her way through the aisles of Chapman's. However, when she ate both her and her sister's stock of Java Chip Oreos she knew better than to not reup both of their pantries.

She'd already gotten four packages of the cookies (plus a package of Mint) when a craving for something sour hit hit, so she'd made her way to the candy aisle and grabbed herself a pack of Sour Patch Kids (and some Laffy Taffy because it spoke to her in the moment). It was at this time Mari began to regret not picking up a basket at the beginning of her trip, but she figured this was all she was getting so it'd be fine, right? Wrong.

She was on her way to the registers, happening to go down the chips aisle to get there, when she spotted Tostitos with a hint of lime. She hadn't had those chips in years and they suddenly sounded like the best thing- and with some Corona? And Salsa? Now she had two more aisles to get go through while hoping her years of playing musical instruments had her grip strength at a point where she'd be able to make it through the store without a disaster.

Luckily (for her, at least), as she scanned the shelves full of various brands of salsa, a commotion pulled Mari's attention away from her task and had her abandoning her task and heading over to help. Once she reached the pile of toilet paper, she set her groceries down and began to move the packs off of paper off of the poor soul beneath them. But as soon as she unearthed Marco's face, the amused expression on her features fell and her eyes rolled. "Finally returned to your natural habitat, Santos?"

starter for: @maricabrera location: chapman's grocer

In a town as small as Briar Ridge, it was pretty much impossible to avoid people. But Marco had managed to do a pretty good job of steering clear of the youngest Cabrera sister. It might have been a few weeks now since Marco suggested that Cali's boyfriend should ask her who she really got her bracelet from, but he hadn't let his guard down yet. Marco knew Cali told her sister just about everything and he knew if Mari heard about the asshole-ish move he had pulled, he'd get an earful at the very least.

So when he turned down the produce aisle and spotted a particularly familiar brown head of hair at the other end, he very quickly turned around, trying -and failing- to act as if he hadn't seen what he'd needed down that aisle.

The only problem was, in his rush to turn around and get as far away from that aisle as possible, he nearly collided with an old lady driving an electric cart. Dodging the lady's cart as quickly as he could, he came face to face, literally, with a giant tower of toilet paper. And at the momentum he was going, there was no stopping him before he crashed into said tower, causing the whole thing to fall over on top of him. When the dust settled, a grumbled "¡Qué idiota! was all that was heard from the pile of tp that had settled on top of Marco.

[lgbtqueeries]

Intersectionality: A Necessary Tool

TL;DR Intersectionality plays a role in our everyday life as we deal with the weaving of our identities in various institutions and situations. Intersectionality is also a pivotal tool in creating frameworks that analyze and attempt to fight against system oppression, in which intersectionality has multiplicative effects on individuals. While focused on Black women feminists in this post based on the articles I was provided this concept extends so much further. 

NOTE: Written with help from a fellow student Brennan Ventura taking Intro to WGSS Studies via our College. Feel free to reach out and chat with us about your feelings, understandings, comments, and questions!

Another day, another project in the name of awareness and activism. While this blog may seem to center on only queer rights I want to make it very clear that that is not the case. This blog speaks about and stands up for the many types of injustices present in our current systems and institutions. They do not have to intersect with Queer rights and advocacy but it’s time we focus on the fact that many actually do. Oppression doesn’t seem to go one at a time. You don’t generally deal with the racism inherent in all systems from simply being followed by shop owners in stores to a higher likelihood of police brutality one day and the next day dealing with inaccessible public places and buildings. This doesn’t take into account the discrimination you face from inside your own “safe” communities. 

Because of this, I want to want to bring to people’s awareness a couple of concepts that have been pivotal in sharing such eye-opening perspectives on the mix of oppressions. Intersectionality and system oppression are very important terms that can help in analyzing the lives and situations different people or groups of people across the world may be experiencing.  First off is intersectionality, intersectionality is a fairly new idea and a lot of different authors and people across multiple areas of interest such as activism, politics or science the answer to, “what is intersectionality”, would vary greatly. Most simply put, intersectionality is basically the differences and intricacies that humans in the world face in their daily lives. According to Sirma Bilge, and Patricia Hill Collins, sociology professors at Université de Montréal and the University of Maryland, say that intersectionality is “a way of understanding and analyzing the complexity in the world, in people, and in human experiences”(Collins and Bilge 2020, 1). But more so, intersectionality is a lens that helps to analyze the different situations and dilemmas that people across the world go through and how many times, issues such as gender violence, racism, sexuality, discrimination are connected through underlying strings and the issues that involve these systemic problems typically overlap as well. Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American lawyer, and civil rights activist, uses intersectionality to unveil the hidden binds in cases that deal with race and gender discrimination. Crenshaw views intersectionality as a way of showing that issues such as race and gender that may only seem as racial discrimination or gender prejudice are often overlapped in their issues. In a 2016 TEDWomen speech by Crenshaw she stated “in the same way that intersectionality raised our awareness to the way that black women live their lives, it also exposes the tragic circumstances under which African-American women die ”(Crenshaw 2016). And this leads us to system oppression or systematic oppression through the lens of intersectionality. 

System oppression is the unwritten societal standards and traditions that are discriminatory towards certain races, ethnicities, genders or groups of people in general. For instance, in the United States African-Americans have undergone systematic oppression for generations and still continue to be oppressed today due to the societal standards grandfathered in by millions of people across the United States. Although explicit discrimination against African-Americans or explicit discrimination of any kind towards a specific group was made illegal by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, system oppression and the unwritten discrimination of certain groups throughout the United States are still as prominent as ever. And through the lens of intersectionality, it is evident that more often than not, an issue that may seem only racially charged or motivated is often intersectional and involves problems and perspectives from many other areas of oppression such as gender discrimination, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny, etc. and just looking at the issue as one caused by racism will not solve the issue and lead towards more problems later on down the line. Looking at system oppression through intersectionality it is evident a vast majority of issues do not merely involve one aspect of oppression and discrimination but multiple aspects like race, gender, homophobia and many more. According to a case by Kimberlé Crenshaw a young girl was in a lawsuit against a  company that did not hire her due to what she thought was racial discrimination, however, the judge overseeing the case did not agree with the girl’s pleas. When analyzing the lawsuit, Crenshaw noticed that the judge was not looking at the case through the right lens, and because of this, the young girl lost the lawsuit. Crenshaw described this case through a lens of intersectionality and how the young African-American girl could not get helped because she was suffering through both racial and gender charged systematic oppression. As we can see, system oppression and intersectionality play a big role in the world today, and intersectionality, seeing an issue through multiple perspectives, can help to solve so many of the issues brought about by system oppression and discrimination in the United States and other nations across the world that face similar issues and problems. 

These concepts are far-reaching but I think it important to first analyze them in the concepts that they were emphasized in. The frameworks for viewing interlocking systems of power, in this case, focus on weaving feminism and anti-racism together. In the introduction of the book But Some of Us Are Brave we see this eloquently spoken by Gloria T. Hull and Barbara Smith, “Because of white women’s racism and Black men’s sexism, there was no room in either area for a serious consideration of the lives of Black women. And even when they have considered Black women, white women usually have not had the capacity to analyze racial politics and Black culture, and Black men have remained blind or resistant to the implications of sexual politics in Black women’s lives” (Cooper, Hull, Bell-Scott, and Smith 2015, xxi). It is out of absence for this framework that these movements are born. Because of the interlocking identity, instead of being embraced by both communities, they are cast aside and their needs are not spoken for nor are their experiences being shared. Kimberly Crenshaw on her TedTalk about “The Urgency for Intersectionality” spoke about how pivotal that these voices are heard. Her example also focuses on the lived experiences of Black women, mentioning that with the trickle-down sense of social justice that we have currently, people are slipping through the cracks and being left at crossroads of communities, alone and vulnerable (Crenshaw 2016). Social justice movements, despite their call for equality only tend to mention the story of those with other privileges, for instance, feminism speaking mostly for the equality of white women. In this manner, those with intersecting identities have multiplicative effects of oppression and discrimination. As Crenshaw states, Black women brought down by police violence are not covered in the media as breaking news like that of their fallen brothers because of their status as women that are Black and the media simply doesn’t have a frame for how to portray that. 

Of course, Black women are not the only intersectionality groups to have created such frameworks, demanding they be heard for their experiences. Similar movements have happened with queer people of color, disabled queer people, and indigenous people of nonbinary gender identities. Each of these groups speaks out against injustices of racism, homophobia, transphobia, colonialism, and ableism at the crossroads of where they interact, the very spot they were abandoned at. This is a commonality of all of those groups. They have formed communities based on this separation from not only the dominant, privileged culture but also the groups that are supposed to help them as well. This is by far not a new concept. These groups have been standing up for themselves for decades, creating liberation groups like the Salsa-Soul Sisters, a group made for and by Queer women of color. Just because their history has been erased, covered up, and ignored doesn’t mean that they haven’t been there fighting back. These groups are taking a stand for their stories and would love for allies to help spread their cause. Stay safe and stay educated and don’t forget to stand up for what you believe in!

Work Cited

Collins, Patricia Hill, and Sirma Bilge. Intersectionality. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2020.

Crenshaw, Kimberlé. “TEDWomen 2016.” TEDWomen 2016.

Cooper, Brittney C., Akasha Hull, Patricia Bell-Scott, and Barbara Smith. But Some of Us Are Brave Black Womens Studies. New York: The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2015.

[outweek30]

Photo spread from Lesbian and Gay Pride weekend, June 24–25, 1989, OutWeek Magazine No. 3, July 10, 1989, pp. 12–13.

[flonyc]

Audre Lorde changed my life when she brought me to my very first meeting of Salsa Soul in the basement of a church on West 4th Street in the Village in 1977. These sisters became another family for me—my New York family. They fed my soul, and helped me to see and navigate the world as I existed in it. We found in each other what we could not find anywhere else.

Now, more than forty years later, it’s inspiring to see that the African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change carries on the work of Salsa Soul Sisters. Because I carry Salsa Soul in my heart every day.

[listening2lesbians]

5 lesbian activist groups who fought for us Lesbians have always been at the forefront of the fight for LGBT rights, but sometimes lesbian activist groups were needed to fight for space on lesbian rights and issues.  

[ratsoh-writes]

Masterlist 14

(***) = suggestive

General

he finds a group of homeless mage kids (ut hf mt)

SO acts like a f*ckboi (edge mal charm sans green)

SO needs them to come to a family reunion (sf ul dt fsg butch ace)

kid dresses up a plastic skeleton like them (red cash honey charm wine)

shopping cart riding (all)

SO drove their car into a pond

crazy sib gets adopted by tigers (G oak butch slim pop)

toddler walks in on skelly and SO doing the do (ut uf us)****

flirtacious SO

SO is shy in the streets and gremlin in the sheets (mutt cash charm sugar undyne storm tempest)

Daughter gets cheated on (fsr fsg dt ot ft)

SO tries to save a nest from high winds (sf fsr ft ot hs)

antisocial SO (wine papyrus peaches)

SO dreams of an abandoned mansion (fsg ft us ot ul)

crazy sib chugs sour milk (gt sf hs)

disney land (ul sf fsg)

movie monster needs the loo

fox SO (papyrus mutt charm)

The purr list (all)

SO likes to flaunt the booty****

What to bribe them with (all)

Crush is caught looking at them dopily (fsr fsg ul hf)

ITS THE CIRCLE OF LIFE (all sanses)

pregnancy: who's rather carry or not? (all?)

Hades kidnaps their daughter

Horrors triggers**

Horrors meet their frisk/chara again

8'6 foot SO

their favorite kind of gift

SO is in some sexy cosplay****

he gets teleported to showering crush (ms mf gt sf)

pole dance competition between the dudes

helping SO make a short movie (ut sf fsr fsg ot)

dog has a cicada in its mouth

he switches bodies with his brother and is waken up by brothers SO (ot hs dt gt ft)

stranger opens the car door and kisses skelly (ul ot ft hf)

they catch friends SO cheating (ut us uf ht)

crush says something cute and falls asleep (ul fsr fsg)

chihuahua puppy

you had one job

crush accidentally confesses

they see a car accident (ot uf sf mf)

gym rat SO pulls a hit and run (honey cash mutt coffee slim basil)

cooking competition between red jupiter mutt cash papyrus

wiz sib takes out the bully once and for all (uf sf fsg)

human friend survives breaking the barrier

SO is having a baby! (fsg fsr ft mf mt)

SO is a prankster ice mage

ghostbuster SO (ut fsg hf)

cursed dog 2 (madame don roulette frisk salsa)

kids first driving lesson (sf mf ot)

centaur SO (ft ht us)

SO forgot to get dressed****

wedding vows

SOs wardrobe matches their magics color

Go Kart competition (all)

8'6 SO (hs hf pluto lord slim)

getting called a pet name (toriel edition)

SO uncovered a conspiracy (ut fsg mt)

sister in law is in love with them

toddler walks in on SO and skelly ;)****

Worldbuilding

humans and magic + soul types

Golem monsters

Interactions/Polys

underfell poly

if the classic, swap and horror bros all lived together

boss and charm friendship

butch and charm friendship

ace and charm friendship

snipe and charm friendship

The Mafias

a little on roulette

marriage vows

SO gets their head stuck in the rails + tempest

mafiafell childhood

SO educates a bigot

boss ace bruiser and slim as grandparents

mafiaswap childhood

mafiatale childood

would they choose child or SO?

Horrortale

when willow realized oak was a Disney princess

Underswap

even more proof that star is ADHD

domestic star

stars cooking curse

star with a crush

Fellswap Gold

wine's SO becomes pregnant

wine's crush metaphorically bears her soul

Wine with a crush

Wine's crush is in a collar**

Outertale

Jupiter and a SO that can speak to spirits

Underlust

charm in a baking competition

Undertale

frisk and monster bro

Farmtale

rosemary info

Fellswap

mutt as a dad and lord as an uncle

[snaileer]

Chips & Salsa - Chapter 9

“-remember-?”

Who was that?

“Do you-”

What are they saying?

Why does my head hurt?

Light burst into Lance’s eyes with the pain in his chest.

He jolted forward, stuck, hurt-

Haggar.

He could see her glowing eyes now. Staring at him from just under the darkness of her hood. Even without pupils, he could tell that she was focused solely on him. As if he would tell her anything.

Lance jerked against his restraints. Restraints? “What do you want from me, you hag?!” He shouted, pulling against the metal cuffs again. Though they already felt bruised. His head pulsed with similar aching.

“I said, What..” She creeped forward, clamping her hand around his chin, “Do you remember?” Her voice crawled out of her throat like slime coating his skin.

What do I know? He tried to pull away from her again, “What the hell are you talking about, you freak!?” She was asking about his team, his family… Voltron. “I won't tell you anything. You’ll never get your hands on Voltron!” He struggled for lucidity against another flash of pain in his ever-growing headache.

An odd mix of satisfaction and anger flitted across her face, curving it into a sneer. “We will see about that yet, Paladin.”

He had no idea where the satisfaction came from. The anger, he understood. He’d seen plenty of his math teachers with the same expression; but satisfaction? She had nothing to be satisfied about. Not if she thought she could get anything from him.

“You’re not going to be able to break me, not in this lifetime or the next. I’ll never betray my team!”

A strange hissing growl came from her as she pulled her hand back and turned to the other druids. Other druids? Why hadn’t he seen them? He should have noticed them. Was he really that focused on just Haggar?

“Take him to the cell,” She glanced back at him out of the corner of her eye, “Leave him there for a while. We’ll see how he responds when I come back with further improvements from this information.”

He barely had time to panic before a druid had placed a purple hand on his arm and he felt magic course through him. It wasn’t electricity, thankfully, but it tensed every muscle in his body, paralyzing him in place.

God, the cramps he would get from this. He needed a massage. With coconut oil. And music. Hell, at the very least, a hot bath and copious amounts of bubbles.

When the other druid reinforced the magic to carry him out of the room, he came to the unfortunate realization that he would be getting neither any time soon.

The hallways faded past him in a blur. A tingling feeling niggled at the back of his neck, You should remember this. Pay attention. Listen! It screamed. This has happened before! SOMETHING’S WRONG! It whispered.

It sounded familiar.

Lance tried to pay attention to his surroundings, he really did. He knew it would be important if he wanted to escape. To know where he was going. But every time he tried to focus, the directions and pathways slipped from his mind like sand through a net.

What felt like seconds later, Lance was thrown into the darkness of a cell. And suddenly, feeling rushed back to him in a tsunami. Pain, pins-and-needles, sharpness, bruising, the sting of wounds rubbed raw at his wrists.

The druids moved away, uncaring at the shout he gave in shock when he hit the floor. The door closed behind them unceremoniously.

Lance groaned from his place crumpled on the ground, “Nothing like little torture and paralysis to get ya’ kickin’ in the morning, amiright?” He sighed to himself.

Displeasure sunk into him as the grime crawled its way into his pores.

Reluctantly, Lance pulled his hands and arms under his body, pushing up from the floor. At least he could lean against the wall, presumably less dirty than the ground. God, his head hurt. And his arms. Everything was sore, the thick manacles on his wrists feeling heavier by the second.

With a series of grunts, Lance finally settled himself into a corner of the cell. There was very little light, and most of it seeped in from the space under the door or the half dead purple-lightbulb-in-a-cage right above it.

Still, when he rolled his head to the side in exhaustion, there was enough light to catch on something written- no, carved into the wall next to him.

He raised his shaking fingers up to it, trying to feel what marks he couldn’t see.

D-n--or--g-t

-o--for--

No, there was a space in between there.

Do-t- fo--q-t

He squinted at it, leaning closer. The light caught on the curves of some of the letters. The ones he couldn’t accurately feel. It was an ‘N’, a ‘G’, an ‘R’ and maybe.. an ‘e’?

Oh.

Don't Forget.

Lance dropped his shackled wrists to his lap and huffed a laugh at his efforts. At himself. And then he spoke to the darkness.

“Oh don't you worry, creepy wall carving, I think it’d be pretty hard to forget this.”

-x-x-x-

Lance sat in the darkness for hours, days, however mind-numbingly long it was that allowed him to actually recite his entire family tree through 4 and a half generations. Extended family included. He even started including hypothetical nieces and nephews based on what he thought his sisters would name their kids.

He absentmindedly wondered if all of them were still hypothetical. How long had he been gone? What had he missed?

What had changed without him there to see it?

Something rumbled in the back of his head. It felt hidden behind his absolute monster of a headache now coming back.

Except… wait. No. He recognized that rumble…

Blue?

Blue! It was the Blue Lion! His Lion!

Something broke free in his mind, a small section of fog lifting.

Her presence and his own pressed against each other in his mind. A piece he hadn’t quite noticed was missing.

How could he ever have forgotten Blue?

Her presence purred, the vibrations automatically soothing him, comfort pushing through his bond. Something still felt… off. The bond felt farther, more strained, even though he could feel Blue on the other side. Feel her desire to come closer, feel the worry tinging the edges. Something still kept a distance between them.

He didn’t know what it was but something in his own mind told him to leave it be. It was important. It had to be like this.

Whatever this was.

Lance wasn’t able to figure it out soon enough, their mental conversation interrupted by the harsh grinding opening his cell door.

“Get up,” a discourteous voice commanded.

He looked at them with hooded eyes and a forced smirk, “Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt somebody?” Not that they knew he was having a conversation, but still… point stands.

Their glowing eyes narrowed, “Get up, or suffer, Paladin.”

“Didn’t anyone teach you manners? I didn’t even hear a please. Honestly, people these days have no- AAH!” Lance’s scream cut off his own words as purple lightning struck his body.

The druid barely even moved their hand and pain ran through his muscles. When the lightning stopped, Lance was left heaving for breath on his side.

He felt like the Extra Crispy option on a fried chicken menu. Was God trying to make him go vegetarian through sheer number of shared experiences? Screw that. In fact..

Lance glared back up at them and forced out the words, “Screw. You,” from between clenched teeth and struggling breaths.

He wished he could see the fury he knew was behind those masks.

The druid lifted their hand again and though Lance tried to fight the flinch, he wasn't sure if he succeeded. Instead of lightning, he felt the tight restraints of their magic envelope him and lift him up. He couldn’t even struggle out of it.

“Bite your tongue, child, or Haggar may decide to teach you some manners,” The druid growled and turned around, making their cloak swirl dramatically. Lance wished he could scoff at them, but the paralyzation made that difficult.

“And she will not be as merciful as I was.”

He settled for a particularly scathing, derisive glare. Lance thought they got the message anyways.

He was so focused on trying to burn a hole through their back that he almost missed where they were going. Almost. He hadn’t thought any of the directions stuck through his headache, but now… they were going back to the same room as before.

To Haggar.

He knew he was right when he spotted the Lady Hunchback herself leaning over a table. Seriously, when was the last time that woman stood up straight all the way? When she finished sharing tips and tricks with Satan and Hitler?

“I’d hate to be your chiropractor, lady. I bet it’s costly to find someone even able to tolerate your presence.” He was hoping for at least a twitch as the Druids forced the manacles into place on the table.

Instead, it was his heart that skipped a few paces upon realizing it must have been the same table he’d woken up on.

“I can’t imagine anyone would willingly come near you, despite being paid,” He sneered. It worked as a good enough distraction from what he knew was gonna happen. At least, it worked until she turned around.

“Quite the contrary, little Paladin,” Haggar reached her hands out to his head, clawed fingernails keeping him from leaning away, “I think you and I are going to get very close.”

Lance screamed again as pain shot through his skill. It felt like needles being shoved through his eye, he couldn't even-

It burned. It burned. It burned!

Please! Please Somebody! Help!

I can't-!

“Show me your team, Paladin,” A voice whispered, “SHoW ME Voltron!”

Pain surged again in time with his screams. Idly, some part of him wondered if he could burst his own eardrums.

His thoughts were crushed beneath crashing waves of searing, hot, burning, hot, it’s too hot, it hurts, it hurts it hurts, please please I can't do this I don't want-, somebody please!

Sharp claws cut a path through his mind. These ones didn't hurt.

No.

These claws came from soft padded paws. Metal and yet somehow gentle. Cold and soothing. He walked towards them, down the path they had laid for him, desperate for whatever small relief they could provide. Some distant piece of his soul recognized his bond between lion and paladin. But she was so far away. He could see the doors opened for him, welcoming him home, home to the water. But the path was so long and so dark.

He glanced down.

Dark?

No. It wasn't meant to be dark.

Burning tingled at his fingertips when he looked harder. His lion was blue. A gorgeous sky blue, ocean blue, ice blue. Then why….

Why was there purple leaching its way across it?

He looked behind him.

The heat worsened, pain closer than he remembered it.

His footsteps were clear behind him, each one oozing sickly, purple slime that curled its way around the light. Covering every inch of the gentle blue.

This wasn’t right. Something wasn't-

Sharpness spiked across his skull, snapping his head forward.

“Focus. Focus! Closer. Get closer! You cannot resist me! Not weak like you are!”

Something forced him forward and he stumbled on the path, falling to one knee. He reached to steady himself on the path; and different worlds flowed through his mind.

You’ve done this before, Cub. You can do it again.

They were his words. And they were Blue’s.

But he knew what they meant. He remembered it now. How Haggar was trying to get to his team, to Voltron, to Blue.

What she wanted from them. From him.

no. No. No!

“You cannot have her, Haggar! Not ever!” Lance turned around and moved away from the doors. The bond. Away from Blue.

Fresh agony layered on his skin. Heavier and thicker and stronger with each step.

He could hear Blue behind him now, calling out for him in mewls and cries. She wanted them to do this together. But he couldn’t, they couldn't do it together without endangering her. Endangering everybody. So he kept running. Pushing through what felt like thick slime until he was struggling to keep moving.

The smog pressed itself down his throat, burning, scalding and tearing him up on the inside.

Haggar was shouting out behind him too. She could only go so far, only get so close to her goal with him.

“I will take control, Paladin! You cannot stop me!” Claws grabbed his upper arms and pulled him back. They left deep gashes on his biceps and shoulders, but he pushed against their leverage.

“You don’t think I can stop you Haggar!?” He glanced over his shoulder at her glowing yellow eyes, “Watch Me!”

He turned around and reached into the darkness of her body without form, clutching onto the thickness he felt inside of it. Even as its essence burned like hot acid on his skin.

And then he threw his body backwards, taking her with him.

Away from the doors and through the barrier of Haggar’s magic. Away from Blue and through the pain.

Off of the path.

Almost immediately he felt Haggar get thrown from his mind.

He gathered what little peace he could find. The crashing waves came to a standstill for just one moment. It was enough.

It had to be.

He wanted to cry. Tears welled up in his eyes. He knew this was the best chance he would get to do so, but he couldn't. Not until it was over. Then he could break, could cry, or do whatever the hell it is that is supposed to come after this.

He looked back to stare through the thick, writhing purple of Haggar’s magic. He could see the glimmer of his bond with Blue. Of the ‘path’ they had laid that first day together.

It was dimmed now. Not just by the smoke obscuring his view, but by the purple sludge seeping into its bricks.

She’d gotten farther this time. Closer. More so than Lance had ever wanted Haggar to get. He knew he was struggling, struggling to keep the distance between his bond and her corruption.

It was weird. To be able to look back and remember himself forgetting something. Forgetting how many times they’d had this battle. This push and pull in his own mind.

He still didn't know just how long he’d been fighting back to keep her away. Just that he had. And that he’d keep doing it.

But he was losing.

A traitorous part of his heart told him this couldn’t go on forever. Something had to give, and as it was, Lance was not liking his odds. Something would have to break eventually.

But not yet.

He couldn't let go of her yet. He couldn't. Even if that made him weak, he couldn’t.

Not yet.

He just wanted to stay here a little longer. Stay with her a little longer.

The corrupted magic clearly disagreed with this prospect. Its char-colored surface rippled back to life. Waves were heard in a distance that did not exist.

They were not the bright, colorful waves of his home, nor the cold but fierce waves of his lion, these were riptide waves. Powered by the undertow and ready to pull him under. Drowning and suffocating him, farther, farther down.

He lost sight of the glow at some point, and the darkness snatched him under instantly.

-x-x-x-

The druids stared at the body of their mistress over the Voltron Paladin. So many times before, it had been the same. The same resistance and weakness from him. The same ignorant stubbornness as he protected what their Emperor deserved. He would fall to their magic eventually. As the one before him, and the countless subjects before that. He would fall.

But there were doubts.

They watched as Lady Haggar was flung back from the Paladin as she had been so many times before.

The doubts stood still. Ever wavering, faltering but not falling.

Lady Haggar lifted herself up and neither druid so much as twitched to help her. They knew better.

“He thinks himself strong, thinks himself righteous,” She crowed in that tone that said he so clearly wasn’t, “But his naivety costs him. I grow closer by the day.”

They saw barely a flash of white when Lady Haggar bared her teeth, “But that Lion keeps reminding him, keeps undoing my spells. He needs to be broken; and soon.”

The Druid refrained from mentioning that the spells for the invasion of his mind could only be broken by the strength of ones own quintessence. Reminded of strength, yes; but not given it or shared.

He was a Paladin of Voltron for a reason, though flawed that reason may be.

Lady Haggar finally turned attention to her druids, to fulfill their purpose under her command.

“Rid him of his weaknesses. No weaknesses, and nothing to chance.” She growled as low as a female galra could, “I will get that Lion from him, one way or another.”

As Lady Haggar stepped back, the druids stepped forward, up to the helpless paladin. His face was clear, unburdened and untense. That would change soon. They reached out with their arms and their magic, delving into the surface mind of this Paladin. Only the surface, Lady Haggar would do the rest.

The druids looked to each other, then to their mistress. He was ready, the spell prepared once again.

And from the front of the table, magic shot forward from her fingertips, into the mind, body and quintessence of the Child Paladin.

Their druid magic was nothing to the level of Lady Haggar, the Dark Witch of the Galra; and yet, it was their magic that ripped into his mind and made it possible for her to latch onto his memories.

They laid him bare, and she took what she needed.

The Paladin could do nothing. Would continue to do nothing. Not in the face of the empire’s power.

Then why must we keep repeating this process. The doubts whispered.

The druid ignored the words, focusing instead on the drawing of their power for the spell. When it was finished, the Druids stepped back once more, and Lady Haggar drew forward.

How would the Paladin awake this time?

His face began twitching. Slow, just as the last time.

“What do you remember?”

Nothing.

“Do you remember?”

Why did she ask him this? Their spell would only fail at the interference of the Voltron Lion. It was infallible to tricks of the mind.

The Paladin’s consciousness came closer to the surface. Still too slow. Always slow, this paladin. Magic was infallible and uncompromising, but Lady Haggar was not as patient.

She threw a spark of her magic onto the boy’s chest and instantly, he awoke. He jolted forward against the cuffs, no doubt hitting bruising from the pain of his struggles during Lady Haggar’s procedure.

Recognition flashed across his face. Focus drawn only to their Mistress, just as he was meant to. This was important, his mind still laid open for her to search, she drew her eyes onto his as her magic probed for information. Voltron could not hide forever.

The Paladin jerked forward once again, as if he had not learned the first time, “What do you want, witch?!” He shouted, pulling against his restraints. They would hold, this child was weak. Too weak.

“I said, What..” Lady Haggar creeped forward, clamping her hand around his chin, “Do you remember?” Her magic crawled forward, coating the recesses of his mind as she worked to pull forward his thoughts, his knowledge on Voltron.

His efforts to pull away were futile, though expected, “What the hell are you talking about, you freak!?” Voltron. Voltron. The Other Paladins. Tell us. Tell us of Voltron, the magic chanted.

“You won't get anything from me, I won’t betray Voltron!-” Lady Haggar pushed deeper and pain flashed beneath his eyes, “You won't find my team, not through me!” The trench opened in his mind began to close, Lady Haggar’s magic pulling back.

Accomplishment flitted across her face in pairing with irritation. He was still resisting then… surprising but not irreparable. “We shall see if that is true, Paladin.”

The Paladin seemed confused, but then again, he always did. He was weak and feeble-minded after all, nothing more could be expected.

“I’ll never betray my team and you'll never be able to make me! That will never change!” He shouted. So loud, so foolish.

Lady Haggar pulled back her hand as the last of the Druid’s spell closed, they would have to try again. She looked to the druids, and drew the Paladin’s eyes to them as well. He had not noticed them. Poor awareness, weak yet again. This is why the spell worked so well on young, unguided minds. It led them to purpose. The Empire’s purpose.

“Take him to the cell,” She looked back at him slightly, “Leave him there until I summon for you again. We shall see his results after I have viewed the information gained. Succession is at hand.”

“Vrepit Sa,” Both Druids nodded and turned to the Paladin, their hands coated in magic. A paralytic, they were too close to risk escape with this prisoner.

But you have been ‘close’ for a while now, haven’t you?

The paladin’s eyes widened, his heart jumped pace and his quintessence fluctuated before being frozen by the spell. As if the body could fight it, the spell was instantaneous with contact. Simple and complete.

The Druid’s magic worked in concession to lift the Paladin and disconnect his restraints without removing them. Silently, they began the walk to the cell.

They could see the panic and confusion in the child’s eyes as they turned each corner. It was pitiful that the magic coating his mind would leave him helpless for hours. Still, the effort was commendable. A sign of potential perhaps.

His eyes started to glaze over dim, perhaps not then, if he lost presence that fast. He held little use past his title as Paladin.

It was with this thought that they tossed his unpresence into the cell. Without a fight, this Paladin was nothing more than knowledge to be collected and tested.

The Druids moved away, uncaring at the shout when the Paladin came back to himself as he hit the ground. They closed the door without mind.

Then stepped to the side.

Magic made one weak if you allowed it to. Weakness made one vulnerable and vulnerability was to be exploited. So, they waited; to see if the Paladin had changed in the hours under Lady Haggar’s influence.

His groan echoed quietly through the metal door. After much hesitance, and many pauses, the Paladin began moving. His shuffles were quiet, but his vocalizations of his pain were not.

Lady Haggar had left marks on him this time, his upper arms and shoulders were marked with scratches like a wild Krelshi.

They listened to him rest again, presumably sitting rather than laying now. As he always was when they came back.

The metal of his cuff clinked softly against the cell walls. The druids looked to each other, a wonder if the Paladin would remain the same in his patterns.

Indeed, not a minute passed until they heard the unsure sounds of his untranslated, broken language whisper through the air.

Neither of them understood it. These were not words. They could not be translated. They were just sounds. Gripped by craziness or something else, they were still just sounds.

Then, a small laugh. A chuffing. Even in a place like this for the prisoner. Always the same.

“Oh don't you worry, creepy wall carving, I think it’d be pretty hard to forget this.”

Always the same, the paladin. Always the same.

-x-x-x-

In some other world, Lance might have wondered why the words carved into the wall were written in English.

He may have even noticed that the handwriting looked scarily similar to his own despite the pitch black darkness.

This was not one of those worlds.

And he did not notice.

First Chapter: https://snaileer.tumblr.com/post/613092735756402688/chips-and-salsa-chp-1

Next Chapter: Not Out Yet! But Soon!

Also double-posted on fanfiction.net and Ao3 under the same name!

[dreams-in-blk]

----

"It begins to tell round midnight. Round midnight. I do pretty well until after sundown."

----

All the stuff you're not supposed to feel. Where are our sanctuaries and retreats to process, heal and integrate that stuff? We got all the restaurants (looking at you celebs). All the clubs. Where are our spas, cabins, gardens and wilderness walks? Where are our prayer and meditation centers? Our magical places?

They got: Kripalu, Esalen, Shambhala & countless others. What we got? I know. "Use what you got to get what you need." I've thought about going to one of those places for years. I guess I just never felt it would be that restorative for me. But, I look at the offerings when I feel like I need a retreat. And since George they got us splashed all over the home page. And they got a picture of Jessamyn Stanley above the fold. And they got a yoga sistuh saluting all the Sun she can see right up over the "pay here" button.

And don't get me wrong, they mean well. I feel the sincerity. But, I guess I just don't want Karen's sister Mary tending to me when my soul needs a little TLC. But that's just me. I gotta use my "white voice" enough on the daily. Maybe I just don't want to have to use it on retreat.

Because I'm tired. And if I slip up and call the "restroom" a bathroom, I just don't want Mary kindly reminding me that the "restroom" is on the right. Or, apologizing that they don't have hot sauce. And the menu is vegan, organic and all-cotton and personally designed by Gwyneth and did I get the complimentary Goop self-care pak and...But, like I said, that's just me.

But you know they had Pops flying all over the world, dead smack in the middle of Jim Crow, growling tunefully about, "Oh, what a wonderful world" and using his laser-cannon smile to sell "Capitalism" and "America" when back at Home he couldn't even enter through the front gate. A "Welcome" sign don't always mean "Welcome." And a black-face figurine on the lawn don't mean they got a "colored" bathroom. I guess even on Juneteenth I still feel weary late at night. "It begins to tell 'round midnight."

But we have come a long way down Freedom Road and that is reason enough to rest. Lay this ol burden down for a night. See if I can catch up with Mama'nem in Dreamland.

Excuse the bitter tone. I never knew I felt like this. And the question never occured to me before. I guess I need to get me a cut tomorrow and head on over to Church Sunday mornin'. And somebody better bring me some rib tips Saturday night too. So, I can do, like The Eternal Mrs. Edwina (Emah Ahkot Zamirah Baht Yisrael) Clara Baker Prim, My Momma, used to do: Put Anita, Luther and Peabo on repeat... Mix herself up a gin martini and sip on it slow. And when it got real good to her put some Bill Withers on over in there with a little taste of Al Jarreau. And before long Billy Paul would be talkin' about the kind of thing he had going on with Mrs Jones and Patty Austin would be cooing about how she wanted James Ingram to come to her and "Let me put my arms around you" and I would be called up for DJ Duty. And Q. (Better known to You by his nickname "Quincy Jones") would step up on the Bandstand and begin makin' all kinds of Mojo Moves. Because he was The Dude who could and would, by waving his magic wand, summon all the power of Field Hollers, Gospel, Ragtime, Big Band Jazz, New Jack Swing, Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Rock n Roll, Disco, Salsa, Soul, Funk, Rhythm n Blues, Hip Hop and Bebop to make it so, that if we wanted to, we could just "PUT BACK ALL THE GOOD TIMES that we ever had. And even make them better, with just a little bit of Razzamatazz." And Grandma Nanny in the back like the sound of that. Because Cab Calloway (Sigh "My my, my...he was so fine!") had already taught her everything that she ever needed to know about Razzmatazz. ("Now, that man had Razzmatazz!") And toes would start tappin' and fingers would start snappin' and healing would start happenin' ...

...until Momma had to get on back out there on the battlefield...

And soldier on in the bitter, grinding, never-ending war with and for, that damn hydra-headed beast

The United States of America

Every Monday morning.

----

You know? Maybe I am finally beginning to understand that when you have to wrestle daily with this monster named America, spiritual care, energy work and every other kind of hoodoo, conjure and new age metaphysical magic, is absolutely necessary. I guess my hard-as-rock know-it-all noggin done finally got soft enough to comprehend what she was desperately trying to find in all those Black Hebrew meetings, spiritual seminars, New Age book stores, video tapes and libraries. When you are wrestling daily with this monster they call America you got to find a way keep your spirit from dying or you end up homeless, alone, balled-up in the freezing closet of an abandoned house in East Atlanta, desperately trying to make it to your next drink or hit while your toes rot from gangrene and frostbite in your boots... just like me.

See. You/me/we, if we hope to survive our daily encounters with this Kraken called America, have to find ways to keep our souls and spirits alive or we perish or worse still, as I sadly discovered, become that feared and hated ghoul, what the descendents of enslaved Africans known today as Haitians called a Zombie. A tragic and frightful casualty of the ongoing struggle to survive as the descendents of enslaved Africans in the Americas. So, I guess I am just now beginning to understand and publicly recognize what Momma'nem, the original American badass mutha(shut to mouth) superpeople achieved - they survived, defeated and finally emerge triumphant - body mind and spirit intact, alive and free. I think I am just beginning to rekonize!

So I guess I can't be mad as hell, it only took them 57,877 days since the Emancipation Proclamation was decreed on January 1st 1863 to get around to officially recognizing our magnificent foremothers' and forefathers! But we here now. And I sho nuff appreciate that 'ol man Biden found the strength to lift a pen. I'm excited! Maybe in just about another 57,000 days they'll get around to sending us that 40 acres and a mule they promised.

See. Now I know I'm tired.

Be well Brothers and Sisters! Be hale and healthy and whole. Free in Black Mind Body and Soul! Tonight, in this not yet perfect freedom we are blessed by our divine ancestors and The Most High to enjoy, may we feel their unceasing care and love, and know each of us in our own hearts that we are their wildest and most cherished dreams realized and made real.

May all your Juneteenths be blessed and joyful and free!!!

- rp

-----

Sleep in peace when day is done: that's what I mean

Stars when you shine, you know how I feel

Oh, freedom is mine, and I know how I feel

It's a new dawn. It's a new life for me. And I'm feeling good.

From Feeling Good by Nina Simone

[sadmmann]

Life lost in the club Pulse

Today and every day we remember 49 innocent victims lost 3 years ago in Orlando, June 12, 2016. part 1

Edward Sotomayor Jr, 34

Edward was a caring, energetic man known for wearing a silly top hat on cruises, Edward worked for a company that held gay cruises and often travelled to promote the company’s events.

Stanley Almodovar III, 23

Stanley worked as a technician in a pharmacy, he was described as “good, but impudent” and a person who is not indifferent to his own sexual identity. "He was so proud of who he was."

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20

Luis described himself as a dancer on his Facebook account. Following the terrorist attack at the Bataclan theatre in Paris last year, he showed solidarity with the victims by adding a tricolour filter to his profile photo. A former teacher described him as a ‘ray of sunshine’. 

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22

Guerrero worked as a telemarketer, and was in school at the University of Central Florida. He was attending Pulse with his boyfriend, Christopher Andrew “Drew” Leinonen, who also died in the attack. “Juan and Drew were soul mates, and they were great together,”

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36

After moving to Florida from Puerto Rico for the chance of a better life, Eric , a merchandise manager, was said to have ‘sacrificed himself a lot for his family’, the Orlando Sentinel reported. ‘Eric was always willing to help everybody. He loved his brother, and he was always being generous.’

Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22

Peter worked for logistics company UPS in Orlando after graduating from Colonia High School. Originally from South Africa.

Luis S. Vielma, 22 

Luis worked on the Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios, according to author JK Rowling, who said she could not ‘stop crying’ after hearing the news. Friends told the Orlando Sentinel that Mr Vielma was a ‘true friend’, and he had hoped to become an emergency medical technician. One, Olga Glomba, described him as ‘a funny, sweet, nerdy guy without a mean side. He just wanted to make people smile.’

Kimberly Morris, 37

Morris, a bouncer at the nightclub, was a former basketball player at Post University in Connecticut. “She was tough and played hard on the basketball court but off the court she was all smiles.” “She always had a smile on her face,”

Franky Velazquez, 50

DeJesus was a professional dancer who had danced in Puerto Rico and had traveled the world. “Jimmy was lovable, outgoing,” his sister, Sarah Lopez, tells. “He was one of those guys that you wanted to be friends with, you know? One of those people who brightened a room when he walked in.

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35

Rosado was the father of a 5-year-old child and also a professional dancer, specializing in salsa. Close friend tells that he used to dance for Disney and Universal Studios. “He was a great, great father,” she says. “He was just the most fun, happiest guy you could ever know.”

Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40

Jorge-Reyes had a passion for life, according to friend. Ortiz met Jorge-Reyes, who was originally from Puerto Rico, through her practice, and says, “He was so funny and so alive and savvy.” “He had an extreme talent for the arts and was very creative with makeup,” she shares.

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33

Tomlinson was a lead singer in Frequency Band, a local cover band that performed top 40 songs, according to longtime friend Jai Saint. “He has a great voice, he is so popular around here. Honestly it’s hard not to enjoy his voice,” Saint tells of his best friend of 10 years. “He’s extremely positive, he’s all about life and living it to the fullest. He had amazing energy, which is hard to come by these days.” Tomlinson graduated from East Carolina University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication with a minor in Business Administration.

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30

Justice worked as an accountant and lived in downtown Orlando. He loved accessorizing with flashy jewelry and loved making others laugh. Justice’s mother Mina received texts from her son throughout the shooting as he hid in the bathroom. At one point he wrote, “He’s coming. I’m gonna die.”

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29

Burt was a member of the Jacksonville Jaycees, a young professional’s group in Florida. “He was personable, social and easy going,”. “Both socially and professionally he was always interested in making positive impact on people’s lives and in the community.” A hard worker, Burt had recently been recommended for a position on the Jaycee’s Board of Directors.

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32

Drayton, had been through rough times, a friend tells, but was pulling herself together and was happy living in Orlando.

Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25

Disla was a talented dancer, who excelled in a variety of styles including salsa, mambo, tango or ballroom was in Orlando to pursue a career as both a dancer and choreographer. His mother, Olga M. Disla, tells: “He was lovely, kind and respectful of others all the time. He liked to help anyone who needed help.”

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35

Perez, born in Puerto Rico, was obsessed with fitness and loved testing out new fragrances, Agudelo said. He met his longtime partner Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon at the store. Wilson-Leon was also a victim of the shooting. Friend Marisa tells, “Nicest guy you’d ever meet. Both of them, actually. They were magnetic. They’d walk into the room and everyone would turn to look, because they were just so handsome.”

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37

Wilson-Leon was the manager of a shoe store and longtime love of fellow victim Perez. “They faced the odds, Luis came from Puerto Rico and being gay isn’t totally accepted, obviously here, but it’s not totally accepted there as well,” his cousin Luis Wilson tells. “He is an inspiration. He grew up conflicted but found peace with himself and those around him and he finally had found acceptance and love. Finally found it. And now look.”

Amanda Alvear, 25

Alvear was attending school to be a nurse, and has recently been promoted to the lead pharmacy technician at the pharmacy where she worked, Shannon Marie Baxley, her sister-in-law, tells. “She loved the gay community, the LGBT community. She was straight herself but those were her people, those were her family. She was a magnetic person,” Baxley shares. “She was the loveliest girl, just the sweetest girl.”

Martin Benitez Torres, 33

Longtime friend of Torres, tells that he just had moved to Florida at the end of the last year to continue working for Hertz. He was also studying marketing at Sistema Universitario Ana G Mndez. “He was one of a kind,” she shares. “He was always a person that you could talk to. He was our confidant. He was always surrounded by all of us. We were all women where we used to work, so we used to laugh with him, we used to cry with him. He was a good friend.”

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31

Wright worked in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Another person who worked with him added that he was “hard-working” and “loved his job.” “He was one of the first to say hi and make us smile and laugh,”

Cory James Connell, 21

Connell enjoyed playing football and basketball and had dreams of becoming a firefighter. While still in pursuit of that dream, Connell studied at Valencia Community College in Orlando and worked stocking shelves at the Publix in Orlando’s Edgewater neighborhood.

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49

McCool, was battling leukemia when her life was cut short, her niece, Neila Rodriguez, tells. At Pulse with her son Isaiah, McCool was shot in the back and told him to “just run, go.” “She was a cool mom. She was really down-to-earth and open-minded.”

[blaqworldmarket]

DJ Sol Bio: Cat Logo

Sound Waves Provided by: #AIE2021

Solange Charlet (DJ Sol)

Spins with deep sounds that are not easily defined. Raised in a Latino family, the musical influences saturate her sound with rhythm and percussion. With Latin based rhythms, she combines the sounds of Jazz, Latin Jazz, Disco and Salsa. Mixing in intensely sensual and passionate vocals, while dwelling in the realms of deep house.

She continues to push the envelope with her eloquent styles, carrying a passion in her heart and soul for the music.

Visit:

https://soundcloud.com/.../dj-sol-vengo-matando-mix-march...

https://soundcloud.com/.../dj-sol-onda-fly-frogtown-sessions

https://soundcloud.com/djsolsfresh/dj-sol-live-at-break4love

Premix for Afro Innovator Exhibition Link:

https://www.mixcloud.com/gatarecordingz/building-bridges-con-la-musica-exclusive-mix-4-my-sisters-at-afro-innovators/

[salylimon]

About Carolina:

hello! I figured I could use this space to tell you a little bit about Carolina. this may be long but I'm trying to build a solid background/get my thoughts together and also for you/your char/anyone interested in a plot so you can get to know her a bit more and see if she clicks with what you've got. 

ABOUT HER

Name: Carolina Natalia Correa

Nicknames: Caro, Carito, Chiquita

Age: 28 

Height: 5′2 

Birthday: March 8th, 1994 

Born: Bogota, Colombia 

Raised: Miami, FL 

Employment: Started as manager of Lagniappe, recently promoted to area manager for a private nightlife company. She currently oversees 3 bars in the Los Angeles area, but the company is expected to branch out to other cities in California. All TBA. Her boss, the owner, is a Greek/Italian man that you can meet and have a drink with at Lagniappe. She currently manages ASTRA, Lagniappe and Lost Boy (opening soon!)

Living situation: She is now the proud owner of a 2 bedroom apartment in Pasadena, CA. She is 17 minutes away from her office, located inside Lagniappe. 

Family: Her family consists of two sisters and a baby brother. By baby she means 17. the order from youngest to oldest is: her brother, baby sister #1, Carolina, older sister. Her mom, aunts and uncles who had lived in LA for years with a few cousins. Three nieces she likes to babysit (ages 4, 8 and 12) and the matriarch of the family is her grandma.

Likes: poetry, books tons and tons of books, plants, coffee, paranormal (although her mom hates that she does), painting, decorating, cooking, learning new things (bartending techniques, promo material and creations for their menu/bars), snow globes and teaspoon souvenirs, kinder egg surprise, salsa (the genre but she’s also pretty fond of the Mexican salsa y guacamole), true crime, music (I'll be adding more with time)

Dislikes: lizards, gore, clowns, winter, loud chewers, liars, lack of cleanliness, an attitude for no reason, going a long time without getting her nails done. (adding more with time)

BACKSTORY:

Carolina was born in Bogota, Colombia. She attended a private catholic nun school for the first few years of her life, which gave her a solid education. Her mother began to fly back and forth from Bogota to the US, attempting to start a life here. It finally happened when her 10th birthday came around, her parents decided to move to Miami, FL. After a few years of living there, her dad was suddenly very vocal about not liking the US and decided he would move back, leaving her mom and siblings on their own. Coming from a humble and hardworking background, her mom decided she would take the head of the household title and open up her house cleaning business, taking her and her oldest sister to help.

When she graduated high school, she was forced to work two jobs and go to college in order to afford all her classes until she decided it just wasn’t for her (her mom still bugs her to this day) and dropped out. She began to help her moms business until they decided to move to LA three years ago. Carolina didn’t want to leave because her ex-boyfriend in Miami, but they ended things a year and a half ago because she found out he was cheating on her. So, she moved to LA just last November. 

She’s poured her heart and soul into Lagniappe after her boss hired her without any proper interview or experience, first thing he said to her was “you look like a korítsi (girl) with a plan.” She always tries to make every bar under her supervision a safe and private space for everybody to enjoy. And she isn’t afraid to let the bad ones out if they fuck with the rest of her guests, even if she’s shorter than the average person. She is also accepting song requests for the house dj, a man she met at the bakery down the street from it. An angel. 

If you happen to be introduced to her family, I hope you are ready for Sundays at the Correas. She doesn’t like to brag, but she thinks it’s the best plan you’ll have during the weekend. Her niece says it’s better than Coachella.