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historic-old-guard-lover · 4 years

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Historically Booker’s native language would be Occitan and not French . He would also probably deeply resent standard / Parisian French since the government did their damnest to erase regional languages and still do it today .

Agreed! There was another post about this, but since I got an ask (I love you, anon) I’ll elaborate. Buckle up for a primer on the evolution of the French language with a brief aside for troubadours, traveling musician-poets you wish were still a career option. No, being a rock star is not quite the same.

In the early medieval period (as early as ~900CE), the country we now call France had a language divide between the northern and southern regions. In the north, they spoke langues d'oïl which is what eventually became modern standard French. In the south, they spoke Occitan or lenga d'òc and a modern form of this language is known as Provençal. Looking at the regional sub-dialects, the more northern Occitan begins to sound like a langue d’oil and the more southern dialects begin to sound like Spanish.

As I touched upon in a previous post, this is because they all share similar roots as a romance language. Even though modern standard French is a langue d’oil, occitan managed to sneak a few things into the language. If you’ve learned French as a second language, you’ll know that when you respond yes (oui) to a negative question (you don’t like cheese? / tu n’aimes pas le fromage?) that you use a different yes (si). This is a skeleton of Occitan!

The why of the invention of “standard French” is, as most “standard” things are, a detour into nationalism. In 1635, Cardinal Richelieu (under Louis XIII) founded the Académie Française (French Academy) which was tasked with standardizing the French language so that it could be exported to the rest of Europe and used to gain further prestige of the role of French philosophers during the Enlightenment. During the French Revolution, it was disregarded, but Napoleon Bonaparte restored it as part of the Institut de France (Institute of France) in 1803. To this day, the Académie is tasked with publishing the French dictionary and inventing new words for things such as “e-mails” so that the French needn’t stoop to using English loan-words.

Another part of this was the Toubon Law (August 1994) which required French (the standard French from the Académie) to be used in all official documents and advertising. It required all advertising to use French and even set a certain percentage of music on the radio that must be French. This law was literally the government going “let’s make the French french again.” If a school doesn’t instruct in French (modern, standard French of course), then they can’t receive government funds. The only exception is Breton-language schools (Breton is as north as it gets and is a langue d’oil so it still helps crush Occitan).

Since the previous paragraph probably made you mad as heck, let me give you some irony to laugh at: some French people refer to this as the loi Allgood (“law” Allgood). To explain this joke, it helps to know that Toubon is the last name of the Minister of Culture at the time the law was passed. If you break down his last name, it sounds like “tout bon” in French which translates to “all good.” People took this law saying make everything French, goddammit and replied, sure thing Minister All-Good. I love it.

Now, for the troubadours! I learned standard modern French in high school, but at university I came across Occitan because of those romantic poets. I’ll put this aside below the break so you can continue on with your day if for some reason you’re not interested in medieval French rock star-poets...

Let me begin by quoting the Wikipedia definition:

A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word troubadour is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz.

Right away you may notice a few things: 1) they wrote and sang in Occitan; 2) it was an equal-opportunity field (though it was rare for a woman to be one). The first Troubadours were mostly noblemen, but later ones could come from any social class. Yes, you read that correctly: egalitarian travelling poets! If that doesn’t sell you on these performers, I don’t know what will. The troubadours spread their tradition throughout Europe and the only thing that could stop them was the Black Plague.

As you’d expect, they mostly sang about love. A lot of their poems were about courtly love and chivalry, but they could also get bawdy. The especially good performers would be sought after by courts like famous painters. Troubadours are essentially the apex bards: romantic, witty, charming, talented, and able to make serious bank.

To finish this, I will leave you with one of the bawdiest troubadour poems I know of, Farai un vers, pos mi somelh (The Ladies with the Cat) by Guillem de Peiteus. It’s essentially the story of a dude who has sex with these women who pick up a knight on a pilgrimage (though it plays with reality and this guy’s fantasies). I’ll include it in the original Occitan, and then a translation by Robert Kehew (I believe), verse-by-verse. Forgive me for my commentary in between, but I just want you to understand how freaking clever this poem is!

Farei un vers, pos mi somelh Em vauc e m’estauc al solelh. Domnas i a de mal conselh, E sai dir cals: Cellas c’amor de cavalier Tornon a mals.

While sound asleep I’ll walk along In sunshine, making up my song. Some ladies get the rules all wrong; I’ll tell you who: The ones that turn a knight’s love down And scorn it, too.

The singer is establishing himself as a troubadour. The protagonist is dreaming, so we should be careful about what is real and imagined. He’s also invoking the trope of the philandering knight constantly falling in love and breaking his heart.

Domna fai gran pechat mortal Qe no ama cavalier leal; Mas si es monge o clergal, Non a raizo: Per dreg la deuri’hom cremar Ab un tezo.

Grave mortal sins such ladies make Who won’t make love for a knight’s sake; And they’re far worse, the ones who’ll take A monk or priest-- They ought to get burned at the stake At the very least.

The Middle Ages were not at all chaste; yes, monks and priests were having sex. This isn’t as sexist as it may come across on a first reading however. He’s not saying women shouldn’t have sex (he’s actually saying that it’s a sin not to being having sex), he’s just upset that women who are clearly willing to have sex are turning *him* down. He’s not going to get any awards for feminist of the year, but he’s not the worst. I’m sure this would rouse cheers from a tavern.

En Alvernhe, part Lemozi, M’en aniey totz sols a tapi: Trobei la moller d’en Guari E d’en Bernart; Saluderon mi simplamentz Per sant Launart.

Down in Auvergne, past Limousin, Out wandering on the sly I ran Into the wives of Sir Guarin And Sir Bernard; They spoke a poper welcome then By St. Leonard.

These are recognizable locations along a pilgrimage route. There’s a good chance that these names are replaceable (Bernard can be replaced with any last name that rhymes with a saint) and this song could be used to goad the audience. And no, he hasn’t had sex with these ladies yet. They’re just saying hello (for now).

La unam diz en son latin: “E Dieus vos salf, don pelerin; Mout mi semblatz de bel aizin, Mon escient; Mas trop vezem anar pel mon De folla gent.”

One said in her dialect, “Sir Pilgrim, may the Lord protect Men so sweet-manned, so correct, With such fine ways; This whole world’s full of lunatics And rogues, these days.”

I think most would agree that this is happening in the knight’s sex-dream because she’s just sweet talking him. The awesome part is that the “dialect” reflects the singer actually adopting a Northern French language (they’re mutually intelligible). Guillem didn’t have to go that hardcore, but he did.

Ar auzires qu’ai respondut; Anc no li diz bat ni but, Ni fer ni fust no ai mentaugut, Mas sol aitan: “Barbariol, babariol, Babarian.”

For my reply--I’ll swear to you I didn’t tell them Bah or Boo, I answered nothing false of true; I just said, then, “Babario, babariew, Babarian.”

This guy just mocks their accents as a reply. Wildin’.

So diz n’Agnes a n’Ermessen: “Trobat avem que anam queren. Sor, per amor Deu, l’alberguem, Qe ben es mutz, E ja per lui nostre conselh Non er saubutz.”

So Agnes said to Ermaline, “Let’s take him home, quick; don’t waste time. He’s just the thing we’d hoped to find: Mute as a stone. No matter what we’ve got in mind, It won’t get known.”

In this stanza we see two repeats and a new thing. First, the names are easy to replace (Agnes doesn’t even have to rhyme with anything) so that this can be done to call out a specific woman’s name. Second, the language skills are being flaunted again as this Occitan-speaker is just casually showcasing that he can sing about sex in other languages too, thankyouverymuch. Lastly, this is WOMEN voicing their desire, not men. The man is silent, they think he’s incapable of speech. This is two women in a poem/song getting to steer the story how they please. Stepping back, this is a guy’s sex-dream so you could argue he’s just got a kink for dominant women, but regardless that’s a pretty cool way to turn masculinity on its head.

La unam pres sotz son mantel Menet m’en sa cambra, al fornel. Sapchatz qu’a mi fo bon a bel, El focs fo bos, Et eu calfei me volentiers Als gros carbos.

Under her cloak, one let me hide; We slipped up to her room’s fireside. By now I thought one could abide To play this role-- Right willingly I warmed myself At their live coals.

Yes, this dude is saying he’s more than happy to let the women take charge. Don’t kink-shame him.

A manjar mi deron capos, E sapchatz agui mais de dos, E noi ac cog ni cogastros, Mas sol nos tres, El pans fo blancs el vins fo bos El pebr’ espes.

They served fat capons for our fare-- I didn’t stop at just one pair; We had no cook or cook’s boy there, But just us three. The bread was white, the pepper hot, The wine flowed free.

A capon is a castrated rooster, fattened for eating. He’s being fattened (and emasculated by letting them take control) before the women get down to their fun with him.

“Sor, aquest hom es enginhos, E laissa lo parlar per nos: Nos aportem nostre gat ros De mantenent, Qel fara parlar az estros, Si de renz ment.”

N’Agnes anet per l’enujos, E fo granz et ac loncz guinhos: E eu, can lo vi entre nos, Aig n’espavent, Q’a pauc non perdei la valor E l’ardiment.

“Wait, sister, this could be a fake; He might play dumb just for our sake. See if our big red cat’s awake And fetch him, quick. Right here’s one silence we should break If it��s a trick.”

So Agnes brought that wicked beast, Mustachioed, huge, and full of yeast; To see him sitting at our feast-- Seemed less than good; I very nearly lost my nerve And hardihood.

So yes, he’s joking about almost loosing his boner and there’s that language play again. The big part of the ending, however, is the imagery of the red cat. Cats are typically associated with women, and the color red tempts the mind into thinking of it as female passion or some kind of prowling sexuality (with undertones of evil). The subtext here is that they’re going to test him by letting this cat scratch him up to see if he’ll cry out. If he can keep his mouth shut and allow the womens’ passions, he can stay. If he can’t, he’s out. Ultimately, I’m going to say that this poem is subtly for women’s empowerment. Go scratch up your knights, ladies.

#the old guard #historic #reference #sebastien le livre #booker #french #nationalism #language standardization #occitan #troubadours #i wish i was as cool as troubadours #so underappreciated #asks #lovely anon

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itsjustmyfantasyroom · 3 years

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Riddler part 10

Master list

This is the shortest part of series and i got a little stuck so this just finishes it off.

Warnings: fluff and love.

WC: 793

Enjoy x

“You know he wants to marry you one day”

“No me mientas (don’t lie to me)”

“Cruza mi Corazon (cross my heart). I heard him talking to Uncle Matt the day of the party”

“Why are you telling me this Grayson?”

“Just to make you happy”

“Big mouth”

“That’s not nice” Grayson laughed at you taking a sip of his drink “Me gusta verte feliz (I like seeing you happy)”

“You’re getting soft on me” you smirked at him.

Just a week after what happened with Sonny, things slowly started to get back to how they used to be, very slowly. The nightmares that had started were horrible. You would shake and yell in your sleep, Rafael would hold you till you woke up and would hold you while you sobbed. The counsellor cleared you to go back to work, but you still had another week before 1PP would clear you. You and Sonny spoke about it often, just to get it off your chests, he was having nightmares too.

It was a Saturday afternoon you were sitting in a bar with Grayson, waiting for everyone else to come, Rafael included. Liv had made you all go and do a self defence and a gun refresher course that day. You were in an area between everyone, so you guys had organised to meet up for dinner and drinks after your course.

“Mami, its time you met her”

“When you’re ready mi Amor” Lucia smiled and her phone started to phone ring.

“Oh that’s a shame-Yes I’ll work something out, get better soon” and she hung up.

“Everything ok Mami?”

“I had a dance class booked for the children on Tuesday afternoon, but the dance teacher is sick and can’t make it. I’ll have to cancel it”

“No, wait, I may know someone. I’ll call you later.”

-----

Rafael, Blake, Caesar and You were standing waiting to order while the rest of them were back at the table.

“Caesar, Y/N, I have a question for you both”

“Sure Thing” Caesar answered back

“My Mum works in a school, and Tuesday afternoon she had a dance class booked for the children. The teacher cancelled, so I wanted to ask if you two would stand in. It’s just 2 hours and a once off”

“I’ll do it” You answered back

“I ‘am only doing it because you’re asking Rafael. I have Tuesday off”

****

“Hola Mrs Barba, Nice to finally meet you. This is my primo Caesar”

“Please call Me Lucia. It’s nice to finally meet you Y/N, I have heard some amazing things about you. Rafael is very fond of you” you blushed and looked down. “And it’s lovely to meet you Caesar, I have heard some nice things about you too.”

“Nice to meet you. We like Rafael a lot as well”

You were nervous. This was the first time you were meeting Lucia and Rafael wasn’t going to be there at first. It was lucky Caesar was there to keep you claim. But with Rafael’s usual charm he managed to settle you down beforehand when he called you.

“It will be ok Hermosa, Mami will like you and I’ll be there soon, I’ am almost finished my paper work I needed to get finished”

---

“Ok guys, you’re not paying attention. Mirame ahora (look at me now) -That’s it, one two three uno dos tres - Boys looked how Caesar is moving his feet and how he has his back positioned. Girls watch what I’ am doing with my feet and how my back is positioned.”

Rafael could hear your voice through the open door of the hall, he could see his Mum standing at the back watching you when she turned and seen him, she walked out and greeted him.

“Oh Rafi, she is a gem. You’re very lucky to have found her. And Caesar is such a gentleman. The kids are enjoying themselves”

“I’ am glad” he smiled at his mum and they walked into the hall for him to watch you.

Rafael was in awe of you. The way you moved around the floor helping the kids and the way you held yourself for different movements as Caesar lead you through the routine.

You had just got back to Rafael’s apartment with the takeaway you had picked up on the way home,

“Your Mum is so beautiful Rafi. I really like her”

“She really likes you too Hermosa, she said I was lucky to have found you”

“Well she isn’t wrong, but I’ am just as lucky- I have fallen for you Rafi, hard”

“You can say it”

“Say what?” you frowned.

“Yo tambien te quiero”

Tags: @detective-giggles @beccabarba @the-baby-bookworm @thatesqcrush @dianilaws @scarletsoldierrr @lv7867 @permanentlydizzy @averyhotchner @infiniteoddball @ritajammer21 @madamsnape921 @word-scribbless @fandom-princess-forevermore

#ada rafael barba #ada barba #rafael barba #rafael barba fanfiction #rafael barba imagine #rafael barba x yn #law and order svu #SVU fanfiction #SVU FANDOM #svu fan #nbc svu #svu x reader #barba fanfic #barba x reader #rafael barba x you #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba x female reader

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laprincesaelena · 3 years

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EOA Discord Ship Appreciation Week Day 1: Valentine’s Day

a/n: hey guys! i’m so excited to be participating in the EOA discord server’s Ship Appreciation Week! i’m posting this a bit later in the day than i intended, but better late than never, right? this is also the first time i’ve ever posted a fic on tumblr, so bear with me here! anyways, here’s some cute gabelena fluff! don’t ask me when in the canon timeline this is supposed to take place in bc if i’m being honest, i don’t really know lol. but who cares about canon this week? take some cute gabelena fluff :)

also, very special thank you to @procrastinateland for doing some absolutely adorable art to go along with this fic!! it won’t be the last time you’ll be seeing her work this week! (but in the meantime, go check out her blog!! she has some more cute eoa art and more!! :) )

fic is below the cut!

Ever since her and Gabe had started dating, Elena had been looking forward to their very first Sweetheart's Day as a couple. She already had a few ideas in mind for the occasion, and the night before the holiday, she had stayed up until practically sunrise, making sure that everything would be ready by the time he'd be off from a shift that morning. She couldn't wait to see what Gabe had in store for her the next day. When she finally got to lay her head on her pillow that night, she smiled, hoping to dream about how wonderful the day would be.

After only a couple of hours of sleep, Elena opened her eyes and stretched out a bit. Not being a morning person, she didn't have any incentive to even sit up. As she rubbed her eyes in an effort to wake herself up, she had a realization, it was Sweetheart's Day! Now, she was definitely awake. She shot upright with a smile, and excitedly pulled off her covers, and headed over to her vanity to begin getting ready.

Elena shivered slightly as she began to brush through her hair, there was a reason she didn't like getting out of bed, she was all warm and comfortable a moment ago. But, she knew that soon enough, she'd be warmed right up, hopefully from a kiss or two from Gabe, or by being all wrapped up in his arms.

A few minutes later, she headed over to her closet to pick out what she would wear. Normally, she wouldn't have to think twice about this, her casual red dress was her usual go-to. But, since today was a pretty special occasion, she figured she'd choose something different. After a moment of going through her many articles of clothing, Elena finally made a decision. She picked out a light and airy hot pink dress with a floral lace pattern, which came to about her ankles. She paired the dress with a pair of wedge sandals, along with her favorite golden earrings.

Elena then returned to her vanity to brush through her long hair one more time. Next to the mirror was a small vase, filled with orchids, a Sweetheart's Day tradition. She picked off one of the flowers and placed it in her hair, and smiled. At some point today, she'd hopefully be receiving an orchid from Gabe, even though she had already been his sweetheart for a couple of months now. But, before that, she had to make sure everything was ready for him!

The crown princess headed down the halls of the palace with a pep in her step. Something was certainly in the air today, as there seemed to be every Sweetheart's Day. But this year was even more special to her, since this year, she had a sweetheart to be spending it with. Every once in a while, she'd come across a member of the palace staff who had already received their orchid that day, or one rehearsing exactly what they'd say to their sweetheart. Elena couldn't help but smile, and give a quick congratulations or word of reassurance to whoever she came across. But then, when she encountered one of the royal guards, she pulled them aside, and told them to inform Captain Núñez to meet her in the parlor immediately after his shift had ended, for there was a 'very important matter' to discuss.

Gabe was just about to head out of the guard barracks before he was pulled aside, and told that the crown princess requested his presence in the parlor immediately, for there was a very important matter to discuss. Of course, Gabe would head right there, though he couldn't help but sigh. He didn't have time for this! But what if something was actually wrong? He didn't want to risk that, so, as quickly as he could, he headed to the parlor.

When Gabe entered the room, he was practically blinded by an overwhelming amount of pink, red, and white. Colored streamers lined the walls, there was a heart shaped balloon tied onto practically every piece of furniture, and in the center of the room, was his lovely Elena.

Elena had a table all set up, with a bundle of balloons attached to either side. Placed on the table was a frame of a favorite picture of the two of them. Red, pink, and white napkins were arranged in a pattern on each side, along with matching plates to go with them. In the center, was a homemade tres leches cake, with "Happy Sweetheart's Day, Mi Amor!" written in pink icing. Elena's face was lit up with a smile, she looked so proud of her little arrangement.

"Surprise! Happy Sweetheart's Day!" she exclaimed.

"So, this was the 'very important matter' we needed to discuss, huh?" Gabe asked her, a smile forming on his face.

"Yup!" Elena responded with a nod. "But come on, this is a very important matter, it's our first Sweetheart's Day together!"

"I guess you're right," Gabe said, and began to take a closer look at everything Elena had out on the table. "Did you do all of this yourself?" he asked.

"I sure did!" Elena replied with a proud smile. "Well, I had a little bit of help from the staff with the streamers, and-" But before she could finish her sentence, Gabe cut her off with a second thought.

"Hold on, did you make this cake yourself too? There's no way." he said with a small laugh.

Though he was born the son of a baker, and was at one point expected to carry on his father's business, Gabe wasn't too good of a baker himself, and he knew Elena had just about the same amount of skill.

"This time, I made it to two leches, all on my own!" Elena told him. "By the third leche I did have my abuela step in, just to make sure we could actually enjoy it. But, I decorated it by myself! Which, I'm surprised wasn't a dead giveaway."

The cake was frosted with a layer of white icing, not perfectly, but it was at least completely covered. Elena had clearly underestimated the amount of room the center of the cake had, for about half of the word 'Sweetheart's' gradually dropped lower and lower. There was plenty of room for the word 'Day', but 'Mi Amor!' had to be crammed onto the right side, below a slanted 'Sweetheart's'. Even though the presentation of it may not have been perfect, Gabe was confident that it tasted better than it looked.

"Hey, it's certainly better than anything I could've done," Gabe said, and walked behind the table to be beside Elena. He pulled her in for a quick kiss as she wrapped her arms around him. "Everything looks great, I love it!" he added with a smile.

"I'm so glad you do, I wouldn't risk destroying the kitchen for anybody else." Elena joked, and leaned up to kiss him a second time. Then, she turned back towards the table, and picked up the knife that was lying beside the cake. "So, want a slice?" she asked.

"Uh..sure!" Gabe said, but mentally hit himself for hesitating. Though he was confident Elena's cake had come out great, and any other time he'd love to sit and have a slice with her, but he was on a bit of a time frame.

"No promises on how even these slices will be.." Elena said to herself as she began to cut them both a slice. She placed each slice on a plate, along with including a napkin and fork.

Elena handed the plate over to Gabe with a smile, and before she could even grab her own, he had already taken a couple of bites. She softly laughed to herself, hopefully that meant he was enjoying it!

"So, what do you think?" she asked him.

"It's really good, Elena," Gabe answered, already putting another piece in his mouth. "You should make these more often!" he added, his voice a bit muffled from the decently sized piece of cake he'd just eaten.

Elena tried a bit of her slice as well, and she had to admit, she was pretty proud of herself, it was really good! She turned to sit on the couch, and patted the space beside her for Gabe to join her.

"You can sit, if you'd like," she said, even though she wasn't giving him much choice, she was implying that she'd like him to sit beside her. "We aren't in any hurry!"

But little did she know, Gabe actually was in a hurry. He knew he didn't have time to sit with her, the two of them might lose track of time and be there for hours! But he also didn't want to let Elena know of this, or act suspicious in any way. He had to think, and fast. So, he turned to the side, and mumbled a quick, 'Captain Núñez!' in a voice slightly different than his own.

"Oh, sounds like someone's calling me!" he said, acting as if he weren't the one to call himself. "Thank you for everything, bye!" Gabe added hurriedly, before quickly finishing his slice of cake, and practically sprinting out of the room.

Elena barely had enough time to process what had just happened before Gabe was out of the room. She placed her plate on the couch before getting up to follow behind him, but by the time she poked her head out into the hallway, she sighed upon noticing that Gabe was nowhere to be found, nor was whoever 'called' him.

She sat back down on the couch to finish up her slice of cake, while thinking of what could possibly be up with him. Was he planning something special for her? If so, what could that be? Or, maybe Sweetheart's Day simply wasn't a big deal to him, and he didn't really care about everything she had done for him. Elena didn't even want to think that was the case, he seemed to love everything, and she had stayed up all night for it to be just perfect! She did know one thing for a fact, though, something was up with Gabe, and she was going to get to the bottom of this.

As Elena began to search around the palace for where Gabe could've possibly gone off to, she happened to bump into her abuela.

"Mija! Just the girl I wanted to see!" Luisa said to her granddaughter with a smile.

"Hi, abuela," Elena replied, returning the smile. "How's your Sweetheart's Day been so far? Has abuelo done anything extra special for you?" she asked.

"Funny that you mention that, because I was just headed to the kitchen to whip up a batch of empanadas for our Sweetheart's Day tradition! You know they're your abuelo's favorite!" Luisa responded. "And, I figured since you did such a wonderful job with that cake last night, you could help me out with the empanadas as well!"

Elena's eyes widened as she shook her head, thinking back to her occasional disasters when it came to cooking. "Oh, no, that's alright abuela, I'm sure they'd come out much better if only you made them, you know what you're doing much better than I do." she said.

"Oh, come on mijita, you'll do just fine! I could use an extra hand, and how could you say no to spending more time with your abuela?" Luisa asked, wrapping her arm around Elena and pulling her in close.

Though Elena was really more concerned about finding out what was up with Gabe at the moment, she knew she couldn't say no. Besides, maybe taking a little bit to get her mind off of that and just spend time with her abuela would be nice. Plus, she might pick up a few more tips and tricks for baking, maybe she could even learn to rival Gabe's parents' recipe!

"Okay, if you insist!" Elena replied with a soft laugh. "Let's go, then!"

Elena got herself dragged into the kitchen, and Luisa got her right to work on mixing the dough. Thankfully, there was no possible way Elena could create any sort of disaster with that (or so she hoped), and with their teamwork, a batch of empanadas was in the oven in record time. But, they weren't finished just yet. Luisa decided they'd start on a second batch, but with a different filling this time! So, Elena reluctantly returned to her task of preparing the dough.

As Elena began to knead the dough, she couldn't help but wonder what Gabe was up to, and her doubtful thoughts returned. If only abuela hadn't wanted to make a second batch, she could've already found out what was going on! But here she was, kneading another batch of dough, which hopefully would turn out alright for her abuelos.

While the second batch was baking, Elena couldn't help but take a look out the window, where she noticed that the sun was already beginning to set. Sweetheart's Day was almost over, and she had barely seen her own sweetheart at all that day. Not to mention that when she did see him, he was in quite the rush. She was snapped out of her thoughts by a tap on her shoulder, and turned back to face her abuela.

"You don't have to stay here while we wait, mija." Luisa said. "You've been more than enough help, and I had lots of fun, you're not as terrible at baking as you may think!"

"Thanks, abuela," Elena replied with a small smile. "Are you sure you don't need any more help? I'd be more than happy to stay."

"No, I insist, you go off and enjoy the rest of your night!" Luisa responded, and was now practically pushing Elena out of the kitchen. "Also, remember to look down on your way out." she added with a wink.

"Look down?" Elena asked, but once she reached the hallway, she understood what her abuela was talking about.

Right at her feet was a small envelope, with her name written in the center, along with a heart. She'd know that handwriting anywhere, it was Gabe's! Elena smiled as she bent down to pick up the envelope, so he hadn't just brushed her off! Now, the pieces were beginning to fall into place. He must've been planning something for her when he rushed out so suddenly, and her abuela was definitely distracting her with baking until everything was ready to go. Not wasting a moment, Elena tore open the envelope, pulling out a small letter inside.

I wanted this day to be special for you,

But most of my ideas just wouldn't do.

You made my day great, so it'd only be right,

To treat you to the very best Sweetheart's Night.

All around the palace, I've left a few things,

Maybe a new dress, bracelets, or rings.

But before you're able to find that out,

I'll give you a clue to think about.

Weekly we fence in the gardens or Castillo Park,

But I won't have you searching outside in the dark.

Where you'd find a person curled up with a book,

Is the very first place I'd suggest you'd look.

Elena smiled as she read along, this was certainly an exciting way to spend the rest of her night! Once she read her first clue, she knew exactly where to go, and she headed straight to the palace's library.

When she arrived at the library, she began to look around for where Gabe could've left something. Right under the painting of Avalor Bay, she found something that definitely wasn't always there!

Elena picked up a brand new sword for fencing and smiled, she couldn't wait to use this at their next fencing practice! She looked it over for a moment, before noticing something else on the ground. Beside the sword was yet another small envelope, her scavenger hunt wasn't over just yet! She tore open the second envelope, and began to read the small letter inside.

I want you to remember, that forever, through and through,

I'll always be living "La Vida Dulce" with you.

On your bed is a gift, that like you is so sweet,

I know you'll enjoy this little Sweetheart's Day treat.

Elena couldn't help but smile as she read along. She completely agreed, she's always living the sweet life with Gabe by her side. But, thinking of those words gave her an idea as to what this present could be, and she excitedly headed up to her room to see if her guess was correct.

Sure enough, when Elena entered her room, she spotted a heart shaped box placed on her bed. When she opened the box, she'd recognize the contents anywhere. They were chocolates from her abuela's chocolate shop! Elena couldn't help but pick one up and pop it into her mouth. She couldn't help but wonder if this chocolate really was as sweet as she was, since she definitely had her days at some points. But, one thing she definitely agreed on was that she enjoyed this Sweetheart's Day treat, Avaloran chocolate was one of her favorites!

Elena placed the cover back onto the box, and noticed yet another small envelope resting beside it. She tore it open, excited to see where this next clue would lead her.

I hope that you've been having lots of fun,

Sorry for keeping you on the run!

But this next clue is your last, number three,

The most exciting gift you'll soon see.

I'm sure you know that what I've said is true,

That no matter what, I'm always with you.

This Sweetheart's Day was filled with surprises galore,

I hope that together, we'll be spending many more.

I have one last surprise to complete our night,

I can't wait to see your face filled with delight.

Outside on the terrace is where you'll find me and more,

Happy Sweetheart's Day, mi amor.

Elena left the letter, along with the other few things she had accumulated on her scavenger hunt on her bed, and excitedly ran out of her room. She felt like she had barely seen Gabe all day, so she couldn't wait to spend more time with him, and to see what this exciting surprise was!

Once she opened the doors to the terrace, Elena stopped for a moment, and gasped. She took a moment to just take in her surroundings, everything looked amazing!

The terrace was illuminated by strings of lights, and in the very center was Gabe, waiting for her with a loving smile. Behind him was a table, perfectly decorated for a candlelit dinner for two. Elena could've sworn she saw a few of the empanadas she had made earlier on the table as well! Everything looked so perfect and especially romantic, Elena's face was certainly filled with delight.

"Happy Sweetheart's Day!" Gabe said to her, with just as proud of a smile as she had worn earlier.

Elena ran right over and wrapped her arms tightly around him, pulling him in for a kiss. Gabe caught her in his arms, and once they broke apart, lifted her up and spun her around.

"Gabe, this is amazing!" she exclaimed, the smile on her face only growing. "This is the perfect way to end our night!"

"I'm glad you love it," Gabe responded, a similar smile lighting up his face. "And I'm glad you ended up here, hopefully my clues weren't too confusing." he joked with a small laugh.

"I figured out each place right away, it was a lot of fun." Elena replied. "Thank you for doing this all for me."

"Hey, it's our first Sweetheart's Day together, this is a very important matter." Gabe joked. "Besides, you did so much for me earlier today, I wanted to give you just as great of a day."

"Well, my day didn't start out exactly as I planned, since I was a bit concerned about as to why you were in such a rush earlier.." Elena explained. "At first I thought you didn't care about what I did this morning, which I thought seemed unlike you, but before I could ask you, you were gone! And now, I understand why you seemed to be in such a rush." she added with a smile.

"Exactly." Gabe replied. "And I'm really sorry if I made you feel like I didn't appreciate it, because I absolutely loved it! It was such a nice surprise to come back from my shift to."

"I'm glad you loved it." Elena responded with a smile. "I love this so much too! Speaking of, we should probably stop talking before the food gets cold or the candles go out." she added with a small laugh.

"Hang on, there's one more thing I'd like to give you." Gabe said, and let go of her for a moment.

Gabe stepped behind the table, and lifted up a vase, filled with purple orchids, a symbol of Sweetheart's Day. He took one out of the vase and walked back over to where Elena was standing, and held it out in front of him.

"Even though we've been together for a few months now, I still wanted to ask you this. In fact, I've been hoping for this moment for a couple of years now.." he said.

Elena smiled as he held out the orchid in front of her. She wanted to just take it from him right then and there, since of course she'd accept it! But, she also wanted to hear everything he had to say.

"So, Elena Castillo Flores, will you be my sweetheart?" Gabe asked with a smile.

Elena smiled big as she nodded her head. "Yes, of course I will!" she answered.

Gabe placed the stem in Elena's hand, as she looked down at it with a smile. She placed the flowers behind her ear, now having orchids decorating each side of her dark brown hair.

Elena wrapped her arms around him once again, and pulled him in for another kiss. Gabe wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in a bit closer. Though she thought it was a bit cliché, Elena even felt her foot slightly lift off the ground.

Their very first Sweetheart's Day together may not have been completely perfect, but neither of them minded one bit. All that mattered to these two sweethearts was that they'd be able to spend their day together, and that it would be a day filled with oh so much love. And that's exactly the day Gabe and Elena received .

#eoa ship appreciation week 2021 #gabelena #my fics #sweetheart’s day #i really hope you guys like this 🥺#if you love it please let me know bc comments like that keep my motivation up!#and i really hope to do something for this whole week!#anyways here’s the only gabelena fic you guys will probably be seeing today bc no one ships it anymore 😔#elena of avalor

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pretendrocketships · 4 years

Text

My Affection

About: 1.7k about Chris falling in love after hearing you read bedtime stories to his cousins after a family party.

A/N: Okay two things, 1) I didn’t use any names for the cousins because I didn’t know them lol and writing about real kids made me feel weird for some reason 2) I really could not write this without Spanish because I cannot see Chris speaking English unless he has to. I speak 1% Spanish and I’m 99% proficient in google translate so cut me some slack or educate me! I’d love to learn more.

Song: My Affection by Summer Walker & PARTYNEXTDOOR

“Ay! Por favor, mis hijos, dejar de correr por toda la casa!” you hear Chris’s mom yell before three of his cousins zoom by you as you closed the living room door. “Dios mío, ayudame!” Chirs laughed at them driving his mom crazy. He taught them so well.

“Mami! Estoy aquí,” he said grabbing your hand and pulling you towards the kitchen, “y con mi amor.” You blushed at that, and he pulled you closer to press a kiss to the top of your head. “MAMI-” he started yelling until his mom came out of the kitchen glaring at him.

“How are you always yelling?” she asked, unable to fight the smile on her face as her son squeezed the life out of her in a hug.

“POR QUE TE AMO MAMI.” She smiled and rolled her eyes in your direction, making you laugh, wondering how either of you had tolerated him for so long.

“Estoy feliz que tu estas aqui, pero,” she said moving away from him and pulling you into a tight hug. “I’m happier your here to take him away when I get annoyed.” You laughed and hugged her back.

“Mami!?”

“It’s true,” she said and shrugged.

“Chris!! Estas aqui!?” Suddenly the patter feet of four kids came running down the hallway to attack Chris at his feet.

“My favorite cousins! Ven acá!” He crouched down to hug all of them.

“Perfecto, Chris, entertain them while (Y/N), and I finish up in the kitchen,” she said to him and his fan club, “hopefully, they’ll tire each other out and we both get an easy night,” she whispered to you. You laughed and smiled at Chris already on the floor playing with the kids. Safe from being picked in tag, you and his mom were in the kitchen moving the various dishes into ceramic containers to be placed on the table. “So, como estas? Are you good? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry we haven’t been over in a while. Chris’ schedule plus mine has been so hectic, but I promise we’ll make more time.”

“That’s all I want, both of you around more. Hadn’t seen you in so long, I almost thought Chris did something stupid and you broke up with him, but he just didn’t want to tell me.” You laughed because that was far from the truth. Finally, things were going well, and you were just taking the time to bask in it before another tour or rumor mill ruin everything.

“Chris? Doing something stupid? Never,” you said sarcastically, causing both of you to laugh. Chris looked up from whatever game he was playing, losing interest because he forgot all the made-up rules. Seeing you and his mom made his heart do a weird thing he’s never felt before. He’s not sure if it’s what everyone is talking about when they brag about their love life. He knows he loves his mom. He knows he loves his family, his band, his fans, but he doesn’t know what to compare what he feels to because he’s never felt this before. Sure he’s had girlfriends and women he’s said he loved, but he doesn’t even begin to know how to process what he feels. How does he even ask the guys about this when he doesn’t fully understand himself. All he’s sure of is seeing you with his mom makes him feel comfortable like this is how everything should always be.

“Chris! You’re not even trying!” they all shouted at him, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Lo siento, let’s start over.” More of the Velez family started to trickle into the home as the night went on, everyone running on their own version of Miami time.

“Dale, todos estan aqui! Vamos comer!” This was your favorite part. Everyone was around the table just happy to be connected. Plates were passed and drinks were poured, it only took seconds for the family to make you feel like you belonged. A Velez party lasts till the last person leaves, but that rule did not apply for kids.

“Bueno, niños, es hora de irse a la cama!” They all groaned and quickly ran to hide behind Chris.

“Chris isn’t going to bed yet!”

“Yeah, he’s still awake, and you call him a kid all the time!”

“Hey!” Chris whined at the comment. You laughed and ruffled his hair.

“Chris isn’t going to bed because Chris is helping clean up.” The look on his face was priceless.

“Qué estoy haciendo?!” He asked confused, which only made the kids giggle more. He was about to protest until his mom shot him “the look” that everyone knows so well, shutting him up immediately. “Sorry, queiro jugar pero I still have to listen to my mom too,” he explains before slumping over exaggeratedly, like washing a dish was the biggest chore in the world.

“What if while Chris is stuck doing chores,” you proposed to the kids while sticking your tongue out at Chris, “I read you a story before bed?”

“Yes!”

“Sí!”

“Vamos!” They all agreed, already pulling on your hands and forcing you towards their room.

“Wow, replacing me como eso? Pensé que estoy tus favorito?”

“You’re only our favorite when (Y/N) isn’t here.” The look of hurt flashed across his face only made them burst into more giggles.

“Mean!” he said before stomping out of the room, sure to whip back around the corner and shoot you a wink, mouthing “thank you” before he truly left.

“Vamos! Let’s read!” you said, letting them guide you to their room. Once inside, each of them ran to pick out their favorite book and jump into bed, vigorously patting their side waiting for you to join them.

“Me first! Quiero esto!” she said holding up a big, red book with “Los Tres Cerditos” plastered across it. All the kids listened carefully as you started.

“Érase una vez que había una mamá cerda que tenía tres cerditos. Ella los amaba mucho, pero no había suficiente comida para alimentarlos, así que los cerditos tuvieron que ir a buscar su suerte.” You could see their eyes drooping as you got to the end of each book, their bodies sinking further and further into their comforters. You were about to get up and sneak out until you were caught.

“We’re not--,” a small voice interrupted itself with a yawn, “tired yet.” You laughed to yourself before turning around and sitting on one of their beds.

“No estás cansada? I read all the stories you pick out; I’m out of books!” More yawns broke out as they all forced their eyes to stay open.

“You tell us a story.” You watched all three of them snuggle up, waiting for your voice to finally push them to sleep.

“Vale, how about a poem this time? Algo que mi papá siempre leía a mi mamá, luego me leyó?” Far too tired to speak, they all nodded their heads and waited for you to start. You took a second to make sure you remembered all the words, and you were so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t notice the footsteps coming towards the door. “Querido amor, llenas mi vida de color. Esa dulce sonrisa que a mis ojos hipnotiza. Hizo que me enamorara de ti muy aprisa.” A soft smile covered all the kids faces, including Chris who had made himself comfortable at the door, leaning in quietly to eavesdrop. “Cuando cercas de mi estas tu corazón. Mi corazon tus pasos siente cuando siempre estas presente. Es tan fuerte este amor que siempre esta en mi mente. Nuestro amor vence barreras que es tan valiente. Nuestro amor vence barreras que es tan valiente. Tu eres mi gran ilusion a mi petences y en mis sueños amaneces.” After hearing you were done, Chris slipped out of the room and waited by the door. You beamed at all the kids who were fast asleep. You waited a minute watching their chests rise and fall before you went to get up. You closed the door quietly before being attacked by your boyfriend. You were about to scream before he slapped his hand around your mouth.

“Nena, relájate. Están durmiendo,” he said laughing a little to himself.

“You scared me! I thought you were doing dishes!” He rolled his eyes and pulled you away from his room.

“I was, pero I wanted to check on you. So I came just in time to hear your little poem.” His smirked caused you to blush, finally realizing the footsteps meant he heard the whole thing.

“Chrissss,” you whined burying your face into his neck.

“Aye, mi amor, don’t get shy on me now.” If you could see him, you would’ve seen him looking down at you with so much love and pride, he didn’t even know what to do with it. “Quiero decir gracias, porque you didn’t have to help me out with them or read each of them a story.” That made you look up and him and he shot you a shy grin. “Ok maybe I was listening in for a while but anyway. I love that about you, how you’re always willing to help me or my family like they’re you’re own, and carajo…” he trailed off, forcing you to pull away and keep eye contact.

“Chris--”

“I love you.�� He blurted it out so the feelings didn’t stay trapped inside him. “It might be early or whatever, but I love you, and I’ve thought it for a while now pero I didn’t know if I was sure, but I know now. You are the just the fucking best thing in my life right now. Even my cousins like you more than me! But we’ll talk about that later. Just,” he looked away and laughed softly, trying to cover up how vulnerable he felt right now. “Thank you for dealing with me and my craziness and my family and me going on tour and the boys and I could go go on forever, but want to go home and hold you, mi amor.”

“Aww, Chris!” you gushed.

“And maybe some sexy stuff,” he added.

“I’m in love with an idiot.”

“SI MAMI, VAMOS! MAMI WE’RE LEAVING!”

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