#I also think she'd be a good Maria in the Sound of Music

[hauntedvulcan]

Sometimes I get bored and decide to determine what roles I'd cast my OCs as in musicals

[ferronite]

Hiiiiii! i woke up a little while ago and I'm thinking about your little creatures,,,,,

I want you to use this ask to talk a little more about your 7 little creatures, please. I'm very curious to know more.

:0 thanks for asking! I'm more than happy to yap abt these creatures~ (also sorry for the delay I've been in lectures lol)

They're all stuck in a constant cycle of reincarnation as a result of their original story - a pretty typical fantasy thing really (guy (basil) takes over kingdom with a desire for world dominance (he got Corrupted) and someone (liv) has to obtain the powers of the Elements or whatever to defeat him. After Liv defeats her brother, she's given the chance to have a single wish granted, and wishes for the chance to reach a "perfect ending"... which is completely impossible to reach.

Anyway time to talk about them individually!

I'll repost the Circle for reference

so, going clockwise...

Jean (you decide how it's pronounced, nobody can agree on it!) Verrry much comes across as the snooty artist type. Like, arrogant and condescending type - plus the good old "nobody appreciates my talents", though it often sounds like they're trying to convince themselves of it instead of others. Very much similar across all iterations in terms of personality, though the original iteration was suffering from very mild Corrosion exposure and so was much more prone to sudden outbursts and was a lot more condescending. In Resto, they're actually in charge of designing containment units :) (they're also capable of unhinging their jaw like a snake)

Maria is like. Typical theatre kid. Has dreams of being a superstar actor, and ends up writing plays based off her daily life. Has five copies of the same outfit Just Because and wears incredibly high heeled boots because she likes to seem tall. She's a pretty upbeat person, and also really nosy about people's personal lives lmaoo. She does have the constant need to be the centre of attention, but isn't generally too forceful(?) about it - it is made significantly worse by exposure to Corruption in the original. She's just a basic employee at Resto, and took the job to fund her dreams. Hangs around Jean a lot (J sometimes helped in making stuff for her performances, though Maria actually sews her own outfits :D) She'd be great at poker but she doesn't have any real strategic knowledge for it she's just real good at bluffing.

Kaylen is a huge archaeology nerd. He has to be forcibly dragged out of any shop that sells fossils to stop him from wasting all his money on them. Incredibly energetic all of the time and generally unbothered about most issues. He makes his own music, too, to... varying degrees of success, though most of his stuff is pretty good. Can seem pretty annoying (especially towards Danny) but he's... kinda lonely, honestly. Worried abt people leaving him. Which, of course, gets fucked around with by Corruption. His Resto appearance has a scorpion tail, which he accidentally poisoned someone with as a kid lol.

Danny was part of a gang for like a year when he was 19 and kinda made it a good chunk of his personality. He tries to come off as serious and intimidating and it... generally succeeds? But also since most people know he won't actually hurt them it does tend to fall flat after a while. He isn't the only one with a drivers license but he is the only one anyone actually trusts to drive. He enjoys reading, and also has a hobby of baking that he tries to keep secret cuz he thinks it'd ruin his image hehe.

Sel! They're an interesting one. Generally seem pretty calm and serious, though they do have a habit of threatening people when they meet them. Most people are at least a little scared of them. They get significantly less calm and more... manic when fighting, which is how they almost killed London during training in Resto lol. Incredibly loyal to people they care about as well. Corruption fucked them the most in their initial appearance as they had the most exposure, which is what lead to their near indiscriminate murdering and corpse animating (normally they'd never have used corpses in their creations, as they view it as disrespectful.) Their weapons generally follow them across incarnations (but not always) and so they're one of the few who are allowed to keep outside weapons with them within the company during Resto. They have a chessboard for appearances sake but are incredibly shit at chess.

Basil~ his legal name in Resto is actually Wilhelm - his parents were fine with him transitioning as long as he had a name that fit the family "aesthetic" lmao. He just goes by basil tho. He's a pretty standard guy (if a bit judgemental and short tempered), but he does very much give off Rich Prick vibes. Cares deeply for his sister, but has a more nihilistic worldview than she does. He was the main antagonist during their first incarnations due to finding a Shard of Corruption, and the "leader" of the other five. It was barely "him" at that point due to all the Corruption tho..

Liv! The "hero" of the original story, tho she sure didn't feel like one, and the root cause of their cycle. Always the optimist and with a strong drive to help people, tho she's not always the best at it. She's trying her best tho! Has a very strong set of morals, especially in terms of "good" and "evil" which.... doesn't always work out in more nuanced situations. She works in Medical during Resto, with the hopes of being able to actually move into the field when she has more experience. Has less rich kid vibes than her brother, but still has that kinda sheltered naivety about her.

Aaand that's everyone! Ough the Wall. Anyway yeah due to the nature of the curse/wish they remain pretty much the same in terms of personality (and appearance) across all iterations, which isn't how it normally works.

[zorawitch]

no one asked for this post but i'm procrastinating so anyway here are the artists i think the endless would listen to.

Destiny absolutely listens exclusively to instrumental music, so the only instance where his taste intersects with mine is definitely like. Wulven instrumental songs. I know Saint Hildegard von Bingen composed some shit and based on the vibes of both her and Destiny without having heard her music, that's what he primarily listens to. Most likely his favorite musical artist is a ninth century composer no one has ever heard of.

Death I think listens to all kinds of music, but Cemetery Gates by the Smiths has to be up there. Theoretically should be grim but cheerful and calming instead. She's probably also into folk music, definitely the sort of thing that comes out of Appalachia, but not exclusively. If it's got a good beat, she'll dance to it, that's the vibe.

Dream SAYS his favorite musical artist is a ninth century composer no one has ever heard of, but this is a lie. Early stages Panic! at the Disco. MCR if you want me out on a limb there.

Destruction goes in for modern rock. Not the screamo kind or the particularly angry kind but I think he likes a lot of guitar and drums. And I also think there are a lot of great songs that are just about being lonely and feeling ancient and young simultaneously and he'd really get into those despite not being super coherent with him aesthetically. I feel like such a fucking idiot saying this but yeah I DO think Destruction has listened to every Lorde album at least once for those vibes because nobody does the old-soul bit better than her.

Desire is tricky. I think they listen to primarily alternative stuff, but anything that sounds hungry will do. There's something in my bones telling me to look toward Billie Eilish but that might just be the fact that Mason likes Billie Eilish. I don't know exactly what they like but I do know they absolutely hate mxmtoon. I agree her music's great but it's too mellow for them. Possibly also ballet scores.

Despair is a Nicole Dollanger fan. There's no way around it. You don't listen to Married In Mount Airy without feeling the most divine misery you've ever experienced in your life. Easiest one on the list.

Delirium definitely likes individual songs from random albums. A soundtrack girly definitely but her theme song is "Oh My God" by Ida Maria. Credit to iwillneverleavemyisland on instagram for that idea. She'd love that song "Lobster" too.

[scuttlingcrab]

Just read the ballroom dance Tav x Raphael post and one of the first coherent thoughts I had (that wasn't just some variation of fangirl squeeing) was 'I wonder if that was the magic tailor Tav and if she made her own attire.' My second coherent thought was 'I must go back and reread Raphael getting sniped by cupid's arrow!' I swear this devil-man falling hard for Tav is just- It makes me grin and giggle so much.

Hi Anon!

Thank you so much for your message and I really hope you enjoyed Dance with the Devil! Side note, I realised I had a bunch of typos in it since posting it last night, so have corrected a few things, haha. Hopefully it wasn't too distracting to those who read it yesterday. I got too excited! 😭🙏🏼✨

In my head, it's definitely Tav, the magic tailor. And that's who inspired Raphael to dress phenomenally at the ball, although he didn't imagine running into her. Perhaps throughout their story arc, Tav had taught Raphael a few things about making clothes, he of course took copious notes, and inevitably "borrowed" the techniques to make his suit and mask. Also despite Tav knowing how to craft the finest pieces of clothing, she'd always dress modestly at camp and while on her adventures so it might've been the first time she was in a proper dress.

For this I was also really inspired by the Sound of Music, and this scene in particular, when Maria dances with the Captain. Just too good!

Thank you again for your message and of course, massive thanks to the original anon for inspiring Tailor Tav(™️). I’ve got your prompts and hopefully can respond soon, when I’m not thinking about Raphael. I make no promises, haha! 🤣

[shmowder]

Ascending is thee greatest compliment I can imagine, wow ♡ I too am ascending, meet me on the astral plane.

The P1 music being good is quite the selling point for me actually! I absolutely adore a good video game soundtrack. There are some songs from P2 that I love, but a lot of unmemorable ones, too. On that note, are there any songs or albums that you associate with Pathologic? Over the past few days, Shrines by Purity Ring has become this for me. Grandloves is a Victor song and Cartographist is a Yulia song... maybe because of the name. I also really heavily associate that whole album with Silent Hill 3 for some reason.

I love the little divorcing Yulia drabble omg. "Why bother honey? Just come back to bed." Like ok. I suppose I will. *does my best impression of that gif of Tigger walking away dejectedly* And the divorcing Eva one is funny.

Out of everyone, Yulia is actually the one I have the most trouble imagining as a yandere. She's so gentle and mild-mannered - so I agree with what you said in your other reply. She'd make it so she's the only one who'll be there for you in this sick sad world.

Your yandere thoughts are my yandere thoughts <3 What's better than codependent mutual obsession to the exclusion of everything else... wait, don't answer that. I think I imprinted on the relationship in Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. "You've such a lovely temperature." "Your blood coagulates beautifully." Would yandere Daniil say those things? Probably not but I'm thinking about it anyway.

Losing my entire MIND over your yandere Victor thoughts and I didn't even send you a request? You're telling me this in casual conversation and I am eating it UP omfl. Ooh thanks for reminding me of that quote. (Would Yulia say it was destiny that I chose to be 🐿️, a prey animal, before these ideas ever existed?) God, how uncomfortable would that be for Khan and Maria. Especially given you're closer to Maria's age than to Victor's.

YOUR WHOLE HEART LAID BARE BEFORE HIM ON A SILVER TRAY! PLEASE why is this reminding me of when you said "dissect and break her down to use for their own biddings" from your post on the Kains obeying the laws of nature. The lyric "I'll stake rare toothpicks in my dirt filled heart / meander the sacred lot of you in every season" from Grandloves by Purity Ring. Are these like the Lines that the kin talked about?? Not to sound like an insane person but I always imagined that letting someone get to know you, really really know you and the entirety of your ugly soul, is like being peeled. Ripping all your skin off and being so vulnerable. And for someone to want anything to do with you after that? [disintegrates]

More overprotective yandere Victor thoughts I had while doing the dishes earlier in this mcfreaking humidity (before I read most of your reply): not a big gift giver but will make dove-themed things for you or have them made for you. A cuckoo clock, a music box. You're the proverbial bird in the gilded cage. Spoils you in the sense of not having to do small labors/chores - even if you want to do the dishes, well guess what, that's someone else's job. (Perhaps this was wish fulfillment while doing the dishes).

Idk where him randomly ignoring occasionally came from tbh, but oddly I feel it's specific to him as a yandere only. Perhaps he has flashes of self-awareness - is he being overbearing? He's giving you some time to yourself! But the townspeople are so chilly - they're polite to you, but you won't find any warmth or companionship there. There isn't anywhere else you belong. Will solicit your opinion on intellectual pursuits but will only use and credit your small ideas. Will twist your big ideas & won't publicly credit you for them; will have a convincing and perfectly rational reason for not doing so that he explains gently to you. But truthfully, it wouldn't do for you to be getting *too* much of the townspeople's attention, and god forbid you start thinking you can make something of yourself without him.

I love the contrast of yandere Big Vlad! Yandere Big Vlad my beloved indeed... DON'T MAKE ME HAVE FEELINGS FOR BIG VLAD PLEASE 🫣 Ngl the #1 quality that the fictional men I would bang (though there are not many) have in common is Being a Widower 😭 Gosh the glorified pet/temptation & sin incarnate/prince/princess paragraph is good stuff. And Saburov 100% ok with being a cuck lmao

Yandere Aspity - if she falls in love with you then the earth itself would too? That's so cute honestly!! I also really like the second option, "a piece of the earth defying its original self." Neat. I saw bits and pieces of human kink stuff while looking through your archive at sorcerous-caress. It's interesting to think about, though difficult to wrap my head around another species seeing humans as "other" and exotic haha

We haven't mentioned yandere Aglaya yet. I haven't progressed past day 7 yet so there's some context I need to refresh myself on probably. But I think yandere Aglaya is overprotective and isolating as well. It's for your own good and one day you'll understand. She wants to save you! She'll take you far away from here and build the two of you a little nest and you'll be so safe and happy. You're the only one she can be her true self around, the only one she can bear her soul to.

-

Ex-husband Artemy was great and and I'm completely sold on aroallo Artemy :) For him to give you a kiss without being drenched in the smell of post-surgery blood? lolllllll Not to butter you up even more (jk I am happy to do this) but you can get me to read x readers for characters I don't wish to know carnally and that's not typical of me. It helps that the characters are all really interesting, but the way you write them definitely helps too 🫡🫡

Thanks for letting me be a silly goose on your blog!! And for all your sweet comments. I have the same worry about repeating myself, oh well. But you make me feel comfortable being a little deranged on here. As always, take all the time you need to respond.

🐿️ anon

Hmm songs I associate with Pathologic

There is one! but it's in Arabic "مطلوب زعيم - كاريوكي" It talks about leaders or governments in general betraying its people and how those people still fought to survive despite it all. Despite the leaders they entrusted throwing them to the wolves. The song describes wanting a righteous leader that can hear their (town) heartbeat (literally the lyrics which fit too well) A leader that doesn't live in castles when a portion of their people live in houses akin to graves (again pathologic lore)

The Kains, the Olgimskays and even the law obiding Saburov all used the plague to try and gain more power, to prove that their way of thinking and living is superior. They didn't help people just for the sake of helping them or combating the plague, no they wanted something out of it. They derailed the healers progress and made everything way harder for everyone.

Oh and my favourite Pathologic 2 OST is Twyrin. Yeah it's on the shorter side but god is it so iconic? OF FUCKING COURSE ANDREY STAMATIN GETS THE BEST MUSIC IN THE GAME >:(

While in Pathologic Classic HD it's Utroba Disease

I also love the character specific music? Like the Haruspex Lair theme, because it embodies him in a way! It's an impressive feat to merely use music alone without lyrics to tell a story or communicate a certain vibe, but god does P2 and P1 achieve it seamlessly.

Take the soundtrack Warehouse-Rubin for example and how it starts so quietly, building up ever so slowly that the silence itself merges with the music notes.

Like an ever growing shadow in the corner of your vision, it's hard to spot and you forget about it immediately after looking away.

But then. Oh but then.

Insanity spiral. A painfully sharp high pitched sound pierces your eardrumns, akin to a human scream muffled by the beat, a symphony of agony, a tortured soul crawling out of the grave to give one final scream with the last of its breath.

Lastly, it stops. The screeching of the record follows, someone choking on air, or regaining their breath.

The curtains are drawn back, and Rubin puts his gaurd up again.

There are so many beautiful ones too that tell a tale with just their title. Painting a melancholic picture.

The Haruspex is all alone

The music itself feels as if it's making fun of him while letting him wallow in his sadness. Cruelly taunting him and breaking his already bruised heart into a million pieces. Not even giving him the courtesy to lick his own wounds or mourn what he has lost.

The Bachelor learns

Starts with one instrument, and then gradually, more and more are added, as if every new sound is a puzzle piece that the Bachelor is putting back into place. Slowly making progress until a whole symphony is formed when all he had at the start was one single note, sounding like the bells of a clock.

The Changeling sneaks into the Stamatins loft

The suspension! The thrill in every note, building you up before letting you fall when it suddenly pauses. You can't be discovered, someone is nearby, you need to be cautious. Hold your breath, steady your feet, and don't step on the creaking wooden boards. After the excitement dies down, you're given a steady rhythmic beat that guides your foosteps. The sound of someone taking a short breath is incorporated into the notes, even the breath in your lungs need to follow the beat and blend in

I'm glad you liked the Yulia divorce hc lmao. I feel like whatever worst case scenario possible there is, Yulia already thought of it and not only that but spent restless nights imagining the divorce before the two of you even got married?

So when it arrives she is prepared, doesn't even bat an eye. And her casual approach makes you doubt yourself out of sheer shock? Like huh, maybe divorce is really not a big deal... yk what sure I'll stick around for a little bit longer, scoot over.

The biggest flaw in Yulia's design is that even if she had those yandere urges, would she bother acting out on them? Suddenly, her fatalism becomes a beneficial trait. Gentleness goes a long way more than possessiveness ever does.

Yandere Yulia would rather reel you in slowly, be as soft as a breeze of air. You could spend your whole life together and never be aware of the unhinged thoughts going through her brain at all times.

She is easily content and doesn't demand a lot. Probably one of the safest bets in terms of yanderes. She doesn't isolate you or try to hold power of you. While eats her up at night that you might leave or find someone else, those feelings aren't new to her, she had a similar crisis about the thought of the world ending last month.

By being unstable and unhinhed naturally, the yandere thoughts perfectly blend within her inner world and all that comes out is the same mild-mannered Yulia you've known.

And oh 👀 those are amazing lines for Yandere Daniil. Honestly he'd be as intense as a storm, you'll be constantly prodded and questioned as if you're the greatest enigma he has ever seen.

It'd would annoy him so much that he can't understand why he is so obsessed with you. He NEEDS to know. Why is everything about you so special? Why is the colour of your blood the most beautiful red he has ever seen? Why are your pupils the loveliest black there is? Why are you so intoxicating and magnetic?

If that was before getting together, he'd notice some unhinged comments slipping his lips every now and then while everything else seems to be as business usual.

And omfg yes everything you said about Yandere Victor is so true.

He wants you to think he is on your side, that he could never be anything but supportive and kind. That the idea of him purposely sabotaging your attempts to have anything that doesn't involve him is silly and you're overworked, sweetheart.

He babies you intentionally so you forget how to fly. The townfolks are nice and chill to you no matter what so you never have to put in effort in socialising and therefore will never develop any meaningful relationships or build a support system besides him.

It's like being suffocated by a feather pillow. Victor can't possibly be stealing your ideas if he credited you for the small ones and makes such a big deal of mentioning that it was you who picked the colours for the townshall new curtains.

So how come he stops at that and doesn't even bring up the new laws you proposed adding or public wellfare plans you worked hard on?

Coincidentally, the next month, people stop you in the streets to sing the praises of your husband for coming up with such a brilliant plan for aiding people struggling with income. A plan that suspiciously sounds similar to your own papers left collecting dust in one of the locked drawers in his desk.

Except it's just different enough that you feel doubtful it was on purpose. Remembering his words, how silly of an idea this even is. Yeah... you're probably just need some rest. Victor is a genius, what would he ever copy your papers for? You need to have more faith in your husband.

Until one day you'll wake up and realise you've completely forgotten how to fly, that the wings weighted heavy by your sides. How kind is it of your husband to offer to pluck some of the feathers off and relief you from the burden of thinking or working? Even simple tasks are too much. No, leave the dishes. That's someone else's job, dove.

oh god Yandere Aglaya is a special case. Because she is a meta character, she knows about the 4th wall (in a way) That makes her so much more dangerous.

And 👀 She can fall for the player, becoming a yandere for this force controlling the healers around.

Aglaya knows she is a doll and thinks you are a doll, too. She knows this is just a game played by kids, that nothing really matters. No one is really alive.

So it's completely morally justified in her views to take you for her own. I mean, she is THE inquisitor and her word is law. She is the one who orders the destruction of the polyhedron, you think she can't simply order you to be her spouse?

But Aglaya wouldn't take stoop that low, it's also tiresome to constantly throw her weight and power around. Instead, she will tell you about the bleak reality you're living in and how everyone and everything in your life is a lie.

Did it break your mind? Good, stay with her then. It will be extremely easy to nudge you along.

Did it not? ...that is strange. Explain yourself. Now.

Are you that apathetic? or are you too stupid to comprehend her words? Which one is it?

...oh, you don't care because the love you feel is real even if the people are not?

You've spelled your doom with that sentence, she is hooked. All her life she has been the only one with free will, in all her years of living she has never ever met another person who is aware of the truth of this universe without having gone insane.

But you stood your grounds.

Yandere Aglaya doesn't beat around the bush, she doesn't play mind games nor manipulate you.

She puts all her cards on the table, shows you ever single one. Explains herself fully and make her intentions clear.

She is not letting you go, you cannot run far enough. She has you corner on this chessboard, what is your move?

Be with her and she will make your life heaven. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, she won't force you. She just needs you around like her body needs oxygen to stay alive. She will provide you with anything you dream of, she will use her powers to shield you. Even in the worst case scenario where whe she is stripped of her inquisitor powers, she will find a way somehow to make sure no harm befalls you.

Aglaya is very direct. She doesn't lie, but... she has a tendency to conceal the truth. Would you count that as her lying? She doesn't.

But if you call her out on it, she doesn't deny it. If you ask if she's the one who behind why your world is suddenly falling apart, why no one dares look you in the eyes anymore. She will admit it with zero shame.

She doesn't try to paint herself in a tender soft light like Victor, nor does she keep her innermost desires in her brain and only show you gentleness like Yulia.

Aglaya is a constant, she doesn't falter. You can slow her down but never stop her. It's simply a matter of time before she wins.

And really... her feelings are sincere. The way she openly admits her awe when it comes to your mind and heart, the flirtatious poems that smoothly slide off her tongue in an almost jarring scene from the usual icey lips of the steel inquisitor.

She refuses to involve you in her work, they're bad people and will only try to take advantage of you. Everything you are will be broken down then stiched together to fit their views.

But she lets you fly freely instead of caging you in. It is your freedom she fell in love with after all. All those extreme measures before were just so you'd agree to her proposal, after getting together, Aglaya is more than content and never clingy.

She only asks to see you once a day. The rest is up to you. They are all just dolls in the end. She doesn't even consider them human enough for her to be jealous over.

Aglaya is used to getting results and finding solutions to impossible problems. Why would she ever do something which might harm you or scare you away? that is counterproductive and won't result in you falling in love with her.

Instead, she offers to compromise. You can live your life, have all your friends, and do whatever your heart may desire. As long as she stays a constant in that life, write her letters back and tell her about your days. She genuinely enjoys taking a peak at your mind.

Aglaya is very charming when she wants to. She knows how to read people like the back of her hand. It's easy to figure out what motivates you and what you're attracted to. It's easier for her to dapt those traits and watch you subconsciously seeking her company more. She knows what makes you tick and how to sweep you off your feet.

[laprincesaelena]

EOA Ship Appreciation Week Day 5: Meeting/Farewell

a/n: hi guys! thank you all so much for the positive feedback on my day 4 poem, i’m so glad everyone liked it!! as i said, i know every ship wasn’t included, i ended up having enough time to only do the ones that were requested! but, i’d definitely consider making a part 2, so if your ship wasn’t included this time, it may be another time..

anyways, on to day 5! you may notice i included both prompts here instead of just one..you’ll find out why ;) this story is inspired by an au @procrastinateland (s/o for the beautiful art once again!!!) i came up with together, based on the sound of music! but, this fic in particular doesn’t have much to do with the musical you probably know. my obsession besides elena this summer was researching the lives of the real von trapps who inspired the movie and musical, and through it, i found the adorable love story of the parents of the seven children (georg and agathe, maria wasn’t in the picture yet!) that i knew would be so sweet for gabelena. so that’s what this fic is inspired by! quick historical note, the events that this fic portrays happened in real life in 1910 and 1922, but the years have been switched to 1912 and 1930 for the au, since we decided to place our au closer to the movie’s timeline than the real story. also hi please talk to me about the von trapps i’ve been driving my gf crazy with my useless knowledge lmaooo

and that’s about it! hope you all enjoy this, and let me know what you think!

fic is below the cut!

February 10th, 1912

Lieutenant Gabriel Núñez was amazed as he entered the venue of tonight's celebratory ball, Villa Castillo. He had never been inside a home so grand before, he almost felt as if he didn't deserve to be there. But, regardless, he was invited to attend, along with all of his friends from the navy. He couldn't wait to get away from the structure and seriousness of the military for a night, and to just have fun.

This was the first ball Gabe had been invited to since he became a lieutenant, or ever for that matter, and he was loving it. It was hosted by the Castillo Flores family, a rich family whose inventions had earned them quite the fortune over the past century. As more guests began to make their arrivals, Gabe and his friends hung around together, mingling with other guests or testing out a drink or two. Then, the ball was to officially begin with a musical performance by the hosts.

Now, Gabe wasn't much of a believer of love at first sight, but with one glance, his mind was instantly changed. Standing beside her mother and grandparents, ready to perform their opening song, stood the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and Gabe knew he was in love. Sure, he knew he had no chance with her, as he was just a lieutenant from a humble family of bakers. She was the daughter of a rich family, and most likely the heir to their fortunes. But, there was no harm in trying, right? He knew that at some point tonight, he just had to talk to this beautiful girl.

Elena Castillo Flores, however, was different. She wholeheartedly believed in chance of falling in love at first sight, but she never thought it would happen to her. She had grown up around these balls, her family had been hosting them for as long as she could remember. And being 17, she had met plenty of men who hoped to marry into her family's fortune, but none of them seemed quite right. That was, until she was about to perform with her family.

She looked out into the crowd, and caught the eye of a handsome naval officer. She smiled softly in his direction, but didn't have time to do anything else, before she picked up her guitar, and began to perform alongside her mother and grandparents.

Gabe couldn't help but keep his eye on this girl the entire time she performed. She was a beautiful singer and guitarist, and Gabe loved hearing every word she sang, and each note she strummed. Before he could snap out of his romantic trance, the performance had ended. Gabe looked up to the stage to see if he could approach the girl, but she her family had left the stage, and were out of sight. So, it was back to just talking with his friends for now. Maybe a good laugh or two could keep his mind off of this girl. In between their backgrounds and the chances that she would choose him out of many much more qualified suitors, Gabe had a feeling this crush was bound to end in disappointment. 

Eventually, Gabe stepped away to go and get his mind off things, but as he was walking, he accidentally bumped into someone. He was about to apologize, but when the person he had bumped into turned to look at him, he realized who he had bumped into: the host's daughter.

Finding his voice again, he said, "I-I'm so sorry for bumping into you, I should have been watching where I was going."

Every once in a while, as she sang and played her guitar, Elena would look out at the man she had seen earlier. He was quite handsome, and she couldn't help but notice the way he smiled at her. But, once the performance was over, she wasn't going to go looking for him. She knew it'd probably be hard to find him in such a big group. Besides, he was probably going to turn out to be like any other man she'd met, and would only take interest in the prospect of inheriting her family's money. So, she carried on with her night, accepting that she'd probably never see him again. That was, until someone bumped into her. When she looked at the person she bumped into, she couldn't help but freeze, it was the lieutenant she had seen earlier. He was the one to speak first, which snapped her back into reality.

“Oh no, no, it's okay! You're fine!" she assured him.

"Oh, alright" Gabe said. He mentally hit himself for not saying more than he did, but whenever he looked at her, he was at a loss for words. He could at least introduce himself, he thought, but every time he did, the words would be at the edge of his tongue, and he'd end up saying nothing. But, he was determined not to blow the only chance he'd ever have with her, so, he gathered up his courage to speak to her once again.

Elena too, would be so, so close to saying something, even just introducing herself, but before the words could come out, she'd freeze. She so desperately wanted to get to know him better, and she knew the only way to do so was to just say something. But, luckily for her, he said something first.

"This has been a wonderful ball so far." Gabe finally said.

"Oh, well, thank you.." Elena replied with a smile. "I'm glad you're enjoying it so far."

"I am" Gabe said, returning the smile. Finally, he decided, he was actually going to introduce himself. "I'm Lieutenant Gabriel Núñez," he said. "but you can call me Gabe."

Elena quietly sighed with relief, she was glad he introduced himself first, it gave her the confidence to do the same. "I'm Elena Castillo Flores," she introduced. "but you can just call me Elena."

"It's very nice to meet you, miss Elena," Gabe replied, with a bow of his head to her.

"It's very nice to meet you too, lieutenant," Elena responded. "Oh, I mean Gabe, it's nice to meet you too, Gabe." she added, and shook her head at herself. Hopefully she didn't blow her chance with him right then and there.

Gabe smiled and laughed softly, he couldn't help but fall deeper in love with the girl the longer he talked to her. He had managed to find her, talk to her, and introduce himself, but there was one more step with her he wanted to take.

"I hope this isn't too soon, but would you like to dance?" he asked.

Elena's face now lit up with a smile, it most certainly wasn't too soon, she was so excited he asked her to dance with him! She nodded, and held out her hand to him. "I would love to dance," she said.

Gabe took her hand with a smile, and lead her to the center of the ballroom. With one of his hands tightly in the grasp of hers, his other hand wrapped around her waist, the two began their first dance.

As the pair glided effortlessly across the floor, Elena still couldn't believe that this was happening. How did she ever get so lucky? But, she also knew that there was a possibility that he might have happened to only attend this ball, and she may never see him again. She truly hoped this wasn't the case, she wanted to get to know him better and spend more time with him, because she knew for a fact she was falling in love.

Gabe could barely believe this was happening either. This beautiful girl had really said agreed to dance with him, and now they were actually dancing? Gabe truly hoped that he wasn't dreaming, for he never wanted to wake up. He wanted this dance to last forever, so he would never have to say goodbye to Elena, and go back to living his life without her in it. There was hardly a chance he would see her again after the ball ended, but he kept a glimmer of hope that tonight was not their final encounter.

Elena wasn't paying attention to anything else around her, for all that mattered to her now was that she was actually dancing with Gabe! She planned to dance with him for the entire night, if it meant she'd be able to spend as much time as possible with him. She knew that once the ball ended, there was a high possibility of her never seeing him again. So, she was going to make sure to spend as much time with him as she possibly could, while she had the opportunity.

After a couple of hours of guests talking, eating, drinking, and dancing the night away, the ballroom began to empty out a bit. Elena brought Gabe outside to a balcony, so she'd be able to talk with him and get to know him better without any sort of distraction.

"So, being a lieutenant, I'm assuming you're in the military, the... navy, correct?" she asked him, to start some conversation.

"Yes," Gabe answered. "I joined as soon as I was able, I've always wanted to be a part of the navy. My parents, especially my father, aren't too happy I chose this path instead of joining their baking business, but this is what I really wanted to do."

"Oh, your parents have a baking business?" Elena asked him. "Not too much of a baker, are you?" she joked.

"No," Gabe replied. "and I'm not much of an olaball player either, to the dismay of my father."

"It certainly seems as if your father isn't too thrilled with your life choices... but do you love what you do?" Elena asked.

"Yes, I do." Gabe responded with a smile. "Besides, if I hadn't made the decision to go against his wishes and join the navy, I probably wouldn't be talking to you right now."

Elena smiled as she felt her cheeks warm up at his sweet response. She was so, so glad that Gabe decided to follow his own path in life instead of listening to his father, because if he didn't, they may have never met.

"Well, I guess you're right," she said. "and I'm glad that you're doing something that you love, that's what should really matter."

Gabe nodded in agreement. "What's your family like?" he asked.

"Well, there's me, my mother, my younger sister, my grandparents," Elena answered. "we're all pretty close, and we love to make music together."

"I can tell, you and your family sounded amazing tonight," Gabe said. "and not to be biased, but I think I liked your singing the most."

Elena smiled, and put a hand to her cheek, she was definitely blushing now. "Thank you," she said. "but I wouldn't say I'm the best of them, they're all very talented.."

"I would," Gabe responded, and reached down to take her hand in his own.

"Well, thank you.." Elena replied, holding Gabe's hand tightly back. "and I may be biased, but I'd say you're my favorite lieutenant, because I totally know all the others." she said.

Elena laughed nervously for a moment after that attempt at flirting. 'what was that, Elena?' she asked herself.

"Thank you," Gabe said with a smile.

"You're welcome," Elena responded, a similar smile never leaving her face.

"So, what do you like to do other than make music?" Gabe asked her.

"I love just getting out with my family most times, of course. We'll go on hikes, go sailing, go to one of our vacation homes or visit someone else in our family's home, we're always somewhere or doing something." Elena told him. "How about you?" she asked.

"I like fencing," Gabe replied. "We sometimes have competitions between my friends and I, and not to brag, but I usually win."

"I'm sure you do," Elena responded, definitely believing him. "and I'd love to learn to fence sometime, it actually looks pretty fun!"

"Well, I'd be happy to teach you," Gabe offered. "I'm sure it'd be considered "unladylike," but if it was just us, it wouldn't really matter."

"What my mother and grandparents don't know won't kill them," Elena replied with a wink. "I'd love for you to teach me sometime!"

"I'd be more than happy to teach you," Gabe responded.

"And hopefully you can sometime," Elena said, before sighing as she remembered the reason why she was so hesitant to find him in the first place. The chances of the two reuniting were slim to none. "I hope we see each other again..."

"Me too..." Gabe replied, looking down with a sigh as well. "Maybe we could write to each other? To keep in contact?" he suggested.

"I'd love that." Elena said, smiling once again at the thought of it. "We definitely should."

Gabe smiled. "Alright," he said. "I'll give you my address."

"And I'll give you mine as well, which is right here, but I'll still write it down so you'll always have it" Elena said.

"Thank you," Gabe replied. "I look forward to writing to you, and seeing you again, Miss Elena."

"And I look forward to writing and seeing you again as well, Lieutenant Núñez." Elena responded with a smile.

Gabe laughed a bit and rolled his eyes, but still smiled. "Please, you can just call me Gabe," he said.

"And you can just call me Elena," Elena insisted. "No 'miss' necessary"

"Alright then, Elena it is." Gabe said, smiling over at her.

"And Gabe it is." Elena replied, sharing the same, loving smile.

At that moment, the both of them knew that they had met the love of their life. Though they'd have a difficult road ahead, in between having to communicate with letters for a while or with Gabe often traveling with the navy, they were determined to make it work. Gabe was not going to let his beautiful Elena go, and Elena knew that tonight she had met the man she was going to marry. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together, no matter what.

September 3rd, 1930

On Christmas night of 1929, Gabe and Elena's oldest daughter began to feel unwell. It was simply strep throat, they were told, she should recover in a matter of days. But, by the time eleven year old Catalina had recovered, five of her seven siblings had fallen ill as well. The sudden illness turned out not to be a simple case of strep throat, but the highly contagious scarlet fever, which was currently spreading through the city.

Of course, Elena was always there to care for her children, even if she was risking contracting the illness herself. For the next few weeks, she was constantly visiting her children and checking in on them, while still trying to stay healthy herself. But, when her youngest daughter, Martina, who wasn't even a year old yet, came down with a severe case, Elena had no choice but to step in and care for her, twenty four-seven.

By the end of January, Elena's caring and motherly nature had led her to catching scarlet fever herself. In children, the illness tended to be fairly mild, but in adults, it could often leave behind serious side effects. Gabe knew this, and insisted that his wife take the time to rest in order to recover. But, Elena insisted that her children came first, wanting to be there for each and every one of them as they recovered.

But, even when all seven children were happy and healthy once again, Elena's symptoms had not subsided. Now, she could rest and recover with a sound mind, knowing that her children would be alright without her for a couple of days. Those couple of days turned into weeks, those weeks into months, and by the end of August, Elena still had a long road to recovery. She was now bound to a wheelchair, she would have to learn to walk all over again due to the toll the illness had taken on her body. She still tried to spend as much time as possible with her children, and be the happy, loving, and healthy mamí they had always known. But, deep down, she knew if scarlet fever had already taken so much from her, it could continue to do so.

Over the next week, Elena's condition quickly deteriorated, and it seemed as if only a miracle could heal her. Gabe had visited his wife each and every day for the duration of her sickness, but for the past day or two, he hadn't left her side at all. He knew that at any time, her condition could take a turn for the absolute worst, and he didn't want to take the chance of not having a chance to say goodbye. While Gabe tried his best to stay somewhat positive, and hope that his wife would miraculously recover, he knew Elena's time left was short.

Gabe's eyes were heavy as he sat at his wife's bedside, having stayed awake the entire night with her. He held Elena's hand tightly in his, even though Elena barely had the strength left to hold his. It broke his heart to see his wife in this condition, he would do absolutely anything to bring back the bright light of his life that was Elena.

Gabe's heart would sink as he noticed his wife's breathing become labored. He had been mentally preparing himself for the worst, just in case, but he knew that no matter how much he had prepared, he would never be ready if that moment arrived. He felt the slightest bit of relief when he noticed Elena slowly turn her head to look over at him, using all of her strength to do so.

"Elena.." he began to say, even saying her name brought tears to his eyes. But before he could say anything else, his wife managed to speak up.

"Gabe.." she said, her voice in a whisper. "Please..tell our children how much I love them.."

"Elena, no..no, don't talk like that.." Gabe said to her. Though he was trying to preserve his wife's positivity, he was also in denial about all this.

"Tell each and every one of them..each and every day..how much I love them.." Elena said. "And that I'll always be with them.."

Gabe held Elena's hand tight as he fought to hold back his tears, but even then, a tear or two would manage to fall down his cheek. He looked over at his wife, he still thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world, even with a scarlet red rash covering her cheeks, and her hair sticking to her fevered forehead. If it were possible, he would do anything to end all of her pain and suffering, but he knew that at this point, there was only one option for that.

Trying to clear his mind of these thoughts, Gabe nodded. "Of course I will.. I promise.." he said.

Elena smiled as best as she could, but to Gabe, it was the brightest smile he had seen out of her in a while. "Thank you.." she said. "A-and I love you..so, so much.."

"I love you too.." Gabe replied, and leaned down to kiss his wife. Thankfully, Elena was no longer contagious, but even if she was, Gabe would take that chance if it meant kissing his beloved Elena one last time.

Then, it looked as if Elena were about to speak, but she was unable to get any word out. Finally, a moment later, she managed to say, "And.."

Gabe patiently waited as his wife struggled to say a second word. He would wait for as long as it took her, he'd take any opportunity to hear the voice he loved so much.

"I'm..a-always.." Elena said, now needing to take multiple labored breaths between each word. Though it was a struggle, Elena managed to complete her sentence.

"I'm always with you.."

A moment later, after months and months of fighting to recover, Elena's body gave in, and her eyes slowly closed.

Gabe could feel his wife's grip on his hand loosen, and his heart immediately dropped. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't lose her.

"Elena? Elena! Elena, no! Mi amor, please!" Gabe desperately cried, hoping that his wife's beautiful brown eyes would open again. But no matter how many times he called her name, they remained peacefully closed, as her body grew paler.

Now, Gabe's denial began to truly set in. He lightly shook her, he held her hand tight, he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, all in an effort to wake her, even though deep down, he knew that his efforts were in vain. Finally, it all became too much for him, and Gabe just broke down. he couldn't picture his life without Elena, he never thought everything would end this way.

He thought of his wife, she had so much more to live for. she was a loving wife, a caring mother, his best friend. Then he pictured their seven children, who would now be growing up without their mother. He thought of their identical twins, though they were already quite different, they shared a similarity, devotion to their family. Catalina and Carolina absolutely adored their mother, and looked up to her, along with being her best friends. He thought of Luis, their oldest son, he was a mamí's boy. He loved cuddling up with his mother and listen to her play guitar, he wanted to learn from her one day. He thought of their youngest son, Marcelo, their bundle of energy, who sometimes even Elena couldn't keep up with. He thought of Luciana and Adelina, aged only five and two, who would be too little to understand why their mamí had suddenly disappeared. And finally, he thought of Martina, their baby girl who would grow up without a mother. She would never get know her mamí, or even remember her. In fact, he didn't know if any of their younger children would be able to remember their mother.

Gabe found himself growing a bit dizzy, since this all seemed like he was living a nightmare. His hands shook as he held Elena's tightly in his own, and his vision was blurred from his tears.

As his final moments with Elena played over and over in his head, he was reminded of his wife's dying wish. To remind each and every one of their children each and every day how much their mamí loves them. If Elena could see him now, she'd hate to see him this distraught. She'd encourage him to keep his head up and stay strong, but how could he ever move on in life without his Elena? His children. He knew he needed to stay strong and carry on for them. Though, of course, carrying on could take weeks, months, or even years, Elena would want him to be happy. But most of all, she'd want her children to be happy and loved as well.

So, then and there, Gabe dedicated himself to fulfilling Elena's wish. For the rest of his life, he would make sure his children are happy, healthy, and loved, just as Elena would do. Though it would be difficult to carry on without her, the Núñez Castillos still had each other, and that's what matters most.