#merengue floats

[sodapop--stims]

Pusheen Pool Party Merengues

source

Please credit if you use my gifs!

[sysig]

Some more Just Desserts pets, and thinking about Candy Mers again (Patreon)

Also ft. the pigeon study I did, what a cute bird!

[drewtanakagf]

HOLE THEORY (part 1/2)

☆ @rrversesummerbang gift exchange fic for @buoyantsaturn

It’s summer in some metropolis and Mythomaniac is looking for a guitarist.

Teen & Up Audiences, Band AU. Words: 4,281

Excerpt Under Read More!

“We need a guitarist,” Nico says from where he is on the worn couch. He pushes back his hair pulling the top part into a tiny ponytail. The couch used to be bright red, once. Will’s next to him, focused on his medical textbook. Hazel and Frank are also over for what should be a chill afternoon. 

“Lots of people are staying around campus,” Hazel replies. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find someone who wants to play.”

Will’s garage door is rolled up all the way, exposing the four to the street. He lives with his mother on the outskirts of the city; not quite the suburbs but quiet enough to think so. It’s still loud, with the houses so squished together; conversations from two doors down waft through the air, crystal clear. Someone plays an aria at the highest volume, competing with the brass of the merengue floating down the street. People walk up and down the cracked pavement of the road and sidewalks; hanging out at house gates, leaning into open car windows as the day begins to wind down. Summer has begun to settle in, the heat batted away by frequent cooling breezes of spring. The trees are strong and green, the flowers and houseplants re-appearing on porches painting the world alive with color. 

The driveway leading up to the garage itself is short, but private enough for pedestrians to not see inside with a single wayward glance. The garage itself is dark, lights either turned off or permanently out of commission.

Hazel’s laying belly-down on the smooth concrete, humming along to the merengue and doodling on paper with a black chisel marker. Frank sits on the icebox by the door leading to the kitchen, feet swinging a few feet off the concrete, bobbing his head along to the music bleeding from his Walkman’s headphones. He’s holding a bag of ice over his wrist, brace lying next to him. Wires are strewn across the floor, leading to amps and pedal boards. A drum set takes up most of the space, the kickdrum’s face clear. Nico’s bass is at home in its case, though one of the two stands are available, the other one taken up by Hazel’s electric guitar.

“She’s right,” Will adds from his place on the ratty fabric couch, closing the textbook. Nico takes the opportunity to rest his head on Will’s lap, looking up only to see Will’s chin and the scrub of stubble left after he shaved this morning. “Austin definitely knows someone in the music program looking for some summer practice.”

“I do too,” Hazel says, capping the marker in her hand. “But we can always post these around for more reach.” She pushes herself up, brushing off the dirt on her plain purple t-shirt and worn, ripped jeans. She taps Frank on the thigh twice, gently. 

He takes off his headphones, resting them against the back of his neck where his hair curls. “Are we leaving?”

“Yeah,” She holds up the paper in her hand. “Gotta get these printed.”

Frank nods, placing down the bag of ice and putting his brace back on before stepping off his temporary seat. He dwarfs Hazel, the younger girl taking the bag from him and putting it back in the icebox.

“See y’all later!” With that, Hazel and Frank walk onto the street, Frank slinging a protective arm over Hazel’s shoulder.

Nico and Will sit in silence for a minute. Nico absentmindedly fingers a bass line in the air.

“When do finals end?”

“Next week, why?” Will answers. 

“Just wondering”

Will hums.

[under-the-cherrytree]

hola hermosa 😻

could i request a one shot with my two boys with a supernatura! s/o who loves to dance to spanish music (salsa, merengue, reggaeton, etc) BUT when they were alive, their friends didn't know how to so they rarely danced with anyone- so now they taught banakos and kou how to dance? srry if it's confusing LMAO

love ya <333

Hanako and Kou with a supernatural s/o who loves to dance to Spanish music❣︎

Warnings: none

A/n: WASSUP BESTIE

Ah its been a while- i been busy-

Also I don’t really dance so I’m trying my best when writing this, I’m use to ballroom dancing because my soul belongs in a castle-

I swear I was born in the wrong timeline.

Anywho! I hope you enjoy this and have a great day or night!

The ghost sighed as he laid on his back in the air, floating down the halls. He was extremely bored and had nothing to do. He was kicked out of Yashiros class after she yelled at him for disturbing her and Kou was in the middle of a test. He groaned as he softly set his feet to the ground, now walking down the hallway. 

If people could see him, he would look like any normal student ditching class. But unfortunately, he was not seen to the naked eye. 

He made his way up the stairs to the rooftop, wondering if he could find something to do up there. He stopped when he heard the music, soon recognizing the music was in a different language. The music was in Spanish and it was obviously dancing music. He peeked through the door, seeing your figure dancing to the music. 

Hanako smiled seeing you dance, finding the rhythm of your body enchanting. He continued to watch you as you moved to the beat, smiling softly as you did so.

He soon walked out of his hiding place, making himself visible to you. 

“Hanako? What are you doing here?” You turned to him, slightly embarrassed. 

“Just wanting my darling dance~ what's wrong? Did I startle you~?” He teased and floated to you. “Dancing is always better with a partner, I can help with that~” 

He takes your hands in his, a teasing grin on his face. 

“Do you even know how to dance like this?” You scoffed, causing him to give you a confusing look. 

“Well I mean- I have two feet so how hard can dancing be?” He asked you and you laughed at him. 

“Dancing is a lot harder than it looks, Hanako. Here let me teach you!” You place one of his hands on your hip and the other in your hand. You stepped in front of him, your body inches away from each other. 

“Now move your leg back…” you instructed as you stepped forward and he stepped back as well. 

“Now, I’m going to move my foot back and you are going to move your foot where i stepped” You told him and moved your foot back and he moved his foot forward. 

“Now move your hips with the beat!” You shook your body to the rhythm, smiling proudly. 

Hanako made soft movements with his body, trying to get the beat. He stared at his feet, not wanting to mess up. After a while he started to get the hang of it, smiling as he looked into your eyes. 

You two moved to the beat, your body rhythm matching each other’s perfectly. You two smiled as you danced with each other, feeling happy as you two moved with each other perfectly. 

Soon the song stopped and you two looked at each other with pink cheeks and a smile across your faces. 

“Thank you for teaching me how to dance…” He took your hand and kissed the back of it “You are a wonderful teacher~” 

Kou rushed down the halls, a bag in his hands. He looked around for you, determined to find you. His bag was full of sweets for you, excited to have you try his baking. When he finally found you, he couldn’t help but smile in excitement. You were sitting in front of a window, looking outside. 

“Y/n!!” He called for you and you turned to him. 

“Kou!” You stood up and walked towards him and he engulfed you in a hug. 

“I have a surprise for you!” He took your hand in his and started to drag you down the halls. 

“For me-?” You looked at him, not expecting this. 

“Yes for you!!” He looked at you. “I really hope you like it!” You felt your cheeks turn pink thinking about what this surprise could be. He took you outside and prepared a small picnic for you. You looked at him with awe, your heart beating out of your chest by the kind jester. 

“I made these for you… I really hope you enjoy them!!” He handed you a bag and you opened it to see your favorite sweets inside. 

“Kou!!” You smiled “Thank you!!” You kissed his cheeks, causing him to turn red.

“You’re welcome…” His face turned red as he sat down on the blanket.

You two ate the sweets, enjoying every moment you two were together. You played music and soon a song to dance too came on.  

“Do you know how to dance?!” You looked excited when you heard the song come on. 

“Oh- uh.. No I don’t..!” He smiled nervously. When he saw you frown and your mood went down a bit, he frowned as well “But I can try..!” 

When he saw you smile again he couldn't help but do the same. He wanted to make you as happy as he could. 

“Okay!!” You stood up and took his hands in yours. He blushed nervously as you gave him a reassuring smile. 

“Don’t be nervous!!” You looked down at his feet “Step back and I will step forward…” You instructed and Kou did as he was told. You stepped forward and then soon stepped back. 

“Now you step back..” You told him and he did as he was told. 

Kou paid special attention to his feet movement, not wanting to mess up in any way. He did not want to step on your foot. 

“Relax a bit…” You whispered to him “You are very tense…”

“S-sorry…!” He apologized. 

“It’s okay, just move to the music~” You swayed your body to the music. You felt him relax slightly, slowly moving his body as well. As he started to get use to it, taking his eyes off his feet and onto yours instead. 

“I never danced like this when I was alive, you know…” You smiled “I’m glad I can dance with you like this, Kou”

He felt his heart swell hearing you say this, happy he would dance with you like this as well.

“Of course… I’m glad I could be your dancing partner..”

Tagging~ @hanako-san @bladethrowsshade @sleepless-simp

[naturecoaster]

Celebrate Our Differences and Commonalities at the Multicultural Parade and Festival October 7

Multiculturalism is the presence of, or support for the presence of, several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary. While Hernando County is pretty homogeneous in race, with over three-fourths of its population defined as white, 14% Hispanic, and just under 10% African American. Still, within these broad definitions, we have several distinct cultures, including Greek, Italian, Celtic, Puerto Rican, Columbian, Mexican, and more – all with value to contribute. Last year, Brooksville Main Street and the Hernando Hispanic Heritage nonprofits worked together to bring the first Multicultural Parade and Festival to Hernando County, celebrating that “we are multicultural but one community.” Over 4,000 people came out to celebrate our unique and collaborative sides. A parade was held, with many ethnic groups marching, pulling floats, playing music, and sharing the beauty of their heritage with others in this quaint, historic downtown. After the parade, festivalgoers gathered at Hernando Park and enjoyed the newest round of murals being displayed by their artists. There were food vendors offering a wide variety of distinct cuisines, and live music on the stage of the Brooksville Bandshell. Celebrate at the Multicultural Parade and Festival October 7 This year, you can kick off Founders’ Week on Saturday, October 7 by attending the second annual Multicultural Parade and Festival, a collaboration between Brooksville Main Street and the Hernando Hispanic Heritage organizations! This year’s Multicultural Parade and Festival is larger and broader than its predecessor, offering food, art, and entertainment from different cultures from around the world for all. This fun and joyful event combines a parade from Hernando High School to the Brooksville City Hall along Howell Avenue, starting at 11 a.m., with live music and a festival celebrating the many cultures of people living in Hernando County, as well as the unveiling of the newest round of murals, “Dreamscapes” and meet the artists who create them in Hernando Park. Here's a quick glimpse into the vibrant spirit permeating this one-day event. https://youtu.be/QrayQjLf_-s?si=MHIc5VcSRbY_Bm3n There will be food vendors in the park and food trucks outside the park, offering quite a variety of international food options, including, Mo'Rockin Mediterranean, Spice Corner Indian, Primos Spanish, Chinese, French, and American offerings such as seafood, Philly cheesesteaks, sausage and peppers, southern BBQ, and Smokin’ Oak wood-fired pizza. Live Music from Around the World Live African, Celtic, Latin and Stir Up the Gift musicians and singers will be performing. Image from Depositphotos. Music has often been described as the language that unites us. The Multicultural Parade and Festival features several world music sounds performed live by talented musicians. Bring your lawn chairs down to Hernando Park, sit under the trees, and enjoy sounds that make you want to “boogie down.” Keemba on da Drums creates rhythmic grooves with an African foundation, Celtic Conundrum is a trio creating Celtic tunes to dance and sing to, Point 6 is Tampa’s finest Latino and Salsa band, and Stir up the Gift local talent agency will be providing live music throughout the festival on the Brooksville Bandshell stage. Celtic Conundrum is a group of three that not only love hearing each other play and share harmonies; they enjoy each other's company, and it very much comes across on stage. All three bandmates (Gene Martinelli, Brian Seachrist, and Pamela Jo Hatley) have shared a love for music their entire lives. Their talent and passion can be heard in their music, so come on down and witness it for yourself. Point 6, known as "Tampa's Finest Latin Ensemble" will be bringing the best Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Latin rhythm to Hernando Park. Plan to dance and move. Alex Bounds, a local artist from Brandon is one of the mobile muralists who will be onsite. Image courtesy of Brooksville Main Street. Meet the Fall 2023 Mobile Mural Project Artists Alex Bounds, aka iiigod, has been a multimedia artist his whole life, working in digital, music, photography, and modeling. He is based in Bradenton, Florida, and you can check out his work on Instagram or at Gallery 201 at City Hall, where he currently has a collection of portraits on display in the I - Identity exhibit. Meanwhile, you can meet Alex and see his vision for the Dreamscapes mural to life at the Multicultural Festival. Joan Manuel Casadiego is another Dreamscapes muralist who will be at the Festival. You may know him by his nickname, “Johan." Joan was born in Venezuela and has been in the US for over 22 years. One of Joan Manuel Casadiego's art pieces. Image courtesy of Brooksville Main Street. "Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved art in general. I usually look for new ways to communicate with the viewers, through different styles or elements. I try not to limit myself to only one medium to express my thoughts. My mind is always working and associating shapes on everything I see. This also helps me get more sensitive to the richness of lights and shadows around me. I’m constantly noticing elements that give me ideas to create new compositions," Joan (Johan) says. Lorena Greer, an artist who was born and raised in Colombia has been based in Florida for four years and is developing her career as a fine artist. Lorena has always been interested in vibrant and colorful paintings that highlight and explore female and natural beauty. What will Joan and Lorna create for their Dreamscapes murals? Find out on October 7 in Hernando Park. The Multicultural Festival Celebrates Culture Who doesn’t love a parade? This short, colorful, lively parade starts at 11 a.m. and is followed by the Festival in Hernando Park. Bring your family down to Brooksville and enjoy the variety of food, drink, art, and music offered. Artisan vendors will have unique items to shop and buy. Sample several of the ethnic cuisines offered at the Festival. There will be kids' activities and free face painting, as well as food trucks and vendors. See the newest Mobile Murals with a Dreamscapes theme, and meet their creators. Bring your own chairs and enjoy a picnic with your neighbors and friends and help to celebrate the value of bringing our differences together for the greater good at the Second Annual Multicultural Parade and Festival in Brooksville on October 7, 2023. Read the full article

[ziplineadventuresblog]

Saona Island Tour - Experience the Beauty of the Caribbean on a Dominican Republic Island

If you're interested in experiencing the wonders of the Caribbean, you might want to take a Saona island tour. This Dominican Republic island is home to Cotubanama National Park, where you can find 4 ecosystems. In addition to the sandy shores, this island offers visitors the chance to see a variety of exotic birds and sea creatures. Here, you'll find the best of both worlds - the beauty of the Caribbean and the tranquility of a Caribbean island.

One of the most popular excursions in the Dominican Republic is the Saona Island tour, which picks up guests from their hotel or larger bus in Bayahibe. Depending on the company you choose, you'll have the opportunity to explore the island by either Catamaran or speed boat. Either way, the experience is a memorable day on the water. While the Saona Island tour is a great way to see the island's beauty, it's better for those seeking fun rather than relaxation.�� Get more info about Saona Island tour.

On the Saona Island tour, you'll see why it's so popular. A catamaran cruise will take you to the island's idyllic setting, where you can soak in the turquoise water and float on the ocean floor. You'll also be able to swim in a natural pool, enjoy live music, and sample authentic Dominican cuisine. Saona Island tour includes a buffet lunch and an open bar.

Another popular option is the snorkeling excursion. Snorkeling on this tour will allow you to see a variety of sea creatures, including the rare hawksbill turtles and the majestic manatees. A trip to the Blue Lagoon is not complete without a stop for starfish viewing. Remember to bring a swimsuit, sun protection cream, and a camera for photos. Take medication if you suffer from sea sickness.

The most popular Dominican Republic excursion is the Saona Island tour. You'll enjoy a relaxing catamaran cruise, speedboat rides, and swimming on this stunning island. Afterwards, you'll get to enjoy a buffet lunch and merengue dancing at an island bar. While you're on the island, you'll also be treated to a tropical drink. You'll feel completely rejuvenated after the tour, and will want to return.

The perfect excursion to Saona will include an eco-friendly tour through the Cotubanama National Park. You'll see the mangroves, bird sanctuaries, and the renowned Catuano channel. Then, head back to the shore and visit the second natural pool, if you're feeling adventurous. Regardless of whether you opt for the traditional Saona island tour or the VIP option, you'll be glad you did.

You can get more enlightened on this topic by reading here: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure.

[abittersweetsongforyou]

wtfock fic recs part 1

okay so some points

im sorry about the spacing but i cant be bothered to fix it, im sorry if i missed anything and i hope this was helpful

the classics (v popular, many kudos)

I Didn't Want To Share My Boyfriend Anymore by teen_content_queen So He's Happy by Masterless rescue my heart by themoongirl go and hold that lightning by themoongirl i've learned to lose you (can't afford to) by petitepeach and my love life waits by petitepeach Truth by MsAshlyjudd8 Carry You by clarecas Are You Jealous Or Are You Sulking? by teen_content_queen Sick Day by teen_content_queen can i try again? by lamourestout Floating in a most peculiar way by skamsnake rotten work by aholynight run and score by aurorawinds

Unattainable by sincerelysobbe

canon divergence/missing scenes/fix-its

woensdag 21:21 (redux) by eliottamoureux - the post first kiss that sander deserved living life and loving boys by TheGlassesPredicament - post hate crime, milan and our boys :( but :) all we can do is keep breathing by aletterinthenameofsanity - sander is homeless explanation Bringing A Boy Home by ForeverInIdle - Sander takes Robbe to meet his mother watch myself watchin' you by vitane - robbes crush on sander developing during the beach trip hey wolf, there's lions in here (hey wold, just see there's no fear) by tokyometropolis(mesohorany) - sanders perspective of ohn Rebel Rebel by skamsnake - sanders perspective on trying to get robbe to fall in love with him on the beach trip In which Sander and Robbe emigrate from Robbe's bedroom by orphan_account zaterdag 22:02 by wasteourdaysdreaming - sander wants to be with robbe diminuendo by noobishere - sander at the flatshare after robbe leaves for his exam and I know what you're feeling ('cause I feel it as well) by nothingbutniall - kissing in the tunnel a warning sign by themoongirl - sanders perspective after he ran out of the hotel reunited by themoongirl - reimagined ohn you don't even know who i am by lamourestout - robbe and sander getting to know each other take these broken wings and learn to fly by ladypeaceful - the hate crime gonna build you up (gonna help you believe, honey) by ladypeaceful - robbe takes sander to meet his mama

the broers

being assholes fucking asshole. by richietrashmouthtozier - jens is a dick and robbe is tired and sad The Familiar, Foreign, or Both by TOZ1ER - robbe grew apart from the broers by then he runs into them in the supermarket oké, so? by severegas4 - moyo is a dick being mostly good friends jahsdaj by the way by TheGlassesPredicament - robbe has been dating sander and is tired of hiding it Now I'm In It by cicelsticks - sander on a broers holiday, there's only one bed, and pining Low Volume by clubstocrews23 - sander is down but robbe is there for him a teenage manual on breathing by merengue - robbe comes out to jens, this one is seriously so good Fun Get Away by Masterless - jens doesnt like sander but he's a good friend

wtFOCK - Moyo season 4 by Createdforyou - screenplay style moyo season 4 written by some lovely people and very well done, even if screenplay isn't your thing i highly suggest trying it

romcom type aus that make my heart all fuzzy

Croissants by bruisingknees - sander works at a bakery, robbe is a customer, flirting ensues its an unrequited love by eggsntoast - sander works at a museum and robbe keeps visiting The finest of the meadow by allforyoumylove - two boys meet in a meadow Coffee and Croques by peaceoutofthepieces - barista!sander and barista!eliott we love to see it

My hand around the base of your holy neck by allforyoumylove - friends with benefits and we all know how that turns out

Come closer I'll give you all my love by Createdforyou - fake dating au babyyy

Christmas Dreams by Createdforyou - they're coworkers and its christmas! tell me that doesnt scream romcom

careless in its choosing by noobishere - they meet in a club its very cute

life was a willow and it bent right to your wind by nbrook - friends to lovers and its christmas and robbes boyfriend sucks

just friends by sincerelysobbe - friends with benefits with much pining

But darling, love is passing by by Createdforyou - barista!sander i mean who doesnt love barista!sander and strangers to friends to lovers

fun and funky aus that just hit

Let's Dance by msleviss- Sander is a DJ we love to see it our camp of dreams by aurorawinds - a summer camp au Falling For You by silver_etoile - soccer au babyyyyy Seek Only Love by iwritetropesnottragedies(recklesslee) - Sander goes to Robbe's highschool Jij Verliest by sincerelysobbe - robbe is a streamer and he deserves a nice boyfriend aka sander the blood of both is my limbo by tokyometropolis(mesohorany) - robbe is an angel and sander is a demon its fucking awesome i'm slowly falling away. by fockinglevendcliche - enemies to lovers paint me in trust by themoongirl - vampire!sander that's all u need to know Pizza Time by Quirlequast - robbe cant tell if pizza deliveryboy sander is flirting with him we don't gotta be discreet by noobishere - robbe and sander fake date but theyre actually really dating, aaron is just an idiot

flower moon by cicelsticks - hogwarts au v cute

love me while your wrists are bound by alsjeblieft - siren!sander is fucking awesome this one also has under 100 kudos and thats just wrong

masterpiece by sincerelysobbe - soulmate au babyyyy

For Real by peaceoutofthepieces - fake dating at christmas time what could be better

everything all at once by whalefairyfandom - robbe is a barista and sander is his coworker britts 'asshole' ex-boyfriend

love potion no.9 by thekardemomme - hogwarts au and its amortentia day

the blind date bomb by thekardemomme - robbe and sander on a blind date and it goes very well

I See You When You Run From The Light (within your eyes) by womenstan - sander is blind and robbe is an idiot but itll be okay eventually bsadhajshd

carry me through this sleeping city by aurorawinds - imo this is some of aurorawinds best work, they're neighbours and coworkers and v cute

the sports we play by dottori - this one was very fun and cute although i only vaguely know of the foxhole court it was still very enjoyable so even if you dont know the reference read it anyway

makes me feel things i cant explain

vrijdag 21:37 by wasteourdaysdreaming - the same party from told from different perspectives (one of my all time fucking favourites fr) to build a home by aguamarina - sander has a sister and she's the sweetest thing

you know i'm always at your shoulder (take your heart out of its holster) by wafflesofdoom - this is unfinished but so so worth the read anyway especially because the chapters kind of function as one-shots

hop in the corolla by noobishere - god this fic is everything to me like them on a trip together, in love, happy, being young, fuck its so wonderful

A New Sunday Feeling by foxsake5 - they're in love and horny and v sweet

Fizzy Colas by foxsake5 - its boys night out but robbe and sander are in love

in this universe by dottori - fluff fluff fluff my little heart

Suns Set Before They Rise by writingbuzz - boyfriends waking up together

lovers never lose by dottori - this has to be one of my all time favourites, perfectly cheesy i love it sm

Taking pictures of you as the light came through by allforyoumylove - this one is steamy so be warned but so tender and sweet

My hand around the base of your holy neck by allforyoumylove - friends with benefits but they're in love and its beautiful

Pull Me from the Dark by TheOceanIsMyInkwell - wow i mean wow, they both have issues and they're still learning and trying and they love each other even though they're sad and a bit broken.

Always mine, always yours by allforyoumylove - they go to a wedding and get engaged and its romantic as fuck and im crying

one through seven by dottori - robbe and sander are in love

[pappito]

valahol belefutottunk a madártej szóba és a kölykök megkérdezték, hogy mi az. És akkor elmeséltem, hogy van az a szósz amin úszik a tojáshab és édes és finom és nagyi csinált. Mi úgy hívtuk gyerekkorunkban, hogy lébehab. De megnéztünk videókat a jutúbon és ott van valami főzőiskola ahol a szakács úr csinálja a motyót (floating island, anglaise szósz meg merengue) és aszonta, hogy és a tojásfehérjét felverjük és a habgaluskákat felgőzöljük és megy a szószba. Azóta a gyerekek egymást habgaluskának szólítják és folyton röhögnek, hogy ez milyen hülye szó. Hogy habgaluska. Tegnap lefekvés után visítvaröhögve ordítottak egymásnak egyik szobából a másikba, hogy JÓ ÉJSZAKÁT HABGALUSKA!

most csinálhatok madártejet

[blacksheep28]

The Wedding Cake

The entire town had watched Reese and Cyrus fall in love. New Hope was a small town and welcoming to those who chose to move there. When the alpacas had escaped to the town from the city Cyrus had shielded Reese. As they found their footing Reese began to really show herself. She was loud, and opinionated, and wonderfully colorful. It was easy to see why Cyrus loved her. When Cyrus proposed to Reese the entire town was in high spirits. Mayor Tortimer told everyone who would listen how he knew that the pair were made for each other. Young Merengue, a new villager, listened eagerly to the tales of love. She still didn't expect it when Reese walked into her home, and requested for Merengue to make her wedding cake.

"Me?" Merengue asked. "Are you sure? I mean, I can do it, but I'm still relatively new here."

"I've had your cupcakes," Reese said confidently. "They're fantastic. You are exactly who I want to have make the cake for our special day."

With that kind of confidence, how could she say no? Merengue agreed. When Reese left she was almost floating on air. Her first wedding cake order! She hoped she could measure up to everything that Reese expected.

Planning out the cake took a while. Merengue came up with designs with ease, but she had to judge if they were at her skill level. And for something this special she wanted to be extra sure of what she decided. She scribbled out idea after idea. Her kitchen ended up more filled with scraps of paper doodled over and with rubbed out marks on them than baked goods. She stayed up late looking up wedding cake designs and considering the color schemes.

At last she settled on a design. It was perhaps far more simple than what others could create. Merengue had considered more complex designs, but this was the one in the end she felt would be best. A blue and pink three tiered cake with frosting lovingly trimming it. Merengue carefully created swirls and waves to imprint on the frosting in a slightly darker color and measured out how large each tier would be before stacking. Preparing the actual cake would take much less time. She wanted it to be as fresh as possible for the wedding. Merengue had chosen to skip using fondue for the layering keeping her cake as fresh and tasty as possible. Her cake would be moist and soft. It did mean that decorating would be more tricky but Merengue was determined to rise to the challenge. She carefully checked all her ingredients and made sure to lay out all of her tools that she would need for the cake in the kitchen before the day arrived. The day of the wedding Merengue woke up well before dawn. It was a struggle to keep her eyes open and not trip as she headed to the kitchen. It would be so easy to just go back to bed and sleep. Merengue refused to succumb though. She had a cake to make. Reese and Cyrus would have the best wedding cake that she could bake! Everything was measured carefully. Merengue wanted to rush fears of being too late for the wedding pressing in her head. It had seemed like she'd had all the time in the world to prepare the cake, but now that the moment was here she couldn't move fast enough. Merengue tried to remind herself that she had time. She had woken up so early after all. The increasing light from outside had her twitching with the need to get the cake done faster though. Holding her hands steady was a test. The baker practically held her breath as she carefully added the trim to the cake. Spray painting the simplistic design on the sides of each cake tier had been difficult but that part was done. The cake was holding itself steady as well. There was just this final part and then she could deliver it. The trim finished. Merengue let out a deep breath. That had been hard. She dropped hard into a chair and looked around. Her meticulous kitchen was a mess from baking. Merengue had done her best to tidy up as she went but it would still need a thorough cleaning. Later, though. For now she'd take a breather, and then she had a cake to deliver. The field Reese and Cyrus had decided to hold their wedding in was decorated beautifully. An entire table groaned under all the presents stacked upon it while tables were scattered throughout the area for people to meet and chat around. A buffet style snack table had been set up with various treats for the guests. And under the flower arch Reese and Cyrus watched over everything, almost ready to take their vows. Merengue carried her cake up to the front and reverently set it up on the table near where Cyrus and Reese would sit and eat overseeing the entire celebration. "Your wedding cake. I hope you like it."

Reese gasped in delight at seeing the cake. "It's perfect!"

"Not quite," Cyrus corrected. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hand sculpted cake topper of the pair. He carefully balanced it on top of the cake. "Now it is."

Reese squealed and kissed Cyrus. The blue alpaca blushed.

"I'm glad you like it," Merengue said warmly. "I hope your wedding goes perfectly."

"We're marrying each other," Reese said. "Even if everything else is a disaster, that alone will make this the best day. But thank you for helping to make it even better." Merengue blushed at the praise. The wedding really was fantastic. Reese and Cyrus' love for each other was pure and sweet. The vows didn't take long and then the celebrations began. People ate, danced, played games, and celebrated the couple's love. The cake was devoured and declared absolutely delicious by everyone who had it. Nobody would forget the wedding for a very, very long time. And Merengue? She couldn't be happier to have played a part in it all.

[clrecrossing]

Hans and Merengue’s own conversation was as far from the argument I’d heard between Hazel and Pancetti as you could imagine. They were both just enjoying imagining the different things that friends could do together.

Hans brought up that even if friends were apart from each other they could listen to the radio at the same time and talk about that. They could even request a song from the station to listen to together. Merengue absolutely loved that idea.

We talked about building snowforts and snow castles, and drying off after with hot cocoa. Hans suggested going window shopping and looking for oddities to tell each other stories about. Merengue said they could decorate cookies together.

Just thinking about all the things friends can do together filled me with the warm fuzzies. Merengue was pretty much floating thinking about all the fun she could have. I can’t wait to do all those things with my friends.

[isotextures]

La República Dominicana, December 2019. Santo Domingo, Playa Negra Santiago de los Caballeros, Rio Limpio. A friend looking out into a warm evening. Just before a divine moment of floating in a swollen sea. A city rejoicing in song, merengue, cervesa (super frio). Shining, glowing in thin sweat, a flowing evidence of life. Images from the portal.