#I was literally just floating through life back then and I actually miss it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jahayla-parker · 4 months

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Made For : Finnick Odair x Reader

(Finnick Odair x Victor!Reader / Finnick Odair x Tribute!Reader / Finnick Odair x District4!Reader / Finnick Odair x Gf!Reader / Finnick Odair x fem!reader)

Descr: 5k wc, set to the time of What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish, Y/n finds herself questioning her worth and what she was made for when she finds herself in the same situation as her boyfriend Finnick Odair has been in since he won his games when his body began to be sold or given as gifts to those in the Capitol; Finnick seeks to help her through it. Hurt-Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Support, Healing, Etc.

Warnings: Hunger Games type warnings, mentions of Snow’s sex trafficking of victors (aka rape, but NOTHING explicit, everything post events), violence, trauma, bruising and injuries, crying, self-blame, and related. Please let me know if I missed anything!

I used to float, now I just fall down

I used to know but I'm not sure now

What I was made for

What was I made for?

Takin' a drive, I was an ideal

Looked so alive, turns out I'm not real

Just something you paid for

What was I made for?

Was this all there was? That seemed to be the case lately at least. To be fair, as a former victor, what else was there now? What was she made for outside of this? This had become not just a part of her life but her story, her identity. Was she really made for this? Could she be made for more? Would the Capitol even allow that?

These thoughts were on constant repeat in y/n’s head as she walked back to her house in the victor’s village. This was a routine occurrence as of late. So much so she actually debated if it made more sense to simply move to the Capitol rather than walking to the train and back every time she had a client to attend to. It would certainly save time and energy. But then again, her time was expendable and her energy was practically non existent by now. Besides, the train ride back to District 4 offered her solitude; something she had learned to equate to safety. The solitude that came with the train ride also provided her the chance to zone out, something she often resorted to after the events of the her visits to the Capitol. She also utilized the walk home from the train station as a way to try to compose herself before she returned to her boyfriend. Finnick knew what she was going through, far better than he should, given he was in the same position himself. But, that’s precisely why y/n wanted to make the most of the time they had together by not having to deal with the traumas imposed on them by Snow. She also needed the physical separation from the ever present carelessness and cruelty that was the literal foundation of the Capitol. Lastly, but by far the most important factor in her decision to not simply move to the Capitol, y/n wouldn’t live somewhere where Finnick wasn’t.

I'm sad again, don't tell my boyfriend

It's not what he's made for

What was I made for?

“Oh! Fin,” Y/n gasped, frantically wiping at her damp cheeks. Finnick had left a note saying he had some things to do in town, so she wasn’t expecting him home already. She hadn’t known he would be back from his errands so soon. If she had, she’d not have let herself break down this much.

Finnick frowned as he took in the state of his girlfriend. “Honey, what’s happened?” He asked, quickly making his way over to her. When she mumbled a quiet “nothing” in response, he sighed sympathetically. “Okay,” he nodded, cautiously taking y/n’s hands in his. “You don’t have to say anything honey, just know I’m here for you, okay?” He proposed, squeezing her hands as he scanned her tearful eyes.

“You’re allowed to cry,” Finnick commented lovingly when y/n seemed to whisper an apology before taking her hands back to resume drying her face.

“No,” y/n argued vaguely. She kept her eyes on the wood floor under her feet as she pulled the collar of her shirt up to dry her tears faster. He didn’t need to deal with this.

Finnick’s worried frown deepened. “Why not?”

“Because I should be used to this,” y/n answered, her tone laced with self-deprecating judgment.

Finnick’s chest caved in painfully as he came to understand what was troubling y/n. It wasn’t that he was truly surprised. While she was at the Capitol, he’d gone to the market to try to find some y/f/d for her for when she got home. It wasn’t much, but he was hoping it would help cheer her up slightly since he knew she’d unexpectedly had to leave two days in a row so far this week. He’d also been sure to tidy up and get some extra cozy blankets out of their closet for her. He had intended on being home by the time she got back, but the typical place he went to was out of y/f/d so he’d had tried to search for awhile. If he’d known y/n was already home, he’d have rushed back earlier.

As painful as it was to know what y/n was going through, and knowing he was powerless to stop it, this was almost worse. Finnick hated that she felt she had to become immune to the pain that came with having to attend to clients at the Capitol. She’d never expected him to do that, so why did she think she needed to? Finnick shook his head and took her hands in his once again, “no, you shouldn’t. This isn’t acceptable”.

Y/n mindlessly shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, if you ask Snow,” she commented, having actually done that herself not too long ago. “I.., this is what I was made for,” she concluded with a defeated sad smile.

Finnick felt his anger flare and he clenched his jaw to keep the tension in his face and not his hands that held y/n’s. “That’s such bullshi-”, he began but paused and sighed. His anger wasn’t going to help the situation, especially if there was a chance she might misinterpret it as being directed towards her. “Y/n,” he cooed in a much softer tone, “that’s not true”.

Y/n huffed lightly. She slowly lifted her gaze up from Finnick’s shoes until her eyes reached his troubled face. “Then what was I made for, Fin?” She asked timidly.

Finnick offered y/n a sad smile. He released one of her hands so he could use his now-free one to cup her cheek. “You were made to be you,” he said, his smile warmer now, “that’s all you ever have to be”.

“This is me,” y/n pointed out as she stared into Finnick’s attentive eyes.

Finnick’s brows scrunched together. “No”. He shook his head slowly. “This is something being forced upon you,” he reminded y/n delicately. “This is a chapter of your life, albeit a painful and traumatic one. But, you are not what is, or was, done to you”. When he noticed she was about to argue, he tapped her cheek tenderly. “Do you think this is who I am?” He asked, knowing full well despite them being in the same position, she was seeing herself through a much harsher lens than she would ever dare to see him.

Y/n rapidly shook her head worriedly. Of course that’s not what she meant! Seeing the way Finnick’s eyes and expression communicated the fact he already knew she didn’t see him that way calmed her. She slowly understood why he’d asked that question if he already knew her answer. He was right, it was ironic and hypocritical. But, she could see so many purposes Finnick had outside of this ordeal. The same couldn’t be said about herself.

Finnick silently gasped as he watched y/n close her eyes and begin to break down in tears. “Can I…” he trailed off, wanting to make sure he conveyed the message that it was her choice and he’d understand either way. “A-are you okay with me holding you right now?” Finnick questioned softly.

Finnick smiled faintly to himself when y/n gave him a silent nod in response. He made sure to give her enough time to change her mind if physical contact was understandably too much for her right now as he moved to he pull her to him. “Let it out love,” he encouraged, “you don’t need to keep this bottled up inside”. Finnick carefully let them to the couch, watching her to see if the action would be too triggering for her right now.

Y/n sat in silence in Finnick’s loving embrace for an unknown amount of time. Just listening to his whispered sweet nothings as she let his warm hands release her tension as he delicately rubbed her back. After a moment of contemplation, she leaned back to look up at her steadfast boyfriend. “How do you do it?” She asked quietly.

“What?” Finnick questioned, tilting his head down to see y/n more clearly.

“Live like this,” y/n explained. “I mean! I know you don’t have a choice either!” she corrected, cupping Finnick’s face apologetically. “But,” she sniffled. “You’re so much better at dealing with all of this,” y/n croaked.

Finnick pouted and sighed. That wasn’t something she should be trying to meet. He knew what she was seeking, the ability to get by without feeling the burden of all of this. But it shouldn’t be something anyone should have to seek. Much less something she should be ashamed for not having been able to do yet. “I’ve had a few extra years, honey,” Finnick reminded her solemnly.

Y/n smiled sadly and nodded minimally. “So,” she sniffled, tracing imaginary shapes on Finnick’s shirt. “I’ll get better at it?” She asked, her eyes moving up to meet his.

Finnick let out a long sigh. “I want to say no…” he admitted. “Because you shouldn’t have to. This shouldn’t be something you experience, let alone get used to.” He grit his teeth as he thought about the things he wished he could do to Snow for making y/n have to deal with any of this. “But, yeah…,” Finnick nodded sadly, “time will make it less noticeable. I’ll be here to help you with this too”.

Tears sprung into y/n’s still watery eyes again. She silently clung onto Finnick tightly. She knew her shaky sobs were making his shirt wet and was appreciative that he didn’t seem to be annoyed by it. “You know you don’t have to, right?” Y/n questioned in a hushed voice.

Finnick’s face furrowed slightly as he replayed y/n’s muffled voice, trying to see if “hearing” it a second time would allow him to understand what she’d said. Her face was buried in his chest, her lips pressed against the fabric of his shirt, making whatever she’d tried to say incomprehensible. “What’s that, darling?” Finnick asked tenderly as he brushed some of her hair away from her face.

Y/n slowly pulled herself off of Finnick’s chest in order to repeat herself. She needed him to hear her clearly. It was important that he knew this. “I want you to know that while I do appreciate everything, you don’t have to do all of this,” y/n told him breathily. “I know it’s a lot, and I’m needy, and I-“.

“Shhhh, honey,” Finnick whined, his face contorted with worry.

Y/n smiled faintly at her endearing boyfriend. “No it’s okay,” she promised, “I know I am, but I just…” She swallowed thickly and moved her arms away from Finnick’s torso, up to his face instead. “My worry isn’t about that. My worry is that I want to be sure that you know you don’t have to exert yourself to this extent.” Y/n once again offered him a tiny smile despite the turmoil in her mind. “You’re already going through a lot yourself, you don’t need to take me on as a burden too,” she assured him.

“You’re not a burden, my love,” Finnick argued with a soft shake of his head.

Y/n let out an airy half-laugh. “Regardless, Fin, I’m serious, you’d still be the best boyfriend, and the love of my life, without taking this on too. I need you to know that you don’t need to do this,” she explained fully.

Finnick smiled warmly as he continued to gaze down at y/n. “I do”. He leaned his head into her hand on his jaw. “I do know that, honey”.

“Good,” y/n breathed out in relief. “I don’t ever want to pressure you to do anything, even small, that-“ she began to ramble.

“I know,” Finnick nodded in understanding, his pointer finger trailing down her jaw. “I feel the same, angel,” he pointed out softly. “I want this. I want us. And, I want to be there for you, to lighten this darkness as much as I can for you since I can’t stop it.”

Y/n let out a choppy cry before she dove back into Finnick’s embrace. She held onto him tightly. “I love you so much, sweetheart,” she whimpered against his shoulder as her arms snaked around his back.

“I love you too, honey,” Finnick cooed, his own arms tight around y/n. “I love you too.” He closed his eyes and breathed in her familiarly comforting scent. “We’re going to get through this.”

'Cause I, 'cause I

I don't know how to feel

But I wanna try

I don't know how to feel

But someday I might

Someday I might

Y/n gasped as the bathroom door opened unexpectedly. She’d been staring at her bruises through the mirror for hours. Or so she suspected. She’d dissociated and lost track of time. As such, when the door opened, she had just been standing there alone in her and Finnick’s bathroom in only her bra and panties as she continued to take in her appearance.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Finnick guiltily rushed out, stepping back into the hall and quickly pulling the door shut. “I didn’t know you were home, I’m sorry,” he whispered. His brows were scrunched as he tried to keep his anger at bay over having seen the marks on her body. Whoever her body had been sold to today hadn’t followed the contractual restrictions of not marking her up. The limitation was one of Snow’s rules for the acts one could commit against the victors he sold to the residents of the Capitol. It was not for the protection or sake of the victors themselves, but rather because it decreased their worth until the marks healed; Snow didn’t take discounts, meaning injuries risked a victor being out of commission for some time.

“‘s okay, Fin,” y/n whispered. She wiped the unshed tears from her eyes. She felt bad for the way her gasp made him feel like he was in the wrong for simply opening the door to his own bathroom. But, there was a more prevailing sense of blame that she felt right now regarding what he just experienced because of her. “Sorry, you didn’t need to see that… to see… me… like….” She rambled.

Finnick rested his head on his side of the closed bathroom door. “Honey, no, please don’t apologize,” he frowned. “Are you okay?” It was a stupid question, but he found himself needing to ask it nevertheless.

“Y-yeah,” y/n’s voice trembled through the door.

Finnick winced and pursed his lips. “Y/n,” he whispered knowingly.

“I can’t…. I…” y/n huffed. “It’s just…, I don’t know how to cover them,” she choked out. “Snow’s…. Snow is going to blame me”. Despite being on the other side of the door, her worry was evident in her tone.

Finnick squeezed his eyes shut. She shouldn’t be worried about this. She shouldn’t be dealing with any of this. She was meant for far more than this. “It’s not on you,” he reminded her gently.

“It was…,” y/n began, but paused, not wanting to burden Finnick by informing him of the name of her client. It was something they both often protected the other from. Since they would have to run into previous clients at mandatory Capitol parties, knowing who they were would only cause them to be constantly be mad at those specific attendees after knowing what they had been capable of doing to their unwilling partner. It was a morbid resolution, but one the couple had settled on in order to survive.

Y/n shook her head as she stared into the bathroom mirror. She watched herself as she poked at the bruising on her side. She flinched at pain and stifled a hiss. “He…,” she paused and took a deep breath, “he’s too close to Snow”. While she wouldn’t bother Finnick with who he was tonight, she knew her boyfriend was set on understanding why she was worried about being blamed for this when it was the one thing that usually fell on the clients. “It’ll be pinned on me for not having stopped him, that I should’ve-,” y/n sighed.

“That’s not your responsibility,” Finnick quickly pointed out. Y/n needed to know that. None of this was her fault nor responsibility. She was merely trying to survive. Something that shouldn’t be this difficult. “That’s not even something you are allowed to do, don’t let them trick you into blaming yourself by pretending that you suddenly had the privilege to stop him. None of this is by choice. None of this is your fault,” he reminded her. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his lips into a thin line. “Regardless of what you have to do or not do, none of this is your fault. No matter what you did or didn’t do, do or don’t do. Okay?” Finnick practically pleaded softly.

“Okay,” y/n agreed. She stood in silence as she stared at the purplish stains on her skin. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she confessed after another moment of contemplation.

Finnick bit his lip. “We’ll worry about that later,” he promised. “For now, do you need medical attention?” He asked worriedly. He’d only seen y/n’s injuries briefly before quickly shutting the door so she could regain some privacy.

Y/n chuckled darkly. “Like that would ever be an option,” she scoffed. The sold victors, even when covered in injuries despite their clients being told not to cause any, weren’t allowed to seek medical services or treatment. No matter how small or severe. It was clear Snow feared that the victors doing so would potentially expose the villainous was he was running a sex trade for the Capitol’s most prized residents. Not that anyone would likely do anything even if they did.

“It is,” Finnick corrected, his worry increasing as he wondered if y/n had gone without help for injuries before tonight. “We might not be able to go seek it out,” he acknowledged. “But, I’ve got a kit.” Finnick bit the inside of his cheek as he prepared to hear her answer to his next question. “Do you need anything?”

Y/n sniffled. “There’s nothing you can do for bruises,” she sighed.

Finnick’s fists balled at his side as he heard y/n’s shaky breathing and sniffling. “I… there’s a… a uhhh..” he rambled, his mind spinning. “A balm in the bottom drawer, to the left of the sink, it helps with pain,” he offered. He leaned against the doorframe, his ear pinned to the door as he waited to see if there was anything he could do for y/n.

After a few moments of silence, Finnick finally heard y/n’s small voice call out his name. His head perked up against the door. “Yeah, honey?” He asked. “I’m still here, what’s happening?”

“I, uhhh…” y/n frowned, burdened with guilt. “I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I can’t… I can’t reach it.”

“The balm?” Finnick questioned. He tried to visualize where it was and what severity or type of injuries might be preventing y/n from being able to reach it.

Y/n hesitated for a moment, uncertain how to answer without sounding weak and worrying Finnick further. “No, the… the handprint on my back,” she choked out.

Finnick winced, his fists clenching together and eyes screwing shut tightly. “Do you want some help?” He asked once he’d regained some of his composure.

“Do you mind?” Y/n whispered.

Finnick opened his eyes and frowned as he stepped back slightly from the door. “No, ‘course not, honey,” he promised. “Let me know when you’re okay with me coming in, alright?” Finnick instructed tenderly.

“Uhh yeah..,” y/n agreed slowly. She gazed at her exposed body in disgust. “How much… uhmmm. How much do you want me to cover up?”

“What do you mean, love?” Finnick wondered.

“I…,” y/n sighed. “How much should I cover up? Like… just leave my back exposed?” She asked as she eyed her discarded pile of tainted clothes in the corner of the bathroom.

Finnick frowned at y/n’s worry. “Whatever you’re comfortable with, love,” he advised gently. “As much as you need.” Finnick quickly tried to find a better response, knowing that a direct answer would help her since she was feeling sorta out of it right now. “If you prefer, I can blindly apply it to your back under your top,” he offered.

“Okay so you want me fully dressed?” Y/n asked rhetorically as her slow mind thought through her next steps. “One moment,” she agreed, turning to her pile of abandoned clothing.

Finnick’s brows furrowed. “It’s not about what I want, honey.” He sighed silently to himself. He hated how much she was worrying about him right now when she was the one needing help. “I just want you to be comfortable… as much as you can,” Finnick explained.

“So, I…” y/n began as she made her way back to the bathroom entrance. She cracked the door open lightly. She held it in place, forming just enough of an opening to stick only her head out of it, the edge of the door pressed into her neck. This way she wasn’t exposing Finnick to the sight of her injuries just yet. Y/n hesitantly looked up and met his patient eyes. “You’re okay with me not putting my shirt back on yet?” She clarified.

Finnick nodded, “I’m fine either way”. “This is about you, y/n”.

“Okay,” y/n said with a weak nod since her head was pinned. She offered Finnick a small smile, “thanks”. “‘Cause the fabric hurts right now,” y/n confessed.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Finnick reminded y/n lovingly.

Y/n pulled her head back in through the slightly opened door. “I know, it’s just, I know how ugly my body looks right now,” she explained as she slowly opened the door for Finnick.

“Hey, hey, don’t say that,” Finnick scolded softly. “You’re beautifully breathtaking, honey, always,” he promised. “Of course I don’t want to see you like this, but that’s not because it changes your beauty, only because I hate that you’re in pain, that someone hurt you,… I mean, I know it always hurts… I don’t like that either… I just meant.. right now with it being… more than…” he rambled.

Y/n nodded in understanding. She grabbed Finnick’s hand tightly. The warmth from his palm helped soothe her some. A shiver went through her as her body began to release some of the tension she was holding in.

Finnick stared intently into y/n’s eyes. “You’re in charge here, okay? You control where I look or touch, okay?”

When Finnick finished his scan of y/n’s body for any more injuries to attend to, he sighed with the tiniest bit of relief. “I promise you,” he said as he stood before her and took her hands in his. “I’m going to see to it that we find a way to make this end, to take our lives back, because you’re made for much more than to be used for Snow’s cruel plans”.

“We,” y/n corrected lovingly. She smiled softly at him, temporarily forgetting about the painful bruises that had led them to this tender moment.

Finnick smiled back. “Yeah.” He stepped closer to y/n, never breaking eye contact. “We are made for much more than to be his pawns. And I vow, one day it won’t even be something we have to worry about ever again”.

Y/n stared deeply into Finnick’s calming and beautiful eyes. “Maybe I was made for loving you, Fin,” she commented dazedly.

“Wh-…What?” Finnick stumbled breathily. “What, honey?” He asked. He couldn’t have possibly heard her correctly.

Y/n smiled tenderly at Finnick. She pulled his hands towards her, pleased when his feet followed and brought the rest of him with. “I said, ‘maybe I was made for loving you, Fin’,” y/n happily repeated.

“I.. I don’t…,” Finnick gasped with a timid shake of his head.

Y/n smiled up at Finnick as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s never even been a choice,” she admitted admiringly, “although if it were, it’d have been the easiest decision in all of Panem history”. “It’s just so easy and comfortable to love you, Finnick. It’s just so right”. She shook her head lovingly as she continued to peer into his sea-green eyes that felt like home.

Finnick knew he was undoubtedly a blushing mess. But he didn’t care. “Well,” he mumbled and cleared throat. “If that’s something one can be made for, then I was made for loving you, my dear,” he hummed. Finnick smiled lovingly at y/n before bowing his head to kiss her forehead.

“One day everyone will know that’s all we’ll ever have been made for,” y/n hummed, returning Finnick’s encouraging sentiment from earlier. She leaned into his kiss and cuddled up in his arms.

Finnick was careful in his positioning due to y/n’s bruises, but he nevertheless returned her embrace. He cautiously held her to him with a soft sigh. “One day, honey, one day”.

Think I forgot how to be happy

Something I'm not, but something I can be

Something I wait for

Something I'm made for

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malum-forev · 11 months

Note

Heyyyy can you please do “protective” from the bingo where reader is protective of Bucky? 😘

Hi hiii! I'm so sorry for the delay! I've been swamped with work but I finally got a chance to write this one! Hope you like it!

When had the shift begun? When did you start to become protective of a man who needed no help in that department? You had no idea. Actually, scratch that, you had no idea how any of this had happened, how your once normal life was now turned upside down- sometimes literally thanks to Peter.

You were riding on some sort of rage high after being dragged along for one too many job interviews just to be let down at the last moment. “You’re not a right fit”, “I really wanted you to be a part of the team but management went with another option”, “Don’t worry, you’ll get another job”, these phrases had been floating around your mind like a teleprompter on a loop. So, one night when you had too much time to be navigating on a job search website- and honestly, had one too many cups (or maybe bottles) of wine, you applied for the job. The one you’d always wanted but thought you were way too underqualified for. And you sent in your application, an overconfident – way too drunk- alter ego spoke up.

Suddenly, you were starting your first day, lanyard over your neck and nervousness crawling up your arms. You’d heard some rumblings about why the position had been vacant for so long, him being uncooperative, rude and sometimes purposefully sneaky. Creating havoc and a long trail of messes you’d have to clean up.

You still remember the first time you saw him, you’d been told to look for him in the training room and avoid eye contact. The large doors creaked loudly as you entered, making everyone look over. Men and women far more fit than you’d ever be, covered in spandex. So much spandex in such a little space.

“Are you going to stand around all day or do you plan on doing something other than being late?” His gruff voice made you sweat.

“I-“ You tried to get out but Bucky was already busy with something else.

You placed your camera and your work bag on the stands and walked over to him.

“That’s what you decided to wear?” He furrowed his eyebrows, taking you in.

“Miss Potts said something in between casual and business casual was alright.” You muttered, tugging down on the edge of your sweater, your eyes glued to the floor.

Bucky’s eyebrows shot up for a second then he shrugged his shoulders. “Okay…”

Bucky cleared his throat and the twenty some agents straightened their backs and got in formation. “We’ll start the sparring session with your fellow agent, let this be a lesson. If you’re late, you’ll be part of the demonstration.”

He threw over an unsharpened knife to you and got in position. Your face filled with worry as you took in his stance, Bucky was ready for battle.

You barely managed to dodge his first punch but suddenly, Bucky grabbed your sides and threw you over his back, you fell on the thick foam floor with a thud and a yelp.

Bucky towered over you, confused as to why the agent they sent for the sparring session wasn’t getting up from the floor.

“Where did you say you were trained?” Bucky sounded stumped.

“I wasn’t.” You managed to get out through ragged breaths.

“They sent me an untrained agent?” Bucky threw his head back in annoyance.

You sat up, slowly regaining the air in your lungs. “Actually, I’m your new PR representative.”

The training room filled with laughter.

“Oh god.” Bucky muttered, helping you get up. “Why the hell did you not tell me you weren’t an agent! I just body slammed you!”

“There’s always a first time for everything?” You offered with a small smile as Bucky’s cheeks turned bright red.

0-0

It was now a year later and the job turned out to be better than you thought, Bucky wasn’t as bad as people said and now you knew how to successfully fight back after a body slam- Bucky had told you it was imperative you knew some self-defense.

“Can’t we just cancel?” Bucky groaned, fidgeting in his seat, making the makeup artist’s job way more complicated. You noticed she was two seconds away from giving up so, you decided to relieve her of her duties.

You picked up the makeup sponge and dabbed some concealer under his eyes. “You’re starting to get a diva reputation.”

You didn’t miss the way the corners of his lips turned upwards at your words.

Bucky’s eyes followed your face. “If I were a diva, I wouldn’t have shown up here. Lord knows I don’t want to do this interview.”

“The only reason you showed up is because you know I’d drag you from bed into this makeup chair myself if you hadn’t.” You smiled, adding powder.

“You’re taking too long with my makeup, making me self-conscious about my undereye bags.” Bucky feign fainted.

You bit your bottom lip. “You only say that because you want me to compliment you. I know what you’re doing, Barnes.”

Bucky let out a throaty chuckle before taking a deep breath.

You grabbed both of his shoulders. “Look at me, everything is fine. I’ve talked to their team and specifically written out approved questions, which we’ve rehearsed. This is just some dumb PR so people know who’s out there saving their lives.”

Bucky nodded, taking in your soothing words. “When I enlisted I thought being a soldier would be a lot more fighting and less makeup and interviews.”

You smoothed his leather jacket and took a lint roller down the sides of his pants. “You’ve done way too much fighting, now’s the time for you to sit back, answer some questions about your workout routine and look pretty.”

Bucky smiled.

“Remember, I’m just behind the camera. Everything they’re going to ask you has been approved, you have nothing to worry about. Trust me.”

“I trust you.” He gave you a short smile.

The hosts of the morning talk show seemed nice. Emphasis on seemed. The interview was going just as planned, until the male host decided to go rouge.

You almost spit out your coffee when you heard his question. It almost registered in slow motion.

“So, when you’re alone at night, do you ever regret not being able to be The Winter Soldier? Or is there a part of you that is still controlled by those words?” He said with a smug smile, he almost seemed proud of his question.

Bucky gulped at the question and he felt his hands start to fist, only you could recognize this as a sign of anxiety filling his body.

“Go to commercial.” You barked at the morning show director. “Go to commercial now!”

The show cut off and you stormed onto the set.

“You asshole!” You yelled at the host. “You just wanted to get your little five minutes of fame, well guess what! The only thing you’re getting is a big fat defamation lawsuit, how does that sound!”

“This is the entertainment industry, no one wants to hear about how clean and PG he is now. We want the nitty gritty.” He rolled his eyes.

“He is a person! He was used and you just want to get the fucking story.” Your words leaked like poison.

Bucky took your arm lightly. “Let’s just go, it’s fine.”

You saw how his kind blue eyes saddened. This is exactly why he never wanted to do interviews, he had resigned to people knowing him only for the bad and not the good.

Well fuck that. You thought.

You freed yourself from Bucky’s arm and used the momentum to swing at the host. You punched him straight in the cheekbone.

“What the fuck!” The host shrieked.

“That’s enough.” Bucky muttered, taking your body and swinging it over his shoulder.

You banged on his firm back. “Put me down! I want to take another hit!”

“Thank you everybody, we’re going to leave now.” Bucky yelled as he carried you out the doors and into the parking lot.

Once you got back to the compound, Bucky started to ice your purpling knuckles.

“Looks like my PR Rep is going to need a PR Rep of her own.” Bucky finally said with a chuckle.

You shook your head. “It’s not fair. You’re amazing and kind and nice and- people only want to see someone you’re not. You’re not him.”

“Look, doll,” Bucky sighed. “I appreciate you standing up for me but, I’ve made my peace with that. I don’t do this to get recognition, I do it to help people. So, if they want to believe I’m still the other guy then, let them. Because I truly don’t care what they think.”

You huffed. “But-“

“No buts.” Bucky interrupted, placing a chaste kiss on each of your knuckles. “Instead, let’s talk about how cute you look bein’ protective. It’s nice to know that whenever the super serum stops working, I have myself a pretty effective bodyguard.”

You burst out laughing.

Pleaaaseee be sure to comment, like and reblog if you enjoyed it! Remember, one comment = one kiss on my forehead! <3

Hi hiiii This is part of my 1k Celebration, if you like this please be sure to look at the Bingo Card and ask for a prompt! Love y'all <33

And you can find the Bingo master list and what prompts are still available here!

tagged: @kpopgirlbtssvt @shara-ne @namelesssaviour @hallecarey1

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heartfullofleeches · 8 months

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Just a random ramble about Cholly. (Also couldn't remember the pronouns so I stuck with He/They since I think I remember those being used but I apologize if it's incorrect!)

My brain is filled with Cholly for some reason and I just imagine them wearing the goofiest halloween costumes. Like the classic ones but having a silly gag. Vampire costume would probably involve them being caught having "blood" on his mouth but he pulls out tomato juice. Frankenstein (I know thats the doctor but for simplicity sake I'm calling the monster that) costume would be normal except he shocks himself with electricity. Unlike Frankenstein however, he shows that skeleton and black border cartoons use as he is zapped. Although his body is a mystery with how they can contort themself so those bones are just for show I'm pretty sure. Ghost costumes would definitely result in him being able to float while wearing it. Like it's just a white sheet over their head but when you pull it off he stays hovering in the air for a second but looks down and falls upon realization he can't fly. I feel like a mummy costume would just be him using toilet paper to wrap up people. He may wear it and then spin it off and wrap another person with it OR instead just pull it out and wrap others. Idk my brain is rotting and I think of the stuff cartoon logic can be applied to and Cholly just fills my brain perfectly.

Sorry if I bothered you with this! Just wanted to ramble a bit about Cholly :D

Never apologize when it comes to rambling about Cholly. I wholeheartedly advocate for more. You don't understand how much I love this goofy toon and would ramble about them daily if I didn't feel I was dumping too much about them at one time. They are so bby girl and such a delight to write for. (For future reference Cholly literally does not care about what pronouns are used for them as they are simply Cholly) For the Ghost costume I could see them doing a gag of drinking "poison" (maybe paint thinner?) and actually "dying" to become a ghost. (They'll be fine so no worries). Still throws on the sheet to spook their darling when the time comes. Probably throws it over their shadow instead and stands behind Reader, transparent and floating a couple inches off the ground. Uses their new abilities to peep on them before missing being able to touch Reader and hoping back in their old skin. - "Whatcha think of my new look?" It's certainly a look. Not the most original, but still quite cute. The trace of the rabbit's pointy ears stick out like a sore thumb from the sheet they wore. You could already imagine their cheeky grin, and the twinkle in their eyes hidden behind those big black circles cut through the blanket. You couldn't wait to see it. "Looking great, Cholly- just one little thing." The Ghost tilts their head, cloth bunching up just enough for you to make a grab at it with zero issue. "What's that?" "I already miss your pretty face." Lunging for the sheet, you yank it off their head in one fell swoop. Your speed surprises even you which boils to confusion as the dust settles. They aren't there. You've seen a number tricks from the colorful character, but there was always some trace of their presence life behind. You look to your right, then your left. "Cholly?" "Still right behind ya, Doll." You spin on your heels. It takes a minute for your eyes to pull away from the blank wall behind you and instead train on the head poking through it. Cholly waves, elbow propped on thin air and hand rested beneath their chin. Watching the quickness of your chest increase, their smile grows. "Hiya, Gorgeous~" You scream. Cholly snickers, eyes shut with the violent bounce of their shoulders. They let a surprise, elated gasp as their eyes widen beneath the see through lense of their kids. "Wow! I can see you even with my eyelids closed! Ghost life just keeps getting better and better." You march over to them, reaching out only to touch solid wall. "Are... are you...?" "Dead?" Cholly scoffs. "Pfft- Course not!.. I mean I am a ghost, but it's a toon thing. I can change back whenever I want to." You let out a sigh of relief. "Good..." "By the way.... If you ever need a hand in the shower, I could lean two. Missed a couple spots while you were in there earlier." "Cholly!" "Think I hear the stove runnin'. Better go catch. Catch ya later, Gorgeous." Bringing their hands up to the sides of your face, you feel the ghostly imprint of their lips upon yours. Only downside to their new form was they couldn't kiss you with the intensity and passion brew inside them whenever in your company. They wink as your brain redirects from the sweet gesture back to the topic of their little peeping session, and fazes out through the wall before you had the chance to chew them out.

#Toon yan #yandere #yandere oc #yandere imagines #yandere headcanons #yandere scenarios #yandere x you #yandere insert #yandere x reader #yandere blurb #Cholly my oc #soft yandere

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sakebytheriver · 2 years

Text

Community is a Chekhov play and the gun that foreshadows the ultimate tragedy of the Greendale study group is in the Dean's first speech with his missing card,

"Many of you are halfway through your first week here at Greendale, and as your dean, I thought I would share a few thoughts of wisdom and inspiration. What is community college? Well, you've heard all kinds of things. You've heard it's a loser college for remedial teens, 20-something dropouts, middle-aged divorcees, and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. That's what you heard... However, I wish you luck! ... Okay, you know... Oh-oh. Okay, there's more to this speech. There's actually a middle card that is missing."

That middle card is Community's equivalent of Chekhov having a character hold a gun in the first act. The card is never found just the same way the study group never really escapes Greendale as anything but what the dean describes them as in his speech, the missing card is their potential, lost to time, lost to incompetence, lost on the Greendale campus never to be found again. Troy never really graduates instead becoming the epitome of remedial teens running from the world by literally floating through it on a boat, Britta remains stuck at Greendale a twenty something dropout unable to get a degree but also unable to leave and in the original draft of the pilot the dean even adds an aside that the dropouts are "crawling their way back to society" an acomplishment Britta never reaches by the end of the series, Shirley never becomes more than a middle aged divorcee with a husband that came crawling back only to leave her once again losing herself in Louisiana to play nursemaid to a man she just met, and Pierce dies the same way he lived depressed, gross, broken, and alone. Jeff, Annie, and Abed don't have equivalencies in the speech that appears in the pilot, but Annie is given an aside in the original draft in the same moment as Troy, being labeled "a young person who couldn't get into a university" and she never does make it to a real university. In the end, Annie and Abed are the only two given endings that can be read as happy, she leaving for the FBI Academy and he leaving for film school in Los Angeles, the only two able to escape the Greendale purgatory for supposedly greener pastures, but Annie's ending is to become a cog in the system, a cog that would have happily sent her younger self to jail for the rest of her life for an addiction beyond her control finally reaching the lofty goal she thought she must reach as the small overachiever Annie came to Greendale as, finally able to grow up and be a big girl. Maybe her ending was happy or maybe it was just another form of corruption. Perhaps Abed Nadir is the only one whose ending is truly everything he ever wanted, but he goes to film school alone, he reaches his dream far away from all of the people who loved him, the only people who ever loved him, Abed Nadir ends the series the same way he entered it, the same way they all entered it, alone. And of course, Jeff Winger, the man who wanted to stay at Greendale for the shortest timeframe he could possibly achieve is now stuck there, dedicated his life to teaching there, to fixing the broken school that somehow fixed him and broke him even more left watching everyone else leave him behind.

The missing card, the one that could have told them all what they could be, what they could have acheived at Greendale is never found, but it comes back in the third act in the form of Season 7, the cutaways the group comes up with in the finale of what their season 7 could look like, the missing potential that notecard used to have now inside they're own minds and as Jeff pulls the trigger, fires the only bullet left in the chamber and begs the others to please just stay with him, to stick around and make the idealic season 7 he has created in his own imagination, the gun backfires and explodes in his own hand as reality comes crashing down to steal that last bit of hope he had left

"The plays that Chekhov wrote were not complex, but easy to follow, and created a somewhat haunting atmosphere for the audience."

This quote from Chekhov's wikipedia stands out to me in a way that perfectly describes a modern sitcom and I feel it especially fits with the atmosphere Community created. It was funny, it was broken, it was irreverent, and it was goofy, but it's a show that has haunted me for years, has haunted the entire fanbase for seven years demanding a movie until the powers that be finally gave in

E. J. Dillon thought "the effect on the reader of Chekhov's tales was repulsion at the gallery of human waste represented by his fickle, spineless, drifting people" and R. E. C. Long said "Chekhov's characters were repugnant, and that Chekhov revelled in stripping the last rags of dignity from the human soul".

And these quotes, while they were striking at Chekhov's work in a disparaging way, they just make me think of the characters from Community. Is there a better description for the Greendale 7 than a group of fickle, spineless, drifting, repugnant people stripped of their last rags of dignity? Chekhov was known for being able to capture the specific sadness of an ensemble of depressed codependents trapped in the utter monatony of a working class sedentary life and his popularity was credited to his, "unusually complete rejection of what we may call the heroic values." There are no heroic values in any of the Greendale 7, they are a group of flawed indivudals who come together to create a flawed Community. The Greendale 7 don't have a perfect happy ending, the last moments of Community don't fall into place the way you want a feel good sitcom about a group of friends to end. The ending is bittersweet and broken, a show that shambled on for more seasons than anyone ever believed it could hemoraging cast members along the way feeling like it had died many years before it actually ended, but Abed delivers a speech about the nature of TV and you're crying and you're smiling and when they all leave for the last time with a tight hug that feels like the earth is shattering you're launched into one last self aware fourth wall breaking gag that jolts your emotions before credits roll and they're the last credits that play for the entire show and you don't know if that was an ending or if you should wait for something else.

Virginia Woolf mused on the unique quality of a Chekhov story in The Common Reader (1925):

"But is it the end, we ask? We have rather the feeling that we have overrun our signals; or it is as if a tune had stopped short without the expected chords to close it. These stories are inconclusive, we say, and proceed to frame a criticism based upon the assumption that stories ought to conclude in a way that we recognise. In so doing we raise the question of our own fitness as readers. Where the tune is familiar and the end emphatic—lovers united, villains discomfited, intrigues exposed—as it is in most Victorian fiction, we can scarcely go wrong, but where the tune is unfamiliar and the end a note of interrogation or merely the information that they went on talking, as it is in Tchekov, we need a very daring and alert sense of literature to make us hear the tune, and in particular those last notes which complete the harmony."

Community ends not with a bang but a whimper and a broken note that makes you question what happens next, where do they go from there, what scene fits here in the script, is this truly the end or just where the writer put down his pen. It's a Chekhov play written in six seasons and soon to be a movie

In the end, the tragedy of Community is literally written on the cards

#ignore me #community #community nbc #dan harmon #six seasons and a movie #i got carried away and none of you are allowed to judge me

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tavyliasin · 4 months

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BG3 FicFeb NSFW - Day 3

I'll be honest with you darlings I had every intention of making this one spicy but then feelings happened? Still, it was fun to write, and an interesting scenario I might re-use at a later date. Shortfic below the cut (still NSFW) with some CW/Tags for angst, hurt/comfort, scars, wounds, mention of character trauma, but I promise it is mostly on the fluffy comforting side~

----- -----

Day 3 - Body Worship

It had been far too long since Tav had found an opportunity to bathe properly. Not just scrubbing off with a damp cloth, or dunking into a freezing lake, a proper warm bath. Of course, taking advantage of having access to a brothel’s finer rooms whilst investigating a disappearance was something she took very seriously. She had to be completely certain she wouldn’t miss a vital clue amongst the perfumed soaps and soft towels. Who knew when the last piece of information they needed might be at the bottom of a wine bottle, or lurking in the bowl of fresh fruit…

“Well, that is certainly better than a murky pond.” Astarion echoed her thoughts as he sank into the water beside her. “Gods that feels good.”

“We should take up the role of investigators more often.” Tav chuckled, reaching for the silver bowl that held a fresh sponge and some soaps. “Here, let me, for once.”

“You don’t need to-”

“I want to.” She left little room for further complaint, taking his hand in her own and delicately sponging away the dirt that seemed to cling to his nails.

“I am not about to break, you know.” He watched her with an eyebrow raised as she continued to be far more gentle than he felt he deserved.

“I know.” If anything, Tav slowed slightly, taking a moment to caress his fingers reverently. “But the world has been rough enough with you lately. Is there anything wrong with a little tenderness instead?”

“Yes- No. Maybe.” He wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say as she brought his hand to her lips and kissed each fingertip in turn. “You…Well…” He sighed, giving in to her care instead for now.

“Relax, Astarion, please.” She trailed a line of kisses up his forearm to his elbow, her fingers gently brushing the faint lines of decades old scars and far fresher bruises marking his pale form. “You know, you really are beautiful.”

“I know.” He replied, out of reflex. “Sorry, old habits… I suppose truly I have no idea if I am or not, other than the parts of myself I can see clearly. Even the water doesn’t hold my reflection any more.”

“Then let me be your mirror.” She smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair that threatened to fall forwards into his eye. “Now, where was I?”

Tav began to wash his other hand and arm, with the same reverence she had used before, but this time giving voice to the thoughts that floated through her mind as she did.

“Here, your fingers. I could comment on how skilled they are, how you can make me feel, but what I admire most is how they always find a solution. You’ve picked locks, disarmed traps-”

“You can do that just as well as I, my love.” He protested, though just as quickly his arguments met their rebuttal.

“Maybe, but you were the one who unlocked my heart.” Tav laughed at the absurdity of her own statement. “It’s cheesier than an entire dairy, I know, but it’s true. I spent my whole life just going from one fling to the next, living each day like it might be my last. Living like that…well you just don’t think of a future. Or who you might spend it with. It was better to just enjoy what I could when I could. Besides, attachments could be exploited.”

“And you see a future now? With tadpoles in our brains, and the threat of an actual mindflayer Elder Brain looming quite literally over our heads?” Despite his words, his expression was soft in the low light of the room.

“I see one worth fighting for.” She leaned forwards and stole a kiss, but only for a moment, pulling back to leave him wanting more.

“Such a tease, my love.”

“I learned from the best~” She put on the hint of a flirtatious tone to match his voice. “Anyway… Here. This part next.”

“A scar, darling? Really?” He almost pulled his arm back, like her touch burned the mark deeper into his skin.

“This was not long after we met. I remember worrying that you might lose too much blood if the wound were just a fraction to the left.” Tav dipped the sponge in the warm bathwater again and carefully cleaned the area, rinsing off the soap when she was done. “But that’s not what I think most when I look at it, or any of the other marks that battle has left upon you.”

“Enlighten me, what is it that you see in such a blemish?” Astarion frowned, struggling to see what she meant.

“Endurance. A fight that didn’t end you. A strength that goes beyond what you can lift in your arms.” She sat back a moment, the myriad of scars across her own body clearer to see as she gestured to them. “Something we share, our will to live, and to be more than the world tried to make of us.”

“Well…I suppose…” He sighed, looking closer at Tav’s form now. Subtle muscles and soft curves, the map of old wounds telling as many stories as his own, and not one of them diminished her beauty in his eyes. “There is some charm to them, maybe.”

She continued to cleanse the sweat and marks of the long days from his body with tender care, her praise like a balm to the bruises on his soul. She almost paused when it was time to move around to his back. “Is it alright if I…?”

“There is nobody I trust more to resist the urge to put a dagger between my ribs.” He mimicked the motion playfully with empty hands as he spoke. “Oh no need to be so serious, my darling, the point is that I trust you. Completely.”

The vampire shifted, turning his back to her. The view was always a painful one - he was free, but the marks remained, the knowledge of the pain in their making broke her heart if she let those thoughts back in. “Even this,” she began carefully, “has never once diminished your worth.”

Tension rose in his shoulders, even as she tried to massage it away. “A poem of subjugation is all that is, a beautiful lie that promised power.”

“And yet you are more powerful than ever, you didn’t let the lie consume you. How about this instead.” She put the sponge aside, and began carefully tracing her own pattern across his back as if overwriting the scars his past had left. “I’ll write my own verse for you, let it erase the old one.”

“What is it exactly that you’re writing?” A hint of worry tinted the curiosity in his voice as it dropped a little quieter than it had been before.

She leaned forward and whispered close in his ear. “My wedding vows.”

#bg3ficfeb #baldurs gate 3 #astarion #astarion x tav #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 #fanfic #a tav's guide #hurt/comfort #body worship #angst #scars #a vow beneath the scars #overwriting the past with something beautiful

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strawbs-screaming · 8 months

Text

☆ how the boxers act when drunk ☆

Moe posts without an ask?? How scandalous!!!

Glass Joe

- lightweight, cant walk properly and ends up falling to the floor on his face multiple times

- will not shut up, gets really talkative, only in french sadly

- insists on walking himself home like he can stand on his 2 feet without fighting for his life

- his english gets 100 times worse than usual

- needs to get carried or get thrown in a uber, even then, he'll usually pass out on his doorstep or at the foot of his bed

Von Kaiser

- ever watched a german grandpa transform into a philosopher? Youre about to witness it now,want to wonder "what the fuck is a potato anyway?"

- asks stuff that really makes you think, not anything meaningful but its still gonna make you think

- halfway through his ramblings he just starts dancing

- can actually walk properly, just not to the right direction

- will tell you stories and switch languages halfway through

Disco Kid

- runs away when drunk for no apparent reason or for something he completely made up on the spot, Disco what do you mean you forgot your dog in Oklahoma?? You dont even have a dog

- dances a whole lot more, except hes more likely to fall down a flight of stairs

- even happier, unlike Kaiser he can actually say meaningful stuff without changing dialects halfway through

- picks up people randomly for no reason and spins them around

King Hippo

- hes just.. gone

- passes out the second alcohol hits him

- out cold, this is why he avoids drinking

Piston Hondo

- why is he so sad?? hes just crying please take him home

- will cry over anything, including the fact that hes drunk, poor man crying over thinking hes gonna lose face when drunk

- will cry onto & into anything, bartenders arms? yeah why not, the floor? Yeah why not, will cry you a river

- so worried about losing face hes crying WHILE drunk about losing face

Bear Hugger

- jollier than santa, complete opposite of hondo

- will sing sea shanties, give out free hugs and just be happy

- aware of the fact hes drunk and using it to his advantage to say random stuff

- "i might like raw fish but i also like raw meat"

- "what."

- suprisingly good at walking, also in the right direction i might add

- more likely to laugh at thin air than usual

Great Tiger

- pure chaos, teleporting around to not fall to the floor, only to end up flopping onto another floor

- his clones turn into nightmare fuel, some missing parts of their body, some missing their face, literal body horror

- his magic just degrades into a worse version of itself

- keeps scaring people for no apparent reason

- floats around randomly when bored

Don Flamenco

- flirtier, messier & sadder

- his pick up lines sound like hes having a stroke

- if he gets rejected while drunk he'll just cry

- "hey babygirl.. Are you a 100 bucks?... Because i wanna have you"

- "no thank you"

- "EIGJJHHHSHSHHSHWAHHHHHH"

- holding onto his drinks like someones gonna take it from him, which is most likely true because he needs to be stopped

Aran Ryan

- worse than his usual self, cartwheels around, smacks people for no reason, climbs on top of things and falls then runs away

- you think Disco being a runner was bad?? hes 100 times worse, he just runs without saying anything, hes a fast runner too so hes worse

- somehow speaks irish better when hes drunk, sadly no one can understand him because no one around him knows irish

- fights people for no reason, usually ending in him needing to be held, which ends in him falling asleep

Soda Popinski

- hes just a big ball of anxiety since he was a former alcoholic

- Really worried hes gonna do something dumb so he just curls up into a ball and lays on the ground

- will go home as soon as hes drunk, poor man :(

- if he cant go home he'll try to sober up, much to his failure

- holding back tears

Bald Bull

- wayy more affectionate than usual, giddy and a bit more touchy, hes a sweetheart when drunk and due to this, some people have considered keeping him drunk to avoid his anger, this obviously wouldnt work because liver failure is not fun

- unable to get pissed off when drunk, hes just incapable of anger

- will give out hugs

- also bit of a lightweight, flailing around, trying not to fall, only to fall on his ass

- gets very giggly and laughs a whole lot

- after a few minutes, hes barely able to move and ends up needing to be carried home, even then he doesnt shut up

Super Macho Man

- still a douchebag, but a bit kinder

- very aware of the fact hes drunk, so he finishes every kind sentence with "im drunk so dont expect anything like this when im sober"

- passes out then wakes up again like a windows computer

Mr Sandman

- you cant really tell whenever hes drunk or not, the only difference is him smiling a lot more

- not really aware of the fact hes drunk, Just counts himself as tipsy

- the only person you could trust to drive drunk, except you shouldnt because drunk driving is bad

- randomly falls asleep

#punch out #headcanon #punch out wii #punch out headcanons #don flamenco #bald bull #piston hondo #glass joe #aran ryan #great tiger #king hippo #disco kid #wowzers moe is posting something?? without an ask?? How scandalous of him!!!

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borisbubbles · 6 days

Text

Eurovision 2024: #21

21. AUSTRALIA Electric Fields - "One Milkali" 27th place

youtube

Decade Ranking: 74/153 [Above wrs, below TBA]

We're on a gravitron as it tangles through them billions, illions of arseholes and angels. 💋 -- Michael Ross.

I'll open by pointing out that Zach's dress reminds me of those sail-backed tetrapods all mammals have descended from:

BorisBubbles.tumblr.com satisfying your autism AND paleontology fixes since 2017.

On other news, I'm happy to report I've never bought into the "Electric Fields Are Shock Qualifiers" hype. They had a song nobody cared about upon release, to represent a country nobody particularly wants in Eurovision. I'm AMAZED they almost floated into the semi over Serbia.

My personal feelings on the song are quite mixed, mostly because I always recognised "One Milkali" as both a televote flop and a missed opportunity. I always love when countries inject their music traditions into the entries they send to Eurovision, but in "Australia's "One Milkali'"'s case it was a fairly sloppy fusion. The soundtrack opens via Nokia ringtone before it explodes into a digital fart and segues into a generic, catchy EDM track that is in a constant state of competition with it's own background didgeridoo.

On top of that comes a libretto that, using a lot of confusing metaphors and dated pop culture references that border on nonsense, express a utopian vision of Universal Kinship that most people know to be factually untrue. None of us value life equally. I know SOME people find that offensive because they delude themselves into thinking they're good people, so allow me to demonstrate;

IMAGINE your least favourite famous person in the world; a politician or businessman or musician or actor, or writer of certain wizarding novels. Someone you strongly dislike and don't necessarily want dead, but say you'd would be very pleased if this person had chosen to be an accountant over their actual profession, obsessing over NUMBERS rather than their current trade. Now compare THAT person to your favourite people in the world: your parents,siblings, other halves, friends, pets, children (lol this is tumblr - exactly three of you will spawn offspring, the rest of you will grow old with two cats named after fictional characters such as "Khaleesi" and "Deban Aderemi".) You cannot put this person on the same level as them. You will not value this person's life AS much as you value your loved-one's lives, and that's perfectly normal human behaviour. We hold different standards for different people. Anyone who does not is a walking red flag.

With this in mind, you just know that One Milkali would be a hard sell because not many people connect with its intentions, especially now that Eurovision has made a shift towards Tory-ness (💀). It's naive, utopean and out of touch for those that get it and very confusing to those who do not.

I'm making it sound like I dislike Australia, but I actually really like the studio cut (it's better when you don't look). The studio version... well doesn't slap but at least swats? It was a sanitised, tranquilized version of "2000 and Whatever", which I LOVED, and I gave 1M(1B) a few loopings. I, like many people that remembered Electric Fields fondly, and was hoping they would die for Raiven for a live outsell.

Unfortunately, the live of "One Milkali" was not an outsell. If anything it undersold? It was lowkey a tranwreck?

Like, when your top moment of the performance is THE COLOUR PROJECTION AT THE START

(this bit actually ate! pity it happens literally within the opening seconds.)

and the second best moment is a literal ijbol moment when the didgeridoo player (this man is a LIVING DEITY btw) PLAYS HIS INSTRUMENT LIVE RIGHT INTO ZACHARIAAHA'S MIC, DROWINING HIM OUT.

IT'S RAININ' LO- :didge noises:

AND THEN HE HITS HIM WITH IT ON THE HEAD 😂😂😂

Yeah, a few choices were made which were a tad off. The worst one is allowing Michael Ross to vocalize because the man does NOT HAVE A GOOD VOICE. You have three backs, let them sing his bits. Not doing that is the second worst decision. The third worst is poorly mixing those backs in with a very strained Zachariaaha? Also, why are they strutting on the stage like models on a catwalk? Did Aisel have a few on sale from her X My Heart era?

The staging did a few things right - it was colourful, used the space well and had good camerawork. It got the basics right, at least.

It was a sloppy execusion of a clumsily composed song, but, I still enjoyed it overall. "One Milkali" is naive and utopean as fuck, and embraced that vibe and I appreciate that. The Yankunytjatjara bits are great and synergize well with the English. The song was an adequate representation of aborigine culture, hampered mostly by the fact that it didn't go hard enough when it needed to.

It ranks this high because putting it lower makes no sense to me. Unlike Poland, the vocals were acceptable, and the staging was linear and clear. Unlike Moldova, they had a song and a vision and displayed creativity? Unlike Azer and Iceland, Australia managed to fill the stage with some semblance of life and momentum. It still had flaws, but they were easy enough to accept. It makes sense that Aus were the highest NQ in the first semi, as they are on this ranking.

But lmao @ allowing any SF1 NQ to enter my top 20.

THE RANKING.

#eurovision #eurovision song contest #borisbubbles #esc #Eurovision 2024 #ESC 2024 #Malmö 2024 #Australia #Electric Fields #One Milkali #Youtube

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queen-mabs-revenge · 1 year

Note

the show has established how much ted loves and misses kansas from day one sorry you're too stubborn to accept it

lol not gonna deny the stubbornness, but to me it really didn't feel like they show did enough to establish ted missing and longing for kansas?

like qualitatively what did they show from him as a character about his missing kansas itself? his tshirt collection, peanut butter and bbq sauce, mentioning the state flower? bitching about local stuff? like um ok?

this might just be coming from my own experiences as a 15-year emigrant, but like... i long for bagels, i really do. it's one of the greatest tragedies of my life that i no longer fly back to the states through new york and getting real bagels is now a long and miserable planned trek. i genuinely can taste in my mouth rn a toasted sesame bagel with a schmear of veggie cream cheese from bagel boss on merrick road my god i would do crimes. don't even get me started on real deli pickles gOD all pickles here are sweet it's so deeply wrong. (and btw our state flower is the rose very sexy). don't wanna move back tho.

like...idk that's just part of the emigrant experience? like idk if they intended all of that to signal a deep and tragic desperation to go back to the wide open skies of kansas but that kind of just felt like standard emigrant behavior to me (lmao i just realised my desktop bg is literally ny street scenes too), esp bc at least one of the writers has had that experience themselves? they needed to really give ted something more to get me to believe that he's somehow got the kansas soil in his bones and would be incomplete without it.

and imo things that and like the wizard of oz pinball machine only work as symbolic emphasis if the character work has been done to give them something to emphasize? as it stands, it feels like a lot of floating symbols were thrown around instead of actual character work, attempting to cheaply borrow meaning from elsewhere to make ted's supposed homesick longing feel real.

and tbh that kind of felt like his relationship with henry too? we got the symbol of the concept of a traditional father/son relationship, we got the symbol of the legos, we got the symbol of cat stevens father and son demanding our heartstrings be pulled... but what material things were those symbols emphasizing? how much time was given to showing ted and henry's actual relationship? like even in the episode this season when henry was literally present, ted p much ignored him in favor of stalking michelle! they didn't have one-on-one conversations except for ted trying to pump him for info about dr jake??? what are we supposed to do with that?? feel like everything's healthy and cool and great for them esp isolated in kansas?

it's like a bunch of floating signifiers that we're supposed to take as substitute for actual story. here's some barbecue sauce can't you just taste the longing? listen to stevens's music - that's a relationship, right?

empty symbols just aren't good enough for me, especially when there are plenty of relationships between people and places on this show that aren't just froth with no filling.

#ted lasso #ted lasso critical

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ofbluesandyellows · 1 year

Text

Committed to the Cause - TASM! Peter Parker / Fem! Reader

Summary: Spider-Man gets injured in battle, he accidentally crashes into you and his hero complex comes into action. As he tries his best to redeem himself he can’t find a way out from the guilt and unbidden feelings.

Word count: 5,321

Warnings: mentions of blood, injuries, swear words, grief.

a/n: Hi! It’s me again, here I bring a story I started writing almost a year ago but i kind of forgot it existed until like four months ago. It’s a tasm! one, hope you like it! I divided it in 3 parts because it is a bit long so yeah, have fun :)

Part 1

Peter Parker sat down near Gwen Stacy’s grave, the sky was evenly gray and the cool air swirled around making the snowflakes dance away and float around. It’s been only a week since he came back to his universe.

“I wonder how Peter 2 and Peter 1 are doing right now.” He whispered to Gwen, while his fingers brushed through the colorful daisies he bought for her. “I’m Peter 3 you know? I guess 3 is just the best number,” he shrugged remembering the chaos of that night around his brothers from another universe, literally.

“Honestly Gwen, if you only could’ve seen them—see us. They were truly amazing, and the way we all connected and then we were shooting webs, the synchronicity that I experienced— I never had that. It was as if we could read each other’s minds and wow—it was fucking cool.“

Peter sighed, a hue of vapor escaped his lips. “I bet you saw it though, how I saved MJ? Peter 1’s girlfriend, I did what I couldn’t do for you Gwen. I’m sorry, I'll always be sorry for that.”

Adjusting his beanie tighter to his head when a sudden wave of wind made his skin form goosebumps. Deep in his heart he could feel that Gwen was actually listening to his banter, that this was her way of telling him that things were okay between the two.

Peter went to see Gwen every week, she was the love of his life, he was certain of it. But the truth was that Peter had lost all hope on love after Gwen.

He’d be lying if he denied the fact that he had found himself thinking of what Peter 2 said to him; that things worked out fine eventually in the love department, it put the seed of curiosity in him, what if things actually changed for him, in his heart, and he could finally let Gwen rest. He was clinging to her memory like a life jacket, if he let go he would drown, he would lose himself to the darkness.

His phone buzzed as a message showed him a text of the police department trying to contact Spider-Man.

“Gotta go Gwen, I’ll see you next week. Love you so much.” He put a kiss on his palm to then let it linger on her tombstone.

In a hidden part of an alley he put his mask on, he had to put his stuff between some garbage bags so people wouldn’t steal it, there wasn’t much to steal there, still he plastered it with web fluid, a force of habit. He swung between tall buildings and across streets, hearing sudden gasps and shouts announcing his presence in the city. It was funny how things had actually changed for him in the span of years; The Daily Bugle seemed to stop with the nasty propaganda; he was now on good terms with the police, he also had free health insurance thanks to the police department and he was doing well financially. Stark Industries was a place he never thought he would find a spot to fit in, to do the research he felt drawn to.

There were big threats still in New York but Peter didn’t feel that dread whenever he fought, the constant fear of losing someone he loved, those being the benefits of being alone, but how alone could you be to start missing the company of a partner after years of being lonesome?

Spider-Man quickly solved the robbery near the upper east side, it wasn’t a major thing, the thieves got webbed and delivered to the detectives, he got a bullet wound in his shoulder but nothing some tweezers, neosporin and a bandage couldn’t solve. Peter was even able to do so by himself now: the perks of being alone.

Peter had received several injuries and even more deeper wounds than the one he had on his shoulder but this one time as he shoot a strand of web coming from his right arm—the wounded one—his arm didn’t find it easy to carry his weight, and he was feeling somewhat dizzy, he thought it was the blood lose, because he hadn’t received a kick to the head nor anywhere his body could react the way it was doing now. He found himself screaming as he fell from a twenty four storage building.

“Watch out! Spider down!”

His instincts shouted at him to use his other web shooter, he did so, but Peter was being a little clumsy today. Slow motion turned on in his brain. The web-thread splashed on the building in front of him, but the height wasn’t enough to make him swing by without any implications. The chime of a bicycle bell was his only warning. After that he felt the clash of his body against something warm and then he rolled on the cold concrete.

That was embarrassing. People screamed and sooner than what Spider-Man could recover, people were surrounding him to help him get up.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” He spoke under the mask, his shoulder throbbing with every move.

It took him a few seconds to register what just happened. He saw a mint green bike with a twisted handlebar, a bunch of flowers scattered and crushed on the ground and then panic started to bubble in his chest. A girl—a young woman was sitting on the wet asphalt, a few people were kneeling by her side as she held her arm against her chest.

Spider-Man ran to her side, pushing the pedestrians lightly. Squatting down, his eyes scanning her, a scrape on her cheek and forehead on the same side of what he guessed was an injured arm.

“I am so sorry, I swear this isn’t me, I mean it is me but I don’t know what happened I don’t— are you alright? Can I help you with anything?”

The woman had pools of tears on the rim of her eyes, she was holding them in, because that was just humiliating, she was late for the delivery and now she had lost the bouquets and she didn’t dare to accuse The Spider-Man of her bad luck. The day was not a good one since the start. This was the ultimate confirmation.

“No, Spider-Man… sir, It’s not your fault, I just, I think I broke my arm.” She was barely able to pronounce the words, she was in terrible pain, how could she know?

“Oh, let me see.” Peter gulped under the mask, his stomach churning. He had broken the woman’s arm, this was bad. Taking her elbow she winced, tears finally slipped down her cheeks, shit. “Ms. I need to take you to the hospital.”

“No, no I have work, I can't go to the hospital now.” He saw the panic take over her features.

“It’s the least I could do. I caused this, please let me do something.”

Guilt was eating him alive, the more time he spent there with all the witnesses watching and telling her she should take Spider-Man’s word.

She felt a little hazy on the head, like when you take a pill to not get dizzy on a long road trip, and everything starts to lose sense, sounds muffling. She shook her head trying to keep the masked hero away, she had to work, she needed to gather the flowers and—

“Ms.?” Spider-Man felt panic, a rush of blood like his spider senses were going off.

Her eyes rolled backwards and she went limp on his arms.

“No, no, no.” he mumbled, taking her in his arms he did what he could to swing through the city to reach the nearest hospital.

People, nurses, doctors, they all came to a halt when they saw Spider-Man arrive carrying a woman on his arms, this was quite the scene Peter could imagine but he was not able to think straight not when he had hurt someone—by mere accident that was true, yet the guilt was so heavy he felt like he could cry under the mask.

“I need help please!” He shouted and as if he had broken a curse, nurses and doctors moved again, some of them walking towards him.

“What happened?” a nurse asked as they started moving him to a nearby stretcher.

“uh, I… she had an accident on her bike and I think her arm is broken and she has a concussion or something I’m not sure.”

The nurse nodded as they put oxygen on the girl quickly moving her to the ER. Peter followed them until someone stopped him. “Sorry man, you can’t come in.”

“Oh, yeah ok. I’ll just wait.”

“You need to get yourself fixed too.” The same nurse told him, pointing to his shoulder. “You’re ruining the floor.”

Peter’s eyes looked down and there, from his shoulder all the way down to his finger tips a thread of blood was dripping down, leaving crimson drops on the floor.

“Sorry,”

A minute later another nurse got to him and made him follow her into a room.

“We know you can’t reveal your identity and if people keep on seeing you out there they’re gonna start asking questions and it’s gonna be messy. So mister Spider-Man can you take off your suit? The mask can stay on, I need to clean that.”

Peter was a bit shocked still and maybe the blood loss was not helping so he nodded, his suit landed at his feet in a pool or red and blue, at least he was wearing a nice pair of boxers.

“I recommend you to come back later, you will only cause drama here, mister Spider-Man”

The nurse said and Peter just watched her work.

He was good as new in no time. His head felt light still but he managed to swing back to where he put his belongings in that alley. With the last bits of adrenalin still in him, he swung back to May’s, he sat on his old bed, suit on, mask off. The uneasiness he felt in his chest was suffocating. Why did he leave the hospital then? He couldn’t be at peace now. And why did he end up at May’s when he had his own apartment in Manhattan?

Maybe his injury affected his brain, his eyes checked his shoulder and the little wound was almost closed, thank goodness for fast healing but what about those who didn’t have that… What about the girl?

He wanted to make sure the girl he hurt was okay, it was an obvious statement. Yet he couldn’t go as Peter because he didn’t know anything about her and ugh, he grunted against his hands. Then he could go as Spider-Man. He knew the nurses would let him in if he asked kindly. However, he was scared of the reaction of the girl, what would she think of him of his idiocy. Spider-Man was not known for hurting pedestrians, he was supposed to save them not harm them.

His phone chimed from inside his backpack, Peter was on a streak of bad luck.

The news on his mistake quickly spread, he shook his head reading the article The Bugle had just released, how were they so fast? He wondered as his messages continued to pop up, Jonah Jameson wanted photos of Spider-Man, Peter’s former boss couldn’t let the other news sites win the exclusive so when it came to Spider-Man he still contacted Peter for exclusive photos, and Peter delivered, just because the news always made him look nice, but not this time.

Peter groaned even louder, this was not how he planned his day to go. Whenever he visited Gwen he usually had the best experiences afterwards, once he found a fifty dollar bill on the subway, just lying there on a seat, and then there was this other time where he got a free coffee because the owner proposed to her girlfriend and the drinks were free.

But that luck seemed to be long gone.

“Peter, are you in there?”

Peter’s heart jumped, he didn’t know May was home. “Yes it’s me, May!”

“Are you okay?"

“Um, yeah. I just got work to do and you know me… I’m complaining.”

“With the amount of hours you work I’d complain too. Are you heading out? I need you to bring me some bread and milk, are you staying the night, right?”

“Yeah, sure, May. Why not! Are you working today?”

“Yes, but the car is at the mechanic,” Shit, Peter totally forgot about that, he made a mental note to give May some money to get that car fixed.

“At what time you’re off?” he asked, putting a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie on. “Do you want me to pick you up?” he said, opening the door.

May shook her head, a sweet smile on her face, “No, Peter. Jamie, my coworker is driving me back, you’re fine. Just don’t come back too late okay.”

Her hand caressed Peter’s cheek, making his anxious body feel slightly better. He gave her palm a light kiss and nodded. “Of course not May, when have I been late for our weekly dinners?”

He let out a chuckle watching May drop her hand as she rolled her eyes, she shook her head and with a tired sigh she only added. “Don’t forget the bread and milk!”

“I won’t!”

His smile dropped once he heard his phone buzz again. Plopping on the bed, with furrowed eyebrows, and a guilty mind, he took the decision he guessed was the most appropriate, maybe was a little over the top either way his hazy mind was calling the shots for the day.

He found himself crawling up the walls of the hospital at night, after finding the girl’s room. Spider-Man found a way in, the windows were tiny but not too tiny to not let him sneak his body inside. Crazy, he knew, he had no other option.

Seemed like none of her family members got informed because no one was there making her company. Peter felt even worse. Gulping, he took a step closer to her bed, she was sleeping. It gave him enough time to assess the damages he caused. She had butterfly closures on her forehead, her lips were chapped and her arm was in a cast resting on her stomach. Her face was resting on the pillow in a weird angle almost over her left shoulder.

The IV made a rhythmic noise with each drop, the monitors were checking her heart rate. Somehow seeing her like that made the guilt and worry grow, Peter wanted to fix this.

His eyes landed on a clipboard over a table at the feet of the bed. He grabbed it and checked every detail. Name y/n, heart skipped a beat, now her face had a name. You were a year younger than him, you had health insurance, well that was something good he could cross from the list of his doing wrongs.

No concussions, no internal bleeding, you had surgery on your broken arm, Peter winced, the radius broke in two and now you were half a robot with the pins and rods attaching your bone together. That definitely was not helping Peter feel better.

“Shit,” he mumbled, placing the clipboard back down. His hands were up to his head.

When his eyes found your face you were looking at him, with wide eyes and parted lips, Peter felt his soul leaving his body.

“Jesus fuck!” He gasped a hand on his chest. “You scared me,”

“I—um sorry? I’m, what… how did you get in?”

His hands went to his hips and shrugged. “Through the bathroom window.”

“Why?” you tried to reincorporate on the bed but whined when you moved your arm, like you forgot you had it in a cast.

“Because there was no other way to get in,”

“But there’s a door there,” you pointed with your head. “It’s easier,”

Peter furrowed, you were not able to see him. He sighed. “Yeah, I know that. But it’s the anonymity of the visit that I want to keep… anonymous.”

What was he saying now!

He shook his head. “Um, how are you feeling?”

You scoffed, Peter deserved that disdain. “Like shit, well not as bad because I’m on medication but still not great with a useless arm.”

The casted one got up as if to show him, he nodded. Taking a step closer, his hands grasped the plastic railing at the feet of the bed.

“I can imagine— I owe you an apology, I wasn’t feeling too well and it wasn’t my intention to hurt you… or anyone. I don’t do that, you know? Goes against the hero thing.”

Your eyes were shining either for the low lights coming from outside or because you were on very strong medications, Peter couldn’t tell, what he saw was a little smile on your lips.

“I suppose it’s not on the hero policy… It's fine Spider-Man, sir.”

Peter chuckled. “Spider-Man it’s fine, I’m not as old as you may think I am.”

You cocked an eyebrow. “Really? I thought you were like thirty five or something.”

“Ouch, I… hmm no, no I—listen. I'm gonna tell you this because I think I owe you something so I’ll answer this one concern of yours, I'm around your age. So think twice before calling me old again, young lady.”

Now he saw a full smile blossom in your face, it made him feel better, a lightness finally reaching his sore shoulders.

“Um okay,” you laid deeper on your pillow, a smile still tugging at the corner of your lips.

Peter felt suddenly so overly conscious of his body and presence in front of you in a dark room, the darkness was helping but he felt your eyes on him as he paced around.

“Do you know how many days you are gonna be here?” he asked.

“I have no idea, I woke up surrounded by people, then I passed out when the nurse extended my arm and woke up like two hours ago to go pee and then fell asleep and then you were here.”

“That bad huh?” Peter crossed his arms as he leaned his back on the wall right in front of you.

“The pain was bad, but now it’s light. I do feel like I’m in a cloud when I don’t move.”

“That must be nice,” his back cracked unbidden.

“That, on the other hand, sounds bad… Are you better now? or why did you crash into me?”

Peter blinked, scratched his forehead and watched you, you looked tiny and sleepy.

“I got a bullet wound right here,” he touched his clavicle. “Lost blood and that’s when I accidentally crashed into you I was feeling dizzy, but yes I am better now.”

“I see… well, at least you are not in risk of losing your job,”

Peter straightened, a knot in his throat. “You lost your job? because of me?”

You bit the inside of your cheek, making his agony longer.

“Not really, just my weekly payment. My dad’s the owner so he wouldn't fire me, but still he didn’t even come see me, so” you shrugged. “you’re all good Spider-Man.”

“Hmm for what it’s worth I am truly sorry and I want to make it up to you, so if you need anything, really I am here for you.” Peter walked to your side, his hand lingered over your shoulder, debating himself if the touch would be too much.

“I don’t think I need anything, but thank you.” you were blinking more often, heavier.

“Are you sure?” his hand dropped by his side, forming a fist.

He wanted you to ask him a favor he wanted to feel useful, to prove to you he was good and not an asshole.

Your eyes grew big for a moment. “Wait, there is something… but I don’t think it’s safe,”

Peter clasped his hands together. “I’ll do it, what is it? I mean I’m Spider-Man, if something is not safe I am your guy, I do unsafe things for free all the time.”

“Hmm… right, okay yeah. I mean it’s not safe for me but why not, what else could happen to me, right?”

You laughed, Peter grimaced, fair enough.

“My dog, I have a little dog and he hasn’t been fed since I left this morning so… I mean if you don’t have any crime to fight right now, would you feed him?”

And his heart melted, maybe because you looked very worried and the way you were observing him made his chest flutter.

“Yeah, of course. I love dogs, I can do that, easy peasy. You got it!”

You grinned at him, teeth and sparkly eyes, Peter felt weird.

He let you explain how much food he had to put on his plate, and to refill his water bowl as well, to not step on his little grass square where he peed and to leave the window just ajar for the air to circulate.

And at the end you gave him your address, hesitation still on your voice, but Peter promised you he was going in and out fast.

“I’ll check on you later okay?” Spider-Man said, as he walked to the bathroom.

You nodded, giving him a lipped smile. “You can use the door,”

“Nah, not my style… see ya later y/n.”

Peter struggled to get out, it wasn’t as easy as getting in. He considered using the door next time.

Your apartment was small, not too small but it wasn’t big as in rich family kind of big. But it was small as in cozy. Your dog, Percy, was barking at him as he entered through your room’s window. It smelled like coconut, he sighed.

When he opened the door to reveal the hall leading to the living room, Percy jumped at his legs, looking at him with curiosity, and the barking resumed. Peter started petting him on his tiny head and as soon as Peter reached his bag of food, Percy sat at his feet.

“Oh good boy!” He scratched tiny Percy on the back of his ear. “Okay, Percy, show me your bowl…”

It surprised Peter to see Percy run from the kitchen to the spot dedicated to the little Yorkiepoo, two bowls rested side by side on a corner as his bed was placed right beside the largest couch in the room. Toys were scattered around and Peter smiled.

“Okay so your kind owner said half a cup and two treats, right?” Percy tilted his head, Peter laughed. “You are too cute”

The bowls got filled with the respective things and as Percy ate throwing Spider-Man curious looks, Peter roamed around the room. His mask forgotten on the couch. You were messy but not too messy, your apartment was clean and you had flowers everywhere. A big vase of daisies in your bedroom. Another one with lavender carnations and purple monte casinos, it made your house smell fresh. He watched a photo of you with friends and he noticed how different you looked, dressed up in casual clothes, hair brushed and yes, without a cast on the arm.

You were pretty, he noticed, how your hair fell over your shoulders and your eyes were big and sparkly. Maybe your eyes were always shining.

A bark took him out of the trance, Percy was at his feet again looking up to him. Peter squatted down and patted the dog, until the latter laid on his back showing Peter his chubby belly.

“You want me to scratch your belly? Okay, but just once because I have to go, still need to go buy some stuff you know? I need to fight bad guys and do groceries, not like you!” he kept on scratching until Percy moved his back legs as if he wanted to scratch himself. “Look at you, living your best life.”

With a sigh, Peter stood up. Ready to go back to his life, this has been a nice way to stop for a second but for him there were not many breaks.

A flick of a wrist, the window slid open a little, he gathered his web with his hand so Percy wouldn’t eat it, put his mask on and jumped off the balcony window.

Spider-Man had a busy night, some guys robbed a few trucks with chemicals inside that ended with an explosion on a dock. He felt a bruise forming on his back and arms, but he managed to get out of there, leaving the robbers webbed onto a wall of a building, the police and the firemen arrived in time for him to take a minute to recover from the smoke and the harsh hits his body received.

He filled in the police with the information and as the sun emerged, the warm sun beams calmed the pain and the coolness of his bones as he made his way back to the hospital.

Spider-Man was not in condition to sneak in through the smallest window in the room, so he entered through the emergency exit and took the elevator. People threw him furtive looks, a kid hugging his mom’s arm had his eyes glued to him, so he did what any other person would do, Peter waved at him and the kid beamed. With excuses and hand gestures Peter sighed, exiting the elevator, no nurses were around but once he entered your room, he got surprised by the one nurse who had received you a day before.

“Oh mister Spider-Man, good to see you.” She smiled at him and Peter saluted her as she made her way to the door. “She is ready to go,” she winked at him and Peter knitted his brows together.

His eyes landed on you, gathering your stuff in a tote bag as best as you could, your left arm was not as trained as the right, he noticed.

“Hey!” he said, waving at you.

You nodded. “Would you help me?”

“Sure,” Peter opened the bag and you literally threw everything in.

“Thanks… how was your night?” you asked, dark circles around your eyes.

Peter shrugged, regretting it instantly as his muscles complained. “Nothing out of the ordinary. What about you?”

You sat down on the bed. “I feel weird, but okay I guess.”

“Are you walking home?”

“Nope, got to go see how work is doing and then I’ll go home.”

Peter nodded, well… this must be it then. “Percy is a cute dog, very well behaved.”

It made you smile, hence Peter did so too. “He is… thank you by the way, for checking on him and for coming by too. You didn’t have to but you did anyway.”

Peter felt a flush and warmth coming for his cheeks. “Nah, it’s nothing. As I said I owed you so it was the least I could do, really. I’m glad you are okay, sorry for the arm though.”

Peter smiled even if you couldn’t see.

“Well, it was fun to see the famous Spider-Man up close. No offense but hope this is the last time,”

“Ouch, no, yeah I get it, hope that too. Don’t get in trouble, okay?”

“You got it spidey.”

You looked at your feet and the whole mood in the room felt weird, so Peter knew this was his cue.

“I’m gonna go now, need a bit of rest after a long night. See you… well… yeah whatever, bye y/n.”

He heard you chuckle, Peter shook his head feeling a bit dumb, closing the door at his back he made his way out the hospital.

When he got back to May's, he came to the realization that he didn’t buy the bread nor the milk, May made sure to remind him.

“PETER!”

“I’m on it, May! Sorry!”

•••

Peter was late for his date, his date with Gwen. He fell asleep on the subway and now he had to swing all the way back to get her weekly bouquet.

The place where he always bought flowers was closed, mumbling obscenities as he crossed the street.

How funny was that only half a block down another flower shop was open.

He bought flowers only for Gwen and for May’s birthday, so he didn’t know much about them other than the classic red roses for his aunt and the colorful daisies for Gwen. His jaw almost hit the floor seeing the flowers on display, buckets of color and the smell so fresh and so sweet and so magical.

After a second of admiring the shop he went to the desk where a guy was wrapping pink roses for a woman. He gave him a lipped smile which Peter replied with a nod.

“How much for a small bouquet of daisies?”

The guy waved to the woman and put all his attention on Peter. “What kind?”

“Um.. normal? I don’t know.”

The guy looked at him funny. “We have pink daisies, african, chicory, fire wheel, gerberas, japanese…”

“Just the cheapest bouquet you can give me.”

Peter was late and he was not in the mood to know the kinds of flowers. He also forgot his wallet and now he had like ten dollars to survive the day.

“Okay…” the guy shook his head. “Y/n,”

Peter’s heart skipped a beat.

Suddenly you appeared from a door he hadn't noticed until now, cast still on, but you looked healthier.

“What?!”

“Price for a bouquet of daisies…”

“What kind?” you sounded exasperated.

“Cheap,” the guy said in a tone that made Peter want to roll his eyes.

You squinted at the guy and Peter almost laughed. “Umm… eight dollars.” You finally looked at Peter.

Peter felt naked without the mask, and even if it was a crazy idea that he would deny later on the day, he, deep inside, was hoping you’d recognize him.

“Uh, um yeah that’s okay.” Peter spoke, a little choked.

“What colors do you want?” you asked him.

“All of them?”

It made you smile. “Nice.”

And you disappeared through the door, Peter let out the trapped air in his lungs.

The guy was just staring at him weirdly. “cash or card?”

“Cash,”

“Of course.”

Peter furrowed his eyebrows, offended. “Whatever man, I don’t want anything, thanks.”

Peter came out of the store mad, upset, shocked and disappointed. Crossing the street he tried to look for another flower shop. He didn't care he was late anymore, Gwen was a priority and he shouldn’t feel this shitty prior to his date.

“Hey, hey… dude..”

He heard and looked over his shoulder, you were running towards him, a bouquet in hand, cheeks red and no coat on. Were you crazy or what?

Peter stopped and waved his hands to stop you.

“You forgot your flowers!” you said, a hue of vapor came out of your lips.

“I didn't pay for them,”

“I know,” you looked embarrassed. “Sorry about Jerry, he's a little bitch, here take them! They’re on the house.”

Peter’s eyes went from your eyes to the happy perky daisies on your hand.

“I will follow you around until you take them.” You grinned. “Go on.”

Peter with a little smirk on her lips, sighed. “Just because you have no coat on and it’s freezing… Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, have a nice day.”

Your smile made him feel funny inside. “Yeah you too.”

Pivoting on your post you made your way back, Peter stood there perched, waiting for you to get inside the shop again, his cheeks went fully red when you looked back at him and smiled.

“No,” he simply said, shaking his head making his way to see Gwen.

Part 2 - Part 3

143 notes · View notes

landinrris · 25 days

Note

norrix prompt: preshow/prerace jitters, holding hands to calm each other down, soft kisses

Posting this entire snippet here rather than on ao3 since this is actually part of a larger thing I'm in the early stages of. Consider it a sneak preview of sorts (that happens near the end of the fic oops). In any case, Martin and Lando in the buildup to a race at some point later this season (think Austin). Lando has some healthy pre-race jitters and Martin is there to bring him back down a bit.

One thing that Martin doesn’t think he’s going to get over any time soon is just watching Lando prepare for a race. After he’s done floating around and greeting some of the guests McLaren has invited. After he’s eaten his ritualistic meal and shrugged on his fireproofs for the afternoon.

There’s probably a fairly obvious reason why he likes sitting back and watching Jon stretch and massage Lando. Maybe part of it is due to how Martin feels like he’s having an out-of-body experience in some ways. But he loves watching Lando laugh and sing along to his music. He loves watching how Lando slips into a meditative state at a certain point.

He also just loves chatting, Lando speaking with his normal cadence like he’s not being bent in half.

“What’re you gonna do if I win?” Lando pokes while Jon has one of his legs literally flat over his head. A fact that almost causes Martin to choke when he looks up from his phone.

“In reality or in my head?” Because they are different things right now. Plus, Martin hadn’t been able to be there for Lando’s first win— had missed it by a race— so he has a few ideas in mind now.

Lando hums, letting out a quiet grunt when Jon must stretch a less-than-loose muscle. “Go on, give me your ideal outcome, and I’ll tell you if it’s too out there.” He tips his head to the side enough to fully catch Martin’s eye. There’s a genuine glint that greets him— like Lando might very well agree to whatever Martin says. He can’t help but laugh to himself.

Martin flicks his gaze up to Jon.

“Mate, as long as it’s not about your literal sex life, I don’t care what the hell you two talk about while I’m here. You should know that by now,” Jon laughs.

In that case. “If you must know, I would sprint down to parc fermé with the team. And then I would kiss you in front of all the cameras. Everyone else gets to do it, why not us?”

Lando’s eyes somehow soften further. “Is this in a universe where we’re already out?”

Martin shakes his head. “No, it’s in this one. Just finally put the rumors to rest.”

“Well, who knows, maybe I’ll be so high on success that I’ll let you do it.” He tries to sound nonchalant, but Martin can tell Lando is actually thinking about it. He’d practically told Kym Illman to fuck off earlier, but here Lando is contemplating concretely outing them. Martin almost pushes himself out of his chair to crowd Lando against the table, Jon’s presence be damned.

“Guess you gotta win then.”

The part Martin doesn’t love as much about watching Lando get ready for a race is that he can tell when the nerves start to set in. Never too much but enough that means he’s aware of his mortality even as protected as they are. He watches as the twitch in Lando’s jaw gets a bit more defined, watches as he wipes his hands down the front of his suit more often, and swipes his hands around his neck and face while he thinks through his strategy. As the seconds tick by, Lando chews a bit more at his thumb.

They’re about to finally leave the hospitality building and cross over to the garage when Martin shoots his hand out to Lando’s shoulder to prevent him from following Jon so closely. Lando turns a questioning look on him but doesn’t pull away.

“Hang back for a second, yeah?”

He nods, Jon leaves, and then it’s just the two of them surrounded by temporary walls with a gradually growing din of noise just beyond.

“What’s up?” Lando asks first. Martin almost doesn’t hear him because he gets sidetracked watching Lando’s tongue dart to swipe at the corners of his mouth.

Martin shakes himself out of it because now is not the time. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Take a second to breathe because I know you forget to in the buildup.”

Understanding dawns on Lando’s face, and he smiles softly. He steps closer, reaching up to pluck Martin’s hand off his arm and holds it for himself. “Thank you for the reminder. Believe it or not, I still get a bit more nervous with you around than I should. You’d think I’d get over it after two years.”

“What? Really? For what?”

Lando shrugs, looking sheepish. “I don’t know. At first, it was because you were so cool, you know? Knew my name… wanted to hang out with me... Then it was because I had a stupid crush, and now I think it’s because I don’t trust myself not to do something stupid.”

“Are you saying I’m no longer cool?” Martin asks in exchange for not unpacking all of that right now. Plus, Lando doesn’t have to know he harbors his own anxieties, particularly at the race starts.

“No, you’re actually very lame, if you must know.”

Martin scoffs and pulls Lando into as tight of a hug as he dares. He fits his hands across Lando’s shoulder blades and tucks his face into Lando’s neck like they so often do. Lando only takes a few seconds to respond in kind before he’s gripping Martin’s just as tightly. The warmth of Lando’s body is overwhelming as usual, the weight of his hands comforting as they rock back and forth for a few moments.

“You’ve got this,” Martin whispers fiercely into Lando’s skin. And I’ll still kiss you if you come second or third, if you want. I think either of those will also get a big reaction from people.”

Lando gently knocks his head sideways into Martin’s and chuckles. “Don’t tempt me or I might actually do it.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it.”

#writing tag #norrix #lando #maritn #ask

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uzumaki-rebellion · 10 months

Text

"Black Boys Bloom Thorns First: Volume 4, Chapter 74 (Finale) Part 1

I had to split this into 2 posts. Go to Wattpad to read it easier!

Need to catch up on this epic? Masterlist HERE.

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"Years I have known I am living in a war zone

Poison of my enemy blatantly attacking me

War goddess arouse your power

Know this is indeed your hour

Dying to be heard literally

Constant screams convincing me

War"

Caron Wheeler – "Beach of the War Goddess"

"Shh, Dumplin, don't wake him…Baba is tired. Sweet Pea…both of you go with Kora and let your father sleep longer."

N'Jadaka kept himself snug in the fetal position with the bed covers tucked under his chin. Yani fussed with Sydette and Riki as they rushed to the bed trying to get to him. It was a losing battle once Sydette patted his shoulder and cupped his chin.

"Baba, today is such a pretty day, we should all go outside to see the blue butterflies," Sydette said.

N'Jadaka opened one eye. Sydette peered down at him with her big dimples visible.

"See, Baba is wide awake," Sydette said.

"Come on, Baba…the butterflies…." Riki whined.

N'Jadaka groaned. Yani had worked his body out and he ached all over in a good way.

"The butterflies will still be migrating later this afternoon," Yani said.

"Baba…"

Sydette's big eyes would not take no for an answer.

"Give Baba one more hour," N'Jadaka groaned.

He shifted his head onto a large pillow and gave both children morning hugs as they clamored onto him. Their haste to lie next to him on either side squeezed Yani out of the way. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, a lavender cover-up hanging loosely around her curves.

"We can have breakfast in bed," Sydette suggested.

Yani glanced at N'Jadaka and he grinned.

"Alright, breakfast in bed with Mama and Baba," he said.

Sydette and Riki cheered.

"Are you sure you want to get up now?" Yani said.

"Yeah… yeah…once I start moving around I'll be okay," he said.

Yani tapped a camouflaged floating screen above her nightstand.

"Kora, we'll have breakfast with the children in my room. Please tell the kitchen to bring our meals on trays."

"Yes, Princess Yani," Kora answered on the screen.

Yani fluffed up the pillows in the middle of the bed for the children to sit between them better. Their home attendants brought up the hearty morning meal of hot honey chicken omelets, mango crepes, and cheesy grits. N'Jadaka listened to his children talk excitedly about the blue butterfly migration through the royal garden and shared new riddles from Baba Z and Umama. His eyes blurred a lot and he found himself turning his head to the side, pretending to check his kimoyos because the peace he felt being with his family under a single roof flooded him with memories of his home life as a child. It gave him normalcy. Comfort. Fleeting images of himself as a boy sneaking food from his mother's plate as his father did the same rooted him in the present.

"When is Joba coming back?" Riki asked.

"In a few days," Yani said.

"Why can't she just stay here with us when Umi Disa has to travel?" Sydette asked.

N'Jadaka touched Sydette's braided hair.

"Well, they have family overseas that don't get to see her that much. Umi Disa has to share her with other relatives," N'Jadaka said.

"They can just come here," Riki said, irritation coloring his voice.

"You miss your baby sister, Dumplin?" Yani asked, tickling Riki's shoulder.

He nodded, and then his eyes watered.

"Aw, baby boy, she'll be back home soon. I know it's been hard for you," Yani cooed.

She hugged Riki and he buried his face in her side. Yani glanced at N'Jadaka and they shared a look to allow their son to cry openly. It was something they agreed upon to keep Riki in touch with his feelings. He was attached to Joba in a way they were still understanding as a family and it had nothing to do with emotional distance but the actual physical contact between them. They thrived as siblings in proximity to each other, almost as if they needed to recharge with one another in order to function at their best. Shuri theorized it had to do with their empathetic abilities to read people, and they balanced each other out when it became too much to process. Yani even commented that keeping them close helped with Riki's outbursts of frustration, something N'Jadaka recognized in his own past as a neurodivergent child. Crying was taught to their children as a good thing, a purifying release that wasn't to be coddled away or shunned as an outlet for mental health. N'Jadaka let himself shed some tears with his child and Yani reached across the pillow to rub his shoulder.

"I miss her too, Lil Man," he said.

Riki nodded and sat back on his propped pillow and his chest heaved a few times until he calmed himself down. Holding his father's hand helped him, the kinetic contact soothing to the boy from someone with the same gifts of perception.

"Will we get to stay here with you from now on?" Sydette asked.

"Yes. All of us here together," N'Jadaka said.

"Finally," Sydette said. "I'm tired of moving from house to house."

"Me too," Yani said.

N'Jadaka leaned over and kissed Yani in front of the children, solidifying the final union. Soon enough, he crammed the last of the food in his mouth, belched, and checked messages on his kimoyo. Shuri was back in her lab collecting data from satellite warning systems and T'Challa left his suite to join his sister. There was an orange code warning attached to T'Challa's message. The Avengers were heading to Wakanda and he would handle it before pulling N'Jadaka into the mix. N'Jadaka's intuition told him that complications were on the horizon. He typed a message informing everyone in the upper ranks that he would spend the next two hours with his family before heading out to Shuri's lab. His scheduled day off would have to be forsaken for duty to the country.

The attendants returned to collect their trays and juice glasses. Kora arrived to collect the children to change into outdoor clothes.

"Go, go!" Yani said.

She waved her hands at the children and they tumbled out of the bed and ran out of the room to Kora. She locked the door behind them.

"I'll have to remember to lock the door early. I spoke with them about barging in here when we're still sleeping. They'll have to get used to knocking from now on."

"They'll learn. They aren't accustomed to us being together in the same bedroom. It's different from before. I don't mind it."

"But what if they catch us… you know…"

"I'll code some warning lights for them so we'll know they're on the loose."

"I'll just keep the door locked. Time to learn boundaries as a unit."

His gaze dusted over her cover-up.

"I like when you wear those," he said.

She twirled around to amuse him before joining his side on the bed again.

"I saw the expression on your face when you checked messages. What is it?"

He rubbed Yani's hip and pulled her on top of him. Sunlight dappled across her arm and he rubbed the warmth it brought to her skin.

"The Avengers… Cap's people with Tony Stark… they need our help. It's a big deal, but T'Challa and I have made contingency plans."

"Contingency plans?"

He took a deep inhale.

Yani caressed his cheek.

"I can handle it," she said.

Closing his eyes, he accepted fully that Yani would indeed navigate the trying times ahead with him.

"Can we talk about it after the butterflies?" he asked.

"Sure. C'mon…"

She pulled him from the bed and they sauntered out to her balcony shower. The wide glass enclosure steamed up fast and they stripped naked, walking inside the warm space hand in hand. He lathered up a fluffy synthetic loofah sponge and washed Yani's front and back. She did the same for him as he scrubbed down his privates and hers.

Rinsing off with the three-sixty jet sprays, sunlight illuminated the shower, and N'Jadaka held Yani close to his wet body. Lowering his head he kissed her and fondled her breasts. She broke away smacking her lips and placing a hand on the plane of his left pec.

"Don't start nothin', man," she giggled.

He fingered her folds, finding them slippery and plumped up.

Yani moved out the sower and padded over nude to an outdoor chaise lounge to retrieve their towels. Her breasts jiggled as she unfolded the cloth for him.

"Baby, stay like that…put the towel down and bend over a little bit…yeah, like that."

He touched his dick from the entrance of the steamy shower while watching her.

"Lean forward… yeah… right there," he moaned.

She wiggled just a bit and then spread her feet wider while holding onto the chaise lounger. Her ass cheeks parted and her vulva became more visible. She rocked her hips left and right so that her backside hypnotized him. Slowing down even more, she gave him a little show. His erection grew in his hand. Once his dick started spewing pre-cum, he walked over to her and rested the wide head on her rump.

"Keep moving like that…yeah…nice and slow…lemme slap this dick on that ass…"

His free hand squeezed her left butt cheek as he masturbated against her. Reaching around for a heavy breast, he fondled her chest and jerked off.

"I warned you about startin' somethin'. Your big mouth told them an hour. We were supposed to sleep in," Yani grumbled.

"This is just a quickie. You know I'm a basic dude that fumbles when it comes to all this parading around in front of me. You didn't have to jiggle this ass so hard to get some towels. You wanted to prance around and tease me."

"If you say so."

"Always your go-to answer."

He slapped her ass and the sound was a solid loud echo.

"First time I saw this big ass I wanted to do this," he grunted. "Walk for Daddy."

Yani did the slow sultry walk into the bedroom he loved. N'Jadaka followed and fisted himself, watching her ass bounce. She could walk around anywhere in their private life like that with him and he would follow as if she placed him in a seductive trance. Cake by the pound, mama was heavy, and N'Jadaka kept up with her swaying hips.

"Make those cheeks clap for me," he said.

Yani stopped at her vanity and jumped up and down lightly, not needing too much effort to get her ass cheeks bouncing before they started making the noise he loved. She wiggled and reached back to smack her cheeks for him to show how much heaviness she carried.

"Oohh Yani…fuck," he groaned in a high-pitched tone.

He jerked off and patted her folds with his dick, making his tip slick.

"Remember how I used to make you walk around the compound naked?" he asked.

"Yeah."

He slapped his dick harder on her ass. Pre-cum dripped down her skin. He twisted his fingers under the head of his dick and cupped her breast again. His balls ached to cum, but he wanted to make it last. Once they stepped out of her bedroom, the day would not be their own anymore.

"We should go back to St. Thomas for a family vacation. I can fuck you outside again like I used to. Bend you over in the laundry room…tight, young pussy all over my dick. Everybody used to watch your fine ass walk around with this big booty in those sweats…cheeks just fucking bouncing all day. You knew what it did to me watching you walk around. Fat titties…fat ass… and you just let me nut in your pussy…all in your tight pussy…oh fuck…spread that ass…lemme cum on that pussy baby…"

Yani twisted her hips in a slow erotic fashion knowing he needed that slowness to arouse him more. Leaning her elbows on the vanity, she glanced back at him, ratcheting up his visual pleasure as she pouted her lips. Her rump did a syncopated dance all their own, teasing him with their movement the way men back home would make gifs of her social media videos to nut off to. That shit worked on her man too, and his face scrunched up, his lips parted to spill out the groans of losing control. His occasional gasps as the pitch of his voice changed excited her, and Yani spread her folds for him to see the delicious pink he craved surrounded by the sparkling jewels of her piercings.

She tilted her hips, and he rested his tip near her opening and spurted creamy hot cum all over her folds.

"Spread them pussy lips wider… lemme see all that pink… there you go baby…nut all over that…"

He grunted as his dick pulsed in his hand, all hot and heavy, painting more streaks of white heat all over her ass.

"I made a mess for real Yani…fuck… look at all that cum."

He rubbed semen gently over her swollen folds.

"Still sore?" he asked.

"A little. But I have that new cream Ilana brought for me."

"Want me to rub it on you?"

"No, I'll do it myself because you'll want to put that dick back in and we don't have time," she huffed.

They kissed.

A pounding on the bedroom door separated them.

"Mama! Baba! Come on!" Riki shouted.

Yani rushed back to the shower to rinse off and N'Jadaka grabbed the clothes that Ilana and Zola left out for him.

Several diverse species of butterflies migrated through Wakanda, but the favorite was always the blue mountain butterfly that traversed the terrain of the Jabari down to the warmer valley of Birnin Zana during the roosting season.

Sydette and Riki squealed and chased the thousands of fluttering butterflies, their brilliant color flooding the sky with azure wings.

"Gentle, gentle…" Yani prodded.

Sydette turned her face towards them with two butterflies flapping their wings on her forehead. They all laughed and N'Jadaka took pictures with his kimoyo beads. A dense migratory wave swooped down through the royal garden and flew past them. Surrounded by sunlight and blue, the happy family basked in the beauty of nature.

The children ran down a path to follow the butterflies heading toward the sweet-smelling flowers that attracted and sustained them, and N'Jadaka clasped Yani's hand and walked with her slowly to admire their bloodline frolicking in the garden. They spoke of her work, their wedding plans, and his need to balance more quiet time for himself. The sun rose above the tallest trees in the garden and they slowed down to admire the garden pond near the edge of the south enclosure.

"I think I want to write a book," Yani said.

The brown of her eyes were bright with the light of the sun, their shine almost turning into honey amber jewels as she gazed up into his face seeming to yearn for his approval. She valued his input regarding her career even though she was the expert in the trajectory of her future goals. He adored how she squeezed his hand and waited for an answer. Her beauty had always moved him and in the midst of butterflies and warm solar rays, N'Jadaka fell in love with Yani all over again, a mature love that sweetened more each day.

"What will your book be about?" he said.

"I want to share how Wakanda brings babies into the world. I will call it 'The Wakandan Way of Birth'…or something like that. Disa liked the article I wrote for the Wakandan Daily News and I think the lessons I've learned here could benefit Western women more personally in book form. Pictures… testimonies… and my experience being trained away from Western medicine. I complete my obstetrics residency next year, and with my Wakandan midwife certification finished, I think I'm qualified enough to write what I know so far. I'll request to be transferred to a hospital closer to the palace if I can."

"That sounds pretty good to me, baby. You have a full pedigree now. Dr. Galiber-Udaku…queen of the nation and the author of a future bestseller. Doing big things like I knew you would."

She rested her head against his chest.

"I love you… so much," Yani whispered into his chest.

"I love you more."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she nestled into his chest deeper and he rubbed circles into her upper back.

"Do you need me to provide you with more support? I'll have your personal office ready in the East Palace. When you're prepared to interview new staff for your palace office, let me know. Zinzi and Efetobo can help screen applicants."

"I want a cross-section of the nation to apply, not just people in the golden city."

"That can be arranged. Let me know the budget you need and I can approve any extra admin costs for international travel and your auxiliary programs outside of Wakanda," he said.

He tilted her chin to look into her eyes.

"We have to talk about the schedule changes Yani. I have to factor in our joint duties on the world stage, but I know this will cut into your hospital work. There are high expectations for the queen…and now that we've begun working with other nations…listen, I'm not saying you can't keep working at the hospital, but your hours will have to be adjusted. Your presence at the ball was legendary already, understand? You are my secret chess piece."

"I don't want to be a part-time doctor."

"You can't be a part-time queen either."

"Why not? You have Ramonda to help you."

"Ramonda is my hand across the sea. You are the face of the nation. I need your patient load to be cut down to at least twenty hours a week."

"Twenty?!"

"You're about to be a queen. Have you thought out what that means? If something ever happened to me, you'd have to run the country. You have to be in the throne room for as much time as you're in the hospital. The Council of Elders, the Wakandan parliament, and the nobles expect you seated next to me."

Yani mashed her lips together, a curse word surely being held back from him.

"I asked for a compromise, baby. That's what the twenty hours are for. You would have morning duties in the throne room, and then you could finish the rest of your time at the hospital and your East Palace office."

"Babies don't arrive on a set schedule."

"This is the life we have now. We are the king and queen of the world."

The hesitation in her eyes worried him.

"I can't ask for more than you can give, Yani. Queens before you accepted their assignment as mother of the nation without question. It's one of the most powerful positions any woman will ever have. The elders told me if you can't give up the time, then they'll have to reconsider your title as queen. I'm not ruling with a princess, girl. I'm not marrying another woman either to have a queen in the role that only fits you. Please give it a chance, baby. I want you to have both worlds in peace. Once they see you can balance it, they may lay off the pressure on me."

"You can make all the rules now—"

"I also have to meet the elders halfway… show them that I'm not just a half-cocked dictator. I compromise to make them trust my leadership. Zinzi and Efetobo support you one hundred percent, but even they have to abide by the ancient laws and traditions of what the queen represents. You're not just the wife of a king, or an adornment for me either. You are a leader. Your hand will shape politics, and if you want to make the changes you desire in the world, then you have to be in the room where those decisions are made."

She considered his words, a lightbulb going off in her head by the way she glanced at the plants in the distance.

"I want to be in the room to help get what I need for my work," she said.

"You have to look beyond work… beyond your career… even beyond motherhood at times. Just like me."

Yani folded her arms across her midsection and stepped away from him to think.

"Do you wish I never took the throne?" he asked.

"No. I guess I just thought my domain would be raising our children and my continued education in medicine. Maybe I ignored everything else because I didn't think it would be my responsibility too. I planned on being like Michelle Obama…minding my business, supporting you on critical matters, and looking good for pictures."

"A queen is a lot more than a first lady in this country."

"I can be the queen Wakanda needs… the queen that you need," she said.

"You proved it last night. We're a kickass team."

Yani reached for his hand and he kissed her palm. He walked with his arm around her, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Too much quiet.

They caught up to Sydette who picked a fresh bouquet near the frog pond.

"Where is Riki?" Yani asked.

Sydette glanced around and shrugged.

"He was here a minute ago. Maybe he went to the gazebo," Sydette said.

"Riki," N'Jadaka called out.

Yani tapped her kimoyo.

"He's over by the cathedral tress," Yani said.

The path to the ancient tall trees winded around the frog pound and past Joba's fairy garden. They found Riki stuffed inside the space created by the bending and twining of tree trunks made years before N'Jadaka's father had been born. Riki spoke in a whispery voice, trying his best to stay hidden inside the protective covering.

"Riki!" Yani scolded when they all saw that he was speaking to Joba's image.

N'Jadaka's youngest daughter sat in her bed dressed in pajamas. It was nearly three in the morning where she stayed.

"Why are you up, Sunshine?" Yani asked.

Joba giggled.

"Does Mommy know you're talking to Riki?" N'Jadaka asked.

"Mommy is asleep," Joba said.

N'Jadaka stared at her smile.

"You lost another tooth baby girl?" he asked.

The gap in her top front teeth made her adorable.

"I showed her my loose tooth, Baba," Riki said, opening his mouth to show off his bottom tooth.

"How is your Mommy, Sunshine?" Yani asked.

"Good."

"Can we have some privacy, please?" Riki insisted.

"Don't keep her up long, ten more minutes and then she has to get to sleep, Lil Man," N'Jadaka said.

Yani blew Joba a kiss and they left the younger children alone to watch Sydette gather more flowers for her bouquet. N'Jadaka slipped his hand into the back pocket of the skintight mauve yoga pants Yani squeezed into. As always, he couldn't keep his hands off of her without holding something to keep them connected. Gratitude swarmed in his chest. He dropped down low and encouraged Yani to climb onto his back. He carried her piggyback toward the palace entrance. Riki caught up to them. The beauty of their surroundings had them all feeling tranquil. A visit to the garden maze brought on a game of hide and seek before a quick trip to the peahen nursery to observe new hatchlings.

The family shared a light lunch with all the grandparents in the regular dining room before N'Jadaka took them back to their private residence to have naps. Their children went to their separate rooms and Yani took away one of Riki's kimoyo beads so he wouldn't contact Joba again in secret.

N'Jadaka climbed the stairs to his third-floor king's domain where an entire wing made up just his bedchamber alone. Ilana and Zola had fresh tea and snacks waiting for him with lavender incense burning in small brass holders shaped like panthers. They assisted Yani for a time before she joined him in his bedroom to nap wearing a sheer pink dressing gown. Cuddling on top of the covers, he rested his head on her breasts, while she stroked his locs.

Zola brought up a change of clothes for Yani to wear later, and Ilana tinted the windows and made sure N'Jadaka's warrior attire was situated for his trip to Shuri's lab later.

"This is the fucking life," he murmured into Yani's titties as he pulled aside the ties on her dressing gown to suck on her nipples.

"Just a big baby," she teased, helping to widen the top of her gown for easier titty access.

He plucked and sucked on her nipples and listened to her heavy breathing. When her eyes were glassy looking, he whispered in her ear.

"Did you put that cream on down there?" he said.

Yani nodded.

She squirmed next to him, watching him undress all the way.

"I'm sorry, baby. I can't help it. You're so fucking fine…"

He grunted into her ear. Yani circled her hands around his thick neck. Without him asking or begging, she widened her legs and he gripped his dick.

"Can't help it…"

He sank into her depths and shouted her name. It felt like molten caramel stickiness slathering his dick.

"You take it so deep…fuck… you got the best pussy, Yani. Best pussy I ever had in my life…listen to it take this big dick. Fuck!"

Yani laid up under him with passive pillow princess energy. Missionary was her favorite position with him. She loved to keep still with her legs wide so she could watch his dick going in and out of her pussy making all kinds of wet, squelching noises. Arousal for her came from N'Jadaka working himself into an obsessive sexual frenzy. He held her legs for her and she passively watched him pump her walls with deep short thrusts. Her pussy gripped him tight, her delicate hands resting on her thighs. After deep stroking her for a while, he stopped talking. Listening to his dick stretch her pussy, all he could muster was grunts and moans. A gripping pussy was always too much for him. All of his favorite lovers in the past that came close to that magical tight tunnel that shut down language couldn't compare to his queen.

Staring at the kittenish teasing in her glossy brown eyes broke him down physically and mentally. Thrusting deeper, he held still inside of her to indulge in the throbbing of his dick. Together they regarded their joining, her pussy stuffed full of heavy pipe. He was snug and she was stretched to capacity. He reached down to cup both breasts and she widened her thighs, allowing his balls to smack against her ass cheeks better once he resumed shallow thrusts extending the build-up ready to release intense pleasure. Dropping his head down further, he began panting, unable to hide the loss of control creeping up from the tension in his ass toward his massive shoulders held rigid.

"Ohhhh….Yani…baby, I wanna cum inside you…" he sputtered.

That thang was yankin' on his meat and his toes dug into the covers to anchor his thrusts. Yani reached up with both hands and cradled his face. Her lips pursed tight a few times as control slipped from her grasp. He wore down that pussy and her satisfied whimpers pleased him. However, the superior lovemaking that she provided turned him into a praying man in the middle of the act. His prayers were given to her in Wakandan love talk, the gushy sounds of her pussy accepting the reverence of his soft words raining down on her ears. Swiveling his hips to stroke at a different angle released a loud cry from her lusty lips. A heat spread behind his eyes and a pressure in his throat tightened his lips and he grimaced as the root of his dick sent pulses that squeezed at his balls. Her warmth, wetness, and lush body became an insatiable whirlpool he never wanted to escape from.

Lowering his head, he delved a greedy tongue into her mouth for deep wet kisses. Each stroke of his dick matched the neediness of his lips, and the fiery muscle wrestling control of her gasps for air flustered his resolve to last longer. Overwhelmed by too many sensations and moving parts pressing down on her, Yani jammed her cheek against his and listened to him curse his way through a massive orgasm. He lifted his body up just enough to watch his dick throb and pump her full of cum, his dick piercing rubbing up under her clit ring.

"Shit…ooh shit… I'm nuttin' in this pussy…I'm nuttin' all in this pussy, baby. Look at my dick…this nut feels too fucking good…ohhhhh….damn….damn…fuck you doin' to me, Yani?"

A desperate groan cut him off and he watched Yani react to his release. Her eyes started to roll back then slammed shut when her thighs shook.

"Cum on that dick," he pleaded.

He gently thumbed her clit, tugging on her piercing to guide her to heaven.

"Oh dassit…dassit girl…I feel that pussy all over my dick…"

He hunkered down on her and pushed Yani to her limit, letting his dick hit that bottom so her orgasm lasted and he could savor the throbbing from tip to root of his rigid dick.

She opened her eyes and they both gazed into the reflections of love binding them forever. His sweet, precious island girl… the one who loved him back to himself…his eyes blurred, but not before he witnessed a teardrop fall upon her cute round nose. Yani wept under him, her tears spilling along the sides of her lids. He ejaculated again and shouted with surprise at what he was able to spurt into her. Her pussy contracted around his length and he slumped over in defeat, blanking out mentally for about five seconds before gaining control of his senses again.

He lifted away from her, pulling out his dick. The dark brown of his fat erection dripped with the liberal shine of her sticky fluids. It hung heavy and sated between his thighs.

"You fucked the shit out of me," he gasped. "How is that possible when I did all the work?"

He folded like a bad poker hand onto her breasts, accepting the rubs on his head from her in silent wonder. When he was strong enough after a time, he lowered his head between her legs to kiss her folds and lick the jewels that adorned platinum pussy like hers. His thick lips gave loving kisses to her big thighs, her hips, and her belly button. It still wasn't enough to show her how she broke him down sexually. All he could do was keep kissing her vulva and clit, using the tip of his tongue to part her folds and trace the shape of hearts all over her pussy lips.

He fell asleep with his head resting on her thigh and his fingers playing with her nipples.

N'Jadaka loved hard and strong.

Yani listened to his deep breathing as he slept on her body.

He slow-fucked her to sleep, but she woke up before he did. Sometime during their nap, he had moved against her side, his right hand still gripping a titty for security. He snored softly and he only did that in a deeply relaxed state. Especially after he fucked her good and proper. To say he gave her the best dick in her life was an understatement. Her body was built for deep-dick men, and not every man had the pipe to get past her ass cheeks or tame her depths. Only N'Jadaka.

His open confession of her being the best pussy he ever had made her feel amazing. He fucked her like he was scared to lose her… like he was proving to her that no other man could handle her, and he was right. Cumming with him was magical, and crying together was divine. He possessed her completely.

N'Jadaka's kimoyo beads lit up in a cool neon green color. Shuri.

Yani lifted from his body giving him space to roll over and answer the call. She snuggled under the covers to hide her nudity. N'Jadaka slipped on loose house pants.

"Talk to me," he said.

Shuri's face carried stress. Her lips stuck out further than normal with worry.

"I think you should see this. At first, I thought the earlier images were captures of American space debris or maybe even solar rays interfering with our equipment…"

N'Jadaka's bedroom became filled with images of Earth from space. The images zeroed in on specks in the atmosphere above them.

"Satellites?" he asked.

"No."

The images were enlarged. Silver spheres floated above the continent of Africa.

"Maybe probes…a tracking system of some kind," Shuri said. "They've moved closer to earth in the last hour."

"I'm heading over there," he said.

"Rogers warned us of an assault. From space. This looks bad, N'Jadaka."

Shuri sent over new images. N'Jadaka enlarged them. Yani jerked up from the bed.

"Are those spaceships?" Yani said.

Shuri's image returned and the lines on her forehead increased.

"Those ships appeared right after the Avengers contacted us about their team coming here. As of now, these spacecraft are hiding themselves near the Kuiper Belt. They were not there twelve hours ago."

"They may be using the wormholes. How many?" N'Jadaka asked.

"I only counted seven, like an armada waiting off the coast," T'Challa answered.

T'Challa stood near Shuri with an equally grim expression.

"Standby," N'Jadaka said.

He shut off his kimoyos.

"There are aliens coming here?" Yani asked.

N'Jadaka reached for her hand, but Yani pulled on her napping gown and stepped off the rumpled bed.

"We will find out more. I want you and the children to visit Nakia. Stay with her until I contact you. Do not let on to anyone that you've seen this, okay?"

Questions flew through her mind, but she kept silent. N'Jadaka was in control and she rested in that knowledge, trusting him to protect them all from any and everything. Yani kissed his lips and hustled out of the king's bedchamber.

"Kora, have the children dressed and ready to go with me to see Lady Nakia," Yani said.

Kora moved with swift legs to the children's wing and Yani ran to her dressing room where Ilana and Zola helped supervise the organization of her shoe wall to make space for her new queen wardrobe that included royal isicholos and other accessories.

"I'm going to spend time with Lady Nakia and Prince Toussaint. Can you organize this without me today?" Yani asked.

Both women nodded, clearly aware that something bothered Yani. They helped her with a quick shower and provided her with a lovely draped wide-legged pantsuit in a rich eggplant color.

"Peplum blouse or a princess vest?" Ilana asked.

"The dark green peplum," Yani said.

A half hour later she was on her way with the children and all their Doras to see Nakia. Yani's years of keeping a neutral face around deadly killers proved invaluable to her. Nakia caught no hint of concern from her. Her eyes lit up in delight from the new gifts they brought for the baby and the children kept them all occupied with their need to hold Toussaint and fuss over him like a Christmas gift.

An impromptu tea party commenced and Yani did her part to look after all the royal heirs and Nakia. Two hours later, they all noticed the strange foreign aircraft being escorted past the palace.

N'Jadaka rang the alarm to have their foreign African guests escorted out of Wakanda. He assembled them all in the amphitheater seating of the War Hall after Shuri and T'Challa debriefed him with M'Baku listening.

The outsiders were warned of a national security breach. Not giving them a chance to question his intel, N'Jadaka left W'Kabi in charge of flying all their guests across their borders to various airports before shutting down their entire protective dome shield. No matter the global threat, the Avengers wanted to keep a low profile with the upcoming onslaught from the aliens they called The Black Order. Their leader, Thanos, rushed forward the intergalactic army, and N'Jadaka wanted the battle concentrated at one exact point south of the dome border. It was the best strategic location that would give Wakandans in the inner cities time to escape if there was a shield breach.

T'Challa and M'Baku met him at the Talon Port where a tracker beam held the Avengers aircraft in a holding pattern above the palace for its final security screening. The pilot, Sam Wilson followed instructions from the Wakandan Special Forces security team. T'Challa kept an open image of Steve Rogers and the other Avengers above his wrist. An entire regiment of Dora Milaje and the Onyx Squad surrounded them.

The Foreign aircraft floated down, its wings folding up to land near the king's entourage.

"Standby Shuri," N'Jadaka said.

A ramp lowered and Steve strode out to lead a ragtag group of exhausted Avengers. A white woman with chopped blonde hair matched Steve's pace.

"The Black Widow, Natasha," T'Challa whispered. "Dr. Bruce Banner…the Hulk—"

"Colonel James Rhodes," N'Jadaka said when he spotted Rhodey.

The former military officer blinked a few times when he recognized N'Jadaka. A pearly grin stretched his lips as he walked with Banner toward them.

"They call that one the Scarlett Witch…Wanda. That is Vision. You see?" T'Challa said.

"The mind stone they want us to remove," N'Jadaka said.

Steve reached out a hand to T'Challa and nodded at N'Jadaka.

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something," Steve said.

Banner bowed to the king and attempted to get down on a knee. Rhodey looked aghast.

"We don't do that here," T'Challa said.

"But they should," N'Jadaka replied with a tinge of humor. "Let's go."

They followed N'Jadaka and T'Challa toward a half cruiser ready to whisk them away to Shuri's lab.

"How big of an assault are we looking at Rogers with this Black Order?" N'Jadaka asked.

"Massive," Banner said.

"How are we looking here?"

Natasha's nasally voice irritated N'Jadaka. He glanced back at her and T'Challa put some distance between her and him.

"You will have the Kingsguard, The Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and also Barnes," T'Challa said.

Bucky Barnes sauntered forward with the Kingsguard wearing a new Wakandan arm. He hugged Steve.

"How ya doin', Buck?" Steve asked.

"Not bad for the end of the world," Bucky said.

"Let's keep this reunion short. We have work to do," N'Jadaka ordered.

On the half cruiser, the Avengers sat wide-eyed staring at the world of Wakanda. Rhodey eased over to N'Jadaka.

"This is wild," Rhodey said. "I knew you were a different kind of cat back over in Gulmira, but I didn't think literally."

"Where's Stark?" N'Jadaka said.

Rhodey shrugged.

"So much has been going on full throttle. The Avengers are stretched thin. This is our last chance. If we can't shut them down here, it's over for us. Wherever Stark is, I'm sure he's working his ass off to find a solution to help us," Rhodey said.

"That's the least he could do. As much as he took from the world by helping to destroy it with greed, he owes some restitution."

"What about you? What do you owe the world with all the shit you've done after your time with Special Ops?"

"I owe nothing but a fist and the wisdom to know when to use it for my people, like now. I don't give a damn if these Avengers survive or not, as long as they hold the line for these aliens."

Rhodey's lips curled into a smirk.

"Yeah…they told me you were cold-blooded," Rhodey said.

Sam leaned forward in his seat from eavesdropping.

"Cold-blooded or not, we don't care about you either… as long as our alliance together saves everyone on earth."

The half cruiser swooped over a winding river that led toward Bashenga mountain. They flew over the Hall of Panthers, the new dome sparkling from the light of the golden Wakandan sun.

"All of this has been here for centuries?" Sam said.

"Longer than that," Rhodey quipped with awe in his voice.

"The motherland truly is the cradle of civilization," Sam said.

Sam's eyes appeared shiny as if he were about to weep at the lush futuristic scenery below him. Time wasn't wasted getting Vision to Shuri.

"Let's go! Move out of my way!" Shuri shouted at Natasha and Wanda who crowded Vision.

Shuri's medical team took Vision away and all the others followed with quick steps. She led them to a wide prepped medical bed near a giant window view of the gathering soldiers from Wakanda who lined up in strategic formation. N'Jadaka kept his arms folded near T'Challa.

"Stay back, please," Shuri told Wanda once more with irritation in her throat.

Banner was the only person Shuri kept close to the med bed. Conferring with Banner, Shuri ended her quick overview chat with a playful, "I'm sure you did your best."

N'Jadaka sensed her work would be slow-going and delicate. Shuri glanced at him.

"Give me as much time as you can," she said.

The confidence in her voice added a boost of hope to the others.

"I will give you the bare minimum," N'Jadaka said, "but if our line of defense is broken I need that stone destroyed immediately. I'm not risking all of my people and the diaspora for the feelings of one white woman and her robot boyfriend."

Shuri glanced over at Wanda. The so-called Scarlet Witch folded her arms and her thin lips became a pout.

"He's a sentient being with a right to life as any of us," Wanda spat out toward N'Jadaka.

He strode over to her.

"One life for billions is a fucked up trade-off," N'Jadaka said. "My children's lives are worth more, and I will end the life of anyone who risks theirs and others like them."

"I love him," Wanda said.

"And I love my children. You can cry all you want in front of all these people but this is my country and my cousin will do what I say. Her life is worth more too."

Shuri waved her hand over Vision's body and her kimoyo beads fed her the imaging she needed to process.

"I can do this, as long as I have time, cousin. He has about two trillion neurons…this will be delicate work. One misalignment and a cascade of circuit failure will end him."

Shuri looked at N'Jadaka and he shook his head.

"Time is not on your side."

The finality of his words forced a nod from Shuri. She jumped on her task and the other Avengers didn't look the king in the eye. They only gave anxious glances to Wanda and Vision.

"I have to meet with the Council of Elders and notify Wakandans for emergency preparedness. I'll catch up to you after I address the nation."

N'Jadaka turned to T'Challa.

"A quick word?" N'Jadaka said.

T'Challa followed him to a corner room.

"Do you want to see Nakia and Toussaint first? W'Kabi and Okoye can take the lead for now."

"I would like to do that, but as the Black Panther—"

"Man, fuck all that. You have a newborn. We are about to battle some unknown force. Ain't nothing promised to us."

T'Challa lowered his head and sighed. N'Jadaka gripped his shoulder.

"The world is on our shoulders. Let's go see our babies, Cuz."

T'Challa nodded.

"General Okoye, get the transport vehicles ready. We'll see you after my meeting," N'Jadaka said.

Okoye tapped her spear and led the Avengers away with the Dora Milaje. Wanda stood a proper distance from Vision as Shuri connected him to her computer interface.

The Council of Elders stood with N'Jadaka in the West Palace media room. He recited a prepared statement informing the public of an outside threat and that the nation was on high alert. Emergency responders were placed throughout key areas in the cities and Wakandans in more rural areas were transported to safer lodgings.

The royal family members were kept in the East Palace and N'Jadaka left T'Challa with Nakia and his son while he convened a final meeting with the council elders inside the throne room. He requested Yani by his side. She arrived dressed in a dark flowing dress with a cowrie shell head chain draped all around her scalp in the shape of the Northern Triangle, the oldest place in Wakanda. Her facial expression took on a serious countenance and she looked imposing walking up to her seat next to his throne chair. Ramonda sat on the other side of him with her hands folded on her lap. A bleak mood weighed down the air.

"What are our chances of defeating this Thanos?" M'Kathu asked.

"I was told he had a force made of aliens all across the galaxy. We won't know what we're truly up against until they arrive. They are honing in on Wakanda for the mind stone." N'Jadaka said.

"And you will kill the A.I. that houses it if Shuri fails?" Zinzi asked.

"Shuri will only fail if her time runs out. There are trillions of neuron links that make up Vision. She can save him, but half of all life in the universe will die if it doesn't happen before Thanos comes."

"You should destroy Vision now," Yani said.

The Council of Elders and Ramonda stared at her.

"Am I not allowed to speak freely here?" Yani asked, glancing about.

"Speak," N'Jadaka encouraged.

"Why wait? An army is coming here to wipe us out. When I was in St. Thomas and a man came to kill you and our child, I shot and killed him the moment I saw his eyes. One shot and we're alive because of that. I'm not a soldier, but even I had the good sense to act right then and there. We have something this alien wants and we should get rid of it. Him can't use his power without one lil stone…get rid of it before he comes here. He'll have to leave—"

"With all due respect, Princess Yani, we may still have to fight off an offensive attack. They may become enraged and decide to kill everyone on earth in anger or revenge for thwarting their plans. Either way, we are going to war," Bhira said.

Yani lowered her eyes to her lap and N'Jadaka reached over and squeezed her hand for support. He held pride in his chest that she asserted her viewpoint inside the throne room. The elders hearing she had killed a man without flinching had them glancing at her with new respect.

"The mind stone isn't the main one I'm worried about. He has another stone they say can reverse time. Even if we save Vision or destroy the mind stone, he can rewind everything back. We'll have to do a three-pronged attack. Destroy the mind stone, fight his army, and separate the time stone from him…besides killing him too."

N'Jadaka let the others take in his words and the gravity of their mission.

"As of now, the country is secure with defensive measures in place. We have the mountains and our underground caverns to relocate civilians if it all goes to shit," N'Jadaka said.

Zinzi stood up, glanced at the other elders, then faced N'Jadaka.

"Kumkani N'Jadaka, the Council of Elders wishes to ask that you remain in the palace during this time of foreign aggression. The Black Panther and Princess Shuri are using their talents to protect us on the battlefield, but we want the Golden Jaguar to protect the royal family and flee the territory if necessary to save the bloodline," Zinzi said.

Yani looked at him.

"Thank you for worrying about me and my family, but my talents are needed on the battlefield, too. A leader shouldn't sit back in the cut giving orders while others risk their lives—"

"You have nothing to prove to us. You are our warrior king and we want you here to lead evacuations and give our people hope of defeating this unknown terror," M'Kathu said.

N'Jadaka stepped down from the throne chair.

"I will lead the fight and return when needed," N'Jadaka said.

"As you wish, my king," M'Kathu said.

"We're done here. Everyone knows their orders. Return to the palace bunker," N'Jadaka said.

Efetobo rose from her seat and used her cane heavily to get to him.

"Wakanda Forever King N'Jadaka," Efetobo said.

Instead of making the symbol across her chest, she reached out and hugged N'Jadaka, her frail-looking arms carrying strength in them that filled his heart. When she released him, Ramonda did the same.

"You and T'Challa stay safe and give them hell!" Ramonda demanded.

"I will Auntie."

Zinzi pressed her forehead into his and prayed a few Wakandan scriptures of empowerment. Bhira and M'Kathu shook his hand afterward.

The Kingsguard escorted the elders and Ramonda out of the room. N'Jadaka reached for Yani and she took his hand, rising from her seat. He placed loving arms around her waist.

"I love how brave you appeared in front of them," he said.

He stroked her left eyebrow. Yani buried her face in his chest.

"I should feel more scared, but I'm not."

"Why not?"

She looked up at him.

"In a dream, Queen Mary said I was going to have more babies by you, and she can't be wrong. You can't die, not without me being pregnant. So…since there ain't no pickney in mi belly yet, you won't die."

He chuckled.

"My Mom told me the same thing after I ingested the heart-shaped herb again…about me having more babies. So if two ancestors told us that, then we're covered."

"Are you scared?"

"It's always tense before a battle."

"Not tense. Scared."

"My only fear is the potential amount of lives lost in Wakanda. Many died in the civil war I brought to them. Unfortunately, we're the only country that can even hold off a space army."

She glanced at her kimoyo.

"Riki and Sydette are here," she said, pulling him closer. Two Kingsguards opened the doors of the throne room and Nakia walked in with Toussaint wrapped against her chest. Sydette and Riki followed close by her.

"I came to wish you success," Nakia said.

The former War Dog had touches of pink in the whites of her eyes. She clung to Toussaint with protective hands that patted the bundle softly. N'Jadaka gave her a gentle hug and he stroked the silky smooth hair of the baby. He squatted down on one knee to be at eye level with his own children.

"Auntie Nakia and Mama will keep you all safe here, okay? I'm going to join Uncle T'Challa," he said.

"When will you be back?" Sydette asked.

Sweet Pea's large eyes haunted him. They had endured a dangerous separation before, but he needed to reassure her that he was coming back. He held her small hands in his big ones.

"I can't say for sure, but I will be close by."

"Can we watch you fight?" Riki asked.

"No, Lil Man, that wouldn't be a good idea. All the family will be here together and I'll have Noxolo and Aneka give you updates when I can."

Sydette threw her arms around him just as his kimoyos lit up with Disa's signature. He stood and tapped the beads. Disa and Joba's avatars floated in the middle for all of them to see.

"I'm glad I caught you," Disa said.

"I was going to contact you again," he said.

Disa had tremors in her voice. Joba studied him with calm assurance. His youngest could detect the even control of his tone.

"I want you and Joba to stay in New York until all of this is over. Nothing is happening yet, but I can't risk bringing you both back now."

"I get it, don't worry," Disa said.

Disa's eyes watered and she pushed her lips together.

"Disa… hey…don't worry about me."

"I'm afraid, Erik," Disa said.

N'Jadaka closed his eyes at the sound of his old name on her lips. Disa wiped her eyes and took a deep inhale to keep her voice steady.

"Adebiyi has been supportive and strong for us here, but I wish we could be with you and Yani…everyone. Dammit, I should've come home sooner."

"You were with family, Disa. Everything has been so uncertain and unpredictable. You have the best security team with you and I've already sent a half cruiser to stay offshore in case we need to evacuate you and your relatives. We'll keep you all informed of everything going on here," he said.

Joba hugged her mother and Adebiyi came into view.

"Watch over them for me, man," N'Jadaka said.

"Of course kumkani," Adebiyi said.

"Love you, baby girl," he said.

"I love you too, Baba," Joba said.

Disa held her hands under her chin trying to maintain her composure in front of Joba. Stress lines marred her face.

"Yani," Disa said.

Yani gave Disa a smile.

"Don't worry. We're all safe with N'Jadaka. Let's talk later when I get to the upper floors," Yani said.

The strength in Yani's voice helped Disa pull it together.

"It's hard not being there with all of you. Being far away magnifies everything. Just please be careful…all of you. As soon as it is safe to do so, bring us back," Disa said.

"We love you Umi Disa," Sydette said.

"I love you all, too. Be good for your Mama and don't run Grandpop ragged."

"We won't," Riki said with a mischievous grin.

"I can already tell that you're tricking me," Disa said.

Her mood lifted into higher spirits.

"We'll let you go. N'Jadaka…"

Disa couldn't get the words out. Her eyes told him she loved him instead.

"Love you back, Disa. Get some rest and keep the emergency lines open on all your kimoyos," he said.

Their images winked out.

"I'll take them up," Nakia said.

She let N'Jadaka hug Riki and Sydette, then led them away. Yani linked her arm in his, watching their children take solemn steps. His kimoyos lit up again with an emergency military signature. Okoye's avatar popped up.

"Kumkani, something has entered the atmosphere," Okoye said.

"On my way."

Yani hugged him tight.

"I have to go," he said.

He walked with her to the throne room's emergency departure Talon port. The Royal Talon Fighter floated down onto the secure platform and two Dora Milaje stepped out to escort him. Yani gripped his face and pulled his head down to her.

"Come back to me in one piece or else my old granny and your mother will come after you," she whispered.

Her sweet breath tickled his nose, her moist lips touching his lightly. He kissed her with tiny butterfly kisses before delving into her mouth with his tongue. She stroked his hair and he used the pads of his fingertips to touch her behind, holding back his desire to dig into the flesh more to stay with her.

"N'Jadaka, there are UAPs crashing into the dome shield," T'Challa said.

Yani broke away from him first and smoothed down the front of his shirt. She stepped back and he mentally commanded his Golden Jaguar suit to spread across his body.

"So handsome," Yani said. "Go on… king," she said.

He left her standing on the throne room port. The Talon Fighter darted across the sky and N'Jadaka scanned the puffy white clouds above.

The dome shield held up against the repeated slams of fireball explosives and more streaked down toward Wakanda all across the covering.

His first stop was checking in with the military strategists he hand-picked in a protected area behind the battle formation. General Sampha from the Border Tribe Army shook the king's hand and shared their battle plans on a floating table. The booming of projectiles striking the dome thundered above them.

"Kumkani, our dome shield is at one hundred percent. The weapons striking us are scanning the integrity of our protection, and the impact is growing stronger. How do you wish for us to proceed?" Sampha said.

Sampha's face carried a light sheen of sweat from the blazing sun and his eyes bulged a bit each time a projectile plummeted to earth and slammed into the dome as if he were annoyed by the audacity of aliens coming for Wakanda. Surliness in his voice gave N'Jadaka confidence that the Wakandans were about that smoke. Their military had trained for centuries for such an attack, even if it came from outer space.

N'Jadaka scanned their battle plans. Because these were not humans, the element of unknown factors had them at a disadvantage.

"The Dora Milaje are our most elite shock troops…close range warriors. We'll keep them at the front. I want more Jabari warriors fortifying the target area and a contingency in the capital near the palace."

The image of another drop ship landing outside the dome shook the ground with seismic force.

"Any sign of Thanos yet?" N'Jadaka asked.

"None," Banner answered.

"I don't like these small infantry formations here," N'Jadaka said, pointing to several gaps around the Avengers, "We're too exposed. I want skirmishers to harass and immobilize anything that may get through the wall."

General Sampha rubbed his chin while staring at the infantry.

"Fanning out into a long line makes it harder to flank us," Sampha said.

N'Jadaka pointed to a spot on the formation.

"It weakens the middle here. These fuckers traveled across galaxies that we never have. Ain't no telling what they have to break our lines."

N'Jadaka patted his shoulder.

"I'm not questioning your ability, Sampha. I'm thinking outside the box with the unknown."

The heads of the Navy and Airforce stood at attention awaiting more orders on their end.

N'Jadaka tapped a communicator on the war table.

"Rhodey… Wilson… I'll have the Wakandan airforce work with you inside and out of the barrier when attacks begin. Rhodey, I'm going to use you as an attack chopper, and Wilson, you'll help with the area of affect weaponry. You'll keep the explosives coming when necessary. General Lumumba and Lieutenant General Amilcar are patched into your communicators for commands."

"Roger that!" Both men answered simultaneously.

N'Jadaka worked on strategy and offensive measures with the leadership until the UAPs above them ceased falling. The suddenness unnerved them.

"I will go to T'Challa on the frontline."

"Wakanda Forever, kumkani!" the military heads barked out.

Two of his most menacing Doras waited for him inside the Royal Talon Fighter. They flew him to the battleground. He jumped down from Talon Fighter using its gravity tracker to slow him as he landed next to T'Challa on the battlefield.

"Ready?"

"Yes," T'Challa answered.

Rogers and the rest of the Avengers stood in a row staring up at the trees outside the shield that hid their enemy. M'Baku leaned toward N'Jadaka.

"We have already placed the Jabari warriors you asked to be stationed near Princess Shuri's lab for extra backup in case our line is broken. They have the vibranium shields you gave them activated," M'Baku said.

N'Jadaka shook his hand.

"We can't have them circling the dome. Keeping them here is the goal," N'Jadaka said.

N'Jadaka focused on the tree line outside of the dome again. The earth rumbled once more and giant triangular-shaped metal spheres rose up like hideous temples of doom.

"Bast protect us," T'Challa mumbled.

"Two of them are approaching the barrier," Okoye said.

N'Jadaka jerked his head toward T'Challa.

"Let's see how diplomacy works," N'Jadaka said.

T'Challa, Rogers, and Natasha followed him to the edge of the barrier. An alien three times N'Jadaka's size that looked like a badly rendered goblin waited with a female alien sporting horns and a dark persona. She had to be at least eight feet tall and slid a sword against the barrier. They were humanoid in nature and carried an erect stance of fearlessness. Their eyes locked and the killer in them both recognized the ferocity in the other. An unspoken understanding passed between them. It didn't matter that the creature before him came from a different galaxy across the universe. Game peeped game. Underneath the exterior, N'Jadaka sensed quiet respect. As a child of Ogum, he carried a fierce energy in his eyes. Before N'Jadaka could speak, Natasha glared at the aliens and taunted them.

"Where's your other friend?" she teased.

The female alien shifted her gaze from N'Jadaka to Natasha.

"You will pay for his life with yours."

The female alien turned back to N'Jadaka.

"Thanos will have that stone."

"Not on my watch as king," N'Jadaka said.

"What do they call you?"

"King N'Jadaka… son of Prince N'Jobu and Princess Califia. You?"

"Proxima Midnight. Prepare to be slaughtered."

"You are in Wakanda now," T'Challa interjected. "Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood."

Proxima smirked at the Black Panther.

"We…have blood to spare."

Proxima thrust her sword-holding arm into the air and the giant pyramid structures behind her rose higher from the ground.

"I guess it's on then," N'Jadaka said.

Proxima gave him a sardonic grin and he stomped back toward their line of defense. The tension of not knowing the terror they faced rippled along the soldiers behind N'Jadaka.

"As long as the barrier holds, we're good," N'Jadaka reassured everyone.

The ground shook, followed by clouds of dust outside the barrier announcing the start of the battle. T'Challa stepped forward and shouted "Yibambe!"

All the Wakandans repeated the words after him and N'Jadaka's chest swelled with emotion. He stood with his cousin to protect the world he had come to love. The land of his father. The dream of his mother.

"We defend this to the death!" N'Jadaka shouted. "Hold this line and don't let anything get through it!'

He strode to the front with arms outstretched showing off his claws and regarded the soldiers with blazing eyes.

"When Thanos comes, we must destroy the time stone so he can't reverse anything. Do you understand me?!" he shouted.

The others roared their understanding with weapons raised.

"Holy shit!"

Banner's voice broke through the shouting on their side. N'Jadaka studied the barrier and witnessed the ferocious creatures barreling toward war. Monstrous, six-limbed beasts with the shrieks of hell erupting from their throats.

Bast cooled his mind, and Ogum amped up his fighting spirit to the max.

The alien soldiers slammed their bodies into the barrier, killing themselves, but several were able to push through over the bodies of dead comrades who sacrificed themselves like fire ants crossing a river. Sam and Rhodey flew overhead to take care of the breach, dropping explosives that slowed a few enemies down.

"Shit, they're circling," Banner said.

"How do we stop that?" Rogers said.

The roar of Wakandan aircraft zoomed over the dome and took up battling the beasts outside of the barrier. Despite their exceptional attempts to corral the enemy in one spot, the swarm of alien fighters still overrode them by sheer numbers.

N'Jadaka glanced at T'Challa.

"We have to redirect their movement by making a kill zone," N'Jadaka said.

"I'll open the barrier and keep them at a distance," T'Challa said.

T'Challa touched his ear and spoke to Shuri.

"On my signal, open Northwest section seventeen," T'Challa commanded.

"Requesting confirmation on behalf of Princess Shuri…you said open the barrier?" A woman's voice asked, close enough for N'Jadaka to hear.

"Give him access and on his signal," N'Jadaka spoke into his own earbud.

M'Baku gave N'Jadaka a look of worry. Okoye threw back her shoulders in anticipation.

The barrier opened and the aliens poured in. Wilson flew out to engage behind the barrier with the Wakandan forces.

"Wakanda Forever!" N'Jadaka shouted.

He ran forward and the Talon Fighter's gravitational tracker beam snatched him up in the air.

"You two, go fight with the Black Panther," N'Jadaka ordered.

His Doras jumped down through the tracker beam and he took control of the Talon Fighter, sending down a torrent of firepower to kill monsters. Down below, his cousin took hits to build up kinetic energy and blasted creatures while the Avengers dug into the trenches of war.

He provided long-range support with Rhodey creating a large damage area around the point of impact that pushed back on the hordes bursting through despite their best efforts. Outside the dome, Wilson and the Wakandan Air support were effective in bypassing their line of sight beyond the trees. The outriders began to bunch up around the gap they opened. Their incredible speed became dangerous as they charged inside.

"Fuck! This is straight-up melee combat. Keep them from that defensive line at all costs!" N'Jadaka said.

Okoye's voice crackled in his ear.

"We can't mitigate the power of their charge, kumkani. We are expert close-range fighters but there are just too many of them."

"Second string is on the way, General," W'Kabi interjected.

N'Jadaka watched from the sky as new shock troops converged on the sides in full-body vibranium shields, battling through the trees, keeping the beasts at bay.

"Shuri, progress check," N'Jadaka said.

"Still slow-going. I have just cracked the outer core and can begin the real work," Shuri said with a strained tone of work under pressure.

The Avengers fought valiantly below him and he provided cover and long-range firepower. He fought the temptation to fly outside the barrier because the teeming hordes still overwhelmed the shock troops. Luckily, the first wave of enemy combatants were simple-minded creatures, full of snarling rage and not much else. There was no planned intelligence in their fighting strategy other than running over them.

"Keep them from the capital!" he shouted, flying after outriders who broke past the line.

Yani paced in front of Nakia.

Ilana and Zola scurried about organizing emergency clothing and assisted Nakia's nanny with Toussaint's extra diapers and blankets for travel. Noxolo sent word that the royal family was to be moved to the top floor of the East Palace where the structure could detach and fly off to safety elsewhere. Yani had hoped they wouldn't have to move from Nakia's suite because it told them all that the battle had grown worse than expected and N'Jadaka wanted them on standby evacuation.

Sydette held Toussaint while Nakia used a breast pump to extract milk for her son. Riki leaned against a wall window, watching for any signs of his father of T'Challa.

"I can smell smoke, Mama," Riki said.

Yani sniffed. The air filter pumped in outside air and the acrid stench of something metallic and burning wafted in.

"Shelter Griot, switch to indoor filtered air," Yani commanded.

"Yes, Princess Yani," a female-coded A.I. answered.

Within minutes, the burning smell disappeared.

"Yani, it's Queen Ramonda," Nakia said, holding up her wrist.

Ramonda's avatar shimmered in vivid colors.

"Baba Z and Umama are resting finally. I made them some tea with x'tin leaves added. They should sleep for the next few hours. They have asked that all of you come to the Jabari mountains at once. Dante and Marisol arrived with Tywla and Bibi," Ramonda said.

"I would like to stay here until we hear word from T'Challa and N'Jadaka's team," Nakia said.

"We want our grandchildren and great-grandchildren here with us. There is a half cruiser on standby."

Ramonda's terse tone left no room for arguing.

"Queen Ramonda, N'Jadaka has this shelter programmed to fly to St. Thomas," Yani said.

"Out of Wakanda?"

"Yes."

Ramonda gazed at Toussaint in Sydette's arms.

"I hate that the last few generations of Udaku children have witnessed nothing but war and family disruption."

"I understand Queen Mother, but we are together in this. What we are experiencing is an external threat…but one that unites us," Nakia said.

Yani's kimoyo lit up.

"I'll take this in another room," Yani said.

Sliding a bedroom door open, she dipped in and tapped her beads. Disa's image filled the room in life-size 3D seated in a chair.

"Hey," Disa said.

"We've moved to the emergency transport shelter in the palace."

"No word on how bad it is?"

Yani shook her head. Disa fretted.

"I keep praying and trying to stay positive. N'Jadaka and T'Challa's kimoyos let us know that they're alive, but that's it. I wasn't going to call but it's been hours now and the stress of not knowing anything is eating me up. All the media I can track in Wakanda here only plays emergency broadcasts commanding citizens to stay sheltered and on alert. No sirens have rung out in the city so that's a good sign, I guess," Disa said.

"So far."

"You look calm, though."

Yani sat on a bed.

"Do you believe in long gone relatives speaking to you?" Yani asked.

"Yes…like in my dreams. Sometimes my father comes to me. I wake up feeling like he's still here. Why?"

"I had a dream that my grandmother from way back…Queen Mary…came to me. She told me I had to stand tall with N'Jadaka… that I had to be fierce. Her say my future is important with him. It was real to mi. This war is only a test for us, so I'm not afraid of him dying in it. He won't. The worry I feel is for the people around him...and what we'll face as a nation when this is over."

"Hmmm, I wish my daddy would come to me in a dream like that!"

They shared soft laughter together.

"I can see that you believe what she said, so I will believe it too," Disa said.

"I'm glad you believe me. Some people get scared of spiritual stuff or think it's wish-fulfillment. I just have to be patient and pray that this war comes to an end soon."

"How is Nakia and the children?"

"Hanging in there. All the grandparents want us up in the Jabari mountains."

"Honestly, if I were there, that's the place I'd want to be."

Disa crossed her leg and grinned.

"What?" Yani asked.

"Adebiyi wants me to move to the mountains after we come back. Not moving in together, but me being closer to him."

"Do you want to?"

"I think the change in scenery is needed for me and Joba. I love the Golden City with all my heart, but being away has given me time to think about you and N'Jadaka. You two need space. I don't think Joba and I should be living up under your new household."

"But I don't want you to leave!"

The yelp in Yani's voice caught Disa by surprise.

"It's not a bad thing, Yani."

"We started this messy journey together and we'll finish it together. You're my big sister in so many ways, and this new life…you're a part of that. The Jabari mountains are so far, and our children need to be together," Yani said.

"The mountains are not that far with our transports. You'll have Joba every weekend…that's three days a week mind you, and I'm going to be in and out of the city for my company. I'll be there all the time."

"It won't be the same."

"You survived when you left the palace mad at me," Disa teased.

"That was different. I still missed you…I needed time away to grow up… to clear my head and realize how foolish I was being with you and myself."

"The change will be good for all of us, and who knows, it may not be permanent. I want to try it out and see where it takes me and Adebiyi."

"You're in love," Yani said.

The glow was all over Disa's face.

"I do love him… and he loves me."

Disa's eyes shined and Yani welled up for her.

"This life has been so crazy for me, Yani. I have no regrets about anything."

"Me neither."

"Really?"

"Not anymore. Seeing my great-great-grandmother…hearing her voice…seeing her…I know there are things that are beyond my comprehension, but I'm surrounded by loving people now. Like you."

"I'm glad you became my little sister. You, Marisol, and Twyla are as close to me as my best friends here in the States. Truth be told, the three of you have actually been closer because of your connection with N'Jadaka."

"We've both grown up a lot in two years."

"A long ass two years!'

Yani giggled.

"Allah will protect us all," Disa said.

Yani crinkled her nose with a thought.

"What are you thinking?" Disa asked.

"Wakanda has faced aggression four times in thirty years. I don't think they're built for civil and foreign fighting constantly. They've been a utopia for a long time and mentally, I don't know if it'll be easy for them to pick up the pieces without a national therapy session after all of this."

"They have N'Jadaka to show them the way back…and you. Remember, you spun a lost straw man back into gold. If you did that for our king, you'll have no problem doing it for the nation. I believe in you, little sister!"

Disa winked at her.

"I'll let you go. Joba and Adebiyi are going for a walk in Central Park with me. The weather is nice and I have to get out of this hotel for an hour at least. Fresh air will do me good."

"Have a nice time. I'll contact you as soon as I get any news from the front lines."

They blew kisses to one another and the call ended.

Yani wandered over to the bedroom window and tracked the placement of the sun. It would make the slow, downward trek into sunset within an hour. She turned to walk back into the living room when erratic booming noises shook the windows. Touching the nearest window, she sucked in a breath watching flames rise inside gargantuan plumes of black smoke racing to blot out the sky. The windows rattled again before a secondary protective vibranium barrier swarmed over the palace exterior, shielding them from the noise of seismic rumbles. Her heart lurched in her chest.

Yani noticed the wide darting movements of fighter drones flying through the pitch blackness blanketing the trees in the royal garden. The war had moved further inland and the drones were sent to reinforce the palace defense forces. If she could see it close from the east palace windows, the Wakandan defense line had been broken, and the enemy was near.

Racing into the living room, she joined Nakia who pulled the children closer to her on the couch. Riki jumped on her lap and Sydette handed Toussaint back to Nakia who tucked her breasts back into a nursing bra and covered the baby up. Ilana and Zola dashed into the room and waved for them to follow their lead.

Zola clasped Yani's hand and Sydette's while Ilana lifted Riki into her arms.

"We have to go into the flight room," Zola said. "Aneka is waiting for word from the king. Noxolo will detach us from the palace if he says it's time to leave."

"Are we losing?" Yani asked.

"I don't know, but we were ordered to stand by."

"Is Baba coming?" Sydette asked.

"I don't know, Sweet Pea."

Yani wore a brave face and pushed back on doubting Queen Mary.

The barrage of creatures lunging through the narrow opening of section seventeen overwhelmed the northwest defense. Even the once-missing Asgardian Thor couldn't help stop the influx of diverse creatures spilling through the narrow gauntlet into Wakanda. Several Avengers had left the interior of the barrier to destroy the spacecraft that brought the aliens in on the outside.

N'Jadaka settled his mentally tired body on the crest of a hill near Shuri's lab. T'Challa insisted that he fall back to give strategic support in their dwindling and scattered formation. He spent the last hour circling the forces with the Talon Fighter outside the breach, providing extra firepower for the secondary Border Tribe troops led by W'Kabi. Okoye's estranged husband proved to be a superior officer and ground fighter. The Border Tribe shields helped prevent the aliens from overtaking their offensive measures outside, but even then, a few enemies slipped through that N'Jadaka handled from the sky. He programmed the Talon Fighter to protect the lab from the air while he stomped on the ground searching for breakthroughs to kill.

"Shuri! Tell Wanda to end Vision now! They've got these giant fucking wheel machines tearing up the ground out here! They busted up under the barrier and we can't control the entry point anymore!" he shouted into his kimoyo.

"Fall back! Fall back!" T'Challa shouted in N'Jadaka's earbud.

N'Jadaka scanned the area below watching helplessly as the wheels razed the dark rich earth of Wakanda in the destruction. The enemy's power and weapons were too numerous to overcome. Giving Shuri time to save Vision had been a grave mistake. One that could cost his children's lives. The faces of Sydette, Riki, Joba, and baby Toussaint flashed across his mind.

"I'm going to keep trying, N'Jadaka, there's some progress," Shuri said, still hopeful.

"Time is up! I will come up there and rip it out of his skull myself!"

The horrendous crashing noises of the wheels forced N'Jadaka to charge toward Border Tribe soldiers positioned in front of him. If Thanos didn't come soon, there wouldn't be enough warriors to face him. Perhaps that was his plan overall.

"Get those wheels down!" he ordered, charging forward to help.

Wanda streaked overhead with bursts of crimson energy shooting out of her fingertips like lightning strikes. She lifted a linked row of earth-killing wheels and threw them on top of enemy combatants.

Ayo's voice broke through the chatter of N'Jadaka's earbud.

"We're being attacked inside the lab!" Ayo grunted.

"Shuri, get out of there!" T'Challa said.

N'Jadaka ran back up the hill toward the lab.

"Shuri, I'll be there soon!" N'Jadaka panted.

His suit provided him with a concentrated sip of electrolytes, refreshing his dehydrated muscles as he lunged forward.

"Shuri?!"

Panic lodged in his throat when his cousin didn't answer back right away. The crashing of glass and yelling drew his attention high above the trees that surrounded the lab. Two figures tumbled across the uneven sides of the building's roof. Vision held an alien by the throat.

"Vision is outside the lab!" he shouted.

"On my way!" Banner answered.

N'Jadaka's kimoyos showed him Shuri's vitals were fine. Her crumpled form and Ayo's were on the floor of the lab. He leaped up the side of the building and jumped through the gaping hole in the glass where Vision crashed through.

"Hey lil cuz," N'Jadaka said.

He lifted Shuri's head. She moaned and reached for her forehead where a bruised purple lump rose.

"Vision?" she asked.

"Fighting an alien."

"I wasn't done with him."

"Too late for that."

Ayo shook off the blow to her midsection. Her hands and face bled from cuts protecting Shuri. N'Jadaka reached for her and helped her up.

"Get Shuri to the palace shelter. Once you arrive, wait for my command to leave for St. Thomas. Got it?"

"Yes, kumkani," Ayo said.

"St. Thomas? N'Jadaka, no, I need to be here to help you and T'Challa."

Shuri plucked glass shards from her clothes and picked some embedded into her bleeding palm. He helped remove pieces from her hair.

"I promised Umama to get you out of here if it got bad," he said.

"Well, how bad is it? Is Thanos here?"

"No, but—"

A shiver went through N'Jadaka's body. Beyond a sensory overload, his entire form tensed involuntarily afterward, and his gaze ratcheted toward the busted lab window. Something new had arrived on Earth.

"Ayo, take her…go…go!"

Shuri gleaned from his tone and his eyes that things were about to go left. She hugged him tight.

"Watch out for my brother… no matter what…stay with him," Shuri murmured into his ear.

Ayo tugged on Shuri's arm. A quad stinger aircraft flew down to the shattered window and the Dora guided Shuri inside of it. They took off, and N'Jadaka watched it zip across the sky heading for the rest of the Udaku progeny. He tapped a kimoyo and the Royal Talon Fighter swooped past the building sideways. He leaped toward the tracker beam that delivered him inside of it.

N'Jadaka took over manual flying and jetted across the trees toward the biting sensation that quaked down in his bones. Eventually, the sensation fanned out to a low hum in his inner ear that grew in pressure. He hovered above Wanda who knelt beside Vision resting against a felled tree trunk. Banner jumped into view with his iron suit and N'Jadaka waited for something to materialize on his viewscreen.

T'Challa waved up to him.

"I'll back you up," N'Jadaka said.

"It's him!" Banner yelled.

A greenish-blue gas shimmered like an aurora borealis and a giant purple man stepped into their world. N'Jadaka assumed Thanos opened a powerful wormhole and expected more soldiers to spill out. Instead, the bald giant sauntered in alone.

Thanos hadn't taken two steps to start any shit yet and N'Jadka shot sonic vibranium blasters targeting the infinity gauntlet.

"Get that fucking glove off him!"

N'Jadaka's orders set everyone in motion. T'Challa clawed Thanos's neck to distract him as Banner grabbed for the gauntlet. Thanos flicked T'Challa away like a bothersome gnat and tossed Banner into a great stone mound that his iron suit went right through like it was Casper the friendly ghost.

Rogers and Bucky double-teamed next while Wanda threw crimson fire into Thanos's face. The Infinity Gauntlet gave him tremendous strength and they were clearly no match for him. Even his skin seemed impenetrable to any firepower.

"Wanda, destroy the stone!" T'Challa shouted.

Wanda stood frozen staring at her lover. She threw her left hand out forming a fiery red swirling barrier against Thanos. T'Challa scrambled to grab at the gauntlet with Rogers pulling on Thanos's other arm.

"Bitch, if you don't blast him!" N'Jadaka thundered at Wanda.

He lowered the Talon Fighter and aimed his sonic blasters at Vision's head, shooting off three rounds that hit the A.I. being with bull's eye precision in the center of his forehead. Vision's skull exploded and the glowing gold mind stone floated in the air.

"Destroy it!" T'Challa yelled.

The shock of N'Jadaka's killshot paralyzed Wanda. Instead of finishing the job as planned, she dropped to her knees and grappled with holding what was left of Vision. The king of Wakanda would've killed her too for being a useless soldier wasting time, however, she jumped to her feet and used her right hand to blast the stone with her powers while using her other hand to keep a shield up separating Thanos from it.

"T'Challa, we have to get the time stone away from him!"

His cousin was already in motion taking advantage of Wanda's glowing shield keeping Thanos at bay as she worked on the mind stone. Bucky jumped onto Thanos's neck using his legs to choke him. T'Challa yanked on the gauntlet with Rogers. Victory looked promising once Thor slammed his hammer into Thanos's chest. T'Challa grabbed for the time stone.

The mind stone lit up into a brilliant, growing blaze of gold power, shattering into bits that precipitated a blinding explosion with a mile-wide radius. The force of the explosion jostled the Talon Fighter.

Their combined efforts weren't enough.

N'Jadaka's heart dropped. Thanos snapped his fingers and a sickening feeling of déjà vu pressed the king's attention into a tiny pinprick. His hands waved over the control panels of the Talon Fighter, and down below he watched Wanda hold off Thanos with both hands. Vision rose to his knees and begged Wanda to kill him. N'Jadaka shook his head, the cool creeping dread of uncertainty washing over him. Hadn't he blasted Vision already to get Wanda on task? Why was he still alive?

T'Challa, Rogers, and Bucky jumped him, but Thanos flung them far away. Too far to get back to him quickly. Something in N'Jadaka's gut told him that was wrong, and he couldn't fathom the eerie sameness flooding his cortex that edged around the wrongness of the situation.

"Bitch, if you don't blast him!" N'Jadaka thundered to Wanda.

Wanda reacted like the situation was odd for her too, but she stared at Vision and began blasting the mind stone. N'Jadaka left the Talon Fighter on automatic pilot and pounced down from the ship's neon blue tracker beam aiming to land on the purple menace himself. He glanced over at Wanda and—

The fuck?

Another Thanos knocked Wanda aside and ripped the mind stone from Vision's forehead. N'Jadaka glanced back down at the ground that rushed toward him, and the second Thanos that looked up at him grinned, then faded away into nothingness, the illusion so real that N'Jadaka felt the shadow cross over his body as he landed with cat-like reflexes. He ran toward the real Thanos like the devil was on his heels. Thanos slipped the mind stone into its place on the gauntlet, even as Thor's hammer sliced through his chest.

"What did you do? What did you do?!" Thor shouted to Thanos.

White smoke puffed around the Infinity Gauntlet which had a burnt and tarnished look to it despite the gleam of the stones themselves.

A wormhole opened with the same greenish-blue smoke Thanos arrived in. It sucked him backward with a rush of air and he disappeared, like a kimoyo avatar winking out. Thor's hammer was no longer lodged in his chest and fell with a thud when the wormhole closed.

Sound left Wakanda.

The quiet drowned out the quick steps of T'Challa joining him.

"Where is he?" T'Challa said.

N'Jadaka shook his head in dismay, uncertain of the moment they were in.

"Is it over?" Okoye asked.

She darted out of the brush surrounding them and T'Challa patted her shoulder.

Wanda wept over Vision. Everyone else looked around bewildered and catching their breath.

"Where'd he go? Thor? Where'd he go?" Rogers asked, holding his busted side with blood pooling on his lip.

Thor only glanced around confused, in a daze like they all were. Okoye dropped down to her rump and gave a weary groan. N'Jadaka looked over the area, uneasy, and sensed the crackling of energy that made him feel off-kilter again.

Bucky stepped forward, staring at his left hand.

"Steve?" Bucky croaked before looking up at all of them.

His left hand became a dark gray blob of smoke that flaked away from his body like campfire ash with his legs following suit. He flopped down onto his face and disintegrated right before them.

"Shit!" N'Jadaka hissed.

They all jumped away like a contagion had been let loose, and clearly, it was because screams rippled across the battlefield. T'Challa reached for Okoye to get her off the ground.

"Up general, this is no place to die," T'Challa said.

Okoye reached for his arm and N'Jadaka's.

"Cuz," N'Jadaka said.

T'Challa's hand that held Okoye's arm turned into dark smoke too and flaked away slowly.

"N'Jadaka," T'Challa said, his eyes wide with fear.

"No…"

N'Jadaka tried to embrace T'Challa to hold him close, to never let him go, but he drifted away on ash and dry wind.

True fear gripped him then. This was how the world ended for half of the universe. A sad floating away in the deepest, quietest, black void. N'Jadaka tapped his kimoyo.

"Close section seventeen."

No one answered him.

"Barrier team, I said close section seventeen!"

A frightened voice answered.

"Kumkani…we are experiencing an anomaly…people are disappearing. I will close the barrier," a man said.

All around them, pieces of dark ash floated, choking the air with grief and shock. N'Jadaka grabbed Okoye's arm and the Talon Fighter pulled them up into its belly. The general took over flying manually and they both scanned the battlefield as bewildered soldiers gawked at people floating away in pieces.

"This cannot be…this cannot be…" Okoyo moaned.

Aliens that hadn't succumbed to the vanishing ran toward their spacecraft and flew away, leaving destruction in their wake.

"Kumkani, I'm ordering soldiers back to our barracks to regroup. Are you and the Black Panther alright?" W'Kabi asked.

"T'Challa is gone!" Okoye wept.

Her voice carried sadness and relief that W'Kabi was still on earth.

"W'Kabi, we'll meet you ten minutes at the regrouping coordinates. We need a muster roll immediately," N'Jadaka said.

His kimoyo lit up. Yani's signature. He exhaled and kept his composure. She was still with him. He tapped another bead to reach Disa.

"Yani, are you and the kids okay?"

The tone of his voice scared Yani. Her image hovered in the air.

"Some of the staff are gone…I don't know what happened to them…"

Sydette shrieked and N'Jadaka thought he would fall through the Talon Fighter.

"Mama! The guard turned into dust!" Sydette cried.

"N'Jadaka, what's happening?" Yani said.

"I can't say for sure yet but the fighting is over. Is Riki okay? Nakia and the baby?"

"We are all here. Is T'Challa with you?" Nakia asked. Her image appeared next to Yani's.

"I'm sorry Nakia…he disappeared in front of me and Okoye."

"No…"

Nakia covered her mouth. Toussaint was tied around her chest.

"We don't know what has happened to them all, Nakia," Okoye said.

"Is he dead?" Nakia said.

"I don't know," N'Jadaka said.

Shuri's signature lit up his kimoyo and he added her to their call. She looked distraught and teary-eyed.

"My mother told me that Baba Z and Marisol are gone. Most of their staff are gone too. Everyone else is still there in their household. Dante, Twyla, and Bibi are all safe," Shuri said.

"Everyone stay put. Okoye and I are going to meet with our military heads who survived this. I'll convene a meeting with the Council of Elders once I have more intel on what we're looking at nationwide. The outside is doing the same thing, so we can focus on us for now…"

Nakia broke down and Yani held her up.

"Yani, have Noxolo and Aneka take Nakia to the Jabari mountains to be with Auntie Ramonda and Umama. I may not be back tonight, so don't wait up for me with the children."

Yani closed her eyes and touched her lips before she spoke to him.

"N'Jadaka…have you checked on Disa and Joba?" Yani asked.

N'Jadaka glanced at his beads. Disa hadn't responded to his call.

"I'm trying to reach them now. Please, everyone, stay strong and together," N'Jadaka said.

He ended the call and frantically typed on his kimoyo.

He couldn't reach Disa or Joba.

Part 2 of Chapter 74 (Finale) HERE.

Apologies for having to break this up. Tumblr said it went over the limit!

#Black Boys Bloom Thorns First Volume 4 #Black Panther Fanfiction #killmonger fanfiction #wakanda forever #Namor #Youtube

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