#Shanie's Custom Figures
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So I've been making customs and not really sharing them.
WrestleMania 39 Sami Zayn
"Sami Awards" Sami Zayn
Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn
"Fight Together" Sami Zayn
Created By: Shanie
Date: 2023-2024
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SO!!!!! CASA DEL SHANIE!!!!
Hey everyone! It's that time of year again!
INSPECTION TIME!
And you know what that means!
Yep.
The one day of the year when my apartment is actually CLEAN!
So, to celebrate, I figured I'd show off some photos I took of my nice clean apartment so that yinz can see them!
(Note: There are minimal figure photos here. The shelfies will come in a different post once I finish cleaning the shelves.)
Photos below cut!
First of all, here is my bedroom. LOOK! THE BED IS MADE!
In here is where I keep my bed (obvy) my bookshelf (the one with books) and my collection of MOC AEW figures. Also, my Kevin poster where he stands guard over me while I sleep.
Plus, this is where Lizzie Bear, Plushie Kevin, and Sami tend to spend most of their time. (Notice them on the bed WHICH IS MADE HOLY CRAP!)
For the record, that lovely blue comforter was a Christmas gift this year and I both love and hate it. I love it because it is super comfy. I hate it because it's so stonking warm (hot) that I keep waking up sweaty.
Anyway, please take the time to admire my collection of MOC AEW women's figures (plus the signed Mox figure) and my large collection of Doctor Who DVDs and Choose Your Own Adventure books. Also, you can't really tell, but those binders under the books are mostly trading cards. There's some fanfic binders there too but they're mostly trading cards.
Moving on!
Here's the kitchen. It's already starting to get messy. I need to do dishes. Not much to see here, it's small but please admire my Magic: The Gathering photo magnets that I custom made. They're sort of a fun project I like to do and I've even given some out as gifts!
(Note: Most of those are NOT real cards. I print the artwork out on photo paper then add the magnet backing. NO I DID NOT WRECK MULTIPLE BLACK LOTUSES FOR MY MAGNETS.)
Moving on.
The Living Room!
(Part 1)
Well, this is the view from my computer chair!
As you can see, I have a bunch of DVDs there on the shelf (way more than you think, most of those are condensed cases that have at least 6 discs per case), my lovely Kit Rae knife, my SpongeBob Wood Painting, my 11 Doctors Poster, and my two sets of Zowens MOC figures. Also, we just hung the 10th doctor poster in the corner there. Not sure if I'm keeping it there, but it's there for now. It was from my old apartment and I figured, what the hell.
Anyway, this concludes the tour of Casa Del Shanie for the moment. Stay tuned for later when I (hopefully) get the shelves done that I can photograph them too!
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Unveiling the Magic: Shani Darden’s Eye Cream and Beyond
Welcome to the realm of skincare luxury, where science meets beauty, and every product is a masterpiece. In this article, we embark on a journey into the captivating world of Shani Darden and, more specifically, the enchanting realm of her eye cream. But wait, that’s not all – we’ll be delving into the broader spectrum of Shani Darden’s product lineup, providing an insightful review of the brand, and even analyzing the prevailing market trends that make this skincare maven stand out.
Shani Darden’s Eye Cream: A Symphony of Elegance
Let’s start by casting our spotlight on Shani Darden’s eye cream, the holy grail for those seeking to turn back the hands of time on their delicate eye area. Infused with a magical blend of potent ingredients, this eye cream is not just a skincare product; it’s a ritual, a moment of self-love.
Picture this: a velvety texture that glides on like silk, leaving your skin feeling nourished and rejuvenated. The formula, carefully curated by Shani herself, is a testament to her commitment to excellence. Key ingredients like retinol and hyaluronic acid work in harmony to diminish fine lines and wrinkles, while botanical extracts provide a soothing touch.
The Shani Darden Experience: Beyond the Eye Cream
Now, let’s zoom out and take a panoramic view of Shani Darden’s product universe. From cleansers that cleanse with grace to serums that serenade your skin, each product is a masterpiece in its own right. Here’s a quick tour of some standout items:
1. Cleansing Elixir: The Dance of Purity
The gentle touch of aloe vera
Antioxidant-rich green tea extract
A symphony of botanical oils
The cleansing elixir is not just a cleanser; it’s a ballet of purity that prepares your skin for the skincare symphony to follow.
2. Intensive Renewing Serum: A Symphony of Renewal
Retinol for cellular rejuvenation
Peptides for a firming performance
Vitamin C for a radiant finale
This serum is the crescendo in your skincare routine, orchestrating a renewal of your skin’s vitality with every application.
Reviewing the Shani Darden Brand: A Stellar Performance
Shani Darden’s brand is not just a collection of products; it’s an experience, a performance where each product plays a crucial role. The brand’s commitment to quality, backed by Shani’s expertise, has garnered a legion of loyal fans.
The packaging, sleek and sophisticated, mirrors the elegance of the products within. It’s not just skincare; it’s a lifestyle, and Shani Darden has mastered the art of turning routines into rituals.
Market Trends: Riding the Wave of Skincare Sophistication
As we analyze the market trends, one thing becomes clear – Shani Darden is not just following trends; she’s setting them. In an era where consumers crave authenticity and results, Shani’s brand ticks all the boxes. The emphasis on clean ingredients, coupled with a commitment to visible results, places Shani Darden in a league of its own.
A Symphony of Data: Charting Shani Darden’s Rise
YearRevenueCustomer Satisfaction2020$X million95%2021$Y million98%2022$Z million99%
These figures tell a story of success, where each year sees an increase in revenue paralleled by a surge in customer satisfaction. Shani Darden is not just a brand; it’s a phenomenon.
In Conclusion: Join the Skincare Symphony
In the ever-evolving world of skincare, Shani Darden stands as a beacon of excellence. From the exquisite eye cream to the entire product lineup, every item tells a story of precision, passion, and results. As you embark on your skincare journey, consider Shani Darden not just as a brand but as a symphony – a symphony that celebrates the beauty of your skin.
So, dive into the world of Shani Darden, where science meets art, and let the skincare symphony begin.
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To Be Loved
Love is a fickle thing, it can burst into life within minutes or it can take months to fully bloom. The one thing Jaskier and Eskel can always agree on is that it's more than worth the time it takes...
A/N: continues on from to be found but also works as a standalone, written for aro week <3
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Their first date had gone well, all things considered.
Eskel had been a little sleep deprived on account of working until late and worrying until even later but Jaskier hadn’t seemed to mind at all, bursting with enough enthusiasm for the both of them.
He’d been waiting outside the bakery at six, scrolling through his phone and looking up just as Eskel was debating whether he should just sneak back inside. Jaskier had grinned widely and Eskel had immediately known it was going to be a good evening.
“You look like you have a lemon stuck in your mouth,” Lambert tells him as he walks into work a week later.
“And how would you know what that looks like?” Eskel grumbles.
To be honest, he’s felt like he has a lemon stuck in his mouth since last weekend because Jaskier had promptly disappeared off the face of the earth. He wants to think it’s just a coincidence but he can’t help feeling as though it’s another case of the whole Eskel isn't good at first dates so of course it wouldn’t work out thing again.
Lambert raises his hands in surrender and gestures to the kitchens, where everyone is allowed to work in peace when they’re not in the right mindset for actual interaction. He zones out immediately, only looking up when Coen pokes his head in the doorframe.
“We might need your help with this guy,” he says, and Eskel sighs, already expecting a problematic customer or something.
What he’s not expecting is Jaskier tapping his foot on the floor and biting his lip. He freezes when he sees Eskel, opening his mouth to say something, but Eskel holds up a hand. “Can you come through to the back? I don’t want to have this conversation here.”
In the few minutes it takes for them to reach the office, he’s decided he’s more than ready for Jaskier to admit his spontaneous flirting was just a whim and he's not interested in anything else. Only, Jaskier does nothing of the sort.
“Eskel, I am so sorry about disappearing! I didn’t mean to, I swear! It’s just that Shani’s place flooded so she broke her ankle and I had to drive her to the hospital but we were arguing on the way and this guy at a red light decided I’d hurt her as if I wouldn’t rather die but we ended up fighting and I ended up with a concussion again and we both had to stay for observation or something and I- I’m really sorry for leaving you hanging,” Jaskier blurts.
Eskel blinks.
“Is she okay?” he asks, not really sure what he’s meant to be focusing on.
Jaskier nods, his shoulders dropping as he lets out a slow exhale. “She went to medical school, she knew exactly what they were going to do before we even got in the car.”
“That’s useful,” Eskel replies, but then shakes his head. “Wait, are you okay? Someone gave you a concussion?”
He’d been amused last time Jaskier had downplayed concussions but now he’s seriously wondering if he should be concerned about how the other man can be so unfazed by so much - it’s not like you can develop an immunity to head trauma.
Jaskier just nods again. “Of course, I’m fine. I hope I didn’t give you the wrong impression?”
“Not at all,” Eskel lies.
There are arms around him before he can try and figure out whether Jaskier had seen through his lie. He stumbles slightly but allows the embrace to happen, oddly comforted by the fact that Jaskier is just as relieved to have explained the truth as Eskel is; maybe this time things truly can work out, he thinks.
.
“You really don’t have to go tonight,” Jaskier says for the fourth time that day.
Eskel sighs, throwing a cushion at him. “It’s been three months since we met, I think it’s about time I see you perform.”
Jaskier hums before flopping onto the small sofa, resting his head on Eskel’s lap with the rest of his body draped lengthwise, his feet dangling off the armrest at the end. “But I know you don’t like loud or crowded spaces and we aim to have exactly that,” he pouts.
There’s a long moment in which Eskel just appreciates that he’s not being forced to go despite how bizarre it is to experience the exact opposite situation. He smiles down at Jaskier and very truthfully says, “It won’t matter because I like you.”
He places a finger on Jaskier’s lips when he tries to argue again, chuckling. “And before you ask me again if I’m sure, don’t.”
Jaskier’s eyes practically sparkle for a moment before he twists his head and bites Eskel’s finger, nowhere near hard enough to hurt but firmly enough for it to be a shock.
Rolling his eyes, Eskel laughs. “What, my baking isn’t enough for you anymore?”
Starting to reply only to realise that he can’t form actual words whilst biting down on an index finger, Jaskier pulls Eskel’s hand away and grins. “Dessert is fine, darling, but you’re a five-course meal and I wouldn’t trade all the oven goodies in the world for you.”
Eskel has no idea how to reply to that.
It’s far more romantic than anything he’s used to and he’s never been good at flirting so the last thing he wants to do is say something that ruins whatever they have going on. After a long moment of panic, he settles on shrugging. “We have a pretty good oven.”
Jaskier hums in reply and thankfully doesn’t press on his hesitation, sitting upright with a small sigh. “I suppose I should go get dressed. Are you driving?”
“I don’t trust you with my car,” Eskel says, only half joking.
“I’ll be wearing those heeled boots then,” Jaskier grins, taking absolutely no offence as he springs to his feet and blows a kiss before heading to Eskel’s bathroom, where he’d dumped his change of clothes when arriving earlier and declared it was his domain for the rest of the day.
If anyone had told the Eskel of a few years ago that he’d willingly allow someone so chaotic to saunter around his home and genuinely flirt with him in every other conversation, he’d probably have rolled his eyes and assumed they’d somehow mistaken him for someone else; maybe changing his mindset has been for the better, he thinks.
.
The ocean has no right to be so elegant.
Eskel had never been a huge fan of beaches because the stubbornness of sand is quite frankly sinful but Jaskier absolutely adores everything about them and there’s only so many of his puppy dog eyes that can be refused.
“We’ll barely even touch the sand, I promise!” Jaskier had declared, and he’d made sure of it too.
Soon enough, they’re settled on the rocky side of the beach, propped up against a larger stone with their legs stretched out in front of them and their shoulders pressed together. Jaskier slips his fingers into Eskel’s and gently squeezes, which has quickly become one of Eskel’s favourite things ever.
“Aren’t the waves gorgeous?” Jaskier asks wistfully.
Eskel hums. “They can still kill you.”
Jaskier laughs, nudging him. “Ever the optimist, aren’t you? Nothing can kill me, darling, not today.”
Well, he can’t really argue with that because he feels the exact same way. It’s hard to think of anything morbid when celebrating six months together and he doesn’t particularly want to try so he just nods in agreement.
“Thank you,” Jaskier whispers after a while.
Eskel turns to him, tilting his head to one side. “No, you were right, it is soothing to watch the waves.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Jaskier lifts their connected hands and places a soft kiss on Eskel’s thumb before looking directly at him with an even softer smile. “Thank you for letting me stay for so long.”
He says that as if Eskel isn’t in disbelief about someone being willing to stay with him for so long, especially someone like Jaskier who could probably charm his way into the lives of anyone he pleases.
“I should be saying that to you,” Eskel admits, “I know I’m not exactly the best partner out there.”
Jaskier genuinely looks offended. He uses his free hand to poke Eskel’s stomach and glares at him. “Don’t say things like that, you are possibly the kindest and most patient person I know, not to mention the most handsome.”
Eskel’s face heats up at that and even though he knows he tries to be kind and patient, he can’t help wishing he could be more, that he could be charming and fun and worthy of the poetry Jaskier keeps texting to him whenever he’s drunk.
“Hey, look at me?” Jaskier asks.
Eskel’s head moves before he gives it permission but he has no regrets because Jaskier is smiling and he’s grown overly fond of that stupid smile and the way it manages to make him feel a little better every time it’s directed towards him.
“I love you,” Jaskier whispers.
Oh.
His expression must give his alarm away because Jaskier squeezes his hand again and shuffles so he’s leaning his head on Eskel’s shoulder, looking out at the ocean. “You don’t have to say it back but I couldn’t possibly have gone another day without telling you. And it doesn’t matter, you’re still the best.”
Jaskier falls in love with someone or something new every other day but they’ve both been hesitant to acknowledge his unwavering commitment to loving Eskel until now. Eskel exhales slowly, letting his head rest stop Jaskier’s and closing his eyes.
His first instinct is to apologise but he’s almost certain Jaskier would throw him into the ocean if he did so he settles for squeezing Jaskier’s hand and shuffling even closer, focusing on the way they fit together so well, on the way everything they do together is comfortable, on the way he doesn’t feel pressured to pretend.
He’s always been a little scared of actually finding the love he usually only hears about through everyone else in fear of somehow failing at it but Jaskier has never demanded anything he wasn’t happy to give; maybe love isn’t so frightening with the right people, he thinks.
.
“Jaskier, where’s my hoodie?” Eskel asks, frowning at his wardrobe.
He knows Jaskier sometimes borrows his clothes but he’s not sure how to take that since he seems to do that with literally everyone he knows, whether that’s his bandmates, random people he meets at bars, or even Ciri on a few memorable, drunk occasions.
“Which one?” Jaskier calls back from the kitchen where he’d gone to find popcorn because he refuses to watch a film without some.
Eskel sighs. “The red one with the flowers.”
“Roses!” Jaskier corrects, and Eskel just knows he’s shaking his head in exasperation. “And I don’t know!”
After a moment of frustration, Eskel shrugs on the other red hoodie and makes his way to the kitchen, groaning when he sees Jaskier wearing the not so missing hoodie. Jaskier’s eyes widen at the sound and he spins on his heel to check the microwave as if having expected it to be exploding.
“I thought you said you didn’t know?” Eskel asks, raising an eyebrow.
Jaskier only frowns. “I don’t?”
It takes him a minute to catch on and finally glance down at himself, at which point he bites his lip and looks up again sheepishly. “I just grabbed a random one,” he mumbles eventually.
Eskel rolls his eyes because it’s not the first time they’ve had this type of conversation and makes his way over, using his thumb to gently pull Jaskier’s lip out from under his teeth before very softly kissing him. “Blue suits you better,” he whispers.
Jaskier nods, still wide-eyed and a little breathless as he lifts his arms and loops them around Eskel’s neck. “But red reminds me of you,” he whispers back, his gaze flickering between Eskel’s eyes and lips.
Well, there goes Eskel’s heart melting again.
The microwave beeps at them before he figures out how to reply, both of them jumping enough for their foreheads to crash together. Jaskier curses immediately, stepping back as he rubs his head and glares at the microwave as if it’d just stabbed him.
“Hope the popcorn is worth the pain,” Eskel says, laughing.
Jaskier sticks his tongue out before pulling the popcorn out, pouring it into a bowl and handing said bowl to Eskel as he has the steadier hand and is far less likely to spill it all before they even sit down, which they’d unfortunately had to learn from experience.
“Don’t doubt me, darling, you are going to love this film!” Jaskier declares just as he always does - he’s only right about half the time but Eskel has to credit him for the everlasting confidence at least.
It doesn’t take them long to settle, Jaskier leaning heavily on Eskel and their arms wrapped around each other, and although Eskel is about ninety percent certain he won’t like the film judging by the cover, he wouldn’t dare interrupt Jaskier’s mission to broaden his cinematic horizons or whatever.
“You are unfairly comfortable,” Jaskier mumbles, practically burrowing into his chest.
Eskel laughs, snuggling closer himself. “You have very strange standards.”
Jaskier hums quietly, choosing popcorn over replying to the accusation just as the film finally starts with a rather cliché shot of the view from a window. He was right in thinking he wouldn’t particularly like it but Jaskier’s constant commentary has both of them laughing and it’s worth the watch anyway; maybe being with someone else makes the boring things less boring, he thinks.
.
Weird how a year can feel like forever as well as no time at all.
Eskel wakes up on the morning after their first anniversary with a slow smile, taking in the way Jaskier is sprawled over him like some sort of misguided blanket.
Perhaps it’s just Jaskier’s poetic influence over the past year but he thinks it’s utterly fitting that sunlight just so happens to be falling over the two of them in a way that makes it seem as though they’re glowing even though it’s still winter.
It’s a good thing Jaskier sleeps like the dead when he actually manages to fall asleep for a normal human amount of time because it gives Eskel the chance to do things like bring them breakfast in bed. This one he’s been planning for a while so he doesn’t waste any time gazing and quickly slips out of bed, getting himself sorted and making his way to the kitchen.
He more or less makes the pancakes with muscle memory alone because there’s a part of him that can’t help worrying. He knows Jaskier loves him, he knows that better than he knows most things, but he’s never had a relationship this long and he doesn’t know the right etiquette to all of this.
“Eskel?”
Cursing inwardly, he grabs the tray - complete with a plate of four pancakes, two mugs of coffee, and one small envelope - and heads back to his bedroom, pausing in the doorway. “Right here,” he smiles.
Jaskier returns the smile, then yawns before raising his eyebrows at the sight of the tray. “We already had anniversary breakfast yesterday?”
“Are you saying you don’t want the pancakes?” Eskel asks, smirking when Jaskier sits up with a grin that makes his answer perfectly clear. “Thought so.”
“Mhm, you’re the best boyfriend in the galaxy,” Jaskier says as Eskel places the tray at the foot of the bed and settles beside him.
Eskel is more than aware his face has probably gone embarrassingly red but for once, Jaskier doesn’t point it out, instead getting distracted by and picking up the little envelope with a frown. “What’s this?”
Deep breath.
“Can I open it now?” Jaskier asks, thankfully able to guess that Eskel’s throat has gone a little too dry for him to explain.
When he nods, Jaskier offers him a smile and rips one side open, gasping when he sees what’s inside: a key. Or more specifically, a replica of Eskel’s house key.
“I love you,” Eskel says honestly.
It’d taken him a while to get things sorted in his head - not to mention several awkward conversations with his family and friends - but at this point, he’s absolutely certain he loves Jaskier and nothing can make him question his heart in the slightest.
Jaskier sniffles and throws his arms around Eskel before he can apologise for making him cry. And Eskel laughs, holding his boyfriend whom he truly genuinely loves because he is capable of that after all close until they’re both satisfied they’re not going to actually burst into tears or anything.
“I love you back, of course,” Jaskier says as he pulls back, rubbing his eyes.
Eskel grins, ignoring the way it almost physically hurts his face, and only grins further when Jaskier kisses him despite both of them being a little too smiley for it to really work.
“I can’t believe you made me cry before pancakes,” Jaskier grumbles eventually, elbowing him, but he’s still half-grinning and there’s a lot of mixed signals.
Laughing, Eskel brushes his thumbs under Jaskier’s eyes. “The pancakes aren’t going anywhere.”
Jaskier hums in acknowledgement and twirls the key between his fingers for a long moment, apparently thinking something over. “You are aware this means you’re never going to get a moment of peace again, right?” he asks.
“I’m willing to take that risk,” Eskel replies even though he’s never felt more at peace than when he’s with Jaskier.
“On your head be it, darling,” Jaskier laughs, shuffling so he can curl into Eskel’s arms again, “I love you so much.”
Eskel’s reply is swallowed by the lump in his throat but it’s okay because Jaskier knows and he knows Jaskier knows and that’s more than enough. Their breakfast will probably go cold before they get round to it but neither of them will mind because everything else is just so perfect; maybe love is just being patient with the differences, Eskel thinks.
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ik this is fairly niche so it's unlikely many ppl will be reading but just in case: this fic was not meant to reflect aromanticism as a whole - sometimes you just don't aim for love and that's totally valid !! this was just a lil ventfic,,
ongoing masterlist for this au if you’re interested :)
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thanks for reading !! masterlist | witcher blog: @itsjaskier
#jaskel#jaskier x eskel#the witcher#fanfic#jaskier#eskel#aromantic eskel#demiromantic eskel#modern au#bakery au#love confessions#insecure eskel#soft jaskier#soft eskel#morhen cares au#aro week#pls pretend i crossposted this on time thanks#the self indulgence is strong in this one#my writing#tbl
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Happy birthday to my sweet and amazing friend @shanie-the-toyaddict! I hope you have an amazing day! Love your custom figures you so an awesome job!!!!
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The Chosen Ones (4)
Word Count: 10,377
[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3]
“What is going on with you? I mean... I have never known you to be this reckless," the king of Wakanda exclaimed as he wore a whole in the carpet of his sister's room, pacing back and forth endlessly.
Asha rubbed her forehead, shame and frustration growing as her brother's lecture drew on minute by minute.
"T'Challa, I said I was sorry. I do not need a lecture. Believe me, I feel horrible enough as it is!" She tried to say.
First M'Baku... now him? She couldn't take this much disappointment from both of them in the same evening, her heart couldn't handle it. She felt a small, soft squeeze to her hand, knowing it was moral support from her sister. Asha smiled weakly but her eyes didn't leave their dead stare into her lap, she didn't want to look at any of them.
"Apparently you do! I asked you if you wanted out of this engagement, I gave you an out. But now, there are certain responsibilities and obligations that you can't ignore just because you feel like it. And it is just," he took a moment to catch his breath before continuing, "it is highly inappropriate as a new council member and advisor to create a potential scandal of this magnitu-"
"Yes, I am a cheater and a horrible person. The worthless trouble-making, embarrassing liability to the great Panther Tribe. I get it! I have heard it several times today and every day for most of my life, I do not need any more reminders from you!"
Asha's voice raised to match her brother's and in anger she leapt off her bed, standing toe to toe with him. She could feel the rings on her hands working overtime to tame the beast within as her hurt from the last few hours transitioned to anger.
"Ok, ok! Asha, it is alright. No one is saying any of those things. T'Challa certainly doesn't think them," Nakia inserted quickly, walking over and placing a soothing hand on the young princess's back.
The two siblings were no stranger to a squabble or two but this was beyond both of them. Unlike T'Challa, Nakia could see that all of this was a symptom of a deeper issue and they would not get to the bottom of it by shaming her choices. She sent a silent but reproachful glare T'Challa's way as she tried to calm Asha down enough to continue. "Perhaps you should go. We will talk to her," she added quietly, seeing the fractures the emotionally-charged evening had sent through the young princess.
T'Challa hesitated, now understanding that he had misstepped and feeling as though an apology was due. But Nakia simply shook her head and motioned toward the door. He nodded before motioning for Okoye to follow and quickly exit the room.
As soon as her door slammed shut, Asha felt the weight of the day heavy on her shoulders, causing her to sink down to the floor by her bed. She buried her head in her hands as she tried to stop more tears from falling.
Haven't we cried enough today?
"I would like to be alone, please," she whispered, muffled but still clear enough for the remaining two occupants of her bedroom to hear.
"No, we are not leaving you like this. Talk to us. What happened?" Nakia asked as she crouched in front of Asha.
Asha didn't move or attempt to acknowledge her question. She knew what they really wanted and that was to unpack that kiss... the now infamous kiss. But what would Asha say? How could she explain it when she was hundreds of miles from understanding the complexity of her feelings toward M'Baku. She always thought love was supposed to be simple, easy, but this was anything but that. In two days, she and M'Baku managed to entangle themselves in a web of all those emotions and that kiss was right smack in the center. Asha did not have the capacity to unravel it all tonight.
Asha couldn't tell if she kissed him because she longed for affection, was angry at the guy she was supposed to be with, was desperate for a different life, actually loved him or because she just wanted to feel something other than sadness. Or if it was some combination of all those things? All of them came with an airplane worth of baggage that could not be reduced to the carry-on sized explanation they desired.
"Nothing happened... M'Baku was comforting me and we got caught up in the moment. That is it."
The women both knew she was lying, that she just wasn't willing to share. But still, they persisted.
"Come on, Asha. We know you. And w-we understand what you are going through but you have to talk to us and let us in. Let us help you."
Asha scoffed, her sister's ignorance almost made a laugh escape from her lips,.
"You don't understand. How could you possibly? Neither of you know what it is like to be despised or treated like an embarrassment. You have never spent a single moment in your lives as I have. You don't get it and you never will!" She lashed out at them. She stood up and turned her back to them, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Please leave. Now. I wish to be alone."
"Asha.."
"Please do not make me have Alexis forcibly remove you. Just go, please."
The shaky begging in her voice did the trick, leading both women out of her door. Asha slid back to her spot on the floor, tears making their silent trek down her face.
She wished she had never allowed T'Challa to convince her to leave this room in the first place, wished she had never stepped a foot in the soft snow of Jabariland, and wished her eyes had never fallen on him. Then she would be happy... or at least, as happy as she was before and that would still be enough. She would be officially engaged in a week, existing in ignorance’s bliss. She would never know what true freedom tasted like, never know what true love felt like and so she wouldn't have to mourn it as she does now.
Sadness morphed into anger and frustration at everyone who forced her out of her safe isolation but didn't warn her that once you have seen light, it is impossible to go back to darkness.
****
Asha tried to put a smile on her face as she sat in silence in the council meeting, but it was difficult to hide sadness when it is as deeply rooted as Asha's was. Your smile can be as bright as the Sun but it always still shows through in your eyes. She just wanted to retreat back to her room, not see him or Hasani who both sat in the circle of chairs branching out from her brother's. She also just hated being in these meetings to begin with, still feeling as though she didn't belong. It did not help that half of the circle... her mother, Elder Shani and her son all gave her cold reproachful looks that basically told her she didn't belong if she dared give her opinion. And now to make it worse, she felt like there was a giant, "I am a cheater" sign glowing above her head.
She didn't quite understand why she felt so guilty, she knew Hasani never lost sleep over cheating on her. And his indiscretions were far worse than a simple kiss. But still, as she stole glances at both men, she felt guilty: guilty for cheating and guilty for bringing M'Baku into this mess. And she supposed her life's goal was to not be as carefree and uncaring as Hasani, certainly not the marker of a good person.
But she most wanted to talk to M'Baku, wanted to apologize or explain herself or... well, she did not quite know what she wanted to say to him. They said so much last night while simultaneously leaving so much unsaid. She questioned whether words would even matter at this point. But she felt the pull and desire to say something either way, just to hear the comfort in his voice, ensure that that comfort was still there. There was a stab of regret every time she considered the fact that she may have destroyed their friendship over a kiss, a stab that felt as painful as a physical wound in her body. But those were the consequences, she supposed. A moment of weakness in exchange for one of the few positive relationships in her life.
"We cannot accept these terms. This agreement with the Jabari is an insult to your father's legacy and all who have fought to control the spread of such a disease in our borders," Elder Shani almost shouted from her seat in front of her brother.
The argument ensuing around her snatched Asha's head out of the clouds and back down to Earth where she found the council entrenched in a loud and unruly argument. Asha quickly realized that the Elders had found the one clause in the treaty Asha buried deeply and had simply hoped would go unnoticed. But it seemed little got past Elder Shani, who likely read through it with a fine-toothed comb to find a mistake on Asha's part.
"This treaty is about respecting the Jabari's way of life and integrating it into ours. They have a different respect and custom for mutants or the Chosen, as I believe Lord M'Baku has referred to them. After conversations with my sister and Lord M'Baku, I will not ask them to change their customs and their ways. He has assured me that they will not be a threat to the ways in which we govern down the mountains."
Asha and M'Baku gave her brother a side eye, knowing that he pulled that explanation out of nowhere. That part of the treaty was added last minute after M'Baku expressed concerns over integrating the Jabari's Chosen into a regressive society. She chose not to bring it up and prolong the talks, figuring her brother would not notice a clause buried so deeply in the treaty's many pages.
"And what if that changes? What if one of them comes down here and creates trouble?"
"Asha, you met with the people of Jabariland, saw their customs in practice. What do you think?"
Asha gulped, mouth going dry at the idea of having to defend mutants to the most hostile person in the room, the person who also knew her secret. She glanced at her brother out of the corner of her eye whose smirk clearly told her that this was a problem of her creation that she now needed to fix.
"T-t-the Chosen are a peaceful group of Jabari. They are no different than the non-gifted among them. They have absolutely no reason to fight or create trouble for us down the mountains. Their goal is to use their p-powers to help advance the tribe. It is my belief that they will not be an issue for us."
"And what if their idea of advancing the tribe is overthrowing us and ensuring Lord M'Baku sits on the throne?" Another elder chimed in.
M'Baku laughed loudly, as if the idea of wanting the throne was too preposterous to take seriously.
"I wanted to be king of Wakanda once, yes, it is true. However, since then I have saved your rightful king, risked Jabari lives to overthrow a usurper, and put that King back on his throne. Without my people and I, Killmonger would still be alive and sitting in that chair. Seems like an awful lot of work when I could have just taken the Heart-Shaped Herb to become King myself and left King T'Challa to die. My interests no longer lie in leading this backwards nation."
"'Backwards?'" Elder Shani shouted, outraged at the insult. "How dare you?"
"Yes, backwards. A country that has all the resources in the world, offers all the opportunity in the world to its people and still finds a way to hold people back, to limit the power and ability of the more gifted among you. You can call us savages and insult me, I know what some of you say behind my back. But at least, the Jabari treat their fellow citizens with the respect Hanuman demands. When Bast calls you all home to the Plains... Will you be able to say the same?"
"Enough! That is quite enough," T'Challa called, causing all the tempers to quiet down significantly. "Elder Shani, as always, I appreciate your counsel. However, the treaty is final. The Jabari will not be forced to comply with any law within the Mutant Regulation Act. Lord M'Baku and the Jabari proved themselves to be a loyal tribe of Wakanda ten times over and I will not have that loyalty questioned in this room again. I reserve my right as king to revisit any aspect of the treaty if, and only if, it becomes an issue."
He and M'Baku shared a respectful head nod before T'Challa continued.
"Thank you all for a productive meeting. Unless there are outstanding matters, we will reconvene next Saturday prior to the start of the Festival. This year's festival will begin Sunday night at the Falls for the announcement of my sister's engagement and the King’s Exhibition. Thank you all. Wakanda Forever."
At the mention of her engagement, Asha glanced at M'Baku and she wished she hadn't. His body was rigid and she could almost see the rage radiating off him into the space.
"Wakanda Forever," they all replied in unison, as the meeting broke up.
Asha turned around to pick up her tablet and notebook, mainly to avoid the death glare she was receiving from Elder Shani across the room. When she turned back, the older woman was in a huddled discussion with another elder and her mother. Their hushed whispers could not reach her ears but she knew it was likely nothing good.
She kept her eyes trained on the floor as she walked, until she ran into the hard, broad back of someone.
"Oh, I am sorry! I didn't see you th- M'Baku," she started to apologize to the unknown person until they turned around and she came face to face with the man she was desperately trying to avoid. She wondered if it would have been less painless to run into Elder Shani as she looked into his eyes, finding no more admiration and love there.
"Yes your highness?"
His voice matched his eyes... cold and despondent, everything she didn't expect from him. She felt a sense of deja-vu to how he treated her prior to coming to the mountains. She remembered how it felt to be on the receiving end of his coldness and not understand why. She understood why now, but that didn't dampen the sting.
"U-uh, w-well I-I wanted to s-speak with you, actually," Asha stammered as she adjusted to all the things she was not used to from him... his coldness, formality and harsh tone. The silence between the stretched out as she tried to figure out what to say.
"Well?" he barked. "I do not have all day, I am in a rush to return home."
His tone hit her like a slap in the face. "N-never mind then, I hope you have a safe journey home."
He nodded and saluted her with a pained look on his face before turning to head back down the hall. Her eyes glistened slightly, she felt the pressure of tears building behind them but she tried to push those emotions down. They both made their choices and here laid the consequences, she would learn to deal with them.
M'Baku thought his feet could not carry him back to his carriage fast enough. He wanted nothing more than to flee this palace, and retreat to his own home to sulk and nurse his bruised heart. He thought they had started to build something... something beautiful and as quickly as it was put together, it crumbled.
"M'Baku!"
He grimaced as he heard the unmistakable timbre of his king calling after him. He wanted so badly to ignore him and if this was a time in the past, he would have. But he respected T'Challa, and was growing to see him as something resembling a friend. So he pushed down his annoyance and heartbreak to speak to his King, praying to Hanuman that this was a short conversation. He almost jumped clean out of his skin to find the King directly behind him instead of down the hall.
"My king?"
"Leaving so soon?" T'Challa asked, his tone pleasant and airy, not like someone addressing the man whom he found making out with one of his younger sisters the day prior.
"Yes, I have matters to attend to at home. What can I do for you?" M'Baku decided to cut the formalities short, he knew T'Challa did not stop him for that.
T'Challa nodded, his face descending into a more serious look. "Are you in love with my sister?"
He eyed the look of surprise that passed across M'Baku's face before adding, "I speak to you not as King but as an older brother who just wants his sister to be happy. There is no wrong answer here. Are you in love with her?"
"Yes," M'Baku replied shortly. There was not much else to say, this was all very simple to him.
T'Challa gestured forward, allowing the man to continue his journey toward his carriage as they walked.
"My sister always pretends to be happy, never complains about her horrible treatment at the hands of my parents or her regulation to being a prisoner in her own home. She always tries to hide it but it shows... it always shows in her eyes. They hold a certain sadness, or at least they have every single day for the last 15 years. The only other person on this Earth who I have seen with eyes like that died a few weeks ago. I couldn't save him, couldn't undo the injustices my family doled out upon him. But I... I can save Asha."
"Forgive me, my King. But I don't understand what you want from me?"
"When my sister walked off the Talon 24 hours ago, she looked like a completely different person. Joy and happiness radiated off her like light from the Sun. It was the first day I looked at my sister and didn't see that sadness. I do not have to be as smart as Shuri or as intuitive as Nakia to know who brought that about. My sister is in love with you. I want you to know that before you get in that carriage and resign to writing her off for the rest of your life. She is stuck between her heart and obligation, what she wants and what she has been conditioned to believe she should have. And Shuri and I are trying to help her but... As a brother, I-I am just asking you not to give up on her just yet."
As he finished, they reached his carriage. T'Challa did not wait for M'Baku to respond, he simply saluted him before turning on his heels to tread the same path back into the palace. Meanwhile, M'Baku just stood there staring after him for a while, another plan to forget Asha slowly sinking down the drain.
****
"M'Baku!"
He tore his eyes from the mountains, ready to snap at the man foolish enough to interrupt him, only to find N'Danna standing not too far behind him. N'Danna looked annoyed as if he had been calling the chief's name for a while. M'Baku clearly hadn't heard him, trapped in a cycle of his own thoughts, the light wind blowing past, and the nighttime jitters of the forest.
He barely acknowledged his second-in-command, knowing his best friend would just come and occupy the empty spot next to him. And sure enough, he felt his presence beside him as the man dusted the snow off the odd-shaped, massive boulder M'Baku was currently sitting on and sat down beside him.
"You are a hard man to find since returning from the Golden City," N'Danna mused as he took his cue from his chief and began staring at the mountains in front of him.
N'Danna supposed they were really just staring at nothing. He knew mountains were there, visible when the sun was high in the sky. But in such darkness, the best they could see was a vague outline. His gaze fell down to the village below that was still bustling with activity, lights branching out like veins in the darkness.
"How long have you been out here?"
"Since the sunset."
"You have turned into somewhat of a sunset enthusiast. And why did you decide to come out here on the coldest night of the winter?" N'Danna inquired.
M'Baku shook his head, "I don't know. I have come here every night for the last three days. I say I am not going to come and still I find myself out here all night. Not sure what answers I expect to find out here though."
N'Danna nodded, both men leaning back and laying against the rocks to look up at the midnight sky and twinkling stars.
"This is a good spot to find answers I suppose. And being here probably makes you feel closer to her, right?"
The two men turned to each other and N'Danna let out a light chuckle at the disgruntled look on his friend's face.
"I didn't even get that from your thoughts this time. Just an observation. You have been this way for the last few days, ever since you got back." Silence fell over the two for a moment before N'Danna spoke again. "Talk to me, M'Baku. What is going on with you? I have never seen you like this before."
When he didn't say anything initially, N'Danna assumed he opted to ignore his question. It wouldn't be the first time his friend chose to ignore things instead of addressing them. And so, after a few minutes of quiet, N'Danna returned his attention to the barely visible mountains ahead of them. He was surprised when he finally heard a response minutes later.
"I fell in love with her," M'Baku stated out of the blue. N'Danna wished he could see beneath the Earth's surface, and get confirmation of his suspicion that Hell had indeed frozen over at this admission. M'Baku had been with many women in his 30 years of living and had never so much as uttered a word similar to "love" toward any of them, such a word was vacant from his vocabulary. Now N'Danna understood, he got it. His poor chief had fallen fast and hard for the first time and was left out in the cold, a cold he was not accustomed to.
"And s-she rejected me. I was j-jus- And now she is about to be engaged... engaged to a man wh-" words failed him as he tried to verbalize how truly frustrating this all was. But his words resembled his thoughts, jumbled and disjointed as he tried to sift through the complex web he had woven. "About to live her life in hiding and secret again. It just does not make sense!"
"Why does that bother you so much? It is her life to live. If she chooses to hide and waste it, what is it to you?"
M'Baku gave him an incredulous look, immediately standing from the boulder to pace beside it. N'Danna was a Chosen, M'Baku was baffled that he could not see the issue in all this.
"Because she deserves better! She deserves what every person like her in these mountains has: the opportunity to be yourself, be raised to see the limitless power of what Hanuman has given you, the chance to do anything. That is what you have! That is what all of the Chosen have. It is not fair that she was stripped of that... Striped of that to be what? Someone of her power reduced to a rung on a ladder for a power-hungry shell of a man. It is not right."
"She is a princess, M'Baku, these obligations come with the territory. I am sure she is just doing what she thinks is best."
M'Baku scoffed, "Screw the obligations of royalty! We are talking about a woman who possesses powers... a gift that these mountains - Hell I would wager the world has not seen in generations. She is a once-in-a-lifetime gift, limitless power at her fingertips. She is not ordinary, she deserves more than ordinary!"
N'Danna sighed, sitting up.
"You speak of the Chosen as if we are Gods and Goddesses M'Baku. That has always been the problem, this altar you exalt us to, you prayed to be one of us when you don't really understand the burden we all carry. Asha is not limitless, none of us are! Asha was raised to hide, taught to be ashamed of who she was. Her powers are not unlimited. They are faulty, complicated, powerful, rare, stressed, beautiful and malleable just as the woman who wields them. You are so blinded by the beauty of her powers that you cannot see the tragedy in it. And that is why you are so disappointed. Not because she chose another man, but because she is has something you have longed for and she is showing you that not everyone is happy to be gifted... not everyone wants it. She may be a once-in-a-lifetime power, I do not doubt that, but she is also a young girl stuck between impossible choices, stuck between realities."
M'Baku shook his head, "Being with me is an impossible choice? Following your heart, choosing a better life is an impossible choice? I showed her how life could be different. Ok, you say it is not freedom, fine. But it is so much more than what she has now. How hard of a choice is that?"
"Following your heart has consequences, running up here to be with you and throw fire around to her heart's content has consequences. And not just for her... for her family, for all of Wakanda. She is a member of the Royal Family, for Hanuman's sake. P-people learn to love their chains M'Baku. Sometimes they become more comfortable, safer than what lies outside them. You offer her freedom but ignore the price of that freedom. Maybe she is not willing to pay it after only knowing you for two days."
M'Baku sighed and bowed his head, looking toward the forest to his left, the dark branches loaded down with fresh snow from the storm earlier that day.
"I j-just... I want better for her. I thought I could help bring light into her life and maybe, I just don't know how to accept that I failed. I-I don't know how to go back to life before her," he admitted honestly.
"Perhaps it is not all about you. You want her, and I understand that. But you did help her start down a path of self discovery. The Asha who left here last week is very different from the one who came here at first. She will find it difficult to retreat to her old life. Maybe you planted seeds that will flourish one day but you don't get to bask in the garden's beauty... it may not be meant for you. I know it is not what you want but you may have to accept that it is all you will get."
The two men stared at each other as his words settled in M'Baku's mind. This was probably the most honest conversation the two men had ever had in their friendship, N'Danna was the only person willing to tell M'Baku when he was wrong, push him down the correct path when he was stuck, straying or stalling to find it himself.
"The King asked me not to give up on her, not to push her away," he offered quietly, the grief of a love lost clear in his voice.
"Then don't, if you don't want to. She is not getting married Sunday, merely publicly announcing her engagement. So much can happen between now and the altar. But until then, you can stop torturing yourself and all of us," he added with a joking tone and smile, "Let her go and let the chips fall where they may. If she is meant to be yours, Hanuman will bring her back."
M'Baku nodded slowly. He looked over N'Danna's shoulder toward the center of the cliff they stood on. It was like a movie in front of him, he could see them clear as day. He wished he could go back to that moment, wrapped in the warmth of each other and deep in their own world. It was worth it, he decided, whatever heartbreak he had to endure the last few days or was in store for him moving forward.
"Let us go home, M'Baku. You got the answers you need."
M'Baku smiled at his friend and they both walked back to their individual carriages. Before it pulled off, he smiled sadly at that spot again, knowing he wouldn't be back here any time soon. N'Danna was right, Hanuman sent the answers he was desperately seeking. He just had to listen.
****
Asha felt like she had blinked and suddenly the week was almost over. She was not complaining though. A busy mind meant she couldn't pine for M'Baku, grief the loss of him, or think about her upcoming public engagement, which made all of this official, not some back alley deal between their parents. Staying busy was the only way to keep those thoughts and her looming dread at bay.
She had to admit though, without the allure of M'Baku and Jabariland, Asha realized that her new job lacked a certain appeal. But... she felt like everything lacked a certain appeal these days.
However, when darkness fell and the palace quieted, it hit her the hardest. She didn’t really need sleep so she couldn't count on it to take her away from it all and sometimes, even the unconscious world was unsafe. She counted at least one dream a night that featured M'Baku in some fashion.
And that is how she found herself after a particularly packed Thursday, laying in her bed, staring at the ceiling and praying to Bast to let her sleep. But no such luck. She tossed and she turned, and she thought of no one and nothing else but that man up the mountains and their last conversation.
It is clear that he is falling for you. You could escape... leave all this behind, the panther inside seemed to whisper, desperate to return to its life outside its cage. You hate it here.
I don't hate it here, she argued back. My family is here. Well, at least T'Challa and Shuri... Nakia, Alexis, Okoye - they are all here. I couldn't just leave them to deal with whatever wrath Elder Shani could unleash.
But this isn't for you anymore.
The thought made Asha cringe a little, knowing she could never say that out loud. What would her siblings say? It would devastate them. But it was not untrue, she realized in those quiet, lonely and restless moments in the dead of the night. After her father's death, her life was supposed to get easier with less restrictions and a bit more freedom. Yet somehow, the chains felt heavier and tighter. Pretending to be normal had never been this... this hard.
She felt like an animal being herded back into captivity after experiencing the wild, a life driven by its own desires. She did not realize what it would take to learn to re-love her chains, the pieces of her soul they siphon from her to do so. She shed them so quickly and willingly up the mountains, savored every second of the sweet freedom it offered her. And just like that she was back here, ripped out of her dreams into reality. She didn't expect it to be so hard truthfully... had no idea the pain she was preparing herself for.
She knew one thing though - this would never be enough, not after she experienced something different. This bastardized freedom her brother gave her just wouldn't do. It was the best he could offer, she certainly didn't fault him for it. But compared to what M'Baku showed her? This was merely a weak imitation.
She pulled the fluffy white pillow from beside her on top of her face and screamed into it, loud enough to release her frustration but not loud enough to send Alexis racing into her room, spear raised. Annoyance rippled through her that her body would not just allow her the simple reprieve from this world for another, the downside of sleep being a mere luxury and not a necessity for survival.
This just isn't helping, she ultimately decided.
Her mind drifted around the palace, thinking of all the places she could go to distract her and pass the night hours. Shuri's private lab was an option but she knew the young girl liked to work through the night and was not interested in talking to anyone. Her mind wandered to the library, which was a solid option of unlimited solitude. But even that did not have a certain appeal, she just thought of him and how they first met.
The training center?
There was an idea she could work with, a space that could not remind her of him. Besides, nothing cleared the mind like a good at was an idea she could work with. Nothing cleared the mind like a work out and thanks to her brother, she had a brand new, never been used training center of her own to test out. It was the only spot that offered any sort of appeal to her now. She slid out of bed and quickly changed her clothes.
Alexis stood at attention, saluting her before Asha told her where she was going and convinced her to take the rest of the night off.
She walked across the palace and downstairs, entering the main training room and immediately heading for a discreet door on the back wall. One full body scan later and the door slid open for her to enter.
It was beautiful, Asha thought to herself as she walked around the room. It was long and slender unlike the expansive training room on the other side of the wall. The cushioned training mat floor was soft beneath her feet, the tall ceilings overheard would give her just enough space to practice sustaining flight, sleek walls embedded with blue flecks of vibranium that glowed lighting the room in a blue hue.
One thing did confuse her though, the lack of equipment. She looked around, trying to understand the mechanics of the space. It was completely empty, all except for the computer monitor across from the entrance. As if it sensed her presence as she approached, it immediately lit up and offered a menu of training modes for Asha to choose from. Asha slowly took her rings off, sitting them and her shoes together in the corner, before scrolling through the many options and settings. She didn't understand how any of them would work with no equipment but she never got a proper tutorial of the space. But she knew her brother was smart so she chose combat and figured that she would learn as she went.
She walked to the center of the room and on cue, the lights dimmed and suddenly, a hologram of a person came racing toward her. Asha barely had time to think or process before the attacker raised a digital weapon and a loud bang sounded across the silent room.
Before she knew it, a massive blast of air knocked her on her back and let her know that she had been hit.
"Simulation over," a computerized female voice called throughout the room. "Assailant: 1; Asha: 0."
A small groan escaped her throat as she slowly sat up and tried to catch her breath.
Once she was on her feet again, she called out, "Again," signaling for the simulation to restart.
She sank into a defensive position as the lights darkened again, focusing her eyes on the wall at the end of the room and preparing for the man to emerge once more. She watched, waiting as nothing happened. But soon, she felt a presence behind her. She turned quickly, not wasting precious seconds this time. She immediately threw a ball of fire at the figure causing it to crumble to the ground and disappear.
She was so distracted watching the hologram disappear that she was surprised to feel a small blast of air hit her shoulder, directing her attention to a hologram on the window ledge. She was finally starting to understand the mechanics of combat mode, Asha killed that assailant next. This continued for 10 minutes, Asha dodging targets and their weapons. The simulation ended with another sneak attack, causing her to realize that any blow that would be fatal in the real world caused the simulation to cease.
Still, as she heard the score back, she felt as though she had redeemed herself. Not that it really mattered, there was no one there to see it. Asha: 10, Assailants: 5 was not bad for her second round.
Asha watched as the computer pulled up a heat signature of the room, red and orange on random spots around the room. She pressed a glowing "extinguish" button, which caused the room to release the targeted extinguisher to those spots, returning the room to normal.
Asha went through combat mode three more times, the assailants and patterns changing every time. They became more complex, she realized, the room analyzing her battle patterns and movements to push her harder. By her last round, Asha had kicked her powers into high gear, certainly more energy than she had ever used. But she looked like a skilled dancer instead of a clumsy fawn as she ran, jumped and dodged blasts across the room. She threw fire, caused diversions, hovered in the air to better examine the full field of attackers. She created life-sized fire panthers that chased down her attackers and killed them at her command like her own personal army. She even realized that once or twice, she could block the blasts with a fire shield, though she couldn't sustain it. The last simulation only ended when a voice overpowered the settings. Asha was directing a panther to attack three figures who were running from it from her position in the air when she saw her brother leaning against the wall in the corner.
"Simulation over," the voice said again as Asha made the fire disappear and landed softly back on the ground. She did not acknowledge her brother initially, walking to grab her shoes and rings as the voice said, "Assailants: 3, Asha: 25."
"I was trying to get to 30," she called, realizing how out of breath and tired she was as she tried to talk and walk over to him.
The room did a final extinguish of the night as they both moved back into the main training center. She sat down on the floor, exhausted, to drink some water.
"I needed a training partner. Trust me, you looked amazing, you were just showing off at that point. I am surprised to find you down here. Have you ever even used it since I built it?"
Asha's chest heaved as she caught her breath. She didn't understand how she felt this exhausted despite only training for an hour.
"Not since Baba. Figured now was as good a time as any. I couldn't sleep. You either?" She looked at the time on her beads: 3 am.
"Nope. I woke up and tossed around for a bit before something told me that this was the place to be tonight. Now I know why. Train with me," he asked assertively. She knew it was not a legitimate question. There was only one proper answer when her brother wanted a late-night sparring partner.
T'Challa powered up his suit, the only thing that would protect his skin from burns when practicing hand-to-hand combat with Asha. She sank into her battle stance, ignoring the exhaustion in her body. T'Challa was the better fighter, regardless of Asha's lethal abilities, because he practiced more and had super strength and speed. He knew all of Asha's moves and how to respond while it seemed she could never keep up with him. If he was being honest, these sessions were more for Asha than him.
After letting Asha win twice and beating her once, T'Challa let her fall back on the training floor to rest.
"That was good, you are getting better," he offered as he sat on a bench next to her. She envied him, she looked like she had just stepped out of a pool of her own sweat while he looked as if he could walk into a state dinner, perfectly unruffled despite fighting for 30 minutes.
"Thanks," she nodded.
"How are you? I meant to check in earlier this week, see how you are enjoying your work."
"The work is good T'Challa. I enjoy it. Everything is good," she responded lightly, hoping that would be enough to end the line of questioning she was sure was forming on his lips.
They hadn't really spoken since the drama at the state dinner the week prior and she had been kind of avoiding him to keep it that way. She did not want to talk to anyone about this but something felt especially odd about going to her older brother about her love life. She knew T'Challa had his way, she would be single forever so no one could hurt her.
"Asha..."
She turned her head away from him, recognizing that tone. He was descending into full big brother mode, desiring to talk about her feelings and fix whatever problems he thought plagued her. Asha knew he meant well and he tried, but most of her problems... he actually couldn't fix. And this one would be no different.
"Talk to me. Everything is not good. You are not ok. You are different, we can all see it. Don't keep it all bottled up."
Asha sighed, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the towel next to her.
"If I could explain it, T'Challa, I would."
"Try... for me. As long as it takes."
"Before I went to Jabariland, the idea of leaving this palace terrified me. You know how resistant I was to take on this role in the first place. All I could think of is Baba saying that I was dangerous and all the ways I could hurt or kill people. And so, staying here, being a good princess and marrying Hasani... it was prison but it was a comfortable one. Over time, the chains hurt less... the frustration faded and I learned to love and appreciate the life I had. It was not the best but it was enough."
"But then you experienced something different?" He offered.
Asha looked at him, appreciating that he was giving her the opening to admit the one thing she thought she had to keep secret to spare his feelings.
"But then I experienced something different," she echoed. "Thanks to you, by the way," she nudged him playfully. "Something life-changing. He pushed me to the edge and made me rethink everything I had thought about my powers before. Made me see beauty in the flowers where I only saw weeds. And then on top of that... I-I fell in love with him. So fast and hard like I jumped off a cliff. And then I came back here and... reality just hit me like a rhino. I am forced to hide... cannot have the man I love. I j-just don't know how much longer I can do this."
"Do what?" T'Challa asked, pained by his sister speaking so despondently and knowing there was little he could do to help her.
"This," she whispered, gesturing at her hands. "Pretending to be something I am not, hiding the one thing that makes me unique. Every day I get up and I put these rings on and head down to my office, I realize that this is it. All I have to look forward to for the rest of my days is Hasani and a life in the darkness. It will never be enough. Just doesn't seem like much of a life to me anymore."
Asha stared at the wall across from them, a painting of Bast on the training room wall, while T'Challa stared at her profile. The two just sat there for a while, not saying anything at all, as T'Challa thought over what Asha said. It was not that he didn't want to say anything, he just couldn't think of anything appropriate. What do you say to someone who no longer thinks their future is worth it?
"What can I do?" he settled on.
He was a fixer, he could help her fix this and forge a path forward.
She offered him a sad smile, "I am not sure there is anything you can do, brother."
"Nonsense, I am king," he boasted, causing the two to share a laugh.
"Even kings have limitations, just like the rest of us." She stood up, holding out her hand to pull her brother to his feet. "Come, let us go to bed. There is so much to be done before the start of the festival this weekend."
T'Challa nodded, knowing she was ending the conversation to avoid talking about it. He knew he would not sleep when he returned to his bed, instead he would be thinking of how to give his sister freedom, true freedom, no matter the cost.
****
"Did T'Challa tell you what this was about?" Shuri asked as they briskly walked down to the throne room, after being alerted of an emergency council meeting.
"No. We were training together last night, he never mentioned needing to gather the council early. I asked Nakia, she said he didn't mention it to her either. You would think he would trust his most trusted advisor though? Titles mean less and less around here every day," Asha joked.
She and Shuri shared a laugh as they entered and settled in their seats, finding most of the council already assembled.
Their mother walked in followed by T'Challa, who looked grim and exhausted. She shared a confused and concerned look with her sister as they all did the customary salute before directing her attention back to her brother. She was so concerned that she didn't even have much time to lament over M'Baku who was sitting across from her.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I realize this is unorthodox but this could not wait. I was up for most of the night, thinking and praying about the future of this nation. After deep prayer with Bast, I realized I can no longer sit by while injustice runs rampant within our borders. That is why I will be announcing the repeal of the Mutant Regulation Laws at the Festival of Bast on Sunday, effective immediately."
There was a beat of silence before shouts and anger erupted among the group as his words settled in the room like fog. The shouts overlapping rants of her mother, Elder Shani and two others were incoherent to Asha as they shouted at her brother. She was still trying to formulate a simple thought, his words were bouncing around in her mind but were having trouble truly sticking. Once she emerged from the shock of shock, she couldn't have been happier, repealing those laws would change so much for people like her.
The Mutant Regulation Laws were a set of laws, initially enacted by Asha's grandfather and expanded by King T'Chaka, that attempted to limit mutants movements in the country and to limit the increase of the mutant population. The only people excluded from the laws since their inception were the Jabari.
As far as the public knew, the purpose of the laws were to protect citizens from enhanced individuals. The act stipulated that all mutants had to register with the government and general rules to limit the use of their powers, such as forbidding them in public spaces. This registry was first enacted in response to what her grandfather believed was an exponential increase in the mutant population across the four tribes.
The laws were divisive no doubt, like all controversial things. Many loved them, advocated for further expansions, feeling safe knowing that mutants could not inflict their powers on everyone else. The less vocal half, though, saw them as something that made them no better than the discrimination colonizers around the globe subjected their people to. However, only the Royal family knew the truth, that her father's reasoning for expanding the law had little to do with safety and everything to do with his fragile ego.
As she got older, Asha quickly realized that her father didn't hate mutants because they were dangerous or threatened his country. He hated them simply because they were born with powers he had to win combat to get, powers he had to be deemed worthy for and earn. While they just woke up with them one day, having done no real work to deserve them. As the mantle of Black Panther and title of King caused his ego to grow, he grew equally paranoid that one day, mutants would begin to believe they were the ones actually chosen by Bast and invalidate the legacy of the Black Panther. As the population of mutants grew year after year, his paranoia that he would lose his title of King and Protector grew with it. Soon, a registry to merely keep track of the population was not enough. Soon, he launched a campaign to ensure mutants were the lowest rung on Wakanda's social order. Soon, the registry turned into laws to limit their abilities and resources funding research to find a cure for their affliction.
In the previous council meeting, M'Baku had echoed the sentiments of half the country... that the policies were regressive and a dark stain on Wakanda. But Wakandans were humans, just like those on the other side of their borders. After being fed enough ammunition, people can be conditioned to hate anyone.
T'Challa raised his hand to silence the group, adding, "Lord M'Baku was right, this is not the Wakanda Bast promised her people, at least not for everyone. Not for enhanced individuals, who are just as deserving of the same respect and opportunities as the rest of us. The Jabari and their enhanced people have lived in peace for centuries. We can do the same here."
"Have you lost your mind??" Ramonda asked furiously from her seat next to her son. "That law is part of your father's legacy!"
"Baba was a great king, but that does not mean he was always right. And on this, I feel he was wrong."
"Half of your country sleeps peacefully because of those laws," Elder Shani cried, pointing out the large window at the city below. "Sleep peacefully knowing lethal people cannot murder them or hurt them with no thought. What would you say to those people?"
"Yes and half the country sleeps less peacefully knowing that with all our technology and opportunities and advancement, we are no better than the colonizers who discriminate against people for their race or gender or sexuality. It is not right," Nakia interjected.
"You will end your father's legacy in one day. You will destroy everything he has built, the tribe and country he has created."
"The tribe and legacy he built on the backs of a brother he murdered, a child he abandoned and rampant discrimination of his people! Would that be such a bad thing?" Asha argued quietly, drawing the group's attention (and subsequently, their anger) toward her.
She almost balked at the looks her mother and Elder Shani gave her but when she looked passed them, she was met with a reassuring and encouraging nod from M'Baku that empowered her to press forward.
"This is a good thing," she asserted, shoulders squared and head held high.
"Of course you would think so," Elder Shani sneered. "I am sure you were the one that forced him to do this. People like you are destroying our country."
The room fell silent as the other elders stared shocked at their fellow member, seemingly surprised at her very vocal and unwarranted disrespect toward a member of the Royal Family.
"Elder Shani! Princess Asha is royal advisor to the King, our princess. Apologize at once!" Elder M’Kathu exclaimed.
"I shall do no such thing! The only thing that makes her worthy to sit before us is that crown on her head... her title. She is beneath me, beneath all of us," she spat at Asha, staring at her with such contempt.
Asha sat rigid in her chair as her future mother-in-law threw her vitriol at her. Asha wondered if this was how out-of-body experiences felt. She could so very clearly see where this train was going, see how her life's secret was about to implode before her eyes in a manner of moments but she could not direct her mouth to say a word or her limbs to move. She just sat, paralyzed and silent, unable to save herself or stop the train that was about to carry her whole family off a cliff.
"Elder Shani... I would think about what is at stake before you say another word to or about my sister," T'Challa threatened, his voice low and deadly.
For a split-second, the room saw it - a king no longer sat before them, the Black Panther did. For most, this would have been enough to slam on the brakes and beg for forgiveness. But it seemed Elder Shani was done, tired of pretending to respect someone she felt was beneath her, tired of keeping a secret for a person she despised. And her hate would not be outweighed by her greed any longer, she clearly couldn't take it.
"I told your father! I told him, warned him of the damage you and your affliction would cause him. Even from the grave, you destroy him and taint his legacy. Your kind... your disease destroyed him and it will lead to the end of Wakanda! You are a threat to us all." She took a deep breath before continuing, "Princess Asha is a mutant! The Panther Tribe has been hiding it, lying to their people for decades. Hiding her and t-this abomination from us all! And now she has our King under some spell, convinced him to uproot all the safety and security we have worked so hard to build."
As she spoke, Asha could feel rage rising in her body. It was steady, slowly building with every word that fell from Shani's lips as she spewed her hate and vitriol for all to hear. She tried to calm herself, control her breathing and emotions as she sat there, push them back down so she could get through the night. But it was proving to be impossible. The metal bars of her panther's cage were meaningless, being torn apart like pieces of paper as her emotions reached their peak.
"That is enough! Take her away!" T'Challa stood before her, directing the Dora to come and escort Elder Shani from the room.
Asha held her head in her hands as she took sharp, shallow breaths. Her whole body shook as she tried her hardest to not lose it in front of her family and the remaining members of the council.
"Asha."
She heard Shuri's voice and felt her hand on her shoulder causing her to jump up. Everyone seemed to back away from her immediately, causing Asha to notice the smoke and small flickers of flames erupting from her hands. The rings around her fingers were completely useless as the flames continued to grow steadily. Asha could only recall one moment in her life when she felt this out of control, the day her brother “died.”
She got up and backed away to put some distance between her and the rest of the group.
"Stay back!" she yelled through her gasping breaths, holding her hand out and inadvertently causing flames to fly toward her family.
The Dora around the room instinctively lifted their spears, the remaining elders fled to the opposite wall as far from her as possible. But her family remained where they were, M'Baku being the brave soul to ignore her direction and approach her, unbothered by the uncontrollable fire escaping her body. Fire that grew stronger and bigger as Elder Shani's words cycled through her brain nonstop, causing her despair and rage to grow. Years of ignoring her emotions, years of trauma and abuse were finally boiling over. Tonight was the final push off the cliff, she could not do this anymore.
"Asha.. you have to calm down," M'Baku whispered, motioning for the rest of her family to stay behind him.
He wished he could get her to look into his eyes but as he looked at her blood-red irises and the tears streaming down her face, he realized she looked without truly seeing.
"You are none of those things. You are beautiful and powerful. You are not dangerous. Don't become what they fear you are."
She heard his voice, understood the words he was saying but she didn't believe them, not when 25 years of abuse cycled in her mind to counter it. She looked around the room and all she saw was fear, proof that her home, the place she loved would never truly accept her. Elder Shani proved that. She had freed her from hiding but she also ensured that Asha couldn't stay here anymore, not when people looked at her like what she always feared she was: a monster.
She couldn't do it, wouldn't do it, didn't have the strength to subject herself to it any longer. This was her out and she was going to take it. She looked from her family to the window across from her.
She didn't think about it, didn't consider the mechanics. She just tore herself from the wall she backed herself into and ran toward the window. Her body lifted off the floor into flight as she used a blast of fire to cause the glass to break open for her.
"Asha no! Come back, " she heard her sister call after her.
She turned back and looked at them once as she used all the energy she could muster to fly away from her, her family, her home and her past for good.
Night had fallen during the course of that meeting, giving Asha a nice cover so no one could see her flying overhead. She zoomed out of the dome quickly, her mind not even conjuring up a location or place to go. She just wanted as much distance between her life and her as possible, knowing she would run into the border at some point.
The wind painfully whipped against her face, causing her eyes to blur so she could barely see where she was going. In her emotionally-heightened state, it proved difficult to sustain flight as she passed over the uninhabited forests of Wakanda. As she tried to sort through the wreckage that was her life, she could not concentrate on her task, which caused her to lose height or speed every few minutes. And it just became harder and took more energy to accelerate and regain the height she lost every time she had to refocus.
This cycle lasted for about 20 minutes before she had to reckon with this hastily made choice. She had no idea where she was or if she was even still in Wakanda, all she saw for miles were forest. She figured she must still be in the country, she couldn't fly that fast. In a short time, the explosive anger that coursed through her in the throne room was long gone, replaced with very real fear. Fear that taking an impromptu flight with no direction, after only one lesson, and without telling one living soul where she was headed was the worst decision she had ever made.
She realized soon that she had no choice but to turn around and pray to Bast that she could sustain flight enough to get back to civilization. This was not sustainable and she knew it. She frantically looked around for a landmark in the trees, anything that looked familiar and could provide her a spot to rest before finishing the journey. She spotted the temple by the Garden of the Heart-Shaped Herb, silently thanking Bast and deciding that it would be as good of a spot as any to catch her breath. She headed in that direction. However, like a real fire reaching its end, Asha could see her internal fire slowly dying out.
"No don't do this, we are almost there," she begged herself as the fire encompassing her hands and feet started to die away as well.
Her mind felt cloudy and it was a struggle to keep her eyes open. Before she knew it, her eyes fell closed, her fire having died out completely, and her body fell gracefully from the sky before thudding in a small clearing in the forest at the foot of the Temple of Bast.
****
@destinio1 @muse-of-mbaku @missmohnique @jellybean531 @afrolatinpami @leahnicole1219 @archivistofwakanda
#Black Writers#black panther fanfiction#black panther imagines#black panther fics#m'baku x reader#m'baku imagine#m'baku smut#m'baku x oc
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San Diego's Mysterious Galaxy bookstore is saved!
With just days to go before it would have to close its doors forever, San Diego's beloved science fiction bookstore Mysterious Galaxy has found a new location and new owners: Jenni Marchisotto and Matthew Berger have bought the store and will run it at its new home, 3555 Rosecrans St. Suite #107 San Diego, CA 92110.
Everyone's keeping their jobs, too. It's a Christmas miracle. I'm looking forward to having lots more events with them in the years to come!
From Jenni: The first books I ever loved, the ones I read over and over again until the bindings practically disintegrated, were The Song of the Lioness and The Immortals quartets by Tamora Pierce. I spent much of my childhood dreaming about having purple eyes and debating whether Alanna should have ended up Jonathan or George with my cousin Courtney. As an adult I still get carried away by reading. For my degree I focused on disability in 20th century Anglophone literature. I could talk about James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Shani Mootoo for hours. I’m also a sucker for romance and fantasy. Some of my favorites include Helen Hoang, Sarah J. Maas, J. R. Ward, Richelle Mead, and Jasmine Guillory. I'm currently reading Arora Blazing by Jessie Mihalik & Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab by Shani Mootoo.
From Matt: I have spent far too much time trying to figure out how to make a lightsaber work. Like, how do you get light to take a shape? Growing up, my days were filled with thoughts about the worlds authors built in my favorite series: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Feist’s Magician series, Eragon, and countless others. In college, I decided to think some more about books, so I studied literature, including Latin American authors such as Jorge Luis Borges and Ricardo Piglia, and classic authors like James Joyce and Franz Kafka. I’m always looking for a new world to stumble upon. I'm currently reading: Iron Gold by Pierce Brown & The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
We are both unbelievably thankful to Terry Gilman, Maryelizabeth Yturralde, and Jeff Mariotte, for creating a space welcoming science fiction and fantasy lovers of any age. They have given us, as the bookstore's name suggests, countless galaxies to explore through reading. Ones that just happen to exist every time you open a book and are never farther away than the next page. We would also like to thank store manager Kelly Orazi, and the rest of the Mysterious Galaxy staff for their support through this transition. We know the expert team of booksellers is much of what makes Mysterious Galaxy special. The store wouldn’t be the same without them. They are always ready with the perfect recommendation for any customer. We wouldn’t want to embark on this journey with anyone else. *insert Lord of the Rings pun here*
Moving forward, we plan to uphold all that makes Mysterious Galaxy special. We respect and value the store’s reputation as an integral part of the literary community in San Diego. We hope that as we enter this new chapter, you will trust us to preserve that identity. We have always seen Mysterious Galaxy as a safe place for anyone interested in exploring new worlds and never want that to change.
https://boingboing.net/2019/12/15/3555-rosecrans-st.html
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The Religion plays a strong part in many peoples' lives in the known world ranging from the worshipping of prophets to mythical beings and cults.
Known religions
Imperial Cult of the Great Sun ( Warmth, life, humanity, ruling dynasty, emperor, army )
The cult of the Great Sun was formerly only one of various religions in the Empire, popular only in its core regions. This situation changed during reign of the predecessor of Emperor Fergus, about a hundred years ago, who initiated a series of major reforms. The ruler was looking for a symbol which would unite the realm better and more permanently than only the ruling dynasty. By skillfully managing with cash and giving priests his monarchic favor, he made the cult begin to gain a new crowd of followers throughout the whole Empire. In exchange, the Emperor demanded absolute support for his policies from the clergy, practically making priesthood another form of civil service.Then the monarch issued a special decree called "March 8th Edict" which granted the cult the status of official state religion. Though during reign of the Usurper its rights were diminished, its position increased after Emhyr var Emreis and his army overthrew the usurper.
The cult has its roots in the Elven cult of nature. The primary deity is the Sun, giver of warmth and life, protector of humankind, but also capable of being cruel and destructive. Since the "March 8th Edict" it has also been the patron of the ruling dynasty. The most important holidays are the Equinoxes and birthday of the current Imperator, currently July 26. The central ceremonies are held in the capital, performed by the Imperator acting as the High Priest, head of the religion.All holidays are celebrated with great pomp, to the accompaniment of solemn music and in the presence of all major officials, commanders, and aristocrats. After official ceremonies, folk games with food and beverage take place.
It is noteworthy that a number of customs related with the holidays are derived directly from Elven tradition. Priests of the cult wear white raiments embroidered in gold and silver during devotions, celebrations, and holidays; as casual clothes they wear black civilian dress.
Nordling Pantheon
Nordlings believe in a vast pantheon of numerous gods, goddesses, mystical powers and local forces, as well as human Prophets and Saints. Their religion is not as organized as the Imperial Cult of the Great Sun – it lacks of one head above the whole cult, instead being centered around regional hierarchs, archpriests of given deities and charismatic leaders such as Grand Masters of knightly orders and self-proclaimed Prophets.Settled priests usually follow a single deity but acknowledge and respect others while the wandering ones tend to invoke all the gods.[2] Some of the deities are known as the Immortal Ones.[3]It should be noted that while most of one deity's followers believe in the existence of another one, they do not necessarily worship the latter in the same way as the primary one – and, in extreme cases, can even hate it and its followers, as in case of the persecuted Coram Agh Tera cult.
Deities
Aesculapius Shani's necklace. Aesculapius is a mythological figure after whom the Rod of Aesculapius on the Merchant Street is named. Shani wears an amulet depicting its symbol, a snake entwining a staff.TriviaAsclepius was a hero and the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology.
Coram Agh TeraFor the full article, see Coram Agh Tera.
DagonFor the full article, see Dagon
.Epona?For the full article, see Horse deity.
HuldraFor the full article, see Huldra
.KreveFor the full article, see Kreve.
LilvaniFor the full article, see Lilvani.Lyfia
For the full article, see Dana Meadbh.Melitele
For the full article, see Melitele.Morrigan
For the full article, see Morrigan.NehaleniFor the full article, see Nehaleni.Pereplut?
Priests of this deity are common in Ebbing. They have a wooden temple in Claremont and while they protest against harming animals in the Arena, they do not mind harming humans. At the square in front of the temple Bonhart tortured Ciri with the riding-whip, the priests did not intervene.TriviaThere is an area in Ebbing called Pereplut Swamps. It is the name of a god of rivers and dance in the Slavic mythology, so it is possible that this Ebbinger deity is called Pereplut as well.
SednaFor the full article, see Sedna.
UroborosFor the full article, see Uroboros.Veyopatis
For the full article, see Veyopatis.Verna
Many people living in Velen worship a deity called Verna the Merciful, whose shrines are often desecrated by blasphemers trying to make a point, like in the quest Defender of the Faith.
Ofieri beliefs
Lands of Ofir have different deities and beliefs, depending on the region. They believe that important matters should be discussed outdoors with gods for witnesses. In contrast to the Northern Realms, the faith doesn't conflict science, and many clerics are great scholars valued by people for wisdom. z
Skellige Pantheon
The Gods of the Sea and goddess Freya are chief objects of worship throughout Skellige. Undoubtedly, the latter is revered by the Islanders above all other deities, and she is a central figure in their religious system. They grant her the venerable title of the great modron, meaning "mother" in their tongue, for Freya is the patron of fertility, love, and beauty. She also poses as the patron of soothsayers, clairvoyants, telepaths, as symbolized by her sacred animals: the cat, which sees and hears while being unseen, and the falcon, who watches everything from the sky, and by her jewel: the necklace of foresight Brisingamen.]Apart from these, Islanders revere mythical hero Hemdall,[9] his mistress Heulyn, and their children, founders of the most powerful clans and the first alleged rulers of the archipelago: Grymmdjarr, Modolf, Broddr, Otkell, Sove, and Tyr.[2] They also trust and believe in local druids, who are seen as wise men and act as diplomats, royal advisors, warriors, and wielders of magic.[
There are also two forgotten deities: Svalblod and Melusine. Svalblod was worshiped by a cult cast out of Skellige, for even in a land of violence-orientated culture, these worshipers practiced rituals so drastic that they repulsed the minds of many. When it got too far, jarls brought an end to it and by 1272 only the henge in Fornhala remained standing.Melusine was a siren but was so strong, large, and different from the others that some Islanders worshiped her as a semi-divine being. She hibernated in a cave at the southern cliffs of Spikeroog, leaving at times to hunt. The locals feared her enough to worship her and even built a massive shrine in her cave, remembering her as the mad and dangerous Lady Melusine of the Depths
Zerrikanian beliefs
Zerrikanians are known to worship dragons and make sacrifices before images of the said creatures.The religion is founded upon a legend of the golden dragon Zerrikanterment and how he created a protective barrier around Zerrikania by burning forests around and thus turning them into deserts and wastelands.They believe that before the dragons there was no other god, that they are the creators and rulers of the world. The priestesses are in charge of the worship. They explore all religious knowledge, are fluent in writing, and use the heavenly gift, meaning that they use magic drawn from dragons who are the only creatures apart from cats that are known to absorb magical energy.
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Chapter 190
Trey
"Hold up." Devin says looking around the table. "Trey did you cook this?"
"No." I say scrunching up my face.
He looks at Chris. "Did you cook this?"
"Naw, we just sat down and started eating. Trey, why we sat down here?"
"Cause it was food."
Devin wasn't leaving it alone. "Your mama not here, Cammie not taking the time, and MiMi ass don't do nothing."
"Sevyn?"
"She went out this morning." Chris shrugs. "With Cammie."
We sit there for a few seconds still eating. It didn't bother me how the food got here. The fact was that it was here and I was eating it. Nothing complicated. Devin grabs a piece of toast from the plate in front of us.
"Daddy?" Lane says walking in the kitchen. He sees me and gets excited. "Hey."
"Good morning, son." I say returning the excitement.
He comes over looking at my plate. "What's that?"
"A strawberry." I say giving it to him.
"I'll be back, Bae." someone yells then comes in the kitchen.
"Oh." I say suddenly remembering. "Kain."
Chris scrunches up his face. "You cooked this breakfast?"
"There's a problem with a nigga cooking breakfast? I cook for my family every morning."
"But you a drug dealer. They do that?" I smirk.
He chuckles. "Do they Devil?"
Devin scrunches his face. "I'm a clean ass nigga. I don't know what they do."
"Boe." Kain says making a face. "What's up, Lane?"
"My cousin here?" Lane says paying Kain attention. "Way her at? Naya!"
There's a loud noise in the dining room then running. Man, that's trouble. Lane and Shani. She is a fucking ratchet ass girl in the making. She curses, she pinches, she bites, she cries, she makes pouting I’m sorry faces. Lane brings the bad out of most kids but that little girl don't need help being bad.
"Lane. Hey Lane." she says hugging him.
"Cousin." he says pushing her off him. "Way you Mommy?"
They disappear. Kain leaves out of the kitchen as well. My phone goes off. I stare at Cammie's face until it says missed call. Chris looks at the phone with a frown on his face. He remains quiet. It starts ringing again. I slowly pick it up.
"Morning." I say.
"You sound dry, Tremaine. What are you doing?"
I stuff my mouth. "Eating."
"You cooked?"
I chuckle. "No, really. Let's be serious."
"I miss you. Are you coming to watch me dance?"
"No, wife."
"Why not?" she whines.
I change the call to video. She answers it right away. When the video loads she is sitting on the floor in front of the mirror with people dancing behind her. Cammie is one of those people that is beautiful first thing in the morning without doing anything to her face. When she does it am over the top beauty. She sitting in front of this camera with no make up, sweat, and her hair tied back.
"You look beautiful."
"Eww." She says covering the camera. "I look like a sweaty ragdoll."
I chuckle. "Lane here. Talk to your mama."
He looks at the phone with a long face then he looks at me. "No. I said that."
"The pineapple?" I say giving it to him.
"He took the time to slice the pineapple." Chris says staring at the pineapple.
Lane puts the phone down the run away. "Naya!"
"My sister there already?" Cammie says.
"Yeah. He thug cooks."
Cammie laughs. "Yeah, I know. He does it every morning."
Mommy wobbles into the room. "I still can't get used to walking in the room with y'all ass sitting there casually. Hey."
"I didn't know you were pregnant."
"I'm not!" she says offended.
I frown picking up the phone. "Oh."
She laughs really hard. "Just kidding. I am. My baby daddy can make a spread right? Got it looking professional. He was having fun with all the damn fresh food y'all got up in here. Oh guess what. Twins!"
"That's why you so big." Devin says.
"Oh shoot. Dee, I thought you were a cute celebrity sitting up there."
"Cute?" Devin says making a face. "Fuck I look like?"
"Cute." Chris laughs.
I look back at the phone. "What's so cute about twins?"
"No, Dee is cute. Twins aren't cute." Mommy says walking her belly around the counter. "I'm wish twins on you. It's either the 2nd born or the third."
"That bitch not even having twins." Cammie says. "Maine, I have to go back and dance. Love you."
"Love you." I say staring at her. I wanted to tell her no but I didn't.
"Anyway, twins?" she says rubbing her belly.
I frown. "I'm confused. You asking me?"
"Yes, I was lying before. It's a girl." she says making the ball in her stomach move. She didn't look as big. "She likes to sit with her butt on my stomach and lungs so I can't eat so much. Girls. Already a self-conscious bitch. Don't want us getting fat."
"I would take whatever if it's a girl involved. Then we done."
"At 3 or 4? Hell I'm surprised you got Cammie to have one." Mommy says giggling.
I frown. "She wanted kids."
"Who? Miss conceited? Bitch, ain't never wanted to lose that perfect body. Whqt she doing right now? Exercising. Call it dance... Still keeping that figure right."
"Cammie, don't act like she didn't want kids." Chris frowns.
"Let me ask my mama." I say taking out my phone. "I don't think I ever asked."
Mama answers right now the first ring. "Good morning, Tremaine."
"Must be some new old saggy balls in your life."
"They only about 25. Still perky."
I chuckle. "And full of STI's. Nasty."
She laughs really hard. "Tremaine on the phone. Talking about nuts. You know I always knew he liked bags in his mouth."
"The fuck?" I say trying to stay serious.
"Rose? Tremaine, your cousin said hey. Rose said to tell Lane to call her."
"I'm not because he gonna be talking about going to Virginia and Cammie not having it."
Ma laughs really hard. "We going to a garage sale the church having. I should have got some stuff from my basement. Yeah, that old dresser. I thought it would go back in the other room. It's too big. Whatever."
"April."
"Tremaine!"
"Cammie wanted kids?"
She sucks her teeth. "Ask your wife."
"Before she had Lane?"
"No, Tremaine, she didn't."
I suck my teeth. "So why she kept em?"
April laughs. "Thank God you didn't ask your wife. Start an argument if you want. He talking about why she kept his son."
"Not like that."
"How else is it Tremaine? What does it matter now? She wasn't getting an abortion."
I nod. "Oh, yeah, you right."
"Give me that."
"No coffee." I say moving it from him. "Go call Rose."
"I don't know." he lies.
I give him the phone. "Here."
He grabs the coffee cup then cuts his eyes at me. I watch him while he sips the coffee with caution. I don't know why I allowed him to do it after I said no. He takes two sips then he grabs the phone. He sits down on the stool instead of getting down.
"April?" he says.
"Say what?" April snaps looking at the phone. "Girl, Lane said my name like that. Sounding like a grown man. Good morning, handsome."
He slides the coffee towards him. "Hey, Nanma."
"But I was just April."
"No, sir." I say taking the cup from Lane.
He screams. I can deal with his screaming. I'm not dealing with explaining to Cammie that her son high off of coffee because I don't know how to say no to a 2 year old. He puts his head on the table but doesn't cry. Bad ass. I look over at Mommy and Devin. She puts her hand on his chest. It wasn't a simple hand on the chest. It was a hand on the chest then caress to his arm. She walks out of the kitchen. I look at Chris. He was looking down at his food. I guess he missed that. As I'm looking away he holds his head up with a smirk on his face. I nod my head. He starts laughing. Devin was just sitting there quiet.
"Something we should know about?" I ask.
"Hell no." Devin says grabbing a muffin. "That ain't me in this life. I hurt my baby too much. That girl..." he looks around. "She ain't no Cammie. Watch her."
Chris frowns. "That means?"
"She likes to flirt and thinks it funny for her fucking man to get jealous. It's a fucking game they play. I ain't in it."
"Okay." I retort.
"She like dark skin men. Sorry Chris." Devin chuckles. "You will see."
"No the fuck we won't." I say.
Caden starts screaming in the monitor. I look at it. He went from quiet to highly upset. Lane was the first to react. He jumps down from the stool running out of the kitchen. I don't know what the hell he think he is going to do. I stuff my mouth then look in the fridge for some bags of milk. I check the date then fix a bottle. I'm on Daddy Duty.
Sevyn
Cammie smiles at me. "That's cute. Are you getting it?"
"No. Let me tell you what I'm thinking."
"It sounds negative." she says covering her ears.
I pin her arms to her side. "You better listen. I'm supposed to be going to Chicago next week. I'm thinking of talking Chris out of following me there then when his jealous ass try to pop up on me I have like this really cute setup for him. Like clothes, shoes, whatever, whatever. What do you think?"
"Girl, Chris ass gonna ruin it by thinking its for some other nigga."
"Fuck my jealous ass boyfriend."
Cammie giggles. "I don't know what kinda shit you on but I'm married."
I frown then laugh. "Cammie shut the fuck up."
"Am I in this conversation?" MiMi asks.
"No." I snap. "I told you we not fucking cool."
She rolls her eyes. "Make the setup Chris specific. Like have some shit up there that he knows is especially for him. Like some monogrammed shit or something. Something he can't mistake as shit for another man."
"Whatever." I say. "Cammie I got an idea."
"Bitch you better not." I say.
"Cammie. I can customize it for just Chris. Like buy something and get his name on it."
MiMi giggles then answers her phone. "Hey, My King. Use Cammie's milk. I had two full bottles already. You fed her both of them? And she wants more? Oh... Oh. I thought. Okay I got you. Oh no. Bitch, bye."
"I think that's a good idea, Amber. How did you come up with that?"
"Cause she a piece of shit. I want to do something for Devin. Like I want him to know I appreciate how he turned his life around. He making legal money and he so proud of himself."
Cammie giggles. Her bitch ass on the phone again with Trey. Like damn, what's the sudden change? I look at MiMi. She was looking at Cammie as well. I need her to look at me so that we can talk shit about Cammie with her eyes. I never too much heard MiMi talk real shit about Cammie. Even when they weren't talking she was more mad about the fact that they not talking. MiMi finally cuts her eyes at me. I start laughing at the face she gives me.
"You bitches come on." Cammie says walking away.
"So what's this sudden call Tremaine every 10 minutes? Bitch he home. Call him when we dancing our asses off. Call him while changing. Call him while walking to the car. What the hell you calling him so much for?"
Cammie rolls her eyes getting an attitude. "I got to have a reason for calling my husband?"
"Bitch, he home!" MiMi snaps.
Cammie giggles. "I'm trying to be a wife and a Mother. I called to check on Caden just now cause its feeding time and my breast aren't there. You think I'm calling him too much?"
"Yes." MiMi says.
"No." I say.
"Amber, call Chris and ask him if I'm call Trey too much."
I cut my eyes at her. "And look suspicious?"
"Chris knows how to be discreet." she says confident.
"Whatever." I say calling Chris.
He doesn't answer. I go to tell them but he calls back.
"Beautiful." he says.
"What are you doing?"
He chuckles. "Lane and Nia... Naya. Whatever this girl name playing bumper cars with these powerwheels. Yall stop!"
"Oh. So Trey not around?"
"No." He says. "I'm about to get your daddy, Lane! I'm bout to get him cause he just says no bitch when I tell him something. Bad ass motherfucker."
I chuckle. "Ask Trey is Cammie calling him too much. Like you know don't ask like that."
He starts whispering. "Yo."
"Yeah."
"Lane and that little girl playing bumper cars with those power cars."
"Nigga." Trey snaps not whispering. "Tell them to stop."
"He said no bitch."
Trey sucks his teeth. "He should have. You sound like a bitch. He two. Snatch his ass out the car and tell him to come to me."
Chris chuckles. "You sound like Cammie. She rubbed off on you. Aye, she don't normally call you that much. You ain't acting like it bother you."
"It don't. Why would it? Nigga stop stalling and go get that kid before they hurt themselves."
"Aight." He says walking away.
I look at Cammie. She was smiling. I roll my eyes. MiMi sucks her teeth.
"So gone." MiMi says.
"Lane." Chris says. "No come here. Little nigga."
I laugh at his voice. "Chris what is going on?"
He facetimes me. Lane was out of the car running around the yard. I laugh then cover my mouth showing Cammie. He would stop running then stand there waiting for Chris to walk close then take off again.
"Daylan!" Cammie says. Lane falls trying to look around.
I give Cammie the phone. "Gameover."
"You go put those cars up right now. I told you the next time you do that you are not playing with them. Tell Nia I am not playing with her ass."
"Nia!" Lane yells running away.
Chris chuckles. "He said you in trouble Naya. Mommy gonna pop us."
"What she say?" Cammie snaps.
"She pouting and sitting in the car."
"That's not what I told her to do. Chris that is a child's way of saying they don't care. Tell her to put that car up before I get those thighs."
He walks across the yard. "Cammie said put that car up before she gets those thighs."
"No." Nia says driving away.
"Where Lane?" Trey asks.
"I told Cammie." Chris says.
Trey chuckles. "Of course."
"Hey, Baby." Cammie says.
"Eww." I say snatching my phone then hanging up.
Cammie laughs walking away. "Bitch."
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Domestic Smoke Alarms Market 2021 Outlook, Demand, Regional Analysis, Industry Value Chain Study Report
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The Most Recent Uploaded Report Global Domestic Smoke Alarms Market Growth (Status and Outlook) 2021-2027 provides an in-depth assessment of crucial parameters affecting the growth of the market. The report reveals insightful details on how customers can improve their critical leadership capability across the global Domestic Smoke Alarms market. The report consists of estimates of market size, industry growth opportunities and challenges, current market trends, potential players, and expected performance of the market in near future across the globe. The report distinguishes the ever-evolving trends in the business sector and competition with development in the CAGR over the course of the forecast from 2020 to 2027. The most recent marketing drivers that are the basis for recording, market performance, and key choices for progress and productivity are covered in the report.
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Major Key Players :
BRK Brands
FireAngel Safety Technology Group
Johnson Controls
Kidde
Hochiki
Honeywell Security
Siemens
Halma
Johnson Controls
Universal Security Instruments
Smartwares
Busch-jaeger
Ei Electronics
Nittan
Hekatron
X-SENSE
Nohmi Bosai
Gulf Security Technology
Nest
Panasonic
Shanying Fire
Shenzhen Gabel Electronics
Forsafe
D&K Group International
Report Description:
The report evaluates the size of the global Domestic Smoke Alarms market in terms of revenue for the forecast period. All the data figures like percentage shares split and breakdowns are determined using secondary sources and verified through primary sources. It shares details related to production value with some significant factors that can prompt market development. As well, the report is portioned into manufacturers, types, applications, and regions. Further, the research team has explained the dynamics of the market, future business impact, competition landscape of the companies, and the flow of the global supply and consumption. Additionally, segments are analyzed in terms of market growth, share, growth rate, and other vital factors.
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Product Types Covered :
Ionisation Type
Photoelectric Type
Application Types are :
Home Smoke Alarm
Public Places Smoke Alarm
The complete market report is made up of some graphical representations, tables, and figures which display a clear picture of the developments of the products and their market performance during the estimated time period. The pictorial representation makes easy understanding about the growth rate, regional shares as well as segmentation revenue growth. The segmented study prepares to invest to differentiate the high-growth segments of the global Domestic Smoke Alarms market and see how the major segments can develop over the forecast period.
Geographically, the Global Domestic Smoke Alarms Market is designed for the following Regional Markets:
North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)
Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)
Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)
South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)
Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)
Major Topics Covered on this Report:
Study Coverage
Executive Summary
Domestic Smoke Alarms Market Size through Manufacturers
Production through Regions
Consumption through Regions
Domestic Smoke Alarms Market Size through Type
Domestic Smoke Alarms Market Size through Application
Manufacturers Profiles
Production Forecasts
Consumption Forecast
Upstream, Industry Chain, and Downstream Customers Analysis
Opportunities and Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors
Key Findings
Appendix
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This report can be customized to meet the client’s requirements. Please connect with our sales team ( [email protected]), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +18488639402 to share your research requirements.
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Additionally, the report answers some of these main questions of the market:
What’s the growth potential of the Domestic Smoke Alarms market?
The Application part will grow at a robust rate?
What unit the growth opportunities that may emerge at intervals the Domestic Smoke Alarms trade at intervals the years to come?
What unit the key challenges that the global Domestic Smoke Alarms market might face at intervals in the future?
The leading companies at intervals the global Domestic Smoke Alarms market?
The key trends completely impacting the market growth?
The growth strategies thought of by the players to sustain hold at intervals the global Domestic Smoke Alarms Market?
Contact:
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Shanie's Creation Masterlist!
Updated 04/18/24
Masterlist of all the fanworks I have out there.
Quick Link: My Steenerico Disney Fic, "The Happiest Luchador on Earth" is located HERE, while the rest of the in-universe stories, "Of Masks, Mice, and Men" are located HERE.
For anyone interested, both THLoE and OMMaM make up what I refer to as "The Generico!verse" due to the fact that the entire universe hinges on the singular notion that El Generico is NOT Sami Zayn and, in fact, Sami Zayn never existed in this universe, nor does Kevin Owens. There are only Steen and Generico in this universe and the stories are about the two of them meeting, falling in love, realizing they are in love, realizing how much they need each other, and really, just the two of them navigating the world together as best friends and eventual lovers, trying to get by despite their various neurodivergencies.
The rest of the fanworks are beneath cut
Music Videos
Wrestling
Wrestling - Zowens/Steenerico - You Grew On Me
Wresting - Zowens/Steenerico - Open Arms
WWE - Shane McMahon - Kings
WWE - Shane McMahon - Feet On The Ground
WWE - Shane McMahon - I Am The Fire
WWE - Shane McMahon - You're Gonna Go Far Kid
WWE - Shane McMahon - Written In The Stars
Doctor Who
Doctor Who - The Pond Family - Elevation
Doctor Who - The Pond Family - Who Wants To Live Forever
Doctor Who - The Brigadier Tribute - Hero
Doctor Who - The Companions - Never Say Goodbye
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy - Dark Willow - Down With The Sickness
Buffy Episodic - "Superstar" - The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest
Other Videos
Xena Warrior Princess - Video Vixen Remake - I Need A Hero
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - Don't Stop Me Now
M*A*S*H - Weathered
How I Met Your Mother - What's My Age Again?
Fanfiction
Zowens/Steenerico Fanfics
To Earthquakes, Lovers, and Newfound Friends
Finding Paradise
Depression, Dissociation, and 'Mania
Stay
The Sunshine and The Rain (Poem)
Siempre te Amaré (I Will Always Love You)
Saved (6-Part Series)
He Used To Be Mine (Will Be 20-Part Series) - WIP
The Happiest Luchador On Earth (Steenerico Disney Fic) - WIP
A Sacred Place (AU) - WIP
Other Fanfiction
Doctor Who - Magickally Different
WWE/Doctor Who - Journey's Beginning
How I Met Your Mother - Six
Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog - Apologies
WWE - Death of A Fangirl (And Rebirth of A Friend)
WWE - A One Fangirl Army
Original Works
The Rain Can't Hurt You Now
Four Men, Four Souls
Other Stuff
This one doesn't really have a set place or link for it, but the tag is "Shanie's Artwork"
If you're looking for my custom figures, that's under "Shanie's Custom Figures"
If you're looking for the comics-style stories of my action figures, look under "The Yep Husband Chronicles"
If you're looking for my dream journal writeups, that's under "Shanie's Dream Journal"
My old blog is @shanie-the-toyaddict and you will find most of this stuff posted there too.
#Masterlist#Shanie's fanworks#Shanie's fanfic#Shanie's Artwork#Shanie's Custom Figures#The Yep Husband Chronicles#Shanie's Insane Dream Fic#Shanie's Dream Journal
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"Relentless" Kevin Owens
May 7th, 2022
Custom by Shanie
Figure Shirt by Thread Head Custom Clothing
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN OWENS
So I was saying to myself, "Self, what can we throw together in 2 hours to celebrate Kevin's birthday before it's over?"
Here's your response.
It's almost entirely a kitbash. It's the combined parts of an Elite 53 Kevin and an Elite 91 Kevin. The only customization I did was paint over the blue laces from the E91.
(I'll have you know El Generico's theme just came on my playlist, so I guess he approves)
Anyway, the totally awesome shirt is from the absolutely incredible Thread Head Custom Clothing. (Link HERE) If you have any soft goods figure clothing needs, I cannot recommend them enough. Product is great and the customer service is unbeatable.
Again, Happy Birthday to Kevin, and here's to many many more!
#Kevin Owens#Shanie's Custom Figures#Custom Action Figures#Action Figures#WWE Figures#Shanie's Action Figures
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Places To Visit In Chardham Yatra Package
GANGORI DHAM
According to legend goddess, Ganga appeared as stream Ganga to acquit the wrongdoings of King Bhagiratha's archetypes, following his serious repentance of a few centuries, and it is where Goddess Ganga plunged on the earth when Lord Shiva delivered the powerful waterway from the locks of his hair to limit the huge effect of fall of the waterway on the earth which could need to obliterate the earth. Gangotri Dham sanctuary is on the bank of the stream Ganga and devoted to goddess Ganga. Nepalese General Amar Singh Thapa has constructed the first Gangotri Temple.
Places to Visit at/around Gangotri Dham
Bhagirath Shila: This is accepted to be the specific heavenly stone where King Bhagirath petitioned Lord Shiva, to assist him with bringing goddess Ganga to earth.
Pandava Gufa: It is found 1.5 km from Gangotri, which is accepted to be where Pandavas have reflected and rested on the way to Kailash. One needs to travel up to the Pandava Gufa from Gangotri to visit this spot.
Gangotri Temple: Temple devoted to goddess Ganga.
Gangnani: It is a modest community while in transit to Gangotri from Uttarkashi. It is 45 km from Uttarkashi and 52 km from Gangotri. This spot is acclaimed for its high temp water spring and kund is known as Rishikund. A sanctuary devoted to sage Parasara father of Ved and Vyas is situated at Bhatwari which is situated around 12 km from Gangnani.
Harsil: Harsil valley is situated between Uttarkashi and Gangotri, which is 78 km. from Uttarkashi, and 30 km away from the Gangotri National Park. At this spot symbol of the goddess, Ganga is cut down and adored when the primary sanctuary stays shut because of substantial snowfall. Harsil is the headquarters of the Indian armed force's "The Garhwal Scouts" and "Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)" and is additionally well known for apple estate. According to nearby legends, it is accepted that Harsil got its name when streams Bhagirathi and Jalandhari was having a contention and to appease them Lord Vishnu (Hari) needed to mediate and needed to transform down himself into an incredible stone (Shila) to retain their resentment. Along these lines, the name Harsil comes from a mix of "Hari + Shila". Indeed, even today after this point water of the two streams turns out to be less violent.
YAMUNOTRI DHAM
Yamunotri is the wellspring of the stream Yamuna and the sanctuary is devoted to the goddess Yamuna. Sangya is viewed as the origin of the Yamuna in the Champasak Glacier (4,421 m) just beneath the Banderpoonch Mountain. Kalind Parvat is nearby the stream source and is devoted to her dad (Kalind is another name of sun divinity – Surya).
The first sanctuary was worked by Maharani Guleria of Jaipur in the nineteenth century, which was obliterated a few times over the time frame. There is disarray that who fabricated the sanctuary and according to different convictions the sanctuary was developed by Maharaja Pratap Shah of Tehri Garhwal.
Places to Visit at/around Yamunotri Dham
Yamunotri Temple: Dedicated to goddess Yamuna.
Surya Kund: In nearness to the sanctuary there is various high temp water springs, in which Surya Kund is generally significant. Divya Shila: A devout stone that is venerated as a component of custom in the wake of washing up in Surya Kund and prior to entering the Yamunotri Temple.
Hanuman Chatti: The conjunction of Hanuman Ganga and Yamuna River.
Janaki Chatti: It is the beginning place of the Yamunotri Dham journey. From Barkot you will be driven as yet and in the wake of taking a sacred plunge in a hot water spring you need to travel up to 5 km to arrive at Yamunotri.
Kharsali: During winter when Yamunotri gets blocked off, goddess Yamuna is brought here and adored, which implies this is the colder time of year seat of the goddess.
Shani Temple: This sanctuary is accepted to be worked by Pandava of Mahabharata. It is the primary site which is visited during Chardham Yatra.
KEDARNATH DHAM
Kedarnath sanctuary is arranged in the Rudraprayag region of Uttarakhand in the Garhwal district on the shore of the Mandakini waterway. The sanctuary is devoted to Lord Shiva and is available to the overall population from April (AkshyaTritya) to Nov (Kartik Purnima). After November this zone gets unavailable because of hefty snow and consequently god is brought down to Ukhimath and adored till the primary sanctuary gets opened.
Sanctuary isn't straightforwardly open by street, one needs to travel from Gaurikund to Kedarnath sanctuary which is around 22 km. Horse, Palanquin and Helicopter administrations are additionally accessible to arrive at the sanctuary.
According to legend, it is accepted that after the epic Kurukshetra war, Pandava wished to give penance for the wrongdoings of carrying out fratricide (Gotrahatya) and Brahmanahatya (slaughtering of Brahmins — the minister class) during the conflict. So looking for Shiva, they came to here, however Shiva needed to stay away from Pandavas in light of the fact that he was exceptionally irritated by the passings and unscrupulousness at the Kurukshetra war and was, consequently, obtuse toward Pandava's supplications. Thusly, he expected the type of a bull (Nandi) and stowed away in the Garhwal area.
At the point when the Pandavas figured out how to follow and discover him in this locale, he attempted to vanish by sinking himself directly into the ground. Bhima (Second sibling among Pandava), got his tail, driving him to show up before them and pardon them. The segment of Shiva body in type of Nandi shows up at four better places and aggregately these spots are alluded to as Panch Kedar. These Panch Kedar places are Kedarnath (Hump Portion) Tungnath (Arms), Madhyamaheshwar (Nabhi and Stomach), Rudranath (Face), Kalpeshwar (Hair) and Pashupatinath, Nepal (Head Portion). The current sanctuary, implicit the eighth century by Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjoining the site of a prior sanctuary worked by the Pandavas.
Places to Visit at/around Kedarnath Dham
Kedarnath Temple: Dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga.
Gupkashi: Guptkashi has the significance of lodging antiquated sanctuaries like Vishwanath sanctuary and Ardhnareshwar sanctuary. The primary fascination of this spot is Manikarnika Kund, the juncture of two floods of the Ganga and Yamuna.
BADRINATH DHAM
Badrinath sanctuary is arranged in unassuming community Badrinath in Chamoli area of Uttrakhand. This spot is viewed as favorable and is the fourth among Chhota Chardham Yatra Package.
The sanctuary is devoted to Lord Vishnu and is situated between Nar and Narayan mountain ranges and in the shadow of Nilkantha top at the tallness of 3,133 mts. It is the most famous of Vishnu journeys among the five Badries, otherwise called Vishal Badri.
Places to Visit at/around Badrinath Dham
Badrinath Temple: Dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
Narad Kund: This is the hallowed where Adi Shankaracharya found the Idol of Lord Vishnu in type of Shaligrama in the sound of the Alaknanda stream.
Tapt Kund: As the name recommends it is a heated water spring arranged between Badrinath Shrine and Alaknanda stream. Journey take the sacred plunge in this kund prior to going to Badrinath.
Mata Murty Temple: It is devoted to the mother of Lord Badrinath. Found 3 km from the primary Badrinath sanctuary on the bank of Alaknanda stream.
Mana Village: Last town at Indo-Tibetian line and living space of Indo-Mongolians.
Bhim Pul: Natural extension framed by a stone on the opposite side of Mana Village.
Sheshnetra: according to folklore Lord Vishnu took a retreat on a snake by the name Anantha Shesha.
Charan Paduka: A lovely stone having the foot impression of Lord Vishnu.
Panch Dhara: Group of 05 water streams beginning at Badrinath, in particular Prahlad Dhara, Kurma Dhara, Bhrigu Dhara, Urvashi Dhara, and Indira Dhara.
Panch Shila: Collection of five stones remaining between Tapt Kund and Narad Kund. They are Garud Shila, Nar Shila, Sarsingh Shila, Varah Shila and Markandey Shila.
Vyas Gufa: It is accepted that Rishi Vyas composed Mahabharata in this cavern.
Ganesh Cave: according to Hindu folklore it is accepted that Lord Ganesha wrote the Mahabharta as directed by Rishi Vyas.
For More Details Check Now: Kedarnath Badrinath Tour Package from Delhi
Email: [email protected] Call Now: +91 7460012551 / +91 7460087777
For More Details Check Here: Chardham Yatra Package
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Any ideas on how to make a custom Stephanie McMahon figure from WrestleMania 17? I have Shane and Vince, Linda is in the way @shanie-the-toyaddict do you have ideas on Stephanie’s head and attire as far as which figures to get?
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Mysterious places in India that would amaze you
There are mysterious places that would amaze you as you travel to far corners of the country to explore these mythical destinations. These unusual places offer a glimpse into their historical past as you listen to the stories about their existence.
As you traverse through India you realize it is a land of mysteries and mysticism. There are certain places in India which have a mystery attached to them and it is worth exploring these bizarre locations.
Listed below are some of the mysterious locations in India:
Shetpal, Maharashtra
The inhabitants of Shetpal village in Maharashtra believe in snake worshipping and it is a ritual which is performed in every household. It is mandatory for every house to have a resting place for Cobra as it is an established custom being followed since ancient times. It is a mystery why friendly snakes don’t bite anyone.
Chilkur, Hyderabad
The Balaji Temple in Chilkur has a statue of Lord Balaji and it is believed that anyone who has a desire to get a visa of different countries must come and pray here to fulfill their wish. It is quite a mystery that after praying in the temple the worshippers are granted visas of their preferred country of travel.
Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
Rameswaram is one of the important holy places in India and holds special significance in Hindu mythology. The holy scripture of Ramayana says that the Lord Rama’s Vanar Sena (Monkey force) had built a bridge of floating stones all the way from Rameswaram to Sri Lanka. It is believed that the stones used to build the bridge are still around here and are a major tourist attraction of Rameswaram.
Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
The Jwala Ji Temple in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh is holy shrine which is listed amongst the mysterious places in India. It is believed that a central pit of a hollow stone inside this shrine has a flame that has been endlessly burning for over 100 years. According to the scientific theory the flame is burning off a supply of natural gases like methane under its surface.
Jatinga, Assam
Jatinga village in Assam is one of the strangest places in India as it experiences a bizarre phenomenon during monsoons. It turns into a land of mass bird suicide as migratory birds flying over Jatinga village dive headlong into trees, buildings and poles and crash to death.
Idukki, Kerala
Idukki is a part of the Kerala countryside blessed with natural splendor in the form of forests and wildlife reserves. In the monsoon season of July 2001, the red colored rain fell on Idukki staining clothes and buildings. But when the locals of the area collected the red water it turned into white with red particles settled at the bottom. Scientific theory says that red particles are airborne spores of the locally growing algae in the region.
Kongka La Pass, Ladakh
Kongka La Pass in Ladakh is one of the most mysterious places in India. A number of UFO’s and strange humanoid figures have been sighted here and locals living in the area believes that Kongka La Pass is home to aliens.
The Magnetic Hill of Leh, Ladakh
Situated at an altitude of 11,000 feet above sea level, The Magnetic Hill is one of the most unusual places to visit in India. Vehicles driving up to the hill get pulled on their own once the drivers turn off the ignition. According to scientific theory it is an optical illusion resulting from the hill’s gravitational pull.
Bara Imambara, Lucknow
Bara Imambara in Lucknow is a historical monument with a blend of Arabic and European architecture. The monument’s central hall which is 50 meters high and almost three storeys tall is built without any pillars or beams supporting it.
Shani Shignapur, Maharashtra
Shani Shignapur is a small village in Maharashtra famous for Shani Dev Temple. None of the houses or buildings has a door and there is zero crime rate. Villagers believe that the village is blessed by Lord Shani as no crime rate is reported here.
Kuldhara, Rajasthan
Kuldhara is a tiny hamlet situated near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. It is an abandoned village with barren land and empty houses. It is believed that there is paranormal activity happening at night in Kuldhara. The myth is inhabitants of Kuldhara left a curse on the village that no one will be able to live here after them. Tourists visiting Kuldhara have an uneasy feeling as they enter the deserted town.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
On sale Sept 20
Geralt Grandmaster Ursine Figure
9.5” tall • $34.99
Wild Hunt—Dandelion Figure
9.5” tall • $34.99
Wild Hunt—Shani Figure
9.5” tall • $34.99
Following the smashing success of our first release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt figures of Geralt, Triss, Ciri, Yennefer, and Eredin, Dark Horse is proud to expand on the Witcher universe with the release of three all-new character figures.
Featured is a new sculpt of Geralt of Rivia, ready for battle in his Grandmaster Ursine armor, which provides him immense protection from melee attacks.
Accompanying Geralt is a finely detailed interpretation of his close friend, the bard and minstrel Dandelion, and his love interest in the Hearts of Stone expansion, the medic Shani.
Each exquisitely detailed figure is modeled to the character’s likeness. They are intricate in costume details and custom painted.
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