#Les Nubians

[cartermagazine]

Celebrating 25 Years… Les Nubians.

1999 Lady of Soul Train Award Winner - New Group or Duo

2000 Two NCAA Image Awards Nominee

2004 Grammy Awards Nominee

2012 African Diaspora Award Winner - Musician of The Year

Collaborations with: The Roots, Black Eye Peas, Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli, Towa Tei, Yerba Buena, Morgan Heritage, Beres Hammond, Manu Dibango, Richard Bona, Ray Lema, Mario Canoge, Benjamin Biolay, Kery James, Henri Salvador, Jean-Louis Aubert, Neptunes, Guru, Jazzmatazz, Eric Roberson, Blitz The Ambassador, Boddhi Stva, Spinna…

Shout out @madamehelmiebellini for providing the inspiration.

CARTER™️ Magazine carter-mag.com #wherehistoryandhiphopmeet #historyandhiphop365 #cartermagazine #carter #lesnubians #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #history #staywoke

[neighbourhood-rambler]

so hard.

[culturalappreciator]

[chroniclesofnadia111]

🖤🖤🖤🖤

[361forum]

La compilation "Sad Hill Impact", par DJ Kheops

Cet album faisait suite à Sad Hill

Sad Hill Impact est une compilation produite par DJ Kheops, qui sort le 5 mai 2000, en CD et en vinyle. Cette compilation faut suite à Sad Hill, sauf que ce coup-ci les artistes qui participent au projet sont d’envergure internationale. Tracklist: 01 �� Sad Hill Impact (Alonzo, Soprano, Yak & Def Bond)02 – Tous veulent le succès (Arsenik & Def Bond)03 – Saga 2000 (Prodigal Sunn, Dreddy Krueger…

[afrotumble]

Les Nubians - Tabou ft Black Thought of The Roots

[unsungbabe]

N.E.R.D. & Les Nubians | Performing Interlude + Everybody Here's A Star (2002)

[when-i-wake-if]

It has been 18 years since humanity was brought to the truth that monsters, creatures and deities they were all too sure were myths are in fact real well most of them anyway with these new realizations comes new mysteries, problems and hope

but dawn (MC 1) never paid too much attention to it but after the death of their father they have been sent reeling the perfect life they had crumbling slowly, forcing them into positions they never would have dreamed of. Their life colliding and slowly meshing into the unknown creature's deeper darker world.

Across the city in a dingy alley badly hurt dusk (MC 2) awakes to no memories other than their name and something they were told that stung like a dagger in their heart for some reason. As Dusk tries to make sense of what is happening, they somehow fall into a rabbit hole of crime, mysteries and dark truths all because they are trying to find out who they are and how they ended up in that alley.

~Customize your MCs looks, gender identity, clothing style and name

~ Choose your legal job! (Dawn starts the game with a certain job but that job doesn't stay long)

~ Make deals that will change the course of your life

~Customize your room and apartment aesthetic style

~As Dawn manage the relationship with your mother, your ex your, past relationship and current feelings about your dead dad. As Dusk unravels your past, try to figure out what happened to you or set it all aside and attempt to make a new life for yourself

~Romance 4 different characters for both MCs and hey if you want to romance a god as one or both MCs!

Dawns ROs

Xeno || Xe/Xem || 21 || Human

"Hellooo how is my favourite co-worker! I brought you your favourite drink, I'm amazing! I know~"

Description ~ Short coily dark brown hair, lean build with a Bronze complexion, dark green eyes, Nubian nose, Xyr height is 5’11, Xe has a full tattoo sleeve on Xes right arm and a tattoo on the side of Xyr neck when outside of work Xeno tends to wear ripped black jeans, no sleeve neck length shirt, runners and a bunch of rings, necklaces and one stud earring.

Selena || She/Her || ?? || Ghost

"Please! Don't be scared I mean you no harm le-let me explain"

Description ~ Shoulder-length ginger hair that is curled at the tips, She has a chubby build and pale skin, greyish blue eyes, a button nose, height if she could stand on the floor would be 5’3, freckles kiss her face and shoulders, she forever dressed in a light blue tea length swing dress and stockings with a pair of black flats, adorned in pearl earrings and necklace, to most she appears slightly translucent

Brier || He/Him or She/Her || Gender selectable|| 228 || Vampire

"Oh, sweetheart, are you okay? Please don't cry. How about a rose? Will that give you back your pretty little smile?"

Description ~ Chin length afro-textured dark brown hair, Slim build and ebony complexion, Dark red eyes, button nose, height 5’7, outside of work they typically wear wide cuff pants, cropped blouse with a sweetheart collar, 4-inch heels or black dress shoes, round glasses, realistic heart shaped earrings, ruby necklace, silver rings

Míng || They/He || 30 || Dragon

"Well, maybe if you watched or read the news more you would know how shitty it is for people who aren't human like you."

Description ~ bleached white shoulder-length hair, lean build light brown complexion, black sclera and piercing yellow iris, flat nose height being 5'7, scales litter their body colours mainly being yellow and orange with some red ones sprinkled in, typically wears graphic tees , with a worn-out black bomber jacket, cargo pants and platform boots

Both MCs

Is || she/her, he/him or they/them || Gender selectable || ??? || Minor God of death {and dreams}

"Is it truly a lie or is it just not the truth you want to hear? Darling, you have so much to learn"

Description~ Long straight black hair that reaches past their ass typically in some kind of intricate hairstyle with silver jewellery woven in, curvy build with a tanned complexion, pale white eyes, roman nose, height 8,5 when not forced to dress modestly they are always wearing a short dress with a marabou robe or a satin robe and six-inch heels, adorned in many silver bracelets, necklaces, rings and flower earrings and they have belly button piercing

Dusks ROs

Sire || He/Him || 26 || Kelpie

"you should watch where you are going around here, kid. Someone will end up killing you if you are not careful"

Description ~ Shoulder length wavy dark green hair so dark it almost appears black Sire's hair always seems to look wet/damp, he has a dad bod and Ivory complexion, black eyes, Greek nose, His height is on the slightly shorter side standing at 5’4, usually wearing black leather pants, dress shoes and a button-up shirt that never fully buttoned up

Loralie || They/Them || 24 || Siren

"you are so adorable. I could eat you up~ how about I buy you a drink gorgeous"

Description ~ Mid back length black goddess braids, Athletic Swimmer build and Dark brown complexion with dark blueish grey scales scattered about, piercing grey eyes, Flat nose, height 6’2, a large scar down the middle of their chest, gills most noticeable upon their neck, outside of work they typically wear cargo pants, muscle shirt, converse shoes, a gold locket, dangle earrings, spectrum piercing

Joshua || He/They || 20 || Werewolf

"Plan?? I never said I had a plan did I? ...oh well I didn't but don't worry I can get us out of this"

Description ~ Short messy dirty blonde hair, muscular build and tan complexion, amber eyes, Greek nose though it has obviously been broken in the past, scar along the right of their jaw, freckles speckled over his face, height 6’0, typically wears work boots, jeans and a muscle shirt with a flannel jacket

Z || She/He/They || ?? || Undead

"pay me back? How about you? Let me eat you and I'll take that as your repayment. I'm quite hungry and you're starting to irritate me"

Description ~ Messy straight chin length black hair with strands of grey hairs throughout, skinny build and pale olive and appears slightly greeny yellowish, black eyes, hawk nose, the height of 5'6 the left corner of her mouth is carved away, revealing most of their teeth and flesh and their left hands pinky and ring finger are just bone the surrounding area seems to have a hideous burn scar though he typically covers it up by wearing white gloves, black turtleneck, beige torn pants and two different pairs of dirty runners

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How do you climb up from rock bottom? What are you willing to do? To sacrifice. To find out the truth, what will you do when you get those truths? What if they aren't what you expected or wanted? Will you help others or push the world aside? how far is too far to achieve your goals?

Demo: TBA || My other IF || Character Portraits: coming soon

[uzumaki-rebellion]

"Makeda was queen, beautiful and powerful

Solomon dreamed of her black skin

I sing to revive the memories

To dig up the knowledge

That the spiral of time erases"

Les Nubians – "Makeda"

Celeste spritzed perfume all over her body after drying off from her bath. She slipped into some sexy red satin panties and matching bra and checked to make sure her toenail polish hadn't chipped. The first night of her new enterprise had to go off perfectly. She'd studied enough Reddit posts and Discord chats to know that posting online kink and fetish content depended on keying into details that would entice people to sign up for her private page.

She had pretty feet and wanted to capitalize on it.

Dividing her locs into two giant loose ponytails, she glued a black Mardi Gras mask to her face, using eyelash glue. She didn't plan on filming her face at all, but wanted to protect her identity in case her camera shifted angles by accident.

Placing a long black dildo on the hardwood floor of her living room, Celeste greased it down with lube until it was slick and shiny. The suction on the bottom of the testicles braced it in place. She positioned herself on soft pillows to cushion her back and butt, and rested her feet against the sides of the dildo. Her laptop set up next to her arm allowed her to view her image from the camera while using a wireless camera remote to alter the angle of the lens.

"Okay, take one," she uttered.

Stroking the dildo with her toes, she pretended to moan in pleasure.

"Hey Daddy…your dick is so big. My pretty little feet can barely cover all this…"

From the laptop, her feet look lovely with the scarlet polish accentuating the warm red undertones of her rich brown hue. Up and down, she dragged her feet and displayed her toes by wiggling them. It all seemed rather clinical with the motions until she imagined the dildo being Terry's dick. The coloring was darker than what he was, but her dirty talk kicked into high gear by pretending her feet touched that man's body.

She didn't even have to talk. Her moans came out naturally. Biting her lower lip, she traced her big toe along the top of the fake dick and thought of Terry's pre-cum dripping out from his slit. A big man like him had to have the goods down below. It would've been cruel of God to bless a man with face and body, then deny him big wood.

Sweat trickled down Celeste's forehead and accumulated on her chest, too. Her under-sized push-up bra struggled to hold her breasts up and keep them separated. The camera only recorded her lower half. She pulled the crotch of her panties aside, allowing her hairless vulva to be recorded. She suffered for four days after getting waxed. Her research gathering provided her with data that showed her a lot of male viewers liked smooth coochie. After all the swelling and irritation went down, she had to admit she liked the look, too. Whatever got her paid the most was the plan.

The elastic on the panties pulled one side of her labia open and she gasped at how she glistened on-screen. Lord! To have that man's big juicy lips on her pussy with those green eyes staring at her! She rubbed her feet on the dildo and rubbed her fingers across her clit and came so hard that her legs shot up in the air.

Celeste pressed the handheld to stop the camera from recording. Her panting flooded her ears with desperate arousal. She hadn't been with Freddie for months, and masturbation hadn't occurred for a few weeks.

Sitting up, she fixed her panties and played back her recording. With the ring lights making her skin color pop, the images looked professional. She opted not to add soft background music because her gradual arousal and orgasm gave the only necessary soundtrack.

Shit…her pussy looked good! Plus, she finally had the chance to see her own body go through a release. It actually excited her to watch herself orgasm. Her toes looked like lush red berries, perfect for sucking on. Celeste took a screenshot of her feet and uploaded it to her home page. She didn't need to edit the fifteen minute clip, so she uploaded it for her first content creation. She named herself the Bayou Belle, with an avatar close-up of her carnival mask. Her gold nose ring gave her half-hidden face a glamorous allure.

Taking a deep breath, she published the foot fetish cross-tagged pulsing pussy video. She jumped up and fixed herself a glass of coke with ice in her kitchen. Glancing at her refrigerator, she looked at the four pictures of fancy historic plantation-styled homes she kept there. She wanted to purchase one in the future and retire as a Creole southern belle, giving sweet tea and gumbo parties, reclaiming what her people slaved over. Picturesque weeping willows and plenty of cultivated acres heightened her fantasies of a sedentary, rich life out on a decent plot of land. She jumped in the shower to wash off the sweat and wasted wetness between her legs. Wrapping a fluffy peach bathrobe around herself, she returned to her living room where she heard several chirps of her webpage notifications.

"Oh, hell yeah!"

She'd racked up thirty paid views already. At five dollars a pop, she already made one hundred and seventy-five dollars. She wondered if she charged too much with her current price point. It wouldn't hurt to wait a week to see how much she could make by then.

Her stomach grumbled, not satisfied with the ramen noodles she micro waved earlier. Sighing, she dragged herself back into the kitchen to look inside her near-empty fridge again. Her smartphone alerted her to a call, and she slammed the fridge door shut and ambled over to her coffee table.

Terry's number vibrated in her hand with a jangly bell ringtone. She gulped down air and answered after the eighth ring.

"Terry?"

"Hey, Celeste. Is this a bad time to call?"

"No."

"I know it's short notice, but I was going to get some food…I wondered if you'd like to join me? I know I said Monday night, but I'd really like to see you again much sooner."

"Where are you going to eat?"

"Durand's."

"Durand's? That's pretty fancy."

She glanced at the wall clock hanging near her front door. Durand's stayed open until nine-thirty at night and it was already seven. The place would have a packed crowd. It was one of the newest popular restaurants to open up in the Quarter.

"I can pick you up or we can meet there if that's more comfortable for you."

Parking would be a nightmare if she drove. And she wasn't ready for him to know where she lived.

"I can meet you there," she said.

"Great. I have reservations for seven-thirty. Just ask for my last name, Richmond."

"Cool, see you soon."

She hung up and squealed. Then darted into her bedroom, looking for a dress to knock his eyes out. She flung a few choices onto her bed. Durand's dress code was upwardly mobile, business casual. She'd eaten in one of the large open dining rooms for a birthday party earlier that year and the patrons gussied up more than that. Going for a short black cocktail dress with a belted A-line became the outfit of choice for the evening. It suggested casual dining, but sultry enough to signal something more if needed. She shimmied out of her robe and threw on a black lace thong and matching bralette. Rubbing a light unscented skin lotion all over, she pulled on the dress and slipped into some short black heels. After summoning her Lyft, she took a moment to coat her fleshy, Cupid-bow lips with a berry-colored gloss in the bathroom mirror and traced her pinky finger under her lip-line to wipe away the excess.

She lined her eyes next with the blackest charcoal eyeliner shade she had creating winged lines giving herself cat eyes. With a little gold eye shadow and light powdering, her skin looked fabulous. Her Lyft would arrive in seven more minutes. Puckering her lips, she checked the entire presentation. Divine. The final touch was fluffing her locs out and spraying them with a lemon hair tea. She adorned the top of her hair with little gold loc cuffs and stuck four gold-hoop accessories on each front loc for a little razzle dazzle.

She grabbed her purse and locked her front door just as a dark green Acura pulled up with her driver. From the backseat, she texted Terry that she was on her way, and he responded quickly that he was waiting for her. The thrill of seeing him again bubbled out of her while she played with her hair.

Durand's had a line out the door when she hopped out of her Lyft. She waltzed up to the reservation podium and gave Terry's name to the hostess. A flirty server complimented her hair and dress and led her past the main dining room and up a flight of stairs. They walked past several packed tables to a private dining area separated by a mauve curtain. The server lifted the curtain back and Celeste stepped inside. Terry stood to greet her.

She was wise to wear the dress that she did because Terry looked scrumptious. His muscle-fit onyx dress-shirt had rolled sleeves, revealing a deep burgundy inner-lining. He sported stylish black dress slacks with pressed creases. The dress shoes that rounded out his ensemble were expensive, and so was the gold watch on his right wrist.

"You look amazing," he said.

He kissed her cheek, surprising her with how natural it felt for him to do that. His lips were warm on her skin and their fullness made her giddy. Their table set-up was booth seating, and he stepped aside to let her scoot in at a candle-lit table set for two.

"Would you like this closed?" the server asked.

"What would you prefer, Celeste?" he asked.

From their view, she could see parts of the downstairs and a little of the outside street action. She knew New Orleans backward and forward. She was there to be with him. Fuck the view.

"Closed," she said.

The server closed them into their private dining room and Celeste couldn't take her eyes off of Terry. Their booth had curved seating, so she sat right next to him with shoulders brushing against each other. Being side by side prevented any type of barrier.

"I hope I didn't throw you off asking to be with you so soon," he said.

"Actually, I'm really glad you called me. I was tempted to ask you to go out tonight myself. But you left Miss Irma's room before I had a chance to catch you."

"I see we're on the same wavelength…wanting to see each other before tomorrow."

Up close, his lashes looked even thicker and his emerald eyes pulled her into the aura of power he exuded.

"You know, coming back to New Orleans made me forget how crazy it can get during this season," he said.

"You've been here before?"

"When I was younger. My family made annual trips here for business. It's why I brought Mémé here. She loved the city as a young girl and I want her to spend her final years in her favorite parish."

"Why don't you live here with her?"

Celeste fingered the stem of her water glass and traced condensation lines on the side. Terry handed her the extensive dinner menu, and she opened it, keeping her gaze on his face.

"New Orleans isn't my favorite place. Unlike Mémé, my experiences here weren't always fun. Trouble had a way of finding me."

"What kind of trouble? Should I be worried about being seen with you?"

She tried to sound jokey, but his demeanor stayed serious.

"That was a long time ago. Being young…buckwild. I used to have some run-ins with a few dudes who didn't like me being around these parts. Last time I was here…I was told if I ever showed my face again, I would regret it. Things are different since I've been away doing other stuff. Joining the marines was a way to keep myself in line and away from the wrong crowd of people. Now that I'm out, I have to figure out my next move. Caring for Mémé comes first, though. I chose your facility because it had a great reputation and she's thriving there. Better than the last place I had to place her in."

"Miss Irma is very special. Everyone at work adores her."

"I'm glad that she has someone like you tending to her. She told me about you, how much she enjoys your company."

"When was this?"

"Right after I transferred her last year. She said you're everything she loves about New Orleans. Your accent. Your southern hospitality."

"That's so sweet. She perked right up today during your visit. I felt bad for a minute because she seemed a bit down after breakfast. She's normally in good spirits."

"She told me you hum and sing while tidying up her room and it makes her happy. I once heard you singing while you were working the last time I visited."

"I don't remember seeing you around."

"I had some time off and drove down to see her for a couple of days and I heard your voice outside in the garden. You sang a gospel song about changing yourself."

Celeste grinned.

"Oh, I was probably singing Tamela Mann's 'Change Me'. The older people like the church songs. It calms them and I like the message of hope it brings me on my bad days."

"I loved the heartfelt way you sang it. Your tone was so soothing. It reminded me of my wife…late wife."

Celeste gawked at him. He closed his eyes, as if he didn't mean to share that. She glanced at his bare ring finger, thinking she'd missed something.

"You're a widow. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We were young when we got married. She died of cancer before I went into the service. It's the reason I enlisted. To get away from the loss."

"You have any children?"

His gaze drifted toward the candle on the table.

"No children. But we had a good life while it lasted. She passed away peacefully. I was by her side."

Celeste shifted uncomfortably in her seat. He returned his focus back on her.

"How have you been doing since then?" she asked

"I'm good. Made peace with it. That was a lifetime ago and now I'm comfortable in the world again. Traveling more. Please don't look so sad. I promise you, Celeste, it doesn't hurt me to talk about it."

"I'm glad for you."

"The parasol you made for Mémé's birthday at Christmas was a nice gesture," he said, changing the subject. "I got to see it today. You're really skilled. Just like you are at dancing and singing."

"I do okay."

"Don't be modest. You stood out to me at the bar. The moment you walked in, I thought, 'There goes a queen gracing us with her presence'."

Celeste grinned and stared at her hands. His penetrating gaze would make her combust at the table if she kept looking at him directly. With candlelight, his eyes appeared to glow, and she wanted to have some decorum during a meal with him.

"You made my entire night, Celeste. I couldn't stop thinking about you and I'm glad that fate saw fit to have us run into each other two more times. It's been a long time since I've gone out with anyone like this. Never found anyone who piqued my curiosity until you showed up. It took a lot of nerve for me to even pick up my phone and call. Didn't want to come off desperate, y'know? Should we check out the menu and decide what to eat?"

"Sure."

"Would you like to order a drink first?"

"Some wine would be nice."

"Red or white?"

"Red."

He summoned their server and ordered their best Bordeaux and a plate of gougères. Celeste's mouth watered thinking of eating hot, fresh cheese puffs with the wine. Bread would help settle her nerves at being with him. She leaned over slightly, pretending to turn the page on the menu just so she could sniff his cologne. He smelled like cloves and myrrh. Smoky and earthy. A mature scent, nothing like the overbearing fragrances Freddie or her male cousins doused themselves in to impress women.

Terry went through the three-page dinner menu and sighed.

"I think I'll try their seared scallops with balsamic bacon jam and a smoked tomato salad," he said.

"That sounds good. I'll have that too."

Once their server brought their wine bottle and cheese puffs, Terry ordered their dinner meal and Celeste didn't stay shy about snacking down on the bread. Terry poured their wine and handed her a full glass.

"Here's to us getting to know each other," he said.

She clinked her glass with his and drank heartily. He sipped and eyed her.

"You have to try this. It's only good if you eat it right away," she encouraged, holding up a cheese puff.

She broke it apart, and he wrapped his lips around her fingers and seized the bread with his tongue. Celeste kept her fingers up in front of his mouth, too stunned to pull them back as he chewed and swallowed her offering. He licked his tongue across his lips to catch any crumbs he missed.

"They are delicious. Light and fluffy," he said.

Celeste ate the other half and watched him pick up another puff from its silver platter. He pulled it apart gently and held it out for her. She opened her mouth and placed it over the bread, her lips grazing his fingers.

"I'll get too stuffed eating these," she said with a fluttery voice, looking away quickly in case he noticed how flustered she became.

She gulped down more wine and the alcohol finally warmed up her blood. Her attraction to him came on strong like an addiction and the compulsion to break apart more bread to hold up to his lips forced her to shove her hands in her lap to contain her obvious desire.

"Am I making you nervous?" he asked.

She exhaled and put her hands on the table.

"Yes."

"Why?"

She took another long drink from her glass of wine until it was empty. She thrummed the fingers of her right hand on the table. He placed his palm over it, stopping the motion.

"Tell me why I make you nervous. I don't want you to feel that way around me."

The bass in his voice aroused her, and she didn't see how she would get through a meal if she couldn't listen to him, or even look at him and without feeling dizzy. She wanted to be clearheaded and poised, a true Creole belle. But she couldn't help what she was feeling either.

"It's been a long time since I've been out with someone who treated me to a nice dinner. I work a lot…and I recently broke up with someone and it's been tough."

"Sorry to hear that. Was it a long-term relationship?"

"Not as long as I wanted at first. Then it dragged for a bit. I was ready to go, but he dropped me…and told everybody before I was ready. When I tell you I was ready to kick his ass up and down Rampart…"

Terry laughed, and the sound of his deep voice made all the nervousness dissipate. His eyes became tight with the wide smile he gave her, and his teeth looked extra white, the two canine teeth in the front drawing her attention to how perfect his lips were. She spilled all her tea to him and by the time their main course arrived, they were canoodling like two long-time friends breaking bread.

They ate, talked about her family and the tribe, drank more wine, gossiped about pop culture trends, discussed Miss Irma's travel photography career, and ninety minutes later, they shared a dessert of chocolate bread pudding. She noticed he didn't eat the oysters Rockefeller, or the scallops. His salad remained untouched. Meanwhile, every damn morsel of food on her plates went down her gullet.

"You didn't like the food?" she asked.

He glanced at his untouched meal.

"I'll take it back to the B&B and heat it up later. I've enjoyed talking to you and that filled me up just right."

He lifted the dessert spoon and offered her the bread pudding. She ate from it and held up a hand.

"I can't stuff anything else down."

Their server packed up Terry's meal in a to-go bag.

"Do you need to head back home right away? I thought we could walk down the riverfront together. Enjoy the evening air?" he said.

She wiped her mouth with a black linen napkin and nodded her head.

"Let me go use the restroom and then we can go," she said.

She scooted out of the booth and looked for the public restroom on their floor. There wasn't one, and she had to go back downstairs.

"I'll meet you out front," she said, reaching for her purse as he paid cash for their meal. He had a folded stack of hundred-dollar bills, and Celeste looked away. She didn't want him to think she was counting his pockets.

She relieved herself, washed her hands, and refreshed her make-up. Tossing a breath mint into her mouth, she pulled out her smartphone to leave a text for her girlfriends.

"Guess who I'm out to dinner with at Durand's?" she typed.

Outside the restroom, she spotted Terry waiting for her by the entrance. He stared outside the restaurant window. She turned around and held her phone up high to snap a picture of herself with Terry in the background. She tapped send and the urge to smoke came at her hard, but she didn't want smoker's breath. Taking a long look at him gave her the tingles all over. How was she blessed to snag a man like that so easily? Several exiting diners did double-takes to look at him.

She sauntered over and bumped her shoulder into Terry's, getting his attention. He held out his hand and Celeste threaded her fingers with his.

They headed toward the Riverfront Walk and looked at the Crescent City lights on the Connection Bridge that dazzled like Christmas across the Mississippi River. Celeste clung to his hand and listened to him talk about his career as a marine, and his new existence as a civilian. He'd invested money in a restaurant and spent more time working on himself spiritually. All he seemed to want was peace in his life. Unfortunately, his cousin's death created new strife. The cremated remains were kept in an urn back in his B&B because he wasn't ready to let Mike go until Miss Irma could say goodbye properly at a burial with him.

Terry's life sounded as lonely as hers at the moment. Sure, she had plenty of friends and family around, but the yearning for companionship gnawed at her. They talked and walked, walked and talked, meandering away from the river and into the heart of the city. Eventually, her eyes grew wide with surprise. They had ambled their way to her cottage.

Startled, she stopped in front of her home and placed both hands on her hips.

"What is it?" he asked.

Before she could catch herself, she blurted out, "This is my house."

He chuckled and pulled out his cell phone. Tapping his screen, he held it up in front of her.

"My B&B is only three blocks from here," he said.

"That's crazy," she said, recognizing the name of the bed-and-breakfast he described at dinner.

He smiled and separated himself away from her.

"It appears I have chaperoned you back to your humble abode. I bid you adieu, my lady," he said, bowing low.

"Stop it," she said, poking at his arm.

His gaze met hers before he completely raised up, and something about his eyes looked older than his thirty years. Ancient. The youthful structure of his facial features didn't match his eyes in the night. That bothered her. He drew up to his full height, and she climbed the first two steps of her porch. She was five foot eight in height, but wanted to be close to his eye level.

"I had a great time with you, Celeste. Thank you for going out with me."

The timbre of his voice in the dark with just a touch of moonlight above them made her insides swoon.

She didn't want the night to end.

"I don't think I've talked or laughed so much over a meal with anyone in my life," she said. "It felt good to share things walking with you…and learning about you, too"

"Your life is more exciting than mine."

"On Tuesday, I will bring you all the excitement you can handle for the rest of your life," she teased.

His eyes narrowed, and she watched his eyelashes nearly touch like dark butterfly wings. He parted his lips to speak, and she took that moment to kiss him firmly on the mouth, snatching the bit of courage she mustered up to know what his lips felt like sliding against hers. She sank into the delightful softness, relishing how pliant his lips became. He snaked a hand around her waist and pulled her against him. The heat from his body seeped through her dress. He hesitated to move his tongue until she opened her lips and sucked on it. Permission granted, he delved inside her mouth and left no corner unexplored. She moved her neck to mirror his angling as they each sought the best way to kiss even more passionately.

Shooting stars and exploding nebulas went off in her brain while tasting his mouth and lips. He let her lead the unhurried, yet feverish exchange of lip-smacking kisses, but she sensed a dominating forcefulness waiting in the wings to take over.

Decorum.

Celeste pulled her wanton mouth away from his and listened to the pants that circled between their lips. She rested her forehead against his.

"I should let you go," she huffed.

"If you must."

"I could…I could make us some tea…we could have a little tea party nightcap. I also have some chicory coffee."

Terry touched one of her hooped hair accessories and smooched her forehead. He sniffed the lemon hair tea she spritzed on her locs, and nudged his nose against the side of her neck, inhaling her unscented skin. He gently kissed her clavicle, and she clasped his hand.

They stared at one another, her eyes drinking in his visceral beauty. Her breath shuddered, looking deep into the unnatural reflective shine in his eyes. Like a cat being caught in car headlights, they glowed. He never blinked.

"Are you inviting me inside your home?" he said.

She nodded and he cradled her face, the warmth in his hand burrowing deep to the bone, weakening her. He kept his sonorous voice measured, the vibrations of his words cloyingly faraway and near at the same time.

"I need explicit consent to come inside your home…you…"

"You can come inside," she said.

His lips smothered her mouth. She caressed the back of his neck, dragging her nails gently across the nape. Terry lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His large hands went under her dress and palmed her ass cheeks, holding her up easily. She didn't remember putting a key into her door lock, but they kept kissing and tilting their heads left and right as he pushed it open.

Chapter 6 HERE.

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[tainted-liquor]

'Make it Awkward...⋆｡°✩

E1610!Miles Morales x BlackFem!Reader Ingredients: Sugar, Kisses, n a lil bit of smiles! TWs: Awkward teen love like rlly rlly awkward W/C: 1.8k A/N: SZA Inspired fic ❤︎!! another cute lil req from my 100 special!

You and Miles had developed a sturdy friendship in middle school, with you always being hyped up as the "art kid" in each of your classes. Initially, he was a little bit bitter because he didn't really understand what the hype was all about. He could draw, and he could do it just as good as you. Which, granted was indeed true, but your work felt like something out of a Van Gogh discography. Each and every one of your paintings and drawings almost looked like there was a filter over them, like something out of a flurry dream that evoked nostalgia and warmth in whoever seemed to view them. To say he was inspired by you was an understatement, he wanted to drown himself in everything that was your talent.

But as time passed and spiders bit, you two grew apart from each other on account of him semi-blowing you off for Gwen. You stopped hanging out slowly, he began to drop art and pick up a sudden interest in physics and inter-dimensional travel, and even got...meaner? The kind and innocent kid that once was Miles suddenly became jumpy and antsy. You thought that you two had something worth way more than any other friendship you had, but one day shit just shifted into complete, and total, awkward silence. But as time heals all wounds, you slowly began talking again at the top of this month, right before your summer came to its close.

Miles quietly hummed along to the steady bump of the music in his headphones, nodding to the rhythm as he began illustrating a head in his sketchbook. As 'Les' By Childish Gambino slowly fizzed out and the electronic chords of 'Awkward' By SZA became known, his sketch started to warp a little. He didn't necessarily remember how or when, but he noticed his sketch become a lot less androgynous and more familiar, with twinkling brown eyes and thick curly hair becoming more detailed with each pencil stroke. It took him a while to realize, but eventually, he had drawn...you. Down to the finest details as well, your smile lines and your perfectly sculpted Nubian nose.

What he hadn't anticipated was filling up the next 2 pages of his sketchbook with both your face and the signature crochet fingerless gloves you wore during the winter. What initially was just a warmup while waiting for you to arrive at his house turned into a full-blown drawing session with you as the muse. You weren't even there and he still had drawn you 100% accurately from memory. He sighed as his playlist continued to play out a steady stream of nothing but SZA, leaning back in his chair as he stared up at the ceiling before he heard a knock on his room door. "Ah-Come in!" he yelped as he quickly put away his sketchbook, swapping out the pencils and paint markers for paintbrushes and canvases.

You gently pushed open the door, showing Miles your painted tote bag full of art supplies, such as watercolors, charcoal, oil paints, three palettes, and various paintbrushes. "Hey, Miles! Sorry, it took me a lil bit...that fuckin' line in the art store was INSANE" you chirped as you slowly entered Miles's room and set down your bag. You placed your shoes in the corner of his room before walking over to sit on his bed. He pulled off his headphones, gently placing them on their stand before spinning around in his indigo desk chair. "That's fine! Don't even worry about it I know how full them stores get" he shrugs as he grabs his Bluetooth speaker from off his shelf, motioning for you to follow him as he stacks the canvases and art supplies in his hands.

"C'mon, there's not enough space in my room for two people to paint," he explains as he climbs the stairs up to his apartment roof. You followed closely behind him, setting up the art supplies as he fidgeted with his speaker. You lean back against the wall as you sit on the concrete roof, taking in the pretty sky as you sketch out some buildings and a landscape on your canvas. "So how's summer for you, huh? What's her name...Gwen was it? How'd things go over with her?" You ask as you begin to add minor details to your sketch. Truth be told it ate you up every single time he would mention her in your past conversations, with you having a small...thing for him that grew over time.

"Oh! Uh, Gwen...yeah. Things went south, we don't really talk anymore..." He shrugs as he rips the plastic off of a rather large canvas. You nodded slowly, indicating that you were hanging on to his every word as you cracked open a fresh bottle of paint thinner, pouring it into a small glass cup before coating your brush in the clear mineral spirit. You slather a couple of shades of deep blue, rusty orange, bright magenta, and off-white on your paint palette as you work to form that beautiful 'sunset gradient' on your canvas. He connects his phone to the small black speaker, his playlist resuming quietly in the background. "But how's your summer been?" he asks as he mirrors the process of sitting beside you and leaning against the wall.

"My summer's been fine actually. Nothing too eventful, no trips or nothing, just taking a couple...ahem...adventures!" You explain as you recall how you nearly got in trouble with the police for trespassing in various abandoned locations for funsies. Miles gives you a playful side-eye, looking you up and down. "You sound a lil sketchy...what did YOU do this summer?" he chuckled as he began sketching out some scenery and what looked like the early stages of a body on his canvas. "Shhhh, your dad's a cop" you giggled as you picked up a smaller brush, filling in the buildings and scenery in your painting. You both chuckled at the slight confession, looking ahead of you so you could get an accurate view of what you were currently painting.

You took a small glance at what Miles was currently sketching, getting a good look at the faceless humanoid figure sitting cross-legged, with an unidentified object that vaguely resembled a pencil in her hand as she drew on her...face? Eyeliner maybe? You hummed along to 'Supermodel' By SZA. You held up your canvas closer to Miles's canvas, analyzing the difference in art styles. Yours was much more realistic, and heavily influenced by the world around you with your unique play on your color palette. whereas Miles was more stylized and thought out, the colors remaining true to their actual hue.

"What do you think this needs more of?" you ask as you tilt your canvas towards Miles. He thought for a moment, tilting his head slightly so he could thoroughly analyze the painting. "More shine to the light sources maybe? Like a soft glow!" he beamed as he pointed towards the canvas with the opposite end of his paintbrush. You nod with your signature full smile, smile leans indicating your raw and unfiltered joy. Miles's eyes lingered on you for a couple of seconds before he madly swiped away at his canvas, seemingly blocking out more details with darker shades of watercolor.

You spent the next four hours, yes, four hours giggling like children as Miles sang along terribly to some of the songs on his playlist, starting a mini karaoke session on his roof with the both of you. It began to get cold and dark, so you decided you would pick up the canvases again after going inside to get something to eat. He grabbed his speaker and supplies, leaving his large canvas on the roof of his building before disappearing through the door to his apartment complex. You stuffed most of what you wanted to bring back down into your bag, before deciding to look over at Miles's painting. It looked exactly like you, but you were younger.

You remembered that damn scrunchie you had locked on your wrist, your favorite dark red satin scrunchie that went perfectly with your uniform. You shifted slightly to get a better angle of the canvas, watching as 8th grade you sprung to life in the form of doing your eyeliner on the bathroom sink. Miles had been there with you, watching as you painfully kneeled on the edge of the sink and leaned hazardously close to the mirror. You smiled softly to yourself as you noticed each beauty mark you had perfectly positioned on your face, from each scar to every minor indent in your smile. You chuckled quietly before swinging open the door and bolting down the stairs, straight to Miles's room.

And there he was, viciously fucking up a cup of noodles like someone would take it from him at any moment. "Damn, is it good? it ain't goin' nowhere now..." you joked with wide eyes as he gestured to an identical cup cooling off by his mini desk fan. You ate alongside him in silence, not really knowing what to say to each other. "I see you're still painting like in middle school...?" he states, referring to your distinct blurred style of painting. "Huh...Oh! Yeah, haha. I miss middle school kinda." You shrug as you sit the cup down on the side of his desk.

"Really? I always thought you thought I was a lil annoying back in middle school. I think you were my quietest friend ever" he joked as he finished his cup, dunking it in his trash can. "Huh? I literally thought you were the cutest thing ever! If I thought you were annoying I would've told you!" you stated with a small chuckle. Miles seemed to think for a moment, pausing as he processed the first half of your sentence. "Wait, you thought I was cute this whole time?" He asked with wide eyes. "Yeah! I was quiet cuz I didn't wanna fuck anything up! I think I had the fattest crush on you!" you laughed as you realized he thought that YOU thought he was annoying this whole time.

He gawked for a minute, his jaw slacked and eyes even wider than before. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" he semi-shouted as he began pacing around his room. You could only laugh, saying "We were like 10 and I didn't know if you would've liked me back." He looked at you as if you had 2 heads, going on some long rant about how he always thought you just weren't interested or thought he was annoying. You silently got up from his bed, walking over to him and stopping him entirely.

Miles looked at you with a rather confused and amused expression, probably still processing the fact that you openly admitted to liking him in middle school. But nothing in the world could have prepared him for the delicate kiss that you placed on his lips. He eagerly closed the space between the two of you, wrapping one arm around your waist almost by instinct. You pulled away from him after what felt like years, muttering a small "Who taught you that?"