#Shuri: the search for black panther

[namor-shuri]

x

[havenscribes]

Only Warriors - Bodyguard!Bucky Barnes x Wakandan!Regent!Reader - Chapter Four

Word Count: 1800 words

Warnings: some big feelings from reader, backstory is a little more fleshed out

“This is insane.” I state, jumping from my seat with an expression on my face that’s nothing short of scandalized. The Winter Soldier, a man who is literally credited with over two dozen assassinations is supposed to keep me safe? And who knows when the Black Panther will have this situation rectified. She will never give Namor the surface world, and he only seems to get more passionate with each of their encounters. For the first time in my life, I think M’Baku may be onto something. My eyes search wildly around the room for someone to poke me or something and tell me Just kidding, we’re gonna let you off with a warning. No one does.

General Ayo is still seated, gripping her spear like it’s a snake that might wriggle away at any moment.

 “I mean, does anyone not realize that? I’m being turned over to a weapon of mass destruction, not to mention, one that has crossed treasonous lines in Wakanda multiple times? Have we forgotten that he is not to be trusted?”

M’Kathu’s wife stands slowly leaning on her staff, the deep lines in her face getting more pronounced as she frowns at my outspoken-ness. “Child, I hope you aren’t so proud as to challenge the opinion of the Queen of Wakanda.” Her staff was more of a less intimidating than a spear but held the same austerity because of its masterful craftsmanship. Carved from sturdy baobab and stained a deep, almost black brown, the staff displayed Wakandan proverbs and affirmations in gold winding around its surface. At the top, about six inches taller than her six foot stature, a sparkling blue-green tourmaline rests in the wood. 

I can hear the displeasure in her voice and it just sends me over the limit. “I hope you’re not voting on matters in which you don’t have a say,” I reply with a snarl. “Elder M’Kathu is the council member. Not you.”

Gasps fly around the room at my insolence, and I’m starting to understand why General Ayo called it a temper tantrum, but this whole situation has gotten way out of hand. One little attack from Namor and I have to be babysat by a serial killer?

“Y/n! Remember your place.” M’Baku barks a warning at me, widening his eyes as if to scold a child. I am really getting tired of that. I stare at him, refusing to look away until my Kimoyo beads buzz on my wrist. I lift them and tap on the middle bead that pulses with light, and a diaphanous, shimmering image shows.

The Queen is not in the best shape. Her hair is mussed and matted, and her face is gaunt, cheekbones sticking out like she hasn’t eaten for days. I don’t see any injuries, though, so I try to relax despite the fear that the worst is yet to come.  Her voice wavers a little before the signal is straightened out: “—Y/n? Can you— hear— Can you hear me?”

“Yes! Yes! Cousin, I can hear you! Are you alright?” A weight is lifted off of my shoulders with every word that comes through. She still has her jaw set in that determined way but her head’s on a swivel. The dark shadows on the walls behind her make me nervous. “Are you unharmed? Where is he keeping you?”

“I’m fine, Y/n. Namor’s military is keeping me in some kind of temple, and I haven’t seen anyone in hours.” 

Now that I see she’s in one piece, the anger that was bubbling up in me returns. “But you could contact the Dora, right? Not me?”

Shuri has the absolute nerve to roll her eyes at me, sighing in exasperation as if my anger is unfair. “I had specific instructions for the Dora were this situation to arise—” 

“We agreed that last night would be a solo mission. No Doras on the premises, only back up off-site. You promised me.” My lip trembles as my eyebrows harden into a tough line.

She purses her lips and I can tell she’s thinking hard about what to say to make this better. “General Ayo has seen too many ‘simple missions’ go south to let things get too far out of her reach. It wasn’t my first choice at all, Y/n. I was outvoted.” The council all bow their heads to avoid any more scrutiny from me. The sight makes my stomach curdle in bitterness.

“Did they also vote for me to be babysat by the Winter Soldier?” I spit. Just saying his name disgusts me.

“He’s not the Winter Soldier anymore. I made sure of that.” She replies self-assuredly, knowing that there aren’t many things I trust, but her genius is one of them. “He may not run around during all hours of the night brutally murdering anyone he sees, but he will always have that blood on his hands. The Winter Soldier’s title was earned.”

The room is silenced at this defiance because they’ve never seen us without the layers of custom and cordiality. Ever since we were girls we’d disagree and bicker about everything, but only now it’s become an apparent problem. Council members avery their eyes and hush, and General Ayo stands, driving her staff into the ground twice. The other Dora do it once, and turn on dimes to leave the hall. I walk behind them like a dog with its tail between its legs, Shuri’s hologram still hovering over my arm. As they turn the corner, I slip into one of the other rite rooms. 

This one is for marriages: Clean off-white walls, draped with purple linens and ferns hanging from high in the ceiling. Gold accents are interspersed throughout the room, and the morning sunlight glinting off them almost brightens my sour mood. I remember it like it was yesterday: this was the room in which my parents were married. Traditionally, children come after marriages in Wakanda, but the tribes never scrutinized my parents for their child. I was just regarded as a blessing that came a little early. Just like a wedding present or a pair of engagement rings, I was a physical manifestation of their love, and the flower girl. It was one of the happiest days of my life, and my favorite memories of them. 

Their silent joy that filled the spaces in their vows, my father’s tears as he looked upon his bride for the first time, and the slow dance with what felt like the whole world watching and smiling on them, these were the signs of love that I looked forward to. As years passed, they left to be with the ancestors, but that love never left. I feel it everytime I look in the mirror, and see the unique mixture of their features or when I stay in their old house and find letters to each other in the margins of textbooks and magazines. Sometimes I want that for myself, but who could give me love that was bigger than two people, but at the same time, so small that it could sit with each and every one of my cells?  And how could I love at all when I’m there for my country at all times?

“It’s just as beautiful as I remember.” Shuri’s slightly warped voice shakes me out of my memories. She was there at the wedding with me: I’d led her down the aisle, grateful for the attention to be mostly on the young princess.

“I haven’t come back in so long.” I replied, feeling a little guilty, like I‘d let my parents down. They could never stop raving about their wedding, and as soon as I lost them, I’d acted like it never happened at all. 

“You don’t have to do anything.” Shuri tries to reassure me, but this shame will take a little longer to get rid of. “Your parents loved you, Y/n. They would want you to be happy, and looking forward, not fearing the past, burying yourself in your work.”

I am happy, I think, as long as I keep moving. As much as they loved each other, they loved Wakanda even more, and they’d want me to protect its legacy. 

“I love them too, Shuri, and I am happy. I’m completely content with everything I have. But they loved Wakanda even more, and you saw how ecstatic they were when I started the ambassador’s course.”

Shuri rolls her eyes again, and I know this time it's because I’m missing her point. She sighs for what must be the millionth time before she starts: “They were excited because you’re brilliant, and you’ll do well at anything you choose. You could’ve been a footrest maker and still made them happy because you are their daughter. You are what they loved most in the world, and their love for your home was a product of that.” As much as I hate to admit it, she struck the right tones for the rest of my anger to melt. All that remained was the dull ache of missing someone who you can’t just call.

I sniff, suddenly regaining all of my bearings. “So you understand why my job is so important, yes? Why I need all the freedom in the world to do it and to not be held on a leash by some brute?”

“This is about keeping you safe. End of story.” I’m sure I’m working her nerves, running round in circles because I just can’t fathom it. There’s no way the Winter Soldier is taking me on as a charge. “Y/n, I trust that you are entirely capable of doing your job, but just imagine what could've happened if Bucky wasn’t there.” Eww, I hate that they’re on a first name basis. “If I’m accepting help, know that it’s truly needed and coming from a qualified source.”

I’m still not convinced. More and more, people from the council slide past the arched entrance to the hall, giving me a look before awkwardly running past. I give my cousin a look. She’s a thousand leagues under the sea, captured by some god with a lust for vengeance, and only thinking about the safety of her loved ones. Not only that, but pleading with me to let my guard down just a little, so that someone else can hold it up. It suddenly dawns on me that my choices also affect my loved ones, and I owe it to them to take good care of myself.

My lips twist to the corners in thought. What’s the worst that could happen? If he tries anything, the Dora will rip him to pieces. “Okay. I’ll meet with him.”

She smiles weakly, and I wince at her visible tiredness. “Thank Bast. You’re so stubborn I thought you’d lock him out of your suite as soon as you saw him.”

“He’s in my suite?”

[beardedmrbean]

You know the term “Colonizers” being used today

I know it because Black Panther popularized it, but do people forget that the villain Killmonger WAS the colonizer in the film?

He became the cia favorite agent in American imperialism, and in the movie, killed T’Challa, burned their sacred plant, and stated he was going to create a Wakandan EMPIRE after slaughter people in power including their fucking children.

How…how did the left miss the most spoon-fed shit Disney can throw at you. And go with the idea colonizer=white people despite the underlying joke is that Shuri (who said it to the white guy that took a bullet to save a Wakandan) say that insult because she was on the internet too much.

I appreciate how anal retentive @siryouarebeingmocked is about tagging and cataloguing things, even if you don't agree with his conclusions it's always through.

This is just 2 obviously but, there's almost every kind of analysis you could possibly want, just search Killmonger, or any of the characters probably.

Both of those posts I linked go deeper into what your ask was, I don't have the knowledge base to touch on it too much, never saw the movie, I DO know where to find the info tho.

[saintwrld]

Lift me up

pairing: shuri x reader

summary: in which you discover your powers and help the mighty black panther in the war against Wakanda and Talokan

themes: angst

warnings: major character death (twice, idk what’s wrong with me)

translations: mntanasekhaya - sibling, sthandwa sam- my love, sisi omdala - older sister, usishiyile - she has passed (also meaning she has left us)

taglist: @pinkwright @zayswriting @vixentheplanet @inmyheadimobsessed @laurensmabel1 @ventingfanfics @quintessencewrites @ziayamikaelson @blackgirlfariy @shuriszn @6-noir @ogbells16 @cuddl3s4shur1 @n7cje @awolfcsworld @zhanylai @hetr0ph0bic @heejayy @heartsforjojo @locoforshuri @iloveekeiarah @khaleesi56 @thevenusianleo @verachii @axailslink @mbakuetshurisprincess @shinsousliya @letitias-fav @dejaonline (if i didn’t tag you, lemme know!)

a/n: i felt real angsty today 🤭 hope you enjoy

.°୭̥

Wakanda had fallen silent.

The nation had been struck down by the loss of its sovereign ruler, Queen Ramonda, due to the same beings who kidnapped the American scientist along with your best friend, Princess Shuri.

Oh, Shuri. How your heart poured out to her whilst dealing with the pain of losing a mother figure. You could not imagine what emotions have taken over her heart. It pained you to even think of that dreadful day. How you had been occupied with figuring out your new found powers and had declined giving the American scientist, Riri, the tour of the palace. Believing it would be best for the queen to handle instead of you.

How it pained you to realise that your last words to Queen Ramonda were that of giving goodbyes and hugging each other as if you knew she was leaving. How you were having conversations with the elders of Wakanda on your deity, Bast, without yet revealing your new identity to them and the blast of water floods entered your spiritual vision before your actual vision.

Feeling the pressure of water pushing you and many other people. Hearing screams from each direction you turned your head. Holding on to anyone in your path, not realising that you had parted the water, leading the people towards the fighter stations near Bashenga's hut.

Your heart pounding against your chest had been the only thing you heard as you ascended into the air. Your vision had again turned white however you felt your entire body move as if you were fighting. Energy surging through your skin as you lost contact with your body, seeing the familiar hues of blue and purple in the sky outside of your childhood home near the river.

in the ancestral realm

Opening your eyes, you heard a voice behind you as if it was coming from the tv.

"We've gotten reports from the third world country of Wakanda that their sovereign ruler, Que-"

"Y/n!" Another voice cheered happily, you noticed the shake in their voice as you felt their presence coming closer and closer to you.

Looking behind you, you saw your older sister, Wami, beaming at you with tears streaming down her face. She had grown taller since the last time you had seen her, granted it had been years.

"Wami?" You barely whispered as you started at her in shock. Your entire family had unfortunately left you all alone as they were blipped, leaving you to find refuge in your second home in the palace along with Queen Ramonda who had lost two of her own children in the blip.

When everyone had returned after 5 excruciatingly long years, you welcomed Shuri with your whole being, seeing how she grew taller. After being with T'Challa and Shuri and being tempted to tell them everything that happened in the past 5 years, you ran to find your family.

After searching through Wakanda for hours on end, you found Wami sitting with an elder, consoling her and telling her that she will find her family. The reunion was bittersweet, knowing that it was just you and your sister and that the rest of your family was not coming back.

Months after, on one peaceful morning, Wami didn't wake up. Frantically trying to revive her then ultimately deciding to take her to the hospital where it was announced that she was with the ancestors. The royal family had gotten the news and had buried her using royal traditions. They brought you into their home, making you feel as apart of them even though you spent majority of your time there.

Wami had tried visiting you through your dreams but you would always reject them, believing that none of it was real, eventually blaming Bast for everything.

"Hi, mntanasekhaya." She weakly smiled, rushing forward to give you a big hug. You immediately crumbled, sobbing into your older sister's arms. As your sobs became more quiet, you had grown confused. After Wami's death, you were quick to accept that she was gone. Even visits from her became frequent and you allowed her back into your life whilst thanking Bast and restoring your faith to Bast.

"Sisi omdala. Why are you crying? If anything, being at home should be your happy place." You looked up at her, seeing tears gloss over her eyes once again. She looked away from you to sniffle and look out the window.

"This always happens when we get new people. You know me, the family crybaby." She grabbed a tissue from the living room table and wiped her tears.

"New people? The ones attacked because of the water?" You questioned. She nodded. "Along with the q-" Wami's sentence was cut short as you heard a loud shriek from behind you.

Opening your eyes, you saw you were being lifted from underneath your arm, both your feet floating above the ground. You lifted your head and saw you were going towards the palace entrance with Nakia, Okoye and Shuri running ahead of you.

You gained your strength back and put your feet back on the ground and started running, following the three women. You felt the breeze hit you as you ran, feeling your dress stick on you and your braids slowly becoming loose from their ponytail.

With the throne room door already open from the impact of the water from inside, you all rushed in, the scene before you causing your heart to drop. The throne room had so much water and the floor to ceiling windows were cracked open with you seeing a man with winged ankles floating, holding a staff.

Queen Ramonda and Riri were laying on the glass floor, being revived by both Nakia and Okoye. You felt yourself being pulled back and held into the arms of a Dora. You saw Shuri being held back by Aneka and M'baku, crying her eyes out and screaming for her mother.

You too were crying, resisting the urge to let go of the screams surpressed within your chest. You noticed the man still floating and he pointed to Shuri, who could barely contain her cries, breaking your heart more and more.

"Bury your dead. Mourn your loss. You are Queen now." He shouted. He declared that either Wakanda becomes allies with his nation or that he will wash Wakanda off the face of the earth.

His words became reality as Riri had coughed up the large amount of water from her lungs but Queen Ramonda remained still. Seeing Nakia's tears stream down her face, "Usishiyile." She muttered.

You managed to get out of the Dora's hold and ran towards the windows to chase after the man. Nakia yelled after you but there you were, flying towards him, trying to land a punch but he caught your wrist. He held it tightly, most likely causing bruises to form.

"Treat your new Queen well. She will need it." He smirked, letting go of your wrist, expecting you to fall to your death but only to be surprised by you facing him.

"You will pay for everything you have caused. How dare you." Your voice had cracked as you said your second sentence, it finally sunk in that he killed Queen Ramonda.

You turned away from him and flew back into the palace, immediately going to be next to Shuri as she held you tightly, sobs violently coursing through her body as she could barely look over to her mother's body.

.°୭̥

With power surging through your hands and into the open field, you sighed out, feeling exhausted. A'awante chuckled at your exhaustion, uncrossing her arms and clapped her hands painfully slow.

"Congratulations, you've burnt the scarecrow of its stick. It took you how many tries?" She mocked, looking over at you as she appeared next to you in a flash.

"A'awante, we've been out here for hours. I promised Shuri that I would be back before sunset." You sighed out, holding your hands to your hips as you tilted your head back to face the sky.

You wouldn't necessarily call A'awante Bast's avatar but that is essentially what she was. During one of your many visits to the Ancestral realm, Bast had wanted an avatar to help you understand and figure out your powers to which she introduced you to A'awante, who is essentially the voice of Bast towards you.

"I guess I have been working you a little too hard. I would like to believe that you're very much ready for anything that might come Wakanda's way. Until next time. Goodbye Bahati." She said, waving and disappearing right before your eyes.

Everything you had learnt these past few days would be beneficial to the war that Namor had wanted. Your powers are quite powerful and versatile in a sense. You could manipulate anything using your powers. Your ability to fly had been improved and your strength would only be enhanced whilst using your powers. Temperature control and mind control were two of your favourites however you knew you couldn't take advantage of these powers.

Oh and your suit. You could summon two different suits using a special ring that appeared on your finger during your first training session. It's uniqueness stood out with its charm that made it look like a simple gold band to others.

Using your teleportation power to transport yourself to Shuri's lab, you closed your eyes then opened them once again to see that you were in the lab with Shuri in front of a large dna molecule model, with it eventually turning green all over.

"Griot, what's the confidence rate?" Shuri asked with a shake to her voice. "98.7%,Princess. Would you like me to print it?" Griot responded, causing Shuri to look at the module with pride without really displaying it on her face.

"Molo sana. Shuri." Nakia's voice broke the silence in the lab and Shuri turned her head to look at Nakia then you, who was standing right behind her.

"I thought you would be back in Haiti by now," Shuri said to Nakia. "And Y/n, you're early. I thought you said sunset." She directed her response to you.

"What is Griot printing?" You asked, going down the steps to stand next to Shuri.

"Y/n, it may be the recreation of the heart shaped herb." Nakia answered as she walked to stand next to Shuri as well. "It would be the greatest..gift to Wakanda since Bashenga's discovery and now Y/n's new found identity." She said, sighing with relief and a big smile painting her face.

"Griot, print it." Shuri instructed and held her hand out to you. "Come." She simply said, walking towards the 4D printer. Nakia walked next to Shuri and held her other hand for support.

"How do you know if it will work?" Nakia asked, as the printer began to run. "If it glows." Shuri replied and seconds after, the herb glows, causing you and Nakia to celebrate while Shuri looked shocked.

"You did it!"

-

Shuri had called you to her room as she was getting ready to present herself to the elders. You left Riri in the lab as she was working on the last adjustments on her suit.

You found Shuri pacing up and down the room, her curls were braided back and her suit clung to her body as she clenched and unclenched her hands. Her mood shifted as she came out of the trance of being in the ancestral realm, not wanting to share anything about who she saw whilst she was there. Her anger clearly shown as she punched a mannequin into the lab wall, gaining a reaction from you, Nakia and Riri.

"Shuri?" You quietly said, closing the door behind you and standing by the door, watching her slow down and eventually face you.

"I want him dead." Shuri started, shocking you. This wasn't the Shuri you knew. This one had revenge written all over her, eyes filled with hurt and rage. Dead? That would never be Shuri's first thought.

"Shuri, I'm not so sure that-"

"And you're going to help me. I refuse to let the man who killed my mother to live." She said, returning back to her pacing. You hesitantly walked towards her, stopping in front of her.

"I am more than willing to help you, Shuri but please think of this before we go out there." You pleaded and she stopped to stare at you. Her eyes staring into yours so intensely.

"Y/n, do you remember how you reacted when I had been kidnapped?" She asked, in such a demanding tone. Seeing where this was going, you immediately responded. "Yes but listen-"

"Had you or had you not said that you would kill whoever were to kill me?" She asked once again. You looked away from her face to avoid answering.

"I did." You muttered. "Speak up." She commanded and you looked at your best friend with such shock. "I had said that but I need you to get of this headspace, Shuri." You warned.

You could physically see your best friend become dangerous. The anger had consumed her fully and you knew that getting your Shuri back would be long after this war.

"This headspace is what is going to keep Wakanda safe, Y/n. I've suffered too long and it's time for me to get my lick back." She smirked after saying the last four words that you taught her.

It was as if she was in your mind and convinced you to go along with her plan. "So will you help me bring Namor's head back, sthandwa sam?" She wickedly smiled at you and it sent shivers throughout your entire body.

Shaking yourself out of her words, you began. "Shuri, no. You know that this is not the answer. Stop-"

"What are you afraid of?" She asked, slightly bending her tall body to match your eye contact level.

Keeping the eye contact, you remained silent. "If you are going to stop me, y/n, it won't work." Shuri stated.

Holding your hand out for her to hold, she placed her covered hand in yours. "Let's go show the fish man who the Black Panther is." You said, making Shuri smirk and lean in to peck your lips.

"Lead the way, sthandwa."

-

Looking over your beautiful nation through the windows of the throne room, Shuri stood behind you, holding your waist tightly.

"Are you fine, sthandwa?" She asked you as she peppered soft kisses along your neckline.

"I'm okay, just thinking of my powers during the fight." You replied. Thinking back to it, you and Shuri were against Namor. Your powers nearly burnt the Demi god to a crisp whilst Shuri held his wings in her hand.

Quickly healing her stab wound, you flew her into the sky as the fighter jet blew up into flames. Signaling that you go back to the ship to help the others, you fly over and use your gravity manipulation power to lift up the Talokanil crawling onto the ship and blast them into the ocean, similar to what Riri did to Namora.

"Do you still have the wings?" You asked, turning around and pecking her lips once. She nodded while smiling. "They're framed and sitting on the lab tables in the Great Mound lab." She said and her Kimoyo beads began to vibrate against your skin as she still held onto your waist.

"Have to look over the city, my love. Will you join me?" She held out her hands to you and you graciously accepted them.

"Of course I will." You smiled and hugged her, thanking Bast for bringing Shuri into your life throughout all the hardships thrown to you.

not proof read! I just went off on this one lol

[chaneajoyyy]

WLW FANFICTION (PART 2)

@ljstraightnochaser

BLACK PANTHER

SHURI

senile souls- @nzia-writes

fatal touch series- @writingintheshadowsforever

shuri soft headcanons, @m0chaminx

i do, mentor, grieving, jealousy, a helping hand my cheerleader, focus series, how i met your mother, surprise visit, a+ series, sweet girl, stolen heart, shuri hc's, butterflies, satisfied, eat me for breakfast, unexpected love, mommy's girl, we'll meet again, shuri smut drabble, miss me kiss me, paint me, my heart and soul, i'm not over you- @heejayy

don't run from me, 24/7 (ft. riri williams)- @kisskourt

come and see me, heart of iron & steel (ft. riri williams), tulips, the panther's muse- @risingoftime

generous- @gardenof-venus

our!?, permission- @demie90s

record store- @cuddl3s4shur1

they kissing!- @axailslink

imagine shuri revealing your true heritage to you- @writingintheshadowsforever

genius princess, comfortable, for a while- @solitaryearthperson

dating shuri headcanons, beach day, i'm not sure, stop trying, maybe it's the jazz, is that what you think? hold on, when i had the chance, don't play with me princess, what did i tell you?, sit down please, smoking that 🍃 with shuri- @haechvn

insecure, valentine's day with shuri, believe me series, stressed out, nights like this, griot, rivals, too much series, christmas with shuri headcanon series, training with shuri, cooking with shuri, @queenofsimpsblog

swallow (your pride), i miss your there series, private session, meet me under the golden tree, motel princess, for you i'll try, all eyes on you, eyes on me, seven wonders, wouldn't change a thing, vampire shuri series, black tracksuit shuri (photos), shuri (photos)- @sapphicvqmpires

crown royal, the elevator, your panther series-@pocketsizedpanther

forbidden fruit, seven deadly sins, on the throne, the panther's prey, touchin', lovin', f*ckin' "- @naomis-daydream

@prettymrswright

speak to me softly- @sloth-babied

everything that's broke leave it to breeze, first date with hbcu!shuri, shuri w/ a college!reader, domesticwife!shuri headcanons series, summertime curshin', i have loved you since we were eighteen series, you are my peace of mind, iceskating with the bp:wf girls (search: shuri x black!reader)- @shinsousliya

next to me series- @babyboiboyega

CAPTAIN MARVEL

CAROL DANVERS

different but same, dust- @solitaryearthperson

THOR

VALKYRIE/BRUNHILDE

soft, hardness (sequel to soft), it was my fault- @solitaryearthperson

***PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE FICS!!!***

[obwjam]

okay someone else probably asked this already but... a part 3 of this black panther x tiny reader fic going on where they meet T'challa and shuri... would be golden... just saying...

you ask and YE SHALL RECIEVE

(parts 1 and 2)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Really? That’s your name?”

You gave Ross a look of utter perplexity. Of all the reactions you were expecting, that was certainly not one of them. What was wrong with Lina?

He promptly apologized for his adverse reaction. “Sorry, it’s, uh, it’s been a long day. … More like a long few months.” He sighed, suddenly keen on changing the subject. “Look, I know you might not want to tell me everything, and that’s okay, but… can you tell me how exactly you got here?”

You didn’t really want to explain it all – or relive it – but you really didn’t have a choice. You recounted all the details, observing the way his expression changed from curious to concerned to downright angry.

“Jeez, kid. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.” You nodded to show your appreciation for his concern, which he was grateful for. “But, believe it or not, it’s almost a good thing that this happened. We haven’t had any leads on Killmonger’s whereabouts or business dealings, and you just gave us a place to start. I know T’Challa and Shuri will really appreciate that.”

You winced at those names. More people. More giants.

This time, Ross noticed. “Sorry, but I can’t not tell them about you.” He racked his brain, searching for the best way to calm you down. “Think about it this way. If you were… normal-sized… and you essentially trespassed into someone else’s very big, very important castle, and you had information they were looking for… wouldn’t they have the right to meet you and find out what you know?”

You hesitated. That was a good point, you supposed, but it left out a key detail – you didn’t intend for this to happen. You just wanted to leave and not be caught up in what was quickly becoming a global conspiracy in your mind.

Ross abruptly came to a stop. He could feel your tremors increasing the more he talked about T’Challa and Shuri. He wanted to move this case along, but above all, he just wanted you to feel safe and secure.

“Hey,” he said softly, lifting his hand up so you could be at eye level. He marveled at your tiny form, still not quite sure how something so small and delicate could exist. “I know this is probably really, really scary for you. But trust me, T’Challa and Shuri would never hurt a fly. I promise they’ll be nothing but kind to you. Okay?”

All you could do was nod and try your best to trust him.

You tried to take your mind off the impending meeting by admiring the regality of the massive hallways you passed through. It hadn’t really sunk in until Ross said castle – this place was for literal royalty. You were about to meet some of the most important people of this country, maybe even the world. Even if you only discovered its existence a few days ago, it felt like an unbelievably daunting and important task.

Your surroundings changed as you went along, becoming more dark and ominous as you descended. Soon you were in a dimly-lit hallway that looked more akin to your underground hideouts and passageways than a place that housed nobility. You approached a single door that was pretty mundane at first, until you got close to it. The design on it was shimmering and intricate, as if it were changing with each flicker of your gaze. Ross asked if you were ready, and after a few deep breaths, you gave him the thumbs-up.

The room was infinitely more imposing than the last one, because this wasn’t just a room. It was a lab, filled with tables and insane-looking equipment and a larger-than-life artful spiral staircase in the middle. The sterile LED lights were enough to send you into a panic.

Instinctively, Ross curled his fingers around you just a little bit tighter, temporarily sealing you off from the overwhelming world above you. His warmth was able to bring your heart rate back down to semi-normal.

“Ah, Agent Ross,” a soft, yet confident voice rang out. That was undoubtedly Prince T’Challa.

“My favorite white man!” a much more youthful voice interjected. Definitely Princess Shuri.

“Aw, I’m touched,” Ross deadpanned. “I, ah, I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

“Straight to the point,” T’Challa mused. “What is it?”

“Well, firstly, Killmonger was here.”

A cold silence. “What? When?” Shuri finally asked.

“Days ago.”

T’Challa shifted uncomfortably. “How did we not notice?” 

“He was in and out very quickly, I think. He had just come back from England and was probably keen on getting back there as soon as possible.”

“How do you know he was in England?” Shuri questioned. “An hour ago, you didn’t know anything.”

Ross sighed as your breathing picked up. Here it comes.

“I, uh… I had some help.”

You felt yourself being lifted up even higher, and soon, you had to cover your eyes for a moment as those harsh LED lights penetrated your sight. The light only became dimmer when two dark, long shadows suddenly appeared over you.

There was a moment of awed silence before Shuri finally spoke. “No way…”

“Agent Ross? Who is this?” 

To everyone’s surprise, Shuri rolled her eyes. “They’re a borrower, brother. How do you not know?”

“How do you know?” Ross asked.

Shuri shrugged. “Because I am cultured.” She finally took a moment to truly study you – sure, she knew about borrowers, but she had never actually seen one. Certainly not in Wakanda. You were scared out of your wits, that much was clear, but she could also see just how disheveled you were… like you had been through more and seen more than most people had in their entire lives.

“What is your name, little one?” You were surprised that Shuri was being so gentle.

“It’s Lina,” Ross said, silently praying that you would calm down. “They, uh, they’re not too keen on talking.”

“That’s alright,” Shuri said, sympathy in her voice as she looked right at you.

“How exactly did they get here?” T’Challa cut in. It was his turn to gawk at you now. He would have to ask Shuri how she knew all about “borrowers” later. Right now, he was just stunned that something like you existed.

Ross knew you weren’t going to want to recount the story again, so he did all the talking. You cowered under the gazes of the three giants, who all shot you sad glances whenever Ross retold a particularly grueling detail.

“All the way from England, huh?” T’Challa said when Ross was done. “You must be exhausted, Lina.”

You nodded. You could say that…

Suddenly, Shuri’s eyes lit up. “I’ll be right back!” she declared, taking off so fast that you almost fell backwards in Ross’s hand.

T’Challa frowned as he continued to stare. He already felt a tremendous responsibility to protect his people from outside threats… and now he had to protect you, too. He just had to. He couldn’t let you go back out there with Ross, it was too dangerous. Especially not after what Killmonger had done to you. There was no place on earth safer than Wakanda.

“Lina…” he started, leaning down to get to your level. You gulped. “My name is T’Challa, prince of Wakanda. I’m sorry you had to go through that with my cousin. He is… well, we’re trying to bring him to justice. I wish I had known… I would have helped you if I knew you were in that room all alone.”

You blushed. How could he possibly feel bad about that? “It’s– it’s okay,” you stammered, just loud enough for him to hear. “I–I’m fine now.”

T’Challa noticed the way you were nervously eyeing the landscape of the room, and he realized what all the lab equipment might look like to someone so small. “Don’t worry, little one, you’re safe in here with us. We’re not going to hurt you.”

You stared up at the giant prince. No matter how skeptical you were, his soft expression and caring voice were pretty convincing. He truly sounded like he wanted to help.

As quickly as she had left, Shuri came running back into the room. “I had some leftover samosas! I thought our little guest would be hungry.”

“I thought there was a strict no food in the lab rule?” T’Challa teased.

Shuri rolled her eyes. “Come on, brother, don’t be rude! You know exceptions can be made.” Shuri laid the samosa down on a mostly-empty lab table and broke off an impossibly small piece. 

She didn’t need to say anything to know what would happen next. The room fell silent as Ross slowly lowered his hand to the tabletop, teeth clenching at the tremors he could still feel from you. He hated that you had to be so petrified just to get something to eat.

You ambled off his hand, your hunger overpowering all your thoughts as you caught a whiff of the samosa. You had never smelled anything quite like it before.

You tried to ignore the heat of everyone’s stares, but you supposed watching you go about your daily life was like a novelty for them. Honestly, you couldn’t blame them; if you got the opportunity to just watch a human go about their day in peace, you wouldn’t look away.

You tried not to think about the fact that this samosa was almost as tall as you were. Luckily, the piece Shuri broke off for you was more than manageable. You took a cautious bite, as if it were a trap, but the instant the food hit your taste buds, it was like you were in a trance. In an instant, your food was gone.

The three humans couldn’t help but smile as you wolfed down your food, until Ross asked a sobering question. “Jeez, they must not get a lot to eat, huh?”

The Wakandan siblings exchanged glances. “Hm. I never really thought of that,” Shuri admitted.

“They must not have much of anything. Is this how you found them?” T’Challa asked.

“Yeah. Nothing but the clothes on their back.”

“Well, that simply won’t do.” T’Challa let you finish eating before once again bending down to your level. “Lina, how would you like to stay here with us for a while?”

You paused, and T’Challa read the apprehension on your face perfectly. “I know, it’s a lot to take in. And you probably trust Everett more than you trust us. But, you’ll be safer here than with him.”

Above you, Ross cleared his throat. “He’s right,” he admitted, almost painfully. “What I do, it’s dangerous stuff. People get hurt, or worse. And while I’m trying to track down Killmonger… I’m afraid what might happen to you if he caught you again.”

You shuddered at the mere thought of ever seeing that man again. You didn’t think you’d be able to handle it.

“Will… will I see you again?” you asked Ross sheepishly. 

His face turned red. “Yeah, yeah, of course I’ll see you again.”

“If we let him cross the border again, that is,” Shuri smiled.

“Oh, come on, you guys love me.”

You admired the way the three of them bantered so freely, with no repercussions for speaking out of turn or saying the wrong thing. You realized right then and there that that’s all you’ve ever wanted.

Suddenly, T’Challa’s open palm was right next to you. Somehow, you weren’t as nervous to climb onto this hand. It was soft and radiated warmth.

“Shuri, I want you to make Lina feel like they’re right at home, okay?” T’Challa commanded. He didn’t need to elaborate for his sister to know exactly what he meant. He gazed down at you and smiled. “For now, little one, let’s get you somewhere that isn’t a giant laboratory.”

“Th-thank you,” you managed. “I… borrowers, we don’t normally–we aren’t supposed to talk to giants. But I never knew… I never knew they could be so kind.”

T’Challa felt a warm feeling bubble up in his chest. “Well, I’m happy to break that stereotype.”

“I promise, we won’t let anything happen to you,” Shuri reassured me, popping into view.

“And if anyone hurts you, I’ll kill them,” Ross said, too serious to be a joke but just humorous enough to make you laugh. He shrugged when Shuri and T’Challa stared at him. “What?”

“Now, if you’re okay with it, I’d really love to ask you some questions,” Shuri said, pulling a tablet off a nearby table. “I’m almost positive all my information about borrowers is horribly wrong.”

T’Challa pulled you close to his chest. You didn’t protest. “Are you alright with that, Lina?”

You didn’t need more than a few seconds to give him an answer.

“Yeah, I’m definitely alright with that.”

[wrenjacobswrites]

Title: Averno

By: Me :)

Rating: Explicit

Fandom: Marvel/Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Ship: Namor/Shuri

Summary: The internal validity (or weakness) of the plan to marry and breed with Namor would be if the God would even honor this agreement of not killing Riri if Shuri gave him what he wanted: her. Men have told bigger lies than this to get laid.

If he goes back on his word, I will kill him myself. A part of Shuri said. A part she barely recognized, a part that awakened in her after her brother died.

***

Persephone is having sex in hell.

Unlike the rest of us, she doesn't know

what winter is, only that

she is what causes it.

***

Author’s note: I decided to delete this from ao3 because I wasn’t happy with the way it was written. Also, because of my job I have no time to give it the love it deserves and whoever reads this deserves a better fanfic. I’ll leave this upon my tumblr for anyone who wants to read it. Thanks so much for the support, guys! It might reappear one day in better condition.

The dress was damp and heavy with humidity as it leaked down to her ankles. The material was thin, and the jades strung on the neckline was cold and clung to her skin. The cave housing Namor’s dwelling was dark and quiet, like the end of her brother’s funeral. If it wasn’t for the fact that she saw her new husband standing in the doorway with a smile on his face and his warriors surrounding him, she would’ve thought she was alone.

There was no moon underneath the sea, honey or otherwise. This next part was not meant to be sweet. This is a political marriage, meant to bond the kingdoms of Wakanda and Talokan. Namor had asked for her hand in exchange for the life of Riri. Shuri had agreed quickly and Namor’s face had lit up as if the sunshine fell upon it. Maybe this was his plan all along.

“You are like the sun,” Namor began.

“Hard to look at?” Shuri said. She tried to drown her nervousness in humor—a familiar situation. It instead formed a rock in the pit of her stomach. It was the type of wordplay that would earn her a soft chuckle from T’Challa. T’Challa would’ve searched the entire ocean for her. He wouldn’t approve of this, but he was not here. He was nowhere. He’s dead and he took the Black Panther with him.

“Radiant.” Namor continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Come.” He held out his hand. Shuri took it, it was hot—if he were human, he’d be in the hospital. He had to be at least 115 degrees. He led her into the dwelling. He let her hand go before unraveling the cloth partition above the door until it fell down, covering the entrance, leaving Namora and Attuma outside.

The only light was a flickering fire making the room shadow wet. It was separated from her by a wooden table weighed down with fish, fruit, silver and glass bottles filled with liquids of mysterious origins, and a bar of dark chocolate.

Underneath her naked feet was a woven rug that wasn’t there before and to her left was a bed tucked in the corner that definitely wasn’t there before. It was covered with brown furs. Shuri stopped herself from gulping. It’s just sex, people do it all the time, even for fun. You haven’t. The judgmental voice in her head said. Shuri frowned as she walked to the fire and rested her hands above the flames. Her palms warmed, the clammy cold melting away. Finally, some warmth and light. Being underneath the world with Namor felt like living inside a sapphire.

Namor went to her, his arm touching hers. The orange blaze of the fire sewn shards of ruby in his dark eyes. The right side of his face was covered in shadow as he smiled at her.

“I apologize for the temperature, my Queen.”

Shuri smiled. “Oh, I’ll be fine. I mean, what can you do? You’re only a God.”

This time Namor did chuckle. “Do you really think me a God?”

“No. There are no Gods.” Shuri said. If there were, they would’ve saved my brother who was just and good. He was Bast’s greatest warrior, and she let him die.

“Hm.” Namor said with a frown. Her stomach sank.

“But your people would die for you without hesitation, so you’re just as good as one.” Shuri rushed out before watching the floor like a wilting flower. Hopefully she wasn’t screwing up the marriage already. At least wait until Riri is safe. Jeez.

Namor turned to her. He pointed his index finger under her chin and guided it up until she watched him. She had never seen eyes so dark. They were like coal. “Never change your answer, yourself, for me. I married the princess of Wakanda, not a spineless jellyfish.”

“Even a jellyfish has her sting.” Shuri said before watching the fire again. Namor placed his large hand on her lower back, making her feel thin and breakable. He pulled her close, leaned in, his soft breath tickled her earlobe and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. He smelled of wildflowers and honey. She turned her head toward him and moved her mouth toward his too quickly. Their teeth smacked together.

“Ah, shoot.” Shuri covered her mouth with her hand, trying to quell the dull, throbbing pain of the front of her teeth—they weren’t broken, and she wasn’t bleeding but still, ow. Namor looked completely unfazed.

“Did I hurt you?” He asked.

“Are you made of diamond? Jeez.”

Namor chuckled. “No, I am flesh. Though a sturdier kind.”

Shuri would love to see a piece of his DNA underneath a microscope, find out what makes him as strong and tough as a rhino. She pushed that thought down. What an odd thing to think on your wedding day.

“I see.” Shuri said. “Should we try again?”

“I would like that.” Namor cupped the side of her face with his soft hand, holding her in place as he dipped down for a kiss. His lips were soft as a rose petal. Her eyes fluttered closed. She pressed back tentatively, tangling her fingers in her dress just to hold onto something. Namor put his thumb under her bottom lip and pulled down slightly. She got the idea and opened her mouth and he drunk her in—he tasted like the sea—briny and salty, but it was as sweet as wine in her mouth. The kiss was mixed with the flavor of fruit seeds she couldn’t name that Namor fed her earlier.

She’d only ever been kissed once and it was through her breathing apparatus about an hour ago, during the wedding ceremony. Now it's all-consuming, like water. Her hands shook as he gripped the nape of her neck to keep their mouths together. He didn’t need to breathe but Shuri did, so he put one of her hands between them until it found his chest and pressed against it. He pulled back until his hot breath buzzed against her lips.

Shuri shivered. There was fluttering in her stomach. “What now?”

Namor’s hand cupped the front of her throat, and his fingers close around her neck, gently. It was as if he couldn’t stop touching her. His thumb tugged at the corner of her mouth, dipping in slightly. Shuri’s face was on fire, but she kept their gazes locked.

“We are to consummate our marriage.” Namor said as he nodded toward the bed in the corner of the room before watching her again. “And we cannot leave this room until we do.”

“O-oh.” Shuri said. She had ‘the talk’ with her mother when she first bled at age thirteen. The Queen wanted her to be in her thirties, married, and in love before she so much as even looked at a man in a sensual manner and the man had better have been an upstanding Wakandan, rich like the handsome grandson of the Merchant Tribe elder. What would mother think if she could see her now, married to what could’ve been Wakanda’s destruction? A man—a king, a God who coerced her into his bed under threat of the life of another if she refused him? Would the queen think it noble or foolish? Hopefully Shuri would get the chance to ask her.

“Just…”

“I don’t mean to rush you.” Namor said gently.

“I know.” Shuri said too quickly, her face heating. “King, I mean, K'uk’…Jeez, I am very sure I am butchering your title.”

“You may call me king.”

“And Namor?”

“If you find it easier to pronounce.”

“King, Namor, I’ve never…ahem. I’m a virgin.”

“Ah, I see.” Namor said. He looked a little too pleased. “I trust you’re familiar with the concept?”

Round pegs in circular holes—Shuri couldn’t help but to think but thank Bast it didn’t come out of her mouth. She’d never been into pornography, and she thought more about algorithms than boys but she’s a woman of science, she knows the mechanics of most things and how bodies fit together to form new bodies. It’s simple math, 1+1=2.

“I am and I am ready.” Shuri said with more confidence than she felt. She couldn’t deny that Namor is beautiful, sculpted from marble like Adonis drizzled in caramel. Tall and broad with eyes and hair as dark as the deep sea. His personality so far is loving, gentle. She could almost forget the circumstances—the fight—that preceded the marriage, the abduction to the underworld. The threat of the death of Riri if Shuri didn’t give him what he wanted. Shuri could pretend that this was all her choice and that she was in love. Namor made it easy.

Namor’s eyes were heavy lidded, and his lips were slightly apart. He looked as if he was enchanted by her. He smoothly went behind her. On the back of her dress was jade buttons leading down to the top of her bottom. Obviously, this was the only way of getting it off safely. Namor popped them open one by one until the dress slipped down to her elbows, baring her unsexy undershirt underneath it. She wore no bra because she didn’t need one. Her breasts were small—too small. She pulled off the sleeves until the dress pooled down to ankles, revealing her boy cut underwear. She turned to face Namor, and he pulled her into a kiss. She looped her arms around his neck and drew him close until there was no space between them. He placed his hands on her sides—the dusky strip of skin between her undershirt and underwear sticking to Namor’s warm stomach. He was so solid-strong. It felt like he could snap her in half without even trying. Hopefully he’ll keep that in mind when they…have intercourse. He lifted her up with his hands under her thighs and she crossed her ankles behind him. She tightened her arms around his neck, and she clung to him. He pressed his lips under her jaw, causing a tingle to run down her spine as he walked with her to the bed. He placed her on it with care before climbing over her—the bed complained under their weight.

She thought she would lose her virginity on holiday in New York City. There would be candles and mood music. There would be rose petals on the bed and chocolate covered strawberries. It would be after a fancy dinner and a night on the town. Her lover never had a specific gender, but she couldn’t imagine in a million years it would’ve been a God of a world below.

Namor’s skin was the color of a reddish gold sunset. Eyes and hair as dark as the depths. Tongue soft. He inches back and placed his big hand on her stomach. She took a shaky breath as he swept his thumb over the bumps of her ribs, he watched her like she was a work of art, like she left him speechless.

“My Queen.” He said lowly as he dipped down to press his lips against hers for a beat before pulling back. “The prophesies do not do you justice.”

“Prophesies?” Shuri asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him down over her until there was no space between them.

“I was to be married to a daughter of earth and fire. She would be patient, selfless, beautiful…and unite the kingdoms of land and sea.”

“How do you know I’m her?”

“How could you not be? Eyes the color of coffee bean, skin brown silk, and a rage that could burn a third of the surface world’s trees and green grass. A hail of fire mixed with with blood.”

“From the Christian book of revelations. 8:7.” Shuri said.

“And unbelievably intelligent. I’ve waited centuries for you.” Namor said as he hooked his fingers in the hem of her underwear. She lifted her hips as he slid them down her legs. Her forehead was damp from sweat. No man had ever seen this much of her. She slipped off her undershirt and it pooled on to the floor. Her hand went up to cover her breasts, but Namor pinned her arms above her head with one of his hands gripping her wrists. “Every inch of you is perfection.”

“I-I bet you say that to every queen on your wedding night.” Shuri joked, flexing her wrists clutched in his fist. Namor must’ve taken what she said seriously.

“There have been no others.”

“So, you’re a 500-year-old virgin?”

Namor chuckled before brushing his lips against hers. “No. I know what I am doing.”

“That makes one of us.”

“Were you never curious?” Namor asked.

“I consider myself a girl—ahem, a woman of science. I know the ins and uh, outs,” Phrasing, boom! Shuri couldn’t stop herself from thinking. “But I’m not much of a porno person.”

“Porno?”

“Oh, of course you don’t know what that is.” Shuri could smack herself upside the head. “It’s…on the surface world some people are paid to, um, simulate breeding for others to…see.”

Namor’s eyebrows rose. Shuri’s face could’ve been on fire. This was so awkward. Bast.

“It’s a form of erotic..stimulation.” Shuri tried to explain away.

“I illustrate paintings.” Namor said as if he were trying to make her feel better. “For erotic stimulation.”

Shuri pressed her lips against his to bring his attention back to the subject at hand, instead of how hard she’s bombing. He let her wrist go and weighed her down, the vibranium covering him glittering in the fire. Namor pulled back and stood, carefully removing the jewelry across his neck and decorating his arms. He placed them on the nightstand. He then unhooked that WWE championship like metal belt before sliding those tiny green shorts down his strong legs. He unlatched his footwear.

Shuri had never seen a man naked outside of an artistic context. The reflection of the flames danced across the expanse of his wide chest, his stomach was taught, his…down there looked too big to fit inside her and was covered with black hair on the base. Now they’re both naked. Namor knelt between her legs and took her ankle in one of his hands to spread her open.

“Wait, what about protection?” Shuri asked.

“Protection?”

“I don’t think you have a disease that could be transmitted sexually, but I wonder about preventing pregnancy.”

“Preventing? My Queen, that is the entire point of us lying together.”

“Wait, what? Now?”

“Yes, now.” Namor said. “The daughter of earth and fire will bear the son of air and water a child that could walk between worlds.”

“A child? I’m only twenty.”

“You are of sexual maturity for a human.”

“I am but…I’m not sure I want to be a mother yet.”

“This was our agreement. You are my Queen. There are certain responsibilities that come with that title, certain sacrifices.”

“So, it has to be now?”

“According to the prophesies, you conceive on our wedding night.” Namor said. “I do not go against prophesies.”

“Then…”

“Then?” He said lowly, dangerously.

Shuri swallowed thickly. Just when she thought marrying Namor to save Riri couldn’t be any less of a plan, he wanted to get her pregnant! Could she call this whole thing off? He only agreed to spare the student if Shuri became his queen. This would be seen as a dealbreaker and then it’ll be all out war. He would kill Riri and probably her, dragging Wakanda into a conflict with the entire ocean. Bast! Okay, just because she’s getting pregnant doesn’t mean she has to stay pregnant—morning after pill and all that. She’ll give him what he wanted and figure a way out later.

“…Neither shall I.” Shuri finished as she spread her thighs. A smile rose on Namor’s face as he gently cupped his hands under her knees, holding her open as he slides in between her thighs. He lets one of her knees go before using his finger to slide down to her entrance. She kept her legs open as he dipped his finger inside her. She bit her lip against the slight burn. He used his thumb to rub against her clitoris. Her breathing picked up as the sensation of pleasure washed over her. Namor stuck his finger into the hilt and held it there, never letting up on rubbing her button. Her moans were breathy, and her toes curled. Her mouth dropped open as Namor watched her as if he were enchanted.

“The sounds you make…” Namor said, as soft as candlelight. “You are music, you are art, you are everything.”

Shuri wanted to cover her face—flattered, but embarrassed. She had no idea how to respond to any of that, but he stuck another finger in her and she cried out—her voice repeated through the quiet dwelling. Hopefully Riri couldn’t hear that. Shuri’s not sure the student would agree with this plan. The internal validity (or weakness) of the plan to marry and breed with Namor would be if the God would even honor this agreement of not killing Riri if Shuri gave him what he wanted: her. Men have told bigger lies than this to get laid.

If he goes back on his word, I will kill him myself. A part of Shuri said. A part she barely recognized, a part that awakened in her after her brother died.

Her eyes fluttered closed as Namor kept his index and middle finger deep inside her while rubbing clit. She tangled her fingers in the fur blanket under her while using her other hand to push at his stomach, not sure what she wanted. She bit her lip and rocked her hips against his fingers, urging him to move. He took his fingers away and tucked them in his mouth. Shuri shuddered, her…down there…felt too empty and wet. Her breathing was shallow and there was a slickness on her skin that wasn’t due to humidity. She didn’t need to lie back and think of Wakanda to get through procreating with Namor. She wanted this. She was ready.

She sat up and climbed into his lap, holding herself to him by wrapping her arms around his neck. He gasped—probably at her body heat and how close her entrance was to his dick. He steadied her with his arm around her waist, keeping her flush against him, her breasts against his chest. His chuckle was deep, and it vibrated through his body like a purr.

“Never in my centuries of living have I had a maiden not be intimidated by me.”

“If you want to be intimidating, you shouldn’t wear those tiny green shorts.”

Namor laughed lowly. “You surprise me, my Queen. The lack of deference…”

“Would you like me to use deference?” Shuri asked before stealing his answer by giving him a wet kiss. He shuddered against her before they pulled apart.

“You should. I am K'uk'ulkan.” Namor said.

Shuri pulled back an inch to look into his eyes. She needed to gauge how serious he was. If she was screwing this up somehow…He looked as if he were under her own personal spell. What he wanted was an equal, after being revered all his life. He didn’t want Shuri to be afraid to look him in the eyes or hold her tongue. He wanted a queen, not a concubine. She could be that for him.

“And I was the princess of the most powerful nation in the world.” Shuri said. “Now I am queen of another. Perhaps it is you who should use deference.”

Namor answered by pressing their lips together with the intensity of a punch—well, that’s not true. Her jaw would be broken because Namor seemed like he was molded from the same vibranium he usually wore on his chest. He picked her up like she weighed as much as a feather before taking her over to the wooden table in the middle of the room. He knocked the plates of grapes and fish to the ground. The wine bottle shattered into confetti as it soaked into the cracks in the floor like blood. Shuri inwardly groaned, she wanted some of that.

Namor laid her on the table, bending over to kiss her again. Shuri’s thighs bracketed his waist, as his dick rubbed against her entrance. He sighed into her mouth as he rocked against her, never fully getting inside her. Shuri burned down there—she needed him in, so she angled her hips down. Namor stood up from her and wrapped his strong hand against the front of her neck to keep her pinned to the table. He used his other hand to grab the base of his dick and press it into Shuri. Shuri groaned as he entered her, slowly pushing into until he couldn’t anymore.

Shuri squeaked as she grasped the side of the table. She clenched her eyes shut against the burn and unbearable pleasure of being full. He was deep inside her—she could almost feel it in her stomach. She clenched around him, trying to get use to his girth. She was sticky with sweat, her lips quivered.

Namor took deep, slow breaths—as if he were trying to contain himself. It was irritating how composed he was trying to be. Always dignified. What could she do to break that composure? Shuri laid still, waiting for the raw newness of being penetrated to fade. When she became slicker, she moved her hip down causing him to slide even deeper into her.

He gasped—the mask of calmness finally slipping. He gripped the end of the table, the sturdy wood crumbling in his hand like granola. That made Shuri freeze.

“Remember,” Shuri said breathlessly. “I am not made out of stone.”

Namor chuckled before pulling out of her an inch and pushing back in, fucking her slow. His quiet, quick breaths filled up the dwelling. She clenched her toes as he picked up the pace, but not the force.

Shuri mewled and moaned, unable to stop herself. Her mouth hung open as she shut her eyes. Every time he filled her, there was fireworks behind her eyelids. It was overwhelming, nothing like the touches she gave herself before getting bored and stopping. Her breath caught as surges of pleasure shot through her. Her thighs shook.

The coarseness of the wooden table under her chafed her back. The wooden legs bluntly scrubbed against the floor with each push of Namor’s hips. He was more forceful now, knocking groans out of her. He was eerily quiet as he placed his soft hand on her stomach.

Shuri bent up slightly to thread her fingers into his hair and pull him down on top of her. His rhythm fumbled as she kissed him like she wanted to devour him. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her hips slightly to pound into her—finally losing that cool façade. Shuri held on to his shoulders, her fingers turning to claws as cried out every time she was filled. She came, her vision whiting out as she shook, the pleasure flooded over her as her voice went high. Namor stilled inside her, holding her close to himself.

Shuri’s breathing was labored as she went limp, staring up at Namor. The flinching fire made flecks of gold on his skin. His hair was mussed from her running her fingers through it. He was so strong on top of her. She felt so tiny in the wake of him. She tapped him with her foot to get him to move. He fucked into her forcefully, obviously not hard enough to hurt her, just enough for the undercurrent of burning to arise in her. He moved quickly, using her like a toy until he stilled, coming deep inside her. His grip on her hips felt hard enough to bruise as she bit her bottom lip.

They stay there catching their breaths. Namor stayed pinned inside her, probably trying to make sure of conception. Shuri couldn’t worry about that now. Would he honor their agreement now that they’ve slept together? Now that they’re married? Was Riri safe?

Namor pulled out of her, and Shuri felt slickness seep out. His come. Yuck.

Shuri sat up at the end of the table while Namor sat on the bed. In between her thighs hurt so she had trouble closing her legs. They watch each other like a showdown. The romance movies never portrayed after sex awkwardness. What does a princess…Queen…and a God talk about? He’d seen centuries worth of treasures, rises and falls of empires, entire histories play out over and over again, but if those things weren’t on the internet or in books, Shuri didn’t know them.

“So,” Shuri began as she picked at her nail beds with her thumb. The coolness washed over her, making her realize she was completely naked. “Have sex with a God. Check.”

“You are making a list?”

“A Beyoncé concert is next.”

“Beyoncé?”

“I have so much to teach you.” Shuri said.

“And I would love to learn.” Namor said. “Come to me. I would like to lie with you.”

“I must visit Riri first. I’ve been gone hours. I need to let her know you did not cook and eat me.”

Namor chuckled before speaking. “I expect you back after.”

“Okay.” Shuri said. “About Riri…”

“I will honor my promise. If you stay with me and Wakanda becomes an ally to Talokan, the scientist lives, and there will be peace. I’m sure you’ll both be very happy here.”

Shuri hadn’t told Riri Namor expected them to both live out the rest of their days in his underworld. That couldn’t happen but she’ll take what she could get right now. At least they’re safe.

There was still the matter of him wanting to wage war on the entire surface world, but Lemonade wasn’t recorded in a day. Ideas take time to seed and grow. She was confident she could convince Namor Wakanda and Talokan could come to a peaceful solution with America and the rest of the world.

Shuri gets dressed in her bridal gown and gives Namor a deep kiss. There was still that dull ache between her legs as she was led by her new lady in waiting back to where they kept Riri.

The Talokanil woman is sprawled out on the floor, clutching a hole in her abdomen. Her eyes are shiny with tears. She’s shaking as Nakia stood over her holding a weapon.

“No.” Shuri whispers and rushes over, bending down over the woman. She tried to save her, but the woman fell limp, her eyes rolled to the back of her head. The damage was done. Nakia tells Shuri they have to leave before reinforcements arrive.

“You don’t understand! This will mean war!” Shuri needed to find Namor, to apologize to-to explain the situation. She had never seen his wrath—his anger. He didn’t seem the type to rush to judgement. Though she only had three conversations and sex with him. He looked at her as if the sun rose in her eyes. He loved her. That had to mean something, right?

Nakia and Riri drag her away and they escape. While being wrapped in the warm embrace of her mother, she knows Namor is not far behind.

Wakanda was a golden nation, the fresh wind swept through the market bringing the smell of bread, fruits, flowers, and sweets into Shuri’s lab. It was nothing like being in the dark, heart shaped tomb of Namor where the only light was silk stuck in the canopy of a cave like trapped stars. Wakanda glowed in comparison, the sunshine stretching over the blades of grass, making the world surrounding the city shine like a field of crystals. She never appreciated her home until she’s been somewhere different for a while.

Shuri watched the city from the screens in her lab and couldn’t help but to see it drowned in water. Namor was coming. Her stomach cramped with nervousness. It had been about ten hours since she’d been rescued. She’d eaten, bathed, and tried to sleep but was not successful. She’d shooed away doctors and assured her mother three times that Namor had not harmed her. Shuri hadn’t told the queen that she married or slept with him. She might never.

“Griot?”

“Yes, princess?”

“I need a body scan.” Shuri said before she laid on her table like so many other of her experiments and inventions before her. She kept her arms pinned by her side as purple lights traveled from her shoes to her forehead. A silhouette of herself appeared on a screen. There was a red circle in her uterus. Oh.

“You are pregnant.”

“What is the accuracy?”

“98%.”

“Bast.” Shuri could always wait and take an over-the-counter pregnancy test, but they were so primitive. With that, it could take weeks to know for sure.

“Should I alert the queen?”

“I cannot express how much I do not want you to do that.”

“Yes, princess.”

Shuri sat on the side of the table and rubbed her temples. She was a 21st century woman and a woman of science. Whether she considered it a child at this stage was purely academic. Moral and religious arguments aside, she was not ready to be a mother. Especially with a man whose physiology, genetics, and temperament she could only guess. She also really, really didn’t want to tell her mother she slept with Namor, and that she enjoyed it.

Shuri could create something quick and painless to terminate the pregnancy with a snap of her fingers. No one had to know. She better get to it.

Shuri’s mouth went dry and sweat collected on her skin. Her hands shook. Namor told Shuri about his mother—how she became the hope of his people as they drowned themselves to escape their oppressors. Shuri was in the same position as her-to bear a leader to bridge worlds. They were hundreds of years apart and one only existed in memory, but Shuri felt her hand guiding her.

Namor scorned the surface world and wished to see it toil in a hail of fire but marrying Shuri symbolized unity, forgiveness. So did the child she carried. Shuri was Namor’s one anchor to a world outside of the sea. The sole reason he might reconsider war with the entire world. This child could strengthen her position with him. Convince him that good still exists outside of the ocean. There can be peace.

Bast. Was she keeping this fucking baby?

“Princess! Multiple breaches into the perimeters of Wakanda!”

The waters swelled and the Talokanil crawled out of it—splashed across the screens in her lab were flashes water exploding through buildings, Wakandans heading for higher ground. Her soldiers had been warned the city could be attacked so they were ready as they headed straight to the warriors of the deep. There was a flicker in the sky-Namor.

Shuri rushed to the throne room. It’s her best guess as to where Namor was headed. She closed the door on Okoye’s face and bolted it. The throne room’s door was pure vibranium, designed to keep out all enemies, including fellow Wakandans. Now she was alone, save her mother, who watched Shuri with wide eyes.

“Shuri? What are you doing?” Queen Ramonda asked.

“Mother, no matter what happens, do not attack Namor.” Shuri said. “You need to let me handle it.”

“Are you insane? I’m not letting him anywhere near you.” Queen Ramonda said.

“Listen to me! There has to be no more bloodshed. Keep the Dora Milaje out of the throne room. I need to speak with him alone.”

“I am not leaving you.” The Queen said. “That is out of the question.”

“Fine.” Shuri said. “But you have to trust me.”

The Queen pursed her lips. For once she kept her thoughts to herself. She must’ve seen the look on Shuri’s face.

The glass of the windows shattered, sending shimmering shards of gold flying everywhere. Namor, in all his furious glory stood on the windowsill. The white sun bloomed behind him like a halo, the vibranium across his chest glittering. His eyes were lifeless and dull like a shark’s. His fist was clenched around his spear as he came toward Shuri. Her mother started to go to her—obviously to protect her from Namor but stilled when Shuri held out her palm to her.

Namor grabbed the front of Shuri’s collar, lifted her and slammed her against the wall. She coughed out a breath. Queen Ramonda gasped.

“I should never have trusted you.” Namor told her. “You will come to Talokan and answer for your crime.”

“She will do no such thing!” Queen Ramonda yelled.

“Mother! Please!” Shuri didn’t want to get her involved. This was between her and Namor. Her husband.

While Shuri didn’t kill the Talokanil woman, a member of her nation did. Shuri’s duty as princess of Wakanda was to take responsibility for her people. Namor understood this as a king himself, so it must be why he wants her and not Nakia to answer for the killing. Not that Shuri would sell Nakia out anyway.

“Namor.” Shuri began slowly. “A member of my court came to save me from you. She didn’t know about the terms of our agreement.

“Agreement? What agreement?” The queen asked.

“Mother.” Shuri said firmly. Namor glanced over at Queen Ramonda before watching Shuri again.

“You didn’t even tell her.” Namor scoffed. “How much of it was real? Between you and I? What we shared?”

They had like…three conversations and Namor acted like they were divorcing after thirty years of marriage because of her infidelity. It would be funny if he didn’t look at her like he wanted to strangle the life out of her.

“It was all real.” Shuri said. “But my people needed me, and you cannot say that if you were in my shoes, your people wouldn’t have done the same thing.”

Namor took a breath. Shuri was getting through to him. He was turning out to be a soft touch with her.

“Tell your people to stop laying siege to Wakanda and we can talk about this.”

“Why should I trust you? After all you’ve done?” Namor asked.

“Because you love me.” Shuri said. Queen Ramonda mouth dropped open. Looks like she put two and two together.

“What did you do to her, you savage?!”

“Nothing she did not want me to, Queen Mother.” Namor said but that only served to make the queen angrier. She went over to yank Namor’s hand off of Shuri, but he didn’t budge.

“Mother! Stop it! I will explain it all. We can all stay calm and talk.” Shuri said. “Tell your people to stop.”

Namor took his hand off Shuri and she dropped to the floor. He flew out of the window. Queen Ramonda rushed to Shuri’s side.

“I’m fine.” Shuri said as she stood. “You must call off our soldiers.”

“Shuri—“

“Mother, please.”

The Queen took a deep breath before speaking into her communication device. With a few words the outside became silent. Shuri’s heart pounded. Her stomach twisted and Queen Ramonda wrapped her arms around Shuri as if to protect her.

Namor came back to the window, still frowning, covered in pearls of water. Guess that short trip did nothing to cool him off. He took a step toward Shuri, but Queen Ramonda stood in front of her. His frown deepened.

Shuri went around her mother to face Namor. He stared her down.

“If you desire it, I consider our agreement still valid.” Shuri said.

“What agreement?” Queen Ramonda asked firmly.

“She was queen of Talokan for a day.” Namor said. “Now she is criminal.”

Namor went to her, his arm touching hers. The orange blaze of the fire sewn shards of ruby in his dark eyes. The right side of his face was covered in shadow as he smiled at her.

“I apologize for the temperature, my Queen.”

Shuri smiled. “Oh, I’ll be fine. I mean, what can you do? You’re only a God.”

This time Namor did chuckle. “Do you really think me a God?”

“No. There are no Gods.” Shuri said. If there were, they would’ve saved my brother who was just and good. He was Bast’s greatest warrior, and she let him die.

“Hm.” Namor said with a frown. Her stomach sank.

“But your people would die for you without hesitation, so you’re just as good as one.” Shuri rushed out before watching the floor like a wilting flower. Hopefully she wasn’t screwing up the marriage already. At least wait until Riri is safe. Jeez.

Namor turned to her. He pointed his index finger under her chin and guided it up until she watched him. She had never seen eyes so dark. They were like coal. “Never change your answer, yourself, for me. I married the princess of Wakanda, not a spineless jellyfish.”

“Even a jellyfish has her sting.” Shuri said before watching the fire again. Namor placed his large hand on her lower back, making her feel thin and breakable. He pulled her close, leaned in, his soft breath tickled her earlobe and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. He smelled of wildflowers and honey. She turned her head toward him and moved her mouth toward his too quickly. Their teeth smacked together.

“Ah, shoot.” Shuri covered her mouth with her hand, trying to quell the dull, throbbing pain of the front of her teeth—they weren’t broken, and she wasn’t bleeding but still, ow. Namor looked completely unfazed.

“Did I hurt you?” He asked.

“Are you made of diamond? Jeez.”

Namor chuckled. “No, I am flesh. Though a sturdier kind.”

Shuri would love to see a piece of his DNA underneath a microscope, find out what makes him as strong and tough as a rhino. She pushed that thought down. What an odd thing to think on your wedding day.

“I see.” Shuri said. “Should we try again?”

“I would like that.” Namor cupped the side of her face with his soft hand, holding her in place as he dipped down for a kiss. His lips were soft as a rose petal. Her eyes fluttered closed. She pressed back tentatively, tangling her fingers in her dress just to hold onto something. Namor put his thumb under her bottom lip and pulled down slightly. She got the idea and opened her mouth and he drunk her in—he tasted like the sea—briny and salty, but it was as sweet as wine in her mouth. The kiss was mixed with the flavor of fruit seeds she couldn’t name that Namor fed her earlier.

She’d only ever been kissed once and it was through her breathing apparatus about an hour ago, during the wedding ceremony. Now it's all-consuming, like water. Her hands shook as he gripped the nape of her neck to keep their mouths together. He didn’t need to breathe but Shuri did, so he put one of her hands between them until it found his chest and pressed against it. He pulled back until his hot breath buzzed against her lips.

Shuri shivered. There was fluttering in her stomach. “What now?”

Namor’s hand cupped the front of her throat, and his fingers close around her neck, gently. It was as if he couldn’t stop touching her. His thumb tugged at the corner of her mouth, dipping in slightly. Shuri’s face was on fire, but she kept their gazes locked.

“We are to consummate our marriage.” Namor said as he nodded toward the bed in the corner of the room before watching her again. “And we cannot leave this room until we do.”

“O-oh.” Shuri said. She had ‘the talk’ with her mother when she first bled at age thirteen. The Queen wanted her to be in her thirties, married, and in love before she so much as even looked at a man in a sensual manner and the man had better have been an upstanding Wakandan, rich like the handsome grandson of the Merchant Tribe elder. What would mother think if she could see her now, married to what could’ve been Wakanda’s destruction? A man—a king, a God who coerced her into his bed under threat of the life of another if she refused him? Would the queen think it noble or foolish? Hopefully Shuri would get the chance to ask her.

“Just…”

“I don’t mean to rush you.” Namor said gently.

“I know.” Shuri said too quickly, her face heating. “King, I mean, K'uk’…Jeez, I am very sure I am butchering your title.”

“You may call me king.”

“And Namor?”

“If you find it easier to pronounce.”

“King, Namor, I’ve never…ahem. I’m a virgin.”

“Ah, I see.” Namor said. He looked a little too pleased. “I trust you’re familiar with the concept?”

Round pegs in circular holes—Shuri couldn’t help but to think but thank Bast it didn’t come out of her mouth. She’d never been into pornography, and she thought more about algorithms than boys but she’s a woman of science, she knows the mechanics of most things and how bodies fit together to form new bodies. It’s simple math, 1+1=2.

“I am and I am ready.” Shuri said with more confidence than she felt. She couldn’t deny that Namor is beautiful, sculpted from marble like Adonis drizzled in caramel. Tall and broad with eyes and hair as dark as the deep sea. His personality so far is loving, gentle. She could almost forget the circumstances—the fight—that preceded the marriage, the abduction to the underworld. The threat of the death of Riri if Shuri didn’t give him what he wanted. Shuri could pretend that this was all her choice and that she was in love. Namor made it easy.

Namor’s eyes were heavy lidded, and his lips were slightly apart. He looked as if he was enchanted by her. He smoothly went behind her. On the back of her dress was jade buttons leading down to the top of her bottom. Obviously, this was the only way of getting it off safely. Namor popped them open one by one until the dress slipped down to her elbows, baring her unsexy undershirt underneath it. She wore no bra because she didn’t need one. Her breasts were small—too small. She pulled off the sleeves until the dress pooled down to ankles, revealing her boy cut underwear. She turned to face Namor, and he pulled her into a kiss. She looped her arms around his neck and drew him close until there was no space between them. He placed his hands on her sides—the dusky strip of skin between her undershirt and underwear sticking to Namor’s warm stomach. He was so solid-strong. It felt like he could snap her in half without even trying. Hopefully he’ll keep that in mind when they…have intercourse. He lifted her up with his hands under her thighs and she crossed her ankles behind him. She tightened her arms around his neck, and she clung to him. He pressed his lips under her jaw, causing a tingle to run down her spine as he walked with her to the bed. He placed her on it with care before climbing over her—the bed complained under their weight.

She thought she would lose her virginity on holiday in New York City. There would be candles and mood music. There would be rose petals on the bed and chocolate covered strawberries. It would be after a fancy dinner and a night on the town. Her lover never had a specific gender, but she couldn’t imagine in a million years it would’ve been a God of a world below.

Namor’s skin was the color of a reddish gold sunset. Eyes and hair as dark as the depths. Tongue soft. He inches back and placed his big hand on her stomach. She took a shaky breath as he swept his thumb over the bumps of her ribs, he watched her like she was a work of art, like she left him speechless.

“My Queen.” He said lowly as he dipped down to press his lips against hers for a beat before pulling back. “The prophesies do not do you justice.”

“Prophesies?” Shuri asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him down over her until there was no space between them.

“I was to be married to a daughter of earth and fire. She would be patient, selfless, beautiful…and unite the kingdoms of land and sea.”

“How do you know I’m her?”

“How could you not be? Eyes the color of coffee bean, skin brown silk, and a rage that could burn a third of the surface world’s trees and green grass. A hail of fire mixed with with blood.”

“From the Christian book of revelations. 8:7.” Shuri said.

“And unbelievably intelligent. I’ve waited centuries for you.” Namor said as he hooked his fingers in the hem of her underwear. She lifted her hips as he slid them down her legs. Her forehead was damp from sweat. No man had ever seen this much of her. She slipped off her undershirt and it pooled on to the floor. Her hand went up to cover her breasts, but Namor pinned her arms above her head with one of his hands gripping her wrists. “Every inch of you is perfection.”

“I-I bet you say that to every queen on your wedding night.” Shuri joked, flexing her wrists clutched in his fist. Namor must’ve taken what she said seriously.

“There have been no others.”

“So, you’re a 500-year-old virgin?”

Namor chuckled before brushing his lips against hers. “No. I know what I am doing.”

“That makes one of us.”

“Were you never curious?” Namor asked.

“I consider myself a girl—ahem, a woman of science. I know the ins and uh, outs,” Phrasing, boom! Shuri couldn’t stop herself from thinking. “But I’m not much of a porno person.”

“Porno?”

“Oh, of course you don’t know what that is.” Shuri could smack herself upside the head. “It’s…on the surface world some people are paid to, um, simulate breeding for others to…see.”

Namor’s eyebrows rose. Shuri’s face could’ve been on fire. This was so awkward. Bast.

“It’s a form of erotic..stimulation.” Shuri tried to explain away.

“I illustrate paintings.” Namor said as if he were trying to make her feel better. “For erotic stimulation.”

Shuri pressed her lips against his to bring his attention back to the subject at hand, instead of how hard she’s bombing. He let her wrist go and weighed her down, the vibranium covering him glittering in the fire. Namor pulled back and stood, carefully removing the jewelry across his neck and decorating his arms. He placed them on the nightstand. He then unhooked that WWE championship like metal belt before sliding those tiny green shorts down his strong legs. He unlatched his footwear.

Shuri had never seen a man naked outside of an artistic context. The reflection of the flames danced across the expanse of his wide chest, his stomach was taught, his…down there looked too big to fit inside her and was covered with black hair on the base. Now they’re both naked. Namor knelt between her legs and took her ankle in one of his hands to spread her open.

“Wait, what about protection?” Shuri asked.

“Protection?”

“I don’t think you have a disease that could be transmitted sexually, but I wonder about preventing pregnancy.”

“Preventing? My Queen, that is the entire point of us lying together.”

“Wait, what? Now?”

“Yes, now.” Namor said. “The daughter of earth and fire will bear the son of air and water a child that could walk between worlds.”

“A child? I’m only twenty.”

“You are of sexual maturity for a human.”

“I am but…I’m not sure I want to be a mother yet.”

“This was our agreement. You are my Queen. There are certain responsibilities that come with that title, certain sacrifices.”

“So, it has to be now?”

“According to the prophesies, you conceive on our wedding night.” Namor said. “I do not go against prophesies.”

“Then…”

“Then?” He said lowly, dangerously.

Shuri swallowed thickly. Just when she thought marrying Namor to save Riri couldn’t be any less of a plan, he wanted to get her pregnant! Could she call this whole thing off? He only agreed to spare the student if Shuri became his queen. This would be seen as a dealbreaker and then it’ll be all out war. He would kill Riri and probably her, dragging Wakanda into a conflict with the entire ocean. Bast! Okay, just because she’s getting pregnant doesn’t mean she has to stay pregnant—morning after pill and all that. She’ll give him what he wanted and figure a way out later.

“…Neither shall I.” Shuri finished as she spread her thighs. A smile rose on Namor’s face as he gently cupped his hands under her knees, holding her open as he slides in between her thighs. He lets one of her knees go before using his finger to slide down to her entrance. She kept her legs open as he dipped his finger inside her. She bit her lip against the slight burn. He used his thumb to rub against her clitoris. Her breathing picked up as the sensation of pleasure washed over her. Namor stuck his finger into the hilt and held it there, never letting up on rubbing her button. Her moans were breathy, and her toes curled. Her mouth dropped open as Namor watched her as if he were enchanted.

“The sounds you make…” Namor said, as soft as candlelight. “You are music, you are art, you are everything.”

Shuri wanted to cover her face—flattered, but embarrassed. She had no idea how to respond to any of that, but he stuck another finger in her and she cried out—her voice repeated through the quiet dwelling. Hopefully Riri couldn’t hear that. Shuri’s not sure the student would agree with this plan. The internal validity (or weakness) of the plan to marry and breed with Namor would be if the God would even honor this agreement of not killing Riri if Shuri gave him what he wanted: her. Men have told bigger lies than this to get laid.

If he goes back on his word, I will kill him myself. A part of Shuri said. A part she barely recognized, a part that awakened in her after her brother died.

Her eyes fluttered closed as Namor kept his index and middle finger deep inside her while rubbing clit. She tangled her fingers in the fur blanket under her while using her other hand to push at his stomach, not sure what she wanted. She bit her lip and rocked her hips against his fingers, urging him to move. He took his fingers away and tucked them in his mouth. Shuri shuddered, her…down there…felt too empty and wet. Her breathing was shallow and there was a slickness on her skin that wasn’t due to humidity. She didn’t need to lie back and think of Wakanda to get through procreating with Namor. She wanted this. She was ready.

She sat up and climbed into his lap, holding herself to him by wrapping her arms around his neck. He gasped—probably at her body heat and how close her entrance was to his dick. He steadied her with his arm around her waist, keeping her flush against him, her breasts against his chest. His chuckle was deep, and it vibrated through his body like a purr.

“Never in my centuries of living have I had a maiden not be intimidated by me.”

“If you want to be intimidating, you shouldn’t wear those tiny green shorts.”

Namor laughed lowly. “You surprise me, my Queen. The lack of deference…”

“Would you like me to use deference?” Shuri asked before stealing his answer by giving him a wet kiss. He shuddered against her before they pulled apart.

“You should. I am K'uk'ulkan.” Namor said.

Shuri pulled back an inch to look into his eyes. She needed to gauge how serious he was. If she was screwing this up somehow…He looked as if he were under her own personal spell. What he wanted was an equal, after being revered all his life. He didn’t want Shuri to be afraid to look him in the eyes or hold her tongue. He wanted a queen, not a concubine. She could be that for him.

“And I was the princess of the most powerful nation in the world.” Shuri said. “Now I am queen of another. Perhaps it is you who should use deference.”

Namor answered by pressing their lips together with the intensity of a punch—well, that’s not true. Her jaw would be broken because Namor seemed like he was molded from the same vibranium he usually wore on his chest. He picked her up like she weighed as much as a feather before taking her over to the wooden table in the middle of the room. He knocked the plates of grapes and fish to the ground. The wine bottle shattered into confetti as it soaked into the cracks in the floor like blood. Shuri inwardly groaned, she wanted some of that.

Namor laid her on the table, bending over to kiss her again. Shuri’s thighs bracketed his waist, as his dick rubbed against her entrance. He sighed into her mouth as he rocked against her, never fully getting inside her. Shuri burned down there—she needed him in, so she angled her hips down. Namor stood up from her and wrapped his strong hand against the front of her neck to keep her pinned to the table. He used his other hand to grab the base of his dick and press it into Shuri. Shuri groaned as he entered her, slowly pushing into until he couldn’t anymore.

Shuri squeaked as she grasped the side of the table. She clenched her eyes shut against the burn and unbearable pleasure of being full. He was deep inside her—she could almost feel it in her stomach. She clenched around him, trying to get use to his girth. She was sticky with sweat, her lips quivered.

Namor took deep, slow breaths—as if he were trying to contain himself. It was irritating how composed he was trying to be. Always dignified. What could she do to break that composure? Shuri laid still, waiting for the raw newness of being penetrated to fade. When she became slicker, she moved her hip down causing him to slide even deeper into her.

He gasped—the mask of calmness finally slipping. He gripped the end of the table, the sturdy wood crumbling in his hand like granola. That made Shuri freeze.

“Remember,” Shuri said breathlessly. “I am not made out of stone.”

Namor chuckled before pulling out of her an inch and pushing back in, fucking her slow. His quiet, quick breaths filled up the dwelling. She clenched her toes as he picked up the pace, but not the force.

Shuri mewled and moaned, unable to stop herself. Her mouth hung open as she shut her eyes. Every time he filled her, there was fireworks behind her eyelids. It was overwhelming, nothing like the touches she gave herself before getting bored and stopping. Her breath caught as surges of pleasure shot through her. Her thighs shook.

The coarseness of the wooden table under her chafed her back. The wooden legs bluntly scrubbed against the floor with each push of Namor’s hips. He was more forceful now, knocking groans out of her. He was eerily quiet as he placed his soft hand on her stomach.

Shuri bent up slightly to thread her fingers into his hair and pull him down on top of her. His rhythm fumbled as she kissed him like she wanted to devour him. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her hips slightly to pound into her—finally losing that cool façade. Shuri held on to his shoulders, her fingers turning to claws as cried out every time she was filled. She came, her vision whiting out as she shook, the pleasure flooded over her as her voice went high. Namor stilled inside her, holding her close to himself.

Shuri’s breathing was labored as she went limp, staring up at Namor. The flinching fire made flecks of gold on his skin. His hair was mussed from her running her fingers through it. He was so strong on top of her. She felt so tiny in the wake of him. She tapped him with her foot to get him to move. He fucked into her forcefully, obviously not hard enough to hurt her, just enough for the undercurrent of burning to arise in her. He moved quickly, using her like a toy until he stilled, coming deep inside her. His grip on her hips felt hard enough to bruise as she bit her bottom lip.

They stay there catching their breaths. Namor stayed pinned inside her, probably trying to make sure of conception. Shuri couldn’t worry about that now. Would he honor their agreement now that they’ve slept together? Now that they’re married? Was Riri safe?

Namor pulled out of her, and Shuri felt slickness seep out. His come. Yuck.

Shuri sat up at the end of the table while Namor sat on the bed. In between her thighs hurt so she had trouble closing her legs. They watch each other like a showdown. The romance movies never portrayed after sex awkwardness. What does a princess…Queen…and a God talk about? He’d seen centuries worth of treasures, rises and falls of empires, entire histories play out over and over again, but if those things weren’t on the internet or in books, Shuri didn’t know them.

“So,” Shuri began as she picked at her nail beds with her thumb. The coolness washed over her, making her realize she was completely naked. “Have sex with a God. Check.”

“You are making a list?”

“A Beyoncé concert is next.”

“Beyoncé?”

“I have so much to teach you.” Shuri said.

“And I would love to learn.” Namor said. “Come to me. I would like to lie with you.”

“I must visit Riri first. I’ve been gone hours. I need to let her know you did not cook and eat me.”

Namor chuckled before speaking. “I expect you back after.”

“Okay.” Shuri said. “About Riri…”

“I will honor my promise. If you stay with me and Wakanda becomes an ally to Talokan, the scientist lives, and there will be peace. I’m sure you’ll both be very happy here.”

Shuri hadn’t told Riri Namor expected them to both live out the rest of their days in his underworld. That couldn’t happen but she’ll take what she could get right now. At least they’re safe.

There was still the matter of him wanting to wage war on the entire surface world, but Lemonade wasn’t recorded in a day. Ideas take time to seed and grow. She was confident she could convince Namor Wakanda and Talokan could come to a peaceful solution with America and the rest of the world.

Shuri gets dressed in her bridal gown and gives Namor a deep kiss. There was still that dull ache between her legs as she was led by her new lady in waiting back to where they kept Riri.

The Talokanil woman is sprawled out on the floor, clutching a hole in her abdomen. Her eyes are shiny with tears. She’s shaking as Nakia stood over her holding a weapon.

“No.” Shuri whispers and rushes over, bending down over the woman. She tried to save her, but the woman fell limp, her eyes rolled to the back of her head. The damage was done. Nakia tells Shuri they have to leave before reinforcements arrive.

“You don’t understand! This will mean war!” Shuri needed to find Namor, to apologize to-to explain the situation. She had never seen his wrath—his anger. He didn’t seem the type to rush to judgement. Though she only had three conversations and sex with him. He looked at her as if the sun rose in her eyes. He loved her. That had to mean something, right?

Nakia and Riri drag her away and they escape. While being wrapped in the warm embrace of her mother, she knows Namor is not far behind.

Wakanda was a golden nation, the fresh wind swept through the market bringing the smell of bread, fruits, flowers, and sweets into Shuri’s lab. It was nothing like being in the dark, heart shaped tomb of Namor where the only light was silk stuck in the canopy of a cave like trapped stars. Wakanda glowed in comparison, the sunshine stretching over the blades of grass, making the world surrounding the city shine like a field of crystals. She never appreciated her home until she’s been somewhere different for a while.

Shuri watched the city from the screens in her lab and couldn’t help but to see it drowned in water. Namor was coming. Her stomach cramped with nervousness. It had been about ten hours since she’d been rescued. She’d eaten, bathed, and tried to sleep but was not successful. She’d shooed away doctors and assured her mother three times that Namor had not harmed her. Shuri hadn’t told the queen that she married or slept with him. She might never.

“Griot?”

“Yes, princess?”

“I need a body scan.” Shuri said before she laid on her table like so many other of her experiments and inventions before her. She kept her arms pinned by her side as purple lights traveled from her shoes to her forehead. A silhouette of herself appeared on a screen. There was a red circle in her uterus. Oh.

“You are pregnant.”

“What is the accuracy?”

“98%.”

“Bast.” Shuri could always wait and take an over-the-counter pregnancy test, but they were so primitive. With that, it could take weeks to know for sure.

“Should I alert the queen?”

“I cannot express how much I do not want you to do that.”

“Yes, princess.”

Shuri sat on the side of the table and rubbed her temples. She was a 21st century woman and a woman of science. Whether she considered it a child at this stage was purely academic. Moral and religious arguments aside, she was not ready to be a mother. Especially with a man whose physiology, genetics, and temperament she could only guess. She also really, really didn’t want to tell her mother she slept with Namor, and that she enjoyed it.

Shuri could create something quick and painless to terminate the pregnancy with a snap of her fingers. No one had to know. She better get to it.

Shuri’s mouth went dry and sweat collected on her skin. Her hands shook. Namor told Shuri about his mother—how she became the hope of his people as they drowned themselves to escape their oppressors. Shuri was in the same position as her-to bear a leader to bridge worlds. They were hundreds of years apart and one only existed in memory, but Shuri felt her hand guiding her.

Namor scorned the surface world and wished to see it toil in a hail of fire but marrying Shuri symbolized unity, forgiveness. So did the child she carried. Shuri was Namor’s one anchor to a world outside of the sea. The sole reason he might reconsider war with the entire world. This child could strengthen her position with him. Convince him that good still exists outside of the ocean. There can be peace.

Bast. Was she keeping this fucking baby?

“Princess! Multiple breaches into the perimeters of Wakanda!”

The waters swelled and the Talokanil crawled out of it—splashed across the screens in her lab were flashes water exploding through buildings, Wakandans heading for higher ground. Her soldiers had been warned the city could be attacked so they were ready as they headed straight to the warriors of the deep. There was a flicker in the sky-Namor.

Shuri rushed to the throne room. It’s her best guess as to where Namor was headed. She closed the door on Okoye’s face and bolted it. The throne room’s door was pure vibranium, designed to keep out all enemies, including fellow Wakandans. Now she was alone, save her mother, who watched Shuri with wide eyes.

“Shuri? What are you doing?” Queen Ramonda asked.

“Mother, no matter what happens, do not attack Namor.” Shuri said. “You need to let me handle it.”

“Are you insane? I’m not letting him anywhere near you.” Queen Ramonda said.

“Listen to me! There has to be no more bloodshed. Keep the Dora Milaje out of the throne room. I need to speak with him alone.”

“I am not leaving you.” The Queen said. “That is out of the question.”

“Fine.” Shuri said. “But you have to trust me.”

The Queen pursed her lips. For once she kept her thoughts to herself. She must’ve seen the look on Shuri’s face.

The glass of the windows shattered, sending shimmering shards of gold flying everywhere. Namor, in all his furious glory stood on the windowsill. The white sun bloomed behind him like a halo, the vibranium across his chest glittering. His eyes were lifeless and dull like a shark’s. His fist was clenched around his spear as he came toward Shuri. Her mother started to go to her—obviously to protect her from Namor but stilled when Shuri held out her palm to her.

Namor grabbed the front of Shuri’s collar, lifted her and slammed her against the wall. She coughed out a breath. Queen Ramonda gasped.

“I should never have trusted you.” Namor told her. “You will come to Talokan and answer for your crime.”

“She will do no such thing!” Queen Ramonda yelled.

“Mother! Please!” Shuri didn’t want to get her involved. This was between her and Namor. Her husband.

While Shuri didn’t kill the Talokanil woman, a member of her nation did. Shuri’s duty as princess of Wakanda was to take responsibility for her people. Namor understood this as a king himself, so it must be why he wants her and not Nakia to answer for the killing. Not that Shuri would sell Nakia out anyway.

“Namor.” Shuri began slowly. “A member of my court came to save me from you. She didn’t know about the terms of our agreement.

“Agreement? What agreement?” The queen asked.

“Mother.” Shuri said firmly. Namor glanced over at Queen Ramonda before watching Shuri again.

“You didn’t even tell her.” Namor scoffed. “How much of it was real? Between you and I? What we shared?”

They had like…three conversations and Namor acted like they were divorcing after thirty years of marriage because of her infidelity. It would be funny if he didn’t look at her like he wanted to strangle the life out of her.

“It was all real.” Shuri said. “But my people needed me, and you cannot say that if you were in my shoes, your people wouldn’t have done the same thing.”

Namor took a breath. Shuri was getting through to him. He was turning out to be a soft touch with her.

“Tell your people to stop laying siege to Wakanda and we can talk about this.”

“Why should I trust you? After all you’ve done?” Namor asked.

“Because you love me.” Shuri said. Queen Ramonda mouth dropped open. Looks like she put two and two together.

“What did you do to her, you savage?!”

“Nothing she did not want me to, Queen Mother.” Namor said but that only served to make the queen angrier. She went over to yank Namor’s hand off of Shuri, but he didn’t budge.

“Mother! Stop it! I will explain it all. We can all stay calm and talk.” Shuri said. “Tell your people to stop.”

Namor took his hand off Shuri and she dropped to the floor. He flew out of the window. Queen Ramonda rushed to Shuri’s side.

“I’m fine.” Shuri said as she stood. “You must call off our soldiers.”

“Shuri—“

“Mother, please.”

The Queen took a deep breath before speaking into her communication device. With a few words the outside became silent. Shuri’s heart pounded. Her stomach twisted and Queen Ramonda wrapped her arms around Shuri as if to protect her.

Namor came back to the window, still frowning, covered in pearls of water. Guess that short trip did nothing to cool him off. He took a step toward Shuri, but Queen Ramonda stood in front of her. His frown deepened.

Shuri went around her mother to face Namor. He stared her down.

“If you desire it, I consider our agreement still valid.” Shuri said.

“What agreement?” Queen Ramonda asked firmly.

“She was queen of Talokan for a day.” Namor said. “Now she is criminal.”

“I agreed to marry him in exchange for Riri’s safety.”

“You what?!” Queen Ramonda yelled.

“And now the marriage is void. You will come to Talokan to answer for your crime, and you will give me the scientist, or I will wash Wakanda from the face of the earth and kill her.” Namor said nodding toward the queen.

Shuri slapped him across the face. She couldn’t stop herself. He grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her in until his breath brushed against her lips. How strange that hours ago they were this close under a completely different context? His lips were on hers, his body pressing her into the table. Now anger flooded from him to mask a deep hurt. Shuri would’ve felt guilty if it weren’t for the fact that he was making threats.

Queen Ramonda went over to them, but Namor pushed her back. Her mother fell to the floor before sitting back up. She put her communication device up to her lips.

“Don’t call for help, mother. He is not going to hurt me.”

“Are you so certain, princess?” Namor asked.

“Shuri.” There was something desperate in her mother’s voice.

“I will not give you the scientist. You will leave Wakanda standing and if you threaten my mother again, I will rip your throat out with my teeth.”

Namor chuckled humorlessly. “Princess—“

“Queen.” Shuri corrected. “Of Talokan.”

“Queen.” Namor said. “There will be a trial.”

“And the punishment if I am found guilty?” Shuri asked.

“For a queen that is the daughter of a Talokanil, she would be stripped of her title and exiled.”

“And for me? A foreign queen?”

“Death.”

“No!” Queen Ramonda screamed.

“It…does not have to be you. You can appoint an avatar in your place to bear the punishment.” Namor said. He didn’t want to kill her. That was good, but he would want someone to die in her place, which was bad.

“No one else is dying.” Shuri said. “You will forgive me.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I am the mother of your child.”

[themculibrary]

Okoye Masterlist

Attuma x Okoye: Loving You (ao3) - Sharonrb attuma/okoye N/R, 24k

Summary: Okoye's husband crashed into one of the island near Wakanda. She hires Attuma to help her find him. Attuma is now a resident of Wakanda, has a brother, and friends with two Wakanda brothers. W'Kabi has a sister who tags along on the search, but what are her true intentions. Okoye's lawyer is forced to come too by the sister in law. So they embark on a journey with these feeling developing between Attuma and Okoye.

Black Panther and Silver Lion: Wakanda Forever (ao3) - The_Unlimited T, 65k

Summary: After the sudden and tragic passing of T'Challa, Leon stays in Wakanda to try and help everyone hold things together. This proves to be more trouble than he expected between Shuri isolating herself to her inventions, Queen Ramonda refusing to share any Vibranium with the rest of the world, and the world trying to steal Vibranium from them. The situation becomes even more dire when a strange man from underwater appears and threatens all of Wakanda unless they meet his demands. With little else to do, Leon becomes the Silver Lion once again to help the nation that accepted him, trying to help himself and Shuri through their grief as they fight to protect Wakanda from all the dangers it faces...

Fill Her (With Words of Hope For Her People) (ao3) - sweetheart35 N/R, 6k

Summary: Okoye delivers the news.

Shuri had watched the two guards who had been assigned to guard her and the android disintegrate into dust in front of her. She had watched, frozen, as one had sighed before closing his eyes and the other turn to her and say “Princess -“ and take a step towards her before he simply collapsed, dust scattered across the floor.

Shuri is a genius, the head of Wakanda’s research and development division and their outreach program but she cannot fathom what is happening.

For Wakanda (ao3) - yellow_sunrise okoye/w’kabi G, 3k

Summary: Okoye knows that it is a wasted visit, but she must see him anyway.

Grief (ao3) - agoldengalaxy G, 4k

Summary: Half the population, gone. How do the remaining heroes deal with their losses?

in cayenne and honey, in vinegar and lime (ao3) - alby_mangroves, Nonymos bucky/m’baku, steve/bucky, m’baku/okoye E, 27k

Summary: M’Baku fought for T’Challa. But should he keep fighting for T’Challa’s vision? The king is professing change, such deep change, while the Jabari are supposed to be the guardians of tradition.

It’s a complex problem, which demands a cool head. So M’Baku could really do without an old love coming back to haunt him, an obnoxious royal teenager, and T’Challa’s secret one-armed guest.

Just Okoye (ao3) - Yuca_Mortal G, 737

Summary: After peace is established between Wakanda and Talokan, Okoye has a private moment of reflection.

Okoye gets her groove back (ao3) - bitisgabonica attuma/okoye N/R, 6k

Summary: Okoye goes on a well deserved vacation and finds out things she didn't expect.

Okoye x Attuma: For the Love of You (ao3) -  Sharonrb attuma/okoye M, 36k

Summary: This story takes place after the alliance between Wakanda and Talokan has been establish. A brief recap of the events leading up to the present day scenario which is a several months afterwards. Okoye and Attuma have an encounter which connects them in a way under expected due to a Talokan ritual he invokes with a unknowing Okoye, in turn fall deeply ill and only he can cure her.

Operation is Princess Shuri Pregnant? (ao3) - PeachyLove_8 namor/shuri, nakia/t'challa T, 8k

Summary: T'Challa receives shocking new from the Palace maids about his little sister and ask Okoye and Nakia to investigate.

starbucks and starkbucks (ao3) - Takara_Phoenix okoye/natasha T, 4k

Summary: The world was saved, Thanos defeated. With new, and old, heroes to take over, Natasha retires to live in Wakanda with Okoye, after years of a long-distance relationship. But Natasha has to deal with her survivor guilt and doesn’t know how to handle retirement. As a distraction, she decides to play matchmaker for Bucky, who had returned to goat-herding, and Tony, who was there for his own recovery after the snap.

Styrofoam (ao3) - Shaylinne nakia/t'challa, okoye/natasha T, 10k

Summary: Okoye is the General of the Dora Milaje, she’s the picture of strength and stoicism; she’s weathered storms greater than her heritage and she’s slayed beasts that the greatest storytellers couldn’t dare conjure up. She’s an instrument of grace and a hand of justice, but she’s also just a woman with a beating heart and she used to be a little girl who ran away from things that scared her.

In the wake of news that sliced Wakanda to the bone, she’s going to need to come to terms with every side of her to continue standing strong by her King’s side in his hour of need. And sometimes, that means a slightly improvised murder road-trip with someone you barely know (Everett Ross) that’s actually not about murder at all, but what you’d order at Subway.

Okoye on T'Challa's death, cancer and staying strong for others.

the long path (ao3) - NyxEtoile, OlivesAwl nakia/t'challa M, 43k

Summary: Okoye turned the page of her magazine. “Any closer to figuring out what is your kind of job?”

Glancing over, Nakia said, “You once put the idea of being a spy in my head, and I still can’t shake it.”

"When you tell T'Challa about how you’re running off to be a spy, do not blame it on me.”

Warrior Rises (ao3) - mymarsmoonandstars N/R, 1k

Summary: Shuri saw Killmonger in the Ancestral Plane and vowed to tell no one. The secret has been weighing on her. She's ready to let it go.

"You fight good." (ao3) - wintertomate okoye/natasha G, 2k

Summary: The title is a reference to Disney's Mulan, where a skilled fighter tries to tell another skilled fighter they have a crush on them. Well. The tags pretty much sum it up. I love my gals Natasha and Okoye, and seeing as they didn't get that much screen time, at least here they spend some quality time together.

[namor-shuri]

I

SIMPLY

HAVE

NOT

MOVED

TF

ON

SO

LEAVE

ME

HERE

TO

RIP

TY

[skylarstark4826]

“Tu'ux yaan???” Where is it??? 

Young Ch’ah Toh Almehen frantically searches through his stacks of belongings, where could it be? 

His sketchbook. His seashell-shaped sketchbook!  

The one Na’ made for him years ago, when he started to show interest in drawing when he was young.  

His everything is in there! His sketches, new ideas and innovations, mathematical calculations of the size of the sun, names for the newborn whale calves, drawings of layout for their new market, sketches of water lilies, English that he’s planning to learn, latest training plans and formations, Na’s recipes! 

Ch’ah scratches his head in frustration, he sighs and feels like giving up for a second. Watching the flow of the current leading to the outside of his room, a sudden inspiration struck him.

Could it have been washed away by the water and carried away somewhere else? 

Ch’ah hurriedly went to check. Following the current, he passes by his mother and aunts. His mother, Fen looks at him with a smile and asks,

“Tu'ux a biin áalkab, yaabilaj?” Where are you rushing off to, sweetheart? 

“Yaan in kaxtik in cuaderno bocetos ti', na', u sido arrastrado tumen le sáasilo'.. Séeb in suut.” I'm going to find my sketchbook, Mother, it’s been washed away by the current. I'll be back soon. 

Ch’ah lingers awhile more before leaving, gazing tenderly at his mother with silvery hair, she smiles dotingly at him and he reassures her once again, smiling.

“Suut séeb”. I’ll be back soon. 

And off he went, drifting with the water. The flow was swift, and soon he found himself in the place that his mother often talked about - the surface.

Young Shuri paces by the beach, looking towards the sea and back to her new-found sketchbook. Engrossed, she writes and sketches away, forgetting the world.

But she didn’t forget what she’s here for.

She’s waiting for the owner of this pretty seashell sketchbook to show up and return it. 

And maybe they could be friends too. 

A few days ago by the shore 

Shuri ran away in jubilation after she successfully pranked T’Challa into trying her new invention.

Now, his hair was braided with super sticky vibranium-made magnet strips that stuck and sucked everything, his head now adorned with various gadgets, roaring to spank her!

Of course, she ran, as fast as she could! Wait until T’Challa calms down and she’ll go back~ Gonna seek the support of their parents, explaining that her brother got stuck with gadgets on his head because he disturbed her during her experiment!

Shuri giggled happily while sinking her feet into the moist and warm sands, she started picking some seashells along the beach, and soon, she found a seashell that stood out the most from others.

It was a seashell coloured in majority cream-white but with soft red and pink hues. It was bulky, unlike the others. She immediately puts down the other seashells she picked along the shore, examining this outstanding shell.

It was pretty… and it looked yummy. 

Who left a thick vanilla-filled seashell-shaped cookie on the beach??????? But…

Little Shuri thought for a moment, looked around, and tentatively took a bite. Hard. Was it a seashell-shaped white chocolate? 

She bit harder, but it remained unyielding!

…Alright, it's hard, not a cookie or chocolate, but a real seashell— 

Shuri spat out the sand and then looked around, she giggled in relief. Fortunately, no one saw her foolish behaviour. It would be embarrassing if her brother witnessed it. T’Challa would call her dumb!

She cleaned off the seashell and only then discovered another mystery! Layers of vanilla filling under the sunlight!

This time, Shuri used her fingers to dig it open, and then she discovered a whole new world—

Mesmerized, she carefully flipped through the vanilla pages, it’s not just any seashell, it’s a seashell-shaped sketchbook! And with sketches, drawings and symbols filled in it, this definitely belongs to someone else…

Shuri looked from one end of the shore to the other, she didn’t bump into anyone who was looking for this precious little thing.

Watching as the sun goes down and T’Challa should’ve calmed down by now, and before the Dora Milaje came looking for her, she cradled the seashell sketchbook preciously to her tummy and ran back home. Making up her mind along the way with every little step, Shuri decided to come back tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and so on, until she returned the seashell sketchbook to its owner.

Back to present 

Shuri enthusiastically writes and sketches in the seashell sketchbook, creating her entry on a new page starting with her name, Shuri, as the first page like the owner. 

After she returned home, she scanned the symbols that she couldn't understand using T’Challa’s technology. She deciphered it and found a match in a language called Yucatec Maya. A language she never heard of.

For the past few days, she casually skimmed through most of them, respecting the owner's privacy and content. After all, it belonged to someone else. 

What caught her eye the most, however, was the owner of the sketchbook attempting to calculate the size of the… sun? If she was translating correctly…

Was the owner trying to create the sun?  

It seemed impractical since there's only one sun, duh~ So, taking matters into her own hands like the boss she is, Shuri drew her sketches and thoughts, sharing her calculations and all the information about the real sun. The pages were filled with her innocent, expressive and endearing handwriting, in contrast to the owner’s handwriting which was a lot steadier but still childlike too.

Shuri was sure that the owner didn’t mind and for sure will feel her through her writing. Her pages were filled with her childish handwriting, but the sincerity and warmth were palpable.

Shuri wondered if, in return, the owner of the seashell sketchbook would make a similar sketchbook for her as a token of gratitude, thanking her for keeping their sketchbook so safe?

Perhaps they would agree? She hopes so. Shuri looked at the bite marks on the seashell… and hoped the owner wouldn't… notice… 

But as Shuri carefully read through her meticulously written arithmetic and ensured everything was correct, the sunset illuminated the rough, milky paper, casting a golden glow as the reflection of her orange silhouette reflected on it. 

Shuri feels a slight disappointment. No one had come today either, and it was time to leave before the guards or T’Challa came to look for her. She looks towards the sea one last tim—

Shuri froze in place. 

…She hadn't noticed when a soaking wet boy had quietly stood in front of her.  

He stood there, captivated by her with a focused expression. 

Shuri swallows nervously. Where did he come from? 

A boy, almost the same height as her, with an equally slender and delicate physique, gazing at her, fixated.

Perhaps both of them thought they were hallucinating as they finally blinked at each other— Wait, no, the other person was still there… 

Shuri purses her lips. Should she say hello???? 

"Um, hi," she shyly smiles, waving the hand that held the seashell sketchbook. Layers of light and shadow play on her contours as she moves. 

Ch’ah stares at her, and the glaring hues of the sunset can't even compare to the clarity and brightness in her eyes. 

A sweet, shy smile adorned her lips, accompanied by a fleeting but brief glimpse of fear, quickly overshadowed by the courage and determination she shouldn't have had at her age.

Ch’ah Toh Almehen swears he has never felt this way before. 

His entire heart was swept away by the girl before him. 

It’s too late.  

There was no turning back.

Shuri awkwardly set down her hand, gazing down at her feet washed by the gentle waves. Why didn't he greet her? Did she stare at him rudely for too long? No? 

“Mina,” his voice came like a breeze, eliciting a surprised look from Shuri as she raised her head. Although she couldn't understand what he said, but…

The boy smiles at her… 

He smiled at her. 

Gone was the stunned expression, replaced by a cute smile playing on his lips, his eyes sparkled with amusement. His eyebrows curved, his cute nose charmingly wrinkled, and his lips lifted with infinite satisfaction and tenderness—  a gentle and proud smile. His shining brown eyes were illuminated by the blazing sunset, casting her silhouette in his eyes.

So beautifully brown...  

Shuri gazes at his deep yet tender features, thinking that he would surely be breathtakingly handsome when he grew up… 

As he looks at her with eyes full of curiosity, his gaze slowly shifts, and she follows it, looking at the seashell sketchbook in her hand.

Shuri joyfully tilts her head, beaming at him with a radiant smile, almost jumping. With excitement, she confidently held out the sketchbook to him, asking in a determined tone, 

"Yours?"

“In tia'al,” he whispers. It's mine. 

Ch’ah takes it, gently stroking his seashell sketchbook. Luckily, he found it, and it seemed like he had found… another person who would become as important to him as home and family. 

Shuri nods in satisfaction, happy to return the sketchbook to its owner, and she asks something else, "Is your name perhaps…"

"Nkosazana!" Princess! Several footsteps approaching where they are.

Shuri turned to see the guards coming to find her, she stomped on her foot in frustration, turning back around to face the boy, intending to ask the boy his name—

He was gone. He left. 

Great, now she was even more annoyed. Shuri pouts sadly, her face full of regret.

He didn't even say thank you!!! 

In the end, Shuri obediently followed the adults back home, thinking maybe she would come back tomorrow to see if she could meet him again.

To ask if his name is…

The name is translated from the symbols on the first page of the seashell sketchbook.

ch’ah toh almehen 

Ch’ah rushes back home, eager to tell Mother that he met a girl from the surface nation she always told him about.

“Na’-”

“In ajawo’.” My King. 

He looks at the servants in confusion and them anxiously surrounding his home. Immediately alert, Ch’ah tensed as to what had happened when he was away briefly. He enters to greet his mother, who is sitting by the hammock, reaching out to touch his cheek when he kneels before her.

“In chan paalo’, in k'iin ku nats'a'al....” My baby, my time is approaching… 

Ch’ah’s heart sinks.

No.

These days, he spent day and night by his mother's side, staying with her, keeping her company, talking to her, with endless things he wanted to tell her, expressing words he couldn't fully convey.

He told her about the girl he met on the surface, and his mother encouraged him, saying it was good and urging him to be friends with her.

He showed her the sketch of the sun from his sketchbook, assuring her that he would bring the sun to their people. She agreed, expressing her belief in his capabilities. He said he would start right away, he could make it in time… he could— 

Fen reaches out to cradle his cheek, wiping away his tears tenderly.

“Ch’ah, ti' ka' kíimil, na'atik in ti' le lu'umo' k patria wáaj u k'aax t'aanil.”

“Je'el na', ba'alake' ba'ax a'alik, teech ka prometo.”

-Ch’ah, after I pass away, bury me in the soil of our homeland, alright?- 

…

-Yes, Mother, anything you say, I promise you.- 

He stands on the edge. 

So young and hopeless. 

Got demons in his head. 

No ground beneath his feet. 

Mother was no longer there 

to hold him. 

Ch’ah Toh Almehen went to the surface 

to bury his mother 

in the soil of her homeland, 

…

and what returned was Namor. 

Shuri never met the boy ever again. 

20 years later

“Auntie! Look what I found on the beach! At first, I thought it was a cookie because it looked so yummy!!!! Turns out it was a real seashell! I even took a bite to be sure and it was so hard! I was so dumb! Please don’t tell Baba and Mama about this…”

The adorable babbling of her nephew wakes Shuri from her light nap, and she, somewhat annoyed, scoops him up into her arms, squeezing him as he happily squeals.

Shuri rubbed her eyes, and her nephew's cute murmurs struck her chest like a heavy blow, stirring up memories long dormant.

Seashell? Cookie? Tasty? Bite? Very hard? Silly and stupid?

Why did each sentence feel so familiar?  

Wasn't there someone, a fool, who did something like this once upon a time? 

Shuri finally yawned herself awake and extended her hand towards Toussaint, asking, "What's this about a delicious-looking seashell cookie but it was a fake and turns out it's a really hard seashell you tried to bite? …So, did you ruin your teeth?"

“No, Auntie! I didn’t!”

Shuri felt as her little spoiled nephew placed a light and airy seashell into her hand…

…No, that's not right. In her memories, it was weighty. 

Shuri stares at it, her heart certain. 

The seemingly dreamlike interaction from years ago was real.

How could the seashell sketchbook she picked up in the past suddenly reappear before her eyes?

“You found it at the beach?”

“Yep, Auntie, it was washed up to the shore… it looked pretty… so I picked it up… for you… it looks like… something… you would… love…”

The lively and active little one who was just babbling a moment ago melted in his aunt’s arms, drifting into the clouds. Was her embrace this comforting? Shuri smiled sweetly.

She carries Toussaint back to his room and settles him down, looking at his little sweet face, which reminds her of her brother.

Things have become busier lately, the Americans and France are on it again. Going after their vibranium. No fun.

Her brother and sister-in-law, T’Challa and Nakia went on a mission together, her Mother, Queen Mother Ramonda is managing the nation, and she, the Princess of Wakanda, was supposed to be in her lab, backing them up.

However, they entrusted her with the important task of taking care of the little one, so she came.

Shuri makes sure Toussaint is sound asleep before slowly closing the door. She looks forward to sharing his embarrassing little moment with T’Challa and Nakia when they return, hahahahahahahaha—

Returning to the living room, Shuri tidies up her belongings, her holographic tablet and the seashell sketchbook. 

Taking a deep breath, she picks it up and flips it open to peek, revealing her childhood handwriting. 

Shuri curses under her breath.

She grabs a jacket, tucks the haunting seashell into her pocket, ensuring the house's defense systems are fully activated, and then strolls away towards the beach.

The sun is setting.

This whole thing is so fishy that not even Bast would believe it. 

Ch’ah thought he could make it. 

… 

He thought he could make it in time. 

To bring the sun to his mother. 

… 

He couldn’t. 

It was too late. 

… 

But Namor made it.

Many years later, as Namor flips through the perfectly preserved sketchbook with a heavy heart full of nostalgia, he discovers the naive handwriting and sketches that didn't belong to him.

Namor stares blankly at the childish handwriting and messy yet clear lines on the sketchbook, vivid and understandable. Pages were filled with various knowledge about the sun. From sentences to paragraphs, from drawings to diagrams. His fingers trace the sketches, following the lines and the innocent handwriting stirred the memories buried deep in his subconscious.

The girl. 

After losing his mother, he was engulfed in endless darkness, unable to recall the brief light. Let alone reaching out to the girl again. 

She was from the surface world.

But his mother, like soothing waves, gently pushed him forward, giving him eternal faith. 

The girl that he briefly encountered gave him endless strength with her tireless writing and overly detailed sketches, nudging him soft yet strong to move forward. 

Soon, Namor brought the sun to his people, his home, Talokan.

His fingers gently caress the page that marked the end and beginning for both him and her.

Namor’s fingers tenderly trace her name, longing to meet her again. 

Shuri 

The orange-red ray of the sunset envelopes Shuri, making her glow. 

With great interest, she flips through the small sketchbook, now only the size of her palm. As she flipped to the last page that she had written approximately 20 years ago, behind her sketch was the next page, and she found the owner's handwriting again.

The same symbols that she didn't understand unless she had GRIOT with her were now mixed with some English words. Quickly, Shuri could understand everything he wrote, sketches and all his thoughts and creations effortlessly.

Shuri read with gusto, evidently not concerned about someone blocking her sunset light as the observer watched her with immense amusement.

Namor stares and stares as not even the lingering warmth of the sunset could compare to the radiant and pure smile shining on her face.

Shuri continued reading without lifting her head, then calmly spoke, acknowledging his presence.

“You didn’t say your thanks, nor return a gift after I’ve been helping you safe keeping that sketchbook of yours, someone would’ve…” claim as their own. 

Shuri finally lifts her head while teasing the… man. She silently observes him from head to toe. Well, he sure looks ain’t entirely human to her with those elf ears and wings on his feet. He still has those unique earrings of his, his beautiful nose now pierced with a septum… 

The boy from the past and the man before her overlapped. 

His sculpted features made Shuri momentarily lose herself. 

The same smile playing on his lips, the same eyebrows cocking smugly, the same nose charmingly wrinkled, the same, soft lips—  

His gleaming brown eyes light up by the ablaze sunset, casting her silhouette in his eyes. 

The same beautiful brown... Shuri gazes at his deep yet tender features… She said he would surely be breathtakingly handsome when he grew up.  

Wasn't she right? 

Shuri stares and stares, at some point, she sighs dreamily.

The man seemed to have witnessed some beautiful miracle happening before his eyes and exhaled the breath he knew he was holding all along, murmuring to her.

He murmurs tenderly to her as if from another time, like a dream. Unreal. 

“Mina.”

His voice echoes like a breeze, a seductive serenade like that of a mermaid, a siren call. Captivating enough to startle her momentarily. 

Stepping back, Shuri instinctively clutches her arm around her rumbling abdomen while skillfully tossing the little sketchbook up and down in her hand, defiantly meeting his gaze with a smile that is challenging boldly.

“Yours?”

She eyes slyly at him, but there was full of teasing mischief in his eyes too. Shuri curses under her breath again. He definitely could understand what she said, but she couldn't comprehend his words.

She stopped tossing the sketchbook, holding it out to him, done playing. As he approaches, water drips incessantly from his mouth-watering body onto the sand. Her eyes widen slightly, and Shuri stops herself from whistling.

Watching him rake back his damp hair, droplets cascade down his forehead, sliding over his deep eyes, down his prominent nose, embracing his cheekbones, reaching his parted lips, sliding along his jaw, flowing into his beard, and trailing down his chin, glistening drops by drops landing on her delicate feet.

Taking a deep breath, Shuri swallows and kindly reminds him, "If you lost it again for the third time, it might not be as lucky anymore." She watched him reach out to take his seashell sketchbook, she reached it out too, finally getting rid of it. “By the way, I still—” don’t know what you’ve said. 

Namor’s outstretched hand skimmed past the sketchbook that belonged to him, grasping her wrist instead. He gently tugs her towards him, pledging an oath, 

“Mine.”

…

Shuri didn't know if it was his impactful "mine" or if he had stealthily leaned in, gently kissing her, his longing sigh lingers on her lips,

turning her world upside down. 

It led her, almost involuntarily, to lift her arms, entwining them around his neck, kissing him back. 

Shuri, too, sighed blissfully into his mouth, feeling like she could forgive his sudden and bold kiss for now.

And thus, under the setting sun, they embraced, kissing fervently, and fell into each other's arms. 

Shuri gasps and clings to him, their bodies trembling intensely as if trying to melt into each other. Gasping for breath, she tilted her head back, leaving only half a centimeter between her lips and his to only feel like she couldn't breathe without his kisses. 

Soon, without needing her to tiptoe, Namor firmly presses her head while embracing her entirely, once again tilting his head, leaning and diving deeper to savour her lips delicately, inviting her tongue to tango with his.

Shuri couldn't help but moan in his mouth with abandon, his repeated gentle yet assertive kisses making her toes curl with a tingling sensation, her body pressing against his, burning up together, feeling dizzy and exhilarated.

It was as if they were about to take flight. 

Namor finally gave her one last lingering and intense kiss, sucking on her tongue for the last time before pulling away. Both of them press their foreheads together, desperately catching their breaths. Shuri was devoured to the brink of tears, her cheeks flushed, cradling his face breathlessly, breathing and whimpering on his lips.

“Breathe- in yaakunaj—” my love, “—breathe, shhh…”

He, too, struggling for breath, started to softly comfort her, trailing kisses along her forehead, her eyes, and her cute nose. Patting her back, he nuzzles her face tenderly, kissing away the tears that slip down her cheeks.

Namor contentedly held her entire body in his arms, embracing his girl tightly, having infinite reassurance.

Shuri realized with a start that… she was passionately kissing a stranger!!!! Her face burns further, hot enough to cook an egg. She buries her face in the crook of his neck, frustratedly slapping his strong shoulders, attempting to calm down. But Shuri finds it challenging more than anything she encountered. 

The heartbeat resonating from his bare chest to hers was like a curse, making her wildly pounding heart impossible to cease. 

Namor chuckles softly in her ear, sending her heart racing even quicker while he continues to pat her back, also attempting to calm his racing heart, with little success. 

“Hmph.” She's not so easily underestimated!

It was then that Shuri remembered the sketchbook she had been holding in her hand. Fortunately, the shell was hard enough! Otherwise, she might have crushed it long ago. 

Finally, after catching her breath, she asks, “I still—” don’t know if I had pronounced your name right all these years. Shuri interrupts herself, thinking there’s a better way. Reluctantly leaving his embrace, the two remain standing close together. 

And this man really didn't give her any breathing space!!!!! He leans in again, tirelessly rubbing his forehead against hers and giving tender kisses.

Shuri fumbles so hard to open the damn sketchbook, resisting crashing her mouth to his again.

In the end, he helped her steady her hand, and once it was stable, she finally opened it. She realized she had turned it around. Without hesitation, Shuri turns it around, flips to the first page with his name on it, thrusts the sketchbook to his stupid breathtaking face and clears her throat, pronouncing with her best accent in her life,

“Chaahtaeh Almeheiiin?” 

…

Shuri swears she didn’t get it right when Chaahtaeh shakes his head in defeat, eyeing her in glee.

And he graciously pronounces it for her.

“Ch’ah Toh Almehen.”

“For Bast’s sake…” Shuri swears that what she just pronounced sounded nothing like the name he pronounced. 

She clears her throat loudly again, attempting to mimic him but… already forgot.  

Shuri looks at him unapologetically, smiling sheepishly, and humbly asks, “Again?”

In defeat, Namor patiently repeated his name for her.

Alright, she got it!!! 

“...Ch-ah Toh… Al-me-hen?”

But even when Shuri said it, it didn't sound very confident, stumbling over the pronunciation.

But when his eyes lit up, happily smiling at her with the corner of his mouth curved upwards to the sky and his ears and wings fluttering, Shuri felt more reassured with each attempt.

“Ch’ah Toh Almehen?” She pronounces again, “Ch’ah Toh Almehen—” again, “Ch’ah Toh Almehen,” she’s freakin’ smooth now, “Ch’ah Toh Almehen!” Shuri feels like she’s summoning an ancient being now.

Namor chuckles as he gazes sweetly at her, his eyes filled with warmth and longing. It had been a long time since someone called him like that. Finally, he couldn't help but interrupt and tell her the truth. He reaches out to cradle her face, caressing tenderly, and telling her everything. 

“I have many names. My people call me K’uk’ulkan… And my enemies call me Namor… But in yaakunaj, my love… ” Namor watched as her eyes lit up at what he had called her,

“You can call me Ch’ah.”

…

“How are three names many names???” Shuri mocks playfully, ready for a comeback. She wouldn't let someone who merely kissed her address her with such an intimate term as if they were lifelong lovers in their every single past lives.

“Shuri.”

…

…He called her name.  

How did he know... Oh, Shuri remembered. She copied him back then, writing her name on the first page that she continued after his last page.

Ch’ah’s tone was helpless yet filled with an indulgent warning, making her stomach churn.

“Mina,” his voice came like a breeze.

But the way Ch’ah pronounces her name, so affectionate and familiar, almost as if he had called her name tens of thousands of times, a million times— no, approximately 1018 times with those lips of his—

Ch’ah’s voice came again. Calling her home like a gentle breeze.

“Mine.” You’re mine. 

And Shuri knew at that moment…

It’s too late.  

There was no turning back.

The rest was history. 

Namor confronted T’Challa, King of Wakanda about how the American military detected vibranium under his nation’s domain. They needed Wakanda’s help to prevent it from happening again. 

“You have exposed the power of vibranium to the world. Your choice has compromised us. They are coming for us. It is only fair that Wakanda helps to resolve our dilemma.” 

“We need to find a peaceful way to resolve this.” Shuri knew things were not needed to go this far. It will be a war. 

But Namor needed them to know, “I need to know if Wakanda is an ally or an enemy. There is no in-between. If we make an alliance, we can protect each other by striking them first.” 

With a stern look, T’Challa asked, “And if Wakanda does not accept, what then?” 

“The scientist will die and Wakanda will be the first nation to fall. And I want you to know, Wakanda cannot win a war with Talokan.” 

T’Challa and Shuri looked at each other, knowing each other's answers. 

Shuri looked back to Namor, standing tall, “With the Black Panther—” 

“We’d love to see you try.” T’Challa’s unwavering gaze and resolute voice echo. 

Namor looked at him, at Shuri, and smiled. 

A few years later 

Namor’s palm gently pats her back in a soothing force, luring his beloved wife to sleep…

“BABAAAAAA—!!! RAYRAY ATE MY BOOKIE!!!!”

Before that little angel in disguise of theirs comes squeaking at the top of her lungs, demanding her parent’s attention immediately.

“Bast…” Shuri grunts and hides her face in her husband’s chest, curling into a ball on his lap, shutting everything off, letting Namor face the little “devil” alone.

Namor helplessly smiles and makes a shushing finger at their 3-year-old daughter, “Shhhh, in chan paalo’, Mama is sleeping…”

“No, she’s not! Mama is peeking!!” Their daughter, Siphosihle, Princess of Talokan, heartlessly exposes her mother, leaving Shuri no choice but to chuckle helplessly in Namor’s arms.

“Sihle, Mama told you not to casually expose others' shortcomings, haven't I?” Shuri grins as she looks at their daughter, feeling his chest trembling with suppressed laughter.

“But Mama, Rayray ate my bookie!!!” Sihle skips over to them in a few bounces, hugging her Baba’s leg.

“Your bookie or cookie?” Her Baba asks.

“Ah! My kookie!” Namor knew it. “But my bookie is gone too!” Poor Rayray, Sihle’s pet stingray taking the blame for the fourth time this week.

“Now I only have one kookie left, not enough to share!" Sihle pulled out her cookie which was slightly bigger than the size of her little palm from her pocket, a seashell-shaped one – a real cookie he made for their daughter. The cookie already had a bite taken, Namor and Shuri weren't sure how she planned to share…

“All right,” Namor takes Sihle’s cookie, brings it to Shuri’s mouth, and she knowingly bit off half, savouring the sweet vanilla and soft white chocolate cookie, it was so sweet that it could potentially lead to cavities.

Namor then eats the remaining half of the cookie in a big bite. Her cookie was gone in a second. Brushing off his hands with cookie crumbs, Namor turns to their gaping daughter, shrugging.

“Now you have nothing to share.”

The King and Queen of Talokan eyes each other slyly, smitten, and as expected, their daughter burst into loud wails, “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!!!” The entire cenote shook with her loud cries.

“You just had to tease her until she cried?” Shuri playfully slaps him in the face, amused by their daughter's dramatic crying.

“Who told her to wake you up?” Namor indulgently responds, then lovingly squeezes his crying baby girl’s cheek. "Okay, Baba was just joking with you, chan ch'úupalo…” baby girl. 

“MY KOOKIEEEEYYYYYYYIWUUUUUWAAAAAAAA—”

Namor and Shuri embraced tightly, laughing hysterically together, disregarding everything. Seeing their carefree and unbothered demeanor, Sihle, who had been crying hysterically just moments ago, stopped crying and buried into her parent’s embrace, joining their laughter while wiping her tears.

“It's okay, Sihle, we were just teasing you.” Namor grins, pulling out a brand new seashell-shaped cookie from behind. He gallantly offers it to his baby girl, receiving a sweet sniffling "Tha-nk yo-u, Ba~ba~~!” from his precious daughter.

Namor carefully lifts his wife, 8-months pregnant Shuri and Sihle, placing them on their bed with numerous layers of soft cushions. He kisses his daughter's moist eyes and brows, amused yet tender.

“Don't cry, usana. Mama and Baba were just teasing you," Shuri comforts her daughter with difficulty as she tries to hold her close with her huge belly. Meanwhile, the daughter had already moved on, happily nibbling on her cookie. She then extended it towards her mother, offering a bite.

"Mama~ not only Mama likes to eat, will little brother like it too? I'll share with him when he comes out, if he plays with me… of course…"

Shuri chuckles sweetly, looking at Sihle and back to Namor, who gazed back affectionately at his princesses.

…

Namor never gets to wage the war that he always wanted to wage at the surface world. 

Not when Wakanda is standing in his way. He hates to see a certain princess suffer while watching the lives of her people lost. 

But war came to them instead. 

T’Challa and Namor made sure that they regretted their actions, and together, as allies, they protected each other’s nations and fought for what was behind them, their home and loved ones. They fight for what they love. 

When everything slowly settled down, Namor asked for a hand in marriage from the Princess of Wakanda, out of alliance. 

Shuri said yes, out of love.

They indulge freely in a cozy two years of married life, just the two of them, until Shuri suddenly wants to have a child like him. It was Namor who first heard the tiny heartbeat in her belly as they crushed each other, and moved to tears.  

During her pregnancy, he transformed into an obstetrician, chef, psychologist, masseur, photographer, and father who would undoubtedly spoil their child. 

In the third year of their marriage, they welcomed their little princess. They raised their daughter together. And now, the little princess is three years old, and they are about to meet their little prince soon. 

…

“I’m sorry to break it to you, nkosazana, but you gotta wait for your little brother to grow up a bit before he can play with you~” Shuri tells her with amusement.

“Oh, that’s good, then I can have all the kookies to myself!” How clever is their baby~

“But Mama, I lost my bookie… The one Baba made for me…” Sihle sheepishly and sadly tells Shuri, on the verge of wailing.

“Where did you last have it?” Namor knowingly asks. Sihle eyes him cheekily, “By the pool…”

“I dropped it into the pool…” Sihle grins.

“You dropped it into the pool?” Namor sighs. Facing her, he amused, “So what are you waiting for? Go get it.”

“But I don't want to get wet... but I want to draw…” Pouting and cooing, Sihle said, much like her mother.

“Come on, baby, use mine,” Shuri reached for her sketchbook and Sihle happily took it and started drawing along with her mother.

It was his, and hers too. 

“Go ahead, Baba, we are waiting for you~” Shuri calls him dotingly, and Namor makes sure they are sitting properly before he goes out to retrieve their daughter's sketchbook for the umpteenth time that month, he sighs in loving defeat.

Namor paces to the pool, picking up toys along the way, picking up and setting the neatly cooked plate of cookies aside. Upon reaching the pool, he circles it, quickly finding Sihle’s seashell sketchbook. As he was about to pick it up, Rayray swiftly brought the sketchbook to him. He kneels to pet it, “Thanks, Sting, you've been a great help.” And Rayray swooshes away in happiness.

Soon, he returned with Sihle’s sketchbook and a pouch of small seashell cookies made for her. Seeing the mother and daughter still immersed in their drawing, Namor’s heart melts miserably. He places her mini sketchbook in her tiny hands and sits behind Shuri and Sihle, watching the two of them draw.

Sihle draws in the seashell sketchbook he made for her. Her bookie was a milky-white color, adorned with little stars of purple and green, the seashell had soft golden hues on it. 

And what Shuri drew in was still in that cream-white seashell sketchbook with soft red and pink hues — theirs. 

“This is a dolphin, Mama~”

“Dolphin~” Shuri hypes her up, even though said dolphin has three heads and six eyes.

“Look, Mama, shark!”

“Yep, that’s a great white shark indeed!” Shuri secretly smiles at the shark with a mouth of smiling teeth, how adorable.

“Mama, this is me and you!”

Shuri draws every version of the dolphin and shark Sihle mentions, perfecting her daughter’s sketch, from shaky circles and cross lines to a cool three-headed and six-eyed dolphin and a shark with smiling teeth and love eyes, but her baby’s next sketch was her favourite. Shuri looks at the drawing that was thrust to her face, “Me and you, Mama!” It was whales.

A Mama whale and her baby whale calf. Just like her and Sihle. Shuri swears that although their daughter was a handful of chaos sometimes, she was her namesake - a beautiful gift. 

After witnessing the beautiful moment between mother and daughter, he didn’t want to be left out too! “Here you go, chan ch'úupalo~” Namor waves the pouch of cookies in front of her eyes and immediately, like a little kitten, Sihle lunges for it, he dodges and dodges until he lures the baby kitty to crawl onto him.

“Baba~ My kookies!!! Gimme!!!” Sihle climbs and climbs until she hangs on Namor’s face, “Mama, help! Baba is not giving me my kookies!!!” Making Shuri laugh in amazement again.

“What do you say, baby girl?” Shuri presses on her kimoyo beads and starts recording these two goofy father and daughter.

“Thank you, Baba! I love you!” Although with Sihle’s little butt blocking him, Shuri knows how smug and doting Namor is smiling there.

“Not enough~”

Sihle tried everything to get her kookies. “Baba, I’m your princess!!!”

“Yes, you are, Sihle. But your Mama is my princess, you are just my… little princess. ”

“Okay! Mama is your princess and I’m your little princess!!”

“Now we are talking~” Namor smiles in defeat, reaching out to lift the Sihle away from his face, skillfully switching to place her behind his neck and let her sit on his shoulders. The daughter immediately embraces Baba's head, her tiny ankles swaying and tickling against his facial hair, making adorable giggles.

Finally, Namor hands her the pouch of seashell cookies, and Sihle sits on his shoulders, enjoying the treats. The first piece was given to her Mama, Shuri, and then she alternated between eating and feeding her Mama, completely forgetting about her Baba.

“Hey, what about me?????” Namor protests! How dare she!

“Uh-oh! I forgot, Baba!” Sihle playfully passes a cookie in front of him with her short arms, one hitting at his forehead, one tossing at his eyes and thank Chaac Namor closes his eyes in time, another stuff in his nose, and finally, one successfully reaches his mouth.

“Look at your daughter, Shuri…” Namor complains to his wife.

“I didn’t see anything, Namor, I'm too focused on recording,” Shuri said with a proud smile, winking at her daughter and she winked back cheekily.

“I saw that, you know?” But his two girls openly ignored him, eating enthusiastically without him. Namor pouts sadly until Shuri can’t take it anymore and she feeds him with lots and lots of cookies, “Here you go~” The crunchy sound of cookies fills their cenote for quite a while.

“You want to go sink some ships, yaabilaj?” Namor teases. Sihle immediately wiggles behind him, kicking excitedly, “Let’s go sink some ships, Baba!!”

“Don’t give her ideas, Ch’ah!” Shuri facepalms, the father and daughter would venture out to the ocean and flip over ships that are mining underwater resources.

“Uh-oh, sorry, chan ch'úupalo, no sinking ships for today~” Namor informs and the little girl just pouts sadly, just like her father, but Shuri knows how to cheer her up easily.

“Didn’t you say you want to share your cookies? Now you have a whole pouch of it.” Instantly, Sihle’s brown eyes lit up, her dark curls bounced in joy, wiggling to get off her Baba’s shoulder, “Yes, Mama! I’m going to find Zuri and Nala!” Toussaint’s little brother and sister.

“Off you go~” Watching as Sihle tiptoes and plants a kiss on her Baba’s cheek, she does the same to her Mama too. Then, she looks for the big-sized seashell cookie that she ate halfway earlier, picks it up and takes a bite without hesitation.

Shuri and Namor burst into mad laughter. Sihle had picked the wrong one, it was their sketchbook.

“You didn’t tell me, Mama!!!” Sihle protested with little arms crossing, stomping at the soft quilts.

“I wonder who she got that from?” Namor teases her hard. He had noticed the bite marks on his seashell sketchbook long ago. 

“Mama didn’t know which one either!!” Shuri quickly shifts the blame, “It's all your Baba’s fault, he distracted us, blame him!”

“No, don’t blame my Baba, Baba made me my sketchbook and kookies! Baba, next time remember to tell me not to bite first, remember to look first, okay!” 

The way Sihle defended him just made Namor melt into a puddle of happy water. “I got it, sweetheart, Baba will remember,” he promises.

"But you won’t remember,” Sihle deadpans, learning from her parents, “All your eyes are on Mama, Baba, you forgot about me," she mutters nonchalantly, obviously jealous.

Shuri and Namor often thought their daughter was too clever for her age, a real little mischief-maker. 

“That’s because I have all my eyes on you, Sihle, Mama got you covered!” Shuri reacts quickly, kissing her little cheeks.

Bast, whenever Sihle got jealous, she was totally a mini super jealous Namor throwing a tantrum! 

“But Mama has all eyes on Baba too…” Sihle squints her beautiful little brown eyes, seeing through everything.

Namor beams sweetly at the accusation, then with utmost patience, he coaxes their little jealous daughter with ease.

“That’s because me and your Mama have all eyes on you together! You got four eyes when we only had two! And when Baba and Mama have all eyes on each other, you can sneak out to play with your cousins and forget to come back home for dinner, right?”

Happy to hear her Baba’s explanation, Sihle immediately grins in mischief, nodding honestly, “Right, Baba is so clever like me, hehe, I’m going to play with Nala and Zuri, bye, Mama, bye, Baba~~~” She runs away then runs back, leaving a kiss on Mama and Baba’s cheeks and also on Shuri’s baby bump, can’t miss out her little brother! And she quickly zooms away before her parents can say anything more. Sneaky little baby as Shuri watches her dash to the pool, beckoning for a ride.

“I thought you don’t want to get wet—!!” Namor tries to call for his daughter but Sihle has jumped into the water, swimming away on Rayray’s back to go look for her cousins to play with. Leaving them with splashes like a whirlwind.

“...Last week, she made Zuri and Nala cry because she scared them with lobsters… Toussaint was so helpless to stop her.” Shuri smiles and cradles her belly, feeling their son’s kicking incessantly all the time, they predicted he was going to be as handful as Sihle.

“Why am I not surprised, hmm? Maybe because I was the one who spoiled her too much, yep~” Namor caresses her belly, soothing the baby’s kicking, they both knew Sihle would be a great sister, well, they hoped. “I hope she doesn’t… bully her brother like how often she makes Zuri and Nala cry with her antics…”

“And yet they loved following behind their sisi, T’Challa and Nakia had to drag them away as well before they followed Sihle and came home to us, remember that one time they did follow Sihle and everyone freaked out? Hilarious!” Shuri reminisced when they finally found them, all full and dozing off.

“I remember. We even found them in a pile of snacks, Rayray was guarding beside them like he was worried they were too full.” Namor remembers cradling all three babies back to the surface, he almost broke his arms.

“Now I’m more worried when this little Ch’ah is born, little Shuri is gonna bring him and turn Talokan upside down.” Shuri was certain, when her daughter grew up to be more and more like her, she knew they were screwed, except Namor dotes on her even more badly because of that, because he said, “Were you like this when you were young? I love watching her making trouble, it reminds me of you. The day I met you.” 

“I’m glad Ixchel blessed us, I was always afraid she might be a bit lonely,” like I was. Namor didn’t say it out loud, but Shuri understood everything, “Two is better than one, right~”

“Well, if you have come looking for me sooner, I’m sure we will have more kids by now.” Shuri caresses the seashell sketchbook that tied them together since the day she picked it up on the shore.

But Namor slips into deep thoughts, murmuring distantly…

“...When my mother… died… it feels like I lost everything. I could not bear to look at anything, every corner has her traces, I could no longer look at—” Namor strokes the back of her hand, Shuri holding his seashell sketchbook. “...I have witnessed so many births of my people, aging, illness and death, it was a circle of life… Yet I cannot see through it… nor find solace… in the waves that cradled me like my mother once did…”

He could not find peace. 

Not after what he had witnessed on the surface world. His mother loved and mourned the life on land that she once knew…  

But it was nothing like what she had told him. 

…How heartbroken and disappointed she must be… if she saw it with her own eyes. 

Listening to his gentle whispers, endless tears welled up in Shuri’s eyes, unable to suppress the overwhelming sorrow, grief and heartache she felt for Namor. Shuri dared not imagine how. How when she was disappointed that the boy on the beach never showed up again… 

He was torn apart in the abyss of the sea, screaming heart-wrenching cries.

“It took me years… to come back to you, Shuri.” Namor gently brushes away her tears with his thumb, kissing away the sadness in her beautiful brown eyes, the taste of her tears breaking his heart. 

“I’m sorry… it took me so long… to come back to you…”

Shuri holds him tightly, enduring each drop of his tears falling on her cheeks, she promises him.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“I got lost in the grief of losing Na’... and I forgot about you…”

“I’m not going anywhere, Namor.”

“—I told her about you… and Na’ told me to come be friends with you... She was still fine moments ago… She was—”

“I’m not going anywhere, Ch’ah, I’m not going anywhere without you from now on.” Shuri places the seashell sketchbook in Namor’s palm, then surrounds his trembling hands with hers— the same hands that always tenderly caressed her baby bump. Despite the difficulty, Shuri gently bowed her head, placing devout kisses on the back of his hands, on his knuckles, on his fingers, all of him. She helped him grasp the seashell tightly in his palm so that…

The love his mother left for him would never be lostagain. 

Namor gazes at his beloved as Shuri plants one kiss after another on his hands, and in that moment, the shattered pieces of his heart and the endless grief and loss in him all these years have finally found a home.

He belonged with her. Namor knew it long ago. 

He tilts Shuri’s chin up gently, trembling lips meeting her quivering ones.

When they had tasted every tear of sorrow, only tears of solace remained. 

Namor kisses his way up, finally landing a firm kiss on her forehead— with infinite tenderness comes infinitely devotion, belonging and love. 

They held each other tightly, thankful that their daughter had gone out to play; otherwise, Sihle would have been scared to death.

“Our reunion was no coincidence…” Shuri didn’t know that a fishy seashell would change her life one day.

“It was my courage to come for you.” And Namor would tell her this, over and over again.

“...In the depths of the ocean, I brought the sun to my people…” Shuri listens to his gradually steady heartbeat as Namor murmurs, she smiles when he kisses her again and utters softly on her lips, “My sun.” And kissing her baby bump, “My two little stars. My sun and stars.”

“Sihle is more like a meteorite than a shooting star.” Shuri couldn’t help but jest oh so smoothly.

Namor couldn’t agree more. “She’s an unstoppable little ball of fire that no matter how big the waves are, they can't extinguish her.” 

The proud and beaming expression on Namor’s face when talking about their daughter is one of Shuri’s favourite sights.

“Soon enough she’s going to ask us to make a ship with a big shark smile that can dive, fly, and blow bubbles for her…” Shuri thinks Sihle got that creativity from her.

“She told you that? She knows we make anything for her, doesn't she?” Namor amuses, chuckling while shaking his head in defeat.

“Yep, she did. Saying she’s gonna fly it with Toussaint, Zuri and Nala to scare away some fishy people.” Shuri can imagine that already. It’s gonna be so fun.

“That’s my girl.” Namor chuckles proudly, lowering his head to caress the seashell sketchbook in his hands, feeling its texture and weight. It’s still as heavy as he remembered. He places the precious sketchbook into Shuri’s hands, bringing her wrist that tied with his mother’s bracelet to his lips, kissing it gently, reminiscing with a gaze full of longing, 

“My mother made it for me… That’s why I was looking for it… That’s how I met you.” Namor knows that his mother, Fen would be happy for him for the life he has now. With loved ones. 

Shuri beams in understanding, “And you made one for Sihle.”

“We made one for Sihle.” We. How beautiful it sounds. 

Shuri cradles the seashell with care. His mother’s memories will live on, and on, and on. In them. In their children. “Think you better catch up and make a new one before this little one grows up too fast and has that same artistic sense just like his Baba, Mama and Sisi.”

Namor pulls her into his embrace, letting Shuri lean all her weight on him, safe and sound. “I was thinking about blue… and white.” The sky. The ocean. 

“Blue and white sounds just perfect to me.” Shuri tosses the seashell sketchbook in her hand, remembering the day she met him has a very blue sky and she…

Leaning against him, Shuri comfortably nestles in the curve of Namor’s arm. With just a slight lift of her head, she could easily steal a few kisses.

She reaches out her hand, holding the seashell sketchbook up to him, and asks triumphantly, 

“Yours?”

Namor chuckles affectionately, 

“Yours.”

Hooking her arms around his neck, Shuri kisses the corner of his mouth, brimming with mischief and love, she whispers with adoration, “Say it again.”

He tilts his head to meet her, sharing a smug smile as he tightens his grip, ensuring she stays forever in his arms. As he tenderly gave Shuri the kiss she had longed for. With devotion, Namor whispers, 

“Yours.” I’m yours. Forever.

The End.

💜🐍🐈⬛💚 Little bonus 🪽🐚🌊❤️ 

“Run, in bebés, run to your Mama for me~” Namor nudges them to be his ever-loyal messengers as he watches his babies dash across the beach, running to their mother on the other side.

6-year-old Sihle holding hands with her 3-year-old little brother, Sitha, running in full speed towards their Mama, Shuri, who was waiting for them by sitting on the beach, grinning as she watched them zooming to her.

She catches them both fully, kissing her beautiful girl. And her baby boy, like his namesake, light. He had brought more light into their little family, just like his sister.

“Mama! Baba said you must write back to him!” Sitha squeaks at her with excitement, waving the seashell sketchbook with soft red and pink hues.

“Quick, Mama! Baba is waiting!” Sihle urges her, dancing with her brother.

Shuri laughed and flipped open the sketchbook, flipping to the latest page, she saw he had written:

🐚 Are you still angry at me?🐚 

She huffs and writes her reply, then gives it back to her babies, “Mama’s done, run along now~” Sihle and Sitha sprint back to their father by the water, his eyes lit up when he sees them running back to him. Sihle tosses the seashell to him, almost hitting his face.

“Ouch-” But Namor couldn’t care less and eagerly flips to the latest page, checking for her reply as Shuri had written:

🐚 YES🐚 

Namor giggles as the children jump into his embrace, all three of them babbling non-stop.

“Baba! What did you do to make Mama angry!” Sihle amuses.

“Baba! Mama waiting! Quick!” Sitha was eager to run back to his Mama already, it was a fun race!

“I forgot to give her a morning kiss when I was busy snuggling with you two! Now Mama’s angry.” Namor shamelessly shifts the blame to their babies.

“Easy! Baba! Easy! Give Mama a kiss!” Sitha doesn't get why that is a problem in the first place!

“Times up, Baba! Are you done yet???” Sihle takes the seashell from her Baba’s hand and rushes away with Sitha again, with Namor yelling at the back, “No peeking!”

They both go, “Okayyyyy—!” Bolting towards their Mama.

Shuri mumbles when it’s taking forever as she squints her eyes at the other side, watching as the trio have small talks without her, hmph! In truth, they were only a few hundred meters away from her. She didn’t need to eavesdrop because of how loud they were babbling.

Soon, the children rush into her arms and Shuri takes the sketchbook, precisely flipping it open to read the words written beneath hers:

🐚 As an apology, please sit on my face tonight🐚 

Shuri cocks her eyebrows towards him in the distance, watching as Namor flashes his most proud, delighted and smug smile she had ever seen, making her blush and wet and heart racing at the same time.

Shuri secretly flutters hard, thinking it was about time for the third baby they both wanted for some time now. 

Suppressing her cheeky smile, Shuri quickly writes her response and hands it to the children, saying, “Thank you, my Sihle and Sitha,” and kisses each of their little faces. They gasp in disbelief,

“Mama, why are you so quick?” Sihle figures Baba is a slowpoke!

“Mama~ have you forgiven Baba~?” Sitha asks cleverly on Baba’s behalf.

“Not yet,” Their Mama said with a proud smile. Then Shuri watched as the children ran off quickly, heading to their Baba.

Namor flips with precise, gazing upon and grins:

🐚Very tempting offer BUT not enough🐚

And so, the two babies acted as messengers, running back and forth across the beach. A few more rounds later, they had had enough!!!!!

“Baba, Sitha is tired! Are you done yet?!” His baby boy stomps in frustration, protesting already.

“Not yet,” Namor writes with relish, clearly enjoying more than anything.

“Baba! You are flirting with Mama! We don’t want to help you anymore!” The clever princess she is, Sihle counters with brains.

But their Baba is a clever ass too, “How about having lobster for dinner tonight?”

“Okay!!” The two children eagerly agreed to continue their mission! It’s their favourite food!

"Where did you learn the word 'flirting' anyway???" Namor scratches Sihle's little chin, amused.

"Uncle T'Challa taught me! He says this is what you and Mama are always doing! Are you there yet, Baba?!" Sihle reaches out to cling onto his back, dangling.

“Almost there, Baba is about to coax your Mama, thank you for waiting so patiently, zithandwa zam ezincinci.” My little loves. It took Namor a few more moments to come up with a sassy reply.

In the end, the two children came up with their own plan.

The two small heads with dark curly hair shimmer beautifully under the sun. The little girl with two buns and the little boy with a little braid moves in sync. They were kissed gently by the sun, a perfect blend of their parents.

The older sister guided the little brother, and soon they had their plan ready, each heading towards one of their parents.

“Baba, Mama says she doesn't want to send messages to you anymore. She wants you to come see her in person!” Namor had long figured out what the two small figures were up to on the beach since he’d been watching all along. He picks up his daughter, following her plan.

“Got it, little princess, let's go find your Mama and brother~”

On the other hand, “Hug, hug, Mama! Mama! Hug! Hug!” Sitha raises his little arms at her, cooing adorably. Shuri sets aside the sketchbook, lifting her precious little one. “Tired, aren’t you? Come, let Mama hug you,” She affectionately kisses her little prince and Sitha beams with joy, looking just like his father.

“Mama, Baba says he doesn't want to send messages to you anymore! He wants you to come see him in person! Come on, let’s go!” Sitha snuggles into her. Shuri raises an eyebrow, hugging him up more securely, “Alright, let's go then~”

Slowly, Sitha leads his Mama, pointing to the seashells along the beach. “Mama, look! I found seashells for you!” Shuri bends down to pick up the shells, then hands them to her baby boy, “This looks nice, isn’t it?”

“There are so many more, Mama! Let's bring them all home, can we?” Sitha pleads with his Mama. “Sure, Mama is following your lead!” In this way, the mother and son followed the seashell-lined path, picking up shells and admiring them together. 

Not long after, the two souls destined to cross met in the middle. 

“Quick, Baba, Mama is here!”

“Hurry, Mama, Baba is here!”

Namor and Shuri looked at each other and smiled with pride. Their daughter and son had put “so much” effort into their little plan. They each hold their children and walk towards each other.

“I heard you were looking for me,” Namor preempts.

Shuri beams at him, proud of their laughing daughter and adorable son. Then, she gazes at Namor, with infinite infatuation, and says, 

“Yes, I've been looking for you for 20 years.”

Namor’s face softens instantly. He reaches out, pulling Shuri and Sitha, squeezing them in his and Sihle’s warm embrace. 

The royal family of four held each other tightly under the glow of the setting sun, their faces adorned with smiles full of happiness.

In that tranquil moment, bathing in the warm glow of the setting sun, their laughter echoes as they stand in unity. As the waves whisper tales of years gone by, Namor and Shuri have shared an unforgettable reunion that mends the lost threads of time.

Their children, Sihle and Sitha, the living proof of their love story, play at their feet, weaving joy and innocence into the story of their shared journey. With hands entwining, hearts connecting, and smiles that speak volumes, Namor and Shuri embrace the love they have built together over the years.

By the shore, the beginning of a chapter was lost, but a new chapter begins and continues its legacy. The family of four walks into the horizon, leaving their big and small footprints in the moist, soft sands and the moment they cherished now etched in their hearts. 

“Mama! Baba said we are eating lobsters today!” Sihle squeals in joy.

“Hungry, Mama! Me and Sisi are hungry already, Baba!” Sitha shakes Namor’s head playfully, making him laugh.

“I’m hungry too,” Shuri chimes in.

“Alright, let’s go home for dinner then.” Namor tugs her forward, heading home as the babies lead the way.

Shuri leans in and secretly whispers in his ears, “I’m still angry at you, you know?”

Namor smirks, stealing a kiss from her lips, “You're even more breathtaking when you're mad, Shuri. It's like anger enhances your beauty. I might be onto something here…” 

“Don't think you can get away with flattery,” Shuri shakes her head in triumph.

But Namor has all the tricks up his sleeve, “Then I must confess, my love, I am defenseless against your “still angry” face. How about a peace treaty sealed with a kiss?”

“I think this could work~” Shuri tiptoes and claims his surrender, sealing a treaty as Namor smiles into their kiss, swaying her like the tender waves as always.

Love had conquered time, and in the gentle embrace of the evening breeze, they discovered that some reunions were written in the stars. 

And so, as the Wakanda sun dips below the horizon, they swim back to their underwater home, Talokan, as myriads of household lights up in the darkness, no longer untouched by the sun— their family sprouts and grows with love that transcends the sands of time, forever theirs. 

[chaoticcatbunny]

Talokanda Ball

Shuri’s dress is the dark purple one. Okoye’s dress is the wine red one. Namora’s dress is the light green one. Riri’s dress is the dark blue one with sparkles. Namor’s suit is the dark green one. Attuma’s suit is the gold one. Nakia’s dress is the dark blue one with the spaghetti straps. Toussaint is finally introduced to wakanda at this ball and of course his little suit has to match his mama 🥹.

It’s been nearly a year since the battle between Wakanda and Talokan ended. Things are still tense between the two nations so Black Panther Shuri, King M’Baku and the council decide to extend an invitation to Talokan. They are invited to a ball that will host both nations so that their peoples can interact together. The citizens of both nations are practically vibrating with excitement as they prepare for the ball.

Once everyone arrives at the citadel for the ball it’s seen that Namor can’t keep his eyes off of Shuri. Attuma had immediately left Namor’s side as soon as they stepped into the ballroom in search of Okoye. Namora remains seemingly glued to her older cousin’s side until he disappears to talk with Shuri. Riri finds the young general by herself and invites her to dance. Namora is hesitant but accepts.

Shuri is trying to shake Namor from her tail with Toussaint’s hand clutched tightly in her own. Attuma is seen swaying off the side of the room with Okoye wrapped in his big arms. Namor and Shuri pause in their game of cat and mouse when they hear gasps and whispers from the crowd. They share a look with each other before gently pushing their way closer to the dance floor. They see Namora leading Riri across the dance floor in a traditional Talokan dance. They stare in awe as the two young women move gracefully together around the dance floor.

Shuri sighs and realizes that she can’t run from Namor forever and that they need to further discuss the alliance between their nations.

[elitheaceofalltrades]

Five comic I've read and would recommend in 2023 and their rating

Yeah, what that long-ass title says😂😂

In reading order!:

1)Hawkeye, Volume 5: All-New Hawkeye ⭐:4

2)Hawkeye, Volume 6: Hawkeyes ⭐:4.5

3)The Vision, Vol. 1: Little Worse Than a Man ⭐:5

4)The Vision, Vol. 2: Little Better Than a Beast ⭐:5

5)Shuri, Vol 1: The Search for Black Panther ⭐:4.5

~Eli

Ace of All Trades, Pro at None😆

[cjariot]

11

this was NOT an easy choice

cus they be eating i come back to these every month fr @generallysapphic @shinsousliya @babyboiboyega

[adamwatchesmovies]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had its work cut out. Following one of the best entries in the MCU was tough enough. Then, Chadwick Boseman passed away in 2020. Considering everything, I don’t think this film was ever going to reach the level of success its predecessor did but by biting off more than it could chew, that was guaranteed.

After King T’Challa dies unexpectedly, his sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), is devastated. If only she could have synthetically recreated the heart-shaped herb, Wakanda would still have its king. The Black Panther is needed more than ever as Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), the ruler of the underwater kingdom of Talokan, approaches Shuri and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) with an ultimatum: a deep-sea search for vibranium is pushing the surface world dangerously close to his home. Unless Wakanda finds and hands over the scientist who developed the vibranium-detecting technology, he will attack.

This film had to: 1) Give Chadwick Boseman and King T’Challa a eulogy. 2) Address how Wakanda revealing itself has affected the world. 3) Follow-up on the many characters in the first film, which include those previously mentioned and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), M’Baku (Winston Duke) and Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman). 4) Introduce the film’s villain, Namor. 5) Introduce Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). 6) Introduce a new Black Panther, which also means either finding a way around the destruction of the heart-shaped herb, or bringing it back from extinction. 7) Connect all of these characters, events and pieces together.

It’s no wonder the film lasts a gargantuan 161 minutes - even longer than the original Avengers. I applaud Wakanda Forever for checking all its boxes but it's too much. The most obvious element to cut is Riri Williams. She’s the one who invented the vibranium-detecting machine. Somehow, Namor knows she only built one of them, on her own, and that the plans to make it are non-existent. This excuse to bring in the new Tony Stark into the MCU (I always thought Shuri was going to take his place) takes the film to action/chase scenes in familiar urban settings. They're well done but pale next to everything we see in Wakanda and Talokan. We also get a few “fish out of water” type scenes as Shuri and Okoye search for the college-aged prodigy while trying to remain secretive about it. If they reveal Namor’s existence to the world, he will attack Wakanda. Their decision not to call for help feels contrived. I know all of these shared universe superhero movies take place “at the same time”, that while Wakanda is fighting Namor’s army, Thor is assumed to be away from Earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man is busy doing his own thing, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man were exploring the multiverse, etc. Normally, it wouldn’t bother me but the film is too long and at one point, you start thinking “Can’t they just call some of their Avengers buddies to wrap this up?”

I have a lot of good things to say about Wakanda Forever but I must discuss a pet peeve before getting to them: Namor. I remember when we were happy to get any kind of comic book movie. It didn't matter if the source material got bent out of shape. Nowadays, however, fans expect the material to be treated with respect (with a few exceptions; comic book Whiplash sucks). Writers Ryan Coogler (who also directs) and Joe Robert Cole have altered Namor so much he might as well be an original creation. His origin is completely different, he doesn't act the same, look the same, come from the same place or have any connection with the Fantastic Four. He isn't even Namor "in name only" because he pronounces it differently. What were they thinking?!

At bidding farewell to King T’Challa, you couldn’t have done much better than Wakanda Forever and the grief Shuri feels throughout the picture mirrors our own. Though she isn’t going to don the mantle yet, if there’s going to be a new Black Panther, it will be Shuri and she struggles with that idea on many levels. You’re concerned for our heroine and for Wakanda, as Namor is both a credible threat and a compelling character. He’s no Killmonger but you’d be excited to see him return in a later film.

Production-wise, the film is a triumph. The Wakandan and Tanokan costumes are gorgeous. They create the illusion that these people belong to real cultures, the kind with rich histories that we've only glimpsed by viewing this film. The sets and environments are just as good. As for the performances, they’re excellent. Angela Bassett, in particular, shines. You’re not sure how you feel about her character. Though you might disagree with the way she’s doing things, you can’t take your eyes off of her. Even when she’s right, there’s just something uneasy about the way she’s ruling Wakanda. Letitia Wright also does an excellent job showing us her character's inner turmoil. Shuri relates with Namor they're enemies. She has mixed feelings about her mother's decisions on the throne, all while wrestling with the guilt she feels over the death of her brother… despite it not being her fault. Emotionally, there’s so much happening in this film that the action can almost feel like a distraction. The exception is the climax, which will have you biting your nails.

Black Panther: Wakanda forever does so much right. The fact that it falls short of what it could be feels like an extra big disappointment. In a way, I almost wish they hadn’t made the film but then again, we’re promised more during the end credits and this is likely to be the rough middle chapter in an impressive series. (March 25, 2023)

[rpings]

 ● CONVERGENCE ● GUIDEBOOK ● CANONS ● 

Searching for Black Panther (Shuri) and Wonder Girl to be part of my team on the Avengers and Young Justice, respectfully! Batwoman would be ideal for our Gotham Knights on board, a rival to my Punchline. And finally, requesting Silk and more spider-peeps for active Gwen Stacy.  Theiir face claims are open except Shuri, but there are suggestions in the ❥Discord.  ☼ Now celebrating a year of being open! ☼