#cafe midnight season 3

[bioskoop]

[ophthalmotropy]

You can barely tell because I'm still, you know, posting, but the amount of time I spend here has decreased massively. Most of it was just scrolling out of restlessness and not actually wanting to post something lmao.

[woozvc]

notice you

1.0 (season finale)

word count - 1.8k ish

you keep your phone down for a while. me and vernon replays in your head. maybe it's the stress from the interview being released or maybe it's something else, suddenly you're laying in bed like a motionless doll staring at the ceiling. events from your meet up with vernon replay in your head.

how when he saw u walk over to him he broke out in the biggest smile ever. how he didn't immediately hand you your wallet, instead took his time to ask how you were and if you had eaten. when you said no he responded

" I know a place nearby let's go"

"oh it's okay we don't have to I've already made u come all the way here just to give me my wallet"

"I want to hang out with you let's go"

I want to hang out with you. he wanted to spend time with you with or without the wallet. but surely it didn't mean much?

you guys stop by a nearby cafe, it's small with no one around. the smell of freshly made ramen fills your nose as u remember you hadn't eaten at all.

both of you sit down and make small talk about life, goals, the future and what not. vernon is genuine in his answers, that's something you admired about him since the first time you both met.

admire, that's the word u use when u see vernon.

admiration fills your eyes when he talks about his love for music and his passion.music has been your life goal since forever, and you wouldn't give up being an idol for anything. it was nice knowing that someone you look upto also feels the same. it felt comforting that he also felt the effect of music.

admire, that's the word you use for vernon when he offers to take a walk around the river after you finish eating.

he's a bit awkward, it's very evident. both of you clueless as to if this is okay, adrenaline pumping in your blood at the thought of being caught. but for some reason you didn't care, not when you're with him.walking around with him felt natural, something about him feels familiar, it feels comfortable.

admire, the word both of you use when you finally say goodbye.

it's around midnight and the river area is getting crowded with college kids having picnics with their friends. that's when you both decide to head home. it's comfortable, but there's a feeling of longing. you want to stay there with him but you know u can't. "I'll see you around" leaves your lips as u walk away, clutching your wallet in your hand.

admire, that's the word vernon used for you when he saw you debut showcase for the first time on his YouTube for you page.

he was bored, he has nothing else to do. autoplay helped though, he heard an unfamiliar melody fill his ears and suddenly he was watching all your videos on your channel for the next 2 hours.

admire, the word vernon uses to hide the fact he didn't just notce you, he admired you.

"sometimes things are better left unsaid" you both think as you turn your phones off, last texts never getting sent.

synopsis - you get invited to your first MAMA awards after debuting as a soloist. a dream come true for u. your fans are ecstatic but they can't help but notice how this one idol keeps stealing glances at u......and you can't ignore it either.

pairing — vernon x gn!reader

genre/s — smau, idol au, fluff, minor angst

warnings — a lot of cursing

send an ask to be added to taglist!

previous | masterlist | next

note — Y'ALL I'M SORRY FOR MAKING THE FINALE SO ANGSTY BUT I PROMISE SEASON 2 WILL BE BETTER PLEASE FORGIVE ME. but yes omg we finally ended season 1!! I didn't know this series would blow up as much as it did and I'm so grateful. this series will be on hold for a while, I'll focus on my other series which is coming up and more one shots but this WILL RETURN!! thank you for loving notice you as much as I do <3

anyways as always id love to know your thoughts on this chapter!

tags —

@spilled-coffee-cup @atinytinaa @matchahyuck @wonwoos-wineparty @kawennote09 @weird-bookworm @idkwwhatimmdoiing

@maiamorrrrrrrrrrrr @thehao8 @blurryriki @atinytinaa @delicatewinterenthusiast @stqrrgirle @cloelinnnnn @sp1ng @venusprada @hellohannie

@ddokye @jeonghansshitester @cienlvrs @vernyangel @thefroggybazaar @wondering-out-loud @mxnhoeuwu @ahuihoeeee

[hp-yuletide-bliss]

Welcome to HP Yuletide Bliss 2023!

Hello, hello, we're soon opening the Christmas season! Are you excited?! I most definitely am! 🎄 

The formula stays the same as last year, but the prompts for December dailies are very fresh, and I hope you have fun with them! As usual, tag me if you promo them on tumblr, and I’ll share them! Let’s spread some love 🥰

Prompts and fest rules below!

The event is hosted by @girl-with-goats 💚

Fest Rules:

You can pick up any of the two prompts for the day or combine them or skip a day altogether.

You can write as many stories as you want. 

There’s no word limit, no minimum or maximum.

Write whatever the heck you want with whatever characters you want. 

You can change the dates of the prompts.

The only thing not allowed are AI-generated works.

Please tag me when you post the story <3

You can post the stories to the collection here and/or tag the event on Tumblr. 

Collection name: HP_Yule_Bliss_2023

Collection link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/HP_Yule_Bliss_2023

Prompts:

Parents/children relationship | “I love your drawing. Is that a cat?”

Only one blanket | “We’re not sharing that. It’s mine.” 

Dressing up | “You’re not wearing pyjamas.”

Christmas with pets | “Well, the Christmas tree fainted.” 

Christmas argument | “Do you even hear yourself?!”

Last-minute Christmas shopping haul | “I didn’t expect to see so many people. I did not predict that—”

Gingerbread cafe latte | “It’s a perfect mix of sweet and bitter! And the cream just has the perfect texture, see? Just try it!”

Being (love)sick on Christmas | “Just how many tissues does one need?” 

Winter ball | “It’s like magic.”

Baby, it’s cold outside | “Stay home with me.”

Warmth | “Are you cold?”

Patience | “Wait for me!” 

Reindeer tracks | “We’re going to look for reindeer tracks and wait for Santa to come!” 

Fairy lights | “They are shimmering!”

First snow | “My car is not working because of all this snow.”

I gave you my heart | “And you broke it.”

Gift-prank | “How about the floating mistletoe?” 

Season of love and understanding | “I might find my Prince(ss) Charming!” 

Santa brought me you | “Oh. Hey. What are you doing here?”

Starless night | “How is Santa supposed to come if there are no stars carrying his sleigh?” 

Gingerbread House | “No! It’s not for you!” 

Grinch | “I hate Christmas and you won’t change my mind.”

Sleighing | “Well—I might have some new bruises, but I had fun. Really. Thank you.”

Meddling | “No, I’m not spending Christmas with him!” 

Cider | “You’re getting a bit drunk, aren’t you?” 

Christmas Cards | “Wait, who is it from?” 

Poinsettia | “Looks ugly. Uglier than mistletoe.”

Christmas Market | “How about hot chocolate?”

Christmas traditions | “It’s a tradition!”

Magical mistletoe | “I have something to tell you.”

The clock striking midnight | “Is it midnight already?”

[wrongcaitlyn]

wrongcaitlyn masterlist

decided to make this for anyone coming from greatest of luxuries or new to my works in general, in case anyone wants to check out my other stuff! my ao3

my name's tawny (not caitlyn, lmao, that's actually from caitlyn kiramman from arcane), i use she/her pronouns, and i write pjo and marauders fics!

asks are open, i love rambling abt any of these fics (or general fandom stuff) <3

i currently have one main wip that i'm working on:

the greatest of luxuries (is your secrets): solangelo, part of the dear reader series, popstar!nico, and a sequel to talk your talk. updates every sunday!

other ongoing wip's:

checkmate, i couldn't lose: solangelo, hs/nerds/academic rivals (sort of) au, road trip with lots of fluff

i can fix him (woah, maybe i can't): solangelo, renegades au (so like, superheroes and villains), enemies to lovers (sort of) + secret identities

and several completed fics (both multi-chaps and one-shots)!

PJO COMPLETED FICS

dear reader series - popstar au - talk your talk and go viral (i just need this love spiral) - 34 ch, 145k words, solangelo - still hoping that the fire won't burn me (just one time) - one-shot, 11.1k, valgrace - you don't need to save me (but would you run away with me) - one-shot, 6k words, shelper - forever going with the flow (but you're friction) - 2 ch, 17.1k words, fierrochase

keep your eyes open series - hunger games au - staying on guard (every lesson forms a new scar) - 6 ch, 40.2k words, solangelo, MCD - i've got a lot to pine about (a lot to live without) - one-shot, 2.2k words, solangelo/will solace-centric, graphic depictions of violence, psychological torture

because i'm a mirrorball series - will solace-centric, canon-verse - i've never been a natural (all i do is try, try, try) - one-shot, 10k words, will solace from pre-tlt to botl, not tsats compliant (written before that was released and my own version of will solace lore) - i'm still a believer (but i don't know why) - one-shot, 9.2k words, will solace from botl to tlo, not tsats compliant, canonical MCD - when i break, it's in a million pieces - one-shot, 1.7k words, will solace-centric, battle of manhattan aftermath, all canon/tsats compliant - i'm still tryin' everything (to get you laughing at me) - one-shot, 3.5k words, solangelo from ttc to end of boo, mostly tsats compliant - i'm still on my tallest tiptoes (shinin' just for you) - one-shot, 2k words, solangelo during toa, all canon/tsats compliant - all along there was some invisible string (tying you to me) - one-shot, 1.3k words, solangelo pre-toa, missing scene that's referenced in tsats (their first kiss), all canon/tsats compliant

god, i'm actually invested (haven't even met him) - one-shot, 5.7k words, solangelo au where nico goes to camp jupiter after the giant war instead of staying at camp half-blood, and will meets him years later when going to new rome university

so american - one-shot, 9.6k words, solangelo fame au (country singer will & actor nico)

let's go (battle royale) - one-shot, 7k words, solangelo fortnite streamers au, lots of references to the greek gods-themed season

on a wednesday in a cafe - one-shot, 2.3k words, solangelo college/coffee shop au, an absurd amount of taylor swift song references

like i'd be saved by a perfect kiss - one-shot, 1.1k words, aroace reyna-centric during toa, reyna's pov of rejecting apollo

i'm a mess (but i'm the mess that you wanted) - one-shot, 5.1k, solangelo arcane/timebomb au, nico as jinx and will as ekko but canon divergent from what actually happens in arcane (you don't need to watch arcane to understand it though)

midnights become my afternoons - one-shot, 3.3k words, aroace leo-centric on the argo II, with a bit of leo & nico friendship, canon compliant

MARAUDERS COMPLETED FICS

reputation (regulus' version) series - celebrity au - starry eyes (sparking up my darkest night) - 16 ch, 113k words, regulus as rep era taylor swift au, james as joe, marauders as a band, background wolfstar and dorlene - baby, let the games begin - one-shot, 1.7k words, bonus chapter to starry eyes, jegulus (in between chapters 15 and 16)

clear blue waters (high tide came and brought you in) - 7 ch, 32.1k words, jegulus cruiseship au, background wolfstar and lots of teenager tonks, very fluffy

and one on hiatus!

may these memories break our fall: jegulus/wolfstar, percy jackson au, and follows the quest of heroes of olympus.

OTHER COMPLETED FICS

- overdue for a revival - one-shot, 8.6k words, harry potter au where charlie weasley becomes the comc professor in poa

[uzumaki-rebellion]

The Offering Part 3

Need to catch up? Masterlist HERE.

"I know he loves me

I know he cares

Cause he's all mine

And soon he'll be knockin'

At my door

Things will be alright"

Juicy – "Sugar Free"

Lebadi slid the fingers of her right hand over the monorail console while watching a monitor to gage the flow of traffic in the wide Birnin S'Yan street. Her left hand rubbed on the swollen belly that was ready to pop with a strange mutant's baby.

"Everything good?"

Lebadi turned her head and watched a lanky, reed-thin male co-worker saunter in to take over her shift. Mantso quirked up his thick lips and handed her a warm chocolate coffee along with a hot-out-of-the-oven seasoned meat bun. She accepted both and shifted her weight out of the chair so he could take over.

"Slow night. Thank you for this," she said.

Taking a huge bite out of the round bun stuffed with ground beef and yellow potatoes baked inside, she wiped her lips when the flavorful juices spewed out onto her chin. Mantso studied her belly.

"You are ready to burst," he teased.

"One more month."

"When does your leave start?"

"Next week."

A rumble outside the wide glass window announced the arrival of the midnight lift in the city center.

"I'll hold it for you," Mantso said.

Lebadi grabbed her sweater and waddled out of the control room taking an escalator to the surface street. Saturday nights were a busy festive time and she passed through crowds of young people out for a night of dancing and drinking. She missed doing that with her friends back home in Birnin Zana. If she hadn't gotten pregnant, she'd be attending Dora Milaje training with Okoye and going out with her crew to their favorite clubs and night cafes.

Chewing on the tender meat of the late night snack Mantso gave her, she gripped her cup of cocoa-rich coffee and sat by herself on the monorail. It was a short fifteen minute ride to her cottage nestled behind a row of luxury villas. She jostled her big belly around exuberant party-seekers and munched on her food while admiring the bright lights and music spilling out onto the public sidewalks from flashy clubs. Ten minutes later she rounded a corner that led to the opening of a quiet suburban street twinkling with tiny nightlights decorating the clipped hedges lining the path she followed. Tall rust-colored trees blotted out the noise of the main street behind her.

Approaching her home, she noticed a figure hidden in the shadows of her small porch.

"Who's there?" she blurted.

No one answered and she took a step back, cradling her stomach in a protective stance.

"I see you!" she shouted to make herself sound tough.

The figure moved toward the light of a street lamp and Lebadi sucked in her breath.

Okoye.

"It took me some time to track you down here," Okoye said, eyeing Lebadi's burgeoning midsection, "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

Lebadi entire demeanor slumped with shame.

"I'm your best friend, Lebadi. You can tell me anything in confidence and I would never judge you."

"I know…but…"

"But what? Who is the father?"

"No one you know."

"Are you still seeing this person? Are they going to support you and this baby?"

"No…I'm not seeing them anymore. This wasn't planned."

"I know it wasn't. You were supposed to be training with me."

Okoye's eyes softened. Lebadi glanced at the new shaved head that highlighted the perfectly round skull of her friend. A brand new v-shaped crimson tattoo crowned the top of Okoye's forehead. She had passed the first level of Dora Milaje training.

"Open your door. The neighbors should not hear our conversation," Okoye demanded.

Lebadi shuffled past her and onto the porch. She swiped her kimoyo beads over the door handle and stepped aside to let Okoye in first. The motion sensor lights in the living room flickered on and she hung up her sweater on the back of the door. Setting down her coffee and half-eaten meat bun on a side table, she faced her bestie full on.

"Sit," Lebadi said gesturing to a chair near the couch.

Okoye glanced around the neat cottage living room before sinking down into the chair.

"I have to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

Lebadi excused herself and went into a small hallway that led to the cramped bathroom. She closed the door and gripped her hands on the sink. She wasn't prepared to let anyone know her secret. For the past four months she had hidden in Birnin S'Yan where no one knew her or her family. She kept her interactions among family and friends purely through vid chats at low angles to conceal her stomach. She joked about eating too many meat buns that the city was famous for to explain away her plump cheeks and wide moon face. Stories were made up about being busy with work and taking advanced art classes at the University of S'Yan that rested above the cliffs overlooking the sea. Many questioned why she'd move so far away, but most assumed it was because she was disappointed about not being accepted into the Dora Milaje Corps. She let that lie fester to dampen the pleadings of returning to the Golden City.

Lebadi needed to give birth in a place where she was a stranger, and the fast pace of seaside life was the perfect hideaway. She hired a private midwife and planned to give birth at home. Beyond that she had no further plans. It all depended on what came out of her vagina in thirty days. If the child looked human, she'd give it away to the midwife to find a good home. She used a fake name in the city and no one would be able to trace a baby back to her. However, if the child came out a mutant…

She shook away the thought with splashes of cool water on her high cheekbones. Okoye would ruin all of her plans. Wiping her face with a towel, Lebadi stared at her frightened eyes in the mirror. She had saved up enough money to pay a bribe to the midwife to keep the birth off of the formal hospital registry. The only problem was that she couldn't decide what to do with a child if it came out like him.

K'uk'ulkan.

Lebadi shivered at the mere thought of him and the baby inside of her moved. She touched the spot where it kicked her. The child was strong in there. So ready to come out.

"Lebadi, are you hiding from me?"

Okoye's voice sounded more hurt than accusatory.

"Coming," Lebadi chirped.

Okoye studied her every move coming back into the living room. Lebadi took a seat on her lumpy couch adjacent to the chair and finally gazed into her friend's eyes. They were watery and her lips trembled.

"I was worried about you. I didn't know what it was, but I felt like something was wrong. I needed to see you in person and ease my mind," Okoye said.

"Now you see why I stayed so far from home."

"Having a baby out of wedlock is not shameful anymore."

"The father and I are not together. He doesn't know about this baby."

"He has a responsibility. You are from a prominent family—"

"No one will know about this child. When it is born I will give it away."

"Give it away? Are you mad? You are descended from the first family that stood by the Udaku clan when Bashenga created the nation. You have grandmothers and grandfather's written about in our history books…you cannot just give a baby away with your bloodline, Lebadi. It would be sacrilegious! A sin in the eyes of Bast."

"I cannot keep this baby, Okoye."

"Why not?"

"Because its father is a foreigner. Not a Wakandan."

"Foreigner? How?"

"He slipped through our borders."

"No one slips through our borders. Do not lie to me, Lebadi. I am your friend."

"I met him at the Mama Wati Festival. Two years ago. I fell pregnant eight months ago. We were secretly meeting here in Birnin S'Yan. You cannot tell anyone."

"This is a national security threat. I cannot sit here and ignore that. I work for the palace now. This man could be a spy using you."

"He is not a spy. There's nothing in Wakanda he wants… not anymore since he left me. I am begging you Okoye. Nothing will happen to the nation if you keep quiet about this. I am no longer seeing him. He is long gone away from here."

"How was he able to even get through our protective dome from the outside? Lebadi? Answer me!"

Lebadi burst into tears and covered her face. To not have her lover pained her heart. She struggled to regain her composure and became frantic when Okoye tapped her kimoyo beads. A sharp discomfort in her side distracted them both and Lebadi clutched under her stomach and sat back in her seat.

"Lebadi, what's wrong?"

"I'm okay…you are stressing me out and it disturbed the baby."

"Should I call your doctor? Uh..the midwife?"

"No…I am fine now."

"I'm sorry."

"Please…just leave this be. Keep my secret."

"You cannot give your baby away. If you need help, W'Kabi and I can do that. We're getting married next year…we could adopt your child and keep it close to you—"

"No."

"How far along are you?"

"Eight months."

Okoye palmed her hands together and let the tips of her fingers rest under her chin.

"You have been dealing with this all alone?"

"Yes."

Okoye lowered herself to her knees and clasped Lebadi's hands.

"I see that you're frightened. I will keep your secret, but I will return to help you when the baby comes. We're figure out what to do together. Your child deserves a good home…with you."

Okoye thumbed away the tears that pearled out from the corners of Lebadi's eyes.

"Do you need anything right now? Money? Food?" Okoye asked.

"No. I'm tired and want to go to bed."

"I will stay for the weekend and return for my training. No more keeping secrets from me. Promise?"

"Promise."

Lebadi squeezed Okoye's hands.

The moment Okoye left the cottage Sunday evening, Lebadi packed up all her clothes and called a private cab to ferry her to the marina. She tossed her kimoyo beads in a sewer run-off after telling her mid-wife that she was going home and would no longer need her services.

Lebadi knew Okoye had a good heart and wanted the best for her, but the reality spoke of newer alliances. She couldn't trust that her friend wouldn't go searching for breeches in security and ring the alarm. It was better to go away and give birth alone on the sea away from prying eyes. Telling her that the father was foreign was bad enough. It was a stupid mistake on her part.

She rented the same boat she had used for two years sneaking away to see Namor. It was an older model that most people bypassed for the sleek newer ones all over the marina. She paid for a three month rental and the woman releasing it didn't bat an eye at her condition or the crinkly bills she paid in cash from a fat purse stuffed with more Wakandan money. It took Lebadi four trips to load the boat with supplies of food, water, and things she would need for a baby. The last item she carried on board was a peach and sand-colored conch shell that Namor gifted her. She wanted something of his with her.

She set sail on a Monday evening to cloak herself in darkness, taking the boat off radar once she was past her target area to hide from any drone surveillance.

She programmed the boat to glide her to her favorite spot three miles from the coast. For three days she used radar from the boat and her own binoculars to scan for anyone coming after her. She left a month's worth of pre-programmed holo vid messages for family and select friends to keep up appearances until the baby came. Using the boat ramp, she dipped her heavy body into the water when the weather was too hot and spent most of her days lying in her berth to keep cool. She limited the use of the air-cooling system to keep traces of vibranium energy surges to a minimum in case it captured the attention of the Wakandan Coast Guard.

A pod of dolphins passed by her boat her second week out at sea and they lingered to frolic for a few hours before heading out to the growing swells. Shading her eyes with her hand, she pondered moving the boat when it was bumped by something that didn't feel like a strong wave shoving the starboard side. She tottered on bare feet to investigate if she hit a reef and was shocked to find a large orca nudging the hull with its massive head.

Lebadi held onto some rope looped around the inside of the hull to keep her balance. The orca opened its mouth and echolocation clicks bounced at her along with high-pitched whistling sounds. It snapped its mouth closed a few times making jaw claps and she ran to the control room to move the boat away from the sea creature. At a smooth twenty knots, she left the orca in a wake of white water, but it gave chase. She aimed the boat back toward land but the orca kept up and then cut her off, forcing her to head further out to sea. She white-knuckled the control console when the orca slammed itself under the boat.

Cutting her eyes to the ocean, the boat stuttered to a complete stop. The odor of something burning came from the stern. She shut everything down and checked the back. The boat belched blue-black smoke and the orca peered at her from the water with a menacing brown eye under a patch of white marking on its slippery skin.

"What the fuck did you do to this boat?"

The orca clicked and rolled its dark body upside down in the foamy turquoise waters. Before she could curse it again, it flicked its wide tail and tossed Namora onto the deck. Soaking wet, the Talokanil woman stood to her full height and sea water dripped from her feathered headdress and the jagged spear she carried. Lebadi turned away trying to hide her stomach, but Namor's cousin spotted the forbidden fruit of their union. She stuck the tip of her spear against Lebadi's stomach.

"Ba'ax le ts'íiba' utia'al?" Namora spat out from behind her breathing mask.

Lebadi nodded and stepped back from the spear. Namora lunged forward raising her spear at an angle that would slice the child out of her womb.

"Don't! Please!" Lebadi shrieked.

The harsh rays of the sun and the muggy heat draped Lebadi in an uncomfortable cocoon of dripping perspiration. Short of breath, and frightened, she urinated on herself and lost control of her knees. Namora tossed away her spear and caught Lebadi with her strong but gentle hands. Her piercing dark brown eyes were the same as Namor's.

"Yaan teen," Namora whispered in Lebadi's ear.

"Please don't kill my baby," Lebadi pleaded before the world went black and she collapsed in the Talokanil's arms.

Lebadi woke up to the delicious aroma of something being cooked in the galley. She glanced around the berth before touching her belly. The baby still protruded from her midsection and it moved when she lifted up on one arm. From one of the circular berth windows, Lebadi noticed that the sun had vanished ushering in a muggy evening calm. How long had she slept?

A soft slightly muffled humming voice drifted into her ears.

"Namora?" Lebadi called out.

The humming stopped and the sound of feet padding across the creaking floor took over. Namora entered the berth carrying a steaming bowl. Her headdress was gone and her long dark hair sat loose on her shoulders.

"Ma'lob ak'abtal," Namora said.

Lebadi nodded at the evening greeting and sat up further, grimacing at the weight on her bladder. She dangled her legs over the side and shoved a pillow behind her to support her lower back. Namora held out the bowl.

"Bix a u'uykabáa? Wi'ijen?" Namora asked.

"I'm fine…yes, I'm hungry…um…wait, you don't understand that…give me a minute."

Lebadi closed her eyes to think better. She imagined Namor being with her in the kitchen and the words came back to her. She reached for the bowl with both hands.

"Dios bo'otik, Namora."

Lebadi stirred the spoon in the bowl and chunks of chicken floated in a savory-smelling soup. Yellow rice, caramelized onion, and chopped greens from her food supply filled up the spoon. She ate the first spoonful and her tongue detected a pleasant fishy taste with the greens. Seaweed.

"Good," Lebadi said, scooping more soup onto her spoon and funneling it to her hungry mouth.

Tilting the bowl back to slurp up the liquid, Lebadi wiped her mouth after finishing the meal.

"More?" Namora said.

"You know my language?"

"Chen jumpit," Namora said holding her thumb and index finger close together. She knew a little.

"I would like more…"

Lebadi gave the bowl back to Namora and the Talokanil woman smiled beneath her breathing mask. It made her eyes light up. She returned quickly with another tasty bowl and Lebadi took her time eating it. The silence between them was pleasant enough although Namora kept sneaking glances at her protruding stomach.

"I am much better now. This food was wonderful."

Namora watched her face and Lebadi couldn't tell if there was real comprehension so she stuck with handing back the empty bowl. She followed Namora into the kitchen galley where a big pot of the soup stayed simmering.

"You eat now," Lebadi said, pointing to the stove.

Namora shook her head and turned off the burner under the pot. She cleaned Lebadi's bowl and spoon and placed them on the draining rack. Pointing a stern finger back toward the berth, Namora ushered Lebadi back to bed to keep her off of her feet. The soup in her belly calmed the baby, making her eyes drowsy.

Lebadi fell asleep.

She dreamed of home, her parents, and Okoye. Strange images intermixed surreal images of water and whales blending into amorphous shapes. She woke up to the sound of water lapping against the boat.

"Is anyone here?" Lebadi shouted.

She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Ma' k'a'abet a yaantal sajakil, teen le."

Namora's voice traveled to her from the deck. Lebadi wiped her forehead and huffed. It took a minute longer than usual to pull herself up from the bed. She ambled over to the small restroom and let out a steady stream that relieved her screaming bladder. The extra effort used to clean her privates made her yearn for relief soon. She fumbled her left hand against the sink to help lift up from the toilet. Washing her hands quickly she returned to the berth to find Namora waiting for her. She scrutinized Lebadi's face noticing a grimace.

"Ba'ax yaan ma'alo'ob tu láakal?" Namora asked.

"Everything is alright. The baby is fine…le paalo' ma'alob," Lebadi said.

Namora looked unsure. Lebadi doubled over.

"Oooff!"

Lebadi jammed a hand against her side. A strong contraction nearly bowled her over. She squeezed here eyes shut and breathed through the pain. Namora helped her get back to the berth and made her as comfortable as possible. She ran back into the kitchen galley and rummaged through a few cupboards before running back with another spoon and a glass jar filled with honey.

"Kaab…this… for pain," Namora said.

Namora dipped the spoon inside the dark thick honey and held it up to Lebadi's lips. She accepted, and swallowed the richness taking the spoon away from her.

Namora held out her hand toward Lebadi's midsection seeking permission to touch.

"Béet?"Namora said.

Lebadi nodded and Namora unfastened the loose pale blue dress that she often wore for the Mama Wati ceremonies. Pushing the gauzy material aside revealed a heavy burden. Namora gently ran her hands over the front and sides, feeling the warm skin until she grinned.

"I want you to know I didn't plan this. My country has the best birth control…I just think my annual shot couldn't protect me from his genetics…"

Namora didn't understand and looked at Lebadi with bright eyes.

"Ch'úupale' juntúul chan paale'," Namora said, rocking her arms like she had a baby.

Lebadi blinked rapidly, recognizing the words she spoke. Her two years of rudimentary Yucatec Maya with Namor flooded her brain with comprehension.

"How do you know it's a girl?"

Namora fastened Lebadi's garment back up.

"The baby comes. I bring him here."

"Bring who here?"

"K'uk'ulkan—"

"No!"

Lebadi grabbed Namora's hands in a vice grip. Namora jerked away and her eyes narrowed.

"He must come to his daughter," Namora insisted.

Lebadi whimpered and pleaded but the Talokanil woman ignored her. Another contraction rendered her helpless on the bed. She felt the boat move as if it were being pushed. Namora called out what sounded like names and the boat moved faster. Forcing her body to get up, Lebadi lumbered out onto the deck.

Namora stood on the top of the bow with her hair blowing in the night wind. Silver moonlight illuminated her shape and that of the pod or orcas pushing the boat along a route that only they knew. Lebadi rubbed her stomach and regulated her breathing as another churning contraction shot through her midsection. Gravity helped to pull the baby down in her womb.

They arrived at a small, hidden island seventy miles away from the Seychelles Island archipelago.

Lebadi's birthing pains subsided on the trip there, but kicked back into high gear the moment Namora helped her off of the boat and into unnaturally warm waters. Namora set up a little campsite near a natural hotspring and the orcas pushed the house boat away from view on the other side of the island. There was enough non-perishable food stacked nearby and a cooling container held plenty of fresh water bottles.

Namora lifted Lebadi to her feet and moved her into the large natural pool closest to the sea where cooler water mixed in making it a comfortable temperature. The water helped offset the weight she carried and the soothing warmth helped with the contractions. Namora pulled off all of Lebadi's clothing and her nakedness felt natural as she squatted in four feet of water to relieve the pressure on her cervix.

"Why do you have that?" Lebadi asked.

Namora raised up the conch shell Namor had given her two years ago. She removed her breathing mask temporarily, puckered lips, and blew into the narrow end creating a haunting sound that gave Lebadi chills. Looking over the horizon, she glimpsed the pod of orcas shifting their bodies so that their tales were the only things visible on the water. Lebadi counted seven of them in total. Namora brought her spear over to the hotspring and stabbed it into the bottom. Lebadi gripped it as soon as another contraction struck her womb.

Namora lowered herself into the water and wiped away sweat dripping into Lebadi's eyes. She demonstrated calm breathing through her mask that Lebadi followed. The fearsome warrior seemed so protective of her. But it made sense after Lebadi thought about it more. The child inside of her was Namora's blood relative, a baby cousin. They were a family linked across the big waters and different cultures. Lebadi realized she had been a fool to think she could give birth alone at sea. She needed family with her and Namora had become that kinship. She cooed soothing words and cradled Lebadi's face to encourage strength in bearing the new life making her way through.

Lebadi tried to picture what her daughter would look like, and in the imagining, the dawning realization crept upon her. Okoye was right. There was no way she could give her baby away no matter what she looked like upon earthly arrival. Lebadi hunkered down all her weight and endured her birthing pains for another hour.

From the sea, the orcas whistled and twirled their now upright bodies in a circle. Water churned in a frothy seafoam green rush creating a mighty whirpool.

"He comes," Namora said.

Namor shot out of the water and flew so high in the sky that Lebadi had to squint to track his form against the blinding sunlight. Her breath caught in her throat and hot tears blurred her eyes as the baby moved further into the birth canal.

Namor swooped down from the blue skies and took in the picture before him. She began to ugly cry feeling so bad for herself. He floated down, the wings on his feet whirring rapidly. His spear dropped onto the sand and he floated closer until he settled onto the ledge of the wide pool of warm water. Namor's brow furrowed and he stared at her struggling in the warm liquid until his features softened with the glimpse of her belly. His facial expression could not fathom the truth of what was coming. Lebadi watched his confusion transform into full understanding and acceptance once the side of his mouth quirked up into a slight grin. Pulling Namora's spear out of the sediment under the water, he tossed it and moved behind Lebadi, his strong arms surrounding hers, helping her squat better. Namora removed her mask and dove under the water to tend to Lebadi's stretched vaginal walls.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Lebadi cried into his neck.

"Shh…Lebadi, I am here. Push…"

"I didn't want to hurt you…you lost children when they grew old and I know you don't want that pain anymore."

"Hush."

She couldn't stop crying and apologizing. He kissed the side of her temple and held her lovingly. His hands reached under the water to feel her stomach and he chuckled at the size.

"It's a girl," Lebadi whimpered, slowly relaxing into his presence once more.

He stroked her forehead and hair, kissing her cheek repeatedly, his strong body giving her the momentum and strength to bring life into the world.

"I love you both," he whispered before nuzzling her cheek.

Namora rose up, gasping from the foreign air.

"She is almost out."

Namora dove back down and Namor encouraged Lebadi.

"Push…in yucanaj…push…" he said. "Ma' a faltará mix ba'al…understand? You will want for nothing. Neither of you."

A contraction rippled down from her womb into her vaginal opening. Lebadi peered at the top of Namora's head under the water, her hair flowing with the swoosh of the current adding more water into the balmy liquid. She strained with all her might to get those lower muscles to cooperate with her will, and they did. The fullness was expelled from between her legs in a rush of newborn liquid as a little caramel brown and yellowish vernix body with a head full of satin ebony waves burst free from Namora's hand and floated to the surface attached to her umbilical cord. Water washed over their daughters face and she squirmed in the clearness as it cleaned away the blood and creamy protective vernix on her skin. Namora rubbed away the slippery coating and the baby's skin was even more brown and beautiful.

Lebadi reached for the baby and lifted her to her breast and immediately the child gasped and struggled to breathe. Her skin turned ashen and before Lebadi could nuzzle her nose onto the little face, the baby girl stopped moving. She never opened her eyes once.

"No!" Lebadi cried out "Nonononononoooooo!"

She wept uncontrollably as Namora checked the baby's neck. Namor remained silent as he touched the little limbs, lifting her hands and feet. There was webbing between the tiny fingers and toes and the small budding of wings on her precious ankles. She even had his pointed ears.

"Why would Bast do this to me? Bring me this far only to take our baby away?" Lebadi lamented.

Namora reached for her breathing mask and placed it on her face again. Lebadi cradled her nameless baby girl against her breast. Her nipples leaked milk and the absurdity of that action threw Lebadi over the deep end. She closed her eyes and wallowed in sorrow.

Namor touched his daughter, wiping away vernix from her nose, checking to see if anything obstructed her nostrils or mouth. He placed his mouth over the child's mouth and blew air into it as Namora pinched her button nose closed. That didn't work to stimulate breathing. They even tried rubbing her chest for light compression to get the baby's heart to pump. He used the warm water to clean her soft hair and Lebadi lowered the small body under the water feeling miserable and lost.

Namor's chest shuddered and he exhaled a long drawn out breath.

"It will be okay, Lebadi. Maybe we are too different to produce a healthy child."

Lebadi whimpered and his body trembled against her sharing the loss.

"This is cruel. If I had to lose a baby, it should've happened before I held her. Why couldn't I miscarry in the first trimester? Why…?"

Lebadi's voice drifted into a mournful wail and Namor held her tighter until the sun moved from over them. Namora tapped Lebadi's shoulder and softly spoke Talokanil. He translated for her.

"We should bury her now so she will be at peace," Namor said.

"Not yet…please…I need more time."

The cord had been cut an hour earlier and Namora did her best to be respectful and discreet when she buried the afterbirth. The baby had lost more color and her skin began to turn gray.

"Her skin still feels warm and soft," Lebadi said.

"What name should we give her?" Namor said with sadness in his throat.

"Lewatle. Her father came to me from the ocean, and the ocean is where she will return."

Lebadi glanced at Namora.

"I don't want her buried on land. I want you to take her into the water…far below. I will give her to Mama Wati."

Namor translated the words again and then flew up out of the hotspring carrying Lebadi and Lewatle to the edge of the island shore. Although weary from giving birth, Lebadi willed herself to walk into the water carrying her baby. Namor and Namora walked at her sides as the water licked at their feet and rose up to their waists. Lebadi clutched Lewatle to her breast.

"Mama Wati, please take care of my child. I am a child of the sea, just like my grandmother and her grandmother before her. I offer you my little one who could not survive this journey. Please care for her as you have cared for my people for generations. May her spirit live on with you…"

Lebadi's voice trembled and she stopped speaking to the waters. The pain of her grief became unbearable and she handed the baby to Namor. He tucked his daughter into the crook of his arm, then bent over and kissed her forehead. Lebadi fell to her knees in the water. Namor lowered himself to join her. She gathered up the baby one last time.

"Be good for Mama Wati my sweet little girl…"

Lebadi lowered her head to smell the baby's hair and the water surrounding them rose higher in a swirling mass.

"Are you doing this?" Lebadi asked.

Namor shook his head and Namora rushed forward, her gaze studying a wave of water rising from the sea. They all moved backward toward the sand, but the swell corralled them and snatched the baby from Lebadi's arms. She screamed and clamped a hand over her mouth. A water funnel lifted the baby above their heads. For a heartbeat they all witnessed the shimmering, glassy water take on the pulsing shape of a giant manta ray that formed into a watery woman with blue-black fluid locs radiating from her head holding the baby in dark azure arms before dissolving into warm salty rain falling on top of their heads. Lewatle floated gently under the water, her tiny limbs flailing and her eyes wide open. Lebadi lifted the baby and the child gasped, choking on the air. Quickly dropping onto her backside, Lebadi held the baby to her breast under the water where the child latched onto her nipple and suckled.

"Mama Wati claimed her and spared our baby's life!"

Lebadi stared at Namor who stood bewildered. Namora laughed and clapped her hands together. Namor knelt beside her and caressed Lewatle's head.

"She is like your people, Namor. Can't breathe on land. A true child of the sea," Lebadi said.

He lifted them both up again and placed them back into a shallow hotspring where the baby nursed underwater as Lebadi sat and breathed above it.

"How will this work?" Lebadi asked.

The grateful thrill of having a live baby once more gave way to worry. Namor stared at his cousin. Namora put her hands on her hips.

"They can live with me," he said.

"Not in Talokan," Namora said with sadness straining her voice.

"I can't separate mother and child. Lebadi and Lewatle will live in my cavern. My child is a mutant, see?"

He touched the buds on her ankles that unfurled tiny wings.

"She may eventually learn to breathe air too, but it is safer to keep them hidden near Talokan until we see what she becomes as she grows," he said.

Namora nodded.

Namor sat next to Lebadi and hugged her with one arm, watching his child nurse and his woman relax into returned motherhood.

"Your offerings into the sea gave our daughter her life back," he said with wonder in his voice.

"Mama Wati heard me and blessed us. She will look over Lewatle now."

"As soon as you are strong, I will take you to the place where I live away from our capitol. There is a pool entrance that I use that we can convert into a living space for the baby. The water is warm for your comfort and shallow enough in parts for you to walk in as the baby swims. I can't lie…this may be difficult for you. I have crossed a line having a child with a surface dweller."

"Will your people try to kill me again?"

Namora climbed into the hotspring with them.

"No one will harm you," Namora said.

"My people may try and look for me. I don't want them to think I'm dead."

"They will have to believe that. Lewatle can never go to Wakanda. Even if you created an environment for her near the sea, she is too different to pass among your people," Namor said.

Lebadi held her daughter's hand and shifted her body to allow the baby to sleep on her chest covered by water.

"I didn't mean to give you a hard life, Lewatle," Lebadi whispered.

Namora brought over a thick blanket and made a soft floor bedding in the hotspring. They had to place heavy rocks down on the four corners to keep it from floating away. Lewatle slept below the surface on her back, and Lebadi gazed down at her daughter's form as light dappled across her round face. Namor stroked the swirling hair of his child. He was proud, but a somber energy shadowed him.

Namora spoke to Namor quickly and removed her mask, spooning around the infant.

"Come," Namor said, "you must rest. Namora will sleep with our baby and wake you in a few hours to feed her again."

The calm in his voice made it easier to leave her newborn's side. She was exhausted and flooded with mixed emotions. Birthing a mutant child that could only live in water became a stressful mindfuck.

Namor made them bedding only a few feet away from the hotspring and they faced one another. He kept stroking her damp hair and wiping tears from her eyes. They didn't speak, only gazed at each other in total wonderment. There was a bloodline connection between them.

Lewatle's hungry mouth fed from Lebadi as the new mother walked in the calm sea. Every few minutes she dropped under the water holding her breath so her baby could see her face clearly. Lebadi was blessed with the ability to hold her breath for six minutes because of her surfing skills and she used it to bond as best she could underwater. She rubbed her nose against the baby's nose, kissing her cheeks and forehead, and Lewatle laughed with bubbles near her mouth, her bright ebony eyes tracking every movement Lebadi made with her head. Lewatle was strong and quite adept at swimming on her own. Lebadi wondered if it was a evolutionary trait of Namor's people, much like baby giraffes and newborn impala fawns in Wakanda that had to walk soon after birth to avoid predators. The webbing on her fingers and toes gave the baby graceful movement the few times Lebadi let her go to test her swimming abilities. No matter where she moved underwater, Lewatle swam close to her, automatically reaching for her breasts to suckle and stay protected in her arms. There was no sense of helplessness. She assumed all Talokanil children were that way at birth.

Fear gnawed at her insides.

Could she leave Wakanda and never return?

She adored her family and hiding in Birnin S'Yan had been the hardest time in her life after finding out she was pregnant. As much as she loved Namor, she worried that homesickness would break her spirit if she went to his world. Looking down at Lewatle, her own personal concerns vanished for a time. The baby was physically like her father and could only survive with his people. She had to do what was best for Lewatle.

Namor eased along her side and she handed the baby to him. He dunked under with Lewatle and stayed down for a long time, allowing Lebadi to tread water peacefully with the sun baking her face a darker brown. Namor cradled his little one and bonded in the sea with her. No…she couldn't stay in Wakanda. She had to go with him to give their daughter her best life.

"You are a good mother," Namora said.

Lebadi glanced over at Namora. She looked young without her headdress. Namor told her that his cousin was twenty, but she acted much older, her warrior spirit giving her the presence of an elder instead of a young woman.

"It's only been one day."

"One day is a good day. This baby is not like his others."

"The others weren't mutants?"

Namora shook her head.

"I think she will live a long time. Maybe as long as him. He is happy," Namora said watching the shape of Namor swimming with Lewatle below the surface.

Lebadi leaned back and floated, staring up at the sun. Namora brought her fruit and fresh water after a time and she left the water to rest on land, sunbathing and taking naps. Namor brought Lewatle to her inside the hotspring for a late afternoon feeding.

"I will have Namora go to Talokan and bring things we need to move Lewatle to the entrance of our home. We will destroy the boat you came here with, but you may take what you need from it."

"Can't we just bring the boat? We could use it for me. I can't stay in a cave all the time. I need a life above the surface or this won't work," she said.

Namor thought about it.

"We may be able to fix it," he said.

"I think the orcas damaged the bow thrusters. There's a self-diagnostic module on the boat and I can use it to help repair it. I have to keep it in a secret place—"

"Because of the vibranium."

"Yes."

He pondered that.

"We could change the boat to accommodate the baby so you can be outside with her away from other surface dwellers."

"We can make a life together."

He kissed her temple. "Yes, we can be together as a family."

The mottled gray leviathan rose from the deep and Lebadi gasped watching the fifty-foot female humpback whale breach the surface near her house boat. After a week of recuperation and adjusting to raising Lewatle on the small archipelago, time had come to travel to her new life.

She'd left a cryptic message to her family about needing more time alone to get her life together and recorded a series of vids using the houseboat's comm system to send out a monthly schedule of recordings. Lebadi had four older siblings and her parents held important positions in the Udaku Royal Court. No one would be alarmed by monthly vids from her with their hectic schedules. She had at least seven months of physical vanishing time before anyone would become truly alarmed. Unless of course, Okoye interfered. There was no time to weigh the possibility of that.

Namora fussed with the baby, making sure she was secure inside a baby carrier made of slippery neon blue seaweed and soft cloth. Namor helped tie the carrier tight on Namora's back. Lebadi filled bottles with her milk on the boat with her breast pump and stuffed them in a bag attached to Namora's hip. Namora would ride inside the whale's mouth with the baby guarded by the two orcas through a series of underwater vortexes that would lead them to Namor's hidden enclave. Two young male warriors waited to accompany Namora on the outside of the humpback, one of which wore a large hammerhead shark crown on his head. His name was Attuma and Namor treated him like another relative. Attuma stared at Lewatle in the water with such fascination that he lost all pretense of being a menacing-looking threat. He touched her fingers and toes and laughed when she tried to grip his hand.

From the deck of the boat Lebadi watched the whale open its maw and fill it with enough water to look like a small pond. Namora dove inside with the baby on her back and for a split second, Lebadi's legs buckled.

Her baby rested inside a whale's mouth.

Attuma and the other warrior faced Namor from within the sea and held their hands up like a shark's mouth. It was the same gesture she witnessed before two years previous when they honored their sacred K'uk'ulkan.

Lebadi held onto Namor's arm as the whale swam further out to sea and dove under with the men on either side holding on to the barnacles embedded in the marine animal's flesh. It waved the giant tail like a farewell, exiting with an explosive splashy wake.

"Ready?" Namor asked softly.

"Yes," Lebadi answered with bated breath.

"Go sleep. When you awaken, we'll be with our daughter again."

Lebadi walked inside the boat and crawled into her berth. Namor activated the spectral camouflage cover to hide the houseboat, and within seconds, there was the sensation of rising up in the air. Lebadi could only imagine what a sight he must've been, flying with the houseboat on his back. The ebb and flow of air pockets created light turbulence on their journey rocking her to sleep. At least three times she woke up checking her swollen breasts dripping with milk, expecting a feeding.

Her rest took a full hold and her sleep was untroubled. A waning moon greeted her eyes through a window as Namor woke her up.

"We are here. You will have to hold your breath to get past the barrier. The houseboat is hidden safely and my attendants tell me Lewatle is well, waiting for us."

"Thank Bast and Mama Wati," Lebadi mumbled sitting up.

She swiped a hand over her twisted hair, thankful for the sleep that refreshed her energy.

"You are shaking," he said, reaching for her hands.

"I'm nervous…a little scared. The opening looks like a snake's mouth."

Namor embraced her, helping to calm the jitters coursing through her body.

"It will be a new world for you, but the only one Lewatle will know. We must be brave to guide her. I'm nervous too."

"You?"

Lebadi pulled back from his chest.

"You've been a father before," she teased.

"Every child is special and different, but Lewatle is a miracle. A precious gift. This time will be strange and wonderful for me too."

His expression was tinged with nervous energy. They were embarking on a momentous experiment raising a unique baby.

"Do you feel strong?" he asked.

She nodded.

"How long do I need to hold my breath?"

"Four minutes."

"Easy."

"We will go to a depth you may not be used to, so don't panic. I will carry you to get there quicker. Without me, it would be impossible for you to get there on your own without having to hold your breath longer. Come."

He carried her in his arms while flying off the boat. They drifted down into night water. Three Talokanil men anchored the houseboat under a canopy of tropical foliage that blended it with the surrounding lush topography.

They all swam above the surface hidden by drooping vines and tree leaves the size of elephant ears. Their only light was the small lamps they held that glowed a turquoise blue filled with vibranium energy. The small entrance to his world looked like a tiny pool of inky black water. Lebadi breathed harder.

"Put your arms around my neck," Namor said.

She hung them loosely at first until he pulled her tight against his chest. The shine from the lanterns glowed in his eyes. The low covering of the cave entrance caused a claustrophobic reaction to kick in with all the intimidating darkness that the lamps couldn't illuminate.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered, kissing her lips. "Think about Lewatle. She can't wait to be with us again."

Lebadi's eyes welled up thinking of her baby mermaid.

"Do you think she can hear my voice under the water? I press my lips against her cheek and say her name. Will I ever be able to hear her call me Mama?"

Namor rested his forehead on her temple.

"She knows her mother loves her just by feeling the vibrations you make under the water. She can hear you above the water and she has always known your voice when she was swimming inside of you."

Lebadi grinned and wiped away a tear.

"I'm ready," she said.

He nodded and she gulped in air, slamming her eyes shut and pressing her face into his shoulder. The temperature of the water dropped after fifteen seconds, but Namor's body heat stayed constant and she was warmed by it. Pressure pushed in on her ear drums and she focused on the sensation of colder water rushing over her body. There was a steep drop and right when the strain of needing more air took hold, they flew up into what looked like a small beach inside of a wide open cave.

Soft sugary white sand met her feet when Namor put her down. She followed him past a wondrous enclosure of stalagmites and stalactites. The long icicle-shaped deposits of limestone and calcium carbonate glowed the same neon blue Lebadi recognized from her home.

"Oh…my goodness…"

Her eyes nearly popped out walking through another part of the interconnected cave system that felt like a warm cozy sauna filled with giant glow worms that wiggled their bioluminescence, illuminating the mural-sized paintings that depicted the life of the Talokanil.

"Is that you?" Lebadi asked, stopping in front of a mural where a young boy a floated above kneeling people. Namor nodded, and her eyes followed the story of the ascension of K'uk'ulkan to the throne of Talokan.

All sorts of creatures in stylized Mesoamerican images decorated wall after wall as she walked holding Namor's hand. Her eyes grew even wider realizing that her idea of cave-dwelling was vastly incorrect. Each cavern gave a palatial feel, and she could only speculate at the grandeur that Talokan must've been twelve thousand feet down below in the depths of the ocean. Whatever imaginings she held about perpetual darkness hiding from the surface world was erased.

A gust of cooler air wafted down in another connected tunnel and when her eyes adjusted to that section of the cave, she clearly saw the shapes of tall trees growing high above nearly reaching the opening at the top that let in the light of the moon. Attuma held up his lamp and Lebadi recognized the shapes of abundant fruit growing from the branches.

"Almost there," Namor said, squeezing her hand as they entered a new well-lit area that felt more like the vestibule of a grand manor.

Two female attendants wearing pale peach-colored dresses waited for them. One held a garment across her arms, and another held a small round cup made of jade. They lowered their heads to Namor. He took the cup and bid Lebadi to drink from it. The warm, sweet liquid had a slighty chalky aftertaste that reminded her of cocoa powder.

"This is what our women consume after having a newborn. It helps with the milk and gives the mother strength," Namor said.

The attendants led them to a majestic room with smooth polished walls decorated with exquisite blood-red shells and pictures depicting an extraordinary underwater city.

"Is that Talokan?" she asked.

"Yes. It is the capital city…and there, in that structure, is my throne room. Here, change into this and I will meet you right outside. They are going to summon Namora to bring Lewatle."

He kissed her cheek and left her holding the thin coral gown. Looking around the room she marveled at a low platform bed covered in a soft orange blanket. She pulled off the blue covering that she wore leaving only her panties on. The new dress went down to her ankles and supported her tender breasts well.

Namor returned.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you. Is this your bedroom?"

"Yes."

"It's lovely. Peaceful."

He held out his hand for her and she clasped it, eager to see their child.

They passed by shelving housing ancient books and rolled up maps on old faded yellow parchment. Another section held an unfinished mural and her wandering eye caught sight of something that halted her steps. It was a mural of an ancient map of the southern hemisphere and Wakanda was outlined in gold and vibranium. Namor pulled her along and the smell of seawater became pungent. The glow of cerulean blue water lapped at damp sand inside a vast room that appeared to be a comfortable living area circling the pool of hypnotic liquid. They stood together at the edge, and the water surface stirred. Namora emerged pushing a floating baby bassinet that rested under the water. Lebadi released Namor's hand and rushed into the pool, splashing water everywhere to get to her little one. She burst into tears lifting her daughter and allowed her body to sink down into the luxurious warmth, pulling away the top of her dress to feed Lewatle. The baby squirmed and then settled in her arms.

"Thank you…thank you!" Lebadi said, reaching for Namora's arm and holding it.

Lebadi could barely get her words out as relief spilled into her.

"She did well?" Lebadi asked.

Namora smiled and patted Lebadi's hand.

"She slept all the way," Namora said.

Namor jerked his head and the attendants walked into the pool moving the water bassinet near the edge and mooring it to the sand with heavy iridescent sea crystals. Namora slipped away and changed into dry clothing that matched the color of the attendants.

Lewatle fell asleep in Lebadi's arms and she rocked the baby until Namor approached her holding a small mask that resembled the ones all of the Talokan wore on the surface.

"Let me see if this fits her," Namor said.

He knelt down and slipped the breather over Lewatle's face. The baby fussed and shook her fists, but quickly settled back down, becoming accustomed to breathing in a strange way above the water.

"You can feed her in the water and bring her out when you are done. She will sleep here and everything you need will be brought to you. I will go down to Talokan and inform leading elders from far and wide that an heir has been born," he said.

"Will you take her down there?"

"Not yet. I want you both comfortable first."

"Do all of your people know about me?"

"Only the ones Namora brought to your boat two years ago."

"They will be angry…feel betrayed. You hate us. How can you have a child by an enemy?"

"You are Wakandan. I do not see you or your people in the same way as the others. Our people are too similar. I'll explain it to my elders and our nation. It will be easier to accept once they see my child. She is a reflection of me."

"Will you paint her on your walls?"

"Of course. I will paint you there too. It is possible that you and Lewatle can be a bridge of eternal peace between our nations one day. United by blood and understanding of who our real enemies are."

Namor helped her stand, and Lebadi accepted a small baby dress from an attendant to clothe Lewatle in. It finally turned somewhat normal to hold her baby on land freely.

Lewatle's eyes held Lebadi's gaze and she smothered the baby with kisses. Her daughter's smile from under the breather made her heart swell. She sang a Wakandan lullaby and rocked the baby while walking around the living area. Very little furniture was present, and the pieces that did decorate the space were simple and colorful: A few small tables holding statues of Yucatec Maya gods. A simple set of low stools surrounding a small hearth where a pot of food simmered over a low fire. Lebadi sat there for a moment to watch the bubbling mixture. Her thin dress dried quickly and the dampness against her skin evaporated.

Namora brought Namor a bowl of steaming fish stew from another cooking area beyond the hearth, and he shared it with Lebadi sitting on the other stool, feeding her with a wide scooped golden spoon, pampering her every need. The stew had lots of red pepper flakes and small, soft seeds with bright green slivers of onion that tasted sweet in the lightly salted broth. She didn't know what kind of fish she ate, but it was cut in thick flaky chunks.

Namor gave her a long piece of red cloth and Lebadi tied Lewatle to her back with it. She followed him around for another tour of his private respite away from his people. Old relics from the past dazzled her eyes and she became enthralled with the history lesson he gave her about his part of the world. When Lewatle whimpered from hunger again, she returned to the pool and Namora showed her how to clean the baby and pointed to where she could use the restroom herself. There was a bacteria the Talokanil placed in the water that fed off of the urine and feces from their waste release and Lebadi was happy to know that she would never have to worry about diaper cleaning. They gave her little cloth strips to put on Lewatle, and when they were soiled, the women dropped them into a closed off part of the cave away from the main body of water. The bacteria ate away the waste material and the diaper was pristine again in an hour or so.

Once Lebadi became weary from the feeding, Namor led her to his bedroom and held the baby. She crawled onto the soft cover and he snuggled next to her, adjusting Lewatle's breather making sure it was secure.

"Today was a long day for you both. Sleep. You are home now," he said.

Lebadi drifted off into bliss.

"Lebadi, the elders are coming."

Lebadi climbed down from a papaya tree. She shifted the netted fruit bag around her shoulder and faced the fearsome warrior woman.

"Do I look okay?"

"Teech ka wilik ma'alob," Namora affirmed in the positive.

Lebadi handed Namora her bag of cave fruit and smoothed back the new sleek twists she palm rolled her thick hair into. Her long orange over-the-shoulder dress was adorned with shells and beads that once belonged to Namor's mother. She scurried behind Namora through the twists and turns of the cavern, her sandaled feet slapping against the cave floor until she met Namor standing poolside.

Dressed in his full king's regalia with a feathered serpent crown, he held Lewatle in the crook of his arm swaddled in the colors of royalty. All she could see of the baby was a head full of glossy black curls that became thicker in texture after the three weeks they had been living there. Tiny gurgles came from behind her small breather and the bundle moved in Namor's arm as if the baby were anxious. Three attendants carefully smudged the air with hand-sized incense cones. Tendrils of smoke created a hazy yellow atmosphere with the cloying scent of purple sage and cinnamon.

"Stand behind me, Lebadi. I want them to see our child first," Namor said.

She did his bidding and watched the pool water churn as shadowy figures came into view below the surface. Lebadi leaned into Namor's back as thirteen mature-looking individuals climbed out of the water in full feathered headdresses dripping with ropes of vibranium jewelry draped around their blue arms and necks. Five men. Seven women. She recognized an individual that could've been non-binary that happened to be the eldest one standing in the center. Water dripped from their bodies but that didn't cool the flames of curiosity in their eyes as they peered down at the small wonder in Namor's arms.

"Lela' in waal," Namor said holding out the baby with pride in his tone.

Namora slinked over to Lebadi, and her presence helped relax the tight knot in her stomach.

"Bix u k'aaba'?" the non-binary elder asked.

"Lewatle," Namor answered.

He reached back for Lebadi's hand and pulled her forward.

"Lela' u na' in waal…Lebadi," he added.

The elder stepped forward and looked Lebadi square in the face. Their gaze came across intimate, as if they were trying to see into her soul. The attempt to assess what kind of person Lebadi represented ended as Lewatle gurgled in her father's arms, her fingers grasping at the air.

"You were willing to stay here and never see your home again?"

Lebadi tilted her head with surprise. The elder spoke fluent Wakandan.

"You know my language?"

"We know many languages," another male elder piped in from behind.

"These are the governors of the twelve cities of Talokan. Chacc is the vessel that holds our spiritual connection to our ancestors," Namor said, staring into the face of the non-binary elder with kind eyes.

Chacc glanced at Lewatle.

"May I?" Chacc asked, gesturing toward the baby.

Namor handed Lewatle over and Chacc cradled her against their chest with tender affection. They turned to the other elders who circled up to study Namor's heir.

"She is just like him," an elder woman said, her blue face lighting up with amazement.

They touched the webbing in her fingers and toes and lightly stroked the tiny wings on her ankles that made Lewatle bubble with laughter that echoed around them, forcing laughter from some of the other elders. The pointed tips of her ears completed their inspection.

"She is the color of the sacred ocean jasper," one of the elders said in awe.

Lebadi looked down at her child from over their shoulders. Lewatle's skin tone rested in the middle of her parents, a perfect blend of Black and Brown.

"Her name means 'Ocean' in Wakandan," Namor said.

"Why did you hide this from us?" Chacc asked.

"He didn't know about her…she was not planned. I tried to prevent anything like this from happening, but Bast and Mama Wati had other plans," Lebadi said.

"Bast and Mama Wati?"

"Those are her people's gods, Chacc. One of them saved our daughter. When she was born, the air above took her life. But it was returned because she is one of us," Namor said.

Chacc carried the baby over to Lebadi and bounced her gently in their arms.

"You are human and cannot live in our capitol. Lewatle will be raised Talokanil. Do you accept that? She will learn your mother tongue as well as ours, but she will never be Wakandan. Not the way you may like," Chacc said.

"I have accepted that she will live here, but you are wrong. She is Wakandan too. I will teach her about my people, and one day…maybe… she can see my world—"

"Never!"

A middle-aged looking male elder eased next to Chacc. His headdress was made of the long-spined sea urchin.

"Usukan, watch your tone with her. She will become my wife. Address her with the same respect as you do your K' uk'ulcan."

Usukan and the others jerked their heads to stare at him the same way Lebadi did.

"Forgive me…I am only pointing out the obvious. Lewatle can never interact with those people, K'uk'ulcan. The child is royalty, a deity in her own right. Blood of your blood. Flesh of your flesh. She bares all the markings of your lineage. This child belongs to Talokan."

Namor held up his arms and Chacc placed Lewatle back where she belonged. He turned to Lebadi and gave her their baby. The other elders lowered their heads, understanding without words that the child was hers too. Wakandan.

"I will tell the people in three days that I have an heir. You were summoned here to meet her first so that you may prepare all the cities for a celebration."

A small woman wearing a crown of sea stars, who refused to look at Lebadi from jump, raised up her voice.

"When will you marry the surface dweller?"

"Her name is Lebadi," Namora said.

The other elders gave the small woman and two other men who shared the same grim faces furtive looks of discomfort. No one wanted to anger Namor.

"Yes, Namora…Lebadi. I ask again, when shall this union happen, K'uk'ulkan?"

Namor took a step forward and glared at them all.

"When she tells me she is ready, I will tell you."

Chacc glanced at Lebadi.

"Is this something you would like to happen, Lebadi?" Chacc asked.

"We haven't talked about it. Right now, we're bonding as a family. But I love him," Lebadi said, ducking Namor's direct gaze and circling her toe in the sand. Her face became warm and her stomach shivered.

Chacc nodded and lowered their head. All of the elders held their hands up in their way of supplication.

"Líik'ik Talokan," they said in unison.

Namor pointed to Lewatle, and his eyes bore into the faces of the three elders who were less accepting. All of the elders lowered their heads again and repeated, "Líik'ik Talokan."

Namora lunged forward and pointed at the disgruntled elders.

"You will tell our people what you saw here and you will say her name with reverence. Our K'uk'ulkan has been alone for a long time. You may have wished for him to marry one of our women, but he fell in love with her, and she gave him a child who may bring him peace for himself. Do not be selfish and darken her name because you wanted him to unite with your daughter, Usukan…or yours Ixchel—"

"Namora," Namor cautioned.

Namora sauntered even closer to the trio she addressed.

"I will hold my tongue, K'uk'kulkan…but my spear will not be so obedient if I hear of any evil words spoken against my little cousin."

Namora returned to Namor's side and her entire body stayed coiled and ready. She locked eyes with Lebadi and nodded her head toward her. Lebadi felt sorry for anyone who crossed Lewatle's big cousin.

"You may leave now," Namor said in Talokan once more.

Chacc gave Lebadi a warm smile and followed the others back into the water where their skin turned back to the natural brown of their foremothers and forefathers.

"Do not worry, Lebadi. Chacc will set the others straight. They have seen that I have produced my likeness in female form. Lewatle will be exalted among our people," Namor said.

He stroked her cheek and palmed the curve of Lewatle's head. Lebadi walked into the water and lowered the top of her dress and removed the breather for the baby. It became a long feeding and she was able to think about her reception from the elders. She trusted what Namor said.

Namora swam up to her and watched her feed Lewatle.

"They will accept her," Namora said. "His word is law."

Namora checked for Namor who had taken off his crown and gone off to add more scenes to his growing mural.

"How long has he been alone, Namora?"

"Since my grandmother was a child. Our family is large, but he is the only one of his kind. Lewatle…she is important to him. I feel his love for her…so strong. I know he wants you to be his wife."

"This is all so fast. I'm still trying to get used to her."

"Do you truly love him?"

Namora's eyes were shiny. She tread in water up to her neck.

"I do."

"Then I ask that you marry him. He will cherish your life for as long as you live and he will have Lewatle by his side."

"Does he have grandchildren? Great Grandchildren?"

"No. His children were never able to have babies of their own. He lived with them in Talokan until they passed on, and then he moved here permanently. They were never like him…but Lewatle is. He sees a future that can be different. Being a ruler and nothing else is not good for him. I think…I think you and the baby are good for him."

"What about you? Do you want to have a family someday?"

Namora splashed water on her and swam backwards while laughing.

"Men fear me. I am a warrior. I protect Talokan and that is what I want."

"There isn't anyone you like in Talokan?"

"Oh, sure…many."

"And?"

Namora pushed water on her again wetting Lebadi gently. Lebadi let go of Lewatle to be with Namora and the warrior women twirled around slowly cradling the baby under the deeper end of the pool.

"She likes you a lot," Namor said.

Lebadi turned her head and Namor walked into the luxurious pool to sit next to her.

"To think she tried to kill me the first time she laid eyes on me. And now…look at her. She stays by my side every day watching over me and Lewatle," Lebadi said.

"We have many male relatives and very few female relatives her age. You are the closest to a sister she has."

Namor watched Namora play underwater. His mood had shifted to a relaxed state. The burden of revealing his daughter waned and he could finally shake the tension he carried in his body all morning.

"Will you marry me, Lebadi? Become my wife?" he asked.

He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it before rubbing small circles on her knuckles.

"I didn't think I could love another woman. Especially one from the world of my enemies. I heard your prayers in the ocean and you lured me to you. I became enchanted by your beauty and your grace. I don't know what kind of life I can give you here, but I will do my best to be a loving husband and father. I want you here with me. You can't go down to Talokan, but I can give you a taste of it here. You can draw, paint, and venture out from time to time when it is safe on the surface world. Look at her. See? Lewatle thrives. She will have a blessed life."

"What if you fall out of love with me?"

"That will never happen."

"What if I decide I want to go back home one day? Would you allow me to leave?"

"Leaving here means leaving Lewatle behind. I know you would never betray me and tell your people about my world. But if you left me, our child will remain in Talokan."

His tone was sharp and his eyes narrowed in that way of his when he wanted her to know how serious he was.

"If I marry you, would I become queen? How can a queen rule a world under the sea where she can never go?"

"The people will come to you."

"How? Squeeze them all in here?"

"Let me show you."

He helped her out of the water leaving Lewatle with Namora. Wandering through the connected caves, he took her to a route she was unfamiliar with that led down deeper into the earth.

"See?"

Namor left her standing among jagged rock formations as he flew down to a staged structure of carefully placed blocks of limestone that created a floating stage surrounded by beautiful azure water.

"As queen, our people will greet you here. I will place a great throne for you right there and our world will come alive for you to participate in important matters. We can be united here in front of thousands."

He flew back to her side.

"Give me time to think, Namor."

"I will not pressure you."

They returned to their living quarters and Namora had Lewatle tucked away in her water bassinet. A dark figure stirred in the water. The bones of a hammerhead shark came into view before the rest of the looming figure of Attuma broke the surface. He carried a small shark figure carved out of smooth soapstone. Attuma looked at Lebadi and then pointed at the baby.

"Go ahead," Lebadi said.

The giant man moved next to the bassinet and looked down at the baby. Namora watched him and smirked.

"Let him hold her," Namor said to Namora.

Namora placed the breather over the baby's face and lifted Lewatle who only wore a diaper cloth. She held her out for Attuma to take. He placed the soapstone figure inside the baby bed and picked up Lewatle who became a tiny doll in his massive hands. Attuma stood awkwardly as the baby squirmed and let out squeals of delight. Namora swam away from him and Attuma looked around the quarters with panic in his eyes.

"He's held babies before, but because this is my child he's nervous," Namor said chuckling afterward.

Lewatle stopped moving and stared up into the man's face.

"That is your cousin Attuma," Namor said.

Attuma raised the baby higher and closer to his face. Lewatle waved her arms and touched Attuma's mask.

"Leti' ki'ichpam…"

"Yes, she is beautiful, Attuma," Namor said.

Attuma stood for awhile, staring at the baby until he tucked her in his arm and rocked her, showing off the gift he brought for Lewatle to touch.

Attendants notified Namor and Lebadi that it was time for them to eat. Attuma put Lewatle back into her bed and Namora followed him under the water leaving Namor's realm on the surface.

Lebadi and Namor sat across from each other and he talked about growing more squash and beans in his cave garden. He ate food from the sea like his people, but he enjoyed eating the foods of his mother when she had once been human. The man was a verbose storyteller and she listened with avid ears. He asked her to share more about herself that he had missed while they had been apart. She spoke of her work, loneliness, and feeling out of place in her own homeland when he left her. Namor became quiet then. She reached across their plates of fried corn, black beans, and grilled squash and patted his hand.

"I understand why you chose your people," she said. "All those elders showed me that you are needed. Being selfish about us was out of my love for you. I wanted us to be together and losing you ripped my heart apart."

Namor reached a hand over and thumbed a tear away from her eye.

"I'm happy here. You spoil me and Lewatle. There is so much to do and explore within these caves. I have the houseboat and I will cherish my memories of Wakanda…"

Namor's face softened and he held her hands on the table.

"I will marry you," she said.

He squeezed her hands and his smile shined brighter than the jewels around his neck. A splash from the baby bed alerted them that Lewatle wanted attention. Namor strode across the room and pulled off his robes until he was stripped down to his green swim shorts. Lebadi peeled off her dress to her underwear and padded over topless, fitting her breather over her face. She dove under the pool water and joined Namor with their daughter.

Eight months into her new life, an alarm was sounded inside Namor's private abode.

Namora woke them up in their bed speaking the Talokan language so fast that Lebadi couldn't translate fast enough. She grabbed a covering and rushed out to Lewatle's bed where two women looked after the baby during the night.

Attuma and Namora stood at attention dressed in their battle regalia with four other male and female warriors. A gruff-looking soldier in a leadership position approached Namor with a solemn expression. Lebadi recognized him from private talks with Namor. His second-in-command of the Talokan army. Yaluk.

"K'uk'ulkan, the Wakandan military are moving in our territory in the north Atlantic," Yaluk said.

"What are they doing? Surveillance?"

"We don't know, but they have moved in several positions off the coast of Brazil, and the Caribbean territories. They have one aircraft that has entered the sea near the vortex that leads to Sayyil. We have a pod dispatched there to watch them. The vessel floats in one place…as if it were hiding."

Another soldier rose up from the pool of water in a rush. His voice sounded agitated.

"The king of Wakanda is on his way to the Sayyil territory!"

Namor went to a corner of the cave and brought out his spear.

"We will go see what the Wakandan king is up to," Namor said.

"Namor?" Lebadi said.

She held Lewatle against her chest. At eight months the girl was chunky and active, wiggling in her mother's arms.

"This is not war if there's no overt provocation. I want to see why he's there. Your King T'Chaka will need to stay away from our waters to avoid my army," Namor said.

He kissed Lewatle's forehead and nuzzled Lebadi's cheek. She knew not to ask how long he would be gone. There were global threats to their discovery at a more brisk pace. Especially among the western powers. Too many were testing nuclear weapons, polluting the oceans with chemical waste and human trash. Namor was adamant about killing his enemies from other countries on sight. He told her several times that Wakanda was a special case, but the fierceness he carried out with him when he passed by her made Lebadi doubt he would be civil if King T'Chaka acted rash. This left her torn with her allegiance. Perhaps she could be the voice of reason if something went awry with her former king. She was still Wakandan after all, even though she was married to the Talokan king.

Lewatle wiggled so much in her arms that Lebadi finally put her down. The baby crawled toward the pool trying to catch up with her father. Their attendants blocked the baby's path and Lewatle sat back on her rump and cried, her mask making her voice sound strangled in pain.

"Shhh..shhh…it's okay my precious little one. Yuum will be back in no time. Don't cry, Na' is here, I'm here…"

Lewatle cried and pointed to the water.

"Yuum!" Lewatle wailed.

Lebadi took the baby to the water and removed her mask so she wouldn't get frustrated and pull off her breather in a distraught fit. The water cooled down her angst and Lebadi walked around the pool with her daughter snug against her chest listening to her mother's heartbeat.

"Such a good girl, Lewatle. Yuum will come back home soon, don't you worry."

Once the baby calmed down, Lebadi returned her breather and walked out of the pool. She strolled the grounds of the caves and pointed out particular images on the murals.

"That's you! Yuum painted you so pretty."

Lewatle mumbled her baby talk and snuggled her head against Lebadi's neck.

"Look how handsome your father looks next to me. See? I'm wearing my wedding dress…and look there… see all the Talokanil that came to see us wed in the grand hall? One day if you want to get married to someone, you can wear my dress. I hope you will have a wedding in the same place as me, because Na' can't go down to Talokan in the palace."

"Up!" Lewatle said, raising her hand up above her head.

"Up?" Lebadi said in Talokan and Wakandan playing with her daughter's bilingual learning.

"Up, Na'! Up!"

Lebadi sighed. Her daughter wanted to go to the cave garden where she could watch for her father fly down from his journeys out into the world from the opening in the roof.

"Up! Up!" Lewatle insisted.

Lebadi took her child where she wanted to go and they stared up high above the tall fruit trees and gazed at the starlight filtering down in the semi-darkness. She rocked the baby on her hip and whispered sweet words in her ear, praying to Bast that Namor would remain cool, calm, and collected over the Atlantic. He ripped apart a foreign naval ship on previous trip away. Lebadi didn't know how many dead floated in ocean graves because of him over the centuries. She kept quiet about it. Namor was deadly and kept his killing business away from her.

For two days she walked and rocked Lewatle, wishing she could swim up to the surface and wait for her husband on the houseboat. A messenger sought out an audience with her in the grand hall waters, and she sat on her custom shark throne listening to the young woman fresh from the sea giving word that Namor would arrive soon.

"What became of his meeting with King T'Chaka?" Lebadi asked.

The messenger, Hun-Nal-Ye, fingered the shark-tooth necklace around her neck. Her flawless blue skin had dark moon-sliver scarring around the sides of her temples denoting her status as a citizen protector of Talokan. Her hair hung in long wet wavy strands past her shoulders and she held a small jade manta ray, a talisman Namor used to prove that his messenger's words were directly from him.

"K' uk' ulkan has rendered a treaty with the king of Wakanda. There will be peace between our nations," Hun-Nal-Ye said lowering her head.

Lebadi's favorite attendant, Tepeu took the talisman from Hun-Nal-Ye's hand and gave it to her. She palmed it and placed it inside the top of her dress against her heart.

"Thank you, Hun-Nal-Ye. You may leave."

Hun-Nal-Ye nodded and dove back into the water. Lebadi stood up and breathed deeply.

"Please tell El-Cuaj to dress Lewatle for her father and meet me in the cave garden," Lebadi said.

Tepeu lowered her head and left the grand hall.

Lebadi meandered her way toward the cave garden, patting her heart to feel the manta ray talisman pressed against her skin. Touching her hair, she fluffed out a puffy cloud adorned with cowrie shells and gold trinkets. Her royal indigo dress billowed behind her as she walked.

Sunlight illuminated dust motes high above her head, and the warmth teased her bare arms and face.

"Na'!"

Lewatle's voice broke Lebadi's reverie with nature.

"Let her crawl to me," Lebadi instructed El-Cuaj.

The attendant placed the baby on the soft earth and Lebadi sat down eight feet away from her.

"Come," Lebadi said in Wakandan and Talokanil.

Lewatle hustled her knees and hands, scurrying toward her mother. When she reached Lebadi, the baby used her hands to pull herself up on her feet with a wobbly balance. Lebadi touched the ankle wings that looked inflamed at the calmus root. There were traces of a sea-made poultice that the nanny El-Cuaj used to sooth the pain for the baby. Much like a new baby tooth, Lewatle's wings were growing and became a slight discomfort for the little one.

"Yuum, up! Na'…hmmm…." Lewatle murmured.

Lewatle's head tilted back instinctively knowing that her father would come down from the tiny bit of visible sky. Lebadi looked up too, awaiting a glimpse of Namor. The baby babbled and cooed and Lebadi entertained her daughter by holding her upper body to help strengthen her chubby legs.

A shadow loomed above them and Lebadi grinned.

"It's Yuum!" Lebadi said.

Lewatle looked up and Namor floated down from the top, hovering over seventy feet above them. Lebadi started pointing to him and gasped when Lewatle released her hold on Lebadi's arms and flew up six feet, her baby wings whirring like her father's.

"Oh Bast!" Lebadi squeaked, jumping to her feet and grabbing for her daughter's toes.

Lewatle's flight was wonky and off-kilter, but she held her arms high above her head, kicking her little feet trying to steer her trajectory. Like a bumble bee drunk from too much nectar, the baby zig-zagged in the air and Lebadi became frightened that she would fall and break bones. Namor dropped down quickly and wrapped his arms around his daughter.

"You miss Yuum that much?" he teased, kissing Lewatle's forehead.

Lewatle only squealed and babbled away.

"My queen," Namor said.

He landed softly by Lebadi's side and hugged her with one arm. She kissed his lips and rubbed her hand over his hair that held the warmth of the full sun that she missed for the days he was absent.

"I wasn't expecting her to do that so soon," Lebadi said.

"I started flying at this age. My mother had to tie a piece of rope around my waist to keep me near her when she harvested fruit on land."

"We should do that."

"Only when I am not around. I can catch her once she gets stronger and better."

"I'm so glad you're home safe. Hun-Nal-Ye told me it all went well."

"I don't know what King T'Chaka's true intentions are on the surface world, but we have an agreement about the sea. He will avoid encroaching in that area for their spying. Flying over it is not an issue. Going into the sea near there again will be seen as a threat by me. I will destroy any submersibles or lingering ships."

Lebadi listened and then closed her eyes to feel the sun again. Her stomach dropped as she felt Namor whisk her in his free arm and fly them all to the hole in the cave sky. They landed near the ledge of the tall hill surrounded by foliage down below. The sun danced on all their skin and Lebadi drew in a deep breath of fresh air. They were far from the snake mouth entrance of their underground dwelling, and isolated from humans who could never get through the dense canopy or the brush hiding them from the Talokan world.

Across the horizon, Lebadi studied the sea and thought of her family. The last of her vid messages had gone out the month before, and she was sure there would be a search for her. She debated about going to the houseboat and sending a final message telling them the truth. That she had run away with the love of her life and had a baby.

She fought back tears thinking of her parents worrying that she was dead in Wakanda somewhere. Her own people would consider her a traitor for falling in love with a mutant foreigner if they knew the fantastic reality she lived in. Another civilization had to hide their true selves and their powerful vibranium resource. Lebadi buried those thoughts in her heart, tucked them for back into a hidden place that she would never open again. She was now a Queen Mother and deeply in love with her husband and child. A time for mourning Wakanda had to end. She had made her choice the moment she floated into the sea with Lewatle filling up her belly.

On top of the hidden hill, Lebadi gave a final prayer to the sea's horizon, asking Mama Wati and her ancestors to comfort her family. She watched her loving husband play with their flying baby, enjoying the sight of Lewatle floating her chubby brown body above her father's outstretched hands. The wings on her feet buzzed and she flailed her arms in excitement. The reality of her daughter flying before walking made Lebadi laugh and she glanced at her husband once more. The joy on Namor's face and the precious squeals of happiness from Lewatle was worth the sacrifice of leaving Wakanda. Forever.

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[circle-with-me]

‘tis the damn season - part 2

Pairing: Will Ramos x OFC (Genevieve/Viv/Vivvy)

Content Warning: 18+ MINORS DNI, angst, hurt - no comfort, brief mentions of child abuse, panic attacks, mentions of death/dying, brief mentions of violence/threats of violence, Will Ramos is stubborn as hell.

Word Count: 3.3k

Taglist: @concretenoah @deathblacksmoke @midnight-eternals @bngurngheart @malice-ov-mercy @witchyweeb34 @lyschko666 @cookiesupplier @lilrubles @meekahy

If you would like to be added to my tag list for this series or my other work, please click here.

Author’s note: There’s a lot more Will in this part and I promise there will be even more in future parts. Also, this one is probably going to hurt because it hurt me while I wrote it. Soooo…. Sorry 😬 Enjoy 😊

Will’s POV

The snow crunches beneath Will’s feet as he heads towards the cafe. That morning, he woke up with a sore throat and decided he’d grab some hot tea before practice that morning. He couldn’t afford to lose his voice now. Lorna was going on tour next month and they had a lot of kinks to work out with their set.

Leaving the cafe, Will heads in the direction of the warehouse. Traffic in front of the cafe was absurd. He could walk down the opposite way to a slower intersection, cut across and then walk back up. The only problem was that it would take him past the park.

He avoided the park as much as he could

“Man, it’s been eight years. Get over it.” he says out loud to himself.

As he walks past the park, he sees the gazebo. There was a light dusting of snow on the roof and the stairs. Christmas garlands were attached to each railing. Icicle lights were hanging from the top railings and Christmas wreaths were adorning each post.

It looked like something out of a Christmas card.

Will walks up the steps and stands in the middle of the structure. He couldn’t remember the last time he had come here. It looked the same but had a fresh coat of paint. A moment of panic sets in as he sets his tea down and steps onto the railing. Hoisting himself up he stands on his tiptoes to look into the rafters.

The entirety of the area had been painted white. Fuck, where is it? He couldn’t see it. It had been forever but he knew it was on this side. He couldn’t see it. His heart sank. It was gone. He started to lower himself down but something caught his eye off to the side. A faint etching into the wood that he would have missed if he hadn’t turned just so.

“W <3’s V 4eva”

Will let out the breath he was holding; a sharp pain shooting through his chest. It was a pain he hadn’t felt in a long time. The feeling struck him so hard it made his knees weak and he had to hold on to the post next to him to keep from falling off the railing.

It should have been a meaningless little thing. He had made that mark when he was a teenager, barely sixteen. Thirteen years later and he can still remember every moment of that day. How she smelled of cinnamon and cherries. The way her dark red hair fell in waves and would get tangled in the buttons of her coat. How red her nose and cheeks got from the cold. Her green eyes sparkling as she looked at the Christmas lights.

God dammit, he hated this time of year.

Will arrives at the warehouse to see Moke and Austin standing outside.

“Get here when you can, brother.” Moke exclaims, grinning.

“Fuck are you talking about, dude? I’m early as always.” Will responds.

“Practice was supposed to start 20 minutes ago, dumbass.” Austin pipes in.

Will checks his phone and he in fact was not early at all. His detour took a little longer than he thought. He looks up sheepishly and both guys burst out laughing.

“Sorry, guys.”

Adam slaps him on the back. “Don’t worry about it, man. Adam and Andrew are inside arguing about guitar stuff.”

“That’s why we’re out here.” Moke adds. “If I had to hear them fight like an old married couple for one more second I was going to shove Archey’s drumsticks in my ears.”

Will laughs loudly as they dramatically act out the guitarists argument.

Initially, he doesn’t see the woman with long dark red hair pass by but he notices her stop suddenly. For a split second he figures that she’s lost but then it hits him. The scent of cinnamon and cherries.

The scent is all-consuming. It fills his nostrils and in a millisecond seven years of memories flash before his eyes. She turns around slowly, making eye contact with him and he’s sure he’s fucking dreaming because it can’t be her.

“Shit.” he hears her say and that’s her voice. How is she here? Why is she here? After all this time..

He calls after her and she doesn’t stop. In fact, she picks up her pace. So, he takes off after her.

“Will! Where the fuck are you going?” Austin yells at his friend as he takes off running but it was no use. Will was on a mission.

Will continues to call after her and she refuses to stop. He feels dizzy, nauseated, and desperate because if he can just get a hand on her. Just touch her so he can know she’s real and he’s not crazy.

“Goddammit, Genevieve, stop!” Finally catching up with her, he grabs her by the arm and spins her around to face him.

They stare at each other for what seems like an eternity. He wonders what’s going through her mind. He can’t seem to gather his thoughts because he’s still trying to grasp onto the fact that she’s actually here in front of him.

Somehow, she was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her.

The last time he saw her.

Will recalls the moment she left and the shooting pain in his chest returns. Anger rushes through him and without thinking, his grip on her arm tightens. Tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes and she shifts uncomfortably. Realization settles in and he lets go, internally chastising himself. It doesn’t matter how long she’s been gone. He knows better.

He glances at her again and even though the tears are still there he can tell she’s not panicking anymore. Her tears are for an entirely different reason. The moment is so overwhelming he can nearly feel his own forming but being the stubborn man that he is, he blinks them away. Will is not going to give her the satisfaction of thinking she still has that much of an effect on him.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” she states matter-of-factly.

Will laughs humorlessly. “Seriously? After all these years, that’s all I get?”

Gen narrows her eyes and folds her arms across her chest.

“Right, because ‘what the fuck are you doing here?’ is so much better?”

“I think I have every right to be frustrated, Viv.”

“Don’t call me that.” she says firmly.

Will raises his eyebrows. “And what exactly am I supposed to call you?”

“If it’s all the same to you, Will, I’d prefer it if we just didn’t interact at all. I’m only here because I wasn’t given a choice and I plan to leave as soon as possible.”

A mixture of anger and desperation rises in him again. He wasn’t expecting her to jump into his arms but he didn’t think she’d blow him off like this. He needed something. More than this. He didn’t know how she could just pretend like this moment meant nothing to her when it meant everything to him.

Would he actually admit to that, though? Of course not.

He laughs and shakes his head. “Always in such a hurry to leave. Of course, I'm not surprised. It’s your favorite thing to do.”

This time, Gen laughs, but it’s the coldest laugh Will has ever heard. She steps closer to him and their faces are so close they are almost touching. Her perfume fills his nostrils again and he wishes he could start their conversation over. Tell her he was sorry for everything and kiss her breathless but it was too late. He ruined everything, once again.

All because of his goddamn pride.

“As much as I would love to stand here all day and rehash old wounds, Ramos, I have better things to do. Like bury my piece of shit father, for starters.”

Will doesn’t even get a chance to speak before she’s walking away from him. She never looks back at him for a moment but he watches her until her figure disappears.

Gen’s POV

Gen walks until the tears falling down her face begin to burn and her lungs start to hurt from the cold air. She was two blocks from the lawyer’s office but she couldn’t move anymore. She stops and sits on a bench in front of a random store in an attempt to collect herself.

She scrubs her shaking hands over her face and tries to control her breathing. She’s barely been back home for a few hours and she already ran into him. She hated being from such a small town.

“Always in such a hurry to leave… it’s your favorite thing to do.”

Will’s voice echoes on repeat in her mind until her head begins to pound. He knows damn well why I left. Gen thinks to herself. Who the fuck is he to throw that in my face?

Through the years she must have rehearsed their first conversation upon reuniting a hundred times. It was never something she expected to actually happen, but she was always preparing for shit like that. She knew it would be overwhelming and emotional but when she imagined it, she always handled it in a calm and practical manner.

Clearly, it’s much different when the person who broke your heart is standing right in front of you. It didn’t stop her from regretting the way she reacted. The way he grabbed her and the emotional whiplash from their sudden reunion had her adrenaline pumping. Agitation and being defensive were her go-to responses.

Gen knew that he didn’t intend to grab her like that. He knew better. It was embarrassing that it still affected her the way that it did.

Gen sighs shakily and checks her phone. She had five minutes to be at Mr. Shaw’s office. Her pity party would have to wait until later.

“Ms. Castillo, I’m Nathan Shaw. Thank you so much for coming in on such short notice.” The man extends his hand to Gen and she accepts it. He was younger than she expected, late thirties at the oldest. His dirty blonde hair was slicked back and his eyes were a piercing blue. When he flashes a smile at her, she concludes that feature alone wins a lot of his cases.

“It’s Taylor, actually. I told your secretary that on the phone yesterday. Anna, I believe?”

He glances down at the paper. “Oh, yes! She’s written it right here. My apologies, Ms. Taylor. Or is it Mrs?”

Gen has to bite back a laugh. “No, sir. It’s definitely still Ms.” She holds up her left hand to show him her bare ring finger.

Mr. Shaw smiles softly. “Very good, Ms. Taylor.”

She shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “If you don’t mind. How did you find me? My father and I haven’t spoken in years.”

“He had your phone number and address listed for us to call in the event of his death.”

Gen pauses for a moment, unsure how she feels that he actually had her address this whole time. “It’s just that… I changed my name and my contact information years ago, so that he couldn’t find me. I just don’t understand how he even had that information to give to you.”

Mr. Shaw looks at her over his glasses, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. He flips back to the front page of the packet in front of him and turns it around to where Gen can look at it. She scoots up to the end of her chair to get a better look as he points to a particular paragraph.

I, Gabriel Fernando Castillo, am a widower. I was married to Margaret Anaïs Taylor Castillo on September 13, 1993, who died on August 9, 2007. We had one child, Genevieve Gabriela Castillo, who was born on August 11, 1994.

Genevieve Gabriela Castillo. Her eyes read the one line over and over again. God, she despises that name.

“What are you showing me this for, Mr. Shaw?” she asks, pointedly.

An amused look spreads across his face. “Ms. Taylor, with all due respect, if you wanted to change your name so your father couldn’t find you.” He pauses for a moment, considering his next statement carefully. “Your mother’s maiden name maybe wasn’t the best choice.”

Three hours, one panic attack, and a lot of kleenex later, Gen’s appointment with Nathan Shaw was finished.

Gabriel left her everything. His house. His car. An oddly large sum of money that was left in his bank accounts that she didn’t dare question its origin. Before she changed her name and number for good, he had called her relentlessly asking for money. No doubt having drunk it all up.

According to Mr. Shaw, that was what killed him. His liver failed and he chose to waste away at home instead of in the hospital waiting for an organ transplant. Mr. Shaw warned her that the house wasn’t in the best shape since he spent the last several months bedridden and would rarely let anyone in. He assured her, however, that “the mess” from his death had been cleaned up so she wouldn’t have to worry about that.

Oh, right. If it wasn’t enough for her to inherit her childhood home that held enough traumatic memories for a lifetime, it’s now potentially haunted by the ghost of her father? Nope. Nothing to worry about at all. She didn’t even believe in ghosts, but if anyone would come back to haunt her, that fucker would.

Considering her options, she decided to sell the house and the car. They were of no use to her. The money in Gabriel’s accounts would go towards whatever repairs were needed to make the house sellable and the rest she’d donate to charity.

Gen didn’t need him or his money. Dead or not she sure as hell wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of thinking she did.

So, now, it would appear that her whirlwind trip home would be much longer than anticipated. The realization of which caused her panic attack. Mr. Shaw’s sweet secretary, Anna, came rushing in his office with kleenex and water to help. Once she calmed down, Gen told Anna whatever Mr. Shaw was paying her wasn’t enough. Anna just smiled sweetly and headed back to her desk.

Another hour and a half later, the funeral arrangements had been made. The visitation would be Sunday at noon with the funeral immediately afterwards. A four hour affair where Gen would have to smile and pretend to care as people she hadn’t seen in years told her how wonderful her father was and how they can’t believe she’s been gone so long.

She felt nauseous already.

She took a deep breath, cracking her neck and massaging her jaw in an attempt to ease the tension from the day. She was in desperate need of food and a shower. She decided to head to her hotel, order takeout, and call it a night. She couldn’t bring herself to go to Gabriel’s house tonight. She would go tomorrow when she was rested and her head was clear.

As Gen laid in bed, she reflected on her day. Now that it was over, it all felt like a fever dream. She thought of Will’s face. The way it shifted from frustration to guilt when she told him why she was there. She had called him Ramos. She only called him that when she was mad and he hated it. She knew that, though, and said it on purpose.

She did it for the exact same reason he took a jab at her for leaving. There’s an ache in her. An ache caused by all the years of pain from her mother dying, her father drinking to cope with the loss and the abuse that followed afterwards. Will became her escape. He was always there to protect and comfort her.

One night, Will nearly beat her father unconscious after he had broken Gen’s ribs again for not cleaning the dishes the way he liked them. He was only seventeen at the time. Gabriel was an asshole, but he wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t going to put himself at risk of an investigation, so he didn’t say anything. After that night, the physical abuse stopped but the psychological abuse became worse. Will promised Gen that as soon as she turned eighteen, he was moving her in with him.

The day of her eighteenth birthday, Will moved her into his apartment. He had saved for months and managed to get one just a few weeks before her birthday. It was small and they barely had any furniture, but she didn’t care. Gabriel tracked her down and tried causing a scene but Will told him if he came near her or touched her again he’d make sure he didn’t wake up that time.

Gen was finally able to heal. She felt safe and secure at home for the first time in five years. They were both working and making enough to pay their bills with a little extra. She started college. For once, everything was going well.

The only problem was that she hated Westwood. It was too small for her and despite the memories she made with Will, it was filled with too many bad ones. She wanted out. She had a degree and had developed a strong skill set in music as an audio technician at the small recording studio she worked at and wanted to pursue a career as a recording engineer.

The owner of the studio had connections all over the country and was able to get her a job in New York. Gen was ecstatic and ran home to Will to tell him the good news. He had been supportive of her dream and told her he’d go anywhere for her.

However, when she told him it was finally happening, his face dropped. A silence fell between them that she had never experienced in all of the years they had been together. He stood from his seat on the couch, looked at her firmly, and told her no.

No? What did he mean “no”?

He meant no. She wasn’t going. He wasn’t going. They weren’t going.

Will’s reason was that she could do the same job in New Jersey that she could in New York. She argued that, while true, New York would give her a lot more opportunities to work with different artists and producers. Not to mention a lot more money.

He continued to refuse. Telling Gen it was a waste of time and attempting to educate her on how expensive New York is but it just came out as condescending. She explained how much extra she would be making and it may be hard at first but it would be worth it in the end.

When that didn’t work, he tried to explain that he had finally become comfortable with his band and didn’t want to mess that up by leaving. He also mentioned his family was in Westwood and they couldn’t just abandon them. She called him selfish and pointed out that New York was less than two hours by train. Not across the fucking country.

Gen was distraught and confused. Where was this coming from? This was not the Will she had known for so long. He had never tried to hold her back or tell her she couldn’t do anything. If she didn’t know any better, he almost seemed desperate to keep her in Westwood with him. But why?

After hours of arguing, he became silent again. He stood in front of the glass door that led out to their patio and just stared into the darkness. After what seemed like forever, he raked his hand through his curls and exhaled harshly like he had to prepare himself for what he was about to say.

“I love you, Vivvy… but you’re not going to make it in New York. You’re good at what you do but they’ll eat you alive up there. You’re not going and that’s final.”

Part Three

[simsphere]

The Midnight Manuscript Café - CC Build

Welcome to The Midnight Manuscript, a dark academia themed café and the perfect study spot ☕🕰️🍂

My obsession with dark academia continues - I just had to make a cosy, moody study spot for my sims and I love how it turned out!

DETAILS AND DOWNLOAD BELOW THE CUT

Size: 30x20

Type: Cafe (including an unfurnished apartment above for live in businesses)

Placed: Windenburg

Packs Used: Discover University, Seasons, Get Together, Dine Out

——————————————————————————

🚨IMPORTANT BEFORE DOWNLOADING 🚨

Place CC items in your "mods" folder, and the tray files in your "tray" folder

Ensure "show custom content" is ENABLED when searching in your library

Turn on bb.moveobjects before placing

If anything is missing or doesn't work please don't hesitate to message me :)

Download: Google Drive CC list here - thank you to all the amazing creators <3 @felixandresims @charlypancakes @harrie-cc @pierisim @syboubou @taurusdesign @kiwisim4 @lovefooly-sims @awingedllama

[chokherbalii]

kdramas i watched this month and what i think about them :

• hometown cha cha cha : this drama deserves a 5/5 rating for acting, plot, cinematography, script. this is a wonderful, comfort watch. you just cannot have enough of it in one watch. you NEED to rewatch it. (other dramas like this : i'll go to you when the weather is fine, soundtrack #1, welcome to samdalri, midnight romance in hagwon)

• taxi driver 1 : my friend suggested this to me. i love this. first of all let me talk about the female leads. OHMYGOD. this is basically about a taxi organisation who are also a secret organisation to fight crimes. i love the concept. (other dramas to watch if you liked this : a shop for killers, extraordinary attorney woo, wonderful world)

• see you in my 19th life : bro this drama had so much potential but idrk i'd give it a 3/5 maybe for the plot. i loved the acting. but the plot literally had so much potential to be better but it just felt off. (other dramas to watch if you liked this : a time called you, twinkling watermelon, 18 again, seasons of blossom, good day to be a dog, born again, goblin, midnight photo studio, destined with you, while you were sleeping)

• escape of the 7 + resurrection : kim soon-ok (writer) and joo dong-min (dir) slayed as always. like bro i literally felt so empty after watching penthouse. i HAD to watch this. the best thing i love about penthouse and this series is how the portray the characters. they're neither good nor bad. and i love how in the end they choose the ‘good’ side of them. plus, the plot twists had me dying. (other dramas like this : penthouse : war in life, pandora : beneath the paradise, lies hidden in your garden, mouse, born evil, cafe minamdang)

• born again : this drama is an absolute masterpiece. but. yes, BUT. the direction and cinematography was so weak like some of the scenes didn't even make sense. 5/5 for acting, plot. but the script could have been better. i mean honestly the plot is amazing. JUST AMAZING. there hasn't ever been anything like this drama. the actors absolutely devored but the direction bro. it was so ehe :(

• the atypical family : i started watching this because like it was being really popular in social media but i ended up binging it. it was amazing. like so good. this literally tells us why we DON'T need superpowers. like the concept of psychological disorders linked with their superpowers were really an amazing idea.

• hierarchy : wt actual fvck was this??? because i had SO MUCH hopes and excitement for this drama and it ended up being what — a 2/5? maybe. i liked the acting, but it wasn't a mystery drama at all. it was TOO westernised and it was just bland. just straight up bland. like bro a mystery/thriller set in highschool has so much potential to be good. eg : the pyramid game. IT WAS JUST A GOD DAMN MASTERPIECE.

• heartbeat : my blood boils everytime i remember this drama is literally THE MOST underrated drama of all time. if you need a good cry please watch it. it was just — WOW. like wow. i am literally at loss of words. idk. from the starting to the ending it was just WOW.

• midnight romance in hagwon : it is currently an ongoing drama. anyway, this is like one of those comfort dramas one goes to rewatch everytime they're down. it is just so cozy, and cute and amazing. i love it <3

• mouse : this. THIS. this altered my brain chemistry. dude wth was this????? this was just on another level. like after penthouse and escape of the 7, this is something one should definitely watch to fill the void in their heart. i cried so much bro this was so sad, and engaging and sometimes funny at the same time. i went through all the five stages of grief while watching it.

• highschool return of a gangster : this drama was STRAIGHTWASHED. ofc. why would they even show representation???? anyway i watched it because i loved the first episode but i hated the ending man. i hated it.

• hansel and gretel (movie) : literally deserves all the awards. you know what i mean. 5/5 for everything.

• destined with you : started watching it yesterday and im already halfway through. i love this bro. it is so funny ohmygod. and i absolutely love past lives and reincarnation tropes so this is a win-win!!

+ some jmovies i watched :

• monster : ion think i need to say something about this.

• re/member : loved this. 5/5 for everything. i loved the plot, especially how ‘loneliness brings people together to fight against the evil - which is literally their own loneliness’. i wish there was a part 2 of this movie tbh.

• the forbidden play : this shit messed with my head so bad, i literally had nightmares and couldn't sleep. no because this was horrendous. literally wtf???

[theindependenttrentcrimm]

✨Finals for People w ADHD and Chronic pain

Hello, hello fellow phys and mental disabled people. This should be able to apply to a lot of people outside of those w chronic pain and ADHD but as those are two of things I struggle the most with, I wanted to be specific. It’s finals season! Yikes! Some of the things that I use to make sure that I’m getting my work done:

The pomodoro technique

the thing that I love about this one is that you can totally adjust it to your needs. Can only focus for 5 minutes before you need a break? Great- do 5 minutes of work and take a break for 2.5 minutes. You need longer stretches to focus? Great do 50 minutes of work and then take a 10-15 minutes break. Make it work for you!

On these breaks, check in with yourself. What hurts? When was the last time you went to the bathroom? Did you drink any water today? Do some stretches- especially those of us with chronic pain in our finger joints and hands. Do you need to stand up? Has sitting been hurting your back? Get a snack. Use this breaks to recharge

2. Body doubling!

if you don’t have a buddy to study with, look up study with me on YouTube. I highly recommend Angela V’s channel. Helped me get a lot of work done in high school. if neither of these work, go to a cafe or a library or other study space with people. If you see other people are working, you’re more likely to work

3. Make a list of things that ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO be done today

no, not a priority list. Those don’t work (at least for me). I make a list of what is due at midnight that day and then only set out to accomplish those tasks. 4. Recognize when you’re done

sometimes the executive dysfunction or pain hits and you simply cannot get anything done for the rest of the day. Stop there (if you can). Trying to push through this will only impact your ability to get things done for tomorrow. When you hit this point, do something that helps you relax. Watch a movie or do something creative or go outside or make yourself a hot drink or take a bath or talk to a friend. Try to accept that you can’t do anything for the rest of the day. Give yourself grace

5. Take pain meds before it starts hurting

if you know that staring at screens gives you a migraine or typing or sitting for too long cause chronic pain flare ups, take the meds ahead of your study session. There is no reason to be in pain on top of the already excruciating ordeal of getting through your studying and homework. If you get dehydration headaches, keep a glass of water readily available.

6. Try to have everything at ‘point of performance’

try to have everything right on your desk or in your study area. This helps both with not moving too much while you’re studying and with limiting distractions when you get up to find things. THIS INCLUDES CHARGERS (mostly a reminder for me, my phone is dead right now)

7. If all of this fails, that’s okay!

you’re disabled. it is not your fault if your brain and body are fighting you. it’s absolutely exhausting and even just today I decided that I’m not doing an assignment because I can get a decent grade without it and I need the energy that I would’ve put into that assignment to put into another more weighted assignment

[bioskoop]

[inkluvs]

・❥・croissant — games !! (cym, would u rather, this or that)

cym as your favorite albums!!

okay i love this

stick season, noah kahan — @livingintheupsidedown

wasteland, baby! — @meredarling

midnights — youu <3

minor — @headkiss

ivy’s cafe

[dandelionfairywish]

Yum Yum

i'm programmed into your heart.

1 .viki dramas and movies  

2. Netflix original dramas and movies 

3.  viki take of dramas and movie sometimes without warning and you might not see them depending on where you live  so   enjoy while you can and I'm going to keep them on the list if they do get removie because sometimes they put them back on.

1. Old Fashion Cupcake 

2. Dating in the Kitchen 

3. Let's Eat Dinner Together 

4. Tokyo Seimenjo 

5. How Are You Bread 

6. Oh My Ghost 

7. Flower Boy Ramen Shop 

8. Cupid's Kitchen 

9. Go Ahead 

10. Love Actually 

11. Delicious Destiny 

12. King Is Not Easy 

13. Love in the Kitchen 

14. Sweet Sweet 

15. My Sweet Dear 

16. Flavour It's Yours 

17. Dine With Love 

18. Wok of Love 

19. The Law Cafe 

20. Coffee Melody 

21. Cafe Midnight 

22. Cafe Midnight Season 2: Hip Up! Hit Up! 

23. Cafe Midnight Season 3: The Curious Stalker 

24. Café Kilimanjaro 

25. Coffee & Vanilla 

26. My Little Kitchen Season 1 

27. My Little Kitchen Season 2 

28. The Witch's Diner 

29. Ga Doo Ri’s Sushi Restaurant 

30. Immortal Classic 

31. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo 

32. Birth of a Beauty 

33. Himitsu no Ai-chan 

34. Bite Me 

35. Are We In Love? 

36. My Secret Romance 

.37. Best Chicken 

38. I Order You 

39. About Youth 

40. The Perfect Match 

41. Love Cuisine 

42. Ristorante Coreano 

43. Please Take Care of My Refrigerator 

44. Oxygen 

45. To My Star 

46. To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories 

47. My Name Is Busaba 

48. Ocean Likes Me 

49. The Tasty Florida 

50. Because of You 

51. Craving You 

52. Pleasantly Surprised 

53. Mr. Queen 

54. Coffee, Do Me a Favor 

55. Her Private Life 

56. First Romance 

57. Bromance 

58. Just You 

59. My Girlfriend Is an Alien 

60. My Girlfriend Is an Alien Season 2 

61. Love Is Phantom 

62. Wakako Zake 

63. Wakako Zake (Animation)

64. Wakako Zake Season 2

 65. Coffee Prince 

66. Playful Kiss 

67. Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist 

68. Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist Season 2 

69. Simmer Down 

70. She Is the One 

71. Nishiogikubo Mitsuboshi Youshudou 

72. Isekai Izakaya "Nobu"

73. Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Season 2 

 74. Rokuhodo Yotsuiro Biyori

75. Smiling Pasta 

76. My Bubble Tea 

77. Until We Meet Again 

78. Delicious Romance 

79. Gourmet in Tang Dynasty 

80. The Girl Who Sees Scents 

81. Temperature of Love 

82. My Tooth Your Love 

83. DNA Says Love You

84. Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life 

85. My Dangerous Wife

86. Mr. Swimmer

87. Count Your Lucky Stars

88. Ase to Sekken

89. Panda and Hedgehog 

90. All the Liquors

91. Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san

92.The Uncanny Counter

93.The Uncanny Counter

94.Chocolate

95.Mystic Pop-Up Bar 

96.Itaewon Class 

97.Roppongi Class 

98.The Devil Punisher

99.The Way You Shine 

[spiked-mall-goth]

oh my godddd i forgot to give you all the stupid silly life updates after i came backkkkk ugh okay long post now.

these are out of order and i do not care.

went to my favorite used bookstore and came out with some really fun stuff! the lady at the counter is kinda new there and she is just so sweet i love her.

same day i went to half price books and got the first season of the muppet show on dvd!!! i was so excited abt that. i took it up to the counter and the guy working there was like 'shucks, i knew i should have bought it earlier lol. i want to get the whole show on dvd' and i may or may not have autism blasted this poor man with my extensive knowledge of the muppet show dvd releases. he was certainly not expecting me to go on for like two full minutes but he was nice about it :3 (i was killing myself forever for like two days bc whhyyyyyy cant i just be normal to people)

flea market!

very nice lady invited us out to her storage shed bc she recognized me and my brother, and asked if we wanted to go look at her old electronics before she put them out in the front of the store. guess what? i finally got a new vcr dvd combo playyerrrrrr!!!!!!!!! FUCKING YAY. the one in my room has been down since last JULY. so i am no longer menace in the living room!! it was for sure a gamble bc she said she had no idea if it worked or not, but thankfully it did and i got it for ten bucks!

was at my usual dvd store and got a good handful of movies! he recently started selling other things too, like old collectables and shit, so he has a nice glass counter set up. so i go up to the counter to pay and i look down to see an elvira midnight madness giant gila monter tape. so i was like uhhhhhmmm.. how much is she.? and he was like four dollars you interested? and i was like um yea yes please. problem is i always pay in quarters and i need to get some bills out of my wallet. so i just kinda plop my handful of quarters (like five dollars worth) on the counter like sorry about the quarters... and as i was pulling out my wallet he goes 'oh no i dont mind. they all spend. besides i put all of ur quarters in a jar back here' AND THEN PULLED OUT ONE OF THOSE BIG ASS MASON JARSSSSSS. OH MY GOD. anyways... he also started telling me about the two SEPARATE times hes met cassendra peterson.

also i got a coca cola drinking glass. this is not really exciting but it is to me so im mentioning it.

i went to go see the new ghostbusters in theaters! it sucked really badly! also i forgot that ghostbusters is just always lying dormant in my autism brain. please help i am drowning in ghostbusters rn

I GOT A VERY FUN BOOK IN THE MAIL!!!!!!!! ITS A BEHIND THE SCENES MAKING OF BOOK ON HELLRAISER III HELL ON EARTH!!!! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO EXPLODE ITS SO MUCH FUN TO READ OH MY GOD!!! PLUS IT CAME WITH A HELLRAISER BOOKMARK WITH A FILM STILL IN IT!!!! SO COOL EXPLODING FOREVER

speaking of hellraiser iii, my older brother is going to help me digitize my vhs tape so i can then burn it on a cd so i can watch it forever!! i cannot handle the concept of my tape wearing down and losing my special version forever. so i would like to have him preserved b4 it gets to that point.

had birthday dinner last night lol. (my birthday was in january). but it was good!! i went to this little china cafe i grew up eating at, and then we went to the most specialist grocery store!! yayyyyy!!! i got a donut that im eating tonight and a cherry coke and it was so much fun <3 <3. i came home and finished btvs s5 while eating my left over cream cheese rangoons. it was such a good night <3 <3

while i was out last night we went to the dollar store (to purchase said cherry coke) and there were these two sisters in line with their mom, doing sisterly things making fun of each other yada yada. i really wasnt paying attention i was waiting for my younger brother to meet me upfront so i could pay. and then i hear 'noooo!! its not emo!! shes a goth!!' and the older sister is like 'its all the same!' and then younger one was like 'NO ITS NOT!!! i know shes a goth i know it!!!!'. it was so funny i started like laughing in the store, they were like 10-14 and possibly making fun of me but idc. made my day

at one of my favorite thriftstores, they have a new employee. the first time i met her i wasnt quite ready for her to just walk up to me and be like. 'your cool i can tell, i saw a pair of shoes earlier i think you might like' and then walked me over to show me these like fucking gorgeous black studded boots and i was like mouth agap like nooooooooo i wear a size TWELVE in womens shoes :(( and she was like ugh me toooooo i woudlve bought them myself but i wouldve had to remove a few toes lol. and then just walked off ?? i am getting better about talking to strangers in public, but i am still never like ready for it. so anyways, i come back a few weeks later and she sees me and is like HEY! and came over and started chit chatting with me, sh ewas telling me how she used to dress like me in the 80s and how much fun she had and stuff. and im just sitting there looking at this like 50yo christian woman like 'hwuh' bc i cannot stress to you enough that this woman talks faster than light and is so full of energy. and she was telling me about all of her old favorite clothes diys because 'you look like you make your own clothes' and all this stuff. and then she walked off and a few minutes later she came back with her phone and showed me a picture of her in like a full steampunk get up???? like corset and goggles and hat and very large hair and makeup and was like 'yeah this is what i dress like in my spare time, cant commit to full time dress anymore'. idk i just want to all to know that i love this woman so much shes the best.

far less fun my depression nest is back :(( i wanna clean it out but OUCH my legs have been hurting for like eveeerrrr

house sat :Db !! was locked up in a house by myself with a bottle of wine, half a bottle of tequila, a flask of whiskey, a vibrator, and tubi.com . i had a very good time! (also i got paid $130 and food for my four day total stay)

uuhhmmm trying to think if anything else fun happened while i was gone...

i had tacos for dinner! mmm yum!!

OH YEAH I HATE LIVING IN THE SOUTH WHAT THE FUCK. our sink water has smelled and tasted like wet dog for almost a month now. we have a water filter that at least makes the water not smell or taste but there is no WAY that is safe to drink. we had to buy on of those big ass water jugs to wash our dishes with. showers have to be kept to a minimum and we've been relying on hand sanitizer to keep our hand as clean as possible. yes we have called the water company MULTIPLE times. they insist our water is fine <3

i finally got new glasses!!!! i can see now! my prescription doubled in my right eye only! my left literally went up just enough to need a new lens.

okay i think thats long enough lol. love yooouuu mwah mwah mwah

[uzumaki-rebellion]

"The Offering Part 3 (Finale)" Preview

Need to catch up? Masterlist HERE.

“I know he loves me I know he cares Cause he's all mine And soon he'll be knockin' At my door Things will be alright”

Juicy – “Sugar Free”

Lebadi slid the fingers of her right hand over the monorail console while watching a monitor to gauge the flow of traffic in the wide Birnin S’Yan street. Her left hand rubbed on the swollen belly that was ready to pop with a strange mutant’s baby.

“Everything good?”

Lebadi turned her head and watched a lanky, reed-thin male co-worker saunter in to take over her shift. Mantso quirked up his thick lips and handed her a warm chocolate coffee along with a hot-out-of-the-oven seasoned meat bun. She accepted both and shifted her weight out of the chair so he could take over.

“Slow night. Thank you for this,” she said.

Taking a huge bite out of the round bun stuffed with ground beef and yellow potatoes baked inside, she wiped her lips when the flavorful juices spewed out onto her chin. Mantso studied her belly.

“You are ready to burst,” he teased.

“One more month.”

“When does your leave start?”

“Next week.”

A rumble outside the wide glass window announced the arrival of the midnight lift in the city center.

“I’ll hold it for you,” Mantso said.

Lebadi grabbed her sweater and waddled out of the control room taking an escalator to the surface street. Saturday nights were a busy festive time and she passed through crowds of young people out for a night of dancing and drinking. She missed doing that with her friends back home in Birnin Zana. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant, she’d be attending Dora Milaje training with Okoye and going out with her crew to their favorite clubs and night cafes.

Chewing on the tender meat of the late night snack Mantso gave her, she gripped her cup of cocoa-rich coffee and sat by herself on the monorail. It was a short fifteen minute ride to her cottage nestled behind a row of luxury villas. She jostled her big belly around exuberant party-seekers and munched on her food while admiring the bright lights and music spilling out onto the public sidewalks from flashy clubs. Ten minutes later she rounded a corner that led to the opening of a quiet suburban street twinkling with tiny nightlights decorating the clipped hedges lining the path she followed. Tall rust-colored trees blotted out the noise of the main street behind her.

Approaching her home, she noticed a figure hidden in the shadows of her small porch.

“Who’s there?” she blurted.

No one answered and she took a step back, cradling her stomach in a protective stance.

“I see you!” she shouted to make herself sound tough.

The figure moved toward the light of a street lamp and Lebadi sucked in her breath.

Okoye.

“It took me some time to track you down here,” Okoye said, eyeing Lebadi’s burgeoning midsection, “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?”

Lebadi's entire demeanor slumped with shame.

“I’m your best friend, Lebadi. You can tell me anything in confidence and I would never judge you.”

“I know…but…”

“But what? Who is the father?”

“No one you know.”

“Are you still seeing this person? Are they going to support you and this baby?”

“No…I’m not seeing them anymore. This wasn’t planned.”

“I know it wasn’t. You were supposed to be training with me.”

Okoye’s eyes softened. Lebadi glanced at the new shaved head that highlighted the perfectly round skull of her friend. A brand new v-shaped crimson tattoo crowned the top of Okoye’s forehead. She had passed the first level of Dora Milaje training.

“Open your door. The neighbors should not hear our conversation,” Okoye demanded.

Lebadi shuffled past her and onto the porch. She swiped her kimoyo beads over the door handle and stepped aside to let Okoye in first. The motion sensor lights in the living room flickered on and she hung up her sweater on the back of the door. Setting down her coffee and half-eaten meat bun on a side table, she faced her bestie full on.

“Sit,” Lebadi said gesturing to a chair near the couch.

Okoye glanced around the neat cottage living room before sinking down into the chair.

“I have to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

Lebadi excused herself and went into a small hallway that led to the cramped bathroom. She closed the door and gripped her hands on the sink. She wasn’t prepared to let anyone know her secret. For the past four months she had hidden in Birnin S’Yan where no one knew her or her family. She kept her interactions among family and friends purely through vid chats at low angles to conceal her stomach. She joked about eating too many meat buns that the city was famous for to explain away her plump cheeks and wide moon face. Stories were made up about being busy with work and taking advanced art classes at the University of S’Yan that rested above the cliffs overlooking the sea. Many questioned why she’d move so far away, but most assumed it was because she was disappointed about not being accepted into the Dora Milaje Corps. She let that lie fester to dampen the pleadings of returning to the Golden City.

Lebadi needed to give birth in a place where she was a stranger, and the fast pace of seaside life was the perfect hideaway. She hired a private midwife and planned to give birth at home. Beyond that she had no further plans. It all depended on what came out of her vagina in thirty days. If the child looked human, she’d give it away to the midwife to find a good home. She used a fake name in the city and no one would be able to trace a baby back to her. However, if the child came out a mutant…

She shook away the thought with splashes of cool water on her high cheekbones. Okoye would ruin all of her plans. Wiping her face with a towel, Lebadi stared at her frightened eyes in the mirror. She had saved up enough money to pay a bribe to the midwife to keep the birth off of the formal hospital registry. The only problem was that she couldn’t decide what to do with a child if it came out like him.

K’uk’ulkan.

Lebadi shivered at the mere thought of him and the baby inside of her moved. She touched the spot where it kicked her. The child was strong in there. So ready to come out.

“Lebadi, are you hiding from me?”

Okoye’s voice sounded more hurt than accusatory.

“Coming,” Lebadi chirped.

Okoye studied her every move coming back into the living room. Lebadi took a seat on her lumpy couch adjacent to the chair and finally gazed into her friend’s eyes. They were watery and her lips trembled.

“I was worried about you. I didn’t know what it was, but I felt like something was wrong. I needed to see you in person and ease my mind,” Okoye said.

“Now you see why I stayed so far from home.”

“Having a baby out of wedlock is not shameful anymore.”

“The father and I are not together. He doesn’t know about this baby.”

“He has a responsibility. You are from a prominent family—”

“No one will know about this child. When it is born I will give it away.”

“Give it away? Are you mad? You are descended from the first family that stood by the Udaku clan when Bashenga created the nation. You have grandmothers and grandfather’s written about in our history books…you cannot just give a baby away with your bloodline, Lebadi. It would be sacrilegious! A sin in the eyes of Bast.”

“I cannot keep this baby, Okoye.”

“Why not?”

“Because its father is a foreigner. Not a Wakandan.”

“Foreigner? How?”

“He slipped through our borders.”

“No one slips through our borders. Do not lie to me, Lebadi. I am your friend.”

“I met him at the Mama Wati Festival. Two years ago. I fell pregnant eight months ago. We were secretly meeting here in Birnin S’Yan. You cannot tell anyone.”

“This is a national security threat. I cannot sit here and ignore that. I work for the palace now. This man could be a spy using you.”

“He is not a spy. There’s nothing in Wakanda he wants… not anymore since he left me. I am begging you Okoye. Nothing will happen to the nation if you keep quiet about this. I am no longer seeing him. He is long gone away from here.”

“How was he able to even get through our protective dome from the outside? Lebadi? Answer me!”

Lebadi burst into tears and covered her face. To not have her lover pained her heart. She struggled to regain her composure and became frantic when Okoye tapped her kimoyo beads. A sharp discomfort in her side distracted them both and Lebadi clutched under her stomach and sat back in her seat.

“Lebadi, what’s wrong?”

“I’m okay…you are stressing me out and it disturbed the baby.”

“Should I call your doctor? Uh..the midwife?”

“No…I am fine now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Please…just leave this be. Keep my secret.”

“You cannot give your baby away. If you need help, W’Kabi and I can do that. We’re getting married next year…we could adopt your child and keep it close to you—“

“No.”

“How far along are you?”

“Eight months.”

Okoye palmed her hands together and let the tips of her fingers rest under her chin.

“You have been dealing with this all alone?”

“Yes.”

Okoye lowered herself to her knees and clasped Lebadi’s hands.

“I see that you’re frightened. I will keep your secret, but I will return to help you when the baby comes. We’ll figure out what to do together. Your child deserves a good home…with you.”

Okoye thumbed away the tears that pearled out from the corners of Lebadi’s eyes.

“Do you need anything right now? Money? Food?” Okoye asked.

“No. I’m tired and want to go to bed.”

“I will stay for the weekend and return for my training. No more keeping secrets from me. Promise?”

“Promise.”

Lebadi squeezed Okoye’s hands.

###

The moment Okoye left the cottage Sunday evening, Lebadi packed up all her clothes and called a private cab to ferry her to the marina. She tossed her kimoyo beads in a sewer run-off after telling her mid-wife that she was going home and would no longer need her services.

Lebadi knew Okoye had a good heart and wanted the best for her, but the reality spoke of newer alliances. She couldn’t trust that her friend wouldn’t go searching for breeches in security and ring the alarm. It was better to go away and give birth alone on the sea away from prying eyes. Telling her that the father was foreign was bad enough. It was a stupid mistake on her part.

She rented the same boat she had used for two years sneaking away to see Namor. It was an older model that most people bypassed for the sleek newer ones all over the marina. She paid for a three month rental and the woman releasing it didn’t bat an eye at her condition or the crinkly bills she paid in cash from a fat purse stuffed with more Wakandan money. It took Lebadi four trips to load the boat with supplies of food, water, and things she would need for a baby. The last item she carried on board was a peach and sand-colored conch shell that Namor gifted her. She wanted something of his with her.

She set sail on a Monday evening to cloak herself in darkness, taking the boat off radar once she was past her target area to hide from any drone surveillance.

She programmed the boat to glide her to her favorite spot three miles from the coast. For three days she used radar from the boat and her own binoculars to scan for anyone coming after her. She left a month’s worth of pre-programmed holo vid messages for family and select friends to keep up appearances until the baby came. Using the boat ramp, she dipped her heavy body into the water when the weather was too hot and spent most of her days lying in her berth to keep cool. She limited the use of the air-cooling system to keep traces of vibranium energy surges to a minimum in case it captured the attention of the Wakandan Coast Guard.

A pod of dolphins passed by her boat her second week out at sea and they lingered to frolic for a few hours before heading out to the growing swells. Shading her eyes with her hand, she pondered moving the boat when it was bumped by something that didn’t feel like a strong wave shoving the starboard side. She tottered on bare feet to investigate if she hit a reef and was shocked to find a large orca nudging the hull with its massive head.

Lebadi held onto some rope looped around the inside of the hull to keep her balance. The orca opened its mouth and echolocation clicks bounced at her along with high-pitched whistling sounds. It snapped its mouth closed a few times making jaw claps and she ran to the control room to move the boat away from the sea creature. At a smooth twenty knots, she left the orca in a wake of white water, but it gave chase. She aimed the boat back toward land but the orca kept up and then cut her off, forcing her to head further out to sea. She white-knuckled the control console when the orca slammed itself under the boat.

Cutting her eyes to the ocean, the boat stuttered to a complete stop. The odor of something burning came from the stern. She shut everything down and checked the back. The boat belched blue-black smoke and the orca peered at her from the water with a menacing brown eye under a patch of white marking on its slippery skin.

“What the fuck did you do to this boat?”

The orca clicked and rolled its dark body upside down in the foamy turquoise waters. Before she could curse it again, it flicked its wide tail and tossed Namora onto the deck. Soaking wet, the Talokanil woman stood to her full height and sea water dripped from her feathered headdress and the jagged spear she carried. Lebadi turned away trying to hide her stomach, but Namor’s cousin spotted the forbidden fruit of their union. She stuck the tip of her spear against Lebadi’s stomach.

“Ba'ax le ts'íiba' utia'al?” Namora spat out from behind her breathing mask.

Lebadi nodded and stepped back from the spear. Namora lunged forward raising her spear at an angle that would slice the child out of her womb.

“Don’t! Please!” Lebadi shrieked.

The harsh rays of the sun and the muggy heat draped Lebadi in an uncomfortable cocoon of dripping perspiration. Short of breath, and frightened, she urinated on herself and lost control of her knees. Namora tossed away her spear and caught Lebadi with her strong but gentle hands. Her piercing dark brown eyes were the same as Namor’s.

“Yaan teen,” Namora whispered in Lebadi’s ear.

“Please don’t kill my baby,” Lebadi pleaded  before the world went black and she collapsed in the Talokanil’s arms.

A.N.:

The entire Part 3 will finally be out next week! Hit me up if you want to be tagged!

Tag List:

@ladymac82

@daddyslittlevillain

@kathanibennett

@namorslit

@skiedrr

@bontensbabygirl

@turn-thy-paige

@omgsuperstarg

@saltiestblkgirlofall

@artaxerxesthegreat

@fadingbelieverexpert

@yayasworldview

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[spainvisas]

The Festive Delights: Best Things To Do in December in Spain

Best Things To Do in December in Spain

As December unfolds, Spain becomes a tapestry of rich traditions, lively festivals, and a delightful fusion of festive celebrations. From the bustling streets of Madrid to the charming corners of the country, here's a comprehensive guide to experiencing the best of Spain during this magical time of the year.

Embrace Spain's Rich Traditions and Festivals

December Festivals: The country brims with cultural extravaganzas throughout December. Embrace the fervor of various festivals like the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated on December 8th, marking the beginning of the Christmas season. Witness the colorful processions and lively gatherings across cities and towns.

Christmas Festival: Spain transforms into a wonderland during Christmas. Experience the lively markets, adorned streets, and intricate nativity scenes known as 'Belenes.' In Madrid, the Plaza Mayor hosts a festive market where you can indulge in traditional treats and unique handicrafts.

Explore Madrid: A December Wonderland

Madrid December Weather: While December in Madrid can be chilly, the city's warmth emanates from its festive spirit. Bundle up and explore the stunning architecture, vibrant streets, and cozy cafes. Don't miss the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, and the Prado Museum.

Food in Madrid: Treat your taste buds to the flavors of Spain. Indulge in Madrid's culinary wonders, from the iconic churros dipped in hot chocolate to the savory Jamón ib��rico. December offers a chance to savor seasonal delights like turrones (nougat) and hearty cocido madrileño (Madrid stew).

Must-Do Activities and Tips for a Memorable Trip

New Year in December: Celebrate New Year's Eve like a local. Join the bustling crowds in Puerta del Sol, Madrid's epicenter, to welcome the New Year with the tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, symbolizing good luck for each month ahead.

Spain Visa for Christmas: Planning a holiday trip to Spain in December? Ensure a smooth journey by booking your visa appointment well in advance. Familiarize yourself with the visa requirements and procedures to avoid any last-minute hassles.

Madrid Holiday Trip Tips: To make the most of your Madrid trip, consider purchasing a Madrid Tourist Travel Pass for convenient access to public transportation. Additionally, immerse yourself in the local culture by attending flamenco shows or exploring the festive Christmas markets.

Conclusion

December in Spain is a time of joyous celebrations, cultural immersion, and unforgettable experiences. Whether you're captivated by Madrid's bustling streets or intrigued by Spain's age-old traditions, this month offers a tapestry of delights waiting to be explored. Plan your trip, savor the flavors, and immerse yourself in the magic of Spain in December.

FAQ’s

1. What are the key December festivals and traditions in Spain?

December in Spain is marked by vibrant festivals like the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, heralding the start of Christmas celebrations. Other significant traditions include elaborate nativity scenes ('Belenes') and festive processions across cities, showcasing Spain's rich cultural heritage.

2. What's the weather like in Madrid during December?

Madrid experiences chilly temperatures in December, with average highs around 10-12°C (50-54°F) and lows around 2-4°C (36-39°F). It's advisable to dress warmly, but the festive atmosphere and activities in the city make it a delightful winter destination.

3. What are the must-try foods in Madrid during December?

December offers a chance to indulge in seasonal delights like turrones (nougat) and hearty cocido madrileño (Madrid stew). Don't miss out on the iconic churros dipped in hot chocolate, a perfect treat to warm up during the chilly days.

4. How is New Year's Eve celebrated in Madrid?

New Year's Eve in Madrid is a spirited affair centered around Puerta del Sol. Join the locals as they gather in the square, and partake in the tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, symbolizing good luck for each month of the upcoming year. The atmosphere is lively and celebratory, with fireworks and revelry.

5. Are there any specific tips for obtaining a Spain visa for a December trip?For a hassle-free journey, it's advisable to book your Spain visa appointment well in advance. Ensure you have all necessary documents, including proof of accommodation and travel insurance. Familiarize yourself with the specific visa requirements and procedures to streamline the process for your December visit to Spain.