#namor has learned to share

[livstarlight]

In my personal (impossible) dream scenario nashuri evolves like this.

We start with a tentative alliance in which Wakanda and Talokan don’t trust each other at all, they tolerate each other at best, and just because deep down they know that if they want to survive against the rest of the world they have to work together. They are basically each other’s best (if not only) option.

And Namor and Shuri are the prime example of this. She downright despise having to deal with him, but she still does, for the sake of her people, and probably his too, because she is selfless. But of course that doesn’t mean she has to like it and in fact she never misses the chance of reminding him how much she hates this. How much she hates him. [deep down she doesn’t, she’s annoyed, resentful, but she doesn’t fully hate him]

He is a whole other story. He recognizes the benefits of the alliance, he is of course still blissfully impressed by her, taken even, but he doesn’t share her hopeful point of view. He thinks her naïve in some thing, yet still admiring how despite everything that has happened to her, she still manages to see good in the world. But still, he stays, he cooperates, in his own insufferable manner that drives Shuri mad at every chance. Sometimes (more than some) he does it on purpose just to get a raise out of her.

It’s the alliance, the need to join forces that eventually starts bringing them closer in time, and not just them, their people too. It opens both parties to more and more awareness how alike they are, how they are not completely good or bad either, that there is a shade in between. A bridge that can connect them. Namor and Shuri more than anything.

But of course Shuri would rather choke than admit it, would rather set herself on fire than say she doesn’t just understand Namor. She feels for him. He is less blindsided by it, more aware, but you know how it is, honor and responsability for his people keep him from fully giving in to this, besides it doesn’t help she keeps pushing him away every chance she gets. Especially when they seem to make a little progress. What happened between in them the past, the guilt Shuri feels anytime she allows herself to forget even if just for one moment keep them severely apart.

The vibranium disputes happen. They persevere. They win. All the while denying (Shuri), agonizing (Namor) and still subconciously growing closer.

Then Kang happens.

Shuri has to convince him to join forces with the avengers and the rest of the heroes. A lot of talking, of knocking sense into him, has to happen (because yes, this involves Talokan and Wakanda too, all the multiverse is in danger).

Eventually he relents. But just because of Talokan (and because she asked).

Obviously there is a lot at stake. Their push and pull keeps going strong even in the face of the biggest danger staring right at them in the face. War, danger, possible death. She keeps him close, just to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, yet at safe distance, to make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.

Something snaps when they are both full into deep. Conflict is around them, they could die at any moment. And that’s when Shuri realizes that she has lost sight of him. Doesn’t know where he is or if he is alright. That she probably should have said something sooner, and she doesn’t know if she will even be able to because who knows if they are both going to survive this. She should have been smarter, learned from experience. That life is short. 

She finds him eventually. They find each other. They both survive. [She still doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t either, but he doesn’t even need to. It has been written all over his face for so long it might has well been there since a particular conversation that involved a tour, a cave and a old bracelet]

It’s the aftermath that helps.

When there is nothing to fight anymore (for now), nothing to hide behind, when everything falls apart. When Shuri lets herself falls apart and accepts it. Him. Because you don’t know how much you have, how important people are to you, how much you love them, until it’s too late. Or you lose them. And truth is she doesn’t wanna lose him.

And the feathered serpent god finally realizes that maybe he has some love for some things on the surface world after all.

[namor-shuri]

Congrats on getting into Nashuri University! 🎓

I will be your Orientation Leader today 👋🏾 During your time here you will get acquainted with the many opportunities this university has to offer, on and off campus. You will learn about our school’s anthem, meet our lovely president Ryan Coogler, and much more. But first, follow me to this year’s Club Fair. What are you waiting for? Let’s go!

🎨 Interested in artwork? Check out the art & crafts club on the north side of campus where you can interact with and support fellow artists and their breathtaking works such as:

@poncho-anything // nuttika41 // xiaoann9 // @jasmindoodles // darkcat6 // doomdiboom // keznated // hiomnom // burnittogether // @kovuren

[ Find more artists on Twitter, Tumblr & Instagram ]

And remember students, don’t share/repost artist’s work without their permission. Moving on…

🎥 Interested in video, film and animation? Look no further than the huge video editing club on the east side of campus. These club members work hard day in and day out to bring us their latest edits in such interesting and entertaining ways:

que_rollo_pollo // namorxaep // iimperius // who.queens // dewiidrop // clqrvoids // multi.cpc //caffeinatedbiatch // tofukuz // tujefa0.1 //soy_nana_we

[ Find more editors on TikTok, YouTube & Twitter ]

📚 Now let’s head to the south side of campus where you will find the book club who meets in the library. Interested in the literary arts? Check out the A03 tags here to find works from a plethora of talented and inventive writers. And as always students, we don’t judge others for what they are personally into. Find what best suits you, and leave the rest behind (:

[ Find more fics/one shots on Tumblr & Twitter ]

📣 And last but not least, on the west side of campus, you will find the news club! Wondering where to get the latest updates and information? Join this club to stay in the loop with:

☆ Letitia Wright: IG + TikTok ☆

letitiawrightupdate // letitiawrightsource // @drletitiawright // @shurismainbxtch

☆ Tenoch Huerta: IG + Twitter + TikTok ☆

tenochupdates // hourlytenoch // coollikeicedtea // tenochcentric

That’s a wrap folks! Lunch will start soon but feel free to explore the rest of campus, get connected, make a friend or two and as always, treat people how you would want to be treated! [and don’t mind the antis who didn’t get in 😘] Stay connected with me if you want fan edits, music recs, and nashuri/ tenitia rants!

🌹 Honorable mentions:

Wakanda Forever Podcast // Tenoch/Letitia bpwf Interviews // Marvel Assembled & Disney + Write Up // Namor/Shuri Spotify Playlist // Orgullo Prieto book // Tenoch/Letitia Best Moments // Tenoch Masterlist // Letitia Filmography // Aqua Breezy // Hilarious commentary from: abtreezy + ahhhhhrexa + estarguarstia + simplysimone // @talokanda-forever

*If you have anyone/anything to rec, pls share it in the comments for people to access/find! Tysm <3 *

[laninasinamor]

NASHURI TWINS PT. 1

The Boy

(original 🎨 by my friend @commanderbunny, specifically made for me on my bday 💕 love you boo) (YOU CAN SHARE BUT DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT CREDIT!)

Born on the fourteenth day, otherwise known as the day of the Jaguar (Ix)…

Birth Name(s):

🌎Ix Muun (meaning “tender”, his true name)

🌍Prince N’Jata, Son of Shuri (given name by the Golden tribe of the sovereign nation of Wakanda)

☀️Kinich Ahau (Sun God), Son of K’uk’ulkan (royal name as addressed by the Kingdom of Talokan)

Aliases/Nicknames:

“First son of the first son”

“Son of Suns”

unyana wam (“my son” in Xhosa)

in paal (“my child” in Yucatec Maya)

ubhuti (“brother” in Xhosa)

suku’un (“older brother” in Yucatec Maya)

Och Kan (meaning “Vision Serpent”) - Shortly after turning five years of age, the young prince dreamed of death — that of a whale. The next day his people found strangely their whales missing, vanished without a trace. They supposed someone or something had done this. He felt panicked. He did not know what it meant until more and more his dreams came true. They came to realize his dreams were not dreams at all. The gods granted him visions, an access to the spirit world where he could travel to & from the mortal realm. Talokan’s shaman knew immediately this boy had the gift of foresight — the ability to see into the future. Except the future is never as certain as it seems, even with a power as strong as his.

Abilities:

Seer - which includes divination, clairvoyance, precognition

Flight - he grew wings on his back instead of the ankles

Superhuman strength, speed

inherited X gene from Namor - thus he breathes underwater and above the surface

Description:

Born under the sea with the Sastun (“Sun”) at its highest

“Heir to the throne of Talokan” - The prince feels pressure from his father to learn the trades and one day rule the kingdom and take care of his people. K’uk’ulkan requires the prince to keep the “sun” to his people, he is named after the sun god after all. However he’s inclined to go with his sister to the surface world, save people, soar high in the skies, much like an eagle.

He admits he did not take interest in becoming a great warrior. The prince prefers to stay in Talokan where he’s comfortable and enjoys time alone. However his loneliness creeps up time to time and he’s entangled in his sister’s schemes and her wishes to sneak out to Wakanda. She would not survive without him. Nor he her.

The prince works with Talokanil priests and shaman where he focuses on being a healer, working with medicine and taking care of crops.

He CAN hunt and knows his way around the “forest” that is the open sea.

One of his and his sister’s favorite activities is playing Pok-a-Tok (“ballgame”), some would say they have mastered this sport but the twins are never satisfied knowing there’s always room for improvement

Uses obsidian blades for bloodletting practices, Talokan knows royal blood is of value and has to be given willingly for the gods to grant him visions when he most needs them. Polished obsidian mirrors may also be used in this process

Very introverted yet wishes to stand out more, to achieve a level of assertion only his sister demonstrates.

The prince is very secretive about his visions, he feels he cannot trust anyone with certain information.

Traits:

Soft-spoken, spiritual, mysterious, clever, sophisticated, strategic, sensitive, intuitive, natural born leader, can seem manipulative

Something still haunts the boy, a vision he saw soon after turning 16. The Talokanil had legends of the old world before they departed towards the sea. It spoke of an eclipse where the moon covered the sun, as if day were night. An omen of destruction, of death that could not go unseen. Even so, the boy told no one. Not his father, the god-king. Not even his sister, the warrior. Especially not her. His visions continued and the more he saw the more he feared. She would be the end of Talokan, the end of an era. But his visions weren’t always right. So is she Chac Chel, destroyer of worlds? Or could she be Talokan’s only hope in salvation?

(Thanks to my Nashuri fam! Love you guys <3 feel free to tell me what yall think 💭)

Click here to read the short story on ao3

Part 2

[mickimomo]

The 'I Worship My Wife' Committee (Part 1)

I just know that Aneka, Namor, Attuma, and Oni have little get togethers where they gush over their wives. And it plays out in my head like this:

Aneka: Thank you all for joining me today. Alright. Well. As always. Let's start off by saying one good thing we have done to show how much we worship our wives. I'll go first. *clears throat* I learned how to give a deep tissue massage and gave Ayo one after she finished training. I also cooked her, her favorite meal. Things definitely got kinda steamy with the wine, but I'll spare you guys the details.

Oni: Nah girl. We share the details. Go ahead.

Aneka: Oh, well, you know. Straps were involved, and toes were curling. I don't think I've ever screamed that much before.

Oni: Oooh. That's why your voice was gone for three days.

Aneka: Yeah. But it was worth it.

Attuma, giving her high-five: Good for you.

Everyone clapped before looking at Attuma.

Attuma: Ah. Well. As you all know. Okoye is pregnant with twins. She's been craving a lot of things lately. She woke up at 3 in the morning sobbing the other day because she wanted something from the market. As you all know. The market is closed at 3 am. But whatever K'iin wants, I'll get it. So I broke into the place she wanted food from, made the meal, cleaned up the shop, left a few pearls as an apology, locked it back up, and brought her back what she wanted.

Aneka: I should have known you were the pearl bandit.

Attuma: I will not tell Okoye no.

Oni: Was udade happy?

Attuma: She was so happy that she rode my face and released after eating. I almost wish I had died with my face between her legs. It was a blissful experience.

Everyone clapped again.

Namor: Wow. That's beautiful.

Attuma: Thank you.

They all looked at Namor.

Namor: So, Shuri has been working on something nonstop without taking care of herself again. Typically, I'd chew her out and drag her to bed. Instead, I decided to come in for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and feed her a meal. I'll even come in to feed her a snack. I also forced her to nap with me and go on walks to take a break. And if you look at her now, you'll notice that she's not drinking as much coffee and she's glowing.

Oni: Yeeeess. We love to see a loved one properly cared for.

Namor: Yes. And now that she's not always going to bed tired, she finally has time to get laid out like a domino.

Aneka, snapping her fingers before pointing at the god king: I love that comparison you just gave us.

Namor: Thank you. I learned a lot at our last family game night.

Attuma: Are you trying for a child?

Namor: We will when she's ready.

They all nodded in agreement before looking at Oni.

Oni: Well. Amora has been wanting me to wear her colors more because she thinks orange and red really compliment me. So. Me being the good wife I am, I started wearing a few of her gowns, and she was ecstatic. Then I felt adventurous one day and put on her armor and pretended to be her when she got home.

Namor: Ooooo. How did that go?

Oni: She bent me over and fucked me until I cried.

Attuma: She made you cry?

Oni: Yes. I was so overstimulated, that I couldn't even move away.

Aneka: Is that why you were in a wheelchair for a week?

Oni: Yes, and my wife spoiled me every day to make up for it.

They all laughed softly at the memory of Oni pouting in a wheelchair while Namora tried to cheer her up.

Namor: I knew your lie of hurting your ankle seemed odd. You were pouting way too much with Namora around.

Oni: Beyond these walls. It's still a busted ankle. Amora will be livid if she knows I told you all what actually happened.

Attuma: We won't tell a soul.

Namor: You have our word.

Aneka, nodded in agreement: See. I knew Namora was a freak.

Oni: Oh hush. Ayo is just as nasty with you.

Aneka: And see. We didn't even have to go there.

Should I write out another meeting? 🤣😭

Link to Part 2

[namorslutfanfiction]

Hi Ate! I had this thot and didn't know who to talk to about this but I thought I'd share with you, but Namor with a sexually repressed reader (because the Catholic guilt is very strong in this one).

I'd like to think that while yes, Namor is definitely experienced and has been around the block, he'd be gentle and sweet with the reader. He'd make sure she felt safe and comfortable, always makes sure she has a safe word and checks-in with her to make sure she's okay. He never pushes her to do anything and if in the middle of the act she asks him to stop, he drops it and comforts her by stroking her hair and kissing her forehead to assure her that he's not mad at her at all.

Rough, dom!Namor is hot, but caring, sweet, gentle dom!Namor makes me swoon.

Anyway thank you for letting me ramble in your inbox, here's a cute Tenoch for you!

Aye tsikiting!

You're so right though.

Namor in all his years and wisdom knows when a woman wants him and is ready for him. But he also knows when a woman wants him but isn't sure how to have him.

Oh he would be so gentle and loving with you once he confirmed your inexperience. Even his kisses and touches would be gentler. Namor wouldn't shy away from talking to you about consent and being vocal about the good and the bad. He would never want you to feel like you had to do anything you didn't like just because he was enjoying it. Namor wanted so badly to make sure every intimate moment you shared was a good memory.

He would give you all the looks for confirmation and would make sure to ask for permission from you. Every time he tries something new to move the situation forward he would look at you and wait for you to nod your head or smile at him. He would never want you to feel pressured. After each night together he would hold you and kiss you and praise you. He would be so happy and proud to see you satisfied.

Even when you wake up and he can tell you are feeling guilty about you intimacy, residuals from your upbringing, he would take you into his arms and comfort you. Tell you he understood that your teaching made this natural thing feel wrong. But nothing that is so beautiful could be wrong. He'd make sure you knew that as long as you would let him have you.

Namor would absolutely coddle you.

After the first couple times together you would start getting impatient with how often he keeps asking for consent but he would still do it and you would learn to interrupt him and take a little bit more initiative. That would excite him, seeing you becoming more confident.

If he senses even a slight hesitation from you he would revert back to touches and kisses you had already liked before, never wanting to surprise you incase it wasn't something that you liked.

Eventually you would be the one shyly asking him to try something, or do something specific that felt good. And god it would turn him on to see you embracing those moments together. He would want you to enjoy every moment of your couplings and remember that having pleasure, being pleasured, and giving pleasure is so natural.

When you finally ask him for more, something rougher, more passionate, needier he would hesitate. He would want you to take control so that you know that you could always stop. You could always pull away.

At that point he would have driven that point straight home in several ways. By the time you're the one in control, you wouldn't be shy anymore and Namor would be even more in love with you. You would be the one surprising him.

No matter the moments when that internal shame would rear its ugly head, he would look at you, and the warmth, comfort and happiness that would bloom would make the shame disappear.

[nellycanwrite]

📝Share a snippet of an unposted WIP, with or without context.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OKAY OKAY OKAY OKAY SCREAMS here's a cute little snippet of Rainbow Jasmine!

“Langyaw.” Stranger, you called out. Namor had to hide an amused smirk as you stared at the jade of his piercings a little while longer, your eyes twinkling with that same amazement he had seen on the second time he had met you. 

“You call me ‘langyaw,’ but I do not understand you,” he told you in his mother tongue. You couldn’t help but cock your head to the side in curiosity. He chuckled and pointed to himself, “my name. K’uk’ulkan.”

You stared at him while blinking.

“K’uk’ulkan,” he pointed to himself again. “My name is K’uk’ulkan.”

Why was he repeating such a strange word? Was there something you had to know? He gestured to his whole body and gave you a pointed look. 

Oh, that must be his name, you thought.

“K’uk’u-ul—” you tried to say, but his language was foreign to your tongue. He tried again, this time dragging out every syllable and stopping to give you time to adjust to his odd name. 

And finally, with a bit of practice, you called out to him.

“K-K’uk’ulkan.”

He gave you a big smile, the first of many that you were to see from him in the nights to come. It was infectious; you found yourself smiling alongside him as you repeated his name over and over. 

Namor felt as if his spirits were lifted up as soon as you had uttered his name—although the pronunciation could use some work, it was nothing that couldn’t be fixed in a few more days of learning.

It was your turn to point to yourself and gesture to all of you, your giggle chiming through the glowing island like the wind chimes of an eastern hut.

You uttered your name slowly and deliberately, dragging each syllable for him to follow. He did so with ease, and with a few more moments of practice, he could finally say your name as if it was a part of his language. 

You smiled. It has been so long since anyone has said your name.

[namorthesubmariner]

Here is the official turnaround of the final design I did of Namor for Wakanda Forever ! Which will be streaming soon on Disney+ I am so grateful that Ryan Coogler chose my design for the warrior look! I still can’t believe I got to design this iconic character. These designs were then sent to the costume designer Ruth Carter who, together with her team, did an amazing job materialized the costume you see on the big screen! The design process actually begun a year before the production started. It was a fun 2 months of explorations! During this time I worked under THE LEGENDARY  Marvel Studios Visual Development Dept. headed by none other than the amazing Ryan Meinerding The team is an integral part in designing the Heroes and Villains of the MCU and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was no exception. It was fun exploring the look of Namor as well as his people of Tlalocan early on. The necklace for Namor was a treat to design. Looking to Mayan glyphs and architecture for inspiration! But the break though would come in a dream! I would imagine that I was an artist living in that time and looking for work  This was when I saw the 2 serpents on the necklace in my dream. Then I woke from my dream and started designing with Kukulkan in mind. I explained that the 2 serpents represented the duality of Kukulkan. He is the bringer of life and death. The pearl in the middle represents the sun/moon or life, so depending how you see it , the winged serpent is either giving you life or taking it away from you. I watched a lot of documentaries about the Mayans, the Olmecs and the Aztecs. I also looked at ancient indigenous people of the north, south Americas as well as in Asia. What are the similarities and differences I can push. I want to share so much more of my journey I learned more of the history of Mexico , the colonization of a people and the attempt of erasing of their language and culture. This was some of the sad parts of my research that made this journey a bit more emotional to me because I also come from a country colonized by Spain. I hope this insight to my design process is interesting to you. Marvel has always been an amazing place to work in, we are encouraged to really push our creativity and some of our keyframes even shape the script! Plus we get credited for our work in the artbooks! I am lucky to have worked along some amazing visual development artists, (concept artist and problem solvers) .  Please check out their designs! Adi Granov , Phil Saunders, Phillip Boutté Jr. ,Josh Nizzi ,Wesley Burt ,Keith Christensen , Joshua James Shaw ... if I missed anyone I apologize ! And lastly to all the True Believers out there! to all the fans of the Marvel Comics and the MCU , thank you so much! I wouldn't be able to make a living doing what I love if it weren't for you fandom!

- Anthony Francisco (source)

[astoldbyaja]

His Soul Ch.8 ~Wakanda Forever~

The capital of Talokan was beautiful beyond words. Shimmering lights and sea creatures were all around us as we walked through the air tubes. Different people swam over us giving their own salute like a flower opening to their king. Namor shared a few details of his past and how his people came to be under water.

He spoke of the vibranium and how it is used to fuel the city like Wakanda.

“When outsiders try to mine the vibranium they are swiftly stopped.” Namor explained firmly. I was trying to pay attention but the sights all around me had my attention more. I was behind Kore who asked about the necessity of killing those they caught.

“Would it not be easy to learn from your enemy to better prepare for future encounters?” she asked. Zion and Adan were behind me and Attuma and Namora were on the opposite side. I could see Attuma watching me from time to time.

“No. I do not care to know any information from the service dwellers. Nothing they could ever say would justify keeping them alive after trying to mine my resources.” Namor said with a fierce gaze. “Wakanda believes in giving too many second chances. I believe that is why other nations can get the better of you. I wonder if King M’Baku would give second chances to those who try and steal your resources.”

I looked at Namor who glanced back at me.

“My brother believes in justice.” I replied.

“We must seek our own justice if we are going to survive. If outsiders were trying to mine Talokan’s vibranium and tried to hide behind Wakanda’s borders, would you give them shelter or give them to us to face justice?” Namor asked looking at Kore.

“Anyone who is an enemy of Talokan would be an enemy of Wakanda. I would hope if somehow someone tried to hurt Wakanda and hide in your oceans you would deliver them to us for justice.” she said.

“Or we’d just kill them.” Namor said with a shrug. Kore did not look impressed and to be honest neither did I.

“Killing cannot be the answer for everything lest we be seen as a primitive and savage nation.” she said mechanically. Namor paused in his walk and tilted his head to her.

“Why not?” he asked. The older woman looked at him in the face with a strict stare.

“You have been alive longer than any of us, and I am sure you have seen your share bloodshed. Wakanda for a brief time was savage. Many of the elders know of our old ways,” she said, and I looked at the woman curiously as I did not know of this she spoke of, “When you see everything as black and white and no room for anything else, you don’t evolve. The Golden Tribe wanted us all to evolve. You cannot evolve because you are stuck in the water. Time here stands still while time above changes quickly.”

Now I was not sure how Namor would take Kore’s words and I could see Namora and Attuma looking at their king with frowns on their faces. This was tense and Namor stared at her with a cold face before it broke into a wide smile and a deep chuckle.

“I like you. You are a very wise woman.” he said. I sighed with relief and looked at Zion who just gave a shake of his head in disbelief. I smiled at him, and we continued our walk. We saw the labs that Namora spoke about as well the citadel which was huge.

This was not what I expected, but then again, I didn’t know what I was expecting. I noticed the many Talokanil that swam around had gills in their necks and were dressed in Mesoamerican garments and jewelry. Now Zura was asking questions about the technology that Namor has spoken about.

As he explained that the invention was through jewelry laced vibranium. It was activated by water and would allow them to swim to Talokan without getting tired or impacted by the heavy pressure of the water.

M’Baku would love that.

“We will have to one day put together a demonstration. King M’Baku would love to see the process from beginning to end.” Hibo replied. Namor smiled.

“But of course.” he replied.

As they continued to speak, I began to walk back down the hall merely wanting to admire the water and glowing jelly fish and fish that swam about. I leaned forward toward the glass before a small face appears before me. I gasped and leaned back only to see it was Eztli! I smiled wide and she did the same waving happily at me. I gave a sweet smile and waved. She was not blue this time, but a beautiful cinnamon brown, her hair floating in the water. She placed her hand against the glass, and I did the same. I was very happy to see her again. She didn’t seem upset at me which I was inwardly happy about. After staring for a moment, she swam back and did a back flap before moving her hips to mimic some of the dancing I had showed her when she had visited.

“You remember.” I said softly. She waved in goodbye before swimming away and I smiled and watched her leave with the other children. Now a larger form was behind me, and I leaned up. Attuma stood beside me and began speaking, warmth evident in his eyes.

“It appears you have left quite an impression on the children. They constantly asked about you when they were released from their cells.” he said. I winced remembering their crying faces.

“How are they doing after being imprisoned?” I asked. Attuma looked down at me and nodded.

“They are strong. Their spirits are not broken. Some parents of the captured kids told me that the guards were nice to them and made sure they were comfortable, so they were not too afraid. K'uk'ulkan is very pleased about this.”

I smiled at his words and nodded.

“Good.” I replied. “I hope we can come to true peace after this so that Wakanda can focus on rebuilding and moving forward.”

Attuma listened to the translation as he looked out at the water. His eyes seemed distant now.

“You are having an internal battle with yourself.” I noted. Did he not want peace? Now he looked down at me and I looked up at him. “I hope whatever bothers you does not devour you and continue to make you uneasy.”

I gave a quick smile before walking around him to meet back with the others. After an hour of walking, we were escorted back to the caves only this time we were separated from Zion and Adan as it was time to bathe. Then I was separated from the girls.

“Royal members are to bathe alone with a personal guard.”

Kore did not like this, but I told her if we were to build trust, we had to go along with their customs. She agreed and I was taken down a different hall.

There were craters in the ground of water which was heated. The servants began to help me remove the dress and I was just still wondering if they planned to see me naked. I never needed help getting out of my clothes in Wakanda. Oh boy here we go.

They removed my dress, and my arms immediately came to my breasts and pubic bone. The girls giggled and one of them spoke.

“There is nothing to be shy about Princess. Here in Talokan many have seen each other bare. There is no shame in your beautiful body.”

“That is where things are different between us.” I said with a nervous chuckle. The girls chuckled and nodded, and I noticed a hand or two begin to slide over my thigh, my stomach and back.

“Uhh…” I said. Suddenly, a heavy throat clearing made me jump and the young girls turn to see Attuma standing there with strong eyes.

“Go help the others with the feast. I will guard the princess.”

He’s going to guard who!

Now the women bowed and separated from me now fully exposing me to this bear of a man. I gasped and quickly hid by the closes sharp bolder that stuck out of the ground. Attuma stared at me with a confused look. Has this man ever blinked before!

“I hardly think it is appropriate that you are here!”

“Why do you think this?”

“B-because you’re a man!”

“And you’re a woman?”

“And you are here, and I am here!”

“Princess, why are you stating obvious facts? I don’t understand.”

I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. Maybe he doesn’t understand. Oh Bast.

“In Wakanda it is not normal to see others naked unless they are married to you or dating/courting. In our positions it’s highly inappropriate for a guard to see a royal naked.”

Now Attuma frowned some.

“I am not some guard. I am the General of the Talokanil Army, the right hand of K'uk'ulkan. I would think I have earned some type of respect from you as an honorable Talokanil and not a mere surface dweller who cannot control his basic urges when presented with the female form.” I winced at his words as I remained hidden behind the rock. I definitely assumed that about him and I felt horrible. This was something cultural to him and I am a guest. Neither of us should be uncomfortable here. I looked up at him with guilt in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to paint you in such a bad light. But no man has ever seen me naked before and it is very nerve wrecking. It’s still very different up there than it is down here.” I told him.

Attuma watched me for a moment as if thinking before finally, he raised his hand and began to remove his headdress. Slowly one by one he began to move a piece of his armor, and I watched eyes growing wider as more and more of him was coming off.

“What are you doing?” I whispered harshly as if we were trying to hide from someone.

“Undressing. It is customary for high born and high ranking Talokanil to bathe together regardless of gender. We can prepare for the feast together and K'uk'ulkan will be pleased to know I have returned the gesture by me showing you something of our culture.”

Really, bathing together? I bit the inside of my cheek noticing his bare blue skin as it was becoming visible in the light. Shit. I didn’t want to seem insensitive, and this was a diplomatic assignment. I’ve had to adapt to many different lifestyles on behalf of my brother as his ambassador, but never this, but, I could do this now. I took note of the pure muscle that was facing me, the intricate scaring that looked almost like a shark’s open mouth on his stomach. I finally found myself looking up toward his face noticing his hair was down and flowing over his shoulders. His eyes were dark, and I couldn’t help but feel I was seeing a different version of him, a version I was curious to see up close. I took a few even breaths and finally walked out from behind the boulder.

I could feel the cool air of the cave around me, but none of that mattered as Attuma just stared at my face the entire time I was walking up to him. I told myself to ignore the strong legs and everything else that could be seen and focus on getting this bath out of the way. However, as I finally stood before him, it seemed like I was looking at a different person. I could see his face without his mask on. I took note of his gills on his shoulder blade, how they flexed some a sign they needed water. I observed his cheekbones, the green bone in his septum, the white bones imbedded in his chin, and even the large jade earrings in his ears. He was definitely different. I tilted my head to see the triangular jade in his ear which pressed the tips upward to make them seem pointed.

He wanted to look like his king. That was so… endearing.

“What are you thinking about?”

I couldn’t help but notice the hint of nervousness in his tone. Why was he so nervous?

“I am thinking that you look very different without your armor on.” I replied finally giving him a full look over trying to ignore the impressive size of his cock before looking back up at him with a mesmerized gaze. “You’re very… beautiful.” His eyes popped some as he heard this and he looked down at my body and took a step closer to me, his chest was inches from my breasts. His massive hand slowly came up and his palm rested against my cheek as I couldn’t help raising my hand to outline his cheek. Why was I doing this? Why was I immediately drawn in to him? Was it just physical attraction? Was this a Talokan custom, us both touching each other? Maybe we were showing respect for the other? If not then why was I letting him touch me and why was he letting me touch him? It was more so his eyes than the physical appearance of his body. Yes, he had an impressive body, one of pure muscle, but his eyes were focused and trained on me just like when I first met him.

This was such a strange feeling. The pit of my stomach was knotting up and I felt my fingers move down toward the side of his neck. His body tensed just a bit as he makes it clear I am getting close to his gills. I looked him over for a brief moment.

“We should get in the water now before the feast.” I said unable to stop my eyes from trailing down to his mouth to watch him speak.

“We should, but it looks like you desire something else.”

“And what do you think I desire?” I asked gazing up at him. Why am I so close to him? Why did I let myself be drawn into him. Attuma began to lean in toward me, his face closing in on me. His eyes give one quick glance at my lips before both our eyes closed and our lips pressed into one another.

[wanderingmind867]

I've mentioned before how I wish the silver surfer had gotten a 70s comic series set on earth, and I think I even mentioned how I'd thought up a plan for 46 issues and two annuals. Well, i was really bored today and ended up really generating some story ideas for this fake 70s comic. I actually quite like I've got, so I'm going to share what I have here.

Issue #3: Namor and The Silver Surfer team up to face off against some undersea menace in a fantasy epic for the ages.

Issue #4: The reintroduction of mephisto into the pages of the silver surfer. Mephisto is back again to try and claim the surfer's soul, and he's willing to use any means to get it. The Surfer beats him here, but he'll back again soon.

Issue #6: The Silver Surfer teams up with the Black Panther and has an adventure in Wakanda. I'm not sure who the villian would be or what the story would entail, but it would definitely be a Black Panther Team-Up in Wakanda.

Issue #8: The introduction of The Black Boarder, mephisto's herald. The Silver Surfer and The Black Boarder clash in an intense confrontation that ultimately ends in a draw.

Issue #9: Immediately after mephisto and the black boarder fight, the surfer goes to doctor strange and tries to enlist in aid in hunting down mephisto. They do pursue mephisto, but they get trapped in a different realm and have to battle their way back to earth.

Issue #12: The Surfer tires of the madness that is the world of men, so he heads out to the frozen tundra of northern canada. For a while, he lives a peaceful life amidst the animals in the snow. But after around a month or two of peace, the surfer has his isolation disturbed by a confrontation with a yeti or snow monster. The surfer has to stop the yeti from attacking a small village. At the end of the story, the surfer is accepted by the small community. They see him as some sort of guardian protector. Has the surfer finally found a home?

Issue #15: The Surfer ends up leaving his new community for a while because he's beginning to tire of the settled lifestyle. He needs to ride the winds again. But before he is able to depart on his journey, he has to help the people of the village save themselves from a group of terrorists striking at native communities across north america

Issues #16 and #17: The Silver Surfer is on the hunt against the terrorist organization he encountered in issue #15. The hunt takes him to the cheyenne nation in montana, where he has to team up with the Red Wolf to fight the terrorists in issue sixteen. But from their montana base, the surfer learns that their biggest attack is going to be on seminole lands in florida. So the surfer goes to florida in issue #17, which leads to him and the man-thing teaming up to put an end to these terrorists and their rascist ways.

Issue #20: The Surfer ends up crashing the Vision and Scarlet Witch's honeymoon in rurutu, french polynesia. I don't know what villian they'd face or what would happen in this story, but I need to see another team up between The Vision and The Silver Surfer, so I had to include this.

Issue #21-22: The Silver Surfer finally meets Shalla-Bal again. Around a year after the events of Fantastic Four #155-157, The Silver Surfer ends up back in Latveria. Mephisto had decided to take a hand in fate yet again, and he's using Doctor Doom and Shalla-Bal as his puppets. In the first part of the story, Doctor Doom attacks The Surfer again. But once the surfer realizes that Shalla-Bal is trapped in Latveria, mephisto traps him in his domain. Part two of the story features the surfer and Shalla-Bal escaping mephisto's realm (and facing mephisto and the black boarder).

As for mephisto's new goal: The Surfer will find Shalla-Bal and free her from Latveria and her amnesia, but she'll have a plan implanted in her subconscious: when mephisto so chooses, she'll trick the surfer into signing his soul away to mephisto. A long con on mephisto's part. Allow the surfer a long period of peace and happiness, so he'll be caught unawares when mephisto finally chooses to strike.

[skylarstark4826]

Some time ago in Shuri’s lab, Wakanda.

“Status of Trial 117: Data analysis phase initiated. Estimated time to completion: two hours, twenty-three minutes,” Griot announces.

Finally at a lull in her experiments for the day, Shuri leans on one of her workstations, her gaze falling idly onto the seashell mounted on a display table across the room. Though still functional as a communication device, the conch now serves as a ceremonial symbol of Talokan's support should Wakanda ever call for aid, and Wakanda’s alliance with Talokan.

However, it only reminds Shuri of the embers of resentment and anger still quietly burning in her for the death of her mother, the deaths of both her people and the Talokanil; all the pain and conflict that ensued from that first meeting with Namor.

It’s the same one he carried when he first arrived on Wakanda’s riverbanks.

When she feels those embers rekindling, she struggles to reconcile being in love with someone who wounded her heart so deeply. It takes retreading each reason why they chose peace instead of vengeance to remember how he became the one to help her heart heal. Part of it was time spent together connecting through a love for their people, and part of it the knowledge of a brokenness only the two of them would ever understand.

“Good afternoon, itzia. I hope I’m not interrupting your work.”

Shuri’s brow unfurrows abruptly at the sound of Namor’s voice, drawing her attention to its source. He’s dressed in a more formal cloak and adornments for his routine diplomatic visit to the Golden City. Bast, she’d nearly forgotten about it in her rush to the lab this morning. He’d visited her last night as well, in her bedroom, and neither of them gave much regard to clothes, sleep, or needs of their schedules for official duties the following day.

“No, not at all.” She offers a polite smile in greeting, still a little lost in the storm of her earlier thoughts. A brighter memory peeks through the dark clouds as she walks over to the display in an attempt to shake them loose. Shuri lifts the opening of the large conch to one side of her head, covering an ear. “When I was a child, my mother told me that if I put a shell like this to my ear, I would hear the ocean. The sound would be like I was at the beach, listening to the roar of the waves breaking on shore.” A small smile spread across her face. “I learned later that the roaring was ambient noise from the environment around me, vibrating against the surface and amplified by the shape of the shell’s interior. Some mistakenly believe the roaring is blood flowing through your body.” Shuri looks up at Namor, then, with a childlike curiosity. “You shared with me before that one of your abilities is enhanced hearing.” She lowers the shell away and holds it out for Namor to take. “So, tell me. What do you hear?”

A couple of weeks later, following a late afternoon council meeting. 

The throne room empties quickly after M’Baku dismisses the council, everyone eager to have dinner. All of Shuri’s favorites are on the menu tonight, but her appetite just isn’t there. Really, she hasn’t had much of an appetite in some time, but she can blame that on her newfound strength: so much has changed about her body now, so why worry about small things like that? Instead of following the group to the dining hall, she lingers briefly in the empty room before detouring to a private chamber her father had occasionally used as an office.

Photos of her and her family at various private and public events decorate the wall to one side of the desk, trickling down to litter the top of a small cabinet butting against it. Her eyes rove across the still memories, resting periodically on the faces of her late father, mother, and brother and herself, all smiling. There are no solo portraits in this collection.

I was never alone, she reassures herself. And I am not alone, even now.

Her heart warms at the thought of little T’Challa’s photos one day joining the gallery. The day she met her nephew, she had no idea how much more brightly love would burn for both her brother and the little, cheerful, sweet-smiled part of him he brought into the world. It extinguished all the rage and loneliness and fear that those fires would never go out. For a brief moment, she even wonders what that love would feel like, should she ever have a child of her own.

Griot’s voice pings into her reverie. “Princess, I have the results of the blood test you ordered.”

Blood test? Shuri frowns, then remembers: she had not had her cycle since the month after she had ingested the synthetic heart-shaped herb, and she had done a sample this morning, concerned with what the side effects might mean in the long term. She must have forgotten about it. That is not like her. Shuri shakes her head. “Yes, sorry, Griot. What are the results?”

“There are no vitamin deficiencies, and your white blood cell count is normal. I can detect slightly elevated levels of cortisol, and additionally, a very healthy level of human chorionic gonadotropin.” 

Shuri blinks. She blinks again. Then, she breathes.

Some time later, on an empty shore of Haiti. 

The sun breaks the horizon, painting the sky and clouds in warm hues. Soft pinks blanket the blue sky in lavender, giving way to bright oranges and yellows the further the sun creeps up in its morning path. Shuri stands on the shore dressed in a cropped orange halter swim top, low-waisted black calf-length leggings, and a short off-white sarong tied around her waist. She looks out to the ocean, patiently waiting for the familiar shape of her companion to break the surface.

He doesn’t keep her waiting long. When he arrives, seashell in hand, the shoreline is bathed in gold.

Namor tosses the conch into the sand. He wades up the beach before greeting her with a full, firm kiss, hands wandering over her exposed midriff when he grasps her waist to pull her close.

When they finally break the kiss, Shuri takes a moment to regain her breath. Her gaze is soft as she looks at the sunlight breaking through the dark of Namor’s irises, exposing the warmth beneath.

She smiles as she slides her hand from behind his neck to cup his jawline, gently tracing his lips with the pad of her thumb. Shuri gestures to a fallen coconut tree next to them. Namor sits on the trunk as she remains standing close to his side, gently guiding his ear toward her abdomen and cradling the back of his head with one hand. His cold, wet hair tickles her exposed stomach, but his skin is so warm.

“I want you to listen to something, and tell me what you hear.”

Namor holds her close, one hand bracing the back of her thigh, his other hand resting above her hip. He slides off the trunk to kneel in the sand between her feet as if the new position would help him hear any better.

Shuri can’t see his expression, but she feels his quiet wonder, the departure of the old world with every exhale, the dawning of a new one in every rising of his chest and shoulders as he breathes in.

He tightens his embrace ever so slightly. Shuri is uncertain of what he’ll say, but hopeful.

“In itzia. I think…”

The fluttering heartbeat beneath Namor’s ear echoes his joy.

“…This is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.”

/end

[brainrotcharacters]

Wakanda Forever x Moon Knight Headcanons

let me tell you something LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING

tags: Steven, Marc, and Jake share one body, them and Layla come to Talokan but don't ask me how they can breathe underwater just shh, Steven/Marc/Jake and Dissociative Identity Disorder, Layla El-Faouly, a callback to Moon Knight episode 5, imagine interactions between them, moon knight x namor sfw, 

I already discussed this with my royal council a small group of friends who are enjoyers of both BPWF and MK

Steven would love to know absolutely everything about Talokan. Namor won't let him know so easily, but Steven's nearly childish curiosity persists.

"The Scarlet Scarab shall find a home among the people of Talokan, should the surface world inevitably fail her."

Namor doesn't know about DID. He struggles to imagine a world where a mother would abuse her own son, considering the love he gave and received from his own mother.

because of this, he'd be confused and on survival mode the first time Steven/Marc switched

he would think it was some new surface technology or ability to infiltrate a nation as one person, and leave it as another person

if he met Marc before Steven, Namor's skepticism would be soothed when Steven says "mate, with all due respect, the only way that I would pick a fight with you is if you were a danger to Marc or Layla"

if he met Steven before Marc, I guarantee a fight scene before they discuss things

Layla, as always, saves Steven/Marc. She explains what she knows about dissociative identity disorder (It is more than likely that after the show, Layla researched it)

Layla's nicknames include "Lady Scarab" "Gold Maiden" "The Golden Warrior" "Warrior Queen"

Marc's nicknames (more than half are given by Namor intended to piss Marc off) include "Moon Man" "The White" "Mercenario"

only Steven heard Namor refer to Marc as "Cavaliero de Luna"

Steven's nicknames Namor would deny all questions about his developing familiar protectiveness for him include "the historian" "Moon Child"

Namor has a first name basis with Steven and Layla, but uses Marc's and Jake's surnames to address them

Namor would flirt with Layla

"Steven, give me the body" "hold on we have to be careful" "he's making googly eyes at Layla!" "I'm upset too but shut up for a second!"

Namor would not-accidentally realize that both Steven and Marc feel as if they don't deserve Layla. She herself knows, and continues to make the effort to convince them that she loves them.

Namor intervenes. He takes personal insult that such powerful humans can be mated, but their life together is still clouded by surface world foolishness

"You are correct. You do not deserve her." Namor tells them, one time when they co-fronted. The scowl on their face deepened, until Namor continued. "Try to be."

he understands how deeply a woman can feel her emotions, and has seen its influences throughout his long, long life. though Layla is not one of his people, Namor cannot stand and watch her lovers unconsciously disrespect her strength by deciding for her what she deserves.

if Jake fronts, and Namor realizes that he hid his presence from his own headmates and Layla as well, Namor's hostility would depend on Jake's current motives

both Namor and Jake know how to speak Spanish, and roast each other accordingly

Namor and Layla became quick friends that Namor also promised to send reinforcements to Egypt if Layla ever asks for his help

Namor's half-friendship with Steven follows the black cat-golden retriever trope

Someone please put Steven on a timer because he's going to speedrun learning Yucatec Mayan /lh

if Talokan suffers an attack or Steven, Marc, and Layla help Talokan attack, Layla and Marc would join Namor in the air

don't talk to me Layla's suit will look so pretty and shiny because of all the water

on the instance that Layla's suit would have problems, Namor would let her borrow vibranium swords... vibranium wings... fanartists can we talk about this

interactions between Steven and the children of Talokan

by the end of it all, Namor would have built a library for Steven. For him to use anytime

the thing about burning the world... if Steven/Marc chooses to tell him about their trauma, Namor would be confused that they don't want to burn the world

only Steven knows about this library because Namor made him promise not to tell (he has a reputation to uphold)

this would refer back to the moment that Dr. Harrow asked if Steven had created Marc to punish the world for what it did to him

the domesticity between Layla and her lovers makes Namor hesitate about having a consort for his kingdom

point is, the day that Tenoch, Oscar, and May share a screen will be a Good Day

[karlyanalora]

For Fiera:

alone

desire

failure

future

mask

secret

alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?

Fiera tends to spend her alone time roughing it like an animal. Literally. It’s easier to deal with loneliness if you have the animal instincts of a solitary creature running in the back of your mind. She’s spent a good deal of time devoid of human contact while traveling.

She’s quiet when she’s alone. She goes about her tasks efficiently. She’s either traveling to meet people or has some social interaction planned for later. She doesn’t make much sound at all unless she’s thinking about Dorcalon. Then she turns on his music.

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?

She wants to be a mother. She’s very open about that desire. Practically everyone who knows her knows this.

But the well-being of the child always comes first. She wants her child to have a father. She and Dorcalon could have adopted, but with the Skrull critically endangered as a species, she felt it was best for any Skrull orphans to have two Skrull parents. Adopting anywhere else would have been impossible for other reasons.

She knows the odds of her having her own child are very slim. But she’s alright with having this desire not met in this life.

failure: What's your OC's greatest failure? Have they been able to move past it? Does anyone else know about it?

Not being home when Dorcalon was attacked. Not being able to arrive in time to say goodbye in person. Her husband is dead and she could do nothing. She refuses to live through another heartbreak like that. If she ever remarries, she will not be parted from her husband’s side. She may be needed more elsewhere, but she will not leave him.

So, no, she hasn’t been able to move past it. Not really. And if you know where to look, you can see the symbols of her widowhood displayed in keeping with Skrull tradition.

future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?

Heh. At present, she’s convinced she’s lived through the worst possible future.

Further down the road, she’ll become aware that a new possible worst exists. After all, she’s the matriarch of a major crime-fighting family. She can’t keep them all home and safe, so she’ll prepare them as best she can.

Losing them all would be the worst thing she could live through. She doesn’t think she could live through it. But it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

mask: Does your OC wear a mask, literally or figuratively? What goes on beneath it? Is there anyone in their life who gets to see who they are under the mask?

As a crimefighter, she does wear a mask. When she’s out in the field, she’s in Work Mode. No chit-chat, blank-faced, scare the crap out of crooks mode.

But outside of work, she’s very much her friendly self under the mask. It weirds other heroes out. But they get used to it. She’s no different when the mask is off. It’s more the information she shares that changes.

secret: What's one secret your OC never wants anyone to know about them?

Fiera has a complicated relationship with the ocean. She’s got weird aging due to her Atlantean father, which comes up every once in a while. Since she exists in an MCU/DC crossover, that’s not entirely true. Atlantean implies Aquaman and folks.

The truth is her father was the second son of Talokan. His mother didn’t care if he lived or died since he was the unborn son of a Spanish Conquistador. Like Namor, Fiera’s father was also granted a long life, inhuman strength, and the ability to breathe in and out of water. However, he was treated as an outcast and eventually banished.

Fiera is terrified that if Namor learns of her existence and heritage, he will take issue with it. And she’s not wrong. No one besides her dead parents knows the truth.

From this ask game

[comicavalcade]

Submariner Summer 36

Ok fam who wants to #SubmarinerSummer part 36 read through with Marvel's first one-shot ever? Gather round for the interesting tale of--Iron Man and Sub-Mariner #1!

As I said in the last installment, Tales to Astonish came to an end. But not due to any failure. You see, in Marvel's distribution deal at the time, there was a hard cap on how many comics they could publish. That's why Hulk and Namor shared Astonish, and why Cap and Iron Man shared Suspense.

When Marvel was able to ditch that deal, their A-listers could get their own solo titles. Cap would take over Suspense, which ended at #99, and the Captain America solo book continued its numbering with its premiere being #100. Ditto the Hulk and Astonish; the last Astonish was #101, the first Incredible Hulk was #102

Iron Man and Namor would ALSO get their own titles, of course, but theirs start with shiny new #1s. But here's the thing...they each still had an unpublished half-length story meant to fit in a split title. So what to do? Well, publish a one-shot for the last Iron Man and Namor 1/2 stories

So yes, Iron Man and Sub-Mariner #1 continued the Iron Man and Namor stories from Suspense and Astonish, and the two stories had nothing to do with each other; the narratives in them would continue into the first issues of the two character's solo titles.

Namor, of course, was in the middle of his meeting with the Man Called Destiny. This tale is scripted by Roy Thomas, with Colan still on art, and it doesn't waste any time as Namor immediately strikes. Destiny, though, is way ahead of him, and why not, he reads minds

The battle is joined, but not for very long before the mind power of Destiny brings Namor to an icy halt. Then, as a Silver Age villain, he launches into a monologue sharing his origin story

He'd been a two-bit carnival mentalist, until learning that an Antarctic civilization had mastered telepathy. So he joins an Antarctic expedition...the same one Namor's father had led! McKenzie doesn't like him much, but they go onto the continent seeking the city of the Ancients

When they find it, Destiny tries to claim the power all for himself, but starts an avalanche that falls and traps him, but not before he finds the Helmet of Power. At this point in Destiny's story Namor breaks free and renews his assault

The Helmet of Power has enhanced Destiny's physical attributes as well as his mind powers, but physically Namor is still greater; and he's not just strong, he's fast, as Destiny finds out when he tries to shoot a sonic cannon at him that Namor handily dodges and wrecks

Unfortunately Namor goes overboard. He causes a cave-in when he throws the cannon, trapping himself under tons of ice. Destiny's Helmet saves him, and he gloats over his second victory over Namor, though we still don't know what the first one was.

A quick little clash for Namor setting up the villain's backstory, and leaving our hero deep in a trap of his own making. Its a lot of exposition, this ish; wild how much they could fit in those word balloons around some pretty action-y panels.

So, the one-shot is done, so where does that put us? Well, NEXT is a special origin issue to kick off the big premiere, because its time for Namor's full-fledged solo book! Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner #1: Years Of Glory, Days of Doom!

[mrs-lockley]

(I'm definitely not procrastinating)

⭐⭐⭐SPAMMING YOU WITH STARS NYEEEEEOW ⭐⭐⭐

⭐⭐⭐

I wanna learn more about your Kapangpangan fic! I need crumbs please I'm begging KAJHSDKJAS Anything you wanna share! (Also love love love your work and your support! Literally you are so kind HNNGGG)

Hehe thank you Nelly! I'm actually struggling with part 2 right now so this will help me sort my thoughts out! I'll do 9 facts for each star 😘

Where the Spirit Meets the Bones was partly inspired by the Little Mermaid. I was surprised I haven't seen a Little Mermaid AU for Namor, so I decided to write one! I debated on making her a Sirena because I did see a few Sirena/Mermaid fics in the tag, but after doing some research, I decided to settle on Sirena because I felt that a Sirena was right for her.

The title and premise of the fic is inspired by the song ivy by Taylor Swift, my favorite song from my favorite album by her (Evermore is her best work and completely underrated, imo). The entire song screamed Namor to me and if you look closely at the lyrics, it'll give many hints to more of the reader's backstory. 👀👀

Speaking of the reader's backstory, it's been hinted at throughout the first part, but she was human before she became a Sirena. How she became a Sirena and why the ocean spared her life will be revealed in part 2! She may seem sweet in part 1, but she has just as many skeletons in the closet and darkness like Namor. She's just better at hiding it.

Originally I was going to have Namor and our Sirena meet when she rescues him at sea because she was intrigued by the wings on his ankles and pointed ears. But I scrapped that idea because I wanted more of a slow burn and build up before that meeting. That’s when I got the idea of her finding Namor visiting his mother on the seashore and leaving behind the jasmine flowers as an offering.

Although he did not know what our Sirena looked like when she rescued him, Namor painted jasmine flowers in his cavern to mark that that was the first time he was nearly discovered by humans in a foreign land, but was saved by her.

His original intentions were to learn more about her to see if she was a princess or goddess that he could have diplomatic ties with, so he restored her necklace with vibranium and offered two Talokanil pearls as a possible token of diplomacy and courtship. But all that changed when he and the Sirena meet face-to-face for the first time. It was almost love at first sight, but it was definitely love at first sound. 

I went back and forth on having it be a standalone, but then I decided to make it a duet. I have several ideas for part 2 that I don’t want to spoil too much, and depending how long it is, I might make it 3 parts if people are still interested  👀 It would take place over the course of the 20th century and lead up to modern day 

Part 2 will go more in-depth about their relationship, and I may or may not be planning on incorporating the bakunawa as a metaphor for their relationship since I already did a lot of emphasis on them meeting under a bright moon 

Ultimately I made the reader a Sirena Kapampangan because while I do love reading Filipino!reader fics, I felt a little isolated because I don’t understand a lot of Tagalog. My parents only spoke Kapampangan at home (I can speak a little bit (but understand Kapampangan fluently), my mom made me speak English when she spoke to me in Kapampangan so I wouldn’t struggle with English) so I struggle with grammar sometimes and don’t really know which is my first language. I did pick up a little bit of Tagalog from watching TFC and most of my Filipino-American friends are Tagalog. We would do Taglish with each other but I’d get my Kapampangan mixed up with Tagalog words and get frustrated with myself for not knowing Tagalog, but also feel incredibly guilty because I’ve heard that back home, Kapampangan is slowly dying out and I want to preserve it. I can’t read or write Kapampangan and some of the Kapampangan terms I used in the fic, I had to double check the translations to make sure I spelled it right. This is getting a little personal but even among my Filipino friends, I always felt like the odd ball and a fraud because we don’t know any other Kapampangans here in the States (and a majority of my immediate family are in Pampanga). So this fic is really personal to me because for once, I feel a bit more included in the Filipino space. The Asian diaspora is real and even my Fil-Am friends feel it too, so we try to learn more about our history. It’s just even in the Asian-American community here in the States, Filipinos are still looked down on by our East Asian cousins that I still struggle with my Southeast Asian and Filipino identity. Doing research for this fic has made me want to learn more about my history, specifically Kapampangan history, which sadly I did not learn much about from my parents because  growing up they did not get a chance to teach us much about it since they were working to provide for my Ate and me. So in a way, this fic is really personal and self-indulgent because this is the kind of fairytale that Little Me would have wanted to read. This fic is a fairytale for my younger self and other Filipino girls, not just Kapampangan, to read. It’s a love story for our younger selves.

[xprojectrpg]

This Day in X-Project - April 17

Garrison Kane's birthday. PHASE 2

2015: Matt and Tandy meet for the first time and Wade makes an awkward appearance. Miles posts about his enthusiasm about the new Star Wars trailer. Tandy posts about going home for a few days and asks if anyone would like to join her. Clint runs into Rachel and they have a nice chat. Matt meets Quentin on the roof and self proclaimed radical and reluctant corporate suit don’t get along. Matt texts Clint about having a massive case of the munchies. Jean emails Scott and Angelo about leaving for a few days due to a situation in Ireland. Alison Blaire arrives at the mansion and Wade is the one that meets her at the door. Wade texts Marie-Ange about the meeting with Alison. Alison has a meeting with Charles and officially becomes a student at the school. Tandy discovers Julian unpacking from a trip he is no longer taking and their relationship changes. Bobbi and Adrienne go to the gun range and then work on a stakeout together. Alison literally bumps into Tandy while exploring.

2016: Miles wonders why Crunchyroll keeps recommending he watch Sailor Moon and Jean offers to introduce him to the show. Amanda posts to let people know she and Garrison are having birthday drinks at Harry’s. She also sends a message to Megan and Wanda thanking them for their gifts.

2017: Miles texts Warren to let him know Maya thinks he owes her a job. Reed loses time on the NASA photograph website. Amanda finds a stone in her tea mug and thinks it’s a prank. Lorna finds the perfect wedding dress and lets people know she and Alex have picked a date.

2018: Jubilee makes a journal entry to share a video. Poor Unfortunate Souls: Scott makes an xp_teams post asking for help to check out his father’s distress signal; Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Wildchild, Hawkeye, Bevatron and a reluctant Namor arrive in Florida, borrow a boat (Clint is great at them), and make their way to the Starjammer; not at all surprisingly, Namor has opinions about the disappearance of the Starjammer's crew; below the surface, Marvel Girl and Namor encounter cephalopods smaller, and rather more personal than the giant one attacking the ship and are brainwashed; Scott makes a communications post asking for help in the Bermuda Triangle, especially from Daytripper and the magic set; Clint attempts to text several people seeking help in the Bermuda Triangle; Wallflower and Blink are too old for this crap; Topaz learns a valuable lesson - when you skip school, you get stuck going with the Sefton siblings to fight a giant squid; Cloak catches Scarlet Witch and Synch by surprise to drag them off to the Bermuda Triangle; the Bermuda Triangle is a popular vacationing spot, not that Clea, Darcy, or Ty want to go; the magic ladies gather to talk, and Daytirpper has a most horrendous idea - a spell to turn them into mermaids; Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Daytripper discuss the ritual, which they will probably never discuss this again; Wallflower and Blink prep for a very quick medical exam; Topaz, Wildchild and Synch comment on the disgusting aspect - and taste - of magic; Scarlet Witch and Darcy do the worst shots in the world as the transformation ritual takes effect; Topaz, Bevatron and Blink participate in the worst potions and transfiguration class ever; Wildchild did not go over the rail when the magic started; Daytripper's the last to go, and Hawkeye gets to make sure she gets to the water okay; with all fishies in the water, Cyclops and Blink take point on scouting ahead; Rainbow Britefish (Topaz) and Synch track our missing phoenixes, pirates and princes; Daytripper and Wildchild are beset upon by Lemurians and an Atlantean bearing (wait no, WEARING) squid; Bevatron and Darcy-Still-Needs-A-Codename fight guards with a compelling voice and conductive voltages - and discover just what has happened to Scott's father; Scarlet Witch and Nightcrawler are attacked by a regally and terrifyingly transformed Marvel Girl; on the boat, Hawkeye, Wallflower, Cloak and Clea discover they have a few ocean animals to contend with themselves; Topaz (refuses a codename) fights Marvel Fishgirl on her own territory - the mind; Synch takes over fighting King-Squid-Namor, and discovers surprising facts about the Atlantean when he tries to sync to his powers; Synch helps Topaz and Marvel Girl double-team Namor; Cyclops and Daytripper team up to take on the Starjammers and start breaking them free of the mind control; Wildchild and Nightcrawler work off some frustration on Lemurians; Bevatron and Synch face off against some guards… and Warlord Attuma of the Enormous Ego; Darcy and Blink get rid some of the supply of mind-controlling parasitic squidthings; Daytripper(swimmer), Cyclops and Corsair release more kidnap victims; Topaz and Marvel Girl finish the job or de-squidding Namor, and he has emotions that aren't anger or disdain; the magic that turned the volunteers into merfolk will end easily, however the involuntarily besquidded require some more work; Hawkeye distributes towels and has the officially Worst Idea Ever (tm).

2019: Amanda and Marie-Ange discover Topaz asleep on their couch.

2020:

2021: Jubilee needs someone to validate her existence. Arise, X-Man: Laurie apologises to Jean and they discuss her future as a doctor.

2022: Terry goes on a cooking extravaganza for the big Spring Holiday Weekend.

2023: Jean takes Kane out for a birthday brunch.

[phantom-le6]

Film Review - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Finishing off our reviews of 2022 films, we take a break from Warner Brothers-produced films and return to the MCU as we consider Black Panther: Wakanda Forever…

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

T'Challa, king of Wakanda, is suffering from an unspecified terminal illness which his sister Shuri believes can be cured by the heart-shaped herb. Shuri attempts to synthetically recreate the herb after it was burned by Erik Killmonger, but fails to do so before T'Challa dies.

A year later, Wakanda is under pressure from other nations to share their vibranium, with some parties attempting to steal it by force. Queen Ramonda implores Shuri to continue her research on the herb, hoping to create a new Black Panther that will defend Wakanda, but she refuses due to her belief that the Black Panther is a relic of the past. In the Atlantic Ocean, the CIA and U.S. Navy SEALs utilize a vibranium detector to locate a potential vibranium deposit underwater. The expedition is killed by a group of blue-skinned, water-breathing superhumans led by a mutant ruler later identified as Namor, with the CIA believing Wakanda to be responsible. Namor confronts Ramonda and Shuri, easily bypassing Wakanda's advanced security. Blaming Wakanda for the vibranium race, he gives them an ultimatum: deliver him the scientist responsible for the vibranium detector, or he will attack Wakanda.

Shuri and Okoye learn from CIA agent Everett K. Ross that the scientist in question is MIT student Riri Williams and arrive at the university to take her into their safekeeping. The group is pursued by the FBI and then by Namor's warriors, who defeat Okoye before taking Shuri and Williams underwater to meet Namor. Angered by Okoye's failure to protect Shuri, Ramonda strips her of her title as general of the Dora Milaje and seeks out Nakia, who has been living in Haiti since The Blip. Namor shows Shuri his vibranium-rich underwater kingdom of Talokan, which he has protected for centuries from discovery by the world. Bitter at the surface world for enslaving the Maya, Namor proposes an alliance with Wakanda against the rest of the world but threatens to destroy Wakanda if they refuse. Nakia helps Shuri and Williams escape, killing one of the Talokan guards in the process, and Namor retaliates with an attack against Wakanda, during which Ramonda drowns while saving Williams. Namor vows to return with his full army, and the citizens of Wakanda relocate to the Jabari mountains for their safety. Meanwhile, Ross is arrested by his ex-wife, CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, for secretly exchanging classified intelligence with the Wakandans.

After Ramonda's funeral, Shuri uses a remnant of the herb that gave Namor's people their superhuman abilities to reconstruct the heart-shaped herb. She ingests it, gaining superhuman abilities and meeting Killmonger in the Ancestral Plane, who urges her to seek revenge. Shuri dons a new Black Panther suit and is accepted by the other Wakandan tribes as the Black Panther. Despite M'Baku's urges for peace, Shuri is determined to exact vengeance on Namor for Ramonda's death and orders an immediate counterattack on Talokan. Preparing for battle, with Ayo assuming the position of general of the Dora Milaje, Shuri bestows the Midnight Angel armour upon Okoye, who in turn recruits Dora Milaje member Aneka to join her. Williams creates an Iron Man-esque powered exoskeleton to aid the Wakandans.

Using a seafaring vessel, the Wakandans lure Namor and his warriors to the surface with another vibranium detector as a battle ensues. Shuri traps Namor in a fighter aircraft, intending to dry him out and weaken him. The pair crash on a desert beach and fight. Shuri gains the upper hand but has a vision of Ramonda and implores Namor to yield, offering him a peaceful alliance. Namor accepts, and the battle ends. Namor's cousin, Namora, is upset at Namor's surrender, but he assures her that the new alliance will allow them to conquer the surface world one day. Williams returns to MIT, leaving her suit behind, while Okoye rescues Ross from captivity. Shuri plants more heart-shaped herbs to ensure the future of the Black Panther mantle. In Shuri's absence, M'Baku steps forward to challenge for the throne. Shuri visits Nakia in Haiti where she burns her funeral robe in accordance with Ramonda's wishes, allowing herself to finally grieve for T'Challa.

In a mid-credits scene, Shuri learns that Nakia and T'Challa had a son named Toussaint, whom Nakia has been raising in secret. Toussaint reveals his Wakandan name is T'Challa.

Review:

While this film has garnered great commercial and critical success, receiving many award nominations and even winning a few, I personally don’t find it to be as good as the previous Black Panther solo film.  This isn’t due to any fault on the part of returning cast and crew, nor the absence of the late Chadwick Boseman.  Indeed, beyond the great acting and visual appearance of the film, I think the choice not to recast the role of T’Challa and instead have the Wakandans mourn him was a very smart move on the part of all concerned.  Combined with a very moving and apt closing song with Rihanna, this made Wakanda Forever a great film to watch.  So, if these are not the issues that I feel hold this film back from the original film’s greatness, what then are those issues?

To be honest, it’s the changes made to Namor and his undersea kingdom, ostensibly made in the name of diversity, but in reality, it is clearly an attempt to avoid too much similarity to DC’s Aquaman.  Anyone who has read enough of the relevant comics will know that in source material, Namor and Aquaman are the Marvel and DC rulers of Atlantis; each company has their own version of this ancient myth, which is clearly public domain considering that Disney animated classics and the Stargate franchises have projects with Atlantis in the title.  Both are male heroes and both share enhanced strength and water-breathing abilities, but here the similarity between Namor and Aquaman stops.

The various differences between the characters include differences in royal title (Namor is always a prince where Aquaman is a king), which world they’re raised in (Aquaman was raised on land by his father, Namor underwater by his mother), romantic situations (Aquaman marries and has a son where Namor’s romances never end well) and surface world relations (Aquaman often guides Atlantis towards peace whereas Namor is often more antagonistic).  There’s also the matter of additional powers being different, as well as Aquaman being strictly a member of the Justice League in DC where Namor has laid claim to membership in at least three superhero groups (Defenders, Avengers and X-Men) while at times being an ally to a fourth group (the Fantastic Four, when he stopped vying with Reed for Sue’s affections).

Given this many differences, the question in my mind is why turn Marvel’s version of Atlantis into something Mezzo-American?  The issues at hand in the film for Namor and his people are not specific to or indicative of that culture, compared to the first Black Panther film which put the issues of Black people in the world front and centre.  If this film had taken a similar path, had made turning Marvel’s Atlantis into Talokan something that explored the issues of indigenous cultures, then it might make some degree of sense.  Instead, it’s nothing more than another surface-level race-shift to make a show of diversity without actually being diverse, in part because they wanted a style shift away from DC’s efforts with their own aquatic super-being.

Another issue with the film is the apparent lack of originality to Shuri’s path through this sequel.  At first, she is managing to chart her own course in things, and maybe if the film had followed that throughout, it would have been better.  Instead, once Ramonda dies, Shuri’s path is virtually identical to T’Challa’s path in Captain America: Civil War.  Parent dies, kid seeks revenge as Black Panther, only to relent when they realise how vengeance isn’t actually solving anything.  Frankly, I think that since Shuri is going to be the Black Panther of the MCU for some time to come, she deserved a more original origin arc, and I hope that going forward, she’s given better stories that are more unique to her.

On the positive side, the film isn’t suffering the lack of exposition others superhero films have been lacking in some of my most recent watch-throughs, and even with its issues, it does better than the last MCU instalment I looked at.  Nonetheless, I think that if Marvel should be treating the indigenous cultures of the Americas and other continents with the same kind of reverence it showed when it introduced Wakanda to the MCU, and it should respect the new Black Panther with the same original story-telling they gave her predecessor.  Overall, I give this film 8 out of 10.