#national dora day | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

writingintheshadowsforever · 2 years ago

Text

Queen Ramonda x Reader Let's Tell The World Part 2

Summary: You and Queen Ramonda have accepted that you can't be together but that doesn't mean everyone has

You grunted in pain when your body made contact with the hard ground. It was the fifth time Shuri had put you down this morning. After officially becoming the Black Panther it was decided that the Princess needed combat lessons. While Shuri did have some knowledge and skill in fighting. It was never her strong suit and that wasn't a problem when T'Challa carried the mantle of Black Panther, and was on the throne. But now it was her responsibility and she knew her fighting skills would need to improve immensely. Which is why Okoye and Ayo were the ones put in charge of training her, but last week Shuri requested a change.

Well it wasn't so much a request as a demand, because you really had no choice in the matter. When Ayo announced that your early morning duties would be exchanged for sparring with Shuri. You didn't see them as training sessions, considering just how much she had learned from Okoye and Ayo in such a short time period. The two of them were the greatest warriors of the Dora Milaje. You were arguably not that far from behind them, but still you knew it was more personal for Shuri than anything.

"Come on get up we're not done" Shuri demanded, holding out a hand.

You looked past the helping hand to see the subtle traces of anger in her face. She thought she was doing a good job on hiding her emotions, but for a trained warrior who had to be proficient in picking up on every little thing. You could see right through her attempts. "No, we're not doing this today."

Shuri frowned. "Doing our daily training sessions."

"You mean our daily y/n beatdowns because that's what this is, and we both know it. Alright Princess I mean no disrespect but can we stop acting like. This doesn't have anything to do with what happened between me and your mother." You said pulling yourself up into a sitting position. if you took her hand no doubt you would be back where you started in under ten seconds.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, this is all professional" Shuri lied.

"Then why switch Okoye and Ayo out for me?" You pushed her.

"It's simple really both Ayo and Okoye are Generals for Wakanda's Army, and already have a number of responsibilities. They have made me more than a capable warrior in the month they were in charge of my training. But I do still need to keep up with it so you, one of the best warriors in Wakanda, was the perfect choice to fill in for them." Shuri explained with a quick shrug coupled with a hint of boredom.

You had to give her the fabricated lie that she just came up with that actually made sense. You wondered if she had practiced that speech, and gave it to someone else. Like Okoye, Ayo, or even the Queen herself.

The Queen. Ramonda. Your former beloved.

Not a day went by where you didn't think about her. Not a night passed where you didn't dream of having her in your arms again. It had been two weeks since you ended your secret relationship with her, and still you wondered if your decision had been too hasty. You hadn't been in charge of personally guarding her since, nor had you been on guard detail for travel. Three days after breaking things off Queen Ramonda had to attend a United Nations council meeting. You assumed you would be going until Ayo revealed that your presence wasn't needed or wanted.

It hurt to know she was shutting you out of her life now, but you understood why. If Ramonda was truly going to heal and move on then the less contact she had with you the better.

"Shuri, stop lying, you know, if you wanted to punch me in the face for breaking your mom's heart. All you had to do was ask I would've gladly let you as long as you agreed to show some res-" Your voice cut off into a cry of pain as her fist connected with your nose. Your upper body flew back to the ground from the force of it. But it didn't feel like your nose was broken but there was blood pouring out of your nostrils from the hit."

"Shuri what the hell?" You exclaimed covering your nose with both hands in an attempt to control the bleeding.

Shuri held up her hands. "You said I could punch you if I showed some restraint."

"You didn't even let me finish talking."

"Well that's obviously what you were going to say" She pointed out with a head tilt. "I showed restraint stop being a baby."

"You also forgot to ask" You muttered under your breath. Somehow forgetting about her super hearing.

"Y/N would it be okay if I punch you in the face for ripping my dear mother's heart out of her chest?" She asked in a low and dangerous voice, but a look of mischief in her eyes.

You scrambled to your feet and backed away from her. "No way Shuri one punch was good enough. I'm sorry about your mom, okay."

"Why did you do it?" Shuri asked not trying to mask the hurt in her voice. While you and her weren't nearly as close as she was with Okoye. She was still pretty familiar with you, and had you as her personal bodyguard more than a few times in the past.

"I didn't want to be Princess but our relationship was inappropriate" You told her looking away in shame.

Shuri scoffed at your answer. "Who?"

"Your mother wanted to go public with our relationship, and you know the elders wouldn't have improved."

"So you're telling me their approval means more to you than your love for my mother" Shuri countered.

"For Bast's sake of course not but they would do everything in their power to tear us apart. Your mother is Queen but I'm just a simple guard Shuri. If they can't twist her arm they will twist mine, and I'm expendable." You explained turning back to look her in the eyes. So she could see the inner turmoil inside of you.

Shuri wanted to argue but didn't have one because everything you had said was true. If your relationship with her mother went public the decision would definitely be met with backlash. It wasn't fair Queen Ramonda had given everything for her country, and when she finally did get the chance to get a little happiness back. She couldn't truly have it because of people being stuck in the old ways of the world.

"I still love her Shuri and I always will nothing in the world will ever change that" You said, pausing to take a breath of exasperation. "But I just don't think we can really be together unless some changes are made."

Shuri's gaze shifted to the sky with a faraway look in them. The Princess was thinking, and you just hoped it wasn't about hurting you.

"I don't like y/n but I must admit you are right. Training session is over. I have other business to attend to." She told you after a few minutes of silence. Shuri turned around to head back into the palace with your eyes boring into her back.

The training session being brought to such an abrupt end confused you. Usually the session would last for at least two hours, but maybe she finally got all the pent up anger for you out.

The Next Day

Your theory was confirmed because when morning came today Shuri was nowhere to be found for the daily combat lessons. You waited for thirty minutes just in case, but it was unnecessary the Princess was hardly ever late. Even if she was, it would only be by a couple of minutes at the most.

You were on your way to take your usual guarding position at the entrance to the palace. When Ayo caught up with you right as you were turning the last corner.

"Go gear up you are needed for traveling duty we leave in an hour" Ayo ordered.

You blinked at her trying to figure out rather or not she was actually serious. "Is this a mission?"

"No, the Queen's presence has been requested at a meeting with the Americans." Ayo said turning to walk away afterwards but your hand reached out catching her by the wrist. Her head snapped back towards you with her eyebrows raised in warning.

Most Doras wouldn't dare to question the General let alone prevent her from walking away after giving out orders.

"I'm sorry General I'm just a little confused as all considering I've been demoted to simple guarding duty for the past couple of weeks. This change is very sudden and out of-"

"The Queen requested for you to be on this trip personally y/n. Now stop questioning me and get prepared to leave" Ayo said, cutting you off.

You don't know how you managed to turn around and began walking back to your stationed room. At that very moment after hearing it was Ramonda who asked for you, but your legs were moving. Maybe it was the fear of how Ayo would react if you just continued to stand there dumbfounded. Did your beloved finally forgive you?

The team was taking two hovercrafts to the U.S. one will be Ayo, Queen Ramonda, Okoye and surprisingly Shuri. The Princess usually sat these meetings out as she still preferred to avoid the actual political side of things. For the time being while she still could. The second one was for the rest of the Doras which you were piloting. You were slightly disappointed that you weren't with the Queen, but maybe this was all just professional with nothing personal going on. The Queen needed one more guard and you were the best option for her to go with. Ayo wouldn't dare bring some inexperienced new trainee along for something this important.

It was a two-hour trip to the country, and you guys landed in Washington D.C. the meeting would be held. At the Department of Justice with some government officials. The hotel the country had put the Queen in wasn't far from the building. Of course Ayo sent you and others ahead to scout not just the hotel itself, but the entire street. All of you knew this was another attempt to negotiate a deal for Wakanda to share. Its source of vibranium these types of meetings would be held at least three times a month by various other countries as well. Queen Ramonda wouldn't give them anything, but she figured it was better to at least show her face. Rather than outright turn them down if she at least heard them out. It would keep them from growing even more hostile than they already were.

The meeting wouldn't take place until tomorrow afternoon. Queen Ramonda decided to just retire to her room where she would reside till then. If she needed anything the Doras would be the only ones permitted to bring it to her. Heck you guys were the only ones allowed on the floor where her room was located.

"Go to the Queen, you are to be by her side for the entirety of this trip." Ayo told you as she was assigning each guard a position.

You frowned in confusion. "You already sent guards to be outside her room, and Okoye is in charge of the floor itself. Where will I be."

"I told you with the Queen," she repeated. A bit annoyed at you once again questioning her.

"But where with th-" You started.

Ayo shot your repetitive question down with a glare. She closed the distance between the two of you and placed her mouth to your ear. "We have reason to believe the Americans might attempt to assassinate Queen Ramonda. For that reason we don't want her to be alone for even a second. You are the only one here who has ever been allowed in her personal space without restriction. So it makes sense we want her relaxed and not worrying herself to death tonight."

Confusion was replaced with fury at the news of a maybe assassin wandering around trying to get to the Queen. You prayed the Americans wouldn't dare to be so bold. Because whoever they did send wouldn't be returned to them alive. Not this time.

"I won't let her out of my sight" You promised.

Ayo stepped back and nodded for you to go.

Your hand hovered over the doorknob in hesitation. Doubt filled your heart making you want to do nothing more than turn around and beg for another position. It was crazy how you had wished for this opportunity so many times. In the past two weeks after not being able to even see her, but now that it was here. You were scared of what the outcome would be.

Was she even alerted that you would be the one guarding her?

"Earth to y/n are you going to go in or not? You've been standing there for two minutes." Aneka called out to you waving a hand in your face.

You blinked a few times still trying to gather your thoughts, but you managed to answer. "Um yes."

Aneka shook her head pulling the door open herself before you could even think much of it. She gave you a gentle push and your feet were moving carrying you into the room. The door closed.

Of course they gave her the best room the hotel could offer. A grand suite no doubt but it still didn't compare to her room back in Wakanda not in size or beauty. The floor was covered in a deep red carpet. The king size bed was positioned in the center of the room topped with way too many pillows. The color scheme for the sheets and pillows were a brown mixed with red matching the carpet. The room only had two windows, one on the side of the bed. It was long and rectangular with the curtains still closed, and the other window was big enough it took up the whole left side of the room. Where there would've been a wall there was a window covered as well. A brown cushioned futon sat in front of the window.

There was a door off to the right side and it must have led to the bathroom. You could hear water running on the other side of it. Ramonda did always prefer getting settled in early in the day rather than late at night. Nearly two months ago you would be the one to run the bath water.

You figured for the time being she was perfectly safe in the bathroom, and didn't need you in there with her. So you stood awkwardly by the bed facing away from the bathroom door with a spear in hand. A few minutes of awkward and deafening silence passed or maybe it was longer. You couldn't really tell every second that went by right now was the longest in your life.

The silence was broken with a loud crash that ended with the sound of glass shattering, and a small scream mixed in. Panic seized your body as you realized that. You failed to check the bathroom for any possible entry points. The other Doras would've checked but they would assume you would as well. You were on your feet throwing your shoulder into the door with such force. The hinges were broken as the door flew open upon impact slamming into the wall behind.

You stepped into the bathroom in a fighting stance with your spear armed to jab an enemy through the throat. "My love" You addressed her unable to help the slip of the tongue.

"Y/N what are-" Queen Ramonda started but paused as she took in how your body quivered with fear.

"Are you hurt?" You asked her eyes scanning the room in a frantic search for the intruder.

"If you would take the time to look at me you would see that I am fine" Ramonda replied in a soft voice.

"It wouldn't be appropriate your Highness" You shot back nervously.

"Neither was calling me your love but you did it anyway."

"It was a slip of tongue. I won't do it again" You whispered.

"I'm decent y/n you can look" she reassured you.

Slowly you turned around to take in the scene behind. The Queen was half on the floor, and the edge of the giant round bathtub. In front of her small pieces of red glass shined on the white tiled floor.

"I simply slipped and reached to catch myself accidentally knocking the red vase down. I don't know what genius thought it would be a good idea to put it so close to the tub." Queen Ramonda explained pulling her towel tighter around her body.

It was hard for you to not stare as her beautiful brown skin glistened with water. But you were more focused on the red glass before her. "Did any of it get in your feet?" You asked in a hurried tone.

"No I'm fine" she insisted attempting to stand but you were in front of her in a matter of seconds. Your arms reached to pick her up but she placed a firm hand on your forearm. "What are you doing?" she demanded. A hint of anger in your voice as you were finally about to cross a boundary.

"I'm just going to carry you to the door, your Highness," You told her.

"There is no need I'm perfectly capable of walking," she argued.

"There is glass you have no shoes on, and could get some embedded in your foot. I can't let that happen." You argued back.

"I have eyes I can see the glass and therefore avoid it" Queen Ramonda pointed out.

"There could be tiny pieces naked to your eye just allowing me to carry you. What if it is poisoned glass or something? It would be a unique way to get to you."

"No one would possibly-"

"I'm your royal guard. It's my job to think of all possibilities and act accordingly." You said in a tone that was final.

Queen Ramonda regarded with a surprised look at your boldness. She knew bringing you on this trip would result in some personal feelings, but never did she think the two of you would end up here. "Fine but just to the door."

You nodded and then you were lifting her into your arms bridal style to carry her a short distance. She didn't wrap her arms around your neck instead. She kept the grip on the towel not wanting to risk it falling off or slipping even a little.

You set her down on the outside of the bathroom on the carpet floor. "Go get settled on the bed. I want to make sure none of it gets in your feet, or arms.

"It didn't" she sighed in annoyance.

"I could ask Shuri to come and check if you don't want me to" You reasoned with a shrug. Having to fight off the urge to grin as she glared at you now. You went back to clean up the mess and collect a few samples to pass off to Aneka. Ayo would have the glass tested to be a hundred percent sure it was clean.

Queen Ramonda was lounging on the bed with her feet laid out in front of her crossed over each other. She had switched out the towel for a black robe that was brought along with her from her wardrobe.

You took a seat at the bottom of bed and lifted her feet to place them in your lap. So you could begin the inspection for any glass. She didn't argue as you worked flicking at any fluff on her feet, but they would twitch at the ticklish feeling.

"I'm almost done" You told her after about two minutes.

"I told you nothing was there," she remarked.

You let your nail graze her foot from top to bottom with a smirk. She jumped at the feeling pulling her foot away, well she tried anyway. Your grip tightened keeping it right where it was in the line of fire. "You don't laugh much these days do you?"

Queen Ramonda raised an eyebrow at you daring you to do it. "Not much I don't have a lot of reasons too, especially nursing a broken heart."

Your grip faltered and she pulled both of her feet safely. "You know I still love you right." You told her to lift your head up to face her.

She nodded at your confession.

"It's not that I don't want to fight for us Queen Ramonda, but it wouldn't even be a fight for me at least. I hardly have any power or influence. I'm just a guard not even General."

"I could change that" she murmured barely loud enough for you to hear.

You let out a humorless chuckle at that. "But you won't and I wouldn't accept it when I don't deserve it."

"Well how about this instead." Queen Ramonda moved to crawl towards you. "I do think we deserve one more night together. I hated how the last one ended."

When you glanced down, having a clear sight of her marvelous cleavage. You gulped and quickly brought your gaze back to her face that was only inches away from yours. Before you knew it her lips were on yours, and even though there was a voice in your head telling you not to do it. What your body and heart wanted won over all rationality as your lips moved against hers in a slow and passionate kiss. She brought her hand up to cup your right cheek as this kiss went on and on. Until finally you pulled away slowly breathing hard and your eyes stayed close.

Ramonda pressed her forehead to yours as she got her breath back as well. "One more night" she pleaded breathlessly.

"I want to do more than anything but I have to stay focused, and I can't do it if we do that. I have to keep you safe" You whispered with disappointment. With a groan you captured her lips in another desperate kiss thinking it would be the last.

This time when the kiss ended she pulled away and settled back against the pillows. "Will you at least hold me then sthandwa? I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow, and would like a peaceful night of sleep."

"Is that an order entle?" You replied with a tiny smirk.

"No," Queen Ramonda answered.

You removed your shoes and some of your armor so she would be more comfortable laying against you. Then made your way to the other side of the bed to lay back on the mountain of pillows. You opened your arms and Ramonda wasted no time laying back into them. She hummed in satisfaction when you closed them around her, placing a kiss on top of her head. You wished her a goodnight and kept your eyes trained on the door.

Queen Ramonda slept for the whole night nuzzling herself deeper into your arms. It made you wonder if she was unconsciously making sure you were still there. You didn't sleep at all knowing the job was more important than rest. Early morning came and you managed to shift out from under her. At the sound of knocking on the door you took your spear in hand before walking over to open it.

Shuri was on the other side balancing two trays of various foods in both of her hands. You moved aside without question to let her in, and was going to step out to give them some privacy.

"Y/N you can stay, I actually need to talk to both of you," Shuri said. You came to a halt too, so look back at her a bit cautiously.

"It's nothing bad, come on" she encouraged you.

After the Princess annoyed her mother till she was fully awake and prepared to eat. The two of them sat on the bed enjoying the food with sunlight basking into the room. As the curtains were pulled back to let it in and you stayed on the couch in guard mode.

"So did you two enjoy your night together? Shuri asked out of nowhere

Queen Ramonda nearly choked on the juice she was drinking at the abrupt question. You thanked Bast the blushing on your face wasn't visible right now as you tried to keep a stoic face.

"There is no need to be so awkward. I know about you two already," Shuri continued, throwing a piece of fruit in her mouth. As if she was just trying to make casual conservation.

"Um Shuri I don't know what you think happened between us last night but nothing it did" Queen Ramonda told her.

"Oh trust me I know with my panther senses I hear everything doesn't matter where we are." Shuri replied, shooting both of you with a knowing look.

"Okay wow um I'm going to stand outside" You exclaimed once you realized what she was implying.

"Shuri" Her mother scolded her in disbelief

The Princess pretended to gag before bursting into laughter. "I should be the one offended. Do you know I couldn't stand to sleep in my own room for a month. The lab truly was my safe space with considerable loud music."

You were getting up to leave and demand Aneka replace you. Ready to not back down no matter what. If Ayo punished you then you got punished.

"Okay okay I'm sorry come back y/n please" Shuri chuckled. You turned back a bit unsure so you kept standing.

"But for real mother, did you not enjoy y/n's company?"

Queen Ramonda tried to figure out a way to answer the question without giving her feelings away completely. It would seem she took too long to conjure up a believable lie.

"Mother, stop trying to fool me. I know I'm young but I hope you don't see me as foolish. I see your love for her clear as day. There is a need to hide it. I mean who do you think ordered y/n to be on this mission and placed in your room last night" Shuri revealed with a shrug.

Both you and the Queen looked at her in shock. "Wait so Ayo was in on this?" You asked

"Of course she was, I mean it was her and Aneka who helped me conjure up the plan. Okoye didn't think we were right to be doing such a thing. She was worried the two of you wouldn't reconcile with each other as planned."

"And what if we didn't?" You pushed.

"Ha so the two of you did it worked" Shuri yelled pointing a finger at both of you.

"Shuri, it hardly matters what happened last night. I'm afraid that y/n is right and you know it as well. I already have to deal with these countries coming at us from all sides, and it's tiresome. I don't wish to fight the Council anymore than she does." Queen Ramonda said, catching your eyes with a saddened expression.

It broke your heart to finally hear her agree with you, but it was something that needed to be said. You gave her a tiny nod.

"You won't have to deal with the countries after today dear mother. Nor will the elders be able to hold the throne and your position over your head anymore. I will make sure of it" Shuri told her.

"How exactly do you plan on doing that?" She questioned her daughter.

"By taking the throne of course" Shuri answered. As if it should've been obvious.

Your eyes widened in surprise at her words. Could it really be so simple? And when did she make this decision? No was more shocked than Queen Ramonda herself who scooted over so she was sitting right beside the Princess.

She took her hands into her own and placed them in her lap. "Shuri, my beautiful and brave daughter. You are already the Black Panther and the protector of Wakanda." She said, bringing a hand to caress her cheek as tears swelled up in her eyes. "There is no need for you to take the throne now. You are too young and have had too much thrust upon you so soon already. I do love y/n and want to be with her but not at your ex-"

Shuri wrestled a hand away from her grip making sure to be gentle, so she could raise it to make her mother pause. "Mother, I know I'm half the age T'Challa was when he became king, and father held the position in order to give him more time to grow. But brother's ascension to the throne was still forced. I should've taken the throne when Namor came but I stood back and you nearly died because of it."

Ramonda opened her mouth to argue, but Shuri wasn't having it. "I want to take the throne and I will. Mother, it's time for you to rest and be happy for a while. You need it and you deserve it." She gave her hand a light squeeze as the tears started falling down her cheek.

Princess Shuri leaned forward to kiss her mother on the forehead. Then stood up to leave, grasping your hand on the way out. "I will make you her personal guard when I have the throne. No one will question me."

Both you and the Queen were in shock from what just transpired. Shuri paused at the door to say one more thing. "You can attend the meeting in a few hours if you wish to, but I will make my announcement there. I will handle any challenges once we return home." With that Shuri was gone leaving the two you of alone.

The room was quiet for a few minutes as you and the Queen just stared at each other. Wondering just how long Shuri had been planning this? Was it when you first broke up with her on the faithful night after the Christmas banquet. Was it after you told her the truth during the training session? It finally struck you that none of it mattered. Unable to hold back your need for her any longer you surged forward letting your spear fall to the floor with a loud clang.

You cupped her face between both of her hands and pressed your lips up against hers. There was nothing gentle or soft in the way your lips moved against hers, but she responded with just as much ferocity wrapping her arms around your waist. She brought you down on top of her rolling over so you were now under her. All without breaking the kiss, and you let out a moan having forgotten she possessed such strength.

"I only ask one more thing of you if we're really going to do this," Ramonda said, pulling away for a second.

You leaned forward to chase her lips but she pushed you back down denying you. "Yes sthandwa" You gave in.

"Marry me" she whispered in your ear.

"Is that an order?"

Tag List: @thankyoualexkingston-blog @bestfriend491 @starrknessblog @youre-where-i-wanna-go @kofforever @awolfcsworld @galagadog8 @kya-rose @letitias-fav

#mcu imagine #marvel imagine #queen romanda x reader #queen ramonda imagine #black panther imagine #shuri x reader #ayo

325 notes · View notes

takeyaki · 1 year ago

Text

lost echoes

shuri x fem!reader

summary: y/n and shuri were inseparable best friends, but an unexpected event causes a separation between them. perhaps y/n is involved in a dangerous mission or is believed to be dead. but shuri is determined to retrieve her no matter what.

warnings: light angst, hurt/comfort, fluff in the end :P

the sun hung low on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the vibrant city of wakanda. its technological marvels and lush greenery were a testament to the nation's progress and prosperity, but even here, shadows could loom in unexpected places.

y/n, with her determined spirit and unyielding courage, had always been shuri's closest confidante. they had shared secrets, dreams, and countless adventures since their childhood. it was a bond forged not just in friendship but in their shared love for wakanda and its people.

before the mission that would tear them apart, they sat together on a secluded balcony, the evening breeze stirring the leaves of nearby plants.

"i can't believe you're leaving on this mission, y/n," shuri said, her voice tinged with concern. "it's dangerous, and i have a bad feeling about it."

y/n offered a reassuring smile. "i know it's risky, shuri, but wakanda needs us to gather information about those weapon dealers. you've seen the damage they can do. i promise i'll be careful."

shuri's expressive brown eyes bore into y/n's, her worry evident. "just come back to me, okay? you mean the world to me."

y/n reached out to hold shuri's hand, squeezing it gently. "i will, shuri. we've faced worse together, remember?"

little did they know that these would be their last moments together for a long time.

the mission had started like any other. y/n was an accomplished operative, and her skills were crucial to wakanda's security. yet, the danger this time was unparalleled, and the information she needed to gather was elusive.

weeks turned into months, and as time stretched on without any word from y/n, anxiety settled in shuri's heart like a stone. she couldn't focus on her inventions or her duties as the princess of wakanda. her thoughts were consumed by y/n's absence.

one evening, shuri approached okoye, the leader of the dora milaje, in a dimly lit room within the palace. her voice quivered with barely suppressed emotion as she spoke.

"okoye, i can't bear it any longer. i need to know what happened to y/n. i can't just sit here and do nothing."

okoye, stoic as ever, nodded in understanding. "i will find out what i can, your highness."

and so, the search for y/n began. okoye utilized her extensive network of contacts, infiltrating secret organizations, and gathering any snippet of information that could lead to y/n's whereabouts.

months turned into a year, and shuri's anguish grew with each passing day. she visited the balcony where they had last spoken, tracing her fingers along the railing and staring out into the night. the moon's soft glow offered her little comfort.

finally, one fateful night, okoye returned with a piece of news. y/n had been declared missing in action, presumed dead. her last mission had gone horribly wrong, and the trail had gone cold.

shuri refused to accept this bleak fate. "no, she can't be dead. i refuse to believe it."

okoye's eyes were sympathetic, but her words were matter-of-fact. "we have searched tirelessly, your highness, but the evidence is undeniable."

shuri's tears flowed freely as the weight of her grief bore down on her. "i can't lose her, okoye. i won't allow it."

determined to find closure, shuri requested access to the mission logs and y/n's personal effects. she poured over every detail, every report, and every message, searching for any clue that might prove y/n was still alive.

the more she dug, the more the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together. there were inconsistencies in the reports, encrypted messages that seemed to suggest y/n had been taken captive rather than killed. shuri's hope was rekindled.

———

under the soft, starlit canopy of the wakandan night, shuri and y/n sat side by side, the tranquility of the hidden cave surrounding them. their hands are inches away from each other. for a while, they simply enjoyed the serene silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

shuri cleared her throat, breaking the silence, but her voice was a gentle whisper, carrying a profound weight of emotions. "y/n, i want to tell you something i should have said a long time ago."

y/n turned to look at her, her eyes filled with curiosity and affection. "what is it, shuri?"

shuri took a deep breath, her gaze never leaving y/n's. "you've always been my best friend, my confidante, and my partner in every adventure we've undertaken. but what i haven't told you, what i've kept hidden in the depths of my heart, is that you mean more to me than anyone else ever could."

y/n's brow furrowed slightly, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity. "shuri…"

shuri pressed on, her words heartfelt and sincere. "you're the light that brightens my darkest days, the strength that carries me through my toughest battles, and the laughter that fills my heart with joy. you're everything to me. y/n, i love you. i have loved you for as long as i can remember, and i can't imagine my life without you in it."

y/n's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her heart feeling as though it might burst with emotion. she reached up to cup shuri's face, her thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped shuri's eye. "shuri, i… i love you too. i've loved you for so long, and i never thought you could feel the same way."

shuri leaned into y/n's touch, her heart soaring with happiness. "y/n, you've always been the missing piece of my soul. i was a fool to keep my feelings hidden for so long. but now, i want you to know, to truly know, how much you mean to me."

their lips met in a tender, unhurried kiss, a silent promise of a love that had withstood the test of time and distance. the cave around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them, lost in the depth of their emotions and the truth of their love.

as they pulled away, shuri whispered, "y/n, you're the love of my life, and i promise you, from this day forward, i'll never let anything or anyone keep us apart again."

y/n's eyes shone with love and devotion as she replied, "and i promise you, shuri, that my heart belongs to you and you alone. no distance, no obstacle, can ever come between us again."

with their hearts entwined and their love declared, shuri and y/n knew that they had found something truly special, a love that was unbreakable, enduring, and destined to last for eternity.

———

the sun rose over wakanda, bathing the nation in a warm, golden glow once more. shuri and y/n emerged from the cave, hand in hand, ready to face the world together. their journey had been filled with pain and separation, but their love had endured, and they were finally reunited.

as they walked back to the palace, shuri couldn't help but smile, knowing that she had found her soulmate, and that their love was stronger than any obstacle. she whispered to y/n, "i love you more than anything in this world, and i will never let you go."

y/n's eyes sparkled with love and devotion as she replied, "and i love you, shuri, with all my heart. i will always be by your side."

their love story had been tested by time and distance, but it had emerged triumphant, a beacon of hope and strength for all of wakanda to see.

#princess shuri #letitia wright #black panther #shuri udaku #shuri x reader #shuri x reader angst #hurt/comfort #fluff #black panther wakanda forever

67 notes · View notes

thistlecatfics · 1 year ago

Text

Tedromeda Rec List

I put together a Tedromeda rec list for an anon ask of @spindrifters, and I figured it ought to be its own post! I like messy, imperfect, bordering on toxic Tedromeda, and I especially love lesbian!Tedromeda so if those are not your things you may not vibe with this rec list and that's ok! But if they are -

Turncoat: in defense of andromeda tonks nee black, @ink-splotch (8.3k)

“When her little cousin Sirius got disowned too, years later, Andromeda sent him a fruit basket.”

This fic was so big and so brilliant and the world building is so excellent. It made me cry. I had to triple check the word count in putting it here because it seems so much longer because it’s just so rich with life and detail.

War, or Peace, or Whatever This Is, Slyboots (7.6k)

“Fall in line, that’s the way, and never mind who gives the orders. Carrying on, that’s the British national sport.”In the aftermath of the Fall of the Ministry of Magic, Andromeda Tonks does what little good she can.”

I love a war time fic with complicated world building and no good choices. Really brilliant fic. The sharp, fast moving pace adds to the paranoid anything-can-happen-at-any-moment feeling of a coup.

In Memoriam, Bitterfic on LiveJournal (6k)

“When he was young, brash, he had said that the Muggle-born were as good as any purebloods, yet he had never doubted that Andromeda Black was infinitely superior to him. Even after twenty-five years of marriage, he never thought of her by his name, as Andromeda Tonks. She was to him always Andromeda Black whose voice cut through the darkness that night in the Forbidden Forest.” (cw: sexual assault, suicidal ideation)

A brilliant haunting little fic from my favorite LJ writer from wayyy back in the day. Ted Tonks POV

Andromeda Liberata (133k+ WIP) (lesbian Tedromeda)

“In which Andromeda Black cruelly betrays her sisters and sets in motion the total destruction of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black because she fell in love with a lesbian muggleborn.”

While it might be tacky to put your own fic in a rec list, I’m quite proud of it :)

i don’t forgive you (but please don’t hold me to it) by evawrites (10k, T) (lesbian Tedromeda)

For Andromeda, the choice is not between the Dark and the Light. It’s not between Headmaster Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, not between Teddy’s family and her own. Instead, it’s between Bella and Teddy. Foolishly, Andromeda prays she’ll get to keep both.(She gets to keep neither.)

Dark and haunting and the contrast between Bellatrix and Ted is so well set up.

history books forgot about us by spindrifters (25k, E)

Andromeda Black meets Ted Tonks quite by accident, and it’s something like mischief at first sight. From the lost papers and mixed-up files of the marginalia universe, the complete history of a relationship that was never meant to happen.

This canon-divergent universe is everything, and these two recklessly in love kids are everything to me!

wherefore/evermore by @leftsidedown (150 words, T)

continuing the Great Literary Tradition of mad women writing villanelles

A poem!!

And then some Andromeda-centric fic where Tedromeda is important but it's not really a shippy fic:

not like the rest of them by unspeakable3 (11k, T)

Sirius has recently followed in Andromeda's footsteps and emancipated himself from their family. This afternoon, the two cousins will reunite - and see each other for the first time in four years. Andromeda is nervous. Sirius is nervous. There is a lot they need to say to each other.

Imperfect runaways!!

we were sisters once (we have another love now) by Nefaria_Black (3k, T)

Dora is six and few things are more exciting than a day spent in Diagon Alley. Even if the street is packed with people. Even if she’s separated from her parents by the crowd Because Mother is easy enough to find, isn’t she?

Haunting fairytale vibes

The Waves by nanneramma (3k, M)

Andromeda is not sure if she got it right. But she tried.

Gorgeous canon-compliant character study

And for those who like some Blackcest with their Tedromeda:

Clip, Ravel, Cleave by @vdoshu (15k, E)

Before Andromeda met Ted, she was a Black, through and through. While years later the story was told that she’d turned her back on her family’s dark ways, in truth, nothing was so simple.In the beginning, it was just Andromeda and Bella. And it was just the two of them until it was too much.

An all-time favorite featuring Andromeda and Ted meeting after Hogwarts and dark magic addiction and all sorts of dark goodness

#tedromeda #lesbian tedromeda #andromeda black #ted tonks #thistlecat fic recs

27 notes · View notes

bestfriend491 · 2 years ago

Note

Hi! Is it alright to ask to request for a Nakia x widow! reader? Where the reader and her are childhood friends, always telling each other their passions and dreams, and while the Red Room still existed and Dreykov would take little girls to convert them into highly trained assassins, you happen to be one of those victims. And one of the reasons why Nakia became a War Dog was to look for you, to investigate what had happened to you because she knew you weren’t truly dead and T’Challa agreed to help her since he was already Black Panther not to mention he was also close to you. Once they realize you’re under control after you attacked them, they take you to Shuri who manages to get you out of the mind control and take off the tracker in you- but afterwards your stuck with the trauma (much like Bucky) and Nakia never left your side, being there when flashbacks came, being patient with you whenever you’d get frustrated easily or she’d show you Wakanda and reminds you of the parts you’ve gone to whenever you were kids, of the memories you both have created. And for the first time in forever you find yourself having feelings with free will, having feelings for Nakia….you could add on more details if you want. But would you be able to do it? If not, it’s alright🙂 your writing is very good btw

Introspection | Part 1 out of 2

A Red Room Widow Story

Nakia x Female Red Room Widow! Reader

Summary: After hanging out with you as kids, you disappear, and Nakia spends her life trying to find you again. Decades later, she finally finds you, and sees that you're an assasin. A victim of the red room.

Part 2

Angst, Hurt, Mystery,

Word count: 11.1k

Warnings: Depictions of Violence, Mentions Past Abuse, Abuse Trauma, Blood, For Mature Audiences Only

The palace of Wakanda stood mostly still. Only busy in the training rooms and the throne room as the sun began to shower it in light, letting people know that the day was starting.

You stood in front of Nakia, who stood in front of T'Challa; tiptoeing into the throne room that held the king and the other tribe leaders. Nakia breathed nervously as you all stood behind a large pillar that blocked your small figures from view. The breathing was loud, and clearly intentional, as Nakia only let out a laugh when T’Challa poked her to stop.

“Ow!” she whispered, coming closer towards him as a warning to scare the prince. He instinctively backed away, making Nakia smile in contentment.

“Shhh-” you hushed at them, annoyed at the two for doing such a terrible job at being stealth. Movement behind you stopped suddenly and the silence all across the room told you that something was off.

You looked around at the clearing of a throat and a tall figure’s shadow towering over yours. You turned, knowing the figure of the King well enough after so many years visiting the palace.

“K-kumkani T’Chaka. Molo.(K-King T’Chaka. Hello.) “ you crossed your arms in solute and respect while T’Challa did the same, his father scaring him probably more than he did you.

“T’Challa. Y/n.” T’Chaka responded, doing the same.

You raised an eyebrow at only the two names called and looked around only to realise that Nakia wasn’t as quick to comply with the unspoken surrender of your attempted spy work as she was not in her previous spot.

You looked at T’Challa, who was also just as confused as you, and the two of you realised that you had been set up.

“Have you forgotten your manners, Prince. We are busy with important matters that regard the nation. It is no time to be making noise in the throne room, my boy.” He said, placing his seemingly massive hand on his son’s head in a gentler manner than he spoke in.

“Yes Baba. Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Oh, it will. With those two by your side, there will always be mischief. Tell Nakia I said hello.”

The king waved you off and let you and T’Challa flee in embarrassment as the Dora Milaje that stood at the door shook their heads, smiling at the two of you.

“That was close, you two.” Nakia came from the wall not even 5 steps from the door, smiling like nothing had happened.

“You are a traitor.” T’Challa said, pointing at her as he walked the two of you to the outside garden.

“Me? What would make you say that, T’Challa? I did nothing.”

You sighed, “Kia, you strayed away from the plan without telling us and let us take the fall. You are definitely a traitor.”

“I was protecting myself. King T’Chaka is scary.”

“Sure, but you couldn’t have warned us when you did it, even though it was your idea to go there?” T’Challa added.

Nakia shrugged, not being able to defend that. The three of you walked around the garden, sitting in silence as you rested from the long week of school. People all around thought that the three of you as a trio were the most chaotic people in the palace, so your quiet moments were a blessing to all. T’Challa was the thoughtful and sensible one, Nakia was the caring but playful one and you were the quiet and patient one that went in between the other two when they bickered, which was often. Nakia liked pushing T’Challa’s buttons and T’Challa had spent so much time dealing with Nakia’s nonsense, he was not as tolerant to it now as before. They bickered like the Jabari Tribe with the rest of the tribes, sometimes.

Nakia picked at the flowers that surrounded you all. You carried them for Nakia when her hands got full and T’Challa just stared out, thinking- as usual.

“What are you thinking about now, Prince of Wakanda?” you asked, less serious now that the earlier adrenaline had faded.

“Do you think father is right? Am I too mischievous?”

“He didn’t say that.”

“I know, but I want to be a fit king one day, not someone who plays all the time. We will be the leaders of the nation at some point.”

Nakia let go of the flowers she held and stepped in front of T’Challa flicking him in the forehead.

“We’re twelve. Trust me, we have plenty of time to dwell on having to lead the nation at some point in our future. We were just having fun.”

“Well…” you said and Nakia groaned knowing you were about to play the devil's advocate as per usual.

“We just interrupted a meeting of national importance. Maybe we shouldn’t do that anymore.”

“Y/n-”

Nakia was about to argue, but an older voice came, softer than the last one that scared you, but still holding much power.

“You definitely shouldn’t do that again.” you all turned and smiled seeing Queen Ramonda, looking as sweet as ever, but still intimidating.

“Ma! Nakia made us do it!” T’Challa said, making Nakia gasp at his sudden betrayal.

“I’m sure she did, son. But I’m not here for that. I was just wondering if you all had plans for today, because we have places to go.”

You stepped up to answer, “Nakia and I are just here for the morning, Queen Mother. We are leaving for my house soon.”

She nodded, happy that she wouldn’t have to ask you to leave. “You should look at the Dora Milaje in training before you go.”

“Why?” you asked.

“The two of you have the potential to be great warriors. It would be an honourable service to the country.”

Nakia nodded hesitantly, biting her tongue as to not disrespectfully reject the idea of being an Adored One in front of the queen.

“Mother, I’m with my friends. I would prefer it if you did your Dora Milaje advertising another time.” T’Challa said, directing his mother to go on with her journey wherever she was headed in the garden.

For a second. You could almost see T’Challa roll his eyes at the woman, and Ramonda clearly saw it too, giving the boy a glare of warning.

“Go get ready, T’Challa.” she said walking off.

The prince turned in the direction of the palace, prompting you and Nakia to do the same.

The three of you separated when T’Challa arrived at his room. He hugged you and Nakia and went in to get ready, while you and Nakia said your goodbyes to the king in the throne room and left towards the river tribe village where you both lived.

“General Nakia of the Dora Milaje.” you tested out, not amusing the other girl.

“I’m not going to be a Dora.”

“I didn’t say you would be. I was just testing the title out. Either way, why are you so annoyed, you act like it's a curse to be a part of the Dora.” you looked into her eyes for an answer, but were met with a blank stare.

“Is it because you know I’m better at fighting than you?” you teased. That peaked her interest, getting her to look at you like you had just told a lie.

“What? I was just stating a fact.”

“You just talk sometimes.” she said, rolling her eyes and walking faster towards your house.

Hours later, you could tell she took it personally.

“Nakia…” you said as you stared at the girl, who shot bullets from her eyes to your body where she stood.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” you asked her, putting your hands into a fist while she approached you slowly.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

The distance that had been between the two of you was taken away when Nakia ran very closely towards you, nearly throwing you off your feet. Her hand came into contact with your arm and her long nails ran down to your hand.

“We said no nails!” you whined while she smirked at you, aiming for your face next.

“We also agreed not to make combat a competition, but somehow you got to do that.”

You rolled your eyes at her petty decision to make a whole thing out of a reckless comment that you made. The girl really took things to heart.

You swiped her hand away when she tried for your face and twisted her wrist, surprising her with a kick to the knees. Seeing her face, your lips parted into a toothy grin as she struggled to get out of your grip.

“See. I was right. I am better at combat.” you repeated your previous comment, feeling proud.

“Y/N!” your mothers voice came from the house, startling you into letting Nakia go, allowing her to regain advantage and pin you down. The impact of the ground left you breathing heavily. Nakia kneeling over you, smiling. You groaned, wanting to curse your mother for sabotaging you.

“That can’t count! She scared me.”

Nakia shook her head, being too prideful to admit that it was an unfair advantage, “There are no rules that state that I can’t use your mother screaming for you to my advantage.”

She laughed as you pushed her off of you, going to see what your mother needed badly enough to ruin your win.

You walked over to the round home that stood only a few metres away from where Nakia laid in victory. You entered the house, looking at the tall woman who looked at you in her typical uneasy way.

“Ma?”

“There’s lunch on the table.Take it, you and Nakia haven’t eaten since dawn.”

Your mother was brief with you, and she looked annoyed. The phone that she kept rang over and over.

Only one person ever called on that phone. Dreykov. A russian, you assumed from hearing him speak it on the phone sometimes.

Your mother starred between you and the phone for the time that it rang, waving her hands for you to stop looking at her and go out with your food. You shrugged, going off to get the food that sat on the table where you usually ate.

Taking yours and Nakia’s plates, you made your way out of the door, seeing that Nakia had moved closer to the door of your house.

As soon as you were out of earshot, your mother answered the incoming call. A pointless wait as her voice projected loudly enough for you to still hear her very clearly at her volume.

“Dreykov!” She pretended to be cheerful. Her conversation proceeded in Russian, which she refused to teach you out of “love and care for your growing brain.”

She always told you that a growing mind didn’t need extra pressure from another language. You had many reasons to differ, considering that she had taught you many other languages. You could tell that she just didn’t want you to know what she said on the phone with the strange Russian man.

“Dreykov!” you mimicked her expression as you handed Nakia her food. She went into a fit of laughter at your scarily accurate impersonation of the woman, taking the plate graciously and beginning to gouge on the meal.

Having less manners with just you around, she spoke with her mouth full. “Who is that anyway?” She asked when you’d sat down next to her and her laughter had subsided. You sat closer to her whispering for precaution, “I’m not sure. Ma argues with him on the phone a lot. Something about me I think. But I don’t know.”

Nakia nodded, pretending to be calm and understanding, but really she found that to be worrying. Shashi, your mother always scared her for some reason. She had a suspicious aura that surrounded her, making Nakia feel like she needed to be cautious around her no matter how nice she seemingly was. It made her feel like she needed to protect you too.

Knowing how sensitive you were about Shashi, she never once brought it up in the years that you had been friends. Instead she was polite and pretended to have the same fondness for your mother as you did.

Shashi was your adoptive mother. She took you in as a baby when your biological mother left you in her home village in the border tribe and fled inland with your father. Although she was from the river tribe, she took you, an orphaned border tribe baby, into her home and had loved you as if you were her own for 12 years, alternating between the river and the border. Nakia felt like this kindness made you sort of blind to the suspicious things about her.

She had a history outside of the country, Nakia knew clearly from the international contacts, but there was a lot missing from her story that nobody in the border lands or the river tribe village would ever tell Nakia about.

Nakia had only seen the woman do good things, so she tried to refrain from saying anything about her feelings towards her to you.

Shashi was always the first to take you and her to places when you wanted, and she cared for you in ways that kept you as her top priority. Nakia cared for you a lot too, and if that meant tolerating a scary woman for the remainder of her life for her best friend, the twelve year old was willing to do it.

You heard your mother speaking, gradually more aggressively in a mix of Russian and English, already imagining that her hands were in fists, but you forced yourself to stop thinking about her and Dreykov, seeing that Nakia stayed silent besides letting out a hum once you had explained.

Nudging yourself onto your friend, your previous playfulness returned. “You know I was about to win, right. My Ma is the only reason you had the chance.”

Nakia’s serious face morphed into a happy but disbelieved one. “The only reason? HA!” she let out a chuckle, more real than the words and you smiled seeing her smile. “Your grip would have loosened soon enough, and I would have done the same thing and won.”

“Your face didn’t seem to think so. You looked quite worried, Kia”

She shook her head in denial, refusing to admit it. “That was my temporary thinking face. I was thinking.”

Seeing your face, she nudged you with her body . Rolling her eyes, “Why do you even care? You want to be a historian out of all things. It won’t matter to you so just let me have the win.”

“Nakia,” you said seriously,”What kind of friend would I be if I let my future Dora Milaje friend think that she won a fight when it was just because of a distraction?” you teased, prompting her to push you harder in annoyance.

“I’m not going to be a Dora!” she groaned.

“I’m just giving you options. You’re amazing at battle and combat, Kia. Use it.”

Her cheeks flushed at that, “I don’t know. I want to help people. People who need it, not just the rich monarchy that are under no threat most of the time.” she said. You let out a fake gasp, and clutched your heart, careful not to make a mess on your clothes.

“Don’t let the elders hear you say that, Nakia.They will say you have insulted great honour and punish the both of us.” you joked.

“I’ll just tell them that I respect the honour but I want no part in it. I just want to do more than that, you know.”

“No, I understand. You’re too good to just guard the palace royals. You have a world to save.”

Nakia smiled, loving how understanding and encouraging you were. She thought you could be much more than a plain old historian, but you seemed to really want to do it, and you supported her outlandish dreams, so she played along. She planned to stick with you if you became anything, really.

“Well yo-”

“-I know I’ve kept her away for twice as long as I said but I don’t think she’s ready! She’s only a child!” your mother’s near yell through the phone rumbled around, probably being heard by most of the village.

Concerned, the two of you stood up and walked into the house with your empty plates.

“Ma?” you questioned as you and Nakia went to wash your hands. You looked at her, wondering what had gotten into her. She never yelled. Ever.

Your mother huffed and hung up the phone only to plaster a smile on her face and go towards the two of you.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten the two of you.” she said.

Nakia dried her hands after washing them, looking at you for direction as to what to do. Shashi was having a moment, much like many that she had in Nakia’s eyes, but this one was different.

“Ma… what happened?”

“Nothing,umntwana wam.(my child)”

“Ma?” you tried again.

“Y/n, I said it’s nothing!” Shashi raised her voice.

Nakia watched the showdown of glares that went between you and your mother.

“I-I’m going to go now.”

You looked in Nakia’s way, “ No, don’t. We still have time before sunset.”

Your mother cleared her throat, prompting the both of you to look at her.

“I think Nakia’s right. It’s getting late and she still has to walk home.” your mother said. You looked at her in a confused way. “ She lives less than 5 minutes away, Ma.”

Nakia watched Shashi give you a glare, and decided to start her journey. She got her bag that she came with and greeted your mother.

She hugged you as you stood outside, arms crossed in frustration. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t worry.” you kissed your teeth at that.

Nakia let go, her eyes telling you to fix your attitude. “I’ll meet you at the river in the morning. I promise.” she said.

Holding her hand out, she put her pinky finger out. “Love is beautiful?” she smiled at you waiting for you to respond.

You uncrossed your arms, put out your pinky, smiled, and happily replied, “friendship is better.”

The two of you linked fingers, and gave a half-wakanda salute with your other arms.

Once you let go, Nakia went on her way home.

You turned towards your house when Nakia seemed far enough to be close to her house.

You walked in smiling, ready to apologise to your mother for your sulking earlier on. You were met with her at the door, face tight and sorrowful.

“Get your things. We’re going somewhere, tonight.” she said.

“Where are we going?” you asked, with a bag in your arms, as you walked with your mother. She had rushed you, only letting you get a few of your belongings so that you could leave to go somewhere, but she had failed to tell you where you were going.

“The Border-Lands.”

“Oh.” you said excited. You visited your birth village often, so you were familiar with the Border-Lands. The only difference was that it was never this late when you started travelling there.

“Who are we visiting?”

“Y/n, I don’t have time for questions. We have to get there quickly.”

You wanted to ask why you didn’t just take a quinjet there if it was so urgent, or even an evening train, but you didn’t want to make her more antsy.

You walked with your mother, letting her take your hand as you walked through the different lands towards the border of the country. You took in the darkening night sky, looking at the full moon that followed you as you walked. The wind blew east, pushing you away from your destination.

Halfway there you felt the grip of your mothers hand tighten, and your heart skipped an unexpected beat. You grew more wary of what she was doing, and your gut could feel that something was wrong with your mother.

Memories of Nakia and T’Challa being suspicious of your mother came to mind. They tried to hide their fear for the woman, but it was always obvious. Nakia couldn’t hide her feelings at all. You heard her whisper a thing or two about how scary your mother seemed and how she thought that your mother was strange all of the time, but she never said anything to you directly.

The most you ever heard from her was a few months ago, when you came into the palace just after she and T’Challa had. She spoke in a whisper to him. “I think that Shashi has a secret past. One that not even Y/n knows about. “

“What makes you think that?” T’Challa said

“She just looks dangerous, and I know that she is not the person that she pretends to b-” you walked in at that point and she had stopped talking, going in to hug you like nothing had happened.

You went along with it, understanding why she didn’t think she could tell you about her thoughts. You didn’t believe them and it would be a waste of time trying to convince you of anything.

The only thing that ever made you want to confront her about it was the looks she gave her when she thought you weren’t looking. She looked scared straight.

You didn’t think that your mother was scary but the memory of her looking at her like that made your heart pound at the tightness of her hand around yours.

At the beginning of the Border-Land Village, your heart raced in dread and you had to ask again.

“Ma…where are we going?”

She sighed, finally looking at you for the first time. Tears developed in her eyes as she stopped and held on to your shoulders.

“Y/n, you know that I love you, my child.”

“I…do.” you hesitated.

“Well, I’ve done some bad things in my past. Very bad things. I come from a place nobody should ever be. I grew up there and when I was finally old enough, I was given the option to leave. I left, and I was free, but it came at a cost.” Her grip was inescapable now, and you felt your other hand reaching to try and slip out of the grip.

“Ma?” you asked.

“Y/n, I’ve made some bad decisions.”

The two of you got closer to a large object, one that looked oddly similar to something you had seen on tv.

“Ma! What’s going on?!”

“Please understand that I had to, Y/n. I had to.” with that she took your arm and used it to lift you up. She threw you onto her shoulder and bolted towards what you now saw was a helicopter that held a man in it.

“Let me go! Ma!” you protested, trying to get her to let go but she was strong. A lot stronger than you would have ever assumed. She was a tall woman, sure, but she had always played a very frail role. One where she could never have lifted you up, but she did it so effortlessly now.

You scratched her all over, using your teeth and nails to dig in wherever you could.

The helicopter came into full view, and a pudgy white man smiled obnoxiously as he approached you and Shashi.

You could feel that your energy was lowering, the walk having tired you out already.

"There she is!" He laughed out as she finally let you down but kept you in her grip.

"This is the final thing I will do for you. I'm done after this." Your mother said, looking directly at a large bag that he held.

You exchanged a look with him. The brief second of eye contact sent chills down your spine.

"You made this decision, not me." He threw the bag at her and it landed on the floor.

She stared it down, as if analysing if he was being truthful.

"Open it."

He grew confused, "Do you really think I would trick you, Sashi?"

You looked at Shashi, growing more scared that the content in that bag was only made of wrongdoing.

She spoke in Russian, directing him towards the bag.

He grumbled, but relented and walked to the bag, unzipping it to show dozens of wads of cash stuffed inside.

Seeing this, the grip on you was immediately released and you were practically thrown to the man.

You left no time to spare, and tried to make a run for it. You escaped him easily but she was quick to chase you down to the ground.

"Y/n. Don't fight this!"

"I TRUSTED YOU!"

"I'm sorry." She attempted while she held you down as you kicked and screamed.

"YOU PROMISED YOU'D TAKE CARE OF ME!"

"I DID!"

"YOU JUST SOLD ME!" You hand slashed her face and your nails dug in hard. 4 lines of blood dripped down her face, symbolising every nail besides your thumb, which left a bruise.

A hand touched her face, and when she saw the red, she lost it.

Grabbing you straight by the arms, she threw you off the ground, and into the man's arms. He shot your restless body with something. A sedative, you realised.

A single tear fell as you looked at her, "I'll never forget!"

She mouthed something, but you were in the vehicle before you could see, going for your necklace, you realised that it was gone. You'd lost the matching necklace that you had gotten with Nakia.

The tears started to flow, your need for saving, setting in.

'Nakia was right.' You thought.

Slowly fading out of consciousness, the man turned to you as you sat in the helicopter and you flew off.

"My name is Dreykov."

The Next Day…

Nakia woke up with dread. Her heart pounded through her chest and her breathing was fast and constrained. Her body felt uneasy and her head was cloudy. She couldn't help but feel like there was something off.

Staring into the sun through the window, her skin absorbed the little energy that it gave her. Then it clicked. THE SUN. Why was it out? What time was it? Looking at the clock on her beads, she was indeed late.

She threw her sheets off of herself and rummaged around getting ready to go to the river. It was headed to midday already, and you had agreed to meet before the sun even rose. She knew you would be upset, if you were still even there.

“Mother, why didn’t you wake me up? You knew I was going to the river today” she complained to her mother when she finally left her room- ready to leave. She went to the kitchen to pack food. She took only the things she knew that you loved, knowing that she would need to butter you up if she were to arrive so late.

“This child,” her mother said to herself. “I woke you up and you shrugged me off and told me to go.”

Nakia took no time to argue with her own mother, needing to go to you before you forced her to admit that the previous day had been a faulty win just for you to forgive her.

“Bye, Mother.” she said, rolling her eyes at the woman’s smirk.

Nakia tied the large bag that she carried to her side and ran to the river, needing to save time. The trip wasn’t long on foot for a growing teenager, but it still left her winded by the time that she had arrived at the East edge where you would usually meet.

To her disappointment, you were not there when she arrived. She looked around to see if you had possibly hidden to scare her at the split second like you did sometimes. You weren’t behind any trees, nor had you travelled north of the river to fish while waiting. You hadn’t even gone for a swim in the river, the shore having no trace of recent steps besides Nakia’s.

“Y/n!” Nakia attempted to get your attention. Maybe if she declared her apologies publicly you’d stop messing with her.

“I know I’m late. You can come out now. It won’t happen again.”

“She’s not here, Nakia!”

Nakia turned to see Sumbeh, a village elder fishing on a boat nearby. Nakia grew saddened that you had decided to leave but she understood. She would meet you at your house.

“Did she go back home or towards the palace?!” she yelled out towards him.

“She never came,Nakia! I’ve been here since before dawn and I didn’t see her here not even once!”

Nakia’s eyebrows creased together and she audibly huffed out. “Thank you, Uncle!” she said, not trying to show her concern to him. He was a busy man who was on the brink of retirement. She didn’t want to put unnecessary stress on an old man’s heart.

Taking her bag, she walked from where she came from, but hesitated when she needed to turn to go to your house. Her head told her to run when she approached. A foul stench came from the inside of your home through your window. Alcohol.

She went up and knocked on the door, waiting for whoever was even still alive in a place that smelled like a dead person. Shashi was quick to open the door in an antsy manner, only to breathe out seeing that it was only Nakia.

“Oh um- Molo Ma’Shashi. Is Y/n home? I missed her at the river and Sumbeh said that she never arrived in the first place.”

“She’s not here.” the older woman croaked, voice hoarse and wobbly. Only then did Nakia look up properly to see the state of the woman. 4 large swollen scratches on her face.“Ma’Shashi, are you okay? Do you need me to come in?”

The woman shook her head. “I’m fine, child. Now, go. Y/n isn’t here.”

“Do you know when she will be back? I bought good food and I can’t eat it by myself.”

That struck a nerve with the drunk, “Go eat that with T’Challa. Y/n will be gone for a while. Go! GO!” she screamed, scaring Nakia off.

“This woman.” Nakia said, rolling her eyes while walking away. “I was just asking a question. So rude.”

Nakia felt something was off, and she wouldn’t let it go that easily, but if going to the palace would take her away from Shashi, she would take the day off and ask you what was wrong with her when you came back.

On Monday the next day, you weren’t at school in the morning, and Nakia was forced to sit with the kids that didn’t even like her. She sat in her first class, Writing, and started her essay on her favourite new piece of technology for kids.

‘My favourite new piece of technology for kids is… Y/n is so inconsiderate sometimes. I went to her house and had to face Shashi by myself and she didn’t even try to find me yesterday.

I love it because… I love the girl, but she needs to warn me when that woman drinks.

I would make it at… Let me stop complaining, she’s not the person I’m mad at really. I’m angry at T’Challa. He clearly cheated while we were sparring yesterday. General Zola scared me with her training voice and I got distracted. Maybe that is how Y/n felt. I’ll have to apologise to her. Whenever she shows up of course.’

Her writing was cut short when the teacher cleared her throat and called for the class's attention.

“Everyone. Your parents are coming to pick you up early today, as we are cancelling the rest of this week’s lessons due to some unfortunate news that they will explain to you at home,” she started, “Everyone will wait here until their parents come and then those of you who...”

Nakia had turned to face up to listen but her mind zoned out halfway through. Class had never been cancelled before.

As the teacher spoke, she specifically looked at Nakia, giving her eyes full of sorrow. Nakia looked down feeling that the stare was becoming unsettling.

While the others celebrated, she sat, plotting the speech that she was going to give you when you were back. She wanted to reprimand you about abandoning her so suddenly, but she knew that she couldn’t stay mad. Her mind occasionally swayed in the direction that thought that something must have been wrong, but her head told her not to worry.

Time came and went and her mother hadn’t come to pick her up. The clock had nearly reached noon by the time that Nakia was left alone with only the teacher there, everyone having gone with a guardian or with someone they knew.

“Nakia…” Ms. Lenowa called, waving her over to her desk. Nakia groaned and dragged her feet to the teachers desk. The day was getting hot and she just wanted to be home playing.

“Your mother is about to arrive now. We are going to take you somewhere and talk.”

“Why? Did I do something?”

“No, but what we need to discuss is very important and will be big news for a young child like you. We want you to be with people that you trust when you find out.”

Nakia sighed, “Okay.”

In no more than another hour, Yaa had arrived and she and Ms. Lenowa were taking Nakia into the river tribe village.

They travelled to the edge of a river, to a section that was unoccupied. Yaa laid down a blanket and let Ms.Lenowa sit, as well as Nakia, before also sitting down facing Nakia.

“Mother, what is going on?”

“Nakia…my child.” her mother took a shaky breath, ”Do you know why we never moved out of the village to go to the city despite me working there?” Yaa paused, but not long enough for her to respond.

“It was because I saw how much you loved being close to the river with Y/n.”

“It reminded me of the childhood that I had with Owa.” she looked at Ms. Lenowa, or Owa, the best friend that she had grown up with.

“We used to play on this side of the river, where nobody could disturb our play. We would laugh together, just like you and Y/n. Watching the two of you grow up I loved watching the two of you build that bond.”

“Mama, what’s wrong?” Nakia wiped a tear that fell down Yaa’s face as she thought back to her earlier days.

“Nakia…” Owa took over, seeing as her friend wasn’t ready to say the words. “Shashi called today. She told us some bad news.”

“What?”

“Y/n… Y/n’s no longer with us. She has gone to be with the ancestors.”

Silence filled their surroundings, and the moment was still. Yaa let out a sob at the words, seeing her daughter’s mind searching for any appropriate answers. She immediately went to hug her daughter.

“No,” Nakia breathed out, her tone in complete disbelief.

“If she’s with the ancestors then she’s dead. She can’t be dead Ma. I just saw her a few days ago. She was fine. How can she be dead?”

“She’s dead, my love. I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

Nakia threw herself off of her mother, standing up off of pure adrenaline. Tears fell and her throat grew tight. Her skin began to crawl and her body came to a defence.

“No, Ma! Don’t say that! She can’t be dead! She can’t just be alive one day and gone the next. That’s not how it’s supposed to work!”

“Nakia, please!”

“No Aunty, Owa! She’s not dead! I’ll ask her mother myself. She’s got to be wrong.”

“Don’t Nakia. The woman is grieving.”

‘She can’t be grieving, because if she’s grieving then I’m grieving but I’m not grieving because she’s not dead.’ Nakia thought as the tears intensified.

“Nakia? Are we understood?”

“Yes, mother.”

The two women let Nakia stand in her world, staring into the river. Nakia stood, watching as the river grew colourless, as well as the grass, the trees. In just a few minutes her world lost its colour. Everything real seemed fake and everything that should have been fake was somehow real.

There was no way that you were dead. You had a better chance at being Black Panther than dead. And although Nakia didn’t know if this was just denial speaking, she knew that she wasn’t dumb. Things weren’t adding up.

Days later, Nakia stood in King T’Chaka’s arms. While a few steps away T’Challa stood in Ramonda’s arms as they all looked out into the garden. They then sat on the ground, looking at the view, as tears fell down all of their faces, even the King.

News had travelled quickly, and everybody around seemed to know about your untimely death. Shashi was on the national news ready to spread the lies that she had found you dead at her home on Sunday morning. The whole of Wakanda felt pity for the single adoptive mother that was also a friend of the royal family.

Nakia was quiet as she watched the news initially in her mothers arms at home, but as soon as she was taken to the palace and was able to escape, she was very clear about her speculation.

She had cried out to the royal family, telling them that something was severely wrong; that Shashi was up to something. Ramonda had stopped her rambling, hugging her and allowing her to breathe and calm down.

T’Challa had been with T’Chaka when the 4 got together, and he had clearly also been crying. Nakia tried once again to explain what she thought was going on, but her words clearly got to T’Challa and he lashed out at her.

Ramonda took T’Challa while T’Chaka took her and they sat on opposite ends, doing nothing.

Nakia cried. First because she had upset T’Challa, then because nobody believed her, and finally because she was starting to think that she was the crazy one.

“I’m sorry for upsetting him. I just wanted him to know that I think something is wrong.”

“What do you think is wrong Nakia?”

“Shashi, my king… I don’t have proof but I have this bad feeling about her, and I had a terrible dream that Y/n screamed for her a few nights before she died.” Nakia choked at the words ‘died’, not having said that in reference to you yet.

“Is she really dead, T’Chaka?” she asked him, trusting him more than anyone at that point, “Or am I just crazy?”

T’Chaka sighed, not knowing what to say to the twelve year old that seemed to have the worst case of denial in the eyes of her mother. He wanted to say that she was right, but that would only stir things as a king, and he didn’t need that.

“I think that we have to accept some of what has been proven to us in this life Nakia. We cannot reverse death.” she deflated at his words but then he leaned in and whispered, “but I also think that you should never ignore signs and gut feelings because in them lay warnings and hidden truths.

I can’t tell you that Y/n is alive because that would be lying, but if you have a feeling that there are some pieces missing from this, then I say go look for them.”

Nakia nodded, taking that as a hidden message for her to keep looking into Shashi and her hidden past.

“Thank you. I think I’m going to go home. Just to help my mother with the funeral plans.”

The king nodded and let go of her, looking down at her with eyes of compassion but also of warning. Knowing Nakia, T’Chaka knew that she would go searching where danger lay.

“We’ll see you there.”

Nakia nodded again and turned, walking out of the garden passing by T’Challa who still looked quite distraught.

“I’m sorry.” she mouthed to him, before greeting Ramonda and going home.

It was agreed that your funeral would be held in the Border-Lands, where you were born. Too many people were there in Nakia’s eyes. People who were never there for you in your real life.

Nakia had anger in her more than sadness as your coffin was brought out by random people that were supposed to be family but clearly were just Shashi’s old friends.

Nakia observed how 4 of these people held up your supposed body in the coffin, while there really only needed to be 2 doing it- telling from the distributed weight that was being carried by all 2. You were nearing your teenage years, your body would never be that light when included with the weight of the actual coffin. Nobody else seemed to notice that.

The coffin was clearly too small to have ever fit your body if it had ever been put in there too, and nobody seemed to point out how if you were to be put in that coffin, your feet and a large chunk of your leg would have been left with no space to fit.

Nakia knew that it wasn’t paranoia with the coffin. You were too tall to fit in it, and for Shashi to not even try to lie well was just a different level of disrespect from her.

Nakia hadn’t spoken to her since the Sunday when she found her drunk. Yet another thing that didn’t add up. If you had died that Sunday morning, why hadn’t she mentioned anything to her. Or better yet, why had she lied and said you were just gone when you were really dead.

The woman’s story never seemed to add up, yet she sobbed her eyes out as the funeral went on, and she cried when you were lifted into a quinjet.

Nakia watched as the woman looked like her world had shattered, yet still she couldn’t seem to feel sympathy for her.

On the other hand, T’Challa kept to himself as he cried next to his mother and father, choosing to still not talk to Nakia after the palace events.

Yaa wrapped her arm around Nakia for most of the ceremony, but left once help was needed to set up the celebration portion of your funeral, where your life would be talked about all around and your life would be commemorated. While more people went inland, Nakia stood still where she was.

Footsteps approached and Nakia looked to her left, only to see the woman she despised most.

“Shashi.” she said, not bothering to show any form of respect.

“Nakia, your mother tells me that you have some things that you want to say to me that I should be prepared for.”

Nakia looked up at the woman with the still fresh scars covered by makeup. She wanted to ask what happened but she knew that the woman would lie.

“Not really.” but then a thought crept up in her head, one that she couldn’t let go of.

“Actually… I have one question. Who is Dreykov?” the older woman immediately tensed, eyeing the girl like she’d sworn.

“Nobody that you want to know, little girl.”

Nakia grew more confident that he was involved. “She’s not dead, is she?”

“She is gone, Nakia!”

“Say the words and I’ll believe you. Say Y/n is dead and I’ll leave it.'' Nakia looked for any sense of honesty in the woman's eyes. For anything that could help her find you or at least find out what happened to you.

“She is gone.” Shashi said, and then proceeded to walk to where the others were.

Nakia turned and walked the other way, not wanting to be near people who wouldn’t help her. Her evidence was piling up and soon she’d have you with her.

With her head held down, she thought back to the happy last day that the two of you had. And all of the ones before that. The laughs that her mother said resembled her childhood days.

Tears formed for the first time through the whole day. What if she didn’t find you? She needed you to be back with her, because you were the one who was with her for her favourite memories. Memories that she didn’t have enough of. She cried thinking of how she wouldn’t be able to make more memories with you. She needed more time with you.

‘Love is beautiful.’ she thought to herself. Your voice rang in her ear. “Friendship is better.” you said in her head. Just as she heard your imaginary voice, a glimmer came from the ground, and Nakia finally became aware of what she saw.

It was a necklace. Your necklace. And it was covered in blood, much like the ground that surrounded it.

Someone had clearly tried to hurt you. But it had to be someone you trusted, because there was only blood at that specific point.

She picked up your necklace, and placed it in a pocket, before going back to her mother, making sure to mark where she found it so she could come back.

5 YEARS LATER

“SHASHI, OPEN THE DOOR NOW!” Nakia screamed as she pounded on your childhood home’s door, demanding to see your mother. She’s been waiting for over an hour, screaming for the constantly drunk woman to open her door so that they could have their monthly, scream off where Nakia pried for more information on your disappearance.

Shashi hadn’t ever really agreed to these conversations, but it had become a new normal for the two. Every month, Nakia would come banging on the door with new questions that she would ask the older woman, who always refused to answer them. Every now and then, she would slip up and give Nakia a piece of information that was either extremely useful or completely useless. It just depended on what time of the day it was, and how drunk Shashi was.

Nakia had tracked the two constants and figured out that she got the best information in the morning before the sun had struck 12 o’clock, but only on days where the woman was extremely drunk.

The door swung open and the drunkest drunk of Wakanda came out of the door, hobbling around.

“WHAT?” she yelled, leaning towards Nakia and nearly tripping over her own feet as she moved. Nakia barged into the house, her mind set on finding physical evidence without the woman being able to fight.

Just as she predicted, the woman barely noticed how Nakia moved from the door to the inside of the house,as she still stood looking out with anger like someone stood in front of her.

Nakia put down her bag and began the rummage. She went through your room years ago, so there was no point in trying that again, but now she targeted the older woman's things.

She had only 2 minutes at most before Shashi sobered up from the bright sun and found her out.

She looked for documents, phones, or any form of evidence that would help her find the people that she needed to find. She knew that you were taken out of the country. A discovery that was made only weeks after your funeral. She knew that you fought, and she knew that you weren’t told about it, because all of your stuff remained neatly in your room.

If Shashi wasn’t so troubling to deal with, Nakia would have just reported her to the authorities, but with little physical evidence, people would just think that she was having another denial breakdown like she had a few years before. She needed to find something that could either help find you or at least get Shashi prosecuted.

Something like the phone that she used to use when she talked to Dreykov. Nakia searched the room specifically for that, but it was nowhere to be found, something Shashi had probably discarded after committing her crimes.

The sound of a groan told Nakia that her time was up, the drunk was going to kick her out and continue drinking. The drinks never finished and the house smelled like somewhere where humans weren’t supposed to live.

“NAKIA! If you want to be a spy so badly, why don’t you become a war dog! Do the nation some good, instead of disturbing my peace.!” the woman wobbled into her room, with a fresh glass of whatever she mixed together to make sure she was knocked out before sundown.

“There is no peace here, Shashi. Only alcohol, that you never seem to run out of.” Nakia joked, receiving a glare from its intended target.

“Okay, sorry. Low blow, I just wonder how you afford all the alcohol when you haven’t worked since her death.”

“Ahh-ssah-sin muu- neee.” Shashi stuttered.

“What?”

“ASSASSIN MONEY, now get out of my house, before I tell your mother that you are harassing me again.”

Nakia rolled her eyes at the threat. The great angry Yaa was Shashi’s only escape. If her mother finding out that her investigation was still going on didn’t scare her so much, Nakia would have ignored the woman and continued pressing the issue, but it wasn’t important. She had gotten something. Assassin money. That had to be about Dreykov. So it was good enough.

“Fine, I’ll go. And maybe I will be a war dog. It would surely help stop people like you from selling children!” She covered her mouth at the realisation of her words mixed with the nod of shame that Shashi took.

“No-you sold her?!” Nakia looked at the woman, “YOU SOLD HER!”

“Nakia. GO!”

The teenager walked out, tears of both dread and fulfilment developing. She had finally started to figure it out, so she could find you. But you were sold, and who knew if you were still alive.

She immediately ran towards the palace, needing the best technology that she could get. Nobody minded her as she passed them by, running like she had places to be. That had just been the way Nakia acted most of the time since your funeral. She travelled like she always had to be somewhere. Like she was trying her best to escape the world that she lived in.

As she arrived, T’Challa stood in a room full of all the evidence Nakia seemed to have collected over 5 years. She had called along the way to tell him to review the old evidence. He had finally gotten onto talking to Nakia, after 2 years of not talking, and although he had doubts about Nakia’s half-decade-long obsession, he was always willing to help.

Nakia greeted him and then swiftly moved on to write down “assassin money,” on one of the holographic documents she had open.

“Assassin money?” the prince asked.

“That’s what I got from Shashi today. It has to be about Dreykov. I just know it.”

“Nakia, you talked to a regularly drunk woman at the height of her drunkenness. Are you really willing to believe that anything she says at this point would be valuable?”

“Yes.” Nakia said, moving herself around to another section of the room.

T’Challa sighed, seeing that he would have to have the conversation he didn’t want to have.

“Nakia…don’t you think that maybe you could be overthinking it?”

“How so?”

“Nakia, are you sure that you didn’t just get the measurements wrong on that day. You were young and it was your first big loss, what if you were just seeing things wrong and all of this is just you pushing the false evidence.”

“Do you not want her to be alive?”

“I do! I do…but there is a major difference between wanting and believing. I can want her to be alive without believing that she is.”

“ Well she is.” Nakia walked away from him, her mood suddenly more ruined now than when she spoke to the drunk.

“Nakia, i didn’t mean it like that.” the prince said, feeling like he did at 12, “She was my friend too. And if you think that she is alive, then I do too. I’ll help. Whatever you need, except helping you terrorise her mother.

I can’t do that, I have training.” he said the last part with a smirk.

Nakia shoved him and he laughed, allowing her to join. T’Challa loved poking fun of Nakia’s monthly meetings with her top suspect.

With the new evidence however, Nakia could feel herself making a decision on her life.

“I think I’m going to become a War dog.”

18 years later…

2 decades had passed since your disappearance, and many people had forgotten. That’s how it felt to you. An assassin whose only job was to kill who Dreykov told you to kill and leave no traces when you left.

Over twenty years of control, abuse and misery that was buried deep within yourself. Your mind constantly forgetting the bad memories while you worked. There was no place for guilt or regret of fear in an assassin’s life. You had to get the job done and pretend that nothing happened.

But when you got to go back to your house, the one that Dreykov gave you when you graduated out of the red room as the top assassin of your group, all that you did was try to think of those memories again. You wanted so badly to retrieve them from your head and remember what life was like before this, before your mother sold you. But you became less good at remembering and a lot better at forgetting. And with the new trackers and controllers that Dreykov had improved to keep the Widows in line, you never had much time to do so.

At the house, you were given time to eat, sleep and train. Right before he would send you out to kill. It was better treatment than most widows, as you didn’t have to go back to the red room to train, or to do anything. It was a part of a deal. One that you made more than a decade ago, when you had taken your place as the best assassin in widow history. After killing the president of a country that you no longer remembered, Dreykov granted you one gift, and that was to never have to see the room, or anyone from it ever again. You would work alone. No partners and no distractions. It was a deal you felt proud of, none having gotten one like that before.

You travelled the world and shot the most sinister, important people in many countries. Some who were evil, and some who Dreykov was paid to kill for fun.

You never asked questions, nor did you really care at that point. You thought you were happy, or at least less stressed than you used to be.

Over 20 years and it was yet another day where you were to kill someone for the fun of one of Dreykov’s clients soon.

It was farther, in a different country, so you’d have to wait to fly over before you could hatch out an appropriate plan of action. So you decided to take a break. The only break you knew. Ballet. You went to the studio in your house and put on your ballet slippers. They were worn out, unusable really, but you used them to train yourself to stand stronger than the average ballerina. You were taught to be the best performer, even if that meant that you were to dance on worn out shoes that hurt you.

You started your music, and began to dance. The routine was tight, and lacked error. Your technique, even in the presence of nobody, was like that of a dancer performing in front of a stage of thousands of people.

The only problem was that you weren’t alone. You could feel it. Someone’s eyes were on you. You approached the studio window and closed it, leaving the room to close every other window and curtain in the house so that you could inspect what was going on from the camera’s outside.

It looked like an assassination was coming early.

Nakia looked through the window and then immediately closed it when she saw the face. Your face stood across the street of the fairly abandoned neighbourhood in Italy. Your face just as beautiful as she remembered it to be, only less happy.

“T’Challa. She’s there. I just saw her. We found her.” she whispered to the black panther through her ear piece.

“Are you sure?” he asked, in the next room looking for the same thing that Nakia was. You.

“Of course, I’m sure. I’ve been looking for 23 years. I think I'd know if my life’s mystery had finally been solved.” Nakia said, annoyed at the question but also so relieved to see your face. It was only for a split second, and it had only been a glimpse but it was more than she had gotten since she was a child so she would take it.

She was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn’t realise that T’Challa had come back into the room she was in, and he was worried.

“Nakia, somebody just left that building, and they do not look like they were ready to give us any hugs of rejoice.”

Before anything could register, an explosion hit the building and Nakia and T’Challa went running out. T’Challa switched into his suit and grabbed Nakia, jumping down to the ground floor and then putting them down so that they could make a run for it. Smoke filled the premises and shots fired all around.

Nakia screamed as a bullet nearly hit her, only for it to only graze her arm.

T’Challa turned to you and saw that it was definitely you. Or at least somebody that looked exactly how you looked as a child just in adult form.

He took the bullets and used the kinetic energy absorption in his suit to send his own explosion towards you, knocking you off of your feet.

“Y/n!” He said as he looked at you, shocked that you were attacking them.

“Y/N!” Nakia ran to you on the ground, still in shock from the impact that the black panther suit had. You had never been knocked off your feet before, and you weren’t used to it.

“Y/n, what’s going on?” came dreykov’s voice in your ear, his tracking and controlling system catching that you were in hot waters and letting him know to check what you were doing as your next assassination was only scheduled for a few days from then.

“Nothing master. "You said in Russian, Nakia recognised it since she had learnt it as a war dog. She looked at T’Challa as she sat down next to you, and they both knew that you were not alone to your own thoughts.

You lifted your hand to your forehead and felt blood, your blood, on your hands. That was another first. Ready to grab Nakia by the neck and make her pay for ruining your perfect performance and then injuring you, you brought your hand to it, but you jolted at the intense shock that went through your body,

“What did you do?!” T’Challa yelled at Nakia, while coming to the two of you.

“I shocked her with my beads.” she said plainly, allowing her and T’Challa to lift you up and take you onto the hidden quinjet on the roof that had been in the sky for hours, waiting for you to be identified.

“Are you sure that this is a good idea? To take her back to Wakanda now. Did you see the way she spoke? She was talking to someone,Nakia. They could be controlling her. We can’t risk taking her back for them to follow.”

“So what do you suggest we do then, Prince.” Nakia rolled her eyes at the man trying to delay your homecoming. T’Challa sighed and got up to make a call, while she stared at you, holding your hand as you stayed unconscious.

“I’ve found you.” she whispered, letting the tears fall freely now.

“After all of these years, I've finally found you, Y/n. I wasn’t crazy.”

“You weren’t.” T’Challa said as he got back, coming towards the two of you as he went to hug his emotional friend. Over the years that he had been involved in helping find you, even he thought that what they were doing was crazy. But Nakia never did, and he could tell that Nakia really loved you during that time. She still told stories of your childhood together being the mischievous trio that interrupted the morning meetings.

Now all three of you were grown up, and there you were. Laying in front of him when he was sceptical for so long. He also breathed a sigh of relief knowing that his friend was back.

You all sat there for a few hours, while Nakia had to shock you a few more times, as they waited, but soon enough, another quinjet landed on the roof in secret, and the young yet brilliant Shuri came into the building holding a case.

“Shuri!” Nakia called as the girl got to them, and knelt, looking at the woman that she had heard so much about but had never met. She was in just as much shock as T’Challa had been, as most people truly believed that you were dead.

Shuri got to work, opening her case and spraying you with a red dissolving powered spray that made your face twitch, and your body become at ease.

The two non-science people looked at Shuri with questions in their eyes.

“It deactivates mind control.” she said. She got to work patching up your head wound.

5 minutes passed before you started to become conscious again, and when you opened your eyes to the three people that stood in front of you, and when you didn’t hear the voice that corrupted your brain, tears formed instantly.

“Kia…” you choked out at your best friend, now a woman looking at you with tears in her eyes.

You then looked to your left and saw your royal friend, “T’Challa…you’re the Black Panther, now.” He nodded and shed a tear himself, seeing your face express itself just like it used to.

You then looked at Shuri, feeling bad that you couldn’t name who she was.

“I’m Shuri, the one who decontrolled you. I’m T’challa’s sister.”

Your mind was overwhelmed, not only by the fact that T’Challa now had a sister, but by the fact that she had taken you out of Dreykov’s control.

Instinctively, you looked for a sharp object and stabbed your leg.

“What are you doing?!” Nakia screamed, wanting you to stop.

Removing the tracker chip that was inserted into your leg when you got to the room, you showed it to them before destroying it. Shuri was quick to help you wrap your leg while you just looked at everyone that was around you.

Your smile was slowly fading, and by the time that you were taken onto a quinjet with Nakia and T’Challa and his sister took the other one, your face had completely fallen and your breathing had turned uneasy.

“Y/n, are you okay?” she said. Seeing you fidget. You nodded, having no words for her, yet so many questions.

Hours later, the quinjets had landed, and you were back where you were born. Where you grew up. Where you were sold.

“I can’t be here.” you said stuck in your position sitting in while Nakia tried to take you out into the palace.

“Will he come for me?”

“No he won’t, y/n. He can’t do that anymore.” Nakia said, approaching you.

Not convinced, you stood to start the quinjet again. Ready to fly to the red room yourself before he could come and take you himself.

Nakia saw the panic attack coming, and came to you immediately.

“Hey, breathe with me…” she let you follow her breathing for a while before continuing, “ He will not come for you again, Y/n. Nobody will. I promise.”

Those words brought back pictures. Ugly ones. Of you in the red room. A gun in your hands, imagining the people who hurt you as you shot. The sudden image scared you, and you broke down crying. You let Nakia hug you, and soon you refused to let go of her. She held you, and rubbed your back as tears fell down both your faces.

“I’m home.” you cried.

“You’re home now, Y/n. And I’m here for you.”

The night sky glistening in Wakanda, as you slept in Nakia’s arms refusing to let her go, after Shuri had done some tests on you to see that you were in good condition,

T’Challa’s footsteps felt loud as he approached the house where it all started, his first trip there since months before you disappeared.

He knocked on the door firmly.

“Shashi! It’s T’Challa. Open the door!”

The house smelled better than Nakia used to describe it, no alcohol was being consumed now seemingly.

The door opened and Shashi’s frame came into view. She had grey hairs now, but she looked better than she had in the years that followed the ‘death’..

“My prince. What brings you here?”

“We found her, Shashi.” Shashi’s face fell immediately, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

“She was never dead, and you knew that! When people hear this, things will not be good for you.” T’Challa turned and left, knowing that the Border Tribe elders were alert and prepared for her to flee so if she tried, it would be pointless.

He left the woman who had gotten too comfortable ignoring her past, suddenly scared for what was to come to light.

Author's Note: My Nakia Debut everyone. Part 2 will be out as soon as I get to writing it, but I am busy with school so don't be surprised if it's not this weekend or early next week

#nakia black panther #black panther #black panther2 #wakanda forever #war dogs #nakia fanfiction #nakia x reader #marvel #mcu fic #nakia x female reader #x female reader #x reader insert #x reader #the red room #dreykov marvel #madame b #mystery #nakia angst #nakia fluff

115 notes · View notes

dragoneyes618 · 6 months ago

Text

What happened in Entebbe, Uganda, on July 4, 1976, was one of the happiest events in modern Jewish history: A group of Jews destined to be murdered was saved from its attackers.

The crisis at Entebbe had been precipitated on June 27, when terrorists of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked an Air France plane to Uganda. The choice of country was no accident; Uganda's dictator, Idi Amin, was one of the few world leaders willing to go on record as an admirer of Adolf Hitler's treatment of the Jews. The hijackers seemed intentionally to evoke the association with German Nazism. Jewish and Israeli passengers were quickly separated from non-Jews in a manner reminiscent of the Nazis. Once they had their hostages on hand, the terrorists announced that they would murder the Jews unless Israel and other countries released fifty-three Palestinian "freedom fighters."

Israel entered into negotiations with the PLO, even as Israel antiterrorist units examined all possible military options for freeing the captives. Fortunately, Israel had detailed photographs of the Entebbe airport that had been taken several years earlier when a friendlier government was in power, and Israel had helped train the Ugandan Air Force. Israeli agents grilled the non-Jewish passengers who had been released, and learned many details about the terrorist operation, most important of all being the precise location of the hostages and the guards. On the afternoon of July 3, less than a day before the hostages were due to be murdered Defense Minister Shimon Peres ordered the rescue mission on its way.

The lead Israeli plane flew at a sufficiently low altitude to evade Uganda radar, then landed in a remote part of the airport. Three other planes followed. A Mercedes-Benz was lowered out of the first plane, with a hefty Israeli soldier inside made up to resemble Amin. The Israeli imitation of the usual Amin entourage confused the Ugandan and terrorists troops for several seconds. The Israelis burst into the terminal where the hostages were held, and within fifteen seconds killed the terrorists guarding them. Less than an hour after the first Israeli plane arrived, the hostages were flown out of the country. Unfortunately, one elderly Jewish woman, Dora Bloch, had been taken earlier to a Ugandan hospital. After the Israelis left, Amin had her murdered. Three other hostages were killed during the operation.

The commander of the Israeli force, Captain Yonatan Netanyahu, was the only Israeli soldier killed during the mission. He has since become one of the heroic figures of modern Jewish life, and a large selection of his letters were published posthumously in a deeply moving book.

On July 4, 1946 - thirty years to the day before Entebbe - forty-two Jewish survivors of the Holocaust who had returned to their hometown village of Kielce, Poland, were murdered in a brutal pogrom by their Christian neighbors. On July 4, 1976, over a hundred Jews who were about to be murdered were saved by the Israeli Army. More than anything else, Entebbe continues to symbolize for Jews the importance of there being a Jewish state. When they didn't have a nation of their own, Jews could be killed with impunity. With a state, for the first time in two thousand years, Jews who were threatened had a fighting chance.

- Jewish Literacy, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, pages 347-348

#jewish literacy #rabbi joseph telushkin #history #jewish history #israeli history #entebbe

5 notes · View notes

kavehater · 7 months ago

Text

She’s a great alhaitham fic writer what can I say sighhhh

#THAT REMINDS ME #I read this one fic SO LONG AGO BRO #it was about kaveh and #Ndidoslsks #combusting rn aAhahajadodk #I DONT REMEMBER ITS NAME #but it was about a reader who’s literally me core LMFAO #where she’s like studying day and night till she’s like not doing anything but studying the whole day #me when I wake up from five am LOOOL #anyways and kaveh kinda drags her out of it ABSODKWMASOSM #ME WHEN HUH #anyways Ig I wasted enough time already sighhh #BACK TO WORK SMH BRO 😭#dora daily #STOP I WANT TO RE READ THAT KAVEH FIC NOW NAURRR IDEK ITS NAME #and I don’t have it saved …#smh #anyways I’ll wait for her to post that alhaitham fic although she makes me wanna KO myself #she’s the best alhaitham writer in the history of the world ever #ITS SO DOMESTIC RAAAAAH !!!#gosh I need to sit down anyways BYE KAVEHATER NATION #😓🫶

0 notes

world-of-wales · 2 years ago

Text

CATHERINE'S STYLE FILES - 2023

5 JULY 2023 || The Duchess of Rothesay attended the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication to the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Catherine was in -

↬ 'Mayfair' Blue Coat in Blue with Bespoke Details by Catherine Walker

↬ Bespoke Ascot Day Hat in 'Blue' by Philip Treacy

↬ Queen Elizabeth's Four Row Japanese Pearl Choker

↬ Princess Diana's Collingwood Pearl Drop Earrings

↬ Princess Diana's Three Strand Pearl Bracelet by Nigel Milne

↬ Scalloped Clutch in Blue (possibly L.K. Bennett's Dora Clutch)

↬ 'Rebecca' Pumps in 'Cobalt Suede' from Emmy London

45 notes · View notes

risingoftime · 2 years ago

Text

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕼𝖚𝖊𝖊𝖓’𝖘 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖋𝖎𝖉𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖊 | 𝖘𝖍𝖚𝖗𝖎 𝖔 𝖗𝖎𝖗𝖎

"I am the Queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone. Have I not given everything?"

summary: Shuri is to be enthroned as Queen of Wakanda and doesn’t know if she will be able to bare the weight of the crown without her mother’s wisdom. She seeks out Riri’s guidance and warmth to thaw her frigid heart.

word count: 2.5k

warnings: death, grief, angst, hurt!shuri, loss, hint of friends to lovers, fluff, anxiety, wakanda forever spoilers.

a/n: This is definitely something that I’m not used to writing. But I hope y’all like it as much as you like my other fics! I’ve been struggling with major writer's block :|

➴ feel free to send me more thots

RIRI’S POV

I stared after her as she glided down the staircase. Shuri’s dress cascaded behind her like a black pool of water. It was made of the finest silks, held by gold rings and an encrusted black panther head with fangs on her chest. The dipped fang dangled in between her breasts against her bare skin. I tried to gulp down the lump in my throat, but my mouth became dry when I focused on the cutouts that exposed her dark skin. Okoye sure knew how to pick a dress. Shuri had tried her best to fight her way out of it, but it was clear that this was the dress. She had exclaimed that the outfit had fit too tight, too provocative, just too much for her. Yet as I watched her approach her subjects, all the nerves she had exhibited earlier were untraceable across Shuri’s posture. Her stride was regal, almost identical to Queen Ramonda. The people of Wakanda silently watched Shuri in awe. They had never seen the Princess in this light. No, not their Princess, their Queen. I was not able to be in attendance during Shuri’s inauguration amongst the Wakanda Council. Not only because I had school, but I wasn’t allowed. The ritual had been private, a sacred ceremony to officiate Shuri’s place on the Wakanda throne. Outsiders were not welcome. However, when Shuri insisted I attend the Public Crowning of the Wakandan Queen, I couldn’t refuse.

I stood off in the distance at the side of the balcony with Agent Ross to obtain the perfect view for the event. Out of sight from curious onlookers but close enough to make out every detail. M’Baku held the crown in his hands as if it was a delicate flower, and tiny beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he walked towards Shuri. He had argued with Okoye for days that placing the crown on Shuri’s head should be him. Shuri told me that he yelled at Okoye and told her “she hadn’t become the general again until a couple of weeks ago.” This struck a chord with the Dora Milaje, leading to both groups almost getting into a physical altercation. Shuri had to break it up in the end. They settled it over a coin toss. I couldn’t hold in my laughter at the audacity of it all when we’d been on the phone. Imagining the mighty M’Baku keeled over a coin in anticipation was enough to elicit a giggle out of her.

“I present to you, Shrui Udaku, the Queen of Wakanda.” As M’Baku gently settled the gold crown atop Shuri’s head as his voice boomed loudly across the silent crowd of Wakandans.

The sea of people began to bow down to one knee, row by row, like a wave. I was in complete awe to see the power that Shuri held. She was now the sole leader of a whole country. I fell to my knees but kept my head raised to see only Shuri left standing and staring at me. A hint of a smile on her lips. She was breathtakingly draped in black and gold. I couldn’t help but feel special amongst all the people in front of her. She chose to steal a glance at me before she bellowed for everyone to rise.

The Dora Milaje raised their spears, and the Jabari tribe beat their chests in triumph, celebrating the new ruler of Wakanda. Shuri placed her arms over her chest as an “X,” yelling, “Wakanda forever,” and it wasn’t until she did so that I saw the tears flow from her eyes. They were leaving a streak down her perfected makeup—a sign of the girl who had nearly lost everything.

Shortly after the public inauguration, I returned to Shuri’s headquarters, where I stayed for the week. Desperate to change out of my heels, I mindlessly flung them on the floor to walk barefoot on the black marbled floors. My feet instantly felt soothed by the contact of the cold tiles. The only sound echoing is the soft padding of the soles of my feet, walking to sit at Shuri’s vanity overlooking the city of Wakanda. Shuri’s room was quiet and sombre. I bet I could hear a pin drop. At times it felt surreal to be in Wakanda, miles away from the loud streets of Chicago and the MIT students' crowds. When I first met Shuri and Okoye, I had been ready to throw anything to keep them from taking me away from the familiarity of my dorms. Although it had been months ago, I could recall the memory like it was yesterday. One would find it difficult to forget. When I first set eyes upon Okoye, she appeared viperous and ready to strike at any moment’s notice. I’m still surprised I was able to gain her respect. Okoye does not offer that to just anyone. Then again, I’m astonished about many things that have occurred these past few months.

The sweltering heat and sun from the ceremony had caused my dress to stick uncomfortably against my skin. I desperately needed to change into an outfit that allowed me to breathe. I fumbled with the zipper behind my neck, and my fingers struggled to pull down the clasp lock that kept the fabrics mended together. I am to be a scientist, and I still couldn’t figure out the intricacies of a simple dress zipper. Midway through my struggle, I heard my phone ping from a text by Shuri. We had unique ringtones for each other.

Meet me in the lab.

I looked at the clock to see not much time had passed since the public inauguration. Shuri should have been on the road for the parade throughout the city. That was the plan; she shouldn’t be in the lab. I made my way to the familiar doors I’d entered countless times to find Shuri sitting on the floor. Her dress puddled around her in a great heap of black silk. Once we made eye contact, Shuri was unrecognizable. The gold crown was still pinned to her head, and Shuri’s makeup remained perfectly painted on her face regardless of the tear stains. It pained me to see the softness in her eyes become cold and void. I’ve wished to keep the tenderness alive within Shuri, but since the murder of her Mother, Queen Ramonda, she hasn’t been the same. Shuri had become quick to irritate and rash. She still refused to tell anyone about the family member she had encountered in the ancestral plane. I knew better than to ask. The question always triggered an argument.

“Shuri, what’s wrong? What are you doing here? You should be with your people.”

“You are my people. That’s why I called you.” Her eyes remained trained on the ground. I’m convinced her glare could bore a hole in the laboratory floor if she wished. I couldn’t find the words to respond, unsure if I should correct her or scold her that she knew what I meant when I first said it. Deciding to remain quiet and listen was a safer option; once Shuri overcame her grief and anger, it was best to stay silent. I lowered myself to the ground to sit patiently in front of Shuri. Finally, Shuri released her lips from the tight line to speak again.

“Bury your dead. Mourn your losses. You are Queen now. Those words have haunted me for days as a prophecy I wished would not come true. I walked down these hallways a million times, feeling like a ghost in a shell. My insides cried for anyone to reach out and extract the pain that held my heart. But, instead, I’ve spent the remaining months making myself digestible for others to the extent that I no longer know what is left of me.

“The tears that have escaped me since that day felt like they would choke the life out of my soul. I would force myself to scream out from the empty cavern of my chest, yet no matter what I do, it’s as if it will never end. I wake up overtaken by a body that no longer knows rest, Riri. I don’t know how to cultivate the strength to be a Queen for Wakanda.” Shuri’s voice remained bleak as she spoke. I noticed the changes that had come over Shuri for quite some time but did not dare to look deeper. It wasn't easy to find the right words to provide comfort.

“To understand the depths of mourning, you must know love. The feeling you are experiencing is your yearning for your Mother with nowhere to go. It’s the final act of love. But she is still a part of you. Although she may not be present in the physical plane, she lives on with your ancestors. Or at least, that’s what Okoye has told me. She was quite brief with answering my questions.”

“Okoye has time to talk to you about Wakanda history?” Shuri asked.

“She doesn’t. I annoy her enough until she spares me some details.” The comment gained a full smile from Shuri. Her body language shifted slightly to face me onward, our knees lightly brushing against each other. I took this as a chance to use the light fabric of her dress to dab at her wet eyes, careful not to smudge her mascara. Thankfully her dress was black, and the action didn’t ruin it.

“That’s the thing about grief. It’s messy, and it gets everywhere,” I whispered.

As I was about to retrieve my hand back to my side, Shuri grabbed it to encase it into her own. Her skin was soft and warm while she traced circles on the back of my hand. She’s held my hand countless times, but the way she grasped it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I didn’t have to look up to know that Shuri was now staring at me.

“I’ve prayed to feel a release, and at times it felt like no one was truly listening. So, Riri, I’m thankful I have you in my life, especially now when I need to bring myself back to Earth.”

“I think this is the first time you’ve admitted that you like me around.” Then, slowly raising my head, I offered Shuri a toothy grin.

“But there’s no need to thank me, that’s what friends are for!”

Shuri’s lips pursed when I said “friend,” as if the word tasted sour on her tongue.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” I felt worried that I may have ruined the moment. It wouldn't have been the first time. Shuri’s mood has been unpredictable, and I could never be sure what I might have said to trigger a reaction.

“No, not at all. It’s just…”

“Just what? Come on; you know that you can tell me anything.” Shuri broke eye contact to watch our intertwined hands, twiddling her fingers as she did so. She often did this when she was nervous or agitated. I wanted her to spit it out, but considering she finally stopped crying, I didn’t want to welcome another onset of tears.

“I don't want to ruin the friendship that we have together. Still, I want to be honest with you and myself. I like you, Riri, more than a friend. I’ve felt this way for a while now. I guess by saying this, I’m wondering if you feel the same way.” Shuri stumbled over her words. They all seemed to come out quickly and jumbled.

I wasn’t oblivious to how close Shuri and I had become. I held her down when she took the heart-shaped herb. I have never been much of a fighter, but I fought for her and would do it again if I had to. She never had to ask because I would always be there without a second thought or doubt. Thinking back, Shuri has done the same. I can’t remember a night without not talking to her on the phone. I never thought about her busy schedule as an upcoming Queen because Shuri made time to pick up my calls. The stolen glances and shy touches were not in vain. Shuri had become a part of my world. Of course, I felt the same way.

Wrapping my arms around Shuri, I brought her close to my heart and said just that. Her body fit perfectly against my own. As I held Shuri close to my chest, Shuri began whispering a song. I didn’t understand the Xhosa language but a deep understanding capsuled in my mind of memories that would never be erased. Almost ancestral to a place that I felt akin to. It offered a tiny bit of abreaction that denied us. I felt her breath on my neck as she sang; it left goosebumps and a fluttering feeling in my stomach. Numerous thoughts clouded my mind. The outstanding one was the desire and fantasy of what it’ll feel like to have Shuri’s lips against my own. However, this was not the time. Not when she had a duty to fulfill. As if the Universe had heard her, Okoye burst through the laboratory doors.

“What is the meaning of this? Queen Shuri, the people of Wakanda await.” Okoye’s eyes were ablaze, and darted between the two of them. I became increasingly aware of how we must’ve looked at that moment. I opened my mouth to say something, yet Shuri beat me.

“I’ll only go if Riri comes with me.”

I attempted to separate myself from Shuri, but she didn’t budge. Okoye looked as if she was at a loss for words. Unsure if she should risk her position to oppose the new Queen. When she didn’t immediately speak it felt like my heart would beat out of my chest. The seconds felt like hours as I watched Okoye’s face slowly morph into a soft expression.

“As you wish, my Queen,” she sighed.

---

77 notes · View notes