#show me this fish sigma (please) . i would love to see this

[aroacesigma]

making chuuya and sigma traumatized in my art is a canon eevent. You cant change that. (Or making sigma a fish)

theyre already traumatised enough in canon whats a little more !

#asks #what-is-that-sh-t #show me this fish sigma (please) . i would love to see this

[mmxficlets]

Prompt #9: “Early Development”

This chapter was requested by Lunarii!! (If anyone knows their @, please tag them or let me know, I would love to tag them in this ;w;) This one focuses around Zero’s development into a person, and its more of a character study, still XZero though, no worries :3

Zero’s stay at Cain Labs was...eventful, to say the least. X hardly had time to think some days, let alone get his usual work done. Sigma had stopped by a few days after the former maverick had been reactivated.

It had nearly been a damn firefight to get the large reploid to not attack the warbot, said warbot sitting in X’s lab, enraptured in Dr. Cain’s ramblings about archeology. X and Sigma had argued fiercely about the subject, Sigma insisting that Zero should have remained deactivated, while X argued that everyone deserves a second chance.

Dr. Cain had stepped out of the room to see a furious Maverick Hunter Commander stalking towards the exit, his hands in fists, and X with his hands against the wall, panting as he fought to control his anger.

Sigma hadn’t returned after that, opting instead to send emails to X about Zero’s progress. 

X was honestly fine with that, it gave him more time to focus on his new friend, and the android desperately needed the attention. Not only was he not a reploid, but his inner workings dated back to around the same time X was made!

The Blue Bomber had never been more excited, knowing he had someone who was around the same age as him! 

He quickly realized though that while he had had a very solid grasp on social norms, emotional control and other human quirks, Zero did not. It felt like nothing about Zero was programmed for interacting with other people, only for combat.

His combat specs were as high as X’s, and it was obvious that whoever had programmed him had wanted him to become even stronger, with Zero’s ability to learn greater than most, if not all, reploid technology of the age. The warbot however, had no interest in learning war tactics, instead wanting to talk to and learn from X.

Zero had quickly become attached to the smaller bot, and once he was cleared to leave the small lab he had been living in, he had stuck to his android friend’s hip, one never being seen without the other. This was usually not a problem for either of them, X enjoyed having a companion to keep him company throughout his day, and Zero seemed to want to drink in everything X had to offer.

The first “incident” involving both of them was more the humans fault than Zero’s. 

X had been having a rather heated discussion with one of Dr. Cain’s colleagues, a man from another robotics lab. He had insisted that he spoke to X without Dr. Cain there, trying to convince the Light-bot to sign over some of the patents on reploid templates, and even allow other robotics companies to look at X’s own body.

This was a very big no-no to reploids, and especially X. So when he had refused, and attempted to leave, the man had jumped up and reached for the Light-bot. He had obviously not expected Zero to appear in front of him as quickly as he did. His shriek at the near snarling warbot threw both androids for quite the loop. 

The man left swiftly after that, and a rather pleased Dr. Cain had called X shortly after, explaining that the man was no longer one of his associates. 

X still had to have a stern talking to with his friend about openly threatening humans, and while Zero did look at least a little guilty, he hadn’t apologized for it. X had counted it as close to a win as he could and moved on.

After that, anyone who got too close to X was met with Zero stepping either in their line of sight, or placing his own body in front of X’s. It got a few chuckles at first, comments about how Zero was like a puppy, and X had swooned at the comparison.

It quickly grew to be a problem however, and X had had to put a stop to the behavior when Zero had bared his teeth to Dr. Cain. 

The teasing from his father figure alone had been reason enough to explain to the android why this behavior wasn’t acceptable.

As time went on, and Zero matured as a person, he became better about navigating the subtle nuances of interacting with people. His personality really began to blossom, and X was ecstatic to watch it happen.

Zero liked cats, a trait discovered after they had taken a trip around Cain Labs and found a stray cat. He had sat there calling and tittering for the tiny creature after X had shown him how. Soon the cat had worked up the courage to approach, and had subsequently spent over an hour with both androids. (X really enjoyed that memory, and the cat had become a resident in the labs, aptly named Aasimov.)

Zero wasn’t very big on wearing clothes, preferring to keep his armor on. The first time X had convinced him to remove the armor and just enjoy being without it, he had been met with embarrassed looks from the lab techs that had been present for the conversation. X turned around and panicked, throwing his own lab coat over Zero’s now naked body.

He hastily explained that while they were not technically showing anything improper, public nudity was frowned upon in human society. Zero hadn’t understood at first, but accepted when X convinced him to wear civilian clothes. The Blue Bomber used his personal allowance to buy Zero his own clothes. After a nice shopping trip, the warbot having chosen most of his wardrobe, they both had nice sets of clothes to wear, with Zero’s being mostly hoodies and t-shirts, and one very bright red jacket.

Zero’s taste in music was...strange. If you had asked any of the lab assistants what music a former maverick would enjoy, they would say something like rock and roll, or heavy metal. Ask X that question however, and he would answer with a sigh and shrug, saying simply, “He’s really into the blues.” The only theory that people could come up with was that the warbots best friend’s armor was blue, and somehow that had made a connection to the android.

X didn’t have an answer either.

Zero’s taste in food was also strange. Finding out that the warbot had functioning tastebuds was a wonderful surprise, and X had insisted on finding his favorite food. Trial and error was the best way to determine this, and The Blue Bomber was nothing if not determined.

The warbot had turned his nose up at any kind of fish, citing that the smell bothered him. Chicken and red meats were okay though. Onions were a big no, Zero claiming that it drowned the taste of everything around it. His favorite vegetable ended up being broccoli. The warbot particularly liked things that were sweet, and things that were spicy. How those two things correlated with one another, again, X didn’t have an answer.

In the end, Zero had promptly decided that spaghetti was his favorite meal. X enjoyed cooking that at least once a week, much to both Dr. Cain and Zero’s delight.

The most interesting thing to develop about Zero to X was his way of interacting with people. At first, he had seemed like a toddler in a body much too big for himself. Always curious, stepping over everyone’s boundaries and being brutally honest. As he spent more time around X and other humans though, that changed.

He grew a bit more withdrawn, refraining from speaking when he didn’t really have to. Once you got his attention however, he was more than happy to talk. This helped a lot when X himself didn’t feel like speaking. Zero also seemingly became more aloof, or “cool”, when the lab techs were asked. He had a natural suaveness about him, and once he had learned how to hold a conversation properly, his charm and confidence had truly blossomed. 

After a few months, Zero was a completely different person, his ability to learn helping him become a functioning member in X’s life. He had become a joy to be around, able to hold his own in conversation, adding his own input and spin on things. He sparred weekly with X in one of the labs testing halls, and had his own talks of morality and ethics with Dr. Cain.

It was wonderful, and X found he genuinely enjoyed spending his days with his friends.

It broke X’s heart when Sigma and the Maverick Hunters appeared to take Zero away. 

The warbot’s probation period was up, and Sigma would assess whether the former maverick was to be put down, or assigned to the hunters. Zero had met the Hunters without flinching, his time spent with X helping him immensely when asked to prove his sanity.

He passed with flying colors, and Zero was hired on the spot. When it came time to say goodbye, X hugged the warbot, trying not to cry as his best friend was taken away.

Zero had smiled and promised to visit before being escorted out by a reploid in purple armor, Sigma congratulating X on his ability to reform such a troublesome maverick. 

A few months later, X had joined the maverick hunters too, desperate to be around his friend and further his research. Both androids combat synergy shot them to the higher ranks, Zero being higher than X, but only just by seniority alone.

And as time went on, the two oldest androids on the planet grew even closer as friends, their dream-like time in Cain Labs a fond memory for X and Zero. 

It all shattered when Sigma declared war on humanity, and the first flames of war grew on the horizon.

#mega man x #mmx #xzero #x #zero #ficlet #dreams-writing

[deathdesu]

Zero Escape ask meme: 1h, 2a, 3c, 5f?

1h. Favorite quote: is it too basic if I say that it’s ‘SEEK A WAY OUT’?  it’s just really memorable to me and I always sing it to the little tune that plays when it shows since the amount of syllables and the amount of notes are the same. seek~ a~ way~ out~ 

2a. Least favorite character: Quark, I guess... I just think he’s more plot device than character and he’s kind of boring. He didn’t feel very defined outside of his relationship to Tenmyouji and he was missing for half of the game he was in. I hated having to look for him over and over. And the way they tried to paint him as sinister and then he wasn’t at all, which was kind of pitiful. Vent Goblin Quark would have been worth the hype they built up around him!  3c. Rank the ZTD teams: Q-Team Best Team > C Team OT3 > Dial D for DISASTER  

but honestly, this order only exists because D-end 2 is just THAT BAD. Unlike D team who I loved for the whole game until that ending soured me on them irreparably, I disliked C-Team for most of my first run and they only grew on me later. I hated the design change for Akane and Junpei - their characterization in ZTD was a bit grating but I understood it. But physically, they were unrecognizable to me. Akane’s face used to be so jolie-laide in 2D pics like this - her long features! her world weary heavy eyelids! nowhere to be found in ZTD design, she was a purple haired doe eyed moe girl. And Junpei already looked like death in 999, obviously there were ways to show his jadedness without turning him into a goth. On both teams the third wheel character was the saving factor. Carlos is pure himbo perfection and Phi just deserved so much better than the shit she was dealt. 

Meanwhile, Q team just grew on me lightning fast with their hilariously murderous found family vibes. They were such a delight I actually felt begrudged having to do anyone else’s fragments. I had never been more endeared to zero escape than I did playing as them. Eric’s fish out of water normie schtick is so great in this cast of hyperintelligent psychic weirdos and his PTSD + losing everyone he ever loved adds depth and sympathy to his largely antagonistic role. Sean is pragmatic but a huge sweetie and just a really well rounded character, and so interesting as a character that both of the other members of his team can see a part of themselves in - he is the perfect leader for Q Team in terms of both having enough empathy to truly attempt to understand them and work with them to be better people, and  being a super-strength robot who is absolutely not taking shit from them once enough becomes enough. You kind of start the game out going ‘oh no who left this small child with the assholes, please save him’ to realizing that actually, he’s got this! AND MIRA. Look, I have wrote my big analysis on how she highlights the themes of ZTD so well, and just. she’s murder wife. I made my animal crossing island Mira-themed what do you fuckin expect from me tbh.  

So if you averaged out my experiences then in truth

 Q team >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> C team = D team 

Sorry, not sorry 🔪❤ 

5f. Rant about something you disliked about the games: Again!? Well alright, let’s see... I’m just going to come out and say it. The payoff of VLR is extremely good, but playing the actual game is torture. I’m honestly convinced it is by design.  The events are so similar throughout, that all the timelines blur together in your memory and it’s hard to discern which events happen when. The bland ass sci fi shelter contrasted to 999′s gorgeous Titanic replica. And unlike in 999 where the character moments were blended masterfully into the escape rooms themselves and what you found at the end tended to differ by a lot, in VLR besides the escape rooms/your partner, you just repeat the same set phases of the AB game until at the very end one character tells you their backstory out of the blue in a monologue. There are also a million same-y bad endings where someone besides Sigma gets enough BP to ditch everyone. God. It’s just... so much. 

There is a certain degree of brilliance to it.  We experience every moment Sigma does, encountering all of these horrible situation where for the time we are powerless. And it's SO frustrating. You really feel what he would be feeling. The complete torture of enduring the nonary game over and over and over with no victory in sight. Like, I hit every plot lock in the game before I got a single ending, so I basically WAS Sigma. But you know....I don’t like being tortured! I hated it! It took me like two years to beat the game because it made me so unhappy to play and I procrastinated on it forever. If I hadn’t been on a flight where I discovered all the other games I brought besides VLR made me motion sick, I don’t think I would have ever finished it. Of course, the catharsis of reaching the end was immense. But it was a cliffhanger, so the kind of immense that also invokes berserker rage...? I really can’t imagine how fucking unhinged I would have become if I was one of those Zero Escape fans who played it ten years before ZTD came out. I finished it a comfortable six months before and I STILL would have fought an army for VLR young Sigma (but NOT OLD SIGMA.) 

[gripefroot]

Troublemakers

The flashing red lights and blaring siren have Bucky jumping out of bed before you even get a chance to lift your head from the pillow. Blinking around blearily, you see his shadow outlined by the red, his chest heaving as he runs his hands through his hair.  

“Emergency,” he grumbles, and with a sigh you crawl out of his bed, too. A little slower, but your heart is picking up its pace a bit as he grabs your hand to drag you to the door. 

Code Blue means intruders at Stark Tower. Code Yellow means lockdown. Code Orange is fire. Code Black is ‘call your mother and tell her you love her.’ Code Red? Evacuation.  

“I need clothes,” you tell him, a little belatedly as he shoves his shoulder through the door. “And so you do.” Although it’s hard to complain of your view - you tilt your head back, and watch the curve of his backside in those fantastic black briefs you’d helped him pick out a few months ago. 

“No time.” Bucky’s voice is clipped, and he picks up the pace as the two of you hurtle down the hall - Steve and Sam’s doors are already opened, clearly deserted, and Bucky cusses under his breath. The jogging turns into a run. A split second later, you turn into the common room and bump straight into Bucky’s bare back as he stops suddenly, to see -  

Tony, Steve, Sam, Natasha and Clint - all howling with laughter at your sudden appearance. It takes about half a second to figure out what’s going on (the emergency lights and sirens are mysteriously not on, in the common area), and you cover your hand to keep from giggling as Bucky splutters.  

“What the crap?” he demands.  

“Nice,” Natasha says, and pulls out her phone to take a picture. Immediately Bucky puts his empty hand in front of his crotch, (they’re tight briefs - like you’d said, you had picked them out) - and for once, you’re grateful to be wearing a t-shirt with your underwear, even if it is worn and white and practically see-through, anyway. Squeezing Bucky’s arm, you rest your chin on his shoulder. 

“I think that since they’ve woken us up on a weekend, they get to treat us to breakfast,” you tell him with a grin. 

Sam stops mid-laugh, turning to a groan. “Oh, man - I forgot about that.” 

“You can turn off the noise now, FRIDAY,” Tony says - well, he wheezes, clutching his belly as Clint offers a high five.  

“I’m glad I didn’t bet on them being stark-naked,” Clint says, as Steve pulls out a wallet from his running shorts.  

“Buck-naked,” you correct, and Bucky growls low - it’s a little exciting, really.  

“If I’d known pranking these two could be so much fun, I would’ve outed them sooner,” Natasha remarks, as Steve hands her a crisp bill, too.  

“I’m horrified,” Bucky snaps, at the room in general - Clint swallows another chortle, and Steve assumes a solemn expression. Sam and Tony don’t even try, and Natasha just looks more amused. “What are you, a bunch of kids? I was thinking aliens or Hydra, that I’d be attending a half-dozen funerals at the end of the week - ” 

“It’s okay, Bucky,” you interrupt, giving his arm another squeeze. “Just goes to show, you can’t always trust the people you want to.” And you send Stark a good-natured glare. 

“Oh, you trusted me?” Tony pretends to gush. 

“Not anymore,” Bucky grumbles. “I’m going back to bed.” 

“I’m sure we can find a way to amuse ourselves,” you say lightly, as Sam pretends to gag. This lightens Bucky’s mood somewhat - he chuckles, and wraps an arm around your shoulder to steer you back to his bedroom. A belated thought, and you turn back to call over your shoulder, “I can’t wait to see what you make us for breakfast!”  

“Man, this was your idea!” Sam’s voice snaps at Stark. “Now I feel like I was the one pranked - I have to make those two nasties breakfast, and I had to see them practically naked? What kind of sick joke is this?” 

You can’t help laughing as you return down the now-quiet hallway, Bucky pressing a kiss to your temple.  

“Don’t worry,” you whisper to him, as he locks the door to his dark bedroom and pulls you further inside. “Tony’s just opened the way for retaliation; you know that, right?” 

“I know,” Bucky murmurs, and his hands pull you close by the waist as his lips ghost over your cheeks and lips. “We can brainstorm afterwards. Let’s really make Sam regret this.” 

“Oh, let’s!”  

Not even six a.m. on a Saturday, and apart from the false alarm, it starts off so good.  

It would be even better if Tony was bothered by the same things that Sam was - his retribution would have to wait.

Six days, to be exact. The next Friday, you wander into the kitchen of the Tower where Bucky and Steve are indulging in a post-breakfast snack, and you grin as Bucky’s eyes rest on you, and dance. He knows. He always does.  

“I’m running out for a few things,” you say, for Steve’s benefit. “Wanna come?”

“I’m assuming this invitation isn’t meant for me,” Steve replies, but he’s grinning. 

“Sorry, Cap. Buckys only.” 

“I’m a Bucky,” Bucky says, shoving the last of the muffin in his face as he stands. “I’ll go.” 

“Perfect.” 

His eyes never leave yours, and he winds around the table to wind his fingers through yours, and you smile all the way down the elevator.  

Not hiding your relationship is really nice.  

“Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?” Bucky asks, as you step onto the sidewalk, and the usual Manhattan crowd flows in around the two of you. It’s blisteringly hot for August - but that’s the point. Your lips twist into a smirk.

“You’ll see.” 

At a convenience store, your purchases are simple: a can of tuna and a bottle of superglue, with a pack of gum for good measure. As you’re checking out, Bucky deadpans,  

“I still don’t see.” 

With a laugh you leave the store, Bucky trailing - and you catch his hand to start pulling him in the direction you need to go.  

“This isn’t the way to the Tower,” he points out.  

“I know.” 

“This is going to be a surprise, isn’t it?”

“For more than just you.” You cast him a smile, and he chortles along, shaking his head.  

“Insatiable,” he murmurs, in a way that makes your spine tingle. “You’re ruthlessly insatiable, you know that?”

“Oh, I know.”  

About four blocks, briskly walked, bringing the UN headquarters into sight. Across the street, the parking garage - and Bucky follows you into the cooler shade.  

“Isn’t Tony at the summit today?” Bucky asks, as you pull out your phone. 

“Yeah.” A little hacking displays that Tony’s ride is on the second level. Up the stairs - and you suspect Bucky might be starting to get the idea, because he’s positively bouncing along. “Alright,” you say at last, pausing at the driver’s door of the purple sports car. “Watch me work my magic. You’re about to fall in love with me all over again.” A wink for Bucky - and he lifts his brows in expectation. 

A tap on the window, and a robotic voice sounds: “Authorization please.” 

Your phone responds, a little crackly but loud and clear: “Sergeant Rogers, 18 dash 45 dash 12 bravo bravo alpha sigma delta.”  

“Thank you, Sergeant Rogers. Enjoy your ride.” And the locks of the doors pop open.  

“Not bad,” Bucky says in a slight drawl. “And you’re right - I am falling in love with you all over again.” 

“Good,” you say, yanking two of the doors open. “We gotta find a place to put this can of tuna where Tony will never find it.” 

“You’re gonna open it, right?” 

“Of course! But not yet - there’s no need for us to suffer.”  

Bucky laughs, crawling into the backseat to start looking around - you open the glovebox (too obvious), and feel under the passenger seat (too tight). As he’s ruffling beneath rugs to search for secret compartments, he says offhand,  

“You know, I once got trapped in a deadbeat town in Canada in the 60’s and had nothing to eat but canned tuna for about four months.” 

“Gross,” you wrinkle your nose. “There’s not a lot I would turn you away for, but smelling like tuna is probably one of them.”  

“You’re saying you wouldn’t want to have sex with me if I ate so much tuna I was practically a fish myself?” 

“Yep.”  

Bucky’s head peeks out between the front seats - you laugh, and tweak his nose. “I’ll have to keep that in mind, won’t I?” he teases, eyes sparkling bright blue even in the dimness of the car. “You wear me out sometimes, babe.”

“You love it.” 

He gives an exaggerated sigh, and dips back down to search the car. “A burden I gladly bear.” 

It’s a good thing he hides right after that - because you would’ve liked to pinch him for that one.  

Bucky ends up finding the perfect hiding place - hanging half out of the back door, he slides a knife beneath the driver’s seat, opening some leather to expose wires and gadgets. You pass him the can of tuna, which he opens next with a wrinkled nose (it is a hot day) - and slides it under the seat. Perfect.  

“I thought we might have to cover our tracks,” you say, pulling out the tube of superglue next. Bucky scoots away with a laugh, so you can duck down and glue up the leather. Unless someone’s on the floor of the car, they’ll never notice. You smooth it over with a grin, and with happy anticipation of Tony’s reaction.  

“Let’s turn on the heat in the car and run it for a while,” Bucky suggests as you close the back door.  

“Genius.”  

He folds himself into the front, pushing the ignition so that it rumbles to life. A few buttons to push, and he leans his head back against the headrest, choking slightly as the stench drifts through the car.  

“Too bad we did the tuna first,” you sigh, leaning an arm against the door, only too happy to be outside with the fresh air. “Otherwise we could’ve really desecrated the car.” 

Bucky laughs. “We’ve desecrated plenty of Stark’s cars already, though.”

“Well, he doesn’t know that,” you point out. “And Tony being horrified by the knowledge of your bare ass rubbing against the seats of his car would be the best part.”  

“We should tell him.” 

“I think he’d probably pretend not to care,” you admit. “Not much rattles Tony Stark.”  

The hot air blowing from the car is making your skin break out in sweat; combined with the humidity sneaking into the parking garage, it’s getting really miserable. The tuna is only part of it.  

“Good enough,” you say, wafting your hand in front of your nose. “Let’s go.”

“Gladly.” Bucky turns off the ignition and steps out of the car, still choking a little. “Ugh, I’m so glad Steve’s gonna get blamed for this. I don’t need anymore 5 a.m. alarms from Stark.” 

“I’m sure it’ll teach him...for a while,” you laugh. 

Friday nights are poker nights - and Natasha suggests turning on the news to watch while the pizza is being snatched up. Tony’s voice can be heard on the television, and while you’re trying to keep your last slice away from Bucky and his paws (though to be fair, it doesn’t seem like he’s reaching entirely for the pizza - and Sam is yuck-ing across the table) - a interesting phrase has everyone quieting at once: 

“Tony Stark was one of the delegates at the Summit today; he was sat by the President of Bhutan, and gave our reporters a lengthy statement on the issues discussed today. More interesting than that, however, was the footage we caught of Mr. Stark driving  away from the Summit. He nearly caused an accident on 42nd Street, when he suddenly pulled over and jumped out of the car to vomit on the sidewalk. 

He gave no statement following the incident.”

Bucky’s eyes are wide. Yours probably are, too - a split second, and then you burst out laughing, and Bucky’s deeper laugh joins in. Natasha’s head snaps to you.  

“What did you do?” she asks curiously. 

“Ask Steve,” Bucky says. 

“What?” Steve says.  

“Well, I’m heading out tonight,” you say, and stand, grabbing your water bottle and an extra napkin. “See you guys.

“I’m out, too.” Bucky is quick to follow, and as FRIDAY announces Stark’s return, you rush with Bucky to the stairs. Tony’s bellowing for Steve in the back the perfect background music.  

Serves them right.  

[kumkaniudaku]

Heard About Us: One

A/N: Maya and CoCo are finally meeting. I won’t say too much until the last part is posted but, I would like to say (type) a huge thank you to @brianabreeze for creating such an iconic character and agreeing to work with me on this. If you want to be added of removed from the tag list, let one of us know. Enjoy. 

Friendly conversation pinged from table to table as women from all walks of life settled into the Ritz Carlton ballroom for the scheduled event. Spearheaded by a Los Angeles based support group, the weekend was reserved to celebrate and encourage women that have endured miscarriages. Ladies from all walks of life were invited to share their stories of pain and triumph in a safe and uplifting environment.

Tasha Boseman stood in the near the door, assisting with check-in to distract her brain from the nervous energy surging through her body.

“T, why are you over here,” her best friend and event planner, Yvonne, asked walking up to the table. “I appreciate the help but, I think I got it from here.”

“Damn! Excuse me for wanting to help my girl.”

“Don’t start, heffa. I know you well enough to know that you don’t want to go in there and talk to people.”

“You don’t know shit,” Tasha mumbled, looking around the room at the unfamiliar faces. Motherhood and being a wife had been her security blanket for five years. Now, she was forced to interact with people that weren’t her husband or daughter and she was uncharacteristically nervous. “Okay, you’re right!”

Grabbing her shoulders, Yvonne led a deep breathing exercise. “You are here to meet and bond with women that share your story. It’s okay to be scared but, you’ve gotta get out there and make new friends.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me anymore?”

“I’m saying,” Yvonne turned Tasha’s body to face the large ballroom. “Go mingle. It’s time for you to make more mommy friends. Go on!”

With a light shove, Tasha found herself shying away from the moment. Always the life of the party, she never had issues sparking conversation and meeting new people. Life managed to force her into a cocoon, making her first event since having her daughter feel like her first day of high school.

Nervously, the threaded through the see of people to reach her table. She sat alone and observed the cocktail hour, mentally complimenting outfits and eavesdropping on nearby conversations. Curiosity got the best of Tasha as she began to wonder who she was seated next to for the night.

“Serena Williams, oh thank God,” she commented, thankful that at least one familiar person would join her. “Jacquelyn, Tracy and...Maya Udaku, Queen of Wakanda.”

Her eyes bugged at the nameplate situated beside her seat. Tasha had met various women at the top of their professions from Beyonce to Soledad O’Brien but never a Queen.

Whipping her phone out, she tapped away in the Google search engine, trying to gather any information she could before the event began.

“Bachelor of Arts from Yale, songwriter, and award winning actress? Okay, sis, I see you!” Scrolling through the images, she smiled at a photo of the Queen in her sorority attire. “Uh oh, we got a ‘K’ in the house.”

As an alumnae chapter member of Delta Sigma Theta, Tasha had long pushed past the undergraduate jokes between the sororities and enjoyed spending time with other members of the Divine 9 organizations.

“Good evening, ladies,” Misha, the event’s organizer, started. “If I could get your attention for a moment, we’ll be starting in about ten minutes. Please, continue to mingle as you find your seats.”

As Tasha sent a quick text to her husband to find out more information, a regal presence settled over the room. Maya, in all her glory, came sauntering into the event space flanked by two fierce warriors on either side.

Her energy was warm despite seeming physically uncomfortable. Others would mistake her short introductions and nonchalant demeanor for snob behavior but, Tasha knew better. She was all too familiar with the defense mechanism because she frequently employed it in unfamiliar company. Maya was nervous.

“She looks familiar. Think I’ve seen her on stage before when we lived in New York.”

Chadwick sent back, not answering any of the questions that his wife had asked. Closing the message thread, Tasha focused her attention on the two guards flanking the owner of the last seat at the table.

“My Queen, your seat,” the deep brown woman informed the monarch. All eyes fell on Maya as she took her seat in silence.

“Thank you Ayo. You and Kali can stand outside the doors. I’ll call you if I need you.”

The guards eyed her curiously, remaining steadfast until they were given a reassuring nod. Turning back to the table of women in front of her, Maya gave everyone a once over, trying to decipher the various facial expressions around the table. When she stopped at Tasha, she was greeted with a warm, half smile and extended hand.

“I’m Tasha, Tasha Boseman. How you doin’, sis?” Her familiar Southern accent made Maya smile as she reached out to return the gesture.

“Maya Udaku, Queen of Wakanda. I’m good, girl. Nervous as hell.”

“Girl, you must be reading my mind!”

The new acquaintances shared a brief smile before their attention was drawn to the woman stepping to the podium at the front of the room.

“Again, good evening,” Misha waited for the responses to die down before continuing. “Welcome to our first ever women’s retreat, sponsored by my women’s support group based in LA. We’re so excited to have you here with us. To kick us off for the night, we have a few ice breaker questions in the bowls in the center of your tables. We want you to find a partner at your table and pick questions from the bowl to learn a bit more about each other. How does thirty minutes sound?” Murmurs of agreeance sounded in response. “Good! Time starts...now!”  

Pairing began immediately as the women around the room began to gravitate toward those they knew best. Tasha attempted to turn to Serena, finding that her friend had already paired with Gabrielle Union. Looking to her left, she noticed Maya nervously tapping at the table, watching the commotion around her.

“Should I go first or do you want to?”

Maya snapped out of her daze, offering a small smile. “You go ahead.”

“Okay, first question! Where are you from?”

“Originally? Savannah, Georgia. But, my parents raised me in New York. What about you? I hear that twang in your voice.”

“I was born and raised in Lithonia, Georgia. We’re basically next door neighbors,” Tasha laughed. “Your turn.”

Maya reached for the bowl to pick a slip of paper to unravel. “Oh, this is a good one. Share an interesting fact that not many people know about you.”

“Damn, that’s hard. Uh...not too many people know that I have my husband’s initials tattooed on my ring finger.” Tasha removed her wedding band to show the small “CAB” inscribed on the inner portion of the digit. “Don’t judge me. In my defense, he got his first!”

“Girl, how can I judge? I have my man’s name on me too!”

“Oop,” Tasha quirked her eyebrows at Maya. “I’m gonna assume that you not showing me where it is means that you got it somewhere that only he would see.”

Maya mirrored Tasha’s expression causing the two to fall out in a bout of loud laughter.

“Okay, you caught me! What’s the next question?”

“Alright, let’s see what we got,” Tasha fished for another piece of paper. “Are or were you a member of any organizations?”

“I think the one I take the most pride in is my sorority.”

“Sorority? Let me find out you’re a soror!” Though she knew the answer to the question, Tasha decided to let Maya reveal the information on her own.

“Only if you’re part of the first and finest sorority in all the land.”

“Oh no ma’am. I prefer to identify as a woman of vision, a devastating diva!”

“A Delta! Girl, I’m so sorry.”

The ladies shared another laugh, both of them silently excited to find someone that shared their sense of humor. Had Maya attempted that shade with anyone else, it would almost always turn into a passive aggressive altercation. With Tasha, she felt comfortable enough to drop the tidbit of sass and know that it could be appreciated.

“I’ll let you have that one! So, line name and number? You look like the tre.”

“Close, I was the quad. Akatress is what they called me. What about you?”

“I’m the lovely four duck known as Legend4ry in Deltaland,” Tasha answered, flipping her twist out dramatically. “I didn’t get the undergrad, Alpha chapter experience unfortunately. I was in way too much to pledge but, I’m an alumnae chapter member back home in Los Angeles.”

“You all have time for one more question!” Misha informed the group.

Maya unraveled the last slip of paper and read the question, “This is a cute one! Do you have any kids and, if so, do you have any pictures?”

“Lord knows I love showing off my baby,” Tasha beamed, reaching for her phone to show off her only daughter. Clicking the button in the side of her phone, she revealed an adorable picture of Micah showing off the awards she received at her kindergarten graduation. “This is my little one, Micah Noelle.”

“Girl, she is gorgeous! She looks likes my baby Malaika when she was younger. Here, look!” Maya opened her phone to search for a baby picture of her oldest child.

“Wooooow! Literal twins! What does she look like now?”

It was true. Give or take a few features, Mala and Micah could’ve been mistaken as twins at that age. Swiping to the next picture, Maya came to a more recent picture.

“This is her now with her brother, Abdul.”

“She’s such a little model. And look at this handsome young man! Your kids are beautiful!” While viewing the photo, Tasha scrunched her face in curiosity at a figure in the background. “Hey, who i-”

“Times up, ladies!” Maya, oblivious to the confusion on Tasha’s face retrieved her phone before turning to focus her attention on the front of the stage. She didn’t want to seem crazy but, she couldn’t shake the familiar face in the background of the picture.

“Tomorrow is about sharing our stories but, tonight is about fun!” The women in attendance applauded, happy for the opportunity to let their hair down and enjoy themselves. “There’s food, music and enough alcohol to make sure everyone has a good time. Feel free to indulge and mingle. Remember, our panel discussion starts the day at 11 am, followed by some group therapy sessions. Now, let’s get this shit started, shall we?”

On cue, DJ Queen of Spade started the mixer with Rihanna’s “Pour it Up” to encourage women to get up and move around. The energy of the room created an open environment for all in attendance, famous and blue collar alike, to spark conversation and enjoy the festivities.

Like magnets, Tasha and Maya remained close for the remainder of the night. As Maya moved, so did Tasha and vice versa. They shared stories of motherhood during dinner, introduced each other to their respective friends and colleagues and made time to take keepsake pictures in the provided photobooth. In a short time, the two women from worlds closer than they thought, became inseparable.

By the end of the night, they were holding each other up, drunkenly engaging in a battle of compliments while they took the elevator from the hotel lobby to their respective floors.

“Oh my God, Star, your shoes are so cute.”

“No no no, Co, your hair though...it’s like, so beautiful.”

“No, your hair is fuckin’ amazing. In Wakanda do they-” Tasha paused to hiccup and laugh at herself. “What was I saying?”

“Girl, I don’t know. What was I saying?”

They laughed together, missing the soft ‘ding’ of the elevator as it reached the19th floor. Neither of them noticed the annoyed figure that stood in front of them with his arms crossed as the doors slid open.

“Kitten, where have you been? It is time for you to come to bed. Do you know how long I sat awake waiting for you?”

Maya kissed her teeth and rolled her eyes at her husband’s pestering, “Cletus, I was having fun. Take your grumpy ass upstairs!” Turning to address Tasha, she noticed her company’s strange expression. “This is my husband, T’Challa. T’Challa, this is Tasha.”

“Good morning, Tasha. I assume you are the one that kept my wife away from me for so long?” He extended his hand to the bewildered woman, growing more agitated when she did not return the gesture.

“Ch-Chadwick?”

“I’ll give you one minute, Maya. Do not make me come and find you.” He warned, ignoring Tasha.

“Yeah, whatever, nigga. I’m grown, too!” Maya shook her head at her husband before turning to address Tasha. “He’s such an old man but, he’s so fine.”

“That’s your husband?”

“Most times. Some days I feel like trading him in for a bottle of Hennessy,” the joking tone in her voice dropped when she noticed Tasha’s expression. “Girl, you are fucked up. You sure you can get back to your room by yourself? I can have one of my guards escort you. Ayo!”

Snapping out of her haze, Tasha shook her head. “No! Don’t...I mean...I can make it on my own. I’ll be okay. I just need to get to my man so he can fix all this.”

“Oooh, same, girl! Challa is mad and I love Daddy when he’s mad! See you in the morning. You wanna meet for breakfast. I don’t know if their food is good but, we can try it out.”

“And if it’s not, I know a place where can go get some good ass biscuits!”

The two Southern women shared a moment, grasping hands while they bonded over their love of a fluffy biscuits and authentic breakfast items.

“Good night, Tasha. Thank you for helping me loosen up.” Past the thin, alcohol induced gloss over her eyes, Maya’s sincerity was on display for Tasha to observe.

“Don’t mention it. We gotta stick together out here. Even if you are an AKA.”

“Oh, girl!”

“KITTEN! I A-”

“I’m got damn coming, T’Challa! Go to bed!” Tasha watched in amusement as the King rolled his eyes and recoiled to enter their suite. Maya returned her attention to the woman in front of her, adding a small smile. “Is 9:45 a good time?”

“It’s perfect. Now, go ahead and get to your man before he comes back. I don’t want no problems.”

“Eh, he’ll get over it. He shouldn’t have followed me here if he was going to complain the whole time.”

After a brief hug, Tasha stayed put to make sure Maya got into her room safely before pushing the button to get to the next floor. The stagger in her walk prolonged the trip and, when she finally reached the door, she fumbled with the key to grant her access to her bed and husband.

On the fifth attempt, the wooden door flung open to reveal her shirtless and groggy partner.

“Somebody had a good time,” He yawned while scratching his chest.

“Are you really Aaron or is this a joke?”

“What are you-” He paused to identify the smell oozing from her pores. “CoCo, you know you can’t drink. Come in here so I can get you in the bed.”

“Aaron, I-”

Chadwick tuned her out as he pulled her inside and closed the door behind her. Her sloppy recounting of the night’s events fell on deaf ears while he undressed her and did his best to tie her scarf around the perimeter of her head. When he was done, he carefully guided her to the bedroom to tuck her in before crawling into the space beside her and pulling her body into his.

“Baby, I swear he looks just like you!”

“Mhmm, he looks just like me. I hear you, sweetheart. How about we save this conversation for the morning. Hm?”

“M’kay,” the alcohol was beginning to transform her talkative spell into drowsiness as she snuggled closer to her husband. “You don’t think I’m crazy, right?”

“Of course not, baby. I think you’re drunk,” he kissed her forehead and pulled the covers over her bare shoulders. “And crazy.”

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#CoCo x Maya #Maya x CoCo #Actress Reader #chadwick boseman #chadwick boseman fan fiction #t'challa imagine #black panther fics #black panther fan fiction #black panther fiction #black panther fanfiction #black panther #t'challa fan fiction

[thecreativeseries]

Interview With Ikelite Ambassador Brandon Verdura With His Muse Cassi Manner

Brandon Verdura has an eye for the ocean like no other living in majestic Oahu, Hawaii. Working alongside his girlfriend Cassi Manner @cassimanner who features in a lot of his work and inspires his creative vision. He creates such beautiful, ethereal images that will motivate you to get in the ocean and explore.

A Photographer, spearfisherman and USCG rescue swimmer. His photography is inspirational and unique. It was a real pleasure to learn more about Brandon @brandonverdura

Firstly, can you start with a little bit about yourself? 

I was born and raised in South Florida with a second home in the water. It is water after all, that my inspiration and creativity flows from. The ever changing reality that is always there, but rarely appreciated. It is what helped me find my love for photography.  My father has a strong passion for the water and that same passion was instilled in me at a young age. I later joined the Coast Guard to become a rescue swimmer in order to help those who enjoy the ocean as much as I do. It was while in the Coast Guard that I purchased a GoPro and my love for photography started. If you would have told me three years ago that I would love photography, I would have said you were crazy, as I did not consider myself a “creative type”.  I played sports, jumped out of helicopters, and enjoyed shooting fish. But photography opened up a side of me I had no clue existed.

What would you say inspires your current vision?  

I am currently inspired by videography. It is another creative outlet that I am excited to learn and explore. I originally purchased my GoPro to make spearfishing videos, and a year later I purchased my first DSLR. So I stopped making videos to focus on photography.   I am also fascinated by waves. Growing up in Florida, I was never able to witness a true wave. Now that I have the opportunity to live in Hawaii, I am excited to try and capture the beauty and power of the ocean.

Can you give a breakdown of the equipment you use to create your work?

I recently upgraded from a Nikon D750 to the D850 mainly for its video capabilities as well as the improved image quality. I love shooting with my Sigma 35mm f1.4. The bokeh it would create underwater is beautiful. It is a lot of fun shooting behind bubbles and watch the lens turn them into light orbs. In addition I use a sigma 15mm fisheye lens. This was the first lens I purchased and is still a go to for underwater. The super wide angle is great underwater because it allows you to be close to your subject. This helps produce a sharper image. A huge advantage when shooting in tight spaces like an underwater cave. The housing I use for my camera is by Ikelite. They were the original housing I used when I started underwater photography with my D750. I am honoured to now be an Ikelite ambassador and continue to use their housing to keep my camera protected.

What are your go to settings when you shoot in the ocean? 

I don’t really have go to settings, although I do prefer shooting at an wide open aperture to create some depth between my subject and the background. Also when shooting in caves I find that using highlight metering keeps my subjects from being over exposed when swimming into the light rays. This was a big problem I had when I first start shooting in caves here in Hawaii. 

Have you ever had an experience in the ocean that really scared you?

I was attacked by a shark once. A few of us were spearfishing in the Bahamas when a reef shark came and took my friends fish along with the spear attached to it. We followed the shark around for a bit hoping he would spit the spear out but unfortunately he didn’t. I saw an opportunity to dive down on the shark to try and grab the spear. About 35ft down the shark turned towards me and showed his teeth. I thought he was going to came at me so I poked him with my spear just to warn him off. Big mistake haha, the shark immediately dart towards me trying to bite my face. I was able to push him off and dodge the initial attack but he came back in for a second attempt. I quickly grabbed my spear with both hands and put it in his mouth to fend him off.

You always hear stories of how adrenaline makes it seem as if time has slowed down… this couldn’t be more true. I was able to break down every little movement and critically think in the short 4 seconds. As I saw the shark turn towards me I knew I had to fend him off with my spear. I knew if I held the spear how you would hold a bar I had a chance of looking all my fingers. So in the moment I used one hand to grab the very end of the spear, and luckily I did. The shark bit down on the spear and grazed my palm and pinky. That split second decision saved my hand. I am incredibly lucky that I ended up with only 3 stitches. My Gopro happened to be recording as well haha, if interested you can find the video on YouTube, just search “First person shark attack”.

All that being said, please give these animals the respect they deserve. They are beautiful creatures but it is their territory, do not underestimate them.

Your portrait shoots are next level where do you get your inspiration for these beautiful images?

Aww thanks you are too kind, but as much as I would love to take credit for that, it is my girlfriend @cassimanner that is the brains behind 90% of those shoots. She’s a natural. 

What do you enjoy most about your career as a photographer? 

I live for the moments when I capture an image that puts a giant smile on my subjects face. As well as the surprises that come along with capturing images. Whether its from the moment you press the shutter and an image leaves you in awe by surprise (such as my light orb photo) or the moment I apply one of my presets to an image that’s been sitting untouched and it turns out amazing. 

How do you continue to evolve as a photographer? 

I am constantly learning when ever I can. Youtube is a great place to learn, it is where I learned basically everything I know about photography. I am also evolving beyond photography and starting to learn cinematography.

Among all your work what is your most memorable capture? 

That is a hard question, as I look through my photos there are so many that have that “giant smile” moment. The greatest was probably my light orb photo though. I was still getting used to using my 35mm f1.4 and it was my first time using a Lume Cube in the water. The sun just set and we were swimming back to shore when I realized the light rays coming from behind us. I asked my girlfriend Cassi for one last quick shot. I didn’t even realize I had my exposure set to -1. When I saw the photo on my live view I was in shock as well as Cassi. One of those surprise moments I will always cherish.

What is something you wish you had known when you first started your journey in ocean photography? 

I wish I would have taken a freediving course sooner. Being able to comfortably hold my breath has allowed me to compose shots better, adjust settings, and even get closer to marine life. Most importantly the ability to forget that you are holding your breath underwater gives a new feeling of connection with the ocean. 

“The sea is everything. It covers seven-tenths of the terrestrial globe. It's breath is healthy and pure. It is a spacious wilderness where man is never alone, for he can feel life throbbing all around him. The sea is the environment for a prodigious, supernatural existence; it is nothing but movement and love; it is a living infinity.

The sea is nature’s vast reserve. It was through the sea that the globe as it were began, and who knows if it will not end in the sea! Perfect peace abides there. The sea does not belong to despots. On its surface immoral rights can still be claimed, men can fight each other, devour each other, and carry out all the earth’s atrocities. But thirty feet below the surface their power ceases, their influence fades, their authority disappears. Independence is possible only here! Here I recognize no master! Here I am free! Jules Verne - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

How  do to keep yourself physically fit to be able to do what you do? 

I am fortunate enough that as a rescue swimmer we are required to maintain a certain physical fitness. I mainly lift weights, but our training includes high intensity circuits and pool workouts as well.

 What methods do you use for editing ? Can you explain your workflow? 

I mainly use lightroom and honestly my workflow is probably not the best haha. I normally upload all photos from a shoot then spend the next hour or two playing around with my different presets on the photos. Maybe finish one photo, maybe not haha. I can be quite in decisive between favourite edits and photos.

Who would you say are your greatest influencers and inspirations? 

There are so many awesome creators that I follow and get inspiration from. Probably at the top of the list is Jack Bates @jackbatesphotography. I've been following him since I started photography. His colors tones and content are always unique and eye catching. 

Lastly do you have any advice you would give someone starting out in photography?

I think the most important advice I could give is to enjoy learning and growing. Know that photography is a process. Enjoy that process and you’ll become the creator you’ve dreamed of being.

If you want to check out more of Brandon’s work see his website at www.seetheabyss.com

#Lume Cube #Nikon #Ikelite #USCG rescue swimmer