#Creative Outreach

[artofthechristianninja]

Hey, Christian Content Creators! Check out The T.A.C.O. Network!!!

What is T.A.C.O. and how do we serve content creators and consumers all over the world?

What is T.A.C.O. and how do we serve content creators and consumers all over the world? The Alliance for Creative Outreach (TACO) Serves the lost by creating a welcoming community that unites and equips a network of world-changing Christian content creators across multiple platforms. https://taconetwork.org/ https://www.twitch.tv/thetaconetwork I Need Your Support I’m doing this full-time…

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#Christian #Christian Creators #Christianity #Content Creation #Creative Outreach #Creator Network #Creators #Digital Artist #Faith #Musician #Networking #outreach #Streamer #TACO #TACO Network #Twitch #Twitch Streaming #YouTube #YouTuber

[catcatb0y]

Honestly though saying (or implying) that vocaloid or vocal synths in general "devalues the human voice" is SUCH an incredibly shit take for SO many reasons.

Like yeah Saki Fujita getting so many other roles in voice acting because of her contribution to Hatsune Miku (the anime cameos and stuff are usually done with her original voice, them modified to be robotic) is a bit of an outlier when most other vocaloid and sythns don't have that influence.

You can even sort of wave off the dozens upon dozens of people who go for realistic tuning- like whenever a synth has any sort of clarity, there are like five people commenting about how real they sound. Clearly people do still care about human sounding vocals, because they go nuts over realistic vtuning.

There are many different aspects of vocaloid that use human voices, too- from Set It Off's duet "Why Do I?", human rap artists using Miku's vocals as background, and the entire CONCEPT of Project Sekai which releases AND COMMISSIONS songs for vocal synths and real people.

But the sheer number of vocaloid producers who use their own vocals as back up (MikitoP, PinoochioP, and I believe Kira off the top of my head), the number of producers who can sing and/or do self covers (again Kira, GIGA, Ayase, Teniwoha, syudou and so many more), and the amount of vocal producers who have gone forward with legit musical careers after working with vocaloid (Kenshi Yonezu, most notably, who did work for years under the alias Hachi)

I mean, hell. There are vocaloid producers who go on to become vocaloid vocals themselves- like nostraightanswer, the vocal provider for DEX, who has made both vocaloid and original songs. Some even duets.

That's not even including creators like JubyPhonic, Rachie, Will Stenson, Lollia, Octavia, Razzy and Co., and SO many other HUMAN cover artists who gained following or honed their skills on none other than vocaloid covers. (And that's just a handful of English Cover artists, not like Sati Akura a Russian cover artist or Ado who has commissioned songs from vocaloid artists)

It's also not including UTAUites who input their own voices to use for covers.

"Devalues the human voice" is such blatant bs. They ARE human voices. They are OUR voices. "You'd think by now that we would have learned, behind every piece if art is a human to be heard." (- CircusP, 'Better Off Worse')

#and another thing #about bad faith interpretations #'it isn't that creative' #is just astronomically funny to me #because oh yeah I forgot how Detrimental (Maki ft. Big Al) sounds EXACTLY like Afraid Of Everything (Luka) and Better Off Worse (vFlower) #and Misery Loves Company (DEX) which are all by the same creator Circus-P #Usseewa sounds EXACTLY like Idiot and Cute Girlfriend (sydou) #Piece Of Art sounds exactly like Machine Gun and Games and Boom! Boom! Boom! (Kira) #hell even producers like DECO and wowaka who have styles that they tend to follow still sound differeng #Rollin Girl. Unknown Mother Goose. Two Faced Lovers- they're all distinct songa #Animal. Cinderella. Vampire. Zombies. and other DECO songs from the same line are still all uniquely different #hell 'no creativity'? #say that to (Not) A Devil where Miku duets HERSELF in the tuning style of two different producers (DECO*27 and Pinocchio P) #the people making duet covers with UTAU and VSythn Teto #vocaloid has always been a haven for creatives #for the artists who draw. the designers who make outfits. tuners. lyricists. MV makers. cover artists. #I'd say there's never been a more cohesively creative community #which is a little biased but genuinely #there's such an incredible outreach from the community as it grows #as it has grown

[tea-with-eleni]

An Eclipse Disco-Based PSA

Despite the subject matter and approximate date, this is not a joke except insofar as the universe is periodically quite amusing.

In about a week, most of the united states will be able to see at least most of a solar eclipse! You probably know all too well if you're in the path of totality -- your grocery store probably has "I SAW TOTALITY FROM INSERT STATE NAME HERE!" merchandise or something similar if you aren't certain -- and eclipse glasses are available damn near everywhere for about $2. Even if you're not in totality, because you'll be able to see at least a partial eclipse if you have clear skies anywhere near you on April 8. Look up your local times.

There are ways to view the eclipse if you don't have eclipse glasses. The most popular, a pinhole viewer, is easy to make (take cardstock, punch hole in it with a nail or similar) but frankly not very satisfying. It's also really hard to teach little kids to use one, because you need to have your back exactly to the sun and let the light shine through the little pinhole and whatever.

So instead, I suggest making use of something better:

A disco ball.

Image credit: American Astronomical Society, paper linked.

Disco balls have many advantages! They're eye catching, they're cheap (currently, 5 Below has some for sale, you don't need a fancy one unless you want a fancy one), they're festive, and they project lots of images of the partial eclipse with ease! Simply place them in direct sunlight (indoors, outdoors, doesn't matter) and the image of the sun will be projected all over the bloody place! It's relatively unlikely to blind anyone (compared to an improperly used pinhole viewer) and you can also have an eclipse dance party.

I spent my afternoon at work repairing a homemade model we found in a closet. I hot glued a wooden handle on the bottom like some weird lollipop and plan on mounting it on a ring stand like the deranged astronomy educator I am.

For more information, the American Astronomical Society released a full paper on the subject. It's a delightful read with some pretty cool photos.

#great american eclipse #eclipse 2024 #solar eclipse #astronomy public outreach #eclipse party #eclipse #new and creative uses for disco balls #disco ball

[cappurrccino]

whatever career I end up in, I need it to be one where I don't have to be creative. I am way too dumb to be making fun and educational posters, let me just write an essay and pin that to the board instead

#//juri speaks #laying on the floor; suffering; dying; etc #very firmly crossing ''outreach and student engagement'' off my list of library domains i might like to work in #also trying not to worry about the far off probably-wont-happen-anyway plans for more degrees falling apart #bc i fear i wont be creative enough to gen up some original research idea #all im good at is following procedures to the fucking letter #and thats not the kind of person anyone wants to hire unless they're the military 😭 #everyone just wants creative self starting go-getters and i have too many fuckin mental eels for that shit #anyway this has been your ''it's rainy and im sad'' mental breakdown of the day #now back to your regularly scheduled other posts made by people capable of doing things

[hsdigitalmedia]

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#PR Media and Coordination Services #PR Services Mumbai #Media Relations Solutions #HS Digital Media Mumbai #Strategic PR Campaigns #Mumbai Public Relations #Media Outreach Services #Mumbai Brand Communication #PR Strategy Development #Mumbai Digital Marketing Agency #HS Digital Media PR Hub #Whiteboard Animation Mumbai #Creative Storytelling Solutions #Engaging Animation Services #Mumbai Visual Communication #Educational Animation Services #Whiteboard Explainer Videos #HS Digital Media Animation Hub #Interactive Visual Narratives

[wisdomandroyalty]

Navigating Private vs. Public Blogs, Professional Pursuits, and Personal Expression

Dive into the world of blogging! Explore public vs. private blogs, discover the art of professional blogging, and unleash your personal voice online. 📚✍️ #BloggingInsights #DigitalExpression #WizBlog #Branding

Blogging has emerged as a relatively recent trend in the digital world. It entails the creation of an online journal where entries are showcased in reverse chronological order, with the most recent posts appearing first. Bloggers have the freedom to choose how often they want to publish new blog entries. They can post multiple times a day, daily, weekly, monthly, or even at longer intervals. It…

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#Blogging for income #Blogging strategies #Blogging trends #branding #Connecting through blogs #Digital content creation #Monetizing blogs #Personal blog benefits #Personal expression online #Professional blogging #Public outreach through blogging #Public vs. private blogs #tap into your creativity #wisdom and royalty #WizBlog

[lady-raziel]

and alright, here's my last (let's hope) and boldest take yet. lots of people have been talking about the level of staff (around 25-ish people) at watcher, and whether downsizing that number could have been a potential avenue of reducing costs before just jumping to a subscription model. at first i was like yeah, i'm not sure that there needs to be 18 people involved in making a lets play. i was in the fucking trenches in the unus annus days and i'm still amazed how markiplier and ethan nestor managed to put out pretty well edited videos every day for a whole year with only a handful of editors and a couple people filming. what unus annus was trying to do and what watcher is trying to do are obviously pretty different, but the point is that you really don't need a whole crew of people to make lots of different types of content and do it well.

i still think there probably doesn't need to be a whole production crew involved with the creation of some of the simpler types of content watcher puts out. however, i don't think the size of the staff is the real problem. in fact, i think the staff of watcher probably should have been larger.

let me explain. if i begrudgingly go to one of my most detested websites (linkedin. *bleeegh*) and look up watcher, i can see that pretty much every person on staff is in a creative role of some sort by their own admission. at first glance, its like, oh, that makes sense. they're making creative products, it's natural that they should all be in creative roles. however, once you think about it for a little longer from a business perspective, that fact is really concerning.

after all, by watcher's own definition, this is a production studio. this is a company. So in this sea of creative roles, who's doing corporate planning? Who's managing finance? Who's doing payroll? Or brand outreach? Or human-freaking-resources??? you can hire outside groups for all this. i'm aware. but those services cost a lot of money to contract too. i'm just finding it concerning that there is pretty much no one on full time staff that is there to at least do some of this stuff. if watcher wants to be a big-boy company, that's fine, but that means you have to pay some people to be part of your company to do the not-fun business stuff like accounting. or resource management.

if they want to be a real company, they should actually have a lot more people on staff to deal with all the non-creative parts of running a company. even if they contract out most of it, you want at least a few people that are your people and don't actually work for someone else. that's how you don't get screwed over or end up in a contract you can't get out of.

which leads me to my last train of thought. like, as i go through the staff of watcher and look at what they do, it really seems like one of the ONLY people who's job it was to look at the business side of things WAS steven lim in his role as CEO. and thinking about that, i'm like god, can you imagine?? here's a guy who just wants to create cool stuff too but as one of the few people who has to think about the realities of Brand and the Business, HE has to be the one to burst the bubble. He as CEO has to say no to people and make decisions to make sure the company survives. In a group of creative people who just want to make things they're interested in, no expense spared, he was probably the guy who had to stay at least a little tethered to reality.

I'm not about to say that steven lim isn't to blame here. everyone involved in making the decisions that have led up to this point is part of this. but shit, it absolutely sucks to have to be the person at the end of the brainstorm session when everyone is coming up with their best ideas and to have to say "guys, i don't think any of these things are possible unless we make some big decisions."

is that what happened at watcher HQ? i don't know. at this point, with radio silence from everyone, speculation is all we've got. but if you follow the thread of a bunch of creatives striking out on their own to make their own business after being burned by their former employer, despite not knowing really how to run a business, and then only hiring fellow creative people and not other people who actually run business things... well, all of this starts to make slightly more sense in WHY none of watcher's actions make sense. everybody wants to stick it to the man and be their own boss with their own business, until it actually comes to the hard parts of doing that. at that point people start to realize, "oh, maybe some of the things that existed at my old job were there for a reason, actually."

all this is why lots of creatives striking out and starting their own businesses don't work in the end. they're thinking about in terms of creative products still, when they really need to be focusing more on the "business" part of the "creative business." it's sad. it sucks. it destroys a lot of good ideas and good people, because one person in every company like that has to be the one who thinks practically. could this have been avoided if watcher had been hiring people all along to manage this business and not just adding people to add to the creative output? maybe. even then it might not have been enough to curb other predictable impulses that led us down this path.

i feel bad for watcher, and i feel bad for the fandom. but i can't help but wonder if this was always the kind of situation we were going to end up in, and we just missed some of the warning signs because ALL of us were thinking, "well, that could never happen to us. we're different. not the Ghoul Boys."

#watcher #watcher tv #two stupidly long thinkpieces in one morning? wow! what a bargain! #just don't ask which of my responsibilities i'm ignoring by typing all this out

[ew-selfish-art]

DP x DC AU: Danny desperately wants to find the explosion guy. Tim is really good at covering his tracks... he didn't account for ghosts.

The explosions make it onto TV as purported terror activity and most people haven't heard of that part of the world much less ever given a second thought to care about it. The only real reason it gets reported on has something to do with the Justice League and... Danny knows too much.

He's been in training for Clockwork's court (which he's suspicious of- feels like kingly duty bullshit- but Danny is playing along out of curiosity for now) and he's learned a lot about how the living and non-living worlds collide. That means learning about CW's usual suspects- one of which just happened to have a ton of bases around the area Danny was seeing on the news.

It didn't take long for Danny to try to piece together that whoever blew up Nanda Parbat was trying to fuck with the League of Shadows, and was doing it successfully. Less green portals in the world the better, same goes for assassins. But it gets Danny thinking... Maybe he can employ similar tactics on the GIW Bases that keep spawning on the edges of Amity Park. It would at least set them back while he and his friends navigated the help line desk to request Justice League intervention. None of them can leave Amity Park, so outreach is going to have to be creative.

So Danny figures he'll just find the guy. Call up some ghosts who were there, or er, came from there and get a profile and track him down. But the ghosts keep saying it was The Detective. Annoying!

Danny goes full conspiracy theory, gets Tucker and Sam involved, and begrudgingly asks Wes Weston his thoughts.

He hadn't expected Wes to garble out a thirty minute presentation (that had 100 more slides left to go before he cut it off) about how Batman totally trained with a cult and so did his kids. Danny kind of rolled his eyes but... hey, new avenue of searching in the Infinite Realms at least.

The ghosts confirm that Bombs is for sure not Batman's MO- But maybe his second kid would know? The second kid was already brought back to life though, so no way to easily reach him... Danny starts to realize that this might be the work of a Robin now. Wasn't the red one known for solving cold cases? (Sam provides this information- its a social faux pas to not know hero gossip at Gotham Galas- everything she's learned is against her will).

It all comes to a head when Danny goes about the hard task of opening a portal for the guy to come through at just the right time, explain the infinite realms so he doesn't panic and then describe what the fuck was going on with the GIW. It takes months, just over a full year, of random (educated guesses) portal generating- Finally, Red Robin drops into the land of the dead.

"So, you're the guy I've got to talk to about explosions right?" Danny enthusiastically asks.

Tim thinks he's died and landed in the after life following 56 hours of being awake and plummeting off the side of a building into a Lazarus pool. Nothing makes sense about the kid in front of him.

"Yeah, I got a guy for munitions." Tim answers cooly.

"How do you feel about secretly sanctioned government operations that violate protected rights?"

"Gotta get rid of 'em some how. Need me to point you in the right direction?" This might as well be happening.

#dcxdp #dpxdc #dp x dc #dc x dp #danny phantom #long post #tim drake #red robin #tim and danny team up to blow up the GIW au #Tim being known as the explosion guy is my favorite and i will not let this part of his lore go ignored #Jason is the munitions guy obviously and the ghosts go crazy over the gossip it enlights when he helps in amity park #Danny one hundred percent is living for this working relationship- what a weirdo -danny hasn't met someone stranger than himself in a min #tim bartering his services for a few more years of life and danny just pikachu facing him #Tim wants to improve his relations in the afterlife be he still completely thinks hes dead #danny: dude ur still alive #Tim: yeah thats the goal but i'll help you meet your goals first and then we can negotiate #Danny decides to make the guy super ghost rich (thinking big Haunt real estate) and send him home #Tim blows up the GIW with no remorse and with all the data back up for proper justice to be served court side #tim returns from the dead and this is how the bats learn that he's the one who blew up nanda parbat all those years ago #it takes danny so long to find tim bc tim was spiralling and only after bruce got back did he get into a normal routine enough to get got

[fablepaint]

I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask anything here, but I wanted to know something. How is it like being a director of an animation? What’s your ideology when it comes to directing?

Messages anytime all the time

caffeinecaffeinecaffeine

body exhausted, enforces its own breaks

hard to go out, ever

STRESSSSS

MAAATHHH

wheredidmybraingo?

*smashed body part* thatll heal up finnnne. i dont have time for doctor!

ohgoddontfuckitup dontbeTHATguy ohfuckohshit

i love my partner i cant believe he puts up with this

hug every pet. theyre my emotional sponges.

manic creative spurts followed by sheepish anxiety.

PaPERWORK

hurry up and wait, times a thousand.

hope you like data sheets!

delegateDAMMIT

And thats when it's running smoothly!

otherwise my approach is to try and reflect the best examples of leadership and guidance IRL ive experienced. Mostly, from quality college professors Ive known. Tom Sito in particular exemplified a lot of what i strive to be. He was also formerly guild president and i think teaching your crew to view themselves as a collective that supports each other is vital to ensuring not just that they work together well, but also should anyone try to take advantage of them, they'll curbstomp them. I want them to be capable even in my absence, beyond the project, and able to run their own projects competently in the future.

i should be the one who guides and educates people into giving what's needed for the shot. Pain and blood are unwanted elements in that recipe. Theyre distractions and energysappers, red flags of a problem not a badge of honor.

Ideally, i barely have to do more than gently steer the work. And if ive communicated what im looking for effectively, theyre all plenty good at doing the work without me hovering over them.

if the work needs more guidance than that, then i roll up my sleeves and dive in as well. And figure out what the problem was, log it, and let that educate everyone else too (good documentation is essential).

i try to exhaust every option i have before blaming the person working on it for all the issues. Sometimes that is the problem, but even then i need to approach it neutrally and ask what human solution is required then. Do they need a break? was this not the right shot for them? is their way of processing the communication different than i expected? is there a translation problem?

in which case give people space to figure out some of that without judgement. Sometimes that means leaving for a bit, or permanently. But dont chase them. Just let them have their own life.

The only things i cant abide by are lack of communication that results in putting stress on the rest of the team. Consistent lying about availability and ball dropping despite constant outreach means someone has to pick up the slack without enough time or energy stocked up to take on the extra work. Anything that ends up exacerbating stress makes me upset.

But even then, it's still my job to spot the signs of this and make necessary adjustments before it becomes a problem. Including identifying where I made a miscalculation in hiring.

The buck always ALWAYS stops with me. I have the power to adjust the system to make it better, which means i gotta have a good grasp on that system.

#lackadaisy #life #question #answer

[alienjock]

in 2016, i was a closeted suicidal high school sophomore with undiagnosed autism. barely hanging onto life by a thread, one of the few things i found solace in was the world of critical role. my creative passions gave me a sense of fulfillment, and the love i had for the cast of vox machina, and for my fellow critters, gave me a sense of community i don’t think i would be here today if not for them.

the love and gratitude and comfort i got from this single gesture kept me going. it kept me hopeful. it reminded me that the people i loved and looked up to so deeply were kind and caring and compassionate. that they saw the hurt in the world and they wanted to reach their hand out to others, to offer support, to show struggling and scared young folk like me that they had an ally.

this kindness can not be found from them today.

in the past few years, the humanitarian aid critical role has provided through its charity organization and promotional outreach has been incredible. but as of right now, closing in on around four months since israel launched an all out attack, a full and total genocidal campaign to commit an ethnic cleansing of the palestinian people from their homeland, critical role has been completely silent.

not just silent, in fact.

they are silencing pro-palestine voices, blocking fans who call them out, and overall doing a phenomenal job at showcasing that now that they’re in amazon’s pocket, they couldn’t give a fuck about showing any real support towards palestine in the face of industry backlash.

at best, they are cowards.

cancel your critical role subscriptions, stop watching their shows, stop buying their merch, stop supporting them. demand accountability. you as fans have all the power. make them speak up.

a free palestine is in the future, and there are those who stay silent while they beg for freedom. for justice. for the people of the world to join them. do not let them stay silent. do not let them get away with turning a blind eye to crimes against humanity.

@criticalrole what ever happened to remembering to love each other? 🇵🇸❤️🖤🤍💚

#critical role

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

02/21/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Cast & Crew Sightings; Rhys Darby; Samba BTS; Vico Ortiz; Ruibo Qian; HowToHelp; Petition Embed; Queerties Last Day; IRL Outreach Assets; New Watch Parties; Visual Rep of SaveOFMD Effort; Fan Spotlight; Collages; OurFlagMeansBooze; Articles; Morale; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika;

Wow everyone, crazy day again. Day 2 of BTS Darbygeddon. I'm actually going to set a google calendar reminder for tomorrow between 1-2 in case Samba decides to drop another doozy on us. Hope you all had a good day. Here's the highlights-- there's more I would have liked to add but I need to get permission first, so I'll hopefully have them up tomorrow. As always, please let me know if I missed anything <3

== Cast & Crew Sightings ==

= Rhys Darby =

Back again with another Cameo is Rhys for our lovely crewmate @Kellykat53 over on twitter! Thank you so much for sharing this with us Kelly, it's a lovely little inspirational video, definitely gives us plenty of Vitamin RD (as @scorpiostarseed would say). Check out the Cameo

= Saint Samba Schutte =

I've seen several people mention that Samba is a Saint (sorry not sure who started it to attribute it) so going forward, that will be his name. SO MANY BTS pictures and videos. My goodness. Has it even been a day since the last Merstede dump? It has, but damn, here we are with the BOYFRIEND video, and the nipple scratching, and oh look it's Buttons from the Cryptid Factor! As always, if you have access to instagram, please check out these posts on Samba and Rhys' posts/stories.

Videos on Tumblr:

Boyfriends - ty @blakbonnet!

Merstede - ty @kiwistede!

English Jacket - ty @kiwistede!

Cursed Jacket - ty @kiwistede!

Steard Nips - ty @kiwistede!

Rhysently Granted Reunion - ty @kiwistede!

= Vico Ortiz =

Vico voiced the new novel "The Diablo's Curse "by New York Times Best Seller Gabe Cole Novoa! I know some of you are huge Vico fans so wanted to mention it, you can purchase the audio book here. Src: Vico's IG

= Ruibo Qian =

Are you in New York? Our Pirate Queen will be at the #TonyKiserTheater NEXT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26 at 6:30PM for a one night only reading of On The Evolutionary Function of Shame, by D.A. Mindell - For more details visit here.

== How to Help ==

Hey all! We're adding some things to the daily task lists (and taking some off). Here they are!

= Petition Embed Code =

Looking to easily embed the petition link in your AO3 fic, or maybe your email? @sonnetforbonnet was kind enough to provide us with some embeds you can use! Please visit the repo for the codes!

= Last day for Queerties! =

Please remember to vote! Today's the last day!

Best TV Comedy

Best TV Performance

= IRL Outreach Assets =

== New Watch Parties Coming Up! ==

The Pirates! Watch Party! This is a family friendly movie so bring the kids! Or the adults-- or anyone you know, really, as long as it's not against their will! Sunday March 3rd, 3 PM EST, 12 PM PST, 8 PM GMT!

Watch Party Hashtags:

#OurPirateCaptain

#SaveOFMD

#AdoptOurCrew

== Visual Representation of Fandom Efforts to SOFMD ==

Remember our friends that had the in person Matelotage Processional? Well they're back with a funny video illustrating the fandom efforts of Save OFMD!

Fangirlfoto's Instagram Don't have instagram? See the video on the repo here.

＝＝ Fan Spotlight ＝＝

Thank you once again to @wndrngnomad on twitter for all their awesome collages dedicated to the Cast and Crew! Day 21: Calypso's Birthday! Perfectly timed considering the lovely Boyfriend themed BTS we got today! Catch-Up: Day 2: Madeleine Sami!

= Our Flag Means Booze! =

Our absolutely brilliant crew-mate @quiet-compassion over on tumblr has been designing OFMD Themed Drinks since the show was dropped by Max!  These not only have super fun and creative names you'll all recognise, but an amazing array of flavours too! If you're 21+ (in the US) or the appropriate age for drinking in your country, feel free to try them out! As always, please drink responsibly! Are you celebrating with Moonglow Manifesting? Why not try the "Moon Glow" cocktail for the end of the event! Want to see ALL their concoctions? Head on over to the repo, they're all there!

== Articles ==

17 Facts and Easter Eggs about OurFlagMeansDeath That will Get you On Board - 17 Fakten und Easter Eggs zu „Our Flag Means Death“, die dich ins Boot holen - ty @AddieH on twitter

Max: The 34 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch

==Morale ==

Hey crew. I've been hearing some scuttlebutt around the deck that people are starting to worry again about whether or not s3 is going to happen. The love notes section is already pretty long so I'm not gonna go too crazy up here too -- instead I'm going to just point out that David Jenkins, while not active and posting things for us right now, is sneakily poking around in Samba and Rhys' BTS comments. He's still there, he's still watching, and I think he can tell we're all feeling the high from Samba's releases. Don't give up hope, these things take time. They're gonna get there. I'm gonna add the trends to this section today because I think it's important to see what we did today:

== Love Notes ==

Hey Lovelies. I know I've said it before, but it bares repeating since I know a lot of you are struggling right now.

Just a gentle reminder that if your brain is telling you that there's something wrong with you, or that you've done something wrong or embarrassing -- it's lying to you.

There's been so much dopamine from all the excitement lately with the BTS, that it has to come down at some point, and when it does, your brain will sometimes over-compensate and you start feeling maybe worse than you did before.

This is totally normal, it really is. Our brains are glorious complex pathways of unmeasurable brilliance, and yet a simple hormone change can make that same brain tell us that we're not enough, or we're not worthy.

I am here to remind you, you are so very much enough.

No matter what is happening in your life-- in your job, in your personal relationships, in your family, in your school, anywhere--

YOU ARE ENOUGH, EXACTLY HOW YOU ARE.

If you feel like you've failed, or you've let someone down, just know you are STILL enough. We all fail, it's how we learn.

We pick ourselves back up and we try again, and if we fail again--

We're STILL enough, and we are still worthy of love and comfort.

Eventually you will succeed. You will get there, and all the while while you work on it, YOU. ARE. ENOUGH.

I know it's so hard to see when you're feeling small, but I see you all every day, and I am awe-struck at your constant ability to band together and not only find love and support, but give it so freely and lovingly.

A simple @ to someone, alerting them to something they'd like

A love note in dms or on a tumblr post

A gif or picture or video brought to tumblr from some other platform so others can see them.

Writing a fic or drawing a picture.

A reblog with tags, goofy or not

Anon Asks showing people you support how they feel about a given topic

Liking a post.

These are all love notes. No matter how public or private, they're all there and they all add up eventually to form this wonderful community and you've been kicking ass at love.

I know we all look like we're having a good time, but a lot of us are struggling silently, and yet we're finding ways to reach out to one another and spread love to help us all get through. Love isn't always positivity, it can be commiseration, or frustration on behalf of someone. You all are finding the best ways to help your crew, and I'm so very proud of you.

You all are capable, creative, gifted, beautious piles of stardust smooshed together into one wonderfully unique package, and you are so very loved.

You are enough,

You are loved,

and THINGS WILL GET BETTER Lovelies.

Get some rest <3 You got this.

= Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika =

What can I say, I literally can't not include this Rhys gif today. It's physically impossible, please forgive me. Good fucking lord, I'm going to Costa Rica now. Also, sorry I tried to get a matching Taika gif, but I have run out of brain cells. Hopefully this one will suffice.

Rhys - Courtesy of @bizarrelittlemew

Taika - Courtesy of @studiomoon

#ofmd daily recap #ofmd daily recaps #daily ofmd recap #daily ofmd recaps #taika waititi #rhys darby #ofmd #our flag means death #vico ortiz #ruibo qian #save ofmd #saveofmd #save our flag means death #ofmd bts #samba schutte #saint samba schutte

[amethystfairy1]

Cub and the Wardens lore mayhaps? 👀 The Deep Dark... what's going on there?

WARDEN LORE

Ok lets see...

The Deep Dark is a series of tunnels beneath the Depths *I know, creative*

The Depths are the 'floor' of the main cavern, these tunnels run beneath it and are full of skulky fauna and stuff that has tumbled down their over the years from up above. It's an area of the under-city that is very much disconnected from the rest of under-city society. Even more so than the blaze-born Pyres, who are pretty anti-social in their own right. It's dark down there. Like...nearly pitch black. Sometimes inhabitants of the Deep Dark can go months without seeing any sort of light. That suits them though. It's an area populated by under-city folk who can't handle the noise of the main cavern, you can find some of the Bat Hybrid covens and some Phantom Mutants though they don't all live down there.

Of course, the most (in)famous group living down there are the Warden Mutants. They're solitary by nature, they typically live in small nuclear families if they even bother to have families at all, and they don't have particularly strong inter-personal ties as a subspecies like, say, the Cat and Dog clans. They're still people of course, with all the benefits and flaws, but they also take their peace and quiet very seriously. It gets violent quickly in the Deep Dark. Since it's an area beyond labs influence even more so than the Depths, which are now more or less managed by Ethos gang, a lot of organized crime has moved down there.

Warden Mutants are incredibly strong, and their subspecies glamor traits, the sonic shrieks paired with their ability to expand their sensory range through skulky fauna, mean that they rule the Deep Dark. They're dangerous, and they know it. So a lot of them get involved in organized crime to protect their territory and keep things quiet and dark as they like it.

This is where Cub grew up.

He was another gutter rat, never knew his parents or any sort of family, scrounged around to survive. When the Anarchy happened he was eleven, and a lot of broken tech and stuff from the labs was cast into the Depths and some of it ended up in the Deep Dark. He started tinkering with it. After the Anarchy began to settle and the labs were reestablished as a force for good in the under-city, he heard through the skulk about a school being opened in the Depths. Cub was nearly fourteen and he'd never had any sort of formal education, but he still decided to go. It was the first time he'd ever left the Deep Dark.

Loud, loud, loud, loud, LOUD. And bright, stars, why was it so bright!?

But he realized through attending the new school in the Depths that was an outreach channel for gutter rats like him that he was actually pretty smart. From there, he went on to earn himself a scholarship through the acclimation program to go topside to go to college, he was one of the first kids who was sent up after the Anarchy in an attempt to reestablish these channels the labs ran that were kind of abandoned while everything was fixed up.

Once he got up there, even if it was way to loud and way to bright, Cub realized he never wanted to go back down into the dark again.

Of course, I plan to expand on all of this in fics later down the line, especially because Cub has become something of a favorite in this AU which was not on my bingo card, but hey, I love writing him in this context so I'd love to do more for him! 💖

#ao3 fanfic #fanfic #through the sky blue cracks #worldbuilding #cubfan135

[stormz369]

The King of Hell and Me: Ch 2 - Molting

Chapter Guide Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4

Summary: Lucifer goes missing because he's embarrassed. Preening ensues. Wolf-demon reader. Warnings: fluff, Lucifer being bad at vulnerability, animal characteristics, implied arousal, rated mature (maybe?) Word Count: 3k

Lucifer had his own home, of course. But since the hotel’s grand re-opening, he’d been staying in his suite here. To be closer to Charlie, or to get himself out of his depression funk, or maybe both, it wasn’t clear. Either way, we’d found ourselves spending a lot of time together. We ate breakfast together most days, he told me all about his most recent duck-based inventions, and he was the only person I let into my office while I was doing my work for the hotel. Charlie had hired me as an all-purpose consultant, letting me work on any projects I wanted, and I dove straight into the advertising/community outreach/PR side of things. My work didn’t typically look like much until I had a completed product to present, so I didn’t like to have people watching my process, and as long as I kept her in the loop Charlie didn’t mind my secretive ways. But Lucifer was a creative mind too. He understood that sitting at my desk apparently doing nothing wasn’t actually nothing, and he let me be.

He was also the only person allowed to put things in my office, but that was only because he felt it was odd that I was a wolf without a pack, -because “Even hellhounds have packs, dear girl! Wolf-demons aren’t that uncommon, you need a family!”- and had started making one for me, a slowly growing pack of rubber ducks with wolf ears and fluffy tails. Every so often I’d find a new one in my office, and each one did something unusual. A pair facing each other on the windowsill had a laser between them that would alert us to intruders, but most were silly things like duck-wolves that could jump and growl, or were actually soap dispensers or changed color with the weather. 

It actually worked out to be a mutually beneficial relationship. We both had a tendency to dive headfirst into our hyperfixations, and when one of us did, the other usually managed to keep them from spiraling too far. He’d comb my hair and fur, and remind me to take breaks. I’d bring him dinner and get him out of his room when he was getting frustrated. One time I even sat in the bathroom taking notes while he talked so he could shower without losing his flow. We weren't exactly romantic, but it was far more emotionally intimate than any romantic relationship I’d ever had. And, with no one else filling that role for either of us, we did end up on the receiving end of a lot of ‘old married couple’ jokes. 

And that’s why, when he suddenly just wasn’t at the hotel one morning, I got a bit nervous. And, I’ll be honest, frustrated. I reminded myself that just because we typically spent breakfasts together didn’t mean we had to every day. Just because he’d told me every time he was leaving the hotel for the last few months didn’t mean he was beholden to me. We were friends, but he wasn’t mine and I couldn’t tell him what to do. I had no right or reason to be put off by this unexpected change to my routine. So I ate breakfast alone, went down to my office to work alone, and … couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t focus, everything was just a bit off. I should be able to hear his breathing, see his faint glow out of the corner of my eye, feel his hands in my hair. But I was entirely, soul crushingly, alone. 

I texted him every day for the first week. Then once every few days, which quickly became once a week, but he never responded. He didn’t even look at them. I was starting to think he might be mad at me, but I couldn’t imagine what I could have done to upset him so much. I started working evenings, finding it less uncomfortable to be alone at night, but I had trouble getting much done either way. Charlie started bringing me breakfast in my office when everyone else had dinner. I appreciated that she was making sure I ate, but I was just as worried about her as she was about me. Lucifer hadn’t reached out to her either, and he wasn’t taking her calls, and her calm facade was starting to crack. At least she had Vaggie though. I was just alone.

A month into his disappearance I was working late again. Everyone was in bed, and I was trying to finish up this advertising campaign mock up for Charlie, when I heard the door of the hotel creak open. My ears perked up, and I cracked my office door open, listening carefully. I couldn’t make out who had come to visit. There were footsteps, light and airy but far too heavy to be Lucifer. I sniffed the air, glad for my more animalistic senses, hoping to catch some kind of clue. Friend, or foe? Welcome, or defend? The air smelled … musty, and damp. Something was very off.

I flicked my wrist, extending my claws, and made my way silently down the dark hallway. The intruder stumbled up the stairs, it would be silent to those without acute hearing, but I heard every step. I followed along, trying to visualize where they were from the sounds. They made their way past the elevator and up more flights of stairs, and I tracked along behind them, staying a floor below them to avoid detection. I wanted to know who they were, but I also wanted to know what they were looking for. When they finally made their way down a hallway, I glowered. They were on Charlie’s floor. I waited, listening halfway up the stairs so I could pounce if needed, until I heard them stop at a door. I jumped up, landing a few feet away from the short, trenchcoat clad figure. They jumped, pressing themself against the wall as if they could disappear through it, and dropped … a key?

“... Lucifer?” I whispered.

He turned toward me, a sheepish grin on his face. “... Heeey … I’m home!”

I sighed, scooping up his key and unlocking his door, gesturing for him to go inside. “Don’t wake Charlie.”

He nodded, darting inside. His footfalls were too heavy, he was hunched over a bit, and his back looked bulky under his coat. Something was wrong. He sat awkwardly on the couch, kicking his feet a bit. “Sooo … How’ve you been?”

“How have I been? … Luc, where have you been? … Y- you didn’t call, you didn’t tell anyone where you were going, or when you’d be back, you sneak in in the dead of night in whatever that is, you smell like a drowned bird, and you’re walking like an injured dog. And you ask how I’ve been???” A deranged laugh ripped its way out of my throat as I collapsed onto the seat next to him. “... Do you even care that we’ve all been worried sick? … I … you didn’t text me back … You were just … gone.”

He flinched a bit, hesitantly reaching for my hand. “... I .. I’m sorry, puppy … I didn’t mean to scare you. I just … I had something to attend to.”

I sighed softly, letting him take my hand. “What was so important that you couldn’t even tell us you were ok?”

“I … just had to …” He sighed. “Look, it’s kind of embarrassing, ok? I …” He mumbled something, a low whine in the back of his throat masking his words.

“... What was that?”

“I’m molting, ok?” He whined, shifting uncomfortably. “I’m molting, and I can’t comfortably put my wings away until it’s over, and they’re ugly right now! So I just … I thought I’d just go to the manor until it was over. I was only coming back tonight to get my sketchbook so I could work on a project…”

I blinked a bit, trying not to laugh. “... Right. … Just so I’m clear, cause I didn’t really interact with birds on earth. Molting is the one where birds lose a bunch of feathers and get new ones, right?” He nodded. “And it’s a yearly thing?”

He nodded again, “For most birds. Angels get a little one each year, and a big one each decade. It takes forever! It’s … unpleasant. Messy …” He grumbled softly; “humiliating.”

“Humiliating? It’s just part of having wings, isn’t it? How is that humiliating?”

“... You’ve seen my wings, what did you think of them?”

I let out a sigh, thinking. “... They’re bigger than I expected, but that makes sense since you’re not a bird. They’d have to be pretty big to lift you up … unless you’ve got hollow bones and they’re just ostentatious?” I chuckled a bit, hoping to lighten his mood, but it didn’t seem to work. “... They’re beautiful, and they look really soft … You look so majestic when you fly …”

“Exactly. … Beautiful. Majestic. That’s what they’re supposed to be … but when the molt comes they’re … really not that. … Molting is messy, and itchy, and … gross! … I look like a plucked chicken under this coat…” He whined softly, frustrated tears pricking at his eyes as he hid his face in his hands. “And the worst part is that I can’t even rush it along like we did in heaven, because I can’t reach!”

“... Can’t reach? … Do you have to pluck something, or?”

He nodded. “At the end of the molt the new feathers have these keratin sheaths that have to be removed … In heaven we’d get a few trusted angels together and circle up, but I can’t do that here! So I just have to wait for them to peel off on their own!”

I frowned softly, gently stroking his shoulder. He whined softly, looking at me hesitantly. “Lucifer, … I’m sure this is a … sensitive topic, and I’m sure there’s a reason you didn’t ask, but … if you wanted to ask, … I would help. And I promise, I wouldn’t judge you for what they look like right now, or talk to anyone else about it, or anything like that … It’s just like when you got that matt out of my fur, that was pretty embarrassing for me, but I couldn’t see it well enough to get it out myself. So you sat down with me, and you took a set of combs, and detangling spray, and a pair of scissors, and you fixed it for me. … You could have just cut it out, but you didn’t. You sat there and meticulously detangled it for hours, and then you trimmed everything so it wouldn’t get bad so easily again. Remember? … I could do the same for you.”

He nodded slowly, sighing softly. “I just … I didn’t want you to see … you don’t understand, they look really bad right now …”

“So did my neck.”

He thought for a moment, sighing before he carefully slipped the ugly beige trench coat off. His wings were pressed firmly against his back, almost trembling. He turned away, letting me get a good look at them. The majority of his flight feathers had already gone through the process, but about half of the fluffy down feathers were still encased, or partially encased, in cylindrical sheaths. I smiled softly, gently stroking down his spine. “It really doesn’t look so bad, Luci. Let’s get comfy, ok? Do you wanna lay down somewhere?”

A shiver went up his spine, and his wings attempted to puff up in response. It did look a bit sad, but I wasn’t gonna tell him that. He was feeling uncomfortable enough as it was. His wings were usually a source of great pride for him, I wasn’t about to make this harder for him. He slowly nodded, and carefully got up. I followed him to his bedroom, a little concerned by how wobbly he seemed.

“... Luc, is the molt really the only thing that’s going on? You seem a bit … off?”

He collapsed onto his bed, pulling a pillow under his chest and crossing his arms under himself. “It’s enough … The little molts take a lot of energy, but the big ones … The big ones really suck … I’ve been in bed pretty much since I left …”

I nodded, sitting next to him. “I see … so, I just start peeling these things off the feathers?”

He nodded. “Gently, please … You can roll them a bit if they resist, but if that doesn’t work move on to the next one. Most of them should be ready though.”

I hummed softly, gently taking the wing in front of me and carefully extending it. He groaned softly, following my movements compliantly. I let the wing rest on my legs and began carefully sliding my fingertips over the little cylinders. Most of the keratin sheaths started to flake and crumble away under my touch, and I carefully rolled the slightly more resistant ones between my fingers. Under my touch, fluffy down and contour feathers began to emerge. I gently brushed the debris away, careful of my claws. I knew I had to do this perfectly; to prove he could trust me with things like this. He wasn’t moving or making any noises though, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad.

I worked methodically from the bottom where his wing attached to his back, up and out to the wingtip, periodically brushing the detritus away and stroking his freshly exposed feathers. I finished the right side and got halfway through the wings on the left before I ran into one that started to peel away, but then didn’t want to budge. I was about to move on like he’d told me, but I paused when I heard the first noise Lucifer made since I started touching his wings; a high pitched whine. He squirmed uncomfortably, and his wings ruffled up a bit.

“... Luci? D- did I hurt you?”

“Noooo … I want it off …” He whimpered softly, pressing his face into the pillow. “... C- Can you scratch it a bit? Just a bit!”

I nodded, humming softly my agreement, and carefully ran a claw along the sheath. His high whine returned, but this time it seemed a bit more … pleased? I scratched again, watching little bits of the sheath peel away. After just a little bit more the sheath fell away entirely, releasing its fluffy feather, and Lucifer sighed happily. 

“Ohhh fuck~ … Oh, that’s so much better! Your hands are magic~” He moaned softly, bringing a blush to my cheeks.

I cleared my throat; “... I’m glad you’re liking it, Luc.”

I carefully continued to the tip of his wing. There were only a few that hadn’t been ready to go yet, and his wings were back to their full, shiny, fluffy glory. He sighed happily, but didn’t move to get up, so I just continued to stroke his feathers.

“Ahh~ … Puppy, that’s wonderful~ … But y- … you do know, wings are sensitive, yeah?” He slowly lifted his head, looking over his shoulder at me. The heat on his face made me squirm shyly, and I shakily removed my hands.

“S- Sorry … I …” I blushed bright red, scooting backwards. He whined softly, slowly sitting up and facing me.

He shakily reached for my hand, running his thumb over my fingers. “... I wasn’t trying to make you stop. …”

I blushed even more, looking up at him shyly. “... So … should I continue?”

He slowly lifted my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles gently. “... Only if you wish to.”

I nodded slowly, shakily pushing him to lay back down. He did, watching me out of the corner of his eye, and I straddled his hips, stroking his wings gently.

“... They’re so beautiful, Luci … You are beautiful …” I was mesmerized, letting my hands trail along the soft feathers. 

He sighed happily, settling under me. “... I cannot believe I let this go on for a full blessed month when I could have had your hands on me this whole time …”

I chuckled softly, continuing to preen him gently. “Never again, yes? You come to me for this, whenever you need it. Or even if you just want it. … You take care of me, and I take care of you.”

“Because we’re an old married couple.” He nodded, yawning softly. “Yes, love, anything wifey wants~”

I blushed brightly, trying desperately to stop the squeak from leaving my mouth. Others had called us a married couple before, mostly to tease us, but we had never said it. “... That’s right, husband. Anything I want.”

He smirked slightly. “Husband … I like the way that word sounds when you say it ... If you’re not careful, I might just make you my wife for real …”

“... And what exactly would ‘being careful’ look like?”

“Oh, you know. Not letting me touch you anymore, keeping me out of your office, making fun of my ducks. … Taking your hands off my wings would definitely count as being careful.”

I chuckled softly, steeling my nerves and leaning forward to kiss his cheek. I whispered against his ear; “sounds like a horrible way to live. I think I’ll take my chances.”

His eyes flew open, looking up at me. A bright red blush spread across his face, and a hesitant smile graced his lips. “... I agree. A horrible way to live.”

He carefully slid out from under me, turning around so I was in his lap instead, and gently cupped my cheek, rubbing gently with his thumb. I leaned into his touch, sighing happily, and he slid his hand up to stroke my fluffy wolf ear. An almost electric feeling shot through me, leaving me gasping, and I hesitantly looked up at him. He smirked slightly, pulling me closer and kissing me softly before he whispered in my ear; “Now don’t give me that look, love~ You’ve been doing it to me this whole time~”

#hazbin #lucifer hazbin #hazbin hotel lucifer #lucifer morningstar #hazbin lucifer #lucifer magne #lucifer hazbin hotel #fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #fluff #wingplay #preening #molting #lucifer's wings #lucifer x reader #lucifer magne x reader

[macsimagines]

Hello again! I’ve missed your works dearly and I hope that you’ve been doing well and taking care of yourself ♡

I start nursing school in a few weeks, and I wanted to put in a request for Yan Shin, Izana & Ran about their gf patching them up/taking care of their injuries/tending to their wounds after a fight ˚୨୧⋆｡˚

TW: Yandere, MINORS DNI, Self-Harm

Yandere!Shinichiro

You've always been his cute little nurse ever since you were kids, patching him up after a fight. When you told him you were really going to go for it as a career he was super supportive.

"That means I get to see you in cute nursing outfits right?" "Quit being a perv, you big goofball."

As the leader of the black dragons, you always had to patch him up. He wasn't strong like all the other members and was liable to injuries more often than not. But he loved being dotted on by you, so he never complained too much.

Now that you're both older you don't baby him as much as you used too. He's not the same young punk getting into fights anymore so now he has to get creative.

Shinichiro isn't a fan of self harm, but you're always there to give him stistches when he 'accidentally' cuts or burns himself.

"You're so damn clumsy, be more careful. Alright?" "I make no promises, sweetheart."

Yandere!Izana

It was your job to look after all members of the gang, prioritizing your king first. It didn't matter if someone had a stab and he only had a scratch you were expected to treat him first.

"My wounds are always more important, Y/N." "I know Izana. Now stop talking and let me work."

Times change though, and now you're both different people. He's watched you pursue a career in helping others and now you're a nurse for the orphanage he does outreach work for.

Loves watching you work with the kids, and is enamored by how gentle you are with them. Only slightly jealous when he watches you kiss boo-boos.

"You were never this nice to me." "You were never this cute." "😦"

Actually loves the way you nurture the kids. Its a weird thing that makes his chest feel funny and makes him want to be soft with you.

While you're working one day, organizing the medicine cabinets, he'll come up from behind and wrap his arms around you, kissing your shoulder.

"Hey, think we should make a couple of our own?"

Yandere!Ran

He actually met you during your tenure at nursing school. You lived in the same building and you two would always run into each other either on your way in or out.

"Hey, Y/N. You're a nurse right? Think you could take a look at my arm real quick?" "Sure thing! You'll be gettin' my bill in the mail though."

You two hit it off after that. Ran is always knocking on your door looking like he just got hit by a car and you're always giving him an earful while you patch him up.

Never tells you that the other guy looked worse. Never ever tells you that he sometimes lets himself get hurt so he has an excuse to see you. "Punch a little harder you pussy. Y/N's not gonna care about these weak ass punches."

"What would you do without me?" "Probably die. Or sleep." "Don't be an ass to the girl that's stitching your arm, dingus."

Years later and now you two are still together. You're his 'Sexy Live in Nurse' and he's your 'Walking Hazard'. You're still stitching him up even after all this time.

"Seriously, you OWN the club. Don't you have bouncers for the rowdy customers?" "I'm a hands-on kinda boss, Sweetheart."

#yandere tokyo revengers #yandere izana #yandere izana kurokawa #yandere shinichiro sano #yandere ran haitani

[crimethinc]

How to Host a Haunted House

A Guide for Anarchists with a Video Walkthrough

https://crimethinc.com/hauntedhouse

In the following account, one participant describes how an anarchist social center set up a haunted house last October as a fundraiser to support defendants facing RICO charges as a consequence of repression targeting the movement to #StopCopCity. This is an excellent example of how creative efforts can add a joyous element to political outreach and legal support.

[ventingfanfics]

an angsty to fluff fic where shuri is a known player in the royal family but the reader is a sweetheart and then shuri falls for her and tried to win her over but reader cannot believe it or is flabbergasted?? happy ending tho pls <3

First of all, many of you are so cute with your little requests. So many of you are creative! Okay, this one is LONG. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to leave comments. It probably will have a second part.

Don't Wanna be a Player No More

The meeting at the palace finished, but M’Baku stuck around, joining Shuri for lunch. Together they walked into the cafe. 

In time, they had grown closer with the Jabari leader taking on the role of a big brother. He would never replace T’Challa nor was he trying to. He simply cared about Shuri and felt she’d been dealt extremely cruel hands. He wanted to be of support to her. Plus, they found that they enjoyed the other’s company. 

“Bast, I’m starving,” Shuri said, approaching the food court.

“I could eat multiple feasts right now,” M’Baku agreed.

“That’s you on the daily.”

“And what about it? A king has to eat. Do you see my stature? I can’t afford to play small.” Just as he said that, his eyes landed on one of the servers. He offered his best smile. “See, Hadiza here knows just what I’m talking about.”

“Why must you bring Hadiza into it? She’s here to feed your belly not your ego.” Shuri cracked a smile at the pretty worker who softly laughed. 

“I come in peace,” Hadiza said, piling food onto their plates and earning laughter from them. 

“Ah, here’s Riri. Someone with respect,” M’Baku called, seeing the science genius enter the premises. She was not alone. Another woman accompanied her.    You. 

Shuri, who sat her plate down at a table, followed M’Baku’s gaze. 

“Goodness, could you stare any harder?” He said rather than asked Shuri, who nodded in greeting at Riri. 

“For your information, she looks familiar.” As Shuri watched you taking your turn to get your food, she tried to place you, but to no avail. 

“She also looks like your next victim,” M’Baku said, amused by his own joke. 

Shuri threw a crumb at him. “Hush up. I’m a single woman.”

You walked with Riri over to them, feeling a little nervous about meeting Wakanda’s new Queen. You knew this day would come considering your opportunity.

“Hey y’all.” Riri smiled. “Shuri, I’m sure you know Y/N. M’Baku, this is Y/N.”

You wanted to shake Shuri’s hand but it seemed like bad timing with it being lunch and all.

“How are you?” M’Baku cordially greeted you, slyly taking you in. 

“He’s the leader of the Jabari tribe,” Riri explained to you. 

You laughed a bit and nodded because you were well aware. “And this must be Queen Shuri,” You said, successfully making the others laugh. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” You bowed.

Riri’s smile faded as she sat down. She had told you it was unnecessary to do that yet it did in fact feel necessary. First impressions were everything and you were raised to respect people and if bowing was a royal custom, so be it.

There was a mysterious small groan that could be heard. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Shuri said, to which M’Baku agreed.

“Told you,” Riri muttered before eating her baked potatoes.

“I’m sorry,” You said, feeling your skin heat up.

Shuri waved it off with a smile. “All good. Just promise me that’ll be the first and last time you do that. Deal?”

“Deal.”

You were relieved that things were going well so far on your first day at the palace. 

“So Y/N, do you work with Riri?” M’Baku asked, making conversation.

“I do, only for two hours, though. I’m mainly here to do outreach work.” You ignored the fact that Shuri was staring at you. Of course she’d be interested in this conversation. It was her business.

“Ah, that’s how I know you,” the Queen said, holding her fork. “Nakia referred you.”

You smiled. “Yes.”

“That’s impressive ‘cause Nakia wouldn’t just send over anyone.”

“Duh,” Riri said, making M’Baku laugh. She grinned at the look Shuri gave her. “Nah, but I just have a good feeling about Y/N being here. She’s dope.”

“Aww, thank you! The feeling is mutual. It’s an honor to be surrounded by greatness,” You said, looking at the three of them. 

“You belong here,” Shuri said to you.

You repeated the statement to yourself, knowing you’d never forget it.

~

You were focused on your data work. It consisted of the different organizations you’d been in contact with. In just your first week, you’d connected with hundreds of individuals. The doors opened, but you remained focused. 

“Hey,” You heard Shuri say, causing you to acknowledge her. “Where’s Riri?”

“I think she’s at the cafe with Kenya,” You answered, referring to the genius scientist’s girlfriend. 

Shuri nodded. “Are you coming with us tonight?”

Some of the team was having an outing this evening. Of course you’d been invited and didn’t mind the idea of attending. You liked your colleagues thus far and wanted to make another good impression by showing up.

“Yep, even though I don’t drink…” 

“Neither do I. And I still know how to have fun.” She shrugged a shoulder and came closer, observing your screen. “I really hope you have fun tonight, you deserve it.”

You smiled. “I’m sure I will. You all seem like a good time.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you a good time?” 

You chuckled at her sheer curiosity, tilting your head to the side thoughtfully. “I mean, I wouldn’t say I’m the life of the party, but I vibe off good energy.” 

Shuri smiled, her beauty on constant display. “I know just what you mean.” She rested her hand on your desk. “I promise I have good energy.” She was staring at you while you were entranced by her tattoo.

“Cool tat.”

She laughed softly. “Thank you! Do you have any tattoos?”

Before you could answer, you both heard Riri come in, declaring, “Alright, we out!”

“Hold on,” Shuri called, turning back to you. “Y/N, are you good to go straight there? Or did you need to stop home first?”

“I think I’m good, I have everything I need.”

“But a ride,” Riri said. “C’mon, Kenya’s waiting.”

“Can she at least use the bathroom first?” Shuri said back, pulling a face at you, as if to say “can you believe this girl?”

“You didn't go already? Never mind, it’s cool. I’ll wait.”

“Or you can ride with me,” Shuri mentioned to you.

Riri smirked at the Queen. 

You lifted your hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I do need to go to the bathroom, but I won’t be long. Riri, I don’t want to keep you and Kenya waiting, though.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Let me go with you.” She waited for you to grab your stuff. 

Unbeknownst to you, Shuri admired the view of you as you walked towards Riri. 

“Thanks for offering though, I appreciate it,” You called over your shoulder, smiling at Shuri, who quickly brought her eyes back to your face and matched your expression.

Shuri did her nightly check-in of the lab before leaving. When she went to the bathroom, you were exiting it. You held the door open for her with your usual kind smile. 

“Thank you, usana,” the royal said. “That’s a nice dress, by the way.”

~

After debating, Okoye got involved in this heated exchange that consisted of a female letting Shuri have it. “Excuse me, what seems to be the trouble here?” 

The girl’s eyes widened before she glowered and pointed at Shuri. “So you do have a girlfriend!”

Okoye rolled her eyes to the high heavens. 

“Yes, this is my girlfriend,” Shuri deadpanned, and shooting Okoye a look that said “just go with it.” 

Okoye had other plans. “I am the general, thank you very much.” 

“You’re fucking your general?” 

“For Bast’s sake,” Okoye said as Shuri stifled a laugh.

“Walk away,” Shuri said, steering Okoye away from the infuriated young woman. Okoye of course stayed behind to make sure the stranger left. 

Shuri finally released her laugh as Okoye wore the ultimate look of disgust. 

“You have got to be more selective, your highness.”

“Hey, what’d I say about formality after hours?”

Okoye shook her head. “I thought I was going to have to hurt her, but she’s just an idiot. Why can’t you get involved with one girl? Preferably a decent one with a working brain.” 

Shuri smirked as she eyed you across the room. “Funny you say that because I know someone.”

Okoye followed her vision. “Is that the new girl Y/N?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Maybe I should retract my statement. She seems too good for you.”

“I’m sorry, how did you say you know her again?” Shuri narrowed her eyes at her. 

Okoye smirked. “You know I’m right.”

Shuri tuned Okoye out as you and her made eye contact. You both smiled. Shuri made her way towards you as you finished your plastic cup of soda. 

“The vibes must be off,” said Shuri, speaking down into your ear so you could hear her. She could have sworn she saw you shiver. “Are you cold?” She pulled away and unzipped her royal green Adidas Ivy Park tracksuit. 

“Oh, no, no, you don’t have to do that,” You replied, though the royal was now clad in just a tank top that showed off her fit form. You forced your eyes on her face.

“You sure? It’s not a problem, Y/N.”

“I don’t want you to be cold.”

She chuckled inwardly. “You’re so cute. Tell you what, if I do get cold, you can help warm me up.” She studied your reaction, only getting a little laugh. You were very oblivious.

“Is that your way of saying you want to dance?” You asked her.

“Actually, yeah. I’d like that.” She took your hand, leading you to the dance floor. 

It just so happened they were playing one of your new favorite songs. When that song came on, you didn’t care who was around. 

Shuri and others gassed you up as you moved. But when it was all over, you suddenly turned shy. You looked around and saw two chicks staring you down—but bitterly. 

“Well, damn, what did I do?” You thought aloud.

“Hmm?” Shuri looked at you, listening attentively as you cupped your hand around her ear, informing her of the two strange women. Shuri found the culprits and glared daggers at them until they averted their gazes.

“Do you know them?” You asked. “‘Cause I don’t. Never seen ‘em a day in my life.”

“Don’t pay them no mind, they’re just jealous,” Shuri said, pulling your back against her front. She felt warm, soft, and firm all at once. And she smelled divine. She must have wanted to comfort you because she was stroking your arms. 

Clearly you weren’t the only sweet one.

You leaned into her, which made her smile yet again. “Can we keep dancing? You’re so good at it,” she asked. You laughed and nodded, feeling boosted by her compliment. The next grind-inducing song came on causing you to whine your hips. Fueled by the music, you even dropped it low, backing it up against Shuri, who gripped your hips and moved with you. 

“Damn, Y/N! Okay!” You heard Riri say. “She said I’m not a wallflower no more!”

You and Shuri had a good laugh.

The royal noticed you seemed slightly out of it; she deduced it to her jacket and all the dancing and excitement. She gently removed the jacket from you and held it. “Let’s get you some water, party girl.”

She held your hand and you felt protected as you trekked to the bar. 

“I’m getting ready to head out,” Shuri said. She never liked to stay out too long. 

“Oh, okay,” You looked at her nodding. You weren’t quite ready to leave yourself but if Shuri was leaving, you didn’t care to stay either.

“I can give you a ride,” She offered, to which you accepted. 

Shortly after, you said goodbye to everyone. Kenya was the designated driver for Riri. 

“Bye girl, see you Monday!” Riri hugged you. “Bye, Shuri.” The Queen gave her a side-hug and nodded at Kenya before resting her hand on the small of your back, escorting you out of the club with Okoye and Aneka in tow.

Shuri programmed your address into her car. It smelled as good as she did. 

“I hope you don’t mind, but Okoye and Aneka are gonna follow us,” she mentioned to you before starting the car.

“No, I know. It’s cool. That’s their job.” You got comfy in the chair, leaning back.

“Oh, you’re going to sleep on me?” Shuri asked, starting the car. She jokingly sucked her teeth. “Damn, Y/N.”

“Noo, I’mma keep you company.”

She chuckled and turned on her music at a comfortable volume. “Nah, it’s okay. I’ll wake you up when we’re there.” Although you were close to dozing off, you fought to stay up with Shuri. You felt bad about sleeping when she was giving you a ride. 

She was a little worried that you might fall out, so she walked you to your door. 

“Thank you, Shuri. I had fun tonight,” You spoke as you used your keys.

Your words lit her up. “My pleasure, and you most definitely are a good time.”

You could only yawn in response.

Shuri chuckled. “Have a good sleep, okay?”

You gave her a hug and she gladly accepted, squeezing you. “You too. Get home safe.”

“I will, babe.”

Whenever she called you a pet name, it made you feel gooey inside, but you always pushed it out of your head believing it meant little if anything at all. 

All you could think that besides the ones your grandmother gave, that was one of the best hugs you ever had. 

Shuri waited until you were inside with the door shut before taking her leave. You were surprised when you awoke in the morning to see a text from her: Made it home safely. Enjoy your weekend! x

~

“You texting somebody?” 

Shuri’s smile faded. She was responding to your reply about her making it home safely. You had wished her a happy, restful weekend. “Yes, Imani. Why?”

“Just trying to figure out who with that Kool-aid smile. They gave you good news or something?” 

Shuri stared at her and the woman stared back, arching an eyebrow.

“How’s your food?” Shuri changed the subject. She had taken one of her lady friends out for breakfast.

“It’s good,” her companion admitted, flipping her locs over her shoulder. “I’m not done either.”

“I said you could have whatever you want,” Shuri dryly reminded her. 

“I know. Excuse me, waiter? Yes, I would like try your international omelette next.”

“Okay, and for you, miss?” He addressed Shuri.

“I’m good, thank you.” 

After breakfast, Shuri took Imani to the mall. She was losing patience because unlike herself, Imani was no fast shopper. To say she was taking her precious time was an understatement. Shuri knew it was intentional. Imani felt like she was entitled to get under her skin. 

She was about to just tell Imani to call her when she was done and she’d pick her up. Until she saw you. You were looking at dresses. And just like that, Shuri’s irritation melted away. 

She snuck up behind you, covering your eyes. “You didn’t tell me you were coming to the mall.”

A puff of surprise left your throat. “Shuri?” 

“The one and only.”

You turned around, revealing your bright smile. “You didn’t tell me either, miss thang.”

Shuri motioned to the clothes. “I see you’re looking at dresses, what’s the occasion?”

Her eyes bored into you as you shared that you were buying some work attire.

“Ah, I see…you sure none of these are for a date?” 

You chuckled. “I mean, I guess they could be…” The two of you kept your smiles. “So, what brings you here?”

Shuri’s visage dulled. “I’m here with a friend.”

“Oh, that’s cool.”

“What are you doing after this?”

“Well, actually, I was planning to get a tattoo. Remember you asked me if I had any? This will be my first one.”

Shuri was so interested, firing off questions about what and where and when you planned to get the ink. And then someone shouted her name.

You, Shuri, and other patrons whipped their heads to look at Imani.

“I’m ready,” she announced.

“What did I tell you about screaming my name like that?” Shuri asked after a beat.

“You don’t mind it any other time,” Imani shot back. 

You could feel the tension. But what mainly captivated you was the fact that this chick looked awfully familiar. She looked exactly like one of those women who seemed like they wanted to shank you at the club the other night. 

“It’s rude to stare,” Imani said to you.

“That’s funny, weren’t you staring last night?” You blurted. 

Imani pursed her lips smugly but you just walked alway. You didn't want any trouble. And now it was making sense as to why she’d had a problem with you. 

“Looks like your little girlfriend is upset,” Imani commented to Shuri sarcastically.

~

M’Baku watched as you entered the cafe and took your plate before leaving. 

“The first time I see her all week and she disappears,” he said. “Do I even need to ask what happened?” 

“She probably just doesn’t like you,” Shuri said.

He was unamused. “Ha-ha-ha. Shuri, did you do something to that girl?”

“Her name is Y/N, and, no, but I know you love to think that.” She took a long sip from her water jug

“Then why doesn’t she come around anymore? Even with Riri being out sick today, you would think she would feel welcomed to sit with us.”

“She’s been eating as she works.”

The silence was deafening.

Shuri sighed and looked at M’Baku’s knowing expression. “Ever since she found out about Imani, she’s been keeping a distance,” she quietly relayed. 

His eyebrows went up and he nodded. “And why do you think that is?”

Shuri was exasperated. “I don’t know, maybe she liked me?”

“So, you didn’t lead her on?”

“No!” 

M’Baku took Shuri in, but without judgement this time. “Okay, sis.”

Shuri stabbed at her food. “It shouldn’t matter anyway. She’s my employee for Bast’s sake.”

After lunch, Shuri returned to the lab. A week ago you’d worked in pure silence, but now you had taken her invitation to listen to music. It sounded like a movie score that you were listening to. She watched you bob your head as you worked with concentration etched onto your side profile. 

You sensed someone watching you so you turned your back to find the gaze belonged to Shuri. You offered the weakest smile she’d ever seen and redirected your attention to your device. 

Shuri decided to let you be for now. About forty-five minutes later, The Griot alerted there was a visitor on the premises named Zen-daya. Shuri pulled a face in confusion as she saw her information. “I have no idea who this is—“

“It’s for me,” You clarified. 

Shuri noticeably calmed down. “Oh. Who is she?”

You chuckled. “Don’t worry, she’s safe. I told her to meet me here.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“If you must know, she’s my date.”

The room fell silent and thick once more. You packed your things and used the Kimoyo beads you’d been given to confirm with Zen-daya that you were on your way outside. 

As you proceeded to leave, you looked at Shuri—really looked at her for the first time in a week. Although most probably wouldn’t have noticed it, you could tell something was bothering her. You didn’t need to know her long to know she was possibly affected by your obvious detachment. You had gone from warm and engaging to polite and short with her. Although you were doing it for the right reasons, you sympathized with her. 

“Have a good weekend, Shuri,” You said, holding your bag over your shoulder.

She turned her head to eye you. “Y/N.”

You slowed down and faced her with a questioning gaze.

She looked serious. “It won’t take long. I wanted to check-in with you.” You nodded and she continued. 

“If you want to keep things strictly professional between us, I understand. I just hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable.”

You thought of what to say. “You haven’t made me uncomfortable.”

She stood up. “Then why the sudden change? Why don’t you speak anymore?”

“I say good morn—“

“That’s all you say. You stay in here for lunch, avoiding me—even M’Baku has been asking about you. What’s going on? Is everything okay?” 

You were right. She was absolutely affected.

“Is this about Imani—the girl you saw me with at the mall that day?”

A look and feeling of revulsion washed over you at the reminder. The truth was, you’d developed a crush on Shuri following your time at the club together. And you felt foolish when you realized she was involved with someone else—someone she had pretended not to know. Furthermore, Riri had warned you to watch out for Shuri because “she had heartbreaker tendencies.” Overall, keeping things professional seemed for the best.

“No, it’s about me doing what I feel is best.” You mentally high-fived yourself for the mature response. 

Shuri’s frown deepened. She reluctantly nodded and turned away. 

All you could think about was how sad she looked and how you wanted to give her a big hug. But you didn’t dare. 

~

Riri had enough. She pulled Shuri out of the lab. Shuri looked puzzled at Riri’s shrewd countenance. “Yes?”

“Cutting the formalities, you’ve been acting like an ass this whole week, what’s up?” Riri confronted using her hands as she spoke. 

Shuri scoffed.

“No, you have been, ask everyone!” Riri then looked around and lowered her tone, “We can all feel and see how snappy you are.”

Deep down, Shuri knew that for Riri to pull her aside, it was serious. 

“Thank you,” she said, just as earnest. 

Riri softened a tad. “You welcome. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

“Just some personal stuff, it was inappropriate of me to bring it into work. I will apologize.” Without another word, Shuri returned to the lab. She clasped her hands, looking around and soon getting her staff’s attention. “Everyone, a word. This week I’m sure you all noticed a change in my behavior, and for that I sincerely apologize. I have been dealing with some personal matters, but that is not an excuse to mistreat my team. I hope you can forgive me.”

“We know you’re still grieving,” someone called. 

It was time for your shift in the lab. You saw Riri standing just outside the doors, watching what was happening inside. You greeted each other, though you could immediately tell something was off.

“Shuri just apologized to the team,” She filled you in.

“Oh, really? That’s good.”

Riri didn’t react. She looked contemplative. Almost reluctantly, she moved towards you. “Why do I get the feeling some shit went down between you?” She whispered. 

“What do you mean?”

“She hasn’t been the only one acting off. You’ve been strange, too, acting distant.”

“Distant or professional?” You defended. 

Riri  heaved a sigh. “Y/N, just answer the question.”

You checked your surroundings and whispered defensively. “For my own sanity, I had to fall back—you even told me to!” 

Riri just listened. 

“Nothing happened beyond what you saw at the club,” You added. “We didn’t kiss, sleep together, none of that…” 

Suddenly the doors parted, making room for Shuri, and silencing you and Riri. 

“Y’all need to talk,” Riri insisted, eyes darting between you and Shuri. “Let me get back to work.”

“I have to work, too,” You said, shaking your head. “Did you want to talk to me?” You looked at Shuri searchingly, who wore a stoic expression. 

She looked at you for a moment. Then, she shook her head. “No, you can go in.”

~

To make up for her moodiness, Shuri treated her team out that same night. She mingled with her staff—except for you. Though beneath her shades, she kept a watchful eye on you. There was something about you that warranted her protection. She knew how the club and how people could be. 

She was surprised to see you drinking. Though, your reaction to the liquor was comical. You spit it out just as fast as you’d sipped it. This caused you to stain your clothes. Riri was hysterical. Fortunately, as Shuri presumed, Riri accompanied you to the bathroom.

Suddenly, a manicured hand reached for Shuri’s tapered cut but was intercepted by Okoye. 

“Sorry, general, I just wanted to dance with the Queen, is that okay?” The woman responded mildly exasperated. Okoye looked at Shuri, who nodded. Okoye moved back to her position on the side but kept her eye on the woman. 

Shuri’s shielded eyes traveled up the woman’s curvaceous frame. She allowed the woman to wrap her arms around her neck. The intensity of the woman’s perfume practically burned Shuri’s nose. Shuri turned her face, wincing, and gently holding the woman’s waist. 

“I’m sorry,” Shuri told the woman before excusing herself. Okoye and Aneka following her. 

Shuri went to the ladies’ room where you and Riri still were.

“Just take it to the cleaner’s, it’ll be alright,” Riri was saying as you furiously attempted to rid the purple stain from your cream-colored number.

“Hey Shuri,” Riri said in between a chortle. “Do you see this?”

Shuri gave a half-smile. “I don’t know why you were drinking to begin with.”

You looked at her through the mirror. “Because I can.”

Shuri just smirked and you watched as she splashed some cold water on her face.

“Don’t ask,” she said, knowing she had yours and Riri’s attention.

“Oooh, they’re playing my song!” Riri exclaimed. “I’m sorry, Y/N, Shuri is gonna have to take over, I’ve been in here long enough.” She rushed out the door.

“I might as well just suck it up,” You sighed, defeated. 

Shuri removed her leather jacket and held it out to you. Looking at it and then her, you softly declined. 

“Suit yourself,” she said, sniffing into a paper towel.

“What happened to you?” 

Shuri finished with the paper towel, her nose reddening. “This woman, her perfume was overpowering.”

You burst into giggles.

“You’re laughing, but it made my nose hurt,” Shuri said, smiling small. You laughed harder when she started sneezing. 

“Okay, that’s enough,” she said, rolling her eyes playfully after wiping her nose once more. 

“Yeah, you better keep your jacket, girl.”

“Hush.” 

“Make me.” You then chuckled. Shuri cornered you and you quickly grabbed her hands. You held up her tattooed hand and admired it again. “I was supposed to get mine.”

“Oh, you didn’t get it?” You shook your head. “I can take you.”

Shuri was amused and moved by you analyzing and tracing her tattoo. She also secretly enjoyed your touch. “You’re just trying to get out of being tickled,” she said. 

You tightened your hold on her hands even more making her cackle. 

“I love your hands,” You blurted.

For the first time you saw her blush. “Yeah? What do you love about them?”

“They’re strong yet delicate. Just like you.” You smiled. 

“You’re so corny, Y/N.” 

“Yeah, whatever, I told no lies.” You turned away from her. 

Shuri backed you against the counter, making you yelp. She learned it was because you got some water on you. Her mouth was covered by her own hand in shock. You pushed her away from you.

“I am so sorry!”

You grumbled and went towards the door, Shuri fast on your tail. 

“Come on, I have clothes in my car,” she said. 

“Y/N, what happened now?” Riri questioned when Shuri announced that you were leaving. 

“This one got me wet,” You said, sternly pointing at Shuri. 

“In what way?” Riri wriggled her eyebrows.

“Riri, don’t start, I’m embarrassed as it is,” You retorted. “Shuri, let’s go.”

Riri smiled. “I’m just glad to see y’all like this again.”

“How are you getting home?” Shuri asked her. “You should come with us.”

“Kenya is meeting me here.”

“Let’s just wait until she gets here,” Shuri suggested to you, to which you readily agreed. You both went outside and she fetched a pair of basketball shorts and a sports bra for you to change into in the backseat. Shuri, Okoye, and Aneka waited outside.

When you’d already finished, moments later, Shuri opened the car door.  “I just met Kenya at the door. We’re good to go.” She looked you and up and down and smiled. “Don’t you look cute.”

Shuri took you home, but didn’t let you get out of the car just yet. Instead of discussing what she wanted to with you during the ride, she chose to bring it up now. 

“I’m just gonna come right out and say it…I’ve fallen for you. I know it’s only been going on three weeks, but not a day goes by that I don’t think of you and wish I could be right there. It was torture when you pulled back, then to top it off, you were dating that Zen-daya girl. I was miserable, angry, and confused, and taking it out on my team, which wasn’t cool. I never expected to fall for you let alone anyone. Not so fast, not like this. But here I am…not wanting or thinking about anyone but you.” 

Your mouth was ajar. This time you’d gasped albeit quietly. 

“True story,” Shuri confirmed. 

“…I was not expecting that!”

“Hmm.” She smiled to herself. 

You were truly flabbergasted. You had heard that Shuri was a player, plus you were her employee—you didn’t imagine she only wanted you and all to herself.

As if reading your mind, she continued, “I know you’ve heard…bad things about me when it comes to my dating life, and I want you to know I will prove to you that none of this is a game to me.” Her eyes held yours in earnest. After a beat, she laughed some, grasping your chin. “You should really close your mouth before something goes in it.”

“I’m truly flabbergasted…”

Shuri nodded. “This is a lot to take in, so I’ll give you as much time as you need. I promise I’ll be patient.” She leaned over the console and pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Let’s get you inside, yeah?”

Part 2

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