#bashira brooks

[dollyocaccount]

Bashira HAS fought beasts and monsters before, even slayed other vampires because—like, DUH. SHE'S THE DAUGHTER OF BLADE. But she does not see it as a victory.She mourns the way things had to be. Even the defeated creature isn’t an “enemy” to her—it’s a being that lost its path, was corrupted, or had no choice. She understands some creatures can not help the way they are and she absolutely tries diplomacy first, to reason or to show the beast she means no harm but sometimes there are instances in which she must finish then off.

Whether it's vampires who terrorize humans, whether it's beasts who slay millions of people—Bashira will slay them but only if she absolutely must before she kneels down next to them and gently touches then and whispers: "You deserved better than this fate. I pray to any of the gods above that you are reborn into a gentler and kinder life...that you are loved instead of feared. That you belong rather than destroy." before she closes it's eyes for them.

LIKE YES SHE IS POWERFUL BUT SHE IS COMPASSIONATE TO HER CORE, she may seem stoic and intimidating but she's just confident and focused. After she slays a beast, even a hydra or something, she'd want to make sure it's able to die somewhere with a beautiful sight. To lay it's body somewhere where it can see and be kissed by sunrise and sunset for one last time. AND IT'S ALSO CANON THAT THERE IS NO MULTIVERSE WHERE BASHIRA BECOMES EVIL—She's either a hero, she dies a hero, but she is never evil no matter the multiverse because that's genuinely who she is as a person. SHE'S ALSO NOT GOING TO BE STUBBORN, she's receptive because she was going to be Queen before her exile and a good Queen never speaks over her subjects but to represent them.

She listens and hears out the philosophies of villains (meanwhile Bakari checked out, like, 6 minutes into the monologue), when she goes to Samara to ask about a beast and Samara says: "Why? You wish to know how to defeat it?" And Bashira softly says: "No, I wish to understand it."

She treats “monsters” like exiles, like herself. If a basilisk comes up from the sewers? Most heroes go: “It’s dangerous! Kill it!”

Bashira goes: “It must be starving. Its water source is contaminated. It is afraid. We can fix this.” and Bakari helps her, he uses his forging skills to create whatever she thinks the creature may need. He'll build magical filtration charms to filter out pollution from sacred and magical waters. He'll build warming containment for magical creatures displaced from their homes. Even if she is afraid of the beast, she doesn't believe fear alone should garuntee the death of any creature.

[dollyocaccount]

My basic idea of what Nubia and Blade's dynamic would be, from start to finish, would be this:

- Nubia and Blade met by chance on a mission to stop a vampiric threat that was threatening the world, overlapping goals and circumstances lead them to work together. This was before Nubia became Queen of the Amazon's in my canon and before her relationship with Io.

- Nubia has always been strong and compassionate and wouldn't immediately condemn Blade and wouldn't just focus on his vampirism, she simply sees it as one of the many things that make him the complex individual that he is. Meanwhile, Blade's resilience and ability to endure despite seeing himself as "cursed" would cause Nubia to fall for him, especially during the moments when he extended a softness to Nubia that he tried to hide.

- I can't think of a specific scenario but at some point in their journey/battle against the threat, Nubia has already established herself as someone who can make Blade feel genuinely safe and protected, even when he loses himself to his vampire side, and they engaged in intimacy at the mutual need for comfort and safety or in a vulnerable moment where they can't hide their growing care and passion for each other.

- However, once they were done, Blade would immediately pull back once he realized how vulnerable he made himself (IT'S GENETIC) but Nubia remained patient with him but knew that their priorities and circumstances would cause their relationship to be short-lived but that doesn't mean it was any less important to her or him.

- They would separate after their children are born, establishing how they would both be present and became united by the love they shared for their children rather than the love they shared for each other. Their romance dwindles but the flames of respect and mutual care for the other are still there.

- Nubia would definetly be one of the few people Blade could trust, her strength making everyone around her (including him) feel protected and even though they aren't together and she has moved on, he still relaxes in her presence and trusts her a lot more than he displays. Blade is still a mystery to Nubia but she understands most of him, which is more than most people can say. She finds herself amused when he does something she doesn't expect but never gets frustrated with him, as long as this mystery doesn't impact their children negatively.

- In regards to Io, Nubia would not hide or pretend her fling with Blade did not exist because she honors what they had and she adores the children she gained from it. Io is deeply devoted to Nubia and her children, making it clear that she wouldn't pose a threat to Blade and his bonds with his children, and be humble enough to ask them for advice. While Blade is not nearly as open to her as Nubia, he does respect her as their step mom, and knows she is just as protective of them.

- He's also glad that Nubia found someone more deserving of her love, but he still thinks of their initial relationship with a sort of underlying softness and regret. Meanwhile, Nubia just wishes that Blade can find solace and peace with himself and the world, she will take moments to ask how he is but won't pry because she knows better than to push him when he doesn't want to open up.

- Nubia would definetly address him as "Blade" and rarely call him "Eric" unless she's confiding him or needs his help regarding their children. Nubia only addresses him with his real name when she's trying to talk to the man she once loved and the father of her children and Blade surprisingly doesn't have a problem with it, because he trusts her with his name, and knows that she says it with care and concern rather than malice or shame.

- Bashira and Bakari are aware that their parental situation isn't exactly typical and Nubia and Blade don't really discuss their initial relationship before them, not out of shame, but because it's not what matters to them right now. Nubia would just say: "Love is a complicated thing. What I had with your father is not something I regret but it was also doomed from the start. Regardless, I would do it all over again because it gave me the two loves of my life." and she kisses their heads. Meanwhile if they ask Eric about it, he'd be sincere but also practical with the details: "Sometimes the bonds we make can't survive the things we have to do." And if their children asked if they still love each other, Nubia's response would be immediate and truthful: "Yes, I do. Love can take many shapes and while it may not look the same as it did, I will always love your father." meanwhile, Blade would be caught somewhat off gaurd before he answers in an uncharacteristically genuine way: "I do. Maybe not like I used to before but I do."

- They both go to each other when their children are struggling with a heritage that they don't understand. If Nubia can sense her children's fear of their vampire side, she'd immediately call Blade and he prefers being called as soon as possible to help his kids. If Bakari or Bashira were dealing with something from their divine side, Blade would want to try and fix it but if he realizes he can't do it on his own, he will call Nubia to help him keep their children safe.

- Nubia's love also extends to Brielle, while she would never want to replace her actual mother, Safron—who I lowkey think would greatly respect Nubia—and Bashira and Bakari greatly love her and because she's another part of Blade, Nubia can't help but develop a soft spot. BUT ALSO, BLADE DID DO A BAD JOB AT LETTING BRIELLE KNOW ABOUT HER OLDER SIBLINGS. Because in all fairness, he tried to hide Brielle from this stuff and he did tell Bashira and Bakari until her powers manifested so Nubia was surprised but helped calm down Bashira and Bakari's outrage. Bashira felt as though this reinforced her worry that Blade was scared of her and her power while Bakari was just offended he had a whole other sister he didn't know about.

- NO, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THESE THREE ARE SO SICK OF BLADE'S DAD LORE, MAN. But regardless, Nubia would deeply care for Brielle and offer her wisdom and guidance, prioritizing her the same way she'd prioritize her other children and even though she isn't her child, she'd provide a softness that Blade isn't known for.

[dollyocaccount]

I do think that Bashira and Blade are very emotionally distant from each other in a lot of ways because, like, Bashira has surpassed Blade in many ways and she's so strong to the point that Blade isn't sure he'd be able to stop her or if Nubia herself would be able to stop her if Bashira lost control of herself. Meanwhile, Bashira feels as though Blade is afraid of her and only focuses on her "darkness" that he is blind to her light. This only intensified during one match on the island where Bakari's forge island. Bakari, Nubia and Io (Nubia's partner) watched on the sidelines, smiling as Bashira and Blade sparred with each other as usual. Bashira was too carefree and too lax with herself, not holding back against her father and excited to show him how much she improved from last time, but then Bashira's strength became too much and she ended up knocking back Blade farther than she intended and she even cracked a few ribs. Nubia and Bakari ran to his side, as did Bashira, and when Blade coughed up blood, Bashira immediately kneeled down and reached out for him. About to crack a joke to lighten the mood about how she must've been getting stronger or he must be getting slower, only for Blade to look up at her through his now cracked shades. That's when she saw it:

Fear.

He looked afraid and he flinched a little when she reached out. And Bashira had NEVER seen her father look afraid before but that expression of wide eyed fear of his would ingrain itself into her brain. The only thing that he could possibly be afraid of in that moment was her, at least, in her mind. Naturally, that look of fear didn't stay for long as he quickly composed himself but he didn't respond to Bashira's apologies or Bakari's questions if he was feeling okay and instead, he let Nubia help him up and told her: "We need to talk."

Bashira just watched guiltily and sorrowfully as her mother and father walked way and she thought to herself: "...Do I scare him?"

It didn't help that Blade stopped sparring with her after that. HE DIDN'T STOP TRAINING WITH HER but he now only taught her practical survival skills, hunting tactics, and stealth. But they never sparred again and anytime Bashira asked her, Blade would simply say: "You're a lot stronger, now. It wouldn't do any good for either of us if we sparred like before anymore." and Bashira would just feel like he's avoiding saying the actual reason why he won't spar with her. Because he's afraid of her.

But that's not what Blade is afraid of. He loves her with all of his heart, even if it doesn't show or he struggles to let her feel that. What he's really afraid of is that he won't be able to stop her if she loses control and she might do something she'll regret. He's not scared of her nor does he just focus on her "darkness" because he DOES see her as more like Nubia than him. He sees her compassionate heart, he sees her bravery and selflessness, and he sees that she has more control over herself than he ever did but he's also afraid that she's outgrown his protection. That the threats she faces are ones that he can't protect her from...hell, he can't even protect her from HERSELF anymore.

and Bashira believes that he is blind to her heroic feats and that he only sees her as something to fear. While Blade sees how wonderful and good his daughter is but is scared that his curse, HIS DARKNESS, will ruin things for her and he won't be able to help her.

[dollyocaccount]

STOP, SHE MAKES HIM SO FUCKING HAPPY, I CAN'T-

[dollyocaccount]

World Wonder Triple dates would be so funny when you remember that Elazar has committed serious crimes in space, Kojo is a literal eco terrorist, and Iwazaru is apart of HALT and related to Mizaru (war crimes by association).

BUT RAAAAH, IWAZARU WOULD BE ALL OVER BASHIRA, MAN. IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY. He'd definetly have the strength to lift her up and while he doesn't mind being lifted up himself, HE WOULD SO LOVE TO HOLD HER BRIDAL STYLE AND BE ALL: "Hey~" before Bashira just pushes him away and she stands up and dusts herself off. OR LIKE, WHEN THEY START DATING, Iwazaru would so love throwing her over his shoulder *he, Kikazaru, and Mizaru would have this urge to "steal" their partners* and running off with her. HE ALSO LOVES IT WHEN HE MAKES HER LAUGH. Like she's just cuddled up in bed with him and the sun hits his face so he says something really sarcastic and Bashira just laughing at how silly and funny he is and Iwazaru's eyes genuinely softening as he melts a bit underneathe her gaze and his tail curls into the shape of a heart.

BUT ALSO, BASHIRA HAS SUCH A CHOKEHOLD ON IWAZARU. Once he realizes his feelings for her aren't his usual lust or attraction, he becomes so infatuated with her. He loves to see moments of her being genuine earnest and humble. At first, he's little annoyed because he thinks she's one of those typical hot headed heros who just preach but never follow through BUT BASHIRA DOES. She does things without expecting a thank you because she's just a naturally kind person. He follows her around constantly, annoying her to try and get her attention. Sometimes he just stays back and observes her without announcing his presence, admiring how serene and peaceful she looks, only to be all: "Welp, time to make her acknowledge my presence!!" and then he ruins her day by surprise attacking her.

He likes keeping her attention on him, he craves it like its the very oxygen in his lungs. Like, he craved attention before but that was because of his trauma but this is different. Everytime her eyes are on him, he wants to do everything he can to keep them on him. AND THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW BASHIRA LIKES HIM BECAUSE SHE WILL HUMOR HIM SOMETIMES, because she doesn't typically respond to flirtation, but it's...different when it's from Iwazaru. She can see underneathe the charm and swagger that he is trying to be genuine in his own way and she doesn't want to discourage that...that and he is pretty hot. SHE IS A BIT CONFUSED AND STRANGE because his approach is so different to Amazon customs of courting and wooing a partner, but its not an unwelcomed change.

BAKARI WOULD H A T E IWAZARU and doesn't know why Bashira entertains him but Iwazaru, being a big brother himself, doesn't really let it get to him and he will be just as protective of Bakari because he knows how important he is to Bashira. Likewise, Bashira would always ensure the safety of Kikazaru and Mizaru because she understands Iwazaru's burden of having to be the older sibling that's constantly relied on.

[dollyocaccount]

While most heroes train to gain strength, Bashira is the kind of hero who trains herself in learning how to be gentle. Especially after the Reneira incident, Bashira still holds an incredible amount of guilt over it and never wants to repeat something so horrible again. She is unmatched in power and strength but that is power and strength is meaningless to her if she can only harm or destroy things. So she practices it in her own ways.

She will accompany Kana when Kana is tending to injured wild animals and listen intently when Kana tells her how to care for them. Like if there's a tiny bird, Bashira will treat it but her hands shake because all she can think about is how she doesn't want to crush it so Kana puts her hand on Bashira's arm and says: "You're doing fine. It knows that it's safe with you." and Bashira looks down at the bird to see it nestled in her palm and she gently smiles as she watches it.

She learned how to play the lyre. It was a very shaky introduction as her strength would cause her to break the strings if she tugged too hard or shed break the frame because she gripped it too hard im frustration. However, she would take a deep breath and simply try again. Testing how lightly she needs to pluck, keeping her frustration in control, and closing her eyes to listen to the beautiful and delicate sound it makes. While she won't be beating Apollo in any competitions anytime soon, she's greatly improved since the first time she started. Bashira might also learn how to sew and embroidery, things that require her hands to be soft, and to be mindful and present. If she tugs the thread too hard then it will snap and if she becomes too frustrated, she might prick herself. It also makes it so much more meaningful in situations where Bakari, Blade, Brielle, or Nubia's garments have gotten ruined in battle and she excitedly pulls out her sewing kit to repair their clothing for the them because she's been practicing very hard. It's not very well done, its actually very sloppy, but it's sturdy and does what it needs to do. She may have poked them a few times as well but her goal is that one day, she can seamlessly sew delicate garments and repair damaged ones.

She also won't touch people when she's upset or emotional because she's not sure if she can engage in that kind of platonic skinship without hurting her friends or family. So if she's upset and someone tries to hug her, she will back away because she's not sure if she can restrain herself will being upset. Or if she's extremely happy, she might have to suppress her joy when teammates try to high five her or do a chest bump by simply giving them a thumbs up even though she feels a great amout of joy and elation. Basita doesn't want to be seen for her power, she wants to be seen for her mercy. Fragility is not a weakness to Bashira, because it's something she actively works to defend and believes it can be a great strength.

So even if someone is taunting her, like if Reneira was clearly not happy about her return on Themyscira and was constantly trying to provoke her, Bashira will simply not engage because Reneira has always brought out powerful emotions in her (both good and bad) and just continues to be cordial and polite. However, just because Bashira will let it slide doesn't mean Chase will as she'll definetly call out Renejra and if Reneira is talking shit then Manuela will just crack her knuckles and be all: "LET'S SEE HOW WELL YOU TALK AFTER THIS-" And Bashira has to hold them back.

[dollyocaccount]

Bashira and Bakari can drink each other's blood BUT UNDER SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. Like Blade, they would be strongly aversed from drinking human blood, and use ambrosia as a way to satiate their thirst. So neither of them have drank human blood but they have drank each other's blood (and maybe even Nubia's when they were starving and ran out of ambrosia). But also, when they drink each other's blood, they can:

- Give each other even more boosted healing/immunity boosts to poisons and other things

- Have a telepathic mind link with each other (how much blood they consume from each other unusually determines how long their telepathic mind link lasts)

- Become more in tune with each other's emotions and grant them an energy boost/temporary power surge for a limited amount of time.

- But most importantly, it stabilizes each other's powers. If Bashira and Bakari became filled with bloodlust, their hunger becomes too strong, and/or if they've been manipulated by outside forces then they can drink each other's blood to suck out the bad stuff/slightly weaken each other and satisfy their hunger for blood.

The reason for this is that this was Oshun's gift to the both of them. An alternative way to cope with their hunger: True divine love. When Bashira and Bakari allow the other to drink from them, it's not just sharing blood, it's the ultimate act of love, trust, and healing. When vampires typically drink from another vampire, its not sustaining the same way drinking human blood is for them, but Bashira and Bakari are different because Oshun's blessing makes their blood sustaining to each other not out of it being blood but blood that was shared out of true familial love for each other. It doesn't replace their hunger, as there is drawbacks (such as them becoming disoriented or their sense if identity becoming too intertwined with the others) but it brings them back to their senses and tempers their hunger when it gets out of control. It helps make sure that they're both capable of bringing their sibling back from the edge. However, it is still a very strange and awkward thing and NOT SOMETHING THEY DO A LOT but will do because they love the other so much.

With that being said: Bashira would prefer to bite Bakari's forearm or his wrist if she ever needed to drink his blood, it doesn't feel as invasive and so she can avoid easily damaged areas and viens that might be harmful if her fangs punctured them. She apologizes and even though she feels healed and powerful, she still feels selfish for needing to drink from him because she already relies on him for so much, like his weapons and armor.

Bakari would bite Bashira's shoulder or bicep, these may seem like questionable choices but the reason he picks between these two locations is because Bashira is more muscular than him, and the biceps and shoulders are mainly muscle so it makes his bites less painful and he's also less likely to hit any essential viens.

But I also feel like these positions make sense in terms of how they are as siblings: Bashira is older and has been taught to protect her loved ones so when she drinks from Bakari, she chooses his wrist so that Bakari has the option of pulling his hand away if he has second thoughts about letting her drink from him, and is easily able to draw back from her. She doesn't want Bakari to feel like he's obligated to do this or that she's demanding him to do it. Meanwhile Bakari bites into Bashira's shoulder because if he needs to drink from her then it means he was severely weakened in a fight or his hunger took control, and he needs comfort through closeness. It's not supposed to be intimate but more like a child clinging to someone they feel safe with, especially because HE'S the younger sibling and always feels assured that Bashira will always have his back. It's also supposed to echo that "younger sibling selfishness" where, naturally, younger siblings can sometimes rely heavily on their older siblings without thinking about it. So Bakari has a habit of drinking too much from Bashira but only because he doesn't want to pretend to be stronger, he just wants someone to be there for him and not be afraid. Also, considering how distant Bashira can unintentionally be, she knows that Bakari is truly shaken because he doesn't typically push for proximity like this, which proves how truly shaken he must be in that moment.

[dollyocaccount]

Bashira and Bakari are not only favored by the Greek Gods but by the Orisha (an African pantheon, specifically from Yoruba mythology) as well. While Bashira and Bakari may have been born to Nubia, her connection to the Orisha passes down onto her children, who have stronger bonds with the Orisha because their heritages as Daywalkers gives them more independence and fluidity in who they worship. Bashira is still respectful and reverent to both pantheons, Bakari has his own thoughts (some nice, some not so nice) but is still respectful and would be honored to create weapons for either pantheon. Because they're not just Greek heroes, their souls and who they are can originate back to Africa so I just want to talk about their connections with the Orisha as well.

The Greek Pantheon is much more hierarchal and political than the Orisha pantheon and view Bashira more as a tool or entertaining champion that they haven't seen in a long time, they don't understand her vampirism nor are those egotistical narcissists in Olympus too happy about the fact that they aren't the only pantheon she worships/follows and relies on. Meanwhile, the Orisha pantheon view her as a beautiful fusion of power, pain, and purpose. They see her potential as not just a mere champion who brings glory but as a bridge between life and death, the living and the dead, and chaos and order. They love her because of her vampirism and don't ask her to be pure, but instead ask her to be true to herself.

Bashira would be favored by the Orisha's: Oshun (Orisha of love, healing, beauty, sensuality, and water), Oya (Orisha of death, storms, rebirth, and ancestral wisdom), Shango (an Orisha who is more associated with male warriors but would defineltly vibe with Bashira).

Bakari is critical and often skeptical of the Greek pantheon, seeing how they treat his sister as a tool to further their "glory" and reputation but don't acknowledge him unless they need something crafted. He knows each story like the back of his hand and all of them, even when he knows the standards and archiac expectations of the Greeks, are outdated and shallow and he isn't afraid to voice it (which is why Hephaestus crafted Bakari's forge to be soundproof to the gods). His relationship with the Orisha is more deeper, more personal. The Orisha don't just ask for his worship but they ask to work with him. Nor do they see his skills but they see him as a person, someone whose destiny may not be as loud or epic as Bashira's, but is still great and meaningful in his way.

He's favored by Ogun, the Orisha of War, Technology, Iron, and Blacksmithing. THE REASON WHY BAKARI DOESN'T HAVE AS MANY ORISHA PATRONS IS BECAUSE THE OTHER ORISHA'S RECOGNIZE THAT BAKARI HAS ALREADY FOUND HIS SKILL AND PURPOSE AND THAT HE IS CONTENT WITH CRAFTING IT. So it makes sense that the divine God of blacksmithing would watch over him.